1 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,920 What is krak Lac and bel thermonuclear A efforts. I am at Dana Valley 2 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:25,120 coming at you with my certified fantabulous thermo nuclear AF co host, mister Grant 3 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,079 Hughes. Don't worry. We have our full on mega episodes where we go 4 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:34,399 through the over unders, biggest overachievers, underachievers, and how poorly Grant and 5 00:00:34,439 --> 00:00:38,479 I fared in that department, how the how our audience discord members fared as 6 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,799 well. We also have to wrap up with the all league teams, all 7 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:43,719 NBA, all rookie, all the events. But first, it's been a 8 00:00:43,759 --> 00:00:47,640 while since we talked about some news and current events topics. We've just talked 9 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,200 a lot of big picture, every team stuff. So Grant and I figured 10 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,520 that we would bounce around and talk about some of the bigger items that have 11 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,560 caught our attention over the last week or so. But first, Grant, 12 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,960 how are you doing? I'm doing well. I'm glad that we are going 13 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,760 to hit some current events because sometimes it feels like we're ignoring, like the 14 00:01:06,799 --> 00:01:08,519 actual things that are happening day to day. So this will be good to 15 00:01:08,519 --> 00:01:12,359 get. It's so big part of our day to day. But because you 16 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,760 and I just get together and record once twice a week if we're lucky. 17 00:01:15,799 --> 00:01:19,760 It's just like, you know, I'd rather cover the big picture stuff with 18 00:01:19,799 --> 00:01:22,719 you. Sure, yeah, no, this will be good, So let's 19 00:01:22,799 --> 00:01:26,760 let's get into it. You want so the first I think kind of surprising 20 00:01:27,439 --> 00:01:33,719 story because it's it doesn't feel like it's'tis not the season for extensions typically 21 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,879 as we're getting close to the playoffs. Youre drew Holiday four years with Boston 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,560 for one hundred and thirty four million dollars. One of the things this accomplishes, 23 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,040 by the way, is you're knocking what like five million bucks off his 24 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,439 salary next year in this renegotiating extent, and that's going to save Boston, 25 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:55,280 who will be a second Apron team like sevenfold. It's so little savings there, 26 00:01:55,319 --> 00:01:57,480 even though that's a big deal for Holiday, don't you think? Yeah, 27 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,760 when you're looking at his age and it's funny that this is the third 28 00:02:01,599 --> 00:02:06,359 like nine figure contract that he signed, I think, what would report it? 29 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,439 And that's the first time it's ever happened. Was it was one of 30 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:12,479 those things where I guess we kind of never talked about a number. I'm 31 00:02:12,479 --> 00:02:19,319 actually I'm not surprised at the number, but I guess I am surprised in 32 00:02:19,319 --> 00:02:22,319 the sense that I thought if he was going to sign one, that it 33 00:02:22,319 --> 00:02:24,960 would just save the Celtics a little bit more on an average annual basis. 34 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,159 So maybe I am shocked at that final number, but I will say he's 35 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,639 he's been worth it, Like just looking at what he does defensively still but 36 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:38,960 even offensively, they've streamlined his role. Adam Taylor of Celtics Block I believe 37 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,360 he had a great thread where he's talking about we all know what Drew Holliday's 38 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,159 been able to do as kind of getting to the corners, but just looking 39 00:02:44,199 --> 00:02:46,120 at the stuff he's been able to do as a screener, even some of 40 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,879 the stuff he's been able to do as a short role, it kind of 41 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,240 it feels like this is the most playoff proof that he's ever been because we 42 00:02:53,319 --> 00:02:58,080 know that his jumper has kind of fallen off during the postseason, specifically in 43 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,719 his years with Milwaukee. The large part of that was, Okay, well, 44 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,680 he needs to like self create a lot, and now he's not gonna 45 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,199 have to do that as much, or if he does, there's just going 46 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:13,080 to be more space with him like to work off. So you know, 47 00:03:13,159 --> 00:03:15,240 maybe does the back end of this deal he has that player option in twenty 48 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,080 seven twenty eight for you know, thirty seven point four million dollars, Does 49 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,439 that come back to bite you? You're all in on now? And I 50 00:03:22,439 --> 00:03:24,560 think what this does because so what was his player option? It was about 51 00:03:24,599 --> 00:03:28,280 forty million, right, I think, so, yeah, you're there. 52 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,240 Now he's down to thirty million, and that's for next year is projected at 53 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:36,319 thirty point one million. I think what that does is and I really think 54 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,840 it only becomes pertinent if they flame out in the playoffs, which I wouldn't 55 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:44,039 expect him to. Is just you're you're going to be a second Apron team. 56 00:03:44,199 --> 00:03:47,120 But now it's just you have that ten million extra dollars or he does 57 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,360 it make you more willing to stomach doing that? Doesn't make you more willing 58 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,400 to extend Derek White now? And then, like obviously, if his salary's 59 00:03:54,439 --> 00:03:59,199 not going to come up immediately, you always could have done that. But 60 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:00,960 you can kind of look at it and say, okay, but we have 61 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,000 to worry about Jason Tatum's next deal, and we have Jalen Brown's kicking in. 62 00:04:03,039 --> 00:04:08,039 Do we necessarily want to extend him even if he's willing to sign one. 63 00:04:08,759 --> 00:04:12,879 So I think even if the Celtics slaim out in the playoffs, this 64 00:04:13,039 --> 00:04:17,160 makes it way more likely, feasible, manageable from the billionaire owners perspective, 65 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:23,519 that or ownership's perspective that you can still float the crux of this core, 66 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,480 which I think is just look, I don't think fans should necessarily have to 67 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,399 care about finances or root for teams to cut payroll. It is a reality 68 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,879 of the situation, though, and this is going to make it, I 69 00:04:32,879 --> 00:04:36,720 would say, more tenable through at least next season. Now, when you're 70 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,319 coming out of that and you know Jason Tatum he's gonna be on a new 71 00:04:41,319 --> 00:04:45,360 deal after next year, then we're gonna have to have a larger discussion. 72 00:04:45,399 --> 00:04:48,959 But this feels like it kind of solidifies what the Celtics have through at least 73 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,879 next season. And yes it does. It does lock you into the second 74 00:04:53,879 --> 00:04:57,639 apron, which is gonna limit you in free agency or not gonna have any 75 00:04:57,639 --> 00:05:00,439 exceptions to use. It's gonna limit what you can do in t aids. 76 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,800 It would have been more of a disaster or just lose Drew Holiday and free 77 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,360 agency to say, hey, look we have the mini mid level exception to 78 00:05:05,519 --> 00:05:10,879 use. That doesn't yeah right. I think the only thing I bump bump 79 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,399 on a little bit is, yes, the CAP's going up, and yes, 80 00:05:14,759 --> 00:05:16,240 you know, thirty a year is not going to mean quite what it 81 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:21,279 seems like it means now. Is like the theory is this is his optimal 82 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:26,160 role because we're asking him to do less, except now we're also paying him 83 00:05:26,199 --> 00:05:30,319 like someone that you would typically demand more of. Like that's a little like 84 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,120 incongruous to me, but at the same time, like I think it's just 85 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,680 like you said, this is a win now team and now you have Drew 86 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,480 Holiday for you know, the next two years. He should be worth that 87 00:05:41,519 --> 00:05:44,600 money, and then some like if you win a championship, he's worth whatever. 