1 00:00:14,759 --> 00:00:21,120 What is kracklacing fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am in almost fully healthy Dan 2 00:00:21,199 --> 00:00:28,120 fa Valley coming at you with my certified fantabulous, clean jerking extraordinary co host 3 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:33,039 Grant Hughes. That sounds a little bit more masturbatory than I thought. Yeah, 4 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,000 well, clean and jerk is a weightlifting moof for that that is very 5 00:00:38,039 --> 00:00:42,520 popular in CrossFit for anyone might not know, So that's what I was referring 6 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,880 to. We are here to spread I guess we could call it holiday cheer, 7 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,159 but we did, you know, problems questions we have about every team 8 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:54,920 in the league last week. Now we're gonna focus on optimistic observations. One 9 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:59,520 reason we're optimistic about every team splitting it into the East and West. The 10 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,799 Western conferences up first, which means that it will be Grant's show because he 11 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,760 is the West last time, since I had it this time, since I 12 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:10,159 had it last time. Usual reminders before we get started, please remember to 13 00:01:10,439 --> 00:01:12,760 subscribe to us. Hit that sub button on YouTube, Subscribe on Apple and 14 00:01:12,799 --> 00:01:17,159 Spotify. Ratings and reviews on both Apple and Spotify, help us out a 15 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,560 bunch, follow us on the socials. The links to those are in the 16 00:01:19,599 --> 00:01:26,000 podcast and YouTube description. Join our discord great convos happening every single day in 17 00:01:26,079 --> 00:01:30,079 there. The discord link is in the podcast and YouTube description. You can 18 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,920 support the show by purchasing merch The link to that is in the podcast and 19 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,959 YouTube description. And if you've done all those things, please tell people about 20 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:38,760 us. Word of mouth recommendations go a long way as we continue to build 21 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,719 the community. And as always, Grant and I appreciate every single one of 22 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,879 you, the audience, the community. We just enjoy it all, So 23 00:01:47,439 --> 00:01:51,560 thank you. Grant. How the heck are you doing? I'm doing well. 24 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,719 I am also healthy. I was not unhealthy before, but since we're 25 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,359 talking about our health, I thought I would throw that in there. You 26 00:01:57,359 --> 00:02:01,400 know, you're you healthy, but you're rubbing it in dying people's faces. 27 00:02:01,439 --> 00:02:08,039 How healthy you are? Apparently? I want to say that. I'm glad 28 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,800 we get to talk about positive things this week, because pointing out problems as 29 00:02:12,879 --> 00:02:15,120 necessary as it is, which we did last time we had a conversation, 30 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,280 it can wear on you a little bit, and even putting together stuff, 31 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,759 if you're writing things like that, it just feels like you're nitpicking all the 32 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:29,599 time. So this is this is an appropriately positive holiday entry into the holiday 33 00:02:29,599 --> 00:02:34,120 season. I think because we're gonna skew optimistic, We're gonna skew towards things 34 00:02:34,159 --> 00:02:38,039 we like, things that have excited us or interested us or just been I 35 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:40,599 don't know, good vibe producing so far through the season. I'm excited to 36 00:02:40,599 --> 00:02:46,360 do that today. I will say some I shared this information on discord. 37 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,039 I'm not sure if you saw it, but so we wrote the one problem 38 00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:53,240 every NBA team didn't see coming and re repurposed it as a podcast. Kenny 39 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:59,800 Beacham on his YouTube channel also repurposed that article as a video. He just 40 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,719 beat us in views by about two hundred and fifty thousand. Yeah, so 41 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,400 like pretty close, several ten thousand x give or take. It did just 42 00:03:09,479 --> 00:03:12,719 a little bit better than ours. I don't know what to do that, 43 00:03:12,879 --> 00:03:16,639 but so people seem to enjoy his reactions and the stuff that we wrote. 44 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,599 I mean, no shade in him at all, his work at that That 45 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,919 is an indication of the industry. Basically, you know, there's your industry 46 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,479 in a nutshell. Honestly, if you want to, if people want to 47 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,680 super peek behind the curtain, it's always touch and go. When we're doing 48 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,759 the every team projects. I don't look at traffic anymore, but there's probably 49 00:03:35,759 --> 00:03:38,400 a good chance that his video did more views than even the article did, 50 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:43,520 which is being disseminated and programmed in the Bleacher Report, app to like an 51 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,000 audience in the tens of millions. I'm sure. Yeah, No, I 52 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,360 don't have any debt. I haven't looked at the numbers either, but I 53 00:03:49,439 --> 00:03:53,919 would not. My expectation would be that you're right about that. Uh wow, 54 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,120 yeah, I'm looking at it right now. I decided to bite the 55 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,360 bullet and look on our expectations were correct. Just leave it at that. 56 00:04:02,159 --> 00:04:05,520 What's that not this time though? Because this one we're gonna do numbers on 57 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,479 this one. Oh yeah, this one's if everyone make this go viral, 58 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,120 share it, like it, comment, I don't know what it takes to 59 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,519 go viral on YouTube. With full length podcasts, So Eastern Conference, we're 60 00:04:15,519 --> 00:04:19,439 gonna go in alphabetical order, always a risky proposition around in these parts. 61 00:04:19,439 --> 00:04:24,680 As everybody knows, we begin with the Atlanta Hawks. Grant. Oh no, 62 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:27,639 we're doing the West. I was not. I was gonna let you 63 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:29,720 see, I was gonna say how long you were gonna go? Because you've 64 00:04:29,759 --> 00:04:32,079 got the alphabet part right, because A is the first lesson that doesn't count 65 00:04:32,079 --> 00:04:35,160 as an alphabet fail. Correct, No, no, it's a different category 66 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:43,639 conference fail Western Conference. We begin with the Dallas Mavericks grant. Please spread 67 00:04:43,759 --> 00:04:48,360 some Dallas Mavericks optimism for us. So it's interesting that, uh, what 68 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,959 really I'm excited about, what I'm happy about, or what the Mavericks should 69 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,920 be happy about, is silence, which is to say, I don't know 70 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,240 about you, but I know that I coming into this season and it's really 71 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,680 going back to last year like this. Anyone who's listened to me talk at 72 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,399 all about Dallas will just you could just guess what I'm gonna say, which 73 00:05:09,399 --> 00:05:13,959 is the Kyrie Irving trade triggered a cascade of possible futures in which in many 74 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,000 of them, Luka Dauncic asked for a trade because this thing goes sideways and 75 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,279 Irving does his whatever he does to you know, disrupt the team. And 76 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:27,839 the fact that Dallas is kind of asset poor and has some defensive deficiencies like, 77 00:05:27,879 --> 00:05:32,439 oh, this is clearly the the catastrophe potential was not only like in 78 00:05:32,439 --> 00:05:38,040 play but started to seem kind of likely if you're a real alarmist, but 79 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:41,639 the fact that Dallas has started out so well this year, the fact that 80 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,920 Kyrie Irving has just looked really good. Luca has been just as good. 81 00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:47,879 The pace is up in Dallas, which people have been calling for all the 82 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,160 time. Now A lot of that's when Irving's out there without Doncic. Donchi 83 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,800 still plays slow, but the pace is up. The scoring efficiency for Doncic 84 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,680 is as good as it's ever been. He's making tons of threes. Maybe 85 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,120 that normalizes Derek Lively has brought energy to the defense. The defense is still 86 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,040 not great, but like there's a way forward you can see with him there. 87 00:06:06,639 --> 00:06:11,360 And so that's all to say. I haven't even thought once about the 88 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,120 you know, catastrophe potential of Luca being unhappy and you know, at some 89 00:06:15,199 --> 00:06:18,879 point this year or you know, maybe next or whatever, you know, 90 00:06:18,959 --> 00:06:24,160 wanting to leave or at least agitating for more change or maybe and maybe that 91 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,639 changes like change me. I want to go someplace different. I haven't thought 92 00:06:28,639 --> 00:06:33,319 about that. Hopefully he hasn't. And I think as long as this offense 93 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,720 holds up, and I think it will, you know, Dallas is going 94 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:40,399 to buy at least a year, and then who knows what happens later on, 95 00:06:40,439 --> 00:06:43,279 how they improve the roster going forward, where they get that wing defender, 96 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,879 where they get that third ball handler. That those are all questions down 97 00:06:46,879 --> 00:06:48,839 the line. But the thing to me that's so great is that we just 98 00:06:48,879 --> 00:06:54,279 don't have to think about Luca wanting to leave. And I was I thought 99 00:06:54,319 --> 00:06:57,319 that we would have to think about that this year. Mas fans are back 100 00:06:57,319 --> 00:07:00,240 to complaining about Dwight Powell, which is a thing of how good things are 101 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,959 for the most part. And they're like, because you have Luca, you 102 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,920 could probably build a path to them winning everything, just if things broke right 103 00:07:08,959 --> 00:07:12,519 and the West is aside from a healthy nugget squad, it remains so wide 104 00:07:12,519 --> 00:07:15,639 open. But they're like, they're not a quintessential one player away. They're 105 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,480 more like a half a player away, where if you get the wing player 106 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,079 who doesn't torpedo your spacing, where it's okay. Derek Jones Junior has made 107 00:07:24,399 --> 00:07:27,639 some shots, but those lineups have been touch and go because defenses don't guard 108 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,519 him the way they would others. If they get that player, it's just 109 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,839 the problem their assets are limited, and so many other teams are looking for 110 00:07:34,879 --> 00:07:38,800 that player. I automatically assume. Let's say, for instance, and I 111 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,839 don't think they're gonna move him. I want to be clear. If o 112 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:46,240 Giannanobi becomes available, I don't think that they have the the juice to get 113 00:07:46,319 --> 00:07:48,879 him. They might have enough if they're willing to pay him. They could 114 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:53,680 be a Jeremy Grant team. That might be like if you're just looking for 115 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,040 a first round pick or just stuff, depending on because Jeremy Grant has not 116 00:07:57,079 --> 00:08:01,199 looked great, like just he's been exposed when you don't have other playmakers around 117 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,040 you right now. But like the fact we're talking about that rather than the 118 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,959 Lucas stuff and the other thing that I think coincides with your silence. And 119 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,040 I apologize if I missed this. Luca's complaining less. That's no, I 120 00:08:15,079 --> 00:08:18,240 didn't mention that. That's that's like any half decent rider would have made that 121 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,720 reference is a podcast, You're fine? Yeah, right, Maybe Kenny was 122 00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:26,199 covered in his reaction. No, that's totally right, that's totally right. 123 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,680 He he he's still doing it a little bit like I was. I forget 124 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,480 who they're playing the other night. I think it was the Kings. That 125 00:08:33,759 --> 00:08:37,000 was a great game. By the way, Matt's King's Game, which Dallas 126 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:41,480 didn't win, but he he got. You could see him almost catch himself. 127 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,399 You could see him start to like do the palms up, like what 128 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,440 are we doing? How did you not see? Like and then he would 129 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,480 like reel it in. So you know, that's been such a like an 130 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,399 ingrained part of his whole like on court personality that it's got to be really 131 00:08:54,399 --> 00:08:58,159 hard to like resist the urge to do that. But I think he's at 132 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,759 least making an effort, so and and like that is a you know, 133 00:09:03,159 --> 00:09:05,919 on the in the grand scheme of things, that's not a huge problem, 134 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:09,279 I guess because he's just he's so good and whatever else. But like you 135 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,960 kind of want to cut that out if you're going to be like, if 136 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,399 you're if he's gonna be the best version of himself, I don't think it 137 00:09:13,399 --> 00:09:18,399 can include all the historyonics and the complaining. I think he's probably at a 138 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,960 level that's badgeable now for it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think 139 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,879 that's fair. The Denver Nuggets are next up. Kill the alphabet now that 140 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:33,679 we have the right conference. This is another So the thing I'm enjoying is 141 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,600 that you know when a team wins a title, there's like, you know, 142 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:43,159 you start making excuses and guys maybe coast or maybe they're fatigued, and 143 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,600 I'm talking about the following season. It just kind of happens because they've you 144 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,759 know, been playing sometimes three months longer than all but a couple of other 145 00:09:50,799 --> 00:09:54,200 teams, and that's just difficult, and you have kind of a downturn in 146 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,799 performance for for Nicola Jokicic like it's been the opposite, and I just it 147 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,240 makes me wonder whe like where the ceiling is, which is an insane thing 148 00:10:01,279 --> 00:10:05,360 to say about someone who's been the best player in the league for going on 149 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,919 three years, maybe more if you really want to look into it. He's 150 00:10:07,919 --> 00:10:13,720 on pace now to either match or tie several catch all metric career highs like 151 00:10:13,759 --> 00:10:18,519 box plus minus, player efficiency rating, all that stuff is either tied with 152 00:10:18,759 --> 00:10:22,759 or exceeding anything he's done before. He's on pace to set us. This 153 00:10:22,799 --> 00:10:26,759 is all after coming off a dud the other night, too, so his 154 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:31,080 numbers looked even better a couple of days ago. But he's shooting more threes, 155 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,159 like more than twice as many per game as last year. Would be 156 00:10:33,159 --> 00:10:37,879 a career highs attempting four point six per game. He's never rebounded the ball 157 00:10:37,919 --> 00:10:41,399 better his assister down slightly. But I you know, things on the list 158 00:10:41,399 --> 00:10:46,000 of things I'm not worried about, it's Jokic's assist numbers and passing. So 159 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,759 just this idea that he was he's been the best for a while. He 160 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:54,320 had every excuse to like chill. Jamal Murray is hurt, and like Jokic 161 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:58,039 just just leveled up ever so slightly, And when you're at at the heights, 162 00:10:58,039 --> 00:11:01,399 that he's at a slight level up is sort of it's like almost unthinkable. 