1 00:00:14,919 --> 00:00:19,320 What is up, fellow Thermo nuclear a Eppers. I am Damn Valley coming 2 00:00:19,359 --> 00:00:22,480 at you with what will be a very swift intro. We're getting into the 3 00:00:22,519 --> 00:00:27,079 second half of our Western Conference podcast where Grant and I I'm delivered our biggest 4 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,239 question for each team we try to talk ourselves through it. We did the 5 00:00:31,879 --> 00:00:36,719 Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, 6 00:00:36,719 --> 00:00:39,719 Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies. In the first podcast, we 7 00:00:39,759 --> 00:00:43,719 have the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Pelicans, excuse me, 8 00:00:44,079 --> 00:00:49,359 Oklahoma City thunder, Portland Trailblazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento King, San 9 00:00:49,359 --> 00:00:52,399 Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz. In this podcast, check out the first 10 00:00:52,439 --> 00:00:55,679 part if you haven't already, I hope you enjoyed this one and very quickly 11 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,039 just subscribe to us if you haven't done it already. If this is your 12 00:00:58,079 --> 00:01:00,520 first time, checking us out via podcast, Spotify, Apple, throw us 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,359 the permanent sub and a rating and review, Shout us out on Twitter, 14 00:01:03,439 --> 00:01:07,840 retweet our promos. Word of mouth really helps us as well. If you're 15 00:01:07,879 --> 00:01:11,239 watching on YouTube for the first time, please consider hitting that subscribe button, 16 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,519 liking the videos, commenting on them to maybe help the algorithm love us back 17 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,359 and this community continue to grow. Let's get into our biggest question for every 18 00:01:19,439 --> 00:01:23,359 NBA team in the Western Conference, part do we are on too? Man? 19 00:01:23,359 --> 00:01:29,239 This pace is terrible? The Minnesota Timberwolves, look, I have so 20 00:01:29,239 --> 00:01:32,840 many questions about I want to take the low hanging fruit and go with the 21 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,280 vibes, but I think we just have to go with is the offense gonna 22 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:41,319 click? They're nineteenth in points scored per possession right now. That is not 23 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,400 good. Seventeenth and three point attempt rate and twentieth in three point percentage. 24 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:51,680 There are you can expect, like some I'll call them progressions to the mean 25 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,640 on this team, but I do think it's the kind of a problem that 26 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:59,439 Jade McDaniels is sixth in three point attempts for them, and yeah, he's 27 00:01:59,519 --> 00:02:01,159 hitting them at a thirty six point one percent clip, but like you need 28 00:02:01,159 --> 00:02:04,920 if you're gonna have him on the floor, like two point six three point 29 00:02:04,959 --> 00:02:07,120 attempts per game in nearly thirty minutes is not going to do it for me. 30 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,000 And you're not playing some of the other guys who you know are gonna 31 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:15,360 jack it up heavy minutes. You're also run into some line up staggering issues 32 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,439 where it's okay, we just can't we can't play Kyle and understand Rudy Gobert 33 00:02:19,599 --> 00:02:23,360 together. And then the minutes are so. When Towns and Gobert on the 34 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,039 court, they have a one oh four point four offensive rating, which is 35 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,120 in the eighth percentile. They're shooting thirty point eight percent from deep in those 36 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:35,879 minutes. When Towns plays without Gobert, surprise, surprise, those lineups are 37 00:02:35,879 --> 00:02:38,520 shooting and scoring better. They're also giving up a one nineteen point four defensive 38 00:02:38,599 --> 00:02:44,639 rating. They've barely been a net positive in those minutes. When Gobert plays 39 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:50,000 without Towns, the Timbers are minus eight points per one hundred possessions with a 40 00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:53,719 one oh four six offensive rating, which is again in the eighth percentile. 41 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,240 And the defense, by the way, which I found interesting during those minutes, 42 00:02:57,319 --> 00:03:00,159 was barely average. I think when you look at the lineup contact in 43 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,960 some of the games that I've seen, there's just they're asking him to do 44 00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:07,560 a lot during those like it's not just because Towns is off the floor, 45 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:09,879 but the offense doesn't look like it's humming, and then you're asking Towns to 46 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:15,199 really uplift like a group defensively. And the solution is just it has to 47 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,599 come internally because you can't do anything externally. I guess you could move d'anzel 48 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,159 Russell. I know that some people have made jokes that can they make another 49 00:03:23,159 --> 00:03:27,360 deal with Utah where they get my comedy and it's just like I know d'anzel 50 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,639 Russell's expiring and commedy has that, you know, huge partial guarantee next year. 51 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:35,000 I don't think the Jazz are doing it. Would have to be Conley, 52 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,439 and I think another salary like I don't, they wouldn't do it straight 53 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,520 up in my opinion. And deanzel Russell, I don't know if he fixes 54 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:45,360 everything like Anty Edwards can talk about or people can talk about his lack of 55 00:03:45,439 --> 00:03:47,080 dunks and then he can talk about how he likes to play with the floors 56 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:53,800 based out his perimeter shooting has suffered more than his interior volume at least, 57 00:03:53,919 --> 00:03:59,680 and so you're counting on him to make And that's, by the way, 58 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,680 that's why you make It's not because you thought Towns and Gobert first and foremost. 59 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,159 We're gonna be this dominant Twin Towers pairing. You make the Gobert trade 60 00:04:06,199 --> 00:04:12,000 because you believe Andy Edwards is making the leap that shake Gilgi Alexander's making right 61 00:04:12,039 --> 00:04:14,919 now, and he's not. He's just not. And even if you thought 62 00:04:14,919 --> 00:04:18,040 it was gonna be a hair below like you know, MVP caliber, like 63 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:23,040 you were still counting on him to make a leap into top fifteen, top 64 00:04:23,079 --> 00:04:26,680 twenty five player territory, and he just hasn't done that yet. And I 65 00:04:26,759 --> 00:04:30,959 understand there's warts here. I also wonder how much Karl Anthony Town's missing, 66 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,279 like so much of training camp in the preseason while he was sick, how 67 00:04:34,319 --> 00:04:41,319 that goes into it. But like this team just doesn't have an offensive rhythm 68 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,959 or identity. It feels like when you go back and watch a lot of 69 00:04:43,959 --> 00:04:46,480 their half court possessions, there's just so much like, well, what is 70 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,480 happening here? And why are they standing around? They can't They're not getting 71 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,600 into the foul line a ton, They're turning the ball over a bunch, 72 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,160 and then that is definitely impacting. Look they are as we record this, 73 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,680 they have they rop There's no way this is accurate. They are so they're 74 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,920 nineteenth in defense now after being I know, Gobert miss time set account or 75 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:11,120 but now they've dropped to nineteenth in defense, and some of that just comes 76 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,800 back to you know, when you are missing a shot. This is not 77 00:05:14,879 --> 00:05:18,720 a team that you're depending on to get back right now. They're twenty fifth 78 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,680 in points lout per possession though after they make a shot, which is very 79 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:28,920 troubling. I'm just the offense is not. I guess I never expected to 80 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,920 be super seamless, but the Town's Gobert fit has been more finicky than I 81 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:38,639 ever would have expected, and I'm wondering aside from okay, Anthy Edwards just 82 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:44,439 eventually makes that huge leap, like how are you getting better here offensively? 83 00:05:44,759 --> 00:05:48,519 And I don't necessarily know the answer, like Towns has room to play better. 84 00:05:48,519 --> 00:05:50,639 I want to make that clear. This isn't just Anthy Edwards fault. 85 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:56,399 I think Gobert has probably been like the one who's had to adjust the least, 86 00:05:56,519 --> 00:06:00,680 but also probably because the entire team is adjusting to him other than necessarily 87 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,079 the other way around, just because he's such a specific offensive player. And 88 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:09,000 so I'm you know, you can officially color me concerned about the Timberwolves offense. 89 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:14,120 Yeah, it's it's weird too because you just look at their effective field 90 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,279 will percentage, they're eighth, right and and and based on where they're getting 91 00:06:17,319 --> 00:06:20,480 their shots, they could be seven that those you know, there's nothing way 92 00:06:20,519 --> 00:06:27,199 out of whack there, So it's just and then like that's like shockingly high 93 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,680 based on like how it's looked, right, it's just the and how it 94 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,000 sounded. Because every time you read a John Krasinski article, you know, 95 00:06:35,439 --> 00:06:39,160 three out of four of them have player quotes they're talking about like there's just 96 00:06:39,199 --> 00:06:42,879 no heart, there's no you know where there's no there's no grit, there's 97 00:06:42,879 --> 00:06:46,720 no all this like coach speak stuff. But it's like it's undeniable when you 98 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,040 watch Minnesota play that I don't know, yeah that we're doing are we really 99 00:06:50,319 --> 00:06:54,480 I hate to do like the vibe check. But it's just that that is 100 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,040 part of what it feels like. I think if you're I mean, if 101 00:06:58,079 --> 00:07:02,839 you're trying to be solution oriented, there just isn't there isn't a fix other 102 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:10,199 than patience and trusting that in all the things that you thought were true three 103 00:07:10,279 --> 00:07:14,639 months ago can still be true, which is just that there's so much talent 104 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,480 here, it's a big adjustment offensively, some of the some of the underlying 105 00:07:18,519 --> 00:07:21,959 stuff suggests like, you know, I think we're gonna be okay if we 106 00:07:23,079 --> 00:07:26,000 you know, take care of the ball, you know, do some more 107 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,639 offensive rebounding should be better if you have Gobert in there and there's like size 108 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,439 and length, you know, and athleticism across the rest of the roster. 