1 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:20,879 What is krack Alakin Fellows thermonuclear A Efforts. I am Dan Valley, joined 2 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:26,399 by my certified fantabulus co host, mister Grant Hughes, and also joined by 3 00:00:26,839 --> 00:00:33,119 the equally certifiably fantabulous that is a mouthful. Keith Parish the host of the 4 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:38,759 Fast Break Breakfast podcast, the Hardwood Knox favorite. He also hosts the Gritzing 5 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:44,920 Grinds podcast a Grizzlies podcast. Follow him on Twitter at fast Break break That's 6 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,960 at fs F A s T excuse me, b r e K b r 7 00:00:49,079 --> 00:00:54,240 e k, and then follow the Gritzing Grinds podcast at Grizzlies Pod spelled exactly 8 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,920 as it sounds. The link to both of those podcasts will be in our 9 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,280 YouTube and own podcast to script and so got subscribe. Keith, welcome back, 10 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,519 Thank you for coming back. Everyone knows we're gonna be talking about the 11 00:01:06,519 --> 00:01:08,079 Grizzly at this point, but first we have to ask how the heck are 12 00:01:08,079 --> 00:01:12,319 you do it? I'm doing great. I appreciate being described as a mouthful. 13 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:18,079 It's one of my favorite favorite personal adjectives. So I'm happy to be 14 00:01:18,159 --> 00:01:22,040 here. Grant, how are we care about how you're doing? Too? 15 00:01:22,079 --> 00:01:23,959 How are you doing. No, No, nobody cares. We have Keith 16 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,560 Parrish and we have Keith Parrish's cat. It's of secondary importance, which I 17 00:01:26,599 --> 00:01:32,719 hope my cat is right now nipping under the heel of me, just running 18 00:01:32,799 --> 00:01:37,040 under this table. It's a continual like, it's a challenge. It's become 19 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:38,840 an obstacle. It's a new cat. We've had her for a couple of 20 00:01:38,879 --> 00:01:42,840 weeks and she is very excited and things she loves. She loves podcasting, 21 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:49,480 she loves microphones, she loves little ring lights, she loves wires. She 22 00:01:49,799 --> 00:01:55,680 like it is non stop. As if podcasting isn't enough of a challenge on 23 00:01:55,719 --> 00:01:57,799 its own, now I have like I've raised the difficulty level and it's a 24 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,040 it's a fun challenge. Imagine the disappointment of this cat had had been brought 25 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,400 to a house that did not have all these things. You know. I 26 00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:09,919 feel like this cat is adaptable enough where it would have found its own passion 27 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,680 wherever it ended up. Yeah, good cat. How old is this cat? 28 00:02:15,719 --> 00:02:19,919 Uh indeterminate, Let's say five months. We it was a foster situation 29 00:02:20,039 --> 00:02:23,000 where a friend of ours was fostering it, and then we took it in 30 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,520 and so it's it's I'm no animal expert. I believe they told us it's 31 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,759 maybe five or six months old. It's pretty tiny, it's very adorable, 32 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:39,199 it's very loving. It just gets filled with a rage induced jealousy whenever she 33 00:02:39,439 --> 00:02:44,479 is not the center of attention, of attention, and thus lashes out with 34 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:46,120 the hey, what happens if I chew on that wire as hard as I 35 00:02:46,159 --> 00:02:51,400 can? I get the same way when talks about his children and not me 36 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,439 enough, ye going to say all the things you're describing sound like children to 37 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:59,360 me, The like no, no, see, here's the thing. Do 38 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,400 you have children? But great? Do you have children? I? Okay, 39 00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:07,479 So I don't know if you've tried this. If I ignore my children, 40 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,479 they get the hint and they eventually after I don't know. It might 41 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,639 take you years. For me, it only take a few months. They're 42 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,080 like, oh, this guy's not gonna play with us. We'll go to 43 00:03:17,159 --> 00:03:21,000 our own thing. Okay, so you can maybe give that a go. 44 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:23,520 I don't think that's gonna work on this cat. I do a lot of 45 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,039 scowling that which is still attention. So I should probably yeah, no, 46 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,439 no, no, that's exactly what they want. Yeah, Yeah, they're 47 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,520 they're just looking for a reaction. The worst thing slash best thing you can 48 00:03:32,599 --> 00:03:37,080 do. Give them nothing, no response, and then they tire of it 49 00:03:37,199 --> 00:03:40,639 and then they go to something else. I'm gonna I'm denoting all of this 50 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,759 for tips if I ever have children. Well, it's similar to when you're 51 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:51,280 on social media and you say you see a particularly egregious post, the best 52 00:03:51,319 --> 00:03:55,039 thing you can do is nothing. That's right, I understand. Like everyone's 53 00:03:55,120 --> 00:04:00,159 like, oh, guys, the Athletic posted that the Anthony Edwards is too 54 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,759 big of a fish for the pond of Minnesota. What's wrong with journalism? 55 00:04:04,879 --> 00:04:09,840 Look at this and it's just like, good job that was their most interacted 56 00:04:09,919 --> 00:04:15,519 with tweet of the past twelve months. Like you taught them by quote tweeting 57 00:04:15,639 --> 00:04:20,680 dunking on this thing. Like no, we're in a rage based click economy, 58 00:04:21,319 --> 00:04:25,480 and it's like it's like, guys, I don't know what the numbers 59 00:04:25,519 --> 00:04:28,480 were, but I'm guessing, like, hey, eighty million people saw this 60 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,959 tweet or something so like same with maybe a few. I joke with the 61 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:38,079 kids. Don't ignore your children, but the best thing you can do sometimes 62 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,160 just give no reaction and then they move on like I tell my I tell 63 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,920 my oldest when his young when the younger sister's picking on him, I'm like, 64 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:48,600 if you don't react, she will stop doing it. They're just you're 65 00:04:48,639 --> 00:04:55,240 just going for the reaction. If we all is a society stopped retweeting the 66 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:59,399 terrible tweets, they would go away because there'd be no points. But of 67 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,199 course society is lost. What do you want to talk about now? Do 68 00:05:01,319 --> 00:05:04,879 we need to talk about the grizzlies or can we just continue really solving all 69 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,360 the problems? Right? Well, like if you if you listen to my 70 00:05:08,399 --> 00:05:12,680 show Fast Break Breakfast, Yes we talk about the NBA, and that's I 71 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,720 think the majority of what we talk about, but we also we just talk 72 00:05:15,759 --> 00:05:18,319 about the world. We solve the world's problems. We point out the things 73 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:24,680 that are obviously wrong, and we provide no helpful solutions to correct them. 74 00:05:26,399 --> 00:05:30,040 And speaking of rage bait, now give us your ten best John Morant trades. 75 00:05:31,319 --> 00:05:33,959 So obviously, if we could get all right, I've been saying, 76 00:05:33,959 --> 00:05:40,279 if we could get these five guys, I would know I wanted to start 77 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,160 with I was actually gonna start with the Marcus mart trade, but I know 78 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:48,920 you had some pretty strong thoughts about the John Morant suspension being docked twenty five 79 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,800 games for I believe it was contract detrimental to the league. I know you've 80 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,439 talked about it after it came out. You also kind of talked about it 81 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:00,279 when there's been other things that happened with other players and any like. I 82 00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:03,040 can't remember was the Spurs was a DeVante Graham got a d wee or something 83 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:09,160 was suspended two games? Where do you just land on what the disciplinary action 84 00:06:09,399 --> 00:06:12,600 was here for John Morant? I mean, I don't know if I had 85 00:06:12,639 --> 00:06:17,079 a strong reaction to the John Morant suspension because it was My strongest reaction was 86 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:23,920 like I thought John Morant's behavior was just like indefensible, and like it followed 87 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,800 on it fell into the what in the world are you doing? Category? 88 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:32,199 Like you know, so like the when we talked suspensions, it's always awkward, 89 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,160 I guess to kind of like just try to adjudicate like what behavior deserves 90 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:41,279 what suspensions And of course when it comes to sports leagues, there some of 91 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,480 it is covered by the collective bargaining agreement. Some of it there's like this 92 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,360 weird leeway where Adam Silver can determine conduct detrimental to the league. And so 93 00:06:47,439 --> 00:06:54,759 I think my initial reaction the nightclub gun video in Colorado last year, you're 94 00:06:54,759 --> 00:06:56,560 like, all right, this is a problem. And then there's just this 95 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:01,920 like there's this groundswell of other events and there were there was the interaction with 96 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:08,279 jamarant and his friends and his associates with the Pacers team bus. There was 97 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:11,519 allegations of like a laser pointer, like nothing was ever proved. There were 98 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,920 these other things that were on TMZ, the Washington Post about like these fights 99 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,000 after basketball games whatever, like it was all this different stuff and so that 100 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,079 like had been growing for a while, and then when you had the Colorado 101 00:07:21,199 --> 00:07:25,120 video, like there were a lot of concerning elements to that, like yes, 102 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,160 you have a gun at a nightclub, which you shouldn't have that like 103 00:07:27,199 --> 00:07:29,639 how did the gun get there? Then it became the whole was it on 104 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,319 the team plane? And that's a whole new thing because of you know, 105 00:07:32,759 --> 00:07:39,560 previous NBA history of the Gilbert Arenas problem and the Jabbar's cridin so like all 106 00:07:39,639 --> 00:07:42,439 that to say, just to retread where we were, like the eight game 107 00:07:42,519 --> 00:07:45,079 suspension back then, you're like, okay, fine, but also it was 108 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,319 those it's like what else are you gonna do? Because like there has to 109 00:07:49,399 --> 00:07:54,800 be normally these precedents for what a suspension can be. And as much as 110 00:07:54,839 --> 00:07:58,040 like everyone agreed, like no one was defending Jamrans right, I mean maybe 111 00:07:58,079 --> 00:08:01,079 some people were like I wasn't defending jam rants right to have just a random 112 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:07,680 gun at a drinking establishment like that felt that felt to me. If I'm 113 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,319 on my moral high horse, I'm like, that feels wrong, but like 114 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,279 there's laws and he wasn't charging anything. So anyways, when Adam Silver did 115 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,720 the whole all right, you're suspending for eight games and he missed a couple 116 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:18,600 more and like think Chriss's you know, had him go away. And then 117 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,199 there was like the weird PR spin and I don't know how much of that 118 00:08:22,519 --> 00:08:26,959 was literally PR. There was the awkward ESPN interview where I'm more of a 119 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:31,120 cynic just with everything, and I'm like, this is this does not feel 120 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:35,120 like an honest interaction between two people. And so there was last year's thing 121 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:37,000 and you're like, all right, whatever, eight games, that's that's fine, 122 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:41,759 or ten games, and like, am I skeptical of the steps taken? 