1 00:00:15,759 --> 00:00:20,079 What is up, fellow thermonuclear a Ffers. I am Dan for Valley, 2 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,760 coming at you with another NBA teen look ahead ahead of the twenty two twenty 3 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,679 three NBA season. We are on at long last to the Brooklyn Nets, 4 00:00:28,039 --> 00:00:31,160 and I have here I'm super excited to get to speak with for the first 5 00:00:31,199 --> 00:00:36,359 time. Matt Brooks. He covers the Nets for Nets Daily. They are 6 00:00:36,439 --> 00:00:39,399 ubiquitous in the Nets media circle, so you of course know who they are. 7 00:00:39,439 --> 00:00:42,840 And he does some NBA content for Basketball News and he's a host of 8 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:48,359 the clear Out podcast also under the Blue Wire umbrella at Matt Brooks NBA. 9 00:00:48,439 --> 00:00:52,880 Follow him on Twitter immediately and it's spelled exactly as it sounds. Matt. 10 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,159 I have many questions for you, but the most important of which is how 11 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,320 the heck are you doing hanging in there? It's pretty good. This is 12 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:02,079 the most for fresh I felt coming into a season. You know, media 13 00:01:02,159 --> 00:01:07,200 day, there was there was no zoom going on like last year. Last 14 00:01:07,239 --> 00:01:11,079 year, of course, Kyrie zoomed into the media day because he was unable 15 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:15,200 to go because of New York health regulations, which I think was a precursor 16 00:01:15,239 --> 00:01:18,359 for the season. This year, everything's gone very smoothly so far, so 17 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,799 I'm doing well. That's awesome. And you know, this was a team. 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,079 When I'm trying to do all these look aheads I map out teams, 19 00:01:26,079 --> 00:01:29,000 I need to wait, and I hate asking people too close to the start 20 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,079 of the season because I know it's busy. But then there are teams w 21 00:01:30,159 --> 00:01:34,920 I'm like, they're so combustible or potentially dramatic. I can't ask them to 22 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:37,799 go too early because this will just become outdated. And I was looking at 23 00:01:37,799 --> 00:01:38,799 the nets, I'm like, maybe they got all the drama out of their 24 00:01:38,799 --> 00:01:42,760 system, but I waited anyway, But it really seems like we were just 25 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:45,680 talking about not for the whole year, but like for now, looking at 26 00:01:45,719 --> 00:01:49,000 training camp and being able to focus on the roster, how their play. 27 00:01:49,359 --> 00:01:53,359 So much shit happened over the off season. That was almost like, Okay, 28 00:01:53,359 --> 00:01:56,840 well they checked all those boxes and now we can actually just focus on 29 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,079 like what this team might actually be. Yeah. I think Katie had a 30 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,760 quote it was what two days ago, Yeah, two days ago at practice. 31 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:06,920 He was talking about, you know, kind of we're gonna learn who 32 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,319 we are when we go through a losing streak, which I thought was like 33 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:14,360 kind of like it's it's super accurate. It's also just kind of like that's 34 00:02:14,479 --> 00:02:15,960 the best way to describe the Nets right now. Like things are good right 35 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,000 now. We're not going to know until there's an injury or if they go 36 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,960 through a little skid. I mean, they have a pretty tough schedule even 37 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,639 just starting out. I think they play the Grizzlies, Raptors, Books and 38 00:02:27,759 --> 00:02:30,879 two other teams that are Dallas I think is one of them. So they 39 00:02:30,879 --> 00:02:34,719 have like a pretty tough schedule to start And that's a really gonna learn about 40 00:02:34,719 --> 00:02:37,319 who the Nets are. But for now, yeah, vibes are good. 41 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:42,000 It seems like good things are happening so far. We do have to start 42 00:02:42,199 --> 00:02:45,400 there, though, with everything that happened over the off season, the Kyrie 43 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:50,439 contract negotiations, him looking for a sign in trade or a different different team, 44 00:02:50,479 --> 00:02:53,240 not being able to find it, Kevin Durant reportedly requesting a trade, 45 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:59,319 Coundurant reportedly wanting Steve Nash and Shawn Shawn Marks fired. Everyone's just still here 46 00:02:59,599 --> 00:03:02,000 like that they're all just still here. Are we really supposed to believe that 47 00:03:02,439 --> 00:03:08,039 this is all okay now and they can coexist for at least the entire season. 48 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,400 I mean, I guess I don't. I feel like it's been I'll 49 00:03:13,439 --> 00:03:15,879 say this like, I think it's been a really humbling last year for every 50 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:21,680 star and really everybody involved with the Nets. You know, the early exit 51 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:27,560 I think played a pretty big role in Durant specifically wanting to leave. I 52 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,360 think that was humbling for the front office, for the coaching staff. I 53 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:36,000 think it's fair to say the Nets have not taken this regular season super seriously 54 00:03:36,039 --> 00:03:39,479 in years past. Resting guys, I just don't know how much urgency there 55 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,400 was this year. There feels like there's a little bit more from top down 56 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,039 at least from front office to coaching staff, and then for the players. 57 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,199 I mean, Kyrie had a very humbling summer, which he addressed in media 58 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,240 day. I thought that was really interesting, basically saying, hey, like, 59 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,159 I'll be real, like I tried to look for other suitors and there 60 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,319 wasn't really anything there, which has been pretty widely reported. Ben Simmons is 61 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,719 of course like looking to come back and just figure out a good home for 62 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,199 himself. I think it's been a very humbling year for him and then Durant, 63 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,759 you know, being what one of the two most market three most marketable 64 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,839 stars, biggest stars in the league, asked for a trade and was not 65 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,480 able to get traded. So it's like everybody's been humbled in different with everyone 66 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,839 would be honest and you know, like we'll see real So I think, 67 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,120 you know, for everybody involved, it was pretty humbling and now it's like 68 00:04:31,519 --> 00:04:36,279 we're kind of at ground zero. We're gonna see where it goes. I 69 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,079 if you had to like not even predict, but it's just like, are 70 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:44,399 you at the point where you're trying to analyze what this team is in Kimpacome, 71 00:04:44,439 --> 00:04:46,560 but you also in the back of your mind, in the middle of 72 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,240 your mind, at the four of your mind, just have to brace yourself 73 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,920 for like fucking anything, like not even the worst, just like something you 74 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:56,759 don't even seem, like, you know, Kyrie, like start like quitting 75 00:04:56,759 --> 00:04:59,959 and starting a career like a musician, or like I just you could tell 76 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,519 me any scenario about this team, anything, and I would just be like, 77 00:05:02,519 --> 00:05:04,920 you know what, yeah, Okay, I see it. Yeah, 78 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,959 I've like pretty much gone through everything in my head that could happen. Like 79 00:05:08,959 --> 00:05:12,680 it would be like Joe Harris, you know, the ankle isn't isn't what 80 00:05:12,879 --> 00:05:15,639 you know, two surgeries later, he's still not one hundred percent Seth Curry 81 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,879 has trouble getting back from his ankle surgery. T J. Warren as a 82 00:05:18,879 --> 00:05:24,079 hologram, uh, you know, like every like and then they start out 83 00:05:24,519 --> 00:05:30,360 what like five and ten, and then Nash gets fired and then Durant's gone 84 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,600 at the deadline, like it's like everything bad that can happen will happen before 85 00:05:32,759 --> 00:05:35,240 February. So it's like, if they can just get through that stretch, 86 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:41,079 I actually feel pretty good about them. Man, Kevin Durant midseason trade would 87 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,480 just be weird. I'm trying to remember when left time, like a top 88 00:05:43,519 --> 00:05:46,439 five player was trade in the middle of the season. I don't I don't 89 00:05:46,439 --> 00:05:48,000 know that James James hn was not playing at that level when he was in 90 00:05:48,079 --> 00:05:53,000 Houston and came to Brooklyn at least, So that would just be that would 91 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,720 be wild. You had mentioned you're talking about their start of the season. 92 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,399 They have some built in excuses if things go around, like because is the 93 00:06:00,519 --> 00:06:01,759 TJ. Warren stuff. We know he's not ready. I thought that was 94 00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:04,360 a super intriguing signing though, if he can get on the court at all. 95 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:10,680 But are there any like long term concerns for Seth Curry still being out 96 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,920 with his uh ankle issue. They're all foot issues. And then Joe Harris 97 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,199 like, is this just precautionary that they've they've held him out or is this 98 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:21,519 something that could be you know, lingering. Yeah, they're saying it's precautionary 99 00:06:21,519 --> 00:06:26,720 with Joe if they're saying like it's just sore nous from not playing for a 100 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,079 while, which I mean, I'm not I'm not gonna sit here and speculate 101 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,600 on that. I guess I'm just like a little I'm just sort of watching 102 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,240 that situation from a far and being like, all right, is this gonna 103 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:40,399 be a lingering thing? Is it going to be he's able to play for 104 00:06:40,439 --> 00:06:43,720 two games and then he's not, you know fully like, I just kind 105 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,720 of He's a guy that was such an i don't know, such a rock 106 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,519 for them and able really rarely miss games. So now if that's gonna be 107 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,399 a thing with him where he's in and out of the lineup this year, 108 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,560 that's something to watch. And then yeah, I mean Seth, it seems 109 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,800 like he's just he said he was like eighty five ninety scent. I feel 110 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,920 a little better about him in a way, mostly because he hasn't had two 111 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:09,240 surgeries on the same left ankle in the last year, which is not a 112 00:07:09,319 --> 00:07:13,560 good side. But you know, again, like I think, I mean 113 00:07:14,199 --> 00:07:17,439 the Nets with the Nets luck both of those guys that can be hurt throughout 114 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,160 the year. But I feel like you're gonna get one or the other at 115 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:25,279 some point, maybe you get both is set available for well, do you 116 00:07:25,279 --> 00:07:27,879 think he'll be available for Opening Night? Like he hasn't even done five on 117 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,439 five work. I was reading I think just yesterday, and so they seems 118 00:07:30,439 --> 00:07:33,879 so optimistic and if you're at eighty five to ninety percent, like that's only 119 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:38,720 eight percent of Oh I can begin like five on five work eighty right, 120 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,000 I'm not all the way back, Yeah, especially for a team that's as 121 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,920 cautious as the Nets. And I just feel like the last couple of years, 122 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,319 if anything, it's made them more cautious, you know, with the 123 00:07:46,519 --> 00:07:50,839 James Harden thing, for example, two years ago, they bring him back 124 00:07:50,879 --> 00:07:56,720 and he reaggravates the him stringing thing against the Knicks, and so I just 125 00:07:56,839 --> 00:08:00,319 I feel like, in a way, if he's not already doing five five, 126 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:01,720 I don't know how long he'll be out, but I certainly don't think 127 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,160 he'll be there for Opening Night. Uh. That kind of sucks. But 128 00:08:05,199 --> 00:08:07,079 again, that's if things go off the rails, it's like, oh, 129 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,199 well they don't have Seth Curry or I guess at that point though, it's 130 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,680 if Joe Harris is back, and then you're not really like do we know 131 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:18,120 anything Additionally on TJ. Warren other than we don't think he's a hologram. 