1 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:20,320 What is Kraka, Lakin Fellow, Thermonuclear a Eppers. I am Yampa Valley 2 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,239 coming at you with some more hoops talk. Before we get started, we're 3 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,679 gonna discuss I guess, Lakers, Raptors, and bulls on this podcast so 4 00:00:28,839 --> 00:00:31,879 highlighted. I set off to do one team and I have like eighty windows 5 00:00:31,879 --> 00:00:35,640 open now and did a bunch of research and notes trying to decide which team 6 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,719 to focus on. I'm just gonna focus on all three because they're all pre 7 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,880 topical. Any who, if you have not already pleased, subscribe to this 8 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,320 podcast wherever you get it. If you're on YouTube, pitt that sub button 9 00:00:45,399 --> 00:00:48,560 right now. It would mean a lot like comments on the algorithm, love 10 00:00:48,719 --> 00:00:51,079 us back. 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Let's begin with we'll go with the Lakers, 24 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,159 just because we only talk about Lakers on the podcast, anyone who is 25 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,519 familiar with us, but just a little bit topical with the ad right foot 26 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:49,319 injury that he suffered over the weekend. Initially World Cup News Dump, the 27 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,319 Lakers said he was going to be out a month, but then it came 28 00:01:52,319 --> 00:01:56,239 out that it could be indefinitely, and then Brian Windhorse on The Hoop Collective 29 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,719 podcast Monday said, it's not good. It's not a sprain ankle, it's 30 00:02:00,719 --> 00:02:04,079 not a spraying foot from what I understand, it's something a little more concerning 31 00:02:04,079 --> 00:02:07,400 than that. Maybe we'll know by the time I'm even recording this podcast like 32 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:12,039 or that it's out and you're listening to it. That's no bueno for the 33 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,360 Lakers. It's it's it's fucking terrible. Is really the They're able to beat 34 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,680 the Wizards without him on Sunday, but it's the you know, the Wizards. 35 00:02:20,599 --> 00:02:23,960 So I Anthony Dames was this sucks because Anthony Dame was playing probably the 36 00:02:24,039 --> 00:02:28,199 best basketball of his career, if not close to it kind of a finite 37 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,360 stretch. So he didn't want to say it was the best basketball of his 38 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,560 career, which is looking at the way that he was hitting some really difficult 39 00:02:32,599 --> 00:02:37,960 shots and just creating for himself the chemistry that he built up with Russell Westbrook. 40 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,639 It's a blow. It's a monstrous blow. And now we pivot. 41 00:02:40,719 --> 00:02:44,439 Russ didn't play and son I didn't see the Wizards game, but Russ didn't 42 00:02:44,439 --> 00:02:46,840 play in the Wizards game. I believe he and Lebron without idea on the 43 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,840 court, they're they're up to a minus one point six points per one hundred 44 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,479 possessions this season. Just something to monitor. I think you're in a situation 45 00:02:54,520 --> 00:03:00,520 now with Russ and Russe and a d had developed some really nice chemistry when 46 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:05,000 Lebron wasn't on the court. Now those minutes are just Russ and Thomas Bryant, 47 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,000 and so the Lakers specifically on the offensive end this year, when Thomas 48 00:03:09,039 --> 00:03:14,719 Bran and Lebron have played together without Anthony Davis, they're pumping in one and 49 00:03:14,759 --> 00:03:16,560 twenty two point nine points per one hundred possession. So the offense has been 50 00:03:16,599 --> 00:03:21,240 fine, the defense has been in the fifty first percent. Tile They've been 51 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,000 mainly surrounded by Austin Reeves and Lonnie Walker, and then they rounded out with 52 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:29,000 some sort of guard in there. Maybe it's Russ that lineup has not been 53 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,039 good. Maybe he's Dennis Shrewder. At this point, Patrick Beverley could be 54 00:03:31,039 --> 00:03:34,159 sprinkled in there. But it seems like, you know, the crux of 55 00:03:34,159 --> 00:03:38,039 your main lineup now is going to be like your best lineup, I should 56 00:03:38,039 --> 00:03:40,719 says Walker, Reeves, James and Bryant. I think also by extension, 57 00:03:40,759 --> 00:03:46,639 if Brian's able to space the floor, that's not you know, he's not 58 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,439 a proxy for a d but that's the that's at least opening up the floor 59 00:03:50,479 --> 00:03:52,960 in the front court. He's not going to replace anything that Anthony Davis does 60 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:54,599 on a defense, which is certainly going to be a problem, but at 61 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,919 least opening up the floor in the half court for a guy like let's say 62 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:00,919 Lonnie Walker, who I think and you could say this for Russ too, 63 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,520 But Lonnie Walker becomes more important because of his creation an ability to put pressure 64 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,000 on set defenses. So you look at him and Lebron as maybe driving forces 65 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,400 of this offense apply makes Dennis Shrewder a little bit more important to this team 66 00:04:13,439 --> 00:04:16,319 as well too. So I don't know that the Lakers are just gonna be 67 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,399 able to survive this stretch without Navy Davis because we don't necessarily know how long 68 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:23,600 it's going to last. If it's a month, I mean, that's a 69 00:04:23,639 --> 00:04:27,199 long enough time I thought. I said the Warriors would probably be done. 70 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,600 If Steph is going to wind up missing a month, it's supposed to be 71 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:31,680 a few weeks. We'll see what happens. Lakers are thirteen and sixteen, 72 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,319 twelve place, They're right there. I mean, they're one loss back of 73 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,920 the play in. As I'm recording this, like that's not the end of 74 00:04:38,959 --> 00:04:41,759 the world. But the Western Conference, you just don't I mean, this 75 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,800 season really don't have any margin for error. What's also impactful here or this 76 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,839 will impact how the Lakers approach the trade deadline. I would imagine Lebron was 77 00:04:49,879 --> 00:04:54,519 asked about this on Sunday and he said, that's a question for Polinka, 78 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,319 But you know that he's gonna want them to trade the picks, probably more 79 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,959 than ever now, just to supplement the help. But you're also in this 80 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,399 weird conundrum at the same time where it's like, well, you don't have 81 00:05:03,639 --> 00:05:08,800 Anthony Davis, Like, what is the target via trade? The buddy healed 82 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,800 Miles Turner one with Russell Westbrook makes a little bit more sense now, maybe 83 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,319 because you don't have a d right away, especially if he could miss an 84 00:05:15,319 --> 00:05:17,959 indefinite amount of time, But it also makes less sense because of how important 85 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,360 Russ has become off the bench and his shot creation has all of a sudden 86 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,279 been a boon for this team. I think I can't remember who first pointed 87 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,279 that out on Twitter. I think I want to say it was Jackson Frank, 88 00:05:28,879 --> 00:05:30,600 but I hope I'm not miss missiting that. And that was a great 89 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,439 