1 00:00:15,599 --> 00:00:20,719 What is up, fellow thermonuclear aaffers. I am Dampa Valley coming at you 2 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,920 with our pen ultimate installment of the NBA What If exercise. Very quickly, 3 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:30,320 before I get started, please remember to subscribe and follow this show wherever you're 4 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,439 getting your podcast. If you have not done so already, download every episode 5 00:00:33,439 --> 00:00:36,280 as well. Those are the things that help us out the most, specifically 6 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,520 on an Apple and Spotify. Ratings and reviews do a great deal for us 7 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,640 as well. Also shout us out on Twitter, retweet our promos, tell 8 00:00:43,679 --> 00:00:47,000 friends, family members, acquaintance as anyone who you know likes basketball about us. 9 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,600 Consider joining our discord and also following all our social channels. The links 10 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,280 to those are in our podcasts and YouTube descriptions. Also head over to YouTube 11 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,200 if you're listening to this and hit subscribe there as well. It would mean 12 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,200 the world to me if you did all those things. As a brief refresher 13 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:07,560 before we get into this, I've published or recorded six Just Quick podcasts that 14 00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:10,799 are an audio version of a project that I did for Bleacher Report a few 15 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:15,159 months ago, where I asked a person who covers, follows or roots for 16 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,159 each MBA team about their biggest what if for that franchise. They gave me 17 00:01:19,159 --> 00:01:22,120 their responses, I include my own words. This is an audio version of 18 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:23,560 that. I know they can be tough to follow, so I've included the 19 00:01:23,599 --> 00:01:27,799 actual article link in the podcast description as well. But I did practice these. 20 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,120 I'm getting better at the audio versions of them. And this is just 21 00:01:30,159 --> 00:01:36,200 some quick, digestible sub fifteen twenty minute content that you can consume on the 22 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,840 go while we're in the debt of September, so to speak, with the 23 00:01:38,879 --> 00:01:45,079 Mitchell trade done and Kevin Durance trade request rescinded Gobert already on the Timberwolves and 24 00:01:45,079 --> 00:01:49,799 and all that jazz without further ado. Wow, all that jazz? How's 25 00:01:49,799 --> 00:01:53,079 about that? Without further delay? Though, let's kind of cannonball into this. 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,719 We are up to the Southeast Division, which means we begin with the 27 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:02,000 Atlanta Hawks. Recency bias might call for yet another Luca don Chech versus Trey 28 00:02:02,079 --> 00:02:07,799 Young debate, but Trey has transcendent enough himself to avoid having his faith fate 29 00:02:07,959 --> 00:02:14,560 so far inexibably ineggs aably tied to Luca. The Atlanta Hawks is two thousand 30 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,800 and five draft day decision. On the other hand, that Bears rehashing, 31 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:24,000 and that's what sportcastings NBA mats and formerly of Hardwood Knox Adam Rommel. Adam 32 00:02:24,039 --> 00:02:30,039 Brommel wrote to me, only one moment in recent Atlanta Hawks history left a 33 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,800 dent in my wall from a television remote thrown across the room out of frustration, 34 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,120 So that has to be the choice here. Once Andrew Bogan came off 35 00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:38,719 the board with a number one pick of the two thousand and five NBA draft, 36 00:02:39,039 --> 00:02:44,599 why did then general manager Billy Knight opt to use the second overall selection 37 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:50,840 on Marvin Williams. Even at the time it was a questionable decision since since 38 00:02:50,879 --> 00:02:55,080 Williams, who had high two AY potential and everything taken into account, had 39 00:02:55,159 --> 00:03:00,479 started a grand total of zero games for a championship winning North Carolina squad. 40 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,360 But beyond that, Darren Williams and Chris Paul came off the board directly behind 41 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,639 the longtime role player, and we all know how that turned out, if 42 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,680 you need a reminder, not too well for the Hawks. The truly baffling 43 00:03:12,759 --> 00:03:15,960 part, Framwell continued, was that Atlanta actually needed help at point guard. 44 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:22,000 A twenty seven year old Tyron Low drew the majority of starts at the one 45 00:03:22,039 --> 00:03:25,000 in two thousand and four two thousand and five after arriving via mid season trade 46 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,039 with the Houston Rockets, and the franchise didn't seem to have any long term 47 00:03:29,039 --> 00:03:31,400 plans. Sure enough, Royal Ivy, taken in the second round of the 48 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,280 two thousand four draft, ended up starting for most of Williams's rookie year. 49 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,719 Just imagine how the franchise's trajectory could have been forever altered had Paul been calling 50 00:03:40,759 --> 00:03:45,439 the shots for a Hawks roster that struggled to climb out of the Eastern Conference 51 00:03:45,479 --> 00:03:51,360 basement during the early portion of the Joe Johnson Josh Smith era. Alternate selections 52 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:57,000 beyond this and Trey versus Luca are hard to find. I think Framwell's right. 