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What is krack Olacket felt their Windo
here A after his eye and Dan Play

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coming at you with a super brief
sub thirty second intro podcast. You're about

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to listen to our biggest X factors
for every potential twenty four NBA playoff team.

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Was one awesome I think, granted
I did a fantastic job. But

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two we talked about the heat and
the Knicks and the Julius Randall injury and

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Ojannobi at length. We did this
before we got word that Tyler Hero was

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progressing towards return, and before we
got word that og Anobi was going to

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play on Friday. It doesn't change
the context of our discussion too much,

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but wanted to cover our bases there. So if you're listening to that and

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you skip this and you don't know
what's going on, that's on you.

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I just want to let everybody know
that we mentioned, specifically with Adamobe,

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since we went quite long on the
Knicks at the end of the podcast,

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that he did return. He played
against the Bulls, and so please factor

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that into our discussion. But let's
get to it. What is krak a

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lacin fellow thermonuclear a efforts? I
am at dan Pa Valley, coming at

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you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. We are here

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to talk about our biggest X factor
for every potential twenty twenty four NBA Playoff

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team, Because that's right now,
Grant, there are twenty one potential NBA

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Playoff teams as we record this.
When you factor in squads that are going

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to be in the play and we
might have nineteen teams, so the first

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time in NBA history finish over five
hundred, which would be really fucking cool.

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Actually, before we get started,
please sub and stuff already. But

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really the real question that I have, Grant, how the heck are you

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doing? I'm doing well. I
just it's the thought occurred to me when

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you were doing your intro. Do
you ever like wake up in the middle

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of the night and just find yourself
saying, like going into your intro spiel

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because you've said it so many times, like it, because you don't even

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it must be full autopilot at this
point, right, Like you don't even

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under the words you're saying for things
like that. It's funny because it's not

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autopilot, because I will be like
if i'm doing guests or something, I

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might not say, what's crack a
lacin. So it's just like in my

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head where it's like I don't want
Sometimes I feel like that I'm like cultraally

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appropriating something that I shouldn't by saying
crack a acin. But our listeners have

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demanded that I continue to say it
anyway, So it's all that part's always

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ingrained in my head. I guess
asking you how you're doing is on autopilot,

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but it's also something that I'm like, I cut the whole. It

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used to be a longishpiel of like
subscribe, comment and all that, but

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I cut that because it's like newbies
aren't gonna care if they're listening to us

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the first time to hear that at
the beginning. They're more likely if they

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listen to the end to do that. So I don't care about the call

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to action. I care about making
sure that we talk about how you are

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fairing you're well. Also, you
know that it kind of puts me on

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my back foot right away because I
usually haven't prepared a bit like as an

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answer, because that feels like pretty
hack. Sometimes I'll have something I'll think

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as something like, oh, this
might be clever, uh but generally it's

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like I try to shift the focus
off of me as quickly as possible.

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Uh So now I'm even more uncomfortable
because I've put it as firmly back on

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myself. Grant hates being a center
of attention, which is why starting next

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week he will be doing only solo
podcasts. Yeah, I'll ask myself how

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I'm doing, and it's just gonna
be like a weird spiral where, uh

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we might never pull out of it. I would love for you to record

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a solo podcast just to see how
you do talking to yourself for forty five

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minutes to an hour, because I
know you've listened to some of mine.

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And it's just like there's no breath
when I do it, because that's the

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only way I can do it.
Otherwise, if I stop and think,

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I then and I am suddenly very
aware that I am just having a conversation

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with myself. Right. Yeah,
I don't know how you do it.

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Uh it just it it's uh,
well, it's like radio hosts like back

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in the day, Like still I
guess there's still radio hosts, but like

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when you're just don't have callers and
you're just talking like I just don't.

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It's a hard thing to do so
and you're but you do a good you

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do it really well. So either
you've either I didn't listen to early early

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Dan solo pods and you were just
like dead silent for like seven minute stretches,

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well you try to think of something
to say, or you're natural at

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it. I will say, keep
Parish and I know he's not podcasting anymore,

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But laz Jackson Lazarus Jackson are two
of like some of the best solo

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podcasters that like I could listen to
their episodes that just everything seemed like very

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natural, not like they were trying
to fill airtime or talk a zillion miles

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a minute like I do such a
skill. If I did it, I

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would just read something I wrote.
I feel like there's screen just whipped out

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like this long roll of papers,
like growing it behind the camera and hope

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you couldn't see my eyes like typewriter
and left or right. You could probably

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do it really well. When Nick's
Film School kind of does this with their

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post games. Even though Andrew Claudio, their producer, will like come in

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and talk to Macary, but like
he'll just respond to the comments, and

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so that makes it a little bit
easier. But he'll also do like a

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monologue at the beginning, which is
different when you're trying to you know,

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you're making these points, and then
it's like, well, there's no one

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to either agree with me or come
back at me to have the actual discussion.

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So I hate solo podcasts. Our
listeners don't seem to mind them,

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though, which is pretty cool.
It's a credit to you. You win

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all the arguments when you're only talking
to yourself. The only arguments I win

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on solo podcast. We are here
to talk about X factors though, so

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we have all the teams up there
on the screen. If you want to

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watch on YouTube, or at least
just go to YouTube. Throws like throws

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comment, that'd be fun too.
We're gonna go alphabetically because we like to

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We like to take risks over here, and Grant is gonna be our fearless

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leader throughout this entire process. We've
we've just decided this. Yep, uh,

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let's start alphabetically then. And it's
also helpful that I can see the

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logos, so if I do get
tripped up, I'll have some some help

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here. I hope you get you
set. You did say you were upset

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that there was only one. I
know I missed the Yao Steve Francis Rockets

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logo, but that's okay, we
we do. We did just go with

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one this time, so sorry Rockets
fans, you don't get the double dip

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logo. We're starting with the Atlanta
Hawks, so this, uh, you

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know, we obviously my virtue of
starting with the Hawks. We're talking about

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play in teams as well. That's
why the field is so big here.

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Uh and even I mean, the
Rockets are not a playing team at present,

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but they're not totally out of it
yet either, so we're gonna talk

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about them. So for the Hawks, going with Jalen Johnson and and I

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should say I think he's about he's
pretty close to the line. We'll get

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we'll get some better players in a
vacuum, but we're not gonna go with

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like de Jonte Murray or like Trey
or you know whatever. I'm not gonna

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pick the best guys because that just
doesn't feel like it's in the spirit of

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being an X factor, like which
is such a fuzzy I mean, I

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dare you to define an X factor
in the you know, like in a

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firm way for this exercise. It's
it's obviously just you know, kind of

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a gimmick, but like it can't
be someone that's like, if they play

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poorly, this team is like sunk, Like we can't pick Yokich, we

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can't pick you know, Steph Curry. It's just like we can't go that

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high, and you really can't go
Like I think even someone like Jalen Brown

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for the Celtics would probably be too
good of a player. So Johnson is

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pretty close to that because you could
make the case that, like, if

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Young doesn't play, he's Atlanta's second
best player, so you know, but

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still we're going with him in the
dock that nobody listening can see. You

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also have Trey Young's right hand in
parentheses. So not a bad X factor.

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But Johnson is just someone that like, I don't know, you can

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talk about this too, but like
his athleticism, his two way play,

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like the way that he might end
up guarding somebody really dangerous assuming they play

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Chicago in that first playing game.
I mean, he might spend some time

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on DeMar Dea rozen for all we
know, if Hunter can't do it.

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So he's kind of a swing piece
for Atlanta, But you know, I

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don't know it. It's hard to
say, like again that he matters more

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than say de Jonte or if Trey
Young, if he's gonna play. I

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think what appealed to me him is
that he's just the answer regardless of what

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iteration of the Hawks are kind of
taking the floor because without Trey his offensive

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role kind of increases. I think
DeAndre Hunter might be a close second,

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if you really want to get sick
and be like, well, vik Krach.

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He's been playing some really good defense
over the past few weeks, but

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just like the stuff that he could
do was kind of the secondary playmaker getting

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them out in transition to the stuff
he can do in transition his defensive body

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of work. I assume it's only
going to get more difficult because you're talking

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about, yeah, you still have
Hunter, but the injury to Sadik Bay

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that was a body throw at And
then are you really gonna you know,

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if there was a Hall of Fame
for players who remain way too important to

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how their teams need to defend on
the perimeter, Wesley Matthews will be first

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ballot. But you're really going to
go to him and like the higher you

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probably will. But like Jalen Johnson
is good, like his defensive body work

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is just going to get harder.
And then the other thing with him,

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I want to borrow your phrase of
the skeleton key for just certain lineups where

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it's like where you want to try
different stuff up front. He makes sense

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next to Clincapella. He makes sense
next to a Yaka kungu if they want

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to get really you know, creative. He is the small ball five option

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without any other big kind of on
the court. And so I think I'm

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with you that the Hawks and the
Celtics ironically were the teamshere it felt like

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they had like high profile players needed
to be the answer. We might roll

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run into this with another team,
and I know there's like I think he

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could go like with the Calves too, if you want to talk about one

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of their younger players. But like
you said, to just go through the

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criteria, we're generally going to avoid
the stars on a team. And like

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Johnson, I think he would have
won Most Improved Player had he met the

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Games Minium, Like he probably would
have been my pick. Well, Scotty

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Barnes would have been my pick if
he met the game, it was both

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our picks. For a minute,
he's towing the line, but he's not

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quite there yet. And honestly,
it's just he's there. He's their third

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best player, maybe their second most
important one, and so it's just like,

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well, we'll leave it, like
I think, I don't think we're

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breaking the spirit of this too much
with him. No. No, which,

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speaking of, we might be doing
it with the next team, which

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is the Boston Celtics. However,
as everyone who's listening to this or watching

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this as where like the Celtics just
happen to have their top six is littered

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with only good players. So we're
gonna go with Derek White here. And

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it's just like you can't choose Tatum, you can't choose Brown. I mean,

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Porzingis is kind of a logical X
factor pick just because like he's the

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one that might break certain defenses because
you can't switch a small onto him because

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he's the best post up player in
the league in terms of per possession,

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and they don't like and they basically
only post him up when they get a

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switch. So it just kind of
ruins a pretty standard postseason defensive scheme.

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A lot of teams will employ,
but White is someone that's like he maybe

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you know, maybe on him to
bring the ball up and maybe on him

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to guard the other team's best player. He might have massive health defense responsibilities.

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He's a weirdly good rim protector,
weirdly great rim protector for a player

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his side. So he's just gonna
have all these he might wear like three

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different hats across you know, the
span of a series, and so he

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feels he feels kind of even though
again he's maybe a little too good,

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just you know, object actively,
he does kind of fit the idea of

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an X factor because like it implies
like some level of I'm not even sure

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what this guy's gonna do, but
it's gonna matter, right, And it's

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just if you're not gonna pick someone
inside their top six, it's Sam Hauser

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or it's maybe Exavier Tillman. And
I think you could probably make a case

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for al Horford because it's like they
might want to throw him at Yannis in

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that matchup if that's something they pull. He gets the Embida assignment a lot

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too, Yeah, so that that
could be a good one. He's clearly

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not at a star level anymore.
So you could, but it just felt

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like, if we're gonna pick someone
inside the top six anyway, I'm just

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gonna give it to Derek White,
who kind of wears I think he wears.

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Aside from Jason Tatum, he's the
player on this team that wears the

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most hats. Right, Maybe it's
true Holiday, but I mean Holiday's role,

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at least offensively is so small now, like White has a much bigger

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offense, you know. So yeah, I'm just I'm agreeing with you.

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I think you know, you could
go Holiday, but that like Holiday hasn't

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been much of an X factor for
them this year. He's just a really

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good two way player that's accepted a
smaller offensive role. Like that's you know,

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a jump shot is an X factor
because it disappears generally in the playoffs.

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Yeah, and he's been i mean, just shot the lights out.

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So yeah, okay, so let's
get We're at a true X factor now.

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I think as we get to the
Chicago Bulls, your favorite, my

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favorite underrated elite backcourt slash can guard
Wings defender Io de Soon MoU, I

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think this is a perfect X factor
in large part because you've got Demarta Rosen

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and Kobe White, who are gonna
have to play major offensive roles. You

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shouldn't feel great about either of them
guarding, you know, their positional matchup

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if that guy is a real threat. Now if this is Atlanta, you

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know, it's a different thing.
But if they do wind up playing in

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a playoff series, you're gonna need
to soon move to potentially guard whoever the

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best guy is from one to three
and maybe even spend some time on fours.

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Uh. And then that's without getting
into his shooting, which is just

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you know, been a revelation this
year, just under forty percent. His

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volume is up. But for me, it's the defensive side just because he

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you know, Caruso is obviously going
to come in and play whatever his customary

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like twenty seven minutes are, but
assuming I think is going to be someone

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that they rely on on both ends
and on defense against like some of the

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most dangerous matchups they're gonna see.
Yeah, And like the other thing too

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with him is that they need him
to kind of create more not necessarily off

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the dribble, but like to get
downhill and generate some rim pressure. And

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so if he can do that,
that adds like a whole different value to

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their offense as well, and we've
seen them try to focus on that more.

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He just needs to be more aggressive
overall. He does shoot a lot

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out of the pick and roll,
but it's kind of in the same spots,

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in the same situations. It's more
about can they get him all the

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way downhill and to the basket?
And so can he contribute is both that

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shooter and the secondary playmaker that he
is, but then also as just this

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multi level scorer, And he's shown
for stints that he can and if he

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does, you know, the Balls
aren't gonna do anything special in the postseason,

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but if you're talking about them actually
reaching the postseason, he's going to

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be a pretty pretty huge yeah that
I think there's a few guys, and

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that feels like the purest one so
far. We have the Cavs next,

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so I can't remember, are we
gonna go with the better player that we

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discussed or are we gonna go with
what's on the dock? We can't know

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it. I think we need to
go with Isaaca Coro, And I will

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say we did consider Evan Mobley or
Darius Garland, because Darius Garland has been

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uneven to put it kindly and maybe
just bad to be a little bit more

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blunt about it. And then there's
also the Evan Mobley element where it's is

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he gonna give Jimmie Bickerstaff a reason
to have him close games? Like?

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Is he gonna be able to make
it work offensively with the dual big stuff

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this season? And that's gonna matter
in a playoff series for them? But

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it just felt like those guys are, well, oh wow, Evan Mobley

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didn't play well, or Evan Mobley's
in closing games? Is that idea?

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But it just felt sort of like
too done. With Isaaca Corro specifically,

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I think he'll get some all defense
love this season, and we know we

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can do that. The three pointer
has been falling. He's a pretty solid

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cutter, he will be a ball
mover, he'll get out in transition.

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Can you do that all? Can
you maintain that offensive role efficiently in the

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playoffs when the pressure changes? But
defenses are going to be different where they

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might even care about him less or
if they start to care about him,

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how does he react to that?
And so that's a and if you are

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going to get into a lot of
the one big lineups like he becomes ultra

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important in those combinations as well.
So how do those wind up holding holding

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up in the postseason? Yeah,
I think it's got to be him.

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I would just say, like I
probably should retire this take because I feel

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like I've given it fifty times.
But the way that Mobley couldn't handle duties

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as a role guy against the Knicks
in the playoffs last year just set him

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up this postseason to like prove that
you figured it out right, Like,

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I don't know who they're going to
match up against hypothetically, we don't know

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if the same coverage will be there
that gave him trouble. We don't know

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if the fact that the Cavs have
more shooters to put around the perimeter will

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make it so Mobile doesn't have to
sort of succeed where he failed. But

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like in terms of like the narrative
part of it, I don't know,

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Maybe it's just me, but it
really did stick in my mind that Mobli

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was not up for the task that
the Knicks put in front of him last

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year in the playoffs, And this
would have been maybe another opportunity for him

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to prove that he's he's grown,
especially you know, coming off a year

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where he missed a bunch of time. Again that maybe isn't a fair thing

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to ask, but that's that's why
I think he was. If we were

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including like more top end guys,
I think he would have been a pretty

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sensible pick there. That takes us
to Dallas. This one is pretty clear

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too, I think both of us. And that is PJ. Washington a

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new addition at the deadline camp,
coming over and kind of remaking this roster

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with with Daniel Gafford at the you
know, sort of in this reconstituted,

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bigger, more athletic lineup that is
now defending for Dallas. Why Why is

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PJ. Washington specifically the X factor
here? I think it's, I mean,

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one, can he hit threes is
like a end up being a huge

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deal with Dallas so far, So
that is absolutely needs to be part of

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discussion. But it's he's gonna so
much of the defensive responsibility is going to

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fall to him when you're looking at
some of the guys he needed to cover

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since he's been there and even dating
back to his time I'm in Charlotte,

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I actually have been impressed with a
way that he's handled that by and large,

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but you know. I think why
he becomes the X factor is Dallas

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is sort of discover a lot about
themselves where they know how good they are

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with Daniel Gafford, But when you
are trying to build out their most important

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units, the only locks are Luca
Kyrie and I think PJ. Washington because

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you can move him around defensively so
much, and he might create some challenges

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at points offensively, but whether it's
playing next to a Rim running big,

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or if you want to go down
go down size with Maxic Cliba or and

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we know they don't try this,
if you want to go with the three

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big route with Washington and Cliba and
a Rim running big and lively or Gafford,

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then that's gonna fall. You know, the responsibility of guarding more even

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more wings or harder Simon is going
to fall on Washington. And you also

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just know, yeah, they found
some stuff where they're toggling the levers with

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oh is it a Tim Hardaway Junior
night is that Adante exim or Derek Jones

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Jr. PJ. Washington Junior is
more of a constant because of what we

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know he can do offensively, and
they also they gave up a top two

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protected pick to get him. And
so I've been very impressed with what he's

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done defensively in Dallas. Can they
need that to hold up in the playoffs?

