1 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,679 What is up, fellow thermonuclear A Effers. I am Dampa Valley coming at 2 00:00:20,719 --> 00:00:24,760 you with another NBA team. Look ahead. We are onto the New Orleans 3 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:29,079 Pelicans, which means I had to bring on Schmidt. Duah. He does 4 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,439 pells content for boot Crew Media. He's a lead writer at Bourbon Street Shots. 5 00:00:34,039 --> 00:00:37,359 He's a contributor to w D s U. He's a mode at NBA 6 00:00:37,399 --> 00:00:40,359 Reddit, and he's also the co host of the In the No Pod with 7 00:00:40,399 --> 00:00:43,039 Mason Ginsburgh. I love that podcast, by the way. Follow them at 8 00:00:43,039 --> 00:00:46,799 In the No Pod spelled exactly as it sounds. Follow him on Twitter at 9 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,320 Fear the Brown spelled exactly as it sounds. He does a lot. He's 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,399 been on the podcast before. I spoken with him before. He does a 11 00:00:53,399 --> 00:00:56,439 great job covering the pells and the league at large. I'm excited to pick 12 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,320 his brain. But Shmidt, the first question that I have to ask, 13 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:03,520 and it's the most import how the heck are you doing? I'm doing great, 14 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,920 Dan, I've been looking forward to this and it's always a pleasure to 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,840 join your show. And Pelicans basketball is back, so I can't be happier. 16 00:01:11,519 --> 00:01:14,760 Yeah, And as our listeners know, I'm like obnoxiously high on the 17 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,519 Pelicans this year. It's it's probably almost foreboding and how high I am on 18 00:01:18,599 --> 00:01:22,840 them where I should probably be lower just so that something doesn't go wrong karmically 19 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,640 there. But to really start, I think it's with just Zion. Is 20 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,680 there a sense of just like this exasperated relief that the extension is done. 21 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,760 He looks healthy, looks to be an incredible shape. And I think my 22 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:38,560 actual question though, is do we expect like a slower ramp up for him 23 00:01:38,599 --> 00:01:42,040 to start the regular season or is he just going to be full go from 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,599 day one? Yeah, so, I think to answer your first question, 25 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:51,159 there definitely is a sense of relief around the organization and the fan base that 26 00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:55,519 hey, like all of this, I guess turbulent stuff in the past is 27 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,200 in the past. He's signed for the next five years. There is no 28 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,319 player option in. He looks fantastic, he played his first game. You 29 00:02:02,319 --> 00:02:06,879 know, things are back on track. Everyone's saying the right things, doing 30 00:02:06,879 --> 00:02:10,199 the right things, and there's just a lot of excitement around the team. 31 00:02:10,439 --> 00:02:15,000 And and that's that's from all fats, that's like from from the city, 32 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,039 from the front office too, for the coaching staff, the players themselves, 33 00:02:17,039 --> 00:02:22,639 so it's always a good good time when when when that's going on, and 34 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:24,800 and yeah, like as far as a ramp up goes, I think that's 35 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:30,159 fair. I think as with any team, their starters are probably going to 36 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:36,199 play limited minutes in the first few preseason games and as they approached the last 37 00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:38,759 one, maybe it simulates what a regular season game might look like. And 38 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:45,919 I think Zion's no exception to that. So the Pelicans have been very cautionary 39 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,039 with with how they handled injuries with anybody. So last night they played their 40 00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:53,120 first preseason game. They held out Brandon Ingram for tots Ornis, they held 41 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:59,240 out Tray Murphy for footsorenessuh and and these are players who could have played who 42 00:02:59,319 --> 00:03:00,879 if there was a regular season game, but there's you know, it's preseason, 43 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,599 so why I risk it. So the fact that Zion got a regular 44 00:03:05,599 --> 00:03:08,639 slate of minutes that all starters got, not more, not less, bodes 45 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:13,719 well in my opinion that hey, like this guy is restriction free at the 46 00:03:13,759 --> 00:03:17,120 moment. And you know, there there hasn't been any talks of them holding 47 00:03:17,199 --> 00:03:21,000 him out of like back to backs or anything like that, So yeah, 48 00:03:21,039 --> 00:03:23,039 I expect him to ramp up as the preseason progresses. Just this is all 49 00:03:23,039 --> 00:03:25,800 starters do, but not in a way that's unique or special to him. 50 00:03:25,879 --> 00:03:30,879 Just hey, he's restriction freeze, gonna go go with the team as they 51 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:35,919 go one. And it's clear that the Warriors have poisoned my vernacular with ramp 52 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,560 up when they kept using it with James Wiseman. It's like tattooed into my 53 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:40,080 brain. That's why I always say now and maybe it's also because I haven't 54 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:44,520 seen Zion playing forever, but he just seemed like he was smiling the whole 55 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,120 time, and that was the I don't watch too much preseason because I don't 56 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,039 want to let it like impact too much. I don't want to overreact to 57 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,439 preseason, but I will it'll happen. So I watched most of that game. 58 00:03:52,439 --> 00:03:53,800 He seems like he was smiling the whole time he was on the court, 59 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,680 and it was just infectious and super cool to see, especially because I 60 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,240 got exhausted by the way that the Zion stuff was being covered. And that's 61 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,599 almost the biggest relief for me from the extensions. Like I don't really want 62 00:04:04,639 --> 00:04:10,080 to hear about the SGA or the Zion speculation. I do love transactions, 63 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,879 but like that stuff really fatigues me. And so that's why I was just 64 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:15,800 especially when there was no player option, it was just done super quickly. 65 00:04:16,439 --> 00:04:19,079 That's why for me the way I covered the league, I was just very 66 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,639 excited that that like sort of stage of speculation passed at least for now. 67 00:04:25,639 --> 00:04:28,480 Yeah, I mean, I think I think you're You're absolutely right. There's 68 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,160 only a bit of speculation that remains is what is he actually gonna do on 69 00:04:31,199 --> 00:04:35,160 the court? Right? And to see him out there having fun, I 70 00:04:35,199 --> 00:04:39,639 think it's huge because he's gone on record and talked about how difficult of a 71 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,959 time he had during his rehab and in how difficult it was for him to 72 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,120 be away from the team. And you know, for for any player, 73 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,079 much less a twenty one year old, Uh, that's got to be a 74 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,000 struggle to be away from the game. You love, the your teammates, 75 00:04:51,439 --> 00:04:56,519 all of that, and not only that, but face constant criticism in the 76 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,399 media and to everyone commenting on your weight, your appearance, and every time 77 00:05:00,439 --> 00:05:03,079 you step out in the public setting, like you know, someone snapping a 78 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,839 picture of you trying to analyze like what's happened in your body. So that's 79 00:05:06,879 --> 00:05:12,759 that's got to be an unreasonable amount of stress on on such a young person. 80 00:05:13,319 --> 00:05:15,759 And to see him back on the court, uh, free of those 81 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,680 stresses, you know, or I guess I assume those stresses are a lot 82 00:05:19,759 --> 00:05:23,839 less than they were in the past, and free of those pressures, just 83 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,720 playing basketball being himself. Like I think when he when he dunked it, 84 00:05:28,879 --> 00:05:30,680 like he had a huge grind, like, hey, like I'm back, 85 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:31,879 like I can do this, Like this is what I love. Aline. 86 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,040 He was just smiling me. It's like he's having fun. And I think 87 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,680 that's all you can really ask for, is like, hey, like this 88 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:44,240 guy is an amazing basketball player, but you wish him well as a human. 89 00:05:44,319 --> 00:05:46,879 So you know, if he's having fun, that's that's fantastic. So 90 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:51,319 Zion the basketball player, what are you looking specifically to see from him in 91 00:05:51,439 --> 00:05:58,000 year four aside from just better availability at this point? Yeah, so you 92 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,480 know, I'm not picky. So if he weren't able to replicate any of 93 00:06:00,519 --> 00:06:06,000 his offensive success he had, uh prior to last season, I'd be ecstatic. 94 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:11,040 You know, someone who was point Zion averaging twenty seven points a game 95 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,560 on sixty percent shooting. That's fantastic. He was probably like him, sorry 96 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,959 to reject, like maybe like five to ten more appearances away from just being 97 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,199 All NBA that year, right, because it's yeah, yeah, I mean 98 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,800 it came down to like him and like Julius Randall, I think and and 99 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:28,439 the Knicks did. Really we will not speak. We will not speak about 100 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,480 this. Knicks fans will be in I mentions, you're not setting me up 101 00:06:30,519 --> 00:06:33,399 for this thing. Yeah, it's a snapshot of one season, but you 102 00:06:33,399 --> 00:06:38,160 would like to think there's some level of like sustainability in there where it doesn't 103 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,639 look like this huge outlier. But please carry on. I didn't mean to 104 00:06:40,639 --> 00:06:46,439 do that, but you know, I you know, I'd be happy if 105 00:06:46,439 --> 00:06:47,879 he weren't able to do that. However, I don't think that's the bar 106 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:53,319 he's setting for himself, right and uh, certainly he wants to be a 107 00:06:53,319 --> 00:06:56,519 better player than he was in the past, and with the sort of condition 108 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,879 that he's in the way he's moving right now at leaston limited the limited view 109 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,720 we had of him in the last game, it seems like there's a lot 110 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,639 more effort he's willing to put forth on defensive end. He had a chase 111 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,439 down block, he had another like help rotation block. He had a couple 112 00:07:11,439 --> 00:07:15,199 of steals and deflections all in like thirteen minutes, which is like the most 113 00:07:15,199 --> 00:07:19,199 amount of defensive activity I've perhaps ever seen him put forth on the NBA court, 114 00:07:19,519 --> 00:07:24,439 which is again part of the reason why why he was like a no 115 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,879 brainer number one pick was he was a monster on defense at Duke and someone 116 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,639 who could just cover large areas of the court, protect the rim, play 117 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,879 small ball five if he had to, and and that Zion has not appeared 118 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:40,399 yet in the NBA, and I'm hoping it trends towards that direction this season, 119 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:44,360 and Willie Green contributes to some of that buying. But offensively, I 120 00:07:44,399 --> 00:07:47,240 would the thing I guess I'm looking for is some counters. I think he 121 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:53,560 is one of the most like singular unstoppable forces and in terms of getting to 122 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,800 the paint, but I would love if he added another like layer to that. 123 00:07:57,879 --> 00:08:01,000 So like what I think is like a stop and pop flow maybe like 124 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,959 a yeah, like like an eight to like twelve foot shot some somewhere between, 125 00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:09,959 like somewhere in the paint, still taking shots in the paint, but 126 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,360 like not necessarily at the rim. And you know, like I guess you 127 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,600 can get a little bit out of the paint, but something that where he 128 00:08:16,639 --> 00:08:20,000 doesn't have to go all the way to the rim, and when teams give 129 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:22,160 him that space, he can just like rise up and drop something in because 130 00:08:22,199 --> 00:08:24,959 I think he has a touch. He went five or five in the free 131 00:08:24,959 --> 00:08:28,759 throw line last night. Fred Vincent's and putting him work. Every practice I'd 132 00:08:28,759 --> 00:08:31,399 go to they're off in the corner and they're working. Those two are working 133 00:08:31,559 --> 00:08:35,360 on his free throw. So it'd be great if he's you know, like 134 00:08:35,399 --> 00:08:39,360 a seventy five percent plus or an eighty percent free throw shoot or this year, 135 00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:41,399 that'd be fantastic. But I think he can do it. I don't 136 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:43,919 think he needs a three ball. I think he just needs a little like 137 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,000 some some mid range stuff and not like you know, like a heasy pull 138 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,320 up Jimbo. Like he just needs like some float or some somewhere where he 139 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,919 doesn't have to go all the way to the rim. Something that's like a 140 00:08:54,039 --> 00:08:58,559 drop coverage killer, and just you know, a lot of people give him 141 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,360 space and he's very good at eating it up because he's so sudden and forceful. 