53 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,000 I also still wonder what would have happened if Atlanta Al Horford and Paul 54 00:04:00,039 --> 00:04:04,400 millsapp rather than let them walk in consecutive summers for nothing, But that's admittedly 55 00:04:04,439 --> 00:04:09,879 much lower stakes. What if the Hawks drafted Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams 56 00:04:10,159 --> 00:04:15,759 is by far and away the right call here. Our next team in this 57 00:04:15,879 --> 00:04:19,399 NBA what if process, the Charlotte Hornets, who ordered yet another what if 58 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:24,839 moment headlined by Anthony Davis because CBS Sports is Kannada, Edwards has it for 59 00:04:24,879 --> 00:04:27,920 you. Here's what he wrote to me. The easy answers. What if 60 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,319 the then Charlotte Bobcats won the twenty twelve Draft lottery and selected Anthony Davis instead 61 00:04:31,319 --> 00:04:36,639 of Michael King Gilchrist the core changes dramatically considering that Kemba Walker blossom sooner, 62 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,800 then add that to the last vestiges of Al Jefferson. They would have accomplished 63 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,959 something that hadn't been done since the franchise left Charlotte in two thousand and two, 64 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,839 back to back playoff appearances. For advocates of optionality me personally, this 65 00:04:49,879 --> 00:04:54,959 doesn't even have to be exclusively about Davis or about the then Bobcats dropping to 66 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,959 number two in the twenty twelve lottery despite farting out the worst winning percentage in 67 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,839 league history. Yes, landing a D would have altered well everything, but 68 00:05:03,879 --> 00:05:08,000 they didn't just miss out on him. They selected the wrong player with their 69 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,160 own pick in MKG after not getting a D. What if they had taken 70 00:05:12,199 --> 00:05:15,639 Bradley Beale, who went number three, or Damian Lillard, who went number 71 00:05:15,639 --> 00:05:18,800 six. The latter wasn't a consensus top prospect at the time, but Beale 72 00:05:18,879 --> 00:05:23,399 for sure made the cut. The Hornets just so happened to already have Kemba. 73 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,199 Charlotte's first round loss to the Miami Heat in twenty sixteen looms as a 74 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,519 secondary choice for me as well. If that team had won Game seven, 75 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,720 it wouldn't have gone on to bag a title, but it likely would have 76 00:05:32,759 --> 00:05:38,600 doubled down harder on the core that offseason rather than just ponying up for Nick 77 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:44,160 Batoum and Marvin Williams. And this begs another interesting question, knowing what happened 78 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,120 after the Hornets almost beat the Heat, which is six straight lottery appearances and 79 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:53,680 made questionable self evaluation, would actually have making it out of the first round 80 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,480 been worse for the team's long term thinking. There's some food for thought, 81 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,319 but I do think the biggest what if for the Charlotte Hornets are just those 82 00:06:01,399 --> 00:06:06,399 various twenty twelve draft moments or what ifs or whatever you want to consider them. 83 00:06:06,399 --> 00:06:12,560 Our next team in the what if exercise is No One and only Miami 84 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,399 Heat. Perhaps you're drawn to a development or moment from the Miami Heats Big 85 00:06:15,439 --> 00:06:18,920 Three era. Trust me, I get it because I was what if Raylan 86 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:24,240 missus, what if Lebron James never leaves? Those were my immediate and extended 87 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:29,120 thought leanings. Then Alana Tauhauer a five reason Sports reminded me of a better 88 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,360 one. Here's what she wrote. I can't not answer this with what if 89 00:06:31,439 --> 00:06:35,079 Chris Bosh never had blood clots? To me, that changed the entire course 90 00:06:35,079 --> 00:06:39,759 of the organization post Big Three, and not just on the court, but 91 00:06:39,879 --> 00:06:44,399 off it as well. Without Bosh falling ill, Alana continued, Miami likely 92 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,399 would have never stumbled into its so called forgotten years, and as a result, 93 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,160 if very well, might never have gone after Jimmy Butler. And although 94 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,800 the cause and effect of both are easy to see from a purely basketball perspective, 95 00:06:56,199 --> 00:07:00,920 the cultural ramification should not go overlooked. From the tandems of Rook one 96 00:07:00,959 --> 00:07:03,680 and Rook