This is the baseline, discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Welcome
everybody, your tune to the baseline. Cali Warrenshaw discussing the hot button topics
of the NBA that time of the year. Other than the fact that we
are literally a few weeks away before we end off the regular season, no,
no, no, no, it's our favorite time of the year.
It's time for my man and I to throw on the white coats. Time
for us to get ready to body up these teams that are no longer realistically
in the NBA playoff chase. It's time for us to do our coveted autopsy
reports. The most wonderful time of the year next to Christmas, and so
as always ready to put on his Santa hat, come sliding down some of
these teams chimneys bearing gifts of insight. WHOA, all right, all right,
let me take over it. It's definitely it's definitely an exciting time,
I think for us, not exciting for the teams that we need to discuss
getting getting started a little bit early this year on the autopsy segment. Got
yeah, Well, I mean it's not like I was saying that you were
sliding into into d MS and stuff like that where I'm signing down nothing all
right, creeping down chimneys is that that's not no, that's put it in
your back back anyway, man, what's going on with your house? Everything?
It's good to be here, man, it's a little to It's just
it's just fun. It's it's fun. And uh, we just we never
get to finish our autopsy series, you know, because we try to be
as fair as we possibly can. Uh So we never actually go through all
the teams. We get through about half or maybe just maybe two thirds.
But we're gonna start earlier this year and maybe for something it's like, well,
the season's not over. No season is over for these teams, and
ironically a couple of significant changes have already happened one way or another for them,
so we can actually talk about them in a way that makes sense comprehensibly,
understanding that things are going to change as we get into the summer as
well too. But I think the bulk of the things that could impact them
probably have already happened. And that's how we're going to start this a little
bit earlier than we usually. Absolutely, I mean, and obviously we want
to be fair and killing teams off right like we want to. I want
to make sure that we have covered the gambit sort of speak. So if
it requires us to move a little bit up that time zone, that timetable,
excuse me, then you know, then we'll do what's necessary, right,
I mean, it's only fair. You know. We can't only only
talk about, you know, the teams that we want to kill off.
So you know, obviously we're being benevolent in our abilities to make sure that
we cover these teams and give them their just due because I think a good
death serves everybody. Well, so it's funny, how you know, So
I took that there anyway. Anyway, we appreciate you and yours hop noble
with this this week as always, get them my man show Astra Sports NBA
Game at me again, Face Lee, The show's turning hand on NBA Basline.
Available on all the major platforms you know where to find us. Just
go to www. Dot the Baseline NBA dot com to catch our show this
episode, in all of the previous episodes that we got going on, and
we have some really really great shows over the last few weeks, so definitely
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and content creators that are out there producing some really really good stuff out there
for you guys to listen to. It's a great time of the year,
man, time for you to get outside. Spring is in. It is
very close by, so I'm sure you want to get out, do a
little power walking, maybe do some running, and while you're doing it,
listen to the nineteen Media Group shows that's available and get yourself tuned in with
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all right, Shaw, So you know, listen. In most cases when
we typically try to do our autopsy reports, we probably put some nice little
theme music in there. You know. I think in the past, I
had our man Tom Cruise jump on board and set the tone of us introducing
the autopsy reports. I think this time, man, it's it's you know,
we're we're gonna We're gonna basically, we're gonna go bare bones basic.
We're just gonna ride into it right like. And I think it's only fitting
because we do want to spend a little bit of time on these teams.
This week, we're gonna be talking about the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons.
