1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,640 What is krack Lack and hardwood Knocks listeners, I am dam Pavalley coming at 2 00:00:08,679 --> 00:00:14,679 you once more without my fantaguloust co host Adam Cromwell. We're gonna continue plowing 3 00:00:14,759 --> 00:00:20,239 through our look Ahead podcast. The Toronto Raptors are next up on our docket. 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,519 I am super excited as always to be joined by Yasmin Dale, who 5 00:00:24,519 --> 00:00:29,039 covers the NBA for the Dishes and Dimes podcast. She also writes for Yahoo 6 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,320 Sports and The Toronto Star. She had a newsletter, the Neon Playbook, 7 00:00:33,359 --> 00:00:36,399 which was where she has a newsletter. It's fantastic. She said she's gonna 8 00:00:36,399 --> 00:00:41,159 try and reboot it up during the regular season. Follow her work at Carmelo 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,039 Drama at c R M E l O d R A M A. She's 10 00:00:45,039 --> 00:00:48,119 a great writer, great follow on Twitter, so go check her out. 11 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:52,439 Before we get started, though, just the usual housekeeping notes. Please continue 12 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,799 rating, reviewing, and subscribing to us wherever you get your podcasts, downloading 13 00:00:56,799 --> 00:01:00,520 every episode as well. If you're a first time listener because you want to 14 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,640 hear about the Toronto Raptors, or you stumbled upon us on accident, consider 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:11,280 giving us that permanent subscription. We are a pleasantly sub mediocre basketball podcast that 16 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,640 covers the entire MBA at large. We ask everyone too, regardless of whether 17 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,640 you use iTunes, to head over to iTunes if you have access to its 18 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,439 search Hardwoo Knox, throw us that firestart rating right, review both help us 19 00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:26,799 out a ton on the charts. Follow us on Twitter at Hardwood Knox. 20 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:32,319 You can also follow us on YouTube go to YouTube dot com search Hardwoodknox, 21 00:01:32,359 --> 00:01:37,000 subscribe to our channel, and we are on Instagram as well at Hardwood Underscore 22 00:01:37,359 --> 00:01:41,400 Knox. With all of those notes now out of the way, let's dig 23 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:47,280 deep into the Toronto Raptors with Yasmin Dally. Yasmin, thank you so much 24 00:01:47,359 --> 00:01:51,640 for coming back on the Hardwood NOx podcast to talk more Toronto Raptors with me, 25 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,879 who are one of my sirens songs and during the season. I just 26 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,760 for the past few years, I haven't been able to quit them. But 27 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,480 first and foremost, how the hell are you doing? I'm well, thanks 28 00:02:00,519 --> 00:02:05,840 for having me. I'm always down to talk raptors. Yeah, and there's 29 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:07,080 a lot of talk about with the Raptors and I kind of just wanted to 30 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,800 start do you have any just you know, heading into the regular season. 31 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,840 Are you thinking about any themes thoughts, just anything from the Raptors off season, 32 00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:16,400 maybe even you know, go on Drag. It's just anything at all 33 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,520 as we head into the regular season that still stands out to you. I'm 34 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:30,439 actually quite positive about going on Like obviously he uh, I think he touched 35 00:02:30,439 --> 00:02:36,240 at something traumatic for Raptors fans when he made those comments about not really wanting 36 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,879 to be here or you know, I feel like I want to just believe 37 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,479 that it was caught up in translation or something, because I'm pretty sure it 38 00:02:43,479 --> 00:02:49,439 was non English. But I actually loved the idea of him, you know, 39 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,120 being that veteran for the second unit, which is like very youthful this 40 00:02:53,199 --> 00:02:58,919 year for the Raptors. Usually their second units tend to be more seasoned, 41 00:02:59,039 --> 00:03:01,520 have a couple of years of G League play under their belt, but they 42 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:07,360 have guys like Scotty and Delano and Precious, just guys who have maybe not 43 00:03:07,439 --> 00:03:15,120 had enough, who haven't really had significant NBA playing time yet. So having 44 00:03:15,159 --> 00:03:21,759 a guy like Dragic with playoff experience, who's you know, great traditional point 45 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,800 guard, you know. He I think what separates him from Larry's that he 46 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,680 may not have the defensive capabilities, but offensively, the gap isn't that huge 47 00:03:29,759 --> 00:03:34,080 between them in my opinion. But you know, I actually I am positive 48 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:42,439 about Dragic. I'm really excited to see Scotty how he translates into the NBA. 49 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,439 And I think that the most exciting theme for a lot of people has 50 00:03:46,479 --> 00:03:54,479 been Og finally having you know, this space to use what he's accumulated over 51 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,479 the years, all the skills that he's been quietly building and working on. 52 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,120 I think that with Pascal healing from his surgery, his shoulder surgery, Og 53 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:09,319 will have just a prime opportunity to kind of eat up a little bit of 54 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,280 usage and get used to the lead role because in order for the Raptors to 55 00:04:13,319 --> 00:04:15,439 be successful this year, he's going to have to be the lead scorer alongside 56 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,839 Pascal. So I think that would be the most exciting theme for the first 57 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:25,399 month or so the season before Sam gets back. Yeah, you were the 58 00:04:25,439 --> 00:04:28,920 one that I think believe retweeted into my timeline a video that the Raptors posted 59 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,079 and I had to fan myself after watching Og hit turn Around, step back 60 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,079 Jumper. And so is that like the type of self discovery we can expect 61 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,519 to see from Og? And at obion offense and just two listeners who might 62 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,439 not realize this from last season, Like he did drawd in his offensive game 63 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:46,600 last year, just when you're looking at him putting up the ball on the 64 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,519 floor, it seemed like there were more just directionality to his drives, even 65 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,639 quicker decisions as a passer. But if he's going to test out stuff like 66 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,959 that, I might end up watching like eighty two Raptors games this year. 67 00:04:56,639 --> 00:05:00,480 Yeah, and it might seem like like a shocking lead some people, But 68 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:05,639 Og has just been quietly working and perfecting just like his base level skills for 69 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,439 so long now, for a few years now, just working on his shooting. 70 00:05:10,879 --> 00:05:16,120 He's become just a really solid catching shooter already. He's he's already an 71 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,800 excellent defender. He started to the last two years, I'd say he was 72 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:26,120 working on his self creation. So the natural progression for him was just to 73 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,000 improve his handle. And once he does that, it kind of just acts 74 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,120 as the blue to kind of bring cohesiveness to all the skills that he already 75 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:38,879 has been kind of working on. So, you know, Raptor's friends have 76 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,199 been saying for a while that, like, you know, Pascal needs that 77 00:05:42,199 --> 00:05:45,680 that wing creator who can just kind of self create to act as kind of 78 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,800 like a release valve when things are working. Norman Powell satisfied that to like 79 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:55,800 a degree, But I think that Og being you know, his size, 80 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,279 the versatility in a skill set, and you know, just other aspects that 81 00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:08,720 he brings, can be an even more ideal partner to that offensive duo. 82 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,639 So I'm just really excited to see him kind of just have the opportunity to 83 00:06:12,759 --> 00:06:15,759 just finally do it. Because once Normal was traded, I think he went 84 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,959 on to average nineteen points per game or around that, So I think he 85 00:06:20,439 --> 00:06:25,199 has like the capability. So just to see it in action in a normal 86 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:30,480 setting for a season in Toronto will be really exciting for Frads. I still 87 00:06:30,519 --> 00:06:34,000 don't and I'm not one that's just going to root for players being on bargain 88 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:39,560 contracts, But I don't know how they got him seventy two million dollars. 