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What is crack a lacking hartwnopsis.
There's I am Dan Valley coming at you

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once more without my fantabulous co host
Adam Fromwell our team look Ahead Training continues

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to roll on. We're up to
the Minnesota Timberwolves. I brought back on

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Derrick James. Follow him on Twitter
at Derek James NBA. He is still

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a fantastic basketball mind. He used
to cover the NBA and the w NBA

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media at various places including since we
are talking about the Timberwolves, knis Hoopus.

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So I just want to reiterate following
on Twitter still great. Follow does

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still follow the Timberwolves very closely at
Derrick James NBA. Spelt exactly as it

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sounds. Shout out to anyone who's
listening to this on the night that it

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is dropped, which is Thursday night
of this week, because the second podcast

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we're dropping in a day. Because
they're just certain teams that I have a

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backlog of these, but there are
certain teams that are just wild cards and

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they terrify me that they're going to
do something, whether it's trade for Ben

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Simmons or just just something I don't
want them to date these in depth look

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aheads too quickly, So shout out
to you if you're listening to this on

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Thursday, because it means that maybe
you've downloaded two podcasts from us in the

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same day. That just makes you
an og or something, I don't know

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what that it makes you very loyal
and we appreciate it. That being said,

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please please, pretty please continue rating, reviewing, and subscribing to Hardwooknox

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wherever you get your podcast. Subscribing
and downloading every episode helps us out a

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ton. Also, regardless of whether
you use iTunes, we ask that you

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head over to it. If you
have access to iTunes, search Hardwood Knox,

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throw us that fire, start rating
and rider review. It literally takes

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under fifteen thirty seconds. Whatever.
The written reviews help a ton, and

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the ratings really help move us up
in the charts. This is your first

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time listening to us because you are
a diehard Timberwolves fan, a devout follower

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of content that Derek puts out,
or you're just here on accident, consider

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throwing us that permanent subscription. We
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pleasantly sub mediocre slash modestly insufferable around
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Hardwood Knox. You can also follow
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or Trodwoo Knox. We will pop
up and we're on Instagram at Hardwood Underscore

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Knox. With all of that business
out of the way, let's get into

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the Minnesota Timberwolves with Derek James.
Derek, thank you so much for coming

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back to the Hardwoo Knox podcast to
help educate me on some Minnesota Timberwolves stuff.

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As usual, before we get started, the most important question of the

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podcast, how are you doing?
I'm doing good man? How are you

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doing? I am spectacular over here
sort of kind of wishing the off season

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was like a like a week or
ten days longer. I'll probably be bemoaning

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it's too long next year, but
no real, no real life complaints over

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here. Yeah. Someone pointed out
that, you know, like when after

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the anniversary of Jimmy Butler's Big Finals
game in twenty twenty, that we had

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basically completed two seasons in less than
a full calendar year. So yeah,

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there, I definitely share that sense
that, like, wow, this offseason

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is already over. It's been a
whirlwind that I'm really just hoping that in

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their effort to get back to normal
schedule wise, I hope there's just not

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like an influx of injuries or something. And I know, like the science

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is still trying to bear whether that
had any impact like over this past year,

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so how short the previous off season
was, but just back to back

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truncated off seasons, just that that
worries me a little bit, or I

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should say a lot. Actually,
even if teams aren't you know, injured,

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I think they I feel like they
just still took a toll on you

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know, even like the Celtics,
even though they had you know, major

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COVID problems. They're probably behind the
Wizards and the Grizzlies, you know,

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the team that struggled the most.
And I don't think any of the conference

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finalists made it back to even the
conference finals. So I think it really

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did not get everyone out who went
deep. And I'll be curious to see

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how that plays out this year.
I mean, especially with you like a

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team like the Bucks and the Suns. It's like there's no reason they can't

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they can't go back to you know, at least the conference finals, right

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unless this crazy schedule catches up to
them. Well, the Timberwolves have had

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a little bit longer of a break
than those teams will still not probably go

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to the conference finals. That's also
a fair point. The place to start

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is just they can't apparently they just
can't have like a non dramatic offseason or

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something. But the whole like Gerson
Roe Sauce situation, is that like something

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that actually impacts this organization materially moving
forward? Is it purely an optics thing?

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Like is it something that you know
it's the whole situation is just like

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so bizarre. Yeah, that was
something that really came out of left field

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for some of us too, I
guess, who aren't as plugged in as

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others, you know, turned that
the way that a lot of you know,

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like some former players were like,
yeah, it sounds right like that

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was an uncomfortable work environment and things
like that. And you know, I

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think if as far as effect on
the team, I mean and everyone else

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in the workplace, I mean,
that's really hard to say day to day,

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but I think the biggest risk,
you know, could be you know,

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someone like Karl Anthony Towns, he
was like, you know, I

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think he even voiced his displeasure you
know, with you know, more turnover.

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I don't think he had an issue
with the reason why. I wouldn't

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guess, but he's like, you
know, there hasn't been a lot of

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stability and consistency here, and it's
really hard to build anything when you have

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that upheaval constantly. Yeah, and
the optics obviously aren't great. I think

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was this is the situation where he
was the one that tweeted like WTF when

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it all went down. It's like, never a great sign when like one

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of the fifteen best players in basketball, like is caught that off guard by

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your instability. Well, and I
don't think we knew very much at the

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time what was going on at that
point, and I mean, it just

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looked like they had just fired their
general manager right before training camp, and

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it's like, well, why would
you do this then? And then then

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you're like, okay, well,
you know, inappropriate workplace relationship and toxic

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work environment, it's like, okay, well that is you know, a

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decision that you've had to you know, you have to make, and you

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know, it's just it's just really
unfortunate with this team that you know,

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I don't think there's any way to
know this. Even though Gerson Rosas had

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that weird, like I didn't think
he made it six days as the Dallas

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GM at one point that We're little
city had before he was pushed out again.

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And then you know there's just this
and all the you know, the

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rumblings that we heard underneath, and
you know, you know, Okay,

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I don't think there's any way to
you know, saw something like this out

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in advance. I don't think,
you know, Glenn Taylor could have known

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anything. Even if you know,
Hey, Glenn, for one reason or

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another, you always wind up keep
picking the wrongly person. Yeah, it's

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just you know, you just hope
that this hasn't really strained that relationship with

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Karl Anthony Towns, because I think
that does a trickle down effect on the

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rest of the organization. I mean, I was in that locker room in

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twenty fourteen Kevin Loves last year in
Minnesota, and his you know, discontent

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really just seemed to just cast a
cloud over that entire room. It was

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not a good place to be in. It doesn't seem like Kat is in

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that place. He seems like he's, you know, he's still in a

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more positive place than you know Love
was, and that you know, this

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is probably just another thing that the
organization has to work through. But I

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guess on the bright side, you
know, it is a sign of a

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healthy organization that you know, they
remove the people, you know, who

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are creating this situation like that in
general, So this doesn't just you know,

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a Rod and Mark Lord just deciding
that they want to, you know,

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turn over the front office right before
the start of the season. That

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would be truly chaotic. I think
this is just you know, really unfortunate

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timing and hopefully they've contained the collaborate
damage. Yeah, and I didn't even

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think about the Grison Rosaus and just
a short sit in Dallas, But I

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guess I'd probably argue that if he
had a toxic workplace environment and an extra

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marital affair there, you've gotten a
couple of promotions based on what's happened in

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Dallas. I am obligated, yea, I am obligated to ask sort of

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an it's a basketball question, but
it's like not immediately on the court,

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because this player is not on the
Timberwolves. The Minnesota has been at the

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forefront of the Ben Simmons rumor mill. I think the latest report is that

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they're still sort of there, but
Gupta just isn't like as you know,

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hot after Ben Simmons as Rosas was
My two fold question on this is one,

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do you like the conceptual fit of
Ben Simmons in Minnesota? And to

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like, what type of package or
what's the best package that you would realistically

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be willing to give up for him? And I've been asking these questions to

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the teams that have been linked to
Simmons the most, because like, the

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package is out there just gets so
well, like you what Daryl Morey wants.

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And then you have like the reply
people on Twitter who want to give

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up an expiring contract in two seconds
because they think that Ben Simmons is craft.

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Now, yeah, I definitely think
we've gone too far the other way.

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I'm Ben Simmons, you know,
change the scenery could do them good,

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good sports therapists. Let me do
him good too, all the same

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and just stay in Philadelphia? Now? Is that the best environment with you

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know, Doc Rivers, who has
thrown as players under the bus, you

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know, on and off the record
in the best Joel Embiid who says everything

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that comes to mind, Like,
I mean, I don't know that that's

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the place for a guy who's dealing
with some fragility issues and struggling with his

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game, but there's no doubt that
you know, like that's on the side

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of this is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This team has had one winning season since

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two thousand and four. I mean, if so, if you can add

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an all start for any all defense
guy defensive player that you're a candidate,

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that's something you know, you do
have to look at that. I mean,

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especially if you think that you can
get him. I think what was

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tough with the Timberwolves is that they
just, you know, the Kurson Rose

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House was so you know, it
took a lot of chances with their first

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round draft picks, and like the
D'Angel Russell Andrew Wiggins trade, I guess

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we'll see how much that, you
know, how that looks in hindsight.

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Generally, I think giving up first
round picks is a bad idea. I

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think, you know, like the
most damaging one was the Adrian the first

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round pick for Adrian Pain that Flips
Enters gave up years ago. So I

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think you really have to, you
know, so if there you get into

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the situation where you know, they
owe all these picks down the road or

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in all these pick swaps, you
know, in general, with that that

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can be very harmful to a team
that's looking to to build. I think

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it'd be very certain and someone like
Anthony Edwards, assuming you're keeping him,

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which is like the question of you
know, what are you giving up to

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get him? You know, I
know, like wolves fans, you know,

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cars like I could probably do Jaden
McDaniels, like, you know you

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definitely that situation. Don't be ridiculous
like he's a nice prospect, but like

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he's not he's not like off the
table good. I would definitely go as

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far as Dan I think you know
you but you know apparently you know Grison,

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Russoss wanted to keep Russell or Russell, Edwards and Simmons, but I

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don't know, how what are you
doing then McDaniels and Beasley and some picks

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like I wouldn't do that either if
I was Philly. So I mean it

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just in general, it just seems
like everyone's kind of cooled on him.