123 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,919 I am? But that's who I am as a person, But I'm 124 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,039 obviously I think with most people who aren't monsters, we're just wishing for the 125 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,799 best. We want John Reren to take care of himself, you know, 126 00:08:48,919 --> 00:08:52,759 if he's really dealing with all the things he says he is. By all 127 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,720 means, we hope he can find helpful ways to deal with the stress of 128 00:08:56,799 --> 00:09:01,840 being a professional athlete, of being this like high profile star. And then 129 00:09:01,919 --> 00:09:05,120 we want him to stop handling guns on social media because that's just your responsible 130 00:09:05,159 --> 00:09:11,840 period, Like I am so anyway, well, fast forward to the new 131 00:09:11,919 --> 00:09:16,799 thing and my take on the twenty five games suspension for him flashing another gun 132 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:22,480 on Instagram. My opinion was, I consider that it's indefensible that he would 133 00:09:22,519 --> 00:09:28,000 do that, but also it feels like this punishment is based on the fact 134 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,240 that he's seemingly like offended Adam Silver or like he told he told the league, 135 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,159 I got it, I got it. No more guns on Instagram. 136 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,960 I got it, all right, let's say no more And then he does 137 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,840 it again, and they're like, what in the world, And like, 138 00:09:41,799 --> 00:09:45,799 I understood him getting suspended, and I thought, you have to increase the 139 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,240 suspension. I thought it would be like ten games or whatever. When it 140 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,039 came out with twenty five, Like I wasn't shocked or surprised, but like, 141 00:09:52,639 --> 00:09:56,639 I guess what you're maybe you're referring to Dan. My strong take was 142 00:09:58,039 --> 00:10:05,360 this is going to feel weird whenever someone does something that's like actually illegal or 143 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,000 wrong. And so this is where it goes to, like how do you 144 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:15,960 compare different behavior? You mentioned DeVante Graham, Like on the day before we're 145 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:22,120 recording this, h Kevin Porter Junior gets arrested for what sounds like, I 146 00:10:22,159 --> 00:10:24,600 mean, I guess, I don't want to I guess rank domestic violence, 147 00:10:24,639 --> 00:10:30,759 but particularly heinous domestic violence. And it's like, there's no there's no history 148 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,279 going back to gun stuff. There's no big history of the NBA suspending guys 149 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:37,679 for these massive amounts of games, like the Gilbert Arenas suspension, whatever it 150 00:10:37,759 --> 00:10:41,120 was. If it's like a half a season. He had a gun in 151 00:10:41,159 --> 00:10:43,960 the locker room and pulled it on some boy, like they pointed guns at 152 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:48,000 each other like that, And it's like the difference between that and like holding 153 00:10:48,039 --> 00:10:50,159 a legal gun now be getting the semantics and it's not fun to talk about 154 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,879 of like because again like we you me, we which want to talk about 155 00:10:52,919 --> 00:10:58,480 basketball, and like my my views on guns are probably radical compared to maybe 156 00:10:58,519 --> 00:11:01,679 normal people, and especially compared to like guns rights advocates. I'm just like, 157 00:11:01,919 --> 00:11:07,000 let's get ready guns, Like what in the world. But so like 158 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:09,200 what jod did, I thought, it's twenty five games suspension, is like 159 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:15,200 that feels extreme to me. But of course he didn't appeal. The Grizzlies 160 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,080 seemed all on board with it. I mean trying to read between the lines 161 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,320 of like the way they dealt with a lot of the stuff that happened around 162 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,639 John Morant. It felt like the organization was frustrated. And I don't have 163 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,360 any personal knowledge if anyone in the organization was actually frustrated, but it's like 164 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,320 they were like when that Instagram the second Instagram video dropped, they were like, 165 00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:33,440 yeah, he's suspended. It was just like it was within hours, 166 00:11:33,799 --> 00:11:37,759 like they didn't wait for the league to do anything, and so like they 167 00:11:37,919 --> 00:11:39,879 and then when the twenty five games was announced, they're like, yeah, 168 00:11:39,879 --> 00:11:43,399 it works for us, Like they put out a team statement basically saying that 169 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,480 works for us. So I think my strong opinion was like I feel like 170 00:11:48,799 --> 00:11:54,200 when we do the really uncomfortable thing of comparing various crimes and non crimes like 171 00:11:54,519 --> 00:11:58,200 are waving a gun irresponsibly or handling a gun irresponsibly even though it's legal to 172 00:11:58,279 --> 00:12:03,559 have guns in cars in most states in the South. Like, it's like, 173 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,519 like, he didn't break a law, and then when you compare it 174 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,720 to actual law breaking, it becomes like, well, what are we gonna 175 00:12:09,759 --> 00:12:11,879 do now if we set this this precedent of like twenty five games for this 176 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,440 and again maybe this right, I don't know. I'm talking about when it 177 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:20,159 comes to like legal matters that is covered in the CBA, doing things that 178 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:26,159 the commissioner finds unsavory, there's there's more leeway, and especially then the gun 179 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:31,919 issue, there's even more leeway. Simula. Yeah, that I just you're 180 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,559 making me re hash all of the stuff that I thought. I think we're 181 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:39,240 very much aligned. That it did feel like it's I and I had to 182 00:12:39,279 --> 00:12:43,519 tread very carefully, much like when you're trying to parse the significance of domestic 183 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:48,559 violence or various rule breakings of legal and non legal issues with the NBA. 184 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,399 I talked about it in like a parenting context, and it seemed like Adam 185 00:12:52,399 --> 00:12:56,720 Silver is the parent here and he's sort of the first time through said is 186 00:12:56,799 --> 00:13:01,679 everyone clear on the expectations? Now do we all see that you cannot do 187 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:03,320 this thing? It doesn't even matter what the thing is. We get it. 188 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,799 Yes, yes, absolutely got it. Won't do that. And then 189 00:13:05,879 --> 00:13:09,519 the thing happens again, and it's just like, well, now what we 190 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,200 have to escalate? And that I totally agree. I think you're dead on 191 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,720 that. It felt like it was just the defiance of a clearly laid out 192 00:13:16,799 --> 00:13:20,159 expectation. It almost doesn't. I mean it, guns in the NBA have 193 00:13:20,279 --> 00:13:22,960 something of a history and there are serious punishments for that sort of thing. 194 00:13:22,039 --> 00:13:24,559 But I totally agree with you. I think that's really what it was. 195 00:13:24,799 --> 00:13:28,960 Is that's how you get from eight to twenty five is we all understood what 196 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,120 the expectations were, and then do you just get you broke the exact rule 197 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,639 we laid out and talked about and made clear. Also, and I don't 198 00:13:37,639 --> 00:13:43,240 know if this is right or wrong, like, but this suspension is heavier 199 00:13:43,159 --> 00:13:50,879 because John Morant is a marquee name. Like if John conchar had done this, 200 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,480 like John Conchart does not get suspended twenty five games by the NBA. 201 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,519 And I don't think anyone clamors for John Contrarty to get suspitted. I'm not 202 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,360 even trying to pick, like I mean, maybe that's a weird because you 203 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:07,399 feel like the maybe just societally we look at like, oh, white guy 204 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,720 with gun, that's a hunting tradition, and there's like all these terrible stereotypes 205 00:14:09,759 --> 00:14:13,840 of that, Like I mean, like just if it's like if Taias Jones 206 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:18,960 had been caught with like guns twice. I don't think he's getting suspended a 207 00:14:18,039 --> 00:14:22,399 total now of thirty three games for these two things because there was something about 208 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,200 And again I don't know if that's right or wrong, because the league has 209 00:14:26,279 --> 00:14:31,600 literally made a financial investment in promoting Jah Moran. They put him on national 210 00:14:31,679 --> 00:14:33,440 TV aton last year, he was on Christmas Day. He's one of the 211 00:14:33,519 --> 00:14:39,360 bright young stars that they are promoting, and it is detrimental to the league 212 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,000 when he gets suspended when he I mean, I don't know exactly like how 213 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,440 it affects the NBA, like their bottom line, their ability to make money. 214 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:52,840 But I would assume Jah Morant making these negative headlines they consider that to 215 00:14:52,879 --> 00:14:54,600 be bad to their bottom line. So that part of it also makes me 216 00:14:54,679 --> 00:14:58,480 feel weird as a very partisan biased Grizzlies fan where I'm like, like, 217 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,559 it's like it's like if you do the parenting analogy, it's like if you 218 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:09,039 like tell your kid, we had very clear expectations and you broke them, 219 00:15:09,519 --> 00:15:13,399 and then the kid you're talking to is like, my sister is playing with 220 00:15:13,519 --> 00:15:18,279 the gun in the street. You're like, yeah, but what do you 221 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,399 expect from her? Like you, we actually have expectations for you. That 222 00:15:20,559 --> 00:15:24,320 kid, we can't. We can't control that kid. So it's weird. 223 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,600 There's there is a double standard, and there can be double standards, Like 224 00:15:26,639 --> 00:15:31,000 we don't have to pretend that everyone gets treated equally in the NBA. James 225 00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:33,440 Harden doesn't have to come to every practice if he doesn't want to quietly play 226 00:15:33,639 --> 00:15:37,879 every half of basketway, he doesn't want to like pretending everyone has to get 227 00:15:37,919 --> 00:15:41,879 treated the same in professional sports. We don't have to do that. But 228 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,919 like, it just adds more of this stuff. When you're thinking about John 229 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,679 Morant, we're like, this is strange. Well, I think most of 230 00:15:46,759 --> 00:15:50,320 us like which words to be over. We want to fast forward to the 231 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,720 end season tournament just finished, and now John Morant's coming back and hopefully he 232 00:15:54,799 --> 00:15:58,200 doesn't do anything dumb on social media again because it's not fun to talk about. 233 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:03,200 And I don't pretend I have all the answers, like what is correct 234 00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:04,840 here, what the league should be doing, what job Morants people should be 235 00:16:04,919 --> 00:16:08,200 doing? I mean, first and foremost you got to say it, I 236 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,600 guess in sports podcasting, first and foremost was want John Morant, like to 237 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,879 take care of himself, take care of his family, take care of his 238 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,480 career, take care of his financial situation, Like he's lost a ton of 239 00:16:17,519 --> 00:16:22,480 money, Like this has cost him a massive in calculate it is calculable, 240 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,240 it's like forty million dollars, and like just stuff he's lost from this, 241 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,559 like the loss of the supermac's contract extension, Like there's all this stuff that 242 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,519 like he's lost because of it. We just want John Rant to be safe 243 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,120 and healthy and everyone around the NBA and their families to be healthy. And 244 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,759 then like once that's taken care of, okay, then we can complain about 245 00:16:40,799 --> 00:16:44,000 like wait, it was twenty five, really did we didn't really need to 246 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,360 be that much? And then again, like what's next, Like what happens 247 00:16:47,399 --> 00:16:52,519 when the next player like Stephen Jackson back in the day got arrested for firing 248 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:56,159 a gun outside of his strip club and like he was guilty, Like it 249 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,759 went to court and he I think he got eight games. And so so 250 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,159 it's like comparing it to old things in the past doesn't work. This is 251 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,720 a new precedent, and now it's going to be like what happens if something 252 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:11,359 worse or weirder, if that doesn't specifically fall under like the already established legal 253 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,079 guidelines, such maybe like domestic violence are getting arrested that falls under. It 254 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:21,359 just all becomes uncomfortable conversations. There is no natural segue to the basketball. 