1 00:00:15,119 --> 00:00:18,519 What is up, fellow Siko's I am Dan Valley, just coming at you 2 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,600 with intro a couple notes before Grant and I get to our one big question 3 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,719 for every NBA team in the Eastern Conference the first note, but not about 4 00:00:27,719 --> 00:00:30,879 a team in the Eastern Conference. Just to cover my bases, admit, 5 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,119 when I had messed up, I talked about the New Orleans pel because not 6 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,039 being in the tax yet on the previous pod, they are in the tax. 7 00:00:37,119 --> 00:00:41,320 Antonio Reeves actually signed his deal which was not on the sheet, and 8 00:00:41,399 --> 00:00:43,759 while we were recording, I believe or I just missed it. It happened 9 00:00:43,799 --> 00:00:47,000 before, but then I didn't even have Carlo Makovic, who that signing happened 10 00:00:47,039 --> 00:00:50,439 a while ago, his number on the books, and so they are in 11 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,320 the tax. My opinion on whether they'll pay it hasn't changed. I'll be 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,640 shocked if they stay in the tax. It is something to note though, 13 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,320 as they go about the rest of their summer and any transactions that are come. 14 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,640 We just assume they're not done because you look at having their big man 15 00:01:03,719 --> 00:01:07,599 rotation of you know, not just Zion Williamson and Daniel Tice. But is 16 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,079 eve Mee's he going to play this huge role. Will a give any minutes 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,000 to Carlo Makovic something to watch, but again, wanted to cross my bases 18 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:15,480 there. We had a couple of people point that out to me that they 19 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,799 were inside the tack. So thank you for to everyone for staying on my 20 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,439 shit. The other two notes that we have are about teams that we're going 21 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,760 to talk about. We'll start with the Indiana Pacers signed Andrew Nemhard to a 22 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,599 three year, fifty nine million dollar extension. It doesn't change anything that we 23 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,439 say about the Pacers. If anything, that kind of only complicates what we 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,480 talk about when we get into what are the opportunities going to be like for 25 00:01:36,519 --> 00:01:41,159 Bennan mcmathn and Jarres Walker moving forward. The contract is interesting in the sense 26 00:01:41,239 --> 00:01:44,519 that I don't think anyone will have sticker shock from it. It will kick 27 00:01:44,599 --> 00:01:48,480 in in twenty twenty five, twenty six, that will be the first year, 28 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,200 and it will run through twenty twenty seven twenty eight, that's his age 29 00:01:52,239 --> 00:01:55,200 twenty eight season. So this isn't you know, it's it's a shorter not 30 00:01:55,359 --> 00:01:57,239 that it's a shorter extension, but you don't have to worry about it. 31 00:01:57,359 --> 00:01:59,760 What's it going to look like by the end of it, that might be 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,599 something you get into with his next deal. I think this number is high 33 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,519 enough. If they scale it up, it'll be about twenty one million dollars 34 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,400 in his final year. That won't even be twelve percent of the salary cap. 35 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,319 Actually, this deal as of right now is not projected to be ever 36 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:16,319 twelve percent of the salary cap, So keep that in mind when you're looking 37 00:02:16,319 --> 00:02:20,719 at, oh, twenty million bucks a year basically for Andrew Nemhard might be 38 00:02:20,759 --> 00:02:23,479 a number they can extend him off of as well moving forward if things go 39 00:02:23,719 --> 00:02:27,159 according to plan. What does get interesting though, is that, so this 40 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,080 runs through when you look at that second to last year of his contract, 41 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:35,000 and then also the last year the first So the second to last year you 42 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,759 would have Ben mcmatherin, in theory would be a restricted free agent or that 43 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,199 would be the first year of his extension, and then Jaris Walker in the 44 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,680 last year of Andrew Nemhard's deal, that would be the first year of his 45 00:02:44,879 --> 00:02:49,360 next his next contract, whether he gets restricted free agency or signs an extension. 46 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,479 That final season gets a little interesting because the season before too, like 47 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,280 the I think in two years and he's gonna have some questions about how it 48 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,199 wants to structure its books overall. But that fine seasons interesting because it's of 49 00:03:00,319 --> 00:03:04,840 right now they have about one fifty four, one hundred and fifty five million 50 00:03:04,879 --> 00:03:08,800 dollars committed to Obi Toppin, Andrew Nemhard, Tyres Haliburton, and Pascal Siakam. 51 00:03:09,199 --> 00:03:14,919 The salary cap that year is projected to just be super high. It's 52 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,400 not going to be two hundred million dollars. We're about we'd be about a 53 00:03:16,439 --> 00:03:19,639 year away from that, but would be about one eighty seven. Maybe it 54 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,919 goes up a little bit from there, probably, but one hundred and eighty 55 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,639 seven million. So having one fifty four committed to about one fifty four and 56 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,280 a half committed to just four players. That's not saying that this roster's locked 57 00:03:30,319 --> 00:03:32,560 in, but I think you would argue the four players are toping Haliburton, 58 00:03:32,599 --> 00:03:37,080 Siakham, and Nemhard at this point. That's not accounting for what happens with 59 00:03:37,159 --> 00:03:42,039 Mathrin and then also what happens with jars Walker. Of course, so like 60 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,560 those are numbers that could expand on the books did over Ben Shepard. This 61 00:03:44,599 --> 00:03:46,800 is all just as of right now, super placeholders, but they're big names 62 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,199 and they're including Miles Turner. So when you read the first four names with 63 00:03:52,319 --> 00:03:55,000 like three of those guys you hope are around probably in Nemhard, Siakam and 64 00:03:55,479 --> 00:03:59,599 Halliburton. Again, nothing to say of anyone else is under contract. Just 65 00:03:59,599 --> 00:04:01,879 something I'm I think it was. I think it was a good deal by 66 00:04:01,879 --> 00:04:04,240 the Pacers. He showed out in the playoffs, but he's also been good 67 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,520 for a minute now where maybe we don't know if he had that sort of 68 00:04:08,599 --> 00:04:13,000 super high end offensive outcome that we see him sustained for. I don't want 69 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,600 to say mini burst, but medium size burst. I think it's a good 70 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,800 deal for the Pacers. I think it's a good deal for Nemhart too, 71 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:23,399 just to lock down some security that's still life changing money. Finally, another 72 00:04:23,439 --> 00:04:26,480 extension to report the Knicks did extend Tom Thibodeau. It's the only thing. 73 00:04:26,519 --> 00:04:29,279 We just threw it away, and it was a throwaway comment about whether they 74 00:04:29,519 --> 00:04:31,319 or we said they would extend him by the end of the summer, and 75 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:34,879 then a few hours later they extended him. We don't know the exact numbers. 76 00:04:34,879 --> 00:04:38,399 I think Ian Begley and I heard this on the Knicks Film School Reaction 77 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,160 podcast I was listening to texted Jonathan Macree, the host of that show, 78 00:04:42,199 --> 00:04:46,800 to say that Tom thibodeau money is commeasure with the other coaching raises we've seen, 79 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,800 and so that just means that he is making eight figures annually. He's 80 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:54,120 probably north of ten million dollars a year. The extension, same as Nemhard, 81 00:04:54,399 --> 00:04:58,879 runs through the twenty twenty seven twenty eight season. I think, you 82 00:04:58,879 --> 00:05:01,399 know, I'm I probably fell somewhere in the middle with Tom Tibbeau. I 83 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:06,360 think the jokes about the minutes management are actually they're genuine. Still, I 84 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,439 don't think that you can't look at anything he's done, and I guess really 85 00:05:10,519 --> 00:05:12,839 point too, oh, like, what do you really mean? I think 86 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,720 he can still be a little quick or stubborn when it comes to young players, 87 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,759 but I do think he's become a more flexible coach overall. And I 88 00:05:18,879 --> 00:05:24,319 look a lot to the team this past year, not just because they were 89 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,560 good and we know that if you want your team to bank more wins than 90 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,199 expected, Tom tibbot is a good coach to have, but I look at 91 00:05:30,199 --> 00:05:31,639 how he ran the team this year, and he was forced to do things 92 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,000 like this because of the Robinson injury, because of the Randall injury, just 93 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,319 because of having so many injuries, but just downsizing a lot playing underside. 94 00:05:39,319 --> 00:05:42,519 He's played undersized fards for like two years now. It feels like we saw 95 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,680 some three guard lineups, which is why I won't spoil what we're talking about. 96 00:05:46,959 --> 00:05:49,920 I'm optimistic that what Grant and I discussed will come to fruition unless the 97 00:05:49,959 --> 00:05:54,160 Knicks go out and make any changes to their roster for the rest of this 98 00:05:54,199 --> 00:05:58,959 summer that could be considered material changes that actually impact their rotation. But I 99 00:05:58,959 --> 00:06:01,519 think, look, you you have to do this deal, like just based 100 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,360 off what he's done for you these past few years. And Knicks Film's go 101 00:06:04,439 --> 00:06:08,439 to an entering discussion and I just I hadn't given it a thought, but 102 00:06:08,519 --> 00:06:11,839 they said he's on the Mount Rushmore Knicks head coaches, and it's like, 103 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,240 yeah, and so I will say what I haven't gotten into when we're actually 104 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,360 gonna have Andrew Claudio Knicks Film school on. I think while Grant's on vacation, 105 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,199 we have something on the books. I can't remember the data time right 106 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,920 now, I marked it down. I'm going I think there's value. We'll 107 00:06:26,959 --> 00:06:30,279 get at this more of having even if you don't we make fun of just 108 00:06:30,319 --> 00:06:32,480 sort of the CAAA ties and the Knicks, but just we've also talked about 109 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,839 the lack of alignment between front office and coaching staff and certain organizations at point, 110 00:06:38,079 --> 00:06:40,720 and there does seem to be from the front office to the coaching staff 111 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:45,079 to the players. I don't know if you unique is too strong of a 112 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:51,040 term here, but certainly a strong sense of alignment of cohesiveness between all those 113 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,720 levels where everyone sort of feels like they're on the same page that I don't 114 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,680 think you can say about a lot of organizations in the NBA. Now. 115 00:06:58,759 --> 00:07:00,639 We know there's been disconnects before, or I would point to the cam Retis 116 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,879 trades specifically with how Tom Thibodau used him and how the front office seemed to 117 00:07:03,959 --> 00:07:11,600 value him, but all the jokes about the off court relationships in mind in 118 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,879 some ways to this point anyway, it seems to really have benefited the Knicks. 119 00:07:14,959 --> 00:07:16,439 I actually don't think that gets talked about enough. We've talked about how 120 00:07:16,439 --> 00:07:18,839 confident the front office is. We've talked about how Tibbs has changed, we 121 00:07:18,879 --> 00:07:24,000 talked about Jallen Brunson taking pay cut, accepting less money than he could have 122 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:29,040 been eligible forore this summer next summer. So that's an interesting thing that probably 123 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,839 deserves more attention here and sort of a good way. Now. The Knicks 124 00:07:31,879 --> 00:07:35,959 are entering next year with expectations a ton of them. This not that this 125 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,879 past season was free money, but no one was predicting the finish with the 126 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,879 second best record in the East. And I can probably tell you right now, 127 00:07:42,959 --> 00:07:45,360 even if you said, oh, the nixt trader for Ogannonoby, if 128 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,120 you looked at kind of how much time Julis Randall missed specifically, and even 129 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,839 Mitchell Robinson, he still probably wouldn't have predicted it. And then if you 130 00:07:49,839 --> 00:07:57,360 also time o Gannoby missed upon upon arriving in New York. So there's a 131 00:07:57,399 --> 00:08:00,879 ton of pressure here. And not just say that I think he would get 132 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,079 fired. He's not gonna get fired in the middle of the season in order 133 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,319 to get fired if they have a letdown next year. Progress also isn't linear 134 00:08:05,399 --> 00:08:09,600 that East could at the top theoretically be tougher if Cleveland's healthy, if Orlando 135 00:08:09,639 --> 00:08:13,000 gets better, if Philly's healthy, and they should be better, Miami could 136 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,120 technically be be healthier, and of course you have Boston there. Milwaukee is 137 00:08:16,439 --> 00:08:20,360 healthier. So this isn't I'm not already poo pooing the top Thibeau deal. 138 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:26,399 It's just that this entire organization now is under a different sort of microscope because 139 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,519 we're taught, and like Knicks fans, I don't think they'll be offended by 140 00:08:30,519 --> 00:08:33,559 the sentiment, because I certainly wouldn't be. It's surreal that we're entering next 141 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,000 season. The end of the debate is or the Knicks the second best team 142 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:39,559 of the East, or the Knicks the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics to 143 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,919 make it out of the East and get it into the NBA Finals. That's 144 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,240 the level at which they're being scrutinized, and so that puts everyone John Brunton, 145 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:48,600 Wow, accept that extension. Accepted that extension. If he ends up 146 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,559 having a bad year, you don't after finishing top five in MVP voting, 147 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:54,200 you don't think people are gonna come after him. It's a different level of 148 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,159 pressure that they're facing. I am very high on the team. I don't 149 00:08:58,159 --> 00:09:01,200 know that I've settled on them as my second best team in the East, 150 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,120 but they are one of two or three teams in that conversation that'll do it 151 00:09:05,159 --> 00:09:07,679 though, So hopefully you enjoy this episode. Thank you for the support. 152 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,440 As always, let's get to mining Grant's one big question for every NBA team 153 00:09:11,519 --> 00:09:16,200 in the Eastern Conference. What is up, fellow siccos I am Dan Valley 154 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,440 coming at you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. Before 155 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,080 he leaves for a much deserved vacation, we will miss him around these parts, 156 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,240 but we've already pre recorded some content for you and I'll have I think 157 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:33,000 a few guests lined up very quickly before we get started. We're doing questions 158 00:09:33,039 --> 00:09:37,120 we still have for every single NBA team in the Eastern Conference. Go check 159 00:09:37,159 --> 00:09:41,279 out the Western Conference podcast that we put out on Wednesday that's already up. 160 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,799 That was almost two hours long, I believe, so this one, I 161 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,919 believe will be significantly quicker. But we'll see, and very quickly before we 162 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:52,840 get started. The sicco collection by Hardwin Knox has officially dropped. You can 163 00:09:52,879 --> 00:09:56,679 find the links on YouTube in the podcast and YouTube descriptions. Please continue to 164 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:01,000 support the show going that route and pick up some really cool merch I have 165 00:10:01,159 --> 00:10:03,039 it, and they all fit very nicely. They've held up in the wash. 166 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,720 I would say, maybe go up a size on the crew What do 167 00:10:05,759 --> 00:10:09,000 they call those? Grant that they're sweatshirts without hoodies? Are those crew necks 168 00:10:09,399 --> 00:10:13,960 nobody knows? Okay, So the ones that nobody knows, the sweatshirts without 169 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,639 hoods, I would recommend maybe sizing up if you like a bagy or look. 170 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,480 But all the stuff, I was happy. Grant and I were happy 171 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:24,279 with the way the designs came out. So again, go check out that 172 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,279 merch drop and send us a screenshot or email of it. All the links 173 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,159 that you need discord during the podcast YouTube description, our social handles, and 174 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,399 I will email you some hardwood knocks, custom made magnets that are not for 175 00:10:35,519 --> 00:10:39,039 sale only. Grant and I have them. That's exclusive, so you hold 176 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,039 on to that those will be worth something someday. Mister Hughes, how are 177 00:10:43,039 --> 00:10:46,559 you doing since we last spoke thirty seconds ago? I'm doing really well well. 178 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:52,159 Since we last boke thirty seconds ago for over two hours, including off 179 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,759 mic in on mic, so not a lot has changed. I got a 180 00:10:54,799 --> 00:10:58,799 new water bottle that I'm drinking from, so I'm excited about that because I 181 00:10:58,879 --> 00:11:01,600 ran out of coffee in my cup. That's that's pretty much it. He 182 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,519 didn't consume anything that wasn't made to be eaten. Uh, you know who 183 00:11:05,519 --> 00:11:09,440 can say, Uh, he was out of my sight for a full two 184 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,639 hours, Like he might have eaten I don't know, like a shovel, 185 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,799 Like I don't know what he could get his hands on, like a television 186 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,799 potentially, is the what was it your your son's tablet? Is that the 187 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,200 weirdest thing that he's eaten so far? Is there something weirdest? Well, 188 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:28,639 I would just it's kind of like the bottom of the ocean, like nobody's 189 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,440 really sure what's going on down there. Whatever the weirdest thing is, Like, 190 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:35,399 I just don't know, because he did it without me realizing. Yeah, 191 00:11:35,399 --> 00:11:37,720 he ate a He had a good portion of a smart watch. Uh, 192 00:11:37,799 --> 00:11:41,639 to the best of my knowledge, did not make it to the batteries. 