1 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,199 What is krack alak in hardware knocks Listeners, I am Davia Valley coming at 2 00:00:09,199 --> 00:00:15,119 you without my fantabulous co host Adam frommel We are going to continue plowing through 3 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:20,039 our NBA team look aheads, the Los Angeles Clippers have landed on our desk. 4 00:00:20,519 --> 00:00:25,640 Next, we have brought on Sabrina Merchant, hoops aficionado for sp Nation. 5 00:00:25,839 --> 00:00:30,079 Covers all of basketball there as well as the Clippers specifically, but talks 6 00:00:30,079 --> 00:00:34,719 about hoops at large WMBA. She has covered a MBA at large also the 7 00:00:34,799 --> 00:00:38,240 Lakers too. She's the co host of the Step Through podcast as well. 8 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:43,000 Go check that out on YouTube. It's a great watch. Slash Listen caught 9 00:00:43,039 --> 00:00:47,280 a few of their episodes and they've done a great job covering the NBA w 10 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,799 NBA there too, so I had a great conversation with her. As usual, 11 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,399 she's a recurring guest, no stranger around these parts. Before we dive 12 00:00:54,439 --> 00:00:58,479 in, just the usual reminders, please the usual begging. However you want 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,000 to frame it, please rate, review, and subscribe to us wherever you 14 00:01:03,039 --> 00:01:06,560 get your podcasts, even if you do not use iTunes though, so long 15 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,400 as you have access to it, we ask that you head over there search 16 00:01:08,439 --> 00:01:11,799 Hardwood Knox. Throw us the five star rating and writer review. You can 17 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,840 criticize the hell out of me in the review. Don't criticize Adam because I'll 18 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,840 come at you with these virtual hands. What are the kids saying? Now? 19 00:01:19,879 --> 00:01:22,959 I have no idea. Seriously, though you could constructive criticism, we 20 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,200 take it into account. If you don't like our takes, happy to have 21 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,239 a dialogue, We'll read it, but throw us that five star rating helps 22 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,879 us out of ton. If this is the first time you're listening to this 23 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,159 podcast because you're a die hard Clippers fan, or you're a die hard supreed 24 00:01:34,159 --> 00:01:38,719 emergent fan, wouldn't fault you there. That's a great idea. Or you've 25 00:01:38,719 --> 00:01:42,519 just happened upon us accidentally. Consider throwing us that permanent subscription wherever you get 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:48,159 your podcasts and downloading every episode. We are pleasantly sub mediocre, as I 27 00:01:48,239 --> 00:01:52,640 like to remind our incumbent listeners before every team look ahead. With all that 28 00:01:52,719 --> 00:01:56,120 now out of the way, though, let's get to the Los Angeles Clippers, 29 00:01:56,319 --> 00:02:00,200 their immediate trajectory, their long term outlook with espionation and the step throughs. 30 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:07,120 Sabrina Merchant Sabrina thank you so much for coming back on the Hardwood Knox 31 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,439 podcast to talk with me about the Clippers. First and foremost, though, 32 00:02:10,439 --> 00:02:16,280 how are you doing? Do great? You know NBA seasons upon us starting 33 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,280 new playoffs right here, it's it's a very good time to be basketball fan. 34 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,479 Yeah, there's a lot. There's a lot to watch right now. 35 00:02:23,719 --> 00:02:27,439 The w NBA playoffs are far more entertaining than the I'm already at the point 36 00:02:27,439 --> 00:02:30,800 where like I can't deal with NBA training camp coverage, NBA training camp and 37 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:35,240 preseason. It just exhausts me, Like I just can't bring my media days 38 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,080 fine, and there's obviously other stuff going on this year, but I can't 39 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,280 deal with it, like, oh, this is what they're running in practice, 40 00:02:40,319 --> 00:02:44,960 and then I just NBA preseason. I barely can watch anymore. I 41 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,000 don't know how you feel about that, but I just it's like suffering through 42 00:02:47,039 --> 00:02:53,719 something for me. You know, I'm just generally happy to see these teams 43 00:02:53,759 --> 00:02:58,240 in action for the first time, and when you get healthy players, I'm 44 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,599 willing to watch. So even if it's preseason, let's do it. You're 45 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:06,400 a far more positive person than I am, so kudos to you. Let's 46 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,919 start with Kauai. I found his media day comments like uncharacteristically candid. When 47 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,840 he was talking about why he signed a long term deal, i'd I was, 48 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:16,639 like, Kawai said that, and I know, there's the it seems 49 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:21,080 like the new thing might be signed the three plus one and then just extend 50 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,840 after two years. But the fact that he said that he signed the three 51 00:03:25,879 --> 00:03:29,800 plus one so that he would give himself the option of returning this year, 52 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,719 should we now expect him to return this year or should the expectations still be 53 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:38,000 Kawai's not playing this season. I would say the expectation is still for him 54 00:03:38,039 --> 00:03:42,120 not to return, but it's nice that he left the door open for the 55 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,120 possibility of a return. And then, like he said that, the whole 56 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,560 short term deal appears to be going out of vogue a little bit, Like 57 00:03:49,639 --> 00:03:53,199 you can always just sign a longer deal and then demand a trade or sign 58 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,960 an extension, and there's just there's a lot of flexibility within the long term 59 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,680 deals just based on this star empowerment that probably didn't exist before. So yeah, 60 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,719 maybe he thought that like a one in one plus another five year extension 61 00:04:05,759 --> 00:04:09,159 was like the best way of optimizing the money. But like he can just 62 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,840 tack on a four year extension two years into this deal and he'll be just 63 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,919 rolling in it, right, So I think he's fine either way. And 64 00:04:15,919 --> 00:04:17,360 then if he wants to trade, as Ben Simmons is proving, he can 65 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,480 try and demand one with four years left on his contract, so exactly. 66 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,600 And do you think it helps though? So he did say that he'll be 67 00:04:24,639 --> 00:04:27,959 there for the long term unless something catastrophic happens, basically, but having him 68 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,160 sort of on a longer term deal where you can as a team have him 69 00:04:31,199 --> 00:04:34,680 under control for at least three years, do you think that helps them like 70 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:40,160 sort of move forward where maybe they're more inclined to take risks or bigger swings 71 00:04:40,199 --> 00:04:43,240 if they arise, or just easier to flesh out a vision for this team 72 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,839 because you don't have the specter of an imminent Kawhi Leonard free agency looming over 73 00:04:46,879 --> 00:04:49,839 you. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I think you saw this in Cleveland, 74 00:04:49,879 --> 00:04:56,839 where like just the consistent Lebron James free agency every summer made it just 75 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,600 put a lot of pressure on the Cavalier's front office to constantly do things that 76 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,079 may not have been the best idea and their long term interest. But having 77 00:05:02,199 --> 00:05:05,839 not only Kawhi locked in for these three plus one. Paul George is on 78 00:05:05,879 --> 00:05:09,920 a four year extension, Marcus Morris is on you know, three years left 79 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,399 of his contract. They just signed their slate of rookies to three year deals, 80 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,519 Luca Nard is on a four year deal like basically, and then I 81 00:05:16,519 --> 00:05:19,759 guess the only notable free agent coming up is Terrence Man. But like everybody 82 00:05:19,759 --> 00:05:24,040 who's super important to this team is on multi year deals at the moment, 83 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:29,839 So there isn't a lot of like urgency to do something stupid in the moment 84 00:05:29,959 --> 00:05:33,240 just to like appease Kawhi, Like I mean to that, I point you 85 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,920 to the Rashon Rondo trade a year ago because Kawhi Leonard said they needed a 86 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,759 playmaker and someone with smarter basketball like you, and it didn't quite work out. 87 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,399 So there's there's less pressure to do something in the moment. You know, 88 00:05:45,439 --> 00:05:48,560 they can evaluate their options more thoroughly, and I just think it's a 89 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,120 more comfortable situation with everyone around that, like, there isn't this specter of 90 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,160 free agency floating over everyone that like the media is talking about, because that 91 00:05:56,199 --> 00:06:00,319 is something that Kawhi Leonard mentioned in his supremely transparent press conference was that he 92 00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:02,279 didn't want to create another storyline for they needed to talk about if he were 93 00:06:02,319 --> 00:06:05,319 to become a free agent. So I think it's just better business for everyone 94 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:11,680 that he's he's stuck. You know, everybody else is firmly planted their roots 95 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,879 in Los Angeles, and