1 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:21,239 What is krack Alac and fellow thermonuclear affers. I am Damp Valley coming at 2 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:26,920 you soon with my certified pant tabulous Thermonuclear AF co host Grant Hughes. But 3 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,320 this will be part two of our sort of bouncing around the League conversation. 4 00:00:30,399 --> 00:00:34,479 Since we went for over two hours the other day, wanted to record an 5 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:36,799 intro in case there was any news to update. There really is no news 6 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,280 to update. James Harden really wants to go with the Clippers, and that's 7 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,159 about it. I don't understand there's another market for him. We've talked about 8 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,799 that extensively. We'll talk about it again. Grant is headed on a mini 9 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,880 vacation, a much deserved mini vacations, So I'll probably have two guests or 10 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,640 a solo pod with a guest next week for you. But before we get 11 00:00:54,679 --> 00:00:58,799 started on this one, please remember to subscribe to us wherever you're consuming us. 12 00:00:58,799 --> 00:01:02,000 We're very close to three thousand and subscribers on YouTube, so head over 13 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,040 to YouTube hit subscribe. Terminal notifications like every video, comment on every video, 14 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,920 help the algorithm, love us back. Also subscribe to us on Spotify 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,599 and or Apple podcast, leave ratings and reviews at both I think Spotify let 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,519 you do just ratings those help ratings and reviews and written reviews on Apple. 17 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,120 Help us out a ton. 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Follow us on 24 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,359 all the socials at Hardwood Knocks on TikTok and Twitter, at Hardwood Underscore Knox 25 00:01:48,439 --> 00:01:52,760 on Insta, And finally, if you want to support the show by our 26 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,400 merch the link to that is in the podcast and YouTube descriptions as well. 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,599 That is it for me. Hope you enjoy this conversation with Grant, and 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,799 for the people who are watching, I hope you're enjoying. Look Grants away. 29 00:02:01,879 --> 00:02:07,200 So I obviously had to build a new Hardwood Knocks video background, which 30 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,520 looks kind of cooler when there's two people on it. But we're in space 31 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,840 now, forget the basketball card. We're just in space, real alien shit. 32 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:20,280 But grant me, we're gonna talk right now. Who's okay? I'm 33 00:02:20,319 --> 00:02:23,680 sorry, but do we have to? We haven't really talked that much about 34 00:02:23,719 --> 00:02:27,120 the Warriors, and this will shock no one that I want to discuss them, 35 00:02:27,599 --> 00:02:30,360 and I need you, I think, to walk me back a little 36 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:37,120 bit. I'm sorry, we need the disclaimer here. Brant attended Santa Clarar 37 00:02:37,319 --> 00:02:40,280 University. Oh. I wasn't even gonna mention Pods. I've been saying, 38 00:02:40,319 --> 00:02:44,719 and even he says about Pods until we see Pods playing a real NBA game, 39 00:02:44,719 --> 00:02:47,680 He's to be taken with a metric on Well, what I will The 40 00:02:47,759 --> 00:02:51,919 only thing I'll say, because this is my only takeaway so far, is 41 00:02:52,039 --> 00:02:54,360 he's a little loose with the ball. That's my Summer League takeaway from Pods, 42 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,520 Like he's the ball security for a guy that's supposed to be ready to 43 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,840 help right now and have great feel is a little rough, Like you just 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,039 watched Jordan Pool for four years. That's what I'm saying. I'm an authority 45 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,280 on the subject. It looks like when a guys loose with the basketball. 46 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:15,560 So start here, best best five man unit in the league last year, 47 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,759 right, the Warrior starters like plus I forget off the top of my head, 48 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,319 it's either like plus twenty one or plus nineteen per one hundred with their 49 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,960 starting five good, which is insane, Like, that's by far the bet 50 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,159 better than any any unit that played even close to as many minutes as they 51 00:03:31,159 --> 00:03:36,960 did. And then Jordan Pool would come in and a bench that couldn't create 52 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,719 shots would come in and the reserves would just give it all back. They'd 53 00:03:39,719 --> 00:03:46,120 give just like clockwork all year, turnovers just you know, bad offense, 54 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,759 you know, shaky defense, guys not knowing what to do. And so 55 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,360 if you like, there's a lot to sort of untie with with what Chris 56 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,400 Paul's role will be. Who's he gonna play with most like all that stuff 57 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,479 will he be? Hell? Is he washed like that? There's a lot 58 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,919 there. But if the theory is that he just stabilizes the second unit, 59 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,360 which now is going to have Gary Payton again for a full season, which 60 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,840 in theory, Jonathan cominga in year three will either be a good cutter or 61 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,199 rollman that Chris Paul sort of enables. Draymond said, he's going to totally 62 00:04:15,279 --> 00:04:21,279 unlock him. We'll see. He said he's gonna unlock cominga. So that's 63 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:29,360 eight guys. So like why I think clearly, if I'm I know, 64 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:31,480 like you, I sort of just can't be trusted. But a lot of 65 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,560 times I'm too pessimistic about the Warriors. I know people will be surprised to 66 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,279 hear that. I'm just like my swings are too big with them. But 67 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:45,439 I don't see a good argument for why they aren't clearly clearly in that second 68 00:04:45,439 --> 00:04:50,079 in that tier below Denver and like you know, like that discussion. Well, 69 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:55,199 I don't know because I think I think maybe it is because the cores 70 00:04:55,639 --> 00:04:59,160 aging Clay Thompson, I don't think is going to get better. Like people 71 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:00,920 keep kind of waiting for the defense to come back. I don't think it's 72 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:06,040 happening. Draymond's older steps older. They just you know, there are still 73 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:11,759 questions there. And this what they did this offseason is feels much more like 74 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,600 a last dance type of thing than when everybody was talking about that because like, 75 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,519 you don't, Corey Joseph is not here for a long time. Corey 76 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,120 Joseph is here because he's like a veteran that's not going to screw up, 77 00:05:21,199 --> 00:05:25,600 like they're very much the Warriors, like Mo. This offseason was like, 78 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,920 let's get guys that aren't going to screw up, like maybe the ceiling is 79 00:05:28,959 --> 00:05:31,040 not that high, but just no more mistakes, like no more self inflicted 80 00:05:31,079 --> 00:05:34,879 wounds, no more games kicked away like that kind of thing. And that's 81 00:05:34,959 --> 00:05:39,519 kind of like a modest goal for a team that's supposed to be chasing a 82 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,839 title. But I think my contention is like that was the correct approach, 83 00:05:44,199 --> 00:05:48,519 is just like let's stop beating ourselves because the starters are just killing everyone and 84 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:54,759 then we're still not getting it done because nobody else is helping. So I'm 85 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,560 not ready to be like they're on Denver's level. But I mean they did 86 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,240 win it two years ago with virtually everybody that's back, and Chris Paul is 87 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,439 in place of Auto Porter, Like I don't. I mean, like that's 88 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:08,399 really the main difference, unless I'm forgetting something Chris Paul in places of Jordan 89 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,759 Pool. Technically I guess that's true. Yeah, I forgot Jordan Pool already. 90 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,680 Yeah, and then the Cominga and Moody thing they've got to like basically 91 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:20,240 off you know, do what Auto Porter did. I like, I feel 92 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:26,199 like Moody is ready. I think the Warriors there, but Moody just based 93 00:06:26,199 --> 00:06:29,120 on what we saw Feringhi the playoffs this past year, that just feels like 94 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,279 someone who should plug right in this year? Yeah? Can sorry? Can 95 00:06:32,319 --> 00:06:34,079 I ask you? Then? Maybe this is the way to frame it and 96 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:40,360 you can go are they are they interesting? Like? Is this team interesting? 97 00:06:40,439 --> 00:06:43,600 Am I? Or am I just interested Chris Paul? And I think 98 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,920 that the fan base because there's a lot of Warriors fans who were for Bleacher 99 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,519 Reports when I was out there and talk to some people from the West Coast 100 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,399 about how they felt, including one of our bosses was a big Warriors fan, 101 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,839 disgusted that Chris Paul's a Warrior. They are compelling as fuck because they 102 00:06:57,959 --> 00:07:01,800 made that rad. Okay, I need you to assess me right now because 103 00:07:02,319 --> 00:07:05,199 I am. I'm an unabashed Warriors fan, have been my whole life. 104 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:11,000 I had not a second of like I can't root for Chris Paul. I 105 00:07:11,399 --> 00:07:14,439 can't do this like am I so? Am I a fan? Or am 106 00:07:14,439 --> 00:07:16,759 I not a fan? Because I had zero emotional reaction to Chris Paul. 107 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,839 I don't care like this idea that, oh, how can I root for 108 00:07:20,839 --> 00:07:25,920 this guy? I hated him for so long? None like zero zero of 109 00:07:25,959 --> 00:07:28,519 that. No, I don't think there's anything wrong. Also, Steph said, 110 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,399 it's okay, So I'm just whatever. I'm just I'm with it, 111 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:36,519 but I'm not. It isn't That's what it is what makes them compelling because 112 00:07:36,519 --> 00:07:41,959 he just runs so divergent to how they like to play. And I think 113 00:07:42,439 --> 00:07:45,480 I do think Chris Paul can be more adaptable than people give him credit for 114 00:07:45,519 --> 00:07:47,360 it. But like, you can't get Chris Paul then asked him to run 115 00:07:47,399 --> 00:07:50,360 the second unit and not be prepared to run a bunch of traditional pick and 116 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:55,399 roll And I think it's gonna be a real question of they will play Draymond 117 00:07:55,439 --> 00:07:58,560 at the five and then Wiggins and Clay and Chris Paul and Steph Curry. 118 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,839 How often do you actually do this at? Do you view Chris Paul as 119 00:08:01,839 --> 00:08:03,079 a human trade exception? There are a lot of questions there. And then 120 00:08:03,079 --> 00:08:07,600 how does he look in a role like is he the type of player that's 121 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,600 gonna need to I don't even want to say to have touches but beyond the 122 00:08:09,639 --> 00:08:13,720 court a while, to continue to have the highest type of impact, where 123 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:18,959 if you shorten him from thirty plus minutes a game just twenty plus minutes a 124 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,519 game, is there a drop off from him that's not even necessarily age related, 125 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,120 but could it be something about the Arcadian rhythm of how he's he's trying 126 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:30,560 a play or operate. So there are questions, but I absolutely think they 127 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,080 belong in the second tier of like they're not No, they're not on Denver's 128 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:35,879 level. And if you want to put them in the third tier where if 129 00:08:35,879 --> 00:08:39,639 you think Boston or there's another team that really Phoenix really stands out, that's 130 00:08:39,639 --> 00:08:43,720 fine too. But like they're in the Milwaukee Lakers. I don't even know 131 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,240 if I have the Lakers in that tier, but like they're in the Milwaukee 132 00:08:46,279 --> 00:08:48,879 like whoever you want a name, Like they're in that tier. They're in 133 00:08:48,919 --> 00:08:52,159 the tier of if this team won the championship, it would you would not 134 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:56,679 like you have any questions, Like you wouldn't be like how did that? 135 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:58,399 You would say, Okay, I guess the Chris Paul thing worked Like that 136 00:08:58,399 --> 00:09:03,919 would be your reaction basically right for sure? Anything else on that, Thank 137 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,559 you for not giving me a hard time about being emotionally dead inside about the 138 00:09:07,639 --> 00:09:11,360 Chris Paul acquisition. I don't really know where I want to go. There's 139 00:09:11,399 --> 00:09:16,759 so many places that I want to go next. Let's go with make sure 140 00:09:16,759 --> 00:09:18,399 that I don't have someone team that's on your I don't want to just stick 141 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:24,080 with big markets. But I'm gonna start with this. Who had the most 142 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:28,320 overrated off season among all NBA teams? You're not gonna give me options. 