163 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:07,159 So that's been so exciting to me in the early going that like there 164 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,519 is no there's no coast, there's no let's turn it on later, at 165 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,360 least as far as he's concerned, And that's kind of awesome to see. 166 00:11:15,159 --> 00:11:16,279 Yeah, I would have to agree with you there. And the fact that 167 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,600 just people I know are been saying they definitely miss Jamal Murray. But they 168 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,600 have a game where Michael Malone gets ejected, Nicole Jokic gets ejected, and 169 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,679 then they just go and beat the Pistons anyway, I know, I know 170 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:30,840 it's the Pistons, which you need to snort a bag of drama me and 171 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,320 if you're going to watch the Pistons a lot of the time these days, 172 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,240 so yeah, I mean, I'm with you. There's nothing I've seen that 173 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,679 makes me want to pick another team to win a title, just like Boston 174 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:43,879 has had its moments and even Milwaukee lately. But I just look at the 175 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,799 Nuggets and it's if they're healthy. I mean, there's some concerns about nobody 176 00:11:46,799 --> 00:11:52,240 aside from Jokic gets fouled consistently, and so that could be something that comes 177 00:11:52,279 --> 00:11:54,120 back to bite them in the playoffs. But like, let's see what Jamal 178 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,039 Murray looks like when he comes back and is healthier. I just have zero 179 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,759 even the whole zikenagy again is not panning out for the up team year. 180 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:05,720 I just have so few concerns. And by the way, top ten defense 181 00:12:05,759 --> 00:12:11,159 without getting lucky on any really opponent shooting that they're allowing forty nine percent shooting 182 00:12:11,159 --> 00:12:15,240 from the corners and it's not like on an absurd volume, and so they're 183 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:20,360 not getting nothing about what they're doing right now is unsustainable. And so there's 184 00:12:20,399 --> 00:12:26,039 a chance we've yet to even see the very peak of Jamalberry's not playing aget. 185 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,000 It but like the peak of what a full strength Nuggets team looks like. 186 00:12:28,039 --> 00:12:31,639 I know, they just won a title. We probably haven't even seen 187 00:12:31,639 --> 00:12:35,639 it yet though, well, and like remember too, it's you know, 188 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,240 the peak you're talking about, like an objective peak, like this team could 189 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,919 be better than it's ever been. But there's also like a relative component which 190 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,480 and to your point of like you have no questions, you feel just as 191 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,360 good or better about Denver being the best team in the conference as you did 192 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,720 however long ago, and I agree, And that's like that's another key because 193 00:12:54,159 --> 00:12:58,039 like just compared to say, you know, the day before the season started, 194 00:12:58,519 --> 00:13:01,159 we both had Denver at the top, but we definitely had several other 195 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:05,480 teams that seem like real threat, like a healthy Phoenix, the Warriors put 196 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,879 it all together, the Clippers, you know, most other than like would 197 00:13:09,919 --> 00:13:13,120 you say anyone but say, I guess Minnesota has to be there and the 198 00:13:13,159 --> 00:13:16,200 thunder have been significantly better or at least, you know, on the high 199 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:20,159 end of expected outcomes in the West to this point in the season, But 200 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:26,240 almost everybody else looks like sketchier or we have more questions now than when the 201 00:13:26,279 --> 00:13:30,799 season started. So relative to the rest of the conference, Denver it just 202 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,960 stands out even more because some of the main threats we thought were going to 203 00:13:33,039 --> 00:13:35,600 be there just haven't been yet, and the ones that have risen up. 204 00:13:35,879 --> 00:13:39,639 You know, Minnesota is an interesting one because everybody likes to say how well 205 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:45,080 they play the Nuggets and just Minnesota's just subjectively good now. But other than 206 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,679 those two teams, I feel like Denver has fewer threats now than it looked 207 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,279 like it was going to have, which is kind of amazing considering like they 208 00:13:52,279 --> 00:13:56,080 came in as the best team. So I don't know, that's that's like 209 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,879 more of a macro discussion we could have at some points, like how of 210 00:13:58,879 --> 00:14:03,320 the conference landscapes changed? But in Denver's case, it looks better for them 211 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,159 than it did not that long ago. The continuity and steadiness at the top 212 00:14:07,399 --> 00:14:11,000 is part of the thing with them, and that's there's just value in that. 213 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,519 You know, what comes after D E and F. We don't have 214 00:14:16,519 --> 00:14:18,759 teams for E and F, but we do have the Golden State Warriors. 215 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,639 Yeah, what do you have for them? The good thing about them is 216 00:14:20,679 --> 00:14:24,759 the bench so far, their top five players and the net rating differential like 217 00:14:24,799 --> 00:14:28,639 on off, which is you can check on cleaning the glass. There's noise 218 00:14:28,679 --> 00:14:31,320 in all this stuff. It's still early. They all are bench players. 219 00:14:31,639 --> 00:14:35,399 This was and this was a really pronounced difference, even earlier in the season 220 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,240 when the Warriors were winning more. They finally snapped the I think there was 221 00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:41,159 a five game losing streak at home. They beat the Rockets last night as 222 00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:46,159 we're recording this on Tuesday. But the through line of the season has been 223 00:14:46,399 --> 00:14:52,240 the starters have been shockingly unproductive and the bench has either held the fort or 224 00:14:52,399 --> 00:14:56,720 been the reason that some of these leads have expanded. And that is just 225 00:14:56,159 --> 00:15:00,679 so upside down from how the Warriors have operated for so along that it's like 226 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,639 it's kind of the only thing you can talk about now because it it's the 227 00:15:03,679 --> 00:15:07,399 biggest surprise. It's the biggest difference in how this team is operated, and 228 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,559 it sort of encompasses some of the other like problems. I know we're staying 229 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,159 positive, but the fact that you know, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have 230 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:20,240 been mostly very bad this year, with some positive signs lately, at least 231 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,679 for Wiggins, like that would be like just you know, lethal, it 232 00:15:24,679 --> 00:15:30,000 would be it would be a massive problem if not for the bench and Chris 233 00:15:30,039 --> 00:15:33,279 Paul in particular, who's like a plus fourteen point five in his minutes, 234 00:15:33,559 --> 00:15:37,000 just you know, winning or just not losing. All these all these non 235 00:15:37,039 --> 00:15:39,480 Steph Curry minutes. A step Curry, by the way, still has a 236 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,960 negative on off split, which is just like the first time in his career, 237 00:15:43,159 --> 00:15:46,440 right aside from there was that year I think twenty twenty he played in 238 00:15:46,559 --> 00:15:50,360 four games or whatever it was, and he's just routinely and it's just again, 239 00:15:50,399 --> 00:15:54,879 it's just a total inversion of even last year in the year before, 240 00:15:54,919 --> 00:15:56,159 where you just lose the minutes that he's not out there, and now they 241 00:15:56,200 --> 00:16:00,080 lose the minutes that he's out there and they win when he's not. So 242 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,320 I think things will normalize, you know, gradually over the course of the 243 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,440 season, and maybe the bench is a mile positive and the starters eventually are 244 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,720 a bigger positive. But like for now, I mean, this team's seven 245 00:16:10,759 --> 00:16:12,799 and eight and I don't know what that record is if the bench isn't really 246 00:16:12,799 --> 00:16:17,279 good, so that that's a huge angle so far this season, and they've 247 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,240 tried to get I won't say too cute, but like when they go all 248 00:16:19,279 --> 00:16:22,879 bench like Chris Paul plush all bench. If you considered Chris Paul an honorary 249 00:16:22,919 --> 00:16:26,720 starter for like, I get it, but that unit is getting killed. 250 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,600 Yeah, and so they've had to find the balance of okay, because the 251 00:16:30,639 --> 00:16:37,200 two of their three most lineups are demonstratively net negative right minus bwoth point seven 252 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,799 for the starters, minus nineteen point two for the all bench unit of CP 253 00:16:40,919 --> 00:16:44,919 three GP two, Moody coming and Sharich. But you start to play around 254 00:16:44,919 --> 00:16:48,200 with oh, if Draymond's on the court with and Steph is on the court 255 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:52,960 and you're playing with bench players, like, that's where it feels like they've 256 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,480 been able to really hold serve any other The only other thing I would add 257 00:16:56,639 --> 00:17:00,360 is have you been I'm refreshing it now because want to make sure I'm not 258 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,600 saying out dated. It's up. But yeah, the Chris Paul Steph Curry 259 00:17:03,639 --> 00:17:07,799 minutes have just been dominant offensively one twenty seven point seven offensive rating. The 260 00:17:07,799 --> 00:17:11,839 defense isn't great, but a lot of these minutes have come without Draymond because 261 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:15,920 he's missing time right now. I've actually been impressed with how well those who 262 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,960 have been able to play together, and I think more than anything, Chris 263 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,519 Paul is definitely more adaptable than he gets credit. Steph Curry is just the 264 00:17:22,559 --> 00:17:26,400 most scalable superstar bee a history. And no people want to say it's Kevin 265 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:30,279 Durant. It's not Kevin Durant. It might be Devin Booker, but it's 266 00:17:30,279 --> 00:17:33,079 Steph Curry. Yeah, no, I think. I mean, there was 267 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,599 a play last night at the end of the first half against Houston where you 268 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:38,119 know, the game was kind of slipping away the Warriors. Couldn't you know 269 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,359 they were going to go into halftime, you know, not feeling as good 270 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:45,119 as they should have. Houston's on a second night of a back to back, 271 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,720 like just this is not a game. You've lost five in a row 272 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:49,119 at home, if you're the word, and Chris Paul just called a play. 273 00:17:49,319 --> 00:17:52,160 It was like a double staggered screen that got Steph Curry and open three 274 00:17:52,279 --> 00:17:55,440 and he hits it, as you know, with I don't know how much 275 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,039 time was left in the half and gets valid. It's a four point play 276 00:17:57,079 --> 00:18:00,440 to go into halftime. And it's like that was one hundred percent Chris Paul 277 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:06,400 making that happen. And so you know, we'll see how he holds up. 278 00:18:06,519 --> 00:18:08,839 We'll see just what him and Draymond are always going to be a really 279 00:18:08,839 --> 00:18:12,319 weird fit because they kind of occupy the same roles in an offense. Paul 280 00:18:12,319 --> 00:18:18,000 and Draymond and the Warriors generally have some lineup decisions that are gonna have to 281 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,160 get made if and when everyone's healthy. Like you know, they're playing like 282 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:26,720 twelve guys pretty routinely, and that's just just he's out there. He's playing 283 00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:30,559 plenty. Like there's calls for play off the ball against the Rockets. Did 284 00:18:30,559 --> 00:18:33,480 you see that? I think it was the first half. I mean there 285 00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:37,319 are I don't know what I think Pods and Trace Jackson Davis just have to 286 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:42,519 be the guys to lose time once everybody's good to go. But you know, 287 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,039 if it were on merriage, my vote would be Andrew Wigins or Klay 288 00:18:47,039 --> 00:18:49,799 Thompson. I'm saying like Klay Thompson is the guy that has I mean, 289 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,759 if you're just talking about how they've played this year, he you know, 290 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:57,480 he should have his role reduced. It's just that you know, things happened 291 00:18:57,559 --> 00:19:02,319 before this year of some concertquinz that has earned him quite a bit of rope. 292 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,000 And the other thing is, like, you know, the Warriors have 293 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:10,680 underperformed record wise, I think for sure relative to expectations, But if you 294 00:19:10,759 --> 00:19:15,680 assume that Thompson and Wiggins won't be just objectively terrible for the rest of the 295 00:19:15,759 --> 00:19:18,640 year, like, there's a decent amount of upside here. So if you 296 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,079 want to keep with the optimism theme, there's also that speaking all of the 297 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,799 Houston Rockets, they are next up, there's plenty of reasons to be buzzing 298 00:19:26,839 --> 00:19:30,920 about this team. What have you come up with? Just that they dodged 299 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:36,319 thinking kind of big picture, they dodged the Harden bullet and if is the 300 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:40,759 reason that you know, because remember that reporting, I think they they walked 301 00:19:40,759 --> 00:19:45,079 it back and Udoka did did so I think in pretty pointed comments. But 302 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,599 there was definitely some indication that they, you know, the Rockets were very 303 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,559 much interested in James Harden. This is going back to last year. And 304 00:19:52,599 --> 00:19:56,839 then Udoka said like thanks, but no thanks more or less. And just 305 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,920 imagine, like, here's what you're not getting. If you have James Harden 306 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,599 on this team, You're I don't know what you're doing. You probably don't 307 00:20:03,599 --> 00:20:07,400 have brook So or van Fleet first of all. But the bigger thing is 308 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,160 Alprin sangun is not getting anywhere close to the chance he's gotten this year to 309 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:15,039 prove that, Like he's actually the team's best player and has just incredible upside 310 00:20:15,079 --> 00:20:19,160 as an offensive hub. That's so he's obviously like we're not breaking news by 311 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:25,200 saying Shanggun has been incredible this year. He's the stat I uncovered on this 312 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,119 one. Now we're we're thin slicing whatever, but these are always fun. 313 00:20:27,279 --> 00:20:32,240 He's on pace to become the youngest player in history to average at least nineteen 314 00:20:32,319 --> 00:20:36,400 eight and five with a sixty percent true shooting percentage. Like damn, I 315 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:40,039 mean that's like, you know, we're thins let yeah again, like we're 316 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,279 cherry picking whatever you want to call it, but like those are real numbers 317 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:45,759 and the true shooting throwing, the true shooting in there is legit, and 318 00:20:45,799 --> 00:20:48,200 you just watch the guy play and he's he's a monster in the post, 319 00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:52,400 which he wouldn't get to be with James Harden on the team. He's a 320 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,720 great passer from the elbows, like he's gonna have like a Sabonus ish kind 321 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:02,240 of impact in that regard. He's improved defensively just all just his primacy on 322 00:21:02,319 --> 00:21:06,519 the team does not happen if the Rockets go down that other road. And 323 00:21:06,559 --> 00:21:11,680 I think, like, you know, maybe if Harden were healthy, committed, 324 00:21:11,799 --> 00:21:14,720 like carried all that other stuff, just these massive ifs, like maybe 325 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,880 the Rockets are about as good as they are right now, but it's just 326 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:22,039 like the runway they have to be so much better. Is is very clear 327 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,559 with with this iteration of the team. So sometimes it's the moves you don't 328 00:21:25,559 --> 00:21:30,079 make. Yeah, that's a great one. It's and they've been even during 329 00:21:30,079 --> 00:21:33,359 this losing streak because we're recording this, they've lost three straight. You already, 330 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:34,160 we kind of very touched on this. They put up a fight against 331 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,960 the Warriors on a road, on a back to back. The defense is 332 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:42,160 just materially different in large part because of I mean, Jabari Smith Junior has 333 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,880 done some stuff. Shane Gouon's been a little bit better on that end, 334 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,400 and I expected, but like Fred van Fleet and Dylan Brooks had had Stephan 335 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,960 Hell both of them for a lot of that game. Steff eventually broke out 336 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,000 because it's Steph, but like the volume wasn't there, And that's part of 337 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,319 being in games against the Warriors is yes, Steph can be hyper efficient and 338 00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:03,400 still go off, but if you're actually limiting his touches or his shot opportunities, 339 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,680 that's a that's an absolute win, and that their defense having the ability 340 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,160 to do that, they finally have a direction. There are some bigger picture 341 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,640 questions, but I think the fact that now you have your directional centerpiece and 342 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,920 you know that it's Shane Gun. This isn't to say that he can't play 343 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,119 with Jalen Green or Jabari Smith junior. We haven't seen a lot of aman 344 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,039 Thompson yet. He absolutely can, but this is the guy right now unless 345 00:22:26,079 --> 00:22:30,400 someone comes and takes that from him. But it's not a requirement. Where 346 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,200 we had we were questioning who it was. Was it Jalen Green, Could 347 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,319 it be Jabari Smith? Is it automatically aman Thompson? And shange Gun was 348 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,680 kind of fourth in the pecking order, even though we knew he was really 349 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,200 good. There just wasn't that belief that the Rockets were gonna hand him over 350 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,519 the keys, and even to start this season, it wasn't sort of like 351 00:22:45,559 --> 00:22:48,640 that. And then it was, oh, a half game in a game 352 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,319 in oh no, no, this is the direction we're gonna head and it's 353 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:56,039 working. Yeah, you hate to make the everyone makes the Jokic comparison just 354 00:22:56,039 --> 00:22:57,759 because he's a big guy that passes and you can run the offense through. 