1 00:00:06,919 --> 00:00:11,080 What is krack alacing Hardwo Knocks listeners. I am Damp Valley, and I 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,839 hope that you enjoy that fancy schmancy new intro music that is perhaps still playing 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,480 at this point or just played. Shout out to Blue Wires Tie windersh for 4 00:00:19,559 --> 00:00:23,480 hooking up Hardwood Knox with that. It'll be in the outro too. You 5 00:00:23,519 --> 00:00:26,559 did not hit the wrong podcast, and if you did, we're happy that 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,160 you're here. Anyway, that was just some new intro music. I am 7 00:00:30,199 --> 00:00:35,000 not with my fantabulous Times Infinity co host Adam Fromwell. This time, we're 8 00:00:35,039 --> 00:00:39,399 continuing with our individual team. Look aheads, we are up to the Oklahoma 9 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:44,359 City Thunder. I am joined this episode by Olivia Punchall from Daily Thunder. 10 00:00:44,439 --> 00:00:48,200 She's the co host of the cross Bolt podcast over there, does a fantastic 11 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,600 job covering this team. Her second ever appearance on Hardwood Knox. So she 12 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,880 was nice enough to come back, or maybe we accidentally tricked her somehow. 13 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,200 She's a medical student, so she's smarter than that, which means at an 14 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,799 endorsement of this podcast, it's only it's sub mediocre. That's what I keeps 15 00:01:02,799 --> 00:01:07,480 saying. That is incredible it's amazing. The conversation was great. Definitely encourage 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:08,879 you to listen to the entire thing, although there will be timestamps in it, 17 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,760 as per usual. Before we get started the usual housekeeping notes, please 18 00:01:12,799 --> 00:01:15,799 remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us wherever you are getting your 19 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,359 podcasts, whether you use iTunes or not, we do still ask. If 20 00:01:19,439 --> 00:01:23,680 you have access to it, head over there. Search Hardwood knoxs on iTunes. 21 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:25,959 Just throw us that five, start rating, and write a quick review. 22 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:27,359 Both of those help us out a ton. If you have criticism, 23 00:01:27,599 --> 00:01:32,280 throw it in that review. If you have suggestions takes, we read them. 24 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,040 We'll respond to them. Two people that did this past week, shout 25 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,159 out to them. We really appreciate it. Again, it helps us out 26 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,560 a ton. If this is your first time stumbling into these parts, consider 27 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,799 throwing us that permanent subscription. Maybe you're only here for the Oklahoma City Thunder. 28 00:01:44,879 --> 00:01:46,799 We cover the league at large, and like I said, we do 29 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:51,640 a pleasantly sub mediocre job of doing it. Follow us on Twitter and addition 30 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:53,879 to subscribing and downloading all of our episodes. If we are at Hardwood Knocks, 31 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:59,159 we are also on YouTube. Search Hardwood Knocks just subscribe to us helps 32 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,599 us out there. You can follow us on Instagram at Hardwood Knox and also 33 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,920 TikTok. We've not really brought that up and running yet. I'll figure out 34 00:02:05,959 --> 00:02:08,240 a content plan for that, but that is the wild wild West for me. 35 00:02:08,319 --> 00:02:10,840 I'm not I'm not going to live. I feel washed whenever I'm on 36 00:02:10,879 --> 00:02:15,319 TikTok. But we're at Hardwood Knox on TikTok. That's enough of me yammering 37 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:20,520 on about self promotion for this podcast. Let's get to talking some Oklahoma City 38 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,120 Thunder with Daily Thunders Olivia Punchall, Olivia, thank you so much for coming 39 00:02:25,159 --> 00:02:30,360 back on the Hardwood Knox podcast to talk with me about the Oklahoma City Thunder. 40 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:35,759 First and foremost, though, how are you doing, I'm doing. 41 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,520 Wow. I'm ready for basketball to start again. I've missed it. It's 42 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:44,199 always a fun time to getting started with the season with media Day and meeting 43 00:02:44,199 --> 00:02:46,919 all the new players, so I'm looking forward to it. And covering the 44 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,520 Thunder is probably a little bit different too, because the last time you, 45 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,840 yeah, it's been the off season, but the last time Shay Gil just 46 00:02:53,879 --> 00:02:57,919 Alexander has played basketball like it's been it's been a minute. I don't even 47 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,479 know remember when his last game was. It was in and wow, is 48 00:03:00,479 --> 00:03:04,639 in March before the pad Bashia stuff started cropping up. So that's a long 49 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,639 ass time. It's sure, it's sure as Yeah, I'm excited to see 50 00:03:08,719 --> 00:03:12,400 him, to talk to him about how his off season's been and you know 51 00:03:12,439 --> 00:03:15,879 what he's been working on during the off season, because even before his injury 52 00:03:15,879 --> 00:03:20,919 he was having such a phenomenal season. I'm just hopefully he can pick up 53 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,879 right where he left off. That's the hope and the plan. Let's actually 54 00:03:23,879 --> 00:03:30,080 start with him. Okay, so his injury, is there any work like 55 00:03:30,199 --> 00:03:32,240 is he expected to be ready for the season at this point or have any 56 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,479 limitations or anything like that going in the training camp. Yeah, as far 57 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,439 as we know right now, he should be good to go for Game one. 58 00:03:42,719 --> 00:03:46,400 We have our media day in our meeting with Sam Presty tomorrow, so 59 00:03:46,479 --> 00:03:50,560 maybe he'll mention it, but as far as we know, he is ready 60 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:55,560 to go. The discourse for Shake Give the Talxander went off the rails leading 61 00:03:55,639 --> 00:04:00,560 up to the draft mostly I don't think it really had anything to do with 62 00:04:00,639 --> 00:04:02,960 the Thunder themselves, but there was just this idea with his extension coming up, 63 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,400 that maybe they would consider moving him, and if he was Bradley Beal 64 00:04:06,639 --> 00:04:10,560 and like his thirtieth birthday was on the horizon, you can get it. 65 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,840 But he's twenty three years old. He is your timeline. Do you think 66 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,160 the extension that just reflects like that's how the Thunder he was a no brainer 67 00:04:18,199 --> 00:04:20,439 Max? But do you think the extension kind of ensures that, Hey, 68 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:25,839 SGA is our timeline, that's who we are building around moving forward. Yeah. 69 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,160 I mean I think for other people, maybe outside of the organization, 70 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,360 it signaled that, but I kind of think that's always been true ever since 71 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,199 the Thunder acquired SGA from the Clippers. I feel like he's always been the 72 00:04:36,399 --> 00:04:42,560 timeline the future for Okac. So that really wasn't a question in my mind. 73 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,360 You know, I don't I don't know for positive whether or not he 74 00:04:46,439 --> 00:04:49,720 was actually mentioned in trades for the number one pick. I don't think that 75 00:04:49,759 --> 00:04:55,399 he was, but I supposedly that is what happened. But I've always thought 76 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:59,839 and continued to think that Sgia is the timeline for the Thunder going forward. 77 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,959 Is there anything that you look for him to do that he didn't do this 78 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,079 past season? Or was just the way that he sort of I don't even 79 00:05:08,079 --> 00:05:10,920 want to say reworked, but he was just responsible for so much of the 80 00:05:10,959 --> 00:05:14,639 offensive load, generating his own looks, and was so efficient that if he's 81 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,959 just going to be that player moving forward, the Thunder are essentially absolutely set. 82 00:05:18,639 --> 00:05:23,240 Yeah, after last season, I was kind of worried if he could, 83 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,759 you know, take on that leadership role and be like the primary person, 84 00:05:27,079 --> 00:05:29,879 just after playing a whole season with Chris Paul, who was clearly, 85 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,240 you know, the leader of that team. I was interested to see how 86 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,720 he would handle that new responsibility. And I thought he did an excellent job 87 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:39,959 in that capacity, and you could see his confidence growing with every game. 88 00:05:40,319 --> 00:05:42,839 So just like off the court and as a leader, I think he was 89 00:05:42,879 --> 00:05:47,120 phenomenal. And then he had just an exceptional season before he left with the 90 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,800 plantar fascitis. He looked really comfortable with who he was, and you know, 91 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:57,319 he's a really great defender at his position already. When he starts to 92 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,600 like get in his bag and gets going, it's like literally like art in 93 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,199 motion. Watching him play basketball like really reminds me a lot of Paul George. 