What is Cracklac and fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dampa Valley coming at
you with my certified fantabulous go host, mister Grant Hughes. We have a
mini episode exercise for you before. We have two megapods coming out where we
cover the entire Western Conference to wrap up a series we've been doing. But
we decided to take a look at the NBA Playoff Pressure Index, where we're
looking at teams that are under the most pressure to not only get into the
playoffs or have a specific seed, maybe not get in by way of the
plane, but who's going to be under the most pressure once they get there
because of what that means for their short and long term future. And we're
going to separate them into tears where if you're watching on YouTube you can see
that we have the nice little tear maker up there. Grant and I will
just kind of go back and forth with suggests the teams and will sort them
from there. Uh, if you are on a you know, if you're
a fan of let's say, you know, the Charlotte Hornets, the d
T here, you're under no pressure, congratulations, because you're not going anywhere
the Pistons. You're not under pressure to close the season either, even though
there's probably stuff that your fans want to see. So I'm just gonna automatically
throw those teams in there as as gramp as gramp there. Let's see what
the YouTube cash is do with that one, Grant. Uh And even just
like the Nets, it's just like, yeah, that ship is saying they
need to figure out what what they're doing. So this is just about teams
that are playing playoff I don't want to say eligible, but hopeful. Still,
yeah, you're gonna definitely also want to oh you Oh wait, you
gotta lead off with the most important question, right, Yeah, I was
about to and you were just you were you were so excited to talk about
the Washington Wizards that h Grant, how the heck are you doing? I
am, I'm doing so well that I'm just trying to preempt your question.
I guess. Yeah, I was gonna say, you better get the Blazers
and the Wizards in there. Uh je Oh sorry, Jazz, that's too
bad, uh, raptor Spurs. Who else are we missing that needs to
go in there? I think so maybe we should start with like some of
the playing ish teams then where it's like I would specifically, well, so
let me start off and we'll just do wrap two into one. This Atlanta
Chicago stuff. How much how much pressure you want to start with Atlanta?
Yeah, I think I guess. I guess really you should decide it based
on like which has got the most like blow up potential if things go the
wrong way and the Bulls don't blow it up. So I guess Atlanta is
probably under more pressure than the Bulls. But it's still like, I don't
know, nobody expects anything out of them, right, Let's let's go with
like the B tier for them, like kind of in the middle, I'd
say, just because like what are you going to learn about this team if
they're going to be a playing team, And let's say if Trey Young,
you know, and like in everybody's healthy, what is actually if they lose,
like, what is it? Is it materially gonna change what you thought
about the Tray Young de Jonte Murray pairing or whether they should move Trey Young
if you fall into that camp or not. Mm hmm. I think so
let's take the Bulls. Though comparatively less pressure on the Bulls than the Hawks.
Right, yes, and I would agree if anything, although if you
wanted to so, I'll put them in the C tier the Bulls S,
by the way, is the like the most urgent pressure and then there's pressure.
Yeah, then there's a which is lots of pressure. B the Hawks
they're in the middle shock or the Hawks in the middle C m ND where
there's just no pressure where there might be. I think there will be some
good teams that end up in the no pressure tier, just to be clear.
So with the Bulls, though, let's galaxy brain this for a minute.
You're almost worried that what if they just outperform expectations and then this emboldens
the front office to run it back anyway, because I think fans want them
to blow it up, and so are they under pressure to suck its reverse
pressure Like it's this is the only team where it would be bad if they
did well. But I think it's when it comes to identity long term,
the Hawks definitely have more because there could just be sort of this organic pivot
point for Chicago where what if, Okay, Zachlvine's injured and they might trade
him, and then what if DeMar just leaves him free agency and so like
a lot of some of this stuff is not out of their hands necessarily,
but it's just not as high as stakes as well. Is Trey Young the
right best player for the Hawks? Can it work with de Jontay Murray?
What are they doing up front with Jalen Johnson's injured now? But you have
a Yaka Kongou and Clin Capela. How is that all gonna? Where is
DeAndre john Hunter? Is he just a career six man now? So there
they have higher stakes questions. I think, Yeah, all right, So
there's a team that's really uh like catching my eye that I want to put
next to the Bulls in the minimal pressure but just above all these lottery teams.
Can you guess which team that is? Ooh, the Rockets. It's
the Rockets at the next to the Bulls right there. Yeah, because like
I don't know, I you know, it's kind of the ahead of schedule
argument that like they they they're super young still they they've been shing you may
or may not be healthy enough to play and contribute, so you kind of
have that as an excuse, like it would be disappointing after if they make
the play in like they're still just on the edge of it as we're recording
this on the outside. But the momentum like for them has been very,
very very positive of late, so be disappointing to fall short if basically,
you know, after kind of having this late season surge. But it's like
nobody expected anything out of them anyway, and they've already just exceeded what you
know, the most optimistic outlook really could have had in store for them.
So if they get into the plan and they get bounced, like nobody's gonna
care, the future still so bright for them that it's not a big deal,
right, I feel like that's the right spot for them. I'm almost
wondering, like, do don't they belong in the no pressure to here?
What is actually at stake for them? Is it just kind of figuring out
because they did spend some money on veterans this past summer, that would be
nice to at least make the play in and you owe your pick anyway this
year, so let's make sure it's not you know too, So I'm just
like curious, like what pressure are they actually under. I think you could
argue because of the way they performed defensively, because of Shangun's emergence. Uh,
like, should they be in the no pressure tear. It feels weird
to put them down there with those because those other the teams in the absolute
bottom level are just a very specific type of team, Like most of them
have stopped. You're operating into the assumption that if you can still make the
playing basically you have to be under some semblance of press. I kind of
think so, and just specifically with the Rockets too, because they've looked so
good of late. It would be a little disappointing, I think, certainly
to Rockets fans if they didn't make it, but not to the point,
you know, it would just be outweighed massively by app the optimism that everybody
has about them. I just can't put them next to like, they're just
not the same as the Spurs and the Blazers and the Wizards and the Pistons.
