What is krack Olacket felt their Windo here A after his eye and Dan Play
coming at you with a super brief sub thirty second intro podcast. You're about
to listen to our biggest X factors for every potential twenty four NBA playoff team.
Was one awesome I think, granted I did a fantastic job. But
two we talked about the heat and the Knicks and the Julius Randall injury and
Ojannobi at length. We did this before we got word that Tyler Hero was
progressing towards return, and before we got word that og Anobi was going to
play on Friday. It doesn't change the context of our discussion too much,
but wanted to cover our bases there. So if you're listening to that and
you skip this and you don't know what's going on, that's on you.
I just want to let everybody know that we mentioned, specifically with Adamobe,
since we went quite long on the Knicks at the end of the podcast,
that he did return. He played against the Bulls, and so please factor
that into our discussion. But let's get to it. What is krak a
lacin fellow thermonuclear a efforts? I am at dan Pa Valley, coming at
you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. We are here
to talk about our biggest X factor for every potential twenty twenty four NBA Playoff
team, Because that's right now, Grant, there are twenty one potential NBA
Playoff teams as we record this. When you factor in squads that are going
to be in the play and we might have nineteen teams, so the first
time in NBA history finish over five hundred, which would be really fucking cool.
Actually, before we get started, please sub and stuff already. But
really the real question that I have, Grant, how the heck are you
doing? I'm doing well. I just it's the thought occurred to me when
you were doing your intro. Do you ever like wake up in the middle
of the night and just find yourself saying, like going into your intro spiel
because you've said it so many times, like it, because you don't even
it must be full autopilot at this point, right, Like you don't even
under the words you're saying for things like that. It's funny because it's not
autopilot, because I will be like if i'm doing guests or something, I
might not say, what's crack a lacin. So it's just like in my
head where it's like I don't want Sometimes I feel like that I'm like cultraally
appropriating something that I shouldn't by saying crack a acin. But our listeners have
demanded that I continue to say it anyway, So it's all that part's always
ingrained in my head. I guess asking you how you're doing is on autopilot,
but it's also something that I'm like, I cut the whole. It
used to be a longishpiel of like subscribe, comment and all that, but
I cut that because it's like newbies aren't gonna care if they're listening to us
the first time to hear that at the beginning. They're more likely if they
listen to the end to do that. So I don't care about the call
to action. I care about making sure that we talk about how you are
fairing you're well. Also, you know that it kind of puts me on
my back foot right away because I usually haven't prepared a bit like as an
answer, because that feels like pretty hack. Sometimes I'll have something I'll think
as something like, oh, this might be clever, uh but generally it's
like I try to shift the focus off of me as quickly as possible.
Uh So now I'm even more uncomfortable because I've put it as firmly back on
myself. Grant hates being a center of attention, which is why starting next
week he will be doing only solo podcasts. Yeah, I'll ask myself how
I'm doing, and it's just gonna be like a weird spiral where, uh
we might never pull out of it. I would love for you to record
a solo podcast just to see how you do talking to yourself for forty five
minutes to an hour, because I know you've listened to some of mine.
And it's just like there's no breath when I do it, because that's the
only way I can do it. Otherwise, if I stop and think,
I then and I am suddenly very aware that I am just having a conversation
with myself. Right. Yeah, I don't know how you do it.
Uh it just it it's uh, well, it's like radio hosts like back
in the day, Like still I guess there's still radio hosts, but like
when you're just don't have callers and you're just talking like I just don't.
It's a hard thing to do so and you're but you do a good you
do it really well. So either you've either I didn't listen to early early
Dan solo pods and you were just like dead silent for like seven minute stretches,
well you try to think of something to say, or you're natural at
it. I will say, keep Parish and I know he's not podcasting anymore,
But laz Jackson Lazarus Jackson are two of like some of the best solo
podcasters that like I could listen to their episodes that just everything seemed like very
natural, not like they were trying to fill airtime or talk a zillion miles
a minute like I do such a skill. If I did it, I
would just read something I wrote. I feel like there's screen just whipped out
like this long roll of papers, like growing it behind the camera and hope
you couldn't see my eyes like typewriter and left or right. You could probably
do it really well. When Nick's Film School kind of does this with their
post games. Even though Andrew Claudio, their producer, will like come in
and talk to Macary, but like he'll just respond to the comments, and
so that makes it a little bit easier. But he'll also do like a
monologue at the beginning, which is different when you're trying to you know,
you're making these points, and then it's like, well, there's no one
to either agree with me or come back at me to have the actual discussion.
So I hate solo podcasts. Our listeners don't seem to mind them,
though, which is pretty cool. It's a credit to you. You win
all the arguments when you're only talking to yourself. The only arguments I win
on solo podcast. We are here to talk about X factors though, so
we have all the teams up there on the screen. If you want to
watch on YouTube, or at least just go to YouTube. Throws like throws
comment, that'd be fun too. We're gonna go alphabetically because we like to
We like to take risks over here, and Grant is gonna be our fearless
leader throughout this entire process. We've we've just decided this. Yep, uh,
let's start alphabetically then. And it's also helpful that I can see the
logos, so if I do get tripped up, I'll have some some help
here. I hope you get you set. You did say you were upset
that there was only one. I know I missed the Yao Steve Francis Rockets
logo, but that's okay, we we do. We did just go with
one this time, so sorry Rockets fans, you don't get the double dip
logo. We're starting with the Atlanta Hawks, so this, uh, you
know, we obviously my virtue of starting with the Hawks. We're talking about
play in teams as well. That's why the field is so big here.
Uh and even I mean, the Rockets are not a playing team at present,
but they're not totally out of it yet either, so we're gonna talk
about them. So for the Hawks, going with Jalen Johnson and and I
should say I think he's about he's pretty close to the line. We'll get
we'll get some better players in a vacuum, but we're not gonna go with
like de Jonte Murray or like Trey or you know whatever. I'm not gonna
pick the best guys because that just doesn't feel like it's in the spirit of
being an X factor, like which is such a fuzzy I mean, I
dare you to define an X factor in the you know, like in a
firm way for this exercise. It's it's obviously just you know, kind of
a gimmick, but like it can't be someone that's like, if they play
poorly, this team is like sunk, Like we can't pick Yokich, we
can't pick you know, Steph Curry. It's just like we can't go that
high, and you really can't go Like I think even someone like Jalen Brown
for the Celtics would probably be too good of a player. So Johnson is
pretty close to that because you could make the case that, like, if
Young doesn't play, he's Atlanta's second best player, so you know, but
still we're going with him in the dock that nobody listening can see. You
also have Trey Young's right hand in parentheses. So not a bad X factor.
But Johnson is just someone that like, I don't know, you can
talk about this too, but like his athleticism, his two way play,
like the way that he might end up guarding somebody really dangerous assuming they play
Chicago in that first playing game. I mean, he might spend some time
on DeMar Dea rozen for all we know, if Hunter can't do it.
So he's kind of a swing piece for Atlanta, But you know, I
don't know it. It's hard to say, like again that he matters more
than say de Jonte or if Trey Young, if he's gonna play. I
think what appealed to me him is that he's just the answer regardless of what
iteration of the Hawks are kind of taking the floor because without Trey his offensive
role kind of increases. I think DeAndre Hunter might be a close second,
if you really want to get sick and be like, well, vik Krach.
He's been playing some really good defense over the past few weeks, but
just like the stuff that he could do was kind of the secondary playmaker getting
them out in transition to the stuff he can do in transition his defensive body
of work. I assume it's only going to get more difficult because you're talking
about, yeah, you still have Hunter, but the injury to Sadik Bay
that was a body throw at And then are you really gonna you know,
if there was a Hall of Fame for players who remain way too important to
how their teams need to defend on the perimeter, Wesley Matthews will be first
ballot. But you're really going to go to him and like the higher you
probably will. But like Jalen Johnson is good, like his defensive body work
is just going to get harder. And then the other thing with him,
I want to borrow your phrase of the skeleton key for just certain lineups where
it's like where you want to try different stuff up front. He makes sense
next to Clincapella. He makes sense next to a Yaka kungu if they want
to get really you know, creative. He is the small ball five option
without any other big kind of on the court. And so I think I'm
with you that the Hawks and the Celtics ironically were the teamshere it felt like
they had like high profile players needed to be the answer. We might roll
run into this with another team, and I know there's like I think he
could go like with the Calves too, if you want to talk about one
of their younger players. But like you said, to just go through the
criteria, we're generally going to avoid the stars on a team. And like
Johnson, I think he would have won Most Improved Player had he met the
Games Minium, Like he probably would have been my pick. Well, Scotty
Barnes would have been my pick if he met the game, it was both
our picks. For a minute, he's towing the line, but he's not
quite there yet. And honestly, it's just he's there. He's their third
best player, maybe their second most important one, and so it's just like,
well, we'll leave it, like I think, I don't think we're
breaking the spirit of this too much with him. No. No, which,
speaking of, we might be doing it with the next team, which
is the Boston Celtics. However, as everyone who's listening to this or watching
this as where like the Celtics just happen to have their top six is littered
with only good players. So we're gonna go with Derek White here. And
it's just like you can't choose Tatum, you can't choose Brown. I mean,
Porzingis is kind of a logical X factor pick just because like he's the
one that might break certain defenses because you can't switch a small onto him because
he's the best post up player in the league in terms of per possession,
and they don't like and they basically only post him up when they get a
switch. So it just kind of ruins a pretty standard postseason defensive scheme.
A lot of teams will employ, but White is someone that's like he maybe
you know, maybe on him to bring the ball up and maybe on him
to guard the other team's best player. He might have massive health defense responsibilities.
He's a weirdly good rim protector, weirdly great rim protector for a player
his side. So he's just gonna have all these he might wear like three
different hats across you know, the span of a series, and so he
feels he feels kind of even though again he's maybe a little too good,
just you know, object actively, he does kind of fit the idea of
an X factor because like it implies like some level of I'm not even sure
what this guy's gonna do, but it's gonna matter, right, And it's
just if you're not gonna pick someone inside their top six, it's Sam Hauser
or it's maybe Exavier Tillman. And I think you could probably make a case
for al Horford because it's like they might want to throw him at Yannis in
that matchup if that's something they pull. He gets the Embida assignment a lot
too, Yeah, so that that could be a good one. He's clearly
not at a star level anymore. So you could, but it just felt
like, if we're gonna pick someone inside the top six anyway, I'm just
gonna give it to Derek White, who kind of wears I think he wears.
Aside from Jason Tatum, he's the player on this team that wears the
most hats. Right, Maybe it's true Holiday, but I mean Holiday's role,
at least offensively is so small now, like White has a much bigger
offense, you know. So yeah, I'm just I'm agreeing with you.
I think you know, you could go Holiday, but that like Holiday hasn't
been much of an X factor for them this year. He's just a really
good two way player that's accepted a smaller offensive role. Like that's you know,
a jump shot is an X factor because it disappears generally in the playoffs.
Yeah, and he's been i mean, just shot the lights out.
So yeah, okay, so let's get We're at a true X factor now.
I think as we get to the Chicago Bulls, your favorite, my
favorite underrated elite backcourt slash can guard Wings defender Io de Soon MoU, I
think this is a perfect X factor in large part because you've got Demarta Rosen
and Kobe White, who are gonna have to play major offensive roles. You
shouldn't feel great about either of them guarding, you know, their positional matchup
if that guy is a real threat. Now if this is Atlanta, you
know, it's a different thing. But if they do wind up playing in
a playoff series, you're gonna need to soon move to potentially guard whoever the
best guy is from one to three and maybe even spend some time on fours.
