WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:07.559 This is the baseline, discussing the hot button topics of the nv A welcome 2 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:11.640 everybody here. Two to the baseline, cal Lee warren Shaw discussing the hot 3 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:17.239 button topics of the NDA, and we are fully crack in to the third 4 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:23.800 chapter of the NDA twenty two twenty twenty three NBA season. This is the 5 00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:28.359 playoff time, man, and such an exciting time. The buzz, the 6 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:32.399 atmosphere, the hadge, truth that, the Lord, the glitz, the 7 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:36.479 glamour, all of that is in full display. All the hard work for 8 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:42.320 sixteen teams to give themselves an opportunity to participate and play for a championship. 9 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:46.719 It all comes down to these next coming weeks and it's just an exciting time 10 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:51.399 to be And while people are focusing on that, we're still focusing on bodying 11 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:55.039 up them teams that just felt a little bit short, didn't quite make it, 12 00:00:55.240 --> 00:01:00.000 and we'll be at some point on our slab as we continue to narrow 13 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:03.799 on that field. Man, it's just an exciting time altogether. As always, 14 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:04.840 let me go and roll out the red carpet to my right hand man's 15 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.840 Www. Dot show Sports that Net, Big Hunapi and see my brother mister 16 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:11.280 Warren Shaw repping out of Fort Laida, Neale, Florida. What's good, 17 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:15.799 mister Shaw, big old smile in your face. I know this is the 18 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:19.120 best time of the year. It is the best time of the year, 19 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.120 my guy, and the worst time for my For my lovely wife, she 20 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:27.280 hates this. Games upon games upon games every day. Um, but she 21 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:32.000 knows that. She's very supportive. Yeah, you know, it's a wild 22 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.079 situation. But I gotta say, man, you know, the NBA continues 23 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:38.799 to deliver really and truly exciting to play in tournament. Obviously we're in the 24 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:42.359 actual playoffs now, um, great great stuff here, and we have as 25 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:46.640 a result of the playings tournament, a couple of teams jump in the line 26 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:55.040 and the autopsy report they are fresh, so we're right. Yeah, I 27 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:57.719 mean, listen for the for those fans for the teams that we are going 28 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:04.480 to be discussing for this week's autopsy report. I know the wounds still fresh, 29 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.800 like the blackout is still real. I understand, but it has to 30 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:13.080 be done, so fret not. You know it actually as as they as 31 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:15.719 as as what we as what they say in Gladiator, they died a good 32 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:21.919 death, right, so we will make sure that we properly honor the teams 33 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:24.639 that we will be discussing in this week's edition of The Autopsy Report. Um. 34 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:29.400 You know, I'm not gonna give any surprises to it. We're gonna 35 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:31.919 be talking about the Chicago Bulls in the Oklahoma City Thunder. And listen, 36 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:37.599 when I say good death, I say that to say, teams better pay 37 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.719 attention to what the Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder did this past season and 38 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:47.280 ultimately what they almost did in upending our interpretations of what the sixteen team layout 39 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:51.840 was gonna be for this this year's playoffs. So we're gonna have some really 40 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:53.759 good things to say. Um, and that's always a good thing when we're 41 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.439 talking about teams that get eliminated. So you know, Sew, I, 42 00:02:57.479 --> 00:03:00.159 like you said, it can't be bad when some of these teams jump the 43 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:04.879 line. It's not because we just need to, like you know what I'm 44 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.800 saying, autop see him quick. It's we want to autop see them in 45 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:09.520 a good way because they're gonna be rising out of the dead real quick. 46 00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:14.439 They're gonna beyond the undertake a ish real real quick. They can't wait for 47 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:17.240 the off season to begin technically for them now, but they can't wait for 48 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:23.159 them outias and the season to quickly turn turn itself around after draft and everything 49 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:24.759 like that, because some of these dudes, after the way that they came 50 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:28.400 out and performed, chopping at the bit for them to get back out there 51 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:31.159 again. Yes, sir Man, exciting, excite, exciting. So um, 52 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:35.719 I love talking about these teams and Chicago. We've had a lot of 53 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:38.719 conversation bought on our show over the course of the year, so we had 54 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:39.840 to kind of jump the line, as you alluded to get to get them 55 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:44.879 in here as well, because they were almost there. They were almost a 56 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:49.000 contender. They were right there, right yeah, right there. They were 57 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.400 just so close, all right. So we'll be talking about those two teams 58 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:54.800 in this week's edition. Before we do that, Shaw and you know, 59 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:59.400 we got obviously get into our plugs. I just wanted to get your interpretations 60 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:03.159 of you know, what the what the play in altogether really you know represented 61 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:09.360 for you. What were your initial thoughts about the buzz did the NBA Has 62 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:14.240 the NBA really been able to take advantage of the momentum of the implementation of 63 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:18.560 the play in tournament and exactly from you know what you gathered, the competition 64 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:23.079 that took place, you know, the way things kind of played itself out. 65 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:27.079 Any regrets, you know, anything left to be desired, anything left 66 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:31.319 on the table. When we talk about the NBA's attempt at elevating the viewership 67 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.519 during this time of the year, No, they've They've hit it out the 68 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:39.920 park. Pugnant the detractors, anybody who had anything negative to say about it, 69 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:41.920 I think is on board. Now we already know what it did to 70 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:46.680 the end of the season in terms of keeping teams competitive and more or less, 71 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:48.600 you know, fighting to the very end for whatever seeding and spot they 72 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:54.160 can potentially get into. Then the games themselves actually delivered. The only subpar 73 00:04:54.279 --> 00:04:57.759 game I'd say was probably Atlanta and Miami, and then Miami being the seventh 74 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.920 seed coming into it, losing it, and now ultimately capturing the eighth seed. 75 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:04.319 That creates intrigue, I think for the playing tournament as we continue to 76 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:08.240 push it forward. But even all the games, with the exception of that 77 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:12.040 one, were competitive throughout. You know, Atlanta, miame in Atlanta, 78 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.600 and Miami made a little push, came back, Atlanta kind of shoting down, 79 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:17.639 But everything else was really really good basketball unfortunately for Okay, See though 80 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:21.399 that last game against Minnesota wasn't all that amazing, but them being even being 81 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:25.279 there with a chance to get into the play and I think was the excitement 82 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:27.839 we were all looking for as a young team that probably wasn't supposed to be 83 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.680 this far anyway. Yeah, and look, I know we're going to have 84 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:36.240 an opportunity to eventually have an autopsy report on the Atlanta Hawks, I think, 85 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:39.480 and I'm not saying that to say, oh, you know, this 86 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:42.519 team is not capable of making some kind of a run, But I think 87 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.759 what it highlighted to me show when I saw that game against you know, 88 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:49.199 the Hawks versus the Miami Heat, and then to see what they basically did 89 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:55.079 you know first you know, so far first round match against the Boston Celtics. 90 00:05:55.560 --> 00:06:00.600 This is a team that has to ride on momentum and or the matchups 91 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:05.079 that they're going to be set up against. Right, Because if you told 92 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:11.560 me that the way that the Miami Heat, this team always plays up when 93 00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:15.759 it absolutely needs to. In the Atlanta Hawks, it's just so inconsistent, 94 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:17.959 and we not this is just a one off thing. This has kind of 95 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:20.839 been the trend for them now for the last couple of years since the Cinderella 96 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:24.879 run, right, So like it's just really interesting to me. Shaw how 97 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:30.079 when we talked about how matchups you know what I'm saying is is gonna be 98 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:35.399 quintessential. I think you can really make that argument with how the East has 99 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:41.240 been set up and where teams have lined themselves up, specifically the really good 100 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:44.360 teams. You're saying they should take care of business, but you will see 101 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.959 moments where just because you know they're supposed to be the better team from a 102 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:51.959 matchup perspective, if the coaches know what they're doing, they can really make 103 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:56.279 a series of this. So it'll be interesting to see who handles their business 104 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.279 early. Don't let these teams that you know, obviously they got in, 105 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.199 it was nice they got in. Don't them hang around, because then they'll 