1 00:00:02,839 --> 00:00:08,199 What is track oaking Hardwoodknox listeners, I am Damp Valley coming at you with 2 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:14,640 a Sunday edition of this podcast once more, sans my co host Adam Prommel. 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,679 I am, however, pleased and excited to be joined by one of 4 00:00:17,719 --> 00:00:22,480 my co workers to talk about the Philadelphia seventy Sixers, Brian Toporrek. He 5 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,160 is a quality editor for Bleacher Report, which is also where I work full 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:31,239 time. He's the co host of the MBA podcast. Follow them on Twitter 7 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,000 at the NBA Pod, and he also covers the Sixers and the MBA at 8 00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:41,119 large for Sports and Fansided. Follow Brian on Twitter at b to Porrek. 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,200 That's at bt O p O r E. Kay. We have a great 10 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,560 conversation about the Sixers. We probably talk a little bit about Ben Simmons, 11 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,840 believe it or not. Before we get started, though, just my usual 12 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:59,439 housekeeping notes and please continue rating, reviewing, and subscribing to us wherever you 13 00:00:59,479 --> 00:01:03,799 get your podcasts. I say that with pretty pretty pleases and sugar and whatever 14 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,840 else on top, that is the best way to help us out. Really 15 00:01:07,879 --> 00:01:12,400 helps us slingshot up the chart rankings. Whether you use iTunes or not, 16 00:01:12,439 --> 00:01:15,359 we do ask that you head over there. If you have access to it, 17 00:01:15,359 --> 00:01:19,159 search Hardwoo Knox. Throw us a five star rating right or review those 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,760 help us in the charts as well. If this is your first time listening 19 00:01:22,799 --> 00:01:26,840 to Hardwood NOx, consider throwing us that permanent subscription. We are pleasantly sub 20 00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:30,439 mediocre, as I reiterate on the intro of every podcast. Follow us on 21 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,319 Twitter at Hardwood Knox spelled like it sounds. Follow us on Instagram at Hardwood 22 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,840 Underscore or not, and you can also follow our YouTube channel. Go to 23 00:01:38,879 --> 00:01:42,799 YouTube dot com search Hardwoknox. We will be the first thing that comes up 24 00:01:42,239 --> 00:01:49,920 right without further delay. Let's get into talking Philadelphia seventy six ers basketball and 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,680 Ben Simmons trade saga, whatever you want to call it with Brian Taporak. 26 00:01:55,719 --> 00:01:59,519 Brian, thank you so much for coming back on the Hardwood Knox podcast, 27 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,680 and unlike Ben Simmons, thank you for showing up. It's it's really appreciated 28 00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:07,360 and super convenient. This podcast will be better for it. How are you 29 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:13,039 doing, I'm doing well. Are you trying out for a Philadelphia newscaster job 30 00:02:13,159 --> 00:02:16,240 right now? Because you're you're really nailing it? Look, I'm I'm kind 31 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:22,800 of I'm sympathetic to Ben simmons situation in a lot of ways. But the 32 00:02:23,199 --> 00:02:25,400 thing and by the way, like the thing that people struggle with here and 33 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,879 if anyone's surprised we're gonna begin the podcast talking about Ben Simmons. We need 34 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,280 to be able to juggle multiple truths and like Ben Simmons and Rich Paul, 35 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,719 like they're not blameless in this scenario. And it's become like I don't want 36 00:02:38,719 --> 00:02:43,879 to ship all over players because I've become very cognizant of like imagine they're checking 37 00:02:43,879 --> 00:02:47,000 Twitter the mental health aspect of it. But he's he and Rich Paul and 38 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,759 just his camp. They're not doing themselves any favors at this point. And 39 00:02:52,039 --> 00:02:53,439 I have to throw it to you, like, what is just what the 40 00:02:53,479 --> 00:02:59,639 fuck is going on? What are your thoughts on general the implicate and for 41 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,560 the law er picture? Yeah, what is the like are there implications for 42 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,680 the for the league here long term? Given what Ben Simmons is doing? 43 00:03:06,879 --> 00:03:08,879 For anyone who doesn't know, and I don't know how you wouldn't and listening 44 00:03:08,879 --> 00:03:13,400 to this podcast, Ben Simmons has four years, one hundred forty seven million 45 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,759 dollars left on his contract, has refused to report to Philly training camp. 46 00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:19,879 They have been trying to trade him. They tried to trade him for James 47 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,759 Harden. I get we're dealing with people and feelings are involved, but this 48 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,159 is just like, I don't know who looks good coming out of this right 49 00:03:25,159 --> 00:03:28,879 now. My answer would be no one. But I'm just curious just to 50 00:03:28,879 --> 00:03:32,240 feel. I'm curious to know how you feel about this, just anything, 51 00:03:32,319 --> 00:03:37,520 any thoughts you have on it. Exhausted I think it is the only word. 52 00:03:37,719 --> 00:03:39,639 Like I had a newborn at home a couple of months ago, and 53 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:44,520 I was less tired than that. I am now of the Ben Simmons situation. 54 00:03:45,199 --> 00:03:47,840 I think you're right though, like no one looks good coming out of 55 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:53,319 this. You know, I don't blame Ben Simmons for wanting out for a 56 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,639 multitude of reasons, like I you know, the fit questions with him and 57 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:00,560 MB have existed for years. I know that came up and a couple of 58 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,960 recent reports, I think it was the same Ammoc of the Athletic Kevin O'Connor 59 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,360 of the Ringer, you know, said that was one of the many reasons 60 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,360 he cited for wanting out. He thinks he can be maximized as elsewhere, 61 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:13,879 and frankly I agree, like you were never going to get a fully maximized 62 00:04:13,879 --> 00:04:16,920 Ben Simmons alongside Joel Embiad and vice versa. They papered over it during the 63 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:20,240 regular season. It became an issue in the playoffs. I will say this 64 00:04:20,319 --> 00:04:26,360 though, he has to take some accountability for the fit issues, Like if 65 00:04:26,399 --> 00:04:31,079 he had made the improvements to his offensive game that Joel Embiad has over the 66 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,519 past few years, then the fit issues would not be as glaring as they 67 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,160 are right now. You know, and Bead has improved as a three point 68 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,839 shooter, really improved as a passer, still turnover prone, especially when it 69 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:46,800 gets double team, but tightened up his dribble a little bit. And the 70 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,959 revolution last year was that he just started facing up more instead of being like 71 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,879 a more back to the basket guy. So if someone came in double teamed 72 00:04:54,879 --> 00:04:57,959 them for the week side he was you could see it. He had a 73 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,560 line of vision that he didn't otherwise have. Ben Simmons, I don't want 74 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,560 to say he hasn't improved at all, because I think the conversation about him 75 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:09,800 has gotten so poisoned at this point because of what happened in the Hawks series, 76 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:15,600 and the past few months since he has improved in certain areas of the 77 00:05:15,639 --> 00:05:19,360 game, and not even just like I don't care that he you know, 78 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,959 like the shooting thing is just what it is at this point. You would 79 00:05:23,959 --> 00:05:26,160 love to see him develop it. I don't know if it's ever going to 80 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,600 happen, but like during the regular season, he was toying around with the 81 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,839 hook shot that he you know, that he really hadn't shown in years past, 82 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:38,360 and I think it was your own Whitesman wrote a piece of five Yeah, 83 00:05:38,399 --> 00:05:41,959 five thirty eight about it back in March. It was like he's taking 84 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,680 a higher volume of these than ever before, and like maybe this is the 85 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,920 counter for all of these playoff woes. And then he went back into his 86 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:53,959 turtle shell in the playoffs. So so you know, I don't blame him 87 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,160 for wanting out, but I'm with you and that the way he and rich 88 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,639 Call are handling this is you know, I think the perception is going to 89 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:05,199 start shifting more toward like ha ha, serves you right, sixers to like, 90 00:06:05,519 --> 00:06:09,600 oh wow, f Ben Simmons, like screw this guy, you know. 91 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,600 But the report from Kyle Nubeck Philly Voyce the other day, whereas like 92 00:06:13,639 --> 00:06:15,959 one of the things they cited was he went to a team that was too 93 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,800 good. That was my favorite that's come out of this head. The Sixers 94 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:26,000 were too good. That was that was my favorite thing. My internet was 95 00:06:26,079 --> 00:06:29,560 out on Tuesday without report came out, so someone texted that to me, 96 00:06:29,639 --> 00:06:31,959 and I honestly thought I had to like check that it was not from a 97 00:06:31,959 --> 00:06:35,519 fake account. Like I thought that excerpt, you know, was just like 98 00:06:35,639 --> 00:06:41,000 someone made that up, But no, that's a real and so like that, 99 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:45,639 I am less sympathetic toward and the bigger picture question, I think is 100 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,759 really the big thing to focus on here. And when the news of his 101 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:53,480 holdout came out, I wrote a piece at four Sports about that because like 102 00:06:53,759 --> 00:06:58,240 there's only so much you can say about the Sixers specific ankle here, right, 103 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:00,519 Like they're I don't think he ever plays another game for the Sixers, 104 00:07:01,079 --> 00:07:04,360 or if he, if he does, maybe he'll do what James Harden did 105 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,920 and just like totally mail it in for eight games then they trade him in 106 00:07:08,959 --> 00:07:11,879 a month. He should probably only play on the road if he's going to 107 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,439 play with the six Yeah, right, I don't think he ever plays another 108 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,000 game in Philadelphia throughout his career. I will say that, like, you 109 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,279 know, as a sixer. But when he gets traded, I don't if 110 00:07:23,279 --> 00:07:28,360 he's gonna come up with some injury every single time his team, And I 111 00:07:28,399 --> 00:07:30,000 hope they have to play them in the playoffs because I think that would be 112 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,920 really funny. But yeah, I mean, like, if this works, 113 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,839 what's to stop the next star from doing it? Like if a guy with 114 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:43,519 four years left on his contract can hold out and say I'm never reporting again, 115 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,639 you have to trade me. I'm willing to swallow all this money that 116 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,759 you're gonna find me. What's to stop Luca Doncha from doing that to the 117 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:54,680 Mavericks next year if the Jason Kidd think blows up and Chris Stops doesn't get 118 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,759 back to what he was, Or what's to stop Zion Williamson. We're already 119 00:07:58,759 --> 00:08:01,079 hearing reports that he wants out in New Orleans. If he sees this work 120 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,399 with Ben Simmons, he could sign his rookie max extension and then it could 121 00:08:05,439 --> 00:08:09,600 demand out in a year. And so, like you know, there have 122 00:08:09,639 --> 00:08:15,600 been reports that teams around the league have been like silently cheering philliy On because 123 00:08:15,879 --> 00:08:20,199 if this works, contracts effectively become meaningless, and for especially for teams in 124 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,439 small markets where you know you win the number one pick, you think, 125 00:08:24,439 --> 00:08:26,199 okay, well I've got this guy for at least four years. He's going 126 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,279 to take a rookie max, so I've probably got him for you know, 127 00:08:30,439 --> 00:08:35,240 seven to seven to nine years. If you don't have that, then like 128 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,720 how do you build a team, Like how do you ever get out of 129 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,279 you know, like the Lakers that the nets and the heat are going to 130 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:46,679 be good for a while because they're marquee markets. But like, if you 131 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:48,960 don't have the promise of we get Zion Williams and we've got him for a 132 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,440 while, if you only have him through three or four years, you know 133 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,679 you've got the number one pick for a reason, You're not gonna have time 134 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:58,879 to build a team around him before he wants out. Yeah, that's a 135 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:05,000 great point. I am just wondering if it's you know, the Zion stuff. 