1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:08,160 Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest episode of Hardwood Knocks. This is 2 00:00:08,199 --> 00:00:11,679 Adam Framwill here with my fantastic co host, and before we get going on 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,679 this episode, i'd like to encourage everyone to join us on the locker Room 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,280 app for our live recording sessions at four pm Eastern on Sundays. We do 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,600 that every week, so it's your chance to come in ask some questions, 6 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,519 just listen to us as we're recording live, whatever the case may be, 7 00:00:26,519 --> 00:00:29,679 but we would love to see you there. This is not a live episode, 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,159 however, it is a continuation of a mini series that we began last 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:38,039 week where we're looking at the most underrated player on every single team in the 10 00:00:38,119 --> 00:00:41,159 NBA. We've already covered the Eastern Conference. If you haven't listened to that, 11 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,039 already, go ahead and do so, but after this one, because 12 00:00:44,039 --> 00:00:48,840 we're doing the Western Conference now. Before we go into how exactly we approached 13 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,880 that, how's it going, Dan, I'm doing all right. I'm a 14 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,560 little bit frazzled today, as you know, but I'm anxious to talk about 15 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,799 to the second half of this underrated series that wasn't supposed to come out this 16 00:00:58,799 --> 00:01:02,359 week, but it worked out that something else we were supposed to do didn't 17 00:01:02,399 --> 00:01:03,640 work out, so we're gonna do this. And this wasn't a This is 18 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:10,040 one of those pods that feels rewarding because it's so difficult. It is. 19 00:01:10,239 --> 00:01:12,799 It is incredibly difficult, but still I'm not going to let that spoil my 20 00:01:12,879 --> 00:01:15,640 mood right now because I'm just on top of the world. After my Jacksonville 21 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,879 Jaguars took Trevor Lawrence number one overall in the NFL Draft. I know that's 22 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,359 not relevant to our NBA conversation, but I feel like I have to celebrate 23 00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:27,400 because as a beleaguer Jags fan, I never get anything to celebrate, and 24 00:01:27,439 --> 00:01:30,359 I have to. Yeah. I didn't really feel like asking you how you 25 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:34,359 were doing, though, because the Giants. My Giants got snubbed of DeVante 26 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:40,040 Smith with Philadelphia leap frogging them in the draft, so I was pretty disappointed 27 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:46,280 about that. But congratulations to you on future head and shoulders endorsee Trevor Alwarreds. 28 00:01:46,879 --> 00:01:51,040 I'm gonna be insufferable about the Jaguars until they inevitably start owing four and 29 00:01:51,079 --> 00:01:53,879 Trevor Lawrence tears this ACL or something. Oh Dash, Jack Joe Burrow, 30 00:01:53,959 --> 00:01:59,239 don't put the ladder out there. I like, congratulations to Joe Burrow and 31 00:01:59,319 --> 00:02:04,359 Jamar Chase uniting. But if I'm Joe Burrows ACL, I'm a little bit 32 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,840 nervous just because that online is a little bit better. But they really could 33 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:09,439 have used Sewell. I thought I thought that was the pick. I thought 34 00:02:09,439 --> 00:02:13,199 Sewell was the second best prospect in the draft. So I was shocked that 35 00:02:13,199 --> 00:02:15,639 they didn't go that direction. I kind of get it, but I think 36 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,560 it's the wrong decision. But NBA stuff. Do you want to explain again 37 00:02:20,599 --> 00:02:25,400 how we approached this underrated conversation? Yeah, so just we're I think we 38 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,520 both in most cases understand that the fan bases of all these teams probably appreciate 39 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:35,599 these players enough, and so we're not going by those standards. We are 40 00:02:35,759 --> 00:02:38,000 national NBA podcast, So that's what we're approaching it from. Just guys that 41 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:42,960 we think deserve more recognition for the job they've done this season, more maybe 42 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,879 more recognition overall. They're either just underrated because of their impact or underappreciated because 43 00:02:46,879 --> 00:02:50,680 the role they assume. They're doing a lot of the dirty work. Maybe 44 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,879 their numbers just don't leap off the page. And that's why they're not getting 45 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,080 a ton of attention, but that's sort of how we approached this. We 46 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,199 also tried to not double dip, where we went through our lists and we 47 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,000 split them up so that we each have different players. That was not the 48 00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:06,639 case. I think there were two, maybe three teams where we just decided 49 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,919 to overlap because we felt so strongly about those options. And it wasn't at 50 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,599 all because we didn't think that the Golden State Warriors had anybody, nobody who 51 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,960 was underappreciated. At the moment, I was gonna say, like, some 52 00:03:17,039 --> 00:03:22,080 of the agreement is because we both were in lockstep on a guy being super 53 00:03:22,159 --> 00:03:25,159 underrated, and then there are a couple of teams where it's like you're really 54 00:03:25,199 --> 00:03:29,159 pulling out your hair or you are. I don't have any left to try 55 00:03:29,159 --> 00:03:32,159 to find anyone at all who we can call underrated, and I tried to. 56 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,879 You did not steer clear from stars, but you didn't go star happy 57 00:03:35,919 --> 00:03:38,000 too. You picked I thought were good ones. Neither of us spoiler alert 58 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,400 picked Stephen Curry, though I actually think he's probably more appreciated on a national 59 00:03:42,439 --> 00:03:45,719 scale than he is with his own organization. I don't know what that means 60 00:03:45,759 --> 00:03:47,719 about him, but that's where I will end with him. I don't know 61 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:51,680 if that should qualifies. He doesn't get picked, so we could throw his 62 00:03:51,759 --> 00:03:53,639 name out there, but neither of us selected him because I actually think that 63 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,319 people in our shoes who are ten thousand feet above the ground, thirty thousand, 64 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,879 whatever it is, we appreciate Steph for what he's doing and what the 65 00:04:01,879 --> 00:04:05,000 wars should be doing around him. It feels like they've taken him for granted 66 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,039 though. That's where I'm I think, I think I have trouble just like 67 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:14,919 referring to anyone who is definitively in the MVP race as underrated, like Steph 68 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,680 probably is not going to win MVP. I think we both agree that Nicolai 69 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,560 Yoka should be the obvious front runner there, but he has been mentioned it 70 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:27,720 has been a significant topic of conversation on the national level about whether he has 71 00:04:27,759 --> 00:04:30,480 worked his way into the MVP hunt, and like that in and of itself, 72 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:35,759 to me is disqualifying in this conversation again, I still think it's that 73 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,399 the Warrior's not trying to go all in in any sort of way this season 74 00:04:40,959 --> 00:04:45,160 and sort of approaching it where the lays far approach, where Steve. Steve 75 00:04:45,199 --> 00:04:46,480 kerrs like, we're not going to chase wins this year. Before the season 76 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,040 started, you have one of the three to five best players alive. That's 77 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,879 just a very awkward stance to assume, and I think that's probably putting it 78 00:04:54,959 --> 00:04:58,560 kindly. I feel like I've seen larger and larger swaths of the Golden State 79 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,680 Warriors fan base kind turning against Steve Carollil this season, and I get it. 80 00:05:02,879 --> 00:05:05,639 They have more deeper criticisms. And I do think that he can be 81 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,759 like an okay, like a very good defensive coach, but his offensive system 82 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,560 isn't for everyone. Also, it's hard to piece that together when forget about 83 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,959 truncated off seasons or training camps. But you just have a lot of flyers 84 00:05:17,959 --> 00:05:21,199 on your team, some of whom don't profile as long term keepers, and 85 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,839 so can you get those guys to buy into what you're trying to do. 86 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,959 And the other thing is like, why not let Steph go full James Harden 87 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:31,519 every single night and put the ball in his hands more. I understand the 88 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,199 importance of his offball gravity. At this point, it's not hoping anyone out 89 00:05:36,319 --> 00:05:41,879 is like the worst floor spacing team in the league. When you say that 90 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,680 Steve Kerr's offense isn't for everyone. Are you referring to it's not for all 91 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,480 of the Golden State Warriors fans, or it's not for all of the players 92 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:53,839 on his team? Correct? Fair? I think it's a fine system when 93 00:05:53,879 --> 00:05:56,199 you have all these stars on your team, but like not everyone's going to 94 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,360 be able to think at that level. I certainly can't think at that level, 95 00:05:59,399 --> 00:06:00,959 and to it takes a special I think part of the reason it works 96 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,920 so well is thinking about how long Draymond Green, Clay Thompson, and Stephan 97 00:06:03,959 --> 00:06:08,600 Curry of you know, spent together now and you integrate Kevin Durant, who's 98 00:06:08,639 --> 00:06:11,360 just a basketball genius, and himself, but you also have those three guys 99 00:06:11,399 --> 00:06:14,439 with such established ten ures. I did not think we were going to get 100 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,800 off to a Steve Kurr tangent on this pod. Let alone, to start 101 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,959 this pod after you just never know where it's gonna go. Do you want 102 00:06:19,959 --> 00:06:23,759 to start? Am I starting us off this time? Correct? You're gonna 103 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,480 start us? Yeah? You trust me to go alphabetically this time, not 104 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,600 even a little bit. You did not post the clip alphabetically shaming me, 105 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,040 even though I cut it for you. It wasn't even like you had to 106 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,399 cut it to make fun of me. I gave you permission to you. 107 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,959 I totally miss that you might have to it to me. I sent it 108 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,360 in our group chat, and I was I said, Adam, do with 109 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:46,120 this what you will. I just totally ignored you, like I do most 110 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:47,480 of your texts. Yeah, I see, I was gonna be hurt either 111 00:06:47,519 --> 00:06:50,800 way. I guess it's better. This one wasn't as public anyway. With 112 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,600 Dallas I went with Actually, ironically we talked. I just sort of realized 113 00:06:55,639 --> 00:06:58,879 this is we talked about him on our last pod, Maxi Kleiba. I 114 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,920 still don't think he Briante Ace Maxila, right, And I don't know that. 115 00:07:02,959 --> 00:07:08,360 Like he's fully appreciated for what he's able to do defensively, how he's 116 00:07:08,399 --> 00:07:12,040 able to move. When you look at his matchups this season, the defensive 117 00:07:12,079 --> 00:07:15,199 data, he's a he's essentially a perimeter big, like this is someone who 118 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,199 can chase around, Like, yeah, if you want him to protect him 119 00:07:18,199 --> 00:07:21,199 a little bit, that's fine. But he's been switched on to threes, 120 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,600 he's covered a bunch of fours. He's probably you know he can again he 121 00:07:25,639 --> 00:07:29,399 can defend lower usage people basically all over the court if you want him to, 122 00:07:29,439 --> 00:07:31,519 and that gives you a ton of optionality. I don't think it's gonna 123 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,439 make your defense, but I do think, and the numbers can be off 124 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,639 with this all the time, but it feels like he's a good match for 125 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,000 Christops Porzingis. If we're fast starting the postseason. That's a front court that 126 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:46,759 I would just be super intrigued to see more minutes from. And I noted 127 00:07:46,759 --> 00:07:49,120 this that on our last pot, but in case people didn't listen to that 128 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:53,839 one, First of all, what are you doing? But there are only 129 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:59,639 the only players who are have a block percentage above two point four this year 130 00:08:00,079 --> 00:08:03,720 and are making more than two three point field goals for thirty six minutes. 131 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,240 None of them are bigs. There's Maxi Klee aside from Clebandther's Kleiba, Jeremy 132 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:13,319 Grant, Michael Junior, and Danny Green. You can you can say, 133 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,759 I guess if you want to consider Jeremy Grant a big, that's fine, 134 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:18,720 but those are all guys that I just named. Danny Green's a guard, 135 00:08:18,839 --> 00:08:22,000 a wing, and then Michael Porter Junior's you know, a wing, and 136 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,800 then Jeremy Grant has the ball in his hands a time this season, so 137 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:31,279 I found that to be very interesting company. So that he's in he's in 138 00:08:31,319 --> 00:08:35,399 great shape with that, and I do think that he's still not just fully 139 00:08:35,399 --> 00:08:37,639 appreciate it yet, because I do he is he Dallas his second best big 140 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,200 on the roster. I think that's pretty clear. Would you put anyone else 141 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,679 in front of him? No, I wouldn't, and Cleveland was my backup 142 00:08:43,759 --> 00:08:46,759 choice for this pick, But I ultimately have to go with a guy who 143 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:52,200 I don't think any of our listeners will be surprised because they at this point 144 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:56,519 they really should know my affinity for guys who are have significant involvement in the 145 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:00,000 offense and just don't make mistakes. And on this Dallas Mavericks team, that's 146 00:09:00,039 --> 00:09:07,039 Jalen Brunson. He is so vital to this current team, probably overly so 147 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,200 compared to where he should be, just because they so desperately need that second 148 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:16,720 ball handler alongside or in relief of Luka don Chich and that's the role he's 149 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,480 asked to fill, and he fills it pretty well. He's never going to 150 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:24,399 be one of those guards who explodes for the random forty point night, or 151 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,879 is consistently putting up twenty point outputs. He's just a steady producer who makes 152 00:09:28,879 --> 00:09:33,320 the right plays, whether that's getting involved as a score, whether it's setting 153 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,240 up his teammates, whether it's playing with a little bit more intensity on the 154 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,840 defensive end, and the overall numbers end up looking really good as a result. 