What is a fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dan Favalue, Dan Favalley.
Wow, I can't pronounce my own name. Coming at you with another
twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four NBA look Ahead, We're on to the
Brooklyn Nets. I am joined by Lucas Kaplan. First time guest, doesn't
know what he's getting into just yet. Follow him on Twitter at Lucas Kaplan.
That's at l uc A s kap La and underscore that's important. It's
on the screen if you're watching, it will be in the YouTube and podcast
description as well. He covers the Nets for Nets daily, writes great stuff
about them. Also, I would recommend his like film stuff that just pops
up in my Twitter feed all the time. And then he's also covering the
Liberty. Lucas, thank you so much for coming on. How are you
doing doing well? It's speaking of the nuts and Lardy. It's a busy
time. You know. My worlds are colliding. Some might say so the
falls basketball season, and I'd say it's all going pretty well. Uh well,
one, thank you so much for agreeing to join us too. This
team is like I've done. This is number twenty I don't know. I
think it's like twenty six or whatever, twenty three, whatever it is with
these look aheads, this team, may I just have no feel for.
I'm not gonna lie like, I have very little feel for like what if
they're left as currently constructed, what what they're gonna be? So I wanted
to start though by asking you, now that we're out of like the KD
Kevin Durant a KD Kyrie era, and not just the era, but like
the whole trade demand stuff that they went through, how big of a deal
is that, like for the organization to finally be like, Okay, we
don't necessarily it doesn't seem like they've charted a perma direction at the moment,
but it's that pal is no longer being cast over the organization. We can
move on and now figure out what we're doing. Yeah, I think,
for one, if you want to be an optimist, there are less decision
makers in the room. We're kind of back to the nets of almost a
decade ago, but after the og Brooklyn super team with the old Celtic Stars,
so we're back to Sean Marks really is the lead voice decision maker some
input from ownership, So I think that is, you know, a bit
of clarity that maybe eases the franchise a little bit. But other than that,
I like what you said. They haven't picked a perma direction. They
are still in a little bit of limba. They are in a waiting game.
And you'll hear the best interview on the team, Spencer Dinwiddie. He
talked about it as an exit interview, and he talked about it at Media
Day this year. He's like, listen, we're not a championship team.
We can win a few games, and there's a lot of directions that this
franchise can go. And he pretty much summed it up, and so,
what do you kind of think about looking at the off season and they have
very little flexibility to begin with, you bring back Cam Johnson and take all
these flyers. How did you feel about that direction? They went in kind
of well, we're gonna keep this optionality, We're not going to do anything
major. Do you think that was the right call? Yeah? I honestly
did. I Mean, at first I thought maybe if Scoot for McHale was
somehow on the table, they should have pursued that a little bit strongly.
And I was vocal about that, But it's not like they handcuffed themselves to
mediocrity for a long time. Like if we're expecting them to be mediocre this
year, that is just this year. Ben Simmons becomes an expiring contract.
After this year, he's a free agent in the summer of twenty five.
McHale very team friendly deal. I would argue Cam Johnson's deal is not that
much of an albatross at all, really, So yeah, they're settling into
sort of I guess where everyone says you don't want to be in the NBA
in purgatory, But I don't view them as handcuffed to that. And to
be honest, I understand it. They don't have their own draft pick this
year that's going out to Houston the draft. All they got for the two
stars is really really in twenty twenty seven they have picks from the Suns and
the Sixers and twenty twenty nine where they have picks from the Suns and the
Mavericks. So it's a little bit too early I think to think of tangible,
specific maybe destinations for those picks. If they were trying to get players
back, I will say I found it. It's not funny. I just
found it interesting that I think Damian Lillar is so in love with mckel Bridges
that the Nets made his final list of three. Because even if you were
just to put him on this team and you didn't give up Nick Claxton or
mckel bridge, like, they're not a championship contender with Damian Lillard and he
were believed that he wants to win, mckel Bridges just must be like one
of the best teammates of all time. He must, he must. I
mean, hey, and people and the organization and his teammates, people really
seem to like him. So I guess you can't just dismiss that. Clearly
Dame didn't. So uh so last year's team, I mean, let's just
start with mckel bridges. There's he had shown I think, not that people
overblew it, but like he had shown that the turn was kind of coming
in Phoenix because of injuries and pecking order issues there. He he goes to
the Nets and he played like an All NBA player once he was on,
Like that was the difference. It went from oh could this be an all
sort of oh is this an All NBA player? Starting with this what most
impressed you or maybe even surprised you about his stint in Brooklyn so far.
I think what most impressed me is that they, just by way of roster
construction, needed to ask so much of him in the way of primary ball
handling, and it wasn't always perfect. The playmaking could improve. You know,
his shot diet is very tough when he's creating for himself, and there
are a lot of equips you could have with him. But I mean,
he get traded to a team in the middle of the season, no training
camp, and all of a sudden, you're, if not the primary ball
handler, at least a strong number two next to Dinwiddie. And yeah,
offensive rating aside, assist, turnover whatever, he's averaging twenty seven on close
to fifty forty ninety. I think I underestimated just how easily he can pull
up from the mid range and that high release point and just get looks off.
And sometimes you know, it can lead to rough shooting nights, but
a lot of the times, like he scored a few a lot of thirty
burgers. So I was just impressed by the consistency really in how he can
get to his spots and get shots off. I think you did mention the
part of his game that everyone nationally at least will be monitoring, which is
his passing. Is that the area of development you're most interested in, or
is there something else that you're you're focused on watching this team very up close.
Honestly, I'm going to go the other way and say that I don't
as good of a mid range shooter as he is. NETS fans were accustomed
to Katie Kyrie as maybe two of the best. Katie in particular is like,
ye, I don't even know, fifty seven percent for mid range last
year, just like unfathomable. McHale's going to need to either get to the
rim on some of these drives, but more likely than that given the NETS
spacing and you know, given that he's been a primary ballhand for like twenty
games, I'm really looking to see if he jacks up the pull up three
percentage this year. He has that high release point, he can get to
it pretty easily. I think that as a you know, small, super
nerdy thing is gonna be what I'm looking for as maybe the first step in
the evolution, because I could see him getting a like seven eight pull up
three is a game. I mean, that shot is really hard to contest.
That is not one I thought of, but it's a great point,
like to come up with that volume, and if you're going to be a
number one option on offense, that's like the its skill right now. But
I also I agree that like the on we know he can get to the
Romani's off ball and transition, but like the on ball pressure in the half
court would be big. I did. I was impressed though, because,
like you mentioned, how tough his looks are sometimes when he's creating for himself
and maybe he's fading or bailing out on drives, Like he still got to
the line a ton during his time in Brooklyn relative to what he was doing
in Phoenix, And so if he's able to get to the basket more in
theory, like even there might be room for that free throw volume to grow,
which would also be big for this offense. I would think, Oh,
definitely, they're not they don't get to the line a ton. I
mean, we'll see. I'm sure we'll talk about Simmons and Claxton and all
that stuff. The worry I have there with McHale is like everyone's gonna have
to navigate now they're gonna play Ben. You know they're gonna play him next
to Claxton. That's gonna be a spacing challenge for everyone to figure out.
So if Mkale's free throw rate dips a little bit, I wouldn't be too
alarmed, just because he's figuring out playing with two guys that are truly nonspacers.
