1 00:00:15,519 --> 00:00:20,760 Welcome everyone, Episode seven oh five of the NBA Podcast. I'm Brian Saporik 2 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,559 and we have a great show for you today. You know, the free 3 00:00:23,559 --> 00:00:27,920 agency is mostly done, with the draft is over. We'll see about some 4 00:00:28,039 --> 00:00:32,759 big trades, but as of now, things are relatively quiet around the NBA 5 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:38,039 other than summerly, which makes us the perfect time to step back and reevaluate 6 00:00:38,439 --> 00:00:42,560 how the championship race could stack up after we saw a lot of player movement 7 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,600 this summer. Before we do that, a reminder that you can follow us 8 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,600 on Twitter at the NBA Pod. You can find our Twitter handles and our 9 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,679 bios to get us follow as well. You can also find us on iTunes 10 00:00:51,679 --> 00:00:55,960 and wherever those podcasts are found on iTunes, please subscribe download leave them five 11 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,000 star reviews. Joining me today is not my usual co host, Morton Jensen. 12 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,480 He is on vacation, so we have instead called a longtime friend of 13 00:01:03,519 --> 00:01:07,920 the show, Dan Favalley of the Hardwood Knocks podcast, to help us out 14 00:01:08,359 --> 00:01:12,280 ranking these title contenders. And Dan, how's it going? Man? Man? 15 00:01:14,079 --> 00:01:15,400 I'm doing great. You know what, I'm doing great because it feels 16 00:01:15,439 --> 00:01:19,879 like we've there. We have podcasts that are in the clip that haven't been 17 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,840 released yet that people don't know about it. Me you've recorded, I feel 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,400 like over the past two months back and forth between each other's shows like a 19 00:01:26,439 --> 00:01:30,480 bunch and for some stuff for BR too, So I'm excited to get to 20 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,319 talk to you again about the championship picture. How are you doing? I 21 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,000 am likewise excited. I'm always happy to have you on. And yes, 22 00:01:38,079 --> 00:01:41,760 as you alluded to, we do have some some fun stuff coming out on 23 00:01:41,799 --> 00:01:45,799 the BR front one this week and then one hopefully next week as well, 24 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:52,040 so we will stay tuned to Twitter for that. But the one coming out 25 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,439 of this week I had a lot of fun with and I'm still salty about 26 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,120 that one. I'm not gonna yeah, well maybe we'll have to record a 27 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:04,319 reaction podcast just to review how many times. Yeah, I'm not gonna spoil 28 00:02:04,319 --> 00:02:08,120 I'm not gonna all right, So we're doing title contenders and Dan was kind 29 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:13,159 enough to cook up a tear maker for us, so we're gonna We're not 30 00:02:13,199 --> 00:02:15,120 gonna go one through thirty. We're just gonna, you know, break them 31 00:02:15,199 --> 00:02:22,719 up into five tiers. Dan, I did not ask you before we recorded, 32 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,719 but I did ask you what your tiers. How you quantified them or 33 00:02:27,759 --> 00:02:31,080 like, you know what an S tier correlates to an A tier correlates to. 34 00:02:31,199 --> 00:02:35,759 So we could have taken very different approaches to this, which will make 35 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,080 which means worth to argue towards the consensus, which I love. That's right. 36 00:02:39,319 --> 00:02:43,800 So so let's start at where do you want to start? Top or 37 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,520 bottom? I feel like in this we normal We've been taught because of what 38 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,639 we do for a living, that you should go in reverse order. But 39 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,199 this feels like one of those situations where more of the discussion actually happens for 40 00:02:54,319 --> 00:02:57,400 the teams that are on the lower pull. So I feel like we should 41 00:02:57,439 --> 00:03:00,840 begin with s U and then work our way back. Unless you disagree, 42 00:03:01,159 --> 00:03:05,439 let's do it. I agree because I frankly the D tier for me was 43 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,879 the teams that are But what's the say? You know there was like rigging 44 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,360 for Wiggins back in the day. Do we have one of those for Cooper 45 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:15,240 Flag yet? Yes? It's I think John Hollinger coined SAG for Flag flag. 46 00:03:15,319 --> 00:03:20,159 Okay, yeah, so spoiler tier D for me or the SAG for 47 00:03:20,199 --> 00:03:25,879 flag teams? What about what about in the pooper for Cooper? I like 48 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:30,439 that when I released this on the Hardwoe Knox feed to day after you release, 49 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,120 I might call the podcast in the pooper for Cooper. I think that's 50 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,439 a brilliant idea that I cannot wait for the is of Mooji tweet that you 51 00:03:37,479 --> 00:03:44,159 can turned out with that. All right, So S tier Dan, what 52 00:03:44,319 --> 00:03:49,879 how did you classify these teams? So I view s t here as I 53 00:03:49,919 --> 00:03:53,039 don't want to coin as like you're disappointed if they didn't win the title, 54 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:58,199 but like you're going in as my my bar for ste I would say it's 55 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,400 like these these are the great teams, and I'm curious to see what you 56 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,240 ended up with. I only have one team in my S tier. Ooh 57 00:04:06,439 --> 00:04:12,360 interesting, Okay, so I think it's Boston, Like we both have them 58 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,600 an S tier, right, and it's just with them. What's interesting is, 59 00:04:16,879 --> 00:04:20,360 I know people have kind of to keep in theme with the feces comments 60 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:26,120 pooh pooed their path to a championship, But like, isn't there just a 61 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,639 they had a top four point differential permane hundred possessions in the regular season in 62 00:04:29,639 --> 00:04:32,519 playoffs combined of all time. Isn't there just a chance that, like we 63 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,319 all kind of tried to find flaws or slept on. What is just this 64 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:42,680 generational type team When you look at their and I know there's the Christops injury, 65 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,800 it seems like he's gonna miss that, you know, at least be 66 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:46,319 out until Christmas are around then, and who knows how much he plays once 67 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,319 he comes back. I just can't bring myself to care. Like this team 68 00:04:49,439 --> 00:04:55,040 is really good, and I think you could make cases for some teams to 69 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,800 be and I would have made a case for the Nuggets that they kept KCP 70 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,279 to be in their tier, but like, I need bankability in the S 71 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,079 tier. And it feels like when you get into teams like Philly, it's 72 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,800 well, how does Paul George meshin? What does Joelle and Bee's health look 73 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,519 like? When you get to a team like the Nuggets, it's okay, 74 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,040 we know Christian Brown is good, but just saying that he can fill in 75 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,560 for Contavious called woll Pope, which by the way, he can't because he's 76 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,600 not the same offensive player, but defensively sure, well now that you need 77 00:05:20,639 --> 00:05:25,879 someone else to level up behind him, And so like even the Knicks, 78 00:05:25,879 --> 00:05:28,560 it's well, how does Michel Bridges fit in? And what's up with og 79 00:05:28,639 --> 00:05:31,160 Anoby's health and how do they reintegrate Julius Randall and all of a sudden, 80 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,560 it's Mitchell Robinson is like your only center unless you want to play Jericho Sims 81 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,879 or a bunch so or maybe Tims will go to Julius Randall slash og as 82 00:05:39,959 --> 00:05:43,000 like his five. So when I look at the Celtics, even with the 83 00:05:43,079 --> 00:05:48,319 KP injury, I just have fewer questions. Okay, that's fair one team. 84 00:05:48,519 --> 00:05:53,879 I will note that you left out in the as you were like knocking 85 00:05:53,879 --> 00:05:57,439 out teams of why they aren't s tier what about? Okay? See, 86 00:05:59,519 --> 00:06:01,920 yeah, you know. Do you know what I've gone back and forth on 87 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:08,079 this? Is they all they did? If this all season was incredible, 88 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,519 But they did all of it without addressing what I thought was their biggest need, 89 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,120 and that was the third shot creator type to break down defenses from a 90 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,839 dead stop. Now that I'm thinking about it though, and I just wrote 91 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:23,079 about this, so I should have thought about it, But like, are 92 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,759 we just I'm just discounting that Jalen Williams isn't gonna get better, that Chet 93 00:06:26,759 --> 00:06:30,160 Holmgren isn't gonna get better, that maybe Aaron Wiggins isn't gonna take on more 94 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:33,240 caseon Wallace. So if you have them an str I won't fight that for 95 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,560 a minute because there, I mean, we have our Thunder podcast on the 96 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:42,560 side. Thunder buddies go like and subscribe. But yeah, so that's a 97 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,040 team that I still just if I knew like what Jay dubb was gonna look 98 00:06:47,079 --> 00:06:50,160 like or how much of a floor game they were gonna, let Chet Holmgren 99 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,959 explore, I might feel more comfortable with it, but like, yeah, 100 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,439 that's the That would be a team to consider for sure as well. I 101 00:06:57,439 --> 00:07:01,199 think you could also if you really wanted to mention just because they did. 102 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,560 Their depth is weird, but like they destroyed it even And this is what 103 00:07:04,639 --> 00:07:08,759 Dame just missing wide open threes last year. He's not gonna he might get 104 00:07:08,759 --> 00:07:13,680 older, He's not missing wide open threes forever. But they trucked opponents when 105 00:07:13,759 --> 00:07:16,600 Damiannis and Chris Middleton were on the floor, like they absolutely annihilated them. 106 00:07:16,879 --> 00:07:20,879 So so you had, okay, see in your st here. I So 107 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:27,839 I took a slightly different approach with my S tier. I actually had four 108 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,519 teams and then five with a question mark that I was like waffling between. 109 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:35,079 So my S tier was just like, I don't want to call it title 110 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:40,240 contenders because I think teams in the A tier also could potentially contend for a 111 00:07:40,279 --> 00:07:45,319 title, but title front runners or you know that. Honestly, it's like 112 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:46,839 most of the teams just with the best Vegas Thuns, and I think, 113 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:53,600 frankly, the Vegas is pretty right on with their determination here. So yeah, 114 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:58,000 I had the Celtics obviously, had the Thunder, had the Knicks had 115 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,360 the Sixers and then the Nuggets or my question, I could I you know, 116 00:08:01,399 --> 00:08:07,759 it's like, I don't want to overrate. They were up twenty points 117 00:08:07,839 --> 00:08:11,399 at home in Game seven in the second half and then just blew a giant 118 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:16,720 lead, and who knows if they hold that lead. So I think there's 119 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:20,639 a very good chance they beat Dallas. There's a chance they even beat Boston 120 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,959 and repeat as champions, And like, maybe we're all just overreacting, but 121 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:31,240 to your point, the loss of KCP is huge, the Deron Holmes injury 122 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,879 very unfortunate for them. I think, you know, I wrote about them 123 00:08:35,879 --> 00:08:39,080 a couple months ago that I understand what they're doing, and I think it's 124 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:46,159 frankly kind of the smart approach where they're just doubling down on youth, and 125 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,120 they're saying, you know, we've got Jokic, Jamal and Michael Porter Junior 126 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,799 on these max contracts, like we're gonna be a second Apron team for the 127 00:08:54,919 --> 00:08:58,480 foreseeable future. And really the only way for us to sustain this is to 128 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:03,759 hit young player, like lean on them, give them the reps, get 129 00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:05,759 them ready, And it might have cost up to the title last year, 130 00:09:05,799 --> 00:09:11,159 but if these guys pop, then we've got these on these guys under you 131 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,519 know, cheap cost controlled contracts for a couple of years. So like, 132 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:18,559 I respect the approach that they're going for here, but to your point, 133 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,519 yeah, even if Christian Brown can scale up or replace KCP, who is 134 00:09:22,519 --> 00:09:28,559 now scaling up to replace Christian Brown coming off the bench, So it feels 135 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:35,000 like I just I'm nervous about discounting Nikola Jokic, just we've seen what he 136 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,279 can do in the playoffs. He's anchored a championship contender before, or a 137 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:45,039 championship team before. H and even this year, I mean the Nuggets losing 138 00:09:45,039 --> 00:09:48,519 the second round, he's still average like thirty thirteen and eight or something absurd. 139 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:52,279 So you know, I probably, like if there were six tiers. 140 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:56,080 I might have Celtics Thunder on the S tier alone and then Nick six or 141 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,960 the Nuggets on the tier below them, but above all these other teams, 142 00:10:01,399 --> 00:10:03,840 And that's what I was gonna ask you, And so the pivot point for 143 00:10:03,919 --> 00:10:07,039 me because if we were to rank these within the same tier, I think 144 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,960 Boston and Okac was in the top of my eight tier. So I'm fine. 145 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,519 I'm fine with them being an as I think your approach is probably makes 146 00:10:13,519 --> 00:10:16,240 for better conversation and it's more just like, Okay, do we really need 147 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,480 one team in S tier? But with the Sixers is like, how do 148 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:26,759 you reconcile Joel Embiid has basically never been healthy for the playoffs or end or 149 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,679 never really been great for an extended period of time in the playoffs. That 150 00:10:30,799 --> 00:10:33,879 doesn't because in my opinion, if you're gonna make the Knicks and the Sixers 151 00:10:33,519 --> 00:10:37,639 S tier, I think the Nuggets have to be S tier because I would 152 00:10:37,639 --> 00:10:41,159 have them because of Jokic and just like the familiarity with the crux of their 153 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,240 roster at the top, I'd probably have them in front of both, even 154 00:10:45,279 --> 00:10:48,399 though it's harder to come out of the West. And so how do you 155 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,600 square away like we just have it's not I mean, it's it's borderline Kawhi 156 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,840 level at this point, except he's playing through it, which just Joel Ebad 157 00:10:56,919 --> 00:11:01,600 is always hurt in the playoffs, And so how do you like, like 158 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,879 so even forget like they might have the most well balanced sort of top three 159 00:11:05,879 --> 00:11:09,759 players in the league, the one three five look of Embiid, George and 160 00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:13,919 MAXI. But I just I don't I find it tough because of just Joellen 161 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,480 Bee's health specifically of well, do we really put them up there with these 162 00:11:16,519 --> 00:11:20,559 teams when we've never seen him healthy enough to even I guess like understood, 163 00:11:20,639 --> 00:11:24,120 like we've seen flickers and flashes. Don't get me wrong, but that just 164 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,480 seems like a massive gamble to sort of if we're dismissing the Nuggets, like, 165 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,080 well they let KCP go and they're banking on youthful development, the Sixers 166 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,399 are like, well, we're just built around this guy that's never healthy but 167 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,559 needs to be healthy for us to win the title, right, Yeah, 168 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,080 And that's a very fair critique, I'd say, if we're drawing the comparison 169 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:46,919 between him and Kawhi and Beads, injuries have largely been fluky, like he 170 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,480 breaks his face, you know Pastaliaka like elbows them in the face and he 171 00:11:50,519 --> 00:11:54,879 breaks his face, or like he broke his face our morcall pulls his shoulder 172 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,279 one year. The Bell's palsy thing. This year was just like what kind 173 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,399 of the organ trail ship that we have going on? Like, how are 174 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:09,559 we coming up? Who's gonna get ye? Colera coming right down the corner. 