What is krack lacking, fellow thermonuclear a effort. I am a damn valley
coming at you with some more hoops. Talk later than normal on this Friday
because I pulled an all nighter at work quasi on night, or I did
go to bed at five thirty for like three and a half hours, got
up how to do a radio interview? Figured might as well record a podcast
and talk about a couple of things that I really wanted to discuss this week
but couldn't. Before we get started the usual housekeeping notes, Please remember too,
subscribe to us wherever you're getting these podcasts. If you're on YouTube,
hit that like and subscribe button. Comment, help the algorithm love us back.
Positive discourse or at least constructive discourse is always appreciated. I need to
do a better job of steering clear of the people who just accuse us of
not watching basketball or just telling us for wrong or that we suck and only
answer the positive comments. Maybe just make myself less successful on YouTube regardless,
but please subscribe on YouTube, subscribe wherever you get your podcast Apple, Spotify,
Stitchery, Google Play. As we continue to try and build a community,
and you know, speaking of that, the sort of year end reflection
here in the interest of being more open, I normally don't get into numbers,
just because I think part of me has always been a little embarrassed that
we're not bigger somehow relative to the general MBA space. But we're also in
a very localized focused content era right now, where it does feel like,
unless you are our social media influencer, have this huge following or are super
popular and of course great at what you do, but it just feels like
the general NBA pods or not as bigger or as popular, and even if
they're as popular, there might be disdained for them. That's not a woe
is me. I think the local coverage is just so good and so in
depth that it gives fans even analysts, just sort of this niche to live
in, to immerse themselves in. And as someone who tries to listen to
as many singular team podcasts as I can, I totally get the appeal.
But this was a good year for Hardwood Knox. We are probably going to
finish with a round between four hundred and ten to four hundred and twenty thousand
downloads, and that's just not including anything we do on YouTube or anyone who
does watch our IG and TikTok clips please follow us on there as well at
Hardwood Underscore Knox and IG at Hardwood Knox on TikTok at Hardwood Knox on on
Twitter. And so it's a number I'm proud of. I would like it
to be bigger, but at the same time as my phone alarm goes off
there, I did also want to make a note that Hardwoo Knox will probably
be scaling back at some point in the near future. It will not be
immediately. We want to get through a Western conference mailback and it's a bunch
of other things that I wanted to actually focus on. But in the interest
of full transparency here, like we'd Grant and I are just not and this
isn't the air dirty laundry. I don't want people tagging a company. We're
just not getting paid right now to do this, and neither of us do
this for that. We are both full timers that Bleach Report and so this
is something that we do on the side of the Passion project. But we
and I specifically invested way too much time I think in building what's a top
notch podcast that does have a steady stream of listenership, and I'm gonna,
you know, to focus on it as much as I have where I've tried
to be and I enjoyed. I enjoy being accessible on discord, on YouTube.
I'm putting out a ton of content, trying to build up all the
social platforms, working with shout out Ian to find good social clips that we've
been killing it with its quite frankly over the past month or so. I
have to focus my time elseware and stuff that's actually going to make money,
and I will figure out the future of the podcast. It's not going anywhere,
but I do feel an obligation because I think we have not the biggest
listenership, but a loyal listenership. And I don't know how far we'll scale
back. I don't know what exactly when it will happen, but it will
happen until we figure it out. It has been suggested to me that maybe
we should open a Patreon. I just don't this would I don't think my
ego could handle it when we don't have any Patreon subscribers. I like the
idea of having a free pod. I don't think people are very much interested
in paying for a general NBA pods, let alone this NBA pod. If
it's something with dunked on Prime where they offer you all those different types of
services, I totally get it. I don't think it's it's worth it for
us, and I never wanted to have it behind a paywall, And like
I said, let's just be selfish fragilely speaking here, like when we get
two or three subscribers, it would probably be a blow to my ego.
Anyway, we've thought about maybe we'll make shirts if anyone would wear a thermonuclear
or AfD shirt or a certifiably fantabulous shirt, just to figure out a way
to I don't even not even monetize it, but like make our name a
little bit more out there, or people could represent us in clothes. If
that's something you would wear, you could definitely let me know join our discord
to do that. If you're not already in there. The link is in
the podcast and YouTube description and I'm closing up on the preamble, so you
know, don't don't worry, sit sit tight. If you have suggestions as
to what you think we could do to grow up or I think at this
point the best way to help the pod and ensure that it keeps us going.
If you're already subscribed, tell people about us, get other people to
subscribe, help us spread the word about it. I don't want the sympathy
subscriptions of oh, they're not getting paid at this point, but the content
we provide here, I think we have an absurdly fun time. Don't take
ourselves too seriously. We're willing to have, especially in Discord. There are
commenters on YouTube that great on me. I'm not gonna lie when you come
in and say that Grant is giving surface level takes on the Nuggets and it's
annoying whether you're on Twitter, whether you're on YouTube, and he's talking about
specific pick and roll coverages and he's using historical contests context Like, yeah,
my response is going to be fuck you. You want to go. On
Discord, we had a very spirited chat about how much as someone who picked
the Nuggets to win the title, about their defense, whether it was important
about YO kitchen. It was like, those are the conversations I love having.