Uh. And then that's without getting into his shooting, which is just
you know, been a revelation this year, just under forty percent. His
volume is up. But for me, it's the defensive side just because he
you know, Caruso is obviously going to come in and play whatever his customary
like twenty seven minutes are, but assuming I think is going to be someone
that they rely on on both ends and on defense against like some of the
most dangerous matchups they're gonna see. Yeah, And like the other thing too
with him is that they need him to kind of create more not necessarily off
the dribble, but like to get downhill and generate some rim pressure. And
so if he can do that, that adds like a whole different value to
their offense as well, and we've seen them try to focus on that more.
He just needs to be more aggressive overall. He does shoot a lot
out of the pick and roll, but it's kind of in the same spots,
in the same situations. It's more about can they get him all the
way downhill and to the basket? And so can he contribute is both that
shooter and the secondary playmaker that he is, but then also as just this
multi level scorer, And he's shown for stints that he can and if he
does, you know, the Balls aren't gonna do anything special in the postseason,
but if you're talking about them actually reaching the postseason, he's going to
be a pretty pretty huge yeah that I think there's a few guys, and
that feels like the purest one so far. We have the Cavs next,
so I can't remember, are we gonna go with the better player that we
discussed or are we gonna go with what's on the dock? We can't know
it. I think we need to go with Isaaca Coro, And I will
say we did consider Evan Mobley or Darius Garland, because Darius Garland has been
uneven to put it kindly and maybe just bad to be a little bit more
blunt about it. And then there's also the Evan Mobley element where it's is
he gonna give Jimmie Bickerstaff a reason to have him close games? Like?
Is he gonna be able to make it work offensively with the dual big stuff
this season? And that's gonna matter in a playoff series for them? But
it just felt like those guys are, well, oh wow, Evan Mobley
didn't play well, or Evan Mobley's in closing games? Is that idea?
But it just felt sort of like too done. With Isaaca Corro specifically,
I think he'll get some all defense love this season, and we know we
can do that. The three pointer has been falling. He's a pretty solid
cutter, he will be a ball mover, he'll get out in transition.
Can you do that all? Can you maintain that offensive role efficiently in the
playoffs when the pressure changes? But defenses are going to be different where they
might even care about him less or if they start to care about him,
how does he react to that? And so that's a and if you are
going to get into a lot of the one big lineups like he becomes ultra
important in those combinations as well. So how do those wind up holding holding
up in the postseason? Yeah, I think it's got to be him.
I would just say, like I probably should retire this take because I feel
like I've given it fifty times. But the way that Mobley couldn't handle duties
as a role guy against the Knicks in the playoffs last year just set him
up this postseason to like prove that you figured it out right, Like,
I don't know who they're going to match up against hypothetically, we don't know
if the same coverage will be there that gave him trouble. We don't know
if the fact that the Cavs have more shooters to put around the perimeter will
make it so Mobile doesn't have to sort of succeed where he failed. But
like in terms of like the narrative part of it, I don't know,
Maybe it's just me, but it really did stick in my mind that Mobli
was not up for the task that the Knicks put in front of him last
year in the playoffs, And this would have been maybe another opportunity for him
to prove that he's he's grown, especially you know, coming off a year
where he missed a bunch of time. Again that maybe isn't a fair thing
to ask, but that's that's why I think he was. If we were
including like more top end guys, I think he would have been a pretty
sensible pick there. That takes us to Dallas. This one is pretty clear
too, I think both of us. And that is PJ. Washington a
new addition at the deadline camp, coming over and kind of remaking this roster
with with Daniel Gafford at the you know, sort of in this reconstituted,
bigger, more athletic lineup that is now defending for Dallas. Why Why is
PJ. Washington specifically the X factor here? I think it's, I mean,
one, can he hit threes is like a end up being a huge
deal with Dallas so far, So that is absolutely needs to be part of
discussion. But it's he's gonna so much of the defensive responsibility is going to
fall to him when you're looking at some of the guys he needed to cover
since he's been there and even dating back to his time I'm in Charlotte,
I actually have been impressed with a way that he's handled that by and large,
but you know. I think why he becomes the X factor is Dallas
is sort of discover a lot about themselves where they know how good they are
with Daniel Gafford, But when you are trying to build out their most important
units, the only locks are Luca Kyrie and I think PJ. Washington because
you can move him around defensively so much, and he might create some challenges
at points offensively, but whether it's playing next to a Rim running big,
or if you want to go down go down size with Maxic Cliba or and
we know they don't try this, if you want to go with the three
big route with Washington and Cliba and a Rim running big and lively or Gafford,
then that's gonna fall. You know, the responsibility of guarding more even
more wings or harder Simon is going to fall on Washington. And you also
just know, yeah, they found some stuff where they're toggling the levers with
oh is it a Tim Hardaway Junior night is that Adante exim or Derek Jones
Jr. PJ. Washington Junior is more of a constant because of what we
know he can do offensively, and they also they gave up a top two
protected pick to get him. And so I've been very impressed with what he's
done defensively in Dallas. Can they need that to hold up in the playoffs?
And then he also is an X factor for his offense because will defense
is treat him differently if his threes continue to not go in and he's not
involved in these primary actions as often as he as he could be in certain
other units. Yeah, like it's tempting to say, well it just to
play Devil's advocate. Like I mean, look, if if Washington isn't getting
guarded like he goes oh for you know, in their first playoff game,
and then every defense is just sagging away off of him and clogging the lane
or putting two on Luca, Well, they have Derek Jones and they have
Exum and like those guys both kind of give them similar things. XM obviously
further down the positional spectrum, but like, if you Dallas, I don't
think wants to be in a position where it's like, well we can't play
Washington. We have to you know, we have to rely on these next
two guys, who you know, have real value. But like, if
Washington isn't a value add on both ends, I think, and it's not
like you're asking him to do much on offense besides hit open threes and cut
and stuff. That's a huge like Dallas is in trouble, Like that's a
problem because you don't want to suddenly have to be in the business of well,
Derek Jones has got to play thirty minutes or like Exem has to be
healthy every night and giving us like a major role. That's that's a scary
spot for them to be in. Yeah, I'm glad that you. I
was wondering if I think you could make a case for Kliba because he of
this different types of lineup team theory could unlock. But just the way that
Gafford has played, I don't think you look at that and say, oh,
like we need Maxi Kleeba to be like potentially this twenty five to thirty
minute a game player in the postseason. I'd be very shocked if that's what
I think. In any of the last like three or four playoffs, it
would have been Kleiba just because he was always the well he can protect the
rim a little bit and move on in the perimeter and all that. Like
he was he was the change up to like, well, we can't play
our conventional big. I think he now, I think he Dallas should still
be open to that against certain matchups. But it's like Gafford's been so good
and Lively has had his moments too, where I think that one of those
two big, like real bigs, should just be on the floor almost all
the time, unless I don't know what specific you know, maybe the Clippers
go five out or or something like that. That's where you might go back
to cleebo. Do you know what's strange? I almost spend too much time
on this, but Mavericks fans have been generally mad at us in the YouTube
comment. Still, I still would not have done what they did at the
trade deadline, I don't think. But I was not even recognizing I think,
you know, Gafford had done a lot of this stuff I expect him
to do. They've been way better off with those two guys than I would
have expected. And it's this weird situation where, yeah, they make a
deep playoff run and they're in the Western Conference finals or something. I'll step
back and say, Okay, it was worth it, But it's this weird
situation where they are thriving post trade deadline with these two guys, and I
still wouldn't have made the trade. Yeah, that might be a bad take,
I'm not I'm not trying to clown the Mavericks here. I still wouldn't
have done it, And I think that's just me taking the longer view,
which is fine. But they have undeniably exceeded expectations. Yeah, for sure,
I think it was a really scary trade. And I'm jury still out,
but like, yeah, maybe maybe the jury will not be out depending
on how how deep this run. The idea of your best offer being an
expiring contract and two first round picks, now, I'm not saying to get
another star, but like, that's the card to play. I guess if
you believe that PJ. Washington would have intense value and trade changed, that's
just makes me uncomfortable. But shout out to the Mavericks. They look pretty
fucking scary heading into the postseason. They do, and they have that guy
and that other guy that can really just win games offensively. Wow, the
big time a Josh Green fan over here, So I spoiled this already.
If anyone knows who Peyton Watson is for the Denver Nuggets. His picture came
up in the last one. I thought about Michael Porter Junior here just because
I feel like if things ever bogged down offensively or you're not having a good
Jamal Murray night, you kind of need Porter to do more than just his
shooting and like the motion stuff. It's, oh, can maybe he generate
some probing downhill for a change. And I just kind of stop and thought
about it, and just like you know, like if Murray doesn't have it
going, there's just Jokich will find everybody else or or team shut down.
One action ever has like contingency plans B through C, B through Z.
Excuse me. So I settled on Peyton Watson just because if you're looking at
some of the bench units with Aaron Gordon at the five, we've talked about
how he makes the most sense. If it's gonna be heavy starters with Aaron
Gordon at the five, no Yokich, then Peyton Watson might make the most
sense. The other thing is they're gonna need him defensively, and can he
make enough of his threes or provide you with enough pressure in finishing at the
rim to stay on the court even if his defense is humming against certain matchups.
So I just and just they've rolled the dice with their bench. It's
just Reggie Jackson's had a better year than we've expected. But they're reliant on
Watson Brown and Reggie Jackson outside of their top five that is not the most
proven like six through eight or the most bankable six through eight spots in the
playoffs. And so I kind of default into Watson. But you could talk
me into MPG if you wanted to. Well, so I think it's Watson.
But the thing I wanted to say about MPG and you, Okay,
I need your I need your feedback. You need to one tell me if
this th that I had and I put in something I wrote the other day
is did I steal this from someone? Have you heard it someplace before?
One and two? It whether that answer is yes or no, is it
like a hacky thing? Because I was thinking about, like watching a Nuggets
game the other day when when MPG is is really hot and is like you
know, every time he touches it, it's going up and like he goes
like makes four threes in a quarter or just like you know, is really
just like peak MPJ. The thing it reminded me of and probably because I've
been I watched this movie one of these movies recently was like, you know
how in the Alien franchise, it's like the xeno Morph, which is the
alien. Okay, so you tell me if you okay, cool, So
now you just have to tell me if it's a hack. Thought. So
like the Xenomorph is like faster, stronger, like more cunning, like built
is a killing machine right like that, It's like it's it's taller, it's
big than humans that like can slither through air ducts. It's like it's like
just can tear you apart, right, that's the Nuggets. And then when
Michael Porter Junior is hitting threes, it's like the part in the movies where
you where someone hurts the alien or whatever and it's blood is acid that is
strong enough to like burn through metal, and you're like, oh, fuck
me, come on, like really this is like this too, we needed
this, Like this seems like, oh this seems unfair. Like that's that's
the thought of Michael Porter Junior hitting a bunch of threes because the Nuggets are
already just like built to destroy. And then it's like, oh cool,
they have this other thing too that even like makes it completely you know,
beyond unfair, beyond overkill. That's my Michael Porter Junior thought, I won.
How did anyone in the history of anything have that thought? I don't
know, so co opted it from somebody. I do think it's very apt.
It makes it makes a lot of sense here. So yeah, they're
just like even with this, just the Celtics are so good and I can't
bring myself to pick against the Nuggets when it comes to saying who's gonna win
the title? And that's while we recognize that they do have wild card aspects
within their rotation, and it's just like the trust factor for them with me
is is just like through the roof, it's absolutely wild. Okay, And
this again, I have another Nuggets thought. I know this is the last
one. So I keep hearing a couple different podcasts have raised this when talking
about like Jokich's MVP candidate and the Nuggets as a whole, and it's like
Yokicic is great, but he has the perfect team around him, Like those
four other guys are just like custom built to be great next to him,
And I like want to stop anyone that says that and say, like you
saw those guys or most of some of them like play with other players,
like Jokic made them that, Like Jokic is the one that allows Aaron Gordon
to only do the things Aaron Gordon is great at, and like KCP and
Murray, and like he's the reason these guys seem to fit so well.