175 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,039 I mean maybe he had that against Toronto. He had bubble guts for 176 00:12:13,039 --> 00:12:18,200 a couple of games. We need Look, I need the Nuggets or the 177 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,960 Sixers to sign Gary Trent Junior for the minimum and then we can call him 178 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:28,399 dissentery Gary. Uh if you know, you know it's a blake. I 179 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:33,720 love it. I love it. Yeah. According to all the fake rumored 180 00:12:33,799 --> 00:12:37,440 bongers on Twitter, Gary Trent Junior is definitely signing with the Sixers any day 181 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:45,240 though it's been these people. Can't you know, delineate. I'm not hoping 182 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:52,360 that Gary dysentery. I'm not root that. Yeah, but so like yes, 183 00:12:52,519 --> 00:12:56,840 I mean yeah, like I just don't know how much stock to put 184 00:12:56,879 --> 00:13:01,919 into the ken. This guy does not stay healthy for a two month stretch 185 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:07,000 or is it just like he has just gotten ridiculously unlucky and we're just dealing 186 00:13:07,039 --> 00:13:09,600 with a relatively small sample size here and all you need, I mean, 187 00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:13,440 help it happens. Why every year all he needed was the one year in 188 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:18,360 Toronto, Like, if things break right, I think you you know that 189 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:26,759 the ceiling case for the Sixers might be I mean, I don't want to 190 00:13:26,759 --> 00:13:31,840 be reckless here, but like I think ceiling case is definitely you know, 191 00:13:31,159 --> 00:13:35,919 top tier title contender. The floor is a lot lower though, And if 192 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,240 that makes you want to like push them out of the sire because you're confident 193 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,399 that the Celtics and Thunder have a higher floor as well, I think that's 194 00:13:43,399 --> 00:13:48,200 a very fair argument. I'm willing to put them in st here. I 195 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:52,759 think the Nuggets have to go there then too, And but I want, 196 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,080 like, are you certain? I think this is where we're gonna disagree. 197 00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:00,399 Who is right now the second most promising team in the East. Is it 198 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,919 the Sixers or the Knicks? Because the Knicks I think certainly have a higher 199 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:09,399 floor than Philly because of their depths and just like the things they did, 200 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,879 I know Timms was running his players into the ground. The things they did 201 00:14:11,919 --> 00:14:16,960 amid injuries. This year was absolutely astounding when you look at all the players 202 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:22,960 they lost, and if you get better health from just Julius Randall or Mitchell 203 00:14:24,039 --> 00:14:30,200 Robinson or Ogannanobi and you've added mcal Bridges Hartenstein's a big loss. Don't get 204 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:35,960 me wrong. I'm just like the top part of the Sixers roster is better 205 00:14:35,159 --> 00:14:39,600 because there is a chance and I'm everyone, I'm in the bag for Jalen 206 00:14:39,639 --> 00:14:41,679 Brunson. I want to make that clear. He finished fifth on Miami p 207 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:46,559 Vallet everybody, but like, there is a chance that the Sixers, when 208 00:14:46,559 --> 00:14:50,120 you pit top three against top three, that they just have the best three 209 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:56,200 players like this in a series against the Knicks, and the Knicks like after 210 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,279 Jalen Brunson, like no one's even if you want to take Jalen Brunson over 211 00:14:58,399 --> 00:15:01,919 Joelle and b their second and thirds are not gonna come close to touching Paul 212 00:15:01,919 --> 00:15:05,879 George and Tyres MAXI Like it's just not so it's I'm willing to listen to 213 00:15:05,919 --> 00:15:09,720 the case, but like does the shouldn't the floor Matt, And also just 214 00:15:09,759 --> 00:15:13,519 the newness of just like well, we don't really know how Paul George, 215 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,720 I know, we don't know how McHale Bridges will work either, but like 216 00:15:16,759 --> 00:15:20,919 we have a sample of like the Knicks with OG just basically destroyed people, 217 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,360 right, And we've seen Michale Bridges play with half of the Knicks already. 218 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:28,600 It's not like Paul George has never played with this kind. I mean, 219 00:15:28,639 --> 00:15:33,519 we've seen Mikail Bridges win championships with his current teammates, So there is there 220 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,120 is zero fit concerns with Michale Bridges, Like I you know, I on 221 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,000 pay for both of these guys should fit like Michael should fit with the Nicks, 222 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,720 Paul George should fit the Sixers, Like I don't think any either one 223 00:15:43,759 --> 00:15:46,360 of them are gonna go completely off the rails. But yeah, I think 224 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,759 if you're looking at who is gonna be better day one of the twenty twenty 225 00:15:50,759 --> 00:15:54,679 four to twenty five season, it's almost certainly gonna be the Dicks. They 226 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,639 have continuity, they have chemistry, Like MB it has already been kind of 227 00:15:58,759 --> 00:16:03,000 set up some morning players of like, yeah, we're really excited, but 228 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:07,440 it's gonna take time for us to mesh. Like this is not going to 229 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:12,120 be an overnight thing. So day one of the season, I think the 230 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:17,240 Knicks certainly have the higher floor. You could probably argue have the higher ceiling 231 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,679 until we see the Sixers in action, you know, then it's just come 232 00:16:21,799 --> 00:16:25,960 April, who has the higher ceiling. I think it could be closer because 233 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,360 the Sixers now also have this kJ Martin contract. They hand it out, 234 00:16:29,799 --> 00:16:33,679 so they have a legitimate chance to upgrade in the first round picks, which 235 00:16:33,679 --> 00:16:37,720 the Knicks they have those fake ones from Washington and Detroit. But right and 236 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,840 the next Like, my question with them is what happened with Julius Randall because 237 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,120 it seems like, you know, they go on this big run without him 238 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,360 last year. He's on the final year of his contract. Maybe because Jalen 239 00:16:49,399 --> 00:16:53,960 Brunson just took this big discount that opens the door for Randall to say as 240 00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:00,600 well. But I wonder does he get boxed out at some point frankly, 241 00:17:00,639 --> 00:17:03,160 like who starts for the Knicks? Like are you are you moving? Well? 242 00:17:03,559 --> 00:17:07,240 That's why a lot of people have wondered what it'd be better for them 243 00:17:07,279 --> 00:17:10,480 to break up Randall into two players, so that you can just start the 244 00:17:10,559 --> 00:17:15,880 Nova Knicks with og An Andobi right and Mitchell so be Mitchell Robinson bring uh 245 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,599 Jalen Brunson, mchal Bridges uh and then Josh Harten and I guess bring Dante 246 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,839 off the bench, or at least you don't you get to a point where 247 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:27,279 it's only one of them. What's interesting with Julius Randall two is maybe if 248 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:32,160 this isn't a problem because og is still gonna be making more than Jalen Brunson. 249 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:37,000 But the Knicks played host to Jalen Brunson's Superstar ascent and he was you 250 00:17:37,039 --> 00:17:41,480 don't want to credit them for it like they played host to it. They 251 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,079 did the same thing with Randall, who's made two MBA teams with them, 252 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,319 And now Jalen Brunson has set a clear precedent about like why just took less 253 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:52,720 and so is that gonna impact what the Knicks are gonna ask Julius RANDALLD to 254 00:17:52,759 --> 00:17:56,319 take and extension talks where it's you know, it's kind of the same thing 255 00:17:56,319 --> 00:18:00,960 with Kawhi and PG. Why are you paying Randall more than Jalen Brunson at 256 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,240 this point in a vacuum You shouldn't be. But Jalen Brunson is the one 257 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,960 who agreed to take you know, twelve on average over the next three years, 258 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,480 about twelve and a half million dollars less. So I'm wondering if that 259 00:18:11,599 --> 00:18:15,759 makes it. I think it makes it either more likely that Randall's traded or 260 00:18:15,759 --> 00:18:18,799 that he signs an extension that is, like, does he pull the PG 261 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,759 and say, just give me what Jalen got, and like, maybe that's 262 00:18:21,759 --> 00:18:25,640 what you end up with. Yeah, yeah, that's reasonable because I mean, 263 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,279 frankly, like Jalen Brunson, if he became a free agent next summer, 264 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,839 I think he would have had the five year or two seventy eight million 265 00:18:33,519 --> 00:18:36,880 seventy million to offer from if not from the next from another teamer, it 266 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:38,240 would have been four years, but he would have gotten the full max. 267 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,880 Like, I don't think Julius Randall is getting a full max. No, 268 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,440 he's not. There's just he's too hard of a player to fit in and 269 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,680 we kind of saw it. He's younger than James Harden, but that's what 270 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:53,039 it's become with James Harden. Is even like James Harden was ridiculously good when 271 00:18:53,079 --> 00:18:56,400 he was in Philly for the most part, Yeah, and like, but 272 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,160 there still just wasn't a market for him when like he had to pick up 273 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,000 his player option and so Julius Randall extremely talented, incredibly important to the Knicks, 274 00:19:04,039 --> 00:19:10,200 but he's just such a tough He's tough to fit into a larger ecosystem, 275 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,000 is the way I would frame it on offense, Yeah, and that 276 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,640 I think would limit the teams that want to go after him. And I 277 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,559 think, look, with Jalen Brunston, I just think you're right. I'd 278 00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:19,319 said this on the podcast. I didn't reaction to the extension is. I 279 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,799 honestly think people said, well, he could have gotten injured and that money 280 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,079 might not have been available, and I think from outside teams maybe, but 281 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,720 the Knicks have unloaded their war chest already in the image of this is Jalen 282 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,000 Brunston's team, and so even if he had suffered a bad injury, I 283 00:19:34,039 --> 00:19:37,759 honestly think five years and two sixty nine would have still been on the table 284 00:19:37,799 --> 00:19:40,839 for him from them. So that's why I do think he gave up that 285 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,440 contract. But to get back to the actual thing that you have me on 286 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,240 the show to do, so, I guess we should go. I'm just 287 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:52,039 saying, within this tier, how do we feel about Nuggets, then Sixers, 288 00:19:52,519 --> 00:19:57,039 then Nicks. I'm fine with it. Yeah, would you have had 289 00:19:57,079 --> 00:20:02,799 the Sixers above the Nuggets. I want to not stance again, not at 290 00:20:02,839 --> 00:20:06,240 the start of the season. I think the Sixers, if everything big breaks 291 00:20:06,319 --> 00:20:08,720 right for them, I think they probably have the third highest ceiling of any 292 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:14,880 team in the NBA. And that's every you know, Embiid and George stay 293 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:21,960 healthy. That's they flipped the kJ contract mid season. I don't know for 294 00:20:22,039 --> 00:20:25,880 whom, but they'll have some way. That number came in a little bit. 295 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,680 I actually haven't looked to see like what their apron status was, and 296 00:20:29,799 --> 00:20:32,519 like them, I thought the contract was going to be more than eight million 297 00:20:32,519 --> 00:20:37,200 bucks. They're right at the first apron right now, like once they fail, 298 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,359 they could have gotten a little higher, like twelve thirteen million, and 299 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:48,039 then would have been in like second apron ish territory. I wonder just they 300 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,720 didn't want to have the second apron be a concern at all. They wanted 301 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:55,440 to be lagged great contracts, that kind of thing. I agree, And 302 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,680 I haven't seen. I don't know if the official numbers have come out yet, 303 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,359 because I'm wondering if it's you know, we heard two years sixteen for 304 00:21:03,519 --> 00:21:07,599 Josh Akoe and your boy, Simon Fontecio as well. So I'm wondering if 305 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:11,960 it's just like a straight dollar for dollar match for one of those guys. 306 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,039 This is tough because they're flat well they're flat rates in terms of the contract, 307 00:21:15,079 --> 00:21:19,920 but I wanted someone to be signed for the exact dollar amount of just 308 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,680 like where it's like, why is just trying to like what why is roy 309 00:21:23,759 --> 00:21:26,839 O'Neill making the same amount of money as Kyle Kuzma to the dollar right? 310 00:21:27,839 --> 00:21:32,680 Something like that to happen. I thought Dorian Phinney Smith might have been or 311 00:21:32,759 --> 00:21:41,319 like have the exact dollar amount minus exactly one minimum contract, right, But 312 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,720 yeah, I'm good with this here. So our s tre is Boston, 313 00:21:44,839 --> 00:21:47,440 Okay, see Denver, Philly and New York. And I gotta say, 314 00:21:48,759 --> 00:21:52,920 as a Knicks fan, it's surreal to have them in here and be debating 315 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,519 like, well should they be in front of the Sixers and the Nuggets? 316 00:21:55,519 --> 00:22:02,119 Like its fucking insane. Yeah, I mean, frankly, this might be 317 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:03,599 too strong with a take. I was about to say, I would be 318 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,720 surprised if one of these five teams doesn't win the championship next year. You 319 00:22:07,759 --> 00:22:12,240 know, it's a long season. Things happened, but I would I would 320 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,680 be fair. Like, if you gave me these five teams or the field, 321 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:19,839 I would take these five teams by far. I'm trying, you know 322 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,680 what, I feel some type of way, and this is the time we're 323 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,480 doing this. By the way, there's like something's brewing in New Orleans and 324 00:22:27,519 --> 00:22:30,920 it's like they got to get a center at some point something. I'm assuming 325 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,119 we'll go down with Brandon Ingram, but the Trade Water seem to be pretty 326 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,960 barren for him. I look at the Bucks and they're like, and then 327 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,960 there's Dallas too, and I'm sort of like, I'll take I'll go with 328 00:22:41,039 --> 00:22:42,799 you, though, I'll take one of these five winning that. Honestly, 329 00:22:44,319 --> 00:22:47,200 I've been trying to I've been trying to convince myself not to pick Okay See 330 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:48,680 to win the title next year. Like I'm trying to talk myself out of 331 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,839 it because I think Boston deserves the respect of why would you ever pick against 332 00:22:52,839 --> 00:22:56,000 this team? What is the team that has the antidote to beat them? 333 00:22:56,319 --> 00:23:00,440 And I don't know that that team exists, but so I think that's a 334 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,680 strong stier. I would say, since Ronto the A tier. Now I'm 335 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:11,559 assuming that Bucks and Mavericks fans will feel the most aggrieved. Yeah, Minnesota 336 00:23:11,599 --> 00:23:14,680 fans too. I think, oh yes, I polach they should be pissed 337 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:19,039 off, and I mentioned but yeah, those were the three the topest exclusions. 