What is crack Lack and fellow Thermo nuclear a efforts. I am Dampa Valley
looking at you with my certified Fantabulo's co host, mister Grant Hughes. We
are on to the fourth and final installment of our Every team in the League
mail bag. It's the second half ish of the Western Conference. We did
Dallas through the Memphis Grizzlies on the first part. Go check it out if
you have not already. We are now on too, going to begin with
the wait, I'll get this right, Minnesota Timberwolves bang. I'm so all
over the place, but I do have to ask you, Grant, since
I last spoke to you about twenty seven seconds ago, how are you doing.
I'm doing just as well as I was then, maybe better because we're
on the home stretch sort of. I don't know if you call this a
home stretch, but we're beginning the second half of our Western Conference. It's
a mailbag, and so that's a good place to be. So do you
wanna you want me to throw? And by the way, we'll blow We're
not gonna blow through, blow through. But I just recorded an extensive podcast
seventy plus minutes on the Timberwolves. So we're not gonna spend We've spent like
twenty minutes on some of these teams. The Timberwolves just got seventy plus minutes.
And so we have the one question, which a great question, by
the way, or we have a couple questions on timberwolve. When the first
one comes from I'll read it to you Grant, so I know that you're
just you have you're just dying to get off some of these Minnesota Timberwolves takes
that you have. First question comes from HP Burgie. What do the numbers
say in a NAS read versus Cat argument? Is the team better when NAS
plays an interesting discussion topic for the president and future, and also interesting discussion
because this was asked believe it or not, before Town suffered that lateral moniscus
injury. This pertinent, to say the least, given what's happened with Cat.
I will say, I'm look, I'm not the biggest Cat fan,
but this idea that like somehow they're better without him does not. And we'll
go through the numbers, but like, you're not better without a starter,
just like taking him out of the equation, like that was you? I
think you this would be at risk of oversimplifying it if it wasn't too true.
Who is your second best scorer now on this team with Karl Anthony Towns
out, it is nas reed, which is potentially problematic, and then you're
shooting your spacing falls off a cliff without Towns antheawards is spectacular. So he's
working through it, but like the way that defenses can just load up on
him without fear of repercussion now, and it reached a point to where because
Towns was out. I don't know if you saw any of that Clippers Wolves
game where they came back, but progression on social media was bonkers because there
were people that wanted, like Kyle Anderson to be shipped off the planet at
that point. So yeah, I mean, like it the the read versus
Cat thing sort of invites comparison because like Reid does can do some of the
things that that make Cat really good, which he's a big body that can
space and he can put it on the floor and straight line drive. He
just you know, Cat is like it's you know, it's like to the
point of parody at this point, but like he maybe is the best high
volume three point shooter among big guys ever, like he just he like THAT'SO
gets outlined why so many people don't like him because he said that, which
I'm not criticizing him for that. He's grossly poor in the self awareness department
and like not coming offense, NOA, but you can't say that you just
shouldn't like at least let Dirk Novisky like fade for memory a little bit,
like you just don't just anyway, So let's get to some of the numbers
here with with Nas on the floor, with Rudy Gobert, they're plus thirteen
point nine. The offense is not good. The defense is phenomenal. One
hundred percentile on defense forty first offense. Gobert obviously just limits everything at the
rim, so he's kind of the key to that group, the Towns and
Gobert unit, which by the way, probably goes against starters. A little
more offense you might want to look at like some luck adjusted stuff if you
really want to dig into this, which we're not going to do. Plus
nine point six per hundred. The offense is much better with Cat out there
with Gobertt seventy seventh percentile, ninety first on defense. Still good. I'm
still obviously very good. Opponent shooting luck is not like jimmying with any of
those numbers, So like, you know you're getting good results either way.
The defense seems to be carrying the red go Bear minutes more so than the
Cat Go Bear minutes. But like you're basically plus ten and better in both
units. Cat by himself with no other bigs plus five point eight in not
a lot of possessions, But that offense ironically sucks seventeenth percentile. The defense
is really good. It's shooting luck twenty nine percent from three for opponents there.
Thank you for pulling all these stats. By the way, it's making
me sound very smart if you have read out there by himself as the loan
big, which doesn't happen that often either. Two hundred and eighty six possessions
rules are minus eleven point nine. The offense is awful like second percentile.
The defense is basically break even. So like you start considering the cost between
Cat and Reed, like, obviously that's a huge factor. It's just like
I don't I don't see a scenario where the Timberwolves are anything but substantially worse
with Kat out of the picture. That's not what this question is asking,
but it's like Reed is a really good player, should be in the very
shortless conversation for six Man of the Year. He's not Karl Anthony Towns.
And so I guess like the question could be just like, well, who
do they need? They need all of them, they need everybody like that's
It's not It's not like Reid is going to step in and just replicate everything
that they need all three of it. They need three of their top six
players. I know, Dan, I know, I know, but I
really feel strongly about it. They need Virgin. But we want to make
that clear. We're not trolling the question. Answer, hb Burg is a
good question. I think people outside a minutes that are probably asking the thing
that I would add to because you mentioned the money, which there's a if
if they ever view Read as a Town's replacement, it's not because Reed is
better than Towns. It's because he's thirty million dollars cheaper a year, and
that's it. And I don't think and I've said this before. I said
it on the podcast with Kyle. I said it when people because apparently I
said something egregious way back. I probably did say it, but I like
said that the Wolves had to trade or bust it up before next year,
I would be I'd be floored, And if I were fans, I'd be
irate if they traded anyone from the top six before the twenty twenty five deadline,
because you haven't ntil the end of next year. I would even say
the draft. But you haven't toil the end of next year to cut your
tax bill. And if you get to the trade deadline, see it's not
working. Okay, if it's still working, then you better see it through
all like you eat it for at least one more year after this, And
so I don't think this is an imminent issue. And the final thing I'll
say very quickly, I trust Towns to punish multiple layers of defense. Even
though he's he's part of the reason that the Wolves can be like bad when
it comes to turnovers and bad passes and lost balls, but like on drives,
if he needs to get by two different layers of defense, if you
need him to work from the post, I'm gonna trust that out of him
more than nas Reid, and I think he has improved enough defensively. He's
slower in space, but part of the reason why nas is quicker in space
is because he can't do like typical center stuff. And if you have the
right personnel around Rudy, I do think we've seen this season in some of
those loan big lineups he can do some of the regular big stuff when the
right perimeter guys are in front of him. So if again I think this
maybe this is the oversimplification, but if you read as your Karlathon Town's replacement,
it's because you're trying to save money and that's it's not because Reid is
better than Towns. Yeah, I agree. The next Wolves question that we
have for you, Grant, they asked this specifically for you. Oh good,
Corey Cosmi eighty three oh six. They didn't ask this specifically for you,
But I want to make you feel good about yourself. If you guys
don't, If you guys don't think Rudy Gobert affects the shot attempts at the
rim the same way Wemby does, why do you have Rudy above him in
Defensive Player of the Year. Just curious because if Wemby passes the eye test
and leads the league in blocks and blocks post deals, why not have him
first? I mean a few reasons, like I don't want to be put
in the position who did I have to talk up last podcast? I can't
remember Russell Westbrook. I don't want to be put in the position of talking
down Victor Wenbnyama because like the list of outlandish things we've said about him all
positive is long, and I'm going to continue to add to it for the
next hopefully fifteen years. It's it's one. It's a full season award.
When Benyama was not this good defensively at the beginning of the year, He's
going to run away with the blocks lead. That's true. I guess there's
a few like one. You know, Gobert is the anchor of the best
defense in the league by a mile, and when Benyama is awesome, but
the Spurs defense is not good. When ben Yama has not been the anchor
of a really great defense like for seven years, you know, so I
have some some of this goes to track record. I think Wen Benyama is
probably like his potent is higher, which is wild because Gobert is the best
defensive player like of this generation, at least among bigs, but not according
to Well, let's move on from that. I don't know. I mean,
it's a fair question because all we do is talk up Wembanyama. But
I guess I struggle to say that webbin Yama is sort of as reliable and
sturdy of a like defensive centerpiece, Like his spectacular plays are better than anybody's.
But I think Gobert just has certainly like a level of know how positioning,
like corporate knowledge, like just experience all that stuff that like makes him
just a more complete, like established. I keep using like reliable, sturdy,
like it's pejorative, like he's just you know exactly what you're getting,
possession of possession, where WebM ban Yama is spectacular, but like it's gonna
make more mistakes than Gobert is. And and you just don't have the you
don't have the tracker, you don't have the team for foremants to back it
up. That's not fair really, because when ben Yama's supporting cast is awful
and the Spurs defense is his strongest argument is just the Spurs are in like
the seventieth percentime of defense officially with him on the floor. Yeah, he
has to do so much more to make them like pretty good. So it's
a fair question, but I I don't really, it's not making me like
reassess. Do I think when ben Yama all year has been a better defender
than Gobert, When yeah, when you're looking at a wire or wire and
the other thing too, is just and I don't. Again, this is
me legitimately throwing out there the five hundred minute differential here where that's like Gobar's
five hundred minutes on Wemby about I would think that matters, especially because Ruey
goal Beart is playing in more important games as well, and like, doesn't
that factor into It's like, I'm not saying this, but it's like how
many teams are like put off the gas against the Spurs at points this year?
Yeah? So? Or how much of Wemby's best plays have come when
like he look, he's helped the Spurs get some pretty high leverage moments.
But ride goo Beart has played in more high stakes games this year than Victor
Weinbnyama. That's not a spicy take. Now, every single game is higher
stakes. Do not play games with stakes and have not really all year?
Okay, so we got the Pelicans next. How do you want the Pelicans
remain my kink. That's what it's become on this pelics. Oh man,
how do you want to approach this? We have several questions, but I
know there was a particular topic you wanted to get into with them. So
do you want to just like just go to the shooting and the defense or
do you want me to run down a list of questions for you? They
have? So I think we should go to, uh, do we have
two that kind of stepped on the toes of each other or no? It
was a let's I think some of these can be a little bit quicker,
So Peto, let's go. Let's start with Peto's one. All right,
So Peter asked, take your best shot at trying to understand who this team
should be. A point Zion central team, a bi central team. Can
Zion and Brandon Ingram actually coexist? Should they be a defense or offense oriented
team? So I think that's a great question. I do think they can
coexist. But I think if you're not gonna have them running pick and rolls
with each other, then you need to get just a ton of stretch around
them in the form of just raw three point shooting and maybe another twitchy off
the dribble three point threat, or there needs to be that vertical spacer guy
who's also a really good rim protector, because like, I think that's the
way to compliment them or to maximize the talent around them. I do think
the best version of this team is with either point Zion just because but he's
just he's functionally more limiting when he doesn't have the ball than Brandon ingram is,
especially if you're not gonna use him as the primary screener. That's just
where I'm at with that. However, I would also say, and maybe
this is the I don't even know if this is controversial, it's either the
best version of this team is either with point Zion or point This player isn't
on the team yet. And I'm not go ahead, No, I was
gonna say that's what I was gonna ask you, was because I I'm I'm
at least tempted to go along with like it should be point Zion that needs
to be like the foundation of your team is CJ McCollum on that team?
Like is he is that what you want at that position? Or do you
need like a Herb Jones that can also drive and handle them? You know,
what I mean, like because Mcca, because if you're gonna do the
zion at the point thing and maybe like what's that going to do for your
defensive matchups? It puts McCollum in tough positions. It's kind of like we
talked about with Dallas and how Luca is at a position where you want him
to guard like a three to four, that's a tough matchup. Usually you
got to like move things around. If it's not McCollum, who is it?
Can it be McCollum, Like just because that obviously the stretchy big and
the rim protecting big, Like yeah, yeah, we said that forever Miles
Turner on and on. Is McCollum the right point guard for that or whatever
whatever? If he's not the point guard, is McCollum the right guy at
like what would otherwise be the one going forward? And that's just the look
you're talking about. And he's so good that it's been so good this year
and you have to credit him for really juicing up his three point more.
Yeah, Trey Murphy coming on ends up being a big deal for them,
So maybe you have just but look, if you told me this team came
out of the West, it wouldn't surprise me. I do think ultimately and
this will get it. So the offense or defense? Should they be an
offensive defense team? I actually think because of how imperfect they can be on
offense, it makes sense that it doesn't make sense when you're looking at their
personnel, Like this current team I think needs to actually hang its hat on
defense. But like if you're building out future iterations just because of who your
best player is gonna be, whether it's Zion or whether it's Ingram in that
and even though like having like I think it's probably leaning offense first, Like
that's what if you're making new additions, I'm catering to the offense. But
we'll get into that because we have another defensive question. So yeah, I
think the other thing with what you mentioned looming over all this is it might
be point Zion, but you have to ask yourself, is he healthy enough?
