1 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,120 What is krack Alaki and Harvard Nocks listeners, I am Damp Valley coming at 2 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,120 you out my fans havebulous co host Adam Promo this time. I am, 3 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,920 however, super pleased to be joined by Uman Adden from the Dishes and Dimes 4 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,199 podcast. Great podcasts, you should check them out. She's also over at 5 00:00:31,239 --> 00:00:35,880 Yahoo Sports Canada and Basketball News. Be sure to follow her on Twitter at 6 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:41,240 Amon Underscore Adden. That's at im M A n Underscore a d An. 7 00:00:41,359 --> 00:00:45,399 She's a great follow on Twitter. We get into a lot about the Toronto 8 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,960 Raptors, one of the teams that she primarily covers, but she also covers 9 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,799 the entire league at large, and so we just we run through the rest 10 00:00:51,799 --> 00:00:57,359 of the Eastern Conference, talk a lot of heat bowls, some Celtics Bucks 11 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,960 nets, we go, we go around the horn. There even some cabs 12 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,840 sprinkled it in addition to the Raptors. There's a lot of fun. So 13 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,760 I hope you enjoyed the discussion. Before we get started, just the usual 14 00:01:06,799 --> 00:01:10,799 housekeeping notes, Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,079 especially if it's your first time checking us out. Consider throwing us the 16 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,439 permanent sub and whether you use iTunes or not. It helps us out a 17 00:01:17,439 --> 00:01:19,239 bunch if you go over there, throw us a five star rating and write 18 00:01:19,239 --> 00:01:23,159 a review. Both those steps assist us a ton. As I said before, 19 00:01:23,519 --> 00:01:26,959 be sure to check out and join our discord. We have a bunch 20 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,319 of people in there now. We've run one live game conversation so far that 21 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,640 was a bunch of fun as well. The link is in the podcast description, 22 00:01:37,719 --> 00:01:40,719 so join us on discord. Also follow us on YouTube, YouTube dot 23 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,719 com search Harder Knox you will come up. Throw us a sub there, 24 00:01:44,239 --> 00:01:48,799 follow us on Twitter at Hardwood Knox, and follow us on Instagram at Hardwood 25 00:01:48,879 --> 00:01:53,959 Underscore Knox. Our personal socials are also in the podcast description. Without further 26 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,560 ado, though, let's get to some Eastern Conference basketball talk with m on 27 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,879 ad Co'm on, thank you so much for hopping on the Hardwood Knox podcast. 28 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,040 Is the first time I bothered you and you said yes, So I 29 00:02:07,079 --> 00:02:10,000 am super excited to talk some hoops with you. First and foremost, though, 30 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,800 how are you doing? I'm great? Thank you so much for having 31 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,479 me on the raptors. I feel like we're gonna They're not They're not doing 32 00:02:19,479 --> 00:02:22,520 the best right now when my mood kind of works with how well they're playing, 33 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,240 but you know, beyond that, I'm pretty good. I call myself 34 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,639 a debtingly disenchanted Knicks fan, and so if I allowed my mood to be 35 00:02:29,719 --> 00:02:34,800 tethered to how they were faring, I think I would just be perpetually depressed. 36 00:02:34,879 --> 00:02:38,800 So there needs to be some separation there. The actual first question I 37 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,319 have from you is I think I saw it. I think it was you 38 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,080 on Twitter a few weeks ago. Our fellow listens to podcasts at two time 39 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:50,599 speed. Person. Yes, people think I'm I'm bonkers for doing that. 40 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,039 I can't do it any other way. Okay, two times might be like 41 00:02:55,080 --> 00:03:00,000 if I'm listening to Tim Bontems, I'm not listening to him at two times. 42 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,919 I don't know if you can do that. There are certain people that 43 00:03:02,039 --> 00:03:07,319 speak a little quick, I talk fast that I can't do at two time 44 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,439 speed. One point five is a minimum for everybody, and then two time 45 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,800 speed is is generally what I do. Have you ever I listened to basically 46 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,840 everyone at two times speed. There's like some people, including myself, if 47 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,840 I listen back one point five speed a lot, and I've been told some 48 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,919 people can't even listening on that because I just ramble and ramble and ramble. 49 00:03:24,199 --> 00:03:27,840 No, but you're a quick talker, so it's just like it's it's hard 50 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,960 to keep up. Sometimes it might be a gem in there that I miss 51 00:03:30,039 --> 00:03:34,680 listening to it too quickly. Have you ever gone back though and listened to 52 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:39,439 anything at like regular speed and how slow it sounds? Yeah, I feel 53 00:03:39,439 --> 00:03:43,360 like something is wrong with my foot, like because sometimes I don't know if 54 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,840 it like resets to the default or something. I also listened to a lot 55 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:53,599 of true crime podcast and so sometimes I'll slow them down to one time speed. 56 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,520 But if I switch over to like a basketball pot or anything else, 57 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:00,439 I'm like, what has happened? Like why is this taking so much of 58 00:04:00,479 --> 00:04:03,360 my time? Why am I only a quarter in? Why is everyone talking 59 00:04:03,439 --> 00:04:08,000 so slow? And then I realized what the problem was. Yeah, and 60 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,120 when you've listened to so many podcasts too, it's like who just has the 61 00:04:11,159 --> 00:04:15,520 time to sit there and listen to it at regular There's too much good things 62 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,319 out there to consume that I'm not going to listen anything at one time. 63 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,079 See, but I don't know if this has happened to you, And we're 64 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,560 probably going on too far of a tangent on this, but I don't know 65 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,120 if this has happened to you. I listen to spaces sometimes, or I'll 66 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,079 have real conversations where I'm just sitting in listening to people talk, and I'm 67 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,959 like, I can't, for one, go fifteen back what I just missed 68 00:04:32,959 --> 00:04:35,680 as I zoned out. I can't do that when my boss is talking to 69 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,600 me, and it's but then I also like, can't sit into spaces and 70 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,399 speed anyone up, and I'm just like, oh my gosh, my brain 71 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,439 has been broken because of podcast. It's spaces specifically, or like any of 72 00:04:47,439 --> 00:04:50,600 the many just like chat room maps whatever out there. Now. When it's 73 00:04:50,639 --> 00:04:55,680 not, I guess someone who does it enough or talks even like and I 74 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,480 say, like a lot, I have my stammers, my eyes. But 75 00:04:58,519 --> 00:05:00,319 if it's someone who likes get a teacher, I have a light counter for 76 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,839 me in class when I was in high school. That's how bad I am 77 00:05:03,879 --> 00:05:09,680 with that. So you would think I would get better at it, at 78 00:05:09,759 --> 00:05:13,639 least after podcasting for like five, six, seven years whatever long it's been. 79 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:15,439 A No, it's bad. But if it takes someone a while to 80 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,959 like spit out a point, that's where I'll I'll lose a train of thought. 81 00:05:20,519 --> 00:05:24,480 The one thing I can't do. And I think the reason I saw 82 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,720 that you listen to podcasts and two time speed was because I saw a follow 83 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,519 up tweet from you that says you watch stuff at like one and a half 84 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,879 speed. Now, okay, not like a TV show, right, not 85 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,759 like like I'm not watching The Office at one point five speed, but like 86 00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:42,519 like I watched Love Is Blind. I have like a lot of reality TV 87 00:05:42,639 --> 00:05:46,240 guilty pleasures, and I watch a lot of documentaries too. I can't for 88 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,000 the life of me, because it's a similar thing where people are trying to 89 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,879 get their point across and they talk around the point before getting to the point. 90 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,720 I just need to hit that one point five on that or one point 91 00:05:55,759 --> 00:06:00,639 two five. I tried it in advance of this podcast because I've never even 92 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,240 thought about doing it with something I'm watching, And I did it with a 93 00:06:03,319 --> 00:06:08,519 random episode of New Girl on Netflix at one point five speed. I lasted 94 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,360 maybe a minute. I can't do it. That's going through that. I 95 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,360 don't know how possible that I can't. I can't do like I can't watch 96 00:06:14,399 --> 00:06:17,240 New Girl. I can't watch like a scripted TV show. But it is 97 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,720 a documentary or even the reality TV like if you're gonna watch Love Is Blond, 98 00:06:21,759 --> 00:06:26,920 if you're binging it one point two five, it like it makes trash 99 00:06:26,959 --> 00:06:30,480 reality TV so much more enjoyable. I'll give that a shot. I don't 100 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:31,600 watch too much reality TV, but I guess that makes sense. I was 101 00:06:31,639 --> 00:06:34,319 just thinking, like, how am I supposed to enjoy this? Oh no, 102 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,360 you can't. You can't do that. I can't do that. I 103 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:41,079 can't watch like a comedy, like I'm not watching Community or a New Girl 104 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,959 at one point five. I can't do that. Sam Hanky definitely is maybe 105 00:06:43,959 --> 00:06:46,800 even at like two points. There are limits to my insanity. I did 106 00:06:46,879 --> 00:06:50,600 bring you on to talk about basketball, specifically the Eastern Conference, but more 107 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,959 specifically also the Toronto Raptors, who anyone who listened to this podcast knows that 108 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,000 my coast and I have this mega ultra sauce spot for them this season, 109 00:07:00,079 --> 00:07:04,000 and they are twenty and ten since they fell to like their worst record or 110 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,399 whatever it was this season, top ten defense during that time, top ten 111 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:13,600 net rating. Aside from getting healthy and Nick Nurse playing his top players like 112 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,600 a bajillion minutes, what has been like the driving force behind their sort of 113 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:23,079 turnaround. It feels overly simplistic to say, but that's kind of it. 114 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,079 The Raptors are built a lot like a house of cards, and we take 115 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,399 one piece out of it and they all come tumbling down. And I think 116 00:07:30,399 --> 00:07:33,839 that that's been more apparent this last few weeks more than at any other point 117 00:07:33,839 --> 00:07:38,319 in the season, because you just mentioned it. Twenty and ten, since 118 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:42,879 their poor start, they've lost before beating the Nets. We're not even gonna 119 00:07:42,879 --> 00:07:46,600 talk about that because that's about kind yeah, yeah, we're not going to 120 00:07:46,639 --> 00:07:48,399 talk about that. Before those two back to back wins earlier this week, 121 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:53,160 they lost four to five games, and they were not losing it like they 122 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,800 had one where they lost right at the buzzer to the Nuggets, which was 123 00:07:55,879 --> 00:07:58,879 a great game and a very Raptors esque game. Outside of that, they 124 00:07:58,879 --> 00:08:01,240 were losing the thirty points, the Hawks, the Pelicans, and the Hornets 125 00:08:01,279 --> 00:08:05,399 thirty points, like each of those teams who are teams with the Raptors have 126 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,600 comfortably be before. I feel like they're better than you know, have had 127 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,000 wins. But you look at it and you're like, Okay, you're taking 128 00:08:11,279 --> 00:08:15,199 og and and Oobi out and you're Pascal Siakam is dealing with the sickness, 129 00:08:15,199 --> 00:08:18,279 and Beavmbley is clearly hurt and has missed a couple of those games, Like 130 00:08:18,399 --> 00:08:22,000 it kind of makes sense that one or two of those pieces come out and 131 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,199 