It's it's not that, like the Nuggets are fortunate to have four like perfect
co stars. It's that like Jokic being there and his greatness is like what
makes these other four guys seem to fit so perfectly, like with like it's
not an exaggeration to say you could swap out these four and get another four
in there of like similar general ability and they might not be that different.
Like if you gave him a couple of years together with jokicch does that make
sense? Like I think we're Here's it's and it's not like you're saying you're
attributing any success that they have across their career to Yokich. It's not that
he has made their careers. He is the single biggest optimizer of talent around
him in the NBA. And I don't even know that it's that close at
this point, So okay, cool, like they've assembled the perfect supporting cast.
It's they've assembled a very good supporting cast, and they made you know,
a lot of people don't necessarily like the KCP trade. Remember people were
up in arms about the Aaron Gordon extension after they traded for him, and
so like, yeah, they've like give those guys a ton of credit for
figuring out how to fit in with Yokich. That also might be one of
the easiest jobs in the NBA. And you know what you've seen in Jamal
Murray without Nicole Jokic minutes, right, you understand like this team is that's
that just makes MVP case. And I hate when people say stuff like that
because you want they're diminishing what Yokic is doing. And then you have idiots
like us who it sounds like we're kind of diminishing what his supporting cast is
doing. And it's like, no, you know what Aaron Gordon like being
able to fit into this role after he had a lot more agency. Yes,
he looked over stretched in Orlando, but like it's hard for players who,
by the way, are younger in their prime. I know he got
paid like before the adjustments really came in, but he's still busting his ass
defensively even when he doesn't have it going offensively or is getting a ton of
usage there. So these I want to make clear, these players deserve the
supporting cast around yokicch deserves all the credit in the world. But like,
don't say that. There's always an excuse with yo Kic, Like when it
comes to it's, oh, he can't defend, he can't win MVP before
he won a titles, he can't be the best player in our championship team.
And it's just like come on, like, can we just be above
it already? Yeah, just assume that, like every good thing that happens
starts with him. It's not one hundred percent him, but like he's the
reason all the good stuff, like guys look so good and and and everything
works out like that. You hear that? Who said that? I don't
want to say. I don't want to name the podcast where I heard it.
Let's let's move on. It was a very popular media outlet that Bill
Simmons. Is that just that it wasn't him. Let's let's move on.
We're not here to throw shade. I just wanted to have a talking point.
Uh, Golden State Warriors are next. So I think part of the
problem, or one of the issues I guess it's a problem, is that
you could pick like any of like seven players who you aren't really sure what
you're going to get night tonight, and it seems like it's important that you
get the best version of them for the Warriors to be really successful. But
I think it's got to be Andrew Wiggins. And part of that is we've
seen how insanely valuable he can be. For one postseason, he was the
second best player I think by many accounts. I think I would probably agree
with that on the last title team, and he's been pretty terrible for most
of this year, but he'll still get you with some flashes. Really good
against Luca the other night, It's scored and defended him really well, makes
him work like few other guys can. You just really never know which Wiggins
you're gonna get. I think the best thing you can say is that when
he has a really like Luca level matchup, he was good on Tatum too.
He tends to play better, But like, if you're telling me,
I have to bank on Wiggins being great, Like I just can't get there.
Yeah, I think he's the right pick. Graymond Green is still too
high profile where it's always he gonna, you know, decide to get ejected
in the first quarter or what's the I don't even I guess you could go.
I mean, you could go with Pod, You could probably go with
Kaminga. You could go with if you really wanted to. You can talk
yourself into Trace Jackson Davis or or GP two. I think Klay Thompson still
high profile here, could be Steve Kerr for the rotation decisions that he's gonna
have to make. But it's it is Andrew Wiggins because I don't know,
like, when's the last time you saw sort of this massive drop off from
someone who was just the best player, the second best or third best player
on a title contender not too long ago. We're talking about his extension as
if it was one of the biggest steals that he signed for so much less,
and then he turns into this like sort of this pumpkin for most of
this year. Yeah, No, I think he's it's gotta be. I
mean, he of every player we've gone through so far, he is like
miles beyond them in terms of unpredictability, like he's just you just really have
no idea. All right, Uh, let's go to the Houston Rockets,
another team, just because they've kind of been two different teams like pre and
post Shingoon injury. There's a lot of and a lot of different ways to
go here. I think Jalen Green is too good to be labeled the next
Factor, or at least it has been too good the last month plus.
So Jabari Smith Junior feels like an interesting pick. So what is it about
him specifically? I think for me, it's the potential to play some small
ball five or whatever you want to call him, when him and Aman Thompson
are like your four or five, which is just bizarre stretch the floor,
good defender across a couple front court positions. Like, what is it that
makes him the X factor? Though? I think one it's without Shangoon.
Him playing more five is a big deal, and he's held up really well
defensively. I also just think he's quietly had a really good sophomore season.
The counting stats won't show it, but he's way more plug and play on
offense. He still does like to do things with his counters in the mid
range, but as just a floor spacing weapon or picking pop option or even
someone who is going to set or slip screens gets the center of the floor
and make reads from there. He just feels smarter, and so he's improved,
I would say, incrementally and basically every area except for a three point
shooting, which is just up and up and up. And also having him
at the five is a big reason I think why you're able to use Amen
Thompson the way that you are right now. And so it's a lot of
people have kind of confounded by saying, oh, Amen Thompson's basically uses a
big and it's no, he's not like Jabari Smith is the center in those
linepes is that Amen Thompson might be in the dunker spot, he might set
screens, he might do some handoffs, but like Jabari Smith Junior helps unlock
that because it gives am and Thompson room where he's not trying to occupy the
same space or running into an alphahin shangun issue. And so Jabari Smith Junior
winds up being key just in so many different facets to not just helping the
defense continue to go, but just like optimizing their their most versatile offensive lineups.
I think is the best way to phrase it. Yeah, it's a
pretty classic like big guy who can hold up inside but also space. The
floor just opens up this like just a bunch of options that you just can't
get. It allows someone like Thompson to kind of be out there with you
know him and Shangun just it makes it too tough with the spacing. So
if you have Smith and Thompson or you know, anybody else, it's just
kind of as a I don't know what the what the right term is like
Jokiccha's optimizer is kind of a perfect way to put it. But like Smith
or the stretch, you know, stretch slash rim defending a decent rim defending
big is kind of like the I don't know, I don't know what I
can't think of. It opens up your options, I guess the best way
to put it. The Indiana Pacers were hard for me. What about you?
I like this. I think this the guy we have, which is
aaron Ne Smith, I think is the right pick. Okay, that feel
a lot better. No, well, you can't really like maybe you go
nem hard just because I don't know, or I guess there's some other options,
like TJ McConnell could be someone that just like Rex half of a quarter
by picking up the pace. And I don't know, is he too high
profile now that he's the best isolation scorer in Leah? Oh god, what
was the other ridiculous McConnell's stat I saw I was like assist rate on drives
or something. It was just off the charts because he always passed. Yeah,
well we're gonna get to that and we talk about six man. I
think it's I think Nie Smith to me is the right pick because and part
of this is going back to the beginning of the year when it was a
different team, but like he is capable of guarding up a position. I
think just like his physicality and just general intensity is really vital for a Pacers
team that can get pushed around a lot. And you better believe, like
playoff opponents are definitely going to test the Pacers from like a physicality standpoint.
Everybody from you know Halliburton up to Miles Turner, I think are vulnerable to
just kind of getting beaten up a little bit, and Ni Smith is just
like not here for it. So I think from like a. I don't
know a demeanor standpoint as much as anything he really is going to matter for
them. That's exclusive of like he's a forty plus percent three point shooter that
guards his ass off. I think an honorable mention for their X factor would
be beating teams that they're supposed to beat, but you don't really run into
you. They're not supposed to beat anybody in the playoffs. That gets weird.
But they've just dropped like way too many What the hell is going on
here to the point where I did include him, but he got the Vinyls
spot when I just filed my all NBA stuff for Bleach Report. But I
have to find file another one and we're going to talk about all NBA as
of right now. I don't think how Halburton's making all NBA for me that
that's first part of the season was special, but we've now just had like
this like thirty games sample size of just like he's had some really good before,
but just everything looks so off. I don't know how much of that
is the injury the roster turnover mid season, but that's just another thing like
Tyre's Alburn's hamstring might be the ex fat like, Okay, yeah, no,
I think like, let me ask you this, uh does does what
has happened post hamstring injury like make you any less bullish on the idea of
Tyre's Haliburton for next year and beyond? You know what I mean? Like
it affects is what he did this year obviously because he was so bad for
several weeks, but he thinks the injury, I think, yeah, I
think if anything, I just would love to see him Siakham get to go
through a training camp together, and then the Pacers kind of now that I
think they they understand like the stuff that they still need on this roster and
what might be more important and so can they address that over the offseason.
There is some awkwardness there where it's I think Bennett Mathern probably seated my expectations
before he got injured at with a lot of the stuff he did this year.
I've been when we've seen in stints like Jarres Walker kind of, oh
he can defend wings, but can he offensively be a three? Do you
have enough of that going on? They have to answer some questions, but
I don't It has not changed how I feel about Tyre's Albert in long term
in the slightest and meet me either. Let's go to the Clippers here.
We had a late change on this one. It's gonna be the man in
the middle of eatsa Zubots, and it was Terrence Man. But I think
I think we correctly have moved to Zubats, which is like, he's your
starting center. So maybe that gets up against the he's too good type of
thing, but it's got to be him, right, because this is the
playoffs, and we know what the questions are for kind of defensively important but
limited big guys, right. And look, I think we've seen them run
into some issues over the past few weeks, specifically defensively with him in certain
matchups, and they're not really built to navigate that well. And like the
idea like PJ. Tunker is just like a footnote at this point, and
so if you're gonna run those smaller units, it's really like Kawhi is your
five and like a mere Coffee's on the point. I mean, that's why
you can make a case for Coffee being an ex actor if you think they're
gonna get to those lineups a lot. But I think the best version of
them, especially because of the way that Zubots developed chemistry with James Harden is
that you want to see him on the floor. I just feel like like
there are matchups where teams will play bigs and you might just question, well,
how do Zubots even fair? And it's not just a matter because when
you go look at who they might face in the Western Conference, it's not
all these teams are just gonna play without a center. But like, even
if you went up against the Lakers and Anthony Davis at the five, if
you like, you know, oddly, yeah, you're fine. If you
have to face Minnesota, how do you fare against you know, Sacramento if
it's a bus and the way that they've had to downsize like around some bonus.
Uh, So there's it feels like there are a few teams I wouldn't
put the kings on the top of that lift like the Pelicans could give them
naturally, the thunder could certainly give them matchup problems. And that's not just
you know, these teams might be smaller when you're looking outside their five man
rotation. But we're not just saying there are these teams playing without centers.
There are actually center matchup issues offensively that can cause Zubat's problems on defense.