106 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:05.560 start really making things very interesting, you know what I'm saying. And pushing 107 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:09.839 this to what would be maybe a five six game series at best, to 108 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:13.279 a possible seven. Yeah. Yeah. The only thing I'd say is, 109 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:16.720 obviously Atlanta Miami switched places from what I would have thought. Um, Minnesota 110 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:20.959 still got in. Uh, they probably even without Gobert, should have captured 111 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:26.600 the seventh seed, but lost that game in overtime against the Lakers, and 112 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:30.959 you know, pretty much what was a thriller. And they're they're still in. 113 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.879 So the teams that I thought we're going to get in still did the 114 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:36.560 order not quite exactly what I what I thought, you know actually actually as 115 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:40.360 as the season concluded, but again it was it was. It was great 116 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:44.399 basketball to watch and a lot a lot I think of interest throughout the NBA 117 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:47.079 atmosphere with those with those games that were played. Absolutely man, all right, 118 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:53.800 So as always, man, we appreciate everybody who continues to follow along, 119 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:58.639 from our veteran listeners to our new listeners. Um, we appreciate you 120 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:03.759 guys showing the love and support being able to use us as your listening platform 121 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:07.240 to get what you need geared up, geeked up, you know, for 122 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:11.920 the remainder of this NBA season and moving beyond, and as always we appreciate 123 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:15.160 you for that. As always, get up my man Shawshaw Sports, NBA, 124 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:16.879 Get at me a game face, leave the show's Twitter hand at NBA 125 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.279 Baseline available in all the major platforms. You know where to find us. 126 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:24.360 Just look for the baseline and add us on and you can listen to this 127 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:28.680 episode and any of our previous episodes as well too. Also know that we 128 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:33.320 are Hey, we're on TV, right, We're We're on the streamings apps 129 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.120 as well. Right catch us on YouTube. Always find us via through the 130 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:39.720 nineteen Media Group. That's our family, those are our people's the nineteen Media 131 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.480 Group. You running these content streets. So if you want to find us 132 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:46.279 and all of the great shows that not only just cover sports, entertainment, 133 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:50.000 politics, culture, you name it, we give it to you. Check 134 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:54.519 us out at nineteen Media group dot com. One other thing we want to 135 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:58.039 make sure to people out there are fully engaged with and understand this is playoff 136 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:01.080 season. This is what it's all about. Man, you're a fandom, 137 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:05.039 your love for your team or multiple teams, whatever got you watching? You 138 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:09.960 know what I'm saying, one of the greatest sports ever made. Why only 139 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:11.720 stop to just watching? Why don't you go out there and support it. 140 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:16.440 So, if you're looking for the ultimate destination for NBA gear, look no 141 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:20.440 further than going to the NBA Store. With a huge selection of authentic and 142 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:26.200 high quality products including jerseys, hats, and accessories, the NBA Store has 143 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:30.559 everything you need to show off your team Pride Plus. 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That's how 152 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.360 the whole family cycle works, and we'll always thank you for your support. 153 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:16.559 So please go to the affiliated link, go to NBA Store, slash Fanatics, 154 00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:20.519 get your swerve on, get your gear on. This is NBA Playoff 155 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:24.399 time. Start rocking out and showing your love and support for your team while 156 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:28.960 they make their runs to the NBA Finals. All right, with that being 157 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.559 said, let's get right into it. It's autopsy report style. Sean I 158 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:37.559 gonna get in the backthrow on our white coats. You know, kind of 159 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:41.240 we'll put what we'll put on our happy hats and we'll do a good death 160 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.679 discussing the Bulls and the Thunder. You don't want to miss out here on 161 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:54.440 the baseline. Time to break it. They're dead, My team, My 162 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:58.799 team is dead. They knew we were coming, man, they knew we 163 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:20.840 were coming. Time now for the breakdown. Kylie Warrenshaw the Basedline NBA podcast 164 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:26.399 and this is are coveted autopsy reports Shaw and I get to throw on the 165 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:31.360 white coats where you examined an exhuom bodies of those that were not able to 166 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:35.120 be the last man standing. And it's a great time of the year to 167 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:39.399 be Autopsy Shaw if you are either a Chicago Bulls or an Oklahoma City Thunder 168 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:46.000 fan, because these two teams Shaw throughout the course of the year, despite 169 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:50.000 injuries, you know, and really you can make an argument that for the 170 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:56.080 Oklahoma City Thunder, their season probably should have ended the moment that Chet Holmgren 171 00:11:56.200 --> 00:12:00.679 went down to see the emergence of this team, battle tested, resilient and 172 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:05.480 yet give themselves an opportunity to possibly be one of the eight teams in the 173 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:09.960 Western Conference. It's just truly remarkable. I mean, hats off to this 174 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:15.360 team, and they showed resiliency through and throughout, and they also showed us 175 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:18.360 that this is a team not to be fed with at all. Like they've 176 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.399 got some talented cats and collectively together another year or two under their belts, 177 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:26.480 we could be talking about one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA without 178 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:30.960 question. And that doesn't even include knowing that they will eventually get back Chet 179 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:35.679 Holmgren. They've got picks for days, They've got assets galore. I mean, 180 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.080 it's a good time to be Sam Presty and Oklahoma City Thunder. Yeah, 181 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.159 their GM loves him. Josh Giddy, you know, made a little 182 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:46.120 quip on their exit more or less saying he wants to be a GM whenever 183 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:48.759 that time comes for him. But you know, in the meantime, he's 184 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:52.600 gonna learn from the best in the business in his opinion, and Presty and 185 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:56.080 Okay, see, as you alluded to without Chet Holmgren making a run and 186 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:00.120 almost getting into the playoffs is something that not many of us would have that 187 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:03.840 going into the year. I did say it was done for them. Their 188 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:07.840 tanking days had to stop, so I expected them to be more competitive and 189 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:09.720 try to win this year. I did not expect them to still be in 190 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:13.559 the playing game, right so I thought they were going to be firmly supplanted, 191 00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:16.200 you know, um, you know, top five, top seven in 192 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:20.399 the lottery. But they they really really really showed something. And obviously all 193 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:24.080 that is a sesament. SGA, sage, say Gil just Alexander who had 194 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:30.399 an All NBA MVP type season this year, such such a remarkable talent, 195 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:35.279 and the pieces around that team right now give you nothing but hope and positive 196 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:39.519 vibes for what they're ultimately going to become. Offensively, defensively, coaching wise, 197 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:43.480 sidelines, general management. Okayse has their ish together. Bro. Absolutely, 198 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.399 let me say this shall because you had talked about sg You've been talking 199 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:50.080 about SGA for quite some time, UM, And I know that when I 200 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:56.360 spoke about SGA, it wasn't with UM. It wasn't with the proliferation of 201 00:13:56.679 --> 00:14:01.000 of really you know, being excited about seeing him come out there and compete 202 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:03.919 and play basketball. I knew that he was a good competitor. I knew 203 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:07.519 that, you know, he could play a solid game. But I don't 204 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:11.039 I didn't see it where it was translating for me to say is he an 205 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:13.639 actual NBA superstar? Is he on the custom is he or is he just 206 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:18.000 going to be a really really good player posts up moderately good numbers, and 207 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:20.159 he has to be on a team that excites you for the idea that they 208 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:26.080 brought him in so that his numbers actually mean something. I'm gonna I'm gonna 209 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.720 dead all that at right now. I think SGA might actually be one of 210 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:33.039 the most perfect fits that the Oklahoma City Thunder has probably had in a very 211 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:37.799 very long time. And I will say, I'll and I'll say why Presty 212 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:43.000 really really really showed us he had an eye for the talent of being able 213 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:46.600 to put together such a well, young, founded, young team. It 214 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:50.240 just came at a bad time with the way things have trended and how the 215 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:54.840 NBA and the CBA agreements and the way players are looking at marketing themselves and 216 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:58.600 how things happened that part of this became, you know, really the dissension 217 