it's just one last thing to talk about. Still 96 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,680 floored by the transparency he showed in that answer. The logic totally makes sense 97 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,720 on his part, but still floored by it. What did you think of 98 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,519 the Eric Bledsoe trade for this team? He's obviously not Sterling Brown, since 99 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:31,399 I'm obligated to mention Sterling Brown and everything right either, but what did you 100 00:06:31,439 --> 00:06:35,800 think about that trade for them? I thought it was an admission that they 101 00:06:35,879 --> 00:06:41,639 were just never certain about Patch Beverly's health during the regular season and just even 102 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,000 during the postseason, as was demonstrated during the twenty twenty bubble when he was 103 00:06:45,079 --> 00:06:48,839 unavailable for the first round in the playoffs. I also think, so this 104 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,720 is something that like I've never actually gotten like confirmed, but it does appear 105 00:06:53,759 --> 00:06:57,800 to me that they just tried to completely flesh out everyone who existed before Kawhi 106 00:06:57,879 --> 00:07:00,519 Leonard and Paul George arrived and at this point the senior Clipper resiviutes Zubachi, 107 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,000 is the only one who predates Kawai and Paul George. And that was like 108 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:09,680 by three months, you know, a trade deadline before the other two got 109 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:18,480 there. Just Mike Mascal a layer legend right Anyways, I think Michael Beasley 110 00:07:18,519 --> 00:07:23,959 was involved there too. It's helping, but it definitely seems like there was 111 00:07:23,959 --> 00:07:27,879 a concerted effort to shift the culture, you know, once Kawai and Pagi 112 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,000 got there and reframe the entire organization in their image, and that meant clearing 113 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:36,240 out everybody who was there before them. And there was obviously a really uneasy 114 00:07:36,279 --> 00:07:40,879 marriage between the old and the New Guards in twenty nineteen twenty when those two 115 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,879 superstars came in, and the Clippers answer to that was, okay, let's 116 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,120 just, you know, get rid of the old Guard entirely. And it's 117 00:07:47,199 --> 00:07:51,199 tricky to do with a guy like Patrick Beverley, who fit better with Kawai 118 00:07:51,319 --> 00:07:54,360 and Pig than the rest of the other guys, you know, like Lou 119 00:07:54,439 --> 00:08:00,360 Williams and Montrese Harold notably, but when you know he's coming off of when 120 00:08:00,399 --> 00:08:03,439 he missed a substantial amount of time again, you know, because of just 121 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,079 repeated injuries, and he ended the season on a kind of sour note by 122 00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:09,879 pushing Chris Baul on the back and getting suspended to start the regular season. 123 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:16,319 Makes it a little bit easier to wash that away when you're dealing with that 124 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,040 part of patri Revally. I'm not convinced that Ark breth Ledsoe is a better 125 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:22,920 player than Pat beev on either end of the four really, but I do 126 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,839 know that he is substantially more durable. You can count on him to play 127 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,039 seventy five plus games during the regular season and as far as an eighty two 128 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:37,759 game player. He showed in Milwaukee that he is capable of being a really 129 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:41,000 productive player during those regular season minutes. I mean there was one season where 130 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,799 I thought he was like pushing All Star consideration and just gave to Chris Middleton 131 00:08:43,879 --> 00:08:50,000 because you know, reputation whatever. But the Clippers are more of a regular 132 00:08:50,039 --> 00:08:54,679 season team this year, right, Like without Kawhi Leonard, their playoff upside 133 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,120 is far more limited. So it's almost a signal that, like, hey, 134 00:08:58,159 --> 00:09:01,840 the regular season, it's really important to us. We need somebody who's 135 00:09:01,879 --> 00:09:05,639 going to be around to play all of these games, like they don't really 136 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:09,000 have another point guard on the roster. So I think it was just more 137 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,919 of an admission of durability because I mean, Letzo can't shoot. That's really 138 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,159 important for a TAILU team. Maybe they think that his shooting will take a 139 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,080 step up because of all of the space that is afforded within this offense, 140 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,360 like that did not exist in New Orleans or Milwaukee. I hesitate to even 141 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,960 use any of his New Orleans experience because he was just so not interested in 142 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,240 that situation from the moment he got there. I mean, I think about 143 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,480 that quote for them. I think about that quote of like when he fouled 144 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,080 New York when they were up three and was just like, yeah, I 145 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,000 wasn't listening during the time out. I totally spaced on the tailand score situation. 146 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,120 It's like, well, that's not going to fly with the Clippers. 147 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,279 But I assume that he's going to be more invested in the situation from the 148 00:09:46,279 --> 00:09:50,080 get go. You know, he's an og Clipper, He's got a lot 149 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,399 of friends on the team. Him and Marcus Morris were just lovingly talking about 150 00:09:54,399 --> 00:09:58,399 each other after having played together and Phoenix back in the day. So yeah, 151 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,039 I just think it's like they need a guy who's gonna be there. 152 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:07,639 They trust their player development to fix players jump shots. Like they had six 153 00:10:07,799 --> 00:10:11,480 rotation players shoot forty percent or more from three point rangel last somehow, and 154 00:10:11,519 --> 00:10:16,960 that was not even players. So that's six rotation players plus Rondo and Boogie, 155 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,320 who I'm not counting as Rotesian players. And then Kawai and Pat Bev 156 00:10:20,399 --> 00:10:24,240 were like thirty nine point seven and thirty nine point eight. So that's the 157 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,320 situation from their three point percentage. I think they have a lot of faith 158 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:31,639 that Lesso's numbers will go up in that system. And then defensively, like 159 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,399 I think he's about as good as Petev. I mean, Pat obviously has 160 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,840 a sterling reputation of being mister ninety four feet getting people's faces. I thought 161 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,440 he was tremendous on Devin Booker in that Western Commerce finals. I thought he 162 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:48,759 was pretty good on Donovan Mitchell as well in the series before that. But 163 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:52,120 the consistency, you know, it's just not always there with Pat, and 164 00:10:52,159 --> 00:10:56,799 I think you get more of that with Whatso. So that's my very long 165 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:58,879 winded answer of saying like they need to get rid of Pat. They got 166 00:10:58,879 --> 00:11:03,039 a pretty suitable replacement who should be healthy for the majority of the season, 167 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:09,360 knock on with and maybe with more space he'll be like he was very efficient 168 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,480 driver at points in Milwaukee and so just to have more room in La I'm 169 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:15,759 sure I'll help him. It does sound like he's going to start though over 170 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,759 man Or, but Tom And I'm just curious as to your thoughts on that. 171 00:11:18,759 --> 00:11:20,840 I know it doesn't necessarily matter who starts, but it does sort of 172 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,440 affect like how they stagger minutes because they don't have them like a true and 173 00:11:24,519 --> 00:11:26,679 air posts is not a true point guard, but like they don't have any 174 00:11:26,759 --> 00:11:31,519 zemblance of a floor general coming off the bench then for them, right and 175 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,679 this has been just like a time honored tradition for us talking about the Clippers, 176 00:11:35,759 --> 00:11:37,320 right is who is their point guard, who's the point lead, voluntle 177 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:41,360 or duties And it's something that's just been in the ze guist about the Clippers 178 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,799 for the last three years or so. Yeah, Tyler said that he was 179 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:48,519 going to start alongside Reggie Jackson, Paul George, Marcus Morris and Soupbach. 