I feel like though for three quarters of this season, or maybe that's overstating
the length of it, I didn't think it was an issue just watching him,
and now all of a sudden, it feels like maybe it's a collective
thing because their defense has been by and large since the All Star break just
absolute dog shit. Yeah, it's like bottom three, I think. So
it's like everybody's everybody's unnoticed. Now him given a shit about defending in transition
all year, Like that's just that's been a thing. Well and he I
mean, he's the last guy that's gonna be helpful there, right, Like
that, that's that's a shot. It's actually probably be like when you go
back and watch some of the frames with how many Clippers players are out of
it when they're getting back in transitions, probably more valuable. Well, yeah,
there's a couple former stars that maybe aren't getting back. All right,
that's that take us to the Lakers. Uh, this one has to be
rue Hachimura shot. I was just I was looking because because remember in the
last postseason, it's like, what is this right, what trillion percent or
something? Three point shooting in the first round fifty two point four percent,
and it was like eleven to twenty one. Next round against the Warriors,
he was only five of nine, but that's also good for fifty five point
six percent. Then he went the what is it, three for nine against
the Nuggets in getting swept. Uh But then he's shot forty two percent from
three this year, So like, if that's legit and you're gonna get the
version of Hachimura that provides like good size as a forward, is athletic in
ways that like not a lot of there's not a lot of that going on
with guys that the Lakers can actually play, you know. Uh So shout
out to Cam Reddish. So he he just like he does things that they
can't get from other guys. So I think that that, to me is
like the key for him. I think Austin Reeves is too high profile for
this, but the stuff he does it and I'm like, he does a
lot of X factor stuff, but it's so critical to like, you know,
the kind of undersized screening or or the cutting or even the defensive assignments
and now the three point shooting in volume. But it's like, Okay,
well, that's you know, he's their third most important player. I think
you could probably make a case for though, Gabe Vincent too, just because
he's healthy now, and it's where does he factor into the rotation? What
does he end if he If he's the Gabe Vincent that you thought you were
signing, not really from last postseason, but like two postseasons ago, that
becomes a big deal. But Ruy's just the right answer because the you know,
if you want to go del or Austin Reeves, I think they're too
high profile for this. I would if someone just said Gabe Vincent because he's
barely played this year, I would listen to it. But Ruey, even
when you look at the you know, you mentioned the offensive stuff, like
the defensive stuff, like the assignments he's gonna have to carry so that you
Anthony Davis is carrying probably when you look at I look at it in the
players who wear this many hats on defense, I think like Anthony Davis and
bam Adebayo my being a tier of their own at this point, and so
Ruby Hochmore has the ability to maybe make life slightly easier on a D but
also he makes it a lot easier on Lebron too, And so I think
he's I don't want to say he's the only choice, but I think he's
He's like the right one here. Yeah, I mean d Loo is kind
of related to think you mentioned him, but like they gave Vincent del interplay.
It's like if Delo just can't stay on the floor defensively for whatever,
however many playoffs this would be in a row, then oh my god,
gave Vincent is important, like that really scary position to be in. But
yeah, I agree Dilo is kind of too too high profile. Let's move
to the Miami Heat. Here, we have one Terry Rosier. He of
the He's worth a first round pick, trade deadline acquisition. It looked like
he was worth the first round pick against the Knicks the other night he hit
eight threes. Yeah, so tell me why he's the Heats X factor.
I just think you look at Jimmy Butler, maybe he will flip the switch
because we've seen it. And I said, I shouldn't doubt the Heat,
but something just feels way off about their offense. But you look at all
the factors there. Bam has the mid range game going. He could do
a lot of stuff on offense, and he is more aggressive than people give
him credit for. You just can't run the entire show through him. He's
not gonna give you. Well, I shouldn't say that you can't get that
off the bounce creation and shot making element from him at that perimeter level because
he needs to be closer to the basket there, like what he's gonna do
with stuff off the dribble, And then the Tyler Hero injury looms, and
if Jimmy Butler isn't getting downhill as easy or hitting shots these difficult shots at
the same high clips, you need Dyren Roziers off the bounce, just three
point shot like I'll boogie it that, boogie it down, I'll boil it
down to that. It's just like you need his pull up three point shooting
might be the single biggest swing factor on this team right now. That doesn't
have to do with Jimmy Butler or bam Adebayo suddenly forgetting how to master every
single defensive covers known to man. Yeah, well, like on the theory
that it always used to be Tyler Hero, and the question would be like,
because oh my god, the Heat needs someone to create offense, like
someone besides Butler, but like it's got to be hero, but is he
gonna be good enough defensively to stay on the floor? Like that was.
That was I don't know how many couple of postseasons in a row like that
was a huge thing we would always talk about. And now with Rosier there,
it's like, well, that's the guy, Like he's the one,
you know, and there there aren't nearly as many defensive questions about Rosier either,
so it's like he's he's I mean of non stars, Like he's way
up there in just league wide postseason importance. Because again I keep going back
to this, but like a lot of what goes into being an X factor
is can you do a thing that the team is otherwise probably not gonna get
from from somebody else, And I think Rosier like ticks that box. For
sure. They probably have other candidates if you wanted to go with Hamai Hawks
or Caleb Martin or deep cut it. Yeah, deep cut it, but
I think Rosier is the right one. Yeah, all right, that takes
us to the Bucks. And this was like easy to see coming from I
don't know how long ago, because we just didn't have questions about their other
four starters. Uh, it's Jay Crowder, and I think you could swap
him with just like literally anyone else that's gonna be at that wing spot that's
gonna have to guard somebody, right Molie Beasley. Uh. But so like
aj Green factors into that, he's that's fine too. I just pat conake
Crowder. It's will he be hitting his threes? And can he give you
the theoretical defense conception? Conceptually he is what you need, but in practice
he just hasn't had it the past, I would say, like two seasons.
Yeah, Well, and it's and like I guess if he's out there
with the your you know, Jannis Lopez, uh, Beasley or Middleton and
Dame, I guess he's garden threes like that's and and Crowder has been one
of those guys that like maybe he was a true three like in his first
couple of years, but the league changed and he changed, and like that
guy's a four, like he has to be a four. Uh. And
and now you're asking him to potentially unless you want to have Middleton do it
guard somebody like pretty threatening in a lot of configure. So yeah, I
think on both ends, Yeah, is he hitting his threes is another like
massive you know, floor spacing, Like can we really unlock all the levels
of this offense? Question? Who are you? And there's so much injury
noise in here of late, but who are you at? We know who
your four starters or in theory are good, Like we know who your four
starters are gonna be if youre Milwaukee, how are you going about the fifth?
It's been all over the place lately because of who has missed games.
But we know it's Middleton, we know it's Brolo, we know it's Dame,
we know it's Giannis. But we've seen Malik Beasley in there. We've
seen Jay Crowder, We've seen Patrick Beverley. We've seen some of those guys
start together because of the injuries. But who are you actually starting or rolling
with? Like who is the ideal fifth guy to round out the lineup with
those four in it? I think there's just not a perfect answer. I
mean, there you have there's a flaw or two with every one of those
guys. I think maybe it's Beasley just because you're gonna get another high volume
three point shooter, But like you know, it's a depends on what the
other team's gonna have out there because I just Beasley's been trying all year.
It's been it's been a nice narrative, but like he's just objectively not a
good defender. So he's it feels like better. He's done better when it
comes to kind of like switching off the ball and covering these bigger guys.
But if you need him to go one on one with someone who has the
ball, that's not Yeah. Well and if Lillard, like Lillard's not going
to guard that guy either, Like, so it's just it's tough. I
think that growing stuff too, and if that lingers, it's which is funny,
it's the way we talk. I feel like maybe the pick should have
been Malik Beasley, but for what you need and could then feasibly get defensively
from who's left. It's probably Jay Crowder, it could be Patrick Beverley,
could be a j You go so many different directions with this, always into
cases for other guys. Yeah, all right, Minnesota Timberwolves are next.
I don't want to have to say a word on this one. I'm not
going to introduce who it is. Three Alexander Walker. I mean, you
could go if you wanted to you could go with Karl Anthony Towns is meniscus.
Yeah, sure, you can go with your guy nas Reid. I
mean, that's that's another one. Really, I just don't want to pick
stars, do you know what I mean? Guys Guys that deserve max contracts
are just they're out, They're not allowed. Uh, Guys that are exactly
as good as Karl Anthony Towns just can't be considered. Oh, don't even
throw that out there, because there are people that actually think I love Na's
Red, But that's somethy Towns is different offensively. Still, Yeah, I
mean, I don't know. I feel like I talk about Alexander Walk all
the time, Like, can can bring the ball up for you, is
awesome on ball defender, can make some threes, play super hard. Like
that's just you might look at some lineups with him and Edwards as your backcourt.
Although Conley hasn't missed a three and like, I don't know since since
February, it seems like that's the other thing about naw this season is he's
been when you're talking about wing shooters, he's been their most reliable wing shooter.
It hasn't been Jane McDaniels and I guess the level of difficulty on some
of Edwards's looks. That's you know, we get into that, but like
it's been you need someone who can not down the set like it's Nikkexander Walker.
Yeah, I mean I I everybody who's ever heard thirty seconds of this
podcast knows we we love that look. He has an all defense case.
I don't think he's gonna I don't think he's gonna make my team, but
he has a case. He has a case he needs. He would need
to have played more twenty three and a half minutes ago. You are right,
though it could be nas read because of the volume. He'll have to
to shoulder and then it's now because Towns isn't there. You do have to
get away with more one big units featuring him. I just don't have questions
about him anymore, which is why I couldn't bring myself, because it's what
if nikkeilox Heender Walker doesn't shoot thirty nine percent from three on five attempts a
game in the playoffs, What if, you know, he does make bad
decisions kind of in traffic when he has the ball and he's bringing it up
the defense will be there. I think that that's not something that will go
away. It just I have more questions. And this isn't to say that
I and I was also gonna ask you, is there a reason do you
think that Nikila, like when we're talking six man of the year, that
everyone gravitates towards nas Red but not nik Walker. As we were talking about
it and you said he has a defensive all defensive team case, I thought.
I immediately flashed to my six man ballot and I was like, oh,
naw's not on it? What am I doing? Why is why is
he not on it? Just the what year was that in Utah where it
was like both Clarkson and Engles were basically just so high up one of them
wonted? I think it was was it Ingles that year? Or was it
I think it was Clarkson and I I'm sure I said Ingles should have won
it probably or was it Sloo What was that year where they had just two
top six man? It wasn't slow Mo what any rate. It's one of
those situations where you probably could I think I'm still gonna pick nas Read from
it, but well, like I mean, I think Read is benefiting from
the fact that, like he's been inserted as a starter and has been just
as good over a larger like slice of minutes, which is just like,
oh, this guy's actually a starting caliber player. That happens who happens to
come off the bench a bunch. So I agree, like you have to
pick he's got to be read. But how do you look back you that
Nows actually started more games for them than NOAs Read this year. If he
should, he should start eighty two of them. I think they should trade
everybody, rebuild around n kill Alexander walker or not read it is what give
me five to kill Alexander Walkers. I'll play them against anybody. Was hard
for me? Was it hard for you? And that team being the New
Orleans Pelicans, Well, it's hard in the sense that I think this team
has like not like actually has five guys off the bench that really matter that
could all be X factors potentially. And that's before getting into like if you
again we're excluding starters, like you could say Valentunis is an X factor just
because like can they use him, you know, like, is he gonna
find ways to be effective as a post scorer and rebounder in a playoff format,
Like I don't know, but I think I think Trey Murphy is is
who we're gonna go with. And I think that's right just because he offers
them like this, like ultra spacing, because he shoots them from so deep
that you know, regularly in ways that most guys, you know, most
hype only three pont shooters just don't. And this is this is a team.
If there is a team out there that needs space more than most,
it is the one that has Zion Williamson playing with Valentounis like that, Like
that's just a super valuable commodity. So I think Murphy is the right pick
just because of the athleticism, the spacing, and the fact that, like
Trey Murphy lineups kick ass like they're good when he's on the floor, and
he should play more if anything. Two things. I do find it funny
that you said we're not choosing starters, and I'm counting, like there's a
bunch of starters that are on this exercise. We're not shooting stars, not
choosing stars. Let's go with that. Oh I thought you said starters.
I apologize, but I say a lot of things. The other thing with
Trey Murphy too, is I don't know that you lose something defensively going from
Ingram to him. Maybe this year a little bit. But Trey Murphy's had
over the past like month or month and a half, basically since the start,
like he's has some wild swings when you're looking at his shooting where it's
like, oh, he was one of eight from three one night, he
was O nine in a win over Detroit, it didn't matter there. He
was just two or six in his last game against Orlando. And so there's
that the volume is there and it's important, but there's also been this like
weird fluctuation. And then it's what is he going to do in the playoffs.