109 00:07:32,199 --> 00:07:35,600 Stop turning it over so much, which is maybe the first thing you point 110 00:07:35,639 --> 00:07:41,240 to the other twenty third right now and turnover percentage. If you're looking for 111 00:07:41,279 --> 00:07:44,519 signs that there's an adjustment period and they haven't quite figured it out. Nobody's 112 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,839 sure where to be, when to move, where to get, Like that's 113 00:07:46,879 --> 00:07:51,639 that's a sign. I think that that's just true that these guys are not 114 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:57,000 comfortable together yet. So yeah, if we put the vibe check aside, 115 00:07:57,839 --> 00:08:01,600 I just uh, And this is an unsatisfying answer because you know, we're 116 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,560 trying to solve the problem or answer the question, but it's like there's just 117 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:11,560 there's enough talent here it should make sense together the offensively that you know that 118 00:08:11,639 --> 00:08:16,519 this will be a top ten offense, Like it just I don't. Maybe 119 00:08:16,519 --> 00:08:20,000 that's maybe that's like just being too dismissive of some of the stuff we've seen 120 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,839 so far. But we're also fourteen games in. There's a lot of a 121 00:08:24,839 --> 00:08:28,920 lot to go, and I think Edwards is the one I'm concerned about, 122 00:08:28,959 --> 00:08:31,720 to be honest, because the leap feels like it should have happened, and 123 00:08:31,759 --> 00:08:37,559 it's we've seen nothing of the sort. I'm not so concerned about the dunks 124 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,039 because he is getting to the rim about as much as ever in terms of 125 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:46,879 frequency a percentage of his field goal attempts. It just feels like he should 126 00:08:46,879 --> 00:08:50,200 be set up with a great screener now in Gobert, to get some easy 127 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:56,159 ones, and those aren't really materializing. So I'm concerned. I just think 128 00:08:56,639 --> 00:08:58,600 I just keep coming back to the talent, and it's just difficult to integrate 129 00:08:58,639 --> 00:09:07,039 someone like Gobert, who just but Utah had number one offenses all the time. 130 00:09:07,159 --> 00:09:09,679 With Gobert and Volved, I just well, they had they had guys 131 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,759 who could hit catching shoot jumpers, which right now the Timberwolves do not. 132 00:09:11,879 --> 00:09:16,759 They're they're in the bottom four of catching shoot effective field good percent it right 133 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:18,919 now, which is that's really bad. It's very much testing the theory that 134 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,480 if you have Karl Anthony Towns, you have a great offense, just full 135 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:26,240 stop, which used to be the case generally speaking. When he was on 136 00:09:26,279 --> 00:09:28,240 the floor, it's like a tray young. It's the tray young thing. 137 00:09:28,279 --> 00:09:33,000 If he's not on the floor. No, that's yeah, it's a tough 138 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,879 one. I'm if this were piece of what is it, piece or panic, 139 00:09:35,919 --> 00:09:39,240 I'd still be preaching peace. But it's it's a concern for sure. 140 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:46,000 We have the New Orleans Pelicans next, we're gonna get more specific. Do 141 00:09:46,039 --> 00:09:50,320 they need to trade a pick slash picks for a rim protector? It's you 142 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:56,679 know there there's We've we talked about Zion's defense. Uh, last time we 143 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:01,519 recorded. I think it's a problem. It's not the only problem, but 144 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,200 it's part of a situation where you know, the opponents are getting to the 145 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,240 rim, you know, way too often. I think New Orleans was in 146 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,080 the bottom ten, twenty third when I when I did the stats. But 147 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,919 they're making everything. They're shooting seventy point four percent at the rim. Pelican's 148 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,440 opponents are twenty seventh in the league. So yeah, it's Zion. He 149 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:24,440 doesn't stay in front of anybody. He can't navigate a screen. But it's 150 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:28,279 not like, you know, CJ. McCollum is some shutdown guy there. 151 00:10:28,279 --> 00:10:30,840 It's kind of you know, anytime we talk about bad room numbers, it 152 00:10:30,879 --> 00:10:33,840 is a lot of the perimeter defense. It's not just the fact that the 153 00:10:33,879 --> 00:10:37,559 Pelicans. You know, Valanciunis is not a good room protector. Larry nance 154 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,960 Junior is a really good player, and he's closing games for them, but 155 00:10:41,039 --> 00:10:45,480 he's also not someone that's gonna single handedly clean up all the messes that are 156 00:10:45,519 --> 00:10:50,879 happening in terms of blowbys and stuff. The other trickle down effect is if 157 00:10:50,919 --> 00:10:54,120 you're not defending the rim, you're siphoning a bunch of extra bodies down there. 158 00:10:54,159 --> 00:10:56,240 Everybody's got a foot in the lane to try to help, and opponents 159 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,759 are missing a lot of threes, but they're getting a lot of threes. 160 00:11:01,759 --> 00:11:03,480 So New Orleans right now is top ten in defense, or it was when 161 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,919 I did these numbers. I don't think that's gonna last because if you don't 162 00:11:07,919 --> 00:11:11,679 solve the rim stuff, you're going to continue to surrender some high value threes 163 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:16,440 and they're gonna start going in. So then it's like, well, you 164 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,759 know, the Pelicans have ten firsts in the next seven drafts. You could 165 00:11:18,759 --> 00:11:24,600 throw together the salaries of Demonte Graham, Jackson Hayes. I throw Valan Tunis 166 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,240 in there. I don't think that's gonna be your likeliest move, but that's 167 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,600 a big number. I think you just pissed off the entire Pelicans fan base 168 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,879 by saying, look, I'm trying to fix the team. I'm trying to 169 00:11:33,879 --> 00:11:37,399 address a weakness. Garrett Temple too. You got like forty ish a little 170 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,000 less than forty million in salary you could piece together, not saying you should 171 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,840 spend all that on a rim protector for a team that's really good as it 172 00:11:43,919 --> 00:11:50,799 is and might just be like a schematic tweak away from being passable. You 173 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,039 know, are you looking at Miles Turner, is Jaka Peartle someone you're gonna 174 00:11:54,039 --> 00:11:56,559 go for. I mean, do you go get Mo Bamba from the Magic 175 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:03,480 and say, like, hey you anymore? I just think just zooming out 176 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:09,639 if you're gonna finish games or play good teams with Zion ce J McCollum, 177 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,399 and Ingram is. Ingram's the best of those three, but he's not perfect. 178 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,000 It's hard for guys with his frame to get around screens. He's just 179 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,440 there's just too many limbs that are too long and too easy to catch on 180 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,159 a screen. If those are guys are going to be out there, Herb 181 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:26,000 Jones can't guard everybody, and then Valentinis just isn't good enough to turn it. 182 00:12:26,039 --> 00:12:30,840 So that's why they're playing nance a lot, just I mean, because 183 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,879 you're getting more mobility, more passing, more other stuff. It's the sort 184 00:12:33,919 --> 00:12:37,559 of offset. So is do you is now the time? Do you? 185 00:12:37,639 --> 00:12:41,559 Do you? Wait? Do you? I mean they're probably just gonna get 186 00:12:41,519 --> 00:12:46,000 when but Nama when the Lakers pick swaps and it's field this over the summer. 187 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:50,480 But it's it's an issue for a really good team, So I think 188 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,039 it's worth sphighlighting and asking like how you how you improve this and what you 189 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,519 what you're willing to give up to do it? Do you think Rudy Gobert 190 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:01,159 is available? I'd rather have a victor. Look, I'm with you, 191 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,200 and I've long been of the mind that they should just go out and get 192 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,159 Miles Turner. I think even if you believe Joanna sound shown this is the 193 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:11,679 better player overall, reasonable to this point, because especially the ability situation, 194 00:13:13,039 --> 00:13:15,480 Miles Turner is just such a better fit. I'll go out and do it, 195 00:13:15,519 --> 00:13:16,720 and it's not going to cost you a premiere first round pick. At 196 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,240 this point, it's pretty clear. Just go out and get it done, 197 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,240 and then maybe you're sending Jannah sound Shoot to somewhere else we're getting actual value, 198 00:13:24,399 --> 00:13:26,120 like for because I think Jana sound Shoot is the first round pick. 199 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,720 There's a little steep for Miles Turn at this point. I'd just be curious 200 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,080 and he might not do it because they're probably waiting to see if the Lakers 201 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:35,799 will go up there too first. I would do it. I would also 202 00:13:35,799 --> 00:13:41,799 counter with do you know what I would try before making a trade's giving Zion 203 00:13:41,919 --> 00:13:45,240 the ball in the half court and having him run a fucking pick and roll. 204 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:48,679 Yeah, they're not doing it and they've never done it, like absurd 205 00:13:48,799 --> 00:13:52,200 volume. And it's the other issue is just like even give him the ball 206 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,159 more in the front court, especially when you're trying to bust up zones. 207 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:03,360 He is averaging lets. I'll do it this way. Five percent of his 208 00:14:03,399 --> 00:14:07,720 offensive possessions are coming as pick and roll ball handler touches. His last full 209 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:13,440 season twenty twenty one, that number was closer to fifteen percent. His pick 210 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,039 and roll possessions per game if you want to do it that way. They've 211 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,799 been cut like they've been thirded one point it was three point two, then 212 00:14:18,799 --> 00:14:22,559 it's one point one. Now I know you have CJ. I know you 213 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,600 have brandon Ingram, But like those guys, especially knowing the spots they like 214 00:14:26,679 --> 00:14:28,759 to get to on the floor, they're not necessarily the ones that you want 215 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,879 to attack, like the teeth of those defenses. I think brand Ingram has 216 00:14:31,879 --> 00:14:37,080 improved enough off the ball where you can prioritize Hey, just give it to 217 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,360 Like I don't. I'm the people in charge of New Orleans have forgotten about 218 00:14:41,399 --> 00:14:43,600 basketball more than I will ever know. I recognize that. I don't. 219 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,840 I don't want to oversimplify it, but like hey, gives eye on the 220 00:14:46,879 --> 00:14:50,759 ball and tell him to go and look. There are nights where it's he 221 00:14:50,799 --> 00:14:54,559 doesn't look the same, where it's just sort of like he's bailing out before 222 00:14:54,559 --> 00:14:56,679 you get to the rim or taking these weird, tough angled layups. Is 223 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,519 it a symptom of oh, he doesn't look the same. Is he still 224 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,240 dealing with the what do you have like a hip issue earlier? Is he 225 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,399 just not all the way back from his foot injury. Is something materially changed 226 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,360 here or is this just a matter of under exposure, Like it's let's do 227 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:15,320 this more. And so I think before you make a trade. This sounds 228 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:16,720 stupid to say, because they're ninth in offense, by the way, like 229 00:15:16,799 --> 00:15:20,240 you're we're talking about their defense, their defense, but the defense matters a 230 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,120 lot less if you get up to first in offense, right, like you 231 00:15:24,159 --> 00:15:28,360 can you can juice the differential that way. Look, but here's the other 232 00:15:28,399 --> 00:15:31,919 thing is that they're twenty fourth. They're half court offense is fourteenth, but 233 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,399 they're twenty fourth