two, Josh Richardson and Justice Winslow, gore On Dragics and Dion 97 00:07:03,759 --> 00:07:08,759 Waiters known as seven to eleven, and the brothers Johnson, James and Tyler 98 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,360 to Dwayne Wade's return, I firmly believe everything can we trace back to losing 99 00:07:13,399 --> 00:07:18,519 Bosh. A lot of it is probably right here this is wildly unsettling to 100 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,279 think about, and it says nothing of what the Heat might have looked like 101 00:07:21,319 --> 00:07:27,120 with a fully healthy Bosh, who, despite his third wheel status during the 102 00:07:27,199 --> 00:07:31,800 Heatles era, was a ridiculously good and historically underrated player. Knowing that team 103 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,959 president pat Riley is also addicted to superstar pursuits, I can't. I can 104 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:42,120 only imagine a post Big Three era led by Bosh peaks with the South Beach 105 00:07:42,199 --> 00:07:46,879 godfather landing another marquee name even sooner. Maybe it's still Butler. Another fascinating 106 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,120 consequence. By the way, are the Heat with a healthy Bosh in position 107 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:54,399 to draft Tyler Hero at number thirteen in twenty nineteen. Focusing on the bronze 108 00:07:54,439 --> 00:07:57,639 exit is probably fine. Which Miami doesn't get trucked by the San Antonio Spurs 109 00:07:57,639 --> 00:08:01,800 in twenty fourteen is another one. But that Heat Core spent the entire season 110 00:08:01,839 --> 00:08:07,199 operating on the brink in twenty fourteen and changing scenery every four years has essentially 111 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,240 been Lebron's modus opera Ronda since leaving Cleveland the first time. Bosch's health an 112 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:16,560 abruptly shortened career is more impactful. So was Gorn Dragu's left foot injury during 113 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:20,079 the twenty twenty NBA Finals. What if he stays healthy? Did he beat 114 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:22,879 the Lakers? Ultimately? I think Alana is right here. Miami's biggest what 115 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,360 if, certainly recently and knowing that it does ring a little bit hollow to 116 00:08:28,519 --> 00:08:33,440 go with something from the Big three era in general, is what if Chris 117 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:39,080 bosh is still playing never has to retire? The next team up is the 118 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:43,679 Orlando Magic. Smack you in the face options are available in abundance for the 119 00:08:43,759 --> 00:08:48,559 Orlando Magic. Kobe Price of the Orlando Sentinel selected a potentially painful banger. 120 00:08:48,879 --> 00:08:50,480 Here's what he wrote to me. What if Grant Hill and the Magic were 121 00:08:50,519 --> 00:08:54,159 able to get a better handle on his ankle injuries earlier? The Magic acquired 122 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,879 Hill, who started battling with injuries in two thousand while he was on the 123 00:08:56,919 --> 00:09:01,600 Detroit Pistons, with the hope that he and Tre McGrady could revive the franchise 124 00:09:01,639 --> 00:09:07,440 after the Shaquie O'Neill, Petty Hardaway Penny Hardaway era ended. That didn't materialize. 125 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,960 Hill played only four games in his first season with Orlando, fourteen in 126 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,240 his second, twenty nine in his third, and none in his fourth By 127 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,360 the time he was healthy, the Magic had traded McGrady to the Rockets, 128 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,480 and we're rebuilding around Dwight Howard. What heights Would a healthy Hill McGrady duo 129 00:09:20,519 --> 00:09:24,559 have taken the Magic too far enough to play the Lakers in the finals, 130 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,879 matching up Shack against the franchise he left in nineteen ninety six. Where would 131 00:09:28,879 --> 00:09:33,320 we rank Hill McGrady among all time duos? Would another non Tim Duncan star 132 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,600 have tried to push their way to Orlando to join them? Would Howard's career 133 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,480 have been altered because the Magic were too good to draft him in two thousand 134 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,679 and four? What would the Rockets have done if McGrady was thriving alongside Hill. 135 00:09:43,159 --> 00:09:48,519 NBA history could have been altered significantly. This is incredible framing to me 136 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:52,279 by Kobe, because when we're talking about these one DFF for teams, we 137 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,879 tend to zoom in on how it impacts that one franchise and what it did 138 00:09:56,879 --> 00:10:00,120 to them. This would have just had a triple trickle down effects for so 139 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:05,759 many franchises, most notably the Rockets, but then also what happens with Dwight 140 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,919 Howard there? Could it also have just impacted the Spurs by making Orlando like 141 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:16,279 more attractive for Tim Duncan. So, I mean Timmy d almost signed with 142 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,720 Orlando two thousands, So that's a bad example. He probably that might have 143 00:10:18,799 --> 00:10:24,559 been my biggest what if. And look as an aside, the Magic should 144 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:28,679 definitely be a more popular free agency destination. Just saying tilting, you could 145 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:33,240 tilt towards what if Shack or Dwight never left? That works too. And 146 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,399 then of course we have Nick Anderson's missed free throws from Game one of the 147 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:41,120 nineteen ninety five finals. But Hill's entire career is a gigantic what if. 148 00:10:41,159 --> 00:10:43,639 He's already remembered as one of the most unique and versatile players in league history. 