But yeah, I will get defensive and need to do a better job
of just not answering those people. But like I said, I think we
are one of the more underrated, understated leaguewide MBA podcasts out there. I
think we do a great job here and I will redouble focus once we some
stuff is going to be in the fire, but I will redouble, retriple
focus on it when I think it's going to be worth it for the two
of us. And that's for Grant as well, who's been like a fantastic
teammate throughout all this, but when he came on like this wasn't supposed to
be something that was just this free endeavor, and I'm not going to continue
to put the amount of time and effort into it when the return is going
to be like nothing and actively cost me money when you look at having to
pay for different subscriptions and software. So I wanted to be fully transparent with
that, since I'm not going to guarantee when it happens. I'd imagine not
the first week of January, but the second week and beyond. I will
be scaling back here and it will probably be noticeable, and if I don't,
I guess I'm just a psychopath who doesn't like sleep or sanity or getting
paid apparently, So I did want update with that. Like I said,
you can support the show, don't want the sympathy support. You don't need
to. This is not woe is us. Grant and I are fine,
spectacular. Still love doing this great passing project. It's cathartic when we get
to speak with each other. I love every single one of you who actively
listens, engaged. If you want to help us spread the word, or
if you even have ideas you can, Discord is gonna be the best way
to get at me there, but Twitter at Dana Valley. YouTube comments will
be tough. If there's any you know, aside from hey, suck least
you look. I can't suck last. I'm sorry, but that is that
after a seven eight minute long intro here, I will just remind you though
Discord channel, YouTube past, YouTube podcast description, that's going to be probably
the best way to more consistently be in touch with me. And just if
you want more good active basketball discourses, we're going to pull back from Look
I've been doing consistently for the past six to eight months, probably between four
and seven if not more, and we're doing Team look Ahead pods a week
like we've been pumping out content. Hopefully you will miss it. I don't
want you to miss it. Hopefully we'll get back to that type of stream.
Even this week, like I had to force myself not to publish two
extra ones, We're gonna end up with three maybe four this week. I
thought about recording others. I have to pick what's going to be like profitable
for me at this point. That's where I'm going to focus my time for
the for the for the interm and so yeah, the social channels as well
at Hardward Knox on Twitter and TikTok at Hardward Underscore Knox on Instagram, and
subscribe, cross subscribe on all the platforms. But any way that you can
help us continue to get the word out there is the best way to support
the show. Or again just to reiterate, if you have any ideas that
you think that you need to to run by me, or if you think
the shirts are a good idea, I'm not really I grant and I've gone
back and forth on them. Or it doesn't ever be shirts, sweatshirts,
close hats, whatever, merchandise, merch that's not something that I've thought.
This podcast has been popular enough to ever have, so appreciate any and all
feedback. There's not really a discord channel for it. If you want to
go in there, I can create one. If we think our listeners and
there would like to bandy that out or just throw us compliments. But yes,
this these ten minutes are over. So let's get to the stuff that
matters, which is first and foremost. We had the this isn't foremost,
by the way, I just want to talk about it. The rumor on
Christmas from WOA that James Harden would seriously consider a return to the Houston Rockets
in free agency this year. The timing of that was weird because it was
Christmas. The Sixers are like on a tear and Harden's been playing well,
Joel Embiid has been playing well, and so it doesn't really when you think
about it, makes sense about the timing and also just having the It wasn't
a throwaway line, but it was in a throwaway spot. It was at
the end of the WODE article where it said that the working relationship between Joel
Embiid, Doc Rivers and then James Harden is this like not is unfinished as
a work in progress applies that it's not great. That's like it's not a
five alarm fire. But that's pretty notable here, and so I first interpreted
it as well, this is max contract leverage for James Harden. He took
a discount to stay in Philly and sure they get PJ. Tucker and Daniel
House this year helped grease the wheels of that d empty Mountain trade. Then
working with under the within the hardcap, excuse me for that. So that
is that was my first instinct, and I do think there might be an
element of play where that idea would be floated around out there. But then
I thought about it, got to talking with Red Nation hoops of Salmon,
Alie, and this doesn't feel like it necessarily would have come from Hardened because
the timings so weird. Freegency is so far away that you're not gaining like
a ton of leverage here. This feels like something that gets out maybe because
you don't have a concrete specific agent as far as we know, sort of
handling your things behind the scenes, and there's going to be no one in
league circles really invested in keeping that under wraps or your interest there, and
so it feels like I don't know if it was a mistake or just this
has been out there. Apparently it's not something that I was privy too,
but I've just been told that it's just been out there for quite some time,
and it did mention, which gives it legitimacy. By the way,
I think it was Jake Fisher. I can't remember if he was a Bleacher
Report at the time, but he's at Yahoo Sports now and mentioned that that
was something Harden to consider to look at over the offseason. The ties to
Houston really missing Houston, and we all know that he has highs beyond the
Strip Club jokes to Houston like that is a place where he signed multiple extensions
instead of going to free agency. He had the I don't want to say
he was the run of the organization. He was the top priority in the
organization. They tailored a lot around him, and rightfully so. He had
cache there when he had the same cache if he goes back. We'll get
into that in a second. I buy into the rumor, though the timing
is just weird, and I don't know that it's consequential, and there's a
lot of basketball left to be played and you'd rather focus on that. Hard
himself said everything as well, and Philly, we have to see how the
playoffs end. We have to see what they're willing to do for him in
free agency. Again, I think the idea could be sort of a leverage
player from Harden, but the timing doesn't imply that that's what this was.
It implies that this is something that has been out there that is real,
that he will look at it and way maybe his happiness outside of basketball or
just in tandem with basketball and in general other than the best spot that he
would be able to win a championship right now, which look at Houston's roster
and yes, they have Jalen Green, they have Alperyn, Shane Gun,
they have Jabari Smith. You and you're Tarreason's fucking fantastic. You throw Harden
on there and they could just basically sign him out right. Their cap space
is if they're if they're going to get rid of the Eric gordonhold, which,
by the way, something that's been theorized among me and others is maybe
that's why Eric Gordon just hasn't been traded yet. He's a James Harten homie,
and if you have him there, maybe that's another reason for James Harden
to come back. Perhaps you don't pay him the full boat of his salary
that's non guaranteed next year, but you could still bring him back anyway.