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And then he also is an X
factor for his offense because will defense

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is treat him differently if his threes
continue to not go in and he's not

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involved in these primary actions as often
as he as he could be in certain

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00:18:18,519 --> 00:18:22,200
other units. Yeah, like it's
tempting to say, well it just to

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play Devil's advocate. Like I mean, look, if if Washington isn't getting

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guarded like he goes oh for you
know, in their first playoff game,

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and then every defense is just sagging
away off of him and clogging the lane

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or putting two on Luca, Well, they have Derek Jones and they have

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Exum and like those guys both kind
of give them similar things. XM obviously

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further down the positional spectrum, but
like, if you Dallas, I don't

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think wants to be in a position
where it's like, well we can't play

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00:18:45,799 --> 00:18:48,160
Washington. We have to you know, we have to rely on these next

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00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:52,119
two guys, who you know,
have real value. But like, if

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Washington isn't a value add on both
ends, I think, and it's not

308
00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,920
like you're asking him to do much
on offense besides hit open threes and cut

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00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:03,599
and stuff. That's a huge like
Dallas is in trouble, Like that's a

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00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,279
problem because you don't want to suddenly
have to be in the business of well,

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00:19:07,319 --> 00:19:11,240
Derek Jones has got to play thirty
minutes or like Exem has to be

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00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,839
healthy every night and giving us like
a major role. That's that's a scary

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spot for them to be in.
Yeah, I'm glad that you. I

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00:19:17,559 --> 00:19:19,720
was wondering if I think you could
make a case for Kliba because he of

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00:19:19,759 --> 00:19:23,000
this different types of lineup team theory
could unlock. But just the way that

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Gafford has played, I don't think
you look at that and say, oh,

317
00:19:26,319 --> 00:19:30,400
like we need Maxi Kleeba to be
like potentially this twenty five to thirty

318
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,359
minute a game player in the postseason. I'd be very shocked if that's what

319
00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,240
I think. In any of the
last like three or four playoffs, it

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would have been Kleiba just because he
was always the well he can protect the

321
00:19:41,799 --> 00:19:44,440
rim a little bit and move on
in the perimeter and all that. Like

322
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,200
he was he was the change up
to like, well, we can't play

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00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,319
our conventional big. I think he
now, I think he Dallas should still

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00:19:52,519 --> 00:19:56,000
be open to that against certain matchups. But it's like Gafford's been so good

325
00:19:56,039 --> 00:20:00,799
and Lively has had his moments too, where I think that one of those

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00:20:00,799 --> 00:20:03,559
two big, like real bigs,
should just be on the floor almost all

327
00:20:03,599 --> 00:20:07,319
the time, unless I don't know
what specific you know, maybe the Clippers

328
00:20:07,319 --> 00:20:10,720
go five out or or something like
that. That's where you might go back

329
00:20:10,759 --> 00:20:12,000
to cleebo. Do you know what's
strange? I almost spend too much time

330
00:20:12,039 --> 00:20:15,599
on this, but Mavericks fans have
been generally mad at us in the YouTube

331
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,440
comment. Still, I still would
not have done what they did at the

332
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trade deadline, I don't think.
But I was not even recognizing I think,

333
00:20:23,039 --> 00:20:26,160
you know, Gafford had done a
lot of this stuff I expect him

334
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,240
to do. They've been way better
off with those two guys than I would

335
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,519
have expected. And it's this weird
situation where, yeah, they make a

336
00:20:32,599 --> 00:20:34,920
deep playoff run and they're in the
Western Conference finals or something. I'll step

337
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,240
back and say, Okay, it
was worth it, But it's this weird

338
00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:41,519
situation where they are thriving post trade
deadline with these two guys, and I

339
00:20:41,559 --> 00:20:45,039
still wouldn't have made the trade.
Yeah, that might be a bad take,

340
00:20:45,079 --> 00:20:48,640
I'm not I'm not trying to clown
the Mavericks here. I still wouldn't

341
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,079
have done it, And I think
that's just me taking the longer view,

342
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,799
which is fine. But they have
undeniably exceeded expectations. Yeah, for sure,

343
00:20:56,839 --> 00:21:00,799
I think it was a really scary
trade. And I'm jury still out,

344
00:21:00,799 --> 00:21:03,799
but like, yeah, maybe maybe
the jury will not be out depending

345
00:21:03,839 --> 00:21:07,039
on how how deep this run.
The idea of your best offer being an

346
00:21:07,079 --> 00:21:10,039
expiring contract and two first round picks, now, I'm not saying to get

347
00:21:10,039 --> 00:21:12,799
another star, but like, that's
the card to play. I guess if

348
00:21:12,839 --> 00:21:17,480
you believe that PJ. Washington would
have intense value and trade changed, that's

349
00:21:17,599 --> 00:21:19,680
just makes me uncomfortable. But shout
out to the Mavericks. They look pretty

350
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,680
fucking scary heading into the postseason.
They do, and they have that guy

351
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,000
and that other guy that can really
just win games offensively. Wow, the

352
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,079
big time a Josh Green fan over
here, So I spoiled this already.

353
00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,559
If anyone knows who Peyton Watson is
for the Denver Nuggets. His picture came

354
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:38,240
up in the last one. I
thought about Michael Porter Junior here just because

355
00:21:38,279 --> 00:21:41,759
I feel like if things ever bogged
down offensively or you're not having a good

356
00:21:41,839 --> 00:21:45,440
Jamal Murray night, you kind of
need Porter to do more than just his

357
00:21:45,519 --> 00:21:48,680
shooting and like the motion stuff.
It's, oh, can maybe he generate

358
00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,720
some probing downhill for a change.
And I just kind of stop and thought

359
00:21:52,759 --> 00:21:55,920
about it, and just like you
know, like if Murray doesn't have it

360
00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,319
going, there's just Jokich will find
everybody else or or team shut down.

361
00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:03,440
One action ever has like contingency plans
B through C, B through Z.

362
00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,720
Excuse me. So I settled on
Peyton Watson just because if you're looking at

363
00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,680
some of the bench units with Aaron
Gordon at the five, we've talked about

364
00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,440
how he makes the most sense.
If it's gonna be heavy starters with Aaron

365
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,359
Gordon at the five, no Yokich, then Peyton Watson might make the most

366
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,079
sense. The other thing is they're
gonna need him defensively, and can he

367
00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,519
make enough of his threes or provide
you with enough pressure in finishing at the

368
00:22:25,599 --> 00:22:29,640
rim to stay on the court even
if his defense is humming against certain matchups.

369
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,319
So I just and just they've rolled
the dice with their bench. It's

370
00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,319
just Reggie Jackson's had a better year
than we've expected. But they're reliant on

371
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,880
Watson Brown and Reggie Jackson outside of
their top five that is not the most

372
00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:45,119
proven like six through eight or the
most bankable six through eight spots in the

373
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,079
playoffs. And so I kind of
default into Watson. But you could talk

374
00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:52,359
me into MPG if you wanted to. Well, so I think it's Watson.

375
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,319
But the thing I wanted to say
about MPG and you, Okay,

376
00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,599
I need your I need your feedback. You need to one tell me if

377
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:03,519
this th that I had and I
put in something I wrote the other day

378
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,960
is did I steal this from someone? Have you heard it someplace before?

379
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,519
One and two? It whether that
answer is yes or no, is it

380
00:23:11,599 --> 00:23:15,200
like a hacky thing? Because I
was thinking about, like watching a Nuggets

381
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:22,079
game the other day when when MPG
is is really hot and is like you

382
00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,039
know, every time he touches it, it's going up and like he goes

383
00:23:25,079 --> 00:23:27,680
like makes four threes in a quarter
or just like you know, is really

384
00:23:27,759 --> 00:23:33,759
just like peak MPJ. The thing
it reminded me of and probably because I've

385
00:23:33,759 --> 00:23:37,519
been I watched this movie one of
these movies recently was like, you know

386
00:23:37,559 --> 00:23:41,599
how in the Alien franchise, it's
like the xeno Morph, which is the

387
00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:47,559
alien. Okay, so you tell
me if you okay, cool, So

388
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,400
now you just have to tell me
if it's a hack. Thought. So

389
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:55,880
like the Xenomorph is like faster,
stronger, like more cunning, like built

390
00:23:56,039 --> 00:23:59,799
is a killing machine right like that, It's like it's it's taller, it's

391
00:23:59,799 --> 00:24:03,240
big than humans that like can slither
through air ducts. It's like it's like

392
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,799
just can tear you apart, right, that's the Nuggets. And then when

393
00:24:06,799 --> 00:24:10,680
Michael Porter Junior is hitting threes,
it's like the part in the movies where

394
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:18,039
you where someone hurts the alien or
whatever and it's blood is acid that is

395
00:24:18,079 --> 00:24:19,720
strong enough to like burn through metal, and you're like, oh, fuck

396
00:24:19,799 --> 00:24:23,039
me, come on, like really
this is like this too, we needed

397
00:24:23,079 --> 00:24:27,279
this, Like this seems like,
oh this seems unfair. Like that's that's

398
00:24:27,319 --> 00:24:30,279
the thought of Michael Porter Junior hitting
a bunch of threes because the Nuggets are

399
00:24:30,319 --> 00:24:33,920
already just like built to destroy.
And then it's like, oh cool,

400
00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:37,960
they have this other thing too that
even like makes it completely you know,

401
00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:42,119
beyond unfair, beyond overkill. That's
my Michael Porter Junior thought, I won.

402
00:24:42,559 --> 00:24:47,440
How did anyone in the history of
anything have that thought? I don't

403
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:52,839
know, so co opted it from
somebody. I do think it's very apt.

404
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,920
It makes it makes a lot of
sense here. So yeah, they're

405
00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:02,559
just like even with this, just
the Celtics are so good and I can't

406
00:25:02,599 --> 00:25:06,559
bring myself to pick against the Nuggets
when it comes to saying who's gonna win

407
00:25:06,559 --> 00:25:10,759
the title? And that's while we
recognize that they do have wild card aspects

408
00:25:11,079 --> 00:25:15,519
within their rotation, and it's just
like the trust factor for them with me

409
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,359
is is just like through the roof, it's absolutely wild. Okay, And

410
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,079
this again, I have another Nuggets
thought. I know this is the last

411
00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,240
one. So I keep hearing a
couple different podcasts have raised this when talking

412
00:25:26,279 --> 00:25:32,279
about like Jokich's MVP candidate and the
Nuggets as a whole, and it's like

413
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,400
Yokicic is great, but he has
the perfect team around him, Like those

414
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,640
four other guys are just like custom
built to be great next to him,

415
00:25:40,039 --> 00:25:44,720
And I like want to stop anyone
that says that and say, like you

416
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,599
saw those guys or most of some
of them like play with other players,

417
00:25:48,599 --> 00:25:52,720
like Jokic made them that, Like
Jokic is the one that allows Aaron Gordon

418
00:25:52,799 --> 00:25:56,400
to only do the things Aaron Gordon
is great at, and like KCP and

419
00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,759
Murray, and like he's the reason
these guys seem to fit so well.

420
00:25:59,799 --> 00:26:03,039
It's it's not that, like the
Nuggets are fortunate to have four like perfect

421
00:26:03,039 --> 00:26:08,279
co stars. It's that like Jokic
being there and his greatness is like what

422
00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:14,720
makes these other four guys seem to
fit so perfectly, like with like it's

423
00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:18,799
not an exaggeration to say you could
swap out these four and get another four

424
00:26:18,839 --> 00:26:22,799
in there of like similar general ability
and they might not be that different.

425
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,559
Like if you gave him a couple
of years together with jokicch does that make

426
00:26:25,599 --> 00:26:29,119
sense? Like I think we're Here's
it's and it's not like you're saying you're

427
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:33,319
attributing any success that they have across
their career to Yokich. It's not that

428
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:40,759
he has made their careers. He
is the single biggest optimizer of talent around

429
00:26:40,839 --> 00:26:45,279
him in the NBA. And I
don't even know that it's that close at

430
00:26:45,279 --> 00:26:48,720
this point, So okay, cool, like they've assembled the perfect supporting cast.

431
00:26:48,759 --> 00:26:52,519
It's they've assembled a very good supporting
cast, and they made you know,

432
00:26:52,519 --> 00:26:55,279
a lot of people don't necessarily like
the KCP trade. Remember people were

433
00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,839
up in arms about the Aaron Gordon
extension after they traded for him, and

434
00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,480
so like, yeah, they've like
give those guys a ton of credit for

435
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,000
figuring out how to fit in with
Yokich. That also might be one of

436
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,799
the easiest jobs in the NBA.
And you know what you've seen in Jamal

437
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:11,920
Murray without Nicole Jokic minutes, right, you understand like this team is that's

438
00:27:11,079 --> 00:27:15,160
that just makes MVP case. And
I hate when people say stuff like that

439
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,640
because you want they're diminishing what Yokic
is doing. And then you have idiots

440
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:21,440
like us who it sounds like we're
kind of diminishing what his supporting cast is

441
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:22,880
doing. And it's like, no, you know what Aaron Gordon like being

442
00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:26,759
able to fit into this role after
he had a lot more agency. Yes,

443
00:27:26,799 --> 00:27:29,839
he looked over stretched in Orlando,
but like it's hard for players who,

444
00:27:29,839 --> 00:27:32,480
by the way, are younger in
their prime. I know he got

445
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,440
paid like before the adjustments really came
in, but he's still busting his ass

446
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,119
defensively even when he doesn't have it
going offensively or is getting a ton of

447
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,079
usage there. So these I want
to make clear, these players deserve the

448
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:45,000
supporting cast around yokicch deserves all the
credit in the world. But like,

449
00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,720
don't say that. There's always an
excuse with yo Kic, Like when it

450
00:27:48,759 --> 00:27:52,799
comes to it's, oh, he
can't defend, he can't win MVP before

451
00:27:52,839 --> 00:27:55,920
he won a titles, he can't
be the best player in our championship team.

452
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:57,759
And it's just like come on,
like, can we just be above

453
00:27:57,799 --> 00:28:03,319
it already? Yeah, just assume
that, like every good thing that happens

454
00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:06,640
starts with him. It's not one
hundred percent him, but like he's the

455
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,720
reason all the good stuff, like
guys look so good and and and everything

456
00:28:10,759 --> 00:28:12,720
works out like that. You hear
that? Who said that? I don't

457
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,599
want to say. I don't want
to name the podcast where I heard it.

458
00:28:17,079 --> 00:28:22,319
Let's let's move on. It was
a very popular media outlet that Bill

459
00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:26,559
Simmons. Is that just that it
wasn't him. Let's let's move on.

460
00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,240
We're not here to throw shade.
I just wanted to have a talking point.

461
00:28:30,559 --> 00:28:33,799
Uh, Golden State Warriors are next. So I think part of the

462
00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:37,720
problem, or one of the issues
I guess it's a problem, is that

463
00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:41,480
you could pick like any of like
seven players who you aren't really sure what

464
00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,359
you're going to get night tonight,
and it seems like it's important that you

465
00:28:45,359 --> 00:28:49,039
get the best version of them for
the Warriors to be really successful. But

466
00:28:49,079 --> 00:28:53,920
I think it's got to be Andrew
Wiggins. And part of that is we've

467
00:28:55,000 --> 00:29:02,039
seen how insanely valuable he can be. For one postseason, he was the

468
00:29:02,079 --> 00:29:04,880
second best player I think by many
accounts. I think I would probably agree

469
00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:11,519
with that on the last title team, and he's been pretty terrible for most

470
00:29:11,519 --> 00:29:15,279
of this year, but he'll still
get you with some flashes. Really good

471
00:29:15,279 --> 00:29:19,599
against Luca the other night, It's
scored and defended him really well, makes

472
00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:23,920
him work like few other guys can. You just really never know which Wiggins

473
00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,200
you're gonna get. I think the
best thing you can say is that when

474
00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:32,440
he has a really like Luca level
matchup, he was good on Tatum too.

475
00:29:33,519 --> 00:29:34,960
He tends to play better, But
like, if you're telling me,

476
00:29:36,039 --> 00:29:38,920
I have to bank on Wiggins being
great, Like I just can't get there.

477
00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,799
Yeah, I think he's the right
pick. Graymond Green is still too

478
00:29:42,839 --> 00:29:45,960
high profile where it's always he gonna, you know, decide to get ejected

479
00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,799
in the first quarter or what's the
I don't even I guess you could go.

480
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,599
I mean, you could go with
Pod, You could probably go with

481
00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,640
Kaminga. You could go with if
you really wanted to. You can talk

482
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,920
yourself into Trace Jackson Davis or or
GP two. I think Klay Thompson still

483
00:30:00,119 --> 00:30:03,920
high profile here, could be Steve
Kerr for the rotation decisions that he's gonna

484
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,119
have to make. But it's it
is Andrew Wiggins because I don't know,

485
00:30:07,359 --> 00:30:11,039
like, when's the last time you
saw sort of this massive drop off from

486
00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:15,279
someone who was just the best player, the second best or third best player

487
00:30:15,319 --> 00:30:19,119
on a title contender not too long
ago. We're talking about his extension as

488
00:30:19,119 --> 00:30:23,000
if it was one of the biggest
steals that he signed for so much less,

489
00:30:23,319 --> 00:30:26,920
and then he turns into this like
sort of this pumpkin for most of

490
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,680
this year. Yeah, No,
I think he's it's gotta be. I

491
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,319
mean, he of every player we've
gone through so far, he is like

492
00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:37,720
miles beyond them in terms of unpredictability, like he's just you just really have

493
00:30:37,799 --> 00:30:41,400
no idea. All right, Uh, let's go to the Houston Rockets,

494
00:30:42,119 --> 00:30:45,920
another team, just because they've kind
of been two different teams like pre and

495
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,559
post Shingoon injury. There's a lot
of and a lot of different ways to

496
00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:56,319
go here. I think Jalen Green
is too good to be labeled the next

497
00:30:56,359 --> 00:30:59,400
Factor, or at least it has
been too good the last month plus.

498
00:31:00,119 --> 00:31:04,359
So Jabari Smith Junior feels like an
interesting pick. So what is it about

499
00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:10,480
him specifically? I think for me, it's the potential to play some small

500
00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,920
ball five or whatever you want to
call him, when him and Aman Thompson

501
00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:18,119
are like your four or five,
which is just bizarre stretch the floor,

502
00:31:18,279 --> 00:31:22,960
good defender across a couple front court
positions. Like, what is it that

503
00:31:22,039 --> 00:31:26,440
makes him the X factor? Though? I think one it's without Shangoon.

504
00:31:26,599 --> 00:31:30,559
Him playing more five is a big
deal, and he's held up really well

505
00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:33,599
defensively. I also just think he's
quietly had a really good sophomore season.

506
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,680
The counting stats won't show it,
but he's way more plug and play on

507
00:31:37,799 --> 00:31:40,240
offense. He still does like to
do things with his counters in the mid

508
00:31:40,359 --> 00:31:44,200
range, but as just a floor
spacing weapon or picking pop option or even

509
00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,440
someone who is going to set or
slip screens gets the center of the floor

510
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,960
and make reads from there. He
just feels smarter, and so he's improved,

511
00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:53,400
I would say, incrementally and basically
every area except for a three point

512
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,720
shooting, which is just up and
up and up. And also having him

513
00:31:56,759 --> 00:32:00,240
at the five is a big reason
I think why you're able to use Amen

514
00:32:00,319 --> 00:32:04,319
Thompson the way that you are right
now. And so it's a lot of

515
00:32:04,319 --> 00:32:07,200
people have kind of confounded by saying, oh, Amen Thompson's basically uses a

516
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,799
big and it's no, he's not
like Jabari Smith is the center in those

517
00:32:09,799 --> 00:32:13,680
linepes is that Amen Thompson might be
in the dunker spot, he might set

518
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,480
screens, he might do some handoffs, but like Jabari Smith Junior helps unlock

519
00:32:16,559 --> 00:32:20,759
that because it gives am and Thompson
room where he's not trying to occupy the

520
00:32:20,759 --> 00:32:24,559
same space or running into an alphahin
shangun issue. And so Jabari Smith Junior

521
00:32:24,599 --> 00:32:29,640
winds up being key just in so
many different facets to not just helping the

522
00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:36,200
defense continue to go, but just
like optimizing their their most versatile offensive lineups.

523
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:37,079
I think is the best way to
phrase it. Yeah, it's a

524
00:32:37,119 --> 00:32:42,720
pretty classic like big guy who can
hold up inside but also space. The

525
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,799
floor just opens up this like just
a bunch of options that you just can't

526
00:32:46,839 --> 00:32:51,720
get. It allows someone like Thompson
to kind of be out there with you

527
00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:53,680
know him and Shangun just it makes
it too tough with the spacing. So

528
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:58,240
if you have Smith and Thompson or
you know, anybody else, it's just

529
00:32:58,279 --> 00:33:00,480
kind of as a I don't know
what the what the right term is like

530
00:33:00,799 --> 00:33:05,839
Jokiccha's optimizer is kind of a perfect
way to put it. But like Smith

531
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:12,119
or the stretch, you know,
stretch slash rim defending a decent rim defending

532
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,240
big is kind of like the I
don't know, I don't know what I

533
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:16,559
can't think of. It opens up
your options, I guess the best way

534
00:33:16,599 --> 00:33:22,759
to put it. The Indiana Pacers
were hard for me. What about you?