180 00:11:50,759 --> 00:11:54,399 Ty has done a very good job of staggering Kawai and Paul George, you 181 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,440 know, when the two of them were playing together, And so I imagine 182 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:00,799 he's going to do an equally good job of staggering those lead ball handlers of 183 00:12:00,799 --> 00:12:03,440 like Eric Reggie Jackson and Paul George, making sure that one or two of 184 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,039 them is on the court at all times. So I think the fact that 185 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,200 they're starting doesn't mean that, like, oh hey, Luke Kenard is our 186 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,919 backup point guard and he's going to have all of the responsibilities in the second 187 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,600 unit. I'm pretty sure you know, some of those guys are going to 188 00:12:15,639 --> 00:12:18,799 be on the court for the entire forty eight minutes. I think part of 189 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:24,519 him starting is one to like maintain that defense and integrity. Two, we 190 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:28,000 mentioned that he did not seem supremely invested in New Orleans. A good way 191 00:12:28,039 --> 00:12:31,840 to get a guy to buy in make him a starter, Right, That's 192 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:37,559 a good point. And lou famously like had these ten games shifts last season 193 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,519 where he would reevaluate his rotation. I would assume that this one is going 194 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,279 to get like a ten game shift, right. I don't think that this 195 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,279 is going to be the starting line up for the remainder of the season. 196 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,080 You mentioned A two, You mentioned Terrence Fan, both of whom have really 197 00:12:48,639 --> 00:12:54,639 interesting cases to start. I don't think that this is like the starting line 198 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:56,480 up we should pencil in for Game eighty one of the regular season, but 199 00:12:56,519 --> 00:13:01,600 I would expect it to get like those first ten games. Whatever I'm doing 200 00:13:01,639 --> 00:13:03,559 these look ahead outlines, I always have to go back because I realize I 201 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,600 never ask anything about the star players because I just don't have like strong thoughts 202 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:11,200 on them. So you can probably tell this was a throw in Paul George's 203 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,960 topic when you looked at it. Kauai is going to be out for let's 204 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:18,559 say, most of the year. Paul George's MVP os or thirty six to 205 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,879 one at the moment. Is that something that should interest people? Is it 206 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,519 what needs to happen with him? Or is this h if the Clippers are 207 00:13:26,519 --> 00:13:30,240 just better than expected with how Kauai he might organically have that we'll call it 208 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:35,399 the narrative nudge to enter that conversation. So MVPs usually come from top three 209 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,960 seats. Right, We're basically looking at Russell Westbrook as the loan exception in 210 00:13:41,039 --> 00:13:45,200 the last fifteen twenty years, and that was because he averaged a triple double 211 00:13:45,919 --> 00:13:50,440 back before it was cool, I guess. So. I think your hope 212 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,039 of Paul George being an MVP relies on the Clippers finishing pretty high in the 213 00:13:54,039 --> 00:13:58,399 standings, And as much as I like the pieces on this team, I 214 00:13:58,399 --> 00:14:01,919 don't think that's going to happen. I know that the West is got a 215 00:14:01,919 --> 00:14:05,840 lot more parody and probably a lot less top end talent than in years past. 216 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,840 Like you could tell me that the Clippers were better than the Mavericks and 217 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,000 the Nuggets and the Blazers and the regular season, I wouldn't bat and eye, 218 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,960 but if they fell behind all three of them, I also don't think 219 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:18,639 that's unreasonable either. So I do think that there's kind of a top three 220 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:24,480 of like that Phoenix Utah Lakers trio, especially during the regular season, you 221 00:14:24,519 --> 00:14:28,320 know, when Utahs so deep and has just figured it out. So it's 222 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,679 hard for me to see the Clippers jumping high en up in the standings for 223 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:37,039 Paul George to get that MVP buys. But as for George himself, I 224 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,639 just think his efficiency is going to take something of a hit playing without Kawhi 225 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,639 Leonard the I mean, it's Paul George like just has the smoothest looking jump 226 00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:50,960 shot in the world, and when it's flowing like he he looks unguardable, 227 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,960 like he looks just like a diet version of Kevin Durant. And you know, 228 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,399 obviously this is not the case on a regular basis. You know, 229 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,919 you see it during the playoffs when he has just these wild swings of shooting, 230 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:05,159 you know, about fifty percent and then below twenty five percent on occasion. 231 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,200 Like it's you never know which version of Paul George you're going to get 232 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:13,960 on any given day. So I think that efficiency, that consistency is going 233 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,799 to be hard to maintain over the course of eighty two games, especially if 234 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:24,559 the Clippers lean with these more defensive lineups like Zoobatch starting at center. Like 235 00:15:24,639 --> 00:15:26,960 during the Conference finals. You know, I thought Paul George had a really 236 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,639 hard time scoring against Phoenix, And it wasn't because Phoenix was doing a good 237 00:15:30,679 --> 00:15:31,639 job of guarding him. Was just he had a hard time getting his drive 238 00:15:31,679 --> 00:15:37,440 game going with zoo Watch camped out in Dunger spot. So I guess it 239 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,240 depends, like how much the Clippers play big versus small, you know, 240 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:46,879 to see how well Paul George is able to function offensively. I just think 241 00:15:46,879 --> 00:15:50,080 that his numbers aren't going to look as spectacular as you would want from an 242 00:15:50,159 --> 00:15:54,159 MVP candidate, even though he's I could see him having like a really valuable, 243 00:15:54,159 --> 00:15:56,759 like second team well NBA season. I'm just not sure that that translates 244 00:15:56,759 --> 00:16:02,399 to MVP discussion here your point. His usage jumped by eight percent without Kawhi 245 00:16:02,559 --> 00:16:04,240 last year, and his affective field goal percentage dropped by three and a half 246 00:16:04,279 --> 00:16:08,320 points, and it'll probably just get tougher this year if Eric Bletzo is playing 247 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,320 a lot of the minutes that like Patrick Beverley and better three point shooters were 248 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,440 logging last year. I could not believe that Nick Putum signed for the deal 249 00:16:15,519 --> 00:16:19,360 that he did. They ended up paying Justice Winslow Moore, which is wild. 250 00:16:19,679 --> 00:16:22,600 Even Reggie Jackson's deal was just like I thought he might get a longer 251 00:16:22,639 --> 00:16:26,600 deal. Who are you more confident in sort of repeating this season that they 252 00:16:26,639 --> 00:16:33,360 had last year between Jackson and the team. Definitely Reggie. His shooting has 253 00:16:33,399 --> 00:16:37,240 been just really good ever since he got to the Clippers, even when he 254 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,679 was, you know, objectively terrible on defense and passing and all sorts of 255 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,440 other parts of his decision making when he first got to the Clippers, his 256 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:49,279 shot looks really good, and I think that's sustainable. He's just capable of 257 00:16:49,399 --> 00:16:55,720 launching from wherever. And you know, the Clipper fans affectionately call in big 258 00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:00,559 Government because he's always selling them out late in the shot back. So he's 259 00:17:00,559 --> 00:17:03,600 got the goggles back, you know, for this season, even though he 260 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,119 proclaims to have twenty ten vision and no need for corrective eyewear. But it's 261 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:11,039 just part of the look of Reggie Jackson. Now I respect that. Yeah, 262 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:17,240 I think him being in that secondary option role is just a good fit 263 00:17:17,279 --> 00:17:21,119 for him because you know, the best phone defender goes on Paul George and 264 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,039 then he's able to work off of, you know, the second tide action. 265 00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:29,880 He's just I think in a more sustainable position. Like I don't see 266 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,160 any reason why he wouldn't continue to shoot forty percent on threes when he's shown 267 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:37,839 that track record for like the last two years. I mean, I don't 268 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,039 think that he's going to like shoot his wall on floaters as he did during 269 00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:45,240 the postseason, but I think the jump shot is here to stay, and 270 00:17:45,279 --> 00:17:49,799 that's such a big part of Reggie Jackson's game that it feels more sustainable, 271 00:17:49,799 --> 00:17:52,759 and he's going to be starting, so he's going to have like the Bond's 272 00:17:52,799 --> 00:17:56,920 hands a lot, He's going to be able to develop a rhythm. All 273 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:02,319 of that seems very plausible. Nick Batum, it's not gonna starting, first 274 00:18:02,319 --> 00:18:04,000 of all, So the total minute thing is it's probably gonna be harder to 275 00:18:04,039 --> 00:18:07,039 reply hate. Then again, I think my favorite stat from last year was 276 00:18:07,039 --> 00:18:11,039 that Nick of just the entire ly was that Nick Batoum led the Clippers and 277 00:18:11,039 --> 00:18:14,279 total minutes played. I mean, he wasn't projected to start last year either, 278 00:18:14,279 --> 00:18:15,440 and then had to because Marcus Morris wasn't ready to go at the start 279 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,599 of the season. So you know, he will be that guy who has 280 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:23,839 