If you insert James Harden in that team, and let's say Eric Gordon is
there, they're not immediately a contender. And we've seen this movie before where
if a player says, no, I'm happy to play with the youngsters and
come back, and it's it's we're gonna win a title and we'll build up
there. James Harden's gonna turn thirty four, it's it's not happening. Maybe
if he wins a title in Philly and then just decides like, hey,
it's time to go back to Houston, perhaps there's a level of contentment there.
But if you sign James Harden, there's an implicit level of urgency.
And so you're gonna look at trading this year's pick whoever wherever it lands.
And then you also know the Rockets are probably gonna want to try and win
anyway because they owe their twenty twenty four pick to OKC. With top four
protection, that urgency is already kicked in. Harden is only going to accelerate
that, and so you're going to look at trading for at least one other
major player and this could be a Kauai Paul George situation on the older scale,
where James Harden is coming with somebody Kevin Rant MVP candidate. Right now,
things are hunky Dorian Brooklyn doesn't stay that way leading into the off season,
depending on what happens with Kyrie Irving's own free agency. Who knows,
maybe that's the guy that comes with James Harden and you have the assets to
make it happen because you have extra picks from Brooklyn themselves. That would actually
be hysterical if some of those picks are going back to the Nets in that
deal. But you also have a bunch of these youngsters, and that would
be the other thing I would bring up. If you're getting James Harden,
I would be floored, flabbergassed, and shocked. If Jabari Smith, Trison,
Jalen Green, Kevin Porter, Junior Alpern, Shangoon plus next year's first
round pick are all just there next season, there will be a consolidation trade.
I think you can argue the Rockets needed consolidation trade as is. You
just wouldn't be like, oh, let me trade Shangoon and Jabari Smith or
Jalen Green or Eason. Those guys I think would be considered off limits.
It's oh, like, do we turn Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba into something
Kevin Porter junior salary this upcoming summer? Maybe we look at look at moving.
You're gonna look at more of a wholesale consolidation here though, And I
don't love the fit between Harden and Green. You need to set up your
defense in a very very specific way, especially if you want them to play
with Shangoon. This isn't to say that players wouldn't be available out there.
What's going on in Toronto? Would Og be available this summer? I'd probably
bet against it, But could Siakam? That might be an interesting one.
That would be a name that would fit the bill. But you are if
you're gonna get a Siakam if I don't want to use that. Even if
you're gonna get an Ogi Ana Nobi, you're not gonna go after Bradley Bieler
zactly. And that doesn't make sense because you have James Harden. Would you
go after You're not going to go after a Carl Anthony Towns. That's just
that wouldn't make too much sense in that scenario with Jalen Green and James Harden
in the fold unless you're gonna give up Jayalen Green as part of that deal
to sort of maybe Towns as best suit as your number three option, but
you're still gonna have to build out a really specific defense, and so I
just don't think he would be like your primary aim. If that's someone that's
going to be floating around the open market, an actual name that maybe springs
to mind, like some people still want to bounce around Jalen Brown, I
just can't see it because the Celtics are so good. Maybe if the Clippers
decided to blow it up after this year, but I don't I don't really
know that they would do either. Jimmy Butler is that someone who would want
to play with James Harden if things kind of go south in Miami this year.
Bam Adebayo would make the most sense, but he's just not going to
become available. But a player, like a star that's going to become very
you're going to need to give up stuff to get stuff, and that would
be I think you would try and press to keep Jalen Green the most,
but that would be your first round pick this year. On the table and
then having to decide, all right, are we willing to part with Jabari
Smith? Maybe on a smaller scale, trying to decide will we part with
Eason at End or Shangon is part of this deal in addition to just know
other throwings future future picks. It depends on the player on. To make
that clear, I'm not saying, oh, okay, Wendell Carter Junior became
available, you have to trade your Barry Smith and your pick that. No,
that's not It would have to be a higher end talent who becomes available.
Kevin Durant would certainly qualify there. So that's a move the Rockets will
make if they get hardened, and that's why I believe they could be reticent
to make it happen. At the same time, I absolutely believe given their
own pick commitments to Okay see coming up, given the cap space they have,
they would absolutely sign James Harden if he wants to go there, and
they'll figure out the rest later. Maybe they try and buy a gap year.
Again, I wouldn't expect it. Are they a team that just gets
in on the Lebron James sweepstakes? If Harden wants to go to Houston.
Is that just the next pay Lebron who could be traded this summer and then
James Harden and Houston. I don't love the idea of short circuiting the rebuild
that much. I just wouldn't put it past the Rockets to consider it.
And I think you get out of that deal if you're signing hard and out
right, you get out of that deal while not having to gut your entire
youthful asset base like Lebron at this point because the size was contract his age.
I don't think like I think the return on Lebron James would be lower
than a lot of people would expect after seeing what Rudy Gobern, Donovan Mitchell
got, And maybe most people wouldn't. I think most reasonable people wouldn't expect
Lebron to command that much in the trade market. Maybe Kevin Durant does.