point, is that you just can't throw Russ away. Willy nilly. There's 90 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,959 a trade that Grant and I will talk about on a separate podcast. That 91 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,560 might make more sense for Lakers because you're getting shot creation in there, and 92 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,839 if you're going to give up Russ, that's what you have to do. 93 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,480 Otherwise you might just be better off leaning into shooting and seeing like, well, 94 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,519 can we take on the last year Buddy Heal's deal and we'll just use 95 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:53,279 like the Nun Beverly package to do that, Like that could be a route 96 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,680 for them to go, and maybe the Pacers are more amenable if they don't 97 00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:00,959 want to pay Healed next season. But so it's it's one. The question 98 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,360 becomes are they more or less likely to move the picks now? And I 99 00:06:02,399 --> 00:06:05,279 think they're less likely, just because it seemed like they were sort of circling 100 00:06:05,319 --> 00:06:09,160 the drain on scenarios there to begin with, or at least maybe waiting for 101 00:06:09,199 --> 00:06:13,199 some to crop up closer to the February ninth deadline. And maybe that could 102 00:06:13,199 --> 00:06:16,199 always happens where there's where's there's no brainer scenario that we're just not even considering 103 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,319 right now, and maybe Bradley be Able demns a trade or something in January 104 00:06:20,439 --> 00:06:24,480 and you know, then yeah, you go and get Bradley Beal because of 105 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,639 it. Now, it just feels less likely because ad is slated to miss 106 00:06:27,639 --> 00:06:30,000 at least a month, in which case, look, by the time he 107 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,879 gets back, the Lakers will definitely be better than the Spurs and the Rockets 108 00:06:33,879 --> 00:06:36,720 in the West, And that's really the only team you could be confident in 109 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:42,079 saying they'll be better than. I mean, Minnesota is one games that Rudy 110 00:06:42,079 --> 00:06:46,519 Gobert and and Karl Anthony Towns at this point. The Warriors, I mean 111 00:06:46,519 --> 00:06:49,839 they beat the like whatever version of the Raptors is now without steps, so 112 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,800 that's yeah, whatever there, But like, you know, maybe you could 113 00:06:54,879 --> 00:06:57,680 if the Warriors sort of trail off, you still do have Lebron James has 114 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,519 been quietly really good, quietly really good recently for Lebron James. That's such 115 00:07:00,519 --> 00:07:03,360 a weird thing to say, But it also feels it feels like we're not 116 00:07:03,399 --> 00:07:06,519 talking enough about some for some reason. Shay just hits a game winner, 117 00:07:06,519 --> 00:07:10,600 and it feels like we also stopped talking about him before that. And the 118 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,279 Edward has been playing really well, hasn't really been seeing a lot of attention, 119 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,240 and Lebron has been playing really well. It just doesn't feel like those 120 00:07:16,279 --> 00:07:19,040 three you're receiving enough attention. Shay at least got it at the top of 121 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,399 the season, and then Edwards had it for like kind of the wrong reasons 122 00:07:23,399 --> 00:07:27,439 at the beginning of the season. I digress. Does this change the calculus 123 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,319 though? If you are deciding to move the picks, is would be my 124 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:31,759 is the question I'm more interested in, because I just think they're not going 125 00:07:31,759 --> 00:07:35,120 to now at this point that you're just gonna sit tight or maybe again like 126 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:40,319 the Beverly Nun second round pick something, what does that get you? If 127 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:45,079 anything? Maybe they explore that does this make you more inclined to be okay? 128 00:07:45,079 --> 00:07:47,040 Well, given a D's injuries, like it's not just about Shakras, 129 00:07:47,079 --> 00:07:49,959 Like we need a big in here too, and so is there a way 130 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,959 to do you start looking at it. I mean, you can get Miles 131 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,319 Turner with the Nun Beverly package if you're including the picks as well, if 132 00:07:57,319 --> 00:08:00,199 the Pacers don't have to take on Russ and you're still giving the picks, 133 00:08:00,199 --> 00:08:03,000 so you're give them both picks. I thinks they're not gonna trade Miles turn 134 00:08:03,079 --> 00:08:05,800 from one first round pick. I'd be shocked if they did that. If 135 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,839 it was two, and like that's the package is built around the non Russ 136 00:08:07,839 --> 00:08:11,399 You're not you can't ask for compensation for those expiring contracts like they're just small 137 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,600 or even roughs. At this point, it's different because his contract is so 138 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,399 large, even if he's been playing a lot better, you can't. You 139 00:08:18,439 --> 00:08:22,600 can't just reroute him, and any team that's acquiring him is not acquiring him 140 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,560 to keep him. And so that's why there's some level of compensation involving getting 141 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,519 off his expiring contract. At this point. You could explore that scenario, 142 00:08:31,079 --> 00:08:33,360 but doesn't make sense. Okay, now we have Miles Turner. Then when 143 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:35,840 a d comes back and that should work, we can close with both of 144 00:08:35,879 --> 00:08:37,039 them. But if something happens, they d again. That's how we have 145 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:41,639 Miles Turner. But is there almost a hollowness in doing that? Now, 146 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,440 if AD's gonna miss six weeks, eight weeks, you just have a chance 147 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,679 and not like to still miss not just the playoffs, but the play in 148 00:08:48,759 --> 00:08:52,440 tournament. And that's the dilemma the Lakers are in. So I would not 149 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,279 expect them to move the picks, but I would expect this to change the 150 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,919 calculus. In the event that they do that, it's either going to be 151 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:01,480 now more so than it was before, Oh a star became available, or 152 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:05,279 we might even see this skew. Okay, maybe it's one and honestly both 153 00:09:05,279 --> 00:09:07,720 the picks, but maybe it's one pick, and they're just like, oh, 154 00:09:07,759 --> 00:09:11,240 we really need to fortify some of our front court depth here because something 155 00:09:11,279 --> 00:09:16,440 always happens to Anthony Anthony Davis. It's never the same injury, but his 156 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,440 chronic injury is getting injured at this point, and it's just it's a blow 157 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,000 to Lakers because he was playing so great. You never want to see anyone 158 00:09:22,039 --> 00:09:24,480 get injured, but he was. You know, I didn't have him in 159 00:09:24,519 --> 00:09:28,120 my MVP discussion just yet. I was probably waiting to see how he played 160 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,840 a little bit longer. And also, you know, would the Lakers be 161 00:09:31,879 --> 00:09:33,679 relevant enough for him to continue playing at that level for an extended period of 162 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:39,159 time. Who knows there. So I'm the Lakers are just fascinating from that 163 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,519 perspective, I find them very like, I don't want the word is I'm 164 00:09:43,519 --> 00:09:46,799 not interested in them as a basketball team as much now without Anthony Davis on 165 00:09:46,799 --> 00:09:48,519 the court, I am still kind of entruyed, like, oh, can 166 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,399 Lebron