89 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,319 I don't. It still doesn't compute to me that is going to end up 90 00:06:43,319 --> 00:06:46,199 being one of the most team friendliest deals in the NBA, I think over 91 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,720 the next oh yeah, your years. So is there a timeline for Siakam's 92 00:06:49,759 --> 00:06:55,560 return from his left shoulder injury? Surgery, and while this isn't scientific, 93 00:06:55,639 --> 00:06:59,160 I think one, well, this is scientific. People clearly underrated the year 94 00:06:59,519 --> 00:07:01,720 he had last year. Even though it wasn't great by his standards, like 95 00:07:01,759 --> 00:07:05,519 his aside from Justin if you look at the perimeter shooting like there was still 96 00:07:05,759 --> 00:07:09,959 a lot to like about his game and a lot of the efficiency rebounded. 97 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,279 The non scientific part of this for me is that the vibes around him just 98 00:07:13,319 --> 00:07:18,000 seem better this season. And so between that and the Raptors playing again in 99 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,720 Toronto once he is healthy, do you expect this to be sort of a 100 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,839 I don't want to say bounced back year, but more of a universally appreciated 101 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:30,040 year from Pascal Siakum. Yeah, I think so. I think that the 102 00:07:30,079 --> 00:07:34,120 expectation for the upcoming season is different. Like you know, if you if 103 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:40,680 you look at the expectations that have been put on him from you know, 104 00:07:40,839 --> 00:07:46,720 being the second lead scorer alongside Kawhi Leonard on a championship like aspiring team, 105 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,360 then the next season is the championship defense, and then you know, the 106 00:07:49,399 --> 00:07:55,839 next season after that is like trying to pick up the pieces after you know, 107 00:07:55,959 --> 00:08:00,040 that bubble run against the Celtics. So you know, it's just a 108 00:07:59,839 --> 00:08:03,879 series of really high pressure moments for a guy who's just trying to, I 109 00:08:03,879 --> 00:08:07,879 think, find his identity as a as a lead or co league scorer on 110 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,720 a team. So I think people are just excited to se him in a 111 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:16,839 in a more normal environment on a younger team that might be more cater to 112 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:24,639 what a twenty seven year old you know, you know, former All Stars 113 00:08:24,639 --> 00:08:30,160 should be expected to accomplish on a team. You know, those championship aspirations 114 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:31,399 can be in the future. Right now, I think that he should be 115 00:08:31,759 --> 00:08:37,200 allowed to develop as a leader, all of the all of the other things 116 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,639 that we kind of give grace to other All Stars to accomplish. I think 117 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,240 fans are like kind of just willing to extend that to him now. And 118 00:08:45,759 --> 00:08:50,799 I think he spoke a little bit about how his lingering shoulder injury was just 119 00:08:50,879 --> 00:08:56,159 kind of hindering him the last season and affecting his left handed dribble. It 120 00:08:56,159 --> 00:09:00,240 affected how he was able to move on the court, and you know, 121 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,159 I wouldn't be surprised if it had a bit of an impact on his shooting. 122 00:09:03,159 --> 00:09:07,440 So I can't wait to see him play at full health, and I'm 123 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:13,440 really excited to see how he how he does as a You know, now 124 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,759 he's among the veterans on the team, one of the among the older players 125 00:09:16,759 --> 00:09:22,840 on the team. I seek only Dragic would be older than him or Kem. 126 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,919 Rather Kem and Dragic the only older players were, whereas he was always 127 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:28,559 the baby of the team. So it's going to be a very interesting dynamic 128 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,879 now and I can't wait to see it. I can't wait to see how 129 00:09:31,919 --> 00:09:37,879 him and Fred fill out that roles. Yeah, and so we mentioned you 130 00:09:37,919 --> 00:09:41,039 met, You already mentioned how Og will have to definitely pick up offensive slack. 131 00:09:41,039 --> 00:09:43,720 When you're looking at Siakam's injury and then Drag, I think you were 132 00:09:43,799 --> 00:09:46,080 right. He naturally replaced a lot of what Kyle Lowry does on offense. 133 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,799 You really you won't feel it to get on defense. But Fred Van and 134 00:09:48,799 --> 00:09:50,919 Fleet early on, I'm assuming is just going to have to be like the 135 00:09:50,919 --> 00:09:54,480 most important offensive player for him. And while I would be more inclined to 136 00:09:54,519 --> 00:09:58,679 pick Og as a most improved candidate, I feel like Fred Van Fleet's name 137 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,720 gets floated in that conversation and oh yeah, every year, what what does 138 00:10:01,759 --> 00:10:07,000 he need to do better to be the number one option in Siakam's absence effectively 139 00:10:07,039 --> 00:10:11,399 and too to actually actualize this most improved player. Chatter that again, he 140 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,799 is always garnering at least over like the past three years or whatever it's been. 141 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,840 Yeah, Friend, Like it's interesting because he does have his limitations that 142 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,360 we you know, we acknowledge. You know, he's finishing his size, 143 00:10:24,399 --> 00:10:28,360 Like these are things that he has to work to overcome. But like, 144 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,320 the thing about Friend is that he somehow always finds a way. He always 145 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,000 finds a way, like he will have like I'm pretty sure he had like 146 00:10:35,039 --> 00:10:37,639 a fifty point game before, and you know, he always finds a way 147 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,080 to become whatever the team needs at any given moment, which is like a 148 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:50,639 very Larry esque trait. So I can't wait to see how he figures out 149 00:10:50,759 --> 00:10:54,240 what he's needed to be on this team for next season and how he becomes 150 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,320 that, because weirdly enough, I don't doubt that he'll figure it out somehow 151 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:03,279 and he'll figure out how to keep the team afloat wild things line up for 152 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,279 them. So I think it's just going to be a matter of him being 153 00:11:07,279 --> 00:11:11,399 more of a shooting guard than a point guard. I wouldn't be surprised if 154 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:16,600 the playmaking burden was kind of more evenly distributed throughout the team, and that 155 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,399 Fred was just asked to be a score because I think that he is a 156 00:11:20,399 --> 00:11:24,679 better score than he is a peer point guard. So I think that's the 157 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,240 reason why people were kind of confused as to why Nick Nurse I mentioned that 158 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:33,960 Dragic could possibly be starting alongside Fred, and I would not be surprised if 159 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:39,679 that happens in the beginning of the season, so that Dragic can be the 160 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,519 point guard and Fred can be the shooting guard, which is like a really 161 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:48,200 good dynamic that was between him and Larry. I don't know how Fred will 162 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,039 take it, because I know that he thinks himself as a point guard, 163 00:11:50,639 --> 00:11:54,120 but I think they're gonna they're really going to need him to score, which 164 00:11:54,159 --> 00:11:58,840 he's one hundred percent