149 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,600 He'd go down as one of the most dominant if injuries hadn't wrecked his 150 00:10:48,639 --> 00:10:52,200 availability and Peak Team Mac and Peak Hill absolutely would have been championship material, 151 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:58,279 a wing duo unlike any other in the NBA at the time. Our next 152 00:10:58,279 --> 00:11:03,480 team in this NBA would have exercise the Washington Wizards, something related to the 153 00:11:03,519 --> 00:11:07,879 Wizards of the mid twenty tens. Was my original intention in this space. 154 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:11,000 What if John Wall never gets injured in their second round series against the very 155 00:11:11,039 --> 00:11:15,799 good but beatable Hawks in twenty fifteen. What if Kelly Olynick doesn't mutate into 156 00:11:15,879 --> 00:11:18,879 Larry Bird one point five in Game seven of the twenty seventeen Eastern Conference semifinals. 157 00:11:20,519 --> 00:11:24,120 Quit Mayo from bet MGM elected to go the draft night route, and 158 00:11:24,159 --> 00:11:28,240 here's what he wrote to me. Selecting Jan Vesley at six overall in twenty 159 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:33,080 eleven when they could have drafted Klay Thompson at who went number eleven, or 160 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,919 Kawhi Leonard, who went fifteenth overall, is my pick, Mayo continued. 161 00:11:37,919 --> 00:11:41,039 While the front office has shown a neptitude across multiple regimes when it comes to 162 00:11:41,039 --> 00:11:43,960 giving out good contracts or trading for the right players, the crushing blow has 163 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,480 been their inability to draft and develop. Vesley is an all time bust, 164 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,600 and that misstep is compounded when you consider Thompson and Leonard were right there. 165 00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:56,919 Also, to add insult to injury, Washington worked out Leonard pre draft, 166 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:01,360 and reports at the time outlined Washington's decision ultimately coming between Leonard and Vestley. 167 00:12:01,639 --> 00:12:05,960 They chose the wrong guy, because of course they did. This is look 168 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,399 if you think that they were gonna pick Kauai if not Vestly, this is 169 00:12:09,399 --> 00:12:13,600 the right choice. Washington, likewise, was in the mix for going with 170 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:18,039 Thompson. There are reports out there that say that that further cements the Vestly 171 00:12:18,159 --> 00:12:20,480 decision in the what if an alls it isn't always good for him to ding 172 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,879 teams for past decisions that might have been considered to reach. But the twenty 173 00:12:24,039 --> 00:12:28,639 eleven draft class was a borderline free for all after Kyrie Irving at number one 174 00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:31,399 and Derrick Williams at number two. If you wanted to go different routes, 175 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,000 defending the Kwami round pick at number one in two thousand and one is actually 176 00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:43,600 easier than defending this Vestle pick. Kwami was virtually a consensus top prospect after 177 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:48,080 pre draft workouts. Vestley never reached that level. You could also go with 178 00:12:48,159 --> 00:12:52,360 laying in egg in Game seven against the Celtics in two seventeen. That's probably 179 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,399 my own pick, actually, and Mayo said it was his runner up. 180 00:12:54,399 --> 00:13:00,159 But failing to make the conference finals isn't unforgivable, knowing the defending champion and 181 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:05,360 Cavaliers awaited at the time, But that twenty sixteen twenty seventeen Wizard squad was 182 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:09,679 special. The absolute apex of the Bradley Beale and John Wall Captain Era. 183 00:13:09,159 --> 00:13:13,679 Still, what if the Wizards had gotten Kawhi Leonard or Klay Thompson. It's 184 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:18,639 a pretty big, freaking what if. That will do it for this penultimate 185 00:13:18,759 --> 00:13:24,080 edition of the NBA What If Exercise. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast, 186 00:13:24,159 --> 00:13:26,600 follow the show on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. 187 00:13:26,639 --> 00:13:28,120 If you haven't done so, join our discord. The link is in the 188 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,200 description. Subscribe to us on YouTube link is in the description as well. 189 00:13:31,279 --> 00:13:33,840 Until next time, and as always, I leave you with the shout out 190 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:43,519 till one, the only, the indelible, Frank Nila Key