What is cracklack and felt the Manu piter A efforts. I am Dan Valley
coming at you with a super brief intro. Grant and I are going to
talk about trades for some of the most disappointing teams in the league thus far,
and then we'll do some more good old stat padding. That'll be this
episode. We'll get into more of I know the Calves are dealing with injuries
to Garland and Mobi. The Sun's just kind out that the Bradley Beal's gonna
miss a few weeks with a with an ankle injury. We'll dive into more
of that stuff. I think you guys are gonna get four full episodes this
week, so I mean you're welcome in advance or I'm sorry, I don't
really know which one to say about that. So we will get into more
of those details. We won't ignore them. But we recorded this episode already,
it's still pretty evergreen, and so we will dive deeper to the Suns,
the Cavs, other teams, some of little more topical stuff later this
week. Until then, though, enjoy this conversation about trades and just a
bunch of fun stat pending questions with the certified fantabulous mister Grant Hughes, and
I what is krak alac in, Fellow thermonuclear affers, I am Dan Favalley
coming at you with my certified fantabulous thermonuclear AF co host, mister Grant Hughes.
We're keeping in theme with trade season being up and running, and so
we figured we'd do something that was a little bit ever green unless any of
these players get moved. I'm going to propose some deals to Grant hypothetical trades
that involve the most disappointing teams this season that if either just been worse than
expected, missing expectations completely, and we're gonna see if he likes them whether
he would do them. They include a whole bunch of teams. They range
from the really bad teams to are we trying to fix teams that are trying
to make themselves contenders. They run the gamut and there is five of them,
maybe with some bonus ones caked in. But first, please remember to
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And the word of mouth recommendations if you give them, they meet a lot
to us as well. Grant, how the heck are you doing, Dan?
I'm doing great. I'm mostly really excited that you came up with all
the trades because I think, as I've said on here, and as you
know, personally, I hate making up trades. I'm bad at it.
So you're good at it, and I will I will embrace. I'm not
gonna just dump on all these trades and say no one would do them,
which is why I'm bad at making up trades, because I can never convince
myself that both teams would do it. So I'm exact since we're framing it
as disappointing team, I know a lot of people have been upset about Milwaukee's
defense. They're just too good for me to be disappointed, so they are
not here. And I also do not have a Clippers subsequent trade because they've
been a lot better over their past ten to twelve games or so. So
keep that in mind. And some of these trades includes multiple disappointing teams.
It's not just one headliner. So the out right, let's take let's let's
just trade our problems with one another. We're both disappointing teams. Let's you
take some of mine, I'll take some of yours. Yeah, That's what
I'm talking about. So are you ready for trade number one? Yes?
We are going to travel to Memphis for this one. In Chicago, okay,
Grant Hughes who says no. The Memphis Grizzlies receive Andre Drummond. The
Chicago Bulls receive John Conchar, a twenty six, twenty twenty six second round
pick, and a twenty thirty second round pick. Hmmm, I guess I
think I like that most for Thelies because we've talked before about how just another
like you know, paint protecting, like just like getting some size in there
at center would be helpful. So I guess if I like it for the
Grizzlies, it's the bulls that are saying no. But I kind of like
getting conchar and some like why wouldn't you get rid of Drummond if you're gonna
tear Well, maybe the answer is the bulls are not going to tear it
down. But if you're gonna tear it down, like, why not just
get a couple of picks back? And Conchar is a, yeah, it's
like a has been a rotation player. I think I like it for both.
But if someone's saying no, I guess it's the bulls because they're irrational
and they won't operate this way. There's also the you know, if you're
the bulls. John conchar is about to start a three year, nineteen million
dollar extension next year. Do you think he's good enough to warrant that you
could certainly use the idea of his shooting. If you're gonna actually go into
a rebuild, why not get two second round picks? Though? For Andre
Drummond, who's just gonna be a free agent after this season. Yeah,
I mean that's not a big number at all, really, But like Contar
shot forty one point three percent two years ago from three, and he's in
the thirty threes the last two years. So maybe for the Bulls, you're
like, I'm not sure what he's given us that, you know, several
other guys on the roster aren't. But again, just if you're if you're
the Bulls, and again, if you are the Bulls, you're probably not
thinking this way what you said two seconds right? Yeah, so the twenty
six second round er is not Memphis his own, Uh, it is coming
from what it is, Boston, Indiana, the Clippers, or Miami.
Okay, So I mean still you're getting a couple draft ass like Drummond is
not part of the well, I don't know what he's not part of the
Bulls like big picture plan if there is one, so part of Memphis's bigger
plan. Just what did Steven Adams look like when he comes back next year?
He's the final year left on his contract for Memphis. Though I also
viewed this as yeah, this season, you know that Steven Adams, you
don't have Brandon Clark, Andre Drummond helps there, especially on the offensive class.
But get out of John contrast cont Yeah, that's why you're worth to
dump two second round picks. Right, you're trimming, you're shrimming the salary
of I don't know you could give somebody like I mean, it's like pretty
well short of mid level money, but you know, taxpayer exception money is
not that far off of that. Okay, this was the least spicy trade
of the five. I wanted to weed out the people who aren't gonna sit
through the entire podcast. Trade number two we have the Bulls again joined by
a fellow disappointing team in the Toronto Raptors. Okay, now, I don't
necessarily endorse this direction by the Raptors, but if they decided, hey,
we don't want to rebuild, we want to keep Scottie Barnes and win,
right now, this is the deal. The Chicago Bulls receive Precious Achuwa,
Chris Bouchet, Grady Dick, Gary Trent Junior, a twenty twenty six first
round pick loosely protected let's say top eight. It would have to convey immediately,
so let's even say you could say unprotected, and then a twenty twenty
eight first round pick with top eight protections. The Raptors receive zach Lavine and
Terry Taylor to just help the money and the roster spot crunch work. So
to recap the Bulls get at Chua expiring, Chris Bruschet I think has another
year left on his deal after this one, Grady Dick, Gary Trent Junior
expiring two first round picks six and one in twenty eight, both coming from
Toronto for Zach Lavine. Basically, I think if I'm the Bulls, I'm
not sure I can do better pickwise, Like maybe someone out there is gonna
give me three firsts, but maybe not for Levine. I mean, like
I just don't know. And then also look at it as does Grady Dick
still count as a first round right? Yeah? And I mean like Trent
is, well, he's gonna be a free agent, so you might just
he is not he's not being good this year. Yeah, and you might
just not. You know, you don't have any control really over him going
forward. So it's just it really is like does does clearing money getting Grady
Dick and two firsts? Is that the best I can do for Levine?
Because I think that's the that I have questions about. If if you are
Toronto and you're gonna keep the gang together, I think Levine makes sense as
just someone that's gonna make threes and be an offensive creator and that you can
hide with any of your like three awesome defensive wings slash forwards. So yeah,
that's a good I don't know. I guess if it's a who says
no. I think it's maybe Chicago, just just on the thinking that they
might be able to get like it's I guess it's hard for me to believe
that that's the best offer. It's a good offer, but I wonder if
you might be able to get three firsts. I will say, so you
just prefer the mystery box idea of give me three outright first rather than Grady
Dick in two first. This is also I look at this package the flyer
on a Chua. Maybe he rebounds there. But just like Chris Musche could
play for you, Yeah, Gary Trim Junior could play for you, Grady
Dick could play for you, and you get two first. If this is
the bulls thinking we might be better off with Zach Lvine. We deepen our
rotation and now you have assets and expiring contract and Gary Trent Junior who can't
be reaggregated at that point. But we can go out and make another dumb
ass move if we want to. Yeah, right, So are you?
So do you like it less from Toronto side? Because I guess like I
do, because Zach Colvin is three years and one hundred and forty three million
left on this deal. I'm fine with that money in a vacuum. But
you this summer have to pay Pascal siakam O Jananobi yaka Pearls on the books
for about twenty million a pop. And Scottie Barnes is going to be extension
eligible this time. Because you're saying, you're saying if you do that,
you're one saying we got to keep all these other guys, and then you're
also saying Levine is the piece that justifies us being capped out and like suddenly
kind of asset poor and he's putting us over the top. So as I
as I speak it out that way, I think I like it less for
Toronto because that's the I think that is the incorrect assumption on a Zach Lavine
acquisition to this roster, which would be that we're that's that's the last piece,
right. This is not a last piece team, and Levine is not
that guy. And I'm very intrigued by the foursome though, of Siakam,
Levine, Scottie Barnes and o Gananobi, who I think Levine doesn't need to
dominate the ball enough so that there's not too much of a tuggle war between
him, Siakam and Barnes. I will say, who's the fifth you're most
excited about? Because low key, I think the Yaka Pearl trade is gonna
go down as like one of the worst trades over the past half decade or
decade, inexplicable, just like I just don't yeah wild but yeah, so
I guess in that in that hypothetical, your starting and closing five is Leavin
Barnes, Ananobe, Siakam Pearl. So you don't have a point guard out
there. I guess with Scottie Barnes, Siakam and Levine, do you need
I mean you still Dennis Shruder. Look, I would close with Dennis Shruder
before I close with Yaka Pearl. Yeah, that's fair, that's fair.