88 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,279 Yeah, so yeah, I think that's that's just the thinking is like 89 00:05:47,879 --> 00:05:50,360 really, like how hard is it going to be to move Drew Holiday, 90 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:55,240 you know, if you really needed to down the line, Like I don't 91 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:58,959 think I don't. I think he's even as he because this is this will 92 00:05:58,959 --> 00:06:00,399 pay him for his age thirty four, thirty five, thirty six, thirty 93 00:06:00,439 --> 00:06:04,839 seven seasons. I think he's gonna be like a positive value guy. It's 94 00:06:04,879 --> 00:06:10,480 the first two seasons of this deal will absolutely be fine, and then numbers 95 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:14,839 not really that scary, but I mean, like even it's so his final 96 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,920 year is thirty seven point four. Do you know what the salary cap is 97 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:23,759 projected to be at that point? I surely don't. That's it's a one 98 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:27,759 hundred and I'll round up an eighty eight million, So you're gonna say, 99 00:06:27,959 --> 00:06:32,600 thirty seven point four against one hundred and eighty eight. It's like less than 100 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,560 twenty percent of the salary cap. That's fine. I mean for thirty seven 101 00:06:35,639 --> 00:06:41,639 year old uh drade, that's not nothing. But it's fine to have that 102 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,519 on the back end because of the value that you're locking in for these first 103 00:06:45,519 --> 00:06:47,000 I think it's a win for him to get a player option. Oh my 104 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,120 god. Yeah, you're in your mid thirties and you're getting nine figures. 105 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,600 That's a win no matter what. But yeah, like that's just yeah, 106 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,399 player option notwithstanding, that's that's a great deal for him. Good for him, 107 00:06:58,439 --> 00:07:00,279 man, like that. A guy that's just like beloved by everyone in 108 00:07:00,319 --> 00:07:05,319 the league and everyone that actually plays thinks this guy's phenomenal is getting paid again 109 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,040 and again and again. So I think it's a great thing, and they 110 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,839 now have when you kind of look at the deals they have just very quickly. 111 00:07:12,199 --> 00:07:15,800 So yes, Jalen Brown's very expensive, Jason Taine was probably below market 112 00:07:15,839 --> 00:07:17,839 for now, but we know that's about to change. Like to get Chris 113 00:07:17,879 --> 00:07:21,959 Stops at a lower number last summer, Derek White's another year cost controlled, 114 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,399 Al Horford's another year very cost controlled, and to get a Drew holiday extension 115 00:07:26,439 --> 00:07:29,399 that again for at least the first half of it is just like, yeah, 116 00:07:29,439 --> 00:07:32,600 you do this, and to lower the number off of the what he 117 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,879 was supposed to what he could have gotten in that player option. This feels 118 00:07:35,879 --> 00:07:40,319 like a win win for both sides. I will say the total value, 119 00:07:40,759 --> 00:07:42,959 and now that I'm kind of thinking about it, I'm not shocked at how 120 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,319 much money they're saving. I didn't necessarily expect them to save more next year, 121 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,480 but even I might have predicted that the average annual value was like thirty 122 00:07:49,519 --> 00:07:55,600 million, not thirty plus million. Yeah. Yeah, I think you know, 123 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,600 you might. You might say, Dan, it's a little bit of 124 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:05,279 a gamble. Speaking of which, Adam Silver had some comments on about one 125 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:11,319 John say porter uh, and they were pointed. I would say, what 126 00:08:11,399 --> 00:08:13,519 did he what did he say? What were what are the buzzwords that have 127 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:18,240 come out of Adam Silver talking about current don't know is he a current raptor 128 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:26,120 so the gai the gist of it was Adam Silver made a point to say 129 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:31,120 that he has incredible leeway or power when it comes to handing out punishments, 130 00:08:31,439 --> 00:08:33,480 which is like, I'll get to it in a second. Then he also 131 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,360 kind of said that anything's on the table where this could lead to what he's 132 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,840 accused of as a cardinal sin. This could lead to banishment was a word 133 00:08:41,879 --> 00:08:46,440 that was used. I have so many thoughts here and in Dovetails with the 134 00:08:46,519 --> 00:08:50,639 Jontay Porter stuff. I don't know if we talked about this in the podcast. 135 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,000 Remember when Jamie Bickerstaff came out and said that him and his family are 136 00:08:54,039 --> 00:08:58,720 being threatened by because a bet didn't pan out or something. Yeah, I 137 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,679 just let me, let me multilayer this and you could tackle it as you 138 00:09:01,759 --> 00:09:09,200 may. Where was this definitive energy from Adam Silver when Miles Bridges type stuff 139 00:09:09,879 --> 00:09:13,279 was going on and I don't want to compare it's you know, it's not 140 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:20,559 fair to compare these things. But the answer is that this impacts the NBA's 141 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:24,440 bottom line, so to speak, if people think that the players are gambling 142 00:09:24,519 --> 00:09:28,759 or will impact the outcomes of the games. The other thing is, there's 143 00:09:28,159 --> 00:09:31,360 I have three other things, and two of them are very quick. So 144 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,799 let me start with the two quick things. For him to kind of say 145 00:09:35,879 --> 00:09:41,519 I have immense power, but not I'm paraphrasing, but for him to acknowledge 146 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:46,440 that we should be holding him accountable more than ever when the punishment doesn't seem 147 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,840 like it fits what actually happens, then because you're gonna say that you have 148 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,519 this capability and then you're still gonna not step in in certain instance or speak 149 00:09:54,559 --> 00:10:00,759 in as strong terms as you would now. So there's that. The other 150 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,000 thing is this could also be so he's speaking in such definitive terms, but 151 00:10:05,039 --> 00:10:07,919 we don't have the results of this investigation yet. The two things that I 152 00:10:07,919 --> 00:10:13,799 would wonder there are does he know more like is the evidence just so against 153 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,879 like is it just so undeniable against John Tay Porter? Or is he just 154 00:10:18,919 --> 00:10:20,639 trying to send a message that to the rest of the players that if you 155 00:10:20,759 --> 00:10:26,000 did something like this, whether or not Johntay Porter did, it's we're gonna 156 00:10:26,639 --> 00:10:30,559 it's like you're gonna be punished, like to the fullest extent possible, like 157 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,679 you might to use the word banishment. So that stuck out to me where 158 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,240 it's, okay, well, this is either there's more evidence or then like 159 00:10:37,279 --> 00:10:41,320 we know, like the evidence just must be so dire against him, or 160 00:10:41,759 --> 00:10:43,840 he's trying to send another message. My final thing, and this is the 161 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:50,600 bigger issue, is I find it incredibly there's a level of hypocrisy here. 162 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:56,399 But there's this going on. There's the JB. Bicker Staff type things where 163 00:10:56,399 --> 00:10:58,679 we know players are being harassed because they're already harassed, but now they're harassed 164 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:05,120 about people's