1 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:19,760 What is krack Alack and fell Durma nuclear Afers. I am a dam for 2 00:00:19,839 --> 00:00:23,199 Valley coming at you with a very quickie podcast this time give him a zig 3 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,640 on Williams and injury. I wanted to talk about that a little bit very 4 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,719 quickly as well, though. Please remember to subscribe to us wherever you're consuming 5 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,719 us if that's on YouTube, hits up, like comment, help you out 6 00:00:33,759 --> 00:00:37,119 with him lois back. Subscribe to us and all your podcast players Apple, 7 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,799 Spotify, Stitcher, the whole nine. Follow our social channels at Hardwood Knox 8 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:46,039 on YouTube, Twitter and TikTok at Hardwood Underscore Knox on Instagram. Join our 9 00:00:46,079 --> 00:00:50,079 discord. The link to that is in the podcast and YouTube descriptions, and 10 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,960 that's the best way to help out the pod. Also tell people about us. 11 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,039 Retweet this when I promo went on Twitter. Word of mouth recommendations go 12 00:00:57,079 --> 00:00:59,960 a long way, and let me know if you do recommend us to any 13 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:03,760 buddy because that'll be much appreciated. But yes, the Zion Williamson injury, 14 00:01:03,799 --> 00:01:07,760 I think it's worth talking about because he's going to be out more than three 15 00:01:07,799 --> 00:01:11,120 weeks, because he's out of least three weeks with his right hamstring strain. 16 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,280 That's before he gets reevaluated. He is going to be out longer than that 17 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,079 we saw them. He's had lower body issues in the past, so you 18 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,480 want to slow play that anyway in his return. And also even when he 19 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,239 was coming back from COVID, they kind of had that ramp up for him. 20 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,000 And so this is like sort of exactly a month and let's just say 21 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,599 the news dropping on January third, coming back February third, about around there. 22 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,680 That's only a few days before the trade deadline. That gives them a 23 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:44,319 limited sample to look at the Zion CJ brandon Ingram lineups. Assuming all of 24 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,719 those guys are available. They played in ten games together so far this year, 25 00:01:47,799 --> 00:01:49,480 that's nothing. If hammered opponents during that, I think the fit is 26 00:01:49,519 --> 00:01:53,560 there. You're not moving either one of those guys anyway. But if you 27 00:01:53,599 --> 00:01:56,920 want to know how much you need to reinvest in this roster, it's important 28 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,599 to have more information on that trio and you're just not going to get in. 29 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,560 So I do think that makes their job a little bit more difficult. 30 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,560 There's merit to just standing pat because you are so deep and you've had just 31 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,599 these like bigger games from yeah, you know, Herb Jones hasn't had a 32 00:02:09,599 --> 00:02:14,360 great year and he's had stop and start availability himself. But you've gotten some 33 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,879 really big performances from Naji Marshall, A Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy's been good 34 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,719 this year. Ceji McCollum is coming along and Brandon Ingram, as I mention, 35 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,639 is already going to come back. You have Joan's Valentinis and so I 36 00:02:23,719 --> 00:02:28,919 do think the Pelicans are built to navigate this absence with Zion. What's so 37 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,479 appealing for them is if you make improvements is to enhance your top end outcome. 38 00:02:34,879 --> 00:02:39,000 It's not to salvage this season because the Pelicans are built to withstand any 39 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:45,080 one absence, including Zion Williamson. He is what gives them their ceiling. 40 00:02:45,159 --> 00:02:49,000 But they have a super high floor and a high enough ceiling without him to 41 00:02:49,039 --> 00:02:52,639 continue to tread water. And they've won the minutes this year. In fact 42 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,840 that Zion and Ingram have not played, and that's a pretty big deal. 43 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,960 And so you have some lineups that you could go to in the interm. 