1 00:00:14,839 --> 00:00:20,199 What is kracklacing fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dana Valley, joined as 2 00:00:20,399 --> 00:00:25,960 always by my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. It is Peace 3 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,160 or Panic Time, which we're putting a unique spin on a recycled idea. 4 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,840 We think where we're gonna go through. We'll start with the Eastern Conference. 5 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,479 It'll be a two part podcast, and we're gonna do every team, and 6 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,439 sometimes when we're talking about the essence of an entire team to panic, that 7 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,320 will be the discussion. But otherwise we're gonna look even for the really good 8 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:49,000 teams, the really pleasantly surprising teams, identify a trend or something that might 9 00:00:49,039 --> 00:00:53,320 be troubling, and then decide whether it's worth panicking or this will just normalize 10 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:58,600 and let's just show peace and patience and process. What have you? Usual 11 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,439 housekeeping notes very quickly, justbscribe if you haven't already, Apple, Spotify, 12 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,879 YouTube, follow us on the socials. Links that are the podcast and YouTube 13 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:10,680 description. Join our discord, which I will include also the link to that 14 00:01:10,719 --> 00:01:12,640 in the podcast and YouTube description, and we have merch The links to those 15 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,400 are in the podcast and YouTube description. If you've done us, done all 16 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,760 those things and supported us in all those ways. Please consider telling people about 17 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,680 us, spread the word. We love you all and appreciate everybody's support who 18 00:01:23,719 --> 00:01:26,519 listens to this. And finally, I'm gonna try and keep my talking to 19 00:01:26,519 --> 00:01:30,120 a minimal on this one. It's Grant show because I am I am. 20 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,840 I can't use the word deathly. I am lethally ill at the moment, 21 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,599 and so if my energy is not there, if my voice starts to crack, 22 00:01:38,079 --> 00:01:40,680 I will pull back and not talk as much. My voice is okay 23 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:42,799 right now, so I can talk. But if Grant, if you notice 24 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:46,599 I start giving you short answers, I'm not mad at you, just because 25 00:01:46,599 --> 00:01:49,840 I don't want to sound like I'm going through puberty in real time. Well, 26 00:01:51,159 --> 00:01:53,920 I wouldn't want to rob the listeners of that potential for comedy, but 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,560 I understand. I've definitely the podcast game is not a great game to be 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,840 in if you're halfway losing your voice and have to keep speaking for over an 29 00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:07,120 hour. So, uh, you know, I sympathize, and I will 30 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,120 I will try to speak. Let's see, should I talk more to fill 31 00:02:10,159 --> 00:02:14,000 the space or should I talk less? So it's not as obvious that you're 32 00:02:14,039 --> 00:02:17,759 also talking less. We also up front also so that people like, why 33 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,240 are we again listening to an eight hour podcast from these two jackasses? Like, 34 00:02:23,719 --> 00:02:25,680 just listen to it at like three X speed and it won't be eight 35 00:02:25,719 --> 00:02:30,840 hours anymore. Have you listened a three X speed? I tried to pull 36 00:02:30,879 --> 00:02:34,479 back to one and a half and I'm already up to one point seventy five 37 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,319 on most And then the other day I was on two and I was like, 38 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,039 if only these things went faster. I don't think Apple podcasts give me 39 00:02:39,039 --> 00:02:43,479 the option to go to three time speed. Do you ever worry that if 40 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,680 you listen to a lot of podcasts on two X, for example, like 41 00:02:46,719 --> 00:02:47,960 one and a half, I think you can get to the point where you 42 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,000 don't really even notice it anymore. And then if you listen to that at 43 00:02:52,039 --> 00:02:55,319 regular speed it sounds weird. But if you I worry like, if I 44 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,400 listen to stuff on two X, which I don't do very much, I'm 45 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,280 gonna start speaking really fast and everyone's gonna think I'm a crazy person because it's 46 00:03:02,319 --> 00:03:07,759 just penetrate my brain. Does this explain why I sound like a coked up 47 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,400 fiend? If you listen to just to me on two X because I talk 48 00:03:12,479 --> 00:03:15,960 so fast as I'm listening to everyone else on I can't listen. If people 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,439 listen to me on two X, kudos to them. We get I used 50 00:03:17,439 --> 00:03:20,800 to get trolled all the time. I think people just have accepted it. 51 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,800 I'm not gonna slow down. The only one person that I think sounds or 52 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,560 speaks not. I'm not saying I'm the fastest. But have you ever listened 53 00:03:29,599 --> 00:03:34,599 to Locked on Jazz with David Locke. Yes, he is on eleven or 54 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,439 twelve. I'm on eleven and he's on twelve, and so he talks so 55 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:39,719 fast. Listening to him on two X, which I have done, by 56 00:03:39,759 --> 00:03:44,479 the way, it's just a certain podcasts. You're You're, I just I 57 00:03:44,479 --> 00:03:46,199 want to make sure I'm supporting and also listening to all this different contents. 58 00:03:46,199 --> 00:03:49,319 I'm like, I need to squeeze this in. But if I want to 59 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,639 sit down and enjoy a podcast, I'm like, I'm put on one point 60 00:03:52,719 --> 00:03:54,879 seventy five. I'm gonna live. I'm gonna live wild right now. I'm 61 00:03:54,879 --> 00:04:00,719 gonna treat myself. Yeah, I've gotten to a point where one and a 62 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,800 half on some podcasts sounds really slow, though, that's not the problem. 63 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:08,520 You actually do have a problem. If that's where you're at, that's that's 64 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,560 Uh, it doesn't sound slow. It's like I feel like a lot of 65 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,599 the time on two X I I'm not even processing what's being said, Like 66 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,800 I understand words are being spoken, but it's just I can't catch up to 67 00:04:18,879 --> 00:04:23,639 it. You sound fantastic on one and a half speed, maybe because I 68 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,079 speak to your perfect cadence. Yeah, so I should. So what you're 69 00:04:27,079 --> 00:04:30,439 telling the note you're giving me is grant talk faster. So there are people 70 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,839 on one x the normal speed. You sound halfway decent, got it? 71 00:04:33,639 --> 00:04:38,439 No, I'm saying I'm incoherent on one and a half. So if anyone's 72 00:04:38,439 --> 00:04:41,560 listening to me on two X, you're on one and a half. Your 73 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,519 because I've listened back to our podcast at points to try and just like again, 74 00:04:45,519 --> 00:04:46,839 there I go. I want to cut out my likes. You sound 75 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:48,839 great on one and a half. If I have to listen to myself on 76 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,480 one and a half or two, it's it's too fast. I don't like 77 00:04:53,519 --> 00:04:57,639 listening to myself under any circumstances. So I don't really have a strong opinion 78 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,800 on how I sound at various speeds. I do know, and I just 79 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,839 did it right now. The ums. Are you aware of your verbal tics? 80 00:05:04,879 --> 00:05:08,120 You don't really have any. I think you have enough reps to where 81 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:13,600 yours are pretty minimal. I if I listen to myself, I'm immediately incredibly 82 00:05:13,639 --> 00:05:17,800 annoyed by all of my pauses and ums, and like, I'll catch myself 83 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,040 repeating the same phrase, you know, at minute five, and then again 84 00:05:21,079 --> 00:05:25,600 at minute forty, or then again three different times, because it's like, 85 00:05:25,639 --> 00:05:28,439 well, it's rattling around my brain. I better just say this dumb thing. 86 00:05:28,959 --> 00:05:31,360 We both do the repeating of phrases, and I call it out sometimes, 87 00:05:31,399 --> 00:05:34,079 like for me podcast saying this is gonna be the phrase of the podcast. 88 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,680 Apparently I still have the likes. And it's because I edit us so 89 00:05:38,759 --> 00:05:41,439 much for the shorts that I'm aware of it, and you have the I 90 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,160 even said it. I think once on a SO episode, I have the 91 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,360 I'm the like guy and you're the um yep guy. And so your pauses, 92 00:05:48,399 --> 00:05:51,079 though, don't bother me at all. They make they're very easy to 93 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:55,240 chop up. When I'm doing shorts. It's a favor to you that I 94 00:05:55,319 --> 00:05:59,639 can't form a thought without stopping halfway through the uzz and the likes get annoying 95 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,000 to cut out because they're sometimes in the middle of thoughts and so when you're 96 00:06:03,319 --> 00:06:08,759 like having to separate words with the US and the likes. Our listeners are 97 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,959 super awesome though, because they don't and viewers. We never get shit for 98 00:06:13,079 --> 00:06:16,439 that really, so I very much appreciate everyone just powering through it. They 99 00:06:16,439 --> 00:06:19,480 did ask, though, how much editing we do on full episodes in the 100 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:24,000 mail bag. I think I think Austin had it, And surprisingly, the 101 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,759 full episodes are just like I'm throwing them up there. Yeah, it's the 102 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,079 clips and the shorts where I'm putting in real time to edit. So like, 103 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,720 thank you, guys, like thank you. I think that. I 104 00:06:34,759 --> 00:06:40,240 think leaving mistakes and poor turns of phrase is endearing. That's how I'm gonna 105 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,560 frame it. We're just regular guys, you know, we're no nobody's perfect. 106 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,680 We're just doing the best we can. Uh. Oh, I see 107 00:06:46,759 --> 00:06:49,199 now, I'm gonna think every time I do it, and I don't know 108 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:53,480 what direction I need to go with the next thing. I'm gonna say. 109 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,040 I'm gonna be in my own head so bad on this pod We shouldn't have 110 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,040 done this. We shouldn't started talking about this before we get to Eastern Conference. 111 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,480 Piece or Paddock, Do you want to go through some news? Since 112 00:07:02,759 --> 00:07:06,279 sure, I'll start with the Nets here, since that's the first item. 113 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,000 Ben Simmons, who has not played since November sixth, is set to miss 114 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,959 additional time while he battles a nerve irritation in his hip and lower left side. 115 00:07:14,959 --> 00:07:17,399 Brian Lusa New York Post reports Cam Thomas, still in the Nets, 116 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,639 is still out with the sprain ankle. This Ben Simmons thing not great, 117 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,560 considering the ups and downs his back has put him through over the last couple 118 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,839 of years. Right, and anytime I'm not even close to a doctor when 119 00:07:28,839 --> 00:07:33,600 I hear nerve not great. Yeah, I'm just I'm over Hornets Miles Bridges. 120 00:07:33,639 --> 00:07:38,160 This is a statement from the Charlotte Hornets. Miles Bridges is eligible to 121 00:07:38,199 --> 00:07:43,839 return to our active roster on Friday after serving his NBA suspension. We are 122 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,959 comfortable with Myles returning to play based on our current understanding of the facts of 123 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:53,519 the recent allegations, and remain in contact with the NBA as that matter proceeds 124 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,360 through the core process. For anyone who has forgotten and I don't know why 125 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,560 you would. He served the balance of a thirty games, which was ten 126 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,959 games this year after pleading no contest to a fellony domestic violence charge. Another 127 00:08:05,079 --> 00:08:09,560 arrest warrant that dates back to January came to light, like a few weeks 128 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,879 ago, and then another criminal summons was issued for an incident that happened earlier 129 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:18,879 in I believe it was October. This is I want to know what information 130 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,279 they know that makes them comfortable having this guy on the court, and we 131 00:08:24,319 --> 00:08:28,639 can let the due process play out. But this is that is a it's 132 00:08:28,639 --> 00:08:31,800 a cringey ass statement. I don't know what else to say about that. 133 00:08:31,839 --> 00:08:35,200 I don't know what the right words other than he's not going to play for 134 00:08:35,279 --> 00:08:37,720 us would have been. I'm sorry. After that second, I want to 135 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:43,159 make it clear the first one I would have got, he shouldn't be this. 136 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,840 These are players. If you believe in redemption, I get it. 137 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,120 This is now happening a second time afterwards, in the details of that second 138 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:54,759 summons were harrowing. This guy should not be in the league. Yeah, 139 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:01,039 it's just quite frankly, Yeah, moving on to less cringey, the scruggle 140 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,679 Bulls are the next team here. Zach Lavine and the Bulls are open to 141 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,519 a trade per Shampstrania. Great, good job, fellas, we're getting there. 142 00:09:09,279 --> 00:09:13,000 We'll talk. That'll be more about the Bulls. But that's franchise malpractice 143 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:18,480 that it happened eleven games into the season day in the offseason before sure. 144 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,559 Additionally, ten plus teams are expected to show interest in Alex Crusoe per Mark 145 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,720 Stein. DeMar DeRozan remains away from the team due to personal reasons. I 146 00:09:24,799 --> 00:09:28,399 forget where I saw it, but there was also some indication that DeRozan would 147 00:09:28,399 --> 00:09:31,000 be someone that maybe the Lakers were interested in. I mean, that's been 148 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:35,799 kind of floating around forever. So no news there. The Bulls like tiptoeing 149 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,799 around the blow up that should have happened quite a while ago, so you 150 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,039 know, and they might come up in the Eastern Conference piece for panic, 151 00:09:43,279 --> 00:09:46,639 I don't know it may or may not. Denver Nuggets they signed head coach 152 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,720 Michael Malone to an extension that will make him among the NBA's highest paid coaches. 153 00:09:50,159 --> 00:09:52,720 Extremely well deserved, I would say, just want a title and the 154 00:09:52,759 --> 00:09:56,720 relationship he's built with his players, even though some of his rotations can get 155 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,360 a little stubborn, and he's probably been a little bit better about that this 156 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,639 year. Just well deserved. I respect the hell out of the relationship he 157 00:10:03,639 --> 00:10:07,000 has with his players, and this is also just we talk about it all 158 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:11,080 the time, but it's really cool how much leeway or time the Nuggets were 159 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,440 given to turn into this. It's not even a title team. They're just 160 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,799 a juggernaut. They are a juggernaut. Yeah, Warriors and Wolves got them 161 00:10:18,799 --> 00:10:22,799 one together here. Steph Curry is set to miss an undisclosed amount of time 162 00:10:22,799 --> 00:10:26,960 with the sprain right knee. It's not considered serious. There was no structural 163 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,639 issue showed on the MRI he took, but still, given his age, 164 00:10:30,759 --> 00:10:33,600 given how vital he is to the team, anything going wrong with him as 165 00:10:33,799 --> 00:10:37,639 you know, a five alarm fire. Draymond Green got suspended five games for 166 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,279 putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock. That is the longest suspension for Encore conduct 167 00:10:43,279 --> 00:10:48,039 I think I saw since then Metal World Peace got seven games for the for 168 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:52,240 elbowing James Harden. That's I think twenty twelve when I saw shot cra Yeah, 169 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,080 that was you knew that was that was going to be an issue right 170 00:10:54,120 --> 00:11:01,320 then, but pretty significant suspension for the Adam Silver era and frankly not unwarranted 171 00:11:01,399 --> 00:11:05,519 given the track record. I also like, yeah, we're gonna get take 172 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,120 us ten years to get through this spot if we keep having tangents. But 173 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:13,840 like, I like, I like that Joe Dumars is looking at like past 174 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:18,679 behavior and saying, you're just a habitual uh violator of various rules and we're 175 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,639 gonna treat you a little bit more harshly. That's that's fine, Like that's 176 00:11:22,639 --> 00:11:26,279 how the world works that whole. I don't mean to laugh, but he 177 00:11:26,639 --> 00:11:30,960 comes in to break up the fight and just puts real Bert to headlock when 178 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:35,679 two other dudes are fighting, and I'm sorry. The war You know, 179 00:11:35,759 --> 00:11:39,679 the Warriors broadcast is awful. I'm not breaking any news here. Their spin 180 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:45,519 on that was so disgusting they had I think it was fits said no punches 181 00:11:45,519 --> 00:11:48,000 were thrown, which is good. Are you fucking kidding me? And that's 182 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,559 just the factual statement. Also, no punch is not being thrown as bad? 183 00:11:52,639 --> 00:11:54,120 Is that what you're saying? No? I yeah, I I didn't. 184 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,600 I wasn't. I was watching the Wolves broadcast because that's one of the 185 00:11:56,639 --> 00:12:01,679 best broadcasts in the league, and I love it and and they were surprisingly 186 00:12:01,759 --> 00:12:07,080 measured but were very clear on he's absolutely needs to be thrown out. There 187 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,200 will absolutely be suspensions. They were fairly sober about it. The Warriors one 188 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,480 I didn't hear, but I don't need to have heard it to know exactly 189 00:12:15,519 --> 00:12:16,919 what the tone was. And the other thing, too, is just that 190 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:22,120 there was I think Tom Habitstrow posted something where it's like Draymond Greens suspensions or 191 00:12:22,519 --> 00:12:28,919 ejections are disproportionately high in games that oh yeah, well Wredy Gobert called him 192 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,279 out. Did you see that quote about how he basically everybody must know about 193 00:12:33,279 --> 00:12:35,159 that if you're listening to this podcast, I can't I can't imagine that you're 194 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,600 not aware of the quotes from Gobert after the game, but it was basically, 195 00:12:39,279 --> 00:12:43,000 well, I was thinking beforehand that with Steph out, he's definitely going 196 00:12:43,039 --> 00:12:46,039 to get tossed out because he basically doesn't like to play without his guy or 197 00:12:46,039 --> 00:12:50,080 you know, I love thee Yeah, it was, it was definitely. 