lead them through this stretch? And what happens if he don't like, 167 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:54,879 if Lebron is winning basketball games for you with this group, or if this 168 00:09:54,919 --> 00:09:58,279 group was just winning basketball games tree without Anthony Davis, that's probably gonna put 169 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:01,120 more pressure on YouTube. Then move those picks, because oh we get Ampty 170 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,519 Davis back, and if we could get players or players who actually help and 171 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,759 deep in this rotation, perhaps we could make some noise in the Western Conference, 172 00:10:07,799 --> 00:10:13,559 especially if there's pullback in Dallas or Minnesota or you know, Golden State 173 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,720 with Steph being at That's where I'm at on the Lakers, though, Let's 174 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:22,480 go to the Chicago Bulls, who let up one hundred and fifty points on 175 00:10:22,519 --> 00:10:28,799 Sunday to the you know, very to the shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves. I mean, 176 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,799 my god. Zach Lavine called it embarrassing. The Bulls have lost a 177 00:10:31,799 --> 00:10:37,639 whole bunch of games lately. Over their past twenty games, they are nine 178 00:10:37,919 --> 00:10:41,200 and eleven. No, they're eleven. They're excuse me. Their Bulls are 179 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:46,919 over their last twenty games six and fourteen, and they are twentieth in offense, 180 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:52,440 twenty second in defense. They are they feel like a clusterfuck at this 181 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,799 point in the worst possible way, and I don't really know how to go 182 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,279 about fixing them, and a lot of people have put them on blow up 183 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,000 watch. I'm renaissent to say Team sh blow it up. I'll talk about 184 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,519 it, and I enjoy talking about it. But what does blow up mean? 185 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,600 Let's go into specific You can't just blow up a roster in theory. 186 00:11:05,639 --> 00:11:09,039 You need to find takers to the players you're trying to move, and the 187 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:11,600 moves need to make sense for you. That being said, Brian Winnhorse again 188 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,559 did say on the Hoop Collective, it's going to be something that's going to 189 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:18,000 be discussed more and more. The bulls is downfall. I think you're going 190 00:11:18,039 --> 00:11:22,000 to start You're going to see some bulls stuff coming here. They could wait 191 00:11:22,039 --> 00:11:24,480 a little longer, but they also could take advantage of the fact that there 192 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:26,960 are no sellers right now, and if they were to sell, they may 193 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,159 be able to do well in the market. I think we may be seeing 194 00:11:28,159 --> 00:11:33,279 that discussed a lot more coming up. I agree with him in the sense 195 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,799 that I think sellers, if they're willing to act early, might be able 196 00:11:37,159 --> 00:11:39,960 to get more since they're allowed to set the market and there are other teams 197 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,080 that tend to wait around. But I just I don't know what a tear 198 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,120 down looks like for this team, or I guess we know what it looks 199 00:11:48,159 --> 00:11:50,960 like. I don't know if they're going to be ready to go that route. 200 00:11:52,039 --> 00:11:54,440 I think they'll look at the top four protective pick they owe to Orlando 201 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,480 and think that they're doing the Magic more of a service than themselves. At 202 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,799 this point, they need to write it off as a cost. Maybe you 203 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,399 finish with a bottom four record gives you about a coin toss of keeping that 204 00:12:03,399 --> 00:12:07,200 pick, and perhaps you keep it. But if you don't, it's just 205 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,240 there's value in Okay, well, who did we move and what did we 206 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:13,799 get for them? It? Does Vooch have any value as an expiring contract, 207 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:18,080 I honestly don't know. I think Zach Low was talking to Sarah Kustock 208 00:12:18,159 --> 00:12:20,799 on his podcast about could they get like a first and a prospect for him 209 00:12:20,879 --> 00:12:24,360 or something, and I even thought that was from the nets. I just 210 00:12:24,399 --> 00:12:26,960 even thought that was like or true rotation players in a pick or something. 211 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,240 I even thought that was a high cost for Vooch, who's been better this 212 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:33,399 year and stretches the floor. But I just don't know that He's someone especially 213 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,279 headed towards free agency, you give up real value for it. Perhaps you're 214 00:12:35,279 --> 00:12:39,240 getting off a contract you don't want. That'd be something to consider. There's 215 00:12:39,279 --> 00:12:43,799 Demard Rozen that's narrows cropped up specifically with the Lakers. He'll have value. 216 00:12:43,799 --> 00:12:48,360 He still remains per in predictable, one of just the most overwhelmingly valuable clutch 217 00:12:48,399 --> 00:12:52,879 players in the league this season. So there's you know, that's He's definitely 218 00:12:52,919 --> 00:12:58,279 someone who I think would garner value. I don't know, is he going 219 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,320 to get you two first round picks? Probably not. He ranks first, 220 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:05,320 by the way an inpredredictables, clutch probability at it as I record this, 221 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,960 so win probability at it. Excuse me, but you could move him. 222 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,200 Zach Levine would be the big one. That's the guy that I look at 223 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,440 and say, okay, well they are blowing it up. He has four 224 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,039 years in one hundred and seventy eight point one million dollars left on his deal. 225 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:22,320 He is He's just looked off especially lately, and his defense has been 226 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:28,360 bad Chicago sometimes as Joe Calli actually absolutely went in on him in a recent 227 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,279 article after that loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. I don't think it's just Leavine 228 00:13:31,279 --> 00:13:35,720 who is culpable. I think that this is just an issue of a team 229 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,519 that was kind of built around like, no, you weren't going to protect 230 00:13:37,519 --> 00:13:41,279 the basket, and they're not. Like they're not doing a good job of 231 00:13:41,279 --> 00:13:43,279 that with Voos, with Andre Grummond. But their defense has just been such 232 00:13:43,279 --> 00:13:48,799 a disaster because they don't have the same level as disruption of disruption as they 233 00:13:48,799 --> 00:13:54,559 had last year when you had Caruso and Lonzo together for at least a stretch 234 00:13:54,639 --> 00:13:58,240 on like this season where Lonzos yet to play, and now Caruso's kind of 235 00:13:58,279 --> 00:14:01,039 just out there on his own. I think I would assume maybe has slipped 236 00:14:01,039 --> 00:14:05,519 a bit defensively. Not having Javonte Green during in the game against the Timberols 237 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:09,879 really hurt them, and so it leaves Caruso sort of on this this island. 