193 00:11:41,399 --> 00:11:45,679 But I am a conscientious and attentive pet owner. It's just that we 194 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,279 only recently learned he could get up onto the counter. Uh with his He's 195 00:11:50,279 --> 00:11:52,240 got great length. That's the scouting report is just short legs, but great 196 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:56,120 length, long spine can get up into areas he shouldn't be able to reach, 197 00:11:56,159 --> 00:12:01,840 and so iron stomach. Maybe, let's hope. So he's not feeling 198 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,120 great today, So this could be a very dark podcast if things take a 199 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,679 turn, and if that's not what it is, No, but he has 200 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:13,080 survived a great deal of consumption of things that should not be consumed. So 201 00:12:13,159 --> 00:12:16,080 I believe in him. I think he's gonna be okay. But he does 202 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,799 not. He's not. He's not. If he is capable of regret, 203 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,519 he is regretting. He also ate a rock yesterday, so he washed down 204 00:12:22,639 --> 00:12:28,840 the portion of the smart watch with a rock. So, you know that's 205 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,320 The rocks make me nervous because Cosmo, our puppy, has started picking those 206 00:12:31,399 --> 00:12:35,000 up and he doesn't he's not trying to eat them, but he's just sprinting 207 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,600 with them and they drop out of his mouth. Willy nilly. It's like, 208 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,039 well that could literally just go the other directions. Sure, yeah, 209 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,240 well, you know he's got to work up to actually eating it. He's 210 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,879 you know, he's the scatter report on bird is durability through the roof questionable 211 00:12:46,919 --> 00:12:50,159 decision making though, so he's not necessarily a max contract no brainer, just 212 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,960 yet, it's not close he is. He is a low floor, high 213 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,000 ceiling prospect. At this point, we just don't know. It's it's too 214 00:12:58,039 --> 00:13:03,639 soon to say. So we will go alphabetically again with the Atlanta Hawks, 215 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:05,759 Grant and I have questions to choose from. It'll be dealer's choice when they're 216 00:13:05,879 --> 00:13:09,320 posing it to the other person. I said, we go alphabetically. Just 217 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,720 the way we're doing this is they're gonna vary for micro to macro questions. 218 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,480 It's really just dependent on team situation and more so our feel for where they're 219 00:13:16,519 --> 00:13:20,200 headed at this point in the off season. But it's kind of most we 220 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,879 believe of the offseason craziness is wound down. I mean, Tias Jones is 221 00:13:22,919 --> 00:13:26,879 still inside and that's pretty bizarre. But the Larry market and stuff is going 222 00:13:26,879 --> 00:13:30,960 on that should not impact any team in this conference. Sorry Miami Heat fans, 223 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,679 but I don't think you're gonna be involved in that one. Grant, 224 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,080 are you ready for me to pose a question to you about the Atlanta Hawks? 225 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,960 I am prepared great. So I want to be the nerd and say 226 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:48,559 will Jalen Johnson get an extension? But I have to go national NBA podcast 227 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:52,279 cliche and say so what is this team's end game heading into next season? 228 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:58,360 So the best I can say is is kind of like a four now answer, 229 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,240 which is to say that, like they did trade Dejonte Murray, they 230 00:14:03,279 --> 00:14:09,440 are now reoriented around Trey Young as the primary ball handler. Getting Dyson Daniels 231 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,600 back makes a lot of sense for the roster now, but it is also 232 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,399 kind of to which is why this question is legit. It's like, well, 233 00:14:16,399 --> 00:14:20,840 but he's also really young, and we don't know, like is he 234 00:14:20,879 --> 00:14:24,080 gonna be more helpful the next two years or like in years three through five, 235 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,519 assuming they keep them around. I think what I'd say is this team's 236 00:14:26,559 --> 00:14:30,519 direction is they are trying to win as many games as they can for now, 237 00:14:30,559 --> 00:14:33,039 and they're gonna see what this looks like up to the trade deadline. 238 00:14:33,559 --> 00:14:37,480 But if we get to February or even before that, if things are going 239 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:43,759 poorly in like December, the Tray Young trade chatter is just gonna ratchet back 240 00:14:43,799 --> 00:14:48,559 up, and we'll be looking at a team that suddenly is a huge candidate 241 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,159 to rebuild. So it's like, there's not I don't feel there's this like 242 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,879 a stable direction at the moment. It's more like, here's what we're trying. 243 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,840 We're more than willing to pivot out of this if it doesn't work out 244 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:03,360 well because Trey Young is like I thought Trey Young would be the guy to 245 00:15:03,399 --> 00:15:07,240 move. He wasn't. I still think they'll revisit that if this look just 246 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:09,799 doesn't work. Don't you? And do you think this is just this is 247 00:15:09,799 --> 00:15:13,679 what they're going with for five years? You no one has this is not 248 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:15,919 I mean, it's directed at you, but it's directed at everyone. No 249 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,960 one has convinced me that trading Tray Young makes sense, especially with de Jontay 250 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,799 Mario already gone. If you're not getting back your own draft picks from the 251 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,919 San Antonio Spurs, you have to sell me on this idea that you could 252 00:15:26,919 --> 00:15:28,720 say bite, you know, just tough it out and those picks are gone. 253 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:31,960 Deal with it. It's your next three drafts. I don't if they 254 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,519 make that call, I don't see that being this season. Can I can 255 00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:39,240 I give you my reasons why I won't leave it alone? Yeah, I 256 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,519 can't wait to tell you why you're wrong, because you're right. Like it's 257 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:48,840 just it's just it is like a hard sell if you don't really it's like 258 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,279 why Brooklyn did what it did. Like with the Houston trade, it's a 259 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,200 hard sell if you're not benefiting from tanking by potentially drafting number one or whatever, 260 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,120 you know, getting into the top four. So so like that stands 261 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,960 against the Trey Young trade. I think I just lean on it's I guess 262 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,720 it's some intuition, but it's also just the fact that like for almost his 263 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:15,559 entire tenure, there has there have been questions about one, like, can 264 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,320 you really build a winner with a guy that is on the ball this much? 265 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,399 That doesn't help you defensively answer TBD got a conference finals out of it, 266 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,919 but that feels like the outlier. The other is just like there's constant 267 00:16:27,559 --> 00:16:32,720 whispers, rumblings whatever that like they just like guys don't like to play with 268 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,759 him. He's not a good leader. He's really aloof like he just you 269 00:16:36,799 --> 00:16:40,679 know, there have been like semi serious discussions about him moving, and it's 270 00:16:40,799 --> 00:16:45,320 never I've never been convinced by the like tamping down of those when you hear 271 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,399 it from the Hawks or from him. So it just it's one of those 272 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,360 things that it's been an issue for so long that it's just like you think 273 00:16:53,399 --> 00:16:57,159 about NBA history and like when it's an issue for this long, eventually the 274 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:02,080 trade happens, and so like part of that is an indictment of Young as 275 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,519 a leader, as an alpha, but part of it is just you don't 276 00:17:04,559 --> 00:17:08,640 have this much smoke for this long without a fire eventually breaking out, I 277 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:14,119 guess is the messed up like way I try to analogize it. So that's 278 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,000 all. But you're right, like practically speaking, if you can't get your 279 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,759 picks back, like you're tanking's not great, which is what you would probably 280 00:17:19,799 --> 00:17:22,599 do if you're trading Trey and you would have to ident if you're gonna go 281 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,079 that rout. I would think you have to identify the team where we still 282 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,359 want their immediate draft equity even though they have Trey Young. And it's like, 283 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:30,880 all right, I guess the Pistons, what are the teams It's like 284 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,039 they trade for Trey Young, we still want their draft picks that are coming 285 00:17:34,039 --> 00:17:37,839 down instead of our own. A very quick question for them. I didn't 286 00:17:37,839 --> 00:17:41,839 want to put this as a main course one, but who plays more backup 287 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:47,079 point guard next year? Dyson Daniels or Kobe Buffkin. Can I just say 288 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,400 Bogdanovic? No, he's not one of the who plays more point guard reps. 289 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,160 I mean, Bogdanovic can do it, but that was kind of they 290 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,240 haven't. I mean, Kobe Buffkin is a point guard prospect who I was 291 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,119 pretty high on when he was going out of the draft. But Dyson dani 292 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,400 because he doesn't have this basing element yet. Although he hit there's a three 293 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:07,720 he he hit actually same game against Drills, an ultra deep three, and 294 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,319 then he has one that goes like off the side of the backboard from the 295 00:18:10,319 --> 00:18:15,200 corner. Dyce and Daniels experience and less and Daniel's pluses and minuses are well 296 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:19,319 understood at this point. If it's me, I would play Daniels more just 297 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:25,920 because I think the upside of him as someone you know, that that can 298 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,400 give you a different look as like an ace defender, and maybe at some 299 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,920 point play with Trey Young, although that's just I don't know how realistic that 300 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,119 is at this point. You just almost have to have like a big, 301 00:18:36,599 --> 00:18:40,759 you know, wing or two next to him. Ideally, I like Daniels 302 00:18:40,799 --> 00:18:44,799 just better in general, so I would play him more overall and at the 303 00:18:44,799 --> 00:18:47,680 point just to see because if he if he can just be a point guard 304 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,759 that can play like starters minutes not happening this year, but like that's a 305 00:18:51,799 --> 00:18:56,039 prospect. I'm very interested in Buffkin. Buffkin, I'm I guess I've seen 306 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,799 less one but two I don't know that he has like the Daniels can change 307 00:18:59,799 --> 00:19:02,599 game is defensively kind of already and so I would like to see if he 308 00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:06,359 can do more than that to kind of really up his profile. Boston coming 309 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,640 up next. Unless you have more thoughts on Kobe Buffkin, Let's see how 310 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,200 long have they preard to fill this? Okay, we have to do the 311 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,279 big man question is interesting, but let's let's just talk big, bigger picture. 312 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:23,200 How long is Boston gonna spend like this, like to just loop in 313 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:29,240 the sam Houser four for forty five extension, just adding money to I want 314 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,799 to say, maybe you have the number, but it's something like we're getting 315 00:19:32,839 --> 00:19:36,640 up to like four hundred and fifty million including a roll in tax or even 316 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,480 higher than that. Yeah, I won't pretend to have done this calculation myself. 317 00:19:38,519 --> 00:19:41,799 Bobby Marx has it. But after the sam Houser for year forty five 318 00:19:41,839 --> 00:19:48,039 million dollars extension in twenty five twenty six, their projected salary is two hundred 319 00:19:48,039 --> 00:19:52,720 and twenty five million dollars, which means there's projected tax penalty is two hundred 320 00:19:52,759 --> 00:19:56,519 and ten yeah million dollars. And by the way, if they finish over 321 00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:00,640 the second Apron, that's he's in their twenty thirty three draft pick will not 322 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,839 be able to be traded. So and by the way, they're a second 323 00:20:03,839 --> 00:20:04,839 Apron team this year. So now you're getting to a point where it's so 324 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,400 we have to think about are we okay with our draft pick just being not 325 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:14,079 off just limits, but locked in position X until we're out of the second 326 00:20:14,079 --> 00:20:18,559 Apron. So I and I think this comes down to it's twofold, where 327 00:20:18,559 --> 00:20:22,200 well, who is gonna end up being the collateral damage of like their spending 328 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,880 breaching its limit? And I view this as one maybe this is a whole 329 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,000 like Wick grouse Beck is decided, well, I'm not trying to sell the 330 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,400 team. We'll still control it, so I'm not gonna have to worry about 331 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,000 this for too much longer to be on the hook for the full whatever. 332 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,200 I just kind of look at it as like they're gonna do it through next 333 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,119 season, and then they're gonna do it through twenty five to twenty six, 334 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,880 and then all right, christophs Porzingis is a free agent that year, and 335 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,680 that's when we kind of just we figure out if we're gonna cut costs or 336 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,480 that's just the easy costs, like, all right, his thirty million bucks 337 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:53,920 are coming off the books, and then we'll tink her from there. But 338 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,799 I would think, and I think it changes that they win a title again 339 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:02,319 this upcome, which they should be favored even with the Porzingis injury, I 340 00:21:02,319 --> 00:21:04,279 would argue. But I think as of right now, let's just say they 341 00:21:04,279 --> 00:21:07,039 don't win the title in twenty five, I would expect him to kind of 342 00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:12,039 float this exact core when you and I'll say, the exact core of White 343 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:18,559 Tatum Brown Holiday for at least two more seasons, So this coming one in 344 00:21:18,599 --> 00:21:22,640 twenty five twenty six, would you disagree or do you think it's longer shorter? 345 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,000 I don't think it's longer, just because I think the holiday will have 346 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:32,640 probably aged past being what he is now in a couple of years. But 347 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,720 I think you have to go at least two more unless unless like something you 348 00:21:36,759 --> 00:21:41,680 know, just assume we're not talking about like catastrophic injury or like you know, 349 00:21:41,799 --> 00:21:45,160 innerperson, Jalon Brown decides he wants recognition as the number one option. 350 00:21:45,759 --> 00:21:49,240 Yeah, Jalen Brown goes to war with Nike and they disappear him for a 351 00:21:49,319 --> 00:21:52,079 long time. I don't know, I don't know. There's a lot of 352 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:55,559 ways. There's a lot of ways this could break up that we haven't really 353 00:21:55,599 --> 00:21:57,720 thought too much about. Uh No, I think you have to do it 354 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,759 for obviously this here, obviously the year after that, and then I don't 355 00:22:02,759 --> 00:22:06,000 know, then maybe you're reassessing, but like you're kind of already on the 356 00:22:06,039 --> 00:22:10,640 hook for these the second apron penalties like you. That's I think explains the 357 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,160 Hawser deal. Partially, it's like one, it's a movable number, like 358 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:15,519 if we do need to trade, that's part of it. But it's also 359 00:22:15,559 --> 00:22:18,799 like, what the hell like in for a penny, we might as well 360 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,160 just pretend that these rules aren't there. We got a title, let's get 361 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,480 like one or two more, and then we'll just have to start over. 362 00:22:25,519 --> 00:22:27,400 I don't know. It's got a longer shelf life than you'd think for how 363 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,559 the numbers you just said in terms of payroll and tacks, and from my 364 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,119 perspective, it's not I mean, I know billionaire owners will think this way 365 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,920 anyway. It's not about the money. It's about the limitations you might be 366 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,680 subjecting yourself to, Like in Boston's case, it's not even the transactional limitations 367 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,920 in the moment where it's all right, like, we'll stack our top seven 368 00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:49,519 to eight for the next three years against any top seven eight and guess what, 369 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,839 it'll still probably rank no lower than third, like ever during that window 370 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,279 if things they exactly same. It's what you're subjecting yourself to when you look 371 00:22:57,319 --> 00:23:00,160 at the draft picks where it's like, oh, we're having not that we 372 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,160 can't trade these draft picks, but if they get moved to the end of 373 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:04,240 the draft, like, is that when we need to start looking at, 374 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,079 Oh, we have to get out of this because we do have to plan 375 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:10,839 for the next era of and we don't want our draft picks just coming at 376 00:23:10,839 --> 00:23:12,519 the end of the draft at a time when okay, twenty thirty two, 377 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,319 that's like, no, this team is probably not together. They're probably not 378 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,480 championship favorites in twenty thirty two. That shouldn't be a spicy take to anyone, 379 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,200 are they Are they scouting like fifth graders right now? For that draft 380 00:23:25,279 --> 00:23:27,400 is that look, But if you think about it, in twenty thirty two, 381 00:23:27,519 --> 00:23:32,759 that'll be Jason Tatum's age nineteen seasons, so there's nobody that window. 