1 00:00:02,879 --> 00:00:06,440 Hello, everyone, Welcome to the latest episode of Hardwood Knocks. This is 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:11,320 Adam Frommel here with my fantastic co host Dan fa Valley. We are coming 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:16,000 to you live on Locker Room right after the end of Game four in the 4 00:00:16,039 --> 00:00:20,519 Atlanta Hawks New York Knicks series, which ended in a one thirteen ninety six 5 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,519 victory for the Hawks to take a three one series lead. And fittingly, 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,039 I am wearing my Hawks hat and I old throwback Josh Smith jersey, just 7 00:00:28,079 --> 00:00:32,600 to rub it in a little bit more to Dan, so so it makes 8 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:37,079 sense that it's a Josh Smith jersey. That sounds about right. I am 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,280 exhausted, as you were telling me, I sounded like before we started, 10 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:45,320 but I'm parking up as the caffeine starts coursing through my veins as we speak. 11 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,640 How are you doing. I'm good. I'm just sure. I've spent 12 00:00:49,679 --> 00:00:53,479 three hours playing racquetball yesterday and then built a sandbox for my kid afterwards, 13 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,719 and I'm just not used to doing that much physical stuff in one day after 14 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,840 all of the pandemic stuff for the last year plus, so I feel like 15 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:06,319 every part of my body is sore now. Well, how about the Kavs 16 00:01:06,359 --> 00:01:08,120 and quads. Everything's okay with those? Oh those are fine? All right? 17 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:14,480 Those are fine, Yeah, except they're like they're not cool. Look, 18 00:01:15,159 --> 00:01:18,879 ND talks though before we get into a bunch of mail back questions that 19 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,439 we have, and if anyone wants to ask questions live, we welcome it 20 00:01:21,519 --> 00:01:26,599 obviously. As always, thoughts over sounds over. I think it's over. 21 00:01:26,599 --> 00:01:30,760 I felt like I switched my pick from the Knicks of the Hawks after the 22 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:38,799 Knicks won Game two, just because it felt like the Hawks offensive process was 23 00:01:38,879 --> 00:01:42,000 so solid, even if it wasn't yielding made shots. Ultimately, the team 24 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:47,640 was getting wide open catch and shoot jumpers from the right shooters. They just 25 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,680 weren't falling. But it seemed like the Hawks had made the strategic adjustments and 26 00:01:52,719 --> 00:01:57,560 just were the better team in that series. And it's only been validated in 27 00:01:57,719 --> 00:02:01,719 Games three and four, and maybe the Knicks will win one more. But 28 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:07,040 I don't think this is going beyond six games. Yeah, I did have 29 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,360 Hawks and seven. It's looking drastically more like it's not going to be Hawks 30 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,080 and seven. It'll be Hawks in five or six. I think one the 31 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,280 Hawks defense, un realize Randol has been pretty good even as these forcing things 32 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,039 They've put two bodies in front of him and made it where he come from. 33 00:02:23,199 --> 00:02:27,000 Yeah. Look, even John Collins has had like really good moments against 34 00:02:27,039 --> 00:02:29,560 him, and not that I know Collins been better defensively this year, but 35 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,240 I thought Julius Randol was going to be the single hardest matchup for the Hawks 36 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:37,159 to cover, and he has not been. He's made some pretty terrible decisions 37 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:42,560 though. I think the Knicks needed this though, And I'm not excited or 38 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,319 anxious, but we need to have some tough conversations and have some tough questions 39 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,199 about the Knicks moving forward after this season. Because this was fun, it 40 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,599 was fantastic, it was unexpected, it was a pleasant surprise. What is 41 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:58,319 sustainable about it moving forward? And I think Game four was an excellent reminder 42 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,479 that RJ. Barrett is the single most important New York Nick in the big 43 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:07,039 picture. That is your path to having maybe a great player sustainably being the 44 00:03:07,039 --> 00:03:10,520 best player on a really good team. It's not Julius Randall. Maybe he 45 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,759 could be that for a little bit. And we did talk. We've said 46 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:15,520 if you want to sign a new extension, we get it. There needs 47 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,280 to be another element there, and yeah, there needs to be some more 48 00:03:19,719 --> 00:03:23,400 MF and three point shooters on this team knocked down three point shooters. Well, 49 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:25,800 let's not wait until after the season ends to talk about those tough questions. 50 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,159 Let's just start with one right now, Like, has this series changed 51 00:03:30,199 --> 00:03:34,360 your thinking about Julius Randall's long term home in New York? Or is that 52 00:03:34,879 --> 00:03:38,199 just too much of an overreaction to what's currently a four game sample at this 53 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:45,240 point. Yeah, so it has not changed how I feel about Julius Randall. 54 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:47,960 I think for the team as it should. They don't like talking about 55 00:03:49,159 --> 00:03:52,199 not that I don't like talking about what players are worth wherever they can get. 56 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:57,240 You don't go into this thinking we need to max out Julius Randa twenty 57 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,439 two, giving him the seven year to nine year player max if you can 58 00:04:00,439 --> 00:04:03,080 still get him. I think we talked about between twenty and twenty five million 59 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,639 a year. I don't think it's completely unreasonable, But now you've seen it 60 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,560 like, this isn't going to be the number one option on whatever the next 61 00:04:10,639 --> 00:04:13,759 great version of the Knicks is. And so if you don't think that you 62 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,120 have that in RJ. Barrett and I think they might. It's still too 63 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,160 early to say that there needs to be more help around him, and we're 64 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:24,079 talking more than peak whatever RJ. Barrett is, it's probably two more guys, 65 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,439 and so I think it changes the calculus of how you're going to build 66 00:04:26,439 --> 00:04:30,120 around him. But I'm I don't look at this as a discredit to what 67 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,839 he's done all season, and I'm also willing to give guys more leeway when 68 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:38,720 it's their first postseason trip. I think that it deserves to have a learned 69 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,839 and he look, he is the focus of the defense. That's been pretty 70 00:04:41,879 --> 00:04:46,160 clear too with the Hawks. Oh, it's been very clear, and it's 71 00:04:46,199 --> 00:04:51,279 really been shocking because going into this series, I really thought the Hawks defensive 72 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:59,759 strategy would be kind of like that circa ten Dwight Howard Orlando Magic era, 73 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,600 where you're just gonna let Julius Randall get whatever he wants and if he puts 74 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,360 up forty and fifteen on a nightly basis, so be it, because you're 75 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,839 gonna shut down everyone else. And that just hasn't been the approach, and 76 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:18,199 yet he's still been neutralized. I just I didn't see that strategy coming into 77 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:25,199 this series because I didn't think the Hawks had the personnel to shut Randall down. 78 00:05:25,639 --> 00:05:31,040 So it's just it's strange. I'm one hundred percent with everything you said 79 00:05:31,079 --> 00:05:36,800 there, and I'm going to be interested to see just what, if any 80 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:41,439 adjustments the Knicks are able to make in game fives to prolong this. It's 81 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:44,000 not out of the question that they could win. It be seeing them already 82 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,199 though. Go to Reggie bullockmore on Trey Young, and he did a good 83 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,879 job on Trey Young for a lot of the game. They forced the ball 84 00:05:48,879 --> 00:05:51,519 out of his hands. But when you have other shop makers like a Bogie 85 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,519 to help you or Delan Are, he's gonna do a little bit better. 86 00:05:55,879 --> 00:05:59,920 That's just absolutely monstrous for them. And this Knicks team feels like it's one 87 00:06:00,399 --> 00:06:03,120 really good creator and then probably another shooter short of if they actually want to 88 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:08,560 be something. Yeah, I totally agree with you. I did also want 89 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,199 to go where Noah Otage in the chat just went. Which is the good 90 00:06:12,199 --> 00:06:15,439 thing about this series is that we've seen Topping in quickly the extremely solid given 91 00:06:15,439 --> 00:06:23,480 the circumstances. Topping for me has been one of the few positive takeaways from 92 00:06:23,519 --> 00:06:27,040 the Knicks during this series so far. I was really high on him coming 93 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,560 into the draft. I thought that he would be the first All Star from 94 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,120 this class, which obviously has not panned out well during the regular season, 95 00:06:32,439 --> 00:06:36,480 but this is the version I was expecting to see, that high energy, 96 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:44,399 rim attacking nightmare matchup for a defense, and albeit in limited minutes, he's 97 00:06:44,439 --> 00:06:49,360 been really fun and I'm hoping that this allows him to carve out a larger 98 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:59,079 role than we could have expected following the regular season. It's probably has something 99 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:05,000 to do with Tom Thibodeau and notoriously not liking to play rookies for big minutes. 100 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:10,639 We've seen that at every stop throughout his career, so in hindsight, 101 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:17,720 it probably isn't too surprising that he didn't have a huge role during the regular 102 00:07:17,759 --> 00:07:24,879 season, but just maximizing his output during this limited run that he's received in 103 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:28,879 the playoffs, that's huge and I think that it matters for his long term 104 00:07:28,959 --> 00:07:32,720 value. Has your thinking on top and change at all by thinking on Obie 105 00:07:32,759 --> 00:07:36,680 Top and has not changed at all because he is not tires f and Haliburton, 106 00:07:38,079 --> 00:07:40,279 and that makes me sad. I am with you. Though he's been 107 00:07:40,319 --> 00:07:43,680 a lot better in the small minutes, I'm going to be very interesting what 108 00:07:43,879 --> 00:07:47,399 his offensive development, excuse me, defensive development looks like, are you going 109 00:07:47,439 --> 00:07:50,600 to be the way he's moved at points? I'm now wondering can you steal 110 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,240 minutes with him at center, which is going to be huge because he's been 111 00:07:54,279 --> 00:07:57,720 kind of all over the place around the basket offensively, There's a lot of 112 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,079 things he can do, giving you hustle on the second chance opportunities. We 113 00:08:01,199 --> 00:08:03,879 know that he has the range, and I think what he flashed from day 114 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:09,560 one, even though it wasn't stringing together in these huge stretches or for long 115 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,120 stretches. He can put the ball on the floor. He can make some 116 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:15,879 really nifty passes. And so as disappointed as I was that he wasn't Tyrese 117 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,759 Haliburton and just made that joke before, I think there's a really good basketball 118 00:08:20,759 --> 00:08:24,600 player there. I don't think it's going to be quite or even necessarily close 119 00:08:24,639 --> 00:08:26,759 to as good as Tyris Haliburton is, or let's say a comprehensive player, 120 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,920 if that makes more sense, but they have something there. Can you get 121 00:08:31,959 --> 00:08:33,879 to a point though, where he and Julius Randall are on the court together 122 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,320 or is that only going to be able to happen against bench heavy units or 123 00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:41,399 can that be a go to lineup, I think, because you could do 124 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:43,159 it against backups if you're more inclined to do you know, I would like 125 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,759 to see the mix play Julius Randol at the five and maybe actually for once 126 00:08:46,799 --> 00:08:50,200 in their freaking lives, attack Tray Young on defense. Give it a try 127 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,639 perhaps, but long term can that be sort of a go to front court? 