238 00:14:09,399 --> 00:14:13,360 The Bulls have just been like I don't want to even say hit or 239 00:14:13,399 --> 00:14:16,360 miss. It's mostly been missed, but like, this is not a team 240 00:14:16,399 --> 00:14:22,080 that you can trust to do anything when it comes to their their transient transition 241 00:14:22,159 --> 00:14:26,000 defense. They have one of the bottom five during this stretch where they are 242 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,039 six and fourteen. They have one of the bottom five half court defenses, 243 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:31,879 which is like bad in itself. They are, you know, they're not 244 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,960 letting up a lot of second chance opportunities, but teams were just hitting there 245 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:39,799 their first shots. And when you get to transition, like nope, Chicago 246 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:43,320 is bottom five there as well during this stretch, and they're not a team 247 00:14:43,399 --> 00:14:48,759 that you trust to get back on defense after they commit a turnover. They're 248 00:14:48,759 --> 00:14:54,039 not a team that even trust to go and get set after these live rebounds 249 00:14:54,039 --> 00:14:56,600 after they miss a shot. And so when you're not even going to be 250 00:14:56,679 --> 00:15:00,320 able to do that, like the baseline level of okay, let's get on 251 00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:03,840 defense during these live balls and then you're just gonna kick in. They're just 252 00:15:03,879 --> 00:15:07,559 fouling a ton right now. I think they were close to bottom ten and 253 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,679 foul rate during this six and fourteen stretch. It gets super tough and you're 254 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:15,840 not built to fix it because it's, Okay, who is your defensive fulcrum. 255 00:15:15,879 --> 00:15:18,480 It's Alex Carusoe and his hustle, his ball pressure, but like you 256 00:15:18,519 --> 00:15:24,519 need someone below him to depend on, and Patrick Williams as an isolation defender, 257 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:26,720 like yeah, sure, but like it's sort of just a team disruptor. 258 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,440 No, that's where you and I can't even say you miss Lonzo balls 259 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,279 since he's not gonna play like below that. But when you have two of 260 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,039 Cruise homeball on the court at once, that certainly makes a difference. Having 261 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,679 even having a healthy javantage like that can make a difference too. But it's 262 00:15:39,679 --> 00:15:41,240 not gonna be Vooche. It's not gonna be Drummond. Billy Donovan had a 263 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:45,720 quote I can't remember where it was from where he was kind of just bemoaning 264 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,159 that he can change the defensive coverage is all he wants, But like, 265 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,519 guys just aren't engaged and they're just getting beat and I think you can see 266 00:15:50,519 --> 00:15:52,720 it. I mean you can see get in all facests to the Bulls defense 267 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,039 if you watched them for a minute. And I think Stephan no of Sporting 268 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,559 News had a really good thread on this on Twitter the other day too. 269 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,399 But there's just like they just look languid. It's just it's inertia on the 270 00:16:04,399 --> 00:16:07,759 defensive end. And like I said, I don't the transition defense lately, 271 00:16:07,799 --> 00:16:11,679 it's not even been like their worst spot, but it just feels egregious on 272 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,679 how they can't even get set after live balls to even get beat in that 273 00:16:15,759 --> 00:16:19,120 scenario in the half court. So this team and when you're dealing with those 274 00:16:19,159 --> 00:16:23,000 issues and like, yeah, you have these talented offensive players and you're still 275 00:16:23,039 --> 00:16:27,320 floating around the bottom tenant offensive efficiency during this twenty game stretch. That's an 276 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,399 issue too, And so it becomes a matter of where do you go to 277 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,360 fix things? If you wanted to write the ship this season, And I 278 00:16:33,559 --> 00:16:37,039 don't know. This is a team that I just don't have a feel for 279 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:38,519 what they're going to do or how they would even go about fixing it. 280 00:16:38,879 --> 00:16:41,559 Like I can direct what I would do, and that is I would probably 281 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:45,360 tear it down and say, fuck the obligations to the pick that we have 282 00:16:45,399 --> 00:16:48,360 from Atlanto. Just let's get that out of the way and then but let's 283 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,679 start fresh. I don't think the ownership at the front office is going to 284 00:16:52,759 --> 00:16:56,440 want to do that to everything they've done over the past couple of years and 285 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,759 implies the opposite that Voots trade just I think of accelerated everything that happened after 286 00:17:00,799 --> 00:17:03,319 that. When you look at the de Rosan trade, going after a bunch 287 00:17:03,319 --> 00:17:08,480 of win now players and treating yourself is just sort of this quasi contender or 288 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,160 someone who's on the cuspit when you really weren't. But I do think are 289 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,839 we having a different conversation with Lonzo Ball? Is healthy? Maybe, but 290 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,000 that is the reality of the situation right now. I'm not saying trade Lonzo 291 00:17:18,039 --> 00:17:22,839 Ball for peanuts, but like, you kind of have to recalibrate here in 292 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,240 some way. But I don't know where to begin because I feel like there's 293 00:17:25,279 --> 00:17:27,519 so much wrong and I don't know how to fix. Yeah, you need 294 00:17:27,559 --> 00:17:30,839 the Bulls need to take more threes if they need more shooters on this team, 295 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,880 but like you can go acquire or shooter, but that's not going to 296 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:38,559 fix your defensive issues unless that shooter also happens to be like an amazing defender. 297 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,119 And so the other problem is is like you could kind of use an 298 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:47,680 upgrade or you need an upgrade on your front line defensively, but if you're 299 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,400 gonna move Root for that, are you really using Vooch, who is a 300 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,920 valuable player to upgrade at his position? And what's the equity you're including to 301 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,519 do that at this point? And it's probably player based just because you owe 302 00:17:59,559 --> 00:18:03,039 your twenty twenty three pick to the Magic and you're twenty twenty five pick to 303 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,359 the Spurs, and so like, you couldn't trade a first round pick before 304 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,359 Kingdom come at this point, so what are you? What are you doing? 305 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:11,759 And who is the target? And like, yeah, you could attach 306 00:18:11,799 --> 00:18:15,039 Patrick Williams to somebody, but then like, who are you getting? Like 307 00:18:15,079 --> 00:18:19,519 you need? They're in such a weird spot that I don't see a pathway 308 00:18:19,559 --> 00:18:23,640 to them even being able to make this impact trade. If anyone has ideas 309 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:26,799 that they think they have a trade, a trade that solves more than one 310 00:18:26,839 --> 00:18:30,200 of the Bulls's issues, you feel free to get at me with it. 311 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,799 But this team just feels formless right now. I think that's the best way 312 00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:38,079 to put it. I do think if Zach Lavine starts playing better, hitting 313 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,039 more, I don't know if he looks slower this year, but I think 314 00:18:41,039 --> 00:18:45,160 he's gonna start, you know, and even like his shooting percentages, We've 315 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,440 seen players shoot worse than this, but like by his standards, he could 316 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,759 be hitting a higher clip of the shots that he's taking and so you expect 317 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:55,640 that to come up eventually. And so between him and Derosin, like, 318 