1 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,199 What is Krakolac and fell If there're a nuclear A efforts, I am Dan 2 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,359 Valley, command you with a very quick intro. This time, I went 3 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,719 on the NBA podcast with my good friend and collie Brian Taporek, who also 4 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,399 covers the NBA for Forbes and Atleach Report. We talked a lot of things. 5 00:00:32,399 --> 00:00:36,000 We did Sixers, Clippers and Bucks post mortems and those were long. 6 00:00:36,079 --> 00:00:39,119 We did like I think thirty minutes or close down average on each of those 7 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,159 teams, and then we got into the thunder Maverick series nix Pacers series. 8 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,159 If you're listening on audio, I did throw up the previews already. If 9 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,479 you're on YouTube, I've attached them in full here. I'm probably gonna post 10 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,479 the full We had over two hours of talk, so you'll have that full 11 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,600 discussion, but the previews will come at the end, so if you already 12 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:56,880 listen to them, you can you can skip that. It was a great 13 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,439 discussion. I love Brian always has some really great insights. See when it 14 00:01:00,439 --> 00:01:03,359 comes to the offseason stuff. I think you guys will really enjoy the post 15 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:10,000 mortems. So nothing here on the epic Nuggets Timberwolves game that we just saw 16 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,959 are the Calves Magic Game seven that we had seen on Sunday Grant and I'll 17 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,560 probably hit that later in the week. Just wanted to kind of update you 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,159 on what the timeline is. But I really enjoyed this episode. I think 19 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,159 you will enjoy it as well. Show us some love though, like comment, 20 00:01:23,239 --> 00:01:25,640 subscribe if you have not already, tell people about us. Like I 21 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:30,159 said, there's weird temporary holds on mine and the Hardwoodknockx Twitter account for spam 22 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,799 activity. I guess our takes for spam really, so if you can share 23 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,319 it, retweet it, tell people about us. Comment. The algorithm seems 24 00:01:37,359 --> 00:01:41,640 to like comment, so say whatever you want. We would really appreciate it. 25 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,840 We appreciate your support as always, though. There's to join our discord. 26 00:01:44,879 --> 00:01:48,000 The link to that's in the podcast and YouTube description as well. You 27 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,680 can follow us on all the socials there too. But without further delay, 28 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,120 let's get to some extensive offseason slash Playoffs talk with Brian Taporik of Bleach Report 29 00:01:57,159 --> 00:02:00,640 and the NBA podcast, which you said subscribe to. I've included the links 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:07,239 to that in the podcast and YouTube descriptions. Welcome everyone, Episode six ninety 31 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,240 of the NBA Podcast. I'm Brian Sphorik, and we have another great show 32 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,199 for you today. The first round is just about over. By the time 33 00:02:14,199 --> 00:02:15,800 you're listening to those, it probably will be. We still have Cavs Magic 34 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:21,599 Game seven on tap, but three more teams have unfortunately left us for the 35 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,039 season, that being the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia seventy six Ers, and Los 36 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:29,159 Angeles Clippers. So we will be saying bye fully sha to all three of 37 00:02:29,199 --> 00:02:32,639 those and tackling their biggest box season questions, and then we will go into 38 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:37,919 a Knicks Pacers preview as well before we do. Or reminded that you can 39 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,080 follow us on Twitter at the NBA Pod. You can find our Twitter handles 40 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,479 in our bios you give us a follow as well. You can also find 41 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,120 us on iTunes whoever else podcasts are found on iTunes, Please subscribe download leaves 42 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,639 of five star reviews. Joining me today is not my usual co host, 43 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,439 Morton Jensen. He is away for the weekend, but he will be back 44 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:59,240 shortly. Instead, we have tapped a longtime friend of the show, Dan 45 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,800 for Valley of the Hardwood Knocks podcast. He is also a writer at a 46 00:03:02,879 --> 00:03:09,240 Bleacher Report, and I'm reregrudgingly doing this because Dan is a Knicks fan and 47 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:15,879 I am hoping that he will be kind and not cloud Joel Embiid, But 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,319 we will see Dan. How's it going, man, I am spectacular. 49 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,719 Thank you so much for having me back. It's always fun to catch up 50 00:03:22,719 --> 00:03:25,000 with you, and we get to see each other in real life, like 51 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,520 by the time it drops basically for anyone who cares and he's looking when we're 52 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:36,080 in NYC together. I will be kind to Joel Embiid just because I understand 53 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,599 that there's always an excuse. But he's dealing with Bell's palsy, was playing 54 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:42,879 on one leg, and he was still There were moments he was cooked by 55 00:03:42,919 --> 00:03:46,800 like the end of these games, but he was still both like for stretches 56 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,520 that you were in the shot deterrent and a racer and then just had that 57 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,080 fifty point game. So I still have all the respect in the world for 58 00:03:53,199 --> 00:03:55,280 him. And I know some people call it grifter, they think that he's 59 00:03:55,280 --> 00:04:00,719 saft, but those people are fucking idiots. So I still well, I'm 60 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:02,199 very I mean, we're gonna get are they the team we're gonna start with? 61 00:04:04,759 --> 00:04:09,680 Is there like a I'm on your podcast, wills that you a question, 62 00:04:09,719 --> 00:04:14,120 But is there like we're officially at the point where there's mega urgency and 63 00:04:14,199 --> 00:04:16,800 questions with Joelle Embiid, Right, he's thirty, there's always going to be 64 00:04:16,879 --> 00:04:21,319 something, which it's just you just it's like with Zion, there's all you 65 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,600 just have to assume there's always gonna be something, and so just like does 66 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,439 that Obviously there was already this urgency leading into the off season because they have 67 00:04:29,519 --> 00:04:31,600 this cap space, they have picks, they're gonna you know, sign Maxi, 68 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,040 But like, is the urgency just increased because now you've kind of just 69 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,160 you have to know more than ever that this dude is never going to be 70 00:04:40,639 --> 00:04:44,720 close to one by the end of the year. Yeah, I absolutely think 71 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:46,639 so. I Mean we say this every year going into the six D off 72 00:04:46,759 --> 00:04:51,279 season that most important six or dof season yet, but like this time it 73 00:04:51,319 --> 00:04:57,040 really is. It feels like this is their last shot to get it right 74 00:04:57,199 --> 00:05:00,639 around Embat, like the process is and buried. You know, we've gone 75 00:05:00,639 --> 00:05:05,279 through like six front offices since Sam Hinky. At this point, you know, 76 00:05:05,519 --> 00:05:09,879 people continue to really relitigate it. But it's like, Okay, well 77 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:15,319 everything he drafted or traded for or accumulated is now gone other than Joel Embiid 78 00:05:15,399 --> 00:05:19,959 basically, so they are relying on Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxie and now this 79 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,519 ability to create sixty five million dollars in cap space. But you know, 80 00:05:24,639 --> 00:05:28,560 even if they did, I haven't seen anyone throw this out yet. But 81 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,040 like the idea of just doing another like quote unquote gap year, just signing 82 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:34,720 a bunch of guys to one year deals and then like running it back next 83 00:05:34,759 --> 00:05:39,519 summer in case their options are any better. Even if you do that, 84 00:05:40,399 --> 00:05:44,439 like they've manufactured an additional twenty plus million in cap space this summer, just 85 00:05:44,439 --> 00:05:47,480 by holding off on the Maxi extension, you know they're gonna they're gonna wait 86 00:05:47,519 --> 00:05:53,079 to sign him. As cap hole is thirteen million, he's gonna get presumably 87 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,720 a full MAX. We'll see if he makes all a VA that will affects 88 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,000 how much his starting salary will be. But you know he's gonna make at 89 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,399 least thirty five million dollars next year. So even if they were to say, 90 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,560 okay, we're gonna just do this one year plan, we'll go in 91 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,680 twenty twenty five, Well, now you've got two guys on full MAX fields, 92 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,199 like you won't have the ability to create sixty five million dollars in cap 93 00:06:15,199 --> 00:06:18,240 space next time. So yeah, I mean, I think they absolutely have 94 00:06:18,319 --> 00:06:24,839 to get it right this year, and we'll see. I mean, there's 95 00:06:24,879 --> 00:06:30,279 already some speculation about which, you know, their interest in Paul George has 96 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,079 been the worst kept secret in the NBA. Brian Windhorst of ESPN went on, 97 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,480 get up on Friday, like naturally twelve hours after the six or season. 98 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:43,040 Then it's already slap season for them. Mentioned brandon Ingram Jimmy Butler as 99 00:06:43,079 --> 00:06:46,879 possible targets as well Lebron James can become a free agent. You know, 100 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,399 please keep giving the hell away from this team. This is just not like, 101 00:06:49,519 --> 00:06:56,399 let's not tie our immediate fate to someone who is I mean, he's 102 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,199 kind of fragile, he's always dealing with something. He's definitely a gamer, 103 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,199 but he's getting up there in age and he did not look right this season 104 00:07:02,199 --> 00:07:04,720 and then goes on to miss the entire play Like that's a it'd be a 105 00:07:04,759 --> 00:07:09,720 fun storyline. But if you just circle back to what age thirty four? 106 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,040 What is he thirty four to thirty five, Jimmy Butler, that's a little 107 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,360 bit uninspiring to me. Yeah, so I I guess let's start with this. 108 00:07:18,639 --> 00:07:24,360 All of those names that they that had been floated out as potential sixers 109 00:07:24,399 --> 00:07:28,199 targets if they go the three star route, that we could debate that separately. 110 00:07:28,279 --> 00:07:31,279 But what you know, by all accounts, they are going star hunting. 111 00:07:31,959 --> 00:07:35,000 Who do you think makes the most sense that either out of that group 112 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:39,240 or is there another target that you should think they should be hind Well, 113 00:07:39,279 --> 00:07:43,600 so what's interesting? So let's start with that group because I still think it's 114 00:07:43,639 --> 00:07:46,360 Paul George. I know he's older too, he just turned thirty four. 115 00:07:46,399 --> 00:07:49,079 I think on May second, he is more plug and play than everyone you 116 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:54,079 just named. And I know he just he played most of that Maverick series 117 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:59,279 with like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving energy. It was just it was an abomination. 118 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,319 Whoever, his role changes in Philly or at least he's able to settle 119 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,600 into a more consistent one where it's well, will Kawhi be available? Will 120 00:08:07,639 --> 00:08:11,279 he not be available? And then I know your and we'll do another podcast 121 00:08:11,319 --> 00:08:16,240 at some point about the three star max model. It feels when you know 122 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,600 that one because you have cap space like it's I think it's a little bit 123 00:08:18,639 --> 00:08:22,839 easier to sign on to that because it's not costing you a ton of assets 124 00:08:22,879 --> 00:08:26,680 other than that cap equity now. But also the benefit here is though, 125 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,920 because he's extension eligible, even if he opts in, he controls his own 126 00:08:31,959 --> 00:08:35,960 fate in a way that James Harden never did because there's a market for him. 127 00:08:35,279 --> 00:08:39,279 And so if you're the Sixers and you have to give up like something 128 00:08:39,279 --> 00:08:41,919 for Paul George, let's say it's an opt in in trade rather than an 129 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:46,000 outright signing, like, it's still not going to cost you as much as 130 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,840 it would to get a Jimmy Butler, maybe even to get a brandon Ingram. 131 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:54,639 And that matters because the Sixers only have picks and cap space to offer, 132 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,679 like there's no like you're not looking at a blue chip youngster to send 133 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:03,759 out. And that also means if you're getting into and maybe that's why I've 134 00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:07,240 latched onto the Paul George fit is it feels like he's just gonna get to 135 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,840 pick where he goes. Not that if Jimmy Butler just and the Heat decided 136 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,600 to part ways, yeah, he'll have his say, especially looking his contract, 137 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,120 his age. But because it gets to pick where he goes. It 138 00:09:16,159 --> 00:09:20,480 also feels like the route that will come at the lowest opportunity cost of getting 139 00:09:22,039 --> 00:09:24,720 a third star, And so I don't know how you feel about that. 140 00:09:24,039 --> 00:09:26,639 But then the second layer of that would be if you're actually looking to trade 141 00:09:26,639 --> 00:09:31,120 for a star that's already under contract, they can move up the five first 142 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:37,200 round picks this summer, But like, is that gonna be, Like what 143 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,679 is the name that you're putting all of those on the table for. I 144 00:09:39,759 --> 00:09:43,320 doubt they exist, like maybe Devin Booker, But like you're never even gonna 145 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,600 have the best offer because all you have is these picks. You need a 146 00:09:46,639 --> 00:09:52,120 team that I guess is desperate to just save money, or you need someone 147 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:56,759 to say, hey, it needs to be Philly. Yeah, I'm glad 148 00:09:56,799 --> 00:10:01,320 you touched on this because i've you know, especially now that they're getting more 149 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:05,679 mentioned in like the trade rumor mill instead of just free agency. I'm with 150 00:10:05,799 --> 00:10:11,039 you in thinking what do they have to offer other than picks at cap relief? 151 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,559 Like even if you want to say they could sign and trade free agents 152 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:20,080 to whichever team they're trading with, teams over the apron can't receive contracts by 153 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:26,240 a sign and trade so that closes, Like Miami could not receive as much 154 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,879 as I would love to sign and trade to Bias Harris to Miami, Miami 155 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:35,039 could not receive Tobias Harris in a sign and trade. I don't. I 156 00:10:35,039 --> 00:10:39,480 don't know where the Pelicans are relative to the Apron or where they're projected to 157 00:10:39,519 --> 00:10:43,960 be relative to the Apron. But like, you know, are you sign 158 00:10:43,039 --> 00:10:48,440 and trading Kelly uber Junior to the Pelicans for Brandon Ninger? Probably not. 159 00:10:48,519 --> 00:10:52,519 Like I think a lot of these teams are going to want a picks plus 160 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,559 prospects package, or especially a team like the Pelicans that has I mean most 161 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,279 of these teams, of the players who're just listed, they're not even and 162 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,360 during these rebuilds, by moving these players, maybe maybe they would want picks 163 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:07,879 more than mostly like the Pelicans need dudes if they're getting rid of Brandon Ingram, 164 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:13,120 right exactly. Yeah, Like all these guys feel like a they would 165 00:11:13,159 --> 00:11:16,440 make more sense in a star for star swap, so you know, maybe 166 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,399 in Ingram for talents or an Ingram for Trey Young or something like that, 167 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:22,039 and then you know, figure out the picks and the supporting pieces whatever. 168 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:26,320 But yeah, I can't see how the Sixers, if it's just the two 169 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,519 team deal, how they would make that work. Now maybe, I mean 170 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,519 Darryl Morey is very creative. Maybe he gets in six teams. Yeah, 171 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,519 like a at a team deal and they're just you know, the Sixers, 172 00:11:37,519 --> 00:11:39,879 they're using their cap space and just taking on contracts. But I mean it 173 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,720 is it is worth stressing that that is a possible use of their cap space 174 00:11:45,759 --> 00:11:48,559 because I cannot tell you how many people every time I mentioned that they can 175 00:11:48,639 --> 00:11:52,720 create sixty five million, like a picture of the SPA track. Top free 176 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,399 agents, Like, I know, they're not a ton of top free agents. 177 00:11:56,399 --> 00:12:00,440 If they don't get Paul George Lebron James, you know, they might 178 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,519 not get a star star star like third star in free agency. But you 179 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:07,559 can always trade for guys and as long as they're under the cap after the 180 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,919 trade, they don't have to send salary back. You know, I'm thinking 181 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:16,159 more along the lines of what happened last year with John Collins, where Utah 182 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,360 got him for Rudy Gay and a second round pick. Like you know, 183 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,399 these teams. We have been hearing from all of these insiders that teams are 184 00:12:24,399 --> 00:12:26,679 more cost conscious and you know, might have to shed some salaries, so 185 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:31,519 I don't know which teams that will be. This is not going to be 186 00:12:31,519 --> 00:12:35,720 a popular name to throw out there, but Andrew Wiggins, I imagine, 187 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,440 would be one such example. I would not want to take him on unless 188 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,240 the Warriors are including additional assets, like I would not be giving up assets 189 00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:46,159 to get Andrew Wiggins. But right, you know, like those are the 190 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:50,799 types of guys that I think are more realistic trade targets for the Sixers than 191 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:56,759 a brandon Ingram unless it's a multi team deal where you know, cap relief 192 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:58,799 is one of the big things that one of those teams is going after. 193 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,320 It almost kind of feels like it's Paul George or Lebron or Bust if you're 194 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,639 looking for a star trade for them. Just like these guys decide they want 195 00:13:05,639 --> 00:13:09,279 out of their current situation in Philly is where they want to go for whatever 196 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,679 reason. Although I did think, and I've had this thought about Miami too, 197 00:13:13,759 --> 00:13:16,639 but the Sixers can actually save the money. I first of all, 198 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:22,879 if Minnesota starts cutting costs, they're fucking sham because you have until like the 199 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,120 end of next league calendar year to cut your tax bill. In theory, 200 00:13:28,399 --> 00:13:31,360 and so this team was good enough to where they at least deserve until next 201 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,080 year's trade deadline. I've been pretty admirant about that. But whatever's going on 202 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,600 with controlling like the controlling ownership there with Mark LORII and Al Tarriguez versus Glenn 203 00:13:39,639 --> 00:13:43,279 Taylor. If they're looking to cut costs and it's just like, let's just 204 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,360 say it costs you a pick, but they're so dead set on cutting cost 205 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,039 would you be willing to, like try Karl Anthony Towns out on this team 206 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,000 with EMBIID and Maximum. No, No, I would do it. I'm 207 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,240 not gonna lie. I would do it. I think. I mean again, 208 00:13:58,279 --> 00:14:01,440 we definitely need to just do a full three star, three max whatever 209 00:14:01,519 --> 00:14:07,759 episode because I think this is I'm seeing now finally more people are starting to 210 00:14:07,799 --> 00:14:11,240 realize this. But like I've been kind of beating the drum for months that 211 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:16,840 it's gonna be really really difficult to build around three stars moving forward. Not 212 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,600 impossible, and I think there will be exceptions. In Boston. I think 213 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,360 it's gonna be one, Okay, see just because of all their picks is 214 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,879 going to be one. But I think if you're building around you know, 215 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,960 like you you accumulate this third story your viol free agency or via trade. 