1 00:00:03,919 --> 00:00:08,640 What is Kraco acting and hardware nots listeners, I am Dan Valley coming at 2 00:00:08,679 --> 00:00:14,119 you once more without my fantabulous co host Adam Cromwell. Our team look Ahead 3 00:00:14,119 --> 00:00:18,120 train rolls on. We are up to the Phoenix Suns. So naturally, 4 00:00:18,199 --> 00:00:23,039 I brought out Mike Field and Sam Cooper from the Timeline podcast. Those guys 5 00:00:23,039 --> 00:00:26,760 do a great job with their podcast their YouTube channel. They have a Patreon 6 00:00:26,839 --> 00:00:30,239 now you should subscribe to it. Excuse me, You can get a bonus 7 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,240 podcast episode per week. They have a very interesting over under episode where they 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,799 make up some fake lines about the team and go back and forth with their 9 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,759 guests choosing over under. I was actually a little bit surprised that the picks 10 00:00:42,759 --> 00:00:48,000 that came out on DeAndre Ayton's over under for three point attempts digressing there though. 11 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:52,320 Follow them on Twitter. Mike can be found at at protected pick spelled 12 00:00:52,359 --> 00:00:56,679 exactly as it sounds. Sam is at s Cooper Hoops, or as he 13 00:00:56,719 --> 00:01:00,200 calls it, Scooper hoops sometimes spelled exactly as it's. Had a great conversation 14 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,920 with them. As always, they were also nice enough to as someone who 15 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,760 prized themselves on being available and punctual. I was fifteen minutes late because I've 16 00:01:07,799 --> 00:01:11,799 lost track of time because I was exhausted. They waited around for me A 17 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,519 super appreciative of that, So I just want to give them a shout out 18 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,480 for being so flexible and generous with their time before we get started the usual 19 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,079 housekeeping notes here. Please please, pretty please continue rating, reviewing, and 20 00:01:23,079 --> 00:01:27,920 subscribing to Hardwoodknox wherever you get your podcasts, whether you use iTunes or not, 21 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:30,200 as long as you have access to it, we ask that you head 22 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,680 over to iTunes search Hardwood Knox. Throw us a five star rating, writer, 23 00:01:34,799 --> 00:01:38,319 review, subscriptions, ratings reviews. Those really help us move up the 24 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,000 charts. Make sure you're downloading every episode. Maybe help us promote the podcast 25 00:01:42,079 --> 00:01:45,280 where for friends, send them to family members, random people that you know 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,239 online, or random people that you don't know but who you think might appreciate 27 00:01:49,239 --> 00:01:52,439 it, or just to random people in general. And if this is your 28 00:01:52,439 --> 00:01:56,000 first time listening to the Hardwo Knocks podcast, maybe it's because you really like 29 00:01:56,319 --> 00:02:00,560 the Phoenix Suns, Maybe you're just diehard fans of the Timeline podcast fellas, 30 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:06,439 or perhaps you're here by accident at random. Consider throwing us that permit subscription. 31 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,800 We cover the league at large. We are pleasantly sub mediocre, only 32 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:15,159 mildly insufferable. I call that a win. Moving on, though, let's 33 00:02:15,159 --> 00:02:20,400 talk lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of Phoenix suns with the 34 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:25,120 fellas from the Timeline podcast, Mike Wiel and Sam Cooper. Mike, Sam, 35 00:02:25,159 --> 00:02:29,000 thank you so much for coming back on the Hardware Knox podcast to talk 36 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,759 some Phoenix suns with me. First and foremost, however, how the hell 37 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:38,120 are you two doing after that? You know, after a good off season. 38 00:02:38,199 --> 00:02:42,960 You guys had a pretty wild actual basketball season last year, a lot 39 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,080 of stuff going on. So how did the actual offseason treat you? I 40 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:52,439 mentioned this to Sam yesterday. I feel like I'm still in like different stages 41 00:02:52,479 --> 00:02:58,360 of grief depending on the day after the finals loss. Today, I feel 42 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,599 good, you know, I feel right today. I felt grief for a 43 00:03:01,599 --> 00:03:07,240 while. It's a natural reaction, but I got over it. Mike and 44 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,439 I did this whole We called it an internal development series on our podcast. 45 00:03:10,599 --> 00:03:14,439 This was a couple of weeks ago now, but we kind of talked really 46 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:19,080 through the development of all the young players on this core Devin Booker McHale, 47 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,800 Bridges, DeAndre Aton, Cam Johnson, campaign, YadA, YadA, And 48 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:25,520 I was kind of grieving going into that series, but coming out of it, 49 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,759 and I know Mike feels the same way. We really sort of talked 50 00:03:28,759 --> 00:03:32,000 ourselves into this team again, and I'm like fully past grief, I'm into 51 00:03:32,039 --> 00:03:36,199 acceptance, and I'm once again really excited for the season to start. Honestly, 52 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,039 I wish preseason we could kind of just skip it and go straight to 53 00:03:38,039 --> 00:03:42,479 Game one, but it's gonna be a couple of long weeks. Yeah one, 54 00:03:42,599 --> 00:03:46,240 I can't stand preseason, so I'm totally with you. To the internal 55 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,520 development series was really good. I did not listen to the campaign episode yet 56 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,240 and I'm in the middle of the eight one, but people should check that 57 00:03:52,319 --> 00:03:58,360 out from the Timeline podcast. Very easy to find this. Did it make 58 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,159 it harder or easier to accept the fact what happened the Finals? Knowing that 59 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,280 the Sons were like kind of one of the biggest surprise finals teams in recent 60 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,159 memory, where those you guys were high on the team. I remember talking 61 00:04:09,159 --> 00:04:12,080 to you last year entering the year, but no one was hey, they're 62 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,120 going to the NBA's Finals high at that point I think for me, there's 63 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,360 like the they're ahead of schedule, like ultimately they're ahead of schedule, but 64 00:04:19,439 --> 00:04:25,240 like at the same time Chris Paul, like there's this sort of dueling I'm 65 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:30,519 gonna say the word dueling timelines for this team right now, where there's the 66 00:04:30,519 --> 00:04:33,680 young guys and the attempted development developed them as quickly as possible in order to 67 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,680 be as good as possible, and then there's there's sort of the race against 68 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,680 father time for Chris Paul. Right those guys need to be as good as 69 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:46,959 possible before Chris Paul starts declining at all, which you know, in my 70 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,160 opinion, he didn't really decline last season. There was an injury I think 71 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,199 in the playoffs that affected his play late, but even in the playoffs he 72 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:57,120 averaged over twenty points and an insane number of assists. A great season for 73 00:04:57,199 --> 00:05:01,519 Chris Paul. So in one sense, it's great. In another sense, 74 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:06,279 it's kind of hard to pin down exactly what's going to happen like this season, 75 00:05:06,759 --> 00:05:10,879 but even beyond this season, because I think it makes sense for the 76 00:05:10,879 --> 00:05:14,439 team right now to go all in on this season and do everything possible to 77 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,319 win this year with Chris Paul being where he is, But then like, 78 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:21,800 at some point, I can't help but think about what happens when he does 79 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:28,360 start declining and his skill set starts declining, and how much of the skills 80 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,000 that the other guys bring actually make up for that. So in a sense, 81 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,720 it does make me feel better because there's still a bunch of young guys 82 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,120 on this team. In another sense, one of the best players on the 83 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:40,519 team is still really old. So I have this dueling mindset about it. 84 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,519 I guess, yeah, there's certainly a lot of variability to it. I 85 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,240 feel good though, even knowing that that kind of Chris Paul Pin drop could 86 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,079 come at any time. But we'll see, we can't control it's gonna embrace 87 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:57,040 the chaos. I'll throw this one to you, Sab to start. Where'd 88 00:05:57,079 --> 00:06:00,000 you are there any impressions that you have from their off season that you say 89 00:06:00,079 --> 00:06:02,000 about hanging to the regular season where you you know, we talk and we're 90 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,600 going to get into their actual guys, where the continuity will help this team 91 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,639 a ton. You still have very important players on this team that are going 92 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,720 to get better, and so that's sort of how you get the leg up. 93 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,680 But would you have liked to have seen a little bit more of an 94 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,240 aggressive offseason from them when you're looking at making additions to the roster, or 95 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,360 do you fall on the camp of, you know, well, who else 96 00:06:20,399 --> 00:06:25,079 were they getting and what were they supposed to do? Yeah, the reason 97 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,079 I was kind of laughing at the beginning there is because I've I've heard your 98 00:06:28,199 --> 00:06:32,079 thoughts Dan on our off season, and so I basically echoed those one hundred 99 00:06:32,079 --> 00:06:34,680 percent what you had previously said on the podcast. I think the Suns had 100 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:39,720 a good offseason. I think they addressed obvious areas of need. I applaud 101 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:44,560 them for the Chris Paul and campaign extensions, primarily because I think those are 102 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,319 just both great values. JaVale McGee obvious area of need with defense and rebounding 103 00:06:48,399 --> 00:06:55,279 Landry Shammont. You can never have enough shooters. But but yeah, I 104 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,319 kind of feel like they didn't go far enough, especially when you consider the 105 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,800 resources that were on the table, not using the full mid level exception, 106 00:07:00,959 --> 00:07:04,879 not using the biennial exception when you could have just basic things, but you 107 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,680 know, not even really trying to make an attempt at replacing a guy like 108 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,279 Tory Craig. A lot of Suns fans will tell me, well, you 109 00:07:11,319 --> 00:07:13,680 know, it's Tory Craig. You played fifteen minutes per game. He's a 110 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,040 ninth or tenth man. It's not really that big of a deal. They 111 00:07:15,079 --> 00:07:18,240 may very well be right, and I do certainly believe that the Suns are 112 00:07:18,279 --> 00:07:20,879 a very, very very good team. I believe they're a top two team 113 00:07:20,879 --> 00:07:25,279 in the Western Conference going into this season in terms of talent. But there 114 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:27,839 is that nagging feeling that they really could have done more. You look at 115 00:07:27,839 --> 00:07:30,759 the rest of the Western Conference, and what the Lakers are doing is really 116 00:07:30,839 --> 00:07:34,920 a risk. It's a huge risk, and every other team didn't even try. 117 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,199 I mean, you know, you look at the Jeff Green signing for 118 00:07:39,319 --> 00:07:42,399 Denver, Rudy Gay for Utah, and it's like that Larry Nance is one 119 00:07:42,439 --> 00:07:44,839 that I actually like for Portland. But it's like, these are all kind 120 00:07:44,839 --> 00:07:46,639 of minor moves on the margins if we really think about it. And so 121 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,079 there is that temptation to say, Phoenix, you were just in the finals, 122 00:07:50,439 --> 00:07:54,040 why didn't you try and push a little bit harder? And yeah, 123 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,040 it's definitely something I think about a lot. I'm still satisfied with the offseason, 124 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,079 but they definitely could have done more. It's my opinion your thoughts fall 125 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,240 on that. Mike Well, I think I have sort of mixed feelings about 126 00:08:05,279 --> 00:08:09,839 this as well, because part of me feels like one of the biggest issues 127 00:08:09,839 --> 00:08:13,040 for the Phoenix Suns was that they didn't have a clear cut third best player, 128 00:08:13,759 --> 00:08:18,680 and like if they were overly aggressive, basically, if they didn't buy 129 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,279 into any sort of hype in the trip to the finals and made a massive 130 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:26,959 move like put other guys on the trade market outside of Devin Booker and Chris 131 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,839 Paul to try and find that third best player, whether that be Mchaelbridges or 132 00:08:30,879 --> 00:08:35,840 DeAndre and I wouldn't have been overly angry about that. I guess in a 133 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:39,279 sense, I do buy into the finals. I do buy into that run. 134 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,480 I think they're an excellent team, and I think there'll be an excellent 135 00:08:41,519 --> 00:08:46,799 team going into next year regardless of any changes that they make. But at 136 00:08:46,799 --> 00:08:50,519 the same time, if they had done something major to try and bring some 137 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:54,240 sort of third star to the team, I would not have been mad about 138 00:08:54,279 --> 00:08:58,759 it. So in general, during the offseason, I tend to have like 139 00:08:58,799 --> 00:09:03,240 these overly aggressive thoughts about getting star players. So that's usually where I stand, 140 00:09:03,639 --> 00:09:07,320 and that's how you get yourself in trouble too. Yeah, I mean, 141 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,759 yeah, we cover one team, right, So when we cover one 142 00:09:11,759 --> 00:09:13,240 team, if I start talking about trading players that just made it to the 143 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,039 NBA Finals, people do tend to get a little angry about that. So 144 00:09:16,039 --> 00:09:20,919 I have to find ways to talk about it without upsetting people. But like 145 00:09:22,879 --> 00:09:26,840 I aggregators, get ready, I think a lot of what the Sun's a 146 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,039 lot of what the Suns are relying on right now is no Kawhi Leonard, 147 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:35,279 no Jamal Murray, the Lakers being old, and that's like all of those 148 00:09:35,279 --> 00:09:41,039 things together, I think are what sort of combined to make the Suns one 149 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,559 of the favorites in the Western Conference in this coming season, which is fine 150 00:09:45,639 --> 00:09:50,679 and fair, but like there is a scenario where Kawhi Leonard is fully healthy, 151 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:52,720 where Jamal Murray is fully healthy, where the Lakers don't get injured in 152 00:09:52,759 --> 00:09:58,039 the playoffs, where in those scenarios I would have probably wished that the Suns 153 00:09:58,039 --> 00:10:01,200 have made a b I moved to bring in some sort of start. Now. 154 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:07,480 Of course, trades are all speculative and who knows who's available or whatever 155 00:10:07,519 --> 00:10:11,000 it all is. But I am overall happy with the offseason, and I 156 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,279 think they're going to be an excellent team going forward. I just would not 157 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,559 have been mad had they done something more aggressive that may have pissed off a 158 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,639 lot of Suns friends. To be honest, yeah, I think and even 159 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,960 just something is simple of spending your entire l entire MLI would have been like 160 00:10:24,039 --> 00:10:28,879 a show of good faith. But I'm gonna agreement basically with both what you 161 00:10:28,919 --> 00:10:31,759 guys said. I think also what made me feel better about the off season 162 00:10:31,799 --> 00:10:37,000 to this point is if you had agreed to extensions with DeAndre Ayton Michael Bridges. 