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:56,960 could you be okay with where the Bulls are at on offense? They're able 319 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,799 to open the floor a little bit more with the way that food has been 320 00:19:00,319 --> 00:19:03,039 this year. Sure, defensively it's tougher, and I still think even with 321 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:07,319 that setup, it can be a slog offensively for them at times. And 322 00:19:07,319 --> 00:19:11,720 so you still need the supplementary shooting on this team. And I just don't 323 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,759 know. I honestly don't know where they're supposed to go from here. I 324 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,240 again, I know what I would do, but knowing their emma, which 325 00:19:18,279 --> 00:19:22,759 is not to you know, to tear it down or rebuild like they wanted 326 00:19:22,799 --> 00:19:27,799 to have this quick turnaround, I just I don't even I don't see what 327 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,279 the next course is for them. And it's that terrible podcasting to not have 328 00:19:32,319 --> 00:19:34,720 a solution here. But even there, they can't even find like the right 329 00:19:34,759 --> 00:19:38,480 starting unit. Like all of their most lineups are just their most used or 330 00:19:38,519 --> 00:19:44,000 most popular lineups, so many of them are just getting absolutely trucked at the 331 00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:47,200 moment. And so it's that gets a lot harder and this isn't and my 332 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,599 point there is so Lonzo Ball, let's say he just came back. Like, 333 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,640 let's just say Lonzo Ball came back. Yeah, he takes care of 334 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:59,359 the three point shooting at three point volume some of your defensive issues. This 335 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,160 is not just a matter of Alonzo ball isn't here and that's why the Bulls 336 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:08,359 are where they are. There's just something fundamentally, inherently, incurably flawed about 337 00:20:08,519 --> 00:20:12,000 the makeup of this roster right now. And I think if you were going 338 00:20:12,039 --> 00:20:15,559 to aim to fix it this season, you're looking at making a bunch of 339 00:20:15,599 --> 00:20:18,640 trades, probably mortgaging the future for more so than you already have, for 340 00:20:18,759 --> 00:20:23,680 a return that wouldn't even be ideal. And they are one of my we 341 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,720 need. I think we'll do a podcast on like the most fascinating teams entering 342 00:20:26,759 --> 00:20:30,759 the trade deadline or something. But I am watching them just because they feel 343 00:20:30,799 --> 00:20:33,359 like a team that could be forced to just because they're losing by so much. 344 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,920 I just I would be shocked. And I'll phraze it this way to 345 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,319 close up on the Bulls. If they go full throttle into the tear down, 346 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,480 if they move, I could see them moving two of Voots and Derozen 347 00:20:45,279 --> 00:20:48,079 and then like of Voots, De Rosen and Lavine, and I just wouldn't 348 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,559 bet on it being Lavine, and I'd be curious to see his trade value 349 00:20:51,559 --> 00:20:53,319 based off, how he played this season, history of it, like the 350 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,720 knee issues in his rearview, four years, one hundred and seventy eight point 351 00:20:56,759 --> 00:21:00,559 one million left on this deal. Would you rather have him or Radley Beal's 352 00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:03,920 contract? Yeah, him, he's slightly younger. I think his I mean, 353 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,079 Radley Beal has been better when he's healthy defensively this year, but he's 354 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,599 just Leavine is cheaper, So I'd just be curious, like, is now 355 00:21:11,599 --> 00:21:17,000 even the time to tear down because you're getting pretty good value for de Rosen. 356 00:21:17,319 --> 00:21:19,839 Who else though, Like Patrick Williams has been, he feels hit or 357 00:21:19,839 --> 00:21:22,079 miss on offense, like he'll start to figure some things out, or he'll 358 00:21:22,079 --> 00:21:25,400 shoot really well from three, but it's not on high enough volume. And 359 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:29,200 then he'll play really good like defense for a few possessions, but then feel 360 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,759 like he's lost if he's not able to just zero win on the ball. 361 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:37,240 There's just so much weird about this team, and when looking at their individual 362 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:41,720 stocks, I think at the moment, you could probably get let's say De 363 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:47,319 Rosen might be might Here's so here's the real question of all the players on 364 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,440 the roster, who is at the peak of their trade value? There would 365 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,880 be there would be de Rosen and peak is sort of relative term here. 366 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,920 I know he's in his age thirty three season, but let's say like you 367 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,119 would get good value for him that you would be comfortable moving him. And 368 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:06,000 I would say Caruso maybe, who's quietly just by the way during this stretch 369 00:22:06,079 --> 00:22:10,759 averaging everyone sit down a whopping four point two VEO goal attempts per game, 370 00:22:11,599 --> 00:22:14,839 less fewer than two of which are coming inside the arc. But those two 371 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:19,839 players, yeah, you're confident you could get like net positive but value that 372 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,920 you're excuse me as I whack my microphone all over the place. You're comfortable 373 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:29,279 that you could get that. Waiting wouldn't improve their value like this is we're 374 00:22:29,279 --> 00:22:30,759 gonna trade. Their value is probably not gonna get much higher than it is 375 00:22:30,839 --> 00:22:34,599 right now. With Lavigne, maybe even with Vucci. Feel that way because 376 00:22:34,599 --> 00:22:37,240 you think there's nowhere to go but down. But like Levigne and Vouch and 377 00:22:37,279 --> 00:22:41,640 even Patrick Williams and Iotasumu and definitely Kobe White at this point like they're not 378 00:22:41,759 --> 00:22:47,319 and Lonzo Ball for sure, you're not going to get there. There's value 379 00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:48,279 in thinking, oh well, if we hold on to something, these guys, 380 00:22:48,279 --> 00:22:52,799 maybe they'll improve their trade value. But maybe maybe that's wishful thinking when 381 00:22:52,799 --> 00:22:56,240 it comes to a Patrick Williams, if it could be definitely thinking when it 382 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,079 comes to Vouchvic. I think it's fine to think that way with Lavigne and 383 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,640 ball specific and that's kind of why I wouldn't expect him to go full throttle 384 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:04,000 here. And so if you told me to pick the oat, let's set 385 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,240 the over under at one point five of them moving Vouch, de Rosen, 386 00:23:08,599 --> 00:23:14,880 Caruso, Lavigne and Lonzo this season. I'm gonna and I'm not gonna throw 387 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,279 Patrick Williams in there, because I just don't think he gets moved as part 388 00:23:17,279 --> 00:23:21,319 of a cell job. I think that maybe Ioda soon move. That's someone 389 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:25,319 you move to make a consolidation trader, to make an improvement to your roster. 390 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:26,799 So stick with those five guys. I'm gonna set the over under at 391 00:23:26,839 --> 00:23:33,880 one point five of De Rosen, Lavigne, Lonzo, Vouch and Caruso. 392 00:23:33,079 --> 00:23:36,720 Did I say that De Rosen, Lavigne, Vouch, Caruso, Lonzo, 393 00:23:36,799 --> 00:23:38,519 Yeah, those five one point five, I'd take the under. That's just 394 00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:41,240 the amount of faith I have in the bulls from office, and I'm not 395 00:23:41,279 --> 00:23:44,279 saying they need to sell low on Lonzo. I wasn't like concluding his name 396 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,119 to make that easier. I wouldn't. I wouldn't trade him now either. 