and efficiency after they grab their own miss so like that's supposed 234 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,200 to be. I'm just I'm just saying, like more of Zion in certain 235 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:45,039 situations. And if, if, however, you are concerned about maybe him 236 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,559 sort of leveling off offensively a little bit, then you go out right now 237 00:15:48,879 --> 00:15:52,559 and you you get Miles Turner because it's important, it's imperative that your defense 238 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,679 becomes playoff proof. And right now, I'd just be curious to see whether 239 00:15:56,799 --> 00:16:00,799 it is they've had they've been the team that's had like well maybe not the 240 00:16:00,799 --> 00:16:03,039 most ups and downs. It feels like they were on this high. Just 241 00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:06,679 we were certainly not a Pelicans how to start the year, and now they've 242 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:11,960 like they dropped and then maybe now they've plateaued a little bit. Yeah, 243 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,240 oh this is me. I'm like waiting, like, well, what was 244 00:16:14,279 --> 00:16:18,679 Grant was Grant doing? I'm the Oklahoma City Thunder Now I was going to 245 00:16:18,639 --> 00:16:22,000 do the And we've talked about on the podcast. Should Shay Gilgras Auxander be 246 00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:26,440 in the MVP discussion? The answer is yes, I understand there's a certain 247 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,679 you need to be, like between the top five and a top five and 248 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,039 top twelve player. I'm gonna let everyone in on a little secret. That's 249 00:16:33,039 --> 00:16:37,120 exactly what say Gilgras Alexander is right now, the thunder of outscored opponents by 250 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:40,960 thirty three total points with him on the court. The Mavericks have outscored opponents 251 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:44,039 by thirty two points with Luca Nanchich on the court. Those are not perfect 252 00:16:44,039 --> 00:16:47,720 comps, but I think you could pretty clearly make the case that Dallas is 253 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,039 supporting cast at the top. Dorian Phinney, Smith, Christian wood Spencer, 254 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:56,000 Dinwoody is preferable to lu Door, Josh Giddy and Alexey Polkashevski. However, 255 00:16:57,399 --> 00:17:02,720 oh what Basketball refer his pages going off in the background, fucking basketball reference 256 00:17:02,759 --> 00:17:10,160 adding AutoPlay ads. My actual question is, does alex Say Pokassevski belong in 257 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,880 the most improved player discussion? And I'm not trolling. We know how I 258 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:18,480 feel about Poku. Since he's his last four games after he missed a couple, 259 00:17:18,799 --> 00:17:22,599 he is at fourteen point eight points to assist, one point zero steals, 260 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,200 two point five blocks, shooting fifty two point nine percent from three on 261 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,680 four plus attempts and sixty two point five percent on twos. He is contesting 262 00:17:30,799 --> 00:17:33,880 a shit ton of shots at the rim. Opponents are shooting under sixty percent 263 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,759 against him at the rim, which in his role and given his frame, 264 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,720 is huge. Now when you watch him, this is me looking at the 265 00:17:40,839 --> 00:17:44,640 entire season, not just the last four games. He is so much more 266 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,440 complimentary. He understands his body, he understands how he's supposed to be used 267 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:53,119 within the offense. He is active on defense. He's become this reliable floor 268 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,160 spacer for them and someone who's going to give you some emergency self creation. 269 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:04,440 My actual Alexei Pokachevski question is were like it's not is he gonna be in 270 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,839 the most improved player discussion. I think Shay is more likely to win it 271 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,720 than him. It's do they have another long term viable I don't want to 272 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:17,440 say building block, but on the same level as just like if you view 273 00:18:17,559 --> 00:18:22,559 lu Dort as a keeper, you should view Alexei Pokachevski as a keeper to 274 00:18:22,559 --> 00:18:26,039 this team, Like is he part of the next good iteration of the Thunder? 275 00:18:26,079 --> 00:18:27,960 Because I don't even want to phrase it. Is he more than just 276 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:33,039 this novel concept? I think, look to me, maybe maybe that is 277 00:18:33,039 --> 00:18:34,880 a fair question. I thought we got there at points last year, like 278 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,400 from when he came back in February after he was out of the lineup for 279 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,039 a little bit. He played really well. But I feel like if you 280 00:18:41,079 --> 00:18:44,559 want that to be the question, find whoever's listening to this, like is 281 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,920 like Poku feels like like this is a real player for the future for the 282 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,440 Thunder. Is my question, and I'm it's a weird question to ask because 283 00:18:52,519 --> 00:18:55,440 I have an answer to it, but like it's one I wanted to phrase 284 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,559 to someone who's maybe outside of like my Poku bubble. Yeah, no, 285 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:04,599 that it's it's a great question. I think in terms of improvement. When 286 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,920 he when his first year in the league, he was one of the most 287 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:14,400 damaging players anywhere. Like he just I mean, shot twenty eight percent from 288 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,960 three, took four point six of them per game, shot thirty four percent 289 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,759 from the field. Like this guy's playing rotation slash starting role for parts of 290 00:19:21,759 --> 00:19:23,839 his rookie season, most of which he was eighteen years old for by the 291 00:19:23,839 --> 00:19:30,039 way, So from coming from there to now, like he's a plus defensive 292 00:19:30,039 --> 00:19:33,519 player, like just he's he is a he is a value add on defense 293 00:19:33,599 --> 00:19:37,680 and the ball is going in on offense thirty seven percent from three, forty 294 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,680 six from the field, blocking shots, still playing twenty four minutes a game 295 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,240 overall, but like he said, has just been much better. I think, 296 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,079 Like and he's he's not twenty one yet, so he's a plus defender 297 00:19:52,640 --> 00:20:00,400 with offensive upside, just shy of averaging double figures in scoring and like is 298 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,319 helpful just just just there, take out like the length, take out the 299 00:20:04,599 --> 00:20:10,079 man. Like he's an interesting guy as a seven super mobile, seven foot 300 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:14,799 guy. Where do you play him? The opportunities and potential is you know, 301 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,920 off the charts theoretically for what types of lineups you could build that involve 302 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,799 him, especially if he's gonna be like a major shoplocker. Just being his 303 00:20:22,839 --> 00:20:29,319 age and being a plus defender with his frame is like absolutely, he's He's 304 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,920 a piece that is a long term piece. There the only other guy I 305 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:34,799 think, you know, and it's obviously early. I think, you know, 306 00:20:34,839 --> 00:20:38,640 Giddy is potentially going to be pretty good. I don't see like star 307 00:20:38,799 --> 00:20:42,599 upside for him. I think Jalen Williams is really good. Are is gonna 308 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,680 be really good. He had a bunch of spot up threes last night off 309 00:20:47,319 --> 00:20:51,599 believe it. They could use that, believe it or not, SGA drives. 310 00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:53,799 There were a few of those, and he kept generating open wing threes 311 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:59,240 for guys. Williams I think has the frame to be like a switchable you 312 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,440 know, combo forward slash wing. He has on ball skills. He's a 313 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,680 good three point shooter. He really had his first you know, stretch derailed 314 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,079 because he got just nailed in the face and fractured his orbital I think, 315 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,880 and so he's going with a mask right now. But I have a lot 316 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,279 of hope for him. But yeah, Polkus, he's not He's twenty years 317 00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:22,599 old. Still you got another month or so. It turns twenty one the 318 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:27,079 day after Christmas, and he's like a good, helpful NBA player, grant, 319 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:32,559 and he's not surrounded by a whole lot of like high end NBA talent. 320 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,920 So yeah, I think, you know, people are gonna say, 321 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,519 we're just focusing focusing on, you know, the last little stretch. But 322 00:21:38,759 --> 00:21:41,640 I think he's legit. I think he showed it last season. People just 323 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,440 weren't sold because it was so roller coaster. He still he was before. 324 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,240 I mean, he was bad, but also just like that was the you 325 00:21:49,319 --> 00:21:52,359 drafted him sort of knowing that, and they've they've seemed to showed patients. 326 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,799 I will say, there's an alternate reality in which chet home Run doesn't get 327 00:21:56,799 --> 00:22:00,680 injured. What does that mean for him this year? But I do think 328 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,319 now I'm like, wow, Chet Homegrin and Poku up front, because it 329 00:22:03,319 --> 00:22:07,039 doesn't look like they're gonna be in the Weban Yama sweepstakes unless they really, 330 00:22:07,319 --> 00:22:08,680 you know, they have to. They have to flip a switch and turn 331 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,880 it all the way down. But like that, look, I don't know 332 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,279 how good Chet Homegrin would have been right off the bat, And again, 333 00:22:15,279 --> 00:22:18,720 could he have impacted the opportunity poke who's getting now I'm all of a sudden 334 00:22:18,759 --> 00:22:23,440 just like I might. I'm like Josh Giddy might be the player who I'm 335 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,680 like sixth highest on on the Thunder right now when you look at Dort poku 336 00:22:27,599 --> 00:22:33,640 Uh, Shay chet home Grin, Jaylen Williams. Maybe maybe maybe that's pushing 337 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,680 it. But like I'm I'm infinitely intrigued by by this team and I didn 338 00:22:37,759 --> 00:22:40,480 want to throw in a fun chase that though really quickly just beast think most 339 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,759 people who are not Thunder fans might have been expecting to hear about him. 340 00:22:42,799 --> 00:22:48,960 There have been two hundred and seventy three players this season who have appeared in 341 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,240 at least ten games. Luca don Chich is the only player with a higher 342 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:57,160 share of his buckets coming unassisted. Meanwhile, Shay's efficiency is just through the 343 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,440 roof, which leads me into very quickly the fine sat. Among everyone to 344 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:06,200 attempt at least thirty five pull up jumpers, only Steph and KD have higher 345 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,559 effective field goal percentage on them. Say has been a monster. Also, 346 00:23:08,599 --> 00:23:15,160 I love that Steph just comes up like every efficiency this the other than Steph 347 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:21,039 except for him that's gonna be my new qualifier forget arbitrary like volume benchmarks, 348 00:23:21,279 --> 00:23:26,039 except except for Steph He So I watched a lot of that Thunder game last 349 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:30,359 night. He's unguardable, like he's just you can't you know, there's no 350 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,599 stat I mean except the Brazilian drives per game. He's gonna lead the league 351 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,240 for what the third year in a row. Now, you cannot stay in 352 00:23:37,279 --> 00:23:40,079 front of him, and if you do stay in front of him, you're 353 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:41,920 off balance and he turns around. It hits a little weird pull ups that 354 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:45,599 you're talking about. It's just it doesn't make sense in a in a league 355 00:23:45,599 --> 00:23:48,319 obsessed with three pointers, and he's hit a bunch of big threes this year, 356 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,640 but he does not shoot a lot to be able to get to the 357 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:57,119 bucket when everybody knows that's where you want to go. It's just I can't 358 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:00,960 remember someone like him, like with his side as in frame that could just 359 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:06,160 get to the basket. However many times he wants per game. It's unbelievable. 