To me, Can we put their alternative logo, which I keep forgetting
I have in my logo folders. I think it's cool this Rocket will put
the alternative there split the difference. So my next team is and I'm kind
of fascinated by this one, and I'm gonna go, oh, here,
grant, where do the Knicks belong? Oh Man, Well, on the
one hand, you've got the injuries as an excuse. I think Robinson back
though, is back giving you some cover. But I think coming at their
absolute best, So obviously they're gonna make the playoffs, and you know,
should be a top well, the top four seed. I'm looking at the
standings now, it's not a given. Seems likely, though I think they
belong. I'd still put them. You can't go lower than the Hawks,
so they're at least next to the Hawks in the middle tier, the B
tier there. I think. I think that's right, if you would allow
me to interject, because yeah, I don't think we're moving them up.
The injuries do give them cover, and they're not you know they're right now.
Julius Randall and og Aanenobi are two of your three most important players.
I know, doubt they've Evencenzo has been great, same with Hartenstein, same
with Josh Hart. But the peak version of the Knicks, your three most
important players are Ojan Andobe, Julius Randall, Jalen Brunson. That gives you
cover and you're not an imminent danger of losing any of them. I know,
oh he's a free agent, but he's gonna resign. I think where
it gets complicated and you could make the case for a if they were healthy,
is okay that boy on Bardonovich Alec Burk's trade, which we both very
much supported. It's been an abject failure because of how little they're using them,
and part of that is Duce McBride's emergence, but that doesn't really explain
the Bogdanovitch stuff, but that gives you some cover for the Burkes happenings.
And now it's at the point where, okay, we still have these picks
to trade, but no more blue chip prospects, I guess unless due McBride
is really like what if Steph Curry was the defensive player of the Year type
deal? So like, But so I think I think it's right because you
want to you also to be under pressure as a form of respect. So
this team is good enough to where it's okay, it's good that they have
like a very fully functioning, coherent front office now, but they've been kind
of waiting to be a capslock contender for still a minute, and now you
need to make that jump. And this is supposed to be the year that
progresses, especially after making the kinds of trades that you did to get to
get Alec Burks, to get og At andob of course they've just been so
banged up to still even being contention for like because look at a team like
the Heat that have been so banged up and where they're at, and they
have one of the best head coaches in the league. Right all right,
So here's here's where I want to go. I need I feel like I
need parameters. We need to bookend this. So I want to pick a
team that has maximum pressure, just so we kind of have because we got
all these the teams at the bottom that set the no pressure. I think
the easiest maximum pressure pick has got to be Phoenix because of the financial situation
they're in, because of the total lack of draft picks, because of the
three stars setup. They just have no outs and things have not gone as
expected or as hoped this year. Uh. Part of that's been health,
but I don't this is interesting. We gave the Knixt cover because of health
reasons, We're not giving it to the Suns right there. That does not
alleviate the pressure in the same way. So every situation is different than Phoenix
is all in gambit is just like, well, yeah, you gambled on
guys that might get hurt, so that Bradley Beal specifically, and you're you
got a thin roster because that's the only one you could build around him.
That ups the pressure. That's not like that doesn't diminish it, that doesn't
give them any kind of reprieve. So I think Phoenix is the first like,
Okay, this is it. It has to be this year because next
year and the years certainly down the line are like nothing is promised. So
I think they've got to be among the handful of teams with the most pressure.
I would I think I would argue that Phoenix is single handling under the
most pressure of any team in the league, because it's like, what is
the You can argue, well, look at the timelines of Steph Curry and
Lebron in those instances, and maybe we should just go to those teams next.
But I think you could probably make a well let's actually go here.
I would have the Clippers in the S tier as well. Paul George is
gonna be a free agent. It seems like there's some weird standoff going on
with his extension at some point, if it just hasn't happened, if you
get bounced earlier, if you're not healthy enough for some reason leading into the
playoffs, this is the year, it feels like to where if they don't
make I would say, if they don't get to a game seven of the
semi finals, and that's like the bare minimum, it ends up just being
a disaster, and it's not merely well, then what do we do about
the Paul George stuff? Do we have the stomach to go into the second
apron? Actually, just knowing how rich Steve Bomber is, that's not the
main equation. It's well, how much money do we pay James Harden and
how do we improve the team from here under the stringent trade and free agent
tools that we're going to have at our disposal. Yeah, it's interesting.
I think you might one of the ways you could delineate teams that belong in
the top tiers, like this might be the last best chance. Yeah,
and for the Clippers too, like a failure would be a referendum on like
a half decade's worth of seasons that just did not work out. So like
they've got it they're kind of getting it both ways. What about Milwaukee.
Doesn't Milwaukee kind of have a last best chance vibe to them too. I
mean, you make the Dame Lillard trade, you break up a core that
like, look, you had the first round elimination last year, so you
know, you fire the coach and then you fire another coach, but hold
on by the by virtue of the fact that the Bucks are on their third
coach in like a yew they gotta be at the top. And also it's
just look at the you know, you could look at it because but we're
not giving the same greens to Phoenix where it's well they went on. They
try to implement such a huge star that maybe it takes year for this to
figure out. It's well, Damian Lillard is thirty three and Brook Lopez is
old. And Chris Middleton been playing well offensively since his return, but he's
on the older end, has a bunch of lower body injuries in his rearview,
it's going this this core, I would say, you're not at the
point where Giannis is either gonna sustain or maybe get a little bit better each
year. Everyone else among the most important players to your team, and I
don't know where you consider aj Green there now and the marj On Champ stuff
clearly hasn't happened. They're not getting any better, and so I do think
they belong in the last best Chance crew, And unlike the Clippers, I
would say, I think you've maybe could you make the case that the Clippers
are under less pressure than the Bucks, just because if they really wanted to
go the let's just say it has to be like dollar for dollar and they
can trade one first round pick. They kind of have more tantalizing stuff where
if they gave up someone who matters, they could still be a contender,
where with the Bucks it's where you trading Brook Lopez or Middleton or even Dame
and getting better. I don't see that scenario, but they're in the same
tier. So I think I agree with you they need to be in the
last best chance kind of category. Let's kind of go to the Golden State
Warriors and Lakers, though you want to start with the The Lakers are fascinating.