142 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,399 He's just going to get to the rim. He doesn't needed a counter, 143 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:07,679 but in case he needs one, that floater would be nice. Yeah, 144 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,559 it would make him his downhill. Saul's just like a lot more unpredictable, 145 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,759 and so yeah, that would be absolutely terrifying to witness. How do 146 00:09:15,799 --> 00:09:20,600 you I think some people have spun the zion CJ McCollum brandon Ingram fit as 147 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:26,240 something that could not mesh that well, I don't. I guess something could 148 00:09:26,279 --> 00:09:28,840 always fail, but I just can't bring myself to care about it. You 149 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:30,919 would ask the great I think it was you. That's the great question of 150 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,360 brand Ingram about his focus on off ball shooting and how he improved that as 151 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,600 the year went on last year. And I just look at CJ playing off 152 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,759 Dame his entire career, how that shooting kind of naturally translates to maybe spending 153 00:09:41,759 --> 00:09:45,200 more time away from the ball. This just feels like, yeah, there 154 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,639 might need to be a grace period, but this feels like the dynamic should 155 00:09:48,759 --> 00:09:52,759 should not just work but thrive. Yeah. I don't think CJ is going 156 00:09:52,799 --> 00:09:54,720 to be an issue. I mean, that man has played on and off 157 00:09:54,759 --> 00:09:58,799 the ball with Dame his whole career. He knows where his skill set is. 158 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,639 He can he can move off screens extremely well. It can put the 159 00:10:01,639 --> 00:10:05,159 ball on the floor if he needs to. He's a vet. He he 160 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:11,120 will fit in and with Brandon Ingram. Uh. Something that's really underappreciated about 161 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,759 Brandon Ingram is that he's been tasked with different roles since he's gotten to the 162 00:10:15,799 --> 00:10:18,399 Pelicans. So initially he was supposed to fit in with Zion, was going 163 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:24,440 to be Zion's team. Zion got hurt, Brandon Ingram took took the team 164 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,600 basically like upon his shoulders, his very skinny, slender shoulders and with Drew 165 00:10:28,639 --> 00:10:31,519 Holiday and he made his first All Star appearance as kind of being a focal 166 00:10:31,519 --> 00:10:35,919 point of the offenses first year. The second year, Zion played a lot 167 00:10:35,919 --> 00:10:37,000 more games. He had to play more off ball. He to like really 168 00:10:37,039 --> 00:10:41,360 focus on the catch and shoot was a you know, he put up I 169 00:10:41,399 --> 00:10:45,200 think I want to say six or seven three is a game, And you 170 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:46,320 know, he shot like right under forty percent. It was. It was 171 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:52,279 a pretty solid percentage. And he replicated essentially the same stats he had the 172 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,440 previous year, but being more of an off ball player than the on ball 173 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:00,679 player. And then again, Zion's out the next year and and Ingram is 174 00:11:00,879 --> 00:11:03,120 leaned fully into it, being an on ball player and the primary creator of 175 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,960 the team most of the time organizing an orchestrating the offense by himself playing downhill. 176 00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:13,600 His his three point volume dipped in percentage dipped that season this previous season 177 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,519 because he was mostly playing in the paint and just trying to get to the 178 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:22,759 rim. And he's adapted every single time he's come he's been asked to. 179 00:11:22,919 --> 00:11:26,399 And I think adding Zion back is going to force another adaptation, because I 180 00:11:26,399 --> 00:11:31,279 think Brandon Ingham did take a leap last year as a playmaker, someone who 181 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,759 was able to read the help and read offenses a beat quicker than he has 182 00:11:33,759 --> 00:11:37,679 been able to win the past, and so adding Zion to that is going 183 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,120 to force him to get back a little more to his off ball ways. 184 00:11:41,159 --> 00:11:45,240 But I think he's just such a talented basketball player that it's not going to 185 00:11:45,279 --> 00:11:48,240 be an issue. And when you have the spacing and shooting the CJ provides 186 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:54,320 and the offensive attention that Jonas himself draws, like, I think Brandon's going 187 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,240 to have a lot easier time attacking defenses because they're not going to be able 188 00:11:58,279 --> 00:12:01,440 to load up on him him singularly like like prior to the C. J. 189 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,559 McCullum trade, lineups they were putting. The starting lineup was Devonte Graham, 190 00:12:05,639 --> 00:12:09,960 Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, and Jonas Valanciunas, and 191 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,080 surprisingly, you know, it was one of the best lineups in terms of 192 00:12:13,159 --> 00:12:16,639 neck rating. But when you when you look at that lineup, like shot 193 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,200 creation is only happening through Brandon Makom, Like that is the only place you're 194 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,399 getting shot creation. Like Demonte Graham, He's not gonna get to the rim, 195 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,399 He's gonna put up a lot of threes, but Josh's not doing anything 196 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,440 once he gets there. Anyway, Yeah, Josh Hart blesses, you know, 197 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:35,039 bless him in his hustle. But like that that that man is a 198 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,200 transition player, an open court player, like he'll grab a rebound and take 199 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,360 it coast to coast, But asking him to create in the half court is 200 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:45,440 is dicey proposition at best. And he's a streaky shooter. Herb Jones was 201 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,480 a rookie and then Yonis. Yonis was a champ. You know, they 202 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,399 have to do a lot and that that he carried them, you know, 203 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,399 the early portion of the season. And I'm I am excited for him to 204 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,360 get a little bit of a break this season. If everyone's healthy, he 205 00:12:58,399 --> 00:13:03,080 won't have to have quite the offensive Josh Hart First Team all shoots worse from 206 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,840 three than you actually think that he does. Right, do you think brandon 207 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,960 Ingram then, of the these three like stars, has to make the biggest 208 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,960 like adaptation to his game of them. And also you mentioned him having to 209 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,440 do in the past, he'd do with the Lakers too, like he's playing 210 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,399 with Kuzman and Lonzmo and then then Lebron's there, and then he's traded the 211 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,360 Pelicans. Like his career has had like like I don't know, like five 212 00:13:24,399 --> 00:13:26,759 different parts to it already, which is and then you look at some of 213 00:13:26,799 --> 00:13:30,399 the injuries that stalled out his previous seasons even before he got to New Orleans. 214 00:13:31,279 --> 00:13:33,480 So I have confidence in him to be someone who can toggle between now 215 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,879 after watching the past few years, that primary creator and more of an off 216 00:13:37,919 --> 00:13:39,279 ball player. But do you think that he's the one of these three that 217 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:43,279 probably has to make the biggest adjustments when they're at full strength and playing together. 218 00:13:43,799 --> 00:13:48,080 Yeah, I mean, I think historically he's always been the player that 219 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,600 takes the longest to sort of come around and find his footing in when being 220 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,679 introduced to higher usage players. But I just think that, hey, he's 221 00:13:56,759 --> 00:14:00,480 grown so much and be the offensive talent this team is is so high now 222 00:14:00,519 --> 00:14:03,679 that it's not going to be that big of an adjustment. And I think 223 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:07,200 with Willie green system that prioritizes just a lot of off ball movement in general, 224 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,360 Like you know, players are coming off of screens to get the ball 225 00:14:11,399 --> 00:14:16,639 attacking downhill in motion rather than you know, going off a standstill. Is 226 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,639 going to really like help him because they Willie Green preaches point five basketball, 227 00:14:20,639 --> 00:14:24,200 which is shoot, pass or dribble, make that decision in point five of 228 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:28,440 a second, which is crazy, Like that's like extremely requires extremely high processing. 229 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,840 But you know, that's that's the kind of style the Warriors, you 230 00:14:31,879 --> 00:14:33,919 know they got. He got that from the Warriors when he was there. 231 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,759 He brought up you know, they talked about it with the Suns when when 232 00:14:35,799 --> 00:14:39,600 they were there, and the Sun's half court offense was one of the best. 233 00:14:39,639 --> 00:14:43,159 It's been one of the best the last couple of years. And and 234 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,279 now I think you have a set of players who can make those quick decisions, 235 00:14:46,399 --> 00:14:48,879 like the thing with Zion is he's not a ball stopper. Like everything 236 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:52,159 he does is very quick. If he's going to shoot or attack, like, 237 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,799 it's going to happen very very quickly. He's not going to sit there 238 00:14:56,879 --> 00:15:00,120 size up the defense, let them load up and make a decision. Like 239 00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:03,360 so, I don't think Zion's introduction is going to be as big of a 240 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,840 hurdle as people people think. I do. I do think it will be 241 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:09,600 a hurdle, But like this, Brandon Ingle was playing with Jackson Hayes at 242 00:15:09,639 --> 00:15:13,759 that spot literally like four months ago. Jackson Hayes was that player, and 243 00:15:15,159 --> 00:15:18,759 you're telling me I can upgrade Jackson as the Zion Williamson. Like, I 244 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:22,679 just don't think there's gonna be an issue the CJ extension. The number is, 245 00:15:22,919 --> 00:15:26,039 I think people still get sticker shock age thirty three, age thirty four 246 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,799 CJ with how his game should age. He I think I did the math. 247 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,000 He's ever gonnaccount for more than like twenty two percent of the cap. 248 00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:35,120 That is perfectly fine. They were not under any like pressure obligation though to 249 00:15:35,159 --> 00:15:39,039 do this extension. Now, were you a little bit surprised that the investment 250 00:15:39,039 --> 00:15:41,279 in him and maybe even Nance even though that deal is gonna end up just 251 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,960 that was highway robbery. But Larry Nash's one of my favorite players in the 252 00:15:45,039 --> 00:15:48,320 league. Like, were you surprised though that they sort of reinvested in this 253 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:54,240 core before seeing it in action in full together with Zion? No, because 254 00:15:54,519 --> 00:15:58,000 one, this is never going to be a cap space team with Zion and 255 00:15:58,039 --> 00:16:00,559 Brandon Ingram on the books, they're they're just gonna occupy those two max slots 256 00:16:00,879 --> 00:16:04,480 and they'll never be a cap space team too when they are a cap space 257 00:16:04,559 --> 00:16:08,039 team, which we saw what happened last year. Everybody turns down their money, 258 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,039 like a thirty five year old Kyle Lowry did not want one hundred twenty 259 00:16:11,039 --> 00:16:15,559 million dollars, Chris Paul did not want their money. Tim Hardaway Junior did 260 00:16:15,559 --> 00:16:18,320 not want their money. Everybody turns down their money, right, so cap 261 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,559 space does not matter, so there's there's no leave anymore. It was the 262 00:16:22,559 --> 00:16:25,840 other thing I pointed out on Twitter if maybe if you think in the new 263 00:16:25,879 --> 00:16:29,480 CBA that's going to change or the cap spike invites more of a free agency 264 00:16:29,519 --> 00:16:30,960 bananza, but you just point out no one's taking they one anyway. But 265 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,600 like stars, they extend and get traded like that's just exactly, yeah, 266 00:16:34,919 --> 00:16:38,720 exactly, And so so a place like New Orleans already has a difficult time 267 00:16:38,759 --> 00:16:41,519 attracting that kind of talent. So when you've got talent, when you've got 268 00:16:41,519 --> 00:16:45,360 talent like c J. McCullum, you want to keep them in the building 269 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,919 and then you have enough picks and assets down the line to make trades if 270 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,080 you need to, if you want to get rid of those contracts. It's 271 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:52,519 not going to be that difficult. Like you said, like the percentage he 272 00:16:52,799 --> 00:16:57,600 occupies the the cap isn't isn't astronomical, Like it's not a Russell Westbrook, 273 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:02,159 it's a it's not a John Wall and it's never even gonna hit that monetary 274 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,440 num. I mean, those guys that are forty seven million, even with 275 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,839 with raises and stuff like CJ never gonna see thirty three million. So there's 276 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,599 that too. There's this level of legitimacy that CJ. McCollum is brought to 277 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:17,480 the organization that they were desperately seeking and did not have that kind of leadership, 278 00:17:17,559 --> 00:17:21,759 that vocal outward presence both on the court off the court. They've tried 279 00:17:21,799 --> 00:17:25,519 to replicate that with with with JJ Reddick. That was a failed experiment because 280 00:17:25,519 --> 00:17:27,799 he was like thirty seven years old and got on people's nerves pretty quickly. 