128 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,200 And at this point, given that much Randall's improved on defense, I 129 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,519 think it's up to top and that you could say, maybe they can be 130 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,840 That's what I was going to say. I think there's enough offensive optionality there 131 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,559 with the two of them, given both of their ball handling abilities, that 132 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:13,039 you could probably get away with it in shorter spurts because of Randall's defensive improvement, 133 00:09:13,279 --> 00:09:16,480 but it probably should not be a line up staple. I don't think 134 00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:22,399 you're ever looking at Randall and Toppen in the starting five together so much as 135 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,200 like mixing and matching the pieces, which is which is fair enough, but 136 00:09:26,279 --> 00:09:31,399 that's also not ideal because Randall's going to play how many minutes moving forward, 137 00:09:31,879 --> 00:09:35,000 that's going to cap what you can do with Obie Toppin. So one of 138 00:09:35,039 --> 00:09:37,440 them needs to be able to play the five. If Obie Toppin is going 139 00:09:37,519 --> 00:09:41,440 to have a real chance at at developing over the next year, two years, 140 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:46,600 three years. As you're thinking about frank Nilikina changed at all during this 141 00:09:46,639 --> 00:09:50,519 series. Look, all I'm gonna say is if you're making these defensive substitutions 142 00:09:50,519 --> 00:09:54,240 to play him like five seconds when he's been sitting on the bench called all 143 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,960 game, then maybe it's time to just give him some regular rotation minutes to 144 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,039 see what happens. I said, I don't know that he could do a 145 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:05,919 much better job against Trey Young than Reggie Bullock has where at least looking at 146 00:10:05,919 --> 00:10:09,480 Bullock chasing Trey Young when he's away from the ball. Kudos to the Hoffs, 147 00:10:09,519 --> 00:10:13,320 by the way, for going into those situations where you have Bogie on 148 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,000 the ball more make Trey Young get off of it, take Bullock out of 149 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,120 a lot of the actions, or maybe trying to get some screen separation there. 150 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:22,639 I will still ride or die with Frankie Smokes. I think there's a 151 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,639 good basketball player in there, and that the Knicks have botched his development under 152 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,320 however many different coaches he's had. At this point, I think it's four 153 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:33,720 so I don't want to see him leave New York. Selfishly, the next 154 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,200 team he ends up with, whoever signs him this summer, I think, 155 00:10:37,279 --> 00:10:39,759 is going to get a nice little diamond in the rough. I'm already planning 156 00:10:39,759 --> 00:10:43,399 on buying you a jersey of whichever team he goes to, assuming that he 157 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:48,240 does go elsewhere, which kind of seems like a foregone conclusion at this point. 158 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,200 I'm just gonna say that team is gonna win the off season, and 159 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,799 fair enough. Fair enough. The last thing I wanted to ask you about 160 00:10:56,799 --> 00:11:03,039 this series before we move into the mailbag is the Hawks. It feels like 161 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,159 a lot has clicked for Trey Young. You know, he had a tendency 162 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,759 to put up ill advised shots even during this regular season and kind of force 163 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,639 his offensive game. As talented as he is, it feels like everything's coming 164 00:11:15,799 --> 00:11:18,080 in the flow of the offense now and he's still just putting up gigantic numbers 165 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,559 while making those around him better. And the Hawks as a whole have really 166 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:28,039 coalesced around him, especially now that all of the pieces are healthy. Like 167 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,279 this is the version of the Hawks we were expecting to see going into the 168 00:11:31,279 --> 00:11:35,879 beginning of this season that we were not able to see because of the steady 169 00:11:35,879 --> 00:11:39,120 stream of injuries. You know, granted Camraddish is still not available. DeAndre 170 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,399 Hunter is still working his way into a rhythm. But this is pretty good 171 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,240 in Game four though he did he did. This is the team that we 172 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,799 expected to see. Do you give them any chance against Philly in the next 173 00:11:50,879 --> 00:11:54,600 round, assuming that they do close out against the Knicks. Look, I 174 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,360 think the Knicks are probably making a little bit easier on them on defense. 175 00:11:58,639 --> 00:12:01,559 But if they're going to defend like this, hell, yeah, I don't 176 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:03,840 know what their answer is. And you could say this for pretty much the 177 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,919 entire MBA. What the answer is for Joel Embiide And if you're able to 178 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,120 have Ben Simmons, if they really want to have him go after Trey Young, 179 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,679 they can. They have matistible that could do it too, They have 180 00:12:15,759 --> 00:12:18,000 any green that could do it. They have a lot more options to go 181 00:12:18,039 --> 00:12:22,120 in those matchups. I don't want to say it won't give them a chance. 182 00:12:22,159 --> 00:12:24,200 That's a series right now. I'd probably pick Hilate to win in five 183 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,919 or six. I would give them a twenty to twenty five percent chance of 184 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,720 winning. Do you differ from me at all? And what is what happens 185 00:12:33,159 --> 00:12:37,759 the Hawks win that series if what. I don't know that I have an 186 00:12:37,759 --> 00:12:41,320 answer to that question, because I think I'm more pessimistic about Atlanta's chances in 187 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:46,799 that potential series. There's just too many pieces Philadelphia has at its disposal to 188 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:52,039 throw at Trey that can disrupt the entire offense. So I guess you're looking 189 00:12:52,039 --> 00:12:56,960 at a situation where like Kevin Herder and Lou Williams are just on fire for 190 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,919 an entire series, because you need the second unit to be able to win 191 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,240 those minutes definitively, because I don't see how the Atlanta starting five is going 192 00:13:07,279 --> 00:13:11,039 to keep pace with the seventy six ers when you can throw all of those 193 00:13:11,039 --> 00:13:16,120 bodies at tray On. I think I would have I would have said more 194 00:13:16,159 --> 00:13:18,519 like ten to fifteen percent. Maybe I'm too high. I'm look, I'm 195 00:13:18,519 --> 00:13:24,399 watching the Hawks just absolutely slaughter my Knicks. I might be pretty high on 196 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,919 them at the moment. The we do have a Hawks question, but we 197 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,559 did have a question in the chat from Shravad asking you want to talk about 198 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:39,120 playoff Jay? Do you want to? Yeah? Sure, why not? 199 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,519 Let's playoff Jay? Is It couldn't text he could playoff Jay be John Morant 200 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,480 or is you know is this Jason Tatum? Who is playoff Jay? I 201 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,240 was deferring to you because I wasn't sure. I was assuming it was Jason 202 00:13:50,279 --> 00:13:56,960 Tatum. I was also thinking it was Julius. Oh, that's it's pandemic 203 00:13:56,039 --> 00:13:58,799 Jay. There shan On, So I guess we can skip over. Look, 204 00:14:00,039 --> 00:14:03,919 John Rand has been impressive during his first three career playoff games. Just 205 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,759 to save face here, no, don't apologize, but that was I was 206 00:14:07,799 --> 00:14:11,080 wondering if I missed something that was going around. I like that we both 207 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,840 wanted the other person to talk because we weren't quite sure what it meant. 208 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,559 I will throw this quickly about John Rand before we get there's a we have 209 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:24,000 a great question about John Collins from the mail bag. But John Rand one 210 00:14:24,039 --> 00:14:28,480 hundred and one points in his first three playoff games, joining quite the company. 211 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:33,360 George Miken, Kareem Abdul Jabarn, Wilt Chamberlin, that's not a bad 212 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,200 bad trio to latch yourself onto. I will say, are you surprised Kareem 213 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,279 did that last in nineteen seventy? Are you surprised it hasn't happened since then? 214 00:14:43,759 --> 00:14:46,600 I was given this note at which these offensive records have been broken, 215 00:14:46,679 --> 00:14:54,559 and the frequency with which players take threes. I think I'm a little surprised 216 00:14:54,559 --> 00:14:58,679 there hasn't been like a one off one. But this feels like the first 217 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:03,240 season where because of the ten team structure and everything, where the young guns 218 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:09,399 are really able to thrive in these first round playoff series because they've been playing 219 00:15:09,519 --> 00:15:13,399 higher level games for a little while longer. It feels like the balance of 220 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:18,240 power has shifted a little bit where there's not just that overwhelming super team right 221 00:15:18,279 --> 00:15:22,840 now that there has been in the past. So like typically you're looking at 222 00:15:22,279 --> 00:15:28,799 a John Morant or Adjason Tatum or a Trey Young who is being asked to 223 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,480 play like the Warriors in the first round and that's just not going to go 224 00:15:31,559 --> 00:15:39,159 well. So I think the circumstances have aligned to produce this where the game 225 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,240 is faster than ever, offensive offense is dominating more than it has in a 226 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:48,200 long time, and there's also not that young guy versus established juggernaut series right 227 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:54,360 now. But the thing is Jahmran is doing this against the best defense in 228 00:15:54,440 --> 00:16:00,759 the NBA, and yo, that that happened, Like that's the I don't 229 00:16:00,759 --> 00:16:03,840 know's I'm a little bit surprised that it's this is the first time it's happened 230 00:16:04,039 --> 00:16:08,799 in so long. I'm a little surprised. I'm actually probably mega surprised, 231 00:16:08,799 --> 00:16:11,480 and I have to be more surprised than you on this. We have a 232 00:16:11,559 --> 00:16:15,120 question about your boy, though, John Collins, from Jacob Bourne, friend 233 00:16:15,159 --> 00:16:18,879 of the podcast. Who should John Collins? Who should want John Collins this 234 00:16:18,919 --> 00:16:23,279 summer slash? Where should he want to go? Now? I want you, 235 00:16:25,039 --> 00:16:26,360 I want you to leave this and I'm gonna throw I think this number 236 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,200 is important because this is the number he's going to get given how poor the 237 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,840 free agent market is. His max salary starts at twenty eight point one million 238 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,840 dollars next year. He's going to get that money. I will be Maybe 239 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,080 there's a five year wink wink deal with the Hawks where he's taking a little 240 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:45,080 less to get that fifth year, and maybe they give him a player option 241 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,120 as part of it. Otherwise he's getting twenty eight point one million dollars in 242 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,879 twenty one twenty two. Do you disagree with that? No, I don't 243 00:16:51,919 --> 00:16:56,720 disagree. I mean, I think you're looking at one of the teams that's 244 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,879 going to have cap space, because I get the sense that if he does 245 00:17:00,039 --> 00:17:03,960 leave, and I don't want to rule out the possibility that he does stay, 246 00:17:04,079 --> 00:17:08,359 especially if Atlanta is competitive against Philadelphia in the second round series again, 247 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,200 assuming they're able to close out the Knicks. I think that he would want 248 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:18,680 an opportunity to actually be a featured player, because that's been the biggest concern 249 00:17:18,759 --> 00:17:22,039 in Atlanta, is that there just haven't been enough touches to go around. 