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What is krack Alac and fellow thermonucle
ar A Effers, I am a Damp

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Valley coming at you with part one
of a solo mailbag. We'll have a

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joint mail bag for you, I
believe releasing on Friday. This will be

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our Discord mailbag. Anyone who submitted
a question on Twitter, Grant and I

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will get to that for a Thursday
into Friday. Apologize to anyone who was

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looking forward to our live stream this
week. We've typically been going Wednesday afternoons.

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First, how to move it because
the scheduling conflict. Grant was also

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sick, and I try to do
it right before games on Wednesday, but

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I really couldn't fit into my schedule
of a lot of stuff going on right

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now. So apologies. If anyone
was actually waiting, I died doubt anyone

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was given how small time we are, but just in case you were,

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we will be back and we're eventually
gonna try doing one and lead up to

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games. We're hopefully more people are
around and can tune in and give more

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live questions very quickly. Just remember
to subscribe to us if this is your

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first time checking us out, or
if you're reoccurring choppering in and just haven't

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done it yet Apple Spotify YouTube YouTube
is really we've reached a low, we've

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stopped growing, So head over to
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you've done all those things, we
tweet us, shot us out on Twitter,

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quote the podcast on Twitter as well, and tag us. We will

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retweet it and we always appreciate it. And finally, if you want to

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be able to submit mailbag questions more
readily, you can of course dm me

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on Twitter at Dampa Valley, but
also go to our discord. The link

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to that is in the podcast and
YouTube description. I send out a solicitation

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just about every week and so you
will get priority mailbag there. I believe

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that's it. Follow us in all
the socials spot of Proof, TikTok,

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Twitter and Instagram, or at Hardwood
Knox on Twitter and TikTok and at Hardwood

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Underscore Knox on Instagram. With that, the defining question of this mailbag is

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are the Nuggets in trouble? And
it's really the actual question comes from Nugs

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and they ask are of the Nuggets
playing like dog crap on purpose has to

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lower their perspective playoff opponents to sleep. This is on that, and I

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want to make clearly not believe that
Nuggs actually believes this himself. But this

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is on the level of people thinking
that Yokich doesn't want to win the MVP,

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so he's throwing it at the moment
to give it to Embed or Janis

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so that his team doesn't have to
deal with the pressure, or he doesn't

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and himself in the deal to pressure
to playoffs. The Nuggets doing that would

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be on that level of conspiracy theory. I do not think that they're necessarily

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doing this on purpose. Nuggs is
definitely referencing their losses four straight to Chicago,

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San Antonio, Brooklyn, and Toronto. I might go all out and

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smack the panic button if they lose
to Detroit on Thursday. That's a game

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that they just have to win,
the second of a five game road trip,

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and it's the easiest game they're going
to have on the road. They

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have the Knicks after the Pistons,
then the Nets, and they have those.

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Those are back to backs New York
and Brooklyn Saturday and Sunday, respectively,

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then followed by by Washington before they
have to go rattle off games against

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the Bucks and the Sixers. At
home, but one right after the other

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on a Saturday and a one day. But there is an element too.

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It does feel like watching them that
they're playing with an absence of urgency,

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and could that be a mode of
conservation heading into the playoffs. I guess

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maybe, But it also doesn't feel
like strictly that we've seen them turn things

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on in the fourth quarter or later
in games. We saw that in their

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most recent loss. I caught the
loss to the Raptors the bigger thing.

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I mean, there's a three things
stand out to me, So let's start

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there. Jamal Murray just does not
look the same ever since coming back from

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that knee injury. Really seems like
he was turning it up leading into the

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All Star Break and then ever since
then. He's at sub thirty five percent

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from three since the All Star Break
on nine attempts and it's like thirty four

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point nine percent. He's sub twenty
six percent over this six game stretch,

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and he just doesn't feel like he's
moving the same with the ball in his

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hands when you're looking at the north
south aspect of his game. That's definitely

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going to hurt the Nuggets. Their
defense has gotten worse. They are twenty

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third in points allowed per possession since
the All Star Break, and they've been

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even worse than that. Of course, over this four game stretch, they've

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they've been a team that has committed
a good amount of turnovers this year,

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and then they've struggled to defend in
those situations. Their defense has really always

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been best if you watch them,
because they're so good on offense, they

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get a chance to get set and
so when they're committing turnovers. Since the

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All Star Break, they're lying one
point four four points per possession, which

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is an abysmal mark. I think
it's twenty eight. I have not refreshed

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since the games being played on Wednesday, So forgive me if there's a little

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bit of an accuracy there, and
that's something that has definitely hurt them.

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And you look at their overall defense, they're still not getting opponents are shooting

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a little bit better from three,
and that was the thing that we had

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sort of wondered, was there a
lot of luck involved there? There was,

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I think there was, but like
their middle of the road in three

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point defense during this stretch, I
think what's probably hurt the more is just

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the lineups that exist out side of
their most integral lineups have been getting absolutely

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gobsmacked. They are twenty seventh in
bench point differential promone hunter possessions since the

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All Star break. That's a team
that we didn't really expect to have that

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too strong of a bench to begin
with. And you look up and down

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and some of the lineups that Mike
Malon Michael Malone is using excuse me,

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and Christian Brown finally gets in the
rotation again. That might actually help.

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But you do look at what they're
trying to build and I don't know whether

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it's they don't have an answer.
Are they actually trying to experiment where they're

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finally getting away from you. I
think we saw some Aaron Gordon and Jeff

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Green together in the front court.
That makes sense. I'm growing Christian Brown

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back in there too. So it
does feel like there's a level of,

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you know, we're plumbing the depth
here. And then we see Michael Porter

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Junior coming back in in situations after
he was benched for a hot minute,

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and so I think that's good.
This could just be a function of well

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they are, they know they're flawed, and that's why Thomas Bryan has been

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yank. They'll probably get another shot. Naji's banged up right now. That's

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something to keep in mind when looking
at their front court rotation as well.

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So I'm not in full on panic
mode for the Nuggets just yet. And

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I do think I don't want to
say there's an element of design here,

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but I do think that this is
a team that is going through more of

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a self discovery period where they're trying
to say, hey, what can we

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do When you look at just their
like top what are going to be there

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Let's say three most important lineups in
the makeup, and they mix and match

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with their top six guys absolutely killer. They're trying to find I think when

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I watch them and what I've seen
of them lately, I've not, wanting

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to be clear, I've not caught
every game by the Nuggets and see Allstar

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break. I've not watched all four
during this losing streak, but I have

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caught two and a half of the
ones of the four. And when you

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look at what they're running, yeah, maybe some of it's by necessity,

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is a poor decision making by Michael
Malone? Are they trying to discover certain

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combinations that are going to work maybe
in smaller spurts during the playoffs, because

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yes, your most important players are
going to matter the most, but you're

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still going to need to buy some
time with less than ideal lineups or lineups

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that are going to fall outside your
most critical and just because when you look

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at this roster and they are really
only sure things as you go through the

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let's say top six and if you
really want to, I guess you could

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stretch it so there, depending on
how you feel about a Jeff Green or

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if your team cash are or if
you're you know, if you think that

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Zignagi is that guy when he's healthy, they're top seven players you do need

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to find like when the playoffs get
to eight or nine, and then figure

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out the combinations that are going to
work or there I will say it would

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it's you can look at it one
of two ways, or I think you

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should actually look at it. I
would look at it both of these ways.

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It's good to go through this.
It's not a crisis of identity,

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but it's good to go through their
stretch. Now when we are basically one

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month before the start of the first
round of the playoffs, and it is

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to go through this at the start
of the playoffs were even deeper into the

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playoffs. At the same time,
you would also like to go through a

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stretch like this before the trade deadline
so that you can futs and fiddle accordingly,

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and that's not something they were really
able to do. They made a

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call on Bones Highland future try to
upgrade the back up, big rotation in

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the process that has not really worked
out to date for them. Just the

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whatever with Bones that they it was
time was time. We know, if

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you listen to podcast, you know
my thoughts on that. But like the

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Thomas Bryant acquisition, the Reggie Jackson
acquisition, those have not just panned out

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for them in ways that they were
probably hoping. And had they gone through

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this exact stretch it's say, two
weeks before the trade deadline, maybe we

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see them make different types of moves
there. I don't think they would have

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tried to make a home run swing, but could they have tried to target

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would they have been in on the
Jail and McDaniels sweep stakes rather than focusing

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on a backup. It just is
just as an example there and when you

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do watch them play defense now it
does and it was true in the win

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over Toronto that they had. You
could visibly see and we know sort of

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their defensive splits when you look at
the fourth quarter and crunch time versus the

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rest of the game. But it
feels like it's more stark when you're watching

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them on how they're defending where it's
okay. Yokich is kind of in the

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middle of things, like he's not
playing all the way up to the level

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of the screen, but it doesn't
really feel like he's all the way and

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drop and they're getting burned at the
basket that way. And then as the

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game goes on, you see them
really tighten things up. You see him

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maybe make some quick decisions. And
it's not just him in general. I

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think even with some of the guys
who are tsked with containing the ball,

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like they're just they don't really feel
like they're playing with as much early on.

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I'm not saying they're not trying.
It just feels like they don't flip

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a switch until later on. I
guess that's fine now, but it's going

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to be a problem for them in
the playoffs, and I'm still look Nuggets

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fans have been all up in I
think everyone shit and not all Nuggets fans,

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but a bunch of Nuggets fans have
been all up and everyone ship saying,

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well, look at how good they've
been on defense since December first or

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whatever it is. They were eighth
for the longest time like between December first,

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and they also break their eighth and
points a lot of pert possession.

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They are now twenty third since the
All Star break, and so you do

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have to consider that, and they're
still their defense of the basket is a

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problem. Yoki specifically, Yes,
he has really good hands in space,

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he knows where to be, but
sometimes he just gets there super late.

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So that's going to be for a
team. If they go up against teams

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in the playoffs that are really going
to did that like to that can pick

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apart surgically murder people with their pull
up jumpers in between, that's something the

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Nuggets might struggle to defend against.
If they're going against teams that are going

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to be able to generate just the
crap ton of rim pressure on a consistent

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basis from wire to wire, that's
something that they could struggle with. It.