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:03.639 of what we thought could be Oklahoma City's coming out party right with Westbrook, 218 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:09.039 Harden and Durant. When I think about this Oklahoma City Thunder team, you 219 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.639 want some guy who really plays within the margins. He's not going to be 220 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:16.879 too high where from a marketability standpoint, people are gonna say, oh, 221 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.480 this guy's eventually gonna walk right, He's not gonna be too low where people 222 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:24.879 can't be excited for seeing what he can do. And the other thing that 223 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:28.120 I love about what SGA brings to the table Shaw is he actually is a 224 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:33.519 leader right like I'm seeing And I don't know if maybe part of that is 225 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:37.440 being under the tutors of Chris Paul for that short period of time, but 226 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:41.799 I'm seeing the emergence of SGA showing that level of confidence that he can be 227 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:46.960 one of the best players in the game of basketball and he can only get 228 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:50.799 better at doing it. And I think the guys on his roster can feed 229 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:52.440 off of that. You know, it's not like you're playing with a bunch 230 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:56.879 of no namers and losers. All of them have upside potential to really collectively 231 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:02.200 together. Remind you a lot of what the Oklahoma City Thunder did when they 232 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.759 had Durrant, Westbrook and Harden. I know those are big shoes to fill. 233 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:08.679 All I'm saying is from a team perspective, you gotta feel good about 234 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.519 what you're seeing from the Oklahoma City thunder. Remember they have Luton Dorts, 235 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:15.840 right who A lot of people are sitting here still they don't know that guy 236 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:19.320 is a bulldog. He's that kind of guy that you wont on that roster. 237 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:23.919 Dirty work at the backcourt position, taking that pressure off SGA, taking 238 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.879 that pressure off of Giddy, letting those guys get and he's all but what 239 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:30.120 twenty five, twenty six years old? Shaw, So I'm loving the way 240 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:36.039 that this roster is rounding out a couple of years more and I mean literally, 241 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.000 we could really be talking about this team being one of the most dangerous 242 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:42.639 teams in the NBA. Yeah. I think one of the one of the 243 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:47.399 things that's scary about that is they still have all the draft capital that you 244 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:49.919 were touching on previous to this. Yeah, you know, I think four 245 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:53.039 picks this year, two first rounders, two second rounders, and I think 246 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:57.360 they have three first rounders next year. And they already gave a crop ton 247 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.919 of them to the Knicks to get to get Jane who they barely played this 248 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:03.600 year. Pokasski, who they have. You know, it was one of 249 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.640 the league leaders and blocks for the majority of the year before he started to 250 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:10.720 battle some injuries. Then obviously waiting for chet to come back. It's it's 251 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.319 nothing, but the needle is up. It is all the way up. 252 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:18.559 Let me throw something in there real quick to your to your points. I 253 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:23.119 honestly, from seeing what I saw this year, from from Giddy, from 254 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:29.200 not you know, SGA's Sga from Giddy, from Williams, from from the 255 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:32.680 rest of that crew, you can make the argument shot it even if chet 256 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:34.160 Home group comes back, because remember there was a lot of question marks of 257 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:37.960 whether or not he's gonna be built to play in the NBA. Chet Home 258 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.799 Grew may not even be the best player on that team, right, but 259 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:48.160 he can still be a quintessential piece to elevate this team from going to nineteenth 260 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:53.799 you know nineteenth defensively to maybe even higher right, And there were many games 261 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:57.880 that they left on the table where they just couldn't defend. They just didn't 262 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:03.119 get enough stops. There's no question that they can score that basketball, but 263 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:07.400 as far as getting key stops go, this could be where chet Holmgren's presence 264 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:11.880 coming in may actually help make a stamp, make a mark on how well 265 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:15.599 this team can actually be competitive and add a couple of those win totals that 266 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:19.799 they're not a playing type team come next season. Yeah, I don't want 267 00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:22.480 to see them. To be honest with you, I think this is going 268 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:25.119 to be one of those teams that are poised to take the leap, the 269 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.279 leap that I expected the Pelicans to take this year. And obviously they had 270 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:32.519 injuries why they that obviously didn't quite happen for them. But while the Pelicans 271 00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.480 were building off a lot of great vibes and then they were number one in 272 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:37.200 the West for for a period of time, the Zion went down and so 273 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:41.400 forth and so forth. That's almost a kind of expectations I'm putting on. 274 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:44.200 Okay, seem from jump now, even before we go into next year, 275 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:48.640 they'll get Chet back. They'll have again this plethora of draft picks, which 276 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:52.160 I'm sure there's no reason to hold on to them, both both Jaylen's, 277 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:55.200 Williams ones with the I ones with the E. Both of those guys can 278 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.519 hoop, Isaiah Joe, trey Man, those guys coming off the bench and 279 00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:00.359 being able to score shoot the three of them, etc. Etc. You're 280 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:03.839 almost like, damn, do they what are they even going to do with 281 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:06.559 the picks? Who do they bring in? Because they have such great young 282 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:08.880 talent as currently constructed, and you kind of just want to build on that. 283 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.920 It's just like you almost you almost you almost have too much equity here 284 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:17.559 now, because what do you do that doesn't kind of already upset the youth 285 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.359 that you currently have in place. And I'm sure you know, Presty is 286 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:22.839 a smart guy. He'll figure out exactly what that needs to look like. 287 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:26.759 But you'd hate to see them sacrifice maybe some of that young talent to kind 288 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:30.759 of jump the line, if you will, in terms of getting another veteran 289 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.079 into this play to kind of play alongside Sha and Chet ultimately. But maybe 290 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:37.799 that's all they can actually do, because I just don't see the point in 291 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:41.400 bringing in, you know, two more first round draft picks this year, 292 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:44.599 especially after what you do with the Knicks in the summer last summer as well 293 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:47.519 too, and you saw that young man Jeg to develop as well. So 294 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:51.160 it's a it's an interesting predicament. I wouldn't say I wouldn't want to be 295 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:53.079 them, but they do have to make some hard decisions here when it comes 296 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:56.880 to the talent evaluation of the roster and how they want to build. Because 297 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:00.240 you're in such a great place right now, anything can kind of throw that 298 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.000 off, and I think they just gotta be really careful about the mix that 299 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.920 they bring in and it comes to the roster development, I wholehearted, wholeheartedly 300 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:11.480 agree agree with you where you're coming from on that point, Shaw, I 301 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:15.559 think, and you know how, I am right like we Over the last 302 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:18.920 month or so, I have been a stickler on this perception that by you 303 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:25.599 going out and giving up picks or you know, or even in this offseason, 304 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:30.599 the intent is you want to add veteran presence. Are you adding veteran 305 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:36.319 presence or are you adding someone who is so damn good that it's unavoidable to 306 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:40.799 not go after that guy? Right? If you look at some teams when 307 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:45.759 they do these type of things, they cut off the momentum that they've gotten 308 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:51.359 from that team's cohesiveness, that collectivity aspect of growing up and getting after it 309 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:55.119 together, rather than you know, bringing in a ringer, so to speak. 