Yeah, it's it's hard obviously, like the clock ticking with Lebron,
free agency, with Lebron potentially like that's that's been a major storyline. You
know, I think that that makes me want to put them in the top
tier. Oh it's I hope you don't. I don't think you can,
because like they're definitely gonna make the play in at least, so that wasn't
a given. They've been good enough lately to do that. You still have,
Anthony Davis, you still have some I mean, how many picks get
do you? This is putting you on the spot, But they they still
because they didn't burn them all. They've got outs. They've got first to
trade this offseason, I think, get up to three, right something,
and then sprinkling some swaps from there. Yeah. So so like, yeah,
the Lebron thing certainly pressurizes it, but I can't. I can't put
them. They don't seem quite the same to me as the Suns, Clippers,
and Bucks. So I think you got to put them in the currently
unoccupied a tier, which is below the top, just by virtue of Lebron,
Like you're not. It's not even just the free agency stuff. It's
okay, well, what if he's not one of the ten best players in
the NBA at the age of forty Yeah, right right? I mean hypothetically,
who's to say why wouldn't he be. I go ahead, it's your
turn. I don't understand what to do with the Warriors because I think they
probably belong in the eight tier as well, but they see under more pressure
in regards to the offseason because even if they make like the Lakers, if
they make a deep playoff push, they're gonna read into that more. Where
if the Dubs, if for some reason they get into the play in,
they win a playoff round, maybe they go to a game seven in the
semifinals, you're going to make the conference finals. You cannot possibly go into
next season thinking that this is the core with which to move forward, because,
as we've talked about, and especially you have harped on, they don't
have a reliable second best player on this team, and like the Lakers have
that, right. Yeah, well, I think though one thing the Warriors
do have. And look, I I don't think a trade is the way
to necessarily fix this. But if you put Pajemski and Wiggins in a deal,
or you could move Trace Jackson Davis, you know with the salary,
you could trade Moses Moody, you could trade commit like there, you know
you have the I guess flexibility to not low ball, but definitely reduce what
Klay Thompson makes next year if he comes back. The Curry timeline is real
scary in a weird way, like feels more frail than Lebron's does, even
though Lebron is so much older. Yeah, I still I can't put the
Warriors in the absolute top tier because they still sort of have some outs and
Curry is still really great, but the road to improvement is tricky. I
still think there are some So let's put them with the Lakers. I think
I think that feels right because you can't put them lower than that, but
also they don't also belong in the like this is absolutely it uh here.
You know what's kind of muddying My vision of this is that we've seen so
much basketball already that I'm kind of in the camp of teams have shown us
what they are and so I just don't have expectations for the water. That's
the other thing. I nobody seriously thinks they're going to make major noise.
That. Yeah, that's another factor. I have an S tier nomination,
and Okay, I think you could maybe argue a little bit like if you're
they're in the same tier she made case for any of them, but the
Celtics got to be any s tire because you we've all they've first of all
killed everybody except for the Nuggets in the regular season basically, and you did
kind of over your roster. You still have outs when you look at pick
equity and the value of the actual players under contract, but you've now kind
of said if you if you get bounced before the conference finals this year,
I just like, what are you? What is the answer? Okay,
well, let's go out and trade for a point guard who can run the
crunch time offense. When we got to pay Drew Holliday? Do we want
to pay Drew Holliday? Are we extending him? This is I'm saying.
I don't think they're gonna need to get to a point to answer those questions.
But if they do, there's kind of some real trouble because they have
outs. But it's they're so clearly on paper, which should be the second
most complete team in the NBA, because I think Denver one to one to
five is the most complete team in the NBA. Boston is probably the most
complete one to six, one to seven, whatever you want to frame it.
So they're just done. I mean by virtue of being this good and
being basically what are they They're in first place and they're there, and there
are good bet to win sixty five games. You can't win sixty five games
and then fall short of like you got you gotta make the finals. I
think to do eleven games eleven losses, like better than second place in the
East. Yeah, they gotta be up there. It's interesting that you can
get to the top tier via a lot of different reasons. Like there's a
lot of day though, even if they do bow out, are you going
to fall into that? I'm not hot taker recamp. But it's because when
you look at the salary they would have to move to make trades. It's
a little harder to make impact moves without dipping into your top six players.
But even if they fall really short, I'm probably gonna be team like,
no, you need to float this another Like this team is just too good
to say we need to overhaul it, run it back. You say it
all the time. Jason Tatum is still only nineteen. He got all the
time in the world. Oh, he's gonna make three hundred million dollars this
summer. Probably, Yeah, So I think maybe there there might be another
S tier team. What Okay, so let's talk about the Timberwolves. They're
no lower than the Lakers Warriors tier. I think just because the season has
been so good, I could be talked into the top tier, just because
of the looming luxury tax stuff and the fact that this has basically been the
best season in franchise history, although like that won't be fully determined until you
see what they do in the playoffs. But the just the idea that like
this is a team that will get broken up at some point for financial reasons.
We've talked a lot about, like it doesn't necessarily need to be until
like the end of next year, maybe if you're really just concerned about the
tax. But they got to at least be the A tier, which is
next to the Lakers and Warriors. But do you have an art Are you
good with that or do you think there's a case that they belong at the
absolute top? No? I don't. The Cat injury too is just I
don't want to be a fan of excuses, and he's had some rough playoff
runs. But when we kind of talk about the Warriors not having a clear
second best player, the Wolves no longer have like a clear second score without
Karl Anthony Towns, and so if he's gonna miss the first round or trying
to come back early from the meniscus injury, that needs to be caked into
the calculus. And that coupled with the fact they don't have to make first
of all, if you're gonna own an NBA team, if you're worried about
one or two years of this second apron stuff, maybe you shouldn't be owning
an NBA team. But how I digress there, because the decision doesn't have
to be made until I'll say, at the absolute earliest, the twenty twenty
five trade deadline, because let's say they underachieve at the start of next season,
that lowers the pressure level that coupled with the Karl Anthony Towns injury for
me, and there's also an element of for the fan base, this is
not an insult. If the Wolves win a playoff round, their fans are
going to be through the moon and that should absolutely matter. They should be
over the moon and that should absolutely matter. And so I can't maybe if
Towns was healthy, but like just knowing how brutal the West is and just
their previous playoff track record. To get to this point after the season you
had last year, which was muddied by a bunch of stuff chemistry, lack
of availability from Karl Anthony Towns. To be where you are now, there
is at least some level of moral victory here. Yeah, my nomination here
which I'd be fascinated with. For you, where do we put the Kings?
I think you can put the Kings with the Knicks and the Hawks a
couple reasons. They still have outs they they aren't like. I don't think
expectations are super high. I think the fan base is generally pretty satisfied.