I ultimately think the Star trade market's going to settle a little bit, that
they were sort of this overcorrection with the way and the timing and the cavalierness
with which teams willing to give up future first round picks. Right now,
those distant first round picks are drying up because so many teams have already traded
them. And I also think that we're gonna you're looking at us having in
Minnesota right now, talk about a borderline dumpster fire. Teams are gonna be
a little bit more cognizant of hey, whoa, we need to pump the
brakes here. And so we'll see some pullback on the star trade market,
especially when that star is pushing forty in Lebron James, and you know,
he could wind up being a rental if he really wants to play with Brownie
when he enters the league, and so you're looking at having him for two
years, Let's say, how does he age then and does he stick around
beyond that? But my point being here is if you get James hard and
it's not to just be a part of this rebuild in Houston. He's not
going to Houston with the idea of being a part of the rebuild. He
loves Houston, and I think his ties to the organization to the city are
underrated, to get overlooked lost in the memes about strip clubs, which are
I mean, those are funny, but there's real emotional ties there. This
is real to me, and that's with the Sixers kind of looking like an
actual contender of late and they're they're gonna get tires Maxie back, which is
huge for them, and Tibias Harris has been playing really well. Their defense
is perked up and I think has room to actually even improve still, so
that team is a real threat. But if James Harden's not happy and he
misses Houston and it seems like he does, it's based off the reporting that
was there after he left Houston in the first place. This is real,
This could happen, and I don't know whether you would endorse it as a
Rockets fan. If you're a Rockets fan listening to this, watching this comment,
let me know if you would want James Harden back as as like really
bad, not come back with a year left in his career to retire,
but you want him to come back be part of what's ever happening here,
or you're willing to fashion a more urgent, lead, competitive team around him
or with him, so long as you get you get to keep. What's
they get one player or one asset here. If you're really that married,
because you're in the victor one of Yama sweepstakes, how are you fleshing out,
Like, is what is the goal here? Is it to try and
keep two of this year's pick Jalen Green and Jabari while also acquiring a star?
Is that feasible? I don't know. Maybe that would probably be my
preferle if you can keep two of those guys this year's pick, Jabari and
Jalen Green, I'm a lot more open to the hard Nightey, I'll open
to it now quite frankly, but like I'll be a lot more open to
it then. So James Harden stuff that's a real threat. This is going
to be a fascinating way to play out in six months. If you're if
you're Houston, there's nothing you could really do unless you need to back channel
some tampering or figure out what stars are going to be available this summer that
you could try to pair with James Harden. You sit tight at this point.
Do what you're doing right now. Maybe you know, continue to up
Shango's usage. They've learned a lot more stuff through him since since Thanksgiving.
Been good to see. It took him too long to get there, but
look, bring your young guys along. I don't know what to do with
Eric Gordon in this situation. If you view him as mission critical to getting
Harden and you want to keep him, fine, I don't know that you're
getting a first round pick for him alone anyway right now, but there's nothing
for them to do. This is more of a let's see how the Philly
season ends, Let's see how James Harden season ends. Let's see what happened
in the in the postseason. Specifically, it's a very weighted out, which
is why the timing I don't think was in service of James Harden necessarily.
Other thing, one of two other things I want to talk about, Devin
Booker, the groin injury. A lot of injuries going around right now.
We don't even you know, if we did an update like once a week
on just all the injuries in the NBA, that could be its own podcast,
just to note what teams are going through who rested. The Devin Booker
groin injury is a big one. He's going to miss at least four weeks.
This is the injury. It wasn't Chris Paul, it wasn't Cam Johnson,
it's not Jay Crowder ghosting on the team. This is the injury that
threatens Phoenix this season because of how integral he is to them. Devin Booker
is to them on offense. Now, score playmaker, off ball mover,
someone who just draws an absurd amount of defensive attention. The Suns as I
record this or twenty and sixteen fifth in the West. That's only four losses
back of first place, which is the Pelicans. It's also, you know,
only two wins back of the play in territory or three wins three losses
excuse me, back of dropping out into number eleven in the West, which
is the Timberwolves. Right now, this is a scary stretch for them,
and I think what's going to be there has to be some sort of inaction
remorse here. Maybe not on the part of the suspended owner, Robert Tarver,
who still owns a team for now as the sale goes through to matt
Ishbaya, but like, this is a team that should have made a move
already to diversify or expand its weapons on the offensive end, or just to
improve its top end talent. They've gotten great moments and minutes at points from
Damien Lee and Josh Kogi. This year. They figured out the backup five
rotation as always campaign before he injured his foot. That's another injury they're dealing
with. He was playing better this season, but now you've had all these
reminders, these Flashbowl moments peppered into the to the season. They're telling you,
hey, like we need someone something to really juice up this rotation.
And it's not just a matter of the Jake crowder of placement. I think
it's this has always been it, and it's why you were tied to the
Kevin Rand sweepstakes in the first place. A ball handler or at least a
secondary tertiary ball handler who can also log minutes alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker,
that's not really going to be campaign, especially in the playoffs. It
could be Eric Gordon. But now I'm wondering, does this make it less
likely they even make that move, because they're gonna want to see where they're
at, or at least make that move anytime soon. They're gonna want to
see where they're at in a month four weeks when Devin Booker returns, where
they will still have time before the trade deadline, although we'll be within a
couple of weeks of it. Then does it make it more likely that they
kind of try to be additionally aggressive on the trade market, and I thought
a lot about you know, Sam Cooper at the Timeline Pod was like,
this is the genesis the Julius Randle of the Sun's train. Jruis Randalls are
playing really well on offense now and someone like him would be super valuable to
the Suns. Where yes, Michael Bridges has improved, Deandreton finds a way
to make finesse sometimes that's unnecessarily so work, but it's not the same as
like a tried and true self Creator zero. Even step self Creator doesn't necessarily
need the head of steam to get going and to move laterally or put some
North South juice on the opposing defense and throw them into rotation. I do
think we've seen more of that from mckel Bridges this year, which is good.
Not on the same level as a Julius Randall or certainly on the same
level as a Kevin Durant. I've even thought about does Gary Trent Junior inject
enough sort of on ball anarchy to make this work and you could play him
with Chris Paul and Devin Booker. So like, I think there are moves
to be made out there that there are players who are feasibly available or will
become available. I'm just wondering, given how risk averse the sun seemed dur
in the middle of the season to begin with, and how hesitant the James
Jones era front office has been to make these bigger swings in the trade market.