397 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,519 There's if you're gonna tank anyway, Like, let's just see how health he 398 00:23:49,559 --> 00:23:52,240 gets next season. Can he help your team? Can he improve his own 399 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,000 trade value? So throw him out of there and let's set the other four 400 00:23:56,039 --> 00:23:59,079 players at one point five? Him taking me under anyway, that doesn't really 401 00:23:59,079 --> 00:24:06,119 matter there, So bulls panic meter incredibly high for me. Finally, the 402 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:11,480 Toronto Raptors speaking of panic meters that I didn't see us having to gauge. 403 00:24:11,599 --> 00:24:17,240 I guess at any point this season someone had asked and on YouTube whether the 404 00:24:17,279 --> 00:24:19,039 Toronto Raptors should blow it up. We did in a mailbag. Both Grant 405 00:24:19,039 --> 00:24:22,599 and I came out here preaching patients cautions and it was too soon. We 406 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,759 both look a little bit foolish now, and I certainly feel a little bit 407 00:24:26,759 --> 00:24:29,880 foolish for dismissing the notion that they would ever do it. I'm still not 408 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,079 convinced that they will do it, let me make that clear, but like 409 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:37,480 they have earned like the talk of oh or they going to blow it up. 410 00:24:37,559 --> 00:24:41,480 They have absolutely earned that. They lost another game on Monday night to 411 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,200 the Philadelphia seventy six ers. It was at least close, but then now 412 00:24:45,279 --> 00:24:48,200 makes sixth straight and the pathway to this team. Yet you could point to 413 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:52,720 some absences. There are two and nine though over their last eleven and like 414 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,240 o Gianna will, we missed some of that time. Pascal Siakam played all 415 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,000 of those games, but he was working his way back from I think it 416 00:24:59,039 --> 00:25:00,759 was an inductor injury or is that Og had a ductor injury? They both 417 00:25:00,759 --> 00:25:03,119 have an a ductor injury. I can't keep up with all these injuries. 418 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:07,720 I do try my best there though, so like, yeah, you've dealt 419 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,759 with some absences, like getting nothing from out reporter this year, like that 420 00:25:10,839 --> 00:25:15,359 has to really hurt. But this eleven game stretch has sort of been a 421 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:22,319 microcosm of all the issues that we were worried about manifesting into one just giant 422 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,799 shit storm for this team. And I think it's fair now to wonder, 423 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:30,359 well should they go a different direction. Here they are during this eleven game 424 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,440 stretch actually better when I was looking at it, because watching them, you 425 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,400 wouldn't think that they are eighteenth in offensive efficiency that was shocking. Twenty second 426 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:42,640 in defense, their their half court offense, it's still it's a mess. 427 00:25:42,839 --> 00:25:47,079 It's just a mess they are during this stretch. They're twenty fourth, but 428 00:25:47,079 --> 00:25:49,759 they're twenty ninth and half court offense on the season, they're not. Like 429 00:25:49,839 --> 00:25:53,240 they can still get some second chance points, but like during the stretch, 430 00:25:53,279 --> 00:25:56,400 they haven't been getting a crap ton of them. And so when you're relying 431 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,799 on that, and then you're all of a sudden, okay, you're still 432 00:25:59,799 --> 00:26:03,640 really rely on on transition and you've been okay in transition during this stretch, 433 00:26:03,519 --> 00:26:07,319 how are you going to generate your half court offense? Though? Like you 434 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:08,759 can get out in transition, but if you're not going to be able to 435 00:26:08,799 --> 00:26:12,000 have a more dynamic half court offense aside from let's rebound our own misses and 436 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:17,359 really hope that Pascal Siakam can continue to play the way he's playing and then 437 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:19,920 Fred van Fleet will start hitting shots, it puts you in a conundrum. 438 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,039 And they're just when you watch the way they play, they're not built to 439 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:29,240 play that way. Here's there's only three teams who use isolation possessions as a 440 00:26:29,319 --> 00:26:32,680 larger share of their offensive touches, Dallas, Philly, and Brooklyn. Those 441 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,640 are probably the three teams you'd expect, right, Like maybe you would think 442 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,920 like Portland or the Clippers would be in there, but those are the three 443 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,200 teams you would predict. However, Toronto, despite being fourth and ISO frequency, 444 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:48,319 is twenty eighth in efficiency point seven eight points per ISO possession, only 445 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:49,799 the Bucks at point seven two. That's a red flag, by the way, 446 00:26:49,799 --> 00:26:55,400 and the San Antonio Spurs are worse in that department. They don't have 447 00:26:55,799 --> 00:26:57,440 guys that you can trust hit off the drivel jumpers. And no I'm saying 448 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,640 those need to be haul marks of your offense, but you need to have 449 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,880 that option. The Raptors don't. They are shooting their affective field goal percentage 450 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,559 on pull up jumpers this year thirty nine point eight. Only the Spurs and 451 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,519 the Lakers have lower effective field goal percentages on pull up jumpers. That's just 452 00:27:12,759 --> 00:27:18,559 that's an absolute disaster. And like there are some things that you can envisioned 453 00:27:18,599 --> 00:27:22,400 normalizing Fred van Fleet shooting under twenty six percent from three over these last eleven 454 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:27,000 games. Gary Trent Junior banged up right now. His shot selection even felt 455 00:27:27,039 --> 00:27:30,440 like it was and he wasn't even like one of their bigger issues then, 456 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,599 but og under thirty percent from three during this stretch. Scotty Barnes has been 457 00:27:33,599 --> 00:27:37,000 all over the place this season. He will have a game like the Nets 458 00:27:37,039 --> 00:27:38,799 where everything seems like it's clicking, the processing speed is up there, he's 459 00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:41,319 attacking, looks like he has great touch. They don't just have moments. 