535
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,359
I like this. I think this
the guy we have, which is

536
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:28,920
aaron Ne Smith, I think is
the right pick. Okay, that feel

537
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,759
a lot better. No, well, you can't really like maybe you go

538
00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,880
nem hard just because I don't know, or I guess there's some other options,

539
00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,640
like TJ McConnell could be someone that
just like Rex half of a quarter

540
00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:43,720
by picking up the pace. And
I don't know, is he too high

541
00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:47,759
profile now that he's the best isolation
scorer in Leah? Oh god, what

542
00:33:47,799 --> 00:33:52,000
was the other ridiculous McConnell's stat I
saw I was like assist rate on drives

543
00:33:52,119 --> 00:33:58,000
or something. It was just off
the charts because he always passed. Yeah,

544
00:33:58,039 --> 00:34:01,039
well we're gonna get to that and
we talk about six man. I

545
00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:06,200
think it's I think Nie Smith to
me is the right pick because and part

546
00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:07,880
of this is going back to the
beginning of the year when it was a

547
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,760
different team, but like he is
capable of guarding up a position. I

548
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:15,679
think just like his physicality and just
general intensity is really vital for a Pacers

549
00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:20,480
team that can get pushed around a
lot. And you better believe, like

550
00:34:20,559 --> 00:34:23,719
playoff opponents are definitely going to test
the Pacers from like a physicality standpoint.

551
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:29,559
Everybody from you know Halliburton up to
Miles Turner, I think are vulnerable to

552
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:31,559
just kind of getting beaten up a
little bit, and Ni Smith is just

553
00:34:31,559 --> 00:34:36,079
like not here for it. So
I think from like a. I don't

554
00:34:36,079 --> 00:34:39,199
know a demeanor standpoint as much as
anything he really is going to matter for

555
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:44,400
them. That's exclusive of like he's
a forty plus percent three point shooter that

556
00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,360
guards his ass off. I think
an honorable mention for their X factor would

557
00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:51,320
be beating teams that they're supposed to
beat, but you don't really run into

558
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:52,800
you. They're not supposed to beat
anybody in the playoffs. That gets weird.

559
00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,679
But they've just dropped like way too
many What the hell is going on

560
00:34:55,760 --> 00:35:00,000
here to the point where I did
include him, but he got the Vinyls

561
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:01,840
spot when I just filed my all
NBA stuff for Bleach Report. But I

562
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:07,079
have to find file another one and
we're going to talk about all NBA as

563
00:35:07,079 --> 00:35:09,280
of right now. I don't think
how Halburton's making all NBA for me that

564
00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,559
that's first part of the season was
special, but we've now just had like

565
00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,920
this like thirty games sample size of
just like he's had some really good before,

566
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,320
but just everything looks so off.
I don't know how much of that

567
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,920
is the injury the roster turnover mid
season, but that's just another thing like

568
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,280
Tyre's Alburn's hamstring might be the ex
fat like, Okay, yeah, no,

569
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:34,760
I think like, let me ask
you this, uh does does what

570
00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:38,800
has happened post hamstring injury like make
you any less bullish on the idea of

571
00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:43,639
Tyre's Haliburton for next year and beyond? You know what I mean? Like

572
00:35:43,679 --> 00:35:45,639
it affects is what he did this
year obviously because he was so bad for

573
00:35:45,679 --> 00:35:50,119
several weeks, but he thinks the
injury, I think, yeah, I

574
00:35:50,119 --> 00:35:53,079
think if anything, I just would
love to see him Siakham get to go

575
00:35:53,079 --> 00:35:57,360
through a training camp together, and
then the Pacers kind of now that I

576
00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:02,360
think they they understand like the stuff
that they still need on this roster and

577
00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:07,440
what might be more important and so
can they address that over the offseason.

578
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:12,360
There is some awkwardness there where it's
I think Bennett Mathern probably seated my expectations

579
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:14,840
before he got injured at with a
lot of the stuff he did this year.

580
00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:17,400
I've been when we've seen in stints
like Jarres Walker kind of, oh

581
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:21,800
he can defend wings, but can
he offensively be a three? Do you

582
00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:24,079
have enough of that going on?
They have to answer some questions, but

583
00:36:24,119 --> 00:36:28,199
I don't It has not changed how
I feel about Tyre's Albert in long term

584
00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:31,280
in the slightest and meet me either. Let's go to the Clippers here.

585
00:36:32,159 --> 00:36:36,679
We had a late change on this
one. It's gonna be the man in

586
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,719
the middle of eatsa Zubots, and
it was Terrence Man. But I think

587
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:44,719
I think we correctly have moved to
Zubats, which is like, he's your

588
00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:47,320
starting center. So maybe that gets
up against the he's too good type of

589
00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:51,239
thing, but it's got to be
him, right, because this is the

590
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:55,119
playoffs, and we know what the
questions are for kind of defensively important but

591
00:36:55,239 --> 00:37:00,440
limited big guys, right. And
look, I think we've seen them run

592
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:05,840
into some issues over the past few
weeks, specifically defensively with him in certain

593
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:10,079
matchups, and they're not really built
to navigate that well. And like the

594
00:37:10,159 --> 00:37:15,119
idea like PJ. Tunker is just
like a footnote at this point, and

595
00:37:15,159 --> 00:37:19,519
so if you're gonna run those smaller
units, it's really like Kawhi is your

596
00:37:19,599 --> 00:37:22,599
five and like a mere Coffee's on
the point. I mean, that's why

597
00:37:22,599 --> 00:37:24,320
you can make a case for Coffee
being an ex actor if you think they're

598
00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,920
gonna get to those lineups a lot. But I think the best version of

599
00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,440
them, especially because of the way
that Zubots developed chemistry with James Harden is

600
00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,400
that you want to see him on
the floor. I just feel like like

601
00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,480
there are matchups where teams will play
bigs and you might just question, well,

602
00:37:39,519 --> 00:37:43,559
how do Zubots even fair? And
it's not just a matter because when

603
00:37:43,559 --> 00:37:45,679
you go look at who they might
face in the Western Conference, it's not

604
00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:49,000
all these teams are just gonna play
without a center. But like, even

605
00:37:49,039 --> 00:37:52,880
if you went up against the Lakers
and Anthony Davis at the five, if

606
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:54,920
you like, you know, oddly, yeah, you're fine. If you

607
00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:59,599
have to face Minnesota, how do
you fare against you know, Sacramento if

608
00:37:59,639 --> 00:38:02,079
it's a bus and the way that
they've had to downsize like around some bonus.

609
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,119
Uh, So there's it feels like
there are a few teams I wouldn't

610
00:38:06,119 --> 00:38:07,760
put the kings on the top of
that lift like the Pelicans could give them

611
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:12,679
naturally, the thunder could certainly give
them matchup problems. And that's not just

612
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,679
you know, these teams might be
smaller when you're looking outside their five man

613
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:17,760
rotation. But we're not just saying
there are these teams playing without centers.

614
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:23,360
There are actually center matchup issues offensively
that can cause Zubat's problems on defense.

615
00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:27,800
I feel like though for three quarters
of this season, or maybe that's overstating

616
00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:30,559
the length of it, I didn't
think it was an issue just watching him,

617
00:38:30,559 --> 00:38:32,159
and now all of a sudden,
it feels like maybe it's a collective

618
00:38:32,199 --> 00:38:37,199
thing because their defense has been by
and large since the All Star break just

619
00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:39,360
absolute dog shit. Yeah, it's
like bottom three, I think. So

620
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:45,639
it's like everybody's everybody's unnoticed. Now
him given a shit about defending in transition

621
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,679
all year, Like that's just that's
been a thing. Well and he I

622
00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:52,119
mean, he's the last guy that's
gonna be helpful there, right, Like

623
00:38:52,159 --> 00:38:53,280
that, that's that's a shot.
It's actually probably be like when you go

624
00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:55,840
back and watch some of the frames
with how many Clippers players are out of

625
00:38:55,840 --> 00:39:00,760
it when they're getting back in transitions, probably more valuable. Well, yeah,

626
00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:04,360
there's a couple former stars that maybe
aren't getting back. All right,

627
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,519
that's that take us to the Lakers. Uh, this one has to be

628
00:39:07,599 --> 00:39:12,639
rue Hachimura shot. I was just
I was looking because because remember in the

629
00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,400
last postseason, it's like, what
is this right, what trillion percent or

630
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:19,920
something? Three point shooting in the
first round fifty two point four percent,

631
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:22,719
and it was like eleven to twenty
one. Next round against the Warriors,

632
00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:25,440
he was only five of nine,
but that's also good for fifty five point

633
00:39:25,519 --> 00:39:30,760
six percent. Then he went the
what is it, three for nine against

634
00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:35,400
the Nuggets in getting swept. Uh
But then he's shot forty two percent from

635
00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,159
three this year, So like,
if that's legit and you're gonna get the

636
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:44,679
version of Hachimura that provides like good
size as a forward, is athletic in

637
00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:46,679
ways that like not a lot of
there's not a lot of that going on

638
00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:52,400
with guys that the Lakers can actually
play, you know. Uh So shout

639
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:57,480
out to Cam Reddish. So he
he just like he does things that they

640
00:39:57,559 --> 00:40:00,280
can't get from other guys. So
I think that that, to me is

641
00:40:00,679 --> 00:40:04,280
like the key for him. I
think Austin Reeves is too high profile for

642
00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,079
this, but the stuff he does
it and I'm like, he does a

643
00:40:07,079 --> 00:40:09,039
lot of X factor stuff, but
it's so critical to like, you know,

644
00:40:09,119 --> 00:40:14,000
the kind of undersized screening or or
the cutting or even the defensive assignments

645
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,599
and now the three point shooting in
volume. But it's like, Okay,

646
00:40:15,639 --> 00:40:19,400
well, that's you know, he's
their third most important player. I think

647
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,280
you could probably make a case for
though, Gabe Vincent too, just because

648
00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:24,039
he's healthy now, and it's where
does he factor into the rotation? What

649
00:40:24,119 --> 00:40:28,079
does he end if he If he's
the Gabe Vincent that you thought you were

650
00:40:28,079 --> 00:40:31,679
signing, not really from last postseason, but like two postseasons ago, that

651
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:36,119
becomes a big deal. But Ruy's
just the right answer because the you know,

652
00:40:36,119 --> 00:40:37,079
if you want to go del or
Austin Reeves, I think they're too

653
00:40:37,119 --> 00:40:40,840
high profile for this. I would
if someone just said Gabe Vincent because he's

654
00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:44,559
barely played this year, I would
listen to it. But Ruey, even

655
00:40:44,559 --> 00:40:45,920
when you look at the you know, you mentioned the offensive stuff, like

656
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:50,400
the defensive stuff, like the assignments
he's gonna have to carry so that you

657
00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:54,000
Anthony Davis is carrying probably when you
look at I look at it in the

658
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:59,199
players who wear this many hats on
defense, I think like Anthony Davis and

659
00:40:59,199 --> 00:41:00,920
bam Adebayo my being a tier of
their own at this point, and so

660
00:41:01,039 --> 00:41:06,039
Ruby Hochmore has the ability to maybe
make life slightly easier on a D but

661
00:41:06,079 --> 00:41:08,639
also he makes it a lot easier
on Lebron too, And so I think

662
00:41:08,679 --> 00:41:12,000
he's I don't want to say he's
the only choice, but I think he's

663
00:41:12,039 --> 00:41:15,199
He's like the right one here.
Yeah, I mean d Loo is kind

664
00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:17,880
of related to think you mentioned him, but like they gave Vincent del interplay.

665
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:22,719
It's like if Delo just can't stay
on the floor defensively for whatever,

666
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,719
however many playoffs this would be in
a row, then oh my god,

667
00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:29,320
gave Vincent is important, like that
really scary position to be in. But

668
00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:31,719
yeah, I agree Dilo is kind
of too too high profile. Let's move

669
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:37,840
to the Miami Heat. Here,
we have one Terry Rosier. He of

670
00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:42,159
the He's worth a first round pick, trade deadline acquisition. It looked like

671
00:41:42,159 --> 00:41:45,519
he was worth the first round pick
against the Knicks the other night he hit

672
00:41:45,559 --> 00:41:49,239
eight threes. Yeah, so tell
me why he's the Heats X factor.

673
00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,880
I just think you look at Jimmy
Butler, maybe he will flip the switch

674
00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:54,480
because we've seen it. And I
said, I shouldn't doubt the Heat,

675
00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:59,159
but something just feels way off about
their offense. But you look at all

676
00:41:59,159 --> 00:42:01,559
the factors there. Bam has the
mid range game going. He could do

677
00:42:01,599 --> 00:42:05,159
a lot of stuff on offense,
and he is more aggressive than people give

678
00:42:05,199 --> 00:42:07,760
him credit for. You just can't
run the entire show through him. He's

679
00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:09,920
not gonna give you. Well,
I shouldn't say that you can't get that

680
00:42:10,039 --> 00:42:15,800
off the bounce creation and shot making
element from him at that perimeter level because

681
00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:19,639
he needs to be closer to the
basket there, like what he's gonna do

682
00:42:19,679 --> 00:42:22,960
with stuff off the dribble, And
then the Tyler Hero injury looms, and

683
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:27,320
if Jimmy Butler isn't getting downhill as
easy or hitting shots these difficult shots at

684
00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:30,599
the same high clips, you need
Dyren Roziers off the bounce, just three

685
00:42:30,639 --> 00:42:35,840
point shot like I'll boogie it that, boogie it down, I'll boil it

686
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,920
down to that. It's just like
you need his pull up three point shooting

687
00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:43,800
might be the single biggest swing factor
on this team right now. That doesn't

688
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:47,239
have to do with Jimmy Butler or
bam Adebayo suddenly forgetting how to master every

689
00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:51,840
single defensive covers known to man.
Yeah, well, like on the theory

690
00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,519
that it always used to be Tyler
Hero, and the question would be like,

691
00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:58,719
because oh my god, the Heat
needs someone to create offense, like

692
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,480
someone besides Butler, but like it's
got to be hero, but is he

693
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:04,920
gonna be good enough defensively to stay
on the floor? Like that was.

694
00:43:05,039 --> 00:43:07,920
That was I don't know how many
couple of postseasons in a row like that

695
00:43:07,039 --> 00:43:10,159
was a huge thing we would always
talk about. And now with Rosier there,

696
00:43:10,199 --> 00:43:14,880
it's like, well, that's the
guy, Like he's the one,

697
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,159
you know, and there there aren't
nearly as many defensive questions about Rosier either,

698
00:43:17,199 --> 00:43:22,360
so it's like he's he's I mean
of non stars, Like he's way

699
00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,679
up there in just league wide postseason
importance. Because again I keep going back

700
00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:29,639
to this, but like a lot
of what goes into being an X factor

701
00:43:29,679 --> 00:43:32,159
is can you do a thing that
the team is otherwise probably not gonna get

702
00:43:32,559 --> 00:43:36,679
from from somebody else, And I
think Rosier like ticks that box. For

703
00:43:36,719 --> 00:43:38,880
sure. They probably have other candidates
if you wanted to go with Hamai Hawks

704
00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:44,159
or Caleb Martin or deep cut it. Yeah, deep cut it, but

705
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,000
I think Rosier is the right one. Yeah, all right, that takes

706
00:43:46,039 --> 00:43:51,400
us to the Bucks. And this
was like easy to see coming from I

707
00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,559
don't know how long ago, because
we just didn't have questions about their other

708
00:43:54,639 --> 00:44:00,000
four starters. Uh, it's Jay
Crowder, and I think you could swap

709
00:44:00,159 --> 00:44:04,519
him with just like literally anyone else
that's gonna be at that wing spot that's

710
00:44:04,559 --> 00:44:10,159
gonna have to guard somebody, right
Molie Beasley. Uh. But so like

711
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:15,840
aj Green factors into that, he's
that's fine too. I just pat conake

712
00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:17,920
Crowder. It's will he be hitting
his threes? And can he give you

713
00:44:19,679 --> 00:44:24,000
the theoretical defense conception? Conceptually he
is what you need, but in practice

714
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,719
he just hasn't had it the past, I would say, like two seasons.

715
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,639
Yeah, Well, and it's and
like I guess if he's out there

716
00:44:31,679 --> 00:44:37,159
with the your you know, Jannis
Lopez, uh, Beasley or Middleton and

717
00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:42,760
Dame, I guess he's garden threes
like that's and and Crowder has been one

718
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,400
of those guys that like maybe he
was a true three like in his first

719
00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:49,119
couple of years, but the league
changed and he changed, and like that

720
00:44:49,159 --> 00:44:52,559
guy's a four, like he has
to be a four. Uh. And

721
00:44:52,559 --> 00:44:54,840
and now you're asking him to potentially
unless you want to have Middleton do it

722
00:44:55,559 --> 00:45:00,960
guard somebody like pretty threatening in a
lot of configure. So yeah, I

723
00:45:00,039 --> 00:45:04,039
think on both ends, Yeah,
is he hitting his threes is another like

724
00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:07,119
massive you know, floor spacing,
Like can we really unlock all the levels

725
00:45:07,119 --> 00:45:10,880
of this offense? Question? Who
are you? And there's so much injury

726
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:15,960
noise in here of late, but
who are you at? We know who

727
00:45:15,039 --> 00:45:20,159
your four starters or in theory are
good, Like we know who your four

728
00:45:20,159 --> 00:45:22,559
starters are gonna be if youre Milwaukee, how are you going about the fifth?

729
00:45:22,559 --> 00:45:25,800
It's been all over the place lately
because of who has missed games.

730
00:45:27,039 --> 00:45:29,920
But we know it's Middleton, we
know it's Brolo, we know it's Dame,

731
00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:31,760
we know it's Giannis. But we've
seen Malik Beasley in there. We've

732
00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:35,480
seen Jay Crowder, We've seen Patrick
Beverley. We've seen some of those guys

733
00:45:35,519 --> 00:45:39,440
start together because of the injuries.
But who are you actually starting or rolling

734
00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:44,239
with? Like who is the ideal
fifth guy to round out the lineup with

735
00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:46,599
those four in it? I think
there's just not a perfect answer. I

736
00:45:46,599 --> 00:45:51,000
mean, there you have there's a
flaw or two with every one of those

737
00:45:51,039 --> 00:45:55,039
guys. I think maybe it's Beasley
just because you're gonna get another high volume

738
00:45:55,079 --> 00:46:00,760
three point shooter, But like you
know, it's a depends on what the

739
00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:04,320
other team's gonna have out there because
I just Beasley's been trying all year.

740
00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:07,320
It's been it's been a nice narrative, but like he's just objectively not a

741
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,920
good defender. So he's it feels
like better. He's done better when it

742
00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:15,039
comes to kind of like switching off
the ball and covering these bigger guys.

743
00:46:15,039 --> 00:46:19,039
But if you need him to go
one on one with someone who has the

744
00:46:19,039 --> 00:46:22,599
ball, that's not Yeah. Well
and if Lillard, like Lillard's not going

745
00:46:22,679 --> 00:46:24,719
to guard that guy either, Like, so it's just it's tough. I

746
00:46:24,719 --> 00:46:29,679
think that growing stuff too, and
if that lingers, it's which is funny,

747
00:46:29,719 --> 00:46:30,679
it's the way we talk. I
feel like maybe the pick should have

748
00:46:30,679 --> 00:46:37,079
been Malik Beasley, but for what
you need and could then feasibly get defensively

749
00:46:37,119 --> 00:46:40,480
from who's left. It's probably Jay
Crowder, it could be Patrick Beverley,

750
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:44,519
could be a j You go so
many different directions with this, always into

751
00:46:44,559 --> 00:46:46,920
cases for other guys. Yeah,
all right, Minnesota Timberwolves are next.

752
00:46:47,199 --> 00:46:50,320
I don't want to have to say
a word on this one. I'm not

753
00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,760
going to introduce who it is.
Three Alexander Walker. I mean, you

754
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:59,440
could go if you wanted to you
could go with Karl Anthony Towns is meniscus.