parlays not hitting. We have the NBA basically admitting or the NBA 165 00:11:05,279 --> 00:11:09,240 saying that they're not gonna admit to this, but they'll basically admit to it, 166 00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:13,559 that the game is being called differently than it was at the beginning of 167 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:18,159 the season, post All Star break that impacts betting outcomes, and if you 168 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,919 had I think it was Joe Mizzoula recently even said that he doesn't read too 169 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,759 much into it or it wasn't made too much of a big deal behind the 170 00:11:24,799 --> 00:11:30,799 scenes. So we're sitting here, we're gonna get mad that Jhontay Porter might 171 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:35,159 have checked himself out of games or missed games to like skew the props in 172 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:41,200 his favor. But the league impacted every single game that's being played without an 173 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:48,799 official announcement to say, so that at minimum affects over unders, but also 174 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:52,159 definitely affects player props. I think you could just affect entire outcomes if you're 175 00:11:52,159 --> 00:11:56,720 talking about stars who if the crux of their style, let's say, is 176 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,759 getting to the foul line or doing this on offense, and to do that 177 00:11:58,799 --> 00:12:03,919 with out officially announcing it to where it shifts betting markets and the way that 178 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,360 people might bet. And I don't have anything against people. I don't bet 179 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:11,440 on sports. This podcast has made money off of people who bet on sports 180 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:18,320 and sports betting ads. I've provided consulting services to websites that produce sports betting 181 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,279 content. So there's a level of hypocrisy coming from me. But the league 182 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:28,519 is just entering very uncomfortable waters. And I'm just like this whole Johntay Porter 183 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,639 press conference, was it brought to you by DraftKings and FanDuel? Like? 184 00:12:31,639 --> 00:12:35,840 Who is the league sponsored by that regard? I just I don't know how 185 00:12:35,879 --> 00:12:39,000 to feel like this. The feelings are very complex. I will just say 186 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:48,279 that there needs to be like the need for transparency and is even greater than 187 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:50,960 it's ever been. And I'm uncomfortable with the way the rules shifted in the 188 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:56,559 game without there being any official announcement, because you know, do your sportsbook 189 00:12:56,639 --> 00:13:00,919 partners understand that this is happening when everyone else doesn't? Do they not understand? 190 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,159 And my guess is no, they probably do understand. Do certain sports 191 00:13:03,159 --> 00:13:07,399 books have a leg up on others because they don't have the direct partnerships with 192 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,440 the league? And then the ones who are getting screwed at the end of 193 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,399 the day of this would be the consumers of the people betting on sports because 194 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,879 they're not pretty to this change right away that's been happening. And yes, 195 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,120 now we all are, but you have the NBA sitting there and I'm basically 196 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,720 you know. This is the podcast Zachlo did with I think it was Joe 197 00:13:22,759 --> 00:13:28,919 Dumarsenmani McCutchen was on it, where the gist of it basically was, well, 198 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,279 we didn't make a mandate to do this, but we also kind of 199 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,000 did. It's just like what I took away from it. Yeah, I 200 00:13:35,159 --> 00:13:39,320 think I think you disagree with me. I'm ready for it. No, 201 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:43,679 no, no, I think what i'd say. What I would add is 202 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:50,639 that if you're looking for through lines to not necessarily certainly not eliminate some of 203 00:13:50,639 --> 00:13:56,279 the hypocritical things you've pointed out, but to sort of like make some of 204 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:03,960 it make sense, I think you would say that Silver and the League are 205 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:09,080 at least very much focused on the competitive integrity of the game, which you 206 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,919 could apply to obviously, like this is why gambling, whether you think he's 207 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:18,399 grandstanding or not, or whether you think this is a message that he's sending 208 00:14:18,519 --> 00:14:24,840 or not, Like gambling is a very specific kind not gambling itself, but 209 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:33,120 like players potentially you know, affecting the competitive integrity of the game to profit 210 00:14:33,279 --> 00:14:37,679 from gambling. That's a really specific threat. And it's why the league has 211 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,559 been so sensitive about all that stuff, like really forever, going back to 212 00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:45,320 like some of the officiating stuff in the early two thousands and the black mark 213 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:52,240 that that left and like so that so with that idea, the idea that 214 00:14:52,279 --> 00:14:56,480 the changing of the rules, you know, and it was kind of handled 215 00:14:56,559 --> 00:14:58,679 messily. I think I totally agree with that like just say what you're doing. 216 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:05,279 Scorings out of control, offensive players are making non basketball moves to draw 217 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:09,559 fouls, Like it's turning the sport into something kind of different. That's kind 218 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,120 of a competitive integrity thing too, Like we want the game to be played 219 00:15:13,519 --> 00:15:16,240 a certain way, with like a certain level of like like honesty. I 220 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,600 guess like because the offensive player is sort of doing a dishonest thing to exploit 221 00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:24,960 the rules. When the defensive players out of position, I'm throwing myself into 222 00:15:24,039 --> 00:15:28,840 him. Nobody likes the look of that. It compromises some of the like 223 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:33,639 again, like the integrity of the game. So I think like that doesn't 224 00:15:33,879 --> 00:15:37,679 all of that happening at the same time does not seem particularly hypocritical because I 225 00:15:37,679 --> 00:15:41,399 think Silver correctly is super concerned with like, Okay, we want fans to 226 00:15:41,679 --> 00:15:48,159 belitte to have faith in the game being played like the right way and like 227 00:15:48,279 --> 00:15:52,720 on the up and up, and like anything that cuts against that is a 228 00:15:52,799 --> 00:15:56,519 problem. So I think that that sort of connects the two things. But 229 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:02,279 yeah, I can't disagree with like the idea that you know they didn't the 230 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:07,279 league has not handled I don't think to me what and to everybody I think 231 00:16:07,279 --> 00:16:10,879 what was like a pretty obvious change in how the game was played, and 232 00:16:10,919 --> 00:16:15,840 that absolutely affected like you know, like you said, the gambling markets and 233 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:19,120 stuff. I don't have a lot. I think maybe you could even extend 234 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:26,639 that same line of thinking to like how the how like the uglier domestic violence 235 00:16:26,679 --> 00:16:30,360 and like all this other shitty stuff that players do. It's like, that's 236 00:16:30,559 --> 00:16:33,759 bad, we don't want that. It's not making fans. It's making fans 237 00:16:33,759 --> 00:16:37,320 like not like that player maybe or not like the team that employs that player. 238 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:44,960 But it's not the same type of threat to like the like competitive like 239 00:16:45,759 --> 00:16:48,399 I can't think of a better term, the competitive integrity of the sport. 