460 00:27:41,319 --> 00:27:44,880 I mean, like the sixers I think it was I can't remem if it 461 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,599 was an overtime, but like he just chucked up like this float that missed 462 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,880 everything. And so there needs to be a level of patients with him because 463 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:53,480 he is in his second year and so like I'm not, you know, 464 00:27:53,599 --> 00:27:59,480 de deboarding the Scotty Barnes bandwagon, but like when you can't count on him 465 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:03,640 to this supremely net positive player. And then that's on top of just not 466 00:28:03,799 --> 00:28:07,720 having enough reliable on ball options in the half court or enough shooting. They're 467 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:14,400 in the bottom five of three point shooting frequency and accuracy, and that's a 468 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:18,079 whole other issue. The bench probably been a little bit better than last season 469 00:28:18,079 --> 00:28:19,319 when you're looking at the numbers, but not something you could rely on. 470 00:28:19,319 --> 00:28:22,359 We have Nick Nurse turning to Malachai Flynn all of a sudden because he's so 471 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,359 desperate. And there's the defensive energy too, Like this is a team where 472 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:32,440 we probably I think we oversell, like the collective need for be like, 473 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:36,400 oh, go ahead and trade for trade for a big, like the Raptors 474 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,839 need a big the whole, like you know Club six seven and six nine 475 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,279 thing. It might allow you to switch, but Nick Nurse feels like he's 476 00:28:45,279 --> 00:28:48,079 like not even trusted that as much. And the Raptors haven't been as good 477 00:28:48,079 --> 00:28:52,319 as that. We've seen a lot of lazy closeouts from them. We've even 478 00:28:52,319 --> 00:28:56,160 seen them like their transition defense has been disappointing a lot of the time during 479 00:28:56,160 --> 00:29:00,519 this stretch. So I don't know how you look at this team and think, 480 00:29:00,599 --> 00:29:03,839 right, well, they need someone who can end defensive possessions by grabbing 481 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,920 boards, but then also help them with their rim protection because they're twenty eighth 482 00:29:07,119 --> 00:29:11,279 in rim protection, opponents are shooting over seventy percent against them against them at 483 00:29:11,319 --> 00:29:17,680 the rim, And then you look at just like their their overall defensive metrics, 484 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,240 like they're not they're built to be better than they are on defensive When 485 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:22,880 you look at the season long numbers, they're fifteenth and fifteenth per clean in 486 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,480 the glass. It's not like it doesn't paint this dire situation. But the 487 00:29:26,599 --> 00:29:33,440 Raptors have like one of the seven worst location effective field goal percentages allowed for 488 00:29:33,519 --> 00:29:37,200 the season, and they've probably actually been a little bit better now that I'm 489 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:41,119 looking at the splits during this stretch where they've just gotten absolutely trucked. But 490 00:29:41,599 --> 00:29:44,720 on the season, you know, they've given up like threes, they've given 491 00:29:44,759 --> 00:29:48,319 up looks at the rim, So there needs to be like maybe a fundamental 492 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,640 change in their defense. Can they afford to be less aggressive at points? 493 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,200 Like? Could that be something that they could really look at? But yeah, 494 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,559 they're twenty ninth in location AFFECTI field goal percentage, which is basically, 495 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:02,599 what would you expect opponents to shoot based on where you're allowing your shots from. 496 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,480 And because they are allowing there, they allow a bunch of threes and 497 00:30:06,519 --> 00:30:07,400 a bunch of looks at the rim, like they are twenty ninth in that 498 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,400 category. That's a that's another red flags. There are so many red flags 499 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,200 with this team. What is interesting and what I still do believe is that 500 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,599 they feel like they're closer to being able to possibly fix it than or at 501 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:25,559 least upgrade from the outside rather than just hey, tear it down. And 502 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:30,640 maybe they do straddle those two lines where it's or not try to upgrade. 503 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,559 But like you could see the moving Fred van Fleet because they don't want to 504 00:30:32,559 --> 00:30:34,880 pay him in Garretter and Junior, but you keep Siakam, Barnes and h 505 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:41,000 O Giananobi. I think blowing it up would constitute moving Pascal Siakam and I 506 00:30:41,079 --> 00:30:44,480 just he's probably I mean, if we did an all NBA belt right now, 507 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,559 he would be on mine. I think, so how like, why 508 00:30:48,559 --> 00:30:49,960 are you just going to move him when you have that type of a player, 509 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,599 and if you still do believe in Scotty Barnes. I also think there's 510 00:30:52,599 --> 00:30:57,599 a misconception where and uh, you know Rome eighty one eighty had pointed this 511 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:02,599 out in our discord that he disagree that the Raptors wouldn't move o Jan and 512 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,640 Obi because couldn't they trade him to get like, you know, as part 513 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:08,359 of a buy play. And I think he's right in that sense. If 514 00:31:08,359 --> 00:31:11,079 I'm missing his point. If his point was something else, I definitely could 515 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:15,240 see them moving him as part of a buy I think they would strive not 516 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:18,279 to, but are we sure they're gonna buy? And then if they're not 517 00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:21,759 going to buy or even sure that they're going to sell, like are they 518 00:31:21,759 --> 00:31:23,960 just going to try and float this thing into the off season. I will 519 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,440 say I think that if they were able to get like a mid end shot 520 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,319 creator to help their half court offense, it would go a long way. 521 00:31:30,839 --> 00:31:33,200 I also think that they don't need to get caught up with As I was 522 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,880 saying before, I think we overestimate how much value size can be sometimes, 523 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,240 but I also think we overvalue, like, well, how does this guy 524 00:31:40,279 --> 00:31:44,279 match up against Joel and be in the playoffs? Worry about that when you 525 00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:45,720 actually match up with Joel and beat him. This is all to say I'm 526 00:31:45,759 --> 00:31:51,119 not really ready to talk about Raptors tear down trade yet because I can envision 527 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:56,160 them being there imminently, so I feel like the conversation would be had about, 528 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:57,960 oh, where would they trade Fred van Fleet or where would they trade 529 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:01,160 Pascal Siakam. That has to happen another day, and I don't think they're 530 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:06,880 actually tearing it down unless they do really entertain Pascal Siakam trade talks. He's 531 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,000 playing at an all NBA level right now. I think you kind of owe 532 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,720 it to your organization to see, like, well, is there anything we 533 00:32:12,759 --> 00:32:17,160 could do that's not ultra disruptors to the future, maybe still optimize this team, 534 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:20,839 and it's you know, can you make a lower end upgrade and see 535 00:32:20,839 --> 00:32:22,640 if that and check some life where it's not old Christian colocals really are only 536 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,640 big that we can lean on. Sean Holmes is swilding around out there in 537 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:32,799 Sacramento. Can you look at getting another floor spacing secondary Shock creator is Atlanta? 