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I'm still very fascinated. I'm saying
this is someone who picked the Nuggets

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to win a title, to just
see how what I believe is their top

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defensive gear translates into the playoffs.
And I do think we might reach a

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matchup or a point, if not
a status quo in the postseason where you're

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not going to see both Michael Porter
Junior and Jamal Murray close games. And

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then of course you would think in
that scenario, Michael Porter Junior is going

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to be the odd guy out there
just looking at positionally, and then how

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much more important as a shot creator, not just maker, Jamal Murray is

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to the team In theory, maybe
I'm wrong there and they decide, you

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know what, we're going to try
and kill you with how good our offense

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is, rather than what we need
to see more of this Bruce Brown at

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like Aaron Gordon and KCP with Yo
Kitchen Murray, which might just I think

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that might be their best two way
closing lineup, is my point. Maybe

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this is also as simple as like, well, we're going to see like

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fewer three guards lineups outside of the
you know, the main starting like the

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meat potatoes of the six guys,
Like we're not to try and incorporate Reggie

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Jackson into these three guard lineups.
That might be a good start. Do

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they have the personnel to do that? You're gonna need Christian Brown to play

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some serious time there too. And
I think I look at this team and

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I wouldn't I'm pretty I guess you
call it stubborn, but I try remain

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steadfast and my title picks, I
will own them and say whether they don't

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look good or great right now,
my Nuggets one, it looks way less

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appealing than it did, but you
know, three weeks ago or whatever it

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was. But I don't think it's
an egregious ones to like. I believe

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that team has that level. I
believe that Yokis can be the best player.

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I'm a title contender. But if
you watch what Philly has done against

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a really tough schedule right now,
if you theorize what and you just watch

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what the Bucks have done to everyone
lately. They have absolutely Milwaukee, by

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the way, fourth in half court
offense since January sixteen. Half court offense,

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that was the biggest concern. Chris
Middleton basically comes back. They're often

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running. I have a Buck Nuggets
finals was my preseason prediction. I feel

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I feel a little bit good.
I feel pretty good about Milwaukee coming out

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of East now with Boston sliding.
So I don't think the Uggets are in

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this existential crisis mode. They're not
in that level of trouble. But this

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is a stretch that I think you
have to look at and say, Okay,

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like some of the concerns have been
laid bare about what's going to impact

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00:12:11,159 --> 00:12:15,080
us in the playoffs. Yeah,
sometimes I think you look at the second

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Toronto game where it did feel like
guys just got really hot on jumpers early

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on. Okay, But then you
look at that first Toronto game, which

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they did win, and it was
just like they were for the longest time

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getting to the basket, to the
basket, to the basket against Denver's defense,

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and the same passes were open around
the basket with your kitchen on the

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floor, and it was a problem. You look at how Brooklyn was able

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to carve them up in that game. Those are issues that feel like they

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are not just oh tis the season
we're experimenting, Like those are stylistic or

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personnel issues that they are going to
face in certain matchups in the playoffs.

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So now they've experienced them during the
regular season with a month ish to go,

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I think there's value in that,
But this is something we do need

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to monitor closely, and that is
the I guess that makes for terrible podcasting,

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but I hope it makes for like
pleasant YouTube and Twitter comments or at

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least more productive ones. I still
think the Nuggets are one of the three

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best teams in the NBA. I
think it could be open for debate just

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between Boss Milwaukee, Philion, and
Phoenix with Durant like those are the teams

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plus Denver that are in the top
three. Conversation For me, I've had

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enough with the Warriors. They need
to prove that they can win on the

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road. Ever, depend on the
road ever again, gravit you had to

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rebound on the road ever again.
So I just feel confident saying that they

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are still the best team in the
Western Conference. They look more vulnerable.

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This is going to reopen some wounds
and discussions about the MVP debate. That

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is all fair game. But am
I ready to panic for the Nuggets.

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I almost wish I was answering this
question there for the Pistons game, but

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no, I think they will ultimately
be fine, and I do not think

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this is a team where matchups are
going to matter a lot in the playoffs.

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But I do not think this is
a team that is just going to

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lay an absolute wet sounding fart when
they get to the first round. If

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they have to go up against a
Minnesota or an OKAC or even the Lakers,

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I would be just psychologically I would
be worried about, Oh, if

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you draw Phoenix in the first round, if they slide, or if you

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end up drawing Golden State in the
first round, if it works out like

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that, those teams kind of scare
me. I would say, anyone else

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doesn't. Is that disrespectful? Like
I get the Clippers that Denver just owns

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them over the past years. Dallas, No, I don't care if we

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want to even mention Portland, New
Orleans and Utah right now. So yeah,

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it's Golden State or Phoenix would be
reasonable first round losses. That's not

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making an excuse in advance. It's
just if you got trucked by any one

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of those teams, save if you
lose in the first round, like you're

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gonna be asking some most out questions. I think this team is ultimately going

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to be fine, and I do
think that they do have a championship ceiling.

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It is just a matter I feel
like of hammering out some lineup ambiguity,

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and then also can we see them
defend the way we've seen them defend

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for more than just these I don't
want to say quarters at a time,

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but like prolonged stretches, and they've
had prolonged stretch of defensive success, especially

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when yokich is on the floor.
But some of those ansel every lineups and

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then just some of the minutes with
Yokiches on the floor lately, they just

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have not They've been very uninspiring,
and those are what we I think we'll

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be looking out. I'll be watching
more than anything, plus just the I

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think the health of Jamal Murray here
because like just dealing with that Knie stuff

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is I don't think it's flying under
the radar, but that's going to be

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a huge problem. He's supposed to
be your he needs to be your second

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best player. I think even if
Michael Porter Junior plays like your second best

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player, you lose a lot.
I think you lose some defensively from Pete

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Murray just a fight that he had, and then also just as a even

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if you don't think he's a creator
as a table setter, you lose a

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bunch and then just the pure chemistry
with yogis you lose a little bit there.

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So to round out, No,
I don't think the Nuggets are in

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trouble just yet. But I don't
think that we can just write this.

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It's not just about this four game
losing streak. It's a lot of what

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we see in kind of over the
past like three, three or four weeks.

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Thank you for that question, Nuggs, and I hope you don't hate

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yourself for asking it. I know
you were dreading me hearing this per what

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you said in discord. This next
question comes from our social media producer Ian.

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It's a this is like a mass
a kiss question, but it's a

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fair question. First, any chance
the Blazers trade their entire roster for either

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a ham sandwich or the Washington Wizard's
roster. I can't answer this one first,

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or let's just get to thee one
that's more serious. But will if

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the Blazers actually fire Chauncy in the
off season, who do they replace them

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with? So to talk about the
first one, I don't I don't know

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if this the team is going to
blow up it's actual roster over the off

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season one way or the other.
Whether it's to get worse or to even

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get better. They do seem continuously
allergic to making the all in play.

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They go after these singles or doubles, and they are moves that I've liked

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in the past. When they got
Nance, when they got Robert Covington,

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those were moves that I applauded.
I thought the Jeremy Grant trade was good,

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but it's never like a home run
swing. And you look at them

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now, they are not good.
They are just not good. You've had

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some bright moments from Cam Reddish in
Portland. Not so much against the Knicks

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the other night though, but you
have some really bright moments from a Tease

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Thible and it's great that you're getting
goes, but you're also just your defense

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is in like Smithereens at this point, has been for most of the season,

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and I don't know what the solve
there is. I know the types

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of players that they need, Like
you want to get bigger on the wings.

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You want people who are going to
be able to grab a rebound for

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you, and it's tough. Nurkic
is still working his way back. You

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00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,680
don't have someone in Jeremy Grant upfront
with him that's going to grab a ton

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00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,519
of rebinds rebounds out either excuse me, So you're leaving yourself totally vulnerable there.

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The idea of Matisse Thyble is kind
of like the player you need,

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00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,880
but you need a higher end version
of that. And how you get that

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player the O g n and Obi, the McHale bridges, that's at minimum

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the type of player I think they
need to vault themselves into contention. And

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that's why I think a lot of
Blazers fans are going to be looking inward

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00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:42,680
and thinking right like is this time? Like are we going to do something

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major? And I'm not getting into
the Damian Lillard's future, who had great

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00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,480
comments on that JJ Reddick podcast about
how he's gonta give a fuck what people

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think. It was just one of
those things. I know people think he

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does a lot of things for show, but that felt authentic and it was

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00:17:52,599 --> 00:17:56,359
a great response. I'm more so
looking at it as are they going to

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00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,480
try and strip it down a little
bit more and rebuild a round dame or

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00:17:59,799 --> 00:18:02,480
are they going to look at well, now it's we have Shaden Sharp,

305
00:18:02,519 --> 00:18:06,359
We're gonna have another lottery pick this
year? Are we looking we have that

306
00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:11,039
Knicks pick, We're gonna look to
move them salary filler to get a more

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00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,039
marketing name in here at the five
spot, at one of the wing spots,

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even as just like a partner for
Dame in the backcourt where it's or

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do we look at moving Simons for
someone who's just bigger and not as much

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of a defensive liability. But yeah, I mean, look, the Blazers

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have had the worst defense in the
league since January thirtieth, and I don't

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00:18:27,799 --> 00:18:32,000
has it even been close. It's
been fairly close because Houston exists. Excuse

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00:18:32,039 --> 00:18:33,039
me, Houston in Portland. If
you have a worst defense than Houston,

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I mean, just for any stretch
of time, I think it's just really

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00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,839
time to look at yourself in the
mirror. Who could I envision them hiring

316
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,920
if they fired Chauncey in the offseason, I'd keep an eye. This isn't

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00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,240
the only active name that I think
would become available depending on how the season

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00:18:48,319 --> 00:18:49,920
ends. Like Nick Nurse in Toronto, I feel like he's a coach that

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00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:55,640
maybe they would look at. Kenny
Atkinson would be one assistant with the Warriors

320
00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,920
right now. Sam Cassell, who
I believe is he still with the Philadelphia

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00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:02,759
seventy sixers. And he's been he's
bounced around, he's been an assistant with

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00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:04,960
a ton of NBA teams. Right
now he is, Yeah, he's with

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00:19:06,039 --> 00:19:07,759
the he's with the Sixers right now. That is the correct. I could

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00:19:07,759 --> 00:19:11,400
see his name popping up. I
also think someone's name and I'm not gonna

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00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,680
pretend to be this exes and nose
savant, but Charles Lee, who is

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00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,519
currently with the Charles Lee's a Bucks
assistant. Right, Charles Lee's name has

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been mentioned in a lot of the
coaching conversations of late. He is on

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00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:30,200
the younger side. I think he's
he's thirty eight, and so maybe are

329
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,240
you redicin to have that first time
NBA coach? And yes, I was

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00:19:33,319 --> 00:19:36,039
right, he's with the Bucks.
Perhaps, but if you're also going to

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look at it as well, we're
bringing in another lottery pick this year.