240 00:16:48,519 --> 00:16:55,960 Like a shitty player, a shitty person that does bad things like can still 241 00:16:56,399 --> 00:16:59,759 like play the game on the up and up and like that I think is 242 00:16:59,799 --> 00:17:04,920 what maybe they care about more. That ignores like all the like you want 243 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,920 this type of person representing your league, Like that's a separate issue maybe, 244 00:17:10,039 --> 00:17:11,160 but you know what I mean, Like there is a little bit of a 245 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,680 of a through line you can trace, and I guess there's a difference in 246 00:17:15,799 --> 00:17:19,480 due process where it's when you're dealing with the domestic violence stuff or whether it's 247 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:25,400 rape alligation or something that investigations, there's an there's an arm, a more 248 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:29,039 prominent arm that's taking place outside of the league. So and because there's a 249 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:33,119 in theory, a more sensitive issue on a human level, way more sensitive. 250 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,839 Want to make that clear. They have gambling that you're read, you're 251 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,920 hesitant to comment on it, and now this is fully in the league's control. 252 00:17:41,279 --> 00:17:44,319 But to come out there is a level of hypocrisy in the sense that 253 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,480 to come out this strongly and say that stuff when you don't say that stuff 254 00:17:48,519 --> 00:17:52,440 in general terms when it is domestic violence happening, you're very careful to tiptoe 255 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,680 around it, or we're we're carrying out the course our investigation. He was 256 00:17:56,759 --> 00:18:00,640 just so the quotes that were coming out, it was just so definitive, 257 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,759 whether he was trying to send a message or commenting on the degree of evidence 258 00:18:04,759 --> 00:18:08,799 that they actually have, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Relative to 259 00:18:08,839 --> 00:18:11,880 that in addition to everything else with the gambling. But you do make the 260 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,079 gambling specifically, not comparing it to the mestic violence or anything else. The 261 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,960 integrity of the game stuff you want fans to believe that. The hypocrisy to 262 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,200 me just comes in, Well, then why wasn't it communicated from the jump 263 00:18:22,759 --> 00:18:27,079 what you were getting ratiating? Yeah, you'd think because because what is such 264 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,920 a high priority for the league and for Adam Silver is like we need to 265 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:37,799 preserve the notion among fans that like these games are being played legitimately and like 266 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,400 this is true. That is what the value of like sports is, like 267 00:18:41,519 --> 00:18:45,759 true competition that's not tainted by like anything else, you know, whether it's 268 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:52,720 rule manipulation or like something is wor as bad as like this game is fixed 269 00:18:52,839 --> 00:18:55,839 or you know, things like that. Like nothing makes the money go away 270 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,160 and the interests go away faster than the supposition that like this is it's rigged 271 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:06,119 somehow. Like that's like that's death to the money making you know, apparatus 272 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:08,160 that is the NBA, whereas like some of that other stuff just isn't And 273 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,920 that's like a shit cold way to talk about it. But like that's to 274 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,240 me, that's the difference. I think it's a business, and like the 275 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:21,079 biggest threats to the business is fans deciding like, oh, this isn't like 276 00:19:21,279 --> 00:19:25,559 real, this isn't what I thought it was. You know, let's let's 277 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:30,359 I don't know what's a transition from there. But let's some more injury news. 278 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,960 Unfortunately, the next thing we're gonna hit here, uh, Jannis Akumbo 279 00:19:34,559 --> 00:19:41,440 against Boston pulled up non contact injury. Everybody freaked out and thought achilles. 280 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,160 I know I did, at least initially looks like a calf injury. Not 281 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,839 as severe, but still not not optimal here for the Bucks and for your 282 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,319 honest no, I mean they he has been their best defender this year, 283 00:19:52,759 --> 00:19:56,400 and which is not I mean, you can say on any given yol though 284 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:00,759 brook Lopez was the runner up last season. The I think I saw was 285 00:20:00,759 --> 00:20:03,200 that Jeff Stotts had said it or someone else that noted that it only thinks 286 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,119 one to two weeks to recover if it is in fact just the calf strains. 287 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:08,400 So that's fine on part. They're not gonna be in the plane, 288 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:12,319 so they have the time to shut it down. This could impact their seating, 289 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,839 but they're just if he's not one hundred percent or any as close too 290 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,720 hundred percent as you coul possibly be as late in the season, they're absolutely 291 00:20:21,799 --> 00:20:23,920 fucked. I mean they're I mean, you could point to some of the 292 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:27,039 games where Dame has looked a little bit more normal without Giannis. It's you're 293 00:20:27,079 --> 00:20:33,039 not doing anything in the Eastern Conference playoffs without Yannis. And this just kind 294 00:20:33,039 --> 00:20:36,880 of underscores the fact that there's a level of anything can happen to the Eastern 295 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,519 Conference playoff bracket. I know Boston is Boston is Boston, but even their 296 00:20:40,599 --> 00:20:44,880 crunch time offense has gotten boggy. And we we've just seen it in all 297 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:47,440 these other years where it's, oh, they fall behind three to zero, 298 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:48,920 but then they come back to force a game seven, or it looks like 299 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,720 they're on the brink against the Sixers last year and oh no, they they're 300 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,079 going to win that anyway. The Eastern Conference is just a free for all 301 00:20:56,079 --> 00:20:59,000 with all these injuries, feel like they're gonna play a huge factor as to 302 00:20:59,039 --> 00:21:02,039 what does Joel bed but like in the playoffs, and even danfy Meltain with 303 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:04,720 him, now it's Yannis from Milwaukee. We know the Knicks are without Randall, 304 00:21:04,759 --> 00:21:10,160 what does og look like for them? Cleveland with Mitchell fresh off his 305 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:15,400 PRP injection, the nasal fracture, how does that play out? And aside 306 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,079 from injuries, just the East feels like one big ass wild card. I 307 00:21:18,079 --> 00:21:22,319 mean, Boston is the certainty, and I would say that given the Yannis 308 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,319 injury, and I know Joe all Embid has looked fine since he's come back, 309 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,319 but it just feels like it's all set up to would you be shocked 310 00:21:30,319 --> 00:21:33,640 if it's, Oh, Boston went twelve and one to come out of the 311 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,839 Eastern Conference. I was just gonna say. The main takeaway here is like 312 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,039 the rich get richer a little bit in terms like Boston's gonna finish. There 313 00:21:41,079 --> 00:21:45,359 are are thirteen games on Milwaukee right now for between the first and second seed, 314 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,799 like that numbers probably getting well, that number may stay there. That's 315 00:21:48,839 --> 00:21:52,240 a massive number, and now you're you're removing, you know, or at 316 00:21:52,319 --> 00:21:56,000 least diminishing the best player on that second seed. The other thing that's interesting 317 00:21:56,079 --> 00:22:00,559 right now, if the playoffs started and we assume Philly wins the seven eight 318 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:07,000 matchup, it's Philly Milwaukee and like a second straight Milwaukee first round elimination is 319 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,039 on the table. If Jannis is not himself, an embiid is like closer 320 00:22:11,039 --> 00:22:15,440 to himself, Like we we fire in Doc Rivers