755
00:47:00,119 --> 00:47:02,039
Yeah, sure, you can go
with your guy nas Reid. I

756
00:47:02,079 --> 00:47:05,880
mean, that's that's another one.
Really, I just don't want to pick

757
00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:09,760
stars, do you know what I
mean? Guys Guys that deserve max contracts

758
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:15,400
are just they're out, They're not
allowed. Uh, Guys that are exactly

759
00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:17,960
as good as Karl Anthony Towns just
can't be considered. Oh, don't even

760
00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:21,639
throw that out there, because there
are people that actually think I love Na's

761
00:47:21,639 --> 00:47:25,119
Red, But that's somethy Towns is
different offensively. Still, Yeah, I

762
00:47:25,159 --> 00:47:28,639
mean, I don't know. I
feel like I talk about Alexander Walk all

763
00:47:28,679 --> 00:47:30,960
the time, Like, can can
bring the ball up for you, is

764
00:47:30,039 --> 00:47:34,559
awesome on ball defender, can make
some threes, play super hard. Like

765
00:47:34,599 --> 00:47:37,480
that's just you might look at some
lineups with him and Edwards as your backcourt.

766
00:47:37,519 --> 00:47:42,360
Although Conley hasn't missed a three and
like, I don't know since since

767
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,960
February, it seems like that's the
other thing about naw this season is he's

768
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:52,360
been when you're talking about wing shooters, he's been their most reliable wing shooter.

769
00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:54,960
It hasn't been Jane McDaniels and I
guess the level of difficulty on some

770
00:47:55,039 --> 00:47:58,440
of Edwards's looks. That's you know, we get into that, but like

771
00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:01,239
it's been you need someone who can
not down the set like it's Nikkexander Walker.

772
00:48:01,639 --> 00:48:07,159
Yeah, I mean I I everybody
who's ever heard thirty seconds of this

773
00:48:07,159 --> 00:48:09,719
podcast knows we we love that look. He has an all defense case.

774
00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:13,280
I don't think he's gonna I don't
think he's gonna make my team, but

775
00:48:13,679 --> 00:48:15,320
he has a case. He has
a case he needs. He would need

776
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:19,159
to have played more twenty three and
a half minutes ago. You are right,

777
00:48:19,159 --> 00:48:22,599
though it could be nas read because
of the volume. He'll have to

778
00:48:22,599 --> 00:48:24,639
to shoulder and then it's now because
Towns isn't there. You do have to

779
00:48:24,679 --> 00:48:29,960
get away with more one big units
featuring him. I just don't have questions

780
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:31,599
about him anymore, which is why
I couldn't bring myself, because it's what

781
00:48:31,639 --> 00:48:36,199
if nikkeilox Heender Walker doesn't shoot thirty
nine percent from three on five attempts a

782
00:48:36,239 --> 00:48:38,519
game in the playoffs, What if, you know, he does make bad

783
00:48:38,559 --> 00:48:42,280
decisions kind of in traffic when he
has the ball and he's bringing it up

784
00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:44,920
the defense will be there. I
think that that's not something that will go

785
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:47,760
away. It just I have more
questions. And this isn't to say that

786
00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:51,199
I and I was also gonna ask
you, is there a reason do you

787
00:48:51,239 --> 00:48:54,039
think that Nikila, like when we're
talking six man of the year, that

788
00:48:54,639 --> 00:49:00,199
everyone gravitates towards nas Red but not
nik Walker. As we were talking about

789
00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:05,400
it and you said he has a
defensive all defensive team case, I thought.

790
00:49:05,559 --> 00:49:07,119
I immediately flashed to my six man
ballot and I was like, oh,

791
00:49:07,199 --> 00:49:09,519
naw's not on it? What am
I doing? Why is why is

792
00:49:09,559 --> 00:49:13,519
he not on it? Just the
what year was that in Utah where it

793
00:49:13,559 --> 00:49:15,880
was like both Clarkson and Engles were
basically just so high up one of them

794
00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:17,840
wonted? I think it was was
it Ingles that year? Or was it

795
00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:22,280
I think it was Clarkson and I
I'm sure I said Ingles should have won

796
00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:24,559
it probably or was it Sloo What
was that year where they had just two

797
00:49:24,599 --> 00:49:28,960
top six man? It wasn't slow
Mo what any rate. It's one of

798
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:32,800
those situations where you probably could I
think I'm still gonna pick nas Read from

799
00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:37,760
it, but well, like I
mean, I think Read is benefiting from

800
00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:39,719
the fact that, like he's been
inserted as a starter and has been just

801
00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:44,320
as good over a larger like slice
of minutes, which is just like,

802
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,480
oh, this guy's actually a starting
caliber player. That happens who happens to

803
00:49:47,559 --> 00:49:51,519
come off the bench a bunch.
So I agree, like you have to

804
00:49:51,519 --> 00:49:53,119
pick he's got to be read.
But how do you look back you that

805
00:49:53,199 --> 00:49:58,320
Nows actually started more games for them
than NOAs Read this year. If he

806
00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:01,519
should, he should start eighty two
of them. I think they should trade

807
00:50:01,559 --> 00:50:06,079
everybody, rebuild around n kill Alexander
walker or not read it is what give

808
00:50:06,119 --> 00:50:10,679
me five to kill Alexander Walkers.
I'll play them against anybody. Was hard

809
00:50:10,719 --> 00:50:13,719
for me? Was it hard for
you? And that team being the New

810
00:50:13,840 --> 00:50:15,880
Orleans Pelicans, Well, it's hard
in the sense that I think this team

811
00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:22,639
has like not like actually has five
guys off the bench that really matter that

812
00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:27,480
could all be X factors potentially.
And that's before getting into like if you

813
00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:30,519
again we're excluding starters, like you
could say Valentunis is an X factor just

814
00:50:30,519 --> 00:50:34,679
because like can they use him,
you know, like, is he gonna

815
00:50:34,679 --> 00:50:38,360
find ways to be effective as a
post scorer and rebounder in a playoff format,

816
00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:40,880
Like I don't know, but I
think I think Trey Murphy is is

817
00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:46,480
who we're gonna go with. And
I think that's right just because he offers

818
00:50:46,599 --> 00:50:52,719
them like this, like ultra spacing, because he shoots them from so deep

819
00:50:52,800 --> 00:50:55,360
that you know, regularly in ways
that most guys, you know, most

820
00:50:55,440 --> 00:51:00,239
hype only three pont shooters just don't. And this is this is a team.

821
00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,000
If there is a team out there
that needs space more than most,

822
00:51:04,039 --> 00:51:07,559
it is the one that has Zion
Williamson playing with Valentounis like that, Like

823
00:51:07,639 --> 00:51:14,039
that's just a super valuable commodity.
So I think Murphy is the right pick

824
00:51:14,679 --> 00:51:16,519
just because of the athleticism, the
spacing, and the fact that, like

825
00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:21,880
Trey Murphy lineups kick ass like they're
good when he's on the floor, and

826
00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:24,360
he should play more if anything.
Two things. I do find it funny

827
00:51:24,360 --> 00:51:28,320
that you said we're not choosing starters, and I'm counting, like there's a

828
00:51:28,320 --> 00:51:31,280
bunch of starters that are on this
exercise. We're not shooting stars, not

829
00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:35,760
choosing stars. Let's go with that. Oh I thought you said starters.

830
00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:38,360
I apologize, but I say a
lot of things. The other thing with

831
00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:43,599
Trey Murphy too, is I don't
know that you lose something defensively going from

832
00:51:44,119 --> 00:51:46,159
Ingram to him. Maybe this year
a little bit. But Trey Murphy's had

833
00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:51,000
over the past like month or month
and a half, basically since the start,

834
00:51:51,039 --> 00:51:53,559
like he's has some wild swings when
you're looking at his shooting where it's

835
00:51:53,599 --> 00:51:55,880
like, oh, he was one
of eight from three one night, he

836
00:51:55,960 --> 00:52:00,719
was O nine in a win over
Detroit, it didn't matter there. He

837
00:52:00,840 --> 00:52:02,519
was just two or six in his
last game against Orlando. And so there's

838
00:52:02,519 --> 00:52:06,440
that the volume is there and it's
important, but there's also been this like

839
00:52:06,519 --> 00:52:09,239
weird fluctuation. And then it's what
is he going to do in the playoffs.

840
00:52:09,239 --> 00:52:12,840
We've seen him be able to handle
this, but when defenses run him

841
00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:15,519
off the line, is he gonna
be able to make plays in that regard?

842
00:52:15,039 --> 00:52:17,880
Uh? And then he's an even
bigger X factor because he's starting for

843
00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:22,159
them now because of the Brandon Ingram
injury, and so that just ups his

844
00:52:22,559 --> 00:52:27,159
X factor stock. Yeah, Okay, this one I'm excited to hear about.

845
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:34,239
We have the Knicks next up.
You have nominated Boyan Bogdanovich. I

846
00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:37,039
agree. I think it's I'll let
you talk about it. It's a little

847
00:52:37,039 --> 00:52:40,920
weird that, like the they made
this the Knicks, you talked about this

848
00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:45,079
last time they made this big trade
and Tips is just like, I'm not

849
00:52:45,079 --> 00:52:47,639
going to use these guys, and
Bogdanovic is definitely one of them. Yeah,

850
00:52:47,679 --> 00:52:52,400
I mean he's had a he's had
a he had a what was that

851
00:52:52,440 --> 00:52:54,360
against the They've lost that game,
but he was instrumental in what they were

852
00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:59,159
doing against the the Heat the other
night. And I think, look,

853
00:52:59,519 --> 00:53:01,480
he I I think you could go
Duce McBride here, just because he's playing

854
00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:05,559
so many minutes now and that just
might be the round going to burst into

855
00:53:05,559 --> 00:53:08,480
flames, like just from sheer overuse. Is that why he's an X factor?

856
00:53:08,760 --> 00:53:12,760
Well? Also the fact that you
kind of need him to like hit

857
00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,119
these off the dribble jumpers now is
like maybe a little bit unsetled, like

858
00:53:15,119 --> 00:53:19,000
if you're a Knicks fan, but
it's been fun to watch it could be

859
00:53:19,079 --> 00:53:22,840
him. But my point is Julius
Randall's now done for the season. Yeah,

860
00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:27,079
and it's sort of like, oh, okay, well what do we

861
00:53:27,159 --> 00:53:30,039
do here? And it's we can
just continue to play outside of having a

862
00:53:30,079 --> 00:53:35,239
five man a lot smaller, especially
because Ogan Andobi right now isn't healthy and

863
00:53:35,239 --> 00:53:37,079
we don't know if he's even gonna
return. I don't think he's gonna play

864
00:53:37,079 --> 00:53:40,199
again during the regular season. Will
he play in the playoffs? But like

865
00:53:40,199 --> 00:53:44,000
Boyam McDonalds, gives you size without
rebounding, of course, but you just

866
00:53:44,079 --> 00:53:49,920
need that other bankable shooter score like
Julius Randall for all his playoff struggles,

867
00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:52,960
he's just important as someone who can
generate and make shots. And so if

868
00:53:52,960 --> 00:53:57,000
he's bad, yes it hurts you, but you need him to be good.

869
00:53:57,400 --> 00:54:00,880
Now that he's not gonna play again
this year, you're in this situation

870
00:54:00,199 --> 00:54:06,719
where it's okay, we need to
pivot somewhere, and are we gonna give

871
00:54:07,920 --> 00:54:10,760
boy On Bodanovic ample opportunity to kind
of take up that mantle there? And

872
00:54:10,800 --> 00:54:15,320
I think I hope they do,
because we've seen, like in drips and

873
00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:20,000
drabs, where he's actually capable of
and like the fact that it then allows

874
00:54:20,039 --> 00:54:22,400
you just to play a little bit
bigger. I guess it doesn't give you

875
00:54:22,800 --> 00:54:25,239
like, you know, you'd rather
have ducembride defend a big I guess at

876
00:54:25,239 --> 00:54:30,239
this point on defense, But I
just I can't shake this feeling that you

877
00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:35,760
traded for Boy and Madanovich for this
exact situation where it's either you thought Julius

878
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:38,480
was gonna be like injured for the
rest of this year or just not very

879
00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:42,920
good in the playoffs and you needed
a different card to play on the offensive

880
00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:45,239
end. And I know that Deuce
can change that, you know, a

881
00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:50,400
little bit, But Bowie and Madonovitch
is the more proven guy, and so

882
00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:53,519
I think that you need to lean
on him more. I won't say more

883
00:54:53,559 --> 00:54:57,360
of it, at least more consistently. And how does that end up faring

884
00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:00,000
for you? Is just a huge
question for this team, don't you.

885
00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:02,119
I think he's someone that I think
of him as someone And tell me if

886
00:55:02,159 --> 00:55:07,079
it's this is wrong, that like, if you're giving him more minutes,

887
00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:09,719
they probably need to come from Josh
Hart in a in a playoff setting.

888
00:55:09,760 --> 00:55:13,920
And I don't think Tibbs is just
like gonna play Josh Hart as much as

889
00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:17,880
possible or certainly has, But like
Heart's a thirty percent three point shooter this

890
00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:22,280
year, we know he gets incredibly
hesitant sometimes in ways that can really gum

891
00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:25,679
up on offense, which in the
knickt case like cannot afford to be gummed

892
00:55:25,760 --> 00:55:32,039
up. So I think obviously just
just in a vacuum, Bogdanovic is shooting

893
00:55:32,119 --> 00:55:36,559
in the spacing it provides, and
like he's quietly gonna like make the right

894
00:55:36,599 --> 00:55:39,119
decision, like moving the ball along
in ways that some other knicks might not.

895
00:55:39,679 --> 00:55:45,000
But like his specific abilities would to
me seem to matter a lot more

896
00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:50,280
in the playoffs. And like what
Heart, when Heart goes is not his

897
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:52,599
best self, Like Boganovic is like
the fix for that. He's like the

898
00:55:52,679 --> 00:55:55,239
anti. You know, he's gonna
get shots up, he's gonna be aggressive,

899
00:55:55,239 --> 00:55:59,400
he's gonna move the ball quick.
Heart's gonna do all the hustle to

900
00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:02,639
re diculous rebounding, transition attacks,
all that stuff. They're really different players.

901
00:56:02,639 --> 00:56:07,000
But I can imagine a scenario where
I think it would make sense to

902
00:56:07,159 --> 00:56:12,719
just obviously trim because Boganovic's averaging nineteen
minutes a game is last five his minute

903
00:56:12,719 --> 00:56:15,559
totals have been in the teens,
Like Tims is not going to him in

904
00:56:15,599 --> 00:56:17,920
a big way still, which is
knocked down a lot of works minutes and

905
00:56:17,920 --> 00:56:21,559
give him to Boganovitch. So first
of all, there's no shortage of minutes

906
00:56:21,559 --> 00:56:23,039
that you could yank away from basically
everywhere. You could trim like two to

907
00:56:23,079 --> 00:56:25,199
three minutes off of four different players, and there you go, like,

908
00:56:25,239 --> 00:56:29,800
that's what I need to choose from
between Heart and Bride per game. But

909
00:56:30,039 --> 00:56:31,480
the way that they have used him, it makes me think that the answer

910
00:56:31,519 --> 00:56:35,440
actually should be Deuce McBride. But
I'm of the mind you traded for this

911
00:56:35,519 --> 00:56:38,760
dude for a reason. You now
know Randall isn't coming back. And in

912
00:56:38,800 --> 00:56:42,679
this way, I guess some people
might argue ogn and Obi is the X

913
00:56:42,719 --> 00:56:45,960
factor because he's injured and what's up
with that elbow. He's probably a little

914
00:56:45,960 --> 00:56:49,719
bit too high profile for this.
Do they only feel and we just clearly

915
00:56:49,719 --> 00:56:52,440
haven't seen a ton of this because
I think og Is only played and like,

916
00:56:52,559 --> 00:56:53,360
what was it? What did he
come back for? Three games?

917
00:56:53,360 --> 00:56:57,880
Four games or whatever? He's played
that since January twenty seventh. Do you

918
00:56:57,880 --> 00:57:01,760
only feel comfortable using Bogdanovic if you
have og Anobi there to cover up for

919
00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:07,280
his stuff as opposed to just having
Heart or Reduce McBride or Isaiah Hartenstein behind

920
00:57:07,280 --> 00:57:10,079
you. So like that in that
way, it's does Bugdanovich become more valuable

921
00:57:10,079 --> 00:57:15,079
to the next if og Anobi is
healthy. I I just can't. It's

922
00:57:15,119 --> 00:57:16,960
so bizarre. I want to make
it clear he has not played well enough

923
00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:21,079
to warrant a ton of minutes,
but they need to give him a longer

924
00:57:21,199 --> 00:57:24,440
leash because I really do believe that
they need what he does. Agree,

925
00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:30,280
let's move to the Thunder this one. I think again, there's the Thunder.

926
00:57:30,320 --> 00:57:32,880
Have a handful of guys that you
could point to. We've got Josh

927
00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:37,800
Giddy though, And I think,
just to start it off, it's like,

928
00:57:37,239 --> 00:57:40,400
is he gonna get guarded beyond the
three point line at all? And

929
00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:45,760
no? But will he hit the
Lately the answer has been yet, Yeah,

930
00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:49,639
can he make enough three is when
he is not guarded? Is probably

931
00:57:49,679 --> 00:57:52,559
the correct follow up question, and
it's I think what also makes them an

932
00:57:52,559 --> 00:57:55,639
interesting S factor is you could go
if you wanted to talk Case and Wallace,

933
00:57:55,920 --> 00:58:00,599
Gordon Hayward, Isaiah Joe. You
know I'm a big Isaiah Joe fan.

934
00:58:01,159 --> 00:58:04,360
What's so important is you want him
to be able to stay on the

935
00:58:04,360 --> 00:58:07,079
court because what he does is a
rebounder, even if someone who posts all

936
00:58:07,119 --> 00:58:12,199
Star break boxing out and then just
like a creative passer once he gets into

937
00:58:12,199 --> 00:58:15,000
the lane. To have that extra
and I would say the latter might be

938
00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:19,039
the most important thing that he does
to kind of have that extra layer of

939
00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:23,440
diverse, multi level, multifaceted playmaking
aside from Jay Dub and Shake Gil just

940
00:58:23,480 --> 00:58:27,679
Alexander. You need that from him. And so if you're if he's not

941
00:58:27,719 --> 00:58:29,760
gonna be able to be on the
floor, if he's not playing well,

942
00:58:30,199 --> 00:58:32,480
where do you go for that?
Because that's not Cason Wallace's game, Like

943
00:58:32,519 --> 00:58:36,679
he can do some of the good
three point shooter, can make decisions on

944
00:58:36,760 --> 00:58:38,639
drives, but he needs even more
open space on his drives than Josh Giddy

945
00:58:38,679 --> 00:58:43,360
does right now. And then it's
well, Gordon Hayward, like he's done

946
00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:45,320
some really good ball movement stuff there, but the volume just hasn't been there.