338 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,960 So for me, the A tier was just what I called playoff locks, 339 00:23:23,039 --> 00:23:27,240 although I cheated because I went in theory, if their playoff locks, 340 00:23:27,279 --> 00:23:30,319 it should just be you know, between the S tier and the A tiers 341 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:36,440 six teams for me each conference. I think I have seven for each conference. 342 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,200 Yeah, so I viewed this one as more like it's easy to envision 343 00:23:41,319 --> 00:23:45,640 them making the conference finals or making it out of their conference, whereas like 344 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,720 the teams above them, all these teams might have that expectations. But it's 345 00:23:48,759 --> 00:23:52,880 like I viewed it, I was my standard was a little bit higher. 346 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,839 So like I initially had OKC in this tier with Denver the sixers, but 347 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,240 it was like these teams, it's just very easy to envision them being one 348 00:24:00,279 --> 00:24:04,160 of the last four teams standing at the end of the year. Okay, 349 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:08,400 yeah, so yeah, you were a little more a little more selective because 350 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,400 I have like the Magic were in this tier for me, the Kings were 351 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,680 in this tier for me, which I'm guessing they were not we need to 352 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:21,240 We're gonna need to. Yeah, okay, okay, So Mavericks, Wolves, 353 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:26,079 Bucks we agree in this tier? How would you rank those three? 354 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,640 Man? I mean it's like, how do you put the Wolves above the 355 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,160 Mavericks? And the mass just beat the Wolves in the playoffs, so I 356 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:40,079 guess that answers that well. I mean you put them above because it's like, 357 00:24:40,079 --> 00:24:41,599 oh, Anthony Edwards is only twelve years old or something, right, 358 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:47,759 there is that, There is that and Joe Ingles. Maybe we're underrating the 359 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:52,279 Joe Engles edition there. Honestly, I thought that was an incredible get yeah 360 00:24:52,319 --> 00:24:56,880 that and look respect to them for not you know, they steered into the 361 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,119 set like they did things that cost them money and assets this year. Of 362 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,640 all these other teams kind of one lied about what was happening with this, 363 00:25:03,839 --> 00:25:07,519 Like the Clippers are still just like the biggest bullshitters in existence. He was 364 00:25:07,559 --> 00:25:11,000 the one that got me. I kind of respect the Warriors. In February. 365 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:12,359 Joe Lake was like, yeah, we're just like not looking to have 366 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:17,519 these huge tax bills anymore. And I respect that more than the Clippers lying 367 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:19,400 about like, you know, the second aprin is challenging and it's like, 368 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,119 well, you offered Paul Georgia contract that would have put you there anyway, 369 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:27,480 So I'm very confused, right right, right? So oh man, I 370 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:33,400 mean the Bucks, You're right, Like when they were all healthy, they 371 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,279 were great, and adding Dylon Wright, especially at a minimum, was a 372 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,359 huge get for them as prince too. Yeah right, Like, you know, 373 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:45,279 I know Lakers fans will scoff at that, but it's different when he's 374 00:25:45,279 --> 00:25:51,440 on a minimum deal and you don't have super high when Prince to be your 375 00:25:51,519 --> 00:25:55,079 only two way player aside from Lebron and ad like, that's when it becomes 376 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,440 an issue, right, right, But the Bucks are probably all covered there, 377 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:02,079 although you're right to point out New Orleans. You know, we've heard 378 00:26:02,079 --> 00:26:07,599 some brook Lopez rumblings this summer, so it's I guess I would say the 379 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,839 Bucks that is currently constructed would be in this tier for me. But if 380 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:18,119 they if they did like some sort of ingram for Brook Lopez and Pat Connaton 381 00:26:18,319 --> 00:26:22,799 and stuff trades or like whatever better, there needs to be like a third 382 00:26:22,839 --> 00:26:25,759 and eighth team involved. There's no way brandon Ingroom can go to Milwaukee. 383 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:27,880 Rather, that would just be so and they can't aggregate. So that's just 384 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:33,200 not even feet right. They're they're close enough to the second apron where they 385 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:37,160 could get under it, and it's yeah, constructing a deal, there would 386 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,759 have to be a third team, but like, I don't know how they 387 00:26:38,759 --> 00:26:42,720 would make it work. Like when those Brook, Lopez and Ingram rumors came 388 00:26:42,759 --> 00:26:47,799 out, I was I spent like five minutes trying to figure it out, 389 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,359 Like, Nope, none of this makes sense, so it's probably not gonna 390 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:55,440 happen. I was gonna say, I do think this the order that we 391 00:26:55,519 --> 00:26:59,640 have right now, Mavericks, Wolves, Bucks feels like it's most right, 392 00:26:59,759 --> 00:27:03,000 just becase because the Bucks' depth is non existent still, they're weirdly relying on 393 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:07,839 just wild cards or young players. And I think there's an argument for Minnesota 394 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:12,599 over Dallas, but I still think Dallas is the better playoff team when you 395 00:27:12,599 --> 00:27:15,960 look at how they're built. And I know people are concerned about their point 396 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:21,319 of attack defense and maybe there's something going on with Quenton Grimes's medicals that I 397 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,039 don't know about, but like that dude can defend. He did it in 398 00:27:25,039 --> 00:27:26,359 New York. He didn't do it in Detroit. He got injured. That's 399 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:30,680 an answer for point of attack defense, and also they have Dante Exam still 400 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,240 center. Naji Marshall. Isn't this perfect defensive replacement for Derek Jones Junior? 401 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:38,759 And you might miss his athleticism. But I think the MAVs, if we're 402 00:27:38,759 --> 00:27:41,960 like a value like that has sort of been my biggest tie breaker. And 403 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:45,119 also just how you're ordering is like who is best built to succeed in the 404 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,440 playoffs right now? It does sort of feel like Dallas is clearly to me 405 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,519 like out in front, because like the Timberwolves need like Rob Dillingham is not 406 00:27:52,559 --> 00:27:56,359 gonna be that a level shot creator immediately. I mean, if he is, 407 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,640 oh my god, wow, and then we just you can't trust Karl 408 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,559 Anthony Towns to do that. And after that you don't have options. Yeah 409 00:28:04,279 --> 00:28:10,720 yeah, who did you have? Which other teams did you have in this 410 00:28:10,799 --> 00:28:14,759 tier? So I had the Calves in this tier? I did too? 411 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,240 Okay, good? I just think, well, you know, I did 412 00:28:18,319 --> 00:28:21,359 kind of have I don't know if it was an overreaction, but I like 413 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:26,200 when that initial reporting came out after their playoff exit from the Athletic where it 414 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,160 was just Donovan Mitchell that Darres Goland doesn't really want to play with Jonavan Mitchell 415 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,680 and they threw Jared Allen under the bus, and I just thought, something 416 00:28:33,759 --> 00:28:36,119 is off here, and not all four of these dudes are going to come 417 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:37,440 back. All four of these dudes are not going to come back. They 418 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:41,640 have Donovan Mitchell gave him, bought them basically an extra two years with his 419 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,599 extension, and I think it was rickety last year. And maybe you get 420 00:28:45,599 --> 00:28:48,240 to appoint mid season where you have to look at breaking up one of the 421 00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:55,640 dynamics. But Kenny Atkinson's teams in Brooklyn always overachieved at one end of the 422 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:57,839 floor. It was usually defense. But he just I think he will be 423 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:03,319 creative with how he used is Mobile and Allen together in actions. And I 424 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,680 keep coming back to the fact that, like those four were really good together 425 00:29:07,839 --> 00:29:11,960 when they had less familiarity in year one, and like an inferior roster around 426 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,119 them too, And so I'm just like, it sort of feels like we're 427 00:29:15,119 --> 00:29:18,839 sleeping on the caves to the extent, I'm not doing this yet, but 428 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,839 I very easily could see them being like better than the Bucks, maybe even 429 00:29:22,839 --> 00:29:26,200 better than the Knicks, just because like they're there's not another team in the 430 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:30,599 East aside from Boston that has in a vacuum the top end talent at their 431 00:29:32,039 --> 00:29:36,519 like top four spots when you just look at their four best players. Yeah 432 00:29:36,759 --> 00:29:40,640 yeah, and who knows. I mean, we thought Mobile when he came 433 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:44,000 back from the injury, wasn't shooting like a super high volume of threes, 434 00:29:44,039 --> 00:29:48,200 but was starting to take them more than he was prior to the injury, 435 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:52,519 and was at least like offering some semblance of floor spathing, which is basically 436 00:29:52,559 --> 00:29:56,400 what one of those two guys needs to do to make the Mobile Allen partnership 437 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:00,440 work. It's also just important to remember how young Evan Mobley is and how 438 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:06,799 long it often takes NBA bigs in particular to really hit their stride, and 439 00:30:06,839 --> 00:30:11,759 he was already such an impactful defender, And frankly, we saw like the 440 00:30:11,839 --> 00:30:17,680 calves were almost better with some of those guys either injured or like off the 441 00:30:17,759 --> 00:30:22,119 floor, Like if Atkinson can figure out the right stagger patterns and right pairings 442 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,880 of you know, do I play Garland with Alan or Garland with Mobley and 443 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,119 then Mitchell with Alan, Mitchell with Mobley, Like how many of these guys 444 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,160 can I have on and off the floor at any one time? If he 445 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,480 figures that out, they're in business. He has experience coaching Alan and Karris 446 00:30:37,519 --> 00:30:41,359 Lavert already. And you know, with all due respect to JB. Bickerstaff, 447 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:47,519 like I don't know that that was I think there's a real chance of 448 00:30:47,559 --> 00:30:52,599 its coaching upgrade this offseason. So I think they're you know, I think 449 00:30:53,359 --> 00:30:56,960 they were already a very good team that deserved to be in this conversation, 450 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:02,880 and now you know, potentially, thanks to internal improvement, have a chance 451 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:04,880 to get even better. Yeah, I mean the thing that needs to I 452 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,960 still think I think it is a coaching upgrade. I thought Jamie Bickerstaff was 453 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,319 too risk averse and then like his hand was kind of forced with the injuries 454 00:31:12,319 --> 00:31:17,599 and the Calves played more creatively in the way that stylistically they should have. 455 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,279 But I think he got once everybody was healthy, a little bit better at 456 00:31:19,319 --> 00:31:22,519 taking some chances there. But I do agree that I think it's an upgrade 457 00:31:22,559 --> 00:31:26,079 overall that there might I think they'll just be more creative stuff done with their 458 00:31:26,119 --> 00:31:30,359 top four guys. So I'm glad we both had them in this tier. 459 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:36,480 I didn't know for another team, what did you do with the Grizzlies. 460 00:31:37,279 --> 00:31:41,440 So again, my my tiers were a little loose here, but the Grizzlies 461 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,759 were in here. For me, I was all about it, So that's 462 00:31:44,799 --> 00:31:47,359 good enough for me. I'm going to put them in here. I just 463 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:51,640 think everyone's forgotten how good they were two years ago because they just got I 464 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,319 mean, every year this happens to one team where you just get absolutely annihilated 465 00:31:55,319 --> 00:31:57,680 by injuries. And it was like to a comical extent with the Grizzlies last 466 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:01,680 year. But I actually think it might have benefited them because you got to 467 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:07,200 see Jaron Jackson Junior more in a feature role. We got his ISO frequency 468 00:32:07,319 --> 00:32:13,680 like tripled his career crazy, and they've like probably don't find Vince Williams Junior 469 00:32:13,799 --> 00:32:17,480 or Gig Jackson if they're all healthy. And now you've like got these two 470 00:32:17,759 --> 00:32:22,160 legit rotation guys locked up on these super cheap deals. Who can now go 471 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:27,400 back down to being your like seventh eighth, ninth man because we still have 472 00:32:27,599 --> 00:32:32,039 you know, John Morant hopefully's healthy and stays off out of any off court 473 00:32:32,039 --> 00:32:37,960 trouble, Desmond Bane, Jaron Jackson Junior, Marcus Smart. Uh, We'll 474 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:43,039 have to see, like if Zion Williams pops at any point. Who knows, 475 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,039 probably Williams fanatic at one point, I don't think. I don't think 476 00:32:46,119 --> 00:32:50,559 it's happening. The ship might have sailed, and that's okay. But you 477 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,359 know, I think Memphis has well see like what they do with Zachi Ed, 478 00:32:54,519 --> 00:32:59,519 but he at least intrigues and could give them some different looks that they 479 00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:04,079 didn't have, you know, especially with Steven Adams hurt last year. So 480 00:33:04,279 --> 00:33:07,240 like this, you know, this team won what fifty five games and was 481 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:09,200 the two seed in the West two years ago, and now all of a 482 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:14,799 sudden, we're just like completely ruling them out because they just had a bunch 483 00:33:14,839 --> 00:33:17,599 of injuries last year. And so the thing for me, I do think 484 00:33:17,599 --> 00:33:21,799 part of it is just absence makes us forget when it comes to the NBA. 485 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:23,880 It's not it doesn't make our hearts grow fonder, We just forget it, 486 00:33:24,319 --> 00:33:28,119 right, And so I do think there's that element. But I do 487 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,119 worry like Jared Jackson Junior, even Marcus Smart and of course John Morant, 488 00:33:32,119 --> 00:33:37,319 they're not pillars of durability. There's always been something that it seems like one 489 00:33:37,319 --> 00:33:40,839 of them is dealing with. And then Marcus Smart was so bad last year 490 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:45,400 and I granted he was overstretched and the spacing was weird at points. The 491 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:47,559 spacing might be weird again, especially if you're gonna play jaroned Jackson Junior next 492 00:33:47,599 --> 00:33:52,119 to a traditional big most of the time. And so it gives me pause 493 00:33:52,119 --> 00:33:55,240 where I still feel like as much talent as there is, that they could 494 00:33:55,279 --> 00:34:00,400 still that they might be elite defensively and then really struggle offense in set situations. 495 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:05,680 But what you mentioned, and I think is the thing that swung it 496 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,199 for me in the sense that I wasn't sure where I was gonna put them, 497 00:34:07,239 --> 00:34:09,039 but you had them an a tier and I was thinking about, so 498 00:34:09,079 --> 00:34:14,039 we just let's throw them in the eightier Desmond Baide and Jared Jackson. You're 499 00:34:14,079 --> 00:34:16,719 getting those reps. Last season, their efficiency went down, although Baines wasn't 500 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:21,360 down by much, But like now, they're just better, more well rounded 501 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,159 players on the offensive end, and so you have more counters. I still 502 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:28,320 think this is a team that's you know, a lot of people expect them 503 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:30,400 to bring Lukenard back, and you mentioned Gigi Jackson and Vince Williams Junior. 