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Then no one wants to pay with
more's asking, you know, as these

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teams you know, got into camp
and start to you know, start to

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build some continuity, you know,
that's that would be a major upheaval,

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and I think you would have to
know, like what are you going to

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do with this? You know,
if you do, you know, you

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your team for what you know,
So I think you had to know,

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like when this comes together, what's
it gonna look like. I mean,

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if you're the Nets and you trade
for James Harden, You're like, well,

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eventually we're going to be a championship
contender this year once it all settles

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down, and they would have been. I mean, I think that was

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right up. That was that was
a great gamble to take. If you're

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the Timberwolves, you kind of get
a look a big picture here, and

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you know you do have Ben Simmons
under contract for three four more years after

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that. I think that's you know, if you're giving up something there at

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least you know you're gonna be able
to keep the guy for a little bit.

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But they know then, like,
you know, do the Sixers do

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they want? You know, big
believe he'sa can help a team. Now,

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Jay McDaniels is a prospect. You
know, that's always at LEAs them

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with you know, Maxie and Tible, you know, as the young guys

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around him, and then Tobias Harris
like that's you know, it's hard to

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say that's a title contender, and
you know, it definitely knocks them to

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step back if they do that.
So I get I get why Morey is

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asking so much for Simmons this especially
given word. I'm sorry, go ahead.

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I didn't realize you weren't finished all
you Oh no, I was just

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saying, like, you know,
I get why he's asking so much,

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you know, defend the Timberwolves.
I don't, you know, I think

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it makes sense that Edwards and Towns
are off limits. I do think there's

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a lot with Anthony Edwards, even
if you know he looked he definitely looked

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lost at some very lost at some
points on defense last year, but offensive

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00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,080
it I really like the way that
he finished the season. Yeah, I

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would agree that, I mean,
talent should one hundred percent. Ago don't

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give up the best player in the
trade for Ben Simmons, like that's just

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terrible. Yeah, And I would
agree that any should be off the table.

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I've seen, like you know,
parts of Wolves Twitter just like not

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wanting to give up d Low and
that's in a vacuum, that's where they

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us. But then to me,
it's like the element of him being friends

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with Towns. I don't know how
that impacts it. That's the political part

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of that to me, Like you
have to go to Towns and be like,

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hey, I know that all three
of you are buddies, but we

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can't do this without giving a Russell. And that's important part there. What

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you made a really good point about
two is there's a big difference between having

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done this like a month or six
weeks ago and now when you're through training

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camp the season starting, And it
would be nice to also go through a

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season where, like you know,
you have the Chris Finch change to hiring

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Chris Finch the middle last year,
which was something else that didn't generate for

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the timber Wolves. And this is
all what makes this a complicated case is

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that I think you need a third
team here because Beasley McDaniels, those are

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guys that can help the Sixers immediately. I can't imagine they would be super

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high on Russell moving forward. And
so if you're going to use picks and

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other salaries like the meat and potatoes
of the deal plus Beasley McDaniels, there

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needs to be that third team that
is willing to and look worklely. This

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wouldn't be the dumbest move, but
hedge against Minnesota's future and take on their

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their draft picks. Maybe that third
team arises as the season goes on.

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I feel like I would give it
like a sub ten percent chance that Simmons

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ends up in Minnesota. But I
think Minnesota's the team that I would be

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most interested just looking at the basketball
fit him in Towns and Anthony Edwards.

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That's the team that I would love
to see him on the most. Yes,

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Yeah, I think that's that's a
very cool team. I mean you

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all the ball handling that you would
still have on that team, You would

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have a guy who could defend next
to Aunt and with Cat. I think

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it's funny when you mentioned a team
you know that you know would maybe hedge

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against Minnesota's future. I mean,
this just sounds like Sam Presty and just

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ask shuffling some other assets to Philadelphia. I'm sure Philly would love Shay.

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I would. I think people in
Columbasy would riot if they if they traded

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Shake Gili Alexander would be over for
that. People who are actually employed by

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the Timberwolves, though, include Chris
Finch, and he was there. I

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think he ended up being there when
I was going through the like the data,

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he was there for more than half
the year last season, or at

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least Saunders was gone for more than
half a season. I think that timeline

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was like pretty quickly rebounded. Did
you get, like, have any takeaways

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from any changes in how the team
is going to play under him? I

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felt like there was more structure with
Chris Finch. I think that was the

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biggest thing there. I think I
look, I noticed it, especially with

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Anthony Edwards and Dangel Russell. You
know, I think before that, you

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know, before I started watching Daniel
Russell every day, I was like,

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oh, yeah, I don't mind
him. You know, he's a guy,

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you know, who's never afraid of
the big shot and everything like that.

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But he's actually he actually can be
a wildly frustrating player at his worst,

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But I thought that he don't His
shot selection actually looked like it was

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more refined under Chris Finch, and
it looks like he's playing more of a

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all around game. I think them, especially them, we're used to with

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Russell, and I believe with Edwards
there's a significant drop off in his threes

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per game from Saunders to Finch,
and I thought that was really important there.

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You know, It's like, you
know, this Anthony Edwards would get

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to the line very well for a
kid, especially a guy who has not

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had much coaching in the past,
has not played a ton of basketball in

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his life, and he still has
just all that potential. And you you

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know, you don't want to be
too restrictive with guys, but I think,

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you know that especially for young players
still learning like that, I think

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that structure and discipline can be good
and that you know, discouraging them from

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just pulling up and shooting the ball, you know, just because they can

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and you know, try to get
it inside and get to the line.

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I think, you know, I
think seeing that stuff more and more from

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Anthony Edwards, and I think some
of the stuff that we've seen from camp

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on defense has even been encouraging,
although even in preseason, but you know,

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I mean that's always training camp in
preseason and you know, hope is

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alive right now. You have to
kind of see how that plays out on

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the court. But I think it's
it's encouraging what we saw. I think,

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especially you know, the way that
they finished the season. I think,

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you know, I under you know
that I feel strongly about the way

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that they finished with you know,
I think they finished like almost five hundred

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of the last twenty five games of
the season, which is not a nothing

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sample of even an eighty two game
season, you know. So I think

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when they have that long stretch of
strong five hundred play, I think that's

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really encouraging and something to be optimistic
about, you know. And again preseason

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now, but they start off what
three four, oh, they go to

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Brooklyn tonight. I think that's going
to be a good test, you know,

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because I mean the first three quarters
of these games, I mean it's

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been mostly NBA rosters. I know, the Clippers didn't play Paul George and

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Zion's been out for the Pelicant for
the Pelicans game too, but like you

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know, Patrick Devery didn't play the
other night, he got arrest night,

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and they still dump the Clippers.
So it's you know, it's good to

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see them going out and taking care
of business against the teams that you know

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they should, and you know,
I think you're looking at every opportunity.

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I think as a building experience,
it sounds kind of cliche, but for

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a team that has not done a
lot of winning, there's been a lot

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of losing and disappointment. I think
that they need to go out and build

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these habits, and you know,
if you can show up in preseason,

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I mean, you know, it's
going to be a good practice for you

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know, the middle of February and
Detroit when you know you don't feel like

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you don't feel like you don't getting
up for it. I think we if

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we can measure their commitment by Patrick
Beverley being so invested in the outcome of

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a preseason game but he tattletailed on
bones Highland, I think that would be

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was that preseason game number one or
two, whatever it was. This team

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is going to be heavily invested in
maybe every game. There's their defense was

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bad last year, and there's an
element of can it really get any worse

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if nothing changes because it was that
bad? But is there like enough low

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hanging fruit when you're looking at some
of the stuff that they did wrong being

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you know, I think some of
the stuff that stood out most glaring is

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if you watch pretty much any Minnesota
Timberwolves game, there's just all these possessions,

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but they seem completely disinterested in getting
back on transition defense. But just

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even whether it's like fouling less.
Is there just enough low hanging fruit for

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them to address to be measurably better
on that end, or should we still

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expect like a you know, maybe
not bottom four, but like bottom ten

303
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defensive team here. Yeah, I
think bottom ten would be a good realistic

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goal. I know, you know, like if you're as Anthony Edwards especially,

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you know, I think, you
know, using him as kind of

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the barometer for how this goes,
because his role just grew so much.

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I mean, he wasn't starting at
the beginning of the year, and by

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the end of the season, you
know, he was playing, he was

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playing good minutes, and I think
he got a guy who's clearly never played

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NBA defense. I mean, he
would get the spots and he wouldn't nowhere

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he's going. I would remember times
when Jared Vanderbilt was like pointing to the

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spot he needed to be in.
I mean, he had no idea how

313
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to play NBA defense. And so
you have a guy like that who's has

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such a big knowledge gap. I
mean that defense is we're going to suffer.

315
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And it seems like he does put
in the work. I mean I

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know that I don't watch basketball quote
was controversial, but I mean it sounds

317
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like, you know, like he
really does put in the film study,

318
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So like why am I just going
to watch it for fun when it's my

319
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job? But I feel like he's
you know, he's probably put in the

320
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:21,599
work to you know, to study
you know, his weaknesses and learn the

321
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schemes and where he needs to be. And I think, you know,

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hopefully that has a greater effect when
guys don't have to worry about compensating for

323
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his mistakes, because I think we
see a lot of basketball, you know,

324
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,519
and this isn't just anything yet words. I mean, this can be

325
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Piangel, Russell, Karin, Antic
Towns, any of the guys. You

326
00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:40,759
know, when you have these breaks
in the chain and you know guys aren't

327
00:20:40,799 --> 00:20:44,000
able to you know, someone doesn't
where they should be, Well that forces

328
00:20:44,039 --> 00:20:47,559
someone else to have to cover that, and then that there's another gap and

329
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you just can't have these errors and
these lapses again and again. And I

330
00:20:52,279 --> 00:20:55,160
think there's been more disciplined on that
end, and you know, gaining experience

331
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together because you know that we mentioned
that, you know, the turnover the

332
00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,759
timber rowles. That's especially been true
on the roster. You know, guys

333
00:21:02,759 --> 00:21:04,680
need to play together to you know, to learn each other's tendencies and you

334
00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,240
know, learn the system. And
now this is another coach and you know,

335
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I think, you know, having
a training camp with all these guys

336
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finally for the first time since the
twenty twenty yeah, nineteen twenty season.