143 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:33,159 I just gotta pick. Yeah, Well, this is an impossible question because 144 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,519 I don't know what the consensus rating is for anybody. Okay, I think 145 00:09:35,519 --> 00:09:37,679 I know where you're going, and I want to talk about this team too, 146 00:09:39,159 --> 00:09:41,440 and I'll just hijack this. I guess are you going to say the 147 00:09:41,519 --> 00:09:46,039 Lakers? Yes? Okay, what? So tell me why? Because I 148 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,799 kind of I guessed it, so I guess I must share some of your 149 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:54,720 opinion on it. So you go ahead. Why is this an overrated off 150 00:09:54,759 --> 00:10:01,120 season? I think it's a good offseason? But how much better is going 151 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:07,480 from like Dennis shrewder Malik Beasley and who else do they have on last year's 152 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:11,480 roster? Like you kept? It's just you went from Dennis shrewder Malik Beasley 153 00:10:11,639 --> 00:10:16,440 two Okay, now we have Dave Vincent and Cam Reddish and Jackson Hayes, 154 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,120 and it's like we don't have Obama or Troy Brown Junior and we still have 155 00:10:20,159 --> 00:10:26,200 the Angel Russell and and Ruy Hatchamora. Where make I need someone to make 156 00:10:26,279 --> 00:10:31,919 the case of how much what's their pathway to being exponentially better than they the 157 00:10:31,919 --> 00:10:35,799 conference finals version of themselves? And I struggle to find the answer other than 158 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,720 you need to think that Gave Vincent is a monster offensive upgrade over Dennis Shrewder, 159 00:10:39,919 --> 00:10:46,799 which okay, fine, or Austin Reeves just explodes and that's not, 160 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,720 I guess unfair. Also, by the way, no one poisoned pilling him. 161 00:10:50,799 --> 00:10:54,000 What the fuck? I know the Spurs were thinking about it, per 162 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,000 zach Low, Houston should have just done it. We Oklahoma City, you 163 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 didn't fucking use your tap space anyway, like you could have waited on the 164 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,320 old Depot deal or something like, I know you needed to do the Dovis 165 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,039 Parton's the deal one you did, whatever, whatever, whatever, someone should 166 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,960 just make the Lakers pay more than what might be one of the best cock 167 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:15,120 tracks in the NBA in like two years time. So I like their offseason. 168 00:11:15,159 --> 00:11:18,960 Want to make this clear, it just feels like, how much better 169 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:24,840 are the Lakers compared to last year? So my thought on it, I 170 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:28,320 D I don't think I agree with you. And so basically like and I 171 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,639 s about this stat out whenever we talk about the Lakers after the after they 172 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,440 remade the roster and Austin Reeves got a bigger role, like, you know, 173 00:11:35,519 --> 00:11:39,120 not because of that, but just that's just something that happened concurrently. 174 00:11:39,519 --> 00:11:41,519 You know, they were the second best team in the league by but I 175 00:11:41,519 --> 00:11:43,879 think by record and maybe even by net rating down the stretch of the season 176 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,399 starting you know, early February to the rest of the year. So it's 177 00:11:48,399 --> 00:11:50,440 like, well, how much better do they actually have to get? Right? 178 00:11:50,639 --> 00:11:54,039 So, like running it back is not you know, they're not a 179 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,720 playing team based on the team the roster that they had, So like if 180 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,600 they just brought that group back and you know, maybe they're maybe they won't 181 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,080 be the second best team again, maybe they'll be the fifth or sixth or 182 00:12:05,159 --> 00:12:09,879 something like that. But to your point, that same group, you know, 183 00:12:11,399 --> 00:12:13,519 didn't make it to the conference finals. So or no, wait they 184 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:18,519 did, right, I can't even remember now, they'd be Jesus Christ's off 185 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,000 the playoffs happened so long ago. Uh yeah, No, they beat the 186 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,360 Warriors, so they were in the conference finals, right, and then Denver 187 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:30,399 just was too good. So I don't see an explanation for why if you 188 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,519 played that series again this season, they're just oh yeah, well they're they're 189 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,919 they're clearly better positioned to beat Denver or even Golden State for that matter, 190 00:12:39,159 --> 00:12:41,360 if they if they were to meet again. So yeah, I take your 191 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,279 point, like they didn't. They didn't make this leap. I think when 192 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,279 people are saying they had a good offseason, which we both agree they did, 193 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,759 it's just like they didn't. All the contracts they signed, you know, 194 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,960 Delo really good deal for a player that neither of us are really super 195 00:12:54,039 --> 00:12:58,960 high on. The Vincent deal is fine. We both agree Rui got a 196 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,399 little too much for fifty one, and then Reeves. You know, they 197 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,559 just sort of made good decisions. The guys they lost are not going to 198 00:13:05,639 --> 00:13:09,799 cripple them by any stretch. So it's sort of like they did about as 199 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,559 well as they could have, but it might just not be good enough. 200 00:13:13,799 --> 00:13:18,480 Is that sort of what we're ultimately saying. It's just I don't have a 201 00:13:18,519 --> 00:13:22,399 problem. I just think that we need to stop painting Rob Polinka as playing 202 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:26,679 chess instead of checkers or something that I think this off season is viewed so 203 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,720 highly. Again, they're going to be a very good team. I think 204 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,120 it's viewed so highly because the expectations for what they were going to do is 205 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,120 solo whereas are they going to chase the cap space route. But you know, 206 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,759 I'm not of the mind of you know, like the DeAngelo Russell contract 207 00:13:39,799 --> 00:13:43,399 like almost perfectly matches up with an og At Anobe trade, Like look at 208 00:13:43,399 --> 00:13:46,360 the salaries there, and it's no like, look at what Deans Russel did 209 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,240 for you in the playoffs, jack shit, And it's the numbers. Fine, 210 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,399 you're paying them basically over two years what you paid them last season, 211 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,440 just a little bit more combined. It's a movable contract. But do we 212 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,000 trust him to be a lot better, especially when you're going to be prioritized 213 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,559 prioritizing Austin Reeves and day Vincent. I'm assuming as well. And the other 214 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,879 thing is, I don't want to if any other team bait almost any other 215 00:14:07,879 --> 00:14:11,399 team. There's some other teams that could have if any other team signed Jackson 216 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,159 Hayes or or Cam Reddish, we would not be talking about them like, 217 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:20,039 oh man, look at these flyers and but Tori and Prince that might be 218 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,480 like my favorite move aside from the Austin Reeves deal Theirs for the off season, 219 00:14:22,559 --> 00:14:26,799 but like, they still don't have there's a deficit of two way wing 220 00:14:26,919 --> 00:14:31,159 play here. It's like kind of when the Knicks needed caps lock shooting and 221 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,080 size on the wings, and everyone's like like trumpeting the Dante de Vincenzo signing, 222 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,200 who I think is a league average shooter for his career. He did 223 00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:41,799 very well last year and like doesn't have any size, Like he's a good 224 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,039 defender, not create his own threes, like will not make a three off 225 00:14:45,039 --> 00:14:48,360 the dribble, ever, And so it's like it's again, good player, 226 00:14:48,399 --> 00:14:52,440 but it's let's not turn this into addressing needs. I think this was more 227 00:14:52,519 --> 00:14:58,519 than anything, probably closer to lateral than an outright improvement. The improvement will 228 00:14:58,519 --> 00:15:01,559 come because of one Austin Eaves maybe or two, Hey, we have this 229 00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:05,159 group together for the entire season and not Yeah, I think I think that's 230 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,600 the right way to look at it. Who's they're closing five. It's obviously 231 00:15:07,679 --> 00:15:13,200 Lebron a D. It's kind of a fun exercise. Reeves Vincent and is 232 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:18,200 Ruey. Is Ruey the closing small Prince, right, I don't know, 233 00:15:18,279 --> 00:15:22,519 that's what I'm asking. I think I would go your four and Torrian Prince. 234 00:15:22,759 --> 00:15:26,320 There might be some toggling done between. I think there's gonna be I 235 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:28,639 think Reeves, A D and Lebron are the only ones penciled in stone, 236 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:35,399 that they have no sense they're penciled in stone. I just love that too. 237 00:15:35,399 --> 00:15:37,559 I said, yeah, totally right, Dan, penciled in stone. 238 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:39,600 They're the only one set in stone. And I think we'll see a lot 239 00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:43,279 of sort of mixing with Okay, Ruey and Gabe Vincent de'angel Russell. I'm 240 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,639 assuming he is gonna fa because like at some point you're gonna need more on 241 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:52,120 ball creation and like Ruy's not doing that. Maybe you trust D'Angelo Russell a 242 00:15:52,159 --> 00:15:54,559 little bit more there than Gabe Vincent. But I would go Gabe Vincent and 243 00:15:54,639 --> 00:15:58,799 Torrian Prince, like because who who is this team's go to wing defender right 244 00:15:58,799 --> 00:16:02,919 now? We no point of attacks gonna be gay? I mean it's Vanderbilt, 245 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:04,480 right, isn't it. Jared Vanderbilt about him, well, but you 246 00:16:04,519 --> 00:16:10,559 can't. I mean that that's we've learned him with Lebron and a D like, 247 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,399 that's not that. Doesn't you know that you need to I guess you 248 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,919 can't play Vincent because you need spacing. And it's like, is that Russell 249 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,399 or just Tory and Prince anyway? And you trust Austin Reeves and Lebron to 250 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,399 initiate your offense that that actually I don't hate it. Well, I still 251 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,080 think it might be Vincent. It's just you're gonna have to live with the 252 00:16:27,639 --> 00:16:32,919 two for eleven nights. Sometimes I think with him, But yeah, Vanderbilts. 253 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,080 I feel like we've been saying this, certainly since the last playoffs. 