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Coors Brewing Company, Golden Colorado. This is Greg Olson inviting 11 00:00:43,359 --> 00:00:46,719 you to check out my new Blue Wire podcast t E one, where I 12 00:00:46,759 --> 00:00:51,240 interviewed tight ends throughout the history of the NFL who have helped revolutionize the position. 13 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,840 TE one is presented by this Chevy Silverado. The Silverado was all about 14 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,640 grit. It's strong and dependable, exactly like playing tight end, just like 15 00:01:00,679 --> 00:01:03,640 the incredible players we sit down with on the podcast. The Chevy Silverado is 16 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:08,760 in a league of its own, strong, advanced and dependable download te one 17 00:01:08,799 --> 00:01:25,000 today wherever you listen to podcasts, oh Hardwood Knox listeners. This is Adam 18 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,840 frommel here with Dan Favali and our sponsors Indeed and bet Online Dot AG who 19 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,840 are helping with this episode as always, and this is a fun one as 20 00:01:33,879 --> 00:01:38,959 we are almost down to the final four teams in the twenty twenty NBA Playoffs. 21 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,239 The Eastern Conference Finals is already set between the Miami Heat and the Boston 22 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:47,719 Celtics in a battle that feels like it's almost destined to go the distance, 23 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:49,519 and we really have no idea how it's going to turn out. I think 24 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,840 that both Dan and I are struggling to come up with any firm predictions and 25 00:01:53,879 --> 00:01:57,079 are kind of going to talk our way through that and attempt to come to 26 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,760 a final determination. We all have Game seven of the surprisingly excellent series between 27 00:02:02,799 --> 00:02:07,000 the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers coming up, so we will give our 28 00:02:07,079 --> 00:02:12,759 Game seven preview for that series and avoid talking about the Western Conference Finals as 29 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,879 the Lakers await their eventual opponent before we dive into either of those two series. 30 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:22,560 Though Dan How's it going. I am doing well better than the buck 31 00:02:22,599 --> 00:02:27,159 slash Rockets slash Clippers apparently at this point. How are you doing? I 32 00:02:27,159 --> 00:02:30,240 am also doing pretty well. It's a you know, we're recording this on 33 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,439 a Monday morning, after one of the busiest sports weeks I can ever remember. 34 00:02:35,759 --> 00:02:38,840 I feel like it's one of the first times in my life where I've 35 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:45,840 honestly felt like there were too much sports. Between baseball being in full swing 36 00:02:45,879 --> 00:02:49,039 down the stretch run, and the NHL Playoffs going on, and the NBA 37 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,800 Playoffs going on, and the NFL kicking off and college football kicking off in 38 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,759 the US Open, it's been like too much to follow. It's it's on 39 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,800 Sunday. In particular, by the time Sunday night football rolling around, I'd 40 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:06,560 like forgotten that the fantastic Game six of the Clippers Nuggets series had happened that 41 00:03:06,599 --> 00:03:09,159 morning. Yeah, it feels like it's probably it has to be harder for 42 00:03:09,199 --> 00:03:14,360 you because you're editing everything for Bleacher Report, like you edit whatever sports. 43 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,639 For me, I'm zeroing in on the NBA. I've tried to sprinkle in 44 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,599 as much w NBA as possible, and then I tried to follow the US 45 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,319 Open. I really only caught the final with team that was fantastic, by 46 00:03:24,319 --> 00:03:28,719 the way, that men's US Open final, which is absolutely great. But 47 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,840 I totally feel you. It's there's just and it's just so unprecedented too, 48 00:03:31,879 --> 00:03:36,000 because all of these things are just happening at once, and normally there's some 49 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,080 staggering with minimal overlap. But it's just like, you know, the NFL 50 00:03:39,159 --> 00:03:45,000 regular season is always a bear, and like to have it or pull whatever 51 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,960 you want to call it, and then to have it where like the NBA 52 00:03:46,039 --> 00:03:49,800 playoffs are still going on, and the NHL playoffs are still going on, 53 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,919 the w NBA is still going on, Like that's just absolutely why, Like 54 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:57,280 you're always used to the MLB overlap of you're attacking so much else on And 55 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,960 thank you for mentioning the w NBA, because I did mean to include that 56 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,520 in my list at the top and totally forgot. But I've been trying to 57 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,800 tweet a little bit more about the w NBA and there are so many fantastic 58 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,680 players who are about to start in the playoffs. I've really enjoyed watching Crystal 59 00:04:10,759 --> 00:04:14,639 Dangerfield in particular WNBA like the players on the teams, it's done a great 60 00:04:14,719 --> 00:04:16,480 job of just like and I know their bubble has been suboptimal compared to the 61 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,920 NBA's, but the content coming out from the players on social media, it's 62 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:26,079 absolutely fantabulous. That's a great call it right, let's start. This is 63 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,839 the NBA podcast for us. Let's start with Nuggets Clippers. What is your 64 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:38,079 without? I don't want before any analysis who's winning Game seven, I'm gonna 65 00:04:38,079 --> 00:04:41,040 go with the Nuggets. So I'm gonna stick with the Nuggets too. And 66 00:04:41,079 --> 00:04:44,399 it's funny because I wrote a prediction for a staff piece at Bleacher Report where 67 00:04:44,439 --> 00:04:46,639 I'm pretty sure they misinterpreted my prediction. I tried to make a stream of 68 00:04:46,639 --> 00:04:49,240 conscious and they said that I picked the Clippers. I was really picking the 69 00:04:49,319 --> 00:04:53,279 Nuggets, saying that the Clippers had to be favored because they're the Clippers. 70 00:04:53,319 --> 00:04:56,800 But it just feels like the Nuggets are like, have the momentum, and 71 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,639 just this season has been so weird. I think logistically I would p the 72 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,720 Clippers, though, just the Nuggets have to be exhausted, and the Clippers 73 00:05:03,759 --> 00:05:06,720 have Kauai, they have Paul George, and they've only been playing well in 74 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:11,519 spurts and still almost winning these games, are actually winning some games, but 75 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,759 the Nuggets were in my championship pick at the beginning of the season, so 76 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,759 I'm obvious I've looked there this close, like, don't want picked them to 77 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,439 win this series. I wouldn't have picked them to win this series, but 78 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,839 the only thing that matters is the preseason title pick. At this very moment, 79 00:05:24,879 --> 00:05:27,759 in my opinion, we didn't pick them to win this series like we 80 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,120 previewed it, and both of us were struggling to come up with explanations for 81 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,360 how this series was going to go longer than four or five games, and 82 00:05:35,439 --> 00:05:41,639 here we are. It is baffling, and I you know, it's It's 83 00:05:41,759 --> 00:05:45,560 a weird position to be in because I feel like we've both been such supporters 84 00:05:45,639 --> 00:05:49,360 of the Nuggets and of Nicolai Yokich and of so many of their players throughout 85 00:05:49,439 --> 00:05:53,720 not just this season, but the last couple of years. But then we 86 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,480 doubted them in the playoffs, and they keep proving us wrong. So I'm 87 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,399 like veering in the opposite direction now, and it's tough to provide objective reasoning 88 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:09,240 for why I think they're gonna win Game seven, except I'm done doubting them. 89 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,439 Well, look, the Clippers seem like, excuse me, they have 90 00:06:12,519 --> 00:06:15,680 to make an adjustment with just some of their rotations. I mean, I 91 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,879 know a lot has been made of the mantras Harrold stuff versus Nicole Yokich, 92 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:24,040 and I agree, but like it's one. I don't think Zubots has been 93 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,920 terrific against him. He's been definitely better. It feels like Zubots has just 94 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,920 been better for them offensively. And also Zach Loan mentioned this on his podcast, 95 00:06:31,959 --> 00:06:35,040 like Zubots is like fully stretched out, like when you look at his 96 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,000 minutes, like he wasn't playing around thirty and year the regular season and now 97 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:43,480 he is, And so what are you? What is the alternative too, 98 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,800 Harold? I actually think there are plenty of alternatives if you don't want to 99 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,160 play Marcus Morris at the five, which I think you can do because we're 100 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:54,040 already seeing spurts where Paul George is defending Yoki. So if you're not afraid 101 00:06:54,079 --> 00:06:56,720 to do that, Marcus Moore's at the five should be fine. But you 102 00:06:56,759 --> 00:06:59,720 have to Michael Green, who's had his moments during this series too. But 103 00:06:59,759 --> 00:07:02,800 the matchup actually is on some level of problem because I was looking before we 104 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:08,920 did this and when Mantras, Harrold has guarded nicolea Yokitchen. It's broken down 105 00:07:08,959 --> 00:07:12,519 by partial possessions on NBA dot Com. The Nuggets is a team in those 106 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,360 situations have an offensive rating of one hundred and thirty three. It's slightly higher 107 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,959 than one hundred and thirty three. That's really high. One point three three 108 00:07:19,959 --> 00:07:24,680 points per possession is very high, So you definitely need to do something about 109 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,800 that. And look, you might have to consider playing Lou Williams least two, 110 00:07:27,959 --> 00:07:30,319 I would think, just because they are targeting him on defense and they're 111 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,959 gonna be able to get stuff with him on the floor if they can go 112 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,680 at him with pretty much anyone. And I will say, what's also helped, 113 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,720 which is something else that is annoying because I wouldn't say I thought I'd 114 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,120 be the only person that noticed it. But Zach Low just covers everything. 115 00:07:46,079 --> 00:07:49,199 Was having Gary Harris back to where Michael Porter juniors just doesn't have to spend 116 00:07:49,399 --> 00:07:56,120 as much time against these like main wing assignments has been absolutely huge for the 117 00:07:56,199 --> 00:08:00,639 Nuggets and they're like definitively winning the minutes with MPJA on the court now, 118 00:08:00,839 --> 00:08:05,959 which is really surprising given the Clippers personnel. Yeah, you would think that 119 00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:07,199 they and look they can still there are if you go down the stretch and 120 00:08:07,199 --> 00:08:11,439 you're having Michael Porter Junior on the floor, like, there are still situations 121 00:08:11,439 --> 00:08:16,519 where he could really be targeted. But having Harris absolutely helps them with that. 122 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,800 And in the minutes that they've played together this series plus fourteen and fifty 123 00:08:20,839 --> 00:08:22,879 seven minutes when Harris and Porter Junior are on the floor, and so that 124 00:08:22,879 --> 00:08:26,600 that's a really big guilt. The team is shooting almost forty nine percent from 125 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:30,959 three in those minutes too. The fact that the Nuggets now have that third 126 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,200 player, which which I feel like is why you can feel good about them. 127 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,360 It feels like they have a third player who can hit big shots with 128 00:08:37,399 --> 00:08:41,519 Michael Porter Junior there, So it's murt It's Jamal Murray, Nicole Yokich and 129 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,679 Michael Peter Fourth. You're forgetting about Monte Morris. Yeah, excuse me, 130 00:08:45,039 --> 00:08:48,039 Monte Morris. Who would dare you? Fantastic game six for Monte Morris. 131 00:08:48,039 --> 00:08:52,519 He had a great game six enough that you shout at him out on Twitter 132 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,440 while tagging me, which I appreciate it. It's funny too, because I 133 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,799 think people interpret it to me that I never liked Monte Morris, whereas I 134 00:08:58,879 --> 00:09:01,360 really liked Monte Morris says, you are so high on Monte Morris. That's 135 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,879 absolutely absurd, but less absurd after Game six, Right, Look, Monte 136 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,159 Morris at the baseline is apparently one of the most terrifying things for the Clippers 137 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,200 defense. Yeah, but you know, as good as as Morris has played, 138 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,919 as well as Michael Porter Junior has played, it's still is going to 139 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,080 come down to Yokich And it's sort of a weird position to be in now, 140 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:22,720 where you know, we've we've called him a top ten player for a 141 00:09:22,759 --> 00:09:28,279 while. Now are we selling him short based on what he did in the 142 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,159 last and last year's playoffs? Based on what he's doing in this year's playoffs. 143 00:09:31,159 --> 00:09:35,600 I mean, during this season, during this this particular series, he's 144 00:09:35,639 --> 00:09:39,039 averaging twenty five point eight points, twelve rebounds, five point five assists, 145 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,320 one point two blocks. He's shooting fifty three percent from the field forty four 146 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,799 point one percent from three. He has been phenomenal. And you know, 147 00:09:45,919 --> 00:09:48,559 as as you hinted at with the Zooboch discussion, there has been no answer 148 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:54,320 to him because if he's he's operating as a scorer. You know, the 149 00:09:54,399 --> 00:09:58,600 amount of confidence it takes to kind of just like waltz your way into these 150 00:09:58,639 --> 00:10:03,279 one legged fade away fall away jumpers that almost touch the ceiling and somehow fall 151 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,000 through the net like that. That just means that he is totally locked in. 152 00:10:07,039 --> 00:10:11,240 But if they're sending extra bodies in his way, he's always making the 153 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:16,039 right decision and it's making things so easy for everyone else around him. Like, 154 00:10:16,159 --> 00:10:20,480 I just I think that's the biggest reason why I'm sticking with are changing 155 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:24,960 too a Nuggets pick but sticking with it now is that I just I don't 156 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,840 know that there is an answer to him. Given how he's playing. He 157 00:10:28,039 --> 00:10:33,840 is in complete control of this series and somehow has emerged in a matchup with 158 00:10:33,919 --> 00:10:39,399 Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the obvious best player on the court. Yeah, 159 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,919 and look, if he's gonna hit like the Somber shuffle looks too Like 160 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,919 there's nothing you're not putting anyone on him that's really going to no going to 161 00:10:46,039 --> 00:10:48,120 change that. I mean, you could go more aggressively at him when they're 162 00:10:48,159 --> 00:10:50,240 running the pick and pops, but then if you're sending you know, if 163 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,519 it's zoobots, or if it's like if you're going to have someone just really 164 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:56,399 go after him on the perimeter, like he's gonna get around them too, 165 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,519 because he's just this season especially, it's been something he could do. Like 166 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:01,720 the way that he could just put the ball on the floor from so far 167 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,679 away from the basket in the half court, not even in transition and just 168 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:11,960 just attack is incredible, And I don't, you know, it feels again, 169 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,799 I feel like with my brain, I should still be picking the Clippers 170 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,360 just because you know, Pat Bev probably won't fall out while playing seventeen minutes 171 00:11:20,399 --> 00:11:22,840 next time. And I don't know if they's been particularly good this series, 172 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:24,919 and I would think that they probably would cut down Harold's minutes if it really 173 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:31,519 just isn't isn't working out for them. But something just feels off about the 174 00:11:31,519 --> 00:11:35,039 Clippers right now, and it doesn't really necessarily make much sense. Like even 175 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,279 Kwhi Leonard in in Game six, like you know, twenty five points, 176 00:11:39,399 --> 00:11:43,080 five assists, but it just felt like, I don't know, just the 177 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,720 feeling was just just off. And even look you have in that game too, 178 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:52,080 you could Paul George hit like a few big threes there and so to 179 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,360 still lose that as like almost disheartening. I'm just if you're the Clippers, 180 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,240 what is your answer, like going into game seven, Like, what is 181 00:12:00,279 --> 00:12:03,440 there something you're doing differently, a lineup that you're rolling out. Is there 182 00:12:03,519 --> 00:12:05,759 someone that you're identifying saying either he needs to play better or we're going to 183 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:11,200 play him more? Like what is the you know, like, what is 184 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,200 the move here for the Clippers or is it just as simple as like like 185 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,000 you need to be locked in at least on defense more so for a full 186 00:12:18,039 --> 00:12:22,759 forty eight minutes. I think it's the latter. I'm not sure there's any 187 00:12:22,759 --> 00:12:26,480 like tactical or lineup switch that they're going to make for this particular game. 188 00:12:26,519 --> 00:12:28,600 Maybe, as you mentioned, you give fewer minutes to lou Williams, but 189 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:33,080 even then, like you're sacrificing offense that you're going to need. So I 190 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,879 think it's I think it's more a matter of trusting what got you here and 191 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,919 just trying to flip that switch earlier in the game because ultimately, like there 192 00:12:43,399 --> 00:12:48,000 is no significant deviation you can make from what you've been doing that that's going 193 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,679 to make a huge difference during this game. It's just a matter of executing. 