281 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:32,720 They try to they try to bring Salmon Gundhi to be a vocal person, 282 00:17:32,759 --> 00:17:37,359 and that was a monstrous failure. Steven Adams same same sort of concept. 283 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:41,799 But like none of these players have the cachet that that CJ. McCullum has, 284 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:47,880 right, they don't carry that that aura of respect that CJ. McCollum, 285 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:48,960 Like when he walks in the room, this is the president of the 286 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:53,559 players Union. You know, he knows he knows the in and out of 287 00:17:53,599 --> 00:17:56,680 the league from like every angle. He knows what it's like to be a 288 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,680 player at a high level. He knows what it's like to come off the 289 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,039 bench, you know his early years, Like he's been there, he's played 290 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:07,400 every role. And so to have that kind of leadership presence someone that they 291 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,720 were willing to pay hundreds, like one hundred plus million dollars to in the 292 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,000 form of Kyle Lowry, in the form of Chris Paul, Like, they 293 00:18:14,079 --> 00:18:17,559 got younger version of that in c J. Mcculluman. You know, like 294 00:18:17,599 --> 00:18:19,640 it's no secret he's not as impactful as those players, but he is younger 295 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:25,160 than them, and by the time his contract like reaches his contract extension reaches 296 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,359 its finality, he's still gonna be younger than when they were willing to offer 297 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,960 Chris Paul and and and Kyle Lowry that money's gonna be thirty four, and 298 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,680 those guys were thirty five, thirty six. Like it's it's not you know, 299 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,160 the age is not that big of a deal. And I think his 300 00:18:37,279 --> 00:18:42,680 game is also one that age is pretty pretty uh pretty well, because he 301 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:47,880 doesn't rely a lot of on athleticism. It's centered primarily around his shop making 302 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:52,000 and shooting and his craft and is his shiftiness and so you know, perhaps 303 00:18:52,039 --> 00:18:56,160 he sees a sharp decline in shooting at some point, you know, across 304 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,839 that bridge when it comes. But I think it won't be difficult to transition 305 00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:04,680 him if his production drops in a significant way to someone that is a six 306 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:11,240 man type player or you know, I guess a Fox starter that that starts 307 00:19:11,279 --> 00:19:14,559 but doesn't close games, Like I don't think that is a difficult thing, 308 00:19:14,599 --> 00:19:18,519 and someone likes CJ willing to do that is also another like, I guess 309 00:19:18,799 --> 00:19:22,640 organizational asset, because you'd be like, dude, this is CJ. McCullum, 310 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,759 he's willing to sacrifice like everyone else should be willing to sacrifice. So 311 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:29,599 I think just if it was, like, you know, if it was 312 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,039 a player who who's a young player and they like knew, like, hey, 313 00:19:33,039 --> 00:19:36,920 like we want more money, we want more shots, we want a 314 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:41,279 bigger role, it'd be one thing. Uh, And you know you have 315 00:19:41,279 --> 00:19:42,599 to invest in talent if you're this kind of market anyway. But with CJ. 316 00:19:42,759 --> 00:19:47,720 McCullum, like he knows who he is, he knows, he knows 317 00:19:47,759 --> 00:19:52,200 what he brings to the table, and I think just this team in particular 318 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:57,000 needing that kind of presence, that kind of voice. I think it was 319 00:19:57,039 --> 00:20:00,519 a really good match for both and I was excited I did that they like 320 00:20:00,559 --> 00:20:04,160 it was the numbers that they got him at. I expected it to be 321 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:08,519 something like two years seventy. I didn't expect it to be a declining number. 322 00:20:08,599 --> 00:20:11,519 And the fact that it wasn't more than two years, I think is 323 00:20:11,759 --> 00:20:15,559 another big win. So I'm not I'm not at all concerned about that, 324 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,440 you know, what it's going to do with the cap space or or anything 325 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,400 like that. I think I think it's gonna be great. My initial reaction 326 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:23,960 was the number didn't take me back at all, But I was like, 327 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,880 oh, with two full years left on his deal, it's where this happened 328 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,319 now. But the two points that I hung onto aside from my just I 329 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,559 believe in this team was Zion must really like him, and the way that 330 00:20:33,559 --> 00:20:36,960 stuff blew over after CJ said he hadn't talked his eye on yet because the 331 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,839 way CJ handled it, like that's exactly what this team needs. And then 332 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:42,519 also, as you mentioned, like now you don't have to the extension is 333 00:20:42,599 --> 00:20:45,240 not longer, Like if you would waited till next summer, how far is 334 00:20:45,279 --> 00:20:48,640 that extension going out? Is it going a year later? I was still 335 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:52,000 just a little bit. I guess again, two full years left on his 336 00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:53,440 deal. I wasn't just kind of surprised that it got done. Well, 337 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,319 there's this other thing. And it's not like CJ has been able to like 338 00:20:56,519 --> 00:21:00,440 draw free agents to Portland or anything, but there's this other thing where like 339 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,680 players around the league really respect him. Like this year when the Kevin Durant 340 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:07,759 drama was going on, like New Orleans was considered a suitor. It was 341 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:12,400 in the conversations why because of like the respect they had built over this past 342 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,920 year in terms of success they had in the playoffs and the assets that they 343 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,359 had, and CJ was a big part of like creating that success and him 344 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:23,559 getting on TV being a vocal advocate for this team literally every single chance that 345 00:21:23,599 --> 00:21:30,519 he gets is I don't think that stuff can be understated because there's a lot 346 00:21:30,559 --> 00:21:33,920 of teams that I could tell you would love to have a player of his 347 00:21:33,039 --> 00:21:38,160 caliber on national TV, on podcasts, you know, in the media, 348 00:21:38,279 --> 00:21:41,799 like just putting on the cake for them like the way he does, and 349 00:21:41,559 --> 00:21:45,000 it doesn't have to be one hundred percent genuine. He could go off TV 350 00:21:45,079 --> 00:21:48,920 and like tell his like you know, close friends, like I fucking hate 351 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,079 this place, but it doesn't matter like the like how he really feels doesn't 352 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:56,480 matter because of what he's doing in the public space. And I do think 353 00:21:56,559 --> 00:22:00,839 for the record, like he genuinely wants to be here and enjoys the team 354 00:22:00,839 --> 00:22:03,160 and everything that comes with it. I don't think it's one of those like 355 00:22:03,759 --> 00:22:06,480 I'm just being a good soldier type of things. But he knows the business 356 00:22:06,519 --> 00:22:10,880 like he he knows what he has to do. So is there an actual 357 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,599 battle for the fifth starting spot or is it okay that I have this tattoo 358 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,200 on the back of my neck that says Herb Jones starter twenty two, twenty 359 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,240 three. Oh yeah, yeah that that dude is gonna be safe unless there's 360 00:22:19,279 --> 00:22:23,279 like some catastrophic injury clich which knocked on what you know, no one's no 361 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:27,920 one's open for I don't think you have to worry about Herb Jones losing his 362 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:33,200 starting spot that you know, he made a two threes last night. Hopefully 363 00:22:33,279 --> 00:22:37,720 his shot keeps improving. He was a decent you know. I don't want 364 00:22:37,759 --> 00:22:40,519 to say good, I want to say bad. Uh what it was like 365 00:22:40,559 --> 00:22:44,319 around thirty five thirty six percent? Last year it was between thirty five and 366 00:22:44,319 --> 00:22:47,400 thirty six, which is just like it's not great, but it's it's fine. 367 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,599 If he could maintain that on like five or six attempts a game, 368 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,759 I think that would really help out this team in the half court. Yeah, 369 00:22:52,839 --> 00:22:56,039 it's just I think, you know, seeing seeing a volume bump would 370 00:22:56,079 --> 00:23:02,240 be nice on on those threes, just just so defenses are honest. And 371 00:23:02,279 --> 00:23:07,440 then I think what they see internally is more increased responsibilities on the ball, 372 00:23:07,559 --> 00:23:11,680 just grabbing and going off of rebounds, just initiating offense because if he's on 373 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:15,160 the ball, then someone has to account for him, and then that opens 374 00:23:15,279 --> 00:23:18,240 up lanes and you know, spacing for other players. So yeah, I 375 00:23:18,279 --> 00:23:22,960 think I think he's gonna start, and I'm hoping for a big year from 376 00:23:22,039 --> 00:23:26,640 him. He was better too on drives and going down hill in general last 377 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,319 year than I even remember, and so like that's big, especially if they're 378 00:23:30,279 --> 00:23:33,359 gonna have lineups out there that have more space, whether it's getting out in 379 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,480 transition or in the half court. If he's just able to pump out of 380 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,079 a three and drive, like maybe he can learn that from Jonis at this 381 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:42,720 point, so he I don't and he can't get better on defense at this 382 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,400 point. Like what does a better version of Herb Jones on defense even? 383 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:51,359 Look like? It looks like pain for a lot of people in the league. 384 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,599 It looks like people coming into New Orleans and be like, ah, 385 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,119 fuck, you gotta go get herv Jones. I mean they've got already be 386 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,480 happy already do It's like okay, okay, Herb's going on the bench. 