382 00:23:33,079 --> 00:23:36,720 I'll actually do the bath. I think like it'll be his age twenty seven, 383 00:23:36,799 --> 00:23:40,799 but I respect the commitment to Jason Tatum is nineteen forever. Are you 384 00:23:40,799 --> 00:23:44,319 ready for Brooklyn? Yeah? Hit me. I'm not gonna hit you. 385 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:45,839 I like you as a co host, so I'm not gonna choose. Let's 386 00:23:45,839 --> 00:23:48,359 see. Oh no, I did ask you a last one, so it 387 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:52,559 is your turn deliver the question to me. Please. I want to ask 388 00:23:52,599 --> 00:23:56,039 all these questions, but I'm not. I'm actually not gonna ask the will 389 00:23:56,079 --> 00:23:59,799 Dorrian, Phiney Smith or Cam Johnson be traded this offseason? What grant as 390 00:23:59,799 --> 00:24:03,240 of right now? What is this team's identity on the court? Oh, 391 00:24:03,279 --> 00:24:06,400 what is their identity? Well? I will say they are not gonna be 392 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,599 the top five defense. I kind of thought they might have been last year 393 00:24:08,599 --> 00:24:12,920 before the season. I do remember that take of mine. What kind of 394 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,720 team? I mean? They just don't. They don't have one. Uh, 395 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:22,720 they they don't. All these guys feel like by Chauncey Billups basically like 396 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,039 that's how the rosters built at the Yeah, I just like, okay, 397 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:30,279 well let's really try to simplify it. Is this a defense first team? 398 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,920 I guess you know, you have Claxton, you have Finny Smith, but 399 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:37,799 you're also gonna play Cam Thomas a lot, probably Cam Johnson, maybe Boganovic. 400 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,839 Like, I just I don't think this is a defense first team. 401 00:24:41,039 --> 00:24:44,440 I just maybe Claxton being there is like, well, we're gonna switch and 402 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:48,759 guard and be chaotic and whatever. Is it an offensive team? I guess 403 00:24:48,799 --> 00:24:52,759 maybe having Thomas and what is Dennis Shrewder running the team? Is that? 404 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,799 Is that what we're doing? Uh? I don't, I don't. It 405 00:24:56,839 --> 00:24:59,720 doesn't. It doesn't have one. Is this a team that is like very 406 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:06,119 clear? A collection of players that are stop gaps that are you know, 407 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,640 not there's no star, there's It's just I don't know what the identity is, 408 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:11,880 do you, Like? I guess if you had to choose offense, 409 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,119 defense or some other direction, Like, it just feels like these are short 410 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,559 term, short timers that are just here until they can be flipped for something 411 00:25:19,599 --> 00:25:22,519 that then allows you to build an identity. I think that what was the 412 00:25:22,559 --> 00:25:26,240 word you use? Chaos? Feels like that's how they're gonna I think they're 413 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,119 gonna end up having to play fast. They're trying to offset the lack of 414 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:32,480 offensive talent, and then I think that will in turn make them pretty bad 415 00:25:32,839 --> 00:25:34,960 defensively. And that's what I kind of I don't know if that's their delibered 416 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,440 identity, but I feel like that's how they're gonna end up playing. What 417 00:25:38,519 --> 00:25:41,960 do you think is more likely than though? Because these might be that Cam 418 00:25:41,039 --> 00:25:48,039 Thomas gets an extension, or that two of Dennis shrud or two or more 419 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,519 of Dennis Ruter, Nicholas Claston, Cam Johnson and Dorian Phinney Smith get traded 420 00:25:51,519 --> 00:25:53,319 by the deadline. The trade one, I just like, if you're not 421 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,160 trading, if you're not trading Phinney Smith, or you're not and you're not 422 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,880 trading Cam Johnson Claxton, I guess you've paid him as if you intend to 423 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,279 keep him. But that's also a movable number. I think in my mind 424 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,960 I would view every single player on Brooklyn through the prism of like what is 425 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,200 he worth in a trade as opposed to like what's he giving us on the 426 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,920 floor this year? I just don't I don't think the team is operating like, 427 00:26:15,599 --> 00:26:18,640 well, if this clicks here and there and we can get this combination 428 00:26:18,759 --> 00:26:22,920 or this lineup works, we can win forty three games. Like I just 429 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,599 I don't think they're thinking about themselves that way. Is there any player on 430 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:33,119 this team you're like excited excited to watch next year? I might be the 431 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,920 Reek Whitehead for me if he's gonna be healthy him or Noah Clowney. But 432 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,559 that's just like, and that's not insulting camp Thomas. It's just I kind 433 00:26:37,559 --> 00:26:41,400 of feel like I have a hold of what he is and what he's going 434 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,160 to be, and so those are just the those are the names I kind 435 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,759 of identify. I mean, we haven't talked about Zion Williams, which is 436 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:52,039 I you know, that's not a play that Brooklyn should make, is go 437 00:26:52,079 --> 00:26:55,480 get a guy that might be might have absolutely zero. But also at one 438 00:26:55,519 --> 00:26:57,359 point was viewed as being like, this guy's gonna start on the wing for 439 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:02,519 a good team. I'm legally not allowed to talk about zioniam Yeah, after 440 00:27:02,599 --> 00:27:06,079 thinking he could be like a Chris Middleton type, and now it's kind of 441 00:27:06,079 --> 00:27:07,079 I still would hold out hope. I said this to someone on Twitter the 442 00:27:07,079 --> 00:27:10,680 other days like, I feel like he could still be like the higher end 443 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,839 of Ottle Porter junior type, like a slow, more slender Otto Porter junior. 444 00:27:14,319 --> 00:27:17,079 And I'm just I'm not allowed to talk about it. That's fair. 445 00:27:17,079 --> 00:27:18,920 I probably shouldn't be either, because he's, oh well, he's coming up. 446 00:27:19,079 --> 00:27:22,720 What that rookie year he was in the rotation for a really good Grizzly 447 00:27:22,799 --> 00:27:25,920 team. I think, by default, my most exciting player is Claxton. 448 00:27:26,039 --> 00:27:30,000 He's the he's the best player, and you know what, You're right. 449 00:27:30,039 --> 00:27:33,680 I want to see him run picking rolls next to why not like try everything, 450 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,920 see if he's more than just the defensive player. I don't know, 451 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,200 I I think I would like to. I kind of always have liked him, 452 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,039 maybe more than consensus. Uh. I would like to see him get 453 00:27:44,079 --> 00:27:48,319 back to two years ago level at the surrounding talent. I think if you 454 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,559 watch him on a semi regular basis, and this isn't like a flex, 455 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,880 but if you watch him regularly, it's impossible not to think he's better than 456 00:27:55,880 --> 00:28:00,279 the consensus because you see these open space drives or finishes in track, and 457 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,359 it's I said this and I really meant it. Sometimes when he's attacking off 458 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:07,000 the dribble going downhill. I like forget that it's not Kevin Durant of like 459 00:28:07,039 --> 00:28:11,440 ten years ago. And again that's the one thing, it's the one type 460 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:15,079 of play play veg. But it's just like it's impossible not to watch that 461 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,480 be like, well, like this guy's more than just kind of like the 462 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:19,920 rim runner and can do a bunch of things on the defensive end and switch 463 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,440 and also the highlights are just profuse. We're not so much last year, 464 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:27,200 but just like him switching and just locking down absolutely everybody above the three point 465 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:33,200 line. Yeah, no, I I just think he's so clearly the best 466 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:37,319 player on this team. You know, Ben Simmons off season workout videos looking 467 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:41,000 good. Let's move on. I have one for you for the Charlotte Hornets. 468 00:28:41,279 --> 00:28:45,200 I love this question because it is just like my one of my most 469 00:28:45,359 --> 00:28:48,279 uncertain aspects of any team. So you phrased it as well, they have 470 00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:52,559 to lean into the tank and in parentheticals, could they be too good if 471 00:28:52,559 --> 00:28:56,119 everyone's healthy. Because you change ownership, you change the front office, you 472 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,960 change the head coach. You're you've got Brandon Miller last year, you took 473 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,920 a project in Salon this year you're rebuilding, right, except like, oh, 474 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,799 by the way, there's like actual NBA talent spread all over this roster. 475 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,279 So will they have to do this on purpose? Will they have to 476 00:29:12,839 --> 00:29:17,359 force themselves into losses? Or are they going to get there on their own? 477 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:18,960 Well, they're kind of already proven. They're leaning into the tank by 478 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:23,160 waving Reggie Jackson right like that was the course. But I mean, let's 479 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:27,079 let's look at this projected ten man rotation. So you have I don't know 480 00:29:27,079 --> 00:29:32,079 if this will end up being the starting five, but LaMelo Ball, Brandon 481 00:29:32,079 --> 00:29:37,240 Miller, Josh Green, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams are your five. 482 00:29:37,559 --> 00:29:41,039 And then I'm just gonna pencil in t J. Salon for actual minutes, 483 00:29:41,079 --> 00:29:42,400 just because they spent a pretty high draft pic on him and I kind of 484 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,319 like him a lot of Hornets fans. I posted a clip of a Hornet 485 00:29:45,319 --> 00:29:48,960 segment I did our way. They just assume he's going to be incredible right 486 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,799 out of the gate, and that's that's a choice. If you want him, 487 00:29:52,799 --> 00:29:56,680 it's nice, that's great. So you have him Salon Cody Martin, 488 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,359 who he hasn't been healthy for two seasons, but he's also not that far 489 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:03,960 removed from being like the NBA's pre eminent connector at both ends of the floor. 490 00:30:03,279 --> 00:30:07,200 Grant Williams played great for them when he came over the trade. You 491 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,599 still have Nick Richards who might be a trade candidate. And then there's is 492 00:30:10,599 --> 00:30:14,759 it Seth Curry or is it vasile micicic like? Is it both? Because 493 00:30:14,759 --> 00:30:17,359 they're just in rebuilding mode. They're gonna play twelve guys and so let's throw 494 00:30:17,359 --> 00:30:19,440 a tray man in her too, And maybe Tosh Gibson play so well that 495 00:30:19,519 --> 00:30:23,799 the Knicks trade for him. So I just yes, they're gonna have to 496 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:27,240 lean into the tank. Is I think if LaMelo ball is healthy, I 497 00:30:27,279 --> 00:30:30,000 will say. And that's the other thing is when I list off all those 498 00:30:30,079 --> 00:30:33,519 names, there's only one player. Maybe it's Brandon Miller. So it's too 499 00:30:33,519 --> 00:30:37,440 that you remove from the equation and say, oh, they have no chance 500 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:41,279 of being better than expected. And but that's a real NBA roster. I 501 00:30:41,319 --> 00:30:42,519 don't know if they've done it on purpose. I don't think they did it 502 00:30:42,519 --> 00:30:45,480 with the intention of competing for a play in spot, which I still don't 503 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,039 expect them to make. But I think this is a team and it doesn't 504 00:30:48,039 --> 00:30:52,960 have to be on the level of should they entertain trading LaMelo ball this year? 505 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:56,240 But like they have just players Grant Williams, Nick Richards, Cody Martin. 506 00:30:56,519 --> 00:31:00,279 If these guys are healthy, teams are going to want them and they 507 00:31:00,319 --> 00:31:03,960 will contribute enough to your product to where that might be the difference between you 508 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,720 winning thirty plus games and settling in in the sub twenty five area. No, 509 00:31:08,759 --> 00:31:14,599 I think that's it. That's why their actions to this point other like 510 00:31:14,599 --> 00:31:18,160 the Bridge's signing is confounding for a lot of reasons, but the way they've 511 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,480 operated is like, well, this is a team that is not starting over 512 00:31:22,519 --> 00:31:25,400 because there is just too much talent. But like, winning a bunch of 513 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:27,759 games this year does not seem to be the priority, except like the talent 514 00:31:27,839 --> 00:31:32,680 there, you might just back into thirty eight wins if you don't do anything 515 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:34,839 maybe more, I don't know. You don't have to get all the way 516 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,160 to the bottom. And that's the other thing to remember, Like if you're 517 00:31:37,759 --> 00:31:41,079 the fifth worst record, you got a fighting change, you know you're that's 518 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,000 that's enough where you don't have to really start shutting guys down or like you 519 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,400 know, trading Grant Williams for nothing, but a pick or something like that. 520 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,880 But it's gonna be it's at least gonna be a decision at some point. 521 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,960 I think. I think the best case scenario that LaMelo gets shut down 522 00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:00,200 and it's not injury related. It's like this guy was so healthy, we 523 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:01,079 were so good that like, all right, you know what, it's March, 524 00:32:01,119 --> 00:32:04,200 you take the rest of the season off. Yeah, well, it's 525 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,440 it is if that's how late it is, you know, if that's when 526 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,079 it happens. Yeah, I don't. I don't know. I you wouldn't 527 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:14,880 think that a whole new leadership group would be you know, wanting. There's 528 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,079 a lot of holdovers, there's a lot of like veterans that kind of don't 529 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:22,799 quite fit all. This is a pretty young team generally speaking. Yeah, 530 00:32:22,839 --> 00:32:24,319 I don't know. I do. I guess of the choice they might be 531 00:32:24,359 --> 00:32:29,480 bad enough organically, like if LaMelo misses time like that, you have to 532 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:31,359 sort of price that in given the last two years. But because it's not 533 00:32:31,519 --> 00:32:35,640 just like an if you'd apply like well, if Jason Tatum's hurt the Celtics, 534 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,240 it's like, no, LaMelo ball played like fifty some odd games over 535 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,200 the last couple of years. I think it's gonna wind up being a situation 536 00:32:40,279 --> 00:32:45,400 where we see kind of last year where it's two to three of their top 537 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:47,359 eight guys end up getting dealt at the trade deadline, and maybe it's they're 538 00:32:47,359 --> 00:32:51,599 still kind of bad, but this ensures that they're bad enough. But like, 539 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:53,880 I'm not talking about LaMelo or Brandon Miller even necessarily Mark Williams, but 540 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,920 Miles Bridges certainly will be. I think we'll be a trade candidate if the 541 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,720 teams want to give up equity for him, and you have Cody Martin, 542 00:33:00,759 --> 00:33:04,960 a, Nick Richards, Grant Williams, guys who could be finishing touches for 543 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,920 really good teams, I think we'll all end up being on the just some 544 00:33:07,039 --> 00:33:10,720 look, something might get traded this offseason, still possible. All right, 545 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:15,839 that's that's Charlotte. Let's see, so I should for you. Yeah, 546 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:22,559 I think we have to go wholesale here, Grant. Are they actually rebuilding? 547 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:27,160 I think they're doing the best they can so far. It's just I 548 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,319 think, just well the best they can. They have done some things that 549 00:33:30,359 --> 00:33:35,319 you would confuse for rebuilding, which is a huge step forward for them. 550 00:33:36,359 --> 00:33:39,359 I think I've also kind of done it wrong, like letting Derozen get to 551 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:45,759 free agency and all that stuff. So the arguments against them rebuilding are that 552 00:33:45,799 --> 00:33:49,480 Patrick Williams got that ninety million dollars ninety five for ninety Is that what it 553 00:33:49,559 --> 00:33:52,119 was? Yeah, man, gotta get over the sticker shock stuff. That's 554 00:33:52,119 --> 00:33:55,400 actually not that bad going forward, but it is still surprising. I don't 555 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,720 know who's paying him that. But like Josh Giddy here, you would think 556 00:34:00,759 --> 00:34:04,720 that you would have gotten draft picks if you're really rebuilding. But Giddy is 557 00:34:04,799 --> 00:34:09,119 young. I understand wanting a player, it's not wrong to say, and 558 00:34:09,119 --> 00:34:12,400 maybe the age is a big part of it, and perhaps Giddy just has 559 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,039 an incredible year, but they gave up the player who is better in that 560 00:34:15,079 --> 00:34:19,559 deal and is also going to cost less moving forward after next season. Yeah, 561 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:22,639 that's just a just a bad trade. Like I'm trying to defend it 562 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:28,360 for him. How about this, I think their hands just maybe tied on 563 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:30,880 Levine and Vucevic. I just don't think anybody wants those guys. I think 564 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:35,039 they would trade them if they had like a half decent offer for either of 565 00:34:35,079 --> 00:34:37,920 them. So I think they are actually rebuilding. It's just that, like 566 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:43,519 the process up to this point was so mismanaged that it's really hard to like 567 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,840 to actually get a full rebuild going. If that makes sense. Now, 568 00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:52,480 I would agree with you. Do you trust the way that they've gone about 569 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:54,880 entering this rebuild? And the answer should just be no, Because tonight, 570 00:34:54,920 --> 00:35:00,000 if you wanted Josh Giddy as part of the Cruser trade Frinds as part emphasis 571 00:35:00,039 --> 00:35:05,119 on, part of the Caruso trade, not the entire fucking package, and 572 00:35:05,159 --> 00:35:08,280 then you like the DeRos and stuff, Oh, you couldn't see a scenario 573 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:12,599 where you want to bring him back coming and so you should have traded him 574 00:35:12,599 --> 00:35:15,920 at the deadline or last summer, and instead you put yourself in a situation 575 00:35:15,039 --> 00:35:17,519 because you just had to. I don't have a problem with any of these 576 00:35:17,519 --> 00:35:22,639 deals on its face, but was Patrick williams end or Jalen Smith worth putting 577 00:35:22,639 --> 00:35:29,079 yourself in a payroll situation that you could have ignored but proximity to the tax 578 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,920 to where you couldn't take