216 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,240 If you don't have that supporting casting in place already, it's gonna be really 217 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,639 tough. I think if you do do the three star three max model, 218 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,679 it almost has to be one guard, one wing, one big. I 219 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,960 was gonna say, I think it's like one three five like that's what that's 220 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,679 what the three star model has to be. Yeah, I think it's just 221 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,559 a bad allocation of resources to spend. I mean, between Mbat and Towns 222 00:14:50,559 --> 00:14:52,080 alone, it's gonna be almost one hundred million dollars. Well, my thought 223 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:58,759 process was because Minnesota is valuing the cost cling part of that trade as an 224 00:14:58,759 --> 00:15:03,639 asset still presumably wouldn't be doing that later on, so they could flip Karl 225 00:15:03,679 --> 00:15:05,440 Anthony Towns if they wanted to for more. Maybe it's just he's still the 226 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,440 holdover if they have to do with Joe and b trade, I would say 227 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,200 in this specific situation too. The other thing that I feel like people aren't 228 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,799 necessarily accounting for there are players of their own free agents that they just might 229 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,559 want back to lower, like and that'll lower like Theanthey Meltain if he's healthy. 230 00:15:20,559 --> 00:15:24,279 I know he's dealing with the back stuff. I am a bullish on 231 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:30,559 the fact that Nicholas Patum can't retire this team just still will. People are 232 00:15:30,559 --> 00:15:33,519 already begging his wife on Twitter to let him come back for one more year. 233 00:15:33,879 --> 00:15:37,679 I would assume that Buddy Heeled is gone, but like that's someone who 234 00:15:37,759 --> 00:15:39,559 in see I thought that was such a home run trade for me at the 235 00:15:39,559 --> 00:15:43,240 deadline and then to see what kind of became of it. But then he 236 00:15:43,279 --> 00:15:46,080 has that type of Game six against the Knicks, and then even Kelly Rejunior. 237 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,799 They don't have his bird rights, but they have cap space. So 238 00:15:48,799 --> 00:15:50,200 those are just four guys I kind of identical. And you know, they 239 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,000 don't necessarily want to just get rid of Paul Reed. They might guarantee his 240 00:15:54,039 --> 00:15:56,679 contract anyway because it's such a low number, right, Uh, They'll have 241 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,600 an idea of how they need to use their cap space. So the capspace 242 00:16:00,639 --> 00:16:03,399 they have, whether you're looking at it from a free agent perspective or a 243 00:16:03,399 --> 00:16:07,000 trade perspective, or the cap space they can feasibly create, they're probably not 244 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:11,000 going to optimize that because it means that we have Joel embiid Maxie and that's 245 00:16:11,039 --> 00:16:17,000 it. And just that from a starting point is incredibly iffy. So yeah, 246 00:16:17,559 --> 00:16:19,480 I'm very curious to see, like have and I haven't given this enough 247 00:16:19,519 --> 00:16:22,600 thought, whether it's trade or free agency. Are there any of these like 248 00:16:22,799 --> 00:16:30,279 substar names that make a lot of sense for this team? Yeah, I 249 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,759 think DeMar Derozen's gonna be the one that's thrown around the most. Ooh, 250 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,399 I guess you know, with the way Joel embiid it's been shooting, you 251 00:16:37,519 --> 00:16:41,440 have the spacing to kind of make that work. Yeah. I was pretty 252 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:45,399 out on it for a while, but I've I've increastically opened myself to it. 253 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,799 Depending on the price point in pourt, like if you're paying max or 254 00:16:48,799 --> 00:16:52,039 near max money, absolutely not. But if it's like twenty five to thirty 255 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:57,600 million a year, at least I'm not saying no, it's not a hard 256 00:16:57,679 --> 00:17:02,559 note for me. Klay Thompson, I think would be a hard now at 257 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,039 this point. Just I can't imagine if he's leaving the Dubs. I would 258 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:07,279 just question like, Okay, well, what is the money that got him 259 00:17:07,279 --> 00:17:11,839 out of goal? Yeah? Exactly like I'd rather if I if you're giving 260 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,160 me the choice between Molik Monk or Klay Thompson on the same contract. I'm 261 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:21,680 taking the leak, monk uh, So what is I know it's your podcast, 262 00:17:21,759 --> 00:17:23,200 but this is like the team that you cover, that's your like primary 263 00:17:23,279 --> 00:17:26,720 meat. So I'm quizzing you here, what is you're looking at this the 264 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:30,079 roster that they have some of the guys that they could bring back, Like 265 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,680 what are the you know, one first second, like your top three biggest 266 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,000 like archetypal needs. Then if it's not even just players, like we need 267 00:17:37,079 --> 00:17:41,240 to do this obviously you could say wings just but like it's weird because we're 268 00:17:41,279 --> 00:17:45,599 working off the baseline of they have Maxi and embiid that's what we know for 269 00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:49,079 sure. Yeah, right, so yeah, they don't need the center, 270 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,960 I'll say that. Or they don't need a starting center. They do need 271 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 a backup center. If anything, I think the Knick series kind of exposed 272 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,359 Paul Read's limitations. Unfortunately, Paul Read super fun player and everyone and Philly 273 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,480 loves him, but you know, did not have the size to bang with 274 00:18:03,519 --> 00:18:07,960 either hard and Stein or Robinson and even I mean I thought in the game 275 00:18:08,039 --> 00:18:11,559 four where Robinson left early, they're like, oh wow, finally Paul Reid, 276 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:15,160 like he's getting precious to Chua, like he's finally not going to be 277 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:19,559 giving up three inches and fifty pounds, and he still was ineffective and they 278 00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:23,160 had to play and be you know, a ridiculous amount of minutes. So 279 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:29,880 I think a backup center with more size is not their top need, but 280 00:18:30,079 --> 00:18:33,720 is a legitimate need for them wings. As you said, I think number 281 00:18:33,759 --> 00:18:38,400 one need really just three of d guys. It's just you know what works 282 00:18:40,039 --> 00:18:45,880 the They're kind of in the same place as the Lakers after the twenty twenty 283 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:51,039 Bubble Championship where it's like, we know what archetype will work around these two 284 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,000 guys now trying to jet. But to be fair, it's very clear that 285 00:18:53,079 --> 00:19:00,440 the Lakers had no idea. What are right exactly correct Lakers fans, Lakers 286 00:19:00,559 --> 00:19:04,279 fans realized, right right, just do the exact opposite of what the Lakers 287 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:10,839 did over the last couple of years. Do not sign Russell Westbrook Ruts please 288 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,640 know Yeah, I mean, I think, and you're absolutely right to bring 289 00:19:14,759 --> 00:19:18,039 up they are not going to create sixty five million dollars to camp dates or 290 00:19:18,039 --> 00:19:21,480 I don't think they're going to go because that would require they have to waive 291 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,000 everyone. So Paul Reid's gone his contracts not guaranteed to the loss in the 292 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:29,640 first round. Ricky Council, the fourth who they signed at the end of 293 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,720 the year to a four year, very lightly guaranteed deal, jumped out in 294 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,799 who they signed you the team option. There's really no advantage to waiving those 295 00:19:37,839 --> 00:19:41,039 guys, like they're they're earning slightly more than an incomplete roster charge. But 296 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,240 like it is peanuts in the grand scheme, and I think you're just gonna 297 00:19:45,319 --> 00:19:48,640 need guys on chief contracts, Like I'm I would be surprised if Frickey Council 298 00:19:48,799 --> 00:19:52,680 is not on the team next year. But then yeah, I like I 299 00:19:52,799 --> 00:19:56,160 think it would have to trade the number sixteen pick, which is you know, 300 00:19:56,319 --> 00:20:00,319 unless you're getting someone big in return, I think you're gonna want cheap, 301 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,920 cost controlled contracts. I know this draft is not super strong, but 302 00:20:03,759 --> 00:20:07,119 just take a swing on like an older, more established you don't need to 303 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:11,599 hit a home run, like that's the luxury of having Joelle Embiid and Tyrese 304 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,079 Max. You don't need to swing on this like high risk, high ceiling 305 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,640 player that you know, super volatile, like go for a Himy Haka as 306 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,880 a Brandon Pajemski like we've seen what those guys can do if you can just 307 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,680 have them fill a role, whether it's a starter or off the bench, 308 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,759 Like there is value in that. So they have to get rid of that 309 00:20:29,839 --> 00:20:33,359 pick, not take all any salary back, They have to renounce everyone, 310 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,759 so all basically the rest of their entire roster. So like I think, 311 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,559 you know, you will hear the sixty five million figures thrown around, but 312 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,160 I don't think they're going to actually get to that point. And I think 313 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,000 they You're absolutely right, they are going to try to bring back some of 314 00:20:48,079 --> 00:20:52,279 these guys. I think they should bring back Ubra. Bobby Marks of ESPN, 315 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,799 actually he did a video about the six Ers offseason, said it basically 316 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,799 like penciled Ubray in for the room bin bubble, which is lower than I 317 00:21:00,039 --> 00:21:03,640 expected for him, honestly. So yeah, that's if that's all he gets, 318 00:21:03,759 --> 00:21:07,799 Like that is it easy? Easy? Yes for me? Yeah, 319 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,920 for sure. I mean but then again I was surprised that he was floating 320 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,720 around for the minimum last summer too. Yeah, and I mean he played 321 00:21:15,759 --> 00:21:18,799 really wells Like it is wild to think about how it screwed the sections does 322 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,319 need to learn how to travel in Philly apparently, yes, yes, yes, 323 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:26,079 uh, And I do wonder if that. I mean, he had 324 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,759 the reputation that he did last offseason, and I wonder if those type of 325 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:36,480 off court instances like make other teams nervous, maybe that drives down his price 326 00:21:36,519 --> 00:21:38,319 and that works to the stixer. Do you live in DC for how many 327 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,559 years and didn't have any issues? Like you should be fine? Right? 328 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:48,000 Traffic like a third You got a metro in DC. Philly in subway is 329 00:21:48,079 --> 00:21:52,799 not nearly as efficient as the DC Metro. The market for this is just 330 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,079 there's really only one guy I'm thinking of because I don't love I think we're 331 00:21:56,079 --> 00:21:59,920 seeing now like Isaaca Korro is afraid to shoot in the playoffs until fans can 332 00:22:00,079 --> 00:22:02,480 he had a great season, but Castans can point to what he's doing from 333 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,680 three all they want. The postseason is just different. Would they ever consider 334 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,599 just like taking a stab at Patrick Williams and trying to maybe like either we 335 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:15,599 get him or we just inflate his price and screw over to Chicago? Is 336 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,240 that or do they not want to tie up their cap space for the for 337 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,640 the few hours that would be tied up for to do that? Yeah, 338 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,799 I would imagine that's like plan D or E. Like if they strike out 339 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,880 in the first you know, on all their top targets, then maybe you 340 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:34,200 wait until the free restricted free agent class could actually sign and maybe you screw 341 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,480 with other teams, cause yeah, you pull Sean Marx, like a mid 342 00:22:37,559 --> 00:22:40,720 twenty ten Sean Marx and just drive out the price on other teams. I 343 00:22:40,839 --> 00:22:44,640 like that idea though, and I think they they have the liberty to get 344 00:22:44,839 --> 00:22:48,039 creative, which I think based on the rumors that are coming out right now 345 00:22:48,079 --> 00:22:51,400 where it's just like, oh, they're going after every star player, They're 346 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:55,119 doing the exact opposite of that. I'm trying to talk myself into that being 347 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,559 a smoke screen, and that's like also, you know, they they are 348 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:03,880 allowing themselves to leave it. They're allowing Paul George to leverage their cap space 349 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:07,839 to right the Clippers have to pay up more for him, and they're like, 350 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,119 yeah, that's that's cool. We don't care. You guys aren't gonna 351 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:17,680 win the title either way. Uh So I'm I'm personally I would go two 352 00:23:17,759 --> 00:23:21,079 stars. I would not go after any of these big names that we've been 353 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:26,000 hearing what about, just because it would maybe screw over New York in the 354 00:23:26,039 --> 00:23:29,880 product Would you give the four year, one point four million offer to o 355 00:23:30,039 --> 00:23:37,599 g Oh? I would consider it? Or yeah, I mean he's up 356 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:41,759 there. He's definitely up there. I don't know that the wild card is 357 00:23:41,799 --> 00:23:47,279 his relationship with Nick Nurse. I don't know. I've heard rumblings about and 358 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:52,000 Nurse and that never having been a realistic option. I don't know if terrible, 359 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,759 Yeah, I agree, but so a lot of people are like a 360 00:23:56,799 --> 00:24:00,119 lot of people are higher on the bonus fit when the Kings were linked to 361 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,039 him, and I was like, eh, yeah, yeah, I don't 362 00:24:04,599 --> 00:24:07,119 again, I would do you know, the one big one wing at least 363 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:11,920 og is a wing, and you know, I think you want someone who's 364 00:24:11,319 --> 00:24:15,920 who can create a little more offensively than him. But he's so good defensively, 365 00:24:17,079 --> 00:24:23,119 like that defense with him and Hacious, he was doing too much self 366 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:27,079 creation towards the end of that sixth series where the he was like spinning and 367 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,920 dribbling to nowhere a lot, and like it didn't look terrible, but it's 368 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,279 just like that's not his forte and there was value in him just putting pressure 369 00:24:34,319 --> 00:24:37,160 on a set defense. But it's just you're right, that's just not to 370 00:24:37,279 --> 00:24:41,359 have that in someone who just doesn't generate or shouldn't be generating too much of 371 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:47,440 their own offense. The Yeah, but it's so it's like I'm I think 372 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,160 I was just throwing at og to see, like, well, worst case 373 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,559 scenario, like we set the market and the Knicks are gonna have to pay 374 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,519 him this now or give him a fifth year. Uh. But other names 375 00:24:56,559 --> 00:25:00,680 that kind of like stand out would be like can they is KCP gettable from 376 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,240 Denver? Like or that do they have? Because they are another team that 377 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:07,759 has to be concerned with the second apron. I really and I don't know 378 00:25:07,759 --> 00:25:10,480 if you feel the same way. I really think the idea of Caleb Martin 379 00:25:10,759 --> 00:25:15,359 here yes, yep, Yeah, I think that's the thing. I think 380 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,559 they can. I don't know that they need to like splurge on a third 381 00:25:18,759 --> 00:25:22,400 Max wing. I think they can kind of piece it together and seeing what 382 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,240 Uber did in the system. I also think one of the things working in 383 00:25:27,279 --> 00:25:32,039 their favor is that Nick Nurse is a really good coach. I mean, 384 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:37,160 he like the results might not show it. They went further with Doc Rivers 385 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,599 than they did with Nick Nurse, so maybe that's going to fly under the 386 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,960 radar, but he got Kelly Ubra to buy in defensively in a way that 387 00:25:45,079 --> 00:25:48,160 he hasn't at least in a couple of writers. And you know, Kelly 388 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,039 Ubray made some like dumb mistakes at time still, but I was really impressed 389 00:25:52,039 --> 00:25:55,359 with what I saw on Nurse. I saw a lot of improvement out of 390 00:25:55,599 --> 00:26:02,279 the individual players. So I could see that being attractive to other free agents. 391 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,680 And I could also see that being oh, Okay, maybe we don't 392 00:26:04,759 --> 00:26:07,799 need this high end talent because we have a coach who's going to be able 393 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,440 to optimize these guys. And like, you know, we have ball movement, 394 00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:15,759 now we have off ball movement. What a foreign concept. So my 395 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:22,759 idea is, like I think they could go swing for the KDP type, 396 00:26:22,799 --> 00:26:26,279 the Malik Monk in free agency, and then maybe they go try to trade 397 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:30,160 for you know, bring back Kelly Ray and then go trade for a wing 398 00:26:30,799 --> 00:26:34,319 making fifteen to twenty million. Keldon Johnson is one that's rattled around in my 399 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:40,279 brain a lot. I know it. I know a lot of Sixers fans 400 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:44,440 do not want Kyle Kuzma. I I don't believe it. I feel like 401 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,319 he's gotten better enough defensively, It's just do you think he's willing a slide 402 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:52,880 into more off ball stuff? And we've never seen him because Washington's been all 403 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,200 over the place, and then we know what kind of Lakers were under Nurse. 404 00:26:56,240 --> 00:27:00,119 If you could put him in like more off ball motions and actions like 405 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:03,359 I would, I wouldn't, And that that contract is declining, like I 406 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,079 would add absolutely do it if it's on the table. Yeah, I mean 407 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,680 it depends on you know, I wouldn't give up like three first round picks 408 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:15,640 for him, but if it's like the number sixteen pick this year, yeah, 409 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,680 there's like when you looking at the substar trade market, I don't like 410 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,920 names are not immediately standing out for me that the Sixers go. I like 411 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,680 the idea of Kuzma that definitely intrigues me, But I'm like trying to think 412 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,480 of like other names that might like both of Bogdanovich is kind of interesting. 