136 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,200 I think you mentioned the extension and trying to force his way out after 137 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,039 that. I think that would be the larger issue then people thinking he's gonna 138 00:09:11,039 --> 00:09:13,120 sign his qualifying offer, I will I know they're getting I know, the 139 00:09:13,159 --> 00:09:16,440 qualifying offers are getting up there. I think he's gonna end up being like 140 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,840 seventeen million or something like that when someone does it. And I'm not counting 141 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,200 Greg Monroe like that, it also didn't pan out for him when you think 142 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,399 about it long, Like he got paid it, but like it didn't pan 143 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:31,000 out for him. Really, I'll believe that that's going to happen when I 144 00:09:31,039 --> 00:09:33,159 see it, and I don't think that Zion is going to be the guy 145 00:09:33,159 --> 00:09:35,120 to do it, just because Zion's health has been all over the place. 146 00:09:35,159 --> 00:09:39,639 That's going to be healthy to start this season. I'm just wondering if Ben 147 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,639 simmons a situation is a little bit more unique because this is a team that 148 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:48,679 tried to trade him actively for James Harden and then you knew they were going 149 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,519 to shop him anyway, and you also kind of had as correct as Joel 150 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:58,240 and Bead and Doc Rivers have been and maybe they haven't thrown him under the 151 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:01,720 bus. I mean Rivers doing the deplete one eighty after the game. I 152 00:10:01,799 --> 00:10:05,440 get it's right after the moment that Hawks game and that it's hard to answer 153 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:11,039 questions like in those emotional times, but like that just felt like as the 154 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,320 coach, like you can't. He is the second most important player on your 155 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,600 team in theory. So I'm just wondering, like, if that stuff isn't 156 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,960 happening, if Joel Embi doesn't say what he says after the game, if 157 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:26,960 the relationship between them hasn't always been weird, does it maybe not get to 158 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,120 the point because I do feel like that has to be part of this, 159 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,080 which is why I understand where Simmons like forget about the en court fit. 160 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,840 I just don't think stuff. And this is this pre dates Daryl Morey. 161 00:10:35,919 --> 00:10:39,279 This is around the Sam Hanky error, whereas like, did these young guys 162 00:10:39,279 --> 00:10:43,120 have too much agency behind the scenes where they not reigned in enough given the 163 00:10:43,159 --> 00:10:48,440 control and like it's also not Ben Simmons's fault that they chose like him over 164 00:10:48,519 --> 00:10:52,039 Jimmy Butler and didn't try to force that to make it work, Like you 165 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:56,240 then emboldened him too much in that, And so I'm just curious, like 166 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,960 if the organization had I know, people said the Sixers should have moved Ben 167 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,399 Simmons earlier. Look sure, but like I think we've seen enough times like 168 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,200 guys that are this good, they don't get moved on their rookie contracts. 169 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,679 It's talked about like the shake Gil just Alexander stuff leading up to the draft. 170 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,720 No, these guys signed extensions and then most of them are going to 171 00:11:15,799 --> 00:11:18,879 finish out like their extensions or get traded towards the end of it. So 172 00:11:20,279 --> 00:11:22,919 I'm just curious as to whether this really won't have the ripple effect that we 173 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,960 think it does. But I do understand, like, even if it does 174 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,440 have the ripple effect, and you're dealing with what are their twenty to twenty 175 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,639 five players in the league that have that type of leverage, you don't want 176 00:11:33,639 --> 00:11:37,559 to see someone sign a rookie extension then ask out like what that does to 177 00:11:37,639 --> 00:11:41,320 parody and stuff like that. And then also do we get to a point 178 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:45,200 where that pool expands where like, you know, a top thirty five, 179 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:46,960 top fifty player is still like a number two or a number three, so 180 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,679 like we're gonna give them that leverage. So I do see how it could 181 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,240 get messy. I'm just wondering if this is like the extreme case because of 182 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,679 everything that's just happened leading up to this point, right, And I mean, 183 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,799 it's this is so weird because usually it's a guy on a bad team 184 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:05,480 that wants out because he wants to go to a good team. This is 185 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,600 like the Sixers were the number one. I've seen it last year, but 186 00:12:09,639 --> 00:12:11,879 we haven't seen a guy who saying I want to go to any other team, 187 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,759 like I'm willing to go to Sacrobato, Will it go to Cleveland? 188 00:12:15,799 --> 00:12:18,519 Will it to go to Minnesota? Like teams that have been in the latter 189 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,440 year after year after year. So I think in that respect, it is 190 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,679 definitely an edge case. And I hear you like, I don't know that 191 00:12:26,759 --> 00:12:31,039 there will be a huge wave of disgruntled stars that want out just because it 192 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:35,320 worked for Ben Simmons, But I think, you know, if the team 193 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,399 owners in particular have to hedge against that. So I wonder, you know, 194 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,519 we've got this new CBA coming up in a couple of years, Like 195 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,399 depending on how this play is out, I'm sure that is going to be 196 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,279 a topic of conversation in those negotiations as well. And like, you know, 197 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:56,120 do you put a restriction where if you sign this rookie max extension, 198 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,120 you you know, you can't be traded for X number of years? And 199 00:13:00,159 --> 00:13:01,440 then do the players push back and say, like, look, man, 200 00:13:03,159 --> 00:13:07,080 the way the syst their contracts to the game, Like this system is screwed 201 00:13:07,159 --> 00:13:11,399 up that you if you draft me, you have my rights effectively for nine 202 00:13:11,519 --> 00:13:15,080 years, if you know, if you get the rookie max, like limit 203 00:13:15,159 --> 00:13:20,320 rookie max or limit rookie extensions to three years instead of five. So I 204 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,840 think that's the thing to focus on long term, Like outside of just Sixers 205 00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:31,080 specific is you know, what are the implications league wide? Does this come 206 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,159 up in New CBA? Does this change the system itself such that we don't 207 00:13:35,279 --> 00:13:39,320 run into this problem again, Because I guarantee you as much as some of 208 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:43,200 the other owners in the league might be laughing at the Sixers now, they 209 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,519 won't find it so funny when it's their team dealing with their star running out 210 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,039 a couple of years left. And there are I'm sure, and I think 211 00:13:50,039 --> 00:13:52,320 we talked about this on Twitter ones. I'm sure there are teams that think 212 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:56,080 they can benefit from these types of situations, even in maybe smaller markets. 213 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:58,440 But you are right, until it happens to them, that's when it's going 214 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:03,080 to be a problem. And I would say, if you really wanted to 215 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,600 take a stand against it, like they would need to be a tacit agreement 216 00:14:05,639 --> 00:14:09,159 that hey, we're not trading for Ben Simmons then, because that helps the 217 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,840 precedent. I don't know how probable that would be looking at the actual Sixers 218 00:14:13,879 --> 00:14:18,919 situation now though, and the reality of what this has become right now, 219 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,679 If Ben Simmons never plays another game for them, if he doesn't have a 220 00:14:22,759 --> 00:14:26,080 functional way of removing the bad taste from people's mouth that they remember from that 221 00:14:26,159 --> 00:14:31,600 Hawks game, what would be And we've seen Darryl Moore's asking price, assuming 222 00:14:31,639 --> 00:14:37,360 that's accurate, they are they are epic in how egregious they are. I 223 00:14:37,399 --> 00:14:41,519 think like he lowered his asking price to Portland for like CJ McCollum and then 224 00:14:41,679 --> 00:14:46,240 three first and three pick swaps or whatever that report was. What would what 225 00:14:46,279 --> 00:14:50,039 would be you're the GM of the Sixers, what is the minimum type package 226 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,600 or the baseline right now that you would accept for Ben Simmons, Whether it's 227 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:58,960 an example of a specific team or just like you know, a theory of 228 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,799 it, like, oh, we'll take a starting ball handler and we will 229 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,480 take future picks because we'll hope that we can parlay those into maybe a bigger 230 00:15:05,519 --> 00:15:11,720 blockbuster trade later on. Yeah, I mean that's the tough question, especially 231 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,399 before the season starts, because I think at this point, you know, 232 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,480 teams feel pretty good about the rosters or at least like want to see how 233 00:15:18,519 --> 00:15:24,080 their off seasons play out. So I don't think we get to see it, 234 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,200 Like I think there's gonna be a waiting period where, you know, 235 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,720 the Sixers are gonna want to see if other teams get off to a slow 236 00:15:30,759 --> 00:15:33,519 start, Like maybe the Blazers just totally fall flat on their face, and 237 00:15:33,559 --> 00:15:37,080 then Damian Lillard, like all the stuff that came out about the him this 238 00:15:37,159 --> 00:15:39,840 offseason starts to bubble up again. Or maybe the Wizards after there, you 239 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,679 know, the off season overhaul, they get off to the slow start. 240 00:15:43,679 --> 00:15:46,559 Bradley Beal doesn't sign the extension, So like, obviously Dame and Beale are 241 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,639 the top two guys that you would go after. You're never going to get 242 00:15:50,679 --> 00:15:54,200 either one of those in a one for one deal. You're gonna have to 243 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,000 give up Tyrese Maxie, You're gonna have to give up picks as well. 244 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,000 I don't think either one are realistic, honestly, Like, I don't think 245 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,120 Dane's asking out until next summer at the earliest, And I don't think the 246 00:16:03,159 --> 00:16:07,600 Sixers can have this situation hanging over their heads the whole time. So I 247 00:16:07,639 --> 00:16:14,159 think a lot what the return comes down to depends a lot on how they 248 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:18,679 look in the early going, specifically how Tyrese Maxie and Shake Milton look because 249 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,799 without Ben, for as much as we focus on the shooting and the lack 250 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,440 of shooting and what he does to their half court spacing, he is their 251 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,440 best playmaker by far, especially in transition, and he is their best perimeter 252 00:16:30,519 --> 00:16:33,480 defender, so they are going to really miss him, especially in the regular 253 00:16:33,519 --> 00:16:37,120 season when teams aren't is locked in defensively and you can get out and transition 254 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,720 more like Tyrese Maxie, they are trying to mold into this point guard. 