We've seen him be able to handle this, but when defenses run him
off the line, is he gonna be able to make plays in that regard?
Uh? And then he's an even bigger X factor because he's starting for
them now because of the Brandon Ingram injury, and so that just ups his
X factor stock. Yeah, Okay, this one I'm excited to hear about.
We have the Knicks next up. You have nominated Boyan Bogdanovich. I
agree. I think it's I'll let you talk about it. It's a little
weird that, like the they made this the Knicks, you talked about this
last time they made this big trade and Tips is just like, I'm not
going to use these guys, and Bogdanovic is definitely one of them. Yeah,
I mean he's had a he's had a he had a what was that
against the They've lost that game, but he was instrumental in what they were
doing against the the Heat the other night. And I think, look,
he I I think you could go Duce McBride here, just because he's playing
so many minutes now and that just might be the round going to burst into
flames, like just from sheer overuse. Is that why he's an X factor?
Well? Also the fact that you kind of need him to like hit
these off the dribble jumpers now is like maybe a little bit unsetled, like
if you're a Knicks fan, but it's been fun to watch it could be
him. But my point is Julius Randall's now done for the season. Yeah,
and it's sort of like, oh, okay, well what do we
do here? And it's we can just continue to play outside of having a
five man a lot smaller, especially because Ogan Andobi right now isn't healthy and
we don't know if he's even gonna return. I don't think he's gonna play
again during the regular season. Will he play in the playoffs? But like
Boyam McDonalds, gives you size without rebounding, of course, but you just
need that other bankable shooter score like Julius Randall for all his playoff struggles,
he's just important as someone who can generate and make shots. And so if
he's bad, yes it hurts you, but you need him to be good.
Now that he's not gonna play again this year, you're in this situation
where it's okay, we need to pivot somewhere, and are we gonna give
boy On Bodanovic ample opportunity to kind of take up that mantle there? And
I think I hope they do, because we've seen, like in drips and
drabs, where he's actually capable of and like the fact that it then allows
you just to play a little bit bigger. I guess it doesn't give you
like, you know, you'd rather have ducembride defend a big I guess at
this point on defense, But I just I can't shake this feeling that you
traded for Boy and Madanovich for this exact situation where it's either you thought Julius
was gonna be like injured for the rest of this year or just not very
good in the playoffs and you needed a different card to play on the offensive
end. And I know that Deuce can change that, you know, a
little bit, But Bowie and Madonovitch is the more proven guy, and so
I think that you need to lean on him more. I won't say more
of it, at least more consistently. And how does that end up faring
for you? Is just a huge question for this team, don't you.
I think he's someone that I think of him as someone And tell me if
it's this is wrong, that like, if you're giving him more minutes,
they probably need to come from Josh Hart in a in a playoff setting.
And I don't think Tibbs is just like gonna play Josh Hart as much as
possible or certainly has, But like Heart's a thirty percent three point shooter this
year, we know he gets incredibly hesitant sometimes in ways that can really gum
up on offense, which in the knickt case like cannot afford to be gummed
up. So I think obviously just just in a vacuum, Bogdanovic is shooting
in the spacing it provides, and like he's quietly gonna like make the right
decision, like moving the ball along in ways that some other knicks might not.
But like his specific abilities would to me seem to matter a lot more
in the playoffs. And like what Heart, when Heart goes is not his
best self, Like Boganovic is like the fix for that. He's like the
anti. You know, he's gonna get shots up, he's gonna be aggressive,
he's gonna move the ball quick. Heart's gonna do all the hustle to
re diculous rebounding, transition attacks, all that stuff. They're really different players.
But I can imagine a scenario where I think it would make sense to
just obviously trim because Boganovic's averaging nineteen minutes a game is last five his minute
totals have been in the teens, Like Tims is not going to him in
a big way still, which is knocked down a lot of works minutes and
give him to Boganovitch. So first of all, there's no shortage of minutes
that you could yank away from basically everywhere. You could trim like two to
three minutes off of four different players, and there you go, like,
that's what I need to choose from between Heart and Bride per game. But
the way that they have used him, it makes me think that the answer
actually should be Deuce McBride. But I'm of the mind you traded for this
dude for a reason. You now know Randall isn't coming back. And in
this way, I guess some people might argue ogn and Obi is the X
factor because he's injured and what's up with that elbow. He's probably a little
bit too high profile for this. Do they only feel and we just clearly
haven't seen a ton of this because I think og Is only played and like,
what was it? What did he come back for? Three games?
Four games or whatever? He's played that since January twenty seventh. Do you
only feel comfortable using Bogdanovic if you have og Anobi there to cover up for
his stuff as opposed to just having Heart or Reduce McBride or Isaiah Hartenstein behind
you. So like that in that way, it's does Bugdanovich become more valuable
to the next if og Anobi is healthy. I I just can't. It's
so bizarre. I want to make it clear he has not played well enough
to warrant a ton of minutes, but they need to give him a longer
leash because I really do believe that they need what he does. Agree,
let's move to the Thunder this one. I think again, there's the Thunder.
Have a handful of guys that you could point to. We've got Josh
Giddy though, And I think, just to start it off, it's like,
is he gonna get guarded beyond the three point line at all? And
no? But will he hit the Lately the answer has been yet, Yeah,
can he make enough three is when he is not guarded? Is probably
the correct follow up question, and it's I think what also makes them an
interesting S factor is you could go if you wanted to talk Case and Wallace,
Gordon Hayward, Isaiah Joe. You know I'm a big Isaiah Joe fan.
What's so important is you want him to be able to stay on the
court because what he does is a rebounder, even if someone who posts all
Star break boxing out and then just like a creative passer once he gets into
the lane. To have that extra and I would say the latter might be
the most important thing that he does to kind of have that extra layer of
diverse, multi level, multifaceted playmaking aside from Jay Dub and Shake Gil just
Alexander. You need that from him. And so if you're if he's not
gonna be able to be on the floor, if he's not playing well,
where do you go for that? Because that's not Cason Wallace's game, Like
he can do some of the good three point shooter, can make decisions on
drives, but he needs even more open space on his drives than Josh Giddy
does right now. And then it's well, Gordon Hayward, like he's done
some really good ball movement stuff there, but the volume just hasn't been there.
And if he's gonna be reticent to shoot, if he's not gonna be
they don't need him to be super impactful on defense. But if he's not
going to be someone who where you feel his size on the court, then
it's sort of you get into these lineups where it's Okay, we're even more
aligned on Jadub, Shake Gil Alexander, and that's just and then we're gonna
need something from Jason Wallace or Gordon Hayward, and that just it's a risky
proposition, and so he might be when you're talking about this is a household
name, so to speak with Josh Giddy or close to it. But it's
the correct answer. I don't I don't know how you make an argument for
anyone else. I think if you were going to it would probably be Gordon
Hayward. But I really do think that that kind of disconnects from the reality
of who Gordon Hayward is at this point. Yeah. I mean, if
you're gonna say Gordon Hayward, then he just be could be Aaron Wiggins.
And and why why why is Aaron Wiggins gonna play more than Gordon Hayward?
You know, like that, that's a real question. The thing I was
thinking about with Giddy, and I think, not to spoil it, but
we're both gonna have Mark Dagnel very high up on our Coach of the Year
ballots. I wonder yourself why he's not on yours, not in your top
five? I w George Minutes have been too all over the place? Is
Mark ignot as failing? The Oklahoma City thunder? Everything for you is through
the Isaiah Joe Prism, why not use Josh Giddy like h the Heat do
this with Bam sometimes the Warriors do this all the time with Draymond, where
it's like he's not being guarded, throw it to him and run at him
as a ball handler. If you're SGA and then a big is gonna have
to scramble up to you know, try to help and either you get Sga
attacking a big or you get a clean look. Do it with Jada.
I think there's ways to make Giddy like useful on offense if he's not gonna
be guarded. But it doesn't feel like the Thunder go to that as often
as you see some other teams do with their like I guess Green and Audubai
are both just generally more important, So you're gonna try to, like,
you know, throw the kitchen sink at like how do we keep them on
the floor. But you know, there's ways, there's ways to get you
know, value offensively out of Giddy beyond his passing. I think who would
you pick if it wasn't is he Kendrick Williams. I think that might be
my choice. I mean, it might be Joe for me not to steal
it not to not to get on your corner, but like, I can
see a scenario where Giddy's not hacking it and maybe you're getting two guys on
SGA getting it out of his hands, or you're putting your you know,
you're you're forcing whoever's on the ball to get off it. And then I
would love for Isaiah Joe to be the guy spacing that's just gonna get some
clean looks and could change a series just by making a bunch of threes.
Take don't knows we do we want to be magic. Now I'm surprised.
I actually wonder if we do disagree. I have Jalen Suggs and I kind
of made you like we the consensus was, will go with Jalen Suggs here.
Uh, I am a little bit surprised that you didn't want joshthan Isaac,
though, I mean I put his name up there just because I mean,
it's hard to say someone's an X factor if they're gonna play like fourteen
minutes in every game. But I think Suggs is the theory of Suggs,
just like he's gonna be the best defensive guard and probably any series he appears
in is he gonna do enough, and he's gonna make open shots too.
I think I wonder if if if you have him here because you're not sure
is he gonna play make enough? Is he gonna do enough of the other
you know, offensive guard stuff that he's not that great at to kind of
you know, not be a liability in some sense offensively. Yeah, It's
look, is the three point are going to continue to fall in the playoffs?
Is he gonna you know, because they're having lineups where he is,
Yes, you have Franz Wagner, you have Babo Bancaro, but they've relied
on him for playmaking. Is that going to translate to the playoffs? The
defense is just we know what that's gonna be. He's he's a first team
All defense candidate. Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people don't have him
on their teams because he is that level of defender and that will translate.
But what can he do as a score, a flour spacer, a passer.
They need that, Like they do a good job of optimizing their spacing,
they just don't have the threats to then maximize what they've already optimized on
top of that. And just look the shooting is even more important with whatever
the hell is going on with Franz Agner this year, right, So yeah,
I think I think you could. Isaac is a fair case even Cole
Anthony though, like just to have the the other driving off the dribble shot
making element that And so if you wanted to go that route, if you're
really just affirm believe that Jalen Sugs is too good to be an X factor
at this point, I'll listen to you. Jalen Suggs deserves some MIP love
quite frankly, so, but I think he's just we know what he's gonna
do on defense, and we right now we know what he gives you on
offense. But does that translate to the playoffs? Yeah? Right? I
think I mean, you know what he's gonna be sort of what what playoff
defenses are going to ask him to do, And it's just like can he
do it? Because because until this year, if Jalen Suggs was forced to
do almost anything on offense, he was not going to be up to the
task. And the forty percent three point shooting, you know, that's it's
awesome. I think it totally changes his career outlook. Is that going to
hold up? And if it doesn't, then like Orlando's just not going to
score. Orlando probably isn't gonna score enough anyway. But that defense is so
good that like the bar is low for how how much offensive production they need
to like you maybe win around or you know, threaten somebody in the second
right, that would bring us to the Phildo. He's only six Ers,
And if I'm if I'm not mistaken, is this the first injured player we
have on the list? I think officially we've referenced a few, but I
think this is this is the first actual nominee. Yeah, De'anthony Melton just
I don't see how the Sixers come anywhere close to defending at their peak without
him, and that makes him the X factor. And then Kenny be in
these lineups where maybe you're a little smaller, or is he gonna hit enough
of his own jumpers if they don't want to use Buddy healed because he's had
an awkward stint in Philly, we have to let's extrapolate that sample with Joel
Embiid and Tyre SPACKX together rather than just one or the other. If you
want to go with Joel Embiid's knee. That's fine if you'd like, if
you wanted to play that card and just because and I would allow it just
because of how choppy Joel Embiid has been in the playoffs, in large part
because he's been banged up a lot of the time. But he has not
been the most efficient postseason player by any stretch. But it's fucking Joel Embiid.