194 00:12:52,639 --> 00:12:56,559 Maybe that's a cop out answer, but it feels like, you know, 195 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,879 we've seen for spurts just how dominant this Clippers team can be. But 196 00:13:00,919 --> 00:13:03,440 then the foot comes off the gas and you allow a nineteen oh run from 197 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,879 the Nuggets that brings them right back into the game. And that's what can't 198 00:13:07,879 --> 00:13:11,679 happen. But I don't think that there's like a tactical switch that you make 199 00:13:11,759 --> 00:13:16,080 to prevent that so much as a mentality shift. Yeah, I think that 200 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,440 at the beginning of the series at least, and I wrote about this, 201 00:13:18,039 --> 00:13:22,720 the Clippers felt like they were just flipping a defensive switch in the second half 202 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,759 and that really hasn't been there. Look credit to the Nuggets because Jamal Murray 203 00:13:26,799 --> 00:13:30,440 Game six hits some difficult looks. We've already talked about Nicole Yokich, but 204 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,320 like they're not as I know, Michael Porter Junior's tall and can chewt over 205 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,679 anyone, but like they're not on some of his jumpers in Game six, 206 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,679 like they just they could have had a body closer to them. And so 207 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,799 I don't know how much of that is. I don't think Pat Bev deserved 208 00:13:43,799 --> 00:13:45,639 to make All defense this year. But I don't know how much of this 209 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:46,519 is. Also, like you know, he's still not all the way back 210 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,799 from his calf strain, and so you know, you could say, like, 211 00:13:50,879 --> 00:13:52,240 oh, he won't fell out in seventeen minutes in game seven, but 212 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,000 like I don't necessarily even know that he's helped them a bunch anyway this series. 213 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:01,240 So you probably need if I don't identified one thing, like you need 214 00:14:01,279 --> 00:14:03,559 a third I don't want to say detonation, but you just need like like 215 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,679 a third guy on offense in game seven two because you know, Paul George 216 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,080 not the most efficient version of himself, but like he's been playing better this 217 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,480 year. He's looked a lot better as the season's gone on, right, 218 00:14:15,279 --> 00:14:18,360 going on four of nine from three in game six specifically, And then Kauai 219 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,120 is Kawai and he'll actually probably be better than eight of eighteen from the floor 220 00:14:22,159 --> 00:14:24,399 if we're being being honest. But like, who is the third person? 221 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,159 You know? I would say, look, Lou Williams, if you're gonna 222 00:14:28,159 --> 00:14:31,399 play him twenty five minutes, like you're probably gonna need this sound stupid, 223 00:14:31,399 --> 00:14:33,399 You're gonna need more than fourteen points out of him? Then, like it's 224 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,360 just yeah, I like better than five of eleven from the It just sounds 225 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,679 so counterintuitive, So I don't If I were them, I would probably look 226 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,759 at giving more minutes to Ja Michael Green at the five, and he did 227 00:14:46,799 --> 00:14:50,000 play above when they were I think they were destroyed while he was on the 228 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,559 floor during that time. But I would probably if you're gonna go away from 229 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,159 Zubots at the five, I might try. And you know you're already playing 230 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:01,240 Harold. What did he play in game six? It's like sixteen seventeen minutes. 231 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,320 I'm not on the paper anymore. Yeah, I don't know how much 232 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,600 more you can cut it, but maybe getting more Ja Michael Green and they 233 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,519 were going full missmatch with Morris at the five, but he played thirty minutes 234 00:15:09,559 --> 00:15:11,120 in game six, so I don't know where the extra bandwidth is. He 235 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,000 is someone that I think you could look at clearly and be like, you 236 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,799 know what, they're gonna need more out of offense from him in game seven, 237 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:18,480 Like that might be the one player you could look at and say, 238 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,240 well, there's a ton of room there Zoobots as well, But he's not 239 00:15:20,279 --> 00:15:24,440 reliant like when you're looking at he's not going to space the floor, and 240 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,840 then he's also not going to create his own look. So so maybe it's 241 00:15:26,879 --> 00:15:28,840 it's Morris there, but it's it's weird to feel like, oh, the 242 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:33,240 Clippers should win this game, but then not be able to look at anything 243 00:15:33,279 --> 00:15:35,360 they've done and be like, well, they need to do this a ton 244 00:15:35,399 --> 00:15:37,159 differently, and it's just like, you know, again we're harping on the 245 00:15:37,159 --> 00:15:41,120 Harold match up, but like he played under I'm looking at it now, 246 00:15:41,159 --> 00:15:43,039 it's under sixteen minutes in game six? How much more to he was the 247 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,559 six man of the year. How much more do you cut that? Right? 248 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,519 Yeah? What what gives me pause here is that we have not seen 249 00:15:50,639 --> 00:15:54,840 the Clippers in this situation. I mean, they won the first round series 250 00:15:54,879 --> 00:15:58,519 against Lucadante and the Dallas Mavericks four two, and yet it always felt like 251 00:15:58,559 --> 00:16:03,600 they were in control of that series. You know, even when it was 252 00:16:03,679 --> 00:16:06,360 tied, it still felt like, you know, the Clippers are going to 253 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,120 win this one. Don chich is going to have a tremendous amount of difficulty 254 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,440 keeping up his level of performance. How much more can Dallas elevate? And 255 00:16:14,799 --> 00:16:18,440 there wasn't that like back against the wall feeling for the Clippers and it's been 256 00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:21,960 kind of the same this series. You know, they went up with a 257 00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:25,519 three one lead, and you know they lost the next two games. But 258 00:16:25,559 --> 00:16:30,480 this is the first time where it's felt like this particular unit is in that 259 00:16:30,559 --> 00:16:33,200 do or die situation. We just don't know how the team is going to 260 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:40,120 respond. Kawai has a good history in those situations. But we're also talking 261 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,720 about a Denver team that's now in a game seven for the fourth straight playoff 262 00:16:42,799 --> 00:16:48,200 series. Granted, that leads to wear and tear, it leads to fatigue, 263 00:16:48,639 --> 00:16:52,919 but they've been here before. They've already come back from one, three 264 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,720 to one deficit in these playoffs, and they know what they need to do. 265 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:02,399 And in a series that has seemed so deadlocked with the exception of Game 266 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:08,000 one, it's that mentality change. I think that gives me more confidence in 267 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,599 the Nuggets being able to do it one more time, rather than the Clippers 268 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,960 kind of venturing into this uncharted territory for them and trying to get off the 269 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:22,559 historical franchise bugaboo where they have not yet won a game that would put them 270 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,799 in the Western Conference Finals. Even though sports had a break, your business 271 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:30,200 didn't. You have to keep moving and that makes hiring more important than ever. 272 00:17:30,559 --> 00:17:33,599 Indeed is here to help. Indeed dot Com is the number one job 273 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,160 side in the world because it gives you the best people fast. Unlike other 274 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,039 sites, Indeed gives you full control and payment flexibility over your hiring. 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Try Indeed out with a free seventy five dollars credit at indeed 284 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,319 dot com slash blue wire. This is their best offer available anywhere. Go 285 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,559 right now to Indeed dot Com slash blue Wire. Terms and conditions apply. 286 00:18:22,759 --> 00:18:26,079 Offers valid through September thirtieth, which is my birthday, So you know it's 287 00:18:26,079 --> 00:18:30,519 good. There's more pressure on the Clippers to win, and I do think 288 00:18:30,559 --> 00:18:36,319 they'll be actual ramifications if they lose. Like this is probably where you take 289 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:40,160 a look at the center rotation and say, well we might we might need 290 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:41,359 a monster upgrade. And that's you know, how much are we going to 291 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,079 end up paying Harold? And if they lose, I don't think they're paying 292 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,680 him to come back. Yeah, and look, there's there aren't teams out 293 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,519 there with cap space. You can count them on one hand, and there 294 00:18:51,599 --> 00:18:53,279 might be a few more. I you know, I'll be shocked if you 295 00:18:53,319 --> 00:18:56,480 might even be able to Here's the thing, the teams that have cap space. 296 00:18:56,519 --> 00:19:00,200 I don't know which teams would talk themselves into paying Harold's gonna be Atlanta. 297 00:19:00,559 --> 00:19:04,200 It shouldn't be the Knicks, but they have a thing for Biggs, 298 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,000 paying Biggs when they don't need to pay Bigs. So maybe it's them. 299 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,200 Could Charlotte talk themselves into doing it. Could Detroit when they have Blake. 300 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:15,640 I just don't see that, and so it gives the Clippers leverage. But 301 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,480 I'm just we've talked about on the podcast before and it's uncomfortable because he's a 302 00:19:18,519 --> 00:19:21,440 really good player, But I don't know how much it hurts if if they 303 00:19:21,519 --> 00:19:25,519 lose him. And I think people point this out too, that he's definitely 304 00:19:25,559 --> 00:19:27,440 cost himself at least some money in the bubble, and I know he wasn't 305 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:32,880 he was dealing with the death of his grandmother and that he wasn't in the 306 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,680 bubble for a long time, so like that could potentially be impacting him. 307 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:37,920 But like this was a series that people looked at and said, like, 308 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,680 maybe he could play better in it, even if the Yokich wasn't the best 309 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:47,720 matchup for him. So I'm very interested to see if they lose what ends 310 00:19:47,759 --> 00:19:49,960 up happening. It's not, you know, a doomsday fallout. But Paul 311 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,480 George and Quai Leonard are free agents in twenty twenty one. They have the 312 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:56,160 player options and I would default too. They picked to be with the Clippers. 313 00:19:56,839 --> 00:20:00,720 But when you look at Paul George specifically, he hasn't won a championship, 314 00:20:00,799 --> 00:20:03,200 and so like, maybe Kauai might be okay with just you know, 315 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,799 floating this for long term, but he could be someone who could have a 316 00:20:07,839 --> 00:20:11,319 wandering on Miami with cap space if they've already won a title during this window. 317 00:20:11,319 --> 00:20:14,680 Because they're they're still in it. Does he look does he talk to 318 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,880 Jannis, Like, you know, these guys can create SuperTeams. We just 319 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,319 saw it with the Clippers this past summer. If if they want to, 320 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,720 and I would still think that they'd stay if the Clippers don't win a championship 321 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,240 over the next two years. But if you flame out in the second round, 322 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,319 like you don't know what's going to happen next year when the Warriors are 323 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,079 back, when the Lakers are still gonna be the Lakers might even be better. 324 00:20:33,039 --> 00:20:36,200 So there's a ton of pressure on it. I think there will be 325 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,400 actual fallout, not with Paul George and Kawhi Leonards specifically, but like maybe 326 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,839 they look at not just you know, do they consider letting Harold walk, 327 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,440 but maybe they look at trying to make a trade where it's you know, 328 00:20:45,759 --> 00:20:48,680 oh, you didn't think they would look at moving Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams 329 00:20:48,799 --> 00:20:52,119 necessarily, but maybe they will, Like those are salaries that can be moved, 330 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,319 and if you can bring back I don't know what you're looking for. 331 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,200 Is it a big is it another wing, is it a better point guard? 332 00:20:57,759 --> 00:21:00,480 There are things that they could to do, and so if they lose. 333 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,039 I'm officially more interested in the fallout for them than I would be for 334 00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:07,279 Denver because we talked about that, we were free to back that off. 335 00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:10,960 Now, just because after this showing pushing the Clippers to seven games, I 336 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,000 think you've you know, you monitor the trade market because you do have that 337 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,759 mpjpiece, but maybe you're able to make a move not involving him. Still, 338 00:21:17,799 --> 00:21:21,599 with how important Gary Harris has been to you defensively, you can just 339 00:21:21,599 --> 00:21:25,119 stand pat and feel really good about going into next season by saying Jamal Murray 340 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:29,039 probably gets better. Nicole Yokich is top five, top seven, that's you 341 00:21:29,039 --> 00:21:30,799 know you're talking about that we need to change about how we talk about him. 342 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,160 I don't know if it's the discussion of is he better than Anthony Davis? 343 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,000 Like, is that still debate that's being had. Is he better than 344 00:21:37,039 --> 00:21:41,119 Embid? Maybe you can make an argument if Embid had better availability, you'd 345 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,079 rather have him, But the fact of the matter is he does it like 346 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,640 Yokich is better than Ebide now because availability is a skill, and so it's 347 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:52,000 just I'm not willing to entertain it anymore until Embiad's playing an entire season I'd 348 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,400 put Yokich above Anthony Davis just because I'm gonna I'm gonna wait offense more than 349 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,240 I do defense. But that was already the discussion to me, so I 350 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,720 don't think it changed. But having that player top five to seven anyway, 351 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,839 Jamal Murray getting better, Michael Porter Jr. Getting better, you'll have the 352 00:22:06,839 --> 00:22:11,799 mid level exception. You should at least bring back Jeremy Grant as the player 353 00:22:11,839 --> 00:22:15,599 option like you, if you sign someone, if you make like a smaller 354 00:22:15,599 --> 00:22:18,359 time trade, this team might look exponentially better or just might have enough now, 355 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,200 which is something even I was contemplating that they didn't before the series started. 356 00:22:23,039 --> 00:22:30,839 If coming out of these playoffs and previewing the twenty twenty one NBA season, 357 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,559 you don't have the Nuggets as a legitimate contender, I think you're just 358 00:22:33,599 --> 00:22:37,440 doing it wrong at this point. And we're talking about a team now that 359 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,000 has finished second and third in the Western Conference over the last two years and 360 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,759 then validated that in the playoffs both times, even if there were tough series 361 00:22:44,799 --> 00:22:47,759 along the way. And as you mentioned, there are so many young pieces 362 00:22:47,759 --> 00:22:49,440 who are going to be up and coming, and we've talked about how they 363 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,640 can turn some of that depth and maybe a draft pick into an even better 364 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,400 piece, you know, a Drew Holiday or if he becomes available at Bradley 365 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:02,839 Beal. But even as currently construc did, this is a contending team. 366 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:07,519 And you know, the the Nuggets fans who feel disrespected by by national media 367 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:12,480 refusing to pick them and refusing to largely talk about them, they should be 368 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:17,200 a little validated right now. Yeah, for sure, I'm totally with you. 369 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,960 So our picks are I feel like I copped out the most. I 370 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,799 I feel like the Clippers are going to win, But my pick is the 371 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:27,640 Nuggets, if that makes any sense? Like I and maybe it's not. 372 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,759 I feel like the Clippers are gonna win, but just happen? Isn't it 373 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,799 usually my job to sit on the fence? I know? Given't that my 374 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,799 rasing? Just how much energy they've needed to expend? Look, first of 375 00:23:37,799 --> 00:23:41,599 all, Mike Boonenholzer is probably like just sweating looking at Nakole Yoki's minutes to 376 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:47,480 past four games, right around forty minutes each time. I just coming, 377 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,559 that's so much energy is expended. Like and even when you look at their 378 00:23:49,559 --> 00:23:55,160 transition defense in Game six in particular, They've just expended so much energy. 