to step in if there's any sort of injury within the starting five. I 281 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,039 just think that Nick Batoum is one of those guys who amplifies better players, 282 00:18:27,319 --> 00:18:32,799 and it's going to be hard for him to go as hard as he did 283 00:18:32,839 --> 00:18:37,680 during the playoffs for a full eighty two games season. Like I thought Nick 284 00:18:37,799 --> 00:18:40,279 was great when he was starting, you know, for that first part of 285 00:18:40,279 --> 00:18:42,440 the season up until I think March fifteenth, which is when they made the 286 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:48,160 switch to Morrison. Zoobach in the four or five. He just doesn't look 287 00:18:48,279 --> 00:18:52,079 quite as good when he's playing next to like the Luke Canards and like Patrick 288 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,839 Patterson's of the world. He is very much like a ceiling razor or not 289 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:02,559 a floor razor. So I think having him in more second units is just 290 00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:04,960 going to make him look a little bit less impressive, even though he's not 291 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:10,599 doing anything materially differently in his game. And I also think the Clippers are 292 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:12,680 just going to make it a point to load manage him because, like you 293 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,240 said, he did lead the Clippers and minutes last year. He was a 294 00:19:17,319 --> 00:19:22,680 huge part of their postseason rotation. He was guarding Rudy Gobert for the majority 295 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,920 of that Utah Jazz series. He played the entirety of the Olympics, so 296 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:27,680 I think he was the leader on the French national team in minutes as well. 297 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,440 So it's been a lot of basketball for one Nick Bottom. And I 298 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:37,200 think that they're just a little concerned about overextending him again, so for the 299 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,920 regular season at least, I would imagine they give him a less intensive role. 300 00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:45,440 Yeah, I think I agree with your pick. Also, just because 301 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,480 his season last years came so far out of left field after what happened in 302 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,680 like he was defending four positions consistently, and as you mentioned, like was 303 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,039 on some bigs and he might now the way the roster said, like, 304 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,559 is he the best passer on this team too? Like, I think so. 305 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,200 I think so. That's just wild to say, But I would have 306 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:07,000 more confidence in Reggie Jackson as well. I think I actually, this last 307 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,279 time I'm going to run it back here, is Terrence Man considered a core 308 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,079 piece of this team? And do you think he has it in him to 309 00:20:14,079 --> 00:20:18,279 be better defensively than he was last season? Yeah, I think he's absolutely 310 00:20:18,319 --> 00:20:22,480 a core piece. For one, they're just so proud of him as like 311 00:20:22,519 --> 00:20:25,119 the second round success story. You know, the Clippers don't have a lot 312 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:30,079 of draft wins to point two in recent years. So just from a pride 313 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,920 like sort of ego perspective, I think the fact that Terrence Man has popped 314 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,279 is really just a good feeling for them, which you never never doubt the 315 00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:41,039 ego in terms of running these teams. And then he was just so important 316 00:20:41,039 --> 00:20:44,519 in terms of the playoffs. Right Like he steps in for Kawhi Leonard in 317 00:20:44,519 --> 00:20:47,359 the starting line, it puts a third nine points in Game six of the 318 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:51,759 Conference semis to help the Clippers advanced to the first Conference Finals in franchise history. 319 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:55,720 Like those moments just you can't script him better than that. But I 320 00:20:55,759 --> 00:20:57,599 think you're absolutely right to point to the defensive side of the wall, because 321 00:20:57,759 --> 00:21:02,599 for all of the games that parents made offensively last year, like he shot 322 00:21:03,039 --> 00:21:04,839 over forty percent from three point line with Dodo, everybody on the Clippers did, 323 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,359 still wasn't really being guarded there. Like he saw a lot of instances 324 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,559 of him being driving off of closeouts because like he just had so much for 325 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:17,319 him to work with when defenders are trying to cover that space. I think 326 00:21:17,319 --> 00:21:18,799 he just needs to be stronger at defending the ball, and I've seen a 327 00:21:18,839 --> 00:21:22,519 reason why he can't be because he has all of those physical tools, right, 328 00:21:22,559 --> 00:21:26,000 Like he's a big wing. He's about six six, he's got good 329 00:21:26,039 --> 00:21:30,519 size, good length, He's he's not the most latter, really quick, 330 00:21:30,559 --> 00:21:33,559 but like he shouldn't be in the situation where he's getting beaten off the dribble 331 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,559 by his opponent. So I think that is really the side of the ball 332 00:21:37,599 --> 00:21:41,079 that they're going to be focusing on more. He even talked about that today 333 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:47,720 at training camp, So, you know, lovely thing to pick on the 334 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,400 Clippers. Imagine we were running more like conventional bick and roll defenses during the 335 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,680 start of the season. We'll be going a lot less small over the course 336 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,119 of the regular season, so we'll have to figure out how to defend in 337 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:03,880 a non switching system. And again, I don't really see a reason why 338 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,400 he can't figure out those tendencies. It's not like he ver looks lost. 339 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,720 He just gives a little bit more effort on offense than he does on the 340 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,640 events. Like he's a tremendous offensive rebounder, not so much a defensive rebounder. 341 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,119 But that's just the kind of thing I think that young players pick up 342 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,400 on. Right, this is only year three for him in the league, 343 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:21,839 and I would expect if he's going to take another jump, it would come 344 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:26,559 on that side of the ball. Have they given any updates on how close 345 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,039 serge Ibaka is to returning from his back injury. Yeah, so he is 346 00:22:30,079 --> 00:22:34,880 doing non contact drills during training camp. They expect to progress to five on 347 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,759 five pretty quickly for him, So I think the expectation is for him to 348 00:22:38,799 --> 00:22:41,920 be ready, if not at the start of the regular Shas and then pretty 349 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,680 close to it. I know they have this third center battle going on in 350 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,319 training camp, like Harry Giles and Isaiah Heart and center both there. The 351 00:22:49,599 --> 00:22:52,079 plan is for Serge Ibaka to take that role sooner than later, you know, 352 00:22:52,079 --> 00:22:56,079 to be a backup center. So it's it's not the kind of thing 353 00:22:56,079 --> 00:22:57,759 where we just don't know when he's coming back. It should be like by 354 00:22:57,759 --> 00:23:03,519 November. I think, do you view Hartenstein or Giles is the better fit 355 00:23:03,799 --> 00:23:07,039 for this team? I mean, Harry Giles has just been bad for most 356 00:23:07,039 --> 00:23:11,279 of his NBA career, Like there's just no sugar coating it. I love 357 00:23:11,279 --> 00:23:15,720 Harry Giles, you know, I went to Duke. I have very fond 358 00:23:15,759 --> 00:23:21,279 memories of Harry Giles in the ACC tournament, but it's never really clicked for 359 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:26,559 him in the NBA. And I think out of a center, the thing 360 00:23:26,599 --> 00:23:30,720 that you want most is defensively, and Giles has just really been a train 361 00:23:30,759 --> 00:23:33,880 wreck on that end of the floor for his entire NBA career. So, 362 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,240 I mean, I don't really think it matters if they put in Giles or 363 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,559 Hartenstein, Like if that's the deciding factor, if the Clippers make the plane 364 00:23:41,599 --> 00:23:45,440 or not, then like something else has gone wrong in this NBA season. 365 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,519 But I think Hartenstegin is probably the better player, Like he can actually shoot 366 00:23:48,559 --> 00:23:52,400 from distance, and he has some idea of what's going on defensively, so 367 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,880 that's where I would lean. But I don't really think it's that big of 368 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,799 a deal. There's some nice passes in Cleveland last year too, and I 369 00:23:59,839 --> 00:24:03,720 was a little bit surprised that he only got like a non guaranteed deal this 370 00:24:03,759 --> 00:24:07,680 summer. But the big man market is always like unreadable to me. So 371 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,240 I guess when you sort of look at their center rotation though, so you 372 00:24:11,279 --> 00:24:15,160 have zoobots, you have Abaka. But then like if your third big is 373 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,519 it's hard design or for Chiles or if Abaka miss is time. It does 374 00:24:18,559 --> 00:24:23,240 feel like their lineup is still catered towards at times playing without true bigs. 375 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,559 And last year, per Queen the Glass, they played about five hundred and 376 00:24:26,559 --> 00:24:30,119 thirty possession without a big on the floor. Would you expect that number to 377 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:34,559 be higher or lower this coming season? All right, so five hundred thirty 378 00:24:34,559 --> 00:24:40,240 possessions, Like any idea, like what percentage of the Clippers possessions that is? 379 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:44,440 I'm having a hard time figuring out what that means. I mean, 380 00:24:44,519 --> 00:24:47,519 that's a that's a fair question. I can probably look at that very quickly. 