Yeah, I wonder if because so much of the issue with Toronto for so
long has been the half court offense, and just like Ananobe is not intuitive,
Siakam really isn't either Actually, Levine has gotten assist but Leavin is not
a like the sees the play too passes away type of guy. He's more
of just like I got into the middle and I can make the easy read.
I wonder if that team still has even though Levine is like a massive
scoring upgrade. I wonder if that Toronto team is still gonna be one that,
like the half court stuff just is real clunky and like there's just a
lot of really like it's elementary offense, but it's not gonna be you know,
dynamic enough to to do anything. If push came to shove, I'd
probably say no if I was Toronto, but I would so want to see
the final product if they make. It would be a good test of the
theory of like what if we just throw like an absolute bucket into this group
and see what happens? Right, Yeah, it is. It's definitely an
interesting trade. But yeah, do you think I guess this is? This
is? You know? Uh? Germane to the discussion, like, do
you think the Bulls can get three firsts for Lavine? We may maybe have
asked you this directly before, but I feel like the market changes all the
time. So the right foot injury is big, and he was not playing
well this season beforehand. Does a change of scenery help And I'm just look,
I'm gonna throw the three point clip out the window. He's been one
of the most dangerous off the dribble and catching to three point marksmen in the
league for some time. He also gives them an element of if you open
the floor enough, like he can still give you some rim pressure and you
have the defensive ecosystem to insulate him. If you're gonna play og Barnes Sacam,
maybe you're still worried about like Peerdle being in that. I mean,
like you can then play Perdle with Siakam and Barns and not have to worry
about the requisite floor spacing as much. So it's I like the idea of
Leavin in Toronto. It just feels like a notch too far. If you
told me there was a way for them to work it without including Grady Dick,
because you're not. You have to give up the two first otherwise it's
a NonStop if you can replace some of the Grady Dick's salary in Chicago says
no, We'll just take the two first round picks and another salary filler that
might, you know, make it even more intriguing from their perspective. Yeah,
that's interesting. What else you got? Trade number three? I don't
know if both of these teams are disappointing because it involves the Wizards, and
it's kind of like, what were you expecting from the Wizards this year?
I will say it's been just they're not I know a lot of people find
them funny, but they're not really entertaining to watch, and I was expecting
them to be more entertaining. And I love Bala Kulabali Kusma is having a
good year. Corey Kissper is having a good year. So let's say they're
disappointing. This team is disappointing. The San Antonio Spurs are disappointing as hell,
in part because of their lineup decisions, and I am forcing them to
change that right here. The Washington Wizards receive Deavonte Graham, who is owed
two million dollars, is guaranteed next year, so he's basically an expiring contract.
Washington will also get Charlotte's twenty twenty four first round pick. Now that
pick is lottery protected this year and next year, and then it turns into
twenty six and twenty seven seconds if it doesn't convey. So for all intentsive,
perer sains you're saying you're getting Charlotte's twenty six and twenty seven seconds,
right. I was just gonna say that, I don't think that pick's going
anywhere. So DeVante Graham that pick or those picks plus a twenty twenty five
second rounder from Chicago. So just keep in mind how bad these two teams
are. Charlotte in Chicago, you sent Tias Jones to San Antonio. So
if we wanted to call this the bare bottoms offer, it would be Devonte
Graham plus two Charlotte seconds and a Chicago Bull seconds a Chicago Bull second for
Tias Jones. Do you think that they would very quick before you respond?
Do you think san Antonio would bring both Tias and Trey off the bench?
Yeah, they'd find they'd go find a third brother if he's out there,
and also bring him off the bench if refuse to start him. You guys,
never run with the ones that practice you are back. Yeah, I
love it for the spurs. I mean, I just who cares about a
bunch of seconds from their perspective and they don't play anything the first for Tias
I mean he's in a contract year. If he is already done, I
don't think the Spurs are in a position to be training their own first under
any circumstances. So the question is do the Wizards value the salary relief enough
to they're not gonna Well, they're not even getting salary relief. It's basically
it amounts to the same amount of money in totality, because what Tias Jones
makes this year is Devonte Graham plus Devonte Graham's two million dollars guarantee next year.
Okay, you're doing this for and you couldn't doew it this way,
So Charlotte's not they're gonna be a lottery team this year? Is there a
chance that by adding a lottery pick to a core of LaMelo PJ. Washington,
Mark Williams, Brandon Miller that they are not a lottery team next year?
There is an outside chance of who would you trust to convey a lottery
protected pick in twenty twenty five? More the Pistons or the Hornets? Oh
well, I mean the hornet. Well, the question is like, who's
going to be better looked like? Well, I was trying to think,
Who's what is conveying a lottery pick mean that means you're you're not in the
lottery anymore. I mean, the answer is probably the Hornets, But like,
I don't know that adding a lottery pick actually increases your odds of not
picking in the lottery the next year, because that guy's probably not gonna be
a value add as a rookie. But like it's just is LaMelo healthy?
And then do they have enough guys around him? Charlotte's got a little more
upside I think than Detroit does, at least in the near term, which
feels I probably love so many of Toronto's players individually, just not with the
Detroit you mean, right, yeah, sorry, yeah, no, that's
That's exactly what I was thinking, is like, well, I love Thompson
and like I still think Kid Cunningham might not be a superstar, but he's
gonna be good, and I like j n Ivy still and Jalen Yeah,
right exactly. I think if if the question is who says no, that's
it, that is the question, I guess it's Washington just because I like
it so much for the Spurs, just because you think it's enough to at
least say like this is a trade, a legitimate trade proposal. I think
it's pretty close. I guess I'm just bumping on, like is Washington.
Does Washington think it might get like a more real first for Jones from somebody
else at some point. I mean you could also hear the Spurs throwing Blake
Wesley. Sure, yeah, this demon who doesn't play, who's not playing,
that's right. Yeah. I think if I'm the Spurs, I'm happy
to throw in like several sweeteners. I think just because Tias Jones is,
you know, my whole thing is, they might just not want a point
guard at this point. So are they inclined to operating eating up minutes?
And he's on the rostered right, right, they're operating like a team that
does not want a point guard. If I'm running the Spurs, I'm saying
Tias Jones is exactly like the knock on effect of having Tias Jones there.
And look, we're not saying like you don't need two thousand and eight Chris
Paul, Like you just need someone that's going to run the offense and not
turn it over. And then like everything gets easier for Devin Vessel and Kelden
Johnson and Wemby and it's like every everybody. It's everyone benefits from like a
high end backupint guard, which is what Tyas Jones is. So yeah,
I want Tyas Jones if I'm the Spurs. I think it's pretty close from
Washington side, because like, what are they gonna do with Tys Jones unless
someone's offering a real first. I do think the only way they get a
significantly better offer is if it's attached to really bad money. To where Devonte
Graham functionally is basically is an expiring contract. Yeah, he's not bad money,
right, That's that's a good point. Raid number four your backyard.
The Golden State Warriors, I would call them disappointing right then a little bit,
a little bit. Guess who else is involved? Those pesky Toronto Raptors
also disappointing. How's this for some disappointing team? Overlap? It's it's it's
just a lot right now, Dan, the Warors are really putting me through
it. I imagine you're looking at scores right now or I've seen him and
I don't want to know because I will watch the Warriors game later against I'm
not even looking at the score. But that's massochism. I don't want to
try to read your face. So though Golden State Warriors receive Pascal Siakam,
the Raptors receive Jonathan Kaminga Chris Paul, a twenty twenty six first top five
protection that immediately expires and turns into seconds if not conveyed, and then a
twenty twenty eight second first round pick. Excuse me, so two first round
picks. The twenty twenty eight to one is top eight protected through twenty twenty
nine, then it becomes two seconds. So Kaminga, who is extension eligible
after this year by the way, Chris Paul basically an expiring contract. And
then two first round picks, the most loosely protected of which is top five
for Pascal Siakam. And so I will give you my reasoning here very quickly.
Is we've mentioned already that I think the Warriors need a star. They
need someone who could generate his own shot. If Chris Paul is going out,
you do have other money to work with here. But I don't think
that they're gonna give up lay Thompson, and that forty plus million is a
huge number. I don't think they're gonna trade Draymond Green, and if you're
making a win now trade, I think keeping Draymond's important. Wiggins's money is
interesting. That being said, if you're getting rid of Kaminga and you're not
bringing back another super athletic wing type player, and Cominga is not really a
wing, but you need Andrew Wiggins on the roster still. It's my point.