387 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,960 Who's up there? Oh god it Tose? Oh yeah, some of the 388 00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:11,160 lineups on this team are gonna wreck lives. But Trey Murphy I'm fascinated by 389 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:12,880 him. He was so good to close the year and then he really had 390 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,640 some big time playoff moments for them. What are you looking to see from 391 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,599 him in year two? And is this someone who's going to play like a 392 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,839 prominent role off the bench for them this year. I'm a huge Tray Murphy 393 00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:27,839 fan. I have been from the draft and that's that's my guy. Like 394 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:33,400 the trade trades is awesome, and I I think this is an unpopular opinion, 395 00:24:33,519 --> 00:24:40,279 but like, I think it's not long until Tray surpasses Herb as as 396 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:45,319 someone who you really have to consider starting and just like in overall skill set 397 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,599 and just impact, because one, I think he's going to be one of 398 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:56,640 the league's like ten best shooters. Two, being six nine six ten and 399 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:02,519 being able to defend multiple positions and play multiple positions offensively allows them to plug 400 00:25:02,599 --> 00:25:04,559 him in anywhere, And so I think this is a big year for him 401 00:25:04,559 --> 00:25:10,200 to sort of showcase those skills, especially with Zion drawing all the attention that 402 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:11,880 he draws. Like when you when you think about how do we build a 403 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:17,359 team around Zion, Well, a six nine elite shooter that can play defense 404 00:25:17,519 --> 00:25:22,079 is kind of the exact player you need and and so you know, it 405 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,400 was unfortunate he didn't get to play the last game here because of some foot 406 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,599 soreness. And you know, like I said, the Pelicans are pretty cautionary 407 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,920 with with how they handle this stuff. And I hope, you know, 408 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,559 I hope that doesn't like bother him in the future. But this what I 409 00:25:37,559 --> 00:25:41,359 would like to see from him is uh a uh now that he's going to 410 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,279 be on opposing scattering reports and it's probably gonna chase him off the line, 411 00:25:45,839 --> 00:25:48,400 off the three point line. What what what do you have? What can 412 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,319 you do when they when they chase you off that line? Are you going 413 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:56,359 to be someone who become someone who doesn't really impact the game, or are 414 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,720 you going to be someone who can like put the ball on the floor and 415 00:25:59,799 --> 00:26:02,839 just like dunk it on someone because he doesn't need many dribbles, he needs 416 00:26:02,839 --> 00:26:04,720 like one, maybe two dribbles to get to the rim. Is he gonna 417 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:08,279 be able to make decisions off of closeouts that kind of stuff? And I 418 00:26:08,319 --> 00:26:11,400 think I would love to see more added like on ball responsibility, will see 419 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:17,400 you know where the Pelicans go in that developmental direction. But I think the 420 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:19,400 biggest thing is like when you have guys like Duncan Robinson, Like, yeah, 421 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,640 in the regular season, they'll get their shots off, right, being 422 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,319 a movement shooter or being elite shooters, Yeah, they'll get their shots off. 423 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:29,119 But in the playoffs, when they lock you down and you're not getting 424 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:32,079 your shots off, what else do you do? And I'm really excited to 425 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,160 trip for Trade to showcase his skills in that area because I really do think 426 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:40,519 a like he has enough on ball equity to like to do some dangerou stuff 427 00:26:40,519 --> 00:26:44,319 downhill with his athleticism. Be I think you can use him as a traditional 428 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:47,119 big name, like I think, like what I mean by that is like 429 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,279 I think you can do a pick and roll with him and use him as 430 00:26:49,279 --> 00:26:52,559 a roller and he will be a lot there. I mean, he's six 431 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,039 ten, he's the same size as John Collins, and he has a least 432 00:26:56,519 --> 00:26:59,240 guy on that as the ball handler. Let's that's what I'm saying. And 433 00:26:59,279 --> 00:27:02,440 then then with Trade, Okay, you have Trade setting the screen and you 434 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,400 don't want to use him as a role use him as a popper, like 435 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,720 like he can pick and pop is like easy, easy basketball, basic basketball, 436 00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:11,599 and you do that with him in Zion they're either gonna have to switch, 437 00:27:12,039 --> 00:27:15,240 which like I guess they're like size and so like maybe the switch doesn't 438 00:27:15,279 --> 00:27:18,480 matter, but like Zion's gonna punish any switch. And you know, if 439 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,799 you're either gonna be too too slow for him or too small for him or 440 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:26,440 both. And if you have trade drawing all this attention off, like you 441 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,079 clear out one side of the court and you just run like a basic like 442 00:27:29,079 --> 00:27:32,319 two man game with them, like you have to respect trade shooting. And 443 00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:37,839 I'm just excited for for for those kind of like small games to develop between 444 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,640 him and the other stars. Yeah, I am curious to see how his 445 00:27:41,759 --> 00:27:45,359 offensive development comes along, because I almost wonder if there's sometimes a danger of 446 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,839 like younger players that have more skills to plumb when they're already on teams that 447 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,319 are so entrenched and you have this hierarchy of Zion and CJ and Brandon Ingram 448 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,680 and Javante Graham is gonna factor in the full of view of Jannis that they're 449 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:59,079 not going to be is inclined to like just explore the depths of his offense. 450 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:00,319 But I think it there, like you said, there was even it 451 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,160 might have been like the only step back jumper he hit all of last year, 452 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,079 but it was the game I was watching. I'm just like, this 453 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,240 guy looks just so fluid doing all sorts of different things. I'm with you. 454 00:28:10,279 --> 00:28:14,000 I think he's going to be really ridiculously good. And this probably isn't 455 00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:17,160 a hot take, but he feels like their best non Big three or Big 456 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,680 four player long term, just by looking at the skeleton of his game, 457 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,559 what we saw again specifically the second half of last year and then some of 458 00:28:22,559 --> 00:28:26,359 those playoff moments. I'm a big believer. I think it's all there. 459 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:32,160 It's just a matter of time. Dyson Daniels any sense of whether he's gonna 460 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,279 get a shot to crack the rotation regularly as a rookie, and like, 461 00:28:34,319 --> 00:28:37,039 what does he need to do? Is it just about Oh, the offensive 462 00:28:37,039 --> 00:28:41,240 fit isn't complicated with him on the floor, because you build lineups in your 463 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,559 head where it's like, oh, if we put Herb and Jose and Dyson 464 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,119 Daniels on the court at the same time, does anyone ever score ever? 465 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:53,319 Again? Including the Pelicans. I you know, everything I heard throughout the 466 00:28:53,359 --> 00:29:00,000 summer and through training camp was like, Dyson looks really good and he's probably 467 00:29:00,079 --> 00:29:04,200 Lea gonna get minutes sooner than people think. Willie Green is a big fan 468 00:29:04,279 --> 00:29:10,480 of players who played defense, and Dyson is already looking like he's going to 469 00:29:10,519 --> 00:29:15,240 be one of the most problematic defenders for opposing players, uh for quite some 470 00:29:15,279 --> 00:29:19,680 time. Last night he was matched up against Zak Lavigne and he was sliding 471 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:25,640 his feet so effortlessly, and and not only that, like his help rotations, 472 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:26,880 like he seemed to be aware of like, Okay, this is my 473 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,039 where I need to rotate. He got like a one to help block on 474 00:29:30,119 --> 00:29:33,039 Vussovic, which is pretty like pretty impressive. And I know he's big, 475 00:29:33,039 --> 00:29:36,400 like you know, six seven sixty eight, but like just as a rookie 476 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,119 to like like recognize, okay, this is the action that's happening, diagnosed 477 00:29:40,119 --> 00:29:42,240 it, and then like realize, I this is my rotation. I'm gonna 478 00:29:42,279 --> 00:29:48,480 come come here and block the shot. It's it's it's you love to see 479 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:49,559 it, you know. He led the team in deflections last night. He 480 00:29:49,599 --> 00:29:52,720 had three steals, two blocks, Like it's just stuffed stuff, you know, 481 00:29:52,759 --> 00:29:56,880 and he rebounds the ball, so he does all that stuff. The 482 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,640 question mark with him is like how is his offensive game gonna progress? And 483 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,440 I think from a playmaking standpoint, like it's it's there. He's clearly sees 484 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:07,200 the floor well and the more opportunities he has to play with talented offensive players 485 00:30:07,319 --> 00:30:11,039 like that area is really going to shine. But I think is his finishing 486 00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:15,200 at the rim is going to be a question mark early and then his shooting 487 00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:17,880 is probably gonna be hit or miss. But he's another one of those Fred 488 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,559 Vincent projects. And we'll we'll we'll see. Uh, we're just gonna assume 489 00:30:21,559 --> 00:30:23,119 he gets a thirty eight percent at some point because Fred Vincent is there. 490 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,480 That's where that's I have a husband jang pencil then for that eventually in no 491 00:30:27,559 --> 00:30:32,079 casey with Jeff Anglin. Now with the thunder that I'm that's the level of 492 00:30:32,359 --> 00:30:33,799 like you have those guys, that's just what you assume him at this point. 493 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,720 Yeah, I mean, that's certainly the bet the Pelicans made right there, 494 00:30:37,759 --> 00:30:41,000 Like this guy can do literally everything else. We just got teaching to 495 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,640 shoot? Oh who do we have? We have Fred Vincent who teaches people 496 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:48,160 how to shoot. And so that's that's the bet they're making, and we'll 497 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,279 see how long it takes before he's a consistent shoot or if he's a consistent 498 00:30:52,319 --> 00:30:55,839 shooter. I'm watching him in practice, and it certainly seems like they have 499 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,680 him on that Lonzo Ball progression of like like changing his mechanics, like working 500 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:03,559 on his at least point working on this is release speed and simplifying things. 501 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,680 And his release looks great, man, Like, I think the only thing 502 00:31:06,799 --> 00:31:07,559 is like, maybe it needs to be a little bit faster, but it 503 00:31:07,559 --> 00:31:11,480 looks. It looks smooth. He doesn't hesitate like off the catch and shoot. 504 00:31:12,559 --> 00:31:15,440 It might be one of those things where it's only a matter of time 505 00:31:15,519 --> 00:31:18,480 for him. But as far as him cracking the rotation, the Pelicans are 506 00:31:18,519 --> 00:31:22,079 so deep right now in terms of and I don't want to say like they 507 00:31:22,079 --> 00:31:25,559 have like, you know, like a ton of talent, but they have 508 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:29,880 enough players that like deserve NBA minutes and not one of them though, I 509 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,000 just like Temple is not one of them. And he was leading the Pelicans 510 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:37,480 and minutes played last night for like three fourths of the game. I didn't 511 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:41,319 even realize that. My god, oh my god. Yeah, well, 512 00:31:41,319 --> 00:31:44,359 I mean part of it was like Trade didn't play, Brandon didn't play, 513 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,559 and Herb didn't play after this in the first half because he got like hitting 514 00:31:47,559 --> 00:31:52,400 the rip or something. But obvious he won't get it during the regular season. 