everything comes tumbling down. And I've I've really been trying to sit with it 132 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,920 because ogn and Noobi is not the difference between beating the Hawks comfortably and losing 133 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,960 by thirty points. He's not worth that. But it feels like every single 134 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,240 person on this roster is worth twice as much as they are, and someone 135 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:41,879 like og, who is arguably the defensive anchor of the team and one of 136 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:45,159 the only floor spacers on the team. Is really difficult. When you have 137 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,799 fourteen fifteen guys on the roster and only three of them are abovely gaverage and 138 00:08:48,879 --> 00:08:52,039 three point shooting. You take one of those guys out and really the offensive 139 00:08:52,039 --> 00:08:56,000 defense absolutely crumbles. And the Raptors have had I mean, if they're twenty 140 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:01,320 and ten and have just lost four games by like thirty points collectively to teams 141 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,360 under five hundred, they had been doing really well before that stretch, and 142 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:07,759 that's because they were healthy. Does that ever worry you though? When you're 143 00:09:07,759 --> 00:09:11,879 looking at like specifically the top four or five guys at how many minutes theick 144 00:09:11,919 --> 00:09:13,519 nurses playing them right now? Even with Fred van Fleet being banged up and 145 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,600 o g miss Bolt their games against the nets too, right, Yeah, 146 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,360 So like does that concern you at all? Even like when they got fat 147 00:09:20,399 --> 00:09:24,960 Young, I was like, oh, a seventh guy in the rotation basically 148 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,000 that's kind of huge. Yeah, No, that's exactly it. It does, 149 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,960 especially because what's going to happen is you're overextending Pascal Siakam and Scotty Barnes 150 00:09:33,039 --> 00:09:35,879 when Og and Fred are hurt, and then one of them is going to 151 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,440 get injured, and then you're overextending Gary Trent. You know. It just 152 00:09:39,519 --> 00:09:43,919 it feels like a cycle that's never ending. So that's why it was so 153 00:09:43,039 --> 00:09:48,279 necessary for them to get a seventh guy in the rotation, and Nick finally 154 00:09:48,399 --> 00:09:50,759 has kind of gone a little bit to the bench. Part of that is 155 00:09:50,879 --> 00:09:56,639 because they were playing the G League, the Long Island Nets, but it's 156 00:09:56,639 --> 00:10:01,039 certainly a concern. It's probably why I don't have them with, you know, 157 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:05,200 even the Cabs and the Celtics. I probably put them just like a 158 00:10:05,639 --> 00:10:13,679 rank below those teams only because they just don't have the guys. Yeah, 159 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,440 there's something like Thibodonian about some of the stuff Nick Nurse has done this year 160 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,279 with the minutes. And then I think he even said with Malakai Flynn because 161 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,759 as you said, he started playing and he was just basically unless I'm misquoting, 162 00:10:24,799 --> 00:10:26,519 and was like, well he just wasn't showing it in practice or something 163 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,480 like that. It was like, dude, you need your bodies in the 164 00:10:28,519 --> 00:10:33,440 court at this point. Yeah, exactly if you're not. And the leash 165 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,559 on these guys is so short on the court as well, like you've time 166 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,039 makes one mistake or Steve misses one three, and it's like you're pulling them. 167 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,320 It's like, please, we just need a body, just like two 168 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,360 minutes a time. And then Nick does his thing where he like plays all 169 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,000 of the bench together and it's like, well, of course, if you're 170 00:10:48,039 --> 00:10:52,000 having these hockey rotations, the bench is going to look bad because they're just 171 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:58,519 not there's no mixing out here. So it's interesting Nick has a very a 172 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:01,840 couple of years ago Bubble Year, so the year after Khi left, the 173 00:11:01,919 --> 00:11:05,919 Raptors got Stanley Johnson and who am I forgetting? Who did they get, 174 00:11:05,919 --> 00:11:09,360 who do they get Ronnie Hollis Jefferson, two guys known for their defense. 175 00:11:09,759 --> 00:11:13,840 They couldn't crack the rotation ahead of like guys like Arrence Davis and things, 176 00:11:13,879 --> 00:11:16,039 and everyone was like, Raptist need bodies. They're so thin, Like you 177 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,679 have Stanley Johnson and Rondey Hollis right there, and he's like, their defense 178 00:11:20,759 --> 00:11:22,759 isn't up to part with what we do here in practice, so we're not 179 00:11:22,799 --> 00:11:24,519 going to play them, and they're like, what like plays? But then 180 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,320 that's what happened, and until you know Stanley and ronde started playing defense. 181 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,600 Well, Nick Nurse didn't play them and he ended up you know, they 182 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,679 played plenty of minutes towards the end to the latter half of the season. 183 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,399 So I guess the Raptors just feel like, hey, we're a championship team 184 00:11:37,879 --> 00:11:41,159 regardless, and if you're not playing championship level defense, you're not seeing the 185 00:11:41,159 --> 00:11:48,120 court. I think part of my emotional attachment to the Raptors is I have 186 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,759 a soft spot for players where I feel like there's this perception of them and 187 00:11:50,799 --> 00:11:54,440 it could be negative for some reason, and it could be overwhelmingly positive turned 188 00:11:54,440 --> 00:12:01,360 to negative and then never shift back. It feels like Pascal Siakam league wide 189 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:05,159 has been at that point for a while, and he has quietly had he 190 00:12:05,159 --> 00:12:07,679 would have made my All Star team if I had like any power over that. 191 00:12:09,519 --> 00:12:13,879 Going through my All NBA teams quickly, I'm pretty sure he's gonna make 192 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:18,279 one of my three. What has most impressed you about him this season? 193 00:12:18,399 --> 00:12:22,720 But also do you have like any sort of theory or explanation for why he's 194 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,399 I don't want to use the cliche word underrated, but why the perception is 195 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:30,679 the way it is of him. I have that same thing with you, 196 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,200 where those are my favorite guys, Like there's a reason why I really like 197 00:12:33,279 --> 00:12:35,759 Rudy Gobert, probably more than most people, because I'm just like, no 198 00:12:35,759 --> 00:12:39,360 one is appreciate you. I recognize, I recognize that, but it's more 199 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,759 so like and it's it's why I became a diehard Kyle Lowry fan. As 200 00:12:43,919 --> 00:12:46,159 Raptor fans were telling me DeMarco Rosen was better, and I'm like, what 201 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:50,519 are we watching on the court? Anyway. Besides the point back to Pascaliakam, 202 00:12:50,519 --> 00:12:52,519 it, I think one of the things that really bothers me that people 203 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:58,639 do really quickly is anoint guys. I think that he was anointed fairly early 204 00:12:58,799 --> 00:13:03,120 on, and he was the most improved player in twenty nineteen, and he 205 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,360 was the number two scoring option on a championship win team against guys like Jonathan 206 00:13:07,399 --> 00:13:11,120 Isaac, Rudy Rudy go Back, Jonathan Isaac, Gianni's Attatakumbo, Draymond Green. 207 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,720 Who else did he play? Joe Ellenbid. Those were the guys guarding 208 00:13:13,759 --> 00:13:18,679 him, which could field an All NBA First defensive team right like right there. 209 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,960 So he did deserve a lot of the praise, but I felt like 210 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,960 a lot of that was given to him a little too quickly, a little 211 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:26,240 too early. How much praise was he found him? I still think Kyle 212 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,759 Lowry was the second best player on that team. I still think Kyle Lowry 213 00:13:30,799 --> 00:13:33,600 was the best player on the team the following year, although he didn't make 214 00:13:33,639 --> 00:13:37,639 an All NBA team ahead of Pascal Siakam, So I think that's part of 215 00:13:37,639 --> 00:13:41,039 it. And then also the bubble came, and I'm not like people don't 216 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,159 watch the Toronto Raptors like I recognize that they're the Canadian team. They don't 217 00:13:45,159 --> 00:13:48,639 get nationally televised games in America because we're in Canada, our TV ratings don't 218 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,799 count for us, right, so I recognize people don't watch him. And 219 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,519 then the bubble came and that's where everyone started to watch everything because it was 220 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:01,159 just twenty four seven basketball with nothing else going on in the world, and 221 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,000 he was coming off of a groin injury. He was an All NBA player 222 00:14:05,039 --> 00:14:07,159 and All Star started that year, and what people saw was the worst version 223 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,360 of Pascal Siakam that we've ever seen. And so the narrative changes just as 224 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,120 quickly as if again for him, and so I think that's part of it, 225 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:20,679 at least that's my understanding of what's happening. It changed in Toronto as 226 00:14:20,679 --> 00:14:24,919 well. It felt like rafter fans were really quickly dismissing him and wanting him 227 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,200 off the team. But this year I think he asked, like how he's 228 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,639 improved as well. It feels like every point of his game, I mean, 229 00:14:31,679 --> 00:14:35,639 his handle was so much tighter than it's been. He's got an in 230 00:14:35,639 --> 00:14:37,759 between game, which was a thing that he didn't really have before, where 231 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,559 he does have that floater. Now his touch adound the basket is so much 232 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:46,519 better because he's so much stronger and can finish with through contact. Now he 233 00:14:46,679 --> 00:14:50,759 leads the team in free throw rate, which I mean is not very high, 234 00:14:50,799 --> 00:14:56,840 but still he's the only really guy that can really draw contact and finished 235 00:14:56,879 --> 00:15:01,159 through it consistently. His playmaking is probably the number one thing that you would 236 00:15:01,159 --> 00:15:05,320 say has improved this season, where even Fred van Vleet has Fred Fred has 237 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:09,720 never really been better on ball as he's been off ball, and with the 238 00:15:09,759 --> 00:15:13,759 emergence of Pascal Siakam is a guy who we've seen play point power forward so 239 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:18,960 often for this team he is the point guard quite often even when Fred shares 240 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,000 the court with him. Has allowed Fred to unleash his games as you know 241 00:15:22,039 --> 00:15:26,720 an off ball shooter. So the playmaking, the handle being tighter, the 242 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:28,720 ability to finish through contact, the end between game, being able to hit 243 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,240 that float of that mid brain shot that he hasn't really had in the past 244 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:35,799 has taken as the game to another level. This is the best Pascal Siakam 245 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,200 that we've seen, and that's not even mentioning his defense. And I think 246 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,120 for a good chunk of that, you know January run where they had a 247 00:15:43,159 --> 00:15:46,240 seven or a game win streak, it was Pascal Siakam playing some of the 248 00:15:46,279 --> 00:15:50,960 best defense that we've ever seen as well. That was one of the first 249 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:52,519 things that starts to me was the passing, because to me, the mark 250 00:15:52,559 --> 00:15:56,960 of a good player is if you were making decisions that I can't understand in 251 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,679 real time. And when you go back and watch him and it seems like 252 00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:02,679 he's seen like two or three different passes he can throw. And then you 253 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,519 mentioned the handle, which I think has really just also helped him become like 254 00:16:06,559 --> 00:16:08,799 a little bit more unpredictable with his directionality on drives, where if you go 255 00:16:08,799 --> 00:16:12,600 back like two years or something, but it was a straight line almost and 256 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:15,879 now it's just like he can be all over the place and is better through 257 00:16:15,879 --> 00:16:18,679 traffic. So those are the things that