360 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,000 I have the Phoenix suns, so it's a it's a I couldn't decide. 361 00:24:11,039 --> 00:24:14,480 So I have sort of two questions that are related. So one is 362 00:24:14,799 --> 00:24:17,480 so we can agree that, like depth is an issue. Now, part 363 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,079 of that's injury, is part of that's crowd or not being there. Part 364 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:22,880 of that is maybe they're just going to be generally careful with guys like Chris 365 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:29,680 Paul. So, so do you solve that issue where you're just you don't 366 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:33,960 want to be pulling guys like Dwayne Washington had twenty one points last night out 367 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,200 of nowhere. You don't want to be relying on that, right, So 368 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:41,960 you need just more production from people not named Devin Booker. So is it 369 00:24:41,039 --> 00:24:45,160 a trade that makes sense to upgrade the depth or and this is something I've 370 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,240 been kind of fixated on for a couple of years. Can we just ask 371 00:24:48,279 --> 00:24:53,279 a little more from Michael Bridges because he's been really so his assists are up 372 00:24:53,319 --> 00:24:56,920 right, So we'll talk about the trade in the second because you're better at 373 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,920 that stuff than I am. But for Bridges, he you know, he 374 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,799 adds little bits every year. I'm sure you and I have talked about, 375 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,039 like, oh, he can put it on the floor once or twice and 376 00:25:06,319 --> 00:25:10,039 get to a pull up. His assist rate has grown. He's in the 377 00:25:10,039 --> 00:25:12,680 seventy third percentile this season. That's good four point three per game going into 378 00:25:12,759 --> 00:25:17,720 last night. That's also good for a wing. But he just is still 379 00:25:18,599 --> 00:25:22,400 You watch him and it's almost never the case, like none of his threes 380 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,960 are self generated, very few of his twos have been self generated, just 381 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,039 for his whole career and that hasn't changed this year. And when he gets 382 00:25:29,079 --> 00:25:32,000 the ball, he's looking to move it. He's not looking to get in 383 00:25:32,079 --> 00:25:34,200 his bag, which normally that's great, but on a Suns team, where 384 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:38,039 you might start to need some of that, it'd be interesting to just kind 385 00:25:38,039 --> 00:25:41,359 of let him explore the space. One point one six dribbles per touch, 386 00:25:41,839 --> 00:25:47,279 which like, without context, that's hard to look at, but just understand 387 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:49,720 that on the Suns there are a lot of guys that have no business dribbling 388 00:25:49,759 --> 00:25:52,880 more than that. That dribble more than Bridges does. You know the guys 389 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,400 are up around four, you know, you know, the hardened russ outliers 390 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:02,880 are way up there. But you know, Booker Paul sure, But Bridges 391 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:07,559 I think I think has more And I don't know if it's fair to ask 392 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,920 him to like tap into it now because that probably won't be his role when 393 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,440 the Sun's are whole. It would still be nice. So is it do 394 00:26:15,519 --> 00:26:18,119 you look to him? Do you look to someone else eight and I think 395 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:22,319 has been kind of disappointing, maybe it's him, or do you just go, 396 00:26:22,519 --> 00:26:25,359 all right, we gotta go get Max Strusse, or we gotta go 397 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,960 get Eric Gordon, Harrison Barnes. See if the Pistons are ready to finish 398 00:26:30,039 --> 00:26:34,839 the stopover for Bogdanovich. I just you know, nobody, nobody's like hoping 399 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,759 to trade a Crowder type, like a combo forward that can score and do 400 00:26:38,839 --> 00:26:44,079 a little bit. But the Suns have to, especially with Cam Johnson out, 401 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,799 So do you go that route? Do you give up some assets to 402 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:49,200 do that? Or do you wait for guys to come back and hope you 403 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:53,400 get some internal improvement? And I don't know the answer. I think Bridges 404 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:57,240 is capable of more, but you also you got to do something with Crowder 405 00:26:57,319 --> 00:27:02,599 too, So I don't know. Yeah, the thing with Bridges and I 406 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:06,920 love Michael Bridges, and I somehow still think he's underappreciated on defense, but 407 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,400 that's not the discussion here. I wonder if he's been maxed out. He's 408 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:14,160 been at over seventeen points per game over his past four he's ratcheted up his 409 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,640 scoring an aggression basically since Cam Johnson went down, which is good. I 410 00:27:17,759 --> 00:27:21,319 just it gets to a point where to expect him to be a lot more 411 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:26,039 offensively is almost unfair. And I think Cameron Payne has done a good job 412 00:27:26,079 --> 00:27:27,720 stepping up since the Cam Johnson injury for them. And a big thing with 413 00:27:27,759 --> 00:27:32,839 Phoenix is they don't look deep on paper and they're definitely shallower at the top 414 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:36,720 of the roster, but like their bench as like they've had players really step 415 00:27:36,799 --> 00:27:38,440 up for them. Now, with all of that said, the answer to 416 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,319 me's not DeAndre Atan anymore. I'm more out on him offensively than I am 417 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,039 Michael Bridges, and I'm not out on either of them. They're both really 418 00:27:45,079 --> 00:27:48,920 good players. I do think the ship is sailed on both being anything more 419 00:27:49,079 --> 00:27:55,519 than situate. Like they're really good offensive players who are just not going to 420 00:27:55,519 --> 00:28:00,119 be self starters and or consistent self starters. And that's fine, so you 421 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,680 need to make the trade. The issue with them is I don't even know 422 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,559 what Crowder's value is, and even given like let's say you're trading let's say 423 00:28:07,599 --> 00:28:11,160 Crowder had a better close to the year last season, who are you getting 424 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,839 for Jay Crowder. This is a situation where you need to give up first 425 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,799 another salary to really make a splash. And to do that, I think 426 00:28:18,799 --> 00:28:22,000 you do need to wait for the trade market to develop. Like, yeah, 427 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,200 could you maybe get Julius Randall from the Knicks for no first round picks 428 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:29,039 and just salary filler? Sure? But I you know, I know Sam 429 00:28:29,039 --> 00:28:33,839 Cooper the Timeline podcast who that podcast is fantastic because I feel like he's borderline 430 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:36,640 joked about Julius Randall and Phoenix, but he's also been kind of intrigued by 431 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,920 it. And if I'm the Suns and I've seen Julius Randall play work, 432 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,480 I don't want to say play put play in air quotes defense this season. 433 00:28:45,519 --> 00:28:48,200 I want him all the way away from my team at the moment. So 434 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,799 you have to wait for the trade market to develop. And that's just tough 435 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,759 right now. And I just feel like you can't make the slap dash trade. 436 00:28:55,799 --> 00:28:57,279 And even if you were willing to go the route of and he's banged 437 00:28:57,359 --> 00:29:02,079 up right now, but identify Cody Martin. That's probably really good pick up 438 00:29:02,119 --> 00:29:04,200 for this team. He's not trade eligible yet, So you are getting to 439 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,920 a point we have probably have to wait to the middle of the year. 440 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:08,960 Are they good enough to weather that storm? Depending on how much time CP 441 00:29:10,079 --> 00:29:12,640 three misses on top of Cam Johnson, on top of not having Jay Crowder. 442 00:29:14,039 --> 00:29:17,680 I don't know. I think though, they're sort of in this weird 443 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:21,160 position where the trade market is not conducive to making a move. You can't 444 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:22,960 rush into anything because, look, you do have to evaluate this against the 445 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,799 backtrap of what's gonna happen with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. So if you are 446 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,000 going to make a trade, you probably shouldn't. Now is not the time 447 00:29:30,359 --> 00:29:33,559 to trade the distant first round picks unless it's a no brainer. If all 448 00:29:33,559 --> 00:29:34,839 of a sudden, I don't even I don't even know who the answer is 449 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,759 because I don't want to throw a name out there and people get pissed. 450 00:29:37,799 --> 00:29:40,799 Yeah, if if Shay was available, which he is not because he is 451 00:29:40,839 --> 00:29:45,119 the thunders Timeline, yes absolutely, but like it gets harder if it's okay 452 00:29:45,119 --> 00:29:48,200 Gary Trent Junior is available in Toronto, Like, are you gonna want to 453 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:49,599 give up more than just your first round pick this year for him? No? 454 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,759 Because you probably want to wait out the Kady situation or other situations, 455 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,240 so you could lean further, I guess into like, well, do you 456 00:29:56,279 --> 00:30:00,599 try and get like just a defensive pickup and we're just gonna slaw or opponents 457 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,720 that way, like add another wing type, like a like another Jay Crowder 458 00:30:03,759 --> 00:30:07,920 type who's better than Jay Crowder. Sure, I do think they're in this 459 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:11,000 like weird spot where they almost have to wait out the market. I would 460 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,079 say the one name that's been mentioned a bunch of times, and I'd just 461 00:30:15,119 --> 00:30:18,799 be curious with the opportunity cost is to get him, Like does Eric Gordon? 