back the best outgoing asset in the Demarti Rosen sign 579 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:37,159 and trade. No, the Spurs did that, and honestly, they got 580 00:35:37,159 --> 00:35:39,119 Harrison Barnes, which is probably the second best outgoing asset as part of the 581 00:35:39,119 --> 00:35:44,400 Demarta Rosen trade, so like, and those are past mistakes coming back to 582 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,280 bite them, so on some level you can't hold it against them. But 583 00:35:46,679 --> 00:35:51,599 the Caruso stuff specifically, I don't know, that wasn't an issue of them 584 00:35:51,599 --> 00:35:53,519 waiting to Yeah, maybe they could have gotten more if Crusoe was traded mid 585 00:35:53,559 --> 00:35:57,760 season or had the extra year left on his deal, but that's that's a 586 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,679 choice they actively made where it was like, we could have I've gotten draft 587 00:36:00,679 --> 00:36:02,880 picks for caruse and we decided not to and that's what's giving me. And 588 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,800 by the way, the other thing they did just kind of weird. You 589 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,199 probably could have gotten multiple second round picks for Andre Drummond at you just decided 590 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,920 that one of the best backup bigs in the yet. But bye, But 591 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:19,880 that's yeah, like you really I'm trying not to hold against the bulls, 592 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:24,280 like the seventeen stupid anti rebuild things they've done over the last three four I 593 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:30,079 guess, I mean getting close to five years now, But like, even 594 00:36:30,159 --> 00:36:35,800 if you trim those off the ledger, you still have the Caruso return, 595 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,679 you still have the very recent derosen Just why why did you? Like this 596 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:44,159 is just we're just talking about the last trade deadline, Like it's not like, 597 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:45,519 Yo, you should have moved him five years ago, Like you definitely 598 00:36:45,519 --> 00:36:49,480 could have gotten more if you'd moved them at the trade deadline. Cruso, 599 00:36:49,599 --> 00:36:52,480 for sure. Like so, I still think they're trying to rebuild. I 600 00:36:52,559 --> 00:36:55,599 just think they're bad at it, like they're they're doing it wrong. If 601 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:59,559 they're not doing it right. I hope it comes out that they were trying 602 00:36:59,559 --> 00:37:01,880 to trade Russo for Josh Giddy at the trade deadline and Oklahoma City wouldn't do 603 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:06,119 it, so they deliberately waited to trade Caruso until this deal was available to 604 00:37:06,159 --> 00:37:08,119 them. That would be the most I think, but it is. It 605 00:37:08,119 --> 00:37:12,360 does seem like they're rebuilding, and that's the refreshing part of just Okay, 606 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:16,039 they're not actively trying to aim for the bottom of the middle anymore, and 607 00:37:16,079 --> 00:37:20,760 that's we have to see the rest of it play out. I am just 608 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,639 worried though that the way they've gone about this, when you go from Caruso 609 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:25,880 to and you're getting rid of de Rozan, so there's more touches to go 610 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:29,280 around. But I would be worried that, especially if you feel committed to 611 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,840 playing Zach Lavine what does this do to just the strides that Kobe White and 612 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:37,079 Iota soon MoU made last year When you're inserting two high usage backcourt players back 613 00:37:37,119 --> 00:37:40,880 into your rotation, Yeah, it's tough, Like you know, we both 614 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:45,440 love both of those guys. It's it's also still like Kobe White is still 615 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:50,320 not at the level where you're like, well, we got a tailor everything 616 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,440 to making sure he's maximized. It's just like he's the best they got in 617 00:37:52,519 --> 00:37:57,880 terms of like a projectable young player who might continue getting better. It's just 618 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:02,280 still there's still a lot of limbo happening here. Typical if you're actually rebuilding, 619 00:38:02,559 --> 00:38:06,239 I would say, I don't even want to use the word correct. 620 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:10,079 But if you're serious about rebuilding, aren't io to student move and Kobe White 621 00:38:10,119 --> 00:38:14,519 on the trade market right now? Their values are never going to be higher 622 00:38:14,519 --> 00:38:16,679 than they are right now as you start looking at their next contracts or am 623 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:22,639 I wrong? No? No, if you are really seriously rebuilding everybody, 624 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:27,039 it should be available because like you don't have a corner there is no cornerstone 625 00:38:27,039 --> 00:38:29,960 here. He's not as much as we like Kobe White, like he's not 626 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,079 that guy. Mattas buscellis I that pick looks like it's gonna end up. 627 00:38:32,119 --> 00:38:35,880 Well, we've seen him, Yeah, No, like that pick, but 628 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,960 he's all right. The level of uncertain do we have about him is off 629 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,800 the charts, and he's clearly the guy you'd say like, okay, that 630 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:45,599 is the rebuilding piece that makes sense, Like they're just not there yet. 631 00:38:45,639 --> 00:38:49,519 So every single player on the roster, I guess, excluding him, should 632 00:38:49,559 --> 00:38:52,800 be viewed as like what's he worth in a trade as opposed to like, 633 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:54,440 what's he going to give us this year? As we you know, win 634 00:38:54,519 --> 00:39:00,280 thirty whatever games? Let's move to Cleveland. So we got to talk about 635 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,920 the core four, because man, we've had some conversations about them over the 636 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:08,000 last year plus. I'm gonna sort of truncate the question, should we believe 637 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:15,079 in Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jared Allen figuring it out, 638 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:19,519 I'm going to say yes, and a lot of this just this is 639 00:39:19,559 --> 00:39:23,360 what I can't wrap my head around. Their first year together, the Cavs 640 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:30,480 have a one to twenty two offensive rating. Basically when you have Garland, 641 00:39:30,519 --> 00:39:37,480 Mitchell, and Mobley playing in lineups beside Jared Allen and so like that's like, 642 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,960 that's just a massive difference from what we saw last year when they didn't 643 00:39:42,039 --> 00:39:45,760 really play a ton together because of injuries, and we saw that that offensive 644 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:51,000 rating ended up dipping and the fact that they fared actually you know, so 645 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,519 they were one twenty two when Jared Allen was off the court. I apologize 646 00:39:53,599 --> 00:39:58,360 last year, and that's something that becomes difficult. But when you start gaming 647 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,639 it with well, if Jared is the sole big I think that we've my 648 00:40:01,719 --> 00:40:06,519 point being, I feel like we've leaned too far into thinking that this can't 649 00:40:06,559 --> 00:40:08,880 work because of what happened last year, where there was a ton of stop 650 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:13,960 and start availability from all of their core. For I mean, Jared Allen 651 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,239 held out as long as he could, but then he ends up being banged 652 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:20,000 up by the end of the playoffs, and so he's the one that gets 653 00:40:20,039 --> 00:40:22,840 criticized for being soft and not fighting through injuries, right, and so their 654 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,719 offensive rating with him, by the way, but all four of these guys 655 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:29,960 in their first season together one twenty one. So I was off by a 656 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,360 point with that that I understand. It fell part in the playoffs, but 657 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:36,360 like Mobley's not the same player he was. He's taken above the break threes. 658 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,760 Now small volume took them hit them towards the end of the regular season. 659 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:42,960 Can he up that volume, become more reliable there, continue to adjust 660 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,079 against physicality. Do I think this is a perfectly complimentary big four? I 661 00:40:47,119 --> 00:40:51,719 would say no, because in the end, it does feel like every single 662 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:55,840 one of them has to make material concessions or adjustments to how they would play. 663 00:40:57,119 --> 00:41:00,199 Maybe not so much Donovan Mitchell because he's just central everything. But I'm 664 00:41:00,199 --> 00:41:06,199 gonna choose to believe in them, and I don't. They haven't done anything 665 00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:07,119 this off season, by the way that would make they haven't. They haven't 666 00:41:07,159 --> 00:41:10,400 added a new player, Like there's just aside from the draft obviously, like 667 00:41:10,519 --> 00:41:15,559 Isaac Korro is still floating around out there as we record this. I still 668 00:41:15,639 --> 00:41:19,480 just believe that the floor spacing because of where Mobley was at in year one 669 00:41:19,519 --> 00:41:22,039 and you didn't have Max Struce, it was just worse in your one, 670 00:41:22,199 --> 00:41:25,719 and yet you had one hundred and twenty one offensive rating with those for on 671 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:30,480 the court, and there's other noise. It's what do you look like defensively? 672 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:34,360 When Evan Mobley is the lone big there's always they're rebounding with this team 673 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:39,119 is just so weird, like during their dual Big Minutes. Still I can't 674 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:43,440 the town we talked about this might have been on the previous podcast. It 675 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:45,840 was with the Rozen and the Kings. If if we're gonna trust him, 676 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,039 the Bonus Monk and Fox to figure it out, why are we not trusting 677 00:41:49,079 --> 00:41:52,079 these four to find it out? Right? Because the compl as weird as 678 00:41:52,119 --> 00:41:57,039 it is, the complimentary skills are still are way more like there for this 679 00:41:57,119 --> 00:42:01,119 Cavs group than they are for the Kings. I think the way the way 680 00:42:01,159 --> 00:42:07,119 it kind of breaks down is like, what if Darius Garland just doesn't have 681 00:42:07,159 --> 00:42:08,599 a terrible year last year? Like what if he doesn't get hit in the 682 00:42:08,639 --> 00:42:13,599 face thirty six times by like November? Yeah, what's his per thirty six 683 00:42:13,639 --> 00:42:15,400 minute rate of getting Oh it's off the charts, one hundred percent, hundred 684 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,119 percentile. Like nope, did he get hit in the face more per thirty 685 00:42:19,159 --> 00:42:21,920 six minutes? Or does Evan Mobley take more threes per thirty six minutes? 686 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,239 Oh that's a great the book that mark that went down for Like we revisited 687 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,599 after the year, see how close it is. But right, like if 688 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:34,840 like if Garland is just you know his two years ago self and Mobiley makes 689 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:37,639 the strides he made last year, Like, I don't know what the conversation 690 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,400 is right now because maybe the Calves had you know, maybe the Calves were 691 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:45,840 awesome. It it really, I do you know we've all been labored the 692 00:42:45,039 --> 00:42:47,920 like, well it's two small guards and it's two non spacing bigs. Well 693 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,519 maybe Mobiley is spacing now, and like what if Garland just he's not going 694 00:42:52,599 --> 00:42:54,960 to help you defensively he's too small, but like what if he has his 695 00:42:55,199 --> 00:43:00,000 you know, all star level season, Like I just I so I agree. 696 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:04,119 I don't know if we like should believe this is definitely gonna work, 697 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,559 but for sure, like they need a chance, they need another full year. 698 00:43:07,639 --> 00:43:08,920 You don't, you don't break this up. You still gotta find that 699 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:12,920 fifth guy, like for the you know, third year in a row. 700 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,199 I guess I found him, did you. It's Dorian Phinney Smith. This 701 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:19,719 is the Dorian Phinney Smith team. Like you got some you have the wriggle 702 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:23,840 room to where you can still aggregate salaries and it's like just get there and 703 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:25,880 don't let the hang up be like, oh, do we really want to 704 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:30,960 give up Jaalen Tyson for yes, you do like Jaleen Tyson plus salary, 705 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:34,679 maybe some seconds are included. That just feels like the an everyone has Philly 706 00:43:34,679 --> 00:43:37,519 circle for the middle of the year. This is the Dorian Phinney Smith team 707 00:43:37,599 --> 00:43:39,679 for me. He works whether you're playing two bigs or whether you're playing one 708 00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:44,880 big. I think that's the answer. Just Moses Moody fits in perfectly. 709 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:47,639 Trade for him again, we want to by the way us saying to keep 710 00:43:47,639 --> 00:43:51,800 them together. If people want to talk about how we contradict ourselves, go 711 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,599 back to that podcast after they were eliminated from the playoffs and the athletic drops 712 00:43:54,639 --> 00:43:59,320 that pre written post mortem and Grant and I were we were. I still 713 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:01,119 will ether the case for the way they traded. Jared Allen in that piece 714 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:06,800 discussing but yeah, I'm also on record a million times this same well, 715 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:08,719 you probably gave me an over under of like one point five of the big 716 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:12,480 of the core four being gone. I was like, over hard over. 717 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:15,960 There's no way to Donovan Mitchel's back. He talked about this though, but 718 00:44:15,119 --> 00:44:20,280 there's kind of been much ado over Evan Mobley getting the the Max with the 719 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:22,880 potential for it to go to the Supermax. I'm just Brian. We say 720 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,440 this on that Brian Winhorse calls this the fun Max. It's what you have 721 00:44:25,519 --> 00:44:30,280 to bet on unfinished products. And I think that we I will say, 722 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:31,559 we're what the kas are asking Mobile to do, and this is what we 723 00:44:31,639 --> 00:44:35,760 might have gotten right. Remember the initial podcast where we called the Jared Allen 724 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,440 contract a disaster for Cleveland. I think the part of that we got right 725 00:44:38,559 --> 00:44:43,199 was we were worried about whether that would infringe upon Evan Mobley's growth as an 726 00:44:43,199 --> 00:44:45,440 offensive player. That's still something to factor in it, but the fact that 727 00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:51,960 he's this good already in i'll say less than ideal offensive circumstances most of the 728 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:53,960 time, I just don't. I can't bring myself to have a problem with 729 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:58,079 that. You could, now you made the case of why give it to 730 00:44:58,119 --> 00:45:00,320 him now? Why not make them wait? I think that's fair if you 731 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:01,440 thought you were gonna save money. But this isn't a team that was gonna 732 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:06,239 have cap space next right. They it's more defensible for them than Houston, 733 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,360 who we talked about on the last pot because they don't gain is cap holds 734 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:10,679 enormous. They don't. They don't. It's not like all this opens up 735 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:15,760 flexibility to do whatever they just that's not the case. So you have, 736 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:19,880 well I have to give to you the Detroit Pistons. Uh, what do 737 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,840 I want to go with? All right? Okay, I have to ask 738 00:45:22,880 --> 00:45:27,719 this grant, which of their five main prospects is most likely to get lost 739 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:30,000 in the shuffle next season. You're in this weird spot where they just have 740 00:45:30,119 --> 00:45:34,800 five guys that they are according to their draft position. They are heavily invested 741 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:37,880 in Kate Cunningham, who they already gave the MAX extension to also didn't have 742 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:42,519 a problem with that, Jade and Ivy, Jalen Duran, Ron Holland, 743 00:45:42,599 --> 00:45:45,800 and Asar Thompson. But you're also in a unique position where four of those 744 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:51,239 guys were drafted before the current front office was put in place, and so 745 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:53,360 we could get into whether you think they have enough spacing around Kate. Now, 746 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:57,079 in general, I would argue the answers, yes, The problem is 747 00:45:57,559 --> 00:46:00,719 none of that spacing comes from the other four most important prospects on the team. 748 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:07,599 Right. So to me, it's it's pretty clearly Ivy, And part 749 00:46:07,599 --> 00:46:10,159 of that's because it's sort of already happened before, where you know, where 750 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:15,519 even before Ron Holland shows up, Ivy was like, I don't know what 751 00:46:15,559 --> 00:46:17,480 does he what does he really do for this team? Like he's got to 752 00:46:17,519 --> 00:46:21,840 be on the ball, but like Kate Cunningham's on the ball, Like this 753 00:46:21,719 --> 00:46:24,480 is Kate Cunningham's team, Like so that's you know, plenty of teams have 754 00:46:24,519 --> 00:46:30,360 a secondary offensive initiator that is an if he shooter and you don't love his 755 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,480 decision making and his def like Ivy could work, but it's like we've already 756 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:37,960 seen Ivy with less surrounding young talent than they will have this year. Kind 757 00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:42,360 of like actually, maybe Killian Hayes has gone, so Ivy's just gonna play 758 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,400 plenty, But like it has to be him because I think Thompson you just 759 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:49,719 play him for the defense and hope he figures anything else out at all. 760 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,360 Holland, I think you you just would have to view his ceiling as higher 761 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:58,840 than Ivy based on Ivy's first couple of years. So I think it's fairly 762 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:01,079 clearly Ivy for me. Do you do you have another candidate that you think 763 00:47:01,159 --> 00:47:05,920 might get squeezed. I'm wondering if it is going to be a SR. 764 00:47:05,960 --> 00:47:09,400 Thompson or Ron Holland, just because there's so much overlap there with the concerns 765 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:14,440 that they bring. But I think it's I mean, when you're looking at 766 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:16,360 Jay and Ivy, I mean, this is kind of speaking of contradicting ourselves. 