310 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:00.960 If I am presty, I am not messing with the cohesiveness that has 311 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:06.160 been built by your starting roster, Okay, I would really look to try 312 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:11.319 and bring a veteran guy who is completely fine with coming off of the bench, 313 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:17.960 are completely fine with establishing himself as making sure that that second unit is 314 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:22.240 up to snuff almost as good as that first unit, right, and listen, 315 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:26.160 injuries are going to be a problem. They always tend to. And 316 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:30.000 part of that issue is when you start leaning on the other guys that you 317 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.680 want coming up is the depth. There are those guys that are coming off 318 00:21:33.720 --> 00:21:37.240 the bench ready to step up and step in, and part of that is 319 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:41.359 where it's such a fine line. But I think you know, Prestyn can 320 00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:45.200 stretch it out a little bit, right, He can make a play to 321 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:48.599 get a veteran guy, but only if the intent is to help bolster their 322 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:52.119 bench. I think their bench play has some left, has a lot left 323 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:56.200 to be desired, so to speak. But clearly you can get an anchor 324 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:00.319 from a defensive perspective. Because I don't know whether or not chent Homegrin is 325 00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:03.640 NBA ready right like he's a year behind that mark. I think if he 326 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:07.319 had the opportunity to be playing around Giddy and SGA and those guys, we 327 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:11.599 could see the maturation process and really tell whether or not he's ready to do 328 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:15.119 it. I can't buy into the idea if you're Sam Presty that you're just 329 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:18.640 gonna throw home Grin in there after seeing what your Oklahoma City Thunder team did, 330 00:22:19.079 --> 00:22:23.000 I would like to think that you're gonna probably go somewhere front court and 331 00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:27.359 bringing a guy in that was really gonna help shure up be a dependable person. 332 00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:32.279 And if you start seeing that Homegrin is not able, you could plug 333 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:33.920 this guy in and he can basically come in as almost as like he's a 334 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:37.480 starter. That's kind of seat like where I'm trending on that idea. That's 335 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:41.759 where if there's going to be any roster changes being made, that's probably where 336 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.640 Presti is going to have to go. Yeah, I mean I can see 337 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:48.240 it. They ended up with Dariosarich from from Phoenix, and you know, 338 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:52.799 gave Phoenix Darius basally another young guy who maybe didn't quite ascending the way that 339 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:56.319 they were hoping to in terms of his development. Sorry, because a veteran 340 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:00.599 guy can shoot it from the three, but his contractor is up at nine 341 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:03.400 million. So if they were to keep one of those picks, maybe they 342 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:04.880 draft, you know, in a stretch for its or as you're alluding to 343 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:10.200 go and get some sort of an upgrade for that position, specifically to play 344 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:12.960 behind Alexei and then eventually chat and you know, and the other bigs, 345 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.079 the other Williams. You know, that's there as well too, just the 346 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.799 plothora of options. You know, they can add shooting, they can add 347 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:22.039 some more playmaking, you know, if they want to. Sha and Giddy 348 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:26.839 obviously do a really great job of that right now, commingling Isaiah, Joe 349 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:30.400 and guys like that to come off the bench and try to help. But 350 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:33.119 I think with what with Mark Dagana has done here, you know, on 351 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:36.680 the sidelines and Pressie up there in the front office, you just can't help 352 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:41.359 but feel positive. And they are poised to make any big splash they want 353 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:44.079 to, but they it has to be the right move, that's all I 354 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:45.799 will say. It just has to be the right move because this is a 355 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:53.519 nice young core of talent and you can try to really exacerbate and and and 356 00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:59.400 make that make that jump quickly, but it can go very wrong, you 357 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:02.640 know, with the row addition, right you don't. I don't want this 358 00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:04.279 guy to be the scapegoat for anything negative so to speak. But you don't 359 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:07.960 go in here because you have the draft equity so to speak, and bring 360 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.200 in a Kyrie Irving right, or or anybody like that. You know what 361 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:14.680 I mean. It's just you just have to be really careful about how you're 362 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:18.480 building. And I think s can be your guy. The pieces that compliment 363 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:22.119 him just need to be the right fit. I what's the best comparison that 364 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:26.960 we can make in the current NBA when we talk about what you do for 365 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:33.599 for for SGA to me reminds me a lot like Jalen Brunson, Right. 366 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:41.960 I really feel like if you give me another year of Sga and Josh Giddy, 367 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:48.519 they arguably can be one of the premier backcourt combinations in the NBA. 368 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.480 And I'm not I'm not speaking lightly about this because I really like how they 369 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:56.599 compliment each other. One guy has that ability to cut to the basket, 370 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:02.839 another guy has that ability to shoot the basketball, and both of them know 371 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:06.119 where to go, they know how to get to their spots. They feed 372 00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:08.279 off of each other really well. I didn't have an opportunity to really watch 373 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.079 the Thunder play at the early outset of the season, but as we started 374 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:18.799 picking up momentum towards the possibility of Okay s and the play, and I 375 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:22.279 remember we had this conversation about you know, making our predictions about whether or 376 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:25.119 not OKAYC was going to make that play, and you were saying I would 377 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.119 love for them to make it, and I said, they have the opportunity 378 00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:30.960 to finish this off. You know, they their schedule allowed them to. 379 00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:34.920 But I think what I was starting to see from them was really getting me 380 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:40.640 excited about the possibilities that this could be SGA's coming out party. And you 381 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:45.359 remember I texted that to you when I saw what he what he did in 382 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:48.960 the Elimination game, right, So like one of the things that I'm just 383 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:52.559 speaking to is again going all the way back to my original point. Sga 384 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:57.000 is the kind of player he's he reminds. He reminds me very much like 385 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:02.200 how Andrew Wiggins has come in into The Fall. I don't know if it's 386 00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:06.440 a it's a Canadian thing where it's very very subtle, mild mannered, but 387 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:11.759 their game is really stealthy and lethal, bro, And that's that's again you 388 00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:14.480 cannot You don't want to mess with that, you know what I'm saying. 389 00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:18.119 You don't want to look at what happened to a guy like Andrew Wiggins. 390 00:26:18.119 --> 00:26:22.119 Look how long it took before he elevated himself into believing in what he can 391 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:26.440 contribute, what confidence he had to have in order to be a part of 392 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:30.279 something where his game translated to being something successful and not always questioned. And 393 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:34.759 I'm just saying that, like right now, Oklahoma City has the right combination 394 00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:40.759 of players where a guy like SGA his game translate to those younger those younger 395 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:44.240 guys or guys of his elk his age, can actually go out there and 396 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.799 say we can we can run with these guys. We can run with these 397 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:51.400 boys. I don't need to be paired up next to a booker because that's 398 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:53.559 what it's gonna take to win an NBA championship. You give me a giddy 399 00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:56.519 and we'll get there. Right. You just gotta have a little patience, 400 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:00.920 Just give us some games, and that's what I'm hoping is what we're gonna 401 00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:03.839 see happen. Because I'm telling you, man, like it's really weird watching 402 00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:08.279 how I was on I was not on SGA so much for what I was 403 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:11.400 hoping to see. From what I'm now seeing right now, it's it's again. 404 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:15.319 It's it's just a process. And sometimes you just got to work with 405 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:18.240 the process soil you start seeing glipses of it coming to fruition, And I'm 406 00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:22.559 telling you, man, this is this team right here. Man, They're 407 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:26.240 gonna be really excited about what we're expecting to see in that Northwest Division. 408 00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:32.599 I think if you are Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Utah Jazz, 409 00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:36.359 you have to really be looking at this, you know what I'm saying, 410 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:40.359 like, be very very mindful. You know what I'm saying, Maybe 411 00:27:40.359 --> 00:27:42.400 those games that you've got those easy dubs from, they're not going to be 412 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:47.839 easy any easy anymore moving forward with the way that these guys have improved themselves 413 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:49.759 even over the last couple of weeks, let alone what they've shown us this 414 00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:53.000 whole season. Yeah, so you're looking at a team, you know, 415 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:57.359 who was like thirteenth and fourteenth, I think offensive rating, defensive rating, 416 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:02.559 so really truly of the pack and have rhyme and room to climb into that 417 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:06.319 in those top tens and both of those things. Just with a little bit 418 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:08.799 more seasoning obviously getting chet back and help them tremendously. You know, as 419 00:28:08.839 --> 00:28:11.839 I'm you know, as we're thinking about it, if I'm them, probably 420 00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:17.400 the splashiest move, maybe maybe you make a play for like a Kyle Kuzma 421 00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:19.880 or somebody like that, you know, to compliment at the four. I 422 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:23.359 don't think you need to go Dame or you know, one of those large 423 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:26.759 or larger names to kind of player alongside there. Um, I think it's 424 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:30.880 a high quality guy. Maybe someone's