It'd be different if this trade is for Ogananobi. But even in that
scenario, I'm like, if Kaminga's going out, like you still kind of
need Wiggins there. So that's why Chris Paul is involved in this deal rather
than trying to build it around Andrew Wiggins is out. In case you were
curious, can you build it around Andrew Wiggins. I'm a lot more comfortable
with that at this point. It's all hard. An issue is that the
Warriors I think will view Andrew Wiggins as an asset going out. But if
you are, if you are the Raptors, you're looking at Andrew and I
know we all said the deal. The deal is probably still fine, but
we all kind of said, oh, we signed for so cheap when he
did it. Are you as another team or I guess even not as another
team, as the as the Raptors viewing the two years and what is it
forty or excuse me, sixty million ish left two years old. It's three
years and eighty five. Yeah, he's got a player option for thirty in
twenty six, twenty seven. So yeah, I mean, I mean,
no, I cannot You cannot make the argument that Andrew Wiggins is on a
positive value contract today right now with the way he's playing like that is not
you know, that could change in a month, but it's not the case
right now. So here would be my question though, just let's say the
Raptors would do it for Wiggins because they believe they could reboot his like,
oh, Andrew Wiggins and Ogan Andobi on the same team, Like that could
work. And Scotty Barnes like, there's are you then okay? With Okay,
we got ready Comenica, we got Andrew Wiggins, and now like,
who's our our wing is Klay Thompson. Well, that's the thing. I
want to keep Kaminga out of the deal if I'm getting Wiggins in there,
which is like, then I don't know why is doing that? So you
basically are just trying to construct the most lopsided trade. Well, no,
I mean like trade Paul trade Wiggins. I mean I think those are would
you rather give up? Like if it let you keep Kaminga, would you
rather give up Moody. I'd rather have Moody. If I'm Golden State,
I think I'd rather coming I think I'd rather have Kaminga. I think this
is take all over, such prisoner of the moment thinking. But like he
has played the best he's played the last like week or two, I thought
you were going to end there. He had play has played on the court
in basketball games. I think the upside Cominga's upside is still just higher than
Moody's. This is this is one of the weird things that's been true throughout
They're because they're very much linked Cominga and Moody. But like it has always
been true that like most nights, Moody is the steadier, like more reliable
contributor who is like that guy's a rotation wing, like he just is like,
but the ceiling for Moody's not there. Kaminga is the one that like
comes in and within thirty seconds has committed a foul and a turnover, and
like stepped out of bounce, you know, like, but then has twenty
points on eleven shots and overpower like centers at the like Kaminga's ceiling is still
That's what I'm interested in. That's what the Raptors should be interested in.
By the way, so like I understand why you want him in the deal,
I don't know who says no there. I guess the Warriors giving up
Kaminga and two firsts really because Paul's money is just what it is for Siakam,
who you then probably have to pay forty million a year on his next
deal. You have to keep him, so you're making this deal. So
and that's the argument to can you get away with giving less? Would be
well, he's about to be a free agent. The problem with the way
the Warriors are built, they just can't give up. It's they're only built
for this mega trade and unless unless the Raptors and had one. The Raptors
need to say yes to this, and then you need to have the goal
to do it is you know what we'll give you, Pascal Siakam. We'll
give you Chris Bouchet, nice little bringing in there with the Warriors, and
then it's Klay Thompson Mpicks and that is like the most convenient framework for the
Warriors. Yeah, because Sacam's going towards free agency and they've look, the
Raptors cost themselves. I don't care where he lands up. They probably ended
up costing themselves value on Siakam by not moving him sooner because of the uneven
he's at. So now, if the Raptors are willing to do that,
like if you're the Warriors and they actually come back and said that that it's
clay and two first for Siakam. There's other money involved. But if that's
the framework, you should I understand the emotional component of it. I honestly
don't know. I can sit here and say I would do it if I
was running the Warriors. I don't know if I could do it. Would
you do that? If you're the war Vacuum, you absolutely do that.
Because Klay Thompson's money is what it is, and he's just I mean,
Wiggins has probably been worse, but Thompson like as in terms of value,
like you're paying this guy significantly more, and like as he's older and the
you know, Wiggins could just be better tomorrow, because you know, Wiggins
is still young enough to where he might just turn it around. Thompson's like
the arrow is going one way on that guy. But like, I just
don't think they're gonna trade Lay Thompson. I just like I don't know.
I just can't see it because I think you should. You should if like
if it were just a coldly, you know, calculated decision, like of
course you would do that. Like that's not even that's not even a debate.
I don't think right, like, is there any rational argument other than
like sentiment and we owe it to him, which are like compelling, and
that's what's going to motivate the Warriors do not probably ever trade Clay Thompson.
But like there's not a logical reason to not trade great Clay Thompson, this
exact deal. Who says no, the Klay Thompson one or your your comedio
no one that I proposed to you. I apologize if you answered like defit
no, I of course I didn't answer. I've been hemming and hawing and
like trying to work my head around it. I think the Warriors say no
okay. I don't know if they should say no okay, just just because
if you're the raptors. You're like, we don't we we either are gonna
lose, sack them for nothing, or have to pay him a whole bunch.
I'd rather have all this other stuff. I think. I think that's
that's the rationale from that side. I what's interesting is, I'm just curious.
I think I agree with you. I'm just here if this front off
version of the front office, because I know Kirk la Cup and Mike Dunleavy
were around. Are they just not that they're less married to the core,
but are they prepared to do something bolder to leave what they believe is their
stamp on this team? I think maybe a little bit. But I also
think the constant is still Steph Curry is like this most singularly powerful voice in
the organization. And if there's no scenario where you pull off any significant trade
without at least like saying something to him about it, and like if it's
Clai or if it's Draymond, it's probably a non starter. And like I
think he while the management decision makers in management have changed, I think it's
still like this team is just beholden to Steph. And maybe in some ways
that's an argument to like you got to make this trade because you owe him
a roster that is not going to be ten and thirteen or whatever it is
after tonight's game. But that's so, I guess my roundabout answer is like
not a not as much has changed in terms of the team, is like
decision making, hierarchy and thinking as as it might seem with a new GM
in place. Okay, final trade. I do have a bonus one,
but final trade, and this one is I actually like it. Don't let
that impact your thinking. But here we go. Get right, you're gonna
fall off your charming seies. Do you like your other trades? I think
you should like all your trades. Don't. Don't I hate every you know
me? I hate everything I do. I think I saw I just my
imposter syndrome. Has everyone got it? Mine is dials always turned to a
life. That's your brand, that's your brand. I hate everything I do.
Trade five. The Detroit Pistons received Gordon Hayward. The Charlotte Hornets received
Joe Harris, Killian Hayes and a twenty twenty four second round pick. It
will be the most favorable of Memphis or Washington, and so you could say
that'll be like a top thirty five pick. So because Washington it's gonna be
a top I mean, maybe the Pistons will be worse than Washington, but
other than that, it's gonna be a top thirty repick. You're getting a
good second a shot at Killian Hayes and then Joe Harris for Hayward. Correct.
I think I do that If I am shmm, I think, well,
who can say what Detroit thinks? Right? Look, if you can
run out lineups where it's Caid, Gordon, Hayward, Jalen Duran and then
it's like you don't want to put I would say, let's throw all our
youngsters in there. But you can go boy On Vogdanovich and then say play
a Sar Thompson that's a legit five or if you wanted to say in that
instance, well we'll play Ja and n Ivy instead of Asar Thompson. Like
I just the stuff you could do with Caid, Gordon, Hayward and boy
On Vogdanovich and then have a Star Thompson and Jaalen Duran or Jay and not
you go super small if you wanted to and do a Star Thompson, n
J and Ivy That is what caught me on this, because I just think
they need more players kind of like these these smarter, plug and play,
versatile guys like Gordon Hayward who do not shrink the four. But can I
ask you, like a high falutin sounding question to what end, like why
why? Here's the one end you're gonna well, right, it expires.
But my point being is I think it optimizes the development of Cad and Asar
Thompson by letting them play more space. And here's the bigger one. It
removes technically two but really one guard from the rotation who could play in front
of Jade and Ivy. And so now it's oh, we only really got
to worry about a healthy Monte Morris and then maybe Burks will eventually get moved
in. Now Jade and Ivy will see the floor even more, and doesn't
does Harris have one more year on his dealers? He expiring? Oh no,
wait, yeah, he's inspiring. Yeah right, you're right, he's
expiring. So yeah, I think that's a great argument because like let's which
is basically like let's get Killian Hayes out of the way, Like let's take
let's take this, uh this card out of Monny Williams's deck, so he
can't keep playing this guy. Yeah, that's probably the most compelled. The
Hayward as like a as someone who would benefit a lot of the young guys
is also pretty compelling. Yeah, I like that for the Pistons. I
also don't hate it for Charlotte just because, like, let's you know again,
I keep bringing this point up, but like maybe someone could offer you,
like a a heavily protected first that might actually be a first for him.
But I don't know that that's actually a realistic scenario. So getting a
shot like maybe maybe a Chillian Hayes is someone that you know, changes scenery
you wanted to get a look at. As Charlotte, I don't think the
Hayes LaMelo fit is like anything anyone's gonna want, But I don't hate it
as like a let's just check it out and then maybe Harris as a shooter
has you know, a lot of what you're saying about Hayward could be applied
to Harris if he just were healthy and making shots. Yeah, I say
he's even when he's been at least on the court. I don't if he's
been healthy, he's not making shots like thirty one percent, I think this
year from three and that's the last I look. But and he's also not
I mean, Hayward is actually like a you know, for his position,
a good facilitator, Like he's someone that Will Harris is not gonna his spacing
matters if he's hitting, but he's not gonna generate, you know, high
quality looks for a bunch of young guys the way Heyward might. Yeah.