Will his prime last long enough to lean all the way into that?
Yeah? I mean I guess that that hangs over everything. So because like
if you build a point Zion team that is a specific ass team with like
guys that are going to you know, have really certain jobs that'll be different
than they'd be on like a quote unquote normally constructed team. Yeah, and
then if if the guy that's at the center of all that is like maybe
not going to hold up or is going to miss time or have conditioning issues
or whatever, which for the time being like pretty good stretch on that front
for Zion. But like it's so precarious to build like an unusual roster around
an unusual player that if he's not there, like, then what the hell
is this team? Like things don't make sense anymore. You kind of almost
have to build like a totally different like second you, I don't know,
there's risk there, but it's like I think I still think that like putting
the ball on Zion's hands unlesson until he becomes like a great off ball cutter
or a shooter, Like that's just the way it's got to go, right,
Like, I don't know what else do you really do to maximize the
talent? And I do think that the two can coexist and they might look
they're doing it right now. I mean, like the numbers they're they're starting
lineup numbers have started to turn, and I think it's probably about futzing and
fiddling more on the margins. But there is a case to be made that
if you are trying to really improve your offensive ceiling or maybe even playoff,
we have to see what their playoff offense looks like. If you want to
playoff proof of your offense or create more chemistry, the glue tying all that
together probably isn't on the team yet. If that's the route you want to
go, Yeah, okay, So next question here from Yankees man seventy seven.
Pelican's going to make a move this summer to bring in a new center,
either by trade or free agent? Or are they going to sign Yonis
Valonchuna so new deal? If not, so they move on from him.
Who do you see as not the new starting five next to Zion Bi for
next season? Like what's what's it look like? I guess focusing on the
center position, Like what do you think they should do? What can they
do? What would you like them to do? I think so they're like
twelve and a half thirteen million dollars under the tax without accounting for Jonas Valentiunas's
next contract, and so you could say, right, well, if you
just plug in, maybe that's the number he gets he's earning what's he at
this year. I mean that would be a pay cut, so you would
think that he would have more. And you're also in that point that doesn't
include, you know, a new contract for Jose Alvarado if they want to
go that route with him. Naji Marshall gonna have a first round draft pick
too, right, Well, no, So the estimate for this is like
it has the Lakers draft pick in there. I think they have the right
to defer it. So I mean you could save some money there, yeah,
I mean, which they probably will defer it, just because that could
save him like four million bucks. But my point being, you don't have
money to spend on a big wig center, so I would just keep yonas
valentiunis or try and work out a unless you have another trade lined up.
But you don't have all this expendable matching salary necessarily unless you if U s
C. J. McCollum as expendable, sure you have Larry Nance, maybe
you're to go. You can get to numbers where it's like, oh,
if your step ladder with Nance and Dyce and Daniels. I think the safest
course would be to figure out a way to keep Jonas Valentiunis, and then
that'll you know, will this team pay the tax? Shift to ask yourself
that if you're gonna make another splash at center, if you let Jonna Valentunis
walk, I don't know who the free agent like, you don't have the
money to go after Isaiah Heart and Steinn who would be an interesting fit here,
you know? And then there's just like there's not a ton of talented
Yeah, Nick Claxton would be kind of interesting. There'd be spacing limitations there
though. You can't afford him either, So you're looking at You're looking at
like, oh, Daniel Tice, Like who we get him? And so
if you're gonna upgrade the center position or make it materially different, it has
to happen on the trade market when I go through, like you can come
up with names, and I know a lot of wolves fands love the Jared
Allen id and maybe the Cavs get to a point where they want to move
off one of their bigs. I will say I kind of consider vertical spacing
overrated in this context. I don't know how you feel about that. To
where I prefer, Yes, I want a big who protects the room.
Stretches the floor. But just like, if I'm going to really give up
a lot of assets for this team, it has to be for that big
And yes, they're rare, borderline non existent. I like Jared Allen works,
and especially at his numbers, so maybe it's like, well, we're
giving off this equity and he's so cheap for the next couple of years relative
to what players of his caliber would make. But like, I just there's
not a name out there, like it's the idea. It's like Miles Turner
as concept and like been there, done that type deal. So and they
might just I think a lot of what happens in the playoffs will probably inform
what they try, because you could convince me that they enter the offseason with
the priority of we need like a real floor general an ere rather than like
focusing on the five spot depending on how the postseason unfolded. And so I
don't have a great I feel ben on having a great answer to who should
they go after at the center position. But if they do anything, I'm
assuming it's just gonna happen on the trade market, and I just don't there's
no name. I don't know if you can think of a name that springs
to mind, like maybe Dallas, would we want to trade one of their
big Are they going to trade you? Maxally Kliba? And he's also just
not the thirty five minute per game answer either thirty minute per game answer.
I think it's telling that you got to Daniel Tyss's name real quick in the
list of options. So what they get afforded free agency as well? Yeah,
it's a bare okay, So this is where we really got to get
to. This has been the topic I don't know, not du jour,
but like of the last couple of weeks around NBA Nerd circles and Pelicans circles,
particularly from this is from Trey Realstroker Murphy. How does the Pelican's three
point defense work? It can't be just luck that their opponents have consistently the
worst three point percentage for two straight seasons while they also give up the most
three point attempts. What's going on? I wrote about this today for something
else. I've been listening to a lot of discussions about it. We got
to talk about this. Oh, you wrote about it? Did you want
to take it? Then? No? It's all your notes are very similar.
I mean, I'm the cynic and I am my kink is not the
Pelicans, So I feel like I'm just a little a little bit more down
on them than you, And I trust in a lot of smarter people than
me who have essentially said, you know, there are some things you can
do as a defense to limit three point accuracy of your opponents, one of
the main ones being make sure really good shooters do not take those threes,
and one of the other ones being try not to allow really wide open threes
the Pelicans. The deep dives in the data just suggests that, like,
some of that might be happening, And the two year window where it's this
is happening two years in a row now is persuasive just because it grows the
size of the sample, so you can't dismiss it as small sample luck as
easily. I still think it's mostly luck. I still think if opponents are
missing wide open threes more often against you than against any other team, odds
are you're lucky. And it's not like you haven't figured out how to play
like you don't. Willie Green's a good coach. I don't know if he
has schooled the team on defensive telepathy like I don't think that's a thing.
So part of it, I said I wasn't gonna take over this thing.
But like, I think part of it is that maybe some of the numbers
we have are not accounting for, like the length of the Pelicans roster.
Like maybe wide open shots are not as wide open if it's Trey Murphy or
brandon Ingram or Herb Jones closing out against you with like nine foot wingspans.
But I skew more towards the Pelicans have been lucky defensively, and I think
their defense will be will regress as opponents make threes that expected rates, so
that where you want if you're looking at three point defense specifically and say they've
been lucky, but I think the way that they are able to get set
is like a big part of why their defense is maybe overachieved relative to personnel.
There's luck involved with the three point I mean you mentioned it, like
their opponents aretooting thirty six percent on wide open threes. That's by far and
away the lowest mark in the league. You can say they're selective about who
gives them up, but when you go back and watch what I do think
you already mentioned the length thing, and the contest stuff is right, but
there are two things that stand out to me. Is the level of pressure
they're able to put on because they navigate screens and so they're within proximity of
these shot takers, that they're going to have these where maybe it's classified as
open, but because of the wingspans of some of these guys that it's actually
not six plus feet. The other thing for me, only the heat and
the bulls are better at forcing opponents to take threes later in the shot clock,
so seven seconds or less remaining on the shot clock. Statistically speaking,
those shot percentages on average are going to be lower than if they're coming up
because the reason you're taking shots earlier in the shot clock is you're open to
the Pubgs might give up a lot of wide open threes, but if you're
also forcing opponents to defend deep into the shot clock, how many of those
threes are grenades to shooters. You mentioned this at the top. They're not
very good, and so I think that's been a big deal about their defense,
which comes back to one getting set the fact that they're able to fight,
and you have guys like Herb Jones, you have guys like Cray Murphy,
you even have just like and I think this has been the Other thing
that I noticed is brand Ingram has gotten better defensively. I think he's been
smarter with his closeouts, He's been able to shoot better gaps, smarter with
his help and I think that's where the Pelicans have And I did not dig
into the data on this, so I didn't look at like what's happening from
the corners. But when you look at like with CJ. McCullum and Brandon
Ingram have done as helpers when they are in the corners, and maybe even
Zion Williamson at points they've been able to like pick and choose where they're gonna
put the ball pressure And if you trust those guys to close out or if
you're helping off of the right shooters, I think that adds the element of
Okay, we're actually helping deflate this three point percentage by design. I say
all this knowing we saw it with the Knicks a couple of years ago,
that stuff will normalize. There's luck here, there's absolutely luck here. But
I don't think like if you look at the Pelicans defense as a whole,
and a lot of what I said applies to I think their overall defense,
because take three point pointers out of the equation, only the Bulls have opponents
taking a larger share of their overall shots inside seven seconds of the shot clock.
That's a big deal, I would say. And so it's their ability
to get set, which that comes back to their offense, but also just
a commitment to getting back in transition, which they've for the most part consistently
had under Willie Green. All that stuff makes a big difference. And so
if you want to say the Pelicans three point defense has been more luck than
not, I will concede that, but I do think they've done things that
go into it. As a larger point, I don't think their overall defensive
standing is completely founded around luck. I know it looks wonky because of the
personnel, but I think that they have done things to earn what are they
like sixth right now in points lab the possession or wherever it is. So
that's where I'm at with the Pelicans defense, and it's why, I mean,
it's one of the many reasons why they are my kink, because even
their offensive imperfections or the Knights where it's look, they're going through a kind
of a mini tear. Right now, they've beat up on some inferior opponents,
Like we've seen stretches where those don't kind of just deviate from what's working
and it doesn't make sense. You can still almost trust them to refine their
peak or to tread water because their defense has been so good. And I
think too, like it's kind kind of exciting to think about because like their
process, at least in terms of just the shots they allow, goes against
conventional wisdom because like in terms of what are the pillars of a good defense,
typically right now in the NBA, it's like, don't let opponents shoot
threes, Like just don't do that, Like that's the bucks under Buttonholzer,
Like that was their whole thing. We funnel everything to the middle. We
let the big guys deal with it. Typically, I correct me if I'm
wrong. I think, just as a broad generalization, the best defense is
limit opponent three point attempt frequency. The Pelicans don't do that. Well.
It's interesting to think that, like conventional wisdom is only right until it isn't,
And at some point we could be in an era where like it's actually
okay to let opponents shoot a bunch of threes. As long as you get
really good at you know, contesting and letting the wrong guys making sure the
wrong slash right guys are shooting those threes. It's fun to think about the
Pelicans maybe being on like the vanguard of something because it's two years now,
so like that has to at least get your attention a little bit. I'm
just playing Devil's advocate. But well, that's the interesting side of this to
me is that it goes against like normal good defensive process. Well, I
think you're touching on a trend too. I Mean, this isn't a I'm
talking about just this season. So if you go through the teams that are
the best at limiting opponent three point attempts, I'll read them off to you.
I'll read you the top five and you guess how many top ten defenses
are in there. Indiana, Denver, Detroit, Washington, Portland, followed
by San Antonio. Out Right, bad defense is like pretty much across the
board, Denver Tennis, Yeah, and Denver is not even in They're not
in the top ten of defense this year. Right. You wonder, though,
is that the defense limiting threes or is that the defense being so bad
that teams get all the way to the basket, which is what they want
to do anyway, Like I don't you know what I mean, Like it
can't it could be that too, look to be fair, So like Minnesota
is seventh, Cleveland is a eighth, or Milwaukee's ninth, Orlando is tenth,
and so it's like, okay, there is some there is some pretty
good defenses there. But it's just funny that of the top five teams,
even top six, just because Portland was so close to being in the top
like they were basically dead. Even of the top six teams that are great
at limiting opponent three point attempts, there's one top ten defense and it's Denvers.