462 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,559 Is he like the nice middle ground where it's if you're not you're getting 463 00:30:22,599 --> 00:30:25,160 him maybe without giving up a first round pick. At this point, if 464 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:26,519 it's the first round pick, I'm not doing out of it, like you 465 00:30:26,559 --> 00:30:30,039 know, to make sure it's not really gonna kill you. So it's a 466 00:30:30,039 --> 00:30:33,359 fake first rounder. I mean that's yeah, I just want to start to 467 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,559 jump back in. But like this isn't a knock on Bridges at all. 468 00:30:37,599 --> 00:30:40,839 It's not like I'm saying he's underachieving. I think we both are about as 469 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,400 high on him as we can be on a on a role playing guy. 470 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,480 But like just looking at the stats that do it for me. Are you 471 00:30:45,519 --> 00:30:49,119 know he's been He's it's true. Shooting percent is sixty four point five percent 472 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:53,599 this year over sixty is like you're a superstar. Now. The problem is 473 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,279 his usage rate is fifteen point seven percent, and it's basically hovered from twelve 474 00:30:57,319 --> 00:31:00,799 to fifteen for his whole career. Let's just like bump that to like twenty 475 00:31:00,799 --> 00:31:04,240 two percent and you can have a fifty nine percent, you know, true 476 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:10,319 shooting and suddenly you're a twenty point scorer on above league average efficiency. You 477 00:31:10,319 --> 00:31:12,559 know, that's not that's not the way forward for the Suns as like a 478 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,920 championship threat, because you know, you've got Booker, you've got Paul, 479 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:19,119 You're gonna have other options. But like for now, I don't know. 480 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,519 I think I think he's got it in him. I think he could do 481 00:31:22,559 --> 00:31:25,680 it. I just maybe, And again, sorry, you have to also 482 00:31:25,759 --> 00:31:27,680 guard the best guy on the other team all night too, But we just 483 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,920 need you to get us twenty as well. Like I get it, that's 484 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,079 a lot, But I just think I think he's that good. It's I 485 00:31:33,119 --> 00:31:37,160 just wonder if he's wired that way, and it's always that's obvious. He's 486 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:42,400 not of all their perimeter players. This includes I'm talking, I'm all of 487 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,519 them who like people who have the ball, people who don't. He puts 488 00:31:45,519 --> 00:31:49,079 more rim pressure than anyone else. I think forty percent of his looks this 489 00:31:49,119 --> 00:31:52,960 year coming at the rim. Just so much of that stuff is happening away 490 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,799 from the ball, and I would say that like Cam Johnson or Cameron Payne. 491 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,160 Even if Tory Craig sometimes is more wired to get to the basket the 492 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:04,680 ball in their hands already not off like cuts off ball movement, then mchaal 493 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,000 Bridges is and that's not I think mcail bridge a fantastic player, like he 494 00:32:07,079 --> 00:32:09,279 might be a top fifty player in the NBA, which is really hard to 495 00:32:09,319 --> 00:32:14,559 do. I'm just curious whether he's he's wired that way, and I don't 496 00:32:14,559 --> 00:32:16,079 know who the trade target is. I understand why you'd want to wait it 497 00:32:16,119 --> 00:32:20,240 out, but just the A lot of it's going to depend on one when 498 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,039 does Chris Paul come back and to what does he look like, because we've 499 00:32:22,039 --> 00:32:24,759 seen the scoring and shooting regression from him, been fine as a passer, 500 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,599 so it's a it's a huge question for them, and I don't I don't 501 00:32:29,599 --> 00:32:30,920 have a perfect answer. Surprise, surprise, that's the whole nature of this 502 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:37,119 exercise. We are onto the Portland Trailblazers and my question for them is this, 503 00:32:37,319 --> 00:32:40,200 we I was wrong about them. I called them, I like I 504 00:32:40,319 --> 00:32:46,480 smashed there under. They are tenth in points allowed per possession? Is this 505 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:52,759 for real? And when you look at they're expected field goal percentage based off 506 00:32:52,799 --> 00:32:57,759 where they allow their shots, they're twenty ninth right now in the league. 507 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:04,319 And so that's despite them have a top ten defense. They allow too many 508 00:33:04,319 --> 00:33:07,240 looks at the rim. They're twenty seventh there, and then they are in 509 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:12,400 the bottom six in the sheriff opponent shots coming from three, and then you're 510 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,720 like digging into okay, well they've gotten lucky anywhere their tenth in rim protection, 511 00:33:16,039 --> 00:33:22,359 which is just like okay, they've also they're eighteenth in three point like 512 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,000 opponent three point percentage in twenty second when you're looking at above the break, 513 00:33:25,319 --> 00:33:30,039 so like they haven't. Opponents are shooting thirty seven point one percent on non 514 00:33:30,119 --> 00:33:35,720 corner threes. That numbers not lucky. I would say they've gotten where they've 515 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:39,119 gotten the if you want to say the luckiest teams are not hitting any of 516 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:44,160 just there in between looks against Portland. They're at thirty four point six percent 517 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,480 on short mid rangers, thirty seven point four percent on log mid rangers, 518 00:33:47,839 --> 00:33:52,200 and they're shooting I guess you could say thirty six percent on corner threes. 519 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,839 Feels a little bit like lucky, like that number will go up. So 520 00:33:57,599 --> 00:34:00,720 it's just I my aunt there is. I don't know what I do think 521 00:34:00,759 --> 00:34:06,440 helps them. Is it for those they have more athleticism just on the perimeter 522 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,079 In general, when you look at this team and how they are defending, 523 00:34:09,079 --> 00:34:14,119 with the players with Jeremy Grant, Josh Hart there, even like Shandon Sharp 524 00:34:14,159 --> 00:34:16,519 has done this a bit. I also think you've seen it more from Anthony 525 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:21,039 Simons and Damian Lillard as well. Not to say those guys are good defenders, 526 00:34:21,079 --> 00:34:24,719 but when they've been playing I do think esthetically it looks a lot better 527 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:30,239 for them. They are like they are going to make it a point to 528 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:34,320 get set after they make a shot on offense, Like that is the they're 529 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,119 not sort of like just lollygagging their way back. And that's where I think 530 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:40,440 their defense has just done just a really good job. And I also think 531 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,880 even when they're missing a shot, like when you're looking at a Josh Hart 532 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:45,400 when you're looking at Jeremy Grant, like those are guys who are willing to 533 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:49,920 get back. I think Lollard and Anthony Simons have done a lot better in 534 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,079 that situation too. They're able to slow down their opponents even when they don't 535 00:34:52,119 --> 00:34:57,480 have the most efficient like defensive stances there, so they're at least forcing opponents 536 00:34:57,519 --> 00:35:00,079 to burn through more of the shot clock even though Portlands missed a shot of 537 00:35:00,079 --> 00:35:04,880 their own. I think that's important. You still look at the personnel some 538 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,280 of the what the bench mobs have done, Jesse's winslow at center, and 539 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:13,519 you just wonder, You just wonder, is this it's not the entire season. 540 00:35:13,599 --> 00:35:17,800 I think what they've done on offense where they are like they've underachieved quite 541 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,320 frankly to be on offense. And how much does that have to do with 542 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,320 like Damian Lillard missing time. I you know, I don't know, but 543 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:29,039 nineteenth and points scored possessions not where you would expect this to be flip flopped 544 00:35:29,039 --> 00:35:31,800 at the very least, nineteenth and defense tenth and offense is the defense real 545 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:40,159 It's one of the weirdest sort of shot distribution slash accuracy puzzles to put together 546 00:35:40,599 --> 00:35:45,360 because like you said, there's not anything. You know, it's really easy 547 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:49,559 if oh, this defense has been top five, but opponents are making twenty 548 00:35:49,639 --> 00:35:52,079 six percent of their threes, it's like, well, okay, then that's 549 00:35:52,119 --> 00:35:57,679 not gonna last. So some of yeah, and some of the outlier shooting 550 00:35:57,679 --> 00:35:59,760 stuff is in the mid range, which is sort of like who cares as 551 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:04,239 long as you're like, it's not there's just aren't generally high value shots anyway, 552 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:09,639 I think I think it's hard for me to imagine the Blazers finish the 553 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:16,159 season with a defense that is one better than league average and two I think 554 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:20,239 just based on it. So then it's like I'm just looking at where the 555 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,639 shots are that they're surrendering. And then you know, so like you said, 556 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:27,800 they give a huge share at the rim twenty seventh and opponent riom frequency 557 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:30,920 twenty fourth an opponent three point frequency. Just where are the shots coming from? 558 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:37,960 So like nothing has to get too wonky for the current defensive ranking and 559 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,320 defensive rating to come down. Just those shots will just go in at league 560 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:44,840 average rates. It's not like, you know, teams need to heat up, 561 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,519 which could totally happen too right, Like the shooting just could be way 562 00:36:47,559 --> 00:36:52,960 better. So they feel like a like a twentieth ranked defense to me, 563 00:36:52,039 --> 00:36:57,519 like fifteen to twenty feels like about right, which is like, you know 564 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,480 that's gonna come down. But I think, like you said, the offense 565 00:37:00,599 --> 00:37:04,519 is going to be better. Interesting, I think so. I think of 566 00:37:04,599 --> 00:37:08,119 the Blazers and the Nuggets off seasons as somewhat similar because they both basically added 567 00:37:08,159 --> 00:37:13,639 like two defense first guys Jeremy Grant's more than that, but between and Peyton 568 00:37:13,679 --> 00:37:15,920 hasn't played. So maybe that's another factor, is get Peyton out there a 569 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:21,119 little bit more. Maybe some of that defensive stuff really does look more sustainable 570 00:37:21,159 --> 00:37:24,320 and they generate turnovers and all that stuff. If it's like a buy or 571 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:30,159 sell Portland's defense, I have to sell it. But I think I think, 572 00:37:30,199 --> 00:37:34,400 like there's a chance, I guess that they're league average, but it's 573 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:36,960 not. They're not. They're not this good. I don't see that. 574 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,159 I honestly don't know. I'm not going to bet against them being league average 575 00:37:40,199 --> 00:37:44,480 at this point though, Yeah, right that which for Portland historically, that'd 576 00:37:44,519 --> 00:37:46,400 be great like that if you're downside of the bottom five and they just have 577 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:51,119 all these like really rangy wings and perimeter players. Now if for not having 578 00:37:51,119 --> 00:37:54,280 that for so long, they are way more athletic than I can then I 579 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:58,440 can remember like in any of the Lillard Ara teams, for sure, there's 580 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,400 just more balance, more speed, more all that kind of stuff. This 581 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:07,440 is a good contrast to go into my team, which is the Sacramento Kings, 582 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:12,920 and so like, the only question you can ask is the streak going 583 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,079 to end? The longest playoff drout in the league. You know this, 584 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:21,119 they've been gunning for like the tenth seed. The eighth seed would be great, 585 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:23,239 but they've been gunning for that forever. It's a win now organization. 