255 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:48,279 It's not necessarily his game and some of the quotes coming out from camp, 256 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,679 but like, we're really high on this kid, but he still needs to 257 00:16:51,759 --> 00:16:55,200 learn how to play point guard, which is not exactly what you want to 258 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:59,279 hear two weeks before the start of the season. So I think, you 259 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:03,519 know, if Maxie and Milton start the season off well and look like they 260 00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:07,400 can actually hold their own there, that widens the scope of the packages that 261 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:12,240 you can get in return. I'm skeptical that those two guys could be the 262 00:17:12,279 --> 00:17:17,440 top two point guards and a championship team. So I with a Simmons trade, 263 00:17:17,519 --> 00:17:21,400 I would target a primary ball handler and in return, so like you 264 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,400 know, if you go to Indiana, you've got to get Malcolm brag and 265 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:29,559 you go to San Antonio, is the team that I've had my eye on 266 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,599 the most, probably in terms of just like if there is one team where 267 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,720 one to one swept or like a two team deal makes sense. You know, 268 00:17:37,759 --> 00:17:42,240 a Degente Murray plus you know Devin v Sell Fad Young for salary matching 269 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:48,000 like that is fine. You know, I think the Sixers are going to 270 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,960 look like they lost the Simmons trade when it's all said and done, like 271 00:17:52,279 --> 00:17:55,160 they are, they are going to be giving up the best player in the 272 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:56,880 deal, because again I don't think they're getting Dame or I don't think they're 273 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:02,240 getting deal. But you have to live with that and just know, even 274 00:18:02,279 --> 00:18:07,119 if you're losing the best player, if you can get guys who fit better 275 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:11,240 around Joel and Bead and make this team make more sense conceptually, it might 276 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,519 be okay because you might be able to plug some of the holes with the 277 00:18:15,519 --> 00:18:19,319 guys that you bring in or maybe you know batist Eyeball has a bigger role 278 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,000 defensively. With Ben Simmons out or Tyrese, Maxe takes on a big role. 279 00:18:25,319 --> 00:18:30,359 I will say, you know, I'm intrigued to see what happens with 280 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,799 Maxi in the early going here, because they have been raving about this kid 281 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,960 really ever since he was drafted. They say they love his work ethic, 282 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,680 and you know they're gonna look different until they trade Simmons, and you know, 283 00:18:42,799 --> 00:18:45,480 whether it's a good or a bad thing, we'll find out soon. 284 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:51,880 But no, if Maxie's not going to be the playmaker or defender that Ben 285 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,599 Simmons is, but he is a better scorer, He's a more willing shooter. 286 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,519 He can run pick and rolls, So we like haven't really seen Joela 287 00:18:57,559 --> 00:19:00,119 Bead run pick and rolls. We're gonna actual could to see that this year. 288 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:08,039 So I'm intrigued about the Simon list sixers. But I'm skeptical that you 289 00:19:08,039 --> 00:19:11,559 know, they can't like let this linger for full season. They are going 290 00:19:11,599 --> 00:19:17,160 to be worse without him. And Joel Embiea said as much. Now, 291 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,079 how would you map out the ending to this? Do you expect him to 292 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:22,279 report at some point you've already said you think he's played his last game. 293 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:26,599 So do you think he's traded? You know, is there when do you 294 00:19:26,599 --> 00:19:29,079 think he's traded? Is it just going to be in mid December when there 295 00:19:29,079 --> 00:19:32,880 are when teams have they're there are more players that can be included in packages. 296 00:19:33,559 --> 00:19:36,920 Couldn't linger closer to even the deadline? Is there even a chance that 297 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,519 he still finishes the season on Philly's roster? Like, what is if you 298 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,000 just just map out how this is going to go, what do you think 299 00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:48,000 happens. Yeah, I don't think there's a chance he finishes the season. 300 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,880 I think he's got to be gone by the deadline. I think the bridges 301 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,720 are too burned at this point based on all of the reporting. And I 302 00:19:56,079 --> 00:19:59,480 know I hear you on the dock at Joel comments after Game seven. But 303 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,119 at the same time, I'm like I was in most a lot of the 304 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,519 six Ers press conferences last year, and Doc just hyped this guy up every 305 00:20:06,559 --> 00:20:10,160 single time, And every time someone brought up the scoring, like, Doc 306 00:20:10,279 --> 00:20:11,640 was like, well, yeah, but focus on everything else that he brings 307 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,960 to the table, which is such a one eighty from that though, which 308 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,440 is what like you went from doing that all of a sudden, like I 309 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,319 don't even know what this who this fucking guy is? Basic? But like, 310 00:20:22,799 --> 00:20:25,559 honestly he was asked. It wasn't like could he be a player on 311 00:20:25,559 --> 00:20:27,240 a championship team? Could he be a point guard? And it's a fair 312 00:20:27,319 --> 00:20:32,519 question because the guy doesn't shoot, right, It's just you go from being 313 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,000 his biggest advocate. Yeah, like not throwing him under the bus, but 314 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,759 all of a sudden being brutally honest at a time when he probably more than 315 00:20:38,759 --> 00:20:42,319 he did during the regular season. Right, It's just I get that at 316 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:48,279 Like, he wasn't wrong, but it was just so counterintuitive to the way 317 00:20:48,279 --> 00:20:52,319 that he had been carrying Ben Simmons discourse to that point. Yeah, it 318 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,680 was not not ideal, not ideal, But no, I think it wouldn't 319 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,480 surprise me if it goes until mid December, once you know, guys who 320 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,200 signed his free agents couldn't be traded, or even goes up until the trade 321 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:08,359 deadline. But I don't I'm honestly skeptical that they can wait that long, 322 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,559 especially if Maxi and Milton struggle at the beginning of the season. So it 323 00:21:12,559 --> 00:21:17,039 wouldn't surprise me I mean we saw, you know, Jimmy Butler when he 324 00:21:17,039 --> 00:21:21,759 was in Minnesota got traded like twelve or thirteen games into the season. I 325 00:21:21,799 --> 00:21:25,799 think James Harden, I think he played eight games last year before he got 326 00:21:25,799 --> 00:21:33,079 traded. So that's probably the you know, like around Thanksgiving would be my 327 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:37,880 better guests. But because like I just don't know which teams in the conversation 328 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,599 now have guys who signed as free agents that the Sixers would want, unless 329 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:47,319 there's a wild card out there, like maybe the Knicks are out there and 330 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:52,359 say like, will include Kemba Walker in mid December if you can wait that 331 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,039 long, you know, just throwing out a hypothetic. I don't think the 332 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:59,440 Knicks would do would be interested in Ben, But you know, there weren't 333 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,319 that many guys who signed big money deals where it's like, oh yeah, 334 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,079 well that that makes sense you would include that guy, and that's someone who 335 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,839 the Sixers would be interested in. So I don't I don't think they have 336 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,400 to wait that long. But at this point I wouldn't be surprised if they're 337 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:15,839 also just trying to shove it the Bend and rich Fall a little bit and 338 00:22:15,839 --> 00:22:18,119 saying like, all right, you want to hold out, we will keep 339 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,559 finding you three hundred and sixty thousand dollars or whatever the case may be. 340 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,880 And like, I hope you're okay with giving up five million dollars because we 341 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,720 don't really care about these first ten regular season games. We think we can 342 00:22:26,759 --> 00:22:30,799 hold our own until then. Well, and that would be the other element, 343 00:22:30,799 --> 00:22:33,200 too, is if they want to avoid setting a precedent. If that's 344 00:22:33,319 --> 00:22:37,079 the you know, the stuff that's going on behind the scenes, I get 345 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:41,039 it, But you probably also want to see if you can one get off 346 00:22:41,079 --> 00:22:44,359 to a pretty good start, because that at least increases your leverage, and 347 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,960 two maybe hold out as long as possible just to see what happens to the 348 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,559 trade market as the season soldiers on, Like, because there's always unforeseen players 349 00:22:52,559 --> 00:22:56,920 that are available. There are teams that are worse than expected. Players we 350 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,440 didn't anticipate becoming available become available. I just don't don't know how long you 351 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:04,559 have to hold out for that market to develop. I don't think it's gonna 352 00:23:04,559 --> 00:23:07,400 be by Thanksgiving. You. I think you would have to gut it out 353 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:12,599 until around like Christmas at the earliest. And that's just my melting to think 354 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:18,279 that. Being said, maybe if you're just good. Maybe if you're just 355 00:23:18,319 --> 00:23:19,480 maybe you're top three in the East, top four in the East. Still, 356 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:23,480 perhaps that teams that are already interested in him, the Minnesota's, the 357 00:23:23,519 --> 00:23:27,920 Sacramentos, if Portland, in so far as, maybe that emboldens them to 358 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,440 up their their offer for Simmons and that makes it easier to strike a deal 359 00:23:33,759 --> 00:23:38,240 at that point. This is just a very interesting game of who of chicken, 360 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,240 I guess of who's gonna be able to wait out on because I personally 361 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:47,000 don't think like Ben's I can't envision Ben, like if the Sixers really drag 362 00:23:47,079 --> 00:23:51,160 this out, I can't envision Ben Simmons reporting in something for maybe he reports 363 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,880 and then pretends he as an injury he's not punting on thirty plus million dollars. 364 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,200 I just can't. I can't see it. I would be shocked, 365 00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:00,799 And so I'm just interesting who caves first. But I do agree with you 366 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:06,519 that in all probability that the Sixers are gonna look like they lost the Ben 367 00:24:06,599 --> 00:24:10,920 Simmons trade. Yeah, yeah, and they have to be okay with that. 368 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,039 I think one other point to you know, why it would make sense 369 00:24:14,039 --> 00:24:18,880 to eight is, you know it if Tyrese Maxie and Shake Milton are in 370 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,200 these expanded roles and if they look good in there, that might make them 371 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,880 more appealing to trade partners as well. So if you are trying to get 372 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,039 a Damian Lillard and Tyrese Maxie like lights the world on fire in these first 373 00:24:30,039 --> 00:24:33,039 ten games, and again the Blazers get off to a slow start, maybe 374 00:24:33,079 --> 00:24:37,759 they're more interested. You know, Tyrese Maxie is more like conceptual. We've 375 00:24:37,759 --> 00:24:41,039 seen like flashes of him, but we haven't seen consistent play out of him 376 00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:45,400 because he's barely got any run last year because he's a rookie under Doc Rivers. 