413 00:27:30,079 --> 00:27:34,680 But it also comes back to are you okay giving up like the equivalent of 414 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:38,599 two firsts for players on you know, because you just don't have anything else 415 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,279 to offer. It's not Atlanta's gonna be like we really want to get off 416 00:27:41,319 --> 00:27:45,839 Bogdanovic's contract. So we view your cap space as an asset, and maybe 417 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,200 they do because they they're pinching pennies forever and ever and ever. But like 418 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,400 it's that's just that's also what's weird. It's okay, if you get one 419 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,319 of these guys, you've probably exhausted at least definitely at least one first round 420 00:27:56,359 --> 00:28:00,799 pick, but maybe two. Mm hmm. Yeah. I wouldn't want to 421 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:04,440 show out for DeAndre Hunter. Hey, Denny Avdia, I think I would 422 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,759 love to. There's no way the Wizards. I will say. I'm a 423 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,400 huge Denny Avia fan, and I see all these people kind of lusting after 424 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,599 after Denny Avdya, and I just want to note I'm not looping you into 425 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:19,799 them. Like, if you all think this highly of the twenty two year 426 00:28:19,839 --> 00:28:26,279 old Washington, shouldn't move him right exactly where they're going to ask for a 427 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,079 ton, Like I know Lauri Market. It has been another possible or like 428 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:34,359 favorite on six or Twitter. It's like, oh, we'll get well thought 429 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:38,519 Paul Georgia trade for Lauri Market, and it's like, how are you doing 430 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,880 both? It's just like Lowry would be a great fit, Like he's not 431 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:47,440 someone you want to throw the full boat of picks at even I've thought about 432 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,839 Michale Bridges. Yeah, and just like it doesn't seem like the Nets have 433 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,920 the motivation because of their their own pick situation. But that's probably the worst 434 00:28:55,039 --> 00:29:00,640 player that I am like going that aggressively where it cost me. I mean, 435 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:02,640 I give up all the picks if I'm the six or shrim I'm not 436 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:04,359 gonna lie just because some of those are not gonna have that much value. 437 00:29:04,759 --> 00:29:07,200 But I'm also sitting there like the Nets might not do that because there's no 438 00:29:07,319 --> 00:29:11,000 players. I mean the number of what is it's a sixteen pick or whatever. 439 00:29:11,039 --> 00:29:14,799 Okay, that's coming back awesome. But yeah, and I mean like 440 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:18,079 every team's gonna have McHale would be my number one trade. Every team's gonna 441 00:29:18,079 --> 00:29:22,519 want to go after him because of his contract. So yeah, I mean 442 00:29:22,559 --> 00:29:26,519 it's it's gonna be a fascinating offseason. I think, you know, across 443 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,759 the league, we're gonna see this debate of I want to frame in his 444 00:29:30,839 --> 00:29:33,200 big threes because like McHale could be part of a big three and he's not 445 00:29:33,319 --> 00:29:38,000 a third max contract, so you can you can easily have like big three 446 00:29:38,279 --> 00:29:42,000 if one of the three guys is earning half as much as the other, 447 00:29:42,279 --> 00:29:45,039 yeah, or two of them are on like what the thunder eventually gonna have 448 00:29:45,079 --> 00:29:48,759 where there's at least three guys, well two, So you have the two 449 00:29:48,839 --> 00:29:52,119 rookie Maxes in j Dubbin Sheedholm it at some point, and then you have 450 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:56,079 Shay and then maybe because I don't know what's gonna happen with Josh Giddy, 451 00:29:56,079 --> 00:29:56,799 they'd better not give him the max. I know, he just had a 452 00:29:56,839 --> 00:30:00,279 good series in New Orleans. But uh so, like it needs to be 453 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:04,400 like that type of setup where it's like all these these like the younger Maxes 454 00:30:06,039 --> 00:30:08,279 or even what the Knicks have, which I mean it won't last for more 455 00:30:08,319 --> 00:30:11,359 than another season, but there's urgency for them too, right, Like, 456 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,359 yeah, enjoy this playoff ride, but like you're coming on some like really 457 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,240 like critical decisions because you're not gonna have this flexibility forever. Yeah, but 458 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,160 you know, Jalen Breath is earning half of them, Bax right now, 459 00:30:22,279 --> 00:30:26,160 Like he's gonna earn twice as much after next season as he is for the 460 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:32,720 next year or whatever your plus So like I think those models are feasible but 461 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,640 difficult, and you know, I think I have a piece coming out of 462 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,039 Bleacher Report at some point about this about kind of like the how the you 463 00:30:41,119 --> 00:30:47,079 know, the Suns hastily assembled this big three and just basically flip the middle 464 00:30:47,119 --> 00:30:49,039 finger to the second apron and continue to flip the middle finger the second apron 465 00:30:49,079 --> 00:30:52,759 and just got it swept in the first round. And in reality, when 466 00:30:52,799 --> 00:30:56,680 you listen to manage twenty six, other teams trade placers with us. Oh 467 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,160 that that press counference. Man. The only thing I'll say is like, 468 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,680 if you're going to be a predatory lender, maybe that business is really good, 469 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:08,880 so perhalf they could afford the second apron. But yeah, the sixers 470 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,279 are fascinating, So to put a bow on it, do you think there's 471 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,279 like a I don't want to say a seismic move because I think we're both 472 00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:19,480 in agreement that a star feels like, but like we should expect this roster 473 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,720 to make some this front office team makes some type of if it's not an 474 00:31:23,839 --> 00:31:29,799 all in trade, it's or signing, it's okay. They they were aggressive 475 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:34,519 and we're looking at two or three guys who crack our top five six seven 476 00:31:34,599 --> 00:31:38,160 players like the like new faces, not they're going to run it back to 477 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,319 the extent that they're kind of punting until the trade deadline or kicking the can 478 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:48,720 to then yes, I think absolutely. I mean they were lying on Nick 479 00:31:48,799 --> 00:31:52,880 Batoum, who might retire Kyle Lowry, who they got off the buyer market. 480 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,319 He says he's not going to retire, but who knows, And even 481 00:31:55,359 --> 00:31:57,039 if he doesn't, I don't think you want to be starting thirty eight year 482 00:31:57,079 --> 00:32:01,640 old Kyle Lowry. He's in the regular season. So yeah, I think 483 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,359 they basically have to, like their hands are being forced here. I mean 484 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:10,440 Tobias Harris, there's just no way he's coming back. I would be mortified 485 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:13,920 if he came back. So, like, those are already three of your 486 00:32:14,559 --> 00:32:17,039 six, the top six guys with the playoff rotation that you need to replace 487 00:32:17,119 --> 00:32:22,720 for next year. Where do we want to head next? Let's let's just 488 00:32:22,799 --> 00:32:29,039 say these let's do Bucks, because they are also facing some tough decisions, 489 00:32:29,359 --> 00:32:34,839 not quite as honestly, kind of the polar opposite of the Sixers, where 490 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,680 you know the world is the Sixers oyster this summer because they have so much 491 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:45,319 flexibility, the Bucks are locked into their current core at least for one more 492 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,839 year and then after that, we have some tough decisions for them. But 493 00:32:50,559 --> 00:32:53,720 Dame Giannis, Chris brook, Lopez, Bobby Portis pat comment and all under 494 00:32:53,799 --> 00:32:58,640 contract through twenty four to twenty five. I mean, honestly, Dan, 495 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:02,680 I'm proud of Twitter, or at least maybe I've just curated my Twitter down 496 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:08,319 to avoid this kind of idiocy. But I expected more people to be clowning 497 00:33:08,519 --> 00:33:12,319 both the Heat and the Bucks for losing in the first round this year, 498 00:33:12,839 --> 00:33:17,000 and it just seems like the collective response was yeah, I mean, they 499 00:33:17,119 --> 00:33:21,079 just got injuries, like they had no chance. I mean, to be 500 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:22,440 fair, especially in the Bucks. I mean, well, the Heat had 501 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:25,480 ever I mean, Bam was available like no Jimmy Hamay Hawkins is banged up 502 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:29,319 by the end of it. They gave up a first round pick for Terry 503 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,480 Rozier and then he's not available for them in the playoffs. That's a I 504 00:33:32,519 --> 00:33:35,640 guess I understood the trade. I wasn't a big fan of it at the 505 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,680 time, but that looks even shakier now. So yeah, they had legitimate 506 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:43,680 excuses. Even Kevin Pelton wrote the piece REESPN dot com that we're on pace 507 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,799 to have all star players missed. More collective games during the postseason than like 508 00:33:49,039 --> 00:33:53,039 not ever, but like in like like not like not even just post pandemic, 509 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,799 but like it's reaching levels where during the pandemic of the playoffs that we're 510 00:33:57,839 --> 00:34:01,559 about to have more collective aggregate like star games missed, Which is that sucks? 511 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:07,359 Yeah, yeah, it really does. I mean it kind of puts 512 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:10,719 the Bucks in a difficult spot because you know, they obviously had a lot 513 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:15,400 of turmoil all year, start with the Dame trade, mid season coaching change, 514 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:17,559 injury like Chris Middleton, and an out of lineup for a lot of 515 00:34:17,599 --> 00:34:22,440 the year. Jannis gets hurt late, so we don't have a good read 516 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:25,440 on this team. I feel like, is that fair to say, Like 517 00:34:25,599 --> 00:34:32,000 I don't know if they are a championship contender as currently assembled, and I 518 00:34:32,079 --> 00:34:38,440 don't know that they know that either. Yeah, I mean that is the 519 00:34:38,599 --> 00:34:44,760 challenge. I will say that I think we all sort of collectively underestimate how 520 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:51,519 sometimes these really high end formations can take time. And so I would expect 521 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,039 Damian Lillar Johannis if they get to go through another training camp together. I 522 00:34:54,119 --> 00:34:55,960 think it's really good for the Bucks. By the way, that Dame, 523 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,119 Everyone's kind of like, well, is there gonna be a curve ball of 524 00:34:59,119 --> 00:35:02,119 a Giannis trader or another Dame trade request. Dami Lil was talking about next 525 00:35:02,159 --> 00:35:06,320 season in his exit interview, and I think that's a positive. And I 526 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,280 would expect, especially with Doc Rivers now having the team through training camp, 527 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:15,599 that we will see more synergy between Giannis and Dame and that'll go a long 528 00:35:15,639 --> 00:35:20,199 way. And I think the way Chris Middleton closed his season offensively in the 529 00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:23,800 playoffs, that winds up being a big deal. I think with their challenge 530 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:27,639 more like, I'm less worried about them at the top because even if you 531 00:35:27,679 --> 00:35:30,559 dig into the numbers, they're four best guys are on the court. They're 532 00:35:30,639 --> 00:35:34,400 just annihilating opponents still, and so you can't play all forty eight minutes that 533 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:36,920 way. You need to get to the end of the regular season. That's 534 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,639 the challenge you have. Bobby Portis, he's extension eligible. That's like your 535 00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:44,239 fifth and only. Like, that's where the trustworthy guys end, right. 536 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,840 You don't trust Connaton Lake Beasley's gone because you don't have his bird rights. 537 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,679 And I thought he had a really good year. I thought he defended well 538 00:35:50,679 --> 00:35:53,239 for them. Everyone clowned the Bucks defense and rightfully so at points, but 539 00:35:53,679 --> 00:35:57,320 I thought he put up a nice fight. They didn't, And I think 540 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,440 what's really bad for them is they didn't give enough run. Whether it was 541 00:36:00,599 --> 00:36:05,440 under I was about to call him Darvin Ham, but under Adrian Griffin or 542 00:36:05,519 --> 00:36:09,159 Doc Rivers like to not see Livingston More or Marjron Bochamp Moore. Now you 543 00:36:09,199 --> 00:36:12,880 don't really know what you have in those young guys, and so it's what 544 00:36:13,199 --> 00:36:16,599 can you do? They have conton salary, and they can trade their twenty 545 00:36:16,679 --> 00:36:21,639 thirty one first round pick if they want to get really spicy. I was 546 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,800 looking in prep for this podcast. They come so close, and I don't 547 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:29,480 know if the Bulls would do this, like they could go because they can't 548 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,199 aggregate salaries. They come so close to being able to flip content in that 549 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:36,360 twenty thirty one pick and then if they want to include any other picks or 550 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,559 swaps to get Alex Caruso, but it's like he's at nine point nine million, 551 00:36:39,559 --> 00:36:42,760 and I think content's at nine point five, so they can't even go 552 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:47,599 that. Man. Yeah, I'm with you, though, I think them 553 00:36:49,039 --> 00:36:54,840 preaching continuity is a good thing, Like I'm totally aligned with They could be 554 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:59,920 fine if they just have more time together and they have a chance to round 555 00:37:00,039 --> 00:37:04,000 out their supporting cast. It will be challenging because I believe they are one 556 00:37:04,039 --> 00:37:07,440 of the second apron teams, so can't aggregate contracts, can't have won't have 557 00:37:07,519 --> 00:37:12,519 a mid level exception free agency, so they've got to really nail you know, 558 00:37:12,639 --> 00:37:15,599 minimum signings, any draft picks that they may or may not have. 559 00:37:16,119 --> 00:37:21,840 I think that the big question I have for this team is Doc Rivers, 560 00:37:22,559 --> 00:37:24,159 whether it's fair or not. I mean, he's a great regular season coach, 561 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:28,039 but he has the reputation he has in the playoffs. I'm not holding 562 00:37:28,159 --> 00:37:32,360 this playoff run against him for obvious reasons, but you know, we saw 563 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:37,920 some of the same issues that have played Doc over the years, even in 564 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:44,519 the playoffs where Andre Jackson Junior gave them a big spurt of life in one 565 00:37:44,559 --> 00:37:49,760 of these games, and then we're still seeing him just prefer these dusty old 566 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,239 veterans, whether it's Gallo or Pat dev instead of the young guys. And 567 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:55,840 we saw it, you know, we saw it with the Clippers. We 568 00:37:55,960 --> 00:38:01,480 saw it in Philly where he just goes with these zoomed corpses instead of the 569 00:38:01,559 --> 00:38:06,559 guys that you need to build around moving forward. And I think I wrote 570 00:38:06,559 --> 00:38:09,400 about this for Forms a couple months ago. If you're a second aprin team, 571 00:38:10,199 --> 00:38:15,199 I think you almost have to start building more or relying more on your 572 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:19,519 youth. And I think the Denver Nuggets have been a really cool example of 573 00:38:19,599 --> 00:38:23,079 that this year, where I mean they just won a freaking championship last year, 574 00:38:23,519 --> 00:38:28,239 lose Jeff Green, lose Bruce Brown in free agency and say, you 575 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,639 know what, We're not going to try to like patch these holes. We 576 00:38:31,079 --> 00:38:36,519 in fact, they made a proactive trade during the finals last year to get 577 00:38:36,639 --> 00:38:40,719 more near term draft capital, are leaning on the likes of a Christian Brown 578 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:45,840 and a Peyton Watson and realize, like, we need these guys to hit, 579 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,400 We need these guys to get reps, and because we've got them under 580 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:52,599 contract for multiple years, if they hit and if they can round out our 581 00:38:52,679 --> 00:38:55,719 bench, we have full faith in our starting five. And I think the 582 00:38:55,800 --> 00:39:00,960 Bucks, at least four to fifth of their starting five are locked in. 583 00:39:01,199 --> 00:39:06,199 You know, I wonder if they are going to be willing to commit to 584 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:09,960 the young guys like they might need to, and more specifically, is Doc 585 00:39:10,079 --> 00:39:14,960 Rivers going to be willing to commit to the young guys as he needs to. 586 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:17,719 Maybe the solution is just don't sign, right, they might not have 587 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:22,840 a choice, Yeah, like maybe, Yeah, it's like the moneyball, 588 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:27,039 like can't Playpenia because now we're not gonna give you these you know, we're 589 00:39:27,079 --> 00:39:30,920 not signing anyone over the age of like thirty two to a minimum contract. 590 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:34,480 We're just we're going to force your hand here. I think that might honestly 591 00:39:34,599 --> 00:39:37,880 be the right play for Milwaukee this summer. Yeah, but it's like the 592 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:40,960 other thing that they do think they need to be open to is and this 593 00:39:42,199 --> 00:39:45,199 Bobby Portis would be the guy unless they think it could be Brook Lopez, 594 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:47,239 which I don't think it should. You might need to, especially with Bobby 595 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:52,119 FORRCET being extensional, little do you try and break him up into two smaller 596 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,920 contracts where it's like if if you could, and maybe you structure it as 597 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:59,719 like because you can't aggregate, but it's separate, like you have that twenty 598 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,559 third one pick and you have Bobby Portis, and if you can get back 599 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:07,280 Alex Caruso and Tory Craig for that deal, assuming Tory Craig opts in, 600 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,840 it almost is like something you need to consider because I do think that big 601 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,519 man play. I know Bobby Portis is you know, well had some I 602 00:40:15,599 --> 00:40:16,920 mean he's just not he's not a great defender, but I know what he 603 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,920 can do for you on offense. But it's just easier to approximate even floor 604 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:27,320 spacers in that four or five spot mostly that like that five spot on the 605 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,480 cheap than it is to what we need like this wing or we need some 606 00:40:30,559 --> 00:40:34,039 point of attack defense, which they I mean they need both. I would 607 00:40:34,119 --> 00:40:37,679 argue just because the reserve wings or Jay Crowder who's not a wing, Malik 608 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:40,880 Beasley who's gone and it is also not a wing, and like they haven't 609 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:45,519 their actual wings like living Stone and then uh Marshon Bocham just don't have the 610 00:40:45,559 --> 00:40:49,519 information on. I wonder if that's something they need to consider and whether they 611 00:40:49,599 --> 00:40:53,039 will, because it's great at the top of your roster, really performed well 612 00:40:53,599 --> 00:40:58,159 in like when all said and done and and together, like even if you 613 00:40:58,239 --> 00:41:00,840 thought the Dame and Giannis were just connected the numbers with them on the court, 614 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:05,519 like the bet they were fine, but like you need more than like 615 00:41:05,639 --> 00:41:09,000 these top four or five guys now, And I'm just I'm curious see whether 616 00:41:09,119 --> 00:41:14,440 they consider it, because like even just floating around looking like the second Apron. 617 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:17,079 This is so challenging because okay, you have that pack content salary, 618 00:41:17,159 --> 00:41:22,920 but it's nine point five How are you breaking that up into two smaller deals? 619 00:41:22,199 --> 00:41:27,360 Really? And it's who's the best player if you dangle that twenty thirty 620 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,559 one pick, and for the most expensive player you want to give up, 621 00:41:30,599 --> 00:41:35,960 which I would say is I'd probably view Middleton, Lopez, Giannis and Dame. 622 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,039 It's just the guys they're not looking to move. And so it's okay, 623 00:41:37,079 --> 00:41:40,519 Bobby Portis's salary, which is sub twelve twelve million, who's that? 624 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:45,679 Just as a hypothetical, what is the best I'm not even asking you to 625 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:47,559 answer it. They're throwing it on the spot. But what is the best 626 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:51,480 package, because maybe it's not even a player. Maybe you're getting two players 627 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:52,360 for Bobby Portis. But if you put that on the thing, what is 628 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:58,679 the best package that you can actually get? Yeah, it's a good question. 