947
00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:49,320
And if he's gonna be reticent to
shoot, if he's not gonna be

948
00:58:49,639 --> 00:58:52,039
they don't need him to be super
impactful on defense. But if he's not

949
00:58:52,039 --> 00:58:54,880
going to be someone who where you
feel his size on the court, then

950
00:58:54,920 --> 00:58:59,159
it's sort of you get into these
lineups where it's Okay, we're even more

951
00:58:59,159 --> 00:59:01,719
aligned on Jadub, Shake Gil Alexander, and that's just and then we're gonna

952
00:59:01,760 --> 00:59:05,559
need something from Jason Wallace or Gordon
Hayward, and that just it's a risky

953
00:59:05,599 --> 00:59:07,920
proposition, and so he might be
when you're talking about this is a household

954
00:59:08,000 --> 00:59:12,119
name, so to speak with Josh
Giddy or close to it. But it's

955
00:59:12,159 --> 00:59:14,639
the correct answer. I don't I
don't know how you make an argument for

956
00:59:14,679 --> 00:59:16,760
anyone else. I think if you
were going to it would probably be Gordon

957
00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:22,239
Hayward. But I really do think
that that kind of disconnects from the reality

958
00:59:22,239 --> 00:59:23,760
of who Gordon Hayward is at this
point. Yeah. I mean, if

959
00:59:23,800 --> 00:59:27,719
you're gonna say Gordon Hayward, then
he just be could be Aaron Wiggins.

960
00:59:27,760 --> 00:59:30,360
And and why why why is Aaron
Wiggins gonna play more than Gordon Hayward?

961
00:59:30,559 --> 00:59:34,239
You know, like that, that's
a real question. The thing I was

962
00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:37,480
thinking about with Giddy, and I
think, not to spoil it, but

963
00:59:37,480 --> 00:59:39,400
we're both gonna have Mark Dagnel very
high up on our Coach of the Year

964
00:59:39,960 --> 00:59:45,800
ballots. I wonder yourself why he's
not on yours, not in your top

965
00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:51,119
five? I w George Minutes have
been too all over the place? Is

966
00:59:51,119 --> 00:59:55,079
Mark ignot as failing? The Oklahoma
City thunder? Everything for you is through

967
00:59:55,119 --> 01:00:00,480
the Isaiah Joe Prism, why not
use Josh Giddy like h the Heat do

968
01:00:00,559 --> 01:00:05,519
this with Bam sometimes the Warriors do
this all the time with Draymond, where

969
01:00:05,519 --> 01:00:07,760
it's like he's not being guarded,
throw it to him and run at him

970
01:00:08,119 --> 01:00:12,960
as a ball handler. If you're
SGA and then a big is gonna have

971
01:00:13,000 --> 01:00:16,199
to scramble up to you know,
try to help and either you get Sga

972
01:00:16,239 --> 01:00:20,000
attacking a big or you get a
clean look. Do it with Jada.

973
01:00:20,320 --> 01:00:23,639
I think there's ways to make Giddy
like useful on offense if he's not gonna

974
01:00:23,639 --> 01:00:27,719
be guarded. But it doesn't feel
like the Thunder go to that as often

975
01:00:27,760 --> 01:00:31,440
as you see some other teams do
with their like I guess Green and Audubai

976
01:00:31,519 --> 01:00:35,360
are both just generally more important,
So you're gonna try to, like,

977
01:00:35,559 --> 01:00:37,280
you know, throw the kitchen sink
at like how do we keep them on

978
01:00:37,320 --> 01:00:40,800
the floor. But you know,
there's ways, there's ways to get you

979
01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:45,199
know, value offensively out of Giddy
beyond his passing. I think who would

980
01:00:45,199 --> 01:00:49,800
you pick if it wasn't is he
Kendrick Williams. I think that might be

981
01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:52,960
my choice. I mean, it
might be Joe for me not to steal

982
01:00:52,960 --> 01:00:55,960
it not to not to get on
your corner, but like, I can

983
01:00:57,000 --> 01:01:01,719
see a scenario where Giddy's not hacking
it and maybe you're getting two guys on

984
01:01:02,360 --> 01:01:05,840
SGA getting it out of his hands, or you're putting your you know,

985
01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:08,360
you're you're forcing whoever's on the ball
to get off it. And then I

986
01:01:08,400 --> 01:01:12,840
would love for Isaiah Joe to be
the guy spacing that's just gonna get some

987
01:01:12,920 --> 01:01:15,159
clean looks and could change a series
just by making a bunch of threes.

988
01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:22,639
Take don't knows we do we want
to be magic. Now I'm surprised.

989
01:01:22,880 --> 01:01:27,440
I actually wonder if we do disagree. I have Jalen Suggs and I kind

990
01:01:27,440 --> 01:01:30,599
of made you like we the consensus
was, will go with Jalen Suggs here.

991
01:01:31,039 --> 01:01:34,960
Uh, I am a little bit
surprised that you didn't want joshthan Isaac,

992
01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:37,639
though, I mean I put his
name up there just because I mean,

993
01:01:37,639 --> 01:01:40,719
it's hard to say someone's an X
factor if they're gonna play like fourteen

994
01:01:40,719 --> 01:01:47,079
minutes in every game. But I
think Suggs is the theory of Suggs,

995
01:01:47,199 --> 01:01:52,119
just like he's gonna be the best
defensive guard and probably any series he appears

996
01:01:52,119 --> 01:01:55,199
in is he gonna do enough,
and he's gonna make open shots too.

997
01:01:55,239 --> 01:01:59,840
I think I wonder if if if
you have him here because you're not sure

998
01:02:00,079 --> 01:02:02,360
is he gonna play make enough?
Is he gonna do enough of the other

999
01:02:02,599 --> 01:02:06,880
you know, offensive guard stuff that
he's not that great at to kind of

1000
01:02:07,360 --> 01:02:09,559
you know, not be a liability
in some sense offensively. Yeah, It's

1001
01:02:09,840 --> 01:02:13,920
look, is the three point are
going to continue to fall in the playoffs?

1002
01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:15,039
Is he gonna you know, because
they're having lineups where he is,

1003
01:02:15,119 --> 01:02:19,039
Yes, you have Franz Wagner,
you have Babo Bancaro, but they've relied

1004
01:02:19,079 --> 01:02:22,440
on him for playmaking. Is that
going to translate to the playoffs? The

1005
01:02:22,480 --> 01:02:24,400
defense is just we know what that's
gonna be. He's he's a first team

1006
01:02:24,440 --> 01:02:28,199
All defense candidate. Yeah, I'm
sure a lot of people don't have him

1007
01:02:28,199 --> 01:02:30,400
on their teams because he is that
level of defender and that will translate.

1008
01:02:31,119 --> 01:02:35,400
But what can he do as a
score, a flour spacer, a passer.

1009
01:02:35,920 --> 01:02:38,440
They need that, Like they do
a good job of optimizing their spacing,

1010
01:02:38,679 --> 01:02:43,119
they just don't have the threats to
then maximize what they've already optimized on

1011
01:02:43,159 --> 01:02:45,079
top of that. And just look
the shooting is even more important with whatever

1012
01:02:45,079 --> 01:02:50,400
the hell is going on with Franz
Agner this year, right, So yeah,

1013
01:02:50,480 --> 01:02:52,360
I think I think you could.
Isaac is a fair case even Cole

1014
01:02:52,400 --> 01:02:58,119
Anthony though, like just to have
the the other driving off the dribble shot

1015
01:02:58,199 --> 01:03:00,400
making element that And so if you
wanted to go that route, if you're

1016
01:03:00,400 --> 01:03:04,039
really just affirm believe that Jalen Sugs
is too good to be an X factor

1017
01:03:04,039 --> 01:03:07,199
at this point, I'll listen to
you. Jalen Suggs deserves some MIP love

1018
01:03:07,280 --> 01:03:10,639
quite frankly, so, but I
think he's just we know what he's gonna

1019
01:03:10,679 --> 01:03:14,800
do on defense, and we right
now we know what he gives you on

1020
01:03:14,880 --> 01:03:19,000
offense. But does that translate to
the playoffs? Yeah? Right? I

1021
01:03:19,039 --> 01:03:24,320
think I mean, you know what
he's gonna be sort of what what playoff

1022
01:03:25,159 --> 01:03:29,199
defenses are going to ask him to
do, And it's just like can he

1023
01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:31,920
do it? Because because until this
year, if Jalen Suggs was forced to

1024
01:03:31,920 --> 01:03:35,320
do almost anything on offense, he
was not going to be up to the

1025
01:03:35,360 --> 01:03:38,760
task. And the forty percent three
point shooting, you know, that's it's

1026
01:03:38,800 --> 01:03:43,599
awesome. I think it totally changes
his career outlook. Is that going to

1027
01:03:43,639 --> 01:03:45,280
hold up? And if it doesn't, then like Orlando's just not going to

1028
01:03:45,320 --> 01:03:50,119
score. Orlando probably isn't gonna score
enough anyway. But that defense is so

1029
01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:53,960
good that like the bar is low
for how how much offensive production they need

1030
01:03:54,000 --> 01:03:59,000
to like you maybe win around or
you know, threaten somebody in the second

1031
01:03:59,079 --> 01:04:02,480
right, that would bring us to
the Phildo. He's only six Ers,

1032
01:04:02,480 --> 01:04:08,000
And if I'm if I'm not mistaken, is this the first injured player we

1033
01:04:08,159 --> 01:04:11,880
have on the list? I think
officially we've referenced a few, but I

1034
01:04:11,880 --> 01:04:16,000
think this is this is the first
actual nominee. Yeah, De'anthony Melton just

1035
01:04:16,440 --> 01:04:21,800
I don't see how the Sixers come
anywhere close to defending at their peak without

1036
01:04:21,880 --> 01:04:25,679
him, and that makes him the
X factor. And then Kenny be in

1037
01:04:25,719 --> 01:04:29,320
these lineups where maybe you're a little
smaller, or is he gonna hit enough

1038
01:04:29,320 --> 01:04:31,360
of his own jumpers if they don't
want to use Buddy healed because he's had

1039
01:04:31,639 --> 01:04:35,639
an awkward stint in Philly, we
have to let's extrapolate that sample with Joel

1040
01:04:35,639 --> 01:04:40,239
Embiid and Tyre SPACKX together rather than
just one or the other. If you

1041
01:04:40,280 --> 01:04:44,039
want to go with Joel Embiid's knee. That's fine if you'd like, if

1042
01:04:44,079 --> 01:04:46,320
you wanted to play that card and
just because and I would allow it just

1043
01:04:46,360 --> 01:04:50,960
because of how choppy Joel Embiid has
been in the playoffs, in large part

1044
01:04:50,960 --> 01:04:54,599
because he's been banged up a lot
of the time. But he has not

1045
01:04:54,679 --> 01:04:58,480
been the most efficient postseason player by
any stretch. But it's fucking Joel Embiid.

1046
01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:00,960
He was the favorite to win MVP
before say he can't be an X

1047
01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:03,920
factor. Yeah, right. I
think Melton Melton is the right pick just

1048
01:05:03,960 --> 01:05:08,760
because I was watching some of the
Sixers against the Heat tonight and it's just

1049
01:05:09,440 --> 01:05:12,679
if he's not going to be out
there, one you're asking Maxi to guard

1050
01:05:12,679 --> 01:05:16,719
somebody threatening. Two you're really asking
Nick Batoum probably to play and do more

1051
01:05:16,760 --> 01:05:19,760
than he's capable of anymore. Or
you're asking Kelly Ubre to be like a

1052
01:05:19,800 --> 01:05:26,280
responsible basketball player on defense for a
good stretching Like that's just that's a lot.

1053
01:05:26,400 --> 01:05:30,000
So Melton, I think is again
going back to like if you're not

1054
01:05:30,079 --> 01:05:33,760
getting if he's not providing it,
you're not getting like the really capable,

1055
01:05:34,079 --> 01:05:40,800
like I trust this guy to like
Recavoc defensive wing. So yeah, I

1056
01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:44,519
think that makes sense. I would
say, like it hasn't. We haven't

1057
01:05:44,519 --> 01:05:46,559
seen it really at all yet,
But I don't know, Buddy, healed

1058
01:05:46,599 --> 01:05:50,239
like running around spacing the floor like
in theory that was always such an appealing

1059
01:05:50,320 --> 01:05:55,840
thing with embiid commanding everyone to come
to the elbow basically like healed, I

1060
01:05:55,840 --> 01:06:00,440
think is someone that it should should
be, Like, oh my god,

1061
01:06:00,480 --> 01:06:02,440
how do we stop this because we
we have to chase him everywhere and we

1062
01:06:02,480 --> 01:06:05,199
also have to devote all his attention
to embiad in the middle of the floor.

1063
01:06:05,400 --> 01:06:09,679
There's there's something there in theory,
but in practice we just haven't had

1064
01:06:09,719 --> 01:06:12,800
the opportunity to kind of road test
it. But that's another one I would

1065
01:06:12,800 --> 01:06:15,000
I would at least, like,
you know, throw out there as a

1066
01:06:15,079 --> 01:06:17,519
mention. There's also I mean,
so if we we don't know when Danthony

1067
01:06:17,559 --> 01:06:21,960
Melton is coming back from his back
stuff, dealing with a knee injury right

1068
01:06:21,960 --> 01:06:28,000
now, but he had been like
a functional atrocity for so long. He

1069
01:06:28,079 --> 01:06:30,800
was playing a little bit better before
he ended up missing I think it was

1070
01:06:30,840 --> 01:06:34,960
Thursday's game against Miami, but like
that would be an X factor. And

1071
01:06:35,000 --> 01:06:40,280
then if you're gonna deal with this
injury to Danty Melton long term, I

1072
01:06:40,360 --> 01:06:45,880
really think that would severely or significantly, excuse me, increase the importance of

1073
01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:49,079
Okay, well, what can we
get from Nicholas Patum at both ends?

1074
01:06:49,079 --> 01:06:53,559
How many minutes can he play the
scope of his defensive assignments? Should Melton

1075
01:06:53,599 --> 01:06:56,519
not be on there, there are
no shortage of options for the Sixers outside

1076
01:06:56,559 --> 01:06:59,960
of their two best guys. Yeah, speak that says a lot. Let's

1077
01:06:59,960 --> 01:07:03,639
go to Phoenix. This was hard. We we rapped about this a lot

1078
01:07:03,679 --> 01:07:06,320
before. Cleveland and Phoenix were the
teams that we kind of spent the most

1079
01:07:06,360 --> 01:07:12,199
time going back and forth on beforehand
we landed on Royce O'Neil. If I

1080
01:07:12,280 --> 01:07:16,559
recall correctly, I mean it's and
like you know, we went back and

1081
01:07:16,599 --> 01:07:19,360
forth on it, but I I
think we should feel pretty good about it,

1082
01:07:19,440 --> 01:07:23,760
just because, like you know,
just to pull the curtain back,

1083
01:07:23,840 --> 01:07:27,440
like Thaddeus Ung Young was an option, Grayson Allen was an option like that

1084
01:07:27,599 --> 01:07:30,239
Young just might not play. Even
though the idea of him as a change

1085
01:07:30,280 --> 01:07:32,960
up to the conventional bigs is kind
of intriguing, and Grayson Allen is just

1086
01:07:33,000 --> 01:07:35,480
like, is he gonna make a
ton of threes or not, Like I

1087
01:07:35,480 --> 01:07:39,840
think he'll be guarded the same way. So what's what's the Royce O'Neil case

1088
01:07:39,880 --> 01:07:43,480
here? As the X factor pick
the Royce O'Neil case is you can make

1089
01:07:43,519 --> 01:07:45,400
the same is he gonna hit enough
threes? But it's look at what he's

1090
01:07:45,400 --> 01:07:48,199
going to have to do on defense
because they don't have anyone else to do

1091
01:07:48,280 --> 01:07:51,239
it on the wings consisting. I
mean no, I shouldn't say that.

1092
01:07:51,360 --> 01:07:57,199
They might have other guys, but
they don't want to on the like Royce

1093
01:07:57,199 --> 01:08:00,719
O'Neill needs to do it because he's
the guy that could also give you some

1094
01:08:00,800 --> 01:08:04,000
semblance of offense there. And when
you're looking at some of these teams that

1095
01:08:04,000 --> 01:08:06,840
they're gonna have to go up against, you know or not that they have

1096
01:08:06,920 --> 01:08:09,800
to, but if they match up, if it's they go up against the

1097
01:08:09,840 --> 01:08:12,679
Clippers, if they even go I
mean any team, just they go up

1098
01:08:12,679 --> 01:08:15,479
against the Nuggets, like he just
might see an extensive run at Jamal Murray.

1099
01:08:15,520 --> 01:08:17,760
I'm not even talking wings at that
point. You'll see time against MPG

1100
01:08:17,920 --> 01:08:21,520
or maybe KCP, but it'll also
see time against Jamal Murray. So you

1101
01:08:21,680 --> 01:08:25,760
just name the matchup they're gonna have
and he is invariably gonna have to cover

1102
01:08:25,840 --> 01:08:29,520
one of the two best players on
the other side of it, and there's

1103
01:08:29,560 --> 01:08:32,840
just no you have other options to
do it. Those other options are just

1104
01:08:32,960 --> 01:08:36,680
I mean, am I just saying
things about Josha Kogi right now, like

1105
01:08:36,720 --> 01:08:43,159
indirectly, so it's not gonna give
you nearly as much in theory or doesn't

1106
01:08:43,199 --> 01:08:45,520
have as high as ceiling on the
offensive end. So I think it kind

1107
01:08:45,520 --> 01:08:48,520
of has to be Royce Onneil.
I would if you told me Frank Vogel

1108
01:08:48,680 --> 01:08:53,359
was gonna use Stadius Young as the
change up, but he's been reluctant to

1109
01:08:53,359 --> 01:08:56,000
do that at points, and then
you get into well could it be bull

1110
01:08:56,039 --> 01:08:58,960
bull? Then could be you benks, just because if he's actually gonna get

1111
01:08:58,960 --> 01:09:01,359
minutes he said Kevin Durant at the
five lineups, I know Kevin Durant is

1112
01:09:01,359 --> 01:09:04,800
two by profile. There's a bunch
of different ways you can go, but

1113
01:09:04,960 --> 01:09:11,000
just in terms of what we know, the Suns have to lean on Royce

1114
01:09:11,039 --> 01:09:13,800
O'Neil just feels like a constant.
I think it would have to. I

1115
01:09:13,800 --> 01:09:15,399
originally had that he is young,
but I think the two right answers would

1116
01:09:15,399 --> 01:09:18,880
be Royce O'Neil or Grayson Allen because
you kind of had relied on Grayson Allen

1117
01:09:18,920 --> 01:09:23,319
to do some like pretty heavy lifting
relative to what he's done in the past.

1118
01:09:23,319 --> 01:09:26,000
Defensively too. You know you said
his name, but you know,

1119
01:09:26,279 --> 01:09:29,479
you know how I wish it was
is Josha Kogi because I wish what we

1120
01:09:29,479 --> 01:09:31,600
were talking about is like, oh
my god, he shot thirty seven percent

1121
01:09:31,640 --> 01:09:34,760
from three this year on like you
know, three or four attempts a game.

1122
01:09:35,199 --> 01:09:40,159
His defense is so disruptive and his
offensive rebounding is so valuable. Is

1123
01:09:40,199 --> 01:09:43,720
he gonna be able to sustain that
shooting? Like I really wish that we

1124
01:09:43,760 --> 01:09:45,720
could that Josha Kogy was the pick, But he's just not. He's just

1125
01:09:45,720 --> 01:09:49,039
not gonna play. He's not gonna
make enough shots to be it hasn't hasn't

1126
01:09:49,039 --> 01:09:53,479
played very much, and I don't
think getting into the playoffs, where every

1127
01:09:53,479 --> 01:09:58,239
weakness gets magnified, gives him good
odds of seeing more playing time. I

1128
01:09:58,279 --> 01:10:02,520
will say sometimes it feels like among
postseason teams, could the Suns in theory

1129
01:10:02,680 --> 01:10:08,359
have like the most unpredictable rotation on
a night to night basis, like throw

1130
01:10:08,359 --> 01:10:11,000
out the health stuff. I'm trying
to think of what other team. I

1131
01:10:11,000 --> 01:10:14,239
mean, they're on the screen right
now, so what other team falls in.