The other thing that I think is big for him is I think that
they have enough to like go to different people on defense to where he doesn't
have to shoulder necessarily the same burden that he did in Phoenix. But if
you have to be your team's best defensive player and their best offensive player,
that's just exhausting and so like I would just be word of kay, like
what does this guy's an iron man? Like he's the most McHale Bridget stat
of all time will be when he plays an eighty three out of eighty two
games, because then that's when like the in season tournament or something. So
I'd be worried about like that wearing down. But if Simmons stays healthy,
the fact that Nick Claxton is so versatile and you do have Dori Infiny Smith
there right now, even and even Royce O'Neill at the moment is like low
key kind of huge. I think to have that optionality so that you can
move him around a little bit. On defense, I think so, and
one of the I think underreported not to pile on him everything, but the
defense certainly slipped after he got to Brooklyn. I mean, he wasn't quite
the same level of defense, and I think you saw that reflected in a
lack of all defense voting for him, And just to put a button on
that, he did play eighty three games last year because he got traded to
the Nets that they were one behind schedule. So it's already happened. I
had a viral tweet off that I can't believe I've already forgot about. That's
how much viral going viral matters, folks. Yeah, I've already forgotten exactly.
What I also found interesting about this team was they did not play particularly
fast relative to what I thought their personnel was after the trade. Are we
going to see that change this season? Absolutely? And when you said that,
just to put a bow on it, Michael said at media Day this
year, I definitely wasn't playing how I wanted to play on the other end
defensively, when I got here. Yeah, the offensive load, but there's
always the concentration piece, so he's aware of it, which I thought was
an interesting kind of shows you why everybody likes Mikhale. You know, he's
one of my favorite players in the end. He's just so likable. And
I'm happy he's still with Cam Johnson because kind of busting up like the Young
Sons was. I don't really have any allegiances, but like it kind of
just hurt. But the fact that he's still with Cam makes me feel a
little bit better, right, And I think that's very understandable, and they've
talked about how happy they are to be together. But in terms of the
transition thing, I think they just they switched a lot last year and Jacques
Van talked about in training camp this year we were all new, you know,
that was a bailout in a lot of ways, Like I didn't have
time to put in all these concepts. We resorted to switching, and that
killed him on the defensive glass more than anything. And I think because they
couldn't rebound, they couldn't really get out in transition. That's where it started.
And then I think this year, look who they signed and got rid
of no more Joe Harris, Patty Mill, Seth Curry in the rotation,
it's Lonnie Walker, Dennis Smith Junior. Maybe we see a trend in Watford
stuff like that. I mean not the shooting has fallen off a little bit,
but these guys are athletic and they're fast, and they want to get
out and run, and you're adding healthier Ben Simmons and they're playing more drop
coverage, as Vaughan has talked about trying to fix the defensive rebounding issues.
So yes, I can almost guarantee, and there's not many things you can
guarantee. The pace will be up this year provided they can rebound at at
least like unacceptable level. So and do you think that they're going to and
be able to install these like different guiding principles then on defense when you look,
because they're still kind of small, and so even if you're not switching
as much, are they going to be able to rebound it effect I think
they were twenty eighth. I think defensive rebounding rate after the mchal bridges rates
like are they even built to Ben Simmons. I mean, we haven't talked
about him yet, and we will just feel super critical to that as well,
like if you want to up your rebounding and get out and transition.
Yeah, again, I don't think they'll go away fully from switching. I
mean, they really haven't played consistent drop coverage since DeAndre Jordan was getting consistent
minutes in Brooklyn. So that's how long it's been. I feels like eight
seasons ago. Too many iterations of this team at least. So yeah,
they got to put it in. They got to work on it. And
if you've seen any of the preseason stuff so far, it's been rough.
Obvious. Yeah, it's been weird. The guys. I'm going to be
an optimist and say guys are given preseason effort in terms of navigating screens,
but you know it's gonna be a work in progress all year. So I
think they'll mix it up. I don't think they'll go fully away from switching.
I think the guiding principle of this team will still be length and versatility.
The roster simply isn't built any other way. I mean, it'd be
silly to compile all of these long athletes that are skinny, you know,
as you said, they're small, it'd be silly not to try to,
you know, make that a strength in some way. The Ben Simmons hype
train is at full bore at the moment. What are your just impressions of
him so far during the preseason, both physically, physically and functionally, And
if you need to take anything away from those empty gym videos that he's posting,
Yeah, I mean I watched every minute last year. I like and
probably rewatch most of them as well. Like I get the skepticism. I
get that it's year twenty seven of Ben Simmons offseason hype, but like there
is an objective. He wasn't moving like this last year, Like he just
he's moving differently. Even on like some defensive rebounds last night against Maccabi,
his head is near the rim when he's going up. He just looks springier.
He's willing to like lean into guys when he's trying to go finish.
And I don't want to, you know, start the parade on Flappish Avenue
because of it. But I didn't see it last year. Nobody saw it
last year, and it matches up with what we've been hearing. And I
understand that, you know, they're not going to come out and say Ben
Simmons doesn't look good. But when you take all the evidence that we've been
given and now there's evidence on film, he's gonna be a little bit better
this season. He's gonna be not the worst athlete in the league. Like
it's going to get back to at least an acceptable level for him, and
that could be I'm pretty convinced if that's the standard for getting on the hype
train, I already have my ticket. So what do you think he needs
to do most or that you'll be watching most closely to optimize or elevate this
team On offense? I saw you had tweeted the other day that he's been
more aggressive from the forty five cut area. Is it that? Is it
like just the off ball movement so that you can move him off the ball
the type thing, or is it is it something else? There's the way
I've described in the preseason is like he could make so a difference for this
team just because the things that he's even okay at are really what they need.
They need a defender who is a little bit bigger. They need someone
to rebound and push, They need a little bit of connective ball handling energy
because Dinwoody's the only real point guard on the roster right now, I guess
Dennis Smith Junior. But the biggest thing is just going to be not being
afraid to take the ball at the rim one on one, because if he
can collapse the defense a little bit and provide some sort of pain pressure,
he might be the only net doing that this year. So they really do
they really do need that. But as you said, there's a ton of
different facets to his game, like the off ball moving and you know,
attacking from the forty five. If there's a high pick and roll that will
have you know, cascading positive effects. I'm also wondering if if you can
get him moving off the ball that he gives him more confidence with his on
ball drives because when you just go over a year by year, and just
like the percentage of drives of his on the drives were just plummeting like permitted,
I know, his plenty time was down, and then just like the
percentage of drives that were ending in a shot opportunity or free throw, they've
also just plunged. And that just like you can't have like someone be that
level of a non threat when he in theory is so integral to how you
want to run your offense or I should say, maximizing your offense. Yeah.