504 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:36,119 Those guys are legit rotation players, but they might still need a higher end 505 00:34:36,159 --> 00:34:39,360 wing because Smart isn't a wing. GG Jackson is for sure like a combo 506 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:43,880 forward type and then Vince Williams. He's not particularly big, but he defends 507 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,360 up so you could throw him in there. But there still feels like there's 508 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:50,840 a lot of question marks, and so it's like, well, what separates 509 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:52,880 them? Full disclosure, This was my last team of the A tier, 510 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:55,000 so I know you said you had a few more, and so it was 511 00:34:55,039 --> 00:34:59,719 like, why do you have them above Phoenix? Why do you have them 512 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:04,559 above of uh, you know Golden State or the Pelicans, and the Pelicans 513 00:35:04,559 --> 00:35:07,119 are my TVD team, like depending on what they do, there's a transaction 514 00:35:07,159 --> 00:35:10,440 for them to be done, Like I could I reserve the right to shoot 515 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:15,119 them up if they but so I think what it comes back to me is 516 00:35:15,159 --> 00:35:20,400 that there's a familiarity with their top three already and there's more balance than there 517 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,360 is when you're looking at Phoenix specifically, which Skews just has all sorts of 518 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:27,480 holes. Even if you like their roster, you know, after what they've 519 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:31,679 done on the minimum market, so and signing resigning Josha Kogi to that balloon 520 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:36,360 deal, of course, can't forget about that. So they were my last 521 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:38,000 team. But there's so many questions. But I think we're kind of at 522 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:43,079 the point where which of the teams in the eighth year do we not have 523 00:35:43,519 --> 00:35:46,679 serious questions about? Maybe is like what is the one you feel most confident 524 00:35:46,679 --> 00:35:49,880 about? And I mean we have Dallas ranked in front of everybody, so 525 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,559 it's probably them, But we could just be like, well, they lost 526 00:35:52,639 --> 00:35:55,239 the athletic letticism of Derek Jones junior, and what does their point of attack 527 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:59,320 defense look like now? Because you can't throw Nase Marshall on, you can 528 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:01,840 do I think some of the change of pace guys like Shay and you know 529 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:07,119 so, but like can he do like the raw like the guys that are 530 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:09,760 have more lateral like they're gonna be more laterally explosive. I don't know. 531 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:14,840 So, Yeah, the Grizzlies here, for me, I think makes a 532 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,199 lot of sense. I think I could probably guess which other teams you have 533 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,760 in this year, though, Oh you told me two of them, so 534 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,480 I guess I don't need to guess. Yeah, I think I said Suns 535 00:36:24,519 --> 00:36:29,920 and Kings, and I'm I'm willing to move both of them down and we 536 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,119 could talk about them in a minute. The one team that I would probably 537 00:36:32,159 --> 00:36:37,320 still put it in the A Tier the Indiana Pacers. I know, the 538 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,800 playoff round might have been a little flooky because of they got to take advantage 539 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:45,559 of some injuries and like, you know, realistically, if you honest it's 540 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:47,079 not hurt. Did they get knocked out in the first round and did we 541 00:36:47,199 --> 00:36:52,639 just not think about them in this context? But you know, Haliburton is 542 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:57,719 a legit number one. I think Siakam has proved himself again and again to 543 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,559 be just as good in the playoffs as he is in the red season. 544 00:37:00,079 --> 00:37:07,639 And really like the nemhard breakout after Halliburton got hurt was a big eye opener 545 00:37:07,079 --> 00:37:10,920 and if he can build on that moving forward. They've also still just got 546 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:16,239 a bunch of young wings niece Smith, Benedict Matherin. Like there's you know, 547 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:21,679 if we're baking in the potential of internal improvement for OKAC, I think 548 00:37:21,679 --> 00:37:23,000 it is fair to do the same for Indy. And I think Indy, 549 00:37:23,679 --> 00:37:29,800 you know, very well like and they were just so god him could offensively 550 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:34,320 last year. They might be even better this year. So what I struggle 551 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:36,480 with with them, I'm fine with them being in the A Tier because like, 552 00:37:36,519 --> 00:37:37,280 I mean, you look at their top two and then you just have 553 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:43,320 a lot of pieces that fit around them. I just don't know how to 554 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,000 feel about them defensively because I don't you mentioned they have a bunch of young 555 00:37:45,039 --> 00:37:49,599 wings. In my eyes, they have one wing and his name is Aaronice 556 00:37:49,599 --> 00:37:52,320 Smith, Like Bennet Mather's not a wing. I know Ben Shepherd can kind 557 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,639 of guard up, but do you consider him a wing? And so like, 558 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:59,840 it feels like if to stretch the baut and Andrew Nemhart can guard up, 559 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:04,800 Like now we're stretching the boundaries of they still need a bigger winger combo 560 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,760 forward defender aside from Siakam who again not a wing or so I but I 561 00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:12,760 look at Siakam and Nie Smith and Nemhard is like those main guys there, 562 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:16,599 and I just find myself wondering, and it's more of a curiosity than I'm 563 00:38:16,639 --> 00:38:21,719 criticizing them for this one who was giving Obi top in four years and sixty 564 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,840 million and two? Couldn't you make the case that, like, especially given 565 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:30,960 how the market shook out, why is this team they would have been better 566 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,679 off because they still could use their mid level They're just not gonna They don't 567 00:38:32,679 --> 00:38:35,840 want They're not gonna be a team that pays the tax I don't think I'd 568 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,639 be shocked if they did. But like, what if you just put Naji 569 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:44,039 Marshall on this team to a podcast favorite around in these parts. But so 570 00:38:45,079 --> 00:38:46,519 I would like to see them go. They do, they could make trades. 571 00:38:46,599 --> 00:38:49,840 I mean, they have that teach McConnell's salary. And like the Andrew 572 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:54,239 Nemhard breakout is like it complicates things in a really good way because it's, 573 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:59,079 okay, you have Nemhard and McConnell and Mathrin and Shepherd's out there, and 574 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,159 you're very in in Mathrin of course, But if Nemhard is this good on 575 00:39:02,199 --> 00:39:07,239 the ball already and gives you more defense than Meneic Mathren, what like what 576 00:39:07,639 --> 00:39:09,480 is the like? So how did the minute shake out there? And then 577 00:39:09,519 --> 00:39:13,800 also though, well, now you have Toppin, you have Turner, you 578 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,079 have Siakham, Jalen Smith is gone, but Isaiah Jackson is still floating around 579 00:39:16,119 --> 00:39:21,000 out in there. What does this mean for jaris Walkers? Are you deciding 580 00:39:21,039 --> 00:39:23,119 to develop him as just this wing defender and then you're gonna try and fit 581 00:39:23,199 --> 00:39:27,440 him in on on offense? And how does that work. They did not 582 00:39:27,519 --> 00:39:30,960 make my a tier, but I respect them enough for what they've built and 583 00:39:30,039 --> 00:39:36,760 just like you speak about forgetting before Tyres Alberton suffers that hamstring injury, he 584 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,440 was going to be first team All NBA and probably finished top three or five 585 00:39:39,599 --> 00:39:45,960 on the MVP ballot. Yeah, I mean that top in contract. I'm 586 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,559 with you, like that was an overpay, but it felt like it might 587 00:39:50,559 --> 00:39:53,800 have been deliberately slow, Like it might have just been a souped up version 588 00:39:53,840 --> 00:40:00,119 of what Nix did with the Kobe. And my issue with that is why 589 00:40:00,159 --> 00:40:04,239 go out four years? Yeah, Ben, right right, It's just because 590 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,480 this is not Obie Top is a much better player that we've seen in Zeke 591 00:40:07,559 --> 00:40:09,559 Nagy. But I like gay. When the Nuggets on it, he I 592 00:40:09,559 --> 00:40:12,559 was like, well that makes sense, they're gonna need some trade fodder. 593 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:14,239 But I went on to think about it. I was like, well, 594 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:17,360 if they don't play him, no one wants four years guaranteed of a player 595 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:22,320 they know nothing about, and like that's kind of the situation they're in right 596 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:24,000 now. But Obie Top, it is more proven, so like you can 597 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:28,199 probably be like Obi Topping in an average of fifteen million a year. That's 598 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:30,400 that's that's a good point. That's movable. Yeah. Yeah, Like I 599 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:36,440 haven't looked up the exact number, but I wonder if it's in Dorian Phinney 600 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:39,239 Smith territory. Well, they could take him back. I think he starts 601 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:44,599 at I'm assuming it's escalating, but he starts at thirteen point four, So 602 00:40:44,639 --> 00:40:47,039 that would get you boring in Phinney Smith. Yeah, even like this would 603 00:40:47,039 --> 00:40:52,360 have been a perfect Kleb Martin team too. Yeah, which, by the 604 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:54,599 way, he's got to get a new agent. I know that his contract 605 00:40:54,599 --> 00:40:58,880 with Philly could be worth more than forty but you had a chance to guarantee 606 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:04,079 yourself like an extra twenty five million dollars with the heat for an additional year, 607 00:41:04,119 --> 00:41:07,400 basically with they want him to opt in and extend him so that this. 608 00:41:08,679 --> 00:41:13,199 Honestly, I don't think I've ever missed on a free agent market more 609 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:16,360 than I did this year. I just I guess I didn't understand how much 610 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:22,239 teams were really just capslock going through it and trying to figure stuff out themselves. 611 00:41:22,559 --> 00:41:24,800 Yeah, I will say that was my big blind spot as well, 612 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:29,599 was just like what was going to happen to the middle classes offseason because they 613 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,000 just kind of got wiped out. And I like, honestly, I you 614 00:41:34,039 --> 00:41:37,039 know, I have a list of like potential articles jotted down in a notepad, 615 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:42,239 and in one of the articles or in my July section that I just 616 00:41:42,239 --> 00:41:45,639 didn't have time to write to before a free agency began, was how short 617 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:50,360 term balloon deals could squeeze free agency with a bullet point, more guys might 618 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,000 have to take smaller contracts if cap space dries up, which lo and behold 619 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:59,400 Tobias Harris out here getting twenty six million dollars a year, Caleb Martin's down 620 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,559 taking eight MILLI here, like it's yeah, I don't get I said, 621 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:07,320 remember when we were doing our free agency over unders. I think I said 622 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:09,639 some Moni font Techio's that he was probably the mid level guy, and I 623 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:17,599 smashed the over he got, like the room exception type deal just like yeah, 624 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:21,639 yeah, it was a white out. So it's a fair point about 625 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:24,760 topping it about the patrons in general, but I would I would put them 626 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:30,480 in my A tier and then I can be talked into moving every every other 627 00:42:30,519 --> 00:42:36,440 team that I had, So who would be to get to the what's tier? 628 00:42:36,519 --> 00:42:39,119 Ripped? Now? B tier, who would be your first team there, 629 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:43,480 because there's a team that I haven't here that I was prepared to put 630 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:47,559 very high up in the A tier had they just made the move for an 631 00:42:47,639 --> 00:42:52,880 archetype of player everyone's been begging them to make and they just decided, nah, 632 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:57,440 we could. I assume that being the Orlando Magic, I don't think 633 00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:00,320 I've ever turned and I still don't think they had a bad off season. 634 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:04,639 But when they were doing the br live stream, when free agency like starts 635 00:43:05,199 --> 00:43:08,599 and day sign Kntavious called Little Pope, I went off and which is like, 636 00:43:08,639 --> 00:43:12,599 they are gonna have a this is a great Like they're clearly setting themselves 637 00:43:12,679 --> 00:43:14,880 up for another move. I was just like, oh, you're not gonna 638 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:17,440 sign KCP without like now you're gonna go out and trade for Anthony Simons and 639 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:21,079 you're gonna go out and get LaMelo Ball or somebody. And then it's like, 640 00:43:21,119 --> 00:43:22,880 now we're just gonna like reinvest in all our own players and call to 641 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:29,480 day and just they're gonna be really good defensively again, and I recognize that 642 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:35,039 Franz Wagner should shoot better and that Palabank Carrol's still gonna get better and I'm 643 00:43:35,159 --> 00:43:37,039 very high on Joe and Suggs. I've the term I've used from now is 644 00:43:37,039 --> 00:43:40,480 I think he's gonna end up being like a super charged Derek White. But 645 00:43:40,519 --> 00:43:45,199 like you do not have you actually have, I would argue even less options 646 00:43:45,559 --> 00:43:49,239 to run your offense because Mark l. Foltz has now gone and so it's 647 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:52,239 Cole Anthony and Suggs and Palo and Franz and like that's what we're doing here. 648 00:43:52,599 --> 00:43:57,679 Off season is not over. But like even someone like Anthony Simons, 649 00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:00,960 who's very much a secondary, Like if you put Anthony's di'monds on this team, 650 00:44:00,119 --> 00:44:04,360 if it's like Cole Anthony Jet Howard and picks or Cole Anthony Anthony Black 651 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,239 and a pick whatever, I will shoot them right up past the Milwaukee Bucks 652 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:12,360 right now. And it almost aggravates me. And I said it was gonna 653 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:14,960 aggrevate me if they did nothing. They didn't do nothing. They did a 654 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:19,960 bunch of stuff. But just like, why, I understand you're not trying, 655 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,880 but like it's only gonna get harder for you as your team. And 656 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:27,400 also, why are we maxing out Franz now? If he wanted to max 657 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:30,840 make him earn it and just sign him to it and restricted free agency. 658 00:44:30,199 --> 00:44:36,519 So I just there's something. I just wanted them to be in even better 659 00:44:36,559 --> 00:44:39,760 shape than they are, and I feel like there's still opportunities out there. 660 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:44,239 I'm sure, but if this is the team, they're gonna be a really 661 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,079 solid playoff team. But I think the path to them winning a playoff, 662 00:44:46,159 --> 00:44:52,320 even an a playoff series is just like KCP is not the difference there. 663 00:44:52,119 --> 00:44:58,639 Yeah, it sounds like and I'm in the same boat, Like opportunity cost 664 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:01,599 is kind of the big critique here. They had the opportunity to create fifty 665 00:45:01,639 --> 00:45:07,679 million dollars this summer in cap space and could have made multiple major splashes, 666 00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:13,000 and KCP I think counts as a big splash. I think extend the renegotiating 667 00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:15,519 and extending Jonathan Isaac was smart business for them, especially you know, they 668 00:45:15,519 --> 00:45:21,000 still gave himselves some protection on the back end, like it's not fully guaranteed. 