355 00:22:59,039 --> 00:23:03,000 But like, the thing that I don't think it's discussed enough is the way 356 00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:07,200 that he's kind of made it obvious and seized the main role in the offense 357 00:23:07,319 --> 00:23:11,200 is very much like Jokic did, where it was like, if you watch 358 00:23:11,279 --> 00:23:15,359 the guy play for any length of time, it's just clear he should touch 359 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,400 the ball more than anyone. That's just it's like undeniable. It removes all 360 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,440 the controversy of like, well, Jalen Green is, you know, the 361 00:23:22,559 --> 00:23:26,160 more conventional type of leading star that teams look at. You know that he's 362 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,039 just like, well, okay, cool. Maybe he'll become that someday, 363 00:23:30,039 --> 00:23:33,319 but at the moment, it's you just can't justify anyone but Sangun being number 364 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:37,519 one. That's just he made it obvious. He made it easy for the 365 00:23:37,599 --> 00:23:41,240 Rockets that way. Unless you have anything else on the Rockets, you're ready 366 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:45,279 to move on to the Los Angeles Clippers. Sure, am, I would 367 00:23:45,319 --> 00:23:48,559 like to talk to you about Russell Westbrook and his personal growth. I thought 368 00:23:48,599 --> 00:23:52,440 you were gonna go with it. Really just can't get much worse that. 369 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,160 No, Yeah, I mean searching for positives was harder for some teams than 370 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:57,160 others. This is one of them. I just focused in on. Like, 371 00:23:57,759 --> 00:24:02,480 so you know, this is semi older news, but it's a big 372 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,119 deal. You know, Westbrook agreeing to just volunteering to come off the bench 373 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,799 to accommodate James Harden, Who's a guy that he's clashed with in the past, 374 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,839 and who like, really, if you're Westbrook, you'd be beyond justified 375 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:18,319 and saying I'm like, I'm not adjusting for anybody like us, let alone 376 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:22,160 this guy that you know is coming in and disrupting kind of you know, 377 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:26,440 what's been Like Westbrook has his late career arc is We're gonna have to like 378 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,240 do a deep dive on it at some point. But like his uncompromising nature 379 00:24:30,279 --> 00:24:33,319 is unwillingness to change how he played with the Lakers was part of the reason 380 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,799 that whole thing did not work. That was eminently foreseeable. It's part of 381 00:24:37,839 --> 00:24:41,160 the reason that he's making three million bucks. So, you know, just 382 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,240 gone from an MVP that just had to have the ball all the time to 383 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:48,359 just really having to figure out, like where do I fit now? At 384 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,599 this stage in my career and then for him to go and say I'll come 385 00:24:51,599 --> 00:24:53,559 off the bench or I'll do whatever. Yeah, maybe that's pr spin. 386 00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,440 Maybe that's I got to get this news out that I volunteered before the Lake. 387 00:24:57,559 --> 00:25:00,000 The Clippers just demote me. You know, if you were going to 388 00:25:00,039 --> 00:25:04,680 be cynical about it, that's something to consider. But I just I'm I'm 389 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,319 impressed, and like I've been harder on Westbrook than most, probably because of 390 00:25:08,319 --> 00:25:12,000 his stubbornness and you know, style of play, but you got to give 391 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,200 it to him. I think, you know, he's just he's doing the 392 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,279 team first thing, and nobody's really ever. I don't think anybody's every question 393 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:23,200 that he cares about winning and that kind of thing. But I think up 394 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:30,119 until very recently, his position was because I care about winning and because I 395 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,160 have this unflinching self belief the way we win is by me doing what I 396 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,920 do. And I think he's changed a little bit in that regard, and 397 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,160 I think that's kind of kind of admirable. I don't know if that means 398 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,000 the Clippers are going to get anything done, probably not, but it's you 399 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,240 know, we got to celebrate some personal growth. Well, it allowed them 400 00:25:45,279 --> 00:25:47,720 to get to the thing that we always knew they were going to have to 401 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,039 get to to try and optimize this team. And so that's and they did 402 00:25:51,039 --> 00:25:53,680 it early on, fewer than ten games into the experiment, and so that 403 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,519 there's real value in that. I'm still so fascinating to see where this team 404 00:25:57,599 --> 00:26:02,440 goes from here. I just still feel like I know the Daniel Tye stuff 405 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,839 will help, and it kind of proves that they're not looking to play ultra 406 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,240 small. But like PJ. Tucker has these stretches where it's, oh, 407 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,759 he still kind of has it defensively at points like the game yet against Yokich 408 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:17,480 like a week or so ago, But it's just he is so low volume 409 00:26:17,839 --> 00:26:21,480 and sometimes a complete or most of the time a complete non factor on the 410 00:26:21,519 --> 00:26:23,400 offensive end. How do you work around that? Are we going to run 411 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,599 into issues where they're sort of are these players okay where it's you know, 412 00:26:26,799 --> 00:26:30,400 somebodys you're just not gonna have as many shots or opportunities because someone else has 413 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:33,279 it going. It still feels like they need to make another trade and I 414 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:37,279 don't I don't know if I would put them. I'm trying to think of 415 00:26:37,279 --> 00:26:40,799 the most optimized version of them with this core and does it belong to the 416 00:26:40,799 --> 00:26:45,039 inner circle of contenders. We don't know, but I think them getting to 417 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:48,440 at least part of the model that is going to serve them best in the 418 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,799 long term, in large part because Westbrook asked for it so early. That's 419 00:26:52,799 --> 00:26:57,799 an absolute positive. Yeah, the Lakers, what do you got for it? 420 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,119 I mean, we're gonna get real basic and just talk about how Lebron 421 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:06,079 is so good at thirty nine? Can I interject? Yeah? Absolutely not 422 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,000 basic, dude? Is it is age thirty nine season and they just still 423 00:27:10,039 --> 00:27:12,839 can't function without him? This is the thing. It's not just like, 424 00:27:14,039 --> 00:27:18,599 well it's two things. One, He's had these fourth quarter takeovers multiple times 425 00:27:18,599 --> 00:27:22,200 this season. So to your point, it's like, yeah, they the 426 00:27:22,319 --> 00:27:26,279 Lakers, as you know, mediocre as they've been for a lot of the 427 00:27:26,319 --> 00:27:30,440 season, they're without him just winning them games in fourth quarters. I don't 428 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,920 know where they are. I don't know what the narrative is. And then 429 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,000 it's just the raw numbers, like Karl Malone's the only guy at this age 430 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,559 to average over twenty. James is gonna be twenty five plus easy, Like, 431 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,880 no problem, He's you know, he's got the highest scoring average of 432 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,359 anybody at like thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight. 433 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:52,319 So this is just it just keeps going. And like if you had to 434 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,200 guess what, ye, this is an open ended question, what year do 435 00:27:56,279 --> 00:28:02,039 you think we started saying before each season, Like I kind of think this 436 00:28:02,079 --> 00:28:04,079 is probably the year he tails off or we can't count on him being you 437 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:10,000 know this guy anymore, because I think it's been it's been like eight years. 438 00:28:10,079 --> 00:28:12,880 We've been having some version of that conversation, right, like some version 439 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,039 of it. Yeah, I guess it's sort of a thing of Okay, 440 00:28:17,079 --> 00:28:22,279 Ken it happened in extended enough doses, there's definitely a difference there. But 441 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,519 yeah, for sure he Uh when I pulled these stats, he was plus 442 00:28:26,519 --> 00:28:29,400 twis on off spit was plus twenty nine point one. I actually think it's 443 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:30,480 higher than that. Now. I think he's number one in the league and 444 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:34,119 it might be like in the forties or something like completely absurd. Uh. 445 00:28:34,559 --> 00:28:38,279 Maybe I'll look that up at some point later. But yeah, like I 446 00:28:38,319 --> 00:28:42,880 guess, I guess it's that he's not the same player he was three years 447 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:48,359 ago, five years ago, whatever. But the precipitous drop off. It 448 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,400 is just like it's just not gonna happen. We're just gonna get a little 449 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:56,440 incremental you know, He's not as fast as he was. He definitely is 450 00:28:56,519 --> 00:29:00,279 not as vertical, you know, as like as an over your head dunk. 451 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,680 It's like that's really not there anymore except with the major runway. But 452 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:07,880 it's just like he's still I mean, he's still playing at an all NBA 453 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:12,200 level and he's doing it in ways that like are massively impactful on winning and 454 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:17,079 I know, like the level because he's been around for so long, Like 455 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,960 it feels like Lebron fatigue is just like a chronic condition we all live in. 456 00:29:21,279 --> 00:29:23,759 But you can't like this is just different. This is another you know, 457 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,680 he's the greatest old player of all time, and he's also like maybe 458 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,279 the greatest young player of all time. And in the middle he was pretty 459 00:29:30,279 --> 00:29:33,000 good too, So I just I don't know, we can't not talk about 460 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:37,200 that for the Lakers because everything else would feel like you were just ignoring what 461 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,880 he's doing. And it's sort of like I don't want to get into player 462 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:45,680 rankings, but who are the players that you are so sure are better, 463 00:29:45,799 --> 00:29:52,480 more valuable than Lebron right now, Yokich, Jannis Steph, Doncic. But 464 00:29:52,559 --> 00:29:56,160 like it's you know, and there are other embiids gonna be in that discussion. 465 00:29:56,160 --> 00:30:00,480 People are going to talk about Shay they really shouldn't. Maybe they could 466 00:30:00,519 --> 00:30:03,000 talk about Durant. I'd be more inclined to put Booker ahead of Durant, 467 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:07,039 but the sample size this season simply the fact that he's just even if we 468 00:30:07,079 --> 00:30:11,000 want to just broaden it and say he's one of the ten most valuable players 469 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,960 in the league right now, that's not even close to a stretch, right 470 00:30:14,039 --> 00:30:17,839 And that's absurd to say about an age thirty nine season Lebron. And the 471 00:30:17,839 --> 00:30:21,640 other thing is, I know fan bases that aren't the Lakers get fatigued when 472 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:26,160 their team wins, but all these Lebron highlights are being spit out. I 473 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,559 get it. But it's also just as much as we rag on people for 474 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,359 going to age thirty nine or vintages Lebron route, this is age thirty nine 475 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,839 season and there are still chase down blocks happening, and there there is that 476 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:41,599 emotional component if you're just a fan of the game, how much longer are 477 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:45,680 we gonna watch this? Not because he can't do it because at some point 478 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,799 he's gonna choose to stop doing it, and I don't ever want that to 479 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,240 happen. Yeah, No, it's definitely like I remember feeling a certain way 480 00:30:53,359 --> 00:30:57,400 when like Dirk retired and when Tim Duncan retail, like cause those were like 481 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:02,839 kind of generationally defined players for me, And like, I don't know what 482 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,799 I'm gonna think when Lebron retires, because we've you know this is it'll be 483 00:31:06,839 --> 00:31:10,440 two plus decades of like, this guy is the defining feature of the league 484 00:31:10,519 --> 00:31:12,720 we care so much about, and now he's gone like that, if for 485 00:31:12,799 --> 00:31:17,680 no other reason, that's why we should be never shutting up about how good 486 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:22,119 he is in his age thirty nine season. Yeah, I'm totally with you. 487 00:31:22,279 --> 00:31:25,759 I think you made the right pick there. I'm imagining this next team. 488 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,440 It might have been the most difficult one, although I can come up 489 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,880 with wonder easily off the top of my head, and I have not looked 490 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,559 at yours, So I'm very curious we went this route. It's the Memphis 491 00:31:33,599 --> 00:31:37,440 Grizzlies. Yeah, So the best thing about the Memphis Grizzlies this year is 492 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,759 that there's lots of time left in the year, and like that might seem 493 00:31:41,799 --> 00:31:45,880 like a real negative if you're of the opinion that the way the first what 494 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,039 are they played thirteen games? When I was putting this together, they played 495 00:31:49,079 --> 00:31:52,519 thirteen and there were three and ten. You might feel great about the fact 496 00:31:52,559 --> 00:31:56,960 that there's a long season ahead if you think this will continue. I'm just 497 00:31:57,039 --> 00:32:01,079 like, I'm not persuaded that this is how it's gonna be. I think 498 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:06,799 you know, they don't have their best player, right. Ja Morant is 499 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,400 halfway through a suspension, give or take, and it's not like he's gonna 500 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:13,599 be Yeah, he'll need ramp up time whatever, but it's not like he's 501 00:32:13,599 --> 00:32:15,960 coming off an injury, so you can sort of assume when he's back, 502 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:20,599 he'll be who he was, or close enough to it as to sort of 503 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,640 put everyone else back in the proper position. Marcus Smart should be coming back 504 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,079 fairly close to when Jaw does, maybe a little before, maybe a little 505 00:32:28,119 --> 00:32:31,000 after, depending on that three to five week timeline. Jared Jackson Junior still 506 00:32:31,119 --> 00:32:35,640 is a defensive Player of the Year caliber guy, like he didn't forget how 507 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,640 to do that, and then everybody else with Morant back in the fold, 508 00:32:37,799 --> 00:32:43,480 sort of slots back into more sensible roles. You don't get Steven Adams back, 509 00:32:43,519 --> 00:32:45,880 that's the big one. But I do see a way for this team 510 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:51,480 to play at like at a fifty win pace once their hole. And now 511 00:32:51,559 --> 00:32:57,559 what that's gonna get you depends on how deep the chasm they dig is between 512 00:32:57,599 --> 00:33:01,079 now and Moran's return. But I I think like, look, the Lakers 513 00:33:01,079 --> 00:33:05,839 started three and ten last year. Now, granted they remade their team at 514 00:33:05,839 --> 00:33:07,839 the deadline, but they made the conference finals. So with they start this 515 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:12,039 bad in terms of records, So it's like, that's the exception, that's 516 00:33:12,039 --> 00:33:15,960 not the rule. But there's a very recent example of the first you know, 517 00:33:15,559 --> 00:33:21,279 a dozen ish games do not sink your season, especially with half the 518 00:33:21,279 --> 00:33:23,839 teams in the West are like six and nine or seven and eight and whatever. 