stood out to me, and that's 258 00:16:18,759 --> 00:16:22,240 I think you're probably spot on with the anointing. Like that rush to coordinate 259 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,679 definitely skews how we view players as well. And I don't know that he's 260 00:16:25,679 --> 00:16:29,399 ever recovered from it, but his players recovered from it. And yet the 261 00:16:29,399 --> 00:16:32,600 perceptionist and so and we're at the point where people just thought he was on 262 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,879 this terrible contract, and even even the people that watch him and you could 263 00:16:36,879 --> 00:16:41,039 see it more religiously or closely, we're criticizing him for not being number one 264 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,200 material on a title team. That's like, if we're being honest, that 265 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,159 might be ten guys in the league. And so I think that's I think 266 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,960 that's generous. I think ten guys as a number one player on a championship 267 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,279 team is generous. There's so few, right, And if that's like the 268 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:00,320 criticism, if that's the bar to which we're holding him, there's real value 269 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,880 in being the two or the three on a title team, like the Knicks 270 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,559 are seeing that now that Julius Randalls imploded, or he doesn't even look like 271 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:10,240 he could be the number three on a really good team. So that's the 272 00:17:10,279 --> 00:17:14,079 part I never understood, is you there are people commenting, who you know, 273 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:15,759 watch him, and it's just, oh, he's not a number one. 274 00:17:15,759 --> 00:17:21,759 So it's just that's a problem, like Kawhi Leonard guys like And also 275 00:17:21,799 --> 00:17:22,559 it's just like, well, you need a number one to win a chip, 276 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,799 you need a number two to win a championship team. And what happens 277 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:29,079 when you trade your number two for just I don't know, scraps and then 278 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,960 you're looking to get that guy because you're wasting your number one's prime because he 279 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:38,160 doesn't have that pip in his Jordans, and there's been no like steadiness in 280 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,119 the hierarchy of the Raptors because you go from like having de Rosen, then 281 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:48,079 you add Kawai, then Kawai is gone, and now Kyle Lowry is gone. 282 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:52,400 And so it's just been like this. He's been like shimmied between these 283 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:56,079 different roles and arguably was probably just like promoted or shoved into a little bit 284 00:17:56,079 --> 00:17:59,480 of an outsized role more so than he was ready for. And now he's 285 00:17:59,519 --> 00:18:02,440 just clearly ready for it. I don't think he's perfect, Like if you 286 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,599 were naming half court options and creators, no, you don't. Necessarily he's 287 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,680 not going to be. I don't know where he ranks in that. But 288 00:18:07,039 --> 00:18:10,880 he's been so good this year, and it was just I was shocked he 289 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,119 didn't make the All Star team, especially why Jared Allen was great this year. 290 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,039 I would have put Siakim Overround. I would have put him over Chris 291 00:18:17,039 --> 00:18:19,480 Middleton who made it as well too. He's just been absolutely spectacular. He's 292 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,480 been Yeah, he's been so good. And I think you know, we 293 00:18:22,559 --> 00:18:25,680 talked about just the lack of Raptors death, but you just mentioned it right 294 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:30,799 there, like just to point out why the Raptors are so thin, Fred 295 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,400 VanVleet, And you know that the Rosen team that won fifty nine games first 296 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,200 in the East, Yadi YadA, that team had Pascal Siakaman Fred Vanvley coming 297 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:41,119 off the bench. The championship team had ogn and nob coming off the bench. 298 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,559 And now all three of those guys are starters. Norman Powell was traded 299 00:18:44,599 --> 00:18:47,119 for Gary Trent. He's been a bench player of the entire times enough he's 300 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,960 a starter. So literally, your entire bench for your run where you were 301 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:55,680 winning fifty nine to sixty games every single year, is now your starters. 302 00:18:55,759 --> 00:18:59,359 And so you don't elevent. You have to sort of refill those guys. 303 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:00,960 And that's kind of what the Raptors are trying to do right now with the 304 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:07,359 Malachis and the Preciouses is hopefully build that next iteration, the next up. 305 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,200 And yeah, for the time being, they're just gonna be really thin. 306 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,519 That's an interesting and right on frame of I didn't really consider like all these 307 00:19:15,519 --> 00:19:18,880 guys are basically on the bench for them just a few years ago. That 308 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,680 is wild. Fred VanVleet, I'm excited you're here. Because and especially because 309 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,039 I watched him a little more closely in advance of this discussion, obviously not 310 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,240 pre All Star Break. How has he leveled up his game? I feel 311 00:19:30,279 --> 00:19:32,680 and the way I put it in the outline sit you said, I feel 312 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:36,400 like I'm just always continuously watching a better version of the same player, which 313 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:40,599 just doesn't even make any sense. Yeah, I mean, but that's exactly 314 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:45,279 what it is. It's so so okay. So I have never been the 315 00:19:45,319 --> 00:19:48,400 biggest Fred van Vleet person until the last couple of years. And part of 316 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,559 that it was I knew that he was, like I said, all the 317 00:19:51,599 --> 00:19:53,079 bench guys for now the starters, and he was sort of taking over that 318 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:57,440 Kyle Lowry role. And he has never really profiled as as a point guard. 319 00:19:57,599 --> 00:20:00,599 He is much better off ball than he has on ball, and part 320 00:20:00,599 --> 00:20:02,839 of that was his decision making with the ball. Part of that was his 321 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:07,240 playmaking. He when he first came into the league had such tunnel vision where 322 00:20:07,279 --> 00:20:11,880 he would just if he had the ball, he was not no one else 323 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,160 was gonna see it. It was gonna be then bleed show. And he 324 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,319 would drive right into a seven foot or right at the basket for no reason. 325 00:20:17,559 --> 00:20:19,519 Like fast break fredn Blea, it was gonna be a turnover at any 326 00:20:19,519 --> 00:20:25,160 given time because he's just gonna like run into I don't know, the rim, 327 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,720 might blocket shot. It's it's really difficult when you're a guard that's barely 328 00:20:27,759 --> 00:20:32,000 six feet tall to really try to finish around the rim, and that's always 329 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,079 going to be a bit of a struggle. But the game has slowed down 330 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:38,319 for him, the amount of doubles that both he and Pascal c Or get 331 00:20:38,799 --> 00:20:44,039 daily in every single game, and his ability to just make the reads and 332 00:20:44,079 --> 00:20:48,079 make the pass at the right time. His playmaking has improved tenfold. Not 333 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,559 to bring up some some harsh memories, but back to the bubble. The 334 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,640 Rafts had a Game seven against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and 335 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:00,319 it was game seven. It came down to there was under a minute left. 336 00:21:00,319 --> 00:21:03,160 There was it was a three point game. I think the Raptors were 337 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,519 down three was under a minute left, and Kyle Lowry fouled out and that's 338 00:21:06,519 --> 00:21:10,880 when I was like, Okay, well that's it, go home, it's 339 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,920 done. And part of that was I did not trust Fred Bensleet's decision making 340 00:21:15,319 --> 00:21:17,920 and what ended up happening. It's been a while since I've watched this, 341 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,720 but I feel like I'm pretty sure Fred just almost dribbled out the clock like 342 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:26,599 he had jail in on him. Grant Williams got switched on to him, 343 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:32,640 and he ended up taking this highly contested three from like ten feet back, 344 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,480 it felt like, and it didn't even hit close to him. I feel 345 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,039 like it was an airball. And that's what the Raptors final possession was on 346 00:21:41,079 --> 00:21:48,039 a game seven, like the potential tying basket, And that was what Fred 347 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:52,559 VanVleet was just two years ago. And so where he's gone to now where 348 00:21:52,599 --> 00:21:56,000 he is a playmaker. His on ball is phenomenal. He takes like ten 349 00:21:56,079 --> 00:22:00,279 three's a game and really should be taking fifteen with just how deadly he is. 350 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,759 His defense has always been superb. That's never like, you know, 351 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,440 that's why he's in the NBA for starters. But his decision making, the 352 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,519 way the game shows for him, the way that he sees everything, the 353 00:22:10,559 --> 00:22:15,000 way that he's able to get everybody involved. He's just truly changed entirely as 354 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,240 a player what he was just two years ago to what he is right now 355 00:22:18,279 --> 00:22:22,000 with s Night and Night feels like, yeah, that's a good point. 356 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,359 So he definitely does feel like more of a point guard. I always think 357 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:26,880 too, because you mentioned now he's so much still so much better off the 358 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,039 ball than on the ball. Yeah, I tend to think about like, 359 00:22:30,079 --> 00:22:33,359 and this is a pretty big part of your game and just come along. 360 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,000 But he is shooting better from a range this year. If he hit like 361 00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:41,440 off the dribble threes at even a close to league average rate, like we're 362 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,720 probably looking at like an All NBA type of lock at that point, because 363 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,599 that feels like, yeah, there's the finishing a little bit. But when 364 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,559 you look at what he does defensively, how far he's come along as a 365 00:22:49,559 --> 00:22:52,240 as a passer, and now he has like the in between game or at 366 00:22:52,279 --> 00:22:56,440 least accuracy on it a little bit. If he's like hitting off the dribble 367 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,240 threes or just pull up jumpers in general more consistently, that's just like an 368 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,880 incredibly complete player. I understand that's sort of like a big what if though, 369 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,559 to just pose, especially at this point in his career. Yeah, 370 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:12,920 yeah, but honestly, like it's I don't not see it for Fred ben 371 00:23:14,039 --> 00:23:15,720 Leed. I think there have been games where it's like wait, what, 372 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,480 like he can do that off the drip Like, So there have been moments. 