198 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,519 I mean, then the numbers back it up, so that's that's kind of 199 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:56,799 fun. Additionally, Gobert, speaking of and Klay Thompson and Jade McDaniels, 200 00:12:56,799 --> 00:13:01,240 who started the whole thing by like playing tugga or with each other's jerseys, 201 00:13:01,799 --> 00:13:03,679 will each find twenty five grand. No suspensions for either of those any of 202 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,360 those three guys. The Clippers, multiple reports have said that they have been 203 00:13:07,399 --> 00:13:11,840 relegated to the G League. No Dannuel Tye is expected to sign with the 204 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,879 Clippers after completing a buy out with the Pacers. He gave Indye back a 205 00:13:15,919 --> 00:13:20,240 little over two million dollars, which not coincidentally is basically the amount that will 206 00:13:20,279 --> 00:13:24,840 be offset when he signs with the Clippers. The Lakers announced Thursday that gave 207 00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:28,399 Vincent Lefnie's progressing in his recovery and will be re evaluated in two weeks. 208 00:13:30,279 --> 00:13:33,320 The Memphis Grizzlies have been granted a disabled Player Exception worth six point three million 209 00:13:33,399 --> 00:13:37,879 by the NBA for the season ending loss of Steven Adams. They have until 210 00:13:37,919 --> 00:13:41,879 March eleventh to use the DPE. They can use it to sign a player 211 00:13:41,919 --> 00:13:46,039 for one year or acquire someone who only has one year left on his contract. 212 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:50,399 However, they currently have fifteen players on the standard roster, in addition 213 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,960 to also having John Morant on the suspended list, So if they're going to 214 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,080 use it, there's going to need to be some roster for naggling there. 215 00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:01,039 And if you do remember, they used part of the mL who signed bizmac 216 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:05,440 Biambo. The Pelicans announced Monday that Larry Nance Junior has been diagnosed with a 217 00:14:05,519 --> 00:14:09,639 right rib fracture and will be reevaluated in ten to fourteen days. The Pelicans 218 00:14:09,799 --> 00:14:13,840 stay snake bit Kelly Rubridge Jr. I went over this in the solo mailbag. 219 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,960 When he was hit by a moving vehicle ribs. He's resumed, has 220 00:14:18,039 --> 00:14:22,679 broken ribs, fractured ribs, has resumed taking part in light work, the 221 00:14:22,679 --> 00:14:24,679 Sixers said, and the team has hoped that he could return to game action 222 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,759 in around two plus weeks. There's also I don't know if you saw the 223 00:14:28,759 --> 00:14:31,879 TMZ video floating around about him coming. I don't know. I hope he 224 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,960 sent him or his agent sent them that tape of his ring camera. Otherwise 225 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,799 that's scary as hell. And I also just that we're just conditioned to doubt 226 00:14:41,039 --> 00:14:46,320 people because this is someone who's new to the city and couldn't give the correct 227 00:14:46,519 --> 00:14:50,080 look. He clearly had injuries. It was just and he's also a known 228 00:14:50,159 --> 00:14:54,759 like bike enthusiast, and so nothing disaligned with what reality was that those reactions 229 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,080 made me that was the camera. I don't know who sent it. If 230 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,759 it wasn't Kelly Rubridge, you're his camp to kind of clear up if people 231 00:15:01,759 --> 00:15:05,679 thought he was lying, which imagine feeling that you needed to send that because 232 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,039 you were, oh, is he lying that? Like the line of questioning 233 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,480 on it was just like that. Nick Nurse even had to say, Oh, 234 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:16,440 we're gonna believe our player. Yeah, no shit, I just I 235 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,279 think people deserve benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise, And so that that 236 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:26,120 whole thing was just, eh, yeah, we all got to get rid 237 00:15:26,159 --> 00:15:30,600 of our ring cameras, unless Amazon ever wants to sponsor this podcast, in 238 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,879 which case we should all have lots more ring cameras than we haven't put them 239 00:15:33,879 --> 00:15:37,519 inside our house. Robert Williams, the third for the Blazers, underwent successful 240 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:41,559 surgery Monday to reconstruct a torn ligament in his right knee after he sustained a 241 00:15:41,559 --> 00:15:45,759 p teller dislocation and is expected to make a full recovery ahead of twenty four 242 00:15:45,759 --> 00:15:50,440 to twenty five. And finally, the Wizards announced on Saturday that Delann Wright 243 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:54,039 will miss appropximately four to six weeks with a knee injury. I'm actually kind 244 00:15:54,039 --> 00:15:56,879 of happy for him that he doesn't have to deal with what's happening on the 245 00:15:56,879 --> 00:16:03,000 court anymore in Washington. The Eastern Conference piece or panic, Grant, are 246 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:06,320 you ready? And so the way we split this up is Grant handled the 247 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,639 East and so he'll be driving the bus here and then I handled the Western 248 00:16:10,639 --> 00:16:12,799 Conference. We'll obviously give thoughts to respond. There will be certain teams that 249 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:18,720 we allocate more time to just because of the nature of the piecer panic elements. 250 00:16:18,759 --> 00:16:21,879 Yes, and I have anything else to add to that. Not really, 251 00:16:22,639 --> 00:16:25,159 This is a good example here. I'm just we'll just go alphabetically and 252 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,679 it'll be I'm confident we're going to get the alphabet correct this time. So 253 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,320 an issue here, as I'm sure many are aware, a lot of things 254 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,399 have looked pretty good for the Atlanta Hawks. Trey Young is not shooting the 255 00:16:38,399 --> 00:16:41,240 ball well at all, and some of these stats may be like a day 256 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:45,759 Actually I don't think so, because we're recording this Thursday night and the Hawks 257 00:16:45,759 --> 00:16:49,399 aren't playing tonight, for example, so it's pretty light slate. So Trey 258 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,159 Young is I'm trying to find the stats that I had in the article here 259 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,200 basically, but essentially, he's on pace to post the worst shooting numbers from 260 00:16:57,279 --> 00:17:00,600 from two to from three. He's under thirty percent from three. I think 261 00:17:00,639 --> 00:17:04,119 he's pretty comfortably under forty percent from two. And this is all weird, 262 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,599 right, because Quinn Snyder's gonna get him moving off the ball more, which 263 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,119 sort of has happened. But it's also true that the Hawks are throwing twenty 264 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,559 five more passes per game than they did last year. They're way more efficient 265 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,720 on cuts, So like some of the Snyder stuff, it is definitely happening, 266 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:23,079 right. And the offense itself has been good. But and that is 267 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,599 in spite of Trey Young really just not shooting the ball well at all. 268 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:32,119 Are we how concerned are we about this? Dan? Is this something that 269 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:34,640 you know? Trey Young has a very specific playing style that he's kind of 270 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:40,640 been able to utilize over all of his NBA career. Very ball dominant, 271 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,119 very pick and roll heavy. It doesn't have to do much when he doesn't 272 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,400 have the ball. That's all changed now. I guess if you're panicking, 273 00:17:47,599 --> 00:17:51,599 that's something you might point to as he's not adjusting well to a different role, 274 00:17:51,759 --> 00:17:53,000 or is this just noise and we don't need to worry about it. 275 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,200 Oh, it's I would say it's piece a cap block piece here, because 276 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:02,559 Okay, maybe he's not comfortable firing more shots up off the catch, which 277 00:18:02,599 --> 00:18:06,720 he has done this year from three, and it's still such a small part 278 00:18:06,759 --> 00:18:08,680 of his game. Maybe his pull up jumper, there's pull back. He's 279 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,440 shooting twenty four percent on pull up threes. The big thing for me is 280 00:18:12,559 --> 00:18:15,880 just, okay, this is not he's shooting Most of his three pointers, 281 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,160 by the way, have been open or wide open, and so he's getting 282 00:18:19,319 --> 00:18:23,359 more wide open threes this year than last. Yeah, fourteen of fifty one 283 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,880 on open and wide open threes. That's not he's going to hit his open 284 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,359 and why if he keeps getting those looks, he's not shooting twenty seven and 285 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,240 a half percent on open and wide open threes for the rest of the year. 286 00:18:33,279 --> 00:18:37,400 And I'll point out very quickly, defense is still just overreact to him, 287 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:41,079 and so he's able to get to the foul line and kind of offset 288 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:45,000 a lot of the efficiency was that he's dealing with from from the field. 289 00:18:45,839 --> 00:18:48,319 All right, kind of another niche one here moving to the Boston Celtics, 290 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:55,119 so they are I guess you would say that the problem Boston has had historically, 291 00:18:55,319 --> 00:18:57,759 or at least in this iteration of the team, is the offense stagnates 292 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,519 at the worst possible times. It has arguably cost them a title. It 293 00:19:03,559 --> 00:19:07,519 definitely has contributed to their you know, they've had playoffs success and that they've 294 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,160 always make the playoffs. They tend to advance pretty deep most years. But 295 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,319 when things go sideways for Boston, it's that the offense stagnates, they can't 296 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,960 generate good shots and so on and so forth. We've seen it several times 297 00:19:19,319 --> 00:19:23,400 and that's still kind of the case this year. And the thing I pointed 298 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,799 to that you know, caught my attention at least is they're twenty first and 299 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,480 assist percentage, and like the whole you need a bunch of passes per game 300 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,519 where you need a high assistrate to be a good offense. That's not necessarily 301 00:19:33,559 --> 00:19:37,720 true, but it is striking to me that Boston is twenty first and assist 302 00:19:37,759 --> 00:19:41,920 percentage after being fifth last year. So like and the fact that you're essentially 303 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,400 playing two point guards because you have Drew Holliday and you have Derek White out 304 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:51,759 there together. I think having porzingis playing more. I guess in Robert Williams' 305 00:19:51,799 --> 00:19:55,319 spot is I don't know, maybe a wash because Williams could pass it. 306 00:19:55,519 --> 00:19:59,640 I think that was kind of an underappreciated skill of his. So I guess, 307 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,680 like the bottom line is the Celtics offense is still really good. It's 308 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,799 you know, top five inefficiency that there's nothing that looks to me like this 309 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,119 is a team that's, oh my god, these offensive issues are gonna get 310 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:15,759 in the way of them winning a title, except like the problems that they've 311 00:20:15,759 --> 00:20:18,880 had are still kind of there. So I don't know panic would be strong. 312 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,400 But I'm curious what your take is on the Celtics offense and are we 313 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,279 making too much out of the fact that, like the personnel is very much 314 00:20:26,319 --> 00:20:30,839 changed, but the like the one kind of little issue that we worry about 315 00:20:30,839 --> 00:20:34,079 with them is still present. Yeah, it's still a piece for me, 316 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,960 I might be more that. I think when you combine it, it'd be 317 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,599 closer to maybe that's something in between sort of what would be in between peace 318 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:48,440 or panic on the scale patients like peace basically like this awkward discomfort or something 319 00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:53,839 because they're also not getting to the rim at like they take. It's almost 320 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,559 half their shots are coming from three, it's forty five percent. Are outrageous, 321 00:20:56,559 --> 00:21:00,440 And then you look at their shot frequency everywhere else and they're just in 322 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,160 the bottom ten or worse because they're still relyed on the three, which is 323 00:21:03,519 --> 00:21:07,359 fine relative to their personnel. But now when you're talking about the playmaking passing 324 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:12,359 deficit on top of oh a rim frequency deficit, and they're seventeenth, I 325 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:18,359 believe in foul a tenth rate right now. That is something where it's okay, 326 00:21:18,079 --> 00:21:23,799 Could these forces in the playoffs combine to form more of a major issue? 327 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,240 Is that fair to say? Which is why I would land somewhere. 328 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,000 I'm gonna skew towards peace, but somewhere in between people when we're looking specifically 329 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,720 at the postseason, where oh, okay, could this do anything to derail 330 00:21:34,799 --> 00:21:38,680 them? I think it's good. I don't remember what they ranked in turnover 331 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,279 eight last year, but they're in the top five of turnover eight this year. 332 00:21:41,559 --> 00:21:45,279 They were top seven last year as well too. Apparently, as I 333 00:21:45,319 --> 00:21:48,400 look at it, I just they're so good and I missed on them already 334 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:52,839 with my concerns that I can't. I can't reasonably go panic here. That's 335 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:57,279 right, you were a little more you were pre drew holiday trade though, 336 00:21:57,519 --> 00:22:03,400 yeah, yeah, true, that change a lot of things all right on 337 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,359 on how good the Celtics were going to be meant like piece or Paddock here, 338 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,440 where did you land on the spectrum? I mean, it's it can't 339 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,200 be panic because you know, the baseline numbers are all still so good, 340 00:22:15,279 --> 00:22:18,279 and just when you watch this team play, it's, you know, those 341 00:22:18,319 --> 00:22:22,920 six guys are just I mean, and like you know, they they beat 342 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:29,200 the Sixers without Jalen Brown and without Porzingis, and you know the Sixers played 343 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,599 well for stretches. So I can't. It would be hard for me to 344 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,839 think of the thing that's happening with Boston that would cause me to panic. 345 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:40,799 But like the reason I focused on this is is this is the issue, 346 00:22:40,839 --> 00:22:42,279 and I don't know like what the root cause. And maybe it's just the 347 00:22:42,319 --> 00:22:47,559 way that Tatum plays, like he loves to just find ways to get jumpers 348 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,240 when things are going bad instead of you know, I don't know, moving 349 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,359 the ball for open shots or getting the basket. I'm not panicking, It's 350 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,000 just I want to flag it, and it's something I'm in a monitor just 351 00:22:56,039 --> 00:23:00,519 to see if these stagnant episodes like persist, he's panic or percolating. So 352 00:23:00,559 --> 00:23:06,279 we're kind of into percolating or percolating. Just yeah, that's let's go with 353 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:10,160 that, all right. The Brooklyn Nets are next up. So I don't 354 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,920 know where you were on Brooklyn coming into the season or even late last year. 355 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,599 I just thought this team had the chance to be just a dynamite, 356 00:23:18,799 --> 00:23:22,640 like such a good defense, and maybe they'll get there, and that's why 357 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,599 we're doing piece of panic here. But some of the numbers that like blew 358 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:29,000 my mind. A team with and granted there have been injuries, but you've 359 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,079 got Claxton, you've got Bridges, you've got Finney Smith, you got Royce, 360 00:23:32,079 --> 00:23:33,720 O'Neil, cam Johnson, Ben Simmons, a lot of link Dennis Smith 361 00:23:33,799 --> 00:23:37,440 juniors on this team. That all he's in the league because he can defend. 