Typically, seaw when we try to do this in the past, we
try to do a team that's in the Eastern Conference and the team and it's
in the Western Conference. But being that both the Wizards and the Pistons have
been so bad, I mean, I don't know who is trying to do
it the fastest the quickest, but you know, if they did everything they
possibly could to off themselves at the earliest time possible. So I think it's
only fitting that we make time for the Wizards and for the Pistons. So
let's get right into it. Let's start talking about the Washington Wizards. Shop
as we speak, they continue to rack up l's. They've shown some signs
you know that they are obviously a competitive basketball team. But I think with
the moves that they made in the off season, and I guess maybe the
idea in fantasy sounded really promising, but the execution and what the final product
has been reflective of through the course of this year for the Washington Wizards is
one that really leaves you scratching your heads. And they've made their bed with
the roster moves that they've made, and so it's going to be interesting to
see what their plans are going to be once this regular season is said and
done, because I can't imagine they're going to try to roll out the same
version of this Wizard's team that they've imagined. I know that they've done a
little bit of offloading a little bit in the during the trade deadline as well
too, but this team can't come back looking the way that it's presented itself
this season. I don't think there's any true redeeming qualities about this ross tracks
currently constructive. They should not be tied to any single player, and that's
not to be disparaging. I think of Kyle Kuzmo, who's done about as
good as he possibly can, but you know, it was on the trading
block and they ultimately didn't move him at the deadline. The Jordan Poole think
has been a disaster, which we've talked about. I think at length on
the show. The one surprise or positive thing I think for the season has
been Denny Abdiya. He's played well, getting you know, extended minutes.
But even Tyas Jones, who's on an expiring deal this year anyway, So
I think in that regard, they probably did themselves a diservice. We're not
get rid of him, we're not getting rid of but trading him at the
deadline because now they can potentially lose him for nothing as well, and I
think he would have garnered some capital for them, you know, around the
course of the trade deadline. Everybody else going into next year has team options.
Corek Chrispert, Patrick Baldwin, Johnny Davis, like all these guys.
I mean, if you need a fellow the roster, sure you can pick
up those options, because those are mostly more or less rookie scales, so
they're not tend they're not huge, huge contracts. But I don't think any
of them have shown any real signs of long term value for this team.
Maybe you can kind of squange your eyes and see Kispurt. So to me,
they already fired their coach and have a new coach in there, and
that's going to be to figure out if they want to keep Rian Keith there
moving into next season. That's one decision that needs to be made as well
too, should they. I mean, he's actually trending worse than West un
Soil Junior, right, And I don't know what the plan is going to
be there too, But I think the first order of businesses who are we
keeping on the roster first and foremost. Then you have the whole thing that
they might be moving, you know, out of the DC area into I
guess Virginia or whatever the case it be. Like there's a lot of just
stuff surrounding this organization, But first and foremost, who are keepers on this
team? And to me, I don't see anybody. I think you move
Kuzma, You're probably stuck with Jordan Poole at least for another the year to
see you can build up a trade value. But i'd move Kuzma over the
course of the season, and then everybody else. I don't know, brother,
I just kind of shake, shrug my shoulders eye. I mean,
there's a bunch of ways we can go about having this kind of conversation.
But I'll keep it. I'll keep it. I'll try to keep it to
these couple of points as it pertains to the Wizards. First of all,
you know, if you're a Washington Wizards fan, you just just feel some
kind of way knowing that right up the road, you know, Magic Johnson
and his team have taken over the Washington Commanders, which I would think at
some point that name is gonna obviously change you. But maybe Magic Johnson just
hates every every team except the Los Angeles Lakers that he won't touch a basketball
franchise with a ten foot pall. But could you imagine if a a an
ownership group led by Magic Johnson had actually taken over the Washington Wizards team,
right like what that could probably look like. And look, I'm not saying
this to you know, to be dismissive and diss Michael Winger and what he's
been trying to do with the efforts, but you can clearly tell that like
there is a disconnect from what the organization is trying to do and with the
personnel of whom they're bringing in to execute to achieve these things, like they're
so far apart from each other. And I think it just speaks to exactly
what this season has been a reflection of I got a question to ask you
about Shaw and it's pertaining to what you just said earlier about Kyle Kuzma.
What do you think that it says about the Washington Wizards and what they their
overall scheme was what they were plotting to do in being able to you know,
to me, it just didn't feel like the intent was is that they
wanted to build around Kyle Kuzma. I think maybe they wanted to like wish
him to go away or something like that, because to your point, to
me, Kyle Kuzma seems to be like, hey, man, I want
to play for this team. I want to see this team succeed. But
everything about what the Wizards did doesn't depict the confidence level that they had about
Oh. I appreciate that this guy wants to be on board, you know,
because he's seen the good and the bad, and obviously we're still trying
to work things out. We want to make things happen. Well, I
think with Kuzma, it's just about the overall leadership capabilities and at the talent
level. So I'll take you back. This isn't a one from one comparison,
but I think in size and maybe even en role, I think about
Aaron Gordon back in Orlando and just again not the same skill sets here too.