255 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,920 Ask let's just talk about me to do it? Dan, I got one. 256 00:17:25,079 --> 00:17:27,599 Yeah, I've been thinking of it. So we will move forward. 257 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:32,279 But there are those twenty five games that John Rant will not be participating in 258 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,680 to start the season, and we also you Keith, you mentioned Tyas Jones 259 00:17:34,759 --> 00:17:38,720 also not there. Marcus Smart is the guy is on board now and will 260 00:17:38,759 --> 00:17:42,759 be very much tasked with filling that void. It seems to me like he's 261 00:17:42,799 --> 00:17:48,000 kind of replacing two people. Maybe you can speak to just the Marcus Smart 262 00:17:48,039 --> 00:17:51,720 trade in general, what you think he means for this team? Are they 263 00:17:51,759 --> 00:17:53,759 asking too much of him? Just give me, give me, give us 264 00:17:53,839 --> 00:17:59,240 your your take on the Smart acquisition and sort of what will be asked of 265 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:03,720 him for these twenty five games and beyond. So I think a lot is 266 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:08,960 being asked of him. I think you correctly state. And I've been putting 267 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,359 this out on my shows where it's like, all right, he's he's the 268 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,880 Tias Jones replacement. He's the extra ballhandler, and he's also the Dylan Brooks 269 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,839 replacement. And when John Morant suspended, Wait a minute, all right, 270 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,000 he's now he's the John Morant, Tias Jones, and Dylan Right. Like 271 00:18:23,079 --> 00:18:29,039 that's a that's a lot for a guy who only plays about seventy five percent 272 00:18:29,079 --> 00:18:32,440 of his games, you know. Like he's also kind of like the oh 273 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:37,319 we always wanted this wing type player. Yeah, he's filling that void that 274 00:18:37,519 --> 00:18:41,640 already existed, in addition to the ones that were created by departures the John 275 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,640 Morands mentioned and the trade itself. Yeah, so, like I do worry 276 00:18:45,839 --> 00:18:52,200 like if he has to be primary initiator on offense and also guard the best 277 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:56,119 not like guard, and he's probably better guarding wings than than like you know, 278 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:00,359 your deer and foxes. Now anyways, but like it does feel like 279 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:06,559 we're asking a lot of him in a broad sense, though I do like 280 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:08,279 the exposition of Marcus Smart. Once John mart comes back, I think the 281 00:19:08,319 --> 00:19:14,640 exquisition of Marcus Smart over Dylan Brooks it's gonna be I think a big win. 282 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,720 I think just having another ball handler and another passer and a guy who 283 00:19:18,759 --> 00:19:23,720 can play alongside Jaw without I think a defensive drop off actually with the defensive 284 00:19:23,799 --> 00:19:27,680 boost, Like, I think one problem that everyone knows the Grizzlies have has 285 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:33,359 been half court scoring. And I do not think it like necessarily adding Marcus 286 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,799 Smart helps with the half court that much, but I do think it gives 287 00:19:36,839 --> 00:19:40,000 you another look you can have, and I think he can be more effective 288 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,920 than Dylan Brooks was in those situations. And like with Tias Jones, they 289 00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:47,880 likes playing ti Us and Jaw together, it seemed like, but I really 290 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:48,799 disliked it, Like I kind of hated it. I was like, we 291 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,720 can't, we can't guard any any like backcourt players. Won't we do this? 292 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,160 Two years ago they had some really good net ratings when ti Us and 293 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,079 Job played together, but every other year when they played together, they just 294 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,599 got destroyed on defense. And it's like I don't care, Like if you 295 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,440 post a one twenty offensive rating, that's great, but like we're giving up 296 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,200 one thirty and it's like that just we're losing every time, and it doesn't 297 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,720 take like a you know, you know, stats and numbers lie, but 298 00:20:14,839 --> 00:20:17,839 it's like, well that matches my eye test. We can't contest any three 299 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,559 pointers because everyone on our perimeter is like six foot two or something. And 300 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,000 so I think the extraction of Marcus Smart should help the team a lot. 301 00:20:26,039 --> 00:20:32,000 When fully healthy, you get someone who can replicate I think Dylan's defense with 302 00:20:32,039 --> 00:20:34,920 strengths. But I think one thing Dylan was really bad at is like actual 303 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:37,960 maybe like you think of him as like a nitty gritty player, but he's 304 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:42,480 actually really bad at like rebounds, chasing down loose balls. Like he's good 305 00:20:42,599 --> 00:20:47,519 at navigating screens, he's good at one on one defense, but like you 306 00:20:47,599 --> 00:20:51,400 know, he's bad at offense. And then he's bad at actually rebounding too. 307 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:52,880 And we saw a lot of what Steven Adams went out. This team 308 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,559 went from the elite rebounding team to hey, they're actually bad at rebounding, 309 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,960 and a lot of people saw it watching the Feeble World Cup you're like, 310 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,119 oh, Jaren is not a good rebounder, and I don't know why. 311 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:08,240 Steve Kerr and the TMSA was like, what if we surrounded a one bad, 312 00:21:08,319 --> 00:21:11,279 big rebounder with a bunch of guards who are also not good at rebounding. 313 00:21:11,839 --> 00:21:15,440 What if we just blame that all on Jaron for not getting rebounds. 314 00:21:15,559 --> 00:21:19,240 But I digress Marcus Smart, like he's a pretty he's pretty solid. He 315 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,599 was a rebounder, but he's like the hustle guy, and he's like the 316 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,640 deflections, the steals, the blocks, And I do think the Grizzess Devens 317 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:27,839 is gonna be great. I think it actually could be better than it was 318 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:33,079 even with Dylan Brooks, with Marcus Smart in the fold before. Though to 319 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,000 like go back to the suspension part, it might be a little bit rocky 320 00:21:36,079 --> 00:21:40,880 because you are asking Marcus Smart to do quite a bit with the with the 321 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,880 loss of Tias Jones, Dylan Brooks and also, oh, by the way, 322 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:48,279 John Rant, was this like the guy that you would have been smart 323 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:53,480 that you would have wanted them to consolidate some of their assets into or do 324 00:21:53,559 --> 00:21:57,720 you think that this might have been more influenced by oh the job Rant suspension, 325 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:02,680 like now we kind of need to this other sort of box rather than 326 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:04,559 just going to get not a Brookshire placement or just someone on the wing who 327 00:22:04,599 --> 00:22:07,880 can play with both Bane and Jaw at the same time. Like with Smart, 328 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,960 if you would have maybe not someone who identified I don't think a lot 329 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:15,240 of people thought he was available until the actual trade went through. Would he 330 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:18,599 have been someone that you would have wanted on the Grizzlies radar if they were 331 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:23,559 looking to make that consolidation trade. Okay, So to answer, I'm gonna 332 00:22:23,559 --> 00:22:27,599 answer part of the question, like, was was the ja Morant suspension like 333 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,880 to that way in their decision to target and pursue Marcus Smart, I would 334 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:37,440 say absolutely not, just under the very simple like you would not trade Tias 335 00:22:37,519 --> 00:22:41,720 Jones if you were considering the jah Morant suspension, like you just flat out 336 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,680 wouldn't do it. Like that doesn't make it, That doesn't make any sense. 337 00:22:44,759 --> 00:22:48,240 And so I think, no, I don't think this the suspension weighed 338 00:22:48,519 --> 00:22:52,759 in at all. Like maybe they said we had to get literallyast somebody who 339 00:22:52,799 --> 00:22:56,039 can dribble a basketball, but I don't think that had any factor. I 340 00:22:56,119 --> 00:23:00,640 think they got Marcus Smart for how Marcus Smart fits when John It is back 341 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:06,000 and they're focusing on the playoffs. They've had a ton of regular season success 342 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,359 the past two years, and I think they knew two years ago. They 343 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,640 were like, all right, I don't totally trust our fifty six wins. 344 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,799 We're maybe not totally built for the playoffs. And like they made some theoretical 345 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,599 moves like these are better archetypes of players for the playoffs. I thought they 346 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:25,599 were horrible moves because you're like, yeah, Jake la Rabia in theory is 347 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,599 maybe like a postseason player, but like he's an unproven rookie, and so 348 00:23:29,759 --> 00:23:33,839 like they got a bunch of rookies last summer, and so I think Marcus 349 00:23:33,839 --> 00:23:37,640 Smart continues the idea of like, this is a postseason guy we can depend 350 00:23:37,759 --> 00:23:42,519 on. This is a guy with experience, you know, late rounds of 351 00:23:42,599 --> 00:23:48,160 the playoffs, and he does provide some extra ball handling while also not sacrificing 352 00:23:48,559 --> 00:23:52,359 our perimeter defense. Now, the very first part of your question, you're 353 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:57,759 like, was this the right guy for the consolidation trade? As a fan 354 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:03,000 or an analyst or a fanalist, if you will, the the trade for 355 00:24:03,079 --> 00:24:06,880 Marcus Smart, Like I like it, and I think Marcus Smart is a 356 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:10,279 great fit on the Grizzlies. But the only times I don't like it is 357 00:24:10,319 --> 00:24:14,480 when I think of it in the context of the idea of this being always 358 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,839 was this our big move that like we've been waiting for for years, And 359 00:24:18,079 --> 00:24:21,119 when I think of it in the context of, like, oh, we 360 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,720 traded that Warriors first round pick, that top four protected Warriors first rounder in 361 00:24:25,759 --> 00:24:30,599 twenty twenty four that we've been holding forever, it's like we made andre Igdala 362 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,759 mad for this. We like did set like like we've had so much, 363 00:24:33,839 --> 00:24:36,039 we went through so much stuff like to get this pick, and it was 364 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:40,000 always like years ago, it was man, we got the we got the 365 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,200 Jazz twenty two pick, we got the Lakers twenty three pick, we got 366 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,640 the like it was always like you're you're always counting your future assets, and 367 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:51,640 it's like one day we could trade all those picks and we could get whoever, 368 00:24:52,279 --> 00:24:55,079 And it was like, we could get Jalen Brown if we traded all 369 00:24:55,079 --> 00:24:56,480 these picks. Wait, so like and then as the years went by, 370 00:24:56,559 --> 00:24:59,880 and this happens for everybody, like heads up, Sam Presty, Like this 371 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,119 happens for everybody that you eventually you start using those picks and you're like, 372 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:07,799 oh, we used two of our picks on Jake la Ravia. And then 373 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,599 it's like, oh, fast forward, all right, now we finally made 374 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,720 our trade and we sent two future picks and Tias Jones for Marcus Smart and 375 00:25:15,799 --> 00:25:21,039 you're like, uh, that's okay, but like it's not like a super 376 00:25:21,079 --> 00:25:22,319 excited. It's like you get super excited about it. And then when you 377 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,720 