515 00:31:52,799 --> 00:31:56,119 I hope so. But Willen Green is definitely one of those coaches who 516 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,559 makes their rookies like Earn earned their minutes, like you're not he did anything 517 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:06,200 just because of who you are or where you drafted. And I think also 518 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,079 like internally, like the Pelicans wouldn't mind, you know, if if Devonte 519 00:32:09,119 --> 00:32:13,839 Graham had a bounce back season, if Jackson Hayes continues to be better, 520 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,680 because that's better for them a like on the court, be like for trade 521 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:21,480 purposes. So I think the bench as it is right now, it's probably 522 00:32:21,559 --> 00:32:27,200 Jose DeVante, Trey Jackson, and Larry Dance, like those are your first 523 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,079 five off the bench in some capacity, and I'm sure they're going to stagger 524 00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:35,200 units and stagger lineup, so some of those players might be squeezed. And 525 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:38,119 I'm specifically looking at Jackson. I think Jackson is probably gonna get squeezed a 526 00:32:38,119 --> 00:32:40,799 little bit because this is Zion is going to take some of those bench minutes 527 00:32:40,839 --> 00:32:45,119 and you know you was gotta give you on thiss minutes, and I think, 528 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:50,200 you know, one of those guards might get squeezed whoever's aving an off 529 00:32:50,279 --> 00:32:54,400 night, whether it's DeVante or Jose and and so I think Dyson does crack 530 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,160 the rotation Eventually. It might take an injury or two to get there, 531 00:32:59,559 --> 00:33:02,039 or might a trade of two to get there. But I think this start 532 00:33:02,119 --> 00:33:07,839 the year they will give their like last year's players, like their returners, 533 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:10,359 a fair shot. The next two question step on the toes of what you 534 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:14,839 just said, you have Larry Jr. Zion, I'm saying you want to 535 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:19,000 vaunc Tunis factor in some like Herb or Trey at the four minutes, Where 536 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,839 does Jackson pays Jackson Hayes excuse me, fit into all this both in the 537 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:29,200 short and long term. Yeah, that is a question he's probably asking himself, 538 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:31,480 he and his agent because he is up for a contract, actually he's 539 00:33:31,559 --> 00:33:35,880 up for an extension and they have until the first day of the regular season 540 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,920 to secure that extension. And obviously if that's not secured, then he will 541 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:45,519 go into restricted free agency this coming summer. And so Jackson Hayes, if 542 00:33:45,559 --> 00:33:49,839 he continues to play the way he did last night, which is to hustle 543 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,880 on the board's hustle and on the open court, just kind of create chaos 544 00:33:54,960 --> 00:34:00,359 be the athletic freak that he is. He deserves minutes and he will get. 545 00:34:00,559 --> 00:34:02,799 He will get minutes because he is just an absurdly efficient player at the 546 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:07,480 rim and as such a huge catch radius. He does things that like my 547 00:34:07,519 --> 00:34:13,039 brain doesn't comprehend sometimes in terms of like what he's capable of athletically. Uh 548 00:34:13,559 --> 00:34:17,079 So that player is useful and and he showed the flash last year ability to 549 00:34:17,119 --> 00:34:21,639 switch out in the perimeter and contain guards and even navigates some screens out there. 550 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:25,639 So I like that version of Jackson. My ideal version of Jackson is 551 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:30,000 like, just let him be like Roshard Lewis or Channing Fry in addition to 552 00:34:30,039 --> 00:34:32,079 all that, just let him jack up like five six threes, get name? 553 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:35,559 Okay? Yeah, Like you know, honestly, if he wants a 554 00:34:35,679 --> 00:34:38,079 role like he's gotta, he's gotta define it somehow. And the way he 555 00:34:38,119 --> 00:34:43,440 does it on this team is to provide shooting. And they say, you 556 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,599 know, they've said for like the last two years, like, oh, 557 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:47,039 his shot looks nice. His shot looks nice. He has great touch, 558 00:34:47,159 --> 00:34:50,719 like he's been working on it, so like let him showcase it, like, 559 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,239 let him let him shoot five or six. If he hits thirty three 560 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,159 percent of those thirty four percent of those people will think he's the next Miles 561 00:34:57,199 --> 00:35:00,719 Turner because that's what Miles Turner shoots, like thirty four percent, and and 562 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:02,760 you know, like that's that's all he needs to do. And if he 563 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:07,000 hits that, but he needs the volume. Like if you shoot like two 564 00:35:07,119 --> 00:35:09,079 or like one every three games, like hitting thirty four percent is like, 565 00:35:09,159 --> 00:35:13,239 yeah, like who cares. But if you shoot five a game and you 566 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,079 hit thirty four percent, you're like, well, some night that guy's gonna 567 00:35:15,159 --> 00:35:21,199 hit three threes or four threes. And and when that happens, like your 568 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,519 your variance just goes up. And when that happens, he will get everything 569 00:35:24,559 --> 00:35:28,719 he wants at the rim, which is what he's good at. I can 570 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,400 confess I did not realize he shot very the volume thirty five point one percent 571 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,000 on threes last year, think it was twenty of fifty seven, That is, 572 00:35:35,679 --> 00:35:37,400 I didn't. I that did not even register with me. Can't even 573 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:40,920 lie and fib there. And I guess that's kind of mission critical to him 574 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:45,880 sticking then though, just because it doesn't seem like they would view him as 575 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,519 a primary big necessarily, and like a lot of the lineups they would build, 576 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,599 you're not going to flesh them out so specifically where you just surround him 577 00:35:52,599 --> 00:35:54,719 with all the shootings so he can rampage his way towards the basket. And 578 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,199 so it feels like if he wants to stick with this team or even not 579 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,199 get sort of squeezed out of the road, that's a shot that needs to 580 00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:04,280 not just come up in vogue, but they probably needs to hit in a 581 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:08,320 semi consistent clip. Yeah, I mean, I think that just bodes well 582 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:10,679 for him in his future in the league period, Like, no matter what 583 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:15,440 team he's on, Yeah, he can be a rolling cutting five, But 584 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,840 I don't think he's ever going to be a plus rebounder. I don't think 585 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:22,440 everybody's going to like be able to defend the behemoths of the league. So 586 00:36:22,559 --> 00:36:25,199 like, do you want to be a rolling cutting five, they'll wheel roll 587 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,119 for you. Like I think there will absolutely be like, you know, 588 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,800 JaVale McGee still in the league and has now earned a starting spot, so 589 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:39,239 like he will you know, I think, sorry, I'm just in there, 590 00:36:39,679 --> 00:36:42,480 you know. So they'll they'll be a you know, a role for 591 00:36:42,559 --> 00:36:45,199 him, and then he can get like really good in that role, and 592 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:47,639 but it depends on his card play too, Like if he has dynamic guards 593 00:36:47,679 --> 00:36:52,920 that enable him to to be like the best version of the pick and roll 594 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:57,960 man, he is, sure, But what will make him from being you 595 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,960 know, like your your I guess, exception level player, whether it's like 596 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:07,639 one of the smaller exceptions to the mid level exception, to being like a 597 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:10,280 fifteen to twenty million dollar player. It's the threes. Like if you if 598 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:15,079 you shoot five threes a game and shoot thirty four percent, you're getting twenty 599 00:37:15,079 --> 00:37:19,440 million next year. Like I don't know, maybe not twenty million, but 600 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,440 you're gonna get a lot more than then. I mean, no, you're 601 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,920 not wrong, And especially with the progress he showed defensively, being able to 602 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:29,480 trust him defensively more in that four role than the five roles. Almost impressive 603 00:37:29,519 --> 00:37:30,840 when you look at just his size and the way that he's built. So 604 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,360 yeah, if he shot, if he takes one hundred and fifty threes this 605 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,599 year and it's been like a thirty four percent cliff, you're abolutely right, 606 00:37:36,639 --> 00:37:39,400 he would get paid to syllable paid. Yeah yeah, yeah, Like he 607 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:43,400 won't get twenty million. But what I like what I like, Mobama didn't 608 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:45,679 get much this year, but he got he got like two years, twenty 609 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:47,880 million, twenty two million, twenty one million, I think, right, 610 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,760 so he got like eleven million years slightly above like mid level money, but 611 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:54,440 just like right around mid level. Like I think if he with Jackson he's 612 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,519 a free agency right now, he wouldn't sniff mid level money. Like I 613 00:37:57,519 --> 00:38:00,960 don't think any team is like coming like, hey, we'll offer you four 614 00:38:00,039 --> 00:38:04,719 years forty five million, like Nolan's doing that right when not when they can 615 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,039 get Andre Drummond and like Dwight Howard to do all the dirty work for like 616 00:38:08,199 --> 00:38:13,639 two and a half million dollars at the league minimum, And so so for 617 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:17,360 Jackson Hayes to like reach like those those dollar amounts even to like get the 618 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:22,400 Maxi Cleber money, Like he's how do you separate yourself outside of being an 619 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,079 athlete? And I think it's it's shooting. You've sort of already answered this, 620 00:38:25,159 --> 00:38:29,119 but I think it's harder, especially because neither one of them is starting. 621 00:38:29,559 --> 00:38:34,199 Is there room for DeVante Graham and Jose Alvarado in the same rotation nightly 622 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:36,760 or like you said before, do you think it's gonna be more matchup dependent 623 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:42,159 or maybe more It might even seem more just contingent upon how is DeVante Graham 624 00:38:42,159 --> 00:38:44,119 playing. Because when you're looking at the way the bench is set up, 625 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:46,280 you can stagger your stars, and you showed his Sapelicans they will. But 626 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,199 he's like more of the traditional come off the bench and if you want someone 627 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:52,239 to create, he would make more sense in that role. But he had 628 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,320 such a down year last season. So is this something that's gonna be a 629 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:59,199 matchup dependent or are they both going to factor into the rotation each night it 630 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,960 just so they don't have a log jam. But just because both of them 631 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,800 are coming off the bench, it's just a little weird to me. Yeah, 632 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,000 I mean, I think they'll probably try to play him together initially. 633 00:39:08,039 --> 00:39:12,079 If it's a disaster, they'll move on. If it's like Willie Green definitely 634 00:39:12,119 --> 00:39:15,119 rides the hot hand a little bit, and so sometimes he can be very 635 00:39:15,199 --> 00:39:20,320 like results oriented, and so if if Jose is just being a particular pest 636 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:23,679 that night, which he always is, maybe Jose, we'll we'll get more 637 00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:27,599 minutes and they'll try someone else. But I think it's gonna be one of 638 00:39:27,599 --> 00:39:30,159 those things where if DeVante's hot. He's like he's playing like as long as 639 00:39:30,159 --> 00:39:32,960 he's hot, they're gonna they're gonna ride that wave and and they'll give him 640 00:39:34,039 --> 00:39:36,639 enough opportunities to fail it. I don't think it's gonna be like like a 641 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:42,000 quick cook with him Willie. Willie has a really good relationship with his vets 642 00:39:42,039 --> 00:39:47,199 to a fault at times. Garrett Temple, Yeah, yeah, parts of 643 00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:53,599 Garrett Devil averging twenty two minutes per game by by mid December. So I 644 00:39:53,639 --> 00:39:57,800 think a lot Kyra Lewis junior exists. So let's make that clear come back 645 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,519 from the ACL injury. Does he like he hasn't been cleared for five on 646 00:40:01,559 --> 00:40:05,119 five yet. I don't think they've talked a lot about his speed. But 647 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:07,559 what is like, how do you even is there even a scenario in which 648 00:40:07,559 --> 00:40:10,880 you can juggle his development with this roster? Now, I guess there's a 649 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,840 lot of G League he could play, And now it doesn't seem like an 650 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:15,880 issue because it's very out of sight, out of mind. But like, 651 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:19,519 this kid was supposed to be good. He's a former lottery pick, he's 652 00:40:19,559 --> 00:40:22,880 super fast with the ball. What are you envision happening with him? Both 653 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:27,039 short term and long term once he is fully healthy. Man, I feel 654 00:40:27,079 --> 00:40:30,119 so bad for Kia. You know, I think he was like really hitting 655 00:40:30,119 --> 00:40:34,679 the stride before he got hurt. He is someone that possessed I don't I 656 00:40:34,679 --> 00:40:36,960 don't know what he looks like post injury, you know, but he is 657 00:40:37,039 --> 00:40:40,159 someone that possesses an outlier traite, which is his speed. You know, 658 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:44,880 his his zero to sixty is is insane, and especially in the full court. 