But Aaron Gordon, they were trying to make him a number one option
of make him the guy. Kuzma has a better offensive skill set then than
Aaron Gordon, did I think you know at that time, But at the
same time is miscast as a lead guy for your organization. Kuzma is a
nice number two and probably a great number three. So and then you pair
that alongside whatever the hell has happened with Jordan Poole, and you've never seen
him to be a number one, right, like not even I want to
say true number one. Let's say one B. I'll even like you know
what I'm saying, like you, but you you don't see him being a
complementary one B player if even if if that, Yeah, So I think
it's an interesting question because for me, Kuzma is not somebody who I think
is void of talent. But I think again, I'm going to compare it
to Aaron Gordon Orlando days, and Aaron Gordon was somebody who, yeah,
as a number one, he can only take you so far, maybe even
get to the bottom of the playoffs. But ultimately we're going to have first
round exits, So what are the case to be? And I think with
Jordan Poole being his running mate in case of Kyle Kuzma, that right now
is sitting up for a recipe for disaster. So Kuzma to me is somebody
who makes a lot more sense on another team as a number two, number
three. He can be one of your lead scorers per se. But I
don't think he could be your lead guy. And I know he wants to
be, so I don't want to take that away from him. And I
think guys can grow, But where Washington is right now, he hasn't.
I don't think he's seen enough to be able to lead them out of where
they are and where they're ultimately going to go. I think with the current
roster construction, So to me, that's why I don't think Kuzma should be
a part of this for the long term right now? Can counter I want
to counter your argument real quick on this because I agree with you, and
I think Aaron Gordon was a very good analogy to what I think I was
asking you. But I liken this a little bit too when we take it
when we bringing close to home when the Celtics brought Gordon Hayward from the Utah
Jazz. I never thought Gordon Hayward was a number one guy, but I
thought he was a building block. I thought that having a guy with some
sense of professionalism and knows how to you know, execute score to basketball play
within a particular system, I think was great for Brad Stevens and what needed
to happen as they started to draft the younger talent. And I wonder if
do we think like it's easy when organizations kind of lay out exactly what they're
trying to do here and you can follow along with it. But it always
feels like we're trying to figure it out a whole lot more for the Washington
Wizards than the Wizards actually figuring it out and presenting it to us. And
I'm just wondering that when I think about a guy like Kyle Kuzma, while
he is not particularly a number one guy to elevate, I think if he
is a positive person that can elevate an organization's you know, front facing of
what they're trying to do, it surprises me that they have not leaned more
into doing that. It almost seems like they've been hedging on this and then
everything else is just throwing spaghetti to the wall to see what sticks. My
only and not counterpoint, but I think my point of that too is,
well, how how close you think Washington is to needing a guy like Hale
Kuzma to put him in the role that he probably should be in because he
is twenty eight after you've played all four years or whatever the case may be.
So in general, how close are they to getting that right? And
I think if you are looking at where you are are going to be a
team that doesn't even amassed close to twenty wins this season, then you're probably
significantly far far apart. Even if Jordan Poole were to find himself next year,
what is a max case of capability with this team? And then it
doesn't predict as a terribly strong draft. So I think, again, if
you're looking it's not like we'll talk about the Spurs in another week or so,
but it's not like they have Wemby all right, and you can see
where they're ready to run with that guy in tow and Kuzma can just be
the accelerant to that aspect. If Kuzma's kind of the lead guy, or
you're looking to find or bring in a lead guy from somewhere else and you
don't know where that is. That puts me in a that makes me very
uncomfortable if I'm a Wizards fan. It's all right, I don't want to
I want to make sure I'm not believering the point. It was one other
thing I wanted to ask you real quick before we kind of you know,
provide a proper eulogy for for the Wizards here. But the only reason why
I don't really agree with that is because Victor Winmbanyama has a very sound system,
you know, even with his upside potential. He's got Popovich, He's
got Popovich's you know, tree line of infinite coaching acumen around him. He's
got Tim Duncan, he's got manager. I mean, seriously, what do
the Washington Wizards have West Unseld right, the west Unseld family, like you
know again like it. I'm not saying that your point isn't isn't isn't valid.