132 00:08:18,519 --> 00:08:20,879 Uh, he's supposed to be reevaluated in November. That's they that's kind of 133 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,199 the the timeline they've been sticking to. Who knows. I mean, like, 134 00:08:24,319 --> 00:08:28,199 if you ask me, do I think I'm gonna see him play basketball 135 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,080 in twenty twenty two, I'd probably say no. But that's just because November 136 00:08:31,159 --> 00:08:33,960 is like, you know, then you only have another month. You're just 137 00:08:35,039 --> 00:08:37,360 reevaluating, like you're not like, all right, you're gonna get out there 138 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,639 and do five on five, Like it's like we're gonna be like, hey, 139 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,879 we're just gonna kick this down the road and see where you're at. 140 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:46,240 I will say, like on the built in excuse thing, I do feel 141 00:08:46,279 --> 00:08:50,360 like that's a little bit last two years Netsy where they're like, well, 142 00:08:50,399 --> 00:08:52,240 you know, and that was always something that Nash would do after you know, 143 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,639 even after the Boston Series, it was like, you know, like 144 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,159 we never really got our team together, you know, we just never got 145 00:08:58,159 --> 00:09:01,559 that continuity. Like at a certain point, it's like, all right, 146 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,039 like how many times are we gonna keep throwing this excuse out there? In 147 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,720 a way, like, at a certain point, you have who you have 148 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,360 and you have to win games that way. So I would I would hope 149 00:09:11,399 --> 00:09:15,519 they don't do that. I think they would be indicative of this team not 150 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,480 growing from there what they've learned over the last couple of years. I will 151 00:09:18,519 --> 00:09:22,000 say, I am just mentally preparing for t J. Warren not to like 152 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:26,759 be back until almost the playoffs because that they got him at the minimum, 153 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,080 unless he's just in love with Brooklyn or really wanted to play with like Dayron 154 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:31,879 Sharp or something for some reason. There are so many teams. I was 155 00:09:31,919 --> 00:09:35,399 like, I would love to know what his medical said, because there were 156 00:09:35,399 --> 00:09:39,039 just so many teams where I would have thrown at least the full minimli at 157 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,320 him for a year and said, yeah, you don't have to play until 158 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,360 two thowy three, but as long as you're here, we'll pay you. 159 00:09:43,879 --> 00:09:48,440 Yeah. The like they got right in front of that pretty quickly, with 160 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,200 TJ just being like, yeah, we're going to reevaluate him like there wasn't 161 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,440 there wasn't any you know, this was not something they were wavering on. 162 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:56,480 So that's like for me, I heard that right away, and I was 163 00:09:56,519 --> 00:09:58,440 like, I don't know. I mean, I don't even know like if 164 00:09:58,519 --> 00:10:01,679 if they do get him back, let's say he comes back as late as 165 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,799 after the All Star break, like do you try to get him into the 166 00:10:05,879 --> 00:10:07,720 rotation or do you already kind of have your rotation set? And it's like, 167 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:09,440 all right, well, I don't know what we're gonna do here, 168 00:10:09,519 --> 00:10:16,039 Like I'm not I really like t J. I think he represents a mold 169 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,759 of a player that can be super beneficial for the team, but it really 170 00:10:18,759 --> 00:10:22,159 depends on like when he's able to get back, and you know, I 171 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,799 just I don't know. I'm not penciling him in as like a guy they're 172 00:10:24,799 --> 00:10:28,120 going to be leading on, I guess. And I think probably his most 173 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,399 valuable attribute to them is the way he improved on ball defensively in Indiana, 174 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,799 and that's something it's like, well, can you count on that when he 175 00:10:33,799 --> 00:10:37,440 hasn't played basketball in two years and it's come back from this foot thing. 176 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,519 Yeah. Yeah, And I did a whole big, like nine minute video. 177 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:43,639 I was like, really one of the big offseason projects I did on 178 00:10:43,759 --> 00:10:46,080 him, And like, the two things that stood out to me and I 179 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,519 think would be really helpful for the NETS was one, like, yes, 180 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:52,159 the on ball defense that you mentioned. I also really like that they're kind 181 00:10:52,159 --> 00:10:56,000 of mixing in some degree of drops, some degree of switching. I think 182 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:00,879 he'd probably look a little better in a switching team where he doesn't have to 183 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,559 navigate screens as much. That's something I'm pretty high on for him. And 184 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,440 then just the way he plays off ball, his cutting, like based on 185 00:11:07,519 --> 00:11:09,840 how much movement this team is already playing with, that guy is going to 186 00:11:09,919 --> 00:11:13,240 be really really beneficial for what they're doing. But again, I mean he 187 00:11:13,279 --> 00:11:16,279 needs to get on the floor to actually do that. I'm sure everyone who's 188 00:11:16,279 --> 00:11:20,240 listening expected us to vote the first huge portman the podcast to set Kerry Joe 189 00:11:20,279 --> 00:11:24,600 Harris and t J. Warren that was that was always going to be the 190 00:11:24,639 --> 00:11:28,240 plan. Ben Simmons is on this team and playing basketball, which has been 191 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,960 fun to see, would have just been your early impressions of his fit on 192 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,759 Austin offense, anything that's pleasantly surprised you, anything that still concerns you're leading 193 00:11:37,759 --> 00:11:41,759 into the regular season. And this is with the caveat all preseason is preseason's 194 00:11:41,759 --> 00:11:43,720 preseason. But what are your early impressions on him? Yeah, like, 195 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,320 you know, I mean, it's it's so cliche, but his aggressiveness is 196 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,559 really going to dictate what he looks like night tonight. And that's actually the 197 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,559 big thing I'm watching for in the first month is not what he's doing on 198 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,159 offense, not what he's looking, you know, doing on defense, although 199 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,480 he brings brings it pretty much every game defensively, know, it's like, 200 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:05,080 just what is it like to track Ben Simmons for a whole month? Like 201 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,919 are you are? How many games are you? Like, I don't really 202 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:09,320 know what we got from Ben there. It's like, Wow, this was 203 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:15,519 the Ben Simmons. You know, this like athletic Draymond Green idea that we've 204 00:12:15,639 --> 00:12:20,320 we've kind of fetishized. Is that kind of what we're getting day to day? 205 00:12:20,399 --> 00:12:22,879 So that's what I'm really curious about. I think yesterday against the Bucks, 206 00:12:22,919 --> 00:12:26,120 again, I don't I'm kind of we talked about this before we went 207 00:12:26,279 --> 00:12:31,600 live here. I don't want to glean too much from preseason in general. 208 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:37,120 That's I don't know. You can guess I mostly look for schemes and just 209 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,120 general macro ideas on teams. But I thought it was kind of interesting how 210 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,440 they used him a little bit, you know, using him in the short 211 00:12:43,519 --> 00:12:48,120 role, letting him make plays. I've always kind of when thinking about the 212 00:12:48,159 --> 00:12:52,159 fit between him and Nick Claxton, which on paper can be clunky, I've 213 00:12:52,159 --> 00:12:56,720 always compared a little bit to a Brooklyn version of Lob City, where you 214 00:12:56,759 --> 00:13:01,559 have Claxton hovering around the dunker spots, and then you have Simmons kind of 215 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:03,960 playing in the blake role where he's going to be short rolling. And it's 216 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,639 even took a floater yesterday, which will be nice because defenses have no reason 217 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,879 to really defend him unless he's around the rim. So that I think is 218 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:18,519 what I'm watching for, is just do they change his utilization that much because 219 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,440 the first game that they played in the preseason, he's handling the ball and 220 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:24,039 pick and roll. He's like running screen and roll with Nick Clackson. Like, 221 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,399 I just don't have any interest in seeing that that to me is no 222 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:33,399 imagine the points per possession on that will end up being pretty low. Yeah, 223 00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:35,320 I mean it's it's literally like they run it. He stops at the 224 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,120 elbow and they've reset and now they're at the top of the key with Kyrie 225 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,639 or Katie with the ball with less time on the shot clock. Like it's 226 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,039 it's pointless pointless offense. Is there? Like have you noticed or would you 227 00:13:46,039 --> 00:13:50,200 be able to guess what would be the biggest difference on how he's used offensively 228 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,039 in Brooklyn versus what we know about all the stuff he didn't Filly, I 229 00:13:54,039 --> 00:13:58,120 don't think they've changed that much of what he's