1132
01:10:14,359 --> 01:10:16,439
I could see Cleveland a little bit, but that might be more health

1133
01:10:16,479 --> 01:10:20,600
related. Dallas has thrown some change
ups. Miami will just try shit,

1134
01:10:21,279 --> 01:10:25,359
but like not by design. So
when you're talking about a team that not

1135
01:10:25,399 --> 01:10:28,399
by design, that rotation just might
be all over the place. I think

1136
01:10:28,399 --> 01:10:30,920
it's Phoenix. I think that's right. I mean, you got I would

1137
01:10:30,920 --> 01:10:32,840
throw the Warriors out there. They've
gone through it. That's really different.

1138
01:10:33,199 --> 01:10:38,079
A bunch of different iterations, like
is Moses Moody gonna play thirty minutes or

1139
01:10:38,199 --> 01:10:41,039
zero? Who knows? I think
Steve Kerr thinks that's a feature, not

1140
01:10:41,119 --> 01:10:44,560
a bug. Though it's I think
Steve Kerr wishes he had eight guys that

1141
01:10:44,600 --> 01:10:48,279
had clearly established themselves, although he
I mean, we're not talking about the

1142
01:10:48,279 --> 01:10:51,079
Warriors, but like he's got a
hand in the fact that, like certain

1143
01:10:51,119 --> 01:10:54,960
guys just haven't had the chance to
do it or didn't get the chance soon

1144
01:10:55,079 --> 01:10:57,199
enough. But yeah, that's yeah, I think, I know. I

1145
01:10:57,199 --> 01:10:59,960
think I take your point though.
The Suns, it's just like we got

1146
01:11:00,079 --> 01:11:02,039
three guys, we got Nurgic at
center. Although Nurkic is someone that like,

1147
01:11:02,079 --> 01:11:05,079
who knows how that's gonna go against
certain matchups, right, Like they're

1148
01:11:05,640 --> 01:11:09,520
probably better than Drew you Banks,
but probably well, that's true, we

1149
01:11:09,560 --> 01:11:13,680
do know that. That's all we
know. The Kings are next and last

1150
01:11:14,399 --> 01:11:16,319
alphabetically. Here we did it.
We made it all the way through without

1151
01:11:16,359 --> 01:11:21,279
messing up. This is like a
no brainer to me, right, Like

1152
01:11:21,399 --> 01:11:26,079
I think, And it might have
been. That might have been the case

1153
01:11:26,479 --> 01:11:30,119
before Malik Monk and Kevin Herder both
got hurt, but it's really the case

1154
01:11:30,199 --> 01:11:33,880
now. It's Kean Ellis unless you
really think that it needs to be Davion

1155
01:11:34,000 --> 01:11:38,159
Mitchell or think, well, I
will say you could make a case for

1156
01:11:38,279 --> 01:11:42,600
Keegan Murray because of how important he
already was defensively. Now he's even more

1157
01:11:42,640 --> 01:11:46,680
important just defensively, but also offensively
as well, because now you don't have

1158
01:11:46,760 --> 01:11:51,600
Malik's driving and playmaking, and you
don't have the idea of Kevin Herder's motion

1159
01:11:51,720 --> 01:11:55,840
shooting and kind of stuff he could
do off the dribble, and so you

1160
01:11:55,920 --> 01:11:59,640
almost need like Keegan Murray to function. Is three different play like three different

1161
01:11:59,720 --> 01:12:04,000
archits types of players rolled into one. It's too much. I mean and

1162
01:12:04,119 --> 01:12:08,359
Murray might be might be pretty close
to I guess we use Derek White,

1163
01:12:08,399 --> 01:12:11,159
so like Murray's not as good as
Derek White, so we could we don't

1164
01:12:11,159 --> 01:12:13,880
need to rule him out for that
reason. But like I think Murray was

1165
01:12:13,920 --> 01:12:17,039
going to be just critical no matter
what. But Kean Ellis is someone like

1166
01:12:17,079 --> 01:12:21,920
one nobody on planet Earth knew he
was in the league at all last year,

1167
01:12:23,039 --> 01:12:26,359
Like he played a few games,
sixteen games, it was mostly a

1168
01:12:26,439 --> 01:12:29,880
G league guy. I mean,
if you start starting this season, nobody

1169
01:12:29,880 --> 01:12:32,880
outside Sacramento knew who this guy was. And now it's just like, well,

1170
01:12:32,920 --> 01:12:40,640
we need you to basically be our
starting two and probably also do all

1171
01:12:40,680 --> 01:12:43,920
the Davion Mitchell stuff because we can't
play him in the postseason. So it's

1172
01:12:43,960 --> 01:12:47,000
just like I mean, and look, I think I don't think Ellis.

1173
01:12:47,079 --> 01:12:50,880
There aren't many guys that are as
tough on the ball against point guards as

1174
01:12:50,920 --> 01:12:55,359
Mitchell is. But Ellis is capable, I mean more than capable. And

1175
01:12:55,439 --> 01:12:59,439
he's bigger and longer, so he's
not just a one position guy, not

1176
01:12:59,479 --> 01:13:02,159
a high ball three point shooter.
But thirty nine percent is like athletic,

1177
01:13:02,279 --> 01:13:06,560
plays really hard, Like you know, he's not gonna replace what the Kings

1178
01:13:06,560 --> 01:13:11,880
have lost so recently in their backcourt. But like, he's gonna play a

1179
01:13:11,880 --> 01:13:15,640
ton and he's gonna need to play
well on both ends for them to do

1180
01:13:15,720 --> 01:13:17,359
anything. I think, Yeah,
they need him to hit his threes and

1181
01:13:17,399 --> 01:13:19,920
then defend. I mean, on
a lot of Knights, it might just

1182
01:13:19,960 --> 01:13:24,800
be I mean, depending on their
matchup. But if you're playing the Thunder,

1183
01:13:25,199 --> 01:13:29,439
if you're playing the Suns, he's
gonna be that. If you're playing

1184
01:13:29,520 --> 01:13:31,960
Dallas, well no, not that, because he's not gonna be the I

1185
01:13:31,960 --> 01:13:33,960
don't think he would be the answer
against Luke. He's gona end up on

1186
01:13:34,000 --> 01:13:36,079
Kyrie in that matter. I was
gonna say, you put him on Kyrie

1187
01:13:36,159 --> 01:13:40,239
probably because that's too much to ask
a Fox. All the Fox defensively has

1188
01:13:40,279 --> 01:13:45,119
been good, Yeah, but he's
so like I mean that really, what

1189
01:13:45,159 --> 01:13:48,279
these injuries do is put even more
on on Fox because he's gonna have to

1190
01:13:48,319 --> 01:13:51,520
guard somebody almost every night. Not
that he can't do it, but in

1191
01:13:51,520 --> 01:13:56,840
addition to his offensive responsibilities, like
John Ellis is kind of the safety in

1192
01:13:56,880 --> 01:13:59,279
that regard, because you're not gonna
Le's so as ex you're not gonna put

1193
01:13:59,319 --> 01:14:01,960
Kagan Murray on shake Gilgas Alexander you
will abstually do that. It was you're

1194
01:14:01,960 --> 01:14:05,920
not gonna put uh Keegan Murray on
Devin Booker. You're gonna do that with

1195
01:14:06,079 --> 01:14:09,880
like you're gonna have Keon Ellis do
that. Yeah, it's gonna be tough,

1196
01:14:09,880 --> 01:14:11,800
but yeah, Ellis is really gonna
matter. I think he's a good

1197
01:14:11,800 --> 01:14:14,760
player. This could really be like
a like a show out, like,

1198
01:14:14,880 --> 01:14:16,680
oh my god, this guy's gonna
be a rotation guard for a long time.

1199
01:14:16,760 --> 01:14:19,600
But we'll see. Did they Is
he gonna be a free agent this

1200
01:14:19,760 --> 01:14:21,800
year? I don't. I don't
know think actually signed to do a contract.

1201
01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:25,520
I should look at that what his
contract actually looks like. But he's

1202
01:14:26,279 --> 01:14:29,399
the converted him, I think from
a well I can't remember now we should

1203
01:14:29,399 --> 01:14:31,399
have had that. So people looking
at he's actually okay, they got lucky

1204
01:14:31,520 --> 01:14:34,800
for that. He is under contract
for two more years after this one for

1205
01:14:34,800 --> 01:14:39,800
a whopping four point three all team
control. I don't think the yeah,

1206
01:14:39,800 --> 01:14:42,119
it's a team option in the latter
year. So they have him at four

1207
01:14:42,119 --> 01:14:45,439
point four million in the next two
years. That's and looks specially right where

1208
01:14:46,079 --> 01:14:51,359
uh and just like the fact that
he is like he's their second. Is

1209
01:14:51,399 --> 01:14:55,279
he their second? He's their second
most important defender right now. You can

1210
01:14:55,359 --> 01:14:59,680
even make case he might be there
first. God, I mean Mury still

1211
01:15:00,399 --> 01:15:03,680
like tops there, but he's not
lower than second. We know, although

1212
01:15:03,680 --> 01:15:06,720
Fox a really good defender, but
again, it's just like too much to

1213
01:15:06,760 --> 01:15:11,760
ask of him to be that guy. Uh, look at us. We

1214
01:15:11,840 --> 01:15:15,439
did that under seventy five minutes for
twenty one teams. I'll take it.

1215
01:15:21,319 --> 01:15:25,640
We are onto stat padding, which
will be we'll do a couple guests of

1216
01:15:25,680 --> 01:15:30,039
players, but we have to start
here. I think just with the news

1217
01:15:30,279 --> 01:15:32,600
and we got into more of we
talked about this a little bit, but

1218
01:15:33,520 --> 01:15:40,079
the Julius Randalls season ending injury with
his shoulder, it was Chris Hanes reported

1219
01:15:40,119 --> 01:15:42,439
that he actually re injured it trying
to come back, I think while he

1220
01:15:42,520 --> 01:15:46,479
was practicing. So that's ominous and
not great. And we don't really have

1221
01:15:46,560 --> 01:15:50,039
the Knicks are opt I think the
reporting was the Knicks don't aren't worried if

1222
01:15:50,079 --> 01:15:53,880
Ojana, No, he doesn't play
the rest of the regular season. Okay,

1223
01:15:53,880 --> 01:15:57,000
cool fucking awesome. They didn't guarantee
he was gonna come back for the

1224
01:15:57,039 --> 01:16:02,720
playoffs. I'm just you know,
a few minutes on this like we need

1225
01:16:02,760 --> 01:16:05,439
to be do we do? We
need to recalibrate what the rest of the

1226
01:16:05,479 --> 01:16:10,720
season now is supposed to be for
the Knicks. They made some trades that

1227
01:16:10,920 --> 01:16:17,680
implied correctly urgency, and these injuries
they detract from it to some extent because

1228
01:16:17,720 --> 01:16:20,920
they have to. Just if you're
not gonna have Julius Randall and if you're

1229
01:16:20,960 --> 01:16:25,920
maybe not gonna have Ognobi, you
cannot. I know they're deep. I

1230
01:16:25,920 --> 01:16:30,600
just want these clear depths of non
stars in the playoffs always matters less than

1231
01:16:30,479 --> 01:16:33,680
it does, and it helps the
Knicks have these guys that they can play

1232
01:16:33,920 --> 01:16:36,479
forty plus minutes a night and they'll
be used to it. That probably also

1233
01:16:36,560 --> 01:16:41,359
increases their injury risk or them just
petering out so late in the season.

1234
01:16:42,479 --> 01:16:45,720
This is a team like what like
what I do think? I My point

1235
01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:48,760
is to throw to you, it's
probably time to re calibrate. Even if

1236
01:16:48,760 --> 01:16:51,359
you think og an Andobi's gonna come
back, because he's probably gonna be playing

1237
01:16:51,359 --> 01:16:55,000
through some pain in that elbow,
what does he look like offensively? Then

1238
01:16:55,880 --> 01:16:58,479
it never was going to be this
is the year for the Knicks. But

1239
01:16:58,560 --> 01:17:00,439
the way they acted at the trade
deay Lie specifically was, Oh, this

1240
01:17:00,520 --> 01:17:03,279
is a team that thinks that they
have a chance to make it to the

1241
01:17:03,319 --> 01:17:08,920
conference finals this season, and I
really just don't see Boston exists. So

1242
01:17:08,960 --> 01:17:12,279
that absolutely matters, of course,
but it's it's kind of like a free

1243
01:17:12,319 --> 01:17:15,840
for all after them. And I
just wouldn't have the Knicks as the second

1244
01:17:15,960 --> 01:17:18,720
most likely team now to like or
the second best team in the East.

1245
01:17:18,720 --> 01:17:21,359
And I was prepared to say that
after the trade deadline, fully healthy,

1246
01:17:21,640 --> 01:17:25,720
they could be that, like they
could get into a series with Orlando and

1247
01:17:25,800 --> 01:17:30,159
lose at this point, Oh,
oh absolutely. I think I think the

1248
01:17:30,199 --> 01:17:36,359
way I'd look at it is it's
probably a testament to how effectively the front

1249
01:17:36,359 --> 01:17:42,000
office has sort of done its transacting, because like, yeah, you know,

1250
01:17:42,119 --> 01:17:45,000
the Ananobe trade was like, let's
get better. Now you're trading two

1251
01:17:45,000 --> 01:17:50,159
young guys to get him, and
the Bogdanovic and Burks moves were like,

1252
01:17:50,199 --> 01:17:54,319
we just we want reinforcements, like
these guys aren't you know, here for

1253
01:17:54,920 --> 01:17:57,760
a good time, not a long
time, Like that's there, let's help

1254
01:17:57,800 --> 01:18:03,159
now. But nothing the Nicks did
sort of like had had like a like

1255
01:18:03,199 --> 01:18:08,920
an irrational or like I don't know, premature sense of urgency because like you're

1256
01:18:08,920 --> 01:18:13,720
gonna resign Anonobe, I mean,
I certainly assume so, like Bogdanovic is

1257
01:18:13,760 --> 01:18:16,439
not the level of you know,
in Burk's like whatever. So they didn't

1258
01:18:16,439 --> 01:18:21,399
do anything that like we're gonna give
up this like down the road like super

1259
01:18:21,479 --> 01:18:26,399
valuable chip to get way better now
and we're willing to make that sacrifice.

1260
01:18:26,439 --> 01:18:30,239
That really wasn't the tenor of their
moves. So it's like while the injuries

1261
01:18:30,319 --> 01:18:33,000
now, I think mean like this
year's kind of like you know, if

1262
01:18:33,039 --> 01:18:35,920
you hooked them all up the polygraphs, well, who knows, because Tibbs

1263
01:18:35,920 --> 01:18:40,520
probably has him believing and Jalen Brunson
I'm sure is not gonna like concede anything.

1264
01:18:40,880 --> 01:18:44,319
But it's like you should acknowledge,
like we don't have the best shot

1265
01:18:44,520 --> 01:18:48,479
this year, but I don't think
that forecloses on them being the second best

1266
01:18:48,479 --> 01:18:51,079
team in the East next year,
right, Like I think so, I

1267
01:18:51,119 --> 01:18:55,560
mean not so to answer your question, like you do have to just shift

1268
01:18:55,600 --> 01:18:59,439
how you're viewing this team now because
like, look, I mean the second

1269
01:18:59,520 --> 01:19:01,760
they play, I mean, how
long did they go without an entire starting

1270
01:19:01,800 --> 01:19:05,000
front court. It was like several
weeks, right, So it was like

1271
01:19:05,439 --> 01:19:09,079
even just just from that point,
it was like, this year is kind

1272
01:19:09,079 --> 01:19:11,720
of like, I mean, even
if you get all these guys back,

1273
01:19:12,079 --> 01:19:15,880
presumably they're going to be somewhat compromised
or whatever. And now it turns out

1274
01:19:15,880 --> 01:19:20,239
like, I don't know, you're
getting one back, maybe two if Anonobe

1275
01:19:20,399 --> 01:19:26,079
comes back, I don't know.
So yeah, it's it's a shame because

1276
01:19:26,079 --> 01:19:29,520
I think they they could have been
really interesting as a playoff team at full

1277
01:19:29,560 --> 01:19:32,520
strength. But like, I don't
think it like darkens the outlook long term,

1278
01:19:32,640 --> 01:19:36,840
do you. I mean, it
does make it a little bit harder

1279
01:19:36,880 --> 01:19:44,880
to go through the off season not
understanding how you're what was your projected starters

1280
01:19:44,920 --> 01:19:49,319
looked together when you're talking about having
an extensive sample of Julius Randall, or

1281
01:19:49,359 --> 01:19:53,720
even a sample if you still view
Mitchell Robinson as the answer to start long

1282
01:19:53,800 --> 01:19:59,720
term Randall Robinson, og Jalen Brunson, and then Dante DiVincenzo or Josh Hard

1283
01:19:59,760 --> 01:20:01,960
however you want to finagle it that
way. So I think it makes it

1284
01:20:02,000 --> 01:20:04,760
harder to go through the off season. It does. This season specifically,

1285
01:20:04,840 --> 01:20:09,800
you could tell me who that they
want a playoff round that kind of feels

1286
01:20:09,840 --> 01:20:13,640
like their ceiling, Like now,
if you're not gonna certainly, if you're

1287
01:20:13,640 --> 01:20:17,720
not gonna have ogn Randall, I
just when you're trying to scale ahead,

1288
01:20:17,760 --> 01:20:21,239
I was actually gonna ask you too, like what is well when you scale

1289
01:20:21,239 --> 01:20:26,000
ahead, it's what does this team
still need be? And like not going

1290
01:20:26,039 --> 01:20:30,800
into a second best player or someone
as good as Kalen Brunson. I guess

1291
01:20:30,880 --> 01:20:33,319
my my question there would be does
and a lot of this is gonna be

1292
01:20:33,359 --> 01:20:38,479
determined based on how the postseason actually
ends. But knowing that Julius Randall's not

1293
01:20:38,520 --> 01:20:41,680
gonna play, and I would say
knowing that O Jannobi, even if he

1294
01:20:41,720 --> 01:20:46,520
plays, it's gonna be anywhere near
even by late season standards, doesn't it

1295
01:20:46,560 --> 01:20:49,520
make it harder to then kind of
decide what, like what are we gonna

1296
01:20:49,520 --> 01:20:54,760
do? Like if if there's no
no brainer trade candidate top fifteen player in

1297
01:20:54,800 --> 01:20:57,600
the NBA that comes on the market
that makes a ton of sense, it's

1298
01:20:57,640 --> 01:20:59,840
kind of like, what do you
do do we just run it back because

1299
01:20:59,840 --> 01:21:01,760
we think we will be the second
best team in the East as currently.

1300
01:21:02,319 --> 01:21:08,680
Not having that information is just complicated. It complicated, right, because I

1301
01:21:08,720 --> 01:21:12,279
think the Randall piece is tricky.
Almost no matter what, Like we've talked

1302
01:21:12,439 --> 01:21:15,960
ad nauseum about like you know,
not either of our favorite players, but

1303
01:21:16,079 --> 01:21:18,880
like, boy, he kind of
really fits what the Knicks need as just

1304
01:21:18,880 --> 01:21:21,520
a guy who's gonna get some shots
up, and like what do you do

1305
01:21:21,600 --> 01:21:26,720
with is he a long term piece? So that complicates it. I do

1306
01:21:26,760 --> 01:21:30,600
think like they should be emboldened by
the fact that, like they did.