373 00:23:19,519 --> 00:23:22,519 I think it's just consistent to see with everything and with everyone and hopefully 374 00:23:22,599 --> 00:23:29,039 just like getting healthier. But I'd love to continue to see Scottie and Pascal 375 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,960 be the guys that have the ball in their hand moving forward and unleash your 376 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,960 shooting guard. Fred Van Wait I was not a Scottie Barnes over Jail and 377 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,119 Sugs guy, But once the Raptors made that decision, I immediately rethink everything 378 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:45,240 because it's, oh, Messiah Jerry spearhead of this decision, Like I'm missing 379 00:23:45,279 --> 00:23:48,680 something. What is most surprised you impressed you about rookie year Scotty Barnes, 380 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,799 who is playing even if you expected him to play regularly, it's playing a 381 00:23:52,799 --> 00:23:57,279 lot more than I ever saw him playing. Yeah, I mean, especially 382 00:23:57,279 --> 00:24:03,160 like considering you know last year or was a COVID year for college. I 383 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:04,480 don't watch any college basketball. I don't know how any of it works, 384 00:24:04,599 --> 00:24:08,160 but I imagine there weren't as many I don't know he was coming off the 385 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,920 bench. I'm assuming not a lot of practices for them. I know, 386 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,480 I know that for a fact. That they didn't really have practices because of 387 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:15,960 COVID, and the games must have been sort of, I don't know, 388 00:24:17,319 --> 00:24:21,519 a condensed season. So for him to come from that to this where he's 389 00:24:21,559 --> 00:24:25,799 like playing forty minutes a night and like the rookie wall like comes, but 390 00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:27,640 he's just been able to push past that. He just had a game where 391 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:32,559 he was what ten for ten in the first half and just like grabbing up 392 00:24:32,599 --> 00:24:36,519 every single offensive board. I think what surprised me the most is I, 393 00:24:36,839 --> 00:24:41,359 as someone who does not watch college basketball, I take everything that I know 394 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:44,319 from like other people who're just talking to people and hearing what they have to 395 00:24:44,319 --> 00:24:47,880 say. And I was told, you know, Scott is a zero level 396 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,960 score, Like he doesn't have any finish around the rim. You know, 397 00:24:52,319 --> 00:24:55,480 there's no midwright, he can't shoot at three, Like he's literally a zero 398 00:24:55,599 --> 00:24:56,720 level score. It was what I heard coming into it. And then his 399 00:24:56,799 --> 00:25:00,359 first basket in the NBA was this lefty skyhook, and I was like, 400 00:25:00,599 --> 00:25:06,200 excuse me, Kareem, Like what do we like? So for one, 401 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,559 I think it's I didn't think that he would have much touch. I mean, 402 00:25:10,599 --> 00:25:12,559 anyone who watched Friday Night Allstar Game was gonna say that he doesn't, 403 00:25:12,599 --> 00:25:18,359 but but he does. He's been He's been absolutely fantastic. One of my 404 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,160 favorite plays of his this year was just him grabbing the ball directly out of 405 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:26,440 Kevin Durand's hands, like he was just like, yoink, I'm the adults 406 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,160 and you're the skinny child's here. Which surprises me every single time is his 407 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:36,920 strength and his size, like he's just so big for rookie, and his 408 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,440 ability to just not even see contact, being able to fit into this team's 409 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,519 defensively, Like I think he's probably the starter that has the most sort of 410 00:25:45,559 --> 00:25:52,640 like moments, but the Nick Nurse plays a very aggressive style defense and the 411 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,000 Raptors are able to lock down with him there. He's been absolutely superb with 412 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,559 his size. It's his size, it's his strength, it's the fact that 413 00:25:59,559 --> 00:26:00,960 he's not as year a level score but can actually score the ball. He 414 00:26:02,079 --> 00:26:06,519 just is coming off of a twenty twenty eight point game. There's not enough 415 00:26:06,559 --> 00:26:08,920 good things I can say about Scotty Barnes. I've been a big proponent of 416 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:15,319 like wanting him to come off the bench a little and that's been met with 417 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,640 a lot of like ire from Raptor fans. Just because there's this title of 418 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,359 being a starter, and it feels like a demotion for a guy to come 419 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,119 off the bench. But when he plays alongside Pascas Yakam, Frednley Odian and 420 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,640 Obi, those are your top three guys, you know, your first second 421 00:26:29,799 --> 00:26:33,440 in tertiary option, and that's not even mentioned Gary Trent Junior, who's had 422 00:26:33,799 --> 00:26:40,119 you know, five i think straight thirty plus point games, like he factors 423 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,960 in so much to this Raptors offense. I think that's a franchise leading record, 424 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:48,000 tied with Demard Rosen. So that makes Scotty the fifth option, and 425 00:26:48,039 --> 00:26:49,440 that means the ball is rarely in his hands. That means he kind of 426 00:26:49,519 --> 00:26:53,240 is playing a garbage man role. So I'd like to see him run a 427 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,400 little bit with the bench so we actually truly sees what he has in terms 428 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,720 of, you know, handling the ball a little bit playmaking because he's able 429 00:27:00,759 --> 00:27:03,000 to see the court in a way that like Fred just can't because he's a 430 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:08,720 foot taller than him. And so I'm I'm interested to see more of that, 431 00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:15,000 hopefully next season and maybe even in the latter half of the year, 432 00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:18,079 just getting him or run with with the bench. Guys do you see that 433 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,640 as like being the end game for him is where you they want him to 434 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,960 be more of like sort of a from scratch creator, whether it's for himself 435 00:27:25,039 --> 00:27:27,839 and or others. I hope so, because how crazy would that be if 436 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,880 that guy's six to nine with the seven swings fan Like, how insane with 437 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:36,079 this Raptor's team. Look if that's the case. So I hope so. 438 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:40,480 And I this guy's a limit with the kid because every limitation I've heard about 439 00:27:40,559 --> 00:27:45,519 his coming into the season, he's just absolutely smashed. Yeah, I just 440 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,680 absolutely floorida. Like even him just moving through like super tight spaces in the 441 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:52,720 half court, and he's he's made like catching shoot like floaters, hooks or 442 00:27:52,759 --> 00:27:56,839 just mid rangers of thing. Again, which if it's like it doesn't look 443 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,839 like you're watching nineties meathmall, but he's like that's part of his touch is 444 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:03,079 it's not like he's pounding the ball and getting to these spots, but he's 445 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:06,200 just like he's moving, he's getting through the defense. Then he just has 446 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,079 his touch like immediately off the catch. And it's just pretty much everything about 447 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,680 him this season is for me based on I don't watch any college basketball in 448 00:28:12,759 --> 00:28:15,759 real time I will do a crash course before the draft and try and watch 449 00:28:15,759 --> 00:28:19,160 film, and like you said, you rely on people who are actually smart 450 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:23,839 when it comes to college basketball. I was just like, I don't see 451 00:28:23,839 --> 00:28:27,279 it, and he's just he's blown away. Literally, Like even the Scottie 452 00:28:27,279 --> 00:28:32,440 Bond's optimists don't even seem like they saw this coming. Yeah. The one 453 00:28:32,519 --> 00:28:36,400 person I will say is coach David Thorpe. He was just like he had 454 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,440 mobile and Barnes is number one and two and I think that that's what the 455 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:44,400 Raptors had on their draft board as well. And he he came onto our 456 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,640 podcast, I think even before the season started and said, like, the 457 00:28:47,799 --> 00:28:52,079 kid, like MVP level in ten years is what we're talking about. And 458 00:28:52,079 --> 00:28:53,720 I was just like, what, I don't know what ten years and he's 459 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:59,400 out the five but I was like insane. So so he's brobably a little. 460 00:29:00,119 --> 00:29:02,400 It's very optimistic. I don't want to call a twenty year old the 461 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,720 potential of VP in five years, especially considering all of the limitations in his 462 00:29:04,799 --> 00:29:10,559 games. Still, but he's just been super. What have you thought about 463 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,119 Sad Young's fit so far? And just as a follow up to that, 464 00:29:14,319 --> 00:29:15,559 like, so there's him there's Bouchet, and then all of a sudden, 465 00:29:15,559 --> 00:29:18,039 like that's your top seven guys and the roster. Basically, who intrigues you 466 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:25,759 most long term? Beyond those top seven guys on this roster, who intrigues 467 00:29:25,839 --> 00:29:33,200 me the most is Precious, Precious Situa. Precious Situa is the most entertainingly 468 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,960 or like it. It's so fun Like he's an enigma because sometimes you watch 469 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,559 and play basketball and I'm like, all right, let's let's call the league 470 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,799 up. I have a future Hall of Famer on deck, Let's write him 471 00:29:44,839 --> 00:29:47,559 in. What is this man? How is he? How can someone his 472 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:48,799 size even do this? And then sometimes you watch him and you're like, 473 00:29:49,319 --> 00:29:56,200 has he ever played basketball? Is this his first time on an NBA chord? 474 00:29:57,279 --> 00:30:02,839 Like talk about his zero level offensive players sometimes, but his defense is 475 00:30:02,839 --> 00:30:07,200 just a superb. But but his like when he right now, the Raptors 476 00:30:07,279 --> 00:30:11,200 kind of you just mentioned it, Chris Buche bad Young is sort of the 477 00:30:11,279 --> 00:30:15,079 top seven. Both those guys are what six nine and then presses it to 478 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,279 another six nine guy. That's kind of entirely what the Raptors are made of. 479 00:30:18,759 --> 00:30:23,079 So Precious sometimes, as you know, most six nine guys are do 480 00:30:23,359 --> 00:30:29,079 when you play all of them together, stands out in the corner and he's 481 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,319 just been lights out from there, which is so weird because he was not 482 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,319 a three point shooter. I've never seen him take a three or make a 483 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:40,920 three with the with the heat. Uh. He's he's intriguing only because like 484 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:42,519 he's such a project. I'm not like, he's nowhere close to being what 485 00:30:42,599 --> 00:30:45,359 the Raptors want him to be. He's got these flashes though, where he 486 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,759 just looks absolutely insane, and they come once every other ten, you know, 487 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:53,160 games or so. So he's by far the biggest project on the team. 488 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,640 But defensively he's it for them, Like he's so so good. He 489 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,079 knows exactly where he needs to be. Even though you have kind of those 490 00:31:00,119 --> 00:31:03,839 rookie moments with Scotty at times, I don't feel like when Precious is there 491 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:08,880 that that happens. He's like him, Him and Bouchet together, the chemistry 492 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,119 that they have is actually like just so much fun to watch. He's also 493 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:19,880 a high energy guy. It's honestly Precious just because he is the most work. 494 00:31:21,279 --> 00:31:22,640 But he's so young. He's only like, what twenty one, this 495 00:31:22,799 --> 00:31:26,240 is his second year, and sometimes it just doesn't feel that way. So 496 00:31:26,319 --> 00:31:30,680 I'd like to see what they can turn Precious into, if they can do 497 00:31:30,799 --> 00:31:33,519 anything with him offensively, because he's still so incredibly row. Yeah, some 498 00:31:33,599 --> 00:31:36,920 of the lineups that and I guess he has to through them up. But 499 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,039 it was I think it was that Young's first game where it was like Bouchet 500 00:31:40,359 --> 00:31:44,200 Young, Siaka Matua and Banton were on the floors. I haven't seen the 501 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:47,799 lineup, but I should see that. That's that's a weird that's a weird 502 00:31:47,839 --> 00:31:48,839 lineup. I didn't know you were gonna say bansion in the end, so 503 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,240 it's like, okay, you're not gonna have a single guy who can space 504 00:31:52,279 --> 00:31:55,839 the flour. That's part of why o g Nnobia is so important because he 505 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,519 factors so much into those like all six nine line up. So as the 506 00:32:00,599 --> 00:32:05,759 Raptors can field six nine players one through five, and they do that, 507 00:32:06,519 --> 00:32:09,640 that's like usually their lineup to I think start the second and possibly even the 508 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,759 fourth. I think I think that's what they do. They start the second 509 00:32:12,799 --> 00:32:15,799 and the fourth and it's just all six nine guys, and Precious features heavily 510 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:17,920 into that. You need odn and Obi's four spacing. But you also need 511 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:23,039 precious were facing sometimes in those lineups, which is hilarious to say in the 512 00:32:23,079 --> 00:32:27,319 oddest ways, but yeah, the Raptors are a weird teen that's kind of 513 00:32:27,359 --> 00:32:30,279 the That young thing was so odd because everyone was just like, well, 514 00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:32,200 what does the Raptors need? And it turns out to just be bodies. 