155 00:09:39,919 --> 00:09:41,639 I mean, you can't complain about the thirty eight point nine percent shooting 156 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,919 from beyond the arc. You can't complain about three point five assists and one 157 00:09:45,919 --> 00:09:50,919 point two turnovers per game. He just he is the prototypical guard who can 158 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,720 initiate, who can play off the ball, and can fill whatever role is 159 00:09:54,759 --> 00:09:58,559 necessary on any given night, depending on the opponent, depending on where his 160 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,879 teammates are struggling. Yeah, Mo Dakiel, former co host of the Hardway 161 00:10:03,919 --> 00:10:07,159 Knox podcast, will very much appreciate that, and he is. I think 162 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:13,360 if in some he's been their second best player this season, it's Christops Porzingis 163 00:10:13,399 --> 00:10:16,080 is clearly their second most important. But this year it does start, it's 164 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,480 probably been Jalen Brunson, just because of every of all that secondary creation and 165 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:24,559 scoring that he's given him. I think that's probably disappointing for Dallas because he's 166 00:10:24,639 --> 00:10:28,840 more of a high floor than a high ceiling player. Ideally, Kris stops 167 00:10:28,879 --> 00:10:33,480 Porzingis was the second best player and you're looking at Tim Hardaway Junior as the 168 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,080 third best. But that just hasn't been the case. And I agree with 169 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,759 you that based on the consistency of his output, Brentson has probably been the 170 00:10:39,799 --> 00:10:43,399 second most valuable Blayer in Dallas this year. I'll also know, though, 171 00:10:43,639 --> 00:10:48,200 he's not a guy who's going to be good enough to preclude the Mavericks from 172 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,200 chasing that second shot creator that they still really need alongside Luca don Chich. 173 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,720 When you just look at you know the burden he carries all game, but 174 00:10:56,759 --> 00:11:00,200 even in crunch time when things start to bog down as well. Absolutely, 175 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,879 let's move on to Denver. Yes, I called an audible here, by 176 00:11:03,879 --> 00:11:07,480 the way, just to warn you. Oh interesting, I'm excited to hear 177 00:11:07,519 --> 00:11:13,320 what it is. But my argument here is basically a repeat of my argument 178 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:18,480 for Jalen Brunson, because Monte Morris is the same archetype of basketball player, 179 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:22,600 just the high floor, low ceiling, doesn't make mistakes, can fill all 180 00:11:22,639 --> 00:11:28,240 the different roles player I've viewed him for a while as probably the best backup 181 00:11:28,279 --> 00:11:31,120 guard in basketball. I think that he could be a starter for a different 182 00:11:31,159 --> 00:11:35,799 team. He might have gotten more opportunities to start had he been healthy since 183 00:11:35,919 --> 00:11:41,480 Jamal Murray went down with a torn acl But still, this guy just doesn't 184 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:46,080 make mistakes. You can count on him against any opponent to fill his role 185 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,120 without harming the team on any level. And it's again not for a lack 186 00:11:50,159 --> 00:11:52,799 of involvement. He's a good shooter. He has a little bit of Chris 187 00:11:52,799 --> 00:11:56,799 Paul in his game to his game, like where he can just kind of 188 00:11:56,879 --> 00:12:01,759 dive across the lane and get those elbow jumpers whenever he Obviously he's not as 189 00:12:01,759 --> 00:12:05,559 good as Chris PAULI doesn't have the upside of Chris Paul. But he can 190 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,840 fill that same kind of role for small doses, which is pretty important on 191 00:12:09,879 --> 00:12:13,679 a Denver team that can't just foist all of the offensive responsibilities on Nikolai Yoka 192 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,519 to night in and night out. It canon, it does, and it 193 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,360 should. But like he needs a break occasionally, and when he when he 194 00:12:20,399 --> 00:12:24,159 does, Monte Morris is crucial this team. I was waiting, I was 195 00:12:24,159 --> 00:12:28,519 wondering how long it was going to take for you to compare Monte Morris to 196 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:33,120 a future Hall of Famer, and you did not disappoint, Subtu. You're 197 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,919 welcome, and I think he's He's the choice. If I had to, 198 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,080 if I was going to double up with you here, I'd go with Monte 199 00:12:37,159 --> 00:12:39,799 Morris as well, which is I think so I was caught off guarded and 200 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:41,600 I didn't know he was going to be this good Defensively, I'm not going 201 00:12:41,639 --> 00:12:46,679 to pretend to have walked a ton of of a kuno compazo before this season, 202 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:48,360 but I thought, like, why are you getting him when you have 203 00:12:48,399 --> 00:12:52,159 Monte Morris. It ended up working out for them, so that was clearly 204 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,840 a flood take, but I thought maybe it portended they were less committed to 205 00:12:54,879 --> 00:12:58,919 him. He's just super important to what they do. I was going to 206 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,000 pick Aaron Gordon. I don't know if Denver Nuggets chance would disagree, because 207 00:13:01,039 --> 00:13:05,240 he hasn't been underrated there. The value they gave up for him shows that 208 00:13:05,279 --> 00:13:09,320 they properly evaluated him, and it hasn't been you know, easy, you 209 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,360 know, smooth sailing since he's been there, And I think that his efficiency 210 00:13:11,399 --> 00:13:15,440 will normalize as he gets more comfortable it'll be fine. I went with ja 211 00:13:15,519 --> 00:13:20,519 Michael Green. I still think yeah for me to stay on rand. Look, 212 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,559 he's his numbers are never going to smack you in the face off the 213 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:30,279 page and the on off numbers this year they're not kind to him on offense. 214 00:13:30,399 --> 00:13:33,639 But he's still a stretch big and while he can't anchor a defense, 215 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,200 which is why it's been so problematic for you know, insertinances to play him 216 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,240 at the five, he has good hands, good foot speed on defense for 217 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,799 for a big and when you're looking at the types of assignments he's had to 218 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,919 cover at least before that Aaron Gordon trade. Defensively, he's done a lot 219 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,360 more heavy lifting over there than I think he's been credited for. And this 220 00:13:54,399 --> 00:13:56,759 is per b Ball Index. His matchup position estimate was a three point five 221 00:13:56,799 --> 00:14:00,879 this year. Just to give you a hint of how much he he defended 222 00:14:01,039 --> 00:14:03,399 small forwards almost twenty percent of the time, power forwards thirty seven percent of 223 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,240 the time, and centers a little over twenty percent of the time. He's 224 00:14:07,279 --> 00:14:09,519 also switched on to some guards, both at the point guard and shooting gun 225 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,840 spot. He has defended every single position on at least ten percent of his 226 00:14:13,879 --> 00:14:18,399 possessions this season. This is again perpe ball in deck. These are not 227 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:22,120 gospel stats, but I always find that interesting as a measure of switchability for 228 00:14:22,159 --> 00:14:24,840 that and that's not someone I think it's talked about enough in that context. 229 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,559 He's still just a super important dude defensively and the fact that he can give 230 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,519 you some from floor spacing on offense. He's at forty one percent from three 231 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,639 this year and that's on just three point four tenths per game. You'd like 232 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,799 to see him crank up that volume, but he's also playing I think he's 233 00:14:41,879 --> 00:14:43,759 under twenty minutes per game this year. I think he's someone who gives you 234 00:14:43,799 --> 00:14:48,600 a path to actually using your depth in the playoffs, because you're never gonna 235 00:14:48,639 --> 00:14:52,679 bounce Nakola Yokas from the floor. He's your five. But he can play 236 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,200 any any lineup combination you want to confier if you want it to be Yokichen 237 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,080 Green, you want to be Paul mill Stapping Green, Michael Porter Junior in 238 00:14:58,159 --> 00:15:03,399 Green. Do you want to go super big with millsapp Green and maybe Yokich 239 00:15:03,639 --> 00:15:07,919 or Millsapp Green and Porter Junior just get weird. He fits with whatever iteration 240 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:11,039 of the front court you want to roll out to. Michael Green is a 241 00:15:11,039 --> 00:15:16,960 good example of how we're differentiating between the national view versus the local view. 242 00:15:16,559 --> 00:15:20,799 It seems like so many different Nuggets throughout the season I've expressed how much they 243 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,080 like playing with him and how valuable he is to the defense that I think 244 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:28,279 there's a pretty good sense of how important he is to this team within that 245 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:33,360 local bubble, but on the on the national level. Agree with you, 246 00:15:33,639 --> 00:15:35,039 that's an interesting way to look at this is as we go, I'm going 247 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:39,559 to try and note it whether these players are undervalued by their own team. 248 00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:43,600 I wouldn't have said that about Bronson or Green to this point. I don't 249 00:15:43,639 --> 00:15:48,200 think I would have said that about Well, this is only our second team, 250 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,559 so that's where we are. If you're you're ready to move on to 251 00:15:50,559 --> 00:15:54,960 our third team, let's do it. This is gonna be an eight hour 252 00:15:54,000 --> 00:16:00,639 podcast. Apparently that's always how we roll. So I had want to Anderson 253 00:16:00,679 --> 00:16:06,120 here for the Warriors, who, by the way, have not who have 254 00:16:06,159 --> 00:16:08,240 not converted his contract as far as I know, unless you've seen that, 255 00:16:10,279 --> 00:16:14,159 Jta, Yeah, yeah, I find that to be wild. But he 256 00:16:14,159 --> 00:16:18,320 he really gives them something from you name it, and he can just do 257 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,679 it. I think firmly he's their second most versatile defender after Draymond Green. 258 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,720 He might just be their second most important defender period. He can keep the 259 00:16:26,759 --> 00:16:33,159 ball moving, he can shoot threes, he can excuse me, he can 260 00:16:33,279 --> 00:16:34,919 navigate the half court when he does have the ball in his hands. And 261 00:16:34,919 --> 00:16:40,639 I don't know that this is anybody who's going to ever serve a high volume 262 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:45,759 role, but whatever addition of the Warriors rolls out next season whenever they get 263 00:16:45,799 --> 00:16:48,320 really good, I think he can fill just some sort of role. He's 264 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,440 pretty good cutter, and he's a good finisher. Off of those, he 265 00:16:51,559 --> 00:16:55,279 just feels so many voids, probably none of them huge enough to be this 266 00:16:56,799 --> 00:16:59,879 a fringe star or anything like that. But I think this is someone who 267 00:17:00,159 --> 00:17:03,120 whether you want the Warriors to develop or if they want to be good next 268 00:17:03,159 --> 00:17:07,400 year and they're making that all in trade with some of their other future assets, 269 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:08,720 I think he can help out and be a part of a really good 270 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,839 team. I don't know that you can say that with a lot of their 271 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,240 other players this season. Yeah, he feels like one of the few role 272 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:18,839 players on this team who seems almost certain to be a part of the next 273 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:25,119 competitive iteration of Golden State once everyone's healthy. I'll admit on this one in 274 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,359 my notes, I wrote down pass and then one Tiscano Anderson in parentheses. 275 00:17:29,799 --> 00:17:33,559 I just I don't know that there's really a great option. I'm still not 276 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:38,480 convinced that Tascano Anderson is that much better than his reputation. But I think 277 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,319 he's the best choice if we have to pick somebody, because the other options 278 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:47,079 just aren't appealing. It's not going to be like Jordan Pool or Damian Lee 279 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,240 or Nico Mannion Eric Pascal, Like I feel like we know that he's just 280 00:17:52,599 --> 00:17:56,640 this off the bench, like moderately efficient score that doesn't do that much else. 281 00:17:57,079 --> 00:18:02,200 Draymond Green's offense has fallen to such an extent that I don't think that 282 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:04,400 we can make a case for him to be underrated as important as he is 283 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,799 to the schemes that Golden State runs on both ends of the floor. And 284 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,640 we already talked about Steph at the top, So yeah, like Jta it 285 00:18:11,759 --> 00:18:15,440 is and also just perp b Bill next again, since I was on that 286 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:22,319 page when we were talking about Jamichael Green before of the two hundred and seventy 287 00:18:22,319 --> 00:18:26,359 players, who have logged at least seven hundred minutes this season. He ranks 288 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:30,839 in the top ten of positional versatility on defense, So that just to give 289 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:36,000 you a little view into how valuably is there. He has guarded on partial 290 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,759 possessions every single position all five at least fifteen percent of the time. It's 291 00:18:40,799 --> 00:18:47,480 impressive for sure. That brings us to Houston. I'm proud of your alphabetical 292 00:18:47,559 --> 00:18:51,079 order this episode. Yeah, you're killing forcing me to navigate to every single 293 00:18:51,079 --> 00:18:56,559 team, even though Houston is technically your team. So Houston was tough just 294 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,319 because they've had twenty seven different players suit up for organization this season. So 295 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,680 many of the headlines have been about James Harden and the trade and what they're 296 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:10,400 going to do following the trade. That it feels like the two potential corner 297 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,319 stones on this roster have kind of flown under the radar a little bit. 298 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,400 So I'm gonna make a dual selection here of Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. 299 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:25,160 With Christian Wood, you know, it's it was pretty obvious how well 300 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,000 he was playing toward the tail end of his tenure with the Detroit Pistons, 301 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,599 and he got paid accordingly in free agency. But maybe it's because he was 302 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:34,839 injured at the start of the year and didn't really get to play much alongside 303 00:19:34,839 --> 00:19:38,839 Harden, or maybe it's just because the national spotlight has shifted so far away 304 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,240 from this team that has just been free falling in the standings all season. 305 00:19:42,759 --> 00:19:48,759 He's played fantastic basketball, like he's averaging twenty one point one points and nine 306 00:19:48,759 --> 00:19:52,359 point eight rebounds, he's still hitting a bunch of three pointers at an efficient 307 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,519 clip. He's getting to the foul stripe where admittedly he could stand to work 308 00:19:55,519 --> 00:19:56,759 on a stroke a bit, but at least he's getting there for now. 309 00:19:57,079 --> 00:20:03,039 Like this is very much a potential All Star for the next few seasons, 310 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:07,839 who can be the centerpiece of a playoff caliber team, even in the Western 311 00:20:07,839 --> 00:20:11,359 Conference. So I just I don't think that he's gotten enough attention because of 312 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:15,759 the circumstances. And the argument's really similar for Kevin Porter Junior, who has 313 00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:21,720 just shown that he is this gifted natural scorer who can get buckets from all 314 00:20:21,759 --> 00:20:25,039 three levels, who can work off passes, who can create his own shots, 315 00:20:25,039 --> 00:20:29,759 and I wrote him down as the choice before the Houston Rockets one forty 316 00:20:29,799 --> 00:20:33,720 three one thirty six victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, in which 317 00:20:33,039 --> 00:20:37,960 Kevin Porter Junior had fifty points, five rebounds, and eleven assists, and 318 00:20:37,039 --> 00:20:41,440 just gave me even more fodder here. I was about to say that that 319 00:20:41,599 --> 00:20:48,680 was very convenient for you that he went off just before we recorded this podcast. 