519 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:29,079 So it's not like it's not like this is fatal just yet. For 520 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:35,799 Memphis. Now, my question would be, is it definitely not fatal? 521 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:39,680 Can you afford to lose this much ground in the West where okay, you're 522 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:45,599 three and ten, is we record this and what is the team? What 523 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:47,799 are the teams in front of you that you're banking on to actually get worse? 524 00:33:47,799 --> 00:33:52,160 Because I think you could argue when it comes to the Clippers, the 525 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:57,720 Warriors, even the Pelicans, the Suns, those are teams we all expect 526 00:33:57,759 --> 00:34:02,519 to get better. I would say so, like, as I'm looking at 527 00:34:02,519 --> 00:34:08,440 the standings now, they're three games behind Golden State for tenth, I would 528 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:13,119 say Golden State's upside is probably higher, but that's still just three games. 529 00:34:13,119 --> 00:34:15,880 And you know, the Warriors could have a couple injuries and then they're worse 530 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:21,599 off than Memphis. Is Houston I think has overperformed, but like maybe maybe 531 00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:25,320 Houston's this good. Houston is five hundred right now. Maybe the Pelicans are 532 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,719 better than five hundred, but they're five hundred right now. The Suns we 533 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,039 think are better than seven and six, which is the pace they're on their 534 00:34:32,079 --> 00:34:36,719 record now. But if they keep never having Bradley Beal in the lineup and 535 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,079 maybe Devin Booker, like you know, you're you're right, Like, it's 536 00:34:39,119 --> 00:34:45,000 a lot easier to say there are rosier pictures for several of the teams ahead 537 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:49,599 of Memphis. But I do think if Memphis can play like break even basketball, 538 00:34:49,639 --> 00:34:52,239 which seems like a big ask maybe given how they've played so far until 539 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:57,639 Jaws back, like it's not going to be insurmountable. I think you know 540 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,840 Portland, San Antonio done. They're three and ten and three and eleven. 541 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:04,880 That's just different. Memphis has like all these pathways to being better. But 542 00:35:05,159 --> 00:35:10,400 like, I can't argue with the fact that there's twelve teams in the West 543 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,239 currently ahead of them, and you could make the case that everyone but Utah 544 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:16,400 might just be better. But this is a team that won fifty games two 545 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:21,000 years in a row. They're not a three and ten team. Just like 546 00:35:21,079 --> 00:35:22,079 I can't get there yet, and they have a lot of time to prove 547 00:35:22,119 --> 00:35:24,960 it. To circle all the way back to the hook of this, of 548 00:35:25,079 --> 00:35:29,840 the many options for this optimism index, what did you settle on for the 549 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:34,039 Minnesota Timberwolves. I took it selfishly, and this is kind of for me 550 00:35:34,079 --> 00:35:38,679 and for you, this is vindication. We thought that maybe last year this 551 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:43,639 is what the Timberwolves would be, and they were not. There were many 552 00:35:43,679 --> 00:35:46,760 reasons for that, and I guess we probably shouldn't say that. They profiled 553 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,760 as a team that was going to have one of the best defenses in the 554 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,519 league, and I, by the way, I've walked back on my skepticism 555 00:35:52,519 --> 00:35:58,480 of that defense a little bit, having watched more film of them because Jade 556 00:35:58,519 --> 00:36:02,559 McDaniels and Anthony Edwards as like point of attack guys is terrifying and everyone should 557 00:36:02,599 --> 00:36:07,199 be concerned about that. Uh, go Bear on the back line has been 558 00:36:07,639 --> 00:36:10,800 Bear has probably been drug tested just because of the way that he's moving all 559 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,960 the defensive end this year compared to last year. Different there's been a random 560 00:36:15,039 --> 00:36:17,800 drug test for him, different guys. So but so this is just what 561 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:22,079 we're seeing now is just like, oh, yeah, okay, this was 562 00:36:22,159 --> 00:36:25,039 why we picked them to win fifty whatever games last year and be second or 563 00:36:25,079 --> 00:36:28,760 third in the conference. I can't remember exactly how high we were on, 564 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:34,800 but we were high. Were we believed we then we said we were clearly 565 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,639 wrong, and now we're saying we're right. Yeah, so we remain inconsistent. 566 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:43,920 I think the takeaway was they definitely overpaid for Go Beart because it came 567 00:36:44,039 --> 00:36:47,079 clear the market wasn't there. And now the hole that you put yourself into 568 00:36:47,079 --> 00:36:51,679 into flushing out the rest of the roster. But like this is the if 569 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:53,760 you make a Western I would say, if you make a Western Conference finals, 570 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:58,480 it's just worth it because of your history. Well, and they are 571 00:36:59,519 --> 00:37:02,280 they're are that they are the best team in the Western Conference. And the 572 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:07,960 only team I'm prepared to say is better than them in the West definitively at 573 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:13,199 full strength is the Nuggets, and that is the team that were excuse me, 574 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:15,679 Minnesota is the team that's given Denver probably more if you don't want to 575 00:37:15,679 --> 00:37:21,400 say, matchup problems, matchup curiosities, than any other team in the West. 576 00:37:21,679 --> 00:37:24,800 Well, and it's just the idea that the way that the pieces have 577 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:29,719 fit now. Conley was something they didn't have Mike Conley when last season started, 578 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,519 but and he's been important, especially the speaking of your own ship and 579 00:37:32,559 --> 00:37:37,320 all over that trade. I mean, it's not so many bad takes. 580 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:43,199 How am I supposed to remember them? All? You picked Denver to win 581 00:37:43,199 --> 00:37:45,960 the title last year, you can just you can dine on that one forever. 582 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:53,800 I just think the way that the Wolves fit and and the way that 583 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:58,920 they are playing is kind of how you would have envisioned it in a best 584 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,519 case scenario, which is to say, Edwards takes a step forward, which 585 00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:05,679 kind of gets everybody in the proper spot in the pecking order because it's his 586 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,079 team. Kat scores when he can score, is his defensive lift is light 587 00:38:09,199 --> 00:38:13,119 and so he can play. He's been a little better defensively. I mean, 588 00:38:13,159 --> 00:38:15,599 that's a low bar for him. Go Bert cleans the messes up, 589 00:38:15,679 --> 00:38:17,920 Jane McDaniels guards and hits threes and does a little more, and then Mike 590 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:22,519 Conley organizes it, and then the other thing. I don't know, this 591 00:38:22,599 --> 00:38:25,599 is an unscientific thing to talk about, but like, do you like anyone's 592 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:30,199 six, seven, eight guys more than nas Reed, Kyle Anderson, and 593 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:34,440 Alexander Walker, Like, I just love I love that three off the bench 594 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,880 because they tick so many boxes and they just they Like Alexander Walker is a 595 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:43,159 pretty good McDaniel's stand in, and then Naz Reed just fits either, like 596 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:45,400 he's just one of the best backup pigs in the league. And Kyle Anderson 597 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:50,280 kind of does the commly organizing stuff. So like, I just I think 598 00:38:50,559 --> 00:38:54,159 one through eight, I'm just I don't know, I feel vindicated. I 599 00:38:54,199 --> 00:38:59,559 feel like we were a year early and maybe can use injuries as an excuse 600 00:38:59,639 --> 00:39:04,239 last year. I mean, look at how few time their best forget about 601 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:07,559 the comedy stuff, but then say their other four best players spent together last 602 00:39:07,599 --> 00:39:10,760 year. Injuries were certainly part of it, but Rudy Gobert played a bunch 603 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:14,840 and injuries probably had something to do with that, but did not look like 604 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:17,039 this, and so it's kind of like, I don't know, it just 605 00:39:17,039 --> 00:39:21,480 feels like a bunch of different things. Also, this is a different version 606 00:39:21,639 --> 00:39:24,239 of having towns available for sure, but like this is anthy Edwards is as 607 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:29,760 good as he's ever been before. First clearly leveled up and like the defensive 608 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:34,440 piece of it too. You worry with someone because there was never a question 609 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,360 about the tools for him defensively, and you worry sometimes when it's like, 610 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:43,280 oh, he's very engaged now that that might not be an eighty two games 611 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:45,960 thing like at might wax and way, and especially as well as the Wolves 612 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,719 have played, maybe he relaxes a little. But just like now I feel 613 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:53,280 confident that in a playoff series, Edwards is going to be a defensive monster 614 00:39:53,599 --> 00:39:58,239 like that that I wasn't always sure of, but now that we've seen him 615 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:01,559 do it and also level up offensively, like I mean, good luck and 616 00:40:02,159 --> 00:40:06,719 he's gonna it, feels, doesn't he feel kind of like a I mean, 617 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:08,079 not that he hasn't done it already, but he's in line for some 618 00:40:08,119 --> 00:40:13,920 absolutely massive playoff series. I think where you leave it thinking, this guy 619 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,480 is was the best player on the floor with tons of other really good players, 620 00:40:16,559 --> 00:40:20,000 and I'm scared of him in every series we see him. Now, 621 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:22,960 you made me think of something interesting. Are the Wolves, then, I 622 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:27,239 guess if you're just limiting it to eight, are they the deepest team in 623 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:30,320 the league. I'm trying to think of who would contend with them. The 624 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:31,760 Pelicans, if they were ever healthy, would have a chance, Like we 625 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:36,079 just between Trey Murphy, Larry has years out, CJ mccollms out herb his 626 00:40:36,119 --> 00:40:38,199 miss time randing or miss time, we never kind of get to know. 627 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:43,800 So they're a team that could rival it. Boston might have player for player 628 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:46,880 the best six for sure, but it's gonna start to taper off after that. 629 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:51,599 Yeah, the Nuggets are there again, though we're talking about the top 630 00:40:51,679 --> 00:40:55,559 six and Christian Brown has not had the best offensive start to the season. 631 00:40:55,639 --> 00:40:59,960 And then kind of after that, it's when you're trying to look to flesh 632 00:41:00,039 --> 00:41:01,880 out the actual depth of going that deep, where it's, oh, well, 633 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:06,199 who might have a deeper nine or as deep of an eight. The 634 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:10,400 Knicks are there, but their top end talent doesn't come close to touching Minnesota's 635 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,519 top It like, when you look at the top five, how many of 636 00:41:14,519 --> 00:41:20,079 the Jalen Brunsen would be the what best player this season on the Timberwolves. 637 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,960 Oh wow, I mean he's Edwards for sure ahead of him. I mean 638 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,519 in terms of like the impact he's made ahead of Bear, ahead of him 639 00:41:28,679 --> 00:41:34,239 is probably he might be third with as good as all this is spoiler alert 640 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,440 from when we get to these gards pot, Jalen bruns hasn't even been the 641 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:38,760 best player on his own team this year. Frankly, he's getting there. 642 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:43,000 He's back, He'll be fine. The the off the dribble three is a 643 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,920 big like that's gonna be huge part of the game. But that and I'm 644 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:47,320 not trying to single out John Brunson. That's just the Knicks are so deep 645 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:52,039 and it's the top end talent is so the Knicks's second best player is either 646 00:41:52,119 --> 00:41:55,880 Mitchell Robinson. It's Mitchell Robinson right now, it's Barrett Julius Randall. Where 647 00:41:57,039 --> 00:42:00,119 Mitchell Robinson rank as the best player on the timer. I mean, you 648 00:42:00,159 --> 00:42:04,920 know they'd love to have him just because they can't get enough bigs so they 649 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:07,280 could roll out nas reed Rudigobert, Karl, Anthony Towns, Mitch, and 650 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:10,800 then let's get a healthy Leonard Millard. In their shout out Kyle Tige, 651 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:16,199 who's who has me on the Leonard Miller train. So like that's I think 652 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:21,159 it's fair to say they are, especially when you're trying to look at a 653 00:42:21,159 --> 00:42:23,840 playoff rotation. They're the deepest team in basketball now, does that translate the 654 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:29,559 playoff proof? I think the Nuggets and the Celtics are gonna run into fewer 655 00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:31,840 matchup issues, would be my guest. Yes, But like nas Reed, 656 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:37,400 when he's playing with another big, he kind of matchup proofs you in ways 657 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:42,440 that we definitely didn't account for when they made this trade, and people couldn't 658 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:46,639 account for last season because of how injured the bigs were in general. That 659 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:51,360 is. I know some Timberwolves fans said it kudos to them for recognizing it, 660 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:53,719 or their homersm just sort of paying off. I didn't think the Wolves 661 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:59,280 were the deepest team in basketball entering this season, and I think they are 662 00:43:00,119 --> 00:43:02,440 right now. And I think I named all the teams that would Is there 663 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:07,199 anyone else I'm forgetting I was skimming through trying to lighten it up. You 664 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:10,800 want to throw them in there, just like you don't have to go well, 665 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,239 you want to start with like who are just the best teams? Cause 666 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:17,559 like, oh, you know, oh, Charlotte's got like nine guys that 667 00:43:17,599 --> 00:43:20,639 can play. It's like, well, it's the same. It's interesting. 668 00:43:20,679 --> 00:43:22,400 It's like Detroit is so interesting on paper, and it's like, Okay, 669 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,920 the results matter, no, and well, and that's just indicative of like, 670 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:30,840 well, that actually just means you don't have anybody that's really good. 671 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:34,239 You just have several guys that can all vie for minutes because nobody has got 672 00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:36,920 them in a choke hold. So I mean, I don't I don't have 673 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:39,159 a good I'm trying to like the Sixers. I don't know. I don't 674 00:43:39,159 --> 00:43:43,119 think so Cleveland. I love their starting five, But then after that, 675 00:43:43,159 --> 00:43:45,920 it's like Lavert and what I don't I don't know. Maybe I'm forgetting somebody. 