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We have Shaden Sharp, We're not
we have Dame and Jeremy Grant even like

333
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,000
the Okay, those guys roll,
but every times it's still relatively young.

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Tyble is still relatively young. Do
we keep, assuming they keep him,

335
00:19:48,079 --> 00:19:49,839
who do they keep Reddish? Could
they just look at going that route,

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00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,319
sort of like they did with Chauncey
billups here, who I think probably had

337
00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,119
just more of an especially relative to
Charles Lee, more of an established track

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record around the NBA. But I
could see them going that route otherwise,

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00:20:00,599 --> 00:20:03,480
I think you're looking and waiting to
see, all right, like what other

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00:20:03,599 --> 00:20:07,720
coaching openings are going to become available
depending on how things end. I don't

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know if Doc, like Doc Rivers
could lose his job in Philly. I

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00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:15,480
don't think that someone necessarily the Blazer
will look at what happens in New York.

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Season just ends poorly in the playoffs. I know they've kind of overachieved,

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00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:22,160
but they saw what happens been there, done that they decided to go

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00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,279
a different direction with Thibodeau. If
they get, say, let's trucked in

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00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,880
the first round, they could hope
that he get rid of Spolstro if they

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end up in the lottery or something, but we know that's not going to

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00:20:30,599 --> 00:20:37,079
happen. Billy Donovan in Chicago,
not after his secret extension, Steve Clifford

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00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:40,319
already kind of said, I don't
know why the Horns would pivot from him

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00:20:40,319 --> 00:20:42,519
after one season, but he already
kind of said just like this is my

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00:20:42,599 --> 00:20:47,720
last stop, Michael Malone. If
the Nuggets season ends really poorly, maybe

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00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,519
that's a name that would pop up
onto their radar. I don't Monty Williams,

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that could definitely be a name depending
on how this season ends in Phoenix.

354
00:20:53,279 --> 00:20:59,200
And now they've kind of they changed
everything and now their best their best

355
00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,160
tool in their belt is they could
change the executive and James Jones end or

356
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,920
they could change the coach and Monty
Williams and things on co corner plans,

357
00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,200
same things with tylu In La.
So those are names if just like the

358
00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,440
season ends really poorly, Steve Finch, could he just be pushed out in

359
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:15,319
Minnesota. I think they're probably a
better team than their record suggests at this

360
00:21:15,319 --> 00:21:17,599
point. I still don't feel good
about what they did at the trade deadline.

361
00:21:17,839 --> 00:21:21,240
Not super high on their outlook,
but they they're hovering in that seven

362
00:21:21,279 --> 00:21:22,720
spot. They've missed a bunch of
opportunities. We don't know when Cats coming

363
00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,319
back, but the fact they've done
all this without Cat matters of matters of

364
00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:32,640
crap Ton here, and that's like, that's probably just looking at the coaches

365
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:33,839
that could, like I don't know, Steven Silas might become available. I

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00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,960
don't know if they're actually going to
look at him Willie Green in New Orleans.

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00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,799
It feels a touch too early to
go down that rabbit hole. So

368
00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:42,960
those are the coaches ian I,
if I had to advocate from one,

369
00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,599
if they were inventive enough. I
like the idea of Atkinson, but he's

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00:21:47,599 --> 00:21:49,599
always been better with sort of the
player development stuff. I like the idea

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00:21:49,599 --> 00:21:52,519
of just kind of taking the flyer
on Charles Leevy. I guess Nurse could

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00:21:52,519 --> 00:21:56,920
be interesting, but if you want
to run his ultra aggressive defensive schemes,

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00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,319
you need depth and then guys who
can actually play that. The rapp have

374
00:22:00,079 --> 00:22:03,359
like one of those things where they
still just don't have the depth to do

375
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:04,839
it, and you can quibble over
whether they actually have the personnelity to keep

376
00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:11,880
running. That next question comes from
Glad when it comes to ratings slash ranking

377
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,160
players, who do you believe it's
an even fifty fifty split between offense and

378
00:22:17,279 --> 00:22:21,160
defense? Should it be when we
discuss players or does offense game? Does?

379
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:22,400
Office? Is gonna get way more
inmpasance so it's more like seventy thirty,

380
00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,799
So I guess I'm asking should it
be fifty fifty. If not,

381
00:22:25,839 --> 00:22:29,279
what do you think it should be? Do I think it should be fifty

382
00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:34,200
fifty? No, I think there's
a tendency to under value defense, especially

383
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,880
when it's paired with elite offense,
where it's like, if that's going to

384
00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:44,119
be what separates you voting for MBIAD
or your honest in the MVP discussion versus

385
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:48,920
Yokich. That's absolutely fine, I
would say, though I'm always going to

386
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,400
skew probably heavily towards offense in so
far as it's the type of offense.

387
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,880
I do think it's you have an
off you have a defensive liability who can

388
00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,839
still score. The hell of the
ball is going to be more valuable to

389
00:22:59,839 --> 00:23:03,039
you the playoffs and if you flip
that. That being said, the type

390
00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:07,480
of offense does matter. If it's
think of a Duncan Robinson as peak sort

391
00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:11,519
of that functional shooter, or like
a peak Malik Beasley where it's just well,

392
00:23:11,559 --> 00:23:15,240
you're not going Malik Beas is a
perfec example, and sometimes it looks

393
00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,799
like he's the physical tools to defend, but he can't even really you can

394
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:18,960
try and steal minutes with him at
the three. It's not always going to

395
00:23:19,079 --> 00:23:22,960
end well, but because he can
give you high volume three point shooting not

396
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,119
too efficient at the moment, but
in theory like what he's been able to

397
00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,319
do in the past, and it's
functional shooting, like he can dribble into

398
00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:33,119
it, or he can fly around
the court and fire off like those those

399
00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:37,359
like quick opportunities. You have that
type of a player that's going to be

400
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:42,079
more valuable to you than someone who
is like a lockdown defender but isn't going

401
00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:45,319
to give you that type of three
point volume and even that type of three

402
00:23:45,319 --> 00:23:48,200
point shooting. Yeah, it's cool
that, like you know, it's cool

403
00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:52,079
that Matisse Sybel right now is hitting
his threes in Portland, but like you

404
00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:56,960
look at the threes that he's hitting
and they're not like these off movement threes.

405
00:23:56,160 --> 00:24:00,440
And so are you going to value
Yes, this might be big because

406
00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,440
of how well Tables played in Pointland
so far, but he's going a value

407
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,319
table or're gonna value Maleik Beasley there. I think it's easy to evaluate Leak

408
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,480
Beasley as the far more valuable player
at the moment. He might not be

409
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,240
the best case example because he's not
the worst defender in the NBA, but

410
00:24:14,279 --> 00:24:17,640
I think Trey Young is probably a
perfect case study at the highest end of

411
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,160
this is because what he does just
looking at the floater, looking his ability

412
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,839
to get to the foul line,
keep defenses on til tit those threes off

413
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,880
the dribble, and then set up
everyone at the rim and the corners just

414
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,680
generate high quality three point looks for
his teammates, even if he's hard to

415
00:24:30,799 --> 00:24:34,839
coexist with for certain stars or certain
role players, he's going to receive that

416
00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:41,200
all NBA ish evaluation because of how
valuable offense is, especially in today's league

417
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,599
with the space and then the defensive
rules. I don't want to say it's

418
00:24:44,599 --> 00:24:47,720
like eighty twenty, but I think
it's probably more like seventy thirty. For

419
00:24:47,759 --> 00:24:51,440
bring Us, maybe seventy five twenty
five. And again for me personally comes

420
00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:53,759
down through the type of offensive uses. It's not just about points per game

421
00:24:55,640 --> 00:25:00,839
here. The next question from it
was also glad if a team the Lakers

422
00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,799
or Suns with a lack of chemistry
slash continuity ends up winning or getting further

423
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,799
than say the Nuggets or Celtics,
what does that say about our perception of

424
00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:11,440
team chemistry? And at what point
does talent just supersed chemistry. But also

425
00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,759
we've seen teams with plenty of talent
not have success because of chemistry. So

426
00:25:14,799 --> 00:25:18,799
what's the balance, especially if one
of those teams that hasn't had continuity wins.

427
00:25:18,839 --> 00:25:19,960
It also should be noted that teams
in the West have had the most

428
00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,559
constantly this season or at the top
of the West. Who would have thought

429
00:25:22,559 --> 00:25:26,839
the Kings would be one of the
most functional organizations and teams this year?