362 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,960 They are twenty ninth in steels per game, and I think either twenty 363 00:23:42,079 --> 00:23:47,640 ninth or dead last in opponent turnover rate. That seems impossible to me because 364 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,319 this is an entire team of just long arms. That's all, Like, 365 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,000 that's all this is is just you know, seven foot wingspans all over the 366 00:23:53,039 --> 00:23:59,319 floor, and they're not making other teams uncomfortable. And the other thing that 367 00:23:59,319 --> 00:24:03,599 that really like has a negative effect on is what is otherwise a very good 368 00:24:03,599 --> 00:24:08,000 transition offense. So the nets are because of all these long athletic guys that 369 00:24:08,039 --> 00:24:11,160 when they get out on the break the results are good, but they don't 370 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,519 get out on the break as often as they ought to, and so they're 371 00:24:15,759 --> 00:24:21,559 squad there's leaving low hanging fruit unpicked. I think was the phrase I want 372 00:24:21,559 --> 00:24:23,720 to use here. If you can generate steels which they should be able to 373 00:24:25,039 --> 00:24:27,119 force turnovers, which they should be able to, you can prop up your 374 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:33,079 offense, which otherwise isn't great as long as cam Thomas isn't hitting like contested 375 00:24:33,319 --> 00:24:36,839 you know, turnaround, double turnaround, three hundred and sixty degrees, spinning 376 00:24:37,079 --> 00:24:40,000 eighteen footers. You got to run a little bit. They can't do it, 377 00:24:40,039 --> 00:24:44,559 so piece or panic on the nets inexplicably not being an awesome defense. 378 00:24:44,599 --> 00:24:48,759 I think they're twenty first overall. But the turnover forcing stuff is the failure 379 00:24:48,799 --> 00:24:52,480 to force turnovers and make offenses panic. To use the word of the day 380 00:24:52,839 --> 00:24:57,599 is troubling to me. I think you kind of have to go with closer 381 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:02,359 to panic than peace and if you don't want to take a definitive stance here. 382 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:03,680 As you said, there's been injuries. Claxon missed a bunch of time 383 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,559 where we mentioned that Ben Simmons is going to be out for a minute. 384 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,079 You look at their top end lineup which has been used this season of Ben 385 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,119 Simmons Spencer did when he cam Thomas mckal bridges and Tory Finney Smith. That 386 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,640 one speaks to, oh, look how much time Claxton missed. They have 387 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,279 a one on one defensive rating. So there's the top end talent is there. 388 00:25:22,319 --> 00:25:25,799 But I think you have to ask yourself are they going to all be 389 00:25:25,839 --> 00:25:30,480 available enough together to actualize what is going to be the best version of this 390 00:25:30,559 --> 00:25:32,960 defense And the fact that they I think they're one of the teams that have 391 00:25:33,039 --> 00:25:37,519 gotten a little bit fortunate on opponent three point shooting. Opponents are hitting, 392 00:25:37,559 --> 00:25:41,559 yeah, thirty four percent of their threes against Brooklyn and so maybe that's not 393 00:25:42,039 --> 00:25:47,240 ridiculously low, but that's something that could come up. And I'm not too 394 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,400 worried about what's been happening at the rim I know that they're not particularly big 395 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:53,640 or strong, but having Claxton back. I think it was Matt Moore was 396 00:25:53,799 --> 00:25:56,759 on the Lockdown NBA podcast or it said something about where he doesn't you know, 397 00:25:56,839 --> 00:26:00,680 he thinks that Claxton's better as a switcher and he's not really a good 398 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,079 rim protector. I just really disrespectfully disagree, and I don't if I'm taking 399 00:26:04,079 --> 00:26:07,519 what he said out of context. I think he can be not even just 400 00:26:07,519 --> 00:26:08,799 as a helper, you can be a good straight up when rim protector. 401 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,559 Having him back will help. But I would just be Okay, this Ben 402 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:18,119 Simmons stuff, you're now dealing with the Claxton injury. I'm just sort of 403 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:19,960 like and some of the lines that you have to cobble together to make sure, 404 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:22,599 well, these two we don't know if they can play together. We 405 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,000 need to make sure there's enough offense on the floor. I'm gonna just go 406 00:26:26,039 --> 00:26:30,160 to a little bit more towards panic, especially if you're standard I'm assuming you're 407 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,680 on panic. If you thought they were gonna be like a top five or 408 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:37,559 seven defense, yeah, I mean it's as much. Yeah, that's really 409 00:26:37,559 --> 00:26:40,599 what it is. Is just this the way they've played so far, deviates 410 00:26:40,599 --> 00:26:42,400 so much from expectations that I kind of am thrown for a loop, and 411 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:48,359 I'm closer to panic than peace. For sure, they are since I put 412 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:52,880 these stats together. They are running more still, but their their transition efficiency 413 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,880 is just like off the charts, absurdly good. So they should be like 414 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,839 the number They should be like the number one transition frequency team, and they're 415 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:04,000 just okay. Charlotte Hornets. This is a simple one too many fouls. 416 00:27:04,079 --> 00:27:08,599 So they are let's see, last in the league in scoring confiiciency a year 417 00:27:08,599 --> 00:27:11,880 ago. They're tenth in points per hunter prossessions, so the offense is going 418 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:15,799 fine. They're twenty eighth in opponent free throw rate. A lot of this 419 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,319 is Nick Richards, who's averaging over six fouls per thirty six. That's not 420 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,960 good. That's like Mitchell Robinson a couple of years ago, Territory. You 421 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,440 don't want that. Brandon Miller's hurt, but he was over four fouls per 422 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:30,640 thirty six. LaMelo's over four per thirty six. This is a minor niche 423 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:36,640 point, but like, I just don't see this getting better because of the 424 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:40,400 personnel on this team. It is weird though, because Steve Clifford teams tend 425 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:45,799 to not do this, so it is also in addition to like not a 426 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,680 real problem, it's very out of character. So that's just a small one 427 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:53,640 for Charloie here. But yeah, if you're if you're not gonna be a 428 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:59,079 great defense, you also just can't foul all the time because then there's just 429 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:00,680 no hope And it doesn't really doesn't matter how good your offense is. You're 430 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,519 not going to be a playing team, which is a low bar. But 431 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,000 if you're if you're putting teams on the line all the time and your defensive 432 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:11,599 structure just doesn't you know, because of the personnelity isn't great. Uh, 433 00:28:11,319 --> 00:28:15,599 it's it's caused for some panic for me, like with the understanding that what 434 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,799 we're panicking about is not Charlotte, Like Charlotte's not gonna win fifty games. 435 00:28:18,799 --> 00:28:22,759 Now it's like, well, now they might not be a playing team. 436 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:26,160 Yeah, that's just I don't know how that's going to get better necessarily with 437 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:30,319 their with their personnel. I think that's I don't know, is it something 438 00:28:30,319 --> 00:28:32,680 to panic over. I mean, when you have the worst defense in the 439 00:28:32,759 --> 00:28:34,559 league and Steve Cliffords your head coach, I know, opponents are shooting like 440 00:28:34,599 --> 00:28:40,079 forty percent from three against them. That's probably just something outright to panic about. 441 00:28:40,119 --> 00:28:42,440 I don't know how much. You know. Turnovers could be contributing to 442 00:28:42,519 --> 00:28:45,359 a little bit, but they're like middle of the road there as well. 443 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,039 I think you have to go towards panic here, and a lot of that 444 00:28:49,119 --> 00:28:52,920 is just honestly, one of the most impressive defensive players for them this year 445 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,640 has been Brandon Miller. It's been really good on that end. But as 446 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,720 you mentioned, when you're dealing with a lot of young younger and then also 447 00:28:57,799 --> 00:29:00,839 what is I don't really want to talk about him like Miles Bridges coming back 448 00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:03,279 into the fold, what does his timing and shape look like. I don't 449 00:29:03,319 --> 00:29:07,200 think that's going to necessarily help this. I was curious, though, there 450 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:11,680 is a separate issue where you landed on just are you at all concerned that, 451 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:18,240 Okay, LaMelo Ball's efficiency at the basket has not been great or does 452 00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:21,039 it matter more that which is, by the way, it's never been great, 453 00:29:21,119 --> 00:29:23,839 Or does it matter more that, oh, LaMelo Ball is just attacking, 454 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:29,920 attacking, attacking more. I think i'd I probably view it, I'd 455 00:29:30,039 --> 00:29:34,720 view the aggression as a positive, but I just don't think he's ever going 456 00:29:34,799 --> 00:29:40,599 to be someone that finishes at like, I don't know what you'd you know, 457 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:45,440 above average for his you think he'll ever finish at sixty percent at the 458 00:29:45,519 --> 00:29:49,359 rim. He's at me because he's at his career. He's actually so it's 459 00:29:49,559 --> 00:29:52,680 I mean, he's pretty consistent rookie year, fifty three percent at the rim, 460 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,720 fifty four percent as a sophomore, fifty four percent in this third year, 461 00:29:56,759 --> 00:30:00,839 and fifty five percent this year, which would be a career high. 462 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,359 No, I mean, I don't I want to look at these numbers to 463 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:07,039 see what the percentile ranks are for him. He's in the forty second percentile, 464 00:30:07,079 --> 00:30:10,440 so it's not terrible. But I'm just looking at I I value the 465 00:30:10,559 --> 00:30:14,480 volume as you do. I'm just very curious as to I was honestly shocked 466 00:30:14,519 --> 00:30:17,640 you didn't go with that. But I guess his percentage probably ticked up a 467 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:21,759 little bit over the past few games. I think. I think I like 468 00:30:21,839 --> 00:30:25,440 the idea that he's attacking more in general, but I was kind of sold 469 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:27,640 on this idea that, oh, he would be someone who could be a 470 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:32,640 really good finisher at the basket based off the angles he can use and how 471 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:34,920 smart he is, and I'm starting to question that. Yeah, I think 472 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:41,599 there's kind of a there's kind of a a broader set of concerns about him. 473 00:30:41,839 --> 00:30:44,359 I think Zach Low wrote a lot about it, about how just the 474 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,559 way he operates in the pick and roll, because I think partly because of 475 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,920 the lack of a threat as a finisher that he is he he you know, 476 00:30:53,079 --> 00:30:57,680 is it prior to this year anyway, wasn't you know, getting like 477 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,720 he wouldn't put the defender on his back and pin him there and then go 478 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:03,200 try to score. He would kind of turn the corner and get off the 479 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:07,319 ball beat too early and just not stress the defense like you want someone in 480 00:31:07,319 --> 00:31:11,480 that position to do, taking another dribble, threatening to score before drawing a 481 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,559 defender and moving it. He just has some like he's obviously his vision's ridiculous. 482 00:31:15,559 --> 00:31:18,960 He can throw every pass in the book. He you know, can 483 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,200 read the floor really quickly. But I think it's sort of his the weirdness 484 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:26,960 of how he operates in the pick and roll, while not ineffective, I 485 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,799 think is still sort of tied to like he's just not he doesn't like, 486 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,880 you know, he doesn't spring off the floor he's big for his position, 487 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,759 and he's long, but like he has to try to convert these difficult like 488 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:42,079 running floaters and like you know, little push shots and and and flips that 489 00:31:42,119 --> 00:31:45,960 are just like, I don't know, a couple feet farther away than you 490 00:31:45,039 --> 00:31:48,279 want those types of shots to be taken from. So he's just gonna he's 491 00:31:48,279 --> 00:31:52,480 got a weird finishing package. And and so I agree, I don't know 492 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:56,000 if you said this. He's in the ninetieth percentile among points at his position 493 00:31:56,039 --> 00:31:59,799 in rim attempt frequency, which is like, yeah, thirty five per shots 494 00:31:59,839 --> 00:32:01,839 or we're coming from the exact rat I mean, which is great. And 495 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:07,519 that comes in in conjunction with like his his longer mid range shots are just 496 00:32:07,839 --> 00:32:09,680 those are out of his diet. Now he just doesn't shoot those anymore. 497 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,160 So like from a process perspective, that's great. I just don't know if 498 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:16,599 he has the tools. If he does become a really good finisher near the 499 00:32:16,599 --> 00:32:21,680 basket, it'll be be like, it's not gonna look like other good finishers 500 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,680 near the basket. Look, it'll just be he gets really good at the 501 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,519 types of shots that you know are hard to make, Like he'll make a 502 00:32:27,519 --> 00:32:30,720 bunch of Yokic, you know, awkward floaters and just become good at that. 503 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:35,559 Let's see where do we have next to go? Alphabet in Chicago? 504 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,720 Here we go? I don't know what I mean. Should we just say, 505 00:32:38,759 --> 00:32:44,519 like the whole thing is worth panicking over? Is it? Yeah? 506 00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:47,240 I mean it's piece or panic in Chicago? Is it? I would it 507 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:51,119 be to frame it this way? Are you at peace that it seems like 508 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:52,880 they might be ready to blow it up? Or is it panic mode that 509 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:58,480 they Why did they let it get to this point where they didn't do this 510 00:32:58,559 --> 00:33:00,920 over the offseason because you can say, well, Zach Lavine, they shopped 511 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,119 him over the summer and he wasn't gonna get a lot. What makes you 512 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,359 think he's gonna get more now that you've waited for James Harden, Damian Lowder, 513 00:33:07,359 --> 00:33:13,240 and Drew Holliday all to be relocated. And I'm at I mean, 514 00:33:13,279 --> 00:33:16,200 it's a panic I think because of what it says about the overarching pitcher of 515 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:21,519 the Bulls that it took the report comes out eleven games into the season. 516 00:33:22,039 --> 00:33:25,119 That's not if you're a team that if you have a team you actually believe 517 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,799 in or you're not fooling yourself into or you know, what you're doing. 518 00:33:29,279 --> 00:33:31,799 You need more than eleven games to make this decision. The fact that it 519 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,799 came to a head so soon in the season proves to me that the process 520 00:33:36,839 --> 00:33:43,319 behind the scenes is horrid. I just don't I wish wouldn't you like to 521 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,519 know if what the front office or even like Billy, I mean, Billy 522 00:33:47,519 --> 00:33:51,079 Donovan, I'm sure is it's different with a coach because like, yeah, 523 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:52,359 I believe in these guys were gonna, you know, just try to get 524 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,559 better every day, blah blah blah. But like, what do you what 525 00:33:55,599 --> 00:34:00,160 did the front office think was going to be meaningfully different this year or what, 526 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:04,279 you know, what were their realistic expectations. I would love to know. 527 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:06,440 I'd love to have been a fly on the wall, you know, 528 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,239 when they've had the real let's like what's the state of the team kind of 529 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:15,119 conversations at a high level, because like there was no reason to believe I 530 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:17,800 mean, you know, maybe you thought we wouldn't have a player's kick the 531 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:21,840 coach out of the locker room after game one. I'm gonna never stop bringing 532 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:25,599 that up because that's so nuts to me. But like, just for you 533 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:29,960 know, I just thought this team was you could win forty two games or 534 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:31,639 something like that, Like that's a pretty you know, not best case, 535 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:37,039 but that's you know, on the high side of the outcome spectrum for them, 536 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,400 and that hasn't happened. And now it's pretty clear things are stale, 537 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:45,599 Guys don't like seem to like playing with each other. There's still just I 538 00:34:45,679 --> 00:34:47,719 just don't understand what the expectation was. So this is all just I'm agreeing 539 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,400 with you, like this is panic because all of the issues that have arisen 540 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:58,960 were either already there and understood or eminently foreseeable. So I just I don't 541 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,320 know. The one the little niche thing I had was Demarta Rosen is now 542 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:05,960 not making mid range jumpers, which is just like a sign of imminent catastrophe 543 00:35:06,519 --> 00:35:08,719 because that's the one thing you could always count on. But yeah, just 544 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:13,760 across the board, the Bulls are very panic worthy. Is there if we're 545 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:17,320 going through their players that I think they wind up keeping Patrick Williams just because 546 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,320 I don't know what you could get for him now, and you might as 547 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,280 well see it through. I know that they demoted him, but he had 548 00:35:23,559 --> 00:35:27,400 what game was I watching from them? Where it was I tweeted, I 549 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,239 was just like, I can't quit Patrick Williams because he makes these defensive plays. 