Yeah, you know what The unfortunate part about this is what it reveals
is that you can't just look at the number and conclude that the Pelicans are
a good or bad defense or are lucky because all those teams you just mentioned,
like you can't. I guess I'm just you have to watch what they
do, like what kinds of threes are. It's like that just makes it
harder to study defenses. And this happened earlier in the season where it's of
the games I caught. It was like someone had said in our discord,
I apologize, I can't remember that CG. Mccome was having a fantastic defensive
season and you look at some of the county numbers of what he's doing seals,
it's like okay, And then I was just like, eh, like
I haven't seen it. But then you go back to kind of watching possessions
that he's not in yeh directly, and it's oh, okay, like they
are the's That was a great way to frame It's like this is the team
that you have to watch them to defend to understand why this is happening beyond
luck. But I do have to concede just because we've seen it play out.
I'm going to default the history with you. I think the three point
stuff is probably more lucky than not. But I will say relative to like
what the Knicks did, like during the early TIBs days, it does feel
like more than the typical Jedi defense, the Pelicans are doing things to actually
affect what's going on here. Yes, I think that's yeah. I don't
think it's all luck. I think it's mostly luck. And I think the
part that isn't luck is really worth paying attention to, like how aggressively they
rotate and how much they just always have a body at the nail, so
you can't drive. You have to swing, swing, swing, and hope
they fuck up a rotation and then you get your wide open three. But
to your point, maybe that's like eight passes into the possession in the shot
clocks at five, and that's a harder shot. The amount of work it
takes to get them in tation because of the way they're able to navigate screens.
So and I'm gonna have to like snip this up and make it a
sneak previous I think that was one of our better discussions. Uh well,
we only talk about Big Mark on the podcast though, So let's head over
to the next team. All right, let's see I think this is for
you speaking speaking of huge markets. Oh wait, we did have one quick
Pelicans question here. Uh so I apologize at Henry DeMarse. My biggest question
for the Pelicans what is their best closing lineup? Zion B I, C.
J. Herbert, the core four? Who should be the fifth?
He? They mentioned Nance Murphy Alvarado. Deep in my heart, I want
gta out there, which is I respect them going with their their heart.
I if I could, if you could get away with like Murphy, I
think, is the is their fifth best player? Or uh, I say
he's better than their fifth best player. But it's no like Ingram and McCollum
and Zion and her like, he's yeah, he is there, he's in
there five best players. Yeah, yeah, right wherever you might want to
rank him, maybe you think he's better than us. That's what makes it,
by the way, that's what makes it so hard to project the future
of like who do you get rid of? It's no, you could say
there's no even if they're imperfect. It's not just trade Brand and Ingram or
trade No, these players are really good. Yeah, So it would be
nice if you could do it with Murphy. I think you're just too small
because Zion doesn't really like play big in a lot of ways that you would
like him to, and neither does Ingram. So you're just like some wings
and CJ like, that's that's tough. I look, I I prefer nance
over over valentiunists because of the defense, because of the passing. You just
here, it's the offense. You can't post them up. That's a value
with valent Unis. But I just really like, all things being equal,
give me the like mobile switchable pass first guy over the plotting post up center.
That doesn't really defend the rim that well. The I would have to
look at the lineup data on this, but I wonder one it's probably super
matchup dependent. But I think just CJ McCom, I want to make it
clear his three point volume has been uber important of this team. But because
I agree with your overarching thoughts on Nance, it's kind of like, if
you have Trey Murphy out there, does it make the idea of CJ McCom
a little bit less important to where he's the guy I know you call him
the core four. Where does he have to be the guy that you yank
or then or you just worried about. You know, Trey Murphy's done some
stuff off the dribble of Lait especially, but just this year in general,
and since he's entered the league, could you get away with where it's Nance
and Murphy and Herb Jones and then Zion and Ingram. I mean, that's
a that's a really fun line, especially like CJ is not like a pure
point guard by any stretch really, So he's just one of the better.
Like anyway, by the way, I think the shooting and the shooting volume
from the outside, yeah, you need you need Herb to continue making like
forty odd percent of his threes and and shoot more. And you probably also
you still got Zion and Nance out there, neither of whom are going to
scare defenses from deep like in any meaningful way. So the other guys have
got to shoot a lot of threes and make a lot of threes. The
lineup with Zion at the five, so it's Zion, Herb, Ingram,
Murphy and McCollum is a minus forty one point five net rating on the season
in about sixty possessions. The lineup I had considered is a minus forty and
ten possessions. And so like the sample is just not so you have Nance
instead of CG. McCollum in that five. The lot, like the data
there is just I think you just get into a little bit finicky when it's
okay, when's like when Zion, like Larry and Strew years are five there,
but Zion's kind of your biggest But it's it's a really tough question that
I think when we get to the playoffs, they're probably a team that will
play either the hot hand or what's working or the matchup more than some of
the other upper echelon squad I think. I think this question illustrates how unclear
that answer is. Like as A as a across the board, like who
should close, So it's got will be Jonas too, Like he's absolutely gonna
be in there. Yeah, it's got to be matchup specific, like that's
that's the easy answer. I think just and the playoffs will show that.
It's if they you know, depending on it, if they play more than
one playoff team. So we are on to your Oklahoma City Thunder. M
Yes, I am ascribing the Thunder to you. First question from them unbiased
Pistons fan, do you buy into the idea that the Thunder have too many
picks to make a trade. Each pick is devalued by the fact that they
can offer many more picks, so they probably have to really overpay with the
other GM seeing their war chest of picks. Yeah, this is you.
Hear this talked about sometimes of how like Utah to some extent too, where
it's like, yeah, they got all these picks, so all of the
asks from other teams are going to be you know, out just ridiculous.
Like you, we know you've got seventeen firsts in the next eleven drafts.
So if you want this guy, the price is you know, forty percent
higher for you because you can afford it. Like that's that you hear that?
You hear that out there sometimes called price gouging, which would be illegal,
but go ahead. Yeah, well it's like, I don't I guess
in theory that's true. Have we ever seen that or heard of that happening?
Is that a thing like? Or is that just like if he overpays
more so feel like an active choice Minnesota getting go bear, yeah for example.
But I I guess it makes sense in theory because like I guess you
should, right, you should, like, yeah, you could spare it,
like this is what we're not they're going to give it up then though,
right right? So yeah, I I don't know, I guess,
like I suppose it's possible that what would you call it's not like low balling,
it's like they're being highballed by by gms that are is that what that
is? Like it's just like irrational, uh, like prices I I don't
know, Like I so I guess, like, is it not good to
have? Are there picks devalued? Is it? I don't think so,
because like if you're trading one to some other team for something, like you
know, it's not like these all have to go in one transaction, Like
your first that you're trading is going to be worth the same as another team's
first. Like, if anything, their picks are be valued because they're really
good, like the Thunder's own picks kind of sucking out for the next decade.
I would say you only run into an issue if you're trying to shoehorn
all these same draft picks, where if most of these picks were just oh
they have five twenty twenty five picks and nothing in twenty six or twenty seven,
that's not the case for the Thunders. Yeah, they may have eight
draft picks in one draft, but they always have more in the next year.
And we've seen sam Pressi's also kind of diversified their portfolio. By you're
talking about how devalued their own picks are. Now they have two of these
just they gave up picks to have swap rights. There was the one with
the Mavericks and what was the other one they have with the other team that
they could swap with I already forgot about it. So but the heat right
is that the I can't remember which team it is, but they have that
they so like you have those too, just like what could be high caliber
swaps out there. But in addition, these picks are still spread out that
I don't think it's yeah, you couldn't ask for more. And maybe if
the Thunder want to outbid, they have the ability to say yes and do
it, but that doesn't mean they have to, and so I don't think
it devalues them like there's it creates more of an urgency, like because you
have to do this book keeping of picks. And yet we've seen Sam Presty
do it as they've run out of roster room to house all these picks.
He's either kicked the can down the road, made consolidations. So I don't
I just don't buy into this that much. No, it's it's it's a
little bit. It's I don't know how many picks you'd have to have before
I viewed it as any kind of a detriment, But the Thunder don't have
that amount. It's still a very good thing at seth Justice. Will Okasee
shorten their rotations as drastically as most teams do in the playoffs? Will this
make them worse? Will they only play eight going to be odds? See
Mark daign don't play less than ten players, our best guys don't play a
ton of minutes. Now is that an advantage or disadvantage in the playoffs?
I mean, I think the safest answer is that the rotation will shrink,
just because it always does. I don't know if it'll happen right away,
Like, depending on who they see in the first round, it might not
be a situation where the Thunder feel like they got to start trimming fat or
just like you know, upping their you know best five six guys minutes to
levels way beyond what they played. But like, generally speaking, that is
gonna happen. I suppose like you might look at you know, like Gil
just Alexander's gonna play a ton, Williams is gonna play a ton, Chet's
gonna play a ton of Dort's gonna be out there case and Wallace Isaiah Joe
Giddy is someone that like absolutely that guy has like real playoff issues. So
you might see his minutes get trimmed a little bit, and then after that
it's like, I don't know, are you that concerned that Aaron Wiggins is
playing less or Kendrick Williams is playing less? I think I think they will.
Other than Giddy, I don't think anybody is gonna see like this drastic
role change or diminishment at least until maybe the second round, and then that's,
you know, maybe beyond that, depending on how far the thunder get,
you might really see it get cut down. Because yes, the other
thing, opponents are gonna tell you who can and can play like, you're
gonna find out really quickly, like who who's got the deficiency that is gonna
be exploitable, And that's that's who it's gonna have to be. Other than
Giddy. I don't know if there's anybody that's like got this, you know,
Blair, you know, blinking red light of like playoff issue like that.
That's that's what i'd say about that. I think really Giddy is the
only guy in danger there. And I think the thunder where it gets murky
is yes, they'll shorten their rotation, but if we were looking to pit
it down, I think that they can and will, and we've seen them
just do this in general cater or two matchups more or what's working to the
point that, Okay, we know you mentioned Shay chet j Dubb those and
I would say Lou Dort. I know, like he might not be in
every closing, you know, but those are the four guys that we know
are gonna log heavy minutes. And then I think you could see a lot
of fluctuation with Kenrich Williams, Gordon Hayward, Josh Giddy, specifically Isaiah Joe.
You could see I'd probably say Isaiah Joe's like a guy that I would
play a ton of minutes there anyway. But like in Case and Willace and
Aaron Wiggins, those are guys who will see their minutes just fluctuate more based
on the matchups or what's working. And so maybe the Thunder have more,
yes, still shorten their rotation, but maybe they have fewer. Oh these
three or four guys are gonna play heavy minutes, where other teams it feels
like there's, yeah, we just went through this with Denver on the previous
pot. Where's though we know what six, seven, eight guys are gonna
play the most, and with the Thunder, it's well, we kind of
know what four guys are gonna play the most. Maybe, yeah, yeah,
So I have my own question about the Thunder. Oh, we'll say,
and this is in light of Scotty Barnes getting injured, might not hit
the games with them. Shane gun gets injured, but he is eligible by
the way Zachllod points out for most improved, or should be, because you
can play sixty two games, and if if those sixty two games come before
your deemed to have a season ending injury, and so you played in eighty
five percent of your team games or whatever it was within those sixty two games,
which he has, you're still eligible. But I say, this,
isn't there something about like the season ending injury designation means you're not expected to
be back until like May thirty first, or some totally arbitrary like weird.
I don't know, like how do they investigate that? Because if I'm the
Rockets and just like you know that you're not going to be a playing team
this season, I am just gonna prioritize the long term and shut Shane gud
for the rest of the year. Get a doctor to say he can't come
back till June first, therefore he's out for you know, it's a season
ender, so he can he can be considered for that award. Yeah,
I don't know. They're real stupid. This is a stupid rule. Yeah,
I would I would agree. I would like. I wasn't too against
it at first, and now I'm just like, I've completely kind of flip
flopped on it. But we don't need it. I don't think you need
to use those Oh well, look, shanegud might not be eligible or is
barely eligible, and Scotty Mars might not be eligible. I'm breaking from what
would be my second year players can't win this award consideration. Do the Oklahoma
City Thunder have the NBA's if you're throwing criteria out the window, do the
Oklahoma City Thunder or my criteria of second really do the Oklahoma City under have
the NBA's most improved player? So it kind of comes down to I guess
there's a two pronged thing we got to look at. The first is are
so when we did our most improved I think we sort of I don't know
if I just like steamrolled it, but I kind of liked the idea,
and this went to Barnes, who was our pick until he got hurt,
and Kobe White, who I think I you cornered me and I made him
my my new winner. I like the idea of guys that like where improved
means like something's different, not just more minutes, not just more points,
not just like more volume of like the same kind of thing, not more
quantity, but like qualitatively they're different. So if we're married to that,
then we have to ask, is Jalen Williams doing just more or is he
doing like different and better stuff. So I mean, I guess I'll start.