379 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:56,920 I'm like, the Clippers are gonna win. They're the Clippers. But it's 380 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,880 it's maybe I just I maybe it's I feel like the Nuggets are gonna win, 381 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,240 but the Clippers are probably gonna win. Maybe that's what is My pick 382 00:24:03,319 --> 00:24:07,079 is My pick is Nuggets, but I just don't feel great about it. 383 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,599 All right, So Dan's picking both teams to win. I'm gonna stick with 384 00:24:11,599 --> 00:24:15,359 it with the Nuggets pick. Isn't it that situation? Though I appreciate you 385 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,240 being so definitive. I'm going to pick the Nuggets because they were my preseason 386 00:24:18,319 --> 00:24:21,880 title pick. So I mean, I don't I don't feel particularly definitive about 387 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:26,039 it either, And I don't about the next conversation, which is the Miami 388 00:24:26,079 --> 00:24:27,200 Heat and the Boston Celtics. You know, if you ask me to make 389 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:32,079 a pick at the top before we analyze it at all, like I don't, 390 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:37,200 I don't know what I would say because I'm so on the fence on 391 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:41,119 this series. I'm surprised that you're still on the I think between the two 392 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,000 teams, maybe I'm on the fence. My pick is gonna be Celtics in 393 00:24:44,079 --> 00:24:47,359 seven, but it also wouldn't surprise me if they end up kind of running 394 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:51,680 away with this. I think what's gonna end up being different is so that 395 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:56,039 if you look at Boston's best players, like they're going to be more comfortable 396 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:02,319 taking the shots that my Amy's defense is going to allow. And even just 397 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:06,400 Tatum has been killing defenses from every level. Now getting to the basket more 398 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,759 because so good. It's so and look, he was showing flashes of making 399 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,000 like the less obvious passes during the regular season, but now it's just like 400 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,160 his default. So that makes them harder to guard. But in Milwaukee, 401 00:25:17,559 --> 00:25:21,559 it's yes, there were some players that were hitting these jumpers efficiently throughout the 402 00:25:21,599 --> 00:25:25,559 season, but it was after you know, Chris Middleton, like you didn't 403 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:30,440 have that reliable pull up threat. And like the Nuggets are the Celtics. 404 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,000 You have Kema Walker, you have Jason Tatum, you have Marcus Smart is 405 00:25:34,039 --> 00:25:37,359 comfortable taking those shots. You don't necessarily want Jalen Brown taking those shots, 406 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,240 but you have him. And so it just feels like the top of where 407 00:25:41,279 --> 00:25:47,480 Milwaukee was deeper, like Boston is deeper at the top, Like their best 408 00:25:47,559 --> 00:25:51,119 players just stretch a little bit deeper than Milwaukee's does and the fact that you 409 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,359 have I'm gonna say at least two guys that you're comfortable creating something out of 410 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:59,400 nothing on the perimeter, and Milwaukee couldn't even say that because is Jannie is 411 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,119 up Jumper going to carry And even if you want to say, look, 412 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,200 give them the two guys there, like Boston has a third between Jayalen Brown 413 00:26:07,319 --> 00:26:10,519 and if look if Hayward comes back in this series, and then also but 414 00:26:10,559 --> 00:26:14,279 again with the comfort of Marcus Smart operating off the dribble, I think that 415 00:26:14,319 --> 00:26:18,000 they're going to break Miami's defense more than Milwaukee did, where Miami might just 416 00:26:18,079 --> 00:26:22,960 be built to really take away any one given player. And then maybe if 417 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,799 you stretch, you know that that second option, you're gonna make life tough 418 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:27,359 on Chris Middleton with whoever you're going to throw it. I'm there, like 419 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:32,640 you had the luxury of putting Jimmy Butler on him, you don't like you 420 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:36,319 can't do that in this series because Boston's best player isn't a big so like, 421 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:41,240 how does bam Matabayo help you neutralize Jason Tatum or a Jayalen Brown, 422 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:45,359 I honestly don't know. And the fact that there's only one of Jimmy Butler. 423 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,279 Like I just I think Boston ends up being a much tougher cover for 424 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:53,400 Miami than Milwaukee was. Yeah, and on the other end of the court, 425 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,839 I think that's where my biggest concern is for Miami and kind of I 426 00:26:57,079 --> 00:27:02,680 feel like the X factor is how well they shoot threes, because against against 427 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,880 Milwaukee, they shot thirty seven point three percent. As a team, Jimmy 428 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,680 Butler and Kelly Olynnock both went five of eleven from downtown. Jay Crowder took 429 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,359 fifty one threes, made forty three point one percent of them, Tyler Hero 430 00:27:12,519 --> 00:27:17,400 forty two point four percent. Duncan Robinson's shot was still missing, but he 431 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:22,400 did make twelve threes. And Milwaukee's defense by design, allows more three point 432 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:26,640 opportunities than Boston does. You know, Boston makes a living contesting the hell 433 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,319 out of every shot, and I think, like, the more I think 434 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,559 about it, and I was originally leaning towards Miami, but you know, 435 00:27:33,599 --> 00:27:37,680 the more I think about this, I am worried about those guys not having 436 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:44,039 as clean looks from downtown and just not quite being able to generate enough offense 437 00:27:44,079 --> 00:27:48,000 against this Boston team. I think that's my biggest concern for Miami is what 438 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:52,839 happens when Jimmy Butler isn't knocking down three pointers, when Boston's going under screens 439 00:27:52,839 --> 00:27:57,359 against him and using that to contest everyone else's shots. If those aren't falling, 440 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:02,960 where are the points going to come from? Yeah, and you mentioned 441 00:28:03,039 --> 00:28:06,839 Jay Crowder in there somewhere. Two might be the X factor in this series 442 00:28:06,839 --> 00:28:11,000 from Miami, just because is he the guy that you're putting on Tatum because 443 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,920 maybe you're gonna want Jimmy Butler to chase around Kemba. I feel like that's 444 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,319 where I'm at. I'm not entirely sure how Miami's going to approach it. 445 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:23,119 Maybe you could get away with minutes using BAM. I don't I honestly this 446 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,359 it's weird. Defensively, I'm stumbling through my way. I think we're gonna 447 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:30,759 see more Igodala in this series too, just because you do need even more 448 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:37,119 wing defense against this Boston team between Kemba's creation, between Jaylen Brown and Jason 449 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:41,759 Tatum. If Gordon Hayward plays, which seems to at least be a possibility. 450 00:28:41,559 --> 00:28:47,440 Igodola only played eighty one minutes over the five games in the Milwaukee series, 451 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:52,960 and I think we're gonna see that number rise rather significantly. Yeah, 452 00:28:52,039 --> 00:28:55,599 No, that's that's a good point. Not even something that I consider. 453 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,720 You're gonna have to see a lot of Jimmy Butler, Jake Crowd or Andre 454 00:28:57,799 --> 00:29:02,319 Goodala minutes, just because when you're looking at Kemba, Jason Tatum, Kemba 455 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,440 Walker, like that's those are the three players that you probably want on him. 456 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,440 I know Bam is versatile as hell, but I don't know if you 457 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:11,240 even want him on. I would say the less versatile of those three would 458 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,960 be Jaylen Brown. Obviously having a healthy Gordon Hayward or semi healthy Gordon Hayward 459 00:29:15,039 --> 00:29:19,559 throw some weird wrenches into the equation. But the thing I just look at 460 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,799 is and to me, these shots are big in the playoffs. Is that 461 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,839 so during the regular season, among everyone who attempted at least one hundred pull 462 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:33,519 up three pointers, Boston had both Jason Tatum and Marcus mart In the top 463 00:29:33,599 --> 00:29:40,160 five of conversion rates there. And that's like just not even considering Kemba Walker, 464 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,680 who hit thirty six point five percent of his pull up three's during the 465 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:47,559 regular season. Just having so many of those off the dribble threats, where 466 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:51,599 Milwaukee doesn't have that after Giannis and Chris Middleton, and one of those two 467 00:29:51,599 --> 00:29:56,200 options is so flawed off the dribble because he doesn't have the same perimeter capacity. 468 00:29:56,119 --> 00:30:00,839 That's where I think Miami runs into issues. But they're look I've underestimated 469 00:30:00,839 --> 00:30:03,960 them at every turn clearly this season. I am at least giving them seven, 470 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,440 but I leaning towards Celtics in seven because I think they at least match 471 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,480 up just as well with Miami defensively as Miami matches up with them. And 472 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:15,519 when you're going through the pecking order for the heat, like they just don't 473 00:30:15,559 --> 00:30:18,880 have you. I'm making these comparisons to the Bucks, but like, let's 474 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,799 just look at the heat, like after Jimmy Butler, who's been hitting threes 475 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,720 at a higher clip during the playoffs, they don't necessarily have that. From 476 00:30:26,799 --> 00:30:30,359 scratch core, there's Gore on Dragic, and then like the offensive pecking orders 477 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,799 kind of falling off, like you're gonna be relying more on off ball movement, 478 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,880 getting role players looks or bam at a bio creating looks for even his 479 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:41,759 stars. I don't know that Miami has as easy a time doing that in 480 00:30:41,759 --> 00:30:44,359 this series, and they even have an easy time doing that against the Bucks. 481 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:45,960 We saw it in the games where Jannest wasn't even on the court. 482 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:51,400 Their offense struggled at times in the half court. And so if that's without 483 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:56,000 Milwaukee's best defender on the court, like Boston's gonna give you like some similar 484 00:30:56,039 --> 00:31:02,559 issues with the matchups. The other thing is I think that it benefits Boston 485 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,599 that it just went through Toronto as opposed to the Heat playing the Bucks, 486 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:11,000 especially a Bucks team that either had a missing Yannis or an injured on Us 487 00:31:11,039 --> 00:31:17,279 for part of this series. Like Milwaukee is a fantastic team that is rigid 488 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:22,039 in its style and in its rotations, and Toronto is anything. But you 489 00:31:22,039 --> 00:31:26,920 know, we saw how many different looks and tactical adjustments Nick Nurse made throughout 490 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,119 that series, how many different bodies they could throw at Jason Tatum. Well, 491 00:31:30,359 --> 00:31:33,119 the Heat are going to do the same exact thing. And I think 492 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:38,640 that having gone through a tough series like that already puts them in better position 493 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:44,359 to adapt on the fly than a Miami team that was fairly set in its 494 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:48,799 ways against Milwaukee, Because it could be. Yeah, that's something to consider 495 00:31:48,839 --> 00:31:52,680 as well. So what's your pick? I have Celtics and seven. You 496 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:55,480 have, Yeah, I'm gonna go Celtics and seven. I hope we get 497 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,519 I've talked myself into that now. I hope I'm always rooting for seven because 498 00:31:59,559 --> 00:32:02,440 I love kay Austin Game sevens. But if I had a pick between the 499 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:07,359 potential Western Conference Finals matchups getting seven games or the Eastern Conference Finals getting seven 500 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,920 games, I think I want the East getting seven games. I know Lakers 501 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:15,039 Clippers is interesting, and even the like the Nuggets just coming within whether they 502 00:32:15,039 --> 00:32:20,440 went or not one game of making the NBA Finals. Also, the NBA 503 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:25,640 ratings police will riot if it's Denver Miami like that in the finals. Could 504 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,720 you imagine that that would be? That would be spectacular for those memes. 505 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,960 But I want every series to go seven. But I'm I'm just I don't 506 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,279 think I have a great feel for this series, and that's why I'm so 507 00:32:36,359 --> 00:32:39,759 tantalized by it. I'm right there with you. It feels like there are 508 00:32:39,799 --> 00:32:44,079 so many different directions it could go. But I think that the variants tends 509 00:32:44,079 --> 00:32:46,720 to favor Boston for the most part. But we could even say, look, 510 00:32:46,799 --> 00:32:51,960 maybe it favors Miami because having Bam is like you can just get away, 511 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:53,720 like you don't. Do you need Kelly Olenick or Myers Leonard as much 512 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:58,839 in this series against Probably not, No, you don't. Before we get 513 00:32:58,839 --> 00:33:00,920 out of here, I wanted to ask you really quickly, since we'll be 514 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,119 doing deeper dives into them with the Rockets and the Raptors out and we haven't 515 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,680 recorded, since who are you more worried about? Looking immediately? And this 516 00:33:07,759 --> 00:33:10,680 is I say this knowing it'd be easier to say the Rockets. But if 517 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:15,079 we're looking at next season stock, Toronto just has a ton of free agents 518 00:33:15,119 --> 00:33:19,759 Fred Vanfleet abaka Gassoul And so who is like who is just the who are 519 00:33:19,799 --> 00:33:23,279 you more concerned about or who do you expect a more active off season from? 520 00:33:23,319 --> 00:33:27,119 And I know it's definitely Toronto for me. Yeah, I mean I 521 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,480 wouldn't be surprised if we see even bigger blow it up moves, you know, 522 00:33:30,519 --> 00:33:32,759 like potentially looking to see what they can get for like Kyle Lowry, 523 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,039 as sacrilegious as that might sound, knowing that this is an aging roster, 524 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:45,200 granted with some intriguing young pieces like og Nnobe, but it feels like as 525 00:33:45,279 --> 00:33:50,319 high as the floor is for the franchise, I'm not sure the ceiling is 526 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:55,200 that much higher, and they were kind of like playing above their capabilities during 527 00:33:55,240 --> 00:34:00,799 that seven game Boston series. Coupled that with all of the impending free agents 528 00:34:01,359 --> 00:34:07,359 who are going to get money somewhere, I think for Van Vleet in particular, 529 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:14,440 that's the one. I feel like that loss alone could prompt bigger changes 530 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,320 longer term. Definitely more concerned about the Rockets, but they can't really do 531 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:21,800 anything with their roster. If they find a taker for Russell Westbrook and Eric 532 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:23,639 Gordon, wow, that's impressive. I'd be curious to see what they had 533 00:34:23,679 --> 00:34:27,199 to give up in that deal. But I mean, you know my stance 534 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,280 that I would like to see Houston run it back, which I think gets 535 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:34,119 a little bit more unlikely now that Mike D'Antoni is gone, because he did 536 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:37,880 stylistically fit what the roster wants to do, but because they're like kind of 537 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:42,639 locked into their ways, because those are some tough to move pieces. I 538 00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:45,239 think that, as you said, and I think said, well, short 539 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:50,039 term concern is more Toronto, long term concern is more Houston. I think 540 00:34:50,079 --> 00:34:52,599 you probably need to get rid of one of Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook. 541 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:55,639 That would be instead of running back, just to give yourself some flexibility moving 542 00:34:55,679 --> 00:35:00,320 forward, like to react to this team better. I still he will come 543 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,920 back to the idea that Westbrook, when he was healthy before the hiatus, 544 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,920 was playing so well. And it's like right after they moved to Capella and 545 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:12,960 really committed to these microball ideas, it felt like it was clicking for him. 546 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,400 He wasn't taking jumpers, he was getting to the ram and I just 547 00:35:15,639 --> 00:35:20,480 I wonder how hurt he was during these playoffs and he had COVID, so 548 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,039 there's that plus the what was it a quad injury? But I'm saying, 549 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:27,039 look, Eric Gordon was not good this year. Ic Gordon has been bad 550 00:35:27,079 --> 00:35:30,960 for a while. The better. I feel like his defensive value might have 551 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:37,000 surpassed his offensive value this season, and that's not a compliment. But for 552 00:35:37,079 --> 00:35:40,280 the Rafters, I think short term, you just by the sheer number of 553 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,440 free agents, you are more concerned about them. And the one that I 554 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,679 looked too, I think you could get Abaka and Gasol to come back on 555 00:35:46,039 --> 00:35:50,320 inflated one year deals. Just looking at the points of their career to come 556 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,679 back. Yeah, he was not necessarily playable in that Boston series. I'd 557 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:59,159 still welcoming back because if this were like a Heat series, I actually think 558 00:35:59,199 --> 00:36:01,360 he's pretty valuable against the Heat. Against the Bucks, he's certainly valuable still. 