I kind of like that on both sides. You were correct to like that
trade. I don't know who says no, there nice. And here's the
final one that I was workshop that was inspired by I came if I was
talking with someone on Twitter. I apologize. I have so many comment I
try to interact with listeners and followers. It was either on YouTube or it
was on Twitter. I think I don't think it was discord. We're gonna
let's talk about the Hawks and the Pelicans. I think the Hawks are disappointing
here brandon Ingram and a first round pick. I think it would have to
be like, you have the Bucks twenty twenty seven pick, you have the
Lakers pick this year twenty twenty five, you've a you have all your own
firsts, but brandon Ingram and a pick for de Jontay Murray, Jalen Johnson
and DeAndre Hunter. There might need to be another salary in there. This
is again, this was such a loose idea. I started thinking about it,
and I was like, you do you have to pay Brandon Ingram.
But if you're the Hawks, you're so cheap. You have to pay Jalen
Johnson already, You've already paid to Jone Murray, You've paid DeAndre Hunter.
Let's so let's break it down. That's really interesting. So let's say it
from the Pelican side, because Ingram's the best. Ingram is the best player
in the deal, and you're get you're also giving up a first so free
agency, yeah or no? He has one. No, he has another
year left on his deal. He gets not an extension after this year.
But and then also, all I ever talk about is how I don't like
the Zion Ingram fit. So like I'm starting from that position of like,
okay, I'm interested in any other kind of uh like support cast. So
does Murray Jalen Johnson and you said Hunter too, Yes, did we go
a player? To my gut was like, did we go a player too
far. Well, it's only in so far as like Hunter is kind of
duplicative of because you still got Trey Murphy, you still got herb Jones,
you still got an Algi Marshall. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone else. Well,
Dyson Dan and he can play Yeah, he can play up. I
guess. I don't know if you need do you need Hunter to make the
money work? I mean, but yeah, I know I can go.
I think Ingram for Murray and Johnson would work. I worried about, like,
what does that do to Dyson Daniels. So I wondered, like,
with Daniels and Ingram for them, those three guys make even more sense.
And then if you're the Pelicans, you get to keep your first round powder
man. I just I really kind of like it for the Pelicans, but
I haven't really we haven't really pivoted to what that does for the Hawks,
because I now they did already trade away DeAndre Hunter, So like, I
don't know if that factors into the Yeah, I so is Murray. So
then your backcourt, it's so you're going, let's just work through it.
It's c J and Murray in the backcourt. And then it's John and Zion
with Urban Trey Murphy, Like those are your top six guys, christ Yeah,
and then Hunter is still there if he's involved in the deal. The
Pelicans went from having too many guys to having like way too many guys.
They're they're ripe for a consolidation trade. Then they they they're the team that
should be making consolidation trade and they just did a three for one, which
is why it's tough. But I think I like the idea of de Jontay
Murray in New Orleans because I know that he's notially But what's that, What
specifically do you like about it? I'm because it gives you he is more
of a playmaker. Then I know he's not like a natural playmaker, but
he's more of a league guard or facilitator than Brandon Ingram, than CJ.
McCollum, than Jose Alvarado. Yeah, and so I understand that Brandon Ingram
is just the better score, but also de john tac Murray's been one of
the most efficient one on one scores in the league this year. The Hawks
can maybe generate more spacing than New Orleans, but New Orleans spacing after this
and a bunch of their lineups could be wild. Yeah, there's more positional
malleability here. It feels like with Jalen Johnson being there, it was it
was a thought exercise. I was like, if you're the Pelicans and you
know that you're gonna have to pay Trey Murphy that you already paid Zion,
that Brandon Ingram might be super max eligible if he made an All NBA team,
Like knowing what Brandon Ingram's next contract could be as a thirty percent max.
Let's even say the idea of breaking it up into players who Dejeantay Murray
has already been paid and that that extension is still good, DeAndre Hunter has
already been paid, that extension is I would say market value to maybe a
slight negative, slight positive. It could vacillate between the day to Jalen Johnson
who still is another year on his rookie scale. Is it just your point?
Oh, it's like too many heads. It just gives them so many
ways. This was my This is what drew me to it the most.
I like de Jentay Murray more as a lead playmaker for the Pels, and
then what he can do defensively than I do for Brandon, which he hasn't
done this year, but yeah, I know, right even this year flat
out, I like if CJ. McCollum is the guy you got to play
better defense than as a league guarder. I've even Brendan Ingram. I trust
to Janta Murray more than reading. Sure, yeah, maybe that's a hot
take that could be, but no, no, no. Ingram is like
the most screenable human being on planet Earth. Like he's a He's a tough
guy to work on a defense. He watched Trey Young as well. There's
just more of Brandon Ingram, all the limbs. There's so many limbs that
stretch for too far. You're gonna catch a piece of him with a screen
no matter where you are. So my aside from the Murray intrigue was also
okay, this gives you ways to get to Zion as the only big lineups
where he just will never like just between Herb, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels,
He's still there. You just don't have to worry about him ever.
He could be the only big but he doesn't have to play that role on
the defensive end ever. Yeah, and that is in him, Like three
hundred and sixty degrees at that between Murray and Herb Jones and Trey Murphy and
even Jalen Johnson, DeAndre Hunter and Jalen Johnson. I do think might be
able to overrated defensively, but he's very malleable and he's also been a pretty
good rim protector this year. That's the thing I was look like, can
can you get away with Jalen Johnson at center? Like? How much?
How much can you get away with he's actually to grab defensive rebound. I
think you'd be okay. Yeah, that well, so the Hawks played.
I was just looking it up because that that was the question to me.
They so this basketball reference, so it's like, I think their positional designations
are if he cleaning the glass, I think sometimes is better. But this
is what we have for the moment. Thirteen percent of Johnson's minutes as a
rookie, we're at center. The rest were a power forward, but he's
been at one percent and two percent at center. Part of that is the
Hawks have Capella and a kong Wu, so it's not like the situation where
you play Johnson at centers you know, involves injuries to at least one person
so uh, I don't think that forecloses the idea that he could play some
center if if you could convince me that Johnson is like a viable center for
fifteen twenty minutes a night, Like, I'm pretty on board with with that.
Look, But what about the Hawks side, because I don't know that
brandon Ingram makes any sense with Trey Young, because Ingram is better on the
ball, doesn't like to shoot threes, likes to be kind of in the
middle of the floor doing stuff you're banking on Trey, either him changing his
game or Trey doing a lot more off ball running around type of stuff,
which like is possible. But I don't know. I feel like this makes
Maybe I'm just not high enough on Ingram. But I think if someone's saying
no, it might be Atlanta, which is weird because they're getting the best
player probably right, I agree with you. I wonder if there would be
a more workable framework if we said Jalen Johnson doesn't have to go to New
Orleans, or if DeAndre Hunter doesn't have to go to New Orleans, because
you could build different frameworks out that way. I just it wasn't what I
proposed. It was from I was talking about it with someone I can't remember
who, and I just the fact that I couldn't I still can't grasp it
is interesting. It's a it's a brain tickler, like I want to think
about that one tomorrow. At some point. I think it's like, ah,
do I like it for Atlanta? I don't know. I can get
a text from Grant, so let's talk about it. I think at first,
first and second and third blush, since we've been talking about it for
ten minutes, I think that's an more more interesting one for New Orleans than
Atlanta, Like right, I think. I think that's where I land on
it for now stat padding time, and I'm actually gonna ask, because I
have this, Can I go first so that I don't fuck this up?
Because I didn't, but I did it sold you know how busy I was.
So I did it and I'm not doing it for memory, but it's
just so it's in my mind right now, and I don't want to You
must go first, okay, So Draymond Green or Steph Curry time, Okay.
Draymond Green is currently averaging one point five eight ejections per season. Is
that higher or lower than the number of steals per game Steph Curry is averaging
for his career. Oh, that's right on the line. I bet I'm
gonna say that is more steals per game than Curry is averaging for his career.
You're saying Draymond Green is averaging more ejections per year than Steph averages steals
per game. Yes, that is incorrect. Steph is at one point five
to nine steals per game for his career. Raymond's at one point five eight.
That's the most cold blooded question you've ever asked me. All right,
good one, though, Oh we have. There's two more levels to it,
though, I'm ready, so don't don't uh. He has for his
career he has twenty flagrant fouls. Draymond Green is twenty flagrant fouls for his
career. Is that more or less than the number of games Steph has in
which he has hit hit ten three pointers also regular season combined. I think
it is less. That is correct, twenty flagrant fouls to twenty three uh
ten made threes games by Steph. By the way, the only twenty twenty
flagrant fouls and one point five eight ejections per year both seem really low.
Just from my record of Draymond. Now, no, you probably know the
number. But what is higher the number of career triple doubles that Steph Curry
has or the career number of ejections Draymond Green has. Well, you just
gave me one point five to eight per year over a dozen years. I
think Draymond has been ejected more than Steph has registered a triple double. That
is correct. Nineteen flagrant fouls, Oh excuse me. Nineteen ejections to thirteen
triple doubles in the playoff regular season. Closer than I thought. That's all
I had. It was so fresh. I told you I was just Steph
firsts stray Oh that's a good one way to be topical, way to just
and give me some Warriors questions. I have a chance to get right,
all right? Uh, I got a few. I gotta like a real
grab bag of things here. Do you have anything else you'd like to get
to or should I just kind of dive in? You could? I have
two blocks of word association and then a themed question, So why don't we
do you want to do word association that I got for you? First?