I think like, certainly you could point to the three point shooting just
under forty five percent after just under thirty six last year. The volume's not
like massively up, he's taking fewer than one more three per game, but
the hit rate is like that's that's a big time skill jump. All of
his other numbers are you know, his facilitation is up, he's actually rebounding
worse, points are up. We don't I mean, just going with points
per game increase is kind of a not the most thoroughly analytical way to analyze
improvement. So I guess, like I think you could look at his role
and the things that he's being asked to do this year on both ends,
like he's got a guard, like tough matchups, a lot of fours,
which wasn't necessarily happening last year. So I think if you can get past,
if you believe there's enough qualitative improvement, which not to the degree of
Barnes, probably not to the degree of degree of Kobe White, then if
you cross that threshold, is he quantitatively better? Like yeah, the numbers
are just like he's just doing more. So I'm here for it. I'm
not gonna argue. I'm not gonna say a bad word about Jalen Williams.
I think he's gonna make a ton of All Star Games, and he's awesome.
He scores more points in the fourth quarter than anyone on his team,
and his team has SGA. So that's the thing. I don't know if
I would give it to him, but I guess, like there's not a
good argument against him, because like he's just better than Kobe White, like
right objectively, and and like I guess probably he was last year too.
I don't know, I don't know what I think. I think it's at
least it's a discussion worth having. I don't know if I'm ready to just
be like, oh, yeah, it's jadab, which which is off brand
for me. But I'm curious what you think, because I know you wanted
to talk about this. He is could I'm he's been so good and I
think he's improved so much to the point that I'm conflicted about my Like,
I haven't thought this hard about a second year player winning the award since the
Aaron Fox's sophomore campaign, and so the things you mentioned, is he functionally
different. I think he's shouldering a lot more defensive responsibility than he did last
year, and I think that's helped shake Gilges Alexander make some preliminary all defense
teams. I think Sayers is great defensively, but the way that he's insulated
with lou Dort and j Dubb specifically and chet now of course too having that
guy behind him offensively, not all of just like the per minute or percentage
counting stats are up, but this is someone who I mean the types of
shots he's able to hit now, and I mentioned how I would still like
them to have a player who has more jiggle and joggle on the ball,
and there is more of an abruptness, a suddenness to what Jalen Williams does.
The counters he has developed this season. Specifically, looking in seventy five
games last year, he made five fadeaway jumpers. He has played in fifty
eight games so far this season, he has made twenty nine fadeaway jumpers and
he's shooting fifty percent on them. The step back three is in his arsenal
like it's you know, you just mentioned his you know you mentioned what he's
shooting on threes overall, the step back three. Last year he shot fifty
percent on step back threes, but he hit six of them. He was
six of twelve this year. That's seventy five games this year, through fifty
eight games, he's hit nineteen step back for he's already shooting forty six point
three percent on them. You look at the pull up jumper and this is
still and I know you've seen this, but this is mind blowing because now
I'm throwing out this is an entire season, ninety three players have taken at
least one hundred and fifty pull up jumpers. One hundred and fifty could be
arbitrary, but I thought it was one hundred felt too low. If you
want to use on a hundred, it's only going to change his position by
one. But of ninety three players who've taken at least one hundred and fifty
pull up jumpers, he ranks second in effective. You'll go percentage behind only
CJ. McCom. This is someone And the other thing here is this year
he has logged seven hundred and fifty plus possessions without Josh Giddy or shake yogas
Alexander on the floor, the Thunder have won those minutes and not handedly but
comfortably. This isn't plus point zero five points per one hundred, it's plus
two point two points per one hundred founded around in elite defense. So the
offense hasn't been great, But like J. Dubb when you're looking at the
lineup, context is the driving force of yeah, there's Chet Holmgren in there,
but they haven't like they don't have these A plus passers to have alongside.
Like it was me Chich before he was traded. It's Cason Wallace now
and beforehand. So like he is running the whole show in those units.
This is and he's not gonna make one. But this is like a leap
from if you're not gonna have him in the in consideration, I think it
speaks more towards how high you were on him as a rookie, which is
perfectly fine. But what I'm gonna say is he has We're talking about someone
who was a very good rookie to be in top two, Like this was
a Rookie of the Year contender, let's call it. Who is now making
a jump that I don't even think Powell Benkaro has made. Paloman Carroll made
the jump to All Star. But that's about the state of the East.
J Dubb is legitimately played for much of this season, Like if he was
in the Eastern Conference, he would make an All NBA team. And that's
the best way that I could frame miss for me. A couple things I
think your points about the hit like his mid range game that was not nearly
as effective last year or prolific as it is this year, and so like
part part of what was tricky about him is like as a rookie, he
kind of did a lot of stuff really well, so it's like where is
there to improve? That's one the like self creation you you cited it he's
Last year, nine out of ten threes for him were assisted ninety percent.
This year it's seventy three point nine. So he's added self created threes,
he's added get your own bucket stuff, he's added primary facilitator duties. He's
added I'm guarding fours now, you know, and anything smaller than that also
no problem. So those are all new skills. So I guess to circle
all the way back, like, is he qualitatively different? I think yeah,
Like I think probably so. I also think he's a better player than
Paulo Bankero right now today, Like I I you know, it was a
little bit of a bit when I made him a Rookie of the Year over
Powell last year. It's like, I don't think Polo's better than him.
I think Dylan Williams is a better player than Paolo today now, and I
think going forward, based on the trajectory he's on, there's no reason to
believe that's gonna flip, but he's I would love to just see if you
flip flopped their teams completely sure what they then look like, because I just
need and what I'm saying is the and shout out to Jamal Moseley for getting
his extension. I think he deserves it because when you watch Orlando's offense,
the spacing actually makes a lot of sense. Yeah, they just don't have
the personnel to do anything with it, right, And so if you put
Palo on this team, I think and J Dub on the magic So I'm
not ready to go there. But if you said you'd rather have JDub long
term because he gives you more positional versatility on defense, and then you don't
think the offensive difference is like extant or even like exists at all, then
yeah, I totally I think it's I'm just I want to give the flowers
to Palo, who I think is just spectacular. But right, he's a
he's a really good player, and like it's gonna be He's made an All
Star team Jyllen Williams, hasn't you? You said it's got a lot to
do with the conferences. But like, I think one of the the best
argument against me last year picking Jalen was the situation. And it's like,
okay, So because Jalen Williams is he's a he's a secondary player, he's
a dependent scorer, like he can't run his own show. Powlo has to
do all that stuff, Like I think Jalen's proving this year he can he
can do that. And and I we have not seen is Paolo flip it
and be because the knock on him is he's a score first guy that doesn't
score efficiently. Like that's still the case. So it's like Polo has not
addressed the knock on him. Williams kind of has like this isn't about Powlo
versus Jalen. This is the most improved question. But I think they're somewhat
related because like if the knocks in so far as there were any on Jalen,
like he's addressed him, Like he's just like what does he do poorly?
Now? Like what what are the weaknesses in his game? Like you're
pretty hard pressed to come up with, like Annie, I think if you're
looking for like the methodical if you want someone to on your picking rolls or
like set up the half court as the facilitator there. But it's just the
counters he's added from the in between is the best way to I decided to
turn around joking about like the mid range is saying but and by the way,
I misspoke before I said if he was in the East, he would
have made an All NBA team for the All Start. Yeah, I gotcha,
we got the Suns. Next here, I think this is from Matt
Krell. Should James Jones be fired tampering for Drew you Banks? Look,
I don't think after getting the Royce O'Neil trade done, I don't think you
can fire him. And I would also say, if this is a serious
question, I can't tell if they were just coping, Like I very much
questioned how much agency he had in the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trades.
That's just I don't I don't I think we know how much agency here.
I think I think a billionaire said do it, make it happen, and
he did it like anyone who wants to keep their job. He did what
the boss told him to. I don't know. I know I'm with you
there, So no, I don't think he should be fired. But you're
getting to a point where you just change the coach. So it's like,
if things go poorly this season, there's really not much else you can change.
Yeah, all right, that was too quick and easy for you.
Oh from speed from Speafee, Will the sons ever have good vibes Again,
they started since this question was asked, they had some good vibes. The
Devin Booker injury looks like it might be in the rear view. I'm gonna
use this to go off on just a very quick tangent, because everyone knows
about their fourth quarter issues. Can we find a way for them to consistently
simplify Kevin Durant's role on the offensive end. It's just as someone who is
he's a fine passer, but as someone who's just not going to get to
the rim anymore. Like you don't need to have and I know you don't
necessarily love having him stand in the corners or whatever. The ball doesn't need
to be in his hands because it makes it easier for teams to just really
put pressure on him. Use him then as the screener if you want to
keep him involved more. It's just too much of their Sometimes it's by necessity
they're missing players. But I don't think Kevin Durant needs to be like super
Iso heavy and crunch time unless you're using Bradley Beal and Devin Booker more so
when they're healthy to create advantages for him to get him the balls that he's
not going up against double and triple teams because we've seen just like he's not
yet he'll have his He's Kevin Durant, but he's going to make an All
NBA team. I'm not saying Kevin Durant is bad. I just feel like
they have and part of this has to be with the lack of availability,
especially like Bradley Beal and Devin Booker haven't played a ton together. Like we've
seen it. The Kevin Durant lone star minutes have not generally gone as well
this year. He's just not that type of player anymore. But like part
of it is like you have the personnel to make sure that doesn't happen,
and I've seen it happen at least in some games that I've watched too often
when there is another star on the court, where it's well, why aren't
we trying to like why are we letting it get so easy to put pressure
into throw traps at Kevin Durant where he's not like when you're looking at passes
for the sake of passes and he's not throwing the best ones there and no,
but that's a symptom of the whole team. I think who said this.
I think it was Bradley Bieler who came out and said, like,
we need to let it fly rather than just passing for the sake of passing.
And so that's not a Kevin Durant issue. I know everyone gets caught
up. They need a real floor general, and that's the turnover issues,
or that's the fourth quarter issues. No, it's play smarter basketball. I'm
sorry they have the I I feel like that was very on a scale of
they want it more to defense is all about effort. I think I'm probably
closer to defense is all about effort right on that one. But like,
just play smarter because you have the like you have the personnel to not hesitate
to take three pointers like, or you have the personnel to be like,
well, let's find a way to get Kevin Durant the ball rather than giving
tim from the jump and asking him to create something entirely out of nothing when
it's gonna make defenses easier to go out and attack him. That was my
tangent. I love it because it never happens. I love it when you
just you just let yourself seep into like a little bit of old school coach
speak every once in a while because I feel like I do it. I
feel dirty, but I also feel like, am I wrong? How wrong?
That's exactly how I feel when I do it. It's like this is
lazy, but I feel like it's right. So I'm gonna say it.
Yeah, No, I'm not coaching them. I don't get paid the big
bucks to figure out how to best do that while you're dealing with all these
injuries. But I've seen enough of Kevin Durant plus either Devin Booker or Bradley
Balm even both them in the fourth quarter, to know maybe we're doing this
wrong. I'm just here for it. I'm just here for you gradually reducing
your analysis to like both teams played hard. This is how we get the
podcast views. As I just said, you need to yell cliches. We're
not. We don't do nearly enough of that. I think we should.
That's that's our problem. Okay, that was a quick one. I want
I want to give you this Portland one just because this is from Nelson.
Tiff is Scoot Slash, Shay, Shade and Sharp the back court of the
future for the Blazers. Will that duo be good enough to build around.
Still a way to go before we know, to understate the case quite severely,
Yeah, and we're not. We're not gonna get any more information on
this this season. The Freakin Shane Sharp injury is a devastating for them,
I would so I would frame it this way, is what are the keys
to this actually working out? And so I would say they need one or
both to be an effective driver and off the dribble rump jump shooter, and
then at least one of them that needs to emerge as an effective point of
attack defender. I think the answer to like, like Scoot just might be
that guy in both categories. So like, I think, if I had
to pick, the other thing is just like, how does Anthony Simon's his
future there kick into this? What are the other wings you have on the
roster collectively? Though? I do think they have the tools to compliment one
another. I do not, though, think that Sharp has the tools to
guard up, and I don't think Scoot like neither of these two I think
should be defending beyond the guard position is where I'm at. We've seen more
of that from Sharp than Scoot, obviously, and that might be where you
run into some oddity. But again, we just haven't seen enough of it
this year. Yeah, it's a total mystery box. Like I mean,
you've got just the bare outlines of like Sharp is an absurdly athletic two that
looks like he's gonna be able to get his own shot, make threes,
get to the basket, all that stuff. Scoot is the quintessential point guard.