now, like we're gonna 321 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,279 bring Bodenholzer back, Like that's just well, at that point you have to 322 00:22:18,319 --> 00:22:22,559 trade Dame for Capra Leaf to afford to pay eight coaches. How does that 323 00:22:22,599 --> 00:22:27,279 work? Well, you fire all the equipment managers who are apparently very unprofessional, 324 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,960 I guess according to doctor Patrick Beverly started the other night. So I 325 00:22:32,039 --> 00:22:34,200 think the Bucks are saved. Yeah, no, no, it's I mean, 326 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,440 it's just the Celtics. I think we're gonna steamroll anyway. And now 327 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:44,039 it's just like show up and it's I would say, it's objectively a bummer 328 00:22:44,079 --> 00:22:47,519 because even if you're a fan of a certain team, you want to just 329 00:22:47,759 --> 00:22:49,880 I would think anyway that you would want to see the best players during the 330 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:53,799 most important time of the year. And so look, look it sounds like 331 00:22:55,079 --> 00:22:59,640 it's not as serious as it looked. Uh, but this is just like 332 00:22:59,759 --> 00:23:03,119 I mean, and it's a lower body injury to one of the most anomalous 333 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:10,000 physical specimens we've ever seen, and that just makes me uneasy. And like 334 00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:14,960 it's I mean, Jannis, you know, it gets glossed over now, 335 00:23:15,039 --> 00:23:18,960 but like people were saying Giannis was hurt last year and that's part of the 336 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,559 reason that the Bucks lost back. I mean, yeah, the back issue 337 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,839 like Miami, right, So yeah, it's it's it's really I mean, 338 00:23:26,839 --> 00:23:30,400 we haven't really talked about this, but it's kind of concerning for you. 339 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,200 He had a great statistical season, but like these things are piling up, 340 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,880 like it seems like every time we get to this point of the year, 341 00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:41,480 because he had that horrific, like theoretically looked or looked like career ending knee 342 00:23:41,519 --> 00:23:45,000 injury. Was it two postseasons ago when he got coming down off a dunk. 343 00:23:45,039 --> 00:23:49,680 It's just like, you can't have too many more of these. Let's 344 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,799 get to a couple of extensions non Drew Holiday edition. We have a head 345 00:23:53,839 --> 00:23:59,440 coach Jason Kidd and a top executive Raphael Stone, a couple of Texas teams, 346 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:04,599 the MAVs and Rockets, respectively. Uh, looking to possibly extend a 347 00:24:04,599 --> 00:24:08,519 couple guys that have had a lot to do. I guess certainly Stone did. 348 00:24:08,599 --> 00:24:11,839 Kid. The jury's out for me still on the success of both of 349 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:18,480 these teams. Yeah, I think Stone probably deserves an extension. I don't 350 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:19,440 like, you don't need to make them one of the you know, get 351 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,920 the Tim ho Connolly special for a minute. Who by the way, Tim 352 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,799 Connley could opt out of his contract. Yeah, well, get to them. 353 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:30,880 But yeah, I think he deserves an extension just because you know this 354 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:36,079 overseeing the Steven Silas stuff was weird, but like what you did this body 355 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:40,960 of work in the offseason. I guess the one blotch would be given how 356 00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:45,279 aggressively you chased brook Lopez. I guess you still devalued Alprin Shangoun. But 357 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:49,279 just like and I guess some of the stuff was non decisions, like Jabari 358 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,599 Smith Junior fell to you, and look how good he's panned out. Some 359 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,279 people might say, would you have taken Jalen Green all over again? I 360 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:03,519 just Brooks Frevan Fleet getting Emayo Doka from a basketball perspective and in culture that's 361 00:25:03,519 --> 00:25:08,799 been able to be overseen. There the defense of just like how good it 362 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,039 was this year and what's the alternative at this point where it's like, no, 363 00:25:12,079 --> 00:25:14,839 you don't need to make him one of the highest paid execs. But 364 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,720 I think he's absolutely earned the right to see this through for a few more 365 00:25:18,799 --> 00:25:22,000 years at a at a better rate than he's receiving now, because would assume 366 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,720 he's one of the lower paid executives in the league. Just kind of understanding 367 00:25:25,759 --> 00:25:30,079 the dynamics with Tom and Fertita, so I'd be for an extension with him. 368 00:25:30,519 --> 00:25:32,319 Do you have anything to add on that from before you No, I 369 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:33,559 was just gonna say, I think we both had him top three in our 370 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,799 executive the year right, like might have been second, I can't remember, 371 00:25:37,839 --> 00:25:42,640 but like the Audoka hiring like clearly changed the team. The draft, well, 372 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,039 they've developed, well, they've signed well, Like, there's not a 373 00:25:45,079 --> 00:25:49,440 lot else you can do as an executive, right, the Brook Lopez Shangun 374 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,480 thing is weird, but like they weren't moving Shangun at that time if they 375 00:25:52,519 --> 00:25:56,359 had him, and is their chance if if your two centers, if you're 376 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,319 three bigs were Brook Lopez, Jabaris Smith Junior and al Prince Shanggun, or 377 00:25:59,319 --> 00:26:03,079 you're really like in that bad of a situation, it would have it would 378 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:07,920 have repressed Shangoon's breakout. But like, there are probably bigger mistakes you could 379 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:15,759 have made. The Jason Kidd stuff is more complicated to me because I think 380 00:26:15,759 --> 00:26:19,960 it's the consensus is that he's not a good or great coach. Definitely not 381 00:26:21,039 --> 00:26:25,240 a great coach, not a good coach, but there's clearly he has a 382 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,720 it seems like a great relationship with Luca and Kyrie irving where your two most 383 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,559 important players who now play well not just in general, but off each other. 384 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,599 And Luca's even played faster this year. And then Kid has, to 385 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:42,200 his credit like made lineup decisions post trade deadline. Now where these were these 386 00:26:42,279 --> 00:26:48,119 Nico Harrison's decisions where it's no start Daniel Gafford, start Derek Jones. I 387 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,720 don't. I don't know, but like he's pulled some of the right levers, 388 00:26:52,759 --> 00:26:56,240 and we've seen him explore a little bit with the different types of lineups 389 00:26:56,240 --> 00:27:00,920 they're gonna use in the most important moments. I think you're not. I 390 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,759 want to make clear where I would extend Rafael Stone right now. I'm waiting 391 00:27:03,759 --> 00:27:07,880 to see what happens to the playoffs with Jason didd Yeah, I think that's 392 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,440 right. I mean, like I saw the stat and I was like, 393 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,880 holy shit, He's won fifty plus games two out of the three years he's 394 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:17,000 been there. They were a conference finalists two years ago, largely on a 395 00:27:17,079 --> 00:27:22,000 defense that he got a lot of credit for being the architect though it's you 396 00:27:22,039 --> 00:27:26,039 know, the success rate is what it is, Like they have won a 397 00:27:26,039 --> 00:27:29,920 lot of games. Now, you know, I don't know if you if 398 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,559 you have Luka Doncic. I think the bar is always just like stupid high 399 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:38,839 because because he's that good. But I think maybe you could stop the I 400 00:27:40,799 --> 00:27:45,920 would prevace what I'm about to say by leading with I also think Jason Kidd 401 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,440 probably is not a good coach and definitely isn't