559 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:06,559 But Fred van Fleet is the one because if his max is twenty seven 560 00:36:06,599 --> 00:36:10,360 point three million, I'm not paying And that's against this year salary captain I've 561 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:15,000 just been using as the projection for moving forward. I'm definitely not paying him 562 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,159 that. I'm not paying him anywhere near that, even if it's twenty million 563 00:36:16,159 --> 00:36:20,079 dollars a year. Over a long term, I'm getting a little itchy. 564 00:36:20,159 --> 00:36:22,960 And the one part I disagree with you is I don't actually think Toronto played 565 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,360 up to its ceiling in this series. Just Pascal Siakam was so bad and 566 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,760 he's better than this, even though he's going through the motions. I think 567 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:31,280 this ends up being a valuable experience for him as a primary ball handler because 568 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:36,800 he was just hemorrhaging turnovers and just wasn't like, couldn't get by anybody, 569 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:40,440 And so I think this ends up being great long term for him with Kyle 570 00:36:40,519 --> 00:36:45,280 Lowry. If Jannie doesn't sign a supermax or because he has until next season 571 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,000 to sign it if signs point to him. Not inking that SuperMac should keep 572 00:36:49,039 --> 00:36:52,400 Kyle Lowry because I think he ends up being a valuable piece to have. 573 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,440 He's entering free agency next year, obviously, but if you're recruiting Yannest have 574 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:59,639 Siakam and Og and Lowry, I think that's a huge base. I'm more 575 00:36:59,679 --> 00:37:02,360 interested just in their free agents, and I would name Abaca and van Fleet 576 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,760 is the two that I'm zeroing in on more because it feels like those are 577 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,199 the guys we know. Van Fleet probably getting offers from Detroit, probably getting 578 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:12,159 offers from New York. People have mentioned Phoenix because they have a path to 579 00:37:12,159 --> 00:37:15,559 clearing cap space. Yeah, it's people don't talk about Atlanta, if I 580 00:37:15,559 --> 00:37:19,320 guess, because that's a small backcourt with Young and van Fleet if you play 581 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,440 them together. And then even Dallas, like I don't know if toront will 582 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,920 be interested in the sign in trade scenarios that they could offer, but Dallas, 583 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,239 if they can dump a salary or two, might have cap space, 584 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:31,320 So so that'd be something that I'd look at. But I'm we'll have deeper 585 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:35,760 dives on these teams moving forward. But I think Toronto's offseason, even with 586 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,639 the Antoni leaving Houston, even with people dragging the Rockets for Westbrook, even 587 00:37:38,679 --> 00:37:43,679 knowing how Darren Moorey is, I think Toronto's offseason ends up being more interesting, 588 00:37:43,679 --> 00:37:49,480 if only because it might be more telltale. I that'll do it for 589 00:37:50,079 --> 00:37:52,599 this joint Adam and Dan portion of the pod. We're going to talk some 590 00:37:53,320 --> 00:38:00,280 Hornet Hornet's next with dime up Roses and lockdown Hornets is Kannada Edwards until next 591 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:01,800 time, though on behalf of the two of us. We will still leave 592 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:07,119 you with the shout out to the one the only, the game changing still 593 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:13,800 even though he didn't play for most of this year, Andre Adala, the 594 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:17,960 weight is finally over. Football is back. 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That's blue wire all one word bet online. 604 00:38:53,360 --> 00:39:00,840 You're online sports book experts. Hello, Kannada, Thank you for coming back 605 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:05,000 on, by the way, after it's been quite a while. I spoke 606 00:39:05,039 --> 00:39:07,480 with you earlier this year for a piece that I was working on, but 607 00:39:07,559 --> 00:39:09,159 you have not been on the podcast in over a year now. I probably 608 00:39:09,159 --> 00:39:15,360 would have pestered you earlier had there been a regular season schedule, but that 609 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:20,280 one out the window. And I know this is a loaded question during these 610 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:23,199 times, but how are you doing? I am actually doing kind of well. 611 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:30,800 The Hornets have had what I would call a interesting offseason. Radio guy 612 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:34,519 gets fired second time in second two years. Like if we set off air. 613 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:38,199 It almost became a defense again again. They've become the Hogwarts defense against 614 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:44,679 dark arts teacher position at this point, new uniforms, the swarm to vote. 615 00:39:44,679 --> 00:39:47,360 Like, the Hornets have had some interesting stuff go on. The only 616 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:51,039 thing that kind of bums me out. No Lie is going to be that 617 00:39:51,079 --> 00:39:53,920 the Hornets aren't going to be drafting at least till mid November. Now, 618 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:58,960 so Thanksgiving Turkey and draft picks. That's what we're looking forward to right now. 619 00:39:59,079 --> 00:40:00,280 Well, yeah, yeah, that's you know, this wasn't even on 620 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:02,960 the questions that I gave you, but we were talking about it off air. 621 00:40:04,639 --> 00:40:07,880 Is you say that the Hornets have had a busy offseason and like for 622 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:10,239 a lot of people, the off season doesn't technically start until like I guess 623 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:14,039 you could say the draft lottery, but maybe even the draft, and like 624 00:40:14,079 --> 00:40:17,639 that's not happening till mid November at the earliest at this point, and so 625 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,320 you're looking at a huge layoff for Charlotte. And I know that the NBA 626 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:24,360 came up with, you know, these in market models, but how much 627 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:29,840 is just someone who's covering a specific team who was not part of the bubble 628 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:34,719 restart in any format? Like how big of a disadvantage do you think that 629 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,559 this puts them at where they're not going to play you know, forget about 630 00:40:37,599 --> 00:40:40,360 whatever they're able to do as a team within themselves, but they're not going 631 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:45,679 to be able to play real competitive basketball again until they're saying maybe Christmas right 632 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:50,280 now. But you and I both agree that it'll probably be closer to Martin 633 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,480 Luther King Day if not later. Yeah. Like, this is the crazy 634 00:40:53,559 --> 00:40:58,519 part to this whole thing. Like you're talking about almost ten months off. 635 00:40:58,559 --> 00:41:02,159 You're talking about a development curve, especially for a younger team like Charlotte that 636 00:41:02,559 --> 00:41:07,360 needs the consistency of playing. And the scary thing is like these guys are 637 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,639 gonna go find places to play, whether the NBA likes it or not. 638 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,119 And that's the scary part for me is that if we're gonna start, if 639 00:41:15,119 --> 00:41:17,960 they're gonna start doing this, they're gonna start going to gyms. They're going 640 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,119 to start Trey younging it. And we all remember Trey Young going to that 641 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:27,199 gym in Oklahoma is not a bigger deal. I'm sorry to interrupt. How 642 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:30,159 is that not a bigger deal when that video care? I don't understand why 643 00:41:30,199 --> 00:41:31,679 it's not a bigger deal either, Dan, Like, that's the thing, 644 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:36,920 Like you had Trey Young out there with not a mask in sight, and 645 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:40,480 there was no pearl clutching. I was clutching my pearls. I was getting 646 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:45,360 the Pharrell out. Dan. I was scared from my life because it's like, 647 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:49,679 dude, what are you doing out there? You're worth over one hundred 648 00:41:49,679 --> 00:41:52,639 and something million at least wait till you get to the like, wait till 649 00:41:52,639 --> 00:41:57,639 you get to your rookie max contract. Before you do that. Don't go 650 00:41:57,679 --> 00:42:01,039 out there taking risk because all Willie Nilly went no man for nothing, like 651 00:42:01,119 --> 00:42:07,719 because especially after Michael Beasley testing, and I think Beasley testing probably put like 652 00:42:07,119 --> 00:42:13,280 everybody on notice because I think Beasley was like the guy that was going to 653 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:15,400 be in the bubble and then it turns out he can't be in the bubble 654 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:20,159 and the fact that that happened, and I think that changed how a lot 655 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:23,800 of people started looking at Okay, these open gym runs can't happen, or 656 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:28,920 these secret runs can't happen, because I know we talked about Lebron having those 657 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:35,119 Lebron Lakers having those, but like, I think that started the trend of 658 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:38,840 okay, like Beasley doing it and then Trey Young being out there, like 659 00:42:39,039 --> 00:42:44,840 there was a lot of this that thankfully got curbed after Beasley tested positive. 660 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:50,079 Yeah, I still just looking back at it, maybe at first of all, 661 00:42:50,119 --> 00:42:53,840 that feels like at least three years ago exactly. It's surprising to me 662 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:59,519 that it wasn't made a bigger deal of though. I did bring you on 663 00:42:59,559 --> 00:43:02,679 though to to pester you about about the Hornets, and that obviously means a 664 00:43:02,679 --> 00:43:07,159 lot of draft and free agency stuff, But I kind of wanted to start 665 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:10,519 with the rookies from this year. PJ. Washington, Cody Martin, Cale 666 00:43:10,639 --> 00:43:15,719 Martin, Jalen McDaniels. What were your impressions of them? You can skip 667 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:20,119 around obviously, as I'm most intrigued, and I think most would be most 668 00:43:20,119 --> 00:43:22,320 intrigued by PJ. Washington, who was just far more plug and play than 669 00:43:22,599 --> 00:43:27,920 I expected on offense. Seems like he might be someone who's going to develop 670 00:43:28,079 --> 00:43:31,000 a nice little post game as well. But just looking at these four, 671 00:43:31,199 --> 00:43:35,800 you know, prospects, just what are your what were your takeaways for them? 672 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:39,480 Were the biggest ones? Just moving forward? Honestly, the label for 673 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:44,800 this year's Hornets rookies were is going to be better than expected. All of 674 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:49,559 them came better than expected. PJ. Washington, I think we talked when 675 00:43:49,559 --> 00:43:53,159 we talked last year was not on my radar. I was much more of 676 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:58,880 a Kevin Porter junior guy. I thought the wing made more sense. And 677 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:05,519 then PJ in hits seven open threes in the first game and looks like a 678 00:44:05,519 --> 00:44:09,159 All Rookie first teamer. The only thing that you start worrying about him is 679 00:44:09,199 --> 00:44:14,599 I actually worry about him on a defensive level. I do worry that bigger 680 00:44:14,679 --> 00:44:17,320 guy like he gets, he gets tends, he tends to get pushed out 681 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:22,159 of the block a little bit under like there's a shot of five nine it 682 00:44:22,679 --> 00:44:29,639 bodying him for a rebound that just cannot happen, And that happened. And 683 00:44:30,199 --> 00:44:32,880 the rebounding, the defending was some of the stuff that I worried the most 684 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:37,440 about with PJ. Washington going forward. But he's again, if we're going 685 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:43,760 to talk about building blocks for Charlotte, him and Devonte Graham are probably the 686 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:46,599 two that you list that you listen. We'll get into Devonte Graham later, 687 00:44:47,119 --> 00:44:52,159 but when we start talking about guys like that, PJ. Washington was awesome. 688 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:58,239 Cody Martin was a surprise because I was kind of on the Daniel Gafford 689 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:00,599 plane of we need to send we need a center, we need a center. 690 00:45:01,039 --> 00:45:04,800 Turns out they didn't get a center this year, and they got Cody 691 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:09,679 Martin, who, for all intents and purposes, was a non factor for 692 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:13,400 I. Want to say, the first two months of the season, and 693 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:19,800 then he started hitting shots more and more. I am also like, again, 694 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,440 you start talking about Caleb Martin, who was again undrafted free agent rookie 695 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:30,039 and was supposed to be the guy that could legitimately just score better than his 696 00:45:30,079 --> 00:45:32,280 brother Cody, and then he turned out to be much more than that. 697 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:35,800 He turned out to be a better shooter. Neither of them could shoot, 698 00:45:36,159 --> 00:45:39,320 and then they ended up being legitimate not legitimate threats, but at least they 699 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:45,519 know defenses had to at least factor in that they could hit one. And 700 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:49,960 I'm not going to say they're going to be starters this year. I'm not 701 00:45:50,039 --> 00:45:53,880 going to say they're going to but I can see Cody Martin and maybe a 702 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:57,480 little less so Caleb Martin, and it won't be here if it is, 703 00:45:58,119 --> 00:46:01,840 but I can see them being rotational guys on really good playoff teams because you 704 00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:06,719 always need that one guy that that can just got that dog in them to 705 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:09,679 where they can take your best player and take them out for a little bit. 706 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:13,280 They're not going to be the starters, but they're going to be guys 707 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,920 that can make anywhere from nine to fourteen million dollars a year in the league 708 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:22,880 depending on what like a Daniel House type and again Daniel House obviously some sensitive 709 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:25,519 subject right now, but they can be a Daniel one. Yeah, Daniel 710 00:46:25,559 --> 00:46:30,880 House. Yeah, that Daniel House type players so like, I like them, 711 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:35,880 and I think the biggest surprise was McDaniels because Jaalen McDaniel, I didn't 712 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:38,639 have any expectation being said he was the fifty something pick in the draft can 713 00:46:38,679 --> 00:46:45,519 shoot at San Diego State and then ends up shooting from three exactly like he 714 00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:51,039 was the guy that ended up surprising me the most because he became a and 715 00:46:51,039 --> 00:46:53,119 he's a better defender than I think people give him credit for. The only 716 00:46:53,119 --> 00:46:59,239 problem is like if and again we'll get it into it later, but if 717 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:05,159 you draft a forward here, if you draft a forward like that forward group 718 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:09,119 is going to be a little crowded with Bridges, PJ. Washington, McDaniels, 719 00:47:09,159 --> 00:47:14,440 like who gets pushed out if they go a certain way. I am 720 00:47:14,639 --> 00:47:19,559 of the mind that again, if that comes down to it, Bridges is 721 00:47:19,599 --> 00:47:23,400 the odd man out because I think he's the one. I think McDaniels is 722 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:27,960 going to end up being the one guy that they're going to stick to because 723 00:47:28,039 --> 00:47:31,559 I think he's Yeah, I think he's got he's got length that I think 724 00:47:31,599 --> 00:47:37,840 the other two really don't at that position. And I think McDaniels is going 725 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:40,280 to be good enough to play the three, and if he can play the 726 00:47:40,280 --> 00:47:45,679 three a little bit, be your big three. Like I'll I would say, 727 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:49,719 of all the rookies that are probably going to get that are not going 728 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:53,119 to be here in two years, I'd say it's Caleb, followed by Cody 729 00:47:53,159 --> 00:47:58,480 Martin. Like the Martin Twins are probably destined for other positions as salary filler 730 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:05,000 or as sweetener in trades. But that's like again, but that's the thing, 731 00:48:05,159 --> 00:48:07,159 Like this was a better draft than they had any right to have, 732 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:15,480 and it creates some interesting dynamics in terms of guys that will stay on the 733 00:48:15,559 --> 00:48:20,320 roster. More importantly, all