550 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:31,280 He'll hit the threes. I think he winds up saying I think the 551 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:36,639 names are Cruso, de Rozen and Levine and Vouch would be sort of a 552 00:35:36,679 --> 00:35:40,320 sneaky short term acquisition for a team that I mean, you know, Memphis, 553 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:45,360 depending on what salary matching to like have vouchin there while Steven Adams is 554 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:49,440 out, that could that could be something they look at. But now you 555 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,199 have to deal with, Oh, he's under contract now for the next few 556 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:54,559 years and so it might be harder to move him. The three players I'm 557 00:35:54,559 --> 00:35:58,559 looking at the most, I mean, honestly, if I'm being I'm being 558 00:35:59,079 --> 00:36:01,239 I want to see Iotis MoU somewhere else. But maybe if he stays he'll 559 00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:05,199 get even more of a shot. But even Javon Carter coun interest teams, 560 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,000 they're just any destinations player fits that you particularly like. Yeah, I'm just 561 00:36:09,039 --> 00:36:12,760 kind of fascinated by the Levine piece of it. I think all those guys 562 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,280 you mentioned are I mean, everybody should be you know, there will be 563 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,840 a bunch of December fifteenth, like caveats on there because of so many guys 564 00:36:19,079 --> 00:36:22,239 had signed this past offseason and can't move until then. But the Levine thing, 565 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:27,320 you know, I'm sure you've had to come up with fake Levine trades 566 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:29,880 at some point this year. And I have two, and it's the Sixers 567 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:32,199 always, you know, get brought up and like, I don't think anybody 568 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:37,480 loves that fit, but it's just like I'll send him there because he's probably 569 00:36:37,519 --> 00:36:40,840 the best Alex Caruso to Afilly instead. I mean, Alex Crusoe fits anywhere. 570 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:44,239 He's kind of I was thinking the other day, this is a tangent. 571 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:45,719 We need to come up with a category of player that's just like, 572 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:51,079 this guy fits anywhere, And Alex Cruso is definitely on that list. Contavious 573 00:36:51,079 --> 00:36:53,119 Colbell, Pope. And then there's somebody else who I can't remember who it 574 00:36:53,199 --> 00:36:58,280 was that was. We called him infinitely scalable, Infinitely scalable. Yeah, 575 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:02,599 that's that's a definite. That's a danism. Infinitely scalable. Yeah. Do 576 00:37:02,639 --> 00:37:07,639 you so where if you could send Levine like the best, forget the return 577 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:12,559 packages, forget how if they want him, Like, where does Zach Levine 578 00:37:12,559 --> 00:37:15,000 make the most sense? Do you have? Like, is there a team 579 00:37:15,039 --> 00:37:20,840 that jumps to mind. There are a couple one Minnesota timberwol fans got mad 580 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:22,320 at me because I said, this doesn't make sense for the Bulls, but 581 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:28,079 Towns for Zactlyne would be an interesting challenge. Trade Towns has been I was 582 00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:30,239 talking about this in the discord with someone where they said Towns has been good 583 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:34,639 defensively all season. I at the beginning, just a lot of the off 584 00:37:34,639 --> 00:37:37,639 ball stuff. He's actually been good defensively from what I've seen, like a 585 00:37:37,639 --> 00:37:40,360 lot more lately. And so if you're the Wolves, maybe you wouldn't make 586 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:44,480 that trade. I think it's Orlando. I hate that. I think it's 587 00:37:44,559 --> 00:37:47,000 Orlando too. I think so first of all, you try to send every 588 00:37:47,039 --> 00:37:53,280 single guard who can make it to Orlando's that you're one hundred percent correct, 589 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:58,440 that's right. Although Jalen Suggs has been better, I'm ready. I'm not. 590 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,599 I'm maybe ready to wash the Magic have the equity to where it's if 591 00:38:01,639 --> 00:38:06,880 you don't want to give up. But like I think you probably have to 592 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:09,920 give up Anthony Black, which I wouldn't or jail and Sugs and Melvine trade. 593 00:38:10,119 --> 00:38:14,679 But theoretically, if you didn't want to and you just did money and 594 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:17,360 all picks. You don't need to give up Sugs or Black. You're definitely 595 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:20,599 not. You know, Franz and Polo are non starters. Of course, 596 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:23,719 you don't need to give up any of the players that you have any equity. 597 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:27,760 And it's like, look, you have the matching salaries of Dary Harris's 598 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,679 there, Jonathan Isaac's there. You don't even need to trade Martel Foltz as 599 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,000 part of the deal if you don't want to. What do you think about 600 00:38:34,639 --> 00:38:40,079 the Magic sending Wendell Carter Junior and Franz Wagner and another first rounder to the 601 00:38:40,119 --> 00:38:45,679 Bulls for Vucevich? Do you think that would be a good trade? Not 602 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:52,000 great? So I think it's Orlando. What about Alex Caruso? I know 603 00:38:52,039 --> 00:38:53,480 you said he fits anywhere. I know there, I saw a lot of 604 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:57,559 people were. Philly's been a big one, Denver's been a big one. 605 00:38:57,599 --> 00:39:00,440 I don't even know, given Christian Browns on even start to this season, 606 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:02,559 I don't I don't know if one the Nuggets want to give up the wing 607 00:39:02,639 --> 00:39:07,760 for a small guard who's afraid to shoot, And I just don't know if 608 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,079 the Bulls do that. And you just don't have first round equity to trade. 609 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:13,559 Are there any other teams where it's like, oh, he goes there, 610 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,679 I mean kind of a complete game changer. Well, I mean Milwaukee 611 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:21,079 needs him because now, I mean he's not gonna guard the same guy's crowder 612 00:39:21,119 --> 00:39:23,840 is. But you just lost John and Content in seconds? Is that like, 613 00:39:24,199 --> 00:39:27,239 No, I don't I don't think it is. I don't think. 614 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:30,239 But the Bucks can't really get anybody. That's what's so scary about them. 615 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:31,760 When we get to them. At some point they have like, no, 616 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:36,440 there are no rounds in the chamber for Milwaukee really unless you trade marj On 617 00:39:36,559 --> 00:39:37,559 and like, I don't know, what are you getting for him? He 618 00:39:37,639 --> 00:39:42,559 might just be more valuable to keep and actually play and hope he works out. 619 00:39:43,199 --> 00:39:47,000 We should move on to the Cavs though. Here Darius Garland not making 620 00:39:47,039 --> 00:39:51,880 any threes twenty eight point six percent from deep, which is kind of wild 621 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:58,079 because he was forty one or something forty forty four per catch and shoot last 622 00:39:58,159 --> 00:40:00,760 year from deep, which is excellent. He's always been a good pull up 623 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:02,840 three point shooter. Very dangerous in the pick and roll. I flag this 624 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:08,679 just because you know, I think it's always dangerous to have too smallish guards 625 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:13,679 in your backcourt. But it always that's mostly a defensive issue. But the 626 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:17,400 Calves are more than equipped with a bunch of erasers behind those two to kind 627 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:21,920 of mitigate any problems you're gonna have there. It's not Lillard and McCollum in 628 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,559 Portland. That's the comparison I always draw. There's just more defense behind them. 629 00:40:25,559 --> 00:40:30,639 But something is a little different about Cleveland. If both of those guys, 630 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:36,480 meaning Mitchell and Garland, are not massive threats off the ball, this 631 00:40:36,559 --> 00:40:37,440 is I'll just say, now, this is a piece for me because I 632 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:42,280 think Garland is awesome and he's gonna make his threes, but like under thirty 633 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:46,519 percent to start the year through his first like tennis games is definitely definitely a 634 00:40:46,559 --> 00:40:50,880 concern so far, and it's part of the reason the Calves are sub five 635 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:53,199 hundred still as we're talking. But I'm not worried about the Calves long term. 636 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:57,039 I think they're still gonna win fifty games and I think Garland will sort 637 00:40:57,039 --> 00:41:00,880 it out. But it does just sort of expose like there, you know, 638 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:04,519 there are ways for things to look bad offensively for Cleveland, and one 639 00:41:04,599 --> 00:41:07,199 or one of the two guards not being able to hit an outside shot is 640 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:09,760 definitely is definitely one of those. Yeah, twenty six point three percent on 641 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:14,239 wide open threes is just not gonna hold for him. That's a cap flock 642 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:17,920 piece for me and this suitable Jedi defense against him. I feel like if 643 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:23,360 we fast forward to I don't know a month from now, that the Calves 644 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:28,159 exponentially of the conversation around them is is a lot different. They had so 645 00:41:28,159 --> 00:41:30,159 many absences at the beginning of the year and I don't know how many, 646 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,559 Like some of the injuries could still be hampering like Garland a little bit. 647 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:37,000 This team. I still believe that they were forced. I know there was. 648 00:41:37,039 --> 00:41:37,760 I was on a radio show and they were kind of trolling me and 649 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:39,960 they're like, which team do you think it kind of come out of nowhere? 650 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:42,960 And I don't know if it's out of I don't think it would be 651 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:45,840 out of nowhere. I think the Calves are just gonna be ridiculously good. 652 00:41:45,079 --> 00:41:49,719 Yeah, they're the easiest pick for like who's who's slow start is? You 653 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:52,679 know one minute you should not worry about it? Helps that, Like, 654 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:58,519 so if Garland's gonna progress to his normal the fact that Okay, Isaaca Corro 655 00:41:58,599 --> 00:42:01,239 shooting forty percent from three this year on two and a half attempts. I 656 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:05,159 have not I want to make it clear, I have not gone through six 657 00:42:05,199 --> 00:42:07,519 Men of the Year voting. But like the stuff that Kris Lavert has done 658 00:42:07,559 --> 00:42:12,159 for you this year, Max Shruz is shooting about thirty five percent from three 659 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:15,360 on the volume, that's okay. And he's doing other stuff as well where 660 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:16,880 it's like, oh, if he's gonna you know, the passing has been 661 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:19,760 really good for him, or some of the screen setting for him has been 662 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,800 really good. I'm just not worried about this team in any facet of it. 663 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,360 I think actually the biggest and it's not I want to be clear, 664 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,559 it's not it's not where the piece are panic. It just to the question 665 00:42:29,639 --> 00:42:31,800 still just comes down to me of I know CAS fans don't like this. 666 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,840 It's the dual big stuff still makes me uneasy to where if you want to 667 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:40,199 ever optimize Evan Mobley offensively, I'm just curious if this, if this is 668 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:44,079 going to be the way to do it. I think there's a real chance 669 00:42:44,119 --> 00:42:46,400 you can if you have you know, once Garland starts hitting his threes, 670 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:50,400 there's just gonna be lineups where oh, there are three above averag shooters with 671 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:53,039 them, that'll be fine, But for the space that Evan Mobley needs to 672 00:42:53,119 --> 00:43:00,760 attack and occupy, it's just something I'm continuing to watch. Yeah, fair 673 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:05,000 to say this is how I feel that as high as we are on Cleveland 674 00:43:05,039 --> 00:43:07,519 as a regular season team, and as much as we believe they're gonna win 675 00:43:07,599 --> 00:43:10,039 tons of games this year and have great, you know, underlying metrics and 676 00:43:10,039 --> 00:43:14,440 stuff, might be the best defense in the league, again, they're very 677 00:43:14,519 --> 00:43:16,519 much in, Okay, you're gonna have to show me as a playoff team 678 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:21,679 because they had like the spacing concerns you're raising, the dual big stuff the 679 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:23,760 way the Knicks just clearly like kind of solved them, you know, last 680 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:28,679 year, and the two small guard thing. There's a bunch of like issues 681 00:43:28,679 --> 00:43:30,480 that if any one of those were present, we would have questions about a 682 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:35,639 team's playoff viability, and there are several for Cleveland. So it's just they're 683 00:43:35,679 --> 00:43:38,519 definitely gonna have to win a series or two before I stop kind of just 684 00:43:38,559 --> 00:43:43,199 having like a little bit of a reservation about Cleveland as a Oh, they're 685 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:45,039 gonna be a conference finalist at some point, right, Like I think just 686 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:50,559 their specific issues are ones that we've seen. Yeah, hamper playoff teams over 687 00:43:50,599 --> 00:43:53,880 and over again. This is a quick one for the Detroit Pistons. I 688 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,199 don't know if you're aware of this. Jade and Ivy after the All Star 689 00:43:57,239 --> 00:44:00,159 Break last year nineteen point three points, seven point one assists, three point 690 00:44:00,159 --> 00:44:04,079 seven boards. His usage rate was twenty eight point seven percent, which was 691 00:44:04,159 --> 00:44:07,400 up from pre All Star Break, and his true shooting percentage, well, 692 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:09,880 I'm not great, was still higher in that larger role. Why is he 693 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:15,360 not playing Dan? He like, I get Marcus Asser has been surprisingly good 694 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:20,840 making shots. I get Cad Cunningham's back. I get that the Detroit Pistons 695 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,840 cannot quit Killian Hayes. But Jade and Ivy is playing. I want to 696 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:28,440 be thirty one point one minutes per game last year, and again that went 697 00:44:28,559 --> 00:44:30,760 up down the stretch of the season. Started seventy three of the seventy four 698 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:34,840 games he played. He's played eight games this year. He had an illness. 699 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:37,920 He's at nineteen point six minutes per game, and that's with all of 700 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:42,400 his rate stats way up and all of his permanent stats way up. So 701 00:44:43,719 --> 00:44:47,119 I like, as a team in the position the Pistons are. Why aren't 702 00:44:47,159 --> 00:44:52,320 we just giving Jade and Ivy Alie can eat and why are we prioritizing guys 703 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:57,440 that have less that mean less to the version of the Pistons that someday might 704 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:00,880 be great. Right, Because if the Pistons are gonna be awesome, Ivy's 705 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:02,079 gonna have to be a part of that. And if he just isn't going 706 00:45:02,159 --> 00:45:06,079 to be good, then whatever, then then fine. But the fact that 707 00:45:06,119 --> 00:45:09,000 he's playing under twenty minutes a game in his second year after getting a lot 708 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:14,639 of opportunities last year and improving, I just like I've made so many injuries 709 00:45:14,679 --> 00:45:19,920 to guards. I just I don't understand it. It's it's frustrating me because 710 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,000 like he's a flawed player. I think defensively, he's got a long way 711 00:45:22,039 --> 00:45:25,400 to go. And for sure, like if you're gonna put the ball in 712 00:45:25,840 --> 00:45:30,119 one prospect's hands on the Pistons, it's Cunningham. He's just better. But 713 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:34,639 there's room for Ivy. I mean, we don't need Killian Hayes minutes anymore. 