669 00:45:21,159 --> 00:45:23,960 That should be a great trade ship if he stays healthy. He's an 670 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:29,239 incredible defender. So you know, to your point, that is all good. 671 00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:32,360 It's like, why are we paying go Goop to todz Ai? You 672 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:36,719 know, what was it? Three years? Twenty five million figure? What 673 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:39,400 Mobigner got but it was also like in the ten two years, twenty two 674 00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:45,320 million, there you go. Yeah, so like Orlando is just in this 675 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,639 spot. And this is always the trickiest part of a rebuild of like your 676 00:45:49,679 --> 00:45:53,159 cap space is about to disappear because you just maxed fronds. Jalen Sons is 677 00:45:53,199 --> 00:45:57,480 up for an extension this summer, or he'll be restrict agent next year. 678 00:45:57,920 --> 00:46:01,599 Powlow will be up for an extension next year. You have a basically two 679 00:46:01,639 --> 00:46:05,320 year window, not even two year one and a half. You have to 680 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:09,440 use your flexibility by the twenty twenty six trade deadline because it is gone after 681 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:14,440 that. And it just doesn't feel like they maximized this window. But maybe 682 00:46:14,519 --> 00:46:17,159 they just don't feel pressure to do it in this window, and maybe they 683 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:22,920 said kind of the approach that OKAC took it the trade deadline this past February, 684 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:28,480 which threw some criticism at the time of like we just want more data, 685 00:46:28,599 --> 00:46:30,760 like we need to identify our biggest weakness and the biggest needs, and 686 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:34,960 then we like we have all of these big pieces and big chips that we 687 00:46:35,039 --> 00:46:38,119 like still have the potential to make this move. The right move just hasn't 688 00:46:38,199 --> 00:46:42,480 presented itself. Yet, although to your point, it's hard to believe that 689 00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:47,280 I would be fairly certain that Anthonty Simons is at least gettable at the right 690 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:52,400 price. I guess what my issue with that is because I didn't applaud, 691 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:54,920 but I understood what the thunder we're doing, and I defended them by saying, 692 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:58,840 tell me who they passed on that would have made the difference. Then 693 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:00,760 people came out with Daniel gear and I was like, did you watch Daniel 694 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:04,679 Gafford in that Thunder series? Was not even playable. I know he ended 695 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:07,719 up helping that team, but and they won that Dallas wins that series. 696 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:10,559 But the thing with the Magic is they have the data. We just watched 697 00:47:10,559 --> 00:47:15,800 the playoff series where everything that we thought was gonna go wrong or would be 698 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:21,280 there undoing is what unmade them. And so if you really, if if 699 00:47:21,519 --> 00:47:23,679 you go the route they have so far to me, it has to be 700 00:47:23,679 --> 00:47:29,679 because you believe that Pallo is just going to level up as an orchestrator, 701 00:47:30,079 --> 00:47:35,880 and that even giving him infinitismally better spacing is gonna unlock a version of like 702 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:38,440 this guy is our Lebron And so if you believe that and that's what you 703 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:42,840 want to say, Okay, fine, but otherwise it's all right. We 704 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:45,840 really believe that Jalen Suggs is gonna become a floor general type player. But 705 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:49,639 I just think we end those guys are gonna get better. I just said, 706 00:47:49,639 --> 00:47:52,360 I love Jalen Suggs. I thought he made some strides as a passer 707 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:57,320 this year, particularly in the open floor. That being said, we see 708 00:47:57,360 --> 00:47:59,920 these guys in the playoffs, and I know they're gonna continue to get better, 709 00:48:00,159 --> 00:48:04,559 but like they didn't even address their high volume knockdown shooting thing with like 710 00:48:04,559 --> 00:48:07,760 this isn't some guy that you're gonna run off a ton of pin downs and 711 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:10,159 he had he struggled shooting at points last year and in the playoffs, and 712 00:48:10,199 --> 00:48:15,360 so like you could argue that they didn't even address one of them, or 713 00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:19,079 they did. Ksep's gonna be a great fit here, Yeah, but it 714 00:48:19,199 --> 00:48:22,559 feels like it was too minor for me based on how good I think they 715 00:48:22,599 --> 00:48:24,320 could be. And maybe they just looked at it us like, well, 716 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:28,440 boss is not going anywhere. What's our rush? And now they've made the 717 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:31,840 decision. Any splash we do make is gonna be via trade. And it 718 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:35,920 was gonna be via trade anyway, because like they were mentioned in the Paul 719 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:38,119 George sweepstakes, but that was all that always felt like kind of stalk stalking 720 00:48:38,119 --> 00:48:43,719 horse type stuff. Yeah, yeah, and that was just him trying to 721 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:46,320 leverage the Clippers into giving him the max, like and you know, just 722 00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:50,199 in case the floor falls out in Philly and Darren Moorey is a liar and 723 00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:54,920 doesn't actually give you the contract that he's been telegraphing for months. So yeah, 724 00:48:54,960 --> 00:49:00,960 I mean, I'm I'm totally fine put them in the B tier. 725 00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:04,719 I think it's fair to put them either at or towards the top of the 726 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:08,360 B tier. I think SUNS fans in particular would take umbrage with that, 727 00:49:08,519 --> 00:49:13,679 But I just trust the magic to depth more and that. You know. 728 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:17,199 One other thing about the Magic is like we didn't see a ton of Jet 729 00:49:17,199 --> 00:49:22,280 Howard last year, like maybe he's the answer to some of their shooting problems 730 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:24,239 and Anthony, he did do some nasty stuff. And I watched when I 731 00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:29,199 was writing Somebody, I watched some Jet Howard G League stuff and I was 732 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:31,360 kind of like wonderful, Like why aren't they just trying out this guy, 733 00:49:31,440 --> 00:49:36,320 Like he's supposed to be like what they need, and he wouldn't when you 734 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:39,280 look at his size, he wouldn't steal playing time from someone that you need 735 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:44,239 to play right and now he theoretically would after you had a KCP. But 736 00:49:45,199 --> 00:49:46,800 yeah, you might be right, like maybe he's the answer to like the 737 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:52,000 higher volume motion shooting type guy. Yeah, they just have enough young talent 738 00:49:52,039 --> 00:49:57,119 that I'm willing to continue bettering on them. Again, similar to the Thunder 739 00:49:57,199 --> 00:50:00,760 and to the Pacers, like internal improvement, I think how to be factored 740 00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:04,199 in for teams like this a lot more than a team like the Suns, 741 00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:07,639 where you know, Kevin Durant, with all due respect, is like probably 742 00:50:07,679 --> 00:50:12,000 not going to get substantially better at this point in his career. He's already 743 00:50:12,079 --> 00:50:15,559 just phenomenal and he's going to remain phenomenal probably until he turns fifty because that 744 00:50:15,599 --> 00:50:19,599 shooting stroke is not going away. But you know, I have a lot 745 00:50:19,639 --> 00:50:22,719 more questions about Phoenix's depth right now, and just like the Avenues, that 746 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:28,280 they have to improve their team throughout the season, whereas Orlando has a lot 747 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:31,360 more flexibility to address you know, any glaring needs that pop up, like 748 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:37,800 they can much more easily make midstream adjustments than Phoenix. Who did you have 749 00:50:38,039 --> 00:50:40,559 Well, I don't even know if you had the Magic that we just decided 750 00:50:40,559 --> 00:50:43,719 to talk about them first. Who is another team you had in the beat 751 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:50,000 here? So Magic Suns? Would you have them in front of or behind 752 00:50:50,039 --> 00:50:55,400 the Magic the Suns? Yeah? I think behind. I mean it's easier 753 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:58,920 to come out of the East, and I don't, right, we should 754 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:01,599 probably just talk about Phoenix, like Katie is his age thirty six season, 755 00:51:01,639 --> 00:51:05,639 he's already injured with Team USA, because that's what we need to I know 756 00:51:05,639 --> 00:51:08,440 they're probably being overly cautious, but that's something that's a little bit alarming, 757 00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:13,760 and we've seen over the past few seasons, like he doesn't have it in 758 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:15,880 the sense of if he's gonna have to face double teams or make decisions out 759 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:21,840 of those, he's just not the same type of dominant in those situations that 760 00:51:21,920 --> 00:51:23,920 he was. And yeah, I like the Monte Morris signing. I think 761 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:29,039 Royce O'Neill he always just seems to get criticized because he's always asked to do 762 00:51:29,079 --> 00:51:30,599 more than he should on defense. He's in another situation, but I still 763 00:51:30,639 --> 00:51:35,440 think he's a useful player. I just don't know what this team's defense ends 764 00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:37,559 up looking like under my like, what is the It's not like use of 765 00:51:37,639 --> 00:51:43,320 Nurkics does not work for what we've seen Mike Budenholzer teams do. Like He's 766 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:47,039 not gonna have a Brook Lopez type renaissance under Mike Budenholzer or reinvention. I 767 00:51:47,039 --> 00:51:52,800 should say, not even renaissance right right, all of a sudden, bombing 768 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:59,880 threes and playing the best rim protector in basketball. I've almost wondered, like, 769 00:52:00,039 --> 00:52:01,360 and I know I'm not the first person to say this, but it's 770 00:52:01,599 --> 00:52:06,079 like, do they just like want someone who's tall and long and so bull 771 00:52:06,119 --> 00:52:09,079 Balls should play some time at center, Like I just because it's like, 772 00:52:09,119 --> 00:52:13,000 what are you like, run small? Maybe try out some David Roddy, 773 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:15,039 who I'm not even sure is worth a roster spot. And it's not weird 774 00:52:15,199 --> 00:52:19,920 an agreement that Mason Plumley's not the answer, right right right. I mean 775 00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:22,559 that's the problem with Phoenix is like they're just so top heavy, and I 776 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:27,599 like Grayson Allen was great from them last year, Like shot forty eight ish 777 00:52:27,639 --> 00:52:30,320 percent from three point range. He played it. I also thought he was 778 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:35,480 better defensively than like he had any business being too. Yeah, Like honestly, 779 00:52:35,519 --> 00:52:37,119 that's where they fell apart in the playoffs. He got hurt and then 780 00:52:37,159 --> 00:52:42,760 their depth was just so crappy after that that like they they just have to 781 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:45,519 Like I guess maybe this is the best way to quantify these teams in the 782 00:52:45,559 --> 00:52:50,519 B tier and like where you know S tier, I think things can still 783 00:52:50,559 --> 00:52:53,159 go wrong and those teams can survive to some extent, like Celtics. We 784 00:52:53,199 --> 00:52:58,719 thought last year Kpe got hurt throughout the playoffs, they're still fine. These 785 00:52:58,719 --> 00:53:00,599 teams in the Bechier. It feels like every single thing has to break right 786 00:53:00,639 --> 00:53:05,519 for them for them to be a legitimate contender. And so it sounds like, 787 00:53:06,039 --> 00:53:08,800 not only do your top three half to stay healthy, but Ryso Neil 788 00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:12,159 needs to stay healthy use of Nirkid, she needs to stay healthy. Grace 789 00:53:12,199 --> 00:53:15,599 now needs to stay healthy because if any of those guys get hurt, where 790 00:53:15,599 --> 00:53:20,519 do you turn it. And also when you look at their stagger patterns in 791 00:53:20,639 --> 00:53:22,639 Fury, they're set up to do it well and maybe this will just be 792 00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:29,480 it'll correct itself. This year they lost the minutes that Kevin Durant and Bradley 793 00:53:29,519 --> 00:53:32,119 Beal played without Devin Booker, and so it's like, if you're losing two 794 00:53:32,199 --> 00:53:37,440 star any two star minutes, that's a problem. Yeah, that's not good. 795 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:40,039 I mean the Beal trade in general, I know their hands were tied, 796 00:53:40,079 --> 00:53:43,400 Like I know Phoenix fans and are you already bumped it up against the 797 00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:45,079 second apron? What are you gonna get with Chris Paul's contract? I get 798 00:53:45,079 --> 00:53:47,360 it, I get it, I get it. Don't trade for the guy 799 00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:52,880 with the no trade plus that was just unless they're gonna negotiate it out right, 800 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:54,679 if like, if the no trade Claus would have went with it, 801 00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:59,239 Like I don't know who would have wanted that contract necessarily, but your hands 802 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:02,599 would not be near is todd? They honestly might be, Like I mean 803 00:54:02,599 --> 00:54:07,360 if Zach Lavinian is radioactive right now, Like I don't think Bradley Beal is 804 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:10,119 movable even without a no trade class, Like I think you would have to 805 00:54:10,159 --> 00:54:14,159 pay to get off with him at this point, Like kudos to Washington man. 806 00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:17,960 I would they have been better just with Chris Paul instead of Bradley Beal? 807 00:54:20,360 --> 00:54:25,760 I mean they would have at least had more flexibility to like make changes 808 00:54:25,800 --> 00:54:30,119 this offseason and not only signed minimum contracts for two years straight. I do 809 00:54:30,199 --> 00:54:32,679 think it's weird how people still kind of are like, oh, why would 810 00:54:32,679 --> 00:54:36,719 they have ever done the Bell trade? Where it's I do think if you're 811 00:54:36,760 --> 00:54:38,639 mad about the Bell trade, you should really be mad about how much they 812 00:54:38,639 --> 00:54:42,480 gave up in the Kevin Durant trade, because I feel like that's the move 813 00:54:42,599 --> 00:54:45,800 that kind of moved them toward this. Or maybe it's just you should just 814 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:51,000 be mad that matt Ishbio is impulsive as fuck. And I will say this, 815 00:54:51,199 --> 00:54:57,480 I like, I think deserves credit for at least going all in on 816 00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:01,000 this strategy, like he is not he is not cheaping out. He is 817 00:55:01,079 --> 00:55:04,920 you know, he's spent a ton of money on Royce O'Neill and that's going 818 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:08,239 to send their tax bill even higher. And like yeah, and a Kobe 819 00:55:08,360 --> 00:55:12,239 as well, Like that was you know, they paid him eight million dollars 820 00:55:12,280 --> 00:55:15,000 basically to be a mid season human trade exception because they who are they training 821 00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:21,880 that twenty thirty one pick for? Or maybe it's kJ Martin who knows well, 822 00:55:22,119 --> 00:55:25,599 well, say the dollar for dollar amounts here, But like I respect, 823 00:55:27,159 --> 00:55:29,760 you know, if he was going to go this route, which I 824 00:55:29,800 --> 00:55:31,159 don't know with the right route to go, but if you were going to 825 00:55:31,239 --> 00:55:36,000 do it, like the only thing you could not afford to do is get 826 00:55:36,079 --> 00:55:38,159 cheap with the supporting cast and like, you know, use your bird rights 827 00:55:38,159 --> 00:55:43,599 when you and like you know they I know John holl And Drew calls it 828 00:55:43,599 --> 00:55:47,679 the bird rights trap, but like they intentionally bird rights trapped themselves with O'Neil 829 00:55:47,760 --> 00:55:53,639 in particular the trade deadline. Who's I'm assuming of the Kings in here? 830 00:55:53,719 --> 00:56:01,239 Right? I do? Yes? Would you have behind these two? Honestly, 831 00:56:00,559 --> 00:56:04,920 I'm like so low on the Suns, it's not even yeah, like 832 00:56:04,960 --> 00:56:07,920 regular seasons, I think I would put the like I originally had them in 833 00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:12,880 my A tier and then you talked me out of movie, Like I think 834 00:56:12,880 --> 00:56:15,519 it's fair, but that you know, I had My original A tier was 835 00:56:15,559 --> 00:56:21,480 just like teams I feel are solidly playoff. Could easily see them being top 836 00:56:21,519 --> 00:56:24,239 six seeds and then my B tier with like more playing teams. Teams they 837 00:56:24,320 --> 00:56:30,039 just have more questions about. So I'm good with like keeping you know, 838 00:56:30,159 --> 00:56:35,239 magic Suns Kings down here because things could easily break wrong for all of them. 839 00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:37,280 They could very all three could very easily be in the B tier. 840 00:56:37,360 --> 00:56:43,320 But I think those three are probably above anyone else in B tier. So 841 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:46,440 yeah, I think I would do Magic King's Sons as the top. What 842 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:52,000 did you think of the DeMar de Rosen acquisition, both in terms of what 843 00:56:52,079 --> 00:56:57,360 it cost that twenty thirty one swap plus Saracen Barnes some seconds in cash obviously, 844 00:56:57,840 --> 00:57:01,599 and then just the overall fit. Yeah, I mean obviously the twenty 845 00:57:01,679 --> 00:57:06,559 thirty one swap. I liked it a lot more before that detail came out 846 00:57:06,840 --> 00:57:09,000 because that and it was just like an add in, like wo include, 847 00:57:10,239 --> 00:57:13,960 I'm like, uh bury the lead a little bit there, buddy, like 848 00:57:14,159 --> 00:57:16,360 sir, that's what they gave up. That was a big piece they gave 849 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:20,280 up. Like, you know, I like it. I think he's gonna 850 00:57:20,360 --> 00:57:23,199 raise their floor in the regular season. Like, I don't know that it 851 00:57:23,239 --> 00:57:29,360 makes them a significantly better playoff team. It might not make them a better 852 00:57:29,400 --> 00:57:31,679 playoff team at all. We've seen the on off splits with Damorrow over the 853 00:57:31,719 --> 00:57:36,800 years, But you know, I think Damar has been one of the most 854 00:57:36,800 --> 00:57:40,719 clutch players over the past couple of seasons in Chicago. The Aaron Fox has 855 00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:44,840 been one of the most clutch players for the last one or two years in 856 00:57:44,880 --> 00:57:47,440 the NBA. So now just having two guys that you can reliably go to 857 00:57:47,559 --> 00:57:52,280 in late close game situations I think will help them steal games that they otherwise 858 00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:58,440 have no business winning. So it's really just can that defense hold up once 859 00:57:58,480 --> 00:58:01,760 the playoffs roll around, because they have so many guys who can be targeted 860 00:58:01,760 --> 00:58:06,559 on that on the floor. So I don't have much confidence in them winning 861 00:58:06,599 --> 00:58:09,760 a playoff series, but I could, like I'd be surprised if they don't 862 00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:15,360 win forty five games this year. I think what helps my impressions of them 863 00:58:15,679 --> 00:58:19,400 is I'm a big believer in Keegan Murray's defense. I think Kean Ellis played 864 00:58:19,400 --> 00:58:22,079 well enough, and I think even Darn Fox was less stiff on that end 865 00:58:22,119 --> 00:58:24,840 of the floor that there's a pathway to where if you're playing Sabonis and De 866 00:58:24,920 --> 00:58:29,800 Rosen you can still build lineups that might have three average or better defenders. 