586 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:30,039 They've sacrificed future picks, they traded Yris Haliburton, so like it really matters. 587 00:38:30,079 --> 00:38:31,239 This is the only thing that matters is are they going to be a 588 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:35,239 playoff team? Is the streak going to be over? And you look at 589 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,679 so answering that is not just like a yes or no for me. The 590 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:44,400 question that most informed that going into this year is how's the defense going to 591 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,840 be better? Because the offense is good, like it's it's legit. I 592 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:51,679 think you got Kevin Herder could do way more with the ball than he was 593 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:55,039 allowed to do with the Hawks, and he's an awesome secondary playmaking type. 594 00:38:55,239 --> 00:39:00,400 Dearn Fox is about as good as he's ever been. Right now, Bonus 595 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:02,880 and Herder are working great together. Sa Bonus is a very good offensive player. 596 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,800 My thoughts on him, I think are pretty well chronicled, is like 597 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,719 he can't be a major piece of a team that wins in a meaningful way 598 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:15,599 just because of defense and doesn't stretch the floor, but like the offense will 599 00:39:15,599 --> 00:39:19,639 be good. Malik Monk is inefficient but brings a ton of energy and is 600 00:39:19,679 --> 00:39:22,280 like the just the right kind of guy to lead second units and kind of 601 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:27,360 keep you in games and like win you a couple. So Keegan Murray can 602 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,199 shoot it, he's been cold, he's hit the mini rookie wall. Harrison 603 00:39:30,199 --> 00:39:32,320 Barnes will shoot. A better offense, good defense. So getting back to 604 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:37,679 the Portland thing. So the Kings right now are allowing an effective field goal 605 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,159 percentage of fifty six point seven percent, which is twenty ninth in the league. 606 00:39:40,199 --> 00:39:44,920 That's bad. Based on the shots they're allowing, they should be sixth 607 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:49,920 in effective fieldical percentage allowed, which is wild. Most of that is because 608 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:53,039 they don't let you shoot threes, and their rim protection has been okay, 609 00:39:53,079 --> 00:39:55,440 Like when you get to the room against Sacramento, there's not a lot of 610 00:39:55,440 --> 00:40:00,599 resistance, but they're being you know, fringe top in the middle of the 611 00:40:00,639 --> 00:40:05,039 pack and just keeping you away from the room. And they're like top five 612 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,159 in terms of forcing opponents to take mid rangers. So like all that Mike 613 00:40:08,199 --> 00:40:12,320 Brown stuff, that's Mike Brown has coming as a head coach. He's changed 614 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:15,199 the types of shots that are allowing. Defensively, it seems like the defense 615 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:22,880 should be real, but I just like cannot get over you're centering your defense 616 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:29,480 around Sabonis in the middle. Keegan Murray's a rookie. Darren Fox has not 617 00:40:29,559 --> 00:40:34,239 defended consistently at all since he was a rookie and was like the hungry rookie 618 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,559 thing, like generating steals, that kind of thing. This has probably been 619 00:40:37,559 --> 00:40:40,679 his best defensive year since his rookie season, though, which is what happens, 620 00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:45,360 which happens a lot, like a guy comes in and scraps and then 621 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:49,519 realizes he's good and then like doesn't happen so that the scrapping kind of goes 622 00:40:49,559 --> 00:40:53,760 away. He's been better, so I think I have to answer my own 623 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,239 question, and I'm putting it off because I don't want to say this. 624 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,400 But I don't think the streak ends this year. I don't think it does. 625 00:41:01,599 --> 00:41:05,159 I think even would you, So you don't count the play in as 626 00:41:05,199 --> 00:41:07,000 the streak ending? No, no, no, no, you gotta the 627 00:41:07,039 --> 00:41:12,159 plan is not. It doesn't matter. So like if you're just going down 628 00:41:12,199 --> 00:41:16,199 the list of the teams, they gotta finish ahead of Houston Lakers, Spurs, 629 00:41:16,679 --> 00:41:20,719 cool, Like I think that's that's realistic, But they have to be 630 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:23,519 better than both the Thunder and the Jazz, and we're just talking play in. 631 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:29,519 I don't think whatever. I mean, I just don't see if it 632 00:41:29,559 --> 00:41:31,960 was one or the other. Fine, but then we're still just talking play 633 00:41:32,079 --> 00:41:36,559 we're not talking actually making the playoffs. So I don't think the streak ends. 634 00:41:36,559 --> 00:41:44,559 And I think it's just because their defense is it's gonna be better because 635 00:41:44,599 --> 00:41:46,400 of the shot locations they're allowing. But it's still like, is this more 636 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:51,039 than a bottom five like bottom seven defense? I don't know, And then 637 00:41:51,079 --> 00:41:53,519 you need the offense to be like two or three, and I just I'm 638 00:41:53,519 --> 00:41:58,559 not sure that kind of upsides there. I think that's fair. They're allowing 639 00:41:58,599 --> 00:42:01,039 seventy percent shooting at the him in thirty nine percent of shooting from three. 640 00:42:01,159 --> 00:42:05,920 I can't tell the rim protection makes sense when you look at the lineups that 641 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:09,559 they're playing. Yeah, no, I think some of it is. Sabonis 642 00:42:09,599 --> 00:42:15,880 is the main culprit on rim accuracy opponent rom accuracy. But it's like sometimes, 643 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:17,960 you know, like we just talked about Pokashevski blocking almost two shots of 644 00:42:19,039 --> 00:42:22,440 game. Sometimes if you have like some wings or some range of your guys 645 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:24,760 that can come in and help out, you know, weak side stuff. 646 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:29,960 Murray's not that guy. Barnes isn't that guy. I mean, Davion Mitchell 647 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,239 plays harder on defense than everybody, but he's not He's the last guy that's 648 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:37,440 gonna affect shots at the rim. So I just I hate to say it, 649 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:39,480 but I don't see it. Who's the second pest defender on this team. 650 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,800 If we're just gonna presuppose, well, it's not presupposed, but like 651 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,559 Davion Mitchell's number one, I will say, look to their credit, like 652 00:42:45,599 --> 00:42:51,599 the Fox Herder, Barnes, Murray Sabonis lineup, because actually it has like 653 00:42:51,599 --> 00:42:54,400 it's only allowing it's one hundred point eight points per one hundred possessions. Like 654 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:59,360 that's an the eightieth percent times at least their top end lineup that succeeded there. 655 00:42:59,639 --> 00:43:02,000 But like you look at this team and it's is like, it's certainly 656 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:05,360 not Harrison Barnes this year. I think you, like, is it Terrence 657 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,440 Davis. He's looked, yeah, but he just doesn't play a ton. 658 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:13,159 I think I think Monk has actually had some like really disruptive minutes, but 659 00:43:13,159 --> 00:43:16,400 he's not like a hold the fort defender. He's just playing harder on both 660 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:22,000 things. You say, I don't know, is it Is it just Harrison 661 00:43:22,039 --> 00:43:24,920 Harrison Barnes has had like the worst start to a season ever, but at 662 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,880 least you sort of know he'll be in the right place, which is a 663 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:30,960 low bar. But I mean, there's just there's just aren't defenders on this 664 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:35,000 team. I mean to me, like, do I think the Kings might 665 00:43:35,119 --> 00:43:38,559 pivot into another like quick tank and run this group back by trading like trading 666 00:43:38,559 --> 00:43:43,079 Harrison Bars. It's like trading Harrison Bars might be anti tank at this point, 667 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:47,639 right, yeah, And no they will not could go ever, that's 668 00:43:47,679 --> 00:43:52,840 not happening, So I don't know. I don't have an answer here either. 669 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,960 I don't know what their pathway towards internal defensive improvement is, and I 670 00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:59,960 don't know. They already gave up a first round pick in the Herders, 671 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:04,000 which is fine because it's inoculated against disaster, but that does make it harder 672 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,119 to go out and pull off another trade. Now, what they could do 673 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:09,960 is we already talked about this team, is if you're willing to take back 674 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:15,199 like a salary that maybe Phoenix doesn't want, you get Jay Crowder as part 675 00:44:15,199 --> 00:44:19,320 of that equation. Replace him with Place Harrison Barnes with him. Your defense 676 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:22,639 is upgraded. I don't know how much better you get. I also like 677 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:24,920 Island. I guess Landry Shammitt, and you want another guy who chucks threes 678 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:29,599 and they got enough of those types. Understand Jay Crowder for Harrison Barnes, 679 00:44:29,599 --> 00:44:31,840 Like, is that the move? I mean I might consider if I'm Sacramond, 680 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:37,519 given how inconsistent slash poorly Barnes is playing. How sure if you said 681 00:44:37,559 --> 00:44:42,119 to me, you gotta you gotta bet on either Harrison Barnes or Jay Crowder 682 00:44:42,559 --> 00:44:45,840 who's gonna be better? Like starting today? I don't know if it's a 683 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:47,880 no brain or that Crowder is better for sure, like if you end the 684 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:52,000 season stats, yeah, but because Barnes start has been so bad. But 685 00:44:52,599 --> 00:44:55,199 I think defensively, the answer is pretty clearly Crowder and this team doesn't have 686 00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:59,480 to concern itself with offense. That's yeah, right, that's fair. That's 687 00:44:59,519 --> 00:45:06,000 fair. Let's move on to the San Antonio Spurs. My question is not, 688 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:08,840 since I kind of already tackled that in another podcast, is not is 689 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:13,239 Keldon Johnson an All Star? I don't think we need to dig too much 690 00:45:13,239 --> 00:45:15,320 deeper into their bigger picture, just we need more samples from you know, 691 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:22,159 they tried Jeremy Sown at point guard basically against the Warriors. That what about 692 00:45:22,199 --> 00:45:24,480 is what? Yeah? For super fun for the Warriors. I will, 693 00:45:24,519 --> 00:45:32,440 however, say, did we undersell how good the highest end outcome for Devin 694 00:45:32,519 --> 00:45:37,280 Vassell? And this is as someone who thought Devin Vassell was really good, 695 00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:40,159 and so I want to make it clear I don't mean this in the sense 696 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:45,320 that I think he or even Keldon Johnson for that matter, is going to 697 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:51,400 run in offense. But Devin Vassel this season nineteen point five points forty one 698 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:55,079 point one percent three point shooting on seven point three attempts, doesn't get to 699 00:45:55,079 --> 00:45:59,679 the foul line a ton, but he's averaging three point five assists per game. 700 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:02,639 And once they traded Derek White last year, his you know, the 701 00:46:04,159 --> 00:46:08,519 number of ball screens that they sent his way went up. And it's definitely 702 00:46:08,599 --> 00:46:15,639 the case again this season. When you look at his possessions, twenty seven 703 00:46:15,639 --> 00:46:19,840 point two percent are coming as the pick and roll ball handler. There are 704 00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:23,920 forty six players who finish at least five pick and roll possessions as the ball 705 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:30,840 handler per game. Right now, that's yo fairly substantial. Devin Vassell ranks 706 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:36,039 fourth and points per possession here at one point one two. Only in front 707 00:46:36,039 --> 00:46:40,199 of him or Tyler Hero, Donovan Mitchell and guess who, Steph car Steph 708 00:46:40,239 --> 00:46:47,400 Curry. I thought some other guy. Yes, So I'm looking at the 709 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:51,440 way he's playing. It'd be cool if you could get more on ball rim 710 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:52,639 pressure from him. I think he's someone who can move away from the ball. 711 00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:57,760 But this is someone who, when we really start to talk about it, 712 00:46:58,119 --> 00:47:04,320 did we give him a mcaal bridges like higher than mcaal bridges ceiling. 