a great one like or at 402 00:27:48,519 --> 00:27:52,440 least hasn't been. Guys can get better just like players do. But you 403 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:57,400 could probably stop at he got Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to like not just 404 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:02,039 get along but kind of thrive to get other and like those guys cannot be 405 00:28:02,079 --> 00:28:07,759 easy to deal with like individually, let alone like combined. So managing those 406 00:28:07,759 --> 00:28:11,640 two personalities and like that Star Wattage might just be like, yeah, he's 407 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:15,079 the guy, because I don't know what other coach you're getting in there that's 408 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,599 gonna have success doing that. And I will say I think sometimes we underestimate 409 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,279 because of how focused we are on the results that are happening on the court 410 00:28:22,319 --> 00:28:26,680 and stuff that's tangible and able to be measured. There's something to having not 411 00:28:26,799 --> 00:28:32,319 just good, but incredible relationships with your best players, right, And I 412 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:36,119 would point to the biggest one that stands out to me is just Michael Malone 413 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,920 and Nikola Jokic in Denver, just knowing Michael Malone having traveled the Serbia basically 414 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,759 every off season with Nicole Jokich, And it's do you get afforded the patients 415 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:49,839 as an organization or I mean as Michael Malone or even as an organization, 416 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,279 do you have that same patience If there's not that connectivity between Jokich and Michael 417 00:28:53,279 --> 00:28:56,920 Malone, The answer is just no. It seems like a good relationships with 418 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,880 most of his players. Him and Michael Porter Junior have always semed a little. 419 00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:02,640 If they're fine, they seem like they're fine out. But so I 420 00:29:02,799 --> 00:29:07,720 just if you have anything resembling that dynamic between Luca and Kyrie and Jason Kidd, 421 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,839 like that matters, is my point. I'm not saying extend him, 422 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:17,799 but I'm saying it does matter. It's getting along with the star of Luka 423 00:29:17,839 --> 00:29:22,480 Doncic's like caliber is a threshold issue for a coach, Like it doesn't matter 424 00:29:22,799 --> 00:29:27,359 how good you are tactically or with rotations or motivation if like, if you 425 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,519 don't have that, And we know that's true because I think if you pulled 426 00:29:30,519 --> 00:29:34,599 one hundred people in the NBA and said who's a better NBA coach, Rick 427 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,160 Carlisle or Jason Kidd. They'd all say Rick Carlisle, or like a ridiculous 428 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,039 majority would say Rick Carlisle. And Rick Carlisle is gone because it didn't seem 429 00:29:42,079 --> 00:29:47,039 like his relationship with Luca was very good. So like Jason Kidd has that 430 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:51,839 and so therefore like he has met the threshold issue to coach this team for 431 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:55,799 as long as Luca wants him to have that job. It seems like that's 432 00:29:55,799 --> 00:30:00,000 probably the best way to frame it. He thanks last here or a couple 433 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:06,799 of well like a two for Minnesota Timberwolves edition. Karl Anthony Town's coming back 434 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,119 as soon as I guess if you're listening to this today, if this comes 435 00:30:11,119 --> 00:30:18,559 out on Friday from that knee injury, be fascinating to see how he looks, 436 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,880 what that integration process looks like, because nas Reed has been mostly very 437 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,519 good in his stead, and how are the Wolves going to rejigger that rotation? 438 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,519 The offense still sucks, so Cat's gonna help. But yeah, you 439 00:30:30,519 --> 00:30:33,279 should be back, like any any additional thoughts there, and if not, 440 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,680 we can get to the juicier stuff with the ownership controversy. Well, it's 441 00:30:37,799 --> 00:30:44,079 there's been this not rush, but there are some people who've mentioned that, 442 00:30:44,119 --> 00:30:47,200 well, do they need Karl Anthony downs because of how well nas Reed has 443 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,319 played, And I just feel like that's not even a question. The answer 444 00:30:49,319 --> 00:30:53,200 is just yes, because karlthak Towns is still the more dynamic offensive player. 445 00:30:53,279 --> 00:30:56,400 Defenses are still going to guard him differently than they do nas Read, especially 446 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:00,599 when you're looking at from beyond the arc. Nas Reed is an upgrade defensively, 447 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,000 especially on the perimeter. But it's like, you don't need defensive upgrades 448 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:07,400 on this ross, you need the offensive upgrades. And so I've always viewed 449 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:12,000 it as if they're going to, yeah, if you want to get by 450 00:31:12,079 --> 00:31:17,599 in the regular season. I'm not saying nas Reid is better, you know, 451 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,640 I love he was my six Man of the Year pick, but like 452 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,039 you can live without Karl Anthony Towns. If you're gonna win the playoffs, 453 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,440 you can't do it without Karl Anthony Towns. And what I also want to 454 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:30,920 make clear is that if you end up, and this kind of might dovetail 455 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:36,440 into what we're going to speak about next, if they do move Karl Anthony 456 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:37,880 Towns, in the offseason, regardless of what happens in the playoffs. It's 457 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:44,359 not because they think they're better or just as good with nos Reed instead of 458 00:31:44,359 --> 00:31:48,759 Carlie Towns. It's because they've decided they don't want to pay karl Anthony Towns 459 00:31:48,799 --> 00:31:52,960 and they think they can approximate enough of what he does on offense through nas 460 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,640 Reed or these more affordable contracts. And that's a different that's a different thing. 461 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,960 It's not, oh, they just don't think they need them. No, 462 00:32:00,319 --> 00:32:05,240 it's they think they can approximate enough of him on a cheaper rate. 463 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:07,920 It's not I would go even farther. I think it's like if they trade 464 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:12,759 it certainly won't because they think they can approximate. It's they if they trade 465 00:32:12,839 --> 00:32:15,839 him, it will be with the knowledge that, like, we're gonna miss 466 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:17,759 him, but financially, we just can't do this, so we have to 467 00:32:17,799 --> 00:32:22,720 make this like calculated decision, you know what. More immediately, it's it's 468 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:27,960 good that he's getting to you right some game, assuming he's actually ready, 469 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,559 which I assume he would be. That this isn't just yeah, there's urgency, 470 00:32:30,559 --> 00:32:34,319 but you're not just gonna rush back when you're not ready. The fact 471 00:32:34,359 --> 00:32:38,359 he'll get some run under him before they get into the playoffs is probably a 472 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,240 good thing, right, Oh for sure, And like there aren't a lot 473 00:32:42,279 --> 00:32:45,680 of I mean, he's got a lot of questions to answer playoff performance wise, 474 00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:47,799 right, like because he's had some real duds and like playing games and 475 00:32:47,839 --> 00:32:52,279 just high stakes moments like so any ramp up is gonna be helpful both for 476 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,759 him and for the Wolves to sort of like I don't know, it's just 477 00:32:57,799 --> 00:33:00,559 they just their offense have I don't know if their offense is good enough with 478 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:04,079 him. I know it's not good enough without him. Like, so they've 479 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,160 just he's got to be He's got to be close to full speed for them 480 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:12,160 to have any chance to like really make a run here. Lastly, though, 481 00:33:12,559 --> 00:33:16,839 we've got the Timberwolves ownership controversially Alex Rodriguez and Mark Glori versus Glenn Taylor. 