Absolutely, And I just like, because I didn't obviously watch as much
film on him in Philly as I do now, Like, I'm curious,
why do you think that decline started. I guess because it definitely started before
that Hawk series, that infamous Hawk series, and then that was seen as
like, you know, the culmination of this of this kind of decline,
as I said, so, I guess, do you have any I just
I don't know. It's been one of the more confusing stories for a while
now, I think, like, and I don't. I don't know if
it's accurate, but I think the idea was like there was must have been
shit going on with his back beforehand, maybe, but I also don't one
of the big things and you would know this is just like the jokes,
the pressure, the memes about what he was on offense, like they already
existed, not to the degree that they do now. And I'm wondering if
that took a toll on him mentally, where every year was the questions about
like, well, you're gonna throw up these these floaters or Are you gonna
take a mid range jumper? Are you gonna or it's just the year you
start shooting threes. And I'm wondering if that got to him. But then
it was also and I don't know if it was the year same season of
that Hawk series, but he started out the season where he was like taking
me sweeping hook shots and posting up and looked like he just felt so comfortable,
wasn't necessarily super aggressive, but had i'll say, more levels to his
scoring than when he's like he was a zero level score by the time that
he was in like by the end of his time in Philly. And so
I honestly don't I feel like it was a combination of something mentally but also
just there had to be some physical issues that I mean, we know he
was injured coming into the league, but the physical issues had to I think
I do believe were not the word die or they were more extensive before they
started becoming public, would be my guess. Yeah, that makes sense to
me. And I mean that's the big thing from last year to this year
his back is it's just clearly the way he moves around in the court so
much spring here, and I think there may be a point this year where
people bring up the shot percentages is in the volume from different area of the
court, because if you look at them just on you know, Basketball Reference
or whatever, he was taking shots at the rim. He was taking shots
from the three to ten foot range last year. But all of these drives
were Okay, let me like, let me back in a little bit and
let me not go full speed and let me kind of like awkwardly swivel into
this hook shot. I mean yesterday against mccabee, like he's taking it to
the rim at somebody and getting his hand on the backboard. It's not like
this weird hook shot that may get categorized as as a rim attempt. And
even you know that preseason game is against Lakers where he's taking it at Lebron,
he's going full throttle. That's what really encouraging to me. That's what
gives me hope. I just I didn't see it last year at all,
and I don't you know, hype train year twenty seven. Nonwithstanding, it's
nice to see some sort of tangible progress. I just always get worried there's
no sign, maybe there is scientific dated behind it, like just big dudes
and back problems. I'm just like, yeah, parennially scared and to that
end is there and I know I didn't includes in the outline. Is there
any plan to like how many minutes can he play right off the bat?
Or are you gonna be any limitations or monitoring there? There's gonna be As
Jacques Vaughan talked about it last night after the game, he talked about,
it's just gonna be constant communication because there was a stretch last year in November,
there was a six game stretch where he averaged sixteen, six and six,
and then he played the second night of a back to back against Orlando
and he hurt his knee, which later came out was we think it's related
to the back soreness, these knee problems that he's been having, and he
missed two weeks and then he came back in December and it was just like
he was never the same old year and that's where the decline was really obvious.
And he and Vaughn have talked about this kind of schism that they had
last year, like Vaughn was asking a lot of him and Ben didn't feel
he could do it, but he wasn't being specific as to why, and
in training camp this year, Ben has said our relationship is much better.
I proved to him that I really was hurt and I'm really working hard now,
And Vaughn has pretty much said the same exact thing. So there's definitely
some sort of plan. There's definitely some, as Vaughn said, constant communication
in the works, but I don't I think we'll have to see the specifics
when they, you know, play out. This is more topical than big
picture. But what is the state of the Cam Johnson hamstring injury? He
we haven't gotten any update, any updates on it. He pretty much said
he was trying to play at some point in the preseason, So I'm going
to assume that means Wednesday, their fourth and final preseason game in Miami.
If he doesn't, then I would raise my eyebrows. But if he does,
then we appear to be all on schedule. You'd already said too that
the number on his contract is fine, four years guaranteed at ninety I think
everyone and myself included, just needs to do a better job of like,
yeah, there's sticker shock, but the percentage of the salary cap for him
is just and is declining and so like by the end of his deal.
Right now, he's projected to be making thirteen point eight percent of the salary
cap. But it's like for a rotation player, that's fine. Were you
surprised though, that no other teams got involved and even follow up? I
just found this funny. I don't think they did anything wrong personally. I
know people troll them, the fact that the Detroit Pistons were the team most
heavily linked to them, and then they actively helped the next like salary dump
Joe Harris that used up their caps. Basically they could not make a Cam
Johnson pursuit. Yeah, I'm not gonna pretend that I have any inside information,
but it's definitely a little bit of an eyebrow raiser. Maybe a little
bit of washing each other's hands, one hand washing the other there. And
hey, I mean I've heard that they like Joe Harris so far in Detroit,
so you know, maybe to work out for both sides man healthy,
they can use his shooting for what it's worth, but that is true,
I mean, he does. Everyone could use a guy that shoots like I
think he's like the fourth or fifth most accurate three points shooter in NBA history.
I wasn't too surprised about Cam, just based on the salary cap hasn't
increased yet. So you are committing some amount of money to a guy that,
realistically, let's say title contenders are going after him, he's not going
to be anything more than your fourth or fifth best player, and you're probably
paying him like your second or third perhaps, And if you do have two
or three max contracts, then you can't afford to give him twenty three million
dollars a year, as the Nets did, So that part didn't surprise me
too much. And we also heard all Spring like yeah, I want to
be in Brooklyn, and Brooklyn was like, yeah, we want Cam,
so that didn't surprise me. I think if the one the one thing that
I would be I guess a little bit worried about Cam is he is an
older player. I think he's twenty seven to twenty eight, and I just
if he's not going to add a lot of offensive juice to this team,
he's going to be a really expensive, uh, stand in the corner and
shoot guy And is that something? I guess we didn't see a ton of
it in Brooklyn, but like he did bust out like some good off the
dribble moments in Phoenix. So is that something just based off what you've seen
of him one do you believe that that's like an area in which you can
develop them too? Well? The opportunity to even be there when you're looking
at kind of the hierarchy of the nets offense with with Dinwoodie mckel bridges and
then Ben Simmons needing the ball specifically, I think it'll be there. I
think with Ben it's like he's going to have the ball, but he's also
going to get a lot of guys going downhill with handoffs and stuff like that.
And I really see Ben and Cam kind of being linked to each other
in a lot of their minutes this year because Cam just needs that extra push
downhill and once you get him going downhill. He was the only Net that
wasn't deathly afraid of attacking em beat in that sixer series last year, and
he actually had some nice finishes and that really impressed me. But I could
see Cam running a lot of you know, Chicago actions coming off a handoff
and a screen. I don't think he's gonna initiate from a standstill, but
there is room for him, and there's definitely opportunities for him on the ball
this year. How well those go, I'm not gonna say I'm pessimistic or
optimistic. I honestly, I don't know if I have a great feel for
it, to be honest, Yeah, I mean they could just in theory,
because he is relative to his team specifically, if he could give them
like more if you're gonna have him played let's say the four, if he's
someone who can give them like better positional rebounding, that would also go a
long way for them. And in theory he should have the size, but
he's just never been that guy. And yet the way that they could probably
move him around defensively because they have so many of these you know, long
rangey defenders, maybe he will be in better position this season to like juice
up the rebounding rate, which I think again we've talked about rebounding for the
team a few times already. That would go a long way. Yeah,
I really would. I don't think he's ever averaged five rebounds in a season.
I think his career high is actually closer to like the low fours.
But as long as he's you know, accountable boxing out stuff like that.
