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What is crack Lack and fellow Thermo
nuclear a efforts. I am Dampa Valley

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looking at you with my certified Fantabulo's
co host, mister Grant Hughes. We

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are on to the fourth and final
installment of our Every team in the League

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mail bag. It's the second half
ish of the Western Conference. We did

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Dallas through the Memphis Grizzlies on the
first part. Go check it out if

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you have not already. We are
now on too, going to begin with

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the wait, I'll get this right, Minnesota Timberwolves bang. I'm so all

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over the place, but I do
have to ask you, Grant, since

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I last spoke to you about twenty
seven seconds ago, how are you doing.

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I'm doing just as well as I
was then, maybe better because we're

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on the home stretch sort of.
I don't know if you call this a

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home stretch, but we're beginning the
second half of our Western Conference. It's

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a mailbag, and so that's a
good place to be. So do you

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wanna you want me to throw?
And by the way, we'll blow We're

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not gonna blow through, blow through. But I just recorded an extensive podcast

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seventy plus minutes on the Timberwolves.
So we're not gonna spend We've spent like

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twenty minutes on some of these teams. The Timberwolves just got seventy plus minutes.

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And so we have the one question, which a great question, by

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the way, or we have a
couple questions on timberwolve. When the first

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one comes from I'll read it to
you Grant, so I know that you're

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just you have you're just dying to
get off some of these Minnesota Timberwolves takes

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that you have. First question comes
from HP Burgie. What do the numbers

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say in a NAS read versus Cat
argument? Is the team better when NAS

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plays an interesting discussion topic for the
president and future, and also interesting discussion

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because this was asked believe it or
not, before Town suffered that lateral moniscus

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injury. This pertinent, to say
the least, given what's happened with Cat.

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I will say, I'm look,
I'm not the biggest Cat fan,

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but this idea that like somehow they're
better without him does not. And we'll

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go through the numbers, but like, you're not better without a starter,

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just like taking him out of the
equation, like that was you? I

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think you this would be at risk
of oversimplifying it if it wasn't too true.

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Who is your second best scorer now
on this team with Karl Anthony Towns

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out, it is nas reed,
which is potentially problematic, and then you're

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shooting your spacing falls off a cliff
without Towns antheawards is spectacular. So he's

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working through it, but like the
way that defenses can just load up on

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him without fear of repercussion now,
and it reached a point to where because

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Towns was out. I don't know
if you saw any of that Clippers Wolves

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game where they came back, but
progression on social media was bonkers because there

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were people that wanted, like Kyle
Anderson to be shipped off the planet at

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that point. So yeah, I
mean, like it the the read versus

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Cat thing sort of invites comparison because
like Reid does can do some of the

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things that that make Cat really good, which he's a big body that can

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space and he can put it on
the floor and straight line drive. He

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just you know, Cat is like
it's you know, it's like to the

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point of parody at this point,
but like he maybe is the best high

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volume three point shooter among big guys
ever, like he just he like THAT'SO

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gets outlined why so many people don't
like him because he said that, which

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I'm not criticizing him for that.
He's grossly poor in the self awareness department

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and like not coming offense, NOA, but you can't say that you just

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shouldn't like at least let Dirk Novisky
like fade for memory a little bit,

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like you just don't just anyway,
So let's get to some of the numbers

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here with with Nas on the floor, with Rudy Gobert, they're plus thirteen

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point nine. The offense is not
good. The defense is phenomenal. One

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hundred percentile on defense forty first offense. Gobert obviously just limits everything at the

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rim, so he's kind of the
key to that group, the Towns and

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Gobert unit, which by the way, probably goes against starters. A little

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more offense you might want to look
at like some luck adjusted stuff if you

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really want to dig into this,
which we're not going to do. Plus

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nine point six per hundred. The
offense is much better with Cat out there

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with Gobertt seventy seventh percentile, ninety
first on defense. Still good. I'm

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still obviously very good. Opponent shooting
luck is not like jimmying with any of

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those numbers, So like, you
know you're getting good results either way.

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The defense seems to be carrying the
red go Bear minutes more so than the

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Cat Go Bear minutes. But like
you're basically plus ten and better in both

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units. Cat by himself with no
other bigs plus five point eight in not

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a lot of possessions, But that
offense ironically sucks seventeenth percentile. The defense

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is really good. It's shooting luck
twenty nine percent from three for opponents there.

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Thank you for pulling all these stats. By the way, it's making

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me sound very smart if you have
read out there by himself as the loan

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big, which doesn't happen that often
either. Two hundred and eighty six possessions

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rules are minus eleven point nine.
The offense is awful like second percentile.

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The defense is basically break even.
So like you start considering the cost between

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Cat and Reed, like, obviously
that's a huge factor. It's just like

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I don't I don't see a scenario
where the Timberwolves are anything but substantially worse

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with Kat out of the picture.
That's not what this question is asking,

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but it's like Reed is a really
good player, should be in the very

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shortless conversation for six Man of the
Year. He's not Karl Anthony Towns.

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And so I guess like the question
could be just like, well, who

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do they need? They need all
of them, they need everybody like that's

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It's not It's not like Reid is
going to step in and just replicate everything

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that they need all three of it. They need three of their top six

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players. I know, Dan,
I know, I know, but I

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really feel strongly about it. They
need Virgin. But we want to make

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that clear. We're not trolling the
question. Answer, hb Burg is a

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good question. I think people outside
a minutes that are probably asking the thing

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that I would add to because you
mentioned the money, which there's a if

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if they ever view Read as a
Town's replacement, it's not because Reed is

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better than Towns. It's because he's
thirty million dollars cheaper a year, and

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that's it. And I don't think
and I've said this before. I said

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it on the podcast with Kyle.
I said it when people because apparently I

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said something egregious way back. I
probably did say it, but I like

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said that the Wolves had to trade
or bust it up before next year,

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I would be I'd be floored,
And if I were fans, I'd be

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irate if they traded anyone from the
top six before the twenty twenty five deadline,

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because you haven't ntil the end of
next year. I would even say

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the draft. But you haven't toil
the end of next year to cut your

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tax bill. And if you get
to the trade deadline, see it's not

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working. Okay, if it's still
working, then you better see it through

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all like you eat it for at
least one more year after this, And

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so I don't think this is an
imminent issue. And the final thing I'll

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say very quickly, I trust Towns
to punish multiple layers of defense. Even

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though he's he's part of the reason
that the Wolves can be like bad when

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it comes to turnovers and bad passes
and lost balls, but like on drives,

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if he needs to get by two
different layers of defense, if you

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need him to work from the post, I'm gonna trust that out of him

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more than nas Reid, and I
think he has improved enough defensively. He's

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slower in space, but part of
the reason why nas is quicker in space

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is because he can't do like typical
center stuff. And if you have the

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right personnel around Rudy, I do
think we've seen this season in some of

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those loan big lineups he can do
some of the regular big stuff when the

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right perimeter guys are in front of
him. So if again I think this

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maybe this is the oversimplification, but
if you read as your Karlathon Town's replacement,

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it's because you're trying to save money
and that's it's not because Reid is

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better than Towns. Yeah, I
agree. The next Wolves question that we

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have for you, Grant, they
asked this specifically for you. Oh good,

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Corey Cosmi eighty three oh six.
They didn't ask this specifically for you,

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But I want to make you feel
good about yourself. If you guys

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don't, If you guys don't think
Rudy Gobert affects the shot attempts at the

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rim the same way Wemby does,
why do you have Rudy above him in

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Defensive Player of the Year. Just
curious because if Wemby passes the eye test

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and leads the league in blocks and
blocks post deals, why not have him

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first? I mean a few reasons, like I don't want to be put

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in the position who did I have
to talk up last podcast? I can't

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remember Russell Westbrook. I don't want
to be put in the position of talking

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down Victor Wenbnyama because like the list
of outlandish things we've said about him all

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positive is long, and I'm going
to continue to add to it for the

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next hopefully fifteen years. It's it's
one. It's a full season award.

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When Benyama was not this good defensively
at the beginning of the year, He's

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going to run away with the blocks
lead. That's true. I guess there's

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a few like one. You know, Gobert is the anchor of the best

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defense in the league by a mile, and when Benyama is awesome, but

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the Spurs defense is not good.
When ben Yama has not been the anchor

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of a really great defense like for
seven years, you know, so I

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have some some of this goes to
track record. I think Wen Benyama is

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probably like his potent is higher,
which is wild because Gobert is the best

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defensive player like of this generation,
at least among bigs, but not according

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to Well, let's move on from
that. I don't know. I mean,

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it's a fair question because all we
do is talk up Wembanyama. But

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I guess I struggle to say that
webbin Yama is sort of as reliable and

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sturdy of a like defensive centerpiece,
Like his spectacular plays are better than anybody's.

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But I think Gobert just has certainly
like a level of know how positioning,

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like corporate knowledge, like just experience
all that stuff that like makes him

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just a more complete, like established. I keep using like reliable, sturdy,

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like it's pejorative, like he's just
you know exactly what you're getting,

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possession of possession, where WebM ban
Yama is spectacular, but like it's gonna

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make more mistakes than Gobert is.
And and you just don't have the you

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don't have the tracker, you don't
have the team for foremants to back it

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up. That's not fair really,
because when ben Yama's supporting cast is awful

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and the Spurs defense is his strongest
argument is just the Spurs are in like

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the seventieth percentime of defense officially with
him on the floor. Yeah, he

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has to do so much more to
make them like pretty good. So it's

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a fair question, but I I
don't really, it's not making me like

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reassess. Do I think when ben
Yama all year has been a better defender

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than Gobert, When yeah, when
you're looking at a wire or wire and

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the other thing too, is just
and I don't. Again, this is

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me legitimately throwing out there the five
hundred minute differential here where that's like Gobar's

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five hundred minutes on Wemby about I
would think that matters, especially because Ruey

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goal Beart is playing in more important
games as well, and like, doesn't

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that factor into It's like, I'm
not saying this, but it's like how

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many teams are like put off the
gas against the Spurs at points this year?

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Yeah? So? Or how much
of Wemby's best plays have come when

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like he look, he's helped the
Spurs get some pretty high leverage moments.

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But ride goo Beart has played in
more high stakes games this year than Victor

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Weinbnyama. That's not a spicy take. Now, every single game is higher

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stakes. Do not play games with
stakes and have not really all year?

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Okay, so we got the Pelicans
next. How do you want the Pelicans

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remain my kink. That's what it's
become on this pelics. Oh man,

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how do you want to approach this? We have several questions, but I

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know there was a particular topic you
wanted to get into with them. So

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do you want to just like just
go to the shooting and the defense or

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do you want me to run down
a list of questions for you? They

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have? So I think we should
go to, uh, do we have

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two that kind of stepped on the
toes of each other or no? It

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was a let's I think some of
these can be a little bit quicker,

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So Peto, let's go. Let's
start with Peto's one. All right,

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So Peter asked, take your best
shot at trying to understand who this team

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should be. A point Zion central
team, a bi central team. Can

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Zion and Brandon Ingram actually coexist?
Should they be a defense or offense oriented

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team? So I think that's a
great question. I do think they can

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coexist. But I think if you're
not gonna have them running pick and rolls

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with each other, then you need
to get just a ton of stretch around

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them in the form of just raw
three point shooting and maybe another twitchy off

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the dribble three point threat, or
there needs to be that vertical spacer guy

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who's also a really good rim protector, because like, I think that's the

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way to compliment them or to maximize
the talent around them. I do think

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the best version of this team is
with either point Zion just because but he's

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just he's functionally more limiting when he
doesn't have the ball than Brandon ingram is,

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especially if you're not gonna use him
as the primary screener. That's just

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where I'm at with that. However, I would also say, and maybe

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this is the I don't even know
if this is controversial, it's either the

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best version of this team is either
with point Zion or point This player isn't

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on the team yet. And I'm
not go ahead, No, I was

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gonna say that's what I was gonna
ask you, was because I I'm I'm

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at least tempted to go along with
like it should be point Zion that needs

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to be like the foundation of your
team is CJ McCollum on that team?

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Like is he is that what you
want at that position? Or do you

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need like a Herb Jones that can
also drive and handle them? You know,

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what I mean, like because Mcca, because if you're gonna do the

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zion at the point thing and maybe
like what's that going to do for your

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defensive matchups? It puts McCollum in
tough positions. It's kind of like we

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talked about with Dallas and how Luca
is at a position where you want him

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to guard like a three to four, that's a tough matchup. Usually you

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got to like move things around.
If it's not McCollum, who is it?

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Can it be McCollum, Like just
because that obviously the stretchy big and

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the rim protecting big, Like yeah, yeah, we said that forever Miles

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Turner on and on. Is McCollum
the right point guard for that or whatever

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whatever? If he's not the point
guard, is McCollum the right guy at

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like what would otherwise be the one
going forward? And that's just the look

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you're talking about. And he's so
good that it's been so good this year

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and you have to credit him for
really juicing up his three point more.

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Yeah, Trey Murphy coming on ends
up being a big deal for them,

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So maybe you have just but look, if you told me this team came

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out of the West, it wouldn't
surprise me. I do think ultimately and

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this will get it. So the
offense or defense? Should they be an

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offensive defense team? I actually think
because of how imperfect they can be on

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offense, it makes sense that it
doesn't make sense when you're looking at their

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personnel, Like this current team I
think needs to actually hang its hat on

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defense. But like if you're building
out future iterations just because of who your

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best player is gonna be, whether
it's Zion or whether it's Ingram in that

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and even though like having like I
think it's probably leaning offense first, Like

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that's what if you're making new additions, I'm catering to the offense. But

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we'll get into that because we have
another defensive question. So yeah, I

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think the other thing with what you
mentioned looming over all this is it might

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be point Zion, but you have
to ask yourself, is he healthy enough?

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Will his prime last long enough to
lean all the way into that?

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Yeah? I mean I guess that
that hangs over everything. So because like

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if you build a point Zion team
that is a specific ass team with like

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guys that are going to you know, have really certain jobs that'll be different

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than they'd be on like a quote
unquote normally constructed team. Yeah, and

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then if if the guy that's at
the center of all that is like maybe

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not going to hold up or is
going to miss time or have conditioning issues

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or whatever, which for the time
being like pretty good stretch on that front

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for Zion. But like it's so
precarious to build like an unusual roster around

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an unusual player that if he's not
there, like, then what the hell

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is this team? Like things don't
make sense anymore. You kind of almost

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have to build like a totally different
like second you, I don't know,

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there's risk there, but it's like
I think I still think that like putting

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the ball on Zion's hands unlesson until
he becomes like a great off ball cutter

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or a shooter, Like that's just
the way it's got to go, right,

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Like, I don't know what else
do you really do to maximize the

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talent? And I do think that
the two can coexist and they might look

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they're doing it right now. I
mean, like the numbers they're they're starting

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lineup numbers have started to turn,
and I think it's probably about futzing and

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fiddling more on the margins. But
there is a case to be made that

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if you are trying to really improve
your offensive ceiling or maybe even playoff,

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we have to see what their playoff
offense looks like. If you want to

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playoff proof of your offense or create
more chemistry, the glue tying all that

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together probably isn't on the team yet. If that's the route you want to

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go, Yeah, okay, So
next question here from Yankees man seventy seven.

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00:16:37,519 --> 00:16:38,960
Pelican's going to make a move this
summer to bring in a new center,

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either by trade or free agent?
Or are they going to sign Yonis

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Valonchuna so new deal? If not, so they move on from him.

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Who do you see as not the
new starting five next to Zion Bi for

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next season? Like what's what's it
look like? I guess focusing on the

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center position, Like what do you
think they should do? What can they

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do? What would you like them
to do? I think so they're like

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twelve and a half thirteen million dollars
under the tax without accounting for Jonas Valentiunas's

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next contract, and so you could
say, right, well, if you

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just plug in, maybe that's the
number he gets he's earning what's he at

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this year. I mean that would
be a pay cut, so you would

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think that he would have more.
And you're also in that point that doesn't

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include, you know, a new
contract for Jose Alvarado if they want to

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go that route with him. Naji
Marshall gonna have a first round draft pick

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too, right, Well, no, So the estimate for this is like

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it has the Lakers draft pick in
there. I think they have the right

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to defer it. So I mean
you could save some money there, yeah,

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I mean, which they probably will
defer it, just because that could

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save him like four million bucks.
But my point being, you don't have

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money to spend on a big wig
center, so I would just keep yonas

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valentiunis or try and work out a
unless you have another trade lined up.

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But you don't have all this expendable
matching salary necessarily unless you if U s

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C. J. McCollum as expendable, sure you have Larry Nance, maybe

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you're to go. You can get
to numbers where it's like, oh,

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if your step ladder with Nance and
Dyce and Daniels. I think the safest

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course would be to figure out a
way to keep Jonas Valentiunis, and then

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that'll you know, will this team
pay the tax? Shift to ask yourself

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that if you're gonna make another splash
at center, if you let Jonna Valentunis

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walk, I don't know who the
free agent like, you don't have the

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money to go after Isaiah Heart and
Steinn who would be an interesting fit here,

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you know? And then there's just
like there's not a ton of talented

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Yeah, Nick Claxton would be kind
of interesting. There'd be spacing limitations there

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though. You can't afford him either, So you're looking at You're looking at

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like, oh, Daniel Tice,
Like who we get him? And so

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if you're gonna upgrade the center position
or make it materially different, it has

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to happen on the trade market when
I go through, like you can come

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up with names, and I know
a lot of wolves fands love the Jared

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Allen id and maybe the Cavs get
to a point where they want to move

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off one of their bigs. I
will say I kind of consider vertical spacing

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overrated in this context. I don't
know how you feel about that. To

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where I prefer, Yes, I
want a big who protects the room.

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Stretches the floor. But just like, if I'm going to really give up

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a lot of assets for this team, it has to be for that big

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And yes, they're rare, borderline
non existent. I like Jared Allen works,

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and especially at his numbers, so
maybe it's like, well, we're

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giving off this equity and he's so
cheap for the next couple of years relative

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to what players of his caliber would
make. But like, I just there's

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not a name out there, like
it's the idea. It's like Miles Turner

298
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as concept and like been there,
done that type deal. So and they

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might just I think a lot of
what happens in the playoffs will probably inform

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what they try, because you could
convince me that they enter the offseason with

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the priority of we need like a
real floor general an ere rather than like

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focusing on the five spot depending on
how the postseason unfolded. And so I

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don't have a great I feel ben
on having a great answer to who should

304
00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,640
they go after at the center position. But if they do anything, I'm

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assuming it's just gonna happen on the
trade market, and I just don't there's

306
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no name. I don't know if
you can think of a name that springs

307
00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,759
to mind, like maybe Dallas,
would we want to trade one of their

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00:19:59,759 --> 00:20:03,160
big Are they going to trade you? Maxally Kliba? And he's also just

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00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,000
not the thirty five minute per game
answer either thirty minute per game answer.

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I think it's telling that you got
to Daniel Tyss's name real quick in the

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00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,640
list of options. So what they
get afforded free agency as well? Yeah,

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it's a bare okay, So this
is where we really got to get

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to. This has been the topic
I don't know, not du jour,

314
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but like of the last couple of
weeks around NBA Nerd circles and Pelicans circles,

315
00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:30,200
particularly from this is from Trey Realstroker
Murphy. How does the Pelican's three

316
00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,279
point defense work? It can't be
just luck that their opponents have consistently the

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00:20:34,279 --> 00:20:38,920
worst three point percentage for two straight
seasons while they also give up the most

318
00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:45,079
three point attempts. What's going on? I wrote about this today for something

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00:20:45,079 --> 00:20:47,759
else. I've been listening to a
lot of discussions about it. We got

320
00:20:47,839 --> 00:20:49,160
to talk about this. Oh,
you wrote about it? Did you want

321
00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,480
to take it? Then? No? It's all your notes are very similar.

322
00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,720
I mean, I'm the cynic and
I am my kink is not the

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00:20:56,759 --> 00:21:00,240
Pelicans, So I feel like I'm
just a little a little bit more down

324
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on them than you, And I
trust in a lot of smarter people than

325
00:21:04,799 --> 00:21:08,920
me who have essentially said, you
know, there are some things you can

326
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:15,400
do as a defense to limit three
point accuracy of your opponents, one of

327
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,039
the main ones being make sure really
good shooters do not take those threes,

328
00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,400
and one of the other ones being
try not to allow really wide open threes

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00:21:23,039 --> 00:21:27,319
the Pelicans. The deep dives in
the data just suggests that, like,

330
00:21:27,759 --> 00:21:32,279
some of that might be happening,
And the two year window where it's this

331
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is happening two years in a row
now is persuasive just because it grows the

332
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,440
size of the sample, so you
can't dismiss it as small sample luck as

333
00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,480
easily. I still think it's mostly
luck. I still think if opponents are

334
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:48,319
missing wide open threes more often against
you than against any other team, odds

335
00:21:48,319 --> 00:21:52,559
are you're lucky. And it's not
like you haven't figured out how to play

336
00:21:52,759 --> 00:21:55,559
like you don't. Willie Green's a
good coach. I don't know if he

337
00:21:55,599 --> 00:21:59,960
has schooled the team on defensive telepathy
like I don't think that's a thing.

338
00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,359
So part of it, I said
I wasn't gonna take over this thing.