1307
01:21:30,079 --> 01:21:34,680
You know, when guys get hurt, sometimes they're silver linings. And in

1308
01:21:34,680 --> 01:21:39,560
this case, it's like Isaiah Hertenstein
is a starting caliber, good, awesome

1309
01:21:39,600 --> 01:21:42,119
defensive center. Like I don't know
how much he can play, but you

1310
01:21:42,199 --> 01:21:45,760
learn that, you learn Dante DiVincenzo
could be a really high volume, effective

1311
01:21:45,760 --> 01:21:47,920
three point shooter. You learn Deuce
McBride could play a ton of minutes and

1312
01:21:47,960 --> 01:21:53,479
help on both Like you did get
some information about guys that maybe you would

1313
01:21:53,520 --> 01:21:56,720
not have gotten had your whole roster
been healthy, And so that's valuable.

1314
01:21:56,960 --> 01:22:00,520
And I think if you, if
you're the Knicks and you say we're getting

1315
01:22:00,520 --> 01:22:03,000
all these guys back, we're going
to resign Ananobi and now we know that

1316
01:22:03,199 --> 01:22:06,319
guys you know, in Devincenzo and
mcbriden, Hartenstein, who are going to

1317
01:22:06,399 --> 01:22:11,159
be like our six seventh, eighth
guys are are like capable of being way

1318
01:22:11,199 --> 01:22:13,880
better than that. Maybe you do
still think you're the second best team,

1319
01:22:13,880 --> 01:22:16,399
and maybe you don't feel the urgency
to make a big move to add this

1320
01:22:16,439 --> 01:22:19,640
other star. I do think it
would be nice if Brunson didn't have to

1321
01:22:19,720 --> 01:22:25,000
just pound the ball and like create
so many shots. But but like I

1322
01:22:25,000 --> 01:22:27,199
don't know, I think there's a
way to frame it where you, as

1323
01:22:27,239 --> 01:22:30,960
the Knicks are like disappointed that the
season went this way, you know,

1324
01:22:30,800 --> 01:22:34,319
but you did kind of get some
information on guys that you wouldn't have otherwise

1325
01:22:34,319 --> 01:22:38,680
gotten that's going to be valuable and
should make you like pretty confident in some

1326
01:22:38,800 --> 01:22:43,159
ways about like the depth of your
rotation next year, if not necessarily like

1327
01:22:43,880 --> 01:22:46,680
you know, you're what do we
what where's our what's the piece that we

1328
01:22:46,760 --> 01:22:48,960
need to like get some more top
end talent. I don't know if you

1329
01:22:49,000 --> 01:22:55,640
have that information and look the lineup
right now of I'm just curiously what their

1330
01:22:55,680 --> 01:22:58,960
offense looks like and because everything feels
like a slog right now, but they're

1331
01:22:59,359 --> 01:23:00,840
I would say they're go not necessarily
there, I would say their go to

1332
01:23:01,039 --> 01:23:05,279
unit or what's I think would remain
their go to unit even with Mitchell Robinson

1333
01:23:05,359 --> 01:23:11,439
healthy. I'm assuming no og No, Randall Hartenstein, Jalen Brunton, Deuce

1334
01:23:11,520 --> 01:23:14,960
McBride, Josh Hart, and Dante
DiVincenzo. Do you know what that group

1335
01:23:15,000 --> 01:23:23,640
has as an offensive rating on the
season eight'sgession. So it's not this huge

1336
01:23:23,640 --> 01:23:27,359
sample, but it's a pretty it's
a pretty big like it's big enough,

1337
01:23:27,520 --> 01:23:30,800
like oh there's something here. They've
held their own defensively, which I guess

1338
01:23:30,800 --> 01:23:32,920
makes sense because you have Deuce,
you have Josh Hart, you have Hartenstein,

1339
01:23:32,960 --> 01:23:38,079
and then we know that both Brunton
and Devincenzo really do compete on that

1340
01:23:38,239 --> 01:23:42,520
end. But I just I'm very
curious, So that's your baseline, what

1341
01:23:42,600 --> 01:23:46,479
are the counters or the adjustments you
make in the playoffs? Then it's like,

1342
01:23:46,520 --> 01:23:49,439
okay, well you have Mitchel Robinson
healthy now, but I'm looking more

1343
01:23:49,479 --> 01:23:53,479
at the perimeter. It's how do
you fit going on Bgdonovic into that?

1344
01:23:53,600 --> 01:23:56,800
What is it? How important is
precious Atchua come the postseason? Now?

1345
01:23:56,800 --> 01:24:00,479
Does is he someone who's importance kind
of increases as if you're looking for someone

1346
01:24:00,520 --> 01:24:04,039
who can maybe spend time with a
big if it's Heartenstein. So there's just

1347
01:24:04,560 --> 01:24:09,000
they're in such an awkward spot and
their death matters. But I do think

1348
01:24:09,039 --> 01:24:12,960
this might be a case of they
are built to thrive in the regular season,

1349
01:24:13,399 --> 01:24:15,840
and while a lot of the stuff
they do on principle defensively will hold

1350
01:24:15,920 --> 01:24:20,119
up in the playoffs, I'm very
concerned about what their offense ends up looking

1351
01:24:20,199 --> 01:24:24,439
like when teams have look at what
they're already doing. A jail on Bruns

1352
01:24:24,439 --> 01:24:26,680
and it's like, if he's just
on the wing, he's seen two and

1353
01:24:26,760 --> 01:24:30,199
three bodies every single time. Now
they're just gonna have more time to even

1354
01:24:30,239 --> 01:24:32,800
game plan for him, since it's
just this set series that's such a hallmark

1355
01:24:32,840 --> 01:24:36,039
of Thibodeaux teams though, right,
Like he gets his guys to play,

1356
01:24:38,239 --> 01:24:41,560
you know, with their effort level
out of ten all the time in the

1357
01:24:41,600 --> 01:24:45,279
regular season. And I think the
Knicks are an example obviously lately it's like

1358
01:24:45,319 --> 01:24:47,199
a joke how much some of these
guys are playing, you know, and

1359
01:24:47,279 --> 01:24:50,520
how hard they're playing. But and
then like, you know, the Knicks

1360
01:24:50,520 --> 01:24:53,880
I think are probably just better prepared
a lot of the time, and that's

1361
01:24:53,920 --> 01:24:57,399
another Thibodeau thing. And in the
playoffs, like that sort of stuff evens

1362
01:24:57,399 --> 01:25:00,800
out more. And I think that's
a pretty direct high to why Tibbs postseason

1363
01:25:00,800 --> 01:25:04,960
teams have kind of not performed nearly
as well as you would have expected them

1364
01:25:05,000 --> 01:25:09,319
to based on the regular season records. But yeah, like I don't know.

1365
01:25:09,359 --> 01:25:13,279
I just we started out this conversation
talking about like, how should this

1366
01:25:13,359 --> 01:25:15,520
change how you feel about the Knicks, And it's hard for me to not

1367
01:25:15,600 --> 01:25:19,159
almost be more optimistic because like,
imagine you get everybody back next year,

1368
01:25:19,159 --> 01:25:26,039
and so then your first unit is
what Brunson, Randall, Annobie, I

1369
01:25:26,079 --> 01:25:28,560
don't know, it's McBride at the
two. Is that what we're doing?

1370
01:25:28,680 --> 01:25:30,720
No, we would have well,
I mean, first of all, who's

1371
01:25:30,720 --> 01:25:33,800
your starting five? Are you resigning
Isaiah Hartenstein and starting him? Are you

1372
01:25:33,800 --> 01:25:40,199
starting Mitchell Robinson? I think Evencenzo
in that, like just by by virtue

1373
01:25:40,239 --> 01:25:43,199
of having Randall and then potentially Robinson, I think, yeah, I would

1374
01:25:43,239 --> 01:25:46,199
want Devincenzo there. Yeah, okay, I mean either way, and so,

1375
01:25:46,199 --> 01:25:50,720
but then more optimistic long term about
this team. I just think in

1376
01:25:50,760 --> 01:25:55,399
the short term, oh yes,
we're We're just wrong. A lot of

1377
01:25:55,399 --> 01:25:58,399
people have gotten caught up in how
they've performed, and they've played really well,

1378
01:25:58,920 --> 01:26:01,119
I just the playoffs are gonna be
tough, and I mean that's good

1379
01:26:01,119 --> 01:26:05,239
spot to wrap this up. Is
there a team right now that they could

1380
01:26:05,239 --> 01:26:09,439
match up with in the first round
that you would guarantee that they could beat?

1381
01:26:11,159 --> 01:26:13,239
They might, look, it wouldn't
shop me if they beat Cleveland,

1382
01:26:13,520 --> 01:26:17,239
if they beat Orlando, if they
beat Miami, if they beat I mean,

1383
01:26:17,239 --> 01:26:19,039
who else is in this fucking frat? I mean I'm not gonna even

1384
01:26:19,039 --> 01:26:25,199
include like, but those are.
I could also see them losing to every

1385
01:26:25,239 --> 01:26:27,760
single one of those teams. Yeah, no, I think that's right,

1386
01:26:27,960 --> 01:26:31,319
although, like, how would you
have felt that differently if they were fully

1387
01:26:31,359 --> 01:26:35,439
healthy? Oh yeah, that I
would have picked them over everyone except for

1388
01:26:35,520 --> 01:26:40,840
Milwaukee and Boston and the way Milwaukee
plays, I might have picked them over

1389
01:26:41,399 --> 01:26:43,680
over Milwaukee. Well, yeah,
you might pick them, but you asked

1390
01:26:43,680 --> 01:26:45,560
me, like, would you guarantee
that, Like they're definitely gonna beat these

1391
01:26:45,600 --> 01:26:48,680
teams. But I'll phrase it this
way. I would if Ogi Adanobi even

1392
01:26:49,319 --> 01:26:53,960
was just healthy, I would in
floored if they didn't make it out of

1393
01:26:53,960 --> 01:26:57,920
the first round. Yeah, I
think that's that's a fair expectation. Just

1394
01:26:57,920 --> 01:27:00,520
I mean, Anonobe was just so
good, but like for that stretch when

1395
01:27:00,520 --> 01:27:06,159
he first came over and they were
so good. Yeah, no it I

1396
01:27:06,159 --> 01:27:10,600
I guess. I guess maybe what
i'd say last thing is like I don't

1397
01:27:10,640 --> 01:27:13,520
think I did get too caught up
and like, oh my god, they're

1398
01:27:13,560 --> 01:27:16,079
like they're holding it together with this
with you know, a skeleton crew at

1399
01:27:16,119 --> 01:27:20,560
this point, just because I just
assume that when the games, you know,

1400
01:27:20,760 --> 01:27:24,760
we get to the playoffs with them, it's like they just don't all

1401
01:27:24,800 --> 01:27:28,079
these guys, so many guys are
like playing more and playing over their heads.

1402
01:27:28,159 --> 01:27:30,920
And like my expectations for the Knicks, I wasn't gonna be disappointed if

1403
01:27:30,920 --> 01:27:34,319
they got bounced in the first round, I guess is the best way wouldn't

1404
01:27:34,319 --> 01:27:36,520
have It would have shocked me.
I mean, this is a team that

1405
01:27:36,520 --> 01:27:39,960
I think is set themselves up still
well for the future. You can get

1406
01:27:39,960 --> 01:27:43,800
into you know, they've played all
their best prospect hands. Does that take

1407
01:27:43,840 --> 01:27:46,000
away from their trade offers even though
they have those picks, But look now

1408
01:27:46,039 --> 01:27:50,239
they have the living embodiment of what
if Steph Curry could win Defensive Player of

1409
01:27:50,279 --> 01:27:54,880
the Year in duce McBride so and
he's not playing above his head, He's

1410
01:27:54,880 --> 01:27:59,520
playing perfectly even Keel's relative to what
our expectations were to hear. I said

1411
01:27:59,560 --> 01:28:02,439
this to some one I can't remember
the other day, Douce McBride, And

1412
01:28:02,520 --> 01:28:05,760
this is the only negative thing I'll
ever say about the players make Bride this

1413
01:28:05,800 --> 01:28:10,760
way. I thought Frankielkina was going
to be, Oh God, I can't

1414
01:28:10,760 --> 01:28:14,479
believe what you've just what has come
out of your mouth right now, frank

1415
01:28:14,520 --> 01:28:18,039
has so much time left to still
reach his potential. I was watching Frankie

1416
01:28:18,039 --> 01:28:21,960
lolkina Instagram hype videos the other day, so I'm still very much on the

1417
01:28:23,720 --> 01:28:26,800
That's the most on brand thing you've
ever said. Are you ready to do?

1418
01:28:26,840 --> 01:28:30,600
You want to do a couple of
guests of players before? I got

1419
01:28:30,680 --> 01:28:33,239
one for you? You ready?
No? But let's do this all right?

1420
01:28:33,279 --> 01:28:38,279
This from Mike Clue number one.
I was part of an all time

1421
01:28:38,399 --> 01:28:42,439
week draft class in which only two
first round picks ever made an All Star

1422
01:28:42,520 --> 01:28:45,920
Game. Only one lottery pick from
the class ever made an All Star Game.

1423
01:28:45,279 --> 01:28:53,720
Me only what is it? Andrew
Wiggins? No, I don't know.

1424
01:28:54,680 --> 01:28:56,880
Did they say an earlier year and
I just missed? You say no,

1425
01:28:57,000 --> 01:28:59,439
you don't have a year. That's
why. That's like You're never gonna

1426
01:28:59,439 --> 01:29:01,239
get it off that clue, or
I wouldn't Cluane number two. It comes

1427
01:29:01,239 --> 01:29:04,479
as no surprise that I was an
All Rookie team member, but not the

1428
01:29:04,600 --> 01:29:12,319
Rookie of the year. So good
rookie Clue three. By my third season,

1429
01:29:12,399 --> 01:29:15,600
my team was a championship contender,
and I, despite only being in

1430
01:29:15,640 --> 01:29:23,439
my early to mid twenties, was
the team's second most important player. Yeah,

1431
01:29:23,560 --> 01:29:27,119
I haven't gotten zeroed in yet.
Here. Oh here, here's one

1432
01:29:27,399 --> 01:29:31,079
clue number four. During back to
back failures in the finals, my team's

1433
01:29:31,119 --> 01:29:40,439
answer to trot alongside me changed three
times in the calendar year, lost consecutively

1434
01:29:40,680 --> 01:29:47,159
in the finals. That's helpful.
Yeah, I'm trying to think of which

1435
01:29:47,199 --> 01:29:55,640
team I was the only lottery pick
from my draft? Is it Kyrie Irving?

1436
01:29:57,119 --> 01:30:00,960
No, it is not Kyrie Irving. I'm just real this next clue

1437
01:30:01,159 --> 01:30:03,640
would you like to hear? Would
you like go ahead and give me another

1438
01:30:03,640 --> 01:30:09,079
one? Then? C five.
Alonzo Mourning and I got off to a

1439
01:30:09,119 --> 01:30:13,760
disastrous start together as teammates. He
said our team was lazy and mocked me

1440
01:30:13,800 --> 01:30:15,920
for missing time with an ankle injury. Muttering to the team after a loss,

1441
01:30:15,960 --> 01:30:19,279
my ankle, my ankle. What
I should have said was nothing,

1442
01:30:19,359 --> 01:30:23,479
but that's no fun, so and
so I instead mocked him for having life

1443
01:30:23,520 --> 01:30:26,960
threatening kidney disease, which had kept
him out of previous seasons. Side note,

1444
01:30:27,000 --> 01:30:30,119
Morning and I are now friends.
Oh man, Why why I should

1445
01:30:30,359 --> 01:30:39,560
I should know this? Tim har
Away? That's too far back. No,

1446
01:30:39,640 --> 01:30:42,800
not Tim Hardaway. Well you're like
thinking about it. I hope you

1447
01:30:42,840 --> 01:30:46,000
have answered. I was trying to
think if Hardaway would have fit the like

1448
01:30:46,119 --> 01:30:55,800
Lottery All Star earlier clues, I
should know this lottery Jamal Mashburn, No,

1449
01:30:55,880 --> 01:30:59,800
that's I like that, guess though
I did not remember the Alonso Morning.

1450
01:31:00,239 --> 01:31:01,960
I didn't remember a Lonza Morning was
a teammate of this player. I

1451
01:31:02,000 --> 01:31:09,399
don't know what that says about me. Jackary Peyton Nope, Jason Williams.

1452
01:31:09,600 --> 01:31:12,359
No that I'm just naming players that
I don't play for the heat at some

1453
01:31:12,399 --> 01:31:17,520
point longer? Can I keep going? You want another clue? Yeah?

1454
01:31:17,039 --> 01:31:21,239
Alright? Six? Uh? Okay. The year with Morning didn't work out.

1455
01:31:21,479 --> 01:31:26,439
I was traded to Denver for three
firsts, where I would be teammates

1456
01:31:26,439 --> 01:31:32,439
with Mellow and you guessed it.
Greg Freakin' Buckner traded to Denver for Was

1457
01:31:32,479 --> 01:31:41,880
it Denver for three first? That
Alan Iverson doesn't make sense here? Iverson

1458
01:31:41,920 --> 01:31:46,000
only lost one finals. I think
also I should know this based off the

1459
01:31:46,039 --> 01:31:51,239
Denver trade. Can you to back
finals and then eventually gets to Denver for

1460
01:31:51,359 --> 01:31:55,680
three first round picks? I'm trying, mellow teammates. I should know this.

1461
01:32:00,840 --> 01:32:03,760
Why don't I know this? It's
a good these are This is right

1462
01:32:03,800 --> 01:32:06,399
on the border like the clues are
good, but he's not given He's not

1463
01:32:06,399 --> 01:32:11,359
given it all to you here?
You want clue seven? Yeah, clue

1464
01:32:11,359 --> 01:32:15,239
seven. I played in Denver for
seven seasons, making the playoffs in six

1465
01:32:15,279 --> 01:32:17,720
of those seasons. Uh, only
making it out of the first round in

1466
01:32:17,800 --> 01:32:23,720
one of those years. That's not
really helpful because that's still just a mellow

1467
01:32:23,720 --> 01:32:27,680
teammate. All right, how about
this clue eight? When the NBA lockout

1468
01:32:27,760 --> 01:32:30,439
hit, I went to play in
China. I asked to be released to

1469
01:32:30,479 --> 01:32:32,920
handle family matters, but wasn't allowed
to sign with an NBA team once the

1470
01:32:32,960 --> 01:32:36,439
lockout ended. Initially, instead,
I had to wait until the Chinese league

1471
01:32:36,439 --> 01:32:41,359
season ended. I'm gonna want to
blow my brains out when I find out

1472
01:32:41,359 --> 01:32:44,680
who this is, because I should
have this all sounds so familiar and I

1473
01:32:44,720 --> 01:32:47,680
can't figure out the name. Yeah, I feel like the back to back

1474
01:32:47,760 --> 01:32:53,359
finals and the lottery stuff is like
it's far enough back that like it might

1475
01:32:53,399 --> 01:32:57,520
be outside of your like prime fandom. But now we're up to where like

1476
01:32:57,840 --> 01:33:04,079
you were, you you you will
know it. The lockout was on the

1477
01:33:04,159 --> 01:33:11,520
Nuggets. Did Al Harrington make an
All Star games in the consecutive finals?

1478
01:33:11,560 --> 01:33:14,920
Was he? I don't think he
played with the lay This next clue is

1479
01:33:14,920 --> 01:33:16,560
a doozy. I did not.
I forgot about this one. You want

1480
01:33:16,560 --> 01:33:19,800
to hear it? Hit me?
Clue nine. I did sign with the

1481
01:33:19,840 --> 01:33:24,159
pre Lob City Clippers, in which
I played forty two games. My most

1482
01:33:24,199 --> 01:33:28,199
notable moment as a Clipper actually took
place in a playoff game between the Lakers

1483
01:33:28,319 --> 01:33:31,560
and the Nuggets, as a drunk
woman stumbled onto the court asking officials in

1484
01:33:31,560 --> 01:33:34,760
security if she could meet me.
I had not been a Nugget in over

1485
01:33:34,800 --> 01:33:42,920
a year by this point. Who
is this? Why can't uh? Let's

1486
01:33:42,960 --> 01:33:46,239
see? Oh man, I'm confident
you will get it. By klue eleven,

1487
01:33:46,319 --> 01:33:50,399
the bad news is we're on CLU
ten. You're ready for CLU ten?