like, you further like draw the whatever the view back and you're like, 378 00:25:27,519 --> 00:25:33,359 oh, so a year after we traded the Anthony Melton for David Roddy, 379 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,480 we then traded Thias Jones and two firsts for a better Melton and Marcus Smart, 380 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:44,599 and it's like Melton plus Tias Jones plus two firsts for Roddy and Smart, 381 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,160 Like that's kind of a it feels like a lateral move, not like 382 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,359 a super It's like we like, I think getting Marcus Smart made us better, 383 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,759 but only because we made ourselves worse last off season. And so like 384 00:25:56,119 --> 00:26:02,119 again, when you this is maybe this is like podcaster brain problems. We're 385 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:06,359 like when you cover the team like daily or multiple times a week for years 386 00:26:06,759 --> 00:26:11,519 and you remember back to all right, trade deadline at twenty twenty two, 387 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,799 it was like, all right, we're gonna have cap space, We're gonna 388 00:26:14,839 --> 00:26:18,000 have three extra picks. We're gonna have We have Melton and we have Brooks, 389 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,680 and we have Tias Jones, and those are all tradable contracts, and 390 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:23,319 we have these guys and these guys and if we package all that together, 391 00:26:23,519 --> 00:26:26,720 we can get all that stuff. And now you're like, Tias Jones has 392 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:30,079 gone, Dylan Brooks has gone, Kyle Anderson he left, Danthy Melton he's 393 00:26:30,079 --> 00:26:34,400 gone, Brendan Clark's injured, and all of the extra picks we had that 394 00:26:34,559 --> 00:26:41,440 became Marcus Smart and Jake Larevia. And it's like if you like cause, 395 00:26:41,599 --> 00:26:45,880 because like, I'm generally optimistic, but I do get criticized. We're like, 396 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,039 hey, you're you're kind of down on the Grizzlies a lot, and 397 00:26:48,319 --> 00:26:52,480 I'm like, I'm not really, Like I don't think I am. Like 398 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,599 if you're telling me you went back in time two years ago in the middle 399 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:00,440 of the twenty twenty two season, and you're like, hey, guess what 400 00:27:00,279 --> 00:27:04,519 going into the twenty twenty twenty four season, John Rand's gonna be suspended twenty 401 00:27:04,599 --> 00:27:08,920 five games. Brandon Clark's gonna have a torn achilles, and all of our 402 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,559 bench that we're so proud of, and Dylan Brooks and all of our draft 403 00:27:11,599 --> 00:27:15,720 picks turned into Marcus Smart and jakela Rabia. You would not be happy. 404 00:27:17,319 --> 00:27:19,039 You would be like once, yeah, like that, we didn't get anything. 405 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:25,400 We thought we were adding Pascal Siakam or og An Andobi or whoever else. 406 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,039 We thought we were gonna trade all of our future picks for these things, 407 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,400 and now we don't have any extra future picks going forward. The guys 408 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:33,759 who still have their own picks, like they could still trade, but like 409 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,319 you no longer have that. Oh it's I'm super optimistic for our bright future. 410 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:41,160 The bright future is the guys you have in house. You have John 411 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,440 Moran, you have Desmond Bandy, I have Jared Jackson junior on Honestly, 412 00:27:44,519 --> 00:27:48,400 like no other teams probably have as good of a young core, or you 413 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,839 know, you can argue a few like maybe the Thunder or the Pelicans or 414 00:27:51,839 --> 00:27:55,599 whatever, but like we're still have all these great things and we're still have 415 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:57,960 a bright future because of that. But my pushback is like, yeah, 416 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:00,440 but I had those things two years, Like I already had those things. 417 00:28:00,519 --> 00:28:03,799 I thought I was getting those things and more, and now you're telling me 418 00:28:04,839 --> 00:28:10,079 what about Marcus Smart? Like Okay, that's kind of fun, Like it's 419 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:11,680 pretty good, Like it's pretty good, but it's no longer this like, 420 00:28:12,039 --> 00:28:15,839 oh my god, we're gonna be a dynasty. It's now like, yeah, 421 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:18,839 we should be competitive. We we we got a chance, you know, 422 00:28:19,039 --> 00:28:22,519 like we got a chance to make the conference finals. Probably we're not 423 00:28:22,599 --> 00:28:25,960 a favorite mighty stretch of the imagination, but when healthy, we should we 424 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,359 should be able to basically face down with anybody, and we're gonna be underdogs 425 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,920 to the best teams. But like that's fine. I don't know, it's 426 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:34,720 just like I know I've been going on for a long time now, but 427 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:38,559 the it's just like the change of perspective where it's like it used to be 428 00:28:38,599 --> 00:28:42,559 so optimistic and now I'm like talking myself into yeah, this is why the 429 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,319 Marcus Smart trade is good. Yeah. I don't think that's unique too. 430 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,200 I can remember Dan and I specifically talking about, oh, the Grizzlies are 431 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,519 so primed, like look at all this young talent they have. It's so 432 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,240 projectable and they have all this stuff. What are they going to turn that 433 00:28:53,359 --> 00:28:56,000 into it, and like you say, it's Marcus Smart, I do think 434 00:28:56,079 --> 00:29:00,480 though, I mean all the other stuff they had, independent of the picks 435 00:29:00,519 --> 00:29:03,319 and all this, you know, that's still really good. In Desmond Baine, 436 00:29:03,359 --> 00:29:06,400 I think is kind of we haven't talked about him hardly at all, 437 00:29:07,519 --> 00:29:10,440 and he's relevant for several reasons, not the least of which is his fat 438 00:29:10,519 --> 00:29:15,200 new contract he got. What do you think about the numbers that he that 439 00:29:15,319 --> 00:29:19,359 he you know, the years and dollars. And then with specific respect to 440 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,599 these first twenty five games, if you're looking for playmaking assistance, like, 441 00:29:23,799 --> 00:29:27,720 is he someone that you could see we know what he does really well already, 442 00:29:29,319 --> 00:29:32,119 is he someone that you could see expanding that aspect of his game to 443 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,599 where it's not just Marcus Smart trying to be a conventional point guard for you 444 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:38,599 know, more than a quarter of the season. Can Desmond Baine run more 445 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,559 pick and rolls? Is that something? Is that asking too much of him? 446 00:29:41,599 --> 00:29:45,000 I feel like we're already talking about what we've asked too much of Marcus 447 00:29:45,039 --> 00:29:48,079 Smart. Just what are your Desmond Baine thoughts? How how much better can 448 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:52,160 he get and in what ways? And will that be of particular? You 449 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:56,400 know, need especially early this year. We will ac like a warning for 450 00:29:56,559 --> 00:30:00,440 any Celtics fans that might be listening. Yeah, big shout out to the 451 00:30:00,519 --> 00:30:07,440 Celtics for salary dumping the draft rights of Desmond Bane to the Grizzlies. Yeah, 452 00:30:07,519 --> 00:30:11,599 Deson means awesome. And anytime like you get down thinking about like maybe 453 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,200 the way you might have mismanaged the roster, it's like, but we still 454 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:15,319 have Desmon Baine, we still have John Morant, we still have Joan Jackson 455 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,119 Junior, and those guys are awesome. And Desmon Baine, they can talk 456 00:30:18,119 --> 00:30:22,519 about the contract he got for me. It's a no brainer. I think 457 00:30:22,559 --> 00:30:25,960 it was. It was technically not a MAX, but it's like the it 458 00:30:26,119 --> 00:30:30,440 looks like the MAX. I mean, it's just look at look rank the 459 00:30:30,519 --> 00:30:33,200 best shooting guards in the NBA. Just for me. It's that simple. 460 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,079 It's like, all right, Devin Booker and it's like all right, now, 461 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,680 now who are we talking about? Like, uh, you'd rather have 462 00:30:40,799 --> 00:30:44,039 him than like like he's better than Bradley Beal And it's like he's better than 463 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:45,359 you know, like you just again look at it. It's like he's one 464 00:30:45,359 --> 00:30:48,359 of the he's one of the best shooting guars in the NBA right now, 465 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,640 and I think he can improve the playmaking you mentioned Grant, like, yeah, 466 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:56,759 he's gonna be on the ball constantly the first twenty five games. I 467 00:30:56,799 --> 00:30:59,319 mean, I think he's gonna average five or six assists. There was first 468 00:30:59,319 --> 00:31:03,079 twenty five games he's gonna I mean, I like fantasy basketball people like he's 469 00:31:03,119 --> 00:31:07,000 gonna average like twenty eight, five and five. I think the first you 470 00:31:07,079 --> 00:31:11,359 know, two months of the season. And I think the way he can 471 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:15,680 improve is just continue the ball handling. I think any of the foul line 472 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,839 more. He's an elite free throw shooter, but he doesn't he doesn't totally 473 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:22,759 mastered the five or six free throw attempts per game, So I think like 474 00:31:23,079 --> 00:31:29,319 he can improve that some. And honestly, like last year was a it 475 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:33,839 was a near all star level season. It was a breakout season, and 476 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:38,680 I think he was hurt for most of it, like his uh, his 477 00:31:38,799 --> 00:31:42,119 first thirteen games, and that's including like I think the first two or three 478 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,880 games he couldn't hit anything, and then he had a ten game stretch where 479 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,440 he was like, I don't know what to call him, like it was 480 00:31:48,519 --> 00:31:52,680 just like all NBA level Devin Booker like knocking down all except Devin Booker with 481 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:55,720 a better three point shot, you know, like he was. He was 482 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,599 outrageously good. Then he hurt his toe, he missed a bunch of time. 483 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:01,200 He came back, is all his shooting spots went way down. He's 484 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,920 still like you wouldn't know it if you were just like checking out his overall 485 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,559 splits, You're like, Okay, that's amazing. He is. I think 486 00:32:07,599 --> 00:32:09,359 he actually was hurt most of last year, so I think he can get 487 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:14,079 better there and just then just the natural progression of a guy like you know, 488 00:32:14,559 --> 00:32:16,119 getting a few years of the league under his belt. Yeah, I 489 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:20,680 think. I think dezon Bayan he's like a trendy pick, like first time 490 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:22,359 All Stars in the West, like Jamal Murray. He's gonna get it. 491 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,559 But like I think desmon Bain, especially because of the job Rand suspension, 492 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,599 like he's gonna go nuts at the beginning of the year. And I think 493 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,839 desmon Bayan is probably one reason why Grizzes fans can be super optimistic. Like 494 00:32:34,359 --> 00:32:36,960 I don't know if Jared can level up again like he leveled up last year. 495 00:32:37,319 --> 00:32:40,799 Job Moran already an All NBA type player. If desmon Bayan then becomes 496 00:32:42,559 --> 00:32:46,000 like a top thirty, top twenty player there. Then you're like, well, 497 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,960 they have this big three, who cares if they're surrounded by Desire Williams 498 00:32:51,039 --> 00:32:55,920 and John Conchar and whoever else you mentioned. Jared Jackson Jr. He feels 499 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:01,480 unnecessarily polarizing to me, just because I understand the criticisms the rebounding, the 500 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,240 fouling can still be a problem. But then I'm wondering, do we read 501 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,359 too much into the rebounding because he does spend he can spend a lot of 502 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,599 time, Like look at where he's defending away from the basket. If we 503 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:14,359 could track that relative to other bigs, I think he's gonna stand near the 504 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:15,720 top of that, Whereas like it's the same thing that could be with Evan 505 00:33:15,799 --> 00:33:20,319 Mobley, even when he's kind of like the lone big lineups with with Cleveland. 