of these guys, well again let's so PJ. 734 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:23,400 Washington, but the other three definitely There's a guy, Nick Freedman, 735 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:29,360 who works before the Greensboro Swarm, and he's the guy that is going to 736 00:48:30,199 --> 00:48:34,519 garner a lot of name recognition the longer this goes, because I think he's 737 00:48:34,559 --> 00:48:37,920 gonna be and he's gonna end up being someone like a Nick nurse that a 738 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:42,800 guy that developed just knows how to develop talent. And when that comes again, 739 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:45,719 when we start having those conversations of who are the next coach is going 740 00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:47,400 to be, You're gonna hear a lot of Nick Freedman in the next two 741 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:52,920 or three years. Well, that's that's certainly good to know. I will 742 00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:58,639 say, Cody Martin just seems like someone who might just revel in the dirty 743 00:48:58,679 --> 00:49:04,400 work, and that you you feel his presence even if he's not making his 744 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:07,679 shots or scoring at all. Was a from the stuff I watched over the 745 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:09,239 past forty eight hours, just a really good passer and like I said, 746 00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:12,760 seems to revel in the dirty work. I will say it was a small 747 00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:15,639 sample size the stuff I was watching of Caleb Martin. I went and I 748 00:49:15,639 --> 00:49:20,239 looked it up, and he officially has my favorite shooting split perhaps of all 749 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:23,760 time, where he shoots thirty six point two percent on two's and fifty four 750 00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:28,000 point one percent on threes, an incredibly small sample. We're talking a three 751 00:49:28,039 --> 00:49:32,280 hundred and seventeen minutes sub fifty shots in each case. But the finishing around 752 00:49:32,320 --> 00:49:36,159 the rim was not was not or around the basket was just not there, 753 00:49:36,199 --> 00:49:38,280 and so I definitely feel like I see what you're saying, where if you're 754 00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:43,920 picking between the two and wondering whether either will stick long term with the Hornets, 755 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:46,719 it'll be Cody. But it's also I think, like you said, 756 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:50,840 it's a huge accomplience if you end up finding guys who can, even if 757 00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:55,199 they're small sweeteners, while they're still on these incredibly tiny, cost effective deals, 758 00:49:55,519 --> 00:50:00,320 if they can glitz up a trade to any degree, that's a huge 759 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:04,599 win for you. Exactly, it's a massive win. But also the funny 760 00:50:04,599 --> 00:50:09,079 thing about that thirty six percent, that thirty six percent is like slightly deflated 761 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:16,159 in a Labelt and LaMelo ballway because Caleb Caleb Martin has no fear. Caleb 762 00:50:16,199 --> 00:50:20,760 Martin would attack the rim with no fear specially, and he would try to 763 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:24,079 dunk on you. And a lot of those were those type of plays where 764 00:50:24,119 --> 00:50:30,440 it's like if he just flushed that that would have changed the entire They were 765 00:50:30,519 --> 00:50:35,119 momentum changing type plays where he would attack the room with no fear, try 766 00:50:35,159 --> 00:50:38,960 to dunk on somebody, fail miserably. But if he just learned to float 767 00:50:39,039 --> 00:50:43,079 or something like that instead of trying to dunk on it, I think that 768 00:50:43,880 --> 00:50:49,039 becomes like almost a forty percent from the field type thing where he's gonna shoot 769 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:52,039 forty forty one percent if he learns how to control that aggression a little bit. 770 00:50:52,239 --> 00:50:55,559 That's the crazy thing about Caleb Martin. So I think he's like I 771 00:50:55,599 --> 00:50:59,679 said, I think they're going to be good. I think they're going to 772 00:50:59,679 --> 00:51:04,119 be real guys. The fact that you've got four guys that could be rotation 773 00:51:04,239 --> 00:51:08,920 good in when you're drafting twelve thirty seven and in the fifties, and then 774 00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:14,639 you get a UDFA that can also contribute, Like, that's a great draft 775 00:51:14,639 --> 00:51:17,880 class no matter how you slice it. Quite honestly, you mentioned Miles Bridges, 776 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:21,400 who in my notes that I sent to you, he is kind of 777 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:22,800 a siren song for me, just because I look at some of the things 778 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:27,960 he does and I just feel like he could be really good. But watching 779 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:32,000 him a little bit more in prep for this items like he can't play I 780 00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:36,559 don't want to say under control, but can't slow down. And so I'm 781 00:51:36,599 --> 00:51:39,000 watching him and now I'm wondering, is have you seen anything that makes you 782 00:51:39,079 --> 00:51:43,559 think he might be a more methodical score. I do think one of the 783 00:51:43,639 --> 00:51:49,159 red flags and maybe I'm oversimplifying this is that his coach, James REGOs even 784 00:51:49,159 --> 00:51:51,800 said, I think he's a four in this league and then you just have 785 00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:53,800 to go and roll him out at the three for most of the time this 786 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:59,199 year. I understand that positions are inherently sketchy now, like they might not 787 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:01,440 mean as much if you're gonna say that, and then the end result is, 788 00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:05,119 hey, he's playing the three like there are still different, Like there 789 00:52:05,199 --> 00:52:07,360 is that little bit of a jump when you're going from the three to the 790 00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:10,000 four, Like you're still not playing these pure wings at the four, whereas 791 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:14,880 at the three you are going defensively and even when you're on offense having to 792 00:52:14,920 --> 00:52:17,840 go up against you're going to go up against those pure wing types. The 793 00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:23,679 It's funny you mentioned that because Brego. James Brego did an interview I want 794 00:52:23,679 --> 00:52:30,840 to say, like two months ago with my partner Walker Mail of Lockdown Hornets, 795 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:36,920 and the crazy part was that he wanted to see James James Brego wanted 796 00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:40,159 to see what a four to five lineup was going to be with Miles at 797 00:52:40,199 --> 00:52:45,079 the four and PJ at the five, and it would have gone disastrously, 798 00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:50,280 but I would grab a single rebound is the no, no, not a 799 00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:53,280 single rebound, not one. Now, granted it would have been scrappy because 800 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:55,719 I have an idea what that lineup would have looked like. It would have 801 00:52:55,760 --> 00:53:00,039 been at Davante, Cody Martin, Caleb Martin, and then you fill out 802 00:53:00,079 --> 00:53:06,760 with PJ and PJ and Miles, and rebounds would have been at a premium 803 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:09,519 and often like again, there would have been a lot of offensive rebounds given 804 00:53:09,599 --> 00:53:15,079 up at the time. The crazy part to it is, and this is 805 00:53:15,079 --> 00:53:17,079 why I keep saying, I think Miles is the odd guy out. I 806 00:53:17,519 --> 00:53:22,119 continually tend to think that Miles is going to be the odd guy out because 807 00:53:22,159 --> 00:53:23,840 I think PJ is, Like I said, if you're going to say you 808 00:53:23,960 --> 00:53:29,360 have a foundational building block on this team, right now, you have two. 809 00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:34,679 You have DeVante Graham, After that you have PJ. Washington. Miles 810 00:53:34,719 --> 00:53:38,400 does not do nearly enough for me at the three to say that he's a 811 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:43,360 foundational building block. And I don't think he's good enough to replicate the scoring 812 00:53:43,920 --> 00:53:49,079 that PJ. Washington has for you at the four. And this is where 813 00:53:49,159 --> 00:53:53,159 it gets crazy, because again the draft is going to be and Mitch is 814 00:53:53,239 --> 00:53:59,920 said, we're drafting best player and fit doesn't necessarily matter. I don't fully 815 00:54:00,039 --> 00:54:04,679 believe him on that, But at the same time, I think that they 816 00:54:04,840 --> 00:54:08,159 really are going to go best fit. And if it's a Denny Avia or 817 00:54:08,840 --> 00:54:13,719 again, and I will let you know now in preview for the other one, 818 00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:16,719 I don't think they draft o Obi Toppin. But if they draft Obie 819 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:22,199 top and at three, just file again, just such a tweet notifications I 820 00:54:22,199 --> 00:54:27,440 will be done with this team. Just set them now, just set them 821 00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:32,639 down. You're gonna go off if it happens as opposed to oh no, 822 00:54:32,639 --> 00:54:35,760 no, no, no no no no no no, no, no no, 823 00:54:36,000 --> 00:54:39,440 it's gonna be bad. It's gonna be bad. I I say this 824 00:54:39,599 --> 00:54:45,840 to say there are draft ways that can basically tell if you think Miles Bridges 825 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:50,519 is going to be a part of this future of the future going forward. 826 00:54:51,039 --> 00:54:54,840 Drafting a Denny Avia is kind of one, Drafting an Obi Toppin is another. 827 00:54:55,679 --> 00:54:59,599 But I think Miles Bridges is going to be good. I think it's 828 00:54:59,639 --> 00:55:02,760 just going have to be on another team. And that's the thing. And 829 00:55:04,400 --> 00:55:08,280 that's where I think, like and when we get back to the drafting of 830 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:12,519 him, because everyone likes to bring up the you could have had she Gild 831 00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:17,400 Alexander, or you could have had a Michael Porter Jr. Which looks prescient 832 00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:25,079 at this point. I think we have to realize that Mitch drafted Miles Bridges 833 00:55:27,119 --> 00:55:30,199 as part of the mandate to make the playoffs by ownership at that time, 834 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:36,639 and they were going to maximize the last year of kemball Walker. So when 835 00:55:36,639 --> 00:55:39,519 you start thinking about it, you have to start thinking about Miles as I'm 836 00:55:39,519 --> 00:55:43,199 not going to say as a relic, because being twenty two years old and 837 00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:49,320 a relic is two different things. But he was meant to fill a gap 838 00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:54,239 in the previous iteration of the Hornets, not necessarily this one. So when 839 00:55:54,239 --> 00:55:59,320 we start having conversations about him, you have to start thinking he's probably going 840 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:00,920 to be better as a four. He's probably going to help you a lot 841 00:56:00,960 --> 00:56:06,639 more as a four. It's just not necessarily going to be a part of 842 00:56:06,679 --> 00:56:09,559 this team going forward. You know. Yeah, and you went more death 843 00:56:09,559 --> 00:56:13,920 than I did when I wrote something at the beginning, I don't even like 844 00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:17,360 the unscheduled offseason. I'll call it about you know, just maybe under the 845 00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:22,760 radar trade targets. I listened my House Bridges just because one I love Myles 846 00:56:22,800 --> 00:56:25,440 Bridges. But two, I think it was one of the core issues that 847 00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:29,519 you have PJ Washington, you have Myles Bridges, and there just doesn't feel 848 00:56:29,519 --> 00:56:35,039 like a clear path for them to play together, even independent of this draft. 849 00:56:35,159 --> 00:56:37,519 And so that was something that stuck with me. And it seems like 850 00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:39,400 there's I didn't even you know, now that they have the number three pick 851 00:56:39,559 --> 00:56:43,639 or whatever they do with it, I didn't even factor that into the equation 852 00:56:44,039 --> 00:56:46,519 at the time until it becomes that much more complicated, and it feels like 853 00:56:46,519 --> 00:56:50,320 he's Miles Bridge has been in the league for about a decade. This was 854 00:56:50,360 --> 00:56:52,400 only a year two, and so yeah, exactly, if I'm a team, 855 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:55,440 I am trying to scoop him up because I do feel like there's a 856 00:56:55,440 --> 00:57:00,599 at least a solid complimentary like even if it's just maybe he's playing in shorter 857 00:57:00,639 --> 00:57:05,639 bursts long term or something, but he still very much intrigues me. I 858 00:57:05,679 --> 00:57:07,519 think he's a starter. I think he's a starter in this league. I 859 00:57:07,559 --> 00:57:12,599 do think he's a starter, But again, he's a starter at the four. 860 00:57:13,159 --> 00:57:16,400 He's not a three. And I think we've seen enough evidence as just 861 00:57:16,639 --> 00:57:22,480 as too much where he's going to be a great, great four, he's 862 00:57:22,519 --> 00:57:24,800 going to be one of those guys that you put it on a closing lineup 863 00:57:24,840 --> 00:57:30,159 to defend three zen fours and help with your help your defense get a little 864 00:57:30,159 --> 00:57:34,840 switchy. So if we're going to go like I think he's good, I 865 00:57:34,920 --> 00:57:37,440 think he's a starter, I just don't know if he's better than PJ long 866 00:57:37,559 --> 00:57:44,039 term. And that's the thing that I worry about. You had mentioned the 867 00:57:44,119 --> 00:57:45,039 draft, which I'll get to really quickly, but I want us touch on 868 00:57:45,119 --> 00:57:52,599 DeVante Graham as well. I think the sort of even though he was even 869 00:57:52,599 --> 00:57:54,480 though he was still mentioned in the most Improved Player discussion, people seem to 870 00:57:54,519 --> 00:57:58,119 be increasingly low on him as the year one on. I felt like just 871 00:57:58,159 --> 00:58:01,079 because they looked at his efficiency and all that, it really dipped. But 872 00:58:01,159 --> 00:58:04,519 when you watch or when you even look at the numbers, just of the 873 00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:07,239 not just the on off splits for the Hornets offense in general, but some 874 00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:10,440 of the shooting splits for the guys that he played with, including Terry Rosiere 875 00:58:10,840 --> 00:58:15,559 for that matter. The idea of him off the dribble and his just attack 876 00:58:15,639 --> 00:58:20,239 mode off the dribble, like it matters to the to the Hornets offense, 877 00:58:20,280 --> 00:58:22,000 and he was Look, he wasn't part of the bubble restart. Again, 878 00:58:22,000 --> 00:58:29,079 I want to emphasize this, and he still finished sixth in assist thrown at 879 00:58:29,119 --> 00:58:32,000 the rim and that's a that's a big deal. And now I'm just curious 880 00:58:32,199 --> 00:58:37,400 because he has one year left on his deal at a cut rate, even 881 00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:39,039 bet like even lower than a cut rate. And I'm just curious to know, 882 00:58:39,639 --> 00:58:43,320 in your opinion, how important you think he is to this team, 883 00:58:43,360 --> 00:58:45,559 not necessarily just next season, but even beyond that, as you have to 884 00:58:45,559 --> 00:58:52,559 start weighing his next contract. He is a building block, but there's only 885 00:58:52,719 --> 00:58:57,000 there their contingencies, because when I start thinking about DeVante Graham, you have 886 00:58:57,079 --> 00:59:00,320 to start thinking about if he's going to be dealt. Where the mark markets 887 00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:05,239 that he could potentially be dealt. Does Philly really have anything that the Hornets 888 00:59:05,320 --> 00:59:10,320 want? The answer is probably no, especially again Debis Harris or off Horford. 889 00:59:13,559 --> 00:59:17,119 Ironically, I would here's the crazy thing, Dan depending on the price, 890 00:59:17,840 --> 00:59:22,119 and the price cannot include DeVante Graham. Tobias Harris is very interesting to 891 00:59:22,159 --> 00:59:27,199 me, Al Horford is much less so. Yes, Tobias Harris has played 892 00:59:27,239 --> 00:59:29,719 for a number of teams that makes you think that he might be in his 893 00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:32,559 mid thirties. But he only I think just turned twenty seven this year. 894 00:59:32,559 --> 00:59:37,239 He still do exactly twenty eight excuse me, he turned twenty angely exactly, 895 00:59:37,639 --> 00:59:42,760 But if it depending on the price for that like Philly again, but again 896 00:59:42,800 --> 00:59:47,480 we're talking about Philly. We're talking about maybe Milwaukee. We're talking about maybe 897 00:59:47,639 --> 00:59:52,920 la like the Lakers, like the Knicks that need a point guard. When 898 00:59:52,920 --> 00:59:55,920 we start talking about the teams that might need a point guard, think about 899 00:59:55,960 --> 01:00:01,440 the market like none of them really while you or have the assets to where 900 01:00:01,519 --> 01:00:07,039 it makes sense for any kind of DeVante grand deal. So I'm always going 901 01:00:07,079 --> 01:00:09,559 to say anyone can be dealt because this is remember we have to remember this 902 01:00:09,599 --> 01:00:15,440 is year one of the rebuild after Kemba. This is year one. It 903 01:00:15,480 --> 01:00:19,000 may feel like year three, year four, but this is only year one, 904 01:00:19,079 --> 01:00:22,320 and they were ahead of schedule in year one of this rebuild. You 905 01:00:22,400 --> 01:00:28,079 have to factor that in. And the crazy part is for me with DeVante 906 01:00:28,119 --> 01:00:30,440 and he's going to be a free agent, and I think there's a part 907 01:00:30,480 --> 01:00:34,639 of me that says, wait until what we see what the salary cap is 908 01:00:34,679 --> 01:00:37,519 going to look. Because you follow me enough, Dan, you know you've 909 01:00:37,519 --> 01:00:40,599 seen enough of my tweets to know that I don't know. Again, I 910 01:00:40,679 --> 01:00:44,719 want to see what this new financial structure is going to be, because they're 911 01:00:44,760 --> 01:00:47,199 clearly both going to opt out, both the players and the owners are going 912 01:00:47,239 --> 01:00:52,119 to opt out of the CBA. What I want to know is at this 913 01:00:52,159 --> 01:00:57,440 point, what does the financial structure look like? Because if this like dampens 914 01:00:57,440 --> 01:01:01,840 down what the point guards get, then sign him now and sign him to 915 01:01:02,079 --> 01:01:05,880 what I would say is a four for forty eight deal similar to what Kemba 916 01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:08,039 got. Give him the Kemba deal now and see if he takes it and 917 01:01:08,159 --> 01:01:12,119 not he wants to gamble on himself. Cool, because you still have that 918 01:01:12,239 --> 01:01:15,639 ability. You're still gonna have some of the most cap space in the league, 919 01:01:15,679 --> 01:01:17,679 and it will be worth it if he does better. But even if 920 01:01:17,679 --> 01:01:21,800 he does bet on himself, there's a potential that he could have worse numbers 921 01:01:21,880 --> 01:01:24,880 next year and still improve as a player. And I think, and again 922 01:01:24,920 --> 01:01:30,599 I think we've had this conversation before where necessary growth is not necessarily linear, 923 01:01:30,039 --> 01:01:32,679 and as long as we don't look at as linear growth, as long as 924 01:01:32,719 --> 01:01:36,960 there's some fundamentals that he got better at. Let's say he finishes better at 925 01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:42,280 the Rim but shoots less from three. I'm still going to give him. 926 01:01:42,320 --> 01:01:45,599 I'm not gonna give