It is absolutely valid. But we can honestly say the Washington Wizards have
not done themselves favors, have not done themselves a proper service to the type
of athletes that have come through the ranks. You know, it's not like
they stay in close ties with Antoine Jamison and Gilbert Aarenus and in the likely
and the likelihood of guys that have come through there that have actually been good
players, solid players and probably would be you know, proud alumnus sort of
speak as to say, we used to play for the Washington Wizards. Yeah,
I mean, but I think you're making my point. It's just the
Wizards don't have anything to build around so structurally, team roster wise, as
a teen culture, none of those things make sense. So to even coin
the phrase that you utilize a lot is more bites out the apple. So
to me, Kuzma at least gets you assets potentially to give you more bites
out the apple to get there faster. I think again, at age twenty
eight, twenty nine, whatever it is, he's not going to be like
you bring in some nineteen twenty year old. I just again, you're so
far away from doing anything of any real substance that Kuzma doesn't really serve you
a whole lot of purpose right now than the fact that yeah he gets a
stat pad and yeah he's got to know, three four years left on his
deal. So there's that security if you think if you feel like you're going
to make a move that gets you somewhere closer fast than you keep them.
But to me, I don't see that happening right now. It's a little
bit darker for me in my eyes and where the Wizards currently are and I
just don't know, based on even their ownership, what level of competency they're
going to show in essence to make it go faster than than it currently is.
And to me, again I am harping on it, but this pool
contract is a complete albatross right now. It's just you can't have that there,
have that there, And yes, if you put him in as a
sixth man or where the case b, you can just do a lot of
what you say as well too, like you don't just kind of wallow in
the in the in the misery if you will, like, oh, we
pay this guy, so you have to plan them this minis and he has
to start. They're saying, no, f that you suck or you haven't
been good, you're gonna come out the bench, or you're better suited for
this role. And maybe that will continue going into next year. But there's
a lot of moving parts. I think with Washington and the roster is the
biggest part of their concern and addition to their overall culture and coaching in general
management. My final thoughts about the Washington Wizard is this, They're going to
have to be committed to something right, whether it's player, whether it's organization.
Even if they if you choose to move to an arena, be committed
to that and really start an investing wholeheartedly in what you want people to perceive
or believe as the Washington Wizards need to be do. I think that Kyle
Kusma is a number one guy, Absolutely not, But I think his commitment
to be a part of this organization through the bad which is by many many
parts on the on the own of the Wizards like this, that's that's their
own doing. But to still be committed to that, I think that if
you're the Wizards, if there's one bright spot of that, you really build
from that right Because to me, what you're saying Shaw is is that they
are gonna have to have a wink and a prayer. They're gonna have to
luck themselves possibly to a lottery pick for us to really start believing that somewhere
down the road, this is a well, I'm just saying, like,
win the lottery pick, like, in other words, their position to get
arguably a generational player or the number one player or the guy, because that's
what everyone has painted him to be, not someone that's gonna grow into it,
not someone that says when I come to Washington, I'm gonna do that.
