1 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:20,359 What is crack lack is fellow thermonus were a effort. I am a damp 2 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,039 bale we at you with we'll call it a mini email bags and some sort 3 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,839 of press for times, and we're gonna get through as many questions possible. 4 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,239 Please six or seven. A couple of them are pretty in depth, very 5 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,600 quickly. You just remember to rate, reeview, subscribe wherever you see us. 6 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,439 If you're on YouTube hits, sub like, comment on every single video. 7 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,320 Help the algorithm love us back. You can also subscribe, and we 8 00:00:37,439 --> 00:00:41,880 encourage you subscribe on Spotify and Apple. Leave ratings and reviews, especially reviews 9 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,520 and ratings at Apple. That helps us in the charts. If you've done 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,640 all those things, please word of mouth recommendations, shout outs on Twitter when 11 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,479 you see people we saw it last week calling for podcast recommendations, throw us 12 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,759 in there. We appreciate whatever you do to grow to the community. Follow 13 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,520 us on the socials at Hardwood Knox, on TikTok and Twitter, at Hardwood 14 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:02,039 Underscore Knox on Instagram, our discord link, I highly encourage you to join. 15 00:01:02,119 --> 00:01:04,120 That room is in a podcast and YouTube descriptions, and you can also 16 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,000 support us by checking out our merch. I am rocking for anyone who can 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,040 see a nice little bone color seriously un serious shirt, so go check that 18 00:01:12,079 --> 00:01:17,400 out. The link is in the podcast and YouTube descriptions. Also without further 19 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,079 delay, let us dive right in and the first question right off the bat, 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,640 super topical Jackson asked, why did my no longer favorite team just make 21 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:30,319 the worst contract signing ever. I'm assuming that Jackson is referring to the reported 22 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,840 five year, three hundred and four million dollar extension that Jaylen Brown signed. 23 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:37,920 It's really, by the way worth ace off the current salary cap projections about 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,879 two hundred and eighty eight point three. That four years, three hundred and 25 00:01:40,879 --> 00:01:44,519 four point four million is based off of the cap rising I think by ten 26 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,840 percent or jumping by ten percent, whatever it is next season. Currently, 27 00:01:47,879 --> 00:01:51,079 I don't believe that that's the increase they have slated. But still, if 28 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,480 he gets the three hundred and four million, he will be projected to make 29 00:01:53,519 --> 00:01:57,400 in the final year of that deal sixty nine point one million dollars. We 30 00:01:57,439 --> 00:02:01,760 are closing in on what would be the seventy million dollars NBA player per year. 31 00:02:01,879 --> 00:02:05,840 On the books, there are no player options. There is a trade 32 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,319 kicker that could come into play in later seasons, since Jalon Brown is getting 33 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,960 eight percent raises and the salary cap again is projected to at least for the 34 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,479 first few years after the new TV money go up by ten percent, and 35 00:02:16,479 --> 00:02:21,439 so that trade kicker could kind of sort of matter if we're talking about other 36 00:02:21,479 --> 00:02:27,680 negotiations. The response to this deal was I found it interesting because we all 37 00:02:27,759 --> 00:02:31,159 knew. I thought at least that this was going to happen. Jalen Brown 38 00:02:31,319 --> 00:02:38,840 made all NBA and we knew that his eligibility kind of meant that he was 39 00:02:38,879 --> 00:02:40,280 going to sign some sort of extension. Would it have been the full boat, 40 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,159 would there have been a player option, a trade kicker. I guess 41 00:02:44,199 --> 00:02:49,879 the shock and awe was basically that Jalen Brown got the full amount. That 42 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,080 doesn't really surprise me. He had the Celtics in a really tough position. 43 00:02:53,439 --> 00:02:57,879 What else were they supposed to do if he doesn't sign an extension? Do 44 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,240 they let him get to free agency where they could say, hey, we 45 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,479 can still offer you the biggest deal, but he might just want to leave. 46 00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:07,120 We're talking players are making such a large scale of money right now that 47 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,560 I do think they could very easily say, well, is it versus leaving 48 00:03:12,759 --> 00:03:15,199 let's say, fifty guaranteed million on the table because you're taking a four year 49 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:19,000 deal instead of a five year deal. In some cases, are they really 50 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,439 going to care when their individual salary is going to get up past fifty million 51 00:03:22,439 --> 00:03:24,759 in a single season? Or they can structure player options to reach free agency 52 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,479 sooner and recoup their money that way, or just via guaranteed money tacked onto 53 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,639 extensions that they can sign on the anniversary of their deal two years. If 54 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,199 they're leaving on the anniversary of a four year deal the three year anniversary of 55 00:03:37,199 --> 00:03:40,479 a five year deal, I believe. So what else were they supposed to 56 00:03:40,479 --> 00:03:43,599 do? If you didn't want them to sign this deal? You need to 57 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:46,639 tell me what else they were supposed to do. You could say, well, 58 00:03:46,639 --> 00:03:49,080 then they go ahead and trade him. I don't know how much they 59 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,439 would have gotten for him. Because part of the reason a lot of people 60 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,400 might not like this contract is because Jayon Brown is something like the what thirty 61 00:03:54,439 --> 00:04:00,159 fifth best player in the NBA? What are you getting in a trade for 62 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,360 that player who's on the verge of entering free agency? And can you even 63 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,159 guarantee that you're getting better. You're probably looking at teams that are going to 64 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,639 go all in for him, want to compete now, They're most likely not 65 00:04:10,719 --> 00:04:14,280 going to want to give you players that fit your timeline because they're going to 66 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,639 hold on to the onto them to optimize Jalen Brown coming in and capitalizing on 67 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,160 his window. So that gets into murky territory here. I think you're better 68 00:04:21,199 --> 00:04:25,560 off just signing the deal and then you can figure out the rest later as 69 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,240 you go into second apron. Hell, Jayson Tatum is going to get his 70 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,879 three hundred plus million dollar extension next summer. I do think, and it 71 00:04:32,959 --> 00:04:36,959 is hard to speak in these terms, we do have to look at these 72 00:04:36,959 --> 00:04:41,600 mega deals as a percentage of the salary cap. This is never going to 73 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,079 be more than thirty five percent of the salary cap. That's perfectly reasonable to 74 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,240 pay someone who just made an All NBA team. Now. I think the 75 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,600 offshoot here is people don't believe Jaylen Brown is an All NBA player. A 76 00:04:51,639 --> 00:04:55,920 lot of the advanced metrics don't love him. I think the cleanest and one 77 00:04:55,959 --> 00:05:00,319 of the most popular ones that have been cited lately estimated plus minus he. 78 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,000 I think that's reflected fairly well on him over the past few years. He's 79 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,800 been in the eightieth percentile of offensive estimated plus minus the past four years and 80 00:05:09,399 --> 00:05:12,720 the eightieth percent tiler or better in defensive plus minus the past two years. 