1 00:00:15,359 --> 00:00:20,280 What is krack alac in fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dan for Valley, 2 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:25,399 coming at you with my certified fantabulous co hosts and public enemy number one 3 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,359 among New Orleans Pelicans fans, Mister Grant Hughes, we are going to go 4 00:00:30,519 --> 00:00:36,320 through our one goal objective thing we're monitoring or want to see for every NBA 5 00:00:36,439 --> 00:00:41,399 team down the final few weeks of the regular season will be beginning with the 6 00:00:41,439 --> 00:00:45,880 Eastern Conference doing the dangerous task of going alphabetically, so we will begin with 7 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,280 Atlanta, but after that it gets weird. You never know what's gonna happen 8 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,479 with the alphabet when it comes to Grant and I. However, before we 9 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,880 get started here, and we'll spend five to six minutes on each team roughly 10 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,479 that at least we'll try to, and then maybe we'll expand on one or 11 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,600 two teams, depends on how it goes, but we'll try and keep the 12 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,359 pace moving and not publish an eight hour episode like we did last week or 13 00:01:03,359 --> 00:01:07,799 whatever it ended up being that that second part of the West One was long, 14 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,799 Grant, But first and foremost, before we get started here, how 15 00:01:11,799 --> 00:01:17,560 the heck are you doing, mister hughes. I'm doing well. I feel 16 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,680 like me doing well is mostly luck, but you know, there could be 17 00:01:21,719 --> 00:01:25,879 some other factors that were not kidding. Should we do we? Like try? 18 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,040 Can I just try to needle the Pelicans fan base a little bit more 19 00:01:30,079 --> 00:01:33,760 and just by I think I think we already did that by being I guess 20 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,079 not complimentary enough. That was this. It didn't bother me. I was 21 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,040 aware of it, and I thanked Rome and Discord was like in the YouTube 22 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,239 comments, just yelling at people. So I really appreciated that. But I 23 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:47,760 did read the comments, and I was more flabbergasted than frustrated or upset. 24 00:01:47,799 --> 00:01:49,680 I do. We've been through this. I let Randos on the internet ruin 25 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,879 my day or my mood far more often than you ever had, because you're 26 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,439 a fucking legend, and that's rubbed off on me a little bit. I 27 00:01:56,519 --> 00:02:00,359 used to be way worse with this stuff, but I was just in and 28 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,200 I mentioned this to you, the disconnect between what I thought was a really 29 00:02:04,239 --> 00:02:07,599 good and like positive leaning discussion because spoiler alert, friendone wants to know how 30 00:02:07,639 --> 00:02:12,240 the sausage is made. I'm not gonna put I'm not gonna clip the negative 31 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,520 stuff and put it on YouTube because I don't want to deal with that BS 32 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,680 response if you want to get mad while listening to the whole podcast, Hell 33 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,159 yeah, you learned that right when we say something negative about your team you 34 00:02:22,199 --> 00:02:25,639 disagree with. But I'm normally only posting like the positive stuff or those types 35 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,080 of questions. So it was just interesting how inept I was at I guess 36 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:36,479 gauging the room or about the tenor of our discussion versus how it would be 37 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:39,400 received by Pelicans fans on YouTube, And so I just I found that interesting. 38 00:02:39,439 --> 00:02:44,479 I was more more shocked than upset than any Yeah, I mean, 39 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,199 one, the name of the game, at least for us, although this 40 00:02:49,319 --> 00:02:53,319 may explain why we are where we are, is like not to be inflammatory 41 00:02:53,319 --> 00:02:55,240 on purpose, Like that's never the goal, Like that's like, in fact, 42 00:02:55,319 --> 00:03:00,759 Badline is trying to be the least insufferable national and be able to get 43 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,280 out there. The goal is in fact to be like an antidote to that 44 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,199 kind of stuff, Like we're really not hot taking it, Like that's not 45 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:13,439 the goal. And like two, what you're describing does not sound like a 46 00:03:13,479 --> 00:03:15,800 you problem, Like it's not you are not the one you know, your 47 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:22,439 sensitivity or whatever, or inability to judge like what's gonna you know, raise 48 00:03:22,479 --> 00:03:25,360 the ire of a particular fan base, Like, no, you judged correctly, 49 00:03:25,599 --> 00:03:30,719 and you had some irrational actors that you couldn't have foreseen. Like that's 50 00:03:30,759 --> 00:03:35,120 all it is, Like was it you that said everybody wants what maybe with 51 00:03:35,199 --> 00:03:37,719 someone in discord, Sorry, I forget who said it, but like everybody 52 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:42,159 wants what Ben Golliver calls generic praise for their team. I forget who said. 53 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,240 I can't remember who said that, but that's one hundred percent right, 54 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:46,400 like I mean, and no, that's not one hundred percent right. That's 55 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:51,840 one hundred percent right for some subsection of people that are going to take like 56 00:03:51,879 --> 00:03:55,960 a measured discussion trying to determine like what's going on with your team in like 57 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,319 an ostensibly fair way as critic or as like evidence that you don't know what 58 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,879 you're talking about. So you know, it's it's not a you problem, 59 00:04:04,919 --> 00:04:12,080 it's not an US problem. It's a few misguided stragglers in the comments problems. 60 00:04:12,199 --> 00:04:15,520 There's also I think this, well, the two fold for me is 61 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,279 what I think I've noticed is that and I've said this so many times, 62 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,519 the local coverage on pretty much all these teams is just so good and nuanced 63 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,040 that if you compare that to this podcast when we're trying to talk about all 64 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,959 thirty teams, you're gonna come away probably disappointed or unimpressed. And so I 65 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,399 honestly don't we all we have our fandom roots, but like, we're not 66 00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:36,079 coming at this from the pure fan perspective, And so part of me wonders, 67 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:40,600 like, is it just insufferable not to listen to someone talk about your 68 00:04:40,639 --> 00:04:44,920 team when they've watched them less than you, even if they're better at what 69 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,920 they do overall? And so I think that that has sort of because of 70 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,240 how good the local coverage is, and look, there is some toxic national 71 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,920 coverage. There is some lazy national coverage. I'm not here to say that 72 00:04:55,959 --> 00:05:00,680 there isn't, But I just wonder if that's created sort of a you know, 73 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,079 in inherent resentment to where you're going into, well, you're talking about 74 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,839 every team you clearly don't know enough about my team type of deal, and 75 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,079 I wonder if that goes into the reactions. And then kind of the other 76 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,160 thing is it does feel like a and I've definitely felt this way in the 77 00:05:15,199 --> 00:05:17,120 past, but as I've gotten older, I'm just more open to discussion and 78 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,279 admitting when I'm like flat out wrong or don't know, like the discussion about 79 00:05:21,319 --> 00:05:25,360 the heat where I basically boiled it down to aliens because I have no idea 80 00:05:25,399 --> 00:05:30,040 what and I'm comfortable saying it that way. But it does feel like people 81 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,720 just want to and you get this in like even when like comments are praising 82 00:05:32,759 --> 00:05:35,439 you, there's a lot of well, actually, like I need to show 83 00:05:35,439 --> 00:05:40,199 you how much I know when it's like these, like when you're not necessarily 84 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,120 having an interaction with someone, but like the need to comment or to disagree 85 00:05:43,199 --> 00:05:46,639 is is like I know this, and I guess I've never had that. 86 00:05:46,759 --> 00:05:50,279 I think when I'm challenged that like response might come out to me be like, 87 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:53,160 well, I need to defend my take, but I guess I've never 88 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:58,240 had that need to be like, well, no, like I know this, 89 00:05:58,319 --> 00:06:00,079 and I need to let you know that I know what. Or I 90 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,439 differ from you, not even just in a measurable way, but I differ 91 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,800 from you in the slightest way. I need to let you know why, 92 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:10,040 and like I need to turn that into a big thing. It feels like 93 00:06:10,079 --> 00:06:13,439 there's more of that for some reason. I think it's just the symptom of 94 00:06:13,519 --> 00:06:16,800 like the everybody gets to live in an echo chamber now, just because that's 95 00:06:16,879 --> 00:06:21,279 how Internet culture works. And so like the second that you know, you 96 00:06:21,319 --> 00:06:27,279 can you can very much insulate yourself inside the The Pelicans are the greatest team 97 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,839 on planet Earth, and nothing they do is anything other than the product of 98 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,240 like their greatness, and it's all by design. Like you can live in 99 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,680 that world. It's easy, Like you could just find some like minded people 100 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,399 on your very you know, whatever sites you like to read or whatever your 101 00:06:41,399 --> 00:06:45,000 Twitter lists are, like easy, you can live in that world. Yeah, 102 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,079 and that's and that's pretty comfortable. And that's kind of a huge problem 103 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,920 societally, like outside of the NBA discourse that we got to work through. 104 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:57,759 And then like when you're in that little silo where everybody thinks the same thing 105 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,439 and everybody just like pats each other on the back for agreeing, it's not 106 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:05,680 great to hear someone that disagrees with you, and like you're not equipped anymore 107 00:07:05,879 --> 00:07:10,680 to have a civil conversation about it. And so again, Dan, not 108 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:16,160 a you problem. I'm just sha't we hold on? I know, I'm 109 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,439 just like trying to bait. You should we now try to piss off all 110 00:07:20,439 --> 00:07:24,639 thirty fan bases as we go through these teams. I was gonna say, 111 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:29,800 maybe we do that, and then I sometimes wonder if we're too accessible and 112 00:07:29,879 --> 00:07:31,519 I'm not going to change. I mean, I haven't been really as active 113 00:07:31,519 --> 00:07:34,199 in Discord the past. Hey join our discords that I don't have to interact 114 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,680 as much because my life has been like way too chaotic the past weeks. 115 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,000 I feel guilty that I haven't been around in Discord as much. And so 116 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,279 it's when you look at the podcasts that are way bigger than us, there's 117 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,839 like I can't even think of anyone that interacts or reads the comments or response 118 00:07:48,879 --> 00:07:53,720 to the comments regularly, and so it's just like, is that level of 119 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,040 detachment to be there? And I don't want to have that level of detachment. 120 00:07:56,079 --> 00:07:59,800 I like our Discord members or fantastic, and we've had great discussions and 121 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,439 content inspirations there and the mail bag questions are always fun. But I've also 122 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:05,759 thought a lot about that where it's like, no, you know, Zach 123 00:08:05,839 --> 00:08:09,759 Lowe is not seen what anyone's criticizing him about because he's not interacting with his 124 00:08:09,839 --> 00:08:13,120 listeners and It's like I think the Dunker Spot does interact with their listeners on 125 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,399 Twitter and they have their mail bags, but like Buying Large, like you 126 00:08:16,439 --> 00:08:20,000 know, the Big podcast, like Bill Bill Simmons is not interacting with his 127 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:22,000 listeners on a regular We're reading the comments, I'm sure on a regular basis, 128 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:26,120 and so maybe we need to strike that balance. But I'm not going 129 00:08:26,199 --> 00:08:28,920 to be completely inaccessible. But that was something else I thought about where it's 130 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,040 like, we want to be more popular, build up the pod, it's 131 00:08:31,079 --> 00:08:33,720 do we interact or read our comments less? Is that? Is that the 132 00:08:33,759 --> 00:08:37,679 recipe? I think it works the other way. Once you get popular enough, 133 00:08:37,759 --> 00:08:41,000 you don't have to do anything else, Like you just like put your 134 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,960 stuff out there and don't worry about it because your bulletproof that was eight and 135 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,440 a half minutes on Absolute Yeah, vanity time stamps that one. What are 136 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:56,399 you gonna call that? Uh? The intro. I think let's get to 137 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:01,039 the Atlanta Hawks and so we both sort of have our own things here for 138 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,200 each team and we'll get into them as we deem fit. What is your 139 00:09:05,759 --> 00:09:07,600 like, what is your thing? I know what it's going to be for 140 00:09:07,639 --> 00:09:09,120 this team. I'm ready to kind of lampoon it because I'm over it. 141 00:09:09,159 --> 00:09:13,919 But yeah, I'm kind of over it. Well, no, I'm not 142 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:20,159 over it because I there's something about this concept that like just tickles the part 143 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:24,879 of my brain that is always kind of had this weird feeling about this type 144 00:09:24,879 --> 00:09:28,360 of player. So I think the Hawks, you know, I don't know 145 00:09:28,399 --> 00:09:31,039 that this is their goal. I think they would much prefer that to not 146 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,639 have to work through this right now. But Trey Young is hurt, and 147 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,279 I think it would at least be a good use of the remaining games the 148 00:09:37,279 --> 00:09:41,840 Atlanta Hawks are going to play this season to kind of like kick around, 149 