714 00:45:34,679 --> 00:45:37,400 I don't. I don't I know what I need to know. I 715 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:39,840 know his ceiling is not what Jade n Ivies is and sass A the same. 716 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:44,599 You know he might be a great rotation player. I think if if 717 00:45:44,599 --> 00:45:49,360 you think there's a chance that Ivy is going to be a quality starter or 718 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:52,400 or an All Star, which should you know, that's part of the expectation 719 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:57,239 drafting him where they drafted him, Like you gotta play him. You need 720 00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:01,719 the information, yeah, because it's just you have this draft equity invested in 721 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:06,719 not only him, but looking at Kaid, looking at our star Thompson, 722 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:10,440 looking at Jalen Duran, It's okay, do those four fit perfectly together? 723 00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:15,800 Absolutely not, But we also just haven't, like we haven't seen that to 724 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:17,440 see, Okay, well what does this look like? In part Yeah, 725 00:46:17,519 --> 00:46:22,360 we've seen three of those guys play together a bunch, but we haven't seen 726 00:46:22,199 --> 00:46:25,599 I've even seen I don't know if I've seen any minutes with all four of 727 00:46:25,639 --> 00:46:30,199 them on the court together. And like those have been four of your they've 728 00:46:30,199 --> 00:46:34,199 played fourteen possessions together this season, So I'm pretty confident in saying I must 729 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:37,599 have missed all fourteen of those possessions. Their net ratings of plus twenty four 730 00:46:37,599 --> 00:46:43,039 point eight in those You need to get that information, and I would say 731 00:46:43,679 --> 00:46:46,280 I think you could select elements for Pieter panic of the Pistons, where I 732 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:52,519 mean Caid's efficiency after off the hours, it's yeah, and it's it's brutal, 733 00:46:52,559 --> 00:46:54,679 But then I go you go back and you watch and it's, oh, 734 00:46:54,760 --> 00:47:00,079 there's there's eight of five players on the court are all collapsing somehow on 735 00:47:00,159 --> 00:47:02,320 Kay cunning him on the drives because the Pistons don't know how to punish it. 736 00:47:02,519 --> 00:47:06,920 So I can't panic about Kate in the long run. Asar Thompson's been 737 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:09,840 really good. He was at one point it was it changed now. But 738 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:13,960 did you notice that for like the first ten games of the season, four 739 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:17,760 of the five stocks leaders were all rookies. It was chet Wemby a SAR 740 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:22,119 and who was the other one? I forgot or three of the top four, 741 00:47:22,159 --> 00:47:24,400 it was those three. So w'sar has been great for them. But 742 00:47:24,719 --> 00:47:29,119 I think, is it I don't want to turn this into a macro issue. 743 00:47:29,199 --> 00:47:32,239 I still remain higher. I don't care about the efficiency numbers. He 744 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:37,679 is put him in a better offensive ecosystem, and I guarantee you that this 745 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:43,000 is someone who can be a star, a caps Lock star. But I'm 746 00:47:43,039 --> 00:47:45,679 looking at the Pistons and is it if we were to go piece or panic 747 00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:50,800 on their outlook? Is it a panic? I just don't. I know, 748 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,000 there has to be patients here. You signed Monty Williams of this long 749 00:47:53,079 --> 00:47:55,760 term deal. You're still trying to get information on a lot of these guys 750 00:47:55,960 --> 00:48:00,360 You've gotten away from some of the more damaging lineups of last year. What 751 00:48:00,440 --> 00:48:05,719 is the process here? What is the what is the identity driving this team 752 00:48:06,119 --> 00:48:09,920 right now? Yeah, it's weird because I'm really high on several other like 753 00:48:10,039 --> 00:48:15,199 Thompson, I think is I don't know what he's gonna be other than on 754 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:19,480 a lot of all defensive teams for sure. I just like fitting around him 755 00:48:19,599 --> 00:48:22,360 is tricky so far because I think he's shooting in the teams from three. 756 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:27,079 I think it's like fourteen or fifteen percent or something, which is just you 757 00:48:27,119 --> 00:48:30,440 can only you know, you can only be I guess you could be Tony 758 00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:32,360 Allen or whatever, like a more athletic Tony Allen, or you could be 759 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:37,679 Andre Robertson or something like that, and just like you know, matters still, 760 00:48:37,679 --> 00:48:39,320 but there's such a ceiling if you just can't make a three at all. 761 00:48:39,599 --> 00:48:43,400 Yeah, and it's thirty nine percent on drives. He's been a little 762 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:45,440 bit better as a passer out of those situations than I thought. But it's 763 00:48:46,119 --> 00:48:50,000 Duran. Of course, we all love Duran. It's just like even the 764 00:48:50,039 --> 00:48:52,880 veteran pieces who haven't played, it's like, oh, and that's the other 765 00:48:52,920 --> 00:48:55,599 thing with Jay and Ivy. It's like if Montey Morris had been healthy to 766 00:48:55,679 --> 00:48:59,119 start the year, do you maybe understand, Oh, okay, they decided 767 00:48:59,119 --> 00:49:00,800 to go. It's no like Al Burks has been banged up, Joe Harris 768 00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:05,880 has banged up. We know Marcus As is playing well. I don't I 769 00:49:06,039 --> 00:49:09,880 honestly, and I've been pretty we were pretty bullish on the Piston's future when 770 00:49:09,920 --> 00:49:12,800 we did some off season things at the point. Yeah, a couple of 771 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:15,199 Pistons people had said something to me like, we're just not as And I'm 772 00:49:15,199 --> 00:49:21,079 starting to just kind of understand. It feels like there's a lack of direction 773 00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:25,440 and coherence here, even though so much of what's in place is intriguing. 774 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:29,880 Yeah, I think that's right. It's just that the it doesn't I don't 775 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,639 know, it's harder to be really optimistic about them as a rebuilder, which 776 00:49:32,679 --> 00:49:35,360 is weird. I mean, yeah, I don't. I don't know. 777 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:37,880 We're just hopefully if you're in a sense, they have more losses than the 778 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:40,960 Wizards as we record this. That's a problem. I know they played, 779 00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:44,840 they played one fewer, they played one more game, but still that's a 780 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:46,400 problem. That's not a that's not a conversation you want to be in. 781 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:51,559 Okay, Uh, let's do the Indiana Patriers real quick here. I don't 782 00:49:51,599 --> 00:49:53,519 know so what we I think we're both kind of panicking on the on the 783 00:49:53,519 --> 00:49:59,920 pistons one and well we will not be panicking here. I just the pay 784 00:50:00,239 --> 00:50:05,760 transition offense is just okay, which is why is wildly in the face of 785 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:09,239 my expectations, because it was by far the best in terms of points added 786 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:14,480 for transition possession last year and it's nowhere close to that. It's like Midpack 787 00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:19,159 using cleaning glasses numbers. They're also running less frequently I'm more as a raw 788 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:22,280 number, but less in terms of how often the league is running. Their 789 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:24,800 points per play in transition is like mid pack after being second last year. 790 00:50:25,119 --> 00:50:30,559 The good news is because Tyr's Haliburton is like able to manipulate space and time, 791 00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:34,159 their half court offense is the best in the league, so not a 792 00:50:34,239 --> 00:50:37,440 huge problem, and probably if you want to be good at one or the 793 00:50:37,440 --> 00:50:39,760 other, you much prefer to be good in the half court because that's what 794 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:45,079 matters in the playoffs and stuff like that. But like we got Obi Toppin, 795 00:50:45,239 --> 00:50:47,679 we got Bruce Brown, we got Tyre's Haliburn throwing outlets. Well, 796 00:50:47,719 --> 00:50:51,719 what's going on? Why aren't we Why aren't we averaging? I mean, 797 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:54,440 they're scoring a ton, but I cannot believe that the transition offense is like 798 00:50:54,599 --> 00:50:58,880 middle of the road in terms of its production. It still looks cool a 799 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:00,280 lot of the time because they you know, when they really do get out 800 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:04,559 and run, it's it's great. I love it. I just am stunned 801 00:51:04,559 --> 00:51:07,760 that the Pacers have not run as much. And I'm not going to panic 802 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,000 about it. I'll just I will spoil that right here. I don't know 803 00:51:10,039 --> 00:51:13,760 how you would panic about it. It's kind of like, well, Buddy 804 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:19,840 Heal will probably eventually shoot a higher clip on his transition threes. I like, 805 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:22,639 I don't Aside from that, it's they're not even turning the ball over 806 00:51:22,679 --> 00:51:27,199 that much in transition relative to the to the league average, I don't think. 807 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:30,840 So that's got to be something that's a good Harbinger. I'm just surprised 808 00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:34,480 you focused on that. Where we expect them to be so good, the 809 00:51:34,519 --> 00:51:38,639 fact that they're the fourteenth most efficient team in transition is is sort of a 810 00:51:38,639 --> 00:51:44,239 problem. I think it's a bigger development for their half court stuff, where 811 00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:45,800 a lot of it is just if you I don't know who is. I 812 00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:49,880 know it's a lot of like the cameras, but like, how do you 813 00:51:50,280 --> 00:51:54,400 separate between when they run so fast after makes It's like sometimes the line between 814 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:58,719 transition and half court becomes a little bit blurred as well. And I do, 815 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:00,280 by the way, I think part of the trends position stuff is trying 816 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:04,280 to sort of figure out a little bit of the new pieces in there where 817 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:07,239 it's you know, Obi has almost been better for them in the half court 818 00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:09,679 with his constant motion that he's been better for them in transition. And also 819 00:52:09,719 --> 00:52:15,599 teams are just they're probably more cognizant of what the pacers are trying to do 820 00:52:15,039 --> 00:52:20,880 points and steals, and so they're gonna like make sure that they're back, 821 00:52:21,199 --> 00:52:24,400 that they're matching up and I'm assuming that would be sort of a like a 822 00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:29,159 driving force there for sure. Yeah, definitely, Like if you if you 823 00:52:29,239 --> 00:52:31,840 come into a game this season, the first item on the opposing scouting report 824 00:52:31,880 --> 00:52:36,599 is like get back probably, so like make sure you're not allowing runouts. 825 00:52:36,639 --> 00:52:39,559 So they were also and when you break down the percentages, it's not really 826 00:52:39,559 --> 00:52:44,880 that big. But they were eleventh in forcing opponent turnovers last year compared to 827 00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:47,880 twenty third this year. And so the opportunities in transition might not They just 828 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:51,800 might not be as clean. Like you're gonna get cleaner looks in transition off 829 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:54,760 of turnovers most likely than misshots. Yes, that that is totally fair. 830 00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:58,960 We are not panicking there, all right. I'm gonna continue just with a 831 00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:01,440 bunch of weird niche stats because it's so early in the year. Most of 832 00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:07,000 these things are just that this is what jumps out of me. There are 833 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:09,639 over one hundred players averaging real tells what team that you're gonna take us to? 834 00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:17,079 Maybe, thank you, Miami. There are hundred over one hundred players 835 00:53:17,079 --> 00:53:22,440 it might be quite a bit over by now, averaging at least twenty nine 836 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:24,840 minutes a game. Uh, there's one with a lower usage rate than Kyle 837 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:30,280 Lowry and and like Robinson, which is hilarious because he just gets offensive rebounds 838 00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:35,280 and kicks it out and that's basically what he does all game. Lowry has 839 00:53:35,320 --> 00:53:38,280 never been a high usage guy, just has historically always been kind of like 840 00:53:38,679 --> 00:53:43,599 contributes on the margins and you know, figures out when to shoot and then 841 00:53:43,639 --> 00:53:45,360 he'll go on a floria scoring. This is like ten years ago, Kyle 842 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:50,800 Lowry. But for a Heat team that you know, we've made so much 843 00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:53,400 of You lost Kay Vincent, you lost Max Struss, So now it's gonna 844 00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:57,880 be We're gonna skew towards offense and we're you know, play Tyler Hero and 845 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:01,719 Duncan Robinson together a lot. I just like the usage thing. I want 846 00:54:01,719 --> 00:54:05,840 to get the actual number here, and I'm gonna pull up the the uh 847 00:54:07,239 --> 00:54:15,920 stat head numbers just like it's hard to fathom it is under Sorry, it 848 00:54:16,039 --> 00:54:20,159 was like eleven percent the other day, and I won't I think it actually 849 00:54:20,679 --> 00:54:23,239 went lower. But anyway, I don't know how much of a problem this 850 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:27,679 is for the Heat because they've actually exceeded my expectations this year. I think 851 00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:30,519 we would we both give them fs for the offseason, mostly because they like 852 00:54:30,599 --> 00:54:34,519 it was touching go for them for a while with Jimmy, but that it's 853 00:54:34,599 --> 00:54:37,119 just you look a week later and until they've rattled off X amount of victories, 854 00:54:37,119 --> 00:54:40,760 they're just hopping around five hundred. They're not like I think coming into 855 00:54:40,800 --> 00:54:44,760 tonight. I don't have the games on tonight. They've have been fine, 856 00:54:44,800 --> 00:54:47,840 but all right, eleven point three percent usage rate for Kyle Lowry, which 857 00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:52,639 is just like he's playing just under thirty minutes a game and has actually been 858 00:54:53,039 --> 00:54:58,079 like a positive defensively according to his defensive box plus minus. But like, 859 00:54:59,400 --> 00:55:02,719 I don't know, you lose key personnel, and Lowry's actually been relatively healthy 860 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:07,519 for him this year, and he's just not doing anything. I just I 861 00:55:07,519 --> 00:55:09,719 think the reason I flagged it is because I felt like, I think we 862 00:55:09,760 --> 00:55:14,800 both felt like the heat just kinda they're just short short on guys coming into 863 00:55:14,840 --> 00:55:17,000 this year, and they were gonna have to manufacture the next Caleb Martin, 864 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:21,519 and they were gonna have to find the next Duncan Robinson because they just needed 865 00:55:21,519 --> 00:55:22,800 bodies in the roads. They're gonna play Vin Love a lot. That's gonna 866 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:27,800 hurt the defense. The offense should be better. I just I think the 867 00:55:27,840 --> 00:55:30,679 Lowry thing, I guess I get it, Like he's thirty seven, how 868 00:55:30,760 --> 00:55:32,880 much do you want from him at this age. The fact that he's been 869 00:55:32,920 --> 00:55:36,599 able to play, you know, as much as he has is kind of 870 00:55:36,599 --> 00:55:38,719 a win based on his history of the last couple of years. But like, 871 00:55:39,599 --> 00:55:43,320 if you're the Heat, you kind of need Kyle Lowry to be pretty 872 00:55:43,360 --> 00:55:46,079 good, and he's just like not contribute. He's not doing anything out there. 873 00:55:46,119 --> 00:55:51,800 So I flagged that as an issue. I think it ties into some 874 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:53,119 of the bigger reasons to panic about the Heat. But again, like the 875 00:55:53,119 --> 00:55:57,159 bottom line so far has been okay, they're they're winning more than they're losing, 876 00:55:57,199 --> 00:55:59,320 So I don't know how much that bothers you. If you have another 877 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:04,599 Heat concerned to think about. I think it would just be they're so they 878 00:56:04,599 --> 00:56:07,000 could be so banged up at points where Jimmy wasn't healthiest start the season, 879 00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:09,400 but now he looks fine, So I guess it's just it has to be 880 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:13,920 peace with them. And I think the big reason for me when you're talking 881 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:16,119 about, you know, Kyle Lowry is used to not being high is one, 882 00:56:16,119 --> 00:56:20,000 he's shooting good enough from three this year, which is fine forty three 883 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:22,840 percent or whatever. And two bam Ouda Baio just continues to level up on 884 00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:28,199 the offensive end to where Jimmy Butler's still your best offensive player, but like 885 00:56:28,239 --> 00:56:31,400 bam Oda, Bayo does a whole bunch more stuff now. The self sufficiency 886 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:35,960 part of his game is a lot better, a lot more expansive. And 887 00:56:36,599 --> 00:56:39,719 I just it's so because when you look at the heat on paper and when 888 00:56:39,719 --> 00:56:44,400 you watch some of their games, it looks like we should be panicking about 889 00:56:44,440 --> 00:56:49,639 something, but we panicked all off season early, and then it's just I 890 00:56:49,679 --> 00:56:51,719 don't think they have enough to win a title, Like I think you're gonna 891 00:56:51,760 --> 00:56:53,079 run out of steam with this group. I know, Kayla Martin's only played 892 00:56:53,079 --> 00:56:57,679 in one game, but and Tyler hero is injured right now, but it's 893 00:56:57,719 --> 00:57:01,199 like you still need another higher end player. But that's not the cliche talking 894 00:57:01,239 --> 00:57:04,960 point. When you're looking at this team, it's okay, well maybe we're 895 00:57:05,000 --> 00:57:08,199 just there's something going on in Miami and this team is able to be greater 896 00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:12,559 than the sum of its parts when you're looking at them sort of on paper 897 00:57:12,599 --> 00:57:15,159 this year, and look, they've done it again. We said that they're 898 00:57:15,159 --> 00:57:17,000 gonna need these guys to sort of step up and fill some minutes, and 899 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:22,199 so you have Hayward high Smith coming in this year, and you have Jimi 900 00:57:22,239 --> 00:57:24,119 Hawkas, who's played a good amount as a rookie. He's played in every 901 00:57:24,159 --> 00:57:28,360 single one of their games, I think except for one, and he's given 902 00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:30,920 you really good minutes even though he's not hitting his threes, And so this 903 00:57:31,039 --> 00:57:34,800 is a team I think. Look, the thing I might panic about most 904 00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:37,519 is like, can they are they gonna be able to trust like some of 905 00:57:37,559 --> 00:57:39,320 these guys once you get to the playoffs, or how many of these guys 906 00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:44,639 are you still gonna be reliant upon when you get to the playoffs? And 907 00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:47,480 Jimmy Butler are gonna continue to hit fifty percent of his threes all season? 