And yes, they traded for CP three. That was just a no
brainer. That was he wanted to come to Phoenix. It made so much
sense, especially given what they had done following their performance in the bubble,
that just that wasn't a risk I want to be like ever since then,
they've gone the medium swing route at most, and I think even trading for
Eric Gordon, I mean even trading for like no, not kJ Martin might
be the soul, but like if trading for Eric Gordon would be like the
single biggest risk or swing that they've taken during the CP three era. And
so it's out of character for what they're doing. And again I'm sure the
change in ownership or lack thereof right now is going to hold up or at
least limit what they can do. And so while NBA sales might take a
little longer to go through normally, I'm wondering if there's an incentive for the
league to try and push this through so that the Sun's can be aggressive at
the trade deadline, meaning into it. And I do think regardless of where
Booker is, you're still trying to capitalize in CPT's window and you needed that
player anyway, and they are. I think there are numerous needs the Suns
have, but like the idealistic acquisition would be someone who could play forward spots
and be that primary third, primary ballhunder alongside CP three and Devin Booker,
like it, not just staggering them playing in Tannem. That's like the highest
end quintessential. If you had to pick the nirvanic acquisition the Suns could make,
and it doesn't have to be Kevin Rand, but that type of a
player, I think you just need someone even if it is a Gary Trencher,
you're an Eric Gordon who could give you some additional on ball creation at
this point. While also then yes they're a lineups. They might be smaller
than you'd like, but you can get away with CP three and Devin Booker
for certain playoff stretches. I don't know if that player becomes available aside from
the Gary Trench junior Eric Gordon tier. I know some people have talked I
don't. I don't think o Janao he fits that Bill and Well, I
guess while this team could need him, I don't necessarily know if that's the
route they need to go. Julius Random would be kind of interesting. What
are you giving up to get him? If the Knicks, I would still
just if you're offering me expirings and maybe now you want the Sun's first round
pick this year protected for whatever I do it if I'm the Knicks, just
to like they're still yes, they want eight in a row. Now,
they've lost five a row, They've been injuries. They're just their team that's
in the middle, and their long term version is hazy. Julius Randall is
not additioned by subtraction per se, but he continues to open up runway when
Obie Toppin comes back, and he also continues to ensure that when you are
at full strength. R J. Barrett's getting more on ball reps, and
I recognize that he has played more without Julius Randall lately. You're also getting
more looks with Duce McBride, Quentin Grimes and Manual Quickly ball all guys who
have factored into their recent success, but you could more heavily feature them,
build towards the future, maybe pick up some extra flexibility and assets moving forward
from Phoenix. I've come around on Julius Randalls to Phoenix, which is not
something that I thought I would do previously. I don't know that John Collins
gives you enough on this, Like he has a little bit of a floor
game that I think has been under explored, but like, we don't need
to go the exploration route. The Suns need some one who's going to be
just more proven in that area. I had, like, and I had
a weird dream the other night that Jimmy Butler requested a trade to the Atlanta
Hawks. It was just it was random and he'd have been playing better off
late, But like that would imagine Jimmy Butler becomes available to just fed up
with, like, oh, when you're replace the PJ. Tucker minutes.
He just seems too entrenched in Miami, So like, try to look at
higher end names that might become available. That Kevin Durant ship has sailed.
It's not really in my humble opinion, he's just playing so well, as
are the nets that it would be truly bizarre to see them go that route.
Someone did suggest me when were talking about Raptors targets, like why wouldn't
they just take a flyer on Fred van Fleet? At the cost is right?
I just the equity you have and like a CP three being traded as
part of that deal, and like, that's a move you could make in
theory if you wanted to trade CP three and like Trey Young all of a
sudden did become available, that might help. But it's not. That's just
that's too nuclear, Like that's just too nuclear. And I also think,
though I'm talking about it being too nuclear, I don't think the Sun's need
someone more than what if we just traded for PJ. Washington because of what's
going on in you know, what's going on in Charlotte this season and PJ.
Washington has played a little bit better lately. I just like it has
to be someone better than that on that scale. I don't think kJ Martin
alone could be your acquisition. If it's in tandem with Gordon and Martin.
Yeah, like that's something that's let's talk about it. It needs to be
higher end than that. And I've thrown out some names and I recognize them
talking in circles because the trademarket is that undefined right now, there's that there's
so many dearth of sellers. Maybe the Sons would being on Lebron if he
could legally be traded, which he cannot be because of when he signed his
extension, which he did so by design, so it can't really feel too
bad from there. The name I had thought about, and it's too tough
now with the poison pill. I had wondered if the Spurs would listen on
Kelton Johnson. They got him on a fucking song of an extension and I
wouldn't move him right now. Maybe Phoenix comes in with a godfather offer and
you're way able to work. You know, the Spurs have cap space to
burn, so it might make the trickiness of or it can make the trickiness
of the poison pill provision that much easier. That would be a name like
Ken. Are they willing to say, Okay, we're really going to go
further into this. I don't think they would, but they have tried Jeremy
Sowin more at Point Guard. They have Devin Vascell when he's healthy running a
bunch of pick and rolls and he's been magnificent there. Johnson more more so
looks like he's going to be like the quintessential third option on a really good
team rather than sort of this number one, number two types. San Antonio's
tested him out from I'd be shocked if they'd move him, but that is
my it's not my dream target for the Suns, but if he had to
leave the Spurs, like Kelton Johnson on the Suns, to me, would
just make a lot of sense. And he's shown that he could be plugging
play as a shooter while giving you some of the downhill juice. And I
think there's been more unpredictability and changes in cadence to his game when he is
getting going downhill and just been for a lot of this year. Like we've
seen the efficiency numbers can be, they'll wax and Wayne like, this is
someone who was in the all our conversation for a little bit, and he's
been you know, he's posting career numbers. Even if you like some of
the efficiency to tick up, even if you're worried about, oh well,
what does his role look like? How does it scale if he's going to
be in this featured context. I don't think you want him in that context
long term. It's it's fine now and you're plumbing the depths of what he
can do and his and his overall limitations. But I think the Suns and
maybe I'm just Phoenix fans might be married at the idea of Cam Johnson when
he comes back, and so like, what does that? Does that give
you enough to say we're playing Keldon Johnson? Like, is Cam Johnson then
back off the bench? Is Keldon Johnson someone you would rather bring off the
bench and he's about to get paid, So why or his extension about the
Kicken? Would you have paid him that to be your sixth man? And
I think that's where you sort of running issues, is that you want if
you're going to acquire someone or give up a lot to get someone, you
want to be a clear well, we're going to start them or close them.