320 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,359 I did not have either of those two players, and I'm perfectly fine 321 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:56,160 with you selecting either one. I went with Sterling Brown, who hopefully he 322 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:03,079 continues to make a full recovery he's been. I'm almost surprised they didn't move 323 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,200 him at the deadline, just because I think that a contender really could have 324 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,880 used him. But he's shooting forty two point three percent from three this year. 325 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,519 We knew we could really do that. But he gives you a lot 326 00:21:11,559 --> 00:21:15,160 of positional versatility on defense. That's something I keep coming back to. The 327 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,680 assignments he's had to shoulder there this season for Houston. They've been pretty tough. 328 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,160 They've even run him at point guard a little bit. And so if 329 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,519 you're going to get someone who can fill just you give contribute from so many 330 00:21:25,519 --> 00:21:30,039 different areas. I think he I was surprised that he wasn't used more in 331 00:21:30,079 --> 00:21:33,400 Milwaukee, and I was just also surprised that they weren't interested in keeping him, 332 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,480 especially how the the offseason shook out and they opted for you know, 333 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:37,440 maybe Tory Craig would have been a better fit for them, but they ended 334 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:41,400 up getting rid of him too, And so Sterling Brown feels like he's been 335 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,920 one of those players who's underrated for a while. Yeah, maybe he doesn't 336 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,279 shoulder enough volume until now, at least to say he was three in D 337 00:21:48,839 --> 00:21:51,599 this season, you could absolutely say he was three in D and he gave 338 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:55,359 you just a little bit of breaking cage of emergency ball handling as well. 339 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,759 I think it's a great choice. I'm just I wanted to defer to this 340 00:22:00,039 --> 00:22:03,519 are caliber players who we feel certain are going to be there for the next 341 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,559 competitive version of this team, because I think the circumstances have allowed for it. 342 00:22:07,839 --> 00:22:11,680 But I think in terms of pure skill level versus national recognition that that's 343 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:17,319 a perfectly fine selection. Let's see if I get this this next team right, 344 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,640 do you trust it for the Los Angeles Clippers? Well done? Again? 345 00:22:21,599 --> 00:22:23,559 Is this me first or you first? You just said this is so 346 00:22:23,599 --> 00:22:27,759 I believe me first. There. I really could not narrow this down at 347 00:22:27,759 --> 00:22:33,880 all. I think Nicholas Patum, the Clippers leader in minutes this season total 348 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,119 minutes, Nicholas Patum, He's been still just a shocking stat right, And 349 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,359 it's it makes sense when you look at just their availability. And I actually 350 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:42,720 didn't double check the stat before we record. It's nice. Maybe I should 351 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,599 double check it, but it happened at one point, and yes, it's 352 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,440 it's easily explained away with all the injuries they've dealt with, but just the 353 00:22:48,519 --> 00:22:52,880 circumstances under which he came when he's been so bad, when he was so 354 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,960 bad excuse me in Charlotte and now playing a pinole role for Even if you're 355 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,039 disappointed with the Clippers this season, who I watched and I'm impressed, but 356 00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:03,079 they still just they lose these games. Sometimes it's like WTF. Anyway, 357 00:23:03,319 --> 00:23:07,759 Reggie Jackson has been great for them. I do almost have to order do 358 00:23:07,759 --> 00:23:11,200 we throw a Rondo in there? Because people he's a constant meme and he's 359 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,160 been pretty good for them. And it's not even the playoffs yet. There 360 00:23:14,079 --> 00:23:15,680 are a ton of options here, right. I still think that by the 361 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,839 way, they gave up too much for him, but it does look like 362 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,720 he's going to be a lot better than expected. I settled on Zubats, 363 00:23:22,319 --> 00:23:26,920 I still don't think, and he's definitely appreciated within the Clippers fan base. 364 00:23:26,599 --> 00:23:30,160 This is someone whose viewed is like this plotting big, and he's really not. 365 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:36,079 He's a very quick guy around the rim, can give you strong contest 366 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:40,160 there, deter shots, block them out right, and then on offense he 367 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:44,759 is just he's a runaway freight train, but like has nimble feet too, 368 00:23:44,799 --> 00:23:49,160 so there's like speed and dexterity and coordination there where he's sort of zooming towards 369 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,200 towards the basket and gives you a level of physicality too on your screens. 370 00:23:55,079 --> 00:23:56,519 This is he's a two way player. I'm not gonna say he's one of 371 00:23:56,519 --> 00:24:00,000 the best two way bigs, but he's just not as slow footed as people 372 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,119 think that he is on defense, and he provides you actual value on offense, 373 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:06,960 He's I would say, he gives you serge. Ibaka is going to 374 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:08,599 space the floor, but I would argue that Zubots is going to give you 375 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,359 more of the role gravity on offense, which is something that I would also 376 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:17,039 argue the Clippers need more than really what Abaka has done for them, and 377 00:24:17,079 --> 00:24:19,440 he hasn't played and what feels like a trillion years. You need abaka. 378 00:24:19,519 --> 00:24:22,440 You like having that floor spacing element. But if you really wanted to go 379 00:24:22,519 --> 00:24:25,799 five out, like you have Marcus Morris at the five standing right there, 380 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:30,039 there's not another player on this roster who gives you what Zoobots does. It's 381 00:24:30,039 --> 00:24:32,559 not you know, it's not the Marcus Cousins than it really never was his 382 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,839 stile and it certainly isn't now so that that player who can give you off 383 00:24:36,839 --> 00:24:40,559 ball rim pressure on offense and then still sort of hold his ground and not 384 00:24:40,599 --> 00:24:44,599 get beat too badly. There's certainly bad matchups rim on defense, but who 385 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,160 is going to give you just stout rim protection. He's a two way player, 386 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,119 and I just don't think he gets talked about enough in that manner. 387 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:57,880 Nationally, it feels like he's also gaining a larger and larger portion of the 388 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:03,000 offensive share and is carving out more importance in the scheme on both ends as 389 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,839 the season progresses, like it feels like he might be a very crucial element 390 00:25:07,279 --> 00:25:11,640 to the inevitable title push that they make in the playoffs. But he was 391 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,880 still my number two choice here. I'm going the star route because while I 392 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:22,119 don't think you want Paul George to be the unquestioned leader in the locker room, 393 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,400 probably not the number one option on a title favorite either, he does 394 00:25:26,519 --> 00:25:30,400 not get enough credit anymore, and I get why because he's had so many 395 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:37,119 high profile letdowns in the playoffs. It feels like every time he's featured in 396 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:42,640 a postseason moment these days, it's for the wrong reasons, whether Damian Lillard 397 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:48,119 was hitting a series ending shot over him from a ridiculous distance, or he 398 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:52,119 was a central figure in the three to one lead collapse against the Denver Nuggets 399 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:57,039 in last year's playoffs and had not great things to say, and the pressers 400 00:25:57,079 --> 00:26:02,319 afterwards like he's gotten a lot of negative attention, to the point that I 401 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:07,759 don't think he's getting nearly enough credit for being the nightly top ten player that 402 00:26:07,799 --> 00:26:11,240 he can be. I don't think that's hyperbolic at all. Given the suffocating 403 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,359 wing defense that he plays, the versatility and the positions that he can guard 404 00:26:15,759 --> 00:26:19,759 regardless of who that opponent may be, the ability to take over as a 405 00:26:19,799 --> 00:26:23,559 scorer from all three levels. We don't talk enough about how George has become 406 00:26:23,599 --> 00:26:27,960 an unquestionably elite three point shooter. Last season, it was forty one point 407 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:32,119 two percent on seven point nine attempts per game. This year it's forty two 408 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,920 point two percent on seven point six attempts per game. That consistency from beyond 409 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,400 the arc is huge, and he's coupling it with efficient free throw shooting, 410 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:42,200 which is a must for this Clippers team that doesn't attack the basket enough. 411 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:47,559 And we're also seeing him develop into maybe the best passer he's been at any 412 00:26:47,599 --> 00:26:49,279 stage of his career right now, Like, this is a guy who should 413 00:26:49,279 --> 00:26:53,960 be featured prominently in every conversation about the ten best basketball players in the world, 414 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:56,839 and instead we want to remember the playoff failures, and that's just not 415 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:02,240 fair to him. I also think I agree with everything you said, which 416 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,119 is why I thought it was fine that you went with a superstar here. 417 00:27:04,559 --> 00:27:08,200 I do think he's responsible for his own means sometimes I'll say that much. 418 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:12,200 But it was really disheartening when he came out and said he was dealing with 419 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,599 just what I can't remember. It was anxiety or just being depressed inside the 420 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,400 bubble. There needed to be more empathy there, and there's there's stuff that's 421 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,039 actually funny where he's like I need to get back to that season, my 422 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:27,680 MVP season that you never want MVP. That's funny, but when a player 423 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,880 comes out, let's not troll them when they're talking about it was even with 424 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:36,240 me, didn't credit mantres. Harold wasn't really he came to the bubble late, 425 00:27:36,279 --> 00:27:37,960 I believe, So there was that on one off, and he was 426 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,640 also mourning the death of his grandmother, Like there are human elements that we 427 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:44,960 just need to consider a lot more, and it was kind of disheartening to 428 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,880 see how much it was ignored with Paul George, like he was trying to 429 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,559 say that to gain fake sympathy, artificial sympathy, or just some sort of 430 00:27:51,599 --> 00:27:55,119 clout. We need to figure out how to tow the line here better, 431 00:27:55,160 --> 00:28:00,559 because I actually think it's pretty easy to separate when Paul George deserves be memed 432 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,680 versus what is a legitimate excuse. So I'm with you on everything you said 433 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,720 there, and that's the only other aspect I would add. And I agree 434 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,160 with you that he is responsible for some of those memes, like he does 435 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:17,319 not say well, he probably says the right things sometimes in press conferences that 436 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:19,519 you just shouldn't say because you know what the reaction is going to be, 437 00:28:19,559 --> 00:28:23,640 and it's just going to backfire even if you're being honest. And yeah, 438 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:27,440 I mean like he has had letdowns in big moments, But it just feels 439 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:33,920 like the general discourse is too quick to jump on the flaws and try to 440 00:28:33,039 --> 00:28:37,759 use him as a reason that the Clippers are just perpetually going to underachieve with 441 00:28:37,799 --> 00:28:41,119 this roster construction, instead of focusing on the fact that this guy is one 442 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,839 of the best shooters in the world, one of the best wing defenders in 443 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:48,880 the world, and can do so much between those two roles. I'm tally 444 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,559 with you. This one's easy. So I'm apparently going to go through all 445 00:28:52,559 --> 00:28:55,319 the teams, even if you're starting them, just to prove I not a 446 00:28:55,359 --> 00:29:00,319 spell the Lakers. I love that we have you doing this. I really 447 00:29:00,359 --> 00:29:03,799 do not remember seeing you send through that clip, so as soon as we 448 00:29:03,839 --> 00:29:07,160 hang up here, I think I might need you to re send it because 449 00:29:07,759 --> 00:29:11,119 it feels like that's fairly ever green. It was pretty bad. Oh, 450 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,160 it was. It was. It was pretty bad. It was twice. 451 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,240 Yeah, it was not great. You missed your chance to put that clip 452 00:29:17,279 --> 00:29:19,680 public though I think I deleted it already. It's probably in our text box, 453 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,960 though you can look at the details in that if you really want it, 454 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,799 I'll need to. But yeah, good job going from one LA team 455 00:29:25,799 --> 00:29:32,319 to the other. I'm gonna go with Alex Caruso here. I think that 456 00:29:33,319 --> 00:29:37,279 it's a similar, albeit very different argument to the Paul George one, where 457 00:29:37,319 --> 00:29:41,519 the memes have overtaken the player. Like there's so much focus on the fact 458 00:29:41,599 --> 00:29:48,440 that Bleacher Report and other outlets with prominent social media activity over post about him 459 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:55,039 because, for whatever reason, the Bald Mamba or whatever his current nickname djor 460 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:59,960 is wants to be posted about a lot so that it gets lots of attention 461 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:07,039 because fans love them some Crusoe content. But that's almost overshadowed the fact that 462 00:30:07,079 --> 00:30:11,440 he's been a really effective role player for the Lakers team for a few years 463 00:30:11,519 --> 00:30:15,240 running. Now. He's not ever going to be a star despite how many 464 00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:18,599 posts are about him. He's not ever going to score a lot of points. 465 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:22,720 But you know that he can run the show as a backup point guard 466 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:26,519 and involve his teammates. You know that he can attack the basket and show 467 00:30:26,559 --> 00:30:29,000 off the hops and throw it out a dunker too. He's a good shooter. 