908 00:57:47,519 --> 00:57:51,840 Because the three point shooting for this team, no matter what the metrics are 909 00:57:51,840 --> 00:57:53,639 gonna say, can get pretty iffy. Where it was for a lot of 910 00:57:53,719 --> 00:57:59,719 last year. It was kind of Tyler Hero and even Cayleb Martin a little 911 00:57:59,719 --> 00:58:04,079 bit carrying their percentage from three. And so, yes, you're hitting thirty 912 00:58:04,079 --> 00:58:07,519 seven percent this year and the heat as always like they're going to have one 913 00:58:07,519 --> 00:58:12,639 of the league's better shot profiles, but they're also bottom tennis in three point 914 00:58:12,639 --> 00:58:15,840 attempt rate, and so that's just not a huge part of their game even 915 00:58:15,920 --> 00:58:19,320 forget about we say they need another off the dribble creator and this would be 916 00:58:19,360 --> 00:58:22,880 caked into your lowry concern, but they might need more three point volume as 917 00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:25,000 well. So there's just all these different moving parts in the air. But 918 00:58:25,039 --> 00:58:29,159 you watch them. You see the stretch where they're rattling off seven victories in 919 00:58:29,199 --> 00:58:30,920 a row, and we're recording this before they're playing the nets I think on 920 00:58:30,960 --> 00:58:34,239 Thursday, and we weren't watching, so if they win, it'll be eight. 921 00:58:35,639 --> 00:58:37,760 I guess they're riding the ship. So it's I'm just peace. You 922 00:58:37,840 --> 00:58:40,239 have to default to piece with a heat. They've earned that benefit of the 923 00:58:40,280 --> 00:58:44,000 doubt. That's where I'm at because if they sneak into the plan and they 924 00:58:44,039 --> 00:58:45,440 just make the finals, so it's hard to get two worked up. Okay, 925 00:58:45,599 --> 00:58:50,679 this is a big one. We could go in a thousand directions for 926 00:58:50,719 --> 00:58:52,719 the Milwaukee Bucks. Do you want to talk about the defense? Do you 927 00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:57,840 want to talk about Giannis's free throw shooting? I just like, I guess, 928 00:58:57,920 --> 00:59:01,039 since I'm like kind of leading the I don't know the thought here. 929 00:59:02,639 --> 00:59:07,360 I know that we've the defense was such an issue so early that we've already 930 00:59:07,360 --> 00:59:10,880 done like a couple of ping pongs back and forth between like oh, this 931 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:15,880 is a systemic issue and then oh it's early and oh it's Dame's fault, 932 00:59:15,920 --> 00:59:19,000 and then they're actually better on defense with Dame on the floor so far, 933 00:59:19,119 --> 00:59:21,440 so like, yeah, he's a bad defender, but it's not just him. 934 00:59:22,119 --> 00:59:23,559 Adrian Griffin doesn't know what he's doing. Oh no, he listened to 935 00:59:23,599 --> 00:59:30,159 the team and now he does. He's playing Brook lopezn't drop Like it's clearly 936 00:59:30,039 --> 00:59:34,800 something's up with the defense or several somethings are up with the defense, and 937 00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:38,280 it's not just the thing the things we go to as like oh, opponents 938 00:59:38,320 --> 00:59:43,360 are making fifty percent of their threes or whatever. Like I think there's something 939 00:59:43,440 --> 00:59:46,239 really I have, like bad, I have a bad feeling about the Bucks 940 00:59:46,239 --> 00:59:50,559 this year, and I did not have a bad feeling at all coming into 941 00:59:50,559 --> 00:59:58,440 the season. And I think it's twofold for me. One is the different, 942 00:59:58,599 --> 01:00:01,519 Like I think we're just seeing how much Drew Holiday matters one and two. 943 01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:06,320 It's the honest piece of it. All his numbers are still awesome, 944 01:00:06,480 --> 01:00:09,159 Like he's been super productive. He's you know, his free throwing is like, 945 01:00:09,400 --> 01:00:12,280 you know, basically where it was last year. But which is to 946 01:00:12,280 --> 01:00:15,639 say, is still a huge problem. Three point shooting's even worse. But 947 01:00:15,960 --> 01:00:19,719 I started having the thought the other day of, like, what if doesn't 948 01:00:19,760 --> 01:00:22,360 it make sense that Giannis is one of those guys that's just not going to 949 01:00:22,440 --> 01:00:28,079 age well just because it's not like his game was skill based necessarily, Like 950 01:00:28,119 --> 01:00:32,119 he was just overwhelmingly athletic and could get to the hoop whenever he wanted. 951 01:00:32,639 --> 01:00:36,719 And as he ages, it's just going to get harder and all those other 952 01:00:36,760 --> 01:00:38,840 peripheral skills that he never really developed are not going to be there to like 953 01:00:38,880 --> 01:00:43,800 prolong his prime. So I'm raising a lot of like major issues for the 954 01:00:43,800 --> 01:00:46,559 Bucks. Maybe we start with the defense. Do you have concerns that this 955 01:00:46,679 --> 01:00:52,079 defense is just not going to get where it needs to? Ah, I 956 01:00:52,199 --> 01:00:54,639 have concerns, But did you look when you were doing this, Like, 957 01:00:54,679 --> 01:00:59,159 did you look at the numbers? What they've been since brook Lopez started dropping 958 01:00:59,199 --> 01:01:04,119 more frequently. Again, it's like it fixed everything, right, Rights been 959 01:01:04,159 --> 01:01:08,280 the best rim protecting team in the league since then. They are fifth or 960 01:01:08,480 --> 01:01:13,880 I'm sorry not fifth, twelfth overall in points allowed per possession. During this 961 01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:17,559 stretch the half court where they were getting beat a lot and still are at 962 01:01:17,599 --> 01:01:22,960 points from the point of attack. They're now eleventh and half court defense. 963 01:01:22,800 --> 01:01:25,800 Even there, I would say the bigger concern for me, and they've settled 964 01:01:25,840 --> 01:01:30,840 down here from an efficiency perspective, was they were just getting torched in transition, 965 01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:34,679 and they still might be allowing it too frequently because it's so easy to 966 01:01:34,719 --> 01:01:39,760 get behind their guards off forget about makes missus turnovers whatever. So I look 967 01:01:39,760 --> 01:01:43,519 at the personnel and it's certainly fragile. Now. The thing we didn't mention 968 01:01:43,599 --> 01:01:46,079 the news is like Jay Crowder's missing a bunch of time and so like that 969 01:01:46,239 --> 01:01:52,119 throws another curveball into the element. But I would be I'm not concerned. 970 01:01:52,480 --> 01:01:53,719 I'm not concerned about the bucks. Like, let's get I mean, this 971 01:01:53,760 --> 01:01:58,039 won't fix the defense, but let's get Chris Middleton to a point where he's 972 01:01:58,039 --> 01:02:00,400 playing more minutes per game. Damian Little We've already kind of seen what he 973 01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:04,000 does, the havoc he creates off the dribble in the half court, and 974 01:02:04,000 --> 01:02:07,000 he's not even hit his threes at his normal clip just yet. The Yannest 975 01:02:07,000 --> 01:02:10,480 stuff is interesting because I have this discussion I'm gonna have to stop, I'm 976 01:02:10,480 --> 01:02:13,639 gonna have to throw it to you as soon as my voice is cracking again 977 01:02:13,719 --> 01:02:16,559 like a little child. I had this discussion with ty Wendish before the season 978 01:02:16,559 --> 01:02:21,360 that I'm very curiousy how Yannis ages. But is that like an immediate concern 979 01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:23,760 for you, because every time from what I've seen from him this season, 980 01:02:24,239 --> 01:02:29,480 I'm not. I'm not concerned about what Yannis is going to be for the 981 01:02:29,519 --> 01:02:31,320 rest of this year. I think it's if you want to point out, 982 01:02:31,599 --> 01:02:34,960 what did you say he was shooting from the free throw line? I don't 983 01:02:34,960 --> 01:02:38,519 even know. It's in the sixties again here, that's it's a piece. 984 01:02:39,559 --> 01:02:45,440 It's a bold text italics capslock piece for me across the board. You know 985 01:02:45,440 --> 01:02:50,840 why? Why is that? Because Marjoon Beauchamp is going to is going to 986 01:02:50,840 --> 01:02:54,800 be a two time champ or a multi time champ. We both we both 987 01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:59,880 love that you mentioned the transition stuff, just to just to put a fire 988 01:03:00,039 --> 01:03:04,079 point on it, that the Bucks are dead last in opponent transition frequency, 989 01:03:04,199 --> 01:03:07,840 meaning teams run on them more than any other team. And what's crazy is 990 01:03:08,559 --> 01:03:15,599 you don't run off the Bucks on steals. They're fourth in suppressing opponent transition 991 01:03:15,039 --> 01:03:21,840 chances off of steals, live rebounds, run all you want bucks opponents again 992 01:03:21,960 --> 01:03:24,320 dead last and how often teams run off live rebounds, which is I would 993 01:03:24,360 --> 01:03:29,639 be curious to to sort that into the pre and post, which yeah, 994 01:03:29,679 --> 01:03:32,480 oh yeah, brook Lope should be in a drop. So I did. 995 01:03:32,519 --> 01:03:37,119 They're still dead last in frequency, So what's going on the and they're not 996 01:03:37,400 --> 01:03:40,079 They're not like a team that's really getting after it on the offensive glass. 997 01:03:40,480 --> 01:03:44,199 There be a few things I already said about it's just easy to get behind 998 01:03:44,239 --> 01:03:46,559 the guards on their teams. And so is that a dame thing do you 999 01:03:46,559 --> 01:03:50,559 think? Because the dame thing, that's the Malie Beasley thing. Yeah, 1000 01:03:50,639 --> 01:03:52,559 right right, I'm gonna be frank, and this isn't a guard At times, 1001 01:03:52,519 --> 01:03:55,159 it's been ay honest thing, because like when he puts up those shots 1002 01:03:55,159 --> 01:03:59,519 outside the restricted area, whether it's I would be interested to see, like 1003 01:03:59,559 --> 01:04:02,320 what are opponents running off of Giannis threes? He's not back in time when 1004 01:04:02,320 --> 01:04:05,159 he's putting up like kind of mid range shots. It's almost like he needs 1005 01:04:05,159 --> 01:04:08,920 to. And I guess it makes sense because if you're dunking or laying up, 1006 01:04:08,960 --> 01:04:13,480 you know the outcome of the shot one sooner and two it's more likely 1007 01:04:13,519 --> 01:04:15,119 to go in. So they're not gonna have be the opportunity to run. 1008 01:04:15,519 --> 01:04:19,519 And so it's been I don't want to say in everyone problem, but that's 1009 01:04:19,559 --> 01:04:24,440 what I've noticed. I'm sure maybe Bucks fans have noticed something a little bit 1010 01:04:25,199 --> 01:04:29,039 a bit differently or notice more of it, but that's not something that has 1011 01:04:29,079 --> 01:04:33,719 been you know, remedied, and so I think, look, I don't 1012 01:04:33,760 --> 01:04:36,480 know what the answer is or what they could do to, you know, 1013 01:04:38,280 --> 01:04:41,599 aside from it's not even getting healthier for them because they're sort of just running 1014 01:04:41,599 --> 01:04:45,440 out of different personnel options. That's the part of their defense though that I 1015 01:04:45,440 --> 01:04:47,480 could see. Oh, it's not really gonna normalize. I would love to 1016 01:04:47,480 --> 01:04:53,320 see them. I don't know if you've seen any of Chris Livingston this season, 1017 01:04:53,639 --> 01:04:56,599 but like that's someone that they can maybe test out a little bit in 1018 01:04:57,320 --> 01:05:01,239 some more run here or oh my god, my voice is my voice is 1019 01:05:01,239 --> 01:05:04,760 cracking so hard right now. But again, like that's that's like the closest 1020 01:05:04,760 --> 01:05:09,079 thing to excuse me. It wasn't even Andre Jackson Junior is the name I'm 1021 01:05:09,079 --> 01:05:13,440 thinking of. This is just like he's a very smart and cerebral player and 1022 01:05:13,840 --> 01:05:17,440 he knows how to like he's just better at getting back than a lot of 1023 01:05:17,440 --> 01:05:20,239 the other guys that they're playing right now. Is really is really where I'm 1024 01:05:20,239 --> 01:05:24,159 at with Milwaukee. But that's like, if we're at that point with Andre 1025 01:05:24,239 --> 01:05:27,559 Jackson, that that would be the part of their defense though that I'm most 1026 01:05:27,559 --> 01:05:31,119 concerned about. Yeah, I think I'm just broadly closer to panic for them, 1027 01:05:31,199 --> 01:05:35,559 because I it's not quite to the same extent as maybe two years ago 1028 01:05:35,639 --> 01:05:40,000 when when our refrain was like, I got no notes on the Bucks. 1029 01:05:40,039 --> 01:05:42,719 They're just I have no questions about them. They're gonna win the title. 1030 01:05:42,800 --> 01:05:45,800 They're great. And then of course they got bounced in the first round, 1031 01:05:45,880 --> 01:05:51,840 so we're wrong there. But this team just seems more vulnerable. They're thinner, 1032 01:05:53,280 --> 01:05:56,400 they're older. The thing about Middleton, like yeah, once he's right, 1033 01:05:56,519 --> 01:05:58,599 will be good. It's like, well, but he's not yet. 1034 01:05:59,000 --> 01:06:01,840 And I'm not confident that Middleton's gonna be the guy they need him to be. 1035 01:06:01,960 --> 01:06:05,400 I don't know. I'm I'm being sort of irrationally panicky about the Bucks 1036 01:06:05,440 --> 01:06:10,679 because it's so jarring to me that now they they were once the team that 1037 01:06:10,719 --> 01:06:13,239 I was like, yeah, just wake me up in April. They're gonna 1038 01:06:13,239 --> 01:06:16,119 be awesome, and now things feel less stable to me, and so I'm 1039 01:06:16,480 --> 01:06:20,760 worried. That's I think that's a fair macro concern. But I mean, 1040 01:06:20,760 --> 01:06:25,800 like they're seven and four. Damian Lillard hasn't been hitting threes, and like 1041 01:06:25,880 --> 01:06:28,639 they haven't had like the cleanest bill of health, and it took them so 1042 01:06:29,039 --> 01:06:31,519 not so long. But their defense was so bad for part of the season. 1043 01:06:31,559 --> 01:06:35,039 It's just the ceiling of this team still feels incredibly high, even if 1044 01:06:35,079 --> 01:06:38,760 a few things need to break right, How would you feel about them if 1045 01:06:38,760 --> 01:06:44,239 they reacquire Javon Carter at the trade deadline? Way better, way better? 1046 01:06:45,719 --> 01:06:48,000 From your mouth together, there's okay, bad news if your voice is going 1047 01:06:48,039 --> 01:06:51,760 out. Because we have the Knicks as our next team, and it's the 1048 01:06:51,760 --> 01:06:56,639 shooting, the two point shooting at the rim shooting, it's been horrible. 1049 01:06:56,679 --> 01:06:59,960 They're the least accurate team in the league at the rim fifty four point four, 1050 01:07:00,639 --> 01:07:04,079 which it would be the worst in franchise history. As far as cleaning 1051 01:07:04,119 --> 01:07:09,280 the glasses concern, which goes back to three to four. So the Knicks 1052 01:07:09,320 --> 01:07:13,800 are making nothing at close range. Jalen Brunson's floater has been offline. They've 1053 01:07:13,800 --> 01:07:16,559 been better lately. Julius Randall has started to make some shots after. I 1054 01:07:16,599 --> 01:07:19,119 forget what the number was, maybe you came across it, but like he 1055 01:07:19,239 --> 01:07:23,199 was in the twenty percents. Yeah, he was bad. It was just 1056 01:07:23,239 --> 01:07:27,159 like and like at the rim, he was in the third just like inexplicably 1057 01:07:27,159 --> 01:07:31,119 bad shooting. Now, the Knicks were not a great effective field goal percentage 1058 01:07:31,119 --> 01:07:34,639 team last year. They succeeded on offense. They were the number two offense 1059 01:07:34,679 --> 01:07:39,639 because they got every offensive rebound. Fred Katz had great research on this. 1060 01:07:39,840 --> 01:07:44,239 They always kicked out offensive boards and got open threes and so they that's that 1061 01:07:44,360 --> 01:07:46,679 is how they succeeded. They took care of the ball like all that stuff. 1062 01:07:47,039 --> 01:07:50,519 So you know they're looking at it now, twenty sixth in effective field 1063 01:07:50,559 --> 01:07:54,679 goal percentage in the league. They were twentieth last year. So it's like 1064 01:07:55,320 --> 01:07:58,400 it's not a death noell, if your effective field goal percentage is low, 1065 01:07:58,440 --> 01:08:01,719 but like this is low, low, low, especially at the rim. 1066 01:08:01,960 --> 01:08:06,840 I'm sure you've watched more Knicks than I have, how like in order to 1067 01:08:06,960 --> 01:08:11,000 piece for panic, but like, is there any part of you that wants 1068 01:08:11,039 --> 01:08:13,800 to panic about this or is it just oh, they'll make shots eventually. 1069 01:08:15,159 --> 01:08:19,119 I'd probably lean towards peace on this just because I think you can say the 1070 01:08:19,159 --> 01:08:24,000 bigger concern if you want to panic, is to say that the offense does 1071 01:08:24,039 --> 01:08:27,760 not really have a lot more variance than it does last year. Dante Devincenzo 1072 01:08:27,760 --> 01:08:29,960 has brought some of it, and like the RJ. Barrett when he's been 1073 01:08:30,000 --> 01:08:33,119 healthier, not having migraines, he's been really good for them. But the 1074 01:08:34,119 --> 01:08:36,840 defense are still really going to they can pack the paint against them, and 1075 01:08:36,880 --> 01:08:41,239 I think that's made life really difficult. When you're looking at Jalen Brunson's finishing 1076 01:08:41,600 --> 01:08:44,039 inside the arc. He's had to be a little bit more reliant on the 1077 01:08:44,119 --> 01:08:47,680 perimeter game on his threes, and like the Knicks are shooting well enough from 1078 01:08:47,680 --> 01:08:51,039 three, and I think their tenth and three point a tenth right, they're 1079 01:08:51,079 --> 01:08:55,680 dead last in average possession time on the offensive end, and so it's like 1080 01:08:55,720 --> 01:08:59,079 they're not dead last in transition frequency. But this is not an offense that 1081 01:08:59,159 --> 01:09:01,479 is going to operate at a super quick pace. They're going to kind of 1082 01:09:01,520 --> 01:09:04,560 more, you know, when Jalen Brunson or Julius Randall are operating like they're 1083 01:09:04,600 --> 01:09:10,039 going to like meticulously kind of pick their spots and to some extent that's fine, 1084 01:09:10,039 --> 01:09:12,439 but I would like to see there be more urgency caked in and you 1085 01:09:12,439 --> 01:09:15,880 see it more when it's you know, the RJ. Barrett plus bench units, 1086 01:09:15,720 --> 01:09:18,600 I'd be mostly a piece here. If it's more of a okay, 1087 01:09:19,199 --> 01:09:23,359 you know, if you're measuring it against last year when they were second in 1088 01:09:23,439 --> 01:09:27,399 point score per possession, you could go as a panic. But I mean, 1089 01:09:27,439 --> 01:09:30,079 as we're recording this, like to be twelve in point score per possession 1090 01:09:30,079 --> 01:09:33,840 while being twenty six in effective field goal percentage. It's unsustainable, but it 1091 01:09:33,840 --> 01:09:38,640 means okay, where there's room to grow somewhere. And the defense has been 1092 01:09:38,640 --> 01:09:41,159 so good that I think it offsets a lot of it. But the offense, 1093 01:09:42,319 --> 01:09:45,560 I'll say, their methodical, deliberate, the half court offense, outside 1094 01:09:45,600 --> 01:09:49,239 of them getting offensive rebounds, which they are still, by the way, 1095 01:09:49,560 --> 01:09:54,439 more than capable of doing, it's you know, that would be the Do 1096 01:09:54,520 --> 01:09:59,880 I have confidence that this team, as currently constructed can be a much better 1097 01:10:00,399 --> 01:10:03,520 half court offense? No? And that would be where the paddic sets in 1098 01:10:03,520 --> 01:10:06,680 a little bit, because they are twenty fifth in half court offense right now, 1099 01:10:06,680 --> 01:10:11,600 and I think that comes up organically as Jalen Brunston continues to get better 1100 01:10:11,600 --> 01:10:14,319 and as RJ. Barrett's little bit more available, and we continue to get 1101 01:10:14,359 --> 01:10:17,039 into Julius Rannol even if not all NBA, Julius Rendald getting a little bit 1102 01:10:17,039 --> 01:10:21,840 better. But outside again, outside of the offensive rebounding element, that's where 1103 01:10:21,840 --> 01:10:28,239 you needed your offense to improve and it has not. Yeah, another offensive 1104 01:10:28,479 --> 01:10:30,920 I mean, it's these happen to be back to back alphabetically. But the 1105 01:10:31,000 --> 01:10:36,520 Orlando Magic, do you want to guess what their highest ranking and offensive rating 1106 01:10:36,680 --> 01:10:42,000 has been over the last four years? Just you know, over the last 1107 01:10:42,039 --> 01:10:47,319 four years their highest I'm gonna say eighteenth, twenty sixth. Not good. 1108 01:10:47,399 --> 01:10:54,119 They're twenty seventh this year. And like the defense again, last year they 1109 01:10:54,199 --> 01:10:57,359 flirted with top ten. I think they finished eleventh. Now they're currently fourth 1110 01:10:57,399 --> 01:11:00,960 in defensive efficiency. I kind of think the defense is they force a ton 1111 01:11:00,000 --> 01:11:04,119 of turnovers. Jalen Suggs is a monster. Every second that Jonathan Isaac is 1112 01:11:04,159 --> 01:11:08,560 able to stay on the floor with Jalen Suggs is just like, that's that's 1113 01:11:08,640 --> 01:11:13,680 tough. Isaac can still move, can still block shots. I think when 1114 01:11:13,680 --> 01:11:16,680 I did the numbers the other day, he's obviously not playing thirty six minutes. 