Sure? I also have two that I can return the favor when you're done,
dope. I guess it would help if I had my word association pulled
up. Okay, ready, block one hideous jersey? Uh? A lot
of the Brooklyn nets looks have been pretty hideous. If that's some weird ones,
I don't I don't like them, That's what I don't know. You
know why that came to mind? So I was looking for Lonnie Walker photos
to use in an article today and they had that weird Uh, that weird
one on. I like that jersey this year, do you? Yeah?
The first one I said recently biased. The first ones that came to mind
were the Lakers and Warriors City Edition unis or whatever they're called. There's got
to be a better answer. What's just a total dogshit jersey out there?
How about those Orange Warriors ones? The oh well, the old Orange Warriors
ones with the lightning bolt, Yeah, those are awful. Well, if
we're going to go back to, like, you know, the mid nineties,
there's a lot to choose from there. Oh, you know what,
the worst jerseys of all time are the sleeves? Oh right, the sleeves.
Gosh, what I forgot about the sleeves? How many years did that
last? I can't remember now. Was it like three, it was one?
It was only I think it was the one they did it on.
It was four because they wore them on Christmas, sew them wear it.
I think Lebron James won the finals in sleeves, right or no, it
wasn't. Maybe he wasn't wearing but like it was the one year, I'm
pretty sure. Oh man, if it was only one year, it seemed
longer. It seemed like the sleeves persisted longer than a year. Yeah,
those weren't a great look. Remember, the whole deal was try well,
I think this was the real thing, or maybe I just like cynically assumed
it. It's we want to sell more jerseys and people aren't gonna not everybody's
gonna wear a tank top. So if we put sleeves on this thing,
we're gonna sell more jerseys to people that just want to wear normal shirts.
Was that I googled some of them. I'm gonna throw one up on the
screen. This one's bad. Oh, that's a tough look. Wizards Golden
Black one was haitis, So didn't the Wizards. Yeah, the Wizards also
did like a Histon's blue right, Like remember like everyone kind of like that
light blue for a while. Those the Wizards have had some bad ones,
although they're pinka like cherry blossom ones. They have had. Oh that Calves
one, that's rough, Mark Price. Oh, these are the Spurs military
Appreciation. Iah, that's bad. Oh, I didn't even know these Mavericks
ones existed. I don't I don't hate that. I don't hate that Brett.
I can see my reflection right now just from the photo. But it's
nash. Oh. Those are king gold with purple and white accents. It's
such a huge risk if you go with just some random color that's got nothing
to do with your There's nothing wrong with that jersey. That's a sick jersey.
The short give me the short shorts. There was a couple others on
this list. S I did it. I don't hate these maps, the
ones that were green and blue with the MAVs, I don't hate. I
mean, it's not like the old scripts. Nothing wrong with that. I
didn't have a problem with these. I don't like that was so the problem
with the war We're looking at the Warriors jerseys and like their nine or ninety
six rebrand. Oh, the problem with those Warriors jerseys. Was they replaced
what was an awesome like classic blue and gold jersey. They didn't need to
That didn't That was a refresh that didn't need to happen. And then of
course they've gone back to their old color scheme for the most part. That
was one word association what else? Yeah? That was yeah, uh,
incredible jersey? What is an incredible jersey? You know what I liked INDI's
is t jerseys. I thought, like the kind of the graffiti ish graffiti
inspired like on the side and almost looked like spray paint. I think I
kind of like those first come to mind. I like a lot of the
classic ones, just like the basic Boston jersey. I like the Warriors City
edition last year with like the black with the gold rose thing on it.
That was cool. I love the old school Piston Teal jerseys. Yeah.
One of the few purple Oh go ahead, would you say? I was
just gonna say, one of the few Teal jerseys done right, the purple
Raptor jersey that had the like the screaming, raging rap on it. Yeah,
those are like your original like the cartoon looking thing. The jazz jerseys
that have like the mountain backdrop have always been really nice. What you know,
I mean this is everyone kind of said this. The Miami Vice jerseys.
I kind of like the pink and blue those I kind of like those
ones. Do you know which ones I liked that other people very much did
not. I'm not gonna put it up on the screen now and putting another
one up on. Uh those MAVs jerseys where it was like the font was
kind of cartoonish. These Bucks jerseys go pretty hard. Oh man, that's
such a nineties look. Those Bucks jerseys with like the giant deer just yeah,
they did not that's such a Glenn Robinson is absolutely who you associate with
that. What about the classic Timberwolves jerseys. The Timberwolves have had some good
looks. Yeah. I liked when they did the lime green. I'm sure
the Timberwolves one had to come up here. Oh yeah right here. Yeah,
yeah, that fot that fought goes hard. Yeah. Whatever you picture
Kevin Garnett in, uh, when you think of Kevin Garnett all the wolves
like that jersey is sick. Also, I'm gonna say the Vancouver Grizzlies jerseys,
the Denver ones with the rainbow, well you just scrolled past. They're
blue ones. Those are those are pretty sick. So this is the Vancouver
Wane. I thought the Grizzlies. Vancouver Grizzlies. I love those, Denver
you said. I scrolled down. It was there right there where? Why
am I missing? Oh that's a shop. I'm not going to promote Dick
Sporting Goods on this, but yeah, you're right about that. I need
to find the the MAVs City Edition jerseys. Uh that I'm talking about that
no one liked and I thought it was it's oh these, well this is
that's a terrible They're better. Uh, here we go. Oh yeah,
that's another like graffiti. There's who I don't know who that is standing in
front of the wall. Yeah, those aren't bad. That's that's kph.
I liked those. And then do you know which ones? It's not that
I hate them? This year's Clippers City Edition jerseys? Uh do you do
you know what they look like? Without having they're right well now they're on
the Yeah, yeah, do you know what they remind me of? I
can't the font? Do you remember the old school Microsoft windows and the paper
clip dude that pops up? I don't know why He's made me think of
that because the guy that probably invented that paper clip guy owns the clippers.
Like, maybe that's why eyes on the paper clip looked like the font to
me. Yeah, no, I I get it, I get it.
Yeah, we're I liked. What do you think about like the old English
font clippers jerseys? Where those the city editions last year, the black and
white with like the old English white writing on it. There were I don't
like those were divisive. The Oh yeah, okay, I didn't hate them.
I didn't love them either. They did have one that there was a
I don't know if they wore, but there was one of like rainbow accent
on them that actually didn't look too bad. Is it still? Am I
still sharing that screen that's up there? Uh no, I didn't put here,
like I don't know if you could see the rainbow accent. Let me
see if there's a clo Oh, this one right there, like the left
arm arm sleeve hoole is a different color than they're Oh yeah, yeah,
Like there's it's like the little background rainbow around the lettering. Yeah those are
okay, I don't hate those all right? As underrated jersey Oh jeezus,
all we've done is talk about jerseys. Okay, what about the I'll give
you two modern the Wolves like alternate this year that is like it has a
fading effect as you go up from like shorts to the top where it's like
white at the top, but it fades down to blue. I like those,
and then I like the like think of the like Nick van Exel nuggets,
which is like blue and then like burnt orange and yellow and then it's
got like a I think that might be it. But I like those the
ones before they went to like the Yeah, I like those Wolves jerseys.
Those are I don't hate them. I'm surprised you'd call those underrated. I
do think when I think of underrated the ones that spring to mind, do
you remember the Timberwolves like lime green one? Oh they're look that looked like
the Seahawks basically, Yeah, I like those. I thought any other one
and this is you know, it's in the background of my gonna say,
you're gonna say the Saint Patrick's Day Knicks jerseys, don't you These come on?
These jerseys are sick. You don't get a lot of green and orange
combos I have. I wish I did. I throw them out. I
custom made Nikes when I was younger, because you could do it on like
the Nike I D you can still match the orange and green of the Knicks
jersey. That's how hard those jerseys went. I mean, there's one right
behind you? Is that gal? That's Gallinari right behind? All right?
Who else would it be if you ever play for the Knicks? But maybe
all right? Moving on? Uh so this is this shouldn't be oversized shorts.
Uh oh, there's so many guys you think of. I gotta I
want to nail this one. Actually, I think of Lebron because when you
came in the league had some big shorts. Everybody had big, really big
shorts. Though, Like I'm trying to think, who else does anyone come
to mind for you? That's such a thing of that era though, TJ
Ford, Alan Iverson, Yeah, that photo of I think it's a I
and J R. Smith like playing pool as members of the Nuggets. Have
you ever seen it? Uh huh, you just have giant shorts. Pull
it up. Maybe Alan Iverson's not in it, but they're both wearing like
these massive Oh no, here it is like just like Jenko shorts. All
right sharing this. You know what Jenko is was? Was Jenko a thing
in New York? Yeah, oh it was a thing. Yeah. Look
at those shorts. Those are like pants man like, Yeah, look at
a low They're just so baggy. That's clearly like a media day thing too,
Like that's they're doing that on purpose. That's that's never ye. You
know what apropos of this, Longer shorts are coming back. We were in
we were at peak short shorts was like a year and a half ago,
maybe two. Some guys still go with the really short ones now, but
I think you're seeing, like like Brook Lopez, the shorts are past the
knees now. Man, it's coming. The longer shorts are making a little
bit of a comeback. We may never see the iverson j R. Smith
short length again, though you're pretty clairvoyant. The final one of this block
was short shorts. As I was saying short shorts, I thought of Jordan
Pool because Jordan Poole was may still have short shorts, but he really went
short. Also, remember, wasn't there like a weekend Lakers game like recently
in which they were like it's throwback night, let's wear shorts and jerseys from
the eighties or whatever, and I think they changed the shorts at halftime because
all the players are like, this is ridiculous. Do you remember that feeling?