468 00:30:29,039 --> 00:30:32,240 He's a good defender. He hustles every time he's out there. He's 469 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,880 one of those guys who seems to know that he has to just play his 470 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:40,000 heart out to make sure that he keeps getting those minutes. He's also really 471 00:30:40,039 --> 00:30:42,519 athletic. He's also a really good shooter. Like, yeah, he's he's 472 00:30:42,559 --> 00:30:47,160 gonna get made fun of a lot, and he's going to show up more 473 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,240 than he should because of the memes. But the attention is not the right 474 00:30:49,319 --> 00:30:55,599 kind. He deserves more attention as a good basketball player. I went with 475 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:57,960 and this is I almost consider Kyle Kuzma. I went with Markus. All 476 00:31:00,359 --> 00:31:03,960 field Wakers fans have been very frustrated with his play, and I'm just as 477 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,880 curious as to what more they've expected of him. I know he doesn't I 478 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,440 know he doesn't shoot. That's always sort of been his thing. Can you 479 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,640 guess how many players on the team are averaging fewer field goal attempts for thirty 480 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:21,160 six minutes than Marc Gasol? None? Three, Jared Dudley. Oh, 481 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:25,359 actually it's really only two, so excuse me. Jared Dudley and Coosis attend 482 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:30,920 to Kompo. That's you know, you're averaging a little surprising. Yeah, 483 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,559 there's so. I get that frustration, But would you rather watch Andre Drummond 484 00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:38,200 just miss a bunch of two pointers because that's really what you're you're going to 485 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,759 see. And he's been Look, he's not like this super He's never been 486 00:31:42,799 --> 00:31:45,359 super quick on defense. It's about being in the right spot for him. 487 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,799 Opponents are shooting under sixty percent against him at the rim, and for what 488 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:53,480 it's worth, he is shooting over isn't he over forty percent from three this 489 00:31:53,559 --> 00:31:57,599 season? Should have looked that up too. He's at He's at thirty eight 490 00:31:57,599 --> 00:32:01,079 point seven percent from three. That's the volume matters. I understand two point 491 00:32:01,079 --> 00:32:05,400 five attempts per game is not a lot, but he's shooting thirty eight point 492 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,359 seven percent from three. I just don't know what more you want it he 493 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,400 gives you some of that passing i Q. I think this is someone who 494 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:15,480 really could help the Lakers and helped them even more during the No. Lebron 495 00:32:15,559 --> 00:32:17,880 No A D stretch than he really had a chance to. And I'm curious 496 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,759 to see what ends up happening in the postseason, where I do think Anthy 497 00:32:21,799 --> 00:32:25,319 Davis plays a lot of five and so maybe it doesn't matter about Tres versus 498 00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:30,640 Gasol versus Andre Drummond, but he might be the big that I'd be more 499 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:32,519 inclined to go. I'd certainly play him more than I would Andre Drummond. 500 00:32:32,519 --> 00:32:36,000 I'll make that clear. There might be a debate with Montres Harold because of 501 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,680 the pressure he can help you put on the rim, and he's someone who's 502 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:43,079 not afraid to shoot. But at the point where it's how did Mark Gasol 503 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:49,680 become like this? Like outcast in LA I'll be honest, I have routinely 504 00:32:49,759 --> 00:32:53,640 forgotten that Mark Gasol is on the Lakers just he doesn't play enough. I 505 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,559 think it's as simple as that. Like, we know just how much of 506 00:32:57,599 --> 00:33:01,440 an impact he can make on a title contender because he's done it year after 507 00:33:01,599 --> 00:33:06,400 year after year after year. And the decline was never going to be this 508 00:33:06,599 --> 00:33:10,920 stark, given how much of his game relies on positioning and outthinking the opposition 509 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:15,480 and knowing what players are developing before they actually start to develop. Like, 510 00:33:15,559 --> 00:33:22,720 his game is not based on the explosive athleticism that other players are, so 511 00:33:22,319 --> 00:33:28,400 this decline should not have been stark enough to justify falling this far out of 512 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:32,680 the primary rotation. Yeah, he's had seven DNP coach coaching decisions in their 513 00:33:32,759 --> 00:33:38,799 last eleven games, which just that feels wild to me. It does pressures 514 00:33:38,839 --> 00:33:45,640 on Memphis Grizzlies. Just kidding. You just nail one after another. I'm 515 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,559 really impressed with your spelling today. I did not nail the fact that it's 516 00:33:49,599 --> 00:33:54,200 my turn to start, though, So there were we settled on just the 517 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,119 Memphis Grizzlies. That's who we're picking. Is the most underrated player is just 518 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,759 the Memphis Grips. Yeah, we both just picked the whole roster. The 519 00:34:00,839 --> 00:34:05,640 two. For me, we're between Dampy Melton and Kyle Anderson. I would 520 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,239 have had Kyle Anderson. I think he might be one of the I mean, 521 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,039 Melton, could you say this about the whole team. Kyle Anderson, 522 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:15,000 we talked about him on a previous podcast. He's hitting his threes now and 523 00:34:15,039 --> 00:34:16,800 taking him which matters as well. He's gonna be moved around a little bit 524 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:21,079 on defense where he uses space disadvantage because he's not super quick. When he 525 00:34:21,119 --> 00:34:22,840 has the ball in his hands and is navigating the half court, you feel 526 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:28,119 super confident. I still don't understand his body mechanics. I've compared him to 527 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:30,880 one of those inflatable tubeman at the sketchy car dealerships that billow in the wind. 528 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:36,039 It looks like he's going eighty different directions, but not in super fast 529 00:34:36,119 --> 00:34:38,000 motion, and yet you can't keep up with him. At the same time, 530 00:34:38,599 --> 00:34:43,679 very high IQ player, and he used at disadvantage on defense two and 531 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:46,320 he can just fill the box score from all over the place. It's no, 532 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:51,039 he's not gonna put up like twenty and ten and five, but he's 533 00:34:51,079 --> 00:34:53,039 gonna give you just you know, he's gonna give you a steal, I'll 534 00:34:53,039 --> 00:34:55,639 block a game, and he's gonna give you some rebounding. He's gonna give 535 00:34:55,679 --> 00:35:00,920 you some secondary playmaking. He's gonna score, you know, his between twelve 536 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:04,599 and sixteen points a game and just be rock solid for that. The Anthony 537 00:35:04,639 --> 00:35:09,840 Melton has just been a monster this season. It's truly terrifying that his three 538 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:14,199 ball is going in. And there was the article written I can't remember you 539 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:15,760 credited on this podcast. You remember who wrote it? I was going I 540 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:20,760 was going to again. Yeah, it's it's Owen Phillips. So Owen Phillips 541 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,320 wrote about his just substantial three point improvement where he's shooting forty four point three 542 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:28,440 percent, and I think it was his percentage increases like the single biggest in 543 00:35:28,519 --> 00:35:31,559 the league. We might be talking about a different article because the Owen Phillips 544 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:35,079 article I was. I was planning a reference that I did in the last 545 00:35:35,119 --> 00:35:39,159 episode. He got data from Basketball Reference about how many page views each player 546 00:35:39,159 --> 00:35:44,239 in the NBA it had and compared that to their scores and catch all metrics, 547 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,960 and the Anthony Melton was like the obvious outlier in a positive way, 548 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:52,880 like his page views in no way are justified by his performance. I must 549 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,960 have read. I think I said that the increase for him at whatever rate 550 00:35:57,039 --> 00:36:00,119 was just huge because it's he's improved a three point percentage. He was at 551 00:36:00,159 --> 00:36:02,920 eight point six percent last year on roughly half the volume that he's taking now 552 00:36:04,199 --> 00:36:07,679 forty four point three percent this year, So we're talking about a fifteen point 553 00:36:07,679 --> 00:36:14,519 seven point percentage increase That is absolutely massive and just he is the Grizzlies can 554 00:36:14,599 --> 00:36:17,480 rough you up on defense, and he's just one of the primary reasons why 555 00:36:17,639 --> 00:36:22,079 he's a guard. But he and he's not going to go up against the 556 00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:24,199 best player. Part of that I also feel like, is he forces the 557 00:36:24,199 --> 00:36:27,519 ball out of people's hands, even if they are a score that might be 558 00:36:27,599 --> 00:36:30,320 their first inclination. It's just not really going to happen if you're playing Melton 559 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:34,679 at least, it's not going to happen easily. So and then he can 560 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:37,239 give you it's not just hey, he needs to defend these smaller players. 561 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,320 He's you know, you should probably be using him mostly just against guards, 562 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:44,519 but he can give you some wing minutes too, and that's been absolutely huge. 563 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:46,880 So I landed and I couldn't decide between them. I think that Kyle 564 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,239 Anderson, just given what he could do as a creator, I might lean 565 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:55,199 as more valuable or perhaps more underrated, because we're maybe it's easier to notice 566 00:36:55,239 --> 00:37:00,400 Melton this season because of that huge increase from three. Those two players have 567 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,880 been absolutely fantastic for them. I think you can just close your eyes and 568 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,960 point to the Memphis depth chart and you'll probably find somebody who's underrated, because 569 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,920 beyond Dylan Brooks and Kyle Anderson, Like I think you can make a case 570 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,480 for Grayson Allen, you can make a case for Desmond Bayan, for Xavier 571 00:37:15,599 --> 00:37:22,719 Tillman. My backup choice is Dylan Brooks, who just I think because he 572 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:28,320 signed a big contract and then was featured primarily as an inefficient scorer, it's 573 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,760 gone very overlooked that he's become a rock solid defender who is responsible for taking 574 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:37,760 on some of the toughest matchups on a nightly basis and still thrives on that 575 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:42,239 preventing end. But my choice has to be Jonas Valanciunis, just because I've 576 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,719 called him the most underrated player in the NBA for like two seasons running now, 577 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:51,079 and it feels like this season in particular, he's really started to justify 578 00:37:51,119 --> 00:37:57,280 that. He's increasing his importance within the offensive schemes, especially lately around a 579 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:01,079 three game absence that I believe was due to a cushion. Over his last 580 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:06,239 twenty six games, he's averaging eighteen point six points and thirteen point one rebounds. 581 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:09,079 He's shooting sixty two percent for the field, thirty eight point five percent 582 00:38:09,119 --> 00:38:13,480 from three point range, seventy nine point three percent on free throws. The 583 00:38:13,519 --> 00:38:15,639 Grizzlies are outscoring opponents by three point four points per game when he's on the 584 00:38:15,639 --> 00:38:22,360 floor, which is huge with a Western Conference heavy schedule. Valent Judas is 585 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:27,320 a solid interior defender a good rim protector, a good health defender. He's 586 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,920 an underrated passer when they choose to feature him as such. He can space 587 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:34,440 the floor, he can score efficiently around the basket, like they're really it 588 00:38:34,519 --> 00:38:37,280 really doesn't feel like there's a weak spot in his game, and he's just 589 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:42,519 flown beyond below the radar for so long because he's played on teams with bigger 590 00:38:42,639 --> 00:38:46,360 names, you know, the Kyle Lowry, Damarto Rosen pairing in Toronto and 591 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:52,119 playing next to John Morant in Memphis. Now like he might be that team's 592 00:38:52,159 --> 00:38:57,239 best player this season. Zalent Junis is a really good choice. And I 593 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:00,360 think, like you mentioned, he sort of has a probably been so underrated 594 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:04,360 for the past few years, dating back to even when the Raptors traded him, 595 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:06,880 that it feels like he should have graduated from this discussion, but the 596 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:09,519 fact that he hasn't sort of proved your point type deal, I think. 597 00:39:09,519 --> 00:39:13,280 My my follow up question is, do you agree that he's been the best 598 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:17,519 player from memphisis year? Oh, that's a really good I think I think 599 00:39:17,519 --> 00:39:22,519 he's been more consistently valuable than John Morant. John Morant is clear they're the 600 00:39:22,519 --> 00:39:27,599 most important player there's been some if he's shooting from him and he did miss 601 00:39:27,599 --> 00:39:31,760 some time, so there's a chance. If it's not going to be Valentinoting, 602 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:35,079 I don't know who, maybe Kyle Anderson. It's not going to be 603 00:39:35,119 --> 00:39:38,280 Brooks. I'm trying to you know, it's not James Jackson Junior. Only 604 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:42,119 just started playing, So yeah, I think it's it's awesome. I think 605 00:39:42,119 --> 00:39:45,199 it's Valancinus. I did not. That's an interesting thought exercise. I never 606 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:50,800 even I never even considered that for the for this, I would just default 607 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:52,360 to John Morant because he's John Morant. But still, I think you have 608 00:39:52,599 --> 00:39:58,079 a pretty salient point there. Minnesota Timberwolves. I'm on fire, just gonna 609 00:39:58,079 --> 00:40:00,800 go from right to the right team. Who did you have for them? 610 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:06,800 I went with Josha Kogie. I don't think that there is a particularly great 611 00:40:07,039 --> 00:40:13,320 choice for this team because they aren't very good, But I'm gonna go with 612 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:17,360 the Kogi just because he has established himself as this high energy, ball hawking 613 00:40:17,519 --> 00:40:24,079 defensive presence who is able to fill a bunch of different voids and very much 614 00:40:24,679 --> 00:40:30,159 does defend the opposition's best garter wing on a nightly basis. Granted, that's 615 00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:35,480 not particularly tough to do when the other options are the other members of the 616 00:40:35,519 --> 00:40:40,239 Timberwolves. But the ability to play above average defense on a defensive team this 617 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:46,400 bad is important and among a lot of not great options, that's what I'm 618 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:51,199 going to go with. I'm surprised you didn't. I'm surprised being double dip 619 00:40:51,199 --> 00:40:53,960 here with Jane McDaniels, because I think that's the clear answer. He's been 620 00:40:54,679 --> 00:40:59,639 the way he plays, I kind of forget that he's a rookie and he's 621 00:40:59,679 --> 00:41:01,960 been so valuable for them defensively too, and we talk about how much they 622 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:05,960 need to find their four of the future to go alongside Karl Anthony Towns. 623 00:41:06,559 --> 00:41:09,239 I would agree that they do, but he might be closer than not to 624 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:13,440 being the answer as someone who can space the floor. He can not the 625 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:15,599 most efficient guy where're gonna put the ball in his hands, but he could 626 00:41:15,639 --> 00:41:17,440 sort of rumble towards the basket when he does put it on the floor. 