still in their mid to late twenties, 425 00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:34.799 if you will, that can give you some that Or go to Detroit if 426 00:28:34.839 --> 00:28:37.440 you have to pick. And this sounds it's gonna sound foolish because you're like, 427 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.480 you don't just give away trafficks, but the thunder really could you could 428 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:47.279 throw a first and a second to Detroit and get Bogdanovich and just really just 429 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:51.960 competent guys who can really compliment the rest of your of your roster. So 430 00:28:52.039 --> 00:28:55.000 to me pressing again, it just has so many options on the table here. 431 00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:56.480 I can't wait to see what they do. And I know they say 432 00:28:56.519 --> 00:29:00.400 that about a lot of teams, but truly truly excited about the possibilities here 433 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:03.640 because I think roster constructions are going to be key to how they matriculate and 434 00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:07.920 build all to the success they had this past season. Well, so I 435 00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:11.640 like where you were going with that. I don't want to nitpick on on 436 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:14.880 what you were thinking as far as what it would probably take to get a 437 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:18.440 Bogdanovich, I don't know if i'd want Bogdanovich on this team. There's two 438 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:21.039 things that I really would like to see this team get a little bit better 439 00:29:21.079 --> 00:29:22.640 at that. Even if let's say, for example, you do go out 440 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:27.680 and you get yourself a four, maybe another you know, a comparable five, 441 00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:33.640 you know, with sometimes I think this team can get better with their 442 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:37.200 athleticism. This team ranked twenty first as far as defensive rebounding goes. They 443 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.759 ranked twenty first an assist. I'm not so much worried about the assist because 444 00:29:41.799 --> 00:29:45.559 that, to me is just more of the maturation and togetherness that SGA and 445 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:49.559 Giddy can continue to build. But the fact that they are not a really 446 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:56.279 good rebounding basketball team as far as defensive rebounding meaning they don't give themselves enough 447 00:29:56.279 --> 00:30:00.680 opportunities, especially when they're down games and their offense is just not clicking, 448 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:04.400 and then they don't shoot a really good field goal percentage, right, So 449 00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:08.799 part of it is they have to have a front court presence with consistency of 450 00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:12.599 scoring when they're not shooting the basketball. Greater the mid range game is just 451 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:15.519 not up to par. So I would like to see them go after people 452 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:19.119 with a little bit more athleticism, probably a little bit more savvy, to 453 00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:22.960 be able to give them more chances for them to be as even more prolific 454 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:27.240 in their scoring as they already are. Because to me, I'm saying like 455 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:30.519 this their fifth best. But Shaw, what I'm saying is is that what 456 00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:34.680 I like to see from this team is when they run into those situations where 457 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:37.960 what they're trying to execute with Dugan All is trying to execute for them is 458 00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:41.640 not happening. They can always lean on good old fashioned get down, you 459 00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.359 know what I'm saying, into trenches, score to basketball right to get an 460 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:48.960 an one, you know what I'm saying, the easy way, that type 461 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:52.000 of thing. That's what I wanted to see. I noticed that more than 462 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:56.599 anything else. And chet Holmegren coming in is gonna help them on the defensive 463 00:30:56.640 --> 00:31:00.160 side. Not great from blocks, They're gonna get better with that, But 464 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:03.680 I would like to see them get a little bit better and a little bit 465 00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:07.000 more athletic on the front court side. Yeah, I mean I think I 466 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:10.599 can. I can compliment that with one final statement. You know, maybe 467 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:14.440 even some some girth because you know Chet and even Alexei those are those skinny 468 00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:21.759 do a little light a little light and uh so maybe they could use a 469 00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:25.319 little bit more physicality, you know on the block specifically. Um, I 470 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:27.960 know Williams is he can He's not quite as tall, but does have a 471 00:31:27.960 --> 00:31:30.720 little bit of that from the physical standpoint. Um, but you know, 472 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:34.839 we know we're not going back to back to the basket days and posting up, 473 00:31:36.359 --> 00:31:38.279 but even just like the physical presence of like a lob threats and things 474 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:41.119 like that too, maybe they could add somebody in that and that ILK. 475 00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.400 But again, you know we're again we're nitpicking here. Um, let's see 476 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:48.960 what Presty and company end up ultimately doing, because the Thunder team is really 477 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:51.680 really on their way to becoming really successful. All right, So any any 478 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:57.319 final words, any any any uh words of encouragement during this sad time for 479 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:01.240 our Oklahoma City Thunder fan. I mean no, it's I think we've been 480 00:32:01.319 --> 00:32:06.480 We said it right and it's all it's all positive. Right, Yeah, 481 00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:09.640 you know, thirty year giddy coming into this situation. Uh sga will will 482 00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:13.400 be an All NBA player by the time all said and done here well, 483 00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:16.839 confidencies to come in and you have the reserve coming in the troops if you 484 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:22.160 will, and Chad Holmegren Uh Williams as well too, like just those guys 485 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:23.880 they played, you know, I mean it's this is a really really great 486 00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:28.119 story I think for the NBA. I'm in a city that I didn't know 487 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:30.279 if it was going to be able to bounce back, you know, after 488 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:32.599 the Durant and Harden and Westbrook stuff so to speak. Yeah, they had 489 00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:35.960 Chris Paul there for a year and that really helped them. You know. 490 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:38.200 I think Bridge the gap Um a couple of lean years here too, but 491 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:43.079 Sgaum has really really given them something to be excited about. And the addition 492 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.799 of Giddy two seemed to be the right move. So I have nothing but 493 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:49.160 positive things for Okay see in the years to come. Well listen for our 494 00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:53.160 okay see thunder fans um listen. This is a great time. You know, 495 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:58.240 nothing to hang your hat over. This is a team that basically was 496 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:02.240 one win away from being among the Great sixteen, right the Sweet sixteen of 497 00:33:02.279 --> 00:33:07.759 the NBA. And no one saw this coming, especially after the pain that 498 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:12.599 you guys endured and losing your number one pick in chet home Grin, So 499 00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:16.960 you know, sunny days, it's definitely ahead of you. When you got 500 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:21.359 SGA in your corner playing at this kind of level and the rest of that 501 00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:23.799 group rounded out. Man, it's it's nothing but good things. But listen, 502 00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:28.200 that doesn't mean that your NBA season is over with, right, No. 503 00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:30.160 I mean there's so much more basketball for you to watch. I mean, 504 00:33:30.200 --> 00:33:34.880 you guys are ultimately going to be scouting what the Oklahoma City Thunder is 505 00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:38.039 going to have to be doing for next year. So why not fully immerse 506 00:33:38.119 --> 00:33:44.559 yourself in the NBA postseason? 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Join the Social 525 00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:05.519 network for Sports Betters and take your betting game to the next level. Stick 526 00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:09.320 your neck out and win. Coming up, we're gonna talk about that other 527 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:16.039 team that unfortunately did not make themselves available for the rest of the Eastern Conference 528 00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:20.719 eight. That's the Chicago Bulls. I mean, what more can we say, 529 00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:24.800 though this team made an impressive run in an improbable situation. You'll find 530 00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:31.599 out how we autopsy him. Here on the Baseline. We are back Callie 531 00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:37.679 Warrenshaw Baseline NBA Podcast as we continue the autopsy reports and the next team that 532 00:35:37.719 --> 00:35:45.440 we're putting on the slab, the Chicago Bulls. This is the team Shaw 533 00:35:45.559 --> 00:35:49.039 that it's hard to say. When you look at the roster, you say 534 00:35:49.079 --> 00:35:54.760 to yourself, man, this team should probably be a top six team, 535 00:35:55.800 --> 00:36:01.039 no question in the Eastern Conference, but injuries obviously have plagued them, and 536 00:36:01.760 --> 00:36:06.039 it's hard to say. I can clearly I think, and we've talked about 537 00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:08.639 this team a little bit during the course of the year, Shaw, there's 538 00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:14.599 something not about this team that's completely connected. There's something that seems to be 539 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:19.840 disjointing. You know, like when you have like a toy or a device 540 00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:23.519 and you can clearly hear or see that it's just not operating the way that 541 00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:25.800 you used to. You try to make it sound like, oh, you 542 00:36:25.800 --> 00:36:29.199 know, it's just old or whatever the case, but you truly believe that 543 00:36:29.239 --> 00:36:32.960 there's something just not quite right about that that device, and you just don't 544 00:36:32.960 --> 00:36:37.800 know how you want to go about tweet, you know, tweet fixing it? 545 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:39.280 Right you should you fix it, you bring it to someone to fix 546 00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:42.480 it, or whatever the case may be. Or maybe you just don't want 547 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:45.039 the truth that it needs to be fixed or it needs to you know, 548 00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:49.480 you just basically need to trash it and get you another one, right like, 549 00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:52.159 or just completely go in a different