659 00:40:45,039 --> 00:40:50,360 But I think where the league is trending hurts him. The league is 660 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:54,760 trending away from small guards, and he is a small guard and especially small 661 00:40:54,800 --> 00:41:00,239 guards who cannot shoot. And so I think the jury's out on if he 662 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,679 can or can't shoot, because there just isn't the sample size on that with 663 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:08,960 him. But that's going to be something that you know, takes him from 664 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:15,119 being a third string backup to like a solid backup or it's not starter. 665 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:19,159 I think is his is his shooting ability, and so I think he you 666 00:41:19,159 --> 00:41:22,519 know, there is like a world where he turns into like a Dennis Schroeder 667 00:41:22,559 --> 00:41:25,280 type offensive player where his shot isn't there, but he can still be impactful. 668 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,480 But as you can see with Schroeder, there's like a limit to how 669 00:41:29,519 --> 00:41:32,880 far you can go with that archetype of player. And and and I certainly 670 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:37,679 think from like a locker room standpoints and a mental standpoint, he's like in 671 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:42,360 a much better space than than where Schroeder is. And I would argue he's 672 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:45,719 a he has a better court vision too, but just there's a limit to 673 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:51,719 what that archetype can accomplish. And so I think I think for him, 674 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,119 his future really hinges upon on how well he's going to be able to shoot. 675 00:41:54,199 --> 00:41:58,480 And sometimes that doesn't necessarily mean from three. If he can get like 676 00:41:58,519 --> 00:42:00,880 a good mid range too, like that that'll be helpful because I think some 677 00:42:01,119 --> 00:42:06,079 with like with John wall a lot of his best years came when he had 678 00:42:06,079 --> 00:42:09,320 like really good years from the mid range. And and when you have like 679 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:14,320 like I was saying with Zion earlier, when you have this like otherworldly ability 680 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,960 to get to the rim, you just need small stuff that makes it easier 681 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:21,400 for you. You don't need the whole like you don't need a dribble dribble 682 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,719 step back three every single time, like James Harden. You just need small 683 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:29,679 stuff and get good at the small stuff, like Chris Paul at his age, 684 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,960 like part of the reason he's so successful is because he is like the 685 00:42:34,039 --> 00:42:37,800 league's best mid range shooter, and he has been for the last fifteen years. 686 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:40,440 And but he wasn't that when he got into the league. That wasn't 687 00:42:40,519 --> 00:42:44,800 his game, you know, And and he slowly developed it over time. 688 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:49,920 And and I hope, you know, Kira developed some somewhat of either a 689 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:52,159 mid range game or something from three, something off the dribble where you can 690 00:42:52,199 --> 00:42:59,119 consistently get to that opens up his his driving lanes and and you know, 691 00:42:59,199 --> 00:43:00,960 that's that's my hope for him. But yeah, dude, I don't know 692 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:06,800 where they're going to fit him in this season. That's definitely not an open 693 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:09,960 spot at the moment, especially because if they think Dyson's gonna side into some 694 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:13,880 of those guard minutes too. Yeah. I mean, I'll ask you about 695 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:17,840 the ten man rotation a second, but building that is hilaciously difficult. But 696 00:43:19,119 --> 00:43:21,519 so this setup is more for the listeners benefit. And might not know this 697 00:43:21,519 --> 00:43:24,280 because I'm sure you've sided these exact stats, but after the Pelicans are three 698 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:29,199 and sixteen, they end up being fourteenth in points out for possession outside garbage 699 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:31,440 time. They had the best or second best transition defense in the league. 700 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:36,360 At that point, they forced turnovers, dominated the glass. Are they still 701 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:39,960 built to have that defensive identity? And how good can this team when you 702 00:43:40,039 --> 00:43:45,639 look at the sum of its parts, actually be defensively this year? Well, 703 00:43:45,679 --> 00:43:50,280 it can Herb Jones guard everybody? Yes? No, maybe, who 704 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:52,599 knows. On the bright side, when they play Chris Paul Hosley Alvarado was 705 00:43:52,719 --> 00:43:57,440 totally like, he'll be able to handle that. Yeah. I mean, 706 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:01,719 look, I think I'm them a little more optimistic on them defensively than most 707 00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:07,440 people because of two reasons. One, I think they will I think they 708 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:12,239 will capitalize on the low hanging fruit a little bit. So what I mean 709 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:14,920 by that is, I think they will be one of the best defensive rebinding 710 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:17,519 teams in the league. They have been with or without Zion, and I 711 00:44:17,519 --> 00:44:22,599 think it they will be with with Zion as well. So there's step number 712 00:44:22,599 --> 00:44:24,400 one. If you're a good defensive rebuding team, not allowing these second chance 713 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:30,079 points is will will help them on their defensive assions. I think because they're 714 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:35,079 such they're gonna be an offensive rebounding superpower. They were last year, they 715 00:44:35,079 --> 00:44:37,480 were the year before, and again adding Zion to that. Who is the 716 00:44:37,519 --> 00:44:42,840 best owned rebounder in the league, perhaps as the best second jump in the 717 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:45,360 league, Like they are going to be an offensive fourth jump somehow his second 718 00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:52,440 jump, right, So, so I think that they are going to be 719 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:58,960 an offensive rebounding superpower which is going to impact opposing teams transition games. And 720 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:02,960 they were one of the better transition defensive in the league last year. I 721 00:45:04,639 --> 00:45:07,440 totally cannot remember the stat off the top of my head, but I could 722 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:09,440 have sworn they were top ten in transition defense last year at least, you 723 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:14,280 know, past that that date when Herb Jones became a starter, they were 724 00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:16,960 according to Quen the last they were one or two depending on the category he's 725 00:45:17,079 --> 00:45:22,719 after that three and sixteen start, so that exactly comfortably top ten. Yeah. 726 00:45:22,039 --> 00:45:25,039 Yeah, So so they were one of the best transition defensive teams. 727 00:45:25,039 --> 00:45:28,119 And I think a lot of that does have to do with with how but 728 00:45:28,199 --> 00:45:30,960 they are on the offensive class. But a lot of that is is that 729 00:45:30,079 --> 00:45:35,960 like the defensive discipline that Willie Agreements instilled, whatever whatever he said to them, 730 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:37,760 whatever rules he's put in place in terms of who's supposed to leak out 731 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:40,000 and get back, you know, when when the shots above the break or 732 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:43,880 whatever it is, like whatever rules he's put in works for them, and 733 00:45:44,079 --> 00:45:46,960 I don't see that slipping. And the second thing is like, if Zion 734 00:45:47,679 --> 00:45:51,400 is going to give us any semblance of effort that he gave like last night 735 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:55,079 in a preseason game like that alleviates a lot more of my concerns because that 736 00:45:55,159 --> 00:45:59,079 was the thing when Brandon Ingham going into last year. It's like, which 737 00:45:59,079 --> 00:46:02,800 Brandon Ingram. Are we getting the one that the Lakers fans like like loved 738 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,519 and talked about, like this guy, like you know, is someone that's 739 00:46:06,519 --> 00:46:08,559 gonna be like a problem defensively, or we get the one that we got 740 00:46:08,599 --> 00:46:14,280 with the Pelicans, which just was disinterested in playing defense. And it was 741 00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:17,639 similar to what happened to Zion last night. The first preseason game of last 742 00:46:17,679 --> 00:46:21,960 year. Brandon Ingham came out and had like four deflections like right at the 743 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:24,280 gate and like a block or something, and we're like, Oh, he's 744 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:28,679 realizing this guy he's a seven three wings fan. He just has to put 745 00:46:28,679 --> 00:46:31,280 his arms out for the most part, and he's gonna like create problems in 746 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:36,000 the passing lanes. And so I don't think Brandon Ingram was like an elite 747 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:37,480 defender or anything. Last year. But I think he was good enough, 748 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:43,400 like he put in an enough effort to where like him being as big as 749 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:46,719 he is and in the length that he has allowed the Pelicans to be okay 750 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:51,119 defensively, like they didn't hurt while he was on the floor. And I 751 00:46:51,159 --> 00:46:55,239 think if we can get the same kind of effort and with Zion, there's 752 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,760 gonna be less issues because I do think the bench is gonna be a lot 753 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:02,519 better defensively, especially then they started incorporating Larry Trey, even Jackson and Jose, 754 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:05,719 Like you know, once once those guys start playing, like I think 755 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:09,599 the Pelicans bench units are, I hope they're gonna just demolish opposing benches, 756 00:47:09,719 --> 00:47:14,119 like just just like off their defense, Like my goal for them is to 757 00:47:14,159 --> 00:47:16,679 generate a ton of events like steals and blocks and then just play fast in 758 00:47:16,719 --> 00:47:20,679 the open court and try to play the least amount of half court is possible. 759 00:47:20,719 --> 00:47:22,760 And I think they had the person all to do that. Do you 760 00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:25,280 figure see on their offense could skyrocket just because if they're really going to enforce 761 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:30,239 like those take fouls this year, like you're gonna get a lot of opportunities 762 00:47:30,239 --> 00:47:31,559 and free throws with the amount of time they're in transition. And I think 763 00:47:31,599 --> 00:47:34,800 you were one of the people that mentioned this. If you're a team that's 764 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,840 gonna generate steals and the Pelicans were, I think they were seventh last year 765 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,320 and steals per one andred, that's gonna benefit your offense now too, with 766 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:44,119 the way that the officiating is supposed to change, and so there could I 767 00:47:44,159 --> 00:47:45,400 mean, like, now you're adding Tyson Daniels to a team that already had 768 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:50,280 herm groans in there like in brand everywhere, Like that's not fair. Yeah, 769 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:52,800 man, I'm I'm excited for them to hopefully put it all that together. 