capable of doing doing and which would honestly end up helping 165 00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:05,879 his most improved player. You know the chatter around that because his surface level 166 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:11,200 points per game and all that would be more it would be bolstered by him 167 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,840 taking on that role. Is when you watch him, do you see hope 168 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:18,600 for him to become like a better finisher as someone who shot thirty eight percent 169 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,360 on drives last year and has always been kind of just iffy in that area 170 00:12:22,399 --> 00:12:28,159 of the game. I think it ultimately comes down to him figuring out how 171 00:12:28,159 --> 00:12:33,000 to navigate the pick and roll as a ball handler and honestly as a pocket 172 00:12:33,039 --> 00:12:39,000 pass a little better. I find that his game on the perimeter is really 173 00:12:39,039 --> 00:12:43,320 good, Like I think that some of a friend's most iconic plays is coming 174 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,799 off the screen on the perimeter. He just has his ability to just square 175 00:12:46,879 --> 00:12:52,000 himself to the basket really quickly and get off a shot without having it, 176 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:58,159 you know, blocked or contested in anyway. But something about him getting to 177 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,080 the basket is just a lot of a lot of you can see the gears 178 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,600 moving in his head. I think he overthinks it, and I think that 179 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,080 when it comes to Fred, he doesn't really have I always mentioned that he 180 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:13,200 doesn't have the athleticism. I think that he's a little more injury prone in 181 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:18,120 that sense. But for Fred, I think it will come down to how 182 00:13:18,159 --> 00:13:22,759 he navigated, how his relationship with the big in that scenario, and also 183 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,919 his ability to absorb contact, because I don't think he's going to get the 184 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:33,759 lift that Lowry does at that you know, I don't think he'll get the 185 00:13:33,279 --> 00:13:39,399 the the the shake or the ability to create distance or space between him and 186 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,559 the trailing defender like a kyrie or something. But I think that if Fred 187 00:13:43,639 --> 00:13:48,559 becomes a guy who can just take a hit and somehow finish it, he'll 188 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:52,440 he'll have a little more success as a finisher. But I think that his 189 00:13:52,519 --> 00:14:00,480 future is just honestly improving his mid range, which I think was causing a 190 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,000 lot of the issue with the finishing. He really did improve that aspect of 191 00:14:03,039 --> 00:14:09,720 his game, but people would not respect his shot as a mid ring shooter, 192 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,720 not because he couldn't make it, but because he wouldn't take that shot, 193 00:14:13,399 --> 00:14:16,519 so the defender will be lingering under the basket, which you know was 194 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:24,519 just ultimately asking for a block. So I think that improving his ability to 195 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:31,080 withstand the blows around the basket and also to take those mid range shots will 196 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,120 ease it up. And I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see the 197 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,879 work that he did the last season in improving his mid ring shot show up 198 00:14:39,919 --> 00:14:43,799 on scouting reports and allow him to create a little bit of distance on his 199 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,960 way to the basket as well. Yeah, he did, and he looked 200 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,840 like he just improved his off the dribble shooting game in general last year, 201 00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:54,639 which I think that's this team needs that, especially with I don't that's like 202 00:14:54,799 --> 00:14:56,320 Draggage can do that, but he definitely And I know Kyle Lowry had it 203 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,919 down year last year, but I still think Lowry was more of a threat 204 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,360 to do stuff like that. I feel like I buried the lead to start 205 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:07,639 this podcast. Though the Raptors offseason was weird in some I ended up just 206 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,960 because of higher on the roster in general, the fact that they kept MASSI 207 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,279 I just defaulted too. You know what, that's fine. I didn't love 208 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,559 how the Kyle Lowry chain events played out from the trade deadline on, but 209 00:15:18,159 --> 00:15:22,720 you kept MASSI that's huge. However, the Scottie Barnes over jail and Sugs 210 00:15:22,759 --> 00:15:24,919 selection, how did you feel about that? And I know he's endeared himself 211 00:15:24,919 --> 00:15:28,720 to the fan base since he seems like, yeah, a lot of best 212 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,240 personalities to come out of the draft. But I think Nick Nurse mentioned that 213 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,399 they're going to give him as many minutes as possible, So do you actually 214 00:15:35,399 --> 00:15:39,279 think that he's going to get, you know, real license to make mistakes 215 00:15:39,279 --> 00:15:43,720 and a ton of leeway with this team in year one, I don't know 216 00:15:43,799 --> 00:15:48,000 if they have any other choice. Out of necessity, he will be getting 217 00:15:48,039 --> 00:15:54,039 those minutes. And one thing I noticed about Scotty is that he's a He's 218 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,600 a type of guy who's who's going to be doing whatever it takes to just 219 00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:03,200 simply win. I don't he's concerned about how he'll look as a rookie, 220 00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:07,159 about first Team All Rookie, about Rookie of the Year sort of things. 221 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:11,080 I think he's just concerned about winning as a team. It's just a common 222 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:17,399 thing he's always mentioning. He has not once mentioned those other aspirations like we've 223 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,799 heard Jalen Green talk about his Rookie of the Year aspirations, Like Scottie is 224 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:26,000 just simply concerned with having this team win basketball games, which I think is 225 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,639 so important in a rookie. And I honestly I take some credit for the 226 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:34,240 huge turnaround like the one eighty that the fan base did after drafting, because 227 00:16:36,679 --> 00:16:41,200 me and Sean Woodley immediately recorded on Lockdown Raptors and we were just kind of 228 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:47,799 I was talking him off the cliff and just telling the fan base that I 229 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,159 think that they're going to end up loving this pick, and it sort of 230 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:56,159 does make sense for the direction that the team has been discussing in terms of 231 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:02,600 just filling their roster with versatile wings and versatile small fowards. I think it's 232 00:17:03,399 --> 00:17:07,359 the Raptors are just hoarding those type of players who can just kind of play 233 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,559 all positions, do a little bit of everything, and if they can't shoot, 234 00:17:10,759 --> 00:17:12,839 they can't shoot. If there's one thing that the Retronto Raptors can do 235 00:17:14,039 --> 00:17:17,599 is turn somebody into a decent shooter, Like they have a pretty good resume 236 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:21,519 at that sort of thing. So if you have a player like Scotty, 237 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:26,759 who is has an amazing personality, which is so important in terms of a 238 00:17:26,759 --> 00:17:33,519 lottery pick who's expected to lead a roster in the future. When you talk 239 00:17:33,559 --> 00:17:40,000 about his defensive capabilities, his ability as a playmaker at his sides, a 240 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,480 ball handler at his size, the shooting thing kind of just seems like a 241 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,319 drop in the bucket. And judging by what him and Nick Nurse have said, 242 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:52,400 it's something that they've already begun tweaking over the offseason, and I'm excited 243 00:17:52,400 --> 00:18:00,079 to see how it looks in comparison to his in comparison to his film in 244 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:06,720 college, and uh, you know, it's funny because I didn't hear I 245 00:18:06,759 --> 00:18:10,799 was covering in March Badness, and I didn't hear much Scotty Barnes talk until 246 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,759 quite close to the draft. That's when I think the word was Scotty Barnes. 