629 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:01,840 You know the gain and they can't get players back by a sign in 630 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:07,599 trade either, So that's gonna close a lot of their potential options here. 631 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:14,480 Yeah, I'm gonna look at pulling up the right twenty twenty four to twenty 632 00:42:14,559 --> 00:42:19,840 five salary rankings here, So Bobby Portis, well, it's like, could 633 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,400 you get and but like why would you do this? Is you could use 634 00:42:22,519 --> 00:42:28,599 Bobby Portis to get you Matisse Stibel, who makes some sense on this team, 635 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:30,000 but you don't want to give up a twenty thirty one first round pick 636 00:42:30,039 --> 00:42:34,559 for Matis Cibul. And I don't think Tiba was good enough. I know 637 00:42:34,639 --> 00:42:37,079 his three pointer kind of fell off by the end of the year, but 638 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:39,960 Portland's not gonna again. We don't have enough information on Marjon Bochamp to say, 639 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:44,119 well if you kind of and then even then it's we can't aggregate salaries 640 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:49,480 and you're not. So it's yeah, I don't think people have really like 641 00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:52,920 fully wrapped around their head around how much the second apron, Like, I 642 00:42:53,039 --> 00:42:59,000 know we know the rules now, but like the aggregation thing in particular is 643 00:42:59,199 --> 00:43:02,440 such a size change from how things have worked in the past. It's really 644 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:07,280 going to affect how a teams conduct business. It's gonna tie their hands to 645 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,880 an extent that they have not been tied before. Because yeah, I'm looking 646 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:14,360 at you know, just guys, I'm just gonna rattle off guys in the 647 00:43:14,559 --> 00:43:20,039 like same salary range as Bobby Portis, Brandon clark On Memphis, Marvin Bagley, 648 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:25,360 Robert Williams, the third Kobe White absolutely not from the Bulls, Zubach, 649 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:29,440 Wendell Carter Junior, PJ. Tucker. They could get PJ Tucker. 650 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,760 He played well in Game six. Actually after he gets bought out or whatever 651 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:39,760 happens, maybe he's probably Yeah, Dante DiVincenzo. I'm gonna guess the Knicks 652 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:45,840 would politely decline Terrence Man to be so if they went, it would be 653 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:50,159 close. But if they went like strictly the bare minimum route, they do 654 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:57,519 technically have room beneath the second apron, like I think they have. I'm 655 00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:00,800 but she and I'm looking as them like three point one million underneath the second 656 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:06,639 apron. And so if you really wanted to toe the line, you could 657 00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:10,320 get to a point where he least aggregates salaries. Maybe that's the play, 658 00:44:10,639 --> 00:44:15,599 maybe like because you because then I'm just in theory. If you went Bobby 659 00:44:15,679 --> 00:44:22,360 Portis and Pat Connaton at a twenty thirty one first round pick, like is 660 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:25,199 that and Marjon Bochamps in there? Like does that like does that do anything 661 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:30,599 to just increase the I mean it definitely increases your optionality in terms of what 662 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:34,840 you could get back, but what what would actually be out? Is it 663 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,840 just can we just like pill for the bil Bulls, where if that's the 664 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:42,400 package, can we get Io Desumu and Caruso and throw Tory Kraigan there if 665 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:45,320 he ops in and like you kind of remake your rotation that way. Yeah, 666 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:51,880 but I'm also wondering how this second apron or even just these teams that 667 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:57,360 are willing to trade distant first round picks but it's their only like thing ken 668 00:44:57,440 --> 00:45:00,039 front offices talk themselves into that as okay, like that's a the bucks is 669 00:45:00,159 --> 00:45:04,760 twenty thirty one first round pick is an objectively a great asset. If you're 670 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:07,800 the front office trading for that, you more likely than not understand that you're 671 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:10,840 not going to be the front office making that pick. And so how do 672 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:15,679 you view it or sell it as the primary carrot in any deal? And 673 00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:20,599 it's just is mar John Bochamp. Let's again just assuming they could aggregate, 674 00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:22,800 is that enough of a immediate spetener say hey, look we got this guy 675 00:45:23,599 --> 00:45:29,840 and so and again here you are able to do that, It's you still 676 00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:31,400 really have to tow a crazy, Like, if you're only three point one 677 00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:36,559 million dollars beneath the second apron, you have no like there's no margin for 678 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:40,000 error there. Maybe that'll be John Horst. I mean, there's all these 679 00:45:40,039 --> 00:45:44,840 rumors about him possibly going to Detroit. Maybe he'll just make this move, 680 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:46,719 trade the twenty thirty one pick, and then leave for Detroit. It's like, 681 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:50,639 whatever, I'm not the one who's gonna have to deal with this. 682 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:53,840 I don't care. Well. I feel like, is it what's harder to 683 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:59,760 make the call to trade it or to be the GM or executive that says, 684 00:46:00,119 --> 00:46:02,320 this is the primary asset in the deal there's nothing else. It's like 685 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:07,679 Bobby Portis is fine. Pat Conton is like, this is the primary What's 686 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:10,199 what's harder? I think it's I think it's the latter to accept that. 687 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:15,920 Okay, this twenty thirty one pick is intensely valuable. It's also six seven 688 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:21,119 years away. Yeah, I would think personally, I would say the former, 689 00:46:21,559 --> 00:46:23,320 Okay, even if you aren't the one who's gonna make that pick, 690 00:46:23,639 --> 00:46:30,280 that still goes on your resume is that you had the foresight to make this 691 00:46:30,519 --> 00:46:36,039 deal for a far away asset, knowing that it could be extremely valuable, 692 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:39,000 and I like that's the type before we're looking the move that if I were 693 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:45,119 an owner trying to hire a front offense executive, I would be encouraged by 694 00:46:45,239 --> 00:46:49,079 that, and I would be very discouraged by We are our hands are very 695 00:46:49,119 --> 00:46:52,119 tired, so we're going to trade the only remaining pick that we can trade 696 00:46:52,679 --> 00:46:57,320 that This feels like the quintessential team that because I wouldn't recommend even if it's 697 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:00,960 Alex Caruso. I'd consider it if you were able to get him and that 698 00:47:00,119 --> 00:47:04,840 pick is included. But that's like he's on an expiring contract, he's on 699 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,079 the wrong side of thirty, and it's is he closing games for you? 700 00:47:07,199 --> 00:47:10,079 I guess you just downsize and play him and Dame together in the back court. 701 00:47:10,119 --> 00:47:15,639 That's fine, But I just don't even it seems like they're a team. 702 00:47:15,679 --> 00:47:17,760 I'm getting at that they're very much gonna just have to get lucky on 703 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:21,199 the minimum market, where it's like, oh, did Chris Dunn kind of 704 00:47:21,199 --> 00:47:23,280 fall through the crack skier and that gives us our you know, point of 705 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:28,159 attack defender guy to go after dudes who will still give us nothing on offense. 706 00:47:28,639 --> 00:47:32,320 So it's it's such a I agree that they shouldn't do anything dramatic when 707 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:36,760 looking at their top four guys, but I do kind of think they might 708 00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:38,800 need to get creative outside of the top four because I don't know, if 709 00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:43,360 look at the other teams in the East aside from Boston now where you don't 710 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:46,440 just default to Milwaukee as the biggest threat to the Celtics, all these other 711 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:51,320 teams, the Sixers, the Knicks just have more optionality. And that's to 712 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:52,760 say, like, you know, the Calves are running into a pitol off 713 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:58,639 season themselves, but they're still there. And then the Magic have caps based 714 00:47:58,679 --> 00:48:01,480 assets, like they could really make some noise Indy has. They still have 715 00:48:01,519 --> 00:48:07,159 stuff to move around if they really wanted to. So it's it's a challenge 716 00:48:07,159 --> 00:48:09,159 in some of their sense that I don't think they should do anything drastic, 717 00:48:09,239 --> 00:48:13,920 but they also might need to get creative on the trade market if they want 718 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,280 to do anything, then both through their rotation with guys who are making more 719 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:20,760 than the minimum, because we just saw what happens in Phoenix. If you 720 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:23,119 rely too much on these minimum guys, the buck got. You could say, 721 00:48:23,199 --> 00:48:28,679 lucky, you're skilled at convincing, but you're not that's not gonna be 722 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:31,840 every minimum signing, because for every Molie Beasley, there's Jay Crowder or worse 723 00:48:34,199 --> 00:48:36,199 mm hmm yeah. And even the signs I mean that, you know, 724 00:48:36,519 --> 00:48:39,559 I would say Eric Gordon, Drew You Banks, Josha Koge were all hits. 725 00:48:40,039 --> 00:48:44,280 They also had I'm sorry to bring up Utah Watson nave as a myths, 726 00:48:44,400 --> 00:48:50,480 but know that earth honestly sorry, but I don't even know as I 727 00:48:50,559 --> 00:48:52,400 was just gonna say that, I think Drew You Banks ended up being a 728 00:48:52,519 --> 00:48:55,480 miss. Like I just he was not good for them. And then but 729 00:48:55,559 --> 00:49:00,760 also like Josha Koge doesn't really play, didn't end up playing as much for 730 00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:02,800 them. So is that a hit when it's he becomes like this breaking case 731 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:07,880 emergency dude. Basically, I'm only including of the hits because they were in 732 00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:10,760 their playoff rotation, and I don't know if that's a thing or a bad 733 00:49:10,840 --> 00:49:14,880 thing because they got swept in the first round, so maybe maybe they had 734 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:17,760 even fewer hits that I'm giving them credit for. But even even if we 735 00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:22,599 do include those three, it was like Utah Jimezi, Metsu, Kaita Bates 736 00:49:22,679 --> 00:49:27,440 Jiap, all of whom they flipped for Royce O'Neil, the deadline, none 737 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:29,880 of whom really made an impact for them. Like, I think you're absolutely 738 00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:35,239 right, you you have to rely on these minimum deals, but you can't 739 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:40,840 feel good about it. So you know, part of me thinks seeing what 740 00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:45,719 Middleton did in the playoffs could give them some hope going into next year, 741 00:49:45,760 --> 00:49:51,119 because I mean, he missed what close to thirty games this year and didn't 742 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:55,639 really look like that version of Chris Middleton, like the level up version of 743 00:49:55,719 --> 00:50:00,119 Chris Middleton. And we won't if everyone is healthy, because and Giannis are 744 00:50:00,159 --> 00:50:04,239 still going to be the primary vocal points in Milwaukee. But it was, 745 00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:07,000 it was, if nothing else, it was just nice to see Peke Middleton 746 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:10,800 back for a couple of games. And the other thing here too that I 747 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:15,280 don't I feel like probably hasn't gotten enough run, and I honestly don't know 748 00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:20,719 the reason why. But like what if you just get like what if I 749 00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:24,079 just tell you that Damian Lillard is Damian Lillard next year? Yeah, Like 750 00:50:24,199 --> 00:50:27,880 we kind of we saw some real fall off from like the pressure he put 751 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:30,039 on defensive with the drives and stuff. Okay, great, he had some 752 00:50:30,119 --> 00:50:32,320 really big clutch moments, but like the shooting was not there for a lot 753 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:37,440 of this year, and he had some of his highest highs without Giannis, 754 00:50:37,559 --> 00:50:39,920 and so like if you just say Dame is better, which is not like 755 00:50:40,079 --> 00:50:44,320 not to say he has the best season of his career like he did in 756 00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:47,320 twenty three, excuse me, twenty two to twenty three, but is closer 757 00:50:47,519 --> 00:50:52,960 to that than what he was this year. That becomes like almost its own 758 00:50:52,079 --> 00:50:55,639 free agent acquisition. Yeah, that's a really good point. I mean, 759 00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:59,960 he's, you know, pretty candid about the off court stuff that he was 760 00:51:00,079 --> 00:51:02,440 dealing with, and I don't know if he I would imagine that stuff is 761 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:07,880 still gonna be lingering next year, but maybe that. But I do feel 762 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:12,519 like when you've never been traded, and like it's just it was his prerogative 763 00:51:12,559 --> 00:51:15,840 to get traded, although I think the Blazers kind of like they wanted to 764 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:17,159 trade him and didn't want to be the one sass for it. Yeah, 765 00:51:17,679 --> 00:51:21,360 but like he that's the first time it happened in his career. It's got 766 00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:23,000 to be in a like, even if he went to Miami, it would 767 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,320 have been an adjustment period just because he went to the team that he would 768 00:51:25,320 --> 00:51:28,119 have wanted to doesn't mean it would have been Yeah, it might have been 769 00:51:28,119 --> 00:51:31,480 easier, he might have liked the market better. But I think maybe maybe 770 00:51:31,559 --> 00:51:35,440 I underestimated that too, Like it's not something I had factored. So if 771 00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:38,840 he's just more comfortable in Milwaukee, like more settled next season, that could 772 00:51:38,840 --> 00:51:43,320 be a big deal. Yeah, Like he has had this whole like friends 773 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:45,599 and family in Portland for a decade and then moving away from that, and 774 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:51,559 like you've got kids, Like it's you know, it's tough to uproot your 775 00:51:51,679 --> 00:51:53,280 life, and you know, I know he had some family stuff going on 776 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:59,280 this year as well, Like it is important to remember, as much as 777 00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:02,920 we tended to countess, these people are humans and have human real life issues, 778 00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:06,920 you know, Like I am moving in a few months as well, 779 00:52:07,039 --> 00:52:08,960 and I am very stressed about that. I you know, is it affecting 780 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:13,280 by performance at work? Not yet, but it will and there's a level 781 00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:16,639 of that's what the money is for. But you can't, like you can't 782 00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:22,880 just delete human reaction, human emotion from the equator. Honestly, as much 783 00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:25,920 as people hate or claim that they hate talking about this like post mortem stuff 784 00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:30,559 where it's transactions, I feel like I'll call it the rise because we both 785 00:52:30,639 --> 00:52:34,320 know that the numbers on these things do not do well. Of sort of 786 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:37,079 the the x's and o's or celebratory or as I like to call it, 787 00:52:37,159 --> 00:52:44,119 like masturbatory coverage. It dehumanizes them just as much, if not more, 788 00:52:44,199 --> 00:52:47,119 because it boils down players to just x's and o's. And people think that 789 00:52:47,239 --> 00:52:51,280 it's just a higher level of thinking about the game, but when you're so 790 00:52:51,440 --> 00:52:55,079 focused on like, it's just another way of dehumanizing them, when you're looking 791 00:52:55,079 --> 00:52:59,599 at them as exist. I'm not saying it's worse than what we're talking about 792 00:52:59,639 --> 00:53:01,159 when it comes in terms of trades, but yes, there's the level of 793 00:53:01,239 --> 00:53:05,079 Okay, that's what the money's for, is you need to deal with this 794 00:53:05,199 --> 00:53:07,920 shit. But it's also the money is really for this can have well, 795 00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:12,239 the money's for a variety of reasons, but one of them is, yeah, 796 00:53:12,280 --> 00:53:14,360 you can just be moved and you didn't have no trade clause, like 797 00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:17,519 you're gone. But like that doesn't that's not gonna that doesn't change the way 798 00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:22,599 what it takes to adapt or how long it takes to adapt, right right, 799 00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:25,920 Yeah, I think it's a really good point on like if if Milwaukee 800 00:53:27,199 --> 00:53:32,360 just gets fully healthy Middleton and something next year of Dame that more closely resembles 801 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:36,480 the Damian Lillard they thought they were getting this year. Like, I'm not 802 00:53:36,599 --> 00:53:39,480 ready to bury them even though they do something. I still would By the 803 00:53:39,519 --> 00:53:43,039 way, I still would have made the Damian Lillard trade. I know there's 804 00:53:43,039 --> 00:53:45,760 some people that think, like, I absolutely still would have made that trade. 805 00:53:45,840 --> 00:53:49,519 Now, could they have done a better job of perhaps that whole secrecy 806 00:53:49,599 --> 00:53:52,760 with Drew Holliday Had they not done that, could they have then maybe controlled 807 00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:55,079 where Drew Holliday went, because that was kind of an undoing. They not 808 00:53:55,199 --> 00:53:58,719 only did he just end up on a team in the East, he ended 809 00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:04,719 up on literally the biggest like they strength, the biggest optic out of the 810 00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:08,159 East. Yeah, that was not optimal for either the Bucks or anyone else 811 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:12,440 not named Boston in the East. So thank you for that, John Horst. 812 00:54:14,039 --> 00:54:16,519 Do we want to go to the Clippers? I think yeah. I 813 00:54:16,639 --> 00:54:21,719 was gonna say, you were talking about what the money is for a perfect 814 00:54:22,519 --> 00:54:27,280 transition to the Clippers because they're they're kind of in the middle ground of where 815 00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:31,159 the Bucks and the Sixers are in that they could have a lot of flexibility 816 00:54:31,519 --> 00:54:35,360 this zast season. I mean they have. They signed Kawhi Leonard to the 817 00:54:35,400 --> 00:54:40,599 three year, slightly below mask max extension in January. James Harden, by 818 00:54:40,679 --> 00:54:44,960 virtue of just when he was traded, is not eligible to sign an extension. 819 00:54:45,039 --> 00:54:49,679 He has to become a free agent. Paul George has been eligible to 820 00:54:49,760 --> 00:54:53,679 sign an extension, will remain eligible to sign an extension until June thirtieth, 821 00:54:54,159 --> 00:55:00,079 has yet to do so. Neither George nor Harden will ready to commit on 822 00:55:00,239 --> 00:55:05,840 the spot. During their interview after Game six, both of them just said, 823 00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:10,280 first of all, speaking of James Harden is a liar. Let's let's 824 00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:16,000 quote him. What is his market? Who's I mean is Detroit's not even 825 00:55:16,039 --> 00:55:20,480 going to give James Harden like Detroit Orlando, They're not going to do it. 826 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:22,639 I don't think, like what is the team? Where's your where's your 827 00:55:22,679 --> 00:55:27,920 market? Mister Harden? Honestly, I don't know. Well, I liked 828 00:55:28,039 --> 00:55:30,679 that both of those guys said they hadn't thought about it as if. I 829 00:55:30,760 --> 00:55:32,960 mean, James, you've been thinking that for more than a year now, 830 00:55:34,079 --> 00:55:38,320 You've been thinking about your next contract, and Paul George pretty sure you've been 831 00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:43,440 thinking about it or else you want to sign the extension already. So yeah, 832 00:55:43,599 --> 00:55:46,000 I do enjoy the hypocrisy there. But yeah, I think that is 833 00:55:46,079 --> 00:55:51,840 the thing working in the Clippers favor for Harden is like I'm completely with you. 834 00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:53,000 It's not like he has a player option that he could pick up this 835 00:55:53,159 --> 00:55:57,679 time and force his team's hand and force them to tray him. I was 836 00:55:57,719 --> 00:56:00,400 even trying to think because and for I know, you know this, like 837 00:56:00,519 --> 00:56:04,880 the Clippers can sign and trade James Harden if they wanted to. They cannot 838 00:56:04,920 --> 00:56:07,440 acquire someone via sign. I was trying to be like, it will be 839 00:56:07,519 --> 00:56:09,559 the team that can maybe just talk themselves into it, and I just can't. 840 00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:15,079 James Harden was their best player during the first round. Like maybe you 841 00:56:15,119 --> 00:56:16,800 want to go if you want to go with zoobots there or that's fine, 842 00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:20,960 But he had a good playoff series for the most part. He's the reason 843 00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:23,880 I would say, this is the primary reason they won to even two games 844 00:56:24,199 --> 00:56:28,920 in that series. Yes, but so he's still a very good player. 