250 00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:26,039 He was more involved in the offense earlier in his still young career, so 251 00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:30,720 I wouldn't be surprised to see him like sign a big deal with like the 252 00:17:30,759 --> 00:17:33,720 Detroit Pistons or the San Antonio Spurs. The landing spot I really like for 253 00:17:33,799 --> 00:17:37,200 him though, is Minnesota. It probably have to be done by a sign 254 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,319 and trade, but I like the idea of just continuing to lead into an 255 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,880 all out offensive explosion there. If we add video and everyone get you're making 256 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,640 a disgusted face, you should probably screenshot it so that we could use as 257 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:55,680 reactively. That is a terrible fit for him. I know they defended better 258 00:17:56,079 --> 00:17:57,039 what we are, but you want to be a featured options. That put 259 00:17:57,079 --> 00:18:03,200 him a lot on Anti Edwards Towns and Dad the Russell right. That doesn't 260 00:18:03,279 --> 00:18:06,519 quite align with that that first part of the thinking. But that's going to 261 00:18:06,559 --> 00:18:10,759 be a location where he's going to get to run and get to put up 262 00:18:10,759 --> 00:18:15,799 shots because there's so much offensive attention elsewhere, and it's going to be a 263 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,039 competitive team on the rise. I agree that he might want a larger offensive 264 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,920 role. And we didn't even see the full breadth of the Hawks this year 265 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,759 because of all the injuries. DeAndre Hunter was a pretty big part of the 266 00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:29,440 offense. When he was injured, he was probably there, not their best, 267 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,519 but definitely the most consistent player at that time. He was People don't 268 00:18:32,559 --> 00:18:34,920 remember this. We've been trolled or I've controlled by our listeners for mentioning this. 269 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:40,640 He was leading the most improved player discussion when he was injured, or 270 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:42,640 he was at least among the top three, and I know that was super 271 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,839 early on. I think if he's going to leave, it needs to be 272 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,039 a sign and trade, because if I'm the Hawks, I'm not losing him 273 00:18:49,039 --> 00:18:52,599 for nothing. If you go and sign a max offer sheet with whoever, 274 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,720 Okay, great, we're just gonna match it and we'll figure it out from 275 00:18:55,759 --> 00:18:57,359 there, I'd be And if you're gonna keep him, i'd be. You 276 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,240 know then you're gonna look at having to move Gallow or something because there's just 277 00:19:00,319 --> 00:19:03,359 given out. Well, Clint Capella has played if you care about on Yeko 278 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,960 Kong Wu at all, that's just those four guys. Long term, I 279 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,640 don't think it sticks like that, and you do have to start worrying about 280 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:14,559 playing. Trey Young's extension eligible. DeAndre Hunter is gonna be extension eliable the 281 00:19:14,599 --> 00:19:17,279 year for that, Cam Reddish as well. You still have Bogie on the 282 00:19:17,279 --> 00:19:19,079 books for three years. Clint Capella is going to need a new deal soon, 283 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,079 so I'm not ruling out and return to Atlanta. That's probably the most 284 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:27,039 likely scenario, just because it's restricted free agency, so he might sign an 285 00:19:27,079 --> 00:19:30,240 offer sheet. They're gonna say, hey, you want Max, go find 286 00:19:30,279 --> 00:19:33,559 Max and they'll match it. If he wants to leave, it behooves him 287 00:19:33,599 --> 00:19:37,920 to work with the team and see if he can broker a sign and trade 288 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,680 the places I like for him. San Antonio would be interesting. He doesn't 289 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,039 feel like a Spurs player. I'd really like him there. I would love 290 00:19:45,079 --> 00:19:47,880 And they'll never do this because they won't burn their tap space, but the 291 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,039 thunder would be fun as hell. Him and Shake gilchis Alexander's short of their 292 00:19:51,039 --> 00:19:52,839 one two punch, but they're not gonna want to pay. It seems that 293 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,519 you're early for that. Yeah. I struggle to find landing spots for him. 294 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,319 I know people are gonna mention and they can get to the cap space 295 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,519 necessary Dallas. But unless the Hawks want Christops, Porzingis is part of a 296 00:20:04,839 --> 00:20:10,279 sign and trade and they shouldn't. Let's just make that clear. I don't 297 00:20:10,599 --> 00:20:14,559 you know, I don't like the Christops John Collins fit. There's questions with 298 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,200 you know, Christops won't hurt your defense, but they are nights where he's 299 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,240 not going to augment it, and you play him next to John Collins, 300 00:20:19,279 --> 00:20:22,599 who is not Maxi Kleiba in the sense that you can say, hey, 301 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,720 go defend Kauai. That's going to complicate matters a little bit. But you're 302 00:20:26,799 --> 00:20:29,079 right, there's you know, there's not teams. We're looking at cap space. 303 00:20:29,599 --> 00:20:33,319 Miami would be kind of interesting. Do you like him in BAM together 304 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,680 up front? Yeah, I think it's a pairing that makes sense. I 305 00:20:36,839 --> 00:20:41,759 just don't really see it happening. If that's one place where if he were 306 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,559 to sign an offer sheet, Atlanta would match for sure, because you don't 307 00:20:45,599 --> 00:20:48,960 want to be playing against him more frequently. I have one more team as 308 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,359 well, and I'll mention another team. The Knicks have I think the second 309 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,720 most cap space behind the depending on what they do with their own guys, 310 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,319 obviously behind the Thunder and maybe behind the Spurs. At this point, that 311 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,480 just doesn't work. We're talking about like Topping and Randa, Like the John 312 00:21:03,519 --> 00:21:07,079 Collins Randa thing is not going to be much better defensively. They could if 313 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:12,799 if they don't keep Kyle Lowry, Toronto's pretty pascal John Collins in the front 314 00:21:12,839 --> 00:21:17,559 court with little Chris Boucher. It's a three man rotation right there. Ken 315 00:21:17,599 --> 00:21:21,000 Birch probably comes back. I mean sure, I just I don't know. 316 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,160 For some reason, I just don't love that one. Why I need a 317 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,240 reason, I can't really come up with it. I just I think that 318 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:33,000 you're too far away from having the five, a legitimate five who can play 319 00:21:33,039 --> 00:21:37,880 big minutes. There. You're fully committing to small ball, and I'm not 320 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,599 sure that that's going to make as much sense if we're talking about a post 321 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,559 Kyle Hour, post Kyle Lowry era. I guess it just feels like they 322 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:51,039 could come up with a platoon center guarding, because I think it's more of 323 00:21:51,039 --> 00:21:56,720 a problem defensively clearly between Siakam, John Collins, Bouche. If you bring 324 00:21:56,839 --> 00:22:00,480 back Birch, you've had Og guard a ton of fives. Anyway, I 325 00:22:00,559 --> 00:22:07,039 feel like it would work pretty well. I've realized, having spent way too 326 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,920 much time thinking about John Collins, that I very much enjoy watching him play 327 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:15,000 and think that he is a legitimate high upside talent, and at the same 328 00:22:15,079 --> 00:22:22,200 time, I don't love his fit in that many places. He is one 329 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,359 of those players. Yeah, that's a good point. It's it's a really 330 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,759 strange conundrum because he is a three point shooting big who has shown that he 331 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:36,640 has like some defensive chops in the past. He's a high energy player, 332 00:22:37,279 --> 00:22:40,000 but he doesn't make that sense. He doesn't make much sense in that many 333 00:22:40,079 --> 00:22:45,799 locations. It's like a healthy Kevin Love situation, where still a really good 334 00:22:45,839 --> 00:22:48,480 basketball player, different players want to make that clear, Kevin loves a much 335 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:49,799 better pass or it can create more of his own offense from the post. 336 00:22:51,319 --> 00:22:53,240 But where with Kevin Love fit we tell everyone's saying the Cats have to trade 337 00:22:53,279 --> 00:22:56,440 him, they have to trade him, And when you're throwing. If it's 338 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:02,440 John Collins on a rookie scale dealsolutely right, what are you talking about? 339 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,079 John cons on a max contract. That's where the Kevin Love equation comes. 340 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:10,400 And maybe it's just that he might be one of those guys like earlier career 341 00:23:10,559 --> 00:23:15,400 Kevin Love, where he really just is best putting up big numbers on mediocre 342 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:18,240 teams. And that's okay, Like there have been plenty of those guys in 343 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:22,920 the past and they're super fun. But that might be who he is. 344 00:23:22,839 --> 00:23:27,039 Your official prediction would be, I think he's staying in Atlanta. Yeah, 345 00:23:29,279 --> 00:23:33,039 this the front office committed so much this past offseason. I don't think it 346 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:37,279 saw during the regular season at least what that team could be. And there 347 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,680 is an opportunity to keep it together, do you see it? They would 348 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:45,000 have to view him as someone who can play the five or think they could 349 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,960 plug the five cheaply. The Hornets would probably be a dark horse to go 350 00:23:48,079 --> 00:23:52,480 after him, and him and Lamela Ball would be really fun. It's just 351 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,119 him and PJ. Washington is a front court on offense a ton of fun 352 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,839 too. But I don't know what. I don't know what happens. Can 353 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,839 you get a center on the cheap though, because there are sometimes you find 354 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:04,559 diamonds of the rough, but you don't want to get to a point where 355 00:24:04,559 --> 00:24:07,519 you're it would be iffy. But I think they're a dark horse to go 356 00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:11,599 after him because they're gonna have cap space and it's the Michael Jordan controlled Hornets, 357 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,559 and they are a wild card in the off season, I think, 358 00:24:15,599 --> 00:24:19,680 to say the least, did you we have another playoff question from Kane Horneck, 359 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:26,480 Who's going to win a Buck's Net series? I'm still picking the Bucks. 