339
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,440
But like, I think part of
it is that maybe some of the numbers

340
00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,599
we have are not accounting for,
like the length of the Pelicans roster.

341
00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:14,599
Like maybe wide open shots are not
as wide open if it's Trey Murphy or

342
00:22:14,599 --> 00:22:18,240
brandon Ingram or Herb Jones closing out
against you with like nine foot wingspans.

343
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But I skew more towards the Pelicans
have been lucky defensively, and I think

344
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their defense will be will regress as
opponents make threes that expected rates, so

345
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that where you want if you're looking
at three point defense specifically and say they've

346
00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,359
been lucky, but I think the
way that they are able to get set

347
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,960
is like a big part of why
their defense is maybe overachieved relative to personnel.

348
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:42,799
There's luck involved with the three point
I mean you mentioned it, like

349
00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,920
their opponents aretooting thirty six percent on
wide open threes. That's by far and

350
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,440
away the lowest mark in the league. You can say they're selective about who

351
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,200
gives them up, but when you
go back and watch what I do think

352
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,759
you already mentioned the length thing,
and the contest stuff is right, but

353
00:22:56,039 --> 00:23:00,440
there are two things that stand out
to me. Is the level of pressure

354
00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,799
they're able to put on because they
navigate screens and so they're within proximity of

355
00:23:04,839 --> 00:23:08,440
these shot takers, that they're going
to have these where maybe it's classified as

356
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,559
open, but because of the wingspans
of some of these guys that it's actually

357
00:23:11,559 --> 00:23:18,200
not six plus feet. The other
thing for me, only the heat and

358
00:23:18,279 --> 00:23:22,680
the bulls are better at forcing opponents
to take threes later in the shot clock,

359
00:23:23,079 --> 00:23:26,920
so seven seconds or less remaining on
the shot clock. Statistically speaking,

360
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:32,079
those shot percentages on average are going
to be lower than if they're coming up

361
00:23:32,079 --> 00:23:34,880
because the reason you're taking shots earlier
in the shot clock is you're open to

362
00:23:36,759 --> 00:23:38,519
the Pubgs might give up a lot
of wide open threes, but if you're

363
00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:44,359
also forcing opponents to defend deep into
the shot clock, how many of those

364
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,920
threes are grenades to shooters. You
mentioned this at the top. They're not

365
00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,359
very good, and so I think
that's been a big deal about their defense,

366
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:55,000
which comes back to one getting set
the fact that they're able to fight,

367
00:23:55,039 --> 00:23:57,519
and you have guys like Herb Jones, you have guys like Cray Murphy,

368
00:23:57,759 --> 00:24:00,039
you even have just like and I
think this has been the Other thing

369
00:24:00,079 --> 00:24:03,400
that I noticed is brand Ingram has
gotten better defensively. I think he's been

370
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,480
smarter with his closeouts, He's been
able to shoot better gaps, smarter with

371
00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:11,200
his help and I think that's where
the Pelicans have And I did not dig

372
00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,599
into the data on this, so
I didn't look at like what's happening from

373
00:24:14,599 --> 00:24:18,319
the corners. But when you look
at like with CJ. McCullum and Brandon

374
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,000
Ingram have done as helpers when they
are in the corners, and maybe even

375
00:24:21,079 --> 00:24:25,119
Zion Williamson at points they've been able
to like pick and choose where they're gonna

376
00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,119
put the ball pressure And if you
trust those guys to close out or if

377
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,839
you're helping off of the right shooters, I think that adds the element of

378
00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,599
Okay, we're actually helping deflate this
three point percentage by design. I say

379
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:38,279
all this knowing we saw it with
the Knicks a couple of years ago,

380
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:44,000
that stuff will normalize. There's luck
here, there's absolutely luck here. But

381
00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:48,079
I don't think like if you look
at the Pelicans defense as a whole,

382
00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:49,599
and a lot of what I said
applies to I think their overall defense,

383
00:24:49,839 --> 00:24:55,640
because take three point pointers out of
the equation, only the Bulls have opponents

384
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:59,559
taking a larger share of their overall
shots inside seven seconds of the shot clock.

385
00:25:00,079 --> 00:25:02,759
That's a big deal, I would
say. And so it's their ability

386
00:25:02,839 --> 00:25:04,319
to get set, which that comes
back to their offense, but also just

387
00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:08,400
a commitment to getting back in transition, which they've for the most part consistently

388
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,279
had under Willie Green. All that
stuff makes a big difference. And so

389
00:25:11,279 --> 00:25:15,039
if you want to say the Pelicans
three point defense has been more luck than

390
00:25:15,039 --> 00:25:18,960
not, I will concede that,
but I do think they've done things that

391
00:25:18,039 --> 00:25:22,720
go into it. As a larger
point, I don't think their overall defensive

392
00:25:22,759 --> 00:25:26,559
standing is completely founded around luck.
I know it looks wonky because of the

393
00:25:26,559 --> 00:25:30,160
personnel, but I think that they
have done things to earn what are they

394
00:25:30,319 --> 00:25:33,519
like sixth right now in points lab
the possession or wherever it is. So

395
00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,839
that's where I'm at with the Pelicans
defense, and it's why, I mean,

396
00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,079
it's one of the many reasons why
they are my kink, because even

397
00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,200
their offensive imperfections or the Knights where
it's look, they're going through a kind

398
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:45,920
of a mini tear. Right now, they've beat up on some inferior opponents,

399
00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:49,839
Like we've seen stretches where those don't
kind of just deviate from what's working

400
00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,920
and it doesn't make sense. You
can still almost trust them to refine their

401
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,799
peak or to tread water because their
defense has been so good. And I

402
00:25:57,799 --> 00:26:03,400
think too, like it's kind kind
of exciting to think about because like their

403
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,880
process, at least in terms of
just the shots they allow, goes against

404
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,200
conventional wisdom because like in terms of
what are the pillars of a good defense,

405
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,519
typically right now in the NBA,
it's like, don't let opponents shoot

406
00:26:15,519 --> 00:26:19,559
threes, Like just don't do that, Like that's the bucks under Buttonholzer,

407
00:26:19,559 --> 00:26:22,039
Like that was their whole thing.
We funnel everything to the middle. We

408
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,720
let the big guys deal with it. Typically, I correct me if I'm

409
00:26:26,759 --> 00:26:30,759
wrong. I think, just as
a broad generalization, the best defense is

410
00:26:30,839 --> 00:26:34,359
limit opponent three point attempt frequency.
The Pelicans don't do that. Well.

411
00:26:34,839 --> 00:26:40,359
It's interesting to think that, like
conventional wisdom is only right until it isn't,

412
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,920
And at some point we could be
in an era where like it's actually

413
00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,680
okay to let opponents shoot a bunch
of threes. As long as you get

414
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:52,519
really good at you know, contesting
and letting the wrong guys making sure the

415
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,440
wrong slash right guys are shooting those
threes. It's fun to think about the

416
00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,720
Pelicans maybe being on like the vanguard
of something because it's two years now,

417
00:27:00,759 --> 00:27:03,240
so like that has to at least
get your attention a little bit. I'm

418
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,559
just playing Devil's advocate. But well, that's the interesting side of this to

419
00:27:06,599 --> 00:27:10,480
me is that it goes against like
normal good defensive process. Well, I

420
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,799
think you're touching on a trend too. I Mean, this isn't a I'm

421
00:27:12,839 --> 00:27:17,000
talking about just this season. So
if you go through the teams that are

422
00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,359
the best at limiting opponent three point
attempts, I'll read them off to you.

423
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,599
I'll read you the top five and
you guess how many top ten defenses

424
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:32,279
are in there. Indiana, Denver, Detroit, Washington, Portland, followed

425
00:27:32,279 --> 00:27:36,319
by San Antonio. Out Right,
bad defense is like pretty much across the

426
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:40,680
board, Denver Tennis, Yeah,
and Denver is not even in They're not

427
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,680
in the top ten of defense this
year. Right. You wonder, though,

428
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:48,319
is that the defense limiting threes or
is that the defense being so bad

429
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,400
that teams get all the way to
the basket, which is what they want

430
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:52,880
to do anyway, Like I don't
you know what I mean, Like it

431
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:57,079
can't it could be that too,
look to be fair, So like Minnesota

432
00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:04,039
is seventh, Cleveland is a eighth, or Milwaukee's ninth, Orlando is tenth,

433
00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:07,400
and so it's like, okay,
there is some there is some pretty

434
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,000
good defenses there. But it's just
funny that of the top five teams,

435
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,039
even top six, just because Portland
was so close to being in the top

436
00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,720
like they were basically dead. Even
of the top six teams that are great

437
00:28:17,759 --> 00:28:22,240
at limiting opponent three point attempts,
there's one top ten defense and it's Denvers.

438
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,039
Yeah, you know what The unfortunate
part about this is what it reveals

439
00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:30,519
is that you can't just look at
the number and conclude that the Pelicans are

440
00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:33,119
a good or bad defense or are
lucky because all those teams you just mentioned,

441
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:37,680
like you can't. I guess I'm
just you have to watch what they

442
00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:41,359
do, like what kinds of threes
are. It's like that just makes it

443
00:28:41,359 --> 00:28:45,000
harder to study defenses. And this
happened earlier in the season where it's of

444
00:28:45,039 --> 00:28:47,519
the games I caught. It was
like someone had said in our discord,

445
00:28:47,519 --> 00:28:49,359
I apologize, I can't remember that
CG. Mccome was having a fantastic defensive

446
00:28:49,359 --> 00:28:52,519
season and you look at some of
the county numbers of what he's doing seals,

447
00:28:52,559 --> 00:28:56,319
it's like okay, And then I
was just like, eh, like

448
00:28:56,359 --> 00:28:59,200
I haven't seen it. But then
you go back to kind of watching possessions

449
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:03,319
that he's not in yeh directly,
and it's oh, okay, like they

450
00:29:03,319 --> 00:29:06,440
are the's That was a great way
to frame It's like this is the team

451
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:11,000
that you have to watch them to
defend to understand why this is happening beyond

452
00:29:11,079 --> 00:29:14,599
luck. But I do have to
concede just because we've seen it play out.

453
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,400
I'm going to default the history with
you. I think the three point

454
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,440
stuff is probably more lucky than not. But I will say relative to like

455
00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,319
what the Knicks did, like during
the early TIBs days, it does feel

456
00:29:25,359 --> 00:29:29,960
like more than the typical Jedi defense, the Pelicans are doing things to actually

457
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,400
affect what's going on here. Yes, I think that's yeah. I don't

458
00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,920
think it's all luck. I think
it's mostly luck. And I think the

459
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:41,559
part that isn't luck is really worth
paying attention to, like how aggressively they

460
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:45,720
rotate and how much they just always
have a body at the nail, so

461
00:29:45,799 --> 00:29:48,039
you can't drive. You have to
swing, swing, swing, and hope

462
00:29:48,039 --> 00:29:52,359
they fuck up a rotation and then
you get your wide open three. But

463
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,680
to your point, maybe that's like
eight passes into the possession in the shot

464
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,880
clocks at five, and that's a
harder shot. The amount of work it

465
00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:02,720
takes to get them in tation because
of the way they're able to navigate screens.

466
00:30:03,799 --> 00:30:06,480
So and I'm gonna have to like
snip this up and make it a

467
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:10,279
sneak previous I think that was one
of our better discussions. Uh well,

468
00:30:10,319 --> 00:30:12,160
we only talk about Big Mark on
the podcast though, So let's head over

469
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:17,400
to the next team. All right, let's see I think this is for

470
00:30:17,519 --> 00:30:22,799
you speaking speaking of huge markets.
Oh wait, we did have one quick

471
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,480
Pelicans question here. Uh so I
apologize at Henry DeMarse. My biggest question

472
00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,440
for the Pelicans what is their best
closing lineup? Zion B I, C.

473
00:30:30,599 --> 00:30:33,039
J. Herbert, the core four? Who should be the fifth?

474
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,799
He? They mentioned Nance Murphy Alvarado. Deep in my heart, I want

475
00:30:37,839 --> 00:30:42,519
gta out there, which is I
respect them going with their their heart.

476
00:30:44,119 --> 00:30:47,920
I if I could, if you
could get away with like Murphy, I

477
00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:52,960
think, is the is their fifth
best player? Or uh, I say

478
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,839
he's better than their fifth best player. But it's no like Ingram and McCollum

479
00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,640
and Zion and her like, he's
yeah, he is there, he's in

480
00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,839
there five best players. Yeah,
yeah, right wherever you might want to

481
00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:04,640
rank him, maybe you think he's
better than us. That's what makes it,

482
00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,359
by the way, that's what makes
it so hard to project the future

483
00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,640
of like who do you get rid
of? It's no, you could say

484
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,039
there's no even if they're imperfect.
It's not just trade Brand and Ingram or

485
00:31:15,079 --> 00:31:18,240
trade No, these players are really
good. Yeah, So it would be

486
00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:22,079
nice if you could do it with
Murphy. I think you're just too small

487
00:31:22,119 --> 00:31:25,440
because Zion doesn't really like play big
in a lot of ways that you would

488
00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:27,480
like him to, and neither does
Ingram. So you're just like some wings

489
00:31:27,519 --> 00:31:33,839
and CJ like, that's that's tough. I look, I I prefer nance

490
00:31:33,039 --> 00:31:38,119
over over valentiunists because of the defense, because of the passing. You just

491
00:31:38,279 --> 00:31:41,000
here, it's the offense. You
can't post them up. That's a value

492
00:31:41,079 --> 00:31:45,839
with valent Unis. But I just
really like, all things being equal,

493
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,519
give me the like mobile switchable pass
first guy over the plotting post up center.

494
00:31:49,559 --> 00:31:52,720
That doesn't really defend the rim that
well. The I would have to

495
00:31:52,799 --> 00:31:56,759
look at the lineup data on this, but I wonder one it's probably super

496
00:31:56,759 --> 00:32:00,119
matchup dependent. But I think just
CJ McCom, I want to make it

497
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:04,480
clear his three point volume has been
uber important of this team. But because

498
00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,680
I agree with your overarching thoughts on
Nance, it's kind of like, if

499
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:12,359
you have Trey Murphy out there,
does it make the idea of CJ McCom

500
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,960
a little bit less important to where
he's the guy I know you call him

501
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,599
the core four. Where does he
have to be the guy that you yank

502
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:19,799
or then or you just worried about. You know, Trey Murphy's done some

503
00:32:19,799 --> 00:32:22,960
stuff off the dribble of Lait especially, but just this year in general,

504
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:27,359
and since he's entered the league,
could you get away with where it's Nance

505
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,680
and Murphy and Herb Jones and then
Zion and Ingram. I mean, that's

506
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:35,440
a that's a really fun line,
especially like CJ is not like a pure

507
00:32:35,559 --> 00:32:37,319
point guard by any stretch really,
So he's just one of the better.

508
00:32:37,759 --> 00:32:40,960
Like anyway, by the way,
I think the shooting and the shooting volume

509
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,640
from the outside, yeah, you
need you need Herb to continue making like

510
00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:51,359
forty odd percent of his threes and
and shoot more. And you probably also

511
00:32:51,799 --> 00:32:54,200
you still got Zion and Nance out
there, neither of whom are going to

512
00:32:54,240 --> 00:33:00,359
scare defenses from deep like in any
meaningful way. So the other guys have

513
00:33:00,359 --> 00:33:01,279
got to shoot a lot of threes
and make a lot of threes. The

514
00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:05,759
lineup with Zion at the five,
so it's Zion, Herb, Ingram,

515
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,359
Murphy and McCollum is a minus forty
one point five net rating on the season

516
00:33:09,559 --> 00:33:15,359
in about sixty possessions. The lineup
I had considered is a minus forty and

517
00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,799
ten possessions. And so like the
sample is just not so you have Nance

518
00:33:17,799 --> 00:33:22,559
instead of CG. McCollum in that
five. The lot, like the data

519
00:33:22,599 --> 00:33:24,519
there is just I think you just
get into a little bit finicky when it's

520
00:33:24,559 --> 00:33:28,599
okay, when's like when Zion,
like Larry and Strew years are five there,

521
00:33:28,599 --> 00:33:32,039
but Zion's kind of your biggest But
it's it's a really tough question that

522
00:33:32,119 --> 00:33:36,200
I think when we get to the
playoffs, they're probably a team that will

523
00:33:36,319 --> 00:33:39,559
play either the hot hand or what's
working or the matchup more than some of

524
00:33:39,599 --> 00:33:44,799
the other upper echelon squad I think. I think this question illustrates how unclear

525
00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,039
that answer is. Like as A
as a across the board, like who

526
00:33:47,039 --> 00:33:52,240
should close, So it's got will
be Jonas too, Like he's absolutely gonna

527
00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:53,680
be in there. Yeah, it's
got to be matchup specific, like that's

528
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,880
that's the easy answer. I think
just and the playoffs will show that.

529
00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,359
It's if they you know, depending
on it, if they play more than

530
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:05,039
one playoff team. So we are
on to your Oklahoma City Thunder. M

531
00:34:05,799 --> 00:34:09,079
Yes, I am ascribing the Thunder
to you. First question from them unbiased

532
00:34:09,079 --> 00:34:13,000
Pistons fan, do you buy into
the idea that the Thunder have too many

533
00:34:13,039 --> 00:34:15,760
picks to make a trade. Each
pick is devalued by the fact that they

534
00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:19,079
can offer many more picks, so
they probably have to really overpay with the

535
00:34:19,119 --> 00:34:22,119
other GM seeing their war chest of
picks. Yeah, this is you.

536
00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:27,280
Hear this talked about sometimes of how
like Utah to some extent too, where

537
00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:29,920
it's like, yeah, they got
all these picks, so all of the

538
00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:34,400
asks from other teams are going to
be you know, out just ridiculous.

539
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,519
Like you, we know you've got
seventeen firsts in the next eleven drafts.

540
00:34:37,519 --> 00:34:44,119
So if you want this guy,
the price is you know, forty percent

541
00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:46,519
higher for you because you can afford
it. Like that's that you hear that?

542
00:34:46,599 --> 00:34:51,039
You hear that out there sometimes called
price gouging, which would be illegal,

543
00:34:51,119 --> 00:34:53,159
but go ahead. Yeah, well
it's like, I don't I guess

544
00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:58,000
in theory that's true. Have we
ever seen that or heard of that happening?

545
00:34:58,079 --> 00:35:00,320
Is that a thing like? Or
is that just like if he overpays

546
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:06,400
more so feel like an active choice
Minnesota getting go bear, yeah for example.

547
00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:10,719
But I I guess it makes sense
in theory because like I guess you

548
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:14,360
should, right, you should,
like, yeah, you could spare it,

549
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,880
like this is what we're not they're
going to give it up then though,

550
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:22,199
right right? So yeah, I
I don't know, I guess,

551
00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:27,559
like I suppose it's possible that what
would you call it's not like low balling,

552
00:35:27,559 --> 00:35:31,719
it's like they're being highballed by by
gms that are is that what that

553
00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:38,039
is? Like it's just like irrational, uh, like prices I I don't

554
00:35:38,039 --> 00:35:42,760
know, Like I so I guess, like, is it not good to

555
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,639
have? Are there picks devalued?
Is it? I don't think so,

556
00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:50,159
because like if you're trading one to
some other team for something, like you

557
00:35:50,159 --> 00:35:52,239
know, it's not like these all
have to go in one transaction, Like

558
00:35:52,639 --> 00:35:57,079
your first that you're trading is going
to be worth the same as another team's

559
00:35:57,119 --> 00:35:59,519
first. Like, if anything,
their picks are be valued because they're really

560
00:35:59,519 --> 00:36:02,760
good, like the Thunder's own picks
kind of sucking out for the next decade.

561
00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:06,679
I would say you only run into
an issue if you're trying to shoehorn

562
00:36:07,079 --> 00:36:09,960
all these same draft picks, where
if most of these picks were just oh

563
00:36:10,039 --> 00:36:15,400
they have five twenty twenty five picks
and nothing in twenty six or twenty seven,

564
00:36:15,679 --> 00:36:16,840
that's not the case for the Thunders. Yeah, they may have eight

565
00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:21,000
draft picks in one draft, but
they always have more in the next year.

566
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,960
And we've seen sam Pressi's also kind
of diversified their portfolio. By you're

567
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:28,159
talking about how devalued their own picks
are. Now they have two of these

568
00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:30,760
just they gave up picks to have
swap rights. There was the one with

569
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:34,280
the Mavericks and what was the other
one they have with the other team that

570
00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:38,719
they could swap with I already forgot
about it. So but the heat right

571
00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,400
is that the I can't remember which
team it is, but they have that

572
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:46,920
they so like you have those too, just like what could be high caliber

573
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,719
swaps out there. But in addition, these picks are still spread out that

574
00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:53,519
I don't think it's yeah, you
couldn't ask for more. And maybe if

575
00:36:53,519 --> 00:36:58,079
the Thunder want to outbid, they
have the ability to say yes and do

576
00:36:58,199 --> 00:37:01,559
it, but that doesn't mean they
have to, and so I don't think

577
00:37:01,599 --> 00:37:07,039
it devalues them like there's it creates
more of an urgency, like because you

578
00:37:07,119 --> 00:37:09,400
have to do this book keeping of
picks. And yet we've seen Sam Presty

579
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:13,119
do it as they've run out of
roster room to house all these picks.