163 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,720 And I'm just curious as to you know, the Wired take on this, 164 00:10:39,799 --> 00:10:43,039 and it shouldn't be with Michael Bridges because I know people, for some 165 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:48,320 reason, DeAndre Ayton is viewed as the max contract lock and not Michael Bridges. 166 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:50,320 If both if both these guys get the restricted free agency, or if 167 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,840 either of them gets there, barring anything like a catastrophe this year, they're 168 00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:58,559 they're getting max offer sheets. I'm just like, why is this turning out 169 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:01,679 to be such a complicated thing? And the Wired take would be you don't 170 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,120 want to extend either of them in case you want to make that bigger swing 171 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,000 on the trade market this season because they've become so hard to deal, and 172 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,759 that's yeah, Yeah, I don't know that I've heard anyone say that Michael 173 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:18,480 Bridges is definitely going to get a max offer sheet in the restricted free agency. 174 00:11:18,759 --> 00:11:20,919 So, first of all, I appreciate that you say that, Dan, 175 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,279 and I think it's definitely possible depending on what he does. And the 176 00:11:26,279 --> 00:11:28,679 Sons have really been talking up McAll Bridges as a third option on offense this 177 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:35,240 season, So if he starts to up his overall possessions that he's actually taking 178 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,320 shots and creating for himself and for others, I could definitely see that happening. 179 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:43,879 But yeah, I think that that's definitely something that they're taking into consideration. 180 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,480 Dan, I do wonder if, like, are they better trade assets 181 00:11:48,639 --> 00:11:52,000 without being extended? Is that how you're looking at it, Because I do 182 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,960 wonder if even just extending them now, whether that be during this season or 183 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:01,759 in the off season next year, if that extension actually help the Suns as 184 00:12:01,759 --> 00:12:05,879 far as if they consider trading those guys going forward, because in my opinion, 185 00:12:05,919 --> 00:12:07,919 you just got to lock those guys up right now and worry about the 186 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,559 rest later because I still think they're going to be tradeable on extensions. Yeah, 187 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,039 I mean long term, I would rather you know, Mihail Bridges or 188 00:12:16,039 --> 00:12:18,840 Deandreton is going to be more valuable with extra years on their deal. But 189 00:12:18,919 --> 00:12:22,679 this season specifically, if you sign your extension by the deadline, like the 190 00:12:22,759 --> 00:12:26,120 average annual salary and the poison pill comes into play, and you're essentially saying, 191 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,200 if we make a move, it's not going to involve one of these 192 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,600 two. And I don't know if the front office would be thinking along those 193 00:12:33,639 --> 00:12:37,200 lines, but you don't know how the outside star trade market might develop this 194 00:12:37,279 --> 00:12:41,679 year. And if you really are you guys mentioned both of you mentioned at 195 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:45,080 the top, if you really are thinking about the urgency of this team because 196 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,080 of the age of Chris Paul, I don't know if that goes into the 197 00:12:48,759 --> 00:12:52,120 calculus at all. I just found it curious that, you know, were 198 00:12:52,159 --> 00:12:56,080 this late into the offseason and like neither one of them has signed extension, 199 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:01,399 Like we haven't even started dealing with public facing concrete numbers for either of them, 200 00:13:01,399 --> 00:13:05,679 and most people just assume that DeAndre Aton is going to get the max. 201 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,600 So there's that, and I would be firmly of the belief that if 202 00:13:07,759 --> 00:13:11,840 Bridges does h RFA, I know, there's not a ton of teams with 203 00:13:11,879 --> 00:13:15,440 cap space, but if he does anything more on the ball, or even 204 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,039 if he's just the same player that he is this year, that is the 205 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:22,000 archetype that teams well, someone is giving him a max McHale is I'd have 206 00:13:22,039 --> 00:13:24,440 to look a ut. Michael is like twenty five years old already. If 207 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,720 if he does exactly the same, then the figure that I've heard people throw 208 00:13:28,759 --> 00:13:33,039 out is like four four slash one hundred, maybe four slash nineties, stuff 209 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:37,600 like that. But if he makes the leap, I'm expecting to him too. 210 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:39,679 On the ball, Absolutely, I agree with you, Dan, he's 211 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,480 a max contract guy. If he could get up to like seventeen eighteen points 212 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,559 per game, which I think is totally feasible, we can talk about it 213 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:48,559 more later. Then he can hit that figure no problem. And so both 214 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:52,720 guys go into the extension. Both guys go into these negotiations frankly, with 215 00:13:52,799 --> 00:13:56,960 a lot of leverage, way more leveraged than the average than the average third 216 00:13:56,039 --> 00:14:00,399 or fourth year player. Yeah, and I wonder how much agents sort of 217 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,799 look at the landscape of free agency in general, where all these stars are 218 00:14:03,799 --> 00:14:07,799 just signing extensions now and not a lot of them are going to be available 219 00:14:07,799 --> 00:14:11,759 for free agency, and DeAndre and Michel Bridges could be two of the best 220 00:14:11,799 --> 00:14:16,000 free agents available if they were to hit restricted free agencies, you know, 221 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,720 and the Sun still you know, as far as leverage goes, the Sun 222 00:14:18,799 --> 00:14:20,960 still own their restricted free agency rights, so they could match anything that they're 223 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,559 offered at that point, but it could be a lot. You're definitely right 224 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,240 about that, Dan, and I'm more of a fan, especially if you're 225 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,559 not trying to prioritize cat flexibility, like build up the good will with the 226 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:33,279 players, because all you're gonna have to do is just match the offer that 227 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,639 you're not giving them now. Essentially, today, let's talk about that Michael 228 00:14:37,679 --> 00:14:41,759 Bridges leap though, Sam, What is it you already mentioned sort of the 229 00:14:41,039 --> 00:14:46,840 off the dribble jumper and the numbers, like he sort of increased his volume 230 00:14:46,879 --> 00:14:50,519 there over the past few years. What does that actual leap in full look 231 00:14:50,559 --> 00:14:54,480 like for Michael Bridges? Is it just sort of holding that down And do 232 00:14:54,519 --> 00:15:00,159 you think he's going to get the opportunity to do that on this team? 233 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,919 I absolutely think he's going to get the opportunity to do that on this team 234 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,519 if you were paying attention to training camp both. Monty Williams, when asked 235 00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:11,759 about it, said he used the term third option talking about mchaal Bridges. 236 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:13,279 He said, we believe that this guy could be our third option. Not 237 00:15:13,399 --> 00:15:16,759 paraphrasing here because I don't remember the exact quote anymore, but he said he 238 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:22,679 wanted to find more opportunities for him to play that role within the scope of 239 00:15:22,679 --> 00:15:24,440 the Sun's offense, simply because he understands, like you know, some Suns 240 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,919 fans look at that they maybe take offense if they're big. DeAndre Atan stands, 241 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:33,279 but we understand it's talking about perimeter initiation of sets and McHale Bridge is 242 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,480 much more comfortable with the ball in his hands than any other potential third option 243 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:39,399 on the Sun's team. I guess campaign dribbles the ball, but he doesn't 244 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,399 really fit the bill for what we're talking about of being a starting level talent. 245 00:15:43,279 --> 00:15:46,279 And then Chris Paul, also coming out of training camp, was asked 246 00:15:46,759 --> 00:15:48,159 who's the guy who you think has added the most to his game over the 247 00:15:48,159 --> 00:15:52,840 summer, and he immediately answered mcaal Bridges. So for us, it's like 248 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,279 we looked at the stats. McHale is incredibly efficient on the ball in limited 249 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:00,279 volume, and he's incredibly efficient off the ball. The only thing that he 250 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,159 has ever had to do is add the volume, and obviously maybe the efficiency 251 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,639 will go down, but he just needs to add the reps. I'm very 252 00:16:07,639 --> 00:16:10,200 confident they're going to add the reps this year. I know it's just preseason, 253 00:16:10,279 --> 00:16:12,639 but in their preseason game against the Lakers the other day, Devin Booker 254 00:16:12,679 --> 00:16:15,480 was out and who took the most shots? Who was Michael Bridges took like 255 00:16:15,519 --> 00:16:19,240 eighteen shots in like twenty five minutes, something I've never seen him do before. 256 00:16:19,519 --> 00:16:22,559 They were running him in their usual elbow sets, trying to get him 257 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,120 to come around screen set at the elbow in the way that they typically do 258 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,080 for Devin Booker for Devin Booker to get his mid range shot off. They 259 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,120 were starting to do that for Michael Bridges. And again, it's not like 260 00:16:33,159 --> 00:16:34,360 he's going to dominate the offense all of a sudden. I don't think he's 261 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,399 gonna be a twenty plus point per game guy with the amount of touch is 262 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,120 going to Chris Paul or Booker. But I think we're going to see Eli, 263 00:16:41,279 --> 00:16:47,600 I really do. As far as third options go, whoever can catch 264 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:52,159 the ball twenty feet away from the basket and dribble either towards the basket or 265 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:53,799 in a way that creates a shot for other people, whether that be DeAndre 266 00:16:53,919 --> 00:16:56,399 and or Michael Bridges, that's going to be the third option for the Suns 267 00:16:56,399 --> 00:16:59,960 at this point because they just need one other guy who can do that. 268 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,920 So it's it's just whoever wants to do that. I think that there we 269 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:10,440 have seen more of Michael Bridges doing that than DeAndre, and so there's you 270 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,559 know, reason to believe that it could be Michael Bridges as far as that 271 00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:18,599 goes, because it's just if DeAndre needs the ball close to the basket in 272 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,960 order to score, that's a good skill to have and he's probably one of 273 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:23,640 the best in the league at that, but it's just harder to get the 274 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,039 ball there and you need someone like McAll Bridges, of course Chris Paul or 275 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,680 Devin Booker to get it to him. So it's just up to them. 276 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,440 As far as Michael Bridges goes, I don't know that people listening to this 277 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,160 this podcast are aware of how efficient he was. He was one of the 278 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,640 most efficient wings in the NBA last season, you know, only thirteen point 279 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,720 five points per game, so how scalable that is is going to be important. 280 00:17:44,839 --> 00:17:47,920 But like he's able to make mid range shots, he's one of the 281 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:52,480 most effective players in transition. He shoots over forty percent from three, and 282 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,720 you know it's hard to block a shot because he's tall and his arms are 283 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:02,359 extremely long. So you put that all that together, it's an extremely good 284 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:07,000 package for a wing player to have. I think for him now and even 285 00:18:07,039 --> 00:18:11,680 Aten, I think it's about confidence and a willingness to embrace contact because Michel 286 00:18:11,759 --> 00:18:15,880 doesn't really go at the rim when he's being guarded. He's not embracing contact 287 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:21,039 the way Devin Booker does. Really on the Suns, there's two guys that 288 00:18:21,039 --> 00:18:26,200 do it. It's Devin Booker and it's Abdul Nator. So if it can 289 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,799 be mckel, Bridges or DeAndre and whichever one of those guys, that would 290 00:18:29,799 --> 00:18:32,720 be huge for the Suns. And I think for him, if he can 291 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,440 get to the line more by embracing that contact at the rim and understanding that 292 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:40,160 he has that first step, especially from the corner, that would help him 293 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:44,160 out a lot and help the suns out a lot, so this past year 294 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,279 he took a little over ninety off the dribble jumpers if my numbers are correct. 295 00:18:48,319 --> 00:18:52,480 If I set the over under at one twenty five, Mike, are 296 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,559 you taking the over the under on that for him this season? I would 297 00:18:55,559 --> 00:19:00,720 definitely take the over. Just I know that guessing based on three season games 298 00:19:00,759 --> 00:19:06,839 is dangerous, but it just looks like something that he's become more comfortable doing. 