44 00:03:00,319 --> 00:03:04,879 It does seem like Brandon Ingram should be coming back semi soon. He hasn't 45 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,879 played since November twenty fifth, But that's something to keep an eye on. 46 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:10,360 I do think Larry Nan Junior is dealing with a neck issue, I believe, 47 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,360 and I actually thought he was gonna miss more time than he has. 48 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,520 Apparently he's day to day, so that was a little bit surprising as of 49 00:03:15,599 --> 00:03:20,639 right now, though, I think I would lean on putting Jose Alvarado with 50 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,319 CJ. McCollum, Trey Murphy, Valan Chunists and then do you want herb 51 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:28,520 Jones to have that fifth spot? Can you throw some more shooting in there? 52 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,840 Do you trust Naji Marshall a little bit more? I don't need to 53 00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:35,159 see that much of the Jackson Hayes you want to vun tunis front court again. 54 00:03:35,479 --> 00:03:38,800 Jaxson Hayes can certainly play some some filler minutes here. Will Zion is 55 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,919 out, especially while Larry nas Junior is out. It's also the ability of 56 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,439 having Willie hern and Gomez on this roster as well too, So there are 57 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,199 lineups that you can get that are workable. Once brandon Ingram comes back, 58 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,479 it becomes a lot easier here because you have McCollum, you have brandon Ingram, 59 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:54,599 and you have you want to sound stunist. That's that's why you keep 60 00:03:54,599 --> 00:03:58,280 you on his valc tunis for all of my saying that I would trade youantis 61 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,879 Valnctunist for Miles Turner. This is someone you can really run things through in 62 00:04:00,919 --> 00:04:04,120 the post at the elbows, shooting like forty seven percent on post ups this 63 00:04:04,199 --> 00:04:08,560 year in a edition the Space in the Floor. He comes up big offensively 64 00:04:08,599 --> 00:04:11,840 for you here, especially during the interm where brandon Ingram is out but then 65 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,719 brand Ingram comes back. You have those three again. I would favor shooting 66 00:04:15,719 --> 00:04:19,160 lineups, and I'd like to see Trey Murphy and Jose Alvarado like be the 67 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,120 guys that you're going to roll with. And I know that there's look opinion 68 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,360 is going to be split whether Jose Alvarado is technically a shooter thirty three point 69 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,319 one percent on four to three point attempts per game, that's good enough for 70 00:04:29,319 --> 00:04:31,319 me. If you trust Diyson Daniels and his thirty nine percent clip on lower 71 00:04:31,399 --> 00:04:34,800 volume a little bit more, maybe you expect her of Jones to really tick 72 00:04:34,879 --> 00:04:40,439 up, but I would lean Jose Alvarado. Now that does lead me to 73 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,920 ask, though, do the Pelicans need to make a trade in light of 74 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,319 the Zion Williamson injury. I don't think that's the reason you make a trade. 75 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,240 I want to make that clear, But I do think this team should 76 00:04:50,319 --> 00:04:55,480 be looking at ways because Zion is so important in your offense and some of 77 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,279 the on off splits don't show it. The half court offense only a hair 78 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,879 better with him on the court, but his downhill assaults fifty eight point three 79 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:05,959 percent on sixteen point two drives per game and doesn't like turn the ball over 80 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,639 an excessive amount of those gets the foul one a ton on his drives. 81 00:05:09,639 --> 00:05:11,680 You can run pick and roll through him. Just putting the ball in his 82 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:15,399 hands is absolutely huge. I do think this is a team that could use 83 00:05:15,439 --> 00:05:17,839 some more downhill pressure in his absence, and still is going to need to 84 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:23,360 paper over their lack of shooting without him going to need more shooting. And 85 00:05:23,439 --> 00:05:26,839 so does this create an urgency for YouTube, Well, let's look at the 86 00:05:26,879 --> 00:05:30,680 market and see what we can get here. I don't think that means that 87 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,319 you need to go out and make a rash deal trade one of the Lakers 88 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,759 picks. I do think the Zion on absence probably makes it more likely. 