Like it's the idea that he's the unicorn and he was there to save
any bad team that during that year of the draft. And I'm just saying
that that's what it feels like the trend is leading to. If we're ever
to believe that the Washington Wizards is going to elevate themselves out of where they
have basically been over the last few years. Yeah, and I think that
is what it's going to take. And so and by that I'm realtering my
point. I think they need multiple chances in essence to get there. They
lost to Bradley bal deal because the should have traded him two years ago,
so that's you know, didn't turn over to the assets that they would have
proverbly hold for a person of his talent and skill level. And then now
Kuzma is the next best thing. I think that can get you again,
not necessarily multiple first round picks, but more picks potentially, and maybe a
young guy or two or the case he b that that can get you there
faster, and then maybe you cobble that together and another deal. To me,
where they're at right now is really really a destitute. And I'm not
trying to just be all doom in gloom, but you know, other than
blah Colobally, who I think is a nice nineteen year old rookie, there's
not a lot to build off of here too, and so I don't think
the Wizards should be married to anybody in this roster. And as nice as
Kuzma is, you know, I think again he could offer he could offer
more for them as a part of a deal as opposed to being part of
the future. Absolutely your tune to the baseline. Cali warren Shaw discussing the
hot button topics of the NBA and our coveted autopsy report. Just finished discussing
the Washington Wizards. Coming up, we will focus our attention on the Detroit
Pistons, a team that, by all accounts I thought had an opportunity to
show some growth. But this season has been nothing but struggle and hurt for
this basketball team. So we're definitely going to talk about what it's going to
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we are doing our autopsy report and dime now for us to discuss the Detroit
Pistons. Sean Detroit Pistons is a second worst team in the Eastern Conference,
only a game behind a game ahead of excuse me the watchto Wizards, who
we just finished discussing. And I guess, to me, I'm more shocked
when I think about this that you know, when they brought in, you
know, Manti Williams is to coach this basketball team, I probably, maybe
you know, had pie in the sky thinking that, like, Okay,
he's gonna instantly get these guys at least four or five additional wins just from
his coaching alone. And I know the sentiment is that, hey, they
didn't have Kay Cunningham because he was injured multiple times this season and he was
gone for an extended period of time. But I still looked at this team
and I said to myself, there's still something else here and if mine,
Williams is not the person to fix it. And I understand that, you
know, they've moved some pieces, you know, from the trade deadline as
well too, it just feels like this team just genuinely does not know how
to win, and anybody who's coming into this situation has lost themselves into the
disciplines of what showed their success prior to coming to the Detroit Pistons. In
other words, it's not translated to what Detroit Pistons fans are been praying for
to see is a competitively competitive basketball team, which usually translates to success if
you're talking about the Detroit Pistons. I think a lot of people are unhappy
with the job money Willins has done, to be honest, and has it
gotten a little bit better since the beginning of the season, You know,
probably, but I think you know, you can't lose twenty eight games in
a row and I think have any way to salvage you know, what's happened.
There's been some just malpractice people, I think in terms of understanding what
roster and the roster construction would be ultimately at the front office level, and
then him implementing guys at the rotation level on a nine to night, in
game to game basis too. There's just been some really big misses I think
on all sides there this Pistons roster is similar in regards to a record obviously
as Washington Wizards we just spoke about. But I think Kade tracks as somebody
who's more likely to be able to lead the team. I don't know stillp
he's a true true number one guy, but I think because he's younger,
he's gonna have a little bit more runway to kind of figure that out.
Jayleen Duran, I think is a nice big making you know, acceptable strive
to think on the rebounding side, is filing a little bit less here towards
the latter part of the season, and it's learning how to command his position
a little bit better. The caveat to me here is are two is really
is Jaden Ivy and Thompson Aziir Thompson and those two young guys. What roles
will they play in the rotation not only now but more into the future,
And what does the development look like if Cunningham and Durham are kind of like
the lynchpin pieces around this roster. Thompson I think started off really hot and
really well and then got lost in the rotation a little bit, and then
Ivy was out of the rotation and then got put into the rotation and was
playing well. So to me, those are two guys and two pieces that
they still need to figure out exactly who they are and how they compliment I
think Durant and more importantly Kid cunning It's interesting that they have the luxury of
trying to figure out those pieces because it's obvious that neither of those pieces compliment.
You know, Kay Cunningham, I'm gonna I'm gonna go out on a
limb Sewan, I'm gonna say that I believe that Kate Cunningham can be a
number one. Now, whether that's a one, A one B, or
just like a loan number one. I think the jury is still out on
that. But I feel like the space that the Detroit Pistons could possibly be
in, barring that many Williams kind of, you know, does a true
reassessment of where he did not succeed in in in in at least his execution
of changing that culture, of elevating the culture of the Detroit Pistons with the
roster that he that he had. And I know part of it is politics
by you know, having like Alec Berkson, boy you know, Boydanovitch,
which I never felt like we're complimentary guys, you know, to to what
I've seen in Amani Williams type system, but you still make make it work
however you need to. But for me, I really think that they are
structured in a way very similar to what we see with the Houston Rockets,
in the sense that you got a guy now where you have belief that there's
upside, there's potential. Maybe he doesn't have the maturity to compete hard.