299 00:19:06,839 --> 00:19:10,160 And even if we sort of plotted those out over the course of last 300 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:11,960 season, I have a feeling they'll started peeking towards the end of the season 301 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,039 as well. It's just something that he's been working on a lot. Now. 302 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:22,000 Don't expect a bunch of pull up three pointers, even though he well 303 00:19:22,039 --> 00:19:25,519 on them, nine or fourteen on them last year. He shoots really well 304 00:19:25,519 --> 00:19:26,920 on them. He does, like, you know, one every week, 305 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,400 but he actually historically a shot really well on them. I'm not kidding. 306 00:19:30,759 --> 00:19:36,759 But for him, what it often comes down to is because he's the third 307 00:19:36,759 --> 00:19:38,720 option, the ball swings to him in the corner, a closeout is slightly 308 00:19:38,799 --> 00:19:41,559 laid or a little off balance, and he attacks the clothes out. He 309 00:19:41,599 --> 00:19:45,160 gets two steps into the under the three point line and he's from mid range. 310 00:19:45,559 --> 00:19:48,799 The clothes out is late and he shoots a mid range jumper. I 311 00:19:48,799 --> 00:19:51,440 think he's going to do that more and more and more, and so I 312 00:19:51,559 --> 00:19:56,000 expect that to be over. Did I not say the over under high enough? 313 00:19:56,039 --> 00:19:57,880 Sam? Would you smash the over on this as well? I'm smashing 314 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,599 the over If you set the over under at one hundred and eighty, so 315 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,839 he literally doubles it, I might still take the over. That might be 316 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,839 a little a little more risky, but we'll see. My first inclination was 317 00:20:07,839 --> 00:20:10,960 to go one fifty, and I thought this was going to be an instance 318 00:20:11,039 --> 00:20:14,319 last season where I was like higher on the suns than you guys. I 319 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:15,359 was like, I need to lower this number a little bit just to make 320 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,039 it more realistic. But I would take over one fifty for him easily. 321 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:22,880 And I like the idea of him as the third option whatever you want to 322 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:27,279 call up, because I there's a more nuanced decision maker on the ball to 323 00:20:27,319 --> 00:20:30,880 me than there is with a DeAndre eight. And I also think that mcil 324 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,160 bridge's archetype is just better suited right now to being a third option. Yeah, 325 00:20:33,599 --> 00:20:37,160 there was. I think he can be if if he's gonna, you 326 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,319 know, attack close outs or open lanes. I think he's someone that has 327 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,680 at least shown, maybe not a ton last season, but at least like 328 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,000 over over his career, that he can drop some nifty passes in those situations. 329 00:20:48,279 --> 00:20:52,160 I did have someone of my mentions the other day because I was watching 330 00:20:52,759 --> 00:20:55,000 I don't even rember who they were playing, but Camp Johnson hit like a 331 00:20:55,039 --> 00:20:59,880 behind the back dribble step back jumper lane. Someone was in my mentions and 332 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,680 just said, like, that's why he's going to be the third option over 333 00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:07,359 Michael Bridges. There are Suns fans who believe that this new standard for like, 334 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,200 did I was Cam Johnson hitting a bunch of these shots last year? 335 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,240 And I will no, no, But this is the crazy thing about Cam 336 00:21:14,319 --> 00:21:18,559 Johnson. So Cam is much flashier in his best highlight reel, the best 337 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,319 highlight reel like that. If you compiled all of Cam's what is it, 338 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:26,880 two seasons now with the Suns into just like the best two or three minutes 339 00:21:26,319 --> 00:21:32,119 and found the most juicy, tantalizing clips, he looks like a much better 340 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,160 player than McHale Bridges. He does because he has these flashes of brilliance. 341 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,759 But then you look at his stat line and you see, okay, statistically 342 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:40,920 nine points three rebounds of steel or a block, you know, slightly above 343 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,000 league average efficiency. He's not doing it on the nightly basis. But he'll 344 00:21:45,039 --> 00:21:48,880 have step back threes, which McHale doesn't give us. He'll have flashy poster 345 00:21:48,039 --> 00:21:52,480 dunks, which McHale doesn't give us, And I think just holding onto those 346 00:21:52,519 --> 00:21:56,319 moments alone gives some Suns fans a semblance of hope that Cam Johnson really has 347 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:59,039 that higher potential. Personally, I don't see it. I think Cam's a 348 00:21:59,039 --> 00:22:02,240 really good player and I think he will continue to improve for the Suns as 349 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:06,000 well. I don't see the same ceiling in him as I do with Michal. 350 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,720 Yeah, I think there's been a few of these really remarkable looking, 351 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:15,880 sort of behind the back step backs by Cameron Johnson that make his handles look 352 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,359 better than they are, and I think and maybe they are because, like 353 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,240 I think, Cam Johnsons ran like five pick and rolls for the Suns. 354 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:29,319 Ever, so it's difficult to really evaluate what he can be as far as 355 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,240 creation on the ball. Right now, we're just asking him to finish, 356 00:22:32,279 --> 00:22:36,160 whether that be catching and shooting or catching it just going to the rim and 357 00:22:36,759 --> 00:22:40,960 dunking on guys, which is the biggest surprise about Cameron Johnson, but we've 358 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,799 seen a lot more of it from mcaal Bridges, and just like Sam said, 359 00:22:44,839 --> 00:22:48,400 not as flashy. But I also think there's an element of Cam Johnson 360 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,680 played better in the playoffs than he played in the regular season, and mcaal 361 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,000 Bridges on offense arguably played worse than the playoffs than he did in the regular 362 00:22:55,039 --> 00:22:59,000 season. So I think there's sort of a lasting memory for some Suns fans 363 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,079 that stuck in their mind. And and I don't know that that's that's fair 364 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:07,480 to mcil Bridges or even Cameron Johnson to expect him to be better. I 365 00:23:07,519 --> 00:23:11,880 do think that I wonder how many of those people realize how much more efficient 366 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:18,079 mcail Bridges was than Cameron Johnson last season, because it's just he does it 367 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:22,480 so almost invisibly that maybe people don't don't really connect with that as much. 368 00:23:22,799 --> 00:23:26,119 Mcale Bridges was a more efficient midrange shooter last season than either Chris Paul or 369 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,599 Devin Booker, and obviously he's doing it on like a fifth of the volume. 370 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,480 He only maybe took fifty of those shots all season. But yeah, 371 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,119 I think a lot of Suns fans even don't don't realize that he was also 372 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,799 better from three point than Cameron Johnson, who was drafted as quote unquote the 373 00:23:40,839 --> 00:23:42,559 best shooter of the draft. He's I mean, you look, you look 374 00:23:42,559 --> 00:23:47,240 at every facet of scoring for McHale and he just needs the volume. He's 375 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:51,079 in the like ninetieth plus percentile and everything, every spot on the floor. 376 00:23:51,759 --> 00:23:55,200 Yeah, you guys write a bunch of the numbers off in the internal development 377 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,400 episode and it was like an assing trip, just like hearing it. Yeah, 378 00:23:57,759 --> 00:24:03,400 reiterated for so I'm all from McCall Bridges getting the bigger roles. Can 379 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,519 ask you dan sorry before we move on ahead. We just did. We 380 00:24:06,559 --> 00:24:08,279 just did an over under episode on our podcast. We do it every year 381 00:24:08,279 --> 00:24:11,400 where I just make up fake over under numbers and then we bet, we 382 00:24:11,519 --> 00:24:15,319 make bets on them, basically for the end of the season. And I 383 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,960 set the over under from Michael Bridges points per game at fifteen point eight at 384 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,480 thirteen point five. Would you just hit that over right away? We all 385 00:24:22,519 --> 00:24:26,200 did over for the record. Yeah, I would have went over as well. 386 00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:29,400 I mean I might just be there are I feel like as of right 387 00:24:29,519 --> 00:24:32,000 now, in large part because of maybe you guys are over the pasture. 388 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,240 I have a lot of people on some Twitter that seems to like me because 389 00:24:34,279 --> 00:24:37,759 I was very high on this team. So if I'm ever lower on them 390 00:24:37,799 --> 00:24:41,480 than the consensus, god help me. But like Micael Bridges is just I'm 391 00:24:41,519 --> 00:24:45,319 addicted to Michael Bridges. I think he is still I thought he should have 392 00:24:45,319 --> 00:24:48,599 been, Like this is someone who I think is already an All defensive player 393 00:24:48,599 --> 00:24:52,279 and just hasn't recognized for it yet. And the fact there's still more to 394 00:24:52,319 --> 00:24:56,519 plumb on offense like that endlessly tantalizes me. And so the fact that even 395 00:24:56,519 --> 00:24:59,839 I think it was Mike said on this like you haven't been hearing that people 396 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,359 just I think he's gonna get a max deal if he hits RFA. That 397 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,680 boggles my mind when you like, like, are people just basing this off 398 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:10,200 of what you know o gianna Obi got, because like so that's just a 399 00:25:10,279 --> 00:25:15,200 terrible comparison because Oganaobe is just wildly underpaid right now right point, maybe I'm 400 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,559 too high on mcaal Bridges, but I'm not like this seems like someone especially 401 00:25:19,559 --> 00:25:22,359 if they're gonna give him a little bit more influence over the offense, and 402 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,759 even if they don't. And one of my questions on here is like do 403 00:25:25,799 --> 00:25:29,880 we expect to see Chris Paul has missed I think four regular season games over 404 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,759 the past two years. Like, if there's more of a maintenance program in 405 00:25:32,799 --> 00:25:34,759 place for him, that's going to be more opportunity for Bridges. And I 406 00:25:34,759 --> 00:25:38,119 feel like the Sun's offense is also built to I don't want to use the 407 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,599 word cater too, but feature of Michael Bridges over a DeAndre Ayton, if 408 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,119 we're gonna start expanding roles. And then even just because I mentioned before, 409 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:51,400 I just trust Mchael Bridges as are more variance in his decision making with the 410 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,000 ball. I would be shocked if this is something we're gonna look at and 411 00:25:53,039 --> 00:25:57,200 see Cam Johnson's on ball volume just go through the roofs too. Yeah, 412 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:02,759 I wouldn't expect that. I just think that's the biggest that's the biggest challenge 413 00:26:02,799 --> 00:26:08,880 for for Monty Williams this entire season. It's just balancing the development and the 414 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:15,160 possessions and who they go to. And look, you mentioned the prospect of 415 00:26:15,279 --> 00:26:18,720 Chris Paul maintenance, and he just doesn't seem to do that, So I 416 00:26:18,759 --> 00:26:22,319 think that makes it even harder. And I think even and we talked about 417 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,880 it on our most recent episode two. That's that's posted Monday, but people 418 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,279 will hear us talk about it as well. It's I think it's going to 419 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,559 be a challenge for Monty Williams to even convince Chris Paul to want to do 420 00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:37,559 that. Chris Paul, it's all about mindset. He just talked about it 421 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,960 recently, where he thinks you treat every single game the same, and if 422 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,279 you don't treat every single game the same, then it's hard to take that 423 00:26:44,319 --> 00:26:48,000 mindset into the playoffs with you. So you know, that's why Chris paul 424 00:26:48,039 --> 00:26:53,039 teams tend to win more regular season games, that's he treats those like playoff 425 00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:56,640 games in his mind, and then he takes that into the playoffs, and 426 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,160 it's hard to convince him to do something that he just doesn't seem to want 427 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,359 to do. Not to mention how proud he is of how well he takes 428 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,440 care of his body, the fact that he's fully plant based right now, 429 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:11,519 and I think he's just really proud of being a guy who continually plays games 430 00:27:11,599 --> 00:27:15,480 late into his career. There's maybe like the partial guarantee on the third year 431 00:27:15,519 --> 00:27:18,200 of his deal and then the non guarantee in the fourth year maybe make him, 432 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:19,960 you know, think longer term a little bit more. I hope. 433 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,640 So I really don't know. It's really tough to get into his mind, 434 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,880 but I hope. So those are really uncharted waters if we're talking about that, 435 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,960 like the viability of him at age thirty nine forty still trying to get 436 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:41,079 another contract. Yeah, I mean that, but just I'm like, after 437 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,440 people thinking that Chris Paul was added for this year drop off, and then 438 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,200 he credits his diet and Mike mentioned it like he's silly plant based now, 439 00:27:47,279 --> 00:27:49,000 like he said, he he went that route and his body, like the 440 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,759 inflammation went down, it was easier for him to recover. I'm just gonna 441 00:27:52,799 --> 00:27:55,759 I've reached the point of, yeah, I probably expect him to break down 442 00:27:55,759 --> 00:27:57,559 a little bit later in the season, but I've reached the point of I 443 00:27:57,599 --> 00:28:02,839 will believe he's done when I actually see it, Like the Lebron thing that 444 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:07,519 refrained that I'll just deliver. Yeah, I have I googled plant based diets 445 00:28:07,559 --> 00:28:11,640 a few times every time he has a good game. Yeah, I do 446 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:15,240 it every time. I'm still not there yet, but he's definitely making a 447 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,720 convincing argument. Yeah. I mean, if I could do anything as well 448 00:28:18,759 --> 00:28:22,480 at that age as he's doing it, maybe I would consider that too. 449 00:28:22,279 --> 00:28:26,640 To sort of wrap up on Camp Johnson really quickly jump around this out line, 450 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,319 Sam, Where's like the biggest opportunity for a Cam Johnson improvement? Is 451 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:36,480 it just him maybe playing more minutes. It's this weird situation because he's twenty 452 00:28:36,519 --> 00:28:38,759 five turns twenty six in March, Like, this is someone who's older than 453 00:28:38,799 --> 00:28:45,640 Devin Booker, and yet it still seems like he's been just surprisingly good in 454 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,880 each of his seasons, in part because it's like, well, people didn't 455 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,160 expect him to be good. They thought that pick was was a reach, 456 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:56,079 and so I'm curious what a better version of Cam Johnson looks like for this 457 00:28:56,079 --> 00:28:59,599 team. So, going back to what I was talking about where the Suns 458 00:28:59,599 --> 00:29:04,200 didn't really try to replace Tory Craig gets me thinking about maybe that's the answer 459 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,759 there to what they're thinking of doing with Cam Johnson. I know it's corny 460 00:29:07,799 --> 00:29:11,960 to bring up a Muscle Watch update, but at least Cam told us, 461 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,000 or he told reporters who are actually there in training camp, that he's up 462 00:29:15,039 --> 00:29:18,799 to two twenty now. I think he came into the league closer to round 463 00:29:18,799 --> 00:29:22,319 two oh five, maybe two ten. And you know, if you think 464 00:29:22,319 --> 00:29:25,400 about a Jay crowd, McHale Bridge is already playing thirty six minutes a game 465 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:30,079 roughly, So to lose Tory Craig's fifteen minutes, you only have a few 466 00:29:30,079 --> 00:29:32,960 ways to fill that. Either Cam Johnson starts logging a lot more time and 467 00:29:33,079 --> 00:29:34,839 he has to log more of that time at the four where he's played at 468 00:29:34,839 --> 00:29:38,200 the four before plenty, but he's also played a lot of three. Or 469 00:29:38,279 --> 00:29:41,519 your other options are introduced a guy like abdul Nader or Jalen Smith into the 470 00:29:41,599 --> 00:29:45,920 rotation, and they very well may be interested in doing that as well. 471 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,079 I have a feeling we'll touch on that later, but there's definitely opportunity for 472 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,920 Cam to lot more minutes, and for him it's just about being stronger. 