337
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I mean, that's huge. Wow
when you when you just put it like

338
00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,240
that, that just sounds so ridiculous
because it is ridiculous, and it's a

339
00:21:23,279 --> 00:21:26,799
pretty new roster of last season too. I think, what are looking at

340
00:21:26,839 --> 00:21:30,640
the Edwards? What are realistic expectations
for him in year two? Is there

341
00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,599
anything? Look? And I think
on defense, just as someone who clearly

342
00:21:33,599 --> 00:21:36,559
did not watch as much Timberbist basketball
as you, when you look later in

343
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the season, it did feel like
there were games there was a little bit

344
00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,880
less ball watching, a little bit
left of like guys getting behind him or

345
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:47,319
him just leaving people completely unattended in
the corner or something. And just I

346
00:21:47,319 --> 00:21:49,799
don't want to play too much stock, but like the ferocity with which the

347
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:55,240
reports or quotes out of training camp
were just like he looks so good on

348
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defense and then factory and just the
vibes of this guy you mentioned we talked

349
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,119
about the quote I think one of
the two times ago when you're on this

350
00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:07,240
podcast that you had about not watching
basketball. His he is like first team

351
00:22:07,279 --> 00:22:10,039
all vibes in the NBA right now
because of what he says to interviews.

352
00:22:10,039 --> 00:22:12,720
So I'm just gonna assume that he
gets a lot better on defense, especially

353
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just being a second year. He
was so good after the All Star break.

354
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,279
He had almost thirty nine percent of
his AUF the dribble threes. You

355
00:22:19,319 --> 00:22:22,759
did mention that maybe he was more
selective than the ones that he was taking,

356
00:22:22,759 --> 00:22:26,480
which could help. But like if
there just anything specific you're looking for

357
00:22:26,559 --> 00:22:29,319
him to or an area of his
game where you could see like the biggest

358
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:33,519
leap really coming aside from just that
that defense, because that that's another instance

359
00:22:33,559 --> 00:22:37,680
of you know, how much worse
could he actually get? Yeah? Right,

360
00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,400
So I think you know one thing
I've noticed, like especially like the

361
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,839
defense so far preseason, and just
so like backing up what they've seen.

362
00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:49,119
I believe that you know it looks
good because you know how a game was

363
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,400
it. It might have been the
start of the Pelicans game where he blocks

364
00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,759
the pass from his own man and
takes it back the other way. And

365
00:22:56,799 --> 00:23:00,720
then you know he has a chase
down block and maybe the same game too,

366
00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:03,839
you know, so it's nice to
see that, you know, attentiveness,

367
00:23:03,079 --> 00:23:07,200
not gambling and being patient, but
then also not giving up on plays.

368
00:23:07,279 --> 00:23:08,359
I think that's huge, you know, like you know, just because

369
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,079
you know you're behind the play doesn't
mean that you can't catch up. I

370
00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,039
think that, you know, a
lot of time that effort can go,

371
00:23:15,599 --> 00:23:18,599
you know, take him, could
could take him pretty far. But I

372
00:23:18,599 --> 00:23:21,519
think, you know, we want
to. I think what I want to

373
00:23:21,559 --> 00:23:26,480
see from him is just being more
of a facilitator. I mean, I

374
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,400
think up to this point, he's
looking you know, looking at the guy

375
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:30,200
and watching to play. It's like, you know, if you were playing

376
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,359
against teenagers, you know a couple
of years ago, actually was in high

377
00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:38,720
school two years ago, I think, no three years ago, you know,

378
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,720
which really isn't that long ago.
And I mean this guy, he's

379
00:23:41,839 --> 00:23:45,519
looked like an adult I'm guessing most
of his life. And so he's probably

380
00:23:45,799 --> 00:23:48,839
just coast buying his physical gifts and
be the guy. But I think seeing

381
00:23:48,839 --> 00:23:52,559
embrace more of you know, being
the more of a facilitator there, less

382
00:23:52,559 --> 00:23:56,279
of the less of a ball stopper
at times, although I think good things

383
00:23:56,279 --> 00:23:59,200
happened with the balls in his hands, But I think, you know,

384
00:23:59,319 --> 00:24:02,759
looking out like their play for somebody
else in this team, because he was

385
00:24:02,799 --> 00:24:07,000
surrounded by kar Anthony Towns, D'Angel
Russell, Michael Beasley or Malik Beasley,

386
00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:12,519
not Michael Beasley, all these opportunities. It's a throw back. But yeah,

387
00:24:12,519 --> 00:24:15,200
he doesn't have to be that guy. He doesn't need to take that

388
00:24:15,279 --> 00:24:19,680
upon himself anymore. So I think
that you know, there should be looking

389
00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,839
at being more facilitator and make those
extra passes sometimes. I think it'd also

390
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:30,359
benefit him a lot. You think
it's they're gonna put the ball in his

391
00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,319
hands, and that's been pretty clear. Do you think that sort of impacts

392
00:24:32,319 --> 00:24:36,200
how much he's gonna play with the
Angelo Russell outside the starting unit, or

393
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:40,599
even how they use D'Angel Russell a
little bit? Because Edwards was already second

394
00:24:40,599 --> 00:24:42,359
on the team and pick and rolls
ram per game, and I could even

395
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:47,240
see a scenario where this season that
he just leads the team in that category,

396
00:24:47,279 --> 00:24:49,359
and so I'm just curious as to
how his development could actually impact how

397
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:55,240
this team views or uses D'Angelo Russell. Yeah, I mean that's the thing

398
00:24:55,279 --> 00:24:56,960
with Aunt right, Like, I
mean, he started the season. I

399
00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,880
think the expectations were low for him. You know, yeah, he's a

400
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:06,519
very you know, he's an intriguing
prospect, very high upside, but you

401
00:25:06,519 --> 00:25:07,519
know, he doesn't have a camp, he didn't get a summer league any

402
00:25:07,519 --> 00:25:11,400
of this, so they really brought
him along slowly. They didn't put him

403
00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:12,680
in the starting lineup until he was
too good to ignore. And I think,

404
00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,440
you know, it could be the
same thing you know with Russell,

405
00:25:15,599 --> 00:25:18,079
you know, and who's the lead
ball handler? There is you know,

406
00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:22,279
like, is this guy just too
good to ignore at this point? And

407
00:25:22,319 --> 00:25:23,319
you know, do you want to
put into his hands more and more?

408
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:29,759
I think Rad's a potential scenario that
we could see happening. But I think

409
00:25:29,759 --> 00:25:32,839
no matter where he goes in this
league, I think we see over and

410
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,640
over again these last few years,
you know, the teams really wanted multiple

411
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:41,279
ball handlers on the floor at the
same time. So I don't know if

412
00:25:41,319 --> 00:25:45,359
there's necessarily going to be designation of
you know, who gets what, but

413
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,279
I think you know, getting him
used to playing with another ball handlers just

414
00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,400
NBA life at this point, you
know, whether he was in the timber

415
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,559
roles or you know somewhere else,
you know, having to play with another

416
00:25:53,839 --> 00:25:57,240
ball handling guard. You know,
if you're going to be a starter and

417
00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,599
play the type of role he is, you're gonna be get is to that.

418
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,480
So I think that will definitely be
something to watch, especially since this

419
00:26:03,519 --> 00:26:07,720
team has so many guards. I
mean, like the Andrew Ballmarrow coming over,

420
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,680
you know, and then there's you
know, Maligue Deasley, there's you

421
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,920
know, the Jordan McLaughlin's, Jalen
Whiles. Like they have a lot of

422
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,599
guards and a lot of you know, guys try to get minutes for.

423
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:19,920
So I think it'd be really interesting
to watch, you know, just how

424
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,720
that rotation chakes that in general,
and how he fits in with that.

425
00:26:25,759 --> 00:26:27,480
And I think it I mean,
if you have if he's shooting the way

426
00:26:27,519 --> 00:26:32,359
that he did post All Star break
Anthy Edwards, and you have just DeAngelo

427
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,880
Russell, Like those are two guys
who get really difficult shots off the dribble,

428
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,480
and Russell's still good at running pick
and roll. I'm curious, like

429
00:26:38,559 --> 00:26:41,759
Russell was still fine. I'm at
like nineteen point six assists, hits almost

430
00:26:41,759 --> 00:26:45,160
thirty nine percent of his threes.
It still felt like an uneven year from

431
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:49,000
him, and he was dealing with
some like injury stuff. Is that like,

432
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,559
is there like a better version of
DeAngelo Russell then for this team or

433
00:26:52,599 --> 00:26:56,519
is that probably about like what we
should expect from him on a year to

434
00:26:56,599 --> 00:27:02,119
year basis at this point. Yeah, I kind of expect to see more

435
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,400
of the Russell that we saw at
the end of last season versus the one

436
00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,799
that we sought the start of the
season that was you know just kind of,

437
00:27:07,839 --> 00:27:10,240
you know, just kind of did
his own thing. You know.

438
00:27:10,279 --> 00:27:12,519
He hit those hits, those big
top shots sometimes and it's like, well,

439
00:27:12,559 --> 00:27:15,759
you know, and it's a lot
of fun. But you know,

440
00:27:15,799 --> 00:27:18,839
I think when you look at it, like, well, was that really

441
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,160
the best basketball play? Was there? You know, a better shot somewhere

442
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:23,799
else? You know, even if
it wasn't him, that type of decision

443
00:27:23,799 --> 00:27:26,519
making, I think we saw you
know, a lot less of those shots,

444
00:27:26,559 --> 00:27:30,599
you know. I think, you
know, it's like Ryansy Fike when

445
00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,519
Ricky Rubio came over, and you
know, for the first couple of years

446
00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:36,640
he's slung some really fun passes,
but then you know, sometimes it's like

447
00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:38,759
you don't need to make the flashy
pass sometimes you know, the simple pass

448
00:27:38,839 --> 00:27:41,200
is perfect, and I think that's
something It can be the same thing.