94 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:08,759 But I think he was still kind of figuring out how to be a 95 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,519 superstar and like what his superstar identity is. I don't think he's quite there 96 00:06:13,639 --> 00:06:16,399 yet, but he's so close in like this offseason. I just read this 97 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:21,759 interview that he had and he called himself the Black Steve Nash, which is 98 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:27,879 just like the dopest nickname ever, and I'm so excited to see whatever the 99 00:06:27,879 --> 00:06:30,079 heck that means. I'm all on board for that. So if that's the 100 00:06:30,079 --> 00:06:33,279 type of season that we're having this year with SGA, sign me up. 101 00:06:33,319 --> 00:06:38,120 I'm ready. I am sure see how he balances the at look. Yes, 102 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,639 and Black Steve Nash is objectively just instantly one of the NBA's maybe the 103 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,959 best self assigned nickname ever too. We tend to on players to assign themselves 104 00:06:46,079 --> 00:06:49,959 nicknames, but I'm with it. I'm curious to see how he sort of 105 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:57,000 handles himself defensively moving forward while sort of shouldering the superstar volume, because after 106 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,920 we're three years into his career and I just don't that I figured out what 107 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,800 he is on defense yet. That's fairy. Yeah, I think he, 108 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,319 like I said, I think he's still tried to figure out, you know, 109 00:07:05,399 --> 00:07:10,519 exactly what his identity is. I think he came into this league being 110 00:07:10,759 --> 00:07:15,439 pretty good at a lot of things, but not necessarily like exceptional at one 111 00:07:15,519 --> 00:07:17,079 thing. And that's kind of how it is with the defense too, Like 112 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,920 he's pretty good for his position, but you know, I think there's still 113 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,519 room for approvement on that end. But also just you know, being a 114 00:07:24,519 --> 00:07:27,800 facilitator for other players on the team. I think that's a big thing as 115 00:07:27,839 --> 00:07:32,399 well. I think two of the offseason transactions that left a lot from the 116 00:07:32,439 --> 00:07:39,079 outside scratching their heads were the trading number sixteam for two future first, which 117 00:07:39,399 --> 00:07:42,519 the protections on those things are just it has nothing to do with the they're 118 00:07:42,519 --> 00:07:46,319 so funny they go out so far, and then buying out Kemba, which 119 00:07:46,319 --> 00:07:48,680 is runs counters, or just what they've done with veteran contracts in the past, 120 00:07:48,759 --> 00:07:51,720 which is reboot the veteran's value and then find a way to flip them 121 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:57,040 later. Some have criticized them for leaning too hard into the not chasing winds 122 00:07:57,079 --> 00:08:01,519 model, where do you sort of land on just you know, that criticism, 123 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,439 just those moves that the Thunder made their minds set, which was, 124 00:08:05,519 --> 00:08:07,759 you know, kind of set the tone for their offseason and how they're going 125 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,600 to carry themselves during the regular season. Yeah, initially, I was also 126 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:16,959 surprised by the Kemba buyout. After that trade happened, Sam Presty and his 127 00:08:18,079 --> 00:08:20,959 spressors, seems like very much like at the end of the season that the 128 00:08:22,279 --> 00:08:24,879 Thunder were planning to keep Kemba Walker, that they were going to you know, 129 00:08:24,959 --> 00:08:28,199 build him into the team, and they were going to figure out how 130 00:08:28,199 --> 00:08:31,279 to play Sga and Kemba together, And so the fact that they bought him 131 00:08:31,279 --> 00:08:37,120 out before the season even started was pretty surprising to me. But in hindsight, 132 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:39,840 looking back at it, I kin I kind of see where their head 133 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,399 set. So I don't think that Kemba was ever going to be a part 134 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,559 of the long term part of the Thunder. I think exactly like you said, 135 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,000 we all expected them to keep him for a while, maybe trade him 136 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,159 before the deadline for more picks to contender or something like that. So the 137 00:08:54,159 --> 00:08:58,279 time in which they traded him was a little bit weird. But I wonder 138 00:08:58,759 --> 00:09:01,399 now looking back, if that had anything to do with SGA's extension. Not 139 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,840 necessarily that he wouldn't have signed the extension if Kembo was on the team, 140 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:11,360 but with both of them being star point guards, being ball handlers. Something's 141 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,360 got to give for one of them. Someone's going to be unhappy in that 142 00:09:13,399 --> 00:09:16,240 situation. And if the Thunder really are committed to show you this, s 143 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:22,240 Alexander being the franchise player in building around SGA. Having Kemba Walker this season, 144 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:26,759 I feel like would have hindered SGA from being able to reach the ceilings 145 00:09:26,759 --> 00:09:30,759 that we want him to reach the season. And so in that sense, 146 00:09:31,399 --> 00:09:33,159 it kind of makes sense if we're thinking about long term for the Thunder. 147 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:37,519 But yeah, the timing was a little bit weird and the number sixteen trade 148 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:41,240 with the two future first Like you said, I don't really know if this 149 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:46,200 picks are going to turn into anything. We already have Houston's twenty twenty four. 150 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,080 They're twenty twenty six first round selections, which are top four protected, 151 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,519 and a pick swap in twenty twenty five. So maybe Sam Presti's just playing 152 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:56,960 the probability game here. One of those has to turn into something. I 153 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,440 don't really know, but I guess you can't really turn down two first rounders 154 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,679 for a numbers sixteen pick. I guess I don't know. Yeah, they're 155 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,759 I think they're from Detroit and Washington, and they're just they're protected forever. 156 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,879 And I just I think that singular transaction is there's no issue there, and 157 00:10:13,919 --> 00:10:18,519 they had another first round pick beyond sixteen. It's just when you look at 158 00:10:18,519 --> 00:10:22,559 their pick collection in some and this sort of leads me into the next question. 159 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,039 They have all of the picks. They just have all of the picks 160 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,559 at this point, and so what do you think the ultimate endgame is for 161 00:10:30,639 --> 00:10:33,320 them with those picks? Is it they want to take as many bites at 162 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,759 the Apple themselves as possible? Do they ain't vision wanting to have extra assets 163 00:10:35,799 --> 00:10:39,519 to move up in a future draft? Are they like a sneaky team? 164 00:10:39,519 --> 00:10:43,960 It definitely would not happen this season, but in a down the line, 165 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:48,240 they want to be the team that is going all in on a disgruntled star, 166 00:10:48,399 --> 00:10:52,200 especially if the trend is going to become that these guys are agitating to 167 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,080 get out of their situations earlier than we ever thought. Right, Yeah, 168 00:10:56,279 --> 00:11:01,320 I think that they're consolidating picks to either move up the draft board, to 169 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,279 have the assets to move up, or to you know, get multiple bytes 170 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,960 at the Apple. I think what they're waiting for is for a draft class 171 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,639 that has one of those truly transcendent players that can immediately common change a franchise, 172 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:18,200 which honestly, we haven't seen, I don't think since Luca's draft class, 173 00:11:18,519 --> 00:11:22,480 and so I think they're just waiting for that type of player. I 174 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:26,440 feel like they feel like they have their superstar and SGA and the ultimate goals 175 00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:31,480 to build around him. It seems unlikely that even the best trade package that 176 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:37,480 they could, they their best combination of picks if they could receive and then 177 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,919 retain a top five NBA player. That's the biggest thing is retaining the players. 178 00:11:41,919 --> 00:11:45,960 So even if they're able to get them like how they were able to 179 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,559 get you know, Paul George, will you be able to keep them for 180 00:11:48,639 --> 00:11:52,759 the long term? And I think that's kind of where the issue is. 181 00:11:52,799 --> 00:11:54,720 And that's just a factor of you know, being Oklahoma City. That's something 182 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,159 we'll always have to deal with. But I feel like they're trying to pick 183 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,679 the right player and the draft like they did with Katie and Russ and Abaca 184 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,039 and Harden and all those players in the past. How did you feel about 185 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,240 the Josh and Kitty selection at number six, Now that you've had some time 186 00:12:09,279 --> 00:12:13,960 to ruminate on it, and he did seconds in Summer League, right, 187 00:12:15,519 --> 00:12:18,320 it was like a whole fifteen seconds. I personally, you know, I've 188 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:22,600 watched all the hype tapes that go around on Thunder Twitter. Sure, but 189 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,399 I just like, can't really, you know, Garner any real information on 190 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:31,799 that. Honestly, I've gotten some no giddy the most through watching his TikTok's. 191 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,879 He's like your classic. I know, we're just moving into that age 192 00:12:35,919 --> 00:12:41,639 now where our draft picks are like TikTok stars. But it's interesting. I 193 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,159 was not that excited about it when it happened. I think that the Thunder 194 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,200 did try to move up to you know, like a one or two, 195 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:52,279 but I don't think Detroit was even entertaining any any trades for the number one 196 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,759 pig. I think it was an underwhelming pick. I personally wanted Kamina, 197 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,840 but Presty really never picked too. I think