506 00:33:20,839 --> 00:33:24,880 How concerning our Jaren Jackson juniors continued weaknesses and you mentioned that you're wondering 507 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,960 whether he can continue to leven up, level up. What was something about 508 00:33:29,119 --> 00:33:30,799 last season? And I'm assuming it came on the offensive end, because he 509 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:34,480 was just so much more or looked like he was so much more of a 510 00:33:34,519 --> 00:33:37,519 complete player there. What is just something that really impressed you about his growth 511 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:42,839 last Well, it's it's it's wild. I mean he leveled up in every 512 00:33:43,039 --> 00:33:45,920 area, Like he leveled up defensively. Sure, he left the NBA blocks 513 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:47,720 per game two years ago, and of course he did again last year. 514 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,960 He just he got better and better at defense. He can guard basically anyone. 515 00:33:52,119 --> 00:33:57,119 His block numbers were ridiculous, They're spectacular. And yeah, his his 516 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,880 finishing got so much better this year. And even his point shot. It 517 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:04,279 went from he's been all over the place with a three point shot, and 518 00:34:04,359 --> 00:34:07,400 it had been two years ago it was bad, and last year it got 519 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:09,800 back up to like no, okay, you know, and like just being 520 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:14,800 okay, he's really really good, but it's two point finishing skyrocketed and so 521 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:16,119 like he started making all his two pointers again. He had a really good 522 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:22,239 field goal percentage. And you mentioned, like it's weird how he's polarizing. 523 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:25,719 He's the most unnecessarily polarizing. Like this goes to how we talk about all 524 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:30,679 NBA players. Everyone's like, oh, Jaren should rebound better, Like it's 525 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:35,599 like, well, yeah, like if Jaren was Ben Wallace or Andre Drummond 526 00:34:35,599 --> 00:34:37,960 on the glass. He's like a top five NBA player. He can't be 527 00:34:38,039 --> 00:34:40,719 a top five It like why why does everyone have to be elite? This 528 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,960 goes back like Dan, we're talking about this a lot, or they're like, 529 00:34:44,039 --> 00:34:46,519 oh, man if Dylan Brooks could like shoot less and be more efficient, 530 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:52,360 or like like like if you package that dress his strongest innermode. Yeah, 531 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:54,280 but it was just like, man if if this, if this all 532 00:34:54,400 --> 00:35:01,159 defensive level like three could add a higher three point image or like better scoring, 533 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,519 You're like, yes, he would be an All Star, Like we 534 00:35:04,639 --> 00:35:07,440 all wish he would be Paul George, but like planners aren't that. And 535 00:35:07,519 --> 00:35:10,519 so like again Jared getting criticized last year, like the foul trouble is one 536 00:35:10,559 --> 00:35:14,800 thing he does, get him foul trouble. It's overblown because I think when 537 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:16,960 we talk about sports, we have to have just like one single bullet point 538 00:35:17,039 --> 00:35:21,239 thing to talk about. And maybe some of that's just the way ESPN and 539 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:23,840 other networks cover the league. Like Jared, I think found out of four 540 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:28,480 games last year he played low minutes because they the Grizzlies don't play anybody heavy 541 00:35:28,519 --> 00:35:34,079 minutes just period Like they don't play anybody heavy minutes his fouls are still a 542 00:35:34,119 --> 00:35:37,760 problem despite the fact, but there's nuance, like, yeah, he's not 543 00:35:37,199 --> 00:35:40,440 always fouling out, but sure we wish the fouling was less. The rebounding 544 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:45,440 thing, it's just like, compare his rebounds per possession to like, who 545 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,199 do you want, like Chris Bosh, Like, they're pretty close. It's 546 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:52,440 like he's he's not elite at rebounding, and I would say I call him 547 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,920 like average. I was like showing people, I'm like, hey, who 548 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:59,199 do you think had more rebounds per possession? Pal Gasol on the Grizzlies or 549 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,599 Jared And again, it's really really close. They're like within like tents of 550 00:36:01,679 --> 00:36:07,760 a rebound per pres like and so it's just like, I think Jared's weaknesses 551 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,840 are overstated. I think the rebounding he's not good at it. But like, 552 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,440 God, you can't be good at everything. You can't be the world's 553 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,360 best room protector or one of the five best room protectors who also can switch 554 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:21,519 out on the perimeter like he had all these games last year with like five 555 00:36:21,559 --> 00:36:23,679 blocks and two steals and five whatever, Like no one else in the NBA 556 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:28,119 did that last year, And I legit saw someone be like, well, 557 00:36:28,159 --> 00:36:32,199 like like you can you can average three blocks and one steal and also like 558 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:39,840 be a great reminder like look at kimolaj One. Okay, yeah, it's 559 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,960 like all mean, it's been done. It's like why does every player have 560 00:36:44,039 --> 00:36:47,039 to be the best player ever? And it's like Jared is really good for 561 00:36:47,159 --> 00:36:52,559 it. He is, so I do think he suffers some from uh, 562 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:54,639 like the Karl Anthony Towns thing of, like he is frustrating to watch at 563 00:36:54,679 --> 00:37:00,280 times because of the fouls and like they've had some notable like when you lose 564 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:02,519 playoff games and like you fouled out, all right, people remember that when 565 00:37:02,519 --> 00:37:06,400 you lose on Christmas date of the Warriors and you get in foul trouble, 566 00:37:06,679 --> 00:37:09,400 it just reinforces the biggest stereotype because like, oh that's what I thought about 567 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:13,920 this guy, it's been reinforced. This one Grizzlies game I watched in December 568 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,079 was them losing on the road to the Warriors and he was in foul trouble. 569 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:21,639 So thus Jared has foul trouble. I think the fouls are legit thing. 570 00:37:21,679 --> 00:37:24,039 He can clean up the rest of it. It's like, I mean, 571 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:29,639 like if you want a rebounder, go get a remounder. But Jaren 572 00:37:30,039 --> 00:37:31,800 might be the best defender in the NBA. He was voted the best defender 573 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:37,239 in the NBA last year. I'll take that over, like whoever who's like 574 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:43,280 really great at Like I love Cavan Looney, but like, give me Jaron 575 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,679 over Kavan Looney. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, no, every Like I 576 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,639 don't know, I don't know when this is coming out Dan and Grant, 577 00:37:49,679 --> 00:37:52,800 but like the talk this week is like what if Team US say had Kevan 578 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:57,119 Luney said Jared, it's like every game, they would have won every game? 579 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,760 Why not both It's an okay arguments and Bonus would have been in trouble 580 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:08,320 if they complotely irrelevant, But we need to nationalize Steven Adams. So we've 581 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:12,599 hit the Jaren Jackson thing. Makes it because you mentioned that, Yeah, 582 00:38:12,599 --> 00:38:15,320 he can definitely cut cut the fouls in a perfect world. That's kind of 583 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,960 the low hanging fruit. This is a team that's won fifty plus games two 584 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,480 years running, but everybody sort of agrees and not to keep harping on like, 585 00:38:22,559 --> 00:38:24,679 oh but they don't do this. What is the low hanging fruit for 586 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:29,079 the Grizzlies, Because there's some things to pick from that. They could you 587 00:38:29,199 --> 00:38:31,519 know, get from that team that's in the low to mid fifties and wins 588 00:38:31,599 --> 00:38:35,719 and then maybe you know, not necessarily improve that total so much because who 589 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,559 really cares, but be a bigger playoff threat. Is it the half court 590 00:38:38,599 --> 00:38:42,519 scoring? Is it the you know, their bottom ten and three point accuracy? 591 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,519 Is it the rebounding when Steven Adams is not involved? Like what's the 592 00:38:45,599 --> 00:38:49,639 low hanging fruit that If you're a Grizzlies fan, you can say, like, 593 00:38:49,679 --> 00:38:52,239 if we just kind of tick these boxes collectively, you know, this 594 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:57,239 is how we sort of progress to the becoming a team and sort of that 595 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:01,199 next tier. Yeah, I think the low hanging fruit continues to be the 596 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:07,920 half court offense, And I don't know if it's been fixed by any special 597 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:12,119 imagination. The Grizzlies the last two years or so, two years ago, 598 00:39:12,559 --> 00:39:16,199 they were elite at transition opportunities. They were always scoring in the paint, 599 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,760 they were turning everybody over constantly. They've been really good at defense the past 600 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:25,199 two seasons. A lot of that kind of uh failed when Steven Adams went 601 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:29,000 out. They were so fine at defense, but like Steven Adams actually getting 602 00:39:29,039 --> 00:39:34,320 the rebounds, stopping the possessions for the other team. That was, unfortunately 603 00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:38,760 a much bigger cog to the Grizzlies success than maybe most of us hoped it 604 00:39:39,039 --> 00:39:42,880 was. I thought I was getting second chances on offense. I mean that. 605 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:49,119 Yeah, So the Grizzlies offense the last two years has been like Jamritt 606 00:39:49,159 --> 00:39:51,960 will score. If he doesn't, Steven Adams will get the rebound, and 607 00:39:52,039 --> 00:39:54,039 then everybody else it was basically, hey, Dylan, just just get it 608 00:39:54,079 --> 00:39:55,960 on the rim, Like, just get on the rim, man, and 609 00:39:57,079 --> 00:40:00,760 like we're good. And that was literally that's been the Grizzlies off defense honestly, 610 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:04,760 the entire John Morant era. Before it was Steven Adams, it was 611 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,599 Jonast Vancunis, it was just get the ball on the rim. We'll get 612 00:40:07,679 --> 00:40:09,679 second chance of opportunities. And I think they rightly thought, all right, 613 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:13,559 going back to the Steven Adams Jonas Vonctunist trades, They're like, we gotta 614 00:40:13,599 --> 00:40:15,719 have a better offense. We can't just let Yunis do it. We want 615 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:19,119 Jaren to Groves and offensive player. We wanted to pen more on the other 616 00:40:19,159 --> 00:40:21,599 players, so let's do this trade. But then Steven Adams, you know, 617 00:40:21,679 --> 00:40:22,800 I think it turned out as well as they could have hoped. Like 618 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:27,559 the Steven Adams trade was huge for the Grizzlies and it led to their success. 619 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:31,480 But also I think maybe we got a little too addicted to Steven Adams 620 00:40:31,519 --> 00:40:36,039 is doing everything, and maybe that is a place that maybe I'm not an 621 00:40:36,199 --> 00:40:38,559 NBA trainer, maybe Jaren can get better as a rebounder, you know, 622 00:40:38,639 --> 00:40:42,320 like like but like he's okay at it, but like, you gotta have 623 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,000 other players who rebound. One of my big frustrations with some of the rosters, 624 00:40:45,119 --> 00:40:52,480 like I'm notoriously like obsessed with Anthony Melton, Like Danthony Meltson and Kyle 625 00:40:52,559 --> 00:40:57,800 Anderson and then Brandon Clark. Those were your good rebounders outside of Steven Adams. 