If they're a playoff team, they're certainly gonna be that. If they are
another first round out, I think that's mildly disappointing. But I think if
you're being objective about it, it's probably the expectation. So yeah, I
don't know, I guess it. I guess it's lower expectations, but maybe
I don't know. Maybe I'm just telling all myself there. But no,
I think they are season away from being yes or the eight here. And
I've kind of come around on this idea that there was no opportunity at the
trade deadline to really level up this team. I still if you want to
get to the point of why weren't they the squad that gave up seconds to
get Royce O'Neill, That is absolutely fair game, So don't I don't want
to like the fact that they didn't do anything at that level is disappointing.
But when you look at I never thought Siakam was a good fit, so
why give up the value to get him? And then it's clear that Ojiannanobi
didn't want to be there, so why would you ever even entertain giving up
Keegan Murray in first to get him. That pressure comes leading into this offseason
when we now have two years worth of information of Okay, yeah, there's
some weird stuff this year with the Keegan Murray shooting, that Kevin Herder shooting,
even the darn Fox stuff from the in between. This year has fallen
off, or at least of late it has, but we have two seasons
worth of information of well, these are the biggest issues, and for the
most part, they're the same biggest issues, So that the pressure is gonna
kick in in the offseason, and it's in a way where it's lower than
the Lakers. The Warriors because Fox and some Bonus are just younger, so
you have more time there. Yeah, what do we do? Denver is
just sitting there and they're the defending champs. I think you and I both
agree that they're the most likely team to win the title this year. That's
how I feel. I think I think they're I think they are the favorite,
right I don't know. I haven't looked at the betting odds. I
think the Celtics have to be the favorite. I'm sure based on market like
knowing how that stuff sort of works. Okay, they shouldn't be, but
right so, I think, like there's the grace period they won it last
year, but there's also the like so it's like, I don't know,
you know, it could they could make the conference finals and bow out,
and like we'd go into next year thinking like, well, Jokis just won
is third MVP and like everybody's still here, so you know, not no
real concerns there. But at the same time, like if you should win
it and you don't win it, like you know that there's some pressure there.
It can only be one of the top two tiers for them, just
because they're so good and they should be expected to win it. There's just
like the the the like disaster potential is not there, which is weird.
I just I want to put them in the A tier. I don't want
to put them up there with Boston and the Bucks and Clippers and Sons.
I don't know. Why does that seem crazy? No? And look,
part of it is because they're so good and they just won, so that
doesn't alleviate some of the pressure. And the other thing is what did you
want them to do to better cement their odds this year? And now this
is where you get into well, they are trying sort of the two timeline
thing, but what was the trade? They couldn't bring back Bruce Brown.
That was just financially they weren't allowed to do it. And then what was
the trade? Because yeah, you could suggest, well, if they would
have used some of their first like rather than trying to get off these salaries
or part of these smaller deals, if they would have traded distant first for
actual players, where are you getting your matching salary from? It would have
been from one of your five most important players who should be deemed untouchable.
There's a level of pressure there just because you have the best player in the
NBA. You're getting to a point where you have to reinvest Inkentavious Caldwell Pope
again after this year, who has the player option? And you have to
start thinking about, well, what do we do like Aaron Gordon on his
next contract, and then with Jamal Murray and then even like we know what
the deal is going to be with Jokic. So there's the level of pressure
there, but I don't think it's any more urgent than other contenders at this
moment. And like, I think next season, if they come out flat,
or if they were bounced early in the playoffs, or even think it
bounced really early this year, that's where you can start to question leaning into
next season of like do they continue down this path of trying to make sure
that they have this open ended timeline thanks to Christian Brown and Peyton Watson and
Julius Strouther. So that's still kind of up for debate. But they've been
so good this year against some of the top end teams. I'm with you,
they're out of at in respect, but I could even just I wouldn't
even put them in the bet here just because if they lose in the first
round, I might still if they're going to keep their top five guys,
I'm just gonna pick them to win the title again next year. They're so
stable in a way that distinguishes them from really everybody in both of the top
two tiers. Yeah, so I think we got to leave them in a
but there's a case for here's here's one for you. I think this is
an easy one. Well maybe not the Indiana Pacers. I would put them
in the seats here next to the Bulls and the Rockets, even after giving
up multiple first round picks to get Siakam. I think they're just gonna pay
whatever the hell it takes to keep him because they have to. And so,
like I guess, I guess if you're really worried that they might have
just set those picks on fire and they aren't gonna keep him, you could
move him up. But like you have, Tyre's Halliburn, and he emerged
when healthy this year as like an All NBA first team or potentially he was
way up in the MVP voting before he hurt the hamstring. He's looked better
lately. I think everybody agrees. But Carlisle is a good coach. They
have a bunch of like nice depth pieces. Your Nie Smith's, your Nemhard's
like you're Jalen Smith, like they they just like I think next year,
if they stay healthy, the expectations should be that they're gonna fight for a
top four seed. Potentially they're gonna need defensive help and some organic growth.
But like, this doesn't feel like an urgent and we got to do it
this year. There's nothing other than Siakam walking, which I just don't think
is gonna happen. You wouldn't have traded for him if that were a real
pos even how he lit up the other night, with how Jars Walker played,
I'm just assuming he wants to have his statue get Indy. The other
thing, too, is of the picks they gave up, there's just like
the one of them where the twenty twenty six to one is the one where
it's a little bit iffy. And then also, to borrow the phrase that
you you used, they still have outs because they still have future. First,
if you wanted to, you can move Walker, you have Bette mc
matthew probably up his stock a little bit this season. I think I thought
about them as a B tier team, but this was never supposed to be
the year, supposed to set them up maybe next year or the year after
to be the year. And that's when you talk about them under more pressure
and talk about outs. God knows every team in the world wants a Miles
Turner type, so you can always move Miles Turner. All right, that's
a good one. Uh what do you think about the sixers? So this
is gonna? I would argue that they belong in the seat year, and
I would either, okay, good. So it's yes, you're on the
Joel eband timeline, but he's we know he's gonna come back from the meniscus
injury. You just can't reasonably expect him to be the Joel embiid that he
was leading before the meniscus injury, and that you're just a contender again.