doing on offense. I think 230 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,399 we're probably gonna start seeing that a little bit more over the next month, 231 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,600 you know. I actually asked Nash about that, yeah, two days ago 232 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:09,399 at practice, and one of the things he mentioned was just like a the 233 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,679 short rolling stuff that whatever he's doing in terms of being an open space when 234 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:18,480 they have the advantage, the four on three advantage offensively. The other thing 235 00:14:18,519 --> 00:14:20,240 that I thought was really interesting and I would like to see quite a bit 236 00:14:20,279 --> 00:14:24,200 as just him attacking from the second side, so if you can kind of 237 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,159 use him as a taller Bruce Brown and have him, you know, make 238 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:31,840 those forty five cuts or yeah, it's kind of slashing cuts from the wings 239 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,600 or even cutting along the baseline. I think that's pretty interesting way to use 240 00:14:35,679 --> 00:14:41,759 him as well and take advantage of how dynamic he is that way. How 241 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:46,039 much do you think they're invested in playing him and Nick Klaxon together for long 242 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:50,039 stretches Probably depends on the matchup, right, you know, like it against 243 00:14:50,039 --> 00:14:52,200 the Bucks, that made sense because you I mean, you look at them 244 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,559 play the Bucks and it's like, this is a lot different than last year. 245 00:14:54,840 --> 00:15:00,320 You know, this team isn't suddenly dwarfed in size. They have three 246 00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:03,879 guys that are over six foot ten making up their front court and Durant, 247 00:15:05,519 --> 00:15:09,000 Claxton and Simmons. So I think that that will depend on the matchup. 248 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,399 You're not gonna be able to do that against every team, and that'll be 249 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:16,000 a big test for Steve Nash is like how quick is his hook for realizing, 250 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,639 hey, this is probably not the right way to do this. That 251 00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:22,120 that I think will be a big test. But in certain games it's gonna 252 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:26,600 look really good. Do you envision that Simmons is going to play and Nash 253 00:15:26,639 --> 00:15:30,320 has talked about this, and I'd think Simmons is even mentioned to you anticipate 254 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,279 simm In playing like meaningful minutes as sort of the backup five or at the 255 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,840 five, and you go through the roster and like there's Dick Claxton, day 256 00:15:37,879 --> 00:15:41,120 Ron Sharp and then you're running out of centers. Anyway, Ben Simmons just 257 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,799 might end up there organically. But if he's playing with Mark Keith Morris, 258 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,919 is he technically like the center in that situation? But do you think that 259 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:52,879 they're invested in that model? Yeah, it seems like it kind of depends 260 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,799 on when you're doing is that like you know, a crunch time lineup. 261 00:15:56,159 --> 00:16:00,879 I'd probably lean that way. It also depends on what the fit looks like 262 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,840 against certain teams of Nick and Ben. You know, as I just said 263 00:16:06,919 --> 00:16:10,720 like that, I think will really decide how much you're seeing Bennett center, 264 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,200 because you know, I mean, defensively, those two guys are switchable that 265 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,440 it just makes them you know, that's a lot of length that you're throwing 266 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:22,200 at teams that helps your rebound and have those two guys together. But offensively 267 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,639 it can look like it can really look clunky even if you are using Ben 268 00:16:26,679 --> 00:16:30,480 in ways where he's you know, short rolling, or if they you know, 269 00:16:30,639 --> 00:16:36,200 use him as a screener and like split cuts or use Nick as the 270 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,840 screener in split cuts, it still can just look clunky if those sets don't 271 00:16:40,879 --> 00:16:42,200 work, and then it's like, all right, we're trying to run you 272 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,840 know whatever, pick and roller Iso, and we have these two guys that 273 00:16:45,879 --> 00:16:48,639 are kind of just hanging out of the dunker spots. So yeah, it 274 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,080 really will depend on like the matchup, I think, and how much they're 275 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,080 gonna lean on Bennett center. I don't know that I can picture him like 276 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:02,080 defensively as a center without someone else who's on the court to do the center 277 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:03,359 responsibilities. We just we didn't see a lot of it in Philly, and 278 00:17:03,359 --> 00:17:07,759 then the minutes we saw was just like, it wasn't it wasn't great, 279 00:17:07,799 --> 00:17:10,039 and he even looked out of his element there. And so I'm just very 280 00:17:10,039 --> 00:17:11,839 curious to see if they do wind up leaning on that model, even if 281 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:15,200 it's just for certain matchups trying to scale ahead to a potential playoff series. 282 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,039 I just I guess because we haven't seen it a ton, I just can't 283 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:22,319 envision what that looks like defensively for him even Yeah, I mean he's just 284 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,880 not a shopwalker, like he's got it. I think a seven foot wingspan 285 00:17:26,039 --> 00:17:29,200 is a six to eleven guys, so like not super long arms and not 286 00:17:29,279 --> 00:17:32,599 in that way where like Durant has a seven foot five wing span, Like 287 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:34,880 maybe that's who you're You're not gonna lean on Durant at center, but maybe 288 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,079 you're like, hey, we're gonna play Bennett Center and we're just gonna have 289 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:42,440 to hope that Durant is extremely dialed in as like a weak side guy, 290 00:17:44,319 --> 00:17:47,799 you know. So I think, yeah, I don't love it, but 291 00:17:47,839 --> 00:17:51,279 I guess I like it a little bit more. Next to Durant, Steve 292 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,880 Nash has talked about, and you've written about, how the Nets are adding 293 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,599 wrinkles to their offense, a lot of which, including you've talked about some 294 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:02,480 of them already, just more ball movement in general, which isn't what I 295 00:18:02,519 --> 00:18:04,200 think. You know, Durant playing for the Warrior, sure, but hasn't 296 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,799 been a harbing jurn necessarily of teams he and Kyrie have played for, and 297 00:18:07,839 --> 00:18:11,519 certainly not in Brooklyn before. What have you thought about some of the stuff 298 00:18:11,519 --> 00:18:15,720 they tried to implement in preseason. I think the more important question is do 299 00:18:15,759 --> 00:18:18,960 you buy into it translating to the way that they're going to play in the 300 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,759 regular season. Yeah, you know, they've implemented you know, I guess 301 00:18:22,839 --> 00:18:26,559 certain actions and sets that like NBA Twitter nerds love, Like, oh, 302 00:18:26,599 --> 00:18:30,519 they're running some fer action where their centers are setting a ball screen and then 303 00:18:30,559 --> 00:18:36,039 setting a screen elsewhere they're running Spain pick and roll. Just that if you 304 00:18:36,039 --> 00:18:37,680 want NBA Twitter on your side, you have to run Spain pick you have 305 00:18:37,759 --> 00:18:42,480 to. Yeah, if exactly so, Like they're doing a bunch of stuff 306 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,599 like that, which is cool. They're adding more wrinkles to the offense than 307 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,359 just you know, straight high pick and roll and Chicago action. They ran 308 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:53,920 a lot of that last year and that's great. But what I like for 309 00:18:55,039 --> 00:18:59,640 me personally is how much they're diversifying those actions. They're combining them in different 310 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:03,720 ways. They ran Chicago a couple times yesterday, and it wasn't just like, 311 00:19:03,759 --> 00:19:07,079 hey, you know, we're going to have Durant take the ball down, 312 00:19:08,079 --> 00:19:11,720 get the ball to Nick Klaxon, and then somebody's gonna set a screen 313 00:19:11,799 --> 00:19:15,200 for Joe Harris or Kyrie or whatever. No, they would run like a 314 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:21,400 different streening action beforehand they'd have a guy cut through the paint to drag away 315 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,119 the week side defender. Like they're doing a bunch of different things before and 316 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,039 after these sets they just weren't doing last year. It's not as simplified, 317 00:19:29,039 --> 00:19:32,839 I think in a way, and that for me, like is so interesting 318 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:37,839 because you have so many dynamic offensive players. If you're using them together versus 319 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,839 just having guys fill space and just you know, I guess essentially be floor 320 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,839 spacers on the week side and fill the corners and wings, it just makes 321 00:19:45,839 --> 00:19:48,440 you a lot tougher to deal with, and there's just a lot more for 322 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,839 the defense to have to keep track of. So that's the stuff I'm really 323 00:19:52,839 --> 00:19:55,839 excited about. Yeah, like the veer action, Spain pick and roll, 324 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:57,720 that stuff is fun, But the stuff you really want to watch is what 325 00:19:57,759 --> 00:20:03,799 they're doing before and after we get to those recognizable actions. Who do you 326 00:20:03,839 --> 00:20:06,559 think if they're gonna play this way a lot, it ends up being the 327 00:20:06,599 --> 00:20:10,039 biggest adjustment for an offense. When you're looking at their three stars and Kyrie 328 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,119 k D and Simmons, it does feel like it might be a little bit 329 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,480 I don't even know. I was gonna say a little bit more natural for 330 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,720 Simmons, but I feel like that might even be the incorrect answer. Yeah, 331 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,640 that's a good question. I feel like in a way, it's probably 332 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,279 Kyrie and KD in a sense, just because those guys are so good at 333 00:20:26,319 --> 00:20:30,400 creating their own offense that if they go through a stretch where they're a little 334 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,240 bit in the mud and some of the movement they're working or they like to 335 00:20:33,319 --> 00:20:37,359 run isn't working, I wonder if that just turns into all right, we'll 336 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,480 just get me the ball. I'm going to get us out of this stretch, 337 00:20:40,519 --> 00:20:42,559 and that becomes like something that you know, it doesn't I mean, 338 00:20:42,559 --> 00:20:47,119 it's never gonna work against the team because those guys are so good at creating 339 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:48,960 their own offense, but they do get away from you know, I think 340 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,720 what makes them interesting this year. So yeah, I think that's something I 341 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,720 would watch. And that also just like depends on the opponent. You know, 342 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,400 