381 00:24:48,839 --> 00:24:53,759 Let's see, so their total possessions last season that are in CTG as 382 00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,480 it loads, and I'm just reading it very talking very slowly in hopes that 383 00:24:57,519 --> 00:25:03,440 it loads quickly enough. They played sixty six hundred possessions. It's not like, 384 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,599 yeah, last time per tent all. Right, Yeah, I think 385 00:25:10,599 --> 00:25:14,960 that would go up a little bit just because you know, they don't have 386 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,359 like a DeMarcus Cousins to soak up those big minutes. I think even Patrick 387 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:22,240 Patterson probably counts as a big in those situations. I did filter them out, 388 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,359 so yes, okay, yeah, so if if you know, Morris 389 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,079 Erba tumor Justice Winslow has to play the five in those situations, I think 390 00:25:30,759 --> 00:25:34,799 that'll end up being a more common outcome for the Clippers this year than last, 391 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,480 if only because we saw during the playoffs as successful they are playing small 392 00:25:38,519 --> 00:25:41,599 lineups. They didn't really have an opportunity to do at the start of the 393 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,680 regular season because they had so many injuries in their back court to start the 394 00:25:45,759 --> 00:25:48,400 year, right, Like, you can't play small if your wings around healthy 395 00:25:49,079 --> 00:25:56,039 but with you know, more man and just fewer bigs, I think it's 396 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:03,680 it's a natural outcome. I don't think they're like looking to do it beyond 397 00:26:03,839 --> 00:26:06,559 crunch time. At the start of the year, like Marcus Morris had said 398 00:26:06,559 --> 00:26:10,440 that he is fine playing the five, but he expects that that'll be a 399 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,200 card that they hold until the postseason, you know, not just putting it 400 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:15,440 out there all the time unless it's like within the last five minutes of the 401 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,960 game. So admittedly, if Ibacca has hurt or the third center thing doesn't 402 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,960 work out and they end up using that roster spot, I'm like, I'm 403 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,119 your coffee or something, then yeah, they're just going to have to play 404 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:30,240 without it big more often. But I still think that they would prefer to 405 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,599 use a true center during most of their regular season lineups. But it probably 406 00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:37,359 helps that a lot of people for some reason considers you watched like this defensive 407 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,759 liability, and I don't think he's the uncertain matchup. Sure, but he's 408 00:26:40,799 --> 00:26:42,799 just not like you watch him and he's fine. I might Is he better 409 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:47,400 defensively than Serge Ibacca at this point, I think so, yeah, better 410 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:51,000 room protectre. I think he can even switch a little bit. Admittedly, 411 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:52,279 since he was a matchup was very bad for him. Yeah, it might 412 00:26:52,319 --> 00:26:56,319 be the best way to Yeah, with Kali out, or maybe even if 413 00:26:56,359 --> 00:27:00,079 Kauai was healthy. Do you expect Justice Winslow to get a chance to play 414 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,759 a role with this team. Yeah? Absolutely. I mean it feels like 415 00:27:03,759 --> 00:27:08,640 I've been three and a half years since I've seen like Winslow play any meaningfully 416 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,240 impactful basketball. By the way, I don't know how long it's actually did, 417 00:27:11,319 --> 00:27:15,799 but I'm going to say the last game that I watched of Justice Winslow 418 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:19,359 was December of twenty eighteen when they come to play the Clippers and lay and 419 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,200 they had to like Miami only had eight healthy players, so Justice literally played 420 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,720 point guard and they had to zone for the entire game because they didn't have 421 00:27:27,799 --> 00:27:30,759 enough healthy bodies to play man to man, and they ended up blowing the 422 00:27:30,759 --> 00:27:36,720 Clippers side building, which is very strange. Night. Yeah, I think 423 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,440 he's really part of that top nine, top ten, depending on Ibak his 424 00:27:40,519 --> 00:27:45,440 health. He has said that they're basically using him in every single position on 425 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,599 the court, whether that's backup one all the way to back up five. 426 00:27:48,279 --> 00:27:53,079 Oh, which makes sense because he's not a shooter. So really, in 427 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:57,640 the Tayloo offense, like center is the only spody can function offensively, but 428 00:27:57,759 --> 00:28:04,200 defensively, he is probably capable of guarding every position on the floor unless it's 429 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,160 like a true back to the basket post of center, which you are not 430 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:10,720 really going to encounter in most second units. So yeah, I think that 431 00:28:10,759 --> 00:28:14,880 he'll probably just fill in wherever is needed. I imagine they think of him 432 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,480 as like a real transition weapon where he can rerun the ball and bring the 433 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,960 ball up on his own and set up the offense a bit faster than the 434 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:27,039 Clippers are wanted to do. And just because of like the general lack of 435 00:28:27,079 --> 00:28:30,640 front court depth, I think he'll have to be used there in some capacity 436 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:36,759 because I'd rather have Justice onesI play center than Harry Chiles at this point, 437 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:41,960 regardless of how bad Justice's offense has been, and it's been it's been really 438 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,079 really bad, if only because like you have a little bit more confidence in 439 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,920 what he can bring defensive play. Okay, there was that one season he 440 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,920 shot okay from three without ever dribbling and having all the space in the world 441 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,200 to take those shots. That's what you need to point to. You know, 442 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,880 he'll have a lot of space on this team too, if I don't 443 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,920 know if they play him and Eric Bleszo together at any point that might test 444 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:08,480 their their three point expertise from last season. It doesn't sound like for any 445 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,920 some of the comments I saw that Jason Preston is going to be healthy at 446 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,640 all this year. Yeah, looking at the Clippers rookies, like, do 447 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,799 you have any thoughts and impressions of those guys and is there a chance that 448 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,759 this is weird? Because I would normally say there's no chance in hell that 449 00:29:22,839 --> 00:29:25,960 either those guys get minutes with the big league club, But like with Kauai 450 00:29:26,079 --> 00:29:27,400 out, I know the Clippers don't have their own draft pick. There's the 451 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,880 potential for like them not to be great, and so they kind of focus 452 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:36,559 on trying to give those guys some you know, NBA reps or do you 453 00:29:36,599 --> 00:29:38,920 expect them to be very much like just out of sight, out of mind. 454 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,200 So I would say that the Clippers have like ten solid NBA rotation players 455 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:49,400 at this point, plus three rookies and then Kauhi. So it's hard to 456 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,920 get through eighty two games only playing ten players, right, You need a 457 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,200 little bit more depth than that. Even if on and keep the night you're 458 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:59,160 only playing a ten man rotation. I'm just if Paul has to sit or 459 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:00,759 Marcus has to sit, but two messes it like someone is going to have 460 00:30:00,839 --> 00:30:06,039 to step in for them, and maybe that's the Giles Hartenstein spot. But 461 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:10,759 I would imagine that the rookies are going to get a look for Brandon Boston. 