713 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:07,639 I mean, I think we gave him the ceiling of mcaal Bridges, but 714 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:12,320 he is doing more with ball screens than probably mcaal Bridge has ever had a 715 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:14,760 lot of that could be opportunity. I know the way that the Suns were 716 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:21,679 built, but did we undersell how good Devin Vassell might be for I'll speak 717 00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:24,239 for myself, I absolutely did. I just thought I slapped the three, 718 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:29,039 you know, the three and D label emphasis on the three. He seemed 719 00:47:29,079 --> 00:47:32,000 like a catch and shoot type earlier in his career. You know, you'd 720 00:47:32,039 --> 00:47:37,360 see flashes occasionally, but like again, so this is the first year of 721 00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:40,639 his career and his role has demonstrably changed this season, and it's because he's 722 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:45,599 capable of it. But he's only his two point baskets right first two years, 723 00:47:46,039 --> 00:47:49,880 basically two thirds of them were assisted. This year forty one percent of 724 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:52,519 them are assisted. So that ties into the pick and roll accuracy, which 725 00:47:52,559 --> 00:47:57,800 what you're seeing a lot of is he's a deadly mid range shooter this year 726 00:47:58,079 --> 00:48:02,000 fifty three point three ten to sixty feet between sixteen and three point line fifty 727 00:48:02,039 --> 00:48:07,000 eight point eight percent, and he's shooting like a decent percentage of his shots 728 00:48:07,039 --> 00:48:09,360 from that range. So what that's telling me is if he's getting around the 729 00:48:09,360 --> 00:48:14,039 screen he's totally fine being the guy that takes one dribble and pulls up and 730 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:16,719 and like, yeah, we we just talked about like shot location data for 731 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:20,840 team defense and how you know, if you get a team to take a 732 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:23,760 pull up mid range shot, like pretty good defensive possession. That's not true 733 00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:28,199 for Devin Booker. That's not true for you know, any number of Steph 734 00:48:28,239 --> 00:48:30,679 Curry, CJ. McCollum. There's it's not true for certain guys that are 735 00:48:30,679 --> 00:48:36,119 gonna make that shot. And the Cell looks like he's gonna be that guy, 736 00:48:37,199 --> 00:48:39,039 which is which is just wild to me. And like you said, 737 00:48:39,079 --> 00:48:43,639 is his numbers. I mean, he's only playing thirty point nine minutes per 738 00:48:43,679 --> 00:48:45,199 game. If you go to per thirty six, he's like twenty three, 739 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:50,920 five and four, and he's twenty two years old. So Marry says age 740 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:54,159 twenty two season. He just turned twenty two before the year. Like we 741 00:48:54,199 --> 00:48:58,199 could get our Basketball Reference filters out if we wanted to, but like, 742 00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:01,719 I'll take I'll take that perty six from a guy who's also suddenly just showing 743 00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:07,159 that he can be an on ball threat. I think it's fair. Like 744 00:49:07,199 --> 00:49:09,480 I'm really high on Kelton Johnson. I think it's a question. I think 745 00:49:09,519 --> 00:49:13,119 it's a question of which of those two, you know, do you like? 746 00:49:13,199 --> 00:49:15,960 If Johnson's been the team USA, he's kind of, I think, 747 00:49:15,079 --> 00:49:19,880 been regarded as the more productive or higher, you know, ceiling guy. 748 00:49:20,199 --> 00:49:22,559 I'm going to have a conversation now in Vassell. For sure, I think 749 00:49:22,599 --> 00:49:27,119 this year Johnson's scoring more. But what we've seen from Vasell is like, 750 00:49:27,159 --> 00:49:30,239 oh, he's he's a different kind of player than we thought he was, 751 00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:34,119 which I think is the question you're asking. I think, for sure we 752 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:37,800 sold him short and he's just gotten way better. Do you know who? 753 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:42,599 I'm wondering if he could become and I think Bradley Beale No, okay, 754 00:49:42,639 --> 00:49:47,280 wow, can he become Chris Middleton? Oh that's fun. I like that. 755 00:49:47,519 --> 00:49:52,280 I'm wondering if he if that's too high, because I don't I think 756 00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:57,320 one Chris Middleton is ridiculously good and people still kind of undersell it. I 757 00:49:57,320 --> 00:49:59,920 think his last contract had a lot to do with that, which is just 758 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:02,840 stupid. When I look at Chris Middleton, I'm like, Okay, that 759 00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:07,480 dude can anchor offensive units entirely on his own. We don't know that Devin 760 00:50:07,559 --> 00:50:10,519 Vessel can do that, yet at the same time, the units Chris Middleton 761 00:50:12,039 --> 00:50:15,239 is anchoring on his own like those are like he's playing a lot of his 762 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:17,239 minutes with Janie or Drew when he hasn't played this season. We know that, 763 00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:22,719 thank you everybody, But like Devin Massell very much would have to be 764 00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:24,719 the guy right now in Santita. We know it's Trey Jones, like that's 765 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:29,400 who they prefer to have really oversee their offense when he's healthy. But can 766 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:32,119 Devin Missell then turn into them where it's like, oh, you trust him 767 00:50:32,159 --> 00:50:38,159 with maybe one mediocre creator around him to really jack up your offense. Where 768 00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:42,440 Chris Middleton is better than that. But like we're talking about, oh, 769 00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:44,880 he could have been mcl bridges three D, like should we have been more 770 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:46,519 looking at where it's Chris Middleton who was way more than a three and D 771 00:50:46,679 --> 00:50:52,960 player. So just to make the comparison Chris Middleton's age twenty two seasons first 772 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:54,760 year with the Bucks, now he was like sort of the Pistons gave up 773 00:50:54,800 --> 00:51:00,599 on him, but sort of literally did. He was a starter that year, 774 00:51:00,679 --> 00:51:05,159 right this is twenty thirteen fourteen. Looking at his per thirty six is 775 00:51:05,199 --> 00:51:07,800 percentages are a lot like Vassals forty one percent from three, but he's at 776 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:12,119 fourteen point five points, four and a half boards, two and a half 777 00:51:12,159 --> 00:51:16,199 assists. So at this phase Middleton did not have Vacells like on ball stuff, 778 00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:20,559 his facilitating, you know all that. And it's not like those Bucks 779 00:51:20,599 --> 00:51:22,880 teams were great yet, right, so like Jannie was not anything close to 780 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:28,159 Yannis yet you don't get up to the Vacells level of numbers what Vassell is 781 00:51:28,199 --> 00:51:31,400 doing right now until you get Middleton to like age twenty six, and the 782 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:37,880 Bucks were good by then. So I mean, the Middleton comparison is legit, 783 00:51:37,039 --> 00:51:40,199 I think, and it's it's kind of similar because similar size, just 784 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:45,559 not like nuclear athleticism. Middleton is relatively speaking, like not an athletic wing, 785 00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:49,599 but and Vasell's got a little more of that. So yeah, that's 786 00:51:49,639 --> 00:51:52,079 a that's an interesting comparison. I think there's a lot too that we will 787 00:51:52,119 --> 00:51:58,159 close this out with the Utah Jazz. So obviously, h this is another 788 00:51:58,239 --> 00:52:02,679 kind of Lakers situation of like, oh boy, do they we's just in 789 00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:06,719 the sense that we've belabored the Jazz to this point, like is it real? 790 00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:07,880 Was the question forever. It's like, yeah, it's kind of real. 791 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:13,039 We were past that. Uh. The question I have is where will 792 00:52:13,079 --> 00:52:17,400 the regression come from? The obvious answer is you trade half the roster, 793 00:52:19,079 --> 00:52:22,039 But that's not happening yet. You know, at least at least, you 794 00:52:22,079 --> 00:52:25,159 know, we got to get to December fifteenth for there to be you know, 795 00:52:25,239 --> 00:52:28,360 just a little more activity. We're not going to see a bunch of 796 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:31,079 trades right now. The other reason where will the regression come from? Is 797 00:52:31,119 --> 00:52:35,400 the question and not you know, when do they pack it in? Is 798 00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:42,239 like it's too late, It's already too You're like, we were wondering how 799 00:52:42,239 --> 00:52:45,199 do they tank? Can they tank? Like when when they have to hurry 800 00:52:45,239 --> 00:52:46,960 up because they're running out of time? Did you see this stat from Kevin 801 00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:52,360 Pelton, So you go back like the last twenty ish years and teams in 802 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:57,559 his database. These are his proprietary numbers with Utah's preseason win projection, which 803 00:52:57,559 --> 00:53:00,280 he had them at like thirty four ish wins, which was way high higher 804 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:05,280 than consensus. Right, looks pretty smart, right now that start this hot 805 00:53:05,599 --> 00:53:09,159 with the Jazz's current record, they almost always win fifty games, so they 806 00:53:09,159 --> 00:53:14,199 go on to win fifty for the year. The other thing is they almost 807 00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:19,719 always make the playoffs. They almost always win around like, so the Jazz 808 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:22,800 have to go like ten and fifty nine the rest of the way to even 809 00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:25,039 be in the conversation for you know, the best lottery odds, which we've 810 00:53:25,039 --> 00:53:29,639 discussed our fourteen, Like, they're not that great. It can't happen. 811 00:53:29,639 --> 00:53:31,800 It's too late. It's too late. They've already won too much and they're 812 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:35,639 not going to be able to change it. So where does the regression come 813 00:53:35,679 --> 00:53:39,360 from? For me, it's just like there's a decent chance this winds up 814 00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:43,679 being a bottom five defense, which like, sorry, Jazz fans, like, 815 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:45,320 I think the offense is great. A lot of its sustainable. I 816 00:53:45,320 --> 00:53:50,199 think Markenen's awesome. They have a ton of like capable offensive NBA players. 