81 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,199 This is still a really good basketball player. He has problems going with his 82 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,240 left hand. He's not a good playmaker. He's improved incrementally, but like 83 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:24,079 the assistant turner over ratio is just bad and I think those are all real 84 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,879 concerns. I think even defensively, he kind of slipped off the ball. 85 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,839 That's statistically. I didn't look at any of those metrics insofar as they're out 86 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,800 there. B ball in dux has A has a great many, but I 87 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:38,480 just feel like he might have slipped off the ball defensively this year. Still, 88 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:44,040 we are talking about someone who has a legitimately deep offensive armory. There's 89 00:05:44,079 --> 00:05:46,560 the element that you look at, Okay, he could get tunnel vision on 90 00:05:46,639 --> 00:05:50,600 drives, commit commit turnovers, dribble the ball off his foot. Isn't his 91 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:56,199 high endplaymaker. You're not going to trust him. You know, on most 92 00:05:56,319 --> 00:06:01,480 nights against most teams to the the offense when the best players are off the 93 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:06,639 floor. And look, that's something that the Celtics absolutely need to be concerned 94 00:06:06,639 --> 00:06:14,279 about because they just traded their best playmaker in Marcus Smart for someone who is 95 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,920 less of a playmaker in Kristaps Porzingis, and they've they've hampered their defensive versatility 96 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,360 as rusult there, and so that puts a lot of pressure on everyone else 97 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,879 who's remaining, Malcolm Brogden, Derek White, Jason Tatum, even Al Horford. 98 00:06:27,959 --> 00:06:31,839 And then yeah, you're gonna have to throw Jaylen Brown into that mix 99 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,680 as well. And so when you're looking at that, I'm very interested to 100 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,879 see and I don't know how many. We didn't get a ton of reps 101 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,680 from it this season, but the Celtics they still turned into above average offensive 102 00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:46,720 rating this past year one fifteen point six when Jalen Brown played without Marcus Smart 103 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,279 or Jason Tatum. And those are minutes. We're talking about an eight hundred 104 00:06:49,319 --> 00:06:54,920 and twenty seven possession sample size. Those are minutes and possession totals that should 105 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,600 increase just because Marcus Smart is just gone, like he's not there anymore. 106 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,199 And so it'll be whenever you're staggering him from Jayson Tatum. Now you add, 107 00:07:02,199 --> 00:07:05,560 okay, are we just going to see more minutes when he's playing without 108 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:09,759 you know, there's no Tatum Smart and then or Derek Whiter or Brockden. 109 00:07:09,879 --> 00:07:13,399 Yeah, things get weird there. Those are concerns, and there's a lot 110 00:07:13,399 --> 00:07:16,920 of money to pay for what feels like a very flawed player. I also, 111 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,920 and I started to make this point before he kind of deviated on this 112 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:25,839 mega detour. We're talking about someone who almost feels like they've become underrated, 113 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,680 at least as a score. He just average twenty six point seven points on 114 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,959 roughly league average shooting. His three point percentage dipped below thirty four percent. 115 00:07:33,079 --> 00:07:36,439 Overall, he's still more plug and play than not. On offense, more 116 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:41,079 than half his buckets came off assists last season. More than two thirds of 117 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,879 his three point makes came off assists as well. And yet there is that 118 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,759 layer of self creation that is difficult. It's not just sort of, oh, 119 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,160 he's attacking in open space, which he can do. He can even 120 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:56,279 navigate some traffic on his drives when he really gets going. He shot fifty 121 00:07:56,279 --> 00:08:00,680 seven point nine percent on drives this past year. Every other player to do 122 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,959 that while averaging ten or more per game, which is what John Brown did. 123 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,319 Luka don Chich, Donovan Mitchell, Daron Fox, Jana's Attentaclopo, Damian 124 00:08:07,319 --> 00:08:11,319 Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson, Demard Rosen, and Kawhi Leonard. 125 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:16,199 So those nine players who are all in any given season, I guess who 126 00:08:16,199 --> 00:08:18,680 are you not going to feel? Yeah, you don't feel good about what 127 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:22,759 Kyrie's availability? Maybe do you view Fox in that caliber? Vane, we're 128 00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:26,639 all talking. We're talking about all NBA caliber players here. Jalon Brown of 129 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:28,720 course had the lowest assist percentage of that bunch. Again, those are where 130 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:33,279 the concerns come in, but we're talking about in every level score. He 131 00:08:33,399 --> 00:08:35,480 is rim pressure for a Celtics team that is still not really built to give 132 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:41,360 you a ton by going from Marcus mart to Christops Porzingis RW three is still 133 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:43,120 really the only big that's going to generate a ton of rim pressure for them. 134 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:46,240 Jolen Brown gets you there. And he shot sixty eight percent, seventy 135 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,080 one percent, and seventy one percent respectively at the basket over the past three 136 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:54,759 seasons. That's a big deal. And then I think you look at Okay, 137 00:08:54,799 --> 00:08:56,799 he can fall in love with his step back or those fadeaways he shot 138 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:01,879 like twenty three percent on step back this past year. I think we'll see 139 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,200 him reasonably hit more of his threes this year if he's taking more catching shoots 140 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,799 are cutting out some of the stepbacks. Still, you want to be concerned 141 00:09:07,799 --> 00:09:11,440 about his shot selection there, I get it, But like he can also 142 00:09:11,519 --> 00:09:16,279 hit difficult shots. He shot fifty nine plus percent on floaters this past year. 143 00:09:16,759 --> 00:09:20,080 He shot thirty thirty six of sixty nine, which is over fifty two 144 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,879 percent on turnaround jumpers this year. This is someone who can get to a 145 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:28,200 spot, hit difficult jumpers, give you something out of nothing. And yes, 146 00:09:28,279 --> 00:09:31,480 there's going to be the sloppiness there, and he needs to add the 147 00:09:31,879 --> 00:09:37,519 playmaking dimension to his game otherwise he's always going to be this. I don't 148 00:09:37,759 --> 00:09:41,279 necessarily use the word limited, but certainly flawed offensive player, especially when you're 149 00:09:41,279 --> 00:09:46,320 looking at how the playoffs unfold. And I think you can argue, yeah, 150 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:52,200 this is a tough gamble when you now have removed a sheet of playmaking 151 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:56,000 protection from Marcus mart Where now it's who's the best pass around the Celtics? 