And the other thing here is that, yes, you did trade for Buddy
Heel, but like you set your books up so that you could go all
in ahead of next season, right, so that this clearly wasn't the season.
Especially you know, in most cases you can make jokes about how James
Harden team trajectories pan out. In most cases, you're not gonna trade James
Harden. Then expect to be under pressure to win a title that season.
The Sixers were unique in that scenario because unlike the Rockets, unlike the Nets,
they were still kind of expected to contend because of the leap that Tyres
Maxi made him when you had him beat healthy, the fact that you don't
have him be healthy, and that you've telegraphed, hey, we want to
use our cap space, probably not in free agency, but on the trade
market, and maybe it is free agency if Paul George decides to walk.
I really think that, No, you're not dealing with found money because just
I don't want to say punting on a year of Joel Embiad's prime, because
part of the reason you're missing out on it is he was injured. There's
urgency there, but it's you haven't like if he wasn't injured, then maybe
this would be a different discussion. And just you said it, but like
having having one foot in this year because of Joel Embiid's prime and one foot
in, let's clear as much room as possible for maximum flexibility for next year.
It's like, by definition, you're not all your eggs are not in
this basket like you've got you've got two distinct baskets and now like you're focusing
on the more distant one. Like that's that's a terribly mixed metaphor. Uh,
but you get the idea. I am ready to do the Oklahoma City
funder okay, and I am like, I want to put them in the
Sea tier I under is that insulting? No. I think you could make
a case that they belong in the lower tier than that, but we just
can't do that because so, like you know how every so often Kirk Goldsberry,
I think will put up like team efficiency rankings and like quadrants, right,
and it's like what stands out the Thunder are by far, they're like
in their own quadrant in terms of like maximum championship potential, minimum pressure.
So they're like all the way to either the top right or the bottom left,
depending on how it's set up in those kind of graphical illustrations, Because
like, they could make the finals and nobody would be upset if they lost
in the first round, because the only thing that changes next year is all
their best players get a year older and they're and better. And so I'm
with everything you said. The only thing I'd add is, even if this
ends in disaster, which disaster means having a top three record when no one
was really even smashing. You're over at the start of the season, is
you have the information necessary to say, well, this is what we need,
and now the pressure's on to go out and get it. But there's
no pressure to getting to that point because you want to have that information not
only to lose, but like Sam Pressy's gonna find value because this team is
so malleable moving forward with its picks, with the players, the salaries they
have on their roster, the prospects, they can move in so many different
directions that they're going to value the resolution to this season whatever it is,
right. And it's just like talking about outs like they got they got nine
innings worth of them, like they have twenty seven first round picks. You
know, it's just it's ridiculous. Like so they'll be able to identify what
they need and what they need honestly, might just be more experienced and that'd
be fine, but if it's a certain type of player, like no one's
more equipped to just go out and make it happen, like you, you'll
know what you need and you'll have more means to get it than anyone else
in the league. So there are like maybe three teams that have the assets
necessary to create their own trade market. What I mean by that is just
going out and getting a player who's not readily or even considered available because they
have the ability to make that type of offer. There's OKC, and there's
probably Utah, and then like, I think you could throw the Pelicans in
there when you're dealing with if they wanted to include some of their actual players.
But I don't know that there's another team that would fit under that umbrella.
No, I don't think so either. Yeah, that that's I was
wondering what you're gonna do with them. I think that's the right decision.
Okay, Uh, let's well, you said the Pelicans. Uh, let's
let's do them. I feel like they've gotta be no lower than be you're
hovering around a you think there's that much pressure on them. Well, at
some point, it's just like like how do we see like what it's not?
Have we seen this movie before? Can we get to see this movie?
Actually? Can we get through the trail which is healthy Zion, healthy
brandon Ingram in the actual playoffs? I think it needs to be a because
it's just like we talk about, Okay, we know this team's identity is
best with point Zion. We know that it can mesh with Brandon Ingram.
We've seen it before his uh, his knee injury, but are we ever
gonna get a chance to actually see it? And you also have Yonas Valancunas
entering free agency. You're starting to get to the point where no team is
I don't think they've ever paid the tax, and now if you want to
get better or even retain your talent, you might have to start paying the
tax, if not next season, and then certainly the season after. And
then you're dealing with, well, what is Brandon Ingram worth to us on
his next contract? And oh, Trey Murphy's next contract's gonna be coming up
as well. I think they're under a ton of pressure, and part of
it's almost the antithesis of some of these other teams where it's we just don't
have enough information about like what they are operating as currently constructed at their peak
because it's never sustained long enough. But you're also running out of time to
just say, well, we can just wait and like they're not the thunder,
like they've they've waited out this core long enough to where if they don't
if they won, can't even get to see their best shot or two just
see that their best shot isn't enough. Uh, there's like they're gonna have
to start asking some awkward wholesale questions. Yeah, I think I think they're
so young that it feels there's I mean, it makes it feel a little
weird to put them up this high. But we've been asking, well,
what about the zion ingram fit for like three years now, like we're not
sure about that, and like the fact that they've been so good lately just
sort of starts to kindle some hopes that like, oh man, they might
be I think JJ Reddick said he liked them to come out of the West
potentially or like make the conference spot. Like there's definitely like enough hype now
that we sort of have created some artificial like pressure. You know, there's
organic pressure, but now we've added some, right. Yeah, And it's
also it's a different type of pressure to where it's like, I get similar
to the Knicks, except I think because the Pelicans have dealt with this,
like they've had this corn place a little bit longer. You're gonna be if
the Knicks get bounce in the first round. Let's say there are people are
gonna push for them. Okay, this has to be the summer they make
the blockbuster trade. The Pelicans, I think will be under that same pressure.