him the rookie Max. I'm going to feel okay with 927 01:01:45,599 --> 01:01:47,480 it and we can go from there, you know. Yeah, I mean, 928 01:01:47,519 --> 01:01:50,960 look that if he's going to finish better at the rim, you might 929 01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:54,320 be looking at more free throws and so definitely ways to replace that type of 930 01:01:54,320 --> 01:01:58,360 production. I would think, even because you look at his two point percent 931 01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:00,000 is this year under forty, I do think that people that ended up lower 932 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:04,880 on him. But if you were able to lock him up for forty eight, 933 01:02:05,000 --> 01:02:07,360 to me, I think that that's like I would say, better than 934 01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:09,480 fair value for the Hornets because I could see him we need to see the 935 01:02:09,519 --> 01:02:12,920 financial structure. But there are a lot of teams that I feel like are 936 01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:16,679 gonna feel spurned in twenty twenty one free agency, no matter what the salary 937 01:02:16,679 --> 01:02:21,199 cap ends up looking like, and so I could see him getting a loftier 938 01:02:21,280 --> 01:02:23,559 offer, and which is why I would expect him to probably bet on himself 939 01:02:23,639 --> 01:02:28,280 unless he's just really down on the financial outlook of the team. But I 940 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:30,199 do think you look you're if you're saying it, like, I think it 941 01:02:30,239 --> 01:02:34,119 matters that people need to realize he is kind of like he is a building 942 01:02:34,119 --> 01:02:37,480 block for this team. It's not just someone that would turn into this nice 943 01:02:37,639 --> 01:02:39,960 like temporary stop gap. And maybe they're looking to move or or just gonna 944 01:02:40,039 --> 01:02:45,000 let walk because you know, perhaps his timeline doesn't just because he's coming up 945 01:02:45,000 --> 01:02:47,079 for a new deal, it doesn't perfectly align with a gradual rebuild. But 946 01:02:47,119 --> 01:02:51,920 he's just so important to their offense. I can't imagine them, you know, 947 01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:57,239 letting him go without being sort of wowed with the trade offer. Then 948 01:02:57,320 --> 01:03:00,800 that's the other thing, Like we also have to remember that this it's only 949 01:03:00,840 --> 01:03:04,360 been a year since the Kemba Walker debacle. It's only been a year, 950 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:07,960 guys, So they're not necessarily going to let another great, another at least 951 01:03:08,000 --> 01:03:13,760 what looks to be great point guard go without getting something in return and then 952 01:03:13,800 --> 01:03:17,960 this time get more than Terry Rozier. Because you gotta remember about this, 953 01:03:19,199 --> 01:03:22,440 Like you have to like think people got to remember when we have these conversations, 954 01:03:22,840 --> 01:03:28,400 they didn't see this kind of Devonte Graham coming. If they did, 955 01:03:29,719 --> 01:03:32,679 I think there wouldn't have been a Terry Rosier deal. They would have done 956 01:03:32,719 --> 01:03:37,840 something with Kemba Walker, or they would have said, Kemba Walker, let 957 01:03:37,880 --> 01:03:43,800 go go out there and sign somebody else. I don't think anybody saw this 958 01:03:43,880 --> 01:03:51,159 DeVante Graham explosion coming, least of all the team. So I feel like, 959 01:03:51,480 --> 01:03:53,599 exactly, exactly Terry Rozier is not here if they saw this coming, 960 01:03:53,639 --> 01:03:57,639 And I think people need to factor that in when they start bashing the Terry 961 01:03:57,920 --> 01:04:01,480 Rosier contract, which for me is not that bad. It's not as nearly 962 01:04:01,480 --> 01:04:05,840 as bad as it could be, and considering what he gave off the ball 963 01:04:06,159 --> 01:04:11,280 and how he's helped them, like, it's actually a better contract than people 964 01:04:11,360 --> 01:04:14,400 really want to give it credit for. I think I killed it at the 965 01:04:14,400 --> 01:04:16,480 time. I still think the whole Kemba Walker situation was a disaster, but 966 01:04:16,599 --> 01:04:21,320 I think the contract has aged definitely better than those initial optics. And a 967 01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:24,199 big part of it, for me at least, is like what you said, 968 01:04:24,360 --> 01:04:27,199 what he was able to do off the ball offensively for them when you 969 01:04:27,199 --> 01:04:29,400 were just looking at his you know, catch and shoot percentage, like he 970 01:04:29,440 --> 01:04:32,960 was just absolute money when DeVante Graham was on the floor with him exactly. 971 01:04:33,039 --> 01:04:36,840 And that's the one thing DeVante I'm not gonna say he has again. We 972 01:04:36,880 --> 01:04:41,360 all joke about Steph Curry gravity. I'm not saying that Davante has that kind 973 01:04:41,400 --> 01:04:45,079 of gravity, not yet. But I saw a lot of people defending the 974 01:04:45,280 --> 01:04:49,559 DeVante like they defended Kemba the year before, and that that's some reverence there. 975 01:04:49,800 --> 01:04:54,280 That's some reverence. And we're seeing what Kemba does with one on ones 976 01:04:54,400 --> 01:04:58,719 right now now, granted not so great against Toronto, but considering what's gonna 977 01:04:58,800 --> 01:05:02,920 happen next, this is gonna get interesting. But when we start talking about, 978 01:05:03,360 --> 01:05:06,280 like when we start talking about what DeVante does and what Terry does, 979 01:05:08,039 --> 01:05:12,400 like the thing that I want to like reiterate and I want people to understand 980 01:05:12,559 --> 01:05:16,920 going into next year with the Charlotte Hornets, Terry Rozier might not be here 981 01:05:16,920 --> 01:05:21,639 at the trade deadline. Terry Rozier might play himself into a place where people 982 01:05:21,639 --> 01:05:27,400 are like, I got a half a year left and then one year at 983 01:05:27,440 --> 01:05:31,119 seventeen million dollars and he might be my sixth man. That's not the worst 984 01:05:31,119 --> 01:05:34,519 thing in the world. Again, think about a team like Philly that needs 985 01:05:34,559 --> 01:05:39,800 an a ball handler that can that can hit shots. Terry Rozier sounds really 986 01:05:39,800 --> 01:05:43,119 good, depending on how you want to package it. Compare for Al Horford 987 01:05:43,159 --> 01:05:50,119 right, Yeah, like if you're Philly, like I thought that La was 988 01:05:50,159 --> 01:05:53,960 going to make a play for him at some point. I still think that's 989 01:05:53,960 --> 01:05:59,559 a possibility. Like Terry Rozier as a trade piece at some point is going 990 01:05:59,599 --> 01:06:02,840 to sound really really good to somebody, and it's going to end. That 991 01:06:02,920 --> 01:06:08,960 contract is going to be a lubricant to it a further deal rather than it's 992 01:06:09,000 --> 01:06:12,440 going to be a hindrance. It's not the Nick Batum contract. I think 993 01:06:12,480 --> 01:06:15,880 we do it at disservice treating it like that. Well, it's shorter. 994 01:06:15,079 --> 01:06:18,079 Look, three years, it's shorter than five years. That's that's important note. 995 01:06:18,119 --> 01:06:23,039 And then it also helps that like their books are just crystal clear when 996 01:06:23,079 --> 01:06:27,360 you move on, like after next season, they have under guarantee contract. 997 01:06:27,440 --> 01:06:30,440 And I'm sure you know if if Cody Martin and Kayla Martin and Janleen Tennis 998 01:06:30,480 --> 01:06:34,239 was stilling this roster, their salaries will be guaranteed. Obviously the PJ Washington 999 01:06:34,239 --> 01:06:36,960 team WASSH will be picked up, But the only guaranteed money on their twenty 1000 01:06:38,000 --> 01:06:41,199 twenty one books right now is Terry Rosier. And even if you want to 1001 01:06:41,239 --> 01:06:44,320 just assume the options are going to be picked up, the salaries guaranteed, 1002 01:06:44,639 --> 01:06:48,239 you have a total of six players under under guaranteed contracts for like sub fifty 1003 01:06:48,280 --> 01:06:54,480 million dollars I believe sub forty million dollars, excuse me, just as plus 1004 01:06:54,519 --> 01:06:56,920 the pick. Again, when you start thinking about then you throw on the 1005 01:06:56,960 --> 01:07:00,239 draft pick this year like sub forty million dollars, seven guys, and you're 1006 01:07:00,239 --> 01:07:05,960 probably and this all depends again, as we said on the CBA, but 1007 01:07:06,039 --> 01:07:14,480 their capsuet to take on bad deals is ridiculous. So when we start talking 1008 01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:16,960 about the draft and starting to buy picks, which I'm not sure they do 1009 01:07:17,039 --> 01:07:20,159 this year, or at least if they're going to do it, they're not 1010 01:07:20,199 --> 01:07:24,119 going to do it till the trade deadline to take on a whole bunch of 1011 01:07:24,119 --> 01:07:28,599 bad deals. Again, their ability to take on bad deals and load up 1012 01:07:28,639 --> 01:07:30,360 for the twenty twenty one draft, which is what I think they're going to 1013 01:07:30,440 --> 01:07:34,559 do. I think it's going to get really interesting. This offseason is going 1014 01:07:34,599 --> 01:07:39,079 to be a lot more interesting on the trade front than the free agency front. 1015 01:07:39,119 --> 01:07:41,039 And I can't wait to see what that looks like. Yeah, I 1016 01:07:41,079 --> 01:07:44,199 think, And I actually won't even say that because we're going to talk about 1017 01:07:44,199 --> 01:07:46,159 it too, and I want to ask you about the draft first to set 1018 01:07:46,159 --> 01:07:49,800 this up. So number three, great outcome for them. They jumped five 1019 01:07:49,840 --> 01:07:56,000 spots, can't be can't be mad about that? Do you have a preferred 1020 01:07:56,480 --> 01:08:00,280 player that they take it that spot or a preferred move if you like wanting 1021 01:08:00,320 --> 01:08:02,239 you'd rather see them trade down. I think the position they're in, and 1022 01:08:02,280 --> 01:08:08,079 maybe i'm as someone who is I'll say like ankle deep in draft prep right 1023 01:08:08,119 --> 01:08:11,159 now, where normally I should have, you know, obviously already been forehead 1024 01:08:11,199 --> 01:08:14,440 deep, since it should have already happened. I feel like they're in a 1025 01:08:14,440 --> 01:08:19,039 beneficial position to where it's there. Feels like there's three consensus top three picks 1026 01:08:19,359 --> 01:08:23,239 and two of them are already going to be gone, so you can default 1027 01:08:23,279 --> 01:08:26,359 to a choice and at least not get killed for it, but also want 1028 01:08:26,399 --> 01:08:30,520 a draft like this where maybe nothing feels consensus like it also kind of opens 1029 01:08:30,520 --> 01:08:34,479 the door for all these just wonky possibilities where it's well, maybe we'll just 1030 01:08:34,520 --> 01:08:38,039 reach or maybe we'll try and trade down and still get the guy that we 1031 01:08:38,119 --> 01:08:44,600 like best. The guy I want the most is LaMelo Ball, the guy 1032 01:08:44,680 --> 01:08:48,439 I feel very very confident that is not going to be there at three happens 1033 01:08:48,479 --> 01:08:54,239 to be LaMelo ball. If again, if I'm going to say what the 1034 01:08:54,239 --> 01:09:00,359 Hornet's draft board probably is, it's probably I would put a LaMelo ball there. 1035 01:09:00,319 --> 01:09:04,680 I'm not sure there is high on Anthony Edwards as everybody else. So 1036 01:09:04,920 --> 01:09:09,680 right after that, I put Denny Avia. And I know that the building, 1037 01:09:10,119 --> 01:09:14,560 I know the Charlotte Hornets loved Denny Avia, and I am again that's 1038 01:09:15,359 --> 01:09:17,720 if I was going to tell you who I thought the building was going to 1039 01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:23,920 pick, Mitch was going to pick, it's Denny Avia. I would feel, 1040 01:09:24,199 --> 01:09:27,399 but like literally, there's a lot of this that I'm not sure. 1041 01:09:27,680 --> 01:09:30,840 I think it's Ball. I think it's Avvia, and I think it's Haze 1042 01:09:30,840 --> 01:09:32,760 that's there, that's their top three and their draft board. I don't think 1043 01:09:32,800 --> 01:09:38,840 Wiseman is there, and I think they think Wiseman is slow. I think 1044 01:09:39,279 --> 01:09:45,159 and slow on a defensive from a defensive capability, and as we're seeing bigs 1045 01:09:45,199 --> 01:09:48,479 that can't really defend are guys that can easily be played off the floor. 1046 01:09:49,439 --> 01:09:55,560 And that's what Yes, yes, exactly. Kevin Durant has pointed that out 1047 01:09:55,600 --> 01:10:01,319 repeatedly in the last don't I would say thirty six hours, Yeah, I 1048 01:10:01,359 --> 01:10:04,960 would say this though, like if we're gonna have we're gonna have this conversation, 1049 01:10:05,039 --> 01:10:10,800 like I don't again if and I hate to say center has become the 1050 01:10:10,840 --> 01:10:13,640 new running back position, but center is kind of the new running back, 1051 01:10:13,800 --> 01:10:16,319 and they're not the type of guys that you draft with top ten picks. 1052 01:10:16,880 --> 01:10:21,079 That being said, if there was a way you could draft down, get 1053 01:10:21,119 --> 01:10:25,920 some more assets for twenty twenty one, maybe take on a bad contract on 1054 01:10:26,000 --> 01:10:28,800 top of that, and get a twenty one. Like I said, get 1055 01:10:28,840 --> 01:10:31,840 twenty twenty one first pick, first round pick. I like a Congo. 1056 01:10:32,640 --> 01:10:36,079 Like if I'm going to say there's a center that might attract me, I 1057 01:10:36,119 --> 01:10:41,520 think it's a Congo because I think the way you're gonna have to go when 1058 01:10:41,560 --> 01:10:44,560 we have these teams, when you're building a defense and you're having a guy 1059 01:10:44,560 --> 01:10:46,680 that can defend at the rim and switch at the picket and roll, I 1060 01:10:46,720 --> 01:10:50,520 think a Congo was the perfect center. I just would not draft him with 1061 01:10:50,520 --> 01:10:54,920 a top three pick. I just you just can't. You can't justify it 1062 01:10:54,960 --> 01:10:59,039 at all because he doesn't have the offensive game to justify doing that. But 1063 01:10:59,680 --> 01:11:01,520 if you're gonna tell me I have to draft a big, it's okongru for 1064 01:11:01,600 --> 01:11:10,840 Wiseman and it's even then I can't even say the Russian kid, Alex sayko 1065 01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:15,920 f I'm not even gonna try it anymore. But but the Russian kid is 1066 01:11:15,960 --> 01:11:20,439 the other other big I'm definitely afraid of Wiseman. I think, oh, 1067 01:11:20,439 --> 01:11:26,479 go ahead, sorry, not not like I'm I'm definitely afraid of James Wiseman. 1068 01:11:26,680 --> 01:11:30,800 And after that, like and people are gonna bring Obie topping up. 1069 01:11:30,920 --> 01:11:33,039 And I will say this now, if you were going to draft and I 1070 01:11:33,079 --> 01:11:35,640 think you've seen me tweet this, if you're going to draft Obi Toppin, 1071 01:11:35,960 --> 01:11:43,000 he better be like Phoenix amar reincardinated And I'm not sure he's Sayre yet. 1072 01:11:43,840 --> 01:11:47,359 I'm with you on James Wiseman. I just don't see it on defense. 1073 01:11:47,399 --> 01:11:50,840 And again I've no one should take my word for it. Just with the 1074 01:11:50,840 --> 01:11:54,920 amount of stuff that I've watched, I don't see it on defense with him, 1075 01:11:54,920 --> 01:11:56,960 Like, I just don't see the switchability there. And like you said, 1076 01:11:56,960 --> 01:12:01,079 it feels like he's slow. I could definitely see him developing into more 1077 01:12:01,159 --> 01:12:05,199 of a versatile offensive weapon where it just feels like he has a good feel 1078 01:12:05,279 --> 01:12:08,640 for the game with the ball in his hands and could do some face up 1079 01:12:08,680 --> 01:12:11,399 stuff. And if you're able to expand your jumper, that's absolutely huge. 1080 01:12:11,640 --> 01:12:14,800 But it's like you said, if you can't, you know, switch to 1081 01:12:14,840 --> 01:12:17,279 pick and roll at the bare minimum, I would say, like you can 1082 01:12:17,319 --> 01:12:20,439 become a defensive liability. If not during the regular season then most certainly. 1083 01:12:23,079 --> 01:12:25,920 Yeah. And so if I'm if the horders are at number three and he's 1084 01:12:25,960 --> 01:12:29,520 still and it goes you know, edwards and then balls off the border whatever 1085 01:12:29,640 --> 01:12:31,720 order it is, and Wiseman's still there, I think in that situation, 1086 01:12:31,800 --> 01:12:35,960 like you can definitely justify taking Denny avia there. But if it's anyone else, 1087 01:12:36,359 --> 01:12:40,840 that's I think when you have to start look at trading down. Yeah, 1088 01:12:40,880 --> 01:12:45,920 and I think that the problem becomes if Ball's gone and you trade down, 1089 01:12:46,039 --> 01:12:49,640 who's actually trading up? Like that's the thing, like, is that 1090 01:12:49,720 --> 01:12:54,079 how how worthwhile is that pick? Because I'm not sure people, I'm not 1091 01:12:54,119 --> 01:12:57,720 sure teams are all that enthused with Wiseman either. There's not enough tape on 1092 01:12:57,760 --> 01:13:00,199 it, right, It might be that's going to be a situation where they're 1093 01:13:00,239 --> 01:13:02,399 probably more willing to trade up if it's LaMelo Ball who's available, which then 1094 01:13:02,439 --> 01:13:05,920 defeats the purpose. If Charlotte is really that high on the meloball, I 1095 01:13:05,960 --> 01:13:09,520 think they're higher. I think they're a higher on them. I also think, 1096 01:13:09,840 --> 01:13:13,640 like I said, I think Killian Hayes has a sneaky spot, has 1097 01:13:13,680 --> 01:13:16,239 a sneaky chance of getting in there at three because I think, hey, 1098 01:13:16,399 --> 01:13:19,399 I think they like Hayes a lot more than people think. And I also 1099 01:13:19,439 --> 01:13:24,800 think Hayes when we start talking about developing young guys and Nick Friedman and the 1100 01:13:24,880 --> 01:13:29,359 Charlotte Hornets, I think they can develop a young guard. I also think 1101 01:13:29,399 --> 01:13:35,079 that they believe that wing is a much more of a bigger deal than drafting 1102 01:13:35,079 --> 01:13:40,399 a big. I think they realize that drafting a big maybe at thirty two 1103 01:13:41,000 --> 01:13:44,680 or maybe again, or a drafting a big at thirty two and then potentially 1104 01:13:44,800 --> 01:13:48,520 drafting a project big at fifty eight is what they're probably going to do, 1105 01:13:48,640 --> 01:13:56,199 like in a touru there at oric or like literally just I think they end 1106 01:13:56,279 --> 01:13:59,800 up drafting a big at thirty two or moving up to draft one of the 1107 01:14:00,239 --> 01:14:05,840 Lake first round bigs there. I think that I think that's a good You're 1108 01:14:05,880 --> 01:14:09,199 gonna know the team more to the night, but I think that's a good 1109 01:14:09,239 --> 01:14:11,000 stance to take and it's like you said, you don't want to go as 1110 01:14:11,079 --> 01:14:13,760 far as saying that center is the new running back. But when you're looking 1111 01:14:13,800 --> 01:14:15,600 at a top three pick, and especially in this draft that who's available, 1112 01:14:15,640 --> 01:14:19,359 I just don't know that you want to go that route with with third overall. 1113 01:14:19,439 --> 01:14:23,680 And but it is an interesting question of who's going to want to trade 1114 01:14:23,760 --> 01:14:27,479 up to take said big and you look at the teams that are after them, 1115 01:14:27,479 --> 01:14:31,720 and it's like maybe Washington at number nine, and then you're getting into 1116 01:14:31,720 --> 01:14:35,039 some one, what is Washington giving you an addition, they should not be 1117 01:14:35,079 --> 01:14:39,439 trading twenty twenty one pick at all. And then you're also getting into if 1118 01:14:39,479 --> 01:14:43,359 the territory whereas you know Denny's definitely gonna be off the board at number nine, 1119 01:14:44,239 --> 01:14:46,640 killing Hayes if the Knicks were smart taking a chance on him. So 1120 01:14:46,680 --> 01:14:50,279 then you know, that's a dicey prop position, Dan, that's a dicey 1121 01:14:50,319 --> 01:14:55,720 prop position. The Knicks being smart, that's an extremely dicey prop position. 1122 01:14:56,039 --> 01:14:59,640 So that's like there's also the feel of, you know, what would be 1123 01:14:59,640 --> 01:15:01,920 too to trade down because you don't want to necessarily miss on someone. So 1124 01:15:02,199 --> 01:15:05,960 what you're saying is then there's really not there's more so a consensus top two, 1125 01:15:06,079 --> 01:15:11,199 and it's going to be absolute anarchy at the three. Yeah, exactly. 1126 01:15:11,479 --> 01:15:15,199 And I think, like I think, they can't draft. I do 1127 01:15:15,279 --> 01:15:18,279 not believe they can draft lower than five to get the guy they want, 1128 01:15:19,000 --> 01:15:24,079 because I don't think. I think also think Denny, depending on who's the 1129 01:15:24,119 --> 01:15:27,159 coach over there in Chicago, and we haven't, we have no idea who 1130 01:15:27,159 --> 01:15:30,960 that is yet, depending on who the coach is, I think drafts Denny 1131 01:15:31,000 --> 01:15:36,159 at for no matter what. And I think Denny if if again, I 1132 01:15:36,199 --> 01:15:40,520 think I would throw this name out there who he reminds me a little bit 1133 01:15:40,520 --> 01:15:44,880 off. But andres NOCIONI a guy that came in there, gave you about 1134 01:15:45,279 --> 01:15:50,439 before his bat gave out, gave you a good thirteen and four and again 1135 01:15:50,520 --> 01:15:54,000 became a really good role player. And if you can get a really good 1136 01:15:54,079 --> 01:15:57,760 role player in a dicey draft like this, I think you can take it 1137 01:15:57,800 --> 01:16:01,239 and run, quite honestly, and then at the same time prepare for twenty 1138 01:16:01,239 --> 01:16:05,319 to twenty one and prepare for that draft and that loaded draft full of stars. 