449
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:47,000
You know with shot selection, sometimes
it's the easy shot that's the best one

450
00:27:47,039 --> 00:27:49,759
there, you know, whether it's
you or someone else, not every shot.

451
00:27:49,799 --> 00:27:56,359
It's to be a contest with twenty
seven flinter Karl Anthony Towns. Everyone

452
00:27:56,440 --> 00:28:00,519
has been through hell over the past
year and a half plus no one more

453
00:28:00,559 --> 00:28:03,759
so than him. Just I don't
even want to list off the stuff because

454
00:28:03,759 --> 00:28:07,359
it's just so unfortunate in tragic,
just going through the death of his mom,

455
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,680
all his family members, having COVID, himself losing what do he city

456
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,400
lost, like fifty pounds or something, which is just like and he's not

457
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,440
like a no, no, he
doesn't have a lot of fat Master gets

458
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,160
So I mean when you watched him
like, no, like he didn't have

459
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:26,319
fifty pounds to lose, Like this
wasn't this wasn't Zion. So what I

460
00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,559
feel like And I'm reticent to say
this about stars, even though I did

461
00:28:29,559 --> 00:28:33,079
just recently record a Nuggets podcast where
I said about Yokich in part because maybe

462
00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:37,160
he's only played in eight eighty five
games over the past two years for just

463
00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:41,079
a variety of different reasons, most
of all of which really were beyond his

464
00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:45,799
control. Have people forgotten like just
how good this dude is, Like the

465
00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,519
discourse around his like actual whatever Twitter
was angry about, Like for a few

466
00:28:49,559 --> 00:28:53,079
days one week, I was just
seeing like the stuff about annoyed where anthy

467
00:28:53,079 --> 00:28:56,440
towns like ended up in some of
like the NBA rankings, and I was

468
00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:00,960
just like, I don't know how
he would even get better on the offensive

469
00:29:00,039 --> 00:29:03,839
end, Like that's how good this
guy is. No, I mean,

470
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,400
I think Seth from Nikola Yovic.
I mean, he he is the most

471
00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,079
efficient big man in the NBA.
You know, it's been I feel like

472
00:29:11,079 --> 00:29:14,559
it does feel like we've it's been
a long time since we've seen him.

473
00:29:14,599 --> 00:29:18,880
Who was All NBA in twenty eighteen, and you know, twenty nineteen was

474
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,640
a disaster, you know, with
the Jimmy Butler departure, and then you

475
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,160
know he's injured in twenty twenty and
then you know, like everything we mentioned

476
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,880
since then, Like it it's been
a long few years. I think it's

477
00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,440
been a very trying a few years
for him too. And you know,

478
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:34,319
when he's played, he's been great. He came out the start of the

479
00:29:34,759 --> 00:29:40,200
nineteen twenty twenty season, you know, just guns blazing. We have thirty

480
00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,000
points, fourteen rebounds a game over
the first few and it was, you

481
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:45,480
know, it really looked like,
you know, we were going to see

482
00:29:47,319 --> 00:29:49,319
you know, the best version of
Karl Anthony Town's yet and then you know,

483
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,680
the suspension after the scuffle with him
beat and then he gets hurt,

484
00:29:52,839 --> 00:29:56,279
and then the season shuts down,
and it really just felt like one thing

485
00:29:56,359 --> 00:30:02,359
after another. I I don't know, I mean, it really felt like,

486
00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:04,559
you know, his disposition with the
team was like really just souring.

487
00:30:04,599 --> 00:30:10,279
And I think so just the way
that you know, he's handled everything since

488
00:30:10,319 --> 00:30:12,440
then, I think the team has
allowed him space to process everything, which

489
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,599
I think you have to do.
We didn't see him for months, you

490
00:30:15,599 --> 00:30:18,359
know, I had things about seven
months since we had heard from him,

491
00:30:18,359 --> 00:30:22,400
you know, after the risk injury
to you know, losing his mom and

492
00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:23,680
then you know other family members too, and I mean, he was just

493
00:30:25,799 --> 00:30:27,960
I think what's really admirable about the
guy is, and this is not that

494
00:30:29,079 --> 00:30:33,759
basketball necessarily, but just I think
just how much more mature that he presents

495
00:30:33,799 --> 00:30:38,640
himself. And I feel like he's
really you know, because he's always given

496
00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,480
the safe quote, the sanitized quote. Now I feel like we really just

497
00:30:41,519 --> 00:30:48,319
get you know, the authentic Carl
Anthony Town and I do. It's been

498
00:30:48,559 --> 00:30:51,119
great to see him come out the
other side of that, at least from

499
00:30:51,119 --> 00:30:56,799
what we can see as an incredibly
strong person. And so I'm curious to

500
00:30:56,839 --> 00:30:59,799
see you over there, you know. Now we hopefully we can get a

501
00:30:59,839 --> 00:31:03,440
full season of him, you know, staying healthy on the court and you

502
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,359
know, reminding people just how great
he can be, because yeah, he

503
00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,559
is. He's an incredibly special player
when he's on and I know, I

504
00:31:10,599 --> 00:31:12,720
know people as you go bring yeah
with the defense, it's like he can

505
00:31:12,759 --> 00:31:17,720
do just about anything else on the
basketball court. You know, he's not

506
00:31:17,759 --> 00:31:22,279
a perfect player, but yeah,
he's offensively, I mean, he can

507
00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,519
score from inside and out. He
can pass the ball, he can rebound,

508
00:31:25,559 --> 00:31:27,519
like there aren't a whole lot of
deficiencies at them. Man, you

509
00:31:27,559 --> 00:31:32,640
know, hopefully gets to remind us, you know of that he is still

510
00:31:32,759 --> 00:31:34,559
somehow only twenty five. And I
guess in part because over the past years

511
00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:37,200
it feels like he's been through the
ringer and I'm with like the off course

512
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:41,920
stuff, just grieving in public like
that, and even just some of the

513
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:47,799
quotes that he gave, like just
the candor is I like having to go

514
00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,079
through that and do it so publicly. I can't even fathom that as someone

515
00:31:51,119 --> 00:31:55,880
who's just older than Karl Anthony Town's
having to grieve so publicly and cope with

516
00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,400
that trunic he's going to leave me
alone, Like if I had, you

517
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,279
know, if there's a major life
event that I had, and even like

518
00:32:00,319 --> 00:32:04,960
my Facebook friends you know, were
masks like commenting and they don't like reaching

519
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,759
out all they'd be like, guys, just let me breathe. And so

520
00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:10,359
just to be a public figure and
to have to go through all this stuff,

521
00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:14,319
I mean that that has to be
difficult too. And that's why I

522
00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,160
cringe a little bit when people say, and I'm assuming the sentiments are like

523
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,079
not this, like I don't want
to politicize his grief where it's like they

524
00:32:21,079 --> 00:32:23,920
should talk to Karl Anthony Towns about
the risk of COVID nineteen. It's like,

525
00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:30,200
it's not Karl Anthony Towns's responsibility to
educate everyone one he shouldn't have to.

526
00:32:30,319 --> 00:32:32,960
But like that stuff makes me cringe. Point being just and I still

527
00:32:34,039 --> 00:32:36,200
I don't remember the exact quote now, but when he just said, like

528
00:32:36,839 --> 00:32:39,400
basically that that former self or version
of himself is just gone. Everything like

529
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:45,119
that just really like that stuck with
me. That was That was the most

530
00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:49,480
sobering availability that I can remember,
covering the Timberwolves. I think that was

531
00:32:49,599 --> 00:32:52,359
last Fault when it was the first
time that he came back and spoken,

532
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,480
you know, he was just that
was very somber, and I think all

533
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:59,599
of this came away from that,
just like, holy crap, like this

534
00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,599
guys really been through it. You
could just see it on his face.

535
00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:06,880
You know, it looked like he
had you know, you definitely carried himself

536
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:10,640
differently than when we last song.
Is there any also the past two seasons,

537
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:15,400
just his his passing, just like
some of the like the tosses he

538
00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:16,880
makes, like off the dribble now, like it's it's like watching a point

539
00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:22,440
guard almost. I don't even want
to say, is they're a better version

540
00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:23,720
of Krenty Towns like off? I
don't even know what that would look like.

541
00:33:23,759 --> 00:33:25,400
I said, I can't path him. It is he going to be

542
00:33:25,559 --> 00:33:30,799
used any differently like under a full
season of Chris Finch or so, I

543
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:32,799
just I can't imagine necessarily improving it. But I just guess, I guess

544
00:33:32,839 --> 00:33:37,000
with having Dangel Russell, having Anti
Edwards, even when we beasley factoring into

545
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,680
they're just because when you look at
like their top five players but barely played

546
00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:44,279
together last year or over the past
two years or whatever long it's been,

547
00:33:44,559 --> 00:33:46,559
I'm just curious if there's like any
change in how he might be used on

548
00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:52,000
the offensive end. By the way, the top five players barely played together

549
00:33:52,119 --> 00:33:57,599
last season is like the Timberol story
feels like every season it's like, yeah,

550
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,000
the top five guys, you know, they only played one hundred fifteen

551
00:34:00,039 --> 00:34:06,680
minutes together. Like funny how that
always seems happened to them. Yeah,

552
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:07,920
a better version though, I mean, yeah, you're right. It's tough

553
00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:10,400
for me because, like you said, you like to your point about him

554
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,400
singing passes like a point guard when
he catches the ball, you know,

555
00:34:14,519 --> 00:34:15,920
the top of the key, and
you know, with a big man on

556
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,039
him, you know that guy's getting
taken off the dribble more times than not.