580
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,440
He's either kicked the can down the
road, made consolidations. So I don't

581
00:37:16,559 --> 00:37:22,039
I just don't buy into this that
much. No, it's it's it's a

582
00:37:22,079 --> 00:37:24,599
little bit. It's I don't know
how many picks you'd have to have before

583
00:37:24,639 --> 00:37:28,679
I viewed it as any kind of
a detriment, But the Thunder don't have

584
00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:34,800
that amount. It's still a very
good thing at seth Justice. Will Okasee

585
00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,599
shorten their rotations as drastically as most
teams do in the playoffs? Will this

586
00:37:37,719 --> 00:37:40,920
make them worse? Will they only
play eight going to be odds? See

587
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,360
Mark daign don't play less than ten
players, our best guys don't play a

588
00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:49,000
ton of minutes. Now is that
an advantage or disadvantage in the playoffs?

589
00:37:50,159 --> 00:37:53,159
I mean, I think the safest
answer is that the rotation will shrink,

590
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,679
just because it always does. I
don't know if it'll happen right away,

591
00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:00,000
Like, depending on who they see
in the first round, it might not

592
00:38:00,079 --> 00:38:02,840
be a situation where the Thunder feel
like they got to start trimming fat or

593
00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:07,440
just like you know, upping their
you know best five six guys minutes to

594
00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:10,960
levels way beyond what they played.
But like, generally speaking, that is

595
00:38:12,119 --> 00:38:16,960
gonna happen. I suppose like you
might look at you know, like Gil

596
00:38:17,039 --> 00:38:20,719
just Alexander's gonna play a ton,
Williams is gonna play a ton, Chet's

597
00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,320
gonna play a ton of Dort's gonna
be out there case and Wallace Isaiah Joe

598
00:38:24,079 --> 00:38:30,840
Giddy is someone that like absolutely that
guy has like real playoff issues. So

599
00:38:30,159 --> 00:38:34,400
you might see his minutes get trimmed
a little bit, and then after that

600
00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,320
it's like, I don't know,
are you that concerned that Aaron Wiggins is

601
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:42,039
playing less or Kendrick Williams is playing
less? I think I think they will.

602
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:45,440
Other than Giddy, I don't think
anybody is gonna see like this drastic

603
00:38:45,599 --> 00:38:51,239
role change or diminishment at least until
maybe the second round, and then that's,

604
00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:53,480
you know, maybe beyond that,
depending on how far the thunder get,

605
00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:58,079
you might really see it get cut
down. Because yes, the other

606
00:38:58,119 --> 00:39:00,840
thing, opponents are gonna tell you
who can and can play like, you're

607
00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:05,400
gonna find out really quickly, like
who who's got the deficiency that is gonna

608
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:07,079
be exploitable, And that's that's who
it's gonna have to be. Other than

609
00:39:07,159 --> 00:39:10,119
Giddy. I don't know if there's
anybody that's like got this, you know,

610
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,000
Blair, you know, blinking red
light of like playoff issue like that.

611
00:39:15,159 --> 00:39:17,559
That's that's what i'd say about that. I think really Giddy is the

612
00:39:17,599 --> 00:39:22,000
only guy in danger there. And
I think the thunder where it gets murky

613
00:39:22,039 --> 00:39:24,679
is yes, they'll shorten their rotation, but if we were looking to pit

614
00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:30,440
it down, I think that they
can and will, and we've seen them

615
00:39:30,519 --> 00:39:34,400
just do this in general cater or
two matchups more or what's working to the

616
00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,440
point that, Okay, we know
you mentioned Shay chet j Dubb those and

617
00:39:38,719 --> 00:39:40,800
I would say Lou Dort. I
know, like he might not be in

618
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,960
every closing, you know, but
those are the four guys that we know

619
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,800
are gonna log heavy minutes. And
then I think you could see a lot

620
00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:52,599
of fluctuation with Kenrich Williams, Gordon
Hayward, Josh Giddy, specifically Isaiah Joe.

621
00:39:52,679 --> 00:39:55,079
You could see I'd probably say Isaiah
Joe's like a guy that I would

622
00:39:55,079 --> 00:39:58,719
play a ton of minutes there anyway. But like in Case and Willace and

623
00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:02,480
Aaron Wiggins, those are guys who
will see their minutes just fluctuate more based

624
00:40:02,519 --> 00:40:06,840
on the matchups or what's working.
And so maybe the Thunder have more,

625
00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,239
yes, still shorten their rotation,
but maybe they have fewer. Oh these

626
00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:13,760
three or four guys are gonna play
heavy minutes, where other teams it feels

627
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:15,199
like there's, yeah, we just
went through this with Denver on the previous

628
00:40:15,199 --> 00:40:19,280
pot. Where's though we know what
six, seven, eight guys are gonna

629
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,159
play the most, and with the
Thunder, it's well, we kind of

630
00:40:21,199 --> 00:40:24,159
know what four guys are gonna play
the most. Maybe, yeah, yeah,

631
00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:28,320
So I have my own question about
the Thunder. Oh, we'll say,

632
00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,119
and this is in light of Scotty
Barnes getting injured, might not hit

633
00:40:31,199 --> 00:40:35,880
the games with them. Shane gun
gets injured, but he is eligible by

634
00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:39,119
the way Zachllod points out for most
improved, or should be, because you

635
00:40:39,159 --> 00:40:45,440
can play sixty two games, and
if if those sixty two games come before

636
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,079
your deemed to have a season ending
injury, and so you played in eighty

637
00:40:49,079 --> 00:40:52,199
five percent of your team games or
whatever it was within those sixty two games,

638
00:40:52,199 --> 00:40:55,679
which he has, you're still eligible. But I say, this,

639
00:40:57,079 --> 00:41:00,719
isn't there something about like the season
ending injury designation means you're not expected to

640
00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:05,639
be back until like May thirty first, or some totally arbitrary like weird.

641
00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:07,039
I don't know, like how do
they investigate that? Because if I'm the

642
00:41:07,119 --> 00:41:10,000
Rockets and just like you know that
you're not going to be a playing team

643
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:15,360
this season, I am just gonna
prioritize the long term and shut Shane gud

644
00:41:15,599 --> 00:41:17,280
for the rest of the year.
Get a doctor to say he can't come

645
00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:22,760
back till June first, therefore he's
out for you know, it's a season

646
00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:24,800
ender, so he can he can
be considered for that award. Yeah,

647
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:29,599
I don't know. They're real stupid. This is a stupid rule. Yeah,

648
00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:31,920
I would I would agree. I
would like. I wasn't too against

649
00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:36,119
it at first, and now I'm
just like, I've completely kind of flip

650
00:41:36,119 --> 00:41:38,480
flopped on it. But we don't
need it. I don't think you need

651
00:41:38,519 --> 00:41:43,079
to use those Oh well, look, shanegud might not be eligible or is

652
00:41:43,079 --> 00:41:46,440
barely eligible, and Scotty Mars might
not be eligible. I'm breaking from what

653
00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:51,559
would be my second year players can't
win this award consideration. Do the Oklahoma

654
00:41:51,639 --> 00:41:54,760
City Thunder have the NBA's if you're
throwing criteria out the window, do the

655
00:41:54,760 --> 00:42:00,400
Oklahoma City Thunder or my criteria of
second really do the Oklahoma City under have

656
00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:06,239
the NBA's most improved player? So
it kind of comes down to I guess

657
00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:08,719
there's a two pronged thing we got
to look at. The first is are

658
00:42:09,039 --> 00:42:14,079
so when we did our most improved
I think we sort of I don't know

659
00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:17,719
if I just like steamrolled it,
but I kind of liked the idea,

660
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,519
and this went to Barnes, who
was our pick until he got hurt,

661
00:42:21,599 --> 00:42:23,880
and Kobe White, who I think
I you cornered me and I made him

662
00:42:24,199 --> 00:42:30,760
my my new winner. I like
the idea of guys that like where improved

663
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:35,000
means like something's different, not just
more minutes, not just more points,

664
00:42:35,039 --> 00:42:37,800
not just like more volume of like
the same kind of thing, not more

665
00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:43,440
quantity, but like qualitatively they're different. So if we're married to that,

666
00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,800
then we have to ask, is
Jalen Williams doing just more or is he

667
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:52,840
doing like different and better stuff.
So I mean, I guess I'll start.

668
00:42:53,199 --> 00:42:57,559
I think like, certainly you could
point to the three point shooting just

669
00:42:57,679 --> 00:43:00,800
under forty five percent after just under
thirty six last year. The volume's not

670
00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:05,960
like massively up, he's taking fewer
than one more three per game, but

671
00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:10,559
the hit rate is like that's that's
a big time skill jump. All of

672
00:43:10,559 --> 00:43:15,840
his other numbers are you know,
his facilitation is up, he's actually rebounding

673
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:17,800
worse, points are up. We
don't I mean, just going with points

674
00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:23,159
per game increase is kind of a
not the most thoroughly analytical way to analyze

675
00:43:23,159 --> 00:43:29,320
improvement. So I guess, like
I think you could look at his role

676
00:43:29,519 --> 00:43:31,559
and the things that he's being asked
to do this year on both ends,

677
00:43:31,559 --> 00:43:35,199
like he's got a guard, like
tough matchups, a lot of fours,

678
00:43:36,159 --> 00:43:39,199
which wasn't necessarily happening last year.
So I think if you can get past,

679
00:43:39,599 --> 00:43:45,559
if you believe there's enough qualitative improvement, which not to the degree of

680
00:43:45,559 --> 00:43:49,639
Barnes, probably not to the degree
of degree of Kobe White, then if

681
00:43:49,639 --> 00:43:52,639
you cross that threshold, is he
quantitatively better? Like yeah, the numbers

682
00:43:52,639 --> 00:43:57,440
are just like he's just doing more. So I'm here for it. I'm

683
00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:00,320
not gonna argue. I'm not gonna
say a bad word about Jalen Williams.

684
00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:01,960
I think he's gonna make a ton
of All Star Games, and he's awesome.

685
00:44:02,039 --> 00:44:05,639
He scores more points in the fourth
quarter than anyone on his team,

686
00:44:05,679 --> 00:44:08,719
and his team has SGA. So
that's the thing. I don't know if

687
00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:13,039
I would give it to him,
but I guess, like there's not a

688
00:44:13,039 --> 00:44:16,280
good argument against him, because like
he's just better than Kobe White, like

689
00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:21,719
right objectively, and and like I
guess probably he was last year too.

690
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:22,400
I don't know, I don't know
what I think. I think it's at

691
00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:25,280
least it's a discussion worth having.
I don't know if I'm ready to just

692
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,760
be like, oh, yeah,
it's jadab, which which is off brand

693
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:30,880
for me. But I'm curious what
you think, because I know you wanted

694
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:35,480
to talk about this. He is
could I'm he's been so good and I

695
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:38,800
think he's improved so much to the
point that I'm conflicted about my Like,

696
00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:43,280
I haven't thought this hard about a
second year player winning the award since the

697
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:47,159
Aaron Fox's sophomore campaign, and so
the things you mentioned, is he functionally

698
00:44:47,199 --> 00:44:52,119
different. I think he's shouldering a
lot more defensive responsibility than he did last

699
00:44:52,199 --> 00:44:54,760
year, and I think that's helped
shake Gilges Alexander make some preliminary all defense

700
00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:59,639
teams. I think Sayers is great
defensively, but the way that he's insulated

701
00:44:59,679 --> 00:45:02,880
with lou Dort and j Dubb specifically
and chet now of course too having that

702
00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:08,239
guy behind him offensively, not all
of just like the per minute or percentage

703
00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:14,039
counting stats are up, but this
is someone who I mean the types of

704
00:45:14,079 --> 00:45:16,000
shots he's able to hit now,
and I mentioned how I would still like

705
00:45:16,079 --> 00:45:20,719
them to have a player who has
more jiggle and joggle on the ball,

706
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,360
and there is more of an abruptness, a suddenness to what Jalen Williams does.

707
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:29,760
The counters he has developed this season. Specifically, looking in seventy five

708
00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:35,599
games last year, he made five
fadeaway jumpers. He has played in fifty

709
00:45:35,599 --> 00:45:39,239
eight games so far this season,
he has made twenty nine fadeaway jumpers and

710
00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:45,840
he's shooting fifty percent on them.
The step back three is in his arsenal

711
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:49,079
like it's you know, you just
mentioned his you know you mentioned what he's

712
00:45:49,079 --> 00:45:52,000
shooting on threes overall, the step
back three. Last year he shot fifty

713
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:55,159
percent on step back threes, but
he hit six of them. He was

714
00:45:55,199 --> 00:46:00,599
six of twelve this year. That's
seventy five games this year, through fifty

715
00:46:00,599 --> 00:46:04,519
eight games, he's hit nineteen step
back for he's already shooting forty six point

716
00:46:04,559 --> 00:46:07,239
three percent on them. You look
at the pull up jumper and this is

717
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,440
still and I know you've seen this, but this is mind blowing because now

718
00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:15,039
I'm throwing out this is an entire
season, ninety three players have taken at

719
00:46:15,079 --> 00:46:17,559
least one hundred and fifty pull up
jumpers. One hundred and fifty could be

720
00:46:17,639 --> 00:46:21,559
arbitrary, but I thought it was
one hundred felt too low. If you

721
00:46:21,599 --> 00:46:22,760
want to use on a hundred,
it's only going to change his position by

722
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,880
one. But of ninety three players
who've taken at least one hundred and fifty

723
00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:31,239
pull up jumpers, he ranks second
in effective. You'll go percentage behind only

724
00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:37,039
CJ. McCom. This is someone
And the other thing here is this year

725
00:46:37,559 --> 00:46:44,480
he has logged seven hundred and fifty
plus possessions without Josh Giddy or shake yogas

726
00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:49,519
Alexander on the floor, the Thunder
have won those minutes and not handedly but

727
00:46:49,639 --> 00:46:52,519
comfortably. This isn't plus point zero
five points per one hundred, it's plus

728
00:46:52,599 --> 00:46:55,960
two point two points per one hundred
founded around in elite defense. So the

729
00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:00,559
offense hasn't been great, But like
J. Dubb when you're looking at the

730
00:47:00,559 --> 00:47:04,559
lineup, context is the driving force
of yeah, there's Chet Holmgren in there,

731
00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:09,000
but they haven't like they don't have
these A plus passers to have alongside.

732
00:47:09,119 --> 00:47:15,000
Like it was me Chich before he
was traded. It's Cason Wallace now

733
00:47:15,079 --> 00:47:19,079
and beforehand. So like he is
running the whole show in those units.

734
00:47:19,679 --> 00:47:22,719
This is and he's not gonna make
one. But this is like a leap

735
00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:28,519
from if you're not gonna have him
in the in consideration, I think it

736
00:47:28,599 --> 00:47:30,800
speaks more towards how high you were
on him as a rookie, which is

737
00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:37,000
perfectly fine. But what I'm gonna
say is he has We're talking about someone

738
00:47:37,039 --> 00:47:40,320
who was a very good rookie to
be in top two, Like this was

739
00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:45,079
a Rookie of the Year contender,
let's call it. Who is now making

740
00:47:45,119 --> 00:47:49,719
a jump that I don't even think
Powell Benkaro has made. Paloman Carroll made

741
00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:52,039
the jump to All Star. But
that's about the state of the East.

742
00:47:52,559 --> 00:47:57,639
J Dubb is legitimately played for much
of this season, Like if he was

743
00:47:57,679 --> 00:48:00,639
in the Eastern Conference, he would
make an All NBA team. And that's

744
00:48:00,679 --> 00:48:04,880
the best way that I could frame
miss for me. A couple things I

745
00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,320
think your points about the hit like
his mid range game that was not nearly

746
00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:13,079
as effective last year or prolific as
it is this year, and so like

747
00:48:13,159 --> 00:48:15,119
part part of what was tricky about
him is like as a rookie, he

748
00:48:15,199 --> 00:48:19,039
kind of did a lot of stuff
really well, so it's like where is

749
00:48:19,039 --> 00:48:22,559
there to improve? That's one the
like self creation you you cited it he's

750
00:48:22,679 --> 00:48:25,920
Last year, nine out of ten
threes for him were assisted ninety percent.

751
00:48:27,079 --> 00:48:30,920
This year it's seventy three point nine. So he's added self created threes,

752
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:36,679
he's added get your own bucket stuff, he's added primary facilitator duties. He's

753
00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:40,719
added I'm guarding fours now, you
know, and anything smaller than that also

754
00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:45,920
no problem. So those are all
new skills. So I guess to circle

755
00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:47,440
all the way back, like,
is he qualitatively different? I think yeah,

756
00:48:47,559 --> 00:48:52,519
Like I think probably so. I
also think he's a better player than

757
00:48:52,559 --> 00:48:58,119
Paulo Bankero right now today, Like
I I you know, it was a

758
00:48:58,119 --> 00:49:00,639
little bit of a bit when I
made him a Rookie of the Year over

759
00:49:00,679 --> 00:49:02,920
Powell last year. It's like,
I don't think Polo's better than him.

760
00:49:04,079 --> 00:49:07,599
I think Dylan Williams is a better
player than Paolo today now, and I

761
00:49:07,599 --> 00:49:09,960
think going forward, based on the
trajectory he's on, there's no reason to

762
00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:16,280
believe that's gonna flip, but he's
I would love to just see if you

763
00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:21,920
flip flopped their teams completely sure what
they then look like, because I just

764
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,920
need and what I'm saying is the
and shout out to Jamal Moseley for getting

765
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:28,440
his extension. I think he deserves
it because when you watch Orlando's offense,

766
00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:30,960
the spacing actually makes a lot of
sense. Yeah, they just don't have

767
00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:32,360
the personnel to do anything with it, right, And so if you put

768
00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:37,519
Palo on this team, I think
and J Dub on the magic So I'm

769
00:49:37,559 --> 00:49:39,559
not ready to go there. But
if you said you'd rather have JDub long

770
00:49:39,679 --> 00:49:44,639
term because he gives you more positional
versatility on defense, and then you don't

771
00:49:44,639 --> 00:49:50,360
think the offensive difference is like extant
or even like exists at all, then

772
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,440
yeah, I totally I think it's
I'm just I want to give the flowers

773
00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:54,880
to Palo, who I think is
just spectacular. But right, he's a

774
00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:58,519
he's a really good player, and
like it's gonna be He's made an All

775
00:49:58,519 --> 00:50:01,159
Star team Jyllen Williams, hasn't you? You said it's got a lot to

776
00:50:01,159 --> 00:50:05,800
do with the conferences. But like, I think one of the the best

777
00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:10,480
argument against me last year picking Jalen
was the situation. And it's like,

778
00:50:12,199 --> 00:50:15,039
okay, So because Jalen Williams is
he's a he's a secondary player, he's

779
00:50:15,039 --> 00:50:20,159
a dependent scorer, like he can't
run his own show. Powlo has to

780
00:50:20,199 --> 00:50:22,599
do all that stuff, Like I
think Jalen's proving this year he can he

781
00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:28,360
can do that. And and I
we have not seen is Paolo flip it

782
00:50:28,679 --> 00:50:31,480
and be because the knock on him
is he's a score first guy that doesn't

783
00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:36,320
score efficiently. Like that's still the
case. So it's like Polo has not

784
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,320
addressed the knock on him. Williams
kind of has like this isn't about Powlo

785
00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:44,840
versus Jalen. This is the most
improved question. But I think they're somewhat

786
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:47,440
related because like if the knocks in
so far as there were any on Jalen,

787
00:50:47,519 --> 00:50:51,840
like he's addressed him, Like he's
just like what does he do poorly?

788
00:50:52,079 --> 00:50:53,519
Now? Like what what are the
weaknesses in his game? Like you're

789
00:50:53,519 --> 00:50:57,880
pretty hard pressed to come up with, like Annie, I think if you're

790
00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,159
looking for like the methodical if you
want someone to on your picking rolls or

791
00:51:00,159 --> 00:51:05,199
like set up the half court as
the facilitator there. But it's just the

792
00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,960
counters he's added from the in between
is the best way to I decided to

793
00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:10,079
turn around joking about like the mid
range is saying but and by the way,

794
00:51:10,079 --> 00:51:12,880
I misspoke before I said if he
was in the East, he would

795
00:51:12,880 --> 00:51:16,440
have made an All NBA team for
the All Start. Yeah, I gotcha,

796
00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:21,519
we got the Suns. Next here, I think this is from Matt

797
00:51:21,599 --> 00:51:27,480
Krell. Should James Jones be fired
tampering for Drew you Banks? Look,

798
00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:29,960
I don't think after getting the Royce
O'Neil trade done, I don't think you

799
00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:32,199
can fire him. And I would
also say, if this is a serious

800
00:51:32,280 --> 00:51:37,599
question, I can't tell if they
were just coping, Like I very much

801
00:51:37,719 --> 00:51:40,920
questioned how much agency he had in
the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trades.

802
00:51:42,039 --> 00:51:46,280
That's just I don't I don't I
think we know how much agency here.

803
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:51,719
I think I think a billionaire said
do it, make it happen, and

804
00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:54,039
he did it like anyone who wants
to keep their job. He did what

805
00:51:54,079 --> 00:51:59,119
the boss told him to. I
don't know. I know I'm with you

806
00:51:59,159 --> 00:52:00,320
there, So no, I don't
think he should be fired. But you're

807
00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:05,480
getting to a point where you just
change the coach. So it's like,

808
00:52:05,519 --> 00:52:08,360
if things go poorly this season,
there's really not much else you can change.