254 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:41,960 Vanderbilt's a pretty like swingy piece for them because it's like Canny just just canny 255 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,919 stay on the floor enough offensively to be that guy. Because I think clearly 256 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,559 if you're like, who's the guy that's gonna get us a stop or bother, 257 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,480 a main wing or even a guard, like that's that's the guy. 258 00:16:52,639 --> 00:16:56,559 That's That's how big that closing lineup would be. So Austin Reeves whatever, 259 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:02,639 but Lebron, Vanderbilt a D and then Tory and Prince just within. This 260 00:17:02,679 --> 00:17:04,160 team is going to be a really good defensive team. That's the only thing 261 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:10,359 I'm absolutely certain off Like, if they're not a top five defense, something 262 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:12,839 weird happened. I don't see how they're worse than that next team on your 263 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,920 list. Well, it wasn't gonna be the Lakers. This is this is 264 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:22,960 again like an improved enough question. I had this team with the Lakers, 265 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:29,720 and it's it's Dallas, another team that I think had a very good offseason, 266 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,839 like got better right, Like, I mean, the Kyrie thing is 267 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:34,599 what it is. I don't know if we need to be labor that he's 268 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:41,359 back. All of the concerns about him being back still exist and all of 269 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:45,079 the upsides still exists. I guess if if magically this is when it finally 270 00:17:45,079 --> 00:17:48,720 works for him. I think Grant Williams is a good addition. I think 271 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,640 getting Dwight Powell back at that number is pretty solid. I think Rashaun Holmes 272 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,519 is going to help. I think Seth Curry's gonna help. So they're clearly 273 00:17:56,599 --> 00:18:00,440 better. How did he not have anything? More? Man? I think 274 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,480 I wonder if because I thought that too, I think maybe the health thing 275 00:18:04,759 --> 00:18:08,720 is teams are concerned about. And I think defensively, sure, defensively. 276 00:18:08,759 --> 00:18:14,319 I think like there was a time where you felt really good about Seth Curry, 277 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:15,759 you know, guarding a point guard or even at two, and I 278 00:18:15,759 --> 00:18:19,000 don't feel like that's the case anymore. I think he's just gotten older and 279 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,880 but yeah, no, agree, like he he's a he is your capslock 280 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,079 shooter, like that is the guy that if he is open someone made a 281 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:30,519 mistake, like that's that's the level of of spacer that he can be. 282 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,279 Having said all that, I'm sure I forgot something in there. I'm not 283 00:18:36,279 --> 00:18:41,960 looking at their acquisitions right now. Doesn't matter because this team did not make 284 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,839 the playoffs. Part of that was on purpose, but most of the season 285 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,880 they were trying to do that. Have they improved enough to be more than 286 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,759 Yeah, they could be. You know, they're in the the eight to 287 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,119 five range in the West or something like that, Like are they do you 288 00:18:56,279 --> 00:19:00,720 and again? Conference finals two years ago? So it's like, yeah, 289 00:19:00,839 --> 00:19:04,480 a very different team, But I don't know that they've done enough to distinguish 290 00:19:04,519 --> 00:19:08,880 themselves as a team that the contenders are actually worried about. What do you 291 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,960 think? I'm with you? Who is and I know that they try to 292 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,039 get matist tybel who defends wings on this team. And I saw when was 293 00:19:17,079 --> 00:19:21,440 it Shams broke the news about Grant Williams. He said wing Grant Williams. 294 00:19:21,799 --> 00:19:26,160 Grant Williams is extremely switchable. He's not a wing. And like when you 295 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,400 look at the I can't remember who had this. Maybe it was our I 296 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:30,279 don't even want to say the pockets. I don't want to get it wrong. 297 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,680 Like he was one of them. Ranked is one of the most versatile 298 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,640 defenders based off positions defended by high volume of possessions. It's like, yes, 299 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,440 he gives you that element and having him and Maxi Kleiba like that's and 300 00:19:41,519 --> 00:19:45,960 even like Dwight Patt, like that's real, like front court defense, who's 301 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,680 defending wings? If you just decided that Josh Green is that guy, No, 302 00:19:48,759 --> 00:19:52,599 you haven't because you try to go out and get matist Tyble And so 303 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,960 I think it's even more important because you want that wing to maybe also be 304 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,480 able to defend point of attacks that you can move Kyrie Iring and Lucadanchitch around. 305 00:20:00,039 --> 00:20:03,680 That's a really big question mark for this team, especially because you trade 306 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,519 away Reggie Bullock who I think is more of like a the straight to DVD 307 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,839 version of that like player that you would want. And I don't mean that 308 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,759 as an insult. I don't do our listeners know what DVDs were. I'm 309 00:20:12,759 --> 00:20:15,920 sure we skew older. Do we appeal to anyone who's super young? Is 310 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:21,079 anyone in college or younger listening to Hardwoo Knox? Because we love you very 311 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:26,039 much. All I'll say is I had the other day I had to try 312 00:20:26,039 --> 00:20:30,319 to try to explain to my kids what a VCR was, because we're going 313 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,839 even back and even farther, and like the idea that there's also this plastic 314 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,039 thing that you put in the machine that has a thing on it that you 315 00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:40,960 watch. It was just like it may have it may as well have been 316 00:20:41,039 --> 00:20:44,319 like a foreign like none of none of the core ideas tracked for them. 317 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,799 You are kids are so young though I was working with influencers at one point 318 00:20:47,839 --> 00:20:49,880 that like didn't know what a USB was, and I was like, I 319 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,960 wasn't a lot like I knew what or CDs or the other thing. It's 320 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,039 like I knew what a record player was growing up, and I wasn't anywhere 321 00:20:57,279 --> 00:21:02,079 like I knew what we had one had a record player. I actually think 322 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:03,839 I have a record player because I have like Blink one eighty two vinyls because 323 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:08,319 I'm on that dude. But yeah, so digressing there. What were we 324 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:14,440 just talking about? Oh yeah, so like I just don't the wing defense 325 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,400 here, and then I will say this is not gonna be pertinent to this 326 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:22,000 season. I'm wildly uncomfortable giving up a twenty thirty swap and the Grant Williams 327 00:21:22,599 --> 00:21:27,680 deal. I can't. I don't have strong feelings about that. If they 328 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:32,200 had gotten Tyble, how would you feel? Very differently? I would feel 329 00:21:32,279 --> 00:21:33,759 a lot better because I started seeing people saying that Tyble is like one of 330 00:21:33,799 --> 00:21:37,240 the most under overrated defenders in the league, and I was like, all 331 00:21:37,319 --> 00:21:41,960 right, let's let's relax. If you overrated as a defenders, about can 332 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,799 you stay on the floor? And he will not shoot what he did from 333 00:21:44,839 --> 00:21:47,559 three in Portland? Lash you thought, I'm like almost five attempts per game, 334 00:21:47,599 --> 00:21:49,119 we're shooting like eighty percent. But like, you don't need him to 335 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:52,519 dribble or make decisions in this offense if he was there, So, yeah, 336 00:21:52,559 --> 00:21:53,920 I feel a lot better. I don't know if that player is still 337 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,480 like, do they take a flyer on Kelly Woodbridge Junior, who I feel 338 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,799 like people call him three and D and he's kind of like not really three 339 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,960 and very little D, like something that's not what they need. And then 340 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,279 there's Io Dassoon move, but I don't think they would play him enough, 341 00:22:08,319 --> 00:22:11,960 even if he falls into their price range, just because of all the guards 342 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,359 they already have. And you know, they could sign Javonte Green that would 343 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:18,200 really ingratiate me to them, but I think they need or they could bring 344 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,599 back someone else that would even really ingratiate you too. Yeah, Frank l. 345 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,480 Keen is sitting right there, and you went with dime store version of 346 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:29,480 Frankielokeena and Dante Exam who I'll believe he can shoot when I see it. 347 00:22:29,559 --> 00:22:33,000 So I don't I think this team. I thought they had a very good 348 00:22:33,079 --> 00:22:34,680 off season, but like even some of the moves, it's like, okay, 349 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,400 well, Derek Live even gonna factor in, Like how much does that 350 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,039 actually matter right now? Two or three years down the line that might matter. 351 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,039 So I think they need to still be pretty aggressive on the trade market 352 00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:48,240 to get a wing defender, and I don't know who it is. Do 353 00:22:48,319 --> 00:22:51,359 they have enough to get into Ogan and Obi sweepstakes. They could trade two 354 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,039 first round picks if they really want, like Derek Lively in another first round 355 00:22:53,039 --> 00:22:56,559 pick. I don't know if that does anything for Toronto with the Yakam purtle 356 00:22:56,599 --> 00:23:00,559 there, but they need they need win defensive, Like even could they get 357 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,680 Royce O'Neil from Brooklyn. We'll go a long way of I think, like, 358 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,319 of course, I just think about like they and mav fans go crazy 359 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:11,799 when you do this. But like between Hardy and Josh Green, I love 360 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,680 Josh Green. I just like he's one of my favorite. Like, hey, 361 00:23:14,759 --> 00:23:17,920 let's talk about this guy players. Is he ready to do this? 362 00:23:18,039 --> 00:23:21,240 Though probably not. I'm just saying like, if you're putting a package together 363 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,960 like Royce O'Neil, oh, you you better be able to use like some 364 00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:29,119 combination of Lively, Green and Hardy. Oh no, I think you could 365 00:23:29,759 --> 00:23:32,039 get that guy. They're ept to do it, I think, is the 366 00:23:32,039 --> 00:23:37,039 point I'm making, Like they really can and probably they should, because if 367 00:23:37,079 --> 00:23:40,400 you're investing in Kyrie Irving for three years on a big deal and you're really 368 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:44,240 hoping that Luca enjoys some success so he doesn't become the next guy to ask 369 00:23:44,319 --> 00:23:45,880 for a trade, Like, you're gonna have to trade one of these like 370 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:52,359 twenty somethings for an underwhelming wing like the Tory Craigs and Royce O'Neill's and whatever. 371 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,759 You know, all the guys we always talk about. You might just 372 00:23:55,799 --> 00:23:56,839 need to go get one of those guys, and it's going to cost you 373 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,160 a player you really like. I thought about Alex Carusoe for this team, 374 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,400 but I think he ends up being too small. I think, yeah, 375 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,279 it's gotta be the sixth seven well guy, which led me to mid season 376 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,440 Patrick Williams. Could they be like a sneaky Patrick Williams destination who's in the 377 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,440 final year of his deal? Maybe Chicago will excuse me, he's extensional. 