557
00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:22,639
And it's really just like watching a
shooting guard go to work or another

558
00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:28,760
wing. So yeah, I mean, and someone like in his game and

559
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,360
talents, you know, in Chris
Fincher's imagination, I think that's gonna be

560
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:36,679
fun to see how that plays out. I can't pretend to know enough defensively

561
00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:38,119
about how they're going to use him. I know there was a lot of

562
00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:43,119
handwringing about the drop coverage they had
him in and whether that was the best

563
00:34:43,159 --> 00:34:46,000
fit for him. So I think
wondering how you know he looks he's used

564
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,800
defensively too, and seeing you know
how their ways that they can benefit him

565
00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,239
there would also go a long way. I think that's probably the better version

566
00:34:53,320 --> 00:35:00,239
is you know, just finding a
way to not necessarily how does the the

567
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:04,800
deficiencies, but play any strengths that
he has on that ends while you know,

568
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,519
covering up as many as he can. My I don't know, maybe

569
00:35:07,519 --> 00:35:10,039
it's not a spicy take, but
if there was just like some re semblance

570
00:35:10,199 --> 00:35:15,320
of consistent defensive talent in front of
him, or like if they could just

571
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,960
find the front core partner for him, that's just defront com partner for him

572
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:22,519
and it doesn't feel like it's this
turnstyle of options. I think if you're

573
00:35:22,519 --> 00:35:25,280
able to just streamline his defensive or
narrow it down, that he probably doesn't

574
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:29,679
look like as much of a liability. No, I mean I think,

575
00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:31,280
you know, the obvious thing that
you know, the quick thing that comes

576
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:35,239
to the brain is like, you
know, I'll find him a Draymond,

577
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:39,599
Like yeah, right, Like just
go find a Draymond like this unique prototypical

578
00:35:39,639 --> 00:35:43,519
player, but you know it's the
guy who can know just defend just about

579
00:35:43,559 --> 00:35:45,599
anybody. And I mean I think
you know times, you know, Jada

580
00:35:45,679 --> 00:35:49,320
McDaniels, you know, he looked
good against you know, those bigger guys,

581
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,440
and you know he's he's very much
built like a teenager still. And

582
00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,199
Jared Vanderbilt, you know, he
he can hold his own, but you

583
00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:59,840
know at times, you know gets
bigger we guys. You see the size

584
00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:02,320
the advantage into play there. So
yeah, I'd be very curious to who

585
00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,920
can grow into that and how they
can sort of, I guess, manage

586
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,320
those mismatches like you know, like
the Vanderbilt against you no bigger guys,

587
00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:14,800
and how they can handle that.
If you're curious the lineup on this team

588
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:16,639
that makes it, and I think
would constitute their top five guys. Unless's

589
00:36:16,679 --> 00:36:21,440
just very high on Patrick Beverley,
Jane McDaniels, and Edwards League Beasley Towns

590
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:24,079
and Andrew Russell. Those five didn't
play a single second together last season,

591
00:36:24,159 --> 00:36:28,360
and if you just take out Jade
McDaniels from that, the other four per

592
00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:34,599
clean glass played a whopping twenty seven
possessions together last season. That's low.

593
00:36:37,559 --> 00:36:42,880
That's low Timberwolves standards. I think, yeah, that is incredibly low by

594
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,239
Timberwolve standards. And well, I
wondered too if it's something where you know,

595
00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,719
like the Wizards a couple of years
ago, where it's like, how

596
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,000
is this team get to defend?
And the answer wasn't there not? They're

597
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,320
just going to, you know,
score the crap out of the ball.

598
00:36:53,840 --> 00:37:00,159
I was already drunk on Jane McDaniels
before Summer League after watching some of the

599
00:37:00,159 --> 00:37:02,519
stuff he was doing on the ball
in summer league. I'm still intoxicated,

600
00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,440
definitely over the league limit with it. What is there like more than a

601
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,039
three and D role for him?
Though on this team it feels like the

602
00:37:12,079 --> 00:37:15,360
constraints could be more organic because of
all the talent that's around him. And

603
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,960
I'm also just what is the thinking
or unless I'm just off here, it

604
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,320
does feel like they don't want him
to necessarily be that for with how we

605
00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,119
see people are assuming Jared Vanderbilt will
start next to Towns. We've seen Towns

606
00:37:25,159 --> 00:37:30,079
with nas Reid in the preseason two
and I'm just curious what the logic is

607
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:35,000
behind that. Yeah, I don't
I don't think they know quite yet where

608
00:37:35,039 --> 00:37:37,280
they're going with that fourth spot.
I mean, he's, like you mentioned,

609
00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:42,320
they started one game with McDaniels and
Vanderbilt and then they have, you

610
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,920
know, also put Joshua Kogi in
there. I think you've seen no Kogi

611
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:50,239
Beasley. I don't know who they're
gonna put in there tonight, but it

612
00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,960
could be someone completely different. Maybe
they do go big and big against the

613
00:37:53,039 --> 00:37:57,760
nets. But yeah, I think
it's really interesting. I think at least

614
00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,800
McDaniels has been in the lineup.
You know, it's hard to tell sometimes

615
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:05,360
too, like if that's you know, is he going to be primarily you

616
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:07,320
know, a three or four,
and then they just kind of switched it

617
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:09,760
up, you know, depending on
the matchup there. It seems like something.

618
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,239
I mean, he's too good not
to play though, and I think

619
00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:17,559
I think maybe any sort of hesitancy
in playing him at the four be to

620
00:38:17,599 --> 00:38:22,400
kind of save him a little bit
from going against more physical players. But

621
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,719
then I don't really know how many
physical fours there are out there these days.

622
00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:30,440
They're basically going to Dennis Bodman's Yeah, exactly. I think that's kind

623
00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:34,440
of the thinking too with McDaniels.
It's like he might not be a four

624
00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,239
long term, you know, maybe
he's a three now. It I don't

625
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:40,800
know that the handles there right now
for him to create. I think someone

626
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:44,199
pointed out to me too, like
you know, with like his body type

627
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:47,840
and you know, his game,
it's almost now this is the talent wise

628
00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,679
either, but kind of Kevin Durant, like where he just has that high

629
00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:55,079
release point saim, lanky frame.
So I think, you know, physically

630
00:38:55,079 --> 00:38:58,960
it's kind of interesting to watch,
you know, like what he does and

631
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,039
where he winds up playing because you
know, like he really needs to put

632
00:39:02,039 --> 00:39:05,559
on some size too. I think
maybe before they bring him inside. That's

633
00:39:05,559 --> 00:39:07,480
the only thing I can think of. But you know, for a little

634
00:39:07,559 --> 00:39:09,840
for a smaller guy, like he
holds his own I mean, he seems

635
00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,840
like he's pretty strong, even if
you know, he may not look like

636
00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,280
the strongest guy in the floor.
And I normally wouldn't even get caught too

637
00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,960
much up in the positional designations for
many of the reasons you're just alligned.

638
00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,119
But like if you do play read
in Towns in the front court, if

639
00:39:23,119 --> 00:39:27,039
it's Vanderbilt and Towns the front court, and then Jane McDaniels, like there's

640
00:39:27,159 --> 00:39:30,679
very clearly a center and a power
forward in that scenario then because like you're

641
00:39:30,679 --> 00:39:37,079
not having that, uh and no, I feel like McDaniels might end up

642
00:39:37,079 --> 00:39:38,639
having an okay floor game. I
got a little bit worried that, Like

643
00:39:38,679 --> 00:39:42,519
just when you watch him dribble,
it looks like his knee might knock get

644
00:39:42,519 --> 00:39:45,719
into the ball when it's coming like
his way back up. I just don't

645
00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:49,519
know whether they have the bandwidth to
sort of like explore the deeper parts of

646
00:39:49,559 --> 00:39:53,159
this game. Yeah, I mean
that's probably something that's gonna take a little

647
00:39:53,159 --> 00:39:55,800
time. And you know, like
his catch and shoot game, I mean

648
00:39:55,800 --> 00:40:00,800
that's look good. That look good
almost all season last season. You know,

649
00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:04,960
he's pretty reliable out there. Yeah, I think that that handle your

650
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,679
right is definitely something. And I
think one thing that could determine, you

651
00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:09,719
know, where he plays as much
as anything is what the guards do,

652
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:14,039
because, like I mentioned, they
have about six gat rotation worthy guards,

653
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:16,239
So it's going to be tough to
fine minutes for them, and then Jake

654
00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:22,119
Layman is still hiding on this team
somewhere He's gonna trick me into believing in

655
00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:24,119
him during the first fifteen games or
something of the season. I can feel

656
00:40:24,119 --> 00:40:28,199
it. Oh no, that's a
trap I just can't wait for. Like

657
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:30,320
it's like with Ricky Rubio and every
time he goes to a new team,

658
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:32,599
he's like, oh, he's he's
made shots for two weeks now, and

659
00:40:32,599 --> 00:40:37,360
it's like, yeah, he does
that every single season. To be fair,

660
00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,800
there was like a season long con
when he was in Utah or whatever.

661
00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:44,039
He hit like it was an astronomical
for Ricky Rubio, high percentage of

662
00:40:44,079 --> 00:40:46,639
his threes, And I think he
swindled me a little bit into believing during

663
00:40:46,639 --> 00:40:52,000
that stretch too. He finished like
forty one forty two percent one season.

664
00:40:52,039 --> 00:40:55,599
It was like, oh, okay, uh, did you have you seen?

665
00:40:55,679 --> 00:40:59,519
And the numbers were not good on
this last year, But I'm willing

666
00:40:59,559 --> 00:41:00,840
to throw out through out the window. Do you like the idea of like

667
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:05,960
nas Read and karmentthy Town's playing together. I like naz Reid and I think

668
00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,840
he's people probably don't like understand how
good Nazrid is like, and he stretches

669
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:12,880
the floor too. I don't know
if I love those two together though.