809
00:52:08,679 --> 00:52:12,400
Yeah, all right, that was
too quick and easy for you.

810
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:15,679
Oh from speed from Speafee, Will
the sons ever have good vibes Again,

811
00:52:16,159 --> 00:52:20,280
they started since this question was asked, they had some good vibes. The

812
00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:22,400
Devin Booker injury looks like it might
be in the rear view. I'm gonna

813
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:25,280
use this to go off on just
a very quick tangent, because everyone knows

814
00:52:25,320 --> 00:52:31,000
about their fourth quarter issues. Can
we find a way for them to consistently

815
00:52:32,119 --> 00:52:37,800
simplify Kevin Durant's role on the offensive
end. It's just as someone who is

816
00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:39,400
he's a fine passer, but as
someone who's just not going to get to

817
00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:43,360
the rim anymore. Like you don't
need to have and I know you don't

818
00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:47,320
necessarily love having him stand in the
corners or whatever. The ball doesn't need

819
00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:51,639
to be in his hands because it
makes it easier for teams to just really

820
00:52:51,679 --> 00:52:54,639
put pressure on him. Use him
then as the screener if you want to

821
00:52:54,719 --> 00:53:00,639
keep him involved more. It's just
too much of their Sometimes it's by necessity

822
00:53:00,639 --> 00:53:05,519
they're missing players. But I don't
think Kevin Durant needs to be like super

823
00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:09,559
Iso heavy and crunch time unless you're
using Bradley Beal and Devin Booker more so

824
00:53:09,639 --> 00:53:14,239
when they're healthy to create advantages for
him to get him the balls that he's

825
00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:17,159
not going up against double and triple
teams because we've seen just like he's not

826
00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:21,519
yet he'll have his He's Kevin Durant, but he's going to make an All

827
00:53:21,599 --> 00:53:23,320
NBA team. I'm not saying Kevin
Durant is bad. I just feel like

828
00:53:23,719 --> 00:53:27,800
they have and part of this has
to be with the lack of availability,

829
00:53:28,199 --> 00:53:31,000
especially like Bradley Beal and Devin Booker
haven't played a ton together. Like we've

830
00:53:31,039 --> 00:53:36,119
seen it. The Kevin Durant lone
star minutes have not generally gone as well

831
00:53:36,199 --> 00:53:39,880
this year. He's just not that
type of player anymore. But like part

832
00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:43,480
of it is like you have the
personnel to make sure that doesn't happen,

833
00:53:43,920 --> 00:53:46,880
and I've seen it happen at least
in some games that I've watched too often

834
00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:50,280
when there is another star on the
court, where it's well, why aren't

835
00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:52,679
we trying to like why are we
letting it get so easy to put pressure

836
00:53:52,679 --> 00:53:58,119
into throw traps at Kevin Durant where
he's not like when you're looking at passes

837
00:53:58,119 --> 00:54:00,679
for the sake of passes and he's
not throwing the best ones there and no,

838
00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:04,840
but that's a symptom of the whole
team. I think who said this.

839
00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:06,599
I think it was Bradley Bieler who
came out and said, like,

840
00:54:06,679 --> 00:54:09,119
we need to let it fly rather
than just passing for the sake of passing.

841
00:54:09,119 --> 00:54:13,159
And so that's not a Kevin Durant
issue. I know everyone gets caught

842
00:54:13,199 --> 00:54:15,719
up. They need a real floor
general, and that's the turnover issues,

843
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:20,000
or that's the fourth quarter issues.
No, it's play smarter basketball. I'm

844
00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:25,559
sorry they have the I I feel
like that was very on a scale of

845
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:30,679
they want it more to defense is
all about effort. I think I'm probably

846
00:54:30,679 --> 00:54:34,000
closer to defense is all about effort
right on that one. But like,

847
00:54:34,559 --> 00:54:37,639
just play smarter because you have the
like you have the personnel to not hesitate

848
00:54:37,679 --> 00:54:40,239
to take three pointers like, or
you have the personnel to be like,

849
00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:44,000
well, let's find a way to
get Kevin Durant the ball rather than giving

850
00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:47,280
tim from the jump and asking him
to create something entirely out of nothing when

851
00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:52,239
it's gonna make defenses easier to go
out and attack him. That was my

852
00:54:52,360 --> 00:54:55,079
tangent. I love it because it
never happens. I love it when you

853
00:54:55,320 --> 00:55:01,119
just you just let yourself seep into
like a little bit of old school coach

854
00:55:01,159 --> 00:55:04,440
speak every once in a while because
I feel like I do it. I

855
00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:07,920
feel dirty, but I also feel
like, am I wrong? How wrong?

856
00:55:07,119 --> 00:55:12,320
That's exactly how I feel when I
do it. It's like this is

857
00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:15,679
lazy, but I feel like it's
right. So I'm gonna say it.

858
00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:17,280
Yeah, No, I'm not coaching
them. I don't get paid the big

859
00:55:17,280 --> 00:55:21,039
bucks to figure out how to best
do that while you're dealing with all these

860
00:55:21,039 --> 00:55:25,119
injuries. But I've seen enough of
Kevin Durant plus either Devin Booker or Bradley

861
00:55:25,119 --> 00:55:29,920
Balm even both them in the fourth
quarter, to know maybe we're doing this

862
00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:34,599
wrong. I'm just here for it. I'm just here for you gradually reducing

863
00:55:34,639 --> 00:55:37,119
your analysis to like both teams played
hard. This is how we get the

864
00:55:37,159 --> 00:55:43,320
podcast views. As I just said, you need to yell cliches. We're

865
00:55:43,360 --> 00:55:45,719
not. We don't do nearly enough
of that. I think we should.

866
00:55:45,719 --> 00:55:47,159
That's that's our problem. Okay,
that was a quick one. I want

867
00:55:47,199 --> 00:55:51,920
I want to give you this Portland
one just because this is from Nelson.

868
00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:55,119
Tiff is Scoot Slash, Shay,
Shade and Sharp the back court of the

869
00:55:55,119 --> 00:55:59,440
future for the Blazers. Will that
duo be good enough to build around.

870
00:55:59,559 --> 00:56:04,960
Still a way to go before we
know, to understate the case quite severely,

871
00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:07,320
Yeah, and we're not. We're
not gonna get any more information on

872
00:56:07,360 --> 00:56:13,360
this this season. The Freakin Shane
Sharp injury is a devastating for them,

873
00:56:13,840 --> 00:56:16,639
I would so I would frame it
this way, is what are the keys

874
00:56:16,679 --> 00:56:21,480
to this actually working out? And
so I would say they need one or

875
00:56:21,519 --> 00:56:25,800
both to be an effective driver and
off the dribble rump jump shooter, and

876
00:56:25,840 --> 00:56:30,360
then at least one of them that
needs to emerge as an effective point of

877
00:56:30,400 --> 00:56:35,119
attack defender. I think the answer
to like, like Scoot just might be

878
00:56:35,159 --> 00:56:37,440
that guy in both categories. So
like, I think, if I had

879
00:56:37,440 --> 00:56:42,880
to pick, the other thing is
just like, how does Anthony Simon's his

880
00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:45,719
future there kick into this? What
are the other wings you have on the

881
00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:51,960
roster collectively? Though? I do
think they have the tools to compliment one

882
00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:57,239
another. I do not, though, think that Sharp has the tools to

883
00:56:57,320 --> 00:57:00,679
guard up, and I don't think
Scoot like neither of these two I think

884
00:57:00,760 --> 00:57:05,519
should be defending beyond the guard position
is where I'm at. We've seen more

885
00:57:05,519 --> 00:57:07,559
of that from Sharp than Scoot,
obviously, and that might be where you

886
00:57:07,639 --> 00:57:12,880
run into some oddity. But again, we just haven't seen enough of it

887
00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:16,199
this year. Yeah, it's a
total mystery box. Like I mean,

888
00:57:16,800 --> 00:57:23,440
you've got just the bare outlines of
like Sharp is an absurdly athletic two that

889
00:57:23,519 --> 00:57:27,079
looks like he's gonna be able to
get his own shot, make threes,

890
00:57:27,119 --> 00:57:30,559
get to the basket, all that
stuff. Scoot is the quintessential point guard.

891
00:57:30,599 --> 00:57:32,079
Like, okay, cool, I
do think you're dead right though that

892
00:57:32,119 --> 00:57:37,599
these both look like one position defenders
and like that's kinda there aren't a lot

893
00:57:37,679 --> 00:57:43,960
of backcourts on good teams where both
the one and the two are strictly capable

894
00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:47,320
of guarding the one or the two
like so like, but look, it's

895
00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:52,239
like that issue along with the where
does Anthony Simons fit? Like, Fortunately,

896
00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:55,119
the Blazers are not nearly good enough
for those to be like top of

897
00:57:55,119 --> 00:58:00,159
the list concerns at this point.
It's just we need I mean, if

898
00:58:00,159 --> 00:58:02,320
they both played a full season,
I don't know that we could necessarily answer

899
00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:06,320
that question still, and it didn't
come close to doing that, so it's

900
00:58:06,360 --> 00:58:10,360
like super early days. But just
I mean, the talent, the raw

901
00:58:10,480 --> 00:58:15,800
talent is like undoubtedly there, it's
just we've got to figure out fit we've

902
00:58:15,800 --> 00:58:19,159
got to figure out support pieces,
we've got to figure out literally everything else

903
00:58:19,199 --> 00:58:23,199
other than like their athletic ability and
like scouting reports because we just haven't seen

904
00:58:23,239 --> 00:58:27,320
it. And the other thing that
I did mention too is just like I

905
00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:30,920
do think because when you're talking about
guys who might, in theory be best

906
00:58:30,920 --> 00:58:32,960
at generating their own looks, I
don't know, because Sharp looks like he

907
00:58:34,000 --> 00:58:37,000
can do it, and like he
has done it. He's had some really

908
00:58:37,119 --> 00:58:39,239
ridiculously difficult shots. Yeah, he
does. The way he can move off

909
00:58:39,239 --> 00:58:43,920
the ball or what he can do
because of his athleticism above the rim and

910
00:58:44,039 --> 00:58:45,800
just looking at his mechanics, it
feels like he'll end up being a very

911
00:58:45,840 --> 00:58:51,119
efficient catch and shoot guy. I
don't worry about I don't worry about offensive

912
00:58:51,119 --> 00:58:53,000
redundancy with them. No, I
don't either. I think, Yeah,

913
00:58:53,039 --> 00:58:55,719
actually, that's like the one thing
I feel pretty confident, like we don't

914
00:58:55,760 --> 00:58:59,760
need that, Like we've checked that
box. Like they're not gonna like,

915
00:59:00,320 --> 00:59:05,159
uh, what's the word. They're
not gonna like cannibalize each other's effectiveness because

916
00:59:05,159 --> 00:59:07,360
they want to be in the same
places or do the same things. I

917
00:59:07,360 --> 00:59:09,519
don't think that's an issue. That
was a quick We land one question on

918
00:59:09,559 --> 00:59:14,400
the Blazers. We also only have
one question on the Sacramento Kings from at

919
00:59:14,719 --> 00:59:20,320
x x L extra extra large Popcorn. Uh is waiting for the perfect trade.

920
00:59:20,599 --> 00:59:23,599
Perfect trade going to doom the primes
of Diarron, Fox, Domas Bonus

921
00:59:23,639 --> 00:59:28,360
and Malik Monk. I just love
that malikue Monk is included. I mean

922
00:59:28,480 --> 00:59:32,960
that guy has been on one lately. He's like, I was gonna say,

923
00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:37,519
do you know what my favorite Malik
Monks that might be? But I

924
00:59:37,559 --> 00:59:40,519
probably should double hit. No,
this is great. Malik Monk leads the

925
00:59:40,679 --> 00:59:46,320
league in assists on drives amazing.
Do you know who's in second? Oh?

926
00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:51,679
Yeah, So Shae is in second
with one hundred and forty Milik Monk

927
00:59:51,719 --> 00:59:55,480
is in first with one hundred and
forty two. Shay has finished one five

928
00:59:55,559 --> 01:00:00,400
hundred and thirty six drives versus malikue
Monk's eight hundred thirty one. So his

929
01:00:00,440 --> 01:00:05,000
assistant coming on like half the number
of drives. That's not an indictment of

930
01:00:05,000 --> 01:00:07,039
Shade. That's just no, Holy
fuck Molik Monk. That's what That was

931
01:00:07,039 --> 01:00:12,559
my point. UH, free agent
to b By the way has early bird

932
01:00:12,639 --> 01:00:14,960
rights. I think they'll be able
to keep it. I just don't see

933
01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:16,960
the team that's gonna come in and
be like, here's twenty million dollars a

934
01:00:17,039 --> 01:00:23,320
year. I think, well,
a team could credibly look at him and

935
01:00:23,360 --> 01:00:28,519
say he's being underutilized. He's not
even starting. He's finishing a ton of

936
01:00:28,519 --> 01:00:30,320
games, like, he's way up
on the list of fourth quarter minutes and

937
01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:35,639
scoring in like league wide even though
he doesn't start for them. That's why

938
01:00:35,639 --> 01:00:37,639
he's my runaway six Man of the
Year, by the way. But I

939
01:00:37,639 --> 01:00:44,159
can imagine, like a word,
I can imagine a team looking at him

940
01:00:44,159 --> 01:00:49,079
and saying, I mean, how
bad is it if he's like our starting

941
01:00:49,119 --> 01:00:52,599
point guard or are starting too,
because like his facilitation is like Spike watch

942
01:00:52,639 --> 01:00:57,199
that Monk and MAXI backcourt. Sounds
like, well, then you have some

943
01:00:57,239 --> 01:01:00,199
defensive issues. But Monk, to
his credit, played really hard defensively.

944
01:01:00,239 --> 01:01:04,840
That's not the question. Uh,
but yeah, we're just like, well,

945
01:01:04,880 --> 01:01:07,119
you got me going on the leak
Monk and I've been watching a lot

946
01:01:07,119 --> 01:01:10,079
of him lately, and I have
nothing but good things to say. I

947
01:01:10,079 --> 01:01:15,159
don't think so, because I mean, at least in Fox and Sibonis's case,

948
01:01:15,239 --> 01:01:20,519
like they're young enough where like the
windows open, Sabonis just got extended

949
01:01:20,960 --> 01:01:22,400
Fox, they're gonna have team control, like they're always gonna be able to

950
01:01:22,440 --> 01:01:25,320
make the best offer for him.
He seems to love it in Sacramento.

951
01:01:25,480 --> 01:01:29,960
So it's not I don't I don't
hear the clock ticking, but I mean

952
01:01:30,840 --> 01:01:35,760
I do think the need they have
has been a parent for such a long

953
01:01:35,800 --> 01:01:40,039
time, like the Ognanobi void,
uh, that they gotta address that at

954
01:01:40,039 --> 01:01:45,480
some point, because if even this
year, you know, it's fairly clear

955
01:01:45,519 --> 01:01:51,360
that like they just they just don't
have the lockdown big wing defender that's gonna

956
01:01:51,360 --> 01:01:53,559
make threes, like they just they
want that guy to be Keegan Murray.

957
01:01:53,960 --> 01:01:59,199
I'm telling you, Keegan Murray is
invisible for as many games as he looks

958
01:01:59,239 --> 01:02:01,960
awesome like that, it's just a
thing with him. He could improve.

959
01:02:02,199 --> 01:02:06,639
Maybe he's gonna be that guy.
Ooh, you're saying a player to which

960
01:02:06,639 --> 01:02:07,880
he already played a year and a
half, are you sure? Well,

961
01:02:07,920 --> 01:02:10,519
he's an old he's an old rookie
Dan, so he's not going to get

962
01:02:10,519 --> 01:02:15,000
any better. Uh So, like, yeah, he could be. He

963
01:02:15,480 --> 01:02:17,719
certainly is, Like I could see
him being a starter on a good team

964
01:02:17,800 --> 01:02:22,599
for a long time. He's already
one of those. So what's the problem

965
01:02:22,599 --> 01:02:25,000
with having two guys like that?
I think I think for them they need

966
01:02:25,039 --> 01:02:30,400
another guy. They need another Murray
type, someone really that's either better offensively

967
01:02:30,480 --> 01:02:36,159
or better defensively ideally both. So
obviously those guys are impossible to get.

968
01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:39,159
They can still do that. I
think the Harrison Barnes spot is one that

969
01:02:39,199 --> 01:02:44,599
they'll beltrade him, They'll whatever.
I don't think the door shut. It

970
01:02:44,719 --> 01:02:49,920
is like it will be concerning if
they go in to next season and don't

971
01:02:49,960 --> 01:02:52,679
like really make it a point to
address that spot on the roster, because

972
01:02:52,760 --> 01:02:58,480
everybody on the planet knows, like
that's where the hole is. I've come

973
01:02:58,519 --> 01:03:02,960
around on this where that I don't
think they've doomed it. If anything,

974
01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:08,039
I think they were probably smarter than
not with what they did this year because

975
01:03:08,239 --> 01:03:12,679
there are a few things here.
Let's look at what did they actually pass

976
01:03:12,719 --> 01:03:15,960
on? And so did they not
outbid the Pacers for Pascal Siakam? Do

977
01:03:15,960 --> 01:03:20,119
you know what? Good? Yeah, because that would not have worked out.

978
01:03:20,360 --> 01:03:24,239
I don't like just I hated the
Sabonus Siakam fit. Now the Ananobe

979
01:03:24,239 --> 01:03:29,280
thing they were not heavily linked to
him. I think Ananobe would have been

980
01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:30,800
the perfect fit for this team.
That's why I mentioned him, not because

981
01:03:30,840 --> 01:03:35,039
they had a shot, but because
like that that is the guy, well

982
01:03:35,119 --> 01:03:37,960
realistically, because it seems like the
Raptors wanted players over picks. And so

983
01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:42,400
if you want to give up Keay
Murray for og Anobi, I'm okay with

984
01:03:42,440 --> 01:03:45,400
that, because did Ojiannoby want to
be in Sacramento. It seems like he

985
01:03:45,519 --> 01:03:50,920
wanted to be in New York,
And so by not involving yourself in the

986
01:03:50,920 --> 01:03:54,679
og Anobe sweepstakes to the degree that
you actually got him, I understand it.

987
01:03:54,719 --> 01:03:58,920
And so what is the other move
they passed on? It's did you

988
01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:00,119
want them to? Yeah, cru
it would have been good. It seems

989
01:04:00,119 --> 01:04:02,800
like the Bulls would't have traded him
for three first round picks for some reason.

990
01:04:03,119 --> 01:04:05,960
And so it's if you want to
critique something, it's why weren't you

991
01:04:06,039 --> 01:04:10,559
the team that gave up seconds to
get roy O'Neil? Why was it the

992
01:04:10,559 --> 01:04:12,920
Suns that were able to get him? And I think that's fair. But

993
01:04:12,960 --> 01:04:15,599
when you're talking about going after that
big trade, I don't see a move

994
01:04:16,199 --> 01:04:20,159
that was feasible that they actually passed
on, And even if they could have

995
01:04:20,159 --> 01:04:25,000
gotten o Gananobi, I'm just going
to assume that, Well, I'm just

996
01:04:25,000 --> 01:04:27,280
gonna assume they couldn't have gotten Hi
because they didn't want to give up Keegan

997
01:04:27,320 --> 01:04:29,760
Murray because they weren't sure that he
was gonna stay, and that just made

998
01:04:29,760 --> 01:04:32,000
a ton of sense, and the
Raptors wanted players, and so after that,

999
01:04:32,079 --> 01:04:34,639
it's who did they pass on.
It doesn't seem like Jeremy Grant was

1000
01:04:34,639 --> 01:04:38,599
available, and you're not giving up
Keegan Murray for Jeremy Grant, and so

1001
01:04:38,599 --> 01:04:41,280
I'm okay with that. The other
thing is, because you owe your pick

1002
01:04:41,599 --> 01:04:45,880
to Atlanta this year, is you
are a little bit encumbered in the immediate

1003
01:04:45,920 --> 01:04:48,119
of what you can offer. Now, once that pick conveys, you can

1004
01:04:48,199 --> 01:04:53,639
start trading twenty twenty five, like
once this draft is like here, and

1005
01:04:53,679 --> 01:04:57,840
so that opens up your optionality.
And you've also now waited out. Okay,

1006
01:04:58,119 --> 01:05:00,400
we've gone through another season. We
know what we need. But more

1007
01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:05,239
to the point, maybe more trade
targets that make sense, who are under

1008
01:05:05,280 --> 01:05:10,079
contracts for longer, that aren't about
to become free agents. Those become available.