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:46,000 like a little thought experiment. What would it be like if Trey Young were 150 00:09:46,039 --> 00:09:48,840 not here because he's not going to play. He's hurt. I don't know 151 00:09:48,879 --> 00:09:52,440 what the official designation was, but I'm pretty sure he's going to be out 152 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,879 for the season. I don't know why they would bring they haven't classified as 153 00:09:56,039 --> 00:10:01,440 indefinitely, and it's a I'm not I'm not saying this ingest, but like 154 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,000 left pinky finger surgeries is what he had, right, So we'll see whatever 155 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,039 I think. So it's a pretty simple argument to me. It's been six 156 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,240 years. There was the high of the Conference Finals appearance. Trey Jung is 157 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,440 a phenomenal offensive players. Like the numbers back it up. He's one of 158 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,480 the best lob passers in the league. He's you know, can be an 159 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:24,559 offense unto himself. Sometimes not to the absolute highest level always, but sometimes 160 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,679 you know, he's been the reason the Hawks are like first or second offensive 161 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:33,399 efficiency, Like really you know, high end offensive player, that type of 162 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,639 player when they don't defend and when their off ball stuff is not useful, 163 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,559 Like this is a very much like talking talking head argument of like guys kind 164 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,600 of sour on that. And and you know, John Collins I think comes 165 00:10:45,639 --> 00:10:48,360 to mind. And there's never really been anyone that's like over the moon about 166 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:54,200 playing with Trey as far as I know. So if you've had six years 167 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,399 of this, you have the iffy leadership you you have, you know, 168 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,679 he's already signed. It's not like you're gonna get out from on. You 169 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,759 know, you're not going to make a decision on his next contract. Like 170 00:11:03,799 --> 00:11:07,679 that decision has been made. It was probably the right decision to maxim I 171 00:11:07,759 --> 00:11:11,200 just I think the Hawks there's value in them kind of seeing what this looks 172 00:11:11,279 --> 00:11:13,840 like and then the next logical step is like, what could we get for 173 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:18,000 him potentially if we like how things might be with the Jante Murray and Jalen 174 00:11:18,039 --> 00:11:22,720 Johnson and whatever else. There'll be some there will be more house cleaning. 175 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,480 But you've changed coaches more than once with this guy. You've changed the surrounding, 176 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:33,320 you know, supporting cast, you've changed front offices. So like, 177 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,879 this is the last card that hasn't been played. If you're trying to figure 178 00:11:37,919 --> 00:11:41,919 things out, maybe the answer is still we build around Trey Young. We 179 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,080 just do different things around him. But I think maybe it's not to me. 180 00:11:46,639 --> 00:11:48,720 This is an opportunity, the doubt, the stretch of the season, 181 00:11:48,759 --> 00:11:52,440 just to kind of see what life is like without him, and if there's 182 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,639 any appeal to that, I feel like I've seen enough and the answer is 183 00:11:56,639 --> 00:11:58,759 what we knew. The answer was going to be, the defense will be 184 00:11:58,759 --> 00:12:01,000 better. Even though Trey Young has defended better over the past year and a 185 00:12:01,039 --> 00:12:05,000 half, the defense is going to be better. Its peak is gonna be 186 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:09,159 neither high enough nor sustainable enough to say this team is better without Trey Young, 187 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,399 and it's gonna be the same thing when you're looking at how the offense 188 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:13,519 is run around to Jontay Murray. And so if people want to have the 189 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,519 trade Trey Young discussion, it needs to be framed as because the Hawks want 190 00:12:18,519 --> 00:12:22,200 to rebuild, not because they're better off without Trey Young. You are not, 191 00:12:22,759 --> 00:12:26,600 in my mind, flipping him and recalibrating, reorienting, reoptimizing the roster. 192 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,039 It's just it's not possible. We've kind of seen it, like, 193 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:31,360 yeah, they had some good defensive luck, but if they don't have it 194 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:35,799 on some night, then they just don't have the offensive juice to get by. 195 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,159 And so I'm more interested with this team. The goal needs to be 196 00:12:39,639 --> 00:12:41,639 like if you want to move on for Murray, that's fine. Like let's 197 00:12:41,879 --> 00:12:46,320 the non stars, Like you need to figure out what's kind of going on 198 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,000 here. It's is on Yaka Kungu the air apparent to Clin Capella? Or 199 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,720 do you want to bring him off the bench? Do you view him as 200 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,440 more of a four? We know Jalen Johnson is part of the core, 201 00:12:54,879 --> 00:12:58,120 Like is it Crachi's defense officially a thing? Do we want to keep him 202 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,840 around long term? Before Atlanta? Is DeAndre Hunter? He's cut mid range 203 00:13:01,879 --> 00:13:05,519 jumpers out of his diet. Coming off the benches looked good on him. 204 00:13:05,759 --> 00:13:09,120 Has he entrenched himself to the core, And so there's, yes, there's 205 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,919 that question of you need to decide whether you want to continue building around Tray 206 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:18,879 Young. But I need to emphasize that there is just close to zero possibilities 207 00:13:18,919 --> 00:13:22,919 in my mind where this team is better off in the short term without him. 208 00:13:22,919 --> 00:13:24,200 And so if you want to have the Trey Young discussion, it's to 209 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,679 me, I think it needs to be framed as well. Then the Hawks 210 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:31,039 want to rebuild, and because you have Trey Young, I'm gonna keep trying 211 00:13:31,039 --> 00:13:35,519 to build around Tray Young, and that's gonna entail now monitoring the supporting cast 212 00:13:35,519 --> 00:13:39,759 around him, which I don't think has been optimized to his greatest strength enough. 213 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,120 And again he hasn't adapted as well over the year as he plays off 214 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,639 the ball a little bit more now, Like I don't think that they've just 215 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:50,559 built the roster that I don't want to say insulates him defensively, but that 216 00:13:50,639 --> 00:13:54,720 you know, is gonna be top tier defensively with the personnel around him, 217 00:13:54,759 --> 00:13:56,960 and just like the weird stuff in the front court. So it's like I 218 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,360 look at this team and I view Trey Young and Allen Johnson as the guys 219 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,559 moving forward, and like you need to kind of figure out what you have 220 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,200 around them. Now that gets a lot harder because Trey Young's not playing. 221 00:14:07,279 --> 00:14:11,600 Sadi Bay has done for the season. Conglu just came back, I believe 222 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,720 from his injury. Like that's to me, Like what I'm watching for with 223 00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:18,120 this team is who of the others actually makes sense around the two players that 224 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:22,720 you know you should be building around. Yeah, I think look, I 225 00:14:22,759 --> 00:14:28,080 think your your point is well taken. It's I would just say, if 226 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,960 you're gonna if you're gonna say that the Hawks are are not a better team 227 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,440 without Trey Young, you have to also consider the fact that they've had negative 228 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:43,480 point differentials four years running, have topped out at forty three wins, and 229 00:14:43,519 --> 00:14:48,080 Trey Young's been mostly healthy. So it's like, yeah, and again that 230 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,000 doesn't that doesn't take away from what you're saying, which is like, it's 231 00:14:50,039 --> 00:14:54,399 the other guys, it's not Trey Young, which I think is probably mostly 232 00:14:54,480 --> 00:15:00,279 right. I think maybe in a more interesting question would be like what do 233 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,600 you think the Hawks will do? Because we know how the league works, 234 00:15:03,679 --> 00:15:09,080 and sometimes you know it's it's a matter of when you just go back to 235 00:15:09,159 --> 00:15:11,159 Damian Lillard, go back to whoever you want to use as like, I 236 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,919 don't know, there's some like whispers like maybe he's the next guy to go, 237 00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:18,320 Like those are out there for Trey Young, and you could you pair 238 00:15:18,759 --> 00:15:22,919 those with like a team that has underperformed I think by most people's estimations, 239 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,960 and it's like that snowball kind of starts rolling down the hill and event it's 240 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,120 like it, only it doesn't keep it doesn't roll back up, like it 241 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:35,639 just gets bigger and goes faster. Do you think that Trey Young will be 242 00:15:35,759 --> 00:15:41,600 on the Hawks in one year? Is like crazy? But I mean an 243 00:15:41,639 --> 00:15:45,600 offseason trade wouldn't stun me in like eighteen months or something like that, or 244 00:15:45,639 --> 00:15:48,759 the deadline of the twenty twenty five trade deadline. Is Tray still on the 245 00:15:48,799 --> 00:15:52,960 Hawks. I think he is, just because I don't know, aside from 246 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:58,039 maybe the Spurs and then that's like the classic Nets with mckail bridges the Rockets 247 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,559 there where you're just getting back to your own picks and the level of and 248 00:16:00,679 --> 00:16:04,320 that I also just think, like you're Atlanta, Trey Young is one of 249 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,559 the best franchise players of all time. You don't give up this player. 250 00:16:07,679 --> 00:16:12,200 I think the bigger question is how if we had to build the optimal roster 251 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,519 around forget about trade assets, who's available in free agency or cap situation. 252 00:16:15,919 --> 00:16:18,440 You need to sit down, map that out, and you know, if 253 00:16:18,679 --> 00:16:22,919 it involves actually rebuilding around Trey Young and taking a step, then that's what 254 00:16:22,919 --> 00:16:26,200 you need to do. And so that's the route I would actually go. 255 00:16:26,639 --> 00:16:30,440 Do I think they will. This front office is unpredictable to me. I 256 00:16:30,519 --> 00:16:33,960 just don't see the team out there that's gonna come in and bowl them over 257 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,759 with the offer. I mean, again, the Spurs aren't the type of 258 00:16:36,759 --> 00:16:40,600 team that's just gonna overpay. No. Maybe the wee Beyama trajectory changes that. 259 00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:42,120 And we know what the Lakers can do in terms of pick offerings, 260 00:16:42,159 --> 00:16:47,600 But it's like Austin Reeves and three. First is you can like that's gonna 261 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,720 be their best offer, Like you can pass on that and not really flinch. 262 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,639 And now, if you're Trey Young, though, and the Hawks come 263 00:16:53,679 --> 00:16:59,639 to you and say we're gonna we're gonna rebuild around you might get ugly for 264 00:16:59,679 --> 00:17:03,000 a year or two. How do you feel about that? Maybe he's the 265 00:17:03,039 --> 00:17:07,039 guy that maybe it's him and not the Hawks. That's saying like, I'm 266 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:08,880 not sure I want to hang around for like a year while we are a 267 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,440 year or two while we try to swap out the parts, you know, 268 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:15,880 because it's not gonna be that easy for them to ness. I don't know, 269 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:22,799 like I I sometimes I understand the inclination to like push back against like, 270 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,400 ah, he's the next guy to get traded. It just feels like, 271 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:27,480 I don't know, it's a gut thing. It just feels it feels 272 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:30,240 like he's gonna be the next, you know, in the next batch of 273 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,599 throw Towns in there or whatever. But he feels like he's in that group. 274 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,680 But it's like you harp on that for not you specifically, but if 275 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,400 you harp on it long enough, you might get there. Because so few 276 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,839 teams win titles and so it's like, just think about the way people viewed 277 00:17:45,839 --> 00:17:49,480 it with Miles Turner or obviously a lower level, the way people view it 278 00:17:49,519 --> 00:17:52,480 with Towns Now and it's like, Okay, well he saw in another contract 279 00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:56,400 in Minnesota. Yeah, maybe he eventually gets moved. That doesn't make you 280 00:17:56,519 --> 00:17:59,079 right though, just because you said this for years and years and he was 281 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:04,039 finally moved. It's even This feels like a closer like fac simile to remember 282 00:18:04,039 --> 00:18:07,960 when people just thought that Shay Gildzuxander was eventually going to get traded out of 283 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,839 Oklahoma City so they could continue their rebuild, or he would ask for out. 284 00:18:11,519 --> 00:18:14,599 And I'm not saying the Hawks have it reached the thunders level right now, 285 00:18:14,599 --> 00:18:17,079 and I'm not even saying they won't trade Tree Young. But that's what 286 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,559 this feels like to me, is that people have decided he needs to get 287 00:18:19,559 --> 00:18:23,440 traded, and so they're just gonna focus on that, and if he does 288 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,960 eventually ask for out or get moved, it's told you right, And it's 289 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,279 just like it's more complicated than that, to be sure, Yeah, I 290 00:18:30,279 --> 00:18:34,000 think sometimes the news cycle is so gnarly though it can almost like bring things 291 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,880 into being. It feels like that's not really how it works, but it's 292 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,119 almost It might be the Damian Lillard scenario. I don't think Trey Young has 293 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:45,000 expressed the type of loyalty that like publicly that Damien into Atlanta, that Damian 294 00:18:45,039 --> 00:18:48,200 Lillard did to Portland. But like you just said, oh, Dane can't 295 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:49,799 win there, he needs to ask for a trade, and we everyone kept 296 00:18:49,799 --> 00:18:53,000 saying it kept saying it, kept saying it. In year