473 00:29:52,039 --> 00:29:56,400 He's shown an impressive ability I think to be switchable and keep the Sun's defensive 474 00:29:56,599 --> 00:30:02,680 scheme consistent. Go you know, switch out onto guys at positions one through 475 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:04,880 four, onto the perimeter and isolation situations, which is really good to see. 476 00:30:06,079 --> 00:30:08,200 Maybe now it's about getting a little bit stronger doing kind of some of 477 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,799 the other things that Jay Crowder can do from a help defense perspective, from 478 00:30:11,799 --> 00:30:17,799 a screen navigation perspective on defense, and really giving more faith in Monty that 479 00:30:18,079 --> 00:30:21,519 he can play the four more consistently. One thing Mike and I have gone 480 00:30:21,559 --> 00:30:23,200 back and forth on is, you know, is there a point this season 481 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:27,279 at which Cam Johnson earns the starting power forward spot outright? And I think 482 00:30:27,319 --> 00:30:30,240 both of us have said we're torn on it, but but but both of 483 00:30:30,279 --> 00:30:33,960 us have said, at least at this point, it's probably unlikely, but 484 00:30:33,039 --> 00:30:37,519 it's certainly possible. There is that possibility. So yeah, I think for 485 00:30:37,599 --> 00:30:40,680 Cam it's just, you know, he's supposedly stronger, and we'll see to 486 00:30:40,759 --> 00:30:44,720 what extent that can actually raise his ceiling as an overall team player. Yeah, 487 00:30:45,039 --> 00:30:51,920 And now I was just going to mention that the numbers with Cameron Johnson 488 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,559 with the starters are are really good, and they're actually better than the numbers 489 00:30:55,599 --> 00:30:57,279 with Jay Crowder and the starters. But the difference is like a four hundred 490 00:30:57,319 --> 00:31:00,960 minute difference, and then the aunt of minutes played with Jay Crowder in the 491 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,880 Stars compared to Cameron Johnson. So I don't know how much you can read 492 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,319 into that, but yeah, I think his ability to defend the guys that 493 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:11,960 Jake Crowder defense, I don't know, He'll never get to what Jake Crowder 494 00:31:11,079 --> 00:31:15,880 is doing. So it's just about making up the difference in other ways, 495 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,480 whether that beyond the ball or like, as much as we talk about him 496 00:31:19,519 --> 00:31:23,519 as a shooter, you know, he's not Duncan Robinson. Maybe he's Duncan 497 00:31:23,599 --> 00:31:27,160 Robinson last year, but he's not done Duncan Robinson the year before. You 498 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:30,039 know, if he can get up to like forty five percent on his three 499 00:31:30,039 --> 00:31:33,240 point shots, there's something insane like that on a high number of attempts, 500 00:31:33,279 --> 00:31:36,839 then obviously I think that would make a big difference for him as well. 501 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,319 Yeah, and I know, look, still shooting has to be his calling 502 00:31:40,359 --> 00:31:42,759 card. I've been and I'm I don't know if I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm 503 00:31:42,759 --> 00:31:47,640 definitely surprised with the confidence that he has had in sort of like the pull 504 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:48,799 up mid ranger. Even though it's not a huge part of his game and 505 00:31:48,799 --> 00:31:52,519 it wasn't super efficient, he took more of those just throughout his career so 506 00:31:52,519 --> 00:31:56,440 far than I ever would have expected. His defense has been the most pleasantly 507 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,960 surprising aspect of his career to me, and you guys already mentioned you don't 508 00:32:00,079 --> 00:32:02,720 whether he can handle like the same individual assignments as Jay Crowder, but as 509 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:07,319 someone who works within the team dynamic, you can count on him to be 510 00:32:07,559 --> 00:32:09,680 in the right spots, make the right decisions, not make these stupid fouls 511 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:13,920 a ton of the time. There's there's super value in that, And I 512 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,279 guess if he's gonna get stronger and like not sacrifice really any speed or decision 513 00:32:17,319 --> 00:32:20,920 making, maybe it's not as I would immediately just say, you know, 514 00:32:21,079 --> 00:32:22,920 just keep Crowder in the starting lineup, because it feels like he's a better 515 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:28,319 individual defender. And while starting doesn't matter, like you do inherently tend to 516 00:32:28,359 --> 00:32:30,359 play more minutes if you're in the starting lineup. But when you sort of 517 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,039 view it through that lens that you guys are describing it, it's actually not 518 00:32:34,599 --> 00:32:37,680 that it wouldn't be upsurd to again with, but it definitely seems there's a 519 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:42,279 stronger argument. I guess who starting Cam Johnson down the line, I mean, 520 00:32:42,319 --> 00:32:45,720 technically, Jake Crowder was a better three point shooter than Cameron Johnson last 521 00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:49,400 year. How weird is that he did at least go off in the playoffs 522 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:52,160 when he shoot like forty four point six percent from three good point he was 523 00:32:52,559 --> 00:32:55,720 there were moments in the playoffs for Camon Johnson was keeping the offense alive, 524 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,000 and you know, like I talked about the long lasting effect of the playoffs 525 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,799 on the fans minds, I think that's the main reason that a lot of 526 00:33:02,799 --> 00:33:07,519 people are really high on him, and rightfully so, Mike, did anyone 527 00:33:07,559 --> 00:33:12,759 get to the bottom of the DeAndre eight and comments where I was it a 528 00:33:12,839 --> 00:33:15,640 joke? But where he just said like I've mastered the roles that I don't 529 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,359 like, essentially, Like, what the hell was that? No, it's 530 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,160 not a joke. I'll tell you that right away. It's definitely not a 531 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,039 joke. And it's not, you know, uncommon to hear from big men 532 00:33:24,039 --> 00:33:27,400 as well. I think, you know, Anthony Davis has said it. 533 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,119 There have been times that you know, even Dwight Howard has said something like 534 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:36,279 that. I think that Deandret believes that there's more to his game than what 535 00:33:36,319 --> 00:33:40,160 he was doing last year, and it's up to him to prove it at 536 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,640 this point, and I like, you know, the fact that he's saying 537 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:46,000 it out loud and to the press, like technically he's saying it to the 538 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:52,039 press, right, I think is something that he is putting pressure on himself 539 00:33:52,079 --> 00:33:55,920 to now prove it now. Whether or not I believe that there's more to 540 00:33:57,039 --> 00:34:00,119 it, I think it's a possibility. But the one part I think that 541 00:34:00,279 --> 00:34:02,440 worries me about it because I'm sort of conflicted because I want him to develop 542 00:34:02,519 --> 00:34:08,719 more of a diverse offensive game in particular. But the one part that worries 543 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:13,039 me about it is that he's really, really, really really good at the 544 00:34:13,039 --> 00:34:16,519 big man's stuff. So I still want him to be able to embrace the 545 00:34:16,559 --> 00:34:21,159 stuff that he's really good at will also expanding his game, and I think 546 00:34:21,599 --> 00:34:23,559 that's the challenge for him. But look, he said it before. Actually 547 00:34:23,559 --> 00:34:29,400 it's funny. In his Players Tribune article that he wrote, he talked about 548 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,760 how he doesn't even like to be referred to as a big or big man 549 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:35,840 or big fellow or anything like that. He wants to he wants to be 550 00:34:36,559 --> 00:34:40,840 less limited in his roles, and he even mentioned that in practice, when 551 00:34:42,079 --> 00:34:45,440 they're separating guys into like bigs, wings and guards, mckel Bridges and Javon 552 00:34:45,519 --> 00:34:47,360 Carter would go up to him and say, hey, where do you want 553 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:51,320 to go if you want to do wanted? I don't know. I'm not 554 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,079 sure where to put you don't want to be a big right, So I 555 00:34:53,079 --> 00:34:58,519 think it's it's something that he's talked about before. And I do think that 556 00:34:58,639 --> 00:35:02,960 the way that he said it in this particular interview was I did it essentially 557 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:07,880 comes down to I did what you asked me to do last year. Yeah, 558 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,159 there's like in brackets. He didn't say it out loud, pay me 559 00:35:10,639 --> 00:35:15,679 like, that's there, brackets like he didn't say bracket on all caps, 560 00:35:15,679 --> 00:35:19,360 bracket right there. Yes, yeah, and then and then I think the 561 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,519 also the other subtext of that is let me do more. I believe I 562 00:35:23,519 --> 00:35:28,440 can do more, and we'll see if he can. There's and you actually 563 00:35:28,559 --> 00:35:30,639 alluded to this is there is a tendency to think if it's I don't want 564 00:35:30,639 --> 00:35:35,639 to say a traditional big man, but let's say a non star or non 565 00:35:35,639 --> 00:35:40,000 like offensive superstar big man, there is this theory that you could approximate seventy 566 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:44,760 five percent of what they do for a lot cheaper than maybe someone like Deandre's 567 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:49,239 asking for I don't feel that way in this case because of the strides he 568 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,639 made have just made defensively over the past few years, and just looking at 569 00:35:52,679 --> 00:35:54,760 how good he was for them at points in the playoffs and the like, 570 00:35:54,760 --> 00:36:00,119 the guys that he was going up against and just holding his own I see 571 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:06,079 like the pathway to him being great on that side of the floor. I'm 572 00:36:06,079 --> 00:36:08,719 just curious as to what you guys think is the pathway. And I'll throw 573 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:12,360 this to you, Sam of is it him just doing more of the same 574 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,199 stuff on offense to being a lot better or is there actually room on this 575 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:21,239 team for him to probably indulge some of the stylistic leanings that he's just inferring 576 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,760 about when he says things like I can do more, I don't necessarily want 577 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:27,320 to play the big man role. Yeah, well, again, it's all 578 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,079 in his own mind. I think if he's going to keep playing the same 579 00:36:30,079 --> 00:36:32,280 way that he does, then there is an offensive ceiling there that's very obvious. 580 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,719 It's, you know, he can only do so much. And as 581 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,440 Mike was saying, the level that Deandre's already at of being like a sixty 582 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:45,039 five sixty six percent true shooting guys. It's tough thinking about his development, 583 00:36:45,079 --> 00:36:47,400 both in the way that makes the most sense for DeAndre Atan to be the 584 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:51,360 best player possible, but also makes sense for the Suns to be the best 585 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,639 team possible that can really compete for a championship this year, because it's like, 586 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,440 you're not gonna get better success out of the offense by running more DeAndre 587 00:36:58,559 --> 00:37:01,360 pot Eton postops, You're just not He could score decently well on them, 588 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,360 but you know, maybe he could get to twenty points per game, but 589 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,840 the offense isn't going to be better. Similarly, DeAndre couldn't prove as a 590 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:12,760 shooter, but why would you want him, you know, shooting thirty one 591 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,480 thirty two percent from deep on a few attempts per game when you can just 592 00:37:15,519 --> 00:37:17,360 have him at the rim and get a few values instead. Right, So 593 00:37:17,599 --> 00:37:21,719 better for Aton's development if he were to become a shooter, and we kind 594 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:24,400 of still certainly hope he can not better for the Suns. I think the 595 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:29,320 one thing that kind of scratches the itch on offensive. This is both critical 596 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,119 for DeAndre to prove that he's a Max contract value offensively and would make the 597 00:37:32,119 --> 00:37:36,159 Suns a heck of a lot better because it makes him more versatile, is 598 00:37:36,199 --> 00:37:38,960 his attacking and playmaking out of the short role, because like ten times a 599 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:43,440 game, DeAndre will be situated at that elbow spot and you can tell he's 600 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:45,119 not really comfortable in his handles to put the ball on the floor in attack, 601 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:50,639 so he needs to wait for a guard, be it Chris, Paul, 602 00:37:50,679 --> 00:37:52,519 Devin Booker, whoever to come around, accept the handoff, reset the 603 00:37:52,559 --> 00:37:55,079 offense, and do it again. If he can get used to just catching 604 00:37:55,119 --> 00:37:59,320 the ball in stride, putting the ball on the floor one dribble strong to 605 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,159 the basket, or find an open passing lane to a corner shooter or a 606 00:38:02,159 --> 00:38:06,440 cutter, that unlocks a hell of a lot in Deandre's game. It could 607 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,719 make his individual stats better. It makes him more you know, appealing, 608 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:13,360 maybe if he's thinking about his own contract. But it also makes the Suns 609 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,360 a much more dynamic offensive if he can unlock that too. I just want 610 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:21,280 to just hit on something else that you said that just to really highlight this, 611 00:38:22,119 --> 00:38:25,960 there's this conversation about how DeAndre and is used that some people think that 612 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,719 especially fans of him in college, that he's being used incorrectly on the Suns, 613 00:38:30,199 --> 00:38:34,440 And to some small extent, I think you can make the case that 614 00:38:34,519 --> 00:38:37,679 if he was like on a bad team, he would be used differently because 615 00:38:37,679 --> 00:38:43,760 you would be experimenting more. But there are ways for him to take advantage 616 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:50,159 of what the Suns did last season offensively like and do different things without the 617 00:38:50,159 --> 00:38:53,519 Sun's changing their playbook at all. Now, Sam, you mentioned the short 618 00:38:53,599 --> 00:38:57,719 rule, like that happens a lot. The Suns get trapped. You know, 619 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:01,159 Devin Booker gets trapped a lot more than Chris Paul. But Devin Booker 620 00:39:01,199 --> 00:39:05,519 gets trapped a lot. That leaves DeAndre in sort of in no man's land. 621 00:39:05,559 --> 00:39:08,039 He has the ability to do different things there if he's confident enough to 622 00:39:08,079 --> 00:39:12,559 do them. There's also the dhos. When he's doing those dhos. Now 623 00:39:12,559 --> 00:39:15,840 he can turn and dribble towards the basket if he wants every single time, 624 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:19,760 or when he catches the ball in that mid range area. And this is 625 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,239 the one case I think you could make that it's a Monty Williams thing. 