1009
01:05:10,360 --> 01:05:13,000
That's when we take our swing,
and I think the clock really starts

1010
01:05:13,039 --> 01:05:17,679
taking or the critiques really need to
get more aggressive if they don't, as

1011
01:05:17,679 --> 01:05:21,440
you mentioned, do anything substantial over
the offseason. And you can also,

1012
01:05:21,519 --> 01:05:25,239
I know Zach Lowe has mentioned this, I'm not as big a fan of

1013
01:05:25,239 --> 01:05:27,679
it where it's like, look at
how good the West is this year,

1014
01:05:27,719 --> 01:05:29,840
and so you've decided you're kind of
in the middle of the pack. You

1015
01:05:29,840 --> 01:05:31,360
don't want to go all in.
That is not the reason not to make

1016
01:05:31,400 --> 01:05:34,320
the trade, because you know what's
going to be really tough to navigate next

1017
01:05:34,360 --> 01:05:40,760
year, the Western Conference that's forever
like it's not going to when's the West

1018
01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:44,280
ever been in a down year like
this? And I'm not even criticizing that,

1019
01:05:44,320 --> 01:05:46,960
by the way, very quick aside
on this, there's been like this

1020
01:05:47,039 --> 01:05:51,000
trend of calling Zach Lowe a casual
now and it's making me angry because if

1021
01:05:51,079 --> 01:05:57,000
Zach Lowe was a casual, I
need to be fired immediately. Like imagine

1022
01:05:57,000 --> 01:06:00,960
thinking that's the take. It's probably
because you're a fan of the team and

1023
01:06:00,000 --> 01:06:03,119
he didn't watch a random back to
back on a Tuesday night in January.

1024
01:06:03,199 --> 01:06:08,039
It just makes me know people who
if if someone called Caitlin Cooper and a

1025
01:06:08,119 --> 01:06:11,639
Kaya Duncan like and a casual fan. I'm sure they have. You're fucking

1026
01:06:11,800 --> 01:06:15,960
idiotic to say that, So I'm
sorry that just I saw that going around

1027
01:06:15,000 --> 01:06:20,039
recently. But like I'm more about
they have to wait out for the right

1028
01:06:20,079 --> 01:06:25,599
opportunity and the urgency is there and
it's going to continue to grow. But

1029
01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:29,800
so far, I don't think like
the whole cap space stuff was when they

1030
01:06:29,840 --> 01:06:31,119
made the moves, if you want
to criticize that, when they made the

1031
01:06:31,159 --> 01:06:34,320
moves over the off season, the
clear cap space and then oh that's what

1032
01:06:34,360 --> 01:06:36,239
they did with it. Yeah.
Fair. If you wanted them to make

1033
01:06:36,280 --> 01:06:40,960
some more middle eg swings, fine, but they haven't missed out on the

1034
01:06:41,159 --> 01:06:45,920
move that was available yet that both
made sense and was feasible. Right,

1035
01:06:45,159 --> 01:06:48,360
That's that's right. They're not They
don't have the Celtics Danny age of like,

1036
01:06:48,440 --> 01:06:50,800
well we were in on this guy, but he got it. It's

1037
01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:54,400
like they just the guy hasn't been
there, so that Yeah, I think

1038
01:06:54,400 --> 01:06:58,480
that's right. Your turn to take
me through the next team, all right,

1039
01:06:58,679 --> 01:07:01,360
san Antonio spurs this from unbiased Pistons
fan. Uh, they're gonna offer

1040
01:07:01,400 --> 01:07:04,400
a lot to get Trey right,
like that seems like too obvious of a

1041
01:07:04,440 --> 01:07:11,519
fit not to happen Trey Young San
Antonio Spurs. It does feel pretty obvious.

1042
01:07:11,639 --> 01:07:14,360
I mean, you know, there
are a lot of people who are

1043
01:07:15,280 --> 01:07:17,719
so I understand the argument against it, which is, do you want to

1044
01:07:18,719 --> 01:07:25,000
diminish Wenby's creativity on offense because he's
done some fucking wild shit right this year

1045
01:07:25,039 --> 01:07:29,519
on offense. But like Trey Young
is, I know there's issues in Atlanta,

1046
01:07:29,760 --> 01:07:32,440
but Trey Young is playing off the
ball and taking a larger share of

1047
01:07:32,440 --> 01:07:36,519
his shot attempts as catching shoots.
I'm not saying he's ever gonna be Cason

1048
01:07:36,559 --> 01:07:41,440
Wallace or Patrick Beverley when it comes
to playing off the off the ball,

1049
01:07:42,199 --> 01:07:45,360
but so it can work. I
understand if you're reticent to do it.

1050
01:07:45,800 --> 01:07:47,719
But there was some stuff going around
I saw on Twitter where it's like,

1051
01:07:47,800 --> 01:07:50,599
no, Trey Young is a chucker. Well, the trail is one of

1052
01:07:50,639 --> 01:07:55,079
the best passers in the NBA right
now, That's why you make that trade.

1053
01:07:55,880 --> 01:08:00,079
Yeah, I think, Look,
I get it, Like I can

1054
01:08:00,119 --> 01:08:04,519
imagine the fears of well, Trey
Young is here now and this is gonna

1055
01:08:04,559 --> 01:08:09,960
reduce wem Bin Yama. The idea
of like putting any kind of a box

1056
01:08:10,039 --> 01:08:14,639
around Wembin Yama is like not a
great one. Like I think at this

1057
01:08:14,760 --> 01:08:17,119
stage it's still very much like,
let's explore the space. You want to

1058
01:08:17,119 --> 01:08:19,840
try to play this position, Let's
do that, Let's see how it looks

1059
01:08:19,920 --> 01:08:24,600
for a month or whatever, like, don't put any constraints on him.

1060
01:08:24,720 --> 01:08:28,479
I think if you have Trey Young
there, like and you wanna and the

1061
01:08:28,520 --> 01:08:30,640
idea is that, like Trey Jung
still gets to be Trey Young, I

1062
01:08:30,720 --> 01:08:35,000
think wem Bin Yama gets marginalized or
at least like get some of the some

1063
01:08:35,119 --> 01:08:40,239
of the variety trimmed out of his
game, which is like but but that

1064
01:08:40,279 --> 01:08:44,319
maybe comes with him catching like twelve
lobs a game like it just getting you

1065
01:08:44,359 --> 01:08:47,479
know, just the easiest spoon fed
dunks he's ever gonna get it. Imagine

1066
01:08:47,960 --> 01:08:51,600
him having more energy to expand on
the defensive end. Right, So,

1067
01:08:53,079 --> 01:08:57,520
like, I think it's at some
point, I don't know, I've almost

1068
01:08:57,520 --> 01:09:00,880
hesitated to say this, but you're
gonna have Wemba Yama will settle into like,

1069
01:09:00,920 --> 01:09:02,600
okay, does these things, well, this is his role, right,

1070
01:09:02,760 --> 01:09:06,199
his role. Maybe he's the best
player on the team on both ends

1071
01:09:06,199 --> 01:09:10,039
and he could does you know Lebron, what is Lebron's role? What is

1072
01:09:10,079 --> 01:09:13,800
prime Lebron's role? Like maybe maybe
that's it, but like there are still

1073
01:09:13,840 --> 01:09:16,399
sort of like I don't not rules, but like you're asking him to do

1074
01:09:16,439 --> 01:09:21,239
certain things, whereas right now it's
like when Minama gets to try everything and

1075
01:09:21,319 --> 01:09:28,000
I hesitate to suggest putting a player
next to him. That means like everything

1076
01:09:28,159 --> 01:09:30,479
isn't on the table anymore, which
I think would have to happen with young

1077
01:09:30,520 --> 01:09:34,039
there at least if they're sharing the
floor, which ideally they would like all

1078
01:09:34,079 --> 01:09:40,119
the time. But you might get
some wild Wemby no tray minutes I guess,

1079
01:09:40,159 --> 01:09:45,079
where Wemby just gets to do whatever
he wants. But like you also

1080
01:09:45,199 --> 01:09:47,520
kind of want to start winning a
little bit because Wema was really good already,

1081
01:09:47,560 --> 01:09:51,720
and you'd very much like to start
building a habit I guess of playing

1082
01:09:51,760 --> 01:09:55,640
meaningful games, and Trey Jung would
very much help you do that. He

1083
01:09:55,680 --> 01:09:59,479
addresses their exact need, which is
they do not have anyone that can score

1084
01:09:59,520 --> 01:10:02,000
in facility stay at the point.
So like you know, if if that's

1085
01:10:02,039 --> 01:10:06,039
for great Joe and slander, Oh, I want to like Trey Jones.

1086
01:10:06,159 --> 01:10:11,680
I want to why do you hate
him? But he's sorry, like he's

1087
01:10:11,720 --> 01:10:14,880
he's not a starter, Like he's
just not a starter in the NBA right

1088
01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:17,079
now. So I don't know if
this would have to be a is he

1089
01:10:17,199 --> 01:10:23,479
at this point in his career,
But the degree to which James Harden has

1090
01:10:23,520 --> 01:10:30,920
adjusted with the Clippers makes me believe
that we could see even more wholesale change

1091
01:10:30,119 --> 01:10:35,199
in Trey Young if he's put next
to the right player slash players. I

1092
01:10:35,239 --> 01:10:38,920
don't know. Is he too young
for that where he might view himself as

1093
01:10:38,960 --> 01:10:43,039
better than Wemben Yama, Where it's
James Harn's coming into a more established pecking

1094
01:10:43,039 --> 01:10:45,840
where that has two stars and like
an ecosystem that was kind of working where

1095
01:10:45,840 --> 01:10:50,520
they were contender without him. I
don't know, But like Wemby actually seems

1096
01:10:50,560 --> 01:10:56,199
like someone people would actually want to
play with because he is comfortable in the

1097
01:10:56,199 --> 01:10:59,680
play finishing role and so there would
need to be some type of give and

1098
01:10:59,720 --> 01:11:02,920
take there. Everything will come down
to cost. But when I first heard

1099
01:11:02,960 --> 01:11:05,920
the trade of this burd stuff,
I will admit I never thought Trey,

1100
01:11:06,359 --> 01:11:09,640
Oh, he's a chucker. They
can't go after him. No, I

1101
01:11:09,680 --> 01:11:13,279
skewed more towards and I don't want
to infringe upon Webby's development. Now I'm

1102
01:11:13,359 --> 01:11:15,840
kind of like there's no reason why
Trey Young can't augment it and that they

1103
01:11:15,880 --> 01:11:19,920
can't find a middle ground, a
happy medium. Yeah, I think like

1104
01:11:20,239 --> 01:11:24,800
the hardened thing is he sort of
had to change, like and he resisted

1105
01:11:24,840 --> 01:11:27,760
it for a while, and like
all the great all greats do, like

1106
01:11:28,199 --> 01:11:31,479
Kobe Bryant never changed, like and
he had that awful last year. Russ

1107
01:11:31,479 --> 01:11:35,760
resisted change like through multiple trades.
I think, like, I mean,

1108
01:11:35,800 --> 01:11:40,279
it's hard to find the really great
player, and Trey might won't the fair

1109
01:11:40,359 --> 01:11:45,079
enough to pods like we've we've just
seen the thoughts ridiculous. But I think

1110
01:11:45,199 --> 01:11:48,359
I can imagine Trey thinking, like
I play a certain way, I'm gonna

1111
01:11:48,439 --> 01:11:53,079
keep doing this, and this big
guy seems like he's good. But I'm

1112
01:11:53,079 --> 01:11:56,880
Trey Young and I play this.
Maybe that happens. I still think,

1113
01:11:56,960 --> 01:12:00,520
like you owe it. You know
this isiculous, but like you owe it

1114
01:12:00,520 --> 01:12:03,279
to wemb Minyama to put guys around
him that can help him win, like

1115
01:12:03,359 --> 01:12:06,920
you can't. We talk about windows
all the time. It's like Emma is

1116
01:12:06,960 --> 01:12:11,520
really good right now, He's gonna
be flat out great next year and for

1117
01:12:11,640 --> 01:12:15,880
the foreseeable future. So like he's
just got to have NBA players around him,

1118
01:12:15,880 --> 01:12:19,159
Like that's here's like good ones that'd
be ideal all things considered, what

1119
01:12:19,199 --> 01:12:25,239
you would expect the cost to be
and the fit? What would you rather

1120
01:12:25,279 --> 01:12:29,800
see this Burds do trade for Dejonte
Murray or Trey Young? I think Trey.

1121
01:12:30,520 --> 01:12:32,880
I mean, like I'm gonna I
just you know, get the guy

1122
01:12:32,880 --> 01:12:36,920
out there that's gonna throw him a
million lobs and make threes and just handle

1123
01:12:36,960 --> 01:12:41,119
the playmaking. I think I think
I'm good with that quest What what if

1124
01:12:41,239 --> 01:12:44,399
if if it's not trade it's fine
if people or if you don't believe it.

1125
01:12:44,560 --> 01:12:45,439
And I'm not saying he is the
perfect fit, but like, what

1126
01:12:45,600 --> 01:12:48,720
is the if you went after a
trade don't even I don't even care.

1127
01:12:48,920 --> 01:12:51,880
I'm not even saying that they have
to be available? Then what is the

1128
01:12:51,920 --> 01:12:56,560
player that you want around Wemby?
And it's well yet into like well Devin

1129
01:12:56,560 --> 01:12:58,720
Booker make a lot of sense,
Like yeah, that's fucking awesome. He's

1130
01:12:58,720 --> 01:13:02,000
not going anywhere like that. You'd
say, like go get Tias Jones,

1131
01:13:02,119 --> 01:13:06,279
Like but aren't aren't you just beyond
like underwhelmed by that, Like that's that's

1132
01:13:06,359 --> 01:13:10,079
the guy, Like that's I mean, that might help you get to the

1133
01:13:10,119 --> 01:13:13,800
play in or the top like six
or whatever, but it's not gonna you

1134
01:13:13,880 --> 01:13:17,039
have to take a bigger swing because
Wemby is just's Web's gonna be one of

1135
01:13:17,079 --> 01:13:19,880
the best players in the NBA of
all time. Yeah, but he's just

1136
01:13:20,000 --> 01:13:27,079
like sorry, where we are?
Is that in on the Spurs if we

1137
01:13:27,079 --> 01:13:30,000
only have one question on them?
Uh no, we had another one from

1138
01:13:30,000 --> 01:13:33,800
going yeah, all right, this
is from glad as amazing a season as

1139
01:13:33,800 --> 01:13:38,439
Wemby is having. I'm pretty sure
David Robinson has mentioned in every stat that

1140
01:13:38,479 --> 01:13:41,479
Wenby's accomplished. So in a bigger
grand scheme picture of the league in league

1141
01:13:41,479 --> 01:13:44,680
history, where does David Robinson stack
up all time? I know he's top

1142
01:13:44,720 --> 01:13:46,119
seventy five, but I know he's
not top ten. I feel like he's

1143
01:13:46,119 --> 01:13:49,399
probably top thirty ish, but I
think I think you could make the case

1144
01:13:49,399 --> 01:13:53,560
for somewhere between twenty to twenty five. I feel like we're underrating how good

1145
01:13:53,560 --> 01:13:56,960
the Admiral was. I I know
you would agree, because you love the

1146
01:13:57,000 --> 01:14:00,960
Admirable as do I. He's also
one of like the greats where it's you

1147
01:14:00,960 --> 01:14:04,079
think, oh, if he was
in today's game, my god. I

1148
01:14:04,119 --> 01:14:09,359
think what hurts him as his peak
was shorter because he started his career later,

1149
01:14:09,439 --> 01:14:13,439
and that's gonna hurt him a bit. But then he averaged during his

1150
01:14:13,479 --> 01:14:16,199
first seven season Grant twenty six points, twelve boards, three assists, one

1151
01:14:16,239 --> 01:14:20,239
point five seals, and three point
five blocks. About that's fucking and during

1152
01:14:20,239 --> 01:14:24,039
that time, that's that's fucking wild. He also won, and I just

1153
01:14:24,079 --> 01:14:28,439
don't think people understand his accolades during
that that just that stretch, he won

1154
01:14:28,520 --> 01:14:32,119
a scoring title, an MVP Defensive
Player of the Year, had five top

1155
01:14:32,199 --> 01:14:36,239
three finishes overall on the MVP ballot, and like, that's just I'll stop

1156
01:14:36,600 --> 01:14:42,880
there. I I don't know how
to reconcile his peak, like the length

1157
01:14:42,880 --> 01:14:45,960
of it, but if we're just
looking at the actual player, he has

1158
01:14:45,000 --> 01:14:50,920
a top fifteen to twenty case.
I think that's right. I think is

1159
01:14:51,000 --> 01:14:56,560
I just looked this up because I
in the pandemic when we had no basketball.

1160
01:14:56,800 --> 01:14:59,560
One of the things I did was
ranking the greatest defensive players of all

1161
01:14:59,600 --> 01:15:02,880
time, Andavid Robinson was fifth for
me all defensive players of all times.

1162
01:15:02,880 --> 01:15:06,600
Tim Duncan. That's a great question. Let me scroll down. Kevin Garnet

1163
01:15:06,640 --> 01:15:13,239
four, Hakeem three, Tim Duncan
two. The defensive players in the year

1164
01:15:13,279 --> 01:15:15,439
though, did Tim Duncan win?
Yeah, right, believe me, that's

1165
01:15:15,479 --> 01:15:18,159
in there, Bill Russell one,
just if you're curious. Uh, but

1166
01:15:18,239 --> 01:15:23,359
yeah, no, David Robinson was
flat out one of the greatest defensive players

1167
01:15:23,399 --> 01:15:29,039
of all time. I think he
still has the highest defensive box plus minus

1168
01:15:29,079 --> 01:15:33,279
of any player with at least seven
hundred games one dpo y in ninety one

1169
01:15:33,439 --> 01:15:39,520
ninety two. You said he's got
the scoring titles, has a dozen seasons

1170
01:15:39,520 --> 01:15:42,520
with at least one block and one
steal per game. That's the third most

1171
01:15:42,560 --> 01:15:47,359
of all time. Uh, he's
just like and then like just flat out

1172
01:15:47,760 --> 01:15:53,960
shortest of short list greatest defenders ever. Like seeing the open floor now,

1173
01:15:53,960 --> 01:15:56,960
I'm remembering what I wrote now because
I was like passionate about it at the

1174
01:15:56,960 --> 01:16:02,279
time, Like open floor David Robinson
sprinting is like it's like art, Like

1175
01:16:02,399 --> 01:16:06,000
he's just like he's seven foot one
and he's like just jacked out of his

1176
01:16:06,119 --> 01:16:10,399
mind, and he's faster than every
other player on the floor, and he's

1177
01:16:10,439 --> 01:16:15,439
just gliding like the young David Robinson
could move like guys like just nobody.

1178
01:16:15,680 --> 01:16:17,920
I'm trying to think of anyone today
that like comes close to that. It's

1179
01:16:17,920 --> 01:16:21,800
hard to like, not even like
Yiannis, Like Yannis is like these long,

1180
01:16:21,880 --> 01:16:27,840
loping strides. Robinson was like somehow
compact despite being enormously just like an

1181
01:16:27,960 --> 01:16:30,239
unbelievable athlete that, oh, by
the way, could you know would win

1182
01:16:30,279 --> 01:16:34,439
scoring titles and like he's just like
it was like a secondary thing he was.

1183
01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:40,239
He's unbelievable. So where is the
all time It probably not top not

1184
01:16:40,319 --> 01:16:45,239
top ten, but I mean,
yeah, fifteen to twenty. I think

1185
01:16:45,279 --> 01:16:47,039
it depends on how you measure,
like the longevity too, right, I

1186
01:16:47,039 --> 01:16:50,680
can see that bump. But uh, Glad asked this question. Top twenty

1187
01:16:50,720 --> 01:16:54,760
five feels like is that the floor
for him? Like we're not, I

1188
01:16:54,760 --> 01:16:58,439
don't have this stay, but it's
really hard. Is that feels right?

1189
01:16:58,479 --> 01:17:00,560
Where if you went lower than third? If I don't even know where he

1190
01:17:00,640 --> 01:17:03,560
ranked on the because I never really
read the top seventy five stuff. I

1191
01:17:03,600 --> 01:17:08,159
think all time rankings, by the
way, are largely just useless because comparing

1192
01:17:08,199 --> 01:17:12,000
across I'm I'm fine with rankings across
the same era. I totally get that,

1193
01:17:12,119 --> 01:17:15,119
but yeah, across error is just
so so difficult. I was just

1194
01:17:15,159 --> 01:17:18,079
gonna say, like, I think
maybe the better question is like how good

1195
01:17:18,199 --> 01:17:21,840
was he at his peak? And
I think the answer is he was like

1196
01:17:21,880 --> 01:17:25,680
a top three or four player in
the league. For I'll tell you right

1197
01:17:25,800 --> 01:17:29,039
right now before this question, I'm
sure I knew it. At one point,

1198
01:17:29,560 --> 01:17:32,239
I'd forgotten that he had a scoring
title. I think he did,

1199
01:17:32,359 --> 01:17:35,840
right, because it's like he did. I haven't he had a scoring title.