360 00:24:26,559 --> 00:24:30,359 I mean, the level at which Drew Holiday in particular is playing right 361 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,599 now gives me even more confidence. The loss of Dante de Vincenzo is a 362 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:40,160 big deal because that takes away one of the guys you were going to use. 363 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:42,400 It's what, okay, you're right, never mind, I take that 364 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,519 back, go ahead, Yeah, I mean it takes away one of the 365 00:24:45,599 --> 00:24:48,720 options that you were going to use to guard Kyrie Irving and James Harden, 366 00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:52,440 and ultimately you have to guard James Harden and Kyrie Irving. I still just 367 00:24:52,599 --> 00:25:00,240 think that the offensive ceiling, as ridiculous as it is in Brooklyn, it's 368 00:25:00,319 --> 00:25:03,000 not going to click every night, and they just don't have much of a 369 00:25:03,079 --> 00:25:07,599 defense to fall back on, especially with Jeff Green out. Now that's a 370 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,200 huge that's a huge loss too. I don't know how they're going to stop. 371 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:15,319 Be honest, Andrew Holiday, well, especially when Chris Middleton in against 372 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,400 the Celtics, was that you could prolong this series against the Celtics to make 373 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,319 sure that he returns without fourteen days against the Bucks. You don't have to 374 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,000 go too long with that, right, So yeah, I mean, I 375 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,759 don't know. I've been attempting to strike the delicate balance throughout most of this 376 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:36,680 season and the playoffs where I respect the hell out of this next team and 377 00:25:36,839 --> 00:25:41,240 think the upside is remarkably high. They could steamroll their way to an NBA 378 00:25:41,319 --> 00:25:45,680 title. I just also think the floor is lower than people realize, and 379 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,680 I'm not sure that it's that unlikely that they hit that floor in a few 380 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:56,200 games, especially against the Bucks, who are who remain a fantastic team that 381 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,839 is more built for this deeper postseason run than it's been in years past. 382 00:26:00,799 --> 00:26:04,759 And Janna says, yet to go kaboom kaboom. He was fantastic defensively in 383 00:26:04,839 --> 00:26:10,000 the Heat series, but who's defending Jannis on the box. I think Jeff 384 00:26:10,039 --> 00:26:15,160 Green is the guy when he's healthy. Otherwise is Nicholas too? I mean 385 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,960 he will, but is the best guy? It's Green or Claxton, right, 386 00:26:18,279 --> 00:26:22,480 unless I'm yeah, maybe Bruce Brown, but that seems Bruce Friends seems 387 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:27,240 a little tiny for that. The idea of ronde hollis Jefferson, the idea 388 00:26:27,279 --> 00:26:32,720 of ron So, the ghost of rondae hollis Jefferson. And Noah said in 389 00:26:32,759 --> 00:26:36,359 the chat Britton Forbes greater than everybody. That was a sneaky pick up by 390 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,839 the Bucks. That was you know, I still don't understand why they signed 391 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:42,599 DJ Augustine in the first place, but to give themselves like more off the 392 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,799 dribble scoring juice, and that just makes them so much harder to defend when 393 00:26:45,839 --> 00:26:48,799 you have Jannis Roving off the ball and then two guys in Middleton and Drew 394 00:26:48,839 --> 00:26:52,240 Holiday who can score at every level, and Britton Forbes, I would say, 395 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,359 can score it two not gonna be the guy that's gonna get you to 396 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,920 the rim a ton that has been monstrous for them. So it's it's funny. 397 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,839 The Bucks are noticeably shallower than they were last season, and yet there's 398 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,359 so much better for their playoffs right now, and I would pick the Bucks 399 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,799 in that series as well. And it's not I just feel like, even 400 00:27:10,839 --> 00:27:14,440 if they the Nets get Jeff greenback in time and he's playing again in that 401 00:27:14,559 --> 00:27:18,559 series, what are the answers against the Bucks offensively? And the Bucks I 402 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,200 think have at least some defensive answers for Brooklyn. Maybe this is a series 403 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,160 though, if you're looking at the concern of that, does brook Lopez get 404 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,839 played off the court because you could get away, you might still be able 405 00:27:29,839 --> 00:27:32,240 to get away with it, but they were dropping him back. Even when 406 00:27:32,319 --> 00:27:34,839 beam Adebayo was up top against the heat, they were just like, fuck 407 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:38,440 it, we have Chris Middleton, Drew Holiday, Jannie. They could still 408 00:27:38,519 --> 00:27:42,000 take that route. But it's a little bit different when it's Jimmy Butler or 409 00:27:42,039 --> 00:27:47,920 beam Adebayo himself shooting from the perimeter or the other guys the way they were 410 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:52,279 shooting as opposed to a Durant or Harden or Kyrie or Joe Harris, like 411 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:57,319 that combination is so lethal. So there's questions on the Buck side too, 412 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:02,559 But I think there's a chance to be a strong I'd say it better than 413 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:07,359 fifty fifty chance, right now and maybe this looks stupid that we see Buck 414 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,880 sixers in the finals rather than Net sixers, and I think the expectation was 415 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,319 it'd probably be sixers nets, just because Philly has just the easier path to 416 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,920 the conference finals, having to go through none of Brooklyn or Milwaukee, with 417 00:28:19,079 --> 00:28:22,559 a twenty to twenty five percent chance for the Hawks. Of course, fifteen 418 00:28:22,599 --> 00:28:26,440 to twenty we downgraded it. Okay, I didn't know if I convinced you. 419 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,680 I'm sold. I'm all in on Philly. There's still my pick to 420 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,000 come out of the East right now. Milwaukee is very much infringing upon that, 421 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:34,759 though I'm going back and forth there. I do think this could be 422 00:28:34,799 --> 00:28:38,200 a series where we see a lot of the Honest at the five. It 423 00:28:38,319 --> 00:28:41,759 might have to be that, or it's PJ. Tucker and your Honest as 424 00:28:41,799 --> 00:28:44,440 your front court, which the Bucks haven't gone to the Ton. They've liked 425 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:48,920 to have another Big whether it's Portus or brook Lopez with them, but you 426 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,480 almost have to because the Nets are they're not gonna play under Jordan Big Minutes 427 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,200 at all. They don't play yet, they don't play him, and like 428 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:00,519 Blake Griffin at the fives, a non traditional center. Yeah, if anyone 429 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,519 again has you can see the speaker requests because you were made the host of 430 00:29:03,599 --> 00:29:07,240 this. But if anyone has questions, throw it in the chat you can 431 00:29:07,319 --> 00:29:10,240 ask us. Let's get to another one that we have here. You said 432 00:29:10,279 --> 00:29:14,440 you did this point guards and the most rebounds and playoff history Adam, Yeah, 433 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,160 easy enough, one right, This is from Bryson. Which point guard 434 00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:22,240 has the most rebounds in playoff history? If you gave me a list of 435 00:29:22,319 --> 00:29:25,720 five options, what I guess which one it is? I don't know. 436 00:29:25,839 --> 00:29:30,319 Let's do that because I have the top five written down, so I used 437 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,640 Stadead with their position filters. They don't differentiate between point guards and shooting guards, 438 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,920 so I had to kind of manually filter those out, which eliminates the 439 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,440 number two rebounding guard, Clyde Drexler in postseason history. I am going to 440 00:29:42,519 --> 00:29:47,680 include Jerry West as a point guard, even though he was very much one 441 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:52,599 of the classic combo guards. So the top five, and I will give 442 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,599 them to you an alphabetical order and see if you can put them in the 443 00:29:55,680 --> 00:30:03,000 correct order are Dennis Johnson, Jason Kidd, the bed Rajon Rondo, Jerry 444 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:11,119 West, and Russell Westbrook is Russ one. Russ is four seven hundred and 445 00:30:11,119 --> 00:30:14,160 sixty four career rebounds in the playoffs. Who is going to be first? 446 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:22,920 Then it campaign the factor in the longevity stuff. Yeah, I'm already I'm 447 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,440 out hit me. What's the five? Five? As Rondo seven twenty four, 448 00:30:26,519 --> 00:30:30,960 as Westbrook at seven sixty four, Dennis Johnson has seven eighty one, 449 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:34,440 Jerry west has eight twenty six, and Jason Kidd has one thousan fifty eight 450 00:30:34,519 --> 00:30:40,519 postseason rebounds. I understand the longevity argument, but the Jason Kidd is actually 451 00:30:40,519 --> 00:30:42,720 the gam really surprising. I don't know that it was that surprising to me 452 00:30:42,839 --> 00:30:48,759 because he was always on good playoff teams, Like, at no point in 453 00:30:48,839 --> 00:30:52,240 his career was he stuck in the lottery or stuck on these teams that had 454 00:30:52,279 --> 00:30:55,920 consistent first rounds exits, and he was playing in the finals early in his 455 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,400 career. He was playing on the one good Knicks team before this one of 456 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:03,599 the last forty years. Later in his career, he has made a number 457 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:08,400 of deep playoff runs the Mavericks teams, you know, time and again. 458 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:15,000 So I wasn't that surprised. I think I probably would have picked had I 459 00:31:15,119 --> 00:31:18,400 done it. Off the top of my head, Rondo. Yeah, I 460 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,160 just thought he hadn't seen enough playoff games because the Celtics were really good at 461 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,599 the beginning issue of his career. That's an interesting list, I don't I 462 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:32,640 Dennis Johnson is the most surprising name on that list to me until you remember 463 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:36,359 that the Celtics were either in the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA Finals basically 464 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,160 every year of his career in the eighties, and he played on good Sonics 465 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:44,640 teams. All right, whatever, you're just gonna rebuke everything I say everything. 466 00:31:44,759 --> 00:31:49,079 Everyone's name on that list is eminently believable. There you go. This 467 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,599 question comes from my roth bomb. We should have asked it already because we 468 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:56,400 just talked Bucks Nets. But who's the biggest X factor in the upcoming nets 469 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:00,319 Buck series? Man? People just writing off the Celtics before they even play 470 00:32:00,359 --> 00:32:04,519 their game before I don't want to date this podcast, but you can't even 471 00:32:04,559 --> 00:32:07,759 respond to this. I would love to see a world in which that series 472 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:13,000 ends up being tied to too. It'll be absolute pandemonium on social media. 473 00:32:13,559 --> 00:32:17,359 But yes, the biggest X factor in that series, I'm gonna say Brent 474 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:24,920 Forbes. So for the Nets I'm gonna say it's probably I think Nick Claxton 475 00:32:25,119 --> 00:32:30,240 because right now, as well of Jeff Green being out of as of this 476 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,240 moment, they need him to do a lot defensively, would be my guess. 