845 00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:30,920 But he's and he did show that he can kind of fit into a larger 846 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:36,840 ecosystem. But like, I just still struggle to come. It's it's almost 847 00:56:36,920 --> 00:56:42,440 like he's become the Julius randall of like actual megastars to where he has intense 848 00:56:42,599 --> 00:56:46,760 value to his team, but it's so hard to peg which outside teams might 849 00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:50,440 view him as valuable. It's a little bit easier because James Harden is the 850 00:56:50,480 --> 00:56:52,119 superior player. Like I'm just trying to like, if you, let's just 851 00:56:52,159 --> 00:56:57,000 say you could sign and trade James Harden anywhere, Like what is the team? 852 00:56:58,039 --> 00:57:06,079 Like, what They're not gonna do that after they and Shangoon and van 853 00:57:06,159 --> 00:57:08,679 Fleet. Now that would be a disaster. I just worry. He's just 854 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:13,159 the one team that just like they feel like they're gonna do something stupid, 855 00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:15,599 Like you should just continue on this path, and I think you're it will 856 00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:19,599 end up well for you. But if you try to continue to taking shortcuts, 857 00:57:19,679 --> 00:57:24,519 it's going to backfire. Hopefully. Oh my god, that was Brooklyn 858 00:57:24,559 --> 00:57:29,559 needs creations. That'd be yal well. The other thing too, I mean 859 00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:32,039 it will depend on whether they can retain George. If both George and Harden 860 00:57:32,119 --> 00:57:36,960 lee this is not an issue, but another one of the new fun second 861 00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:40,760 apron things. You can't even take back contracts if you're over the second apron 862 00:57:40,800 --> 00:57:45,440 if you sign and trade your own guys away. So like if they wanted, 863 00:57:45,519 --> 00:57:49,039 if they resigned Paul George to a MAX and they wanted to sign and 864 00:57:49,079 --> 00:57:52,840 trade James Harden and get back roughly equivalent in terms of salary, they wouldn't 865 00:57:52,840 --> 00:58:00,360 be allowed to do it. It's just yeah, I mean picks or just 866 00:58:00,440 --> 00:58:02,320 like less salary. I mean they you know, they could stay under the 867 00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:08,519 second apron and take that, but yeah, that's like virtually impossible to well, 868 00:58:08,679 --> 00:58:12,639 I guess it's because it's the inbound when it's not impossible, but then 869 00:58:12,719 --> 00:58:15,199 you need then it has to be one of the cap space teams because they're 870 00:58:15,199 --> 00:58:20,039 sending out like such an exorbitantly like it would have to be like if Orlando 871 00:58:20,199 --> 00:58:22,519 really just wanted to go to James Harden round and they're willing to give you 872 00:58:22,599 --> 00:58:27,320 Jonathan Isaac will maxing out James Harden and it's like that is just such an 873 00:58:27,400 --> 00:58:31,039 ultra specific scenario, right right, Yeah, And I think that's gonna work 874 00:58:31,639 --> 00:58:37,079 in the Clippers favor. And he's renegotiation or the negotiations the contract talks, 875 00:58:37,280 --> 00:58:40,239 like so what do you think, say, who's paying you? You want 876 00:58:40,280 --> 00:58:44,920 to four year max? Go find it? And he's not gonna be able 877 00:58:45,000 --> 00:58:49,000 to Maybe he'll call them a liar afterwards? Was that how that went? 878 00:58:50,000 --> 00:58:52,559 So? Can we just revisit that for a sect? Like all of this 879 00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:58,679 boiled down to the sixers last year, I think saw the writing on the 880 00:58:58,719 --> 00:59:02,159 wall with the new CBA and saw that especially stars in their mid thirties who 881 00:59:02,239 --> 00:59:06,639 might be on the decline, probably shouldn't give him a four year max. 882 00:59:07,079 --> 00:59:12,320 Seem like a staph or Lebron like. I think those players in that age 883 00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:15,920 bracket, even Paul George, might fit into this. They might be awakening. 884 00:59:15,679 --> 00:59:19,199 I think they are. I mean, I think Paul George, because 885 00:59:20,159 --> 00:59:24,400 in theory Philly and Orlando are interested in him, at least has the leverage 886 00:59:24,480 --> 00:59:28,559 to possibly get the full four year max. I don't necessarily think it's a 887 00:59:28,599 --> 00:59:30,960 good idea, but I think he might be able to. And frankly, 888 00:59:31,039 --> 00:59:35,679 the years are probably the bigger concern than the amount of money. Like if 889 00:59:35,719 --> 00:59:37,480 you do three year max, I have less concern than you a four year 890 00:59:37,559 --> 00:59:44,800 max. But I think the Kawhi deal was it was meant to send a 891 00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:49,960 message to George Harden and you could say, oh, well, he took 892 00:59:50,079 --> 00:59:53,639 less because of his injury history or whatever. He took a lot. He 893 00:59:53,760 --> 00:59:58,440 took a year less than he could have, and he took ten million dollars 894 00:59:58,719 --> 01:00:00,760 less than he could have. And I think as soon as he did that, 895 01:00:01,440 --> 01:00:05,800 that was telling Paul George and James Harden, you are not getting afore 896 01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:08,440 year max here, like, if you want to continue building around three stars, 897 01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:13,079 this is the way we have to do it under this new CBA. 898 01:00:13,239 --> 01:00:15,719 So I think you're absolutely right. Like these stars in their mid thirties, 899 01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:21,800 especially, who have just grown accustomed to, oh, I'm gonna keep being 900 01:00:22,039 --> 01:00:24,599 showered with MAX contracts for as long as I can kid you playing basketball, 901 01:00:25,239 --> 01:00:29,880 I think that faucet might be turning off. And I you know, I 902 01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:32,840 think Kawhi might have seen that writing on the wall a little earlier than some 903 01:00:32,960 --> 01:00:37,159 of these other guys have. Imagine if he didn't sign the extension, I 904 01:00:37,280 --> 01:00:42,320 wonder where that number ends up, because we all the first off people coulduba, 905 01:00:42,360 --> 01:00:44,840 well, he might just go somewhere else. I'm pretty sure that even 906 01:00:44,840 --> 01:00:52,760 if the Clippers traded him right now, he would just retire. But I 907 01:00:52,840 --> 01:00:55,000 was gonna ask you then, though there's a chance Paul George gets the MAX, 908 01:00:55,239 --> 01:00:59,760 maybe it's not because it won't be from the Clippers. Then but James 909 01:00:59,800 --> 01:01:01,360 hard so looking at what his max could be, what is that? What 910 01:01:01,519 --> 01:01:05,719 is that? One? Checking forty seven and point six that's where we estimated 911 01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:10,760 at higher. I think it's forty nine point four. I believe. Oh 912 01:01:10,880 --> 01:01:13,880 yeah, you're right. Wow, I'm looking at the I'm looking at the 913 01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:17,519 wrong year my sheet. Yeah, so a five year max, Well, 914 01:01:17,719 --> 01:01:21,039 he can't get a five year max to the over. Yeah, so the 915 01:01:21,079 --> 01:01:23,840 four year max is two hundred and twenty one point one. That's from a 916 01:01:23,920 --> 01:01:28,239 different I know actually that'd be from the Clippers, So it'll be from a 917 01:01:28,320 --> 01:01:31,239 team, like an outside team can give him to twelve point two. Yeah, 918 01:01:31,519 --> 01:01:35,880 and one thing, one thing to note, sorry before just on George, 919 01:01:35,920 --> 01:01:38,760 before you go back to Harden. George is also subject to the over 920 01:01:38,880 --> 01:01:43,400 thirty eight. So he can't get a five year max from the Clippers, 921 01:01:43,480 --> 01:01:45,559 not that I think that would be on the table anyway, because they clearly 922 01:01:45,719 --> 01:01:51,639 get the table. Is so weird because what is it? It can't isn't 923 01:01:51,639 --> 01:01:57,159 there an exception whereas like if you're not thirty eight by October during that contract 924 01:01:57,199 --> 01:02:00,639 that it's okay to fly. So he still falls under that. He turns 925 01:02:00,119 --> 01:02:07,840 thirty six thirty seven yeah, so thirty eight in May Okay, So yeah, 926 01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:12,039 but they so the Clippers don't have a ton of like they can offer 927 01:02:12,119 --> 01:02:15,480 him to twenty one point one. Other teams can offer to twelve point two. 928 01:02:15,880 --> 01:02:19,360 And California state taxes are so absurd that I think, like Frankly, 929 01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:23,400 I think if the Clippers and if the Clippers in Orlando, we're both willing 930 01:02:23,440 --> 01:02:27,320 to offer him a four year max, I think he would make much more 931 01:02:27,400 --> 01:02:30,280 money in Orlando no state taxes than he went in California with what I'm thirteen 932 01:02:30,360 --> 01:02:34,480 percent. So well, let's play this game with the two of them. 933 01:02:34,519 --> 01:02:38,280 So let's keep it with Paul George knowing where their max salaries for next season 934 01:02:38,599 --> 01:02:44,679 check in forty nine point four million for both of them, where is like 935 01:02:45,679 --> 01:02:47,400 I don't know where to set the over under for Paul George because it kind 936 01:02:47,440 --> 01:02:51,519 of feels like he's just gonna So for him, it's more of a question 937 01:02:51,599 --> 01:02:57,239 of does Paul George is he making max money next season? You think he 938 01:02:57,400 --> 01:03:00,760 is? I think so. If anything, I would try to structure it 939 01:03:00,840 --> 01:03:04,079 like the Clippers, did you know, frontload or with the with Kui deal, 940 01:03:04,239 --> 01:03:07,400 front load it and then try to shape some money off of the latter 941 01:03:07,559 --> 01:03:12,920 years, so I think he gets the full max salary and then you know 942 01:03:13,039 --> 01:03:17,000 whether it's a full form four year max deal and max salaries throughout, which 943 01:03:17,039 --> 01:03:22,039 would be you know, fifty three point three million and twenty five twenty six, 944 01:03:22,199 --> 01:03:25,000 fifty seven point two in twenty six twenty seven, and then sixty one 945 01:03:25,079 --> 01:03:30,039 point two million in twenty seven twenty eight when that's the age thirty seven age 946 01:03:30,280 --> 01:03:35,440 season, I believe, Uh so that's a lot of money. But I'm 947 01:03:35,719 --> 01:03:40,159 I'm gonna stet the over under for James Harden's next year salary at let's go 948 01:03:40,400 --> 01:03:45,360 thirty nine point seven million. Let's just use a really fucked up exact number. 949 01:03:45,800 --> 01:03:47,719 Are you taking the over the under on that? His max, as 950 01:03:47,760 --> 01:03:52,440 we know is well now that we don't know because I keep uh forty seven 951 01:03:52,480 --> 01:03:55,880 point four, Yeah, forty nine point four excuse me? So that would 952 01:03:55,880 --> 01:04:00,239 be like ten million less than his max. Would you go over on under 953 01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:02,199 on it? We should probably just use forty million instead of me being an 954 01:04:02,199 --> 01:04:11,719 asshole. Under forty million dollars average annual value for James Harden? Is this 955 01:04:11,840 --> 01:04:15,119 what when I think it's going to happen or what should happened. No, 956 01:04:15,239 --> 01:04:18,639 no, we both what should happen is no, you shouldn't. But but 957 01:04:18,920 --> 01:04:25,079 look, the NBA sets itself up for this because you only allow like these 958 01:04:25,119 --> 01:04:29,159 players get paid as they get older. They're under cost control for really their 959 01:04:29,199 --> 01:04:31,480 first eight if you're a star, the first seven to nine years of your 960 01:04:31,559 --> 01:04:36,639 career, looking at how the max works and then what so you're paying these 961 01:04:36,760 --> 01:04:40,400 guys for what that you get to a point where you're not paying them for 962 01:04:40,440 --> 01:04:43,559 what they're gonna do. You're paying them for what they've already done. So 963 01:04:43,679 --> 01:04:45,920 that's not unique to James hard and it's not an insult to say he's not 964 01:04:45,960 --> 01:04:47,199 gonna be worth that at the end of his deal. It's just that's what 965 01:04:47,519 --> 01:04:50,119 That's what it is. I'm very curious what you think is gonna happen, 966 01:04:50,159 --> 01:04:55,039 though, because his situation feels fascinating in the sense that it doesn't seem like 967 01:04:55,119 --> 01:04:58,079 he has a ton of leverage. But you can't, like, the Clippers 968 01:04:58,079 --> 01:05:00,159 aren't just gonna hardball this to the mood back, are theywhere No, you're 969 01:05:00,159 --> 01:05:03,280 just gonna get another thirty five million dollar deal and then just you'll be happy 970 01:05:03,320 --> 01:05:06,239 with it. Yeah, Well, let me tell you about how hard balling 971 01:05:06,360 --> 01:05:10,440 Jim's hard works that they would like to a reminder that I think there was 972 01:05:10,480 --> 01:05:12,639 a sign where was he going to go this time? Though, that's the 973 01:05:12,719 --> 01:05:15,960 other if you want to be this is the franchise that traded Blake Griffin after 974 01:05:16,199 --> 01:05:18,840 wanting like pitching him on being a Clipper for life. So maybe they would 975 01:05:18,960 --> 01:05:25,079 super hardballed. Who knows, Yeah they might. Ah Man, I think 976 01:05:25,519 --> 01:05:30,320 forty sounds right, Like I don't know if he goes much higher much lower. 977 01:05:30,400 --> 01:05:32,679 I like they should try to get him as low as possible. Not 978 01:05:33,079 --> 01:05:36,159 you know, he's not gonna get like a mid level exception, but like 979 01:05:36,840 --> 01:05:43,679 I I think closer to what Draymond took from the Warriors last year would be 980 01:05:43,840 --> 01:05:46,159 ideal. There's no way they're going to get him to accept that. But 981 01:05:47,199 --> 01:05:49,920 frankly, I think all of the stems back from he has given up so 982 01:05:50,119 --> 01:05:54,519 much money in recent years, Like the Nets offered him, why it was 983 01:05:54,599 --> 01:05:57,280 like three years, one hundred and sixties million or something like that, and 984 01:05:57,360 --> 01:06:00,199 he said no because he thought he was getting two twenty. And he just 985 01:06:00,239 --> 01:06:03,519 continued to get the cam down the road. And it's now cost himself probably 986 01:06:03,559 --> 01:06:08,519 gonna have to cost yourself one hundred million dollars, right, So I think 987 01:06:08,559 --> 01:06:12,199 he's trying to recoup some of what he gave up over the past years. 988 01:06:12,239 --> 01:06:15,639 But there's not even at least and we all kind of thought it was smoking 989 01:06:15,679 --> 01:06:18,719 mirrors just based off their direction. But there's no stocking horse this, Like 990 01:06:18,800 --> 01:06:23,760 there's no Houston Rockets, like what there's been no team that's been linked to 991 01:06:23,840 --> 01:06:29,440 James Harden. No, I don't know. I mean you raise a very 992 01:06:29,519 --> 01:06:32,519 good point of like who is out there that makes sense even as a sign 993 01:06:32,599 --> 01:06:38,119 and trade target, Like just because of how the second Apron stuff and all 994 01:06:38,159 --> 01:06:41,760 the salary matching stuff works, it's just so much more complicated, Like could 995 01:06:41,800 --> 01:06:46,920 you sign and trade James Harden to Miami for Jimmy Butler In theory, maybe 996 01:06:46,960 --> 01:06:50,760 you could talk yourself into it if Paul George leaves, But like these CBA 997 01:06:50,920 --> 01:06:56,280 rules are going to basically make that impossible. So it's like the CBA rules 998 01:06:56,320 --> 01:07:00,559 themselves probably wipe out half of the map right from the job, and then 999 01:07:00,199 --> 01:07:05,119 you know the like are the San Antonio Spurs gonna go after James Harden to 1000 01:07:06,039 --> 01:07:14,280 Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing him worked a two man game if you want 1001 01:07:14,320 --> 01:07:16,239 to. Yeah, Like, and that's the thing. I don't I come 1002 01:07:16,320 --> 01:07:24,199 off as a hardened hater because of you. He handled himself well, just 1003 01:07:24,280 --> 01:07:28,440 how he handled himself in his departure. Like I think the Sixers were right 1004 01:07:28,480 --> 01:07:30,559 to draw the line where they did. And I you know, I think 1005 01:07:30,599 --> 01:07:33,159 he's gonna find he's gonna realize the Clippers do it's a very similar thing. 1006 01:07:33,199 --> 01:07:36,000 This offseason. Really should do a very similar thing. It's offseason. But 1007 01:07:36,119 --> 01:07:40,079 like he to your point, he is still a productive player. He was 1008 01:07:40,159 --> 01:07:44,000 still a connective tissue like that. You know, the Clippers had that two 1009 01:07:44,119 --> 01:07:45,360 month stretch where they look like one of the best teams in the NBA this 1010 01:07:45,480 --> 01:07:48,159 year. Yeah, and he was a huge part of that. The past 1011 01:07:48,199 --> 01:07:51,400 thing has not gone away. I mean he's lost some lift. I'm not 1012 01:07:51,719 --> 01:07:55,599 as afraid of him as a scorer as you were a couple of years ago. 1013 01:07:56,000 --> 01:07:58,760 But like, he's still an exquisite passer. So, I mean, 1014 01:07:58,800 --> 01:08:01,079 the Wemby pairing would fun. It's just like, why are you hitching your 1015 01:08:01,119 --> 01:08:04,000 wagons to a thirty five year olds? Maybe view it as like, oh, 1016 01:08:04,079 --> 01:08:06,280 it's short term. I mean, the Spurs aren't gonna do this, 1017 01:08:06,360 --> 01:08:10,519 But it's oh, if it's a three year deal and it's like, okay, 1018 01:08:10,679 --> 01:08:13,519 this is our bridge, Like as soon as Wemby's maxed out, like 1019 01:08:13,599 --> 01:08:17,399 that's when we're like moving on from So we spend a lot of time with 1020 01:08:17,439 --> 01:08:21,880 the Clippers on about talent retention when they do need like a talent infusion. 1021 01:08:23,600 --> 01:08:26,359 Just yeah, I think you could use a different type of big man look 1022 01:08:26,439 --> 01:08:30,479 behind zoobots to where their small lineups when they went to them was basically like, 1023 01:08:30,560 --> 01:08:32,359 oh, Kauhajer five, or we saw people We saw PJ. Tucker 1024 01:08:32,399 --> 01:08:39,239 play the four actually in game in game six, which again you know that's 1025 01:08:39,279 --> 01:08:42,000 not the look that you want to see. Is this gonna be a team 1026 01:08:42,039 --> 01:08:44,479 they're limited to minimums, but it's like, we know what they need, 1027 01:08:45,000 --> 01:08:48,319 probably some more athleticism, someone who cares about getting back in transition. But 1028 01:08:48,399 --> 01:08:51,560 there's also Russell Westbrook as a player option or he could be an early bird 1029 01:08:51,600 --> 01:08:55,840 free agent. Are they gonna plan on paying him? Are they a team 1030 01:08:55,840 --> 01:08:58,359 that's gonna they could trade a first round pick? Are they a team that's 1031 01:08:58,359 --> 01:09:00,520 one The thing I've thought about, speaking of Hels Caruso, like PJ. 1032 01:09:00,680 --> 01:09:06,319 Tucker, that distant first round pick maybe some seconds for Alex Caruso, Like, 1033 01:09:06,520 --> 01:09:11,720 is that the you're giggling, but it's just you know, if you're 1034 01:09:11,760 --> 01:09:14,640 gonna keep Harden and Paul George, your window is right to hell now. 1035 01:09:15,600 --> 01:09:19,800 Yeah. No, I'm just giggling because I think if both bands here that 1036 01:09:19,840 --> 01:09:25,560 they're going to light themselves on fire thinking about going. I mean, like 1037 01:09:25,680 --> 01:09:29,680 you you want, just like the Bucks, you want the Clippers later picks. 1038 01:09:29,800 --> 01:09:32,680 Like you know, the Sixers got a twenty twenty eight fully unprotected first 1039 01:09:32,800 --> 01:09:35,880 from the Clippers of the Harden deal, and I think the value of that 1040 01:09:36,039 --> 01:09:42,399 pick has increased exponentially since that's rure. Uh, because you're absolutely right. 