377 00:24:45,559 --> 00:24:51,519 So but you know, like if if the Sixers other guys could boost 378 00:24:51,559 --> 00:24:53,400 their trade value as well, if they're going to be part of the package 379 00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,640 with Ben, that could help as well. But you're right, I mean 380 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:02,160 there's always some too. Team is going to get off to a slow start 381 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,400 and think like maybe it's Sacramento. You know, it just totally ships the 382 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,359 bet in the first ten or fifteen games, and their stands of like we're 383 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,200 not trading Deer and Fox or Tyrese Haliburton. They're like, you know what, 384 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,039 we're going absolutely nowhere with this core, maybe we are willing to trade 385 00:25:18,039 --> 00:25:26,079 one of these guys. Let's talk actual basketball, please please, How does 386 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,400 Ben Simmons, I know he's still related to this, How does his absence 387 00:25:29,599 --> 00:25:32,799 or will it change the context of Eimbiad's roll at all, whether it's what 388 00:25:32,839 --> 00:25:36,319 he's actually doing on the court, or is this you know, if let's 389 00:25:36,319 --> 00:25:38,279 just say Ben Simmons isn't traded, he's not with the team. Are we 390 00:25:38,319 --> 00:25:42,440 still or are they still being ultra cautious with embiid? Do we see him 391 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,359 set a career hymen's per game? Do we maybe see him miss fewer than 392 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,839 twenty games for basically the first time ever. I'm just there. There's just 393 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:55,240 so many trickled down implications of Ben Simmons being on your roster but not with 394 00:25:55,279 --> 00:25:57,640 your team right right, because I mean again, Joel said it, we 395 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,160 are going to be worse without him. And we saw, you know, 396 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:06,039 the first preseason game when they didn't have Tobias and Joel and obviously Ben, 397 00:26:06,079 --> 00:26:08,640 they just got their brains beaten. Then you know, Tobias and Joe came 398 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:15,079 back and they actually looked like a competent basketball team against Toronto. But yeah, 399 00:26:15,079 --> 00:26:18,559 I mean I think even more of the offense is going to flow through 400 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,240 Joel. And I'm sure, you know, unlike Ben, Joe comes back 401 00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:26,640 every year and actually does show signs of improvement. So I'm excited to see, 402 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,200 you know what he really worked on this summer. It sounds like he 403 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,440 worked a lot on threes. He was talking about taking a high volume of 404 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,680 threes himself and then will go off a dribble. Yeah, I hope. 405 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,880 So, yeah, yeah, maybe that's the solution. We just get point 406 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:45,640 Joe instead of point Ben. No, but I think we'll see improved spacing 407 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:51,319 where they're gonna be worst defensively without Ben. So I think how Doc juggles 408 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:56,759 his rotations, how much time he can get for thybal in particular the average 409 00:26:56,799 --> 00:26:59,480 like twenty minutes per game last year. I think it's gonna be gott to 410 00:26:59,519 --> 00:27:02,559 be close like twenty five to thirty this year, just because he gets going 411 00:27:02,599 --> 00:27:04,480 to be that. You know, I love Danny Green, but Danny Green 412 00:27:04,599 --> 00:27:08,279 is not a lockdown wing defender anymore. He's worm of it. You know. 413 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,680 The thing that bothered me is people saying Danny Green was washed because he 414 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:18,559 couldn't shut down Trey Young. Yeah, standard for whether you're a good defender 415 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:23,200 or not. Yeah, Like your coach made a really dumb decision to put 416 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,920 you into like that was never going to work, and he knew that, 417 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:32,519 but just decided to do it for some reason, Like it was he set 418 00:27:32,599 --> 00:27:34,119 danny Green up to fail. And I will say, like, I think 419 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:38,440 if Danny Green doesn't get hurt in that series, the Sixers probably win that 420 00:27:38,559 --> 00:27:45,400 series. Like it's it's a very underrated aspect of what happened, given Ben's 421 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,319 obvious shortcomings, but like Danny Green went down to Game three, and I 422 00:27:48,319 --> 00:27:52,279 don't think it's a coincidence that the wheels fell off after that. He is 423 00:27:52,319 --> 00:27:56,680 like a really quietly important part of this team. So how you balance minutes 424 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:02,680 between him and Matisse will be interesting. You know Matize, they reports out 425 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:06,000 of camp would be really positive for him. It sounds like the Olympics experience 426 00:28:06,039 --> 00:28:08,000 was great for him. They're saying he just came in a lot more confident, 427 00:28:10,759 --> 00:28:12,519 and I think he will be. You know, it's gonna be easier 428 00:28:12,559 --> 00:28:15,559 to find minutes for him because you don't have to juggle like last year it 429 00:28:15,599 --> 00:28:19,640 was like how do you play Ben and Matiz and Dwight on the floor at 430 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,160 the same time because the spacing is just so bad. Well, now, 431 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:27,000 if you don't have to have the ben question of like how do you play 432 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,480 one non shooter, you know, like Drummond is still going to be a 433 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:34,039 non shooter, but like, I think there are going to be more minutes 434 00:28:34,079 --> 00:28:37,200 for Matisse because they aren't going to have as many non shooters on the floor, 435 00:28:38,559 --> 00:28:42,119 so that would be interesting. And then it seems like they're just putting 436 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:47,119 a heavier emphasis on firing up threes, like they are telling Seth Curry, 437 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,559 you are too good of a shooter to only be taking five or six threes 438 00:28:49,599 --> 00:28:52,200 per game, Like you've got to be like your brother, take eight to 439 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:56,079 ten per game. Tobias Harris, you're a forty percent three point shooter. 440 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,599 You can't take three threes a game like fire or sixth fire or seven. 441 00:29:00,799 --> 00:29:07,119 So I think we see a higher volume of threes, which welcome to the 442 00:29:07,119 --> 00:29:11,119 twenty first century, doc, I'm glad, glad you finally arrived. That's 443 00:29:11,119 --> 00:29:15,000 also probably what the quality of looks matters, of course, but that's also 444 00:29:15,039 --> 00:29:17,920 a way of off setting. Okay, we don't have Simmons is playmaking, 445 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,279 So if you increase the variance in your shot profile where those the three pointers 446 00:29:22,279 --> 00:29:25,079 are worth more than two pointers. And then also now you have to plan 447 00:29:25,119 --> 00:29:27,400 around the worst defense I would assume, and that's you kind of already touched 448 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:33,359 on the two things I was going to ask about is what does their defense 449 00:29:33,359 --> 00:29:36,279 look like with It was bad during the minutes with drow will be last year. 450 00:29:36,319 --> 00:29:40,200 I do think opponents were pretty lucky. They shot like thirty eight plus 451 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,599 percent from three during those minutes, and so if you're playing table more like 452 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,960 that should be fine. But what do you make of their defense without Ben 453 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:51,640 Simmons? Is this just you you already mentioned Matis Is he someone who's you 454 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,960 know, you mentioned like twenty five minutes the game If you want to have 455 00:29:55,079 --> 00:29:57,480 a I feel like he needs to play at least thirty and then two with 456 00:29:57,559 --> 00:30:03,279 him specifically, do you see any other element of his game on offense or 457 00:30:03,319 --> 00:30:04,839 is it just he needs to knock down threes. He's never going to be 458 00:30:04,839 --> 00:30:08,119 someone who puts the ball on the floor or that they try and run different 459 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,720 type of things for yeah, I mean, I think the three point shooting 460 00:30:11,799 --> 00:30:15,599 is going to be the biggest swing skill for him, Like if he can't 461 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,920 ever be a reliable catch and shoot guy. You're gonna leave him wide open 462 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,720 and he's gonna screw up the spacing elsewhere. Now, I don't think they're 463 00:30:22,759 --> 00:30:27,400 gonna run too many like Matties create off the dribble, but he can't do 464 00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:30,160 it. I mean, he has done it before. He's good in transition 465 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,680 in particular. So like, I don't think they're going to run a ton 466 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:38,160 of plays for him, but maybe they could use him as like a backdoor 467 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:44,920 cutter and get him looks close to the basket or something like that. Yeah, 468 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,079 I mean, I think the defense is going to be worse. And 469 00:30:47,119 --> 00:30:51,400 I was talking with Ben Dawst, who's a Utah guy, the other day 470 00:30:51,519 --> 00:30:55,039 about like DPO yatts. We were talking about this on our pot and like, 471 00:30:55,119 --> 00:30:59,359 can anyone challenge Rudy Gobert And he was saying he would actually put money 472 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,480 on joelop right now, and I was thinking, like, whoa, I 473 00:31:02,519 --> 00:31:04,599 actually go with a complete opposite route, Like I think their defense is going 474 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,839 to take such a hit without Ben that you know, it's just not gonna 475 00:31:08,839 --> 00:31:11,839 be a top five defense. So I don't think Joe is going to get 476 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:18,359 that DPO y hype. But maybe by removing Ben if they do maintain a 477 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,960 top five defense or anything close to it, or like maybe Joel does feel 478 00:31:23,079 --> 00:31:29,440 more responsibility on that, And because he doesn't have a safety net in Ben, 479 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:34,559 particularly, matis is off the floor like a Maxie Curry backcourt is going 480 00:31:34,599 --> 00:31:38,119 to get roasted defensively. It's gonna make Joe have to cover a lot more 481 00:31:38,119 --> 00:31:42,279 of mistakes that he did last year. So I do think they're gonna be 482 00:31:42,279 --> 00:31:47,279 worse. I would not personally put money on Joella bed twit dpoy, but 483 00:31:47,559 --> 00:31:52,880 God bless you if you do, he could sort of get the narrative nudge 484 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:56,759 because you lost Ben Simmons. If the defense is still I honestly don't know 485 00:31:56,799 --> 00:31:59,240 if I expect them to have a top ten defense, but would be the 486 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,359 same thing that they have any Davis, you trade away your two best perimeter 487 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,680 defenders last year, basically, well, Lebron, two of your three best 488 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,839 perimeter defenders last year, get back one of the worst perimeter defenders that you 489 00:32:08,839 --> 00:32:13,200 could possibly get at that price point in Russell Westbrook. And if you still 490 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,759 have a top ten defense, like that's gonna help pay him. So I 491 00:32:15,799 --> 00:32:20,960 could see him Bead entering the conversation through that route. I'm just I know 492 00:32:21,039 --> 00:32:25,400 we talked about how Biggs can impact defense more with the Sixers specifically. I 493 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:29,119 mean you can make the case for the Lakers too, because Davis is always 494 00:32:29,119 --> 00:32:30,880 in down the lineup, but like knowing he might miss a quarter of the 495 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:35,720 season, knowing that he's never been someone that plays thirty six, thirty eight 496 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,079 minutes a game, that's just a lot of time where you're not gonna have 497 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:42,359 Joel Embiad or Ben Simmons on the court, and that's kind of terrifying. 498 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:46,880 Yeah, Like I think Andre drummond Ottoman deal is a good value for the 499 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:52,079 Sixers. Andre Drummond is not going to anchor a top five defense without Joe 500 00:32:52,279 --> 00:32:55,680 or on the floor as well. You know, their bench in particular, 501 00:32:55,759 --> 00:33:01,039 it seems like it could be a defensive liability. It's it's certainly it's one 502 00:33:01,079 --> 00:33:06,240 of many concerns for this team and they're going to have to figure out again, 503 00:33:06,279 --> 00:33:10,079 like this could help shape what they're looking for in return in a Ben 504 00:33:10,119 --> 00:33:15,400 Simmons package. I will say point of attack defense has been an issue for 505 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,920 them for a long time. Like these quick, speedy guards. You know, 506 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:22,160 Ben is really versatile and great defensively can lock down all sorts of types 507 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,920 of players, like I haven't seen anyone do what he did to Luca Dan 508 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:31,519 Like he is one of the best defenders on guys like Luco or James Harden 509 00:33:31,599 --> 00:33:37,079 like those heliocentric, no bigger guards who aren't going to necessarily beat you with 510 00:33:37,079 --> 00:33:42,119 their quickness off the dribble, the Daron Fox types, the Colin Sexton types, 511 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:46,119 like the Sixers have just bled points. Trey Young bled points against those 512 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:52,640 types. So if Matisse could carve out a role in there, again, 513 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:57,039 it's just going to be like you're trading off certain things have been off the 514 00:33:57,039 --> 00:33:59,960 floor, but if these other guys can paper over the some of the whole, 515 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:01,880 it'll be different. I don't know if it's better or worse, but 516 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:07,960 different. When you look at their offseason independent of Ben Simmons, they were 517 00:34:07,079 --> 00:34:10,119 very limited in what they could spend. You wish that they would have been 518 00:34:10,119 --> 00:34:15,480 more aggressive and trying to acquire some more ball handling because they have you know, 519 00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:17,639 George Yang and Andre Drummond, Like, those aren't guys that help you 520 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:22,760 do that, right, Yeah, I mean it sounds like they're just that 521 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:29,000 confident in Maxie like, that's what Darryl is saying. I think it was 522 00:34:29,079 --> 00:34:30,760 after the draft, even yeah, I think that was the last time he 523 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,440 spoke with reporters. He was like, it tries a bad way all Bet 524 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,800 Simmons questions, acting like he was going to speak with reporters later the summer. 