he will and most of the 198 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,279 time he's right. Sometimes he does go so far off of like I'm going 199 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,759 to pick someone that nobody's even thinking about, and then it turns out that 200 00:13:09,799 --> 00:13:13,200 he was actually just wrong. And a great example of that is Terence Ferguson, 201 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,840 who I love, But it just was not. That was not the 202 00:13:16,879 --> 00:13:20,960 pick that we needed. I don't think that Giddy will have an impact right 203 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,440 away for the Thunder, which is why I kind of wanted Kiminga because I 204 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,559 thought Kmingga could have an impact right away. So I guess I'm guess all 205 00:13:28,639 --> 00:13:31,399 that to say that I'm not that pumped about Giddy, but I'm willing to 206 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,159 have my mind changed. I hope he plays above what I expect him to. 207 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,519 Yeah, I think the question for me is does he have like an 208 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:43,279 off the dribble jumper we haven't seen, or even just a mindset to score 209 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,399 more? And if anyone has only ever seen him in summerly the only thing 210 00:13:46,399 --> 00:13:48,759 they're going to see him getting a bucket basically, So that sounds moronic that 211 00:13:48,759 --> 00:13:52,600 that's the question. I think, knowing they were going to get rid of 212 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:56,799 number sixteen and buy out kemball Walker by the way, I might have liked 213 00:13:56,799 --> 00:14:01,039 to see him take a bigger swing, And I think Kamingo was the bigger 214 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:03,039 swing because he feels like he might be more of a project. Because Giddy's 215 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:09,960 passing and envision and just control over defenses feels like it should translate eventually. 216 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:13,720 But kaminga projects to me just based off what I've seen him as the more 217 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:18,519 comprehensive or all around player, even if he takes a while longer to marinate. 218 00:14:18,159 --> 00:14:22,120 Yeah, I think, yeah, maybe he'll take a while longer to 219 00:14:22,279 --> 00:14:26,960 kind of become exceptional. But I do think he was like ready to like 220 00:14:26,039 --> 00:14:31,000 slot into an NBA team right away, And I just I just feel like 221 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,759 Giddy's not quite there yet. He kind of he's kind of giving me Poku 222 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,960 vibes where he might have to, oh boy, you know, work on 223 00:14:37,039 --> 00:14:41,039 him a little bit before it turns into anything useful. But I could be 224 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,600 wrong. I, like I said, I haven't. I haven't seen him 225 00:14:43,639 --> 00:14:48,360 that much. So Polk who could probably give himself confidence lessons when it comes 226 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,320 to taking a shot though, So that might How did you feel about the 227 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,559 Trey Man pick I was after they took Giddy? They have SGA, they 228 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:01,600 have Tail Maldon and lu Dort that came to get a real chance to play 229 00:15:01,679 --> 00:15:03,799 or is he going to be a little bit I don't want to say trapped, 230 00:15:03,799 --> 00:15:07,519 but maybe someone buried behind those guys. Yeah. So the thing with 231 00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:11,080 this thunderwroster as it is right now, is there so many guys on this 232 00:15:11,159 --> 00:15:15,519 team that are roughly at the same level of talent, and so, in 233 00:15:15,559 --> 00:15:18,840 my opinion, I think that's great for tray Man because I think that no, 234 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:22,720 nothing is set in stone, not even the starting lineup is really set 235 00:15:22,799 --> 00:15:26,759 outside of door n SGA, and so I think there's lots of opportunities for 236 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:31,039 players to fight for those spots, fight for those minutes, show what they 237 00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:35,639 can do. And I think if Trey Man specifically, I was able to 238 00:15:35,679 --> 00:15:39,480 bring a unique skill set, I think that he could take one of those 239 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,559 spots and move up ahead of you know, a giddy Year Basley. And 240 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:48,360 so for him, I feel like three point shooting is kind of his skill 241 00:15:48,399 --> 00:15:52,919 set that he could really use as a leverage to move up in the lineup. 242 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,960 I know at Florida he was setting like forty percent from three. Probably 243 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,879 won't be the same in the NBA, But I think he has the potential 244 00:16:00,039 --> 00:16:03,679 to be the best three point shooter on the team, and if he does 245 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,480 that, he'll be invaluable, and I think that he'll be able to get 246 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,720 more minutes like that. Do you think there's probably a clearer path to Jeremiah 247 00:16:11,879 --> 00:16:18,960 or Robinson to getting more minutes than tray Man in year one. Yeah, 248 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,279 so we're super high on Jerry, as we like to call him a daily 249 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:27,200 Thunder. He was such a steal at thirty six. I think he also 250 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,039 just has such a good hat on him. You know, he's like a 251 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,360 work hard, willing to do it all attitude. I don't think that he 252 00:16:33,399 --> 00:16:37,480 has one thing that he's super exceptional at, but I think that that's not 253 00:16:37,519 --> 00:16:40,559 necessarily a bad thing. I think that makes him easy to fit into an 254 00:16:40,559 --> 00:16:45,000 existing system, and so I really think that he like Honestly, I think 255 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:48,440 I would put him above Trey Man to get more minutes, even though he 256 00:16:48,519 --> 00:16:51,840 was the later pick. I think he was a steal at thirty six. 257 00:16:52,639 --> 00:16:56,519 Thank you for I keep calling him Earl Robinson, and I honestly just why 258 00:16:56,559 --> 00:17:00,519 instead of Robinson Earl? And anticipation this. I did watch some more of 259 00:17:00,559 --> 00:17:04,119 his Villanova and he's a better off ball shooter than I thought. Look at 260 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,000 his shooting percentages and they're not great, and you think, oh, there 261 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,759 you go again, thunder drafting a guy who can't shoot. But as long 262 00:17:11,759 --> 00:17:15,319 as you're not putting the ball in his hands, he I'm a little bit 263 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,799 higher on him than I thought. I was going to be, and I 264 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:19,480 think I just automatically thought like, well, why are you giving up thirty 265 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,519 six and thirty four for this dude? Was he not gonna be there? 266 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:26,440 Yea, So maybe it was just a roster spot crunch thing, but I 267 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:30,960 actually was coming into this not very much liking the thought process there. But 268 00:17:32,079 --> 00:17:36,200 I actually watched him, which imagine thinking that and I'll be higher on it 269 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:37,960 than I thought I was gonna be. Yeah, exactly. I think that 270 00:17:38,039 --> 00:17:41,480 fits so well with what the Thunder already have. You know, they don't 271 00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:44,119 need, you know, a guy creating his own shots. They don't need, 272 00:17:44,279 --> 00:17:45,440 you know, a playmaker. They've got that. What they need is 273 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,400 someone that they can put alongside you know, Sga and Dort who can kind 274 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,319 of just fit right in there. And I really feel like Jerry is that, 275 00:17:52,839 --> 00:17:56,400 And like I said, he just has such a great attitude that I 276 00:17:56,519 --> 00:18:00,559 really think fits with what the Thunder has been last season I and I assume 277 00:18:00,599 --> 00:18:03,160 they will be this year. I'm calling it like grit and grind two point 278 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,079 zero, where everyone there has something to prove and we have a young coach 279 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:11,359 who also has something to prove, and just that combination, I think has 280 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:12,960 been really like, you know, we've found a lot of diamonds in the 281 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,880 route. We've been like digging deep and finding some real talent in unexpected places. 282 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:21,799 And I feel like Jerry could also do that as well. I promised 283 00:18:21,799 --> 00:18:26,480 to learn the correct order of his make. I would just want to say, 284 00:18:26,519 --> 00:18:30,319 like James rol Jones, it's just like rolls off the tongue. But 285 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,240 yeah, Jeremiah, I just want to call him James for that reason, 286 00:18:33,319 --> 00:18:37,079 But yeah, Jeremiah Robinson Earle. So I'm sticking with j Are for short. 