626 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,360 He could just turn and shoot. They would prefer him to take two dribbles 627 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:29,800 towards the basket and embrace that contact at the basket. But if he's good 628 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:31,599 enough to shoot. I think they would allow him to shoot there. So 629 00:39:32,599 --> 00:39:36,719 some part of this is a Monty Williams conversation, but I think that we 630 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:38,880 should also acknowledge that part of it is a DeAndrea in conversation as well, 631 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:44,119 because it's up to him to take advantage of those opportunities. This I didn't 632 00:39:44,159 --> 00:39:46,480 include an the outline, but do you have a like an I'll throw to 633 00:39:46,519 --> 00:39:50,880 you first, like an official prediction of what you think or even collectively between 634 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,800 you two, like what's going to happen for the extensions with McHale and DeAndre 635 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,119 and you expect want of them to sign them, and want to not both 636 00:39:57,159 --> 00:39:59,719 of them to sign one, neither of them to sign one, where you 637 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,559 guys sort of add on that I'm terrified of just one of them signing, 638 00:40:04,119 --> 00:40:07,679 And that's to be honest, just either way, whether that be Mchael Bridges 639 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:13,159 or DeAndre Aten. I do find it interesting that we have just heard about 640 00:40:13,199 --> 00:40:16,320 the DeAndre Atan extension, like that's to me, that's very much proof that 641 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:20,880 it's entirely agent based and it's just trying to gain leverage on the Suns, 642 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,480 And I guess to some extent it makes me feel better that we haven't heard 643 00:40:24,519 --> 00:40:28,559 anything about Michal Bridges because maybe they have a deal done. They're just trying 644 00:40:28,559 --> 00:40:30,920 to get them both done at the same time so they can announce them together. 645 00:40:31,159 --> 00:40:35,280 But I think that if I were to lean one direction, I would 646 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:37,719 lean towards I think they both get signed. I think we get Michael for 647 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:42,440 something like four ninety or four ninety five or something like that, and then 648 00:40:42,519 --> 00:40:45,960 DeAndre and signs a MAX similar to Mike cord Juns is what I would guess. 649 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,159 If it's four for ninety from mcale, that deal wasn't already signed, 650 00:40:51,159 --> 00:40:52,960 Like, how the Sun's get that done already, It's a steal. Well, 651 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:58,599 I think Michal's camp understandably knows that if there is that opportunity. Maybe 652 00:40:58,599 --> 00:41:00,519 they didn't know coming out of the final exactly what it was going to look 653 00:41:00,519 --> 00:41:02,800 like for McHale. They had a whole offseason ahead of them for the Suns 654 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,280 to see if they were going to try and acquire any more talent. Now 655 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,320 that they know McHale's being hyped up as the third option, why would you 656 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:13,039 accept four ninety when you're thinking a sixteen, seventeen, eighteen point per game 657 00:41:13,079 --> 00:41:15,760 campaign. From the guy, you'll be able to get four one hundred and 658 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:19,559 ten if you wait. So it's it's a risk, as is anything with 659 00:41:19,599 --> 00:41:22,400 these negotiations, but you know they have leverage for sure. For the record, 660 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:28,000 Michael Bridges has not missed a game since middle school. Yeah since what 661 00:41:28,559 --> 00:41:30,199 since the middle This is true, He has not missed a game since middle 662 00:41:30,199 --> 00:41:34,000 school. He was sick once and like he was sick once and he wanted 663 00:41:34,039 --> 00:41:37,039 to play in his and his parents made him stay home, and then he 664 00:41:37,079 --> 00:41:39,679 was mad he missed the game. That was the only game he's missed basically 665 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:45,760 since since he was a child. That something that I should have heard of 666 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:49,719 already. Yeah, it's a thing. They even at one time they were 667 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,559 arresting the starters and they checked him in for just like three minutes and checked 668 00:41:52,639 --> 00:41:55,239 him out because he didn't want to miss his streak. That is incredible. 669 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:59,519 Like I said, look, if if I'm Michael Bridges and I get why 670 00:41:59,559 --> 00:42:01,639 you wouldn't do this, I'm one hundred percent not signing anything other than than 671 00:42:01,639 --> 00:42:05,880 a max extension. I clearly have maybe too much faith in Michael Bridges at 672 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,920 that point. Then I think there's a sign of how much progress the Suns 673 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:14,360 have made is that we organically had this podcast conversation for X amount of minutes 674 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,000 thirty something minutes, and Devin Booker hasn't really come up. That's a great 675 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:22,719 point. Our times have changed. I don't necessarily like having this discussion, 676 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:27,559 but it because I just have agendas left and right. Apparently it irked to 677 00:42:27,599 --> 00:42:30,960 me at how many people just assumed that Chris Paul was Phoenix's most valuable player 678 00:42:31,119 --> 00:42:35,119 last year. And I know that we've actually had this discussion in the past. 679 00:42:35,159 --> 00:42:37,840 I know you guys have talked about it on the Timeline podcasts in the 680 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:42,159 past. I'm just I'm asking you to scold the national media once more. 681 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,199 Is what makes not even long term because that's obvious, but what makes Booker 682 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:51,119 like immediately the most valuable player to this team. I just think he draws 683 00:42:51,199 --> 00:42:54,639 so much attention, and that's that's like the most important thing. That's one 684 00:42:54,679 --> 00:42:59,360 of those things that you might not see on the statutes. He's also one 685 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:01,400 of the only players we talked about it that that actually puts rim pressure, 686 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:06,800 like actual pressure on the rim on this entire team. Chris Paul is not 687 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:09,440 doing that anymore, and you need him to do that kind of thing. 688 00:43:09,639 --> 00:43:15,880 But the conversation about Devin Booker is has always been a disaster on the internet. 689 00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:22,880 It's become such a disaster and now even more like post finals, Like 690 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:28,440 I'm sort of understanding the way that other fans of other teams have felt after 691 00:43:28,519 --> 00:43:31,440 they lose the finals. If you look at sort of anything from ESPN or 692 00:43:31,679 --> 00:43:36,239 Leacher Report that talks about the Suns, you look at the comments of that, 693 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:37,920 now it's like attack, you really went there. I mean, it's 694 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:42,519 true, because it's the point is it's it's more of an audience than just 695 00:43:42,599 --> 00:43:45,559 the Suns fans that you and I interact with Sam and you see how they 696 00:43:45,599 --> 00:43:50,800 talk about and in the blame that somebody like Devin Booker gets And I just 697 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:57,000 think he's he's always been underrated and it's bizarre that you would think that it 698 00:43:57,039 --> 00:44:00,440 would have ended now, right, he would think that now they made the 699 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:05,119 finals. Look, he had back to back forty plus point games in the 700 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:08,599 NBA Finals. He had a forty plus point triple double without Chris Paul. 701 00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:14,960 In the Western Conference Finals. He had eight threes against the reigning champions Los 702 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:19,039 Angeles Lakers on their floor in order to eliminate them eight of ten over forty 703 00:44:19,039 --> 00:44:22,920 points against that team. You'd think that people would now that was not talked 704 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:27,440 about enough. Yeah, he broke his nose, he had a hamstring injury 705 00:44:27,519 --> 00:44:31,840 in the NBA finals. Like, and look, people can have whatever opinions 706 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:37,119 they want about him, but it's become bizarre how much people are willing to 707 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:42,960 just dislike and discount the things that Devin Booker does. And to me, 708 00:44:43,199 --> 00:44:45,199 if they're if they're the type of people that point at specific stats, it's 709 00:44:45,199 --> 00:44:50,079 a problem with those stats more than it's a problem with Devin Booker himself. 710 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:52,239 You have to rely on what you see, and what you see is that 711 00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:57,679 he's the most important player on the team. Clearly, watching the attention that 712 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:02,280 he draws what he does or when he just tacks has become like's it's incredible 713 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:06,760 to watch, especially with the past two seasons and last year specifically, he 714 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,480 was double teamed on a larger share of his possessions than Chris Paul was, 715 00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:15,000 and on the possessions in which he was double teamed, the Sun's averaged one 716 00:45:15,079 --> 00:45:17,639 point two points per those possessions, and that's like, I'm not a fan 717 00:45:17,679 --> 00:45:22,679 of making these comparisons, but that would be the fourth most efficient offense in 718 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:25,519 the league. And so like the level of decision making that he has those 719 00:45:25,559 --> 00:45:30,400 situations in general, and then just the attention he draws has really become incredible. 720 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:36,000 And you guys went really in depth on that Internal Development episode about his 721 00:45:36,039 --> 00:45:38,079 game. I think the easiest thing to point too is what if his three 722 00:45:38,079 --> 00:45:40,920 point shooting was a little bit higher, especially off the dribble? And I 723 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:45,559 will say he does have the jump shot form of someone that I just assume 724 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:47,480 if you didn't show me the percentages, I'd be like, that guy definitely 725 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:52,159 shoots like thirty eight from beyond the arc. I don't know if that's telltale 726 00:45:52,159 --> 00:45:57,320 of anything, but what would what would make Devin Booker in all NBA shoeing? 727 00:45:57,639 --> 00:46:00,800 Moving forward? Sam Man, And it's a combination of you mentioned the 728 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:05,519 off the drible shooting. I've mentioned the off the drible shooting a million times. 729 00:46:05,519 --> 00:46:09,599 What a false friend that shooting form is that any of us so called 730 00:46:09,639 --> 00:46:15,960 shot doctors online actually think we can pass through those things because I've been burned 731 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:20,199 a million times. What would make Devin Booker an All NBA shoeing Obviously if 732 00:46:20,199 --> 00:46:23,559 the Sun's retains their ability as like a fifty five sixty win team. And 733 00:46:24,199 --> 00:46:28,159 I think it's a combination of two things. One the off the drible shooting, 734 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:30,880 two being a little bit less predictable. We all know Devin Booker is 735 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:35,440 a great mid range shooter, but being a little bit less predictable where sometimes 736 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:38,199 he gets in trouble. Not with his passing vision. His passing vision is 737 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:43,880 quite good and his playmaking talent is amazing, but getting into trouble when he 738 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:45,719 gets into that mid range area when maybe he could just put a little bit 739 00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:50,360 more traditional rim pressure on the rim pushed through the wall, so to speak, 740 00:46:50,519 --> 00:46:53,079 and try to get more attempts because that's kind of where the loose handle 741 00:46:53,119 --> 00:46:58,079 comes into play. Maybe he picks up some stupid turnovers that he shouldn't get 742 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:01,000 by virtue of kind of being predictable in that area of the court. So 743 00:47:01,119 --> 00:47:06,199 I think a little more MPort pressure plus a little better off the dribble shooting 744 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:08,400 is maybe a thirty point per game campaign for Devin Booker. And if he 745 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:10,840 gets there, yeah, he's an all NBA issue. And as long as 746 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:14,760 the say I'm good, can you just can you just make the case for 747 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:17,440 also more touches, because I know you know the stats and i'll I'll just 748 00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:21,599 I guess break it down. From my perspective, what could make him an 749 00:47:21,639 --> 00:47:23,639 all NBA guard is more touches and just that I think so, I think 750 00:47:23,639 --> 00:47:28,920 the thing. I think the thing is, uh, yes, more touches. 