He was the favorite to win MVP before say he can't be an X
factor. Yeah, right. I think Melton Melton is the right pick just
because I was watching some of the Sixers against the Heat tonight and it's just
if he's not going to be out there, one you're asking Maxi to guard
somebody threatening. Two you're really asking Nick Batoum probably to play and do more
than he's capable of anymore. Or you're asking Kelly Ubre to be like a
responsible basketball player on defense for a good stretching Like that's just that's a lot.
So Melton, I think is again going back to like if you're not
getting if he's not providing it, you're not getting like the really capable,
like I trust this guy to like Recavoc defensive wing. So yeah, I
think that makes sense. I would say, like it hasn't. We haven't
seen it really at all yet, But I don't know, Buddy, healed
like running around spacing the floor like in theory that was always such an appealing
thing with embiid commanding everyone to come to the elbow basically like healed, I
think is someone that it should should be, Like, oh my god,
how do we stop this because we we have to chase him everywhere and we
also have to devote all his attention to embiad in the middle of the floor.
There's there's something there in theory, but in practice we just haven't had
the opportunity to kind of road test it. But that's another one I would
I would at least, like, you know, throw out there as a
mention. There's also I mean, so if we we don't know when Danthony
Melton is coming back from his back stuff, dealing with a knee injury right
now, but he had been like a functional atrocity for so long. He
was playing a little bit better before he ended up missing I think it was
Thursday's game against Miami, but like that would be an X factor. And
then if you're gonna deal with this injury to Danty Melton long term, I
really think that would severely or significantly, excuse me, increase the importance of
Okay, well, what can we get from Nicholas Patum at both ends?
How many minutes can he play the scope of his defensive assignments? Should Melton
not be on there, there are no shortage of options for the Sixers outside
of their two best guys. Yeah, speak that says a lot. Let's
go to Phoenix. This was hard. We we rapped about this a lot
before. Cleveland and Phoenix were the teams that we kind of spent the most
time going back and forth on beforehand we landed on Royce O'Neil. If I
recall correctly, I mean it's and like you know, we went back and
forth on it, but I I think we should feel pretty good about it,
just because, like you know, just to pull the curtain back,
like Thaddeus Ung Young was an option, Grayson Allen was an option like that
Young just might not play. Even though the idea of him as a change
up to the conventional bigs is kind of intriguing, and Grayson Allen is just
like, is he gonna make a ton of threes or not, Like I
think he'll be guarded the same way. So what's what's the Royce O'Neil case
here? As the X factor pick the Royce O'Neil case is you can make
the same is he gonna hit enough threes? But it's look at what he's
going to have to do on defense because they don't have anyone else to do
it on the wings consisting. I mean no, I shouldn't say that.
They might have other guys, but they don't want to on the like Royce
O'Neill needs to do it because he's the guy that could also give you some
semblance of offense there. And when you're looking at some of these teams that
they're gonna have to go up against, you know or not that they have
to, but if they match up, if it's they go up against the
Clippers, if they even go I mean any team, just they go up
against the Nuggets, like he just might see an extensive run at Jamal Murray.
I'm not even talking wings at that point. You'll see time against MPG
or maybe KCP, but it'll also see time against Jamal Murray. So you
just name the matchup they're gonna have and he is invariably gonna have to cover
one of the two best players on the other side of it, and there's
just no you have other options to do it. Those other options are just
I mean, am I just saying things about Josha Kogi right now, like
indirectly, so it's not gonna give you nearly as much in theory or doesn't
have as high as ceiling on the offensive end. So I think it kind
of has to be Royce Onneil. I would if you told me Frank Vogel
was gonna use Stadius Young as the change up, but he's been reluctant to
do that at points, and then you get into well could it be bull
bull? Then could be you benks, just because if he's actually gonna get
minutes he said Kevin Durant at the five lineups, I know Kevin Durant is
two by profile. There's a bunch of different ways you can go, but
just in terms of what we know, the Suns have to lean on Royce
O'Neil just feels like a constant. I think it would have to. I
originally had that he is young, but I think the two right answers would
be Royce O'Neil or Grayson Allen because you kind of had relied on Grayson Allen
to do some like pretty heavy lifting relative to what he's done in the past.
Defensively too. You know you said his name, but you know,
you know how I wish it was is Josha Kogi because I wish what we
were talking about is like, oh my god, he shot thirty seven percent
from three this year on like you know, three or four attempts a game.
His defense is so disruptive and his offensive rebounding is so valuable. Is
he gonna be able to sustain that shooting? Like I really wish that we
could that Josha Kogy was the pick, But he's just not. He's just
not gonna play. He's not gonna make enough shots to be it hasn't hasn't
played very much, and I don't think getting into the playoffs, where every
weakness gets magnified, gives him good odds of seeing more playing time. I
will say sometimes it feels like among postseason teams, could the Suns in theory
have like the most unpredictable rotation on a night to night basis, like throw
out the health stuff. I'm trying to think of what other team. I
mean, they're on the screen right now, so what other team falls in.
I could see Cleveland a little bit, but that might be more health
related. Dallas has thrown some change ups. Miami will just try shit,
but like not by design. So when you're talking about a team that not
by design, that rotation just might be all over the place. I think
it's Phoenix. I think that's right. I mean, you got I would
throw the Warriors out there. They've gone through it. That's really different.
A bunch of different iterations, like is Moses Moody gonna play thirty minutes or
zero? Who knows? I think Steve Kerr thinks that's a feature, not
a bug. Though it's I think Steve Kerr wishes he had eight guys that
had clearly established themselves, although he I mean, we're not talking about the
Warriors, but like he's got a hand in the fact that, like certain
guys just haven't had the chance to do it or didn't get the chance soon
enough. But yeah, that's yeah, I think, I know. I
think I take your point though. The Suns, it's just like we got
three guys, we got Nurgic at center. Although Nurkic is someone that like,
who knows how that's gonna go against certain matchups, right, Like they're
probably better than Drew you Banks, but probably well, that's true, we
do know that. That's all we know. The Kings are next and last
alphabetically. Here we did it. We made it all the way through without
messing up. This is like a no brainer to me, right, Like
I think, And it might have been. That might have been the case
before Malik Monk and Kevin Herder both got hurt, but it's really the case
now. It's Kean Ellis unless you really think that it needs to be Davion
Mitchell or think, well, I will say you could make a case for
Keegan Murray because of how important he already was defensively. Now he's even more
important just defensively, but also offensively as well, because now you don't have
Malik's driving and playmaking, and you don't have the idea of Kevin Herder's motion
shooting and kind of stuff he could do off the dribble, and so you
almost need like Keegan Murray to function. Is three different play like three different
archits types of players rolled into one. It's too much. I mean and
Murray might be might be pretty close to I guess we use Derek White,
so like Murray's not as good as Derek White, so we could we don't
need to rule him out for that reason. But like I think Murray was
going to be just critical no matter what. But Kean Ellis is someone like
one nobody on planet Earth knew he was in the league at all last year,
Like he played a few games, sixteen games, it was mostly a
G league guy. I mean, if you start starting this season, nobody
outside Sacramento knew who this guy was. And now it's just like, well,
we need you to basically be our starting two and probably also do all
the Davion Mitchell stuff because we can't play him in the postseason. So it's
just like I mean, and look, I think I don't think Ellis.
There aren't many guys that are as tough on the ball against point guards as
Mitchell is. But Ellis is capable, I mean more than capable. And
he's bigger and longer, so he's not just a one position guy, not
a high ball three point shooter. But thirty nine percent is like athletic,
plays really hard, Like you know, he's not gonna replace what the Kings
have lost so recently in their backcourt. But like, he's gonna play a
ton and he's gonna need to play well on both ends for them to do
anything. I think, Yeah, they need him to hit his threes and
then defend. I mean, on a lot of Knights, it might just
be I mean, depending on their matchup. But if you're playing the Thunder,
if you're playing the Suns, he's gonna be that. If you're playing
Dallas, well no, not that, because he's not gonna be the I
don't think he would be the answer against Luke. He's gona end up on
Kyrie in that matter. I was gonna say, you put him on Kyrie
probably because that's too much to ask a Fox. All the Fox defensively has
been good, Yeah, but he's so like I mean that really, what
these injuries do is put even more on on Fox because he's gonna have to
guard somebody almost every night. Not that he can't do it, but in
addition to his offensive responsibilities, like John Ellis is kind of the safety in
that regard, because you're not gonna Le's so as ex you're not gonna put
Kagan Murray on shake Gilgas Alexander you will abstually do that. It was you're
not gonna put uh Keegan Murray on Devin Booker. You're gonna do that with
like you're gonna have Keon Ellis do that. Yeah, it's gonna be tough,
but yeah, Ellis is really gonna matter. I think he's a good
player. This could really be like a like a show out, like,
oh my god, this guy's gonna be a rotation guard for a long time.
But we'll see. Did they Is he gonna be a free agent this
year? I don't. I don't know think actually signed to do a contract.
I should look at that what his contract actually looks like. But he's
the converted him, I think from a well I can't remember now we should
have had that. So people looking at he's actually okay, they got lucky
for that. He is under contract for two more years after this one for
a whopping four point three all team control. I don't think the yeah,
it's a team option in the latter year. So they have him at four
point four million in the next two years. That's and looks specially right where
uh and just like the fact that he is like he's their second. Is
he their second? He's their second most important defender right now. You can
even make case he might be there first. God, I mean Mury still
like tops there, but he's not lower than second. We know, although
Fox a really good defender, but again, it's just like too much to
ask of him to be that guy. Uh, look at us. We
did that under seventy five minutes for twenty one teams. I'll take it.
We are onto stat padding, which will be we'll do a couple guests of
players, but we have to start here. I think just with the news
and we got into more of we talked about this a little bit, but
the Julius Randalls season ending injury with his shoulder, it was Chris Hanes reported
that he actually re injured it trying to come back, I think while he
was practicing. So that's ominous and not great. And we don't really have
the Knicks are opt I think the reporting was the Knicks don't aren't worried if
Ojana, No, he doesn't play the rest of the regular season. Okay,
cool fucking awesome. They didn't guarantee he was gonna come back for the
playoffs. I'm just you know, a few minutes on this like we need
to be do we do? We need to recalibrate what the rest of the
season now is supposed to be for the Knicks. They made some trades that
implied correctly urgency, and these injuries they detract from it to some extent because
they have to. Just if you're not gonna have Julius Randall and if you're
maybe not gonna have Ognobi, you cannot. I know they're deep. I
just want these clear depths of non stars in the playoffs always matters less than
it does, and it helps the Knicks have these guys that they can play
forty plus minutes a night and they'll be used to it. That probably also
increases their injury risk or them just petering out so late in the season.
This is a team like what like what I do think? I My point
is to throw to you, it's probably time to re calibrate. Even if
you think og an Andobi's gonna come back, because he's probably gonna be playing
through some pain in that elbow, what does he look like offensively? Then
it never was going to be this is the year for the Knicks. But
the way they acted at the trade deay Lie specifically was, Oh, this
is a team that thinks that they have a chance to make it to the
conference finals this season, and I really just don't see Boston exists. So
that absolutely matters, of course, but it's it's kind of like a free
for all after them. And I just wouldn't have the Knicks as the second
most likely team now to like or the second best team in the East.