538 00:32:34,039 --> 00:32:36,000 You know, knowing that they're in sort of tax dump mode, like 539 00:32:36,319 --> 00:32:38,720 why not stiff around John Collins. They're also like Bodan Magdanovitch. That's someone 540 00:32:38,759 --> 00:32:42,920 who could really help them. I think bog and Bogdanovitch could probably really help 541 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,559 the Raptors as well too. No, he's not gonna do anything for their 542 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:47,759 defense at this point, but like, you need to address one thing at 543 00:32:47,799 --> 00:32:51,759 a time, and maybe is there like a Noel Bogdanovitch deal to be hashed 544 00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:53,400 out there. They would have to have interest in Gary Trent Junior, and 545 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,480 then you have other money going out. I think Yark Gordon is someone who 546 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,039 could really help this team. So I think that they have options. Now, 547 00:33:01,039 --> 00:33:04,480 would you go out and immediately do that if you see like you can't 548 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,720 really write the ship from within? Maybe not, But I still think even 549 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:13,200 if the Raptors tear it down, I've seen too much of Oganna Noby talk 550 00:33:13,359 --> 00:33:15,000 in there. Barnes and n Anobi, I imagine, would be the two 551 00:33:15,039 --> 00:33:20,000 players that would be close to off limits. I'd imagine Barnes is off limits 552 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,039 in a non superstar trade, and that they look at oganaobis, Yeah, 553 00:33:22,039 --> 00:33:24,799 we're eventually gonna have to pay him, but he's still sort of plug and 554 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,240 play, and his offensive decision making can be all over the place. And 555 00:33:28,279 --> 00:33:30,480 again he looks a little bit like sluggish. I'm coming back from the deductor 556 00:33:30,559 --> 00:33:34,720 injury. But I think that those are the two if you're rebuilding, those 557 00:33:34,759 --> 00:33:37,000 are the two you keep. And so I see all these teams lusting after 558 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,079 Ogana Noby. There's a reason why, and which is why I don't think 559 00:33:39,119 --> 00:33:43,279 the Raptors would move him. Now if they were Kevin Drampa coomes available again 560 00:33:43,799 --> 00:33:46,599 or Star to be determined that I can envision is on the trade market and 561 00:33:46,599 --> 00:33:51,880 they decide to go out and get him. Yeah, I think that Oganaoby 562 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:55,200 could be on the table, but moving him feels counterintuitive to the rebuild just 563 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,559 because you have to pay him. That's not scary. He could be movable 564 00:33:58,559 --> 00:34:01,599 on his next deal. It's just the cap is going up. He could 565 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:05,960 sign his deal like right as that's happening, basically, or just before it's 566 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:07,880 happening. They'll have a better sense of that market. And it's not like 567 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:13,119 he's entering free agency this summer. That's an issue that you have to sort 568 00:34:13,159 --> 00:34:16,039 of grapple with, not sort of. That's an issue to grapple with regards 569 00:34:16,039 --> 00:34:21,440 to Fred Van Fleet, with regards to Gary Trench Jr. It's not that 570 00:34:21,519 --> 00:34:24,800 imminent with O Giananobi, and so I would expect this team to probably ride 571 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,239 it out. If I were the Raptors, I'd probably try and see if 572 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,239 I could hit like a single or double. As a mean, it's like, 573 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,639 Okay, we didn't give up any huge equity. So if this doesn't 574 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:35,960 work out, we need to pivot. But I think that there are steps 575 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,880 that can be taken specifically to improve the half court offense that doesn't necessarily involve 576 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:43,320 acquiring a superstar, Like let's just get someone who could hit a pull up 577 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,159 jumper and yeah, that's easier said than done. But again, Boia M'donovitch 578 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:49,559 is floating around out there, and he's someone who could help your team. 579 00:34:50,119 --> 00:34:52,679 I actually think Bogdomodonovitch would be perfect for them. I just don't know how 580 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:57,119 willing the Hawks would be to listen right now. Given their aspirations, they 581 00:34:57,199 --> 00:35:00,519 probably certainly listen for John Collins, especially if with Gary Trench j you're centering 582 00:35:00,559 --> 00:35:02,599 around it. That could be a route you go though. Just hope John 583 00:35:02,599 --> 00:35:06,960 Collins helps with your rebounding and then gives you another sort of screening but also 584 00:35:07,039 --> 00:35:09,559 floor spacing outlet in the half court if you believe that that's something that can 585 00:35:09,639 --> 00:35:13,719 open up what you're trying to do. What's odd, though, is that 586 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:15,599 if you trade Gary Trent Junior, you do sort of miss when he's healthy 587 00:35:15,639 --> 00:35:20,679 what he would bring, even if you can be manned by his shot creation 588 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:24,320 and him taking too many gambles on defense. That type of player someone else 589 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:29,480 who can put the ball on the floor from the outside in or is confident 590 00:35:29,559 --> 00:35:34,199 enough to hit like take those shots and give you some volume. You kind 591 00:35:34,199 --> 00:35:36,920 of need that, and so then getting rid of him and flipping him into 592 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:38,719 a big you would really have to trust that o g n and Obey Fred 593 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:43,039 Van Fleet and Scotty Barnes are going to be the answers for you on the 594 00:35:43,079 --> 00:35:45,400 perimeter of this season, or that you're going to get more out of like 595 00:35:45,639 --> 00:35:49,079 that Outopoord Junior's gonna stay healthy, You're gonna get more of him. We're 596 00:35:49,079 --> 00:35:51,159 precious that she was gonna come back, and you're going to get more of 597 00:35:51,199 --> 00:35:53,440 that from him. I would expect to Seeven remain patient. Rains to be 598 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:57,000 seen whether that's the right call, But I don't think we're a blow up 599 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,920 mode yet. And I again I want to caution just because they trade Fred 600 00:36:00,039 --> 00:36:01,639 and Fleet, who I think might be him, and Gary Trean Junior there 601 00:36:01,639 --> 00:36:06,360 too most likely to be traded. It's the Pascal Siakam future I'm looking at. 602 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,719 If they show a willingness to entertain offers, they are blowing it all 603 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:12,840 the hell and I'll be shocked if it's part of the cell they wind up 604 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:16,920 moving Ogna Nobi. So I'm this is a team that we're probably gonna focus 605 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,280 on. We'll do our trade deadline previews or primers eventually, and there are 606 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,000 a lot of you know, we can get into more nitty gritty targets. 607 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:27,960 But for now, should the Raptors blow it up? I have no idea, 608 00:36:28,119 --> 00:36:30,960 dude, I would lean no. Still I'm still leaning no. Do 609 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,039 I think they're going to blow it up? I ultimately do not think that 610 00:36:32,079 --> 00:36:36,519 they're going to go that route. That'll do it for this podcast. Hope 611 00:36:36,519 --> 00:36:37,920 you enjoyed it. Please, if you're watching and listening for the first time, 612 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,719 throw us that permit subscription. If you've already done so, tell people 613 00:36:42,079 --> 00:36:44,400 about us, join our discords the link to that as in the podcast and 614 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:46,679 YouTube description. Follow us on the socials if you're not already. We will 615 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:51,679 be putting out more organic content. I'm already putting out a few videos of 616 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:55,519 organic content on Instagram and TikTok a week, along with memes on TikTok and 617 00:36:55,559 --> 00:37:00,719 Instagram and even our YouTube community posts and even on short some find all different 618 00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:02,519 sorts of things to continue to grow the community, but also to put more 619 00:37:02,559 --> 00:37:07,199 content out there for everyone to consume. Until next time, And as always, 620 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:10,159 Illie, with the shout out of one you only the indelible Frank you with per