767 00:47:16,639 --> 00:47:20,599 This feels like, should he just come off the bench? Does that 768 00:47:20,639 --> 00:47:22,320 make the most sense for this team because you're able to kind of split up 769 00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:24,840 your spacing, then that way between the starting five and some of the bench 770 00:47:24,920 --> 00:47:29,280 units gives him more opportunities on the ball. But we just said you have 771 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:30,719 to start Scoot Henderson in Portland, and now we're gonna sit here and be 772 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:35,119 like, I do think it's different. Is Ky Cunningham is already that primary 773 00:47:35,199 --> 00:47:39,199 guy in Detroit, and Ivy's had a longer stretch to sort of show what 774 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:42,960 he does or doesn't have. I don't know how fair that is just given 775 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:47,239 the situation, but Scoot's got one brutal year, Ivy's got a couple that 776 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:51,719 probably weren't quite as bad, definitely weren't quite as bad as Scoot was, 777 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:54,480 but not great. I just I feel like, and this is true for 778 00:47:54,519 --> 00:47:59,559 any of these guys, but maybe more so for Ivy because we're getting we're 779 00:47:59,639 --> 00:48:04,559 far in in now where if he gets relegated to bench duties, it's kind 780 00:48:04,559 --> 00:48:08,239 of like when we see a guy fall from a higher salary range to like 781 00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:12,880 a minimum salary, it's so hard to recover. It's like if you if 782 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,159 you get sent to the bench now at this stage of your career for IVY, 783 00:48:15,159 --> 00:48:19,400 it's like, is that just what you are? Like Chris Dunn went 784 00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:22,239 down that road like super highly touted the same kind of similar thing. It's 785 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:25,199 hard to get back and so it would feel like a big concession from the 786 00:48:25,199 --> 00:48:28,880 Pistons. And having said that, I still think he's just clearly the guy 787 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,119 that makes more sense to bring off the bench. So and it doesn't help 788 00:48:31,199 --> 00:48:37,599 that, it doesn't help that it'd be a different like they're not demoting or 789 00:48:37,639 --> 00:48:39,960 bring him off the bench to favor Killian Hayes. They're like, he comes 790 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,519 off the bench when he's sixteen games off the bench, whatever it was last 791 00:48:43,559 --> 00:48:45,760 year. It's we're doing this to better balance the team. It actually increase 792 00:48:46,039 --> 00:48:50,639 your opportunity, and there's more coherence behind it because again, like you're not 793 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:53,119 he's not making a sacrifice based off these the other if you really wanted to 794 00:48:53,119 --> 00:48:55,639 game it out well, I want to phrase this way, who is And 795 00:48:55,679 --> 00:49:00,000 it's obviously Kate is the answer. So aside from Kate, of the remains 796 00:49:00,199 --> 00:49:02,760 for who is, like immediately the most important that you're looking at, like 797 00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:07,280 they're gonna be the ones that are central to the closing units. They're gonna 798 00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:09,519 give them real opportunity next season. I'll give you my answer. I think 799 00:49:09,559 --> 00:49:14,199 it's just having to sample size with the star Thompson. I think it's him, 800 00:49:14,199 --> 00:49:16,840 but I also just like the front office drafted Ron Holland. Yeah, 801 00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:22,280 so is it just him? I think on the theory that I was gonna 802 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:24,679 say Holland. I love Thompson so much, though, I just think just 803 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:30,639 that that defensive potential is so rare. But Holland, I've well to be 804 00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:32,800 fair. Ever since Wass said Holland was his top guy, I'm just like, 805 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,880 well, he knows more than I do, so I'm on board. 806 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:37,519 Like, I just believe he could be the best player on this team, 807 00:49:38,079 --> 00:49:42,440 you know, eventually. I don't know how realistic that is. The front 808 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:45,119 office picked Ron Holland, the front office did not pick anybody else here, 809 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:49,400 So I think he's your guy, right, Like that's just how it works. 810 00:49:49,639 --> 00:49:52,679 Who's next up? I got the pacers for you. This is a 811 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:57,119 question I personally have, So I'm gonna throw it to you and you can 812 00:49:57,159 --> 00:50:00,800 solve it for me. What is the plan for Jaris Walker? What's going? 813 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:05,719 What are we doing? Uh? I don't can I I'm gonna answer 814 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:08,320 your question with another question. Do we think that they have a plan for 815 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:15,360 Jackson? Well, the plan seems to be like, let's really make it 816 00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:19,519 hard for him to prove that he's worthy of building a plan around, and 817 00:50:19,559 --> 00:50:22,239 part of that's him, Like he just wasn't any good, but he got 818 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:27,199 just garbage time minutes last year, you bring Topping back, You've got Siakham 819 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,800 Turner obviously is there. Nie Smith kind of works as a four sometimes too. 820 00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:37,719 So it's just like at this point Walker has to play extremely well to 821 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:43,039 justifive minutes, especially since this team is good. I don't know how he's 822 00:50:43,039 --> 00:50:46,320 set up to do that, and if he does, then you've paid Topping, 823 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:51,079 you know, to be your third or fourth big guy. Like I 824 00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:54,760 just yeah, I didn't evention Isaiah Jackson. Like the front court's fairly you 825 00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:59,360 know, congested, especially if you have some guys play up like Nie Smith. 826 00:51:00,239 --> 00:51:01,559 So I just I don't know what the plan is. The plan maybe 827 00:51:01,599 --> 00:51:05,320 is like prove it, which is kind of a rough way to go. 828 00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:07,760 And I don't know that. I didn't dig too much into Summer League just 829 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:12,880 yet, but like seems like he played well and then moments from Johnny Furfy 830 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:15,440 just another name that could be sprinkled into this mix. It feels like the 831 00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:21,960 plan is that they're gonna develop him as more of like a wing defensive type 832 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:24,639 player, but I just don't know if that's gonna translate offensively. And after 833 00:51:24,679 --> 00:51:28,679 resigning Obi Top into a deal that I don't think a ton of teams are 834 00:51:28,679 --> 00:51:31,920 gonna be hot to trade for, you've almost locked yourself into that scenario, 835 00:51:32,079 --> 00:51:37,559 and I would argue by doing so, unless you're prepared to just decide that 836 00:51:37,760 --> 00:51:42,400 Andrew Nemhart extension eligible right now, I think it could be four seventy eight 837 00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:45,800 whatever it ends up being, with the average general salary that they can extend 838 00:51:45,840 --> 00:51:51,199 him off of if you decide like he's not like because if you decide that 839 00:51:51,199 --> 00:51:53,199 that's what you're gonna do with Jars Walker, well then there's a trickle down 840 00:51:53,199 --> 00:51:57,440 effective Well, what does that mean for Benedict Mathrin Because of right now, 841 00:51:57,440 --> 00:51:59,719 it's kind of harder to like, you could Hume as well. He's like 842 00:51:59,760 --> 00:52:01,159 just a here too. It's like, well that's gonna if you like nem 843 00:52:01,159 --> 00:52:05,079 Hard and Haliburton and you want to see those minutes together, that gets a 844 00:52:05,119 --> 00:52:07,599 little bit iffy, Like you have Ben Shepherd sitting here as well. There's 845 00:52:08,039 --> 00:52:12,920 it feels like, and this is stupid to say in theory, because they 846 00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:15,400 don't play the same position, they should actually be separated by even more positions 847 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:20,280 than they are. Right now, Bennick mather and Jaris Walker are not both 848 00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:22,400 going to be integral to this team. Like it's you're almost choosing between one 849 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:25,440 or the other because of the ripple effects it has on the way that you 850 00:52:25,480 --> 00:52:30,719 flesh out the rest of your rotation and that so maybe this is really a 851 00:52:30,800 --> 00:52:34,199 question about Bennanick Mathern but it does seem and I don't necessarily know why when 852 00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:37,199 you look at the makeup of this team that they still feel more invested in 853 00:52:37,280 --> 00:52:42,920 Bennic Mathren than they do Jarris Walker. And is that and that's Benicmatherick wind 854 00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:45,559 up being a very good NBA player show flashes last year, even on the 855 00:52:45,559 --> 00:52:49,039 defensive end. But that just when you look at the setup of this roster, 856 00:52:50,239 --> 00:52:52,719 I don't understand that when you look at what they're and so. But 857 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:55,519 you could also say, well, they have Pascal Siakam, and that's someone 858 00:52:55,519 --> 00:53:00,239 who plays, which should be jaris Walker's best position. They don't have that 859 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:04,159 in theory. With running to that issue with Mathurn, So I go back 860 00:53:04,159 --> 00:53:07,639 and forth here. I don't My answer here and it's incomplete is I don't 861 00:53:07,679 --> 00:53:10,599 think that they have a plan for just I honestly don't believe that they have 862 00:53:10,639 --> 00:53:15,440 a plan in place for him. Yeah, I think it's dangerous to operate 863 00:53:15,480 --> 00:53:17,119 that way. I do think there is some merit to just sort of letting 864 00:53:17,159 --> 00:53:22,800 the who deserves to play sort itself out. It's just Walker is not so 865 00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:28,239 far has not gotten in. It's hard to imagine him getting like a fair 866 00:53:29,159 --> 00:53:31,639 fare is the wrong word, but like enough opportunities to prove like, oh 867 00:53:31,639 --> 00:53:36,199 no, I do need to get twenty minutes, like it's just and then 868 00:53:36,239 --> 00:53:38,320 it's at who's expense. I like the idea of letting it be a little 869 00:53:38,360 --> 00:53:43,239 bit of a meritocracy. But if that's how it goes, like he's just 870 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:45,480 behind right, Like he's not as good as Siakam, Like even at this 871 00:53:45,559 --> 00:53:50,000 stage, top End gives you more and the Nie Smith I think is probably 872 00:53:50,039 --> 00:53:52,559 just an objectively better player, even if he's out of position over Walker. 873 00:53:52,639 --> 00:53:55,920 So like I just I don't I don't know what the plan is either. 874 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:01,280 It would be nice if Walker was showing enough sustained flashes to where it like 875 00:54:02,159 --> 00:54:05,599 what we gotta we just got to find a way to plan. But that 876 00:54:05,599 --> 00:54:08,199 that really hasn't happened yet. What is the what is the cleanest pathway to 877 00:54:08,239 --> 00:54:14,559 getting him regular playing time? Is it deciding to go more Sakham at the 878 00:54:14,679 --> 00:54:15,880 five or is it like, can you get away with a top and and 879 00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:21,480 Walker front court and at that point, oh Siakam turner, or can you 880 00:54:21,519 --> 00:54:25,000 play Siakham with an Obi Toppin and Jaris Walker front court in higher volume? 881 00:54:25,039 --> 00:54:29,239 It's I don't understand, because the cleanest path to me in a vacuum would 882 00:54:29,280 --> 00:54:31,400 be you give Seakham at five minutes and then you're playing Garis Walker. But 883 00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:34,800 then it's kind of well, what was the point of keeping Obi toppin? 884 00:54:35,239 --> 00:54:38,079 So that was exactly my question. Like the top End contract is so interesting 885 00:54:38,119 --> 00:54:43,519 because like he did help, uh, he fits their style, as if 886 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:47,840 everybody drink asset preservation like you, You couldn't you didn't have the resources to 887 00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:51,920 go sign someone for the money you gave top in and free agency, so 888 00:54:52,000 --> 00:54:53,679 you just bring it. Well, maybe you could have, but like, 889 00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:57,960 would you have preferred this isn't it's not a perfect down. Would you have 890 00:54:58,039 --> 00:55:00,480 preferred to use because they could still could, but we know they're not going 891 00:55:00,519 --> 00:55:04,840 to beat this tax team. Would you prefer to use the non taxpayer mid 892 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:07,079 level on an outside player? Maybe it's a Derek Jones, maybe it's Anaji 893 00:55:07,119 --> 00:55:10,440 Marshall. Just you know what the names are out there? Or gone this 894 00:55:10,599 --> 00:55:17,000 route and preserved the asset? That's the number? The contract number? Was 895 00:55:17,039 --> 00:55:21,880 it four for eighty? I also want to know who is won't know why 896 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:23,760 he couldn't just get mid level money? But what is that? I know 897 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:27,639 this is base, it's a round mid level money, but who was the 898 00:55:27,719 --> 00:55:30,440 team that was prepared to give him an average annual value of fifteen million? 899 00:55:30,519 --> 00:55:34,559 Well, I yeah, I wrote something last week I think just about how 900 00:55:34,599 --> 00:55:37,000 like it's just a weird you can defend the top end retention and you also 901 00:55:37,119 --> 00:55:42,280 sort of can't. I just I sort of understand it. To answer the 902 00:55:42,320 --> 00:55:45,360 original question, like the way you give Walker opportunities is to not have brought 903 00:55:45,360 --> 00:55:50,239 Obi topping back. It's just so then there's just a rotation spot in theory 904 00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:53,960 that's there. But if you're talking about who's actually here, the only way 905 00:55:54,079 --> 00:55:59,280 is to have guys that are four is like Siakam or even Top in its 906 00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:01,199 center would just that would not work. But like you just got to move 907 00:56:01,199 --> 00:56:05,000 guys up and then you're taking Turner off the floor. I don't love that, 908 00:56:05,199 --> 00:56:08,360 Like you're you're minimizing Isaiah Jackson's minutes. I kind of like Isaiah Jackson 909 00:56:08,440 --> 00:56:13,039 as the second unit center. So it is a little bit of a positional 910 00:56:13,039 --> 00:56:16,199 glut. I isn't maybe the simplest solution, like they're just gonna trade Walker 911 00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:21,639 and or Matherin for guys that help them now because they're good now, when 912 00:56:21,760 --> 00:56:23,880 yeah, I was just I don't know who that It's it's interesting because they're 913 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:28,599 still so and I think in Walker specifically probably still as the mystique of you're 914 00:56:28,599 --> 00:56:30,679 not going to trade Jaris Walker for a Dory Andfinny Smith. They're not going 915 00:56:30,719 --> 00:56:34,960 to be involved in and it's so you have to aim higher end also fit 916 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:37,280 that into your salary structure, and you're not gonna give up any I wouldn't 917 00:56:37,320 --> 00:56:39,880 think they're going to be prepared to give up more draft picks at this point, 918 00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:44,599 just after going. But they didn't give up a ton of good draft 919 00:56:44,599 --> 00:56:45,719 picks for Siaka. But they gave up draft picks, and so it's just 920 00:56:45,760 --> 00:56:49,960 not the Pacers at Mota continue doubling down. This is all to say, 921 00:56:50,199 --> 00:56:52,119 I think the Pacers wind up being better this season than they were last season. 922 00:56:52,639 --> 00:56:55,840 I just the Walker and mather in of it all is fascinating to me. 923 00:56:57,000 --> 00:57:00,719 Yeah, little little logjammy at a couple of positions, do I have? 924 00:57:00,880 --> 00:57:01,800 Is it my turn for you? Do I ask you a questions? 925 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:06,079 All right? So we're on the Miami Heat? Oh wait no, because 926 00:57:06,119 --> 00:57:07,960 I it's my turn to give you the Miami Heat. I apologize. Okay, 927 00:57:09,239 --> 00:57:13,119 Well, it seems like you had a question in mind, but I'm 928 00:57:13,159 --> 00:57:16,800 assuming it was the Jimmy Butler one or did I guess wrong? I hadn't 929 00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:21,840 formed a thought, So you're still free to ask uh whatever you want? 930 00:57:22,199 --> 00:57:24,800 Well, I guess, because isn't the the question is what's their pathway to 931 00:57:24,920 --> 00:57:30,760 being a lot better than they were last season, and that's after losing Kayler 932 00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:34,360 Marten. Is it just well, Tyler Hero and Jimmy Butler are healthier, 933 00:57:34,400 --> 00:57:37,079 and Terry Rozier goes through a training camp and is healthier. So that almost 934 00:57:37,079 --> 00:57:39,599 feels like a lack of LOK like, isn't that is the pathway to them 935 00:57:39,639 --> 00:57:43,760 being better than last season? Right? And so you get growth from Hamai 936 00:57:43,800 --> 00:57:46,280 Hawkes, hopefully Jovich will be healthy dealing with that injury that's keeping them out 937 00:57:46,320 --> 00:57:50,719 of the Olympics. And so I'm asking you, does the absence of a 938 00:57:50,760 --> 00:57:57,960 Jimmy Butler extension matter in the grand scheme in terms of like how they get 939 00:57:58,000 --> 00:58:02,440 better? Okay, yeah, all right? Does matter? I don't. 940 00:58:04,239 --> 00:58:06,679 I mean, what's the case that it does? I guess I don't think 941 00:58:06,760 --> 00:58:08,679 so, because, like, is there a chance it matters to the extent 942 00:58:08,719 --> 00:58:15,360 of Jimmy Butler plays just like a wild motherfucker to like try and earn that 943 00:58:15,519 --> 00:58:19,599 contract. Right, Well, there's that, or there's Minnesota. Jimmy re 944 00:58:19,679 --> 00:58:22,079 emerges and he's pissed off all the time, and you know, but it 945 00:58:22,079 --> 00:58:24,800 doesn't it doesn't seem like it's going that way. I like, I like 946 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:29,800 to take that like we're gonna get a motivated Jimmy Butler that does not just 947 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:32,679 you know, sit in third year for the full regular season. That would 948 00:58:32,679 --> 00:58:37,159 be nice. Can't can he physically do that at this stage of his career. 949 00:58:37,159 --> 00:58:39,679 I don't know. I'm interested to see him try. I guess it 950 00:58:39,719 --> 00:58:45,320 doesn't matter because like why why what would be better if they had given Butler 951 00:58:45,559 --> 00:58:51,000 that extension? Just like you're just satisfied, so it wouldn't so short that 952 00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:53,280 it's just like, Okay, you're tacking on an extra guaranteed year specifically to 953 00:58:53,360 --> 00:58:58,679 it. There's just quarity in that, and now it's okay contract you're Jimmy 954 00:58:58,679 --> 00:59:01,760 Butler might be a boon for your team, But is this also someone who 955 00:59:01,800 --> 00:59:06,239 if you don't if he doesn't agitate for out, but you're also not necessarily 956 00:59:06,239 --> 00:59:08,360 willing to pay him his max to you opt out, do you lose him 957 00:59:08,400 --> 00:59:10,960 for nothing? Because there will be teams with the cap space that look people 958 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:15,119 talk themselves into Paul George. I know that Jimmy Butler at that point when 959 00:59:15,119 --> 00:59:16,960 he's going into free agency, he'll be entering his age thirty six season, 960 00:59:17,039 --> 00:59:22,800 so it's it's a little different. But I think that there would be clarification 961 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:24,760 of are what we have, Like we don't have to deal with this Jimmy 962 00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:29,719 Butler issue. And I understand why they didn't do it. I'm not saying 963 00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:32,719 they should have, but it is just like it feels like an unnecessary wrinkle 964 00:59:32,760 --> 00:59:37,039 for a team that already has so many question marks. I'd argue more so 965 00:59:37,079 --> 00:59:40,239 still at the offensive end. And then just of everyone continues to mention them 966 00:59:40,280 --> 00:59:44,000 as well, like when there's a star available or a really good player, 967 00:59:44,039 --> 00:59:49,079 they'll be involved. But aside from just like having called and being rejected, 968 00:59:49,360 --> 00:59:52,239 what is there an an involvement level going to be We mentioned Larry Market and 969 00:59:52,239 --> 00:59:53,639 when we were talking about Uta on the other podcast. When you look at 970 00:59:53,639 --> 00:59:58,320 the number of picks they CoA trade, unless you start including jim Hawks and 971 00:59:58,360 --> 01:00:00,800 trade packages, you're not going to be in a position I would argue that 972 01:00:00,840 --> 01:00:05,159 your offers even gonna be on par with what other teams are offering, let 973 01:00:05,199 --> 01:00:08,519 alone beat them right. I mean, Hero staying healthy and playing really well 974 01:00:08,599 --> 01:00:10,599 might change it. Because there was a time where it's like, oh, 975 01:00:10,599 --> 01:00:15,239 Hero is a trade asset, and that time has passed. It's so like, 976 01:00:15,400 --> 01:00:16,920 yeah, they don't really have a lot of guys that you look at 977 01:00:16,960 --> 01:00:22,280 as these are some clear teams. Every team covets this guy like they don't 978 01:00:22,400 --> 01:00:25,039 they don't really have. I guess Hoke has probably comes closest to that, 979 01:00:25,159 --> 01:00:29,760 but I would think I think he would be there. They might be, 980 01:00:29,800 --> 01:00:31,800 well, he's a little older for someone going to his sophomore year or whatever. 