And I was prepared to say that after the trade deadline, fully healthy,
they could be that, like they could get into a series with Orlando and
lose at this point, Oh, oh absolutely. I think I think the
way I'd look at it is it's probably a testament to how effectively the front
office has sort of done its transacting, because like, yeah, you know,
the Ananobe trade was like, let's get better. Now you're trading two
young guys to get him, and the Bogdanovic and Burks moves were like,
we just we want reinforcements, like these guys aren't you know, here for
a good time, not a long time, Like that's there, let's help
now. But nothing the Nicks did sort of like had had like a like
an irrational or like I don't know, premature sense of urgency because like you're
gonna resign Anonobe, I mean, I certainly assume so, like Bogdanovic is
not the level of you know, in Burk's like whatever. So they didn't
do anything that like we're gonna give up this like down the road like super
valuable chip to get way better now and we're willing to make that sacrifice.
That really wasn't the tenor of their moves. So it's like while the injuries
now, I think mean like this year's kind of like you know, if
you hooked them all up the polygraphs, well, who knows, because Tibbs
probably has him believing and Jalen Brunson I'm sure is not gonna like concede anything.
But it's like you should acknowledge, like we don't have the best shot
this year, but I don't think that forecloses on them being the second best
team in the East next year, right, Like I think so, I
mean not so to answer your question, like you do have to just shift
how you're viewing this team now because like, look, I mean the second
they play, I mean, how long did they go without an entire starting
front court. It was like several weeks, right, So it was like
even just just from that point, it was like, this year is kind
of like, I mean, even if you get all these guys back,
presumably they're going to be somewhat compromised or whatever. And now it turns out
like, I don't know, you're getting one back, maybe two if Anonobe
comes back, I don't know. So yeah, it's it's a shame because
I think they they could have been really interesting as a playoff team at full
strength. But like, I don't think it like darkens the outlook long term,
do you. I mean, it does make it a little bit harder
to go through the off season not understanding how you're what was your projected starters
looked together when you're talking about having an extensive sample of Julius Randall, or
even a sample if you still view Mitchell Robinson as the answer to start long
term Randall Robinson, og Jalen Brunson, and then Dante DiVincenzo or Josh Hard
however you want to finagle it that way. So I think it makes it
harder to go through the off season. It does. This season specifically,
you could tell me who that they want a playoff round that kind of feels
like their ceiling, Like now, if you're not gonna certainly, if you're
not gonna have ogn Randall, I just when you're trying to scale ahead,
I was actually gonna ask you too, like what is well when you scale
ahead, it's what does this team still need be? And like not going
into a second best player or someone as good as Kalen Brunson. I guess
my my question there would be does and a lot of this is gonna be
determined based on how the postseason actually ends. But knowing that Julius Randall's not
gonna play, and I would say knowing that O Jannobi, even if he
plays, it's gonna be anywhere near even by late season standards, doesn't it
make it harder to then kind of decide what, like what are we gonna
do? Like if if there's no no brainer trade candidate top fifteen player in
the NBA that comes on the market that makes a ton of sense, it's
kind of like, what do you do do we just run it back because
we think we will be the second best team in the East as currently.
Not having that information is just complicated. It complicated, right, because I
think the Randall piece is tricky. Almost no matter what, Like we've talked
ad nauseum about like you know, not either of our favorite players, but
like, boy, he kind of really fits what the Knicks need as just
a guy who's gonna get some shots up, and like what do you do
with is he a long term piece? So that complicates it. I do
think like they should be emboldened by the fact that, like they did.
You know, when guys get hurt, sometimes they're silver linings. And in
this case, it's like Isaiah Hertenstein is a starting caliber, good, awesome
defensive center. Like I don't know how much he can play, but you
learn that, you learn Dante DiVincenzo could be a really high volume, effective
three point shooter. You learn Deuce McBride could play a ton of minutes and
help on both Like you did get some information about guys that maybe you would
not have gotten had your whole roster been healthy, And so that's valuable.
And I think if you, if you're the Knicks and you say we're getting
all these guys back, we're going to resign Ananobi and now we know that
guys you know, in Devincenzo and mcbriden, Hartenstein, who are going to
be like our six seventh, eighth guys are are like capable of being way
better than that. Maybe you do still think you're the second best team,
and maybe you don't feel the urgency to make a big move to add this
other star. I do think it would be nice if Brunson didn't have to
just pound the ball and like create so many shots. But but like I
don't know, I think there's a way to frame it where you, as
the Knicks are like disappointed that the season went this way, you know,
but you did kind of get some information on guys that you wouldn't have otherwise
gotten that's going to be valuable and should make you like pretty confident in some
ways about like the depth of your rotation next year, if not necessarily like
you know, you're what do we what where's our what's the piece that we
need to like get some more top end talent. I don't know if you
have that information and look the lineup right now of I'm just curiously what their
offense looks like and because everything feels like a slog right now, but they're
I would say they're go not necessarily there, I would say their go to
unit or what's I think would remain their go to unit even with Mitchell Robinson
healthy. I'm assuming no og No, Randall Hartenstein, Jalen Brunton, Deuce
McBride, Josh Hart, and Dante DiVincenzo. Do you know what that group
has as an offensive rating on the season eight'sgession. So it's not this huge
sample, but it's a pretty it's a pretty big like it's big enough,
like oh there's something here. They've held their own defensively, which I guess
makes sense because you have Deuce, you have Josh Hart, you have Hartenstein,
and then we know that both Brunton and Devincenzo really do compete on that
end. But I just I'm very curious, So that's your baseline, what
are the counters or the adjustments you make in the playoffs? Then it's like,
okay, well you have Mitchel Robinson healthy now, but I'm looking more
at the perimeter. It's how do you fit going on Bgdonovic into that?
What is it? How important is precious Atchua come the postseason? Now?
Does is he someone who's importance kind of increases as if you're looking for someone
who can maybe spend time with a big if it's Heartenstein. So there's just
they're in such an awkward spot and their death matters. But I do think
this might be a case of they are built to thrive in the regular season,
and while a lot of the stuff they do on principle defensively will hold
up in the playoffs, I'm very concerned about what their offense ends up looking
like when teams have look at what they're already doing. A jail on Bruns
and it's like, if he's just on the wing, he's seen two and
three bodies every single time. Now they're just gonna have more time to even
game plan for him, since it's just this set series that's such a hallmark
of Thibodeaux teams though, right, Like he gets his guys to play,
you know, with their effort level out of ten all the time in the
regular season. And I think the Knicks are an example obviously lately it's like
a joke how much some of these guys are playing, you know, and
how hard they're playing. But and then like, you know, the Knicks
I think are probably just better prepared a lot of the time, and that's
another Thibodeau thing. And in the playoffs, like that sort of stuff evens
out more. And I think that's a pretty direct high to why Tibbs postseason
teams have kind of not performed nearly as well as you would have expected them
to based on the regular season records. But yeah, like I don't know.
I just we started out this conversation talking about like, how should this
change how you feel about the Knicks, And it's hard for me to not
almost be more optimistic because like, imagine you get everybody back next year,
and so then your first unit is what Brunson, Randall, Annobie, I
don't know, it's McBride at the two. Is that what we're doing?
No, we would have well, I mean, first of all, who's
your starting five? Are you resigning Isaiah Hartenstein and starting him? Are you
starting Mitchell Robinson? I think Evencenzo in that, like just by by virtue
of having Randall and then potentially Robinson, I think, yeah, I would
want Devincenzo there. Yeah, okay, I mean either way, and so,
but then more optimistic long term about this team. I just think in
the short term, oh yes, we're We're just wrong. A lot of
people have gotten caught up in how they've performed, and they've played really well,
I just the playoffs are gonna be tough, and I mean that's good
spot to wrap this up. Is there a team right now that they could
match up with in the first round that you would guarantee that they could beat?
They might, look, it wouldn't shop me if they beat Cleveland,
if they beat Orlando, if they beat Miami, if they beat I mean,
who else is in this fucking frat? I mean I'm not gonna even
include like, but those are. I could also see them losing to every
single one of those teams. Yeah, no, I think that's right,
although, like, how would you have felt that differently if they were fully
healthy? Oh yeah, that I would have picked them over everyone except for
Milwaukee and Boston and the way Milwaukee plays, I might have picked them over
over Milwaukee. Well, yeah, you might pick them, but you asked
me, like, would you guarantee that, Like they're definitely gonna beat these
teams. But I'll phrase it this way. I would if Ogi Adanobi even
was just healthy, I would in floored if they didn't make it out of
the first round. Yeah, I think that's that's a fair expectation. Just
I mean, Anonobe was just so good, but like for that stretch when
he first came over and they were so good. Yeah, no it I
I guess. I guess maybe what i'd say last thing is like I don't
think I did get too caught up and like, oh my god, they're
like they're holding it together with this with you know, a skeleton crew at
this point, just because I just assume that when the games, you know,
we get to the playoffs with them, it's like they just don't all
these guys, so many guys are like playing more and playing over their heads.
And like my expectations for the Knicks, I wasn't gonna be disappointed if
they got bounced in the first round, I guess is the best way wouldn't
have It would have shocked me. I mean, this is a team that
I think is set themselves up still well for the future. You can get
into you know, they've played all their best prospect hands. Does that take
away from their trade offers even though they have those picks, But look now
they have the living embodiment of what if Steph Curry could win Defensive Player of
the Year in duce McBride so and he's not playing above his head, He's
playing perfectly even Keel's relative to what our expectations were to hear. I said
this to some one I can't remember the other day, Douce McBride, And
this is the only negative thing I'll ever say about the players make Bride this
way. I thought Frankielkina was going to be, Oh God, I can't
believe what you've just what has come out of your mouth right now, frank
has so much time left to still reach his potential. I was watching Frankie
lolkina Instagram hype videos the other day, so I'm still very much on the
That's the most on brand thing you've ever said. Are you ready to do?
You want to do a couple of guests of players before? I got
one for you? You ready? No? But let's do this all right?
This from Mike Clue number one. I was part of an all time
week draft class in which only two first round picks ever made an All Star
Game. Only one lottery pick from the class ever made an All Star Game.
Me only what is it? Andrew Wiggins? No, I don't know.
Did they say an earlier year and I just missed? You say no,
you don't have a year. That's why. That's like You're never gonna
get it off that clue, or I wouldn't Cluane number two. It comes
as no surprise that I was an All Rookie team member, but not the
Rookie of the year. So good rookie Clue three. By my third season,
my team was a championship contender, and I, despite only being in
my early to mid twenties, was the team's second most important player. Yeah,
I haven't gotten zeroed in yet. Here. Oh here, here's one
clue number four. During back to back failures in the finals, my team's
answer to trot alongside me changed three times in the calendar year, lost consecutively
in the finals. That's helpful. Yeah, I'm trying to think of which
team I was the only lottery pick from my draft? Is it Kyrie Irving?
No, it is not Kyrie Irving. I'm just real this next clue
would you like to hear? Would you like go ahead and give me another
one? Then? C five. Alonzo Mourning and I got off to a
disastrous start together as teammates. He said our team was lazy and mocked me
for missing time with an ankle injury. Muttering to the team after a loss,
my ankle, my ankle. What I should have said was nothing,
but that's no fun, so and so I instead mocked him for having life
threatening kidney disease, which had kept him out of previous seasons. Side note,
Morning and I are now friends. Oh man, Why why I should
I should know this? Tim har Away? That's too far back. No,
not Tim Hardaway. Well you're like thinking about it. I hope you
have answered. I was trying to think if Hardaway would have fit the like
Lottery All Star earlier clues, I should know this lottery Jamal Mashburn, No,
that's I like that, guess though I did not remember the Alonso Morning.
I didn't remember a Lonza Morning was a teammate of this player. I
don't know what that says about me. Jackary Peyton Nope, Jason Williams.
No that I'm just naming players that I don't play for the heat at some
point longer? Can I keep going? You want another clue? Yeah?