430
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,720
Yeah, I think the King's check
out the podcast that we haven't already I

431
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:37,039
did with Greg when You're from the
Kings Harold on the Kings, because they're

432
00:25:37,039 --> 00:25:40,960
fun as hell, and I was, I guess indifferent to most of their

433
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,319
offseason. I thought they would hit
there over and they've just been way better

434
00:25:42,319 --> 00:25:45,160
than expected. This is an interesting
question. I looked into the value of

435
00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,599
continuity year over year years ago for
Bleach Report, and there was a fairly

436
00:25:48,759 --> 00:25:53,240
strong correlation if I remember correctly,
between wins, outcome and then how long

437
00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,880
the roster was together. I do
think a lot of that has flipped on

438
00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,400
its head because tidle windows seem like
they're closing so fast, even though the

439
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,599
player movement isn't the same in free
agency. It's still happening a ton on

440
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,640
the trade market, and guys are
growing disenchanted or asking out sooner, or

441
00:26:07,759 --> 00:26:11,079
things are just going wrong, Like
we'll look at what's happened in Brooklyn or

442
00:26:11,079 --> 00:26:12,519
even what's looking happened in Philly,
where all of a sudden you have James

443
00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:17,000
Harden, but the specter of Houston
is still looming over his future. There

444
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,119
if one of let's say a Phoenix
wins the title this year, I don't

445
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,240
think it materially impacts Oh well,
the Nuggets now have to blow it up

446
00:26:26,279 --> 00:26:27,920
because they were together for so long, or did over the Celtics. I

447
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:32,799
think the two things where that impact
that, or I think the two things

448
00:26:32,799 --> 00:26:34,880
to really look at here is if
you're looking for a team like the Nuggets

449
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:42,359
or the Celtics to ask themselves fundamentally
like franchise changing questions or core shifting questions,

450
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,559
it really going to rest on the
well, how did they exit the

451
00:26:45,559 --> 00:26:48,359
playoffs. There's a difference if you're
Denver making it to the conference finals and

452
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,319
losing, versus losing in the first
round, getting trucked in the first round,

453
00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:56,519
or even getting the conference finals going
to in game seven versus being dispatched

454
00:26:56,559 --> 00:27:00,400
by let's say, the Suns in
four games. Those best teams are the

455
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,799
measuring stick against which you gauge where
you are. And if you're further away

456
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,920
and you've been to get you're super
good during the regular season. But even

457
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,319
now at full strength, you can't
get over that hump. We're can come

458
00:27:10,319 --> 00:27:12,400
close to it. Yes, you
have to ask the question of well,

459
00:27:12,559 --> 00:27:15,160
is it worth it to keep all
of these guys together, especially when our

460
00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,839
flexibility elsewhere is so thin. We
don't have all these picks to trade,

461
00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,160
we don't have all these young up
and comers to trade or develop. We're

462
00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,880
not going to have cap space anytime
soon. That's going to force those questions

463
00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,240
more so then, Okay, what
if the Nuggets take the Suns to a

464
00:27:29,319 --> 00:27:33,720
game seven in whatever round they play
against them. Yeah, Denver's still going

465
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,079
to look inward. But I don't
think it diminishes the value of continuity at

466
00:27:37,079 --> 00:27:41,400
all. And I think you could
also argue yes, this season, looking

467
00:27:41,519 --> 00:27:44,880
at just a season, the Nuggets
have had the benefit of continuity. They're

468
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,119
still dealing with injuries because of Murray
being manned up, but far less than

469
00:27:48,519 --> 00:27:52,839
than less teams, far less than
other teams than the ball Gets, for

470
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:57,799
example, but they had over a
seat like basically two years. It felt

471
00:27:57,799 --> 00:28:00,519
like just losing Murray before the playoffs
than whatever was going on with Murray and

472
00:28:00,519 --> 00:28:03,680
Michael Porter Junior last year. So
they haven't had this long term continuity and

473
00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,640
things are just shifting so much in
the landscape that continuity feels like it's being

474
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,759
inherently devalued just because it doesn't It
doesn't last, and it doesn't pay off

475
00:28:11,799 --> 00:28:15,559
even when it exists because of how
fleeting just everything is, even the cores

476
00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:18,960
that are together the longest, you
don't really see what's happening in Denver,

477
00:28:18,039 --> 00:28:22,160
Golden State, or Boston all that
much anymore. There's just normally so much

478
00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:26,400
turnover. What would be interesting to
me is if a team like Phoenix wins

479
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,079
it and they or even I guess
Dallas will read an example here, but

480
00:28:30,319 --> 00:28:33,799
I mean Dallas is a good win
it here. And I think even the

481
00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,119
Lakers, I don't know if they
fall into this category just because they weren't

482
00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:38,319
healthy. They did get Delo,
got rid of Russell maybe, But if

483
00:28:38,319 --> 00:28:41,119
if the Sun's for instance, win
it, I think it might just in

484
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:48,200
bolden teams that feel like they're close
or stale to make those bigger plays mid

485
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:49,880
season rather than just over the off
season. When you look at it as

486
00:28:51,119 --> 00:28:55,559
well, it's easier. Our roster
is just inherently more fundable over the off

487
00:28:55,559 --> 00:28:57,039
season than it is during the middle
of the year. We're gonna get practice

488
00:28:57,079 --> 00:29:00,079
time leading into training camp, so
you can develop chemistry there. And I

489
00:29:00,119 --> 00:29:04,000
think it makes teams reticent to make
the all in plays in the middle of

490
00:29:04,079 --> 00:29:07,920
the year, which is why I
like, let use Minnesota as an example.

491
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,920
Do they make the trade that they
do for Rudy Gobert. Let's put

492
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,839
Tim Connelly in charge of the organization
trade deadline last year, it's available to

493
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:18,680
them. Are they making that move? Probably not. And so I think

494
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,440
if we see the Suns make it
out, even just make it out of

495
00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:26,400
the West, that could maybe embolden
teams that feel like they're close or against

496
00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:27,680
Dale. Maybe it's a Nuggets team
middle of the year. They stayed together

497
00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,799
over the summer, but then decide, you know what, we're good,

498
00:29:30,839 --> 00:29:32,960
but we're third in the West.
We're not good enough. We didn't win

499
00:29:33,079 --> 00:29:34,839
last year. Will they make that
home run swing middle of the year.

500
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:41,519
That's where I think it impacts it
more as opposed to just really devaluing chemistry

501
00:29:41,519 --> 00:29:45,559
and continuity altogether. That's a great
question, though, Glad, thank you

502
00:29:45,599 --> 00:29:52,039
for Thank you for both of those. Our next question comes from It's Alan

503
00:29:52,039 --> 00:29:57,200
who inspired a question that lasted an
entire episode, so shout out to you.

504
00:29:57,319 --> 00:30:00,759
Hope you caught that one on the
MVP. But if Alan asked if

505
00:30:00,759 --> 00:30:06,359
the Max could take any elements of
off court drama and needing to appease Luca

506
00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:10,960
out of the question, what should
they do about Kyrie's new contract wanting to

507
00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:14,519
maximize a title in the next three
to four years. Just some background here.

508
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,079
Kyrie is age thirty one. His
max salary starting max salary is forty

509
00:30:18,079 --> 00:30:22,000
six point nine million. That's his
max next year. If you give him

510
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:23,920
a five year max, it'll be
two hundred and seventy two million, a

511
00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,640
four year max is two hundred and
ten point one million, and a three

512
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:33,720
year max is one hundred and fifty
two million. Ideally you would get him

513
00:30:33,759 --> 00:30:38,440
for submax and longer years if there's
a structure of like would he signed five

514
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,200
and two hundred and maybe there's a
team option on that fifth year? Might

515
00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,839
be like the happy medium, I
don't know if he's going to go for

516
00:30:47,039 --> 00:30:49,839
that. Would he just try and
orchestrate aside and trade to the Lakers while

517
00:30:49,839 --> 00:30:52,960
also taking a pay cut as part
of that. Is he going to demand

518
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,559
the full boat from Dallas just to
stay there? And if you are paying

519
00:30:56,599 --> 00:31:00,240
the full boat, I want I'm
not going over three years, three years,

520
00:31:00,279 --> 00:31:03,160
one fifty two, hopefully some kind
of option, maybe a mega guarantee,

521
00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:07,119
a partial guarantee on that final year. I don't think you're going the

522
00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:11,559
five year out unless he's taking again
five and two hundred something like that.

523
00:31:11,319 --> 00:31:14,920
I don't think you're going that,
Rogers, because you're then taking him through

524
00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:18,720
his age thirty six season, thirty
one, thirty two, thirty three or

525
00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,720
sage thirty five season, and there's
just risk there. Knowing how risky Kyrie

526
00:31:22,799 --> 00:31:26,440
is in general, I don't I'm
very curious to see what the price point

527
00:31:26,519 --> 00:31:30,559
ends up being. There's no other
team except for Houston. I would say

528
00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:32,920
if they miss out on Harden and
then they decide to go nuclear, that

529
00:31:33,039 --> 00:31:34,839
is going to give him forty six
point nine million dollars. The Lakers,

530
00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,359
in theory, might they're just not
gonna be able to fit that with both

531
00:31:38,519 --> 00:31:41,839
Lebron and ad on the roster,
and so that's just it. There's no

532
00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,119
other team that's going to give him
that full max. And so if you

533
00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:48,200
can get submax for a longer period
of years, and then I think the

534
00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:52,880
goal needs to be to inoculate yourself
against some of the longer term risk where

535
00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,559
it's okay, we'll guarantee you two
years, like third year has to have

536
00:31:56,559 --> 00:32:00,359
a partial guarantee maybe sort of like
the way that Paul structured his last deal,

537
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:05,799
where there's a half guarantee on next
year and then the final year is

538
00:32:05,839 --> 00:32:08,559
just the fourth year is fully non
guaranteed. Can you get some protection on

539
00:32:08,599 --> 00:32:15,480
that? Or is Kyrie considered two
marquis or are you worried about disenchanting him?

540
00:32:15,559 --> 00:32:16,920
You know where, he'll just sign
with the Lakers if they decided to

541
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:21,079
create thirty million dollars in cap space
or whatever, what should be a substantial

542
00:32:21,119 --> 00:32:23,279
pay cut off of his actual max. I think that's what you're doing.