If it's the Godfather offer Kevin Durant, Yes, he closes over Cam
Johnson. It's Michael Bridges well, I guess, and Kevin Durant situation,
though you're not dealing with keeping all of Michael Bridge is DeAndre and Cam Johnson
theoretically in a Kelton Johnson situation, you could, but that was just sort
of my I would say off the beaten path target that I don't expect to
become available. And then of course you need to mention Kyle Kuzm I think
would be exactly what this team needs. And you can definitely toggle with,
oh, maybe he's not closing every game once Cam Johnson is healthy, but
also maybe you're going when I've looked at and it's different if you're going to
be the primary backlon guy. But like the way Kuzma is defended this year
and some of the help plays that he's made around the basket, you could
just go like really super small during the non eight minutes and with Kuzma,
Johnson, Bridges CP three, and Devin Booker when you're fully healthy. Those
are just some names to think about. I think even a boy on Bodonovitch
would go a long way still here, depending on the cost. And that's
someone who I don't think you'd be obligated to close all the time. They'll
be matchups where you might prefer Cam Johnson. We're just gonna provide you with
more defense, and that that's a big deal. Boye Madonovitch better I'll say
comparable shooters, but he's gonna give you more out of ISOs. At this
point, he's been one of the more effective scores on draws this year out
of isolations. That's just another good late game weapon to have, or just
again someone with side who can play alongside Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Took
me song again him because I think we've talked about him at nauseum on this
pod as a target for the Suns. That's where amount of phoenix I think
they need to make a move, not to take away from what's actually happening
on the core, but like you're already pulling back in the standings, Devin
Booker was clearly even going through it, like before his actual injury, tried
to play on Christmas Day. I couldn't do it. This is this is
the injury. When it was Cam Johnson, it was Trouble Someone, it
was CP three. I had moved beyond the He's mission critical to what they
do. But we know who the most important, most valuable player to the
Suns really is on the court, and that's Devin Booker. And to be
without him for this long in a Western conference with such a thin margin for
error is a little bit terrifying. I'm not gonna lie. I'm just look,
I'm not gonna lie. It's said it before. You are four losses
back the first place in the West, which you were in first place earlier
this month. I believe you've had like four or five different teams have the
top spot in the West during December. That's wild. You were also like
even go past the Timberwolves at this point. You're currently four losses in front
of the twelve seed Oklahoma City Thunder, and we could throw the Lakers in
there if you want to pay five losses, but they're just irrelevant to me
at this point. Last, but certainly not least, and we need to
I need to shout out the question. I'm going to try and find it
here that it didn't inspire me because I had written about this, so it
ended up being super topical. But it's the MVP discussion, and it's with
Nicole Yokich. Hopefully Nuggets fans. They were pretty pissed at the conversation we
had, which I thought was fine on YouTube and some on Twitter about building
a defense around Yokich and whether it could win a title. I believe it
could, Grant believe it didn't. I thought we both brought valid points,
and then it's fair to be concerned. But that's fair to say just because
we've seen it like we've never seen it, doesn't mean it can happen.
But the question came from La Murray, what are some arguments against Yokich winning
MVP that aren't about things like voter fatigue? And this is something I've given
a lot of thought too, because I do an MVP ladder every other week,
and numerous times throughout this season, I've wondered whether my own cowardice has
held back Nicola Yokich is standing within that ladder, not the overarching discussion.
I don't pretend to matter on this. I don't even I'm so bad at
like the feedback loop from the podcast and how much I've invested in it and
how browbeat and you are when things aren't going well, I don't even promo
my written work now, which is you know, I'm proud of the written
work put out there, but I'm just afraid still it's a weird. I'm
progressing further in the industry, but I'm more worried about getting this feedback loop
of if people disagree or if something goes against the grain. I put Nikoliokas
at number one on my MVP latest MPP ladder. That was my point I
had. This was before Luca Dontage went for a sixty burger against the Knicks,
and so like that's like again, the MVP race is going to be
epic if it keeps up. But I had Yokich at my number one spot
my MVP ladder when I last did it, which was December twenty seventh.
Numerous times throughout this season, He's been no higher than five before that,
and I've wondered whether my own cowardice has held him back in that ladder because
it's not meant to be predictive, those are mine. What I'm saying right
now, I probably vote for Nicole Yoki for MVP. That is my pick.
That is not based on what I think will happen, which is I
think that voter fatigue will kick in for him and Joannis both because they've combined
to win the past four awards at the same time. Even though I'm approaching
it this way, the idea that voter fatigue alone will probably prevent Yokis from
winning a third trade MVP. It gnaws at you, and even if inadvertently,
it probably factored in at least once or twice. Even though I don't
think he had the most MVP is start to the season, he was clearly
looking to involve others more than he has though right now I finally got past
that point because he is Yokich is checking every imaginable MVP box emphatically and beyond
a shadow of a doubt, do you need your MVP to pile up counting
stats on Bonker's efficiency, Yokis is doing that. He's averaging a triple double
over the past few weeks while shooting sixty sixty seven percent inside the arc.