Alright? Six? Uh? Okay. The year with Morning didn't work out.
I was traded to Denver for three firsts, where I would be teammates
with Mellow and you guessed it. Greg Freakin' Buckner traded to Denver for Was
it Denver for three first? That Alan Iverson doesn't make sense here? Iverson
only lost one finals. I think also I should know this based off the
Denver trade. Can you to back finals and then eventually gets to Denver for
three first round picks? I'm trying, mellow teammates. I should know this.
Why don't I know this? It's a good these are This is right
on the border like the clues are good, but he's not given He's not
given it all to you here? You want clue seven? Yeah, clue
seven. I played in Denver for seven seasons, making the playoffs in six
of those seasons. Uh, only making it out of the first round in
one of those years. That's not really helpful because that's still just a mellow
teammate. All right, how about this clue eight? When the NBA lockout
hit, I went to play in China. I asked to be released to
handle family matters, but wasn't allowed to sign with an NBA team once the
lockout ended. Initially, instead, I had to wait until the Chinese league
season ended. I'm gonna want to blow my brains out when I find out
who this is, because I should have this all sounds so familiar and I
can't figure out the name. Yeah, I feel like the back to back
finals and the lottery stuff is like it's far enough back that like it might
be outside of your like prime fandom. But now we're up to where like
you were, you you you will know it. The lockout was on the
Nuggets. Did Al Harrington make an All Star games in the consecutive finals?
Was he? I don't think he played with the lay This next clue is
a doozy. I did not. I forgot about this one. You want
to hear it? Hit me? Clue nine. I did sign with the
pre Lob City Clippers, in which I played forty two games. My most
notable moment as a Clipper actually took place in a playoff game between the Lakers
and the Nuggets, as a drunk woman stumbled onto the court asking officials in
security if she could meet me. I had not been a Nugget in over
a year by this point. Who is this? Why can't uh? Let's
see? Oh man, I'm confident you will get it. By klue eleven,
the bad news is we're on CLU ten. You're ready for CLU ten?
Yeah? I finished my career playing for the Knicks and then the Bucks.
So now he's just rubbing it in your face by this guy being a
a Nick for a minute, I got nothing like I have nothing. You
almost have too many clues now. I know the feeling where it's like you
can't keep it all straight. All right, this is your last clue.
My kid is currently on the Sixers and I'm part of the many father son
duos to have played against Lebron. My kid is Oh my god, Kenyan
Martin, Oh you got it, good job. I get that he played
for the Bucks. I forgot like the morning stuff I forgot. I guess
he was on the heat for a year. Yeah, that sounds right.
I just think of him as as the Nets and then Denver are like the
two Kenyan Martin think of. Okay, so I have a couple of from
Austin. I'm reading one from Austin that he claims we didn't do I could
have sworn that we did it. But if we did it, Clue number
one. I spent several years playing college basketball for Xavier, where I averaged
over fourteen points per game in my final season. David West, no clue
too. I spent four years in my NBA career with the Indiana Pacers.
Oh, man, are you sure it's not David West? Okay, wait,
Xavier to the Pacers for four years. I don't know if I know
any other Xavier guys off the top of my head. All right, go
ahead. Wait, I'm dying at the explicion. So I guess we didn't
do this, but Austin said nobody would ever guess redacted. But it's just
funny how all the clues line up to sounding like it should be David West.
Yeah, they sure as he'll do correct. Clue number three, I
was drafted by the Palaque. What is this? Everybody being gas lit?
And it is in fact? Or David West's actual name is like Dave or
something. Why do I want to say Ramon Sessions? I don't know why,
But that's incorrect. What a great guess that would have been? Clue
number four, career eighty one percent free throw shooter. Okay, so wait,
drafted by the Pelicans out of Xavier, good free throw shooter, four
years with the Pacers. I really don't think you're gonna get this one.
You'll get it on clue seven, I think, But all right, let's
let's continue Who five. My most recent team was the Hornets, where I
couldn't quite hang on as an NBA level player and as such went to play
overseas. I'm gonna give you clue number six as well. No, I
am not David West Hornets most recently, God is it like, I don't
know why, like Bryce McGowan's came into my head. I have no idea
if he fits the Hornets. Okay, well, maybe that's why I was
trying to think of Hornets drafted by the Hornets, not the Oh no,
yeah, not the Pelicans. Pelicans to Okay, I don't I don't have
it. Clue seven and final clue. A notable media bit came at the
hands of KD throwing my name under the bus as to why the Nets weren't
having the previously predicted success, and upon that, remember his interview with Chris
Hanes, our colleague Chris Hanes. Yes, oh, I can even like
see the I can. I don't think I'm gonna get this. What is
that guy's name? I can give you an eighth clue that I just thought
of. Oh yeah, please, if you squint and listen when someone says
my name, it can kind of sound like they're talking about one of the
four seasons. Oh uh yeah Sumner. Uh what's his first name, Edmund?
Yeah, Okay, God, that's a deep cut. There's no way.
Maybe that's why we didn't do it because I didn't have clue number seven
until this week. Like he said, Austin Tendon and there's like no way
based off the other clues, they all lined up to be David West.
And like Edmond Sumner is such a deep cut. That's a deep cut.
You know what though, respect that. I mean he was in the league
for what five six six years total? Like that's that's fair game. That's
fair game. The David West parallels are bizarre. That's that was funny.
Yeah, that was great. All Right, let's see. I'm trying to
think, let's do one more each because we'll have more in the next podcast.
Okay, do you have one ready? I'm trying to decide. I
have a second one from Austin. Actually, let me go to Rubiscalcent Trivias.
Let's mix it up and then I'll go to Mike and Austin when we
do the next batch. Okay. On the all time points leader board,
every player in the top twenty has had at least one fifty point game.
John Havlichak is the highest score for twenty first on the leaderboard to never have
a fifty point game. He had twelve forty plus point games, but his
highest was forty three. Let's see if Grant can name people on the leaderboard
who never had a few burger. That's a really hard question. Well,
I'll give you clues. There's four different spots here. So number twenty two
all time on the scoring leader list twenty six, three hundred one points on
the leaderboard. Is this one time MVP, one time Defensive Player of the
Year, one time champion and trash talker extraordinaire who got forty four times and
maxed out at forty seven. Defensive Player of the Year? Yes, Oh?
Is it? Kevin Garnett correct? Okay, Number thirty four on the
leader board at about twenty three, eight hundred points. I'm just gonna round
now, former MVP who had tons of forty plus point games, most of
them for the Philadelphia seventy six ers, but never managed to score beyond forty
seven. His love for food is only matched by his hatred of jump shooting
teams. Oh Chuck Wow, great job. That's crazy. He never had
fifty never had a title either. Do you know that that's true. I
do recall him averaging like forty and thirty in a playoff series against the Warriors
when I was like twelve years old. That was rough number thirty seven on
the leader board twenty three thousand, three hundred and thirty four points. Four
time Champion played third fiddle on one of the greatest dynasties of the last fifty
years. His role meant that he often had more rebounds than made field goals,
plus made made free throws, and he only had one forty point game
in the NBA. When he retired in nineteen ninety seven after picking up his
fourth ring, he had played more seasons twenty one and more games one thousand,
six hundred eleven than anyone else in NBA history. Wait a minute,
four time Champion retired in ninety seven. I actually did not know he retired.
This player retired this late. What was the thing about the rebounds?
It was a fourth. His role meant that he often had more rebounds than
made field goals and free throws. It's not Robert Parrish. There's no way
he's that is correct, you were three for three. Fine, I can't
believe he scored that much. Well, you're giving me clues that I wouldn't
have gotten the Parish one. I didn't think he was around in ninety seven.
He was around for a really long time. All right, Final one,
number forty one on the all time scoring list twenty two hundred and eleven
points is the current Warrior who has had eight forty point games, all against
Western Conference teams, but none higher than forty three. He knows more obscure
NBA rules than you've ever heard of, and he's a dear friend of Scott
Forster, Foster and alternate universe. Yeah, Chris, Paul, that was
I mean, you should have gotten that one. That was actually a fun
I don't mean to sound surprised. That wasn't really fun exercise. I am
very impressed by what you just did. There's if you didn't give me the
clues, there's no chance like this even based off the clues. I don't
think. Maybe there were two givens on here, Gar like Garnett and Paul
like for you to get Parish and Barkley. You went four for four.
Well, the dumb shooting teams was a giveaway for Barkley. I feel like
I think of that with him. Okay, I'm going to give you a
guess a player that I'm going to I don't think you're gonna get. I
would not get. Do you want that this one? Because this one's been
sitting here. This is nicole Cha Kolev. It's been sitting in here for
a couple of weeks. I feel bad I haven't done it yet. Yeah,
I mean I already went oh for ten, So let's let's do this.
Oh no, over, I got it on cool eleven. Yeah,
you got it. You got it. You got it on like the clue.
You should have gotten it on because that was a hard one. All
right. Uh this I'll just I'll tell you, uh this is another X
XU player. Uh x Yugoslavian player. Just to put your mind in the
correct spot. Okay, number one. Shockingly, I'm a player from an
ex Yugoslavia country. I was part of the three draft where I was the
last one of three players from my country that got drafted in the first round.
While I was not the most hyped prospect, I arguably had the best
career of the three. You're gonna get better information here Clue number two,
A three and D wing. I spent twelve years in the NBA. So
that's from three to fifteen, I guess, playing for seven different teams.
I played in more than five hundred regular season games in more than fifty playoff
games. Holy shit, So this guy got That's more than I would have
thought. Clu three. I got drafted by the Jazz, but I did
not stay there for long, but not by choice. I was selected by
the Bobcats in the four expansion draft and later got traded to the team that
defined my NBA career. Keep going. In the seven playoffs, I started
every game and route to the NBA Finals that year, where we got swept
by the Spurs. I averaged over thirty minutes and under two points. No,
oh my god, I almost just is it zadrunas ogawskis no ready?
So he was on the Calves data team that got swept by the Spurs.
That is correct, I will give you that. It's not Anderson vera Jeaw.
Is it? That can't be him? Started every game? Why don't
I know this? I did not remember that. That's shocking to me.
All right, Keep going, all right? Clue five. The legend says
that I beat Lebron James in a one on one match and I want a
BMW from him. On the record statement say that I actually bought the car
from him. I've never heard that before. I don't know. That's kind
of bait, all right, Clue six. From nine to thirteen, I
bounced around five different teams before ending my NBA career on the Portland Trailblazers.
After that, I played in Europe for a few more years before retiring in
twenty sixteen. I still I don't even have like a name to venture a
guess. Yeah, so far the Cavs thing is really is really your best
way in? I told you this is a tough one. Uh. Clue.
My first name is Alexander, but that's not how I'm usually referred to,
similar to Alexander vyas So, like what's what's the like shortened the nickname
for guys? Well, you know, like, what's Vuyasch's first name that
he was referred to by? Do you remember you about Sasha that is the
that is the name that replaced that is like stands in for Alexander for a
lot of XU guys. So you have Sasha as the first name. Oh
man, I'm not Sasha on the Calves that made the finals. You know
seven, no idea. It's hard, all right, you want to want
to hear it? Yeah, Sasha Pavlovich. Yeah, I wouldn't have gotten
that one. Yeah, that's like, I know that name, I can
picture him, but the like other than the Calves thing, that's that's tough.
But you know what, take us out of here. Thanks, thank
you the culture. Thanks thanks to Culture, Thanks Mike, Thanks rubyscal Thanks
everybody for listening for watchings. Don't forget about Austin. Thanks Austin for your
ridiculous Edmund Sumner slash David I still don't believe that's not David West. Uh.
Everybody, please rate, review, subscribe, spread the word about this
podcast, tell your friends, tell your enemies. We close, as always
with a shout out to the one and only Frank Mila Keineth got to mention
today and an apology to Jared out