six of that 297 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:59,319 he finally did. It's like we knew it all along. See my take 298 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,440 from twenty five fifteen was right, all right, we gotta way a blow 299 00:19:03,519 --> 00:19:08,119 past the time the are purported time limit. The Boston Celtics are next. 300 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,279 Do you want to lead off with this one? Or should I give you 301 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:17,839 my kind of issue slash thing They got to figure out first, so I'll 302 00:19:17,839 --> 00:19:19,519 have let's do mine first. My actual goal for them is just, hey, 303 00:19:19,559 --> 00:19:23,359 you need to get a Drew Holiday extension done. He's the extension eligible 304 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:27,039 on April first. He has a forty plus million dollar player option. There's 305 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:33,000 there's two elements to this. It's and I did one my primary concern or 306 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,519 goal. It speaks to just how good the Celtics are. We both have 307 00:19:34,559 --> 00:19:37,759 the same lake in concerns, which is what I'll throw it to you in 308 00:19:37,759 --> 00:19:41,160 a second. But it's twofold here. You gave up stuff to get You 309 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,519 clearly won that trade. But he gave up stuff to get Drew Holiday, 310 00:19:44,519 --> 00:19:45,240 so you want to keep him. You don't want to put yourself in a 311 00:19:45,279 --> 00:19:51,039 scenario where he gets a contract offer in a free agent market that maybe Paul 312 00:19:51,079 --> 00:19:55,000 George gets interesting for but like, aside from then, all of a sudden, 313 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,039 I Drew Holiday's on the open market? Does that get weird? And 314 00:19:56,079 --> 00:20:00,440 the other thing is just if you sign him to an extension and you just 315 00:20:00,599 --> 00:20:03,599 know now, like just having the information of, oh, he declined the 316 00:20:03,599 --> 00:20:07,480 player option, he's on the smaller average annual salary, that's gonna help you 317 00:20:07,599 --> 00:20:14,200 plan your very financially inflexible future a lot better moving forward than if you kind 318 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,240 of have to figure out the number on the fly. And that will, 319 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,240 I think, inform a lot of things where it's not just okay, well 320 00:20:19,279 --> 00:20:23,160 what do we need on the roster? What's the cap situation? But everyone's 321 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:27,319 identify speaking of players that people have basically decided need to be traded, Jalen 322 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,920 Brown signed his super Max and so oh he's eventually going to need to be 323 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,880 moved. It's not tenable. See how long you're gonna be able to float 324 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,200 this core? And part of that is we need to get Drew Holiday's next 325 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:40,920 number not just lower for next season, but on the book's long term. 326 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,880 And so I think that's just if I'm the Celtics, everything is peachy king 327 00:20:45,279 --> 00:20:47,799 here and not like they are are flaws, and we'll talk about them in 328 00:20:47,799 --> 00:20:49,400 a second. But like, let's get a Drew holiday extension done and that 329 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,359 will just I think alleviate yeah, stuff that happens in the playoffs, if 330 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,720 you get blown out in the second round or something, there'll be an additional 331 00:20:56,799 --> 00:21:00,759 conversation, but allowing you to kind of get a jump on what your cap 332 00:21:00,759 --> 00:21:04,799 sheet looks like and how you can flesh out your team or plan your future 333 00:21:04,799 --> 00:21:08,359 around that. I think there's a lot more value in getting a Drew holiday 334 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,920 extension done now than if you were simply to opt out and then sign that 335 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,880 deal later on. Yeah, I think that's a wonderful contrast and a good 336 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:21,200 illustration of the breadth of issues we can cover on this podcast, because I'm 337 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:25,119 going to give you the talking head take of like, well, I guess 338 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:30,680 maybe the goal that the Celtics should have is not necessarily like figuring out their 339 00:21:30,759 --> 00:21:34,559 late game offensive execution issues. It should be like shutting everyone up that won't 340 00:21:34,599 --> 00:21:40,480 stop talking about all of the like their concerns with their late game offensive execution 341 00:21:40,559 --> 00:21:44,319 issue. Yeah, I mean, like it's the type of thing they can't 342 00:21:44,319 --> 00:21:48,079 really like. The balance of the regular season is not going to be where 343 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,440 you find your answers for this, Like, although like almost letting the Bucks 344 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:52,599 back in it tonight as we're recording. I don't know if you saw the 345 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,119 end of that game, but it was it was not a game. And 346 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,599 then the Celtics score like eighteen points in the first eleven minutes the fourth quarter, 347 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,119 and the Bucks, you know, thirty something, and it's just like 348 00:22:03,759 --> 00:22:06,200 with no Yiannis, it's like, what are we doing, Guys, like, 349 00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:08,599 don't don't let us, don't force us to keep talking about this stupid 350 00:22:10,039 --> 00:22:14,720 Oh they're you know, it brushes up so close to the jump shooting teams 351 00:22:14,759 --> 00:22:18,559 can't win a championship that I like, I like physically cringe and hate it 352 00:22:18,559 --> 00:22:22,079 because that's so stupid. But there is an element of that where it's like, 353 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,720 oh, they just you know, when they make twenty threes like they 354 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:27,400 did for what four games in a row, I think it's set a record 355 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:32,759 recently, they're unbeatable. But then sometimes they go cold and that happens at 356 00:22:32,799 --> 00:22:36,519 the worst times, and we're left watching Jason Tatum miss an open corner three 357 00:22:36,559 --> 00:22:38,480 that could have tied or beat the Nuggets. A couple of weeks ago, 358 00:22:38,559 --> 00:22:44,480 and it's just like, what are we doing. It's an issue though, 359 00:22:44,599 --> 00:22:47,640 like we saw it, you know, play a hand in them not winning 360 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:51,400 a title in twenty two. Uh, we've seen it more than once this 361 00:22:51,559 --> 00:22:55,200 year, these these cold spells at the end of games where Jason Tatum is 362 00:22:55,279 --> 00:22:59,599 I don't know, people will say not assertive enough, too willing to settle 363 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,960 for a contested jumper, which he can get to, which is like a 364 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,759 skill and that's a great ability to have, but it's not satisfying for people 365 00:23:06,799 --> 00:23:08,880 that want him to just you know, find other ways to score. So 366 00:23:10,759 --> 00:23:14,960 you know, they're so good that this probably isn't going to be an issue 367 00:23:15,039 --> 00:23:18,400 until like I don't know, the finals maybe, but like especially well they 368 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,240 did just let the giannisless Bucks back and again let them. It just happens. 369 00:23:22,279 --> 00:23:26,880 It happens, and it like there's something I don't know. Maybe it's 370 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,519 because it's been kind of the same issue for multiple years now, where it's 371 00:23:30,599 --> 00:23:33,119 like it takes on a life of its own and everybody kind of gets to 372 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:37,960 here we go again, feeling when the Celtics you know, run into these 373 00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:41,720 droughts laden games and teams you know, make them competitive when they weren't for 374 00:23:41,839 --> 00:23:45,839 three and a half quarters. That said, the Celtics still have a plus 375 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,799 five point six net rating and fourth quarters, which is the best in the 376 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,799 league. So it's just like, I don't know what to do with that. 377 00:23:52,839 --> 00:23:55,160 But it's a real thing, right, Like it's it's one of these 378 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,640 it's a shot selection issue. It's a you know, it's all the all 379 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,640 the you can go and all the and o's, like the types of shots 380 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,640 they're hunting, like who's on the floor, Like is the five out thing? 381 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,200 Just kind of baiting them into taking lots of threes because that's what you 382 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,839 can generate with that kind of look. I don't know, but I do 383 00:24:11,279 --> 00:24:15,279 they got a better job buy and large of getting to the basket and varying 384 00:24:15,319 --> 00:24:18,039 up the script and high leverage moments. But I want it you point me 385 00:24:18,079 --> 00:24:23,559 to the team. Maybe it's Denver that sticks to their functional script that late 386 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,559 in games it feels like everyone there the offense always kind of bogs down because 387 00:24:27,599 --> 00:24:33,480 you're playing too conservatively and you're overthinking it. But to your point, I 388 00:24:33,519 --> 00:24:34,480 don't really have anything to add just to back it up. So they do 389 00:24:34,599 --> 00:24:40,440 have when you're looking at overall clutchness they have a top eight offense to go 390 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,240 with a nineteen to ten record. In those situation, that's not an issue 391 00:24:42,279 --> 00:24:45,440 on its face. Now, however, they are hovering around the bottom ten 392 00:24:45,839 --> 00:24:49,839 of point score per possession in the final three minutes of one possession games. 393 00:24:51,079 --> 00:24:55,039 They're in the bottom five of point score per possession of one possession games in 394 00:24:55,039 --> 00:24:56,720 the final minute. It's like, this is a real issue, But it's 395 00:24:56,759 --> 00:25:00,559 sort of just like your gold shoe are a little too tight because it's so 396 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,000 dominant, Like, what else are we going to talk about with a team 397 00:25:04,039 --> 00:25:07,960 this good? There's just like you have to pick the thing that everyone like, 398 00:25:08,079 --> 00:25:11,559 yeah, you're right, you're your golden shoes are like there's a scuff 399 00:25:11,599 --> 00:25:15,400 on them or something. Is that a thing? Do we just make one 400 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,440 up? Yeah? Sure? Why not? Do we want to go to 401 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,440 the Brooklyn Nets? Sure? What do you let us off of the Celtics? 402 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,960 What he got for them? It's just the Kevin Ollie thing. I 403 00:25:26,319 --> 00:25:32,799 I think, you know, it's it's always the it's always easy when uh, 404 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:37,440 like an assistant coach is always the good cop and the head coach is 405 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,319 the bad cop. And then like when you're not getting minutes or whatever, 406 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:44,480 it's the the usually the former player assistant coach that's like, you know, 407 00:25:44,599 --> 00:25:48,039 in practice, got his arm around you happy, is not I, you 408 00:25:48,039 --> 00:25:49,640 know, I didn't make the decision to cut you know, to cut you 409 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,960 out of the rotation like I love you or we're going to work through this, 410 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,559 like he get so Kevin Ollie kind of gets to be that guy as 411 00:25:56,599 --> 00:25:57,960 an assistant coach, and lots of other assistants get to be that and then 412 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,039 they're the head coach, Like used to be that guy, and then he 413 00:26:02,079 --> 00:26:04,839 was the head coach and things change. So I think the Nets just kind 414 00:26:04,839 --> 00:26:08,359 of have to figure out, is Kevin Allie really truly an interim guy, 415 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,000 see someone we're gonna have, you know, as our you know, next 416 00:26:12,039 --> 00:26:15,880 four or five, you know, coaching contracts are always like three and four 417 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,279 years. Now, Is that who we're going to invest in? Just the 418 00:26:18,279 --> 00:26:22,240 goal should just be to see like as a trial run down the stretch of 419 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,039 this season, which is hard because there's injuries and like, you know, 420 00:26:25,839 --> 00:26:29,720 it's just difficult to judge anything over the last like fifteen plus games of the 421 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,480 season, especially if you're not really contending for anything. But I think that's 422 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,960 got to be there the Nets focus right like you could? You could. 423 00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:40,279 I mean, I hope you'll talk about some other things to give us a 424 00:26:40,279 --> 00:26:42,359 little breadth here, but like that, that seems like the issue to me 425 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,720 is like, is Kevin Ollie the guy? I don't know? We'll find 426 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:48,759 out. So that's like kind of an extension of what I have. And 427 00:26:48,799 --> 00:26:52,680 it's basically I need this team, and by that I mean the front office 428 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:59,200 or maybe owner JOSEI to accept the reality of their situation. And you had 429 00:26:59,279 --> 00:27:03,599 Sean Mark basically saying when jacqu Von was fired that the Nets were too good 430 00:27:04,039 --> 00:27:11,599 to have a record this pore. That is mind meltingly stupid. This team 431 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,599 on paper, I'm sure we talked about it in the preseason. Their highest 432 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,119 end outcome was maybe they got a top six spot. And think about everything 433 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,880 that needed to go right right down to Ben Simmons being healthy and effective, 434 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,960 right, and to have that internal view of yourself and then not pivot off 435 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:33,720 it just to trade Royce O'Neill. It's time to accept that something more extreme 436 00:27:33,799 --> 00:27:36,359 needs to be done. Now, what is the more extreme? I'm not 437 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,200 saying they need to tear it down, although that's probably the route I would 438 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:42,920 favor. But it's then you need to double down and identify the player who 439 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:47,640 can actually accelerate your position. That's not a Donovan Mitchell level player. It 440 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:48,799 needs to be someone better than that. And so you need to spend the 441 00:27:48,799 --> 00:27:55,039 rest of this season asking and answering critical, tough, awkward questions. The 442 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,000 Kevin Alie want is certainly who's the next head coach? Is it Kevin Ali? 443 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:02,440 You're absolutely right on that. McHale bridges it was. It was open 444 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,119 for debate after last year. He's clearly not the best player on a really 445 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:08,559 good team. He's probably not even the second best player, at least unquestionably 446 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,400 on a really good team. You need to ask yourself, can you get 447 