if you're playing a team that switches a bunch like the team, I'm 343 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,799 really interested to see them play as Boston. You know, Boston's got so 344 00:21:02,839 --> 00:21:06,920 many like size guys. If you're just switching a lot of these actions just 345 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:11,480 keeping the ball in front versus all this movement. That to me is like, 346 00:21:11,559 --> 00:21:14,680 all right, we're really going to get a taste of like how effective 347 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,240 all this stuff is that this coaching staff is putting in place, and then 348 00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:21,079 we'll really learn like, all right, are they net's going to stick to 349 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:22,920 their guns and say, hey, we're gonna run movement and hopefully we can 350 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,160 tire out the opponent of just keeping that much focus on our guys or are 351 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:30,720 we going to just kind of devolve into ioball. Essentially, it's almost like 352 00:21:30,799 --> 00:21:33,920 the symptom of when you break it down by a game where it's a team 353 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,680 goes through their offense for the first three and a half quarters but then everything 354 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,920 like bogs down or they deviate from it in crunch time or just towards the 355 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,359 end of the fourth quarter. And it could be very much be like that. 356 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,000 In the off season, preseason you're talking about doing all this stuff, 357 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,880 you're implementing some of this stuff. Games that matter start and you're not doing 358 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,359 it as much anymore. Yeah, that's a good point, As I said, 359 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,599 like the well, I think we'll learn pretty quickly who the nets are 360 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,319 in terms of if they go through a losing stretch, and that would be 361 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,920 the thing I'd watch tourists like, all right, does anything change with how 362 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:07,079 they're playing? Does Simmons become less involved, they look more passive, or 363 00:22:07,079 --> 00:22:08,839 they just literally say, Hey, we're just gonna go get the ball to 364 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,559 our two best players because we're not playing right now and we need to start 365 00:22:12,559 --> 00:22:17,240 playing better. Like that, That's the stuff I think you're worried about, 366 00:22:17,279 --> 00:22:19,839 along with like whatever drama could come from this team, which is quite a 367 00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:23,599 bit of drama. There's there's the ceiling, is the roof? As Michael, 368 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,640 one of the things that I've thought about with this team is how should 369 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:34,640 Steve Nash stagger the star minutes? And my first inclination was I want Ben 370 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,039 Simmons to be like the best version of Ben Simmons. And so I was 371 00:22:38,039 --> 00:22:41,720 like, oh, Ben Simmons with a bench, And then I'm like harkening 372 00:22:41,759 --> 00:22:44,559 back to the days where the Sixers did that and it was terrible. But 373 00:22:44,599 --> 00:22:47,920 then also, you're not trying to play him with Dwight Howard and Mattis Tibell 374 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,279 at the same time in Brooklyn, which star is it most important to have? 375 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,759 Like those staggered units with I ended up landing on KD, but I'm 376 00:22:55,799 --> 00:22:57,799 just curious what your thoughts are with it. I'm with you, They've the 377 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:03,839 Ben Simmons low star minutes have not been great I think so far again preseason 378 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,200 whatever, But like, I just think you can glean certain things from like, 379 00:23:08,599 --> 00:23:11,759 you know, just watching how the offense flows, who has the ball 380 00:23:11,759 --> 00:23:15,880 in their hands, and then it depends a lot more on what Simmons can 381 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,880 do in the half court, which I think we know is like not not 382 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,880 his strength, especially with the ball in hand versus you know, Durant. 383 00:23:22,319 --> 00:23:25,680 I mean, look if like and that's the other thing, like if if 384 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:27,119 you're kind of wondering, like, hey, we need to find moments where 385 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,079 Durant can get his and create his own offense, or Kyrie can create his 386 00:23:30,079 --> 00:23:34,200 own offense, Like those solo units are the time to do that. So 387 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,960 I think you're probably gonna take one guy or the other. I've always liked 388 00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:42,240 Durant more with you know, a set of role players than Kyrie. I 389 00:23:42,279 --> 00:23:47,440 think Kyrie is his stature works against him a little bit in that setting. 390 00:23:48,519 --> 00:23:51,920 And then just in general, like I think Durant's better at finding guys shots 391 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,519 than than Kyrie and attracts more defensive attention. So that's that for me, 392 00:23:56,599 --> 00:24:00,960 is what I would go with as well. I still wondering if, because 393 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,720 they have the ability at some point to surround it could be Ben Simmons and 394 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,559 then, as Matt Moore of Action Network would say, a fuck ton of 395 00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:11,799 shooting. I just wonder if those units without Kyrie and Katie could eventually work. 396 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,240 But I again, I came to the same conclusion that you did, 397 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,119 just because I think I have PTSD from some of those minutes they played in 398 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:18,759 Philly with him and Dwight Howard. Yeah, and it's just like, you 399 00:24:18,799 --> 00:24:22,799 know, I mean, you could put all the shooting you you want around 400 00:24:22,839 --> 00:24:26,400 Ben and like you could run like pick and pop action or whatever you could. 401 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,680 You could use Ben as a screener. But it's like, I just 402 00:24:29,759 --> 00:24:32,759 mean, somebody that I know can get into the paint and spray out. 403 00:24:32,839 --> 00:24:36,640 And if it's just Ben with no other stars and guys that are going to 404 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,480 attract a ton of offensive attention or defensive attention, then I just don't know 405 00:24:40,519 --> 00:24:44,440 if that's super feasible. It might look, it might sound a lot better 406 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:48,279 than it looks. This might not be an issue because of everything we discussed 407 00:24:48,279 --> 00:24:52,079 at the top of this podcast, with the durability of this roster, does 408 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,319 Cam Thomas get squeezed out of this rotation when they're at full strength? I 409 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:59,400 think so, And I like I like Cam. I honestly, there's a 410 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,680 couple of rookie they have on this roster that I feel like our second third 411 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:07,240 team guys. Cam feels like somebody he just sort of need. I mean, 412 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,839 he just needs like more usage, and I like him, Like, 413 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,000 I think he can be a good player, a good score. I don't 414 00:25:12,039 --> 00:25:15,680 know what the ceiling is for him, but I think it can be pretty 415 00:25:15,759 --> 00:25:18,319 high. I don't think it's gonna happen here. I was always kind of 416 00:25:18,319 --> 00:25:21,799 puzzled when they made that pick when they did, because I was just like, 417 00:25:21,839 --> 00:25:23,880 I don't know how like a guy that's leading, you know whatever, 418 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,720 leading college and scoring is going to be able to thrive on this team with 419 00:25:27,759 --> 00:25:33,319 like scorts essentially. Kessler Edwards is another guy where it's like, I really 420 00:25:33,319 --> 00:25:36,200 like that guy. I think the big thing for him is just like, 421 00:25:37,079 --> 00:25:41,160 you know, believing in himself not to be too cliche and with a team 422 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,759 where there's so much pressure to succeed and so many guys kind of now fighting 423 00:25:45,759 --> 00:25:51,880 for that wing position. You know, I feel like he's another guy that's 424 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,359 like, I'm really gonna like him when he's you know, I don't know, 425 00:25:55,519 --> 00:25:59,039 on the Raptors or something like that in a couple of years. One 426 00:25:59,079 --> 00:26:02,599 of the nine thousand and six eight guys I've got, and he I was 427 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:06,519 with Kessler Edwards though. I was just wondering if TJ warns out Kevin Durant 428 00:26:06,559 --> 00:26:08,559 is not really a wing. Royce O'Neill is small. I guess Joe Harris 429 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,640 is like kind of a wing excuse more swing man if they just want to 430 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:15,000 have like some true wing minutes, like you could just throw out Edwards at 431 00:26:15,039 --> 00:26:18,920 six seven or six eight whatever he's standing at. Yeah, I feel like 432 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,559 I just said confidence is the big thing from him for him, and that's 433 00:26:21,559 --> 00:26:23,200 why I say, like second third team, Like it's not it's not even 434 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:26,079 that he's you know whatever, he needs to develop a skill or something like 435 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,160 that. It's just like one of those guys that like, I just think 436 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,240 he's gonna be better in a different setting where there isn't this cloud of doom 437 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:36,880 kind of hanging over everything even though things are really good. Or I don't 438 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,599 know, but really good but like as good as they have been in a 439 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:44,799 while in Brooklyn. That I think is probably where I see him thriving a 440 00:26:44,839 --> 00:26:48,640 little bit more, and like right now he's being played out or outplayed by 441 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:53,680 you to Watnabe, So it's like that's what I could I love. Yeah, 442 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,839 uh, that so he's gonna is he? You think you don't want 443 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,000 an abbe makes the roster? Then oh so man, he's look pretty good 444 00:27:00,039 --> 00:27:03,160 good? Yeah, I mean that would be I think you want to add 445 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,799 another guy like that that just as it fills that wing position for you, 446 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,319 especially when you don't know what you're getting from t. J. Warren. 