152 00:09:56,039 --> 00:10:00,399 Is it White, is it Tatum? Is it Peyton Pritch? I mean, 153 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,360 how many minutes is he actually playing is it, Is it Al Horford? 154 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,279 Is it brogged in? It's certainly not Jalen Brown, but the burden 155 00:10:07,399 --> 00:10:09,200 for him, at least on offense, I would imagine as a creator, 156 00:10:09,799 --> 00:10:13,960 is going to move up, and so we'll have to see how that impacts 157 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:18,879 his efficiency and also his ability to just leave his imprint or at least not 158 00:10:18,919 --> 00:10:22,200 get into these situations where it feels like he is restricting the team offensively. 159 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,440 But I feel like perception of him is just, I don't know, just 160 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:31,200 sort of gone way off the sensible path at this point that we get sticker 161 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,480 shock when we see these deals, we automatically think they're not worth it. 162 00:10:35,519 --> 00:10:37,399 And again, if you want to have a conversation about whether Jalen Brown's worth 163 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,519 of the Supermax, that's a larger discussion about who the supermacs should be for 164 00:10:41,759 --> 00:10:46,960 in the NBA. And I think we're about to have sort of this reckoning 165 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,120 when you look at Austin Rivers had just talked about this. I saw the 166 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,720 clip I didn't see listen to the whole podcast he did, but he's talking 167 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,879 about how the middle class of players are going to be burned by the new 168 00:10:56,919 --> 00:10:58,879 CBA, and I think we've already seen it. I don't know who tweeted, 169 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,600 but something like the Raptors were the only team to actually spend their full 170 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:09,039 non tax player mid level exception this summer. As someone could correct me if 171 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:11,279 I'm wrong there, I didn't go through those details on that. That's like 172 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:13,799 a big deal, and I would argue that it's going to continue to move 173 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:18,679 in that direction once we start next year, next season when these teams can 174 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,000 use their exceptions to acquire players via trade, so they might hold on to 175 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,279 it in the regular season to acquire players that way. We then have to 176 00:11:26,279 --> 00:11:31,399 have the conversation of, well, is this eventually going to scale up to 177 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,879 not just the middle class but the you know, the star tier of players 178 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:39,120 rather than the superstar If we're selling it at Jayon Brown, the second or 179 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,960 third best player on what is the title contender? The Celtics made it to 180 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,200 the Eastern Conference finals this year, they made it to the NBA Finals last 181 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:50,399 year. If we're if we're saying that player is not worth thirty five percent 182 00:11:50,919 --> 00:11:56,240 of the salary cap, you're gonna have to have like really awkward bouts of 183 00:11:56,279 --> 00:12:01,080 self reflection right now, because this is going to be something that comes to 184 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:03,240 ahead in the middle of Jalen Brown's deal, but for contracts of everybody else 185 00:12:03,279 --> 00:12:07,240 where, it's well, these deals can only be for we're saying thirty five 186 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:11,080 percent maxes, so not even necessarily supermaxes. These are just guys who might 187 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:13,720 just have ten years of service. But that's also another offshoot, is someone 188 00:12:13,759 --> 00:12:16,519 like a James Harden, are we going to see him get paid as deep 189 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,080 into his career as we would have under the previous CBA. I think those 190 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:26,039 are all questions and potential repercussions that I don't know if the players Union thought 191 00:12:26,039 --> 00:12:28,840 of, we could see stemming from this CBA. And so if you think 192 00:12:28,919 --> 00:12:33,039 Jalen Brown's deal is going to age poorly, I think that says more about 193 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:37,399 the penalties assigned to the current CYBA once you get into the first and second 194 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:43,039 luxury taps, tax aprons, and how prohibitive those penalties are going to make 195 00:12:43,039 --> 00:12:45,519 it. And so teams are going to look for excuses or just decide that, 196 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,799 hey, we can't pay those you know, the second apron for sure 197 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,799 for more than a season or something at a time, and then that's going 198 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,080 to make it very difficult to parse. Okay, can these players ever really 199 00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:00,240 be worth supermaxes And the answer is just going to be no, if that's 200 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:01,840 how you feel. Now. The problem here is, now that we have 201 00:13:01,919 --> 00:13:07,039 the load management totals integrated into all NBA selections, we're probably going to see 202 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,600 more of the Jail and Brown types, the guys who aren't capslock top fifteen 203 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:16,039 players in any given discussion, but they're going to be available, and they 204 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,399 are all stars, all Star caliber players, so they could in any given 205 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,639 season or two qualify for an All NBA team and then become supermacs eligible to 206 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,320 get the thirty five percent of the cap when they only would have been eligible 207 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:30,879 for you know, thirty percent of the cap, or maybe even less depending 208 00:13:30,919 --> 00:13:33,000 on what the extension, what their salary would have been off a one hundred 209 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:37,720 and forty percent extension from their own team. That's you know, these are 210 00:13:37,759 --> 00:13:39,960 all things that we're just gonna have to wash unfold over the years. And 211 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,759 so I get the sticker shock element of this, but just look at it 212 00:13:43,799 --> 00:13:46,000 as, do you think Jayalen Brown is worth thirty five percent of the salary 213 00:13:46,039 --> 00:13:50,200 cap and if you think he can be the second best player in a championship 214 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,720 team, the answer has to be yes for now, until teams decide that 215 00:13:54,279 --> 00:13:56,720 under this CBA they can't pay their second or third best players, that well, 216 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,240 they're not going to pay their third best players anymore that I guess. 