482 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:22,240 It's getting contentious some some pretty like pointed leaks. It seems like coming 483 00:33:22,279 --> 00:33:30,240 from Glenn Taylor about a Rod and Laurie's intentions to lower payroll. It's like 484 00:33:30,319 --> 00:33:32,680 kind of touching on the cat stuff. But it's just a lot going on 485 00:33:32,759 --> 00:33:36,960 back and forth. What do you want to hit on with this story. 486 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:42,759 There are no protagonists in this situation, is my point. Because the fact 487 00:33:42,839 --> 00:33:47,480 that Laurie and Rodriguez came out and were saying stuff right away, and they 488 00:33:47,519 --> 00:33:52,440 did that Dane Moore podcast the day More NBA show that they did was it 489 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:57,960 was an excellent interview by Dane Moore and Kyle Tige. But like so them 490 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,279 being so outright and throwing Glenn Taylor on the bus saying they didn't miss any 491 00:34:00,279 --> 00:34:04,599 deadlines, saying that they're responsible for all these good things that are happening. 492 00:34:05,039 --> 00:34:07,599 And then you have Glenn Taylor at first saying it's they missed these deadlines, 493 00:34:07,639 --> 00:34:13,239 but now it's because they had projections of spending next year and that it was 494 00:34:13,519 --> 00:34:19,440 one million dollars beneath the luxury tax. There are so many things here. 495 00:34:20,159 --> 00:34:25,079 One like, whenever these news is coming out, we have to figure out, 496 00:34:25,079 --> 00:34:29,480 Okay, well, who is this benefiting? And in Glenn Taylor specifically, 497 00:34:29,599 --> 00:34:32,360 you're gonna tell me that the franchise increasing in value since you sold it 498 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:37,480 by a not insignificant amount, isn't a primary motivating factor here? And two, 499 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:45,719 I'll believe he's prepared to float this roster's payroll for longer than these other 500 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:47,400 two when I see it, I'm not saying they would be. And my 501 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:52,079 other question here would also be, well, how do these projections work? 502 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:54,559 Is they they submitted and I want to know why they did this? One 503 00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:58,920 projection? Is that this is what we're doing? Or did they have a 504 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,679 variety of projections that said, well, if we kept our payroll in in 505 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:06,599 the second apron or past two hundred million, or if we went even lower 506 00:35:06,639 --> 00:35:09,280 than this, was this just one projection they're harping on, and I don't 507 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:13,559 know who I'm conditioned to believe or root for. I will say, though, 508 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,239 if they didn't actually miss any deadlines and they still wanted to cut the 509 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:21,440 payroll, that would just be their prerogative. I wouldn't agree with it. 510 00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:24,199 But that's their prerogative, and you don't get the high behind I'm doing this 511 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:27,360 for the fan base because we don't want to like, no, shut the 512 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,519 fuck up, Glen Tale, like you're doing this for you if this is 513 00:35:29,519 --> 00:35:32,519 why you're doing it. I'm not saying Mark Ware and Alex Rodriguez are the 514 00:35:32,559 --> 00:35:37,920 protagonists here. It's just there's this is being pulled in so many different directions. 515 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:44,440 I am skeptical because we're already seeing like people the parties in this situation 516 00:35:44,599 --> 00:35:51,079 sabotage or like invalidate what they've already said because it was oh Glen Taylor as 517 00:35:51,079 --> 00:35:53,800 an example, the reasoning was, well, they missed these deadlines, but 518 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:57,760 now it's actually, oh no, they wanted to be too cheap with the 519 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:02,199 way the team was handled. So it's just there's so many inconsistencies here already, 520 00:36:02,599 --> 00:36:06,599 and the fact that you had Mark Moore. I don't know if you 521 00:36:06,639 --> 00:36:08,119 heard any of the interview, but he's like really talking about it. I've 522 00:36:08,159 --> 00:36:12,920 never had more money or cash in the bank. It's like, bro, 523 00:36:13,039 --> 00:36:16,119 what are we doing here? And so I'm skeptical of everyone involved. I 524 00:36:16,159 --> 00:36:21,559 am curious who is going to have the legal standing yea if it had nothing 525 00:36:21,559 --> 00:36:24,440 to do with mispayments or deadlines or equity, like a lack of equity. 526 00:36:25,119 --> 00:36:30,440 I don't know what leging Glenn Taylor has to stand on right now would be 527 00:36:30,679 --> 00:36:34,840 my initial thought. But it sucks. My final thing, I'm sorry before 528 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,320 I throw it to you, it sucks that all this stuff the time when 529 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:43,719 it's coming out, these are all like they're making themselves the plot when it's 530 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,599 Karl Anthony Towns is coming back, or this comes out right before that Nuggets 531 00:36:46,639 --> 00:36:52,079 Timberwolves game that could have technically decided who is the number one seed in the 532 00:36:52,119 --> 00:36:55,119 Western Conference, and all this is happening after one of the best seasons in 533 00:36:55,199 --> 00:37:01,039 franchise history, with the best shot that had it making playoff noise since Kevin 534 00:37:01,119 --> 00:37:05,960 Garnett was in a Minnesota jersey. And so it takes away from the fact 535 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:09,480 and it really sucks because you were there was already this sense, whether it 536 00:37:09,519 --> 00:37:13,960 was because the national media or just the reality of the situation that this team 537 00:37:14,119 --> 00:37:17,039 was kind of operating under a finite window or borrowed time. You and I 538 00:37:17,079 --> 00:37:22,679 have talked at length about how that was always kind of hyperbolized because it's if 539 00:37:22,679 --> 00:37:27,000 they're cutting costs before next year's trade deadline at the earliest, then they're just 540 00:37:27,159 --> 00:37:30,199 cheaping out. This team is good enough to at least see it through to 541 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:31,880 then, if not the end of next season, stomach it for a year, 542 00:37:32,159 --> 00:37:35,840 but you already have that stuff in the backdrop, like, oh, 543 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,840 this could be your best, last only chance at winning a title with this 544 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:44,400 corps. And now whether that's true or not, like now we're throwing all 545 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:47,199 this into the equation, and it's at the four of everything that's happening, 546 00:37:47,199 --> 00:37:51,599 And you wonder how it's the players are going to get paid anyway. But 547 00:37:51,679 --> 00:37:54,159 if you're and they have more information than we do, I'm sure. But 548 00:37:54,199 --> 00:37:58,760 if you're a Karl Anthony Towns as an example, Yeah, and we're seeing 549 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,320 this story about the luxury retax projections specifically, well, well, who the 550 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:07,239 fuck was going to be moved under the look the second ape the wasn't even 551 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:09,280 the second apron, it was the luxury tax itself. Like, how does 552 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:14,840 that make you feel? Yeah? I think like my initial reaction when I 553 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:19,280 saw, well, first of all, haven't we seen reports that that Lauri 554 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:24,000 and Rodriguez have taken some measure of credit for like making the Tim Connolly higher 555 00:38:24,079 --> 00:38:28,920 happen, or like going you know, they didn't take some measure they took 556 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:32,280 and the go bear trade and all this other stuff. Right, So then 557 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:37,639 it's like it doesn't seem like the actions of ownership that would be like, 558 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,079 oh, we got to get back under the tax. Like there, you 559 00:38:40,079 --> 00:38:44,800 know, the go Beart trade. They they like engineered all this, all 560 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:49,880 of this, it seems like they if it is