Like, okay, cool, I do think you're dead right though that
these both look like one position defenders and like that's kinda there aren't a lot
of backcourts on good teams where both the one and the two are strictly capable
of guarding the one or the two like so like, but look, it's
like that issue along with the where does Anthony Simons fit? Like, Fortunately,
the Blazers are not nearly good enough for those to be like top of
the list concerns at this point. It's just we need I mean, if
they both played a full season, I don't know that we could necessarily answer
that question still, and it didn't come close to doing that, so it's
like super early days. But just I mean, the talent, the raw
talent is like undoubtedly there, it's just we've got to figure out fit we've
got to figure out support pieces, we've got to figure out literally everything else
other than like their athletic ability and like scouting reports because we just haven't seen
it. And the other thing that I did mention too is just like I
do think because when you're talking about guys who might, in theory be best
at generating their own looks, I don't know, because Sharp looks like he
can do it, and like he has done it. He's had some really
ridiculously difficult shots. Yeah, he does. The way he can move off
the ball or what he can do because of his athleticism above the rim and
just looking at his mechanics, it feels like he'll end up being a very
efficient catch and shoot guy. I don't worry about I don't worry about offensive
redundancy with them. No, I don't either. I think, Yeah,
actually, that's like the one thing I feel pretty confident, like we don't
need that, Like we've checked that box. Like they're not gonna like,
uh, what's the word. They're not gonna like cannibalize each other's effectiveness because
they want to be in the same places or do the same things. I
don't think that's an issue. That was a quick We land one question on
the Blazers. We also only have one question on the Sacramento Kings from at
x x L extra extra large Popcorn. Uh is waiting for the perfect trade.
Perfect trade going to doom the primes of Diarron, Fox, Domas Bonus
and Malik Monk. I just love that malikue Monk is included. I mean
that guy has been on one lately. He's like, I was gonna say,
do you know what my favorite Malik Monks that might be? But I
probably should double hit. No, this is great. Malik Monk leads the
league in assists on drives amazing. Do you know who's in second? Oh?
Yeah, So Shae is in second with one hundred and forty Milik Monk
is in first with one hundred and forty two. Shay has finished one five
hundred and thirty six drives versus malikue Monk's eight hundred thirty one. So his
assistant coming on like half the number of drives. That's not an indictment of
Shade. That's just no, Holy fuck Molik Monk. That's what That was
my point. UH, free agent to b By the way has early bird
rights. I think they'll be able to keep it. I just don't see
the team that's gonna come in and be like, here's twenty million dollars a
year. I think, well, a team could credibly look at him and
say he's being underutilized. He's not even starting. He's finishing a ton of
games, like, he's way up on the list of fourth quarter minutes and
scoring in like league wide even though he doesn't start for them. That's why
he's my runaway six Man of the Year, by the way. But I
can imagine, like a word, I can imagine a team looking at him
and saying, I mean, how bad is it if he's like our starting
point guard or are starting too, because like his facilitation is like Spike watch
that Monk and MAXI backcourt. Sounds like, well, then you have some
defensive issues. But Monk, to his credit, played really hard defensively.
That's not the question. Uh, but yeah, we're just like, well,
you got me going on the leak Monk and I've been watching a lot
of him lately, and I have nothing but good things to say. I
don't think so, because I mean, at least in Fox and Sibonis's case,
like they're young enough where like the windows open, Sabonis just got extended
Fox, they're gonna have team control, like they're always gonna be able to
make the best offer for him. He seems to love it in Sacramento.
So it's not I don't I don't hear the clock ticking, but I mean
I do think the need they have has been a parent for such a long
time, like the Ognanobi void, uh, that they gotta address that at
some point, because if even this year, you know, it's fairly clear
that like they just they just don't have the lockdown big wing defender that's gonna
make threes, like they just they want that guy to be Keegan Murray.
I'm telling you, Keegan Murray is invisible for as many games as he looks
awesome like that, it's just a thing with him. He could improve.
Maybe he's gonna be that guy. Ooh, you're saying a player to which
he already played a year and a half, are you sure? Well,
he's an old he's an old rookie Dan, so he's not going to get
any better. Uh So, like, yeah, he could be. He
certainly is, Like I could see him being a starter on a good team
for a long time. He's already one of those. So what's the problem
with having two guys like that? I think I think for them they need
another guy. They need another Murray type, someone really that's either better offensively
or better defensively ideally both. So obviously those guys are impossible to get.
They can still do that. I think the Harrison Barnes spot is one that
they'll beltrade him, They'll whatever. I don't think the door shut. It
is like it will be concerning if they go in to next season and don't
like really make it a point to address that spot on the roster, because
everybody on the planet knows, like that's where the hole is. I've come
around on this where that I don't think they've doomed it. If anything,
I think they were probably smarter than not with what they did this year because
there are a few things here. Let's look at what did they actually pass
on? And so did they not outbid the Pacers for Pascal Siakam? Do
you know what? Good? Yeah, because that would not have worked out.
I don't like just I hated the Sabonus Siakam fit. Now the Ananobe
thing they were not heavily linked to him. I think Ananobe would have been
the perfect fit for this team. That's why I mentioned him, not because
they had a shot, but because like that that is the guy, well
realistically, because it seems like the Raptors wanted players over picks. And so
if you want to give up Keay Murray for og Anobi, I'm okay with
that, because did Ojiannoby want to be in Sacramento. It seems like he
wanted to be in New York, And so by not involving yourself in the
og Anobe sweepstakes to the degree that you actually got him, I understand it.
And so what is the other move they passed on? It's did you
want them to? Yeah, cru it would have been good. It seems
like the Bulls would't have traded him for three first round picks for some reason.
And so it's if you want to critique something, it's why weren't you
the team that gave up seconds to get roy O'Neil? Why was it the
Suns that were able to get him? And I think that's fair. But
when you're talking about going after that big trade, I don't see a move
that was feasible that they actually passed on, And even if they could have
gotten o Gananobi, I'm just going to assume that, Well, I'm just
gonna assume they couldn't have gotten Hi because they didn't want to give up Keegan
Murray because they weren't sure that he was gonna stay, and that just made
a ton of sense, and the Raptors wanted players, and so after that,
it's who did they pass on. It doesn't seem like Jeremy Grant was
available, and you're not giving up Keegan Murray for Jeremy Grant, and so
I'm okay with that. The other thing is, because you owe your pick
to Atlanta this year, is you are a little bit encumbered in the immediate
of what you can offer. Now, once that pick conveys, you can
start trading twenty twenty five, like once this draft is like here, and
so that opens up your optionality. And you've also now waited out. Okay,
we've gone through another season. We know what we need. But more
to the point, maybe more trade targets that make sense, who are under
contracts for longer, that aren't about to become free agents. Those become available.
That's when we take our swing, and I think the clock really starts
taking or the critiques really need to get more aggressive if they don't, as
you mentioned, do anything substantial over the offseason. And you can also,
I know Zach Lowe has mentioned this, I'm not as big a fan of
it where it's like, look at how good the West is this year,
and so you've decided you're kind of in the middle of the pack. You
don't want to go all in. That is not the reason not to make
the trade, because you know what's going to be really tough to navigate next
year, the Western Conference that's forever like it's not going to when's the West
ever been in a down year like this? And I'm not even criticizing that,
by the way, very quick aside on this, there's been like this
trend of calling Zach Lowe a casual now and it's making me angry because if
Zach Lowe was a casual, I need to be fired immediately. Like imagine
thinking that's the take. It's probably because you're a fan of the team and
he didn't watch a random back to back on a Tuesday night in January.
It just makes me know people who if if someone called Caitlin Cooper and a
Kaya Duncan like and a casual fan. I'm sure they have. You're fucking
idiotic to say that, So I'm sorry that just I saw that going around
recently. But like I'm more about they have to wait out for the right
opportunity and the urgency is there and it's going to continue to grow. But
so far, I don't think like the whole cap space stuff was when they
made the moves, if you want to criticize that, when they made the
moves over the off season, the clear cap space and then oh that's what
they did with it. Yeah. Fair. If you wanted them to make
some more middle eg swings, fine, but they haven't missed out on the
move that was available yet that both made sense and was feasible. Right,
That's that's right. They're not They don't have the Celtics Danny age of like,
well we were in on this guy, but he got it. It's
like they just the guy hasn't been there, so that Yeah, I think
that's right. Your turn to take me through the next team, all right,
san Antonio spurs this from unbiased Pistons fan. Uh, they're gonna offer
a lot to get Trey right, like that seems like too obvious of a
fit not to happen Trey Young San Antonio Spurs. It does feel pretty obvious.
I mean, you know, there are a lot of people who are
so I understand the argument against it, which is, do you want to
diminish Wenby's creativity on offense because he's done some fucking wild shit right this year
on offense. But like Trey Young is, I know there's issues in Atlanta,
but Trey Young is playing off the ball and taking a larger share of
his shot attempts as catching shoots. I'm not saying he's ever gonna be Cason
Wallace or Patrick Beverley when it comes to playing off the off the ball,
but so it can work. I understand if you're reticent to do it.
But there was some stuff going around I saw on Twitter where it's like,
no, Trey Young is a chucker. Well, the trail is one of
the best passers in the NBA right now, That's why you make that trade.
Yeah, I think, Look, I get it, Like I can
imagine the fears of well, Trey Young is here now and this is gonna
reduce wem Bin Yama. The idea of like putting any kind of a box
around Wembin Yama is like not a great one. Like I think at this
stage it's still very much like, let's explore the space. You want to
try to play this position, Let's do that, Let's see how it looks
for a month or whatever, like, don't put any constraints on him.
I think if you have Trey Young there, like and you wanna and the
idea is that, like Trey Jung still gets to be Trey Young, I
think wem Bin Yama gets marginalized or at least like get some of the some
of the variety trimmed out of his game, which is like but but that
maybe comes with him catching like twelve lobs a game like it just getting you
know, just the easiest spoon fed dunks he's ever gonna get it. Imagine
him having more energy to expand on the defensive end. Right, So,
like, I think it's at some point, I don't know, I've almost
hesitated to say this, but you're gonna have Wemba Yama will settle into like,
okay, does these things, well, this is his role, right,
his role. Maybe he's the best player on the team on both ends
and he could does you know Lebron, what is Lebron's role? What is
prime Lebron's role? Like maybe maybe that's it, but like there are still
sort of like I don't not rules, but like you're asking him to do
certain things, whereas right now it's like when Minama gets to try everything and
I hesitate to suggest putting a player next to him. That means like everything
isn't on the table anymore, which I think would have to happen with young
there at least if they're sharing the floor, which ideally they would like all
the time. But you might get some wild Wemby no tray minutes I guess,
where Wemby just gets to do whatever he wants. But like you also
kind of want to start winning a little bit because Wema was really good already,
and you'd very much like to start building a habit I guess of playing
meaningful games, and Trey Jung would very much help you do that. He
addresses their exact need, which is they do not have anyone that can score
in facility stay at the point. So like you know, if if that's
for great Joe and slander, Oh, I want to like Trey Jones.
I want to why do you hate him? But he's sorry, like he's
he's not a starter, Like he's just not a starter in the NBA right
now. So I don't know if this would have to be a is he
at this point in his career, But the degree to which James Harden has
adjusted with the Clippers makes me believe that we could see even more wholesale change
in Trey Young if he's put next to the right player slash players. I
don't know. Is he too young for that where he might view himself as
better than Wemben Yama, Where it's James Harn's coming into a more established pecking
where that has two stars and like an ecosystem that was kind of working where
they were contender without him. I don't know, But like Wemby actually seems
like someone people would actually want to play with because he is comfortable in the
play finishing role and so there would need to be some type of give and
take there. Everything will come down to cost. But when I first heard
the trade of this burd stuff, I will admit I never thought Trey,
Oh, he's a chucker. They can't go after him. No, I
skewed more towards and I don't want to infringe upon Webby's development. Now I'm
kind of like there's no reason why Trey Young can't augment it and that they
can't find a middle ground, a happy medium. Yeah, I think like
the hardened thing is he sort of had to change, like and he resisted
it for a while, and like all the great all greats do, like
Kobe Bryant never changed, like and he had that awful last year. Russ
resisted change like through multiple trades. I think, like, I mean,
it's hard to find the really great player, and Trey might won't the fair
enough to pods like we've we've just seen the thoughts ridiculous. But I think
I can imagine Trey thinking, like I play a certain way, I'm gonna
keep doing this, and this big guy seems like he's good. But I'm
Trey Young and I play this. Maybe that happens. I still think,
like you owe it. You know this isiculous, but like you owe it
to wemb Minyama to put guys around him that can help him win, like
you can't. We talk about windows all the time. It's like Emma is
really good right now, He's gonna be flat out great next year and for
the foreseeable future. So like he's just got to have NBA players around him,
Like that's here's like good ones that'd be ideal all things considered, what
you would expect the cost to be and the fit? What would you rather
see this Burds do trade for Dejonte Murray or Trey Young? I think Trey.