direction. And I feel like that's 550 00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:57.000 where we are with the Chicago Bulls, a forty and forty two record, 551 00:36:57.079 --> 00:36:59.719 Shaw, you would say to yourself, Oh, you know, given the 552 00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:01.920 circle stances and what it took to be the tenth best team and even to 553 00:37:01.960 --> 00:37:05.760 give yourself a chance in the play in, but you still look at this 554 00:37:05.800 --> 00:37:07.840 team and you say, do they do they really represent being a forty and 555 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:15.800 forty two team? Well, I don't want to just beat the dead horse 556 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:20.800 here. I thought Chicago should have you know, gone and got a while 557 00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:24.119 ago. To me, the riding was on the wall. And then they 558 00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:30.079 despite themselves, continue to kind of scuffle and fight, and they add Pat 559 00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:34.119 Beverley. Then they have one of the top five top ten defenses, you 560 00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:36.679 know, post all Star. You know, as they lead into the playing 561 00:37:36.760 --> 00:37:39.159 game, Uh, they look like they're all but dead in the water in 562 00:37:39.239 --> 00:37:45.199 the playing game against Toronto. Then Zach Lavine takes over the Marja Rosen's daughters, 563 00:37:45.239 --> 00:37:47.519 starts screaming, and you know, the Bulls come back, you know, 564 00:37:47.599 --> 00:37:51.559 and capture, you know, the first win to get to the to 565 00:37:51.639 --> 00:37:55.440 the playing game against the Miami Heat. Winning that sound like down, sound 566 00:37:55.480 --> 00:38:00.639 like something you want to script for an NBA season, but winning the game 567 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:05.079 versus the Heat. Then ultimately collapse score like one point in the final four 568 00:38:05.079 --> 00:38:07.719 minutes, four and a half minutes of the game, and lose to the 569 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:09.599 to the Heat, and you know, Jimmy Butler and those guys, and 570 00:38:09.639 --> 00:38:14.079 then you see really kind of the Juglan hide of Chicago Bulls all along. 571 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:20.360 This is a team that can only be so good. They can be here 572 00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:22.199 you know my phrase here, It could be very much the same battime, 573 00:38:22.239 --> 00:38:27.800 same bat channel again next year without significant changes, and I don't think that's 574 00:38:27.840 --> 00:38:30.719 where they wont where they want to be. Drosan and Levine are two really 575 00:38:30.719 --> 00:38:37.840 really good basketball players. I think they fit okay. The pieces around them 576 00:38:37.960 --> 00:38:40.920 I think are still to be desired. And obviously with Lonzo being out and 577 00:38:42.199 --> 00:38:45.360 not quite sure when his return will be, they have a very big decision 578 00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:47.639 to make on Vussovic, I think as well. And while you know, 579 00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:51.400 I think Arsnovas came out and said that they do want to bring him back. 580 00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:55.679 Is this the right move? Do you just retread this whole situation just 581 00:38:55.760 --> 00:38:59.519 to kind of be back in the same place. And Pat Beverleys is not 582 00:38:59.559 --> 00:39:00.960 going to get you a now they're ten to twelve wins, you know, 583 00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:05.679 to put you into, you know, firmly into the playoff conversation as a 584 00:39:05.679 --> 00:39:07.519 four or five seed. That's just that's not what's going to happen. So 585 00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:10.280 to me, they need to take our harder look at what this looks like. 586 00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:15.239 Levine and de Rosen are owed a lot of money, a Lonzo's owed 587 00:39:15.239 --> 00:39:16.239 a lot of money, and it hasn't really be able to be on the 588 00:39:16.239 --> 00:39:19.360 floor as we know, and now they got to figure out they want to 589 00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:22.360 pay Vuosovich as well. I think we're in sort for some pretty big changes 590 00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:24.199 here, and I don't think Donovan has or anything to worry about, but 591 00:39:24.360 --> 00:39:29.039 ultimately the roster does need to change in some capacity, and it could come 592 00:39:29.039 --> 00:39:31.880 at something at the expense of Voussovic and or Levine and or de Rosen. 593 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:37.639 I'm gonna say this. I hope I'm not sounding disrespectful. This is the 594 00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:40.039 most top heavy basketball team I think in the NBA. When I say that, 595 00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:49.679 I mean Demarda Rosen and Zach Levine make up a very big portion of 596 00:39:49.719 --> 00:39:55.719 the team's ability to compete, so to speak, and everyone else kind of 597 00:39:55.719 --> 00:40:00.400 has to follow suit. You know, how you have, like a really 598 00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:04.760 good team, Shaw, if you take one or two guys out, the 599 00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:08.079 rest of the guys can still function. They may not be able to beat 600 00:40:08.119 --> 00:40:12.880 the best teams because the reason why they probably in best is because their team 601 00:40:12.920 --> 00:40:16.039 is so well rounded, so well coached, and their basketball, like He 602 00:40:16.159 --> 00:40:21.920 allows them, affords them the ability to kind of be that way. When 603 00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:23.480 you look at this basketball team, Shaw, there are a lot of guys 604 00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:31.400 that I feel like they are coming they're They're not coming in with the same 605 00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:39.239 level of dedication and attention to detail that is helpful for what the team needs 606 00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:44.559 to succeed as it would be from what you're seeing from other teams. I 607 00:40:44.599 --> 00:40:49.719 think part of that is in the manifestation for what happened to Zach Levine and 608 00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:54.880 listen him scoring twenty five points per game. I applaud him. I think 609 00:40:54.920 --> 00:40:58.760 it's great, but he's just scoring twenty five points for the wrong team. 610 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:01.679 I don't think he's completely brought in to this idea that he wants to be 611 00:41:01.719 --> 00:41:06.639 a Chicago Bull. There's some guys that you know when they play on a 612 00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:10.519 team, it's like they wear that shirt, that jersey with pride that they 613 00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:15.440 understand the history. Derek Rose is one of those guys. I think it 614 00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:22.280 hurt Derek Rose to the core that he wasn't able to lift people out of 615 00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:24.039 the shadows. It's not his fault to lift people out of the shadows of 616 00:41:24.119 --> 00:41:30.880 what happened during the Michael Jordan ever Bose fans were spoiled and we're not realistic 617 00:41:30.920 --> 00:41:34.920 about how long it's going to take to find some way to replace that, 618 00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:37.239 and they never gave him a fair chance. Also, the injuries played a 619 00:41:37.559 --> 00:41:42.199 role in that you can make the same argument for something like Zach Levine. 620 00:41:42.199 --> 00:41:45.239 Now I'm not comparing Zach Levine to Derek Rose. What I'm comparing is the 621 00:41:45.320 --> 00:41:50.760 lineage of what's taken place. Zach Levine has had injuries that I think is 622 00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:53.519 stymied his ability to be the guy that I think he wants to be. 623 00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:59.679 And maybe he thought he could be that guy in Chicago, and then prior 624 00:42:00.880 --> 00:42:06.039 to Paxton and I forget who the other GM was before the new one came 625 00:42:06.079 --> 00:42:09.920 in, moves are being made that made it seem like we can't rely on 626 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:14.239 you being that guy because you're never around to do it. And then when 627 00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:17.679 contract time comes, you can clearly tell that he would have probably wanted to 628 00:42:17.719 --> 00:42:22.239 go elsewhere if he could have gotten the bag, but realize that his bag 629 00:42:22.360 --> 00:42:25.079 is better suited here in Chicago, and you cannot operate in that kind of 630 00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:29.800 space if you're Billy Donovan, if you're Chicago Bulls. That might seem nice 631 00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:32.840 and well intended, but to your point, Shaw, this team it felt 632 00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:38.400 like they were forced to stay together rather than recognizing that they needed to be 633 00:42:38.440 --> 00:42:43.199 a part. And I think this was a manifestation of that in seeing how 634 00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:46.039 inconsistent this team has played throughout the course of the year. And you could 635 00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:50.519 put the blame on a head coach if you want on you know, on 636 00:42:50.599 --> 00:42:53.719 certain place, it's not it's collectively that just everybody was not on the same 637 00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:59.360 page about how to move this thing forward. And give yourself a chance to 638 00:42:59.400 --> 00:43:01.880 say we deserve to be competing with the rest of these other teams who clearly 639 00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:07.559 understood the writing on the wall right, like the seventy six Ers, the 640 00:43:07.639 --> 00:43:10.679 Miami Heat. All of them have got issues, but all of them have 641 00:43:10.760 --> 00:43:15.480 played together long enough to recognize when they have to kind of dial down their 642 00:43:15.480 --> 00:43:19.239 personal shit and get there, get the team ship right so that they can 643 00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:22.920 go out and make that legit run where necessary. And it's just weird how 644 00:43:22.960 --> 00:43:28.480 a team could not figure that out on a consistent enough basis to not allow 645 00:43:28.519 --> 00:43:31.360 themselves to get knocked out when they had an opportunity to knock them to knock 646 00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:36.119 themselves back in when they had it. Yeah to me, to me, 647 00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:39.400 it's still it all stems down to their inability to get everybody on the same 648 00:43:39.440 --> 00:43:45.079 page and keep everybody healthy. Alonzo maybe fixes a good majority of this from 649 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:50.119 play creation of failtation standpoint that they seem to be lacking. And you have 650 00:43:50.199 --> 00:43:53.920 DeRozan who can do it and did do it in San Antonio for a while. 651 00:43:54.480 --> 00:44:00.960 But now you're left with Crusoe and de Sumo and um forgetting mine a 652 00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:05.800 man's name here now Usa Cruzo Williams, Patrick Williams well too, coming off 653 00:44:06.039 --> 00:44:07.760 you know, in that four man situation, a lot of guys who just 654 00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:12.679 are not natural play creators, right, and Vosovich who can pass from the 655 00:44:12.760 --> 00:44:15.679 from the post a little bit too. Uh. You have Kobe White who 656 00:44:15.719 --> 00:44:19.119 we didn't even discuss, and he's he's going to be up his his contract 657 00:44:19.239 --> 00:44:22.960 is up in another kind of combo guard. So they're just really kind of 658 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:25.679 grasping, I think at Straws here trying to figure out where do they get 659 00:44:25.679 --> 00:44:30.760 play creation from. Yes, there are a good defensive team, um there. 660 00:44:30.800 --> 00:44:34.199 I think they even finished in the top top five. I think as 661 00:44:34.280 --> 00:44:37.519 as a year concluded. Um, but is the feel good story of Beverly 662 00:44:37.800 --> 00:44:43.400 and what you did getting Voussovich the first year that we acquired in from Orlando, 663 00:44:43.480 --> 00:44:45.199 then bringing in Jo rosen Quiet after that, and the success they had 664 00:44:45.239 --> 00:44:50.119 last year enough to kind of keep this together at the cost that it's going 665 00:44:50.159 --> 00:44:52.800 to that it's going to take to keep this roster together. And to me 666 00:44:52.880 --> 00:44:58.599 that question is is a no um and whether you want to continue to have 667 00:44:58.639 --> 00:45:00.719 the good vibes, which I know the g him came out and said that 668 00:45:00.719 --> 00:45:02.239 he kind of thought, hey, they were trending in the right direction. 