You know, he's six' eight, he's a big dude. He could
definitely help with the rebounding. He also only shot thirty six and a half
thirty seven percent from three after the deadline, and he had a lot of
like one of eight, two of seven games on a lot of good looks
for Brooklyn last year. So I think just right off the bat, if
he's closer to his normal self from three, just that will make a big
difference for the nets too. Yeah, that's huge as well. You're new
to the podcast, so you might not know, but I'm obsessed with Nick
Clason. Just one of my one of my faves the defense. Like we
know about the defense, he's like maybe the most versatile center and he's one
of the three most versatile defensive centers in the game. Offensively, there was
like a real leap there, and I know the percentages kind of like dipped
a little bit later in the year, but just the open space drives are
faking the dri like faking the handoffs into into drives. That was a huge
evelpment. Is there, like does he have other well one what impressed your
most about the development last year? And two are there other levels that he
can still add to what he's done. So first of all, he led
the league in h in in field goal percentage or yes, in field goal
percentage last year. This isn't like beyondred like he was taking hook shots again,
which is that he's going after drives. It's so nice to talk to
a fellow Nick Klaxon appreciator because you see it like it wasn't just like Clint
Capella Houston leading the league in field goal percentage, like I'm catching a dunk
every single time, Like there was a lot of wonderable two dribble drives,
like righty finishes high off the glass, hook shots. Believe me, if
you ever wanted to look through all the clips that I've downloaded, you you
know I could I have ten minutes of otherwise maybe uninspiring, you know,
hook shots and spin moves against Brook Lopez. But to me and you the
guys like us, it's like a pot of gold. So thank you for
letting me go on that little rant and fun, fun fun aside. My
rant to your rant would be when I clipped something in the middle of last
year, because it was just like I'd watched successive games and like what he
was doing. I was like, what the hell is going on? So
I posted videos of what I had noticed, and there were people that response
I thought this was Kevin Durant on the wall what I was watching, And
I'm like, man, I mean he's not quite that, but it was
just like it was so just the growth on offense, like even just the
expansion functions. Forget the efficiency, but the expansion was just so stark.
Well, if you recall his draft kind of his status as a draft prospect,
he pretty much ran point guard for like I did not know that.
He pretty much was a big guard for an awful Georgia team that went like
that won like three games in SEC play, and he was really like a
big wing and a switch guy, and he pushed the ball in transition and
he didn't average a ton of blocks, and he fell to the second round
because I think a lot of teams were like what what is like what do
we do with this? Really? And he took a good amount of threes
too, And I think if you would ever want to get into the draft,
weeds. It was like teams too worried about role and fit versus like,
holy shit, look at this six eleven uber talented, crazy athlete,
super coordinated, like plug and play guy, which he became. So the
offense, it's a contract year, a fact not lost on anybody with the
nets. And I really hope, because the offense may struggle in the half
court, I hope they just turn him loose on some more hub actions like
hey, fake dribble handoff. You can get from the three point line to
the rim in one dribble and finish with either hand. There was there was
a game against the Kings last year where he was switched on Terrence Davis two
possessions in a row. This is the stuff I'll never forget, like you
know, and they post him up on Terrence Davis and one post up like
spin move left the hook, next possession, I think he gets fouled again
but has to shoot two free throws. And then they didn't do it for
like three weeks after that. So trust me, I want to see it
just as badly as you do. But it was. It was wildly impressive
last year. Are there do you have any cud because we haven't seen a
ton of it, Like can he play with Ben Simmons, I don't know.
I we have seen a little of it. But but if if he's
playing with the Ben Simmons that he played with last year, that's just a
Ben Simmons problem, you know what I mean. It's like Ben Simmons needs
to be Ben Simmons for that to work. And honestly, we'll see.
I mean, it's going to be a season long work in progress, like
they're talking about it in preseason and we're three weeks in and I already feel
bad asking Jacque vond more questions because it's like, what else is there to
say it's tough to space with two absolute non three point threats, like it's
going to be. They're gonna be working on it in December, so we'll
see. I mean, ideally the defense and transition outweighs any potential half court
spacing issues. That's the hope, I think. And if you're going to
put three shooters around them at all times in those lineups, which I assume
you, I don't know why you wouldn't, right, it should make it
a little bit easier. Yeah, my non serious questions are you buying the
Cam Thomas as a two way force hype? And my serious question is what
kind of opportunity you expect him to have and what does he actually need to
do to ensure that he has at least a somewhat regular role in this rotation.
I'll answer both of those in one fell swoop. No and no.
He's not gonna be a two way for us. But he needs to not
be a destructive defender. And I don't want to pile on. I don't
want to sound like I'm anti camp Thomas because next Twitter will make me walk
the plank. But he just needs to not lose his man off the ball.
I don't really have any concerns on the ball, but there are too
many times where he kind of spaces out. And on a team last year
that was built on switching and communication because they couldn't do anything else, that
I think, more than anything, kept him off the court. So he
needs he at least needs to be passable on that end and then elsewhere.
He's such a talented offensive score but it feels like he only gets in the
flow state when he's attacking the basket. Like there are times where he'll catch
a ball like a swing pass, and there's an advantage to exploit, and
he holds it and the advantage dies and the decision making is a little slow,
and it's like, shoot it would be better just shooting a cats and
shoot three would be better. So we need the nets, need what Cam
can do, and I think that's where the frustration from the fans comes from.
But Cam sort of just can't lose advantages on offense and he can't provide
advantages on defense. He just needs to be neutral when he's not putting the
ball in the hold. And that that's not a diss I mean that's hard.
It's hard for a third, second year player who's at six foot three
to do that, Like that's not an easy thing they're asking of him,
but you know, it is what he needs to do. And it's also
just it gets just crowded because you're not I mean, you could try it
like he's not a wing and so and it gets all of a sudden crowded.
Where you have bencer Dinwiddie, I mean, Ben Simmons can do whatever,
but you have Dennis Smith junior. You sign Lonnie Walker the fourth and
that would be I mean, that's actually an accidental segue in his next question,
which of the non rookie additions to this team or you most intrigued by
or do you see playing the biggest rollers being most important, and if they're
separate, you're intrigued by X, but you think they're gonna lean on why
that's that's obviously good too. I'm intrigued by Dennis just if they're gonna run
more, drop the screen navigation, pushing, But that feels like me thinking
with my heart instead of my brain. And I just see Lonnie. I
see Lonnie being this athletic wing type that can maybe do some more on ball
stuff, such a better shooter than Dennis Smith to a point where I don't
think the Nets can, Like I think they just have to accept that reality.
And Lonnie gets more minutes, you know what I mean? Right?
And if Lonnie's getting more minutes, it's like, well, like, where's
Cam Toms fitting in this rotation? If if Lonnie's playing a real role,
Yeah, I will say Cam has come back to camp with a jump shot
that is a little bit more centered, his elbows a little bit more straight,
and I to me, that screams like we need you to take catch
and shoot three point attempts. And he's done that a little bit in preseason.