89 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:42,519 You don't look at a whole scale move like a getting Miles Turner if it's 90 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,079 going to cost you Yonis Valanctunist, because yes, the spacing and defense that 91 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,560 Turner is going to provide you as huge, and he compliments Sion Williamson nicely. 92 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,240 I think there are people in the Pelicans who wouldn't want to give Jonas 93 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:56,000 Valanciunis the Turner trade anyway, maybe because Turner's going to hit free agency, 94 00:05:56,319 --> 00:06:00,560 but also just because Valentunis is going to be more self sustainable does need another 95 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,279 creator around him. What this team I think could maybe look at is going 96 00:06:04,319 --> 00:06:08,839 the mid end route. Is Kelly Olynic available from the Utah jask That's someone 97 00:06:08,879 --> 00:06:13,000 who helps you and Zion's healthy but also helps you right now, you could 98 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,759 try, and I don't know what they ask for in that trade. If 99 00:06:15,759 --> 00:06:17,800 you're Utah, you're not giving up a first round pick for him. You're 100 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,279 not giving up herb Jones for him. If you want to go that route 101 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:26,439 though, Like I don't know where Utah's at with this, but movie Beasley 102 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,399 would be a great fit for the Pelicans, and you can kind of shoehorn 103 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,079 him and Olynic into the same trade. They make twenty seven point eight million 104 00:06:33,079 --> 00:06:36,839 dollars between them. The Pelicans don't have a ton of room under the tax, 105 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,480 but you can work something out where it's if you're sending out DeVante Graham's 106 00:06:40,519 --> 00:06:44,399 contract and then you're giving Utah, let's say Jackson Hayes, Garrett Temple and 107 00:06:44,439 --> 00:06:46,439 then Herb Jones. Do you need to give a first to make that work? 108 00:06:46,519 --> 00:06:48,160 And I know people aren't like, oh, Herb Jones, we're not 109 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:51,800 trading Herb Jones has not had the best year. And you have Trey Murphy, 110 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,519 you have Dyson Daniels, even having Jose Alvarado and Brandon Ingram like, 111 00:06:56,759 --> 00:07:00,000 there is some expendability here and you could try and cap lies on Herb Jones's 112 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,360 value while the mystique is still there, and when he still has a couple 113 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:08,279 of years left on his you know, we're still going to be a cost 114 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:12,759 controlled asset into next season. And the Jazz, like don't have a ton 115 00:07:12,839 --> 00:07:15,439 of true wings on the roster. They open up a ton of space they 116 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,199 could use defense their bottom five and points allowed per possession they could definitely use 117 00:07:18,279 --> 00:07:23,120 on ball defense. It would simplify life for Lowry Marking a lot more, 118 00:07:23,199 --> 00:07:26,120 make some of their front Courts more interesting. Him and Walker Kessler would be 119 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,399 a very intriguing duo to me. Now, does Herb Jones and Jackson Hayes 120 00:07:30,439 --> 00:07:34,639 get you Malik Beasley and Kelly Olnik, I honestly don't know. I'd be 121 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:39,079 willing to include a protected first if on the Pelicans, knowing what Malik Beasley 122 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,240 would do for you once Zion his back, and you're also giving up the 123 00:07:43,279 --> 00:07:45,920 Graham deal. He is one year left on this, and you're also getting 124 00:07:45,959 --> 00:07:48,920 that layer of sort of not like you know, zero step shot creation, 125 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,920 but like someone who could make two dribbles and then a decision with the ball. 126 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:56,519 And Malik Beasley, are you going to be able to inoculate yourself against 127 00:07:56,519 --> 00:07:59,920 how he can struggle defensively at points? I do not know. You have 128 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,160 Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy again, I could come back to