1041 01:09:42,399 --> 01:09:45,840 I mean that was one of the things that stood out in the Mavericks series 1042 01:09:45,239 --> 01:09:49,359 was, I mean, the Clippers throughout like most of the Kawhi Paul George's 1043 01:09:49,399 --> 01:09:53,119 tenure, one of the big selling points was this is one of the deepest 1044 01:09:53,119 --> 01:09:57,399 teams in the NBA. And one of the drawbacks of the deal that they 1045 01:09:57,479 --> 01:10:00,520 made for James Harden was they gave away a lot of that and a lot 1046 01:10:00,520 --> 01:10:03,319 of it was on the wing, Like they did not have many guys that 1047 01:10:03,399 --> 01:10:09,760 they could rely on in their playoff rotation with Kawhi hurt. So it's a 1048 01:10:09,880 --> 01:10:13,640 very fair question how do you round out the supporting cast, especially you know, 1049 01:10:13,680 --> 01:10:16,039 if you bring back Paul George, you bring back hardon on max or 1050 01:10:16,079 --> 01:10:19,399 near max deals, you are very likely going to be a second Apron team. 1051 01:10:19,439 --> 01:10:23,760 You're going to face the same restrictions that the Bucks will this summer that 1052 01:10:23,840 --> 01:10:27,920 the Suns did last summer. Like it's going to be very hard, and 1053 01:10:28,039 --> 01:10:31,960 I think that should honestly force the Clippers. You know, I think they're 1054 01:10:32,000 --> 01:10:38,319 gonna what they what Sam Amik and I forget. You know, the athletic 1055 01:10:38,439 --> 01:10:42,560 is releasing these like post mortems the suits. Most of these teams get knocked 1056 01:10:42,560 --> 01:10:45,039 out of the playoffs, and you know, am except like they want to 1057 01:10:45,119 --> 01:10:48,399 run back this big three. They've got the new into a dome opening next 1058 01:10:48,520 --> 01:10:53,079 year, Like they are going to want to retain their star power. But 1059 01:10:53,239 --> 01:10:58,199 you would think that just some of these high profile playmouts of big threes, 1060 01:10:58,279 --> 01:11:01,720 not only their own but just across the notably Phoenixes as well, would just 1061 01:11:01,800 --> 01:11:05,720 make them take a step back and reconsider. But to their credit, I 1062 01:11:05,800 --> 01:11:12,399 think they have already realized we should not just give out full four year maxims 1063 01:11:12,439 --> 01:11:15,680 to any of these guys, like, I think they are more aware of 1064 01:11:15,319 --> 01:11:19,720 how to build moving forward than the Sun. And there's also I think what's 1065 01:11:19,760 --> 01:11:25,439 different because matt Ishbiez feels like the human embody made of smoke and mirrors, 1066 01:11:25,840 --> 01:11:30,239 just sort of just like this used car, shady ass salesman. And with 1067 01:11:30,439 --> 01:11:34,760 Steve Bomber, I'm not saying this is the case, but in so far 1068 01:11:34,880 --> 01:11:39,039 as there is a at least one oder who really doesn't give a fuck, 1069 01:11:39,279 --> 01:11:43,199 it is probably him, but he is the guy. So there's that going 1070 01:11:43,279 --> 01:11:45,800 for them. But you're mentioning and you bring up something that just made me 1071 01:11:45,840 --> 01:11:48,279 think about it. They're in this weird spot where Paul George might be he 1072 01:11:48,319 --> 01:11:53,039 should be the player that ages better. But if you are going to get 1073 01:11:53,199 --> 01:11:56,439 rid, let's just say they decide to bust up the big three because they 1074 01:11:56,479 --> 01:12:00,800 want to sort of divest into multiple bodies a Paul George saw trader. Opt 1075 01:12:00,880 --> 01:12:02,960 in and trade is probably the route that may makes the most sense for them, 1076 01:12:03,079 --> 01:12:06,279 just in terms of what the roster needs, because I think we've just 1077 01:12:06,399 --> 01:12:10,800 like Paul George and Kuhi can't just shoulder. You need a playmaker. And 1078 01:12:10,840 --> 01:12:13,680 then so that is James Harden and then just in terms of the market, 1079 01:12:13,920 --> 01:12:15,600 there would be more of a demand for Paul George. And then you get 1080 01:12:15,640 --> 01:12:20,159 into the discussion, I'm honestly asking, like, how much worse would you, 1081 01:12:20,199 --> 01:12:24,039 like, let's say the Spurs we're interested in Paul George and if they 1082 01:12:24,079 --> 01:12:26,840 want a pair of Paul George, Devin Miselle, Victor Wembyama move forward, 1083 01:12:27,159 --> 01:12:31,439 are you that much worse if you got like a pick or two and Jeremy 1084 01:12:31,520 --> 01:12:35,239 Sohen and Keldon Johnson, Like is that a team like that? You could 1085 01:12:35,239 --> 01:12:38,439 talk to yourself, Okay, like now we have real depth and we have 1086 01:12:38,520 --> 01:12:41,800 guys that maybe could grow, and we have some picks to stock the deck. 1087 01:12:41,880 --> 01:12:44,560 But if you're I will say, if you're gonna roll this run this 1088 01:12:44,720 --> 01:12:47,760 back, which I'm fine with, like as you mentioned that stretch for which 1089 01:12:47,880 --> 01:12:53,199 lasted basically half the year where they were just dominant, then I'm almost saying, 1090 01:12:53,239 --> 01:12:56,279 like you're obligated to then just trade your twenty thirty one first round pick 1091 01:12:56,359 --> 01:12:59,600 this summer, like use that PJ. Tucker expiring, because like you need 1092 01:12:59,680 --> 01:13:01,760 to do the It's like you're not guaranteed, You're not even guaranteed next season 1093 01:13:01,800 --> 01:13:04,479 because the health of Kawhi Leonard and then, by the way, that would 1094 01:13:04,479 --> 01:13:08,479 be the Galaxy brain take is that it makes the most sense to trade Kawhi 1095 01:13:09,279 --> 01:13:15,760 Yeah and move forward with Paul George and James Harden. I mean a lot 1096 01:13:15,840 --> 01:13:17,840 totally out on that idea. As you said, I think Kawi is just 1097 01:13:18,640 --> 01:13:25,239 the risk of just saying no, right right clips Definitely, it seems like 1098 01:13:25,279 --> 01:13:28,680 they turned on Paul George by the end of this Oh yeah, big time, 1099 01:13:28,840 --> 01:13:33,960 big time. Yeah yeah. I mean to your point, the one 1100 01:13:34,279 --> 01:13:39,119 other scenario that we haven't discussed here, and I know you floated it in 1101 01:13:39,199 --> 01:13:43,359 a couple of br pieces as late. If PG, I mean PG has 1102 01:13:43,359 --> 01:13:46,640 all the leverage here over the Clippers because he has the interest from the Sixers 1103 01:13:46,680 --> 01:13:50,079 and from the Magic. But what if he said, I mean, you 1104 01:13:50,159 --> 01:13:54,199 know, if you're Paul George, you might be looking at Okay, I'm 1105 01:13:54,800 --> 01:13:58,279 I can go leave the Clippers sign with the Sixers, but I'm gonna take 1106 01:13:58,319 --> 01:14:00,039 up most of their cap space. They're also not to be able to or 1107 01:14:00,079 --> 01:14:03,279 they likely won't be able to put a strong supporting cast around me. We're 1108 01:14:03,279 --> 01:14:05,479 gonna be a top heavy team. So I'm just gonna be in the same 1109 01:14:05,560 --> 01:14:12,000 situation around another injury prone star, just on the opposite coast. What if 1110 01:14:12,079 --> 01:14:15,439 instead I pick up my player option, or I threaten to pick up my 1111 01:14:15,479 --> 01:14:19,159 player option and I or I get maybe I just go to the Clippers and 1112 01:14:19,199 --> 01:14:24,239 I say, look, I want to I'm going to sign with either Philly 1113 01:14:24,319 --> 01:14:29,319 Orlando, but I'm also open to going to these other teams, and I 1114 01:14:29,359 --> 01:14:32,199 will pick up my player option and facilitate a trade if you trade me to 1115 01:14:32,319 --> 01:14:36,159 these teams and you can work this out by June thirtieth. Otherwise I'm gone. 1116 01:14:36,439 --> 01:14:40,600 And notably, this year is the first year the teams can start to 1117 01:14:40,640 --> 01:14:43,760 negotiate with their free agents right after the Finals ten, so like there will 1118 01:14:43,880 --> 01:14:48,560 be a legal window in which the Clippers theoretically could say, okay, you 1119 01:14:48,600 --> 01:14:51,479 know, call up some of these other teams and say this is this is 1120 01:14:51,560 --> 01:14:57,520 what Paul George is threatening to do. You've mentioned the Knicks as a possibility, 1121 01:14:57,600 --> 01:14:59,960 And the more the more I think on it, the more I think 1122 01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:02,479 and it actually makes sense for all all parties. You know, some denomination 1123 01:15:02,960 --> 01:15:08,119 of like Randall mcdonovic's the salary match and then and by the way, I 1124 01:15:08,159 --> 01:15:12,319 think that's the motivation. Knicks fans are kind of already against it, uh, 1125 01:15:12,520 --> 01:15:14,520 and not just because I wrote about it, but I've seen just kind 1126 01:15:14,520 --> 01:15:16,319 of like, well, he's old. And but the reason you do it 1127 01:15:17,039 --> 01:15:23,399 is because it doesn't bankrupt your asset play. And so rather than waiting for 1128 01:15:23,560 --> 01:15:27,520 what you deem the perfect player to become available to one, you can't guarantee 1129 01:15:27,560 --> 01:15:30,520 that happens. And two, let's just say the perfect player is Devin Booker 1130 01:15:30,680 --> 01:15:34,279 and might be and he becomes available, shakes loose. You're not guaranteed to 1131 01:15:34,319 --> 01:15:38,039 have the best offer. Your assets are nice, they're not on the level 1132 01:15:38,079 --> 01:15:41,520 of a New Orleans. They're not on the level of Oka See. And 1133 01:15:41,680 --> 01:15:45,279 so you get Paul George because it costs you salary and he has the leverage 1134 01:15:45,319 --> 01:15:48,800 to like not dictate the package. But you know, if if you start 1135 01:15:48,800 --> 01:15:50,319 to have to, if the cliper is like, well, we're not giving 1136 01:15:50,359 --> 01:15:55,239 you Paul George unless you get Josh Harder, Dante DiVincenzo, that's a weird 1137 01:15:55,399 --> 01:15:57,720 spot to draw the line in the sand, and I'd be curious to know 1138 01:15:57,800 --> 01:16:00,119 where the Knicks land on that. But you go after something like Paul George 1139 01:16:00,199 --> 01:16:04,640 because since he has the leverage. The idea is you give up Julius Randall, 1140 01:16:04,800 --> 01:16:09,199 Bogdanovic, and then it's you give up picks, but it's not as 1141 01:16:09,279 --> 01:16:13,560 many picks as you would need to trade. Someone who is younger under more 1142 01:16:13,640 --> 01:16:16,199 contract doesn't have the leverage, a longer contract doesn't have the leverage that Paul 1143 01:16:16,239 --> 01:16:19,800 George does. And so if the opportunity costs for Paul George is the package 1144 01:16:19,800 --> 01:16:23,960 I floated even now feels too ambitious, like it was three first round it 1145 01:16:24,079 --> 01:16:28,119 was this year, it was number twenty four this year, number thirty eight 1146 01:16:28,239 --> 01:16:31,199 this year, that Milwaukee twenty twenty five first, and then at twenty twenty 1147 01:16:31,239 --> 01:16:36,479 six first plus Bogdanovic and Julius Randall. I would argue that maybe you don't 1148 01:16:36,479 --> 01:16:40,920 even need to give up that much if Paul George is the one, sort 1149 01:16:40,960 --> 01:16:44,079 of like maybe that twenty twenty six first round pick just isn't part of it. 1150 01:16:44,840 --> 01:16:46,640 And that's why you do it, because then you're still left with other 1151 01:16:46,760 --> 01:16:51,680 stuff and your depth. Yeah, I mean also worth noting you can't if 1152 01:16:51,720 --> 01:16:56,319 you're the Knicks, you can't punt on this indefinitely because Randall is an effectively 1153 01:16:56,399 --> 01:16:59,760 expiring contract. He's a player option in twenty five, but he's very likely 1154 01:17:00,119 --> 01:17:02,800 Cline unless yes, you know, gets hurt again. But Ganovich is an 1155 01:17:02,800 --> 01:17:05,920 expiring contract, so you have one year. You have a one year window 1156 01:17:06,319 --> 01:17:14,199 to make use of effectively forty five ish million in expiring money before Jalen Brunson's 1157 01:17:14,279 --> 01:17:15,520 up for a new deal, before Julius Randall's up for a new deal. 1158 01:17:15,880 --> 01:17:20,479 So like you might not have the luxury of waiting for a Devil Booker or 1159 01:17:20,600 --> 01:17:24,560 for a Giannis or someone else, like you need to take advantage of this 1160 01:17:24,760 --> 01:17:28,920 now. And to your point, if you can get Paul George on the 1161 01:17:29,000 --> 01:17:32,680 relative cheap relative to his talent, I think it makes sense, and I 1162 01:17:32,720 --> 01:17:40,560 think it makes sense like stylistically fit wise, I mean honestly, the one 1163 01:17:40,720 --> 01:17:45,439 thing giving me pause is who do you bench if you're the Dicks, because 1164 01:17:45,760 --> 01:17:51,119 I think you go with I'm still team isay Heart and sign over Mitchell Robinson. 1165 01:17:51,159 --> 01:17:54,079 We'll see if they keep him in free agency. They should, so 1166 01:17:54,119 --> 01:17:59,720 I think you go Heart, you go Heart, Heart, sign bruns in 1167 01:18:00,319 --> 01:18:03,560 Og and George are your locks. And then I think it's just we've seen 1168 01:18:03,640 --> 01:18:10,239 Tim's will favor Heart Josh Hart over Dante DiVincenzo and that's I mean fine, 1169 01:18:10,239 --> 01:18:13,119 but like you're still looking, so those are your top six guys. You 1170 01:18:13,159 --> 01:18:15,800 still have Douce McBride and Mitchell Robinson and like that as an eight man rotation 1171 01:18:16,720 --> 01:18:20,119 is the second best team in the Eastern Conference as of right now, unless 1172 01:18:20,159 --> 01:18:24,880 the Sixers pull off something wild or the Calves do something or what did the 1173 01:18:24,960 --> 01:18:30,079 magic add like LaMelo ball or something or the so uh like that's a real 1174 01:18:30,039 --> 01:18:33,800 like that's a that's a capslock rotation like of eight guys. And so I 1175 01:18:33,840 --> 01:18:36,920 think maybe you see and Tim' has gotten more flexible this year. Maybe you 1176 01:18:36,960 --> 01:18:41,119 see him kind of toggle with the start. He's toggled with the closing five. 1177 01:18:41,159 --> 01:18:43,920 Maybe see Hm toggle with the starting five too, where sometimes it's hard, 1178 01:18:44,000 --> 01:18:47,920 sometimes it's Stevencenzo so like, but it fits and you're right to the 1179 01:18:47,960 --> 01:18:50,600 point where it's, oh, we need the shot creation. And Paul George 1180 01:18:50,680 --> 01:18:55,039 is an imperfect shot creator ever we've seen. But he's never gonna be the 1181 01:18:55,159 --> 01:18:58,119 number one option as long as Jalen Brunson is healthy. And there's just so 1182 01:18:58,239 --> 01:19:01,000 much depth that it's like he's more of a two point five than oh you 1183 01:19:01,199 --> 01:19:04,680 have to be a two. But it's like, because Josh Hart will get 1184 01:19:04,680 --> 01:19:08,439 out and run, and because like Devincenzo will do a little bit of that, 1185 01:19:08,560 --> 01:19:12,399 or we've seen o Jannobi will attack some closeouts. I would argue, 1186 01:19:13,039 --> 01:19:16,680 just because the Knicks are healthier on balance than the Clippers, they might be 1187 01:19:16,800 --> 01:19:24,319 a team Tibodeau's view on minutes management notwithstanding, they might be a team that 1188 01:19:24,520 --> 01:19:28,880 is better suited to help him age gracefully than the Clippers are right now. 1189 01:19:29,800 --> 01:19:32,520 Yeah, I honestly think you could talk if they make that trade. What 1190 01:19:32,720 --> 01:19:38,399 if Bogdanovic Randall and picks no other players going out? You can see him 1191 01:19:38,399 --> 01:19:40,800 if the Clippers want to back up big, Like that's someone you can afford 1192 01:19:40,840 --> 01:19:43,039 to give up to. Yeah, yeah, that's fine. But yeah, 1193 01:19:43,079 --> 01:19:45,239 I mean, like we're not giving up any of the top eight rotation members 1194 01:19:45,319 --> 01:19:49,279 that you said. You could talk me into them being the favorites in the 1195 01:19:49,319 --> 01:19:53,319 East next year, or at least co favorites with the Celtics, I say, 1196 01:19:53,359 --> 01:19:56,720 Boston scares the shit at me, but the Christops health they're the team 1197 01:19:56,760 --> 01:20:00,439 where it's I don't think they need and I think Zach Low raised it this 1198 01:20:00,520 --> 01:20:02,199 way, So I'm kind of crimming it from this. I don't think they 1199 01:20:02,239 --> 01:20:06,640 need Christaps Porzingis to make the finals. They need him to win the finals. 1200 01:20:08,239 --> 01:20:13,079 Yeah, but I mean if we might see it in two weeks, 1201 01:20:13,640 --> 01:20:15,680 like you know, we might see a Boston New York series in two weeks, 1202 01:20:15,720 --> 01:20:18,399 and we'll see how these two match up and how close it is as 1203 01:20:18,560 --> 01:20:24,600 is, hopefully Chris Tops is healthy by that point. I think that Dicks 1204 01:20:24,640 --> 01:20:28,840 are already gonna present a lot of matchup problems for a lot of teams. 1205 01:20:30,039 --> 01:20:32,720 I think if you get Paul George in there, it would get significantly more 1206 01:20:32,840 --> 01:20:39,399 difficult to defend them. I mean, I think I would clearly pick them. 1207 01:20:39,520 --> 01:20:42,239 As much as we just talked sang the praises of the Bucks, that's 1208 01:20:42,279 --> 01:20:45,479 that they're not as good as it might team would clearly pick the Paul George. 1209 01:20:45,800 --> 01:20:49,479 Jalen, I'm actually surprised that's not something just even as like that. 1210 01:20:49,600 --> 01:20:54,479 It's come out because Paul George is looking for leverage to stay in LA that 1211 01:20:54,600 --> 01:20:58,439 it's been so weard towards the Sixers in Orlando, and a part of me 1212 01:20:58,560 --> 01:21:01,239 thinks, this is me Galaxy bring this again. I think it's like the 1213 01:21:01,359 --> 01:21:05,479 Knicks are gonna be the Jimmy Butler leverage situation, and I just don't I 1214 01:21:05,560 --> 01:21:10,359 hate the fit, but he has the connection to TIBs, so it's like 1215 01:21:10,520 --> 01:21:14,479 that's almost I'm like, that's the thing I'm monitoring from afar that I don't 1216 01:21:14,520 --> 01:21:15,920 want to happen for them because the Paul George one feels like it just makes 1217 01:21:15,920 --> 01:21:18,640 so. And even if you're the Clippers, I'm not saying that Julius Randall 1218 01:21:18,680 --> 01:21:23,359 and Bodanovich are just these home run acquisitions, but to have guys who will 1219 01:21:23,399 --> 01:21:27,640 add to your offense. Bodanovic will add to your spacing if he's healthy or 1220 01:21:27,720 --> 01:21:30,479 I shouldn't say ah because you're losing Paul George, but can help you float 1221 01:21:30,840 --> 01:21:32,479 some of that, and like Randall's another create. He's a better passer than 1222 01:21:32,520 --> 01:21:36,000 Paul George, I would think at this point. So and then to have 1223 01:21:36,159 --> 01:21:39,720 other first round picks where if you wanted to go out and do stuff, 1224 01:21:39,760 --> 01:21:43,720 you still have. Bogdanovich asn't expiring, Randall isn't expiring, and they're big 1225 01:21:43,840 --> 01:21:47,720 enough to where you can move them independently since you can't aggregate salaries to like 1226 01:21:47,840 --> 01:21:54,039 get like a real player or more back like that feels like it makes more 1227 01:21:54,079 --> 01:21:57,720 sense to me than sending him to Philly in a similar situation, because they 1228 01:21:57,720 --> 01:22:00,319 don't have players to simpath for you too. Right, Yeah, if you're 1229 01:22:00,359 --> 01:22:05,960 the Clippers, you could still assemble like a semi decent rotation with Paul George, 1230 01:22:06,039 --> 01:22:10,199 Julius Randall, and James Harden, even if it's not or not sorry 1231 01:22:10,279 --> 01:22:14,279 Kawhi Leonard, Julius Randall and James Harden. And then yeah, if you 1232 01:22:14,359 --> 01:22:16,880 need to break up Randall at some point or break up Agdanovic at some point, 1233 01:22:17,359 --> 01:22:20,880 that's cool. I mean, that'll help you the salary re leave alone 1234 01:22:21,119 --> 01:22:25,680 like Mganovitch comes off the books next year. I don't know if you do. 1235 01:22:25,800 --> 01:22:28,439 If the Clippers would want to be the team that commits to Julius Randall, 1236 01:22:28,479 --> 01:22:32,079 maybe they'd send him to Dallas, send him back home. Uh why 1237 01:22:32,159 --> 01:22:35,279 Dallas would commit to him at this point? But yeah, yeah, that's 1238 01:22:35,399 --> 01:22:41,079 been from random conversation. It's one for a different day. We need more 1239 01:22:41,199 --> 01:22:45,000 here for that because he would happily tee off. But I mean, I'm 1240 01:22:45,239 --> 01:22:49,399 I agree with you. I'm surprised we haven't seen the opt in idea at 1241 01:22:49,520 --> 01:22:53,920 least soft launched in the media somewhere. But then again, we didn't see 1242 01:22:53,920 --> 01:22:57,880 it at all with Hardened until he's just like, oh surprise, I'm picking 1243 01:22:57,960 --> 01:23:00,920 up my option. Like there are literally reports from I don't think the Sixers 1244 01:23:00,960 --> 01:23:11,640 saw it coming. I can I yes, so we'll see I think there 1245 01:23:12,359 --> 01:23:16,359 it's a really fascinating offseason for the Clippers, for the really for George and 1246 01:23:16,439 --> 01:23:21,319 Harden. But like, the the ripple effects of whatever happens with both of 1247 01:23:21,399 --> 01:23:24,880 those guys, even if they retain both of those guys that you said, 1248 01:23:24,920 --> 01:23:28,640 like, how do they round out the supporting cast around them is going to 1249 01:23:28,680 --> 01:23:33,239 be really really tricky and I'm morbidly curious for many reasons to see how this 1250 01:23:33,359 --> 01:23:38,119 all plays out. Should we spend just a couple of minutes on the playoff 1251 01:23:38,159 --> 01:23:43,960 series that are yeah, we're taking actual basketball, Yeah, yeah, yeah, 1252 01:23:45,159 --> 01:23:48,119 let's do it. So Nick's Pacers starts on Monday. What is your 1253 01:23:48,319 --> 01:23:50,600 I guess maybe this is the best way for personally, what is your biggest 1254 01:23:50,720 --> 01:23:56,840 just question or thing that you're watching sort of leading into this series. I 1255 01:23:57,000 --> 01:24:00,720 want to set an over under on the number of rebounds Miles Turner gets in 1256 01:24:00,840 --> 01:24:04,119 this series, and I guess it depends on how many games it goes, 1257 01:24:04,760 --> 01:24:11,520 So maybe we should do rebounds per game instead, but what like four and 1258 01:24:11,520 --> 01:24:15,119 a half? Is that a fair over hunderd? I mean, that's that's 1259 01:24:15,199 --> 01:24:18,720 the big concern I think for the Pacers. They were not a great rebounding 1260 01:24:18,760 --> 01:24:24,279 team during the regular season, the eighth in the league in terms of total 1261 01:24:24,319 --> 01:24:28,199 rebounds per game. And as we saw we saw it last year with the 1262 01:24:28,239 --> 01:24:30,159 Knicks against the Cavs in the first round, we thought it this year against 1263 01:24:30,159 --> 01:24:34,199 the Sixers and the Sixer would have a freaking seven to two Joel indeed, 1264 01:24:34,239 --> 01:24:40,600 even though he was on one knee. They are just such a physical rebounding 1265 01:24:40,720 --> 01:24:45,279 team. Honestly, I think the thing that would be concerned about as a 1266 01:24:45,319 --> 01:24:50,600 Pacers fan is that you know the series against the Jannis Liss Bucks and like 1267 01:24:51,079 --> 01:24:55,319 hobbled dameless Bucks. I don't want to take anything away from them. You 1268 01:24:55,399 --> 01:24:58,359 play who is in front of you. It's awesome for the Pacers who have 1269 01:24:58,439 --> 01:25:00,840 taken care of business. I think it took a little longer than it should 1270 01:25:00,880 --> 01:25:04,840 have, but good on them from advancing. The Knicks just emerged from an 1271 01:25:04,960 --> 01:25:12,680 all out war in the first round, like they Those series are just very 1272 01:25:12,960 --> 01:25:16,840 different tonally, and I think the Knicks are just more ready for this type 1273 01:25:16,960 --> 01:25:23,039 of grueling, physical matchup that they're going to try to drag this down to. 1274 01:25:23,600 --> 01:25:26,199 Honestly, I think it's going to be such an interesting contract at styles 1275 01:25:26,199 --> 01:25:29,279 because the Pacers are just gonna get out and run as much as they possibly 1276 01:25:29,359 --> 01:25:31,920 can. Yeah, but I don't think the Knicks are going to let them 1277 01:25:31,960 --> 01:25:35,199 do so because they're such a good rebound Nick team. So it's who who 1278 01:25:35,319 --> 01:25:40,560 wins the battle of styles might be the biggest question of this series. Yeah, 1279 01:25:40,600 --> 01:25:44,680 that's definitely the thing I'm looking for too, because the Pacers, even 1280 01:25:44,720 --> 01:25:48,000 as I'm using post Sakham trade, they were second in average possession time, 1281 01:25:48,199 --> 01:25:53,439 so the second fatch team only Washington was faster. The Knicks were thirtieth, 1282 01:25:53,720 --> 01:25:57,399 so dead last average possession time, And so you're looking at a team that 1283 01:25:57,560 --> 01:26:00,840 wants that will more likely than not slow things down. We've seen the Knicks 1284 01:26:00,840 --> 01:26:02,560 they'll get out and run on some of the live ball stuff, but that's 1285 01:26:02,680 --> 01:26:06,079 very much like Josh Hart dependent. It sort of feels like, uh. 1286 01:26:06,239 --> 01:26:10,319 And then if you're the Knicks, though, can you keep the Pacers? 1287 01:26:10,319 --> 01:26:14,159 They've been like, especially after live rebounds, the Knicks have been pretty good 1288 01:26:14,159 --> 01:26:17,680 at preventing teams from getting out in transition. Can you do that against the 1289 01:26:17,720 --> 01:26:20,520 Pacers team that is gonna look to run. But part of the Pacers being 1290 01:26:20,520 --> 01:26:25,880 able to do that is can they get the defensive board to get out and 1291 01:26:26,000 --> 01:26:31,640 run so good on the offensive glass? And do you sell out any part 1292 01:26:31,680 --> 01:26:35,560 of your transition offense to try and put extra bodies to keep the Knicks like 1293 01:26:35,640 --> 01:26:40,319 from getting those because I guess the thing with the Pacers, they'll they'll run 1294 01:26:40,319 --> 01:26:43,239 anyway, even on like the dead like after a score of the other team, 1295 01:26:43,279 --> 01:26:45,560 they'll get out and run anyway. Like, if you're gonna give the 1296 01:26:45,640 --> 01:26:47,760 Knicks an opportunity to get their defense set, it's just gonna be harder for 1297 01:26:47,840 --> 01:26:50,159 you to do that. And so this team, more so than that Bucks 1298 01:26:50,199 --> 01:26:55,279 team, you're gonna have a hard time, harder time ending possessions. The 1299 01:26:55,399 --> 01:26:58,279 other thing I'm kind of looking at is, I mean, I'm always just 1300 01:26:58,319 --> 01:27:00,239 looking at what is Jalen runs a gonna be able to do? It was 1301 01:27:00,319 --> 01:27:02,920 just the sole focal point, like how aggressively will the Pacers defend him. 1302 01:27:02,960 --> 01:27:05,600 I assume we saw a lot of it in the regular season, like Andrew 1303 01:27:05,680 --> 01:27:09,640 Nemhart on Jalen runs in will be the Maybe we'll see some Nie Myth on 1304 01:27:09,800 --> 01:27:13,520 him a little bit, maybe McConnell at points, but I assume Nemhard will 1305 01:27:13,520 --> 01:27:16,000 get the primary assignment. But how else are you going about that? Is 1306 01:27:16,079 --> 01:27:18,760 there anyone I know? There are players? Like, how how much will 1307 01:27:18,800 --> 01:27:23,840 the Knicks sell out to try and go after Tyres Haliburton like to hunt him 1308 01:27:24,279 --> 01:27:28,039 in the half court? And then how much is Indian turn gonna sell out 1309 01:27:28,159 --> 01:27:30,159 to prevent that from not happening? But well, we're gonna send two to 1310 01:27:30,239 --> 01:27:33,800 the ball right away or something and make these other guys beat us. And 1311 01:27:33,880 --> 01:27:36,920 then finally, just because we've never seen it, at least they didn't play 1312 01:27:36,960 --> 01:27:42,039 each other because Og got injured. I don't think right like Og versus Siakam. 1313 01:27:42,039 --> 01:27:44,960 I'm just assuming that those are just that's how they're gonna match up, 1314 01:27:45,439 --> 01:27:47,720 like on both ends of the floors against each other. That's just gonna be 1315 01:27:47,760 --> 01:27:51,640 really fun to see. And I'm I'm curious who do you give the edge 1316 01:27:51,720 --> 01:27:56,680 too? In just the NBA defense is even offense, They're so complicated. 