627 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:22,360 And like I already mentioned at the top of this discussion, like you can 628 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:28,039 plug him on a lot of different offensive archetypes, so to speak, and 629 00:41:28,119 --> 00:41:30,320 he's gonna hold up reasonably well. I don't know how much you want him 630 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:32,800 you know, do you want someone who can trade off with Anthony Davis and 631 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:37,880 defend all these bigs. That might be something where yeah, we've seen him 632 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:42,440 go up against some of the some centers this year, but I don't know 633 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:45,159 if that's like the role that he can do. But if you can have 634 00:41:45,199 --> 00:41:47,960 someone who's going to be able to switch onto primary ball handlers, guards, 635 00:41:49,039 --> 00:41:52,800 wings can sort of go up against bigger players a little bit in addition to 636 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,400 defending his own position, I think I don't know if there's a four, 637 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:58,880 and I mean if you go Lebron at the four of that type of stuff, 638 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,920 there's just he's not going to be overmatched in many of his assignments and 639 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:05,840 that's going to be valuable to this team. And the fact that he's doing 640 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,519 it so soon it's important because this is a team that does want to be 641 00:42:08,559 --> 00:42:13,159 good relatively quickly after trading away. Even if they keep their pick this year 642 00:42:13,199 --> 00:42:16,239 or top three protection, the timeline here is still on the more accelerated side. 643 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:20,519 With three years left on Towns, his deal off two Daniel Russells after 644 00:42:20,519 --> 00:42:22,159 that, and the fact that they gave away that type of equity to get 645 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,039 Delo. You're either giving the Warriors a pick this year or you're giving them 646 00:42:25,039 --> 00:42:29,639 an unprotected pick next year. And so this is not They have to look 647 00:42:29,639 --> 00:42:31,159 and feel a little bit of a rebuilding team, but they need answers and 648 00:42:31,159 --> 00:42:35,000 there is urgency. And I think he's someone more so than a kogie. 649 00:42:35,039 --> 00:42:38,440 I just because I think Daniels has shown you more bank ability on offense. 650 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,559 And that's just it comes down to stretching the floor where if you want someone 651 00:42:40,559 --> 00:42:44,760 who's gonna put pressure on the basket, Yeah, you can go with Josh. 652 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,119 That's great there too. I would still just lean towards him be more 653 00:42:47,159 --> 00:42:51,599 important long term than in a koge might. I think you could even argue 654 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:53,639 you always he more important. He's definitely more important long term than Rubio. 655 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:57,760 He might be someone who fits with the best iteration of the Timberwolves more so 656 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,840 than D'Angelo Russell, definitely more than Jared Cover right now, probably not Anthy 657 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,920 Edwards, that's clearly the second most important timber Wolf. But I think Jay 658 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:09,840 McDaniels is steadily working his way up that ladder. Yeah, in all honesty, 659 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:14,320 I think McDaniels is a better answer than a coogie. I think the 660 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:19,639 reason I didn't consider McDaniels really at any point during the exercise, was just 661 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:22,760 that we'd talked about him on a recent episode. I think you had. 662 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:27,760 You had showered him with praise before a lot of other people were, and 663 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,280 so in my head, he was already getting a little recognition when he probably 664 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:34,599 isn't to the extent that he should nationally. So I'll defer to you on 665 00:43:34,679 --> 00:43:37,800 that one. But do you know who's who's up next? Oh? This 666 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:40,519 is do this one? New Orleans Pelicans. That's why I was playing music 667 00:43:40,559 --> 00:43:45,039 well done, because I knew they well done, Pelicans. I'm impressed. 668 00:43:45,639 --> 00:43:47,719 Are they my team or your team? Oh? They're my team. I 669 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:52,400 have no idea. I'm gonna go with Josh Hart here. I do. 670 00:43:52,599 --> 00:43:58,440 There's like this tendency to think that he shoots a higher percentage from three than 671 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:00,920 he actually does, and so I don't know if he necessarily typifies the three 672 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:06,760 in d aspect of three point shooting. He definitely doesn't this year when you're 673 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:10,079 at under thirty three percent from beyond the arc and he's been first of all, 674 00:44:10,079 --> 00:44:13,679 he's only been above thirty five percent once in his career, and so 675 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:16,760 I get that they're shaking. Is there There's also how valuable is his rebounding 676 00:44:16,840 --> 00:44:21,800 when you look at the contested versus uncontested rebounding percentages. I still think if 677 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:25,400 you're going to have someone who is six five and can grab, he has 678 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:29,280 a twenty six point three defensive rebounding weight, that's got to be valuable in 679 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:32,039 some form. He can't keep the ball moving and then he is a dog 680 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:37,599 on the defensive end. This is someone I think who can give you minutes 681 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:40,719 one through four basically certainly two through four. And it's been during his time 682 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:44,639 in New Orleans where they've given him some of those power forward minutes. Those 683 00:44:44,679 --> 00:44:49,000 lineups have generally been interesting and you can't lean on them. If Zion is 684 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:52,880 going to be your five, just that portends being a defensive nightmare. I 685 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,559 would assume that being said, I'm curious to see what he gets. And 686 00:44:55,599 --> 00:45:00,079 restricted free agency also, because they've already paid Ingram, they gave Steven Adams 687 00:45:00,079 --> 00:45:04,800 that extension, Lonzo Ball isn't restricted free agency as well, and so if 688 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:08,119 they pay him his heart someone who could fall through the cracks because there aren't 689 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:12,559 you know, everyone wants three in d wings and if you think that he 690 00:45:12,599 --> 00:45:15,280 can shoot better on your team, aside from being someone who could just you 691 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:21,159 know, he'll give you some pressure on the basket. Thirty percent of his 692 00:45:21,159 --> 00:45:22,760 shots are coming inside three feet, so he can be used in that vein. 693 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:25,840 If you just have better spacing than New Orleans has had this year, 694 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:29,440 he might be more valuable to you. And that's not to say that he 695 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:31,239 hasn't been good for New Orleans and that he goes to another team, is 696 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:35,519 his shots just going to improve dramatically. But if you think that this is 697 00:45:35,599 --> 00:45:38,000 better than what is right now a career thirty four point eight percent shooter, 698 00:45:38,159 --> 00:45:43,840 and that's generous because his past three seasons have each been barely thirty four percent 699 00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:45,199 or lower. He's at thirty three point six percent from three over the last 700 00:45:45,199 --> 00:45:52,519 three seasons. What he does for you defensively can be absolutely monstrous. I'm 701 00:45:52,559 --> 00:45:57,760 still gonna go with Lonzo Ball here. I think the conversation around him has 702 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:00,920 typically centered on what he doesn't do well or where he's going to go in 703 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:07,079 restricted free agency. We questioned his fit alongside Zion Williamson and the Pelicans for 704 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:13,880 two years running now, and it feels like the stark improvements that he's made 705 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,760 this season have largely gone overlooked, like they've been mentioned a few times, 706 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:21,880 but then they quickly get brushed aside for speculation about whether he's gonna end up 707 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,920 with the New York Knicks as a restricted free agent or if he's the point 708 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:29,920 guard of the future in New Orleans. It always seems like the conversations are 709 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:34,199 about the future and not the present, which is a shame because he's developed 710 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:39,239 from an unquestionable shooting liability to one of the more efficient three point snipers in 711 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:45,119 the league. So I'll tell you that there are nine players this season who 712 00:46:45,159 --> 00:46:49,360 are qualified for the three point leaderboard and are taking at least eight threes a 713 00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:52,519 game and connecting at a thirty eight percent clip or better. You want to 714 00:46:52,559 --> 00:46:57,039 try to name the nine? Can you read that back to me? Thirty 715 00:46:57,039 --> 00:47:00,480 eight percent, shooting eight threes per game, attempting eight threes per game. 716 00:47:01,119 --> 00:47:06,039 Yep. Steph's gotta be one of them. Steph's one of them. Duncan 717 00:47:06,159 --> 00:47:09,920 Robinson, Duncan Robinson's one of them. I feel like I'm gonna is Deavis 718 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:15,599 Berton's one of them. He is not, all right, spoil it for 719 00:47:15,639 --> 00:47:19,920 me. Lonzo Ball is one of them. So the nine are Steph Curry, 720 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:23,639 Donovan Mitchell, Zach Lavine, Terry Rosier, CJ McCollum, Duncan Robinson, 721 00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:28,480 a Lonzo Ball, Buddy Healed, and Malik Beasley. I feel like 722 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:35,280 three years ago we would have been shocked, just downright stupefied the Lonzo Ball 723 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:39,239 was in that group. Where's the recognition? I will say, I thought 724 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:43,000 you were implying he was in that group, which is why they wouldn't have 725 00:47:43,079 --> 00:47:44,679 named him. But I'm not sure how many of those names I would have 726 00:47:44,719 --> 00:47:47,679 gotten if we kept going that is, but it's still a very elite group 727 00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:53,639 of shooters. My question to you, though, is what is he as 728 00:47:53,639 --> 00:48:00,800 a point guard? He is a great he He is a great point guard 729 00:48:00,880 --> 00:48:06,599 as long as you have a guy who can handle and create from a non 730 00:48:06,639 --> 00:48:10,519 traditional spot, so on a team with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamston, I 731 00:48:10,639 --> 00:48:16,119 still love his fit now that he's a reliable shooter. He's a good pass 732 00:48:16,119 --> 00:48:21,119 He's a good passer, especially in a secondary role where he gets to catch 733 00:48:21,159 --> 00:48:27,039 defenses scrambling after receiving a swing pass. He's a good defender in the backcourt. 734 00:48:27,119 --> 00:48:30,519 He's a good rebounder, and he's become a reliable shooter. Like, 735 00:48:30,599 --> 00:48:35,480 as long as you have a team like New Orleans, where you have players 736 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:38,519 who can create for themselves and others from the non point guard spots, I 737 00:48:38,559 --> 00:48:42,679 think he fits just fine. The issue in New Orleans is just the lack 738 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:45,239 of shooting in the complete lack of defense. But I don't think it's Lonzo 739 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:51,199 Ball's fit. I'm gonna be disappointed if he isn't there next year. He 740 00:48:51,239 --> 00:48:53,519 isn't in New Orleans, Yeah, I really want him to stay because I 741 00:48:53,559 --> 00:48:58,559 think he can take this team to a higher level once the right supported cast 742 00:48:58,679 --> 00:49:01,960 is around the three incumbents. I do think that's part of the problem with 743 00:49:02,039 --> 00:49:06,440 him, and I agree with everything you said, is that you can't sign 744 00:49:06,559 --> 00:49:08,840 him to be your point guard and run the offense in that way. Like, 745 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:12,719 yeah, there's the level of he can be that offensive intercessor for you 746 00:49:13,159 --> 00:49:15,719 and help you distribute usage a little bit better. But if you need to 747 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:19,079 slow things down in the half court, run pick and roll, or you 748 00:49:19,119 --> 00:49:22,239 want someone who's gonna try and get to the basket, get to the line, 749 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:25,000 or even just want to score off the dribble, really get into the 750 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:28,719 teeth of the defense, that's not him, And that's fine that it's not 751 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,559 him. I don't it's not We don't need to view him in that context. 752 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:36,360 You do need that type of player next to him otherwise I don't know 753 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:38,599 how valuable he then is to your team, If that makes any sense, 754 00:49:39,079 --> 00:49:43,800 I agree, and I think Kyra Lewis Junior could get there. Eric Bledsoe 755 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,440 was supposed to be that kind of guy but just clearly hasn't been. Like, 756 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:51,280 I think it's pretty clear that those those days are behind him. The 757 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:53,199 bat player might not be on their roster, they might have a tough time 758 00:49:53,239 --> 00:49:59,119 acquiring him. But I don't think that Lonzo Ball is not ever going to 759 00:49:59,119 --> 00:50:01,199 be an All Star. He's not going to be an All NBA figure. 760 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:05,840 He's not a perfect point guard, he's not an all around player. But 761 00:50:06,599 --> 00:50:09,320 if we're talking about like high end role players, low level starters kind of 762 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:14,159 thing, like, I think he absolutely fits the bill in a positive beneficial 763 00:50:14,159 --> 00:50:17,719 way. I'm with you. He's gonna cost twenty plus million dollars this season, 764 00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:21,920 I would I would estimate, and I guess the player we're talking about, 765 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:24,360 they'll probably come closest with. Kyra Lewis is probably the best option. 