But yeah, you know there are the injuries Cam will get his moments,
I think Lannie's pretty much guaranteed to get his. I'm worried about Dennis,
like if the spacene just becomes untenable where you know you already can't play
him next to Claxton and Ben, so he needs to come in in probably
bench lineups where Ben is on the bench. So it's because he can throw
those pocket passes to rulers. So it's Dennis Claxton three shooters. But even
then, like the offense is are going to be great, and if they
become hampered by his non shooting and the drop defense isn't great, I'm intrigued
by Dennis. I could see this kind of going poorly. Have you have
any general impressions of the Harry Giles, Like is there a chance he would
make the roster? Do you think they'll end up two weighing him. I
think he's gonna make the roster. I think that they've kind of been open
about Harry Giles, Trendon Watford, Darius Beasley are all competing for one spot,
maybe two because they can slap a two way on Giles. The Harry
Giles the third provision in the new CBA this offseason. But he's the biggest
he's the best rebounder of those three, and that's something the front office has
really nailed home. He has some nice touch around the rim, and honestly,
he's looked good. He's looked spry. And as much as I love
trendon Watford and a lot of nerd Twitter loves trendon Watford too, I think
it's easy to see a role for Giles. You know, should Dayron Sharp
get in a foul trouble, get hurt as the backup center, should they
need a guy who can catch a pocket pass and maybe like make a floater
from eight feet. So I think Giles is not a lock to make the
roster, but I would honestly be really surprised if he doesn't at least get
a two way. Everybody's also been, you know, raving about him in
the in the locker room stuff like that too. What did you make of
Dayron Sharp's development this year and how big of a role do you expect him
to play this season? Well, well, let me you know, I
think this one is honestly kind of an easy answer, just because you know,
what do you think of their of their backup center rotation? It's like,
yeah, it's it's like it has to be him. I'm just wondering,
Like, I don't know. I'm always left wanting more from him on
the defensive ends, specifically, he showed some nice touch at points offensively last
year. I mean, you watch him way more than I did, obviously,
I just don't know what It's not that I don't understand the series of
him just yet. I don't know what to make of him just yet.
Is more like it. He had this one play against the Sixers where he
was ended up on a switch and he was guarding the the wing on the
left side, on the right side of the court, and then I think
Joel Embiid kind of had a drive from the top of the key but going
to his left hand, and Dayron Sharp like came across the court and blocked
it off the glass, and I was like, oh my god, like
I've never seen him act like this before. But that is I think the
day Ron Sharp. It's so intriguing at times, but he's a big dude
and they really want him to rebound and then it's like, okay, he
can do that. But also his technique in drop has not been great in
his career. And he's working on it and it's improved a little, but
it's not great, And like, can he are you really going to deploy
him like as a switch big because then you're not addressing really the rebounding stuff
at all, which is another big part of the day Ron sharp theory.
So it feels like he has all he has skills, but it's like,
I wish you could, like on two K, transfer some of the attribute
points to other areas where it would just give him, like, you know,
a really solid, sensible role because it's not that he can't play,
it's just that sometimes the Nets need a skill set that he doesn't have.
Like even when Vaughn talks about adding to the rebounding, he doesn't even mention
Dayron's defensive rebound. He said, we want to at least get it back
to neutral by utilizing Dayron's offensive rebound game. And it's like that's great,
but they need to get a stop sometimes, you know what I mean?
Right? Uh, is there any chance that they decide, hey, maybe
Noah Clowney can help out in this big man rotation or no, come on,
you're putting me on the spot. So I'll just say I love speaking
of the theory of players. I love the theory of Noah Clowney, where
it's like he took over four threes a game last year. That's someone who's
gonna cover just a shit ton of defensive ground. And I'm more of the
and it's easy for me to say I'm just not around the team, like
I'm of the fuck it try it mindset. Yeah, and then that's sort
a point where because you haven't doubled down, and I know you're not rebuilding
either, but like, fuck it, try it would just be where I'm
at with it. Yeah, I like, I get it and I but
also I just I get it. They're gonna send him to the G League
and he's gonna play thirty minutes a night, And ultimately that's not an indictment
on him. He's the second He was the second youngest player in the draft.
You know him, and I think at least they were both three.
They were in the three youngest players, maybe the two youngest of the first
round. But in any case, he's just not ready yet. NBA size
kind of NBA schemes ironing out the three point ball. Honestly, I think
their fucking try it might just be playing him heavy minutes in the G League.
You know, like they had a really good G League team last year,
and they've been to the conference finals a lot down to Long Island,
and that is their version of trying it, just getting him minutes there.
And while I am intrigued by him, I don't see him contributing to the
big league squad a lot this season, although it would be fun. Yeah,
because it's like it is a positional need. I understand why you wouldn't
if you're trying to be a really good team. But it's not like Thereek
Whitehead. You don't need. They say, what did you make of that
fire? By the way, like that was a very big bet on Okay,
like this is what he did in high school and like we're gonna swing,
and as you meant, what was he eighteen? He's still eighteen,
I believe. So okay, So did you like, what did you think
of them taking that swing? Uh? Oh no, I was, yeah,
I was. I think I was in the building for his nineteen birthday.
He's nineteen. I liked it. I liked it, man, like
they needed. I'm glad that they took a swing. And you could say
Clowney is a swing with how raw he is. But no, he's a
future MVP. That's just a certainty. That's Yeah. There are some people
that think Dreek Wiehad is like guaranteed all start too. People very high on
him. I like it. It's like if he let's say it doesn't work
out and let's say the foot injuries, whatever, and you'd ever quite you
know, get him off the ground. It's not fun to miss on a
pick, but it also wouldn't be devastating for where the Nets are at right
now, given that they did draft Clowney in the spot next to him in
the draft. But I also think they because there's not this organizational focus on
being a championship team right now and there's not a tanking focus. It's sort
of the perfect situation for Whitehead because the fans aren't gonna be like we have
nothing to root for it, like I need to see Dreek right now.
But they're also not going to be like, oh boy, the salary cast
space, like what's gonna happen, Like we're the Nuggets, Like we really
need Christian Brown right now to play well, so they can slow play Dreek's
development. And I'm kind of really happy he went to a spot where they
can do that because I was I was pretty high on Durek coming into the
draft. Yeah, I wanted to do podcast. I think it's called the
Devil's Den during the middle of the season, and they were trying to like
convey to me, like how good Derek Whitehead is supposed to be, don't
I just don't pay enough attention to college basketball. So I'm all for swings,
especially when you're just drafting. Like I mean, I would take swings
everywhere if I was running an NBA team, Like I love what the Wizards
did with black Pool of BALI, I'm like, good like you. There
wasn't the consensus after Ford just do it. But if you're in the twenties,
take the swings. You did say something though, I know we've talked
about the prevailing theme. If they haven't chosen a direction, there's optionality.
Are they prepared to react this season to what's happened or do you think they
should be prepared to react to what's happening this season in season or is this
more of a team that would play like maybe they're better than expected. Do
they put some of those picks on the table to get someone to help them
if they're not that good, do they then look at okay, do we
mean a little bit? Do we see what we can get from some of
these guys? And like like are they good or is it more you use
the phrase slow play like they're just gonna play this season out. They'll recalibrate
over next summer. They're not Tradi McHale, who was rumored to be offered
for four picks from an unnamed team, I mean last year, yeah,
and I mean like how fit? It was, like how fake are those
for? Like I need to know what the I need, Like you know,
when they said the Knicks offered threeobi or whatever is like I bet you
it was two of the first round picks from Detroit and Washington that might never
actually convey and so like that's always listen. The one that I really thought
was fake was when you heard the two for Dorian Finney Smith And I love
DFS, but I'm like, come on, man, like one of those
had to be protected one through twenty nine or something. But I think they
didn't. There was a lot of noise about them trading Dorian and Royce this
offseason, and they didn't. I think that says more to me, like
they're confident that they can deal one of those two at the deadline if need
be for a first round pick or that their value hasn't appreciated. I would
say that's the one. I would say the reaction that they need to make
this season the one that they really can't afford to mess up. They cannot
lose Nick Claxon for nothing this offseason. Sali Jery disagrees losing players for nothing
is good business. It is good business if you really if you really love
winning thirty six games, appo, shade to the Raptors. No, they're
all up. Sorry, then I'll take all the shade to the Raptors.