669 00:45:02.760 --> 00:45:07.039 Maybe they know something and see something better than than we can right now, 670 00:45:07.320 --> 00:45:10.000 and if Lonzo comes back, is the elixir that puts his team back into 671 00:45:10.039 --> 00:45:14.280 the into the conversation to be in the middle of the Pacerties on conference. 672 00:45:14.320 --> 00:45:16.039 But I think that's a tall ask for somebody who's been out for two years 673 00:45:16.599 --> 00:45:20.280 and not quite sure if, if, and when he's going to be back 674 00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:22.599 all together. And then you know, Kobe Wye and Ussovic, do you 675 00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:27.000 pay those guys what they're going to command salary wise, and then that's your 676 00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:30.119 team, you know, And I just don't know if that's championship level, 677 00:45:30.719 --> 00:45:31.840 and I think they need to take a hard look at that, unfortunately, 678 00:45:31.880 --> 00:45:35.559 and it may cause for some breakups. Share of the Bulls one of the 679 00:45:35.599 --> 00:45:38.400 things that I that I wanted to emphasize and and you know, it's interesting 680 00:45:38.400 --> 00:45:40.679 shot because you said, like on the latter part of the season, they 681 00:45:40.679 --> 00:45:45.880 really stepped up and became one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. 682 00:45:45.400 --> 00:45:51.920 I'm gonna I'm gonna kind of I'm a poke holes at that in a little 683 00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:59.400 bit. Yes, collectively, they were a really good defensive team, but 684 00:45:59.599 --> 00:46:04.639 they were not good when it came to the three. They didn't shoot the 685 00:46:04.639 --> 00:46:07.719 three right. They were one of the worst teams. And more importantly, 686 00:46:07.760 --> 00:46:10.159 they didn't defend. They didn't defend, they didn't defend the three. Well, 687 00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:15.599 okay, So one of the things that I often say is, you 688 00:46:15.639 --> 00:46:19.079 know you can get away with doing that if like you're playing, say in 689 00:46:19.079 --> 00:46:23.599 a division or in a conference where maybe collectively like a lot of the teams 690 00:46:23.599 --> 00:46:29.360 that you play against are not that great, and it just help happens that 691 00:46:29.480 --> 00:46:32.519 you know this team maybe had your number, they just you know that this 692 00:46:32.760 --> 00:46:36.760 was their night. They're just hitting threes. And you could even watch in 693 00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:42.559 the games in which you know they were trailing suffering a lot of those key 694 00:46:42.639 --> 00:46:47.800 runs, three point shots being made. Runs started can't be stopped, right, 695 00:46:50.159 --> 00:46:52.840 just you can't have that right And and I say that because it's not 696 00:46:52.920 --> 00:47:00.599 gonna stop now. I'll put part of that on Billy Donovan in the sense 697 00:47:00.679 --> 00:47:04.679 that I'm sure he has to be aware of this going into next year, 698 00:47:05.119 --> 00:47:09.280 because you can't tell me that you can continue to play that kind of way 699 00:47:09.480 --> 00:47:15.880 where you're good to defend everything else except the arc. Like you're playing against 700 00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:19.280 the Boston Celtics, you're playing against the Philadelphia seventy six ers, you're playing 701 00:47:19.280 --> 00:47:22.320 against the Indiana Pacers, you're playing against the Milwaukee Bucks. I haven't even 702 00:47:22.440 --> 00:47:24.800 those are four teams already, shaw, I haven't even named the rest of 703 00:47:24.840 --> 00:47:29.960 them where I know we'll shoot the three ball at a much higher rate than 704 00:47:30.000 --> 00:47:34.679 I think the Chicago Bulls are even imagining how to defend. For if, 705 00:47:34.719 --> 00:47:37.679 even if your intent is is that you're still trying to figure things out, 706 00:47:37.960 --> 00:47:42.440 you have got to be able to defend against the three. That's that's just 707 00:47:42.480 --> 00:47:45.559 what it is, man. That's just the NBA. That's how it plays. 708 00:47:45.960 --> 00:47:49.519 You cannot be the worst team defending the three ball and then be the 709 00:47:49.559 --> 00:47:52.440 worst team shooting the three ball, right like, So something's got to give 710 00:47:52.519 --> 00:47:54.960 there. But I can definitely tell you when people say, oh, you 711 00:47:54.960 --> 00:47:58.840 know, this is a really good defensive team, I will challenge you in 712 00:47:58.960 --> 00:48:01.320 saying, yes, there were probably probably good defensively as far as their ability 713 00:48:01.400 --> 00:48:07.840 to play down and in their guards switching, probably being able to play up 714 00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:12.039 against the bigger guards who don't like to shoot. But eventually they were not 715 00:48:12.159 --> 00:48:15.280 great defending guys who needed to shoot the basketball right like, as good as 716 00:48:15.280 --> 00:48:20.239 Carusoe is Inhaled Patrick Beverley, as good as he is inhaled. You cannot 717 00:48:20.239 --> 00:48:22.079 be the worst team defending the three. That's that's just a no no, 718 00:48:22.480 --> 00:48:29.000 especially when those are what creates the kind of runs that take place in order 719 00:48:29.079 --> 00:48:32.199 to give you to mitigate your opportunities or chances for what you work so hard 720 00:48:32.239 --> 00:48:37.320 for offensively is to be able to give yourself that chance in the fourth quarter. 721 00:48:37.599 --> 00:48:40.519 Can't do it? Yeah, I mean I thinks are good points. 722 00:48:40.519 --> 00:48:45.159 So you know, twenty nine and three points made against them, so they 723 00:48:45.440 --> 00:48:50.360 averaged, they gave up thirteen point thirteen point one threes were hit on them 724 00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:52.159 on on a nine to night basis, while only making ten threes, you 725 00:48:52.199 --> 00:48:54.880 know, good for last on their side of it too, So they've lost 726 00:48:54.880 --> 00:48:59.440 that differential like who definitely you know by down nine just in the three point 727 00:48:59.519 --> 00:49:01.880 argument conversation on the night to night basis, And that is not something that 728 00:49:01.920 --> 00:49:07.000 you can have in today's in today's game in any capacity. And while you 729 00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:08.199 know, have to kind of look at the honor off numbers and more maybe 730 00:49:08.280 --> 00:49:13.039 even more sort towards the tail end, how beverly may may have impacted that 731 00:49:13.159 --> 00:49:16.760 to some degree. I think ultimately your point is definitely made here with Chicago. 732 00:49:17.320 --> 00:49:20.840 So what do they do now with that, because even the guys who 733 00:49:20.840 --> 00:49:23.159 they want to retain are not defensive stalwarts. I'm definitely not helping them on 734 00:49:23.920 --> 00:49:27.639 that side of the basketball when it comes to defending the three. In Vussovitch 735 00:49:27.679 --> 00:49:30.559 and White, those are the two biggest names that they have to kind of 736 00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:35.400 contend with and figure out what they ultimately want to do. Do they bring 737 00:49:35.440 --> 00:49:37.960 back Andre Drummond or do they just try to buy him out and get them 738 00:49:37.960 --> 00:49:40.679 off the books in some capacity. Javonte greens Sumo is also a free agent 739 00:49:40.800 --> 00:49:44.800 going into this year. Beverly obviously was picked up up the scrap heap. 740 00:49:44.840 --> 00:49:47.159 So what do they do there? To me, there's a lot more questions 741 00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:51.840 that they don't necessarily want to have the answers to. I think they'd be 742 00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:53.760 happy if some of these guys just kind of went away quietly into the night 743 00:49:53.960 --> 00:49:59.400 and allow them an opportunity to try to maybe refreshing some capacity. But to 744 00:49:59.519 --> 00:50:04.679 me, Levine's contract is very very heavy. You know, at forty plus 745 00:50:04.679 --> 00:50:07.000 a million dollars, there's a lot of people out there who don't believe in 746 00:50:07.039 --> 00:50:08.840 them and still think of them as, you know, just as volume scorer 747 00:50:08.880 --> 00:50:13.000 who doesn't really bring anything else to the game. I happen to like Levine 748 00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:16.320 and think he's a very good basketball player, but I can understand the argument, 749 00:50:16.400 --> 00:50:20.719 especially at the price tag and how much of the cat that ultimately eats 750 00:50:20.760 --> 00:50:22.800 up for you too. But he's also younger than DeRozan, so to me, 751 00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:27.119 they may need to come up to a decision and what they do with 752 00:50:27.239 --> 00:50:31.119 one or both of those guys while also then again operating with hey Vosovic probably 753 00:50:31.119 --> 00:50:35.480 needs to go and kind of doing some little a mid build, But I 754 00:50:35.519 --> 00:50:37.639 know it's not the most It's not the easiest thing to do in the NBA, 755 00:50:37.760 --> 00:50:40.920 especially today, But I don't think they're tearing it down to the studs 756 00:50:40.920 --> 00:50:45.199 in any capacity, and nor they need to, because Donovan is also a 757 00:50:45.239 --> 00:50:46.840 pretty good coach. As long as he can continue to rely on some of 758 00:50:46.840 --> 00:50:51.480 their defensive principles, whether some of it is fool's gold or not, they 759 00:50:51.480 --> 00:50:53.239 are there, and I think the right angles on the wall for them to 760 00:50:53.239 --> 00:50:57.159 make some changes that can get them in a better position to be competitive. 761 00:50:57.159 --> 00:51:00.920 They're they're not NBA championship level ready in any capacity or going to be soon, 762 00:51:00.159 --> 00:51:04.199 but they can definitely get to where they can secure a playoff spot and 763 00:51:04.239 --> 00:51:06.679 I'll consistently be in the play in if they make them make the right moves. 764 00:51:06.880 --> 00:51:09.239 Absolutely, So there's two things I want to highlight into your point Shaw 765 00:51:09.559 --> 00:51:15.000 before we just go ahead. Well, you eulogize them, you bring up 766 00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:19.760 some excellent points. But I think part of the reason why this combination right 767 00:51:19.920 --> 00:51:22.599 is not going to work. And I think you've got enough of a sample 768 00:51:22.679 --> 00:51:24.800 size in order for you to be able to say, you know, if 769 00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:30.239 you are the bulls exacts, you have to make a move, right. 770 00:51:31.360 --> 00:51:40.639 Dmarda Rosen Zach Levine collectively will attempt twelve and a half free throws per game. 771 00:51:42.840 --> 00:51:45.199 You're two top scorers who average close to twenty five points a game. 772 00:51:45.400 --> 00:51:50.159 Of that, they're only on the free throw line twelve times. Right, 773 00:51:51.559 --> 00:51:58.519 You're big Vosovic only gets to the free throw line maybe twice, right, 774 00:51:58.960 --> 00:52:02.599 right, Like, So some they're making this too hard for themselves. Right, 775 00:52:04.360 --> 00:52:07.679 they don't you have In other words, they're relying so heavily on their 776 00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:14.039 perimeter shooting. They have to shoot such a high percentage because they're not getting 777 00:52:14.639 --> 00:52:19.440 to the basket. They're not taking advantage of getting you know, and ones, 778 00:52:19.800 --> 00:52:22.800 right, because they're bailing them out by by shooting the basketball too much. 779 00:52:23.079 --> 00:52:25.320 So if you're not going to make it at a high percentage, and 780 00:52:25.360 --> 00:52:29.400 I'm not saying that, you know, look, Zach shot forty eight percent. 781 00:52:29.480 --> 00:52:30.760 I'm not saying that, Like you look at that percentage and say no, 782 00:52:30.840 --> 00:52:32.920 no, no, he's not making his shots. What I'm saying is 783 00:52:32.920 --> 00:52:37.239 is that a lot of his shot making is one where it doesn't give him 784 00:52:37.239 --> 00:52:42.079 an opportunity for him to get to the free throw line enough, right, 785 00:52:42.639 --> 00:52:45.880 same thing with Derosan. That's the only like that you can say that is 786 00:52:45.920 --> 00:52:52.039 the only quote unquote weakness to the type of game he plays because he is 787 00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:57.360 so mid range friendly that in most cases, if that shot is not hitting 788 00:52:57.639 --> 00:53:00.679 on a night and nine, he does not actively go to the basket. 789 00:53:00.800 --> 00:53:06.039 Yet he's still the best person to get to the basket on that team because 790 00:53:06.039 --> 00:53:08.039 he averages seven free throws a night. Essentially, you know what I'm saying. 