287 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,680 I think I'm gonna have to go with JR. Because that's easy. 288 00:18:40,799 --> 00:18:42,759 That sounds better than jay E R. So I'm more like I remember JR. 289 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,319 Yeah, so poku, how heavily were I don't want to say what 290 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,559 type of license is he going to have this year because I feel like he 291 00:18:52,599 --> 00:18:56,799 was on a obviously a very short lease last year. But you probably need 292 00:18:56,839 --> 00:19:00,960 offensive creation more than they did last year at this point and year two for 293 00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:03,640 him, So do we expect him to have built up the good will to 294 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:07,680 get some like real playing time this season? I think so. I think 295 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,559 he's going to start. I think he ended the season on a really high 296 00:19:11,559 --> 00:19:14,640 note. Last year, after he spent some time in the G League, 297 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,519 he came back and he looked a lot more confident, sometimes overly confident with 298 00:19:18,519 --> 00:19:22,319 his shot, but that's better than being under confident, I guess. But 299 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,440 he seemed to just like understand and see the game a lot better than he 300 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,440 did before he went to the G League, and we love that kind of 301 00:19:30,519 --> 00:19:34,400 in season development. I think that he will start, and I think that 302 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,880 he'll get the opportunity. The thing that we need from him, though, 303 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,319 is just consistency in size. So he was, you know a little bit 304 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,440 spotty. Sometimes he would have a like really good game where he'd get a 305 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,319 lot of boards and you know, just really hold his own, and then 306 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:53,079 sometimes he was just getting like absolutely just demolished by like Anthony Davis. And 307 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,440 so he needs size, and just based off of creeping on Instagram and social 308 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:02,039 media, I don't really think he look not much bigger than he did last 309 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,759 year. But maybe it's like a skinny strong We'll see. Yeah, Look, 310 00:20:06,839 --> 00:20:10,519 he's the shots he takes makes me want to believe in him. I 311 00:20:10,559 --> 00:20:11,640 just don't know whether he's be taking them. And I will say it's not 312 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:15,039 always pretty. I don't know how much. I trust him to put the 313 00:20:15,079 --> 00:20:17,799 ball on the floor, but just the way he moves with the ball sometimes 314 00:20:17,839 --> 00:20:19,680 feels like he's teleporting with the ground he can cover in the ball in his 315 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,920 hands. So he's I don't know if the best word. I don't know 316 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,119 what he could be. I just don't have a strong impression of him, 317 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:27,640 but he is. I'm drawn to him. He's like the way he's played 318 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,319 is very magnetic to me. So I can't wait to see more of him 319 00:20:30,319 --> 00:20:33,599 a year two right, And that's exactly why the thunder took him. He 320 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:38,680 had like the lowest floor but the highest ceiling, and so it's just like 321 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,240 and with where we got him, I don't know, it just it could 322 00:20:42,279 --> 00:20:45,920 go either way. It really could. And I feel like he's trending more 323 00:20:45,039 --> 00:20:49,039 towards being a player that we can rely on than he is not. But 324 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,319 it's gonna it's gonna really depend on the season and the strides that he takes. 325 00:20:55,799 --> 00:20:57,720 Darius Baisley kind of had none even year last year, even when he 326 00:20:57,759 --> 00:21:02,039 went on that scoring slow to close the season, It just he didn't have 327 00:21:02,079 --> 00:21:07,039 the cleanest splits. I'm still such a big believer in him, though it 328 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:11,000 feels like they're still trying to figure out what he is and that there's been 329 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:12,839 you know, with shooting percentages are all over the place, but he does 330 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,440 find ways to reach the basket. He's hit the occasional, like off the 331 00:21:17,519 --> 00:21:19,440 dribble jumper. His handle can be high and loose, but he's also testing 332 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:26,799 out spins and gutsy changes in direction and so I appreciate that self discovery and 333 00:21:26,839 --> 00:21:30,559 they have they've really tried to, you know, test him on defense a 334 00:21:30,599 --> 00:21:34,680 lot too. What do you see like for him or what's realistic expectations or 335 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:38,519 what does the thunder need to see from him as he goes into year three. 336 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,160 Yeah, it was kind of tough to see him struggle last season. 337 00:21:44,279 --> 00:21:48,759 He's been one of my favorites since he was drafted and he was absolutely outstanding 338 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,559 in the bubble and so I feel like he was set up for just like 339 00:21:52,599 --> 00:21:56,640 a really like a meteoric rise this season, and he definitely did not live 340 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,799 up to that for me. And unfortunately, I think the roster as it 341 00:22:00,839 --> 00:22:03,160 is now will actually make it harder for him to get the type of minutes 342 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:07,599 he got last year. Like I said, there's so many young players are 343 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:11,119 hungry for a spot and for minutes, and I don't think that coach Diagnol 344 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:17,079 will hesitate to give other players minutes over basically if he feels like that is 345 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,839 the correct decision. So I feel like basically really has to take big steps 346 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,039 in terms of everything that you said, so like handling the ball better, 347 00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:29,799 having confidence, being consistent, improving his defense. If he wants to keep 348 00:22:29,839 --> 00:22:33,359 a spot in the starting lineup or otherwise, I think he's going to be 349 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,359 coming off the bench this season. Yeah, and I also wonder if you 350 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:41,680 would benefit from like another like a second just proven shot creator and maker on 351 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,319 this team. Feels like it would simplify or streamline a lot for him offensively. 352 00:22:45,599 --> 00:22:52,079 Unfortunately we don't have that, but that would be nice. I'm asking 353 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,039 about so many individual players because I feel like that such is the way the 354 00:22:55,079 --> 00:22:57,720 thunder rosters built. What are we What were your impressions of tail Maldone in 355 00:22:57,799 --> 00:23:02,759 year one nominal? I'm so excited for him. I want him to get 356 00:23:02,759 --> 00:23:06,240 more minutes. I'm excited for him to play behind Shay. I think we 357 00:23:06,279 --> 00:23:11,839 can experiment with a lineup that has Sha, Teo and Dort. I think 358 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,240 he has one of the bigger upsides on the team, and he's such a 359 00:23:15,279 --> 00:23:18,680 good passer already for being so young, that I think this could really be 360 00:23:18,799 --> 00:23:22,839 a breakout season for him now that he'll get the minutes that he didn't get 361 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,440 last year. Do we do you expect him to be the starting point guard 362 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:33,400 for this team? I guess it depends on how you consider Sga. I 363 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:38,000 would consider Sga to be the starting point guard. But I think that there 364 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:44,599 is a good lineup, maybe even for closing games, that has Teo at 365 00:23:44,599 --> 00:23:47,240 the point guard and SGA at the two, and I think that could be 366 00:23:47,279 --> 00:23:51,680 interesting. But I do not think that he will start. I think it'll 367 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,039 be SG and Dort and then well, I don't know, it gets a 368 00:23:55,079 --> 00:24:00,720 little bit tricky after that, maybe giddy Poku in favors. I don't really 369 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,039 know. It gets weird after that. We don't really have a center. 370 00:24:03,079 --> 00:24:07,240 That's a whole another problem. Hey, that's the next question. Are they 371 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,039 have them to get a little weird at center? I think a tweet of 372 00:24:10,039 --> 00:24:11,400 yours, I'm not sure if it's last night or the day that we're recording 373 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:17,079 this came across my timeline where you mentioned ken Rick Williams playing more center, 374 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,079 and that's just that warms my heart because I'd love to see that he had 375 00:24:19,079 --> 00:24:22,319 a fantastic year last season. But are they so? Are they built to 376 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,279 get a little weird at center because they have Isaiah Roby, they have Derek 377 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,759 Favors, and I guess you throw Mike uscolland there. But like that's not 378 00:24:30,039 --> 00:24:33,720 you know, one guy of those three that I just mentioned might be a 379 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,519 part of their long term core. They don't seem to have that. You 380 00:24:36,559 --> 00:24:38,960 know, they're not. They just don't have a lot of staying power in 381 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:44,160 those two front court slot. It feels like, yeah, absolutely I have 382 00:24:44,279 --> 00:24:45,920 I feel like they have no choice but to get a little bit weird because 383 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,599 they've got Favors and they've got Robi, and those are the only two people 384 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,839 that are like true ish centers and the twenty twenty one cents of the term. 385 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:59,240 And then they've got four guys who are basically just like power forwards moonlighting 386 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:03,079 as centers like Beasley and Poku Miscala who's probably not going to get that many 387 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,559 minutes. And then ken Rich Williams, who I will die on this hill. 388 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,680 I think Kenrich Williams should absolutely be in the starting lineup. I think 389 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,200 that he was phenomenal last season. I think that he just he's just so 390 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,400 impressive to me from where he came from to where he was last season, 391 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:26,160 and so I think I feel like Williams should definitely get more minutes, more 392 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:30,720 time at the center. And even though Derrick Favorits doesn't necessarily fit the long 393 00:25:30,799 --> 00:25:34,519 term timeline, I think people might be underestimating how much he's going to play 394 00:25:34,559 --> 00:25:37,480 at the start of the season. I kind of been viewing this as like 395 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,480 an Al Horford situation, except this time they'd probably like to get him traded 396 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:47,200 before the deadline. But I do hope that ken Rich Williams gets gets more 397 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,359 