525 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,400 It never did, but he was saying, you know, the development 526 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:45,880 of guys like Maxie can help shape what they're looking for in free agency. 527 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:51,760 So I agree with you, Like, it's obvious that ball handling, playmaking 528 00:34:52,039 --> 00:34:54,280 is a huge weakness on their roster right now. Like for as much of 529 00:34:54,320 --> 00:35:01,119 the focus in Boston is about that, Philly has the exact same concern but 530 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:07,559 it sounds like they're just that high Maxie and Milton. We'll see. I'm 531 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,880 skeptical that it's going to work out, but you know, this is the 532 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:15,639 type of year where everyone's best laid plans still sound good. What's the biggest 533 00:35:15,639 --> 00:35:20,199 thing Maxie needs to improve upon for the Sixers to not be in dire need 534 00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:24,400 then of that secondary guy because I don't you know, I don't necessarily view 535 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,760 him as like a like a lead point guard, but he was just a 536 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,880 rookie last year. What I do value, and I know the efficiency wasn't 537 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:34,360 there on threes, but like he's in every level score, which is a 538 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:40,599 stark change from right exactly. So I think that's going to be very different. 539 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:45,480 Like their offense will look different because he is running it because he is 540 00:35:45,519 --> 00:35:49,920 so much more of a scoring threat. You know, he picked up I 541 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,920 know, like early in the season he was really reliant on that floater, 542 00:35:52,199 --> 00:35:57,280 which is it works, it's effective, but it drove Doc crazy. And 543 00:35:57,599 --> 00:36:00,880 you know, as the season went on, he got more rest about driving, 544 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:04,679 drawing fouls. He's a better free throw shooter than Ben Simmons as well, 545 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:09,280 so that will help. But it sounds like, sounds like the balance 546 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:13,480 of scoring and playmaking is the thing that he needs to work on the most 547 00:36:13,559 --> 00:36:16,440 because he is more wired to be that type of like if you can call 548 00:36:16,519 --> 00:36:21,280 him a point guard, like a score force point guard. So how do 549 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:25,360 you balance those instincts with you know, you still have the MVP runner up 550 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:29,760 on the floor, You still have a guy in Tobias Harris who you know 551 00:36:30,199 --> 00:36:32,960 played at a fringe all star level last year. You have great shooters in 552 00:36:34,119 --> 00:36:37,360 Green and Curry flanking you on the wings. Like you have to figure out 553 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:42,119 ways to get those guys all involved while also hunting for your own shot. 554 00:36:42,559 --> 00:36:45,920 So I think you know this, like Tiwe's Maxie is one. If Rich 555 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:51,320 Paul wants to play, it's unfair expectations were too early on it, Like 556 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,239 that's the guy. Oh, I can actually hear it because like he would 557 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:58,119 typically go on a bad team and get some time to figure it out. 558 00:36:58,159 --> 00:37:00,960 But like now he's got a lead, you know, the team of finished 559 00:37:00,039 --> 00:37:02,360 number one the East. He's got to be their starting point guard. That 560 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:07,239 there are gonna be a lot of expectations placed on him early in the season, 561 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:09,760 and I you know, I worry that he will struggle in that role. 562 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:17,480 I think the Sixers did a really good job of streamlining Tobias Harris' offensive 563 00:37:17,559 --> 00:37:22,880 role last year. Do we see him just like maybe turn like that that 564 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:24,920 one Clipper season where I think it was him and before he got traded the 565 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,199 Sixers or maybe it was even the season before that, Like, do we 566 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:30,320 just see him maybe run like more, picking rolls now? Like is that 567 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:34,000 because like I just don't they don't have any other options. Is he someone 568 00:37:34,039 --> 00:37:37,800 that needs to sort of broaden his offensive horizons at this point? Yeah, 569 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:43,679 I mean it sounds like they aren't going to have Maxie bring the ball up 570 00:37:43,679 --> 00:37:45,320 the floyer. Every time they've said, like if Seth catches the ball, 571 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:49,400 if Tobias catches the ball, like you bring the ball up the floor. 572 00:37:49,639 --> 00:37:52,440 So I think it is going to be a more egalitarian approach rather than just 573 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:57,360 you know, Ben Simmons is going to be our primary playmaker. It wouldn't 574 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,320 surprise me to see Tobias take on a large role. I will say one 575 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:07,440 of the big focuses with him last season under Doc was quick decisions. You 576 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:10,119 know. He said that the year before the Al Horford Josh Richardson debacle, 577 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:15,400 like Tobias was just dribbling the air out of the ball and that's what drove 578 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:16,880 Dock nuts. So he said, like, look, you just you catch 579 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:21,519 it and you either shoot or you pass or like you know what you're doing 580 00:38:21,559 --> 00:38:24,599 before you even catch that ball. So I think that it's gonna be hard 581 00:38:24,679 --> 00:38:30,480 for him to balance that with having to take on more playmaking role in themself. 582 00:38:30,599 --> 00:38:34,239 But yeah, like I would frankly be surprised if anyone on the Sixers 583 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:40,079 this year averaged even like six assists per game. Wow, I mean who 584 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:44,320 MAXI doesn't would be the best bet. It has to be Maxie. I 585 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:45,760 feel, yeah, I guess Milton too, but I would have to be 586 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:52,159 Maxie and that's going to represent quite the leap for him. So I think, 587 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:57,760 you know, you look at last year as a rookie and twenty point 588 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:00,840 one is his percentage for cleaning the glass while he was on the for That's 589 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:05,039 like, that's fine for a rookie, but that's that's pretty low if you're 590 00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:07,639 the boy guard, so right right that and how like what happens with his 591 00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:10,079 turnovers if you're going to give him that type of usage too, Like he 592 00:39:10,119 --> 00:39:14,960 was pretty low turnover, but his responsibility was just not through the roof. 593 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:19,280 I finally get to ask you about their main offseason editions. Who was more 594 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:23,639 impactful for this team? Georgie Yang or Andre Drummond. Yeah, I mean 595 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:28,599 I think it might be a different answer for the regular season of the playoffs, 596 00:39:28,639 --> 00:39:31,320 Like I think Drummond just by virtue of and B you have the pencilman 597 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:36,880 to miss twenty games and you know, for all of Drummond's faults, like 598 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:42,800 having a guy like him as your main backup is like you can feel okay 599 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:46,159 with Andre Drummond filling in as a starter for twenty games this year, like 600 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:50,880 you're you're not going to just get blown off the floor, which has really 601 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:53,760 been the Sixers problem throughout the entire Joel embiad era. It's like they are 602 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,519 so good with him on the court, and whenever he leaves, they just 603 00:39:57,559 --> 00:40:02,159 gonna annihilate it. I think they have to structure their offense differently, and 604 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:07,360 this is one area where you know, Doc's insistence on running like full bench 605 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,800 units actually kind of makes sense. Where it's like, you know, the 606 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:15,199 starters have their own Joel centric offense, but then you don't want to run 607 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:20,719 the same plays with Drummonds that you do Joel, Like you don't want Drummond 608 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,480 to be posting up as much as Joel, that they're facing up as much 609 00:40:22,519 --> 00:40:28,719 as Joe. Not right. So I think, you know, having him 610 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:34,199 as the insurance policies the bigger asset during the regular season. But I think 611 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,599 the Eggs actually going to be I mean, what Doc called it, like 612 00:40:37,639 --> 00:40:40,920 the silent pickup or something like that. Uh, it was talking specifically about 613 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:44,639 like if they want to play small ball, they can do like him and 614 00:40:44,679 --> 00:40:47,880 Tobias on the floor at the same time. But like both of these guys 615 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:52,559 in theory are upgrades over you know, Niang from Mike Scott, who I 616 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:59,440 love Mike Scott as a as a person. Yeah, like we'll always have 617 00:40:59,519 --> 00:41:02,000 I ain't no bitch, We're gonna we're gonna love that era of the Fixers. 618 00:41:02,039 --> 00:41:06,039 But he couldn't hit a shot to save his life last year, like 619 00:41:06,159 --> 00:41:08,840 Niang. It's gonna be And Niang's got a quick trigger too, so he'll 620 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:14,000 be a big upgrade there. And then Niang and not hit a shot to 621 00:41:14,039 --> 00:41:15,519 save his life in the playoffs last year there, Yeah, that's true. 622 00:41:15,559 --> 00:41:21,960 Well, Joe Harris couldn't either. I'm gonna gonna positive regression there, and 623 00:41:22,039 --> 00:41:23,800 Drummond. You know, I think once the playoffs come around, it's fair 624 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:28,000 to wonder how effective he'll be. So I think if if they do get 625 00:41:28,039 --> 00:41:31,679 in the playoffs, and if they go deeper into the playoffs, having you 626 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:37,719 know, just again more shooters around and Bed will be really like having Niang 627 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,639 to come in for Tobias Harris whenever he's off the floor. Like if you 628 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:47,039 put just Niang with Korean Green and Maxi or Milton, like that's a ton 629 00:41:47,039 --> 00:41:52,159 of shooting on the floor. Quark mas. So that was part of my 630 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:54,239 question was, so we should expect them to get a little bit I'll call 631 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:58,639 it weird, but let's say more innovative with the backup five rotation, justin 632 00:41:58,679 --> 00:42:00,639 even if they don't do it, games where and beat actually plays because you 633 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:04,239 just go and beat to drumming and that's it. Like you said, they're 634 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:07,239 gonna be games and beat missus. So like, should we expect them to 635 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:13,760 actually play like tangible minutes without a traditional big on the court, measurable minutes? 