true, they put the 561 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:54,039 Timberwolves in a position where some owner might be like, we got to get 562 00:38:54,039 --> 00:38:57,320 back under the tax. This isn't gonna cost too much. But like that 563 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:00,320 doesn't square to me because like so the same guy that like said let's spend 564 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:02,960 spend, spend to make this team a winner, which it hasn't been, 565 00:39:04,679 --> 00:39:07,719 and now we're gonna like pull it back. I don't I don't know whether 566 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:12,000 that's true or not. Kinder different one second, go ahead, where were 567 00:39:12,039 --> 00:39:15,280 they saying all this last year? Sure they're responsible for it because the reactions 568 00:39:15,559 --> 00:39:20,159 might have been a lot and speaking out of total self interest. So you 569 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:22,239 like can't trust anybody in any of this. Your original point of like there's 570 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:27,400 no winner, there's no like good guy is very true. Like so I 571 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:29,960 was annoyed, I guess, or like, oh, when I saw the 572 00:39:30,559 --> 00:39:32,679 report of like oh, they're gonna they intend to cut down, you know 573 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:37,639 they're gonna blow the team up, exaggerating but like they're gonna take a step 574 00:39:37,679 --> 00:39:39,159 back to save money, it's like, ah, damn it, Like these 575 00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:43,400 new it's hard to root for a rod in any circumstance. And so then 576 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:45,760 it's also like these these new guys are just gonna come in and they're just 577 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:50,400 gonna try to turn a profit and sell this team in five years or whatever. 578 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:52,599 I can't root for this. But then it's like, so I'm in 579 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:58,920 Glinn Taylor's corner, who's presided over like the least successful run of any NBA 580 00:39:59,039 --> 00:40:05,639 franchise over the since it's like like a dozen like failed sale attempts or like 581 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:10,000 gotcha sale whatever. I can't. Don't make me choose who to side with 582 00:40:10,039 --> 00:40:14,000 here. I don't. I want to abstain, Like I don't want to 583 00:40:14,039 --> 00:40:17,840 side with anyone here. But ultimately, yeah, like I think if you're 584 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:22,719 a Timberwolves fan, you'll just take anybody but Glenn Taylor at this point, 585 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:25,119 like if you had the choice, because you know what you get with him. 586 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:29,320 You've seen it for twenty five, for thirty years. Whatever it is. 587 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,280 Uh so, yeah, it's a mess, Like I just it's and 588 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:37,119 it really last thing. It sucks, like you said that, it's happening 589 00:40:37,199 --> 00:40:39,320 now. It's like, can't we just have nice things? Can't we enjoy 590 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:44,599 the Timberwolves like winning fifty whatever games and going into the playoffs with a high 591 00:40:44,639 --> 00:40:47,840 seed and like maybe a shot to make a conference finals or whatever, Nope, 592 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:52,039 we got this. This is this is we're timberwolfing right now. I 593 00:40:52,079 --> 00:40:54,239 just want to talk about how nas Reed slides his feet on the perimeter on 594 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:58,400 defense, and here we are talking about Glenn Taylor, Mark Lord, a 595 00:40:58,559 --> 00:41:01,199 Rod. It's I will say, after all of this, though, A 596 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:06,400 Rod and Mark lare saying we're responsible for paying Connolly, which, by the 597 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:08,480 way, show about that for a second. If I'm him, I'm absolutely 598 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:14,480 opting out and leveraging the threat of like Detroit might fire Troy Weaver. Uh, 599 00:41:15,039 --> 00:41:16,960 I guess you have to look at what other teams are gonna want elit 600 00:41:17,039 --> 00:41:22,519 executive. It's I'm opting out just with all the turmoil, it's getting more 601 00:41:22,559 --> 00:41:25,519 out of this. Oh yeah, for sure. But so you have a 602 00:41:25,639 --> 00:41:29,239 Rod and marklo are saying, well, we were the ones that paid Connolly 603 00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:31,760 and spearhead of the Gobert trade, and now you have Glenn Taylor saying that 604 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:36,480 he's trying to protect a fan base from an ownership group that's going to cheap 605 00:41:36,519 --> 00:41:39,519 out if either one of these two. Now there are no outs you you 606 00:41:39,679 --> 00:41:44,119 don't get to make any cost cutting moves this summer on the trade that line, 607 00:41:44,159 --> 00:41:47,000 because you're like you're fucking I mean, they might not care because they're 608 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,719 still gonna be cashing checks and like they have the equity in the franchise that 609 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:54,800 they really care about hug perception. But you're gonna look like mega shittheads now 610 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:59,440 if either either one of you, now whoever keeps the franchise goes through. 611 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,840 So this is all most that might be the bright side Timberallel chance is that 612 00:42:04,039 --> 00:42:07,280 this cornell has to stay together through at least I would say next season. 613 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:13,599 Otherwise all of these guys look like assholes, right, Yeah, they and 614 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:19,719 maybe inadvertently given Timberwolves fans a gift because they won't like you know, self 615 00:42:20,639 --> 00:42:23,440 cat off to get under the tax because they can't now because well who knows 616 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:27,159 what they can and can't do. But like it'll be a real bad look 617 00:42:27,239 --> 00:42:30,519 for either whoever owns the team. It'll be a bad look if they do 618 00:42:30,639 --> 00:42:32,360 that. Do you want to think us out here? This is good to 619 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:36,199 kid? That was like, I'm glad that was cathartic to talk with you 620 00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:37,960 about, but it kind of sucks that that was something we talked about. 621 00:42:38,079 --> 00:42:43,760 If that yeah, yeah, well look you know owner NBA owners are you 622 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:49,920 can't maybe we should do a which owners should you root for? Power rankings? 623 00:42:50,199 --> 00:42:52,480 Are there any I don't know? The answer to that is is no, 624 00:42:52,679 --> 00:42:58,280 even though some of them might not might seem funny obamba and toilets. 625 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:00,719 Although see oh yeah, I'm for Steve Bomber. That guy's passionate. I 626 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:05,119 want that kind of passion in my team. The I'm just surprised that you 627 00:43:05,119 --> 00:43:08,440 didn't knock Shay Gilgers Alexander out of your all MBA consideration for driving an Elon 628 00:43:08,559 --> 00:43:13,559 Musk cyber truck or whatever they're called. I've seen a cyber truck in the 629 00:43:13,559 --> 00:43:16,559 wild. It's very strange. There's one around my neighborhood. Bok's now. 630 00:43:16,559 --> 00:43:21,719 I've seen it multiple times, and it's it's a little jarring. Yeah it 631 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:27,320 is. I'm out of it and threaten me. It's like robocops gonna hop 632 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:30,480 out. My kids refer to it as the car from the future. Whenever 633 00:43:30,519 --> 00:43:32,440 they see it driving around. It's like, that's right, that looks like 634 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:35,760 what that is. We'll see if it We'll see if it catches on, 635 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:39,559 but I don't think so. Uh, We'll see everybody. Thanks for listening, 636 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,320 Thanks for catching up on the news. Here with us If you would 637 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:46,679 like to, uh, please do us a favor, rate review, subscribe, 638 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:50,920 tell your friends, spread the word about this podcast wherever you consume it. 639 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:53,079 If you want to join, our discord links for that and YouTube podcast 640 00:43:53,159 --> 00:43:57,519 description. Ditto for any merch you would like to purchase from Hardwood Knox me 641 00:43:58,199 --> 00:44:06,559 and thanks again. Outs out to Frank Milikena apologies, Jared Allen h