378 00:24:15,599 --> 00:24:18,200 Will He's not the final year of his deal. Maybe Chicago doesn't want to 379 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:19,799 pay him, so he isn't the final year of his He's entering the final 380 00:24:19,839 --> 00:24:25,480 year of his deal. Maybe Chicago's like if he about paying him in restricted 381 00:24:25,519 --> 00:24:27,440 free agency, maybe he gets extended and really can't be moved at that point 382 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:32,400 because of the poison pill provision. But like they could have, like Chicago 383 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,119 decides to tear it down, like between Lively round pick, and do you 384 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,440 give up Josh Green in that scenario where you certainly give up Jadon Hardy, 385 00:24:38,519 --> 00:24:42,000 like that would be he's not proven enough. But like taking a flyer on 386 00:24:42,079 --> 00:24:45,000 that, I'm just trying to come up with, do they try to make 387 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,720 a trade from a team They can't even trade from a teast table until next 388 00:24:47,759 --> 00:24:51,400 summer now, so I'm just trying to think of like just more outside the 389 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:53,319 boxer's oh not a mega deal like which oh I think I would class by 390 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:56,160 og and a Nooby's a mega deal? Get out of my head. I 391 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,640 was just thinking like could they how would they get to Annaobi? But yeah, 392 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,880 no, it doesn't. I mean that'd be great, but it doesn't 393 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,400 have to be your Your use of Royce O'Neill is like a perfect example, 394 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,799 like if they had just because I think I like O'Neil better than Reggie Bullock, 395 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,960 but they're not that different really. I guess you get you get much 396 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:18,200 more quick trigger shooting from Bullock, but only after the month of like January. 397 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:22,920 It seems like that's how that works for him. So yeah, anyway, 398 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,519 I'll answer my own question. I think I think this is another team 399 00:25:26,559 --> 00:25:30,599 like the Lakers, where it's a little different because the Lakers didn't really get 400 00:25:30,599 --> 00:25:33,599 better, but the MAV's got I think a lot better. And I'm just 401 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,000 I'm not seeing a reason to view them as on the level of you know, 402 00:25:37,039 --> 00:25:38,960 the top three or four teams in the West. Maybe not even that 403 00:25:40,279 --> 00:25:45,039 fun game Denver or Dallas, Like, who's gonna give me it to? 404 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:51,880 Denver or Dallas. Denver Phoenix or Dallas Phoenix, Memphis or Dallas. Oh, 405 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,960 that's closer. I think it's still Memphis Golden State or Dallas Golden State, 406 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:03,680 Sacramento or Dallas oh Man, Sacramento Lakers or Dallas Lakers. So what 407 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,599 are we at? Seven? Now? Uh? Where we had Lakers, 408 00:26:07,799 --> 00:26:11,240 Grizzlies, Warriors, Suns, Nuggets. That's five. Well, Clippers. 409 00:26:11,279 --> 00:26:15,440 I might take Das over the Clippers. Okay, I worked five so far. 410 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:21,440 Pelicans are Dallas. Oh that's getting now we're getting into it. I 411 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:30,599 think I might go Dallas Thunder over Dallas Thunder or Dallas oh Man. I'm 412 00:26:30,599 --> 00:26:34,599 gonna I'm gonna say I just pumped the Thunder up, so I have to 413 00:26:34,599 --> 00:26:42,359 say Thunder. It's so worth Six Timberwolves are Dallas mhm, Timberwolves. I 414 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,200 think those are I don't leave off any of the team. So, like 415 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,640 you just picked seven teams over Dallas at that point, and it's so now 416 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,039 you're in play it in territory and I didn't miss it, Like we're not 417 00:26:51,519 --> 00:26:55,519 Jazz Blazers, Rockets, Spurs, like shouldn't factory those are all Dallas is 418 00:26:55,519 --> 00:26:56,799 clearly better than them, right I think? So? Yeah, So that's 419 00:26:56,799 --> 00:26:59,960 what I mean, Like, okay, cool, you're you're a little bit 420 00:27:00,039 --> 00:27:03,400 better, but you might be in the same position. Where how do we 421 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:06,200 really want, you know, the playing game or should we go for the 422 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:07,720 lottery pick again? Actually I don't. They probably don't even have their lottery 423 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:12,799 pick. I can't remember. What are we talking about? Well, we're 424 00:27:12,839 --> 00:27:15,079 done talking about Dallas. Do you have another team you want to talk about? 425 00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:18,279 I would like to talk about him. You might talking about the Pacers. 426 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,440 Okay, I thought, so they didn't do anything like monstrous. The 427 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,640 Bruce Brown addition amazing, so short term that it shouldn't You shouldn't care about 428 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,599 the dollar amount they John Hollinger his coin of human trade exception. He's basically 429 00:27:30,599 --> 00:27:33,480 that. But I view it more as they decided to roll their tap space 430 00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:37,880 over, which is totally fine. I don't know how to feel about Jared 431 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:41,680 Walker. I know you Jared Walker, jarss Walker, you like him better 432 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:45,359 than I do. I'm not sure what his offensive impact is at the NBA 433 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,960 level. There's a lot to love Defensively, they have will be Topping, 434 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,839 who I think works a lot on this team. What's mega interesting is I 435 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,599 brought h up because of the Bruce Brown signing. I'm so high on Tyrese 436 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:00,000 Haliburton. I'm very interested in just like the lineups they run out because Andrew 437 00:28:00,039 --> 00:28:03,039 Nemhart is kind of a point guard, but he'll defend power forwards, so 438 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:07,680 you can get just really sort of kooky with your lineups. But they've also 439 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,240 and this just solidified it to me, we're linked to Pascal Siakam as a 440 00:28:11,279 --> 00:28:15,680 potential trade partner. That would be so out of character for Indiana because you're 441 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,839 not getting out of that trade. You're not keeping both Jaris Walker and Bennedic 442 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,839 Matherin and a Pascal Siakham trade, and so I don't if you're this team, 443 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,119 do you operate on that type of timeline where it's if you have to 444 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:29,599 go up one of those guys plus picks for Siakam, do you do it 445 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,039 like or they at that point where you're ready because I look at as and 446 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,319 it doesn't even need to be. I don't know how to feel I'll bring 447 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,400 up because I don't know how to feel about them is currently constructed? Is 448 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:44,160 my point? Like do they belong in the playing conversation? And the like 449 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,720 To throw on top of that is would you look at making more of these? 450 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,799 It's an aggressive play, but does it come at not maybe a slight 451 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:56,720 discount because Pascal Siakam is about to enter free agency and so it's oh, 452 00:28:56,799 --> 00:28:59,039 yeah, so that makes sense, But there's also a level of risk there 453 00:28:59,119 --> 00:29:03,160 because we're accelerating our timeline dealing with a future or an imminent free agent. 454 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,559 Here the Pacers are there. I liked their off season for the most part. 455 00:29:07,559 --> 00:29:11,200 I would have went with telling Hendrix over jarss Walker that I really would 456 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,559 have loved this team. But I liked their off season. I didn't love 457 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,519 it, and it kind of made me confused about their future, Like they're 458 00:29:18,559 --> 00:29:22,000 one of the most confusing teams for me looking at just this upcoming season. 459 00:29:22,519 --> 00:29:26,519 But wouldn't you agree that usually that's a really bad thing, Like I'm confused 460 00:29:26,559 --> 00:29:30,279 I don't know where they're going, Like we level that criticism metric. That's 461 00:29:30,279 --> 00:29:33,319 a good thing in this case, right right, because it's on this sort 462 00:29:33,359 --> 00:29:37,519 of fluid trajectory because we can't even say long term, because the Pacers are 463 00:29:37,599 --> 00:29:41,680 very adamant that this is like it's called a retool. It's not a rebuilding, 464 00:29:41,799 --> 00:29:42,960 Like all right, you guys are rebuilding at this point, Like I 465 00:29:44,119 --> 00:29:47,799 just but there's also just my questions are does Benedic Mathn like can he guard 466 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:49,920 hire usage players that you can play him in some of these lineups that you 467 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,519 want to have him in. Does his efficiency approved from the outside? I 468 00:29:52,599 --> 00:29:56,160 think it will, So I'm not really worried about that. I'm more worried 469 00:29:56,160 --> 00:30:00,279 about him defensively, What does like jareds Walker look like on offense? Already 470 00:30:00,319 --> 00:30:03,559 brought that up, and you know there's still just you have Bruce Brown, 471 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,319 like, what is the wing defense on this team? It's very much like, 472 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,319 oh, Aaron Naismith, And then we're gonna play a bunch of undersized 473 00:30:08,359 --> 00:30:11,319 lineups outside of that, And I can really dig it to some extent, 474 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:15,119 but I like, do they still have enough defense here? Maybe you trust 475 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,400 jareds Walker to really juice that up. Again, though he's a rookie, 476 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,480 how much of an impact does he have there? I think Taylor Hendrix was 477 00:30:21,559 --> 00:30:25,640 maybe more on defense made I guess I see the appeal of JAREDS. Walker. 478 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,000 I just I if I were them, I would be all in on 479 00:30:29,039 --> 00:30:32,279 Pascal. Like if you told me that if Pascal Siakam was willing to resign 480 00:30:32,759 --> 00:30:36,079 and it costs you Benedick Mathern and Jarress Walker, I would do it. 481 00:30:36,559 --> 00:30:41,160 Is my point, because Miles Turner, Siakam, Bruce Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, 482 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,359 all this stuff you have around them, I get and look, if 483 00:30:44,359 --> 00:30:48,519 I'm the Raptors, I probably prefer Picks over Mathren would be my gut. 484 00:30:48,799 --> 00:30:52,200 So it probably only cost you one of these dudes. I'm giving up either 485 00:30:52,319 --> 00:30:56,279 one. If Siakam says he'll resign, I think they're they're a good like 486 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,480 what are you waiting for? Type of team? Because you know what I 487 00:31:00,559 --> 00:31:03,400 mean, Like if you're not, it's like, oh, Haliburton is he's 488 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:04,160 too raw, he's not ready. It's like no, no, he was 489 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,680 an All Stars. He's plays like he's thirty already in the in a good 490 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,440 way. So it's not like you're waiting for him to you know, for 491 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,880 this timeline that's built around Haliburton in his early twenties, and it's like Turners 492 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,440 in this prime you had some other young guys, but like those are really 493 00:31:18,519 --> 00:31:22,599 your your guys are principally concerned about. So like, if you're not going 494 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:26,400 to trade for Siakham, what are you waiting for? Like you're going to 495 00:31:26,559 --> 00:31:29,240 preserve your cap space because yeah, Indiana has been a you know, a 496 00:31:29,319 --> 00:31:32,759 noted free agent destination. You're not gonna you know, their cap space doesn't 497 00:31:32,799 --> 00:31:36,440 really mean anything, uh in terms of like you're, oh, you're gonna 498 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,559 go get the Siakham equivalent in free agency, You're gonna sign it. It's 499 00:31:38,599 --> 00:31:42,599 like, that's not it. So I think I think Siakam makes a lot 500 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:47,440 of sense. I think they absolutely have the ability to put together a package 501 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:51,519 Toronto like should accept, which is the other big hurdle when you're making up 502 00:31:51,559 --> 00:31:55,200 fake trades. So yeah, I think I hadn't really thought about that, 503 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,160 you know, in a serious way. But there's not really like what's the 504 00:31:59,279 --> 00:32:04,799 reason why shouldn't the Pacers go trade for I think an argument that I've seen 505 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,160 on Twitter a lot has been just the timing isn't right. But I'm like, 506 00:32:07,519 --> 00:32:09,960 I mean, you just maxed out Tyres Alibert, and I don't think 507 00:32:10,599 --> 00:32:15,200 based on what the timing for who it doesn't I don't understand, right, 508 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,319 And so it's the timing is I mean, like if you don't I understand, 509 00:32:17,319 --> 00:32:20,480 if you don't view yourself as like a cap stock contender, but you're 510 00:32:20,519 --> 00:32:23,319 not bankrupting, you know, if it costs you Jarress Walker and like two 511 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:28,799 protected first round pick, like I don't know what Siakam is gonna command on 512 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,720 the so let's say it's an unprotected pick Jarress Walker or Mathin and then another 513 00:32:31,759 --> 00:32:35,759 first round pick on top. Maybe there's some protection that's not an astronomical price 514 00:32:35,839 --> 00:32:38,440 to pay. You're not just without all this other stuff. I guess because 515 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:44,680 of the number of questions about just the overarching supporting cast where it's okay, 516 00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:47,920 like what can Obie Topping or Jalen Smith be part of the bigger picture? 