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,839 the player who's better enough than him to put him in his proper spot in 448 00:28:15,839 --> 00:28:18,559 the pecking order? And also, do you trust that he's gonna develop enough 449 00:28:18,799 --> 00:28:22,640 on ball counters to deal with the extra defensive attention he's gonna get, even 450 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:26,920 if you bring in a different number one, even if you bring in the 451 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,920 point guard, a different type of point guard. You also need to ask, 452 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,400 hey, Cam Thomas' extension eligible this summer, is he actually part of 453 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:34,799 our core? What is his ceiling? We know what he could do as 454 00:28:34,799 --> 00:28:37,799 a score, we know from where he could do it. We've seen incremental 455 00:28:37,799 --> 00:28:41,359 improvement as a passer, as a three point shooter. Can that scale up 456 00:28:41,359 --> 00:28:45,839 even further? Or is I think he will be He can be better than 457 00:28:45,839 --> 00:28:49,680 a microwave type of six man. But will he won the odds he reaches 458 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,799 this top percentile his outcome? And two, what are the odds that you're 459 00:28:53,839 --> 00:28:56,759 gonna be good enough for that to matter? If you're gonna pay him? 460 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,839 You also have to ask are you the team that should really be paying Nick 461 00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:03,599 Claxton this all season? That needs to be part These are all questions that 462 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,400 need to be part of did we miss the boat on getting value for Dorian 463 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,160 and Phinney Smith. You can even ask the same question about Cam Johnson here 464 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,559 and so it's fine if they decide we want to keep this core intact, 465 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,119 but it's not this core when you look at this core, Even if you 466 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:22,200 think mckel bridges gets better on the ball and ratchets up the defense next season, 467 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:26,559 Even if you think that Cam Thomas has other levels to reach, even 468 00:29:26,599 --> 00:29:33,279 you think that Nick Claxton still he's improved incrementally every season basically as is without 469 00:29:33,319 --> 00:29:38,799 a seismic shift in pecking order. This team is sub mediocre and it's time 470 00:29:38,839 --> 00:29:41,559 to accept that. How do you get out of that? Is it to 471 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:45,960 strip it down rebuild gradually, or is it we're gonna go out there and 472 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,880 get the guy that elevates us to probably not title contentions since those players really 473 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:55,279 aren't available. But we know we can be a top sixteen in the East 474 00:29:55,319 --> 00:29:57,519 now and I'm gonna tell everyone right now, and I'm not saying he'll be 475 00:29:57,519 --> 00:30:02,279 available. The answer is not a Donovant Mitchell level type of guy who look, 476 00:30:02,279 --> 00:30:03,960 he would have had a first team All NBA case if he didn't miss 477 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,599 the game's minimum now at this point. But like in any given season, 478 00:30:08,359 --> 00:30:11,279 it's you can't be on any given season, Donovan Mitchell's that guy. It 479 00:30:11,319 --> 00:30:15,119 needs to be. Oh no, that guy, it's the Shade Goes Alexander. 480 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,720 That's who you need if you want to get elevated. That guy's probably 481 00:30:17,759 --> 00:30:22,279 not out there, which is why I would probably favor the more gradual rebuild 482 00:30:22,319 --> 00:30:26,119 approach with this team. I think to your point too, like you're just 483 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:33,799 looking at a roster that is bottom bottom ten on offense, below average on 484 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,319 defense. Despite what I was sure was going to be, like we both 485 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,119 the kind of personnel that was just going to guard the shit out of everybody, 486 00:30:41,119 --> 00:30:47,759 and that hasn't really happened there. They'd be a much more interesting ver 487 00:30:47,839 --> 00:30:51,839 because you got Bridges, you got cam Johnson, you know, like you 488 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:56,279 got Clackson if you bring them back. But like that's the profile of like 489 00:30:56,279 --> 00:31:00,079 a Chicago Bulls esque like ceiling, and we are very much on the record 490 00:31:00,079 --> 00:31:03,319 of that is not what you want. So so yeah, you can't running 491 00:31:03,359 --> 00:31:07,759 it back clutch team in the history of the NBA. Chicago. You want 492 00:31:07,759 --> 00:31:11,400 to be the Chicago and De Marta Rosen and you want to be the Bulls 493 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,200 in the last five minutes of close games. But otherwise you do not want 494 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:18,519 to be the Bulls Charlotte. We want to move on to not the Bulls 495 00:31:18,519 --> 00:31:22,519 but the Charlotte Hornets. Yes, so this is a this is a I 496 00:31:22,559 --> 00:31:26,119 was gonna say that for the Hornets. It's almost like a hypothetical because we 497 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:32,519 may not see LaMelo the rest of the year. I think the goal should 498 00:31:32,599 --> 00:31:34,839 have you know, maybe maybe we can put an asterisk next to it, 499 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:40,039 but like at some point you're gonna need to figure out how do LaMelo Ball 500 00:31:40,079 --> 00:31:44,079 and Brandon Miller work together, because we've talked about this a little bit before, 501 00:31:44,279 --> 00:31:48,440 Like the either or thing that has been raised some by some people or 502 00:31:48,559 --> 00:31:53,000 I think is just it's kind of it's what happens when you've got who you 503 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,359 thought was your cornerstone and he's out of the picture for whatever reason is in 504 00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:00,839 this case it's injury and you've got another guy show shows up and it's like, 505 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,960 oh, do we reorient around this guy? Like, to me, 506 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,640 that's a false choice. I think you need to see how they play off 507 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:10,799 each other. And now that I'm discussing this, I think we have talked 508 00:32:10,799 --> 00:32:15,519 specifically about this, like this this should be an awesome tandem. Like the 509 00:32:15,799 --> 00:32:21,960 pieces fit you know as Miller as a secondary guy, Ball as a primary 510 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:27,079 distributor who you know, Miller can shield defensively and Lamel can be more of 511 00:32:27,079 --> 00:32:30,799 a distributor if you don't love that from Miller Miller. So, like I 512 00:32:30,839 --> 00:32:34,400 think the Hornets number one issue, Like there's a lot going on there, 513 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,200 Like I imagine they're going to have a new coach, probably because you've got 514 00:32:37,319 --> 00:32:42,640 new management. Even though Jeff Peterson has worked with Steve Clifford before and likes 515 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,160 him. I think there's gonna be some shakeups. We've already seen. You 516 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,599 know, they finally rip the band, The Gordon Hayward band aid off. 517 00:32:49,039 --> 00:32:52,880 But like those two guys are the franchise right now, and like that's it, 518 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:58,319 and you need to determine how well they're going to work together insofar as 519 00:32:58,319 --> 00:33:00,839 that's even possible right now. But the idea like we got to move one 520 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,799 or the other seams insane to me. I think you've got to just find 521 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,319 some indication of like how that's gonna look going forward, and then what do 522 00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:09,839 you need around him? Yeah, she's first of all, what are you 523 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:14,279 gonna get for LaMelo now? Because people are gonna harp onnest I don't understand 524 00:33:14,319 --> 00:33:16,319 the I guess there is an argument to be made. If someone bowls you 525 00:33:16,359 --> 00:33:20,039 over with an offer, maybe you listen to it. But like people thought, 526 00:33:20,119 --> 00:33:22,680 and I'm not saying he's gonna have the same career outcome, but people 527 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,119 thought Steph Curry was gonna be a bust because of his ankles. He didn't 528 00:33:25,119 --> 00:33:29,119 get a max contract and I've all he had one of the best contracts NBA 529 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:30,839 history, But like he turned out okay, and so like, we need 530 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:34,839 to give this time, especially when there's not redundancy there, which is why 531 00:33:34,839 --> 00:33:37,039 I went in the complete opposite direction because this team, since Lamel is injured, 532 00:33:37,519 --> 00:33:40,200 I don't know how much you can learn about them big picture. We 533 00:33:40,319 --> 00:33:45,720 have learned that without LaMelo ball, the half court offense is gonna suck. 534 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,759 It might even suck with LaMelo ball points. So I want to see them 535 00:33:47,799 --> 00:33:52,559 just crank it up in transition the rest of the year. When I'm watching 536 00:33:52,599 --> 00:33:55,240 them, they have Vassili Meachiz, who likes to operate a little bit more 537 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:59,359 methodically, but he can get up and down the floor. You have Brandon 538 00:33:59,359 --> 00:34:02,079 Miller, which, by the way, your best half court weapon right now 539 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:06,359 is maybe a Brandon Miller pull up jumper from the mid range, which is 540 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:08,880 like, good for you, Brandon Miller, but it's also not ideal. 541 00:34:09,519 --> 00:34:14,840 And so like, I think you can create advantages in transition, or at 542 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:19,159 least that's how you're gonna be most threatening. And just between Nick Richards Miles 543 00:34:19,159 --> 00:34:22,199 Bridges, like I said Trey Man that someone who can get up and down 544 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:28,760 the floor, you need to play faster. And since since the you know, 545 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:34,000 the trade deadline, basically Charlotte is twenty sixth in transition frequency that climbs 546 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:39,039 to twentieth after an opponent miss, which still sucks, and just overall their 547 00:34:39,079 --> 00:34:43,920 twenty third in average offensive possession time. I'm not saying it will always be 548 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,000 pretty, but a way to offset the talent and creation deficit that you're clearly 549 00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:51,519 at, even with Mesich, even with Trey Man, even with what Brandon 550 00:34:51,519 --> 00:34:53,960 Miller has done, is to just play faster and get out and transition and 551 00:34:54,039 --> 00:34:59,800 just run the fuck out of the ball, especially after opponent misses. And 552 00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:01,519 that's what I would just like to see them do because I think that will 553 00:35:01,519 --> 00:35:07,440 help them gain more information outside of the LaMelo ball Brandon Miller like snapshot that 554 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,920 we want to see and figure out what they're going to be long term. 555 00:35:10,159 --> 00:35:13,320 It's well, right, well, who can play like this or what do 556 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:15,559 we have something here? And even if that's not what you learn, if 557 00:35:15,599 --> 00:35:19,239 you just want to be more competitive for the rest of this season, which 558 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:22,639 they don't technically have an incentive to do, but I just want like they're 559 00:35:22,679 --> 00:35:23,920 a team that I think when I look at the personnel, it's kind of 560 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:28,119 like, well, why aren't they running more? Yeah, I mean it's 561 00:35:28,159 --> 00:35:30,519 always the I think that's always like, at least for your fans sakes for 562 00:35:30,559 --> 00:35:34,159 crying out out at the end of seasons like this, Like let's just put 563 00:35:34,199 --> 00:35:37,840 an entertainment you're gonna want to run when you have LaMelo anyway, it's like, 564 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,639 let's have that like dynamic already in place from when he comes back, 565 00:35:40,639 --> 00:35:44,760 whether it's this season or next season, with a lot of these guys that 566 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:47,000 are still gonna like it looks like Trey Man and Message those are gonna be 567 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,000 guys that they want to keep around. Maybe they even decide to keep her 568 00:35:50,079 --> 00:35:53,079 Ton's is sort of this human trade exception. So I just I need to 569 00:35:53,079 --> 00:35:57,639 see them. I agree with what you're saying, like let's just see with 570 00:35:57,679 --> 00:36:00,480 them. But are we going to see that? So it's we can't run 571 00:36:00,519 --> 00:36:05,280 the shit out of the ball please, Yeah, Chicago Bulls. Man, 572 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,960 what do we even say about the Chicago Bulls? Oh man, I actually 573 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,320 have I have stuff to say about the Schogboles That is not stuff that you 574 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,960 would think that I have to say about the Chicago Bulls. Oh okay, 575 00:36:15,039 --> 00:36:17,599 Well, I just say real quickly, like I'm not gonna just say pick 576 00:36:17,639 --> 00:36:21,599 a direction, but I'll be more specific. You need to decide what you're 577 00:36:21,599 --> 00:36:24,320 willing to do in restrict your free agency for Patrick Williams, who has shown 578 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:28,880 some flashes, but like I just I still don't really know what he's going 579 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:30,360 to be. And he's come for the year too, so you're not going 580 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:34,960 to figure anything out. So you're you have less information than you were gonna 581 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,159 have. Uh, you know, it's just like it's confound like he's a 582 00:36:37,199 --> 00:36:40,320 forty three point shooter and he's a good defender, but like he can't do 583 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,480 almost anything else, Like he can't dribble, he can't pass, like he's 584 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,599 not a good So I don't know what that's worth. But you've got the 585 00:36:46,679 --> 00:36:52,960 draft pedigree to consider. You've got the DeMar de Rosan situation. Where are 586 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:57,079 you extending him before July first? Are you gonna let him hit free agency? 587 00:36:57,119 --> 00:36:59,199 Are you what are you willing to pay to keep him? Like? 588 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,480 And then what's that say about the direction of the team that we've always you 589 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:07,519 know, for however long just hated the direction they have chosen slash not chosen. 