that. Even 129 00:08:01,199 --> 00:08:03,839 ran in Ingram last year. I thought it was pretty good defensively. Plus 130 00:08:03,959 --> 00:08:07,120 Jose Alvarado, I think that you could make it work. And so that's 131 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,839 the type of trade I would be looking at. If they are now reticent 132 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,680 to say, well, we don't want to go after Miles Turner. Maybe 133 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,319 he's not a realistic target for them, or maybe they just they have to 134 00:08:16,399 --> 00:08:20,279 keep you on his valon tunis at this point they're worried about him and crunch 135 00:08:20,319 --> 00:08:24,279 time during the playoffs, but desion injury stuff creeping up. It really makes 136 00:08:24,319 --> 00:08:26,079 you think. Also, by the way, that's why CJ. McComb is 137 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,399 not just expendable. He can't be traded anyway. And I was arguing to 138 00:08:30,439 --> 00:08:33,600 people who are asking if he's mission critical to this team long term, that 139 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,399 you need to see him in the playoffs because that's when the extra layers of 140 00:08:37,399 --> 00:08:39,799 shock creation, those dimensions of what he brings, even if he's not quite 141 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,159 at his best, that becomes hyper valuable to this team. It's even more 142 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:48,039 valuable now because you lost the driving engine of your offense in Zion Williamson. 143 00:08:48,279 --> 00:08:52,600 So he's going to help you navigate this both now and when Brandon Ingram comes 144 00:08:52,639 --> 00:08:54,759 back. And so that's a trade I might look at, is if you 145 00:08:54,799 --> 00:08:58,480 can do there might need to be other players and teams involved to make the 146 00:08:58,519 --> 00:09:01,440 roster spot math work for Utah. But if they're willing to take on Graham, 147 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,120 Temple's expiring, so it shouldn't be a big deal. But if you're 148 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,279 if they're willing to take on Graham and Temple, and then you get Hayze 149 00:09:09,519 --> 00:09:11,440 and Herb Jones, and you're giving Mollie Beasley and Callilnic. Maybe they need 150 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:16,039 a little bit more there the Pelicans again, Ten Sweeten, Matt, That's 151 00:09:16,039 --> 00:09:18,559 an interesting framework and just something I would be not randomly looking at, but 152 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:24,799 seriously considering. That is it for me on the Pelican Stots wanted to make 153 00:09:24,799 --> 00:09:26,759 this just super quick. I think they're going to be fine without Zion on 154 00:09:26,879 --> 00:09:30,480 this team, as I said at the top, is built to navigate any 155 00:09:30,519 --> 00:09:33,720 one absence for a temporary or even extended period of time get into the playoffs 156 00:09:35,039 --> 00:09:37,639 talking about their most top end outcomes. That's why I'm sowing I remaining treat 157 00:09:37,799 --> 00:09:41,679 by a Miles Turner type for this team. But that's when you go and 158 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,519 make a move of that of that magnitude. I don't think this rushes that 159 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:48,879 process. I just don't think it eliminates it entirely. They could play really 160 00:09:48,879 --> 00:09:54,240 well without Zion decide they really want to give some jet fuel to their rotation 161 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:58,240 and spacing and even overall defense before he gets back, and they could look 162 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:01,200 at it. But I like the Olnic in general, you could just try 163 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,799 and target him. What does it cost? Like is it Jackson Hayes and 164 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,120 Garrett Temple? Are you willing to sell that low on Jackson Hays at this 165 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,279 point? That could really help your team. But if you can figure out 166 00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:13,279 a way to sandwich Molieue Beasley in there, I would give up herb Jones 167 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,360 and that deal not time or for it. Look if you talk her first 168 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,480 first round picks, do that as well. Hope you enjoy this. Let 169 00:10:18,519 --> 00:10:20,639 me know what you think kW the Pelvis are gonna do Withoutzion? Are there 170 00:10:20,639 --> 00:10:24,039 any trade targets that you want to hear from him in our discord in the 171 00:10:24,039 --> 00:10:26,399 YouTube comments? Let me know until next time, and as always, please 172 00:10:26,519 --> 00:10:31,840 subscribe right as well, but also shout out to the one, the Only, 173 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,519 Frank Nila Keena