I mean, like I'm gonna I just you know, get the guy
out there that's gonna throw him a million lobs and make threes and just handle
the playmaking. I think I think I'm good with that quest What what if
if if it's not trade it's fine if people or if you don't believe it.
And I'm not saying he is the perfect fit, but like, what
is the if you went after a trade don't even I don't even care.
I'm not even saying that they have to be available? Then what is the
player that you want around Wemby? And it's well yet into like well Devin
Booker make a lot of sense, Like yeah, that's fucking awesome. He's
not going anywhere like that. You'd say, like go get Tias Jones,
Like but aren't aren't you just beyond like underwhelmed by that, Like that's that's
the guy, Like that's I mean, that might help you get to the
play in or the top like six or whatever, but it's not gonna you
have to take a bigger swing because Wemby is just's Web's gonna be one of
the best players in the NBA of all time. Yeah, but he's just
like sorry, where we are? Is that in on the Spurs if we
only have one question on them? Uh no, we had another one from
going yeah, all right, this is from glad as amazing a season as
Wemby is having. I'm pretty sure David Robinson has mentioned in every stat that
Wenby's accomplished. So in a bigger grand scheme picture of the league in league
history, where does David Robinson stack up all time? I know he's top
seventy five, but I know he's not top ten. I feel like he's
probably top thirty ish, but I think I think you could make the case
for somewhere between twenty to twenty five. I feel like we're underrating how good
the Admiral was. I I know you would agree, because you love the
Admirable as do I. He's also one of like the greats where it's you
think, oh, if he was in today's game, my god. I
think what hurts him as his peak was shorter because he started his career later,
and that's gonna hurt him a bit. But then he averaged during his
first seven season Grant twenty six points, twelve boards, three assists, one
point five seals, and three point five blocks. About that's fucking and during
that time, that's that's fucking wild. He also won, and I just
don't think people understand his accolades during that that just that stretch, he won
a scoring title, an MVP Defensive Player of the Year, had five top
three finishes overall on the MVP ballot, and like, that's just I'll stop
there. I I don't know how to reconcile his peak, like the length
of it, but if we're just looking at the actual player, he has
a top fifteen to twenty case. I think that's right. I think is
I just looked this up because I in the pandemic when we had no basketball.
One of the things I did was ranking the greatest defensive players of all
time, Andavid Robinson was fifth for me all defensive players of all times.
Tim Duncan. That's a great question. Let me scroll down. Kevin Garnet
four, Hakeem three, Tim Duncan two. The defensive players in the year
though, did Tim Duncan win? Yeah, right, believe me, that's
in there, Bill Russell one, just if you're curious. Uh, but
yeah, no, David Robinson was flat out one of the greatest defensive players
of all time. I think he still has the highest defensive box plus minus
of any player with at least seven hundred games one dpo y in ninety one
ninety two. You said he's got the scoring titles, has a dozen seasons
with at least one block and one steal per game. That's the third most
of all time. Uh, he's just like and then like just flat out
shortest of short list greatest defenders ever. Like seeing the open floor now,
I'm remembering what I wrote now because I was like passionate about it at the
time, Like open floor David Robinson sprinting is like it's like art, Like
he's just like he's seven foot one and he's like just jacked out of his
mind, and he's faster than every other player on the floor, and he's
just gliding like the young David Robinson could move like guys like just nobody.
I'm trying to think of anyone today that like comes close to that. It's
hard to like, not even like Yiannis, Like Yannis is like these long,
loping strides. Robinson was like somehow compact despite being enormously just like an
unbelievable athlete that, oh, by the way, could you know would win
scoring titles and like he's just like it was like a secondary thing he was.
He's unbelievable. So where is the all time It probably not top not
top ten, but I mean, yeah, fifteen to twenty. I think
it depends on how you measure, like the longevity too, right, I
can see that bump. But uh, Glad asked this question. Top twenty
five feels like is that the floor for him? Like we're not, I
don't have this stay, but it's really hard. Is that feels right?
Where if you went lower than third? If I don't even know where he
ranked on the because I never really read the top seventy five stuff. I
think all time rankings, by the way, are largely just useless because comparing
across I'm I'm fine with rankings across the same era. I totally get that,
but yeah, across error is just so so difficult. I was just
gonna say, like, I think maybe the better question is like how good
was he at his peak? And I think the answer is he was like
a top three or four player in the league. For I'll tell you right
right now before this question, I'm sure I knew it. At one point,
I'd forgotten that he had a scoring title. I think he did,
right, because it's like he did. I haven't he had a scoring title.
I just totally when I saw it, I was like, no,
no, but yes, yeah, scoring title. I think it hurts him
a little bit that he overlapped so much with the quem Olajuan and his prime
and like Elajan just ate him alive, like in his playoff series and like
people that's the thing people remember. But like Alajuan cooked everybody like because he's
you know, Elajan was a better defender and he's I mean talk about like
is he I don't know, like the la Juan's closer than Robinson is,
but like, sorry, that's not a slight. Robinson was like an all
time, all time great player. All right. That was fun. So
we never get historical questions. That was cool. So final one, this
one's I'll read it to you. We have a bunch on the Jazz.
I'm gonna loop a couple of them together as I see fit, because I'm
a dictator, but also because they are a lot of these are semi related,
So I mean, we have so so there's so many that I could
loop together. So let's start with dark Wing Duck. Simple Jazz question.
I suppose well Lowry marking to be on the Jazz is next playoff team.
This is kind of I think this is we could do this separately. It's
it's just a fair question because it's not asking about like necessarily their direction.
I don't, but no, you know what, we need to loop these
all together because it's all like overarching issues. So at gets it. When
and how are the Jazz going to find a number one star for their roster?
The other one we have from Jeremy t underscore Alan, what are the
doing as an organization? Are we trying to convey the pick this year or
not? And so he's referring to the Thunder's top the Thunder get their pick.
It's top ten protected. And so I think all these are kind of
just in the same vein, And I think what's so, let's start with
the pick one because I think that kind of informs the rest of the stuff
that's happening. It does seem like, based off what they did at the
trade deadline, they're trying to keep that pick. Based off what they're doing
now, it seems like they're trying to keep that pick some of the rookies
they're playing. Yeah, Now the question becomes is that the smart call because
it lowers the top eight protection next year. My whole thing is, there's
like one of two things to consider here, is if you want to keep
the pick this year, it's because you either one believe that you're gonna be
so good next year that rather than send the twelfth pick this season, you're
gonna send the eighteenth pick next year. Or you just believe that, hey,
we are trading Larry market in before we make the playoffs, and we're
gonna be so bad that the looser protection doesn't end up holding up, so
we don't have to worry about this. And I don't know what school of
thought they would, because they're very flexible, they could do go multiple a
multitude of different directions here. I don't necessarily know what the vision is beyond
this season, but to me, it's very clear that they are trying to
keep that Oklahoma City pick this season. Yeah, I don't know how you
look at their true you said it, their trades and like the guys that
are playing major minutes now, it seems like they want to hold on to
that one, I guess, tying it into their sort of larger like sort
of where are they, where are they going? When are they gonna be
good? How are they gonna be good? Questions? Like it's I think,
I mean this is true of most situations like this where we're forecasting,
but like, I think we're gonna need to know a little bit more about
how good Keyante George is, how good Taylor Hendricks is, because those are
guys that you know, we're gonna see him a ton down the stretch,
and presumably they're both gonna play. I mean, George I think is probably
gonna start next year like full time. That's just it's gonna play every game.
Hendrix, I don't know, but those guys are so important because like
if they're not good enough, then like yeah, that pick might be high
again. And if they are good enough. I think that changes a lot
of the plans. And we didn't even talk about marketing yet, and I
was I just want to correct myself. So it's top ten protected this season
and next season, then top eight in twenty twenty six, and so if
your project though real, But yeah, so just be like you might think
that you're going to be too good or a lot better, or just bad
enough to keep it. Yeah. So I don't know. I guess I
guess I'm sort of punting just because I'm not prepared to make a judgment on
how good they're too first round d draft picks are yet. But I will
say something that I think is I is counterintuitive to how I felt kind of
leading into this season, and it will answer all their questions at once.
Larry Markin is not going to be on the next playoff team for the Jazz.
And I think that if they're going to get their next star, they're
probably hoping they already draft next number one star. They're probably hoping they're already
drafted him, or they're gonna wind up playing the draft game. And had
I you asked me this over the preseason, I would have said, Larry
marketing will be on the next Jazz playoff team, and that they're gonna trade
for their next number one star. But the way that they have handled these
past two seasons, and look the bit I might I'll admit that I could
be wrong. The flash Bowl moment here, I think will come in the
offseason where they can renegotiate and extend Larry Markinen's deal. And even if you
say, okay, well, if we increase his pay for next season,
does he give us a haircut off latter years, You're still probably in a
situation where we need to be Do we want to pay Larry market In thirty
plus million dollars a year? I don't just based off how Danny Ainge has
viewed things in the past and maybe wants to gradually play this, I don't
think they're gonna go Do I think that that means they're gonna trade Larry marketIn
right away this offseason? I don't know. He only has his salaries non
guaranteed for next year, but he's functionally an expiring contract now. If they
do extend him pay him, that opens up a whole world of different discussions.
But the way that they've carried themselves under Dane with the exception of maybe
the John Collins trade. It just leads me to believe that, no,
this team is this is like more of a long haul rebuild, and that
the fact that they were so good after the Rudy go Baron Donovan Mitchell trades,
that was more of a not a miscal I guess it's a miscalculation on
their part. They clearly didn't expect to be that good, and just because
they were, they're not gonna course correct from it. And that's just I
think that's where I'm landed. That's interesting. We should keep track of this.
I think they are gonna well. I guess it doesn't answer the question
because it's like will he be on the next playoff team? Like I'm not
super comfortable because of the rookie stuff I mentioned, like laying out when I
think that's gonna be I do. I kind of think they are gonna keep
marketing around. I think I think a renegotiating extent is like very much on
the table. I think you should. I think I'm okay paying him thirty
million a year. No, No, I'm okay. But if you're a
team like the Jazz and you're do you constantly want to have to go through
these cycles where you're trading yourself out of not having a bottom ten pick.
Yeah, I think, yeah, I think. I think two years is
like kind of a long time for a small to mid market team, and
they've got all their picks hoarded, so it's like I could see them wanting
to next year. And this again depends on how good's George, Like,
how much more is Hendrix's gonna play? Like? Can Kessler be like a
full time starter all the time? Again? Do we do? Like?
Is he a real cornerstone piece? Quietly like his rim protection numbers are back
up kind of close to where they were last year when they were elite.
By the way, I will say, Kiante George looks like he could be
that dude new spots and hit the shots. I think I think he's legit.
Again, don't know yet, Like a full season on a team that's
playing for you know, trying to win, is gonna tell us a lot
more. I don't know. I just I don't have a lot of reasons
behind it. I just think, like you get a guy like marketing in
in Utah, I know Trader Danny's gonna want to make moves and be opportunistic,
like who knows what kind of offers are gonna come in, But like,
I think you hold on to that guy because like it's very difficult to
sign guys in Utah. You if you, if you manage to trade for
someone, you probably want to hang on and build through the drag that got
their picks from the go Baron Mitchell deals like and yeah, this is not
doesn't need to go on that much longer. I guess that this being the
like we're kind of in between tearing it down, but like, oh,
we're kind of good. I think you just like I think you shift into
a higher gear next year. I think I would probably do that if I
were them. I just don't think are they gonna if you're gonna pay Larry
Marketing, which I think is fine, And I'm not trying to imply that
he's not happy in Utah. He seems very happy in Utah. But if
you're going to pay him, then you need to make the next move soon.
Otherwise what's the point of paying him? Yeah, yeah, And I
just don't see them consolidating their picks into a big name that becomes available.