Basically is domination of advanced metrics your thing. That's not a sweat pick a
catch all stat Yokish probably Yokis probably ranks number one in it. The Denver
Nuggets are also better with him on both sides of the floor, and he
continues to lead the MBA in net rating swing among everyone who is logged at
least one hundred and twenty five minutes this season. And this is like the
net rating swings we've now I think played enough games to where we can look
into them as meaningful. And yes, Denver's bench does help prop that net
rating swing up because they are so bad without Nikola Yokis on the floor.
But this isn't last season where Nicol Yokis is on the floor and they're good
amid just a supporting cast that is less than ideal. When a quote Kitch
is on the floor, they are trucking opponents, just absolutely annihilating them by
eleven point one points per one hundred possessions. Their defensive rating is better with
him on the court. That's something we will talk about in a second.
So you can't sit here and use voter fatigue as an excuse anymore. And
first forget that. So we'll have the net rating for the largest in the
league. Do you also need your MVP to have concrete evidence that he uplifts
everyone around him. Dever's affect the field goal percentage improves by eight points with
Yo Kitch in the game. That's the league's highest mark again, and so
yes, it makes sense when he has the highest net rating fing but like
he's improving the efficiency of his team by a margin that is larger than anyone
else in the league. And the other thing that I think we need to
consider here our team wins important to you or does best player on the best
team speak to you. The Nuggets are second in the Western Conference, within
a heartbeat of first, within a heartbeat of a top two record in the
league. There this is not a trade off of oh, Yokis doesn't have
enough help around him, We're rewarding him. They are a really fucking good
basketball team. They are a title contender. And the other thing, and
I think this might be the most important to actually ensure that Yokis could win
his third MVP Award consecutively, which is something that Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain,
and Larry Bird are the only players to ever have done. Last year
it was a matter of wow, look at what Jokich is doing with so
little help around him. The year before was look how dominant Yokich is and
how dominant the regular season Nuggets are. This season is a meld of both.
You haven't Jamal Murray's gotten better, but he has not been Jamal Murray.
These recoveries from an ACL are typically, as Kahi Leonard said, a
two year process where it's you're out and then you have to work your way
back and then it's hopefully you return to normal. Jamal has looked better.
He has not been top twenty five, fringe top twenty five player, JRM
Murray Michael Porter Jr. Has barely played. They've saddled Bones Highland with too
much responsibility. In light of the Monte Morris trade. You don't regret that
trade because of how good of a fit KCP is, but it's it's it's
definitely put a strain on him. He's not ready for maybe it helps him
down the line. The bench has not been great overall, and so the
Nuggets they're supporting Cast, even if on paper it looks more ideal. They're
supporting Cast. Outside of their top six guys, outside of their top end
units, it's been less than ideal. It's been in flux, and even
some of their top end guys have either not been available or not been themselves.
And so it's, oh, look how much help, Look how much
more help Yoki could need? And yet the Nuggets are still elite elite,
So that argument that you're not picking one, it's both. It's a marriage
of both of them. Now Yokich leading a team to title contention despite not
having a picture perfect supporting cast that has played let's call it according to plan,
because I don't just wanted to Smith dismiss your moment or contribution. The
two million game between him Nakooki is gorgeous still And so back to the question
from a lot, what is the actual reasonable argument against the Koyokach winning MVP?
And when we're at this level, if you want to split hairs and
say to fall to someone you trust more in the postseason, that's fine if
this is a regular season award, But if you at the level have to
really look at it and say, wow, I can't separate between Kevin Durant
and Luca don Chich and a healthy Steph Curry what Jason Tatum has done in
Boston. If you can't, if we're at a point where you can envision
multiple players reasonably winning MVP, and right now I would say I can envision
that to where Steph pulls back because of the absence now, but between Kevin
Durant, Tatum, Yo Kitchen don Chich, I think there are four players
that if you told me you were going to pick them to go to be
the MVP this year, I don't know that I have like the best overall
counter argument for you because they've all been so great. And it also that's
part of the ambiguity behind MVP criteria. There's no definitive set of what constitutes
if you wanted to be the best player on the best team, that needs
to be stipulated. I don't think team wins aren't a stat to me,
But if we want to go that route, the Nuggets are again one of
the best teams in the MBA. This is not just the Kol Yoki's benefiting
from a lack of help or me penalizing Jason Tatum for having a really good
supporting cast. Right, gravitate more towards guys who are kind of just the
driving force of everything on offensive, both on and away from the ball,
A Yokich, a Curry, even a don Chich. Sure, but like
Tatum is in the discussion. But when we're at this level where there are
four players and let's just say Steph came back tomorrow, I could see it
being five, Like that's how good he was is this season, and you
have to look at it through the lens of the postseason. I get it.
You also have to acknowledge that Nakole Yokich has been really great in the
postseason offensively. He was great against the Warriors last year. And if you're
going to harp on the defensive concerns again, I think though are really fair.
They Nuggets more recently than I have showed that they're going to try and
defend different ways with different bodies on the court. You can go back and
listen to the Nuggets conversation. I think at full strength, their top end
units are good enough defensively to win a championship. I'm not arguing that.
Do I think that Nicolociu is a liability on defense? No? I do
not. Is he liability in certain matchups? Absolutely, you could say the
same for almost every player in the NBA. Do I think he forces you
to defend a certain way where he has to come up to the level of
the screen or you have to avoid drop as much as possible. Yes and
no, Yes I think he does. But like if you have someone else
with size in addition to Aaron Gordon, so someone else with real size,
not a not a Bruce Brown, who I think I always discredit for his
size, like KCP it's six five. Ruth Brown is a little bit growthier,
but he's also he stands at six nine, and so I say size,
but like he's just a like feels like a low center of gravity six
nine. Is that unfair to say he's like perfect but like someone who's bigger,
like longer, lanky, or whatever you want to say. If it
was pairing a Jeremy Grant with an Aaron Gordon, then I think you could
defend out almost however the hell you want around Yokichen. So I don't think
it's I don't think it's inflexible beyond repair. And I think we've seen the
Nuggets try a bunch of different that having Christian Brown in there at certain moments
because he's a little bit bigger has helped recently and they I think it was
I can't remember which game it was I mentioned this on the past podcast.