You had one of the worst offseason's recent memory. I am fascinated. This
is aside what Nick Claxton ends up getting in free agency, because I think
a lot of people right off is like, Oh, it's just this skinny,
rim running big who's first time, Like he'll make like maybe he'll get
fifty. I'm like, just after watching him offensively, I'm like, and
even as a rim protector, like whether it's helping or it's just like it's
the stand still guy going up against some physical opponents like that you might get
paid. I mean I don't. I don't look at the cap space land
Cape and say landscape and say, oh, this team is gonna give him
a crap ton of money. But he's just good enough to where it could
actually happen. I just and this is not a slight to Cam Johnson,
but Cam Johnson's making twenty two and a half million a year. I think
that's the aav Nick Clackson twenty five then, right, I mean this is
one of the at least at worst, I mean, the ten best defenders
in the NBA who has like this legit offensive skill where even if he never
develops any of this stuff we're talking about, and he can just screen and
throw down dunks. He shot seventy percent from two last season, and yeah,
the free throws are worry Didnwidy had a quote this year that one of
his main goals this year season is to get Nick Claxton paid one hundred million
dollars in free agency, and then he said Nick Claxton is in a great
spot. And I quote because even if he shits the bed this year,
he can still get seventy five to eighty million dollars and Sean Marsden wave Spencer
did what he on the spot for, like on Nick Claxton like that,
Yeah, no, that's uh, that's Spencer right there. But it's true.
I mean, like like if you're really if you're gonna get really analytical
and this ESPN list came out and whatever, and if you can see that
Nick Claxton is one of the five best rim protectors in the NBA. Maybe
if not as a drop guy then like a week side helped guy in a
one on the sure definitely is like the help guy. Yeah, definitely is
the help guy. And he can switch out on the perimeter and he's a
really good interior offensive big even though he struggles with free through shooting. That
kind of sounds like a top I mean, if you don't want to say
thirty, the most valuable player forty fifty, I mean would you. I
wouldn't feel comfortable putting him past fifty. It's so it gets tough just because
when you're not like the offensive hub type, at least they haven't used you
that way. But I would say, like you if we sat here and
said, I think Nick Klass is gonna be a top fifty player by the
end of this season, Like that is not I don't I don't think that's
a reach. Like that is absolutely something that could happen. I would feel
pretty comfortable in that. I would feel pretty comfortable saying that he was that
last season. Yeah, I mean defense conversation. It's just and I just
don't think people realized And I'm not I didn't even I didn't really think about
his player ranking before he came out here or so I'm not saying I'm ahead
of the curve, but like, I don't think people understood just how much
he improved offense. I think he's still sort of shoehorned into this. He
looks like this, like physically, this is what he and he doesn't shoot
threes, so this is what he is on offense, and it's just like
no, it's like it's it's not it's not that he's not taking the Christops
porzingis contested turn around jumpers yet anyway, Like there's just so much more there.
So I'm I'm gonna be fascinated to see his price point and whether there's
like I get it. In the instance of Cam Johnson, I'm I called
front offices cowards because I think people should throw around their cap space and restricted
free agency more. I think it's I think it's criminal. No one made
the Lakers pay more for Austin Reeves. That's how the Nets, That's how
the Nets built the Last Iteration of Life. That's exactly what they did Alan
Crab and I'm forgetting the rest, but it was did Tyler Johnson Auto Porter?
Didn't They end up with all those guys eventually except for Otto Porter not
Otto Porter, but they ended up with Crab like immediately, and then they
ended up with Tyler Johnson after like Katie and Kyrie got here and they needed
like a bench guard. But it worked like did They ended up handicapping some
of these teams and then they were able to trade and make it like I
agree with you. Everyone's worried about, oh well, our cap space is
tied up for thirty six hours or whatever it is now. I haven't really
dug enough into the new CBA, but it's like, what did you miss
out on If you're the Spurs trading for Reggie Bullocks, that you could wait
him like that would move, that would have been there like whatever. So
with and it's different because he's not a restricted free agency like teams might be
more inclined to just go hard effort, so just gonna be fascinated by his
price. Yeah, if that is the one thing I would say, But
ball the way back to original question. If they feel like they're gonna lose
him, And it pains me to say this as somebody who's covering the team
and go any games. You gotta trade him if you're going to lose him,
like and we saw with the Raptors. I mean, I'm not saying
anything like groundbreaking here, but they cannot afford to do that. And because
I think he will command some substantial money, I wonder what I'm kind of
think of, like what the team would be there, Like, yo,
we'll give you real stuff for contract year, Nicholas Clason right now. But
I'm sure I haven't thought about it enough. But I'm sure sure it's out
there. Hey, Brook Lopez gets hurt all of a sudden, it's the
bucks, you know, like that nothing to trade, like they could trade
a double swap. Yeah, no, And I don't envision the nets eager
to help them out, but anything could happen. My point, we are
entering the cookie cutter portion of the pot cast. Are you ready, I'm
ready. Are there any strengths weaknesses about this team that we haven't discussed or
maybe that are flying under the radar that you think deserve more attention. It's
gonna be a really funny team. It's gonna be a really hilarious team to
watch in press conference. I think that's been underrated. Dennis Smith Junior and
Dorian Finney Smith of this hilarious chemistry from their time in Dallas, Spencer Dinwood,
He's funny. Nick Klaxon just went on this whole rant about how he's
underappreciated on defense. So just because Kyrie and Kittie are gone doesn't mean that
this is not a team of personalities. But on the basketball court, I
think that he that opponents may be surprised at how physical and hardest team plays.
I could honestly see them being the effort merchants that the Knicks have been
in the past. What a great turn of phrase, effort merchants. I
could see it. I just they're gonna play hard, We're gonna pay the
starters a lot of minutes. And because this team is not going to cry
about a play and birth, this team is not going to cry through the
seventh seed and they get and they lose in the first round, Like this
is going to be a tough team to play against every night, and because
I know every team says that in the preseason, but it feels like if
they don't do that, then there's really no point to this team existing.
And also, you know, to bring it back to like the brief trade
discussion we had, like Sean Marks has been there, done this before.
I do think people say, well, why would they ever sell off talent
when they don't have their pick? And it's like Sean Marks has been here,
done that, Like he's not going to be like they know, and
as you're saying, he's not gonna be worried about or the team's not gonna
be worried about if we lose in the play in, they kind of understand
like the situation that they're in. And so I say that that's aroundabout way
of me saying I'm prepared for literally any scenario from this team. I think
the only thing that would actually shock me good or bad scenarios would be a
mchal Bridge's trade. And that's the one thing that I would not and you
could tell me anything else. They finish fourth or fifth in the East.