636 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,280 I should say, excuse me, I hope so. But someone asked 637 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:21,559 Doc about this during camp and he's like, you don't think we thought about 638 00:42:21,599 --> 00:42:25,000 that, But sometimes your roster just doesn't allow for it, doesn't it demanded 639 00:42:25,039 --> 00:42:30,000 at this point, Like I get you would think so, but like, 640 00:42:30,079 --> 00:42:32,800 yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if they go you know, more like Paul 641 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:37,760 Reid or even Charles Bassie, Like, it wouldn't shock me if you know, 642 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:43,239 Doc does not strike me as like a super innovative XS and nose type. 643 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:45,920 I don't think that is the primary selling point for why you hire Doc 644 00:42:46,039 --> 00:42:51,000 Rivers as a coach. You know, it's like more established the culture and 645 00:42:51,039 --> 00:42:53,000 get guys to buy in, and you know, if you wanted the excess 646 00:42:53,079 --> 00:42:59,239 nose guys, you would have gone for Tyron Lieu. So I would be 647 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:02,760 very pleasant at least surprised if we see some minutes with Yang at the five 648 00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:07,960 or Tobias at the five. We saw very sparingly Ben at the five last 649 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:12,559 year, and those minutes have never really worked out. So I think they're 650 00:43:12,559 --> 00:43:15,519 going to try to be as traditional as possible, but at least it won't 651 00:43:15,559 --> 00:43:21,079 be like Cleveland where we've got no one marketing playing the three, like hopefully 652 00:43:21,079 --> 00:43:27,079 we don't see Tobias Harris playing the three ever. If they're doing that, 653 00:43:27,559 --> 00:43:31,559 doctors probably needs to get fired to be Yeah, yeah, what is just 654 00:43:31,679 --> 00:43:36,440 I'm looking at looking at this roster? What is the overall? Let's set 655 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:40,039 the over under at for this. You don't even know the category that's coming, 656 00:43:40,159 --> 00:43:45,159 but that's at the over under on this for three. For the number 657 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:51,119 of pick and rolls per game that Firk on cork Mos runs, oh man, 658 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,880 I can tell you how many he ran last year. Okay, that 659 00:43:55,920 --> 00:44:00,280 helps one point six per game. Yeah, I'm double his volume essentially, 660 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:06,639 And I don't know if he saw his hype video. I love his hype 661 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:08,960 video. Yeah, he didn't expect that to go as viral as it did, 662 00:44:09,039 --> 00:44:15,119 but he said he watched it a lot of times. I'll go slightly 663 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:19,039 under but I do think Quirk. You know, they resigned him this year 664 00:44:19,119 --> 00:44:22,159 for a three year deal, like they actually want him around. It's talking 665 00:44:22,199 --> 00:44:24,960 about his trajectory with this team. I know, it's so like two years 666 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:29,719 ago you think he's just gone and then he like resigns as an afterthought. 667 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:32,519 And it's really, honestly, I think he deserves a lot of credit for 668 00:44:32,679 --> 00:44:38,400 his development, Like he's gotten significantly better defensively. You know, he's not 669 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:43,239 like Matisse, but he's he's clearly learned from Matisse. And he says he's 670 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:46,440 worked with Matisse a lot, Like he has some of those like weak side 671 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:51,840 blocks that you know that you just wouldn't expect a guy like him, where 672 00:44:52,639 --> 00:44:55,119 you just think of him as a shooter or nothing else. But he's like 673 00:44:55,239 --> 00:45:00,719 rounded out his game enough to the point where he's a playable rotation point an 674 00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:06,000 important one too. Yeah, and he Lloyd knows he does not lack confidence 675 00:45:06,079 --> 00:45:09,840 in terms of shooting threes or running things off the dribbles, So I'll go 676 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:14,039 under, but only slightly. So if I put it at two point five, 677 00:45:14,039 --> 00:45:17,280 would you've gone over? That feels about right. That feels about right. 678 00:45:19,039 --> 00:45:21,840 The Actually, so, what do you think about the Jaden Springer pick 679 00:45:22,119 --> 00:45:24,280 any thought, any thoughts or early impressions on his game. I actually know 680 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:29,360 very little about him, And then I'm just curious because maybe I'm it is 681 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:32,639 Doc is in charge. I'm just envisioning the Sixers being pure anarchy until there's 682 00:45:32,639 --> 00:45:38,920 a bend resolution. Is there a chance that he gets a crack at actual 683 00:45:39,039 --> 00:45:44,800 playing time for this team as a rookie, I would be surprised. Never 684 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:47,280 say never, but I would be surprised. It sounds like they viewed him 685 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:52,320 more as a long term investment. You know, if Max You're built and 686 00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:57,840 totally fall flat on their face. Maybe, but we haven't heard much about 687 00:45:57,920 --> 00:46:00,679 Springer at camp, which makes me think his acclamation is a bit slow. 688 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:05,639 I think defensively is where he's going to make more of an impact early on. 689 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:07,679 I think the offensive game is a little more raw, but you know, 690 00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:12,639 again, a point of attack. Defense becomes a major issue with this 691 00:46:12,679 --> 00:46:15,519 team, especially with you know, if maxew Milton are both getting roasted and 692 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:21,800 like Matisa is in foul trouble. Maybe that's when you just as you said, 693 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:23,119 you just gotta throw stuff at the wall and see you all right, 694 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:28,000 Jayden, go out and like try to just shut down Trey Young for six 695 00:46:28,039 --> 00:46:30,960 minutes and so we get these guys until the first half of the over we 696 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:37,000 can play our normal guys again. So what was Maxie that bad on defense 697 00:46:37,199 --> 00:46:39,079 last year? I remember from the games that I watched, like I was 698 00:46:39,119 --> 00:46:42,199 like, this dude will compete when he's on the balls. The other thing 699 00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:45,559 where you just can't get around those ball screens, he's just gonna get killed 700 00:46:45,599 --> 00:46:49,280 on them. Yeah, he competes, and his defense got better throughout the 701 00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:52,360 year. Dire talk set earlier in the years the team's worst defender, and 702 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:55,800 then as the year went on, he improved on that end. So I 703 00:46:55,840 --> 00:47:00,320 think he's made strides. But again it's just like I don't think he's stopping 704 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:07,239 Darren Fox or yeah, like anyone of that caliber. I think he's going 705 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:13,639 to struggle with who is so looking at this roster, who is the player 706 00:47:14,079 --> 00:47:16,159 maybe people aren't talking about enough or just a player that you identified. They 707 00:47:16,199 --> 00:47:22,159 are going to play a bigger, more important role on this sixer squad this 708 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:25,800 season than expected. Yeah, it's a really good question. I mean, 709 00:47:27,519 --> 00:47:31,000 I don't know how much buzz Maxi is getting nationally. It doesn't seem like 710 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:34,639 a lot, but he does seem Mike. He's in line to be the 711 00:47:34,679 --> 00:47:37,599 starting point guard, so I can't choose him, but he is kind of 712 00:47:37,639 --> 00:47:42,280 their main X factor this year. I'd say, like, if we're going 713 00:47:42,360 --> 00:47:45,519 deep cuts here, Isaiah Joe has really stood out in the preseason. That 714 00:47:45,639 --> 00:47:50,639 guy could just shoot the hell out of the ball. So if you're looking 715 00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:55,239 for again, just like things aren't falling one night for Danny or for Seth 716 00:47:55,320 --> 00:48:00,239 Curry or for Quirk Moths off the bench, it wouldn't shock me to see 717 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:04,199 Isaiah Joe work his way into the rotation a little bit, and then Paul 718 00:48:04,239 --> 00:48:08,400 reads the other guy who he's just I still don't know what he is, 719 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:14,079 like they they are leading towards using him as a five. So you know, 720 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:16,280 it's probably like, as you mentioned, the Knights where I'm beating and 721 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:20,639 Drummond are healthy, He's probably not getting much run. But on the Knights 722 00:48:20,639 --> 00:48:22,840 where I'm beating, miss is a game or drum and miss is a game. 723 00:48:22,119 --> 00:48:28,360 Wouldn't shock me to see Paul Read as the main backup five and the 724 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:30,760 kids just like all energy at this point, like he needs to put it 725 00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:37,440 together in terms of being like a reliable No, does he know defensive rotations 726 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:40,360 in particular, but I know they're super high on him. He was the 727 00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:44,519 G League MVP last year, so we've always got that going for us. 728 00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:47,920 So I think Joe and Reid are probably the two, you know, deep 729 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:51,880 deep cuts, but I think their top ten is pretty clear. Like it 730 00:48:52,039 --> 00:48:55,679 you know, they got Maxie in the starting five and then giving Milton Quirk, 731 00:48:55,800 --> 00:49:00,000 mas Batis and Yang and Drummond off the bench, and then after that, 732 00:49:00,719 --> 00:49:06,480 you know, injuries might open the door for a Joe or Read or 733 00:49:06,519 --> 00:49:10,519 something like that, but I think they have a very clear rotation going into 734 00:49:10,559 --> 00:49:15,079 the year even without Bet. I'm wondering if I don't think he fits the 735 00:49:15,079 --> 00:49:17,480 bill playing a bigger role, but as someone who could explode that maybe people 736 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:22,199 aren't talking about because they feel like he's peaked. Would be a Seth Curry 737 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:25,000 where it's just like he was averaging between like four and five off the dribble 738 00:49:25,039 --> 00:49:29,599 jumpers per game last season in the regular season and the playoffs. Does that 739 00:49:29,679 --> 00:49:32,360 number just shoot up? Are they having him run a ton of picking rolls? 740 00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:36,800 Is that even what they're doing with their offense at this point without Ben 741 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:39,280 Simmons? And is he someone just like if you who would be the most 742 00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:44,199 random, not the most random, the most unlikely player that could average like 743 00:49:44,239 --> 00:49:46,280 twenty points a game this season to actually average twenty points a game. I 744 00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:50,840 might pick him and so him just again, I think people expect him to 745 00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:53,320 play a pretty important role. I'm just wondering if it becomes like more of 746 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:58,400 a holy crap, Like this team is pretty seth Curry centric at this point. 747 00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:00,760 I mean that's what they were in the like in that Atlanta series, 748 00:50:01,239 --> 00:50:06,920 like he was arguably their second or third best player, Like he averaged nineteen 749 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:10,840 points per game while I was the playoffs shot almost fifty one from three fifty 750 00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:15,960 eight from the field. Last year was weird for him because he got COVID 751 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:19,880 and said it like did kind of knock him on his ass a little bit, 752 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:23,960 so like COVID is real, Yeah, get vaccinated supposedly, I don't 753 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:28,079 know. I'll talk to Jonathan Isaac Wilson and we'll do our own research and 754 00:50:28,119 --> 00:50:30,400 get back to you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 755 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:32,079 So you know, I think the regular season, he got off to a 756 00:50:32,079 --> 00:50:37,480 really hot start and then got covid. I thinking, like early January just 757 00:50:37,639 --> 00:50:43,440 wasn't really himself even after he came back, and then finally like really got 758 00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:45,039 back into the swing of things by the end of the year, as his 759 00:50:45,119 --> 00:50:49,639 three point volumes started going up from you know, toward the end of the 760 00:50:49,639 --> 00:50:52,400 season in particular. But yeah, like I really do think they're just telling 761 00:50:52,400 --> 00:50:57,800 Seth Curry like you cannot you cannot end the night with fewer than like six 762 00:50:57,880 --> 00:51:00,360 to eight threes, Like we just can't have you. Need you were back, 763 00:51:00,400 --> 00:51:04,079 go to the shooter. We need you to play that role, especially 764 00:51:04,159 --> 00:51:07,760 with Ben out, So you know, averaging twenty points a game, I'd 765 00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:09,840 love to see it. I don't know if he gets that high, but 766 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:16,239 like what he averaged twelve point five last year, his career highs twelve point 767 00:51:16,280 --> 00:51:22,840 eight, I'm pretty sure he's selling in your career right this year. I 768 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:24,679 don't know. I'm gonna say, like what even he hit eight team this 769 00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:28,800 year, like is it as? Is it just ass and I to think 770 00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:31,079 that he can get that high when you're just looking at and you're not really 771 00:51:31,079 --> 00:51:34,920 trying to replace Ben Simmons scoring, soybe, that's just a stupid thing, 772 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:37,320 Okay, but I'm just envisioning him having the ball in his hands more, 773 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:43,519 right, So I have no idea, but fascinating player to watch. What 774 00:51:43,679 --> 00:51:46,119 is aside from getting one hundred percent of their players to report, what's this 775 00:51:46,159 --> 00:51:52,920 team's biggest week weakness? Right now? It's got to be playmaking point guard 776 00:51:52,079 --> 00:51:57,280 whatever. It's Ben sim it's a point guard, I