676 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:50,719 You know. You mentioned Lavert too, which makes me think talk about 677 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,880 another detour. So as of right now, in theory, the Timberwolves could 678 00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:59,400 have the coach of the year, the sixth man of the Year nasried and 679 00:44:00,119 --> 00:44:01,480 the defensive player of the year, and Rudy Gobert. I don't know if 680 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:06,199 he would actually get it, and then is it unreasonable? I don't think 681 00:44:06,199 --> 00:44:09,639 he would win it just looking at me, oh man, I didn't even 682 00:44:09,639 --> 00:44:15,760 think of that. But like an Edwards for Most Improved or should go Bear 683 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:22,719 win Most Improved? No, but like MVP, like could he Anti Edwards 684 00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:25,840 could theoretically win one of those two m I P or the MVP. But 685 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:30,679 there's a chance they have three award winners. They're not. They don't have 686 00:44:30,679 --> 00:44:34,000 the Rookie of the Year. Sorry, I don't think they're gonna get Executive 687 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:37,400 of the Year just because there wasn't enough turn over the past, like if 688 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:39,639 you were gonna account for oh, making that comedy trade, getting to kill 689 00:44:39,639 --> 00:44:45,639 Alexander Walker, of course, but so they could have three, Like if 690 00:44:45,639 --> 00:44:50,760 you get me over under right now on award winners on this teamv one point 691 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:55,159 five, I might take the over because I that's thas Reid. I know 692 00:44:55,239 --> 00:45:00,880 the conventional counting stats may not be their relative to you know, well, 693 00:45:00,039 --> 00:45:07,480 carousel Vert is averaging, however, like he's not averaging nothing like the twelve 694 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:09,039 point four points a game is up there. We're not trying to sell you 695 00:45:09,119 --> 00:45:14,000 on like someone averaging in the single digits, But I think voters tend to 696 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,800 look at six Man of the Year differently, so you probably should take the 697 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:20,000 under. I'm gonna take the over on one point five award winners because right 698 00:45:20,039 --> 00:45:22,360 now Finch feels like a lock for Coach of the Year. Yeah no, 699 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:27,039 I think so it just to your point before we move on, like they're 700 00:45:27,079 --> 00:45:30,079 ten and three, if they're twenty and six, and we have the same 701 00:45:30,119 --> 00:45:35,199 conversation, the odds of that multiple awards just keeps going up because, like 702 00:45:35,639 --> 00:45:37,519 all things being equal, you're gonna give six Man of the Year to the 703 00:45:37,519 --> 00:45:40,400 guy who played the most bench minutes and was really good for a team that 704 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:44,360 wins like fifty eight games or whatever they're on pace for, right Yeah. 705 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:46,519 Yeah, Like, as long as the wins keep coming, that one point 706 00:45:46,519 --> 00:45:51,559 five over under, it's like you're definitely getting If the Wolves win fifth in 707 00:45:51,599 --> 00:45:54,320 the high fifties, like the Coach of the Year is like done, we're 708 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:58,840 definitely getting that, Like and then you just need one more. So yeah, 709 00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:01,039 you heard it here. For so the Wolves are gonna sweep every end 710 00:46:01,039 --> 00:46:06,480 of season award because they started ten and three. The alphabet they takes we 711 00:46:06,519 --> 00:46:09,119 go to the new Orleans Pelicans. What do you got for us? Quick 712 00:46:09,119 --> 00:46:15,599 one? Uh? Jordan Hawkins. So he's just some guy that shoots thry 713 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:24,400 that threw. So like I think if you went back and did like a 714 00:46:24,519 --> 00:46:30,239 count the number of times I know I have and probably you have said don't 715 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:36,519 draft for fit is like in the millions, give or take. And I'm 716 00:46:36,519 --> 00:46:38,960 not saying necessarily that New Orleans did that, but this is a team that 717 00:46:39,039 --> 00:46:44,119 the most sensible version of it. If you're building around Zion Williamson on the 718 00:46:44,119 --> 00:46:46,400 ball and to a lesser extent, Brandon Ingram kind of you know, pounding 719 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:50,559 the ball and looking for mid rangers, get the guy that's gonna get threes 720 00:46:50,639 --> 00:46:52,400 up and make them. And you know Grady Dick was in this draft that 721 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:57,119 he went a little earlier. Jordan Hawkins goes a couple picks later, and 722 00:46:57,199 --> 00:47:00,440 like he's only hitting thirty six percent of his threes, but he started a 723 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:06,119 few games. He's surviving on defense despite like he's really thin and just probably 724 00:47:06,159 --> 00:47:09,559 won't ever be a great defender. But the main thing is he's getting threes 725 00:47:09,639 --> 00:47:15,199 up and that is exactly what the Pelicans need. So just fun stat Buddy 726 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:21,599 Heald's career attempt rate is nine point four or nine point five three attempts per 727 00:47:21,639 --> 00:47:23,480 thirty six minutes, and Hawkins is right there at nine point four, So 728 00:47:23,519 --> 00:47:27,760 he's like getting him up like Buddy Heel does, which is a good standard 729 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:30,639 to kind of try to meet if your job is to come in and space 730 00:47:30,679 --> 00:47:34,519 the floor and just make sure the defense knows that it cannot leave you alone. 731 00:47:35,559 --> 00:47:37,719 And like, even if he shoots thirty six percent, which I think 732 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:40,679 is like a tick below league average or based on last year, was like 733 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:44,480 thirty six point one, which always throws me. That seems really high for 734 00:47:44,519 --> 00:47:46,880 the league average on threes. But if he's a league average shoter that's getting 735 00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:51,599 up, you know, eight to ten a game, the dividends that pays 736 00:47:51,639 --> 00:47:54,440 for what the Pelicans are trying to do offensively are just like it's worth more 737 00:47:54,480 --> 00:48:00,719 than that because he's just spacing the he's driving lanes are open. You know, 738 00:48:00,119 --> 00:48:04,280 he makes the defense do what it doesn't want to do, which is 739 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,440 like either collapse and give up three open threes or not collapse and let Zion 740 00:48:07,519 --> 00:48:13,039 and Ingram work in the middle of the floor. So small thing, but 741 00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:15,880 you got to give it to New Orleans for just like picking the right type 742 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:20,400 of player when there were a lot of other, you know, projects available 743 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:22,599 or different types of guys they could have gone for. So Hawkins has been 744 00:48:23,239 --> 00:48:28,480 exciting to me just because of the fit that he's represented for the Pels. 745 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:34,280 I'm curious see how his minutes sustain when they're at fuller strength and CJ and 746 00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:38,000 Trey Murphy are both in that rotation. Yeah, you just play Murphy over 747 00:48:38,079 --> 00:48:40,880 him, all things being equal, if Murphy's healthy, I'm wondering, like 748 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:45,719 you could probably take a little bit away from Dice and Daniels. Yeah, 749 00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:49,760 and I guess Matt Ryan's minutes when he's available will get Cup because Jordan Hawkins 750 00:48:49,800 --> 00:48:52,719 needs to play. Yeah, I would say based off what he's done, 751 00:48:52,239 --> 00:48:54,840 but maybe the publicans are looking at it some of the best I call them 752 00:48:54,840 --> 00:48:59,320 the best player minutes because they've been a disaster this year. Those are starting 753 00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:02,400 to normalize This team is you know, I can't quit the Pelicans, but 754 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:07,679 someone Kyle Rinker listener Kyle Rinker shout Out tweeted me saying, if you would 755 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:09,280 have told me in the off season that you would end up being higher on 756 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:13,079 the Timberwolves than the Pelicans, this far into the season, I wouldn't have 757 00:49:13,079 --> 00:49:15,400 believed you. And as someone who was pretty high on the timber Wolves entering 758 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:17,679 this season, I can't confirm that I would have been equally shocked as she 759 00:49:17,760 --> 00:49:21,639 told me that. So the Pelicans are starting to just perk up in general, 760 00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:23,400 which is a good sign. Yeah, I know we're staying positive. 761 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:30,320 But does the Zion like lack of close range attempts stuff, and the diminished 762 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:36,079 athleticism, where's he's looked a little bit like Zippier. I feel like in 763 00:49:36,119 --> 00:49:37,639 the past couple of games and so that we were talking about I think we're 764 00:49:37,639 --> 00:49:42,360 talking about this in the discord. I think just he's one he didn't play 765 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:45,119 much basketball last year, hasn't played much basketball over his career. Might just 766 00:49:45,159 --> 00:49:47,920 take his body longer to respond, especially when you just on top of that, 767 00:49:49,039 --> 00:49:53,000 he is such a unique physical specimen that maybe his ramp up when he's 768 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:55,960 coming off such a long break, not just an offseason, but an injury 769 00:49:57,000 --> 00:50:00,280 rehab is just going to take. You know, remember the James Wiseman ramp 770 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:02,760 up that's been lasting about five years. Still going. Yeah, the day's 771 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:07,000 watching ramps I'm still going, Like Zion Williamson just might need that little bit 772 00:50:07,039 --> 00:50:09,039 longer of a runway to get a long ramp. Dan, it's like you 773 00:50:09,119 --> 00:50:13,480 got a ten year time horizon on the James Wiseman ramp up. That's just 774 00:50:13,559 --> 00:50:17,440 got to be patient. Sam Presty was a liar, meaning they Oklahoma City 775 00:50:17,519 --> 00:50:22,360 under up net. He said they borrowed wins from the future. He's a 776 00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:29,679 liar, That's what I'm knowing. You think I'm kidding, So I want 777 00:50:29,679 --> 00:50:32,960 to give you the exact verbiage that I absolutely love from I think it was 778 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:37,719 Tim McMahon for ESPN is based on Presty's seat. One of the two media 779 00:50:37,719 --> 00:50:42,320 availabilities he has all year, which was the preseason one where he talked for 780 00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:47,199 like two more media availabilities in the Knicks front office, has spoke extemporaneously for 781 00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:52,159 like, I don't know, three days, give or take. He said 782 00:50:52,559 --> 00:50:57,880 that of the fact that the Thunder improved by sixteen wins last year over the 783 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,880 previous season, which is like, that's a lot of wins that does not 784 00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:05,960 happen often, he said, they hit the seven percent high end bandwidth of 785 00:51:06,039 --> 00:51:10,360 possibilities, which I just want to say, if you want to confuse somebody 786 00:51:10,679 --> 00:51:15,079 or just make it so they believe you know more than they do about anything. 787 00:51:15,559 --> 00:51:20,800 Just reference well, you know the seven percent high end bandwidth of possible 788 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:23,440 outcomes on the spector, like seven percent high end. I mean, like, 789 00:51:23,599 --> 00:51:27,880 I just have so many I want to know. Is there a flow 790 00:51:27,960 --> 00:51:31,920 chart somewhere in Thunder headquarters that has their Like, I know what all those 791 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:36,960 words are, but bandwidth doesn't make sense to me in that context. Anyway. 792 00:51:37,119 --> 00:51:38,920 This is all to say that he did trick us. We are gullible 793 00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:43,480 dummies and we should have expected the thunder some people did, by the way, 794 00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:45,800 to be the darling of the season and to be the team that took 795 00:51:45,800 --> 00:51:50,320 the leap, which they are. Uh, and that those sixteen wins they 796 00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:55,000 got over two years AGO's total were like just part of an upward trajectory and 797 00:51:55,039 --> 00:52:00,599 not something that is going to pull back. So like, I just this 798 00:52:00,679 --> 00:52:04,880 team. It's they're so young, right, and they still have like a 799 00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:08,079 lot of holes to fill on the roster. But just between SGA and Chet 800 00:52:08,119 --> 00:52:13,360 and Jalen Williams, they like, I mean, Giddy is like an afterthought. 801 00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:16,679 He's been up and down mostly down this year. I just don't see 802 00:52:16,719 --> 00:52:22,679 where the falloff comes other than like you know, maybe the maybe the defense 803 00:52:23,119 --> 00:52:28,199 isn't gonna be good enough, maybe the depth becomes an issue. But like 804 00:52:28,599 --> 00:52:31,880 this idea that oh we borrowed wins or oh we exceeded expectations, and you 805 00:52:31,920 --> 00:52:37,320 know, that's just it's just not accurate. Like he, I don't know 806 00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:39,800 if he if Presty believed that when he said it, or if it was 807 00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:44,559 expectation management, if it was sincere. I mean, either way, it's 808 00:52:44,559 --> 00:52:49,079 probably good to underpromise and then over deliver, I guess. But no, 809 00:52:49,239 --> 00:52:51,800 this is not a team that I think borrowed wins. I think this is 810 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:53,880 a team that is gonna have enough wins over the next several years that like 811 00:52:54,320 --> 00:52:59,280 there'll be there'll be no talk of that kind of thing for a long time 812 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:01,400 with this team. This is going to and they clearly don't need it now. 813 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:07,079 This is only going to add nitrous to the national conversation where it's all 814 00:53:07,119 --> 00:53:10,559 when in the thunder gonna push all their chips in, and it's just right 815 00:53:10,559 --> 00:53:14,719 now, they don't need to push any chips in. We can quibble over 816 00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:16,960 certain makeups of the roster of things we'd like to see them do or add, 817 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:20,440 but I see him come up a fake trays and get them Zack Lavin. 818 00:53:20,480 --> 00:53:23,519 I'm just like, why why they don't need it right now? I 819 00:53:23,519 --> 00:53:29,360 think like eventually maybe some more conventional size up front, like to help improve 820 00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:31,760 it. They're but this team is just they're not finished, but they're definitely 821 00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:36,199 more modeek Heel said this on a low post. They're more cooked in a 822 00:53:36,199 --> 00:53:39,039 good way where it's like they're not as raw as I think even they were 823 00:53:39,079 --> 00:53:43,480 expecting. And I think it's chen Holmer is just ready. And I got 824 00:53:43,519 --> 00:53:46,159 into a spirited debate that I thought Wemby would have been my Rookie of the 825 00:53:46,199 --> 00:53:49,800 Year in the moment when I was making the debate because his role is harder. 826 00:53:49,920 --> 00:53:52,280 I still believe his role is harder, but like the optimization of chet 827 00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:55,199 and the way he's just improved, like the stuff he's been able to do 828 00:53:55,679 --> 00:54:00,440 off his paint touches. He was he's the rookie of the year. Oh 829 00:54:00,519 --> 00:54:04,280 yeah, right, like say right now, I think that's right. So 830 00:54:04,639 --> 00:54:07,039 and well, the Spurs are kind of I'm interesting when you came up with 831 00:54:07,039 --> 00:54:09,960 them, they're in a little bit of disarray and free fall. So it's 832 00:54:10,280 --> 00:54:14,039 if you're gonna be Sam Presty too. I don't know if he was purposely 833 00:54:14,039 --> 00:54:16,760 trying to lower expectations, because that's one job security and two you don't want 834 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:22,840 to put undue pressure on a core that's still pretty young. But like you're 835 00:54:22,840 --> 00:54:24,880 getting to the point where, no matter what the thunders say, now, 836 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:32,960 the results are so good, so comprehensive, that the expectations and the pressure 837 00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:37,079 are coming. They're not just as happy to be in the mixed team anymore. 838 00:54:37,119 --> 00:54:42,280 They might be internally, that's not gonna be the scope and even the 839 00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:45,920 way their fan base can react at times. I mean this is a compliment, 840 00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:51,320 Like there are expectations throughout the fan base now and I gave them. 841 00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:53,440 I think we both hit the under on their wind total leading end of the 842 00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:57,599 season in part because of what Sam Presty said. And like, by the 843 00:54:57,599 --> 00:55:00,800 way, they're still doing a shit ton of experiments entation. It's like these 844 00:55:00,840 --> 00:55:05,599 wins are just coming while they're still i would say, pretty capably planning for 845 00:55:05,639 --> 00:55:08,079 the bigger picture. They've had to integrate other guys into the rotation because they 846 00:55:08,079 --> 00:55:14,119 were injured, specifically Jay Willing and Kendrick Williams. This team is scared. 847 00:55:14,119 --> 00:55:15,840 I don't know where they are, and just if we make an echelon of 848 00:55:16,400 --> 00:55:20,239 the best teams in the league, but they have a top four scene in 849 00:55:20,280 --> 00:55:22,679 the West right now, which isn't easy to do even this early, and 850 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:28,599 all their vitals. It's kind of like last year where on paper and the 851 00:55:28,599 --> 00:55:32,000 things that they're saying, the Cavaliers aren't supposed to be contenders, but when 852 00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:37,480 you look at their statistical vitals, they should be contenders. And like Oklahoma 853 00:55:37,480 --> 00:55:40,679 City is just in that you can't have a top seven offense and a fourth 854 00:55:40,719 --> 00:55:45,320 on defense, which I just questioned a few minutes ago, fourth on defense 855 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:50,920 while being twenty nine defensive rebound. Yeah, it's just like, I mean, 856 00:55:51,400 --> 00:55:58,119 just like it's all there's so much, there's so many possibilities. I 857 00:55:58,159 --> 00:56:01,599 don't know about where this is on their bandwidth percentage, but like this idea 858 00:56:01,639 --> 00:56:06,119 that like we don't have any idea what kind of player Chet Holmgren is going 859 00:56:06,159 --> 00:56:08,639 to be ultimately or you know, three years from now, even right like 860 00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:13,039 he's you said, like he's in a way better position than Winben Yama because 861 00:56:13,039 --> 00:56:15,920 he's been able to just kind of like SGA and and to the lesser extent, 862 00:56:16,039 --> 00:56:20,079 Jalen Williams kind of just run the offense and and get he sets guys 863 00:56:20,159 --> 00:56:23,159 up, and Holmgren really has been the beneficiary of like very good teammates getting 864 00:56:23,239 --> 00:56:29,719 him shots where he's just positioned to succeed. But like, I think there's 865 00:56:29,760 --> 00:56:32,400 every chance and you you know, his ball handling, his individual shot creation, 866 00:56:32,519 --> 00:56:36,639 his ability to just pump fake and get downhill off of pick and pop 867 00:56:37,079 --> 00:56:42,199 is like, who's to say this guy isn't like number one option, you 868 00:56:42,199 --> 00:56:45,239 know, like who's like Lori Markinen, you know, level of shooting volume 869 00:56:45,280 --> 00:56:50,599 and stuff like that with just nastier drives, and like, there's no telling 870 00:56:50,639 --> 00:56:52,880 how good he's going to be by the end of this year, even forget 871 00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:57,079 three years from now. I mean, I think Sga is he's a He's 872 00:56:57,119 --> 00:56:59,400 like a top five ish player in the league right now. I don't know 873 00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:01,239 how much better he's gonna get, but I think Williams will get better. 