770 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:59,360 Are there any underrated or under talked about strengths or weaknesses of this team 771 00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:05,480 and during the regular season, that's a good question. I think one thing 772 00:48:05,519 --> 00:48:08,480 that isn't going that doesn't hasn't gotten much attention is this is going to be 773 00:48:08,519 --> 00:48:13,480 a team that lives at the free throw line. Uh and and that's going 774 00:48:13,519 --> 00:48:15,480 to be in large part due to Zion, but it's also going to be 775 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:20,760 in large part due to the fact that they score like ten million points in 776 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:22,599 the paint, like like they just live in the paint. This is not 777 00:48:22,679 --> 00:48:27,239 a team that takes a high volume of threes, though I wish they would 778 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:30,280 at times, especially when they're losing games. That's that's a I wonder if 779 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:36,360 that's the philosophical chains will make this this year is attempt more threes. But 780 00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:38,239 because of the force they play with, they're they're going to be a team 781 00:48:38,280 --> 00:48:42,079 that just lives at the free throw line. And I think we're going to 782 00:48:42,119 --> 00:48:45,280 see a lot of instances where Zion just like puts them in the bonus, 783 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:51,000 like very early, and you have guys like seconds left in the first quarter 784 00:48:51,039 --> 00:48:52,880 and they're just in the book, right, And then you have guys like 785 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:59,760 Jonas and Bi and and and even CJ wh who benefit from that when the 786 00:49:00,159 --> 00:49:05,719 shift comes in. And so I think that was something they were really good 787 00:49:05,719 --> 00:49:09,360 at to like understanding Dundee and it was because of Zion, And I think 788 00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:15,199 that's something that's going to happen again this year. Are there any like specific 789 00:49:15,199 --> 00:49:17,599 weaknesses that are standing out more than most that you're you're watching for as the 790 00:49:17,639 --> 00:49:22,400 season begins. Yeah, I think I think just I touched on a little 791 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:27,119 bit. I think there's still a questionable shooting team at best. They don't 792 00:49:27,199 --> 00:49:32,559 rely on three point shooting, and I think you just need to introduce enough 793 00:49:32,679 --> 00:49:37,840 volume to where when some of these games get out of hand, it becomes 794 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:43,159 a math problem. And you can't win games when the opponent has made eighteen 795 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:49,360 threes and you've made nine and and and that's because you've taken twenty and they've 796 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:52,920 taken forty. And it's like, okay, well nine out of twenty, 797 00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:55,360 it's a great percentage, that's forty five percent. But like you've only made 798 00:49:55,440 --> 00:50:01,519 nine and and and when you're continually at at a deficit from three, it 799 00:50:01,519 --> 00:50:05,320 becomes an uphill battle. I mean, I think they're going to be one 800 00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:09,039 of the most offensively potent teams in terms of points per possession, just because 801 00:50:09,039 --> 00:50:13,480 of their offensive rebinding points in the pay. But there are games where that 802 00:50:13,559 --> 00:50:16,320 require you to take threes, that require to take more threes than you're probably 803 00:50:16,320 --> 00:50:20,599 comfortable with. I would like to see brandon Ingram get back to six or 804 00:50:20,599 --> 00:50:22,800 seven attempts a game. I want to see c J around nine or ten 805 00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:27,920 I do, I mean, especially if he's playing with Zion. I want 806 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:30,800 I want like eight of those to be like catch and shoot, you know, 807 00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:34,159 I would love to see trade like pushing ten attempts. Obviously, he's 808 00:50:34,199 --> 00:50:36,559 coming off the bench. It's probably not gonna get ten, but I would 809 00:50:36,599 --> 00:50:37,760 love that, you know, if trade can get ten attempts, like you 810 00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:43,000 want your best shooters taken that DeVante, I'm fine taking six or seven attempts, 811 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:45,039 like he's gonna be your X factor, Like maybe he gets six bricks, 812 00:50:45,039 --> 00:50:49,360 but there's gonna be some nights where he hits five of those. And 813 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:53,760 so I just want them to embrace the variants that comes with three point shooting, 814 00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:59,280 especially when they need it in some games. And then and then I 815 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:01,559 think again, like you said, it's gonna be a question, I'm curious 816 00:51:01,599 --> 00:51:07,599 to see what happens when teams space them out and start isolating some of their 817 00:51:07,639 --> 00:51:09,840 weaker defenders. I'm curious to see what happens. There isn't a ton of 818 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:14,679 traditional rim protection on this team. A lot of their rim production is predicated 819 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:20,119 on perimeter defense and preventing grim looks, which they didn't do a fantastic job 820 00:51:20,159 --> 00:51:22,599 of last year. I think if you look at their defensive shot profile, 821 00:51:22,679 --> 00:51:28,119 like they were not great when it came to rim and three looks given up. 822 00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:30,760 But they got better obviously as as Herb Jones started, they got better 823 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:34,599 across as the year went on, but they weren't fantastic. And that's an 824 00:51:34,639 --> 00:51:39,079 area where it's like I would like them to prioritize limiting three point looks and 825 00:51:39,159 --> 00:51:43,039 limiting looks at the rim, and I don't care about like if you're giving 826 00:51:43,079 --> 00:51:45,719 up higher percentage looks in order to accomplished that, it's a volume game for 827 00:51:45,800 --> 00:51:49,840 me, and I would like to limit the volume of high percentage looks or 828 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:53,400 efficient looks as possible. Looking at their ten man rotation, it does feel 829 00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:55,920 like they're deep, but it feels like they are just nine locks when you 830 00:51:55,920 --> 00:52:01,960 have CJ Bi Herb Zion, Jonis, Trey Murphy, Jose Alvarado, Devonte 831 00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:06,159 Graham, Larry Nance. So would you agree that all those players are locks? 832 00:52:06,159 --> 00:52:07,760 And then who would you give as of right now if you had to 833 00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:13,679 pick that like tent and final spot too. If I was in charge, 834 00:52:13,679 --> 00:52:16,480 it would go to Dyson, but I'm not in charge, and I suspect 835 00:52:16,519 --> 00:52:22,760 it will go to Jackson Hayes, And I think it's that's Oh my god. 836 00:52:22,159 --> 00:52:27,199 Please know somehow they're gonna dig up like Tony Snell or Gary Clark, 837 00:52:27,239 --> 00:52:30,440 and they're gonna get these minutes where's Trey Murphy. I don't know where here's 838 00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:35,039 Tony Snell. It's like, oh my gosh, but yeah, I think 839 00:52:35,039 --> 00:52:37,480 it's gonna be Jackson Hayes. And and I'm not upset at that by any 840 00:52:37,519 --> 00:52:40,840 means. I think. I think, uh, I think he's earned the 841 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:45,599 opportunity to showcase what he has, and he's earned the opportunity to prove them 842 00:52:45,599 --> 00:52:47,199 wrong, right right, Like given minutes, allow him to fail, and 843 00:52:47,199 --> 00:52:51,599 if he's not good, cool, then you have options. But yeah, 844 00:52:51,920 --> 00:52:53,280 you know, it puts Dyson in an odd situation. He's in love of 845 00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:59,199 man. It puts your old basket MVP Billy Hernan Gomez in in a weird 846 00:52:59,239 --> 00:53:02,079 situation. And that man is efficient. That guy is really effective. Every 847 00:53:02,119 --> 00:53:05,599 time he gets minute, He's like a permanent monster. And it's like, 848 00:53:06,639 --> 00:53:08,159 yeah, I wish, I wish they had the space to give him a 849 00:53:08,199 --> 00:53:10,440 bigger role. I mean, he's a limited player. He is what he 850 00:53:10,559 --> 00:53:15,239 is, but you know, really fun guy. This is to some extent 851 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:16,960 matchup dependent. But I also think it's a fascinating question for this team. 852 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:22,239 What would be your go to crunch time line up here? And if it's 853 00:53:22,280 --> 00:53:23,960 just the starting five, where do you see the biggest potential for them to 854 00:53:24,239 --> 00:53:30,960 futs and fiddle. Man, that's a great question my go to closing lineup. 855 00:53:31,159 --> 00:53:36,599 And this will never happen because it's Willie Green. And I say this 856 00:53:36,679 --> 00:53:38,519 because like I don't want people to like assume I don't like WILLI I love 857 00:53:38,519 --> 00:53:43,000 Willie Green, but I know how he thinks. So they pick this year, 858 00:53:43,039 --> 00:53:45,519 I'm just born. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I think he's 859 00:53:45,559 --> 00:53:47,440 been exactly what this team needed. And I'd like wonder, like what would 860 00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:51,800 have happened if they hired Willie Green like a year before instead of Staymon Gundy, 861 00:53:51,840 --> 00:53:54,960 Like where would this team be? But in any case, this will 862 00:53:55,039 --> 00:54:01,960 never happen. But I my opinion, it should be something like Zion and 863 00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:06,440 Brandon and they're definitely there, herb Jones definitely there. So you have three 864 00:54:06,519 --> 00:54:10,079 locks in my opinion, So the other two fluctuate. I would like it 865 00:54:10,159 --> 00:54:15,320 to be CJ. McCollum and Trey Murphy. Just lean all the way in 866 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:19,559 on offense, Like just just lean all the way in. You're spacing them 867 00:54:19,559 --> 00:54:22,119 out, like the only like like non shooter is Zion. I mean, 868 00:54:22,159 --> 00:54:24,840 I guess hers like a non shooter. But at that point you're space out. 869 00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:29,400 He has enough lanes to attack with. You could use him as a 870 00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:34,280 screener and like teams are gonna be screwed and and yeah, just like lean 871 00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:37,519 lead all the way in and like forced teams to keep up with the offensively. 872 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:40,639 And I think there'd be enough switchability on that to like, you know, 873 00:54:40,719 --> 00:54:44,199 like all right, maybe they're not giving up one hundred and twenty points 874 00:54:44,239 --> 00:54:49,760 for a hundred possessions on defense. That would be my preferred lineup. I 875 00:54:49,800 --> 00:54:52,199 think what's probably gonna happen is instead of Trey, they go with Larry to 876 00:54:52,199 --> 00:54:59,760 close those minutes and maybe a little bit less offense, but like I guess 877 00:55:00,239 --> 00:55:07,199 more of betterancity. I mean, you probably maybe even at this point, 878 00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:12,599 get more like bankable rim projection from Trey Murphy than Larry Nannswer's like very much 879 00:55:12,599 --> 00:55:15,400 a perimeter big at this point, so I understand. Yeah, I mean, 880 00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:17,800 I don't mind Larry. I'm excited for some of the small ball looks. 881 00:55:19,519 --> 00:55:22,719 I'm just a big Tray Murphy guy. I want I want the team's 882 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:27,960 best shooter who was also an enormous wing to be out there with Zion when 883 00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,840 the game really matters, Like I would love that. Uh, you know, 884 00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:36,000 I also I also think there's an argument to be made for for Yonas. 885 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,320 And you know, there's all of this hullablu, like teams go small, 886 00:55:40,480 --> 00:55:44,360 like they you know, like these like Yonas side Biggs can't close out 887 00:55:44,400 --> 00:55:46,840 games. But really, how many teams are going that small? Like obviously 888 00:55:46,880 --> 00:55:52,159 against the Clippers and the Warriors, you have questions, but like who else? 889 00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:54,119 Who else is like really pushing you to the point where you're like, 890 00:55:54,480 --> 00:56:00,519 you can't play one of the most offensively talented to Biggs, And I think 891 00:56:00,559 --> 00:56:05,000 Yonis is like where teams aren't singling you out as much an attacking exactly. 892 00:56:05,039 --> 00:56:10,480 And I think Jonas is actually underrated defensively. He's had positive defensive impact across 893 00:56:10,599 --> 00:56:16,679 three different teams now for the last few years. And he also provides one 894 00:56:16,679 --> 00:56:21,880 of the most important things in defense, which is terminating a possession via the 895 00:56:21,880 --> 00:56:24,719 rebound. He's one of the league's best rebounders. And historically the pale small 896 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:30,480 ball units have struggled on the defensive glass. And I can't imagine certainly the 897 00:56:30,519 --> 00:56:34,159 lineup I pitched struggling on the defensive glass. No, there's no like one 898 00:56:34,679 --> 00:56:37,280 like tremendous remounder. In that lineup, there's like decent months, but like 899 00:56:37,320 --> 00:56:42,920 none of none of them really stand out. So I think Yonis should get 900 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:45,199 opportunities to close games, especially where he's like cooking. And there was like 901 00:56:45,239 --> 00:56:49,159 there's been games in the past, like the Clippers trying to space him outs 902 00:56:49,159 --> 00:56:52,079 and he just like brutalized them, like Willie stuck with him and in the 903 00:56:52,119 --> 00:56:55,599 closing closing lineup and he just was like yep, I'm going in. I 904 00:56:55,639 --> 00:56:59,440 mean I think it was one of those games where like he hits seven threes. 905 00:57:00,199 --> 00:57:04,119 Uh, he hits seven threes and they chow us the right out ride 906 00:57:04,119 --> 00:57:06,079 it out with him, and he wasn't shooting threes in the fourth when they 907 00:57:06,079 --> 00:57:09,480 were closing out, but he was like he was making their small look small, 908 00:57:09,519 --> 00:57:13,000 like he was just like cool, like there's an easy like you know, 909 00:57:13,039 --> 00:57:15,239 they space around around Yonis, they like early post up pitching him in 910 00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:20,480 there and he's just like dropping it in or getting fouled. And I think 911 00:57:20,639 --> 00:57:22,920 Yonis is very, very good and people don't realize that, yeah, he's 912 00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:27,119 able to punish even people that are properly sized, let alone that yes, 913 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:31,079 yes, what is and you probably don't have a hope for you're a weird 914 00:57:31,159 --> 00:57:35,039 old bonkers lineup being rolled out by Willie Green. But if you're Willie Green, 915 00:57:35,079 --> 00:57:37,480 what is the quirky out there of left field lineup that you that you 916 00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:42,880 want to try this season? Oh? You know what? Okay, so 917 00:57:42,960 --> 00:57:45,000 the lineup I'd pitched for the closing lineup, but you sub c j out 918 00:57:45,000 --> 00:57:49,480 and put Larry in there, so it's all wings. So it's it's it's 919 00:57:49,559 --> 00:57:55,280 Trey Herb, Zion, Brandon and Larry just the six six six seven lineup. 920 00:57:55,400 --> 00:57:58,960 And then you're like, okay, maybe you have enough rebounding here, 921 00:57:59,000 --> 00:58:04,280 but see what happens then you switch everything. That would be wildly interesting. 