So you go out and you get like if you're the Houston Rockets, you
get like a Van Fleet, and you get like a Dylan Brooks. But
you know with Sengoon right what you have. I think the Pistons know what
they have with Kate Cunningham, and I think there's an opportunity for them to
know what they have with Durant, and I think they can figure those things
out with Thompson and with Ivy a lot sooner than later. But man,
it really has to come down to whether or not the head coach is buying
into what he has to work with. And if you're the Pistons, you
can't afford to let the length of his contract determine whether or not you're gonna
see if that all comes to fruition because I think if like you're the Rockets,
right after you got Udoka, you immediately go out and you get free
agent guys that Udoka can work with or that's gonna work with Udoka. I
want to see if whether or not the Pistons have that same kind of mentality
when it comes to Williams, because I think if everything is being predicated on
his contract, I think that that is a recipe for disaster with the talent
that they already have amassed and they need to figure out what they're gonna do
with. It's interesting you to bring up the free agency because there's not a
lot of great free agents coming into this year, so I think it gives
them in some ways some runway to allow the younger guys to continue to develop,
further flesh that out, to see what they what they have. I
don't think there's a big trade for them to swing as of right now yet
either, you know, to add some accelerant to this current roster. So
while I'd rather be the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards because I think the
young guys track better in terms of talent and just have a longer runway to
get to get better in the future. So with all the free agents projected
to probably re sign with their current teams and this year's and this year's free
agent draft class, there's not even like a Dylan Brooks type guy that can
come in and give them that competitive spirit if you will, I mean,
and maybe not say Dylan Brooks is the best example of everything. But the
biggest potential free agent that I can see potentially moving right now is Tobias Harris,
you know, and whether or not he says in Philadelphia, and obviously
he's had a run a Detroit from years past, but I don't know if
you bring him into that into that mix right I can't see him being I
can't see him being a solid fit for the for the Pistons, No,
no, And I think again they got Fon Techio from from Utah and you
know he's They're gonna have to re up on him, and I don't see
why they win it. The main thing here with Detroit is not only the
aspect of fitting around cunning him in terms of style of play, well,
it is style of play because also then if they don't if Cunningham himself doesn't
become a better shooter. Then they need Ivy and Thompson become better shooters.
And that's just to continue to space the flour And that's where Fontechio comes in
here now, because at least he can shoot it from at least at least
League average from three and give give all of those guys some driving kick options
in the short term. But next year for the Pistons is going to be
a rebuild year again, and I think the expectations that we thought Money Williams
was gonna be able to accelerate for them this year, I don't know that
we're gonna see it next year either. But now we can be more realistic,
back realistic about who they are, and then that can set them up
for future success, probably two years of I want to go back to your
point about Thompson. I'm curious, Seaw like, do you really think that
they're gonna allow Thompson to flourish. I say this because I just feel like
over the last ten to fifteen years, the Detroit Pistons have been notorious for
undercutting what they potentially have with some of the assets that they keep. I
harkenhim back to Andre Drummond. I thought it was so egregious that they never
gave that kid the opportunity during his early years to really you know shine,
I felt like he spent more time struggling to prove to them that he was
a capable center and that he could be an asset to the team, and
then when they finally put him out there, it was almost like basically,
oh wow, I didn't realize we had this, and then it was time
to pay up money. They didn't want to pay them up. So,
like, you know, my thing is is that and the Pistons are they're
notorious for this. I don't want to say they're frugal, but they're certainly
cheap on when it comes to trying to get what they can out the talent.
But because they mess around and don't get the talent out on the basketball
court, they undermine the upside of value if they have no intentions of wanting
to keep them. And I just wonder if whether or not we're trending down
another path like that again, when they collect these assets to these players and
we're not seeing any playing time, we're not seeing anything from them, and
part of it is because they're not given enough time or not given enough opportunities
for them to get out there and show what they really have. Well,
I think part of it is not just going to be Thompson, but it's
he's a huge, huge part of this too. But even go back to
what I'm talking about with the shooting, is like, ah, they got
quitting grinds from you work, So does he get an opportunity, you know,
to to flourish here within the next season under the money Williams regime,
if you will, right, Troy Brown Junior still on the roster, but
you know what is what is he really doing? What are they gonna do
with James Wiseman this summer? You know, not necessari from shooting standpoint,
But even again, is he the backup big that you want or do you
want that to continue to be, you know, be stu Isaiah Stewart.