But theirs is more complicated because I don't know that there's a When you
look at how good their players are, it's okay, well, you could
say, well you need to upgrade the CJ. McCullum lineup spot maybe not
not that position necessary, or the Yonus doll and treated at spot well with
who is it worth to upgrade from? And so that makes what they're doing,
depending on how the season ends, a lot more difficult. Yeah,
let's let's pick an easier one. Let's do Orlando next. I feel like
they belong next to OKC in the second and it's just like we know their
defense is going to be for real, and we know what they need on
the offensive end, and so they're almost honestly among all these teams, maybe
the Rockets, but like you, I think you could make the easiest case
of their magic to be in the D tier just because they haven't even tried,
they haven't gone out and spent a ton of mon long term money in
free agency. They haven't tried to make some big trade and so it's just
like they're they might have home court advantage through this. And it's not an
insult. It's if they get bounced in the first round. I think that'll
be the expectation no matter where they end up. Quite frankly, right if
I feel like if Orlando takes a team to six in the first round,
everybody's gonna be like, oh awesome, look out next year. There'll be
no disappointment. I don't think are you ready for a harder team? These
are all three of the ones that are left are tough. Uh well,
you know what, I'm gonna make a case for the heat needing to be
in the S tier. Oh wow, I thought we were done with this.
Here's the thing is that you could look at it say, well,
they've been so banged up and like, if they're gonna get in through the
plane and we've seen them make these conference finals and NBA Finals pushes at some
point, not finishing in the top six of the conference is an indictment of
the way that you have built your team, Like the fact that you need
to go through that entire stretch of postseason to reach the finals. And the
other thing here, which I think adds pressure, is they kind of decided,
oh, we're not gonna hold out, or we don't have the ammunition
for a star trade, so we're gonna trade a distant first round pick to
get Terry Rozier, who is maybe like I'm not exactly Like that's kind of
like when you say maybe he's the fiftieth best player in the NBA, Like
that's just a very I don't want to say. Maybe it ends up panning
out. Otherwise it's an uninspiring move. And so now you've hamstrung your trade
assets even more. Or the fact that you unearthed Jimai hawk as is great,
but like, what is Kayla Martin's next contract going to look like?
Jimmy Butler's not getting any younger. What is tyler Heroes value to this team
long term or as a trade asset? No, Look, he's injured as
well, and Duncan Robinson looks like a bargain. But oh he's hurt again
too. So this team is just even if you want to focus on the
Jimmy Butler timeline, you're just you know, you can't play the the heat
culture cards forever, and I'll shut my mouth for good if they make the
NBA Finals again well backing their way into the play in But like, do
you even expect them to catch the Pacers at this point to be with a
top six spot? And so if you're gonna constantly be in this position to
where you're not a top six team in your conference and yet you don't have
the assets to go out and get a star. You have one young star,
but I guess you know Tyler Heroes, young jimay hawks Is is young,
so you have outs. But the player who drives everything, who is
one of the five to seven most valuable players come playoff time, that dude
is in getting into his mid and late thirties. You're just running out of
time. And now you decided that, oh, we're actually not gonna chase
that we're okay trading a distant first round pick in a non blockbuster, And
so I do think you've now inherently increased the pressure factor for yourself. Whereas
if they didn't make that trade, Grant, I think, based on the
injuries, I would have said that they could have been like an A or
B tier team. Yeah, I think you talked me into it. It's
still they're they're my They're the shakiest of the top tier, but it does
it would feel weird to put them in the same tier as like Denver and
like a couple of teams that might not even make the plan and are well
at least one in the Warriors. So I'm good with that. Okay,
all these teams, the last two are still difficult. Let's do Cleveland.
And this is a case where you got a way whether the injuries are cover
or if it's like and and the fact that like you're two if not your
two best players, but certainly two of your four best players are still in
their early twenties in Mobile and Garland, and like Allen's on a good cont
like we cannot put Cleveland in the top tier. I'm vacillating between the middle
tier, the B tier, and the A tier. I don't I don't
know what to do with them, just because the samples are all sorts of
fucked up because of all the injuries. They don't and like, so what
to you would be an unqualified disappointment in terms of their playoff fate. This
they pull the Orlando magic in round one, get stifled by their defense and
lose. You lose, right, which is what happened last year when they
were healthier. So it's like, I don't know, I think I think
I do, so I think the only reason to put them in the A
tier would be do you think that a first round exit would result in a
referendum on Donovan Mitchell wanting to be there? I'm not ready to go there
just because I haven't seen any signals privately publicly that seems like he's unhappy.
And even if he was unhappier on the fence, like you just still have
him under get you could see this through you really wanted to and decide what
to do it next year's trade deadline. So mott my gut says B tier
just because of all the injuries I could I do if if you feel strongly
about the Donovan Mitchell factor. Though I totally get the A tier argument.
What's interesting is I don't know which way the Donovan Mitchell factor cuts or I
don't think the Donvan Mitchell factor cuts any direction, because if you're I,
I kind of would go the other way with like, I don't think I
think he's gonna leave or tell them he wants to be traded regardless of what
happened, not necessarily like not on July one or whatever. I just think
the way that at some point he will either his contract will expire or he
will before that say like yeah, you know New York one or the other
just or Miami something so, and like, I think that's gonna be my
opinion on it, whether they get bounced in the first round or whether they
make the conference finals. So let's let's go be tier. I don't think.
I don't think that weighs too heavily. And the other thing is,
just like even I they just get bounced in the first round, you're still
left with the these top four guys who are so good. And then Garland
and Mobley have not even hit their primes yet. I know Garland's had some
weird stuff going on this season, and will he ever be a good finisher?
YadA, YadA, YadA. They're just still in a really good position,
even though they're kind of it's hard to upgrade this roster, but they're
also they're not expensive to the point yet where they're not going to have some
spending tools in free agency. Yeah, I'm with it, Okay, the
Mavericks, which is does I think I want to put them in the s
t here? I think I want to put them all the way up.
I look, you gave me the heat, so i'll give you the MAVs.
I would argue that, you know what, they did trade like first
round picks at the deadline, so they they did come from stuff. Yeah,
they burned the picks. I think, you know, you'd be a
fool not to at least think you probably would. You don't need to fixate
it on it, on it as much as I do, but you got
to at least think about the Luka Doncic like satisfaction index. We're doing the
pressure index. But like if they get eliminated in the first round, you
know that you're still gonna ask all these questions like what do we put around
this guy? And how long is he gonna put up with this? You
know? And they got so again the word of the day is outs.
Like they're running out of them. They've they've burned on middling moves. They
do have some, but they don't have as many as they used to.
Right, Yeah, I could see the case for what's tough with them?
Is that, And I think it's the same with the Heat. Is that
the other four teams, the Bucks, the Celtics, the Clippers, and
the Suns, it'll be inexcusable if they get bounced in the first round.