766 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:27,760 I don't think it's the key. Yeah, I think so. It's probably 767 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:35,000 our next team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, because I'm a buyer. Just 768 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:40,559 nail him everyone. I'm gonna go with Darius Baseley here. It's it's tough 769 00:50:42,159 --> 00:50:46,119 because the Thunder aren't really like trying to win games right now. You know. 770 00:50:46,159 --> 00:50:50,920 I don't know if they're like all out tanking, but they are. 771 00:50:51,079 --> 00:50:53,280 They're they're definitely like playing for the draft picks right now because they don't have 772 00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:58,840 enough of them, and it's given Baseley an opportunity to shine, which he 773 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:02,480 has. He's still not consistent floor spacer, but this is a guy who 774 00:51:02,559 --> 00:51:07,880 has shown some surprising craftiness off the dribble, who has been able to pull 775 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:12,239 down a defensive rebound and go coast to coast. He can attack the basket 776 00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:15,039 and finish with authority. He can hit some pull up shots. He's got 777 00:51:15,079 --> 00:51:20,960 a developing floater game like. He is closer to an all around scorer than 778 00:51:21,039 --> 00:51:25,079 not, and that could even change if he develops any semblance of a three 779 00:51:25,119 --> 00:51:30,679 point shot, which we certain he certainly could based on the improvements we've seen 780 00:51:30,679 --> 00:51:32,920 at the Charity Stripe. The numbers he pulled up put up from the three 781 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:37,480 point arc during his rookie season, Like, I think there's even more to 782 00:51:37,559 --> 00:51:40,320 plumb here, and the Thunders should already be excited about the upside that he's 783 00:51:40,320 --> 00:51:45,360 shown in the second half of his sophomore season. I'm also going with arisbas 784 00:51:45,400 --> 00:51:49,079 Abia. I thought you were gonna go with Moses Brown here. I'm with 785 00:51:49,119 --> 00:51:51,639 everything you just said, and I do think that there's more. You know, 786 00:51:51,679 --> 00:51:53,559 since he's come back from his shoulder injury too, he's been not lights 787 00:51:53,559 --> 00:51:57,360 out. The three point shot is still struggling. He's taking five of them 788 00:51:57,360 --> 00:52:00,679 per game over his last ten. This is since his return, eighteen point 789 00:52:00,679 --> 00:52:02,559 eight points per game though, to assist, and I do think he can. 790 00:52:02,679 --> 00:52:07,880 He will show. He'll continue to show better vision off the dribble and 791 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:12,360 make better decisions because his assisted turnover ratio now is let's just say it's not 792 00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:14,840 great. I think it's really just the polite way to put it. But 793 00:52:14,840 --> 00:52:16,679 some of the shots he's taking inside the arc, the fact that he's almost 794 00:52:16,679 --> 00:52:21,079 a fifty percent of his twos this year would be encouraging for me. He's 795 00:52:21,119 --> 00:52:23,159 improved his finishing around the basket. He really needs to get that in between 796 00:52:23,159 --> 00:52:25,840 game down, and you mentioned his free throw shooting. I think I'm sort 797 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:30,280 of encouraged by This is the second consecutive season where he's been around thirty seven 798 00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:34,159 percent on his long twos. No, those are not a huge part of 799 00:52:34,159 --> 00:52:36,119 his game, but he's shown that he can hit them. And then, 800 00:52:36,159 --> 00:52:39,039 like you said, the three point clip and lower volume as a rookie, 801 00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:43,480 and he's I would say, he's you're gonna use him at the three or 802 00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:46,920 the four long term, I want to see more Darius Basley at the five. 803 00:52:47,559 --> 00:52:52,480 If you want to have you know you're gonna have Poku. There's Moses 804 00:52:52,519 --> 00:52:54,320 Brown as well, So I don't know how many minutes that you're gonna resally 805 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:57,960 want to squeeze him there. I assume how Horford won't be there beyond this 806 00:52:58,039 --> 00:53:00,280 season, but that's something that I think they could go to and will be 807 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:04,280 reasonably interesting, especially if Shay and Lou Dort are on the floor, because 808 00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:07,480 none of that really opens up, especially with Dort how you want to if 809 00:53:07,519 --> 00:53:12,400 you want to mix and match with things defensively. And you considered Shay too, 810 00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:15,039 didn't you. I did, because we talked about him at the last 811 00:53:15,039 --> 00:53:16,199 pot too, So I don't want to go in depth there, but I 812 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:22,039 don't know that people consider him this consensus MAX type player or can he be 813 00:53:22,079 --> 00:53:25,480 the best Can he be the best player on a contender right now? The 814 00:53:25,519 --> 00:53:30,480 answer might be no, But just the efficiency he's juggled with incredibly high usage 815 00:53:30,519 --> 00:53:36,920 on a unfathomably difficult shot selection eighty seven percent. I'll reiterate this, eighty 816 00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:39,639 seven percent of his made baskets have been unassisted, which is the highest mark 817 00:53:39,719 --> 00:53:44,400 in the league among four hundred and twenty five plus players who have appeared in 818 00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:46,639 at least fifteen games. And that's still a dude who was shooting better than 819 00:53:46,679 --> 00:53:51,239 forty percent from three, almost fifty five percent from two. I think he's 820 00:53:51,239 --> 00:53:52,480 at like fifty four point three percent. I don't have his numbers in front 821 00:53:52,480 --> 00:53:55,880 of me and doing that for memory, So I think he is that player. 822 00:53:55,920 --> 00:54:00,440 Maybe not immediately right now, but he's on that trajectory base off what 823 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:04,400 we've seen this season, and I wouldn't hesitate to give him a MAX extension. 824 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:07,480 And just a quick shout out to Moses Brown, He's basically Will Chamberlain, 825 00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:12,599 So maybe maybe better on defense than Will. Yeah, I don't I 826 00:54:12,599 --> 00:54:15,719 don't know that he's quite the squoer will. It was like we might only 827 00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:17,800 see a ninety point game out of him at some point, but like pretty 828 00:54:17,800 --> 00:54:23,599 similar players. Yeah, after the Oklahoma City Thunder, we have the Phoenix 829 00:54:23,639 --> 00:54:27,880 Suns, which is a team that I get to start off with. I'm 830 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,360 going with Tory Craig here, and he probably there was a seamless transition. 831 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:37,119 By the way, you're welcome. I cannot believe that they got him for 832 00:54:37,159 --> 00:54:40,159 free except for cash. That there was cash that they Phoenix sent to Milwaukee. 833 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:43,440 And he's not No, I want to make this clear. He's not 834 00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:45,719 averaging like fifteen points a game, and I'll be curious to see how his 835 00:54:45,719 --> 00:54:50,159 efficiency holds up in the playoffs. But they're using him, and they're using 836 00:54:50,199 --> 00:54:52,679 him in a way where it's not just because abdiel Nader has been injured. 837 00:54:52,079 --> 00:54:55,239 They've just actually leaned on him. He does a lot for them defensively, 838 00:54:55,280 --> 00:55:00,760 and then I've been very impressed with what he's done on offen for them, 839 00:55:00,800 --> 00:55:04,159 thirty nine point six percent from three in Phoenix, two point four attempts per 840 00:55:04,199 --> 00:55:07,079 game, so not a ton and he's gonna be left open in the playoffs 841 00:55:07,119 --> 00:55:08,920 if he's on the floor, so he has to hit those if you want 842 00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:13,880 to keep him on the floor. He's a he's a pretty good cutter, 843 00:55:13,960 --> 00:55:16,159 and then he will also he scored a little bit on drives too. He 844 00:55:16,159 --> 00:55:20,079 can do a little bit with the ball in his hands. And then he 845 00:55:20,280 --> 00:55:22,639 was, uh, you know, he's someone who can give you just put 846 00:55:22,639 --> 00:55:27,239 back from the wing, putbacks from the wing position. I haven't seen a 847 00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:30,920 I don't see many wings crash the offensive glass like he does. And that's 848 00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:34,599 always been kind of a he's done it, but been an understated part of 849 00:55:34,599 --> 00:55:37,159 his game, and he doesn't do it in a way that compromises you getting 850 00:55:37,159 --> 00:55:39,360 back on defense. I don't think it's not him really chasing offensive rebounds. 851 00:55:39,559 --> 00:55:43,440 He just seems to be there, or he knows when there's open lanes and 852 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:46,559 how he can follow someone else's shot or his own shot, and that's super 853 00:55:46,639 --> 00:55:50,920 valuable. And I think he made to get back to what he's able to 854 00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:55,159 do cutting. He was thirteen of thirteen on cuts to start his Phoenix tenure. 855 00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:59,000 This is someone who can be used in more than one way offensively, 856 00:55:59,000 --> 00:56:01,559 and then knowing on the upside, would he gives you on defense, which 857 00:56:01,599 --> 00:56:07,719 is I would say he's going to defend three positions one through three, and 858 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:09,559 I can give you some minutes against fours. I actually think they've even played 859 00:56:09,639 --> 00:56:13,320 him against some fives. I'm not saying you can defend all five positions, 860 00:56:13,599 --> 00:56:16,199 but that's a ton of versatility right there. He could end up being sneaky 861 00:56:16,280 --> 00:56:19,719 huge for them in the playoffs, especially if it's a game where they want 862 00:56:19,719 --> 00:56:22,920 to downsize because Aton's maybe not playing well and perhaps they don't trust starts just 863 00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:28,079 defensively because he's been better than I expected on D this season. But I 864 00:56:28,119 --> 00:56:30,920 think he can get you know, teams can get by him if they're going 865 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:32,760 to be aggressive in the half court, and if those teams are small enough. 866 00:56:34,119 --> 00:56:37,119 Tory Craig's last Jay Crowder in the front court. Maybe Cam Johnson's on 867 00:56:37,159 --> 00:56:39,159 the floor to another underrated guy by the way, I think people view him 868 00:56:39,159 --> 00:56:44,320 as a shooter. He's held up defensively as well in his first two seasons, 869 00:56:44,599 --> 00:56:46,880 but Tory Craig is the pick for me. I think Cam Johnson is 870 00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:51,480 more than held up defensively, like he's been an actual asset on the defensive 871 00:56:51,599 --> 00:56:54,199 end and capable of even manning the five and some small ball lineups. I 872 00:56:54,199 --> 00:56:59,360 think what helps is they've been very strategic about who they're putting him on, 873 00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:02,039 which I think him for sure favor, but that's I'm not trying to take 874 00:57:02,039 --> 00:57:06,440 away from him. Oh and I'll wait for you to say who you picked 875 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:08,719 so that I can explain why I didn't pick him very quickly because he is 876 00:57:08,760 --> 00:57:13,800 my brand. Do you want me to just let you do that before I 877 00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:15,719 give my justification or do you want to go after Hill the name because you 878 00:57:15,719 --> 00:57:20,440 didn't reveal it yet? Okay, Well, you can talk about mckail Bridges 879 00:57:20,480 --> 00:57:23,440 now. I think he's graduated from this. I named him the most underrated 880 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:28,239 player in the NBA last season, and I just think he's good enough to 881 00:57:28,239 --> 00:57:30,639 have graduated from that. I don't think he's fully appreciated yet, but what 882 00:57:30,679 --> 00:57:34,159 Tory Craig has done, and knowing Adam was going to give him some love 883 00:57:34,320 --> 00:57:37,239 anyway. And the only thing I'll add there is that we haven't done our 884 00:57:37,239 --> 00:57:40,400 award yet. But I'm pretty sure I'm putting him on all defense this year. 885 00:57:40,440 --> 00:57:45,400 I'm not sure about you. I would as well, and that's part 886 00:57:45,400 --> 00:57:49,760 of why I want to have him here. I think he's definitely more appreciated 887 00:57:49,840 --> 00:57:53,239 now than he was last season. Craig might objectively be a better choice, 888 00:57:53,639 --> 00:57:57,480 but in keeping with what seems to becoming our tradition here, I'll go at 889 00:57:57,480 --> 00:58:00,840 the higher end underrated player. You know, you hear Chris Paul now getting 890 00:58:01,039 --> 00:58:07,440 MVP chants in opposing arenas and you know, probably erroneously being mentioned in the 891 00:58:07,559 --> 00:58:10,639 MVP conversation. Devin Booker is still going to get so much attention in Phoenix 892 00:58:10,639 --> 00:58:15,440 because he's Devin Booker. But Mckillbridges has really been a glue holding this team 893 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:20,559 together throughout the entire season. He's continuing to develop the diversity of his game 894 00:58:20,679 --> 00:58:25,599 on offense, his switchability and just overall defensive ferocity should get him a place 895 00:58:25,719 --> 00:58:29,679 on one of the all defensive teams this season, which I now know you 896 00:58:29,760 --> 00:58:34,360 agree with. And he's also become a very reliable three point shooter, which 897 00:58:34,800 --> 00:58:38,880 is a must for wings in today's game on these championship caliber teams, especially 898 00:58:38,920 --> 00:58:43,280 because you're going to play with some big men who aren't always spacing the floor. 899 00:58:43,559 --> 00:58:46,159 So I cherry picked the ever loving shit out of this stat just to 900 00:58:46,239 --> 00:58:52,320 be clear, but there are only two players in the NBA who are averaging 901 00:58:52,360 --> 00:58:55,559 at least zero point eight steals, zero point eight blocks, shooting forty percent 902 00:58:55,639 --> 00:59:00,239 from three on at least four attempts per game. And those two are Hill 903 00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:04,239 Bridges Shocker right, and Danny Green, who is like basically viewed as the 904 00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:08,039 prototypical three and d wing over the last decade, so like he kind of 905 00:59:08,039 --> 00:59:12,360 fits that role now. Yeah, and look, he's a fantastic cutter. 906 00:59:12,400 --> 00:59:15,400 He's shown that he can give you some secondary playmaking. Doesn't need to as 907 00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:17,480 much this season, but specifically last year. When you're looking at it, 908 00:59:17,719 --> 00:59:22,079 you're not going to catch any arguments for me. He is extension eligible this 909 00:59:22,159 --> 00:59:24,199 season, and we saw that OG got four years and seventy two million. 910 00:59:24,519 --> 00:59:28,519 I would guess that he waited for restricted free agency, he probably would have 911 00:59:28,559 --> 00:59:32,760 gotten closer to four years and ninety million or somewhere around there. I'm curiously 912 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:36,719 what happens with Michael Bridges, because my bet would be if he signs an 913 00:59:36,719 --> 00:59:40,280 extension, it's because Phoenix offered him substantially more than OG got from the Raptors. 914 00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:45,679 Yeah, I just I just pray that Phoenix does not let him go 915 00:59:46,199 --> 00:59:51,960 at any point in the foreseeable future because he is He's just so vital to 916 00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:55,400 the outside of this team. This next team was tough, the Portland trail 917 00:59:55,440 --> 00:59:59,679 Brozers. Who did you have for tough alphabetically or tough to choose one? 918 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:02,039 It was tough alphabetically because I really wanted to skip the ps and go right 919 01:00:02,039 --> 01:00:07,679 to the Kings. But here we are. I'm proud of you. I 920 01:00:07,719 --> 01:00:13,400 went with Ennis Cantor. I think it's funny once you do this exercise for 921 01:00:13,480 --> 01:00:16,719 both conferences, and we both put a ton of thought into these selections, 922 01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:22,440 and just like trying to pick the best player, not necessarily the most popular 923 01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:28,519 answer, I feel like you discover some tendencies about who your picks are going 924 01:00:28,599 --> 01:00:35,840 to be, and mine often seemed to be players where the national discourse focuses 925 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:37,880 more on what they can't do than what they can do. And I think 926 01:00:37,920 --> 01:00:45,920 if there is one emblematic person of that discrepancy, it's Ennis Cantor, because 927 01:00:45,239 --> 01:00:49,840 all you hear is like, this guy can't play defense, he doesn't have 928 01:00:49,840 --> 01:00:53,360 shooting range. He has held back teams in the past, and that that 929 01:00:53,480 --> 01:00:58,960 comes at the expense of the things he does really really well, which is 930 01:00:59,239 --> 01:01:01,119 rebound the bass the ball, especially on the offensive end. Of the court 931 01:01:01,159 --> 01:01:06,840 where he creates so many second chance opportunities, and he's a really gifted scorer 932 01:01:07,159 --> 01:01:09,480 around the hoop. He does not often miss two point attempts. He can 933 01:01:09,480 --> 01:01:14,239 make them in a wide variety of ways, and he's fairly matchup proof on 934 01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:16,480 the offensive end of the floor, Like there's no one player you can put 935 01:01:16,519 --> 01:01:20,559 against Enna's canter and know that you're going to keep him from getting twenty and 936 01:01:20,639 --> 01:01:24,360 ten if he's given the requisite minutes to do that. If you give him 937 01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:29,440 a more physical defender, he can shim me his way around. If you 938 01:01:29,519 --> 01:01:32,000 put a more versatile defender on him, he can just overpower them. So 939 01:01:32,280 --> 01:01:37,519 this year, the Portland Trailblazers are four point seven points per one hundred possessions 940 01:01:37,559 --> 01:01:40,079 better with him on the floor than they are without him. The Boston Celtics 941 01:01:40,079 --> 01:01:45,480 saw similar trend last year. So this is just another one of those players 942 01:01:45,559 --> 01:01:50,239 where I wish we didn't focus on the flaws because it prevents us from appreciating 943 01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:55,679 the really extreme strengths. Can I go with April Aberny Simmons and I'm in 944 01:01:55,760 --> 01:02:00,400 lockstep with you, where the only thing that I think Scanner has done wrong 945 01:02:00,480 --> 01:02:05,400 this season is let Terry Stotts play him next to Carmelo Anthony in some of 946 01:02:05,400 --> 01:02:07,800 those second units earlier. I don't think that those have been staple minutes of 947 01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:10,280 late, but he's been been great for them. He can be a terror 948 01:02:10,280 --> 01:02:13,639 in the post, like he said, but he always seems to defend just 949 01:02:13,679 --> 01:02:15,280 a little bit better in Portland and I don't think he's been great this year, 950 01:02:15,280 --> 01:02:19,159 but relative to the rest of his career. Maybe I'm just harkening back 951 01:02:19,159 --> 01:02:22,000 to his first in Portland a couple of years ago. Can I go with 952 01:02:22,280 --> 01:02:25,599 the month of April and Anthony Simons, which is his I've heard he can 953 01:02:25,639 --> 01:02:29,280 make like nine threes in a row, right, and it's I don't know 954 01:02:29,320 --> 01:02:31,239 if you remember, but it's rookie season. He had that game towards the 955 01:02:31,320 --> 01:02:35,440 end of the regular season with against the Kings where he just went off, 956 01:02:35,480 --> 01:02:37,519 and that's why a lot of people decided that he was, you know, 957 01:02:38,039 --> 01:02:43,320 a long term building block or untouchable and could be someone that was going to 958 01:02:43,360 --> 01:02:46,239 be really good for the Blazers. Has a true shooting percentage over sixty in 959 01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:51,079 the month of April for his career. I thought about also that was a 960 01:02:51,159 --> 01:02:52,960 joke, but it also kind of wasn't. I think Robert Covington belongs here 961 01:02:52,960 --> 01:02:57,360 a little bit too, can play bigger than he actually is, and he's 962 01:02:57,400 --> 01:03:01,320 quietly shooting almost thirty eight percent from this year. He's not the best one 963 01:03:01,320 --> 01:03:05,400 on one defender, but he's a really good defender. A good team defender 964 01:03:05,400 --> 01:03:07,760 is going to get deflections away from the ball. He can force the ball 965 01:03:07,760 --> 01:03:10,320 out of guy's hands. I don't know how comfortable you feel if he's your 966 01:03:10,760 --> 01:03:14,320 you know, if he's your top man guy, where you have to put 967 01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:19,760 him on the highest usage person night in and night out. That's something that 968 01:03:19,800 --> 01:03:23,159 Portland has basically had to do. He's their most frequent I believe I would 969 01:03:23,159 --> 01:03:27,639 have to check that most frequent defender against number one options. I don't know 970 01:03:27,639 --> 01:03:30,440 how cut out for he is for that. He's not the reason that Portland's 971 01:03:30,440 --> 01:03:32,119 defense has been as bad as it is, which is also why use of 972 01:03:32,199 --> 01:03:35,960 Narkige might belong here. They're defensive minutes with him on the court have not 973 01:03:36,079 --> 01:03:38,960 been terrible, and so I think that you could easily make the case for 974 01:03:39,519 --> 01:03:43,800 him. Didn't start the year so hot, but even just through all like 975 01:03:43,840 --> 01:03:46,360 the wonkiness on offense and is he moving right on defense earlier. Since he's 976 01:03:46,400 --> 01:03:51,519 come back, he's been mostly stellar for them, and just looking at the 977 01:03:51,559 --> 01:03:54,719 on off splits for him defensively, they really do work in his favor. 