They finished like, I don't know, someone gets injured their thirteenth, they
trade Nick Claxton, they go out. I actually think I think the best
way to frame it would be, like with the mcl bridge stuff, is
are they more likely to make a win now trade or to wind up dealing
mckel bridges. I actually think it's the former. I think there's I want
to be clear, there's combustible potential here for me. But I think that
mchl bridges is so good and might be on the best contract in the league
that it would shock me more if they wound up moving him than if they
decided, hey, no they didn't go and get Dame. But like,
and I'm not saying he needs to be a superstar, but they decide to
parlay some of the pick equity that they do have into someone who helps them.
Now, yeah, it'd be hard for me to pick. I I
don't see anything too drastic. I could see either win now. I can
see either, you know, maybe tanking or semi tanking. But I don't
think either are going to be too drastic, especially a McHale trade. I
think he's here to stay. So what does the top ten rotation look like
for this team, I think there are locks, but are there also still
questions with that? Do we know who's starting? Like I haven't seen anything
definitive on on who their starting line up. So you were very kind in
this outline, outlined it from you so I don't have to run through it
in my head. But the starting five I think is pretty locked to be
Ben Dinwitty, Mikhale cam claxton. Last year that it was that was the
starting five with Jorrian Finney Smith in Ben's place. That to me feels pretty
rock solid, like they believe in Ben, They're gonna start him. I
was more curious about would they have pause about playing him next to Spencer Dinwitdy
and Nick Claxton, Like would you prefer to be? But I was looking
at the other option. It's like it probably be DFS and he's not like
a capslock shooter, and so yeah, he also I'm kind of I don't
love his fit on this team. I just think like Royce is a comparable
player, and while he's not as good on defense, he gives more three
point shooting and more offensive like I'll put the ball on the floor and make
the next pass. Surprisingly good at that. I didn't really. I know
Zach Lowe wrote about it a couple of years ago, but I was still
kind of surprised to see it when he to Brooklyn Utah tried like before they
were like their peak version, like Royce O'Neil run picking rolls like that was
the thing that they were trying to make happen for a while. Whenever I
get in arguments with like my dad or like old head basketball fans or whoever,
and they talk about offensive skill, I'm like, just go watch a
Nets game. It's like Royce O'Neil's like the best offensive player on the nets,
and he's like in and out cross skip pass. And then I think
about it and I'm like, nah, like I shouldn't. I shouldn't do
Royce like that, Like that's a little disrespectful. So the starting five is
that, and then and then Royce Dorian are going to play Cam, Thomas
is gonna play Okay, day Ron is gonna play Cam. And Dayron I
think, are more like they will get chances. They're not gonna go out
there in stink for eighty two games because someone will intervene, but they will
get chances. So that's nine. And then Dennis Smith Junior said he had
other options to sign and he chose to come to Brooklyn. I think he
thinks he's gonna get minutes. And then I know I'm saying eleven. But
like Dennis Lannie, like, I don't see them sitting both of those guys,
But I also don't see them sitting Cam. Really, there might be
Knights, I think. I think that's the eleven. I think there might
be Knights where Royce hits a few threes and gets a steal and then Dorian
doesn't really play, or Dennis Smith comes in missus a three, turns the
ball over and then it's like, okay, we're just playing Cam or Lannie.
But that's the eleven. To me, this is one of the teams
where I think it's a loaded question because they will, in my opinion,
play to matchups. But at the end of the season, what do you
think will have been their most leaned upon crunch time lineup. That's a good
question. Okay, the clax McHale Cam Johnson is like locked. I think
Royce. I'm gonna say Royce. They he is that they really trust him.
He's in the perfect spot too. When you look at like when he
was in Utah, he was about how he was cooked, and I was
like, he's not cooked because he's their only perimeter defender. Like that doesn't
mean he's cooked. That means that he's saddled with too much responsibility. He's
not a great perimeter defender. He's also not bad, and he's also more
than an ISO guy, which I think he was pegged as in Utah,
like because they have to throw him on like Lebron Gage it was just gonna
be Boon or Rudy or no Mitchell doing it. But like he's a really
good team defender more so than like a one on one guy. And I
think with this team that's really valuable at the switching to communication. That might
be a hot take, but I think it's gonna be Spencer Royce Mikhail cam
Klax, just because Royce had his career best shooting year last year and he
launching them in preseason, Like like I think if you just look at pre
season, I think it's like ten attempts per thirty six minutes, which I
know is a ridiculous small size sample stat that I'm already going on a permanent
basis by but he'll shoot, he'll pass, he'll be in the right spots
defensively, and you can count on him. You know what you're getting.
Cause and the reason I leave Ben simmons on and put racing is because I
think the spacing and the up tempo stuff, it's just gonna be hard in
crunch time. It's just gonna be hard in the last five minutes of a
close game, Like you're not gonna get out and run. You just can't
that often, and the spacing will just be harder. So I hate to
do that to Ben, and I do believe he's going to be better,
But I think that's just a mind up that it makes sense what's going on.
You don't really have to worry about, like how do we make this
work? Like they can just go out and play. Is there a weirdo?
They probably won't try it, but I want to see them try it.
Lineup, you'd like to see them roll out well. Trenton Watford is
already automatic five like he was born to play in this five Trendon Claxton McHale.
I have two answers. This one is Dennis Smith, and then I
hope Armani Brooks makes the team, which is a super sick answer, like,
Okay, you may remember him from Rockintson Blazers, but I like Dennis.
He needs to be next to shooting ARMANI can really shoot. And then
Mikale Camp Claxton. I don't think we'll ever see it, but that's it.
Dennis Armani Brooks, Mikhale Cam Claxton, and then the SIKO lineup number
two would be Ben Watford, McHale Cam and Claxton. And I know I'm
using Mikale Cam Claxton like in both of those and that's not really sick or
you know, fun or whatever, but I want it to be a little
good. So there you go. I got two answers that is so much
better than my answer, which is it's not weird because I think four of
these players will spend time to like Nick, like it's their starting lineup is
Cam, Nick, Bridges and Simmons. And then I would just like to
see them go ultra huge. I don't care about the offense, but this
guy does shoot threes. Let's just throw Noel Clowney out there. Clown you
want to worry about the rebounding of Clowny, Ben Nick Claxton out there,
and then you don't need Cam Johnson mckail bridges's rebound it. It's fine.
I don't think it would be good offensively, but that lineup would be massive,
wouldn't mckal bridges at I guess six, what is he sixty seven six
six be the smallest player on the court at that point. Yeah, no,
that would be. They could put Clowney in the corner, you know,
and he could just shoot threes. That would be fun. There's this
roster is built for a lot of insane kind of concoctions, and I always
lean towards smaller lineups for the most part, but it's like, that's what
this team is just gonna play. Like. I even just put four starters
in my in my weird old lineup that I don't even know. Yeah,
I didn't even put Ben at the five, which would at least be cool
offensively, So I should I should cook up with Ben at the five line
up just in case. Do you know what the problem is with that is
it means that Nick Clachton isn't on the which is just an absolute deal breaker
for me. Sure, and that's a good point. So as we record
this on what is it October thirteenth, and I mean it's going live on
the fourteenth. I don't even do that. So as of October thirteenth,
though, they're over Runders in thirty six and a half. I believe that's
a pullback when I did the over runners with my co host, I think
they're at thirty seven. Yeah, and yeah, would you take the over
the under on that? I wouldn't bet it because, well, I said
this when I was thirty seven half. I wouldn't do it, just because
that is very tricky, like they're one injury away from me really having us
spread that out. I think I would take the over and not feel great
about it. I just I don't know. I do think that they'll switch
more and they'll figure out to drop and Colacson is really good where they're going
to have an above average defense. I think that there will be nights where
they just get hot from three and the winds will be fairly easy. I
think there will be nights where the threes don't go in and then they're not
getting ball penetration and it's like, are they even going to crack ninety points?