447 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,279 And you know, even Joe Harris is kind of like, let's hope his 448 00:27:14,319 --> 00:27:17,400 ankle's good, like I would, I would hope they bring him aboard and 449 00:27:17,759 --> 00:27:21,359 keep him kind of involved in this team. He guys reminds me so much 450 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,720 of ken Rich Williams in many ways, probably a scaled down version at this 451 00:27:23,759 --> 00:27:27,400 point because he can feel so many different gaps and he's not going to be 452 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:32,160 like a master of anything. But this team has masters of all these different 453 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,920 things. They don't have enough guys, like we're talking about cam Thomas just 454 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,559 feels so redundant on this team after some of the flashes he's showed last year. 455 00:27:38,599 --> 00:27:41,480 I'm not a big fan of, oh, well, you need to 456 00:27:41,519 --> 00:27:44,759 get rid of this youngster. But if like you're sticking with this core and 457 00:27:44,759 --> 00:27:47,640 this is the direction you're headed, it might be time to like sell high 458 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,480 in a different type of trade that gets you someone who feels more of the 459 00:27:49,519 --> 00:27:52,680 gaps that you need, which is complimentary offense, but more so just like 460 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,519 complimentary defense for this team. That's why I really like wants anobby for them 461 00:27:56,559 --> 00:28:00,640 is when he's healthy. I just think there's just a lot of underrated mobility 462 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,440 and positional maaluability to him. Yeah, for sure, you know, and 463 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:07,680 I think he want as many guys like that as possible with like the top 464 00:28:07,759 --> 00:28:10,839 end talent that you have, where it's like we have we're not worried about 465 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,559 the offense. We're gonna be top eight in the league for as long as 466 00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:17,880 we have Kyrie and Katy like after that, it's just like, let's get 467 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:19,880 gap fillers. Let's get a guy like Utah who can you know, slide 468 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:25,880 up and down positionally defensively and uh and and you know, rebound the ball, 469 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:27,160 Like we just kind of want guys that are going to do that little 470 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,839 extra stuff, you know, versus a guy like Cam Thomas, who it's 471 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,960 like, you know, he's on a rookie scale deal. Probably a lot 472 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,079 of teams that still look at this guy and say, yeah, this is 473 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:41,960 like an interesting player if we get him in our system or whatever. The 474 00:28:42,079 --> 00:28:45,599 longer you wait on that because I like, there's I don't see a path 475 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,880 for Cam Thomas to get you know, more minutes unless Kyrie or Katy is 476 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:56,160 moved. So it's yeah, we're interesting, yeah exactly, But even so 477 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:57,920 it's like, I don't see a path for that, And in a sense, 478 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:03,240 you're just appreciating the US over time. What is the defensive ceiling of 479 00:29:03,279 --> 00:29:07,319 this team? I look at the roster and I'm not impressed, But there 480 00:29:07,359 --> 00:29:11,480 are some things that they could They actually were like around bottom ten outside garbage 481 00:29:11,519 --> 00:29:14,400 time points per possession last year and some of the things weren't correctable, where 482 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,640 it's like, if this team is healthy, it probably commits fewer turnovers if 483 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,759 they actually care about getting back in transition, so they're not allowing like one 484 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:26,079 ka billion points per possession off of their turnovers, But what is like, 485 00:29:26,319 --> 00:29:29,000 how do you see them defending? What is the defensive ceiling? Are you 486 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:33,559 concerned with the rebounding where they were one of the if not v worst defensive 487 00:29:33,559 --> 00:29:36,799 rebounding team the league last year. I guess with Simmons and Clackston minutes you 488 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:38,160 might be fine, But when you're playing one of them at a time, 489 00:29:38,359 --> 00:29:42,319 what are just the big you know, the flashbulb concerns or maybe highlights of 490 00:29:42,319 --> 00:29:48,240 how this team can will or won't defend. Yeah, that's a good question. 491 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:53,160 I'm probably a little higher on the team defensively than you. You know, 492 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:57,039 I think they can defend size a little bit better just because of bringing 493 00:29:57,079 --> 00:30:03,240 in Ben Simmons, bringing in and somebody like Royce O'Neil and having him essentially 494 00:30:03,319 --> 00:30:07,400 take over for what you had Bruce Brown doing. You know, Roy springs 495 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,079 a little bit more size. He can guard up the positional scale a little 496 00:30:10,079 --> 00:30:12,400 bit. He's you know, he's had defensive possessions against all types of guys. 497 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,799 Ye, honest, He's had a couple of gets Joel and beat over 498 00:30:15,839 --> 00:30:19,119 the years. Granted these are like on switches, They're not intentionally putting him 499 00:30:19,119 --> 00:30:22,920 on these guys, but like He's a guy that can hold his own against 500 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,799 guys that kind of tower over him. So I like that. I think 501 00:30:26,839 --> 00:30:30,680 that in that way, they'll be more set up to play against a team 502 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,640 that grows increasingly larger. I will say, in terms of scheme versatility, 503 00:30:37,119 --> 00:30:41,759 switching, I think will be in especially with Nick and Simmons comprising the front 504 00:30:41,759 --> 00:30:45,839 court, that's gonna be really pretty much their bread and butter drop defense will 505 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,319 see. I haven't loved Nick Klaxson as a drop defender ever, and I 506 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:52,200 don't think they have the screen navigators that they did last year, you know, 507 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:57,799 DeAndre Bembery and Bruce Brown or great especially at the gates in terms of 508 00:30:57,799 --> 00:31:02,440 defending that way. This year it's like, you know, like Royce O'Neil 509 00:31:02,519 --> 00:31:06,400 can be good. Ben Simmons a really good screen navigator. But there's certain 510 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:10,160 teams like Philly for example, with Tyrese Maxey, where there's just gonna be 511 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,559 guys that are so quick that they're gonna get by pretty much everybody. And 512 00:31:12,599 --> 00:31:17,240 that's the stuff that I'm watching. It's like, all right, what does 513 00:31:17,279 --> 00:31:19,079 that look like? Are there certain teams that are just bad matchups for the 514 00:31:19,119 --> 00:31:22,119 Nets? But I think holistically over the year. I think they can be 515 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,599 like top ten, maybe back back end of the top ten. Defensively, 516 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,519 I'm pretty high on this team. Yeah, I like it. I might 517 00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:33,079 be discounting maybe how many minutes I think they can get away with Nick Klackson 518 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:37,519 Ben Simmons because of both of them are on the floor. It allows Ben 519 00:31:37,559 --> 00:31:40,079 Simmons to want to defend the way that he's used to defending, and then 520 00:31:40,119 --> 00:31:42,759 that makes I thought people were too hard on Royce O'Neill last year. I 521 00:31:42,799 --> 00:31:45,319 was just like, look at like the burden this guy's fucking Karen. He 522 00:31:45,319 --> 00:31:48,960 shouldn't have to. That makes Royce O'Neil's job easier if he's gonna play with 523 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,799 that group. Top ten is is like if this team is eighteen, if 524 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,839 like let's say seventeenth to defensive efficiency, what they should be on offense for 525 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,599 a majority of their minutes, I would say, like that ends being like 526 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:05,440 this supernova contender because I look at them and I feel maybe I just don't 527 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,720 have a high enough ceiling on them. You're probably closer than I, but 528 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:09,799 I do feel like their floor on defense or a team with Ben Simmons might 529 00:32:09,799 --> 00:32:13,759 be just a little bit shockingly lower than people are. I think they're just 530 00:32:13,799 --> 00:32:15,519 assuming that Ben Simmons comes in, Like the defense is, oh, you 531 00:32:15,519 --> 00:32:17,440 know, because of the way he plays, it's not going to be the 532 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:22,640 Rudy Gobert punches your ticket to a top ten, top twelve regular season defense. 533 00:32:23,279 --> 00:32:25,759 That's fair. Yeah, I mean I think that's fair. And I 534 00:32:27,079 --> 00:32:30,240 do think like they don't have like a just like I don't know, like 535 00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:34,559 a Rudy Gobert to lean on in the back line, like good class is 536 00:32:34,599 --> 00:32:37,920 good. Like they'll get me wrong with love Nick Claxton, who statistically is 537 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:39,960 like, well, just based off his coverage per b ball in decks like 538 00:32:40,079 --> 00:32:44,440 one of the most him and Ben Shims have been the two most switchable players 539 00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:46,319 of like the past ten years, and so like that's having both of them 540 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,880 is just huge for sure. And but I think the big thing is like 541 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,200 just you know, there are certain I mean, drop defense in general like 542 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,759 tends to do pretty well in the regular season. Like it's it is a 543 00:32:54,759 --> 00:32:59,720 different game in a way. So I can see your argument for sure on 544 00:32:59,759 --> 00:33:01,839 them, maybe they're more like ten to twelve range. Still though, I 545 00:33:01,839 --> 00:33:05,519 think that's a huge win for them if they're in that range and then if 546 00:33:05,519 --> 00:33:08,880 they can scale it up defensively a little bit in the playoffs, just by 547 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:15,559 simply slowing things down and the games slowing down and that switching scheme coming into 548 00:33:15,599 --> 00:33:17,279 handy a little bit more. I could see that kind of being a Hey, 549 00:33:17,319 --> 00:33:22,559 we're this like more mid tier defense and we are kind of elevating things 550 00:33:22,559 --> 00:33:25,839 in the postseason. If they are ten to twelve and like ten to twelve 551 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,160 in defense, the Eastern Conference trade deadlines arm race is going to be absurd 552 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:34,359 and you're gonna see a lot of people shifting their like title picks by November 553 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,119 because everyone just as serve as the team will implode. And so if they 554 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,960 have that defensive stealing my god, yeah, I mean, like that's the 555 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,640 whole thing with the Nets, right, is like if they don't implode, 556 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:46,160 if nothing, if there's no injuries, which they're always his with the Nets, 557 00:33:46,519 --> 00:33:50,480 if there is no internal drama, like, this team is going to 558 00:33:50,559 --> 00:33:52,720 be really really good, and like we should look at them as a title 559 00:33:52,759 --> 00:33:58,000 contender, like and really give them a long look, because I don't you 560 00:33:58,119 --> 00:34:01,279 just watch the way they play. Everything's in place, that the style of 561 00:34:01,279 --> 00:34:05,799 offense that they're running in terms of all the motion they're running there. It's 562 00:34:05,839 --> 00:34:08,920 a pretty good way to hide their deficiencies in terms of potential floor spacing and 563 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:14,840 specific lineups and this tendency to lean too much on their stars and burden their 564 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,719 stars too much. And then defensively you have guys that add a lot of 565 00:34:19,079 --> 00:34:23,840 dynamic positional versatility and Ben Simmons, Royce O'Neill. You know, let's bring 566 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:28,920 up you to what a nave? Yeah? Yeah, but no, like 567 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:30,800 seriously, like they it's all there, all the pieces are there, and 568 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:34,599 they just offer a lot more than last year's team, where it's like you 569 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:37,039 kind of know what you're getting from them and you know what you're not getting. 