978 01:03:54,840 --> 01:03:58,800 So they're a bunch of I guess different. I would say Derick Jones Jr. 979 01:03:58,840 --> 01:04:01,320 Feels fairly underappreciated by Portland, at least because we saw Ron Hollis Jefferson 980 01:04:01,320 --> 01:04:05,159 get so many minutes and the fact that he's still just in the pecking order 981 01:04:05,199 --> 01:04:09,400 that far behind Carmelo Anthony. In certain situations, I would say, like 982 01:04:09,440 --> 01:04:12,840 you just shouldn't be afraid to leave Mellow on the bench and crunch time. 983 01:04:13,559 --> 01:04:15,239 But this was a tough team for me. I think you picked the right 984 01:04:15,320 --> 01:04:19,159 player though that Ennis Canner is still viewed as this memorable player on defense and 985 01:04:19,199 --> 01:04:25,880 he's been something so much more, especially to this team on offense. Let's 986 01:04:25,920 --> 01:04:31,480 move on to the Sacramento Kings. I had Rashaun Holmes here. We've talked 987 01:04:31,480 --> 01:04:34,599 about him a lot on this podcast, so I don't know if he necessarily 988 01:04:34,679 --> 01:04:39,760 is still considered underrated, but there's been talk about are the King's going to 989 01:04:39,800 --> 01:04:43,599 be able to keep him with his early bird rights where they would be allowed 990 01:04:43,639 --> 01:04:45,199 to before they have to create cap space, paying about ten million a year. 991 01:04:46,000 --> 01:04:49,360 I think he's gonna come AHND, substantially more than that. He's been 992 01:04:49,400 --> 01:04:53,159 great this season. Gives you a little bit of everything. On offense, 993 01:04:53,159 --> 01:04:57,679 I'd like to actually see them let him, you know, explore shooting threes. 994 01:04:58,559 --> 01:05:00,679 I think that's a part. I can't remember it was Philly or Phoenix, 995 01:05:00,679 --> 01:05:02,559 but he hinted at that part of his game. Still solid role man. 996 01:05:02,679 --> 01:05:08,159 We know he's still shooting one trillion percent on his floaters. He is 997 01:05:08,199 --> 01:05:11,800 thirty three of thirty nine in transition this year. That's eighty four point six 998 01:05:12,199 --> 01:05:16,000 six percent. And the way he moves in the half court two it's like 999 01:05:16,079 --> 01:05:19,400 he's probably not the strongest roller in the NBA, but he knows how to 1000 01:05:19,480 --> 01:05:25,639 navigate traffic and it's like he glides essentially, and he gives you there's mobility. 1001 01:05:25,679 --> 01:05:28,840 On defense, He's not going to anchor a great defense, but opponents 1002 01:05:28,840 --> 01:05:31,639 are shooting under fifty three percent against him at the rim. That's an ultra 1003 01:05:31,719 --> 01:05:35,400 solid number when he's contesting seven point one attempts per game, and he could 1004 01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:39,599 be pulled out of the paint and hold his own there He's more of an 1005 01:05:39,599 --> 01:05:43,119 all around player than he receives credit for. And I think if the Kings 1006 01:05:43,199 --> 01:05:45,280 let him walk, it'll be a mistake given that they didn't move him at 1007 01:05:45,280 --> 01:05:48,960 the deadline, because I you know, if someone gives him twenty million dollars 1008 01:05:49,000 --> 01:05:51,800 a year, Okay, I get it, would you pay figure out how 1009 01:05:51,800 --> 01:05:56,000 to pay Rashaun Holmes fifteen million a year? I absolutely would. The problem 1010 01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:00,000 with them is they have to move somebody to make that happen. I think 1011 01:06:00,000 --> 01:06:03,320 Grishawn Holmes is the objectively correct answer here. He's not going to be my 1012 01:06:03,400 --> 01:06:06,960 choice simply because there is not much I can add beyond you, who I 1013 01:06:08,000 --> 01:06:13,079 consider the Internet's foremost expert on all things Rishawn Holmes. So I'm gonna just 1014 01:06:13,119 --> 01:06:15,679 go with a personal favorite here and pick Robert Woodard, the second, who 1015 01:06:15,679 --> 01:06:20,960 has only appeared in eleven games during his rookie season for a grand total of 1016 01:06:20,960 --> 01:06:25,559 twenty nine minutes. That's after he was the fourtieth overall pick in the twenty 1017 01:06:25,559 --> 01:06:30,679 twenty NBA draft. For me, he's the choice simply because he hasn't gotten 1018 01:06:30,719 --> 01:06:34,320 the opportunity I think he deserves. No. Obviously, he hasn't shown anything 1019 01:06:34,320 --> 01:06:39,039 in the NBA yet to justify that. But this is a guy coming out 1020 01:06:39,039 --> 01:06:42,679 of Mississippi State. I genuinely thought he should be considered in the lottery. 1021 01:06:43,440 --> 01:06:46,840 I view him as just this really high end three nd wing kind of in 1022 01:06:46,880 --> 01:06:51,039 like the PJ. Tucker Robert Covington kind of mold. But there's also some 1023 01:06:51,079 --> 01:06:56,920 offensive upside, you know. I've seen some like flashes of Tobias Harris like 1024 01:06:57,079 --> 01:07:00,840 offense, just that three level scoring, that smooth ediness with the ball in 1025 01:07:00,880 --> 01:07:02,880 your hands, that quick rise and fire to his game. I think there's 1026 01:07:02,920 --> 01:07:06,400 a lot more here, and I just want the Sacramento Kings to at least 1027 01:07:06,400 --> 01:07:10,039 give him a chance to show it. And it just doesn't seem like we're 1028 01:07:10,039 --> 01:07:14,280 going to because we've already entered the portion of the year where you typically get 1029 01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:17,119 flyers on these guys. Maybe it's because the Kings are still trying to position 1030 01:07:17,159 --> 01:07:21,199 themselves as best they can for the playoff race, even though that might not 1031 01:07:21,440 --> 01:07:26,920 be the smartest decision, but it would be very kingsy. So I just 1032 01:07:27,119 --> 01:07:30,639 I want to see more from him. I think he'll get his shot next 1033 01:07:30,679 --> 01:07:32,119 year, and I don't know if that's me predicting that they'll kind of steer 1034 01:07:32,159 --> 01:07:35,480 into a rebuild just because I could see them kind of tearing it down a 1035 01:07:35,519 --> 01:07:41,760 little bit. But yeah, they don't have a ton of wing prospects. 1036 01:07:41,800 --> 01:07:45,719 There there's Harrison Barnes, and then I don't know that I would consider Harrison 1037 01:07:45,719 --> 01:07:48,480 Barnes a wing prospect someone who could play the three though, I know, 1038 01:07:48,920 --> 01:07:54,760 I know, yeah, no, there really are not many options that brings 1039 01:07:54,840 --> 01:07:58,920 us to the San Antonio Spurs. Who did you have? Yeah, I 1040 01:07:58,960 --> 01:08:02,119 know you don't typically like having rookies in this kind of conversation, but I'm 1041 01:08:02,159 --> 01:08:10,039 actually going to go with my second straight rookie, with Devin Vassell. Yeah, 1042 01:08:10,119 --> 01:08:14,079 I mean, he's he's another just premier three and D candidate. You 1043 01:08:14,079 --> 01:08:17,439 can already tell how advanced his defensive tools are, even you know, even 1044 01:08:17,479 --> 01:08:24,800 when he's surrounded by what isn't the greatest defensive team, like he's immensely involved 1045 01:08:25,279 --> 01:08:29,119 on that end. His ability to poke his hands into passing lanes to disrupt 1046 01:08:29,199 --> 01:08:33,880 careless ball handlers, like you see these advanced traits from him which typically should 1047 01:08:33,920 --> 01:08:39,079 not be present in a rookie who won't turn twenty one until late August. 1048 01:08:39,479 --> 01:08:43,319 And then you pair that with the three point shooting that we pretty much knew 1049 01:08:43,359 --> 01:08:46,159 would translate, but it's always affirming to actually see it translate. So you 1050 01:08:46,199 --> 01:08:48,960 know, he's only taking two point three three's per game, but he's hitting 1051 01:08:48,960 --> 01:08:53,039 thirty nine point one percent of them. Pair those two skills together and you 1052 01:08:53,079 --> 01:08:57,159 get a rookie who should be talked about a lot more, particularly in a 1053 01:08:57,319 --> 01:09:00,640 not great rookie class. You never I mean, he's not a win Rookie 1054 01:09:00,640 --> 01:09:02,359 of the Year. He's only averaging five points per game, but you just 1055 01:09:02,479 --> 01:09:08,640 don't even hear his name come up in conversations about the best rookies in this 1056 01:09:08,720 --> 01:09:14,800 class, and it should. Yeah, he's going to be very good for 1057 01:09:14,840 --> 01:09:18,199 them. There's they are almost they have two. I'm surprised he hasn't played 1058 01:09:18,199 --> 01:09:21,199 more this year. There's almost too many. Maybe with the Derek White injury 1059 01:09:21,199 --> 01:09:26,079 now that will change. There's almost too many perimeter options on San Antonio. 1060 01:09:26,159 --> 01:09:27,920 Now, maybe they get rid of one of them and the rows in this 1061 01:09:27,960 --> 01:09:30,920 season and then gays aswell free agent. But between Lonnie Walker, who I 1062 01:09:30,960 --> 01:09:34,560 can't figure that dude out. Do you have a feel for whatna Walker is 1063 01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:38,560 gonna be? I've got nothing. I miss his head. It depends on 1064 01:09:38,600 --> 01:09:45,039 the night tremendously. But yeah, between Kelton Johnson probably the most reckless driver 1065 01:09:45,119 --> 01:09:46,439 in the league still and I absolutely love it. And then even having just 1066 01:09:46,520 --> 01:09:49,600 Jonathan Murray in there, who can play is not just a point guard. 1067 01:09:49,840 --> 01:09:54,399 Looking at his size, I'm interesting more from Devin of as sound. I 1068 01:09:54,439 --> 01:09:58,319 hope we get it next year. I think he Do you think he has 1069 01:09:58,359 --> 01:10:00,560 more ball skills to offer. He's gonna be really good defensively. He's also 1070 01:10:00,600 --> 01:10:03,039 gonna keep the ball moving and he's gonna shoot well from threes. Do you 1071 01:10:03,079 --> 01:10:05,640 think he has any more to plumb on offense with the ball in his sad 1072 01:10:05,720 --> 01:10:09,840 I don't. I don't. I think that he's going to top out as 1073 01:10:09,840 --> 01:10:12,920 a guy who's averaging like ten to twelve points per game, but it is 1074 01:10:12,920 --> 01:10:15,319 still like one of the most valuable players in the NBA in that scoring tier. 1075 01:10:16,279 --> 01:10:18,479 Yeah, I don't think he's gonna be able to get to a mccale 1076 01:10:18,520 --> 01:10:21,600 bridge's level of handling the ball or even a Sadik Bay at this point. 1077 01:10:23,159 --> 01:10:25,479 I'd be curious to see what happens if they tried to de plumb that a 1078 01:10:25,520 --> 01:10:29,840 little bit, a little bit more. I have Yacca Peartle, who quietly 1079 01:10:29,920 --> 01:10:31,760 by the way his free throw shooting this has not been Que's been terrible this 1080 01:10:31,840 --> 01:10:34,479 year. He's an eighty five point seven percent from the foul line over his 1081 01:10:34,560 --> 01:10:41,399 last ten games. So shout out to Yacca Peurtle who before that was a 1082 01:10:41,439 --> 01:10:45,520 disaster from the foul line. What was he before his last ten games forty 1083 01:10:45,560 --> 01:10:47,880 point four percent, So he has more than doubled his accuracy from the foul 1084 01:10:47,880 --> 01:10:51,760 line over his last ten games. Solid rim protector can move fairly well, 1085 01:10:53,319 --> 01:10:56,279 really good screener. If he watched when the Spurs play, like there might 1086 01:10:56,319 --> 01:11:00,600 be possessions where he sets like three four different screens on the same and play. 1087 01:11:00,920 --> 01:11:03,760 He is third. This is something I didn't know leading into this podcast 1088 01:11:03,800 --> 01:11:06,720 until I started looking at stuff for this podcast. Excuse me. He is 1089 01:11:06,800 --> 01:11:13,840 third and assists screen assist points per game. That's really impressive. I'm not 1090 01:11:13,880 --> 01:11:17,600 trying to second. What's that who's first and second? And in that category? 1091 01:11:18,119 --> 01:11:20,640 I should have left that page up. Oh I have it up still. 1092 01:11:20,960 --> 01:11:27,520 Sabonis is first, a second and Rudy Gobert's first. He is fourth 1093 01:11:27,560 --> 01:11:30,239 when you look at just as cists, but he sets screens really far out. 1094 01:11:30,239 --> 01:11:32,039 Eighton's in front of him. If you look at just screen screen assists 1095 01:11:32,039 --> 01:11:35,399 buy a hair, he's also he's going to crash the offensive glass for you. 1096 01:11:35,479 --> 01:11:40,159 I also think that he's a better roll man than we've seen this season. 1097 01:11:40,520 --> 01:11:43,159 Some of the lineups I think he's played in have not been conducive to 1098 01:11:43,239 --> 01:11:45,960 him scoring a ton of points out of the pick and roll of teams are 1099 01:11:45,960 --> 01:11:48,399 probably also fouling him more because they know that these sucks at the free throw 1100 01:11:48,479 --> 01:11:53,319 line too. But with the type of spacing the Spurs can surround him with, 1101 01:11:53,439 --> 01:11:55,640 or with the lineup structure they have can surround him with. I think 1102 01:11:55,680 --> 01:11:57,840 he's someone who, in addition to being able to hit you off as a 1103 01:11:57,880 --> 01:12:00,479 glass for you, he's still going to be a valuable role man, but 1104 01:12:00,560 --> 01:12:02,840 just his screening is going to open up a lot of opportunities for his teammates. 1105 01:12:02,840 --> 01:12:06,479 And they look I don't want to celebrate them, for I would argue, 1106 01:12:06,640 --> 01:12:10,159 you know, they ended up underpaying him and restricted free agency, but 1107 01:12:10,199 --> 01:12:14,560 that ends up being like a really good value contract now where it was effectively 1108 01:12:14,760 --> 01:12:16,760 it was a three years and twenty seven million I think is what they gave 1109 01:12:16,840 --> 01:12:20,479 him. That's I think that's fantastic value for him for them. For that, 1110 01:12:20,600 --> 01:12:25,279 I would also be remiss not to just give a quick shout to Damarta 1111 01:12:25,359 --> 01:12:29,680 Rozen. I didn't ultimately choose him for the Spurs, but like, this 1112 01:12:29,760 --> 01:12:33,239 is a guy despite receiving All Star consideration, I think that he is. 1113 01:12:33,319 --> 01:12:40,199 Also he's been too much of a lightning rod in debates between analytics and the 1114 01:12:40,239 --> 01:12:44,479 eye test to kind of escape that reputation. But he's been free to play 1115 01:12:44,520 --> 01:12:47,640 his brand of basketball and it has been marvelous. Like this dude is just 1116 01:12:47,680 --> 01:12:54,079 such a gifted score. I've really enjoyed watching him, even if he's not 1117 01:12:54,600 --> 01:12:58,720 contributing to a winning team this year. He's just he's a joy to watch 1118 01:12:58,760 --> 01:13:01,960 when he's free to be himself off and not pigeonholed into a role that isn't 1119 01:13:02,159 --> 01:13:06,479 perfectly ideal for him. Yeah, that's a good that's a great shout out 1120 01:13:06,479 --> 01:13:10,079 for him. I not to ring his free agency. I think he can 1121 01:13:10,079 --> 01:13:12,479 help a team if he leaves the Spurs. You don't want to tailor your 1122 01:13:12,520 --> 01:13:15,079 offense around him, but he's everyone makes a big deal on the shot profile. 