626 00:40:58,039 --> 00:41:00,440 And so the Brandon Clark thing, you can't control that he gets hurt. 627 00:41:00,519 --> 00:41:02,400 But it's like one of the problems when we looked at the roster even 628 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,440 last off season going into the year, it's like, oh, they got 629 00:41:05,559 --> 00:41:08,159 rid of they got rid of two of their better rebounders for their positions in 630 00:41:08,199 --> 00:41:12,599 Melton and Kyle Anderson. They also got rid of their two best steals guys, 631 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,599 and it was just like this was a team that was built on rebounding 632 00:41:15,639 --> 00:41:20,239 second chances, second chance points and then forcing turnovers. How's that gonna work 633 00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:22,639 if you got rid of like the depth pieces and then it turned out like 634 00:41:23,159 --> 00:41:25,800 they were still good. They weren't as good, but they had to find 635 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:30,159 new ways to do it. They weren't causing as many turnovers. But I 636 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:35,159 think Jared and Dazen Bain stepped up last season and that's why you saw similar 637 00:41:35,199 --> 00:41:37,840 regular success. Those guys both got better. Then it was Steve and Adams 638 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:42,800 went down, you got the trade deadline, you get Luke Knard and so 639 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,760 now actually, and it's hard to it's hard to gauge post trade deadline regular 640 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:52,119 shows in basketball because whatever it's like, you see a lot of unsustainable trends, 641 00:41:52,199 --> 00:41:55,320 Like the Grizzlies got good at hitting three pointers and all of a sudden 642 00:41:55,320 --> 00:42:00,760 they became like a decent three point shooting team and their defense trailed off a 643 00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:02,320 little bit. So I think I think the dream is and maybe this is 644 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:05,960 the low hanging fruit. Just if you get all your bodies back, if 645 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,280 you get Steven Adams and Luke Kennard, well, now suddenly you have like 646 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:13,440 a really formidable like top six or So even if you have a question mark 647 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:15,800 about the small horse spot, just assuming Baine and Smart are going to be 648 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:20,599 the wings alongside John Morant and then Jared Steven Adams are healthy, you got 649 00:42:20,639 --> 00:42:22,760 Luke Knard off the bench, like you got some stuff, and I think 650 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:27,039 their offense could be better, and their defense, I think it is going 651 00:42:27,119 --> 00:42:30,760 to be absolutely elite for the third straight year. Whether that transitions into the 652 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:36,559 playoffs, I'm not convinced at all, because I think Marcus Smart for a 653 00:42:36,599 --> 00:42:40,440 lot of like he does bring playoff experience, he does not bring efficient scoring. 654 00:42:40,599 --> 00:42:45,320 He does not provide off the ball scoring. It's gonna be how much 655 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:50,880 of his just hustle plays, deflections and then his ball handling. Maybe that 656 00:42:51,079 --> 00:42:53,559 alone can help the offense, but like if you need a bucket, it's 657 00:42:53,559 --> 00:42:57,159 still going to be clear out. Maybe that's something doesn't Bank could add to 658 00:42:57,239 --> 00:43:00,280 his game, become an even better ISO score. He's already pretty decent at 659 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:06,039 it. But I am not as like bullish that they've fixed or corrected their 660 00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:09,719 their postseason woes. I'm struggling to score in the half court. I honestly 661 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:13,960 wonder if the John Rand suspension could almost help them in the sense of just 662 00:43:14,159 --> 00:43:16,880 self exploration. You're talking about Desmond Bine being put in those one on one 663 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:21,639 situations. And I also just wonder going from Dylan Brooks to Marcus Smart, 664 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:23,440 where if you look over the last three years, they're catch and shoot three 665 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:29,840 point numbers are erily similar. Marcus Smart is defended way differently from beyond the 666 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:31,960 yark than Dylan Brooks ever was. And so now you're talking about even when 667 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:35,960 they're at full strength, you should be able to open up the floor more 668 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:39,039 having Luconard Marcus Smart not being Dylan Brooks, and so I do wonder. 669 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:42,559 I don't really know what that looks like with Steven Adams in the fold, 670 00:43:42,679 --> 00:43:45,599 because you already mentioned like when he was out, they couldn't be as reliant 671 00:43:45,639 --> 00:43:49,480 on offensive rebounding and they had about a league average half court offense during that 672 00:43:49,599 --> 00:43:52,960 stretch. So those lineups with Jaren Jackson Junior at the five or just a 673 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:55,920 different type of front court, I'm wondering if those could actually be more weaponized 674 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:00,440 offensively in the half court now that you have a Smart and Luke Kenard at 675 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:04,480 the same time. Yeah, and even like a guy we haven't mentioned his 676 00:44:04,559 --> 00:44:07,760 name once, Santi Aldama had a lot of success sharing the court with Jaren 677 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:13,480 and I think even if you think about the lineup experimentations are gonna do without 678 00:44:13,559 --> 00:44:16,719 John Morant, you're gonna have like you're gonna definitely gonna do some Jarren and 679 00:44:16,800 --> 00:44:21,559 Santy at the four and five and then just like I think, I think 680 00:44:21,639 --> 00:44:24,559 Luke Kennard, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart are gonna be like it's gonna be 681 00:44:24,639 --> 00:44:28,679 rocket fuel, Like that's gonna be like I think, a really strong offensive 682 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:34,079 lineups, whether Zavor Tillman, who did a pretty solid job filling in for 683 00:44:34,079 --> 00:44:37,079 Steven Adams, Unfortunately his limitations, he's not as good at any of the 684 00:44:37,119 --> 00:44:39,719 things that Steven Adams does. As far he's a very good one on one 685 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:44,440 defender, but like he can't rebound at the same level by any stretch of 686 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:47,320 the imagination. Like, I think it's gonna be interesting because again, like 687 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,880 when you hit the level the Grizzlies are at where you've made the postseason, 688 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:54,440 you've had home court advantage two years in a row, and now everyone in 689 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:58,760 the third year, and it's like you never know if things are fixed until 690 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:02,360 basically you get to April. So it's like that that's gonna be hard. 691 00:45:02,639 --> 00:45:07,760 That's why I also always tell basketball fans like, enjoy every month. Every 692 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:09,559 month is fun, Like we're here to watch basketball. We don't get too 693 00:45:09,639 --> 00:45:14,800 obsessed with with like the postseason breakdown. But I think there are a lot 694 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:17,840 of there are a lot of lineups that like they can tinker around with and 695 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:22,480 maybe guys can find their footing while John Morant is unavailable. I have a 696 00:45:22,599 --> 00:45:28,880 very scientific question for you, Keith is Zaire Williams still a thing like is 697 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:32,119 there? And maybe that's unfair because Dan and I obsess over this guy. 698 00:45:32,239 --> 00:45:36,320 He was very much for us, I think representative of like, oh man, 699 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:39,519 just what if if he you know it kind of Desmond bayand sort of 700 00:45:39,599 --> 00:45:44,679 became that which is like oh if this homegrown, sort pseudo homegrown because the 701 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:47,079 trade, but if he pops, boy, they really got something. And 702 00:45:47,159 --> 00:45:52,320 Williams, like, you know, injuries made it unfair to evaluate him last 703 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:53,719 year a little bit, I think, But just the idea of this guy 704 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:58,360 at what I think he just turned twenty two, like today maybe or yesterday. 705 00:45:58,639 --> 00:46:02,000 Yeah, as a twenty one year old or maybe twenty. He started 706 00:46:02,039 --> 00:46:07,320 several games down the stretch as a rookie and like looked at least really promising, 707 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:10,320 like player type wise. You know, what are your expectations for him? 708 00:46:10,559 --> 00:46:16,280 Is he still someone the Grizzlies view as you know, a key piece 709 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:21,559 or are the roddis and you know conchars and Aldama's like sort of ahead of 710 00:46:21,679 --> 00:46:27,280 him now in terms of importance and projectability. I would say Aldama's definitely ahead 711 00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:30,960 of him. I mean, I don't have any answers, Like every question 712 00:46:30,039 --> 00:46:32,480 you asked is good, but I don't know anybody who knows, well, 713 00:46:32,679 --> 00:46:36,800 is he a thing? Is not a great? Is he a thing? 714 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:40,719 I would mean to know which, again a non scientific answer. They're hoping 715 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:45,039 he is. His teammates have been talking him up like, oh, you 716 00:46:45,119 --> 00:46:47,320 guys are gonna see what you know Zire does the next year. But like, 717 00:46:49,079 --> 00:46:51,519 yeah, I mean that was a high draft investment. You know, 718 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,280 they picked him tent They traded up to get him as part of that Steven 719 00:46:54,280 --> 00:47:01,400 Adams J Wantspontunas trade. He had a promising rookie year, but even his 720 00:47:01,559 --> 00:47:06,719 rookie year, like he's an athlete, which is great, Like he lob 721 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:08,280 finisher that Grizzlies needed those. They were very exciting. They got a lot 722 00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:12,760 on transition opportunities, and he was that vertical spacing threat in the half court, 723 00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:14,599 you know, like he could even even be in the dunker spot, 724 00:47:14,639 --> 00:47:16,880 or he would cut baseline, you know, like catch teams sleeping on defense. 725 00:47:17,119 --> 00:47:20,880 And then it was all about the three point shot. And the latter 726 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:22,599 half of the of the year his rookie season, he made some threes. 727 00:47:22,679 --> 00:47:24,440 And then in the Warrior series and I think he had one game where he 728 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:27,639 knocked on the couple of threes and so everyone's like, oh, this rookie. 729 00:47:27,719 --> 00:47:30,119 He's like, Oh, he's on the trajectory to be good, to 730 00:47:30,199 --> 00:47:32,400 be that wing with size and shooting that every team needs. And then he 731 00:47:32,519 --> 00:47:37,039 was just awful, just awful last year. And like I've always been a 732 00:47:37,119 --> 00:47:40,400 bit, I've been more on the skeptical side with Zaire because I don't here's 733 00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:45,119 something very scientific. I don't feel like he has feel Oh no, that's 734 00:47:45,119 --> 00:47:46,800 a thing. Yeah, Like I'm like, I don't. He looks like 735 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:52,559 he looks like two k animations strung together when he does things where it's like, 736 00:47:52,639 --> 00:47:54,079 oh, yeah, he just did his dribble move and now he looks 737 00:47:54,159 --> 00:47:57,480 up. All right, Now we've passed, but none of it. It 738 00:47:57,559 --> 00:48:00,000 never flows. Nothing ever flows one into the other. And it's not like 739 00:48:00,119 --> 00:48:04,920 oh he knew Roddy was gonna be there. It was like, oh, 740 00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:07,559 he looked up psaw him, said I should pass, and then he passed. 