867 00:58:30,280 --> 00:58:34,119 Again, you're banking a lot on Daron Fox in that scenario, who I 868 00:58:34,159 --> 00:58:37,280 also do think is like a dangerous enough shooter to wear if you want to 869 00:58:37,360 --> 00:58:39,719 run stuff with Sabonus and De Rosen. That Fox has learned to move without 870 00:58:39,760 --> 00:58:43,320 the ball a little bit more since the Sabonis came, and I think he 871 00:58:43,360 --> 00:58:45,440 has a good enough shooting stroke to make it work. They also still can 872 00:58:45,559 --> 00:58:49,840 make moves like they have that and like the thing about the Rosen too is 873 00:58:50,239 --> 00:58:52,000 I'm sure they didn't sign the league monk with the intent to trade him, 874 00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:55,880 but that becomes like a salary if they want to flip offense for defense. 875 00:58:57,159 --> 00:58:59,840 They still have Kevin Hurder. I know he's coming off a down year and 876 00:59:00,039 --> 00:59:05,159 a really bad twenty twenty two postseason, sorry twenty twenty three postseason as well, 877 00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:07,239 but like that's another contract that's if you want to go. I know 878 00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:09,840 a lot of people mention, like what about Kevin Herd for Dorian Phinney Smith. 879 00:59:10,159 --> 00:59:13,679 I even suggested, like what about Kevin Herder for Cody Martin if he's 880 00:59:13,719 --> 00:59:17,079 healthy and Grant Williams. It feels like they have ways to kind of futz 881 00:59:17,079 --> 00:59:22,000 and fiddle midstream that will make where it doesn't have to change the entire identity 882 00:59:22,360 --> 00:59:27,239 or core principles of your team, and like can just make you better. 883 00:59:27,400 --> 00:59:29,599 And like, if you're moving a league monk, it's probably a bigger swing 884 00:59:29,719 --> 00:59:35,440 for sure. So I think I might like their playoff stock. I think 885 00:59:35,519 --> 00:59:37,800 the Rose is gonna help them navigate the regular season and ensure they get to 886 00:59:37,880 --> 00:59:42,159 the playoffs. And then I'm wondering, like, does Mike Brown have the 887 00:59:42,199 --> 00:59:45,280 ability to make some tough calls with his lineups once you get to the postseason, 888 00:59:45,280 --> 00:59:47,960 because I feel like it might be a different iteration of the Kings makes 889 00:59:49,000 --> 00:59:52,639 more sense and a lot of the matchups are in that like postseason, this 890 00:59:52,719 --> 00:59:55,599 team is game planning for you for two weeks straight and no other team type 891 00:59:55,639 --> 01:00:05,199 of environment. Yeah, so who, how did you classify your be tier, 892 01:00:05,440 --> 01:00:08,159 Like which which types of teams were in here for that was not like 893 01:00:08,199 --> 01:00:12,000 these guys are in the playoffs, might have a higher ceiling than that, 894 01:00:12,039 --> 01:00:15,760 but I expect them to finish in the top six of their of their conference. 895 01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:17,519 And like I think to some extent, like the math just doesn't work 896 01:00:17,559 --> 01:00:21,880 out in that with the West because we have the Thunder, the Nuggets, 897 01:00:22,159 --> 01:00:24,480 the Mavericks, the Wolves, the Grizzlies are there, and then it's the 898 01:00:24,559 --> 01:00:28,280 Kings and the Suns. But it's like, even if it's you know, 899 01:00:28,360 --> 01:00:30,920 one of these teams has to get through by way of the play in time. 900 01:00:30,000 --> 01:00:34,400 Like I just considered them almost like they will be a top eight, 901 01:00:34,400 --> 01:00:37,440 they will be in the eight playoff team bracket. It's kind of how okay, 902 01:00:37,719 --> 01:00:44,960 so that in theory leaves what one East team and one West team or 903 01:00:45,519 --> 01:00:47,320 no, maybe two East team? No? Well yeah, one East one 904 01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:53,519 West team. Yeah, so I'm curious who you had in the West here. 905 01:00:54,079 --> 01:00:59,280 I'm I like, I went against my better judgment because I'm just a 906 01:00:59,320 --> 01:01:01,639 big believe in like so many pieces of their team, and I have New 907 01:01:01,800 --> 01:01:12,760 Orleans. Yeah, I it's between them Houston and Golden State, right is 908 01:01:12,800 --> 01:01:16,440 there? I mean I guess the Lakers too, but I yeah, I 909 01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:22,239 like, originally my my beatier was just teams that I thought like where it 910 01:01:22,280 --> 01:01:24,039 would be in the play in mix, so like in the seven through ten 911 01:01:24,159 --> 01:01:28,360 range, and I had Lakers, Warriors, Pelicans, Heat, Rockets, 912 01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:31,639 Clippers. So you basically need to identify, well you have I guess. 913 01:01:31,960 --> 01:01:36,159 Is the East team just easy to round out? Like it there's only the 914 01:01:36,239 --> 01:01:39,000 Heat. Yeah, it's just I mean, you could maybe talk yourself into 915 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:42,960 the Raptors, but it's just the heat. I am going to be higher 916 01:01:42,960 --> 01:01:45,280 on the Raptors than consensus. I can already see it. But I'm just 917 01:01:46,079 --> 01:01:51,119 Eric S. Bosher will work as voodoo and they'll at least be in the 918 01:01:51,159 --> 01:01:52,880 mix of the top eight, and I think Toronto might steer itself out of 919 01:01:52,880 --> 01:01:58,039 the top eight if it gets to that point. So that was I don't 920 01:01:58,079 --> 01:02:00,280 even like, what else are we gonna say, I mean, the or 921 01:02:00,280 --> 01:02:02,840 if you want them to get better? Or is there honestly though, is 922 01:02:02,880 --> 01:02:08,559 there a scenario where like the Hawks are just better balanced and they're like have 923 01:02:08,639 --> 01:02:14,079 a case to be put in over the heat. It's hard for me to 924 01:02:14,199 --> 01:02:17,159 see it, okay, because it feels like they're just kind of pivoting toward 925 01:02:19,280 --> 01:02:22,159 Like I don't know if they're trying to move off to Trey Young right now. 926 01:02:22,920 --> 01:02:27,360 I think they would want more assurance that they could get at least one 927 01:02:27,599 --> 01:02:30,079 high caliber point guard in return. But like that, them landing the number 928 01:02:30,119 --> 01:02:35,800 one pick seemed like it gave them some license to at least heavily retool, 929 01:02:35,920 --> 01:02:38,480 if not fully rebuild. So I just don't know what their intentions are as 930 01:02:38,519 --> 01:02:44,239 a team right now. Whereas they're going to be going for it just because 931 01:02:44,280 --> 01:02:47,119 San Antonio controls your next three picks, and so unless you're moving Trey Young 932 01:02:47,159 --> 01:02:51,880 to them and getting some of your picks back, I just don't see the 933 01:02:51,920 --> 01:02:55,400 incentive for them to go the like the rebuilding route. Yeah yeah, they 934 01:02:55,559 --> 01:03:00,719 I mean they don't have it necessarily. It's just you know, where are 935 01:03:00,760 --> 01:03:04,599 you? Like how often? How much can you spin your wheels with this 936 01:03:04,760 --> 01:03:08,679 iteration of the team and like what is is Clinton Capella on this team past 937 01:03:08,800 --> 01:03:14,440 mid February? Like, I you know he, I am confident will go 938 01:03:14,559 --> 01:03:19,639 for it this year. And frankly, Jimmy Butler in a contract year getting 939 01:03:19,639 --> 01:03:23,079 publicly rebuffed by the team president being like, hey you, I'm not gonna 940 01:03:23,079 --> 01:03:28,320 give you this money. Show up during the regular season next year, probably 941 01:03:28,320 --> 01:03:30,800 gonna light a fire under Jimmy Butler. Like I think we might see a 942 01:03:30,840 --> 01:03:34,000 Jimmy Butler who actually cares about the regular season this year because he knows he 943 01:03:34,119 --> 01:03:37,039 has to to get one more big payday. That or he's getting older and 944 01:03:37,159 --> 01:03:43,320 this could be he could be entering his tour defart error error. Oh boy. 945 01:03:45,599 --> 01:03:50,440 Yeah, I'm not gonna put that out in the universe because Miami fans 946 01:03:50,440 --> 01:03:53,880 already hate me, so I'm I will say about the Hawks though, is 947 01:03:53,880 --> 01:03:57,480 like, even if you're looking to move Trey Young, you took one potential 948 01:03:57,519 --> 01:04:01,039 Tray Young team off the board by trading de Jonte Marty You there, right, 949 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:05,760 and then San Antonio now has Chris Paul Stefan Castle and Trey Jones and 950 01:04:05,800 --> 01:04:10,159 just doesn't I actually liked Trey Young there, but it never felt like a 951 01:04:10,159 --> 01:04:13,719 Spurs move. It's like they're almost like, we'll dare you to trade them 952 01:04:13,760 --> 01:04:16,920 somewhere else that your picks become even more valuable. And so it's just like, 953 01:04:17,280 --> 01:04:20,880 who is the tray young tea? Is it Miami? Is it? 954 01:04:20,960 --> 01:04:24,800 Like? Can Houston talk itself into that? And then it's like I'm starting 955 01:04:24,800 --> 01:04:28,519 to wear It's like Orlando is not gonna do it? Yeah, it's the 956 01:04:28,599 --> 01:04:33,400 Lakers. Oh forgot about that? Might be the only only guest in your 957 01:04:33,400 --> 01:04:40,679 podcast just forgets about the Lakers. I mean it's easy to do these days. 958 01:04:41,360 --> 01:04:45,519 So it's your podcast. Who is the final West team? I'm good 959 01:04:45,559 --> 01:04:47,679 with going with the Pelicans. I mean, I agree with you. It's 960 01:04:47,679 --> 01:04:51,119 like weird to do that when I don't know who their starting center is right 961 01:04:51,159 --> 01:04:57,280 now, Daniel Tice, thank you very much. I repeat, I don't 962 01:04:57,320 --> 01:05:01,480 know who like starting center is, right we will be moving them down to 963 01:05:01,519 --> 01:05:06,639 the DT right, Dane the starting center in mid October, I would not 964 01:05:08,000 --> 01:05:13,039 have them as my final team. Uh, but I think that it just 965 01:05:13,039 --> 01:05:17,039 feels like another shoe has to drop at some point with Ingram or maybe I 966 01:05:17,079 --> 01:05:20,639 mean, we'll see, Like this's this Brunson thing. I think could have 967 01:05:20,760 --> 01:05:25,559 some interesting ripple effects across the league. And maybe it'll be a wake up 968 01:05:25,599 --> 01:05:30,960 call to brandon Ingram, like, hey, this guy was going to get 969 01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:35,000 this max contract and he still took way less, Like you know that Mark 970 01:05:35,079 --> 01:05:41,000 sign reported the other day the Apelicans of Like what, brandon Ingram trying to 971 01:05:41,039 --> 01:05:44,280 find another team that is willing to give him a max contract and he just 972 01:05:44,360 --> 01:05:47,079 can't do it. So maybe that's a sign that even if you become a 973 01:05:47,079 --> 01:05:50,679 free agent next summer. I know Keith smith a spot Tracks already put out 974 01:05:50,679 --> 01:05:55,480 some early cap space projections. There just aren't a ton of teams projected to 975 01:05:55,519 --> 01:06:00,800 have cap space in general, much ales max cap space. So brand Ingram 976 01:06:00,840 --> 01:06:04,119 doesn't move. And maybe it is Daniel Tye at the starting which I have 977 01:06:04,280 --> 01:06:06,840 and I hate you. It's the same thing with Julius Random. Where these 978 01:06:06,840 --> 01:06:10,079 players are. You can make fun of them all you want. They're flawed, 979 01:06:10,440 --> 01:06:14,039 but they're good. I just struggle to find like destinations where it's what 980 01:06:14,159 --> 01:06:16,599 team would trade for him, give up something and then be prepared to pay 981 01:06:16,679 --> 01:06:20,360 him. I don't like with brand Ingram. I just don't have one. 982 01:06:20,400 --> 01:06:25,800 Some people like the Kings, I hate it. I thought about the Lakers 983 01:06:26,199 --> 01:06:29,119 might make some sense. They don't have any wings, like two way wings 984 01:06:29,119 --> 01:06:31,519 on that roster, and he would come close to at least meaning Matt criteria. 985 01:06:31,559 --> 01:06:34,239 But I don't love the fit with him a D and Lebron like all 986 01:06:34,840 --> 01:06:38,639 none of them, Like he doesn't space the floor. And then Lebron likes 987 01:06:38,639 --> 01:06:40,719 to work on the ball. Brand Ingram likes to work on the ball. 988 01:06:40,760 --> 01:06:43,000 But that might be you know, if you don't want to give up what 989 01:06:43,039 --> 01:06:45,239 it cost to get Trey Young at this point of a sweet brand Ingram is 990 01:06:45,239 --> 01:06:49,000 gonna cost less than that. Yeah, it'd be very funny if the Pelicans 991 01:06:49,039 --> 01:06:54,239 just turned into a Lakers feeder system where they just keep trading, keep trading 992 01:06:54,639 --> 01:06:59,079 the Lakers, and then just keep shortening the Lakers' future, right right, 993 01:07:00,039 --> 01:07:01,840 which it actually worked out pretty well for them to help them get John Tay 994 01:07:01,880 --> 01:07:06,199 Murray. Yeah, so, I but like, do you have any like 995 01:07:06,239 --> 01:07:10,480 what what's like a realistic brandon Ingram team, do you I thought about Memphis 996 01:07:10,519 --> 01:07:13,360 a little bit, but like that salary matching gets a little It's like, 997 01:07:13,599 --> 01:07:15,840 okay, so you're trading Smart and Clark, I guess is how you're going 998 01:07:15,880 --> 01:07:18,559 that route? Or like Smart has to be in that deal because you're not 999 01:07:18,639 --> 01:07:24,480 trading Bane or Jared Jackson junior right right? And then are you paying well, 1000 01:07:24,519 --> 01:07:28,119 I guess Jaron jacksonville way below Max, but like you know, Johnson 1001 01:07:28,199 --> 01:07:30,639 of Max Baines on very close to a Max. Are you also going to 1002 01:07:30,679 --> 01:07:35,360 give Brandon Ingram this massive contract when Jared Jackson Juniors do for one in the 1003 01:07:35,440 --> 01:07:40,320 near future as well? So, yeah, it sulpsify the team. That 1004 01:07:40,440 --> 01:07:47,960 makes sense. Maybe the Hawks if they're refusing to tanky trade and that's true, 1005 01:07:48,440 --> 01:07:54,159 that's a fair point. Yeah, the Jazz if they're just searching, 1006 01:07:54,280 --> 01:07:58,599 desperately searching for this partner for lawyer Marketen that may or may not materialize. 1007 01:07:59,559 --> 01:08:02,000 That's a good question. Like I know the Cavaliers have been mentioned. I 1008 01:08:02,119 --> 01:08:05,039 just don't get how they do it. That is, that's the one that's 1009 01:08:05,199 --> 01:08:12,679 that's a terrible fit. That's like, yeah, especially who do you want, 1010 01:08:13,119 --> 01:08:15,400 Like I guess well, Jared Allen obviously does what I say, do 1011 01:08:15,440 --> 01:08:16,560 you want? You don't want one of the guards because you have to shot 1012 01:08:16,560 --> 01:08:19,239 that Murray, But I forgot about Jared Allen for a second. So yeah, 1013 01:08:19,319 --> 01:08:23,840 I think it'd be like Alan and Lobert. So you're just hiring Kenny 1014 01:08:23,880 --> 01:08:28,279 Atkinson and then getting rid of all the Kenny Atkinson players. But I still 1015 01:08:28,319 --> 01:08:30,520 I'm just oddly hot, like even if you have to run it back with 1016 01:08:30,560 --> 01:08:33,560 Brandon Ingram, just the idea of like another year of Trey Murphy getting better, 1017 01:08:33,680 --> 01:08:36,600 her Jones maybe getting better. You've added to Jonte, who've always been 1018 01:08:36,680 --> 01:08:40,880 higher on a lot of people. I thought CJ had mostly a really good 1019 01:08:40,920 --> 01:08:44,680 year last year when you look at his three point volume specifically, and just 1020 01:08:44,760 --> 01:08:48,039 Zion is just if you get again, it's the same thing with Joelle Embiid, 1021 01:08:48,359 --> 01:08:51,359 and I feel like Zion's injuries have just been they've been. They feel 1022 01:08:51,439 --> 01:08:55,960 kind of as random, like it's not the same thing that keeps hampering him 1023 01:08:56,039 --> 01:09:00,840 right so, but he's been utterly dominant when he's at his peak, and 1024 01:09:00,880 --> 01:09:04,279 so it's like this is the team when you look at like as of right 1025 01:09:04,359 --> 01:09:10,000 now, like in this tier, they could potentially have the single best player, 1026 01:09:10,640 --> 01:09:13,239 Like that's how good Zion Williamson is. And it's okay, well what 1027 01:09:13,359 --> 01:09:16,039 about Jimmy Butler, what about Kevin Durant. It's yes, those guys maybe 1028 01:09:16,079 --> 01:09:19,600 he would pick them over him, but like there's not a pathway next season 1029 01:09:19,640 --> 01:09:25,119 to Orlando having the best best player in this tier. I would say, 1030 01:09:25,239 --> 01:09:29,119 as much as I love Palo Bankaro and like the Pelicans still have that element 1031 01:09:29,159 --> 01:09:31,119 of this might be a top seven or ten guy that's just on our roster. 1032 01:09:31,840 --> 01:09:34,680 Yeah, I mean we saw him in the playing game against the Lakers, 1033 01:09:34,760 --> 01:09:41,119 like that was that was his statement playoff game or playing game or whatever 1034 01:09:41,119 --> 01:09:44,319 you want to call it, but like that was the oh, I'm ready 1035 01:09:44,319 --> 01:09:45,920 for this stage too. I'm not just an eighty two game player. And 1036 01:09:45,960 --> 01:09:49,720 then unfortunately he gets hurt. I'm just going to raise a whole nother round 1037 01:09:49,760 --> 01:09:54,359 of questions of can this guy stay healthy? But you're absolutely right if he 1038 01:09:54,399 --> 01:10:00,239 does, and you know we'll see that the fit in theory with him Dejonte 1039 01:10:00,640 --> 01:10:04,279 CJ. You know, Trey Murphy is the floor spacer and Herb Jones like 1040 01:10:04,319 --> 01:10:10,039 they they have the potential to play some really creative lineups. This year, 1041 01:10:10,479 --> 01:10:14,920 they could just really go heavy on small ball. But like, versatility is 1042 01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:17,560 the thing that we've seen throughout especially like the last five to ten years. 