But yeah, I'll take the over, and I won't like rejoice in
how I'm bank robbing the folks at Vegas though, And where do you see
them stacking up in the East. And I think the best way to kind
of frame this is, right now, what would be the teams that you
would guarantee end up being better than them during the regular season. So I'll
I mean, you know, Buck, Celtic Sixers. Yeah, I guess
I'm with you on the Sixers even if they trade hard and that's I'm probably
that's a little too far field for me to be like if they trade hardened,
they get something back and like I and beat so good Man in the
regular season, like he's so good. So those three, I know,
I'm gonna forget somebody too. I'll say Miami. I'll say they're closer to
twenty twenty one regular season than last year or twenty twenty two regular season last
year, So I guess you think they're gonna care about the regular season.
That means an interesting one. I'll say that. Let's like I'd say I'd
feel comfortable in getting them to forty three wins and like that even not being
super great. So I'll say Miami. And then you know, oh,
Knicks, the Knicks are going to be better. Speaking of the original effort
merchants, I mean, we are on the I would agree with you,
but we are on if Julius Randall continues this every other year track of being
good. It's just something that something to consider true true, And maybe Jalen
Brunson will pick up the slack and I don't. I just like, yeah,
I'll go to the Knicks. So we're at five. I think you
have to include Cleveland. Oh, Cleveland, of course, so s yeah,
I told you I was gonna forget teams. Cleveland's definitely, and Cleveland's
above some of those other teams. So then we're already in play in territory
and then their competition really becomes Raptors, Bulls, Pacers, magic Nets,
so those are lost. I would yeahmn. So that's seven through twelve.
Those six teams. I don't think I can. I'll say Hawks. I
just think Trey Young. I like Trey Young. I'm on more Quinn Snyder
bump too, Yes, the Snyder bump. I just think Trey is like,
you're guaranteed to get really productive offense in the regular season, and Capellen
and Okongo will provide enough defense and Gionte will carry the second unit to respectability.
So I think that's seven right there. And then I don't think there's
any more guarantees. You know, everyone loves the Magic, I don't think
that's a guarantee. I like the Pacers too, I don't think that's a
guarantee. Bulls could this could be the year it really grows up in Flames
and the Raptors. Same thing. So I think eight there they're I guess
that's kind of that sounds a little bit sad to say best case scenario is
at the eighth seed, But so I think I might be a little higher
on their best case because I very much look at I don't trust Boston in
the playoffs right now, but like they'll be great in the regular season.
Cleveland, Milwaukee, those three. I think you're right on Philly, and
then I'm like, okay, Miami and the Knicks. It's just like I
have some powts, So it feels like their ceiling will be sixth. So
I might have a little higher ceiling. But I think you hit their floor
spot on because I really do believe the only teams that you can guarantee are
going to be worse than them this year. It's gonna be the Hornets.
I know, if Amel stays healthy, they could be exciting. Detroit is
just not there yet, and you mentioned Orlando. I'm very high on their
future. And I mentioned this on another podcast, but they were faced.
They had all this cap space, they had two lottery picks, and just
this deficit of players who can shoot, dribble, and pass all three of
those things, and they decided to draft a guard slash wing who can't shoot.
They decided to draft a wing who doesn't really pass, and then they
signed Joe Ingles, who is like super old. So I think that the
Nets are guaranteed to be better than them. After that, It's like,
that's why I think you hit a spot off better than Washington. Yea,
like eleven twelve feels like their floor, which is sounds like an insult.
It's pretty low. But the East is so like after Cleveland, Boston,
Milwaukee honestly because of the James Harden stuff, because of Miami not trading for
Dame and losing two guys in their playoff, Like everything in the East in
the middle is so wide open. Yeah, I agree. I guess I
shouldn't say that it's like one hundred percent that the Hawks will be better.
I just happen to think they'll have a good regular season. But I think
it's a fair bet to make for sure. I think it's a good bet.
I wouldn't say it's guaranteed. So I was the missing piece and so
without him, they're just they're cooked. But to taste it could have.
Is there anything else I haven't asked you that you think we need to touch
upon before I let you go? Uh? Not particularly. I think if
you're a broader, more general NBA fan watching this, if they start to
struggle by the trade deadline, like I'd be interested in the Claxton stuff that
I think might be the most important piece for the rest of the league just
because they might trade Dorian Royce. Those guys aren't needle movers like Clacks.
I don't think they're making the big swing this year. Bridges has stained,
Cam Johnson has stayed those guys will be fun to develop in general. The
one thing that's kind of like that hurts me. But one thing I do
want to say before I leave is like the narrative is that this is a
young team like group for improvement internal stuff. It's not like, it's not
like Clowney Dereek are dragging the average age down. Yes, like even a
guy like Claxton, but like, and it's because the oldest guy on the
on the team is Spencer Dinwiddy. He's only thirty. The whole teams like
twenty seven to thirty, aside from clas So and I guess Simmons at twenty
five. But I just I'm a little bit lonely. Twenty five. My
god, I forgot you, I know. So that's what I want to
say. I'd say I reject a lot of the you know, kind of
discourse that you'll hear about how this is a young team primed for internal improvement,
which I understand that they have to sell to the fan base. That's
not really where I'm at. I think people just to fall to that when
there are teams that have actively decided we're not going to decide on where we're
going this season, true, be like, oh, they're young and they're
trying to figure it out. Yeah yeah, but hey, let's not end
on such a negative note. The defense should be fun and they'll get out
and run. I think that's the cell for watching this team, and maybe
a rejuvenated Ben, So there are reasons to watch. I think good,
bad, great, horrible, neutral, this team should still be a pretty
fun watch, like, just based off the personnel they have and if they
are going to ratchet up the pace as you mentioned, I would say,
I don't know, I can't remember why I put them in my league past
rankings, Like this should be a pretty watchable team. The one worry is
like what if the half court offense is so unbearable? But I do agree
in general that this is a watchable team. Lucas, this was great.
Thank you for giving me so much of your time. You're able just to
tell our listeners and watchers where they can find you and all the work that
you're putting out. Yeah, of course Nets Daily is where both of the
Nets and Liberty stuff is at. The Liberty Stuff I've been really proud of
this summer, and if you want to catch up for the I would recommend
going to NETS alien doing that. Obviously, the Nets were busy as hell
over there with the preseason, So that's the site. My twitter's right here,
and then at Swish Theory, I do a bunch of I guess random
stuff you could call it if there's a trend or a player in the wider
NBA that's intriguing. I have some good stuff there. And if you want
to hit me up and say, hey, you should write about this player
of this team, that's where I do it on Swish Theory. So oh,
I know pretty soon I'm going to be writing about Poku again. So
another favorite of mine. He's a real NBA player. I think I knew
that about you, and I remember that about you. That's why I mentioned
it. So yeah, well it'll be a Noah clowney DM. Maybe I'll
be like that would be on nets Dailey. But in any case, thanks
for having me on and the rest of you. I'd love to see read
my work. Thanks again, Lucas, and rest a short. I will
be standing with DM atop the step. Smell a Goo