1200
01:17:35,880 --> 01:17:39,560
I just totally when I saw it, I was like, no,

1201
01:17:39,560 --> 01:17:43,319
no, but yes, yeah,
scoring title. I think it hurts him

1202
01:17:43,359 --> 01:17:45,760
a little bit that he overlapped so
much with the quem Olajuan and his prime

1203
01:17:45,760 --> 01:17:49,760
and like Elajan just ate him alive, like in his playoff series and like

1204
01:17:49,760 --> 01:17:55,359
people that's the thing people remember.
But like Alajuan cooked everybody like because he's

1205
01:17:55,399 --> 01:17:59,479
you know, Elajan was a better
defender and he's I mean talk about like

1206
01:17:59,680 --> 01:18:03,079
is he I don't know, like
the la Juan's closer than Robinson is,

1207
01:18:03,119 --> 01:18:05,920
but like, sorry, that's not
a slight. Robinson was like an all

1208
01:18:05,960 --> 01:18:11,239
time, all time great player.
All right. That was fun. So

1209
01:18:11,319 --> 01:18:15,760
we never get historical questions. That
was cool. So final one, this

1210
01:18:15,840 --> 01:18:17,319
one's I'll read it to you.
We have a bunch on the Jazz.

1211
01:18:17,359 --> 01:18:21,239
I'm gonna loop a couple of them
together as I see fit, because I'm

1212
01:18:21,279 --> 01:18:26,359
a dictator, but also because they
are a lot of these are semi related,

1213
01:18:26,800 --> 01:18:30,640
So I mean, we have so
so there's so many that I could

1214
01:18:30,640 --> 01:18:32,960
loop together. So let's start with
dark Wing Duck. Simple Jazz question.

1215
01:18:33,000 --> 01:18:35,960
I suppose well Lowry marking to be
on the Jazz is next playoff team.

1216
01:18:36,600 --> 01:18:40,159
This is kind of I think this
is we could do this separately. It's

1217
01:18:40,560 --> 01:18:44,640
it's just a fair question because it's
not asking about like necessarily their direction.

1218
01:18:45,520 --> 01:18:46,640
I don't, but no, you
know what, we need to loop these

1219
01:18:46,680 --> 01:18:50,239
all together because it's all like overarching
issues. So at gets it. When

1220
01:18:50,239 --> 01:18:54,520
and how are the Jazz going to
find a number one star for their roster?

1221
01:18:55,600 --> 01:18:59,880
The other one we have from Jeremy
t underscore Alan, what are the

1222
01:19:00,359 --> 01:19:03,920
doing as an organization? Are we
trying to convey the pick this year or

1223
01:19:03,960 --> 01:19:08,319
not? And so he's referring to
the Thunder's top the Thunder get their pick.

1224
01:19:08,319 --> 01:19:11,239
It's top ten protected. And so
I think all these are kind of

1225
01:19:11,359 --> 01:19:15,720
just in the same vein, And
I think what's so, let's start with

1226
01:19:15,760 --> 01:19:17,640
the pick one because I think that
kind of informs the rest of the stuff

1227
01:19:17,680 --> 01:19:21,079
that's happening. It does seem like, based off what they did at the

1228
01:19:21,119 --> 01:19:24,520
trade deadline, they're trying to keep
that pick. Based off what they're doing

1229
01:19:24,600 --> 01:19:26,800
now, it seems like they're trying
to keep that pick some of the rookies

1230
01:19:26,800 --> 01:19:30,359
they're playing. Yeah, Now the
question becomes is that the smart call because

1231
01:19:30,399 --> 01:19:35,520
it lowers the top eight protection next
year. My whole thing is, there's

1232
01:19:35,600 --> 01:19:40,600
like one of two things to consider
here, is if you want to keep

1233
01:19:40,640 --> 01:19:44,199
the pick this year, it's because
you either one believe that you're gonna be

1234
01:19:44,239 --> 01:19:47,319
so good next year that rather than
send the twelfth pick this season, you're

1235
01:19:47,319 --> 01:19:51,079
gonna send the eighteenth pick next year. Or you just believe that, hey,

1236
01:19:51,079 --> 01:19:55,439
we are trading Larry market in before
we make the playoffs, and we're

1237
01:19:55,479 --> 01:20:00,079
gonna be so bad that the looser
protection doesn't end up holding up, so

1238
01:20:00,119 --> 01:20:02,920
we don't have to worry about this. And I don't know what school of

1239
01:20:02,920 --> 01:20:06,680
thought they would, because they're very
flexible, they could do go multiple a

1240
01:20:06,720 --> 01:20:13,159
multitude of different directions here. I
don't necessarily know what the vision is beyond

1241
01:20:13,159 --> 01:20:15,159
this season, but to me,
it's very clear that they are trying to

1242
01:20:15,199 --> 01:20:17,520
keep that Oklahoma City pick this season. Yeah, I don't know how you

1243
01:20:17,560 --> 01:20:20,239
look at their true you said it, their trades and like the guys that

1244
01:20:20,279 --> 01:20:25,680
are playing major minutes now, it
seems like they want to hold on to

1245
01:20:25,760 --> 01:20:29,640
that one, I guess, tying
it into their sort of larger like sort

1246
01:20:29,640 --> 01:20:30,960
of where are they, where are
they going? When are they gonna be

1247
01:20:31,000 --> 01:20:35,960
good? How are they gonna be
good? Questions? Like it's I think,

1248
01:20:36,600 --> 01:20:41,000
I mean this is true of most
situations like this where we're forecasting,

1249
01:20:41,039 --> 01:20:45,079
but like, I think we're gonna
need to know a little bit more about

1250
01:20:45,159 --> 01:20:49,319
how good Keyante George is, how
good Taylor Hendricks is, because those are

1251
01:20:49,600 --> 01:20:53,039
guys that you know, we're gonna
see him a ton down the stretch,

1252
01:20:53,159 --> 01:20:56,079
and presumably they're both gonna play.
I mean, George I think is probably

1253
01:20:56,119 --> 01:20:59,640
gonna start next year like full time. That's just it's gonna play every game.

1254
01:21:00,000 --> 01:21:02,600
Hendrix, I don't know, but
those guys are so important because like

1255
01:21:03,319 --> 01:21:08,640
if they're not good enough, then
like yeah, that pick might be high

1256
01:21:08,640 --> 01:21:12,439
again. And if they are good
enough. I think that changes a lot

1257
01:21:12,479 --> 01:21:15,399
of the plans. And we didn't
even talk about marketing yet, and I

1258
01:21:15,479 --> 01:21:17,279
was I just want to correct myself. So it's top ten protected this season

1259
01:21:17,319 --> 01:21:20,039
and next season, then top eight
in twenty twenty six, and so if

1260
01:21:20,119 --> 01:21:24,119
your project though real, But yeah, so just be like you might think

1261
01:21:24,159 --> 01:21:26,560
that you're going to be too good
or a lot better, or just bad

1262
01:21:26,680 --> 01:21:30,399
enough to keep it. Yeah.
So I don't know. I guess I

1263
01:21:30,520 --> 01:21:32,960
guess I'm sort of punting just because
I'm not prepared to make a judgment on

1264
01:21:33,000 --> 01:21:39,039
how good they're too first round d
draft picks are yet. But I will

1265
01:21:39,039 --> 01:21:44,199
say something that I think is I
is counterintuitive to how I felt kind of

1266
01:21:44,279 --> 01:21:46,319
leading into this season, and it
will answer all their questions at once.

1267
01:21:47,159 --> 01:21:50,119
Larry Markin is not going to be
on the next playoff team for the Jazz.

1268
01:21:50,800 --> 01:21:54,399
And I think that if they're going
to get their next star, they're

1269
01:21:54,399 --> 01:21:57,760
probably hoping they already draft next number
one star. They're probably hoping they're already

1270
01:21:57,800 --> 01:22:00,720
drafted him, or they're gonna wind
up playing the draft game. And had

1271
01:22:00,760 --> 01:22:04,000
I you asked me this over the
preseason, I would have said, Larry

1272
01:22:04,000 --> 01:22:08,600
marketing will be on the next Jazz
playoff team, and that they're gonna trade

1273
01:22:08,960 --> 01:22:12,560
for their next number one star.
But the way that they have handled these

1274
01:22:12,600 --> 01:22:15,000
past two seasons, and look the
bit I might I'll admit that I could

1275
01:22:15,039 --> 01:22:18,760
be wrong. The flash Bowl moment
here, I think will come in the

1276
01:22:18,800 --> 01:22:24,159
offseason where they can renegotiate and extend
Larry Markinen's deal. And even if you

1277
01:22:24,239 --> 01:22:27,520
say, okay, well, if
we increase his pay for next season,

1278
01:22:27,520 --> 01:22:30,680
does he give us a haircut off
latter years, You're still probably in a

1279
01:22:30,680 --> 01:22:32,600
situation where we need to be Do
we want to pay Larry market In thirty

1280
01:22:32,600 --> 01:22:36,640
plus million dollars a year? I
don't just based off how Danny Ainge has

1281
01:22:38,039 --> 01:22:41,720
viewed things in the past and maybe
wants to gradually play this, I don't

1282
01:22:41,720 --> 01:22:44,359
think they're gonna go Do I think
that that means they're gonna trade Larry marketIn

1283
01:22:44,520 --> 01:22:47,800
right away this offseason? I don't
know. He only has his salaries non

1284
01:22:47,840 --> 01:22:51,920
guaranteed for next year, but he's
functionally an expiring contract now. If they

1285
01:22:53,000 --> 01:22:58,000
do extend him pay him, that
opens up a whole world of different discussions.

1286
01:22:58,000 --> 01:23:00,960
But the way that they've carried themselves
under Dane with the exception of maybe

1287
01:23:01,000 --> 01:23:05,600
the John Collins trade. It just
leads me to believe that, no,

1288
01:23:05,840 --> 01:23:10,199
this team is this is like more
of a long haul rebuild, and that

1289
01:23:10,479 --> 01:23:14,359
the fact that they were so good
after the Rudy go Baron Donovan Mitchell trades,

1290
01:23:14,680 --> 01:23:16,720
that was more of a not a
miscal I guess it's a miscalculation on

1291
01:23:16,760 --> 01:23:21,039
their part. They clearly didn't expect
to be that good, and just because

1292
01:23:21,079 --> 01:23:26,279
they were, they're not gonna course
correct from it. And that's just I

1293
01:23:26,279 --> 01:23:30,439
think that's where I'm landed. That's
interesting. We should keep track of this.

1294
01:23:30,119 --> 01:23:35,560
I think they are gonna well.
I guess it doesn't answer the question

1295
01:23:35,640 --> 01:23:39,359
because it's like will he be on
the next playoff team? Like I'm not

1296
01:23:39,520 --> 01:23:44,119
super comfortable because of the rookie stuff
I mentioned, like laying out when I

1297
01:23:44,119 --> 01:23:46,960
think that's gonna be I do.
I kind of think they are gonna keep

1298
01:23:47,000 --> 01:23:53,439
marketing around. I think I think
a renegotiating extent is like very much on

1299
01:23:53,479 --> 01:23:57,960
the table. I think you should. I think I'm okay paying him thirty

1300
01:23:58,000 --> 01:24:00,239
million a year. No, No, I'm okay. But if you're a

1301
01:24:00,279 --> 01:24:02,720
team like the Jazz and you're do
you constantly want to have to go through

1302
01:24:02,760 --> 01:24:09,079
these cycles where you're trading yourself out
of not having a bottom ten pick.

1303
01:24:09,479 --> 01:24:17,600
Yeah, I think, yeah,
I think. I think two years is

1304
01:24:17,640 --> 01:24:20,439
like kind of a long time for
a small to mid market team, and

1305
01:24:20,479 --> 01:24:26,920
they've got all their picks hoarded,
so it's like I could see them wanting

1306
01:24:27,079 --> 01:24:30,760
to next year. And this again
depends on how good's George, Like,

1307
01:24:31,039 --> 01:24:35,199
how much more is Hendrix's gonna play? Like? Can Kessler be like a

1308
01:24:35,239 --> 01:24:38,800
full time starter all the time?
Again? Do we do? Like?

1309
01:24:38,880 --> 01:24:42,560
Is he a real cornerstone piece?
Quietly like his rim protection numbers are back

1310
01:24:42,640 --> 01:24:45,399
up kind of close to where they
were last year when they were elite.

1311
01:24:45,720 --> 01:24:48,760
By the way, I will say, Kiante George looks like he could be

1312
01:24:48,840 --> 01:24:55,720
that dude new spots and hit the
shots. I think I think he's legit.

1313
01:24:55,840 --> 01:24:58,520
Again, don't know yet, Like
a full season on a team that's

1314
01:24:58,560 --> 01:25:01,079
playing for you know, trying to
win, is gonna tell us a lot

1315
01:25:01,079 --> 01:25:04,560
more. I don't know. I
just I don't have a lot of reasons

1316
01:25:05,039 --> 01:25:08,960
behind it. I just think,
like you get a guy like marketing in

1317
01:25:08,960 --> 01:25:13,840
in Utah, I know Trader Danny's
gonna want to make moves and be opportunistic,

1318
01:25:13,920 --> 01:25:15,000
like who knows what kind of offers
are gonna come in, But like,

1319
01:25:15,039 --> 01:25:17,840
I think you hold on to that
guy because like it's very difficult to

1320
01:25:18,720 --> 01:25:23,119
sign guys in Utah. You if
you, if you manage to trade for

1321
01:25:23,159 --> 01:25:25,840
someone, you probably want to hang
on and build through the drag that got

1322
01:25:25,840 --> 01:25:29,239
their picks from the go Baron Mitchell
deals like and yeah, this is not

1323
01:25:29,359 --> 01:25:31,239
doesn't need to go on that much
longer. I guess that this being the

1324
01:25:31,359 --> 01:25:34,520
like we're kind of in between tearing
it down, but like, oh,

1325
01:25:34,520 --> 01:25:38,439
we're kind of good. I think
you just like I think you shift into

1326
01:25:38,479 --> 01:25:41,920
a higher gear next year. I
think I would probably do that if I

1327
01:25:41,960 --> 01:25:45,119
were them. I just don't think
are they gonna if you're gonna pay Larry

1328
01:25:45,159 --> 01:25:48,039
Marketing, which I think is fine, And I'm not trying to imply that

1329
01:25:48,079 --> 01:25:51,960
he's not happy in Utah. He
seems very happy in Utah. But if

1330
01:25:51,960 --> 01:25:56,640
you're going to pay him, then
you need to make the next move soon.

1331
01:25:57,039 --> 01:26:00,119
Otherwise what's the point of paying him? Yeah, yeah, And I

1332
01:26:00,239 --> 01:26:04,720
just don't see them consolidating their picks
into a big name that becomes available.

1333
01:26:04,800 --> 01:26:09,479
And even if it is the bit
like McHale Bridges is not the next number

1334
01:26:09,479 --> 01:26:12,159
one star for this team, because
I don't think that kel Bridges is a

1335
01:26:12,239 --> 01:26:16,079
number one star. And so now
you're saying then that they're going to if

1336
01:26:16,079 --> 01:26:19,159
they're not going to trade for that
next number one option, that they have

1337
01:26:19,239 --> 01:26:23,520
to already have him or they're going
to draft him. Could they already have

1338
01:26:23,640 --> 01:26:26,640
him? Keyante? George gives them
a chance because you're just not gonna be

1339
01:26:26,800 --> 01:26:30,039
I love Taler, Hendrix Walker Castle's
really good. They're not going to be

1340
01:26:30,119 --> 01:26:32,880
number one options, and I think
Larry Marketing can settle into number two,

1341
01:26:32,960 --> 01:26:35,680
number three, He'll be fine.
And if you don't think they're going to

1342
01:26:35,760 --> 01:26:41,000
trade for them, getting him in
the draft though, becomes a lot harder

1343
01:26:41,039 --> 01:26:44,720
when you have lowry market in.
That's true, That's true. I yeah,

1344
01:26:44,760 --> 01:26:45,720
I know. I mean that's why
it's a good question. I think

1345
01:26:45,720 --> 01:26:49,600
that that the Utah has got a
lot of ways that could go. I

1346
01:26:50,720 --> 01:26:54,880
mean, what if isn't it also
simple if George really is just like,

1347
01:26:54,960 --> 01:26:58,640
oh yeah, we got him,
he's the guy worse. We're all squared

1348
01:26:58,640 --> 01:27:00,479
away now and we don't care or
how bad our draft picks are, or

1349
01:27:00,520 --> 01:27:04,039
which which convey and which don't because
we've got our core. We'll see,

1350
01:27:04,079 --> 01:27:06,479
we'll see. I don't know,
you want to hit some of these other

1351
01:27:06,479 --> 01:27:09,960
ones here, they all kind of
overlap a little bit. But yeah,

1352
01:27:09,960 --> 01:27:15,119
so at Chaco underscore Mike Zero is
Danny h actually a good GM exec Asking

1353
01:27:15,239 --> 01:27:17,600
since the decision of tanking a season
that the trade deadline feels like the Jazz

1354
01:27:17,640 --> 01:27:23,800
have too many options and their fault
is that they haven't chosen one. I

1355
01:27:23,840 --> 01:27:30,119
mean, I still say pretty resounding
yes. Not aggressively tanking the year when

1356
01:27:30,119 --> 01:27:32,359
Ben Yama is gonna be the first
pick stands out as like a pretty significant

1357
01:27:32,359 --> 01:27:35,560
mistake. I think they clearly thought
they were, though I don't care what

1358
01:27:35,680 --> 01:27:40,640
anyway they they tried to spin it. I don't care what they said through

1359
01:27:41,079 --> 01:27:44,039
reporters. They had no idea they
were going to be that good. They

1360
01:27:44,880 --> 01:27:47,880
should have actively started the tear down, slash sabotage much sooner, like the

1361
01:27:47,920 --> 01:27:53,199
second they realized, like we're pretty
good. This is a problem. I

1362
01:27:53,199 --> 01:27:55,119
don't know, I don't care what
you have to do. It's easy.

1363
01:27:55,279 --> 01:27:57,880
It's even easier to say it now
that wem Min Yama is what he is.

1364
01:27:57,880 --> 01:28:01,640
But like even it was like this
is the draft where you really want

1365
01:28:01,640 --> 01:28:05,159
to be way up high. Uh
so, but well, like I don't

1366
01:28:05,199 --> 01:28:09,239
know, I mean his track record
in Boston is so good, like they

1367
01:28:09,640 --> 01:28:13,239
would he you have to This is
sort of the just okay, see have

1368
01:28:13,239 --> 01:28:15,880
too many draft picks. Look at
what he got for Mitchell and Rudy Gobaert

1369
01:28:15,920 --> 01:28:20,920
and it hasn't even been too full. Let him go through his third it's

1370
01:28:20,920 --> 01:28:25,159
technically his third offseason. But like
there was the tear down, then there's

1371
01:28:25,199 --> 01:28:27,920
that first Like we're not even in
off season two of the rebuild, is

1372
01:28:27,960 --> 01:28:30,960
my point, and like it's not
just Utah like the Celtics were. There

1373
01:28:30,960 --> 01:28:34,119
were like five iterations of the Celtics
while he was there and they were all

1374
01:28:34,119 --> 01:28:39,319
good. Like he just like so
yeah, I'm yes, yes, he

1375
01:28:39,439 --> 01:28:43,680
is a really good general manager slash
executive. Do you want to ask me

1376
01:28:43,760 --> 01:28:46,800
the since I did some preliminary research
on at the the final we have two

1377
01:28:46,840 --> 01:28:49,319
more, but it's the last question
on the list. Sure, this is

1378
01:28:49,319 --> 01:28:54,359
from AECPA. Who are the Jazz
gonna target in the draft? A pair

1379
01:28:54,399 --> 01:28:58,119
with Keiance and Hendricks And what young
star are they gonna trade Larie for next

1380
01:28:58,199 --> 01:29:02,439
year? I am pinky toe deep
into my draft prep, which is to

1381
01:29:02,439 --> 01:29:06,760
say I've not started it, but
they need to target Wings, yes,

1382
01:29:06,800 --> 01:29:13,640
and so, like I apologize,
try any mispronunciations here. Mattis Bozelius intrigues

1383
01:29:13,680 --> 01:29:16,880
me based off what I've read about
him? Is he too big to defend

1384
01:29:16,920 --> 01:29:21,159
wings? Though? Ron Holland is
someone who I like based off what again

1385
01:29:21,199 --> 01:29:25,319
I've read about him. I've not
watched any of these guys, but is

1386
01:29:25,319 --> 01:29:28,199
he gonna go too high? The
Jazz kind of maybe have the juice to

1387
01:29:28,239 --> 01:29:31,479
trade up if they keep their own
pick and they got that least favorable pick

1388
01:29:31,479 --> 01:29:36,199
from the Raptors, Johnny Furfey could
be worth looking at, but like,

1389
01:29:36,319 --> 01:29:40,920
I want to see them go get
wings now if they're looking at trade,

1390
01:29:41,520 --> 01:29:46,000
I think what this goes back to
the other question from a Choco underscore mic,

1391
01:29:46,479 --> 01:29:49,319
where you look at the Jazz having
too many options. The fact they

1392
01:29:49,319 --> 01:29:53,880
have so many assets allows them to
create their own trade market. And so

1393
01:29:53,920 --> 01:29:58,000
if you are going to go to
trade route, let's get wings who fit

1394
01:29:58,560 --> 01:30:03,199
our timeline and who maybe aren't necessarily
available, and that's okay. Could you

1395
01:30:03,279 --> 01:30:09,640
get Asar Thompson if the Pistons really
want to look at Larry marketing over the

1396
01:30:09,680 --> 01:30:13,399
off season. If they Heat want
Larry Marketing, can you get Jima Hawk

1397
01:30:13,479 --> 01:30:16,680
as if the Thunder want Larry Marketing? How about Cason Wallace and Lou Dort.