751 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:31,920 But you have to present a better argument for where those touches are coming 752 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:37,639 from. Wow, are they coming from Chris Paul? Because Chris Paul ran 753 00:47:37,679 --> 00:47:38,960 a really good offense last year. I don't know if you noticed, Like 754 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:42,719 I don't, I don't want the conversation to become Yes, Devin Booker is 755 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:45,559 amazing, and this is why we're disrespecting Chris Paul and what he did for 756 00:47:45,559 --> 00:47:46,480 the Suns. You know, I know, I don't think. I don't 757 00:47:46,519 --> 00:47:49,880 think that the conversation has to come from that. But if you just make 758 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:53,719 the comparison from the fact that like Donovan Mitchell had fifty almost fifty percent more 759 00:47:53,760 --> 00:47:58,320 touches than Devin Booker did last year, just on a per touch basis, 760 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:02,559 that stat alone is remarkable if you just from that perspective. For Dan's listeners 761 00:48:02,599 --> 00:48:07,079 who don't know Devin Booker has led the NBA in the most points scored per 762 00:48:07,119 --> 00:48:09,000 touch two seasons in a row, higher than guys that Kevin Durant, higher 763 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:12,639 than guys like Lebron, James, Kawhi, Leonard, you name it. 764 00:48:13,159 --> 00:48:15,480 Most efficient player in the NBA on a per touch basis two years running. 765 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:21,159 And if you just increase those touches, this is the whole conversation about when 766 00:48:21,159 --> 00:48:23,599 players sacrifice for good teams. If you just increase those touches, I think 767 00:48:23,599 --> 00:48:30,159 more attention would come his way. It doesn't necessarily automatically make the team better, 768 00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:32,760 because the best offenses are offenses that understand how to move the ball and 769 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:37,320 have the most good players capable of finishing at the end of those plays. 770 00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:39,760 So it's not an automatic thing as far as making the team better. But 771 00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:44,920 I think if he just did more in this offense, if they relied on 772 00:48:45,039 --> 00:48:46,760 him more, that would bring more attention his way. I just don't know 773 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:52,760 that it would be great for the Suns. So my suggestion would be give 774 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:57,960 me more. Devin Booker as the day fact on point guard lineupsh just don't 775 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:01,800 happen. Last year, they he was technically the point guard for under twenty 776 00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:07,000 possessions, and that feels like a way that could, like he said, 777 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:09,440 maybe giving him like more looks than that could technically hurt the Sun's offense. 778 00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:12,440 But I'm at the point where it's like, if CP three is gonna be 779 00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:16,119 off the floor anyway, you're really kind of only infringing upon certain campaign minutes 780 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:20,159 in those situations. So I would like to see more of that look, 781 00:49:20,159 --> 00:49:22,760 and I think that would help him gain I don't necessarily think he needs He 782 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,280 don't don't need to make any material change. It's his game to be an 783 00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:29,440 all NBA shoeing, But if you're talking about getting him more touches, that 784 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:32,039 sort of feels like a more organic way that you could up his volume. 785 00:49:32,519 --> 00:49:37,000 Not to mention the more that Cam Johnson and mccaal Bridges especially are comfortable handling 786 00:49:37,039 --> 00:49:39,679 the ball. Some of the issue we've seen with that in the past is 787 00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:45,000 this idea of playing you know, rockets harden ball to an extent of just 788 00:49:45,079 --> 00:49:46,760 you know, is Devin Booker really the level of playmaker where you want him 789 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:51,360 handling everything and then giving him a bunch of wings who, yes they're switchabole, 790 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:52,599 yes they hit threes, but they're afraid to put the ball on the 791 00:49:52,599 --> 00:49:55,920 floor. It really doesn't feel like a very dynamic offense if you if you 792 00:49:55,960 --> 00:50:00,239 put Devin Bookers the point guard, with Jay crowd or mccayal Bridges, Cam 793 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:02,599 Johnson around him, three switchable as hell wings who hit threes, and two 794 00:50:02,639 --> 00:50:06,400 of the three of them are very comfortable putting the ball on the floor. 795 00:50:06,519 --> 00:50:08,320 You're doing it in a way now that you're not setting them up to fail. 796 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:10,679 And maybe that wasn't always true in the past. So yeah, and 797 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:13,719 I think you're right, Dan, I would like to see it. The 798 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:16,679 Suns also have Landry Shammin Now. I mean it's true, it's not this 799 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:22,320 massive change as far as the off season goes, but like that is another 800 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,639 guy that's capable of playing off the ball with Devin Booker. But it also 801 00:50:24,639 --> 00:50:29,440 should be said that Cameron Payne shoots like forty five percent on catch and shoot 802 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:31,400 threes, Like he's capable of playing off the ball with Devin Booker as well 803 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:36,519 and as the secondary playmaker, which did happen quite often in those lineups. 804 00:50:37,559 --> 00:50:40,800 But I do think that the Suns can experiment with Devin Booker as the quote 805 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:47,320 unquote point guard without necessarily forcing him to play with just Cameron Johnson Mikailbridge, 806 00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:51,800 Jay Crowder lineups like that they can still have another playmaker on the court, 807 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:54,360 whether that be Landry Shammitt, who obviously not a point guard but capable of 808 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:59,159 doing some things with the ball, or even still with Cameron Payne, who 809 00:50:59,280 --> 00:51:01,360 is a great catch and shoot three point shooter, but also can still attack 810 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:05,559 if the closeout is late. So you know, I agree with you, 811 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:07,920 Dan that I think he can do more there, and look at the assist 812 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:12,280 numbers just that alone. They went down dramatically last year playing with Chris Paul 813 00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:15,239 because he's sacrificed. That's really where it came from. I like to think 814 00:51:15,239 --> 00:51:21,239 you guys like make segues for me. You mentioned Landry Shammit, if he's 815 00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:23,400 like rookie year Landry Shammitt, like just the time he's down with the Sixers 816 00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:27,880 are a little bit with the Clippers. There's definitely more of an intriguing player 817 00:51:27,880 --> 00:51:30,559 there. But he's been passed around like like a bong at this point around 818 00:51:30,599 --> 00:51:35,079 the NBA. What do you think about his fit? How do you think 819 00:51:35,079 --> 00:51:37,360 he's going to be used with this team? How much do you expect him 820 00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:40,599 to actually play? I'll throw that to Sam. I'm so bad. I 821 00:51:40,639 --> 00:51:44,719 need to get better. It's fine. Yeah, we we just gotta we 822 00:51:44,800 --> 00:51:47,000 gotta work through it. You know. I'll be honest, I think Landry 823 00:51:47,119 --> 00:51:52,360 is like of ten to fifteen minute per game guy from the get go in 824 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:53,320 my opinion, if I had to put a number on it, just because 825 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:58,159 the amount that I think guys like Campaign and Cam Johnson primarily are going to 826 00:51:58,199 --> 00:52:00,159 play off the bench, plus Devin Booker and Chris Paul obviously soaking up a 827 00:52:00,159 --> 00:52:04,400 lot of minutes in the back court. But I'm very intrigued by the shooting, 828 00:52:04,639 --> 00:52:07,760 particularly the movement shooting, and I think there is potential for Landry even 829 00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:10,880 to play alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker at the same time. That's something 830 00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:15,760 that Chris Paul has also advocated for coming out of training camp. So yeah, 831 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:20,119 we'll see. I mean, you know, I have no reservations about 832 00:52:20,119 --> 00:52:22,760 who Landry is as a shooter. I have some level of reservations about the 833 00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:25,800 rest of the stuff that he does. Yeah, defense, especially right, 834 00:52:27,199 --> 00:52:29,840 defense especially. Yeah, That's that's really what it comes down to. You 835 00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:31,159 know, I know he was a point guard in college and that you know, 836 00:52:31,199 --> 00:52:34,199 I know he can create for others. We haven't always seen it in 837 00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:37,079 the NBA, but you know, it's it's not the attacking closeouts thing that 838 00:52:37,159 --> 00:52:39,519 I think is so much of an issue with Landry, although his finishing numbers 839 00:52:39,519 --> 00:52:43,760 aren't great, let's be honest, but yeah, it's definitely the defense thing 840 00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:45,920 is how much can you really leave them on the floor in playoffs settings and 841 00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:50,360 the regular season. I think it'll be fine. The one thing I'll say 842 00:52:50,400 --> 00:52:53,360 is Monty Williams talks about Landry Shammitt like the Sun's traded for a ten time 843 00:52:53,400 --> 00:53:00,800 All Star. He loves Landry Shammon. So I'm not exactly sure how much 844 00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:04,960 lander Shammick could bring, especially once the Suns get to the playoffs, but 845 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:07,719 I have a feeling that he's going to be given a lot of opportunities, 846 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:10,320 especially early, because Monty Williams is just in love with him as a player, 847 00:53:10,760 --> 00:53:14,800 and I think that will give him a pretty long lease to start out. 848 00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:16,880 I think my question would be, is there anyone on this team that 849 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:20,960 Monty Williams just doesn't love as a player in person? I feel like I'm 850 00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:25,719 want Monty Williams to being my life coach because he called JaVale McGee wacky yesterday 851 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:30,440 I think was I think he said he does some wacky things sometimes, but 852 00:53:30,960 --> 00:53:35,480 he's still a professional, which I thought was almost an insult when it comes 853 00:53:35,519 --> 00:53:39,559 to Monty Williams, that's like, Wow, that was really biting by Monty. 854 00:53:39,599 --> 00:53:43,400 Look, Mike, you made a segue for me again. What do 855 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:47,000 you like or how do you feel about JaVale McGee the crowning acquisition of the 856 00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:51,519 Phoenix Suns off season? What do you think with this team? I want 857 00:53:51,519 --> 00:53:54,880 to just quickly say that I loved Dario Sharts last year, especially in the 858 00:53:54,880 --> 00:54:00,480 first half of the season, and I think up data is like when you 859 00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:04,320 really dig into like the dates of how like it was this huge crescendo and 860 00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:08,400 then kind of just plummeted. It's one of the it's one of the great 861 00:54:08,440 --> 00:54:14,760 unsolved mathematical mysteries twenty first century. I think, well, it happened as 862 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:17,840 soon as Sam and I made this like bid for him to be in the 863 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:22,760 sixth Man of the Year conversation, that's when he created. But having said 864 00:54:22,800 --> 00:54:27,719 that, after that sort of crescendo that you talked about Dan, because he 865 00:54:27,760 --> 00:54:29,920 was one of the best lineup guys in the NBA for the first half of 866 00:54:29,920 --> 00:54:31,360 the season, which is when, by the way, the starters were not 867 00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:36,360 clicking, so it was vital in order to keep the team afloat before they 868 00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:40,679 clicked in February. Having said that, the Suns had a problem when DeAndre 869 00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:45,760 and left the floor for this basically the second half of the season and the 870 00:54:45,760 --> 00:54:50,000 playoffs, and that problem was defending the rim and giving up too many offensive 871 00:54:50,039 --> 00:54:52,920 rebounds, and it was a massive problem, and it got worse and worse 872 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:55,599 and worse as the season went along. And that's credit to Deandret and how 873 00:54:55,599 --> 00:54:59,599 good he is as a player, but it also pointed out a massive problem 874 00:54:59,599 --> 00:55:02,280 with the Sun lineups. They you know, Frank Kaminski wasn't getting it done. 875 00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:06,079 Dario starts for as much as he brought in other ways, was not 876 00:55:06,159 --> 00:55:09,280 getting that done. So JaVale McGee solves what I think is that was the 877 00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:15,280 one of the biggest problems in the Sun's lineups last year. And I'm just 878 00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:19,000 very excited to watch him and just also from like a I am ultimately a 879 00:55:19,039 --> 00:55:23,639 fan, and from a fan perspective, a center combination of DeAndrea and Frank 880 00:55:23,679 --> 00:55:30,800 Kaminski and JaVale McGee has to be one of the funniest combinations of centers in 881 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:36,360 the NBA, because all three of those guys off the floor are incredibly goofy 882 00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:39,519 guys and really funny, and just from a fan perspective, I'm excited for 883 00:55:39,559 --> 00:55:45,000 the content that comes out of those three guys interacting off the court. Yeah, 884 00:55:45,079 --> 00:55:47,440 Javale's YouTube channel, he hasn't really posted anything SUMS related, but I'm 885 00:55:47,480 --> 00:55:52,559 definitely tracking it. What do you what is going to happen? Are they 886 00:55:52,559 --> 00:55:55,639 gonna ditch with Dario sarch out especially Reamy at acl is like the sort of 887 00:55:55,679 --> 00:56:00,960 the small ball look gone for them, et cetera. Or couldn't see them 888 00:56:01,000 --> 00:56:05,840 getting wacky at some point this season? You know they had the When you 889 00:56:05,840 --> 00:56:07,519 dig into the data, it wasn't great. I was very appreciative when I 890 00:56:07,519 --> 00:56:10,320 was either running out but like having Tory Craig and Cam Johnson in your front 891 00:56:10,360 --> 00:56:14,400 court at one point, I was very appreciative. Well, I was gonna 892 00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:17,039 ask you, Dan, it depends on do you define Jalen Smith as as 893 00:56:17,079 --> 00:56:21,360 a four or five? Because if he's a four, then then do we 894 00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:22,880 count that as a small ball? Well, first I have to ask you 895 00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:27,199 the question of her you as high on Jalen Smith as you were last year 896 00:56:27,280 --> 00:56:30,800 when you set me a tweet of him putting a video of him putting the 897 00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:34,000 ball on the floor like spinning. It was probably preseason or Summer league into 898 00:56:34,079 --> 00:56:36,840 or it couldn't have been Summer league, like into a layup, and I 899 00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:38,760 think you captured like can DeAndre and do this? It was just after we 900 00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:43,480 reported podcast. So do you remain as high on Jalen Smith if you were 901 00:56:43,599 --> 00:56:46,320 in that moment. Don't don't trap me like that. Man, Come on, 902 00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:52,239 it's not fair. Do we expect Jalen Smith to play an actual role 903 00:56:52,239 --> 00:56:55,639 with the team. He had some really no intriguing moments in summer League. 