minutes. I think Miscala will just continue to get the same you know, 398 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:56,599 three four or five minutes here there. But that's okay. Yeah, Look, 399 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,240 Kendrick Williams shot forty four percent on threeason seven percent on twos last year. 400 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,119 He had a hell of a season, hell of a season, hell 401 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,119 of a defender, you know, just great size, great brit Like. 402 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,960 I don't know, I just I think he's fantastic. I think he could 403 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:19,039 be the second best player on the Thunder of the season, assuming I'm telling 404 00:26:19,079 --> 00:26:22,880 you this, man, It's just like if he can pick up right where 405 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,359 he left off. I think that he can be fantastic because he can do 406 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:33,279 more offensively than Dort can. And this is also assuming that Derrick Favers is 407 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:37,440 no longer on the Thunder. But I love Kenrich Williams. I will die 408 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,079 on that. I'm totally here for that. I won't be the one to 409 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:45,480 try to kill you. So does little Dort have another gear offensively or is 410 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,240 it just like if he can hover within striking distance of thirty five percent from 411 00:26:48,279 --> 00:26:53,160 three and play all defense level defense that this is just still a fantastic player 412 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,759 and that's fine. So how is he still so young? I feel like 413 00:26:56,799 --> 00:27:00,640 he's been around for forever, and then I look and he's only twenty two, 414 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,640 and it feels like he's yeah, yeah he is. He's super young. 415 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,240 And I do think he has another level offensively. I don't know if 416 00:27:10,319 --> 00:27:11,680 so much if it's like a skill thing as it more of it is like 417 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:17,799 a shot selection thing. So I feel like for him, he can he 418 00:27:17,839 --> 00:27:22,240 can shoot threes very well, but maybe not consistently. And then sometimes when 419 00:27:22,279 --> 00:27:26,599 he's not necessarily hitting the shots, he just keeps putting them up, and 420 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,359 that I think is problematic. So I think if he can work on his 421 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,640 shot selection, you know, maybe be a little bit more selective with the 422 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,440 three pointers that he's taking, I think that could be a way that he 423 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,640 can improve offensively and just trying to close that gap between how good he is 424 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:45,640 defensively and how good he is offensively, because otherwise he's at risk of becoming 425 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,960 like the next Andre Robertson and becoming an offensive liability for the Thunder, and 426 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:53,039 that's definitely not what you want because he is so good defensively that you want 427 00:27:53,039 --> 00:27:57,599 to make sure that you have him closing games and guarding the best player on 428 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:03,640 the other team and not being an offensive liability. That's important. And he's 429 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:08,319 also built like a freight truck that can move laterally. It was like it's 430 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:15,200 the literal square, that's which is what I think of when I see Blue 431 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:18,759 Dort. I can't I can't remember who tweeted this from a member of the 432 00:28:18,799 --> 00:28:22,359 Thunder media while ago, but it's like lu Dort is built like a big 433 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,559 freight truck made up of smaller freight trucks. It was something along those lines. 434 00:28:26,559 --> 00:28:29,640 I couldn't stop laughing. He just has the body though, where it 435 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,039 feels like he should be doing a better job of finishing through contact and at 436 00:28:33,079 --> 00:28:36,200 the rim and be like that threat too. Oh, I can attack close 437 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:37,240 outs, Like I'm not immediately just gonna put up this three, but I'm 438 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,880 gonna make that. I feel like he needs to. He needs to go 439 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,400 watch some some Russell Westbrook highlight tapes and just watch how Russell westbrig bodies his 440 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,680 way through the lane to get to the basket, and Blue Dort could absolutely 441 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,640 do that. Like he's not like obviously like rust, they're not the tallest, 442 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:59,200 biggest guys, but they've just so strong and so like forceful that that 443 00:28:59,319 --> 00:29:02,519 could be a move for him as well. I know that he's good at 444 00:29:02,559 --> 00:29:04,559 shooting threes, but that doesn't have to be the only thing that he does. 445 00:29:06,599 --> 00:29:11,240 This is I'm like reticent to ask this question, but is he a 446 00:29:11,279 --> 00:29:15,319 low key trade candidate this season with him having one year left on his deal 447 00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:18,839 after this one? It's a team option and knowing that the Thunder how the 448 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,680 Thunder thought about players like non stars along these lines in the past, is 449 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,240 that something to watch more? Do you think that's a non starter? I 450 00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:32,160 mean, like I've obviously learned from personal experiences as an a Casey fan that 451 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:37,480 nobody is truly untradeable, but I kind of think that Ludoor is as close 452 00:29:37,599 --> 00:29:41,480 to to not on the trade block as you can be, especially for a 453 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:47,480 team that's rebuilding where it seems like everybody is tradeable. I feel like lue 454 00:29:47,519 --> 00:29:51,119 Dort and s Ga are the two players that I think the Thunder want to 455 00:29:51,119 --> 00:29:52,960 hold on too. I think they like what they have with lu Dort, 456 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,200 and I think that not a lot of other teams really see the value of 457 00:29:57,319 --> 00:30:02,359 Ludort, like like Thunder do you. I don't think that other people know 458 00:30:02,799 --> 00:30:06,160 his potential or how do you utilize him necessarily the way the Thunder do, 459 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,519 And so I don't even know if that would be, you know, advantageous 460 00:30:10,559 --> 00:30:15,279 for the Thunder to trade him. I think that he's as close to untradeable 461 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,599 this season at least as you can be. And also at some point it's 462 00:30:18,599 --> 00:30:19,920 like, what are you giving the Thunder that they don't already have because he 463 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,920 doesn't make a ton of money? So what are you gonna give him the 464 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,960 draft equity? Because they had decades? Who needs that? Yeah? Who 465 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,279 will be? And I think I know you're answering this question now, who 466 00:30:30,279 --> 00:30:34,680 will be this team's second leading score if it's not ken Rich Williams, and 467 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,839 I'll be reasonable and I'll say I'll say Ludor. I think last season he 468 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,359 probably was the second best score, might have been close between him and Al 469 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:48,519 Horford. But I think that just virtue of the amount of playing time that 470 00:30:48,559 --> 00:30:51,319 he's going to have and the youth of the rest of this roster, I 471 00:30:51,359 --> 00:30:53,400 think he will be the second best scorer on the Thunder. I'm like, 472 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,480 I think you could legitimately talk me into four or five names here. You've 473 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:00,599 already just sold me on Williams. There, yeah, Dort, if you 474 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,400 told me it was Darius Baisley or Tail Malton, I don't know that I 475 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:07,079 would really flinch at that either that I don't think that would shock me. 476 00:31:07,759 --> 00:31:11,119 The second the second unit for the Thunder, it's going to be super interesting. 477 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:15,559 It's going to be chaotic for sure, But I feel like, I 478 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,519 don't know, they might surprise us. They might surprise us. That was 479 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:25,519 a leading question into who on this roster gives okay, see the best chance 480 00:31:25,839 --> 00:31:30,680 at finding or already having, let's say, a future co star for SGA, 481 00:31:30,759 --> 00:31:33,319 because that does feel like the next step of this rebuild, finding that 482 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:37,759 number two or that just that running mate to pair with Shay. I still 483 00:31:37,759 --> 00:31:41,119 think it's Dort. I think with the people that are on the team right 484 00:31:41,119 --> 00:31:45,759 now, I think it's Flu Dort. It may not always be, but 485 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,480 I feel like they compliment each other very well, especially with their their skill 486 00:31:49,519 --> 00:31:55,000 sets. And you know, Dort being so good defensively that he's able to 487 00:31:55,039 --> 00:31:57,759 guard the best player on the other team and then have Sga guard, you 488 00:31:57,759 --> 00:32:00,920 know, the second best person in let's Sga have a little bit more energy 489 00:32:01,039 --> 00:32:05,400 offensively and vice versa, and so I feel like they really work well in 490 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,519 tandem with each other. They play very well off of each other. They're 491 00:32:07,599 --> 00:32:13,160 very good at closing games together. They trust each other. I feel like, 492 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,559 if you just gave me the option of the people that are on the 493 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:19,839 roster right now, it's Ludort. But I think in the future the Thunder 494 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:24,039 might be looking to add someone a little bit more closer to