477 00:32:34,839 --> 00:32:37,640 The Bucks being Brent Forbes is interesting. Well, my thinking there is 478 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:43,240 your rotation, there's going to be a little bit shallower without Devincenzo available for 479 00:32:43,319 --> 00:32:50,200 the series. Bud doesn't love going super deep. You need scoring to keep 480 00:32:50,279 --> 00:32:53,400 up with the Nets, and you have to get it with the second unit, 481 00:32:54,119 --> 00:32:59,799 So I think him continuing this heater that he's been on is vital for 482 00:33:00,119 --> 00:33:06,440 them. Yeah, their rotations also so thin at this point. Unless you 483 00:33:06,519 --> 00:33:08,759 want to say it's Bobby Portius, are you gonna pick one? I actually 484 00:33:08,839 --> 00:33:12,400 think that was my second pick. For what it's worth, I think my 485 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,599 pick would be Brook Lopez and can you stay on the court because the Nets 486 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:22,039 are going to play small and you're at in theory at disadvantage for most of 487 00:33:22,079 --> 00:33:25,079 their lineups at the five right now, whether it's Blake, whether it's Claxton, 488 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:29,160 just because he's so quick, he could still probably play Brooke because Claxton 489 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,000 is not gonna do all these crazy things off the dribble on offense. But 490 00:33:31,039 --> 00:33:34,440 if it's Blake Griffin, if it's Jeff Green, if it's Bruce Brown, 491 00:33:34,519 --> 00:33:37,400 where Katie's like kind of the pseudo five rather that lineup looks like just in 492 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:43,720 general though having four. Most of their lineups have four just perimeter players at 493 00:33:43,759 --> 00:33:47,200 all times, and I would say half of them probably have five. When 494 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,680 you're looking at up Blake Griffin Jeff Green situation, so can he stay on 495 00:33:51,759 --> 00:33:54,319 the court and can he hit some of his outside shots maybe? Or can 496 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,240 he be a bruiser in the post because we've seen him kind of revert back 497 00:33:58,279 --> 00:34:00,559 to his roots a little bit. I feel like in the past few months, 498 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:01,720 I'm not going to get a ton of post ups. But he's like 499 00:34:01,799 --> 00:34:05,599 hanging around down low, or he's in the dunker spot or yes there are 500 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:07,920 those those postops, or him trying to back his way down or you know, 501 00:34:08,039 --> 00:34:10,920 dribble the ball in the nets. If they're going to be smaller, 502 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,880 maybe that's the route you go is to try to make them, you know, 503 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:19,079 guard Brook Lopez in those interior situations. You can probably making a case 504 00:34:19,079 --> 00:34:22,039 for PJ. Tucker because if you're mentioning Janis at the five it's because PJ. 505 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:27,199 Tucker, like that's an important He's an important to that scenario. Slight 506 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,639 tangent here, but I feel like brook Lopez has had one of the most 507 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,599 interesting career arcs of anyone in the NBA right now. Just think about what 508 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,599 he was on those New Jersey Nets teams when he was first starting like a 509 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:44,239 twenty point scorer, operating almost entirely out of the post with a bunch of 510 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:49,880 skill moves, never took jumpers, was just an atrocious defensive liability, couldn't 511 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:53,159 rebound for shit. And then he became like a defensive Player of the Year 512 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:58,280 contender and a floor spacer who operates from a foot beyond the three point arc. 513 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:04,639 How many guys have undergone on more dramatic transitions within a career When you 514 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,079 look at his final year on the Nets to the year he spent with the 515 00:35:07,199 --> 00:35:12,920 Lakers to his first season in Milwaukee, they're probably his second and like that 516 00:35:13,199 --> 00:35:16,440 is the wild It's probably that's the wildest five year span because you have to 517 00:35:16,559 --> 00:35:21,599 include last year when he made all defense too. I did not remember that 518 00:35:21,679 --> 00:35:24,760 he played on the Lakers that and look, it was because of the time 519 00:35:25,039 --> 00:35:29,360 that he spent with the Lakers that he ended up signing for the bi annual 520 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:31,760 with Milwaukee. It was a one year, like three million dollars deal, 521 00:35:32,039 --> 00:35:37,280 whatever it is. So yeah, I'm absolutely with you, Josh X. 522 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,519 Are the Nets, Bucks, and Sixers the three best teams in the NBA? 523 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:49,440 I mean no, Like, we definitely cannot leave the Utah Jazz out 524 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:53,079 of that conversation, considering they were the best team throughout the entire regular season 525 00:35:53,199 --> 00:35:59,599 and it was not fluky. Yeah, there's I don't we probably I apologize 526 00:35:59,639 --> 00:36:01,639 for our and Josh if that came off as condescending, there's I think you 527 00:36:01,679 --> 00:36:06,239 can make a stronger argument here for these three teams because the Lakers are still 528 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:10,840 banged up, the Suns with CP three being banged up, I would still 529 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:14,599 say that Jazz are right there. There's still the fact that they let the 530 00:36:14,639 --> 00:36:20,320 Grizzlies hang around so much in Game three is just like, oh okay, 531 00:36:21,679 --> 00:36:23,280 but that, yeah, they're still working. Dono Mitchell back on the phone. 532 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,920 When you look at how many offensive weapons they have, what they're able 533 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:30,599 to do defensively still, because of Rudy Gobert, I think there might be 534 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:34,599 two of the three best teams in the NBA in that group though, is 535 00:36:34,679 --> 00:36:37,480 that I'm good with that. I'm good with that night and Josh, I 536 00:36:37,519 --> 00:36:39,760 will not apologize for our tone on this question. And if you don't like 537 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:44,679 it, you can just yell at me on Messenger at some point, just 538 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,760 yell at him anyway. Please, Someone does enough of that already. Someone 539 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,719 submitted speaker request and yell at Adam. I'm here for anyone yelling. I'm 540 00:36:52,239 --> 00:37:00,360 tired of looking up at Josh in some Fantasy League standings, g Baiano and 541 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,599 I apologize if I pronounced that last name extremely poorly in lieu of the reports 542 00:37:04,599 --> 00:37:07,880 today, What do you think Colin Sexton's trade value? Is one thing I 543 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:13,039 want to touch on here, and this is not Gee's fault. We don't 544 00:37:13,079 --> 00:37:19,079 need to cover thoughts as rumors. And Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Playing deal 545 00:37:19,199 --> 00:37:24,599 Or heard from two executives that they floated the idea of maybe Colin Sexton being 546 00:37:24,639 --> 00:37:28,480 traded. That is not a rumor, it is not a report. It 547 00:37:28,599 --> 00:37:32,119 is two execs, possibly from other teams who want Colin Sexton, throwing it 548 00:37:32,199 --> 00:37:37,360 out there. Now. That being said, the idea of trading Colin Sexton 549 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:43,960 to me is not bonkers. Because he is coming up for his extension and 550 00:37:44,079 --> 00:37:49,599 he's an extremely difficult player to value, and he gets even harder for the 551 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,920 Calves because they're not ready to win right now. And so if you sign, 552 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:58,079 this has nothing to do with Kevin Love. His deal is the light. 553 00:37:58,320 --> 00:37:59,840 He has two years left. There's a light at the end of the 554 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:02,000 time there. If you can't move him this year, there will be some 555 00:38:02,119 --> 00:38:06,719 weird ass buy out next year, or they'll be able to move him something 556 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,719 whatever. Colin Sexton's extension knowledgable this year, big money deal kicks in the 557 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:15,800 following year. Also when Darius Garland's is extension knowledgeable, Jared Allen is getting 558 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:21,039 paid this summer in restricted free agency, you fast forward two more seasons. 559 00:38:21,119 --> 00:38:25,719 Then your core is those three guys plus Isaaca Coro, plus whoever you drafted 560 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:30,000 this year. Maybe Lamar Stevens pans out. You look at the rest of 561 00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:31,559 the roster, the little fires they've taken, but you have those three big 562 00:38:31,599 --> 00:38:37,840 money players. Are they worth I'm gonna say Sexton, Jared Allen, and 563 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:43,920 Darius Garland a combined seventy to seventy I'll say seventy million dollars because let's say, 564 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,000 because that's what you're looking at, and the answer is no, and 565 00:38:47,639 --> 00:38:50,639 they're worth that if that's what they get. I want to make the clear. 566 00:38:50,679 --> 00:38:53,599 I want every single player in the NBA to make how often you clarify 567 00:38:53,679 --> 00:38:57,119 that, just because I think it needs to be There needs to be that 568 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:00,599 level of empathy there. But if you don't think Colin Sexton's gonna get paid 569 00:39:00,639 --> 00:39:06,960 by someone, there were only eleven other players in the league this year who 570 00:39:07,039 --> 00:39:10,119 averaged over twenty points while shooting better than fifty percent on two and thirty seven 571 00:39:10,159 --> 00:39:15,280 percent from three. That actually sounds like an extensive list when you look at 572 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:20,440 the names, it's pretty much a list of all NBA candidates. Jalon Brown, 573 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:24,159 Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Nicole Yokich, 574 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:28,480 Zach Lavine and Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Jason Tatum, and Collin 575 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,840 Anthony Towns. Those are all max contract players. I know Jalen Brown didn't 576 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:36,199 get a max I know zach Lavine's value is probably debatable. If any one 577 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:39,400 of those players hit free agency this summer or next summer, they're getting a 578 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:44,440 max contract. So if I'm Colin Sext. If I'm con Sexton his agent 579 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:47,960 and you're coming in with an extension offered us below max money, I'm probably 580 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,599 turning it down unless we're in the twenty plus million dollar neighborhoods where it's really 581 00:39:52,079 --> 00:39:57,480 making you think about it. And that's why con Sexton could theoretically become available 582 00:39:57,559 --> 00:40:00,760 because he's not a point guard and we need to stop judging him as such. 583 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,079 His vision has gotten better on the move, still gets that tunnel vision 584 00:40:04,159 --> 00:40:07,320 though his defense comes and goes. He really looks the part sometimes on ball 585 00:40:07,559 --> 00:40:10,199 like he I don't think it's and when he looks the part, I don't 586 00:40:10,199 --> 00:40:14,920 mean that he's effective. He just looks like he should be a good defender 587 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:19,199 when he's on the ball. It's fine if you think that he doesn't need 588 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,360 to be that guy, and Darius Garland is. I don't know if that's 589 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:27,960 the backcourt to funnel fifty million dollars into per year fifty plus and that I 590 00:40:28,079 --> 00:40:31,679 think is the reasoning behind would you shop Colin Sexton this year. I'm going 591 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:35,360 to follow it up with this now before I throw it to you. Moving 592 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:40,280 really good players on rookie deals is incredibly difficult. And I think the Hawks 593 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:45,000 ran into this with John Collins this year. You're not getting equal value in 594 00:40:45,199 --> 00:40:51,400 players because these guys make so little. In Colin Sexton's case, next year 595 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,760 he's going to be making six point four million, six point three million, 596 00:40:54,800 --> 00:41:00,440 actually even less than six point four you're not getting a there's no six point 597 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:05,400 four million dollar player that just has Colin Sexon's value. For the most part. 598 00:41:05,639 --> 00:41:08,000 You have to decide from other guys on rookie skille contracts, which you're 599 00:41:08,039 --> 00:41:12,400 not going to get right. And you could attach him to more money, 600 00:41:13,599 --> 00:41:16,280 but like, what is the first Like if you attach him to Kevin Love, 601 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:21,119 getting off of Kevin Love's salary then becomes one of the assets you're getting 602 00:41:21,159 --> 00:41:23,559 back in that deal. And so that's why things here are so tricky. 603 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,800 What would you do if you're Cleveland in this situation, Adam, I would 604 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,039 just keep building. I wholeheartedly agree with everything that you've had to say. 605 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:38,000 I mean, when I saw the quote unquote trade rumors, it was like, 606 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:42,880 okay, sure, Like what are we doing here? This is definitely 607 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:49,079 just another executive from an opposing team trying to drum up some interest and maybe 608 00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:52,519 tempt Cleveland into parting with him, which is never going to happen. Colin 609 00:41:52,599 --> 00:41:57,239 Sexon is the guy, regardless of whether there's like abrasiveness in the locker room 610 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:00,239 or in terms of his on court style and maybe not getting the all to 611 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,840 enough other players like Okay, he's a young guard on a bad team, 612 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:12,079 Like that's kind of what happens and play. Yeah, Solon Sexton is the 613 00:42:12,159 --> 00:42:15,239 kind of player that you want to acquire if you're a rebuilding team, and 614 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:19,519 the Calves are rebuilding teams, so like, there is no fire associated with 615 00:42:19,599 --> 00:42:22,880 this smoke. I as a quick side note, though, I also want 616 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:27,199 to say that one of my favorite things about the locker room recordings is when 617 00:42:27,519 --> 00:42:31,199 somebody pops into the room and request to speak while having like no idea what 618 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:36,559 the conversation is, and like I'm not going to interrupt it to let somebody 619 00:42:36,639 --> 00:42:38,559 speak when they don't know what's going on, and then immediately leaves the room. 620 00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:42,239 I just I get a huge kick out of it every time it happens. 