517 00:32:49,039 --> 00:32:51,720 Like what about Aaronie Smith? I think if you've got another ball handled like 518 00:32:51,799 --> 00:32:54,319 Siakam in there, it makes even more sense to have nice Smith around. 519 00:32:54,599 --> 00:32:57,759 It was Buddy Heel, does he have to go out to make the money 520 00:32:57,799 --> 00:33:00,920 work as part of this trade. You actually you probably don't, like you 521 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,200 could step ladder your way there, depending on like what Toronto wants to do 522 00:33:04,279 --> 00:33:07,599 about it's roster spot situation. I just I don't. I don't know, 523 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:10,359 like I think the timing is right. I don't know that you don't. 524 00:33:10,559 --> 00:33:15,039 I don't think you have to if you really believe that Mathin and Walker are 525 00:33:15,119 --> 00:33:19,920 going to grow into these second and third and like fourth best building blocks on 526 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,799 your team type of players behind Turner and Haliburton. Okay, sure, I 527 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:28,279 just I feel a lot less comfortable about that than I did when okay, 528 00:33:28,319 --> 00:33:30,000 when you trade in for Tyris Halibert, even when Tyris Haliburton was on the 529 00:33:30,119 --> 00:33:34,400 Kings, like you knew he was that dude. We don't know that about 530 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,160 not this dude. I don't want to make that clear. He's exceeded expectations 531 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:40,440 in Indiana. But I just I think the timing is right. It's not 532 00:33:40,559 --> 00:33:45,640 a half to thing. It's a you should absolutely be considering this thing. 533 00:33:45,799 --> 00:33:49,839 I would argue, Sorry, they'll also be linked to o Giana Nobi if 534 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:53,599 he's available. That would be sort of the straddle the line trade, like 535 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,720 sort of something that Portland would have done or Toronto would have done before it 536 00:33:57,799 --> 00:34:01,359 all just brew up in their face. I would be more intrigued by getting 537 00:34:01,359 --> 00:34:07,319 Pascal Siakam than O Giana Noobe, just because of the depth of Siakam's armory 538 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,920 on offense. I think that's right. And I think that you've really crystallize 539 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:15,840 the timeline thing for me because we agree it's not well, Haliburton and Turner, 540 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,360 it's not it's not quite right. We can't add like an you know, 541 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:23,480 a nearing thirty max guy in Siakam. I think it makes way less 542 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:27,159 sense to think, like, well, we got to really wait on Matherin 543 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,159 or Nemhard or you know, Jalen Smith or Jared's Like no, no, 544 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:35,840 those those guys are like if they if they pan out to be starting caliber 545 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,760 players on a contender, like great, but the odds are real low that 546 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:43,239 any of them will be. And and so that's like you're not gonna gear 547 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,119 your whole roster building, you know, approach around a bunch of guys that 548 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:50,519 like might be rotation players on a winning team or might not. Like, 549 00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:53,159 that's not how it works. I think you can comfortably say that, Like 550 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:57,079 you could say something like Nemhard I think can be contributing to a very good 551 00:34:57,119 --> 00:35:01,679 team, but for sure make decision no. And they have a deficit of 552 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:06,639 players like that, which is not a bad thing because you already have the 553 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,079 it guy, so you don't need as many of those. Let's wait and 554 00:35:09,159 --> 00:35:13,679 marinate and see what his co star rises up. I look, if they 555 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,440 had they're not Oklahoma City, is what you know what? Frankly, they're 556 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:21,199 not even New Orleans where it's like looking at Trey Murphy and looking at Dyson 557 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,920 Daniels like those two players. To me, I'm if you're looking at future 558 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:30,000 equity, who are you more intrigued by Benedick Matherin, Jarress Walker or Dyson 559 00:35:30,079 --> 00:35:32,119 Daniels and Trey Murphy. Right, yeah, it's probably the ladder. I 560 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:36,719 like Murphy and Daniels better. I think it's the latter pretty comfortably, unless 561 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:38,800 you think that Jarress Walker's like the next Pascal Siakam or something. I don't 562 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,840 know enough yet about him. So yeah, that was why I wanted to 563 00:35:43,199 --> 00:35:46,199 so you would be in on I guess I hate Framy is accelerating the timeline 564 00:35:46,199 --> 00:35:50,679 because I don't think it's actually that. I think it's just capitalizing on an 565 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:54,559 opportunity that jobs with Hey, Tyrris Halberd's like really really fucking great. Yeah, 566 00:35:54,920 --> 00:36:00,639 And like I think just from a like a personnel backtive in a roster 567 00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:04,519 building perspective, it's difficult to think of a team, and we're probably elevating 568 00:36:04,559 --> 00:36:07,079 Turner a little too high to talk about him on the level of Haliburton, 569 00:36:07,159 --> 00:36:12,159 But like as book ends, those two guys might be like the easiest two 570 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:16,840 players to build whatever kind of team you want around. Because Haliburton, we've 571 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:21,119 now learned, absolutely should be on the ball like all the time. But 572 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:25,159 if he's not, he's like a just lights out shooter that's gonna kill you 573 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:29,880 from the second side if you're rotating towards him, and then Turner gives you 574 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:31,559 the spacing, gives you the shop blocking you can put. That's why I 575 00:36:31,679 --> 00:36:35,079 kind of like the walker fit to circle all the way back is like, 576 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:38,199 yeah, this dude is just gonna guard everything that moves and be physical and 577 00:36:38,639 --> 00:36:43,400 switch all over. Like that works with Turner, but you don't even think 578 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,639 that you could have a true banger like they just those two guys, Haliburton 579 00:36:46,679 --> 00:36:51,840 and Turner are so easy, Like there's the whole team is plug and play, 580 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:53,079 just like, throw three other guys out there and it should work, 581 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:57,840 you know, with some exceptions. And that was the Caton Cooper had written 582 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:00,159 about this on her Patreon. Everyone should go subscribe to that like ours. 583 00:37:00,199 --> 00:37:02,000 Walker gives them an element of defensive pressure that they haven't really had and they've 584 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,119 already kind of busted out in Summer League. I just and so like we 585 00:37:06,199 --> 00:37:07,920 can get into discussion you have to give up one of those players Mathrin or 586 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:14,199 Walker in a Pascal Siakham trade in theory, I think you would pick Walker 587 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:15,559 just because, Okay, you have Siakam and Turner, and I'm assuming you 588 00:37:15,679 --> 00:37:19,760 keep Turner, but like there's a chance that Walker ends up being just the 589 00:37:20,639 --> 00:37:23,880 more scalable pro and easier to like contribute to winning. And so would you 590 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:27,840 look at moving Mathren and then if you it's kind of all right, could 591 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:30,280 you try and play those three dudes together, Walker, Siakaman Turner or is 592 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:34,880 this just well the Turner rumors never die down anyway, So if they move 593 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,239 on from him, you a Siakam and Walking in the front court, I 594 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,679 just I would be all in. Like if Toronto's asking prices up scene. 595 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:45,199 But like even if it was just they don't even want picks or something ridiculously 596 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:50,039 protected. Plus these two young guys for Siakam, and Siakam is staying that's 597 00:37:50,079 --> 00:37:52,159 the pretext of all this. You have to consider it. You know, 598 00:37:52,199 --> 00:37:57,719 what we've just done in this conversation is set up a dynamic that we're gonna 599 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:01,159 return to like a thousand times between now and the trade deadline, where we're 600 00:38:01,199 --> 00:38:05,800 just like Indiana's gotta get in there, gotta make gotta do something. There's 601 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:08,360 no time to wait. They have all these assets. But I can already 602 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:12,639 feel it. This is gonna be a team we talk about constantly and are 603 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:15,800 just begging them to do something unless they go get Siakam and then we can 604 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:20,119 shut up. But like, I just you've really you've framed it for me 605 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,400 now where I know we're never going to get over wanting the Pacers to make 606 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:27,360 like a splashy move because it's just like they should. They just should that 607 00:38:27,559 --> 00:38:30,440 that's that's it. They have to do this. Did you want did you 608 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,000 have another team? That you don't have another team? But I can make 609 00:38:32,079 --> 00:38:37,360 one up real quick. I okay, Cleveland, I just they just jumped 610 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,079 out Cleveland. Yeah. Actually, so contrary to what you just said, 611 00:38:40,079 --> 00:38:44,320 you didn't make them up. They are real bast exist. Yeah, they 612 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:46,840 did not exist in my brain for purposes of answering this question until when I 613 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:52,719 looked at them. So I'm still only sort of wrong. Uh. Good 614 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:54,199 offseason, I think we agree, you know, didn't do a ton, 615 00:38:54,280 --> 00:39:00,199 but getting Strus we liked, and that sort of addresses the need I'm calling 616 00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:05,360 into a theme here, But like it's easy to forget because of the way 617 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,280 they went out in the first round and like it looked. It was a 618 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,480 bad look for Evan Mobley, who I think if you're a believer in the 619 00:39:10,559 --> 00:39:15,119 Calves, he's still sort of the central figure. If you think they're getting 620 00:39:15,199 --> 00:39:20,280 to that next level, it's well, it's it'll be because Mobley becomes Kevin 621 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,760 Garnett or what you know, that that kind of talk, which I have 622 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:28,960 been guilty of. For sure, he looked bad in ways that are like, 623 00:39:29,039 --> 00:39:30,440 oh, I don't know if that's you know, just couldn't handle the 624 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:34,880 physicality, couldn't make decisions as a role guy. Part of that was because 625 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:37,280 they had no spacing and it was easy for the NIXT to collapse on them. 626 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:42,159 But like some flaws for sure, which if you're in your second year, 627 00:39:42,199 --> 00:39:45,039 you're gonna have flaws. And maybe this is this whole thing is unreasonable. 