741 00:48:07,639 --> 00:48:09,480 You're like, no, that's a split second too late. You gotta 742 00:48:09,519 --> 00:48:13,880 just do it. You gotta just know. And so like I've always thought 743 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:16,079 like even when he makes jumpers, like you know he can make him mid 744 00:48:16,159 --> 00:48:21,440 range jumper, and he clearly, like players, works incredibly hard at these 745 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:22,760 skills, and like you see him on the court, you're like, oh, 746 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:27,199 he made that one. But it was kind of like there's like the 747 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,840 split second of like I'm gonna do my move now, and then he does 748 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:34,400 his move and it's like I don't. Yeah, So like I've never been 749 00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:37,159 a big fan where I'm like I don't. I had a long running thing 750 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:39,920 also like like he's not he's not super good at anything. Like he doesn't 751 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,199 rebound, he doesn't steal, he does a block shot, so he doesn't 752 00:48:43,199 --> 00:48:45,840 he doesn't do the hustle place and so it's like, well, if you 753 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:51,599 don't like he, I know you can catch lobs. But like the athleticis 754 00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:54,320 term should also apply to like maybe not just catching lobs, like you can't 755 00:48:55,039 --> 00:48:59,159 not partically good at defense, and if you're not getting rebounds and you're not 756 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:01,639 forcing turnover and then you're shooting, as a question mark, what are you? 757 00:49:02,679 --> 00:49:06,920 It's like I have no idea, and so like obviously it's a Grissi's 758 00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:09,920 fan. I hope he bounces back because there's there's great opportunity for somebody for 759 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:15,280 Zaire Williams or David Roddy or Jake La Rabia or Vince Williams Junior or anybody 760 00:49:15,679 --> 00:49:22,280 to do something at any small forward minutes not being played with Marcus Smarter or 761 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:24,360 Desmond Baine, like they're gonna play a lot of small ball. Luke Nard 762 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:27,440 is gonna play a lot, Marcus Smarts gonna play a lot, doesn't bang. 763 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:31,360 They play as much as they can. Beyond that, anyone, it's 764 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:36,360 just like somebody does something, you know, and so it's like I don't 765 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:39,159 know it, like it's gonna be a fun preseason training camp battle, or 766 00:49:39,199 --> 00:49:43,000 it might be a horrible training camp battle where it's like Nope, none of 767 00:49:43,039 --> 00:49:47,000 these guys and then he's matching salary and then it's like, because legit, 768 00:49:47,039 --> 00:49:50,440 that's why the NBA works. Like what if he's making five or six million 769 00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:53,320 because he get drafted in the lottery, So it's like it becomes matching salary 770 00:49:53,519 --> 00:49:58,039 and they turn it over to one of one of the other guys they drafted 771 00:49:58,039 --> 00:50:01,000 the year after him. We are entering the cookie cutter portion of the podcast, 772 00:50:01,079 --> 00:50:05,840 which I know everyone is just excited about and you actually desire. William 773 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:07,320 talk was a good segue into this. Well, they're at full strength, 774 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:12,280 they're starting five is set smart, Baine Morant, Adams, Jaren Jackson Jr. 775 00:50:12,639 --> 00:50:14,920 How does the rest of that? If you had to predict right now 776 00:50:15,159 --> 00:50:19,199 before we're getting into training camp, the rest of their ten man rotation shake 777 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:23,480 out, I probably could have prepared this. Let's see. Definitely Luke Kennard, 778 00:50:23,519 --> 00:50:28,800 Definitely, Santi Aldama. I would say definitely just a lock. Now 779 00:50:29,039 --> 00:50:31,920 he had a great season, hundred percent. Aldama's a lock. It would 780 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:37,639 be stunning if he got DMPs in my mind, I mean, but there's 781 00:50:37,639 --> 00:50:40,159 the opportunity though this is of course, of course Brandon Clark is not. 782 00:50:42,159 --> 00:50:45,000 I'm not penciling him in for any minutes this year. I mean, hopefully 783 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:46,800 he's around in March that they're acting like he's going to be. But I'll 784 00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:51,639 believe it when I see it. So your back court, I mean, 785 00:50:51,639 --> 00:50:53,440 your your front court is set off the bench because I think Tilman and Aldama 786 00:50:53,519 --> 00:50:58,400 had that locked up. Kennard is gonna play, and then beyond that is 787 00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:00,239 Rose gonna play. I know with Dowd he probably will, but they gave 788 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:04,480 him to guarantee years. But and when John Morant's back, is that someone 789 00:51:04,519 --> 00:51:08,760 who plays? When when Morant is back, I would not expect Derek Rose 790 00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:14,719 to play, although again he's gonna have every opportunity to show he still has 791 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:19,280 something in the tank. But I would assume your bench is going to be 792 00:51:20,199 --> 00:51:24,000 Kennard. They're gonna they're gonna all the point guard minutes are gonna be played 793 00:51:24,079 --> 00:51:30,119 by John Morant, Desmont Band or Marcus Smart. Those guys are gonna handle 794 00:51:30,119 --> 00:51:31,280 all the ones, and you're gonna play Luke Knard. And I think that 795 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:36,480 the one regret, honestly they have last year is not playing Luke Knard even 796 00:51:36,599 --> 00:51:39,840 more like they they didn't play him enough that they didn't they didn't turn it 797 00:51:39,960 --> 00:51:44,559 over to John Morant and Luke Kenard and Desmont band all playing together. They 798 00:51:44,639 --> 00:51:49,320 have one of the most hysterical like three man lineup net ratings ever last year. 799 00:51:49,719 --> 00:51:51,800 I can't remember, I should look this up. It was it was 800 00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:54,760 something like they played one hundred and fifty regulars and possessions plus forty eight net 801 00:51:54,880 --> 00:52:00,960 rating. They played one hundred and thirty postseason like lad possessions together plus forty 802 00:52:00,039 --> 00:52:04,719 nine net rating, And so it's like they absolutely smoked when they went with 803 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:07,719 this small ball. Of course those are outliers, and but I do think 804 00:52:07,719 --> 00:52:10,000 they wish they played it more, and so I think those guard minutes are 805 00:52:10,039 --> 00:52:13,440 going to be full when fully healthy. And I don't think they're gonna play 806 00:52:13,440 --> 00:52:16,039 Derick Ross. I look just now in the glass forty point four net rating 807 00:52:16,119 --> 00:52:20,280 with Baying, Kenard and Jaw on the court in the regular season. Yeah, 808 00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:23,920 and I want the playoff one's better. I'm just telling you right now, 809 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:28,199 the playoff one's better. But the I don't think it's gonna be a 810 00:52:28,199 --> 00:52:31,800 minutes for Derrick Rose. The question then becomes, so that's eight. I 811 00:52:31,880 --> 00:52:37,800 feel certain Canard Aldama Chillman off the bench. I think it's gonna be roddy, 812 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:45,760 And then I think it's gonna be conshar conchar weirdly has an extension that 813 00:52:45,880 --> 00:52:50,079 kicks in next year, So like concerts locked in for a long time, 814 00:52:51,159 --> 00:52:53,760 but I don't know. Then you start picking between maybe it is Derrick Rose, 815 00:52:53,800 --> 00:52:57,320 maybe it is Jake La Rabia, maybe it is Zayre Williams, and 816 00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:00,199 I doubt anyone who says they have any to what it's actually going to be. 817 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:08,199 Well, you mentioned the small lineup that will guardwise with respect to the 818 00:53:08,239 --> 00:53:13,360 closing lineup, is Adams someone you envisioned closing a lot? Or do we 819 00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:16,800 see Jackson at the five with some other combination of you know, all the 820 00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:20,840 mainstays will be in there, but do you do you envision them going smaller 821 00:53:20,920 --> 00:53:22,800 to close? Or is Adam someone that you think will be out there late 822 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:27,440 or maybe I'm not even mentioning who you think will be out there to close 823 00:53:27,639 --> 00:53:30,000 most games. Obviously it's matchup dependent in a lot of cases, but generally 824 00:53:30,039 --> 00:53:36,360 speaking, Yeah, So it's wild because with these multiple years of having this 825 00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:39,960 big center Steven Adams and then before that was your onest mon Tunis, they 826 00:53:40,039 --> 00:53:44,920 were never the preferred when it got really intense, they were not the preferred 827 00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:47,840 closing option. They would go with Brandon Clark. Most of the time it 828 00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:52,320 would be Jared and Brandon. So now Brandon's out, and that like once 829 00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:57,599 again thrust Steven Adams backup higher in like importance. And I do think, 830 00:53:57,679 --> 00:54:00,960 yeah, he's absolutely going to be like the closing option. I think they're 831 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,800 closing lineups. Like I don't have any worry about the closing lineups, both 832 00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:07,400 with and without jaw if everybody's healthy. I think John Morant doesn't Bane, 833 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:12,519 Marcus Smart, jerme X Junior, Steven Adams is awesome, Like that's that's 834 00:54:12,559 --> 00:54:17,559 going to be a problem for literally everyone, Like maybe the Sun's having you 835 00:54:17,639 --> 00:54:20,920 know, we don't have him with a guard Kevin Durant, not many people 836 00:54:20,960 --> 00:54:22,880 do. And like, all right, the Nuggets, Yeah, all right, 837 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:27,079 the Nuggets are good. But like I think that's an elite five. 838 00:54:27,199 --> 00:54:31,599 Honestly, when John rants out, I think the same defensive wing issues. 839 00:54:31,719 --> 00:54:37,320 But like Kennard Baine, Marcus Smart, with Jared and Stephen Adams, that's 840 00:54:37,320 --> 00:54:38,920 awesome, a really good like five. I think it's gonna be really tough 841 00:54:38,920 --> 00:54:42,559 for a lot of people. So I don't have like a creative. I 842 00:54:42,599 --> 00:54:45,480 don't have like a creative like I'm really dying to see this lineup, Like, 843 00:54:45,599 --> 00:54:49,119 no, we have seven good players. I'd like those players to play. 844 00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:53,119 So there's no the question I ask every year, there's no no quirky 845 00:54:53,199 --> 00:54:58,880 wonky lineup. You want to see them try? I would say, my 846 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,400 only, my only if it's WEIRDO. There's like non jammerant lineups that like 847 00:55:02,760 --> 00:55:07,280 entice me, like the like Luke Canard really won me over. I was. 848 00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:08,679 I was when when they traded for him last year. I was very 849 00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:13,440 lukewarm. Not to use the term luke again, No, I'm gonna stick 850 00:55:13,440 --> 00:55:17,400 with it. I was very lukewarm about the Canard trade and hitting fifty five 851 00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:21,119 percent of your three pointers, we'll win a guy over. And that's what 852 00:55:21,199 --> 00:55:24,239 he did on the Grizzlies and so like. And also and honestly, this 853 00:55:24,280 --> 00:55:29,119 is this goes another problem with like the team rebounding. I say this as 854 00:55:29,159 --> 00:55:31,679 both a compliment and a criticism. Luke Canard was like the third best Grizzlies 855 00:55:31,719 --> 00:55:36,679 rebounder, and I was like, like, that's good for Luke, it's 856 00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:38,719 terrible for everybody else. But like I'm like I will look at least like 857 00:55:39,039 --> 00:55:43,519 there's that thing again where it's like it's the feel like Luke understands if the 858 00:55:43,559 --> 00:55:45,679 SHOT's going up, I need to be moving, moving, moving, the 859 00:55:45,719 --> 00:55:47,880 ball's probably coming over here. We had several guys who weren't like that. 860 00:55:49,119 --> 00:55:51,480 They're just like, oh, the ball went over there? Who knew? 861 00:55:51,639 --> 00:55:53,719 It was like some people knew, like you know that they've seen enough basketball 862 00:55:53,719 --> 00:55:57,760 they understand that. So, like, I think Luke Car's a pretty solid 863 00:55:58,199 --> 00:56:01,280 rebounder, and I love the idea of Kennard Baine and Marcus Smart playing And 864 00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:05,519 then like the thing I mentioned before that with all Dama and Jared Jackson JUNR. 865 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:07,760 Maybe that's my most weird five man line up that I really want to 866 00:56:07,800 --> 00:56:12,719 watch for the Christmas this season. That was actually mine, except I wanted 867 00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:16,199 no bones about Desmond Baine being a point guard, so I'd rather you sub 868 00:56:16,280 --> 00:56:20,960 out Marcus Smart throw in Zaire Williams. It's like, then you're just Desmond 869 00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:24,480 Baine plus a bunch of like bigger players but aren't too big. So it's 870 00:56:24,519 --> 00:56:28,800 more of like a not a morbid curiosity, but it's just a curiosity. 871 00:56:28,840 --> 00:56:30,039 What would that look like? I would like to y, Yeah, I 872 00:56:30,079 --> 00:56:34,119 don't. We're trying so hard to make Zier Williams happening, you guys are 873 00:56:34,400 --> 00:56:37,039 It's like, it's not It's not fetch, It's not gonna happen against credit 874 00:56:37,159 --> 00:56:40,480 he did. For like, I tweeted about Zier Williams a couple times during 875 00:56:40,519 --> 00:56:44,400 his rookie sees about how impressed I wasn't each time Keith would quote tweeted and 876 00:56:44,480 --> 00:56:45,320 like pump the brakes on. It be like, well, this is like 877 00:56:45,360 --> 00:56:49,559 skewed because we shot a million percent against the Knicks or something. No, 878 00:56:49,679 --> 00:56:52,800 I don't. I don't mean to be the dalls water on guy, but 879 00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,320 sometimes, but that was. That was probably during that stretch where I'm like, 880 00:56:55,440 --> 00:57:00,840 he hasn't grabbed a defensive rebound in four hundred minutes whatever was, or 881 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:05,239 like Zire hasn't drawn a charge in three years, and I'm like, there 882 00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:07,800 was a bunch of little hustle stats. No, it was deflections. This 883 00:57:07,960 --> 00:57:09,320 is what it was. I'm not remembering again. Maybe I could have prepped. 