No, not that long ago, so sure someone can look that up.
I obviously think of like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the first names
that come to mind. There were also these I can't remember how many years
ago, and I can't find it. I'll try and say Grizzly. There's
like a Grizzly short shorts that looked like aggressively short. I mean that I
think it might have been more in college because but like five years ago,
I distinctly remember saying that several people like of all the trends to come back,
like cyclically, I did not have short shorts on my bingo card,
but they really did. They really did for a while there. Okay,
this this final block, I don't think it's gonna take you as long.
Scoop lay up. Oh man, uh Donovan Mitchell, it's a good one.
Best in game dunker, Oh man. I mean Vince Carter. I
like, if it's word association, I have to say Vince Carter. I
don't know who else you could mention Windmill. Vin Carter could be Vince Carter
again. I feel like we should go a different direction there. How about
strom Mile Swift? Holy fuck, feel like he had some windmills in there.
He had he has stroml Swift had one of the best dunks of like
the last thirty years, where he like, it's a tip dunk, I
think, and he takes it down like to his waist and puts it back
in. I'm sure somebody it's probably in standard definition somewhere, but you could
find it. Bounce pass hmm, Steve Nash, him, Magic Johnson,
j Kid I think would be the names that should first come. And finally,
Butterfingers. I feel like I really want to get this one right.
I mean, James Wiseman, that's the name that I was like, he's
gonna pick James Watson. He just can't catch some basketball, whether it's thrown
to him, whether it's a rebound, just he couldn't catch it. Oh
man, all right, I got some for you, and I may skip
a couple because we might have some overlap, which is terrifying that we separately
did. Word Butterfingers are on there. No, it's no all right?
You ready? Yeah, corner three. Oh god, ray Allen Okay,
yeah, oh yeah, great answer. I was thinking PJ. Tucker.
But Ray Allen is clearly the answer there. You have to actually take the
corner three. Well, PJ. Tucker is in the corner. There's just
a lot. Darren Williams, uh short, prime, underrated, h Jerry
Sloan CP three. Come remember the debate, is it Darren Williams or CP
three is the best point guard in the league. I mean, not only
at the draft, but like for a couple of years. Oh yeah,
you were like because I think Williams probably this is probably when we were a
little dumber, but like, I think Williams had the bigger score. I'm
sure he had the bigger scoring numbers. Yeah, Like it was a yeah.
I wonder if we look back at that, should it have been a
debate, Like I bet if you had to catch all metrics and all the
stuff, like Paul was just way better, but we were stupid. Good
answer, all right. The next one is gonna be best uniforms right now,
which I guess you can do, but right now, I still it's
the Pacers in season Tournament City edition ones I think are the best ones.
I'm into it all right, So this is kind of this is more complicated
than a word association, but just barely Fox or Haliburton Haliburton. Isn't that
a hard one? Oh my god, I think it's Halliburton. I think
it's Haliburton, but I mean deeron Fox is really good and has already made
an All NBA team then probably will do it again. I just think,
isn't Halliburton the guy that's like he's transformative and Fox is really really great,
but he doesn't quite rise to the level of transformative unless I mean you could
credit him. I hate you forgiving me that. Sorrymates, Yeah, wouldn't
it be weird? Well? Actually, like we're not getting this version of
either of these guys as teammates, right, Like, it's just not possible.
Maybe you get this good of a version of Fox, but I don't
think you could have Haliburton doing this with it. Oh he's become too central.
Yeah for sure. Favorite mascot, Oh stuff, the magic Dragon,
best great name right just right off the bat, that's the branding is part
of it. Yeah sure. And also just like him being under Aaron Gordon
under that like iconic dunk from the dunk contest. Yeah, just like that
tattooed to memory. I do like the Spurs coyote. Uh, just because
the eyes are so weird. He reminds me of crash Bandicoot. Yes,
it's like a dead ringer for crash bandic the inflatable Toronto Raptors mascot that like
hops around like that swallows people. Yeah. Yeah, I'm a sucker for
the inflatable mascot. Those are always always Which game was I watching? It
was Washington? Who did they lose to the other night? Because in Washington
New Orleans, I didn't play. I don't understand what happened at halftimes.
I wasn't paying attention. We you and I get like the league feed and
there was a mascot battle, and like, okay, it's in Washington,
so you have Washington's there, and then the capitals from the NHL is there,
but like the Houston Texans mascot was there, and it was just like
there was all these other random I was like, what, I don't My
wife asked me about it. I was like, honestly, I have no
fucking clue what's halfpening right now? My head was down working on something.
But I still don't know if anyone was watching that game. Why was the
Houston Texans like the Texans playing the Commanders or something? Is there like the
supply closet in the arena somewhere where they're just like, look at all these
what can we do with these guys? Look? This week is the Tennessee's.
I don't know what was going on. I mean, the cost alone
of flying up all these people to be in it was honestly one of the
most and you know how random halftime shows going? Yeah, yeah, Actually,
I was having the conversation about halftime shows the other day, like it
seems like there's like twenty different acts now that just are that just cycle through
arenas. Like you get the guys uh throwing around those yoyo's on the strings
with like the led lights on him. You get the guy with the little
dog that crawls around on him while he balances upside down, you get the
quick change, you get Red Panda. I don't know if Red Panda's still
going. But you know who I haven't seen this year that I don't know
what name because I just I try not to pay what I'm like when the
games aren't hot, I'm trying to get work done. Like what it's not
life play. The guy who did the chairs was all over the place on
the chairs. Yeah, yeah, I haven't seen him either, but there's
not I think maybe the NBA is like, we need to like streamline this
process. Let's contract with twenty different acts and they just fly around arenas like
we know, work like that. I think it's been very much. Uh
Like, I think they realize that weird plays over a nostalgia because you can't
just have like job rule in Milwaukee doing the halftime show. It just doesn't
work out. I mean you could. He's probably not busy, but not
everybody's Do you not remember that the job? The job? Every time I
see like a musical because there still are some of those, like a musical
act, and like at halftime, it's so sad man, nobody's in the
seats, like they're just like shuffling around out there. It's like a rough
it's a rough. Look I'm gonna I'm gonna. Oh. There's like a
voice over I want you to find I want to find the the equip of
the jaw rule thing and have you what what year are we talking about here?
This was from so I'm looking on Twitter that was twenty nineteen. Okay,
let's so, let's let me throw this up on the screen and hope
you'll be able to hear it. So jaw Rule in Milwaukee is absolutely hysterical.
My album came out in ninety nine, so I guess that counts.
Say it says we ready, here comes? Are we ready? We're not
ready? I don't think anyone this is gonna be our least downloaded watched episode.
Were just like, I mean, that was sad from the jump because
it was dead silent. It's dead silent. Oh man, all right,
okay, I got okay, here we go. You know what the movie
I think of? You remember the movie he was in? Was it Cradle
to the Grave. He was also in a Fast and Furious movie, but
I used to love Cradle to the Grave. I think that's the one.
It was like him in DMX, If I'm not mistaken, DMX was definitely
Incredle to the Grave. That is correct. Oh my god? All right,
okay, next step from Halliburton, I don't know, halftime act favorite
Macot and then we're talking about we wound up a job rule in Cradle to
the Grave. Shout out us. Just a lot of breadth of conversation.
All right, kicked ball yo kich Yep, that's the only I mean,
he's weaponized it. Uh. Name three great Tony's great? Like they had
to be like just played in like three great Tonys, like in any sport
in the NBA, Like what Well, first of all, it's the word
association. There are no questions. Loud. I shouldn't have said great,
Give me three NBA Tonys. How about Tony Allen? Oh good one Anthony
Mason. People called him Tony. I feel like that shouldn't count. Oh
my god, how many Tonys have you even played in the league. I'm
thinking I can think of two more. There's a Spurs Tony. You gotta
get that one. Oh my god, Tony Parker. Yeah. Absolutely,
there's like a Tony Douglas. Yea Tony Douglass. I mean like Antonio mcdce,
we get do it. I mean that I want Anthony Mason to count.
Yeah, you can have Anthony Mason. He's I mean Anthony. Yeah,
that's a Tony all right, Andrew Tony apparently played in the Yeah,
ready for the next week. Tony played in the G League. Who audissee
Tony. Now, you're just making names up. That's not in the spirit
of the game. Uh, Scoot Henderson, Oh my god, we forgot
like Tony delk Tony Tony Kuk coach. Ooh that's a debatable Tony. That's
t o n I. I don't know about that one. All right,
fin alright, sorry, please carry all right, there's no transition here.
Scoot Henderson fast, motherfucker. I was gonna go with like kind of bummed
because I really thought, I mean, it's been injury, but like,
yeah, first of all, the Blazers just like hang around in these games.