543
00:32:23,279 --> 00:32:27,920
If he demands like a full max, you can't go more than two guarantee

544
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,440
years on that, just because then
it's all right if next season goes to

545
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:34,480
shit, you write that off and
there's only one more year, like there's

546
00:32:34,559 --> 00:32:37,119
kind of time to rebound. But
if you keep extending this, I don't

547
00:32:37,119 --> 00:32:38,799
know what his value actually is at
that number. He still can play,

548
00:32:38,839 --> 00:32:44,200
but he's getting older. His availability
for a vast array of reasons would be

549
00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,799
the kindest way to put it has
always been up in the air, but

550
00:32:46,839 --> 00:32:51,359
I think that's the route I would
go with them. If you're not including

551
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:53,039
that, if you're just assuming everything's
going to be fine, if we're just

552
00:32:53,039 --> 00:32:58,200
looking at Kyrie to basketball player on
the court, I'd still be hesitant because

553
00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,759
of his injury history, because of
how your team is set up, and

554
00:33:00,799 --> 00:33:05,079
because of the caplandscape, because he's
still is Kyrie Ring a MAX player in

555
00:33:05,119 --> 00:33:07,480
a vacuum just looking at the basketball? Yeah, I mean he's still max

556
00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:09,720
player, So you could look at
it that way. But given the structure

557
00:33:09,759 --> 00:33:13,119
of this team and what we actually
have to deal with in terms of reality,

558
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,759
if it is costing a full max, two guaranteed years is my absolute

559
00:33:15,839 --> 00:33:21,079
longest I'm going for Dallas. There
could be options and guarantee like partial or

560
00:33:21,119 --> 00:33:23,240
non guarantees on it after that,
but two guarantee years, I think the

561
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:27,680
goal should be, can we do
some sort of three four year deal where

562
00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,519
we're protected on that final season.
No player options here, Like, I'm

563
00:33:30,559 --> 00:33:35,119
not giving Kyrie ir Ring the threat
of a player option at this point or

564
00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:37,720
that type of leverage unless he's just
signing at this mass at discount. If

565
00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:39,359
it's like, yeah, I'll sign
for four years and eighty million dollars or

566
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,880
something, then yeah, you give
him the player option, but a three

567
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:47,680
four year deal some protection at the
end, but noticeably less than as max.

568
00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,200
It's like the one that I kind
of come back to is just like

569
00:33:52,279 --> 00:33:57,720
three for one twenty and then is
the final year of that deal partially guaranteed,

570
00:33:58,359 --> 00:34:01,759
fully non guaranteed. Were even signed
that, but that like something alonglines

571
00:34:01,799 --> 00:34:07,960
of that three three from one twenty
four for one sixty even might just be

572
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,480
like where, okay, like the
Chris Paul structure that third year fifty percent

573
00:34:12,559 --> 00:34:16,480
guaranteed final year team option or something
like a fully non guaranteed until a certain

574
00:34:16,559 --> 00:34:20,360
date. But I'm very fascinating.
I don't think he leaves Dallas. I'll

575
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,840
be semi floor. It's Kyrie,
so nothing would necessarily shock me. But

576
00:34:23,519 --> 00:34:27,440
I think he stays in Dallas,
fascinated to see what that number ends up.

577
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,360
Being put at. Our next question
comes from HP Bergie, and this

578
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:37,599
one was like a really big thinker
for me. They ask, with Mcalbridge's

579
00:34:37,599 --> 00:34:42,320
emergence into quiet Junior, are there
any other solid role players that would look

580
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,360
like a star of giving the keys
to a team. They give Terrence mannor

581
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:49,000
Derek White as an example that'd be
interesting. I'd say more likely Terrence Man

582
00:34:49,039 --> 00:34:52,239
than Derek White there specifically, I
just haven't seen it from Derek White as

583
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:57,599
more of an off. The dribble
score certainly has the passing chops. Two

584
00:34:57,639 --> 00:34:59,880
other players I thought of, but
I feel like they might be too high

585
00:35:00,119 --> 00:35:02,480
end for this discussion Desmond Bane and
tires MAXI. So if they qualify then

586
00:35:02,519 --> 00:35:07,039
they would definitely be in here.
If they're too high end here, I

587
00:35:07,079 --> 00:35:09,800
don't like they could still be that
guy. It's just that podictional hints of

588
00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:14,840
it. So three players that I
narrow this down to Keegan Murray. I

589
00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:16,840
watched him on the Kings and I'm
just like a defensively, yeah, I

590
00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:20,719
still need to figure out. But
offensively, some of the stuff he's done

591
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,559
with handoffs involving some bonus putting the
ball on the floor. Do I think

592
00:35:23,559 --> 00:35:28,039
that he could run some like slowed
down manipulated offense. I have my questions

593
00:35:28,079 --> 00:35:30,280
there, but I would be interested
to see it, just given how smooth

594
00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:31,760
he looks with the ball in his
hands. And yeah, he's an older

595
00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:35,920
rookie, but like Michail Bridges,
wasn't the youngest rookie coming in either,

596
00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,400
And look at like where he is
going playing out his career a half decade

597
00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:43,599
later. That's name that's frank to
mind Emmanuel quickly of course for me,

598
00:35:43,679 --> 00:35:45,639
just the strides he's made this season, looking at his decision making in the

599
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:50,960
lane with that sort of stop and
din floater, really kind of learning how

600
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,320
to go, you know, speed
up, slow down, and speed up

601
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:54,960
again, just to use that kind
of change of pace under control though a

602
00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:59,320
little bit more then, of course
the defense over the past like eighteen months

603
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,880
or whatever it's And that's someone where
it comes down to, do you think

604
00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:06,280
he could actually run an offense?
I think the shot making is there if

605
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,719
you need to put the ball in
his hands. More is the table setting.

606
00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:12,119
I'd just be curious to find out. But it's someone worth monitoring.

607
00:36:12,159 --> 00:36:15,320
And then the other one, Jane
McDaniels, just because of what he does

608
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,039
on defense, and we've just seen
a lot more of him with the ball

609
00:36:17,159 --> 00:36:20,880
doing things with the ball in his
hands this year. Do I think that

610
00:36:21,519 --> 00:36:24,320
he is a perfect approximation to what
we've seen from Chaale Bridges. It is

611
00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:28,559
not quite there. The Wills have
not given him that responsibility. Written about

612
00:36:28,559 --> 00:36:31,679
someone who's only in the third year
of his career and so like he could

613
00:36:31,679 --> 00:36:35,360
be tracking in that direction. That
might be the one I feel strongly,

614
00:36:35,679 --> 00:36:38,800
more strongly about on this aside from
desmon Main and Tyree's Tyres Massey. That's

615
00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:43,039
a great question though, if anyone
wants to hit me with their own answers

616
00:36:43,039 --> 00:36:45,760
YouTube comments. If you're watching this
far, which role player could you see

617
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:52,960
making a star jump if they they
change teams? Next question comes from Muckley.

618
00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:57,280
He asked what teams are the deepest? What teams can least afford a

619
00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,519
starter to miss a game or two? Obviously depends the starter which non stars

620
00:37:00,519 --> 00:37:07,119
will be most important in these playoffs, and so I separated let's look at

621
00:37:07,119 --> 00:37:10,280
the depth the depth part of this
here. First, I kind of separated

622
00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:15,480
this into tiers of teams that I
would consider deep, can't and then teams

623
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,079
I can't afford to lose the starter, and then the ones are I'm kind

624
00:37:17,079 --> 00:37:21,320
of vascillating on where it's so the
TVDS, I didn't know where to put

625
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:22,599
them. The Warriors, I think
it really depends on the starter. We've

626
00:37:22,599 --> 00:37:27,400
seen them struggle without Andrew Wiggins for
example. Right now, I feel like

627
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,800
you could argue they're they're not among
the deepest, but if you believe in

628
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:34,480
Jonathan Cominga, if you believe in
Jordan Pool, they certainly do have and

629
00:37:34,519 --> 00:37:36,920
then they have Dante, even Shenzo, they do have something of a cushion.

630
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:38,440
So I didn't know what to do
with them. The Nuggets, it's

631
00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:40,519
yeah, if they've lost Yoka,
YadA, ya YadA, But then's like,

632
00:37:40,519 --> 00:37:43,599
well, if you lose Murray or
use Michael Porter junior, you could

633
00:37:43,599 --> 00:37:45,599
probably would stand at you with Bruce
Brown just waiting. Once you go beyond

634
00:37:45,679 --> 00:37:49,039
that, yeah, there's issues.
Didn't know what to do with them.

635
00:37:49,119 --> 00:37:52,239
Memphis is deep, but as Zach
Low says, they don't feel regular season

636
00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,400
deep, playoff deep. Excuse me. The Nets are almost in the same

637
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:58,159
vein their defense has started to pick
up. They have like all this depth,

638
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:00,800
but like if they lost the starter, yes, it would hurt,

639
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,480
but the only starter. I think
that they can actually lose and suffer this

640
00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:08,760
massive drop off as probably Chail Bridges
maybe like other than that, I don't

641
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:12,880
really know. Are you gonna say, oh, okay, I just I

642
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,000
can't. I'm not. I'm just
looking at their starters and I'm like,

643
00:38:15,039 --> 00:38:19,400
I don't even think that you could
pick anyone here for that, So that

644
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,960
would really just materially change what they're
doing best now that you couldn't feel like

645
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:29,159
you could you could replace that.
I guess maybe Spencer Dimwitty because it would

646
00:38:29,159 --> 00:38:30,440
be him. But so I didn't
know what to do with them. I

647
00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:34,519
didn't put them in either of these
categories other teams. The teams I have,

648
00:38:34,559 --> 00:38:37,199
they can't afford to lose the starter. The MAVs. I'm just even

649
00:38:37,199 --> 00:38:40,000
saying, outside of Kyrie and Luca, I think that that's just something that

650
00:38:40,039 --> 00:38:44,960
could really harm them. The Kings
and I talked about this with Greg and

651
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,440
as he mentioned like there was a
really valuable trickle down effect when you acquired

652
00:38:47,519 --> 00:38:51,320
Kevin Hurder because of what allows you
to do with your bench having Malik Monk

653
00:38:51,639 --> 00:38:53,400
come off, for example. So
if you lose Kevin Hurder, if you

654
00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:59,119
lose Harrison Barnes. If you lose
because the bonus fox, obviously yes you're

655
00:38:59,159 --> 00:39:00,280
hurt. But if you lose one
of the other three, it's all of

656
00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:04,360
a sudden our we have to pull
the leak monk off the bench. Is

657
00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:08,920
this we need a Trey Lyles off
the bench situation or because you're either looking

658
00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:12,119
at as when we pull monk off
the bench, then what just happens?