know. Yeah, 777 00:51:57,320 --> 00:52:01,559 but yeah, I think you know that is for sure the biggest concern you. 778 00:52:01,639 --> 00:52:08,000 Just as much as we like the idea of this egalitarian offense or of 779 00:52:08,119 --> 00:52:13,599 like, oh maybe Tyrese Maxie really will be the answer here, you know, 780 00:52:13,679 --> 00:52:17,920 going into the season, we just don't know. So that's clearly like, 781 00:52:19,039 --> 00:52:22,920 that's clearly what you would identify right now. I mean again, maybe 782 00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:27,559 there's a pleasant surprise and these guys actually do pretty well, Like Shake has 783 00:52:27,599 --> 00:52:31,159 gotten off to a rough start in the preseason and really struggled in that role 784 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:35,599 last year off the bench, and that's kind of what led them to acquire 785 00:52:36,199 --> 00:52:39,480 George Hill at the trade deadline. So even if Maxie does well, maybe 786 00:52:39,559 --> 00:52:45,719 Shake struggled off the bench, they still have the problem like who is who 787 00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:50,280 are our playmakers? Right now? We don't really have a much the typical 788 00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:52,239 questions. We've reached the cookie cutter portion of the podcast where I ask these 789 00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:54,519 questions that we look at. I would normally ask, who is the player 790 00:52:54,559 --> 00:52:58,400 as of now you think it's most likely to be traded on this team. 791 00:52:58,599 --> 00:53:01,480 We've already tackled that. If there's a scenario where Ben Simmons isn't moved, 792 00:53:01,840 --> 00:53:06,760 or if they try to do something before they move him, is there another 793 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:10,960 player you see as most likely to be traded or maybe a small are Is 794 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:15,559 this team even built to make a smaller scale trade when you look at the 795 00:53:15,559 --> 00:53:17,920 personnel that they have, Because every Ben Simmons deal, whether you're winning or 796 00:53:17,920 --> 00:53:22,000 losing, it's a it's a mega blockbuster, right just inherently. But you 797 00:53:22,039 --> 00:53:24,920 look at this team's sort of payroll and it's like, you're not trading him, 798 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:30,000 bid, you're not trading Tobias Harris. You really can't trade Seth Curry 799 00:53:30,039 --> 00:53:32,679 at this point. I guess they do have like some mid end salaries, 800 00:53:32,679 --> 00:53:36,880 but I think you would argue their best some of their best trade chips aside 801 00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:40,719 from picks and Ben Simmons are like, you know, Thiable and Tires, 802 00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:45,280 Maxie and Shake Milton. We're all making passing peanuts at this point, right, 803 00:53:45,360 --> 00:53:49,800 Yeah, So that leads us to date, Annie Green would be I 804 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:53,840 guess the most likely candidate. Like if this if the only scenario where I 805 00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:59,440 could see it happening is if the season just goes totally off the rails, 806 00:53:59,480 --> 00:54:06,440 they you know, thank you, Yeah, right, Dave Defour running the 807 00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:09,400 team that's gonna offer that. No, but I could see you know, 808 00:54:09,639 --> 00:54:14,360 he's on a reasonable contract to two year, twenty million dollars deal. I 809 00:54:14,679 --> 00:54:17,639 like, that's a value that any contender would want. So if they're just 810 00:54:17,760 --> 00:54:21,960 like, no, we are this, this Simmons think totally ruined us. 811 00:54:21,960 --> 00:54:25,239 We are just going to take a step back, Like what's let's trade Danny 812 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:30,239 for someone who we think has a higher upside long term and you know, 813 00:54:30,280 --> 00:54:34,159 maybe like it could also be a vote of confidence in Matis, Like if 814 00:54:34,239 --> 00:54:37,760 if Matis really takes a huge step forward and they need him in the starting 815 00:54:37,760 --> 00:54:43,480 lineup because they can't cover, like Danny isn't going to be that option defensively, 816 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:45,960 you know, is Danny Green happy coming off the bench for a team 817 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:52,480 that doesn't have real championship aspirations. Is there actually a scenario where they would 818 00:54:52,760 --> 00:54:57,000 punt on this season because of all this? Is it just Joel Bean gets 819 00:54:57,039 --> 00:55:00,719 injured? Is like that only scenario where that happens? Yeah, I think 820 00:55:00,760 --> 00:55:02,880 so, I don't think. I think if he's healthy, you just can't 821 00:55:04,079 --> 00:55:07,719 because you know, you don't know how long he's gonna stay healthy. You 822 00:55:07,719 --> 00:55:12,000 can't risk punting on, especially with him coming off of the season that he 823 00:55:12,079 --> 00:55:15,039 just had, Like, I think you have to at least give it your 824 00:55:15,079 --> 00:55:20,760 all as much as you possibly can. But again, like this it always 825 00:55:20,760 --> 00:55:22,519 comes back to the simn situation. But like this thing is going to be 826 00:55:22,519 --> 00:55:28,239 a circus until it's resolved. And how much of a distraction is it beyond 827 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:31,599 just the on court factors of like can their playmaking survived? Can their defense 828 00:55:31,639 --> 00:55:36,519 survive? It's like, you know and be just like mentally check out like 829 00:55:36,599 --> 00:55:38,920 he kind of did throughout parts of the twenty nineteen twenty season that he like 830 00:55:39,039 --> 00:55:45,000 he just looked miserable out there. And if that's the case, like does 831 00:55:45,039 --> 00:55:49,119 he take a step back in his play as well? So I think as 832 00:55:49,159 --> 00:55:52,320 long as he stays healthy, they don't fully punt, But it wouldn't surprise 833 00:55:52,400 --> 00:55:55,920 me if they take, you know, like a realistic look at themselves before 834 00:55:55,960 --> 00:56:00,719 the trade deadline and say, if we have zero hope of contending for a 835 00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:06,559 championship this year, now, maybe we do try to flip Danny into something, 836 00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:10,800 into a guy who's under a long tream contract or like a young player 837 00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:14,840 who we believe could have a breakout in our system. Whatever the case may 838 00:56:14,960 --> 00:56:21,039 be. This is matchup dependent. But what do you think should be their 839 00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:25,559 most used to crunch time lineup this season? Yeah? I mean I think 840 00:56:25,679 --> 00:56:30,679 well, Seth, Danny, Tobias, and Joel are most likely going to 841 00:56:30,719 --> 00:56:37,079 be in there. The one caveat would be if they will does become a 842 00:56:37,199 --> 00:56:44,599 more dependable three point shooter, or if Danny's limitations defensively, like if they 843 00:56:44,719 --> 00:56:49,760 just absolutely need someone to be able to lock someone down. And again, 844 00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:54,320 Danny just isn't that guy anymore. I could see Thible replacing him. And 845 00:56:54,400 --> 00:56:59,639 then I think between Maxie and Milton, it's just which of these two guys 846 00:56:59,760 --> 00:57:05,119 is a more competent playmaker and more reliable shooter. What is a quirky, 847 00:57:05,559 --> 00:57:08,400 offbeat, unconventional lineup you would just to see what happens, you would run 848 00:57:08,440 --> 00:57:12,360 out if you were the head coach or if you had the power over Doc 849 00:57:12,480 --> 00:57:16,159 Rivers to force him to experiment with. Yeah, it would be a small 850 00:57:16,199 --> 00:57:20,199 ball lineup because I think we're not going to see it very often. So 851 00:57:20,280 --> 00:57:23,519 I would want to Bias and the Yang out there. I would say Curry, 852 00:57:24,320 --> 00:57:28,760 Quirk, Maze and then again one of Max. You're Milton, and 853 00:57:28,800 --> 00:57:34,400 they're going to get just boat race defensively, but can that can that line 854 00:57:34,480 --> 00:57:37,320 up offensively? Makeup and just pray that, like you know, it's not 855 00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:39,599 just a layup line of the rim. Maybe you just get into a three 856 00:57:39,639 --> 00:57:44,599 point shooting contest with the other team. I would bet on the three point 857 00:57:44,679 --> 00:57:47,800 shooting out out gunning another team. It's just like, yeah, can you 858 00:57:47,920 --> 00:57:52,599 can you stop them at all from penetrating the paint? I would guess probably 859 00:57:52,639 --> 00:57:58,280 not. Mine was similar. I just want to see five people who can 860 00:57:58,679 --> 00:58:00,159 are like kind of ball hand, can put the ball on the floor. 861 00:58:00,719 --> 00:58:05,840 Small lineup, So I'm taking the Yang off and I want Cork Moas to 862 00:58:05,880 --> 00:58:09,320 buy as shake Milton, Seth, Curry and Tyres Maxie. That's going to 863 00:58:09,400 --> 00:58:13,760 be a special nightmare, Dith. But if it's not on the court. 864 00:58:14,239 --> 00:58:16,079 I don't know what chance you could throw a time with these tibel in there 865 00:58:16,119 --> 00:58:20,880 if you like, don't care about yeah, obviously for some defense, but 866 00:58:21,039 --> 00:58:25,039 I would I'm leaning into this kid until the Ben Simmons situation, So I 867 00:58:25,039 --> 00:58:29,840 would absolutely try a lineup like that. That's fair, Yeah, that would 868 00:58:29,840 --> 00:58:32,119 be It would be fun if nothing else, And like, that's all we've 869 00:58:32,159 --> 00:58:37,719 got right now, because otherwise the season is projecting to be pretty miserable ultimately, 870 00:58:37,039 --> 00:58:40,159 and it's it's anything every question I ask you about this a little because 871 00:58:40,159 --> 00:58:45,920 of the situation. How high are you on this team without Ben Simmons being 872 00:58:46,000 --> 00:58:51,480 there until he is true? Like, if they don't move Ben Simmons, 873 00:58:51,639 --> 00:58:55,440 how high are you on this team? Pretty low, honestly. Like I 874 00:58:57,079 --> 00:59:00,199 mean, Brooklyn and Milwaukee, regardless of whether and Simmons reports or not, 875 00:59:00,400 --> 00:59:06,079 are clearly ahead of the Sixers. I think I would put Atlanta at least 876 00:59:06,159 --> 00:59:08,360 on the same tier, if not ahead, even with Ben Simmons without their 877 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:12,920 far ahead, and put Miami far ahead. You know, I think the 878 00:59:13,039 --> 00:59:15,599 Knicks and Boston I would put both of them ahead as well, probably, 879 00:59:16,280 --> 00:59:20,960 So we're talking like the ceiling, you know, I think there'd be a 880 00:59:21,039 --> 00:59:24,239 playing team. Honestly, it'd be very surprised if they made it. If 881 00:59:24,280 --> 00:59:29,760 they somehow finished with the top six record, and maybe maybe Miami, especially 882 00:59:29,800 --> 00:59:32,360 with their depth issues like if Jimmy or bad where Kyle goes down or like 883 00:59:32,559 --> 00:59:36,280 two of them goes down, maybe that sends them sinking. So I guess 884 00:59:36,840 --> 00:59:39,760 if other teams get ravaged by injuries, maybe they could be a top six 885 00:59:39,800 --> 00:59:45,199 seed. But I mean, I think for all of the focus on simmons 886 00:59:45,280 --> 00:59:51,320 weaknesses, especially in the playoffs, he is a very impactful regular season player. 887 00:59:51,519 --> 00:59:54,639 I think, you know, he is the definition of when Draymond talks 888 00:59:54,679 --> 01:00:00,280 about like eighty two game players versus sixteen game players. Ben Simmons is ninety 889 01:00:00,320 --> 01:00:04,519 two game player. He's really effective in the regular season despite the shooting limitation. 890 01:00:04,639 --> 01:00:07,440 There's annihilated people with him and Joela met on the Corps last year during 891 01:00:07,440 --> 01:00:10,920 the regular Yeah, they straight up mutilated them. Yeah, Like, I 892 01:00:12,280 --> 01:00:15,679 think a large part of it is because defenses aren't as locked in during the 893 01:00:15,719 --> 01:00:19,920 regular season, so you're going to get out into transition more where Ben can 894 01:00:19,960 --> 01:00:22,960 be more effective and you can kick out for threes like they were just killer 895 01:00:23,159 --> 01:00:28,039 in that regard, like Danny and Curry both just love the transition threes, 896 01:00:29,840 --> 01:00:32,800 you know, like in theory, we've seen the workout videos. Maybe one 897 01:00:34,079 --> 01:00:37,239 year Ben Sivins does come back, it actually starts to tep thick jumpers, 898 01:00:37,320 --> 01:00:39,639 so that would be interesting as well. So yeah, like I think that 899 01:00:40,280 --> 01:00:46,079 with Ben, i'd put them in that Atlanta Miami like competing for the number 900 01:00:46,119 --> 01:00:53,719 three seed without and less. Maxie Curry, Tobias Matisse, and Bid all 901 01:00:53,840 --> 01:01:00,360 have career years like five six seeds, seems like they're ceiling. I think 902 01:01:00,519 --> 01:01:05,239 realistically they're probably in the play in tournament. This is a similarly loaded question. 903 01:01:05,360 --> 01:01:07,559 But if you're going to assume, like you are, that they're gonna 904 01:01:07,559 --> 01:01:10,639 move Ben Simmons and get something for him, they're over under as we record 905 01:01:10,719 --> 01:01:15,280 this is fifty one point five, actually higher than the Phoenix Suns by the 906 01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:20,360 way, fifty point five, which is I know the West is the West, 907 01:01:20,440 --> 01:01:23,840 but that was shocking to me. Are you taking me over or under? 908 01:01:24,039 --> 01:01:29,320 And let's and maybe your answer doesn't change from this, but their placed 909 01:01:29,320 --> 01:01:31,320 in the Eastern Conference, where do you see it falling? Just assuming they 910 01:01:31,400 --> 01:01:37,360 trade Ben Simmons for at least one player, that's gonna actually have an impact 911 01:01:37,440 --> 01:01:39,920 on their rotation? Is it higher than that five or succeed or if you're 912 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:45,599 going from Ben Simmons to maybe it's a better fitting player but it's a non 913 01:01:45,719 --> 01:01:49,320 star. It's such a little question because if that non stars Jonathan Murray, 914 01:01:49,760 --> 01:01:52,119 because of what he gives you from the point of attack defensively, you actually 915 01:01:52,159 --> 01:01:58,400 probably could end up being like real not better, but like you could end 916 01:01:58,480 --> 01:02:01,199 up just being better than you're expecting in the five or six range. So 917 01:02:01,239 --> 01:02:04,280 I don't really know how to tackle that, So we could just leave it 918 01:02:04,280 --> 01:02:06,559 at the over under it's fifty one point five? Are you taking the over 919 01:02:06,639 --> 01:02:10,840 or the under on that? I think because of the uncertainty with the timeline 920 01:02:10,840 --> 01:02:15,239 of when they trade Ben or like if he even reports, or what they 921 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:19,960 get back in return for him, Like if if someone like put a gun 922 01:02:20,039 --> 01:02:22,880 to my set and to my head and said you have to bet this, 923 01:02:22,639 --> 01:02:28,800 I'm betting the under just because of all of the potential issues that could stack 924 01:02:28,920 --> 01:02:30,920 up, Like I think a lot needs to go right for them to hit 925 01:02:31,000 --> 01:02:36,880 the over, whereas you can see the disaster playing out a lot more easily. 