They have no business being and I love it. The full strength Blazers
are fun and they're also getting like Dwop Wreath is just playing these minutes and
you could I tweeted this the other day where you watch him in space you
can hear him thinking that. You could hear him thinking like, Scoot Heerson
hit this like step back against the Clippers defense, like he's gonna be really
good. You gotta you need to chill over here, Gilbert Renez, I
be just fine, okay good because I just you know, I do this.
I'm like, I'm Scoot Henderson is gonna be the best point guard prospect
since whatever. And then when he's not immediately that, I'm like, oh,
I don't know anything anymore. Yeah, you have shifted because you were
saying, Scoot Henderson's gonna be on my Mount Rushmore, yeah, versus now
I'm kind of bub Schoot Henderson's played like, I mean, I'm bummed because
I thought that he was gonna be so great and then he wasn't immediately.
What don't please? I don't want to have to wait for anything ever.
I want him to be I want him to be a knowing that Shade Sharp
exists and he's just like he's turned to the type of player where you can't
look down at your screen or at your dog to see what they're chewing on,
and because he'll just do something. You know, what I'm not excited
for is the world. I'm not sure how many months away we are,
but when we start saying like, yeah, but he's not really much of
a defender, and I don't know if you can build like we're definitely not
you and I necessarily, but like, Shaden Sharp is so good and so
dynamic, and that's going to be so well understood that we'll just start poking
holes pretty soon. Like we're almost like he might end up being like the
quintessential number two or two point five guy, which is fucking great, right,
Yeah, No, that's awesome and like a super exciting version of that
player because I think he show more he can't when you when he's playing offenses
at warp speed, it doesn't look good defensively for him, but like he
can he can make plays when you give him time to set up, and
like that's a good stepping stone as a sophomore. Yeah, I think.
I think, like I don't know how valuable like a three level scorer or
like that skill set, but like I like, I like his ability to
create shots like from everywhere, like even in between his in between stuff is
like I didn't think that was going to be part of the package, but
it seems pretty easy for him and off the ball, like it's not just
him getting put backs, like this is someone who can go around off the
ball too. Yeah, uh two more here in this uh this block headband.
Yeah, this isn't gonna make any sense, but Devin Booker, I
like I haven't gotten used to it. Whenever he's wearing his head band.
I think he's been wearing it a lot lately. Yeah, I wonder how
guys decide, like I'm gonna I'm gonna do the headband for a couple of
weeks, be witch or have you seen wear a headband and stop that you
wish kind of still wore a head band? Oh well, I mean my
answer was gonna be Carmelo. It's just that's the first headband person I think
of, so who stopped wearing the headband. I mean, Lebron was a
head for a long time. I wish we could have seen Jordan in a
head band. Did Michael Jordan ever wear a head band? Let's see,
I don't think so. No, Almost nobody wore headbands. The headband had
like a minute there where a lot of it was really kind of a Lebron
the Lebron time, like because Jared Smith was a headband guy for a while,
Josh Smith always was a headband guy. Trying to think who else didn't
The bowls I guess banned headbands at one point. Maybe that's why Jordan didn't
have one. It looks like, do you know what I was noticing?
Who was playing in the Remember when they made the ron take off the black
mask and that looked fucking cool the way when no, like because he broke
his nose or his face or something and they made him change Did they make
him change the mask? Everybody gets to wear the black mask now, like
Jalen Brown. That aggravates me. Kyrie's done the black mask? Who else
has done the black mask? It was he made the color switch in response
to a quest from the league office, which prefers the players to wear s
through masks. And I was just like, it didn't dawn on me until
I was watching the other night whoever was wearing a black mask? And I
don't. I think Jalen Brown has worn it, but it wasn't him.
Yeah, I was just like, what the fuck change his It's like the
default now he was what he was ahead of his time. All I'm not
angry though. It was my boy last one, Josh Smith, Adam Frammell.
Was he like really? Was he super high on Josh Smith? Or
did he hate him? It was both? Right? You know, it's
always one after the other. You got to run the gamut of our oceans.
When to come do you remember the Stin's just decided to give them all
that money and their roster which is not built for it. Shout out stand
Ban Gundy. Yeah, that was fun. That's why we don't have head
coaches and executives anymore. There's two separate jobs. That's all I got for
stat padding. I got a few other things. But if you want to
jump back in, go for it. Yes, we have a theme here
rookie stat records. So these all date back. There's obviously years that aren't
captured in certain stats, but grant which NBA rookie holds the record for the
most total points total points, Kareem abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan,
or Shaquille O'Neal total points, So we're gonna need Oh man, when
did Jordan break his foot second season? So it could be him is in
fact on this list, so it could be. I'm never gonna get tired
of you letting me know that it could be someone on this list. Uh.
My favorite one is when you're like, is it close at least?
And I always say, well, yeah, but there's only one right after
wrong, I'm gonna say, I just feel like I might reveal myself to
be an idiot here. I'm gonna say Kareem because I think he won MVP
as a rookie, and I don't know if that's true, but I'll say
Kareem, that is incorrect. I thought you were gonna get this one.
Wilt Chamberlain had two thousand, seven hundred and seven points, which is more
which about four hundred more on record than any other rookie. Kareem was second
twenty three sixty one, Jordan was third at twenty three thirteen. Shack was
not even close. Uh he is eighteen ninety three. And by the way,
they were only like within this group, Shaq wasn't even in like the
top four overall. That's gotta be one of the first ones where if Wilt
is on the list, you should just say Wilt basically, and it was.
But then like he's never he like doesn't win a lot of these.
But I should have I did. I should have just gone with my gut
there, all right. I'm still I'm I'm frazzled because I'm looking up to
see if the Kareem won MVP is a rookie and I can't find it.
Which NBA rookie holds the record for most total rebounds. Wilt Chamberlain, Tim
Duncan, Blake Griffin or Shaquille O'Neal. It's it. It'd better be Will
Chamberlain or I'm gonna be mad by a lot and forty one rebounds which NBA,
Oh, go ahead, the numbers are so stupid. Back then,
go ahead. Which NBA rookie holds the record for the most total assists Mark
Jackson, Chris Paul, Ben Simmons or Tray Young. I'm gonna say Trey
Young that is incorrect. Mark Jackson eight hundred and sixty eight. Ben Simmons
incredibly close at eight hundred and sixty one. That wild. So what do
you have? He avers ten assists, says a rookie Ben Simmons, Is
that what you're telling me? No, he played eighty seven games, so
that's that's unbelievable. Wow. Yeah, that was the one that like I
feel like I should have known. Yeah, you think that would have We
would have like cited that several times, right, So I was. I
mean, I'll double check it live just in case you don't trust me,
but I know Mark Jackson was one and let's see, so average eight point
two assists in his rookie year. Quote unquote, since he was not a
rookie that second year. That is a typo. Ben Simmons was a six
sixty one. Okay, good, sorry, but he was still not the
right answer. I was still wrong. So yes, so Mark Jackson eight
sixty eight was the leader, which is just the second place guy. So
since because I have it up, Tim Hardaway was second at six. So
Mark Jackson eight sixty eight is a rookie. The next closest guy is Tim
Hardaway at six eighty nine. Wow, what a rookie year. That's bonkers.
I mean you're dealing with he was twenty two, but like that's still
pretty young? Yeah? Young? Or is that there went that man with
all of his ten point six per game as a rookie for the Knicks.
Okay, which NBA rookie holds the record for most total steals? Dudley Bradley,
Brevian Knight, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan. Really running the gamut of
you said you said a name that I have not heard before, Dudley Bradley.
Is that a real Does that guy have two first names? I need
to guess that just because why is it on here? Because I'll say Michael
Jordan. He had some crazy block and steel numbers early in his career.
That is incorrect. It was Dudley Bradley. I included Brevian Knight to be
like because he's on he was in the top ten, I think, yeah,
But so Dudley Bradley two hundred and eleven and then Michael Jordan had one
ninety six. That's fourth most all time, tied with Brevian Knight. It's
pretty hard to come up with a name that I'm sure you'd never heard of.
Dudley Bradley. I'm sure I've never heard of Dudley Bradley. That both
of us just that's amazing. Wow, he had a lot of steals throughout
his career. This guy, this mystery Dudley Bradley. Person. Look see
we're this this show is maybe not educational for the listeners, but for us,
we're learning that players existed. Okay, which NBA rookie holds the record
for the most total blocks, Manu Bull, Hakima, LaJuan Shaquille O'Neal or
David Robinson. Man, those are good. I just don't know if Bull
played enough as a rookie, but I'm sure per game his numbers were off
the charts. I will say Hakeem just because any defensive thing you can't be
far off. I mean within the top four. If if I'm not right,
I say Akeem, h, well, then you're wrong twice O.