590 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,079 So that's all the basic bull stuff. But I'm very curious to hear 591 00:37:10,119 --> 00:37:15,360 what you're what yours is going to be So I am not late. We 592 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,519 all know. I've been on the Io dessum Wu train quite some time, 593 00:37:17,599 --> 00:37:20,760 and when we were going through free agents still available, I was like, 594 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,760 some team needs to steal him from Chicago. Yeah, I look, I'm 595 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:27,239 like I'm over for a lot of takes. This one looks pretty good. 596 00:37:27,599 --> 00:37:30,119 I would like to see and they've started doing it, and Will gottlieb Over 597 00:37:30,159 --> 00:37:35,559 at Chicago Sports wrote a fantastic piece about this. I want to see them 598 00:37:35,559 --> 00:37:38,719 explore the depth of Io de souon Mu's scoring package, and like, we 599 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:42,880 know what he can do. Defensively, He's he's like six or five or 600 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,400 whatever it is, but you can defend almost every position. His default mold 601 00:37:45,519 --> 00:37:50,960 is defference and we've seen it. He's passing on over fifty one percent of 602 00:37:51,039 --> 00:37:54,360 his drives, which is an incredibly high mark. Actually had this written down 603 00:37:54,639 --> 00:37:59,400 somewhere that among the seventy five players who have used as many drives as Io 604 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,800 desun Mu, he's fourth in the share at which he passes, which is 605 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:07,519 fine overall if you're looking to generate rim pressure. Especially Look, Zach Lavine 606 00:38:07,599 --> 00:38:10,679 is out for the year. Kobe White's dealing with some hits hip stuff at 607 00:38:10,679 --> 00:38:14,199 the moment. Now's the perfect time to do it, and we've seen the 608 00:38:14,199 --> 00:38:16,119 Bulls do it the past couple games. Is can you get I would assume, 609 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,880 looking for his own shot outside of just hitting these set threes, which 610 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:22,000 again, that's something he could do now if you can add sort of a 611 00:38:22,039 --> 00:38:27,320 self sustaining scoring package to it. We've seen some aggression from him in the 612 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,480 pick and roll. He eighty one or eighty two percent of his pick and 613 00:38:30,559 --> 00:38:35,079 rolls and in a shot or a foul, which is fine, but like 614 00:38:35,159 --> 00:38:37,760 those aren't follow throughs all the way to the basket. That's a lot of 615 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,079 stuff that's happening from the in between. Or is it a simple high pick 616 00:38:40,119 --> 00:38:44,159 and roll and he's going it dribbling into a three. I want to see 617 00:38:44,199 --> 00:38:47,400 if they can get him moving downhill and being more aggressive as a scorer, 618 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,679 and we've seen that in as we're recording this, the Bulls is past two 619 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:57,639 games where he goes off for what was it, thirty four points on a 620 00:38:57,639 --> 00:39:00,159 season high twenty two shots in that win over the Wizards, follows that up 621 00:39:00,159 --> 00:39:05,400 with twenty three point detonation in the victory over the Blazers. I just want 622 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,679 to see more of it, and now is the opportunity time to do it 623 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:09,679 because of the injuries. But also let's frame this in a bigger pit to 624 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:14,440 tie it with what you said, who on this roster do you look at 625 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:15,800 and say, well, they need to be a part of whatever the Bulls 626 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:19,519 decide to do next, whether it's rebuild, whether it's to double down on 627 00:39:19,559 --> 00:39:22,679 a trade. Kobe White is probably the only one you already touched on the 628 00:39:22,679 --> 00:39:27,719 Patrick Williams uncertainty. And I think you can even make a case that I 629 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,920 wouldn't do this, but like, Kobe White probably isn't going to be extendable 630 00:39:30,119 --> 00:39:36,599 on this deal because it's so absurdly team friendly. Not a big enough number 631 00:39:36,599 --> 00:39:37,960 off that right, and so it's well, if we're gonna strip it down, 632 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,400 I don't know that you could say that Kobe White needs to be a 633 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:46,159 part of it because he might get way too expensive for you and outpace your 634 00:39:46,199 --> 00:39:50,880 trajectory. Whereas Iodasunmu you could run into that same issue of course, But 635 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,000 like I'll say, give it to Kobe White. We know whatever the Bulls 636 00:39:53,039 --> 00:39:55,800 decided to do next, he should be on this roster. Is Io do 637 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,079 Soon MoU on that same level, I would argue, yes, but I 638 00:39:59,079 --> 00:40:01,039 want to see more from him as a scorer, and I think now they're 639 00:40:01,119 --> 00:40:06,079 kind of built to see what he's able to do in that capacity. It's 640 00:40:06,159 --> 00:40:08,800 nice that for him, even if the scoring doesn't ultimately become a part of 641 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:12,280 his game, that like that just means he's not going to be like a 642 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:15,719 plus plus starter, but he'll be like he's, no doubt like a low 643 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:19,639 end starter as it is, and maybe better than that. Many of that 644 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,079 undersells it, and he's for sure a rotation piece because of the versatile defense. 645 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,360 You might know this because you've you've looked at some of this stuff. 646 00:40:25,679 --> 00:40:30,639 Do you want to guess what Kobe what? Sorry slip there? What do 647 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:34,920 Soon moves per thirty six averages are for the season? Just points, rebounds, 648 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:38,239 assists? Ooh, I'm gonna say points, rebounds, assists, I'll 649 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:44,599 say fifteen, eight and nine. He's a twenty five and five guy per 650 00:40:44,679 --> 00:40:47,800 thirty six, Like, I mean, you know, Kobe White just for 651 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:52,000 you know, nobody really plays thirty six minutes anymore. Kobe White's like twenty 652 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,519 six, seven and six. But Soon moves efficiency numbers hold up just fine. 653 00:40:55,679 --> 00:40:59,840 You know, thirty nine percent from three whites at thirty eight point eight, 654 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:02,599 like they you know those two, Like, do the Bulls just have 655 00:41:02,639 --> 00:41:07,880 their back court? Like? Is that just the backcourt viewture for a combined 656 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:12,480 like under twenty million dollars a year might be twenty million a year? Yeah, 657 00:41:12,519 --> 00:41:15,119 that wow, And it's I mean that's only for another two years or 658 00:41:15,159 --> 00:41:17,519 whatever it is, but wow, I mean like yeah, so yeah, 659 00:41:17,559 --> 00:41:21,480 that's a maybe. That's the one thing the Bulls don't need to figure out 660 00:41:21,559 --> 00:41:24,519 is who's their backcourt. And like you said, whichever direction they go, 661 00:41:24,639 --> 00:41:28,960 like, there's no teardown that also includes getting rid of those two guys, 662 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,559 and there's no like, let's really go for it that doesn't include those two 663 00:41:31,599 --> 00:41:36,159 guys playing huge roles. So, like, I guess unless if you if 664 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,159 going forward entails, but we need to make a trade, those are I 665 00:41:39,199 --> 00:41:44,360 think the top two. I guess it's Alex Caruso and then I would assume 666 00:41:44,519 --> 00:41:46,639 Kobe, Like those are the three players on this roster everyone's gonna want. 667 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:53,639 Yeah, in the Cleveland Cavaliers are next. I can lead us off here. 668 00:41:53,679 --> 00:41:59,320 I guess, well, you're time stamping. So, uh, the 669 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:04,360 thing this is I keep running into these, but sorry, Like the Caves 670 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,840 need to figure out is Evan Mobley ready And they don't get to get a 671 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:10,199 lot of information about that down the stretch of the season because he was hurt 672 00:42:10,199 --> 00:42:14,000 and then he came back, and then he's hurt again. And the Caves 673 00:42:14,039 --> 00:42:16,239 are never allowed to have more than two of their four best players healthy. 674 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:21,079 I think I've had the number. I think it's like twenty two games that 675 00:42:21,119 --> 00:42:24,000 they've all for been healthier, is correct, because I have that number written 676 00:42:24,039 --> 00:42:29,159 down as well. It's insane, so like they don't have a single lineup, 677 00:42:29,199 --> 00:42:31,840 by the way, five man lineup that has played in more than twenty 678 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:37,039 two games together and they're still like right there, which you know, just 679 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,239 it's unbelievable. I mean, we talked about Coach of the Year stuff, 680 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:43,559 like I don't know, at some point we just have to say bigger staff 681 00:42:43,599 --> 00:42:45,800 has figured something out and has pushed some of the right buttons. So but 682 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:51,239 the mobile thing, like dating back to this, I will never stop thinking 683 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:55,840 about mobiley against the Knicks in the playoffs as a role guy banging into two 684 00:42:55,880 --> 00:43:00,199 giant humans in the lane and not see, you know, not have a 685 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:01,599 good place to kick it out too, because Max Struz wasn't there at the 686 00:43:01,599 --> 00:43:05,920 time, and no one's got it guarding Isaacacorro or Kris l Verd or whoever's 687 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:08,159 in the corner and being unable to finish, you know, read the quick, 688 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:12,000 make the quick decision, finish, oversize like all that stuff. Those 689 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:15,800 were my biggest questions about Evan Mobley coming into the season, and that matters 690 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,559 because Evan Mobley, to me, still is the guy that if the Calves 691 00:43:19,559 --> 00:43:22,679 are going to level up, you said at Donno Mitchell's great player is still 692 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:28,159 like the ceiling of this team is still you know, depends on Evan Mobley. 693 00:43:28,199 --> 00:43:30,400 And that's a rough place to be lately because I think it's fair to 694 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:34,639 say he has not delivered on the hype that I heaped on him and that 695 00:43:34,679 --> 00:43:37,599 a lot of other people did. Some of that's been injury, some of 696 00:43:37,639 --> 00:43:42,920 it has been performance. So I think the goal for the Calves before they 697 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:45,599 get into a situation in the playoffs where elimination is at stake is to figure 698 00:43:45,639 --> 00:43:50,079 out, like so when teams do against us, what we know they are 699 00:43:50,119 --> 00:43:54,000 going to do, which is make Evan Mobley be an offensive focal point and 700 00:43:54,039 --> 00:43:58,960 make decisions. Is he ready for that? Don't know. You may not 701 00:43:59,079 --> 00:44:01,440 know until until elimination is at stake, but that seems like a pretty high 702 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:06,679 priority issue for me. Yeah, I would like to see. It's also 703 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:07,960 kind of comes back to the dual big stuff as well. It's not just 704 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:13,480 about Evan Mobley. I would like to see we've all there's only been there's 705 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,800 been fewer than fifty possessions in which Sam Merrill has played with Jared Allen and 706 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:19,239 Evan Mobley. And he's someone who I think at this point opens up the 707 00:44:19,239 --> 00:44:22,199 floor for you, not as a playmaker like Max Shrews does, but just 708 00:44:22,199 --> 00:44:24,320 as a pure floor spacer. And so if you're gonna play him with those 709 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:29,079 two, you've now insulated him defensively and he'll fight defensively, like kind of 710 00:44:29,119 --> 00:44:31,280 like Max Strews where it's oh they're a little bit they Max Shrews has better 711 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:35,199 size, but like they will fight defensively more than people credit them. So 712 00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:37,599 I would like to see more of that instead it as a goal I would 713 00:44:37,599 --> 00:44:40,039 also one of the goals I had for them is like, let's keep this 714 00:44:40,519 --> 00:44:45,159 Darius Garland three point volume thing going. That's been on the climb. Uh, 715 00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:46,280 it is a little bit more touch, like he's been done a better 716 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:51,039 job of sort of playing in the Donovan Mitchell minutes and so lately, and 717 00:44:51,079 --> 00:44:52,320 so it's like, well, how does that now impact that Donovan Mitchell is 718 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:57,159 gonna be out at least a little bit with that nasal procedure he had he 719 00:44:57,199 --> 00:44:59,719 had done until that's something to monitor. I think the goal for this team 720 00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:01,960 would because of how banged up they are, and because of how many questions 721 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:07,840 we have about the rotation the bigs, even the guards playing together, and 722 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:10,000 who's gonna be a part of the you know, the the playoffers like, 723 00:45:10,079 --> 00:45:15,519 well, Isaac Okorro hit enough threes when you get to that stretch they need 724 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:17,039 well, I won't say they need, but like, let's just I don't 725 00:45:17,079 --> 00:45:21,079 I think default to this. There are two teams that I think in the 726 00:45:21,159 --> 00:45:23,960 league that I think the playoff seeding matters a shit ton for right now. 727 00:45:24,519 --> 00:45:29,280 The Cows are one of them. Lock up that number three seed so that 728 00:45:29,519 --> 00:45:31,920 you avoid Boston as long as possible, I think that's big. And if 729 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:36,000 you can get number two, just because of how injury riddled you are, 730 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:38,920 you're writing contention there, and you own the tiebreaker over the Bucks now as 731 00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:43,880 well, which is a big deal too. You now guarantee yourself home court 732 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:46,119 through the first two rounds. That's a pretty huge deal. And so if 733 00:45:46,119 --> 00:45:50,599 I'm this team, because you're in survival mode right now and you're looking at 734 00:45:50,599 --> 00:45:52,920 who's behind you, the Sixers aren't going to come at you without Joel Embiid 735 00:45:53,079 --> 00:45:57,480 the magic or they're frisky as hell. They have one of the top six 736 00:45:57,559 --> 00:46:00,960 net ratings since the end of January. So that's a team where up the 737 00:46:00,039 --> 00:46:02,960 Knicks. Oh Jao, he's out again. The elbows stuff is cropping up 738 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:06,440 and didn't look the same when he came back. That's still been a team 739 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:09,920 that's pretty deep. But can you fend off those three teams? Maybe get 740 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:13,280 the two seeds, Like that's a realistic goal for you, and I think 741 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,719 that sets you up to be Okay, we're not gonna have the information we 742 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:21,039 need on our entire just arsenal. We found out a lot about our depth, 743 00:46:21,199 --> 00:46:23,639 like just knowing that you have the sam Merril lever to pull and even 744 00:46:23,639 --> 00:46:27,920 some stuff with george Y Yang and Karas the vert helping you push the pace. 745 00:46:28,559 --> 00:46:30,960 But you're not gonna know enough about your full cast, and so it's 746 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:35,159 like, let's just get a top three playoff seed so that we don't have 747 00:46:35,239 --> 00:46:37,960 to go through Boston. I mean, like, even by the way you 748 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,840 