628 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:50,119 But I wonder if, but by virtue of Cleveland addressing the need we 629 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:52,840 all agreed up and down side, left and right all year they needed to 630 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:57,880 address they have a three and D guy that can play on the weighing in 631 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:02,159 struce. Now are we sure that like it does that unlock everything? And 632 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:07,079 are they now do they deserve to be discussed as like, you know, 633 00:40:07,679 --> 00:40:13,760 we'll just say like the Milwaukee, Boston whatever level because phenomenal regular season have 634 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,880 been a really good defense and should continue to get better, like or have 635 00:40:19,039 --> 00:40:22,440 they leveled up or are we still just kind of because of the way that 636 00:40:22,559 --> 00:40:27,480 the postseason ended for them? Now, do we have like more questions than 637 00:40:27,599 --> 00:40:29,760 just oh, they needed a small forward and that was all, you know 638 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:32,199 what I mean? Like, I think I think they had a good offseason, 639 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:37,199 but I wonder if it's consequential enough. I think it is, And 640 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:40,960 if it's not, the reason you're you're the reason the reason it won't be 641 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:45,800 is because we're going to be having a discussion about ken The's two small guards 642 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:50,079 work or I actually think it's more likely. Is it time to move on 643 00:40:50,199 --> 00:40:52,679 from the Mobli Allen Dyna dynamic. And I'm not saying it can't work. 644 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:59,199 I think it still ken but offensively, Like if this wasn't enough specifically offensively, 645 00:40:59,519 --> 00:41:00,960 then that's you're gonna have to start looking at that dynamic and it's you 646 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,480 know, maybe it's an indictment on as Evan Mobile is still not coming along 647 00:41:04,559 --> 00:41:07,840 quickly enough. I think his trajectory is still just out of this world. 648 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:10,760 But if you're going to actually continue to shrink the floor, make life harder 649 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,599 on your guards or only give you at any given point, it's so much 650 00:41:14,679 --> 00:41:17,480 harder to have more than two shot creators on the core because Mobile is not 651 00:41:17,559 --> 00:41:21,440 that traditional guy. We know Alan's not going to be that guy, and 652 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,760 you're gonna, invariably because of having those two, you're gonna end up with 653 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:28,840 a specialist at the three or of like an accessory on both ends of the 654 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:30,920 floor. Like, yes, you have to look at breaking that up, 655 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:36,039 and can you go out and get either someone who is more of a caplock 656 00:41:36,119 --> 00:41:37,679 like a cap slock four, But then that nudges Mobile to the five, 657 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:42,519 And what does your rebounding look like there when you're rebounding struggles enough during the 658 00:41:42,559 --> 00:41:45,920 Alan and mobile minutes sometimes or can you get someone who's more of a like 659 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:51,199 a floor spacing five in the Alan spot who doesn't who can also help your 660 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:55,480 rebounding and like take off some of the center responsibilities defensively from mobile? Who 661 00:41:55,599 --> 00:41:59,199 right now is just I have a problem if he's the answer to this question 662 00:41:59,199 --> 00:42:00,599 where it's we have had, Oh, who's gonna defend wings and like some 663 00:42:00,679 --> 00:42:04,440 of these like certain perimeters, like it might just be having boldly And that's 664 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:07,760 fine because you're Jared Allen there. That dynamic then changes if you move Jared 665 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:10,320 Allen, what you have to think about on the defensive end as well? 666 00:42:12,679 --> 00:42:19,599 What's the last and I sorry, but what's the last small guard combo to 667 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,079 really have a ton of success? Like you know, you think of the 668 00:42:22,159 --> 00:42:28,280 Lillard McCallum group. We're talking now about Garland and Mitchell. I'm like I'm 669 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:31,519 struggling to think of like I guess like Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, Like 670 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,639 is that how do we need to not we can't have to go back to 671 00:42:36,159 --> 00:42:39,039 Stephan Marberry and yeah, right, I forget. How could I forget? 672 00:42:39,679 --> 00:42:45,039 Uh, it's just like it shouldn't be the case that like that's a disqualifier. 673 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:49,519 But it is kind of weird to think I got it. Somebody chime 674 00:42:49,599 --> 00:42:55,119 in or something like tell us comments somewhere or tweet at me, and I 675 00:42:55,960 --> 00:43:00,079 no, I just like I can't get over like I must be overlooking some 676 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:04,920 small guard combo. He just made me think this Tony Parker and Janovac count 677 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,480 I guess not. Yeah, I mean that's pretty clear. Genobley was like 678 00:43:08,519 --> 00:43:13,559 six five and yeah, I don't know. It's just I first of by 679 00:43:13,599 --> 00:43:15,840 the way, I don't think breaking up Garland Mitchell is like the solve. 680 00:43:17,039 --> 00:43:21,000 I think it's more likely you got to break up the mobiley Allen, I 681 00:43:21,119 --> 00:43:25,719 agree, And it's clearly Alan because I think you're sort of like Mobley again, 682 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:30,559 he sort of gets more important every year for them as far as is 683 00:43:30,639 --> 00:43:34,719 the ceiling a championship for this franchise or not, you know, in the 684 00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,440 next ten years. And it's just that the answer that question is it depends 685 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,639 on Evan Mobley, which is like a wild place to be for a guy 686 00:43:40,719 --> 00:43:45,679 that just finished the second season. I made I made up a team out 687 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:47,960 of nothing. When I concocted the Cleveland Cavaliers, Do you have one you 688 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:52,360 would like to discuss or are we running short? Uh? No, We're 689 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:53,840 not running short because I think we skipped over them when we were gonna plan 690 00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:57,199 on talking about them. They weren't on my initialists, like we should talk 691 00:43:57,199 --> 00:43:59,800 about the Spurs and Wemby, right, I guess because it's just with some 692 00:44:00,119 --> 00:44:02,760 league and the discords there. Yes, should we have buried women Yama at 693 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:06,920 like the hour forty minute of this podcast or it might be two podcasts? 694 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:07,840 At this point, I thought we were only gonna go ninety minutes, so 695 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:14,119 I might split it up into into two. Look, he's that guy, 696 00:44:14,199 --> 00:44:17,719 and I said to see you before we started like actually recording, I said, 697 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:21,920 I actually didn't see his good game quote unquote good game. I only 698 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:24,320 saw the performance everyone was dragging. I came away from that. I was 699 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,239 just like, he's going to be one of the greatest players that we've ever 700 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:31,960 seen. This might be my favorite take of yours because because I like, 701 00:44:32,519 --> 00:44:36,920 I have not heard a single person one who only saw the first game and 702 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:39,360 didn't see the second one and who based on that first game, was sold, 703 00:44:39,639 --> 00:44:45,320 which is like, I don't think you're wrong, but like how I 704 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:49,880 mean how the level but the way that speaks to how great women Yama might 705 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:52,599 be is unbelievable to you. Just see what he's gonna be able to do 706 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:55,079 off the ball, and I'm bothered at all. You must have been bothered 707 00:44:55,119 --> 00:44:58,519 by some of how he looked in the first game. Give me, what 708 00:44:58,599 --> 00:45:00,079 were you concerned about? And I'll tell you why. That's not a concert? 709 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:04,760 Oh yeah, no, I'm so. I mean it's not. It's 710 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:07,320 not a revelation. It's like he looked sped up. He looked like he 711 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:12,159 got pushed around a little bit. He got tired, the number one thing, 712 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:14,800 and this if I have a concern about him, so we got tired 713 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:15,960 after taking his team all the way of the finals like a week, right, 714 00:45:16,039 --> 00:45:20,159 Yeah, and he's been on like an incessant media tour for like eighteen 715 00:45:20,199 --> 00:45:22,880 months. Who could be Britney Spears accosted him like that'll wear anybody out. 716 00:45:23,199 --> 00:45:27,559 The thing was so stupid, just on both fronts. I mean, by 717 00:45:27,559 --> 00:45:30,159 the way, if anyone wants to assign blame, it's on security. Well 718 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:34,000 it's not on Wemby. I don't even know if it's on Britney Spears. 719 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:37,800 It's just the whole thing was stupid. But come on, what security people 720 00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:39,480 ask someone to get to get that close and allowed to get that close? 721 00:45:39,519 --> 00:45:43,039 It's because you should know, is Britney Spears, who like runs Las Vegas 722 00:45:43,159 --> 00:45:45,039 right now? So what are you doing anyway? Well, she doesn't. 723 00:45:45,079 --> 00:45:51,000 She clearly doesn't run it because she approached a bigger star apparently and was so 724 00:45:51,719 --> 00:45:55,119 the women. I'm a thing. The thing that I left the first game 725 00:45:55,199 --> 00:46:00,599 thinking most about is that I'm really unclear on what you're supposed to do with 726 00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:06,800 him as the Spurs offensively, you know what I mean? Do you really 727 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:08,880 want him dancing out there with a live dribble creating? Like? Is he 728 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:14,920 is he a pure three offensively? Is he a guy you know nobody posts 729 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:16,400 up anymore? But do you have him do duck ins like ten times a 730 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:20,679 game to just like steal buckets? And I don't know what you do with 731 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:23,159 him offensively? And I was always kind of unsure about that, and that 732 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:27,880 first game. The second game he looked great doing literally everything, so I 733 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,320 was like, well, I still don't have an answer, because apparently you 734 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:32,719 could do whatever you want with him, But the first game, I was 735 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:36,400 kind of left with the impression of, I'm I'm not sure it's going to 736 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:39,920 be easy to figure out the best way to use him on offense. That 737 00:46:40,079 --> 00:46:44,639 that was my main concern. If that's even a concern after the first game, 738 00:46:45,039 --> 00:46:46,320 right, and it's a good concern to have one. I think what 739 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:50,199 people need to mistake is that it might be similar with the Spurs this year 740 00:46:50,199 --> 00:46:53,559 because they don't still have like that wild advantage creator like Summer League at the 741 00:46:53,599 --> 00:46:57,199 time, Like that's how we decided that Desmond Bade was going to operate on 742 00:46:57,239 --> 00:47:00,199 the ball more because you're giving guys opportunity agency they wouldn't normally have. So 743 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:04,599 yes, you're gonna try everything, and you're gonna have him running the offense 744 00:47:04,679 --> 00:47:07,079 the east with which he got to his jump shot, and it was just 745 00:47:07,199 --> 00:47:09,079 like, okay, I want to here would be my father question that did 746 00:47:09,159 --> 00:47:14,760 you know early on in their career is how you were gonna use Kevin Garnett 747 00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:16,800 or Kevin Durant offensively. I'm not comparing him to either of these players. 