1139 01:16:05,399 --> 01:16:11,319 Kind of quite honestly, Now, would you the last draft related maybe 1140 01:16:11,319 --> 01:16:14,800 not the last draft re question, but the actual draft specific question not I'll 1141 01:16:14,840 --> 01:16:18,359 ask you is if given the opportunity to move up to A two or one, 1142 01:16:18,920 --> 01:16:21,319 and let's say it's a situation where you can guarantee that you get to 1143 01:16:21,319 --> 01:16:26,359 take LaMelo Ball in that instance, are you giving up Miles Bridges for that 1144 01:16:26,479 --> 01:16:30,560 small of a jump? Is that how much you believe? Yes? Yes, 1145 01:16:30,960 --> 01:16:33,079 absolutely, and I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't think twice. I 1146 01:16:33,119 --> 01:16:40,319 really would not think twice because I think what what LaMelo ball does for this 1147 01:16:40,479 --> 01:16:45,119 franchise is it opens up. I think it does one of two things. 1148 01:16:45,159 --> 01:16:50,039 You can go smaller, go ball Rocheer and Graham have that filled out, 1149 01:16:50,119 --> 01:16:54,279 you still have you still have PJ. Washington and as long as you still 1150 01:16:54,319 --> 01:16:57,479 have that thirty two pick to pick up pick up a center and then ride 1151 01:16:57,479 --> 01:17:01,159 out a ride out of Bismack Beyond but on a one year, one or 1152 01:17:01,159 --> 01:17:08,159 two year deal for little money, or and you have your you have your 1153 01:17:08,279 --> 01:17:13,039 rotation basically set. Because the way that this goes, if LaMelo Ball is 1154 01:17:13,079 --> 01:17:16,199 a part of this team going forward, as much as I would miss the 1155 01:17:16,279 --> 01:17:23,439 lob threat from a Miles Bridges and a LaMelo Ball, I really want LaMelo 1156 01:17:23,479 --> 01:17:26,359 Ball here because I think he can be. I think he is the star 1157 01:17:26,439 --> 01:17:30,760 of this draft. As much as I like Anthony Edwards and his physical gifts, 1158 01:17:30,720 --> 01:17:34,439 LaMelo Ball's a real star of this draft. LaMelo Ball scares me. 1159 01:17:34,520 --> 01:17:38,119 I mean, ay, this fellow draft scares me at the top where it's 1160 01:17:38,119 --> 01:17:42,359 Anthony Edwards, where shot selection was so bad and the percentages aren't great, 1161 01:17:42,359 --> 01:17:44,960 which is the ease with which he gets to a step back. I'm like, 1162 01:17:45,039 --> 01:17:47,359 oh that and treats me. LaMelo Ball just terrifies me off based the 1163 01:17:47,359 --> 01:17:50,159 minimal things that I've I've seen from him, I'm wondering if he'll ever be 1164 01:17:50,239 --> 01:17:55,039 more of an efficient score in the NBA level. And I'm wondering what you 1165 01:17:55,119 --> 01:17:59,880 what ends up happening to him on defense in the NBA too. I think 1166 01:18:00,239 --> 01:18:03,800 the one thing about LaMelo Ball for me at least, is I think him 1167 01:18:03,880 --> 01:18:09,199 being again, say what you want about Charlotte, it's relative obscurity whatever. 1168 01:18:09,640 --> 01:18:14,039 I think the obscurity helps him. I think the ability to just go to 1169 01:18:14,079 --> 01:18:18,319 work. I think the structure that they Charlotte Hornets have put in place I 1170 01:18:18,359 --> 01:18:23,920 trusted. Remember we had this conversation last year, Dan and I didn't trust 1171 01:18:23,920 --> 01:18:28,079 any of it. At that point, I trust the structure they've put in 1172 01:18:28,119 --> 01:18:31,479 place without Kemba. I think that they've done a lot of steps to work 1173 01:18:31,560 --> 01:18:36,199 with young players and develop young talent. We just saw it with four guys 1174 01:18:36,520 --> 01:18:40,079 and they were there were a couple of those that were a getting. Three 1175 01:18:40,079 --> 01:18:45,159 of those picks were really really dicey, right, So I trust them to 1176 01:18:45,520 --> 01:18:50,359 develop guys with dicey stuff, now, mind you getting. And also, 1177 01:18:50,439 --> 01:18:54,520 this is the other thing. If this coaching staff could get Terry Rogier, 1178 01:18:54,600 --> 01:18:59,680 a guy that was a known malcontent in Boston, to play ball, I 1179 01:18:59,720 --> 01:19:01,640 am not going to be worried about LaMelo ball at all. At all. 1180 01:19:02,079 --> 01:19:09,479 I'm not because Terry Rosier could have pitched a fit, could have said I 1181 01:19:09,560 --> 01:19:14,439 came down here to be the man. I came down here again to get 1182 01:19:14,439 --> 01:19:16,720 away from Kyrie, to get away from Boston, to get away from being 1183 01:19:16,720 --> 01:19:21,880 the scapegoat, and instead became a really great teammate, went off ball and 1184 01:19:21,960 --> 01:19:28,119 allowed for DeVante Graham to grow. I really do believe that this team is 1185 01:19:28,199 --> 01:19:32,680 really good at communicating what's best for the team. So I think that's why 1186 01:19:32,800 --> 01:19:35,439 that's why I don't worry about the shot selection. That's why I don't worry 1187 01:19:35,439 --> 01:19:42,119 about a lot of this stuff with a guy like LaMelo Ball. Also, 1188 01:19:42,319 --> 01:19:46,479 remember we got the best of the league Monk before the unfortunate drug suspension too. 1189 01:19:46,680 --> 01:19:50,760 So when we have these conversations of are they going to fit in? 1190 01:19:51,159 --> 01:19:56,960 I trust the locker room to police its own and I trust that they're again, 1191 01:19:57,000 --> 01:19:59,880 whoever's going to be drafted here is going to fit in kind of par 1192 01:20:00,000 --> 01:20:02,800 perfectly. Were you making a sales pitch for the NIXT to continue trying to 1193 01:20:02,800 --> 01:20:08,359 trade for for Malik Monk there felt like a nice little convenience not to see 1194 01:20:08,399 --> 01:20:11,600 the thing. I still believe in Malik Monk too, though, Like that's 1195 01:20:11,600 --> 01:20:15,880 the crazy part to this. I still believe in him. I really, 1196 01:20:15,279 --> 01:20:18,359 really really believe in Lak Monk, and I think we were going to see 1197 01:20:18,359 --> 01:20:23,199 the best of him, and he wasn't going to be the starter, but 1198 01:20:23,239 --> 01:20:26,920 if he could be, lou Williams, I think he was. I think 1199 01:20:26,960 --> 01:20:30,560 he's still gotta believe it or not. And I believe Mitch cup Check when 1200 01:20:30,600 --> 01:20:34,680 he says this. I think they really do believe him in him in that 1201 01:20:34,720 --> 01:20:39,800 building, and I think they believe in the growth as a person that he 1202 01:20:39,880 --> 01:20:45,880 makes. So I really do think he's still going to be on this roster. 1203 01:20:45,319 --> 01:20:48,680 And I think the other thing is he's kind of tanked his stock to 1204 01:20:48,720 --> 01:20:53,359 the point where he's probably Yeah, he's tanked his stock to the point where 1205 01:20:53,399 --> 01:20:57,760 I think he's going to be just fine with a solid five. Again. 1206 01:20:57,760 --> 01:21:00,039 I'm not going to say vet minimum, but i'd say five seven million dollars 1207 01:21:00,359 --> 01:21:03,000 and it's going to end up being one of those contracts that becomes a steal 1208 01:21:03,079 --> 01:21:09,359 later on. I feel that good about it. Wow, I'm gonna so 1209 01:21:09,439 --> 01:21:12,359 everyone can mark that down. We'll come back to this as receipts. Yeah. 1210 01:21:13,680 --> 01:21:16,439 So I want to ask you about the Hornets free agency approach and how 1211 01:21:16,479 --> 01:21:19,199 you think they should handle this. I we don't know what the cap is 1212 01:21:19,239 --> 01:21:21,880 going to be. I've just been using the one on nine point one million 1213 01:21:21,960 --> 01:21:26,960 from this season as my placeholder, and with where they landed in the draft 1214 01:21:28,000 --> 01:21:30,680 and kind of just I wouldn't call it guesswork. I'd call it common sense 1215 01:21:30,680 --> 01:21:34,199 work of who they're going to renounce. I have them at kind of a 1216 01:21:34,199 --> 01:21:40,119 shade under nineteen million dollars in room, which is more than I would say 1217 01:21:40,159 --> 01:21:43,680 twenty five other teams at least in the NBA, and probably even more than 1218 01:21:43,680 --> 01:21:45,159 that when you look at what Miami's doing. I don't know how they Renown's 1219 01:21:45,199 --> 01:21:53,479 Crowder or Dragic after this postseason? What do you want to see them do? 1220 01:21:54,000 --> 01:21:57,560 Are there any players that stand out to you or you've already mentioned that 1221 01:21:57,600 --> 01:22:02,960 you'd rather see them be what you know Lazarus Jackson of the Detroit who covers 1222 01:22:02,960 --> 01:22:06,279 the Detroit Pistons called sin eaters where they eat these bad contracts. You've already 1223 01:22:06,279 --> 01:22:10,520 mentioned that, Is that the focus you want to see them have? Or 1224 01:22:10,720 --> 01:22:13,680 are there actual players that you want to see them go after with this money 1225 01:22:13,680 --> 01:22:15,720 that they're going to have. I want to see what the market for Yaka 1226 01:22:15,760 --> 01:22:18,840 Podal looks like. Interesting, I kind of want I want to see what 1227 01:22:18,920 --> 01:22:25,079 the market for Yaka Podal looks like because I would love to see what someone 1228 01:22:25,199 --> 01:22:30,319 would bid for him. And if san Antonio matches, I'm not saying you 1229 01:22:30,439 --> 01:22:34,840 give him the full nineteen, but if you offered I don't know, seventy 1230 01:22:34,880 --> 01:22:38,880 five four, I'm sorry, you can't even do that. It's like sixty 1231 01:22:39,600 --> 01:22:45,760 four over like again, sixty for four years. I would kind of be 1232 01:22:45,920 --> 01:22:49,840 okay with that. Wow, And if then you sign again if not, 1233 01:22:50,079 --> 01:22:56,720 you sign a Bismac Beyondbo for literally the Vetman, because I think he'll come 1234 01:22:56,760 --> 01:23:00,439 back for that, because I don't think his market will be anything like it 1235 01:23:00,520 --> 01:23:02,119 was the last time he was a free agent. So you're saying his bird 1236 01:23:02,199 --> 01:23:09,159 rights are not important coming off his seventeen million dollars salary. Yeah, yeah, 1237 01:23:09,199 --> 01:23:13,359 they're They're not very important. They're not very important at all, like 1238 01:23:13,399 --> 01:23:16,840 if you offered him the minimum for three years or again. Bis mac biambo 1239 01:23:17,560 --> 01:23:21,880 had probably his second best season as a pro this year and it probably went 1240 01:23:23,000 --> 01:23:26,399 unnoticed by a lot of people. And the biggest thing he might have done 1241 01:23:26,479 --> 01:23:30,720 was the vet leader that Marvin couldn't be because he moved on. Like that's 1242 01:23:30,760 --> 01:23:35,119 the biggest thing he did. So when we start talking about guys that made 1243 01:23:35,159 --> 01:23:41,039 contributions deeper than the stat sheet, and I hate that cliche, but Bis 1244 01:23:41,119 --> 01:23:44,880 mac biambo kind of filled it out, and considering that, I don't think 1245 01:23:44,920 --> 01:23:47,680 that Cody Zeller is going to be on the roster for much longer, and 1246 01:23:47,760 --> 01:23:51,199 I don't again, Nick Batoum's going to be on the roster, but he's 1247 01:23:51,239 --> 01:23:54,960 not going to be very vocal and he's going to be wearing some of those 1248 01:23:55,000 --> 01:24:00,159 really fancy French suits more than he's actually going to be wearing an actual ze. 1249 01:24:00,960 --> 01:24:05,960 Like you're gonna need somebody as a vet, a vet that's actually playing. 1250 01:24:08,199 --> 01:24:12,600 So I kind of need, like I said, I need. I 1251 01:24:12,640 --> 01:24:15,359 think they're going to need that vet that's always been there for continuity purposes. 1252 01:24:15,880 --> 01:24:19,279 And I really do think Bismack Bionbo is going to be on the roster. 1253 01:24:19,520 --> 01:24:23,159 But i'd love to see Potal here. I'd love to see Potal here. 1254 01:24:23,199 --> 01:24:27,439 And if they sit, if they eat a bad contractor too, I would 1255 01:24:27,439 --> 01:24:30,800 not be surprised. I just think they do it via trade. And I 1256 01:24:30,920 --> 01:24:33,800 do think that they do have two contracts. One's going to be easier to 1257 01:24:33,840 --> 01:24:39,720 do to take on a bad contract in Cody Zeller. The other one if 1258 01:24:39,760 --> 01:24:44,359 they take on that again, also get your notification set for me. If 1259 01:24:44,359 --> 01:24:46,399 they take on that Horford contract and they use the tune to do it, 1260 01:24:46,600 --> 01:24:53,920 oh boy. That yeah. I don't even know what Philly's incentive is in 1261 01:24:54,039 --> 01:24:57,640 that deal that they could give up for for it to be viewed as okay 1262 01:24:57,680 --> 01:25:00,439 for Charlotte, because I don't think that they're going to give up Matis tible 1263 01:25:00,720 --> 01:25:03,640 in that deal, and then you're looking at exactly first rounder and then Zaire 1264 01:25:03,720 --> 01:25:06,720 Smith. I don't think that that i'd look And I actually the way you 1265 01:25:06,720 --> 01:25:10,840 feel about Harris, which I don't disagree with, I kind of still feel 1266 01:25:10,840 --> 01:25:14,199 a little bit about Horford. He had, you know, he had injuries 1267 01:25:14,199 --> 01:25:15,359 this year and then was on a team that really just wouldn't let him pick 1268 01:25:15,399 --> 01:25:18,279 him pop and was trying to shoehorn him into a roll to force. So 1269 01:25:18,319 --> 01:25:21,199 I think he could still be really good, but for it has to be 1270 01:25:21,239 --> 01:25:25,079 the right team, and the Hornets are not. I wouldn't pay them as 1271 01:25:25,079 --> 01:25:28,520 the right team right now because they're not looking to win, and so there's 1272 01:25:28,520 --> 01:25:30,680 that element there exactly. I just don't know what you sweeten it. If 1273 01:25:30,680 --> 01:25:33,840 they offered Tible, I think I would do it if I was Charlotte, 1274 01:25:33,880 --> 01:25:38,520 just because he does seem like he's going to end up being a borderline transcendent 1275 01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:43,399 defender, even if the kind of low volume okay shooting we saw was an 1276 01:25:43,399 --> 01:25:47,760 abarition. The only thing that I worry about in any type of thing is 1277 01:25:47,800 --> 01:25:51,000 what does the backcourt look like? Because if we've talked again, as we 1278 01:25:51,000 --> 01:25:56,520 talked about if they get LaMelo ball, this Tyble makes sense with Graham and 1279 01:25:57,000 --> 01:26:00,399 I'm not even yeah Graham and LaMelo ball, Does Tyble make sense in that 1280 01:26:00,399 --> 01:26:04,880 background, in that backcourt, because then you're worried about shooting, you know 1281 01:26:04,880 --> 01:26:06,399 what I mean? Yeah, And you're not going to have him at the 1282 01:26:06,399 --> 01:26:09,760 four if you're trying to run with those three. Although I guess you couldn't 1283 01:26:09,800 --> 01:26:13,600 hyper small lineups, but you could in hyper small lineups. But at the 1284 01:26:13,640 --> 01:26:16,720 same time, it's one of those things like also, it really does depend 1285 01:26:16,800 --> 01:26:19,760 on who you draft. If also, if they don't draft the center, 1286 01:26:19,840 --> 01:26:24,199 they go all wings, they're basically telegraphing that they're going to deal with Philly. 1287 01:26:24,840 --> 01:26:30,600 I feel like I feel that confident if they go wing wing. And 1288 01:26:30,680 --> 01:26:35,880 again, Desmond Baine is the guy that I read the article, the Athletic 1289 01:26:35,960 --> 01:26:42,399 article by Sambassini and he put Desmond Baine on my on my radar, and 1290 01:26:42,479 --> 01:26:45,399 Dan, when you look at this kid, you're gonna wonder how he makes 1291 01:26:45,520 --> 01:26:50,680 the thirty two, because that's the thing like this all like the draft is 1292 01:26:50,680 --> 01:26:55,039 going to telegraph a lot of what they're going to do because if they don't, 1293 01:26:55,079 --> 01:26:58,279 if they go wing wing, project big in this draft, and I 1294 01:26:58,279 --> 01:27:03,000 think there's a there's a real possibility of them doing that. I am one 1295 01:27:03,079 --> 01:27:08,960 of those that believes that. Again, they're going to telegraph that that Horford 1296 01:27:08,960 --> 01:27:12,760 deal, and for me, they need at least two. They need two 1297 01:27:12,800 --> 01:27:15,199 first rounders. They need two first rounders and none of them this year. 1298 01:27:15,640 --> 01:27:19,760 I need a twenty twenty one first rounder period. I need one one of 1299 01:27:19,800 --> 01:27:24,520 those, at least one of those to be that. And then Zaire Smith 1300 01:27:24,560 --> 01:27:29,079 and Tyble are basically overlapping players. But give me tible, Like literally, 1301 01:27:29,159 --> 01:27:32,439 it's got to be a really sweetheart, godfather. I can't say no almost 1302 01:27:32,800 --> 01:27:38,159 and I want to say almost borderline Russell West, Chris Paul like like I 1303 01:27:38,159 --> 01:27:42,119 don't need okay, see amount of picks for for Chris Paul, but I 1304 01:27:42,600 --> 01:27:46,439 kind of need at least two, maybe three or a prospect type deal. 1305 01:27:47,159 --> 01:27:50,399 Yeah, exactly, I need a lot. I would need a lot to 1306 01:27:50,439 --> 01:27:56,439 take on that deal that goes on for three years. How do you feel 1307 01:27:56,479 --> 01:28:00,319 about the sticking with the free ency favoring do you feel about the I think 1308 01:28:00,319 --> 01:28:02,239 the most popular target for them list that has been Christian would How do you 1309 01:28:02,279 --> 01:28:09,800 feel about that potential pursuit? It makes sense, but what's the price tag 1310 01:28:11,000 --> 01:28:14,039 like I mean, if you're willing to give Yaka Peartle four in sixty, 1311 01:28:14,079 --> 01:28:16,319 I would think Christian was gonna get substantially more. I'm not I think Yaka 1312 01:28:16,359 --> 01:28:20,640 Peartle is good. I just we've yet to see him really in a more 1313 01:28:20,680 --> 01:28:24,760 expanded role, and even just watching him try to take on some more minutes 1314 01:28:24,800 --> 01:28:28,159 in the bubble and then getting into foul trouble so often concerns me. He's 1315 01:28:28,199 --> 01:28:31,319 definitely young enough where you can eye that stuff out. But you know, 1316 01:28:32,119 --> 01:28:34,119 I don't know what the price sad in Christian would be, but I would 1317 01:28:34,119 --> 01:28:39,039 think he costs you more to me, at least than Yaka Peartle would. 1318 01:28:40,279 --> 01:28:44,479 The only other thing about Christian would that makes me think that Charlotte is not 1319 01:28:45,239 --> 01:28:49,520 a destination is that. Remember he's been in this building before. Granted it's 1320 01:28:49,560 --> 01:28:55,760 different than his last experience here, but I also think that he was not 1321 01:28:55,840 --> 01:29:00,720 here under the best circumstances. He got his he got his minute jerked around, 1322 01:29:00,319 --> 01:29:04,399 and I know that he wasn't necessarily happy with his experience. I'm not 1323 01:29:04,439 --> 01:29:09,079 sure he's willing to sign up for more just because it's more money. I 1324 01:29:09,119 --> 01:29:15,039 have it, I have my doubts and also that like as much as I 1325 01:29:15,079 --> 01:29:18,399 like Christian Wood, and again, it's one of those things I hate to 1326 01:29:18,439 --> 01:29:26,399 throw a good player, bad team on him. But but it's like it's 1327 01:29:26,479 --> 01:29:30,319 almost like I kind of worry about those stats being inflated more than they actually 1328 01:29:30,560 --> 01:29:36,159 again that they're a little inflated because it was on a bad team. That's 1329 01:29:36,159 --> 01:29:41,159 certainly fair enough. He's I'm definitely gonna be worry about that. I legitimately 1330 01:29:41,159 --> 01:29:45,760 worry about that one. I feel like I'm higher on him than you are. 1331 01:29:45,840 --> 01:29:48,560 I kind of just like it feels like he gives you so much optionality 1332 01:29:48,640 --> 01:29:51,640 on the on the offensive end, and he can play alongside a different big. 1333 01:29:51,640 --> 01:29:55,920 But I hadn't really considered that he'd been in the building before for Charlotte 1334 01:29:55,960 --> 01:29:59,680 specifically, and that's definitely something that's that's worth considering. And then you know 1335 01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:02,119 you're looking at it for him or even what you were willing to pay Yaka 1336 01:30:02,159 --> 01:30:05,960 Purdle, like that's most, if not all, of Charlotte's cap space. 