670
00:41:14,599 --> 00:41:16,199
No, that's that's that's kind of
a weird one. And I feel like

671
00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:21,639
there's skill sets in some ways kind
of overlapping the things that they like to

672
00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:24,360
do. Only Nazrid is a little
less athletic. I think, you know,

673
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:28,280
by NBA player standards, I mean
obviously they're you know, normal human

674
00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:32,880
being standards, Like he's incredibly athletic, but I think is not saying that

675
00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:38,199
he is more athletic than naz Reid. Yeah, that's never been a question,

676
00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:42,599
you know. I think it's you
know, to Naza's credit. I

677
00:41:42,599 --> 00:41:45,400
don't think we talked about this,
you know, last year by this time,

678
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,079
but you know read I think when
he started out, it's like,

679
00:41:47,079 --> 00:41:50,920
are we sure this guy is ready
for the NBA? You know, I

680
00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:52,519
mean he was just getting lobbed over
and it's like, dude, you're six

681
00:41:52,559 --> 00:41:55,599
foot eleven, how are they just
throwing mobs over you? Like that shouldn't

682
00:41:55,639 --> 00:42:00,840
just happen. And I mean he
really, I mean you could see the

683
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:02,360
work that he put in, and
you know just how much more comfortable he

684
00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:06,800
got as the season went on.
So you know, maybe there is a

685
00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:08,480
way that you know, he adapts
to play next to Prontony Towns more in

686
00:42:08,519 --> 00:42:13,840
certain situations and experimenting with that lineup, maybe in spurts and when it makes

687
00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:17,880
sense. So you kind of already
mentioned how difficult the guard rotation is going

688
00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:21,119
to be, and when you look
at if I was when I was trying

689
00:42:21,119 --> 00:42:22,559
to build a top ten rotation for
them, it does feel like they have

690
00:42:22,639 --> 00:42:29,079
eight locks with Cat and Dello,
Vanderbilt, McDaniels, Nas Beasley, and

691
00:42:29,159 --> 00:42:31,800
Beverly. Would you agree that those
are the eight locks? And how would

692
00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:35,400
you finish if you had to pick
two more players to sort of finish off

693
00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:37,199
that rotation with? Who are you
rolling with? Oh man, I forgot

694
00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:43,320
about Patrick Beverley. Yeah, he's
on this team. Yeah no, And

695
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:46,920
I like that too, just like
that chippiness is just something that they haven't

696
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:51,519
had. There hasn't really been anyone
on this team, you know, almost

697
00:42:51,559 --> 00:42:53,239
ever who just gets under guys skin, and you know, it can be

698
00:42:53,280 --> 00:43:00,880
that agitator and Fiz Grizzly's legend Pat
Patrick Beverley. Yeah, yeah, that's

699
00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:04,440
so. I mean they just brought
over the Inebalmorrow, I guess that's I

700
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,119
feel like they're gonna want to see
him. So I feel like that's the

701
00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:12,960
nine. See, this roster is
just still so imbalanced, and that excus

702
00:43:13,199 --> 00:43:17,920
backcourt so heavily that I think they're
gonna really gonna have the experiment with Beasley

703
00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,559
and Edwards on the wing for sure. I don't see how they can just

704
00:43:22,639 --> 00:43:24,599
you know, be like, oh
no, yeah, you're strictly you know,

705
00:43:24,639 --> 00:43:30,639
backcourt players art of it, you
know. And then so then they're

706
00:43:30,639 --> 00:43:32,159
still like, okay, well,
you know you have Georgian McLaughlin, Jalen

707
00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:37,159
Nowell, you know, probably one
of those two guys for the last spot

708
00:43:37,159 --> 00:43:39,320
that I can think of without having
a roster out in front of me.

709
00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:44,199
Yeah, and look, Paul Marrow
is also six six himself, and so

710
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:45,800
do you think he's actually gonna get
regular run as a rookie and do you

711
00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:50,360
know anything? I know very little
about like what he's supposed to do?

712
00:43:51,599 --> 00:43:57,000
Oh, Torrean Prince, Yeah,
he's probably the other. Yeah, because

713
00:43:57,039 --> 00:44:00,920
he can play I think I think
you can play either forward position. Yeah

714
00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:04,559
he oh he definitely cares. Yeah, okay, so yeah, that would

715
00:44:04,559 --> 00:44:08,480
be my other one. Then du
Speck Lamar to get like actual test run

716
00:44:08,679 --> 00:44:12,320
with this with this team, and
do you like what do you like or

717
00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:16,360
know about his game? I don't
know a ton about his game. I

718
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:20,480
know that you know, he's you
know, he's a bigger regard that you

719
00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:22,039
know, really emulated for cute Rubio
growing up. I don't know that I

720
00:44:22,119 --> 00:44:25,159
noticed him, you know, a
ton in preseason. Yet it might make

721
00:44:25,199 --> 00:44:28,920
sense to bring him along slowly,
but you know, they invested, you

722
00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:32,119
know, the capitol and you know, drafting him and and signing him long

723
00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:37,360
term. So I would definitely expect
them to try to find, you know,

724
00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,800
some use for him as the season
goes on. I wonder if we'll

725
00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:45,559
see the same patient approach that we
saw with like Anthony Edwards last year,

726
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:49,519
and it's bringing them along slowly,
and I mean we really curious to see,

727
00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,360
you know, what the lineups look
like as they worked their way through

728
00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:57,239
the season. We have reached the
cookie cutter quick heat or portion of the

729
00:44:57,239 --> 00:45:00,360
podcast. The questions that I ask
every single person, regardless of the team

730
00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:04,440
that we're thinking about, what is
the biggest weakness on this team, be

731
00:45:04,519 --> 00:45:10,199
it if it's a specific position or
just like a player archetype. Yeah,

732
00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:13,400
I think it's you know, I
think it's a lot of what we talked

733
00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:17,159
about with in the McDaniels conversation,
and you know, where he fits in

734
00:45:19,039 --> 00:45:21,320
because that front court is just you
know, it's so weird. I think,

735
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:22,519
you know, you know, you
have towns, you know, you

736
00:45:22,559 --> 00:45:30,320
have read, but who really steps
into those other spots you know in the

737
00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:32,960
forward positions and who really to play
you know, who plays best next to

738
00:45:34,039 --> 00:45:37,320
him? And you know, is
there a long term solution there? You

739
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:38,480
know, Prince maybe you know,
he's still young enough to be here,

740
00:45:38,519 --> 00:45:43,000
you know, when the Wolves are
good again, but maybe you need you

741
00:45:43,039 --> 00:45:47,039
know, see Jada McDaniels take over, even Jared Vanderbilt, you know,

742
00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:50,960
very long term deal. He'd probably
like to play his way to a longer

743
00:45:51,199 --> 00:45:53,239
term deal going forward. I think. So that's that's one that I would

744
00:45:53,719 --> 00:45:58,239
I think point two is the biggest
weakness. And you know, I think

745
00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,039
if you could shift depth one part
of the roster to another, I think

746
00:46:01,119 --> 00:46:09,159
it would be some of that backcourt
death to the front court. The answer

747
00:46:09,199 --> 00:46:13,159
to the question can clearly change the
season actually unfolds, and we have a

748
00:46:13,159 --> 00:46:15,440
real sample size to work with,
But as of now, who would you

749
00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:19,519
peg is the player most likely to
get traded from this team before the deadline.

750
00:46:21,199 --> 00:46:23,840
Oh gosh, who was I mean, I'm sure they would glad they

751
00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:28,079
trade you know, Jake Layman and
rehome him. But you know, you

752
00:46:28,159 --> 00:46:30,360
know, with his small salary and
you know, his usage, like his

753
00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:34,639
value wasn't very hot, you're not
really going to get much for him.

754
00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:40,719
Probably makes more sense in a bigger
deal involving some other guys I like Billiague

755
00:46:40,719 --> 00:46:45,400
Beasley. I definitely think he has
a role on this team. But they

756
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:49,280
also just traded for Patrick Beverley.
They have de'angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and

757
00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:53,079
all these other guys too, So
I really wonder where he fits in long

758
00:46:53,159 --> 00:46:54,920
term, you know, I mean, you know, there was a lot

759
00:46:54,960 --> 00:47:00,599
of I was really surprised by the
reaction to when he signed his deal last

760
00:47:00,599 --> 00:47:04,880
off season, Like that's not bad
money, Like that's Jordan clark Sindish money,

761
00:47:05,199 --> 00:47:07,280
That's it's pretty reasonable. I wonder
if there's you know, a contender

762
00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:12,920
down the road who needs a who
needs an extra you know, after a

763
00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:15,280
shooter. I think that would be
interesting to see. And you know,

764
00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:16,519
they have a lot of guys who
are willing to take shots too, so

765
00:47:17,559 --> 00:47:22,000
you know who ends up being expendable
there. I mean, even if you

766
00:47:22,039 --> 00:47:24,719
know who knows maybe basically isn't expendable
at that point. But I think he's

767
00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:30,760
probably the most interesting realistic guy because
I don't think they would, you know,

768
00:47:30,159 --> 00:47:35,480
really entertain Jady McDaniels unless they got
something really good for him. I

769
00:47:35,519 --> 00:47:38,199
think if you think that they're just
gonna be buyers, whether it's getting Ben

770
00:47:38,199 --> 00:47:43,480
Simmons, if Pascal Siakam becomes available
or something, he would be the clear

771
00:47:43,519 --> 00:47:46,599
answer to me. I'm looking at
this team as like, Okay, I

772
00:47:46,639 --> 00:47:50,360
don't want to spoil like the over
under predictions, like I don't think they're

773
00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:53,079
going to be a playoff team.
Patrick Beverley's on an expiring contract. Are

774
00:47:53,079 --> 00:47:55,679
you gonna want to definitely resign him? It feels like he's the one that

775
00:47:55,679 --> 00:47:59,880
could get shipped to a contender and
he has sort of the minish end sal

776
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:04,320
are yet fourteen million? And I'm
with you on Malie Beasley's contract. Malie

777
00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:07,719
Beasy's contract too, is like with
the cap going up and him not being

778
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:09,159
super old, even if you're not
sure where you're headed after this year,

779
00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:13,360
I might want to keep him,
but I do think he is the player

780
00:48:13,639 --> 00:48:15,800
regardless of if it's a buy now
move. He is like the player that

781
00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:19,760
has to be in any permutation of
a deal that you come up with.

782
00:48:20,039 --> 00:48:22,199
That's Malie Beasley. And he only
has two more years left after this season

783
00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:27,960
too, So I mean you can
easily live with that. This I would.

784
00:48:28,039 --> 00:48:30,679
I guess this question is probably less
matchup dependent for a team like the

785
00:48:30,719 --> 00:48:32,079
Timberwolves. It feels like this answer
could be set in stone. But what

786
00:48:32,119 --> 00:48:35,840
do you view or what do you
think should be their go to crunch time

787
00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:47,239
lineup? Oh gosh, I think, well, Russell Town's Edwards And that's

788
00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:52,239
that's kind of where it gets tricky, you know, because I don't know.