247 00:18:15,839 --> 00:18:19,400 And it's no surprise because he was going to these workouts and the draft 248 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,960 combine and to whatnot, and scouts were seeing this guy and how just because 249 00:18:25,079 --> 00:18:30,720 he had this contagious personality, he had this endless source of energy, and 250 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,240 people just wanted him on their team. So it's no surprise to me that 251 00:18:34,279 --> 00:18:38,319 the Raptors ended up going with him. And I'm just really excited to see 252 00:18:38,319 --> 00:18:44,480 how he translates into NBA basketball because this guy was nineteen not a couple of 253 00:18:44,519 --> 00:18:48,680 weeks ago, and he's bigger than oge On and Obe, so it's I 254 00:18:48,839 --> 00:18:55,519 just want to see how he gets around. And like, I remember how 255 00:18:55,559 --> 00:18:59,960 awkward it was for og being young, being like six seven or run I 256 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,279 for like two thirty or something, So I just want to see if we 257 00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:07,759 have like that same baby deer effect or if something more used to it. 258 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,599 Yeah, he I didn't watch really any film from him in college, and 259 00:19:11,599 --> 00:19:15,359 so in summer League, I was. It took me aback at how fluint 260 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,319 he seemed comfortable working off the dribble and changing directions and I could see dudes 261 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,480 bouncing off of him if he ever. Yeah, that was a surprising thing. 262 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,240 I went to summer League and I was just shocked by how this guy 263 00:19:26,319 --> 00:19:29,720 would just put his head down and dribble straight to the basket, which is 264 00:19:29,839 --> 00:19:33,119 kind of something that you know, a six nine guy would kind of avoid 265 00:19:33,319 --> 00:19:37,160 just because of how high the dribble is, and you kind of get nervous 266 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:41,440 about that sort of thing. But his ability to just use his speed, 267 00:19:41,519 --> 00:19:45,559 his size and be willing to use it to his advantage off the rip was 268 00:19:45,599 --> 00:19:48,880 just really impressive. Do you still view I mean, the Raptors are crarly 269 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,160 trying to set a record for the house the most players between sixty seven and 270 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:57,319 six nine on their team. Do you still last year and in something as 271 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,799 someone who just loves smaller lineups, I never would have I didn't think the 272 00:20:00,839 --> 00:20:03,759 need for a center was as drastic, But the constant refrain was, Oh, 273 00:20:03,759 --> 00:20:07,160 they need a true center, they need to get bigger, and they 274 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:11,279 proceeded this offseason to not acquire a true center or get really bigger. And 275 00:20:11,319 --> 00:20:14,319 so do you still view that as a weakness on this team? Was it 276 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,440 an overblown weakness to begin with? I think I think it's both. It's 277 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:23,000 a weakness, but I think it's overblown as well. I think that when 278 00:20:23,039 --> 00:20:29,039 you talk about the need for a true center, like you're talking about Embiid, 279 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:32,519 you're talking about your Kitch. You're talking about the top centers in the 280 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:37,240 NBA that you'll have to watch out for. And I think that the Raptors 281 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:42,240 have shown that they can deal with those guys with their six seven to six 282 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:47,960 nine players. You know O Gianobi, I think he's among the best Yo 283 00:20:48,039 --> 00:20:52,640 Kich defenders in the NBA right now. I think that they they believe that 284 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:57,920 if they're willing to minimize the other four threats on the court, it'll kind 285 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:03,920 of, you know, make it kind of increase the difficulty for the center, 286 00:21:03,039 --> 00:21:07,119 especially the ones that rely on passing like Yokich. The one thing about 287 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,000 the Yo Kitch game, but I think it's the last game that the Raptors 288 00:21:11,039 --> 00:21:18,319 played against the Nuggets, was that Yo Ki would roll because Yokich had og 289 00:21:18,519 --> 00:21:22,319 on him. He would rely on kicking out the ball like he try and 290 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:23,839 draw the attention to kick it out, but he just had so many guys 291 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:30,440 on the court with like seven two wingspans that they're just passing lane steals every 292 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:37,000 other possession. So I think that there's no perfect defense, you know what 293 00:21:37,039 --> 00:21:41,640 I mean, Like there's always going to be the Achilles Heel for every defensive 294 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,559 scheme, for every defensive lineup that you throw out there, Like if there's 295 00:21:45,599 --> 00:21:51,519 a big on the court, he can be exposed by a picking world dominant 296 00:21:51,519 --> 00:21:53,680 point guard or a point guard that can really work the perimeter. If you 297 00:21:53,759 --> 00:21:57,119 put like, there's just so many there were weaknesses, there's weaknesses his own 298 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:02,880 defense. You leave yourself exposed in certain areas of the course. So I 299 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,400 think that they really they I think they've concluded that this is the one with 300 00:22:06,519 --> 00:22:14,799 the least amount of you know, kings and the armor. Do you is 301 00:22:14,799 --> 00:22:17,400 this like a I mean, you know how I feel about Chris Bouche. 302 00:22:17,519 --> 00:22:19,880 Obviously you haven't been on this podcast before. Is there a chance that he 303 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:26,599 ends up sort of playing a smaller role to Kem Birch if he doesn't get 304 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:29,319 more disciplined on the defensive end. And I think Nick Nurse kind of talked 305 00:22:29,319 --> 00:22:33,480 about they want him to be less, you know, chaotic on that side 306 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,079 of the floor, or is he this team's you know for I don't want 307 00:22:36,079 --> 00:22:38,920 to. I don't want to describe positions to anyone on this team or it 308 00:22:40,039 --> 00:22:45,359 or is Chris Bouche just their best option at center. I think they've shown 309 00:22:45,759 --> 00:22:51,880 like a willingness to play him at power four, so I'm gonna I think 310 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:57,519 it all ends up relying on how Scotty is used. So how Scotty's used 311 00:22:57,599 --> 00:23:00,480 is going to have a bit of a dominant fact about the depth at the 312 00:23:00,519 --> 00:23:07,119 four for the Raptors, So I think that depending on that, if they're 313 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:11,920 thin at the four, then I'd think that we're going to see Bouchet play, 314 00:23:11,079 --> 00:23:17,920 perhaps alongside Kim for some lineups. So I don't think anyone is promised 315 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,720 minutes on this team to an extent. I don't think there are any lineup 316 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:26,960 promises. I think that Nick dars will truly spend the whole season just figuring 317 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:32,559 out what looks best, so you know, we're going to see the I 318 00:23:32,559 --> 00:23:36,680 think they broke records the last season for the amount of lineup versatility that they 319 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,119 threw out there. Obviously out of necessity towards the end of the season. 320 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,359 But yeah, I don't. I don't think anyone is promised minutes. And 321 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:48,200 I think that with Chris Bouchet, I honestly thought he was going to be 322 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:52,680 traded in the off season just because he's outperformed his value so much and that 323 00:23:52,759 --> 00:23:56,400 I think that they could have gotten a great return for him. So I 324 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:03,240 don't think that they're going to be compromising that increase in value they've gone from 325 00:24:03,279 --> 00:24:06,039 Chris Bouchet. So I think just added that they're gonna put him on the 326 00:24:06,039 --> 00:24:11,359 court shoot to you know, you get catapult soles threes into the hoops. 