217 00:14:00,279 --> 00:14:03,120 Maybe I'm looking at the Suns and they have those four top end to pay 218 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,039 guys and then just a bunch of minimum contracts on the roster. Basically, 219 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,840 I guess that's different because there's such four top of your players, but they're 220 00:14:09,879 --> 00:14:13,919 into the second apron, and so if you were going to try and avoid 221 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:18,240 the second luxury tax apron and you're still going to have those three players in 222 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,240 Bradley Beale, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker, you're gonna be in the 223 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,399 same situation. And so it'll be interesting to see from here how teams flesh 224 00:14:26,399 --> 00:14:31,879 out their rosters or distribute their payrolls in the years to come, and players 225 00:14:31,879 --> 00:14:37,679 like Jalen Brown could eventually become collateral damage of that in actual contract discussions but 226 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:39,799 also trade talks if they're already on the books for that Where how long does 227 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,759 Phoenix decide to float it's big big three, let alone Big four if you 228 00:14:43,759 --> 00:14:48,000 can even consider that a possibility with DeAndre Aten, how you know much will 229 00:14:48,039 --> 00:14:52,600 Boston float this core of right now? Okay, you have tatums and Brown 230 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,200 are going to be really expensive. Dark White's gonna be thinking about his next 231 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:01,799 deal. You've given Kristaps Porzingi's thirty million dollars a year plus this season and 232 00:15:01,799 --> 00:15:05,759 then two more seasons after that. How long are they going to float that 233 00:15:05,799 --> 00:15:07,519 for? These are all fair questions. I don't think Jalen Brown's the reason 234 00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:11,720 they're going to bust up this cord, though, and I basically fall to 235 00:15:11,279 --> 00:15:15,519 I won't rule out the fact that he could get better as certainly a playmaker, 236 00:15:15,559 --> 00:15:18,159 and that we could even see his three point percentage climb back up to 237 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:22,080 you know, if he's going to increase his catch and shoot diet, like, 238 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,879 could he become more of a thirty eight percent three point shooter. I 239 00:15:24,879 --> 00:15:26,679 won't rule that out. I won't rule improvement out. But also I'm just 240 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,120 I look at this number, it's a lot of money. I just don't 241 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,120 know what the alternative route was for them. This was always going to be 242 00:15:33,159 --> 00:15:37,039 the outcome, and so I don't think the way it's reported as the riches 243 00:15:37,039 --> 00:15:39,600 steel NBA history, it's the richeste in NBA history, until the next player 244 00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:43,679 signs the riches steel in NBA history, which will happen within the next year, 245 00:15:43,759 --> 00:15:45,960 and so I can't bring myself to care about that. I do think, 246 00:15:46,039 --> 00:15:48,679 Look, there is a risk, and I'm just very interesting to see 247 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,799 how with the new all NBA criteria, which opens the door for I would 248 00:15:52,799 --> 00:15:56,879 say, more players of Jalen Brown's level to make all NBA teams, how 249 00:15:56,919 --> 00:16:00,279 that actually impacts than the supermatch negotiation. It's because you're gonna have those I 250 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,720 don't even want to call them out of place Supermac's eligibilities, but you're just 251 00:16:04,759 --> 00:16:11,240 going to have more players in this non megastar til tier I would imagine eligible 252 00:16:11,559 --> 00:16:15,120 for it. And so how are teams going to navigate that minefield? Financial 253 00:16:15,159 --> 00:16:17,919 mindfield? Great question, though, Jackson, I'm assuming you were talking about 254 00:16:17,919 --> 00:16:19,080 Brown, and if it was, you know, if you're a Bulls fan 255 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,399 and you're mad about the Hio to student Moodial, I apologize for going off 256 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,639 on a twenty five minute How long was that? A sixteen minute? John 257 00:16:26,679 --> 00:16:30,480 Brown? Tangent tybel Wingspan asked how much work slash time is involved in offering 258 00:16:30,519 --> 00:16:34,080 a contract to a restricted free agent. Lots of NBA people theorized that it 259 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,519 wasn't worth it to offer a contract to Austin Reeves because they knew the Lakers 260 00:16:37,559 --> 00:16:41,240 would match. Who cares If they'll match, it's an opportunity to damage a 261 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,679 rival and contender unless it takes fifty minute hours to offer a contract for some 262 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,440 reason, the cost is practically zero, and you hurt your eisle in a 263 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,960 real way. How could it possibly not be worth it? I get it. 264 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,399 I kind of fall on this end of the spectrum. I was. 265 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,440 I was surprised, but also kind of disgusted that no other team made the 266 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:02,759 Lakers pay the full almost one hundred million dollars poison pill for Austin Reeves, 267 00:17:03,399 --> 00:17:07,240 especially because they have loosened the restricted free agency rules, and so it was 268 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:11,839 if it started on July first, any team with the restricted free agent who 269 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:18,160 received an offer sheet for that restricted free agent before noon Eastern time on one 270 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,960 day, they had until the next day at eleven fifty nine pm to match 271 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,759 it. And so you're looking at at maximum, you're talking about thirty six 272 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:30,119 hours that you have to wait and if depending on when it's later, then 273 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,759 they can punt it. But if you time it just right, you can 274 00:17:33,759 --> 00:17:37,000 give the team thirty six hours to decide, and that's I think that would 275 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:41,920 be the shortest window. As we've seen with free agency, a lot can 276 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,240 happen in that time. And so if you're deciding that you want to give 277 00:17:45,279 --> 00:17:48,119 this money to Austin, Reeves is going to prohibit you from not only chasing 278 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:52,200 other free agents who might just agree to deals with other teams, but to 279 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,640 then use your cap space to acquire players via trade, depending on what stage 280 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,880 your rebuild you're at. And I think teams just decided that if the Lakers 281 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,799 are gonna match anyway, we don't want to waste thirty six hours of flexibility. 282 00:18:03,039 --> 00:18:07,240 Now, in the case of a team like the Pistons, I'm not 283 00:18:07,279 --> 00:18:11,200 saying either of these teams should have poison pilled Reeves. I would probably argue 284 00:18:11,279 --> 00:18:14,079 that the Spurs would be a team that would. But you're looking at Detroit 285 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,240 or San Antonio, maybe even Utah, who knows that the John Collins trade 286 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,400 has still been available. It probably would have when you look at the other 287 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:26,200 moves they made San Antonio, Reggie Bullock, Jetty Osman campaign that was later 288 00:18:26,279 --> 00:18:30,960 on would really have killed them to have said, hey, here's here's the 289 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,119 offer sheet for Austin Reeves. See if the Lakers match it. Maybe in 290 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,839 Detroit, Monte Morris, Joe Harris, are those deals still available there? 291 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,960 Maybe maybe not, And so you could be worried about that Utah. Again, 292 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:48,400 going back to the John Collins move, I think that teams need to 293 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,200 do a better job of this. A really just we saw the Nets kind 294 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,240 of do it earlier on the Seawan marks Ero when you you know, when 295 00:18:53,279 --> 00:18:56,200 your cap space was actually tied up for a longer period of time restricted free 296 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:02,240 agents. He fucked with offer sheets for Otto Porter, he fucked with offer 297 00:19:02,319 --> 00:19:06,599 sheets for Why am I blanking on Tyler Johnson, I'm sorry, blanking on 298 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:11,079 that heat player for a while. It's like they messed with rivals books, 299 00:19:11,079 --> 00:19:14,440 and you should absolutely want to do that, especially if you're in the same 300 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,200 conference. And so I, for one, think that teams should absolutely be 301 00:19:18,279 --> 00:19:21,960 taking that route. I understand if you're in more of a let's use the 302 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,359 Kings as an example, and you're just in like a hyper competitive situation. 