Was against the Grizzlies, where was they threw just a like it was,
Hey, we're gonna go after them with size and length and like through more
coverages than I think you would normally see in the half court defensively at Memphis,
And so there's that. I think that everything is that they are good
enough at their top end to win a title and that we can't use this
to discredit Yokich's MVP case even look, I mean simple things like defensive rebounding
and ending possessions the other team's possession that has value in itself. But if
you're going to look at it and say that is the argument is my point
which speaks because it's relatively flimsy as far as counter arguments go. It speaks
to how serious a contender Nakole Yokich is for this third consecutive MVP award and
for making MBA history. You asked me to choose. Now, I don't
have faith that voter fatigue won't kick in for him and for Yannis, by
the way, who's that kind of on the outskirts of this discussion. But
the Bucks are weird all of a sudden. I know they haven't add Chris
Middleton and the big three has played five games together, but it's just the
half court offensive Bonky and Janie has taken and he's made some really nice bed
rangers. But it just feels All could still enter the conversation because he's honest.
That being said, while I don't have faith that Nicole Yokich will win
his third consecutive MVP Award. The argument against him, it's not that it
doesn't exist. We are now at the scale where it's like microscopically finn and
you really have to search for reasons not to include him in the discussion or
to forget about voting him. He needs to be in this discussion, and
I don't know. I've seen people to be about the agendas of leaving him
off. I've seen him, and including my own MVP ladder number on,
I've seen him in other MVP ladders. We don't need to invent all men
when we know they exist, and that Drew Hanlon's gonna tweet something fucking stupid
about it eventually if he hasn't already. He already did it at Luca's expense,
so I was wouldn't say that. I don't think there aren't other deserving
picks. I'd Luca taught my MVP ladder for the longest time. I'd steph
ahead of Yokis for the longest time before his injury. Yokis is a real
candidate to win his third MVP Award, and voter fatigue is not an excuse,
like Klaul Murray mentions it would be. Do I trust him enough in
the postseason relative to Luca or to Kevin Durant, or to Steph Curry or
to Jason Tatum, and you should trust Yokich at the level because of what
those guys do best are what they're mostly going to do best in the playoffs.
Should Jason Dayson Tatum not win because of how he was shut down by
the Warriors in the finals. This is a regular season award, and it's
an important to separate that. But at the level of where we're at right
now, I understand where you would scale forward into the postseason, and I
don't think that needs I don't think that needs to be a huge part of
the thinking, nor do I think that it should be a huge part of
thinking. This is a regular season a ward at its heart. It's just
that this isn't last year where I think Yoki. I mean, you could
have went you honest and maybe even embed so like it was close enough to
that's how what swayed your vote. But if your vote was voter fatigue or
Yokis is just a liability on defense or a team that has him can't win
a title, that doesn't work anymore insofar as it ever did, which by
the way, it didn't. It doesn't work now, it's disingenuous, and
so you have to be honest, which is something that I would want to
do with yourself, and say, Okay, do I trust Yokich as much
as I trust Luka Natchez in the playoffs? And you know what, the
answer to me is yes, because of what they both do best is going
to scale to the playoffs. When you get into flaws, if Jayson Tatum
can be sort of a you know, harassed by by length and double teams.
Yeah, it's only one team, but should that matter? Like or
maybe it's two, two, three teams depending on the defensive personnel. Should
that matter? Like all these players have their flaws, I think, I
mean, like having to rants probably pretty close to a flawless player with the
way that he's defending for most of this year. Still, if you want
to frame it that way, I think that's fine. It's not something I
would necessarily do to say I trust Kevin Durant Moore or Lucamore in the playoffs,
so that's who I would vote for. That would has not been my
deciding factor yet I'm saying that it could be a deciding factor. And that's
fine. Do I agree with it? I look at this is the regular
season award. Nikolioki is checking every regular season box imaginable. One that shouldn't
even count for as much as they do, which is capslock team wins.
They're there, the Nuggets contending for a top spot in the Western Conference.
This isn't them hovering around five six whatever. So Nicole Kich might actually win
his third MVP award if people are paying attention and can get past voter fatigue.
He has been, to me the league's most valuable player to date,
and I don't know if that would have changed with the Steph Curry injury.
I might go back and forth with Luca on any given day. He to
me right now is the single most valuable season player in the league. Hope
you enjoyed this podcast. Hope you if you listen to the full episode,
enjoyed some of the candor and transparency that was behind it. Thank you all
for a great year helping us set our modest record for downloads again just audio
at least, you know, at least seeing half a million insights was pretty
cool, not including YouTube and all that haven't gone through the year on YouTube,
but that was a pretty good year for growth, even though we're still
I'll subscribe to us YouTube and all your podcasts. If you're this far and
you're not subscribed, I don't know. I honestly, I'm impressed, like
I'm almost impressed like that you've avoided subscribing. Subscribe though, and tell people
about us, you know, if you can convince someone to listen to us,
Send me a screenshot, tag me on Twitter about it, Tell me
about it that you recommended us via word of mouth and feedback because I mentioned
it's always appreciated ways for the pot to get better, to expand, anything
along those lines. Until next time, join the discord linked in the YouTube
and podcast this podcast description, and I also leave you with a shout out
to one the only, the legendary, the real MVP if we're being honest, right,