And you can even say, well, what if Phoenix pulls like a really
like the Nuggets in the first role, so well, then Phoenix should have
won more fucking regular season games to avoid that. Whereas the Mavericks, it's
just sort of like they were at the talent deficit. The matchup could be
really difficult. Could you see at least them thinking we did remake our roster
a little bit mid season. Yeah, sure we lost, but we pushed
whatever team we faced the first round of six or seven games and it was
competitive. I think that that I'm leaving them in the st here, just
because when the stakes you're dealing with Luka Donci who's one of the five best
players in basketball. The stakes are so high on any given season. But
I think I've seen enough signs of progress with him and Kyrie Irving and to
at least like, Okay, well you have something in the front court that
I could understand the argument for the a tire, But it's just I,
yeah, I don't want you to give it to me just because I,
like I gave I conceded on the heat. I'm kind of arguing against myself.
I want, like a he would be why the pressure is not as
high because Luka Doncic is good enough to where you see it through until the
end of his contract, even if he at some point decides not to sign
an extension and we know that that's not going to be an issue for at
least another year. It's like, I'm wondering if that detracts from the pressure
at all. Here Again, as you've said, some picks will open up
for them to trade moving forward, but they still just have so few outs
to where no, they're not locked into this core, but what are you
moved aside from what little first round equity you have left to go and make
that needle nudging trade. I it's I understand the case. They have to
be one of the top two tiers, let me make that clear. But
I for sure I wonder though, like we've focus focused a lot on like
the last best shot thing, it don't it doesn't feel like their last best
shot just because like you said, they're gonna have Luca for as long as
it's possible to have Luca. So maybe let's let's bump them down. They
can't go lower than that. But I think, I think I like the
look of the of the five teams we have in the top tier in Dallas
because Luca is there, Like, I guess, if you really think he
will not be there if this goes badly, then they have to move up.
But I just they're not gonna if he demanded a trade, imagine what
you'd get for him. Like, So, I mean, I I guess,
I yeah, I think, I think. Uh, I think we've
got it. We've got it right there, they're not quite maximum pressure so
quickly to wrap this up, which team is U under the single most pressure
entering the twenty twenty four playoffs, I know it's either the Heat, the
Celtics, the Bucks, the Clippers, or the Suns based on our tiers.
Yeah, I rule the Celtics out because they could just run it back
with no problem. I rule the Heat out because I don't think their expectations
are quite as high. Yeah, I think I probably gotta. I think
it's Phoenix just because like there's no second option, Like this is just you
gotta Kevin Durant's gonna be a year older next year. This you're not that
like it would be a shock if they want a title to me, but
like that is the expectation, and that is sort of what the way they
put their roster together demands they do. So I feel like Phoenix is the
is the highest pressure. What do you think I would actually I would agree
with you there. And it's also just if you're looking at kind of breaking
up the top of the roster, they have more outs because it's like if
they have to sign and trade Paul George, there might be a worse team,
but they're still gonna get a lot of value for him. Where it's
like, what would the value being a Kevin Durand or Bradley Beal trade,
the latter of whom has a no trade clause right now, And if Devin
Booker requests out, that's just an abject disaster. So yeah, I think
if he wants out, Yeah, yeah, they're they're they're absolutely done.
We are on the stat padding. Guess a player. We're gonna keep this
short because we're pressed for time, so we'll do each of us. We'll
get to do you wanna do you want to start us off? Yes,
I have a guess a player for you from Rubik scale here. Uh.
Clue number one. Kevon Looney wishes he could be me. Uh this is
can I yeah. No. Clue number two, I I have no trade
staction Davis to start naming players who I read guys that are playing ahead of
them. Clue number two. I made only eight threes in my career in
eighty three attempts, but the longest was when I took a heave from the
opposing free throw line in my final game and rap I didn't remember that final
game and rattled it in. So I'm thinking it's got I'm assuming he's got
to be a big guy at this point, just based off those clues.
I got no this. That's my facial expression trying to give away nothing.
Uh. Clue number three. I was the first basketball player to turn pro
immediately after high school, the first basketball player to turn pro immediately after I
already know I'm not going to get this one. Uh you well, you
might get it all right. Clue number four. I am the only NBA
player to win the MVP Award in consecutive years with different teams. So back
to back MVPs, but changed teams. Only Barry Bonds has ever replicated this
in any of the other four major American pro sports. I'm also a lot
of information in this clue. The only the MVP with the fewest assists per
game in an MVP season under to assists per game? Good? Uh?
It a multi time MVP? Is it Bill? Not? No? It
is not Bill Russell. Uh Charles Barkley? Did he went to MVPs?
Do even win MVP? I think he wanted in Phoenix. It's not Charles
Barkley. Okay, And I don't know why I said two different teams.
I forgot about that clue. I don't know why I would have went with
Bill Russell there. Uh yeah, I keep going. I got all right.
Clue five. I made eight all NBA teams and two all defense teams.
Don't worry, I played more than sixty five games each time, and
my jersey has been retired by two NBA teams. I feel like I should
know this. I still I still have He's a multi time MVP that I'm
not like I should just start naming MVPs that I know have won multiple ones.
Why I will say this is one of those guys that's like in a
weird period in NBA history for me that like I just I don't think I
remembered the two MVPs for different teams, but it's like it's in a weird,
like I don't know, like gray section of NBA history. I can
give you the final, sixth and final clue here, yes please. I
famously predicted the outcome of the playoffs in my MVP season with the new team.
So second MVP season, we dropped just one game more than I said
we would, which was none. So he said, we're not going to
lose any games. Uh, And that year's championship rings were inscribed faux five
foe. You have to know what he actually predicted. I have no idea.
Okay, so do you remember? So probably not. But he predicted
going into the playoffs like how the playoffs are go, he said, faux
faux foe, like as in four wins, four wins, four wins for
all three playoff series. I am the chair give give up. Yeah,
I am the chairman of the boards and NBA champion and finals MVP Moses Malone.
Ah, that was a good one. It's just one that, like
you see records, and yeah, I didn't know he won multiple m vps.
Yeah, that's that's good trivia. All right, I have be rich
for you. Clue one. I was a lottery pick in the early nineties
and traded on Draft night. Then made the All Rookie team. Ooh,
lottery pick early nineties, traded on Draft night, made the All Rookie team.