1398
01:30:17,239 --> 01:30:20,239
Do the Spurs want Larry Marketing?
Can you go to Jeremy Sowhen plus

1399
01:30:20,279 --> 01:30:23,960
picks route. Those are just names
I'm thinking trying to think of young guys

1400
01:30:24,000 --> 01:30:26,720
that wouldn't traditionally be available, but
you have the picks to get in there.

1401
01:30:27,039 --> 01:30:29,680
I do love I'm not training Larry
market In for him, and I

1402
01:30:29,680 --> 01:30:32,199
don't really necessarily know that they want
him. Tarry Easton would be another name

1403
01:30:32,199 --> 01:30:35,840
if he's healthy. Those are just
some guys that feel like fit the timeline

1404
01:30:36,000 --> 01:30:41,199
that if the Jazz wanted to not
lean too far into the immediate but they

1405
01:30:41,199 --> 01:30:44,199
are making consolidation, then I would
just be like, hey, could you

1406
01:30:44,199 --> 01:30:46,560
get these guys now? A lot
of them again, Asar Thompson, Jima

1407
01:30:46,600 --> 01:30:50,199
Hawk is You're not getting them probably
anyway, but unless you put Larry market

1408
01:30:50,279 --> 01:30:55,800
In on the table. Yeah.
Last one here from Ross Hunts. How

1409
01:30:55,880 --> 01:30:59,039
good is Colin Sexton. Well,
he's one of the most efficient pull up

1410
01:30:59,039 --> 01:31:01,079
three point shooters in the league.
Pull up jump shots in the league this

1411
01:31:01,199 --> 01:31:05,520
year. I also think what's always
been an understated part of his game is

1412
01:31:05,560 --> 01:31:09,960
the stuff he brings downhill. And
he's always been a pretty good plug and

1413
01:31:09,960 --> 01:31:14,199
play shooter, but just the downhill
playmaking, the fact that his pull up

1414
01:31:14,279 --> 01:31:16,119
jumper has come around this year.
Let's see if it sustains. He's at

1415
01:31:16,159 --> 01:31:19,960
above thirty four percent on off the
dribble threes specifically, which I think is

1416
01:31:20,000 --> 01:31:25,079
still a more important shot than getting
into the mid range. And then just

1417
01:31:25,119 --> 01:31:30,000
looking at his contract is just like
it's super reasonable. So if you wanted

1418
01:31:30,039 --> 01:31:32,800
to, I think you could get
like more than a first round pick.

1419
01:31:32,800 --> 01:31:35,840
For context. I'm not saying you're
getting two first but you're getting a first

1420
01:31:35,880 --> 01:31:40,520
round pick and something else. Is
it a player? Like is it another

1421
01:31:40,880 --> 01:31:45,119
heavily protected first round pick? And
I'll throw this number out there because I

1422
01:31:45,119 --> 01:31:49,800
saw your face. Here's everyone matching
Colin Sexton's usage rate, assists percentage,

1423
01:31:50,000 --> 01:31:55,119
and true shooting percentage, which is
above sixty this year, with a turnover

1424
01:31:55,199 --> 01:31:59,760
rate below twelve. Embeed, Joel
b Devin Booker, and Jay Killers Alexander.

1425
01:31:59,840 --> 01:32:03,119
That's the type of season he's having
that's compelling, that's compelling. I

1426
01:32:03,119 --> 01:32:09,600
I think, do you think he's
a starter on a good team? Yeah,

1427
01:32:09,920 --> 01:32:12,079
yeah, I don't. Like I
don't think he's one of those players,

1428
01:32:12,079 --> 01:32:14,760
but I feel like he doesn't have
to start. Like let's use nas

1429
01:32:14,800 --> 01:32:17,079
Read as an example. Different players, Let's use make Monk is an example,

1430
01:32:17,680 --> 01:32:19,399
Like, I think he could start
on a good team, but he

1431
01:32:19,439 --> 01:32:23,680
doesn't have to. He has a
type of game that lends itself to Okay,

1432
01:32:23,720 --> 01:32:28,479
well we extrapolate this and do we
want him even playing thirty five minutes?

1433
01:32:28,520 --> 01:32:30,760
And it's because he's not. When
you're not a lead playmaker, it

1434
01:32:30,880 --> 01:32:34,039
does make it more difficult to say, well, then he should be starting.

1435
01:32:34,399 --> 01:32:36,920
But can he start? The answer
to me is absolutely yes, Like

1436
01:32:36,960 --> 01:32:41,239
he's already like we've seen, like
he's at thirty minutes a game post All

1437
01:32:41,239 --> 01:32:44,079
Star break and he's still tearing it
up. Yeah, is someone who could

1438
01:32:44,079 --> 01:32:46,439
shoulder. I think the bigger questions
can he close on a good team?

1439
01:32:46,439 --> 01:32:48,600
And the answer to me is just
yes. I think, yeah, Okay,

1440
01:32:48,680 --> 01:32:55,520
I think he's obviously the numbers are
there, like really underrated efficient shooter

1441
01:32:55,600 --> 01:32:59,760
and scorer. I think the reason
you have to ask how good is Colin

1442
01:32:59,800 --> 01:33:02,640
said, like the reason that question
gets asked. I think is because like

1443
01:33:03,119 --> 01:33:08,800
there are awards like not a good
defender, undersized one of the players that

1444
01:33:09,600 --> 01:33:12,479
like he can look like a good
defender. No, that is absolutely he's

1445
01:33:12,520 --> 01:33:15,479
got the floor slapping, the snarling, like the whole bitch. He's got

1446
01:33:15,520 --> 01:33:19,800
like the Pat Bev demeanor. But
like he's just objectively not a good defender

1447
01:33:19,840 --> 01:33:23,399
and really hasn't been. And part
of that size and part of that's just

1448
01:33:23,439 --> 01:33:27,439
like some guys aren't good defenders.
So that's why I was asking the starter

1449
01:33:27,520 --> 01:33:30,039
on a good team thing, because
he feels like an elite like bench guy,

1450
01:33:30,119 --> 01:33:32,720
like who's gonna come in and be
one of the best scorers, you

1451
01:33:32,760 --> 01:33:35,520
know, off the bench in the
league, who could start and could close

1452
01:33:35,560 --> 01:33:40,960
for you because the offense is so
legitimate. But I like, there's a

1453
01:33:41,000 --> 01:33:43,600
reason that question is asked that way, I think, And then why I

1454
01:33:43,600 --> 01:33:45,359
guess asked a lot like not just
this question, but it's always like oh

1455
01:33:45,439 --> 01:33:49,399
yeah, like remember when like he
was coming off when he was what was

1456
01:33:49,520 --> 01:33:53,279
he was, Well, I guess
he was traded to Utah, But it

1457
01:33:53,359 --> 01:33:56,800
was like there was a stat out
there, like there's three guys that averaged

1458
01:33:56,840 --> 01:34:00,520
he averaged like twenty four, he
was on fifty percent plus shooting from two

1459
01:34:00,600 --> 01:34:03,119
and hit a bunch of his threes, and it was just and yet and

1460
01:34:03,199 --> 01:34:06,840
yet not highly coveted, And so
it's like what gives Like That's why we

1461
01:34:06,880 --> 01:34:10,960
asked the call in Sexton question because
it's not as simple. I don't think

1462
01:34:11,039 --> 01:34:14,640
as like the you know, look
at those offensive numbers, like there's something

1463
01:34:14,640 --> 01:34:16,760
else that teams are not sold on, which I think is for defense in

1464
01:34:16,800 --> 01:34:20,439
the size. This was no doubt
impacted because of his injury situation too,

1465
01:34:20,479 --> 01:34:25,239
but because of the way that like
perception, I don't even know that it

1466
01:34:25,319 --> 01:34:29,439
shifted, but it was always just
it felt like it's skewed more adverse than

1467
01:34:29,479 --> 01:34:32,560
not, or averse than not for
him. He's one of those rare Oh,

1468
01:34:32,600 --> 01:34:35,199
this was a really good player on
a rookie scale who probably got more

1469
01:34:35,279 --> 01:34:41,720
valuable when he signed his second contract
like nonstar division because like you ever have

1470
01:34:42,000 --> 01:34:45,680
and he's had like two years and
thirty seven million left on his deal.

1471
01:34:45,760 --> 01:34:47,880
That's a really good contract for what
he does. Yeah, that's right.

1472
01:34:47,920 --> 01:34:49,880
That does it for all the questions. Thank you for all the questions,

1473
01:34:49,920 --> 01:34:59,159
and we move on to Wow,
So we have guess a player we've already

1474
01:34:59,159 --> 01:35:00,039
gone for long, so he wan
I want to say, you want to

1475
01:35:00,039 --> 01:35:02,960
do two each? Sure? All
right? You ready? I got some

1476
01:35:03,079 --> 01:35:09,439
from from Mike uh ernishon here hit
me, all right? Clue Number one.

1477
01:35:10,399 --> 01:35:14,239
Fresh off winning an NCAA title in
my junior year, I was selected

1478
01:35:14,239 --> 01:35:17,279
in the lottery by Minnesota in the
mid two thousands. I would tell you

1479
01:35:17,319 --> 01:35:19,960
who was picked before and after me, but I don't think Dan would know

1480
01:35:20,119 --> 01:35:26,399
who. Either of them are shots
fired. But I was picked before future

1481
01:35:26,439 --> 01:35:30,720
All Star Danny Granger. Let's see
when was in there. I think Granger

1482
01:35:30,800 --> 01:35:33,079
is like, well, I don't
want to give you clues, so you

1483
01:35:33,079 --> 01:35:38,319
know he's a won a national title. Wolves pick in the lottery mid two

1484
01:35:38,359 --> 01:35:45,840
thousands. I should just throw like
a yeah, that was nineties, never

1485
01:35:45,920 --> 01:35:47,720
mind early too early? I like, I like your you know, look

1486
01:35:47,800 --> 01:35:50,720
you traded there? Or is he
traded? I don't know. I can't

1487
01:35:50,760 --> 01:35:56,000
remember. Uh. Number two.
My college team was so dominant that three

1488
01:35:56,039 --> 01:35:59,319
of my teammates were also selected in
the first round with me. I was

1489
01:35:59,359 --> 01:36:02,399
the last one in the group.
I'm trying to think. I think I

1490
01:36:02,399 --> 01:36:10,159
can think of two of them.
All right, Oh that's interesting. Three

1491
01:36:10,199 --> 01:36:14,880
were selected before him. Interesting,
all right? Clue number three. I

1492
01:36:14,960 --> 01:36:17,560
broke into the starting lineup during my
rookie year, starting the last twelve games

1493
01:36:17,560 --> 01:36:21,079
of the season. I finished the
season averaging seven point nine points per game

1494
01:36:21,359 --> 01:36:26,199
in seventy nine games, shooting thirty
seven percent from deep. I don't know

1495
01:36:26,199 --> 01:36:30,479
how much that helps you. It
doesn't. Four. I regressed in my

1496
01:36:30,560 --> 01:36:34,479
sophomore season, averaging five points a
game, only playing thirty seven games and

1497
01:36:34,560 --> 01:36:41,920
not starting any Going the wrong way
for this guy. Still nothing in Clue

1498
01:36:41,920 --> 01:36:45,680
five. In year three, I
started a career high twenty four games and

1499
01:36:45,720 --> 01:36:47,720
averaged fourteen point nine points a game. But the next year I had the

1500
01:36:47,800 --> 01:36:54,680
yips and fell back out of the
everyday rotation. Mid two thousand, What

1501
01:36:55,720 --> 01:37:02,199
is this? I got nothing?
Okay? Clu six. This was when

1502
01:37:02,199 --> 01:37:05,439
the Wolves decided to hit the ejector
button, as I was traded at the

1503
01:37:05,439 --> 01:37:10,720
deadline with Calvin Booth for Bobby Brown. That is the name I have not

1504
01:37:10,760 --> 01:37:14,000
thought of a long so we went
to the Kings. Then was Bobby Brown

1505
01:37:14,000 --> 01:37:16,880
coming from the Kings on that one? It doesn't say, uh, all

1506
01:37:17,000 --> 01:37:20,680
right, okay, you get a
year now, Clue seven. In two

1507
01:37:20,720 --> 01:37:24,760
thousand and nine, I signed with
the Rockets, but was cut on the

1508
01:37:24,760 --> 01:37:30,279
second day of training camp. Were
you paying attention to Rockets training camp cuts

1509
01:37:30,319 --> 01:37:34,439
in two thousand and nine? No? All right? Clue number eight.

1510
01:37:35,039 --> 01:37:39,159
That was the last anyone heard of
me in the NBA, as I went

1511
01:37:39,199 --> 01:37:42,880
on to play in the then named
D League, the Philippines, France,

1512
01:37:42,920 --> 01:37:50,079
the D League again, Brazil,
and then Lebanon. Nothing Clue nine.

1513
01:37:50,119 --> 01:37:54,880
I was part of the inaugural Big
Three season, the league of retired players

1514
01:37:54,880 --> 01:38:00,600
started up by ice Cube. Who
is this I got? I got?

1515
01:38:00,159 --> 01:38:02,840
It's tough. Is this Clue ten? Which is the last clue? But

1516
01:38:02,880 --> 01:38:06,479
I'll throw you some more after this
one? Uh ten. While some people

1517
01:38:06,520 --> 01:38:11,439
would blame my inconsistency from game to
game, bad defense and poor shot selection

1518
01:38:11,600 --> 01:38:14,159
is the reason I washed out of
the league at age twenty five, To

1519
01:38:14,239 --> 01:38:17,119
this day, I am convinced it's
because I was dating a Kardashian and teams

1520
01:38:17,119 --> 01:38:23,239
felt that it was a distraction.
Chris Humphries, No, that that's I

1521
01:38:23,279 --> 01:38:27,079
mean that I didn't know this guy
was a link to the Kardashians. Okay,

1522
01:38:27,880 --> 01:38:31,239
if I gave you the college which
is North Carolina, would that help

1523
01:38:31,279 --> 01:38:39,800
you? Tyler Hansborough was he linked
to the very very different person from Tyler

1524
01:38:40,319 --> 01:38:44,920
May? Why would he be linked
to the Kardashians. Start probably too early,

1525
01:38:45,039 --> 01:38:49,239
I think Sean May and uh,
is it ray Felton we're on that

1526
01:38:49,279 --> 01:38:53,279
team? Or is it Tyls?
I can never Ray Felton and ty Lawson

1527
01:38:53,359 --> 01:38:58,000
like get confused. In my mind, I think two of those three.

1528
01:38:58,039 --> 01:39:04,520
Shawn May for sure was on that
Carolina team. I believe Mohammad no that

1529
01:39:05,079 --> 01:39:11,279
he's a U C l A.
Damn it. I believe this guy was

1530
01:39:11,680 --> 01:39:16,760
the person who assisted Gerald Green in
the cupcake dunk like he was on the

1531
01:39:16,800 --> 01:39:21,600
court for the not doesn't help you, No, guy, he wore a

1532
01:39:21,640 --> 01:39:28,479
headband. Everybody was wearing headbands in
the early two thousands. Um, trying

1533
01:39:28,479 --> 01:39:30,520
to think what else? I don't
I mean that there's not a lot to

1534
01:39:30,680 --> 01:39:34,840
know about this guy. He had
to give a die fail this I am

1535
01:39:35,119 --> 01:39:40,239
Rashad McCants. Yeah, I never
would have gotten that one. That's tough.

1536
01:39:40,479 --> 01:39:43,840
That's tough, like two and a
half years of not a lot.

1537
01:39:45,119 --> 01:39:46,920
All right, you wanna you want
to give me one or you want to

1538
01:39:46,920 --> 01:39:50,960
redeem yourself, Yeah, I'll give
you one from Rubik scal Guess the team,

1539
01:39:51,439 --> 01:39:58,199
the Fast and the Furious edition.
There's one in his paradigm, athleticism

1540
01:39:58,239 --> 01:40:01,840
took prefidence over fundamental skill. Fast
breaks were preferred to set plays, and

1541
01:40:01,920 --> 01:40:05,760
dunking trumped the dump shot. Uh, the dump shot, the jump shot.

1542
01:40:06,760 --> 01:40:15,479
Wait, I'm guessing a team.
Uh yes, Like okay, okay,

1543
01:40:15,880 --> 01:40:18,880
I don't with so this is okay? Sure, what's the next?

1544
01:40:18,880 --> 01:40:24,520
Clue? Cute? Umber two coach
Guy Lewis encouraged his team to play a

1545
01:40:24,560 --> 01:40:29,079
for neetic, playground inspired style of
ball, directly opposed to polished and methodical

1546
01:40:29,159 --> 01:40:33,479
style espoused by basketball traditionalist, not
just condoning dunks, but insisting that his

1547
01:40:33,560 --> 01:40:39,439
team look for high percentage shots like
fast break dunks as often as possible.

1548
01:40:41,479 --> 01:40:44,800
And I mean, like, so
there's like, what is it the Loyal

1549
01:40:44,840 --> 01:40:48,960
and Merrymount teams from whenever? That
was the like eighties Nuggets. I don't

1550
01:40:48,960 --> 01:40:51,840
know. I'm trying to think of
teams that ran all the time. All

1551
01:40:51,960 --> 01:40:58,479
right, I got nothing? Uh
Clue three. They are widely credited with

1552
01:40:58,560 --> 01:41:01,359
bringing me above the rim style played
a college ball. Their March Madness runs

1553
01:41:01,359 --> 01:41:06,720
helped establish the NCAA Tournament as a
major television event, setting national television records

1554
01:41:06,720 --> 01:41:11,720
for college sports viewership. I did
not realize, even though I said it

1555
01:41:11,720 --> 01:41:15,399
was March Madness team, that this
was a college team. O. Boy,

1556
01:41:15,680 --> 01:41:19,199
we're getting further and further from my
wheelhouse. Is a college team.

1557
01:41:19,840 --> 01:41:24,720
So it's like, if dunks are
a thing, this is long long ago.

1558
01:41:26,720 --> 01:41:29,039
I wonder if I just gave you
the players that were on it,

1559
01:41:29,119 --> 01:41:32,079
if you could even guess the college. I mean, maybe it depends on

1560
01:41:32,159 --> 01:41:34,520
how long ago it is. Are
there more clues before? You? Just?

1561
01:41:34,760 --> 01:41:36,760
You got two more? All right? Give me the give me the

1562
01:41:36,800 --> 01:41:41,680
two more clues, Clue four.
They advanced three consecutive final fours in the

1563
01:41:41,720 --> 01:41:44,960
eighties, losing to James Worthy in
a young shooting guard in their first go

1564
01:41:45,119 --> 01:41:49,199
round, and going one step better
than next year, losing to the Jim

1565
01:41:49,399 --> 01:41:54,640
Valvano coached NC State on a last
second dunk in the finals, and following

1566
01:41:54,680 --> 01:41:58,000
that up with another visit to the
finals, only to be thwarted by Patrick

1567
01:41:58,039 --> 01:42:02,680
Ewings Georgetown Rolls. I had a
VHS tape with the play in question against

1568
01:42:02,680 --> 01:42:10,359
the Valvano team on it Is It
Is It? Indiana? Yeah? I

1569
01:42:10,399 --> 01:42:16,680
think like, isn't Keith Smart involved
somewhere? Because Valvana was what m C

1570
01:42:16,880 --> 01:42:23,279
State. I think, man,
I could just be like really shown m

1571
01:42:23,319 --> 01:42:30,359
C State. That was in the
clue for the last second dunk, I

1572
01:42:30,399 --> 01:42:34,319
can like picture it happening. Okay, what's what's the next one? Fifth

1573
01:42:34,359 --> 01:42:39,199
and final clue Dubbed the Greatest team
to Never win it, they were officially

1574
01:42:39,279 --> 01:42:43,680
the Houston Cougars, but they are
better known as this nickname, coined by

1575
01:42:43,920 --> 01:42:48,279
Houston's Post sports writer Thomas Bank like
that last name, and trademarked by the

1576
01:42:48,359 --> 01:42:51,920
University of Houston. All Right,
so this is the fi Slama Jama team

1577
01:42:53,039 --> 01:42:58,840
with with Ralph Sampson and I guess
and ahem the dream olaj on. Okay,

1578
01:42:59,399 --> 01:43:03,399
all right, is so five Slamma
Jama is what we're looking for?

1579
01:43:03,880 --> 01:43:09,600
That or the team is Texas,
Texas's tallest fraternity was also listed. Oh,

1580
01:43:09,680 --> 01:43:12,479
all news to me. I never
would have gotten that one. If

1581
01:43:12,479 --> 01:43:15,800
it makes you feel better, which
you probably shouldn't, because so, all

1582
01:43:15,920 --> 01:43:17,560
right, I got a couple here. I'm gonna I'm I don't want to

1583
01:43:17,600 --> 01:43:24,000
softball you completely. Oh there's one
that's interesting. A couple players I haven't

1584
01:43:24,039 --> 01:43:28,000
thought of in a long time.
Okay, I'm gonna give you. We

1585
01:43:28,560 --> 01:43:33,720
may have done this guy before,
but I believe you're going You're going to

1586
01:43:33,720 --> 01:43:38,760
get him. Clue number one,
I was a second round draft pick in

1587
01:43:38,760 --> 01:43:45,039
two thousand and three out of Creighton. All right, cool, I'm pausing

1588
01:43:45,079 --> 01:43:47,439
because I thought you might get it
because Creighton has not had a lot of

1589
01:43:47,640 --> 01:43:55,640
NBA players. I'm trying three thousand
and three, Kyle Korver, Yeah,

1590
01:43:55,680 --> 01:43:59,319
you got it. Sorry, Mike, I'll read let's see, I'll read

1591
01:43:59,319 --> 01:44:01,000
a few more clues, so you
know what I'll just give you. You

1592
01:44:01,079 --> 01:44:04,880
know, there are a lot of
clues here, fourteen clues, and they're

1593
01:44:05,039 --> 01:44:09,000
lengthy and filled with information. Should
I read some of them? Just since?