570 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:42,119 Are there any strengths about this roster that you don't think receive are receiving 571 00:34:42,199 --> 00:34:44,880 enough attention as we get into the regular season. Yeah, I mean, 572 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:47,480 I just think the ability to defend a little bit larger is the big one. 573 00:34:49,039 --> 00:34:52,679 And I just yesterday, I mean I remember watching their opener last year 574 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:54,800 in the regular season against the Bucks, and they try to do this last 575 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:59,760 year where they were like we're gonna play bigger. Bigger, meant playing LaMarcus 576 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:04,519 all Dredge and Blake Griffin together and it's like that's not I don't care that 577 00:35:04,559 --> 00:35:09,760 they're technically larger in size. They're more clunky somehow, and they're like the 578 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:15,400 bucks are blowing by them offensively and they're not rebounding either. So this year 579 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:20,360 it's a little bit different where it's like, now we have speed size and 580 00:35:20,679 --> 00:35:24,280 you know, vertical pop, like we have all of that in place with 581 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,280 Nick Lackson, Ben Simmons, Kevin Durant. You know, I'm going on 582 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,079 and on and on Royce O'Neil. So that is a lot different for me. 583 00:35:31,159 --> 00:35:34,800 This year. They have the right type of size, the size you 584 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,400 actually wanted the modern NBA, not just hey we have big guy a big 585 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,639 guy B and we're gonna say, let's go for it. You know, 586 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,679 Oh man, I don't know how I just forgot about those front corps. 587 00:35:43,679 --> 00:35:45,079 I don't even think that would have worked in twenty fifteen with those two, 588 00:35:45,079 --> 00:35:50,360 to be honest with you, when they played they were playing Millsap and LaMarcus 589 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:52,519 for a while there, and that was that was peak. That was peak 590 00:35:52,599 --> 00:35:54,840 early season nets last year, by the way, they were like number one 591 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:58,960 in the conference while they were doing this, dude, because Durant was just 592 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,800 that good to start the I will say the Paul millsapp decline over the past 593 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:05,159 few years to the point where resigning the NBA anymore, that hurt my soul 594 00:36:05,199 --> 00:36:07,360 a little bit. He was just like one of my just favorites to watch. 595 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,079 Did everything had like that sort of all star stretch, and I thought 596 00:36:10,159 --> 00:36:14,360 he was gonna age. Maybe it was a gradual drop off and I just 597 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:15,760 didn't notice in Denver, but it just felt like towards the tail end of 598 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:17,800 his time in Denver was just like, Oh, all of a sudden, 599 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:22,679 Paul millsappens his liability. Yeah. I wanted Bill Sepp on the nets for 600 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:27,599 like every year that I cover with the Nets, and that was one of 601 00:36:27,639 --> 00:36:31,320 my biggest misses ever as doing you know whatever creating content last year, I 602 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,719 was like, I think, I think Will Sepp can be okay for this 603 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:37,320 team. Like he's gonna play less minutes. He was like starting a bunch 604 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,800 of games at the beginning of the year for Denver. You know, maybe 605 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:44,719 he'll look better in a reduced role. I could see this scheme helping a 606 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:46,320 little bit. You know, things are simplified on offense, and it was 607 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:51,119 like, no, he just was like he was done, like the first 608 00:36:51,119 --> 00:36:55,800 ten games are there. So we've talked a lot about some of the concerns 609 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:00,920 of this roster. What's the biggest one in your eyes leading into the season? 610 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:05,079 A health? Probably it's such a it's such a cough out. But 611 00:37:05,119 --> 00:37:07,440 he really is, like, I don't know what else I'm supposed to pick 612 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:09,239 other than be like, well, this team needs to stay healthy. I 613 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:13,880 guess spacing, you know, like I said, like a team like Boston 614 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:20,639 where you know that team is so honed in defensively, they're gonna switch everything, 615 00:37:20,639 --> 00:37:22,800 They're gonna ignore certain guys all of a sudden. Those minutes where I'm 616 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,719 like, I think you can survive with Nick and Ben playing together, those 617 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:30,199 might really hurt. And then you have to figure out, Okay, you 618 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:34,400 know, how much can we survive with Ben Simmons as our center? Is 619 00:37:34,519 --> 00:37:39,960 Robert Williams going to absolutely eat and get you? Just an assortment of lobs 620 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:44,559 on the other end like that that I think is the stuff where I'm watching 621 00:37:44,559 --> 00:37:47,000 that and saying that might be where you see the weaknesses a little bit, 622 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:51,719 And that's what I look at, is like an on court weakness. It 623 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:53,760 feels like they might need a different big man set up, and I love 624 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:58,000 Nick Nick Lassen is one of my favorites. Anyone who listen to podcast knows, 625 00:37:58,039 --> 00:38:00,280 but just I guess every team and essence is looking for this. But 626 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:06,639 like the floor spacing rim protecting five is what this team kind of needs because 627 00:38:06,639 --> 00:38:08,199 that would make everything so much easier with Ben Simmons the way they want to 628 00:38:08,199 --> 00:38:12,079 defend against certain teams, you also want that big to then be able to 629 00:38:12,159 --> 00:38:15,480 hold up against if teams like Boston and Cleveland are gonna run they are dual 630 00:38:15,519 --> 00:38:17,239 big lineups, or if they're gonna take one off the floor, you still 631 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:21,119 would prefer it if you didn't have to take this center off the floor. 632 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,679 And that player is very hard to find, but it feels like that player 633 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:29,119 could make a world of difference on this roster. And that was not I 634 00:38:29,159 --> 00:38:31,400 really didn't mean to just like a roundabout way of describing Miles Turner, but 635 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:36,760 like that kind of like a player would be like absolutely even they wouldn't have 636 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:38,400 gotten him for what the Nicks game like. And Isaiah Hartenstein would have probably 637 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:42,480 just been really huge for this team too. You know, funny thing about 638 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:45,639 Hartenstein is that it was they were between him and mill Seth last year, 639 00:38:46,079 --> 00:38:52,039 and boy, I don't know that. I guess when the season went off, 640 00:38:52,039 --> 00:38:54,280 the rails a little bit, but like I don't know that they would 641 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:59,800 have used him the way that the Clippers used him, so that maybe that's 642 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:01,880 some consolation. But when you hear stuff like that, it's you know, 643 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:05,039 it's not quite like oh, Dallas was gonna draft your honest, but like 644 00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:07,199 you were choosing between mills Stat and Hartenstein and look what Hartenstein became, Like 645 00:39:07,599 --> 00:39:12,159 just was this sort of under the radar sixth man of the year catti eate 646 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,840 with the way that he played last year. Yeah, so I mean and 647 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,559 again, like that team would that I mean that season was destined to implode, 648 00:39:17,559 --> 00:39:22,360 I think, no matter what happened. But yeah, that's that's a 649 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,440 guy that would fit really well. I know Nets fans are like really on 650 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:30,199 a Mobamba train right now, Like okay, like I guess, I don't 651 00:39:30,199 --> 00:39:32,079 know, I don't know if you're of Obama guy, I'm kind of like 652 00:39:34,599 --> 00:39:37,840 I thought he had a really good year last season and they were able to 653 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:40,519 like he played a lot of minutes with one Noel Carter Jr. I'd probably 654 00:39:40,559 --> 00:39:45,559 be on a basketball level if he was healthy. Author slash basketball player Jonathan 655 00:39:45,599 --> 00:39:49,199 Isaac would make like a lot more sense for what this team I think actually 656 00:39:49,199 --> 00:39:52,400 needs. He bathing with him and Ben Simmons would be just absolutely atrocious though 657 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:54,960 he's yeah, he's like t J. Warren hologram status to me, like, 658 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,920 I'm not I'm not sure, I'm still I'm dying at that. Do 659 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,880 we know that TJ. Warrens not a holygram? This is it's more of 660 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:06,639 a generalized question, And I don't necessarily like thinking about trades before we've seen 661 00:40:06,679 --> 00:40:08,760 this team actually play. But do you think just because this roster, if 662 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:13,599 they stay together, they're very much win now and it's Kyrie Irving's last year, 663 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,920 will they be aggressive in making meaningful roster upgrades or will there be a 664 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:22,440 little bit of reticence there because oh hey, we almost just fucking imploded over 665 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:25,559 the offseason. We don't know if Kyrie's gonna be here past this season, 666 00:40:25,559 --> 00:40:30,760 and I'm just wondering how that impacts their view of going for it this season. 