1115 01:11:16,680 --> 01:11:19,880 But Isaac is averaging like three point nine blocks and two point six steals 1116 01:11:19,960 --> 01:11:24,239 or something absurd like that for thirty six minutes. So he's just like wreaking 1117 01:11:24,279 --> 01:11:28,640 havoc in the you know, in the high teens or mid teens minute totals 1118 01:11:28,640 --> 01:11:31,239 he plays. But when you have foults, when you have sugs. I 1119 01:11:31,239 --> 01:11:36,079 think Anthony Black has massive defensive potential, but he's a rookie. I think 1120 01:11:36,199 --> 01:11:40,800 just Wagner and Banco because of their size, this defense is gonna be good. 1121 01:11:41,479 --> 01:11:47,439 The offense though, like I don't know how it gets better without personnel 1122 01:11:47,520 --> 01:11:51,560 changes, so I guess, you know, So I'm panicking about the offense 1123 01:11:51,600 --> 01:11:56,239 even though it is mostly young guards and you and like ben Caro's in his 1124 01:11:56,239 --> 01:12:00,319 second year, Wagner's in his third, and so the front court should get 1125 01:12:00,359 --> 01:12:03,399 better too, but like we're now going on four years of twenty six, 1126 01:12:03,439 --> 01:12:08,159 they're worse. That's not all on this roster, but there is carryover from 1127 01:12:08,199 --> 01:12:11,520 last year when they were twenty six, and some from the year before when 1128 01:12:11,560 --> 01:12:16,920 they were dead last So I just I'm trying to see a way towards you 1129 01:12:16,960 --> 01:12:20,520 know, the defense being I think, legit, what do you do to 1130 01:12:20,600 --> 01:12:25,800 make this offense function? Because it just isn't right now. And so for 1131 01:12:25,880 --> 01:12:30,960 me it's a panic because I do think there's pretty significant potential at least defensively, 1132 01:12:31,279 --> 01:12:34,399 and I like a lot of the pieces offensively, but it's just the 1133 01:12:34,439 --> 01:12:39,199 results aren't there. So and it's gone a long enough to where I'm not 1134 01:12:39,239 --> 01:12:44,199 comfortable just talking about like shot variants and whatever, like it's not it doesn't 1135 01:12:44,199 --> 01:12:46,319 feel like noise to me. So I'm pretty panicky over the Magic's offense. 1136 01:12:47,039 --> 01:12:50,199 Yeah, and look, I think you should be. And if you're looking 1137 01:12:50,239 --> 01:12:56,159 to address it in house, aside from kind of banking on the development of 1138 01:12:56,199 --> 01:12:58,720 players, which is, by the way, is fair when you look at 1139 01:12:58,720 --> 01:13:00,640 who is on their roster, you could talk yourself into Okay, you know, 1140 01:13:00,680 --> 01:13:03,920 Anthony Black's been better than I've expected this year, so you could talk 1141 01:13:03,960 --> 01:13:09,479 yourself into to certain things. But their I think what you could do is 1142 01:13:09,479 --> 01:13:14,239 to you already mentioned what they're doing on defense by forcing the turnovers run more 1143 01:13:14,800 --> 01:13:17,920 off of those, they're like twenty second in the frequency of transition in which 1144 01:13:17,920 --> 01:13:21,119 they run after forcing turnovers. When you're forcing turnovers that much, that's not 1145 01:13:21,159 --> 01:13:26,000 okay, and then they're twenty fifth in average possession time after forcing a turnover. 1146 01:13:26,279 --> 01:13:30,239 This is not an offense that is built to slow down, even if 1147 01:13:30,279 --> 01:13:34,600 you look at their players and they're not necessarily built to operate super fast, 1148 01:13:34,680 --> 01:13:39,199 and you kind of look at the way that their offense gets run in the 1149 01:13:39,199 --> 01:13:42,439 half court where it's Franz Wagner or Palo bink Caro when they have to attack 1150 01:13:42,479 --> 01:13:45,560 on these drives and they're running into all these different bodies. Yeah, you 1151 01:13:45,600 --> 01:13:48,239 can generate some wide open three point looks, but guess what teams don't give 1152 01:13:48,239 --> 01:13:53,279 a shit about those. You're shooting thirty six point four percent on wide open 1153 01:13:53,319 --> 01:13:57,800 threes this year, and that's bottom seven in the league. Like an average 1154 01:13:57,880 --> 01:14:00,119 mark on wide open threes I think is around like thirty nine percent or whatever 1155 01:14:00,119 --> 01:14:03,079 it is. Gohead and they don't shoot them. They don't shoot threes. 1156 01:14:03,159 --> 01:14:06,239 Like, so they're a ten frequency from three is twenty sixth in the league 1157 01:14:06,279 --> 01:14:09,920 this year. They take just under thirty two percent of their shots from deep. 1158 01:14:10,159 --> 01:14:12,479 Last year they were twenty fourth and a ten frequency. They get to 1159 01:14:12,479 --> 01:14:15,279 the rim a ton, which like makes sense because because you just said banker 1160 01:14:16,359 --> 01:14:20,439 attacking the basket. They're just not clean looks at the rim though, and 1161 01:14:20,479 --> 01:14:25,760 it's I mean, they're not making their shots at the rim. They're not 1162 01:14:25,760 --> 01:14:27,880 making it. So but like that part of the process is good. But 1163 01:14:28,159 --> 01:14:31,199 I think it's all tied to what you said. You have your forwards essentially 1164 01:14:31,239 --> 01:14:34,880 initiating the offense, and if they do collapse the defense and it is collapsed, 1165 01:14:34,920 --> 01:14:39,000 because why are you not You don't care about Jalen Suggs or markl Foltz 1166 01:14:39,079 --> 01:14:43,159 or even you know, Cole Anthony all that much outside Like those those kickouts 1167 01:14:43,279 --> 01:14:47,199 are going to guys who either are not shooting them or just like have maybe 1168 01:14:47,239 --> 01:14:49,760 been told like, oh, let's drive and kick again and try to get 1169 01:14:49,760 --> 01:14:54,880 it to a It's just like the structure of this team for a long time, 1170 01:14:54,920 --> 01:14:56,960 I mean a long time, for a couple of years, to me 1171 01:14:57,560 --> 01:15:00,680 has just not made sense. Because if you're gonna run the offense through your 1172 01:15:00,920 --> 01:15:06,239 awesome forward combo, which should that like good idea. We like that your 1173 01:15:06,239 --> 01:15:09,600 guards have got to be able to shoot like and they don't even have to 1174 01:15:09,600 --> 01:15:12,800 be able to do much like you don't need anything else from them. You 1175 01:15:12,840 --> 01:15:15,600 don't need them to run pick and rolls or generate offense, just make open 1176 01:15:15,600 --> 01:15:18,119 shots and scare the defense, and they just don't have those guys. Yeah, 1177 01:15:18,159 --> 01:15:23,199 they need to look if they again, if they want to let it 1178 01:15:23,279 --> 01:15:26,319 marinate, that's fine. There doesn't have to be like intense urgency here. 1179 01:15:26,359 --> 01:15:30,520 But they're a team where if Zach Lavine becomes available, if Buddy heels available, 1180 01:15:30,960 --> 01:15:32,119 which I don't know why, the Pacers will be gettingrid of Buddy Heeler, 1181 01:15:32,279 --> 01:15:35,520 Like you need to be in on that if you have aspirations this season. 1182 01:15:36,399 --> 01:15:41,039 Yeah, I agree. That takes us to the Philadelphia seventy six ers, 1183 01:15:41,119 --> 01:15:46,000 and like I just I am so excited about the Sixers. I was 1184 01:15:46,600 --> 01:15:51,399 watching them even though they lost the game against Boston where it's just like, 1185 01:15:51,680 --> 01:15:55,520 oh, I've circled all the way back now, Dan, remember how I 1186 01:15:55,560 --> 01:15:58,560 said we need to come up with a player category for guys that just fit 1187 01:15:58,600 --> 01:16:01,439 anywhere. I thought of this and watching d Anthony Melton, because I just 1188 01:16:01,600 --> 01:16:05,079 was thing like, who wouldn't want this guy? Memphis? What do we 1189 01:16:05,159 --> 01:16:11,840 do? What in a role player? Does does Melton not give you? 1190 01:16:12,079 --> 01:16:15,760 Like answer? Nothing? He's he's never going to be a star. But 1191 01:16:15,880 --> 01:16:18,399 I would feel one hundred percent comfortable with him on the floor in the last 1192 01:16:18,399 --> 01:16:21,720 two minutes of a Finals game, Like, I just he's in the KCP. 1193 01:16:21,840 --> 01:16:26,560 He's Danny Green might be like the original guy for this role for me, 1194 01:16:28,199 --> 01:16:30,640 like just Spurs Danny Green is like, give me him. I want 1195 01:16:30,720 --> 01:16:32,239 him on my team. I don't care who he plays over. He's my 1196 01:16:32,279 --> 01:16:38,279 starting shooting guard. So I just got super excited about the Sixers, and 1197 01:16:38,439 --> 01:16:41,520 the knit I was gonna pick is that they're giving up like too many layups 1198 01:16:41,520 --> 01:16:45,800 basically, which is just like who cares. They're twenty fourth and opponent roumatanpt 1199 01:16:45,800 --> 01:16:49,319 frequency, but like whatever. So I don't really have a piece of panic 1200 01:16:49,359 --> 01:16:55,720 for the Sixers other than like, well, here's do something stupid with your 1201 01:16:55,760 --> 01:16:59,600 trade assets now and mess this up, and just you know, Zach Levine 1202 01:16:59,600 --> 01:17:01,960 probably isn't the answer, I guess. Let's see, I'm punting on a 1203 01:17:01,960 --> 01:17:05,760 piece of panic for the Sixers because I just don't really have any major concerns 1204 01:17:05,800 --> 01:17:10,720 for them. Here's a piece panic. Do you think that they will actually 1205 01:17:10,720 --> 01:17:15,399 start playing Jayden Springer over Marcus Morris and Patrick Beverley. God, I love 1206 01:17:15,439 --> 01:17:20,279 Jayden Springer again. In that Celtics game, He's just like steal dunk him. 1207 01:17:20,560 --> 01:17:24,479 Nurse said something after basically along the lines of we need to figure out 1208 01:17:24,479 --> 01:17:26,800 a way to get in more minutes. Yeah, you grammatic? Will they 1209 01:17:26,800 --> 01:17:30,079 figure out a way to get Jaydan springericking right now? Because he should play 1210 01:17:30,079 --> 01:17:33,439 a lot. He should play a lot. I really, even preseason, 1211 01:17:33,479 --> 01:17:36,159 I was thinking, I just I don't know how many different things I wrote 1212 01:17:36,199 --> 01:17:40,239 or said about Jaden Springer, and then I came, you know, looked 1213 01:17:40,279 --> 01:17:43,000 going into last night's game, and he's playing. He's just not playing at 1214 01:17:43,000 --> 01:17:45,760 all, and every time he gets in the game he does. He might 1215 01:17:45,800 --> 01:17:48,079 be one of those guys, He's another Gay Vincent where I only ever see 1216 01:17:48,079 --> 01:17:51,960 his good moments somehow because it's it's inexplicable to me. So I'm panicking. 1217 01:17:53,000 --> 01:17:56,359 If you're not playing more Jayden Springer, I think that's I think they're going 1218 01:17:56,439 --> 01:18:00,359 to wind up out of necessity, especially with Kelly Ubridge Junior out for a 1219 01:18:00,359 --> 01:18:03,960 little bit. I'd be a little bit surprised if they wind up not playing 1220 01:18:04,039 --> 01:18:08,239 him more over the next couple of weeks. I'm gonna say peace there. 1221 01:18:08,279 --> 01:18:11,760 I think jaymeans Springer gets more minutes. Have you been concerned at all? 1222 01:18:12,119 --> 01:18:15,119 You said they're giving up too many layups. They're like one of the worst 1223 01:18:15,159 --> 01:18:18,640 finishing teams at the rim two this season. Is that a piece or panic 1224 01:18:18,640 --> 01:18:24,079 when you look at you know, do they have enough? Look? The 1225 01:18:24,119 --> 01:18:27,119 real piece of panic to me would actually be are they gonna be able to 1226 01:18:27,119 --> 01:18:30,520 get a second creator for the bench, because the second creator for the bench 1227 01:18:30,560 --> 01:18:32,319 is a big part of I think what is gonna ail them? And like 1228 01:18:32,399 --> 01:18:36,079 you've had the Maxi Noan Beid minutes. I think it been great this year, 1229 01:18:36,239 --> 01:18:41,960 That's what everyone was in fanfare. But you need just another kind of 1230 01:18:42,039 --> 01:18:45,720 ball handler type on this team. And that's the piece or panic is can 1231 01:18:45,760 --> 01:18:48,159 you figure out a way because it's not he's not on the roster. I 1232 01:18:48,199 --> 01:18:51,159 think we all agree about that. Can you figure out a way to acquire 1233 01:18:51,199 --> 01:18:57,600 one without acquiring the wrong one? Because Zach Levine is very much a well 1234 01:18:57,640 --> 01:19:00,600 we're committing to this pot, which is why I don't like it. And 1235 01:19:00,640 --> 01:19:02,840 Alic Caruso is also not that guy, even though he'd be a great hit 1236 01:19:02,920 --> 01:19:05,840 in Philly. You meagine Alice Cruzo and danpy Meultain on the same team. 1237 01:19:05,880 --> 01:19:11,560 I got oh Man and then you go get Annonobe. This offseason then you 1238 01:19:11,640 --> 01:19:14,920 just have Jamee's bringer there. Yeah, you know, I'm scoring on this 1239 01:19:14,960 --> 01:19:18,680 team. Ever, the rim stuff is interesting on offense, I guess, 1240 01:19:18,760 --> 01:19:24,640 like I'm not. I wouldn't be concerned about that one because the sixers are 1241 01:19:24,680 --> 01:19:27,840 always going to generate a ton of free throws and so that's going to offset 1242 01:19:27,960 --> 01:19:30,479 some of the lack of the other thing is, like, I mean, 1243 01:19:30,560 --> 01:19:35,439 part of the value of rim pressure is that you're bringing defenders away from perimeter 1244 01:19:35,520 --> 01:19:40,439 shooters, and so those guys are getting free runs at offensive boards and or 1245 01:19:40,479 --> 01:19:42,640 open shots if the ball gets kicked out, And as long as you have 1246 01:19:42,680 --> 01:19:46,399 Embiid, you're gonna attract defenders into the lane. So whether they're finishing or 1247 01:19:46,439 --> 01:19:50,479 not, I think you're still getting most of the benefit of you know, 1248 01:19:51,119 --> 01:19:56,159 the same types of benefits you'd get if you were like the Thunder and just 1249 01:19:56,239 --> 01:20:00,319 relentlessly we're attacking the basket all the time. You kind of have the same 1250 01:20:00,319 --> 01:20:03,439 effect on the defense just by Himbiid like existing and being on the court somewhere. 1251 01:20:04,840 --> 01:20:09,279 Let's see, we got the Raptors next. Okay, this is gonna 1252 01:20:09,279 --> 01:20:13,319 seem like a cop out, but like, should we panic that all of 1253 01:20:13,359 --> 01:20:15,680 the shit that has gone badly for them this year, other than Scottie Barnes 1254 01:20:15,720 --> 01:20:21,079 being good again was foreseeable, and that like the half court offense was bad 1255 01:20:21,159 --> 01:20:25,920 last year, sucks worse this year because you have Dennis Shrewder for Fred van 1256 01:20:26,000 --> 01:20:30,560 Vliet. The turnovers are way up because you just don't have enough like capable 1257 01:20:30,600 --> 01:20:35,720 ball handlers. You are not getting to the line nearly as often again because 1258 01:20:35,760 --> 01:20:41,920 like the whole So, I don't know if this is the most common criticism 1259 01:20:42,079 --> 01:20:45,239 of Nick Nurse, but it seemed like last year it was like a lot 1260 01:20:45,239 --> 01:20:47,479 of matchup hunting, a lot of grinded out, a lot of Pascal Siakam 1261 01:20:47,520 --> 01:20:51,479 like eight dribble possessions where he turns one shoulder then the other. There was 1262 01:20:51,520 --> 01:20:55,560 no flow. The half court offense was bad, like across the board, 1263 01:20:56,119 --> 01:21:00,880 and it's just worse. And I think that's because you got an infer model 1264 01:21:00,039 --> 01:21:04,239 in at point guard and all of the same tendencies that your best players had 1265 01:21:04,279 --> 01:21:08,520 are still there. Siyakum has been a lot worse this year than last. 1266 01:21:09,000 --> 01:21:13,560 So I think, like this is easy for me. I'm panicking because it 1267 01:21:13,199 --> 01:21:15,520 just it just suggests to me that the Raptors like this is more than the 1268 01:21:15,560 --> 01:21:19,760 pick a direction thing we've harped on forever. It's just like, how did 1269 01:21:19,800 --> 01:21:26,600 you not anticipate exactly this fate? You know, like this is where all 1270 01:21:26,640 --> 01:21:30,039 of the signs, all of the moves and non moves made over the last 1271 01:21:30,079 --> 01:21:33,640 couple of years we're pointing towards and now we're just here. And so it 1272 01:21:33,680 --> 01:21:36,600 gives me no confidence that the Raptors are going to navigate their way out of 1273 01:21:36,640 --> 01:21:41,560 this. It's great that Scotti Barnes looks good now, but that's just like 1274 01:21:42,399 --> 01:21:45,159 as an organization, it just feels like this is a total panic situation because 1275 01:21:45,640 --> 01:21:50,600 they've messed up roster construction, free agency trades. The pearl trade, I 1276 01:21:50,600 --> 01:21:55,159 think is still a mistake, and I just I'm panicking. I'm panicking across 1277 01:21:55,159 --> 01:21:58,359 the board that And look, that's the thing I keep coming back to is 1278 01:21:58,359 --> 01:22:02,279 when you're framing it as is it Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes, I honestly 1279 01:22:02,319 --> 01:22:08,560 feel like it's is it Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes or is it Scottie Barnes 1280 01:22:08,600 --> 01:22:12,159 and Yakam Perle, And it's you have to like those My point is those 1281 01:22:12,159 --> 01:22:15,000 three that was probably a terrible way to phrase it. But those three can't 1282 01:22:15,000 --> 01:22:16,960 be together, and the rafts are getting hammered with them on the court. 1283 01:22:17,279 --> 01:22:20,279 This year, when those three play together, I would like to see them 1284 01:22:20,319 --> 01:22:25,119 start Gary Trent Junior when he's healthy, just to see if that opens things 1285 01:22:25,199 --> 01:22:28,439 up a little bit more, because you don't have the surround, like have 1286 01:22:28,479 --> 01:22:31,479 two shooters on the court at all times when those three are there. And 1287 01:22:31,680 --> 01:22:35,319 I know Scotty Barnes improved his shooting this year, but Pascal Siakam's been a 1288 01:22:35,359 --> 01:22:38,920 little bit off. He is up to want to, It's clear after some 1289 01:22:38,960 --> 01:22:43,199 good performances. He's up to thirty seven point eight percent shooting on drives. 