So there's some roster decisions that ultimately need to be made from a contractual level,
But I think even just from a talent level, was all right,
well, who do you really want to build around? What's the style of
play that you want? I think it's clear that they need to some ways
inject shooting on a regular basis. So if Ivy and Thompson can't slot in
as those guys and Fontechio and Grimes become like kind of like your loan shooters
on the on this team, unless again, you swing in free agency for
another guy I think who might be available. Ironically another sixer is Buddy Healed,
and maybe you can bring him into the into the space. But again
that's not it's not getting you into the play in race even you know what
I mean, that's just like, hey, it's it's addressing a pseudo need.
But then does does does a guy like he'll take away from from from
Ivy and and Thompson like Ivy specifically because Kid is basically running around as a
hybrid one two and so is kind of Ivy. So to me, you
know, I think they need more help on the wings specifically when it comes
to shooting. But they have some young talent that they would least at least
like to see what they can get out of it, and maybe even down
the stretcher because obviously we're doing this a month before the season ends. Maybe
they'll get a clear idea of what I didn't Ivy and Thompson can be alongside
Kate and Jalen Duran for the rest of the season. Given your you know,
how you've measured many Williams and his track record, do you see that
he has the chops to work with the components that he currently has. I
guess. In other words, am I saying do you think that this is
a team that has the opportunity to increase their win total come next year or
do you foresee them kind of hanging around that fifteen win window again, you
know, for the for the for the next season, right and and again,
I think this is where we're doing it. It's like, all right,
well, right now, so you asking me right now, I say,
yeah, they're probably still a twelve to seventeen win team, you know,
going into next year. But it depends what they do on the edges
as well too. It didn't mention Marcus Sasser as well to another point guard
who they're going to be looking to try to develop. But I think thoughts
as a as a backup guy, especially when you have Cunningham and Ivy as
there as they're well there's too so to me to the Pistons, they have
a lot more to figure out from the roster side of things, and I
don't know that wins needs to be the ultimate conversation and decision that that that
fuels what they do here. It's like, is the development and the evaluation
of their current roster that's more important than anything else. And Monnie Williams,
I think he's lost some trust in the in the Ayah and the court of
public perception as they say, for what he is and what we thought he
was. And so next year is that I think if he and the management
go in and say, listen, we know we're not a thirty win team,
we're not even a twenty five win team or whatever it is. But
what can we extrapolate from these guys and what is the rotation? How many
minutes is this guy gonna play? How many minutes is this guy gonna play?
To develop them and see where they are. That's the plan I think
the Pistons need to implore to really get a better understanding of their future and
their present. I mean, all excellent points. I agree with you.
I find it interesting, Seaw because the other thing that I was gonna ask
you, and I think maybe you've already answered it, is how much of
this is gonna be roster improvement or how much of it is going to be
you know what the current roster improves upon to determine you know that quote unquote
twelve to seventeen win window. You know, like sometimes it's usually predicated on
the fact that these guys need to take a leap, They just need to
take a step forward. They just need to be better basketball players, and
maybe based on the way that they compete, they win some of those games
that they typically will lose. I think what just stands out is just how
these how the Pistons have lost some of the ugliest laws this year have been
you know, at the at the feet of Manti Williams and the Pistons,
right, And I think that to me, I think is where it's more
concerning, Like you usually have something to go for if they're competitive, and
they just don't know how to win basketball games. But they've they've been had,
they've had the breaks beaten off of them so many different times, and
some of the games in and of itself has not been really competitive basketball games,
which I think speaks more to either they're just not feeling the coach or
they don't understand what the coach is asking of them that they know how to
actually execute it on the basketball court. Am I often that assessment of that
though, or now I think that's that's that's spot on, and you know,
before we even close on on them, they're think there's something that's going
to be important to remember or to bring up, at least in terms of
notes right now. If they only have eighty two million dollars in committed salary
going into next year, so we know the NBA change the rules where you
have to have the minimum salary going into the season. You can't wait until
the trade deadline to get there. So what do the Pistons do now with
some of their free agent guys knowing that maybe the twenty five to twenty six
draft class, free agent class, draft and free agent class might be better
and more than more lucrative than we're seeing this year. So I wouldn't go
out and sign Wiseman to some sort of max deal now, right? I
think I don't think they're going to do that, right, but I want
to be paying him twenty even twenty million dollars a season for the next three
seasons. I think you do what you need to do to cobble the pots
together that gives you the flexibility to move forward. I think even after next
season. So even if you bring in a free agent, let's say they
bring in Buddy Heal or whatever, I make that a two year deal team
option, and you know, in that second year. Those types of things
that allow you to play within the salary constraints of the collective bargaining agreement currently.