327 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:15,079 So I think that he's just gonna he's still donna have to be a major 328 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,839 player heading into next season. Yeah, and it really might not matter who 329 00:24:18,839 --> 00:24:22,640 plays, you know, center for the Rappers, because Og just might end 330 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,720 up guarding the fives anyway, as happened so much less season. So I 331 00:24:25,799 --> 00:24:30,599 understand that you mentioned no one's guaranteed minutes, though, do you expect Precious 332 00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:33,880 that you were to get a crack at the rotation or is he just very 333 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:38,640 much kind of potentially an afterthought on this team. I think I just ran 334 00:24:38,799 --> 00:24:45,000 a quote just before we started recording that where Nick Nurse said that he'll be 335 00:24:45,039 --> 00:24:49,680 in the thick of things immediately. And that's no surprise because when I was 336 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:56,839 watching those summer league games, Precious is people don't talk about it. He 337 00:24:56,519 --> 00:25:00,640 might have had, like I think, the lack of opportunity playing on the 338 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:07,559 heat and perhaps maybe they weren't asking of him what he was capable of doing. 339 00:25:07,559 --> 00:25:11,519 But I think on his team, he'll just be allowed to be himself, 340 00:25:11,759 --> 00:25:18,359 and that is a guy who can really fill in the gaps on the 341 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,640 offense, which is like such an underrated skill. I think it's how Pascal 342 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,880 Siak I'm kind of showed up on the radar in that early twenty eighteen season, 343 00:25:29,759 --> 00:25:33,640 where as just just a guy who takes advantage of people looking at the 344 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:38,200 other names on the court, you know what I mean. So I think 345 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,119 that he showed just an ability to catch and stretch head straight for the hoop 346 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:47,759 while the other team is still mentally adjusting to what is happening right now. 347 00:25:47,799 --> 00:25:52,440 So I think that Nick Nurse sees value in that. So I'm I can't 348 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,720 wait to see Precious. I feel like he's going to be a fan favorite 349 00:25:55,799 --> 00:26:00,400 very quickly. What type of role could we expect now a kind going to 350 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:07,599 play in year two? Hm, I think that he's going to have a 351 00:26:07,599 --> 00:26:15,240 big role, especially if Dragic ends up starting alongside Fred and Gary Trent Junior 352 00:26:15,279 --> 00:26:18,440 comes off the bench. Malakai is going to be leading a second unit in 353 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:26,319 that case, and I think that you know, he still has I think 354 00:26:26,319 --> 00:26:32,799 he still needs to improve his shooting, but he's I rarely see Malaki make 355 00:26:32,839 --> 00:26:36,400 the wrong pass. He's someone who can really be molded into like a traditional 356 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:42,119 point where I see like a very solid, dependable six man and like as 357 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,720 his future. So I think that they're going to really lean into that and 358 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:51,440 allow him to take a bit of a leadership role with the bench. Even 359 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,240 if Dragic ends up coming off the bench, I think that Malaki would be 360 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:57,960 a major player regardless, And so you view him as someone who has like 361 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,880 the playmaking chops to lead potentially second units as the primary ball handler. Yeah, 362 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,200 I do, actually, yeah, I feel like if he does end 363 00:27:07,279 --> 00:27:11,759 up leading the bench units, it would be in the playmaking burden would be 364 00:27:11,799 --> 00:27:15,759 heavier than the scoring burden for him. So I do think that he's capable, 365 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:19,759 especially alongside someone like Scotty, someone like Prussia's even Utah, Like, 366 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:26,880 he's going to be alongside guys who have varying degrees of playmaking ability, but 367 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,559 none of them are minus on that end. So I feel like when you 368 00:27:30,559 --> 00:27:36,039 have a dynamic like that, it can be a more egalitarian second unit and 369 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:38,480 that he can be allowed to thrive in that sort of situation because the pressure 370 00:27:38,559 --> 00:27:41,799 will be not as heavy, but it would still be there to allow him 371 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:45,880 to develop in that sense. Dude, you don't want to do enough last 372 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:49,079 year, show enough last year to kind of be viewed as like a regular 373 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,720 member of this rotation to not be looped into you know the question I sent 374 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,200 you like, oh, who has better longer term impact or is more intriguing 375 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,640 for this team when you look at she Mkai, Luke, freddie G, 376 00:28:00,039 --> 00:28:08,920 etc. Yeah. I think that Utah's very He's very defensively disciplined, which 377 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,759 I think is something that coaches love. You could tell just to chat about 378 00:28:12,839 --> 00:28:18,440 him from coaching from other players. They adore Utah. He's very dependable on 379 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:22,160 the court, and I think that his skill set. I believe he's a 380 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:29,000 decent or a reliable corner three shooter. He is a high IQ defender, 381 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:33,559 he makes the correct me He's just like a great win to have as like 382 00:28:33,599 --> 00:28:37,359 an eph man on the court, And I think that he's he's like the 383 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:42,200 vital type of player that I think that a lot of developing rosters need. 384 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:47,359 You just need that solid wing piece because you don't want to have to have 385 00:28:47,559 --> 00:28:52,319 holes on those aspects of the roster, especially when you're trying to develop a 386 00:28:52,319 --> 00:28:59,480 lottery pick or develop someone like Malachai or you know. I just I feel 387 00:28:59,519 --> 00:29:03,519 like it would have without having Utah, it would have added holes to the 388 00:29:03,599 --> 00:29:07,279 roster that would have been they just would have spent the whole season trying to 389 00:29:07,319 --> 00:29:14,839 rearrange and supplement. And I think that he eases a lot of those worries 390 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,319 he and I know he's six nine, but he seems to just defend bigger 391 00:29:18,359 --> 00:29:21,119 than that too. Like when he's on the primitive presence just feels so huge, 392 00:29:21,119 --> 00:29:22,839 and he does feel like he keeps the ball moving on offense as well. 393 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,880 So I like him a bunch. When you look at sort of the 394 00:29:27,039 --> 00:29:32,759 either fringe rotation or fringe roster guys, is there anyone specifically that intrigues you 395 00:29:32,799 --> 00:29:37,079 looking at the Freddie Geezisac Bongas Fie McKay, Lukes, etc. Yeah. 396 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,519 I think I'm gonna say Delano Benton, who they drafted in the second round 397 00:29:41,519 --> 00:29:48,200 this off season, not only because he's from my childhood neighborhood, but it's 398 00:29:48,279 --> 00:29:52,319 nice having a hometown sit on the team. But also the fact that he's 399 00:29:52,319 --> 00:29:55,720 a six nine point guard is very intriguing. I sawn play at summer league 400 00:29:55,759 --> 00:30:00,519 and he is. You know, sometimes when someone is say nine, they're 401 00:30:00,519 --> 00:30:02,640 calling you a point guard. I'm going to say, you know, there 402 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:07,839 is there's the definition of the term is obviously being used loosely, but no, 403 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,000 this guy's like literally a point guard on the court. And I think 404 00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:15,319 that he's going to get a lot of run with the Raptors nine oh five. 405 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,160 So I'm really excited to see how he developed in that system. I'm 406 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,240 gonna have to catch a couple of nine oh five games to see how that 407 00:30:21,279 --> 00:30:26,240 goes. But yeah, like if it works out, that is a very 408 00:30:26,359 --> 00:30:30,880 very interesting player archetype to have on the roster. Yeah, and they seem 409 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,839 to really believe in him. I know there are questions about his jump urges 410 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,400 