515 00:32:32,319 --> 00:32:37,480 But it was like, you know, should we get a big should we 516 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:38,720 get you know, four space or should we get like what do we need? 517 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,680 And Nissa I was like, we're getting out what we have at home 518 00:32:42,759 --> 00:32:45,640 already, Like we're just gonna get more of the same. It's like it 519 00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:50,440 felt like you know a cartoon characters closet where like you open up their closet 520 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,920 and it's the same thing all the time, because like, I don't have 521 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,200 you ever seen that kind of like the joke in cartoons shows, that's exactly 522 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:58,279 what the Raptors are. You open their wardrobe and it's like, oh yeah, 523 00:32:58,279 --> 00:33:02,160 six nine and foot wingspan can defend play make a little bit, that's 524 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:06,200 what they're gonna get more of it all times. It's fun like a Doug 525 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,400 Funny going through his closet and it's just a green exact letter vest with the 526 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:12,480 white T shirt. Yeah, exactly. There was something that offended me about 527 00:33:12,519 --> 00:33:15,279 that lineup in Dad Young's game though, even like the Raptors, like, 528 00:33:15,319 --> 00:33:16,480 I know that's been sort of their thing. But whatever it was, and 529 00:33:16,559 --> 00:33:20,039 I'm probably misnaming one of the names, I'm just like, what is this. 530 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,720 I don't think I've seen it again, So maybe Nick Nurse are enough 531 00:33:22,759 --> 00:33:25,160 of it too that Yeah, look with Delano in there, it feels weird. 532 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:29,519 I don't know. He guess he has played that. It's a mix 533 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,079 of names. They can feel so many different five nine lineups, like there's 534 00:33:32,079 --> 00:33:36,920 six nine lineups. It's it's just it's odd. It's sometimes really bad. 535 00:33:37,119 --> 00:33:38,799 Sometimes it works. And the one with with O G. Siak, I'm 536 00:33:38,839 --> 00:33:45,640 precious Bouchet and it's not Scotty. It might be Delano, that might be 537 00:33:45,759 --> 00:33:51,160 the Lant. There's just something like that. They have broken your brain with 538 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,799 their roster setups. They really have. This is out of the lineup now 539 00:33:57,519 --> 00:34:00,240 that you mentioned this already, and I have an agenda here because for the 540 00:34:00,279 --> 00:34:02,279 past two years it's been the Raptors need a big, The Raptors need a 541 00:34:02,319 --> 00:34:06,599 big The Raptors need a big My belief has been that I think they need 542 00:34:07,319 --> 00:34:09,960 more Like I don't want to say someone like you lost Kyle Lowry and you 543 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,960 just didn't replace him. I don't want to say you need the next Kyle 544 00:34:13,079 --> 00:34:15,599 Rowley, but to me, it feels like they still kind of need that 545 00:34:15,039 --> 00:34:20,159 point of attack half court, off the dribble jet fuel. I guess the 546 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:22,519 pushback would be and you not, but you sort of alluded to it is 547 00:34:22,559 --> 00:34:24,880 if you think that Scottie Barnes is going to be that guy, if you 548 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:29,599 trust o Gianna Noby in certain minutes to do more on the ball, maybe 549 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:32,280 you're okay operating outside of that. What is the biggest need then for this, 550 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:42,800 like in terms of player, archetype or whatever moving forward. I'm I'm 551 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:47,039 with you on it probably not being a big only because it would be nice 552 00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:50,400 to have a backup big book. I was really big on the you know, 553 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:52,199 if you can bring Jack of Peurtle as a starting big on the team, 554 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,119 but I think the price would have been too high for that. The 555 00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:58,760 other the other thing that I really or the other player that I really really 556 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:01,039 wanted was Gordon, where I was just like, the Raptors just need to 557 00:35:01,559 --> 00:35:05,639 like it's it would be so nice to have you know, like a vet 558 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,800 to come off the bench that can just space the floor. The bench need, 559 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,800 the starters need it. Like it's just more floor spacing. I think 560 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:15,039 is number one what this team needs. I think it unlocks the offense in 561 00:35:15,119 --> 00:35:19,400 a whole other complete way. I do think that they're hoping that Og can 562 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,079 take that next step, Pascal, that you have enough with. Maybe even 563 00:35:22,119 --> 00:35:23,079 Gary Trent. He's not much of a cutter and he's not much of a 564 00:35:23,159 --> 00:35:27,440 finisher. He kind of just operates in the mid range or or out from 565 00:35:27,519 --> 00:35:30,360 three. But he's also twenty one, like some of these guys are just 566 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:35,760 so. But he's probably twenty two now. He's younger though than I whatever. 567 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:37,480 I look at Gary Trench and years age, I'm like, oh, 568 00:35:37,599 --> 00:35:40,039 he's only that. It's twenty one the youngest player on the Raptors. Last 569 00:35:40,079 --> 00:35:45,480 season was so odd to me. Now they've got a bunch of young guys 570 00:35:45,519 --> 00:35:50,079 with with Delano and in Scotty coming in, but I think he's still it's 571 00:35:50,199 --> 00:35:53,360 Delano, Scotty and him playing for the Blazers must aid you. Perhaps that's 572 00:35:53,519 --> 00:35:55,679 because it feels like he was there for like ten years for some reason. 573 00:35:57,639 --> 00:36:01,960 Probably that's probably it and so so Yeah, so I think I still think 574 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:05,159 it's worth facing. I think if they could, if they could have gotten 575 00:36:05,199 --> 00:36:07,239 a guy like Eric Gordon, that would have been phenomenal for this team, 576 00:36:08,119 --> 00:36:12,599 but just more shooting, Like just sometimes you watch this team and you're just 577 00:36:12,679 --> 00:36:16,239 like, oh my gosh, because yeah, yeah, I'm just gonna say 578 00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:19,920 that, because I think they're hoping that everybody else kind of develops and takes 579 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,920 that next step, that you could maybe have Gary Scotty, like someone with 580 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:27,400 a Facebook game would be nice, someone who could kind of I think they're 581 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,159 hoping that Gary maybe or Scotty Laric Gordon would be like a nice bridge, 582 00:36:31,199 --> 00:36:35,679 just because he's also like it's not he's not creating off the dribble, but 583 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:38,199 he's rim pressure off the dribble, like he will just barrel through guys, 584 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:40,840 and that would be something I think they could use as well too. Yeah, 585 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:45,559 for sure, for sure. Is there anything before I ask you a 586 00:36:45,599 --> 00:36:47,400 big picture question about this team, anything that we didn't touch upon that you 587 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:54,519 think needs to be on court for the Raptors this season? I feel dirty 588 00:36:54,639 --> 00:37:00,360 not asking an Ogna Nobi question, but that might just be what's that we 589 00:37:00,519 --> 00:37:02,639 talked about him? A lot. I think he got he got his love. 590 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:06,480 But yeah, no Og is so integral to what the Raptors do. 591 00:37:06,559 --> 00:37:08,000 I really do feel like he's the glue of this team. I think he 592 00:37:08,159 --> 00:37:14,320 kind of old all of the pieces together and his ability to just be unlocked, 593 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,760 like when the Raptors were rolling, because like from December to like the 594 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:22,719 middle of January, before everything kind of fell to pieces, they were a 595 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:28,679 top eight offense, a top eight defense in the league, which I mean 596 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,280 their offense being top ten or top eight or whatever it is right now is 597 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:36,400 a lie. They're like twenty seventh or something in field goal percentage, Like 598 00:37:36,519 --> 00:37:38,519 it's it's a lie that I can get rough in the half court if they're 599 00:37:38,519 --> 00:37:40,960 not like cleaning up their own missus, and if they play a team that 600 00:37:42,039 --> 00:37:45,599 keeps them out of transition like I don't, they don't necessarily have a bunch 601 00:37:45,599 --> 00:37:49,119 of answers. Nope, it's gonna be it's gonna be a problems. It's 602 00:37:50,599 --> 00:37:55,519 yeah, they're just not there yet. But but Og being able to be 603 00:37:55,599 --> 00:38:00,800 unlocked a sort of the tertiary option, especially because Fred and Pascal gets so 604 00:38:01,039 --> 00:38:06,280 much attention and because they've just improved so much in their playmaking, that they're 605 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:09,400 able to make the right reads. Og and Gary are unlocked and have been 606 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:15,360 unleashed and have just been rolling because of it. It's been so much fun 607 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:17,119 to watch when all of the guys are healthy. The only problem is you 608 00:38:17,199 --> 00:38:22,280 take one guy out and everything crumbles and they lose to thirty thirty points of 609 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,760 the Ona Hawks. So with everything, I just passed you bad in mind, 610 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,760 we predicted on this podcast that the Raptors are going to win a playoff 611 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:34,119 series. Are they an actual sleeping giant in the East or are we just 612 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:38,280 a year or two early there. I think we're a year or two early. 613 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:42,480 But I also look at this Eastern Conference, and I know everyone's talking 614 00:38:42,519 --> 00:38:46,440 about how great they are. It feels like the Eastern Conference is good, 615 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:52,079 right. It's like they have a lot of good teams. There's no team 616 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:59,199 that feels like they can't fail in the playoffs right, Like there's no available 617 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:02,480 teams. FOLLOW don't know words, I can't speak, but it just feels 618 00:39:02,519 --> 00:39:07,079 like every single team is flawed. Where if the Raptors get them right matchup, 619 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:08,719 sure they can win a playoff series. I think they're going to be 620 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:12,239 a hard out for any team. They're not a team that gets blown out 621 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:14,480 very often. I know I just talked about you know, three of their 622 00:39:14,559 --> 00:39:19,159 last four games have been blown up blowouts. But if they're healthy and they 623 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:21,519 have their guys there, they're going to be a hard out for any team. 624 00:39:22,119 --> 00:39:23,960 It's flocking shaky. So some of those teams I certainly think that they 625 00:39:24,039 --> 00:39:28,880 have a chance of beating because I don't think that they're particular world beaters. 626 00:39:29,159 --> 00:39:31,239 But I don't think it really speaks to the Raptors being there just yet, 627 00:39:32,159 --> 00:39:36,519 And I think it speaks to more of the top of the East getting a 628 00:39:36,639 --> 00:39:42,000 lot of love despite being very flawed. Yeah, that's a good point where 629 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,679 it does. Based off the way at least Milwaukee has played for most of 630 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:47,480 this season, they look vulnerable. I mean they're super just talk about shallow, 631 00:39:47,639 --> 00:39:52,599 like they're shallows the Bucks this season. Yeah, I mean the Milwaukee 632 00:39:52,679 --> 00:39:54,679 goes out and just like beats Miami without playing like that grade of basketball. 