922 00:58:04,480 --> 00:58:07,920 I wonder what the offense would look like in that scenario. Mine was Zion 923 00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:13,039 plus the kids. Basically I want to see and I guess Zion's a kid 924 00:58:13,119 --> 00:58:16,159 himself. Give me Zion with Dyson, Trey Herb, Jones and then he's 925 00:58:16,159 --> 00:58:20,719 not a kid. But just I'm gonna throw Jose Alvarado in there. Yeah 926 00:58:21,159 --> 00:58:23,320 what that does the street? But Zion plus all these dudes are gonna you 927 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:28,760 know, whoop ass defensively and let's just see yeah yeah, and just just 928 00:58:28,960 --> 00:58:32,760 create chaos. Just one of the best units two years ago was was when 929 00:58:32,800 --> 00:58:38,960 they would have Kira, Nikkiel, josh Hart, Zion and Jackson, and 930 00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:44,239 it was essentially that Zion plus the kids, and and you look at those 931 00:58:44,239 --> 00:58:47,599 lineups, like none of those are individually good players except like except for Zion, 932 00:58:47,679 --> 00:58:51,400 and then like obviously like josh Hart is like a pretty solid player. 933 00:58:51,719 --> 00:58:55,639 But those units would demolish other units. It was there was like they had 934 00:58:55,639 --> 00:59:00,159 like a plus twelve or thirteen net rating, and it was because is defensively 935 00:59:00,239 --> 00:59:02,760 like they were solid. They would just fly around as a bunch of athletes 936 00:59:02,760 --> 00:59:07,079 and they would generate events. And then offensively, either they were playing in 937 00:59:07,079 --> 00:59:10,719 transition the whole time or it's just like Zion's got the ball and you can't 938 00:59:10,719 --> 00:59:15,679 do anything about it because these players like maybe they can't shoot, but they're 939 00:59:15,719 --> 00:59:17,880 like all cut so fast, like there was enough like movement off ball to 940 00:59:17,880 --> 00:59:22,800 where like Zion's doing whatever he wants. Yeah, I would love to see 941 00:59:22,840 --> 00:59:23,679 it. I would be shocked. I mean maybe if like it was a 942 00:59:23,679 --> 00:59:27,960 garbage time situation, I guess by age it'd be Jose Alvarado plus the kids. 943 00:59:27,960 --> 00:59:30,559 So if we need to coin it, that lineup as we record this, 944 00:59:30,639 --> 00:59:34,480 and I'm a little bit shocked it didn't move after their first preseason game. 945 00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:37,199 They're over under a set at forty three point five, or you're smashing 946 00:59:37,199 --> 00:59:42,639 the over the under on that and wherever and where. I'm with you, 947 00:59:43,079 --> 00:59:45,719 But I've been hitting so many overs on these podcasts. I need to go 948 00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:47,440 back and look at I have every team win going like fifty and thirty two. 949 00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:52,039 Apparently, where do you see them standing relative to the West of the 950 00:59:52,039 --> 00:59:54,920 rest of the West? Dude? I made a Bowl prediction on our pod 951 00:59:55,639 --> 01:00:00,440 in the note Mason, I said three seed, and that's I had him 952 01:00:00,440 --> 01:00:01,760 as as a home court team. I leaned all the way into it. 953 01:00:02,360 --> 01:00:06,559 Now, I think if you scale it back on like a real sense, 954 01:00:06,840 --> 01:00:09,880 uh Like, while I think it's attainable, I think that's like they're like 955 01:00:09,920 --> 01:00:15,159 absolute feeling more so than than the most most likely scenario. I believe it. 956 01:00:15,159 --> 01:00:17,239 I think they're gonna hit it. But yeah, I mean I think 957 01:00:17,239 --> 01:00:22,159 you look at the West oddly enough, I feel, you know, the 958 01:00:23,039 --> 01:00:29,440 teams that are really solid in the West right now, Golden State, I 959 01:00:29,519 --> 01:00:34,559 think Denver, especially getting jamal An Mpja back. That's forty eight games without 960 01:00:34,559 --> 01:00:36,800 those two, and I think people are just however you feel about them. 961 01:00:36,800 --> 01:00:39,840 In the playoffs, that team won forty eight games with a much shallower and 962 01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:44,440 worse supporting cast than Yoka Chaz Right now, that's gonna be a machine of 963 01:00:44,480 --> 01:00:47,199 a team. And then after that though, you know why I had him 964 01:00:47,239 --> 01:00:50,960 at the three seed is because I don't believe in the Suns. I think 965 01:00:50,960 --> 01:00:54,840 they're mentally bankrupt at this point, and I think they're just an implosion waiting 966 01:00:54,880 --> 01:00:57,639 to happen. I think they're gonna be a solid team. I think they're 967 01:00:57,639 --> 01:01:00,639 be a good team, but I just don't think they're gonna have this year. 968 01:01:00,079 --> 01:01:02,199 Uh and who's who knows what's gonna happen with Jay Crowd. We'll see, 969 01:01:02,239 --> 01:01:07,719 We'll see about that. I don't believe obviously. I don't believe in 970 01:01:07,719 --> 01:01:10,840 the Lakers. Give us, I mean you can't. That's such a best 971 01:01:10,880 --> 01:01:15,079 shot at getting Wemby and New Orleans. Yeah, give me Wemmy, give 972 01:01:15,079 --> 01:01:19,400 me School, give me any of those players. The Clippers. The Clippers 973 01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:22,480 are going to be a problem if if Kawai and Paul George stay healthy. 974 01:01:22,519 --> 01:01:27,199 So like, I think I'll grant the Clippers they're due but again it's that's 975 01:01:27,239 --> 01:01:30,760 on paper, right, Like on paper, I don't believe in the Mavericks 976 01:01:30,800 --> 01:01:34,920 this year. I think Brunson was a huge part of what. Hey, 977 01:01:35,199 --> 01:01:37,760 there's just they're gonna be so good, But there's an like the degree to 978 01:01:37,800 --> 01:01:40,719 which they're dependent on Luca now, and I know that they have other options. 979 01:01:40,719 --> 01:01:43,880 I know Christian Wood is good. I know it doesn't work this way. 980 01:01:43,920 --> 01:01:47,079 I don't think he's good. I don't believe it Christian would. There's 981 01:01:47,119 --> 01:01:52,159 something objectively funny though, regardless that they lost Jalen Brunson a guard and they 982 01:01:52,480 --> 01:01:55,480 picked up two bigs this offseason, like didn't even try and like fill that. 983 01:01:55,559 --> 01:01:59,760 Yeah, it's like you you watch the success you had against the Jazz 984 01:02:00,079 --> 01:02:04,840 and the Suns, and you signed Jevelle McGee to be your starter. Like 985 01:02:04,920 --> 01:02:08,639 that was your answer. Yeah, I just so there's something funny about that. 986 01:02:08,679 --> 01:02:12,119 I don't trust the Grizzlies either, but this is my fourth year not 987 01:02:12,119 --> 01:02:15,639 trusting the don't trust them because of one Jaren Jackson being hurt. But I 988 01:02:15,679 --> 01:02:21,320 also think, like Melton and SloMo, we're important players for regular season. 989 01:02:21,360 --> 01:02:23,840 Yeah, definitely the regular season, like just generating wins, Like I think 990 01:02:23,880 --> 01:02:30,039 It's cool, very cool that they are actively clearing minutes for their younger players, 991 01:02:30,039 --> 01:02:32,760 something I think more teams would commit to because that was what raises your 992 01:02:32,760 --> 01:02:37,360 ceiling eventually. But I think that's going to hurt them. I don't think 993 01:02:37,519 --> 01:02:40,679 they're gonna be the fifty five win team that they were, especially if if 994 01:02:40,719 --> 01:02:46,679 Job plays all these games and it's not fucking Tis Jones starting, Jones is 995 01:02:46,719 --> 01:02:51,199 starting probably over. Yeah, I feel like they've leaned, just not too 996 01:02:51,239 --> 01:02:52,960 far. Like you said, it's animal, they did it, but it 997 01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:55,199 feels like they leaned into their development at the cost of wins. But this 998 01:02:55,280 --> 01:02:59,639 is where we cut two zay hear Williams making the Desmond Vane jump and everything 999 01:03:00,039 --> 01:03:04,000 being I think you have to like if you're a market like Memphis, market 1000 01:03:04,039 --> 01:03:07,599 like New Orleans, like, yeah, I mean it's cool, you get 1001 01:03:07,639 --> 01:03:12,039 you can you can resign SloMo for for another couple of years, or or 1002 01:03:12,039 --> 01:03:14,800 you can figure out who you have with Jake la Ravia or you know, 1003 01:03:14,920 --> 01:03:16,880 David rod I'm so intrigued by David Roddy. I have no idea who the 1004 01:03:16,880 --> 01:03:21,519 fuck he's supposed to be as a player. Yeah, I think that's gonna 1005 01:03:21,559 --> 01:03:23,239 be fun. So I'm excited to see, you know, for those players 1006 01:03:23,280 --> 01:03:27,800 to get opportunities in a winning environment. I think that's that's a good way 1007 01:03:27,800 --> 01:03:30,159 to handle it for them. But like I said, I don't believe in 1008 01:03:30,199 --> 01:03:32,079 them for the regular season for that reason. I think they'd a good team. 1009 01:03:32,079 --> 01:03:36,199 They'll make the playoffs, just not what they were last year. So 1010 01:03:36,199 --> 01:03:40,159 who who do we have? We have? You have the Warriors and the 1011 01:03:40,280 --> 01:03:43,880 Nuggets and the Clippers. I think you said is the teams? Yeah, 1012 01:03:43,960 --> 01:03:46,079 and so like this is this is the tier of teams after the Clippers. 1013 01:03:46,079 --> 01:03:50,039 And I think even when the Clippers, I would argue, is is where 1014 01:03:50,079 --> 01:03:52,760 I'd slide the Pelicans in, Like Okay, Like I think they can hang 1015 01:03:52,800 --> 01:03:55,519 with any of those teams. Oh, Minnesota, I think Minnesota's gonna be 1016 01:03:55,559 --> 01:04:00,199 good. I'm a big Minnesota believer. I'm a I'm a big Minnis to 1017 01:04:00,199 --> 01:04:02,960 believe in the regular season, and I think the concerns regular season are founded, 1018 01:04:03,079 --> 01:04:05,639 but like overrated a little bit. But that's where you start to run 1019 01:04:05,639 --> 01:04:10,119 into proms. I went on Mad Boosts a quick segment. You can check 1020 01:04:10,159 --> 01:04:12,639 it out at NBA dot com. I think it's where it's hosted, and 1021 01:04:12,679 --> 01:04:15,599 I predicted the Pelicans, we're gonna get the four seed. I like at 1022 01:04:15,639 --> 01:04:19,239 them as my five seed, but there are like they're just like between Minnesota 1023 01:04:19,280 --> 01:04:23,480 Golden State. I think Phoenix is going to be a regular season machine. 1024 01:04:23,679 --> 01:04:27,079 Again, do you think so? I'm concerned about their bench, But just 1025 01:04:27,159 --> 01:04:30,719 like DeAndre Ayton is gonna be better, Cam Johnson is as a starter, 1026 01:04:31,039 --> 01:04:33,840 that offense is going to be potent as hell. I think this is the 1027 01:04:33,920 --> 01:04:36,400 year that maybe based off what they were trying in the preseason, can they 1028 01:04:36,400 --> 01:04:41,800 get more half court rim pressure from Michael Bridges. If Chris Paul you know, 1029 01:04:42,119 --> 01:04:45,039 gets old all of a sudden, and there's the potential to clod But 1030 01:04:45,039 --> 01:04:49,199 I think that they're gonna be a regular season machine. But there are six 1031 01:04:49,239 --> 01:04:53,760 teams in the West just and Memphis would make it seven. The way it's 1032 01:04:54,000 --> 01:04:56,119 it's so fucking hard this year. I don't know. If you don't believe 1033 01:04:56,119 --> 01:05:01,039 in the Blazers, Uh, prove me wrong, like I think the way 1034 01:05:01,079 --> 01:05:03,599 you believe in the Blazers, No I don't. I don't they have to 1035 01:05:03,639 --> 01:05:06,880 prove me wrong. I like I think Dame has always obviously dragged a bunch 1036 01:05:06,880 --> 01:05:10,840 of teams to the playoffs before, but this ain't the same West, and 1037 01:05:10,960 --> 01:05:13,880 I have them as like a playing team, and I think that I really 1038 01:05:13,880 --> 01:05:15,960 do think Memphis is going to be a playing team this year. Dallas I 1039 01:05:15,960 --> 01:05:18,360 think is gonna be a playing team, but like after that, and I 1040 01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:20,519 don't really I mean, the Kings will fight for the plane. I don't 1041 01:05:20,519 --> 01:05:24,400 really care about the Lakers and until or unless they make a trade, I 1042 01:05:24,440 --> 01:05:27,400 just can't believe in that. I just why would you? I just it's 1043 01:05:27,440 --> 01:05:30,800 not Darvin Dam's fault, it's just why why would you? So I don't 1044 01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:34,239 know Lonny Walker is going to change everything for them? But yeah, is 1045 01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:39,519 there anything else about this team that I did not ask you about that you 1046 01:05:39,519 --> 01:05:42,840 think needs to be discussed? Man, I think you did a really good 1047 01:05:42,920 --> 01:05:45,800 job of covering it, and I can't think of something else. Let me 1048 01:05:46,039 --> 01:05:48,320 let me see who is there. You are higher on them than I am, 1049 01:05:48,360 --> 01:05:51,199 which I think is like very important to know it because yeah, but 1050 01:05:51,199 --> 01:05:54,800 I'm supposed to be right, I'm I'm the Homer, so I can do 1051 01:05:54,880 --> 01:05:57,719 this well. I think people think that I'm just bat shit out of my 1052 01:05:57,760 --> 01:06:00,679 mind with how high I am on the Pelicans. It was good to see 1053 01:06:00,679 --> 01:06:03,280 someone who like didn't even let me finish, just smash the over. That's 1054 01:06:03,280 --> 01:06:06,599 one of my like best bets if you I don't bet, but that would 1055 01:06:06,599 --> 01:06:10,559 be one of my best bet forty three point five. I just feel like, 1056 01:06:10,800 --> 01:06:13,159 how is this not a forty six, forty seven, forty eight win 1057 01:06:13,199 --> 01:06:15,199 team unless you think Zion just not gonna play again this year. That's the 1058 01:06:15,199 --> 01:06:19,039 thing is like there's no other team that's adding I guess you could say the 1059 01:06:19,079 --> 01:06:24,320 Clippers technically with Kauai, but like a top fifteen, top ten level player, 1060 01:06:24,320 --> 01:06:27,559 there's there's no other team that's adding that talent that was a playoff team 1061 01:06:27,639 --> 01:06:30,079 last year. And we'll also care about that, I guess maybe, and 1062 01:06:30,079 --> 01:06:32,800 we'll also care about the regular season. The Clippers are just very much I 1063 01:06:32,800 --> 01:06:35,960 think they'll don't win a bunch of games. But what gives me pause about 1064 01:06:36,000 --> 01:06:40,840 their regular season over under is they don't give a fuck about the regular season, 1065 01:06:40,880 --> 01:06:45,920 Like they just just care. Yeah, I was built for the playoffs. 1066 01:06:45,920 --> 01:06:48,679 That man is that. I respect everything he does. They also have 1067 01:06:48,840 --> 01:06:53,280 like fourteen players that should be getting minutes too. That roster is deep, 1068 01:06:53,320 --> 01:06:56,400 and so that just makes me think that they might ter'bly a lot of maintenance 1069 01:06:56,440 --> 01:06:59,320 there. But Schmidt, thank you so much for coming on. I really 1070 01:06:59,400 --> 01:07:00,599 enjoy these discuss every year. You're giving me a bunch of your time, 1071 01:07:00,639 --> 01:07:04,360 which I'm very appreciative of. In case anybody skip the intro, you're able 1072 01:07:04,400 --> 01:07:08,239 to tell our listeners where they can find you and all the fantastic work that 1073 01:07:08,280 --> 01:07:13,079 you're doing. Yeah, you can find me at Fear the Brown, which 1074 01:07:13,159 --> 01:07:16,440 is my Twitter account, and you can find my work at boot Curmedia. 1075 01:07:16,719 --> 01:07:20,519 Will do YouTube videos, podcasts, all the above. Make sure to check 1076 01:07:20,519 --> 01:07:25,800 out that YouTube channel which is boot cre Media. Thank you so much again, 1077 01:07:25,800 --> 01:07:28,559 And as you know by now, I will be spamming your dms in 1078 01:07:28,599 --> 01:07:30,239 the future of course, of course, anytime