874 00:57:01,559 --> 00:57:05,159 I think, I mean, like Cason Wallace is gonna get better even though 875 00:57:05,159 --> 00:57:07,119 he's making half his three is like that's gonna come down. He might he 876 00:57:07,280 --> 00:57:13,079 might make They might have two first team All rookies. I don't know if 877 00:57:13,119 --> 00:57:16,400 Cason's gonna have the volume at the end of the day because his role can't 878 00:57:16,440 --> 00:57:19,639 be that big with these other three guys. And just like you know, 879 00:57:19,679 --> 00:57:22,760 Wemby's gonna be on first team no matter what, like how inefficient he is 880 00:57:22,800 --> 00:57:25,440 unless something catastrophic happens between now and then, and that's gonna be when you're 881 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:30,239 talking about usar Thompson's gonna be in the mix, and Gante, George and 882 00:57:30,400 --> 00:57:32,360 Bla Coolabali. There's just there's a rookie class. By the way, it's 883 00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:37,440 just absolutely bonkers. Yeah, I just even I mean, Isaiah Joe has 884 00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:40,719 been one of my Again, if you're gonna make a ranking of the best 885 00:57:40,800 --> 00:57:45,280 the most entertaining players to watch, like yeah, that's where Shay and Chet 886 00:57:45,320 --> 00:57:47,039 and Weber are gonna come in. Isaiah Jones is one of my favorite players 887 00:57:47,039 --> 00:57:51,559 to watch this Season's like his shot has started to fall. But even when 888 00:57:51,559 --> 00:57:54,400 it's not like he's working his ass off on defense, he'll set screens on 889 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:59,599 offense. Like this team is just there's so many players. I'm I want 890 00:57:59,639 --> 00:58:01,079 to quit over that. Ushman Jang just doesn't get more minutes. And I 891 00:58:01,119 --> 00:58:07,239 know he hasn't been hasn't been great this year. They are so they are 892 00:58:07,280 --> 00:58:12,039 so well positioned, it doesn't make sense, and trying to reconcile that with 893 00:58:12,159 --> 00:58:16,199 the immediate results and then expectations that come with with them. It still does 894 00:58:16,280 --> 00:58:21,880 feel like there's warring agendas here between what the Thunder are trying to do internally 895 00:58:21,960 --> 00:58:25,360 and what's actually happening on the court. It's not necessarily impacting how they operate, 896 00:58:25,440 --> 00:58:31,000 though, so they're not warring. It's just it's very abnormal for the 897 00:58:31,079 --> 00:58:36,599 self described stage that they're in. And again they're back like Cason Wallace is 898 00:58:36,599 --> 00:58:40,159 playing like they're backing that up with the experimentation. So you already your first 899 00:58:40,199 --> 00:58:46,559 Thunder the twenty twenty four champs on accident. We're tricked. Let's let's talk 900 00:58:46,719 --> 00:58:50,320 Phoenix. This is quick. Do you want to you want to skip them? 901 00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:52,079 Well, this is an eat. I mean it's a quick one. 902 00:58:52,119 --> 00:58:55,599 You know. We Beale. Not being healthy sucks, Booker, missing time 903 00:58:55,679 --> 00:59:02,079 sucks. Durant playing one thousand minutes a night not ideal. Depth issues are 904 00:59:02,119 --> 00:59:06,480 still there. The other question we had coming into the season was like, 905 00:59:06,480 --> 00:59:08,000 who's gonna play point guard? And how's that gonna work? Devin Booker is 906 00:59:08,000 --> 00:59:10,840 a point guard, so that is that is the thing I'm happiest about so 907 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:15,960 far, and like it's not just always doing a good job as a converted 908 00:59:16,159 --> 00:59:20,400 wing who's had to play on the ball. It's like no, no, 909 00:59:20,599 --> 00:59:23,440 So just for some context, he's always been a high assist rate guy for 910 00:59:23,559 --> 00:59:29,159 his position when he's always been mostly categorized on cleaning last as a wing. 911 00:59:29,199 --> 00:59:32,760 He's a combo guard this year, which I guess technically is right. But 912 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:37,159 he's always been in the ninety plus percentile in terms of assist percentage among wings 913 00:59:37,159 --> 00:59:40,199 with like a his assist rate, which is kind of the raw number, 914 00:59:40,239 --> 00:59:44,440 is in the in the twenties, like twenty three percent, twenty five percent, 915 00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:46,440 twenty two percent, that like that area. This year, as a 916 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:51,360 combo guard, he is in the one hundredth percentile in assist rate, and 917 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:55,360 his assist percentage is forty five percent, which like he has not touched like 918 00:59:55,480 --> 01:00:00,920 just is nowhere near there. His turnover rate is eleven point three, which 919 01:00:00,960 --> 01:00:05,599 is in like middle of the pack, which again, like this is not 920 01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:09,039 someone that was born a point guard. This guy was just like, you 921 01:00:09,079 --> 01:00:14,119 get buckets at Kentucky and that's your job and if you can pass, great. 922 01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:15,880 It's not a part of his game that's been developed, the fact that 923 01:00:16,000 --> 01:00:22,679 his assists are so far up and his turnovers have not spiked again, while 924 01:00:22,719 --> 01:00:25,320 surrounded by guys that very much in a lot of cases depend on him for 925 01:00:25,400 --> 01:00:29,719 their points. Because that was the theory of this team is we have durant 926 01:00:29,719 --> 01:00:32,000 bial Booker. Everybody else is gonna have to like, you know, Eric 927 01:00:32,000 --> 01:00:36,079 Gordon's gonna make some catch and shoots or catching drives, Watson, Abby's gonna 928 01:00:36,079 --> 01:00:39,000 catch and shoot like someone like Kata bits Dap who's been disappointing and missed time. 929 01:00:39,119 --> 01:00:44,280 Like all these guys are dependent scorers, and Booker has set them up 930 01:00:44,679 --> 01:00:46,119 better than anyone could have exed better than I expected. I don't know, 931 01:00:46,119 --> 01:00:52,159 maybe maybe you thought I think you've been You've been quicker to acknowledge how good 932 01:00:52,199 --> 01:00:57,760 Booker is than I have, like at every step, so maybe this isn't 933 01:00:57,800 --> 01:01:00,559 like a shock to you, But I've been blown away by by how good 934 01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:06,039 he's looked running the offense like it's not serviceable. He's like an actual value 935 01:01:06,119 --> 01:01:08,639 add as an on ball guy, to the point where it's like we can 936 01:01:08,719 --> 01:01:13,159 we can we even afford to make sure he's off the ball enough to get 937 01:01:13,280 --> 01:01:16,639 cleaner looks because he might have because he's of the three stars, he's the 938 01:01:16,639 --> 01:01:21,239 best player off the ball, right, So like you just you need to 939 01:01:21,360 --> 01:01:23,400 Devin Bookers, I guess, but one one has been planning so far. 940 01:01:23,960 --> 01:01:28,480 Yeah, that's just he is. And this is a more of a blanket 941 01:01:28,480 --> 01:01:31,519 statement because there are five players who are more valuable or better than him right 942 01:01:31,559 --> 01:01:35,800 now. Like this is to say even to say when you look at the 943 01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:37,840 level of star power at the top. We just talked about Anthony Edwards, 944 01:01:37,840 --> 01:01:40,519 we talked about Or we mentioned the Thunder, and they have Shake gild just 945 01:01:40,599 --> 01:01:45,519 Alexander, there's Jason Tatum, there's Giannis, there's Jokich, there's Embiid, 946 01:01:45,039 --> 01:01:50,239 there's there's Lebron James. I know him forgetting people in Jeff Blake to say 947 01:01:50,280 --> 01:01:53,119 you're a top ten player in the NBA right now, that's fucking wild. 948 01:01:53,239 --> 01:01:58,239 And Devin Booker to say that they're certified. You can't tell me, Like 949 01:01:58,320 --> 01:02:00,480 I'm not putting Devin Booker on probably gonna put closer to seven, then I'm 950 01:02:00,480 --> 01:02:05,760 gonna put the ten in the top ten rankings. And that's just that's monstrous 951 01:02:05,840 --> 01:02:07,320 to have that player. So I'm definitely with you. There, and he's 952 01:02:07,360 --> 01:02:10,880 look, you want to start ranking point guards, he's gonna be up there. 953 01:02:12,400 --> 01:02:15,679 I mean if if he's actually a point guard nine point eight assist per 954 01:02:15,679 --> 01:02:20,920 game, nine point eight five, I get it. Remember we were making 955 01:02:21,320 --> 01:02:23,239 bold or what was off the rails predictions and I was like, he's going 956 01:02:23,320 --> 01:02:28,239 to average over seven just to make it a career high. Apparently that wasn't 957 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:32,280 even audacious enough, not bold enough. The Portland Trailblazers are up next. 958 01:02:32,320 --> 01:02:36,320 What do you got for them? Oh boy, this was a struggle because 959 01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:38,280 I used up that there's you can't use the Memphis thing of there's a lot 960 01:02:38,320 --> 01:02:43,599 of time left, I think because and like there is much time left for 961 01:02:43,639 --> 01:02:46,360 them not to like suck long term. That is a more immediate expected. 962 01:02:46,440 --> 01:02:49,840 I guess if you wanted to zoom out, that is kind of where I'm 963 01:02:49,880 --> 01:02:54,480 going. Is like, despite just I mean a raft of injuries to everyone 964 01:02:54,519 --> 01:02:58,280 that would make plays for them. You know, Simon's is out. Scoot 965 01:02:58,360 --> 01:03:02,599 has been This ankle thing has been a just a disaster for his development and 966 01:03:02,639 --> 01:03:06,719 for getting an idea of the team. Shade and Sharp started out great, 967 01:03:06,760 --> 01:03:09,639 but I think he's been overburdened. You got Skyler May's playing point guard Malcolm 968 01:03:09,679 --> 01:03:14,199 Brogden has been pretty good when he's played, but like that's not a core 969 01:03:14,239 --> 01:03:17,920 piece, that's that's trade fodder. I still think based on what we've seen 970 01:03:17,960 --> 01:03:23,039 so far and just the you know, broad conception of this team, the 971 01:03:23,039 --> 01:03:27,400 outlines of a of a team that like makes sense and could be good is 972 01:03:27,400 --> 01:03:30,599 still there. I'm not talking about this year, but I think what Sharp 973 01:03:30,679 --> 01:03:34,880 showed and continues to show, like if you just take some of the you 974 01:03:34,960 --> 01:03:37,880 got to create stuff off of his plate and you know, make him you 975 01:03:37,920 --> 01:03:42,480 know, what he should be at this ridiculously young age for as a starter, 976 01:03:42,880 --> 01:03:45,679 just like more of a scorer who benefits on the space created by other 977 01:03:45,719 --> 01:03:50,519 guys. Like I think I feel really good with Sharp as like maybe your 978 01:03:50,519 --> 01:03:54,519 shooting guard and maybe your theoretical like top scorer going forward. Then you have 979 01:03:54,559 --> 01:03:59,800 Henderson and Simons like this, I think that that's that's totally workable, and 980 01:04:00,039 --> 01:04:03,800 if Scoot is what he was billed as, then beyond workable, like he's 981 01:04:03,960 --> 01:04:08,679 gonna be a generational point guard. And then you got eighton just rebounding, 982 01:04:08,679 --> 01:04:11,400 doing the dirty work stuff. I don't know what you do with Jeremy Grant. 983 01:04:11,679 --> 01:04:14,519 I mean, Timani Kamara might just be like the glue guy that they 984 01:04:14,599 --> 01:04:16,679 kind of need to grow with. This core that doesn't need to shoot, 985 01:04:16,760 --> 01:04:20,360 really isn't a great shooter, but will guard anything that moves and can pass 986 01:04:20,400 --> 01:04:25,559 the ball wants to pass. Like just the outline of the Blazers is still 987 01:04:26,199 --> 01:04:30,440 a positive to me. I still am optimistic about if this core sticks together. 988 01:04:31,119 --> 01:04:33,679 There's a lot of upside to it. It's just like, what else 989 01:04:33,679 --> 01:04:36,119 are you gonna say based on how things have gone this year, because so 990 01:04:36,159 --> 01:04:40,679 many of the most important guys just haven't played really, and so we don't 991 01:04:40,719 --> 01:04:45,639 have like any sense of like what this team will actually be because you just 992 01:04:45,760 --> 01:04:47,880 you can't form that opinion based on what we've seen so far. I wonder 993 01:04:47,920 --> 01:04:51,840 how much definitely we'd be discussing them if they didn't have all these guard injuries, 994 01:04:51,880 --> 01:04:54,760 because you can just see it in the way they play. I went 995 01:04:54,840 --> 01:04:57,360 on the rant about DeAndre Ayton's touches. I don't know if you saw the 996 01:04:57,360 --> 01:05:01,760 clip of him going around where he had the Wednesday before Thanksgiving energy chasing down 997 01:05:01,760 --> 01:05:04,280 a loose ball. It was in like a three point game of two minutes 998 01:05:04,320 --> 01:05:08,320 left against the Lakers, and just like if you even watch him, he 999 01:05:08,400 --> 01:05:13,320 just won't connect on screens and he'll like flip screens when he's screening no One. 1000 01:05:13,360 --> 01:05:15,039 And there's you can make fun of DeAndre Ayen for. But there's like 1001 01:05:15,079 --> 01:05:21,280 a lack of organization and coherence and just a plan on the offensive end right 1002 01:05:21,280 --> 01:05:26,800 now. And would that have changed had they had I would say Malcolm Brogden 1003 01:05:26,880 --> 01:05:30,760 and or Scoot Henderson is critical to that having happened. So I don't really 1004 01:05:30,760 --> 01:05:35,800 know how to judge them, but this is I will say, is Jeremy 1005 01:05:35,920 --> 01:05:40,440 based on everything that's happened, is Jeremy Grant's trade value right now higher or 1006 01:05:40,440 --> 01:05:43,159 lower than you would have expected at this point in the season, and he 1007 01:05:43,199 --> 01:05:45,960 can't be traded right now? Yeah? Right, I think it's I don't 1008 01:05:46,000 --> 01:05:49,280 know if it's any lower than it was like from the moment he signed that 1009 01:05:49,400 --> 01:05:55,000 deal. I mean, it's definitely not higher though, so I guess by 1010 01:05:55,079 --> 01:06:00,280 default it's either the same or lower, just because well it's he's such a 1011 01:06:00,320 --> 01:06:02,199 weird player because we talk all the time about how he's had like five different 1012 01:06:02,280 --> 01:06:05,039 careers. He's been like five different types of player, and he's kind of 1013 01:06:05,039 --> 01:06:10,079 the Detroit Pistons Jeremy Grant right now, where he's you know, he's thrown 1014 01:06:10,119 --> 01:06:13,360 into a role where he's asked to do too much on offense and the efficiency 1015 01:06:13,400 --> 01:06:18,239 is suffering. I just I think, I will this isn't really going to 1016 01:06:18,280 --> 01:06:20,960 answer your question, but I've just sort of always thought he should be your 1017 01:06:21,280 --> 01:06:25,760 fourth or fifth best guy in the lineup who and he's going to defend, 1018 01:06:25,760 --> 01:06:28,000 he's going to make open threes, and he's not going to be asked to 1019 01:06:28,000 --> 01:06:30,000 do a ton of put the ball on the floor and figure it out for 1020 01:06:30,039 --> 01:06:33,840 yourself. And he's just not in a position where that's possible with the with 1021 01:06:34,000 --> 01:06:39,119 the Blazers right now. So his trade value depends on what a team thinks 1022 01:06:39,320 --> 01:06:43,760 like the version of Grant that I'm talking about is worth, and I think, 1023 01:06:43,920 --> 01:06:45,960 unfortunately, the answer is probably not going to be what he's being paid 1024 01:06:46,039 --> 01:06:51,519 right now. The Sacramento Kings, So my favorite thing about them right now 1025 01:06:51,559 --> 01:06:58,079 is Dearon Fox is basically Wolverine because the angle spraying he had that cost him 1026 01:06:58,119 --> 01:07:01,840 five games. When I saw it, I know that I know I always 1027 01:07:01,840 --> 01:07:06,079 do this, but when he rolled the ankle and you could see the entire 1028 01:07:06,119 --> 01:07:11,159 bottom of his shoe. I just thought, like, oh no, this 1029 01:07:11,199 --> 01:07:15,239 is how the King season just goes off the rails, because without him, 1030 01:07:15,840 --> 01:07:18,639 they just aren't. They're not anything of consequence, Like I don't, yeah, 1031 01:07:18,679 --> 01:07:23,119 you can run stuff through, so bonus that just they're two and three 1032 01:07:23,159 --> 01:07:26,039 without Fox this year, they're six and two with him. He's plus ten 1033 01:07:26,079 --> 01:07:29,239 point three in terms of offensive efficiency for the Kings when he's on the floor. 