621 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:45,519 Shout out, are you talking about we had a couple of them? 622 00:42:45,639 --> 00:42:49,199 Yeah, we had a couple of them while you were talking about Cotton Sexton. 623 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,800 And we appreciate everyone who is in the room and listening, and we 624 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:54,880 do try to get to questions that are dropped in the chat or if you've 625 00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:58,800 been here listening and want to speak, like please feel free and it just 626 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,159 it's funny to me when there's a speaker request, like as somebody populates the 627 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:05,840 room. We had to speaker requests. As soon as I created it, 628 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:07,639 I was like, I we haven't even like started, Yeah, what don't 629 00:43:07,639 --> 00:43:09,719 you don't even know what's happened. It don't say asks anything, though, 630 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:15,159 so there doesn't need to be a topic per se the on the Collin Sexton 631 00:43:15,199 --> 00:43:17,639 really quickly, though, I understand what you're saying. I would I would 632 00:43:17,719 --> 00:43:21,880 keep him too, But what are you you know, if you're an extension 633 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:27,840 talks, what are you giving him? M I mean, I think you're 634 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:31,159 still looking at something close to a max deal. Like, let's not be 635 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:37,159 sign if it's funny, if it's otherwise, you wait, sure, but 636 00:43:37,559 --> 00:43:42,079 let's not forget how ridiculously good he was at the start of this season. 637 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:45,840 And let's also not forget that he was also good for most of last year. 638 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:51,199 So this scoring and efficiency is not new for him. It's not an 639 00:43:51,239 --> 00:43:53,320 anomaly. If you want to wait and see what his market is. That's 640 00:43:53,360 --> 00:44:00,199 a team is right as when I'm evaluating a young player going forward, I'm 641 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:04,679 often if they're on a really bad team like the Cavaliers, I'm often more 642 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,360 interested in what they do at the start of the season anyway, because that's 643 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:14,880 when everyone is more fresh, and I'm I see them wearing down. You 644 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:17,880 know, it's obvious to me that the offensive load sex and was asked to 645 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:22,320 carry on a bad team that's losing night after night following the hot streak at 646 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:25,880 the start of the year. That is a really tough load for any young 647 00:44:27,079 --> 00:44:30,920 offensive oriented player to carry. And it doesn't surprise me when they decline a 648 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:32,840 little bit, you know. There. You can obviously learn stuff throughout the 649 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:38,440 year, but in that specific scenario, I am more willing to buy into 650 00:44:38,519 --> 00:44:42,840 the peak that we saw, even if it came earlier in the year. 651 00:44:44,559 --> 00:44:45,639 That's an interesting way to look at it. I ever thought of it that 652 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:52,039 way. Maybe that's why we've disagreed on player rankings in the past. Yeah, 653 00:44:52,199 --> 00:44:55,639 that's a good point. A few more questions here. This one came 654 00:44:55,679 --> 00:45:00,760 in recently from Virgil. Why is Julius Randall so bad? So? Stepping 655 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:02,679 on tells what we already talked about. I want to change the topic here 656 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:06,840 because Virgil at the top of the podcast you talking about why Randall's struggling right 657 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:12,119 now, and there's clearly some like the yips in here because he couldn't finish 658 00:45:12,159 --> 00:45:16,480 at the rim and his free throw shooting was not great. What would you 659 00:45:16,559 --> 00:45:22,400 give him in an extension per year? This is and to get Yeah, 660 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:24,800 well, if you're the Knicks, ideally to make you after seeing what's happened 661 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:28,760 in the playoffs thus far, and let's let's say you get bounced in five, 662 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:32,920 well, I still think you're looking at like twenty twenty two. Yeah, 663 00:45:34,039 --> 00:45:36,519 he's in his head. I think it's pretty obvious that he's in his 664 00:45:36,559 --> 00:45:40,239 head right now. Like he's forcing the issue with his passes. His decisions 665 00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:45,599 aren't as split second as they became during the regular season. He's forcing up 666 00:45:45,679 --> 00:45:52,199 shots that even as high of a degree of difficulty as he thrived with during 667 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:54,400 the regular season. Like they're getting harder still, and it's not just a 668 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:59,239 byproduct of the Hawks playing good defense against him. Like to me, he's 669 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:05,119 very much in his head. And that's not all that uncommon when you're in 670 00:46:05,159 --> 00:46:08,400 your first playoff run, and I think is the overarching point that we already 671 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:14,440 mentioned. This is probably more so a harbinger of what's wrong with the Knicks 672 00:46:14,559 --> 00:46:19,239 roster construction than necessarily Julius Randall. There's a cap on how good you can 673 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:22,480 be when Julius Randall is the vessel through which you create all of your offense, 674 00:46:22,519 --> 00:46:25,519 because you need him to be the passer and the primary score. And 675 00:46:25,639 --> 00:46:32,519 that shouldn't be surprising. As we get another speaker request and bounce, Joe 676 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:38,719 Schmow asked non playoff question, real name, by the way, what real 677 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:43,719 name? What should the Spurs do with Tamar? Sign and trade, resign 678 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,679 or let him walk for nothing? I think there's another question they need to 679 00:46:46,719 --> 00:46:52,400 ask first, what is Greg Popovitch doing? Do you think he's back next 680 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:57,239 year? I never want to speculate about that because I have no way of 681 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:00,880 knowing. And Craig Popovich is one of those people who has earned the right 682 00:47:00,039 --> 00:47:05,719 to decide when he retires. So I'm going to do the full respect whatever 683 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,039 decision he makes. It's when he leaves. It's going to be very tim 684 00:47:08,079 --> 00:47:12,039 Duncan. The announcement just comes. No one realizes is coming, like you 685 00:47:12,119 --> 00:47:15,280 know the futures under deliberation, but he just walks it's going to be something 686 00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:20,440 like the announcement is the next head coach, right, like Becky Hammond takes 687 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:23,760 over as San Antonio Spurs head coach, like not even a mention of Popovitch 688 00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:30,039 the he's earned the right to coach as long as he wants. I will 689 00:47:30,119 --> 00:47:32,039 say, though, as long as the Spurs remain in this limbo, it 690 00:47:32,199 --> 00:47:37,320 does put their trajectory at a disadvantage, unless coach Pop says, I don't 691 00:47:37,360 --> 00:47:42,800 need to be coaching a team that's competing necessarily during my final years because they're 692 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:47,199 at a crossroads. It's as Joe schlow real name, of course mentions Damar, 693 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:52,599 but there's also Rudy Gay, there's Patty Mills and what are you doing 694 00:47:52,679 --> 00:47:53,880 from here? Are you resigning? How many of those guys? You have 695 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:59,400 another lottery picking coming? Devin Vassell, Dejanta Murray is fine, He's already 696 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:01,639 on a second d He's fairly young. Derek White when he's healthy. His 697 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:06,159 second deal kicks in the Spurs with this very weird point where they have a 698 00:48:06,199 --> 00:48:09,440 lot of quality younger guys and everyone who's listened to us before knows how I 699 00:48:09,519 --> 00:48:13,559 love me some Devon decide, I think he's going to be spectacular. Do 700 00:48:13,719 --> 00:48:16,480 they have the blue chip guy? I think jan Dy Murray is the closest. 701 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:22,199 I don't think they do, which is why I want them to embrace 702 00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:24,000 being bad. So I think my answer to the original question would be like, 703 00:48:24,159 --> 00:48:28,280 just move on if you can. If you can broke her, assign 704 00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:31,760 and trade awesome. If you can't, don't back yourself into a corner by 705 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:35,800 trying to resign. And that's nothing against Demarta Rosen, who I think I've 706 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:40,000 enjoyed watching this version of Derosen more than any other version, even if the 707 00:48:40,079 --> 00:48:45,599 Spurs haven't been as competitive as some of his previous teams, because he's playing 708 00:48:45,039 --> 00:48:50,840 like peak Demarta Rosen basketball. He's developed as a passer, He's no longer 709 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:52,719 trying to force those three point shots that aren't part of his game as much 710 00:48:52,719 --> 00:48:57,960 as the analytically driven minds want him to take those. It's been fun to 711 00:48:58,039 --> 00:49:00,119 watch because he's playing with that like full of joy again, even if it 712 00:49:00,159 --> 00:49:05,880 isn't translating into winning, and I just I want him to end up in 713 00:49:06,199 --> 00:49:08,519 another good situation. So like, personally, I would love to see him 714 00:49:08,559 --> 00:49:13,880 back. But if I'm speaking on behalf of the franchise, I think you 715 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:17,159 have to at some point embrace fully turning it over to the young guys. 716 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:22,679 What's interesting here is you get into a John Collins Kevin Love type situation where 717 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:29,280 Jamard Rosen is extremely good. Where's the team that's gonna pay him? If 718 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:31,280 it's not San Antonio And I don't know. People have talked about Toronto. 719 00:49:32,519 --> 00:49:37,000 I don't know if that really makes sense for them. I guess it theoretically 720 00:49:37,079 --> 00:49:40,119 could. I think in theoretically he makes sense the Lakers, but they just 721 00:49:40,199 --> 00:49:44,280 don't have the cap space to do that. They could use someone exactly like 722 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:46,679 him though, to lead those no Lebron minutes. He'd be perfect there. 