based off how he shot from three in college and at the foul line, 411 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,599 but they gave him a partial guarantee in year two, which I don't know 412 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:44,720 if that's like super rare for someone who was drafted forty was forty six forty 413 00:30:44,759 --> 00:30:47,079 seven around. Yeah, I think he was a yeah towards the end there, 414 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,759 but that it didn't stun me because hey, he's six nine and the 415 00:30:49,799 --> 00:30:53,920 Raptors are just collecting those guys. You're in. If you're six nine, 416 00:30:53,920 --> 00:31:00,519 you're in. So what's so both interesting and maddening out this team is I 417 00:31:00,519 --> 00:31:03,200 don't want to frame it as what's the direction, but what makes them so 418 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,880 hard to project is they don't feel like a team that's going to settle for 419 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:11,400 the middle this year, whereas if it just looks like they're not a top 420 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,880 four team in the East, you could see them sort of steering out of 421 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:19,279 any real postseason positioning. Is is that the energy around the team. Are 422 00:31:19,279 --> 00:31:22,519 they just committed to this is a hey, not a rebuilding year, but 423 00:31:22,559 --> 00:31:26,920 we're more concerned with the bigger picture and player development that we aren't even making 424 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,480 the playoffs. Or do you think that they're entering with the mindset of we 425 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,599 want to see what we have here because we do think that we have the 426 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,400 potential to finish closer to the top of the East than a lot of people 427 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:42,000 expect. I think it's a bit of both. I think that they think 428 00:31:42,079 --> 00:31:48,720 that the potential of this current roster is far more than what people are expecting. 429 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:52,240 And I also think that they are looking at the bigger picture, so 430 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:57,680 perhaps they can crack the top you know five or so the Eastern Conference. 431 00:31:59,119 --> 00:32:01,880 You know, playing in Toronto, I think will boost them more than people 432 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:07,440 can imagine. I don't think people realize how impactful playing in Tampa was, 433 00:32:07,559 --> 00:32:09,960 not just from the no fans aspect, but you know, you're not in 434 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:14,640 your training facility, You're not you're not used to the amenities that you were, 435 00:32:15,039 --> 00:32:20,880 you know, in the exactly and you know what we expect of road 436 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:22,799 games, like, you know, so the team loses, You're like, 437 00:32:22,799 --> 00:32:27,200 oh, but they were on the road, so you know. I think 438 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,079 that people are underestimating the impact that would have on them for the season. 439 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:37,400 But also I think that the bigger picture is something that Massi was really emphasizing 440 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:42,799 as at his press press conference. He really believes in the core of this 441 00:32:43,279 --> 00:32:46,160 roster, and I think that he even compared it to like twenty fourteen Raptors, 442 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:53,039 where this is a team whose direction was in question and he kind of 443 00:32:53,039 --> 00:32:57,240 just let Larry and DeRos and Cook see what kind of culture they could develop. 444 00:32:57,279 --> 00:33:00,559 I think that Massi is going to take a bit of a handsoff approach 445 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:02,240 in the season. I'm not expecting major trades, is what I mean. 446 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,559 So I think he's gonna see, like, can these guys find those personalities, 447 00:33:07,559 --> 00:33:12,200 to find that spark build that new culture that they're going to need, 448 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,759 because you know, the WEA the North era has kind of lined down with 449 00:33:15,839 --> 00:33:19,160 the absence of Lowry now, so I think it's going to allow them to 450 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:22,200 just find their own identity for a bit and take it from there, maybe 451 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:27,160 heading into the season after the next. So yeah, I'm not expecting any 452 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,640 major changes. I'm not expecting any major pressure. I'm not expecting any huge 453 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:35,680 pivot it's a tanking again or anything like that. You know, if they're 454 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,279 out of the playoffs, don't think they're going to make a concerted effort to 455 00:33:37,319 --> 00:33:42,480 lose every game after that. What is the when you look at this roster, 456 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,880 what stands out to you is sort of their biggest functional weakness right now, 457 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:47,319 whether it's if you're looking at a specific position, or if it's just 458 00:33:47,559 --> 00:33:53,799 you know, a player archetype type deal, you know, maybe a Kyle 459 00:33:53,839 --> 00:33:58,640 Lowry type. You know, if they could, if they could, like 460 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,359 nap a twenty eight year old Kyle Loari, that would have been Yeah, 461 00:34:01,519 --> 00:34:07,279 I would have had this team penciled in for the finals. But yeah, 462 00:34:07,319 --> 00:34:15,480 I think that the weakness would perhaps be that seasoned, Yeah, that seasoned 463 00:34:15,599 --> 00:34:20,400 All Star caliber player, which you know, Pasvel can very well become that 464 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,039 in the next couple of years. But I think as it stands right now, 465 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:28,000 if they just had another guy alongside him, this is a team that 466 00:34:28,039 --> 00:34:31,519 I would have had, you know, as Eastern Conference finals. That would 467 00:34:31,559 --> 00:34:36,159 have been like their aspiration in my opinion, if they have just a player 468 00:34:36,559 --> 00:34:43,519 who was perhaps at the two guard position, who could just act as that 469 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:52,039 offensive release valve, be someone that can just bring some dynamic, dynamic spacing 470 00:34:52,119 --> 00:34:54,920 to the court. So I think that that's what they're missing right now. 471 00:34:54,960 --> 00:35:00,119 I think that the the issue heading into next season, or the concern for 472 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:05,400 Nick Nurse will be, is this, how can we make how can we 473 00:35:05,639 --> 00:35:10,039 maximize the offensive tools we have here without relying every night on having the opposition 474 00:35:10,079 --> 00:35:15,360 score seventy, you know, because that's not sustainable at today's NBA. Yeah, 475 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:15,920 and it's like, I don't even know if it would need to be 476 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:20,880 like a star guy. Just feels like they're like a little shot creator short 477 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,599 of being c. J. McCollum would have just been adequate. I think, 478 00:35:23,639 --> 00:35:28,559 you know, like nothing crazy. Yeah, I mean like maybe Gary 479 00:35:28,559 --> 00:35:30,599 Trent Junior or Scottie Barnes iven or get to Nobi kind of surprises you in 480 00:35:30,599 --> 00:35:34,760 that regard, But I think they're that type of player short you mentioned you 481 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:37,840 don't expect any major trades, which I actually think makes it easier to project 482 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:39,239 their over under when we get there. But if you had to pick a 483 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:44,119 player right now that's most likely to be dealt to, would it be I'd 484 00:35:44,159 --> 00:35:50,880 say if Gary Trent has a great run heading into the trade deadline, I 485 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:55,199 think that he's a candidate as well as because I feel like Gary trent contract 486 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:58,840 I forgot what it was. I think it was like a three year or 487 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:04,840 fifty million or something like that. I think it's because Clutch very good at 488 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:12,360 negotiating contracts. I think that if he beat like he came guns blazing when 489 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,039 he was traded to the Raptors. He was literally breaking plus minus records like 490 00:36:15,639 --> 00:36:20,239 he was like people were like, did we just trade for like Zach Lavine 491 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,159 or something. I think that if he has a run where he's just it's 492 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:29,239 