884 00:57:09,440 --> 00:57:14,679 It's not like I think about the Grizzies every day. Zire Williams has 885 00:57:14,719 --> 00:57:19,880 the spectacular lack of deflection marks and lack of loose balls recovered. And there 886 00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:22,239 was this thing. I was tracking it last year I'm like, Zyra Williams 887 00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:24,400 was still not recovered a loose ball and like the top ten, and I 888 00:57:24,559 --> 00:57:29,199 am going back to the skeptic thing. I'm very skeptical of the NBA Hustle 889 00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:31,679 Stats page. Like I'm not saying they're faking it, like they're they're definitely 890 00:57:31,800 --> 00:57:37,880 tracking things. The value of the things they're tracking I'm very skeptical of. 891 00:57:37,159 --> 00:57:40,599 And I shouldn't say that as we just picked up the reigning two time Hustle 892 00:57:40,639 --> 00:57:45,760 Award winner, Marcus Smart. I had an entire podcast episode basically about how, 893 00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:47,920 like, I'm not sure how they applied their Hustle stats and came out 894 00:57:47,960 --> 00:57:52,159 with Marcus Smart as the winner because he's not high in any of these categories. 895 00:57:52,719 --> 00:57:57,480 But it was like the loose balls recovered. It was like Zire Williams 896 00:57:57,760 --> 00:58:00,719 and a bunch of bigs in their thirties and it was like the only people 897 00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:05,519 I'm like, how is this twenty one year old not just accidentally picked up 898 00:58:05,519 --> 00:58:08,239 a loose ball? And people are like people would be like adding me on 899 00:58:08,400 --> 00:58:10,400 Twitter and be like, hey, I think he got one. I'm like 900 00:58:10,480 --> 00:58:13,960 that. I'm like, that might have been a rebound. It might have 901 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:15,199 been a rebound. We'll have to wait and see how it scored, like 902 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:20,519 they scored it as a rebound. Sorry zai here, Oh no, this 903 00:58:20,719 --> 00:58:24,079 all adds scientific heft tier. He doesn't have, feel that's like a qualitative. 904 00:58:24,320 --> 00:58:27,920 If you don't get deflections, you don't get loose balls, you don't 905 00:58:27,920 --> 00:58:30,679 get rebounds, you can't really assist. Like it is like, I don't 906 00:58:31,800 --> 00:58:35,920 he nominated him for does the least with the most award, that's what you're 907 00:58:36,519 --> 00:58:38,039 but I mean they stopped playing him last year, and like he got healthy, 908 00:58:38,039 --> 00:58:40,199 he got healthy. Yes, he struggled with injury last year, but 909 00:58:40,280 --> 00:58:45,639 like he fell behind basically everyone in the rotation, and so maybe they'll give 910 00:58:45,719 --> 00:58:50,159 him a chance like to regain that. But it is sad because like I 911 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:53,960 feel like I feel like my like calling card is a Grizzlers podcaster. Was 912 00:58:54,039 --> 00:58:58,880 just being like it maybe most podcasters team specific podcasters like this, you latch 913 00:58:59,000 --> 00:59:01,719 on, like you grab your data points and you're like, but just look 914 00:59:01,760 --> 00:59:06,079 at the numbers when these guys play, and like these are or also like 915 00:59:06,239 --> 00:59:08,400 this guy plays how I like guys to play, and so when now I'm 916 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:12,920 like, I'm like doing those confirmation bias, like I like that guy, 917 00:59:13,039 --> 00:59:15,639 and then I found this stat and now I'm gonna hammer at home, and 918 00:59:15,719 --> 00:59:17,599 then it just keeps happening. Look how good they do when these guys play, 919 00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:21,480 And like I felt like all my years, like the first three years, 920 00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:23,079 I need Gritson Grinds. I was like passionate. I'm like, the 921 00:59:23,119 --> 00:59:28,199 Grizzies are good, but when this, like I would't even like when any 922 00:59:28,239 --> 00:59:31,000 of these eight guys play, we're awesome. And I was so passionate every 923 00:59:31,039 --> 00:59:34,599 single year, and last year was the first year where I was like, 924 00:59:36,360 --> 00:59:38,599 outside of our best four, I don't care, like they're whatever, Like 925 00:59:38,639 --> 00:59:43,039 I don't like, I don't People are like, hey, should Taylor Taylor 926 00:59:43,119 --> 00:59:46,280 Jingius have gone with the whoever? Like like should Roddy have finished? I'm 927 00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:50,440 like, man, I don't know, like like all these guys are the 928 00:59:50,559 --> 00:59:52,719 same to me and I don't have a strong opinion on any of them. 929 00:59:53,119 --> 00:59:57,360 And it was just like when I would just I'm like i'd played conshar like 930 00:59:57,639 --> 01:00:00,239 they're like what's because everyone's frustrated because like con there is this very known quantity 931 01:00:00,440 --> 01:00:05,840 or a known entity like where I'm like concerts not terrible, Like I don't 932 01:00:05,880 --> 01:00:09,639 know Zaire's terrible a lot, and David Roddy like anytime a rookie does anything 933 01:00:09,679 --> 01:00:12,639 good, you're like, oh, he's pretty good, but like, flat 934 01:00:12,719 --> 01:00:15,119 out he was terrible a lot. And that's just what happens with rookies. 935 01:00:15,159 --> 01:00:21,119 And so I've become this like I worry it's made my product worse. I 936 01:00:21,199 --> 01:00:24,079 don't have a strong passionate opinion about like, oh, yeah, like we 937 01:00:24,199 --> 01:00:28,400 gotta play Kenneth Auton junior. It's like I'm more like, well you do, 938 01:00:29,440 --> 01:00:31,079 wait, we do. Maybe it's just aging, you lose your edge. 939 01:00:31,159 --> 01:00:35,000 You don't care anymore. You're just like, man, the coaches they 940 01:00:35,079 --> 01:00:37,599 see him, they probably know best, And I'm like, shut up, 941 01:00:37,679 --> 01:00:40,880 man, I feel like you're describing my exact trajectory as an analyst right now. 942 01:00:42,039 --> 01:00:44,960 Yeah. Yeah, They're like they're like you company man. It's like 943 01:00:45,119 --> 01:00:47,280 they don't they don't care what I say. Like I don't like, no 944 01:00:47,360 --> 01:00:51,199 one's proven they're good. No one's proven they're good to me on the back 945 01:00:51,239 --> 01:00:53,400 half of the roster. So it's like, yeah, put play Luke Kennard 946 01:00:53,440 --> 01:00:55,719 thirty five minutes. Like he didn't like the trade, That's right, I 947 01:00:55,800 --> 01:00:59,400 didn't. But guess what he's good. Let's let's play him. Let's play 948 01:00:59,440 --> 01:01:02,440 that guy, and I don't care who they develop. Figure it out and 949 01:01:02,559 --> 01:01:07,039 please get me some more talent on this team, Keith, I know you 950 01:01:07,119 --> 01:01:10,039 gotta go, so we will end here. They're over under as of September 951 01:01:10,119 --> 01:01:14,880 twelfth, twenty twenty three, forty six and a half. Would you go 952 01:01:15,079 --> 01:01:16,159 over or under on that? And where do you see them just kind of 953 01:01:16,199 --> 01:01:20,079 stacking up relative to the rest of the West. Well, all right, 954 01:01:20,599 --> 01:01:22,159 where do I seem stacking up relative to the rest of the West. I 955 01:01:22,239 --> 01:01:28,840 think when they're healthy, I think they're probably in that like fourth to sixth 956 01:01:29,119 --> 01:01:32,800 best team maybe when you look at that, because the West is it's gonna 957 01:01:32,800 --> 01:01:36,559 be brutal, but it's also kind of wide open. I think Denver and 958 01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:40,119 Phoenix are probably the only teams I would just be prepared to say are better 959 01:01:40,199 --> 01:01:44,000 than anyone at this point. I'm out on Phoenix. I'm out on Phoenix. 960 01:01:44,039 --> 01:01:45,599 I'm playing my flag. Well, then there you go. So the 961 01:01:45,679 --> 01:01:47,840 Grizzlies are the second best team in the West. There's only the Nuggets in 962 01:01:47,840 --> 01:01:52,719 front of I. I don't I don't think we can beat I think the 963 01:01:52,800 --> 01:01:57,840 Lakers are are much better than the Grizzlies. I think the Nuggets are better 964 01:01:57,880 --> 01:02:01,400 than the Grizzlies. I think I think the Warriors and Sons are problematic for 965 01:02:01,440 --> 01:02:05,840 the Grizzlies, but I think they're in the mix. I think they're there. 966 01:02:05,920 --> 01:02:08,880 But of course the Grizzlies aren't healthy. Steven Adams was hurt and it 967 01:02:09,000 --> 01:02:13,039 was a big that was that was a big weird into the year where he 968 01:02:13,159 --> 01:02:15,079 was out for three to five weeks and never came back and it was months 969 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:20,599 and so like and John rand of course is suspended and has to not get 970 01:02:20,639 --> 01:02:24,800 suspended again. And Marcus Smart plays sixty five games every year, and it's 971 01:02:24,920 --> 01:02:30,159 like Jaron had a healthy year last year even with missing the first I can't 972 01:02:30,159 --> 01:02:31,360 remember how many games he missed at beginn of the year, Like Jarreon played 973 01:02:31,440 --> 01:02:36,920 under sixty games last year. And so all of that mixed together makes me 974 01:02:36,920 --> 01:02:39,679 a little apprehensive of like, I don't know, And of course the depth 975 01:02:39,840 --> 01:02:45,199 I feel like this year, this year's challenge has been they're really leaning into 976 01:02:45,239 --> 01:02:51,519 trusting their own infrastructure. Like they have been good in the regular season for 977 01:02:51,639 --> 01:02:55,360 two straight years, regardless of who suited up, regardless of who was there 978 01:02:55,440 --> 01:03:00,000 every night, and they keep in my mind opping away at the depth. 979 01:03:00,719 --> 01:03:04,440 It's like, oh that was the case, but now like Taynas Jones and 980 01:03:04,639 --> 01:03:07,000 Dylan Brooks are gone and they played tons of minutes, and the way the 981 01:03:07,079 --> 01:03:10,000 Dalan Brooks thing ended, people are like, oh, we're gonna be better 982 01:03:10,039 --> 01:03:13,960 withouting dealing Brooks. It's like maybe we'll figure it out. Like it's a 983 01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:16,079 great experiment, Like I basically became a Dealer Brooks apologist, where I'm like, 984 01:03:16,840 --> 01:03:21,119 I've watched every game for years, and they're always good when he's on 985 01:03:21,199 --> 01:03:23,280 the court, even though we're shooting thirty two percent, and so it's like 986 01:03:23,280 --> 01:03:27,159 I don't know what that means, Like so maybe they will be actually better 987 01:03:27,159 --> 01:03:30,800 without dealing Brooks. So so like me trying to assess the wind total, 988 01:03:30,480 --> 01:03:34,360 I think when healthy, yeah, like probably a top five team, but 989 01:03:34,800 --> 01:03:37,159 they're not gonna be healthy. They're missing a job for twenty five games. 990 01:03:37,199 --> 01:03:40,280 That forty six and a half number. It feels fair, you know, 991 01:03:40,519 --> 01:03:45,639 like they've hit their over Also every year John Rent has been in the league. 992 01:03:45,199 --> 01:03:49,159 So I don't know if you do you ride the hot hand or you 993 01:03:49,239 --> 01:03:52,280 do the old roulette fallacy, like it's been black fourth straight times, I'm 994 01:03:52,280 --> 01:03:59,679 gonna go red. I don't know, I will say, I will say, 995 01:03:59,719 --> 01:04:02,079 am I and my heart of hearts, I worry this is the year 996 01:04:02,199 --> 01:04:05,480 they kind of like run out of the regular season magic where they're like, 997 01:04:05,559 --> 01:04:10,920 oh, we really can't depend that much on just these six guys, and 998 01:04:11,519 --> 01:04:14,960 we over extended ourselves. But like last year, we also know, like 999 01:04:15,079 --> 01:04:17,320 Santio Dama, we had no idea who to be good and and he and 1000 01:04:17,360 --> 01:04:21,079 he was a very useful rotation player. And it seems highly likely if it 1001 01:04:21,159 --> 01:04:24,480 is Ziah Williams, or maybe it is Jake La Rabia, or if it 1002 01:04:24,559 --> 01:04:28,039 is David Roddy, somebody might jump back up into that and then with the 1003 01:04:28,079 --> 01:04:32,039 high end talent you have, you're probably gonna be all right. So ah, 1004 01:04:33,039 --> 01:04:35,239 I'm gonna take the over. I'm gonna take a slide over. I'm 1005 01:04:35,280 --> 01:04:39,840 gonna trust they know what they're doing. I think the Memphis Grizzlies know how 1006 01:04:39,880 --> 01:04:43,400 to win regular season basketball games. How useful of a skill is that? 1007 01:04:44,519 --> 01:04:46,599 It's pretty pretty good because I like it because the regular season is long, 1008 01:04:46,760 --> 01:04:51,000 and I watched all the games and I value winning. So yeah, I'm 1009 01:04:51,039 --> 01:04:58,039 gonna say comfortable forty seven wins. I'm pretty sure they're four and oh on 1010 01:04:58,159 --> 01:05:00,360 the last four over under is like clear over because I'm owing for they are, 1011 01:05:00,480 --> 01:05:03,360 but they are I think to go under every year and they've cleared the 1012 01:05:03,440 --> 01:05:10,639 over so notorious Grizzlies skeptic. Yeah, yep, Keith, this was great 1013 01:05:10,639 --> 01:05:12,440 as always. Thank you for giving us so much of your time. You're 1014 01:05:12,480 --> 01:05:15,880 able just to tell our listeners where they can find you and all the fantastic 1015 01:05:15,920 --> 01:05:17,719 work that you do. Yeah, if you're a Grizzlies fan, you should 1016 01:05:17,800 --> 01:05:23,360 be listening to Grits and Grinds. Get pretty uh. I give some of 1017 01:05:23,400 --> 01:05:27,679 this analysis there multiple times a week, and then if you're a general NBA 1018 01:05:27,760 --> 01:05:30,800 fan, please check out Fast Break Breakfast cover the whole league. So yeah, 1019 01:05:30,880 --> 01:05:34,159 check out Fast by Breakfast and Grizzlies fans do. Grits and Grinds linked 1020 01:05:34,159 --> 01:05:38,400 to all those stuff is in our podcast and YouTube descriptions. Grant, you 1021 01:05:38,440 --> 01:05:42,039 want to take us out here really quickly? Yeah, everybody follow Keith consume 1022 01:05:42,119 --> 01:05:45,920 all of his various contents. I'm I just want to say very disappointed. 1023 01:05:45,960 --> 01:05:48,199 We were promised a cat incursion and we did not get they have a cat. 1024 01:05:48,320 --> 01:05:50,519 I don't it left it was nipping my heels earlier, and then it 1025 01:05:50,559 --> 01:05:55,679 took off. Maybe the ignore tactical work. It didn't like desire Williams pessimism 1026 01:05:56,320 --> 01:05:59,719 that must a minute. You follow us, you can get a at Hartwood 1027 01:05:59,760 --> 01:06:03,199 Knock. You can make sure you like great review, subscribe, tell your 1028 01:06:03,199 --> 01:06:05,519 friends, tell your enemies, do all those things by our merch We've got 1029 01:06:05,639 --> 01:06:10,599 links to the links and the descriptions of our YouTube page and on all our 1030 01:06:10,639 --> 01:06:14,360 socials. He's Dan, I'm Grant. This was Keith. Thanks for listening 1031 01:06:14,440 --> 01:06:15,679 and we'll check you out next time