1337 01:30:06,000 --> 01:30:10,520 And so, like you said, you still have the Nicholas Batun deal and 1338 01:30:10,560 --> 01:30:13,520 the cody's Ller deal if you're looking to take back bad money. But part 1339 01:30:13,520 --> 01:30:16,079 of the appeal of some of those situations also might just be if Charlotte's able 1340 01:30:16,079 --> 01:30:19,279 to save some room at the top where they have an extra four or five 1341 01:30:19,319 --> 01:30:24,560 million dollars of wiggle room to work with in those perspective, trades you kind 1342 01:30:24,560 --> 01:30:27,560 of already touched on this, or maybe it was more so the polar opposite 1343 01:30:27,560 --> 01:30:29,640 of what I was asking you here. When you're saying you don't want to 1344 01:30:29,640 --> 01:30:32,319 see them go after Al Horford, have you given any consideration of maybe situations 1345 01:30:32,359 --> 01:30:36,800 where there are bad contracts that you would want to take on because you think 1346 01:30:36,800 --> 01:30:41,199 the team would be willing to give up something sweet, or maybe just even 1347 01:30:41,239 --> 01:30:44,159 trade targets that you want to see the Hornets go after because you think that 1348 01:30:44,199 --> 01:30:47,560 they just might be good long term fits. It's funny because, again, 1349 01:30:47,600 --> 01:30:53,279 while I'm not that high on this draft, buying a pick in the twenties 1350 01:30:53,319 --> 01:30:57,439 and taking on a bad contract, I know that it's been brought up to 1351 01:30:57,479 --> 01:31:02,279 take the touring and Prince contract for like nineteen. That makes a lot of 1352 01:31:02,319 --> 01:31:06,560 sense. Even if that means Torreon Prince is wearing street clothes more than anything 1353 01:31:06,600 --> 01:31:12,319 else, I will say that would mean a terrible look for the Nets if 1354 01:31:12,880 --> 01:31:15,600 immediately after giving him that two year extension, they turn around and they need 1355 01:31:15,640 --> 01:31:19,600 a first round pick to get off him. It would be a terrible look, 1356 01:31:19,640 --> 01:31:23,800 but it would you rather have the terrible look? Or would you rather 1357 01:31:23,880 --> 01:31:27,399 lose Joe Harris? Yeah? I don't know what for them, I don't 1358 01:31:27,439 --> 01:31:30,600 know what they're you know, team governors are willing to pay in luxury attacks. 1359 01:31:30,640 --> 01:31:33,279 I would think that you would be. You know, from the outside, 1360 01:31:33,279 --> 01:31:36,000 you just say, well, just pay it, but when dollars and 1361 01:31:36,039 --> 01:31:39,920 cents get involved, you don't really know what to expect from Kyrie and KD. 1362 01:31:40,399 --> 01:31:43,520 I do think that's that's a I wouldn't even call it a fair stance 1363 01:31:43,520 --> 01:31:45,720 to take on behalf of the Nets, but it feels like it might be 1364 01:31:45,760 --> 01:31:48,319 a possibility they would do something like that. I would think they'd prefer to 1365 01:31:48,399 --> 01:31:50,920 use him as part of a larger deal. But if you can take on 1366 01:31:51,000 --> 01:31:55,319 a pick for him or just another contract, and you're the hornets in kind 1367 01:31:55,359 --> 01:31:58,640 of the late teens in early twenties, and I don't know where he's gonna 1368 01:31:58,640 --> 01:32:00,880 go. I've seen mocked all over the place, but Patrick Williams is going 1369 01:32:00,920 --> 01:32:03,319 to end up being my siren song for this draft, and so if you 1370 01:32:03,399 --> 01:32:08,399 end up in Patrick Williams territory, I would take on probably more than most 1371 01:32:08,439 --> 01:32:12,399 other teams would take on for a chance to draft Pat Patrick Williams. Patrick 1372 01:32:12,439 --> 01:32:15,279 Williams is one of them. Tilman is another. Tilman is another one where 1373 01:32:16,039 --> 01:32:23,760 again just the amount of as a big drafting, drafting that big that can 1374 01:32:23,840 --> 01:32:28,960 potentially fill the cody's Ll role of being the really good screener and then being 1375 01:32:29,000 --> 01:32:32,560 a smart guy that hits the hits the shooter right in the pocket. I 1376 01:32:33,479 --> 01:32:38,439 again like him and Tilman, Like Tilman is another one. Like there's a 1377 01:32:38,479 --> 01:32:43,520 lot of these young project bigs then in the nineteen through thirty range that I 1378 01:32:43,520 --> 01:32:46,760 wouldn't mind buying a pick from And if it cost you getting a Torrean prints 1379 01:32:46,880 --> 01:32:50,560 or if it costs you I don't know, if twenty six is available, 1380 01:32:50,840 --> 01:32:55,720 if they want, if Boston wants to get off that money, then hey, 1381 01:32:55,840 --> 01:32:59,000 I'm kind of down to do that. And if it costs you bringing 1382 01:32:59,039 --> 01:33:01,119 on enis Canter who does not want to be here, And I know that 1383 01:33:01,199 --> 01:33:08,720 for a fact I would do that, Like there are there are methods of 1384 01:33:08,840 --> 01:33:12,560 just buying picks that I think they can do, and I think that's what 1385 01:33:12,720 --> 01:33:15,560 we're gonna do, like buying picks late and taking on bad contracts for picks 1386 01:33:15,640 --> 01:33:20,760 late. For and again this is just me like seeing what worked in Greensboro, 1387 01:33:21,439 --> 01:33:25,880 and again, if Greensboro is going to be a thing, or if 1388 01:33:25,920 --> 01:33:28,760 that training staff is going to stay in house in Charlotte, because we have 1389 01:33:28,880 --> 01:33:31,439 no idea if if the G League is actually going to be up and firing 1390 01:33:31,840 --> 01:33:36,880 by the time next season comes. Like I trust the development staff that much 1391 01:33:36,920 --> 01:33:40,520 that if they bought a pick and it turned out that we had to use 1392 01:33:40,640 --> 01:33:43,800 enus Canter for twenty seven games and you cut them in December or you cut 1393 01:33:43,840 --> 01:33:46,960 them before the again, it becomes one of those waver Wire claims that might 1394 01:33:47,000 --> 01:33:49,800 help, might or might not help you on a team go into the championship. 1395 01:33:50,399 --> 01:33:54,479 Like, if that happens, I'm more of buying. I'm in buy 1396 01:33:54,560 --> 01:33:59,079 pick mode. I'm in sin eater buying pick mode. And like I said, 1397 01:34:00,039 --> 01:34:02,479 Patrick Williams Tillman, a lot of these guys I like in the in 1398 01:34:02,520 --> 01:34:08,239 the later later part of this draft that can legitimately help a team, and 1399 01:34:08,359 --> 01:34:12,039 I would love that team to be the Charlotte Hornets. Frons, It's funny 1400 01:34:12,119 --> 01:34:17,840 because looking at the financial landscape of the NBA and all the revenue they lost 1401 01:34:17,840 --> 01:34:21,000 this season, all the revenue they're probably gonna lose next season, I would 1402 01:34:21,039 --> 01:34:26,239 default towards saying there's gonna be teams out there that are willing to give up 1403 01:34:26,760 --> 01:34:30,760 bad money contracts with sweeteners attached, just like thinking about it that way. 1404 01:34:30,800 --> 01:34:34,359 And then I go through the teams and their rosters and their contract situations, 1405 01:34:34,520 --> 01:34:39,680 and I find it very hard to identify, like squads outside of Philly that 1406 01:34:39,720 --> 01:34:42,920 I could really see doing that. I hadn't really considered the Torium Prince one. 1407 01:34:42,920 --> 01:34:47,079 That's interesting if Brooklyn gets super pocket shy when looking at Joe Harris's next 1408 01:34:47,119 --> 01:34:49,680 deal, just because they're they're a tax team either way, and so all 1409 01:34:49,720 --> 01:34:54,279 the money they spend, you're just paying further into the tax. But when 1410 01:34:54,319 --> 01:34:57,439 I go through and look, and I've done this for stuff that I've been 1411 01:34:57,479 --> 01:35:00,720 writing, it's just so hard for me to identified situations where that would be 1412 01:35:00,760 --> 01:35:04,359 the case. I think a lot of people will point out Houston, Houston 1413 01:35:04,640 --> 01:35:08,760 just isn't going to give one give you any equity, excuse me, in 1414 01:35:08,800 --> 01:35:11,119 this draft, And I don't even know what they're going to give you. 1415 01:35:11,560 --> 01:35:15,359 In general, there's nothing, there's nothing of value. There's nothing of value, 1416 01:35:15,760 --> 01:35:19,920 like the only thing I would do, quite honestly, like like Covington's 1417 01:35:19,960 --> 01:35:24,760 the most popular aspect asset, and they're not going to give him up for 1418 01:35:24,840 --> 01:35:29,039 cheap. And that's even if Morey's there or not. Like, Houston doesn't 1419 01:35:29,079 --> 01:35:30,760 make any sense to me. And again, if you're Charlotte, what does 1420 01:35:30,800 --> 01:35:35,840 Houston have that you actually want? And that doesn't include James Hard think about 1421 01:35:35,840 --> 01:35:43,159 that very very carefully. And unless James Hard, unless unless Tillman Furtita is 1422 01:35:43,239 --> 01:35:46,640 that deep in the red, they're not going to sell James Harden for pennies 1423 01:35:46,680 --> 01:35:49,199 on the dollar. And if he, if they do, then he should 1424 01:35:49,199 --> 01:35:51,760 be forced to sell. Quite honestly, Yeah, I mean so, I 1425 01:35:51,760 --> 01:35:55,199 hopefully don't think it'll get that drastic, but I'm with you there. That 1426 01:35:55,239 --> 01:35:59,000 would be franchise mal practice if it came to that, it would. And 1427 01:35:59,439 --> 01:36:02,600 like that's thing like if you're the Hornet's the only guy that ever really you 1428 01:36:02,600 --> 01:36:06,760 would consider is Robert Covington. That's it, And that's not a guy to 1429 01:36:06,800 --> 01:36:10,399 be dumped because that's a guy that you know, they could actually probably get 1430 01:36:10,439 --> 01:36:16,039 value for exactly so that's the only guy of value maybe in Eric Gordon that 1431 01:36:16,119 --> 01:36:19,960 you would take on, and I stress maybe, but again, what are 1432 01:36:19,960 --> 01:36:25,239 they Are you taking Daniel House for Eric Gordon? Like, if Daniel House 1433 01:36:25,319 --> 01:36:27,880 is the sweetener, are you taking that for Eric Gordon? Taking him for 1434 01:36:27,960 --> 01:36:34,960 Eric Gordon? Excuse me, ironically everything aside, Yes, yes, yes, 1435 01:36:35,479 --> 01:36:39,800 I mean it contract is nice. I'll say that. It's just I 1436 01:36:39,800 --> 01:36:43,479 don't know if you know, like, is that is that enough to take 1437 01:36:43,520 --> 01:36:45,079 on Eric Gordon's deal? Would be would just be my stance. I like 1438 01:36:45,159 --> 01:36:48,680 Danuel House. I just don't know if that's enough in a vacuum. I 1439 01:36:48,680 --> 01:36:51,319 guess Horne's in a situation where they can view it as enough. But that 1440 01:36:51,479 --> 01:36:57,520 that Gordon extension is really long. That's a really long deal. It's a 1441 01:36:57,600 --> 01:37:00,479 really long deal. And actually, now that I think about it, no, 1442 01:37:00,800 --> 01:37:03,079 you don't do that. Thank you for pointing that out. Thank you, 1443 01:37:03,159 --> 01:37:06,880 because because the whole time I'm thinking about that, it's like, you 1444 01:37:06,960 --> 01:37:12,319 have Daniel House, but you may end up developing too Danniel Houses in the 1445 01:37:12,399 --> 01:37:17,279 Martin Twins and that becomes they again house, It becomes redundant at that point. 1446 01:37:17,520 --> 01:37:20,920 So yeah, not, You're right. The more I think about it, 1447 01:37:20,960 --> 01:37:26,039 the more you're not taking on an Eric Gordon contract despite how clean your 1448 01:37:26,079 --> 01:37:30,199 books look right now at this point, because that personally, like I say, 1449 01:37:30,239 --> 01:37:32,920 there's gonna be hard to deal that Nick Betune contract, But at the 1450 01:37:32,960 --> 01:37:38,920 same time, there's gonna be someone who's gonna try. I feel confident in 1451 01:37:38,960 --> 01:37:43,039 saying someone's gonna want that twenty seven million dollars in savings, and it's going 1452 01:37:43,119 --> 01:37:47,279 to be But at the same time, considering what we know about the NBA 1453 01:37:47,359 --> 01:37:53,319 financials right now, how valuable is that expiring contract of twenty seven million dollars. 1454 01:37:54,079 --> 01:37:59,119 It might be as a third party facilitator. And so the situation that 1455 01:37:59,159 --> 01:38:02,079 I'd be thinking of specifically would be like the Bucks and the Thunder are trying 1456 01:38:02,119 --> 01:38:04,720 to hash out a Chris Paul deal, but you're looking at the poop poop 1457 01:38:04,760 --> 01:38:10,159 ladder of things that Milwaukee's gonna give up, and those are all multi year 1458 01:38:10,279 --> 01:38:14,039 contracts. And so if they can send the tumb to the Thunder and the 1459 01:38:14,079 --> 01:38:18,520 Hornets and want to take back some combination of in Eric bledsoe, you have 1460 01:38:18,960 --> 01:38:21,760 depending on who else is involved in there, you know there's and I'm assuming 1461 01:38:21,840 --> 01:38:27,680 in any Bledsoe deal, that means they get roach year's got to go in 1462 01:38:27,720 --> 01:38:30,720 that case, right, I guess it would. It would so there's so 1463 01:38:30,800 --> 01:38:34,199 much money in the air there that that he might have to go, But 1464 01:38:34,239 --> 01:38:38,640 they also might in that scenario they might not have to trade him. Maybe 1465 01:38:38,640 --> 01:38:42,800 that's something they view independently. But I'm wondering, if you know, Milwaukee 1466 01:38:42,880 --> 01:38:45,680 has Dante di Vincenzo, they you know, if you could get a distant 1467 01:38:45,720 --> 01:38:49,000 Milwaukee first round picks since they've traded there as I believe through twenty twenty two, 1468 01:38:49,880 --> 01:38:53,760 that would just be something that enticed if you're gonna help, I think 1469 01:38:53,800 --> 01:38:57,600 that would be the I think my point is that would be where Batumbs contracts 1470 01:38:57,600 --> 01:39:00,359 and most valuable on a deal like that, where a team like the Thunders 1471 01:39:00,399 --> 01:39:03,399 giving up a monster salary itself but isn't really interested in you know, Eric 1472 01:39:03,439 --> 01:39:08,319 Bletzo is a good regular season player, but they don't want the two years 1473 01:39:08,319 --> 01:39:12,520 that he's guaranteed after this one. And even if it's a you know Urson 1474 01:39:12,640 --> 01:39:15,640 and Lasova and Robin Lopez, yes they're expiring, but they don't really jibe 1475 01:39:15,640 --> 01:39:18,000 with what the Thunder trying to do. And even if you end up getting 1476 01:39:18,000 --> 01:39:23,239 a George Hill or a Book Lopez in that scenario, which I think Milwaukee 1477 01:39:23,279 --> 01:39:26,399 would sweeten the hell out of the deal to try and avoid giving up either 1478 01:39:26,439 --> 01:39:29,640 one of them. But if you're talking about those players, those are good 1479 01:39:29,640 --> 01:39:31,880 players. I'm not crazy about the brook Lopez contract when you look at it 1480 01:39:31,920 --> 01:39:35,199 going down the line, but they're still not guys who fit Rocoma said he's 1481 01:39:35,199 --> 01:39:38,439 trying to do. And so maybe as Charlotte, you can come in. 1482 01:39:38,720 --> 01:39:41,720 You're giving up a tomb and then you're getting depending on what you're getting back. 1483 01:39:42,039 --> 01:39:45,720 Dante Divincenzo's in the air. There's probably a first round pick involved, 1484 01:39:45,720 --> 01:39:47,159 and like that's what you're getting for your troubles. They would just depend on 1485 01:39:47,199 --> 01:39:51,560 obviously the level of contracts that you're taking back. Its Eric bletso maybe the 1486 01:39:51,560 --> 01:39:56,600 converensation is a little bit higher just because he has to guarantee years left. 1487 01:39:57,119 --> 01:39:59,920 I would actually need more compensation for the brook Lopez deal, which might be 1488 01:40:00,039 --> 01:40:02,079 you know, on popular take there, but if it's not, it's not, 1489 01:40:02,399 --> 01:40:04,920 yeah, but it's like, you know, go ahead, all you 1490 01:40:05,720 --> 01:40:10,680 like, I completely understand, I completely agree with you. Like legitimately, 1491 01:40:10,680 --> 01:40:14,479 brook Lopez is gonna have to require a lot because he's still functional piece and 1492 01:40:14,479 --> 01:40:16,680 it will remain a functional offensive piece for a long time because he has that 1493 01:40:16,720 --> 01:40:24,199 long distance shot right there. And he's become surprisingly a ridiculously good defender, 1494 01:40:24,279 --> 01:40:28,279 which is something I don't think anybody was going to say five years ago, 1495 01:40:28,680 --> 01:40:31,119 much less his reputation five years ago compared to what it is now, where 1496 01:40:31,119 --> 01:40:34,279 it's like, oh, he's really someone who could just get you points in 1497 01:40:34,319 --> 01:40:36,680 the post, but he isn't much of a defender and he's not going to 1498 01:40:36,720 --> 01:40:41,600 space the floor too much. And now he's like this exclusive three point shucker 1499 01:40:41,720 --> 01:40:47,000 who made it all defense team. Yeah, Like it's crazy, it's absolutely 1500 01:40:47,000 --> 01:40:53,760 crazy, the just reputation that it changes. But again, back to the 1501 01:40:53,760 --> 01:40:57,359 Battoon contract, Like I think someone, I think someone's going to ask about 1502 01:40:57,359 --> 01:41:00,199 it because I think the financials and what the Llary cap is going to look 1503 01:41:00,239 --> 01:41:04,760 like are going to be really really interesting going forward, I think again, 1504 01:41:04,800 --> 01:41:09,840 But also as I told you, I think most likely the guy that's going 1505 01:41:09,880 --> 01:41:15,199 to get Delta as a Cody Zeller, and I think I know Vissini has 1506 01:41:15,199 --> 01:41:20,119 said it'd be the last possible option, but Cody Zeller being being drafted and 1507 01:41:20,159 --> 01:41:26,680 traded up to number two to Golden State and again granted using that trade traded 1508 01:41:26,680 --> 01:41:30,520 player exception and only getting Cody Zeller out of it feels like a failure, 1509 01:41:31,439 --> 01:41:34,840 but at the same time, at the same time, he kind of fits 1510 01:41:34,880 --> 01:41:38,239 what they want to do. And that's the crazy part to all of this 1511 01:41:39,079 --> 01:41:44,840 on off split Superhero Cody Zeller two when he's healthy point yes, exactly. 1512 01:41:45,000 --> 01:41:47,720 The final thing I was going to ask you here is what's the most undercovered 1513 01:41:47,800 --> 01:41:53,199 or misrepresented thing about this team moving forward or just something that I didn't ask 1514 01:41:53,239 --> 01:42:01,880 you about. The most undercovered thing probably is going to be I want to 1515 01:42:01,880 --> 01:42:05,159 see what people again, and we talked about it a little bit. But 1516 01:42:05,279 --> 01:42:12,079 the development staff here, because I think they developed four they've they've drafted, 1517 01:42:12,159 --> 01:42:16,399 they discovered, they developed at least four rotational guys. How where they are 1518 01:42:16,399 --> 01:42:20,119 in the rotation. I'm not going to say, I'm not sure they're starters, 1519 01:42:20,239 --> 01:42:25,319 but I think there they can contribute in the NBA. I think this 1520 01:42:25,359 --> 01:42:30,880 team is better than this team overachieved. I will say this now. I 1521 01:42:30,960 --> 01:42:35,239 truly believe that James Barrego overachieved with this team, getting them to twenty to 1522 01:42:35,359 --> 01:42:43,800 twenty three wins before the stoppage happened. I do think that this team is 1523 01:42:43,840 --> 01:42:46,600 going to be worse next year. This team will finish with less wins, 1524 01:42:47,079 --> 01:42:53,119 but I think they'll be better in aspects and as again, as I said 1525 01:42:53,159 --> 01:42:57,279 before, growth is not linear. Growth can again, you can get better 1526 01:42:57,319 --> 01:43:02,880 and still have unfortunate circumstances. They won five games with it again after having 1527 01:43:02,920 --> 01:43:08,960 that stat that was thrown at their heads all year during the last Campa year 1528 01:43:09,319 --> 01:43:12,680 about being able to finish close games. Kemba can't finish close games. That's 1529 01:43:12,720 --> 01:43:15,479 that and the third and they ended up winning five of those games this year. 1530 01:43:16,479 --> 01:43:21,439 I think a lot of this is I think a lot of this is 1531 01:43:21,479 --> 01:43:27,359 going to be really really interesting, And I guess the thing is the Charlotte 1532 01:43:27,359 --> 01:43:32,680 Hornets are not as far away from being a relevant playoff team then we think 1533 01:43:32,920 --> 01:43:35,600 they are. If they just have to unfortunately nail this third pick, and 1534 01:43:35,640 --> 01:43:41,760 I'm not necessarily sure you can do it in this draft quite honestly. Yeah, 1535 01:43:41,760 --> 01:43:45,760 that's a great point, Kanada though, thank you for talking so much 1536 01:43:45,760 --> 01:43:47,640 Hornets with me. I really appreciate you. Coming on. I'm sure I'll 1537 01:43:47,680 --> 01:43:51,760 be pestering you again in the future. If you guys are not following him 1538 01:43:51,800 --> 01:43:57,439 on Twitter, he's at not a describe that's at NA TAA thh E s 1539 01:43:57,560 --> 01:44:01,840 c R I b E and I look forward to reading your Twitter feed once 1540 01:44:01,880 --> 01:44:06,239 the Hornets select Obi toppin at number three or after trading down. Don't don't, 1541 01:44:06,239 --> 01:44:09,600 don't don't curse me. Don't curse me like that. Man. We 1542 01:44:09,880 --> 01:44:13,560 we've done this for an hour plus now and now you're just gonna curse me 1543 01:44:13,640 --> 01:44:16,079 like that? Why why I had to slip it in there, But seriously, 1544 01:44:16,079 --> 01:44:17,960 thank you so much for your time. This was a lot of fun. 1545 01:44:18,000 --> 01:44:26,279 As always, dude, is always my pleasure. Mount Seriously, Sugar 1546 01:44:26,359 --> 01:44:30,720 Ray, Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous, Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns, 1547 01:44:30,720 --> 01:44:35,279 legends whose four way rivalry define one of the greatest errors in boxing history, 1548 01:44:36,000 --> 01:44:41,760 relive their decade of dominance in the new Showtime Sports documentary The Kings, 1549 01:44:41,760 --> 01:44:45,520 a four parts series premiering Sunday, June sixth, only on Showtime