981 01:00:31,960 --> 01:00:35,440 Yea, what is I mean this might have been the better question when 982 01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:38,880 you look at this roster. Now, what is your to your estimation, 983 01:00:38,960 --> 01:00:42,920 their biggest need, because I think there's like five or six that you right, 984 01:00:42,960 --> 01:00:45,920 Yeah, it's like you're gonna start to start trying to vamp to like 985 01:00:45,960 --> 01:00:50,400 figure out I I mean historically, I don't know why this would be any 986 01:00:50,440 --> 01:00:52,880 different, but it's just like can they score enough? It's just and know, 987 01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:59,880 maybe that's alleviated by Hero the defense right that they've always had that where 988 01:01:00,000 --> 01:01:02,519 it's like you could get offensive lineups out there if you play Kevin Love and 989 01:01:02,559 --> 01:01:07,559 Tyler Hero and Duncan Robinson and whatever. But you're just gonna get they don't 990 01:01:07,599 --> 01:01:10,159 have enough two way guys. But that's true for everybody. I just would 991 01:01:10,159 --> 01:01:15,159 fixate on when the heat have been out of balance, like for their overall, 992 01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:20,599 like full season offensive and defensive ratings, it typically tends to be like 993 01:01:20,639 --> 01:01:22,719 they just they're not scoring enough, and then they get to the playoffs and 994 01:01:22,800 --> 01:01:28,360 Jimmy Butler handles that when he's right, and it's all okay. But if 995 01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:32,239 you're just talking about the regular season, like where where is the consistent rotation 996 01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:37,159 or a lineup that's getting you to eighth in offense or whatever to make your 997 01:01:37,280 --> 01:01:40,760 top ten defense, you know, actually count for something I don't I don't 998 01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:45,280 see I don't see it here. Maybe Hero takes a leap, I don't 999 01:01:45,320 --> 01:01:49,199 know's it's not. There's no case to have a like who is the third 1000 01:01:49,280 --> 01:01:52,159 most important player on this team next season? It's him? And there's not 1001 01:01:52,199 --> 01:01:53,599 really competition, right, Like you would have to make the case why is 1002 01:01:53,599 --> 01:01:59,079 it Hakes or Yovic or Rosier? Why is why is it them over Hero? 1003 01:01:59,239 --> 01:02:02,199 And it's it's all almost like that weird Julius Randall disconnect where he's more 1004 01:02:02,280 --> 01:02:07,440 valuable to the Knicks than probably any other team in the NBA, just like 1005 01:02:07,800 --> 01:02:09,800 and I feel like heroes kind of the people made fun of the Heat for 1006 01:02:09,840 --> 01:02:13,480 the way that they valued Hero, but you look at the structure of their 1007 01:02:13,480 --> 01:02:15,920 team, and it's I get it. M Yeah, No, I think 1008 01:02:15,920 --> 01:02:22,679 that's right. He's that's a mark that down like every team's guy that is 1009 01:02:22,719 --> 01:02:25,119 way more valuable to them than he is to anybody else. You told me, 1010 01:02:25,400 --> 01:02:28,519 I don't know what you told me to mark that down, and I 1011 01:02:28,639 --> 01:02:31,320 just hit the time stamp button. Have no idea what that's an accomplished like 1012 01:02:31,360 --> 01:02:35,400 a knee jerk reaction by you. It's like market. I got a market, 1013 01:02:35,800 --> 01:02:37,199 he said, market, and I hit the button that will make a 1014 01:02:37,239 --> 01:02:43,920 time stamp for me. I got the bucks for you one to choose from 1015 01:02:43,920 --> 01:02:46,840 here, and we got to talk about it. Uh, how concerning is 1016 01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:52,159 Chris Middleton's uh not one but two got the two for one special on his 1017 01:02:52,440 --> 01:02:57,159 on ankle surgeries? And relatedly, do they have enough shock creation if he's 1018 01:02:57,199 --> 01:03:00,599 gonna miss time, which it's like, even if you fully covers at this 1019 01:03:00,639 --> 01:03:02,320 point, based on his recent track record, you got to assume he's gonna 1020 01:03:02,360 --> 01:03:06,400 at least have minutes limits as opposed to even if he doesn't miss games. 1021 01:03:06,719 --> 01:03:09,559 As a fan of using promotional codes, I fave him going to buy one 1022 01:03:09,599 --> 01:03:13,920 get one route on his ankle surgery, and I think that that shows a 1023 01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:17,639 level of decision making, an IQ that basically guarantees the bucks of title veteran 1024 01:03:20,440 --> 01:03:22,960 veteran savvy. So yeah, it's concerning. And to think like do they 1025 01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:25,800 have enough shot creation, I think you have to look at it from the 1026 01:03:25,840 --> 01:03:30,280 outside d level, where it's okay, Yiannis has that still has that gear 1027 01:03:30,360 --> 01:03:34,960 to hit where just purely downhill and erases everybody from existence. But in terms 1028 01:03:34,960 --> 01:03:39,679 of a more methodical shot creator, there is Damian Millard, There's Chris Middleton, 1029 01:03:42,760 --> 01:03:45,639 and that's it. And so if you don't have Middleton, and I 1030 01:03:45,639 --> 01:03:49,360 think what's really concerning is there's been this trend of he gets hurt, the 1031 01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:52,760 ramp up is slow, and he really like maxes out in time for them 1032 01:03:52,760 --> 01:03:53,840 to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs. It's just how it's 1033 01:03:53,880 --> 01:04:00,079 unfolds. And they've always they've always had injuries as the caveats there. I 1034 01:04:00,079 --> 01:04:03,039 I think it's good that hopefully this is happening early enough in the offseason that 1035 01:04:03,079 --> 01:04:06,920 okay, by Christmas, if he's able to piece together some consistent playing time. 1036 01:04:06,960 --> 01:04:13,239 And also is your level of dependence on him in general defensively lower this 1037 01:04:13,280 --> 01:04:16,360 season because you've added the lon right, even just having Gary Trent Junior, 1038 01:04:16,400 --> 01:04:20,320 having Torrian Prince there, who is not as good as Dalton connect as we 1039 01:04:20,360 --> 01:04:24,079 all know, but you still have Torrian Prince there. Anyone who listened to 1040 01:04:24,079 --> 01:04:27,400 the Western Conference pod, we'll get that reference shout out to you. So 1041 01:04:27,559 --> 01:04:30,599 but it's concerning because like you don't have the Bucks had a really great offseason, 1042 01:04:30,639 --> 01:04:32,840 they have no tools. They end up with three guys who will be 1043 01:04:32,880 --> 01:04:38,280 a part of their rotation. Do you think any of the youngsters like well, 1044 01:04:38,320 --> 01:04:41,639 Andre Jackson kind of cracked the I don't know, like that'd be someone 1045 01:04:41,679 --> 01:04:44,400 that I'd be interested in seeing more of this year. But we know how 1046 01:04:44,440 --> 01:04:47,840 Doc Rivers is generally with young guys, and that includes a marj On Bochamp. 1047 01:04:48,159 --> 01:04:50,920 Is there a move that they can actually make to where it's Pat Connaton 1048 01:04:51,000 --> 01:04:55,760 plus second round stuff for something, or do you look at moving Bobby Portis 1049 01:04:55,760 --> 01:04:59,559 when you know Brook Lopez is old and speeding towards free agency. This is 1050 01:04:59,559 --> 01:05:02,760 all to say, if I had to do a scale of one to ten 1051 01:05:02,880 --> 01:05:06,440 on my level of concern for the Chris Middleton injury, I'm going to seven, 1052 01:05:06,679 --> 01:05:11,719 and I think the big thing that's making me feel relatively okay, even 1053 01:05:11,719 --> 01:05:15,119 though a seven seems pretty high. Damian Millard's getting older. Damian Millard's also 1054 01:05:15,159 --> 01:05:18,400 going to be better. The off court transition will be easier. I look 1055 01:05:18,440 --> 01:05:23,239 at what he shot on a catch and shoot three pointers last year. I 1056 01:05:23,239 --> 01:05:26,199 think it was sub thirty three percent. That's not gonna happen again. Like 1057 01:05:26,320 --> 01:05:30,199 death number is going way up. And then just the extra year going through 1058 01:05:30,199 --> 01:05:32,320 a training camp with Doc and Giannis together and knowing that, okay, this 1059 01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:38,119 coach should be here past November December probably helps. I just expect them to 1060 01:05:38,119 --> 01:05:41,440 get better. They're a little deeper. Are they athletic enough? Absolutely not. 1061 01:05:41,519 --> 01:05:44,760 Do they have enough shot creation if Chris Middleton or Damian Lillard gets hurt? 1062 01:05:45,079 --> 01:05:47,239 Absolutely not. But when you're at this level two short of being the 1063 01:05:47,239 --> 01:05:51,119 Boston Celtics or the Oklahoma City Thunder, you go through every team and there's 1064 01:05:51,159 --> 01:05:55,360 that one or two players where well they're hurt, were fucked, and you 1065 01:05:55,360 --> 01:05:58,440 could argue the Bucks have had more writing on the wall when it comes to 1066 01:05:58,519 --> 01:06:03,480 Chris Middleton's health teams. I still think the alternative was what right? No? 1067 01:06:03,599 --> 01:06:08,639 I was just looking through there. I kind of love their top eight. 1068 01:06:08,719 --> 01:06:11,400 I mean even top nine. If you think Prince can give you anything, 1069 01:06:12,119 --> 01:06:15,559 it's just so fragile. I think that's that's where the trepidation comes in, 1070 01:06:15,639 --> 01:06:19,840 is like can Lopez really keep doing this? Middleton's already having issues, 1071 01:06:19,960 --> 01:06:23,840 Dame is getting up there, Giannis, maybe he's getting to the phase of 1072 01:06:23,880 --> 01:06:28,039 his career where he's gonna miss a chunk every year. But just like having 1073 01:06:28,159 --> 01:06:32,039 right and content and portis as you know, six seven eight, maybe like 1074 01:06:32,079 --> 01:06:36,239 that's that's a real rotation like that, you know, not a revelation, 1075 01:06:36,320 --> 01:06:44,320 but like they're so it makes it hard to evaluate them like fairly with respect 1076 01:06:44,360 --> 01:06:46,159 to injuries, because you don't want to just say, well, every this 1077 01:06:46,199 --> 01:06:49,679 team's great if healthy. But it's like it's not the same for them, 1078 01:06:49,840 --> 01:06:55,719 just because they do feel, you know, extremely vulnerable at a lot of 1079 01:06:55,800 --> 01:07:00,840 key positions. And and then like then if you have to like tweak the 1080 01:07:00,920 --> 01:07:03,639 rotation to have your ninth tenth guys playing more, the drop off is like 1081 01:07:03,840 --> 01:07:06,760 real big and that becomes a big problem. And by the way, the 1082 01:07:06,760 --> 01:07:10,239 thing, I can't unless you think that they're all gonna be worse. They 1083 01:07:10,400 --> 01:07:13,800 dealt with an imperfect circumstances. Last year, the Bucks were a plus sixteen 1084 01:07:13,840 --> 01:07:16,760 point three per one hundred when Middleton, Dame and Giannis played together last season, 1085 01:07:17,039 --> 01:07:20,679 a differential that actually improved when Brook Lopez was off the court. And 1086 01:07:20,719 --> 01:07:25,400 so it's I there's a level of concern, but this team. We talked 1087 01:07:25,440 --> 01:07:29,360 about the Grizzlies kind of being the forgotten team in the West, this feels 1088 01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:33,480 like the forgotten powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, and they're just as many red 1089 01:07:33,519 --> 01:07:39,039 flags or concerns. But you know, I still feel pretty confident my Honestly, 1090 01:07:39,079 --> 01:07:41,599 I want to spend more time thinking like, do we see Giannis at 1091 01:07:41,599 --> 01:07:44,559 center more this year? Because yeah, you have Lopez and Porters for now, 1092 01:07:44,599 --> 01:07:46,239 but with the additions of some of these perimeter guys, a lot of 1093 01:07:46,239 --> 01:07:50,360 their non Lopez minutes seemed like they would be more intriguing if you skew smaller, 1094 01:07:50,639 --> 01:07:54,519 and I think you're just maybe getting to the point in his career where 1095 01:07:54,519 --> 01:07:59,239 it's it's like that just makes more sense to have him, especially Middleton limited 1096 01:07:59,280 --> 01:08:01,599 or injured, would make more like Jonnis is more of a mismatch as a 1097 01:08:01,639 --> 01:08:04,800 shot creator maker at the five than he is at the four, right for 1098 01:08:04,920 --> 01:08:08,760 sure, And I think defensively too, if he's got to move around a 1099 01:08:08,760 --> 01:08:10,920 little bit less. Like I know they do play him. They kind of 1100 01:08:10,920 --> 01:08:13,760 spare him and have him rove a little bit. But if he's just like, 1101 01:08:13,800 --> 01:08:15,600 your job is guard the pick and roll now, like, just get 1102 01:08:15,600 --> 01:08:18,439 into drop coverage and belong. Gary Tran Junior is not gonna do it. 1103 01:08:18,560 --> 01:08:21,760 No one's gotta Nope. Gary Tran Junior is getting a steel or nothing. 1104 01:08:21,840 --> 01:08:25,880 That's you speak of roaming Gary Trang Junior. When he's not the roamer, 1105 01:08:25,920 --> 01:08:29,199 he's gonna be the wrong. He's Roman. You can't turn roming off on 1106 01:08:29,279 --> 01:08:32,439 that guy. I have the we're up to the knicks here for you? 1107 01:08:32,479 --> 01:08:35,800 Oh you're asking me a nick question? What do we do wrong? Uh? 1108 01:08:36,039 --> 01:08:42,119 We've we alternated. So I'm gonna ask this question even though I think 1109 01:08:42,119 --> 01:08:45,720 these other two might be more important where it's Will Julius Randall get extended? 1110 01:08:45,760 --> 01:08:48,600 Will he be traded? Can they acquire another big after losing Isaiah Hartenstein. 1111 01:08:48,720 --> 01:08:53,680 I'm gonna ask you this question, though, will head coach Tom Thibodeau, 1112 01:08:53,680 --> 01:08:57,319 who will probably be extended by the end of this offseason, lean on Julius 1113 01:08:57,439 --> 01:09:00,880 Randall at the five now that they have and by that I mean, it's 1114 01:09:00,960 --> 01:09:04,439 during the non Mitchell Robinson minutes rather than going to a Jericho Sims. And 1115 01:09:04,520 --> 01:09:09,920 the way you rationalize it, if you're someone who knows what Tim's likes to 1116 01:09:09,960 --> 01:09:14,319 see from his fives, Julius Randall is your five on offense and Og becomes 1117 01:09:14,359 --> 01:09:16,439 your five on the defensive. I was I was just gonna say, like, 1118 01:09:16,520 --> 01:09:20,039 well, I think it's more likely that Og is actually gonna see center 1119 01:09:20,079 --> 01:09:24,520 minutes. No. I so, but that doesn't that ducks the question? 1120 01:09:25,039 --> 01:09:29,279 Is he really got it so antithetical to what he wants to do, right, 1121 01:09:29,359 --> 01:09:34,079 Like he just Thibodeau wants a big. He wants like a brim protecting, 1122 01:09:34,399 --> 01:09:38,840 rebounding, just a big, like that's what he prefers, right Like, 1123 01:09:38,880 --> 01:09:45,000 I just it would be a huge departure. But looking at the roster, 1124 01:09:45,680 --> 01:09:48,199 if it's if it's me, I see Jericho Sims, and then I 1125 01:09:48,279 --> 01:09:54,279 have that as option a I guess, or Randall n Og like tag teaming 1126 01:09:54,399 --> 01:09:57,840 center on either end, Like I think you gotta go with those two. 1127 01:09:58,000 --> 01:10:00,840 I just I don't think Jericho Sims is given you enough. And it's not 1128 01:10:00,880 --> 01:10:04,840 like Jericho Simms is like this hulking you know, Mitchell Robbinson size guy either, 1129 01:10:04,960 --> 01:10:10,840 so you're probably giving away size anyway, so you might as well have 1130 01:10:10,880 --> 01:10:15,880 that size be really highly skilled. So I will wishfully think that Thibodeau will 1131 01:10:15,960 --> 01:10:19,479 go that route. But if you know, if they sign, if they 1132 01:10:19,520 --> 01:10:26,279 get Bismack Biambo or like the the equivalent, just some scrappy actual center, 1133 01:10:27,000 --> 01:10:30,119 then like Thibodau might not be able to resist it. I've seen some people 1134 01:10:30,159 --> 01:10:32,319 specially like could they do a Miles McBride for Nick Richards type trade? And 1135 01:10:32,359 --> 01:10:34,560 I just I might be too high on Miles McBride, but it's like, 1136 01:10:34,600 --> 01:10:38,560 just because you drafted Tyler Collok, you don't get to go trade. What 1137 01:10:38,640 --> 01:10:41,840 if Steph Curry could win Defensive Player of the Year, you don't have a 1138 01:10:41,880 --> 01:10:45,520 license to do that. So I'm with you, and I think that the 1139 01:10:45,560 --> 01:10:48,000 best way to even view it would be do it during the non Brunson minutes, 1140 01:10:48,119 --> 01:10:53,000 so cater to the defense more where it's maybe so with with og and 1141 01:10:53,079 --> 01:10:57,079 Randall, you're also playing Hart and McHale bridges, and then maybe that's the 1142 01:10:57,119 --> 01:11:00,960 Deuce McBride minutes, or maybe you put Dante d Vincenzo and say Loo Julius 1143 01:11:00,000 --> 01:11:03,479 rails is gonna run the entire offense for us anyway, So now we're kind 1144 01:11:03,479 --> 01:11:05,720 of all right, we're giving up size at the five, but we're still 1145 01:11:05,760 --> 01:11:11,920 really big everywhere else. So I hope they do that. I think it's 1146 01:11:11,960 --> 01:11:15,239 more likely that they end up acquiring a big that leap frogs Jericho Sims and 1147 01:11:15,279 --> 01:11:19,600 their rotation, and then by extension, leap frogs the Julius Randall Ogiannobi fron 1148 01:11:19,640 --> 01:11:23,159 Cour. That's my gut feeling. But and I also don't know how to 1149 01:11:23,199 --> 01:11:27,199 square away because I think I know oj didn't take a discount, but Jalen 1150 01:11:27,199 --> 01:11:30,159 Brunson set an interesting precedent of taking less if you want to win it down 1151 01:11:30,199 --> 01:11:33,239 to the three year pay cut, he still gave up. I've called it 1152 01:11:33,239 --> 01:11:39,560 a Dante DiVincenzo a year over the next three seasons, and that sets an 1153 01:11:39,600 --> 01:11:43,159 interesting present for when McHale Bridges goes into extension talks, which, to correct 1154 01:11:43,159 --> 01:11:45,680 our, I did not realize this, but because he has multiple years left 1155 01:11:45,720 --> 01:11:48,239 on his contract, he's not eligible for that bigger extension in six months. 1156 01:11:48,239 --> 01:11:50,720 You'll have to wait until the offseason to do it. They could only extend 1157 01:11:50,800 --> 01:11:55,399 him for one hundred and five percent this season. If he signed one hundred 1158 01:11:55,399 --> 01:11:58,720 and five percent extension, that's just like the mcale bridges trade was a win. 1159 01:11:58,720 --> 01:12:00,600 They didn't give up too much that there will be an investigation if he 1160 01:12:00,640 --> 01:12:03,600 signs one hundred and five Right, there might be an investigation anyway when you 1161 01:12:03,600 --> 01:12:08,800 look at the level of the number of Villanova players here. But with Randall, 1162 01:12:08,840 --> 01:12:11,479 it's the extension talks are part of this too, right, it's the 1163 01:12:11,600 --> 01:12:16,279 Jalhn Brunson set, because there's no earthly reason to pay Julius Randall, mckel 1164 01:12:16,319 --> 01:12:20,319 Bridges or even oj it'll be more than Jalen Brunson. He's your best player, 1165 01:12:20,359 --> 01:12:24,560 you're guiding for us, and I want do you think, cause I 1166 01:12:24,600 --> 01:12:28,520 think it's part of this question. Do you think the Brunton extension increases the 1167 01:12:28,680 --> 01:12:33,119 likelihood or decreases the likelihood that the Knicks keep Julius or even say that Julius 1168 01:12:33,199 --> 01:12:40,279 Randall signs an extension. I don't know how it decreases it just well, 1169 01:12:40,319 --> 01:12:43,560 because it's like they don't want to pay him a lot more than Jalen Brunton. 1170 01:12:43,680 --> 01:12:45,000 He's not willing to take a discount, and so he doesn't sign an 1171 01:12:45,039 --> 01:12:49,039 extension and that's where you're at. Yeah, but we have to bring back 1172 01:12:49,039 --> 01:12:51,880 the other point about how Randall, Like I don't know that there's going to 1173 01:12:51,920 --> 01:12:56,800 be open market offers for Randall that are so crazy, Like it might be 1174 01:12:56,840 --> 01:13:01,079 possible between Brunston taking lesson setting a precedent and the market for Randal being like 1175 01:13:01,239 --> 01:13:06,960 not exactly super hot where you can almost like organically is the wrong word, 1176 01:13:06,960 --> 01:13:11,600 but it's sort of like, oh, it just makes sense that you're gonna 1177 01:13:11,600 --> 01:13:15,600 come back now with Brunson setting the tone for less than maybe we otherwise would 1178 01:13:15,600 --> 01:13:18,119 have had to pay you. I don't know, it's it is, I'm 1179 01:13:18,239 --> 01:13:23,359 am I ever gonna get over? Like the do really did they need Julius? 