Hakeem was sixth with two hundred and twenty options you gave me. I was
within four so manut Bowl three hundred and ninety seven blocks. The next closest
is David Robinson at three hundred and nineteen. God, so I've been having
a lot, a lot of instances of not trusting. My first instinct here
is you've really got me spun out. If it's any consolation, I think
you get this one. Oh great, Okay, Which NBA rookie holds the
record for most total made three pointers Sadiq Bay, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell
or Keegan Murray. Oh, I think that's Keegan Murray correct two hundred and
six made threes. Donovan Mitchell is second at one eighty seven, Lillard is
third all time at one eighty five, and Sadik Bay is fourth all time
at one seventy five. I put the top four in there just because I
was like, these are names that he could all be like yeah, all
right, I get it. Oh yeah, absolutely, Yeah, what a
season by Keigan Murray. I mean it's partly the era, but like still,
that's kind of amazing. Now, I'm not sure if you're gonna get
these what I have two left? Yes, which NBA rookie holds the record
for the most total field goal attempts so shot attempts Alan Iverson, Lebron James,
Michael Jordan, or Bernard King. I'm just gonna go with my gut
and say Iverson, that is incorrect. Bernard King one six hundred and sixty
five shot attempts as a run up, Bernard King, that's a lot of
shots. Uh yeah. And it was so like and it was marketed me
more. I believe I should sort it really quickly to make sure since I
didn't have this one pulled up. It was it was like way more than
anybody else. I think Iverson was second. Oh no, Michael Jordan had
sixteen twenty five. He was fairly close that third, by the way,
shout out Ron Harper, love Ron Harper. Yeah, he Bernard King never
took more shots in a season than he did as a rookie. That's amazing,
or scored more points. Oh he did one year, so okay actually
have two more left. This one is kind of just funny. Which NBA
rookie holds the record for the most total turnovers, Steve Francis, Ron Harper,
Allen Iverson or Trey Young oh Man. I'll say I gotta go with
Steve Francis. That is incorrect. It is Ron Harper at three forty five,
just edged out Alan Iverson at three thirty seven. What was Ron Harper
getting up to was this Clippers Ron Harper? Uhn Harper? Yeah, Kasron
Harper's sixty four minutes he played that year only four point two per game.
That's crazy to think that he became like a like a real steadying influence on
those Championship Bulls teams. It's just like we could trust Ron Harper to just
do the right thing, not at first Okay final one, which NBA player
holds. Which NBA rookie holds the record for the most personal fouls in a
single season, is it Steve Johnson, Tom Chamber, Ralph Sampson or Hikeem
Olajuan. I'm gonna double down on my incorrect guests from earlier and say,
Hikim Olajuan that is incorrect. It's Steve Johnson three hundred and seventy two personal
fouls across seventy eight games. You want to know, it's even more impressive.
He did three hundred and seventy two fouls in one thousand, seven hundred
and forty minutes. Do you know what that works out to per thirty six
Oh? Is it like Mitchell Robinson three years ago? Territory evan point seven
fouls per thirty six minutes? It's pretty good. Hey, he's very active,
Steve Johnson. Say what you want about Steve Johnson. He doesn't he
doesn't give up easy shots. Very active out there. That's ten people that
I haven't ever heard of, by the way, Steve Johnson and Dudley Bradley
so far. Uh, that is it from me? By the way,
I don't know if you have more, If you want to take us out
of here, let me know. Let's see which of these do I want
to? Okay, Dan, who has the most consecutive fifty point games other
than Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Lebron, James Kobe Bryant, or Anton
Jamison the most consecutive fifty point games. I'm just gonna say Michael Jordan.
Close. Michael Jordan has three, Kobe Bryant has four. He's the answer.
Yes, wow, all right, I'll give you four choices. You
got to name the active player with the with that that actually has one set
of consecutive fifty point games? Luca, James Harden, Jason Tatum, or
Steph Curry. Which of those has consecutive fifty point games? We've had at
least two straight fifty point games, Luca, Steph Harden, Tatum, Tate,
you have no idea. I'm going to say James Harden. Correct,
he has like he's on that list when you do Basketball Reference, he's got
several like two to two, two too two, he's done. He's back
to back to a few times. All right, same question, which active
player has consecutive fifty point games? Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving
or Kevin Durant. Why is this so fucking hard? I'm gonna say not
Kevin Durant. Correct, not Kevin Durant. Hell, Yeah, which leaves
me with you got a one in three shot. Now, I don't know
we could do this. I know we could rule guys out, which leads
me with who Devin Booker, Booker, Embiid Kyrie, Uh Embiid It's Booker,
Damn It always Booker always, Yeah, it's always Booker, all right,
same question, which of these active players has consecutive fifty point games?
John Morant, Donovan Mitchell, Dame Lillard, Shake Gil Just Alexander, Donod,
Mitchell Shay, Dame Lillard. Uh jaw it is not Jaw, correct,
it is where the options again, Dame Shay and Mitchell Mitchell. It's
Dame last one, because there turns out there have not been a lot of
consecutive fifty point games among active players. Who's had consecutive fifty spots Clay Russ
Westbrook, Bradley Beal or Jannis Clay Jannis, Russell Westbrook or Beale, Clay,
Jannis Russell, I'm gonna say Russell Westbrook, it's Bill. It is
hard because every single one of those guys you could talk yourself into like,
yeah, I remember when they did that, except it's just the Bill one.
I barely I do like have a vague recollection of No that was if
I would have done the oh I'm not picking this guy have been oh really
Yeah, Well that's why he's like he's a weird outlier because you don't think
of him, although he did average like over thirty at least once. Right,
All right, let's see I have some general silliness for you. Dan.
Would you rather be involved in a third quarter tie up with Draymond Green
or guard SGA wearing roller skates? Oh, I'd rather be involved in a
third quarter tie up with Raymond Green because there's a chance that I end up
helping my team as a result, because he will get ejected and suspended.
Yeah, your shit out of luck on roller skates, Your shit out of
luck with shoes on against SGA. So good, good choice. Dan.
Would you rather try to hold back an enraged Giannis seeking a game ball or
be the person he thinks has the game ball? Ooh, think about it.
I don't. I'd rather hold him back because he's not actively trying to
hurt the person who's Even if you're unsuccessful, the person who has the game
ball stands to get hurt. See, it's the total risk analysis. I'm
going the other way because I think trying to hold him back like he's gonna
be flailing. He's already like you could really, you know, get a
shoulder popped out, break some fingers trying to grab him. You're not gonna
be able to one. You can't hold that guy back, like he's just
he's an enormous person and is a great if you have If he thinks you
have the game ball, there's a chance that you won. He's actually not
going to kill you like he because he'll you know, he'll realize I can't
just kill this person. And also you could be like put your hands up
and say I don't have it, and maybe he'll just go to the next
one. You can just drop it, run away and he'll take get a
ball, throw it one way and run the other. A lot of options.
I feel like you're gonna get hurt trying to hold him back. All
right, let's see last one. What other sport do you think Nikola Jokic
would be best at? Darts, ping pong, volleyball, or water polo?
Water polo? I think that's like there's kind of not a wrong answer,
but just because his precision and just like that is going to involve the
he's in fantastic shape. But of all the ones you named, aside from
darts, that's gonna involve the least amount of cardio in it, and his
size will also help him in water polo, where darts could either go,
and the fact that he's going up against defenders in water polo technically, I
just plus he like does the water polo throw where you're like cupping it back
and forth just in basketball, I do. I am intrigued about ping pong
though, because he would just be so like loose and like hitting it off
the wrong too long, because he's so big and long that it would take
him too long to like get his paddle motions like during these Yeah, I
think you know it would be complicated, but I bet too he would have
the ability to like anticipate where you were going to move and hit it somewhere
else, Like he would just understand where you're gonna be should serve. Oh
yeah, it'd be so deceptive. Everything he would do as a ping pong
player would be just like it would never be spinning the direction you thought it
would be. He would be pretty brutal. There, do I have any
I got some other dumb bullshit? How about this? This is called just
wondering would y'ao be better or worse in today's game? Ooh, I don't
know, I think he would be worse just because it would be easier to
exploit him on the defensive end because he just wasn't Like, yeah, I
think that's right. Like you kind of you think of Brook Lopez because you
think of a lumbering guy, but like so big that it's like for him
to drop down into a stance would take like eight years. Yeah, and
Lopez is really just the exception for someone that big, like surviving in the
modern game. Yeah, but yeah, I mean you could envision a version
of Y'ao that's shooting like eight threes a game, but the defense, You're
right, I think it is the defense. I think that's right. Okay,
Just wondering what about Shack better or worse in today's game. I think
it depends on which version of Shack just probably be worse because like, no
offense is run the way that he was used to, and like, does
he have the ability to adapt as a high screener and roller or let alone
a shooter at his falcony becomes more of a liability because of what we know
about the hacker rules and the ways that you can double him anywhere on the
floor, you know, and the way you can camp gout like. I
think it's just you can zone up more if you want to, where there's
just like four bodies around him. Orlando Magic Shack would be interesting today,
Yeah, the most mobile version of Shack, because that guy could just I
mean, he'd be kind of like young I mean, he'd be a bigger
Yannis on the roll, which was just like you couldn't do anything with that.
But I don't have like the handle of Giannis or like a swimmer z
Ion though I don't think so. Yeah, I think it's I think you're
you'd be hard pressed to find like the really big physical center that would be
better off today. I think like someone like a La Juan probably, or
like David Robinson, like the really hyper athletic mobile guys. You mean James
Wiseman one point, David. Yeah, the James Wiseman's like the blueprint for
James Wiseman basically would do really well today. That's all I got, unless
you got anything else we can put you ready to know, Please take us
out of here, everybody. Thank you. As always, as Dan mentioned
at the top, please rate, please review, please subscribe, give us
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