1317 01:27:56,680 --> 01:27:59,840 It's never just gonna be O g versus Pascal. But who do you give 1318 01:28:00,079 --> 01:28:03,399 advantage to in that primary matchup. Yeah, that's a great question. I 1319 01:28:03,479 --> 01:28:09,680 mean you would think on the surface, Pascal, he's a more well rounded 1320 01:28:09,760 --> 01:28:13,840 player, but definitely more dynamic. Yeah. We just saw Og hold his 1321 01:28:13,920 --> 01:28:18,199 own against Joel Embi, and I mean not just straight one on one. 1322 01:28:18,239 --> 01:28:21,720 He had a lot of help. But you know, he has a lot 1323 01:28:21,800 --> 01:28:26,800 more size than like Siakam is big and physical, but he's not as big 1324 01:28:26,960 --> 01:28:30,000 and physical as Joel embiid So I think Og is gonna be able to at 1325 01:28:30,079 --> 01:28:33,840 least hold his own in that matchup defensively. And you know, to your 1326 01:28:33,920 --> 01:28:36,960 point, those guys, Lloyd knows, they probably went against each other in 1327 01:28:38,039 --> 01:28:42,239 practice for a number of years in Toronto, So this might just be like 1328 01:28:42,680 --> 01:28:45,359 Nick Nurse might just be having flashbacks watching this series, just thinking back to 1329 01:28:45,560 --> 01:28:51,039 all this Toronto days. But yeah, I mean to your point on Brunson, 1330 01:28:51,319 --> 01:28:55,800 I I don't know, Like the Sixers tried a lot of different stuff 1331 01:28:55,840 --> 01:28:58,319 on him, and they had a lot of different wings they could throw at 1332 01:28:58,399 --> 01:29:01,119 him. Tobias got switch on him alive, They Kelly Ubray, Nick Patoom 1333 01:29:02,359 --> 01:29:05,479 Melton didn't play a ton in that series, but he would have been another 1334 01:29:05,560 --> 01:29:11,279 option. They doubled him Brunson. I mean it took him two games to 1335 01:29:11,359 --> 01:29:13,920 kind of figure it out, but after that it was just game on. 1336 01:29:14,239 --> 01:29:16,840 I mean they could do nothing to stop him. He has you know, 1337 01:29:17,000 --> 01:29:24,920 I don't know how you stop the little hesitation like him driving to the basket 1338 01:29:24,960 --> 01:29:28,640 and then just stopping. Like if he beats you off the dribble, he's 1339 01:29:28,720 --> 01:29:31,760 going to draw a foul on you because he just he knows how to manipulate 1340 01:29:32,079 --> 01:29:38,159 his body and his driving such that he will stop and you are going to 1341 01:29:38,239 --> 01:29:41,640 keep running and you're gonna come flying over his back. So if you can, 1342 01:29:42,359 --> 01:29:45,399 I guess that's the key. If Indiana can stay out of foul trouble 1343 01:29:45,560 --> 01:29:49,199 or just stay out of foul trouble with regard to Jalen Brunson, don't fall 1344 01:29:49,319 --> 01:29:54,439 for I don't want to call it like drifting or foulbating because like, especially 1345 01:29:54,680 --> 01:29:59,680 for some one who covers the Fixers, like I recognize the irony and sixers 1346 01:29:59,720 --> 01:30:03,880 people complaining about Jalen Brunson's whistle Joela beated Kyle Lowry are the kings of this, 1347 01:30:04,039 --> 01:30:09,319 so you know, like kudos to him, but that is something that 1348 01:30:09,439 --> 01:30:12,920 the Pacers are going to have to be very much aware of in this series 1349 01:30:13,000 --> 01:30:15,880 that he is going to be trying to draw that kind of contact, and 1350 01:30:15,000 --> 01:30:18,640 he's very good at drawing that type of contact. And also, I mean, 1351 01:30:18,680 --> 01:30:23,880 if you have Miles Turner playing in draft, like Brunson has that mid 1352 01:30:24,039 --> 01:30:29,560 range game that I mean, every superstar needs, but he the floater especially, 1353 01:30:29,760 --> 01:30:32,159 really seemed like he got more and more comfortable with that throughout the Sixers 1354 01:30:32,199 --> 01:30:35,720 series as well. So I'm not I just don't know if Indiana has as 1355 01:30:35,760 --> 01:30:41,520 many options to throw at him defensively as the Sixers did, and even that 1356 01:30:41,840 --> 01:30:46,319 wasn't enough to stop him after games one and two. Yeah, I'm it's 1357 01:30:46,399 --> 01:30:49,960 just so it's such a contrast in styles to where you look at it and 1358 01:30:50,000 --> 01:30:54,520 I'm wondering. And the Knicks did get up more threes post trade deadline, 1359 01:30:54,600 --> 01:30:57,960 but they're seventeenth and three point ten eight out of the twenty teams that made 1360 01:30:57,960 --> 01:31:00,479 the play in since the end of the regular season, and so you look 1361 01:31:00,479 --> 01:31:04,920 at how many threes Indy made just during that and that's with Tyres Haliburton shooting 1362 01:31:05,079 --> 01:31:09,720 very poorly from three sub thirty percent again, which is another thing to track. 1363 01:31:10,079 --> 01:31:13,359 By the way is like Haliburton not seeming to get a deep when he's 1364 01:31:13,399 --> 01:31:15,960 like attacking. And then also just he's putting up the threes, it feels 1365 01:31:16,000 --> 01:31:19,119 like it does feel like he's settling actually, but they're not going into as 1366 01:31:19,199 --> 01:31:23,000 high clip, so you look at it. And just so both of these 1367 01:31:23,039 --> 01:31:26,880 things last six games, the Pacers end up making in their series eighty four 1368 01:31:27,000 --> 01:31:30,199 threes. The Knicks made seventy one against the Sixers. But because the Knicks 1369 01:31:30,199 --> 01:31:32,800 around the offensive glass and they're a team that can get to the foul line, 1370 01:31:32,840 --> 01:31:38,079 whereas the Pacers that's not really something that they rely on, which gives 1371 01:31:38,159 --> 01:31:41,960 more like what's gonna be the bigger offset or are we gonna have to see 1372 01:31:42,000 --> 01:31:45,039 one team? And I would argue that if there's gonna be a team that 1373 01:31:45,159 --> 01:31:50,439 has to sort of change their style, it might be the Knicks more than 1374 01:31:50,479 --> 01:31:56,680 the Pacers, just because the way the Pacers play feels like it's it's easier 1375 01:31:56,720 --> 01:31:59,920 to dictate terms with now the Knicks in the offensive glass, that's something that 1376 01:32:00,039 --> 01:32:02,399 they could absolutely but in terms of their shot selection, maybe are they gonna 1377 01:32:02,439 --> 01:32:05,640 have to, you know, get up some more threes in this series? 1378 01:32:05,680 --> 01:32:08,600 And that's where it's you know, when you kind of look at it, 1379 01:32:08,680 --> 01:32:11,760 Oh, is this a Dante DiVincenzo where Josh Hart or not? I mean, 1380 01:32:11,800 --> 01:32:14,039 it's it's not even Josh Harst is never gonna come out of the game. 1381 01:32:14,479 --> 01:32:17,479 But it's like, how much run is Dante DiVincenzo getting and doesn't need 1382 01:32:17,560 --> 01:32:20,960 to be more because he's someone that you can station out ultra deep and he'll 1383 01:32:21,000 --> 01:32:24,760 get them up. Josh Hart did a good job of taking the threes, 1384 01:32:24,800 --> 01:32:27,840 but I'm assuming that's what that's the guy and he's still gonna continue to I 1385 01:32:27,880 --> 01:32:30,239 would guess help or send help from is Josh Hart when he's on the floor. 1386 01:32:30,720 --> 01:32:33,840 And then I think, and this is I'm interested to see, like 1387 01:32:34,359 --> 01:32:39,479 just because it's been so long. The Knicks were basically playing six guys by 1388 01:32:39,479 --> 01:32:42,960 the end of the sixer series, because like deuced bak Bride, would he 1389 01:32:42,960 --> 01:32:45,000 you play eleven minutes in game six and he's had some really good moments. 1390 01:32:45,680 --> 01:32:49,239 Do we see any burnout whatsoever? You can tell me the Knicks are conditioned 1391 01:32:49,279 --> 01:32:54,600 for this. It's fine. I'm just curious. It's so many minutes we're 1392 01:32:54,680 --> 01:32:58,279 in May, like they've been. These dudes have played so many games is 1393 01:32:58,319 --> 01:33:00,760 there any sort of burnout there? And I don't expect Tims to expand his 1394 01:33:00,920 --> 01:33:03,880 rotation, like he's just gonna play seven. It's gonna be seven guys. 1395 01:33:03,920 --> 01:33:08,399 But Donovic is injured. And by the way, that's another kind of interesting 1396 01:33:08,439 --> 01:33:11,520 subplot. I know he wasn't playing a lot, but he added floor spacing 1397 01:33:12,039 --> 01:33:15,039 and breaking case of emergency shot creation. They don't have that. Alc Berks 1398 01:33:15,079 --> 01:33:17,960 isn't playing, and so did the Knicks. Like the Knicks won that sixer 1399 01:33:18,079 --> 01:33:21,760 series and they had some really high offensive moments, but is their offense like 1400 01:33:21,960 --> 01:33:28,640 even worse off in this series, even though they're going against an inferior defense 1401 01:33:29,000 --> 01:33:31,439 than what the just because Philly has embiid is able to throw at you, 1402 01:33:31,960 --> 01:33:35,600 because you're dealing with guys playing so many minutes and now it's just it's just 1403 01:33:35,680 --> 01:33:39,399 brunt, Like you don't even have another lever to pull unless you want to 1404 01:33:39,640 --> 01:33:43,640 break open Alec Burks are overstretched. Duce who can do a little bit of 1405 01:33:43,760 --> 01:33:47,680 that? Yeah, although does Josh Hartt continue to shoot like Steph Curry or 1406 01:33:47,720 --> 01:33:53,239 does he start shooting like Josh hart again? That would be I mean, 1407 01:33:53,560 --> 01:33:56,840 that would be like that's like the flip side of does Tyres Haliburton continue to 1408 01:33:56,840 --> 01:34:02,399 shoot like we think Josh Hart does? Yeah, And like you know, 1409 01:34:02,560 --> 01:34:06,720 credit honestly credit to Josh Hart because he I know, early in that series 1410 01:34:08,279 --> 01:34:11,000 he said, like I knew this was the strategy coming in, and I 1411 01:34:11,079 --> 01:34:15,560 spent the entire week leading up to that series, uh, you know, 1412 01:34:15,920 --> 01:34:19,079 just jacking up threes in practice, like I knew they were going to target 1413 01:34:19,199 --> 01:34:25,359 me, and he was able to knock him down. But I think to 1414 01:34:25,479 --> 01:34:29,680 your point, they are absolutely going to continue leaving him open. Like if 1415 01:34:29,680 --> 01:34:33,960 they're gonna double Jalen Brentson, it makes sense to double with Josh Hart's man. 1416 01:34:34,319 --> 01:34:38,760 So do they continue to do that? Does he continue to make them 1417 01:34:38,800 --> 01:34:42,359 pay? Here's my thing is then, does it though? Because you like 1418 01:34:42,800 --> 01:34:46,159 it's you need bodies on Josh Hart once that shot goes up to prevent just 1419 01:34:46,279 --> 01:34:51,600 like the offensive rebound, like because he's just everywhere defensively offensively like like a 1420 01:34:51,760 --> 01:34:56,439 magnet to the ball. And so do you kind of like, well, 1421 01:34:56,479 --> 01:35:00,960 should we maybe just chance helping off of just literally anybody he else because we 1422 01:35:00,039 --> 01:35:06,840 need to keep him from getting these getting these like second chance opportunities or ending 1423 01:35:06,880 --> 01:35:11,319 our own possession, just because he's so good at getting the defensive boards as 1424 01:35:11,359 --> 01:35:15,199 well. It's just I'm so, I'm I'm most fascinated by Nuggets Timberwolves in 1425 01:35:15,199 --> 01:35:19,359 the second round, but like because of just you've said it, the contrast 1426 01:35:19,439 --> 01:35:24,800 and styles here Knicks first Pacers is really just peaking. I mean, obviously 1427 01:35:24,920 --> 01:35:29,520 my Knicks ties for sure, but it's peaking my attention six ways towards Sunday. 1428 01:35:29,560 --> 01:35:31,039 I can't wait for that series to start. Do you have a prediction 1429 01:35:31,159 --> 01:35:36,520 for this one? This might be disrespectful to the Pacers, but I just 1430 01:35:36,560 --> 01:35:41,000 feel like the Knicks role here, I could see it. I think it 1431 01:35:41,079 --> 01:35:44,239 might make nick and five you did mention this at the top. They have 1432 01:35:44,439 --> 01:35:50,279 this maddening tendency to play worse against worse opponents, and like the Knicks are 1433 01:35:50,319 --> 01:35:54,920 a better team than that version of the Bucks. So I'm sort of kind 1434 01:35:54,960 --> 01:35:58,039 of wondering or are they gonna rise to the occasion here because the Knicks are 1435 01:35:58,079 --> 01:36:00,640 a better team and it feels like it almost just like a Gyiannis been available 1436 01:36:00,720 --> 01:36:03,279 that series, that the Pacers might have been on their A game more often. 1437 01:36:03,319 --> 01:36:05,600 They might have lost, but they might have just been on their a 1438 01:36:05,800 --> 01:36:11,520 game more often. I'm gonna go Nixon six here. I ultimately just don't 1439 01:36:11,640 --> 01:36:15,119 think you mentioned this already too. I don't think that there as many buttons 1440 01:36:15,199 --> 01:36:20,439 for Rick Carlisle to push here in this series. And I think if they 1441 01:36:20,600 --> 01:36:26,319 do beat the Knicks, we look back on it as the offense for the 1442 01:36:26,399 --> 01:36:30,560 Knicks just fell flat because they ran out of guys who could not even just 1443 01:36:30,720 --> 01:36:34,640 generate their own shots but make shots aside from Brunson. And then also we 1444 01:36:34,800 --> 01:36:39,960 saw Pascal Siakam go full what he was the first two games in that Buck 1445 01:36:40,039 --> 01:36:45,880 series, or Tyre's Haliburton shooting starts to look like Tyre's Haliburton again. Yeah, 1446 01:36:45,000 --> 01:36:47,960 And like Mitchell Robinson I know, came back in that sixer series, 1447 01:36:48,079 --> 01:36:54,000 still themes pretty banged up. So if he leaves again there, we're gonna 1448 01:36:54,079 --> 01:36:57,119 we're absolutely having a game, especially if the Knicks make it to the conference 1449 01:36:57,159 --> 01:37:02,560 finals where Tims doesn't sub anybody out, and maybe it's like just because mcdonovitch 1450 01:37:02,600 --> 01:37:06,520 is already out and Mitchell Rominson needs to miss another game and then you know 1451 01:37:06,560 --> 01:37:09,600 what, I'm just not gonna play deuce tonight. So we're just gonna roll 1452 01:37:09,680 --> 01:37:13,319 with these five the entire time and they might still win. That's what's sick. 1453 01:37:13,520 --> 01:37:17,439 I honestly, like I I have nothing but respect for what the Knicks 1454 01:37:17,479 --> 01:37:20,439 have built over the last couple of years. And they found the right brand 1455 01:37:20,520 --> 01:37:27,680 of Sikos for Tom Thibodeau. Like it's really it's it's an impressive alignment that 1456 01:37:27,760 --> 01:37:31,239 we don't often see between front office, coaching staff and players. But they 1457 01:37:31,439 --> 01:37:35,920 found the right type of guys to buy into the identity that Tibbs has. 1458 01:37:36,560 --> 01:37:41,479 And like I I think this Knicks team, especially after the Og trade, 1459 01:37:41,479 --> 01:37:45,640 when they were just bum slaying for like it was like a month or so 1460 01:37:45,840 --> 01:37:47,840 before Randal and Og got hurt and then they kind of like fell into the 1461 01:37:47,920 --> 01:37:53,479 radar. But like, I think they went under the radar, which is 1462 01:37:53,520 --> 01:37:57,880 a weird thing to say about the New York Knicks. It like they never 1463 01:37:58,039 --> 01:38:01,000 go under the radar. But like, I don't think people really appreciated how 1464 01:38:01,119 --> 01:38:05,159 good this Knicks team is. I think they are for real. I think 1465 01:38:05,199 --> 01:38:09,640 they could be even scarier next year if they do the Paul George thing that 1466 01:38:09,720 --> 01:38:15,039 we talked about earlier, make some sort of big acquisition with Randall and Magdonovich. 1467 01:38:15,199 --> 01:38:18,720 But I mean, I like they I don't think people should discount them. 1468 01:38:18,760 --> 01:38:23,720 And even if they win this series and move on to presumably play Boston 1469 01:38:23,800 --> 01:38:26,600 in the Conference finals, like, I don't think Boston is just going to 1470 01:38:26,680 --> 01:38:29,000 blow the doors off of the Knicks. I think it's gonna be a hard 1471 01:38:29,039 --> 01:38:30,720 fout series. I don't even know. I'd have to dig deeper as to 1472 01:38:30,760 --> 01:38:33,039 who I would pick for that one, but I think there would be some 1473 01:38:33,159 --> 01:38:35,479 people who are prepared to be like, well, this is like the knickses 1474 01:38:36,079 --> 01:38:40,760 Atlanta Hawks run in twenty twenty one, Like that's they just caught the right 1475 01:38:40,880 --> 01:38:45,880 matchups. The hobbled Sixers a Pacers team that just is fine, and it's 1476 01:38:45,960 --> 01:38:47,680 like, no, like this team, there's definitely something more to this. 1477 01:38:47,960 --> 01:38:55,039 There's definitely stuff they need to add, but this is not like an aberration 1478 01:38:55,359 --> 01:38:58,439 when you're looking at what they're able to do. So I'm gonna go Nixon 1479 01:38:58,520 --> 01:39:01,560 six, but I really just there's just so much variance to how the Pacers 1480 01:39:01,600 --> 01:39:05,600 play. I don't feel great about it. Yeah, the only thing I'd 1481 01:39:05,640 --> 01:39:13,079 be like fairly surprised by is a Pacers in five or Pacers in four, 1482 01:39:13,239 --> 01:39:16,000 Like I could there are definitely a world in which the Knicks just like totally 1483 01:39:16,079 --> 01:39:19,159 run out of gas and the Pacer would win the series. But I think 1484 01:39:19,199 --> 01:39:23,840 it would be a longer series, Like I think, I think the Knicks 1485 01:39:23,880 --> 01:39:28,479 are going in as the better team. They are a somewhat heavy favorite on 1486 01:39:28,560 --> 01:39:31,479 the odds market, so I could see, you know, a Knicks sweep. 1487 01:39:31,520 --> 01:39:34,119 I could see Nickson five. I could see a long series either way. 1488 01:39:34,279 --> 01:39:39,760 But Pacers winning in a short series would be a surprise to me because 1489 01:39:39,760 --> 01:39:44,399 I do think the Knicks just have a clear advantage in terms of talent, 1490 01:39:44,640 --> 01:39:48,119 and I just keep going back to the physicality man, like the rebounding. 1491 01:39:48,880 --> 01:39:55,119 It sounds so stupid to Hartbond, but the Sixers would have won that series 1492 01:39:55,359 --> 01:39:58,920 if not for the rebounding. I mean they oh, no, go ahead, 1493 01:39:58,920 --> 01:40:00,840 Sorry, I didn't mean. It was Game one, like they got 1494 01:40:00,880 --> 01:40:05,159 out rebound by twenty, and it's like every every fourth quarter it felt like, 1495 01:40:05,399 --> 01:40:11,119 you know, Game four, especially was they just got destroyed at the 1496 01:40:11,239 --> 01:40:13,399 end, like and even Game six. I think there were a couple of 1497 01:40:13,439 --> 01:40:16,880 key ones late where the Knickers continued to generate these possessions out of thin air 1498 01:40:17,039 --> 01:40:21,079 that they should not be getting, and it allows them to build these leads, 1499 01:40:21,119 --> 01:40:27,760 and honestly, I could also see just the wild swings that Nick Sixer 1500 01:40:27,920 --> 01:40:30,520 series, the Game two ending, the Game five ending, you know, 1501 01:40:30,880 --> 01:40:33,239 them getting up so big in Game six and then giving up the whole lead 1502 01:40:33,279 --> 01:40:36,920 by halftime, going down ten points in the third quarter, coming back from 1503 01:40:38,000 --> 01:40:43,159 that, going up late, giving that whole lead back up like they I 1504 01:40:43,279 --> 01:40:45,079 think that just tested them in a way that the Pacers did not get tested 1505 01:40:45,119 --> 01:40:48,600 in the first round, and it's going to prepare them for what's coming more 1506 01:40:48,640 --> 01:40:51,880 than the Pacers might be. And I would say it's not stupid to harp 1507 01:40:51,960 --> 01:40:56,880 on the offense of rebounding. When they boarded, it was like basically thirty 1508 01:40:56,920 --> 01:41:00,319 six percent of their own misses for the series, and they were like wretches. 1509 01:41:00,359 --> 01:41:03,159 Where at the end of it was Game six, they rebounded fifty six 1510 01:41:03,239 --> 01:41:05,880 point two percent of their own misses. In the first quarter of Game six, 1511 01:41:06,319 --> 01:41:11,159 the figures actually rebounded forty six percent of their own misses. I think 1512 01:41:11,199 --> 01:41:17,359 in that quarter for a twelve minute stretch is fucking wild. I'm honestly just 1513 01:41:17,439 --> 01:41:20,319 proud of the Sixers for not totally letting go of the rope, because when 1514 01:41:20,319 --> 01:41:23,640 they were down thirty three to eleven, and I was like, you know, 1515 01:41:23,720 --> 01:41:26,960 that game started nine o'clock, So I'm telling my wife like, yeah, 1516 01:41:27,000 --> 01:41:29,359 actually, maybe I will go to bed with you halftime, like maybe, 1517 01:41:29,880 --> 01:41:31,239 And then you know, leondready taken back the lead by halftime and I 1518 01:41:31,279 --> 01:41:34,399 went up to that series was so epic. It was I think the most 1519 01:41:34,560 --> 01:41:39,039 entertaining first round series for me since you remember that what year was that the 1520 01:41:39,119 --> 01:41:44,079 Clippers Spurs where it came down to, uh was it Chris Paul hit like 1521 01:41:44,159 --> 01:41:46,239 the game winner? It was in game seven, like basically hit the buzzer 1522 01:41:46,319 --> 01:41:49,720 at that that. I think this was the most entertaining first round series I've 1523 01:41:49,760 --> 01:41:55,439 seen since then? Was that twenty fourteen? I think so around there? 1524 01:41:55,560 --> 01:42:00,319 Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was like I should be more upset about 1525 01:42:00,359 --> 01:42:04,079 it, and I honestly, I'm surprised that Sixers. I guess Sixers fans 1526 01:42:04,159 --> 01:42:09,880 had just already moved on to like arguing about Jimmy Butler versus Paul George versus 1527 01:42:09,920 --> 01:42:14,039 branding Ingram versus two Stars and three stars whatever, so like no one's really 1528 01:42:15,000 --> 01:42:18,199 fixated on it. If anything, I think it just kind of solidified that 1529 01:42:18,279 --> 01:42:24,159 Tyrese Maxie is that dude and that really is that, dude? And that's 1530 01:42:24,199 --> 01:42:27,079 all that matters from the season, honestly, because that was their biggest The 1531 01:42:27,199 --> 01:42:30,800 non hardened question coming in was is Tarry's Maxie the clear number two? Yes 1532 01:42:30,239 --> 01:42:33,479 question answered, Now we can move on. Uh but yeah, Like, 1533 01:42:34,000 --> 01:42:38,800 I mean, the entire series being decided by a margin of one point. 1534 01:42:40,000 --> 01:42:43,600 And I just I loved the Nick Drissones coment four Game six was just so 1535 01:42:43,920 --> 01:42:47,840 fitting where he was just like nothing matters. Did you see the meme I 1536 01:42:47,920 --> 01:42:51,439 posted about that? It was from a oh Man, why am I blanking? 1537 01:42:51,520 --> 01:42:56,199 On the What's that show? From Netflix? With Jason Bateman based in 1538 01:42:56,239 --> 01:42:59,520 Missouri, oh Ozark And the meme is, I don't know, I don't 1539 01:42:59,520 --> 01:43:01,840 know fuck about shit or shit about fun, And that's basically what Nick Nurse 1540 01:43:01,840 --> 01:43:04,239 said. I was like, I respect it. This is a level of 1541 01:43:04,319 --> 01:43:10,000 Neilism that is so relatable, uh that I love it. I was gonna 1542 01:43:10,039 --> 01:43:14,560 ask, do we have a few minutes to spend on just Thunder uh before 1543 01:43:14,600 --> 01:43:17,520 we go? Before we go? I'm about to forget who's Thunder playing Thunder 1544 01:43:17,560 --> 01:43:21,319 MAVs. What are your initial thoughts like heading into this series and like we're 1545 01:43:21,399 --> 01:43:26,720 kind of fresh off that as we're recording this, the MAVs bouncing the Clippers, 1546 01:43:26,800 --> 01:43:30,720 so I haven't dug super deep into it, but it's kind of another 1547 01:43:30,640 --> 01:43:39,720 fascinating matchup too. We're just like, like Dallas plays I think understatedly super 1548 01:43:39,840 --> 01:43:43,920 huge, to where it's okay, you have Danja just massive for a point 1549 01:43:43,920 --> 01:43:46,960 guard, and then now they've just run these lineups where it's Derek Jones Junior, 1550 01:43:47,039 --> 01:43:53,159 PJ. Washington and then Gafford or Lively, or it's you have PJ. 1551 01:43:53,399 --> 01:43:56,920 Washington, Maxi Kliba, and we haven't seen them really play with another 1552 01:43:56,960 --> 01:44:00,359 big with that, but like PJ Washing Maxi Kliba with a Derek Joe junior, 1553 01:44:00,439 --> 01:44:02,319 so they could just be super big, which that's still a weakness of 1554 01:44:02,359 --> 01:44:05,359 the Thunder. I don't think needed to gets eyes, and they didn't at 1555 01:44:05,399 --> 01:44:10,880 the trade deadline. But it's kind of like fascinating to where you don't view 1556 01:44:10,960 --> 01:44:15,920 Ballast as this physical team, but the four on three situations they can create 1557 01:44:15,000 --> 01:44:18,319 in the half court with their pick and rolls. I do think we'll stress 1558 01:44:18,399 --> 01:44:25,159 test Okays defense for sure. Yeah, I mean we'll see Cleb I know 1559 01:44:27,119 --> 01:44:29,840 injured the shoulder last night. I think as we were recording. I saw 1560 01:44:30,079 --> 01:44:34,520 Shaan's notification about like, I think it's a full dislocation. If I saw 1561 01:44:34,560 --> 01:44:39,840 that, I didn't see that. I think I might have read that wrong. 