926 01:02:37,000 --> 01:02:39,760 So for that reason, I would go under, But I would also 927 01:02:39,800 --> 01:02:45,440 advise no one to better just pick pick, like go over on Phoenix. 928 01:02:45,599 --> 01:02:49,760 That's much easier money. Don't waste your money betting on the Sixers this year 929 01:02:49,800 --> 01:02:55,679 because there's not like there. We did these like Forbes preseason profiles for every 930 01:02:55,719 --> 01:03:00,480 team, like best bet was one of the section. I was like, 931 01:03:00,880 --> 01:03:04,679 there isn't really a good Sixers bet, Like I guess tires Maxie for most 932 01:03:04,719 --> 01:03:07,239 approved player is what I hit landed on because otherwise, like I have no 933 01:03:07,440 --> 01:03:10,960 confidence in any of the other Sixers bet, I guess yeah the under. 934 01:03:12,400 --> 01:03:15,360 Betting the under would be the best bet on it. I think smashing the 935 01:03:15,480 --> 01:03:17,920 under makes sense. I'm just Joel Embiid is so good. Yeah, it's 936 01:03:17,960 --> 01:03:22,440 like I could see him being if you left this roster alone, I could 937 01:03:22,440 --> 01:03:24,119 see the Sixers winning fifty two games. But I think you also have to 938 01:03:24,159 --> 01:03:28,280 tell me that Joel Embiid then plays in seventy, which he has never done 939 01:03:28,679 --> 01:03:31,480 before. So I would smash the over up, smash the under. Yeah. 940 01:03:34,079 --> 01:03:38,480 Is there anything or anyone about this team that I have not asked you 941 01:03:38,559 --> 01:03:44,400 about that you think needs to be discussed? Can we talk about Ben Simmons 942 01:03:44,480 --> 01:03:45,960 part we have we covered him enough, do you think, yeah? I 943 01:03:46,000 --> 01:03:51,039 mean, we have another three hours to go to the Tory Ben Simmons talk. 944 01:03:51,320 --> 01:03:54,159 It's I do find I feel like a lot of the coverage on the 945 01:03:54,280 --> 01:03:59,480 NBA now is anti transaction, and I still really do enjoy the trade portion. 946 01:03:59,559 --> 01:04:01,880 I think it's also important to acknowledge that there is a human element to 947 01:04:01,960 --> 01:04:06,639 this. I have zero, just like interest in this Ben Simmons shit anymore. 948 01:04:08,400 --> 01:04:11,400 I don't know if you saw my tweet the other day, these breaking 949 01:04:11,519 --> 01:04:15,800 news the same. It's the same fucking thing, just recycled. It's not 950 01:04:15,960 --> 01:04:20,199 breaking or like you're just rehashing what we already know. I don't need the 951 01:04:20,280 --> 01:04:25,960 recap. I also don't even need like the latest leak coming out of Ben 952 01:04:26,039 --> 01:04:30,679 Simmons's camp of the Sixers, we've reached. The Sixers were so good it 953 01:04:30,880 --> 01:04:35,960 ruined it's I need this to end. I want it as as well as 954 01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:40,639 it can end for all parties involved. I don't even know what that looks 955 01:04:40,719 --> 01:04:45,840 like. I think the Spurs are my favorite for both sides. I think 956 01:04:46,280 --> 01:04:49,079 putting Ben Simmons in San Antonio, i'd be curious about the fit with some 957 01:04:49,119 --> 01:04:51,679 of the players on the roster, but if he gets to play for Pop, 958 01:04:53,119 --> 01:04:55,440 I'd like Ben Simmons there. I think they can give the Sixers an 959 01:04:55,440 --> 01:04:59,000 adequate return. If I care just about Ben Simmons in this, I really 960 01:04:59,039 --> 01:05:00,280 want to see him. I'm a soda. I have no desire to see 961 01:05:00,320 --> 01:05:06,639 D'Angelo Russell in Philly. I also I'm not I know people think the CJ 962 01:05:06,760 --> 01:05:11,039 McCollum trade is a no brainer. I actually think that you need to get 963 01:05:11,039 --> 01:05:15,000 a lot more stuff because of CJ's age and really just how crippling it will 964 01:05:15,079 --> 01:05:19,559 be for you defensively. And the other thing I will argue on that front 965 01:05:20,280 --> 01:05:26,719 is if I'm the Sixers and mid season in December, Ben Simmons is on 966 01:05:26,760 --> 01:05:32,320 the roster and Portland throws you the kitchen sink outside of game, and CJ 967 01:05:32,480 --> 01:05:36,840 McCullum where it's norm, where it's you have Larry nance Jr. You have 968 01:05:36,960 --> 01:05:43,519 Roco and then just picks galore. That might intrigue me more than a close 969 01:05:43,599 --> 01:05:48,239 to straight up CJ for Ben Simmons trade is something that I've thought about because 970 01:05:48,320 --> 01:05:53,360 Norman Powell is a better defender than CJ. Not the same level of shock 971 01:05:53,400 --> 01:05:56,400 creator, but still gives you you don't want to be in your point guard, 972 01:05:56,400 --> 01:05:59,199 even if you can do some secondary pick and roll stuff gives you some 973 01:05:59,320 --> 01:06:03,880 North South juice there. That was something that I started rubinating over. I 974 01:06:03,920 --> 01:06:08,320 don't think it's the package the Sixers want, but I am curious if we're 975 01:06:08,320 --> 01:06:13,280 going to get to a point that it's uncharacteristic for the Spurs to trade for 976 01:06:13,320 --> 01:06:15,239 Ben Simmons when you really think about it, when you think about what they 977 01:06:15,239 --> 01:06:18,239 would need to give up, do they eventually try and straddle a line? 978 01:06:18,400 --> 01:06:23,719 And I think the two teams that stand out are Portland when Norman Powell's eligible 979 01:06:23,719 --> 01:06:27,199 to be traded because they have nance, they have Roco, and then just 980 01:06:27,320 --> 01:06:30,000 a bunch of future picks, and then I think this is a terrible fit. 981 01:06:30,360 --> 01:06:32,679 But just the Pacers have been mentioned. Yeah, Harris Lavert is healthy, 982 01:06:33,079 --> 01:06:36,519 if TJ. Warren is healthy, those are apparently big fat, freaking 983 01:06:36,599 --> 01:06:41,679 ifs. And then you have Malcolm Brockton just sitting there. So I wouldn't 984 01:06:41,679 --> 01:06:44,760 be crazy about that from the Pacers, but those seem like the two teams 985 01:06:45,320 --> 01:06:48,599 that might be willing to shake things up and then can provide the Sixers with 986 01:06:49,199 --> 01:06:53,920 that middle ground. And I get that CJ's the better player, especially you 987 01:06:54,000 --> 01:06:56,880 know, what he does in the playoffs is just for most of his career, 988 01:06:56,960 --> 01:06:59,800 He's just been awesome there. If I'm the Sixers, though, I 989 01:07:00,000 --> 01:07:03,079 probably prefer the the Hodgepodge deal that I just laid out. I don't know 990 01:07:03,079 --> 01:07:05,480 if Portland will be interested in that either. But if you figured out a 991 01:07:05,519 --> 01:07:09,679 way to keep CJ and still get Ben Samonza and then you have Dame, 992 01:07:09,880 --> 01:07:13,360 yes, I'm absolutely doing that. Yeah. And then I mean if Philly 993 01:07:13,559 --> 01:07:17,639 didn't want all of the Nance and Comington and they were saying, Okay, 994 01:07:17,679 --> 01:07:21,199 we need a point guard somehow, like you can flip one of those guys 995 01:07:21,360 --> 01:07:25,360 even for a backup at that point like that, that would give you some 996 01:07:25,440 --> 01:07:29,719 flexibility. You can put Nance to Phoenix for probably campaign Jalen Smith in a 997 01:07:29,760 --> 01:07:32,199 pick or something. Yeah, yeah, that'd be interesting or even I mean, 998 01:07:32,360 --> 01:07:34,920 how we'll see what happens. Well, I guess the Clippers wouldn't do 999 01:07:34,960 --> 01:07:40,239 that to Reggie Jackson. Yeah, I mean put him on a better team. 1000 01:07:41,760 --> 01:07:45,280 But like he you know, he's tight with Paul George and like with 1001 01:07:45,760 --> 01:07:47,400 he seems to love it there. I mean, I'm shocked he only had 1002 01:07:47,440 --> 01:07:53,679 the two year deal that it just sounds like he I think Ramona Shelburn had 1003 01:07:53,719 --> 01:07:57,400 the story during the playoffs just about like how he was like ready to give 1004 01:07:57,480 --> 01:08:00,199 up on basketball and then Paul George like talking him. So I think he's 1005 01:08:00,199 --> 01:08:02,719 saying. He said it afterwards too, that this team saved him. So 1006 01:08:03,000 --> 01:08:06,719 yeah, but that's just I think people will hear this and think that I'm 1007 01:08:06,960 --> 01:08:11,599 fucking stupid, and maybe I am. And I think some people don't like 1008 01:08:11,679 --> 01:08:15,280 the Norman Powell contract, but it's like, as someone who's sort of plug 1009 01:08:15,360 --> 01:08:17,279 and play and I know he's been all over the place for his career, 1010 01:08:17,800 --> 01:08:23,560 if there's all that other stuff involved, I'm at the point where I might 1011 01:08:23,600 --> 01:08:26,479 consider it. I think you would ideally want more of it. You want 1012 01:08:26,520 --> 01:08:28,960 a star for Ben Simmons, I think personally, and we didn't really get 1013 01:08:29,000 --> 01:08:31,119 into this. Their best chance of flipping Ben Simmons for a star this season, 1014 01:08:31,479 --> 01:08:34,880 I think it's Bradley Beal that's the And I don't even know, like, 1015 01:08:34,960 --> 01:08:38,760 does Bradley Bell want to stay there if he's traded to Philly because he's 1016 01:08:39,000 --> 01:08:43,279 scheduled for free agency after this season, But I just can't I would be 1017 01:08:43,479 --> 01:08:46,680 floored if Dame requests out in the middle of the year importantly, and that 1018 01:08:46,720 --> 01:08:50,159 doesn't feel like how that situation is gonna end. No, I really think 1019 01:08:50,720 --> 01:08:55,399 best case scenario happens next off season. I'm with you on the Pacers actually, 1020 01:08:55,600 --> 01:08:59,199 Like, dating back to the very beginning of this, we were trying 1021 01:08:59,239 --> 01:09:02,560 to figure out a three team deal more my co hosts. I forget what 1022 01:09:02,680 --> 01:09:05,840 we settled on, but we had. We came up with something where it 1023 01:09:05,960 --> 01:09:12,039 was like Portland, Indiana, Philly three team deal, and I think it 1024 01:09:12,319 --> 01:09:19,039 was Ben to Portland's CJ to Indiana and then uh brogged in. It was 1025 01:09:19,399 --> 01:09:24,880 brogged in Lamb and the thirteen pick to Philly, which is obviously off the 1026 01:09:24,960 --> 01:09:30,319 table now. But like the the thirteenth pick right right right, I mean, 1027 01:09:30,399 --> 01:09:34,720 like the Indiana thing, it doesn't make as of right now unless there's 1028 01:09:34,720 --> 01:09:40,239 a third team involved. I don't understand it at all from Indiana's perspective because 1029 01:09:40,479 --> 01:09:44,800 I need to be getting off some bonus or Turner, yes, And That's 1030 01:09:44,840 --> 01:09:49,079 what I'm wondering it like, because it seems like Turner just doesn't have a 1031 01:09:49,159 --> 01:09:51,840 ton of trade value around the league. That's wild to me, by the 1032 01:09:51,880 --> 01:09:54,720 way, me too, Yeah, I don't get it at all. But 1033 01:09:54,840 --> 01:09:57,920 like conceptually, if I'm talking, you know, which of the two bigs 1034 01:09:58,039 --> 01:10:02,199 fits better with Simmons, I would it's Turner for sure. Maybe there's a 1035 01:10:02,279 --> 01:10:09,000 three team deal where Philly sends Simmons to Indiana, Indiana sends a bonus somewhere 1036 01:10:09,039 --> 01:10:12,600 else. I've thought a lot about where which team. I'm there are teams 1037 01:10:12,640 --> 01:10:15,840 that would want some bonus, but he's so much more of you know, 1038 01:10:15,319 --> 01:10:18,399 a unique player, the Miles Turner. I would say that you need to 1039 01:10:18,439 --> 01:10:26,359 be prepared to give him some semi substantive license over your offense if you're going 1040 01:10:26,439 --> 01:10:30,399 to trade for him. Right, Yeah, Portland was my idea for them 1041 01:10:30,520 --> 01:10:33,960 as well, But I don't know if they would have interest in him, 1042 01:10:34,079 --> 01:10:38,520 Like that's where would be weird. Yeah, it would be weird. I 1043 01:10:38,600 --> 01:10:42,479 know. That's the problem A lot of these teams like have and they would 1044 01:10:42,479 --> 01:10:46,960 be like collecting Caucasian bigs at that point there. Yeah, so I don't 1045 01:10:47,000 --> 01:10:51,279 know if Indiana is involved. That's that's the kind of framework I think makes 1046 01:10:51,319 --> 01:10:56,520 the most sense for them to not. You know, they sent Brogden back 1047 01:10:56,560 --> 01:11:00,840 to Philly and sends a bonus elsewhere and then get something back for supponent or 1048 01:11:00,960 --> 01:11:03,800 like whichever team gets a bonus and stuff to Indiana stuff, the Philly Splits, 1049 01:11:03,840 --> 01:11:09,479 The Difference book ended this podcast with some ben Zimmon's talk. Started it 1050 01:11:09,560 --> 01:11:14,239 with some ben Zimmon's talk. How's that for Sixers discussions? Right now? 1051 01:11:14,319 --> 01:11:16,319 Brian, are you able to tell our listeners where they can find you on 1052 01:11:16,479 --> 01:11:20,159 social media and all the great work that you do. Yes, you can 1053 01:11:20,239 --> 01:11:25,600 find me on Twitter at b to pork t O p O r e K. 1054 01:11:26,159 --> 01:11:31,000 You can find I write about the Sixers and just salary cap stuff for 1055 01:11:31,079 --> 01:11:38,399 that. Thank Yeah, it's been a great summer at Forbes Sports and do 1056 01:11:38,560 --> 01:11:41,920 some stuff for the step Back at Fansided as well. And then you can 1057 01:11:42,000 --> 01:11:46,319 find my podcast the NBA Podcasts wherever podcasts are fould and I hear we have 1058 01:11:46,439 --> 01:11:50,000 some special guests coming up to walk through some lead Pass rankings soon, so 1059 01:11:50,359 --> 01:11:55,399 keep an eye out check out that podcast. There might be they went slumming 1060 01:11:55,640 --> 01:11:59,479 over at the PO and Adam and I were on there for Lead Pass rankings. 1061 01:12:00,039 --> 01:12:02,479 This episode is going up first, so regardless of when you're listening to 1062 01:12:02,560 --> 01:12:08,439 this episode, go head over to the NBA pod if you're listening this on 1063 01:12:08,560 --> 01:12:11,279 Sunday or Monday. Don't do that because it won't be up yet, right, 1064 01:12:11,359 --> 01:12:15,640 but any days go check out the last Brian. As always, thank 1065 01:12:15,640 --> 01:12:17,800 you for your time. I think you know by now I'll be pestering you 1066 01:12:17,920 --> 01:12:21,039 again in the future, but thank you so much for this. It was 1067 01:12:23,279 --> 01:12:26,520 I think, as you know, it was as fun as it could be 1068 01:12:26,640 --> 01:12:30,479 to talk about the Sixers, right right, That's That's about the best way 1069 01:12:30,520 --> 01:12:32,760 to sum that up. But I am happy to do it, and for 1070 01:12:32,920 --> 01:12:36,359 all of our sis, I pray he gets traded soon and I will happily 1071 01:12:36,479 --> 01:12:38,520 rejoin you went with us.