zac shot is going down where he is figuring out how to finish and he 493 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:30,840 just looks really good, I think that he's going to be a major candidate 494 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:35,280 to be traded. I think that Chris Bouche is my number one though, 495 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:39,800 just because he's he's just outperformed his contracts so much, and I think that 496 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:43,119 he's a type player that a lot of teams would just love to have, 497 00:36:43,159 --> 00:36:46,920 like a you know, almost seven footer who can shoot the ball. Like 498 00:36:47,039 --> 00:36:51,920 I think now we can call Cris Bouche a shooter. I gave it a 499 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:53,599 couple of years, but I think that he's just like a great shooter, 500 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:58,119 like the unique form and everything, and I feel like he has a lot 501 00:36:58,119 --> 00:37:02,199 of use on a bunch of rosters. Yeah. Look, among all Raptors 502 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:06,639 players last year who played at least five hundred minutes, Chris Bouchet led the 503 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:09,440 Raptors in effective field goal percentage on pull up jumpers. That's my Chris Bouche 504 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:15,480 surprising that passes the eye test too. He was not missing. So what 505 00:37:15,559 --> 00:37:20,239 do you think should be there go to crunch time lineup in close games? 506 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:24,239 Mhmm. I think there are a lot of variables that can affect this, 507 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:30,079 like how how like who they're playing against, how Scotty looks like. There 508 00:37:30,079 --> 00:37:35,320 are a lot, but I think that I think my ideal of just as 509 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:40,039 it stands, closing lineup would be at full health would be Og, Pascal, 510 00:37:42,079 --> 00:37:46,559 Dragic, Freddie and I'm gonna say Scotty because I want him to get 511 00:37:46,599 --> 00:37:49,639 those reps. But I think that's a light up that kind of gives you 512 00:37:49,679 --> 00:37:52,920 a little bit of everything. I think that all the players on the court 513 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:59,079 are intelligent enough and quick, quick on their feet enough to make up for 514 00:37:59,119 --> 00:38:02,599 any defensive leakages on part of like Dragic. I think Dragic will also bring 515 00:38:02,679 --> 00:38:08,000 some offensive stability on the core. He can you know, rump pick and 516 00:38:08,119 --> 00:38:13,119 roll with Og, with Pascal, like, there's a lot of variations possible 517 00:38:13,159 --> 00:38:16,000 there. I think that, Yeah, I think that that would be my 518 00:38:16,079 --> 00:38:19,800 idea. And I think that the reps for a Spotty would be great too. 519 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:25,920 So I think that there's ample shooting defense and just brain on the court. 520 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,119 Yeah, that's and it's definitely matchup based. I will The question I 521 00:38:32,199 --> 00:38:37,519 really had is how many of those tight crunch time units will Scotty Barnes be 522 00:38:37,679 --> 00:38:40,159 involved in, which also just might be tell tale of how invested they are 523 00:38:40,159 --> 00:38:45,599 in the bigger picture over just winning games. Let's say you're a nick nurse, 524 00:38:45,079 --> 00:38:50,360 what is the lineup that you need to roll out? The quirkiest out 525 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:57,679 of left field wongy lineup you can think of. H I wouldn't be surprised 526 00:38:57,679 --> 00:39:00,719 if we see like a three point guard lineup. This year we've seen the 527 00:39:00,719 --> 00:39:04,119 two point guard ones. I wouldn't be surprised if there was perhaps a time 528 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:08,440 against the smaller team, maybe maybe against I want to say, like the 529 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:12,159 Bulls. I feel like the Bulls have a lot of guards. I think 530 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:16,519 like I wouldn't be surprised if they fielded lineups of like Lonzo DeRozan and Lavigne 531 00:39:16,599 --> 00:39:21,639 at once or something. Yeahs end up playing some power forward for them probably 532 00:39:22,039 --> 00:39:25,320 perhaps, Yeah, Yeah, I think that against the correct type of team, 533 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:30,559 I wouldn't be surprised if he saw Freddy Drogic and Malachi or Freddy Drogic 534 00:39:30,639 --> 00:39:36,760 and Gary Trent on the court with like another two forwards. Mine would be 535 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:39,079 and I think it's maybe it's partly more of a curiosity, but I feel 536 00:39:39,079 --> 00:39:42,599 like they almost have to try this to at some point. Would you need 537 00:39:42,639 --> 00:39:45,360 to go with like the the all six nine? Oh yeah, yeah, 538 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:52,480 Prescha Utah have o g on there and then Scottie like Daddy. I don't 539 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:57,360 know what that offense looks like. Yeah, I need to see that lineup 540 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,519 has everything they have, playmaking defense being like that, that could be very, 541 00:40:00,639 --> 00:40:06,960 very fascinating. So as of when we're recording this, they're win total 542 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,519 over under a set at thirty six point five? Are you would you take 543 00:40:09,559 --> 00:40:14,199 the over under on that? And where do you see them largely stacking up 544 00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:19,280 relative to the rest of the East. Hmm. I'm gonna take a look 545 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:24,320 right now on what last seasons record was because I feel like that will influence. 546 00:40:28,039 --> 00:40:30,639 You could tell I was not paying attention last season to the exact win 547 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:35,039 loss record. Yeah, I mean towards the down the stretch of the season 548 00:40:35,159 --> 00:40:39,320 for them, it got pretty rough and the thirty six point five super low 549 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:43,400 for them to me, like this would be one of my best bets. 550 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:46,159 But I feel like, I'm too high on the Raptors because of how easy 551 00:40:46,159 --> 00:40:50,320 it is for me to smash that over. Okay, yeah, so I 552 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,800 think the last season, Okay, so twenty seven forty five shortened season, 553 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:59,400 seventy two games season. It was a struggle. It was a struggle. 554 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:07,760 It was they somehow won twenty seven games last season playing you know, some 555 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:12,639 of the worst basketball I've ever seen, like with the with the top players 556 00:41:12,679 --> 00:41:15,719 on the rotation just absent for the last month or two. Yeah, they 557 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:21,079 weren't, and still we're at a thirty one win pace overall. Yeah, 558 00:41:21,119 --> 00:41:24,239 So I think I would not I honestly, I'd give the over under. 559 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:29,239 I would say that my prediction would be for an eighty two game season. 560 00:41:29,639 --> 00:41:36,079 I don't see them losing. I don't see them winning any less than forty 561 00:41:36,519 --> 00:41:42,119 in my opinion, plus win team. I think it's funny that I guess 562 00:41:42,159 --> 00:41:45,840 I'm higher on the Raptors than you are at this point. Are you thinking 563 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:51,559 they're like seven to eight in the East at this point? Then? Yeah? 564 00:41:51,599 --> 00:41:55,280 I think what complicates it is how the absence of Siam affects them in 565 00:41:55,320 --> 00:42:00,559 the beginning, how much they experiment as well all how you know, you 566 00:42:00,559 --> 00:42:04,599 know, do they just pivot to let the young guns like do whatever they 567 00:42:04,599 --> 00:42:07,000 want on the court. We'll get their feet wet for the season. Like, 568 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,039 I don't know what their philosophical approach will be to the season, which 569 00:42:10,039 --> 00:42:14,079 can impact it. But you know, the Raptors, you always bet the 570 00:42:14,119 --> 00:42:19,880 over on the Raptors always, like the last what eight years, you bet 571 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:24,360 the over. I have not gone through like my official wind totals yet for 572 00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:28,119 the podcast that we record here, but as of right now when I was 573 00:42:28,159 --> 00:42:30,320 doing like the cursory to put it together, I have the Raptors in fourth 574 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:36,039 or fifth in the East for me this year, I think because the Siakam 575 00:42:36,039 --> 00:42:39,800 injury, maybe I'm not waiting, like waiting it heavily enough because is there. 