1562 01:44:39,960 --> 01:44:45,359 So I apologize and advance h third degree dislocation. This is from Tim 1563 01:44:45,399 --> 01:44:49,880 mcmayon and ESPN third degree dislocation of the AC joint in Maxi Kleeba's shoulder. 1564 01:44:50,119 --> 01:44:56,000 So oh, he's done. Definitely perhaps the remainder of the MAVs playoff run. 1565 01:44:56,079 --> 01:44:58,600 And that's like, that's a kind of big deal for this that's a 1566 01:44:58,720 --> 01:45:03,640 huge well because now it's like everything I just said, it's just like it's 1567 01:45:03,720 --> 01:45:08,479 negated, so they're not as huge, but like you still have the Derek 1568 01:45:08,560 --> 01:45:14,399 Jones junior PJ. Washington big look, and that fared really well for Dallas 1569 01:45:15,039 --> 01:45:18,960 against the Clippers. The with the PJ. Washington, Gafford and Derek Jones 1570 01:45:19,000 --> 01:45:23,600 junior front court. Their offense actually wasn't great, but they still had scored 1571 01:45:23,640 --> 01:45:26,760 the Clippers by five point one points per one hundred possessions. And now you 1572 01:45:26,880 --> 01:45:30,279 add Lively in there instead of gafferd and it was plus twelve point two points 1573 01:45:30,359 --> 01:45:35,319 per one hundred possessions. And again that's without the offense kind of being elite. 1574 01:45:35,319 --> 01:45:39,640 And I think that's maybe the sacrifice you make is that you have these 1575 01:45:39,800 --> 01:45:43,800 three. You have a non shooter at the five and then two shaky shooters 1576 01:45:44,520 --> 01:45:47,079 relatively speaking, and PJ. Washington and Derek Jones Junior. But like they 1577 01:45:47,560 --> 01:45:50,920 their defense is real and like I don't know how they're gonna do against the 1578 01:45:50,960 --> 01:45:56,159 Clippers are they were never truly five out and like the thunder a just five 1579 01:45:56,239 --> 01:46:00,520 out basically what forty eight minutes a game, there's like there's none They're gonna 1580 01:46:00,560 --> 01:46:02,319 you know, on cork, Bismock, biumbo for the series for some reason, 1581 01:46:02,359 --> 01:46:06,239 that's just gonna be. So I think they will be a team. 1582 01:46:06,680 --> 01:46:12,039 And he shot a trillion percent from three against the Pelicans. They're gonna more 1583 01:46:12,119 --> 01:46:16,399 egregiously not defend Josh Giddy, I think than a lot of like then like 1584 01:46:16,520 --> 01:46:20,199 other teams might, Yeah, for sure, And like I know, everyone 1585 01:46:20,319 --> 01:46:25,800 fixates on Okay S's size and the rebounding in general as being their achilles heel. 1586 01:46:27,039 --> 01:46:30,119 They are, I mean, chet seven to one Giddya's six eight. 1587 01:46:30,560 --> 01:46:34,479 Sga is also a jumbo point guard at sixty six. Jalalen Williams is six 1588 01:46:34,520 --> 01:46:38,520 to five and lud Dort six to three, but he's i mean, got 1589 01:46:38,560 --> 01:46:43,880 a huge wingspan. It's just the lockdown defensive threat. Like I think the 1590 01:46:43,960 --> 01:46:48,880 Thunder actually match up kind of well defensively other than the potential of them just 1591 01:46:48,960 --> 01:46:53,279 getting bullied. But like, do you think who's like kind of their skeleton 1592 01:46:53,399 --> 01:46:57,960 key for that. I mean, and this is not like it's lou Dort 1593 01:46:58,479 --> 01:47:01,239 just because you mentioned he's six three six four, and it's like I would 1594 01:47:01,439 --> 01:47:06,680 rather see him defend Luka Doncic than Kyrie Irving because he's just built like a 1595 01:47:06,840 --> 01:47:11,159 brick house. And I'm not saying he's gonna get the best of that matchup, 1596 01:47:11,560 --> 01:47:14,840 but if you look at how much you're gonna need to pressure the and 1597 01:47:14,880 --> 01:47:17,159 send extra bodies at Luca, you just I think with the Thunder, even 1598 01:47:17,159 --> 01:47:19,680 if you want to use j Dub in those situations, and they will, 1599 01:47:19,840 --> 01:47:24,199 but the way like you just because of those two dudes, like even j 1600 01:47:24,359 --> 01:47:27,880 Dub versus Kyrie, like those are just I'm not saying you're gonna leave those 1601 01:47:27,880 --> 01:47:31,520 guys alone the entire time, but you might because you can. That's an 1602 01:47:31,520 --> 01:47:35,159 option that you just have. Yeah, you can, like honestly, switch 1603 01:47:35,199 --> 01:47:41,640 interchangeably between Dort Williams SGA. You probably don't want Giddy on either one of 1604 01:47:41,680 --> 01:47:43,880 those guys if you can avoid it, but like you know, even he 1605 01:47:44,000 --> 01:47:47,720 can switch on to them if you were just fully switching everything. So yeah, 1606 01:47:47,720 --> 01:47:51,079 I think the Thunder actually have the personnel to match up kind of like, 1607 01:47:51,159 --> 01:47:57,439 no one's gonna stop Kyrie, not this version of Kyrie I saw someone 1608 01:47:57,520 --> 01:48:00,920 created. If Kyrie had quis per personality, which is basically just don't do 1609 01:48:01,119 --> 01:48:04,640 or say anything, he'd be the most likable player in NBA history because of 1610 01:48:04,680 --> 01:48:08,039 the aesthetics of his game. And I was trying to think, like, 1611 01:48:08,359 --> 01:48:13,079 who's a flashy player that had like this understated, non controversial personality, and 1612 01:48:13,159 --> 01:48:16,640 like the answer is just Nicole Jokic. It's just like he's he's super aesthetically 1613 01:48:17,000 --> 01:48:19,720 to watch him. So I digress on there. I was gonna ask you, 1614 01:48:19,800 --> 01:48:25,039 though, like do you think this sounds counterintuitive? And I don't think 1615 01:48:25,039 --> 01:48:29,840 it's true, But because of how physical Luca is, do you think like 1616 01:48:29,960 --> 01:48:34,720 sort of the going after Chet's guy, like screening that and like trying to 1617 01:48:34,800 --> 01:48:38,920 get Luca onto Chet to where okay, like Chet, Yeah, we know 1618 01:48:39,000 --> 01:48:41,960 he's mobile, We know he's a fantastic grim protector, shot block or whatever. 1619 01:48:42,399 --> 01:48:45,079 But will Luca feel more confident in that matchup just because he has like 1620 01:48:45,359 --> 01:48:50,359 just stronger shoulders and backside, whereas that a matchup that you would see the 1621 01:48:50,439 --> 01:48:54,199 Mavericks. I don't want to say attacking, because I don't think Chet's a 1622 01:48:54,239 --> 01:48:59,840 liability, but maybe being more willing to allow to happen or go at just 1623 01:49:00,039 --> 01:49:03,680 because of that, or is it just is that my my overthinking that I 1624 01:49:03,720 --> 01:49:08,479 could see it. I mean, I can certainly see the rationale behind it. 1625 01:49:08,640 --> 01:49:12,920 I think Chet also just has the length and like the foot speed to 1626 01:49:13,039 --> 01:49:18,039 recover that even if Luca blows by him, especially like Luca's got on his 1627 01:49:18,199 --> 01:49:23,680 blocky knee. I know he's still dominating, but like he looks, he 1628 01:49:23,880 --> 01:49:26,920 never looks fast, right like, that's never his selling point. He's it's 1629 01:49:26,960 --> 01:49:30,720 always just his size and his physicality and his control of his body. But 1630 01:49:30,119 --> 01:49:34,880 he looks even slower than usual right now. So I do wonder if Chet 1631 01:49:35,000 --> 01:49:39,760 might be able to like it blow. You know, you can blow by 1632 01:49:39,920 --> 01:49:42,239 Chet, but it doesn't matter, because's gonna be able to recover by 1633 01:49:42,279 --> 01:49:44,560 the time you get to the rim. That he's gonna block your stuff anyway. 1634 01:49:45,439 --> 01:49:50,560 So like, I fully expect Luca and Kyrie to continue. You know, 1635 01:49:50,640 --> 01:49:54,840 it's not like they're gonna all of a sudden score ten points a game, 1636 01:49:54,960 --> 01:50:00,039 or like will Lucas shoot better than sub twenty four percent from three point 1637 01:50:00,159 --> 01:50:03,399 range in this series? Yeah? Man, that was rough last night. 1638 01:50:03,560 --> 01:50:06,640 I mean he was He's not even close, And that's that's why I wonder 1639 01:50:06,680 --> 01:50:10,960 how much the need is affecting him. And it kind of because of that 1640 01:50:11,840 --> 01:50:16,560 has me leaning OKAC in this series. Like if we had fully healthy Mavericks 1641 01:50:16,600 --> 01:50:23,680 and Mexiclebo was not probably done for the playoffs, I think it'd be probably 1642 01:50:23,840 --> 01:50:29,920 close to a coin flip. But if we're gonna get like eighty percent Luca 1643 01:50:30,800 --> 01:50:34,239 and we're not gonna have Kleba, so now they don't have as many five 1644 01:50:34,319 --> 01:50:41,239 out options as they otherwise would have, it just makes me wonder where it's 1645 01:50:41,319 --> 01:50:45,800 coming from. Like where's the offense coming from for Dallas if it's not Luca 1646 01:50:45,880 --> 01:50:48,960 and Kyrie and or just you know, there was guys kicking out to open 1647 01:50:49,000 --> 01:50:54,560 three point shooters and if PJ. Washington and Derek Jones Junior are knocking down 1648 01:50:54,560 --> 01:50:59,560 their threes. Cool. Do we know about Tim Hardaway's status for this series? 1649 01:50:59,600 --> 01:51:00,800 By the way, No, just see I mean I don't think they 1650 01:51:00,880 --> 01:51:03,479 want to play him, so I don't really like I don't even know if 1651 01:51:03,520 --> 01:51:06,159 I view it as like I guess if they want the three point shooting out 1652 01:51:06,199 --> 01:51:10,680 there, but I haven't seen anything more about his status since he's been dealing 1653 01:51:10,680 --> 01:51:14,720 with what was it, he's the ankle injury. So yeah, this, 1654 01:51:15,279 --> 01:51:18,359 I will say PJ. Washington like, because we know Derek Jones Junior, 1655 01:51:18,399 --> 01:51:21,520 they will have him on one of the Thunder's primaries. This becomes like a 1656 01:51:21,600 --> 01:51:27,000 huge PJ. Washington series because just this version of the clip, I mean, 1657 01:51:27,039 --> 01:51:29,119 he did a good job against the Colt, like the mass defense was 1658 01:51:29,119 --> 01:51:32,560 suffocating. Like this is different when you look at Jdubb or Shay specifically, 1659 01:51:32,640 --> 01:51:35,960 Like those are two completely different players. Whoever he winds up guarding more. 1660 01:51:36,680 --> 01:51:41,359 But I'm so interesting how Dallas's defense holds up against OKC. But I think 1661 01:51:41,439 --> 01:51:44,600 right now I'm leaning, especially now that you told me about this Cleveland injuries 1662 01:51:44,600 --> 01:51:46,920 were recording, I didn't realize the shoulder jew was that serious. I'm gonna 1663 01:51:46,920 --> 01:51:50,680 go OKAC in six and honestly, because Lucas dealing with the knee stuff. 1664 01:51:50,760 --> 01:51:56,319 I think Dallas's defense is resilient enough to win two even with that. It 1665 01:51:56,399 --> 01:51:59,399 just wouldn't shock me if this was an Okac in five situa. I still 1666 01:51:59,399 --> 01:52:03,039 think people under estimate just how dominant the Thunder are, Like they're terrifying. 1667 01:52:03,159 --> 01:52:08,399 I think the MAVs obviously have more more buttons to push than that version of 1668 01:52:08,439 --> 01:52:11,359 the Pelicans that we saw. But I think you can make the case that 1669 01:52:12,239 --> 01:52:15,880 who are the best Shay Gilders Alexander defenders in the West. It's probably Herb 1670 01:52:16,000 --> 01:52:19,880 Jones and or Jayden McDaniels, and so like, Damas just don't have a 1671 01:52:19,960 --> 01:52:24,720 Herb Jone. They have Derek Jones Junior and PJ. Washington and Dante Exum 1672 01:52:24,840 --> 01:52:27,880 and that's just not the same. Yeah. Yeah, I mean it's like 1673 01:52:27,960 --> 01:52:30,239 hard to read into the first round series from the Thunder because there was no 1674 01:52:30,439 --> 01:52:34,760 Zion and but I mean they you know, Game one was close and then 1675 01:52:34,760 --> 01:52:38,680 they kind of just toyed with the Pelicans for three games, and I don't 1676 01:52:38,720 --> 01:52:43,039 think they're going to have that luxury against the Bavericks unless one of Luca or 1677 01:52:43,159 --> 01:52:46,479 Kyrie missed time and hopefully that isn't the case, but I'm with you in 1678 01:52:46,600 --> 01:52:50,439 leaning. Okay, See, I selfishly hope it goes seven, just because 1679 01:52:50,439 --> 01:52:54,520 I think it's going to be a really fun series. The one thing I'm 1680 01:52:54,560 --> 01:53:00,720 not looking forward to is all of the MVP discourse between SGA fans and LUCA 1681 01:53:00,800 --> 01:53:04,279 fans, and I think it's gonna be probably more. Does it matter j 1682 01:53:04,399 --> 01:53:06,800 Kich will be named the m v P? I think, what is it 1683 01:53:06,880 --> 01:53:10,960 Tuesday? Or am I missing? When's the date on that? Whatever? 1684 01:53:11,640 --> 01:53:14,520 Yeah, hopefully it's soon because that would kind of put it to bed, 1685 01:53:15,239 --> 01:53:17,359 I hope so. But yeah, well then do we have the this guy 1686 01:53:17,399 --> 01:53:19,800 should have been number two and this guy should have been number three? And 1687 01:53:19,880 --> 01:53:23,039 here, like, I think there's just gonna be a lot of pissing over 1688 01:53:23,159 --> 01:53:27,560 which who is better Luka doncicor Shay Gilds Alexander. I love to fight about 1689 01:53:27,560 --> 01:53:31,640 who's the better loser or non winner, who's the better non winner for this 1690 01:53:31,760 --> 01:53:35,840 award? Who is the better all for team All NBA player? Who cares 1691 01:53:35,880 --> 01:53:40,039 they're both great? Then you're not gonna win MVP because you Kich is still 1692 01:53:40,079 --> 01:53:43,840 here. So I don't I don't want to I'm just gonna like unplug from 1693 01:53:43,840 --> 01:53:47,159 those conversations. But I as a basketball fan, I'm going to enjoy the 1694 01:53:47,199 --> 01:53:50,199 hell out of seeing two of the best players in the NBA going hand to 1695 01:53:50,239 --> 01:53:55,159 head against one another. And it should be. I'm excited that we're gonna 1696 01:53:55,199 --> 01:53:59,439 have three super tantalizing second round matchups. I just can't bring myself to care 1697 01:53:59,479 --> 01:54:02,039 about who this like Calves, Magic Bugget, like Celtics in five, Like, 1698 01:54:02,159 --> 01:54:06,319 it's just I want the Magic. I want the Magic to win, 1699 01:54:06,479 --> 01:54:11,359 just because I I think they could be interesting. I'm not saying they're gonna 1700 01:54:11,680 --> 01:54:15,600 like give a real scare to Boston, but with you know, Mitchell still 1701 01:54:15,640 --> 01:54:19,319 bang up and Jared Allen I missed the last two games of rib thing. 1702 01:54:19,439 --> 01:54:21,640 Who knows if he plays on days, right, I think the Calves are 1703 01:54:21,680 --> 01:54:25,960 just too injured to really put I think, yeah, Orlando's defense could maybe 1704 01:54:26,000 --> 01:54:29,600 do some stuff to gum up Boston's offense, especially with they might have more 1705 01:54:30,000 --> 01:54:33,760 points of like, oh, we can sacrifice here to go here if Christos 1706 01:54:33,800 --> 01:54:38,439 Porzingis isn't isn't healthy. But I mean, I don't know if we're watching 1707 01:54:38,479 --> 01:54:42,600 Donovan Mitchell uh in that game against the magic in Game six, just in 1708 01:54:43,079 --> 01:54:45,960 every single point for the Calves in the fourth quarter. So it's just he's 1709 01:54:45,000 --> 01:54:48,319 still I don't know how he got this reputation, just someone who doesn't rise 1710 01:54:48,319 --> 01:54:53,359 to the occasion of the playoff. He has some epic postseason performances, So 1711 01:54:53,720 --> 01:54:55,920 I don't know where people are just like, oh, like this is someone 1712 01:54:55,960 --> 01:54:58,560 who just always disappears when it matters. I'm like, where the hell is 1713 01:54:58,640 --> 01:55:02,960 that? Just say something little traffic in any sort of reality. I mean, 1714 01:55:03,520 --> 01:55:05,840 it was the Bubbles series with him and Jamal Murray. I was like 1715 01:55:05,920 --> 01:55:10,359 one of the best one on one showdowns we've seen in recent years. Right, 1716 01:55:10,520 --> 01:55:13,840 he is like now I think second or third all time in playoff fifty 1717 01:55:13,880 --> 01:55:17,199 point games. Wow, total, because he has three, and I think 1718 01:55:17,600 --> 01:55:20,880 he's in the top five already, and he leads all active players, by 1719 01:55:20,920 --> 01:55:26,439 the way, So in a league that has Lebron James and Kevin Durant like 1720 01:55:26,520 --> 01:55:30,039 still playing obviously they didn't make it deep this year, his three fifty point 1721 01:55:30,119 --> 01:55:32,760 games the leader among all active players. Well, now you just gave me 1722 01:55:32,880 --> 01:55:41,560 something for Tyrese Maxi to look forward to in about six years. All right, 1723 01:55:41,960 --> 01:55:44,960 I think I think it plays for us to wrap up. So Dan, 1724 01:55:45,119 --> 01:55:47,079 thank you for coming on or thank you for hosting me, because we're 1725 01:55:47,079 --> 01:55:53,439 gonna have this go live on both of our podcasts. And I wish you 1726 01:55:53,520 --> 01:55:58,359 the best in the series against the Pacers as much as I I really, 1727 01:55:58,439 --> 01:56:00,399 I genuinely don't even hate the next like that, I think as the finest 1728 01:56:00,439 --> 01:56:04,840 compliment I could pay coming out of a playoff series. I know Knicks fans 1729 01:56:05,000 --> 01:56:10,079 got a little excited about their tastes of playoff success, which I get you 1730 01:56:10,159 --> 01:56:13,399 haven't had a ton of it in recent years, So go will you'd be 1731 01:56:13,560 --> 01:56:17,399 the seventh seed, congratulations. But I do think I do think they are 1732 01:56:17,479 --> 01:56:20,039 for real. I do think there's a lot to build on moving forward, 1733 01:56:20,119 --> 01:56:26,600 and I think, yeah they should. I hope to see them against Boston 1734 01:56:26,640 --> 01:56:30,560 in the conference finals. I hope we get a competitive series there. Thank 1735 01:56:30,640 --> 01:56:35,800 you, And I do not I'm so far like separated from my psychotic fandom 1736 01:56:35,800 --> 01:56:39,319 when I was younger, just because being in the business for so long does 1737 01:56:39,479 --> 01:56:42,520 kill at least some of it for you. I don't hate Joel Embiid. 1738 01:56:42,720 --> 01:56:45,399 I enjoy him. I love Tyres Maxie. I thought Philly put up a 1739 01:56:45,399 --> 01:56:47,439 hell of a fight but they were not. I will say in defensive Knicks 1740 01:56:47,479 --> 01:56:50,640 fans who should act like they've been here before. Now you won a playoff 1741 01:56:50,680 --> 01:56:53,880 series last year, It's like, let's add like you're in the second round. 1742 01:56:53,920 --> 01:56:57,439 Congratulations. This is the burden of expectations because if you lose against the 1743 01:56:57,439 --> 01:57:00,479 team that's clearly worse than you, even without is randal Bydanovic, there would 1744 01:57:00,479 --> 01:57:02,960 be questions answered. But like, let's act Nick fans, Let's act like 1745 01:57:02,960 --> 01:57:05,880 we've been here before, because now now we have. I will say, 1746 01:57:05,920 --> 01:57:11,359 Philly was not your typical seven seed. No, that was like the stuff 1747 01:57:11,359 --> 01:57:13,439 that they were doing with Tyres, Max and Joel and be at the beginning 1748 01:57:13,439 --> 01:57:15,359 of the year. So that was a fun series. Thank you so much 1749 01:57:15,359 --> 01:57:21,039 for having me Slash, thank you so much for coming on. It was 1750 01:57:21,399 --> 01:57:27,600 my pleasure on both counts, and honestly, everyone follow us both on Twitter. 1751 01:57:27,680 --> 01:57:32,119 You could find at the NBA Pod and then download this episode twice at 1752 01:57:32,159 --> 01:57:35,479 both of our do this on the NBA pod, go subscribe to Hardwink Knocks. 1753 01:57:35,479 --> 01:57:39,439 If you're listening to this on Hardwine Knocks, go subscribe to the NBA 1754 01:57:39,560 --> 01:57:45,199 Pod. Honestly, for NBA Pod subscribers, Dan and Grant do a ton 1755 01:57:45,279 --> 01:57:48,279 of great work and pump out way more stuff than we do, So please 1756 01:57:48,319 --> 01:57:53,399 go subscribe to them if you want a ton of great NBA coverage. Dan, 1757 01:57:53,479 --> 01:57:56,640 for your sake, I hope that you don't do the every team preview 1758 01:57:56,680 --> 01:58:00,439 this year because I know how much time that takes. But I know about 1759 01:58:00,880 --> 01:58:06,000 I'm thinking about digit it this year, but people love it, rest Ashore. 1760 01:58:06,039 --> 01:58:10,000 If I do it, I'll need you for the sixers. So I 1761 01:58:10,079 --> 01:58:13,439 know. I know you might be planning like a hiatus or something, but 1762 01:58:13,479 --> 01:58:16,159 you're not getting it from this podcast is not happening. Let's just hope Darryl 1763 01:58:16,239 --> 01:58:21,640 Morey makes his moves early in July. I am keeping my fingers crossed that 1764 01:58:21,880 --> 01:58:26,840 like by July fifteenth, I can walk away from them. That'll be done, 1765 01:58:26,960 --> 01:58:29,880 especially because now that I think teams will even though they would have had 1766 01:58:29,880 --> 01:58:30,760 a hole on it to begin with, Now that you could talk to your 1767 01:58:30,800 --> 01:58:34,039 own players after the final, we're just gonna see moves line up like big 1768 01:58:34,119 --> 01:58:38,119 bang boom, even faster that It's like, oh, free agency is done 1769 01:58:38,279 --> 01:58:42,039 five minutes into its starting. How did that happen? Well? Because Lloyd 1770 01:58:42,119 --> 01:58:45,159 knows the teams never talked to their free agents before this year. No, 1771 01:58:45,439 --> 01:58:50,600 never unless DeAndre Jordan. Gotta make sure Nuggets got to make sure that you 1772 01:58:50,640 --> 01:58:56,840 have DeAndre Jordan. They never got panalized. I'm still mad it broke at 1773 01:58:56,840 --> 01:58:59,359 six o'clock. What are we doing? Did you right the League office? 1774 01:59:00,439 --> 01:59:06,640 I wrote an article about it. Of course you did. Yeah, Well 1775 01:59:06,760 --> 01:59:10,720 that guy can cobscribe me the NBA pod. You and more can go like 1776 01:59:10,800 --> 01:59:14,600 you can make the Bulls sound compelling, more can make the Bulls compel. 1777 01:59:15,920 --> 01:59:20,199 I enjoyed the I enjoyed the all NBA discussion where you two couldn't decide and 1778 01:59:20,319 --> 01:59:26,439 you were just like fucking throwing beyond there. Then honestly, I mean, 1779 01:59:26,479 --> 01:59:30,239 he's fully pivoted into being a Spurs fan, and I think it's the correct 1780 01:59:30,279 --> 01:59:33,000 call. And if there are any other Bulls bands listening out there, Spurs 1781 01:59:33,039 --> 01:59:36,239 and Thunder where like you need long term viability, it's the Spurs and Thunder. 1782 01:59:36,279 --> 01:59:40,479 Brian and I will be having a spinoff where recover only the Thunder, 1783 01:59:40,560 --> 01:59:43,640 since it seems like localized contents a lot more popular than what we do now 1784 01:59:44,279 --> 01:59:47,680 in terms of podcasting anyway, So look forward to us launching our Thunder podcast 1785 01:59:47,760 --> 01:59:54,239 in the year. We're coming for you, the uncontested and okay see topic 1786 01:59:54,640 --> 01:59:58,319 thunder whatever they're called, and there's other what's the one at the Athletic We're 1787 01:59:58,319 --> 02:00:01,079 coming for all you. No one claimed thunder Buddies yet, we need to 1788 02:00:01,199 --> 02:00:05,760 just claim it before we're the thunder buddies. I already have the LLC set 1789 02:00:05,800 --> 02:00:08,840 up. Good, We're good, perfect, good, good good, all 1790 02:00:08,920 --> 02:00:11,319 right, Well, thank you dad. It's always fun chopping it up with 1791 02:00:11,399 --> 02:00:14,239 you, and we will we will definitely catch up soon because Yeah, I 1792 02:00:14,760 --> 02:00:18,439 absolutely want to debate this three star, two star of three max stuff at 1793 02:00:18,479 --> 02:00:23,119 some point because I think it's Honestly, I think that is the biggest conversation 1794 02:00:23,319 --> 02:00:26,840 that needs to be had across the NBA this offseason. It seems like fans 1795 02:00:26,880 --> 02:00:30,319 are starting to catch on, but I think it's it's gonna be that is 1796 02:00:30,399 --> 02:00:32,199 the dividing line moving forward, and we're going to start to see it this 1797 02:00:32,279 --> 02:00:34,560 summer. Yes, we have to do that. Thank you for having me. 1798 02:00:34,720 --> 02:00:40,119 This was fun and slash, thank you for that's good