1488
01:33:50,760 --> 01:33:56,159
Yeah? I finished my career playing
for the Knicks and then the Bucks.

1489
01:33:57,520 --> 01:33:59,920
So now he's just rubbing it in
your face by this guy being a

1490
01:34:00,119 --> 01:34:09,600
a Nick for a minute, I
got nothing like I have nothing. You

1491
01:34:09,640 --> 01:34:12,640
almost have too many clues now.
I know the feeling where it's like you

1492
01:34:12,680 --> 01:34:14,800
can't keep it all straight. All
right, this is your last clue.

1493
01:34:15,720 --> 01:34:19,720
My kid is currently on the Sixers
and I'm part of the many father son

1494
01:34:19,840 --> 01:34:26,800
duos to have played against Lebron.
My kid is Oh my god, Kenyan

1495
01:34:26,880 --> 01:34:30,279
Martin, Oh you got it,
good job. I get that he played

1496
01:34:30,319 --> 01:34:35,520
for the Bucks. I forgot like
the morning stuff I forgot. I guess

1497
01:34:35,520 --> 01:34:39,000
he was on the heat for a
year. Yeah, that sounds right.

1498
01:34:39,079 --> 01:34:43,479
I just think of him as as
the Nets and then Denver are like the

1499
01:34:43,520 --> 01:34:46,439
two Kenyan Martin think of. Okay, so I have a couple of from

1500
01:34:46,479 --> 01:34:50,000
Austin. I'm reading one from Austin
that he claims we didn't do I could

1501
01:34:50,000 --> 01:34:55,199
have sworn that we did it.
But if we did it, Clue number

1502
01:34:55,199 --> 01:34:58,840
one. I spent several years playing
college basketball for Xavier, where I averaged

1503
01:34:58,840 --> 01:35:03,880
over fourteen points per game in my
final season. David West, no clue

1504
01:35:03,880 --> 01:35:06,479
too. I spent four years in
my NBA career with the Indiana Pacers.

1505
01:35:08,119 --> 01:35:12,760
Oh, man, are you sure
it's not David West? Okay, wait,

1506
01:35:12,880 --> 01:35:15,880
Xavier to the Pacers for four years. I don't know if I know

1507
01:35:15,920 --> 01:35:18,039
any other Xavier guys off the top
of my head. All right, go

1508
01:35:18,079 --> 01:35:21,359
ahead. Wait, I'm dying at
the explicion. So I guess we didn't

1509
01:35:21,359 --> 01:35:26,840
do this, but Austin said nobody
would ever guess redacted. But it's just

1510
01:35:26,880 --> 01:35:30,359
funny how all the clues line up
to sounding like it should be David West.

1511
01:35:30,640 --> 01:35:33,680
Yeah, they sure as he'll do
correct. Clue number three, I

1512
01:35:33,720 --> 01:35:43,159
was drafted by the Palaque. What
is this? Everybody being gas lit?

1513
01:35:43,239 --> 01:35:45,600
And it is in fact? Or
David West's actual name is like Dave or

1514
01:35:45,600 --> 01:35:56,239
something. Why do I want to
say Ramon Sessions? I don't know why,

1515
01:35:56,319 --> 01:35:59,319
But that's incorrect. What a great
guess that would have been? Clue

1516
01:35:59,399 --> 01:36:02,760
number four, career eighty one percent
free throw shooter. Okay, so wait,

1517
01:36:02,960 --> 01:36:10,039
drafted by the Pelicans out of Xavier, good free throw shooter, four

1518
01:36:10,119 --> 01:36:15,119
years with the Pacers. I really
don't think you're gonna get this one.

1519
01:36:15,159 --> 01:36:17,359
You'll get it on clue seven,
I think, But all right, let's

1520
01:36:17,439 --> 01:36:20,960
let's continue Who five. My most
recent team was the Hornets, where I

1521
01:36:20,960 --> 01:36:26,279
couldn't quite hang on as an NBA
level player and as such went to play

1522
01:36:26,319 --> 01:36:29,920
overseas. I'm gonna give you clue
number six as well. No, I

1523
01:36:29,920 --> 01:36:39,279
am not David West Hornets most recently, God is it like, I don't

1524
01:36:39,279 --> 01:36:42,920
know why, like Bryce McGowan's came
into my head. I have no idea

1525
01:36:42,960 --> 01:36:45,199
if he fits the Hornets. Okay, well, maybe that's why I was

1526
01:36:45,199 --> 01:36:50,279
trying to think of Hornets drafted by
the Hornets, not the Oh no,

1527
01:36:50,439 --> 01:36:55,640
yeah, not the Pelicans. Pelicans
to Okay, I don't I don't have

1528
01:36:55,680 --> 01:37:00,680
it. Clue seven and final clue. A notable media bit came at the

1529
01:37:00,720 --> 01:37:03,239
hands of KD throwing my name under
the bus as to why the Nets weren't

1530
01:37:03,279 --> 01:37:11,600
having the previously predicted success, and
upon that, remember his interview with Chris

1531
01:37:11,600 --> 01:37:16,560
Hanes, our colleague Chris Hanes.
Yes, oh, I can even like

1532
01:37:16,760 --> 01:37:21,359
see the I can. I don't
think I'm gonna get this. What is

1533
01:37:21,399 --> 01:37:26,520
that guy's name? I can give
you an eighth clue that I just thought

1534
01:37:26,560 --> 01:37:36,520
of. Oh yeah, please,
if you squint and listen when someone says

1535
01:37:36,520 --> 01:37:40,039
my name, it can kind of
sound like they're talking about one of the

1536
01:37:40,079 --> 01:37:47,000
four seasons. Oh uh yeah Sumner. Uh what's his first name, Edmund?

1537
01:37:47,399 --> 01:37:51,920
Yeah, Okay, God, that's
a deep cut. There's no way.

1538
01:37:53,399 --> 01:37:55,960
Maybe that's why we didn't do it
because I didn't have clue number seven

1539
01:37:56,039 --> 01:37:58,880
until this week. Like he said, Austin Tendon and there's like no way

1540
01:37:58,920 --> 01:38:01,199
based off the other clues, they
all lined up to be David West.

1541
01:38:01,199 --> 01:38:04,119
And like Edmond Sumner is such a
deep cut. That's a deep cut.

1542
01:38:04,199 --> 01:38:08,520
You know what though, respect that. I mean he was in the league

1543
01:38:08,520 --> 01:38:13,159
for what five six six years total? Like that's that's fair game. That's

1544
01:38:13,159 --> 01:38:16,159
fair game. The David West parallels
are bizarre. That's that was funny.

1545
01:38:16,239 --> 01:38:19,640
Yeah, that was great. All
Right, let's see. I'm trying to

1546
01:38:19,680 --> 01:38:23,800
think, let's do one more each
because we'll have more in the next podcast.

1547
01:38:24,279 --> 01:38:27,640
Okay, do you have one ready? I'm trying to decide. I

1548
01:38:27,720 --> 01:38:30,359
have a second one from Austin.
Actually, let me go to Rubiscalcent Trivias.

1549
01:38:30,439 --> 01:38:33,760
Let's mix it up and then I'll
go to Mike and Austin when we

1550
01:38:34,680 --> 01:38:40,600
do the next batch. Okay.
On the all time points leader board,

1551
01:38:40,720 --> 01:38:43,880
every player in the top twenty has
had at least one fifty point game.

1552
01:38:45,760 --> 01:38:49,880
John Havlichak is the highest score for
twenty first on the leaderboard to never have

1553
01:38:49,920 --> 01:38:54,560
a fifty point game. He had
twelve forty plus point games, but his

1554
01:38:54,640 --> 01:38:59,119
highest was forty three. Let's see
if Grant can name people on the leaderboard

1555
01:38:59,119 --> 01:39:04,239
who never had a few burger.
That's a really hard question. Well,

1556
01:39:04,279 --> 01:39:09,760
I'll give you clues. There's four
different spots here. So number twenty two

1557
01:39:09,800 --> 01:39:15,760
all time on the scoring leader list
twenty six, three hundred one points on

1558
01:39:15,840 --> 01:39:19,159
the leaderboard. Is this one time
MVP, one time Defensive Player of the

1559
01:39:19,199 --> 01:39:26,520
Year, one time champion and trash
talker extraordinaire who got forty four times and

1560
01:39:26,560 --> 01:39:30,600
maxed out at forty seven. Defensive
Player of the Year? Yes, Oh?

1561
01:39:30,680 --> 01:39:36,600
Is it? Kevin Garnett correct?
Okay, Number thirty four on the

1562
01:39:36,680 --> 01:39:40,720
leader board at about twenty three,
eight hundred points. I'm just gonna round

1563
01:39:40,720 --> 01:39:45,079
now, former MVP who had tons
of forty plus point games, most of

1564
01:39:45,119 --> 01:39:48,239
them for the Philadelphia seventy six ers, but never managed to score beyond forty

1565
01:39:48,279 --> 01:39:54,159
seven. His love for food is
only matched by his hatred of jump shooting

1566
01:39:54,199 --> 01:39:59,479
teams. Oh Chuck Wow, great
job. That's crazy. He never had

1567
01:39:59,520 --> 01:40:02,640
fifty never had a title either.
Do you know that that's true. I

1568
01:40:02,640 --> 01:40:06,840
do recall him averaging like forty and
thirty in a playoff series against the Warriors

1569
01:40:06,880 --> 01:40:12,439
when I was like twelve years old. That was rough number thirty seven on

1570
01:40:12,479 --> 01:40:15,920
the leader board twenty three thousand,
three hundred and thirty four points. Four

1571
01:40:15,000 --> 01:40:19,039
time Champion played third fiddle on one
of the greatest dynasties of the last fifty

1572
01:40:19,119 --> 01:40:24,119
years. His role meant that he
often had more rebounds than made field goals,

1573
01:40:24,119 --> 01:40:28,479
plus made made free throws, and
he only had one forty point game

1574
01:40:28,520 --> 01:40:31,039
in the NBA. When he retired
in nineteen ninety seven after picking up his

1575
01:40:31,039 --> 01:40:35,920
fourth ring, he had played more
seasons twenty one and more games one thousand,

1576
01:40:35,960 --> 01:40:41,399
six hundred eleven than anyone else in
NBA history. Wait a minute,

1577
01:40:41,520 --> 01:40:45,279
four time Champion retired in ninety seven. I actually did not know he retired.

1578
01:40:45,319 --> 01:40:50,880
This player retired this late. What
was the thing about the rebounds?

1579
01:40:51,359 --> 01:40:55,199
It was a fourth. His role
meant that he often had more rebounds than

1580
01:40:55,239 --> 01:40:59,800
made field goals and free throws.
It's not Robert Parrish. There's no way

1581
01:40:59,800 --> 01:41:02,039
he's that is correct, you were
three for three. Fine, I can't

1582
01:41:02,039 --> 01:41:06,239
believe he scored that much. Well, you're giving me clues that I wouldn't

1583
01:41:06,239 --> 01:41:09,760
have gotten the Parish one. I
didn't think he was around in ninety seven.

1584
01:41:10,079 --> 01:41:13,640
He was around for a really long
time. All right, Final one,

1585
01:41:13,720 --> 01:41:16,560
number forty one on the all time
scoring list twenty two hundred and eleven

1586
01:41:16,600 --> 01:41:21,159
points is the current Warrior who has
had eight forty point games, all against

1587
01:41:21,199 --> 01:41:27,000
Western Conference teams, but none higher
than forty three. He knows more obscure

1588
01:41:27,119 --> 01:41:29,680
NBA rules than you've ever heard of, and he's a dear friend of Scott

1589
01:41:29,720 --> 01:41:33,079
Forster, Foster and alternate universe.
Yeah, Chris, Paul, that was

1590
01:41:33,159 --> 01:41:35,520
I mean, you should have gotten
that one. That was actually a fun

1591
01:41:35,720 --> 01:41:39,399
I don't mean to sound surprised.
That wasn't really fun exercise. I am

1592
01:41:39,520 --> 01:41:42,960
very impressed by what you just did. There's if you didn't give me the

1593
01:41:43,039 --> 01:41:46,880
clues, there's no chance like this
even based off the clues. I don't

1594
01:41:46,920 --> 01:41:54,720
think. Maybe there were two givens
on here, Gar like Garnett and Paul

1595
01:41:54,840 --> 01:41:57,840
like for you to get Parish and
Barkley. You went four for four.

1596
01:41:58,159 --> 01:42:00,520
Well, the dumb shooting teams was
a giveaway for Barkley. I feel like

1597
01:42:00,640 --> 01:42:03,199
I think of that with him.
Okay, I'm going to give you a

1598
01:42:03,199 --> 01:42:08,239
guess a player that I'm going to
I don't think you're gonna get. I

1599
01:42:08,640 --> 01:42:11,640
would not get. Do you want
that this one? Because this one's been

1600
01:42:11,680 --> 01:42:14,600
sitting here. This is nicole Cha
Kolev. It's been sitting in here for

1601
01:42:14,640 --> 01:42:16,760
a couple of weeks. I feel
bad I haven't done it yet. Yeah,

1602
01:42:16,760 --> 01:42:19,520
I mean I already went oh for
ten, So let's let's do this.

1603
01:42:19,680 --> 01:42:23,520
Oh no, over, I got
it on cool eleven. Yeah,

1604
01:42:23,560 --> 01:42:26,039
you got it. You got it. You got it on like the clue.

1605
01:42:26,039 --> 01:42:28,640
You should have gotten it on because
that was a hard one. All

1606
01:42:28,720 --> 01:42:32,319
right. Uh this I'll just I'll
tell you, uh this is another X

1607
01:42:32,600 --> 01:42:38,079
XU player. Uh x Yugoslavian player. Just to put your mind in the

1608
01:42:38,119 --> 01:42:43,119
correct spot. Okay, number one. Shockingly, I'm a player from an

1609
01:42:43,119 --> 01:42:46,119
ex Yugoslavia country. I was part
of the three draft where I was the

1610
01:42:46,199 --> 01:42:50,039
last one of three players from my
country that got drafted in the first round.

1611
01:42:50,279 --> 01:42:54,239
While I was not the most hyped
prospect, I arguably had the best

1612
01:42:54,239 --> 01:42:59,720
career of the three. You're gonna
get better information here Clue number two,

1613
01:43:00,319 --> 01:43:02,960
A three and D wing. I
spent twelve years in the NBA. So

1614
01:43:03,000 --> 01:43:08,399
that's from three to fifteen, I
guess, playing for seven different teams.

1615
01:43:08,640 --> 01:43:12,039
I played in more than five hundred
regular season games in more than fifty playoff

1616
01:43:12,039 --> 01:43:16,439
games. Holy shit, So this
guy got That's more than I would have

1617
01:43:16,439 --> 01:43:19,640
thought. Clu three. I got
drafted by the Jazz, but I did

1618
01:43:19,680 --> 01:43:23,520
not stay there for long, but
not by choice. I was selected by

1619
01:43:23,520 --> 01:43:27,800
the Bobcats in the four expansion draft
and later got traded to the team that

1620
01:43:27,880 --> 01:43:38,199
defined my NBA career. Keep going. In the seven playoffs, I started

1621
01:43:38,239 --> 01:43:42,880
every game and route to the NBA
Finals that year, where we got swept

1622
01:43:42,920 --> 01:43:46,960
by the Spurs. I averaged over
thirty minutes and under two points. No,

1623
01:43:47,600 --> 01:43:58,479
oh my god, I almost just
is it zadrunas ogawskis no ready?

1624
01:43:58,720 --> 01:44:00,800
So he was on the Calves data
team that got swept by the Spurs.

1625
01:44:01,000 --> 01:44:06,640
That is correct, I will give
you that. It's not Anderson vera Jeaw.

1626
01:44:06,800 --> 01:44:14,359
Is it? That can't be him? Started every game? Why don't

1627
01:44:14,399 --> 01:44:16,760
I know this? I did not
remember that. That's shocking to me.

1628
01:44:17,119 --> 01:44:21,039
All right, Keep going, all
right? Clue five. The legend says

1629
01:44:21,159 --> 01:44:25,279
that I beat Lebron James in a
one on one match and I want a

1630
01:44:25,279 --> 01:44:29,399
BMW from him. On the record
statement say that I actually bought the car

1631
01:44:29,399 --> 01:44:32,720
from him. I've never heard that
before. I don't know. That's kind

1632
01:44:32,720 --> 01:44:38,960
of bait, all right, Clue
six. From nine to thirteen, I

1633
01:44:39,039 --> 01:44:43,640
bounced around five different teams before ending
my NBA career on the Portland Trailblazers.

1634
01:44:43,680 --> 01:44:45,840
After that, I played in Europe
for a few more years before retiring in

1635
01:44:45,920 --> 01:44:50,600
twenty sixteen. I still I don't
even have like a name to venture a

1636
01:44:50,680 --> 01:44:55,800
guess. Yeah, so far the
Cavs thing is really is really your best

1637
01:44:55,960 --> 01:44:59,760
way in? I told you this
is a tough one. Uh. Clue.

1638
01:45:00,279 --> 01:45:04,760
My first name is Alexander, but
that's not how I'm usually referred to,

1639
01:45:05,159 --> 01:45:14,680
similar to Alexander vyas So, like
what's what's the like shortened the nickname

1640
01:45:14,720 --> 01:45:17,920
for guys? Well, you know, like, what's Vuyasch's first name that

1641
01:45:17,960 --> 01:45:25,039
he was referred to by? Do
you remember you about Sasha that is the

1642
01:45:25,239 --> 01:45:29,439
that is the name that replaced that
is like stands in for Alexander for a

1643
01:45:29,439 --> 01:45:35,279
lot of XU guys. So you
have Sasha as the first name. Oh

1644
01:45:35,359 --> 01:45:42,239
man, I'm not Sasha on the
Calves that made the finals. You know

1645
01:45:42,439 --> 01:45:45,720
seven, no idea. It's hard, all right, you want to want

1646
01:45:45,720 --> 01:45:49,479
to hear it? Yeah, Sasha
Pavlovich. Yeah, I wouldn't have gotten

1647
01:45:49,479 --> 01:45:53,640
that one. Yeah, that's like, I know that name, I can

1648
01:45:53,720 --> 01:45:57,840
picture him, but the like other
than the Calves thing, that's that's tough.

1649
01:45:57,880 --> 01:46:01,399
But you know what, take us
out of here. Thanks, thank

1650
01:46:01,439 --> 01:46:05,760
you the culture. Thanks thanks to
Culture, Thanks Mike, Thanks rubyscal Thanks

1651
01:46:05,800 --> 01:46:11,199
everybody for listening for watchings. Don't
forget about Austin. Thanks Austin for your

1652
01:46:11,319 --> 01:46:16,439
ridiculous Edmund Sumner slash David I still
don't believe that's not David West. Uh.

1653
01:46:16,600 --> 01:46:19,880
Everybody, please rate, review,
subscribe, spread the word about this

1654
01:46:20,079 --> 01:46:24,159
podcast, tell your friends, tell
your enemies. We close, as always

1655
01:46:24,239 --> 01:46:27,239
with a shout out to the one
and only Frank Mila Keineth got to mention

1656
01:46:27,319 --> 01:46:29,399
today and an apology to Jared out