303 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,240 They just finished third in the West. They give the Warriors a run for 304 00:19:27,279 --> 00:19:30,960 their money. You don't want to waste your flexibility on Okay, we couldn't 305 00:19:32,279 --> 00:19:34,799 offer Harrison Barnes a contract because we decided to go after I don't even know 306 00:19:36,079 --> 00:19:38,200 Grant Williams. Had it been PJ. Washington or even Cam Johnson. Maybe 307 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,680 they thought for whatever reason that there was an upgrade over Harrison Barnes in one 308 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,279 of those players. Debatable whether there whether there is for them specifically, you 309 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:49,880 waste time for Harrison Barnes. That's someone who another team probably scoops up during 310 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,519 those thirty six hours, unless you're just thinking he's thinking, Okay, well, 311 00:19:53,559 --> 00:19:56,240 if the other team matches, I'm still going to get a larger salary 312 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,400 from the Kings than another team, just because a lot of the teams that 313 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,920 will look at me may only be using the non tax payramid level. Maybe 314 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,319 they're trying to get the Kings evolved in assign and trade the Kings. They 315 00:20:07,319 --> 00:20:10,000 can give me more than the non tax payramid level. But if you're a 316 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,799 team that's really good, I could see why it's prohibitive too, and you 317 00:20:11,799 --> 00:20:15,000 have your own free agent to worry about, or just another free agent tart 318 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,839 like let's say, yeah, just an instituence scenario, if it's Jeremy Grant 319 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,599 versus Cam Johnson that you're gonna go after, and in theory, you have 320 00:20:21,599 --> 00:20:25,000 a better chance at Jeremy Grant because you might either know right away whether you 321 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:26,160 have a chance in him, or he can just sign without having to deal 322 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,079 with the hoopla of another team potentially matching outside of the you know, once 323 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:34,279 the official you know, once the official offers has been accepted, you're not 324 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,160 waiting on the Blazers then to match, they would have had to you know, 325 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,519 they're be negotiating and he would have to choose between the two. And 326 00:20:41,559 --> 00:20:45,599 so that instant solution, that instant gratification. I understand why certain teams lean 327 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,359 towards it, But if you're on a more gradual timeline and you didn't do 328 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:53,279 anything that was just sort of absolutely ridiculous and wouldn't have been available thirty six 329 00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:56,839 hours later to you, I absolutely think that teams need to be more aggressive 330 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:02,079 in drumming up the salary of other teams, of other teams as players. 331 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:03,920 So yeah, I undred percent with you on that one. Tyble Wingspan de 332 00:21:04,079 --> 00:21:10,720 most ask is Jalen suggs a bus and they have another question twenty twenty three 333 00:21:10,839 --> 00:21:14,839 version is what he says. So no, I just look the fifth pick. 334 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,000 So I guess if you're expecting some sort of superstar equity, which it's 335 00:21:18,039 --> 00:21:22,880 clear that he's probably not tracking towards that direction. He's not on the level 336 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,559 of Evan Mobile or Kate Cunningham. I think some people might even call Kate 337 00:21:26,559 --> 00:21:29,240 cunning him a bus at this point. They shouldn't want to make that clear. 338 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:30,920 I actually like what I saw from John Suggs this past season when he 339 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,200 was healthy, kind of towards the talent of the campaign after the trade deadline 340 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,480 shot a lot better on above the break threes. We've seen that he can 341 00:21:37,519 --> 00:21:42,240 make plays in open space with the ball. I think that his defensive assignments 342 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,680 have been on par with what you see from him defensively and how much he 343 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,079 can work and some of the damage that. Yeah, he might not be 344 00:21:48,079 --> 00:21:52,240 big enough to reek absolute havoc on ball, but he can hold his own 345 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,640 and he will make plays away from the ball as well. I really like 346 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,640 Jalen Suggs. Can he be a league guard? That ship has probably sailed? 347 00:21:59,759 --> 00:22:03,279 Just see it with the playmaking or necessarily the handle, or just looking 348 00:22:03,319 --> 00:22:07,480 at the speed at which he makes decisions outside of taking his own shot. 349 00:22:07,559 --> 00:22:11,640 You could still be an exceptional player in that type of role. I don't 350 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,440 even think he's close to being a bust. If this is the best he 351 00:22:15,519 --> 00:22:18,279 ever is. Can we have that conversation relative to being drafted so high? 352 00:22:18,519 --> 00:22:22,799 Sure? But I even used right now that if you could trade Jalen Suggs 353 00:22:22,839 --> 00:22:26,960 straight up Rogiannaoby and I know the money doesn't work. Do you do it 354 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:30,599 as Orlando? Do you do it as Toronto? And I'm kind of like, 355 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,680 I kind of think that based off o Giannaoby's own limited ball skills, 356 00:22:34,039 --> 00:22:37,359 I might want to take the door. I know he's the bigger player, 357 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:40,319 so it's probably stupid not to say OG At this point, I think I 358 00:22:40,319 --> 00:22:44,200 would rather take the mystery box that is still Jael and Suggs. I think 359 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:48,839 this take could look excellent or foolish after year three. I'm very interest to 360 00:22:48,839 --> 00:22:51,079 see what that looks like. They may have taken the ball out of his 361 00:22:51,079 --> 00:22:53,119 hands, though a little bit more with the addition of Anthony Black and Joe 362 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,039 Ingles. We'll have to see how they balance it all. I think Jaen 363 00:22:56,279 --> 00:23:02,200 Suggs is tracking towards being an impact the NBA player. If you set the 364 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:07,079 over under at point five All Star games. That's a real discussion. I'll 365 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:08,799 just take the over because I'll stay optimistic. But if you have someone who's 366 00:23:08,799 --> 00:23:12,119 only making one All Star game, are they worth a top five pick? 367 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:18,400 And it's just you know, I guess not. I like, I guess 368 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,039 you could call him a bust in that vein as of right now, though 369 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,039 I absolutely would not call him a bust. Demos also asked, how do 370 00:23:23,079 --> 00:23:26,839 you tell if a prospect that needs work on a shot will actually fix it 371 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,920 or not? What about the Thompson Twins, especially Amend who's shooting mechanics are 372 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:37,119 horrendous me personally, I won't pretend to be like Adams Vanilla or Kitlyn Cooper 373 00:23:37,559 --> 00:23:41,079 or nikaias Duncan in this regard. When I'm looking at to see if a 374 00:23:41,079 --> 00:23:45,799 player can actually improve his jumper, what I really look at is speed and 375 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,000 sort of the fluidity. Is there a jaggedness, is there a delay? 