And even if it is the bit like McHale Bridges is not the next number
one star for this team, because I don't think that kel Bridges is a
number one star. And so now you're saying then that they're going to if
they're not going to trade for that next number one option, that they have
to already have him or they're going to draft him. Could they already have
him? Keyante? George gives them a chance because you're just not gonna be
I love Taler, Hendrix Walker Castle's really good. They're not going to be
number one options, and I think Larry Marketing can settle into number two,
number three, He'll be fine. And if you don't think they're going to
trade for them, getting him in the draft though, becomes a lot harder
when you have lowry market in. That's true, That's true. I yeah,
I know. I mean that's why it's a good question. I think
that that the Utah has got a lot of ways that could go. I
mean, what if isn't it also simple if George really is just like,
oh yeah, we got him, he's the guy worse. We're all squared
away now and we don't care or how bad our draft picks are, or
which which convey and which don't because we've got our core. We'll see,
we'll see. I don't know, you want to hit some of these other
ones here, they all kind of overlap a little bit. But yeah,
so at Chaco underscore Mike Zero is Danny h actually a good GM exec Asking
since the decision of tanking a season that the trade deadline feels like the Jazz
have too many options and their fault is that they haven't chosen one. I
mean, I still say pretty resounding yes. Not aggressively tanking the year when
Ben Yama is gonna be the first pick stands out as like a pretty significant
mistake. I think they clearly thought they were, though I don't care what
anyway they they tried to spin it. I don't care what they said through
reporters. They had no idea they were going to be that good. They
should have actively started the tear down, slash sabotage much sooner, like the
second they realized, like we're pretty good. This is a problem. I
don't know, I don't care what you have to do. It's easy.
It's even easier to say it now that wem Min Yama is what he is.
But like even it was like this is the draft where you really want
to be way up high. Uh so, but well, like I don't
know, I mean his track record in Boston is so good, like they
would he you have to This is sort of the just okay, see have
too many draft picks. Look at what he got for Mitchell and Rudy Gobaert
and it hasn't even been too full. Let him go through his third it's
technically his third offseason. But like there was the tear down, then there's
that first Like we're not even in off season two of the rebuild, is
my point, and like it's not just Utah like the Celtics were. There
were like five iterations of the Celtics while he was there and they were all
good. Like he just like so yeah, I'm yes, yes, he
is a really good general manager slash executive. Do you want to ask me
the since I did some preliminary research on at the the final we have two
more, but it's the last question on the list. Sure, this is
from AECPA. Who are the Jazz gonna target in the draft? A pair
with Keiance and Hendricks And what young star are they gonna trade Larie for next
year? I am pinky toe deep into my draft prep, which is to
say I've not started it, but they need to target Wings, yes,
and so, like I apologize, try any mispronunciations here. Mattis Bozelius intrigues
me based off what I've read about him? Is he too big to defend
wings? Though? Ron Holland is someone who I like based off what again
I've read about him. I've not watched any of these guys, but is
he gonna go too high? The Jazz kind of maybe have the juice to
trade up if they keep their own pick and they got that least favorable pick
from the Raptors, Johnny Furfey could be worth looking at, but like,
I want to see them go get wings now if they're looking at trade,
I think what this goes back to the other question from a Choco underscore mic,
where you look at the Jazz having too many options. The fact they
have so many assets allows them to create their own trade market. And so
if you are going to go to trade route, let's get wings who fit
our timeline and who maybe aren't necessarily available, and that's okay. Could you
get Asar Thompson if the Pistons really want to look at Larry marketing over the
off season. If they Heat want Larry Marketing, can you get Jima Hawk
as if the Thunder want Larry Marketing? How about Cason Wallace and Lou Dort.
Do the Spurs want Larry Marketing? Can you go to Jeremy Sowhen plus
picks route. Those are just names I'm thinking trying to think of young guys
that wouldn't traditionally be available, but you have the picks to get in there.
I do love I'm not training Larry market In for him, and I
don't really necessarily know that they want him. Tarry Easton would be another name
if he's healthy. Those are just some guys that feel like fit the timeline
that if the Jazz wanted to not lean too far into the immediate but they
are making consolidation, then I would just be like, hey, could you
get these guys now? A lot of them again, Asar Thompson, Jima
Hawk is You're not getting them probably anyway, but unless you put Larry market
In on the table. Yeah. Last one here from Ross Hunts. How
good is Colin Sexton. Well, he's one of the most efficient pull up
three point shooters in the league. Pull up jump shots in the league this
year. I also think what's always been an understated part of his game is
the stuff he brings downhill. And he's always been a pretty good plug and
play shooter, but just the downhill playmaking, the fact that his pull up
jumper has come around this year. Let's see if it sustains. He's at
above thirty four percent on off the dribble threes specifically, which I think is
still a more important shot than getting into the mid range. And then just
looking at his contract is just like it's super reasonable. So if you wanted
to, I think you could get like more than a first round pick.
For context. I'm not saying you're getting two first but you're getting a first
round pick and something else. Is it a player? Like is it another
heavily protected first round pick? And I'll throw this number out there because I
saw your face. Here's everyone matching Colin Sexton's usage rate, assists percentage,
and true shooting percentage, which is above sixty this year, with a turnover
rate below twelve. Embeed, Joel b Devin Booker, and Jay Killers Alexander.
That's the type of season he's having that's compelling, that's compelling. I
I think, do you think he's a starter on a good team? Yeah,
yeah, I don't. Like I don't think he's one of those players,
but I feel like he doesn't have to start. Like let's use nas
Read as an example. Different players, Let's use make Monk is an example,
Like, I think he could start on a good team, but he
doesn't have to. He has a type of game that lends itself to Okay,
well we extrapolate this and do we want him even playing thirty five minutes?
And it's because he's not. When you're not a lead playmaker, it
does make it more difficult to say, well, then he should be starting.
But can he start? The answer to me is absolutely yes, Like
he's already like we've seen, like he's at thirty minutes a game post All
Star break and he's still tearing it up. Yeah, is someone who could
shoulder. I think the bigger questions can he close on a good team?
And the answer to me is just yes. I think, yeah, Okay,
I think he's obviously the numbers are there, like really underrated efficient shooter
and scorer. I think the reason you have to ask how good is Colin
said, like the reason that question gets asked. I think is because like
there are awards like not a good defender, undersized one of the players that
like he can look like a good defender. No, that is absolutely he's
got the floor slapping, the snarling, like the whole bitch. He's got
like the Pat Bev demeanor. But like he's just objectively not a good defender
and really hasn't been. And part of that size and part of that's just
like some guys aren't good defenders. So that's why I was asking the starter
on a good team thing, because he feels like an elite like bench guy,
like who's gonna come in and be one of the best scorers, you
know, off the bench in the league, who could start and could close
for you because the offense is so legitimate. But I like, there's a
reason that question is asked that way, I think, And then why I
guess asked a lot like not just this question, but it's always like oh
yeah, like remember when like he was coming off when he was what was
he was, Well, I guess he was traded to Utah, But it
was like there was a stat out there, like there's three guys that averaged
he averaged like twenty four, he was on fifty percent plus shooting from two
and hit a bunch of his threes, and it was just and yet and
yet not highly coveted, And so it's like what gives Like That's why we
asked the call in Sexton question because it's not as simple. I don't think
as like the you know, look at those offensive numbers, like there's something
else that teams are not sold on, which I think is for defense in
the size. This was no doubt impacted because of his injury situation too,
but because of the way that like perception, I don't even know that it
shifted, but it was always just it felt like it's skewed more adverse than
not, or averse than not for him. He's one of those rare Oh,
this was a really good player on a rookie scale who probably got more
valuable when he signed his second contract like nonstar division because like you ever have
and he's had like two years and thirty seven million left on his deal.
That's a really good contract for what he does. Yeah, that's right.
That does it for all the questions. Thank you for all the questions,
and we move on to Wow, So we have guess a player we've already
gone for long, so he wan I want to say, you want to
do two each? Sure? All right? You ready? I got some
from from Mike uh ernishon here hit me, all right? Clue Number one.
Fresh off winning an NCAA title in my junior year, I was selected
in the lottery by Minnesota in the mid two thousands. I would tell you
who was picked before and after me, but I don't think Dan would know
who. Either of them are shots fired. But I was picked before future
All Star Danny Granger. Let's see when was in there. I think Granger
is like, well, I don't want to give you clues, so you
know he's a won a national title. Wolves pick in the lottery mid two
thousands. I should just throw like a yeah, that was nineties, never
mind early too early? I like, I like your you know, look
you traded there? Or is he traded? I don't know. I can't
remember. Uh. Number two. My college team was so dominant that three
of my teammates were also selected in the first round with me. I was
the last one in the group. I'm trying to think. I think I
can think of two of them. All right, Oh that's interesting. Three
were selected before him. Interesting, all right? Clue number three. I
broke into the starting lineup during my rookie year, starting the last twelve games
of the season. I finished the season averaging seven point nine points per game
in seventy nine games, shooting thirty seven percent from deep. I don't know
how much that helps you. It doesn't. Four. I regressed in my
sophomore season, averaging five points a game, only playing thirty seven games and
not starting any Going the wrong way for this guy. Still nothing in Clue
five. In year three, I started a career high twenty four games and
averaged fourteen point nine points a game. But the next year I had the
yips and fell back out of the everyday rotation. Mid two thousand, What
is this? I got nothing? Okay? Clu six. This was when
the Wolves decided to hit the ejector button, as I was traded at the
deadline with Calvin Booth for Bobby Brown. That is the name I have not
thought of a long so we went to the Kings. Then was Bobby Brown
coming from the Kings on that one? It doesn't say, uh, all
right, okay, you get a year now, Clue seven. In two
thousand and nine, I signed with the Rockets, but was cut on the
second day of training camp. Were you paying attention to Rockets training camp cuts
in two thousand and nine? No? All right? Clue number eight.
That was the last anyone heard of me in the NBA, as I went
on to play in the then named D League, the Philippines, France,
the D League again, Brazil, and then Lebanon. Nothing Clue nine.
I was part of the inaugural Big Three season, the league of retired players
started up by ice Cube. Who is this I got? I got?
It's tough. Is this Clue ten? Which is the last clue? But
I'll throw you some more after this one? Uh ten. While some people
would blame my inconsistency from game to game, bad defense and poor shot selection
is the reason I washed out of the league at age twenty five, To
this day, I am convinced it's because I was dating a Kardashian and teams
felt that it was a distraction. Chris Humphries, No, that that's I
mean that I didn't know this guy was a link to the Kardashians. Okay,
if I gave you the college which is North Carolina, would that help
you? Tyler Hansborough was he linked to the very very different person from Tyler
May? Why would he be linked to the Kardashians. Start probably too early,
I think Sean May and uh, is it ray Felton we're on that
team? Or is it Tyls? I can never Ray Felton and ty Lawson
like get confused. In my mind, I think two of those three.
Shawn May for sure was on that Carolina team. I believe Mohammad no that
he's a U C l A. Damn it. I believe this guy was
the person who assisted Gerald Green in the cupcake dunk like he was on the
court for the not doesn't help you, No, guy, he wore a
headband. Everybody was wearing headbands in the early two thousands. Um, trying
to think what else? I don't I mean that there's not a lot to
know about this guy. He had to give a die fail this I am
Rashad McCants. Yeah, I never would have gotten that one. That's tough.
That's tough, like two and a half years of not a lot.
All right, you wanna you want to give me one or you want to
redeem yourself, Yeah, I'll give you one from Rubik scal Guess the team,
the Fast and the Furious edition. There's one in his paradigm, athleticism
took prefidence over fundamental skill. Fast breaks were preferred to set plays, and
dunking trumped the dump shot. Uh, the dump shot, the jump shot.
Wait, I'm guessing a team. Uh yes, Like okay, okay,
I don't with so this is okay? Sure, what's the next?
Clue? Cute? Umber two coach Guy Lewis encouraged his team to play a
for neetic, playground inspired style of ball, directly opposed to polished and methodical
style espoused by basketball traditionalist, not just condoning dunks, but insisting that his
team look for high percentage shots like fast break dunks as often as possible.
And I mean, like, so there's like, what is it the Loyal
and Merrymount teams from whenever? That was the like eighties Nuggets. I don't
know. I'm trying to think of teams that ran all the time. All
right, I got nothing? Uh Clue three. They are widely credited with
bringing me above the rim style played a college ball. Their March Madness runs
helped establish the NCAA Tournament as a major television event, setting national television records
for college sports viewership. I did not realize, even though I said it
was March Madness team, that this was a college team. O. Boy,
we're getting further and further from my wheelhouse. Is a college team.