Sg's level in 495 00:32:24,119 --> 00:32:28,559 terms of superstardom. Yeah. I think that's where a lot of people take 496 00:32:28,599 --> 00:32:31,240 issue with where the Thunder at is, because if lu Door is the answer, 497 00:32:31,279 --> 00:32:34,720 any very well might be. I love lu Doort, but that's kind 498 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,640 of a problem when you're yeah, in the long haul, I don't think 499 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:43,880 so. On this team as it is constructed today, it's ludort and I 500 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:47,200 didn't throw the outline attent you, but the Thunder's offense was just I mean, 501 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,839 it wasn't good. It was It was actually thirtieth and points a lot 502 00:32:50,799 --> 00:32:53,599 of possession between a point score possession for cleaning last. What's the path to 503 00:32:53,680 --> 00:33:00,720 them to getting noticeably better there? And I'm assuming the answer will they have 504 00:33:00,759 --> 00:33:04,400 to figure out how to survive the sha Jil just Alexander minutes. But then 505 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,839 how do you flesh out your lineups where schas on the bench to ensure that's 506 00:33:07,839 --> 00:33:15,119 a possibility. That's a difficult question. I think it just it so depends 507 00:33:15,279 --> 00:33:22,400 on what players look like this season and who we can consistently count on to 508 00:33:22,559 --> 00:33:25,960 score. I think Tao Malodon is going to be a very big part of 509 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:30,880 that, and with the second second unit, I think he's probably, like 510 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,440 you said, he could you know, he's probably not going to be the 511 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,160 second best scorer, I don't think, but I think he'll do really well 512 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:45,359 with the second unit, So I would say utilizing him is important, trying 513 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:50,079 out different combinations trying out different lineups. Like I said earlier, I don't 514 00:33:50,119 --> 00:33:52,200 think really anything is set in stone as far as line ups go, except 515 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,640 for maybe that SGA and Door are going to start, and so I feel 516 00:33:55,640 --> 00:34:02,079 like trying those different different combinations is to be very important to those minutes when 517 00:34:02,079 --> 00:34:07,320 she giel to Alexanders not on the floor. We've now entered the most unoriginal 518 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:12,360 portion of this podcast because these questions. I ask every single guest in these 519 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,920 looks, who's the player from miss roster most likely to get traded before the 520 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,679 deadline? Derek favors That's easy. He doesn't fit the timeline. He's good 521 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,360 enough you can flip into a contender for picks later in the season. And 522 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:29,119 that's exactly Sam prest stype. And if it ends up being Kenrick Williams, 523 00:34:29,119 --> 00:34:34,440 we riot correct, yea, we do Riot. So what do you think 524 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,679 this is? This is a loaded question just because I don't know how many 525 00:34:37,679 --> 00:34:39,320 closed games. OKAYSE is gonna be actively trying to win, but let's assume 526 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:43,559 it's crunch time they want to win. What do you think should be their 527 00:34:43,559 --> 00:34:46,400 go to closing lineup? I mentioned this earlier, but I think it would 528 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:51,119 be really interesting to have a lineup with Taro Maldon at the point as She 529 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:54,400 at the two, door at the three. They did something similar with Chris 530 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,320 Paul. Obviously, Tao Maldon is no Chris Paul, but I think it's 531 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:04,079 still interesting to think about because es, She and ort are good enough defensively 532 00:35:04,239 --> 00:35:07,960 that I think you can run a three guard lineup and it not be too 533 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,440 dangerous on the defensive end. I think that would be really interesting. I 534 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:19,119 have no idea who fills the other two positions right now, but you know 535 00:35:19,159 --> 00:35:22,000 it's twenty twenty one. Basketball is truly positionless. I say, let's do 536 00:35:22,079 --> 00:35:28,480 it. To that point. Is there a quirky, out of left field, 537 00:35:29,159 --> 00:35:31,320 odd ball lineup that you're that you think they should try or hoping they're 538 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:34,760 try, or if you're you're the head coach of the Thunder now that you 539 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:37,639 would just be rolling out at some point this season to see what would happen. 540 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,360 Oh, if I'm head coach of the Thunder and putting Kenras Trull Limbs 541 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:44,599 in the starting lineup, that's easy. I think he deserves it. I 542 00:35:44,679 --> 00:35:47,079 think it's worth a shot. I think it's interesting. I don't know, 543 00:35:47,159 --> 00:35:50,960 though, because there's so much young talent. I don't know if you really 544 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:54,880 want to like stack everyone in the starting five and just have the second unit 545 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:59,960 be chaos. But I really think that kenrad S Williams should be in there, 546 00:36:00,159 --> 00:36:02,199 and that it's my quirky lineup. I don't know if playing Teo, 547 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:07,719 She and Door together is also quirky, but probably to somebody who thinks basketball 548 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,920 still has positions, it's probably weird. So I think mine would be and 549 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,920 I feel like it would be very combustible, if not just flat out bad. 550 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:19,159 But I need to see it is Jeremiah Jr. Because now I know 551 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:22,599 those names, Kendrick Williams, Darius Baisley, Lu Door, Jjil just Alexander. 552 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:25,840 I don't know if they get enough shooting out of that, but I 553 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:30,000 would just be like, that's a bunch of just like that's like everyone's essentially 554 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,559 a wing in that lineup. So, and I love I tend to lean 555 00:36:32,639 --> 00:36:37,320 towards the small ball lineups. I have an affinity for them. It's clear 556 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,599 that I don't think they would try this, but if I would head Gorge 557 00:36:39,599 --> 00:36:44,280 to the Thunder, I would absolutely deploy those five together right. Well, 558 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:49,239 one good thing about their roster is there are multiple people that can play multiple 559 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:52,519 positions. If we already talked about SGA playing point, playing the two, 560 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,559 we've talked about several players that can play power forward and center. So I 561 00:36:55,559 --> 00:36:59,800 feel like they do have a lot of flexibility and they could come up with 562 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,119 some thing I conventional. I know that if you had told me, you 563 00:37:02,159 --> 00:37:06,000 know, a couple of years ago that all line up with Sha Door and 564 00:37:06,079 --> 00:37:12,480 Chris Paul or war with Dennis Shrewder would be as effective as it was, 565 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,639 I would not have believed you. But that was there easily, far and 566 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:19,800 above their best lineup that they ran, and they closed so many games with 567 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,239 that lineup, and so I feel like I want them to get creative. 568 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,440 I don't want them to stick with the same thing all season long, and 569 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:29,079 that's good for the players, to the young players to be able to develop 570 00:37:29,119 --> 00:37:30,840 and get more minutes if we if we switch it up, it's like, 571 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,159 not like we're trying to win here. We don't need to pare it down 572 00:37:34,159 --> 00:37:37,840 to a seven seven player line up or anything like that. And that's a 573 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:42,280 great point about that three guard lineup. Different coaching regime, different arrow thunder 574 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:45,960 basketball. But I'm just sort of wondering. So you have Shay, you 575 00:37:45,039 --> 00:37:49,239 have You'll play Shay and Teo together and then like, do you just give 576 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:52,440 it a shot with Trey Man or Josh Giddy alongside them to try and you're 577 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:54,039 not going to replicate it, but just go to the three guard model and 578 00:37:54,119 --> 00:37:58,920 see what happens. I would be this team. The longer you stare at 579 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:00,800 their death chart, which I am doing at this very moment, is they 580 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:05,840 are just built to do some wacky things if they really wanted to. Yeah, 581 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,840 I agree, and I think that they absolutely should because it's literally no 582 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:14,519 risk to them and it's the only way they're going to find out which players 583 00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:17,679 are a part of the long term future with the Thunder and which ones can 584 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:22,039 be packaged into a trade. That's literally the only way, and so I 585 00:38:22,079 --> 00:38:25,719 think they should get creative with it. The worst that's going to happen is 586 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,519 we only win twenty games, and that's actually the best thing that can happen. 587 00:38:29,679 --> 00:38:32,800 So that works for me. It almost seems like that's what they're trying 588 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:37,159 to do based on everything that's happened, because look, the tired take is 589 00:38:37,199 --> 00:38:42,679 that the Wired excu the Thunder were so concerned about Kemba's knees that they thought 590 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:45,360 it was better just to shave money off of what he was owed than trying 591 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:47,880 to rebut his value. The Wired take is that they were concerned about winning 592 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,639 so many games because he and Shay are so good that they just needed to 593 00:38:51,639 --> 00:38:54,360 get rid of him and stay within that twenty to twenty three win territory. 