might then avoid New York, is still not a great matchup for them now 749 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:43,079 at least you being sure, Okay, well we're not gonna we're not gonna 750 00:46:43,079 --> 00:46:45,880 see New York in the first round either. If we finished with you know 751 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:49,880 that top three, top two seed. Yeah, I think that's all good. 752 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:55,800 Let's get to the Detroit Pistons. Injuries have like made this team even 753 00:46:55,920 --> 00:47:01,480 harder to talk about at like the Asar Thompson good vibes to start, Thompson 754 00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:06,159 with those blood cloths, blood clots out for the season. Isaiah Stewart also 755 00:47:06,239 --> 00:47:09,840 out for the season. My goal for them was gonna be, like, 756 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:15,559 can Monny Williams like quit screwing around and just start playing some lineups that like 757 00:47:15,679 --> 00:47:19,519 theoretically matter to the future. I think he's done more of that, but 758 00:47:19,679 --> 00:47:22,920 now you are gonna be robbed, like, is okay? Is it is 759 00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:25,559 it me? Or are we having more and more situations at this stage of 760 00:47:25,599 --> 00:47:30,800 the year where it's like the things the team needs to know, are just 761 00:47:30,880 --> 00:47:34,400 like not knowable because of injuries. Like we just talked about Mobiley, We're 762 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:37,719 gonna talk about the Pistons now, I forget already. Who else we mentioned 763 00:47:37,719 --> 00:47:40,760 that? Uh uh Patrick Williams is out, so the Bulls don't get any 764 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:45,719 more information? Yeah, ball, Like is it? Maybe maybe I'm just 765 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:50,719 like gravitating towards like I wish I knew more about teams that had a bunch 766 00:47:50,719 --> 00:47:54,400 of key injured guys, but like this keeps happening for I was texting with 767 00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:57,440 someone the other day and I said, I don't know if I say this 768 00:47:57,519 --> 00:47:59,880 every year, and so like maybe we need to keep the receipt on this, 769 00:48:00,079 --> 00:48:04,639 but I feel like I just I don't remember the onslaught of injuries ever 770 00:48:04,679 --> 00:48:07,840 being like this, and is it just this time of year and teams are 771 00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:09,239 a little bit more like in the case the Wizards, where it's okay, 772 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:13,719 could Denny Avi or Kyle kuzmoer Tys Jones be playing, Sure, but we're 773 00:48:13,760 --> 00:48:16,159 looking at teams that have actual stakes here that are missing a bunch of guys, 774 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:21,719 And so it just feels like there has been an increase in injuries this 775 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:24,559 season, and like mission critical injuries but we need to keep the receipts on 776 00:48:24,599 --> 00:48:29,039 this because am I going to say this the same time next year? Well? 777 00:48:29,119 --> 00:48:31,239 Right, yeah, Like I I kind of roll my eyes sometimes where 778 00:48:31,239 --> 00:48:35,000 it's like, oh, that's the injuries this year. You know, it's 779 00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:37,880 like, no guys get hurt every year, it's normal. But I mean, 780 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:40,400 I don't know, it's just the feeling. It's like it's undercutting all 781 00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:44,199 of the things I want to learn, like and we don't get to see 782 00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:47,079 if Monti Williams. You know, it's like some of the things that the 783 00:48:47,119 --> 00:48:51,840 Pistons did were earlier this year were just like inexplicable, like sticking with Killie 784 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:53,719 and Hayes for as long as they did, setting up a star Thompson to 785 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:57,679 fail with some of the lineups they put around him. That just made it 786 00:48:57,719 --> 00:49:00,519 so his lack of shooting was you know, did just a giant spotlight on 787 00:49:00,599 --> 00:49:04,679 it, Like there's way there are workarounds like there, you know, even 788 00:49:04,719 --> 00:49:08,079 go down to like the was it sensible to have some veterans in there, 789 00:49:08,159 --> 00:49:13,079 especially some that were taking minutes from the younger So anyway, what I was 790 00:49:13,239 --> 00:49:16,360 gonna say was I need Monny Williams to prove he can play lineups that at 791 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:21,280 least make sense in terms of what you're hoping to find out about, like 792 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:24,159 the long term future of the young players on this team. In some ways, 793 00:49:24,159 --> 00:49:28,199 I guess that's easier because now it's just cunning Ham and Ivy and let's 794 00:49:28,320 --> 00:49:30,800 let's hope that that, you know, looks really good down the stretch and 795 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:34,239 during I guess to some extent, but yeah, I don't know. The 796 00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:37,960 Pistons got way less interesting the second Thompson was ruled out for the season to 797 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:40,639 me, because that, like, I love Ivy, I think Ivy still 798 00:49:40,679 --> 00:49:45,480 has like massive potential. I'm not I've not sold any ice, even on 799 00:49:45,519 --> 00:49:49,159 wide open threes. Don't care. I still I'm not selling the stock. 800 00:49:50,159 --> 00:49:52,239 But Thompson was kind of like the reason to watch the Pistons for me if 801 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:55,519 you're gonna like flip around and pick a game for a few minutes. So 802 00:49:55,840 --> 00:50:00,519 I don't have a lot to add to that. So my pri goal for 803 00:50:00,599 --> 00:50:04,880 them was gonna be can we get And some of this was awkward to asar. 804 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,400 Thompson K Cunningham plus shooting lineups and so that means je n Ivy and 805 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:13,199 Jalen Durnan are not on the court, and frankly, I really don't give 806 00:50:13,199 --> 00:50:15,679 a fuck. I think that is sar Thompson and k Cunnham are the only 807 00:50:15,719 --> 00:50:19,840 players on this team that have established themselves as core players for the future. 808 00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:22,119 So I wanted to see more of that. And the fact that they never 809 00:50:22,239 --> 00:50:25,199 got to this season when you dig into the data when they had Gallo, 810 00:50:25,239 --> 00:50:30,079 when they had Muskala, and we know they have Stewart, those two barely 811 00:50:30,119 --> 00:50:32,840 played with any one of those three guys at the five, And that to 812 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,960 me is I don't know if that's on the front office, if that's on 813 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:38,679 Monni Williams, but you know what it is, it's functional malpractice. That's 814 00:50:38,719 --> 00:50:44,199 that's what it is. Now that our star Thompson is, I hope he's 815 00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:46,280 okay. It sucked. The plug clot thing sucks long term, short term, 816 00:50:46,320 --> 00:50:49,840 that just sucks. Hopefully he's going to be all right. Now It's 817 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:52,960 like, okay, can we get the Key Cunningham and Jalen Durham plus shooting 818 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,280 lineups? But before I go into that, like some side quests would be, 819 00:50:55,360 --> 00:50:58,719 can we get Jane and Ivy to hit a wide open three? Or 820 00:50:58,760 --> 00:51:05,800 even I'll say this about Jalen duran and like, he how do I phrase 821 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:10,400 this gently? Can they get him to stop branching out on offense? Like 822 00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:15,800 I don't care about him attacking mismatches off the dribble anymore. If he can 823 00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:19,119 do that, that's great, But your offense is not gonna be that much 824 00:51:19,159 --> 00:51:22,920 better for him doing that. And his defense it feels like he's just not 825 00:51:22,039 --> 00:51:24,800 as like he can go like. It feels like he's just less disciplined, 826 00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:28,639 less coherent. I'm that end of the floor. Can we get Jalen Durham 827 00:51:28,679 --> 00:51:30,920 back on. I was so excited for him this season and now it's like 828 00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:36,000 I don't know. I did I could? You could take me or leave 829 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:37,400 me with Jalen durn So those put me some nice time. Can they get 830 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:40,880 Jalen Durant? Can they get him to start passing more again? Go dig 831 00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:44,880 into his passing splits? It's like, yeah, I'm not really gonna pass 832 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:49,199 out of the role anymore. Why would I do that? So but even 833 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:52,480 when you dig in, and this is again, they are personnel strapped. 834 00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:54,119 When you when I say kay coming him and Jalen Duram plus shooters, it's 835 00:51:54,320 --> 00:52:00,679 will name the shooters Dan, So you have Simoney Fontachio, you have Evan 836 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:04,679 Fournier, Quentin Grimes in theory before his injury, he wasn't making threes, 837 00:52:04,719 --> 00:52:07,719 but that would be a name throughout there. Marcus Sasser. Let's get to 838 00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:12,599 those lineups and look, Isaiah Stewart not being available makes it very difficult. 839 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:15,159 That is why I have Jalen Duran sandwiched in here. I will say this 840 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:20,079 is a little bit of a travesty. Kate Cunningham, Jalen Dern and Simoni 841 00:52:20,119 --> 00:52:25,159 Fontechio have tallied twenty possessions together without Ivy Stewart or Thompson in the game. 842 00:52:25,159 --> 00:52:28,719 And I know Streward is technically a floor spaser, but not at the four 843 00:52:29,119 --> 00:52:32,760 that So get to those lineups at the end. Look, first of all, 844 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:37,400 some of those players are and fourne Marcus Sasser, they're available. Everyone 845 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:39,800 else is not. So it's I don't need to see like the James Wiseman 846 00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:43,719 in this anymore. I know he's had some like higher level moments with the 847 00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:47,000 Pistons. I don't care. It's just like the model means. First of 848 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:51,199 all, the model is because Kate Cunningham, to me, is that dude. 849 00:52:51,239 --> 00:52:52,599 And you could say, well, if he was that dude, the 850 00:52:52,599 --> 00:52:58,280 Pistons would be better. You show me the functional lineup that he has not 851 00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:01,280 been able to like that he should have shouldered to like to like actual more 852 00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:05,480 wins Kate Cunning him is that guy. The model is kid plus shooting. 853 00:53:05,599 --> 00:53:08,280 It's so limited and it's like Jalen Duran is there again. I really wanted 854 00:53:08,320 --> 00:53:12,280 to be kid and Asar plus shooting. That needs to be the goal to 855 00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:15,920 get to next season, and Jay and Ivy needs to be needs to prove 856 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:19,239 them that he could be part of that makeup. That's what I want to 857 00:53:19,239 --> 00:53:21,440 see from the Pistons for the rest this year. Because outside of that, 858 00:53:21,519 --> 00:53:24,880 I just like Marcus Sasser is super intriguing and Samoni fon Techio. I've come 859 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:28,519 around on that acquisition. I thought they were being a little Devil may Care 860 00:53:28,599 --> 00:53:30,280 with the second round pick they gave up for him. I'm no longer there 861 00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:34,239 with that, but that's just where I'm at with like, that's just sort 862 00:53:34,239 --> 00:53:37,199 of what I'm watching for. Yes, if Jay and Ivy could hit more 863 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:39,000 wide open threes, or if Jalen Duran could be more of the player he 864 00:53:39,119 --> 00:53:42,760 was to start the season, that would be great as well for sure, 865 00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:46,079 Yeah, I'm with it. We're now on to the final team for this 866 00:53:46,519 --> 00:53:51,800 part of the podcast, the Indiana Pacers. Grant what you got for me 867 00:53:52,239 --> 00:53:54,280 or them? Excuse me, Well, it's for you too, But it 868 00:53:54,679 --> 00:53:58,920 is a this is not a you problem, this is a Pacers problem, 869 00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:02,920 and you'll be free to comments on it. So long long ago, Dan, 870 00:54:04,039 --> 00:54:07,119 you may recall that the Indiana Pacers were one of the darlings of the 871 00:54:07,199 --> 00:54:10,039 league and during the n season tournament we could just not do anything but gush 872 00:54:10,079 --> 00:54:15,239 over how great their offense was, particularly that transition attack, how Tyrey's Haliburton 873 00:54:15,280 --> 00:54:20,599 was Steve Nash, some idiot that looked and sounded like we probably made that 874 00:54:20,639 --> 00:54:23,679 comparison more than once, and just the way that he transformed the team and 875 00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:28,920 was so you know, just just a generational offensive player. Uh. The 876 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:32,639 Pacers offense has not been so hot lately, and Tyr's Max did I say 877 00:54:32,679 --> 00:54:38,000 Terry's Maxie? I hope I didn't. Terry's Haliburton has has not been nearly 878 00:54:38,039 --> 00:54:42,320 so good, and that's mostly due to the injury. So the question or 879 00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:45,039 the goal for them has just got to be figuring out how to like get 880 00:54:45,079 --> 00:54:51,199 back to where they were offensively, and we can talk about whether that's possible 881 00:54:51,360 --> 00:54:57,760 because a pretty key piece that was running around and make and opening things up 882 00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:01,119 is not there anymore. So maybe that's not possible, and maybe you can't 883 00:55:01,159 --> 00:55:06,239 undo the hamstring that Haliburton has clearly been gutting through to try to get sixty 884 00:55:06,239 --> 00:55:08,639 five games. More power to him, he should be doing that. That's 885 00:55:08,639 --> 00:55:13,079 a lot of money. But yeah, so, like I just wanted to 886 00:55:13,559 --> 00:55:19,480 flag that as I'm looking up what Haliburton's splits are because basically since the injury, 887 00:55:19,480 --> 00:55:22,679 we can use the All Star break kind of like as a proxy for 888 00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:27,719 that. He's been shooting like thirty percent from three. He's down from like 889 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:30,800 twenty six and thirteen to more like nineteen and eight. Like, it's just 890 00:55:31,079 --> 00:55:36,880 the numbers are are totally different for him and by extension, for the Pacers. 891 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:38,800 So they're gonna do anything in the playoffs. Certainly they got to find 892 00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:44,719 some of that juice on offense down the stretch here. Tari's Aliburton is the 893 00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:47,119 biggest fraud in the every day am I doing the podcast? Think thing right 894 00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:51,599 now? Stop it. I'm with you on that, And so I want 895 00:55:51,599 --> 00:55:55,199 to tip unlockedown Pacers Tony East from Forbes and Kaitlyn Cooper of Basketball. She 896 00:55:55,440 --> 00:56:00,000 had a fantastic discussion about what's kind of changed for the Pacers since this year 897 00:56:00,039 --> 00:56:02,360 Oakham trade. And the thing that I have flagged but it was since the 898 00:56:02,360 --> 00:56:06,800 trade deadline is that and this steps on the Tyres Talburton is a part of 899 00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:10,280 this. They need to recapture their transition mojo. And I know they're still 900 00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:14,559 eighth by the way. In point this is point score per possession since the 901 00:56:14,559 --> 00:56:17,360 trade deadline. But like when your defense caps out at over twenty fourth instead 902 00:56:17,400 --> 00:56:21,440 of twenty sixth, Yeah, your offense can't afford to just be eighth. 