659
00:39:12,559 --> 00:39:14,920
What happens to our bench? You
can look at it that way and you

660
00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:16,760
could of course say, well,
how small are we in the starting lineup?

661
00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:21,280
Then, but then it's if you're
going to replace whoever's injured with oh,

662
00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:23,960
okay, we're gonna use davey on
Mitchell, then you're playing Davion Mitchell,

663
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:29,960
who's been bad this year. Like
so Trey Lyles, yeah, he's

664
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:31,440
been he's been a sort of up
bright spot for them. But then that's

665
00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:35,360
also hurting your bench. So if
you're pulling him a Monk or Lyles off

666
00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:37,800
your bench, it makes us already
feels like a shaky bench in to an

667
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:42,800
even more shaky bench. In terms
of the deepest teams, the Nicks just

668
00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,320
have like the best point differential in
the NBA since like December first among their

669
00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:50,400
reserves. The Calves are low key
super deep. I do not low key.

670
00:39:50,519 --> 00:39:52,480
That's like a weird thing. I
don't know why I said low key.

671
00:39:52,559 --> 00:39:54,559
That was a very weird thing to
say. What I will note is

672
00:39:54,719 --> 00:40:01,000
they feel very much predicated on Okay, how is how it Karros Lavert playing,

673
00:40:01,079 --> 00:40:06,920
He just feels like the bell Weather
for the for what the bench is

674
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:10,480
going to be. I mean having
you know, having Ricky Rubio of course

675
00:40:10,559 --> 00:40:15,199
like helps in that or but like
Carris Lavert feels like they're excuse me,

676
00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:20,400
they're Bellweather among reserves and that's you
know, he's been starting on and off

677
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:22,639
the past few games, but he
hasn't he before that, he wasn't starting

678
00:40:22,639 --> 00:40:28,519
a ton So I'm just not including
him among like the he's among the the

679
00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:30,559
every night starters for now. But
the calves are are deep, so I

680
00:40:30,559 --> 00:40:34,079
think they can withstand losing a starter. Of course, it's just like,

681
00:40:34,119 --> 00:40:37,000
well can they if you lose Jared
Allen? What does that due to Evan

682
00:40:37,039 --> 00:40:38,480
Mobile's job description? If you lose
Evan mobiley, what does that due to

683
00:40:38,519 --> 00:40:42,159
the just the rest of the defense
and then losing even one of the shot

684
00:40:42,159 --> 00:40:45,320
craers and Garland or Mitchell, but
in theory for every because every starter is

685
00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:47,559
so good. Of those four,
it's almost like you can't withstand the loss.

686
00:40:47,599 --> 00:40:52,519
But you also have like someone who
readily replaces a lot of what they

687
00:40:52,559 --> 00:40:54,239
do. Yeah, I don't think
mobile can replace just the primary rim protection

688
00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:58,840
of a Jared All, but just
being strong defenders in general. So they're

689
00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,480
deep and I think they could navigate
absences. The Celtics, for sure,

690
00:41:01,679 --> 00:41:05,119
we've seen it. Those are the
three teams that stand there. I didn't

691
00:41:05,119 --> 00:41:07,559
know what to do with the Bucks. They might be there now, but

692
00:41:07,599 --> 00:41:10,360
like if you lose, look at
the starters that they could lose. I

693
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:15,000
guess Jannie would screw them. Does
it screw them if they lose Book A

694
00:41:15,119 --> 00:41:19,239
Brook. I think it would.
But you do have Jay Crowder now,

695
00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:21,480
so you could just run smaller and
then it's okay. Well, if you

696
00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,000
lose Chris Midlton, we've already seen
that and they weren't horrible, it would

697
00:41:23,039 --> 00:41:25,559
kind of probably be the same impact
if you lost through Holiday, So I

698
00:41:25,559 --> 00:41:30,239
think they might belong in the deepest
now, especially with Joe Ingles going on

699
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:35,840
Druggets there as well, So I
think that's where I'm at what non starters

700
00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:39,599
will be most important in these playoffs
is an interesting question. I mean I

701
00:41:39,639 --> 00:41:43,760
could just run through like the list. If we're gonna throw carros LeVert in

702
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:47,599
there, I think he ends up
being super important to Cleveland just it's because

703
00:41:47,599 --> 00:41:51,320
you're looking at how those three minutes
are going to play out for them,

704
00:41:51,519 --> 00:41:54,000
and so he's someone who just gives
you a ton of He's gonna be hitting

705
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,719
his shots and stuff. He can
do his shots, you know, away

706
00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:00,000
from the ball, or hit his
outside shots. The stuff he can do

707
00:42:00,039 --> 00:42:02,119
off the dribbles super valuable, and
I think that levels up your offense in

708
00:42:02,159 --> 00:42:06,440
a way where if one of Mitchell
or Darius Goronan doesn't have have a going

709
00:42:06,519 --> 00:42:10,920
or there shut down, that becomes
huge for you. Another reserve, definitely

710
00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:15,880
Bruce Brown for Denver going to be
absolutely massive for the Nuggets. I'm just

711
00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:21,159
like kind of going through alphabetical order
here. I think low key Jordan Pool

712
00:42:21,199 --> 00:42:22,599
is just the belt Weather form the
Warriors fucked or will they be good because

713
00:42:22,639 --> 00:42:25,599
he's just he's not closing important games. It feels like, at the moment

714
00:42:25,679 --> 00:42:29,760
and making that decision the playoffs,
you just paid this dude and then by

715
00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,079
extension, it's also Donte Devincenzo or
word Gary pay in the second is healthy

716
00:42:32,119 --> 00:42:36,039
there. So the Warriors have a
ton of reserves, like three reserves,

717
00:42:36,039 --> 00:42:38,960
so I think in theory when you
look at them, could be part of

718
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:44,400
their most used crunch time units are
most important crunch time units. I guess

719
00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:46,840
with the Clippers we should just say
Terrence Mann or Eric Gordon though, so

720
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:50,000
they'll be right there. I mean, you can throw Norman Powell and Nick

721
00:42:50,159 --> 00:42:57,119
Nick Batoum there as well. So
like, is that is that too many

722
00:42:57,199 --> 00:43:00,519
for the Clippers? How many did
I just name Gordon Man, Patum Powell?

723
00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:04,559
That's four? Uh, Like,
I guess, so I'm basically just

724
00:43:04,599 --> 00:43:07,360
saying that the Clippers depth is is
important. Maybe they'll end up starting some

725
00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:12,400
of those guys come come playoff time. But I don't think you know the

726
00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:15,719
way that tylu Is is sort of
married to some of these players, including

727
00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,039
Russell Westbrook, who's had like better
moments of late. But just if you're

728
00:43:19,079 --> 00:43:22,920
gonna be married to Westbrook and Morris
Is, there's not really room for platoon

729
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,960
to start or for let alone Gordon, Powell or or Man there. So

730
00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,079
take I mean take your pick on
the Clippers is basically where I'm at the

731
00:43:30,199 --> 00:43:36,360
Lakers and they have Jared Vanderbilts starting, so I don't really know. I

732
00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:39,480
mean, I guess if everyone's healthy
and we assume that they're just going to

733
00:43:39,599 --> 00:43:44,519
start their best five players in the
we just haven't. I have not seen

734
00:43:44,639 --> 00:43:46,440
enough of them at at full strength
to know, like, Okay, they're

735
00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:52,880
going to start Lebron Beasley below Vanderbilt
and Davis. I imagine that's what they'll

736
00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:55,639
just right now, They'll plug in
Lebron for Troy Brown. So I guess

737
00:43:55,639 --> 00:44:00,360
I'll just say Austin Reeves. That
could be someone who's just do I think

738
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:02,119
he's gonna shift the outcome of the
playoff series now? But just really looking

739
00:44:02,159 --> 00:44:06,199
at bench players are gonna matter?
Do we throw Kyle Lowry into this discussion

740
00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:09,280
for Miami? If not, it's
certainly Victor Oladipo would would be on that.

741
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,639
Memphis. There's got to be someone
on Memphis, right. It's just

742
00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:19,679
looking at well because of their injuries
now and everyone gets bumped up here,

743
00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:22,039
like is it going to be Tias
Jones, might be Luke Kennard. I

744
00:44:22,119 --> 00:44:25,880
just I don't believe in Memphis.
So Milwaukee, it is Jay Crowder I

745
00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,320
think ends up being Wilson Port,
could be anyone who's different, and so

746
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:30,760
we're looking for singular where you look
at it on one team and say,

747
00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:35,119
oh, it's that guy. I
guess it gets a little bit easier to

748
00:44:35,159 --> 00:44:38,159
cipher through. If Carlynthon Towns is
back, it's Kylan Anderson Minnesota. It's

749
00:44:38,159 --> 00:44:42,880
not even close. Manuel Quickly For
the Knicks, definitely under that umbrella.

750
00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,840
I think we kind of have to
put someone from the Thunder at this point,

751
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:50,840
right Kenrick Williams then if he's going
to be if he'll be healthy by

752
00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,079
then, If it's not him,
like I guess you could, I might

753
00:44:53,239 --> 00:44:58,599
might go and say and Joe at
that point, Phoenix, they don't really

754
00:44:58,599 --> 00:45:04,079
have any important reserve. I think
it's gonna be Tory Craig, maybe Josha

755
00:45:04,159 --> 00:45:06,360
Kogie if he's not the one starting, but he probably will be, so

756
00:45:06,519 --> 00:45:10,039
maybe maybe Tory Craig. With the
Kings, it's Malik Monk. Won't even

757
00:45:10,079 --> 00:45:15,360
be close there. Toronto, do
we consider them a playoff team? Like?

758
00:45:15,119 --> 00:45:20,119
I mean, sure, And it's
gonna be like I mean, now

759
00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:23,119
that they're their new starting lineup.
The answer here is just it's it's clearly

760
00:45:23,119 --> 00:45:27,079
Scotty Barnes, Like, that's the
you know, if they're gonna make the

761
00:45:27,079 --> 00:45:29,400
playoffs and home about not the play
in either. If you make it out

762
00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:31,960
of the play in, you're now
starting up. No Barnes has been starting

763
00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,039
for them, so that's gonna be
Gary Trent Jior. Excuse me, I'm

764
00:45:35,159 --> 00:45:37,400
speaking here. I don't know why
I thought that he wasn't starting for a

765
00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:39,440
minute. Then yeah, he's certainly
up there, just in terms of like

766
00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:42,639
the most important. If I had
to pick like a final three, and

767
00:45:42,679 --> 00:45:46,360
if we want to throw the Wizards
in here, I mean probably Delon Wright.