633 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:58,440 So there's like that is the team and the six. I'm trying not to 634 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,480 read them a lot. I feel like am I watched the fourth quarter of 635 00:40:01,519 --> 00:40:05,199 that game, and I know Miami was shooting like lights out part of that, 636 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:09,360 but Miami lost that game. It felt like my Milwaukee did a phenomenal 637 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:13,280 job on Jimmy Butler. Jimmy Butler was completely out of it. And I 638 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:17,480 also think that Miami's offense without Kyle Lowry just is a problem. Like they 639 00:40:17,519 --> 00:40:22,119 don't have much half coard offense as is, that's probably their biggest flaw. 640 00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:27,039 But without Kyle, it was just it really sort of like I don't trust 641 00:40:27,079 --> 00:40:30,039 the ball in Tyler Heroes hands as we saw it. We probably shouldn't at 642 00:40:30,039 --> 00:40:32,239 all times, as great as he is when it comes down to it in 643 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,920 the final moments, it's not really much of what I trust. So I 644 00:40:36,039 --> 00:40:37,800 kind of just look at that and I'm like, oh, I don't know 645 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:44,159 that Milwaukee should feel great about that win as much as like Miami should feel 646 00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:47,119 terrible about it. So I'm trying not to read too much. I'll jump 647 00:40:47,159 --> 00:40:50,320 around here with this. I'm trying to read too much into what the Sixers 648 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,760 have done in the three games with Harden, because it was it was the 649 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,679 Timberwolves there, like they're fine, but the Knicks are just awful. So 650 00:40:55,760 --> 00:41:00,679 you beat them twice and you were trailing by a zillion to them on Wednesday 651 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:04,119 night, but between Miami and Philadelphia, who do you viewers more of the 652 00:41:04,159 --> 00:41:06,639 seriess Tor had to come out of these because those are Miami's just been really 653 00:41:06,679 --> 00:41:09,480 good and I'm watching the Sixers with Harden and how wide open Tyrese Maxie is 654 00:41:09,519 --> 00:41:15,159 just all the time now and I can't help but shake the feeling that I 655 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,519 might be prepared to pick phil And I've been banging in Miami drum all year. 656 00:41:17,559 --> 00:41:21,159 They were like never healthy. I was looking at it the other day. 657 00:41:21,559 --> 00:41:24,159 Lowry Butler and Bam aren't even a top five hundred used trio in the 658 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:28,320 league this season because of just availability. But who do you think is like 659 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,079 the bigger threat to come out of the conference between those two right now? 660 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:34,639 Just the point about the Timberwolves is not being great and how it talked about 661 00:41:34,639 --> 00:41:38,400 the Raptors being losing envelope fashion three to the last four games. The one 662 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:43,480 game that they didn't lose was against the Timberwolves, the team that like so 663 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,880 so that's where the Timberwolves are no disrespected to them. They're having a great 664 00:41:47,039 --> 00:41:52,440 season for them, right but I mean pleasantly in the bottom of the middle. 665 00:41:52,519 --> 00:41:55,360 Yeah, definitely, yeah, which is which is great for the Timberwolves, 666 00:41:55,360 --> 00:42:02,519 considering they've made the playoffs once in my lifetime, so uh uh, 667 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,760 it's it's really tough because I mean, Tyrris Maxie looked it must be so 668 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:13,119 happy becoming the tertiary option with Tobias Harris. My goodness is your fourth option 669 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,280 right there? You probably live in life too. I think part of like 670 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,599 why the Sixers have been shaking in the past is their crunch time offense, 671 00:42:19,679 --> 00:42:25,159 like when when the game slows down a bit and b post ups is their 672 00:42:25,199 --> 00:42:30,199 offense? Like what what do they really have outside of anything? So having 673 00:42:30,559 --> 00:42:32,199 and Jimmy was great for them in twenty nineteen, like the ball really went 674 00:42:32,199 --> 00:42:35,760 to Jimmy, and I don't I don't know that Jimmy Butler has consistently been 675 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:37,800 a guy who can do it for the first forty four minutes of a game 676 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:44,119 every every night. But he certainly can throw the Maya throw the Milwaukee game 677 00:42:44,159 --> 00:42:47,239 out, but he certainly can when it's close in the final few minutes. 678 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,280 And that's what he did. That's what he did against the Raptors in that 679 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:52,719 twenty nineteen series. And this is the first time they really have that guy. 680 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:55,599 But they have a superstar version of that guy at all times. So 681 00:42:57,079 --> 00:43:01,599 just James pardon ability to create in James built the James James did I call 682 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:06,840 m James Johnson because I've been thinking about the nets so much. James Harden's 683 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:14,320 ISO ability, James Harden's ability to create for himself, James Harden ISO especially 684 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:16,840 when the game kind of gets down or the wire. Also, Joel Embiad 685 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:20,119 has really just never played with a guy who can get him the ball. 686 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:22,960 Sometimes I watch the Sixers collapse in the fourth quarter, which has kind of 687 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:25,679 been their calling card for most of that time, and it's like, why 688 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:30,119 is no one getting the ball to James Harden. It's like they don't really 689 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:32,840 have very many playmakers. They don't have that guy who's gonna be able to 690 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:36,800 do that. They also don't have the floor spacing, and right now they 691 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,559 have all of that, right They have a guy who ISO buckets, he 692 00:43:39,639 --> 00:43:44,199 can get that for himself. You have a guy who can't see Joel Embiid, 693 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:45,960 You have a guy who can provide floor spacing, like he kind of 694 00:43:46,039 --> 00:43:51,079 can do everything for them, So their offense just improves tenfold, where I'm 695 00:43:51,119 --> 00:43:52,639 just like, this seems like a really difficult team. To beat. And 696 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:58,000 also in watching their games, Oh my gosh, they live at the line 697 00:43:58,519 --> 00:44:04,039 and it helps everybody because now you just like kind of brush up on tire 698 00:44:04,079 --> 00:44:06,719 SNAXI Well, they're in the penalty, so he's gonna be shooting free throws 699 00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:10,079 as well. So it's just like it's it's like annoying watching Sixers games now 700 00:44:10,199 --> 00:44:15,800 because they're gonna be like a hundred free throws for everybody because Joel Embiid and 701 00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:20,639 James Harden's gonna put the team in the penalty in every quarter. So they're 702 00:44:20,679 --> 00:44:23,039 just they're so difficult, and it kind of feels like a honeymoon shine where 703 00:44:23,079 --> 00:44:28,159 I'm like, I don't like it went until you see something bad. It's 704 00:44:28,159 --> 00:44:30,039 like hard for me to be like, oh, that's gonna be a real 705 00:44:30,119 --> 00:44:34,800 problem for them. Their bench is still is still worriessome. But in the 706 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:37,360 playoffs, sure, I mean I keep talking about the Raptors. I center 707 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,800 them in every story. But back to that sort of twenty nineteen playoffs run, 708 00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:45,760 the Sixers were plus ninety with Joel embid in that series. That came 709 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:50,440 down from the possession of a game seven, right, So like they need 710 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:53,239 a backup guy and trading Andrew dumb and I think is definitely going to hurt 711 00:44:53,280 --> 00:45:01,079 them, and signing DeAndre Jordan's definitely not gonna help them. Nope, nope, 712 00:45:01,119 --> 00:45:06,719 nope. I definitely don't think that that's gonna help. So I'm sure 713 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,559 that they have some weaknesses. But like when we see a team just in 714 00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:12,920 their honeymoon phase, it's kind of hard to pick it. It feels like 715 00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:17,599 Miami is the more complete team of the bunch, So just in terms of 716 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:25,360 like completeness, I would say Miami. I still maybe put my money on 717 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:28,559 them, And part of it is I just love Kyle Lowry so much, 718 00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:31,440 But like the Sixers, I mean, Joel Embiad and James Harden is just 719 00:45:31,559 --> 00:45:39,239 a ridiculous thing to beat. It's tough. I just think that those two 720 00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:42,480 are the two best teams in the East, and who it comes down to 721 00:45:42,639 --> 00:45:45,719 in the end, I might put my money just on James Harden and Joel 722 00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:50,039 Embiid because of who they are and how difficult that offense looks like it's going 723 00:45:50,079 --> 00:45:52,360 to be to stop. I love how people were so worried about Ones a 724 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:57,119 pick and pop big and ones are picking like who it's James Harden shut up, 725 00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:02,960 like everyone was so scared about that, who cares? And so yeah, 726 00:46:04,079 --> 00:46:07,039 So I don't know. I think it's gonna be the Sixers, but 727 00:46:07,119 --> 00:46:09,480 I think it's going to be the Heat, And that's my answer is not 728 00:46:09,599 --> 00:46:13,000 picking because I love both of them, and those are the two best teams. 729 00:46:13,039 --> 00:46:15,320 Every other team in the East I don't care about. I think with 730 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:20,719 the Sixers there's a chance that I just might be like shocked at seeing James 731 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:22,400 Harden give a damn again, like we were watching him so long in Brooklyn 732 00:46:22,519 --> 00:46:24,840 this season, so maybe I'm still getting used that. But I'm with you 733 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:28,679 on the fit with him, Bead is like James hordesn't even have to like 734 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:31,840 drive the ball anymore because Joel embiad pops or he can actually catch it like 735 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:36,559 in the middle of the floor. And I think that's gonna work with Miami 736 00:46:36,679 --> 00:46:39,760 though. My thought there is Kyle Howry himself, and he is a perennial 737 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:44,440 when we do our all follow them to Helen back and then back to Hell 738 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:47,400 again teams on the podcast. He's like a staple in that he hasn't it's 739 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:52,480 amazing that he hasn't even had like one of his better like more efficient seasons, 740 00:46:52,519 --> 00:46:55,280 and he still just seems so damn important to what Miami does when you 741 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:59,000 look at what he's doing away from the ball on offense to how he defends. 742 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:01,480 And that's the that's the not the only reason. But when you look 743 00:47:01,519 --> 00:47:05,760 at sort of the top of those rosters where Okay, you have Jimmy Butler, 744 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,239 BAM and Kyle Lowry, like those are just three entrenched stars, and 745 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:12,800 so Philly's top end talent at this point is better. But to have Kyle 746 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:15,159 Lowry is your third best player, maybe you think he's a little bit better, 747 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:19,599 more valuable to them than Bam whatever, that's that's fine. Uh, 748 00:47:20,119 --> 00:47:22,119 they might just be better built for playoff basketball especially you know you mentioned the 749 00:47:22,159 --> 00:47:24,800 free throw parade. I don't know how that's going to translate for Philly. 