462 00:30:11,559 --> 00:30:15,279 They're they're just very happy with his offense at this point. He's super 463 00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:19,920 comfortable getting to his spot, scoring defensively train wreck, and that's to be 464 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:26,119 expected for rookie who was not even good in college. So I think it's 465 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,039 going to be harder for him to get on the court because they have such 466 00:30:30,119 --> 00:30:36,039 little faith in him defensively. So he seems more like an Aguacaliente Clippers candidate 467 00:30:36,039 --> 00:30:37,559 to me, where he'll have to figure out how to play, you know, 468 00:30:37,599 --> 00:30:42,799 in the G League. First. Keian, I think has a little 469 00:30:42,839 --> 00:30:45,519 bit more of an idea of what to do defensively. He's just so raw, 470 00:30:47,559 --> 00:30:51,480 like his physical tools absolutely overwhelm you and he can jump out of the 471 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:57,079 gym, but he's just not polished enough and like any aspect of this game 472 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:03,000 so far, and I wonder if like they feel more comfortable going with Boston 473 00:31:03,079 --> 00:31:04,039 just because like, oh, maybe we can just hide him on defense if 474 00:31:04,079 --> 00:31:07,319 we're not switching, and like actually trust him to handle the ball on offense, 475 00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:11,640 whereas with Keian, I'm not sure that he has one skill anywhere on 476 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,799 the court that you can point and be like, yeah, this is NBA 477 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,240 ready. So I think they will get some minutes, if only because, 478 00:31:18,359 --> 00:31:22,119 like I said that, the Clippers don't exactly have a ton of depth, 479 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,839 even if like the has good quality. But I wouldn't like pencil any of 480 00:31:26,839 --> 00:31:30,319 them for a rotation role on like every night. I thought Preston had the 481 00:31:30,359 --> 00:31:34,640 best chance of that, and like you mentioned, it's not looking great for 482 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:41,359 his injury prognosis at the moment. This might tell you inform how Luconar was 483 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,319 viewed last year and the Clippers. I'm only asking about him after the rookies. 484 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,000 I do assume though, that based on them starting all three of like 485 00:31:48,039 --> 00:31:52,799 their best ball handlers at this point, that Luconard will probably have a bigger 486 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,720 or tris at least more consistent role with this team going into the season. 487 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:00,880 Yeah, I think you can sort of analoze gies him to the way Lou 488 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:05,160 Williams was used by Tyler last year in that he's not closing games, you 489 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,000 know. And there's a big difference between how Lou was used in the Tyler 490 00:32:07,039 --> 00:32:10,559 system versus the Doacer Verse system. So he's sort of like the first guard 491 00:32:10,599 --> 00:32:15,039 off the bench, manages a second unit, but like also playing next to 492 00:32:15,079 --> 00:32:19,079 another guy who has the ball in his hands a lot, like Lou was 493 00:32:19,119 --> 00:32:22,079 playing with Paul George a lot. And I could see, you know, 494 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:23,680 Luke having to play next to Reggie or Paul George a lot as well in 495 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:29,079 the second unit. But they have a lot invested in him, right. 496 00:32:29,079 --> 00:32:30,640 They gave him a four year extension before he even stepped on the court as 497 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,039 a Clipper, granted the fourth year of that as a team option, and 498 00:32:34,079 --> 00:32:37,960 the money is not nearly as much as originally reported by his delightful agents at 499 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,640 CIA, so it's not as burdened some of a contract as one might seem. 500 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:47,519 But it's still a four year commitment and they want him to be good, 501 00:32:47,759 --> 00:32:51,440 you know. I bring this up a lot like the third game of 502 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,319 the season, you know, Kawhi has just been smacked in the face by 503 00:32:53,319 --> 00:32:58,440 Sergebacca. He's out with the stitches. They're playing a game against Dallas and 504 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:00,599 tylu starts Lukenardini says, yeah, Luke's going to be the guy I go 505 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,960 to when Kawhi or PG has to sit. And that lasted for all of 506 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,039 three weeks, Like it just didn't happen. Beyond that, that was the 507 00:33:07,039 --> 00:33:09,680 plan. He wanted Kennard to be in that position, and it just didn't 508 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:15,759 work out. So they like him quite a bit. Like offensively, if 509 00:33:15,759 --> 00:33:19,720 you watch him on a good days, it's so pretty right, Like he 510 00:33:19,759 --> 00:33:22,200 has a really good command of the court. He's got that pretty little lefty 511 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,000 finished around the rim, he can shoot from wherever. He's a delightful shooter. 512 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:29,119 He can work out of thhow's pick and roll, Like He's got the 513 00:33:29,119 --> 00:33:32,000 complete offensive skill set. It's just he doesn't have the confidence in his game 514 00:33:32,039 --> 00:33:36,799 at this point, especially playing on a good team like the Clippers, as 515 00:33:36,839 --> 00:33:39,279 opposed to the first three years of his career that he linguished in Detroit. 516 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:44,720 So it's funny. Taylu actually just mentioned today that like they have a number 517 00:33:44,759 --> 00:33:47,200 of sets in the half court that are designed to get the ball to Luke, 518 00:33:47,319 --> 00:33:52,000 Like they call him the Hunt Luke package. And he said, like 519 00:33:52,039 --> 00:33:54,079 I had to take him out of the court on a scrimmage because he had 520 00:33:54,079 --> 00:33:58,359 an open shot he didn't take it. So like this is what they're expecting 521 00:33:58,359 --> 00:34:00,240 from Luke Nard, Like they are going to make him a priority in their 522 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:05,720 second unit of offense, but he has to be ready for it. And 523 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:09,599 evidently there's a shortly so it could there be like a baptism by fire thought 524 00:34:09,599 --> 00:34:12,920 to that then where it's like, hey, we're gonna start Eric Blaze, 525 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,320 Paul George and Reggie Jackson to where yeah, stagger. I know starting doesn't 526 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,639 matter, but like now Luke Knard has to come off the bench, like 527 00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:23,440 maybe it forces him he'll be playing at least certain stretches with this few secondary 528 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:28,400 ball handlers or primary ball handlers as possible that maybe it forces him to be 529 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:32,719 more aggressive. I mean what I would hope. I think Luke always tends 530 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:36,519 to look more comfortable the longer he has the ball in his hands, and 531 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:38,079 they wanted to make quick decsions, but I think he just needs more minutes. 532 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:43,639 So if he can get like extended stretches with the second unit and like 533 00:34:43,679 --> 00:34:46,920 you said, being more of that lead guard with that group, I can 534 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,480 only imagine what help I just can't see him being worse than last year, 535 00:34:50,519 --> 00:34:54,039 and even last year, like he was an effective offensive player. What is 536 00:34:54,079 --> 00:34:55,960 and I'm sure we already talked about this, but what do you view as 537 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,119 the single biggest weakness of this team? So we kind of mentioned it, 538 00:35:01,199 --> 00:35:06,559 just like passing, I don't think they have a ton of like good pick 539 00:35:06,599 --> 00:35:09,000 and roll ball handlers like Luke can do it, you know, on a 540 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,360 second unit, but I don't really see him as a starting caliber pick and 541 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:15,599 roll player when the best defenses are geared up against him. Paul George has 542 00:35:15,599 --> 00:35:20,239 gotten better as a pick and roll guy, but like it pales in comparison 543 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,519 to what Kawhi was doing for this team last year. And so much of 544 00:35:22,639 --> 00:35:27,639 their driving kick game was you know, based on the fact that like Kawai 545 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,840 was drying help in the lane and then kicking the ball out or you know, 546 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:35,119 drawing help on the pick and roll and then like Zoo or Surge would 547 00:35:35,119 --> 00:35:37,679 pass out of the short roll. So I worry that they're not gonna be 548 00:35:37,679 --> 00:35:42,440 able to create as many open threes, which was such a big part of 549 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:46,960 their offense, without that offensive hub that Kawhi Leonard was. So I'm interested 550 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,719 to see like how their half court offense functions as a result. Like I 551 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:52,599 think Eric Buddz is really good at getting downhill. I think Justice Winslow is 552 00:35:52,679 --> 00:35:57,559 very good at getting downhill. But I mean, is it going to create 553 00:35:57,559 --> 00:36:00,199 the same amount of openings when they're driving versus like when Core Leonard was driving. 