723 00:49:47,679 --> 00:49:51,039 But you're looking at other teams. I don't you know. Do the Knicks 724 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,480 enter this equation because they have cap space and they need someone you know he'll 725 00:49:53,480 --> 00:49:57,039 get He gets to play with a three point shooting version of himself and RJ. 726 00:49:57,199 --> 00:50:04,199 Barrett. Essentially it could be interesting Miami. Yeah, just more of 727 00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:07,679 them go to score mold but just between him, Jimmy Butler and Bam All 728 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:14,760 not shooting Threese like that gets tight. Muck it up on a nightly basis 729 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:16,679 if you had to, if you had to predict, though, Is he 730 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:22,159 in San Antonio next season? I have no feel for this one. I'm 731 00:50:22,159 --> 00:50:25,639 gonna say no, probably because I think I'm gonna lean towards yes, because 732 00:50:25,639 --> 00:50:29,719 I do think Pop is going to be back for another year, and I 733 00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:32,480 don't think that while he's there that they'll embrace the full scared, the full 734 00:50:32,519 --> 00:50:38,320 scale teardown. But pure speculation. I just don't think they could get him, 735 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:43,039 and it would be franchise maile practice to sign him to like a three 736 00:50:43,119 --> 00:50:45,079 or four year deal. I don't know if they could get him on a 737 00:50:45,079 --> 00:50:46,719 one plus one unless you're paying him to max, which maybe that's the option, 738 00:50:47,159 --> 00:50:52,519 is, here's max money. Just stay a little while longer. Dallas 739 00:50:52,599 --> 00:50:54,719 would be interesting for him, just to give Luca Nanchos that second shot. 740 00:50:54,760 --> 00:51:00,639 Creator. I could see that you disgusted. Actually, I know you said 741 00:51:00,639 --> 00:51:04,440 you could just think I was just thinking about it because I didn't like the 742 00:51:04,519 --> 00:51:08,119 initial My initial thought was that I don't really love the fit, probably for 743 00:51:08,199 --> 00:51:13,280 the shooting reasons again, because I think you ultimately want to surround Luca with 744 00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:16,119 shooters at every position, because so much of his game is based on those 745 00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:22,880 drives. So I my initial reaction was negative, but I think it can 746 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:27,360 still work Rudy Gay and Patty Mills or either of those two back in San 747 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:30,840 Antonio. No, definitely not. I'll be interesting where Patty Mills goes. 748 00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:37,719 One of these guys, He's going to fit anywhere. Rudy Gay fits anywhere 749 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:40,079 too, at this stage of his career. Well, yeah, anyone wants 750 00:51:40,079 --> 00:51:45,760 a bad basketball player. Carson asked if you put Lillard on the Pacers, 751 00:51:45,800 --> 00:51:50,559 would they be title contenders? Someone followed up in the mentions to cej go 752 00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:53,960 with him and who did the Blazers get in return? Carson clarified by saying, 753 00:51:54,480 --> 00:51:59,360 not a trade hypothetical, just literally add Dame to the Blazers, to 754 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:02,559 the Pacers current roster. My reasoning is, I think the Pacers are a 755 00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:06,760 group of group of role players without a true star. I think Dame a 756 00:52:06,840 --> 00:52:09,719 star, is a star without solid role players. I disagree with the ladder 757 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:15,239 point a great deal. I think that Robert Covington use of Nerkis is probably 758 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:20,599 a little bit better than a role player, even mellow solid role player. 759 00:52:20,679 --> 00:52:24,719 Right now, what my issue with this exercise? If you put Damian Millard 760 00:52:24,760 --> 00:52:28,440 on the Pacers, who are deep at every position, at full strength of 761 00:52:29,079 --> 00:52:34,960 good NBA players. Yes, they're a contender. How is he putting exactly 762 00:52:35,360 --> 00:52:37,639 right? So there need to be a trade of some sort, and so 763 00:52:37,639 --> 00:52:43,639 are well not if the Blazers buy out Lillard? No, look at if 764 00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:46,800 let's take let's say it costs. I don't even know what it would cost 765 00:52:46,840 --> 00:52:51,519 because the Bonus and Turner don't make sense for the Blazers, and we can't 766 00:52:51,559 --> 00:52:54,760 take away any key pieces are also invalidated to the question, Well, no, 767 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:59,639 let's take away key pieces. Let's take away Let's say it was an 768 00:52:59,679 --> 00:53:02,079 eighty team, an eighty team trade whatever, however many teams it takes. 769 00:53:02,119 --> 00:53:07,360 To do this, you have to remove two of Turner. Let's remove their 770 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:12,800 two best players and put Damian little bit on the Pacers. So SA bonus 771 00:53:13,559 --> 00:53:20,559 and Brogden. I think Turner is still better then Brogden. Did you have 772 00:53:20,639 --> 00:53:23,000 an audibo before this podcast? I did not? All right? Well, 773 00:53:23,559 --> 00:53:25,760 all right, so you want to take aways a bonus and Turner they have 774 00:53:25,880 --> 00:53:30,719 no center at this point, But can we take away SA bonus in someone 775 00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:34,719 else then s a bonus? And that wasn't what you originally asked. The 776 00:53:34,880 --> 00:53:39,000 prisoners of this question are changing too fast for me to comprehend. All right, 777 00:53:39,119 --> 00:53:42,440 So if he takes a bonus and turner off this team and put Dame, 778 00:53:42,559 --> 00:53:46,199 are they a contender? Is Dame playing the five? Apparently because you 779 00:53:46,320 --> 00:53:50,280 just ripped the Blazers of all their bigs. No, let's let's take away 780 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:53,079 sabonus in Brogden, just because that makes more sense from a roster construction standpoint. 781 00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:55,840 I don't think either of those guys would be headed to Portland in this 782 00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:59,960 Dame trade. By the way, I'm just I'm using it as you can't 783 00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:04,800 just put Dame we on the Pacers. That's just not that. Yeah, 784 00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:07,599 I refused, all right, So what are we What are we looking at 785 00:54:07,599 --> 00:54:10,000 there? Then? So we're looking at Warren, Well, we're looking at 786 00:54:10,079 --> 00:54:15,119 at Point Guard. We have Damon McConnell and Aaron Holliday. We have Lavert, 787 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:20,480 Jeremy Lamb, TJ. Warren, Justin Holliday, Sabonis, McDermott and 788 00:54:20,960 --> 00:54:23,519 or no, we took away Sabonis, so McDermott and Miles Turner. I 789 00:54:23,519 --> 00:54:29,920 don't think that's a contender is better than gram. I don't think it's an 790 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:32,960 upgrade from from the Blazers because I think the thing is their second best player 791 00:54:35,079 --> 00:54:37,159 could be one of three players. I think you default to Turner, but 792 00:54:37,239 --> 00:54:39,639 it could be Lavert, it could be a healthy Warren. Well see he 793 00:54:39,679 --> 00:54:43,599 looks like after injury. I don't know that either of those guys are even 794 00:54:43,679 --> 00:54:49,719 close to on the same level as CG. McCollum, who is dude as 795 00:54:49,760 --> 00:54:54,239 a bucket, smooth as butter in a bucket. So yes, if you 796 00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:58,400 put Damian Lillard on the current version, if it was Damian Lillard for Aaron 797 00:54:58,480 --> 00:55:01,679 Holliday the Pacers or maybe one of the three best teams in the Eastern Conference, 798 00:55:01,679 --> 00:55:05,559 if not better than that, if you still a question for you, 799 00:55:06,079 --> 00:55:10,000 Okay, if you put Luca don Chich on the Los Angeles Lakers, just 800 00:55:10,119 --> 00:55:14,599 without a trade, would they be contenders? I feel like you're I feel 801 00:55:14,639 --> 00:55:17,599 like you're being too mean about the nature of the question. I have your 802 00:55:17,639 --> 00:55:22,920 back here, Carson. I'm all for putting game on the Pacers. I'm 803 00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:27,679 just having fun, Carson. We have a we have a speaker request from 804 00:55:27,719 --> 00:55:31,360 Noah and we are We're going to Noah after all these a long time lurker 805 00:55:31,599 --> 00:55:36,159 first time speaker here, how's it going? Nooah, it's going good, 806 00:55:36,239 --> 00:55:40,360 guys. How you guys we're doing well? I am doing I'm shambles actually 807 00:55:42,039 --> 00:55:45,960 and shambles as well. Don't worry, it's it's been an emotional is my 808 00:55:45,119 --> 00:55:49,840 honorary Nick's fandom being revoked here? Is that the purpose of this speaker request 809 00:55:50,199 --> 00:55:53,920 your humanity card is being reverbable because you're joining this too much. But I 810 00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:57,880 mean, since you guys were talking about Damon the Blazers, I had a 811 00:55:57,960 --> 00:56:02,320 question earlier, but do you guys that Portland Denver getting Portland in the first 812 00:56:02,400 --> 00:56:06,679 round? Do you think that was the worst possible matchup for them, especially 813 00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:12,000 given all those injuries, especially at the point guard spot, Murray and Morris 814 00:56:12,119 --> 00:56:16,000 not being available among the teams they could have played, I think so. 815 00:56:16,440 --> 00:56:21,039 Like obviously, like the Suns or the Jazz would have been a worst matchup 816 00:56:21,079 --> 00:56:23,679 just by virtue of them being so good. But that was not a favorable 817 00:56:23,719 --> 00:56:30,840 matchup, especially given how scorching hot Portland was heading into the playoffs. Yeah, 818 00:56:30,920 --> 00:56:34,880 and I would have rather played the headcase Clippers if I was Denver would 819 00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:37,920 have worked out better for them, And in all honesty, it feels like 820 00:56:37,519 --> 00:56:42,039 we're seeing first off use of Nurkics just playing well, very well, And 821 00:56:42,199 --> 00:56:46,719 like Norman Powell last night's performance, he was extremely efficient. Damon Lillard doesn't 822 00:56:46,719 --> 00:56:50,239 even have to be the best player on the floor. I don't even think 823 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:53,719 Damon Lillard had fifteen points last night for the Blazers to win. But do 824 00:56:53,800 --> 00:56:59,800 you guys see the Nuggets getting past the first round even if things stay like 825 00:57:00,239 --> 00:57:04,840 maybe everything normalizes and Nicole Yoki starts passing the ball more. But you guys 826 00:57:04,920 --> 00:57:10,800 see Denver pulling this through Denver and seven baby sticking by my pick, you're 827 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:14,880 sticking with it, I'm gonna flip. I'm gonna I'm gonna go with Portland 828 00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:17,639 here because if I've had my honorary Knicks fandom Carter evoked, I might as 829 00:57:17,639 --> 00:57:22,000 well take away the honorary Denver one as well. If you told me that 830 00:57:22,840 --> 00:57:24,800 the Dame was going to score ten points on one of ten shooting and the 831 00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:29,639 Blazers were going to win by twenty points, I don't know that I would 832 00:57:29,679 --> 00:57:32,880 ever have believed that. And this this Portland team with Powell playing so well 833 00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:37,800 and Nurkics filling his role and wanting to prove Kendrick Perkins wrong about his defense. 834 00:57:38,280 --> 00:57:43,280 Like, this is a really good team and Denver has I think it's 835 00:57:43,400 --> 00:57:45,719 it's similar to like what we saw from the Golden State Warriors in the play 836 00:57:45,760 --> 00:57:51,039 in game, where so much energy was expended to maintain this level coming into 837 00:57:51,079 --> 00:57:54,039 the playoffs. That with the shallow nature of the rotation because of all the 838 00:57:54,159 --> 00:58:00,320 injuries, it's just really hard to maintain that level. Now. Yeah, 839 00:58:00,320 --> 00:58:04,920 I agree, especially because I feel like Michael Porter Jr. Isn't really playing. 840 00:58:05,159 --> 00:58:07,840 I mean, he's been playing really well throughout the entire season, but 841 00:58:07,119 --> 00:58:10,559 like this is the big stage now and it's certainly not the bubble and we've 842 00:58:10,599 --> 00:58:15,519 seen every every young player has gotten their bubble superpowers we vote in the playoffs, 843 00:58:17,239 --> 00:58:21,599 yes, especially Tyler Harrow. So I don't know. I feel like 844 00:58:22,159 --> 00:58:24,679 I picked Portland's and win this series. But I did not expect their offense 845 00:58:24,760 --> 00:58:30,360 to be firing at all on all, not even all cylinders, because obviously 846 00:58:30,719 --> 00:58:32,880 Damian Lillard hasn't been as efficient, but c J. Mccollin has been good. 847 00:58:34,159 --> 00:58:37,599 The bench has been way better than expected. But yeah, I continue 848 00:58:37,639 --> 00:58:43,719 to pick Portland in like six games, I think, so there's win three 849 00:58:43,760 --> 00:58:47,960 in a row because I think so I knew they already stole the game in 850 00:58:49,079 --> 00:58:52,559 Denver, and I don't. I'm surprised that they lost at home, but 851 00:58:52,639 --> 00:58:57,280 they are really good at home, and I don't know if Denver can like 852 00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:00,800 make the correct adjustments, especially if for Milcom Pozzle is your second best player 853 00:59:01,199 --> 00:59:06,639 right now in the series. That's not wrong, that's not really the best 854 00:59:06,679 --> 00:59:09,599 thing, you know. I think as a Knicks fan, you should be 855 00:59:09,679 --> 00:59:15,239 rooting for the Blazers to lose so that Damian Lillard wants out. You know, 856 00:59:15,400 --> 00:59:20,239 I support this is my second team. Well, I do not endorse 857 00:59:20,320 --> 00:59:22,320 this right now. Well, look, you could play levels here where it's 858 00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:28,199 okay you want the Blazers to win so that they're coaxed into paying Norman Powell 859 00:59:28,280 --> 00:59:31,360 all this money only to be even more stuck than they already were, and 860 00:59:31,480 --> 00:59:36,079 then Dave wants out, not this summer but the next one. I see 861 00:59:36,119 --> 00:59:37,199 where you're going with this. Noah, I like it. I definitely, 862 00:59:37,480 --> 00:59:40,480 that's clearly what's that's the angle you're playing, And I'm with you, Blazers 863 00:59:40,559 --> 00:59:46,440 and six Let's go baby. Yes. Co hosting with Dan's exhausting sometimes. 864 00:59:49,440 --> 00:59:52,679 Thank you for speaking Noah, that was great. If anyone else we have 865 00:59:52,840 --> 00:59:54,840 one question left is our actual matback? I think maybe two. I have 866 00:59:54,920 --> 00:59:58,760 to scroll through this, but if anyone else wants to speak you now would 867 00:59:58,760 --> 01:00:00,400 be the time to do it. Adam monitoring it was like a hawk. 868 01:00:01,159 --> 01:00:06,320 This one is not Joe Timesmo asked, what was that? I see what 869 01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:10,360 you did there? Yeah? Not Joe Timesmo asked if Jordan is better than 870 01:00:10,480 --> 01:00:14,719 Oh? I didn't realize this is a troll question. If Jordan is better 871 01:00:14,840 --> 01:00:16,920 than Lebron because of the rings, then, as Robert worry the goat, 872 01:00:17,400 --> 01:00:22,239 no Bill Russell is so she wouldn't move on. That was a great answer. 