594 00:38:54,599 --> 00:38:59,440 Oh. Absolutely, I completely agree with that. The Thunder have no problem 595 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:02,800 taking on the most washed players with the worst contracts. That's clip, that's 596 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:07,480 not an obstacle for us. But you have it only to a certain point. 597 00:39:07,639 --> 00:39:12,119 Like Al Horford is a perfect example of this. Al Horford knees not 598 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:15,239 great, but we took them on. We flipped him back to Boston and 599 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:19,480 that's great. Al Horford's happy. We're happy. We didn't win too many 600 00:39:19,519 --> 00:39:22,159 games. You just have some home for a half the season around for a 601 00:39:22,199 --> 00:39:25,679 long Yeah, that did happen, But I think that he was okay with 602 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:30,599 that because now he's in Boston and he can live his best life. And 603 00:39:30,639 --> 00:39:35,360 there's like for them, there's probably somewhat of a bad taste in their mouth 604 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:38,480 because you don't get the Houston pick this past year and you ended up sixth, 605 00:39:38,679 --> 00:39:43,360 which is in a position where you kind of knew who was going to 606 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:46,840 go in the top five. Scottie Barnes going at four might surprise some people, 607 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:51,000 but like that'd be that close to Jamlin Suggs, who just goes a 608 00:39:51,079 --> 00:39:53,960 fine. So there's like sort of a everything seemed like it was anarchy after 609 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:58,079 those top five, where it was a bunch of different players could go in 610 00:39:58,119 --> 00:40:00,159 different orders, and I think we saw that with Josh Giddy going at six 611 00:40:00,559 --> 00:40:04,239 on the Spurs deciding that they were just going to take Josh Primo at twelve. 612 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,000 So it's not a major disappointment because you've seven, You've you know, 613 00:40:07,159 --> 00:40:10,639 you have all these bites at the Apples moving forward, but given the opportunity 614 00:40:10,639 --> 00:40:15,400 you could have had relative your lottery odds in Houston's, that's you know, 615 00:40:15,519 --> 00:40:19,159 somewhat of a less than ideal outcome. Oh definitely. Yeah, that was 616 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:22,440 super frustrating because there's a game that they won. Have they not won that 617 00:40:22,559 --> 00:40:27,960 game, they would have been like four or something like that as opposed to 618 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,400 wherever they ended six, and so that is a problem. And I feel 619 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:37,039 like this season they if they're going to try to get the number one pick, 620 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:42,440 they really need to be in the bottom of three, and but they're 621 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,480 gonna have to take properly this season. They're often a good start, I 622 00:40:45,519 --> 00:40:51,519 think, yeah, their win total. That's a great segue. Is this 623 00:40:51,519 --> 00:40:54,519 podcast set at twenty one point five? Would you be over or the under 624 00:40:54,559 --> 00:40:57,840 on that? Because look, they're they're they're not great on paper, but 625 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,159 twenty one point five is a very low over there. Yeah, so I 626 00:41:01,199 --> 00:41:06,119 said the over, but barely. I think that they're going to be near 627 00:41:06,159 --> 00:41:08,320 the bottom. I need them to be bottom three, but I think they'll 628 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:12,679 be near the bottom definitely. But they're going to win a handful of games 629 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:16,280 that they have absolutely no SMIs winning, and that's what's going to keep fans 630 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:21,960 excited throughout the season because it's going to be a long, long season for 631 00:41:22,039 --> 00:41:24,920 Thunder fans. And when they win those games where they beat the Lakers and 632 00:41:25,239 --> 00:41:30,639 double overtime for no reason at all, that's the kind of stuff that I 633 00:41:30,639 --> 00:41:32,719 think makes people excited and it gives us hope for what the future of this 634 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:36,159 team could be like when we see them like, oh, like they were 635 00:41:36,199 --> 00:41:39,280 able to like Poko was able to take a d under the rim. Not 636 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:43,840 that this is whatever happened. But like that kind of stuff is what gets 637 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:46,800 you excited or you're like, oh, like SGA. There's like a battle 638 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:52,719 of SGA and jaw and s clearly looked so much better than John Moranted, 639 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:55,679 and that's why he's our franchise player, and that's why he's the future, 640 00:41:55,679 --> 00:41:59,000 and that's why we're going to be so much better than Memphis and all that 641 00:41:59,079 --> 00:42:02,639 kind of stuff, and that's what keeps keeps Under fans interested in these trying 642 00:42:02,679 --> 00:42:06,559 times that we're in. And so I feel like they'll win a couple more, 643 00:42:06,679 --> 00:42:09,280 but they'll have some some very interesting wins that made people think that maybe 644 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:14,199 this team has actually some potential. And the other thing here too is they 645 00:42:14,199 --> 00:42:16,559 were on a twenty five twenty six win paced last year. That's with sending 646 00:42:16,599 --> 00:42:22,440 out Horford home Shade Jos Alexander being injured, So it's like, how are 647 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:24,360 they supposed to get that much worse? I kind of want to take the 648 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:29,360 under anyway. I'm some envisioning like Sam Presty, just ensuring that no one's 649 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:31,760 worse than them, but it's so low that I just I have to take 650 00:42:32,079 --> 00:42:35,840 the over. But I would follow up the question with where do you see 651 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,719 them, like, is there a team in the West that you potentially think 652 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,519 could end up having a worse record than them? Is there a team the 653 00:42:40,559 --> 00:42:45,360 league that you could see having a worse record than Oklahoma City this year? 654 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:53,559 You can always count on the Sacramento Kings, maybe the Rockets, is like, 655 00:42:54,559 --> 00:43:00,519 could be yeah, maybe the Yeah, I don't know, that's tricky. 656 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:07,119 Yeah, I think Sacramento. I would be a little bit surprised. 657 00:43:07,119 --> 00:43:10,039 I was now, but I think to your point before Charlott, Yeah, 658 00:43:10,079 --> 00:43:14,079 and if they're going to be bottom three, bottom two in the West teams, 659 00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:15,880 like, if they're better than fourteenth in the West, I think that 660 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:21,760 would be like one team was blown it up or suffered catastrophic injuries or something. 661 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:27,519 Right, Is there anything that I did not ask you about these thunder 662 00:43:27,559 --> 00:43:30,400 heading into the twenty one twenty two season that you think needs to be covered? 663 00:43:30,119 --> 00:43:34,480 I think we covered a lot of grounds. We talked about a lot 664 00:43:34,519 --> 00:43:37,559 of individual players on the roster. But do you have one question for you? 665 00:43:37,679 --> 00:43:40,960 Do you think this is finally the year that SGA becomes an All Star? 666 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:46,239 Who? That's a great question. I'm just gonna say yes, because 667 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:50,960 when you look at his like scoring inefficiency last year he was basically on par. 668 00:43:51,079 --> 00:43:53,760 The only players to match what he did on twos and threes while averaging 669 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:58,960 his many points were Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. And he would have been 670 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:04,639 my most proved player had he played the entire season. That's like, and 671 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,199 he's not a bad team, so he would never get voteed like that was 672 00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:12,079 all NBA level territory. And so I do get that the talent in the 673 00:44:12,079 --> 00:44:15,440 West is crowded, but when you look at this season, it's like, 674 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:19,119 Okay Clay is not going to play a good chunk of the year, Kawai's 675 00:44:19,199 --> 00:44:22,519 out. If he's gonna get classified as the back court, maybe Kawhi doesn't 676 00:44:22,519 --> 00:44:25,079 matter as much, but this might be the year where it could be set 677 00:44:25,159 --> 00:44:28,960 up for him. Chris Paul is older, and then maybe he and Devin 678 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,719 Booker kind of cannibalize from each other. And this is just very clearly there's 679 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:36,079 no Al Horford, there's no Kemba let alone, no CB three like this 680 00:44:36,159 --> 00:44:38,639 is shake. You'll just Alexander's team. And if he puts up the numbers 681 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:43,199 that he did or even anything like resembling those on the efficiency that he has, 682 00:44:43,719 --> 00:44:45,599 I'm gonna say, yes, I'm gonna go out on a limb make 683 00:44:45,639 --> 00:44:49,239 a positive prediction for this Thunder and say that Shay Gilder Alexander is an All 684 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:52,039 Star. And I'll also go as far as saying that I flirt with putting 685 00:44:52,079 --> 00:44:54,719 him on an All NBA team. Nice, Okay, good, good answer. 