But you can't lock yourself into I think middle level talent, especially when
you have Kate and you're trying to build on that. So maybe you strike
gold, and maybe you don't, but I think you don't try it and
say, hey, we're going to give somebody four and five years, because
there's nobody out there right now that I think tracks in that way that will
help the Pistons long term. All right, man, well said, Well
said, as a field man, putting that white coat back on for yourself,
even though you know it's world. Just like we don't technically have whitecues,
we should. I think I think, you know, next time,
we're gonna definitely get ourselves some legitimate white coats. I think we've been doing
this long enough now that we respectful. I mean, and now we're on
YouTube, so I think it does make some sense. You know, maybe
we go on Amazon, you know, find some lab coats, go to
Dollar Try or to the party city, you know, pretend like you'regresting or
for Halloween and soil the coats on or the case may be as well,
and zip these bodies up. All I ask is that you know when you
drop the lower third the next time around, that we start executing the uh
autopsies. Man, you know, my name is doctor Kilpatient. Okay,
that's all That's all I ask. We got nothing nothing else. I just
want that you know what I'm saying. Uh, Anyway, great show this
week, Shaw, good stuff about the Wizards and the Pistons and and listen,
we're all for wanting these teams to be a part of the conversation a
heck of a lot longer through the course of the regular season than this early,
you know, being exited out just simply because they're just either not competitive
or you know, organizations or ownerships just not doing what it needs to do.
So you know, hopefully what we take from this is that, you
know, we're hoping that these to these these two teams, you know,
kind of close that gap by the time that we start having these conversations about
what the expectations will be for them for the you know, for next season.
You know, right now, they're they're definitely still not in that conversation
of even being playing worthy. But let's hopefully that they take steps or strides,
you know, to giving us something positive to speak of. And I'm
sure that the fans in their respective markets are feeling the same way about that
as well too. Yeah, that fan point is so is so important because
I think these are still somewhat proud franchises, if you will. Obviously,
Washington hasn't had a fifty win season or whatever and forever. Yeah, I
mean, the Pistons haven't seen real glory since you know, the Chauncey Billups,
Rashid Wallace days, you know, and in that regard, and it's
tough. And I think I heard a sad another show with the Pistons,
and I was like, that sounds that's just insane. The Pistons haven't had
a top fifteen offense in like literally like the last fifteen years, so or
they finished in the top fifteen once and not not one or two, but
just top fifteen. So they've been in the bottom half of the league offensively
for the last you know, x amount of years, which is really really
tough, especially in today's games, and that's to score the basketball. Even
you know, the NBA has been coddling the efforts for teams to have No,
it's only going to get worse for them, you know if you're listening
to the league reports now that they're focusing on defense and et cetera, et
cetera. So I don't know how that's going to improve, especially what their
currents are happy about that. That's right, come on down to our level.
Damn it. Yeah, games in the eighties, but these again,
two proud franchises that we both want to see better for. And I think
you know, there's an opportunity, but they are going to have to build
and build smartly and not just They just can't make too many more mistakes that
they have, I think, as we've seen here in the last couple of
year. Absolutely. Once again, man, we appreciate everybody for hopping on
board with us this week for the baseline. Cali warren Shaw, we appreciate
you guys. Let us know what you think about where the Pistons and where
the Wizards are. You know, feel free to drop some thoughts and comments.
Man. We would love to hear from you once again. Cali Warrenshaw
baseline. We appreciate you, guys, you know we do. We'll catch
up with you next time.