1043 01:10:17,600 --> 01:10:23,720 Like, you basically can't only play one style and expect to win four playoff 1044 01:10:23,800 --> 01:10:27,880 series because you're being tested in different ways each series. And I think the 1045 01:10:27,880 --> 01:10:31,920 Pelicans have more answers than some of the teams right by both of them. 1046 01:10:33,439 --> 01:10:35,920 Yeah, so I don't know that. I like, I think you could 1047 01:10:35,920 --> 01:10:39,239 have put some other teams here, and I'm sure we're going to talk about 1048 01:10:39,279 --> 01:10:42,920 them now, How did you What does your seats here look like? So 1049 01:10:44,359 --> 01:10:48,279 I would have Lakers, Warriors, and these are kind of like the teams 1050 01:10:48,600 --> 01:10:53,880 like we're considering them playing teams that might have potentially higher ceilings with us. 1051 01:10:53,960 --> 01:10:58,079 Right now, it feels like they're most likely path to postseason basketballs through the 1052 01:10:58,119 --> 01:11:03,359 play in Yeah, yeah, Lakers, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, I 1053 01:11:03,520 --> 01:11:09,920 guess Raptors, and Hawks in there as well, because just again it's like 1054 01:11:09,960 --> 01:11:13,239 a numbers games. Someone has to finish ninth and tenth in the East, 1055 01:11:13,239 --> 01:11:15,680 and it's certainly not going to be the Wizards of the Nets and we're you 1056 01:11:15,680 --> 01:11:20,640 know, yeah, it's definitely the Hawks are definitely like they have every incentive 1057 01:11:20,680 --> 01:11:24,520 to continue to try to win, and it's just yeah, so it's but 1058 01:11:24,880 --> 01:11:27,800 I don't know. I'm kind of I like, well, could the Bulls 1059 01:11:27,840 --> 01:11:30,119 maybe consolidate picks and be the team that trades for brandon Ingram for some reason? 1060 01:11:30,399 --> 01:11:34,800 Oh my god, we know the ball I had in my lowest like, 1061 01:11:35,039 --> 01:11:39,960 I think they have finally embraced we are just gonna be bad where we're 1062 01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:44,840 gonna lean on our young players and the Bulls though, so no, but 1063 01:11:44,920 --> 01:11:48,840 yeah, I think these are the teams. I just which team is more 1064 01:11:49,159 --> 01:11:53,039 well, well again, i'm around it. Which team is more likely if 1065 01:11:53,039 --> 01:11:57,720 they're better than expected to trade out of this tier? Though, the Raptors 1066 01:11:57,720 --> 01:12:00,680 are the Bulls, and it feels like it would be the Raptors, like 1067 01:12:00,680 --> 01:12:04,319 the Bulls might double down, like like we got to make a big move 1068 01:12:04,359 --> 01:12:10,399 with the deadline. That's right, can't cost yourself that one game of gate 1069 01:12:10,479 --> 01:12:15,800 revenue. God for hey, if they're eighth, somehow they might get too. 1070 01:12:16,439 --> 01:12:19,079 Right. That's a good point. It's a good point. So of 1071 01:12:19,079 --> 01:12:21,680 the teams that we've now settled on in this tier, I want to be 1072 01:12:21,760 --> 01:12:26,880 higher on the Rockets, but they're just gonna be so reliant undevelopmental pieces, 1073 01:12:26,880 --> 01:12:29,720 where reed Sheepherd should play a bunch omen tops and should play a bunch. 1074 01:12:30,119 --> 01:12:32,000 Shang Gun is still young. I mean he was great last year. Jalen 1075 01:12:32,000 --> 01:12:35,880 Green is inconsistent, and they also if they're healthy. I was talking about 1076 01:12:35,880 --> 01:12:41,720 this with s barrahiny they have like twelve thirteen guys that should just get minutes. 1077 01:12:42,039 --> 01:12:44,840 And so they seem ripe for consolidation trade but maybe not at the point 1078 01:12:44,840 --> 01:12:46,960 where they're gonna make it. And it's not to their detriment. It's a 1079 01:12:46,960 --> 01:12:50,000 good problem to have, but it represses their ceiling, I think. And 1080 01:12:50,000 --> 01:12:55,239 so I feel like the Lakers or the Warriors are the team in this. 1081 01:12:55,399 --> 01:12:59,279 I don't know which one. I mean, the Lakers haven't done anything really. 1082 01:12:59,680 --> 01:13:01,399 They have Dalton connecting, Brownie James. Congratulations to the Lakers, and 1083 01:13:01,439 --> 01:13:06,840 Lebron took the massive pay cut of course, but like and so they have 1084 01:13:06,920 --> 01:13:11,640 that like chemistry built in. And now the Warriors is it's not just losing 1085 01:13:11,680 --> 01:13:15,039 Klay Thompson. They're probably a better team in a vacuum talent wise than they 1086 01:13:15,039 --> 01:13:18,079 were last year. But they're still gonna be reliant on like oh, what 1087 01:13:18,159 --> 01:13:21,319 is Jonathan Kamengo? What is Moses Moody? Can Pods take on more ball 1088 01:13:21,319 --> 01:13:26,000 handling and playmaking? And then there's just how is this team gonna score? 1089 01:13:26,319 --> 01:13:29,359 When you look at their offense and their potential spacing, it's yeah, okay, 1090 01:13:29,640 --> 01:13:32,640 buddy, healed great, like Steph Curry can dribble, and then who 1091 01:13:32,680 --> 01:13:42,800 else Pods and Draymond like a little bit right and so and but do you 1092 01:13:42,840 --> 01:13:45,680 have you don't have the spacing to capitalize on those as of right now. 1093 01:13:45,600 --> 01:13:51,479 So just like who is the like who who is your like number one team 1094 01:13:51,560 --> 01:13:59,119 in this tier? Yeah, I think it's probably the Lakers, just because 1095 01:13:59,119 --> 01:14:02,359 you don't want to bet a gunst Le Brown James until proven otherwise. And 1096 01:14:02,399 --> 01:14:05,600 we're seeing even with Tims, like the dude was almost forty years old and 1097 01:14:05,640 --> 01:14:11,079 he's still somehow a freaking top that player in the world. He's not coming 1098 01:14:11,119 --> 01:14:14,479 back into twenty twenty eight. I won't rule it out. I won't run 1099 01:14:14,279 --> 01:14:16,439 I believe it when I see it. Yeah, So, I mean, 1100 01:14:16,520 --> 01:14:23,039 like it's it's easy to poke fun at the Lakers, especially you know what 1101 01:14:23,159 --> 01:14:26,479 happened to them last year, But like, I think there is a fair 1102 01:14:26,640 --> 01:14:33,279 argument that Darvin Ham was doing damage to them, Like even a league average 1103 01:14:33,279 --> 01:14:38,720 coach, they might have been better last year and Darvin Ham just so badly 1104 01:14:38,760 --> 01:14:44,439 screwed with the rotations or screwed up the rotations that they looked worse than they 1105 01:14:44,479 --> 01:14:47,039 actually were talent wise. And now, I mean, who knows. JJ 1106 01:14:47,039 --> 01:14:49,720 Reddick is the first time head coach. We have no idea what he's going 1107 01:14:49,800 --> 01:14:55,239 to look like. But you know, Lebron setting like ghost screens or something 1108 01:14:55,239 --> 01:14:58,039 like, I mean to see something off the walls happening with the Lakers. 1109 01:14:58,479 --> 01:15:01,159 I mean, what with like all ten episodes of Mind the Game before he 1110 01:15:01,199 --> 01:15:04,640 got hired that wound up being his coaching interview, and you know, like 1111 01:15:04,840 --> 01:15:11,239 hearing him and Lebron just talk ball like, it's very clear that he has 1112 01:15:11,239 --> 01:15:15,600 a sharp basketball mind and a creative basketball mind. And you know, I'm 1113 01:15:15,640 --> 01:15:18,720 assuming the Lakers will put the coaching staff in place around him to give him 1114 01:15:18,760 --> 01:15:24,039 some experience to lean on to handle all the day to day minutia that he 1115 01:15:24,119 --> 01:15:28,239 is assuredly not aware of. But you know, if his main focus is 1116 01:15:28,359 --> 01:15:31,239 just designing the ex'es and o's like that part of it, I am fairly 1117 01:15:31,279 --> 01:15:38,279 confident he will be better than league average even and so you know, Lebron 1118 01:15:38,319 --> 01:15:42,439 and AD is a really solid foundation to build on. Right, they haven't 1119 01:15:42,479 --> 01:15:45,279 really done anything. Maybe they get a little bit more fortunate with health blat 1120 01:15:45,479 --> 01:15:48,560 this year. I mean, Gabe Vinson barely played for them last year, 1121 01:15:49,119 --> 01:15:53,720 but like, really, just going into the year, how long do you 1122 01:15:53,840 --> 01:15:57,720 take them this ste all on? Like they go on the conference finals with 1123 01:15:58,399 --> 01:16:01,000 the you know, Reeves and Vandal lineup and it takes them at half a 1124 01:16:01,000 --> 01:16:04,880 freaking season to get back to just starting that line up. Like what just 1125 01:16:04,920 --> 01:16:10,239 happens if the Lakers from last season start that lineup from day one and if 1126 01:16:10,279 --> 01:16:13,479 they do it from day one this year, what happens? I go back 1127 01:16:13,479 --> 01:16:15,199 and forth because let's say they did make a coaching upgrader or at least they're 1128 01:16:15,239 --> 01:16:19,479 more creative on offense, And then what if Van do was healthier? What 1129 01:16:19,560 --> 01:16:23,239 if gave Vincent is like that was a everyone was like, Okay, the 1130 01:16:23,319 --> 01:16:26,199 gave Vincent signing was super interesting. That he just doesn't really play because he 1131 01:16:26,239 --> 01:16:29,720 gets in there, So there's that element to it. But also, like 1132 01:16:29,880 --> 01:16:32,720 Lebron and Anthony Davis were on the court for more than two thousand possessions together 1133 01:16:32,840 --> 01:16:36,840 last season, and it's like the Lakers still just very clearly had this ceiling 1134 01:16:36,960 --> 01:16:43,119 of you'll get into the playoffs maybe and then what happens. They've done nothing 1135 01:16:43,199 --> 01:16:46,479 to change that, right, and so I just I do think though they're 1136 01:16:46,479 --> 01:16:51,439 probably the most bankable in it. It's just it's just they have those top 1137 01:16:51,479 --> 01:16:55,479 two guys, and like, even if you go to Golden State, you 1138 01:16:55,520 --> 01:17:00,319 can't trust like Draymond the same way that you can trust Ad. I mean, 1139 01:17:00,399 --> 01:17:03,880 you can't trust Raymond and not get suspended by Franklin and the Clippers. 1140 01:17:03,880 --> 01:17:09,159 It's okay, they're two top guys in Kawhi and Harden, but Kawhi is 1141 01:17:09,159 --> 01:17:12,520 probably the least trustworthy of those two at this point where you're looking at guys 1142 01:17:12,520 --> 01:17:14,479 actually like, yeah, we know what he is when he's on the court. 1143 01:17:14,920 --> 01:17:17,359 How many games is he playing? So and it's now you have to 1144 01:17:17,359 --> 01:17:20,520 figure out, Like the Clippers have done the load management thing, it didn't 1145 01:17:20,600 --> 01:17:24,920 work this year. They did the Kawhi is gonna play thing, that didn't 1146 01:17:24,920 --> 01:17:30,800 work. So is it Kawhi's on ice until April? So like what is 1147 01:17:30,840 --> 01:17:33,960 the next move there? I think you're right that it's the Lakers and I 1148 01:17:34,119 --> 01:17:38,439 honestly the only other team. It's like it's them or the Warriors. I 1149 01:17:38,520 --> 01:17:42,119 just don't I guess if the Rockets really pop and they just like read Shepherd 1150 01:17:42,119 --> 01:17:45,880 comes in and he's amazing out of the gate and increases their spacing, Tarrasan's 1151 01:17:45,920 --> 01:17:48,000 healthy, and they're just like fucking shit up on defense all the time. 1152 01:17:48,840 --> 01:17:55,000 But they're just it's not an insult, it's they're They're sitting pretty and I 1153 01:17:55,039 --> 01:17:59,479 don't think that they're gonna they need to make a move to probably reach that 1154 01:17:59,560 --> 01:18:00,319 point. And I don't know that they're going to be in a rush to 1155 01:18:00,359 --> 01:18:04,279 make that move when it feels like they're very much structuring their books around having 1156 01:18:04,319 --> 01:18:09,800 a bunch of cap space next summer, right right exactly, like they they 1157 01:18:09,840 --> 01:18:14,159 have the probably the highest upside of any team in this year, like long 1158 01:18:14,279 --> 01:18:16,800 term, yeah, but I'm not sure that they reach it next year, 1159 01:18:16,840 --> 01:18:21,920 whereas like Lakers and Warriors are clearly feeling a much more imminent win now. 1160 01:18:23,000 --> 01:18:29,279 Pressure. This is a fun question. Who is more likely to make a 1161 01:18:29,399 --> 01:18:33,800 trade that requires them giving up a first round pick that is later than twenty 1162 01:18:33,960 --> 01:18:40,239 twenty seven. The Lakers, the Warriors, I'll throw the rockets in there, 1163 01:18:40,840 --> 01:18:46,880 or the Clippers, probably the Lakers. Is because Lebron is forty and 1164 01:18:46,960 --> 01:18:51,199 he is clear the one plus one did not seem like a coincidence. He 1165 01:18:51,359 --> 01:18:57,520 is going to continue to exert pressure on that organization, which is hilarious because 1166 01:18:57,520 --> 01:18:59,800 they're probably gonna be like, look, dude, we know you're not leaving 1167 01:18:59,840 --> 01:19:03,279 out like you are clearly just if you wanted to leave, LA was literally 1168 01:19:03,640 --> 01:19:11,960 holding your son hostage and paying right. So I'm sure he's going to try 1169 01:19:12,000 --> 01:19:15,359 to pressure them into it. I don't know that it necessarily works, but 1170 01:19:15,399 --> 01:19:17,920 they do at least have a bunch of those like mid tier you know, 1171 01:19:18,000 --> 01:19:25,000 D'Angelo, Russell, Van Do, Gabe, Vincent Austin Reeves really like that 1172 01:19:25,239 --> 01:19:30,039 they have the contracts to make it work, and because of Lebron James's massive 1173 01:19:30,039 --> 01:19:33,479 pay cut, they're slightly below the second apron so they are allowed to aggregate 1174 01:19:33,520 --> 01:19:39,119 contracts. So I think they're probably the most desperate to make a move since, 1175 01:19:39,159 --> 01:19:41,880 as you said, I mean, like the Warriors, they made moves 1176 01:19:41,920 --> 01:19:45,159 this offseason. I mean, you know, losing Klay Thompson obviously sucks, 1177 01:19:45,159 --> 01:19:47,680 but like Buddy Heal, Danthe Melton, Kyle Anderson, those are all like 1178 01:19:47,880 --> 01:19:50,600 pretty big additions to that team. And I agree with you that I think 1179 01:19:50,680 --> 01:19:54,640 there's a real chance they're better this year than they were last year as a 1180 01:19:54,680 --> 01:19:58,119 result. And there just seems and even if you just framed us, who's 1181 01:19:58,119 --> 01:20:00,000 most likely to make a trade that matters, is still like it's the Lakers, 1182 01:20:00,039 --> 01:20:04,840 because the Clippers that just there's no pathway to them being contenders again. 1183 01:20:05,039 --> 01:20:09,359 They just don't like it's gone and so why are you gonna make any sort 1184 01:20:09,359 --> 01:20:11,800 of move because you're gonna have to give up a distant first round pick to 1185 01:20:11,840 --> 01:20:15,159 do that. And then the Rockets, I just don't know if they're gonna 1186 01:20:15,159 --> 01:20:16,920 have the appetite for it. We already mentioned the cap space and just they 1187 01:20:16,920 --> 01:20:20,840 have so many not projects, but prospects I guess the way, and they're 1188 01:20:20,840 --> 01:20:25,359 trying to figure stuff out. And then the Warriors would be the other candidate. 1189 01:20:25,399 --> 01:20:28,439 So we just keep coming back to Lakers the Warriors, but they also 1190 01:20:28,520 --> 01:20:31,560 they don't seem to have an appetite to do that either. Like I know 1191 01:20:31,600 --> 01:20:35,880 they've been linked to lowry marketing, but they seem oddly obsessed with Jonathan Kamingo, 1192 01:20:36,159 --> 01:20:39,840 who seems like he could be a really good player, but it's not 1193 01:20:40,399 --> 01:20:43,920 played like a really good and part of that might be opportunity. But John 1194 01:20:44,039 --> 01:20:45,199 give Me is viewed as like, well, could they really like give him 1195 01:20:45,239 --> 01:20:48,119 up in a trade for lowry marketing? Yeah, they absolutely could and should 1196 01:20:48,159 --> 01:20:53,119 if they have the opportunity to do that. So I but they just seem 1197 01:20:53,239 --> 01:20:57,279 like that they're planning for the next era more so. And it's like, 1198 01:20:57,319 --> 01:21:00,319 we're gonna do a two time a one point five timeline thing, where's we 1199 01:21:00,319 --> 01:21:03,319 don't want to be irrelevant until Steph fades into the sunset, but we're not 1200 01:21:03,359 --> 01:21:08,399 getting rid of our young guys to maximize what's left of Steph's prime. Yeah, 1201 01:21:08,560 --> 01:21:11,079 yeah, exactly. And they already trade the twenty thirty pick, so 1202 01:21:11,239 --> 01:21:14,680 I think they have twenty twenty eight is the only one they're legally allowed to 1203 01:21:14,680 --> 01:21:17,640 trade past that range, whereas the Lakers have twenty nine and thirty one that 1204 01:21:17,640 --> 01:21:21,640 they can offer. And I think you're right, like the Warriors should not 1205 01:21:21,720 --> 01:21:26,760 be interested when Stephen Curry is only under contract for a couple more seasons give 1206 01:21:26,880 --> 01:21:30,079 way anything? Why can't I don't. I didn't look at their pick commitments. 1207 01:21:30,079 --> 01:21:36,439 Why can't they trade twenty twenty six? Who do they because their pick 1208 01:21:36,479 --> 01:21:42,039 commitments are weird and it's like a fake first round or they sent to Washington 1209 01:21:42,239 --> 01:21:48,079 in the Jordan pool very much? Yeah, yeah, so I mean for 1210 01:21:48,119 --> 01:21:51,399 some reason, I thought, yeah they should. They can trade twenty six 1211 01:21:51,800 --> 01:21:56,680 and twenty eight. Yeah, okay, yeah, it's just twenty thirty they 1212 01:21:56,680 --> 01:22:00,560 can't. Yeah, can they also do if they wanted to be like, 1213 01:22:00,640 --> 01:22:04,319 okay, it's protected for selections twenty one to thirty, and then also trade 1214 01:22:04,319 --> 01:22:09,880 their twenty thirty first round pick, right since Washington's top twenty protected technically, 1215 01:22:09,960 --> 01:22:13,960 Yeah, so I mean, and then swaps of course, And yeah, 1216 01:22:14,000 --> 01:22:16,439 I just don't. I guess what's tough with this team is, even if 1217 01:22:16,439 --> 01:22:19,680 I think they're better and more balanced on paper, it seems harder, for 1218 01:22:19,680 --> 01:22:25,920 some reason for them to make a trade that would vault them into title contention 1219 01:22:26,079 --> 01:22:29,520 or close to it than it is for the Lakers, who have two guys 1220 01:22:29,560 --> 01:22:32,399 that can headline a title contender. The Warriors have one guy. And like, 1221 01:22:32,439 --> 01:22:35,720 if you add Larry Marketing to this team, if you add Brandon Ingram, 1222 01:22:35,720 --> 01:22:39,199 if you add Zach Lavine, even if you added trade like something like 1223 01:22:39,239 --> 01:22:43,199 wild, like LaMelo or Trey, they're not there. But if you add 1224 01:22:43,239 --> 01:22:45,199 basically any of those names to the Lakers roster, I think you could make 1225 01:22:45,239 --> 01:22:48,760 a case for the Lakers. Yeah. Yeah, I think that they're the 1226 01:22:48,800 --> 01:22:55,000 only ones that could realistically vault into like the A tier this year, Whereas 1227 01:22:55,479 --> 01:22:58,560 I have a hard time seeing any move that would put any of these other 1228 01:22:58,600 --> 01:23:03,399 teams in there. Uh so, I guess we should just for posterity sake 1229 01:23:04,039 --> 01:23:08,760 o our D tier of teams. It's no shot. And although should the 1230 01:23:08,760 --> 01:23:14,399 Spurs have been in the CE tier better than the Clippers maybe so, I 1231 01:23:15,359 --> 01:23:18,359 originally broke up the C and D tier. C tier for me was end 1232 01:23:18,439 --> 01:23:21,680 stage rebuilding is what I called it. And I have the Spurs in there 1233 01:23:21,720 --> 01:23:26,479 even though they are only what year two into the Webby era, but like, 1234 01:23:26,840 --> 01:23:30,279 he's so good that they are already in that. So I had Spurs, 1235 01:23:30,399 --> 01:23:35,880 Jazz, Pistons, and Hornets in the we are not deliberately tanking this 1236 01:23:35,960 --> 01:23:42,279 year tier, and then Wizards, Nets, Bulls and Blazers in the we 1237 01:23:42,399 --> 01:23:45,319 might win ten games this year, we are trying to be pretty bad. 1238 01:23:46,680 --> 01:23:49,720 Yeah, I mean the Blazers, if they don't make some roster changes might 1239 01:23:49,760 --> 01:23:55,920 stumble into too many victories. I think, honestly, I think the Spurs 1240 01:23:55,920 --> 01:23:58,479 are the only team as of right now that I would say would be guaranteed 1241 01:23:58,479 --> 01:24:01,479 to like not like the Jazz still have lowry marketing right now, but even 1242 01:24:01,479 --> 01:24:03,800 if they have him, they might still be trying to lose games. So 1243 01:24:03,840 --> 01:24:06,000 this is like the Spurs the only one in this tier. I'm like, 1244 01:24:06,000 --> 01:24:09,840 should they have been up a little bit because the others are just like, 1245 01:24:10,560 --> 01:24:13,319 Okay, the Pistons and Hornets can try to win, but they're not gonna 1246 01:24:13,640 --> 01:24:16,520 And I don't I honestly don't think the Hornets are gonna try. And then 1247 01:24:16,560 --> 01:24:18,920 like the Bulls, maybe they'll try, but they're the Bulls. It won't 1248 01:24:18,920 --> 01:24:26,279 matter. So you can talk out now like CP three and with Harrison Barnes, 1249 01:24:26,319 --> 01:24:29,479 you could talk me into the Spurs being in the seed tire at seventy. 