1594
01:44:09,039 --> 01:44:11,279
Because Mike, Yeah, he put
it, He put in the legwork,

1595
01:44:11,399 --> 01:44:15,560
all right. Number two. I
was selected by the Nets, who

1596
01:44:15,600 --> 01:44:17,359
were in a financial buind so I
was traded to a division rival for one

1597
01:44:17,439 --> 01:44:20,039
hundred and twenty five thousand dollars,
which was used by the Nets to buy

1598
01:44:20,039 --> 01:44:25,159
a photo copier. Would that have
triggered you? I don't know. I

1599
01:44:25,159 --> 01:44:28,640
would have known that one if I
didn't get it on the Let's see years

1600
01:44:28,680 --> 01:44:30,880
later, I'd say at my graduation
ceremony the trade was a huge motivator for

1601
01:44:30,920 --> 01:44:35,960
me, because that machine broke years
ago and I'm still playing average four and

1602
01:44:35,960 --> 01:44:39,840
a half points the game as a
rookie, played all eighty two. Next

1603
01:44:39,920 --> 01:44:42,680
year set the franchise record at the
time for threes in a season at two

1604
01:44:42,760 --> 01:44:48,079
twenty six. Uh these numbers from
not that long ago seem insane. Signday

1605
01:44:48,159 --> 01:44:55,079
six year, twenty five million dollar
contract that offseason. Following season, I

1606
01:44:55,079 --> 01:44:59,279
was sent to Utah for Gordon Gearchek. Why are so many guess the players

1607
01:44:59,319 --> 01:45:03,399
traded for Gordon gear check Let's see, did you play with play with Greg

1608
01:45:03,439 --> 01:45:06,039
Buckner at all? Or oh,
you know what, I don't see a

1609
01:45:06,119 --> 01:45:11,920
Greg Buckner mentioned in here. My
last game was during the bubble for the

1610
01:45:11,960 --> 01:45:17,119
Bucks. Forgot about that after Cleveland
traded back to Utah. Remember he ended

1611
01:45:17,199 --> 01:45:19,439
up on the Bucks and people like, oh my god, Giannis is going

1612
01:45:19,520 --> 01:45:24,000
to become like the greatest three boys
You're alive because Kyle Korver was his team.

1613
01:45:24,239 --> 01:45:26,800
Because that's how it works, Like
you get one good shooter on a

1614
01:45:26,840 --> 01:45:29,560
team and it's like the space jam
did, like if you hold the same

1615
01:45:29,600 --> 01:45:32,039
ball. His skills were draft All
right, I want to give you another

1616
01:45:32,039 --> 01:45:35,159
one because you because you're hot,
so we got to keep it going.

1617
01:45:35,239 --> 01:45:39,039
Well, let's do so, let's
do yours first. I'm laughing at the

1618
01:45:39,079 --> 01:45:43,760
player and you'll know why once we're
done. Oh boy. Clue number one.

1619
01:45:43,760 --> 01:45:45,640
I was drafted outside the lottery in
two thousand and nine and draft known

1620
01:45:45,680 --> 01:45:53,640
for having insane point guard talent.
All right, so that's the Steph Johnny

1621
01:45:53,680 --> 01:45:59,399
Flynn, Ricky Rubio draft, I
think okay. Clue number two. I

1622
01:45:59,439 --> 01:46:01,359
was one of twelve point guards taken
in round one in that draft and part

1623
01:46:01,359 --> 01:46:06,159
of a stretch of five straight picks
being point guards. Ooh, five straight

1624
01:46:06,159 --> 01:46:12,880
picks but outside the lottery? Correct? Oh? Did I say this person

1625
01:46:12,960 --> 01:46:15,760
is there? Is it? Uh? Is it Ray Grant? Is it

1626
01:46:15,840 --> 01:46:18,920
Ray Felton? No, it's not
Ray Felton. Is it Ty Lawson?

1627
01:46:19,279 --> 01:46:24,199
It is Ty Lawson? Yeah?
Where was he drafted? I was a

1628
01:46:24,239 --> 01:46:28,800
college legend at a blue blood school
at sub six foot. Many questions if

1629
01:46:28,840 --> 01:46:30,399
I had staying power in the league, but I became a regular starter right

1630
01:46:30,439 --> 01:46:33,640
away. By year three, I
was averaging sixteen a game and six and

1631
01:46:33,680 --> 01:46:38,640
a half assists. My best season
came in twenty thirteen and fourty where average

1632
01:46:38,640 --> 01:46:42,439
seventy more six points and nearly nine
assists a game, while also averaging one

1633
01:46:42,479 --> 01:46:45,920
point six steals. The next season, the team I was on took a

1634
01:46:45,000 --> 01:46:48,479
nose dive and the coach was fired
after saying for weeks he couldn't relate to

1635
01:46:48,560 --> 01:46:53,520
millennial players safe to say a rebuild
was a foot, so I was traded

1636
01:46:53,560 --> 01:46:57,720
in the off season. Four Get
this Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson, coastas

1637
01:46:57,800 --> 01:47:03,399
pop U popping a color, Pablo
Perjoni Legend. A tw sixteen first round

1638
01:47:03,439 --> 01:47:06,279
pick in Cash, I went on
to average six points a game before being

1639
01:47:06,319 --> 01:47:10,159
bought out. I signed with Indiana
but didn't really do much there in the

1640
01:47:10,199 --> 01:47:13,720
thirteen games I played that same season, and I had a decent bounce back

1641
01:47:13,720 --> 01:47:16,399
season in Sacramento before ultimately heading overseas, where I still play today. I

1642
01:47:16,520 --> 01:47:19,520
remember that. Good for him.
I'm glady carved out a career overseas.

1643
01:47:19,520 --> 01:47:25,560
I don't pay attention to that stuff
generally. No. Probably we were at

1644
01:47:25,600 --> 01:47:27,399
the end of the podcast, so
I can see. I feel bad for

1645
01:47:27,520 --> 01:47:30,000
Mike that we both got them so
early, but he did stump me on

1646
01:47:30,079 --> 01:47:33,720
the first one, so kudos.
Uh, you want another one here,

1647
01:47:34,199 --> 01:47:38,560
all right? Give me one more. All right, let's see we did

1648
01:47:38,680 --> 01:47:42,560
core? Okay, Clue number one. I was a second round pick out

1649
01:47:42,600 --> 01:47:44,840
of Duke in two thousand and two
by the Cavs. I love it that

1650
01:47:45,039 --> 01:47:48,239
people give you a college college question. Yeah, I don't know that,

1651
01:47:48,479 --> 01:47:54,920
Chris Duhan. Ooh, No.
Number two. I averaged ten points as

1652
01:47:54,960 --> 01:47:58,279
a rookie to go with seven boards, uping that to fifteen and eleven in

1653
01:47:58,399 --> 01:48:02,000
year two. So this guy's double
double out of Duke in his second year

1654
01:48:03,199 --> 01:48:06,399
in what was it? Year?
It would have been? I guess like,

1655
01:48:06,479 --> 01:48:11,520
oh, three oh four. I
think you're gonna get it on the

1656
01:48:11,560 --> 01:48:14,720
next clue. All right, give
me the next clue. Three. Cleveland

1657
01:48:14,800 --> 01:48:18,000
forgot how restricted free agency worked after
my second season, and the Jazz pounced

1658
01:48:18,039 --> 01:48:21,239
on their tom foolery, snatching me
up for six years and seventy million that

1659
01:48:21,319 --> 01:48:29,720
offseason. Uh in two thousand and
five? Fuck was that? Why do

1660
01:48:29,800 --> 01:48:32,520
you think I was gonna get this? I thought you'd remember the like Calvs

1661
01:48:32,640 --> 01:48:40,800
botching free? What was it?
Though? It was something funky where like

1662
01:48:41,079 --> 01:48:45,520
Utah just swooped in on this guy
and like Cleveland somehow, this like Cleveland

1663
01:48:45,640 --> 01:48:48,720
is like at the absolute idea of
like functional NBA teams at this stage,

1664
01:48:48,760 --> 01:48:53,600
So like they totally blew something with
free agency, and like let a really

1665
01:48:53,600 --> 01:49:00,319
good player get away. You will
get this guy, all right. So

1666
01:49:00,399 --> 01:49:03,199
he's in Utah now after Cleveland,
and he's a double double guy out of

1667
01:49:03,279 --> 01:49:06,920
Duke. Clue four. I made
two All Star games in my six years

1668
01:49:06,960 --> 01:49:12,680
in Utah, which were in seven
and eight. No too early, making

1669
01:49:13,000 --> 01:49:15,800
my making third team All NBA in
two thousand and eight. Wow, do

1670
01:49:15,920 --> 01:49:20,680
I not know whose is right now? I think if let's see, he

1671
01:49:20,760 --> 01:49:28,000
doesn't give you, like if he
gave you a certain teammate, I think

1672
01:49:28,079 --> 01:49:32,439
you would you would have it.
Okay, yeah, you may still get

1673
01:49:32,479 --> 01:49:35,640
it here. Clue five. In
twenty ten, I was acquired by the

1674
01:49:35,760 --> 01:49:40,319
Bulls in a sign and trade,
but my production was on the declas Boozer

1675
01:49:40,680 --> 01:49:44,880
correct, Damn, I should have
known that one when you had the the

1676
01:49:45,000 --> 01:49:47,039
six years and seventy million, I
should have I should have known that one.

1677
01:49:47,079 --> 01:49:49,560
You were right. Do you remember
what happened with free This is a

1678
01:49:49,640 --> 01:49:55,960
long time ago, the free agency
thing. I can't remember the specifics that

1679
01:49:56,119 --> 01:50:00,920
they forgot. How restricted free agency
worked. I think it was like you

1680
01:50:01,000 --> 01:50:05,279
know, the offer sheet got signed
and he and they like forgot to match

1681
01:50:05,439 --> 01:50:10,199
or like didn't, I don't know, something like some kind of weird oversight.

1682
01:50:10,800 --> 01:50:15,680
So I guess so what did they
did? It was the reality was

1683
01:50:15,760 --> 01:50:17,800
it was on a second round pick, So I had a two year contract

1684
01:50:17,840 --> 01:50:20,800
and the option for a third year
and they had Oh so it was that

1685
01:50:21,359 --> 01:50:25,119
like that what is now known as
base well not as now known, but

1686
01:50:25,199 --> 01:50:28,319
like so when you have the Pelicans
just did this with Herb Jones. So

1687
01:50:28,439 --> 01:50:30,479
he was coming off of his second
year. They declined his team option and

1688
01:50:30,479 --> 01:50:34,479
then agreed he technically restricted free agent, but he resigned automatically, so they

1689
01:50:34,520 --> 01:50:38,399
made him a free agent, and
then he got an offer that they couldn't

1690
01:50:38,399 --> 01:50:41,920
afford to match because of cap They
didn't. It was them, they didn't

1691
01:50:41,920 --> 01:50:44,960
want to pay it. I'm assuming
so. And at that point I don't

1692
01:50:44,960 --> 01:50:47,119
know if the Gilbert or renas a
rule wasn't effect. It must have been

1693
01:50:47,119 --> 01:50:51,279
because the Renas was earlier. So
yeah, they just cheaped out. I

1694
01:50:51,399 --> 01:50:56,720
didn't that happen with wasn't Jokic in
that situation whereas like do they or don't

1695
01:50:56,760 --> 01:51:00,800
they pick up his option? Because
the saying had to second rounder thing because

1696
01:51:00,880 --> 01:51:04,479
if they do, then he can
get to unrestricted free agency, but if

1697
01:51:04,479 --> 01:51:08,720
they decline it, he becomes restricted, and so they want to maintain control.

1698
01:51:09,279 --> 01:51:12,600
Yeah, so they didn't even forget
how restricted free agency was because that

1699
01:51:12,720 --> 01:51:15,640
was if that was post Gilbert Arenas. I think, like, what year

1700
01:51:15,680 --> 01:51:17,920
did you say that was? Uh? He was an two draft pick,

1701
01:51:18,079 --> 01:51:23,399
so it would have been it was, well, what the hell was Arenas?

1702
01:51:23,680 --> 01:51:27,520
I think Arenas was right after that
because I think Arenas went to Washington

1703
01:51:27,560 --> 01:51:31,239
in like three or oh four or
something. I could be wrong. Yeah,

1704
01:51:31,760 --> 01:51:35,439
so Pa, So this is what
Boozer said on the reality it was

1705
01:51:35,479 --> 01:51:38,439
I was the second round pick,
so I had a two year contract on

1706
01:51:38,439 --> 01:51:41,640
an option for a thirdy year,
and they had discussed taking my option away

1707
01:51:41,680 --> 01:51:44,159
so they could resign me. The
only bad thing about it was that it

1708
01:51:44,199 --> 01:51:46,159
would be tampering and the Cows are
going to be under investigation. So we

1709
01:51:46,239 --> 01:51:48,560
went through the process. They took
away my option. They wanted to give

1710
01:51:48,560 --> 01:51:51,399
me a new contract. The league
knows everything, so when they took away

1711
01:51:51,479 --> 01:51:54,600
my third year option, they were
going to offer me a deal around forty

1712
01:51:54,640 --> 01:51:57,720
million. But the league was also
getting indication that there was four other teams

1713
01:51:57,720 --> 01:52:00,600
that were offering to pay me seventy
million plus, So if I would have

1714
01:52:00,640 --> 01:52:03,359
resigned, they would have immediately known
it was tampering. Oh wow, Okay,

1715
01:52:04,520 --> 01:52:09,159
I have to read a couple of
other clues because I, uh they're

1716
01:52:09,520 --> 01:52:12,319
worth it. Uh the next clue, which you did not need, because

1717
01:52:12,319 --> 01:52:15,159
you got it. In twenty ten, I was acquired by the Bulls Trade

1718
01:52:15,239 --> 01:52:17,439
my production on the Client six.
Despite averaging around fifteen and nine in my

1719
01:52:17,479 --> 01:52:21,000
time with Chicago, my most notable
moments are probably having spray on hair,

1720
01:52:21,119 --> 01:52:26,960
remember that? And accidentally punching a
ref in the nuts? Remember that video?

1721
01:52:27,279 --> 01:52:30,079
How funny that one is? No, I don't remember that one.

1722
01:52:30,159 --> 01:52:33,319
I think he's like celebrating an and
one or like protesting a call, and

1723
01:52:33,399 --> 01:52:38,920
he like swings around on the baseline
with like a like a I don't know,

1724
01:52:39,079 --> 01:52:41,960
like you're trying to punch someone in
the nuts basically, And there was

1725
01:52:42,039 --> 01:52:45,000
in fact someone in the way and
it was the ref and he got Oh

1726
01:52:45,039 --> 01:52:48,960
no, watch now you remember that? That was a great one. Why

1727
01:52:49,159 --> 01:52:55,920
I never I've never seen this video. I'm not even kidding the last one.

1728
01:52:56,000 --> 01:52:59,319
My twin sons are top recruits for
twenty twenty five. If you're oh,

1729
01:52:59,399 --> 01:53:02,840
yeah, get it up there all
readstarted for people to watch. This

1730
01:53:02,960 --> 01:53:13,920
is wild. Yeah and one bang
he yell, he like yells in his

1731
01:53:14,079 --> 01:53:18,359
face afterwards. Oh it's so good. Also the most the loudest yeller of

1732
01:53:18,479 --> 01:53:23,520
and one in NBA history. That
was. I don't think Mellow can give

1733
01:53:23,560 --> 01:53:26,159
a run for his money. No, Boozer was the guy. I think,

1734
01:53:26,239 --> 01:53:31,159
Well, Mellow was the rebound one. You had to turn the mics

1735
01:53:31,199 --> 01:53:36,039
off because he's just cursing every rebound
he got. That was good, Mike,

1736
01:53:36,079 --> 01:53:40,079
thank you for you provided the heavy
lifting for this guess a player,

1737
01:53:40,319 --> 01:53:43,319
So thank you. Excellent work.
I think that's gonna do it. Unless

1738
01:53:43,439 --> 01:53:47,520
you would like to add anything about
Carlos Boozer punching people. No, I

1739
01:53:47,560 --> 01:53:50,880
think. I think I can't believe. I'm sure I saw it and then

1740
01:53:50,920 --> 01:53:55,000
forgot about it. But that's like
that's something that I should have remembered,

1741
01:53:55,039 --> 01:53:58,119
So maybe I never saw it.
That's up there. That's better than but

1742
01:53:58,319 --> 01:54:01,880
similar to I think it's after Vince
Carter dunks over Frederick Weiss, he like

1743
01:54:02,399 --> 01:54:09,239
punches the air and turns around and
like is probably got Kevin Garnett's eyelashes it

1744
01:54:09,359 --> 01:54:12,960
with a celebratory punch and like almost
just killed a man just because he was

1745
01:54:13,000 --> 01:54:17,840
somped. Here's a funny. It's
it's funny because everything ended up being fine.

1746
01:54:17,920 --> 01:54:20,960
She's my wife, now my now
life. This is a great start

1747
01:54:21,039 --> 01:54:27,039
to the story. Do you the
first year so twenty ten or maybe it's

1748
01:54:27,079 --> 01:54:29,880
a left when a Mari's first season
in New York that was twy ten,

1749
01:54:29,880 --> 01:54:33,520
twenty eleven, right or yeah,
sounds right. So he hits it's against

1750
01:54:33,560 --> 01:54:36,720
the Celtics. It looked like it
was a game winning three, and we

1751
01:54:36,840 --> 01:54:41,159
were in her room watching it and
her dad, who me and him have

1752
01:54:41,279 --> 01:54:44,279
always had a really good rapport,
but this is like we were dating for

1753
01:54:44,640 --> 01:54:47,960
maybe a year and a half at
this point. Uh after he's watching in

1754
01:54:48,000 --> 01:54:51,039
their living room. So after MARII
hits the shot, we're both screaming and

1755
01:54:51,159 --> 01:54:57,199
I jump up and fist pump and
clocked my wife right across the face.

1756
01:54:57,439 --> 01:55:00,279
And she was fine, but I
didn't notice it because I ran out of

1757
01:55:00,279 --> 01:55:03,199
the room and meet her dad or
like celebrating. I'm like talking about it,

1758
01:55:03,560 --> 01:55:05,640
and I'd come back in the room
and she was like, you just

1759
01:55:05,960 --> 01:55:12,159
punched me, so apparently, I
didn't even feel it. You're too amped.

1760
01:55:12,479 --> 01:55:15,600
Omari did that to people. Wait, here's the thing. The shot

1761
01:55:15,720 --> 01:55:21,239
ended up not counting, so it
was all for nothing. She was okay.

1762
01:55:21,520 --> 01:55:24,800
Otherwise this wouldn't have been funny at
all. I want to make that

1763
01:55:24,920 --> 01:55:29,560
clear. So you can't tell that
story if one you're not married to her

1764
01:55:29,600 --> 01:55:33,159
now, or two she was not
okay. All right, everyone, Thanks

1765
01:55:33,199 --> 01:55:38,399
for your questions as always both in
the in the Western Conference mailbag, and

1766
01:55:38,680 --> 01:55:43,039
thank you for your contributions Mike in
particular and Ruby Scout for our guests of

1767
01:55:43,079 --> 01:55:47,079
players. What else, If you
want to contribute, get on discord.

1768
01:55:47,520 --> 01:55:50,239
You can find the link on how
to do that in YouTube and podcast description,

1769
01:55:50,319 --> 01:55:55,720
along with how to check out our
merch some of which is behind me,

1770
01:55:56,279 --> 01:55:59,560
some of which is probably near Dan
or in the vicinity there it is.

1771
01:56:00,239 --> 01:56:02,000
Uh yeah, tell your friends,
tell your enemies, rate review,

1772
01:56:02,039 --> 01:56:06,199
subscribe, follow us, up vote, thumbs up, all the good things

1773
01:56:06,600 --> 01:56:11,920
vote voting. I I don't know. I like to add in, I

1774
01:56:12,039 --> 01:56:15,039
like to add libs sometimes, like
positive ways to approve of and spread our

1775
01:56:15,119 --> 01:56:18,039
content. But I don't know if
upvote is like a real thing you could

1776
01:56:18,279 --> 01:56:21,159
so I guess you could promote us
on Reddit if they let you promote,

1777
01:56:21,159 --> 01:56:25,399
and then people can upvote it.
That is where you upvote. That's right,

1778
01:56:25,520 --> 01:56:28,840
Okay, yeah, do that.
I guess I don't know. Thanks

1779
01:56:28,880 --> 01:56:31,239
again, shout out Frank Nolakina.
Apologies, Jared Allen