903 00:56:21,639 --> 00:56:24,719 Yeah, the second and eighth is enormous when you're a bottom almost bottom five 904 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:30,800 defense, right, And so I'm noticing the biggest they're not pushing as much 905 00:56:30,280 --> 00:56:35,880 off of opponent misses, and it's just it's not even close. They are 906 00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:39,480 so before the trade deadline, almost thirty two percent of their possessions after grabbing 907 00:56:39,519 --> 00:56:45,159 a defensive board led to transition opportunities. That was the sixth largest share in 908 00:56:45,199 --> 00:56:50,039 the league. Since the deadline, the Pacers fast break frequency following opponent misses 909 00:56:50,239 --> 00:56:52,320 has dipped a twenty five point nine percent. It's like a like, that's 910 00:56:52,360 --> 00:56:55,079 a huge when you're looking at the proportion of what it was. That's a 911 00:56:55,119 --> 00:56:59,840 huge dip and it's a bottom ten frequency now. And so you start to 912 00:56:59,840 --> 00:57:04,480 get into what Kayln Cooper and Tony's talked about a lot of the Haliburt and 913 00:57:04,519 --> 00:57:07,880 Siakam stuff, which I'll touch on a second, but you're missing Buddy Heald, 914 00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:09,480 who was a huge part of what you did in transition, just as 915 00:57:09,519 --> 00:57:14,559 someone who runs the floor his decision making in there, as Kaylyn Cooper and 916 00:57:14,559 --> 00:57:16,960 Tony's talking about the ghost screens that he's going to set, and so missing 917 00:57:17,039 --> 00:57:21,199 him is a big part of this. And now it's gotten even harder to 918 00:57:21,239 --> 00:57:23,760 approximate what you're missing from him because Bennec Matthrin has done for the season and 919 00:57:23,840 --> 00:57:29,280 he has somewhat quietly on a national level, improved as a three point shooter. 920 00:57:29,519 --> 00:57:31,800 So in the backdrop of all of that that you have to deal with, 921 00:57:32,119 --> 00:57:37,480 you're now trying to integrate Siakam while also dealing with a Tyrese Haliburton who 922 00:57:37,519 --> 00:57:40,280 is a shell of the player he was. And I think it's it's not 923 00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:44,880 because Tyre's Halburton actually it turns out he's not the biggest fraud in the NBA, 924 00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:49,519 if anyone didn't catch the grift there. But he's like he's still injured 925 00:57:49,639 --> 00:57:52,800 or he's just not right, and so these things are compounding upon one another, 926 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:55,039 and I think some of it has been, well, they're trying to 927 00:57:55,039 --> 00:57:59,400 explore what you can do with Halburton and Siakam, and so Halburn is playing 928 00:57:59,400 --> 00:58:00,960 off the ball a lot more. They've almost tried to use him at points 929 00:58:00,960 --> 00:58:05,320 like they would Buddy healed, and like that's just a weird spot for them 930 00:58:05,360 --> 00:58:07,679 to be, especially when you're compounding it with the injury he's going with. 931 00:58:08,039 --> 00:58:12,440 I don't know, I'm not you ask go, ask Kaitlyn Cooper what they 932 00:58:12,480 --> 00:58:14,559 could do to do this. And part of it is like maybe you should 933 00:58:14,559 --> 00:58:16,639 slow down when you have passed Kial Siakam because he can do that stuff in 934 00:58:16,679 --> 00:58:20,679 the half court and attack mismatches when you get them. But also like, 935 00:58:20,920 --> 00:58:22,840 well, is it like do we get to a point where we've seen some 936 00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:27,760 more Siakam plus bench mob lately? Is it kind of tweaking the parameters to 937 00:58:27,800 --> 00:58:30,519 well, let's make sure the bench mob that's with him can get out and 938 00:58:30,559 --> 00:58:32,960 run in those instances. If we don't think that the starters can do that 939 00:58:34,000 --> 00:58:37,719 as much anymore, and the starters can still, they're probably they're not the 940 00:58:37,719 --> 00:58:42,440 lineup. That's the issue when you're looking necessarily at this transition frequency, so 941 00:58:43,079 --> 00:58:45,519 that they need to figure out a way to regain that, because that's how 942 00:58:45,559 --> 00:58:49,519 they disarm teams is to run in every situation. And yes, it's great 943 00:58:49,519 --> 00:58:52,760 that they can run off turnovers, they're not a team. They don't rank 944 00:58:52,840 --> 00:58:55,039 first in the league an opponent forcing opponent turnovers, and so like that's gonna 945 00:58:55,039 --> 00:58:58,840 be such a smaller share. And by the way, even that frequency has 946 00:58:58,920 --> 00:59:01,920 dropped off a little bit, and that is such a crux to what they 947 00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:06,599 were doing. I fully recognize though that if Tyre's Haliburton isn't Tyre's Halliburton, 948 00:59:06,639 --> 00:59:10,119 like forget the buddy heeled absence now the better like mathin absence. If Tyre's 949 00:59:10,119 --> 00:59:15,599 Haliburton really isn't even close to full strength, that's just out the window. 950 00:59:15,719 --> 00:59:17,559 But if you can get him, if he's gonna get healthier, if you 951 00:59:17,599 --> 00:59:21,280 can just figure out ways where maybe it's Siakam when he's on his own, 952 00:59:21,280 --> 00:59:23,559 like to get those lineups to run a little bit more, or to to 953 00:59:24,079 --> 00:59:29,480 cater to the lineups with Siakam and the bench that are running off opponent misses 954 00:59:29,480 --> 00:59:31,800 more. I think that really does a service to your offense. Where I 955 00:59:31,800 --> 00:59:35,280 look at this team and I just don't see the pathway to them having a 956 00:59:35,320 --> 00:59:37,400 much higher defensive ceiling, which is why I focused on that, And the 957 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:43,760 pathway might just be, well, can Jaris Walker really muck up stuff defensively? 958 00:59:43,760 --> 00:59:46,000 If sort of this wing defender, I don't like they've tested him out 959 00:59:46,039 --> 00:59:49,840 a little bit more this side of the the All Star break, of the 960 00:59:49,840 --> 00:59:52,320 trade deadline. I'm just I don't have a ton of belief in that, 961 00:59:52,400 --> 00:59:55,400 especially as their rotation is gonna shrink down for the postseason. Yeah, it's 962 00:59:55,400 --> 00:59:59,239 a lot to ask too. I just I wanted to get the Haliburton numbers 963 00:59:59,239 --> 01:00:05,199 because they're were much worse the splits. Then I then I gave let On. 964 01:00:05,719 --> 01:00:08,039 So this isn't a perfect situation because the injury didn't just happen at the 965 01:00:08,079 --> 01:00:12,760 All Star break. There's you know, it's so really what this does is 966 01:00:13,239 --> 01:00:15,840 it's dragging down his pre All Star break numbers a little bit too. But 967 01:00:15,159 --> 01:00:19,480 before the break, forty two games, sorry, forty three. Forty two 968 01:00:19,480 --> 01:00:22,000 of those were starts. He had that weird minutes limit thing. Twenty one 969 01:00:22,000 --> 01:00:27,199 point eight points, eleven point seven assists, sixty two six true shooting percentage, 970 01:00:27,239 --> 01:00:31,079 like just phenomenal since then, thirteen is thirteen games post All Star Break. 971 01:00:31,119 --> 01:00:36,400 Doesn't count his game tonight, which is actually halfway decent but still not 972 01:00:36,639 --> 01:00:40,480 vintage Haliburton fifteen point eight points, nine point eight assists, Okay, forty 973 01:00:40,480 --> 01:00:45,039 one point seven percent from the field, twenty one point three percent from three. 974 01:00:45,519 --> 01:00:49,360 So, like, it's just it's not it's not the it's not the 975 01:00:49,360 --> 01:00:52,159 same guy. It's not even close because in theory, you know, like 976 01:00:52,199 --> 01:00:54,320 making him, hey, Tyrese, go do a Buddy Healed impersonation for like 977 01:00:54,360 --> 01:00:58,840 half of this quarter, like the first half, Tyrese Haliburton could do that, 978 01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:01,360 because he's a dangeroushoe off movement. Like the guy shooting twenty one percent 979 01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:06,599 can't help you there either. His usage is down. That's partly Siakham being 980 01:01:06,639 --> 01:01:09,000 there. It's partly because like I think he just isn't capable right now physically 981 01:01:09,440 --> 01:01:13,880 of doing the same things he was. Uh, but yeah, and it'd 982 01:01:13,880 --> 01:01:15,599 be great if you could get out and run too, but Halburn's a huge 983 01:01:15,679 --> 01:01:20,199 driver of that and maybe he can't do that either. You know, it's 984 01:01:20,239 --> 01:01:23,920 it's an oversimplification, but like when you clearly have a different player like than 985 01:01:23,960 --> 01:01:28,039 you did for the first half of the season, really like the first third, 986 01:01:28,119 --> 01:01:30,880 I guess it'd be more accurate. Uh, it's really hard to get 987 01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:34,280 anything done, so Uh, I don't know that it's it's it's gonna be 988 01:01:34,320 --> 01:01:37,559 tough sledding for the Pacers, at least until that hamstring is is all the 989 01:01:37,599 --> 01:01:47,400 way back. Stat padding time. Do you have any for me this week, 990 01:01:47,519 --> 01:01:52,039 mister Hughes, I do. Damn. I'm gonna sit up straight. 991 01:01:52,599 --> 01:01:54,960 I'm gonna get nice in frame here so that in the event you want to 992 01:01:55,000 --> 01:02:00,000 cut these up, it'll be easier to do that. Uh. These are 993 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:02,719 are about career scoring average, and I'm hopeful that I haven't given you any 994 01:02:02,719 --> 01:02:09,519 of these before. Pretty straightforward, Dan, which NBA player had the higher 995 01:02:09,559 --> 01:02:14,440 career scoring average or has the Let me try that again, Dan, which 996 01:02:14,559 --> 01:02:21,199 NBA player has the higher career scoring average? Luka Doncic or Kevin Durant Luka 997 01:02:21,239 --> 01:02:24,360 Doncic, That is correct, twenty eight point six to twenty seven point three, 998 01:02:25,360 --> 01:02:30,440 Alan Iverson or Trey Young. Trey Young, it is Alan Iverson twenty 999 01:02:30,440 --> 01:02:34,559 six point seven to twenty five point six. Dan who has the higher scoring 1000 01:02:34,599 --> 01:02:43,239 average? Zion Williamson or Kobe Bryant. Kobe just barely twenty five even to 1001 01:02:43,320 --> 01:02:46,400 twenty four point eight. These modern guys just the numbers. I don't know 1002 01:02:46,440 --> 01:02:52,480 if you've heard Dan games too, which helps him Zion, but it's a 1003 01:02:52,559 --> 01:02:54,800 it's a new world, Dan who has the higher Which NBA player has the 1004 01:02:54,840 --> 01:03:00,639 higher career scoring average? Devin Booker or Kyrie Irving. Devin Booker, It 1005 01:03:00,719 --> 01:03:02,920 is Devin Booker correct. Twenty four point two to twenty three point five. 1006 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:10,719 Damian Lillard or Stephen Curry. Oh, I'm gonna say Steph Curry incorrect. 1007 01:03:10,719 --> 01:03:15,079 It is Damian Lillard. That one surprised me. Twenty five point one to 1008 01:03:15,159 --> 01:03:19,519 twenty four point eight. These are all gonna be close. Joel Embiid or 1009 01:03:19,599 --> 01:03:25,119 James Harden Ooh, I'm gonna say Joel Embiid. It's Embiid actually by kind 1010 01:03:25,119 --> 01:03:29,679 of a lot, twenty seven point eight to Harden at twenty four point three. 1011 01:03:29,840 --> 01:03:32,280 Those early okay see years I think are dragging it down a little bit 1012 01:03:32,760 --> 01:03:37,480 and maybe with the Clippers too, as well as even last season with what 1013 01:03:37,519 --> 01:03:38,880 are you average in Philly? Last year? Wasn't it like twenty a year? 1014 01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:42,760 Maybe not even twenty? Yeah, that's true, all right, Dan, 1015 01:03:43,199 --> 01:03:47,000 Who has the higher career scoring average? Karl Anthony Towns or Giannis Outatakumbo 1016 01:03:47,480 --> 01:03:53,239 Carl Anthony Towns. It's Jiannis twenty three point three to twenty two point nine. 1017 01:03:53,760 --> 01:03:59,760 We'll throw back here, Dwayne Wade or Carmelo Anthony Dwayne Wade. It 1018 01:03:59,800 --> 01:04:04,239 is Rmelo twenty two point five to twenty two even last one here? Higher 1019 01:04:04,280 --> 01:04:13,079 career scoring average Dan Anthony Davis or Russell Westbrook, Oh, Anthony Davis correct 1020 01:04:13,440 --> 01:04:15,800 not particularly close, twenty four per game, which is higher than I would 1021 01:04:15,800 --> 01:04:20,360 have guessed for Ad. Probably russ Is at twenty one point eight had some 1022 01:04:20,440 --> 01:04:25,039 early and late year drag downs. I think on those numbers, pretty good 1023 01:04:25,079 --> 01:04:27,639 success rate by you. These were all really close, So I made it 1024 01:04:27,800 --> 01:04:30,519 kind of tricky on purpose. That was a good one. I liked that 1025 01:04:30,559 --> 01:04:33,280 one, all right, What do you got it? That's it all right? 1026 01:04:33,280 --> 01:04:38,199 I have a bunch for you. Uh, what if I'm going to 1027 01:04:38,239 --> 01:04:42,760 sandwich the offbeat one in the middle. So let's start with this buckle up 1028 01:04:42,800 --> 01:04:49,320 grant. Which NBA legend would be better in twenty twenty four, assuming they're 1029 01:04:49,320 --> 01:04:55,440 in their prime, their peak. Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan, 1030 01:04:55,920 --> 01:05:01,480 Hakeem Olajawan or David Robinson oh Man, I think Elaju won. They 1031 01:05:01,480 --> 01:05:09,280 probably would have stretched him out to three. Kevin Garnett or Dirk Navitski Garnett, 1032 01:05:09,639 --> 01:05:15,719 Tim Duncan or Shaquille O'Neal Ooh. I think it's got to be Shack 1033 01:05:16,960 --> 01:05:28,480 Carmelo Anthony or Paul Pierce pass No, I'd say, I mean we've seen 1034 01:05:28,519 --> 01:05:32,320 Carmelo pretty close to twenty twenty four. I'll still say mellow. Why not 1035 01:05:33,559 --> 01:05:40,280 Ray Allen or Reggie Miller. I think Ray Allen the athleticism. People forget 1036 01:05:40,559 --> 01:05:44,760 the athleticism he had as a driver, Yeah, early career Ray Allen, 1037 01:05:44,760 --> 01:05:48,920 for sure, I'm with you there. Charles Barkley or Scottie Pippen. Oh. 1038 01:05:49,760 --> 01:05:54,519 I think probably Pippen just because he would be the five position defender that 1039 01:05:54,639 --> 01:05:58,559 everybody wants now and then. I mean he could there's nothing he couldn't really 1040 01:05:58,599 --> 01:06:03,280 do. Jason Kid or Steve Nash. I think Nash. I think kids 1041 01:06:03,280 --> 01:06:06,679 shooting, at least early career kids shooting would have been a problem for the 1042 01:06:06,719 --> 01:06:14,719 modern game. Mattu Genobli or Alan Iverson managed. Sorry, I didn't hear 1043 01:06:14,760 --> 01:06:16,599 the second name, so it's just gonna be Manu. For me, it 1044 01:06:16,639 --> 01:06:19,400 was Madu or Alan Iverson. Yeah, no, I know it has to 1045 01:06:19,400 --> 01:06:24,039 be Iverson right, like he would be well physical? How physical can you 1046 01:06:24,039 --> 01:06:26,440 be with him? Now? The rules changed like a month ago at a 1047 01:06:26,480 --> 01:06:32,280 good point. That's a magic Johnson or Dwayne Wade. I think magic because 1048 01:06:32,320 --> 01:06:36,960 you really could play him at center. Yeah, I would agree. Larry 1049 01:06:36,960 --> 01:06:43,159 Bird or Oscar Robinson. I cannot confess to having a great sense of what 1050 01:06:43,400 --> 01:06:46,000 Oscar Robertson's game was like other than he played in an era that was super 1051 01:06:46,039 --> 01:06:53,440 fast, so the numbers are nuts. I mean, I think probably Bird 1052 01:06:53,519 --> 01:06:56,280 because you'd get the it's so hard. I don't know. I don't feel 1053 01:06:56,360 --> 01:07:00,599 qualified to say, but I'll go Bird, Patrick Ewing or Denis Rodman. 1054 01:07:01,519 --> 01:07:05,239 I think Ewing. I think Rodman is still just like although I mean, 1055 01:07:05,280 --> 01:07:09,559 would Rodman kind of be like Asar Thompson is that, you know, just 1056 01:07:09,599 --> 01:07:12,559 the best athlete on the floor. They could guard everybody, but couldn't do 1057 01:07:12,599 --> 01:07:15,760 anything else with the ball. I don't know. Chris Bosh or Pow Gasol. 1058 01:07:17,719 --> 01:07:25,519 Hmmm, that's a close one. I think I might go Gasol, 1059 01:07:25,880 --> 01:07:30,159 especially if it's like prime Gasol, because you're getting you can get six assists 1060 01:07:30,159 --> 01:07:32,079 out of that guy too. In addition to everything else, I just wonder 1061 01:07:32,119 --> 01:07:36,639 if Bosh, because of the mobility he had defensively, might be like the 1062 01:07:36,679 --> 01:07:40,840 better I know pow Gasol did a lot of like really good traditional big man 1063 01:07:40,880 --> 01:07:44,639 stuff there. You're probably right just because of the passing. It depends if 1064 01:07:44,679 --> 01:07:47,119 you get like the oh I can shoot threes Chris Bosh, or if you 1065 01:07:47,159 --> 01:07:50,039 get raptors Chris Bosh. I think, you know, because he kind of 1066 01:07:50,079 --> 01:07:54,320 was two different players, and yeah, that's that's a good one though. 