1250 01:24:30,039 --> 01:24:32,479 Well, this is I'm sure you've probably read this ad nauseum and stuff 1251 01:24:32,520 --> 01:24:35,880 that I or other people have written and you've edited in so far as we 1252 01:24:35,920 --> 01:24:44,399 get an editor anymore on things like the Spurs with Wemby and Trey Jones on 1253 01:24:44,439 --> 01:24:46,479 the court, unless you were plus five point two points per one hundred possessions. 1254 01:24:46,640 --> 01:24:50,479 You had Devin Vassell in there plus ten something points per one hundred posessions. 1255 01:24:50,479 --> 01:24:55,159 And now it's like we have two more competent NBA rotation players and Trey 1256 01:24:55,239 --> 01:24:58,720 Jones can get bumped down to the second unit without us having a you know, 1257 01:24:58,720 --> 01:25:03,000 a starting unit that's basically a arcrificial lamb statistically, So there's like I 1258 01:25:03,079 --> 01:25:10,640 mean, because it feels like all the teams in the seatier, like for 1259 01:25:10,680 --> 01:25:14,479 the from the Western Conference anyway, they have like this boom er bust potential 1260 01:25:14,520 --> 01:25:17,439 and so like the Spurs might belong in the seatier just by saying, hey, 1261 01:25:17,479 --> 01:25:21,800 the math doesn't check out, but one of these teams is gonna implode. 1262 01:25:21,880 --> 01:25:25,079 But one of these teams is probably gonna be a lot better than we 1263 01:25:25,159 --> 01:25:30,319 expect, right right, Yeah, I mean it's they're getting promoted. I'm 1264 01:25:30,359 --> 01:25:34,319 going okay, I like it. I like it. I'm allowing it because 1265 01:25:34,359 --> 01:25:38,520 yeah, I mean I could easily see them. I mean I could see 1266 01:25:38,520 --> 01:25:42,000 them making the plane this year, which is crazy to say, but like 1267 01:25:42,239 --> 01:25:48,920 adding CP three Barnes and the Castle as well, I'm curious if they were 1268 01:25:48,920 --> 01:25:56,119 the team that traded for Lowry Marketing where would you put them A. Devin 1269 01:25:56,199 --> 01:25:59,239 Vessel is still on the team after this, That's really the only thing. 1270 01:25:59,560 --> 01:26:01,920 Devins Ell and Stephan Castle are still on the team in addition to CB three 1271 01:26:02,119 --> 01:26:11,720 and Wemby. Damn. I mean definitely at least B tier. Do I 1272 01:26:11,760 --> 01:26:14,319 put them in A? I think I would put them in B until I 1273 01:26:14,359 --> 01:26:17,439 saw it. But would you have them B like ahead of the Kings and 1274 01:26:17,479 --> 01:26:21,880 the Suns and the Yeah? Probably yeah, maybe not. I think the 1275 01:26:21,960 --> 01:26:29,479 Kings will still have a really high regular season for but I mean this like, 1276 01:26:29,920 --> 01:26:32,520 there's just never been anything like Wemby before, so we have no idea. 1277 01:26:33,079 --> 01:26:36,159 I mean, we'll see with in the next couple of weeks the Olympics. 1278 01:26:36,199 --> 01:26:41,520 Like, wouldn't shock me if he's significantly better than he was a few 1279 01:26:41,520 --> 01:26:45,840 months ago. I mean, he the the rate at which he was able 1280 01:26:45,880 --> 01:26:50,840 to absorb information and then get better throughout the season, Like we typically don't 1281 01:26:50,880 --> 01:26:57,520 see these like massive in season leaps. It's like you you are who you 1282 01:26:57,600 --> 01:27:00,119 are, and then you take the off season and you add something new to 1283 01:27:00,159 --> 01:27:02,439 your bag, and you come back and you show it off and you're a 1284 01:27:02,520 --> 01:27:06,439 much better player. Wemby was like, oh my god, this guy's getting 1285 01:27:06,479 --> 01:27:11,159 significantly better as the season's going off, Like, oh, he has a 1286 01:27:11,199 --> 01:27:15,800 pull up three pointer now, and it's right right, he just he just 1287 01:27:15,840 --> 01:27:19,560 seemed to get more comfortable with the NBA game. And to your point, 1288 01:27:19,600 --> 01:27:23,760 maybe it's like we don't have Jeremy so Hanna as the point guard anymore. 1289 01:27:24,159 --> 01:27:27,520 Well, now we're not gonna have to do the point so hand experiment for 1290 01:27:27,560 --> 01:27:30,000 thirty games next season. You have Chris Paul and Trey Jones. And like, 1291 01:27:31,000 --> 01:27:33,439 you know, Chris Paul, if you're banking on him to stay healthy 1292 01:27:33,439 --> 01:27:38,079 for all of you two games, good luck. But like pairing him with 1293 01:27:38,159 --> 01:27:41,359 any big man is just a cheap code. I mean, he made DeAndre 1294 01:27:41,479 --> 01:27:45,800 Jordan into a freaking All Star, you know, like he was that like 1295 01:27:45,840 --> 01:27:48,319 what are you gonna He's gonna just throw a ton of lobs at the seven 1296 01:27:48,359 --> 01:27:51,159 foot four guy who could jump up and catch them. All you would do 1297 01:27:51,279 --> 01:27:55,399 is throw it at the damn basket. And when you can outreach anyone, 1298 01:27:55,720 --> 01:28:00,720 like, they're gonna just generate so much easy offense from literally just and catch. 1299 01:28:01,680 --> 01:28:04,239 Yeah. I mean, he might honestly be so good. I know 1300 01:28:04,279 --> 01:28:08,279 people framed us. He's gonna agitate and they're gonna have to make a move 1301 01:28:08,600 --> 01:28:11,840 that's not gonna happen. He just might be so fucking good that they have 1302 01:28:11,920 --> 01:28:15,000 no choice other than he's gonna win us X games, and like at that 1303 01:28:15,039 --> 01:28:17,920 point, we're not gonna have these great draft picks, like we might as 1304 01:28:17,920 --> 01:28:23,239 well go trade for player X, star Y, whatever, because Wemby has 1305 01:28:23,279 --> 01:28:27,680 us like in contention for the six seed already. Yeah, right, exactly. 1306 01:28:27,760 --> 01:28:30,800 Yeah. I think I said that last year. They are not able 1307 01:28:30,840 --> 01:28:35,159 to tank anymore because he's just too good and like good, especially now that 1308 01:28:35,359 --> 01:28:40,119 you know teams like the Nets and the Wizards have just thrown in the towel 1309 01:28:40,199 --> 01:28:43,600 on trying to compete, Like you are not going to catch those teams, 1310 01:28:43,600 --> 01:28:46,079 so you might as well just let Wemby grow at his own pace. And 1311 01:28:46,119 --> 01:28:49,720 I think they're being smart and strategic about how they are rebuilding around him, 1312 01:28:49,760 --> 01:28:54,520 Like I respect them for not making an all in move and for like going 1313 01:28:54,560 --> 01:28:58,720 after these distant pick swaps and picks because they know, like we need to 1314 01:28:58,720 --> 01:29:02,000 be loading up for Wemby's prime at the turn of the decade, assuming that 1315 01:29:02,039 --> 01:29:06,840 we were all still here on this planet at that point, and assuming the 1316 01:29:06,880 --> 01:29:12,159 Mothership doesn't call him home, right, that's right, right, that they're 1317 01:29:12,159 --> 01:29:16,479 really gambling on a lot of future based things that might not happen. But 1318 01:29:17,159 --> 01:29:21,880 I think they're being smart about you know, like I know they got killed 1319 01:29:21,880 --> 01:29:27,239 for trading the number eight pick to Minnesota. That's like, I get why 1320 01:29:27,279 --> 01:29:30,159 they are making these moves like they are. They're being very deliberate about this, 1321 01:29:30,239 --> 01:29:32,319 and I think it's going to pay off in the long run, but 1322 01:29:32,560 --> 01:29:35,359 also in the short run it might not matter because when we might be good 1323 01:29:35,439 --> 01:29:41,520 enough that they're still winning at a much faster pace than you typically see for 1324 01:29:41,560 --> 01:29:45,800 a team, you know, this early and into its rebuilt. Yeah, 1325 01:29:45,880 --> 01:29:49,279 they are just I want them to be aggressive, but I know they just 1326 01:29:49,319 --> 01:29:54,039 don't have to because he's just still good. He's honestly, he's gonna be 1327 01:29:54,079 --> 01:29:58,119 one of the greatest players of all time if he stays healthy. There's it's 1328 01:29:58,159 --> 01:30:01,079 just absolutely wild. Shou you want to recap what our tiers were unless you 1329 01:30:01,119 --> 01:30:04,159 have anything else to add about any of these teams. No, let's yeah, 1330 01:30:04,199 --> 01:30:11,039 so s tier. We had Celtics, thunder Nuggets, Sixers, and 1331 01:30:11,119 --> 01:30:17,600 Knicks, and this was our top tier title contenders. A tier were teams 1332 01:30:17,640 --> 01:30:24,680 we feel reasonably confident about and could very easily see them making it at least 1333 01:30:24,680 --> 01:30:29,199 around if not too or advancing you know, second round, maybe even conference 1334 01:30:29,199 --> 01:30:33,399 finals at being Mavericks, Timberwolves, Bucks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, and Pacers. 1335 01:30:34,159 --> 01:30:40,279 The B tier were you know, also teams that we think probably finished 1336 01:30:40,279 --> 01:30:43,840 somewhere in the top eight of their conference, that being the Magic, Kings, 1337 01:30:43,880 --> 01:30:48,840 Sons, Heat and Pelicans. C tier we had Lakers, Warriors, 1338 01:30:48,920 --> 01:30:55,399 Rockets, Clippers, Sons, Hawks, and Raptors. These are teams potentially 1339 01:30:55,520 --> 01:30:59,920 probably in the play and mix. And then the D tier. What would 1340 01:31:00,039 --> 01:31:01,520 in the Pooper for Cooper? I believe, yeah, and the Pooper for 1341 01:31:01,560 --> 01:31:05,319 Cooper is the D tier. There we go, So Jazz, Pistons, 1342 01:31:05,359 --> 01:31:11,760 Hornets, Bowled, Blazers, Wizards and Nets. Could you imagine if the 1343 01:31:11,800 --> 01:31:15,119 Spurs just decide to like Wenby might Riot, but if they shut them down 1344 01:31:15,119 --> 01:31:18,840 and they're in the Pooper for Cooper and they get Cooper? What or what 1345 01:31:18,880 --> 01:31:23,239 if they just win the like what if they just get really lucky? Like 1346 01:31:23,560 --> 01:31:26,760 yeah, sure too, because like get a one percent chance and now you've 1347 01:31:26,760 --> 01:31:30,239 got Cooper flag as well. At that point, like it's already the Spurs 1348 01:31:30,279 --> 01:31:33,399 and the Thunders League by the late twenty twenties. But if Cooper Flag goes 1349 01:31:33,399 --> 01:31:38,119 to San Antonio, like every other team should just push all its chips in 1350 01:31:38,199 --> 01:31:42,039 right now because there is no point like that's over. What are you waiting 1351 01:31:42,079 --> 01:31:45,760 for? You're you're not winning in twenty twenty eight, Just burn it all 1352 01:31:45,840 --> 01:31:48,119 down. What's like twenty eight teams will be rebuilding at the same time. 1353 01:31:49,039 --> 01:31:54,920 I'm looking at our list now and like, once we get through, because 1354 01:31:54,960 --> 01:31:58,079 there we kind of ranked them within the tiers, but so the S tier, 1355 01:31:58,520 --> 01:32:00,359 even if you don't think they belong in the sty. I feel confident 1356 01:32:00,359 --> 01:32:03,720 about those five teams, the Celtics, the thunder, the Nuggets, the 1357 01:32:03,720 --> 01:32:08,439 Sixers, the Knicks. Then I feel confident in the MAVs, the Timberwolves, 1358 01:32:08,439 --> 01:32:12,720 the Bucks and the Calves. So like after those nine teams, though, 1359 01:32:13,199 --> 01:32:15,800 I'm just looking at all these and you could talk me into every single 1360 01:32:16,039 --> 01:32:18,720 one of the schools, every single one of them and if you know, 1361 01:32:18,760 --> 01:32:23,119 forget about in the Pooper for Cooper, but all these other you could talk 1362 01:32:23,159 --> 01:32:28,439 me to them being demonstratively better then we have them categorized or just like way 1363 01:32:28,479 --> 01:32:32,159 way, way worse. Yeah, you have to talk to me for a 1364 01:32:32,199 --> 01:32:35,960 while to talk me into the Raptors. But other than that, yeah, 1365 01:32:36,079 --> 01:32:41,680 like I I could, I could definitely see the Rockets winning forty five plus 1366 01:32:41,720 --> 01:32:45,640 games and you know, quite like being the sixth seed in the West. 1367 01:32:45,640 --> 01:32:49,960 It's just for me. The West is so tough. It's like I'm baking 1368 01:32:50,000 --> 01:32:54,000 in you know, Like if the Rockets were in the East, I think 1369 01:32:54,039 --> 01:32:58,439 I would feel more confident in their chances of actually waking up the tox six 1370 01:32:58,479 --> 01:33:01,000 seeds. It's just there in the West and they're you know, like if 1371 01:33:01,000 --> 01:33:03,680 you think they are going if you think the Houston Rockets are going to be 1372 01:33:03,680 --> 01:33:06,119 a top sixceeed. We do this with you know, the draft and with 1373 01:33:06,199 --> 01:33:11,640 trades and with roster spots all the time. It's like which of thunder Nuggets, 1374 01:33:11,840 --> 01:33:17,520 Mavericks, Wolves, Suns, Pelicans, King's Grizzlies. Yeah, that's 1375 01:33:17,600 --> 01:33:21,479 eight teams. So we just mentioned like you have to remove three of them 1376 01:33:23,119 --> 01:33:26,600 or put the Rockets over three of them. I can't make a case like 1377 01:33:26,640 --> 01:33:29,800 that, No, I can't. I can't get there with you. Just 1378 01:33:30,760 --> 01:33:33,000 fascinating exercise to do. I'm curious if we'll have any transactions that kind of 1379 01:33:33,000 --> 01:33:36,399 blow this up though, the rest of the season. We need to put 1380 01:33:36,399 --> 01:33:40,159 this out tomorrow morning. And I swear to God, if Brandon Ingram gets 1381 01:33:40,159 --> 01:33:43,880 traded tonight, I'm gonna scream. Well, that's fine because brand Inger's not 1382 01:33:43,920 --> 01:33:50,840 someone who impacts the title race. But it depends depends on what the framework 1383 01:33:50,920 --> 01:33:55,640 is. The Proklopez is going to New Orleans were we're maybe we're just swapping 1384 01:33:55,680 --> 01:33:59,319 the bucks and the Pelicans and our tears, so we'll have to agree even 1385 01:33:59,359 --> 01:34:00,960 while you're about to have a baby. So maybe, like, if there's 1386 01:34:01,000 --> 01:34:04,000 a move that doesn't it can't happen this week, that'll just be worth it. 1387 01:34:04,000 --> 01:34:06,680 But there's a move that happens within the next couple of months that shifts 1388 01:34:06,720 --> 01:34:10,800 this, we'll have to redo it and maybe see how much it changed. 1389 01:34:11,119 --> 01:34:15,279 Yes, this feels like a fun like mid season after the trade deadline to 1390 01:34:15,359 --> 01:34:18,279 revisit. Oh god, just how wrong will it? No one's gonna trade 1391 01:34:18,319 --> 01:34:23,600 They have no idea what's going on? That's right? Well, now, 1392 01:34:23,880 --> 01:34:28,560 Dan, all these teams are saving their mid level exceptions for trade exceptions. 1393 01:34:28,600 --> 01:34:31,479 Clearly, that's that's the only reason they're not spending them right now. Yeah, 1394 01:34:31,479 --> 01:34:36,720 that's the only reason. Well, we'll have to do a how a 1395 01:34:36,800 --> 01:34:41,439 team's got too scared of the Second April Podcast at some point a follow up 1396 01:34:41,520 --> 01:34:45,479 to teams should be afraid of the Second April Podcast and should we get like 1397 01:34:45,520 --> 01:34:51,319 CJ. McCollum and Grant Williams on the podcast, Grant, how do you 1398 01:34:51,319 --> 01:34:56,840 feel about getting the last big mid tier contract in NBA history? Congratulations? 1399 01:34:57,920 --> 01:35:00,680 And I just I know people now, let's not we we need to save 1400 01:35:00,720 --> 01:35:02,760 it. I have. It's just wow, that's all. Well, there 1401 01:35:02,800 --> 01:35:06,720 we go. We've got another podcast in the Hoppersit we just this happens last 1402 01:35:06,720 --> 01:35:12,359 time we recorded where it was was like, well, we're going to record 1403 01:35:12,399 --> 01:35:15,760 another one. Well, Dan, thank you as always for coming on. 1404 01:35:15,840 --> 01:35:20,159 It's always a blast to have you and to walk you through goofy exercises like 1405 01:35:20,159 --> 01:35:23,800 this. So can you let our listeners know one more time where they can 1406 01:35:23,840 --> 01:35:26,920 find you on Twitter and where they can find your work. Yes, follow 1407 01:35:26,960 --> 01:35:30,000 me on Twitter at Dan Favalley fav al E. All my stuff is at 1408 01:35:30,039 --> 01:35:34,279 Bleacher Report, and then also check out the Hardwood Knox podcast. Just like 1409 01:35:34,319 --> 01:35:40,000 the NBA podcast, we cover the NBA at large because there's not enough NBA 1410 01:35:40,079 --> 01:35:43,720 podcasts out there. Quite frankly, you have no options aside from the NBA 1411 01:35:43,760 --> 01:35:46,279 Podcast and Hardwoodknox. You might as well subscribe YouTube, Spotify, Apple, 1412 01:35:46,279 --> 01:35:49,079 the whole nine, but spelled exactly as the towns come check, Grant and 1413 01:35:49,159 --> 01:35:54,079 I out and then from time more than occasionally, I would say, Brian 1414 01:35:54,199 --> 01:35:56,920 is on the podcast as well, so that's another reason to come tune in. 1415 01:35:57,359 --> 01:35:59,600 And I love doing these things with you. I'm always happy to talk 1416 01:36:00,159 --> 01:36:01,840 to talk hoops with you. I'm excited that we get to tease. We're 1417 01:36:01,880 --> 01:36:05,199 doing the Brian Windhorse thing where he's I know things but I can't say it, 1418 01:36:05,199 --> 01:36:09,359 and we're just we've got content coming. We're gonna tell you what it 1419 01:36:09,439 --> 01:36:14,880 is. But there's yeah, yeah, it's a fun extra sign So please 1420 01:36:14,960 --> 01:36:18,399 go subscribe to Hardwood Docs. I will be on there sometime within the next 1421 01:36:18,399 --> 01:36:23,520 week, presumably we'll see when this thing gets published if we are, But 1422 01:36:23,640 --> 01:36:27,479 we do have a fun project coming up and hope you all enjoy that because 1423 01:36:27,520 --> 01:36:30,199 we have a ton of fun doing it. But Dan, thank you again. 1424 01:36:30,319 --> 01:36:34,000 We always love having you, and please everyone, thank you for listening 1425 01:36:34,079 --> 01:36:38,000 in. As always. Please follow us on Twitter at the NBA Pod. 1426 01:36:38,039 --> 01:36:40,840 You can find our Twitter handles and our bios to give us to follow as 1427 01:36:40,840 --> 01:36:43,760 well. You can also find us on iTunes and we're about to podcast or 1428 01:36:43,800 --> 01:36:47,359 founds on iTunes. Please subscribe download please the five star reviews. Until next 1429 01:36:47,399 --> 01:36:50,680 time. I'm Brian's Pork and I was joined by our very special guest, 1430 01:36:50,840 --> 01:36:55,960 Dan Valley of Bee Hardy with NOx Podcast. Dan, thank you again, 1431 01:36:56,039 --> 01:36:58,960 my friends. We will talk too, Yes, talk you very soon. 1432 01:37:00,840 --> 01:37:03,720 Bat and a bot