1180 01:13:23,479 --> 01:13:27,319 Like is he really like the fit here? But I do think he 1181 01:13:27,359 --> 01:13:30,359 is the second unit stuff. If you can really work the rotation where he 1182 01:13:30,439 --> 01:13:34,560 and og do play the four and the five when Brunson's off, you're a 1183 01:13:34,600 --> 01:13:39,000 really different team than you are with the starters. But like, man that 1184 01:13:39,000 --> 01:13:42,920 could work that just space it all out and like he really could be like 1185 01:13:43,000 --> 01:13:45,199 he could thrive in that role. I just don't know how much Randall belongs 1186 01:13:45,239 --> 01:13:50,039 in their best lineups. Too far Field, I would counter that by saying 1187 01:13:50,279 --> 01:13:55,119 I think he matters today more than he did at the end of last season 1188 01:13:55,640 --> 01:13:59,439 just because of this shock creation just another guy that they decided to go after, 1189 01:13:59,520 --> 01:14:00,359 and that's fine. They is not to go after a player who's a 1190 01:14:00,439 --> 01:14:04,760 very good fit, but that does not elevate their ceiling on what was their 1191 01:14:04,760 --> 01:14:10,159 biggest need, which was we need a second a better second best shot generator 1192 01:14:10,279 --> 01:14:13,880 or fit there. Because Julius Randall still might be imperfect fit. Julius Randall 1193 01:14:13,960 --> 01:14:15,560 is still the second best shot creader on this team, and you have no 1194 01:14:15,800 --> 01:14:19,920 realistic avenues to me to go out and get someone who's going to be more 1195 01:14:20,000 --> 01:14:24,000 valuable in that area. And there's also look, you mentioned their best lineups 1196 01:14:24,880 --> 01:14:27,479 if there are any other and this isn't a criticism of Tibbs, who's done 1197 01:14:27,479 --> 01:14:30,760 a fantastic job in New York. If it were basically any other coach in 1198 01:14:30,800 --> 01:14:33,159 there, I would argue that Julius Randold and og Is their front court, 1199 01:14:33,600 --> 01:14:38,880 are their is their most important lineup? With Brunson, Bridges and then Harder 1200 01:14:38,920 --> 01:14:42,039 de Vincenzo, I would argue that should end up being their most important I 1201 01:14:42,159 --> 01:14:45,439 like Mitchell Robinson, but the injury stuff. The offensive limitations outside of offensive 1202 01:14:45,439 --> 01:14:49,479 rebounding is a big deal to me. But because it's Tibbs, I don't 1203 01:14:49,479 --> 01:14:53,760 know that you make that case. Yeah, I don't know. They're gonna 1204 01:14:53,760 --> 01:14:56,520 be a really interesting team, but more so than a lot just from the 1205 01:14:56,560 --> 01:15:00,680 perspective like who's gonna play like and what these lineups gonna look like, because 1206 01:15:01,319 --> 01:15:04,039 they got a lot of different ways to go, and I think to your 1207 01:15:04,079 --> 01:15:08,760 point, like some of the most interesting ones are just very not Tibsy, 1208 01:15:08,920 --> 01:15:12,560 like he just doesn't like to do the things that might actually unlock some different 1209 01:15:12,640 --> 01:15:15,800 layers. Would you care to guess how I'm trying to see off like who 1210 01:15:15,840 --> 01:15:19,720 should qualify for this? But care to guess? And this is so messed 1211 01:15:19,800 --> 01:15:23,000 up because of them. I'm gonna pressures at you out of here, So 1212 01:15:23,039 --> 01:15:26,199 give me a second. Would you kinda guess how many minutes or possessions? 1213 01:15:26,239 --> 01:15:30,159 Excuse me? Julius Randall and og Ananobi played last season without Mitchell Robinson, 1214 01:15:30,319 --> 01:15:34,239 Hartenstein, Jericho Sims or TOADJ. Gibson on the floor. So I'm allowing 1215 01:15:34,239 --> 01:15:39,439 pressure s Toachua to if you want me to remove pressures to you, Ah, 1216 01:15:39,560 --> 01:15:43,479 do you think pressure to Chua should be included in this, as in 1217 01:15:43,520 --> 01:15:46,039 the like filtering him out like without Presciore s Toatchua. I mean, is 1218 01:15:46,039 --> 01:15:48,800 he even on the team. No, not right now, but I'm saying 1219 01:15:48,880 --> 01:15:51,520 I'm trying to use I'm actually gonna include him because the idea of you're not 1220 01:15:51,520 --> 01:15:55,520 gonna play I'm saying, get to Randall, oji's your front quarter or Chua 1221 01:15:55,560 --> 01:16:00,000 would not be. So the question is how much did Randal and Og play 1222 01:16:00,079 --> 01:16:04,520 the four and the five together without another big they played that another big God, 1223 01:16:04,520 --> 01:16:08,399 they didn't even overlap for that many games. I want to give you 1224 01:16:08,399 --> 01:16:11,520 an over under. Would that be more fair? Do you have the ability 1225 01:16:11,560 --> 01:16:13,840 to tell me how many games they played together? Is that shown up on 1226 01:16:13,880 --> 01:16:15,039 what you're filtering. I wouldn't be able to filter it out that way. 1227 01:16:15,119 --> 01:16:18,159 And I'll also tell you right now, I'll tell you how many games it 1228 01:16:18,199 --> 01:16:24,560 is in just a second, okay, I mean it's it's possessions. I 1229 01:16:24,560 --> 01:16:29,800 don't know, like a hundred, it was two. So that one game, 1230 01:16:30,600 --> 01:16:33,000 what happened? Did tips fall asleep? If you like forgot that? 1231 01:16:33,159 --> 01:16:39,560 I can't do this. And on the floor for that whopping sample was Julius 1232 01:16:39,600 --> 01:16:43,760 Randall Ogiananobi, Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes, and Jalen runs in so very 1233 01:16:43,760 --> 01:16:46,319 close to the makeup that we want to see. Quentin Grimes, despite what 1234 01:16:46,359 --> 01:16:48,720 Stephen A. Smith might say, is no longer on the Knicks. So 1235 01:16:49,479 --> 01:16:51,880 yeah, I hope they get to that. I don't know if they will. 1236 01:16:53,199 --> 01:16:55,079 I think it's time to move on to the Orlando Magic, though. 1237 01:16:55,079 --> 01:16:58,479 All right, let's suit the Orlando Magic. I would like to ask you, 1238 01:16:58,600 --> 01:17:00,399 is there any chance they try to land a shot creator or a high 1239 01:17:00,479 --> 01:17:04,960 volume three point shooter or dan? Are the Magic done and will draw your 1240 01:17:05,000 --> 01:17:09,439 ire for being done? Yeah? I will say they're done until at least 1241 01:17:09,560 --> 01:17:13,800 trade deadline talk, which I'm wildly disappointed in. I don't know that I've 1242 01:17:13,840 --> 01:17:15,880 ever turned. I think their offseason was fine, But when we were doing 1243 01:17:15,880 --> 01:17:19,199 the Bleacher Report live stream during frequency and they signed contamious called the Pope, 1244 01:17:19,239 --> 01:17:23,239 I was ready to be like the Magic are coming to be like the second 1245 01:17:23,319 --> 01:17:25,439 or third best team in the East. They're gonna go out and trade or 1246 01:17:25,439 --> 01:17:29,600 sign somebody that's going to really increase the ceiling of their offense. I would 1247 01:17:29,680 --> 01:17:32,840 argue that KCP, while a good fit for this roster, was more along 1248 01:17:32,880 --> 01:17:38,399 the lines of just like a small additive because he's gonna be a better three 1249 01:17:38,439 --> 01:17:41,479 point shooter than a lot of players that you could have played in his spot. 1250 01:17:41,520 --> 01:17:45,239 But he doesn't like, he doesn't really elevate your defense. It's just 1251 01:17:45,239 --> 01:17:49,239 like you were already a top to top three defense. Casep like furthers that 1252 01:17:49,520 --> 01:17:54,680 dimension of it. He's a he gives you the slightest of offensive upgrades without 1253 01:17:54,720 --> 01:17:59,039 compromising your defensive ceiling, rather than this is he really elevates your offensive ceiling. 1254 01:17:59,079 --> 01:18:03,680 And so they've decided to be on Suggs and Wagner and Palla Benkaro continuing 1255 01:18:03,680 --> 01:18:06,560 to level up on offense, which I think is fine, but to not 1256 01:18:06,680 --> 01:18:11,359 kind of have an additional option in the well other than Cole Anthony or is 1257 01:18:11,359 --> 01:18:15,199 Anthony Black at any minutes, I'm I think they're done, and I'm disappointed 1258 01:18:15,279 --> 01:18:17,279 in it, and like, just free Anthony Simon's hometown kid, Just get 1259 01:18:17,359 --> 01:18:19,279 him here, all right? What are we doing? I don't know, 1260 01:18:19,520 --> 01:18:24,399 Yeah, I agree, Like, it doesn't even need Simon's first. I 1261 01:18:24,439 --> 01:18:28,359 don't know how many fake Simon's trades I made up involving him going to Orlando, 1262 01:18:28,840 --> 01:18:33,000 But it doesn't even need to be like a I don't know, someone 1263 01:18:33,039 --> 01:18:36,560 who's a bigger offensive upgrade. It was always like, can they get two 1264 01:18:36,680 --> 01:18:41,359 guys? Can they get the shooter and then the backup point guard to just 1265 01:18:41,520 --> 01:18:45,079 assuming Foals is in back, and they just sort of got halfway, like 1266 01:18:45,439 --> 01:18:50,359 and Caldwell Pope feels like just much more underwhelming because he's like he was it, 1267 01:18:50,880 --> 01:18:55,319 you know, And I think had it not been that, had it 1268 01:18:55,359 --> 01:18:58,600 been him and like, oh, also Tias Jones or also Simon's or also 1269 01:18:58,680 --> 01:19:01,039 whatever, then I I think we'd be back on board with like, oh, 1270 01:19:01,079 --> 01:19:04,560 here comes Orlando, and maybe they're still gonna just get better organically. 1271 01:19:04,600 --> 01:19:10,159 But it is disappointing. I do think I agree that they're done. I 1272 01:19:10,319 --> 01:19:13,880 just wish there'd been one other big move. Do you think that they're built 1273 01:19:13,880 --> 01:19:15,359 though to kind of just when you look at the contracts they gave out like 1274 01:19:15,439 --> 01:19:19,279 even forget Jonathan Isaac on the declining scale, although he is like this huge 1275 01:19:19,279 --> 01:19:24,760 salary matching piece now when the trade restriction lifts, but like they almost are 1276 01:19:24,800 --> 01:19:27,239 the way they gave out there, like they were still built to make these 1277 01:19:27,239 --> 01:19:30,520 moves in the middle of the season. I just don't know. We talked 1278 01:19:30,560 --> 01:19:33,119 a lot about the Thunder and even the Spurs getting more information. The Magic 1279 01:19:33,159 --> 01:19:36,239 were in the playoffs, and their biggest issue was exactly what we knew. 1280 01:19:36,239 --> 01:19:40,119 Their biggest issue was always going or their two biggest issues were exactly what we 1281 01:19:40,159 --> 01:19:42,760 knew. Their two biggest issues were always going to be. They needed an 1282 01:19:42,800 --> 01:19:46,079 offensive organizer and they needed more shooting. And they proceeded to go through an 1283 01:19:46,079 --> 01:19:50,159 offseason with all this flexibility, which will now be the last summer of said 1284 01:19:50,159 --> 01:19:55,960 flexibility, because you gave Franz Wagner that MAX extension and they decided we're gonna 1285 01:19:56,000 --> 01:20:02,600 incrementally improve our floor spacing. Awesome. Yeah, they feel like an aggregation 1286 01:20:02,800 --> 01:20:08,000 trade candidate because they got enough. You know, you get your Gary Harris's 1287 01:20:08,000 --> 01:20:10,960 and your Gogo batads like you got you got a bunch of guys that are 1288 01:20:10,960 --> 01:20:15,000 helpful but not indispensable that you could cobble together and go get somebody. Maybe 1289 01:20:15,000 --> 01:20:18,159 that's the plan. I don't know. It seems unlikely that they did all 1290 01:20:18,199 --> 01:20:21,960 this with the intention of trading these guys. But maybe it doesn't have to 1291 01:20:21,960 --> 01:20:25,640 be Simon's if you want, like, it could be Collin Sexton. I'd 1292 01:20:25,680 --> 01:20:28,399 be super like that is I think that's what bugs me the most, and 1293 01:20:28,439 --> 01:20:30,960 I'm sure Magic fans will be annoyed, or some of them will be. 1294 01:20:30,039 --> 01:20:32,600 I don't want to pay everybody with broadbrush that we're framing it this way. 1295 01:20:32,800 --> 01:20:36,399 It's a maybe it's a backhanded compliment, but it's a compliment that they are 1296 01:20:36,439 --> 01:20:41,239 already so good that I don't understand why you didn't make any steps to a 1297 01:20:41,800 --> 01:20:45,680 like adequately fill one of your two biggest needs to where like CACP is a 1298 01:20:45,760 --> 01:20:50,199 start, but he's not like he can't like just as the one additive. 1299 01:20:50,479 --> 01:20:54,119 If that was your loan move, it's again, you still make it, 1300 01:20:54,439 --> 01:20:57,520 yeah, but it didn't prevent you from doing anything else. And yet that's 1301 01:20:57,520 --> 01:21:00,960 how they like they just went through the off season. They're betting on internal 1302 01:21:00,000 --> 01:21:02,720 development, which again, if we were telling them to trade for Trey Young 1303 01:21:03,199 --> 01:21:05,560 or even although if they traded for LaMelo Ball, I might pick them to 1304 01:21:05,600 --> 01:21:09,239 win the title. I'm not gonna wouldn't it. But like, it's not 1305 01:21:09,279 --> 01:21:12,600 like we're telling them to advocate trading for a star when we know the realities 1306 01:21:12,600 --> 01:21:15,640 of the Orlando market, even though it probably should be a better destination than 1307 01:21:15,680 --> 01:21:17,680 it is. It's like this was a move where no, you're not gutting 1308 01:21:17,720 --> 01:21:21,000 assets, like this is a very medium sized moves and there are a bunch 1309 01:21:21,000 --> 01:21:24,880 of different ones that you could have made and you have so far not and 1310 01:21:24,920 --> 01:21:28,439 that I'm just a little bit disappointed by that. Yeah, and I think 1311 01:21:28,520 --> 01:21:32,720 like the improvement from within angle is defensible. But like let's say Anthony Black 1312 01:21:32,840 --> 01:21:38,319 becomes someone you can play for twenty five minutes a night or maybe even more 1313 01:21:38,359 --> 01:21:41,600 than that, He's still kind of like Markel Fults in a lot of ways. 1314 01:21:41,640 --> 01:21:45,600 So it's like you're just you're not your Your growth isn't like huge from 1315 01:21:45,680 --> 01:21:48,840 that perspective, assuming Foals isn't back, like you just kind of have a 1316 01:21:48,920 --> 01:21:51,439 similar I don't want to sell Black short. I do think he has like 1317 01:21:51,439 --> 01:21:55,560 well potential, you know what I mean, Like the organic growth path is 1318 01:21:55,760 --> 01:21:59,039 tricky. Where's the offensive upside on this roster? It's bait to me, 1319 01:21:59,079 --> 01:22:01,720 I viewed as just like you're looking at Sugs and Wagner and Palo Bancaro, 1320 01:22:02,079 --> 01:22:05,119 who could all be closer to finished products offensively than not. That's not an 1321 01:22:05,119 --> 01:22:09,560 insult. They're already really good. But you're betting like that, Like it's 1322 01:22:09,600 --> 01:22:12,800 not coming from any unless you just think, like Jed Howard is gonna come 1323 01:22:12,840 --> 01:22:14,800 in and actually play this year, and that's really going to open up the 1324 01:22:14,840 --> 01:22:18,000 floor for drives for Wagner and Polo and Jail and Suggs. Yeah. No, 1325 01:22:18,319 --> 01:22:21,319 And I think we should leave Orlando here by saying like we both think 1326 01:22:21,319 --> 01:22:25,840 they're really the Magic are gonna be really good. It's just they're gonna be 1327 01:22:25,920 --> 01:22:28,920 similar. Yeah. I mean when you look at there's the Sixers, the 1328 01:22:29,000 --> 01:22:30,720 Knicks, the Bucks, and the Celtics when you're assuming pretty good health, 1329 01:22:31,039 --> 01:22:34,279 those are my top four in the East, and then it's like Orlando's either 1330 01:22:34,399 --> 01:22:38,000 And it wouldn't shock me if you said Orlando was better than the Knicks or 1331 01:22:38,000 --> 01:22:41,960 the Sixers the Bucks. Yeah, sure, I'll believe it. They're there 1332 01:22:42,000 --> 01:22:45,680 with like Cleveland and maybe a couple other teams as just like I don't know, 1333 01:22:45,720 --> 01:22:47,760 they could if some goes sideways for those top four, they could hop 1334 01:22:47,840 --> 01:22:51,439 right in there. That's that's Cleveland's been that good. Cleveland. Might I 1335 01:22:51,520 --> 01:22:55,000 meet leaving all Clevelands actually kind of egregious from that time. No, we 1336 01:22:55,000 --> 01:22:57,399 don't know, though, you know, they you could have the same issues. 1337 01:22:57,439 --> 01:22:59,920 We're not sure with them. They belong. They belong in the Orlando 1338 01:23:00,079 --> 01:23:02,479 here, I think with with a similar upside, it's just you know, 1339 01:23:02,600 --> 01:23:08,000 there, it's just disappointing they. I thought Orlando was just positioned to get 1340 01:23:08,119 --> 01:23:11,000 much better, and maybe they will if they do something before the deadline. 1341 01:23:11,039 --> 01:23:14,840 But as no, not so much. I'm gonna call an audible here on 1342 01:23:15,119 --> 01:23:17,079 our Sixers question, I have a couple to choose from. Well, I 1343 01:23:17,119 --> 01:23:19,800 think the one I was most interested in, well, actually I thought I 1344 01:23:19,840 --> 01:23:21,880 was interested was like, what's their closing line up going to look like? 1345 01:23:23,159 --> 01:23:26,359 Or who do they target with that kJ Martin salary slot. I still think 1346 01:23:26,359 --> 01:23:28,359 they should have paid him a little bit more. But that's besides the point, 1347 01:23:28,600 --> 01:23:31,239 Grant, because we talked about this already. Should they should the Sixers 1348 01:23:31,239 --> 01:23:36,720 be concerned about Joel Embiid's play with Team USA. How could you not be 1349 01:23:38,439 --> 01:23:42,560 like I, Well, he had that one block against trum Yeah, he 1350 01:23:42,600 --> 01:23:45,800 had a great, the phenomenal block. He almost got off the ground to 1351 01:23:45,960 --> 01:23:49,159 pin the ball to the backboard, almost made it. He did dunk once 1352 01:23:49,439 --> 01:23:54,479 after missing a passing up or not being able to get any lift for like 1353 01:23:54,560 --> 01:24:00,399 probably four or five other opportunities. You have to be concerned. I know. 1354 01:24:00,560 --> 01:24:02,680 So like if you're not, if you're trying not to be alarmist, 1355 01:24:02,760 --> 01:24:08,119 you say, like coming off injury in the season, that's always true, 1356 01:24:08,199 --> 01:24:12,039 is what I would respond to. Uh, he you know, it's hard 1357 01:24:12,039 --> 01:24:15,840 for him to ramp up because he's not getting normal practice or normal minutes to 1358 01:24:15,920 --> 01:24:20,840 get into shape. Like with him specifically, when he looks this way, 1359 01:24:20,880 --> 01:24:27,119 it's always cause for concern because it's it means like either he can't recover, 1360 01:24:27,279 --> 01:24:30,720 like he's not getting healthy enough to get into actual shape to get any kind 1361 01:24:30,720 --> 01:24:35,319 of lift or like quickness back, or it means like he's hurt again, 1362 01:24:35,600 --> 01:24:39,600 and so we're gonna go down this road of like, oh now we have 1363 01:24:39,640 --> 01:24:43,319 a reab process or whatever. It seems like the first one where it's just 1364 01:24:43,319 --> 01:24:46,000 like he's not in shape, like he's not moving well at all. I'm 1365 01:24:46,039 --> 01:24:50,319 concerned that that just becomes more of the norm because he can't condition himself in 1366 01:24:50,359 --> 01:24:55,840 the way is necessary to get back into like peak shape. Having said that 1367 01:24:55,880 --> 01:24:59,199 the guy was gonna win MVP till he got hurt. So and this is 1368 01:24:59,279 --> 01:25:02,359 just last year, I just can't watch what I've watched. We've watched all 1369 01:25:02,359 --> 01:25:06,600 these games basically together, Like you're seeing the same thing. Everybody's bringing it 1370 01:25:06,680 --> 01:25:12,399 up, Like he looks terrible relative to like what you expect to see from 1371 01:25:12,439 --> 01:25:15,000 him. And I don't know how if you're the sixers who have done everything 1372 01:25:15,039 --> 01:25:18,960 possible to strip the roster down and build a contender, like, I don't 1373 01:25:18,960 --> 01:25:23,359 know how you feel good about what you're seeing, Like there's there's nothing redeeming, 1374 01:25:23,399 --> 01:25:27,199 I don't think other than the fact he's physically upright and on the floor. 1375 01:25:27,479 --> 01:25:29,960 Like that's it, that's the only positive? Is there something too? 1376 01:25:30,000 --> 01:25:32,920 Though? Like he's always kind of had this more gradual ramp up for I 1377 01:25:32,920 --> 01:25:35,560 mean, he came back after missing a ton of time this past year, 1378 01:25:35,560 --> 01:25:38,399 and if I mean he still didn't look right a lot of the times in 1379 01:25:38,439 --> 01:25:41,359 the playoffs, but he's always kind of had this slow ramp up, And 1380 01:25:41,399 --> 01:25:44,880 so could this just be par for the course? And because it's in this 1381 01:25:45,000 --> 01:25:47,560 different setting where it feels like he should be dominating and is not that we're 1382 01:25:47,600 --> 01:25:50,399 reading too much into it. That's my I agree with pretty much everything you 1383 01:25:50,439 --> 01:25:55,479 said. I'm just trying to actually provide a devil's advocate argument that holds water 1384 01:25:55,560 --> 01:25:58,600 aside from you can't be like, well, you know he's coming off He's 1385 01:25:58,640 --> 01:26:00,319 come off injuries before, Like yeah, right, Like that's I don't know 1386 01:26:00,319 --> 01:26:02,640 how much of that as a bright spot, but the ramp up from those 1387 01:26:02,680 --> 01:26:10,439 injuries has never been necessarily instantaneous. That is definitely true. I just want 1388 01:26:10,479 --> 01:26:15,000 to make sure he's thirty. At what point do we stop with the like, 1389 01:26:15,439 --> 01:26:18,399 well, it's just get pat This is an age where the accumulation of 1390 01:26:18,439 --> 01:26:24,199 injuries start to take some irreversible tolls. And I would be really concerned that, 1391 01:26:24,319 --> 01:26:27,760 Like we're in the middle of the off season. Other guys are like 1392 01:26:27,920 --> 01:26:30,000 busting their asses to get in the best shape of their lives before they put 1393 01:26:30,039 --> 01:26:34,239 up the Instagram post confirming as much. And he looks like this and he's 1394 01:26:34,279 --> 01:26:41,640 actually like on a team practicing, Like I'm being totally like, I'm catastrophizing, 1395 01:26:41,680 --> 01:26:44,840 But I was just like I would feel so nervous watching this if I 1396 01:26:44,880 --> 01:26:47,239 were the Sixers. Have you had any issue? Just like, so, 1397 01:26:47,840 --> 01:26:51,119 I'm thirty five years old, and the way up frame was like Joel BEA's 1398 01:26:51,159 --> 01:26:55,000 thirty, Like it's time to start facing reality. Do you ever feel like 1399 01:26:55,359 --> 01:27:00,840 a giant hypocrite phrasing things that way? No, because I've in through that 1400 01:27:00,920 --> 01:27:04,720 age, and I actually if your career was cut short for this exact reason, 1401 01:27:04,720 --> 01:27:10,000 and if I could feel physically like I felt at thirty, Like I 1402 01:27:10,039 --> 01:27:12,840 don't want to scare you too much, but like, man, it's different, 1403 01:27:12,960 --> 01:27:16,199 like I's like so, so when someone is thirty and is starting to 1404 01:27:16,199 --> 01:27:20,319 look broken down, I am concerned, especially if it's someone that has every 1405 01:27:20,319 --> 01:27:25,159 resource on planet Earth to be in optimal shape and has like a whole team 1406 01:27:25,199 --> 01:27:28,600 of people both within the team and on his own side whose job it is 1407 01:27:28,640 --> 01:27:32,279 to do that, and like this is what's going on. I uh so, 1408 01:27:32,399 --> 01:27:35,640 I know I don't feel super hypocritical about that. Is there anything too 1409 01:27:35,680 --> 01:27:39,199 though? Okay, now that you have Maxie and Paul George, the lift 1410 01:27:39,239 --> 01:27:43,960 for him offensively shouldn't be as large or is it? So that is a 1411 01:27:43,960 --> 01:27:45,000 good thing, But then it's also okay, well what does that mean for 1412 01:27:45,039 --> 01:27:48,760 your defense? Right? And then also two Joe means kind of wired in 1413 01:27:48,800 --> 01:27:54,159 a way on offense where he's not like the pick just strictly pick and popper 1414 01:27:54,199 --> 01:27:58,199 hitting trail threes. If he's not a central focus. Yeah, that's not 1415 01:27:58,399 --> 01:28:01,199 necessarily a good thing for yim or your Team I I agree. I mean 1416 01:28:01,199 --> 01:28:03,600 you say that's one of the things with Team USA is the ball gets to 1417 01:28:03,680 --> 01:28:08,279 him and he goes into his elbow like package of fakes and and like that 1418 01:28:08,399 --> 01:28:12,680 kind of stuff. The ball stops a little bit and if he's you know, 1419 01:28:13,399 --> 01:28:15,600 that's not like that's not support not that he's ever going to be a 1420 01:28:15,640 --> 01:28:21,039 supporting piece, but that's not like a guy that's super valuable because other players 1421 01:28:21,039 --> 01:28:25,199 are taking the load off, like you need he needs to be the central 1422 01:28:25,279 --> 01:28:28,680 piece of that offense, like or it's just the ceiling is not as high. 1423 01:28:28,920 --> 01:28:30,920 So I have the raptors for you. Let's see us and starting, 1424 01:28:30,960 --> 01:28:35,359 closing and the rebill like I'm really should Uh, let's talk lineups. Who's 1425 01:28:35,399 --> 01:28:40,399 the starting and closing? Uh three or the two? I guess if you 1426 01:28:40,439 --> 01:28:45,199 want to figure out what RJ. Barrett is on the fly. So I 1427 01:28:45,199 --> 01:28:46,680 think when it comes to starters, there are four locks. When you look 1428 01:28:46,720 --> 01:28:51,800 at Pearle, uh, Scottie Barnes, Emmanuel Quickly and RJ. Barrett. 