791 00:53:08.880 --> 00:53:12.679 But as a team collectively show they don't get to the free throw line. 792 00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:15.280 So again, they're making this so difficult for themselves. Part of it 793 00:53:15.320 --> 00:53:17.760 could be the way that the guys play. Part of it could be, 794 00:53:17.960 --> 00:53:22.679 you know, the system that they're playing in a lot of it just really 795 00:53:22.719 --> 00:53:28.159 comes down to who they are and what their game manifests, you know, 796 00:53:28.559 --> 00:53:34.679 and you can't have two guys basically get to the free throw line and everyone 797 00:53:34.760 --> 00:53:38.800 else don't like at some point you have to have you got to show some 798 00:53:38.840 --> 00:53:44.320 type of aggression to your game. And that's what is sorely lacking for the 799 00:53:44.400 --> 00:53:47.400 Chicago Bulls team, which is hard pressed to think because again they're among one 800 00:53:47.440 --> 00:53:51.360 of the better defensive teams. Said to me, there's there's a little bit 801 00:53:51.360 --> 00:53:53.519 of attitude, there's a little bit of physicality that I think that they bring 802 00:53:53.559 --> 00:53:57.599 to the table. I just don't know how it doesn't translate to the offensive 803 00:53:57.599 --> 00:54:00.760 side of the ball, where they're giving themselves addition, you know, in 804 00:54:00.840 --> 00:54:04.679 three points by basically getting to the free throw line. Yeah, well, 805 00:54:04.679 --> 00:54:07.800 part of it is just the volume at which both of those guys operate, 806 00:54:07.880 --> 00:54:10.920 So there's not a whole lot of touches for anybody else and opportunities for people 807 00:54:10.920 --> 00:54:15.199 to get to the line, especially with Vussovic not being a true back to 808 00:54:15.239 --> 00:54:17.559 the basket type guy who's looking for falls fouls. He's you know, often 809 00:54:17.639 --> 00:54:21.800 oftentimes at the at the pinch post, oftentimes at the three point line. 810 00:54:22.119 --> 00:54:23.639 You know, does a couple of dhos here and there, and you might 811 00:54:23.639 --> 00:54:27.679 see him post up every now and then, but not initiating a lot of 812 00:54:27.679 --> 00:54:31.000 contact. And to the point we were making earlier, without a true table 813 00:54:31.119 --> 00:54:35.079 center to even put you, put you in the right position, get you 814 00:54:35.119 --> 00:54:37.840 in motion where you may have the opportunity to even be fouled. You know, 815 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:40.840 that's where I think you're gonna You're gonna see them really struggle with that 816 00:54:40.840 --> 00:54:43.880 that aspect of the game, you know a lot, because it is a 817 00:54:43.920 --> 00:54:45.719 lot of your turn by turn with the roads and the levine, especially when 818 00:54:45.719 --> 00:54:47.400 one of them goes out, then the other ones like, all right, 819 00:54:47.440 --> 00:54:50.679 whatever, I'm just scooping and trying to make it and make it, make 820 00:54:50.719 --> 00:54:52.360 it, do what I do for myself. And I think those are things 821 00:54:52.360 --> 00:54:55.760 they ultimately need to work. But even if you even if you have um 822 00:54:55.840 --> 00:55:00.800 Lonzo ball, even Lonzo ball. So I don't think he gets to the 823 00:55:00.800 --> 00:55:04.719 free throw line enough. Now, maybe that'll change, you know, maybe 824 00:55:05.400 --> 00:55:07.519 part of that, But I don't think it's about him getting into line. 825 00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:09.480 I think it's about the way he creates for others and getting them to the 826 00:55:09.519 --> 00:55:13.360 line and putting in the position. So it's not just to Rose and Iso 827 00:55:13.440 --> 00:55:16.000 midrange Levine Iso, you know, doing whatever he does. I agree with 828 00:55:16.039 --> 00:55:20.639 you. But remember Lonzo Ball does not shoot the basketball well, right, 829 00:55:20.840 --> 00:55:23.239 So part of it as well too is again, if you're someone who's gonna 830 00:55:23.280 --> 00:55:28.800 have the ball in hand and you know other guys are gonna want to shoot, 831 00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:31.119 that still means that someone has to aggressively get to the basket. Somebody 832 00:55:31.159 --> 00:55:36.719 has to be going towards the basket and create at least the idea that a 833 00:55:36.760 --> 00:55:39.440 team has to be physical with you down there and possibly foul you. I'm 834 00:55:39.480 --> 00:55:42.960 not saying you've got to get fouled every single time just because you're driving. 835 00:55:43.119 --> 00:55:45.920 What I'm saying is is just the way that they seem to play the game 836 00:55:45.920 --> 00:55:50.760 show that their style of basketball doesn't lend themselves the opportunities for them to get 837 00:55:50.800 --> 00:55:53.760 those free points. And so you have to depend so heavily on your perimeter 838 00:55:53.840 --> 00:55:58.840 game, you're shooting game. And again, this team, while they have 839 00:55:58.880 --> 00:56:02.480 a couple of guys that do shoot the basketball relatively well, they don't shoot 840 00:56:02.480 --> 00:56:07.239 it well enough and consistently enough. And also they're not great at rebounding offensively 841 00:56:07.320 --> 00:56:12.000 to give themselves additional opportunities if they're not landing that night, right, So 842 00:56:12.360 --> 00:56:15.440 you know, again those things, it's just kind of it just it kind 843 00:56:15.440 --> 00:56:17.000 of adds itself up. And but you brought up an excellent point though, 844 00:56:17.039 --> 00:56:23.199 to the fact that both of their top scorers are ball dominant players. The 845 00:56:23.239 --> 00:56:28.559 ball is in their hands so much, and I think they may have to 846 00:56:28.599 --> 00:56:31.039 develop something differently. If you're still going to roll out these two, these 847 00:56:31.079 --> 00:56:37.320 two guys and ball again next year with this idea that they're going to be 848 00:56:37.400 --> 00:56:42.440 even better because of it, I don't see how that's gonna play with how 849 00:56:42.519 --> 00:56:45.559 all of these things kind of like matriculate down the line as far as what's 850 00:56:45.599 --> 00:56:51.519 affecting them offensively. Yeah, So I mean, if you can't change the 851 00:56:51.599 --> 00:56:55.480 roster and personnel, then do you change and institute a different type of offense? 852 00:56:55.519 --> 00:56:59.760 And those are things I think Donovan and Kristofus will ultimately figure out. 853 00:57:00.039 --> 00:57:04.880 Like that is uh, that's the that's the card they're dealt And we've seen 854 00:57:04.920 --> 00:57:07.360 stranger things happen. Um, So if they decide to be up and bring 855 00:57:07.440 --> 00:57:12.840 Kobe Wye and Vossovitch back and just keep what it is currently and hope Lonzo 856 00:57:12.880 --> 00:57:15.679 comes back at some point or what do they do from an offensive standpoint and 857 00:57:15.760 --> 00:57:20.760 re reimagine it where it's not just Levine and Droz and basically taking turns with 858 00:57:20.800 --> 00:57:24.400 the basketball and going isolation and whatever that whatever capacity that is, and that 859 00:57:24.400 --> 00:57:29.320 that I think is can be Donovan's homework for the off season for him to 860 00:57:29.360 --> 00:57:31.320 get better. Um, with the roster that may not have the opportunity to 861 00:57:31.360 --> 00:57:34.719 get better. You know when it when it comes to the personnel, where 862 00:57:34.679 --> 00:57:37.760 do you think the draft capital lies with the Chicago Bulls? Do you think 863 00:57:37.800 --> 00:57:42.719 that you know, you basically take this roster, you move a couple of 864 00:57:42.719 --> 00:57:49.400 guys out and hope that maybe, um, there is that possibility of drafting 865 00:57:49.440 --> 00:57:52.760 someone you know that can come in and and and instantly sure up some of 866 00:57:52.760 --> 00:57:57.000 the things that they obviously are lacking, you know. I mean, if 867 00:57:57.000 --> 00:57:59.599 I'm reading it correctly, I think they have their own pick, but it's 868 00:57:59.599 --> 00:58:01.880 a pimp I think with Portland, so um, you know they'll get the 869 00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:05.960 lesser of those two. Um, I would I would imagine um, this 870 00:58:06.039 --> 00:58:07.719 year and then you know that they can figure out they don't have to pick 871 00:58:07.760 --> 00:58:12.199 the next year, and then they have another first rounder in twenty twenty six. 872 00:58:12.679 --> 00:58:16.039 Um, it's it's it's gonna be it's gonna be tight. And talent 873 00:58:16.119 --> 00:58:22.440 evaluation at the draft level is is always. Um, it's always a hard, 874 00:58:22.480 --> 00:58:23.679 it's a hard it's a hard push, you know, you like, 875 00:58:23.760 --> 00:58:27.400 some people do it really well and then some people really struggle at it. 876 00:58:27.519 --> 00:58:30.119 I don't know if we have enough of a track record here now um with 877 00:58:30.159 --> 00:58:32.440 the Bulls GM to understand exactly where he lands on that. On that side 878 00:58:32.440 --> 00:58:37.239 of it, he came from Denver, so Denver has had a decentness track 879 00:58:37.320 --> 00:58:39.840 record in drafting guys, but also giving up guys and giving up on guys 880 00:58:39.840 --> 00:58:44.360 too early as well. Um. So uh, where a Carcinova's lands and 881 00:58:44.400 --> 00:58:47.000 all of that will will ultimately see. But the option is definitely out there 882 00:58:47.000 --> 00:58:50.320 as long as you have a pick that maybe you can make something happen. 883 00:58:50.599 --> 00:58:53.079 But I think they'll probably be better served and trying to figure it out from 884 00:58:53.079 --> 00:58:57.199 some sort of a trade or sign and trade with maybe some of their existing 885 00:58:57.239 --> 00:59:00.119 talent. All right, Well, shall listen, man, this is has 886 00:59:00.159 --> 00:59:05.239 been an awesome show. Um again, and you know listen if you're Chicago 887 00:59:05.280 --> 00:59:08.480 Bulls, I know you know we said you know, it sounded like we're 888 00:59:08.480 --> 00:59:13.000 bashing them. It's not. I think that if the right moves can be 889 00:59:13.039 --> 00:59:15.079 made, you can salvage what you've been getting from the Chicago Bulls the last 890 00:59:15.119 --> 00:59:19.519 couple of seasons. But I you know, to what Sean Ivas saying is 891 00:59:19.519 --> 00:59:22.199 is that the way that this roster is currently constructed, you're going to run 892 00:59:22.239 --> 00:59:23.719 into some issues. And I think it's going to rear its ugly head come 893 00:59:23.800 --> 00:59:28.079 next season because the way that other teams have improved in the Eastern Conference, 894 00:59:28.519 --> 00:59:30.320 some of the things that the Bulls are lacking, they're just not going to 895 00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:34.519 be able to mask and get away with unless you know, the guys that 896 00:59:34.599 --> 00:59:37.039 they have are fully healthy and are going to step up and really kind of 897 00:59:37.400 --> 00:59:44.039 you know, take strides in in in and again improving those deficiencies that kind 898 00:59:44.039 --> 00:59:46.719 of reared its ugly head and preventing them from continuing forward in this in this 899 00:59:46.800 --> 00:59:51.000 year's playoffs. So it'll be interesting to see shaw. But you know, 900 00:59:51.039 --> 00:59:54.440 again, the Bulls in the Thunder, it provided exciting basketball down that stretch, 901 00:59:54.519 --> 01:00:00.000 exciting basketball into play in situation, and again, you know they're gonna 902 01:00:00.079 --> 01:00:04.559 be a force. I just want to see them not be maligned or sidelined 903 01:00:04.599 --> 01:00:08.719 again with certain things that I think can be controllable on their end, and 904 01:00:08.760 --> 01:00:13.719 they make the right move so that this is sustainable, because I think the 905 01:00:13.800 --> 01:00:16.639 NBA again is better when these teams are competitive and are pushing the needle, 906 01:00:17.239 --> 01:00:20.960 you know, pushing these other teams to step their game up as well too. 907 01:00:21.719 --> 01:00:27.119 Two teams very different situations. One we're we're excited about, one we're 908 01:00:27.119 --> 01:00:30.199 a little bit bullish on, and we'll see where where it lands over the 909 01:00:30.199 --> 01:00:35.800 course of the offseason. But two very competent coaches I think on both those 910 01:00:35.800 --> 01:00:39.159 sidelines, and I think they'll figure out what ultimately makes sense for the roster. 911 01:00:39.480 --> 01:00:44.360 We'll get the best version of themselves. But how what that means to 912 01:00:44.400 --> 01:00:45.719 each one of those teams will be I think, very, very vastly different 913 01:00:45.719 --> 01:00:50.599 going into next season. Absolutely, as always, we appreciate you and yours 914 01:00:50.599 --> 01:00:52.760 for hopping on our board with us once again. You know what I'm saying. 915 01:00:52.760 --> 01:00:57.880 For our listeners out there who are wanting to get up on the best 916 01:00:58.039 --> 01:01:02.079 NBA gear, be sure to go to the NBA store. Slash fanatics get 917 01:01:02.079 --> 01:01:07.679 down with them. Go to NBA store, use our affiliation link, and 918 01:01:07.800 --> 01:01:09.960 you know get yourself ready, man, this is some great basketball being played. 919 01:01:10.239 --> 01:01:15.000 I'm sure that y'all want to take your social media self fees and get 920 01:01:15.039 --> 01:01:17.880 on your TikTok and do your dances every time your team dances in the first 921 01:01:17.920 --> 01:01:21.960 round, so be sure to get that year. Use our affiliation, man, 922 01:01:22.000 --> 01:01:25.039 and get yourself some great discounts of supporting your favorite team. For the 923 01:01:25.079 --> 01:01:30.039 baseline, Callie warren Shaw. We appreciate you guys, each and every single 924 01:01:30.159 --> 01:01:31.920 one of you, and we'll catch up with you next time.