376 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:55,720 Is there a like in an obscene amount of time or a circuitous route to 377 00:23:55,799 --> 00:23:57,880 them going through their motion? And I think you can see more of that 378 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:02,640 with Amends Thompson, where it feels like he's always catching the ball lower or 379 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,440 bringing it lower after he catches it and has to go through the motion that 380 00:24:06,519 --> 00:24:08,799 takes longer than it doesn't even look pretty, Whereas with or Sa Thompson, 381 00:24:08,839 --> 00:24:11,319 based off what I've seen of him, it seems like he can really get 382 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:15,759 off shots that are quick and like they do not look pretty most of the 383 00:24:15,759 --> 00:24:18,240 time, and it really feels like his elbow is kind of hanging in a 384 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,400 weird angle and the balls too far out in front of him, maybe blocking 385 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,319 his line of sight at certain points, but also asking to be blocked itself 386 00:24:25,519 --> 00:24:27,839 by another player. But I look at that, and I've said on this 387 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:32,519 podcast, I don't know if anyone remembers that that I trust or Sarr Thompson's 388 00:24:32,559 --> 00:24:34,880 jumper more than I'm and Thompson's jumper, and that's probably it seems like maybe 389 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,079 that was a consensus thing for them coming out of the draft. Again, 390 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:41,440 that was not that was not something that I knew going into to watching them, 391 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,039 but it was why I was drawn to Osa Thompson versus Amen Thompson. 392 00:24:45,279 --> 00:24:49,839 I had a Sar higher on my actual final board, only by a hair. 393 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,799 I will say, Amen Thompson really kind of looks like it when you 394 00:24:52,839 --> 00:24:57,039 saw just like sort of the defensive burst and even the offensive acceleration. Still, 395 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,279 that's what I would look towards. I don't think that that's full proof. 396 00:25:00,279 --> 00:25:03,359 There are other people that are going to be able to use angles a 397 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,160 lot better, and they'll know more about the actual processing speed on that, 398 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,200 the catching points, the release points to follow through, even like sort of 399 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,519 the footstances which in the way their body's turned. And that's not stuff that 400 00:25:12,519 --> 00:25:17,400 I'm great at or even remotely skilled at identifying. But that's what I would 401 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,799 look at for quote unquote, when you're looking at broken jump shots, whether 402 00:25:19,839 --> 00:25:23,000 I think that players can work on them and become better, But what do 403 00:25:23,039 --> 00:25:25,799 I know. I didn't think Josh Giddy was going to get there, and 404 00:25:25,799 --> 00:25:29,920 he became a super capable three point shooter this past year. NBA Chicken asked, 405 00:25:30,079 --> 00:25:32,880 is this going to be the most competitive season ever? I think there 406 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:37,440 are only six bad teams and they all have fun young talent. A few 407 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,759 good teams won't make the playoffs. Yeah, I mean, there's just anecdotally, 408 00:25:42,039 --> 00:25:45,960 it feels like I've only covered the league only since twenty eleven. Wow, 409 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,200 I've only covered the league for the past twelve years or whatever it is. 410 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,880 It feels like this year and now this past year and then the year 411 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,000 that's coming up have been the two seasons with the most parody during that time 412 00:25:57,039 --> 00:26:02,880 since I've been covering the NBA. And I'm absolutely with the NBA chicken here. 413 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,440 I don't you know, when you're looking at you know, you go 414 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,079 to the West, I think it's probably easier to identify bad teams in the 415 00:26:08,079 --> 00:26:15,400 East, either by design, with the Wizards or excuse me, or okay, 416 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:18,960 you could see Toronto and the Bulls sort of leaking off the Hornets. 417 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:22,799 Of course, where the Magic there? The Pistons are they ready yet? 418 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,960 But in the West, it just gets like everyone you just know is entering 419 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,599 the season trying to win, except for the Spurs and maybe the Blazers, 420 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,759 and are the Jazz there? And even it's just like, how what are 421 00:26:33,759 --> 00:26:37,759 we calling a Capslock bad team now? And so when you go through the 422 00:26:37,759 --> 00:26:41,880 Western Conference Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, Phoenix, the Clippers, the Warriors, 423 00:26:42,279 --> 00:26:47,279 the Lakers, the Timberwolves, the Thunder, the Pelicans, and the 424 00:26:47,319 --> 00:26:52,839 Magic, there are three of those teams that aren't gonna make the playoffs, 425 00:26:52,839 --> 00:26:53,839 Like, yeah, some of them. One of those teams won't make the 426 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,480 play in and then three of those teams just outright won't make the playoffs. 427 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,720 And maybe for some people it's easy just to pick off and say all right, 428 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,519 you know, Oklahoma City gone, they're not there yet. I don't 429 00:27:03,519 --> 00:27:07,559 really trust Dallas say say goodbye and okay by Minnesota, or like it might 430 00:27:07,599 --> 00:27:10,359 just be easy for people to go through it and say that. For me 431 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:11,720 personally, it's not. And then I'm also kind of looking at through the 432 00:27:11,799 --> 00:27:15,279 lens of like Utah still sort of good on paper, and they're just hanging 433 00:27:15,319 --> 00:27:21,880 around here with Larry Marketing and you know Taylor, Taylor Hendrix and Walker Kessler 434 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:23,839 and if a Baji makes the leap, and I really like what we saw 435 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:29,960 from Sexton and Clarkson this past year, so like in John Collins now as 436 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,839 part of that team, like yeah, it's there's going to be just a 437 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:38,440 real even keeled competitive landscape. And I think even when you look at trying 438 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,599 to identify like the topmost tiers in the conference, when I'm looking for teams 439 00:27:42,599 --> 00:27:47,119 that are in their own tier where it's like, okay, there's clear separation, 440 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:52,960 I have Denver, Milwaukee and Phoenix, and I think that's it. 441 00:27:52,039 --> 00:27:56,920 I kind of want to give the Warriors a chance there. I'm open to 442 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:00,640 conversations about the Celtics or maybe the Calves. Feels like maybe the biggest boomer 443 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:06,000 bust team in the league with the Porzingis edition. It's I think it's Tim 444 00:28:06,039 --> 00:28:08,319 Bontemp said this that they have elevated their ceiling, but they maybe also lowered 445 00:28:08,319 --> 00:28:11,519 their floor. I don't know if that's the perfect way to say this, 446 00:28:11,599 --> 00:28:14,920 but there's definitely a combustibility to them now when you look at the makeup of 447 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,000 their roster, their deficits, their injury concerns, and so that gets really 448 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,640 tough for me. I feel like there's going to be like this cluster of 449 00:28:22,759 --> 00:28:29,799 teams in that second tier of contention where you're gonna loop the Celtics, the 450 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:36,000 Calves, you know, the Warriors, the Clippers or the Lakers in there. 451 00:28:36,079 --> 00:28:37,079 And then there was just a bunch of wild cartoons with like if you 452 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:41,359 told me the Pelicans finished fourth in the West or third or second in the 453 00:28:41,359 --> 00:28:45,720 West, like I'm probably gonna believe you. And how good is Memphis following 454 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:48,599 the John Morant suspension. There are a bunch of these teams that could all 455 00:28:48,599 --> 00:28:51,599 just wind up in the same tier or even the second and third tiers and 456 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,759 just be really super competitive. It's going to make for a hyper interesting season 457 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,119 and maybe even a hyper interesting in season tournament mid season to whatever. I 458 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,720 will be interesting what teams kind of pull back by design when they realize, 459 00:29:03,799 --> 00:29:07,880 oh, damn, we just we can't be a part of the rucket that's 460 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,079 happening, or how many teams actually go for it because they think they can 461 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,359 vault into that next year. Miami's an easy team where if they get Damian 462 00:29:14,359 --> 00:29:18,519 Lillard, do you put them on the same level as the Bucks, as 463 00:29:18,559 --> 00:29:21,440 the as the Denver Nuggets, as the Sons. They're definitely they were definitely 464 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:22,359 be in that second tier. They might even be there right now. They 465 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,599 just made the finals. But yeah, so they could be a team the 466 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,359 Sixers. It's like, could they come close if they don't make any changes, 467 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,480 or if they figure out a way to parlay James Harden to another star. 468 00:29:33,079 --> 00:29:36,400 I guess like if the Knicks acquire somebody, could they vault up there? 