748 00:47:17,039 --> 00:47:20,639 The Cavs probably st don't even know they're gonna use Evan Mobile offensively. And 749 00:47:20,639 --> 00:47:22,639 we're still through the moon over the moon about my god, my word, 750 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:27,440 my verbiage. They has been off pencilate and stone through the moon moon. 751 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:31,599 So I'm just watching that. I'm just like, yeah, okay, it 752 00:47:31,639 --> 00:47:35,760 doesn't need to be like super efficient or pretty all the time, like look 753 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,000 at look at what he's just the theory of him. And that's how I 754 00:47:38,079 --> 00:47:42,320 approached Summer League, by the way, or non NBA games, and it's 755 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:45,880 also how I approach a lot of rookie and sophomore seasons. There's no science 756 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:47,159 behind it. I want to make that clear. I don't think I'm operating 757 00:47:47,199 --> 00:47:52,239 on some higher level playing forty chess against everybody else. I just the theory 758 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:55,360 of Weben Yama. You could see it in practice where it's like we're having 759 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:59,800 a different discussion if okay, yeah he had pockets of time where he wasn't 760 00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:01,960 made an impact. The dude, that's gonna happen when you're young. I 761 00:48:02,039 --> 00:48:07,400 think on a team that you just don't have like any familiarity, Like they're 762 00:48:07,440 --> 00:48:09,039 not going through a real training camp, so it'll be different once against the 763 00:48:09,239 --> 00:48:13,440 gets the regular spurs. So I'm just like, and you're also you have 764 00:48:13,559 --> 00:48:17,639 other guys that are like also Matt like matter here but on that Spurs team 765 00:48:17,639 --> 00:48:24,119 where you're talking about like Malachai Brandams Blake Wesley specifically. Yeah, So I 766 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:29,840 just I watched that and just the theory of him shine through in practice even 767 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:31,440 when it didn't always look pretty, And I'm just like, yeah, I 768 00:48:31,519 --> 00:48:34,880 was kind of wondering why he took him. It took a little while first 769 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:37,199 passing to get going in that game, but like we still saw like, 770 00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:39,039 oh he can when it might be more reactive at this point, but the 771 00:48:39,079 --> 00:48:45,000 reactions make a lot of sense. So I'm I'm I'm not just all It 772 00:48:45,119 --> 00:48:47,119 wasn't that I wasn't all in on weheb to begin with. But I found 773 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:51,400 and I know on Twitter as Twitter as Twitter as Twitter, but like the 774 00:48:51,639 --> 00:48:54,679 amount of people that weren't being facetious when they were talking shit was just like, 775 00:48:55,239 --> 00:48:59,800 are you fucking stupid? Like this is just sit down and shut up, 776 00:49:00,159 --> 00:49:04,000 not farting out these dumb ass takes this guy. I'm prepared to be 777 00:49:04,079 --> 00:49:07,440 wrong and we can circle back that, but I came away of the impression 778 00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:09,159 just like this is gonna be one of the greatest players that we have ever 779 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:14,519 watched in the NBA. So ultimately, I do I agree with you. 780 00:49:14,880 --> 00:49:20,599 I just think so even in even in the bad game, because the good 781 00:49:20,639 --> 00:49:23,000 game is sort of it speaks for itself. It's so funny that we're talking 782 00:49:23,039 --> 00:49:25,800 about these singular games because it's all we got, Dann, we got two 783 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:30,800 games, and it's against like maybe a handful of guys that will actually play 784 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:32,519 in the NBA. And right, I still haven't seen him do it against 785 00:49:32,559 --> 00:49:37,639 Marquette on a Tuesday night in January, though, A and M is gonna 786 00:49:37,679 --> 00:49:42,119 do against him. No, So even in the bad game, you're right, 787 00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:45,480 Like he made some passes on the move where it's like, well, 788 00:49:45,599 --> 00:49:49,159 no one that tall has ever made that pass, Like just I've never seen 789 00:49:49,239 --> 00:49:54,320 that before, and like really niche stupid things that no one cares about, 790 00:49:54,360 --> 00:50:00,800 Like just when he throws a chess pass, like it looks he's coordinated and 791 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:02,599 he throws it like with pop and it's not one of those things where like 792 00:50:04,119 --> 00:50:07,280 when some other seven footer gets the ball at the top of the arc and 793 00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:08,880 he has to like make just a simple pass to the wing, You're like, 794 00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:12,400 oh shit, he's gonna get that's getting stolen, Like no, no, 795 00:50:12,519 --> 00:50:15,039 no, he he he moves the ball like quickly, with purpose, 796 00:50:15,119 --> 00:50:19,599 with coordination. He's like he's in control of all of his limbs, which 797 00:50:19,639 --> 00:50:22,920 seems physically impossible just because of how long it must take for a signal to 798 00:50:22,960 --> 00:50:28,119 get from his brain to his extremities. Like he's able to do things physically. 799 00:50:28,199 --> 00:50:31,400 They're just like literally in the in the first you know, a few 800 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:36,280 minutes, it's just like I've again with the passing or with you know, 801 00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:38,960 the weird like his first bucket in the Bad game was like a lefty and 802 00:50:39,199 --> 00:50:43,719 one that was just like I've never seen anybody that big do that, And 803 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:45,360 so there was even in the Bad Game there were a half dozen things like 804 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:50,360 that, and then the Good one was just he had a couple plays in 805 00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:54,840 that one that I it was just he like, I've not seen a second 806 00:50:55,079 --> 00:50:59,639 of that. Give me the give me just the biggest take with like what 807 00:51:00,079 --> 00:51:04,119 one of the plays like the good game. Yeah, So in book games, 808 00:51:04,119 --> 00:51:07,360 I'm pretty sure he blocked a three just like he was the guy was 809 00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:09,519 squared up on him and thought he was further away, too far away to 810 00:51:09,639 --> 00:51:13,280 bother it, and he just blocked the three. Uh. Those so that 811 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:15,119 happened in both. But the play in The second game was I think he 812 00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:20,079 was like he beat some guys down the floor and there was a long outlet 813 00:51:20,159 --> 00:51:22,360 and he caught it like around the block, but probably outside the key, 814 00:51:22,719 --> 00:51:27,440 and there was at least two guys around him, obviously smaller, and he 815 00:51:27,599 --> 00:51:30,639 turned and dunked it like from a distance that is not a distance you dunk 816 00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:35,719 from. Uh So I had never really that jumped out as and he just 817 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:38,119 like sort of reached over the top like it was it wasn't like I'm going 818 00:51:38,199 --> 00:51:40,920 through anyone. It's like I can hold the ball at a height that you 819 00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:45,320 cannot bother me. So that was one and the other one he had a 820 00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:47,840 putback dunk with two hands. It was basically flat footed, which was just 821 00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:52,079 like, well, this seems unfair if if we're not going to need to 822 00:51:52,159 --> 00:51:54,440 jump to tip dunk missus. So those were the two in the good game 823 00:51:54,519 --> 00:52:00,639 that that really showcased like, yeah, he's he does different stuff like we're 824 00:52:00,679 --> 00:52:04,119 not We're gonna see several things this year that have just you know, will 825 00:52:04,119 --> 00:52:10,119 be shocking because we've never seen it happen before. So that's cool. I'm 826 00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:15,679 so excited to watch him. Have you thought about what is like the over 827 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:19,000 under on the number of national televised games that Spurs are gonna get this year, 828 00:52:19,679 --> 00:52:23,920 because it's just like even if you like because Zion and I guess a 829 00:52:24,039 --> 00:52:29,480 part of the at this point it's in part because of his health. But 830 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:32,719 like even Zion, which is like, okay, came in a New Orleans, 831 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:36,320 it's just like they wouldn't be a market drawer or whatever for the national 832 00:52:36,320 --> 00:52:37,320 TV and like they haven't had a ship ton. I guess he had a 833 00:52:37,360 --> 00:52:40,039 bunch of rookie season. Like if we were set over under it eight, 834 00:52:40,599 --> 00:52:43,679 none of them are gonna be enough. I want to make that clear every 835 00:52:44,159 --> 00:52:46,320 like is that too aggressive or is that too is that not ambitious enough? 836 00:52:46,559 --> 00:52:49,920 I think it's definitely we'll think of it this way. I'll bet you that 837 00:52:50,000 --> 00:52:53,679 Opening Night like a will be one of the feature games whoever the Spurs are 838 00:52:53,719 --> 00:52:57,800 playing, like that's you know, that'll be one that is probably gonna get 839 00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:00,440 a national national coverage. And then like, honestly, I think they're flexible 840 00:53:00,519 --> 00:53:05,400 enough now where it's like if he comes out hot and is putting up crazy 841 00:53:05,519 --> 00:53:08,840 numbers and whether the Spurs win or not, I don't think that's halfway relevant 842 00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:13,119 to how often they're gonna be on, Like if he's great, then you 843 00:53:13,360 --> 00:53:15,079 might they might be on twenty five times. I don't know, they might 844 00:53:15,119 --> 00:53:21,239 get like a Warriors level, National Lakers level, you know, national TV 845 00:53:21,400 --> 00:53:30,400 thing, because like the he is unique in that he's just gonna do stuff 846 00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:35,159 you won't see anyone else do and as like an entertainment product that makes him 847 00:53:35,679 --> 00:53:38,440 like a singular thing. You know, he's just gonna fascinate like people that 848 00:53:38,519 --> 00:53:43,280 don't care that much about basketball, like you gotta still be interested in Like, 849 00:53:43,519 --> 00:53:45,280 look how big that guy is look like and he can do all this 850 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:49,559 cool stuff that you know, smaller like that, I feel like it's just 851 00:53:49,679 --> 00:53:54,480 a universal draw. It's almost it's like it's it just looks it looks wrong 852 00:53:54,880 --> 00:54:00,760 that like someone big and can do the things and is this core neated as 853 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:02,559 he is, right, Like I don't know how else is that it looks 854 00:54:02,639 --> 00:54:06,840 wrong? Yeah, or something like that. It makes you think, I 855 00:54:06,840 --> 00:54:08,840 don't know. It's like if you're watch those weird AI generated videos where like, 856 00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:12,400 oh my god, that is not what my eyes are used to seeing. 857 00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:15,559 It's a little bit like that he's an AI generated basketball player. Yeah, 858 00:54:15,639 --> 00:54:19,599 I'm just and the other thing that's intriguing about the Spurs really quickly looking 859 00:54:19,639 --> 00:54:22,079 at their offseason, I think they made like I would have liked this seem 860 00:54:22,119 --> 00:54:24,239 them been more aggressive with their cap space, which they still have by the 861 00:54:24,280 --> 00:54:28,760 way, but like you got Reggie Bullock who can actually play for you if 862 00:54:28,760 --> 00:54:31,039 you want him to, and they their core is not just Wemby And we'll 863 00:54:31,039 --> 00:54:34,760 do a podcast when we go through the young cores. But like Devinsell is 864 00:54:35,039 --> 00:54:37,800 like a real guy. I'm so Jeremy Solway is just like he might be 865 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:45,159 there after Trey Trey Jones, Like is he just their second best bite at 866 00:54:45,199 --> 00:54:49,119 the like facilitator apple right now? I think yet maybe when if you want 867 00:54:49,119 --> 00:54:52,079 to throw him there, I think it's worth a trip. It's definitely you 868 00:54:52,079 --> 00:54:53,840 should. That should be the approach. I think for them, it's like, 869 00:54:53,960 --> 00:55:00,239 let's find out for sure if somehan is this guy, if Julian first 870 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:04,920 fans are gonna Julian Champanni is like someone that everyone is pretty high on two 871 00:55:05,039 --> 00:55:07,639 there and look I was late to the party on him, but like he's 872 00:55:07,679 --> 00:55:10,039 a real, like three indeed guy, and there's he can do some stuff. 873 00:55:10,079 --> 00:55:13,800 I actually had a segment about him. It was like he looks very 874 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:16,639 comfortable going with his right handers left hand. Can he finish with his left 875 00:55:16,679 --> 00:55:20,599 hand? That might be a question, But like this is just it's it's 876 00:55:20,639 --> 00:55:24,079 a three indeed guy who's more than just a three in D guy look and 877 00:55:24,159 --> 00:55:28,599 plays super hard and the super comp like he's got kind of like a little 878 00:55:28,599 --> 00:55:30,840 bit of an end. He's rebounding translates to the regular season, like he's 879 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:34,440 just been like super opportunistic on the glass. But how much of that is? 880 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:37,360 Okay, well, look who he's playing against. You know, he 881 00:55:37,519 --> 00:55:39,079 kind of could be like it's like what if he was like supercharged ken Rich 882 00:55:39,119 --> 00:55:45,480 Williams right here? Oh that would I mean, that's a universal fit because 883 00:55:45,519 --> 00:55:52,280 Kenrick Williams is getting a statue in Okay. See, so immediately anything else 884 00:55:52,559 --> 00:55:57,760 Portland real quick, non non dame related Portland talk. We're gonna start end 885 00:55:57,800 --> 00:56:00,039 this podcast had well we didn't start with him, but startgling back here. 886 00:56:00,079 --> 00:56:04,800 I'm ready. Are you? How excited are you for Shade and Sharp and 887 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:07,440 Scoot Henderson? Because have you seen much Scoot? I mean there hasn't been 888 00:56:07,559 --> 00:56:09,639 much because he got hurt, but like, did you see the at least 889 00:56:09,639 --> 00:56:15,719 the highlights from Henderson's first game, Scoot looks just when I go back and 890 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:19,039 forth on whether we were unfair to Brandon Miller in like the discussions of the 891 00:56:19,119 --> 00:56:22,159 gap, but you go back and you watch those Scoot highlights, it's like, 892 00:56:22,199 --> 00:56:23,039 oh, yeah, there was a gap, and it's just like, 893 00:56:23,119 --> 00:56:25,760 what why is Damian Miller mad? You don't want to play with this game? 894 00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:29,880 That's what I mean. Like he, more than anything, justifies how 895 00:56:29,960 --> 00:56:34,280 Portland is operating right now. But I was really interested. So Sharp played 896 00:56:34,679 --> 00:56:37,239 in the second game with when Scoot didn't and they had, he had the 897 00:56:37,320 --> 00:56:43,239 ball a ton and it didn't go great, But like he's still I think. 