1290 01:22:43,399 --> 01:22:47,640 There's just the space is not there numbers, yeah, for all for all 1291 01:22:47,720 --> 01:22:50,960 these guys to operate. And so I think it's a panic because I don't 1292 01:22:50,960 --> 01:22:57,680 think I don't trust themselves to navigate out of this, because it feels like 1293 01:22:57,720 --> 01:23:00,439 they might lean further into it. It's just like you, why would you 1294 01:23:00,520 --> 01:23:03,760 trade? I actually think Scotty Barnes and Pascal Siakam can work together. It's 1295 01:23:03,800 --> 01:23:06,640 just going to take a different look at center. That's a hard look at 1296 01:23:06,640 --> 01:23:11,079 center to find, though, and you just invested in Yakub Purtle, and 1297 01:23:11,159 --> 01:23:15,640 why would you trade Pascal Siakam right now? Because the value you're going to 1298 01:23:15,680 --> 01:23:19,000 get for him months away from free agency, where teams don't even get a 1299 01:23:19,039 --> 01:23:21,840 training camp with him, what is the value they're going to give up? 1300 01:23:23,399 --> 01:23:26,920 Yeah, I think I mean Toronto has done this time and again they just 1301 01:23:27,560 --> 01:23:30,479 you know, whether I mean Trent you know opted in. I think that 1302 01:23:30,520 --> 01:23:33,399 was a surprise. But the Van Fleet thing, you know, they had 1303 01:23:33,399 --> 01:23:36,279 many opportunities to trade him, didn't they even do this with like going back 1304 01:23:36,279 --> 01:23:41,359 to Kyle Lowry where they just like you know, there were always times to 1305 01:23:41,439 --> 01:23:44,920 move guys and they waited and waited and the value went down. And so 1306 01:23:45,359 --> 01:23:48,439 it's that that is where we are with and now it's complicated because the extension 1307 01:23:48,800 --> 01:23:53,319 you probably you can't extend it in an OBI, so you know you're gonna 1308 01:23:53,319 --> 01:23:55,800 he's gonna get the free agency one way or the other. But you know 1309 01:23:55,800 --> 01:23:58,399 that's another reason to try to get maybe what you can for him if you 1310 01:23:58,439 --> 01:24:00,079 don't think you can resign him. And Sam is again as kind of a 1311 01:24:00,119 --> 01:24:06,000 similar boat, but like just waiting and hoping that these this personnel group is 1312 01:24:06,000 --> 01:24:10,520 going to figure it out when the pieces just don't quite work. Is it's 1313 01:24:10,600 --> 01:24:13,600 like it's just a mistake. I just I don't. I don't. I 1314 01:24:13,600 --> 01:24:16,880 don't see the way forward with this group. So I will say we're probably 1315 01:24:16,920 --> 01:24:20,000 talking I don't know who would have cost them, but we're probably talking this 1316 01:24:20,039 --> 01:24:24,239 team about in a much different reign if they were actually in on the Damian 1317 01:24:24,279 --> 01:24:28,039 Lillard sweepstakes. Because even when he's not making shots, as you talking of 1318 01:24:28,119 --> 01:24:30,600 these cold sports Milwaukee, you just see the impact on what he opens up 1319 01:24:30,640 --> 01:24:34,680 inside the arc for everybody. Could you imagine him next to I'm assuming they 1320 01:24:34,680 --> 01:24:38,760 could have based off what the package ended up being, I'm assuming they could 1321 01:24:38,760 --> 01:24:44,520 have gotten him without giving Upakam and Scotty. You think, I mean he 1322 01:24:44,560 --> 01:24:48,359 would so like if you're talking about, you know, can't Siakam and Scotty, 1323 01:24:48,439 --> 01:24:51,479 like can't play together and all this other stuff, it's it's and again 1324 01:24:51,520 --> 01:24:54,760 it's not I want to make it clear in case I said that, I 1325 01:24:54,840 --> 01:24:58,079 just don't like the Pearl Scottie Siakam. Look, that does not feel like 1326 01:24:58,079 --> 01:25:00,119 a set up that can sustain. I don't like it either, But I 1327 01:25:00,159 --> 01:25:03,439 think it's almost like and I'm not saying you're making the point that Siaka and 1328 01:25:03,479 --> 01:25:08,600 Scotty can't play together. I think there's like, I mean, there's concerns, 1329 01:25:08,600 --> 01:25:11,279 for sure, there's concerns about that. I think I don't think the 1330 01:25:11,319 --> 01:25:14,319 answer is move one or the other necessarily. I think they're gonna be in 1331 01:25:14,319 --> 01:25:16,479 a position where they sort of have to do that just because of where Siakam 1332 01:25:16,560 --> 01:25:21,000 is contractually. But I think the fix for that is like not Dennis Shrewder 1333 01:25:21,239 --> 01:25:25,399 at point, like it's got to be you know, it doesn't have to 1334 01:25:25,399 --> 01:25:28,119 be Dame either, but it has to be somebody that is going, like, 1335 01:25:28,199 --> 01:25:30,239 I get it, you want Barnes on the ball, or at least 1336 01:25:30,279 --> 01:25:32,319 you definitely did before because his shooting was such a non threat, and now 1337 01:25:32,399 --> 01:25:36,439 maybe that's different because he's making forty percent of his threes. But I think 1338 01:25:36,479 --> 01:25:42,279 the answer that the fix would be an on ball distributor that's going to get 1339 01:25:42,319 --> 01:25:45,640 both of these guys involved in an offense that involves that has some movement to 1340 01:25:45,680 --> 01:25:48,119 it like that that I think mitigates a lot of the your turn, my 1341 01:25:48,199 --> 01:25:53,000 turn, you know, pounding the ball like isolation stuff that just has not 1342 01:25:53,119 --> 01:25:58,680 worked. So I think it's like sort of a false choice that that you 1343 01:25:58,800 --> 01:26:01,399 see presented between well, you know, oh Scotty, you gotta choose Scotty 1344 01:26:01,520 --> 01:26:05,560 or or you know, has to be if we're maximizing Siakam, we're necessarily 1345 01:26:05,640 --> 01:26:08,920 minimizing Barnes and vice versa. Like. I don't think it has to be 1346 01:26:09,000 --> 01:26:13,000 that way, but if if the rest of the roster around them is what 1347 01:26:13,039 --> 01:26:15,640 it is like currently, then maybe maybe that's just how it is. Like 1348 01:26:15,920 --> 01:26:19,119 you can't have both of them going because you don't have the supplementary support. 1349 01:26:19,439 --> 01:26:23,840 A more accurate way, which it seems like we're both saying to phrase it 1350 01:26:23,840 --> 01:26:26,640 would be they actual they need to pick a direction, which you said before, 1351 01:26:26,640 --> 01:26:29,840 and that direction doesn't need to be we need to trade Siakam. It 1352 01:26:29,880 --> 01:26:31,600 needs to be this roster needs to have a direction where it's, oh, 1353 01:26:31,640 --> 01:26:35,079 we see, we see the vision of what they're trying to do with the 1354 01:26:35,079 --> 01:26:40,279 personnel that's in place, and right now I don't. There's just still too 1355 01:26:40,359 --> 01:26:42,920 many And again you can point out, well, what else are they're supposed 1356 01:26:42,960 --> 01:26:45,760 to do after they lost Red van Fleet for nothing other than get Denis Shooter. 1357 01:26:45,840 --> 01:26:49,119 That's also part of the problem. Don't use them for nothing. Final 1358 01:26:49,159 --> 01:26:55,520 team Washington Wizards, Washington Wizards, do we just like I mean, Okay, 1359 01:26:55,680 --> 01:26:58,640 on the one hand, they're doing what we wanted them to do. 1360 01:26:59,079 --> 01:27:02,960 They're being tear, They're losing a bunch of games. They are not I 1361 01:27:03,000 --> 01:27:08,760 want to get I want to see how much they're playing before I who has 1362 01:27:08,800 --> 01:27:12,439 been By the way, that dude's gonna make an All rookie team. I 1363 01:27:12,479 --> 01:27:14,640 know I had him as first team All Rookie. I don't think he has 1364 01:27:14,680 --> 01:27:18,880 the offensive volume to get it. He is him and Denny avia the future. 1365 01:27:19,720 --> 01:27:24,560 So I saw Kevin Pelton and Bobby Marks did their rookie rankings today and 1366 01:27:25,119 --> 01:27:28,399 neither of them had Koolibali in the top ten. I was, I was 1367 01:27:28,800 --> 01:27:34,079 in the top ten. You have wemby Chet. I mean, this is 1368 01:27:34,159 --> 01:27:38,239 not me throwing shade. It's not a critique. It's just I'm a little 1369 01:27:38,279 --> 01:27:42,279 bit surprised, and how many people I've needed to clarify, Like when I've 1370 01:27:42,319 --> 01:27:45,880 mentioned Chet in rookie stuff, They're like, Chet's not a rookie, and 1371 01:27:45,920 --> 01:27:48,479 I'm just shocked that that's not more of a I guess you're just more of 1372 01:27:48,479 --> 01:27:51,439 a casual watcher. You wouldn't you just look at the draft class rather than 1373 01:27:51,439 --> 01:27:55,239 I'm not playing, and it's I mean, that's how it was for Embiid 1374 01:27:55,239 --> 01:27:58,239 and Blake Griffin and and Simmons. I'm just I've been a little bit surprised 1375 01:27:58,239 --> 01:28:00,239 at how much it's not put again. I'm not even yelling at people. 1376 01:28:00,319 --> 01:28:02,800 I've just it's one of those things where it's, Oh, I thought it 1377 01:28:02,840 --> 01:28:05,920 was just common knowledge that he's considered a rookie this year, but yeah, 1378 01:28:06,399 --> 01:28:11,560 it is the people that are confronting you with that are unfamiliar with that. 1379 01:28:12,119 --> 01:28:14,159 We haven't been nasty about it. I want to make that clear. I 1380 01:28:14,279 --> 01:28:16,239 just I've been a little bit surprised at how many times I've needed to clarify 1381 01:28:16,279 --> 01:28:19,560 it. That's crazy. I wish we could talk about them instead of the 1382 01:28:19,600 --> 01:28:23,119 Wizards. I don't know, like cool Bolli, by the way, playing 1383 01:28:23,239 --> 01:28:27,640 just under twenty six minutes a game, and that's trending up. He looks 1384 01:28:28,039 --> 01:28:30,279 like such a more finished He was supposed to be raw and it was he 1385 01:28:30,319 --> 01:28:34,039 was almost like a two years away from being two years away guy in theory, 1386 01:28:34,079 --> 01:28:39,159 and he's just not that. Like the defense is the defensive disruption is 1387 01:28:39,199 --> 01:28:41,920 like off the charts, Like if he makes an All Rookie Team All Rookie 1388 01:28:41,920 --> 01:28:44,720 Team, it will mostly be on the strength of his defense, except like 1389 01:28:45,319 --> 01:28:48,439 offensively, he's so much more developed, like he's making threes, he looks 1390 01:28:48,479 --> 01:28:53,119 more comfortable, more poised, He's I think he's the third youngest guy in 1391 01:28:53,159 --> 01:28:56,800 this draft class too. So it's just like he's way ahead of schedule, 1392 01:28:56,920 --> 01:29:00,159 way and a very different player than what I thought he would be, like 1393 01:29:00,199 --> 01:29:03,439 all the best ways. So panic on that, Well, there's nothing. 1394 01:29:03,479 --> 01:29:08,720 I was just on a tangent about cool Bali because I started talking about like, 1395 01:29:08,760 --> 01:29:12,119 I guess it's just peace because the Wizards are doing what we thought they 1396 01:29:12,159 --> 01:29:15,399 should do. And then I was gonna panic if Kolbali wasn't playing enough. 1397 01:29:15,399 --> 01:29:20,239 But he kind of is my my niche stat is basically or not niche stat, 1398 01:29:20,239 --> 01:29:25,720 but niche piece or panic discussion topic is Jordan Poole isn't even giving them 1399 01:29:25,720 --> 01:29:29,319 counting stats. Are we concerned about that? Because he's like, he's shooting 1400 01:29:29,359 --> 01:29:31,920 worse, he's scoring fewer points, he's playing fewer minutes than at any point 1401 01:29:32,000 --> 01:29:35,800 since he was like still bouncing between the G League and the Warriors several years 1402 01:29:35,840 --> 01:29:39,640 ago. And I thought at least we were gonna get a bunch of fifty 1403 01:29:39,640 --> 01:29:42,640 point games out of Jordan Pool this year amidst all the nonsense, and we're 1404 01:29:42,680 --> 01:29:45,000 just not So there's I mean, we have to juxtapose this against I don't 1405 01:29:45,000 --> 01:29:47,199 know if you saw the clip of him saying, sit the fuck down, 1406 01:29:47,239 --> 01:29:50,720 this is my team or something in the huddle whatever it was, Oh yeah, 1407 01:29:50,800 --> 01:29:55,880 that's a panic. If this is if Pool is in charge of your 1408 01:29:55,880 --> 01:30:01,000 team, run But I actually don't and maybe I just haven't watched enough Wizards. 1409 01:30:01,479 --> 01:30:06,560 I don't think he's been hijacking the offense to like an upteam degree. 1410 01:30:06,640 --> 01:30:11,479 It feels he's been he's been not great, but I don't know that he's 1411 01:30:11,560 --> 01:30:15,800 done anything less than I expected to where if you were expecting him to either 1412 01:30:15,840 --> 01:30:19,039 have a breakout season or to be more of a chucker. But it's like 1413 01:30:19,479 --> 01:30:24,840 his his average touch time is down, like he's not taking all these like 1414 01:30:25,159 --> 01:30:29,880 super clock sappy possession looks. So I've been pleasantly surprised with that and the 1415 01:30:29,920 --> 01:30:33,479 Wizards in general, like and this tends to happen with bad teams. We 1416 01:30:33,520 --> 01:30:39,319 saw it a lot. I believe with the the process era sixers is that 1417 01:30:39,359 --> 01:30:43,680 you try to play fast as a way to just decide, Okay, we're 1418 01:30:43,720 --> 01:30:46,760 gonna cover up the the talent deficit here. And like the Wizards, they 1419 01:30:46,800 --> 01:30:51,840 play fast their six and average possession time and they were they're gonna run a 1420 01:30:51,880 --> 01:30:58,800 lot after defensive rebounds. I don't actually mind watching them as much as others. 1421 01:30:58,800 --> 01:31:02,600 And so it's a it's a piece for me because this is what here's 1422 01:31:02,760 --> 01:31:05,119 here's where I land on it, and I'm not. I don't think you 1423 01:31:05,159 --> 01:31:11,239 know where I land on. Jordan Poole, you love them. The building 1424 01:31:11,319 --> 01:31:15,960 block here is the chaos for now. It could be Pool of Bali, 1425 01:31:15,000 --> 01:31:18,000 it could be Denny Avia, but like so, not even the building block. 1426 01:31:18,079 --> 01:31:23,960 The direction is the chaos you need to go through this season to reach 1427 01:31:24,319 --> 01:31:29,199 the subsequent seasons and the more coherent looking seasons. And so it's a piece 1428 01:31:29,560 --> 01:31:32,399 for me. And it's are they high comedy? Sure? Some of these 1429 01:31:32,439 --> 01:31:34,600 guys aren't going to be I mean the two that we're talking about, Kyle 1430 01:31:34,680 --> 01:31:38,079 Kuzman, Jordan Poole, one of them is not going to be here past 1431 01:31:38,079 --> 01:31:41,640 the trade deadline at least. Yeah, I think that's right. I think 1432 01:31:41,720 --> 01:31:45,600 so it is piece because you're circling all the way back like they're doing what 1433 01:31:45,600 --> 01:31:47,760 they're supposed to be doing, being bad as good, up as down like 1434 01:31:47,800 --> 01:31:51,079 that, that is very much where we are. I'm just panicking a little 1435 01:31:51,079 --> 01:31:57,079 bit because I was never more sure of anything than that Jordan Poole was going 1436 01:31:57,119 --> 01:32:02,039 to be like hilariously prolific and also awful this year. Like I thought for 1437 01:32:02,159 --> 01:32:05,279 sure he was going to average in the high twenties, like I just I 1438 01:32:05,439 --> 01:32:09,720 saw, I knew it, and it was still gonna be like bad for 1439 01:32:09,800 --> 01:32:13,800 the team somehow. And I'm very, very very wrong about that so far, 1440 01:32:13,880 --> 01:32:15,199 and it's kind of rattling me a little bit. So I'm panicking about 1441 01:32:15,239 --> 01:32:18,600 that. I think if I was gonna panic about anything, it'd be nice 1442 01:32:18,680 --> 01:32:23,359 if, you know, Daniel Gafford could grab a defensive rebound, or this 1443 01:32:23,399 --> 01:32:27,199 team in general could grab a defensive rebound. Yeah, I mean, you 1444 01:32:27,239 --> 01:32:30,680 know, but the chaos, you just want the chaos. What's up? 1445 01:32:30,720 --> 01:32:33,199 What's the benefit of not grabbing defensive rebounds? I don't know. The ball 1446 01:32:33,239 --> 01:32:36,560 bounces around and anything could happen. That's that's the benefit. Yeah, No, 1447 01:32:36,680 --> 01:32:40,479 that's I mean, that's by the way, that's been another aspect of 1448 01:32:40,520 --> 01:32:43,039 block cool Bali's game where he just comes in, It's like, oh, 1449 01:32:43,199 --> 01:32:45,520 is honestly by position? I'm kind of just like, is he their best 1450 01:32:46,039 --> 01:32:50,119 defensive rebound or sometimes like that. That's what I'm thinking, And so it's 1451 01:32:50,359 --> 01:32:55,319 here's what I would say. This is not a piece of panic and factor 1452 01:32:55,399 --> 01:32:59,399 fiction block cole Bally will be this team's best player by season's end, my 1453 01:32:59,600 --> 01:33:02,039 season end. No, I can't get there. I mean Kuzma is still 1454 01:33:02,039 --> 01:33:05,279 like a legit NBA. Yeah, he's gonna be playing for like the Grists, 1455 01:33:05,359 --> 01:33:09,439 right, yeah, Kuzman not there. We still love Denny Avdia though, 1456 01:33:09,520 --> 01:33:13,439 right, I mean he's been a lot better this year. You know, 1457 01:33:13,479 --> 01:33:15,720 I love Denny. I'm not giving up on as being this Okay, 1458 01:33:16,119 --> 01:33:18,359 I was gonna say, it's not a matter of give up. It's more 1459 01:33:18,439 --> 01:33:25,399 pro bla cool Bali. I'm very pro ten rookies than if Balala didn't make 1460 01:33:25,399 --> 01:33:27,600 it. So let me can I guess do you have it? I don't 1461 01:33:27,640 --> 01:33:29,760 have it in front of you, but so it's gonna be hard for me 1462 01:33:29,800 --> 01:33:32,760 to validate your guesses. Maybe I should go. So I would have Cat 1463 01:33:33,000 --> 01:33:39,119 George had to be in there. Chet Wemby, I mean, I guess 1464 01:33:39,119 --> 01:33:42,239 I saw Thompson. You definitely put him. Star was third, I believe 1465 01:33:42,239 --> 01:33:46,319 on both Pelton and Marks of Boards. I mean, I mean Jordan Hawkins 1466 01:33:46,359 --> 01:33:50,119 was probably in there. He was in there. I think. Uh, 1467 01:33:50,159 --> 01:33:57,600 I'm ten rookies who've been better by den Bala cool BALI I mean this would 1468 01:33:57,600 --> 01:33:59,800 help if id list of rookies up. We just need to get out of 1469 01:33:59,840 --> 01:34:02,600 here. I think at this point I get I got the list though. 1470 01:34:02,640 --> 01:34:06,359 If you want me to tell Okay so Keyante, George Chet, Holmgren, 1471 01:34:06,760 --> 01:34:13,560 Victor Weber, Yama Arsar, Thompson, Jordan Hawkins, try and think of 1472 01:34:13,600 --> 01:34:16,239 other is Brandon Miller on there? No you want me to go from, 1473 01:34:16,319 --> 01:34:18,720 I'll give you Pelton's list from ten to one. If you want it, 1474 01:34:18,920 --> 01:34:23,800 all right, get hit me number ten and number one in your heart. 1475 01:34:23,840 --> 01:34:28,680 Brandon Pajemski, I'm not making this up. Was it just the based off 1476 01:34:28,680 --> 01:34:31,560 the one game? I didn't. It's just that's all you need to know 1477 01:34:31,640 --> 01:34:34,960 is he's number ten, Jordan Hawkins nine, Brandon Miller eight, Jimi hawk 1478 01:34:35,119 --> 01:34:40,359 Is seven, Case and Wallace six, Derek Lively five, Sasser four, 1479 01:34:40,760 --> 01:34:45,399 A Star Thompson three, Wemby Chet that's okay. So honestly after he wait, 1480 01:34:45,439 --> 01:34:46,880 Kiante, George wasn't even on that. No, he's not on either 1481 01:34:46,920 --> 01:34:50,880 of their lists. Wow, So I would say based off Pelton's the only 1482 01:34:50,960 --> 01:34:57,039 one that I would So you had Pods and then who's nine Hawkins? Yeah, 1483 01:34:57,079 --> 01:34:59,680 I mean, honestly, ten is the only one I would quibble with, 1484 01:34:59,760 --> 01:35:02,039 like I should be George or I would think Belaal. Yeah, POD's 1485 01:35:02,039 --> 01:35:05,399 had one good game and has barely played other than that. But uh, 1486 01:35:06,439 --> 01:35:09,960 yeah, I don't, I don't know. And then Marx is Marx is 1487 01:35:10,000 --> 01:35:15,680 not meaningfully different, same top for Holmegrin, Wimby, Thompson, Sasser. 1488 01:35:15,359 --> 01:35:19,600 Then he flip flops Wallace and Lively at five six Hawkes still belong there, 1489 01:35:19,680 --> 01:35:23,680 Yeah, I mean sass are, Lively and Wallace absolutely belonged. Yeah, 1490 01:35:23,720 --> 01:35:27,359 yeah, I agree with that. That's actually not George. I'm surprised because 1491 01:35:27,359 --> 01:35:30,800 he's starting now like we thought he would and has been their best card. 1492 01:35:31,000 --> 01:35:34,239 Yeah for sure, So that would be the only thing I quibble over. 1493 01:35:34,279 --> 01:35:39,399 Do you want to take us out? Sure? Thanks everybody for checking in 1494 01:35:39,479 --> 01:35:41,800 with this one. We will also, we will I don't know what order 1495 01:35:41,840 --> 01:35:44,199 Dan will put these up in, but we're also going to do the West 1496 01:35:44,439 --> 01:35:47,840 uh for Piece of Panic. As we always mentioned at the top, please 1497 01:35:47,920 --> 01:35:51,720 rate, review, subscribe, follow All the information you need to support us 1498 01:35:53,199 --> 01:35:57,119 to get merch to join our discord is in the YouTube and podcast description. 1499 01:35:58,920 --> 01:36:00,159 If you have done all those things, if you've bought our merch, if 1500 01:36:00,199 --> 01:36:04,439 you've listened, subscribe, given us five stars everywhere. Please tell your friends, 1501 01:36:04,439 --> 01:36:08,159 tell your enemies, just let people know. If you like our podcasts 1502 01:36:08,159 --> 01:36:11,199 and you have someone in your life that you think might also like our podcast, 1503 01:36:11,279 --> 01:36:14,720 tell them, and you know there's a great chance they'll be able to 1504 01:36:14,760 --> 01:36:18,520 provide content for us because we keep requesting guests of players and awesome stats for 1505 01:36:18,560 --> 01:36:24,000 stat padding. So, as always, thank you guys. We love doing 1506 01:36:24,039 --> 01:36:27,439 this, We like that you participate, so this is a good relationship. 1507 01:36:27,520 --> 01:36:30,640 Let's keep it going. We close, as always with a shout out to 1508 01:36:30,640 --> 01:36:32,399 the one and only Frank Milakina. In an apology to Jared Allen,