1123 01:13:15,119 --> 01:13:17,960 He's a fantastic playmaker, and still he's a bucket. He's just a 1124 01:13:17,960 --> 01:13:21,600 bucket. He's a better playmaker now that he's ever been too. That gives 1125 01:13:21,600 --> 01:13:25,239 me more confidence now that, like, you know, we've we've all heard 1126 01:13:25,239 --> 01:13:29,479 about the consistently negative net rating swings and whatnot for him, but like he 1127 01:13:29,520 --> 01:13:32,000 can make a team better in the right role, especially now that he's developed 1128 01:13:32,000 --> 01:13:35,319 those skills because he's been able to right. And the other thing is like 1129 01:13:35,359 --> 01:13:38,640 a lot of those splits. I mean, he had some of those problems 1130 01:13:38,640 --> 01:13:42,239 in Toronto, but a lot of the starting lineups he's been in, if 1131 01:13:42,319 --> 01:13:45,479 not fair so well while he's been in in San Antonio. Anyway, we 1132 01:13:45,520 --> 01:13:49,279 are on too. Can I go perfect fifteen for fifteen the Toronto rapp I 1133 01:13:49,279 --> 01:13:57,239 think, so, oh, you're so close to the Atlanta office. Utah 1134 01:13:57,439 --> 01:14:00,159 I had, Yeah, it's me that's starting correct. Yeah, I had 1135 01:14:00,279 --> 01:14:03,439 utah here. I had Joe Ingles here. Excuse me, I had utah 1136 01:14:03,439 --> 01:14:06,039 here. I want every want to know that that wasn't so much of a 1137 01:14:06,159 --> 01:14:10,760 mistake. Joe Ingles I think has to be a pick. And we were 1138 01:14:10,800 --> 01:14:14,239 talking about this before we jumped on the pod. The reason why, or 1139 01:14:14,279 --> 01:14:16,479 one of the primary reasons why, is he's a six Man of the Year 1140 01:14:16,479 --> 01:14:20,800 candidate, but he's not being identified as the winner on his own team. 1141 01:14:20,840 --> 01:14:25,840 That's been mostly or that's been almost entirely. I think he's starting to get 1142 01:14:25,880 --> 01:14:30,239 a little bit more. There's been more rumblings for him, but I don't, 1143 01:14:30,279 --> 01:14:33,159 you know, it's still Jordan Clarkson and so many people's eyes, and 1144 01:14:33,199 --> 01:14:38,399 he sort of faded as the season has gone has gone on, and Joe 1145 01:14:38,479 --> 01:14:42,000 Ingles has just not. He is having and I don't say this with I 1146 01:14:42,079 --> 01:14:46,439 perbly one of the most efficient seasons in NBA history. He has this year. 1147 01:14:46,640 --> 01:14:53,199 Specifically, he leaves the league in true shooting percentage among players who qualified 1148 01:14:53,199 --> 01:14:57,239 for the field goal percentage leaderboard, seventy point two true shooting. And this 1149 01:14:57,279 --> 01:15:00,800 is someone who is taking three hundred three and thirty nine three so far as 1150 01:15:00,840 --> 01:15:04,239 we record this, so he's not living at the basket. Forty seven point 1151 01:15:04,279 --> 01:15:09,600 eight percent from three fifty nine point two percent from two. He's just ahead 1152 01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:12,319 of Rudy Gobert, who ranks two in this. Normally you see Biggs, 1153 01:15:13,000 --> 01:15:15,479 you know, maybe because you're adding free throw shooting in there, it gets 1154 01:15:15,479 --> 01:15:17,119 a little iffy, but like this is something that you would expect to see 1155 01:15:17,119 --> 01:15:20,840 more Bigs. Just look at the other top you know ten, Rashaun Holmes 1156 01:15:20,880 --> 01:15:25,800 is fifth, Jared Allen is third, Rudy Gobert's second, Mantras Harrold's ninth, 1157 01:15:25,800 --> 01:15:28,399 because Zion is tenth. Those are the names that you would expect to 1158 01:15:28,439 --> 01:15:32,159 see. Joe Angles is a number freaking one. Here's the other thing that's 1159 01:15:32,199 --> 01:15:39,119 crazy. There are on There's one player in NBA history who's ever averaged more 1160 01:15:39,159 --> 01:15:43,800 than fifteen points and five assists per thirty six minutes while matching or exceeding Joe 1161 01:15:43,800 --> 01:15:45,600 Angles is affective field goal percentage, which, for anyone who doesn't know that's 1162 01:15:45,600 --> 01:15:47,960 going to be a measure of both is two point and three point shooting. 1163 01:15:49,039 --> 01:15:55,640 Who is it? I have no clue whatsoever. It's probably gonna be something 1164 01:15:55,680 --> 01:16:00,560 like Michael Jordan, Will Chamberlain, all right, that is, And look 1165 01:16:00,960 --> 01:16:04,600 like the Moses Brown is obviously better than Joe Ingles to the transitive property now 1166 01:16:04,920 --> 01:16:08,279 right. And look, Moses Brown is going to eventually make this list. 1167 01:16:08,319 --> 01:16:11,920 I think we can all agree, and he'll probably do it while averaging almost 1168 01:16:11,960 --> 01:16:15,279 as many points as Will did in sixty six sixty seven. So he's soon 1169 01:16:15,319 --> 01:16:17,520 to be here. But I look, and look these are I didn't so 1170 01:16:17,600 --> 01:16:20,479 much cherry picked them fifteen and five for thirty six. Really, isn't that 1171 01:16:20,640 --> 01:16:25,560 ridiculous of a benchmark? The efficiency it's different than like point eight steals and 1172 01:16:25,560 --> 01:16:29,000 point eight blocks. Yeah, I would say so maybe maybe a little bit. 1173 01:16:29,079 --> 01:16:31,800 Yeah, that wasn't so much cherry picked as like you actually designed it. 1174 01:16:32,359 --> 01:16:35,319 You couldn't even select it. You had to invent that. That is 1175 01:16:35,359 --> 01:16:40,359 still just he's having one of the most efficient seasons in every A history for 1176 01:16:40,399 --> 01:16:44,399 a perimeter player. That's and that's you could say that that shouldn't be controversial. 1177 01:16:44,600 --> 01:16:47,720 He would be my pick for six Man of the Year right now mine 1178 01:16:47,720 --> 01:16:53,039 too. Do you think do you think he gets it? No, definitely 1179 01:16:53,079 --> 01:16:57,439 not. Jordan Clarkson alone is going to siphon off too many boats. That's 1180 01:16:57,600 --> 01:17:00,560 cannibalizing it from each other. We kind of get beyond. The people laughed 1181 01:17:00,560 --> 01:17:01,680 at me when he picked. I thought that he is young. This was 1182 01:17:01,720 --> 01:17:03,760 earlier in the season. I want to make it clear. It was just 1183 01:17:03,800 --> 01:17:08,920 when Jordan Clarkson had kind of like he was he'd climaxed and now was his 1184 01:17:08,960 --> 01:17:11,800 falling action, and so I picked that he's young because of how good he 1185 01:17:11,800 --> 01:17:14,399 had been. He hadn't started too many games at that point, and people 1186 01:17:14,399 --> 01:17:17,239 were just laughing. I think I'm not trying to be analytics nerd here. 1187 01:17:17,239 --> 01:17:20,560 We need to get away from the guy who scores the most points off the 1188 01:17:20,600 --> 01:17:24,800 bench is your sixth man of the year. If you want that to be 1189 01:17:24,840 --> 01:17:28,520 an award, let's create a separate award for it. I know this is 1190 01:17:28,720 --> 01:17:32,359 already a longer podcast and we're weighed beyond what we originally planned, but I 1191 01:17:32,399 --> 01:17:35,039 have to like go off on this little tangent before I give my pick for 1192 01:17:35,159 --> 01:17:42,159 Utah. Do you think it's valid to have two players from the same team 1193 01:17:42,239 --> 01:17:45,399 on your sixth man of the Year ballot? Or like, by definition, 1194 01:17:45,560 --> 01:17:47,479 does one of those have to be a seventh ban and shouldn't be eligible? 1195 01:17:49,079 --> 01:17:53,279 I thought out that last year during the lou Will Montras Harold thing, and 1196 01:17:53,319 --> 01:17:56,399 even the year before I think it was lou Will Montras Harold again. Yeah, 1197 01:17:56,560 --> 01:17:59,880 I don't, I honestly don't know. I think rotations are fluid and 1198 01:18:00,000 --> 01:18:02,880 off to where maybe not in this case, like coaches could change it up 1199 01:18:02,960 --> 01:18:06,760 a little bit here, it's a little bit iffy because they're not I mean, 1200 01:18:06,800 --> 01:18:11,039 they play such different roles. It was there was more of a line 1201 01:18:11,079 --> 01:18:14,640 between Trez and Lou Williams because like they for sure they needed each other, 1202 01:18:14,680 --> 01:18:19,199 whereas Joe Ingles and Clarkson can operate more so independently of one another. Do 1203 01:18:19,239 --> 01:18:21,640 you go like, who do you default towards? Is it the person? 1204 01:18:21,920 --> 01:18:25,079 Do you have to go back and look who came off the bench first? 1205 01:18:25,279 --> 01:18:27,800 Like? Is that who we're considering the sixth man? Do you have to 1206 01:18:27,840 --> 01:18:30,960 look at is it who's averaging more minutes? Which would be Joe Ingles by 1207 01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:33,239 a minute and a half. Here, I don't know how you would delineate, 1208 01:18:33,560 --> 01:18:36,720 aside from staying to the truest sense of sixth man in the year and 1209 01:18:36,720 --> 01:18:41,079 saying it's the first guy who comes off the bench. Maybe sometimes that happens 1210 01:18:41,079 --> 01:18:45,199 in tandem, which makes it more difficult. I honestly don't know where do 1211 01:18:45,239 --> 01:18:48,279 you stand on that. I think I just view it as like the official 1212 01:18:48,359 --> 01:18:54,039 name of the award given to the best bench player. Personally, I don't 1213 01:18:54,039 --> 01:18:57,680 think I would have any qualms about turning in a ballot with two guys from 1214 01:18:57,720 --> 01:19:00,479 the same team if I thought they were two of the three best bench players 1215 01:19:00,520 --> 01:19:03,199 in the NBA. I'm with you, I have no I personally have no 1216 01:19:03,279 --> 01:19:06,000 qualms about it. I could see given how the award is titled, as 1217 01:19:06,039 --> 01:19:10,359 I was talking to myself through it, that's what if you wanted to differentiate 1218 01:19:10,399 --> 01:19:12,840 it. What is the differentiator? Do you just have to stay true to 1219 01:19:12,840 --> 01:19:15,920 the spirit of the title. It's the first guy who comes off the bench, 1220 01:19:15,159 --> 01:19:18,640 yes, but like at the same time, like it's also called the 1221 01:19:18,720 --> 01:19:26,680 MVP and not the MVP ot VT. Well here's the other thing too, 1222 01:19:26,840 --> 01:19:31,000 is I assume you know what that stands for. I actually do not most 1223 01:19:31,079 --> 01:19:35,600 valuable player on the best team. I didn't hear you. I heard OT 1224 01:19:35,960 --> 01:19:39,600 and I OTV. Yeah I got that. And look, by the way, 1225 01:19:39,680 --> 01:19:43,760 if it was for the six getting back to the sixth man of the 1226 01:19:43,800 --> 01:19:46,359 year specifically, how would you do it or how do you do it? 1227 01:19:46,359 --> 01:19:49,159 Now? How do you reconcile that Joe Ingles is he's played more than half 1228 01:19:49,159 --> 01:19:51,800 of his games coming off the bench, but he started twenty of his fifty 1229 01:19:51,800 --> 01:19:56,199 seven games. Does that change the calculus here at all? I think the 1230 01:19:56,279 --> 01:20:00,239 official designation is like more than half of your games have to be from off 1231 01:20:00,239 --> 01:20:02,359 the bench, or maybe it's more than half of the team's games or something. 1232 01:20:03,640 --> 01:20:09,920 But personally, I think that once you start starting that often that it 1233 01:20:10,039 --> 01:20:14,199 kind of defeats the purpose I would rather go to. It's it's hard because 1234 01:20:14,199 --> 01:20:17,560 you can't like set this true, clear cut universal delineation, like you can't 1235 01:20:17,600 --> 01:20:23,680 be like fifteen games and you're not eligible anymore because circumstances changed, So I 1236 01:20:23,680 --> 01:20:27,039 don't know. It almost feels like it has to be a nebulous definition. 1237 01:20:27,279 --> 01:20:30,640 He's look, he's starting now though, because of the Donovan Mitchell injury, 1238 01:20:30,880 --> 01:20:32,640 and I'm wondering if that because he was sub twenty I think he started the 1239 01:20:32,680 --> 01:20:35,359 last seven games or whatever is I have to go back and check. I 1240 01:20:35,399 --> 01:20:40,199 think if that gets to like twenty three twenty five, he's probably out. 1241 01:20:40,960 --> 01:20:47,039 That's just that's like a third yeah, yeah, yeah. But after derailing 1242 01:20:47,119 --> 01:20:50,399 us, I'm gonna I'm gonna reveal that my pick for the Utah Jazz, 1243 01:20:50,560 --> 01:20:55,800 though I gave a strong consideration to Joe Ingles, is Rudy Gobert. Now 1244 01:20:55,880 --> 01:20:59,399 I've I've picked a couple stars, and I think this is another one for 1245 01:20:59,439 --> 01:21:03,000 the same reason, because there's so much focus on what he doesn't do well 1246 01:21:03,800 --> 01:21:09,920 that there's hesitance to give him the true credit he deserves. And beyond that, 1247 01:21:10,039 --> 01:21:14,199 he's also one of those players who doesn't score a lot, which is 1248 01:21:14,800 --> 01:21:19,760 typically the greatest currency and NVA conversations. So you pair those two things together 1249 01:21:19,800 --> 01:21:26,520 and it's just a perfect recipe for an underrated star. He is just so 1250 01:21:26,720 --> 01:21:30,119 incredibly impactful. His defense certainly isn't underrated. We know that he's in the 1251 01:21:30,119 --> 01:21:34,039 defensive Player of the Year conversation each and every season, But his offense is 1252 01:21:34,760 --> 01:21:40,199 even if he's only averaging fourteen fourteen point four points, even if he's only 1253 01:21:40,239 --> 01:21:43,960 averaging one point three assists, the things that he does on the offensive on 1254 01:21:44,000 --> 01:21:48,640 the offensive end generate so much gravity that it makes everything easier for his teammates. 1255 01:21:48,800 --> 01:21:53,239 You know, we typically talk about gravity as three point shooters who are 1256 01:21:53,279 --> 01:21:56,520 able to warp the defense in their direction. But you have to pay attention 1257 01:21:56,560 --> 01:21:58,920 to go bar around the basket. You know, he's one of the rare 1258 01:21:58,960 --> 01:22:02,199 big men you can't just cheat off of too much or you know, overplay 1259 01:22:02,239 --> 01:22:06,159 away from him because you know that NBA teams aren't trying to generate post shots. 1260 01:22:06,479 --> 01:22:11,279 He'll create offensive rebounds. He typically plays up at the top of the 1261 01:22:11,319 --> 01:22:14,680 key, not as a shooter, but because he's such an effective role man. 1262 01:22:14,760 --> 01:22:16,359 And he's such a great screen setter, you know, you said earlier 1263 01:22:16,600 --> 01:22:19,399 he is number one in screen assists. And even if that's become a running 1264 01:22:19,439 --> 01:22:24,319 joke on Twitter because some Utah Jazz fans and analysts like to talk about that 1265 01:22:24,399 --> 01:22:28,000 particular stat a little bit too much, it is still a valuable thing to 1266 01:22:28,039 --> 01:22:30,680 be good at. Setting screens is a huge part of NBA offenses in today's 1267 01:22:30,800 --> 01:22:34,359 NBA. You know, if you're that good at it, which he is, 1268 01:22:34,800 --> 01:22:39,880 it matters. There are so many little things that he does. And 1269 01:22:40,239 --> 01:22:44,199 even beyond that, like the Jazz, who have been the best team in 1270 01:22:44,239 --> 01:22:46,680 the NBA for a lot of this season, are eighteen point five points per 1271 01:22:46,720 --> 01:22:49,840 a hundred possessions better when he's on the floor than when he's not. And 1272 01:22:49,920 --> 01:22:54,359 as we just talked about, they have two six Men of the Year candidates. 1273 01:22:54,640 --> 01:22:57,359 It's not like this is some shitty bench that you know, it comes 1274 01:22:57,359 --> 01:23:00,359 on the floor and hemorrhages the leads that he's helped build. Like he is 1275 01:23:00,399 --> 01:23:02,720 making the team that much better. So if you want to talk about how 1276 01:23:02,760 --> 01:23:06,079 the screen assists get talked about too much, how he doesn't have any shooting 1277 01:23:06,159 --> 01:23:09,800 range, how he relies on others to set him up. How he once 1278 01:23:09,880 --> 01:23:12,920 got played off the court in a playoff game or in a playoff series, 1279 01:23:12,960 --> 01:23:17,039 Like sure, just appreciate the guy too. And also the other thing that 1280 01:23:17,079 --> 01:23:21,439 I think you can look at is more important than a screening, I think 1281 01:23:21,520 --> 01:23:25,760 is the role gravity he has, which I think there are different definitions of 1282 01:23:25,800 --> 01:23:28,439 it. I'm just viewing it as if you're going to set a screen, 1283 01:23:28,800 --> 01:23:31,560 like how dangerous are you that it's going to convince a team to help off 1284 01:23:31,600 --> 01:23:34,079 what might be a really good shooter because they're so afraid of what you could 1285 01:23:34,119 --> 01:23:39,640 potentially do at the rim. And he's also gotten better at passing in those 1286 01:23:39,680 --> 01:23:44,000 situations, their affective field goal percentage jumps by three point five percentage points with 1287 01:23:44,039 --> 01:23:45,640 him on the court. That is given how accurate the Jazz have been this 1288 01:23:45,680 --> 01:23:49,960 season, and that's a swing that rates in the seventy second percent tile I 1289 01:23:50,039 --> 01:23:54,840 believe of fellow centers. That's you know, and it is also, by 1290 01:23:54,840 --> 01:23:57,159 the way, the biggest mark. It's a ninety second percent til. It's 1291 01:23:57,159 --> 01:24:00,800 the biggest swing on the Jazz, and I don't think that's an accident. 1292 01:24:00,840 --> 01:24:02,119 And so I would just argue that the gravity he has as a rollman. 1293 01:24:02,279 --> 01:24:06,239 If you want to troll Jazz fans for sighting screenusis they're important. I totally 1294 01:24:06,279 --> 01:24:10,680 get it. I think his role gravity might be the most It's clearly the 1295 01:24:10,720 --> 01:24:13,760 most important homeent to me of his offensive game. It's not even the finishing, 1296 01:24:14,119 --> 01:24:16,000 it's just the idea of what he can do as the roleman. It 1297 01:24:16,119 --> 01:24:23,239 forces defenses to overreact. Yeah, I'm one percent in agreement. And I 1298 01:24:23,279 --> 01:24:27,920 will just say once again that having watched a lot of basketball, like I 1299 01:24:28,520 --> 01:24:32,880 don't think I've ever seen anyone who's better at bating offensive players into thinking they've 1300 01:24:32,920 --> 01:24:36,680 beaten him off the dribble and then recovering to either contest or block the shot. 1301 01:24:36,960 --> 01:24:43,680 He is just so unbelievably adept at at hedging and showing even more because 1302 01:24:43,680 --> 01:24:46,359 he knows that he can recover. It's just such an immensely valuable skill. 1303 01:24:47,800 --> 01:24:51,640 Is he the only player in the league where if you have him on your 1304 01:24:51,680 --> 01:25:00,239 team, you're probably guaranteed a top ten defense? I might put Jana in 1305 01:25:00,319 --> 01:25:03,159 that category just because he can do so many things that it covers up for 1306 01:25:03,199 --> 01:25:12,079 so many weaknesses. Would you put in bid in there? I think that 1307 01:25:12,119 --> 01:25:16,039 you still need good perimeter defenders with imbid, You're probably right. My bigger 1308 01:25:16,039 --> 01:25:19,359 concern Wilde does he play enough games or your off minutes with him? And 1309 01:25:19,399 --> 01:25:23,960 that's the other than dramatic that you're not able to. Yeah, this was 1310 01:25:24,000 --> 01:25:26,520 a long one, thanks for whoever. Not really the longest one by our 1311 01:25:26,520 --> 01:25:30,159 standards, still under eighty minutes, though, Congratulations to us, Thank you 1312 01:25:30,199 --> 01:25:32,279 all for listening. As always, though, please please, pretty please remember 1313 01:25:32,319 --> 01:25:36,039 to rate, review and subscribe to Hardwoodknox wherever you get your podcast, download 1314 01:25:36,079 --> 01:25:41,279 every episode. I reiterate, subscribe whether you use iTunes, head over there 1315 01:25:41,319 --> 01:25:43,920 anyway, even if you don't, search Hardwoo Knox. Throw us that firestar 1316 01:25:44,039 --> 01:25:46,199 rating right review those help us out a ton. Follow us on Twitter at 1317 01:25:46,239 --> 01:25:50,239 Hardwood Knox, follow us on YouTube YouTube dot com search Hardwood Knox. We 1318 01:25:50,279 --> 01:25:53,880 will come up. Subscribe, check out some of our short eclips there. 1319 01:25:53,880 --> 01:25:57,800 All our podcasts get posted there too. Duce those algorithms with your likes, 1320 01:25:57,880 --> 01:26:04,359 and follow the Sports Math network online at the Underscore Sports Underscore Math and follow 1321 01:26:04,399 --> 01:26:09,359 Adam on Twitter. Get that Get this mfort or seven thousand followers already at 1322 01:26:09,399 --> 01:26:13,479 FROMO zero nine. That's f R O M A L zero nine. Until 1323 01:26:13,520 --> 01:26:16,159 next time, we collectively the two of us leave you with a shout out 1324 01:26:16,199 --> 01:26:23,800 to the one, the only someone who's going to be better than Will Chamberlaine Moses Brown