904 00:56:57,039 --> 00:57:00,199 No, okay, fair enough, Well, I'm gonna say no. Like 905 00:57:00,239 --> 00:57:04,559 I said earlier, the Tory Craig minutes are open, but that requires Jalen 906 00:57:04,639 --> 00:57:07,960 to be a four, and I don't see it personally. I see him 907 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:10,800 as a five based on what we've seen so far. And yeah, Ayton 908 00:57:10,880 --> 00:57:14,880 and Javail they've got those minutes locked up, and even if there's an injury 909 00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:16,559 to one of them, Frank's gonna absorb those minutes too. So he's pretty 910 00:57:16,599 --> 00:57:22,159 far down in the depth chart. We're approximately an hour into a podcast that 911 00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:25,239 is not meant for entirely Suns fans. So I'm just gonna say it here. 912 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:29,639 Jalen Smith was really bad last season. Every time he was on the 913 00:57:29,639 --> 00:57:32,199 court, he looked lost. The Suns forced him into a role that he 914 00:57:32,239 --> 00:57:37,159 was clearly not comfortable with. And right now, if I were to guess 915 00:57:37,199 --> 00:57:39,519 that he would have a major role on this team going forward, that would 916 00:57:39,559 --> 00:57:43,679 be predicting a massive, massive, massive improvement for him. So I don't 917 00:57:43,679 --> 00:57:46,519 know that I could do that. So, Mike, it sounds like the 918 00:57:46,519 --> 00:57:51,239 answer this question, he was pretty easy. But how who has the bigger 919 00:57:51,280 --> 00:57:54,079 impact on the rotation this year between Jalen Smith, Landry Shammon and adaal Later 920 00:57:54,159 --> 00:57:57,519 which, by the way, that was like another That's why it was hard 921 00:57:57,519 --> 00:58:00,960 to hate the Sun's offseason because what they did with their own eyes if you 922 00:58:00,119 --> 00:58:04,199 love basic like that. I thought Nader was more valuable than they actually got 923 00:58:04,280 --> 00:58:06,880 him for he Yeah, well, he missed two months last year than just 924 00:58:06,920 --> 00:58:08,880 came back was defending his ass off like he didn't in the finals. Yeah, 925 00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:15,280 I think that's interesting. I have a feeling Sam will say Nader, 926 00:58:15,599 --> 00:58:19,440 so I'm gonna say Shammon. Because I think shamm It. I just think 927 00:58:19,440 --> 00:58:22,039 shamm It brings an element of like above the break shooting that the Sun's kind 928 00:58:22,039 --> 00:58:27,000 of struggled with last year, because really the best guy at that was probably 929 00:58:27,039 --> 00:58:31,360 Chris Paul and then maybe Cameron Johnson. Yeah, Cameron, that's a great 930 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:36,400 point. Cameron Payne was probably the best edit. But as far as the 931 00:58:36,440 --> 00:58:42,199 way that Monty Williams described Landry Shammon was a shorter Cameron Johnson, which I 932 00:58:42,199 --> 00:58:45,039 think is a great way to describe him, and it just makes a lot 933 00:58:45,079 --> 00:58:47,880 of senses offensively for the Suns. And I think, you know, we 934 00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:52,440 were talking about on our over Under podcast as far as what will Landry Shammon 935 00:58:52,559 --> 00:58:57,119 shoot, and I predicted probably less than forty percent from three, but only 936 00:58:57,239 --> 00:59:00,079 because I think he will be in a place for the Sons where he's going 937 00:59:00,199 --> 00:59:06,400 to be asked to take the most difficult threes of any player on the Suns, 938 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:08,599 and the Suns needed a guy that was sort of this sort of off 939 00:59:08,639 --> 00:59:14,199 ball movement, pressure release valve type shooter, and I think that that's gonna 940 00:59:14,719 --> 00:59:17,039 I know that Chris Paul likes playing with guys like that because he treated Devin 941 00:59:17,079 --> 00:59:20,800 Booker like that for the first month and a half of the season, and 942 00:59:20,880 --> 00:59:23,519 Devin Booker's not that, and I think he'll enjoy playing with somebody like Landry 943 00:59:23,559 --> 00:59:27,679 Shammon, So I'm gonna see Shammon. Really. I don't think Monty Williams 944 00:59:27,719 --> 00:59:30,880 would be wrong if he just started describing every shooter on this team in relation 945 00:59:30,960 --> 00:59:32,679 to James Jones, because that's kind of what the strategy has always done. 946 00:59:34,199 --> 00:59:37,519 Cam Johnson is tall James Jones, Landry Shammon is mini James Jones, Jalen 947 00:59:37,599 --> 00:59:40,960 Smith in theory is super big James Jones. It's kind of what all of 948 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:46,760 them are among that group being Nader sam Well. I think Shammon actually, 949 00:59:46,800 --> 00:59:51,800 there may be a chance that he logs more minutes, and he's certainly the 950 00:59:51,840 --> 00:59:55,320 one who has gripped the most attention from people outside the Sun's sphere. I 951 00:59:55,320 --> 00:59:59,679 don't really think anyone on the mainstream level still knows who Abdul Nader is. 952 01:00:00,519 --> 01:00:02,400 But when we made that joke earlier, I think it was Mike who said 953 01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:07,719 it, like Nader and Devin Booker being the only ones on this team to 954 01:00:07,760 --> 01:00:13,199 put real rim pressure on the defense. It's true, and I think Nader 955 01:00:13,280 --> 01:00:17,559 can can honestly earn a solid fifteen minutes per game of playing time just by 956 01:00:17,639 --> 01:00:21,599 doing what he does, which is he's got one gear and that's just go. 957 01:00:21,920 --> 01:00:25,119 He gets the ball, he attacks closeouts, he's reckless. It's not 958 01:00:25,280 --> 01:00:29,440 always pretty, but it is relatively effective. So at the end of the 959 01:00:29,519 --> 01:00:31,119 day, if that's what you need to do to get to the free throw 960 01:00:31,199 --> 01:00:36,079 line, and you know, just just get to the rim, he'll he'll 961 01:00:36,159 --> 01:00:39,119 learn some time for sure. This is I think it's low hanging fruit. 962 01:00:39,199 --> 01:00:43,000 And this question is always match up dependent and I feel like there are only 963 01:00:43,079 --> 01:00:45,920 two potential answers here. But Sam, what do you think should be Phoenixes 964 01:00:46,039 --> 01:00:51,960 go to crunch Time lineup this season? Crunch Time lineup? I really feel 965 01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:57,159 like it's your I really feel like your only choices are the traditional starting lineup 966 01:00:57,679 --> 01:01:00,440 or the traditional starting lineup. But with Cam Johnson said Jake, Rob, 967 01:01:00,519 --> 01:01:01,719 Yeah, this is such a boring question for the Sons. I think for 968 01:01:01,800 --> 01:01:06,360 the Sons those are the only ones. And I, you know, yeah, 969 01:01:06,360 --> 01:01:07,199 I don't know why, I mean actually want look, I would be 970 01:01:07,800 --> 01:01:12,400 there would be my next questionink. They are a quirky, weirdo, unconventional 971 01:01:12,480 --> 01:01:14,440 lineup. You would want to see them. There are a lot of those. 972 01:01:14,559 --> 01:01:15,840 There are a lot of those. Yeah, that's kind of interesting. 973 01:01:16,000 --> 01:01:21,239 I think that, you know, you made me think about this. How 974 01:01:21,280 --> 01:01:23,159 many teams brought back their entire starting lineup. The Sons are one of the 975 01:01:23,239 --> 01:01:28,079 teams that brought back their entire starting lineup. So I wonder how common I 976 01:01:28,159 --> 01:01:32,679 think that's your que to tweet out continuity with a single letter tweet. Yeah, 977 01:01:34,760 --> 01:01:37,840 I'm not sure. Maybe the Jets my brand. Yeah, probably the 978 01:01:37,960 --> 01:01:43,360 Jazz. Anyway, I think that I've been begging, and look, I'm 979 01:01:43,400 --> 01:01:46,360 not going to get too quirky with this, because I've been begging to see 980 01:01:46,519 --> 01:01:51,440 more three guard lineup lineups for the Suns, and I personally would like to 981 01:01:51,519 --> 01:01:54,039 see Cameron Payne, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker play more together. Now, 982 01:01:54,239 --> 01:01:58,960 I think Chris Paul immediately asked for Shammon and Booker to play together. 983 01:01:59,000 --> 01:02:02,400 I think he just envisioned it opening up cutting lanes for Devin Booker or Devin 984 01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:07,400 Booker opening up three point shots for Landry Shammon on the sacrificial cuts. But 985 01:02:08,440 --> 01:02:13,239 I still think Cameron Payne, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul need to play 986 01:02:13,280 --> 01:02:16,360 more together early on in this season. They didn't do it basically at all. 987 01:02:16,639 --> 01:02:20,559 In the playoffs. I wanted to see it against specifically the Clippers. 988 01:02:20,639 --> 01:02:23,880 They didn't really go to it ever. So that's that's the main thing that 989 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:28,079 I would like to see. Now. The other two positions in that you 990 01:02:28,119 --> 01:02:30,599 can play around with, but I think you need a big man to eat 991 01:02:30,679 --> 01:02:32,800 up the rebounds in that scenario. But that's what I'd like to see more 992 01:02:32,800 --> 01:02:37,840 three guard lineups. I've been writing to Monty and you know, he still 993 01:02:37,920 --> 01:02:40,360 hasn't heard me out. But we'll see if he does. Regarding my Alfred 994 01:02:40,400 --> 01:02:45,480 Peyton, Jalen Smith, Frank Cominski, JaVale McGee, DeAndre Aton lineup, 995 01:02:45,519 --> 01:02:51,119 well, we'll see. Might how about five Alfred Peyton's Yeah, yeah, 996 01:02:51,159 --> 01:02:53,000 all right, So let's spend like fifteen to twenty minutes unders the act of 997 01:02:53,239 --> 01:02:58,440 Alfred Peyton on the Sun's rotation. If do you guys have any idea how 998 01:02:58,480 --> 01:03:02,760 many possessions that three guard line Mike referenced played last season during the regular season. 999 01:03:04,639 --> 01:03:07,199 Oh, I'll give you. I'm gonna give you seventy five possessions over 1000 01:03:07,320 --> 01:03:13,559 on Oh do you know the number? Yeah, I'm under guessing over it's 1001 01:03:13,679 --> 01:03:17,000 under I played thirty six possessions together. I thought it was gonna be like 1002 01:03:17,119 --> 01:03:21,159 slightly. I was gonna guess, like twenty what are the numbers, like, 1003 01:03:21,199 --> 01:03:23,000 do you have that in front of you? I bet that one twenty 1004 01:03:23,079 --> 01:03:29,199 seven point eight offensive ratings, which is really good. One fifteen point two 1005 01:03:29,280 --> 01:03:31,440 defensive rating, Yeah, which is bad, which is bad. But if 1006 01:03:31,440 --> 01:03:35,679 you've got the best offense twelve times that rating, it doesn't like you're out 1007 01:03:35,719 --> 01:03:37,159 scoring the other team. That's all that matters. Yeah, exactly, it's 1008 01:03:37,159 --> 01:03:42,199 the best offensive all time exactly. So my lineup that I and this is 1009 01:03:42,239 --> 01:03:45,159 the favorite, my favorite question I asked because I actually spend time thinking about 1010 01:03:45,159 --> 01:03:46,880 this ship because I have nothing better to do, apparently, and I don't 1011 01:03:46,920 --> 01:03:50,920 think Monty would ever roll it out. But if you could give me, 1012 01:03:51,159 --> 01:03:52,840 I'll call it the all wing lineup, even though that's not really what it 1013 01:03:52,960 --> 01:03:58,159 is, but just mcal Bridges, Jay Crowder, Devin Booker, Cam Johnson 1014 01:03:58,360 --> 01:04:00,760 and abdel Nader. I see, I just want to see what happens with 1015 01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:02,920 that lineup on the floor. And they did try. Like I said, 1016 01:04:02,920 --> 01:04:06,079 they had Cam Johnson and Tory Craig is like they're they're four or five at 1017 01:04:06,119 --> 01:04:10,719 one point last year, Like, just give me like thirty five possessions to 1018 01:04:10,800 --> 01:04:12,599 see that group. It doesn't have to be a once. I just want 1019 01:04:12,599 --> 01:04:15,400 to see it sprinkled in every now and again. You are a man of 1020 01:04:15,480 --> 01:04:18,599 culture, a man of positionless basketball, for sure. Well. Yeah, 1021 01:04:18,639 --> 01:04:24,079 I think the Sun struggled a lot with teams that played small ball. I 1022 01:04:24,159 --> 01:04:27,519 think that was the biggest threat to the Suns in the in the Western Conference 1023 01:04:27,559 --> 01:04:31,480 playoffs was the small ball lineups by the Clippers. You know, DeAndre and 1024 01:04:31,519 --> 01:04:34,679 played his ass off, But I'd like to see them sort of experiment with 1025 01:04:34,719 --> 01:04:38,119 ways to counter that with their own small ball group. Though. Yeah, 1026 01:04:38,119 --> 01:04:41,679 I agree with that. This the answer to this question, And I'll throw 1027 01:04:41,719 --> 01:04:44,719 this one to Sam because I'm remembering to throw it to someone this time. 1028 01:04:45,159 --> 01:04:47,880 It can change as the season goes on, obviously, But who do you 1029 01:04:48,000 --> 01:04:51,960 view right now? Is the player most likely to be traded from the deadline? 1030 01:04:53,159 --> 01:04:55,880 Is there if it's not a specific player, is there like another need 1031 01:04:55,960 --> 01:05:00,679 on this roster that you'd still ideally like to see them try and address via 1032 01:05:00,719 --> 01:05:04,679 the trade market? Man, I feel like I feel like Mike just tanked 1033 01:05:04,760 --> 01:05:09,400 Jalen Smith's trade value out in front of everyone like ten minutes ago. So 1034 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:13,000 now I can't answer Jalen Smith. It would be nice like the idea behind 1035 01:05:13,039 --> 01:05:15,360 the Thaddius Young trade, which is what you know everyone was talking about with 1036 01:05:15,440 --> 01:05:17,719 the Suns maybe for the past three or four weeks or so at least in 1037 01:05:17,840 --> 01:05:23,559 theory, was Dario Sharitch for salary matching purposes plus Jalen Smith is an asset, 1038 01:05:23,679 --> 01:05:27,519 plus other assets, picks or whatever they want. I don't actually have 1039 01:05:27,559 --> 01:05:30,199 any reason to believe that the Spurs are interested in that, but that's kind 1040 01:05:30,239 --> 01:05:34,760 of the package that Suns were bands where we're building. I would but a 1041 01:05:34,840 --> 01:05:39,000 lot of things could happen. A lot of things could happen. But ultimately, 1042 01:05:39,119 --> 01:05:41,239 if you pressed me to it right now, I would say, I 1043 01:05:41,360 --> 01:05:44,400 think the Suns are only looking at minor tweaks, and so that means minor 1044 01:05:44,440 --> 01:05:47,639 tweaks in terms of more playmaking, initiation, more rim pressure, you know, 1045 01:05:47,760 --> 01:05:50,960 kind of something. If Shammant doesn't turn out to be enough, maybe 1046 01:05:51,000 --> 01:05:54,920 you look at is there another backcourt option that you could kind of pivot to 1047 01:05:55,159 --> 01:05:58,760 to give you some of that defense rebounding. I think they're set I think 1048 01:05:58,760 --> 01:06:02,000 they really set themselves up nicely with ch Avail, So I can't think of 1049 01:06:02,119 --> 01:06:04,239 I can't think of anything else. I mean, Fad Young would have been 1050 01:06:04,280 --> 01:06:08,920 nice because he would have kind of given you that versatility of he just does 1051 01:06:09,000 --> 01:06:11,760 a little bit of everything. He gives you a small ball outlet to kind 1052 01:06:11,800 --> 01:06:15,480 of replace what a charge did. And he's a terrific high post playmaker as 1053 01:06:15,519 --> 01:06:20,000 well, so he really plays the charge role except much better. But I 1054 01:06:20,039 --> 01:06:25,039 don't really see any other options like him out on the market, so yeah, 1055 01:06:25,079 --> 01:06:27,679 I think we're looking at minor tweaks. Yeah, I would like the 1056 01:06:27,800 --> 01:06:32,000 Suns to get someone like Tory Craig completely for free again, because that was 1057 01:06:32,039 --> 01:06:35,880 pretty great. I mean, they just gave up cash for Tory Craig. 1058 01:06:35,920 --> 01:06:40,440 I mean that was a remarkable thing that nobody saw coming. And you know, 1059 01:06:40,920 --> 01:06:44,039 it's hard to really pinpoint someone right now other than that he is young, 1060 01:06:44,119 --> 01:06:45,960 and even that he's young, like it'd be tough to find minutes for 1061 01:06:46,079 --> 01:06:49,760 him with the way that the Suns are returning so many players. But yeah, 1062 01:06:49,880 --> 01:06:54,840 somebody another wing, I think is the most obvious thing that the Suns 1063 01:06:54,880 --> 01:06:57,559 could target. So it's hard for me to pinpoint someone exactly like that. 1064 01:06:58,400 --> 01:07:00,159 I had two names circle that actually ended up being wings. I would like 1065 01:07:00,199 --> 01:07:03,480 to see them trying yet, And Thaddius Young was sort of just implicit here 1066 01:07:04,119 --> 01:07:06,920 and I get I mean, couldn't there if you can get him, I 1067 01:07:08,000 --> 01:07:10,679 think you can look at it as do you really give up Jelly Smith Jalen 1068 01:07:10,719 --> 01:07:15,599 Smith for a thirty three year old daddy's young who's hitting free agency. I'm 1069 01:07:15,639 --> 01:07:19,119 assuming you guys would do it based off this. I think you absolutely do 1070 01:07:19,280 --> 01:07:21,360 it. When you look at the state of the Western Conference, if I'm 1071 01:07:21,400 --> 01:07:25,480 being honest like it, with it being as wide open as it is, 1072 01:07:26,159 --> 01:07:28,639 I think you would only make that type of move if you really feel that 1073 01:07:28,719 --> 01:07:32,400 you're acquiring a top seven rotation player. But Fad Young is that you know 1074 01:07:32,519 --> 01:07:35,480 only someone who's going to be a real difference maker in the playoffs, not 1075 01:07:35,559 --> 01:07:39,719 another shaman type who will be a ninth man who maybe he plays in the 1076 01:07:39,760 --> 01:07:42,519 playoffs, maybe he doesn't. But for that Young, that's a talent level 1077 01:07:42,559 --> 01:07:45,719 where I think you absolutely do it. And would it be I think Mike 1078 01:07:45,800 --> 01:07:47,599 you mentioned that you're not sure where like if it would be hard to car 1079 01:07:47,679 --> 01:07:50,960 out minutes for that young you wouldn't just default to him taking backup settlement. 