817 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:54,320 Opponents get into the rim way too often. Jazz are allowing you know, 818 00:53:54,360 --> 00:54:00,559 their twenty fifth in that stat opponent three point shooting number five and accuras number 819 00:54:00,559 --> 00:54:05,239 three in corner three accuracy. I just like, and you go through the 820 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:08,360 roster, you're really going to continue to defend with the lineup that has for 821 00:54:08,519 --> 00:54:14,760 a lot of the game some combination of you know, Mike Conley Jordan Clarkson, 822 00:54:14,960 --> 00:54:20,400 Malik Beasley, Marken and Kelly Lennock, Colin Sexton, like none of 823 00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:24,880 those guys except maybe a younger Conley I think had positive defensive reputations. And 824 00:54:24,920 --> 00:54:28,639 Conley, you know, it's not his fault, but he's had a couple 825 00:54:28,639 --> 00:54:30,960 of bad playoffs in a rowka and stand front you guys, he's older, 826 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:37,239 so the regression will come from the defensive side. The problem is the Jazz 827 00:54:37,280 --> 00:54:40,760 already just seem like a team that if you don't do anything really are gonna 828 00:54:40,760 --> 00:54:46,360 win conservatively like forty six games like and they could win significantly more than that 829 00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:50,679 like that. That's just what the stats. It seems crazy to me, 830 00:54:50,880 --> 00:54:54,360 but historically that's just that's just where we are. That's their start. Combined 831 00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:59,440 with what their preseason projections based on the numbers and the talent on the roster, 832 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:01,639 it's like, it's too late that you can't you can't tank it now, 833 00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:06,000 sorry, guys, you miss you miss your Winbanyama window. And is 834 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:10,280 that something they need to apologize for. Maybe that's the question, like how 835 00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:14,760 happy are you Jazz fans that this is the state of the French And that's 836 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:21,119 a serious Jazz fans were in my mentions concerned that they wouldn't tank this year, 837 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:23,199 and I think there was some folk there was On our last YouTube video 838 00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:28,400 we tackled the Jazz. We didn't extensive I don't know what we were talking 839 00:55:28,400 --> 00:55:30,280 about, but it was an extensive dive and people were mad that we were 840 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:35,400 talking about the tanking aspect. It was a real debate amongst Jazz fans. 841 00:55:35,400 --> 00:55:37,880 I'm with you. We say it's too late. That's almost framing it as 842 00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:40,280 well, then this is a bad thing. They missed their window. I 843 00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:44,800 just don't know if it's a bad thing. Because you own Minnesota's future draft 844 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:49,119 and that team, it's sort of rickety. But if a fan, or 845 00:55:49,119 --> 00:55:52,079 even if an analyst, and but I know there's like a disdain for the 846 00:55:52,119 --> 00:55:57,400 way national analysts probably like us, will analyze individual teams. But I do 847 00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:01,639 also think it's fair to say if the endgame is to be a sustainable title 848 00:56:01,639 --> 00:56:07,119 contender this season in theory, I don't want to say hurt you, but 849 00:56:07,199 --> 00:56:10,480 delays that because this is not You're like, if you think that this is 850 00:56:10,519 --> 00:56:15,159 sustainable, it's not sustainable unless you go out acquire a star to augment it. 851 00:56:15,239 --> 00:56:19,000 And I think that's to me. This that's to me where this is 852 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:22,960 different. This is not let's say the Pistons before they had Jade and Ivy 853 00:56:23,039 --> 00:56:29,400 or Kade, where they didn't have all these extra draft picks. Utah has 854 00:56:30,880 --> 00:56:35,360 malleability in the sense that if they're just so much better and this they win 855 00:56:35,440 --> 00:56:37,480 forty six games this year, it's not, oh, we have to resign 856 00:56:37,559 --> 00:56:42,360 everybody. Yeah, Jordan Clarkson as a player option, but Mike Conley's Parsley 857 00:56:42,400 --> 00:56:45,679 guaranteed Molik Beasley as a team option. By the way, you could actually 858 00:56:45,960 --> 00:56:51,119 strengthen your roster if you want, rather than doubling down on what you already 859 00:56:51,119 --> 00:56:54,880 have. Necessarily Now, to me, I would default towards I would have 860 00:56:54,920 --> 00:57:00,320 bottomed out gone after the Weben Yama Scoop Scoot Henderson's we've stayed. Can they 861 00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:04,239 get im in like player like that? But the fact that they're this good 862 00:57:04,239 --> 00:57:07,320 already it is too late. I just I don't think that's necessarily a bad 863 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:09,400 thing. There are Yeah, I can't be damaging. You look at sort 864 00:57:09,400 --> 00:57:15,440 of the one or two offseason success that Phoenix had with your like the where 865 00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:17,639 the three guards. They thought that was the great idea, But also just 866 00:57:17,679 --> 00:57:21,960 like, look what happened with the Nuggets, Like they trade Mellow and they 867 00:57:21,960 --> 00:57:24,159 have that one of the most random fifty five plus win that we're fifty plus 868 00:57:24,159 --> 00:57:28,800 win seasons that I can remember. After that, they were still able to 869 00:57:28,840 --> 00:57:30,280 mind talent on the market. They eventually, you know, you got Jamal 870 00:57:30,360 --> 00:57:34,320 Murray. I think he ended up being seventh, But like you were able 871 00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:37,559 to mind talent out of the draft and you got better a little bit more 872 00:57:37,599 --> 00:57:40,440 gradually, but you were still good a lot of that time, like you 873 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:46,119 were never truly bottoming out. I don't think this is the worst It can't 874 00:57:46,119 --> 00:57:50,320 believe the worst case scenario, because you're fucking winning and it's been a joy 875 00:57:50,360 --> 00:57:52,360 to watch. But I don't think it's as I do believe there are some 876 00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,239 fans, and I think it's fair who were concerned and would prefer the tank. 877 00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:59,280 I think that's I think that's fair. But for anyone who thinks that 878 00:57:59,320 --> 00:58:02,679 this is actively damaging, that pushes it way too far for me. Even 879 00:58:02,679 --> 00:58:07,400 if you think there's like a transience to the way the roster is built, 880 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:09,519 which the final thing I'll say there is that's just the fact of the matter. 881 00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:14,280 It's Ryan Markan is twenty five, context is twenty three. You just 882 00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:17,519 drafted Walker Kestler. What is at BAJI But like between talent Horton, Tucker 883 00:58:17,519 --> 00:58:21,760 and Conley and even Jordan Clarkson, who's a little bit of like this roster 884 00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:24,199 is transy, Like it's it's fine to say, but it's also it's really 885 00:58:24,199 --> 00:58:29,199 good. That's the thing I think. If you're a Jazz fan and you 886 00:58:29,239 --> 00:58:31,320 don't really care that much about the rest of the league, you probably still 887 00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:35,079 know who Wemban Yama is, but all you want to do is like two 888 00:58:35,199 --> 00:58:38,440 three times a week watch the Jazz. Yeah, this is great, this 889 00:58:38,480 --> 00:58:43,760 is great. You're happy with this, and like you're happy with it as 890 00:58:43,800 --> 00:58:50,519 an alternative to the possible pretty unlikely promise had this gone the other way of 891 00:58:50,599 --> 00:58:58,920 getting a transcendent talent who you know might might years from now be the best 892 00:58:58,920 --> 00:59:02,280 player on a championship team. But there's like so many ifs, but me 893 00:59:04,280 --> 00:59:07,000 having no skin in the game as a Jazz fan, the difference. The 894 00:59:07,119 --> 00:59:10,559 difference now is that you're you asked, like how should they should they feel 895 00:59:10,599 --> 00:59:14,440 bad about it? Or should should this be viewed as like a mistake? 896 00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:22,360 If you're talking about a draft headlined by Anthony Edwards or Kaide Cunningham or Palo 897 00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:29,079 bank Caro even who's been great. Right, then maybe maybe it's okay that 898 00:59:29,119 --> 00:59:31,239 they're not tanking. But I really think I think, you know, this 899 00:59:32,159 --> 00:59:36,480 could be wrong, probably will be wrong. I just think when Binyama is 900 00:59:36,480 --> 00:59:38,639 someone that, like, whatever you have to do to maximize your chances of 901 00:59:38,679 --> 00:59:44,679 getting him, you should do it, unless by doing so, you like 902 00:59:45,039 --> 00:59:51,480 scuttle a potential like really deep playoff run or championship pursuit. Like if it's 903 00:59:51,519 --> 00:59:54,280 that or when ban Yama, then go try to win two playoff rounds and 904 00:59:54,320 --> 00:59:57,960 see what happens, you know, try to make the finals what like. 905 00:59:58,119 --> 01:00:02,199 Do that. But if it's we win forty nine games, nobody really takes 906 01:00:02,239 --> 01:00:07,000 us that seriously. We might win around and then the roster gets totally changed 907 01:00:07,000 --> 01:00:09,840 and all these guys are gone. That was a cool year. But I'd 908 01:00:09,920 --> 01:00:15,000 rather have a chance or my best chance at Wembanyama or even Scoot Henderson, 909 01:00:15,079 --> 01:00:19,920 because who's just getting totally underdiscussed as a really really one of the best lead 910 01:00:19,960 --> 01:00:22,239 guard prospects we've seen in a long time. He was my spicy cake. 911 01:00:22,320 --> 01:00:25,559 Is that if he was like a few inches taller. They everyone will be 912 01:00:25,559 --> 01:00:30,199 smitten with him over Victor woman Yama. If he were in any of the 913 01:00:30,239 --> 01:00:32,400 last three drafts, I think you could make the case that people like it's 914 01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:37,639 just Wemban Yama is a once in a whatever, at least in the eyes 915 01:00:37,679 --> 01:00:42,280 of everybody who has an opinion about it, just a just a transformational general, 916 01:00:42,320 --> 01:00:47,400 all the asianals, he's all the Asians generation in international, the T 917 01:00:47,559 --> 01:00:52,039 shirt right there, all the more. But yeah, I just I get 918 01:00:52,039 --> 01:00:55,199 it. It's got to be conflict. There's gotta be like a real conflicted 919 01:00:55,320 --> 01:00:59,039 jazz fan base. But I get, I get, I get either side. 920 01:00:59,159 --> 01:01:00,760 If it were me, i'd I would have wanted women yaa. But 921 01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:05,960 and look, if you're looking at the top two, it's assuming you could 922 01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:08,960 finish with a bottom three record. It's a twenty seven point four percent chance 923 01:01:08,960 --> 01:01:13,159 of landing in the top two. That is not insubstantial. Right, That's 924 01:01:13,159 --> 01:01:16,880 big, that's big. Yeah, that's all we got though, So boy, 925 01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:21,840 how long did we take? Almost a two hour? More? Thank 926 01:01:22,119 --> 01:01:25,039 thank you everybody for listening to the only the Western Conference portion of our biggest 927 01:01:25,079 --> 01:01:29,400 questions. I'm sure Dan will chop this up somehow. A God, I 928 01:01:29,440 --> 01:01:31,079 hope so, I don't know if I could listen to all this, that's 929 01:01:31,119 --> 01:01:34,519 gonna do it for us this week. We'll do the East next week. 930 01:01:34,920 --> 01:01:38,960 Thanks for listening. Remember guys or guys and gals. Anybody in the discord, 931 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:42,760 however you'd like to be referred to, Remember to download, subscribe, 932 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:45,679 comment, interact with us, Engage with us. We've got all of our 933 01:01:45,719 --> 01:01:50,599 socials and you can join our discord. Information for that's on the YouTube and 934 01:01:50,679 --> 01:01:53,400 podcast description. Rate us, review us, give us five stars, give 935 01:01:53,480 --> 01:01:57,079 us like fourteen stars if you can figure out a way to do that. 936 01:01:57,239 --> 01:02:00,840 Tell your friends and enemies. I would like to close, as always by 937 01:02:00,880 --> 01:02:06,800 apologizing Jared Allen and on behalf of Dan and also meet because I like to 938 01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:09,800 shout out to the one and only Frank Milogy the solution to We were trying 939 01:02:09,760 --> 01:02:13,119 to figure out how the Mavericks can be less dependent on Luca