768
00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:51,800
I would think a healthy Delan right, unless anyone's just like really a

769
00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:55,800
a Corey Kissbert person, get at
me there. I won't even throw the

770
00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:59,960
Jazz in here because they will probably
bench their best players. That's that lowry

771
00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:01,880
market if they make it to the
playoffs. But if i'd picked like the

772
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:07,639
three most important reserves of the playoffs, I think I would go a manual

773
00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:12,519
quickly, just because he's going to
be closing a crap ton of games for

774
00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:16,360
New York at this point, and
then we've to narrow it down here.

775
00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:21,400
If it might go Bruce Brown in
Denver, so manual quickly and Bruce Brown,

776
00:46:21,519 --> 00:46:22,800
and it feels like it has to
be someone from the warrior'sn't even to

777
00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:25,679
say someone from Clippers because there's so
many options. But Jordan Poole feels like

778
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:30,000
he could very much define their postseason
him or even Gary Payton the second should

779
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:34,239
he be be healthy? So I'll
stop there. That was a fun question,

780
00:46:34,639 --> 00:46:37,440
though Muckles will thank you for it. Next question comes from a friend

781
00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:43,239
of the podcast, Rhett Bower.
He asked, should Denver and or Sacramento

782
00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:47,400
flame out in the playoffs change the
decision of decision making for a team like

783
00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:52,079
the Rockets with a player like Shangoon, Like, if we see a high

784
00:46:52,199 --> 00:46:54,400
end and the highest end outcome for
the Shangoon archetype unable to work in the

785
00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:58,199
playoffs for whatever reason, would it
be smart for them to reconsider how important

786
00:46:58,239 --> 00:47:00,239
Shangoon might be? Not other examples
in the league right now, but could

787
00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:04,280
impact the draft too, because that's
the same thing about a team eventually trading

788
00:47:04,559 --> 00:47:07,840
everything for cat. But we'll save
that. Yes, let's save that,

789
00:47:07,960 --> 00:47:12,719
won't we This is interesting. I
don't know that the nuggets of view Changu

790
00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:16,159
and highly enough at least the current
front office regime and coaching regime to think

791
00:47:16,199 --> 00:47:19,000
about it in these terms. But
I would think that, yeah, it's

792
00:47:19,039 --> 00:47:22,760
fair to think about it in those
terms. If we see the Kings and

793
00:47:22,039 --> 00:47:25,719
Nuggets kind of dominate all postseason and
then they're all regular season and then their

794
00:47:25,719 --> 00:47:30,119
teams are at full strength and they
get absolutely blown out or something in the

795
00:47:30,119 --> 00:47:34,000
playoffs, Yeah, or you have
to really think about it, but we

796
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,599
have to build our teams super Specifically
the Kings of Stroud, it's a bonus

797
00:47:36,639 --> 00:47:37,800
with shooting. They haven't surround him
with a ton of defense or someone who

798
00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:44,000
could protect the basket with him or
behind him. Denver is a little bit

799
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:45,519
tougher because it's like, well,
if they adequately use Aaron Gordon, Bruce

800
00:47:45,519 --> 00:47:50,440
Bound and KCP, what are we
really supposed to do at this point?

801
00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:53,320
So, yes, I do think
it could materially change the Rockets is thinking.

802
00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:55,880
But I don't think that they're thinking
along those lines anyway. And it's

803
00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,719
so tough for me to envision with
the Rockets or even building right now when

804
00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:04,480
you at who they have, I
will say how those teams fair should absolutely

805
00:48:05,559 --> 00:48:07,679
be a blueprint for either what to
do or what not to do, or

806
00:48:07,679 --> 00:48:14,039
what you need to do to maximize
optimize what is let's just call them defensively

807
00:48:14,119 --> 00:48:16,519
limited big. So, yeah,
they can get through the regular season and

808
00:48:16,559 --> 00:48:20,760
look average, maybe even slightly above
just because they're evens are rebounding. But

809
00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:23,880
if they get into the playoffs,
they could be picked apart and absolutely gooded

810
00:48:24,199 --> 00:48:29,880
in certain matchups. So yeah,
I'm I don't think it would be an

811
00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:32,559
overreaction for the Rockets to sort of
rejigger their vision if they even have that

812
00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:37,719
for if they if they even have
that for Shane Gun, I just I

813
00:48:38,079 --> 00:48:42,400
stammer to put a lot of stock
into that because I don't just based off

814
00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:44,559
how they've used him for most of
this year, I just don't see that

815
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:47,440
vision for him. And then especially
when you have Jalen Green and Jabari Smith

816
00:48:47,719 --> 00:48:52,079
there and then whatever's gonna happen in
this year's draft, we're're gonna go best

817
00:48:52,079 --> 00:48:54,320
player raid oneyway. But could it
impact them in terms of, oh,

818
00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:58,119
well, we're just not going to
view them that's our sixth man or something,

819
00:48:58,159 --> 00:49:00,400
and we're not going to view them
as mission critical part of our core.

820
00:49:00,920 --> 00:49:06,840
That would be more of like a
wholesale thought process, and I still

821
00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:07,920
think it would be fair to be
like, you know what, what would

822
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,119
we really be doing here? Yeah, he might be our most talented prospect

823
00:49:10,119 --> 00:49:13,559
now, but what's the ceiling of
him? And so in that way,

824
00:49:13,599 --> 00:49:16,480
I think probably Yokich, more so
than Sabonis, is the harboring juror for

825
00:49:16,519 --> 00:49:20,280
that because the Nuggets, I think, have done a better job optimizing his

826
00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,239
talent right now and we're talking about
someone who's in the MVP conversation, is

827
00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:28,360
literally the highest possible outcome for someone
of that archetype unless they are NICOLEA.

828
00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:32,360
Yokich with Jaren Jackson junior defense or
something, which is just like we've never

829
00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:37,199
seen that. So yeah, that
would be The Rockets should absolutely the rocket

830
00:49:37,199 --> 00:49:40,400
should absolutely be watching the playoffs closely, if only because they're not gonna have

831
00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:45,280
anything else to do since they won't
even be in the playoffs. Next question

832
00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:49,960
comes from Darkwing Duck. They ask, with all the talk on who's best

833
00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:53,000
situated for the future, how does
Miami stay away from being worst situated outside

834
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:57,159
of Houston? How do they get
out of forty to forty five projected wins

835
00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:02,239
the next five years? Uh?
Yeah, so thinking about this one.

836
00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:07,039
The play is because you're not going
to start over. What starting over would

837
00:50:07,039 --> 00:50:09,159
look like. You could trade Jimmy
Butler, let's just say, and Kyle

838
00:50:09,159 --> 00:50:13,000
Lowry. But you could trade Jimmy
Butler, get a ship ton for Jimmy

839
00:50:13,039 --> 00:50:16,039
Butler. What does that do for
you? You have Bam and Tyler Hero.

840
00:50:16,119 --> 00:50:19,719
Then you're probably still too good to
maximize the value of your own draft

841
00:50:19,719 --> 00:50:23,519
picks. So the way to ensure
that they're not going to become a version

842
00:50:23,719 --> 00:50:29,880
of I mean Blazer's East almost sounds
insulting just because David Lee show them I'll

843
00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:30,960
take big swings, but it would
be time to take a big swing.

844
00:50:31,079 --> 00:50:34,920
You have salary matching. The contracts
aren't great, but Kyle Lowry will be

845
00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:37,880
expiring. You have Duncan Robinson.
You can trade up to three first round

846
00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:42,679
picks this year. I believe you'll
have your twenty twenty three. You can't

847
00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:45,400
trade twenty five. You could trade
twenty seven and then twenty nine, so

848
00:50:45,400 --> 00:50:47,840
you could trade up to three first
round picks. Swaps can be included there

849
00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:52,239
as well. And then what can
you attach with those picks to money?

850
00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:54,639
Who is that bringing back? And
that's how you ensure that you're maximizing the

851
00:50:54,679 --> 00:51:00,320
next three to five years and you
might be compromising too much of your future

852
00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:02,920
to where Jimmy Butler age is out. Do we see him get stuck in

853
00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:07,440
the forty win range in year three
or four, year five maybe, but

854
00:51:07,599 --> 00:51:10,039
having Bam and Tyler Hero both inoculate
you against that. I will say,

855
00:51:10,039 --> 00:51:14,320
based off the season that Tyler Hero
has had, if you're trading him like

856
00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:17,280
it needs to be part like that's
we're getting Kevin Durant type deal, and

857
00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:22,400
it's it's not a Kevin Durant so
unique. It's not a we're getting zach

858
00:51:22,519 --> 00:51:24,159
Lavine type trade. We're getting a
Bradley Beal type trade. To me,

859
00:51:24,320 --> 00:51:27,920
that's not your And if you are
doing that for Bradley Beale, let's say

860
00:51:27,920 --> 00:51:30,199
I wouldn't give him up for zach
Lavine. I don't think it's that's basically

861
00:51:30,199 --> 00:51:35,519
it like it's Tyler Hero and like
minimal stuff. But I think that's how

862
00:51:35,559 --> 00:51:39,079
as you take the take the you
take the mass with swings. I think

863
00:51:39,119 --> 00:51:43,000
that's that's how you and You're you're
built to do that. This is not

864
00:51:43,039 --> 00:51:45,000
a team that has is barren of
assets at the moment they're not as assets

865
00:51:45,039 --> 00:51:47,880
strapped as the Lakers, for instance, And I think the best way to

866
00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:52,280
avoid that is you can't really bank
on stumbling into good signings to figure out

867
00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:55,320
the four, to be relying on
Kevin Love when he immediately comes over,

868
00:51:55,719 --> 00:52:00,719
or hoping that you're just going to
continue to mind Max Strus's and Gabe Vincent's

869
00:52:00,519 --> 00:52:05,400
from your developmental system and that they're
going to be good enough to really elevate

870
00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:08,719
you in the playoffs. Even Kayla
Martin's a nice story, but even like

871
00:52:08,760 --> 00:52:12,760
the Victor oldiepos had nice moments.
But you need the higher end solution here.