1034 01:07:30,639 --> 01:07:33,960 The turnovers drop like crazy when he's out there. So it's just like 1035 01:07:34,920 --> 01:07:39,440 he's He's player of the week just now, for whatever that's worth. Because 1036 01:07:39,519 --> 01:07:43,239 he came back and suddenly the Kings stopped losing games and their offense was league 1037 01:07:43,239 --> 01:07:47,400 best again. I just thought that he was done for like weeks and weeks 1038 01:07:47,400 --> 01:07:50,119 and weeks when he rolled that ankle, because it looked so bad. And 1039 01:07:50,159 --> 01:07:55,159 he's back after five games and just immediately looks exactly like he did before, 1040 01:07:55,239 --> 01:07:59,480 and the Kings are awesome again. So I guess I'm just happy that, 1041 01:08:00,159 --> 01:08:02,280 you know, we I think we still believe that the Kings are gonna suffer 1042 01:08:02,280 --> 01:08:06,719 injuries because they're just you know, that's what happens to teams except for them 1043 01:08:06,800 --> 01:08:11,960 last year. I'm just glad that that wasn't the one that that really threw 1044 01:08:12,000 --> 01:08:15,360 things off so early in the season because I don't know, I keep putting 1045 01:08:15,400 --> 01:08:18,840 guys in the all NBA conversation, like I can't talk about Tyrese Haliburton without 1046 01:08:18,880 --> 01:08:23,199 saying he's you know, he's gonna be on all NBA teams forever. Now, 1047 01:08:23,399 --> 01:08:26,840 same with Sga. I think Fox is the same like this, He's 1048 01:08:26,880 --> 01:08:29,520 not going to be a one and done all NBA guy. I think getting 1049 01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:32,399 rid of the positions is gonna do wonders for the guards. I think where 1050 01:08:32,399 --> 01:08:36,720 he's like, I'm glad he's not hurt. That's that's other than Bi Giannis 1051 01:08:36,720 --> 01:08:41,279 and Jokic, Like bigs are just well they even like bam Adebayo should maybe 1052 01:08:41,319 --> 01:08:43,800 deserve consideration. I don't know if he's gonna get there. Well, I'm 1053 01:08:43,840 --> 01:08:45,920 just attack on to what you're saying too. The Kings are a plus ten 1054 01:08:45,960 --> 01:08:49,600 point two when Fox per one hundred possessions. When Fox plays without Si Bonus, 1055 01:08:50,039 --> 01:08:57,359 they're a They're a minus nine point four when Sabonis plays without Fox. 1056 01:08:57,359 --> 01:09:00,399 The sample size there is obviously bigger because Fox the time and another development to 1057 01:09:00,439 --> 01:09:05,840 be optimistic, their top most played units I think all six of them have 1058 01:09:06,000 --> 01:09:11,239 really strong defensive ratings. A lot of that shot location, field goal percentage, 1059 01:09:11,279 --> 01:09:14,000 and they've been getting burned. The seventy percent shooting at the rim for 1060 01:09:14,000 --> 01:09:15,880 opponents, that's not going anywhere. We are going to make other things like 1061 01:09:15,960 --> 01:09:19,239 opponents. Are they gonna shoot thirty nine percent from three all year against them? 1062 01:09:19,279 --> 01:09:23,600 Maybe not. And when you look at the leap and I mean leap 1063 01:09:23,960 --> 01:09:28,600 that Kegan Murray has made defensively and that Fox has made defensively, this team 1064 01:09:28,720 --> 01:09:30,760 might be I still would like to see them trade for a defensive minded wing 1065 01:09:30,800 --> 01:09:34,640 and they they have more stuff to make that happen without giving up Keegan Murray 1066 01:09:34,960 --> 01:09:41,079 than say the Mavericks going after that player. That could change the complexion of 1067 01:09:41,119 --> 01:09:44,399 the championship pecking order for sure, if they go out and get that type 1068 01:09:44,399 --> 01:09:47,039 of guy. But they even now, I think that they're better equipped to 1069 01:09:47,119 --> 01:09:49,880 navigate the playoffs. And that's saying something because they put up a hell of 1070 01:09:49,880 --> 01:09:54,680 a fight defensively against the Warriors in Round one last year. Yeah, I 1071 01:09:54,720 --> 01:09:58,520 mean, I think like my biggest criticism of them was that they didn't that 1072 01:09:58,600 --> 01:10:00,800 they did all this talking about how we're not satisfied, and then they kind 1073 01:10:00,800 --> 01:10:03,279 of brought back the same roster that was, you know, gonna be a 1074 01:10:03,279 --> 01:10:09,279 bottom five defense or whatever, and like banked on organic growth. Like I 1075 01:10:09,319 --> 01:10:12,960 still think fundamentally, you know, I would have loved to have seen them 1076 01:10:13,039 --> 01:10:16,600 just go find guys that could help shore up their glaring weakness, but like 1077 01:10:16,960 --> 01:10:20,640 they also were kind of right to do the organic growth. You know, 1078 01:10:20,720 --> 01:10:25,279 let's bank on chemistry. Let's assume Murray's gonna get better. Let's assume Fox 1079 01:10:25,319 --> 01:10:30,079 has not topped out with both correct assumptions so far. So it's like I'm 1080 01:10:30,079 --> 01:10:32,159 of two minds about how they have built this team this year. I still 1081 01:10:32,159 --> 01:10:36,079 think they could have been more aggressive in addressing weaknesses, but also like they 1082 01:10:36,079 --> 01:10:42,039 weren't wrong in expecting some of their key guys to just get better and have 1083 01:10:42,199 --> 01:10:45,239 that sort of be the reason that some of their weaknesses turned into you know, 1084 01:10:45,319 --> 01:10:50,039 not strengths, but less significant weaknesses. I guess the San Antonio Spurs, 1085 01:10:50,119 --> 01:10:54,600 I imagine they weren't necessarily an easy task. No, And this is 1086 01:10:54,680 --> 01:10:57,520 kind of like a controversial one, I guess because I know that there's been 1087 01:10:57,560 --> 01:11:00,399 a lot of there's been a lot of discussion about the what what they are 1088 01:11:00,439 --> 01:11:04,399 doing with Jeremy Sohn. He's playing point guard. He's never played point guard 1089 01:11:04,399 --> 01:11:11,479 before. It's like, the one school of thought is this is stunting Victor 1090 01:11:11,479 --> 01:11:15,079 Wembenyama's growth to some extent and really all the other young guys, because you 1091 01:11:15,119 --> 01:11:17,880 know, he's just not great at this because he's never done it before. 1092 01:11:18,119 --> 01:11:23,920 And this is you know, why are you why are you seeing what he 1093 01:11:23,960 --> 01:11:28,039 can do in this new position at the cost of you know, developmental reps 1094 01:11:28,119 --> 01:11:30,079 or just the comfort of your other guys, many of whom are more important 1095 01:11:30,159 --> 01:11:35,279 long term. I actually still think it's mostly it's a positive. I think 1096 01:11:35,920 --> 01:11:42,640 if if you're gonna like come into a season knowing we have this generational talent, 1097 01:11:43,520 --> 01:11:46,199 we're young around him, we don't even know what women Yama's gonna be, 1098 01:11:46,399 --> 01:11:50,000 I think we might as well just like just try all kinds of stuff. 1099 01:11:50,079 --> 01:11:54,119 Let's like this, so I take it, I get it that, 1100 01:11:54,279 --> 01:11:58,399 like I think, like to to this point, Sohann is averaging This is 1101 01:11:58,439 --> 01:12:01,600 from Andrew Lopez on espnero point nine to sixty six points per possession. The 1102 01:12:01,640 --> 01:12:05,319 Spurs are averaging that when Sohn brings the ball up the floor, that's worst 1103 01:12:05,479 --> 01:12:09,880 among all fifty players that have brought the ball up two hundred or more times 1104 01:12:09,880 --> 01:12:13,079 this season. So like, if so Hann brings the ball up, that's 1105 01:12:13,079 --> 01:12:15,840 as bad of a start to an offensive possession in the half court as you 1106 01:12:15,880 --> 01:12:18,520 can get in the NBA, essentially, And I'm still not mad at it 1107 01:12:18,560 --> 01:12:23,159 because you might as well figure it out because he's such a weird player anyway 1108 01:12:23,439 --> 01:12:26,159 that I don't think there's a way that he's just gonna be like a three 1109 01:12:26,239 --> 01:12:30,520 and D wing because the shots not great, it's a slow release. He's 1110 01:12:30,600 --> 01:12:32,399 just a funky type of player. You might as well see if he can 1111 01:12:32,399 --> 01:12:36,119 fill this role. And like, really, how much damage are you doing 1112 01:12:36,359 --> 01:12:40,840 to win Benyama? Like, is are we really gonna make the argument that 1113 01:12:41,159 --> 01:12:44,319 this guy who is gonna be one of the greatest players of all time, 1114 01:12:44,359 --> 01:12:46,439 we're gonna throw that off course and ruin it because we're gonna spend half a 1115 01:12:46,439 --> 01:12:49,359 season seeing if a non point guard can play point guard, Like I don't. 1116 01:12:49,439 --> 01:12:51,840 If Wemby is as great as he's supposed to be, which I think 1117 01:12:51,880 --> 01:12:56,520 he is, this is not gonna matter. So he's gonna be great no 1118 01:12:56,600 --> 01:12:59,640 matter what. Like I if he's what he's billed as, so you may 1119 01:12:59,640 --> 01:13:01,720 as well just like screw around with the other stuff. I think, at 1120 01:13:01,720 --> 01:13:05,960 what point, though, do you think it could damage their long term trajectory 1121 01:13:05,960 --> 01:13:09,479 in the sense that, Okay, maybe it doesn't ruin Weben Yama, but 1122 01:13:09,560 --> 01:13:14,439 like what happens to Jeremy Sohn when he has to not be a point guard 1123 01:13:14,479 --> 01:13:16,880 anymore and you've now given him these reps at point guard, he has to 1124 01:13:16,960 --> 01:13:20,680 go back to being a forward. And look, the Spurs are like plus 1125 01:13:20,680 --> 01:13:26,800 a million when Trey Jones and Jeremy Sohan play together. They just don't play 1126 01:13:27,199 --> 01:13:31,159 too much together right now. And so I'm almost wondering, could you be 1127 01:13:31,159 --> 01:13:34,880 hamstreaming the development of other people by having Jeremy Sohan get so many reps? 1128 01:13:35,239 --> 01:13:40,279 Sure, but I'm all for experimentation and getting the information. At what point 1129 01:13:40,359 --> 01:13:44,239 though, And we're still so early into this year, so I'm I'm I'm 1130 01:13:44,279 --> 01:13:46,920 with you where I'm fine for the most part with what they're doing, But 1131 01:13:47,439 --> 01:13:50,720 so much of the focuses on Web and Yama or just the Spurs office in 1132 01:13:50,760 --> 01:13:56,520 general. Does could this adversely impact how Jeremy Sohan is supposed to come along? 1133 01:13:57,359 --> 01:14:00,720 I bet I don't think I guess I don't think so, because if 1134 01:14:00,720 --> 01:14:03,560 this doesn't work, and it probably like ultimately, I don't know what what 1135 01:14:03,680 --> 01:14:08,800 work really means, Like he's not gonna turn into someone that leads the league 1136 01:14:08,840 --> 01:14:11,840 and assists and you know, it's like he's just he's always gonna be an 1137 01:14:11,920 --> 01:14:15,199 unconventional type of point guard if that's what he ends up being. I think, 1138 01:14:15,640 --> 01:14:19,840 if if we have to scrap this as the Spurs, you still just 1139 01:14:19,960 --> 01:14:24,039 you got a guy, a bunch of reps at a tough position to where 1140 01:14:24,079 --> 01:14:28,119 when he's in a less you know, intense on ball roll, like maybe 1141 01:14:28,399 --> 01:14:30,439 maybe a couple of years from now, the ball gets swung to sow him 1142 01:14:30,600 --> 01:14:33,760 on the other wing and from the weak side he can and he can initiate 1143 01:14:33,800 --> 01:14:36,520 a pick and roll and he's just better at that than he would have been 1144 01:14:36,560 --> 01:14:42,039 otherwise. Like it's still like you're still stressing him, You're still forcing him 1145 01:14:42,079 --> 01:14:45,880 to like get better at things that are uncomfortable, and I just think there's 1146 01:14:45,880 --> 01:14:48,399 always gonna be value in that as long as he doesn't just like you know, 1147 01:14:49,520 --> 01:14:53,439 get sour about Hey, Spurs, you guys are making me look terrible, 1148 01:14:53,560 --> 01:14:56,000 Like how can you ask me to do this, I've never done it 1149 01:14:56,039 --> 01:14:59,199 before. I think some of his quotes actually in that Lopez article were very 1150 01:14:59,279 --> 01:15:02,359 much like sometimes I hate it, I feel uncomfortable, like that kind of 1151 01:15:02,359 --> 01:15:06,039 thing. So like maybe that's how it could really stun his growth, is 1152 01:15:06,079 --> 01:15:10,399 if he just is like, you guys are setting up to fail, which 1153 01:15:10,600 --> 01:15:14,479 I could see that being a problem, but ultimately I think it probably helps 1154 01:15:14,520 --> 01:15:18,119 him, whether it orcs or doesn't. The Utah Jazz the final team in 1155 01:15:18,159 --> 01:15:24,479 the West, Yeah quick for them. I am heartened by the fact that 1156 01:15:24,760 --> 01:15:30,880 their offense overall has been like surprisingly pretty good, and since Keyante George has 1157 01:15:30,920 --> 01:15:33,319 taken over as a starter. When he's on the floor, they're getting up 1158 01:15:33,359 --> 01:15:35,960 one hundred and fifteen and a half points per hundred posessions, which is like 1159 01:15:36,000 --> 01:15:41,359 a top ten ish figure league wide small sample that's five games, and it's 1160 01:15:41,359 --> 01:15:45,520 also you know, very subject to shooting luck and stuff like that. But 1161 01:15:45,560 --> 01:15:49,920 the fact that they can play passable offense in general without Mike Conley there anymore, 1162 01:15:50,439 --> 01:15:55,800 and the fact that you've got this point guard rotation that is either inexperienced 1163 01:15:55,960 --> 01:15:59,560 or just not real point guards. You know, Chris Dunn is limited. 1164 01:15:59,720 --> 01:16:01,600 George Clarkson is not a point guard. Horton Tucker is like shoehorned in as 1165 01:16:01,600 --> 01:16:04,239 a point guard. The fact the offense has been that good and that it's 1166 01:16:04,279 --> 01:16:11,119 been actually like quite good with George as a starter, that's pretty exciting because 1167 01:16:11,520 --> 01:16:14,640 this team is still one that other than market in I don't know, we've 1168 01:16:14,640 --> 01:16:16,399 talked about this before. I don't know who you're who, You're like, 1169 01:16:16,520 --> 01:16:19,239 oh, this is a this is a keeper, and even market it may 1170 01:16:19,239 --> 01:16:23,159 not be that guy. But to have George look like someone who can run 1171 01:16:23,159 --> 01:16:27,319 a capable offense, you know, a dozen games into his career and five 1172 01:16:27,359 --> 01:16:30,640 games in as a starter, that that's like, that's something you can hang 1173 01:16:30,640 --> 01:16:33,960 your hat on as this season, I think, uh it winds up ultimately 1174 01:16:34,000 --> 01:16:38,800 being pretty especially with if Walker Kessler is a defensive anchor once he's healthy and 1175 01:16:38,880 --> 01:16:41,279 back, you kind of have a theory of how you're going to operate on 1176 01:16:41,319 --> 01:16:43,720 both ends, so that that's a good place to be if you're the Jazz. 1177 01:16:44,680 --> 01:16:47,079 I think what's most Kiante George is hugely them. Wh's the most impressively 1178 01:16:47,159 --> 01:16:51,680 just how well Lowry Market has performed without that and you are alluded to this 1179 01:16:53,079 --> 01:16:57,640 without that and not just Mike Conley, but without the the dependable self creation 1180 01:16:58,039 --> 01:17:00,560 around him, and that was touching go for a while after the trade deadline 1181 01:17:00,600 --> 01:17:04,039 last year, he saw some nudges downward in his efficiency. So to see 1182 01:17:04,119 --> 01:17:09,239 him go that route and just be okay, No, last year wasn't just 1183 01:17:09,319 --> 01:17:12,920 some not even a one off, but the All Star There was no flukiness 1184 01:17:12,960 --> 01:17:15,880 to it, like this is the this guy can play that way. And 1185 01:17:16,319 --> 01:17:19,199 I'm so interesting how they flesh out this team because they're in this weird spot. 1186 01:17:19,359 --> 01:17:24,359 Where do they have? Is it Keyante George? Is it Lowry Mark? 1187 01:17:24,399 --> 01:17:28,359 And is it Walker Kessel? Like is that trio the basis for everything 1188 01:17:28,399 --> 01:17:31,199 they should be do moving forward? Like does any one of them? Like 1189 01:17:31,199 --> 01:17:36,119 because Lory marketing, this is probably his highest end outcome is I will contend 1190 01:17:36,560 --> 01:17:41,840 for a third All NBA A third team All NBA spot? Like do they 1191 01:17:41,880 --> 01:17:45,319 have enough to after this season? They'll probably get another highdraffic to move forward 1192 01:17:45,359 --> 01:17:47,600 and say okay? Or they do they run the risk of because they didn't 1193 01:17:47,960 --> 01:17:53,319 tank last year early enough? Like did they get in this weird window where 1194 01:17:53,840 --> 01:17:57,479 they're never gonna be bad enough to get the generational talent that they need? 1195 01:17:57,560 --> 01:18:00,760 I think they have the trade assets to overcome that, but it also takes 1196 01:18:00,800 --> 01:18:03,359 a lot to use. Yeah, those trade assets, they're just they have 1197 01:18:03,640 --> 01:18:06,079 a lot of talent, and so I'm not trying to belittle their rebuild. 1198 01:18:06,079 --> 01:18:11,159 I think they're in a very good spot long term. I just don't know. 1199 01:18:11,239 --> 01:18:14,920 Do you look at the trio of lowry marketing, Keyante, George and 1200 01:18:15,000 --> 01:18:17,840 Walker Kessler as that directional trio. Yeah, it kind of feels like, 1201 01:18:18,000 --> 01:18:21,239 and you could say this about everybody, they're like a three and D wing 1202 01:18:21,720 --> 01:18:26,800 away from that really being enticing and market in. I don't know how you 1203 01:18:27,079 --> 01:18:30,119 feel about it, but marketing, Like you know, the numbers are undeniable. 1204 01:18:30,119 --> 01:18:31,039 He's gonna be. He's right around twenty five a game this year. 1205 01:18:31,039 --> 01:18:34,399 He' shooting forty percent from three. He's taking one more three per game this 1206 01:18:34,479 --> 01:18:39,840 year despite his minutes being basically the same. Like, but I don't know. 1207 01:18:41,399 --> 01:18:44,279 He can't be. He can't be your best offensive player, can he, 1208 01:18:44,479 --> 01:18:46,600 Like, unless you have really great pieces around him. I just don't 1209 01:18:46,600 --> 01:18:49,640 know where he I think him, Kessler and Georgia are very interesting. I 1210 01:18:49,640 --> 01:18:53,640 think they tick a lot of boxes, but I don't I just I'm not 1211 01:18:53,680 --> 01:18:59,239 sure that Marketnan can be, you know, the number one option on a 1212 01:18:59,279 --> 01:19:00,960 really good offense, and maybe maybe he can. I don't know. It's 1213 01:19:00,960 --> 01:19:04,159 like it feels as I'm like stumbling through it because I'm just looking at his 1214 01:19:04,239 --> 01:19:08,520 numbers and he sure looks like a number one option, but I think he 1215 01:19:08,840 --> 01:19:13,520 would. You say, it's fair that like they need another guy. Maybe 1216 01:19:13,560 --> 01:19:15,560 it's not even a three and D wing, but someone that plays the two 1217 01:19:15,640 --> 01:19:20,640 or the three, that commands tons of defensive attention and can like create something 1218 01:19:20,640 --> 01:19:24,840 with the ball, you know, like a I don't know, just more 1219 01:19:24,880 --> 01:19:28,119 of your conventional shooting guard, small forward that's gonna get you twenty five a 1220 01:19:28,159 --> 01:19:30,199 game and just like be a problem defensively. I don't I don't know if 1221 01:19:30,199 --> 01:19:33,039 Markinin is good enough for the Jets to really get where they want to go 1222 01:19:33,079 --> 01:19:38,119 without like that type of guy next to him. I think that's fair, 1223 01:19:38,279 --> 01:19:42,560 it's hypothetical. Do we want to get into some guests of players before we 1224 01:19:42,600 --> 01:19:45,239 get out of here? That will be we'll focus on that solely on this 1225 01:19:45,319 --> 01:19:48,560 for stat padding have a bunch from rubiks Gal as well as one from be 1226 01:19:48,760 --> 01:19:53,600 Rich. I'll start with some of the rubiks Gal stuff. Let me scroll 1227 01:19:53,680 --> 01:19:57,159 up here. There were a few that were sent over. Let me just 1228 01:19:57,159 --> 01:19:59,760 make sure I have Yeah, okay, so are you ready, grant? 1229 01:20:00,079 --> 01:20:03,640 I'm ready. Clue number one. I hold a single season three point field 1230 01:20:03,680 --> 01:20:09,640 goals made record for two NBA franchises. Both are above two hundred made threes. 1231 01:20:12,800 --> 01:20:14,920 I have a couple guesses, but I'm not going to burn them. 1232 01:20:15,439 --> 01:20:18,199 Clue number two, I hold a single season three point field goal percentage record 1233 01:20:18,239 --> 01:20:26,399 for two NBA franchises. Both marks are above forty five percent. Both is 1234 01:20:26,439 --> 01:20:30,439 this? Uh? I just want to say, Kyle Korver. It is 1235 01:20:30,479 --> 01:20:33,560 not Kyle Korver. Clue number three. Not surprisingly, I led the league 1236 01:20:33,560 --> 01:20:40,319 in three point percentage in one of those years. Okay. Clue number four, 1237 01:20:40,600 --> 01:20:45,319 I hold the top three marks for NC double A single season free throw 1238 01:20:45,359 --> 01:20:49,119 percentage. I am also the NC double A career record holder for free throw 1239 01:20:49,159 --> 01:20:54,520 percentage minimum six hundred free throw attempts, which I knocked down in a ninety 1240 01:20:54,560 --> 01:20:58,640 one point nine percent clip. Oh man, I'm getting close. Okay, 1241 01:20:58,800 --> 01:21:01,720 keep going. Clue number five. I was lucky enough to play for good 1242 01:21:01,760 --> 01:21:05,359 teams, and I made the playoffs my first thirteen years in the league. 1243 01:21:05,600 --> 01:21:10,600 My first non playoff season was with a young team in twenty twenty, where 1244 01:21:10,640 --> 01:21:15,279 I was the old man, a young playoff team in twenty twenty, where 1245 01:21:15,279 --> 01:21:17,199 I was the old man. I can't remember anything about twenty twenty. That's 1246 01:21:17,239 --> 01:21:21,960 a hard one. Final clue number six. Do you want it or you 1247 01:21:21,960 --> 01:21:28,039 want to take a guess? It's not. Joe Harris doesn't have enough with 1248 01:21:28,279 --> 01:21:31,119 anybody. He didn't thirteen years, so he made the playoffs twelve straight years. 1249 01:21:31,439 --> 01:21:35,199 I need I need a better sense of the years. So he came 1250 01:21:35,239 --> 01:21:40,600 into the league in like oh eight, that was align with the timeline if 1251 01:21:40,640 --> 01:21:43,039 he wasn't twenty two and seven, I think, and he kept making the 1252 01:21:43,039 --> 01:21:46,479 playoffs. Oh these are the are these are not hard. But I'm not 1253 01:21:46,520 --> 01:21:50,319 going to repeat it. But think about some of the words I just said. 1254 01:21:50,720 --> 01:21:54,439 I can't. That's not helpful at all, you said. I'll read 1255 01:21:54,479 --> 01:21:57,800 clue number five again then, and just think about the words. All right. 