554 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:06,880 I think the answer is pretty clearly no. So just like the general 555 00:36:07,159 --> 00:36:10,079 passing ability and then how that effects of driving kick game is what I'm interested 556 00:36:10,079 --> 00:36:14,920 in seeing is that where you would expect the biggest drop off to come from 557 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,400 them is on offense. Without Kawhi. There they were ninth and points loud 558 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:21,800 per possession last year, and then fourth and point score posessions. There's obviously 559 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:25,880 more room from the drop off offensively, but Kawai's also even regular season Kahi 560 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:29,280 is still one of the best defenders alive in the NBA. So I think 561 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:31,639 it's probably fair to expect regression, perhaps at both ends. But would you 562 00:36:31,639 --> 00:36:36,320 be more concerned about them, you know, matching up on offense than defense 563 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:37,800 at this point? You know, I think Tyler is more of an offensive 564 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:42,480 coach. And even in the games when Kawai and Pagi were out during the 565 00:36:42,519 --> 00:36:45,519 regular season, they still had a system that worked pretty well. Granted that's 566 00:36:45,519 --> 00:36:50,280 different when it's you know, an odd night off for Kauwhi versus an entire 567 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,440 season off for Kauai. So I still think they could be a top ten 568 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:55,360 offense, but like you said, that gives them more room to drop off 569 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,280 just because of the high baseline. I think they were the second best offense 570 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:02,199 in the league year for that too, So it's it's a strong offensive ecosystem 571 00:37:02,199 --> 00:37:07,679 that's been developed in LA and I imagine it's still gonna be better than most 572 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:12,119 offenses, but yeah, you know, there's some room to fall off there, 573 00:37:12,119 --> 00:37:16,920 Whereas defensively, I think Kawhi Leonard doesn't do as much defensively during the 574 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:22,320 regular season, but he's still there in reputation matters quite a bit. But 575 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:27,880 you still got Zubach, She's still got like the tomb And you know, 576 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,840 as I list this, I'm finding fewer and fewer defenders I actually like on 577 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:35,960 the Clippers roster, So maybe there is room to fall on defense. They 578 00:37:36,039 --> 00:37:39,039 did find defensively in the minutes they played like thirteen hundred possessions without Kawai and 579 00:37:39,079 --> 00:37:43,760 Patrick Beverley and then Paul George was on the court, and that's sample size. 580 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,119 They were really good defensively and they were not so good offensively, if 581 00:37:46,119 --> 00:37:49,639 that's like any tell tale. But I do when you go through this roster, 582 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,760 though I don't look at it now and see all these like really great 583 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:58,119 a bunch of above average defenders. And it's not like Patrick Beverley would necessarily 584 00:37:58,119 --> 00:38:00,559 have changed that either. Bloodso's probably if he's Milwaukee Bloods, so he's a 585 00:38:00,599 --> 00:38:05,000 better defender than Patrick Becky. Right, Yeah, I think you're right about 586 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,320 that PG Zubosch combination. It's it's prettydamn good defensively, like as we saw 587 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:12,880 during that Conference finals against Phoenix before just like the water like came loose in 588 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:16,320 Game six, but it was hard for the Clippers to score with that lineup. 589 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,719 Like I mentioned earlier, Paul George had a hard time getting to the 590 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,880 rim with that configuration. But Sue was great defensively. And if Bloods can 591 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:28,599 just mimic what Beverly was doing, which I think is a reasonable expectation, 592 00:38:29,119 --> 00:38:32,360 Like that's three above average defenders at those three positions, and then Morris is 593 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:40,079 fine, and Reggie Jackson like is suitable. I guess he was. Morris 594 00:38:40,199 --> 00:38:45,559 is fine, Reggie Jackson is suitable. Well, you've got three above average, 595 00:38:45,639 --> 00:38:46,760 So if you've got you know, fine and suitable next to that, 596 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:52,679 then I think we're good. There you go. This changes and will I'm 597 00:38:52,679 --> 00:38:57,000 sure be based in part on how the season actually on furalls for them. 598 00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,599 But as of right now, who would you view as the most likely player 599 00:38:59,599 --> 00:39:04,760 to be trade did from this roster before the deadline? Yeah, you mentioned 600 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,079 that this question is coming up, and I still haven't come up with a 601 00:39:07,079 --> 00:39:09,679 good answer. Who is most likely to be traded? Well, it's not 602 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:16,239 it's not Paul George, it's not Archie Jackson. I don't think. I 603 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:22,039 guess Bloodstow just because I'm not sure if he still fits have no chance. 604 00:39:22,079 --> 00:39:25,199 We see like them getting scared of paying Terrence Man and trading Oh no, 605 00:39:25,199 --> 00:39:28,119 no, no no, no. Worst comes stories. They get scared of 606 00:39:28,119 --> 00:39:31,760 paying Terrence Man like they can just pick up his team option for the fourth 607 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:37,280 year, right, And if Steve Balmer is getting scared of paying someone like 608 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:42,800 that is a big, big problem. That's a really question. I just 609 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:49,119 don't see him trading like the Tune or Zoobach because of how cheap good fits 610 00:39:49,159 --> 00:39:54,119 they are. I guess like Ibaka Bloodstoe Morris, like if they needed to 611 00:39:54,159 --> 00:39:58,840 package something for like a star, you know, that's sort of the the 612 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:01,880 way it works. I couldn't come up with a good pick for them either. 613 00:40:02,119 --> 00:40:07,519 I have with a question mark next, which is Luke Kennard because for 614 00:40:07,559 --> 00:40:09,199 some reason, this like that's kind of if he has a good year and 615 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:13,679 that salary is like digestible, do you either trade him for an expiring contractor 616 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:16,480 does he help you get someone else who feels more of like a playmaking need 617 00:40:16,559 --> 00:40:21,119 for you. I just wouldn't expect anything drastic from them this year, at 618 00:40:21,199 --> 00:40:24,920 least until they know what's going on with Kauai. Obviously right, so this 619 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:30,320 is obviously matchup dependent a ton, but what do you think they're most used 620 00:40:30,679 --> 00:40:36,360 slash most effective? Crunch time lineup will end up being so I think it's 621 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,800 going to be like the starters with but tum or Man in Bloodso's place, 622 00:40:43,079 --> 00:40:52,000 or if they just go small then you could have Reggie pg Man but two 623 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:59,199 Morriss together. Is there a layers is there that seems like the most like 624 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,320 obvious one for them, But it also seems I don't want to matchup proof 625 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:06,280 like and would be like even if you're gonna have Zubox part of the closing 626 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,679 labe, it seems like they're pretty matchup proof when you're looking at closing games. 627 00:41:08,679 --> 00:41:12,199 And maybe they, like you said earlier in the podcast, they can 628 00:41:12,519 --> 00:41:15,880 always go to Morris at the five if they really want to. Yeah, 629 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:19,519 because you've got the zubatch, Like who can guard traditional centers. I mean, 630 00:41:19,639 --> 00:41:22,920 he is just it's good enough to like play back to the basket against 631 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:27,679 eight and or whoever you know you put at the five, and then you've 632 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:29,760 got the Morse option if you need to spread a team out like they did 633 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:31,000 against Utah. They even did that during the regular season. Actually, it 634 00:41:31,039 --> 00:41:34,599 wasn't just the thing that they bust out during the playoffs. When they played 635 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:38,119 Utah at full strength in February. That was what they did at the end 636 00:41:38,159 --> 00:41:44,199 of the regular season game and it was just gangbusters. And then Ibaka's sort 637 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:47,320 of like a meet in the middle option where they anticipate him being able to 638 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:51,400 switch. I'm not sure if he can still do it, especially with his 639 00:41:52,119 --> 00:41:54,719 recent BacT surgery, but at least it gives you a stretch option on offense, 640 00:41:54,960 --> 00:42:02,519 which gives you sort of that compromise of like having a real center defender 641 00:42:02,519 --> 00:42:07,199 ball also creating more space. On the other art, if you're a tailu, 642 00:42:07,679 --> 00:42:12,000 what's a weirdo wonky lineup that you're throwing out just to see, just 643 00:42:12,039 --> 00:42:16,400 to see what happens. So Giles Canard Winslow plus any two other guys. 644 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:22,559 You can figure out why I'm picking at but let's see. I kind of 645 00:42:22,559 --> 00:42:27,880 just like the idea of five wings together. So like that closing line if 646 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:30,480 I mentioned, but like in place of Reggie, let's just throw Winslow and 647 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:37,679 see what happens. Yeah, like Winslow PG the tomb Man Morris, I 648 00:42:37,679 --> 00:42:40,760 think would be just super fun because they're all six six to sixty eight, 649 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:47,519 and that's just like my dream ideal of basketball. I'm not sure if there's 650 00:42:47,599 --> 00:42:51,079 enough playmaking there, though. I guess you can put the ball in like 651 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:54,280 manner the tombs hands and just feel comfortable with it so that Paul George just 652 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:58,079 have to do everything. But yeah, that's that's where I would go. 653 00:42:58,119 --> 00:43:00,800 Just five wings, let's have some fun. So the lineup I came up 654 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:05,800 with his ears eerily similar and has even less playmaking because the only player that 655 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:07,639 was different it was instead of man I just have key On Johnson in there. 