1429 01:28:53,399 --> 01:28:57,119 And if I was to I almost look at these as two separate units because 1430 01:28:57,119 --> 01:28:59,520 I don't would you say this might be the first issue to tackle. Do 1431 01:28:59,520 --> 01:29:03,920 you think y'all Pearl is a lock as a closing unit member. Well, 1432 01:29:04,840 --> 01:29:08,880 I mean, like, if you don't use him, it's just what is 1433 01:29:09,319 --> 01:29:14,520 Barnes at the five or your This is both Kelly Olinic and Chris Bouchet erasure 1434 01:29:14,640 --> 01:29:16,920 right, I just wanted to tee you up to mention Chris Bouchet in an 1435 01:29:16,960 --> 01:29:24,720 outrageous way, So thanks for that. But like I mean, I guess 1436 01:29:24,760 --> 01:29:29,239 Purdle is, well, he's closing five definitely starting obviously, but I can 1437 01:29:29,319 --> 01:29:32,439 imagine them wanting to shrink the lineup a little bit and see if Barnes gives 1438 01:29:32,479 --> 01:29:35,920 you advantages or a Linu gives you the spacing, or Bouchet gives you the 1439 01:29:35,960 --> 01:29:40,840 spacing. Uh, I don't know. It does feel like it's Peardle though 1440 01:29:40,880 --> 01:29:44,880 to me, do you disagree with that? I if we had to look 1441 01:29:44,920 --> 01:29:46,560 at like who plays the most minuted in crunch time, I think it's just 1442 01:29:46,680 --> 01:29:50,960 Yaku Peurdle by virtue of him doing the conventional big man stuff and there I 1443 01:29:50,960 --> 01:29:56,119 think they'll believe they need that element, and they very well could. So 1444 01:29:56,399 --> 01:29:59,920 this would to say, then there's like four locks as part of their star 1445 01:30:00,199 --> 01:30:01,600 and closing unit. I guess if you had to pick though, of the 1446 01:30:01,600 --> 01:30:04,640 four locks, who are they most likely to kind of fus and fiddle with 1447 01:30:04,920 --> 01:30:08,960 the answer is probably are j Barrett still right, it's not a manual. 1448 01:30:09,000 --> 01:30:12,159 We know it's not Barnes. Yeah, it's not Barnes and Quickly by default, 1449 01:30:12,239 --> 01:30:15,359 so that has to leave a Barrett. I think I'll say it's Pearl. 1450 01:30:15,439 --> 01:30:17,279 That's still gonna be my pick because I think that the way Barrett plays 1451 01:30:17,319 --> 01:30:21,079 for them more so than Barrett for sure. Yeah, but those are the 1452 01:30:21,119 --> 01:30:25,800 two where it feels so it feels like there's really just there's those two, 1453 01:30:25,880 --> 01:30:29,239 like Emmanuel Quickly and Scotty Barnes will be in every single most important lineup for 1454 01:30:29,279 --> 01:30:32,560 Toronto. But rounding out the starting five, I'm curious which name you would 1455 01:30:32,600 --> 01:30:38,760 go with starting closing whatever. So I think your options realistically are Grady Dick, 1456 01:30:39,239 --> 01:30:43,319 Bruce Brown, ochaak Baji, and if you wanted to put Jakobe Walter 1457 01:30:43,560 --> 01:30:45,560 in here, just because what are the raptors if they're rebuilding, that might 1458 01:30:45,600 --> 01:30:49,520 be a look I'm starting as of right now, especially if I'm having Pearl 1459 01:30:49,560 --> 01:30:54,239 in my closing five, it's Grady Dick for me. I need that spacing 1460 01:30:54,920 --> 01:30:57,720 you could worry about his defense, but I think someone he has the size 1461 01:30:57,760 --> 01:31:01,039 and at least can be in the right position. Whether what happens once players 1462 01:31:01,079 --> 01:31:03,720 get to the positions that he's in is a different story. But I don't 1463 01:31:03,720 --> 01:31:08,479 think he's gonna wind up being this massive defensive liability. Also don't think relative 1464 01:31:08,520 --> 01:31:11,760 to being a rookie that he was necessarily that last year, and so give 1465 01:31:11,800 --> 01:31:14,920 me. We saw more from him as a knockdown shooter and all these different 1466 01:31:14,920 --> 01:31:16,840 situations. As the year went on, we saw that he could attack some 1467 01:31:16,920 --> 01:31:20,479 closeouts or in space, dribble into some pull ups. I like that. 1468 01:31:20,520 --> 01:31:25,319 I think Bruce Brown is the higher IQ player. He's certainly the better defender. 1469 01:31:26,119 --> 01:31:28,920 I think that it might be fair to say if Kobe Walter has a 1470 01:31:29,000 --> 01:31:30,560 higher ceiling. I don't know. I don't want to say him out on 1471 01:31:30,600 --> 01:31:33,199 Akbaji, but I just don't know. Ever since his rookie season, he 1472 01:31:33,239 --> 01:31:36,239 had kind of a far remember correctly a strong close and then ever since then, 1473 01:31:36,279 --> 01:31:41,880 it's been right, what's going on here, Grady Dick is the answer 1474 01:31:41,920 --> 01:31:43,920 for me, And if you have a different answer, I'm curious to see 1475 01:31:43,960 --> 01:31:46,479 how you would sell it. No, I do think it's Grady Dick just 1476 01:31:46,720 --> 01:31:51,159 because he's providing the shooting that you're not getting from anybody else, and that's 1477 01:31:51,239 --> 01:31:57,119 just so valuable to especially if you're playing conventional center. Maybe that's a different 1478 01:31:57,119 --> 01:32:00,199 calculus if it is Olinik or Bouchet, and you could maybe that's not such 1479 01:32:00,199 --> 01:32:04,920 a premium skill. I think Brown The argument for Brown is that, like 1480 01:32:05,000 --> 01:32:09,840 he's on this team to be traded, like so you kind of like the 1481 01:32:09,840 --> 01:32:12,600 Simon's thing, like you probably got to just play him as much as you 1482 01:32:12,640 --> 01:32:15,600 can and hope that it goes well. But I think maybe that could be 1483 01:32:15,640 --> 01:32:20,439 accomplished by having him play a lot of backup point guard and maybe oh, 1484 01:32:20,479 --> 01:32:24,680 we're gonna show remember this, Bruce Brown can do this. Like Bruce Brown 1485 01:32:24,760 --> 01:32:28,079 has been all things to all people over his career, so being you know, 1486 01:32:28,119 --> 01:32:31,279 if they could sort of remind everybody that, yeah he's been a wing, 1487 01:32:31,399 --> 01:32:34,119 Yeah he's been a defensive piece, Yeah he's been a role guy, 1488 01:32:35,000 --> 01:32:40,439 played like power forward with Brooklyn. I think he maybe has more value as 1489 01:32:40,439 --> 01:32:42,800 a trade piece if you could talk people into thinking, like, hey, 1490 01:32:42,800 --> 01:32:45,880 he's a wing sometimes, but if you need him to play fifteen minutes a 1491 01:32:45,960 --> 01:32:47,720 night at the one like we can do that, and so then that just 1492 01:32:47,880 --> 01:32:50,800 you bring him off the bench a little bit more and just trust Grady Dick 1493 01:32:50,880 --> 01:32:55,039 to provide the shooting. That makes the most sense to me to go that 1494 01:32:55,079 --> 01:32:59,439 way. Is there who would be your Brown? Would be your second candidate 1495 01:32:59,520 --> 01:33:01,760 or would you that point like, well, let's try out Jacobe Walter there. 1496 01:33:02,039 --> 01:33:06,159 Definitely I'm not including Davion Mitchell. That's not going to Nogi hasn't moved 1497 01:33:06,239 --> 01:33:09,840 me. I mean, they're not a ton of options here, really, 1498 01:33:10,079 --> 01:33:12,479 Uh, I think it. I think it's yeah, it's Grady Dick is 1499 01:33:12,520 --> 01:33:15,960 one, and then Bruce Brown, I guess by default is the next guy, 1500 01:33:15,479 --> 01:33:18,239 and if somebody else emerges, great, But if not, like Baji, 1501 01:33:18,359 --> 01:33:23,560 What's I mean, he's on his second second team third is technically third 1502 01:33:23,560 --> 01:33:28,359 team on his r gonna play for his second team? Yeah, So how 1503 01:33:28,399 --> 01:33:30,840 does you does your answer change if Kelly Olinock is the five instead of a 1504 01:33:30,880 --> 01:33:33,479 little bit? I think, like I said, the the shooting that Grady 1505 01:33:33,520 --> 01:33:41,800 Dick provides matters a little less if Olynic is the five, I don't know, 1506 01:33:41,840 --> 01:33:45,199 I still probably would just rather have even more shooting, especially if you're 1507 01:33:45,239 --> 01:33:51,600 not sure that Scottie Barnes is gonna from three presumably. Yeah, Yeah, 1508 01:33:51,640 --> 01:33:56,720 so I think maybe it's kind of a big surprise. We just want maximum 1509 01:33:56,760 --> 01:33:59,399 shooting on the floor. But I don't know, sometimes that's the right way 1510 01:33:59,800 --> 01:34:01,439 it. I will say, if Barrett and Barnes are shooting holds, it 1511 01:34:01,479 --> 01:34:04,960 probably does give you more optionality on how to flesh out your best liners. 1512 01:34:04,960 --> 01:34:09,159 At least. Yeah that maybe that's the way Brown does take that over. 1513 01:34:09,239 --> 01:34:11,600 Is Grady Dick's shooting is like, that's nice, but we don't need it 1514 01:34:11,640 --> 01:34:15,399 because everybody else is providing it. The Washington Wizards, Grant Man, I 1515 01:34:15,399 --> 01:34:16,880 have so many questions for them. I'm just kidding. I have two jotted 1516 01:34:16,880 --> 01:34:19,560 down. I'm trying to decide between the two. Look, I mean, 1517 01:34:19,840 --> 01:34:24,279 I'm assuming do we just agree very quickly that bub Carrington is going to have 1518 01:34:24,279 --> 01:34:27,159 a massive role just out of the gate for this team. He has to. 1519 01:34:27,640 --> 01:34:30,039 Yeah, so I'm gonna ask you this question. Then, this is 1520 01:34:30,079 --> 01:34:34,079 the more basic Wizards question. Will both Kuzma and Brogden be on the roster 1521 01:34:34,319 --> 01:34:40,079 opening night? I think we're far enough into the off season to where I 1522 01:34:40,119 --> 01:34:44,039 feel it seems pretty likely that they will be on the roster opening night. 1523 01:34:44,439 --> 01:34:48,279 I I'm trying to think of I guess maybe if like, so, what's 1524 01:34:48,279 --> 01:34:51,920 the scenariot Brogden, who knows? But with Kuzma specifically, like there's a 1525 01:34:53,000 --> 01:34:56,800 chance where if Marknen is off the market, nobody wants Levine at that price, 1526 01:34:56,840 --> 01:35:00,399 like Kuzma could just become like, okay, who wants that. He's 1527 01:35:00,520 --> 01:35:02,399 kind of the best guy available. Now. Maybe Jeremy Grant's too pricey, 1528 01:35:02,960 --> 01:35:09,720 and so that would suggest he has a decent chance of changing teams before this 1529 01:35:09,800 --> 01:35:13,159 fall. I just still think they're both gonna be there and they'll be trade 1530 01:35:13,159 --> 01:35:16,640 deadline like speculation about both. Maybe Washington does something before that, but I 1531 01:35:16,640 --> 01:35:20,159 think they start the season. That's my gut, do you I I guess 1532 01:35:20,399 --> 01:35:24,039 so if you're looking at the trade deadline, I'm trying to set what would 1533 01:35:24,039 --> 01:35:27,359 be the over under here, So we have brogged in Kuzma, I'll throw 1534 01:35:27,439 --> 01:35:30,720 kiss Bert in there. Those are probably and you just found Teunish just because 1535 01:35:30,720 --> 01:35:33,199 he will be trade eligible. I'm gonna set the over under of one point 1536 01:35:33,239 --> 01:35:38,399 five of those guys being traded at the deadline by the deadline. Are you 1537 01:35:38,479 --> 01:35:41,399 going over or under? I'd go over just because I think you get there 1538 01:35:41,439 --> 01:35:46,000 With both Brogden and Kuzma. I think they both are appealing trade candidates. 1539 01:35:46,079 --> 01:35:51,399 They don't belong on this team. Contracts are both like totally totally reasonable. 1540 01:35:53,760 --> 01:35:56,399 Brogden's expiring, yeah, or does he have another one after the Yeah, 1541 01:35:56,840 --> 01:36:00,520 he's expired, So I would say over, I don't know how much more 1542 01:36:00,680 --> 01:36:04,800 i'd go By the time, I'm I'm spinning out because I'm looking at real 1543 01:36:04,840 --> 01:36:09,479 GM's depth starts and they have Johnny Davis listened to the starting shooting guard, 1544 01:36:09,520 --> 01:36:13,000 which I think is really funny. And the other question with this team, 1545 01:36:13,039 --> 01:36:15,279 I didn't jot it down. What do you make of the and we've seen 1546 01:36:15,399 --> 01:36:18,439 there's just been I would say conflicting. Is he coming off the bench? 1547 01:36:18,640 --> 01:36:23,199 Is they get Valentotis that he could spend time exclusively at the four? How 1548 01:36:23,239 --> 01:36:26,760 do you feel about this idea that I guess I would understand it more if 1549 01:36:26,800 --> 01:36:29,720 it's as of now, while we're waiting for Alex R to get stronger, 1550 01:36:29,760 --> 01:36:32,079 more acclimated to the NBA, you want yonas valent Tunis to take most of 1551 01:36:32,119 --> 01:36:36,560 the pounding at the five. I don't know that I ascribed to the idea 1552 01:36:36,600 --> 01:36:42,279 that Alexar is not going to be a full time center at some point in 1553 01:36:42,319 --> 01:36:45,199 his career. And I'm not saying that Wizards, but like that's been the 1554 01:36:45,279 --> 01:36:47,960 sentiment that is floating around there, and I feel, based off everything I've 1555 01:36:47,960 --> 01:36:51,600 read, seen, heard, whatever, there just seems to be maybe they 1556 01:36:51,600 --> 01:36:55,760 just haven't let out with their ultimate planets from there seems to be conflicting messaging 1557 01:36:55,800 --> 01:36:59,760 on well how do they view like how do they plan on I don't even 1558 01:36:59,760 --> 01:37:02,199 say only around him, but how they played on deploying this kid both as 1559 01:37:02,199 --> 01:37:06,159 a rookie and long term. Yeah, I mean it's the easy answer is 1560 01:37:06,159 --> 01:37:11,920 it's just way too early to know. I guess, like and that so 1561 01:37:12,119 --> 01:37:15,319 I remember when we were doing the live show, the Valentniss deal was like 1562 01:37:15,920 --> 01:37:17,600 it wasn't the best or the worst, but it was like really confusing, 1563 01:37:17,680 --> 01:37:20,399 like still the most random contract of free agency. I feel, what, 1564 01:37:20,600 --> 01:37:24,920 Yeah, what does this mean? It's like you kiss with a guy like 1565 01:37:24,960 --> 01:37:29,079 that that is such a not the easiest fit because of his limitations anywhere. 1566 01:37:29,079 --> 01:37:31,640 It's like, I guess that's a tradable number, but like, who's clamoring 1567 01:37:31,680 --> 01:37:34,840 for Valentnists, especially if this is what it costs to sign him to a 1568 01:37:34,880 --> 01:37:39,199 team that is not gonna win, like there were not better offers out there, 1569 01:37:39,239 --> 01:37:42,319 presumably for him if he chose the Wizards that or he knew he was 1570 01:37:42,319 --> 01:37:44,319 gonna play it ton, or he knew he was gonna be Yeah right, 1571 01:37:44,359 --> 01:37:48,119 maybe that's part of it. So I I don't know. I think I 1572 01:37:48,159 --> 01:37:55,439 think still the best outcome is that Star can play center. I don't know 1573 01:37:55,520 --> 01:37:59,319 if I can kill the Wizards for basically saying like we aren't sure he can 1574 01:37:59,479 --> 01:38:06,000 now Rhich is what the Valentunists acquisition suggests. But but yeah, like I 1575 01:38:06,000 --> 01:38:11,319 I don't know. I guess, like based on Summer League stuff, it's 1576 01:38:11,359 --> 01:38:15,199 it's not so much that Tsar looks like someone that's definitely a four or like 1577 01:38:15,399 --> 01:38:18,840 a playmaking for it's that he definitely looks like someone who is not a five 1578 01:38:19,079 --> 01:38:24,079 at this point. So you know, who knows what to take from from 1579 01:38:24,119 --> 01:38:27,600 Summer League for a guy like him. But yeah, I don't know. 1580 01:38:27,840 --> 01:38:30,279 I don't know what to do with that Valentin is signing what that means. 1581 01:38:30,079 --> 01:38:32,640 I also, I guess the thing I didn't consider it is so they guaranteed 1582 01:38:32,680 --> 01:38:34,960 them two years as part of that deal, and was like, they're just 1583 01:38:35,000 --> 01:38:39,359 not because sign and trade you have to be three years, but only one 1584 01:38:39,399 --> 01:38:42,520 needs to be guaranteed. But because he got the second year guarantee at over 1585 01:38:42,560 --> 01:38:45,199 ten million? Is that was that the difference in getting him and that? 1586 01:38:45,279 --> 01:38:47,079 But that really doesn't have anything to do with how it impacts are. So 1587 01:38:47,399 --> 01:38:50,359 I still remaine like pretty high on the direction of this team just because it's 1588 01:38:50,600 --> 01:38:55,000 like they're going about it the right way. But I have so many questions 1589 01:38:55,039 --> 01:38:59,159 about players they'll move, how like what does block cool Bali's usage look like? 1590 01:38:59,239 --> 01:39:02,039 Now when all right there's no more Denny avdya and what's going on with 1591 01:39:02,119 --> 01:39:04,359 Tyas Jones by the way, so phone around there, but you do have 1592 01:39:04,399 --> 01:39:10,199 Brogged in and Kuzma now Bob Carrington in here. So many questions, none 1593 01:39:10,199 --> 01:39:13,880 of them like damning or morbid, but just I have so many questions about 1594 01:39:13,920 --> 01:39:16,079 this team. Yeah, and then that's fine for where they are, Like 1595 01:39:16,119 --> 01:39:20,840 I do. I liked the the Holmes deal doing some asset preservation. Everybody 1596 01:39:20,920 --> 01:39:26,359 drink Sadik bay Holmes, Like even Valentuna is like get not a preservation, 1597 01:39:26,439 --> 01:39:29,560 But like, yeah, I guess that's you could trade them to somebody for 1598 01:39:29,800 --> 01:39:32,840 ten million bucks a year. The object getting paid for an entire year just 1599 01:39:32,880 --> 01:39:38,720 to rehab is as yeah, the Abdia trade, the Abdia trade is still 1600 01:39:39,239 --> 01:39:43,000 you have to you have to love Bob Carrington, which I'm assuming they do. 1601 01:39:43,279 --> 01:39:45,239 I don't. I've seen some of the highlights from him, and like 1602 01:39:45,279 --> 01:39:49,800 the passing feels like okay, like that's gonna be incredibly interesting. But we 1603 01:39:49,800 --> 01:39:54,479 we know how we collected, we know how we feel about Denny Ada on 1604 01:39:54,479 --> 01:39:58,520 this. It just feels like they decided this is as good as Abdia is 1605 01:39:58,560 --> 01:40:01,800 gonna be and and even and if that's true, like that's someone you keep 1606 01:40:01,840 --> 01:40:05,640 because he was really good. Like I don't even if you think he's done, 1607 01:40:05,920 --> 01:40:11,039 he's done upside, I just believe he's too redundant with Cooper Flag. 1608 01:40:12,079 --> 01:40:14,920 Yeah, it has to be something. I was like, who's he gonna 1609 01:40:14,920 --> 01:40:16,199 say, Like, who do they have that would be redundant with him? 1610 01:40:16,760 --> 01:40:19,680 Yes, yeah, he's in the way of Cooper Flag. Maybe that's it. 1611 01:40:19,800 --> 01:40:25,399 He was too good, Like we can't guarantee that we'll be bottoming out 1612 01:40:25,399 --> 01:40:27,880 this badly. Although then just trade him at the deadline. I don't know 1613 01:40:27,960 --> 01:40:30,680 that that's the one thing where I'm like, are you still you guys still 1614 01:40:30,680 --> 01:40:33,520 wizarding out here? Is that? What's going on? Are you ready to 1615 01:40:33,520 --> 01:40:36,800 take us out of here? I am? We did it. Thanks everybody 1616 01:40:36,840 --> 01:40:42,119 for watching, for listening. As usual, Please remember rate review, subscribe 1617 01:40:42,159 --> 01:40:45,319 wherever you get your podcasts. Comment on our YouTube account. Joined the five 1618 01:40:45,399 --> 01:40:50,520 thousand plus loyal subscribers that we have a masked check out the merch that has 1619 01:40:50,560 --> 01:40:56,000 dropped. Dan talked about that in the open join our discord links for that 1620 01:40:56,039 --> 01:40:58,479 in the YouTube and podcast description. Did it for the merch? I think 1621 01:40:58,479 --> 01:41:01,159 that's gonna cover it. See you guys in a while. Uh, you 1622 01:41:01,199 --> 01:41:05,720 won't miss me because Dan is gonna chop me up into a million little video 1623 01:41:05,720 --> 01:41:09,760 bits and it'll be like I never left. We have we have a I 1624 01:41:09,800 --> 01:41:13,600 to a use it right, think about it. I've talked enough on here 1625 01:41:13,720 --> 01:41:16,960 to where you could really if you could just make just clip stuff together. 1626 01:41:17,000 --> 01:41:19,640 And it's like to do that. But if someone wants to wants to have 1627 01:41:19,720 --> 01:41:23,680 Ai Grant Hughes an episode, I will post it. If someone goes, 1628 01:41:23,920 --> 01:41:28,720 please don't, I don't want please don't. And if the wind up being 1629 01:41:28,800 --> 01:41:33,520 even better, oh my god? Why Demanta Sabonis is actually underrated. I 1630 01:41:33,520 --> 01:41:39,239 didn't say that. I will notice bought the difference between real life Grant husing, 1631 01:41:39,319 --> 01:41:42,600 ay I grant us. It's a brave new world that are we live 1632 01:41:42,600 --> 01:41:46,520 in where I get say and thanks, everybody shouts Frank Mila Kean and apologies chaired out