873 01:00:22,039 --> 01:00:28,159 I answer, I do have a question, and there's a I think 874 01:00:28,199 --> 01:00:31,320 it's gonna become pretty relevant. Let's talk about as if it's happening, What 875 01:00:31,760 --> 01:00:37,920 in the actual hell are the Lakers gonna do? If Anthony Davis is just 876 01:00:37,119 --> 01:00:43,199 a no go moving forward? He left the first he didn't start the second 877 01:00:43,239 --> 01:00:45,679 half of Lakers Sons, and the Lakers are currently getting blown out as we 878 01:00:45,760 --> 01:00:49,320 record this. And I say blown out because it's double digits, and that 879 01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:52,239 just feels like when you're on of Anthony Davis, that feels a little insurmountable. 880 01:00:52,039 --> 01:00:58,280 Ken the very poorly by the time this is public tomorrow looks as the 881 01:00:58,360 --> 01:01:05,079 official national media member driving the Suns and seven bandwagon. I'm gonna just assume 882 01:01:05,079 --> 01:01:07,280 they win this game. They're up by thirteen. Now it's over, it's 883 01:01:07,320 --> 01:01:12,599 done. Can the Lakers beat the Suns two times in three tries if Anthony 884 01:01:12,679 --> 01:01:16,880 Davis is a no go? No? I mean, your your original question 885 01:01:17,159 --> 01:01:22,079 was what happens to the Lakers if Anthony Davis is a no go? And 886 01:01:22,440 --> 01:01:27,039 the answer is very simple, they lose. Come on, you don't think 887 01:01:27,159 --> 01:01:32,599 Lebron could win two of three? No? I uh. Doubting Lebron James 888 01:01:34,480 --> 01:01:39,880 is like career malpractice, especially in the playoffs. But have you watched Lebron 889 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:44,960 James in these playoffs and gotten the same feeling that you have in previous ones. 890 01:01:46,039 --> 01:01:52,079 This feels like it's the beginning of the post prime Okay, I hate 891 01:01:52,159 --> 01:01:55,920 that. No, it does it does. Okay, we've we've consistently, 892 01:01:57,079 --> 01:02:00,960 we've consistently for the last few years, seeing that he is able to elevate 893 01:02:01,039 --> 01:02:06,960 his games so significantly in the playoffs that it doesn't matter who the MVP was 894 01:02:07,079 --> 01:02:08,920 that season. We come out of the playoffs being like, is Lebron still 895 01:02:08,960 --> 01:02:13,599 the best player in the league. There's no way that you could have watched 896 01:02:13,679 --> 01:02:17,719 the play in tournament and this first round and gotten that same feeling. Okay, 897 01:02:19,000 --> 01:02:22,400 look a couple of things here. With the exception of Game three, 898 01:02:22,559 --> 01:02:25,119 when it looked like it didn't look like he was just attacking the basket more, 899 01:02:25,880 --> 01:02:32,920 I agree with you. However, he had no hit two games before 900 01:02:34,400 --> 01:02:38,280 we shifted into play in postseason mode to get to play through or to recover 901 01:02:38,400 --> 01:02:43,960 from that ankle injury. Where fresh no, get out of here. Come 902 01:02:44,039 --> 01:02:49,639 on, he is This dude is thirty six years old, and I think, 903 01:02:50,039 --> 01:02:52,559 oh, the facility's playing like this at thirty six is an achievement in 904 01:02:52,679 --> 01:02:57,880 and of itself. Right, But look you're sitting here, you're saying, 905 01:02:58,280 --> 01:03:02,000 okay, Ron, Josh Smith. Yeah, for let's talk about low efficiency 906 01:03:02,079 --> 01:03:05,920 taste right now. Jesus fucking Christ, I'm like, my head is spinning. 907 01:03:06,400 --> 01:03:08,960 The dude is averaging, not including game four right now, twenty one 908 01:03:09,039 --> 01:03:14,239 points, nine assists, two steals, shooting thirty eight point one percent from 909 01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:17,880 three, over fifty percent on his two pointers. I understand if you think 910 01:03:17,960 --> 01:03:22,000 if the Lakers did have Anthony Davis. I think because of Lebron's ankle injury 911 01:03:22,039 --> 01:03:24,039 and not having that ramp up time. I get it, I said, 912 01:03:24,800 --> 01:03:29,800 Lebron James s prime NBA player. You just all of a sudden said that 913 01:03:29,920 --> 01:03:34,599 Lebron is on the decline. I'm not. Yeah, it might eventually come. 914 01:03:34,639 --> 01:03:39,360 But you're gonna use three games three as evidence of this when we've previously 915 01:03:39,599 --> 01:03:45,800 used those small samples where he elevates his performance and wills his team to victories 916 01:03:45,840 --> 01:03:51,679 in the playoffs. Yeah, I'm going to three games three? What is 917 01:03:51,719 --> 01:03:57,960 the evidence that he is on the permanent, sustainable, irreversible decline. Taco 918 01:03:58,039 --> 01:04:00,599 J has said we have a debate and Celtics and seven. I look, 919 01:04:00,639 --> 01:04:06,000 if if Celtics beat the Nets in seven games, I might die from Jack. 920 01:04:06,239 --> 01:04:12,440 So look, I mean, Noah is saying too that Jay Crowder isn't 921 01:04:12,440 --> 01:04:15,400 even playing that well defensively. I'm not sure Michael Bridges has been playing that 922 01:04:15,480 --> 01:04:19,639 well defensively. And we just haven't seen that takeover Lebron that we've seen in 923 01:04:19,679 --> 01:04:24,840 previous postseasons. Again, like he's playing at an all NBA level. He's 924 01:04:25,159 --> 01:04:29,920 a phenomenal player still, But I don't think that you can watch like what 925 01:04:30,079 --> 01:04:34,119 happened during the regular season, the increasing deference to Anthony Davis, the increasing 926 01:04:34,519 --> 01:04:41,079 reliance on the supporting cast, and now this and not think that he's headed 927 01:04:41,119 --> 01:04:45,719 down, even if it's a marginal decline. But like, this is the 928 01:04:45,840 --> 01:04:50,599 first time in forever where I've watched Lebron and not felt like the conversation coming 929 01:04:50,599 --> 01:04:54,599 out of the playoffs, regardless of how far they go, is going to 930 01:04:54,679 --> 01:04:57,559 be that he's the best player in the league. If they win this title. 931 01:04:57,920 --> 01:05:00,559 The conversation is going to be if Anthony Davis is the best player in 932 01:05:00,559 --> 01:05:03,679 the league. Look, oh man, okay, how many games? How 933 01:05:03,719 --> 01:05:06,960 many games has Lebron played since he suffered his ankle injury in total? How 934 01:05:08,000 --> 01:05:13,320 many games? This would be his fifth game or his seventh game, right 935 01:05:13,760 --> 01:05:16,559 including the brief return. And I do agree with what Taco J just said 936 01:05:16,599 --> 01:05:18,800 in the chat, which is that he's playing well on a bad ankle. 937 01:05:18,840 --> 01:05:21,679 It's hard to elevate your game with an injury that affects your athleticism, no 938 01:05:21,800 --> 01:05:27,480 doubt. No, yeah, so his career is over. People, you're 939 01:05:27,559 --> 01:05:30,079 trying to warp my argument here. No, I'm not trying to put You're 940 01:05:30,079 --> 01:05:32,880 also saying like he's had a co star who's not a co star. And 941 01:05:32,920 --> 01:05:36,360 I think no one brings up a great point about his supporting cast. I 942 01:05:36,440 --> 01:05:41,280 think that was Noah yeah or no yeah, this is this isn't the oh 943 01:05:41,440 --> 01:05:44,119 is his supporting cast. Anthony isn't the best of his career. I agree 944 01:05:44,159 --> 01:05:46,679 with that you need, I want to you need two stars at least in 945 01:05:46,760 --> 01:05:49,760 this league to win a championship. So I'm not if he can't leave this 946 01:05:49,920 --> 01:05:56,360 Lakers team as the seven cy to a championship. All Ad isn't playing consistently 947 01:05:56,400 --> 01:05:59,440 up to hissibility because we saw him in the second half of was that Game 948 01:05:59,480 --> 01:06:03,440 two where he was pretty dominant. That's that's evidence of nothing you want to 949 01:06:03,639 --> 01:06:09,079 you need to find, but that this is talking about the results. I'm 950 01:06:09,119 --> 01:06:12,760 talking about watching him play, Like, do you definitely feeling of inevitability right 951 01:06:12,800 --> 01:06:17,119 now? No? After seven games you just said doubting Lebron is career malpractice, 952 01:06:17,480 --> 01:06:21,079 And you're gonna say seven games is enough to show you that, Yeah, 953 01:06:21,719 --> 01:06:25,800 anymore? Fair enough? But and look, first of all, two 954 01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:28,800 of those games towards the end of the regular season, he was just monstrous 955 01:06:28,880 --> 01:06:35,840 in sub thirty minutes. So I totally, completely, holly reject the notion. 956 01:06:36,039 --> 01:06:40,360 Okay, okay, let me reframe this. So for those who are 957 01:06:40,400 --> 01:06:44,840 listening and aren't familiar at NBA math, we always do the Crystal Basketball rankings 958 01:06:44,960 --> 01:06:48,679 both going into a season that's more predictive and then coming out of a season 959 01:06:48,760 --> 01:06:54,039 that's more retroactive. So, Dan, when you fill out your Crystal Basketball 960 01:06:54,079 --> 01:06:59,639 ballot for the twenty twenty twenty two season, where is Lebron gonna fall? 961 01:07:02,280 --> 01:07:06,320 I mean he's gonna fall on the top five? You're you're displacing Lebron from 962 01:07:06,320 --> 01:07:10,760 the top five. No what you're telling me? Then what's the problem that's 963 01:07:10,800 --> 01:07:15,559 not post? Are you going to consider putting him at number one? I 964 01:07:15,679 --> 01:07:19,360 might, I have the playoffs finished yet. I'm also not going to read 965 01:07:19,400 --> 01:07:24,119 too much into a seven game sample size when this dude has been superhuman for 966 01:07:24,159 --> 01:07:29,920 the past almost two decades. All Right, we'll see as it continues to 967 01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:31,559 progress, but we have to get out of here. So this is how 968 01:07:31,599 --> 01:07:34,159 I would like you to frame it. I'm gonna try and not be as 969 01:07:34,280 --> 01:07:40,159 angry right now, but if you want to tell me that you think age 970 01:07:40,239 --> 01:07:44,360 is finally going to catch up with Lebron. That is perfectly fine. I 971 01:07:44,400 --> 01:07:47,920 will accept it. You are basing it off of no evidence whatsoever that Lebron 972 01:07:48,079 --> 01:07:53,079 has given you. Is that would be my stance here. If you're using 973 01:07:53,159 --> 01:07:58,159 seven games to say that this doesn't feel this feels like the end of Lebron's 974 01:07:58,199 --> 01:08:01,400 prime or whatever. I I don't want to use the word respect because I 975 01:08:01,400 --> 01:08:04,199 do actually respect you as much as I want to strangle you right now. 976 01:08:05,280 --> 01:08:10,559 I would accept the other argument more than the one that you seem to be 977 01:08:10,679 --> 01:08:13,639 making right now. And everyone who's listening, I hopefully can catch the tone 978 01:08:13,639 --> 01:08:17,079 of how hyperbock I'm being about Adam saying that Lebron is dogshit. I just 979 01:08:17,279 --> 01:08:23,079 don't if this was another player maybe, and I understand he's age thirty six, 980 01:08:23,239 --> 01:08:25,520 that needs to be the argument. Oh, that's gonna be age thirty 981 01:08:25,560 --> 01:08:28,319 seven next season. This feels like it's going to be the end. It's 982 01:08:28,359 --> 01:08:32,560 not so in this three game series. Well, was that it's the unspoken 983 01:08:32,600 --> 01:08:36,760 part of the argument where we do know his age and the mileage he's racked 984 01:08:36,800 --> 01:08:43,479 up throughout his career, and this is the most significant miss time he's had 985 01:08:43,560 --> 01:08:46,399 due to an injury and he's coming out of it. And in the past, 986 01:08:46,520 --> 01:08:48,479 no matter what the injury has been, he's come out of it and 987 01:08:48,560 --> 01:08:53,199 immediately returned to that ridiculously high level. If there was a game where his 988 01:08:53,640 --> 01:08:57,760 cohorts were missing time or ineffective, he has been able to step up and 989 01:08:57,840 --> 01:09:00,399 become more impactful. And we're just not seeing that, And that, to 990 01:09:00,520 --> 01:09:05,359 me, is the first indication that we've really had that the decline is coming. 991 01:09:06,880 --> 01:09:11,399 I just don't if this were happening while Anthony Davis was Anthony Davis, 992 01:09:11,439 --> 01:09:13,560 and I'm not even about him being ruled out for the game with the left 993 01:09:13,600 --> 01:09:15,520 growing strain. Thanks for sending the Rachel Nicholas tweet in here, Taco J. 994 01:09:16,319 --> 01:09:19,479 This is just the heights he was playing at this season when Anthony Davis 995 01:09:19,520 --> 01:09:24,119 still wasn't Anthony Davis. I just can't. I won't even still weren't as 996 01:09:24,239 --> 01:09:28,199 high as the previous season's heights though, And I really hope that I'm wrong. 997 01:09:28,319 --> 01:09:30,680 Like Lebron is one of my all time favorite players. I hope that 998 01:09:30,039 --> 01:09:35,159 he has nothing but success in the coming years. He I just so twenty 999 01:09:35,239 --> 01:09:40,880 six, eight and eight playing all defense level, maybe defense close to it. 1000 01:09:41,399 --> 01:09:45,920 It's not tougher, But it's tougher to cite those per game numbers in 1001 01:09:45,079 --> 01:09:50,479 today's NBA, where everybody is putting up gigantic numbers because we're seeing faster paces 1002 01:09:50,479 --> 01:09:56,479 and better offenses. Like twenty six, eight and eight this year is not 1003 01:09:56,600 --> 01:09:58,800 the same as twenty six, eight and eight three years ago, even if 1004 01:09:58,840 --> 01:10:00,920 he's doing it in under thirty five minutes a game. A valid argument I'm 1005 01:10:00,960 --> 01:10:03,199 so triggered right now? Is that the phrase that the kids are using. 1006 01:10:03,479 --> 01:10:08,319 We have to get out of here. I'm I'm all, I'm hot bothered 1007 01:10:08,560 --> 01:10:12,199 right now. Thank you for everyone who stuck with us and joined us and 1008 01:10:12,279 --> 01:10:15,119 contributed to this conversation. It was super fun. Once we get off the 1009 01:10:15,199 --> 01:10:18,079 air, I'm gonna cuss Adam out for at least five to seven minutes straight. 1010 01:10:18,760 --> 01:10:21,319 We are Hardwood Knox. If you have not listened to us before, 1011 01:10:21,359 --> 01:10:26,319 we are here every Sunday four pm normally, do amas. We'll cover some 1012 01:10:26,359 --> 01:10:28,279 of the hottest topics too, like we did at the top of this with 1013 01:10:28,359 --> 01:10:31,680 the playoffs. Follow us on Twitter at Hardwood Knox built exactly as it sounds. 1014 01:10:31,840 --> 01:10:33,880 Until next time. We leave you with a shout out to the one 1015 01:10:34,479 --> 01:10:42,159 the only Kyle Kuzma's backup, third ballot Hall of Famer, Maybe Lebron James