789
00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:53,599
I don't think you can have like
a Joshu Kogie out there. We've

790
00:48:53,599 --> 00:48:58,599
been talked about Joshua Koge. I
mean, if he starts all this,

791
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:00,920
if he starts playing better on offense, we can talk about josh Kogan.

792
00:49:02,639 --> 00:49:06,239
Yeah. Man, there's there's just
been nothing there. And I think that's

793
00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,880
what four or five. No,
it's you're four thing, you know.

794
00:49:09,159 --> 00:49:14,559
Yeah, it's just a nothing that's
just like your uncoverned rim pressure at least,

795
00:49:14,559 --> 00:49:17,880
I guess. But like the end
result of that isn't always good or

796
00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:23,239
watchable. No, And I'm heet
won three in preseason and they were like

797
00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:28,880
and at the Brocket, whichever broadcast
it was, was just raving about what

798
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:32,320
a shooter and I'm like, need
one corner of three. So I take

799
00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:38,119
it it wasn't a timber lest I
don't think so. They're pretty realistic with

800
00:49:38,239 --> 00:49:44,760
that stuff. But you know,
I might go with the weird Beasley Edwards

801
00:49:45,639 --> 00:49:50,320
two three, whatever you want to
whatever you want to call them, and

802
00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:52,519
then I guess, you know,
I think Jade McDaniels probably brings the better

803
00:49:52,559 --> 00:50:01,000
balance with the offense and the defense
for the last spot versus someone like Jared

804
00:50:01,079 --> 00:50:06,360
Vanderbilt, who don't He isn't the
Joshu Kogi of fours, but you know,

805
00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:09,760
he's not really an offensive player at
this point in his career. So

806
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:15,920
I think that that makes a lot
of sense. So I'd so McDaniels easily,

807
00:50:15,119 --> 00:50:19,599
Edwards, Russell and Towns. It
probably be mad. Is there like

808
00:50:19,639 --> 00:50:21,920
a spot that's particularly I could also
see them trying to, like, I

809
00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:23,199
agree with the lineup that you picked. I'm wondering if they would they try

810
00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:27,559
and work Patrick Beverley in there a
little bit before they would try and work

811
00:50:27,599 --> 00:50:30,760
in Jared Vanderbilt, who was like, plays like he has nitrous ox side

812
00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:34,039
coursing through his veins. Jared Vanderbilt
is an assent trip to watch. It's

813
00:50:34,079 --> 00:50:37,559
fun. Oh yeah, yeah,
he's and you know, like he's very

814
00:50:37,559 --> 00:50:39,800
smart too, like I said,
like I mentioned earlier about him, you

815
00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:43,840
know, telling Anthony Edwards where to
go and just you know, being a

816
00:50:43,880 --> 00:50:49,159
wearing like clearly understanding this stuff.
Yeah. But anyway, yes, Patrick

817
00:50:49,199 --> 00:50:51,480
Reverley, I could totally see.
I don't think it would be out of

818
00:50:51,519 --> 00:50:55,239
the question to have what Russell,
Beverly Edwards, I don't know, McDaniels,

819
00:50:55,239 --> 00:50:59,840
and then Towns. I mean,
I think that's a realistic lineup that

820
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:05,199
we could see at some point.
Is there a wonky, weird offbeat even

821
00:51:05,199 --> 00:51:07,440
a lineup that they would never try, but that you still want to see

822
00:51:07,519 --> 00:51:16,440
them try next season? You know, they have enough guards to do they

823
00:51:16,440 --> 00:51:27,280
could do something weird with Beverly,
Russell Edwards and Ballmarrow and Towns. You

824
00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:32,679
know, just go go four guards
and Towns. Yeah, exactly. I

825
00:51:32,679 --> 00:51:36,519
don't know when you would ever want
to do that. That's a that's a

826
00:51:36,519 --> 00:51:38,239
weird one that pops to mind.
I'm sure you can get really weird with

827
00:51:39,639 --> 00:51:45,880
Nasri Karl Anthony Town's line ups too. I don't like building a lineup without

828
00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:47,400
Karl Anthony Town's in it, But
if he's gonna be on the bench,

829
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:52,880
I would pay to see Patrick Beverlely, Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley, Torrian

830
00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:57,679
Prince and then Jared Vanderbilt. That
just feels like a very what could be

831
00:51:57,679 --> 00:52:00,719
a high octane, very undisciplined lineup
I would probably absolutely fall in love with.

832
00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:05,880
It could also end disastrously, but
give me like Jared Vanderbilt plus four

833
00:52:05,920 --> 00:52:07,280
wings and I feel like that team
could fly. Look, if you want

834
00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:12,360
to put comment the Towns in there
plus the four wings, I'm totally good

835
00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:15,920
with that. Just surround him with
Chaos Engines. Yeah, that's a great

836
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:22,280
way to put it. Around him
with Chaos Engines. Their current wind total

837
00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:24,639
over under as we record this is
thirty five and a half. Would you

838
00:52:24,679 --> 00:52:29,159
take the over under on that?
And where do you you know, assuming

839
00:52:29,519 --> 00:52:31,480
let's assume they don't make this huge
trade before the start of the season.

840
00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:36,360
Even though I can assure you'll probably
put this podcast up immediately because I'm terrified

841
00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:37,880
that, you know, teams like
the Timberwolves are Kings are going to date

842
00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:42,559
my conversations. But yeah, you're
taking the over under on thirty five point

843
00:52:42,599 --> 00:52:45,960
five. That's you know, that
was the thing. You know, like

844
00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:50,960
this was a lot easier to answer. It's even harder with we don't want

845
00:52:51,039 --> 00:52:53,559
Rose. It was still there because
you know, it's like, you know,

846
00:52:53,639 --> 00:52:58,960
this is your second year with your
four roster, this is your coach.

847
00:53:00,039 --> 00:53:01,880
I think you know, forty wins
would have been an expectation there,

848
00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:05,320
and I don't you know, maybe
there's no reason to still, you know,

849
00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:08,280
change that from the expectation. But
you know, is that that necessarily

850
00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:13,559
realistic? Because I mean, you
put all this effort into building this team,

851
00:53:13,599 --> 00:53:16,000
and you know, with what you
gave up to get Russell and then

852
00:53:16,039 --> 00:53:20,920
you know, making the move to
bring in Beverly. You know, like

853
00:53:21,039 --> 00:53:23,400
this seems like a team that you
know wants to win. Now we know

854
00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:27,280
how well suited they are for that, you know. I mean, I

855
00:53:27,280 --> 00:53:30,840
guess you everyone can differ on that
too. I mean, I feel like

856
00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:35,960
there's some opportunity there. I don't
trust the Pelicans, you know, I

857
00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:39,159
don't think you know the Spurs,
by the way, Yeah, absolutely,

858
00:53:39,599 --> 00:53:43,639
I mean that just that seems like
the wheels can come off that at any

859
00:53:43,679 --> 00:53:45,000
moment. You know, the Kings, like I don't you know, you

860
00:53:45,039 --> 00:53:47,960
don't trust the Kings either. The
Spurs. I mean, yeah, there's

861
00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:51,639
the Spurs, but you know,
you look at that roster and they don't

862
00:53:51,639 --> 00:53:54,719
even have you know, to Marta
Rose and the Marcus Aldridge anymore. You

863
00:53:54,719 --> 00:53:58,280
know, it's a lot, you
know, still a lot of unproven guys

864
00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:00,280
in new roles, or at least
you know, proven in those roles,

865
00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:07,159
those bigger roles. You know,
I think they could get to the ten

866
00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:09,559
seeds, so I will say over, but not by much. Where I

867
00:54:09,599 --> 00:54:14,039
run into an issue with this for
them is I only view the Rockets and

868
00:54:14,119 --> 00:54:15,800
Thunder as the teams that I know
are going to be worse than them.

869
00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:21,800
I feel like they're so entrenched in
that Pelicans King's Spurs territory right now,

870
00:54:22,920 --> 00:54:25,480
maybe even you could throw the Grizzlies
in there. I probably shouldn't, just

871
00:54:25,519 --> 00:54:29,559
because they've burned me the past two
seasons. Because I thought they were gonna

872
00:54:29,559 --> 00:54:31,480
be bad, but like they clearly
just were like, we're not trying to

873
00:54:31,519 --> 00:54:35,480
win over like they traded you want
to sound Tunis with their second best player

874
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:38,559
last season, so like you have
that gaggle, and I guess I could

875
00:54:38,559 --> 00:54:42,719
talk to myself and be like,
Okay, they'll be better than two of

876
00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:45,559
those other four teams. But just
that combined with the fact that I've been

877
00:54:45,599 --> 00:54:49,559
a little bit generous with my over
predictions. As I'm looking at my document

878
00:54:49,639 --> 00:54:52,159
right now, I'm gonna take the
under. I don't feel great about it

879
00:54:52,199 --> 00:54:55,559
because if Anti Edwards is better or
as good as he was to close the

880
00:54:55,559 --> 00:55:00,119
season, if Town stays healthy,
that's just like that one two punches so

881
00:55:00,199 --> 00:55:05,519
exciting and can do like real damage
over an entire season. Yeah, and

882
00:55:05,559 --> 00:55:07,960
I can understand that. I mean, it's not you know, even just

883
00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:10,679
like thinking through me saying it over
it wasn't easy because I do think those

884
00:55:10,760 --> 00:55:14,239
questions about like the defense and you
know, how much of what we saw

885
00:55:14,239 --> 00:55:16,639
at the end of last season is
real? Can Anthony Edwards, you know,

886
00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:20,039
keep getting better and better? I
think those are things that we can't

887
00:55:20,039 --> 00:55:22,559
answer now, and I think we
knew the answer to those you know of

888
00:55:22,559 --> 00:55:25,639
courses would be a much easier exercise. But yeah, I'm very curious to

889
00:55:25,679 --> 00:55:30,280
see you know how they answer those
questions, and you know, honestly,

890
00:55:30,679 --> 00:55:34,159
a forty win season would be great. You know, I think even just

891
00:55:34,199 --> 00:55:37,320
playing any sort of competitive basketball and
getting that tendency for them, I think

892
00:55:37,320 --> 00:55:42,519
that would be a big boost for
a fan base that has really just had

893
00:55:42,840 --> 00:55:46,159
very little to get excited about over
the last few years. I will say,

894
00:55:46,199 --> 00:55:49,719
if they are the team that gets
Ben Simmons and the end result,

895
00:55:49,840 --> 00:55:52,000
as I would expect to be in
that scenarios, you have Towns, you

896
00:55:52,119 --> 00:55:55,480
have Anthony Edwards, you have Ben
Simmons, and I'm assuming they's still have

897
00:55:55,480 --> 00:55:59,119
Patrick Beverley. Even though I were
the Sixers, I might want Patrick Beverley

898
00:55:59,159 --> 00:56:02,239
in that deal. I think,
Yeah, that core is like forty five

899
00:56:02,280 --> 00:56:06,280
wins easy. Like That's how high
I would be on the Timberwolves is if

900
00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:09,239
they make that trade, even if
they're giving up three rotation players in Beasley,

901
00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:14,599
McDaniels and Russell in the process.
Yeah, you know, I think

902
00:56:15,679 --> 00:56:17,559
I think like depth is a tricky
thing too, especially you know when you're

903
00:56:17,599 --> 00:56:23,320
looking at playoff teams and that you
know, like because you like, oh

904
00:56:23,360 --> 00:56:25,119
what about their depth and you know
this or that. I mean, as

905
00:56:25,119 --> 00:56:29,320
long seen that there's no significant injury, which is always the case for everybody.