1256 01:21:57,960 --> 01:22:00,520 I was lucky enough to play for good teams, and I made the 1257 01:22:00,520 --> 01:22:03,880 playoffs my first thirteen years in the league. My first non playoff season was 1258 01:22:03,920 --> 01:22:09,000 with a young team in twenty nineteen twenty twenty, where I was the old 1259 01:22:09,079 --> 01:22:14,039 man, the old man, is this JJ Reddick? Yes, it's JJ 1260 01:22:14,119 --> 01:22:16,640 Reddick. Okay, that was a good I didn't even put emphasis on the 1261 01:22:16,640 --> 01:22:18,239 old man, but I was wondering if I would get it. The final 1262 01:22:18,279 --> 01:22:23,199 clue was and the three point contest in twenty fifteen was my most embarrassing outing 1263 01:22:23,239 --> 01:22:27,239 at the All Star weekend because I accidentally set the unofficial record for most twos 1264 01:22:27,279 --> 01:22:30,840 in a three point contest, constantly overstepping the line. I did not remember 1265 01:22:30,880 --> 01:22:34,960 that. That's okay, So let's okay, all right, I should have 1266 01:22:35,000 --> 01:22:38,479 got that a little earlier. I don't think I knew that Reddick made the 1267 01:22:38,479 --> 01:22:42,720 playoffs every year for I'm surprised. I I guess just saying the thirteen. 1268 01:22:42,840 --> 01:22:45,000 But that was like a big thing when he went to the Pelicans. Was 1269 01:22:45,039 --> 01:22:47,720 his playoffs street. Yeah, all right, that's a good one. I 1270 01:22:47,720 --> 01:22:51,800 should have got that sooner. But that's a trend generally speaking. Rubik Scaliso 1271 01:22:51,840 --> 01:22:57,279 was a random trivia question, okay. Draymond Green is currently at one hundred 1272 01:22:57,319 --> 01:23:01,039 and seventy technical fouls over his eleven plus year career, but he looks perhaps 1273 01:23:01,039 --> 01:23:05,359 wistfully in from the outside on our collection of top ten players with the most 1274 01:23:05,720 --> 01:23:10,800 technicals. How many of the top ten players with the most technicals in NBA 1275 01:23:10,920 --> 01:23:14,359 history can you guess? Oh? My god, all time? Okay, 1276 01:23:14,439 --> 01:23:16,159 well, I'll just let's let's go with the obvious ones. I'm gonna say 1277 01:23:16,239 --> 01:23:23,079 Charles Barkley he is number two. Three. Rashid Wallace he is number three 1278 01:23:23,119 --> 01:23:28,840 at three seventeen, Chris Paul No no, So I got two and three. 1279 01:23:28,840 --> 01:23:31,960 I don't have number one. Number one is I think speaks to the 1280 01:23:32,000 --> 01:23:36,399 longevity. Also, I'll say number one is a terrible human being. Oh 1281 01:23:36,479 --> 01:23:40,560 god, well, there's so many terrible human beings. Who let's see, 1282 01:23:40,560 --> 01:23:45,319 who does Dan really not like? Uh? Caarl alone? Correct? Correct, 1283 01:23:45,479 --> 01:23:50,239 three hundred and thirty two? Great guess well, longevity and terrible human 1284 01:23:50,279 --> 01:23:54,079 being? You really zero me right in there. So I got one, 1285 01:23:54,119 --> 01:23:57,119 two and three. I don't care what else happens from now on. Who 1286 01:23:57,159 --> 01:23:59,560 else gets a lot of tech? I'll try and give you hints to see 1287 01:23:59,600 --> 01:24:01,960 if you can get the next six? Okay, I would love it. 1288 01:24:02,840 --> 01:24:08,199 His namesake is on the Warriors, number four. His namesake is on the 1289 01:24:08,239 --> 01:24:14,359 Warriors number four, Dreamland Green. That's not going to get me anything, 1290 01:24:14,720 --> 01:24:18,560 Are you serious? I can't? I oh his namesake, Gary Payton, 1291 01:24:18,880 --> 01:24:26,239 Yes, correct two hundred and fifty. He had number five, creatively colored 1292 01:24:26,279 --> 01:24:30,600 hair. Dennis Rodman correct number six. I think is gonna be a little 1293 01:24:30,600 --> 01:24:34,680 bit of a shocker. You are still gonna be up. You cried when 1294 01:24:34,680 --> 01:24:40,279 they retired? Uh ooh, I did cried when they were retired. Well, 1295 01:24:40,319 --> 01:24:45,600 there's there's a few Steve Nash, monitor nobly no, Tim Duncan, 1296 01:24:46,319 --> 01:24:49,319 no, who else you said it on this pot. I don't know if 1297 01:24:49,359 --> 01:24:51,600 you said you cried, but you were very you couldn't handle when they were 1298 01:24:51,600 --> 01:24:59,439 retired. Tim dunk Dirk, Yes, I'm really surprised by that. Number 1299 01:24:59,560 --> 01:25:02,239 seven. He's from the go New York, Go, New York Go era. 1300 01:25:03,920 --> 01:25:09,279 I don't I'm gonna confess something that will embarrass me in this podcast. 1301 01:25:09,399 --> 01:25:11,399 I don't know what the go New York, Go, New York, Go, 1302 01:25:11,479 --> 01:25:14,920 New York Go era is. I think nobody beats the Wiz wrote it, 1303 01:25:15,039 --> 01:25:16,560 go look that up New York Knicks. Nobody beats the Wiz. So 1304 01:25:16,600 --> 01:25:19,199 he played for the Knicks. And the other clue I'll give you is Charles 1305 01:25:19,199 --> 01:25:24,000 Oakley. Is it Charles Oakley? No, he was gonna be one of 1306 01:25:24,039 --> 01:25:30,840 my guesses. Actually Anthony Mason, John Star Anthony Mason number seven. This 1307 01:25:30,079 --> 01:25:38,119 number eight is an active player. Based on his facial expressions alone, you 1308 01:25:38,159 --> 01:25:42,600 would understand why he is on this list, and also he has played for 1309 01:25:42,680 --> 01:25:47,239 a bunch of teams in the past few years. His facial expressions, he 1310 01:25:47,279 --> 01:25:51,199 gets mad. It seems like very easily. He gets mad, very easily. 1311 01:25:53,560 --> 01:25:56,279 Hmmm, I'm not gonna get that. Can I guess? He's up 1312 01:25:56,319 --> 01:26:04,199 with James Harden three times team of russ yest. Where's Luca is Luca? 1313 01:26:04,520 --> 01:26:08,319 Is he crack the top ten yet? Nope? Not on the top ten? 1314 01:26:08,880 --> 01:26:15,000 Uh so number nine would be a good one. Superman Dwight Howard Correct, 1315 01:26:15,039 --> 01:26:26,119 that's number nine and number ten uncut gems Kevin Garnett correct, let's see. 1316 01:26:26,159 --> 01:26:30,279 I'm so okay. Yeah, that is kind of the usual suspects. 1317 01:26:30,560 --> 01:26:33,600 As you think back on that whole Kaviki being six, he stands out. 1318 01:26:33,840 --> 01:26:36,800 So that Chris Paul was not on there? Is that right? Correct? 1319 01:26:36,800 --> 01:26:41,920 He was not on there? Interesting? I got How about those clues on 1320 01:26:41,960 --> 01:26:45,039 the spot? Really good? Yeah? They all those are excellent clues and 1321 01:26:45,079 --> 01:26:47,760 they were short too, so it wasn't so I have a Rubik scal guess 1322 01:26:47,800 --> 01:26:50,159 for you? Do you want? You ready for that one? No, 1323 01:26:50,239 --> 01:26:55,319 I've been told that I'm not going to get it, so I think you 1324 01:26:55,560 --> 01:27:01,680 Well, it's so we have a litany of clue and I was got three 1325 01:27:01,800 --> 01:27:05,079 variants to choose from to try to get you the correct answer. So I'm 1326 01:27:05,119 --> 01:27:11,119 gonna pull from almost all of them, just and the impetus for this was 1327 01:27:11,119 --> 01:27:17,439 a very interesting episode that both she and I really remembered very well. So 1328 01:27:17,520 --> 01:27:20,720 I don't know, I'm I'm just stalling right now because I'm trying to think 1329 01:27:20,760 --> 01:27:27,760 what the best first clue to give you. All Right, So I am 1330 01:27:27,760 --> 01:27:30,600 a five time NBA champ, and my jersey was retired by the Boston Celtics. 1331 01:27:31,319 --> 01:27:34,600 Everybody's been retired by the Boston Celtics. Everybody's got five championships. There. 1332 01:27:35,520 --> 01:27:40,600 I was possibly the pre eminent six man of my time, regularly contributing 1333 01:27:40,600 --> 01:27:43,800 ten plus points a game and nearly five rebounds in both the regular season and 1334 01:27:43,840 --> 01:27:48,119 the playoffs. What was that stat? Basically a great six man of his 1335 01:27:48,279 --> 01:27:54,039 time, which should is like a giveaway that we're getting pretty old timing here 1336 01:27:54,359 --> 01:28:00,079 is Robert Parrish is six man? No, okay, we're going before that. 1337 01:28:01,079 --> 01:28:05,359 All right, let's see I'm trying to give you as a coach. 1338 01:28:05,880 --> 01:28:11,079 Oh, he's a coach too. I loved you might just get it here. 1339 01:28:11,279 --> 01:28:14,680 I loved bringing a bud light to postgame pressers. The league eventually banned 1340 01:28:14,720 --> 01:28:16,039 me from doing this in two thousand and seven. How rude I was? 1341 01:28:16,119 --> 01:28:21,239 Also what's that Red Holtsman? No. I was also known to have smoke 1342 01:28:21,279 --> 01:28:26,760 weed with my players. Oh, don Nelson, you got it? Okay, 1343 01:28:26,800 --> 01:28:29,800 we have a good job. We have to go to the reason that 1344 01:28:30,279 --> 01:28:33,520 this was became a guess a player slash guess a coach. There's so many 1345 01:28:33,520 --> 01:28:36,840 good clues that I could Would you have gotten it? On? My first 1346 01:28:36,920 --> 01:28:41,560 number one pick became alienated with my insistence on playing him at center instead of 1347 01:28:41,560 --> 01:28:44,119 power forward. He forced his way off the team. If he'd listened to 1348 01:28:44,119 --> 01:28:45,920 me and stayed with the team, he would have implemented the first small ball 1349 01:28:45,960 --> 01:28:50,840 lineup essentially. No, that's okay, that's Chris Weber getting halfway through his 1350 01:28:50,960 --> 01:28:56,000 rookie year being like, I hate this coach. So the reason we were 1351 01:28:56,000 --> 01:29:00,840 discussing this is did you know that Rule three, Section one A of the 1352 01:29:00,880 --> 01:29:04,880 Official NBA Rulebook allows a player to continue playing even after he has six fouls. 1353 01:29:05,279 --> 01:29:09,199 Did you know that? I did not know that. So the reason 1354 01:29:09,239 --> 01:29:12,159 that came up is there was a game in I forget the year now, 1355 01:29:12,479 --> 01:29:15,239 a Warriors game. It was the last game of the season and Steph Curry's 1356 01:29:15,319 --> 01:29:19,359 rookie year. The Warriors have like eight healthy guys, A couple guys get 1357 01:29:19,399 --> 01:29:25,319 hurt, one fouls out. Devin George is the last guy on the floor, 1358 01:29:25,319 --> 01:29:28,760 commits his sixth foul, has to go to the bench because the refs 1359 01:29:28,800 --> 01:29:30,720 don't know that rule. The Warriors have one injured guy on the bench. 1360 01:29:30,720 --> 01:29:34,479 Stephen Hunter comes back in the game. He can't move, so he comes 1361 01:29:34,520 --> 01:29:38,560 back out or commits a foul or something. I can't remember all the details 1362 01:29:38,560 --> 01:29:41,880 as I'm trying to blow through it, but basically don Nelson knows the rule 1363 01:29:42,199 --> 01:29:45,640 that if you foul out, you can still play if there are no healthy 1364 01:29:45,640 --> 01:29:48,079 people on the bench. The other team just gets an extra technical free throw 1365 01:29:48,600 --> 01:29:54,039 if after every personal foul beyond number six. So the Warriors finished a game 1366 01:29:54,560 --> 01:29:58,840 with I think multiple guys having six fouls, and they beat the Blazers, 1367 01:29:58,840 --> 01:30:00,520 who are like a fifty win team, and Steph Curry had a forty point 1368 01:30:00,520 --> 01:30:02,920 game as a rookie the last game of the year. It was like one 1369 01:30:02,920 --> 01:30:08,359 of the weirdestber Don Nelson's last game. I do not know any of that, 1370 01:30:08,720 --> 01:30:12,560 Yeah, but guess what you got it because the bud light and smoking 1371 01:30:12,600 --> 01:30:15,079 weed with his players smoking weed. One, I was like, Oh, 1372 01:30:15,279 --> 01:30:18,319 got you where you needed to be. Rubik Scale did so much research on 1373 01:30:18,359 --> 01:30:24,359 this, Like I wish I could convey how impressed I am. But you 1374 01:30:24,359 --> 01:30:26,640 know it alls well, that ends well because you got it, so good 1375 01:30:26,720 --> 01:30:30,239 job by you. There's another one here for you. Hit it include number 1376 01:30:30,279 --> 01:30:33,760 one. On November sixteenth, twenty twenty three, in the OKC at Golden 1377 01:30:33,800 --> 01:30:38,600 State Warriors game, Isaiah Joe shot the lights out of the building, going 1378 01:30:38,640 --> 01:30:42,159 seven for seven from three point range, those being the only field goals he 1379 01:30:42,199 --> 01:30:46,119 attempted. Interestingly enough, the record for most threes without a miss stands at 1380 01:30:46,199 --> 01:30:50,279 nine and is shared by Ben Gordon, who understandably did it twice. He 1381 01:30:50,319 --> 01:30:54,119 shot more than forty percent from three and seven of his first eight seasons, 1382 01:30:54,359 --> 01:30:59,720 and Latrell' spreewell what in parmatheticals, But both Sprewell and Gordon missed at least 1383 01:30:59,720 --> 01:31:06,279 one two point shot. So who was the other player to hit that many 1384 01:31:06,319 --> 01:31:11,600 threes? I guess without the miss Okay, I'm gonna guess Anthony Morrow. 1385 01:31:12,039 --> 01:31:15,399 That is not That's not correct. I felt really good about that. Guess 1386 01:31:16,720 --> 01:31:21,079 clud number two. The actual record holder for most threes with no missed field 1387 01:31:21,079 --> 01:31:26,560 goals threes or twos is me. Back in January nineteen ninety seven, against 1388 01:31:26,560 --> 01:31:30,680 a helpless Raptor squad, I attempted eight shots, all threes and made all 1389 01:31:30,720 --> 01:31:33,039 eight. Furthermore More, I also made both of my free throws. I 1390 01:31:33,039 --> 01:31:40,920 don't seven. Oh uh? Is it Morris Peterson? It is not? 1391 01:31:41,159 --> 01:31:44,520 Another great guess though? Is it del Curry? He was done? Okay, 1392 01:31:45,119 --> 01:31:46,800 it was a number three. I played seventeen seasons in the NBA and 1393 01:31:46,840 --> 01:31:50,199 made the playoffs in fifteen of them. I hold the distinction of having played 1394 01:31:50,199 --> 01:31:55,239 the third most playoff games without a ring. The only guys with more playoff 1395 01:31:55,239 --> 01:31:58,640 games without a ring are John Stockton and Karl Alone. Oh my god, 1396 01:31:58,680 --> 01:32:02,920 and this guy was nine for nine from three in a game with no tons 1397 01:32:02,920 --> 01:32:05,760 of playoffs. He was eight for eight excuse me, eight for eight tons 1398 01:32:05,800 --> 01:32:10,720 of playoff games, and he did he did the eight for eight and ninety 1399 01:32:10,760 --> 01:32:15,119 seven. Correct, All right, I need another clue. Clue number four. 1400 01:32:15,199 --> 01:32:17,960 I played for only four teams and made it to the NBA Finals three 1401 01:32:18,000 --> 01:32:24,720 times with three different teams, including Magic Johnson's nineteen ninety one Lakers squad. 1402 01:32:25,159 --> 01:32:32,880 Okay, So I was on the ninety one Lakers, but played for other 1403 01:32:32,920 --> 01:32:36,720 teams and won championships with other teams. I should get this right now, 1404 01:32:39,680 --> 01:32:42,800 made it to the NBA Finals with three different teams. Okay, okay, 1405 01:32:43,479 --> 01:32:46,640 ninety one laes. I don't know why I want okay, I need another 1406 01:32:46,680 --> 01:32:50,119 one. Clue five. But now you've decided I'm a shooting guard. Right 1407 01:32:50,399 --> 01:32:54,840 wrong. I was the best three point shooting big through the nineties, long 1408 01:32:54,880 --> 01:32:59,119 before Kevin Gardnt even got to the NBA. I hit a game winning three 1409 01:32:59,359 --> 01:33:02,239 in the nineteen ninety one NBA. Fine, is this Sam Perkins? It 1410 01:33:02,359 --> 01:33:05,600 is Sam Perkins. Second to last clue. I never would have got this. 1411 01:33:06,119 --> 01:33:09,720 Number six was I was part of the greatest draft in NBA history, 1412 01:33:09,720 --> 01:33:13,520 sandwich between Jordan and Barkley. Oh wow, I did not know that. 1413 01:33:13,640 --> 01:33:16,079 I forgot about that. That's a good one. Okay, Sam Perkins, 1414 01:33:16,319 --> 01:33:19,479 I think he was originally he's the original Big Smooth. I think that was 1415 01:33:19,520 --> 01:33:24,119 the nickname. Someone will have to fact check me on that one. All 1416 01:33:24,199 --> 01:33:27,560 right, you got anything else or do you want some? Well? Do 1417 01:33:27,600 --> 01:33:30,439 you have so? And we're gonna end it after this. I believe you'll 1418 01:33:30,439 --> 01:33:33,560 can take a step. Be Rich has one for you. Ready. I'm 1419 01:33:33,600 --> 01:33:41,560 ready to overthink Clue number one. I am. I am burgeoning superstar Tyres 1420 01:33:41,600 --> 01:33:47,319 Haliburton's older cousin. Oh, I don't know that. Clue number two drafted 1421 01:33:47,359 --> 01:33:50,680 tenth in nineteen ninety four. I had a fourteen year career, spanning five 1422 01:33:50,760 --> 01:33:59,399 teams, never playing for a team geographally geographically north of Charlotte tenth in ninety 1423 01:33:59,439 --> 01:34:01,600 four. Oh my god, I had the whole set of the first round 1424 01:34:01,800 --> 01:34:08,039 of that draft in my basketball card collection. Is that well? I would 1425 01:34:08,039 --> 01:34:10,279 ask you a bunch of questions, but you don't have this information. Okay, 1426 01:34:10,359 --> 01:34:14,279 keep going. Clue number three a three time All Star. I led 1427 01:34:14,279 --> 01:34:17,439 the league in steals in nineteen ninety nine two thousand, my best season, 1428 01:34:17,720 --> 01:34:26,520 in which I made second team All Defense, third Team All NBA four. 1429 01:34:27,560 --> 01:34:32,600 Is this Eddie Jones. It is Eddie Jones, not Job. I'm glad 1430 01:34:32,600 --> 01:34:36,640 I didn't overthink that one. I'll just say that this is one I should 1431 01:34:36,640 --> 01:34:41,880 have gotten for a sooner. The two final clues were my trade to Charlotte 1432 01:34:41,880 --> 01:34:44,960 in early ninety nine, opened up starting minutes for a future Hall of Famer, 1433 01:34:45,000 --> 01:34:47,119 and kick started at a dynasty. Yeah yeah. And then the final 1434 01:34:47,159 --> 01:34:53,720 clue, my career net rating plus eight is better than aforementioned Hall of Famer 1435 01:34:53,880 --> 01:34:58,479 plus five, primarily because that guy hung on a few too many seasons jacking 1436 01:34:58,560 --> 01:35:02,399 up shots for a losing team. Your friend Bill still jokingly contends the Lakers 1437 01:35:02,399 --> 01:35:06,560 would have been better off keeping me instead of pay Yeah. I definitely would 1438 01:35:06,600 --> 01:35:09,279 have got it, would have got it, buy that one, and there 1439 01:35:09,279 --> 01:35:12,840 have been a lot. Okay, well, now I know not to have 1440 01:35:12,880 --> 01:35:15,479 to look out for Eddie Jones anymore, now that we've got that off the 1441 01:35:15,520 --> 01:35:17,960 list. This was great. Before you take us out, we want to 1442 01:35:18,000 --> 01:35:21,960 wish everybody a happy, healthy, safe Thanksgiving. We're hoping that you're spending 1443 01:35:21,960 --> 01:35:26,119 it eating lots of food and just chilling if you celebrate it. But Grant, 1444 01:35:26,159 --> 01:35:29,239 are you ready to take us out of here? I am? Thanks 1445 01:35:29,279 --> 01:35:31,880 everyone for contributing, for listening, for watching, for being part of the 1446 01:35:31,920 --> 01:35:35,439 community. If you are not part of that. You can do so by 1447 01:35:35,439 --> 01:35:40,760 following us on all our socials at Hardwood Knocks, at Hardwood Underscore Knocks on 1448 01:35:40,760 --> 01:35:45,760 Instagram. It's just at Hardwood Knocks without the underscorch about everywhere else. Join 1449 01:35:45,800 --> 01:35:48,920 the discord by the merch. Tell your friends you can, and by the 1450 01:35:48,920 --> 01:35:53,800 way, if you want to know how to do that stuff the merch the 1451 01:35:53,880 --> 01:35:57,600 discord links in the YouTube and podcast description. Tell your friends, tell your 1452 01:35:57,600 --> 01:36:02,479 ammies have a fantastic holiday. And eat cranberry sauce only out of the can 1453 01:36:02,600 --> 01:36:06,680 because that is superior means of consumption. Do not eat the kind that is 1454 01:36:06,720 --> 01:36:11,560 not in a weird cylindrical shape with lines on it, because why would you 1455 01:36:11,600 --> 01:36:15,399 do that? And as always, we close with a shout out to the 1456 01:36:15,439 --> 01:36:17,039 one and only Frank Milakina and an apology to Jared Allen.