750 00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:30,480 Yeahs, you know what you've You've sold me mentioned Kyle Lowry as many times 751 00:47:30,519 --> 00:47:31,960 as you did, and I'm you could sell me a car with that. 752 00:47:32,079 --> 00:47:37,400 I don't, I don't, I'm all five, But no, I think 753 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:42,679 I think that you're entirely correct. And the thing about Kyle's efficient, so, 754 00:47:43,159 --> 00:47:46,559 uh, we've had like heat heat fans on dishes and dimes and I've 755 00:47:46,639 --> 00:47:51,119 done a bunch of heat pods just talking about Kyle Lowry, and one of 756 00:47:51,159 --> 00:47:53,599 the things that they were so surprised by was just the run that the bench 757 00:47:53,679 --> 00:47:59,000 had when Jimmy Butler and Beam Aebaio were out for so long, and they 758 00:47:59,159 --> 00:48:01,960 were like, I don't know, they were had eleven in two or four 759 00:48:02,039 --> 00:48:05,960 or something, record, Like the record was insane without those guys, And 760 00:48:06,079 --> 00:48:08,880 I'm like, that's what Kyle does. What we're seeing right now is Kyle 761 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:14,599 plas bench, which has been my favorite, my favorite lineup of all time 762 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:17,079 is just bring four guys from the YMCA, doesn't matter, put Kyle Lowry 763 00:48:17,159 --> 00:48:21,039 on there, and that's going to be a positive net rating any given time. 764 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:23,639 But the point about Kyle not having his most efficient season, and I'm 765 00:48:23,679 --> 00:48:29,800 hoping it's that if you look back to the twenty nineteen season where the Raptors 766 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:32,320 won a championship and Kyle Lowry sorry Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Raptors, 767 00:48:32,719 --> 00:48:38,440 Kyle took such a back seat that most people were like and even the year 768 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:43,400 before when Demardarozen kind of emerged as a playmaker and a guy with a ball 769 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:45,280 in his hands, Kyle took such a back seat in both of those years, 770 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:49,760 and it was just like, it's kinda hurt is he Like is he 771 00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:52,239 washed? Can he just not do it anymore? Like Kyle used to be 772 00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:55,440 a guy who could attack the basket at will, and he even did that 773 00:48:55,559 --> 00:49:00,159 in that you know, post championship team, he was doing that quite bit 774 00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:01,480 for the Raptors, and he just did not do that. And it was 775 00:49:01,519 --> 00:49:04,480 like, oh, he can't draw, like he doesn't have legs, Like 776 00:49:04,559 --> 00:49:07,760 he just he can't get inside anymore. If he gets a free throw line, 777 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:10,400 it's because guys are following him on a jump shot. Like he's just 778 00:49:10,639 --> 00:49:15,679 not he can't do it. He has literally just regrets to just being a 779 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:19,800 perimeter player at this point in his career. And then the playoffs came around 780 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:22,599 and it was like, oh, never mind, Oh okay, Oh he's 781 00:49:22,639 --> 00:49:27,280 averaging like twenty plus points a game versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Oh he's like 782 00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:30,199 doing this against the Warriors. He was just saving his legs and picking his 783 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:32,840 moments and allowing like pascality get going. Like that's the reason why Pascal had 784 00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:37,840 his most improved season. Was Kyla really taking that sort of back seat. 785 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:39,599 That's you know how Kawhi Leonard was really able to fit into this team, 786 00:49:39,599 --> 00:49:43,679 and you get Danny Green going and all these other guys going, and I 787 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:45,360 feel like, and I know Zach Lowe has talked about this as well, 788 00:49:45,639 --> 00:49:50,880 I feel like that's probably what Kyle was doing on this team too, fitting 789 00:49:50,960 --> 00:49:53,440 in and like making sure Jimmy and Bam and you know, Tyler Hero and 790 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:58,239 whoever else get their own and really take the back seat. I think when 791 00:49:58,239 --> 00:50:00,320 the playoffs come around, we're gonna see him turned the dial up. He's 792 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:05,480 learned to do that ever since getting swept in the twenty fifteen playoffs. That 793 00:50:05,639 --> 00:50:07,800 like, he just can't He's not Russell Westbrook. He can't go all out 794 00:50:08,159 --> 00:50:12,239 every single game like it's a playoff game. He's got to pick his moments. 795 00:50:12,559 --> 00:50:15,559 And I'm hoping that that's the case. And so, yep, I'm 796 00:50:15,599 --> 00:50:19,239 sold Miami winning the East. Moral of the story, if you've the option 797 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,159 of trading less to get Kyle Lowry, you're waiting and then giving up way 798 00:50:22,239 --> 00:50:24,400 too much for Russell Westbrook. You should go at the former. There's a 799 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:29,239 little lesson for the Lakers purnt office for the future at so mad at Them. 800 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:32,119 So two of the teams that I think by saying Philly in Miami are 801 00:50:32,119 --> 00:50:35,559 the two best teams in the East. And I actually don't disagree with you. 802 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:38,000 I think I'm still a little bit higher Milwaukee than you. But what 803 00:50:38,079 --> 00:50:42,480 do you view Milwaukee is just actually vulnerable? And is that because of is 804 00:50:42,519 --> 00:50:45,000 there anything you're seeing or you're also just looking at the roster and it's like, 805 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:49,320 oh, they run out of dudes that you like pretty quickly. It's 806 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:52,000 that they all out of dudes that you like very quickly. Where I'm just 807 00:50:52,639 --> 00:50:55,519 they rely on so many guys where I'm like, oh, it's gonna be 808 00:50:55,559 --> 00:50:59,800 dicey if this guy's in the in the league next year. Sorry Jordanore, 809 00:51:00,239 --> 00:51:08,039 but so confidence is aspirational. I want to have Jordan Wore confidence. But 810 00:51:08,199 --> 00:51:12,440 no, beyond that, I keep bringing us back to the Raptors. It's 811 00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:15,559 it's it's it's a talent, honestly. But one of the things that I 812 00:51:15,719 --> 00:51:20,480 remembered from the Raptors going up against the Bucks as many times as they do, 813 00:51:21,199 --> 00:51:24,440 was how terrified they were of getting inside. Kyle wouldn't do it. 814 00:51:24,599 --> 00:51:28,480 Fred, even though Fred would go up against Rudy Gobert. If you put 815 00:51:28,559 --> 00:51:32,199 them right there, because Fred has a rational confidence wouldn't do it. No 816 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:36,239 one would do it like the rap in order for the Raptors, in order 817 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,239 for the heat. In order for any of these teams to beat the Miami 818 00:51:38,519 --> 00:51:45,400 or the Milwaukee Bucks, they needed to beat I like hot from from beyond 819 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:47,199 the arc. That's that's how you beat the Bucks. Is the Bucks play 820 00:51:47,239 --> 00:51:51,079 a drop defense, and so you're going to be left open, and if 821 00:51:51,119 --> 00:51:52,639 your guys can hit their shots, you have a chance of winning. And 822 00:51:52,679 --> 00:51:55,000 if your guys can't hit their shots, then you're going to lose. That's 823 00:51:55,039 --> 00:51:59,400 been the calling card and beating the Bucks for years. That's why the Raptors 824 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:04,119 traded from our Gasol was to improve their their flour spacing to hopefully beat the 825 00:52:04,159 --> 00:52:08,559 Bucks in the playoffs, which happened. Then Miss Year came and in each 826 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:14,119 of the games the Raptors played against the Bucks, they won points in the 827 00:52:14,159 --> 00:52:19,239 pain battle. And that's what's sort of terrifying too, because it's like the 828 00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:23,920 defense is still the same. It's still guards funneling guys inside to be met 829 00:52:24,159 --> 00:52:31,239 with Bobby portis not mis Lopez. That's the difference. We're like, no 830 00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:35,639 one is scared of that. So to me, that's like the biggest thing 831 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:37,760 is like they're like people keep saying, oh, you know, they were 832 00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:40,199 kind of like this last year where they took the foot off the gas and 833 00:52:40,239 --> 00:52:45,719 they you know, it's completely different. They're they're seventeen and sixteen against teams 834 00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:50,639 above five hundred. They're not They're the thirteenth running defense. Like they're not 835 00:52:51,159 --> 00:52:54,039 doing well at all. And part of that is you have Bobby Portis inside 836 00:52:54,079 --> 00:53:00,559 who's not staring anyone versus Brook Lopez, who was an absolutely terrifying force inside. 837 00:53:00,639 --> 00:53:04,320 And to me, that's going to be the difference. Whereas if teams 838 00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:06,880 can still get hot because you're sti playing the drop and we saw with the 839 00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:12,079 Miami game against Milwaukee, Miami was like was hitting every single three and that's, 840 00:53:12,559 --> 00:53:14,679 you know why they had a chance to win a game in the final 841 00:53:14,719 --> 00:53:19,039 minutes. If teams can still do that, but then inside they're being met 842 00:53:19,079 --> 00:53:21,960 with Bobby Portis, they can get inside as well. And so like, 843 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:27,559 I'm just not concerned with them because one their bench is non existent, so 844 00:53:27,679 --> 00:53:30,360 they don't really have that sixth or seventh guy that I'm worried about. They 845 00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:32,239 can't get healthy at any given point, there's like two or three guys out 846 00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:37,000 of their lineup, and beyond that if Brook Lopez isn't healthy and back, 847 00:53:37,079 --> 00:53:39,400 and there are reports that he's practicing, but he's also a guy that's above 848 00:53:40,079 --> 00:53:43,400 you know what, what is he like thirty four or something like at this 849 00:53:43,519 --> 00:53:49,119 point, and yeah, like he's coming back from like a serious back thing 850 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:52,440 as an older guy. I just don't know that you can slot him into 851 00:53:52,480 --> 00:53:55,559 the playoffs, especially because I didn't mention that the top of the East is 852 00:53:55,599 --> 00:53:59,199 weak, but like, I mean, they're still good and the bottom of 853 00:53:59,199 --> 00:54:00,760 these is good. And that's kind of why the East is so scary right 854 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:04,840 now, is just that you have like seven or eight teams that are actually 855 00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:07,519 just good. So the first round matchup is going to be against a good 856 00:54:07,599 --> 00:54:12,519 team, and I'm not gonna lie. I would not be, you know, 857 00:54:12,599 --> 00:54:15,400 too upset to draw the Bucks in those those games because the Raptors have 858 00:54:15,480 --> 00:54:20,960 just looked phenomenal against them. The Bucks have a lot of guards, and 859 00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:22,840 the Raptors have a lot of guys that are six nine, and they could 860 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:28,000 not see you know, the Marta Rosen too small. That's what the Raptors 861 00:54:28,079 --> 00:54:31,800 did to every single guy on the Bucks outside of the honest I was probably 862 00:54:31,960 --> 00:54:37,000 less in lockstep with you until the pat Connaton injury because I the Yannis at 863 00:54:37,039 --> 00:54:39,239 center minutes have been that good, but now you're running out of bodies to 864 00:54:39,280 --> 00:54:43,280 build out those lineups where you know you have Middleton, you know you have 865 00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:45,840 Drew, you know you have Yannis. Pat Conaton is not PJ. Tucker. 866 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:47,880 I want to make that clear, but it was just like, Okay, 867 00:54:47,920 --> 00:54:51,519 that's a properly sized body who can work in that unit, and then 868 00:54:51,559 --> 00:54:53,519 you just fill it out with whoever. Those lineups get tougher now and I 869 00:54:53,519 --> 00:54:57,679 don't know how much you want to play him at center in certain matchups, 870 00:54:57,960 --> 00:55:01,960 which really hurts them. And Sergebaka is not like Sergebaca from like even eighteen 871 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:05,719 months ago. At this point, he was dealing with his own back stuff. 872 00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:08,760 So the Brook Lopez the injury looms definitely large in the East. So 873 00:55:08,960 --> 00:55:14,440 that's a great point there. The other team. I've said for like probably 874 00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:15,920 the past months and a half that I don't consider the nets of viable threat 875 00:55:15,960 --> 00:55:19,400 anymore to where they're good. And I don't even mean to be like, 876 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:23,519 you know, incendiary with that. It's just maybe Kyrie's playing full time by 877 00:55:23,559 --> 00:55:27,719 the playoffs, maybe Kevin Durant's body holds up, And at this point were 878 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:30,199 like, well, maybe Ben Simmons has come back and actually looks good. 879 00:55:30,519 --> 00:55:32,360 I'm also a little bit lower on the offensive fit with him than I think 880 00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:36,280 a lot of other people. We can mention how and I'm sure you've heard 881 00:55:36,320 --> 00:55:39,400 this because of the Raptor Sixer's history, like use Ben Simmons as the screener, 882 00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:43,239 It's never really been done, and he's never really been good at it. 883 00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:45,079 When he does it, is he comfortable doing it? Is he gonna 884 00:55:45,079 --> 00:55:49,480 be okay hanging out in the dunker spot even more than he did in Philly? 885 00:55:49,519 --> 00:55:52,280 If that's what? If he's not going to do that in Brooklyn. 