1080 01:07:51,000 --> 01:07:54,280 It's like, you really want to see javal McGee still have that role. 1081 01:07:55,199 --> 01:07:59,360 Well, yeah, I think that Chris Paul specifically asked for javalembe like he 1082 01:07:59,480 --> 01:08:01,960 wants to. It's clear that Chris Paul wants to play with Javail. He 1083 01:08:02,119 --> 01:08:05,199 likes to have those lob threats, the guys that are running down in the 1084 01:08:05,280 --> 01:08:09,119 lane. And I think, yeah, it's tough with that he's young, 1085 01:08:09,159 --> 01:08:12,760 because right, he doesn't really shoot threes anymore, but he's sort of that 1086 01:08:13,119 --> 01:08:17,279 he's Stario schartch Essentially, he does what Dario Schartz did for the Suns last 1087 01:08:17,359 --> 01:08:20,800 year. He's this guy that sort of stands in the right playmaking places in 1088 01:08:20,840 --> 01:08:24,640 the floor and is capable of moving the ball in the right ways. Space 1089 01:08:24,720 --> 01:08:28,119 eater. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I think with that he's young, 1090 01:08:28,239 --> 01:08:31,640 it's not tough in that having the right tools and having more tools in 1091 01:08:31,680 --> 01:08:38,000 the toolbox from Monty Williams is the main goal there. So it's just you're, 1092 01:08:38,119 --> 01:08:41,800 you know, you start factoring in these guys all getting minutes. They 1093 01:08:41,920 --> 01:08:46,159 run out pretty fast. They really start running out pretty fast. The two 1094 01:08:46,239 --> 01:08:49,960 names that I had circled and they're small plays because I think that's it's I 1095 01:08:50,279 --> 01:08:53,720 didn't compare it to the Tory Craig move in my head when I was going 1096 01:08:53,760 --> 01:08:55,520 through this, but that was a great way to sort of look at as 1097 01:08:55,560 --> 01:09:00,359 b opportunistic and you know, look for just those players that are row that 1098 01:09:00,520 --> 01:09:01,560 could maybe play a bit role, or maybe the role is a little bit 1099 01:09:01,600 --> 01:09:06,720 larger than expected. Ken Rick Williams in Oklahoma City had a quietly amazing season 1100 01:09:06,840 --> 01:09:10,600 last year. I don't know, because he's so cheap the season after this 1101 01:09:10,720 --> 01:09:13,520 coming one, if that makes him less likely to be traded. But okayc 1102 01:09:13,760 --> 01:09:16,359 just feels like it's always constantly shifting pieces, and I think there's a chance 1103 01:09:16,359 --> 01:09:19,319 that we could even see Kenrick Siliers play some five there this year based off 1104 01:09:19,399 --> 01:09:24,520 how he was used last season. I think if they get into a roster 1105 01:09:24,680 --> 01:09:27,880 crunch, and because they have dudes who are between six seven and six nine 1106 01:09:27,920 --> 01:09:30,000 to spare, I think they're trying to set the NBA record for most players 1107 01:09:30,000 --> 01:09:33,640 out that size of other contract. You don't want an Abby in Toronto. 1108 01:09:33,800 --> 01:09:36,399 I'm curious what his future is there. If they're gonna keep Siakam, if 1109 01:09:36,399 --> 01:09:41,359 they're gonna keep Og and Scotty Barnes if they actually like Ken Birch and Precious 1110 01:09:41,399 --> 01:09:45,239 A Chua. That's again it speaks to I think how complete the Suns are 1111 01:09:45,319 --> 01:09:48,039 that those are the names that, like I kind of thought of and I 1112 01:09:48,079 --> 01:09:51,319 would have. I said this before and he actually got traded. I really 1113 01:09:51,359 --> 01:09:54,680 wanted them to figure out a way to get involved in the Larry Nance Junior 1114 01:09:54,720 --> 01:09:57,800 Sweepstakes. I thought he would have been a fantastic yeah for them. Yeah, 1115 01:09:57,880 --> 01:10:00,760 agreed. I mean they just didn't have the sense I think for that 1116 01:10:00,880 --> 01:10:03,039 one. No, I don't think they did. So, Mike, the 1117 01:10:03,199 --> 01:10:06,920 Sun's current win total over under as we record this is fifty point five. 1118 01:10:08,479 --> 01:10:11,600 Are you taking the over or the under on that? It's it's such an 1119 01:10:11,680 --> 01:10:15,399 easy over for me, Like it's just so easy to hit that over, 1120 01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:18,239 so much so that when I was giving out our fake over unders on our 1121 01:10:18,279 --> 01:10:21,640 podcast, I said it at fifty five because I wanted to see what our 1122 01:10:21,680 --> 01:10:27,720 guys would pick at fifty five. But yeah, I would have. I'm 1123 01:10:27,720 --> 01:10:31,239 gonna bet on it. I'll say that I'm gonna money on it. They 1124 01:10:31,399 --> 01:10:35,359 played at a fifty eight wind pace last year. The Western Conference is not 1125 01:10:35,439 --> 01:10:39,880 more intimidating this year because too many people are still hurt in the regular season. 1126 01:10:39,880 --> 01:10:42,479 You could talk about the playoffs as a different beast if you want. 1127 01:10:42,880 --> 01:10:45,600 But this regular season good at the beginning of the season. Last year they 1128 01:10:45,720 --> 01:10:49,880 got much better as the season progressed. Their competition didn't really get much better 1129 01:10:50,079 --> 01:10:54,880 in my eyes. So the only way, the only way they're going to 1130 01:10:54,960 --> 01:10:58,680 go down by more than eight wins in a single season is a catastrophic injury 1131 01:10:58,760 --> 01:11:01,479 Tither Chris Paul andre and or death Booker. Obviously that's possible, but that 1132 01:11:01,520 --> 01:11:03,920 could happen to anyone in any given season. So for me, it's it's 1133 01:11:03,920 --> 01:11:11,279 an easy over. I'm gonna use my risk free wind bet app on met 1134 01:11:11,720 --> 01:11:16,199 on that specific wind total separate conferences, obviously, but Philadelphia's is fifty one 1135 01:11:16,239 --> 01:11:21,079 point five. That seems blasphemous to me to have the Sun's lower than than 1136 01:11:21,199 --> 01:11:25,319 Philly. Knowing stuff, And like the East, the middle class of the 1137 01:11:25,439 --> 01:11:29,119 East is really deep, like it's not, you know, I still think 1138 01:11:29,159 --> 01:11:30,680 the meat and potatoes of the West is actually better than the East. I 1139 01:11:30,720 --> 01:11:33,439 know a lot of people want to have the discussion of which is better, 1140 01:11:34,319 --> 01:11:40,520 but I'm just that it's an easy over for me. Yeah, so the 1141 01:11:40,640 --> 01:11:43,920 Suns are my pick as of right now to come out of the West again. 1142 01:11:44,079 --> 01:11:46,399 That is subject to change when I finally go through my picks, and 1143 01:11:46,439 --> 01:11:49,119 it's maybe that's why I'm so angry they weren't more aggressive of the off season 1144 01:11:49,119 --> 01:11:51,560 because I wanted that to be easier. But you really have to be one 1145 01:11:51,560 --> 01:11:57,199 of the only ones I know though with that pick, the look if they 1146 01:11:57,239 --> 01:12:00,239 were I could have done. I was so close to doing like the most 1147 01:12:00,279 --> 01:12:03,479 obnoxious victory lap last year because they were my title pick and it was just 1148 01:12:03,680 --> 01:12:08,640 like so close so far. To see them watch them lose four straight gutted 1149 01:12:08,680 --> 01:12:12,279 me. Probably not as much as the gutted YouTube. But what teams do 1150 01:12:12,319 --> 01:12:16,199 you look at in the West? Sam and views like they're the toughest for 1151 01:12:16,239 --> 01:12:19,159 them to match up with Whether it's we need to just be better than them 1152 01:12:19,239 --> 01:12:24,159 overall getting past them in a playoff series like however you want to interpret that, 1153 01:12:25,680 --> 01:12:29,560 Yeah, all of them are tough in their own ways. I would 1154 01:12:29,600 --> 01:12:32,920 look at Denver again as a team where a Denver with a healthy Jamal Murray, 1155 01:12:33,159 --> 01:12:36,359 we swept them, and I trust me. I give Nuggets fans. 1156 01:12:38,279 --> 01:12:41,760 I shouldn't say we the Suns swept the Nuggets because people get mad when you 1157 01:12:41,800 --> 01:12:45,920 start doing that, and I give Nuggets fans all sorts of shit on Twitter 1158 01:12:45,960 --> 01:12:47,439 about it because I think they got a little cocky and they deserve it. 1159 01:12:47,640 --> 01:12:51,319 However, I am not naive, and I'm willing to admit that that would 1160 01:12:51,319 --> 01:12:56,039 be a much different series with an additional year of development for Michael Porter Jr. 1161 01:12:56,079 --> 01:12:58,520 Who I do have questions about in a playoff setting. But but still, 1162 01:12:58,960 --> 01:13:01,119 and most importantly Jamal Murray being healthy. I think that's a really interesting 1163 01:13:01,159 --> 01:13:06,199 matchup. The Jazz remain an intriguing matchup. I think DeAndre Ayton has has 1164 01:13:06,359 --> 01:13:14,319 evolved to a point where that specific matchup maybe used to give me more pause 1165 01:13:14,399 --> 01:13:17,039 six months ago than it does now. There are a few teams that really 1166 01:13:17,079 --> 01:13:19,439 frightened me. This is the point. I could look at the Lakers, 1167 01:13:19,479 --> 01:13:23,239 I could look at the Nuggets. I could look at the Jazz. If 1168 01:13:23,279 --> 01:13:27,279 the Clippers got fully healthy as well, obviously, maybe even the Warriors. 1169 01:13:27,359 --> 01:13:28,840 You know, I look at a lot of teams and I'm like, yeah, 1170 01:13:28,840 --> 01:13:30,119 they could beat the Suns in a series, but none of them do. 1171 01:13:30,279 --> 01:13:33,960 I think we're actually again them and none of them do. I think 1172 01:13:33,960 --> 01:13:38,560 the Suns are actually underdogs, really good position to be in. I think 1173 01:13:38,600 --> 01:13:43,039 if the clip, if the Clippers were fully healthy, that's the biggest threat 1174 01:13:43,079 --> 01:13:45,359 they are. They are underdogs. I just think they're they're healthy. Yeah, 1175 01:13:45,560 --> 01:13:48,960 I think the Sons are just it's a really tough matchup for the Suns, 1176 01:13:49,000 --> 01:13:53,039 in particular Chris Paul and Devin Booker, like they have the right kind 1177 01:13:53,079 --> 01:13:57,560 of guys to really bother them and their ability to switch so easily and still 1178 01:13:57,640 --> 01:14:00,800 have guys that can defend one on one and and even help and get back 1179 01:14:00,840 --> 01:14:04,520 to guys on three point shooters. Like that's that's tough for the Suns. 1180 01:14:04,680 --> 01:14:09,359 And beyond that, I think the Lakers too. I think the fact that 1181 01:14:09,399 --> 01:14:13,279 Anthony Davis is most likely going to be playing center a lot. I actually 1182 01:14:13,319 --> 01:14:16,439 weirdly think that matches up better for the Suns. Uh, you know, 1183 01:14:16,600 --> 01:14:20,680 with the fact that Russell Westbrook is on the team now too, but maybe 1184 01:14:20,720 --> 01:14:24,399 not, you know, I think that that team could be really tough too. 1185 01:14:24,479 --> 01:14:28,119 But yeah, I would like really healthy Warriors team is is tough for 1186 01:14:28,199 --> 01:14:31,039 everyone to match up against because they have Steph Curry. I would simply like 1187 01:14:31,159 --> 01:14:34,520 to see the Lakers shoot above thirty five percent from deep as a team in 1188 01:14:34,600 --> 01:14:39,720 any regular season game against the Suns this year before I really take the step 1189 01:14:39,760 --> 01:14:43,680 of being afraid of them in a playoffs setting. I don't know what to 1190 01:14:43,720 --> 01:14:45,399 make of the Lakers. They'll they'll be fine, but the Russell Westbrook thing 1191 01:14:45,520 --> 01:14:48,680 is just like one of the worst jump shooters in NBA history. So I 1192 01:14:48,840 --> 01:14:53,279 think i'd be with you guys if the Nuggets are gonna be fully healthy. 1193 01:14:53,319 --> 01:14:56,079 I'm still curious as too. I know acls aren't torn A cls aren't the 1194 01:14:56,159 --> 01:14:58,800 end of the world, but how many games does Jamal Murray get under his 1195 01:14:58,840 --> 01:15:00,840 bell? What does he look like by the time the playoffs roll around. 1196 01:15:00,079 --> 01:15:04,319 I'm almost just inclined to go with Utah because I feel like the Sun's the 1197 01:15:04,359 --> 01:15:10,760 way they want to play isn't going to disrupt Utah's defensive scheme as much as 1198 01:15:10,800 --> 01:15:13,399 some of the other teams can, unless the Suns want to debate from what 1199 01:15:13,439 --> 01:15:15,319 they're doing, which why would you do that when when it's clearly working. 1200 01:15:16,359 --> 01:15:20,760 Chris Paul has beaten Gilbert in the playoffs multiple times, and he just doesn't 1201 01:15:20,800 --> 01:15:26,000 like I feel like he loves playing against Gilbert. And that's that's the one 1202 01:15:26,039 --> 01:15:28,840 thing that I just think with the Nuggets just so sorry to go back to 1203 01:15:28,920 --> 01:15:32,159 it, but what does what does Yokis do on defense against the Suns? 1204 01:15:32,279 --> 01:15:36,319 I just like, he's such a it's just such a bad matchup for him, 1205 01:15:36,399 --> 01:15:39,600 and he saw it over and over and over again. He was just 1206 01:15:40,039 --> 01:15:42,439 if they dropped, they hit the midrange shot on him over and over and 1207 01:15:42,520 --> 01:15:45,239 over again. If he plays at the level, they just get right past 1208 01:15:45,399 --> 01:15:47,359 him and then they're finding corner shooters over and over again. I just I 1209 01:15:47,399 --> 01:15:50,239 mean, it would it would just really help if they had the weak side 1210 01:15:50,560 --> 01:15:55,279 pressure coming to help in the form of anyone who's not Michael Porter Jr. 1211 01:15:55,319 --> 01:15:57,600 And so maybe Jeff Green will help with that a little bit. But but 1212 01:15:57,720 --> 01:16:00,319 you're right, it's a problem. It was an obvious problem whom in the 1213 01:16:00,359 --> 01:16:02,359 series, and I don't know how it solved. It's not a problem that's 1214 01:16:02,399 --> 01:16:05,439 going to go away just because Jamal Murray is healthy for exactly. Yeah, 1215 01:16:06,399 --> 01:16:10,800 is there anything or anyone about this team I didn't ask that you guys think 1216 01:16:10,960 --> 01:16:14,279 needs to be covered. If like we didn't talk too much about campaign who 1217 01:16:14,319 --> 01:16:16,680 had like the resurgence but just anything specifically that you still think needs to be 1218 01:16:16,760 --> 01:16:20,720 talked about with this team, I think we covered I think about all of 1219 01:16:20,760 --> 01:16:23,520 it, right, Yeah, I think I think we got it. I 1220 01:16:23,600 --> 01:16:27,399 think your listeners are probably all suns down at this point. Maybe they learned 1221 01:16:27,399 --> 01:16:30,279 a thing or two though. Yeah, then they're going to continue to get 1222 01:16:30,319 --> 01:16:34,399 songs out as my agenda mussolard. If I in the title again, with 1223 01:16:34,960 --> 01:16:39,960 each Michael Bridge is off the dribble jumper, the agenda grows every single one. 1224 01:16:40,439 --> 01:16:44,720 I did tweet something about that just looking at his like the progression of 1225 01:16:44,760 --> 01:16:46,520 how many off the dribble jumpers he was taking, and people on Twitter were 1226 01:16:46,880 --> 01:16:49,960 I think probably because one of you retweeted it. There are people who are 1227 01:16:50,039 --> 01:16:54,560 very excited and people who were like mad about that. But the mccaal Bridge's 1228 01:16:54,560 --> 01:16:58,439 agenda continues around these parts. I'll start with, Mike, are you able 1229 01:16:58,479 --> 01:17:00,720 to tell our listeners where they can find you on social media and where they 1230 01:17:00,800 --> 01:17:04,359 can obviously find all the great work that the timeline is doing. Yeah, 1231 01:17:04,560 --> 01:17:09,520 yeah, I'm at protected pick. You can find me on Twitter tweeting mostly 1232 01:17:09,560 --> 01:17:13,520 about the Suns, a little bit about music, but you can find our 1233 01:17:13,600 --> 01:17:16,039 podcast on any podcast app. It's called The Timeline, a Phoenix Suns podcast 1234 01:17:16,159 --> 01:17:19,680 at the Timeline Pod on Twitter. We also just also on YouTube. You 1235 01:17:19,680 --> 01:17:24,680 can plan us on YouTube. We did just recently launch a Patreon if you're 1236 01:17:24,720 --> 01:17:28,960 interested, we do extra episodes there, extra content, some writing. Patreon 1237 01:17:29,039 --> 01:17:32,399 dot com slash the Timeline. You can check us out there. And since 1238 01:17:32,439 --> 01:17:34,520 I have a chance to plug, I'm just gonna say, go Mercury. 1239 01:17:34,560 --> 01:17:40,000 I'm excited to watch them in the finals. Sam, where can our listeners 1240 01:17:40,039 --> 01:17:43,439 find you on social good good call on the Mercury by the way, at 1241 01:17:43,720 --> 01:17:46,520 s Cooper Hoops or Scooper Hoops that works as well. Is my Twitter profile 1242 01:17:46,960 --> 01:17:50,159 and all the same places as Mike. We run the pod together. YouTube 1243 01:17:50,199 --> 01:17:55,399 channels great, always looking for If you're looking for kind of bite sized SUNS 1244 01:17:55,439 --> 01:17:58,640 analysis, maybe in the form of five or ten minutes and not a full 1245 01:17:58,720 --> 01:18:00,920 podcast, find us on the YouTube channel. If you're looking for full podcasts, 1246 01:18:00,960 --> 01:18:04,680 we bring those every week. So any streaming app works for that. 1247 01:18:05,680 --> 01:18:10,239 I echo everything they said. I can't recommend their podcast enough and you all 1248 01:18:10,279 --> 01:18:14,359 should consider subscribing to their Patreon. Mike, Sam, thank you guys so 1249 01:18:14,479 --> 01:18:16,560 much for coming on and doing this with me as per usual. It's great 1250 01:18:16,640 --> 01:18:18,600 talking to you guys, and I think, as you know, at this 1251 01:18:18,680 --> 01:18:23,880 point I will be pestering you again down the line. Thanks, looking forward 1252 01:18:23,880 --> 01:18:24,560 to it. Thank you, dam