686 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:59,320 I completely agree with you. I think he's been like right there, 687 00:45:00,199 --> 00:45:01,679 like two seasons, and so I feel like this is finally the year. 688 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:06,199 Follow up question, do you think that this is the year that lu Dort 689 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:10,880 makes an All NBA defense team? Ooh, that's a great question. Somehow 690 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:15,920 did not make it last year? They got one vote for NBA First Team 691 00:45:15,199 --> 00:45:19,960 for defense. Tell me how about makes sense? It doesn't, And the 692 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:22,639 whole voting process very often doesn't mean too So here's what's tough with it's even 693 00:45:22,679 --> 00:45:27,239 All Star voting too. People play so much stock in a team record or 694 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,280 if they're voting all defense, in where the team stands defensively, I don't 695 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:34,480 know. On the Thunder were twenty six and defensive efficiency last year? Do 696 00:45:34,519 --> 00:45:37,320 you think they're built to be better than that this year? Because I think 697 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:39,599 they probably need to finish outside of the bottom ten for lu Dort to get 698 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:44,119 the amount of attention that he'll deserve. And I do think we need to 699 00:45:44,159 --> 00:45:47,480 go beyond like be able to separate an individual players performance from where the team 700 00:45:47,519 --> 00:45:52,360 actually finishes, because lu Dort isn't playing forty eight minutes a game and defending 701 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:55,360 all five players at once, right, But I do think the thunder need 702 00:45:55,400 --> 00:46:00,400 to be like not shitty on defense for him to be considered. I think 703 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:01,679 so too. Yeah, I think that's the hardest thing. Is Like, 704 00:46:01,719 --> 00:46:07,039 if we were just looking at the individual in a vacuum, I think he 705 00:46:07,079 --> 00:46:10,480 would easily make it just for his ability to constantly guard the best players on 706 00:46:10,559 --> 00:46:15,599 every team and you know, really hold some of these superstar players to very 707 00:46:15,639 --> 00:46:22,519 limited points. As we saw him, he'd guarded James Harden absolutely phenomenally in 708 00:46:22,559 --> 00:46:25,440 that playoff series and all season, And so if we're looking at him in 709 00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:29,800 a vacuum, yes, But I think you're right if if you can't give 710 00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:35,000 someone on a team that's you know, like bottom five in defense an all 711 00:46:35,119 --> 00:46:37,920 NBA defense position, so hopefully they'll be a little bit better than that. 712 00:46:38,119 --> 00:46:44,880 I don't know where they're getting that additional defense from necessarily. Kenrich Williams yes 713 00:46:45,519 --> 00:46:50,440 to say ken Ridge Williams. So yeah, maybe maybe Kenrich Williams can help 714 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:52,960 us out our dear favors. We'll see, but yeah, it'll be tricky, 715 00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:55,639 but I would like to see both of those things happen for them. 716 00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:59,480 If the whole season is going to be, you know, like a twenty 717 00:46:59,519 --> 00:47:02,360 win season, that would be nice to have USGA as an All Star and 718 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:06,519 for them to get some macclades at the end of the season. Yeah, 719 00:47:06,519 --> 00:47:08,519 so he Okay, here's a scenario to layoff where you or just a choice 720 00:47:09,039 --> 00:47:13,440 SGA making an All Star team, lu Dort making an All Defense team, 721 00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:16,960 and ken Rich Williams being the second leading scorer on the thunder Which is more 722 00:47:17,039 --> 00:47:21,920 likely? Which is more likely? Or which do I want to happen more? 723 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:25,239 I know what you want to happen more like? Okay, well, 724 00:47:25,639 --> 00:47:29,119 to be on to be fair, if you asked me which one of those 725 00:47:29,159 --> 00:47:30,679 do I want to happen the most? Is actually the same answer for which 726 00:47:30,679 --> 00:47:34,400 I think is the most likely? And I think it's SGA being an All 727 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:36,800 Star. As much as I love ken Rich Williams and I want him to 728 00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,719 be phenomenal, and I want both sides of this pill to be cold and 729 00:47:39,760 --> 00:47:44,000 for him to never have a bad Monday and everything good to happen to ken 730 00:47:44,079 --> 00:47:46,920 Ridge Williams. I do want Sga to make it as an All Star because 731 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:52,800 that to me cements the future for the Thunder. That's what I care most 732 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,760 about is, Yeah, we're in a tough time right now as Thunder fans, 733 00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:59,559 But if there's that promise at the end of this that it was worth 734 00:47:59,559 --> 00:48:04,920 it and that Star really turns out to be the player that we we believe 735 00:48:05,199 --> 00:48:07,960 that he is, I think that would be the best thing that could happen. 736 00:48:07,599 --> 00:48:10,480 If he doesn't make one and is in the conversation at least, I 737 00:48:12,119 --> 00:48:14,639 that would be like one of the new arguments for why are we still doing 738 00:48:14,639 --> 00:48:17,199 it by even separating it for frontcourt, back, quarter or even like we 739 00:48:17,239 --> 00:48:20,920 need at that point we need to extra All Star because I just go through 740 00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:23,639 the West. There's so many good guards there. It might help him that 741 00:48:23,719 --> 00:48:29,639 Chris Paul's older, although that that really hasn't mattered lately. Jamal Murray's injured, 742 00:48:30,719 --> 00:48:31,800 but like, you know, what they really need, Damian Lillard needs 743 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:35,840 to request a trade to an Eastern Conference team. That right really set that 744 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:38,239 sets the stage for Shay Gil just Alexander just take in take one of those 745 00:48:38,639 --> 00:48:42,880 you know, incumbent All Star spots where you look at these players like Luca, 746 00:48:43,199 --> 00:48:45,360 Steph and Dame and just say, oh, well, they're clearly going 747 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:47,519 to get an All Star spot, Like you need one of those guys to 748 00:48:47,559 --> 00:48:50,960 not be in the mix. And Dame already seems like he hates Portland and 749 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:52,840 is just waiting for next season, so they need him to up his timeline 750 00:48:52,840 --> 00:48:57,719 a little bit, right, Yeah, Like after this whole conversation we've had 751 00:48:57,760 --> 00:49:01,599 today, it just it's so clear that separating into front court and backcourt just 752 00:49:01,639 --> 00:49:06,719 doesn't make any sense because players just fit into so many different roles on their 753 00:49:06,719 --> 00:49:09,000 teams. Now, Like what is Lebron? What does the honest like, 754 00:49:09,679 --> 00:49:14,280 where do those players fit in that criteria? And so I feel like they 755 00:49:14,320 --> 00:49:16,199 really need to just do away with that, Like who cares if the if 756 00:49:16,199 --> 00:49:20,719 the Western Conference All Star team is five point guards, let's do it. 757 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:23,320 I'm here for it. The game is pointless and meaningless anyway, So what 758 00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:27,480 does it even matter, like what the positions that the players play? I 759 00:49:27,519 --> 00:49:31,440 think it's the actual game itself is unimportant. It is the honor of being 760 00:49:32,119 --> 00:49:37,280 selected. That matters in my opinion, and so I feel like I agree 761 00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:39,639 with you that the whole process could be a lot better. And I think 762 00:49:39,639 --> 00:49:44,320 the NBA's even kind of admitted that because, I mean, with all MBA 763 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:47,199 this year, we're like you, they had like Yokich eligible power forward and 764 00:49:47,239 --> 00:49:51,519 same within bid because they wanted the best players to make the best teams. 765 00:49:51,559 --> 00:49:53,960 It's like, Okay, neither of those dudes was ever a power forward any 766 00:49:54,039 --> 00:49:58,760 metric, So let's just get away with positions at that point. Maybe it 767 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:00,719 works the same for All Star. I mean you mentioned Lebron is a perfect 768 00:50:00,719 --> 00:50:05,239 case study. He's always a like eligible at forward and really never point guard. 769 00:50:05,239 --> 00:50:07,119 For All Star. He's the Laker's point guard. I don't care if 770 00:50:07,119 --> 00:50:10,199 he's not guarding point like he's the Lakers point guard. So yeah, I'm 771 00:50:10,199 --> 00:50:13,280 going to make the prediction and say he makes it though. That's going to 772 00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:16,360 be my bold positive thunder prediction. Okay, sounds good. I hope so 773 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:21,440 too, Olivia. This was fantastic as always. I appreciate you coming on 774 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:23,760 to school us on some Oklahoma City thunder. Can you tell our listeners where 775 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:28,400 they can find you on Twitter and check out your work at Daily Thunder. 776 00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:35,239 Yes, you can find me at Olivia NBA on Twitter. Good. We've 777 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:38,239 got a weekly show cross Bolts at Daily Thunder where we argue about different Thunder 778 00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:43,119 topics and we just came back from our offseason this week and at our first 779 00:50:43,199 --> 00:50:46,000 episode of the new season yesterday, so chut that out, we actually discuss 780 00:50:46,159 --> 00:50:51,320 who we think the Thunder lineup starting lineup for Game one should be, and 781 00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:53,760 obviously I put Kenrick Williams in my stay in line up, So feel free 782 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:59,840 to roast me on the comments on that on Twitter. That's innovation that I 783 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:01,679 will not roast. And also, this is in your bio, so I 784 00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:04,559 know you don't. I don't know how you find the time to do this 785 00:51:04,559 --> 00:51:08,239 stuff and be a medical student, because that just sounds unbelievably exhausting to me. 786 00:51:09,159 --> 00:51:13,599 Honestly, this is like my distraction from school. I love it. 787 00:51:13,639 --> 00:51:15,639 I think it's important to have hobbies and things that have nothing to do with 788 00:51:15,679 --> 00:51:20,360 school, and so when I get to spend time talking about basketball, I 789 00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:23,679 love doing that. Unfortunately, all of my brain is full of meaningless basketball 790 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:29,119 information. I can tell you the most random stuff about the NBA that I 791 00:51:29,119 --> 00:51:32,840 need to make room for the for the medical stuff now, Kenrick Jilliams knowledge 792 00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:37,760 is far from meaningless At this point, I think we've established Thank you again 793 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:40,960 so much for coming on, and I will talk to you soon. Thank you,