469 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,359 The Clippers, what happens if they end up with James Harden? The 470 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,359 Warriors just having Chris Paul there, you talk about sort of like that's their 471 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:47,200 Chris stops porzingis acquisition where it feels like there's a boom or bust proposition there. 472 00:29:48,359 --> 00:29:51,279 It's so hard to make sense of, and it's it's even harder now. 473 00:29:51,279 --> 00:29:53,920 I would argue just because I really want to see an end to the 474 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:59,599 Pascal Siakam and more so Damian Lillard and James Harden sweepstakes that we can really 475 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,839 grab hold of of what's happening here and kind of understand the lay of the 476 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:04,759 land. But I would be with you, I don't know if it's going 477 00:30:04,799 --> 00:30:07,880 to be the most type you know, to the number, the most like 478 00:30:08,079 --> 00:30:11,680 competitive season in NBA history. But when we're looking at since the NBA has 479 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:18,839 had thirty teams, I just it feels like eighty two games a larger trunk 480 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,000 or those are gonna wind up mattering unless teams are going to pivot out of 481 00:30:22,079 --> 00:30:25,839 the play in chase where it's you know, we saw the Jazz do it 482 00:30:26,119 --> 00:30:27,519 this year. It would we saw the Mavericks due to the last minute, 483 00:30:27,559 --> 00:30:30,720 but I'm talking about the Jazz did it more so in advance. Could we 484 00:30:30,759 --> 00:30:36,000 see something like that done more often? Because teams aside and we're really not 485 00:30:36,039 --> 00:30:37,519 as close as as we think I think it's more like going to go to 486 00:30:37,519 --> 00:30:41,680 the opposite way where you see teams that are maybe in like seventh, you 487 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:42,880 know, like the Hawks are in seventh, or if the Hawks are in 488 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,839 sixth around the trade deadline, they might just really go for it. Of 489 00:30:47,839 --> 00:30:49,480 course, not going into the tax though, because that's just that's just not 490 00:30:49,519 --> 00:30:53,480 allowed in Atlanta or some other places. So yeah, this season feels like 491 00:30:53,519 --> 00:30:56,920 it's gonna be fun because also as nbah you can mention, its just the 492 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,960 quote unquote bad teams like the Spurs have Victory women Yama not to mention, 493 00:31:00,079 --> 00:31:04,160 and Jeremy Sowen, Devin Vassell, Kelvin Johnson's still pretty young there, they're 494 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,880 going to be super fun to watch. And let's use the I mean the 495 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,519 Wizards. I'm so intrigued by Pala Kolabali. That might be the team where 496 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,000 it's right, how much do you really want to watch them, especially when 497 00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:19,160 guys like Delon Wright and tyast Jones feel like placeholders there. But if you 498 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,400 think that the Pistons are going to be bad, and I'm just not so 499 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,279 sure, but they just have so much young talent. Jalen durn Kade Cunningham 500 00:31:26,359 --> 00:31:30,680 Jade and Ivy Asa Thompson. They're gonna be a great watch and there should 501 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,720 be some pretty good lineups run out there. With the additions of Morris, 502 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,480 you still have Boyan Bogdanovitch, Joe Harris, you added Alec Burks, like 503 00:31:37,519 --> 00:31:42,759 you could really cobble together some three shooter or four shooter lineups around Kade or 504 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,000 Kade plus Duran have three shooters around them or Kade and if you really want 505 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,519 to go smaller Asa Thompson, if you want to go that route. So 506 00:31:51,559 --> 00:31:53,799 I just I'm fascinated by the Pistons, the Horns with Brandon Miller and LaMelo 507 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,799 Ball, and I'm intrigued by the development of Mark Williams there as well. 508 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,559 They're a team we know the man. We shouldn't expect them to be bad. 509 00:32:00,559 --> 00:32:05,160 They just have so much talent on that roster. The Blazers with Shaden 510 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,079 Sharp and Scoot Henderson, then whoever they get back, and then Damian Lillard 511 00:32:07,079 --> 00:32:10,519 trade, they should be entertaining. The Rockets got better, So even if 512 00:32:10,519 --> 00:32:15,319 they're bad, having Amen Thompson and Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Junior who looked 513 00:32:15,319 --> 00:32:19,279 like a monster in the you know, the scant summer leagues a since that 514 00:32:19,359 --> 00:32:22,559 he got on top of Fred van Fleet and the Dylan Brooks experiment there, 515 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:28,039 that's just a really interesting team as well. There's not I think Washington by 516 00:32:28,039 --> 00:32:30,279 default is probably the least interesting team, but they have one of my favorite 517 00:32:30,319 --> 00:32:35,440 swing high prospects in Bala Coolbally, and so that's a team that I will 518 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,160 still make it a point to watch semi regularly. I'm probably not as enthused 519 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,519 by the Raptors right now, even though they still have a bunch of talent 520 00:32:40,599 --> 00:32:45,000 on their roster. There's just like this existential crisis going in there, That's 521 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,960 how I read it. And the Bulls don't really stimulate me. I'd probably 522 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,960 say the Bulls and the Wizards are where I'm just like kind of like blah 523 00:32:52,039 --> 00:32:57,160 with. But I will name something hyper cantalyzing about every single team in the 524 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,440 league, which is just incredible to say. Let's move on to this question 525 00:33:00,519 --> 00:33:07,119 from west Bank Pete. What's the most unbreakable NBA counting stats records statistically stockton 526 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:13,480 steals, Hakeem's blocks, Stockton's assists, or Wilt's rebounds. Let's bring up 527 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:17,880 these all time rankings here. I was inclined to without looking saying Stockton's assists 528 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:24,079 and I think I'm going to stick with that. Steals is just like Chris 529 00:33:24,079 --> 00:33:30,279 Paul's never gonna get there. But I like think Steals could be a good 530 00:33:30,279 --> 00:33:34,319 one. I'm not just looking at the assists man and John Stockton fifteen thousand, 531 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,920 eight hundred and six, that's like, who's supposed to catch him with 532 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,400 that? Lebron and Chris Paul, with all their longevity, neither of them 533 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:45,440 have broken the twelve thousand assists plateau, which was hit by Jason Kidd and 534 00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:51,440 Jason Kidd alone, I think was Lebron's points listed. That'll just be broken. 535 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:52,960 We saw, we know it will be broken. He'll talk onto it. 536 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:58,119 Akeem with blocks. I mean, I guess maybe blocks would be interesting. 