576 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:44,639 I don't like even know what he's expected to return, But based off 577 00:42:44,639 --> 00:42:47,440 the way that they can play defense on paper anyway, it feels like they're 578 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:52,679 built to really overachieved during the regular season. You know, what happens offensively 579 00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:57,239 in the postseason is a different story altogether. But when you look at this 580 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:00,800 roster, if they get relatively good health, I feel like it's one that 581 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:05,079 wins a lot more games than people are projecting. Those are my favorite kind 582 00:43:05,079 --> 00:43:12,599 of seasons, the overachieving. You know, the no no national TV games 583 00:43:12,599 --> 00:43:15,480 and overachieving is my favorite combination. But I have a question, what is 584 00:43:15,519 --> 00:43:21,599 your win loss projection for like the or I guess what's your seeding projection for 585 00:43:21,679 --> 00:43:24,559 the Knicks? Oh? For the Knicks. So I have the Knicks right 586 00:43:24,599 --> 00:43:31,079 now in play in territory, I really I don't see how the defensive success 587 00:43:31,119 --> 00:43:36,039 holds when they I do. Okay, I respect what they did leaning into 588 00:43:36,039 --> 00:43:38,639 shock creation, but you lost your most important primiter defender in Reggie Bullock. 589 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:44,639 You leaned very heavily into shock creation to now where RJ. Barrett is probably 590 00:43:44,679 --> 00:43:49,400 gonna have to guard the opposition's best wing or we're talking Evan Fournier Alec Burke's 591 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:52,280 at that point, which will be probably a disaster. They got super lucky 592 00:43:52,719 --> 00:43:57,719 on opponent three point shooting last year, and you know, maybe the base 593 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,920 defense around the rim should still be good, especially and Mitch gets healthy. 594 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:05,400 But I don't know. There's Julius Randall was so good last year, and 595 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:07,400 you have to think even with more room, I would expect his efficiency to 596 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:10,519 fall because of right now, the teams I have in front of them are 597 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:15,840 the Raptors, the Celtics, the Nets, and the Bucks obviously the Sixers, 598 00:44:16,079 --> 00:44:19,920 and they say the Hawks. Yet so I have six or seven teams 599 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,639 in front of them at the moment. Oh okay, so not even the 600 00:44:22,639 --> 00:44:25,320 Bulls are in that realm too. I am so unbelievably low on the Bulls. 601 00:44:28,159 --> 00:44:31,840 I tend to think DeMar Derozen is underappreciated now and I could not envision 602 00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:37,480 a worse fit for him at the moment. Yah goo. Yeah, It's 603 00:44:37,519 --> 00:44:44,519 gonna be interesting to see how a lot of the overachievers of last year translate 604 00:44:44,559 --> 00:44:49,639 into the upcommunity, because I always say, for every every projection you have, 605 00:44:49,679 --> 00:44:52,599 there's going to be like three teams that just it doesn't work. Like 606 00:44:52,639 --> 00:44:57,119 there's always something, you know, there's always that one or two I'm want 607 00:44:57,119 --> 00:44:59,440 to say one or two teams on three teams, but one or two teams 608 00:44:59,559 --> 00:45:04,079 that every and expected to just amaze end up falling completely flat. It happens 609 00:45:04,079 --> 00:45:07,039 every season. So I'm interested to see which teams those are this year. 610 00:45:07,519 --> 00:45:10,400 And there's in the East specifically, when you look at kind of Boston, 611 00:45:10,559 --> 00:45:15,400 Washington, Indiana, Charlotte, and I think you definitely throw Toronto in there, 612 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:16,760 and then you can throw Chicago because they have a bunch of really good 613 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:22,079 players. Like a couple of those teams are are going to pop if they 614 00:45:22,119 --> 00:45:25,679 get When you look at the Celtics, Washington and Indiana Toronto specifically better health 615 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,880 than they did last year. And so it just feels like the middle of 616 00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:34,039 the Eastern Conference is so I think aside from Brooklyn and Milwaukee. You could 617 00:45:34,039 --> 00:45:36,639 tell me unless it's you know, unless you told me it was Detroit, 618 00:45:36,679 --> 00:45:40,679 Cleveland or Orlando, any other team finishes third, and I would probably believe 619 00:45:40,719 --> 00:45:45,239 you. Yeah, Yeah, that's what it's looking like. Yeah, is 620 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:50,360 there anyone or anything related to this Raptors squad that I did not ask you 621 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:52,599 about? The thing needs to be covered. I think we discussed literally every 622 00:45:52,639 --> 00:45:58,360 aspect of the organization. Not a lot of Gary Trent junior talk. I 623 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:00,360 guess. Oh yeah, I mentioned this contract, but that's about it. 624 00:46:01,639 --> 00:46:07,199 Yeah. I like Gary Gary, Gary's great. He I actually love Gary 625 00:46:07,199 --> 00:46:10,559 Trench. I'm just curious to see how good he like. Is there any 626 00:46:10,599 --> 00:46:15,320 more layers to his through his offensive game than yeah read please, go ahead, 627 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:17,920 go ahead. I was just gonna say I think he's underrated. Defensively 628 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:22,920 too, and the contract amount didn't you know, I didn't fat and eyelash 629 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:24,800 at it. I'm just like, you know, you really only have two 630 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:28,360 years of him now, because if he plays up to par in this contract, 631 00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,800 that puts you in a weird position. And I think you know, 632 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:35,480 your point about maybe he plays his way onto the trade block is especially sealing 633 00:46:35,519 --> 00:46:38,159 it now when you just look at that contract structure. Oh yeah, And 634 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:42,519 I think that his age helps, Like he's just he's just kind of built 635 00:46:42,559 --> 00:46:45,440 to be a tradeable contract right now. But yeah, I like I like 636 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:50,239 Gary. I'm interested to see if he makes any effort to improve with his 637 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,440 finishing. That was one of the critiques people had with the upcoming season, 638 00:46:53,559 --> 00:46:58,679 like is he gonna, you know, rely on the Flashet baseline turnaround theataway 639 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,119 or something but or or is he going to use the opportunity to, you 640 00:47:02,159 --> 00:47:06,840 know, get to the rims? So the Raptors just meet as many players 641 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:08,840 as possible attempting to get to the rim. So I'm interested to see if 642 00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:14,199 he takes on that responsibility. He is the rare players you mentioned that's younger 643 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:15,400 than expected. I think there's a lot of players you look at and you 644 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:19,400 forget how old they actually are and then it's like, oh, he's twenty 645 00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:22,239 two. His biggest flaw to me though, is that he's not six nine, 646 00:47:22,599 --> 00:47:30,159 so only change that. Gary Yasmin, Can you please let our listeners 647 00:47:30,159 --> 00:47:31,960 know where they can follow you on social media and check out your work. 648 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:37,000 Yeah, at Carmelo Drama on Twitter. I think the upcoming season I'm going 649 00:47:37,039 --> 00:47:42,440 to be covering a lot more Raptors. I think it was more wider MBA 650 00:47:42,639 --> 00:47:45,400 for the last season, but heading into next season, I'm going to be 651 00:47:45,440 --> 00:47:49,079 covering the Raptors regularly in a column for you in Sports Canada, so be 652 00:47:49,159 --> 00:47:52,920 sure to check that out. And yeah, Dishes and Dimes as well every 653 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:58,360 Monday morning. That's a great podcast. And seriously, juice that follower account 654 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:01,760 at Carmelo Drama because you're I mean, we're the same, fantastic follow But 655 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:07,559 that's just a that's a social media tragedy. Tragedy that it was permanently suspended. 656 00:48:07,599 --> 00:48:12,840 So as hello Drama spelled exactly as it sound. Yeahsman, as always, 657 00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:15,440 thank you so much for coming on and indulging my raptors questions and I'm 658 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:19,000 sure, as you know now, I will be pestering you again in the 659 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,199 future. Of course, thanks for having me