667 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:35,079 Is it we're willing to make material upgrades or we're just gonna stamp at 668 00:40:35,119 --> 00:40:37,599 and see where we lie. I hope they do this, like because they 669 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,719 did this big thing where they took a stand and they're saying no, like 670 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,880 we're I mean, let's be honest, like they spent the whole summer and 671 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:45,719 we're like, we're not gonna trade the rant, Like we're just gonna hold 672 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:49,440 out. So if you're gonna do all that and not trade these guys or 673 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,000 do a sign and trade for Kyrie, like, yeah, you should go 674 00:40:52,079 --> 00:40:54,519 all in and do every exhaust every single opportunity that you have. So yeah, 675 00:40:54,559 --> 00:40:58,519 I mean, like Miles Turner makes a ton of sense for this team 676 00:40:58,559 --> 00:41:02,840 and really would fill holes for them on both ends that they remaining holes, 677 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:07,239 let's be honest. So I would hope they do something like that if they 678 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:12,679 have the opportunity. I think I would believe Sean Marks probably has the the 679 00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:15,800 agency and the gall to do it. But I just question like if that 680 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,920 if that comes up, And so if they're a title can, if they're 681 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,360 hovering around that inner circle of the East, you actually have to him they're 682 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:27,159 not you know, the James Harden trade like cycle that didn't work out too 683 00:41:27,159 --> 00:41:29,679 well for them. But if Ben Simmons is healthy, like you're not asset 684 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:34,440 Barren with like your draft equity anymore. And you have some contracts that could 685 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,960 be used as matching tools if it you know, if it turns out that 686 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:38,920 one of Joe Harris or Seth Curry is super fluous, I don't know if 687 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,199 they will be. So I do hope that if they are in that inner 688 00:41:42,199 --> 00:41:46,039 circle, there's not like a hesitance there because I like seeing just teams go 689 00:41:46,199 --> 00:41:50,559 for it right and or hurt. Like if if Joe Harris is just like 690 00:41:50,639 --> 00:41:53,400 we don't we just can't get this guy on the floor, like all of 691 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:57,039 a sudden, Hey, maybe we'd have our home for Cam Thomas. He'd 692 00:41:57,079 --> 00:42:00,280 be an Indiana facer. I'm in for that. I need Joe Harris to 693 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:05,880 stay with this team because I loved the vibes from like that NETS team that 694 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,440 was just fucking going nowhere under Kenny Atkins, and he's still remnant from that 695 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,960 era, and I don't like Nick Claxton didn't really spill over to that, 696 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:15,840 so like it's it's only Joe Harris now, So I need I need Joe 697 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:19,159 Harrison Brooklyn. Yeah, yeah, me too. And also like he's like 698 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:22,559 really he's like a really perfect fit for what they're doing this year. So 699 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:25,039 yeah, I agree completely. One of My other favorite things to do leading 700 00:42:25,039 --> 00:42:28,639 in the regular season is trying to figure out what the top ten rotation looks 701 00:42:28,679 --> 00:42:31,559 like for every single team. The Nets gave me more of a headache than 702 00:42:31,599 --> 00:42:37,159 most most teams, even when I presume health. It seems like they probably 703 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:40,760 have seven locks with Kyrie, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, 704 00:42:42,039 --> 00:42:45,039 Nick Claxton, Seth Curry, Royce O'Neill, and then I had Patty Mills. 705 00:42:45,039 --> 00:42:49,599 Pensylton is a quasi lock. He's still but he didn't have like the 706 00:42:49,599 --> 00:42:52,440 best clothes to the year last season. So are my seven locks at least 707 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:55,280 correct? And how would you flesh out those, you know, final roster 708 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:59,079 spots? Yeah, I think your seven are correct. The one I would 709 00:42:59,119 --> 00:43:01,960 say is I think Roy so Neil could jump Joe Harris and the rotation will 710 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:09,119 see. But I'm watching that one pretty closely. You don't want a knobby. 711 00:43:09,159 --> 00:43:12,239 I'm gonna bring him up for the third time, keep bringing him up. 712 00:43:12,519 --> 00:43:14,719 I wasn't I think he could make it. I think he could. 713 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:19,000 I could see him above Mark Kief I could. I mean, I don't 714 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,760 the Nets love Patty Mills Like there is just such a on there that I 715 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:25,760 don't know. I just can't see Patty ever falling out of the rotation, 716 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:30,239 but like you'd as a riser for me. Him and a healthy TJ are 717 00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:31,880 the ones where I'm like, how can we go with these two guys? 718 00:43:32,639 --> 00:43:36,079 I don't know if you is gonna be like your sixth man, but yeah, 719 00:43:36,159 --> 00:43:38,280 like could he get you know, semi regular looking up a sixth Man 720 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:44,599 of the years Right now, you've said that aggregator Matt Brooks from that day 721 00:43:45,559 --> 00:43:49,719 you don't want the Nabby win sixth Man of the Year award, So yeah, 722 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,840 I mean, you know, I think I think you're pretty spot on 723 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:54,320 with it. But yeah, the big one I would say is like could 724 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:59,639 Royce jump? Joe Harris? How high can you can you jump? In 725 00:43:59,639 --> 00:44:02,360 the rote pian? And like does this team ever hit that point with Patty 726 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,960 Mills where they're like, all right, we're really your Your minutes are going 727 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:07,199 to be kind of like game the game. That would be the three things 728 00:44:07,199 --> 00:44:12,440 I'd watched for I guess he would be though, like the vibes guy in 729 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:14,679 the locker room at who else would it be? That's like the it's not 730 00:44:14,719 --> 00:44:16,239 Ben Simmons, It's not Katie, and it's not Kyrie. It's like, 731 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:21,679 who's that locker room player voice, and just like good vibes person, it 732 00:44:21,679 --> 00:44:23,199 would have to be Patty at this point. Yeah, yeah, I agree. 733 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:28,639 I think that's probably who you're looking at in that way. So this 734 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:30,519 is to some extent matchup dependent, I think, especially for this team. 735 00:44:30,519 --> 00:44:34,800 But what do you think winds up being there go to crunch time unit which 736 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,400 very much feels like the three locks are in place, Ben Simmons, Kyrie 737 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:40,559 and Katie. You're not having those guys on the bench in crunch time, 738 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:44,039 like either any one of those guys in the bench and crunch time I would 739 00:44:44,039 --> 00:44:50,719 imagine anyway. Yeah, maybe Joe and Royce filling it out personally. I 740 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:53,320 mean I can lock for me just as like, who is the other guy 741 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:57,679 who is the wing defender on this roster, and it's it's without TJ. 742 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:01,440 Warren healthy it's it's him basically, or Abby might throw them in there fourth 743 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:04,800 manch I guess. I mean it depends on the team. Maybe you can 744 00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:09,360 get away with Nick against certain teams. Bucks were a good example. But 745 00:45:09,639 --> 00:45:13,360 yeah, I mean I think that's I think you want to put as much 746 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:15,480 shooting around like that's where I can see those Ben Simmons at the five lineups 747 00:45:15,519 --> 00:45:22,039 happening. Is there a weirdo, bonkers, quirky off the Beaten Path lineup 748 00:45:22,079 --> 00:45:29,079 you want Steve Nash to try this year, Kyrie? Bit let's see. 749 00:45:29,199 --> 00:45:31,280 I want to see a weird lineup where they just put as much shooting around 750 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:35,360 Ben, but one of them is a star. So like we're talking about 751 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:37,840 like all right, the Matt Moore, Uh fucket, we're shooting the ball 752 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:43,320 line up around Ben. So you go like Seth Curry, Joe Harris, 753 00:45:44,039 --> 00:45:50,840 maybe maybe Royce O'Neil or Patty Mills Kyrie, so you have like some dynamic 754 00:45:51,519 --> 00:45:57,320 creation and then Ben and just like the super small like shooty off ball you 755 00:45:57,360 --> 00:45:59,760 know, you know, sprinting around each other in line up like that would 756 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:01,920 be the weirdest what And then I guess you could you could also just replace 757 00:46:02,039 --> 00:46:05,159 Katie for any of those guys, but that's like less fun. I want 758 00:46:05,199 --> 00:46:07,199 to see like a really a bunch of small guys and Ben Simmons play together. 759 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:12,960 They get killed defensively, but it doesn't matter. I think that was 760 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,800 my pick two, even though I don't think that Ben Simmons should be running 761 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:16,960 his own lines because I don't want to star in it, but I still 762 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:21,719 need. It's almost almost like morbid curiosity, where it's like, what if 763 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:27,320 it's Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, Seth Curry, Royce O'Neill, and Utowant 764 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:29,760 an Abby, Like let's go, let's go there, and what does that 765 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:31,920 unit look like? Maybe want Tommy's not enough of a shooter? So am 766 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:36,840 I skewing Cam Thomas there, I healthy TJ. Warren, but like give 767 00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:38,239 me, I guess you'd go Patty Mills. That would be a real flex 768 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:42,360 Patty Mills, Joe Harrison, Seth Curry on the court at the same time 769 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,920 with Ben Simmons and Royce O'Neill. That would be Ben literally Ben Simmons and 770 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:51,320 just four guards or five guards if you consider Ben Simmons still a guard. 771 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:53,480 So I just want to see what ends up happening. I don't think it 772 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:58,159 would actually be particularly great, but maybe maybe I'd be wrong, or maybe 773 00:46:58,159 --> 00:47:00,199 it would be Like the other one I'm thinking of is the I'm gonna call 774 00:47:00,199 --> 00:47:05,719 it the fuck off You're not scoring lineup where it's the Nick Klaxton, Ben 775 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,800 Simmons, Royce O'Neill, Kevin Durant. You'd want a Knope line up where 776 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:13,760 it's just like we're gonna be raptors. You know what, That still ends 777 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:17,159 up probably being like, okay, offensive unit because Kevin Durant exists and he's 778 00:47:17,199 --> 00:47:22,039 just like that's superhuman. Oh man, I want to see that one now 779 00:47:22,079 --> 00:47:24,760 too. I didn't even think of that. Yeah, So as we record 780 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:29,320 this, their current win total is set at fifty one point five. Would 781 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:31,199 you hit the over or the under on that? I mean, I'm just 782 00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:35,440 stor optimists on this podcast, so I feel like I have to. I've 783 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,000 basically said they have no flaws in there, we should take them seriously. 784 00:47:38,039 --> 00:47:40,800 So yeah, I think I don't know, man, I like the approach 785 00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:44,880 so far. I mean it's it's early, like we're coming out of media 786 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:47,000 day in preseason, so like this is gonna be about as high as you 787 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:51,559 can be as a team ideally, unless you're I don't know, the Phoenix 788 00:47:51,599 --> 00:47:55,519 Suns or there's actually a lot of bad vibes teams right now, but the 789 00:47:55,599 --> 00:47:59,719 Nets are actually, weirdly not one of them right now, which I'm not 790 00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:01,719 used. So I'm just riding the high. I do think I do think 791 00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:06,760 they're gonna win over that. I just I didn't care what the number was. 792 00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:07,519 I think it might have been at fifty three and a half at one 793 00:48:07,519 --> 00:48:09,480 point, it could drop to forty nine. I'm just taking the onner. 