537 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,359 It's just so hard red vision. I'm just gonna say all of these 538 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:04,200 could be broken. I think John Stockton's just because the gap in them, 539 00:34:04,279 --> 00:34:07,960 and I know you can rack up more assists than blocks per game. Even 540 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:12,320 looking at Moses Malone's rebounding, it's when you look at how positions have changed 541 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:15,000 where they don't matter as much anymore. You've a lot of guards rebounding, 542 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,599 You're going smaller upfront, or where teams punted on offensive rebounding all together, 543 00:34:17,599 --> 00:34:22,480 where that didn't necessarily happen way back when does having that huge gap between Malone 544 00:34:22,519 --> 00:34:28,280 and Robert paris like there's not even an active player right now in the top 545 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:32,559 ten of I'm only looking at offensive rebounds. I apologize, but there's not 546 00:34:32,599 --> 00:34:37,119 even anyone. There's no one active in the top ten of rebounds either, 547 00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:39,679 And so twenty three thousand rebounds only two players have ever had twenty thousand plus 548 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:45,519 rebounds. That's a lot. If I had to pick one man, this 549 00:34:45,599 --> 00:34:49,760 is really tough. Maybe with a pace of play, you can envision someone 550 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,880 just like getting a bunch of assists for all fraternity. I'll just go with 551 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:58,199 Wilt rebounds here. That feels like it might be the most unbreakable given how 552 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,360 much of a free for all it is with rebounding, not with just who 553 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:06,280 is grabbing them, but how teams are even going about attacking, you know, 554 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:07,880 the glass, like on offense or even like you see some of these 555 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,679 really good offensive teams that are smaller and so they're not as good on the 556 00:35:12,199 --> 00:35:15,880 defensive glass. I'm sticking with that. Don't feel confident with it fascinating question, 557 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,679 though, west Bank by irving as the greatest season, what's the greatest 558 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:22,840 season by total points added the regular season and playoffs. I'm breaking these up 559 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:27,719 because otherwise the answer would just be the same. Wilt Chamberman has the greatest 560 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:32,840 regular season on record for TPA nineteen sixty four, a nine twenty six point 561 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:37,760 eight six TPA. Fun fact, by far and away the highest defensive points 562 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,800 saved mark ever of all time for forty seven point three one, and so 563 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,360 that basically means that his nine hundred and twenty seven t PAS just round up 564 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:51,280 was almost a perfect split between offensive and defensive returns, which is just interesting. 565 00:35:51,559 --> 00:35:54,119 If anyone cares about second place, it's twenty seventeen Russell Westbrook at eight 566 00:35:54,199 --> 00:35:59,519 hundred and ninety point six two for the playoffs. Not a surprise at all 567 00:35:59,639 --> 00:36:04,559 Lebron On in twenty eighteen a two forty six point three three playoff TPA. 568 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,960 Second place is Tim Duncan from two thousand and three at two twenty six point 569 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,559 five one. If I had to pick which one of those has the best 570 00:36:12,599 --> 00:36:16,119 chance of being broken, I'm just gonna say it's Lebron's twenty eighteen playoff run 571 00:36:16,119 --> 00:36:22,320 that that will Chamberlin mark feels disgustingly high. But I guess maybe could someone 572 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:23,800 like Luca do it, or even I guess like a Yannis is that or 573 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:28,760 a Yokich like Yokis could be someone who would bust that up. So yeah, 574 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,159 that's a there's your there's your all time. Right. This will be 575 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:35,000 the last question. It's from Eric Flair. Who's the most efficient player in 576 00:36:35,039 --> 00:36:37,599 the fourth quarter right now? Maybe the top five? There are like eight 577 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:43,679 trillion different ways to answer this question. Do I just go by plus minus? 578 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,199 Do I go by you know, if you have some fancy metrics, 579 00:36:45,199 --> 00:36:50,800 whereas clutch win probability added. I'm just gonna look at true shooting percentage and 580 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:55,159 try and come up with names by extending their usage. So let's look at 581 00:36:55,199 --> 00:37:00,840 this past season everyone who played in more than six minutes per game in the 582 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:05,840 fourth quarter, so at least six six plus minutes average in fourth quarters. 583 00:37:06,119 --> 00:37:08,480 And let's also look at players who posted a usage above twenty. Kind of 584 00:37:08,559 --> 00:37:13,320 arbitrary. Maybe could have gone higher usage there, but twenty just feels like 585 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:15,719 a good, like solid benchmark to go with. And then we're also going 586 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:19,639 to say that they had a play in at least fifty games this year, 587 00:37:19,679 --> 00:37:22,360 because that's more than half the season, more than half of the fourth quarters. 588 00:37:22,559 --> 00:37:24,920 So the criteria for this is and we still get about eighty plus players 589 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:31,079 who qualify. It's a usage above twenty in at least fifty appearances while averaging 590 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:37,079 more than six minutes per game in the fourth quarter. So minimum a fifty 591 00:37:37,079 --> 00:37:39,239 fourth quarter played, if fifty fourth quarters played, if you want to frame 592 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:43,000 it that way, our top five are I was not surprised to see number 593 00:37:43,039 --> 00:37:46,119 one I sorted by true shooting percentage Nicole Yokich with a sixty nine true shooting 594 00:37:46,159 --> 00:37:51,639 percentage, Moleikue Monk coming in it. Number two, sixty five point nine 595 00:37:51,679 --> 00:37:57,000 true shooting percentage, Damian Lillard number three. Color be shocked that he did 596 00:37:57,079 --> 00:38:00,159 hit fifty three games played. I thought he would miss them. More work 597 00:38:00,199 --> 00:38:05,079 on this sixty five point one true shooting, Norman Powell sixty four point eight 598 00:38:05,079 --> 00:38:08,360 true shooting, and then Kyrie Irving sixty four point six true shooting. If 599 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,800 you don't like the idea of having Monk er Powell because they feel like they're 600 00:38:13,079 --> 00:38:15,440 more complimentary players, we could go two more players. Deep Bam was six 601 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:21,159 sixty four point four true shooting in the fourth quarter this year and Anthony Davis 602 00:38:21,199 --> 00:38:23,679 sixty four point three true shooting in the fourth quarter. So there are your 603 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:28,639 quote unquote most efficient players in the fourth quarter from this past season. I 604 00:38:28,639 --> 00:38:30,239 hope you will enjoy this mail bag. If you've not done so already, 605 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:34,679 Please remember who subscribe to this podcast on YouTube, Botify, and Apple. 606 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,639 Tell all your friends, family members, acquaintances, random people on the street 607 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,159 and internet co workers, enemies, even anyone who you know might like a 608 00:38:40,199 --> 00:38:44,599 basketball podcast. And then remember to follow us on all the socials at Harvard 609 00:38:44,639 --> 00:38:49,519 Knox on TikTok and Twitter, at Harvard Underscore Knox on Instagram, join our 610 00:38:49,559 --> 00:38:52,039 discord links in the podcast and YouTube description. Until next time, and as 611 00:38:52,079 --> 00:38:54,920 always, I'll leave you with the shout out that the one feel me be 612 00:38:55,039 --> 00:38:59,400 indelible, the real most efficient player not only in the fourth quarter, but 613 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:12,000 in them of all time. Frank Dealer. Keep h