872
00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:14,440
It's not just a matter of well, they need to kind of plug

873
00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:16,840
a role player at the four.
I think it's you know, just to

874
00:52:16,880 --> 00:52:22,039
use an example of Jeremy Grant,
caliber player is probably the lowest level of

875
00:52:22,119 --> 00:52:25,199
good player that I think they need
to really be in that conversation of oh,

876
00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:30,519
are they as good as Milwaukee and
Philly At the moment, they are

877
00:52:30,519 --> 00:52:31,559
a team to watch over the off
season, we ever do a podcast on

878
00:52:31,599 --> 00:52:35,559
that team team's most fascinating hitting in
the off season. I do think,

879
00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,679
especially depending on how the playoffs end
or a play in ends, uh,

880
00:52:39,000 --> 00:52:44,400
they'll they'll be on that list without
without question. Let's get see if I

881
00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:49,960
can fit another few more in here. So we have This question comes from

882
00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:55,639
Brian c Is have you heard any
other sources suggesting Lebron wants to play until

883
00:52:55,679 --> 00:53:01,559
forty five besides Patrick Beverley. I
have not seen that, but Briant.

884
00:53:01,639 --> 00:53:04,320
He goes on to say, I
could see it as his goal. Play

885
00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:07,360
with both his sons shows the ultimate
team athlete. If Brady could do it,

886
00:53:07,039 --> 00:53:09,559
money, someone is going to be
the first two one. Actually,

887
00:53:09,960 --> 00:53:13,800
pat his statue of potential rings,
there are three teams I think of he

888
00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:16,280
would immediately be the title favorite if
he went there after next season, including

889
00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:22,280
Cleveland. I have not seen that. Actually, I will say, but

890
00:53:22,599 --> 00:53:23,679
I don't even think I saw the
Beverly one, to be honest with you.

891
00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:27,039
So if you saw that, but
that would be Let's assume that he's

892
00:53:27,079 --> 00:53:31,039
willing for it to be his year
forty four season when he turns. Oh

893
00:53:31,079 --> 00:53:34,800
no, it would be his year
forty five season because this was his year

894
00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:38,159
thirty eight. So yeah, that's
a lot more seasons for him to play.

895
00:53:38,199 --> 00:53:40,519
So we have to go through thirty
nine, forty forty one, forty

896
00:53:40,519 --> 00:53:45,519
two, forty three forty four than
an age forty five seven seasons from now.

897
00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:47,280
If his body holds up, it
would be cool to see and that

898
00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:53,360
would be longevity on like anything we've
seen. But like, I don't know

899
00:53:53,400 --> 00:53:55,679
if I could see that being his
goal. I also don't know enough about

900
00:53:57,639 --> 00:54:00,119
Bryce James to like know whether he
would go in the NBA. I guess

901
00:54:00,119 --> 00:54:02,880
if you figure're gonna get lebrod and
sell those tickets in his age forty five

902
00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:06,559
season and he's gonna be eligible before
ups, then I don't know who he

903
00:54:06,679 --> 00:54:09,239
is. Yeah, you could look
at it that way. Do I think

904
00:54:09,239 --> 00:54:10,920
he does it? How? I'd
bet against it. I mean, we've

905
00:54:10,920 --> 00:54:15,760
already seen his body like pretty like
the past three seasons. Is niled up

906
00:54:15,039 --> 00:54:17,719
all that well over the course of
an entire year, and even like during

907
00:54:17,719 --> 00:54:21,639
two and twenty if they didn't get
that huge break before they went to the

908
00:54:21,639 --> 00:54:23,199
bubble. We don't even know how
many games he ends up playing year before

909
00:54:23,199 --> 00:54:27,559
that. He plays in fifty five
games in twenty eighteen twenty nineteen, So

910
00:54:27,679 --> 00:54:30,360
I don't think he'll make it.
I would be kind of surprised if that's

911
00:54:30,360 --> 00:54:32,760
his goal. I think playing with
Brownie is certainly a goal, and I

912
00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:38,000
think he will play until he's forty, But forty five feels feels steep,

913
00:54:38,159 --> 00:54:43,159
like that feels incredibly steep. Power
to him if he's able to to do

914
00:54:43,239 --> 00:54:47,480
it. Though. Next question comes
from Jake from State Farm. So,

915
00:54:47,519 --> 00:54:51,400
I was talking with a friend of
mine about the other day and I was

916
00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:53,679
curious for your opinion. There are
some star players in the NBA who picturing

917
00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:58,840
them in another team's jersey would just
be weird Steph Booker, Jannat etc.

918
00:54:59,559 --> 00:55:02,559
However, what role players can't you
guys not picture in another team's jersey?

919
00:55:02,599 --> 00:55:07,960
And what role players could you guys
see in another team's jersey? So role

920
00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:10,880
players that spring to mind, as
though I really couldn't imagine them in another

921
00:55:12,239 --> 00:55:15,599
team's jersey. This was actually like
I had to give, like I had

922
00:55:15,599 --> 00:55:19,559
to really think about this one,
by the way. That so I went

923
00:55:19,559 --> 00:55:22,679
with immediately Dwight Pound because the Patrick's
sea pike they and if they played in

924
00:55:22,679 --> 00:55:27,239
another jersey earlier on their career.
But I'm probably envisioning Dwight Pound on another

925
00:55:27,320 --> 00:55:31,039
jersey anytime after right now. Marcus
Smart sprang to mind for me. Kavan

926
00:55:31,159 --> 00:55:36,239
Looney in Golden State lu Dort.
Chris Bouche almost made this list for me.

927
00:55:36,280 --> 00:55:38,440
I know he's playing for other teams, but I just associate him with

928
00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:42,000
the Raptors now. I ultimately didn't
put him on my list. Guys that

929
00:55:42,039 --> 00:55:44,480
I could just see right now in
another jersey. Don't ask me why these

930
00:55:44,559 --> 00:55:47,119
are the ones that sprang to mind, but I have naz Reid, Zeke

931
00:55:47,239 --> 00:55:52,519
Naji and Denny Afia is something that
I could just see in another team's jersey

932
00:55:52,599 --> 00:55:54,760
as well. So this was sort
of a weird question, but yeah,

933
00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:58,480
those are where I think the hardest, that's more fascinating, like, well,

934
00:55:58,519 --> 00:56:00,679
what role player is a tough to
envision another team's jersey. I think

935
00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:05,079
Lou Dort and Marcus Smart are the
ones for me that would just be like

936
00:56:05,119 --> 00:56:07,119
the if I'm narrowing it down,
that's the that's the selection that we have.

937
00:56:07,679 --> 00:56:10,320
Let's make this my final question because
I didn't plan on going for an

938
00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:14,440
hour here, but from unbiased Pistons
fan, who would be the best player

939
00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:16,920
in the league if they got Wenby
billed and became seven foot five overnight.

940
00:56:17,360 --> 00:56:22,320
That's just like so many players that
I think you could choose from, and

941
00:56:22,360 --> 00:56:25,880
so I limited myself to saying I
have two I have two options here that

942
00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:31,280
I already that I've already written down, and my parameters were you can pick

943
00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:36,880
one semi high end player, but
like he's still not a star just yet,

944
00:56:37,199 --> 00:56:38,679
and then you have to picture someone
who's like a tried and true role

945
00:56:38,760 --> 00:56:43,039
player and who could I make him
the best player in the league if I

946
00:56:43,119 --> 00:56:46,039
Wemby pilled him. I'm mcil bridges. Is my actual pictures. Imagine him

947
00:56:46,079 --> 00:56:49,719
at seven and a half feet or
whatever, doing the things he already does

948
00:56:49,719 --> 00:56:52,039
in the defense that that he plays. And then the other one, and

949
00:56:52,079 --> 00:56:55,320
I think I think this is a
really good answer, is the Anthony Melton.

950
00:56:55,440 --> 00:57:00,280
Could you just imagine him being Wemby
pilled. That just feels like we're

951
00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:04,880
looking at someone who's already just this
defensive workaholic. We've seen him hit threes,

952
00:57:04,639 --> 00:57:07,159
do some stuff off the dribblick.
It's iffy in the playoffs. But

953
00:57:07,199 --> 00:57:09,000
if you've got Wembi pilled, like
you're gonna be able to do so much

954
00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:13,679
more in the half court and also
just defensively, and if you're keeping kind

955
00:57:13,719 --> 00:57:16,159
of the girth and the strength about
you that he has, I think that

956
00:57:16,239 --> 00:57:20,199
ends up being the best player in
the NBA. If anyone has an answer

957
00:57:20,239 --> 00:57:22,840
to this, who would be the
best player in the league if they got

958
00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:24,800
wemb pilled. My answer is it
has to be a role player, can't

959
00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:28,840
be a star, and I'm talking
someone who's not even tracking towards star him.

960
00:57:28,840 --> 00:57:30,159
I already gave you the one mckel
bridge's answer, But who would be

961
00:57:30,159 --> 00:57:32,719
the best player in the league they
got wemb pilled and became seven foot five

962
00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:37,719
overnight. The answers they though three. Hope you all enjoyed this. We

963
00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:40,920
will be back shortly until next time. They'll please remember to rate if you

964
00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:44,960
subscribe, tell people about us,
retweet our promos on Twitter, shout us,

965
00:57:45,000 --> 00:57:46,840
out, quote us on Twitter,
attack us again, just spread the

966
00:57:46,840 --> 00:57:52,920
word about hard We're not being the
least insufferable national NBA podcast around and until

967
00:57:52,960 --> 00:57:55,079
next time, and has always one
join our at his court linked to that

968
00:57:55,119 --> 00:58:00,599
is in the podcast seeker description and
shout out to one the only leg be

969
00:58:00,679 --> 00:58:02,440
indelible if you got want to be
killed to be the greatest player in the

970
00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:05,119
history of any sport ever. Frank