656 00:43:08,559 --> 00:43:13,840 Let's really go five wings and see what happens. That's I'm a sucker 657 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:15,960 for that type of basketball. I actually don't think that lineup would end well 658 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:22,280 offensively, but I would watch it if you just have Winslow through Labs to 659 00:43:22,679 --> 00:43:25,599 Johnson in transition, like, let's just more of that. Yeah, that's 660 00:43:25,599 --> 00:43:29,079 fine too. That Look, there's the pathway that they're gonna be. That's 661 00:43:29,079 --> 00:43:32,159 a top ten offensive lineup. So this may surprise you, but their win 662 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:36,800 total over under is not thirty six point five like I sent you in the 663 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:38,559 outline. It is, as we record this, forty five point five. 664 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:44,280 And would you, as of right now, you know, without knowing for 665 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:47,039 sure what's happening with Kauai, take the over under on that. I think 666 00:43:47,039 --> 00:43:51,840 it's a really good line because I have the Clippers sort of pegged as like 667 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:55,639 a top ten offense, like ten eleven maybe, and also a top ten 668 00:43:55,679 --> 00:43:59,639 defense. And I was looking at cleaning the glass and the teams that were 669 00:43:59,679 --> 00:44:02,000 in like that ten eleven range last year one fifty seven percent of the games, 670 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:07,480 which is forty seven wins during the season. So I am just over 671 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:12,440 on that Clippers over under. I've been picking too many overs on these podcasts, 672 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:15,239 so I think I'm defaulting to the under here. Just Kawai gives me 673 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,119 the excuse to general optimism. Man, it's not such a bad thing. 674 00:44:20,159 --> 00:44:22,280 So the other thing here too is I always listen, like, where do 675 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:25,119 you see them finishing in the West, But you could there's like seven or 676 00:44:25,159 --> 00:44:29,039 eight teams, or if you told me they finished first or second in the 677 00:44:29,079 --> 00:44:30,280 West, like I wouldn't be shocked. You tell me that the Clippers finished 678 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:34,000 like eighth or ninth at this point in the West, I also would not 679 00:44:34,039 --> 00:44:38,360 be surprised. So they're like, you have a ballpark range for the Let's 680 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:42,480 say if Kawai doesn't play at all this year, it would be a realistic 681 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:45,119 position for them to target. I see them around like six seven. I 682 00:44:45,119 --> 00:44:47,599 think if they can get out of the plane, you know, to that 683 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:52,000 sixth, it's probably a successful regular season. But I could also see them 684 00:44:52,079 --> 00:44:53,679 jumping as high as fourth, you know, like hosting a first round series 685 00:44:53,719 --> 00:44:57,679 is not out of the question unless we forget they finished for them in the 686 00:44:57,679 --> 00:45:00,000 West for reverence last year, So I can you imagine they have the same 687 00:45:00,199 --> 00:45:04,360 wins and also its first round playoff series with I mean like a different team 688 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:06,960 when you go through it. If you had to pick the teams that you 689 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,039 know are going to be better than the Clippers, I kind of stopped. 690 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:14,920 I went Jazz, Sons, Lakers, and then like I didn't feel comfortable 691 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:17,239 putting anyone else in that conversation. Obviously Denver I put there if we knew 692 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:22,280 what was happening with Jamal Murray and maybe MPJ is a star, But like, 693 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,159 there are only three, maybe four teams that you could definitively say, 694 00:45:24,199 --> 00:45:28,239 and that might even be a stretch, like would you would you be shocked 695 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:30,280 if they were better than Phoenix this year? Like I probably wouldn't be wouldn't 696 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:34,559 starting the regular season, I would be shocked the next Yes, Yeah, 697 00:45:34,639 --> 00:45:37,559 Chris Paul is just really good during the regular season. Has a way of 698 00:45:37,599 --> 00:45:40,800 raising the floor of his teams. They figured out their backup center thing. 699 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:45,760 You know, I think Jamie McGee's gonna be fine there, So they figure 700 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,920 out their backup center thing. I think so I voiced squeaking because I don't 701 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:53,039 think they adequate backup center. He was a starting center for the number one 702 00:45:53,039 --> 00:45:57,440 seen Lakers just two years ago. I think he'll be great. He doesn't 703 00:45:57,519 --> 00:46:00,280 let them play small the way they were with Dario. But like, there's 704 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:05,920 there's enough like Thad Thad Young smoke to Phoenix that I'm thinking, Nay, 705 00:46:06,039 --> 00:46:08,440 it picks that pretty easily. I really wanted Larry Dames Jr. To end 706 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:12,199 up there. It's clear that they probably wouldn't have had the juice to get 707 00:46:12,199 --> 00:46:14,679 that, but ye have Sad Young's obvious they are. I'm making fun of 708 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:15,639 them, but they are my pick to come out of the West as of 709 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:19,599 right now? Or is there the way to change that? Deandret and said 710 00:46:19,599 --> 00:46:22,199 some stuff It was the other day that was just weird where he was like, 711 00:46:22,239 --> 00:46:23,360 now that I know to play the big man role that I don't like 712 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:28,920 playing three point shootings the next Frontiers. It was the weirdest thing. Maybe 713 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:30,000 he'll explain it, maybe it was out of context, but it made me 714 00:46:30,039 --> 00:46:32,719 worried that, like, is he pissed he didn't get an extension yet? 715 00:46:32,719 --> 00:46:37,079 Like, are we gonna see the kind of media day quote that would have 716 00:46:37,119 --> 00:46:42,400 made the rounds had there not been like so much vaccination. It was. 717 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:45,800 It was legitimately bizarre. I had like I took up now, Yeah, 718 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:49,840 I'll link you to it in the DMS, which I'll find it. So 719 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,119 was there any one or anything about this team I did not ask you about? 720 00:46:52,199 --> 00:46:54,639 And if, if you need, if you feel obligated to provide an 721 00:46:54,639 --> 00:46:58,960 answer for the Toronto Raptors over under, you feel free to go with that 722 00:46:59,039 --> 00:47:01,159 too. I haven't given much though to the Raptors. In truth, I 723 00:47:01,199 --> 00:47:07,440 didn't even watch their summer league. I hear good things about Canada. Yeah, 724 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:09,199 I mean I haven't watching the Blue Jays. If that's any consolation for 725 00:47:09,559 --> 00:47:15,440 the Canadian fans. Let's see. I think we talked about every when we 726 00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:21,400 got some PG in there, Reggie Vatum. Marcus Morris shot forty seven percent 727 00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:23,119 on threes last year. I believe he was second highest in the league behind 728 00:47:23,199 --> 00:47:29,320 Joe Harris. I of the belief that Marcus Morris is in the downturn of 729 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:30,960 his career. I've heard some Kelly arguments that if he's healthy, he should 730 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:37,480 be like a potential second score for the Clippers. I am less convinced that 731 00:47:37,519 --> 00:47:39,920 he is capable of doing that. Okay, I would like to see Marcus 732 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:45,840 Morris become a good rebounder that I think is a really important swing skill for 733 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:49,639 the Clippers. It feels like we have almost a decades of evidence that that's 734 00:47:49,679 --> 00:47:52,760 probably not going to happen. Is there any reason why you think he's on 735 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:57,719 the downturn? Is it just what you saw from him last season? I 736 00:47:57,760 --> 00:48:00,639 mean, I just were about the knees. You know, he didn't have 737 00:48:00,679 --> 00:48:02,639 a procedure or anything during the off season, so it's not like anything was 738 00:48:02,679 --> 00:48:07,400 corrected. He just got some rest after the playoffs. He said during media 739 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:10,639 day, which is the time when everyone is at their absolute most optimistic. 740 00:48:10,840 --> 00:48:14,360 I'm not one hundred percent. No one is ever one hundred percent, So 741 00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:19,679 I don't like to hear that. And seven is a lot of threes to 742 00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:23,280 make. I don't think forty seven percent is a replicable number. You know, 743 00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:28,599 we're on the wrong side of thirty here. I still have just hard 744 00:48:28,599 --> 00:48:30,320 and fast rules about the aging car. Yeah. I look, if the 745 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:32,760 foundation of the argument is I don't think he's going to hit half of his 746 00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:37,280 three pointers, that's like a very valid val extends to take at this point. 747 00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:43,960 So can you tell our listeners where they can find you on social media 748 00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:46,440 and follow your work? Yeah? Absolutely so. I covered the Clippers for 749 00:48:46,599 --> 00:48:52,039 clips nation dot Com. I am on Twitter at Sabrina JM. And if 750 00:48:52,039 --> 00:48:54,159 you're a w NBA fan, I do a YouTube show called The step Through 751 00:48:54,199 --> 00:48:59,400 that is continuing through the playoffs, so you should check that. I reiterate 752 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:04,320 she's a Fantassic Follow follower at Sabrina j M at s A B R E 753 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:07,000 n A j M. Thank you as always Sabrina for coming on to talk 754 00:49:07,079 --> 00:49:09,719 rous with me. I always enjoy it, and as you have to know 755 00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:13,760 by now, I will be pastoring you again in the future, so thank 756 00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:13,920 you. A