886 00:55:52,760 --> 00:55:54,360 I have so many questions about them to where I'm like, well, let's 887 00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:59,760 see what happens with Kyrie's free agency and we'll look at and Kevin Durant's body 888 00:56:00,199 --> 00:56:01,679 and we'll look at this team next year. Is that unfair? Do you 889 00:56:01,760 --> 00:56:05,599 still see them as the team that has the they could totally come out of 890 00:56:05,599 --> 00:56:08,840 the East ceiling. Well, Ben Simmons will definitely be fine just hanging out 891 00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:12,920 on the dunker spot because he did that for the entire Raptor six or series 892 00:56:12,960 --> 00:56:16,519 and still founded in him to criticize and be for that series of all series 893 00:56:16,559 --> 00:56:22,480 to use too though, just like so on like you you were parking the 894 00:56:22,519 --> 00:56:30,760 dunker spot for seven full games. Sorry, So then it's so weird like 895 00:56:30,840 --> 00:56:35,679 if the next even if like Kyrie can play full time, if they face 896 00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:37,679 the Raptors in the first round, or they placed the Raptors in a playing 897 00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:42,840 game, He's not playing in that one because he still can't come in Getada's 898 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:50,400 right. Uh so, uh that's number one. I My general rule in 899 00:56:50,480 --> 00:56:53,960 life is to never bet against Kevin Durant, and so as long as Kevin 900 00:56:54,039 --> 00:57:00,280 Durant can come back, I just I can't bet against him. So for 901 00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:05,039 that reason, Yeah, be terrified. Everybody be terrified. But it's we're 902 00:57:05,079 --> 00:57:07,360 getting down towards the end of the season, and if Benjamin's really does have 903 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:12,480 back issues, and you know, if Katie isn't ramping up to start playing 904 00:57:12,519 --> 00:57:15,199 anytime soon, and if New York laws don't change, we might just run 905 00:57:15,239 --> 00:57:20,639 at a time where it matters. Yeah, And the other thing he coming 906 00:57:20,679 --> 00:57:23,920 back to is just like the randomness of injuries that could happen. I had 907 00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:28,559 seen someone say that, like, why would Harden want to play alongside and 908 00:57:28,639 --> 00:57:31,280 be given all his injury history over the past three years, and Bead has 909 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:36,480 played in about as many games in the regular season as Kyrie and Kevin Durant 910 00:57:36,519 --> 00:57:38,639 have combined now, so he traded up in So there's always just in my 911 00:57:38,719 --> 00:57:42,880 head now that something could still go wrong even if they're all available. And 912 00:57:42,960 --> 00:57:47,079 that's just where I'm at for them this season. The Bulls are fascinating because 913 00:57:47,159 --> 00:57:51,320 they've dealt with a bunch of injuries and absences. Now they're second in the 914 00:57:51,400 --> 00:57:53,639 East. Demarta Rozen has been fantastic, Zach Lavine for the most part, 915 00:57:53,719 --> 00:57:59,840 has been fantastic. Vouch is picking up I would assume it's just been incredible. 916 00:58:00,440 --> 00:58:02,199 Uh, he guards like eight of the five positions on the floor one 917 00:58:02,239 --> 00:58:05,000 somehow, I don't I don't know how he does it, but he does 918 00:58:05,039 --> 00:58:08,159 it. Why does it feel like they're not viewed as like one of the 919 00:58:08,199 --> 00:58:12,039 three or four best teams in the East were most likely to come out? 920 00:58:12,719 --> 00:58:15,320 So I saw this tweet and I wish I could give the person credit for 921 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:19,119 it. Do you know what the Bulls record is against teams that are above 922 00:58:19,159 --> 00:58:22,920 six hundred, above six hundred, above six Yeah, got a little two 923 00:58:22,960 --> 00:58:31,320 and twelve that's not great, so uh so yeah. So so that's that's 924 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:37,239 part of it. And like I was sitting here being like every single like 925 00:58:37,400 --> 00:58:40,360 Demard Rose in game winner and like, as someone who loves Tomorrow, I'm 926 00:58:40,440 --> 00:58:46,599 I'm always gonna I'm always gonna be a little a little you know, rose 927 00:58:46,639 --> 00:58:52,719 colored glasses as they talk about any of Demorrow Kyle's teams. But it I 928 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:55,480 was just like, how do they keep squeaking out wins against the Pacers and 929 00:58:55,480 --> 00:58:59,599 the like, why is every game winner against the sub five hundred team? 930 00:58:59,599 --> 00:59:02,400 Like what is happening? What is no one talking about the quality of opponent 931 00:59:02,480 --> 00:59:06,480 that they keep hitting game winners against. So that's part of it, is 932 00:59:06,480 --> 00:59:10,000 they just keep squeaking out they're they're they're not convincingly beating good teams. In 933 00:59:10,039 --> 00:59:13,719 fact, they're losing against good teams, and the bad teams that they're beating, 934 00:59:14,159 --> 00:59:16,320 they're doing it at the buzzer. Like their net rating since December one, 935 00:59:16,440 --> 00:59:20,119 the last time I checked, was like point five, So it's like 936 00:59:20,360 --> 00:59:24,960 they're not winning convincingly at all. So I think that that's part of it 937 00:59:25,320 --> 00:59:30,119 also, like their their defense without I mean you're hoping that like it's hard 938 00:59:30,159 --> 00:59:31,159 to talk about, Oh, their defense is bad. Well, their two 939 00:59:31,199 --> 00:59:36,159 best defenders have been down for the two best permitter defenders have been down for 940 00:59:37,239 --> 00:59:43,159 you know, since December. But it just kind of feels like they're a 941 00:59:43,360 --> 00:59:47,239 good regular season story. I don't. It doesn't feel like and that's because 942 00:59:47,320 --> 00:59:51,320 they, like I said, two and twelve against teams that are above six. 943 00:59:52,679 --> 00:59:54,559 I knew they're bad. They're I think they're twelve and they're like five, 944 00:59:54,599 --> 00:59:59,199 they're like seven ers, they're whatever on against five hundred teams and better. 945 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:02,599 That is like you didn't even or the whoever found that's that like they 946 01:00:02,639 --> 01:00:07,800 didn't tick up the winning percentage that much and it just it just craters, 947 01:00:07,440 --> 01:00:12,760 right, which is like it And it just feels like every game I watch 948 01:00:13,280 --> 01:00:15,840 against like sub five hundred teams or even five hundred teams, Yeah, they're 949 01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:19,280 coming out with the wind, but they're coming out with the wind because Demarto 950 01:00:19,360 --> 01:00:23,239 Rosen is unstoppable in the fourth quarter, not because like they're convincingly beating any 951 01:00:23,320 --> 01:00:27,719 of these teams. And I feel like it at one point it stops being 952 01:00:27,840 --> 01:00:32,039 like you know, a coincidence and is a pattern that they're just not really 953 01:00:32,079 --> 01:00:37,840 beating teams convincingly enough for me to peg them as a top team. There's 954 01:00:37,920 --> 01:00:43,239 like the cadence to their offense feels like it can be solved in the postseason. 955 01:00:43,360 --> 01:00:46,000 I think that's a lot of it with Demarta Rosen's game, and even 956 01:00:46,079 --> 01:00:50,920 the fact that he the way he draws shooting fouls is incredible, but it 957 01:00:50,960 --> 01:00:54,719 feels like the way he draws fouls is harder to translate into the postseason than 958 01:00:54,719 --> 01:00:59,599 it would be for someone who's just like throwing there and hurling their body at 959 01:00:59,639 --> 01:01:04,559 the warning before you talk about de Margo rosen anability to draw fouls in the 960 01:01:04,599 --> 01:01:07,960 postseason here, I'm a Raptors fan. I need a freer warning before that. 961 01:01:07,719 --> 01:01:10,639 Sorry not didn't. I should have thrown up the PTSD signs here. 962 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:15,599 But then also, it's just like they need Lonzo and Caruso back to like 963 01:01:15,719 --> 01:01:19,800 their defense has slipped a ton, even with Io playing out of his mind. 964 01:01:19,920 --> 01:01:23,280 So I'm with the group think of I don't it's not that I they 965 01:01:23,320 --> 01:01:25,639 feel like paper Tigers. I don't mean they've had a great season, but 966 01:01:27,039 --> 01:01:30,880 I would pick Milwaukee I would pick Miami, I would pick Philly over them. 967 01:01:30,480 --> 01:01:34,480 What I pick Boston over them? So you're really hot. That was 968 01:01:34,519 --> 01:01:37,239 gonna be my final question you since I know you won't choose between Miami and 969 01:01:37,320 --> 01:01:39,880 Philly, which is fair to come out of the East, you have who's 970 01:01:39,920 --> 01:01:44,000 more likely to come out of the East between Boston, Cleveland, and Toronto. 971 01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:47,760 If you're ranking those three teams, Boston number one, their defense is 972 01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:52,360 just superb and I just think that they have more than torontod they have more 973 01:01:52,400 --> 01:01:54,480 bodies, they have more shooting, They just have more than Toronto. I 974 01:01:54,519 --> 01:01:59,360 think Toronto's hoping that next year they can whereas like this is the first year 975 01:01:59,360 --> 01:02:02,039 of Toronto's building towards this where in like year a thousand for the Celtics, 976 01:02:02,119 --> 01:02:07,199 it feels like so they're just they're ahead of only nineteen so they have plenty 977 01:02:07,239 --> 01:02:13,639 of time. So so in Boston. As as number one Cleveland, if 978 01:02:13,880 --> 01:02:16,039 I don't know what's in the water in Cleveland and why it's hurting all of 979 01:02:16,039 --> 01:02:21,400 their cards, but it feels like every single guard that Cleveland has seems to 980 01:02:21,480 --> 01:02:29,000 go down. I honestly I this my hot take is if the Raftors can 981 01:02:29,079 --> 01:02:34,599 get healthy Boston and Toronto are the top six teams in the Eastern Conference. 982 01:02:34,800 --> 01:02:37,079 Oh that's not well, at least not for this podcast. I said Toronto 983 01:02:37,199 --> 01:02:38,960 was gonna have a four seed by the end of the resolue season. So 984 01:02:39,719 --> 01:02:44,239 so so that's okay. So not my my lukewarm take, then are my 985 01:02:44,440 --> 01:02:47,280 my freezing cold take is that the Toronto Raptors and Celtics are probably going to 986 01:02:47,280 --> 01:02:50,800 be a five six seed if the Raptors can get healthy, If the Raptors 987 01:02:50,920 --> 01:02:52,639 continue, I mean losing four of their last five, if they if they 988 01:02:52,800 --> 01:02:58,519 just had if they beat the bottom of the sub five hundred teams that they 989 01:02:58,559 --> 01:03:01,679 should have last week, we would be talking about them as probably the sixth 990 01:03:01,679 --> 01:03:07,079 seed along like they might have even surpassed the Calves at this point because the 991 01:03:07,119 --> 01:03:09,440 Calves have slowly been losing games as well. I think the Caves are like 992 01:03:09,480 --> 01:03:13,840 five hundred in the last ten, So we could have been talking about the 993 01:03:13,880 --> 01:03:17,400 five six Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors at this point, But the Raptors haven't 994 01:03:17,400 --> 01:03:22,239 been able to get theirs together either, So I think it's Boston Cleveland versus 995 01:03:22,320 --> 01:03:27,559 Toronto. Cleveland just feels very inexperience to me, whereas Toronto as young and 996 01:03:28,039 --> 01:03:30,679 like I mentioned, this is sort of the first iteration. They still have 997 01:03:30,760 --> 01:03:35,840 guys that have been there and done that in the playoffs multiple times. Like 998 01:03:35,920 --> 01:03:38,079 I think people forget outside of the Kawhi year, they had a better right, 999 01:03:38,119 --> 01:03:40,920 Like, they were a better defense the following year, they had a 1000 01:03:40,960 --> 01:03:44,920 better record. The following year, things were looking great for them, and 1001 01:03:44,960 --> 01:03:47,400 then Pascal Siakam gets hit with the groin injury and everything kind of comes tumbling 1002 01:03:47,440 --> 01:03:52,360 down. But that Raptors team was really really good post Kawhi Leonard, and 1003 01:03:52,400 --> 01:03:57,559 I don't think that's something that people truly remember. So I kind of I'm 1004 01:03:57,639 --> 01:04:00,840 giving the Homer edge to the Raptors, and then I'm putting the Calves there 1005 01:04:00,840 --> 01:04:03,599 because the Calves kind of feel like we're happy to be here, like thank 1006 01:04:03,639 --> 01:04:06,159 you for allowing us to see that. The Tables kind of sell everybody in 1007 01:04:06,199 --> 01:04:11,239 Cleveland Fields, whereas I think the Raptors they've been there, they've done not 1008 01:04:11,480 --> 01:04:15,519 at least the top guys in the rotation house. Yeah, I mean Cleveland 1009 01:04:15,280 --> 01:04:18,119 just their offensive hierarchy just runs out pretty quick. Now you know you're not 1010 01:04:18,199 --> 01:04:21,960 getting Sexton back and how healthy will Garland b I probably have the Raptors a 1011 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:25,960 little bit ahead of the Celtics, and I know Boston's been surging. I 1012 01:04:26,039 --> 01:04:30,239 think you can make the case that as good as Boston's defense is that Toronto 1013 01:04:30,360 --> 01:04:33,960 has the two best individual defenders in that series when you're looking at Siakam and 1014 01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:39,280 o Gianna Noby. The shallowness is a good point because I am lower on 1015 01:04:39,360 --> 01:04:42,559 Boston's depth in general, I think than most, but like they added Derek 1016 01:04:42,639 --> 01:04:45,920 White, like there, they are deeper than Toronto. So that's a tough 1017 01:04:45,960 --> 01:04:47,559 one. This might need the trigger warning. This is the last question. 1018 01:04:48,159 --> 01:04:53,400 If it's Raptors Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, who's winning that 1019 01:04:53,519 --> 01:04:57,159 series? The Raptors. All right, no hesitation there, I'd agree with 1020 01:04:57,239 --> 01:05:00,920 you, but that was the Bulls are very sha to me. The Bulls 1021 01:05:00,960 --> 01:05:03,000 have been shaky to me since the first week when everybody's like, what is 1022 01:05:03,039 --> 01:05:06,159 happening with Chicago. They've won like their first four games, and it's like, 1023 01:05:06,719 --> 01:05:09,920 yeah, I gets the Wizards, like everybody's on that, Like, 1024 01:05:10,719 --> 01:05:13,840 look, he told me, I'm ready, I'm taking them for the lottery. 1025 01:05:13,840 --> 01:05:17,239 They're not gonna be in the playoffs. Come on. Thank you so 1026 01:05:17,320 --> 01:05:19,960 much for hopping on. This was great and thank you for giving us so 1027 01:05:20,039 --> 01:05:23,280 much of your time. Are you going to tell our listeners where they can 1028 01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:26,920 find you on social media and all the work that you do? Uh yeah, 1029 01:05:27,039 --> 01:05:30,199 So I was about to say no name. I've changed my Twitter handle. 1030 01:05:30,480 --> 01:05:32,960 It's Iman underscore add in a d A and my first name is i 1031 01:05:33,039 --> 01:05:39,760 amm A and underscore Addin on Twitter, and I tweet a lot. It's 1032 01:05:39,760 --> 01:05:44,760 gonna be a lot of raptors takes as well. And I can find my 1033 01:05:44,800 --> 01:05:46,639 work on Basketball News and you can check out my podcast this or some Times 1034 01:05:47,679 --> 01:05:53,440 and the Friday Views podcast on Yeah, Who's Perth Canada? Uh? Dishon 1035 01:05:53,480 --> 01:05:56,960 Times podcast is fantastic. You all do great work over there, and you're 1036 01:05:57,000 --> 01:05:59,320 a great follow on Twitter. I know you say you tweet a lot, 1037 01:05:59,360 --> 01:06:02,639 but aside from watching like movies or shows at one point five times speed, 1038 01:06:02,719 --> 01:06:06,199 you've been a fantastic for Fallow So I echo everything you said. Thanks again 1039 01:06:06,280 --> 01:06:10,199 for coming on and rest as short. I'm sure I'll be pesturing you in 1040 01:06:10,239 --> 01:06:14,199 the future. This is fun. I we will be pesturing you to come 1041 01:06:14,239 --> 01:06:15,000 on this ship and Times