898 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:46,400 I think Sharp and Henderson I'm trying to I don't want to overstate it, 899 00:56:46,519 --> 00:56:49,760 but like at some point one or the other of us is gonna have 900 00:56:49,880 --> 00:56:52,039 to rank like young backcourts or young guard tandems or whatever. And it's like, 901 00:56:52,320 --> 00:56:54,639 you know, our boss, listen to this podcast and now we're definitely 902 00:56:54,639 --> 00:57:00,199 gonna that's fine, And I'll tell you now, Uh, there's gonna be 903 00:57:00,320 --> 00:57:05,159 a there's gonna be a mention and along write up. Well, I won't 904 00:57:05,199 --> 00:57:12,400 be long of Henderson and Shady Sharp. The Internet has made us. All 905 00:57:12,519 --> 00:57:16,880 right, shorter things, that's for this long. You have the attention span 906 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:21,719 to listen for either two podcasts or a two hour one podcast. You're not 907 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:24,519 the problem. You have the attention span to handle it. But I have 908 00:57:24,679 --> 00:57:29,559 to wear over two hours. I have to split this one up soally, 909 00:57:29,599 --> 00:57:30,960 like part two, go look at part one. I'll be able to mash 910 00:57:31,079 --> 00:57:35,960 up your your outro on the book, but I have to. I mean, 911 00:57:36,039 --> 00:57:37,519 like I could publish a two hour podcast on the off chance that this 912 00:57:37,639 --> 00:57:40,840 can actually be monetized, Like I feel like I have to put up too. 913 00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:43,960 You know, do what you do, what you want to do. 914 00:57:44,599 --> 00:57:46,199 That that's fine with me. I'm just all I'm saying is I was very 915 00:57:46,360 --> 00:57:52,159 excited by Shade Sharp and Scoot Henderson for like five to ten years. I'm 916 00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:55,760 I'm into that. Yeah, there are Shade Sharp. I'm not more intrigued 917 00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:59,400 by him and Scoot Henderson, but he still feels like maybe because we've seen 918 00:57:59,480 --> 00:58:02,280 him in the NBA, like there's just so much more for him to offer, 919 00:58:02,400 --> 00:58:06,599 and I feel like that's someone who might become a defensive monster. You 920 00:58:06,639 --> 00:58:09,400 could just see traces of it he has, Like the tools are all like 921 00:58:10,280 --> 00:58:14,360 there's no question, he's like physically capable. It's like, does does he 922 00:58:14,480 --> 00:58:17,159 want to be that which moves is like sort of like I don't know, 923 00:58:17,440 --> 00:58:22,280 like a steak knife cutting through butter or Marjorine even like it's like whatever. 924 00:58:22,679 --> 00:58:27,000 It's just it's incredible, and I think some of the shots he's comfortable with 925 00:58:27,079 --> 00:58:29,079 take and even when they're not going in, I'm just like, so they 926 00:58:29,159 --> 00:58:31,400 just have they have three guys on the roster right now, and maybe depending 927 00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:35,320 on how you feel about Simon's, but I argue Sharp has the potential to 928 00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:37,800 be this guy more than Simon's. But like they have three or four guys 929 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:42,760 right now on the roster with Damian ARD's like they can literally hit anything from 930 00:58:42,800 --> 00:58:45,880 the perimeter in fury. Yeah, getting a bailout shot will never be a 931 00:58:45,960 --> 00:58:51,760 problem when the shot clocks running to design. It's just all these bailout shots 932 00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:53,280 with four seconds left on the shock box. Yeah, And I will say 933 00:58:53,360 --> 00:58:57,519 that Scoot is probably going to prevent you from having too many of those possessions 934 00:58:57,519 --> 00:59:00,519 because he just gets wherever he wants and either finishes or makes the correct paths. 935 00:59:00,599 --> 00:59:04,719 So like those guys aren't even gonna have to do that it's like someone 936 00:59:04,760 --> 00:59:07,639 who's like feeling I don't want to say next season, like I don't know 937 00:59:07,639 --> 00:59:09,079 if this will be a trey. I'm a situation because maybe Dame starts the 938 00:59:09,119 --> 00:59:13,280 season and I don't really know, but it's this like it's Scoot a double 939 00:59:13,320 --> 00:59:15,480 digit assist guy, not right off the bat, I just mean, oh, 940 00:59:15,719 --> 00:59:22,800 like ultimately, yeah, I think he's I think I think so because 941 00:59:22,079 --> 00:59:25,679 he has like you know, you gotta you gotta invoke like stupid names and 942 00:59:25,719 --> 00:59:29,400 I don't want to do it now to compare him, but it's just like 943 00:59:29,880 --> 00:59:34,079 he has the mentality of the guy that's like I'm looking for the best shot 944 00:59:34,239 --> 00:59:37,920 wherever that happens to be. But he also has like the the Derreck Rose 945 00:59:37,000 --> 00:59:40,960 athleticism, and it's like I don't remember a guy that had those two things, 946 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:45,440 you know what I mean. It's like it's as if I'm not gonna 947 00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:47,239 do it, I'm not gonna say it's like you have Chris Paul's brain and 948 00:59:47,320 --> 00:59:52,079 Derrick Rose's athletics because that would be an insane person thing, and Damian Lord's 949 00:59:52,119 --> 00:59:58,519 bail out. Yeah, you know, like the trailblazing spirit of like Bill 950 00:59:58,599 --> 01:00:04,760 Russell or I don't know whatever. H No, I think. I think, 951 01:00:05,880 --> 01:00:07,159 like, if he's not getting ten assists, does that mean it's because 952 01:00:07,199 --> 01:00:12,960 he's getting like thirty points and he's just swing that way. So he has 953 01:00:13,039 --> 01:00:15,480 that talent as a passer, is what I mean. And maybe that's I 954 01:00:15,559 --> 01:00:16,719 didn't watch enough of him when he was coming out of like you know, 955 01:00:16,960 --> 01:00:20,559 G League at night. I saw him like I can't. Maybe other people 956 01:00:20,599 --> 01:00:24,320 will be like I just he's in a bold text passer. Yeah, and 957 01:00:24,360 --> 01:00:29,440 it's like an intuitive passer where it's like those are passes you're not going to 958 01:00:29,519 --> 01:00:32,519 see. He's passing guys open. He's also reacting, but it's not really 959 01:00:32,559 --> 01:00:36,639 reacting, so it feels like he's read the defense like five seconds in advance, 960 01:00:36,639 --> 01:00:38,159 even though we're only four seconds into the possession. How did that happen? 961 01:00:39,039 --> 01:00:43,719 It's just it's wild. He I mean, it's summer League. We 962 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:46,320 should have just we should start every sentence but that we're in summer league. 963 01:00:46,360 --> 01:00:51,079 Until these takes can be penciled in stone. Yes, until they're penciled in 964 01:00:51,119 --> 01:00:53,199 stone, and I can't. I wish I could think me the next shirt 965 01:00:53,239 --> 01:00:59,960 as we need through the moon. I just think, like it's so clear 966 01:01:00,119 --> 01:01:05,079 year that he's already manipulating what's happening on the court, which just isn't a 967 01:01:05,239 --> 01:01:08,559 normal thing for rookies or even almost anybody in summer league unless you get some 968 01:01:08,760 --> 01:01:13,400 like veteran twenty seven year old that's been overseas or whatever kind of has the 969 01:01:13,480 --> 01:01:15,400 feel that we had with a different feel where it was like, okay, 970 01:01:15,440 --> 01:01:19,800 well why is why is Jay dubbed? Like playing in a summer league game 971 01:01:19,800 --> 01:01:22,719 and it's a gear two that player comes in, it's he it's not even 972 01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:25,159 we only needed to see him for a second. It was he shouldn't even 973 01:01:25,199 --> 01:01:28,840 be in this game. Yeah, well, and it's it's for the that 974 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:34,360 specific reason of like, oh, the game's happening really slow for him and 975 01:01:34,519 --> 01:01:37,119 nobody else. And that happens with second year guys because they're not all frazzled 976 01:01:37,159 --> 01:01:40,719 and they've seen a full season of reps and like they've seen the pictures or 977 01:01:40,760 --> 01:01:45,920 whatever, and it's like he's just playing at a different cadence and Scoot like 978 01:01:45,199 --> 01:01:51,239 from moment one was that way. I mean again, he played like three 979 01:01:51,320 --> 01:01:53,199 quarters of basketball, but like you see it, you see what you see, 980 01:01:53,280 --> 01:01:57,920 like it's not you can't imagine that kind of feel that it was a 981 01:01:58,000 --> 01:02:00,639 real thing. Yeah, and it's I guess it's just a roundabout way of 982 01:02:00,719 --> 01:02:05,239 saying that this was an anti Charlotte Hornet's podcast. I don't. I just 983 01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:08,039 it's too early to make any I'm actually I feel like I'm higher on Brandon 984 01:02:08,079 --> 01:02:13,239 Miller after watching Brandon Miller than most people and then what it was before. 985 01:02:13,679 --> 01:02:15,559 But I just based off what Scoot is doing. I know you have a 986 01:02:15,639 --> 01:02:19,559 melo, but you have to be feeling a little and maybe I'm sure NBA 987 01:02:19,639 --> 01:02:22,920 teams and execs are just better of not reading too much into some rely than 988 01:02:22,960 --> 01:02:27,320 we are. And also they're not being exposed to Scoot and Brendon Miller for 989 01:02:27,400 --> 01:02:30,039 really, like we have outlines of these players going into the draft because we 990 01:02:30,079 --> 01:02:34,599 don't really touch them until they come into the league. I touch them, 991 01:02:34,880 --> 01:02:37,320 We're not grabbing them, we don't really cover them to it. I'm all 992 01:02:37,360 --> 01:02:38,440 over the place to say we need to add this. Please take this out 993 01:02:38,480 --> 01:02:42,559 of here, alright, you don't want to keep going. I'm just saying 994 01:02:43,199 --> 01:02:46,039 you can't if you're Charlotte. There just has to be a sense of there 995 01:02:46,119 --> 01:02:51,519 has to be a lingering, at least a teen te tiny bit of massively 996 01:02:51,599 --> 01:02:58,800 impactful, existential dread going it just like an eye dropper full of full blown 997 01:02:58,840 --> 01:03:06,039 panic. Well, so here, I don't see the scenario where Brandon Miller 998 01:03:06,159 --> 01:03:08,960 has anything close to the just the star upside. I think he's probably gonna 999 01:03:09,000 --> 01:03:12,639 be a really good player for a long time just because of his position and 1000 01:03:12,679 --> 01:03:15,920 skill set. But it's like, I mean, I think Scoop might be 1001 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:21,639 a generational point guard. And that's like kind of the consensus at this point, 1002 01:03:21,760 --> 01:03:24,119 and sort of was the consensus even before the draft. So what are 1003 01:03:24,159 --> 01:03:28,800 we doing? Like, how was this ever? I don't. I mean, 1004 01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:30,599 so here's I'll take us out, I promise. But now you got 1005 01:03:30,679 --> 01:03:37,039 me thinking about the Hornets that they're gonna be there. Ah, this is 1006 01:03:37,079 --> 01:03:39,800 it. They're gonna be the team. Whenever we say, don't draft for 1007 01:03:39,880 --> 01:03:44,400 fit, don't do it. Don't ever draft for fit. Remember the Charlotte 1008 01:03:44,400 --> 01:03:47,599 Hornets when they passed on fourteen time All Star Scoot Henderson because they liked Brandon 1009 01:03:47,679 --> 01:03:52,360 Miller, who averaged twenty a game like twice. That that's why, all 1010 01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:58,599 right, that we have mercifully we're gonna end this, which you couldn't mention, 1011 01:03:58,800 --> 01:04:00,039 You didn't take us out in the sense of that you're listening to part 1012 01:04:00,079 --> 01:04:02,559 one or part Yeah. No, I don't know whether you listen to part 1013 01:04:02,599 --> 01:04:05,760 one or part two. Neither of us knows which way is up at this 1014 01:04:05,880 --> 01:04:10,880 point. And if we seem really loopy at the end of a short hour 1015 01:04:10,960 --> 01:04:14,159 long podcast, it's because this is actually part of a much longer podcast we 1016 01:04:14,239 --> 01:04:17,159 did. Dan said this at the top, and he always says it, 1017 01:04:17,239 --> 01:04:20,760 and I always say it. Follow us on all of our socials at Hardwood 1018 01:04:20,800 --> 01:04:26,400 Knox on Twitter and TikTok at harbld Underscore Knox on Instagram. Make sure you 1019 01:04:26,440 --> 01:04:30,960 subscribe on YouTube. Comment there, say good things wherever you listen to your 1020 01:04:30,000 --> 01:04:34,679 podcasts. Review us, give us many many stars on Apple. That is 1021 01:04:34,679 --> 01:04:38,920 always helpful. Tell your friends. Word of mouth is great. Tell your 1022 01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:43,159 enemies so they can become smarter and then maybe you're more likely to be friends 1023 01:04:43,199 --> 01:04:45,159 with them. I don't know. Uh yeah, buy our merch. Dan's 1024 01:04:45,199 --> 01:04:50,559 wearing it, mine's behind my head, my coffee cup wars on the way. 1025 01:04:50,639 --> 01:04:55,079 I will be sporting it possibly by the next time we go pod up. 1026 01:04:55,559 --> 01:04:58,320 And yeah, thanks everybody. We're going to close this with a shout 1027 01:04:58,360 --> 01:05:00,760 out to Frank Nilikina and an apology you to charrydow