906
00:56:29,559 --> 00:56:32,840
Teams are only playing you know,
eight nine guys on the high end,

907
00:56:32,920 --> 00:56:36,079
you know, in a playoff series
anyway. Yeah, you know,

908
00:56:36,119 --> 00:56:39,920
those rotations sank up so much so
it matters so much less. And you

909
00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:44,480
know, I think there's there's still
talent on this roster. I think that

910
00:56:44,480 --> 00:56:47,480
they could surround them with even just
get to forty five. I mean forty

911
00:56:47,480 --> 00:56:52,639
five now would seem like a dream
scenario, like so much went right there

912
00:56:52,719 --> 00:56:55,719
for them. Yeah, with that, with that kind of core though that

913
00:56:55,760 --> 00:56:59,920
you mentioned with Simmons and there,
I think, yeah, that would be

914
00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:04,800
much easier to see the path to
forty five wins. I don't think I

915
00:57:04,840 --> 00:57:07,840
was saying that too, is when
I like we were going through the rotation.

916
00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:12,400
I love their top eight guys,
like those are all really good NBA

917
00:57:12,480 --> 00:57:15,559
players, and so that's why thirty
five point five at one seems low.

918
00:57:15,599 --> 00:57:19,000
I would need some assurances that the
defense is not going to be like absolute

919
00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:22,599
ass like that might be the right
because I don't think there's been a team

920
00:57:22,639 --> 00:57:25,320
I picked the underwhere I've loved the
top eight guys and like this isn't like,

921
00:57:25,360 --> 00:57:28,880
oh, they really run out of
options. Ever, guy for like,

922
00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:31,760
they're top eight guys are good NBA
players and two of them are probably

923
00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:37,559
great NBA players. Yeah, and
you're not talking to yourself into you know,

924
00:57:37,679 --> 00:57:40,159
like Trevan Graham or something as like
the seventh guyer. You know I've

925
00:57:40,159 --> 00:57:49,079
been there's really so have I that
was not those are dark days. Yeah,

926
00:57:49,119 --> 00:57:52,239
it's you know, there's room for
some optimism there. But I think,

927
00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:55,960
as always with this team, that
has to be cautious optimism. Is

928
00:57:55,960 --> 00:58:00,199
there anyone on this team or anything
about this team? I have an asked

929
00:58:00,239 --> 00:58:02,119
you that you think needs to be
discussed ahead of the start of the season,

930
00:58:07,719 --> 00:58:08,760
Not that I can think of it. Feel like EVE been pretty thorough

931
00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:13,960
on this one. Look, if
you have a josh A Cody guy tried

932
00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:17,199
to go on feel free, I'm
all yours. You know, I think

933
00:58:17,599 --> 00:58:22,519
you know, so Koke Gosh,
I just wonder what his role is on

934
00:58:22,559 --> 00:58:25,480
this team. And you know,
and you know he was a Tom Deboteaux

935
00:58:25,519 --> 00:58:32,480
draft pick. Now they're on to
San Gupta. Yeah, so you know

936
00:58:32,559 --> 00:58:37,480
how you know tethered to him?
Is he really going to be? Yeah?

937
00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:40,599
It kind of makes you wonder that
you know his he does. It's

938
00:58:40,719 --> 00:58:44,440
good stuff, but you know,
is that really you know enough to keep

939
00:58:44,519 --> 00:58:46,920
him around there? You know,
does he cracked rotation? So you know,

940
00:58:47,039 --> 00:58:50,400
like him and Torrian Prince, I
think you know that, you know,

941
00:58:50,440 --> 00:58:53,400
that's real competition for those are kokey
minutes and it's gonna it's just got

942
00:58:53,400 --> 00:58:55,639
that much harder to see the floor
on this team. I think, you

943
00:58:55,639 --> 00:59:00,320
know, even with Patrick Beverley,
but I also think Torrian Prince will push

944
00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:05,039
guys like Okoge on this roster low
key. If I was Jordan McLoughlin,

945
00:59:05,079 --> 00:59:07,039
I'd be kind of pissed about how
the off season unfolded. You have Leandre

946
00:59:07,119 --> 00:59:10,199
Balermo on here. They traded for
Patrick Beverley, and now it just feels

947
00:59:10,239 --> 00:59:15,039
like he was someone who even when
he was hanging around on the free agency

948
00:59:15,079 --> 00:59:16,800
market, you were like, Okay, maybe you could play, but it's

949
00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:21,639
like, oh, he's probably not
going to play. Yeah, No,

950
00:59:21,719 --> 00:59:23,400
that's the frustration, and like,
you know, he's showing stuff. You

951
00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:25,320
know, it's not that they can't
play. And I wonder if it's a

952
00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:31,079
situation like I remember what Nikola Pakovic
was in his restricted free agency and you

953
00:59:31,079 --> 00:59:36,199
know, the negotiations were dragging on
and on, and teams really just kind

954
00:59:36,199 --> 00:59:38,360
of stayed away from him because they
knew that, you know, like,

955
00:59:38,400 --> 00:59:42,239
Okay, he's probably going back to
Minnesota no matter what, Like it's not

956
00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:44,800
really worth tying up our cap space
to move on this guy. And I

957
00:59:44,840 --> 00:59:46,639
wonder if it's kind of the same
thing. You know, even though you

958
00:59:46,639 --> 00:59:50,079
know he's on a high dollar player, you know, it's like, well,

959
00:59:50,119 --> 00:59:52,760
this isn't really worth our time,
you know, but maybe there,

960
00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:54,239
you know, there could have been
someone else out there who could could have

961
00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:58,719
now offered him more than the Timberwolves. Likely we'll be able to, but

962
00:59:58,760 --> 01:00:02,039
you know, it's a long season, you know, if you know he

963
01:00:02,079 --> 01:00:06,159
has had to work its way up
now, and you know, someone could

964
01:00:06,280 --> 01:00:09,239
you know, unfortunately get injured at
some point, there will be some opportunity.

965
01:00:10,800 --> 01:00:15,239
I think that I think having guys
like him and Noel who can absolutely

966
01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:17,920
play at any given moment, I
think that's you know, that's a sound

967
01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:22,039
of a good healthy roster. Even
if they're not you know, high level

968
01:00:22,079 --> 01:00:25,039
players, they could still contribute.
I guess if they're both in the rotation,

969
01:00:25,079 --> 01:00:28,679
you know, that's probably a red
flag for the health of the rest

970
01:00:28,719 --> 01:00:31,320
of the roster. It was it
was last season. Yeah, that was

971
01:00:31,360 --> 01:00:37,960
a problem and they weren't up by
thirty five on the fourth Derek, this

972
01:00:37,079 --> 01:00:42,079
was fantastic. As always are able
to tell our listeners where they can follow

973
01:00:42,119 --> 01:00:45,320
you on social media. Any work
that you might have to plug it at

974
01:00:45,360 --> 01:00:49,360
this point, Yeah, I don't
really have any work to plug anymore,

975
01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:52,360
or at least at this point.
See how that goes throughout the season.

976
01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:58,119
But yeah, right now, just
Derrick James NBA on Twitter. I'll have

977
01:00:58,199 --> 01:01:01,920
my thoughts during the season as we
go watching the games the rest of them,

978
01:01:01,960 --> 01:01:07,000
just not as a fan because I
guess casual observer. I guess no,

979
01:01:07,199 --> 01:01:09,039
You're definitely more than a casual observer. I echo, well, I

980
01:01:09,079 --> 01:01:15,119
don't echo you self. Promote harder. Follow Derek on Twitter people, if

981
01:01:15,119 --> 01:01:19,280
you haven't already at Derrick James NBA, spell exactly as it sounds, great

982
01:01:19,320 --> 01:01:22,760
follow, great insight onto the Timberwolves. He's tweeted about the tweet about w

983
01:01:22,840 --> 01:01:25,280
NBA. He was always someone when
he covers the w NBA that I would

984
01:01:25,320 --> 01:01:30,159
follow for insight. As someone who
just wasn't following that too intensely, we

985
01:01:30,199 --> 01:01:34,480
wanted to keep up so great follow
one last time at Derrick James NBA.

986
01:01:34,519 --> 01:01:37,119
Go ahead follow him. This was
great, Derek. I think you know

987
01:01:37,199 --> 01:01:39,199
by now you've made four appearances because
I'm a doc that tracks it to make

988
01:01:39,199 --> 01:01:44,360
sure I don't bother people too often, and three look ahead specific appearances.

989
01:01:44,360 --> 01:01:45,199
I think, as you know by
now, I will come calling in the

990
01:01:45,199 --> 01:01:50,679
future, So thank you for giving
me so much of your time. Awesome,

991
01:01:50,719 --> 01:01:52,039
please do Yeah, man, this
is great.