1067 01:07:54,320 --> 01:07:56,960 I think, I mean, they'd both be awesome. We could agree there. 1068 01:07:57,800 --> 01:08:01,199 Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady. I think McGrady. I think, well 1069 01:08:01,239 --> 01:08:03,760 McGrady was the better player then. I think, you know, at his 1070 01:08:03,840 --> 01:08:08,840 peak, and I think he would only be like who is McGrady in the 1071 01:08:08,840 --> 01:08:13,320 modern game? I'd like, is he close to like between Paul George and 1072 01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:17,560 Kawhi basically somewhere. I think that's pretty good. Wal Klive Frasier or Gary 1073 01:08:17,600 --> 01:08:24,960 Payton. Oh, that's so tough because you don't have the I think i'd 1074 01:08:25,000 --> 01:08:30,640 probably go Peyton just because that defense is gonna play. That is all I 1075 01:08:30,680 --> 01:08:32,880 have for you in that block. How do you how'd you feel about those 1076 01:08:32,880 --> 01:08:36,880 mashups? Man? That's tough. I wasn't ready for opinion questions. I 1077 01:08:38,319 --> 01:08:40,920 like, I like the comparisons, though they're forcing. You know, I 1078 01:08:41,000 --> 01:08:44,760 left out on purpose because I just assumed he would be the answer no matter 1079 01:08:44,800 --> 01:08:49,920 who I pitted him against except for Jordan. Oh uh no, I don't 1080 01:08:49,920 --> 01:08:55,479 know who should Grant Hill? Oh yeah right. I kept trying to put 1081 01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:57,720 him in there, and I was just like no, like I would like, 1082 01:08:58,239 --> 01:08:59,840 no, I'd probably I even thought about. I was like, if 1083 01:08:59,840 --> 01:09:01,680 I Grant Hill or Michael Jordan, no one's gonna pick Grant Hill, but 1084 01:09:01,720 --> 01:09:06,439 I might make a gigs. I mean, Gret Hill really didn't develop a 1085 01:09:06,479 --> 01:09:11,880 three point shot until the Suns like made him into a corner shooter. But 1086 01:09:12,119 --> 01:09:15,000 just like Grant Hill is what Ben Simmons should have been, you know, 1087 01:09:15,159 --> 01:09:19,640 like that's that's that's the like, just this giant forward that could get wherever 1088 01:09:19,640 --> 01:09:23,720 he wanted on the floor, except Grant Hill could really finish. Oh yeah, 1089 01:09:23,760 --> 01:09:27,399 he he came. He was way too early and gone gone, gone 1090 01:09:27,399 --> 01:09:30,359 from his prime too soon too. The ankle injury just like completely wrecked him. 1091 01:09:30,439 --> 01:09:34,840 Him and McGrady were supposed to do incredible things in Orlando. Imagine them 1092 01:09:34,880 --> 01:09:39,199 together, like if they had never gotten hurt and were just at their peaks. 1093 01:09:39,199 --> 01:09:41,880 My god, and well do you remember too, Like I don't know 1094 01:09:41,880 --> 01:09:44,800 how real this was. I think it was sort of real, Like Tim 1095 01:09:44,880 --> 01:09:46,760 Duncan was gonna be there too. Yeah, that was. And then there 1096 01:09:46,800 --> 01:09:49,960 was the whole like when you have a pillow fight with Greg Popovich or something 1097 01:09:49,960 --> 01:09:54,399 and save the day or whatever. Probably, I don't know it sounds right 1098 01:09:55,800 --> 01:09:59,000 that it. I have two more blockstoets. This one's a little off beat 1099 01:09:59,359 --> 01:10:04,399 and it's per my own TikTok research. Which can you guess the NBA player's 1100 01:10:04,439 --> 01:10:12,960 favorite food? Which NBA player's favorite food is, allegedly Goji Berry's shake, 1101 01:10:13,000 --> 01:10:15,800 Gilgess, Alexander or Russell Westbrook. Thank you for giving me options, by 1102 01:10:15,800 --> 01:10:18,119 the way, because that was gonna be tough to do it cold. I'm 1103 01:10:18,159 --> 01:10:21,640 gonna say, SGA he seems like a Goji Berry kind of guy. Yeah, 1104 01:10:21,640 --> 01:10:28,640 he's not. It's Russell Westbrook. Which NBA player's favorite food is allegedly 1105 01:10:28,920 --> 01:10:33,880 roasted pumpkin? Paalo Bancaro or Scottie Barnes. Oh, what a weird choice. 1106 01:10:34,279 --> 01:10:42,319 Uh, I'm gonna say Scottie Barnes incorrect? Is Palo Banko? What's 1107 01:10:42,359 --> 01:10:46,880 going on? Roasted pumpkin? Which NBA player's favorite food is allegedly fish stew, 1108 01:10:47,359 --> 01:10:53,760 Giannis attempt to kumpo or NICOLEA Jokic sounds like Jokic to me? That 1109 01:10:53,880 --> 01:11:00,640 is correct. Which NBA player's favorite food is allegedly just taco bell, Tyler 1110 01:11:00,720 --> 01:11:05,039 Hero or Tyrese Maxi. Oh, man, guys don't eat that unless we 1111 01:11:05,079 --> 01:11:11,079 get a sponsorship. I'll say Tyres Maxi. It's Tyler Hero. That's not 1112 01:11:11,119 --> 01:11:15,600 a good life choice. Which NBA player's favorite food is allegedly chicken nuggets, 1113 01:11:15,880 --> 01:11:21,199 Donovan Mitchell or Jamal Murray. H. I'm gonna say Jamal Murray. That 1114 01:11:21,359 --> 01:11:25,159 is correct. You get two of five. That's not bad there. I 1115 01:11:25,199 --> 01:11:28,880 was just figure that would be like a fun random one. I felt really 1116 01:11:28,920 --> 01:11:31,439 good about the fish Stew's just the only one I had anything. I couldn't 1117 01:11:31,479 --> 01:11:34,560 figure out a good. I couldn't figure out a good like one to I 1118 01:11:35,000 --> 01:11:39,399 had to put fish stew in there because it was fish stew. Like if 1119 01:11:39,439 --> 01:11:43,800 I say Yo Kicchen anybody else, it's probably just always obviously gonna be Yo 1120 01:11:43,880 --> 01:11:45,800 kitchen. So I was trying to think of the player, and I was 1121 01:11:45,800 --> 01:11:49,039 like, I'm not gonna go with like Damas Berton's or Alexei Polkashevski type deal. 1122 01:11:49,079 --> 01:11:51,079 I didn't want to do that. That'd have been too mean. I 1123 01:11:51,079 --> 01:11:54,880 did when you said Giannis because you said Yannis first, and I was like, 1124 01:11:54,880 --> 01:11:58,159 oh, well that's gonna be honest if you give me like Giannis or 1125 01:11:58,720 --> 01:12:00,760 I don't know, like Mark Williams. So it's like, all right, 1126 01:12:00,800 --> 01:12:02,720 if you want to know what Yannis's favorite food, I don't know how accurate 1127 01:12:02,760 --> 01:12:04,199 this is. So I don't even know if I'll cut it up. I 1128 01:12:04,279 --> 01:12:06,239 might anyway, just because it's like something different. Do you want to know 1129 01:12:06,279 --> 01:12:12,800 what his favorite food alllegedly is? Yes, I do egg sandwich, eggs 1130 01:12:12,800 --> 01:12:16,520 sandwich. That's pretty basic, like no specifics, not a not a McMuffin, 1131 01:12:16,760 --> 01:12:18,960 not anything. Some ones. I can't remember who it was but they 1132 01:12:18,960 --> 01:12:23,800 were very specific. I think was Trey Young was like eggs on bread or 1133 01:12:23,840 --> 01:12:27,119 something like that that I saw on bread. It's like an egg sandwich on 1134 01:12:27,199 --> 01:12:30,319 bread like type deal. But all right, I mean that's the same scrambled 1135 01:12:30,319 --> 01:12:32,880 eggs on some toasts. Yeah, every day. I love scrambled eggs. 1136 01:12:32,880 --> 01:12:36,359 It's delicious. Okay, final one for you, but it's a well, 1137 01:12:36,399 --> 01:12:42,079 it's a huge block. Got twenty five questions and these are not opinion based, 1138 01:12:42,119 --> 01:12:45,279 if that makes you feel any better a little bit. Which NBA player 1139 01:12:45,479 --> 01:12:50,119 has more twenty five point tenn assist games for their career in the playoffs and 1140 01:12:50,199 --> 01:12:59,399 regular season. Lebron James or Oscar Robinson. I'll say Oscar. It is 1141 01:12:59,439 --> 01:13:02,720 Oscar and its not even close. Three sixty one to two twenty eight for 1142 01:13:02,800 --> 01:13:11,439 Lebron, James Harden or Russell Westbrook. A'll go with Harden. That is 1143 01:13:11,520 --> 01:13:15,720 correct. He's got Russell Westbrook by nine in this category. Magic Johnson or 1144 01:13:15,800 --> 01:13:21,800 Jerry West. I'm gonna say West that is incorrect. It's not even really 1145 01:13:21,800 --> 01:13:26,000 that close. Magic Johnson won sixty two to Jerry West one thirty seven. 1146 01:13:26,720 --> 01:13:30,119 Okay, that's pretty close. Come on, twenty five games. I don't 1147 01:13:30,119 --> 01:13:35,960 know. Luka dancicch or Trey Young. Trey that is correct, hasn't beat 1148 01:13:36,000 --> 01:13:42,479 fairly handedly as well, Nicole jokicch or Chris Paul. Oh, the twenty 1149 01:13:42,479 --> 01:13:45,359 five is tough for Paul. I'm still gonna say Chris Paul, that is 1150 01:13:45,359 --> 01:13:49,840 correct one twenty four to eighty eight for Jokic, Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. 1151 01:13:53,000 --> 01:13:55,720 I think it will go Jordan. That is correct. Seventy two to 1152 01:13:55,760 --> 01:14:02,920 forty, Steph Curry or John Wall Oh, I think it's John wall You 1153 01:14:02,960 --> 01:14:05,920 are a hater. It is Steph Curry seventy eight to sixty four. Oh, 1154 01:14:05,960 --> 01:14:12,279 at least it was close. Stephan Marbury or John Stockton. Again, 1155 01:14:12,359 --> 01:14:17,199 the twenty five is tough. I think I better go Stockton. You clearly 1156 01:14:17,239 --> 01:14:20,920 do not support science. It's Stephan Marbury sixty two to sixty. Oh, 1157 01:14:23,279 --> 01:14:29,600 Larry Bird or Alan Iverson Iverson that is correct. It's not even eighty three 1158 01:14:29,680 --> 01:14:35,560 to sixty four Gilbert or Renus or Devin Booker agent zero. Let's go incorrect 1159 01:14:35,640 --> 01:14:41,439 Devin Booker twenty five to twenty three. Oh, Kyrie Irving or John Morant. 1160 01:14:43,399 --> 01:14:45,840 It has to be Kyrie. Johns had like three fulls healthy seasons. 1161 01:14:46,119 --> 01:14:49,760 Yes, but it's fairly close. Thirty three for Irving, twenty eight for 1162 01:14:49,840 --> 01:14:54,119 John Morant, painfully close. He would have had a beat if he didn't 1163 01:14:54,159 --> 01:14:56,119 get injured this year. Yeah, he would have got him this year. 1164 01:14:57,000 --> 01:15:03,800 Tracy McGrady or a John Rondo Again, the twenty five is really hanging me 1165 01:15:03,880 --> 01:15:08,079 up. How many times did Rondo score twenty five? I'll say McGrady that 1166 01:15:08,199 --> 01:15:13,039 is correct. Twenty to fourteen? De Iron Fox or Derek Rose. It's 1167 01:15:13,079 --> 01:15:16,720 got to be Fox correct twenty eight to twenty one. Tyree's Haliburton or Fat 1168 01:15:16,760 --> 01:15:23,079 Lever? Fat Lever's back? It's okay? Is he trying to trick me? 1169 01:15:23,319 --> 01:15:27,319 I? I mean how I'll say fat Lever? How about that? 1170 01:15:28,079 --> 01:15:30,760 You'll be incorrect? Fat Leaver eighteen, Tyre's haliburt in twenty six? Damn 1171 01:15:30,760 --> 01:15:35,359 it? Fat? What's this real? Like? We know? Do we 1172 01:15:35,399 --> 01:15:41,520 know what fat Lever's name is? It's not just fat? No? Well, 1173 01:15:41,520 --> 01:15:43,640 look I'll look it up. While you were asking me a question, 1174 01:15:45,199 --> 01:15:47,319 okay, next one, and now you made me lose my spot because you're 1175 01:15:47,399 --> 01:15:50,520 questioning if what fat Lever's real name is. Don't you want to know too? 1176 01:15:51,239 --> 01:15:57,359 Well? I kind of Lafayette Fat is way cooler, both cool. 1177 01:15:58,199 --> 01:16:02,520 Grant Hill or anyway, let's get back. Grant Hill or Donovan Mitchell Grant 1178 01:16:02,600 --> 01:16:11,960 Hill correct twelve to seven. LaMelo Ball or Monte ellis my guy? I'll 1179 01:16:11,960 --> 01:16:19,560 say Monte correct fifteen to ten. Brandon Ingram or Pascal Siakam Siakam That is 1180 01:16:19,560 --> 01:16:24,640 correct by a hair seven to six. Out Giannis attend to Koopo or Jason 1181 01:16:24,720 --> 01:16:29,680 Kidd. Jason Kidd correct forty four to thirty seven. I didn't think you 1182 01:16:29,720 --> 01:16:34,159 were going to get that one. Kevin Durant or Kyle Lowry. Why is 1183 01:16:34,199 --> 01:16:40,800 Kyle Lowry in this question? Kyle Lowry incorrect thirty to twenty five in favorite 1184 01:16:40,840 --> 01:16:46,640 Durant, Baron Davis or Steve Nash Nash that is correct, not even close, 1185 01:16:46,680 --> 01:16:55,399 seventy two to forty six. Kate Cunningham or Andre Gadala m I'll say 1186 01:16:55,520 --> 01:16:59,760 Goodala long career incorrect seven to six in favor of Kate. He was two 1187 01:16:59,800 --> 01:17:08,159 on selfish. Joelle Embiid or Kevin Garnett Embiid that is correct seven to six. 1188 01:17:08,720 --> 01:17:16,039 Brandon Jennings or quem Olajuan Hakeem incorrect seven to three for Brandon Jennings, 1189 01:17:16,880 --> 01:17:24,319 Paul George or David Robinson. Paul George incorrect, David Robinson four to two, 1190 01:17:25,560 --> 01:17:30,199 Jalen Brunson or Julius Randall. That's a great question. I'll say Brunson 1191 01:17:30,880 --> 01:17:34,000 that is incorrect. They are tied with five. Bab All the tie. 1192 01:17:34,239 --> 01:17:38,119 He snuck a tie in. I respect it. And that's how we close. 1193 01:17:38,199 --> 01:17:40,800 I did think, because people have complained that all we do is the 1194 01:17:40,840 --> 01:17:43,680 coin toss ones where they're super close. I thought I mixed that one up 1195 01:17:44,279 --> 01:17:48,399 nice amount. I was not more or less confident, like they all seem 1196 01:17:48,560 --> 01:17:51,399 like they're going to be close in most cases, and you're really good at 1197 01:17:51,439 --> 01:17:54,760 every time you throw Steph in there, I never pick him, and I 1198 01:17:54,840 --> 01:17:58,359 feel like you know that now. And so it's I don't know if I've 1199 01:17:58,359 --> 01:18:00,880 gotten Steph Curry as a correct answer in a long time. No, you 1200 01:18:00,960 --> 01:18:04,319 always don't pick Steph. It's just it's absolutely mind blowing. I am what 1201 01:18:04,479 --> 01:18:08,119 was the one? I was actually surprised. I thought you were gonna get 1202 01:18:08,119 --> 01:18:11,079 the Marbury one very easily. By the way, who was he against? 1203 01:18:11,079 --> 01:18:15,399 I already can't remember John Stockton. Oh, I mean Stockton had like a 1204 01:18:15,560 --> 01:18:17,720 trillion ten asist games. Though, how hard is apparently very hard? How 1205 01:18:17,760 --> 01:18:20,720 hard is it to get twenty five points? Like real tough for some guys? 1206 01:18:21,479 --> 01:18:24,279 What was the one? What did I say? I was surprised that 1207 01:18:24,319 --> 01:18:29,640 you actually got that one? Was it? The was it? Did you 1208 01:18:29,800 --> 01:18:31,039 know? He went with Asian zero for Booker? I thought you were gonna 1209 01:18:31,039 --> 01:18:33,760 get that one. There was one that I thought that you got that I 1210 01:18:33,800 --> 01:18:36,640 didn't think you were gonna get Now I can't remember what it was. So 1211 01:18:36,680 --> 01:18:41,239 apparently fat Lever Fat Lever is the ultimate red herring. I never know what 1212 01:18:41,359 --> 01:18:43,600 to do when you put fat Lever. I'm telling you, though, if 1213 01:18:43,640 --> 01:18:48,079 you like do all these crazy ass statistical like sorts that he shows up in 1214 01:18:48,159 --> 01:18:51,439 all the well, I don't know. Well, okay, I can see 1215 01:18:51,439 --> 01:18:55,359 why, because he's got a run. I'm looking at his basketball reference page 1216 01:18:55,439 --> 01:18:59,159 now, two time All star fat Leaver shout out. Uh, he had 1217 01:18:59,199 --> 01:19:04,159 a run from eighty six, eighty seven to let's call it eighty nine to 1218 01:19:04,279 --> 01:19:09,439 ninety where he's like he never averages twenty, but he's like eighteen nineteen. 1219 01:19:09,520 --> 01:19:14,359 But then he's like eight boards or nine boards and eight assists like up in 1220 01:19:14,479 --> 01:19:16,920 that range. So like, I guess if you're looking for probably triple doubles, 1221 01:19:17,000 --> 01:19:20,920 he comes up a fair amount because he was getting you know, nineteen 1222 01:19:21,359 --> 01:19:25,720 nine and ten, you know, pretty frequently. It's funny too, because 1223 01:19:25,960 --> 01:19:29,039 the name that we call him just sounds like a directive you would give to 1224 01:19:29,239 --> 01:19:31,159 people on an assembly line, like it's the fat lever, Like, right, 1225 01:19:34,079 --> 01:19:38,119 do you want to take us out of here? Sure, we might 1226 01:19:38,199 --> 01:19:43,039 need to start shouting out fat Lever. Well, we'll see everybody. Thanks 1227 01:19:43,119 --> 01:19:45,840 for listening, for tuning in. If you watch this on YouTube, thank 1228 01:19:45,880 --> 01:19:48,479 you. Oh we didn't do any guest players, so I'm not gonna think 1229 01:19:48,520 --> 01:19:54,479 anybody will do that another time. However, if you would like to contribute 1230 01:19:54,800 --> 01:19:58,039 to that effort or to stat padding, if you've got any cool ideas, 1231 01:19:58,399 --> 01:20:00,880 join our discord. That's where we get a lot of our information from, 1232 01:20:00,760 --> 01:20:04,039 and you can get the links for that in the YouTube and podcast description. 1233 01:20:04,359 --> 01:20:09,239 As always, please remember to rate, review, subscribe, tell your friends. 1234 01:20:09,319 --> 01:20:12,600 Word of mouth is very helpful. Like to grow this podcast with your 1235 01:20:12,640 --> 01:20:16,439 help, that becomes easier. I think that's gonna do it. As always, 1236 01:20:16,439 --> 01:20:19,399 we'll close with a shout to Frank Mila Keina and an apology to Jaredillen