So it's like, if dunks are a thing, this is long long ago.
I wonder if I just gave you the players that were on it,
if you could even guess the college. I mean, maybe it depends on
how long ago it is. Are there more clues before? You? Just?
You got two more? All right? Give me the give me the
two more clues, Clue four. They advanced three consecutive final fours in the
eighties, losing to James Worthy in a young shooting guard in their first go
round, and going one step better than next year, losing to the Jim
Valvano coached NC State on a last second dunk in the finals, and following
that up with another visit to the finals, only to be thwarted by Patrick
Ewings Georgetown Rolls. I had a VHS tape with the play in question against
the Valvano team on it Is It Is It? Indiana? Yeah? I
think like, isn't Keith Smart involved somewhere? Because Valvana was what m C
State. I think, man, I could just be like really shown m
C State. That was in the clue for the last second dunk, I
can like picture it happening. Okay, what's what's the next one? Fifth
and final clue Dubbed the Greatest team to Never win it, they were officially
the Houston Cougars, but they are better known as this nickname, coined by
Houston's Post sports writer Thomas Bank like that last name, and trademarked by the
University of Houston. All Right, so this is the fi Slama Jama team
with with Ralph Sampson and I guess and ahem the dream olaj on. Okay,
all right, is so five Slamma Jama is what we're looking for?
That or the team is Texas, Texas's tallest fraternity was also listed. Oh,
all news to me. I never would have gotten that one. If
it makes you feel better, which you probably shouldn't, because so, all
right, I got a couple here. I'm gonna I'm I don't want to
softball you completely. Oh there's one that's interesting. A couple players I haven't
thought of in a long time. Okay, I'm gonna give you. We
may have done this guy before, but I believe you're going You're going to
get him. Clue number one, I was a second round draft pick in
two thousand and three out of Creighton. All right, cool, I'm pausing
because I thought you might get it because Creighton has not had a lot of
NBA players. I'm trying three thousand and three, Kyle Korver, Yeah,
you got it. Sorry, Mike, I'll read let's see, I'll read
a few more clues, so you know what I'll just give you. You
know, there are a lot of clues here, fourteen clues, and they're
lengthy and filled with information. Should I read some of them? Just since?
Because Mike, Yeah, he put it, He put in the legwork,
all right. Number two. I was selected by the Nets, who
were in a financial buind so I was traded to a division rival for one
hundred and twenty five thousand dollars, which was used by the Nets to buy
a photo copier. Would that have triggered you? I don't know. I
would have known that one if I didn't get it on the Let's see years
later, I'd say at my graduation ceremony the trade was a huge motivator for
me, because that machine broke years ago and I'm still playing average four and
a half points the game as a rookie, played all eighty two. Next
year set the franchise record at the time for threes in a season at two
twenty six. Uh these numbers from not that long ago seem insane. Signday
six year, twenty five million dollar contract that offseason. Following season, I
was sent to Utah for Gordon Gearchek. Why are so many guess the players
traded for Gordon gear check Let's see, did you play with play with Greg
Buckner at all? Or oh, you know what, I don't see a
Greg Buckner mentioned in here. My last game was during the bubble for the
Bucks. Forgot about that after Cleveland traded back to Utah. Remember he ended
up on the Bucks and people like, oh my god, Giannis is going
to become like the greatest three boys You're alive because Kyle Korver was his team.
Because that's how it works, Like you get one good shooter on a
team and it's like the space jam did, like if you hold the same
ball. His skills were draft All right, I want to give you another
one because you because you're hot, so we got to keep it going.
Well, let's do so, let's do yours first. I'm laughing at the
player and you'll know why once we're done. Oh boy. Clue number one.
I was drafted outside the lottery in two thousand and nine and draft known
for having insane point guard talent. All right, so that's the Steph Johnny
Flynn, Ricky Rubio draft, I think okay. Clue number two. I
was one of twelve point guards taken in round one in that draft and part
of a stretch of five straight picks being point guards. Ooh, five straight
picks but outside the lottery? Correct? Oh? Did I say this person
is there? Is it? Uh? Is it Ray Grant? Is it
Ray Felton? No, it's not Ray Felton. Is it Ty Lawson?
It is Ty Lawson? Yeah? Where was he drafted? I was a
college legend at a blue blood school at sub six foot. Many questions if
I had staying power in the league, but I became a regular starter right
away. By year three, I was averaging sixteen a game and six and
a half assists. My best season came in twenty thirteen and fourty where average
seventy more six points and nearly nine assists a game, while also averaging one
point six steals. The next season, the team I was on took a
nose dive and the coach was fired after saying for weeks he couldn't relate to
millennial players safe to say a rebuild was a foot, so I was traded
in the off season. Four Get this Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson, coastas
pop U popping a color, Pablo Perjoni Legend. A tw sixteen first round
pick in Cash, I went on to average six points a game before being
bought out. I signed with Indiana but didn't really do much there in the
thirteen games I played that same season, and I had a decent bounce back
season in Sacramento before ultimately heading overseas, where I still play today. I
remember that. Good for him. I'm glady carved out a career overseas.
I don't pay attention to that stuff generally. No. Probably we were at
the end of the podcast, so I can see. I feel bad for
Mike that we both got them so early, but he did stump me on
the first one, so kudos. Uh, you want another one here,
all right? Give me one more. All right, let's see we did
core? Okay, Clue number one. I was a second round pick out
of Duke in two thousand and two by the Cavs. I love it that
people give you a college college question. Yeah, I don't know that,
Chris Duhan. Ooh, No. Number two. I averaged ten points as
a rookie to go with seven boards, uping that to fifteen and eleven in
year two. So this guy's double double out of Duke in his second year
in what was it? Year? It would have been? I guess like,
oh, three oh four. I think you're gonna get it on the
next clue. All right, give me the next clue. Three. Cleveland
forgot how restricted free agency worked after my second season, and the Jazz pounced
on their tom foolery, snatching me up for six years and seventy million that
offseason. Uh in two thousand and five? Fuck was that? Why do
you think I was gonna get this? I thought you'd remember the like Calvs
botching free? What was it? Though? It was something funky where like
Utah just swooped in on this guy and like Cleveland somehow, this like Cleveland
is like at the absolute idea of like functional NBA teams at this stage,
So like they totally blew something with free agency, and like let a really
good player get away. You will get this guy, all right. So
he's in Utah now after Cleveland, and he's a double double guy out of
Duke. Clue four. I made two All Star games in my six years
in Utah, which were in seven and eight. No too early, making
my making third team All NBA in two thousand and eight. Wow, do
I not know whose is right now? I think if let's see, he
doesn't give you, like if he gave you a certain teammate, I think
you would you would have it. Okay, yeah, you may still get
it here. Clue five. In twenty ten, I was acquired by the
Bulls in a sign and trade, but my production was on the declas Boozer
correct, Damn, I should have known that one when you had the the
six years and seventy million, I should have I should have known that one.
You were right. Do you remember what happened with free This is a
long time ago, the free agency thing. I can't remember the specifics that
they forgot. How restricted free agency worked. I think it was like you
know, the offer sheet got signed and he and they like forgot to match
or like didn't, I don't know, something like some kind of weird oversight.
So I guess so what did they did? It was the reality was
it was on a second round pick, So I had a two year contract
and the option for a third year and they had Oh so it was that
like that what is now known as base well not as now known, but
like so when you have the Pelicans just did this with Herb Jones. So
he was coming off of his second year. They declined his team option and
then agreed he technically restricted free agent, but he resigned automatically, so they
made him a free agent, and then he got an offer that they couldn't
afford to match because of cap They didn't. It was them, they didn't
want to pay it. I'm assuming so. And at that point I don't
know if the Gilbert or renas a rule wasn't effect. It must have been
because the Renas was earlier. So yeah, they just cheaped out. I
didn't that happen with wasn't Jokic in that situation whereas like do they or don't
they pick up his option? Because the saying had to second rounder thing because
if they do, then he can get to unrestricted free agency, but if
they decline it, he becomes restricted, and so they want to maintain control.
Yeah, so they didn't even forget how restricted free agency was because that
was if that was post Gilbert Arenas. I think, like, what year
did you say that was? Uh? He was an two draft pick,
so it would have been it was, well, what the hell was Arenas?
I think Arenas was right after that because I think Arenas went to Washington
in like three or oh four or something. I could be wrong. Yeah,
so Pa, So this is what Boozer said on the reality it was
I was the second round pick, so I had a two year contract on
an option for a thirdy year, and they had discussed taking my option away
so they could resign me. The only bad thing about it was that it
would be tampering and the Cows are going to be under investigation. So we
went through the process. They took away my option. They wanted to give
me a new contract. The league knows everything, so when they took away
my third year option, they were going to offer me a deal around forty
million. But the league was also getting indication that there was four other teams
that were offering to pay me seventy million plus, So if I would have
resigned, they would have immediately known it was tampering. Oh wow, Okay,
I have to read a couple of other clues because I, uh they're
worth it. Uh the next clue, which you did not need, because
you got it. In twenty ten, I was acquired by the Bulls Trade
my production on the Client six. Despite averaging around fifteen and nine in my
time with Chicago, my most notable moments are probably having spray on hair,
remember that? And accidentally punching a ref in the nuts? Remember that video?
How funny that one is? No, I don't remember that one.
I think he's like celebrating an and one or like protesting a call, and
he like swings around on the baseline with like a like a I don't know,
like you're trying to punch someone in the nuts basically, And there was
in fact someone in the way and it was the ref and he got Oh
no, watch now you remember that? That was a great one. Why
I never I've never seen this video. I'm not even kidding the last one.
My twin sons are top recruits for twenty twenty five. If you're oh,
yeah, get it up there all readstarted for people to watch. This
is wild. Yeah and one bang he yell, he like yells in his
face afterwards. Oh it's so good. Also the most the loudest yeller of
and one in NBA history. That was. I don't think Mellow can give
a run for his money. No, Boozer was the guy. I think,
Well, Mellow was the rebound one. You had to turn the mics
off because he's just cursing every rebound he got. That was good, Mike,
thank you for you provided the heavy lifting for this guess a player,
So thank you. Excellent work. I think that's gonna do it. Unless
you would like to add anything about Carlos Boozer punching people. No, I
think. I think I can't believe. I'm sure I saw it and then
forgot about it. But that's like that's something that I should have remembered,
So maybe I never saw it. That's up there. That's better than but
similar to I think it's after Vince Carter dunks over Frederick Weiss, he like
punches the air and turns around and like is probably got Kevin Garnett's eyelashes it
with a celebratory punch and like almost just killed a man just because he was
somped. Here's a funny. It's it's funny because everything ended up being fine.
She's my wife, now my now life. This is a great start
to the story. Do you the first year so twenty ten or maybe it's
a left when a Mari's first season in New York that was twy ten,
twenty eleven, right or yeah, sounds right. So he hits it's against
the Celtics. It looked like it was a game winning three, and we
were in her room watching it and her dad, who me and him have
always had a really good rapport, but this is like we were dating for
maybe a year and a half at this point. Uh after he's watching in
their living room. So after MARII hits the shot, we're both screaming and
I jump up and fist pump and clocked my wife right across the face.
And she was fine, but I didn't notice it because I ran out of
the room and meet her dad or like celebrating. I'm like talking about it,
and I'd come back in the room and she was like, you just
punched me, so apparently, I didn't even feel it. You're too amped.
Omari did that to people. Wait, here's the thing. The shot
ended up not counting, so it was all for nothing. She was okay.
Otherwise this wouldn't have been funny at all. I want to make that
clear. So you can't tell that story if one you're not married to her
now, or two she was not okay. All right, everyone, Thanks
for your questions as always both in the in the Western Conference mailbag, and
thank you for your contributions Mike in particular and Ruby Scout for our guests of
players. What else, If you want to contribute, get on discord.
You can find the link on how to do that in YouTube and podcast description,
along with how to check out our merch some of which is behind me,
some of which is probably near Dan or in the vicinity there it is.
Uh yeah, tell your friends, tell your enemies, rate review,
subscribe, follow us, up vote, thumbs up, all the good things
vote voting. I I don't know. I like to add in, I
like to add libs sometimes, like positive ways to approve of and spread our
content. But I don't know if upvote is like a real thing you could
so I guess you could promote us on Reddit if they let you promote,
and then people can upvote it. That is where you upvote. That's right,
Okay, yeah, do that. I guess I don't know. Thanks
again, shout out Frank Nolakina. Apologies, Jared Allen