794 00:48:09,519 --> 00:48:14,280 I don't trust this team. I recognize what their ceiling is and it's the 795 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:16,880 best team in the NBA. But trying to think of the realistic outcomes, 796 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:21,360 I'm just expecting disaster and it's not I don't have an agenda. I'm not 797 00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:23,400 biased against the Nets. I just I don't know how you're supposed. I 798 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:27,639 would never let me make it clear, I would never bet anything on this 799 00:48:27,639 --> 00:48:30,480 team. I'm not investing in. I'm just staying away from everything because there, 800 00:48:30,719 --> 00:48:34,119 I think, and this should be the question. Their range of outcomes 801 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:37,000 is clearly the widest in the entire league. Right, there's no other team 802 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:40,679 that has a wider away array of conclusions. Yeah, I mean, I've 803 00:48:40,719 --> 00:48:45,199 laid it out like it's it's guys get hurt, Nash gone, which maybe 804 00:48:45,199 --> 00:48:47,559 it's in the worst. Say, you know, maybe you get one of 805 00:48:47,559 --> 00:48:52,519 these assistants that's like really good. But I didn't even ask about that. 806 00:48:52,639 --> 00:48:57,239 Is there like a chance that Nash gets on the hot seat before like the 807 00:48:57,360 --> 00:49:02,159 roster itself would be like Nash or Nash would go before they start selling off, 808 00:49:02,199 --> 00:49:06,519 like they're considering trading Kevin Duran or even moving Kyrie iring at this point. 809 00:49:06,519 --> 00:49:08,079 Probably right, Yeah, that's that seems like the first thing you're gonna 810 00:49:08,119 --> 00:49:12,320 hit before you do any of the bigger kind of major moves like that. 811 00:49:14,239 --> 00:49:19,360 And I guess let's just assume they stayed together. How many teams are you 812 00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:22,840 prepared to say are better than them in the East, Like where would you 813 00:49:22,039 --> 00:49:27,800 they stay together? Where do you see them landing in the Eastern Conference top 814 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:31,119 three? I think? And it's probably I'm still I kind of like I 815 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:36,920 like Boston still. Everybody wants to you know there, it's too much happened 816 00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:39,559 in Boston. Robert Williams the Third's knees weren't made of jello. I would 817 00:49:39,559 --> 00:49:43,639 probably like Boston a lot more. But like Al Horford's thirty six, you 818 00:49:43,639 --> 00:49:45,840 don't have Gallinari and now or something like we'll look at what no von Ley 819 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:52,760 and like sam oh as no a von Ley as like that scene I think 820 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:55,880 that was was that twenty nineteen or eighteen with the Knicks in Love with no 821 00:49:57,079 --> 00:49:58,880 von Ley and then he just fell off the face of the earth again. 822 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:02,159 Yeah yeah, no for that. In case anybody care, I blame the 823 00:50:02,199 --> 00:50:05,199 Nets. The Nets gave him a ten day and they never gave him a 824 00:50:05,199 --> 00:50:07,239 shot. I'm like, we should be if we should give Nova on the 825 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:08,800 gonna look here like this is that was like right after they made the Harden 826 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:13,599 trade and they were just bringing in like names because they just didn't have players 827 00:50:13,960 --> 00:50:19,079 like oh Noavan lays a net heap at this point. Yeah, yeah pretty 828 00:50:19,119 --> 00:50:24,079 much. So so yeah, so I mean, uh yeah, I don't 829 00:50:24,079 --> 00:50:29,159 know. I think Boston is in the mix. I like Milwaukee. I'm 830 00:50:29,199 --> 00:50:31,440 just like they're like the safe, like obvious pick for everybody if because it's 831 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:36,159 like the East is so up in the air. I don't know, they're 832 00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:39,039 like a year older, just a little kind of keeping an eye. I 833 00:50:39,119 --> 00:50:44,639 just I would put Milwaukee above the Nets just because Jannis is a superhuman. 834 00:50:44,679 --> 00:50:46,360 I think that they are even if they're not caring about the regular season. 835 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:52,000 They're regular season machine. And look, Jannis didn't win the championship last year, 836 00:50:52,039 --> 00:50:54,320 so that means that he is clearly motivated by his failure, and so 837 00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:59,159 I just expect that team to be Gangbusters. And but that being said, 838 00:50:59,519 --> 00:51:02,280 everything else in the everyone else in the East feels either a lot of things 839 00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:05,920 have to pan out in their favor, like Donovan Mitchell just hits in Cleveland 840 00:51:05,960 --> 00:51:09,320 right away and the depth on the wings isn't an issue or it's combustible where 841 00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:14,199 it's Miami's older and like there, what does their bench look like with Kayla 842 00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:17,320 Martin starting now and no PJ. Tucker to start for them? And then 843 00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:22,280 Boston we've outlined some of that, oddly, and we've talked about the Nets. 844 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:24,400 Oddly, the second most stable team to me, like towards the top 845 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:28,920 of the East right now is the Philadelphia seventy six ers, which clearly means 846 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,159 I'm doing something wrong though because Doc Rivers are gonna play mantras are away too 847 00:51:31,199 --> 00:51:35,800 many minutes and it's gonna be a nightmare. But I think I would only 848 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:39,760 have, like I'm penciling those two teams and maybe Boston as the teams that 849 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:43,679 I would say, yeah, they're gonna be better than the Nets. And 850 00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:46,079 I'm only confident in the Milwaukee part of that. Yeah, I don't know 851 00:51:46,119 --> 00:51:51,480 how I love Philly out Philly is like a lock for a top Locke feels 852 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:53,360 strong, but they really feel like a lock for a top three seed. 853 00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:58,639 To me, I think you're probably picking between one of Milwaukee and Boston to 854 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:01,639 not perform as well, and for a reason of like the center rotation is 855 00:52:01,719 --> 00:52:07,199 really bad. It's like really bad. Or Milwaukee is like me, maybe 856 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:10,199 they coast a little bit. Maybe it does. Yeah, like you look 857 00:52:10,199 --> 00:52:14,800 at you know, Lopez year year older. I mean maybe Drew looks like 858 00:52:14,840 --> 00:52:17,840 a tiny bit older. I feel like Drew's gonna age pretty well. But 859 00:52:19,199 --> 00:52:21,400 maybe maybe it's something like that. You know, all of a sudden, 860 00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:24,039 you're West Matthews minutes you got last year that we're really good. Those aren't 861 00:52:24,079 --> 00:52:28,880 there necessarily? George Hill's like playing so it's well, I mean, you 862 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:30,840 hit it on the head. It's like, oh, this team is at 863 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:32,800 the top. They're top three guys, even if you say top four with 864 00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:37,119 Pat Connaughton or Brook Lopez, even if they're top six, you throw those 865 00:52:37,119 --> 00:52:39,239 guys plus Boby portis why just I inherently don't trust him, but he's been 866 00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:44,400 good for the Bucks. Yeah, I trust they need they will end up 867 00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:50,599 needing like age eighty three West Matthews or Joe Ingles at age eighty three coming 868 00:52:50,639 --> 00:52:52,960 off an a c L injury and not playing in two thousand and twenty three. 869 00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:58,519 Or does Serge Ibaka have to play minutes or is it George Hill just 870 00:52:58,599 --> 00:53:00,440 Devon Carlo. So like, don't you get like past their top five or 871 00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:04,280 six guys there are a lot of their depth is confusing, is the way 872 00:53:04,320 --> 00:53:06,960 that I would praise it. Yeah, I just like they haven't improved their 873 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:10,199 team since winning the title. Like I don't it bothers me a little bit. 874 00:53:10,239 --> 00:53:13,599 I'm like I get it, like I understand this is your core, 875 00:53:13,679 --> 00:53:15,880 but like in a way, it's like I'm just waiting for the year where 876 00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:20,079 it's like, well the Bucks kind of dropped a half level and I just 877 00:53:20,119 --> 00:53:22,079 feel like it's gonna happen if you keep rolling the same group of guys that 878 00:53:22,159 --> 00:53:28,079 were kind of in the middle of their NBA lifespans when they won the title, 879 00:53:28,119 --> 00:53:30,360 and if you keep doing that year after year, like at some point 880 00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:32,119 this team is going to get a little bit older in terms of its depth, 881 00:53:32,159 --> 00:53:35,719 be honest, is going to be honest and like that, right there 882 00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:39,320 is enough for a top four seed pretty much any year. But you know, 883 00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:43,039 and Chris being healthy helps too. But you know, I just sort 884 00:53:43,039 --> 00:53:45,079 of look at this and I'm like, all right, there's gonna be some 885 00:53:45,159 --> 00:53:46,679 slippage at some point. So is this the year? I don't know. 886 00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:52,719 Well, least at least we've established that the Nets shouldn't be tanking this season. 887 00:53:52,719 --> 00:53:54,960 That's at least that's the one outcome we know if that won't be happening. 888 00:53:55,920 --> 00:54:04,519 Are we sure they do? They all know they own their own pick 889 00:54:04,559 --> 00:54:08,360 this year, don't they? Or now swap with Houston, so maybe the 890 00:54:08,440 --> 00:54:12,760 number one pick, and they can like hope that that Houston is just like 891 00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:15,679 super Hooper pilled and they're like, we want we want Scoop, like they 892 00:54:15,679 --> 00:54:19,639 just need the Jedi mind tricks them into it. If they tank, it's 893 00:54:19,639 --> 00:54:24,599 with aspirations of no higher than the number two pick. Yeah. Uh, 894 00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:28,679 is there anything we haven't touched upon that you think still needs to be discussed? 895 00:54:28,840 --> 00:54:30,480 No? I think we nailed it. Think we touched on everything that 896 00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:37,599 that happens with this disastrously interesting basketball team. Yeah, they're going to be 897 00:54:37,800 --> 00:54:40,320 entertaining from rue reason or another. I am more optimistic that the entertainment will 898 00:54:40,320 --> 00:54:44,920 come from basketball now after reading you talking to you and then just look, 899 00:54:45,519 --> 00:54:47,519 we can joke it's only preseason and training camp like, this is not the 900 00:54:47,519 --> 00:54:51,639 team you would have predicted to make it through training camp in preseason without shit 901 00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:57,039 happening. Yeah yeah, I know, baby steps, uh, Matt. 902 00:54:57,079 --> 00:55:00,159 In case anyone skipped the intro or are you able to tell everyone we're they 903 00:55:00,199 --> 00:55:01,719 can find you in all the great work that you do. Oh yeah, 904 00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:07,079 follow me on Twitter at Mettbrook's NBA. Everything's there, podcast writing, video 905 00:55:07,159 --> 00:55:10,119 stuff. We'll probably get more into that stuff season starts, but that's where 906 00:55:10,119 --> 00:55:15,159 everything is. I admire everyone who can do like the video breakdowns and identify 907 00:55:15,239 --> 00:55:17,039 the actual sets that are happening in real time. You do a fantastic job 908 00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:21,440 of it. So thank you so much for hopping on and I will be 909 00:55:21,559 --> 00:55:24,360 pestering you again down down the line, So thanks so much. Please do thank you