M okay, next clue please clue number two. In my next four
seasons, I was an All Star each year and made three All NBA squads.
Early nineties lottery pick, traded and then it's just awesome right away.
I wish I knew the year early nineties is so tricky? Who was a
lottery pick in the early nineties? He said he won. He was on
all NBA teams too, in addition to All stars. So yeah. In
the next four seasons, he was an All Star four times and made All
NBA three times. Jesus Christ, so like in his second, third,
fourth years. All right, I don't have it. Clue three. In
the ninety seven playoffs, I became the first player ever to drop back to
back forty plus point games in which my team scored fewer than one hundred points.
I did this against pat Riley's heat, by the way, so it's
an NIX guy. It's not Larry Johnson. It is not Larry Johnson.
Oh that's yeah. Uh, not a terrible guess. And it's not Alonso.
Is it Alonso Morning? It is not Alonso Morning? Alonso. The
clue would have been if he dropped forty points again past Riley's heat. Alonzo
Morney was on bat Riley's heat. Oh if I was thinking Nicks, Oh
well, then Larry Johnson was also a stupid guess. Okay, it's against
pat Riley's heat in the late in ninety seven, God damn it. All
right, what's the next clue? In nineteen ninety nine, I was traded
for two first round picks to the Western Conference, winning fifty plus games on
a team with six players averaging ten plus points per game, including the immortal
Clifford Robinson. Cliff Robinson in ninety nine. So where's cliff Robinson in ninety
nine? It's got to be is that Portland or is that Phoenix who's getting
all these forty pointers traded on Draft night? Early nineties. Oh, I'm
blanking. It's too late. It's too late for my brain. How many
more clues do I have? Two? Okay, let's hear them clue five.
In two thousand and three, I was traded with Steph Marberry for cap
filler including Howard Heisley and Antonio mcdyce and two first round picks back to the
Eastern Conference, where I disappointed due to continuing injuries that plagued in my career.
If I could say so myself, I would have been a sure fire
Hall of Famer had I not had roughly three hundred and fifty knee surgeries.
Oh uh, is this Penny Hardaway? It is nice job. Final clue
was Chris Rock was my little pal. Okay, I always appreciate. I'm
definitely gonna get it with I like the last clue being like a very sporting
like, here you go. You'll get it on this one. Okay,
Oh, Penny Hardaway, all right? I got one from from Mike.
He has a segment. We need to go more in depth with it.
Should we each do the oh yeah, talking about we'll do one of each
of those. Yeah. I totally forgot about the Bill Walton stuff. We
have to do that. Okay, hold on, let me get down to
it, all right. So the bit here is who is Bill Walton talking
about? And you're gonna get the choices don't even matter, all right,
Uh, these are all things Bill Walton said. I'm gonna trust that Mike
has fact checked these, and honest actually I don't care if they're because they're
all right. Well. Number one A thing of beauty Einstein, Da Vinci
Jobs and now Tyreek Evans, Stro Miles Swift, Nate Robinson, Tony Parker
or Andre Miller, Tony Parker. It's Tyreek Evans for some reason. All
right. Blank looked like doctor J. There, Greg Buckner, thank thank
you, Mike Carry Kittles, Sean Kemp, Sean Bradley, Joe Smith.
Uh, we'd read it back one more time. Blank looked like doctor J.
There you have Greg Buckner, Carry Kittles, Sean Kemp, Shawn Bradley,
Joe Smith, Sean Bradley. You are correct. What did he do
well? I wonder what Sean Bradley. We need to find that highlight.
Uh three, Blank is one of the finest centers in the history of Western
civilization. Presumably there were finer centers than Eastern civilization. Are Vita sabonas Dale,
Davis Donald Foyle, Greg Oaster tag, Eric Dampierre, Please let it
be Eric Dampierre. No, it's Greg Oaster tag. Oh that's just number
four. This game should be a blowout. The Lakers have absolutely no way
to defend the power that is Blank. Sean Kemp, Boris Diao, Anthony
Randolph, A Donald Foyle, second appearance for a Donald Foyle, Keith Closs
a Donald Foyle. It is Keith Closs. Fun fact, Keith Closs scored
twelve points in this game, his career high as fifteen. Last one.
Blank should be playing a minimum of forty five minutes every game. Sam Josh
Harden, MILESBC Bride are the correct answer. Samuel Dallenbear, Keon Clark,
Mike Dunleavy Junior, Corey mcghetty, Ruben Patterson, Keon Clark, it's Corey
mcgetty forty five minutes, that's all. Oh, those they are so fun.
Yeah, he's got six for you. I'm gonna split him up so
that we could save some of them because this bit is Mikey's. Feel free
to add more of them. But who is Bill Walton talking about? Grant?
The only man who can stop Blank is himself, the man is unstoppable,
even at thirty eight. Lebron, James, Karl Malone, ar Vitas
Sabonis, Cliff Robinson or Zadrunas Olgauskas. Please be Cliff Robinson. That is
correct, A nice job. Who is Bill Walton talking about you? Look
at Blank? This guy is cut from stone. It's as It's as if
Michaelangelo were reading and a lightning bolt flashed before him. Run our test,
Gary Payton, Vladimir Rodmanovitch, Karen Butler or Nicola Pekovich. Oh, I
have to pick Vladimir Redmanovitch. You are two for two. I just I'm
in. I'm I understand, Bill Walton. I think I get it all
right. The third one and it'll be our last one. Yesterday we celebrated
Sir Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity. Today Blank is defying it is he talking
about Vince Carter, Desmond Mason, Brendan Haywood, Gerald Green or Fabriccio Alberto.
Oh, I'm gonna go against what's been working and not say Fabricio Oberto.
I'm gonna say Gerald Green, you should have went with your gut.
It's Fabricio Alberto. Oh, that's so great. That's such a better answer.
That was a lot of That was a great idea, Mike. Thank
you for that grant. Would you like to take us out of here?
Oh? I sure would. This is gonna be the greatest outro in the
history of Western civilization. This will be the greg Oaster tag of outros.
Thank you everyone for your specifically for your contributions to stat padding. I just
never knew I needed so much Bill Walton in my life. Please as always,
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There link to do that is in the YouTube and podcast descriptions has listen
link to our merch and I think that's going to cover it. Thanks again,
shout out Frank Milakina. Apologies Jared Allen,