What is krak Alac and fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am damn Valley coming
at you with my certified fantabulous co host Grant Hughes. We are delivering you
our Western Conference mailback as promise where we will get to one or two questions
for every single team. Thank you all for submitting your questions before we get
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and under a minute, I might add Grant, how the heck are you
doing? I'm doing great. I'm excited to do this great questions again,
Everybody, this is a super helpful exercise as always. So I think that's
enough ADO. So without further ado, Minnesota Timberwolves are next up. This
is from Alistair Albert. Are the Wolves just worse without Cat? Or are
they the team they are right now with him? The Gobert trade seems to
have been a bust and could be a result of coaching. But I've never
rated Cat as a leader anyway, So his absence just as bad as his
presence or are they the same? I have to first say, like I've
been thinking about this a lot because I think I defended the Gobert trade.
I thought it made sense, and I've kind of slowly backed off of it.
But it's pretty clear now, like it's just Gobert is not good enough.
He's not the same guy he was last year, And then even if
he were, I just don't know if that's a big enough difference maker to
justify the lay. And this would be I'd feel this way even if the
Jazz weren't like getting really good use out of basically everybody they got in that
trade. This is just about Gobert just not being a positive on offense,
not being quite as good defensively. He's under two blocks of game, which
is like just wild to me. So, yeah, that's a bad look.
But getting back to Cat, just here are the numbers before we start
talking about like opinions. Minnesota's minus point nine with him on. This is
before they lost last night, so we'll see I see your point. By
the way, Rudy Gobert, which subbed out on offense against a Heat team
that had Orlando Robinson. Yeah, we'll remember it as the Orlando Robinson game.
Yeah, minus point nine with Cat on, plus point three with him
off. Cleaning the glasses, non garbage on off a little different, but
he's just a slight positive when you filter that out and by cleaning the glass.
But this is still talking about seven hundred minutes of playing time, so
small sample of caveats and make them blink around somehow, I guess. I
agree that you know the evidence suggests Cat isn't like a transformative leader. He's
had some real rough playoff games. I agree you need a defensive presence next
to him. I agree that you know it's just not working out so far.
And the fact that you can even ask, like, are the Wolves
as good with him as they are without him? Is like kind of pretty
serious issue for a guy that is supposed to be like a max level,
you know, superstar. I still think that there's just no way you're going
to get me to the point of somehow you're better without a center that is
as offensively talented as anybody not named Yokich, that can space the floor,
that's arguably the best shooting big guy of all time if you count for volume,
and you don't care about the era and the fact that like Dirk didn't
shoot a lot of threes, he's still like a He's still in that class
of players that can just totally change your offense and be game a transformative force
that makes other guys better around him. Offensively, he's not perfect, but
like I just I can't get there that that he's someone they just like don't
need, or that he's like a net neutral guy. The mix doesn't work
this year, and he's he can't be your best player. I guess which
is about it. It's not a great situation. But I don't think it's
like he doesn't make an impact. I don't. I just can't get all
the way there. Yeah, I would agree with everything you said, And
look, the Timberwolves offense is twenty first since town has been out, they're
not shooting as many threes and that's right around like their twentieth overall on offense
for the season. And so I don't see that there's evidence that Sugg they're
better off without him. You would need either this just godly divine leap from
Anthony Edwards, which he's seen in spurts where he's just really dominating ball for
celtating the offense. But then he's gonna have games like get against Miami where
is a trillion turnovers and there's a lot of up and downs there. And
so I think Karnthy Towns is not the problem with the roster. The roster
construction is the problem. He's just more so he's a symptom of why the
roster construction is what it is that the Timberwolves felt they needed to go out
and get someone like Gobert to cover up for Towns on defense. And I
just I appreciate big swings. I know there's new ownership there. They wanted
to make a splash, like why did you not scale this down to like,
well, instead of going all in on Rudy, do we test it
out with Miles Turner just like someone else who's faces the floor too. But
we know he protects the rim and that's just not you know, cannon balling
into it without trying it first. I know he played with Jarred Vanderbilt last
year. I get it. This is a lot different though you're playing two
real centers there, neither of whom Jared Vanderbilt can defend force and smaller Rudy
Gobert and caught like, that's not what they do. And so I might
still be a little bit more patient with the Timberwolves because I was just such
to believe they were going to kill it in the regular season. But the
evidence is growing that this team is problematic. Yeah, there's one other one.
I wanted to get to. That kind of loops in a couple of
other teams, but it's Wolf specific. This is from Bradley Eury. All
factors considered, who would you take Zion, Jaw or Edwards? For me,
it's Jaw and and it's it's super close with him and Zion, and
I think unfortunately, since this is a Timberwolves question, Edwards is a little
bit you know, he's a notch below I think either of those guys.
For Jaw, it's just we've seen the deep playoff run. I like that
it's a little easier to build around him than Zion, even those zions improved
defense and the fact that you now know he's an on ball playmaker just sort
of simplifies things. I like that Jaws suspect defense just doesn't really matter as
much because of the position he plays, whereas Zion, though improved, I
could we still don't know what that's gonna look like a playoff series when you're
gonna he's gonna have to guard like a wing or a you know, combo
forward that theoretically will be like a high usage type guy. I like the
Jaw. This is maybe you don't come to this pod first stuff like this,
but I like that Jaw has been like a real leader and this is
you know, not quantifiable, but it's just sort of full commitment, been
a tone setter in all the right ways where a Zion, at least in
the past, has had. How committed is he like, is he not
calling CJ. Mccollumback over the offseason, Why is he in Portland? Just
little things like that, And that's a lot of media created stuff with linking
him to the Knicks and opting out and or declining the qualifying offer and all
that stuff, But like joh just doesn't have any of those issues for me.
And also the injury thing, I think both our injury risk, Like
Marant, his style subjects him to like catastrophic you know, injury potential zion.
We know about his injury history, we know about like the sort of
I don't know, built in concerns just with his frame and the conditioning stuff.
It's really close between those two. But I just give Job the narrow
edge and Edwards just didn't quite make it because like I think his best skill
is still taking the ability to get and make really hard shots is valuable.
But I think I value I know, I've you morans ability to consistently create
easier shots for other people and for himself, and just it's a higher percentage
play for him, like he gets to the line he can. You know,
he's not as good a shooter I guess as Edwards, but like Edwards
still though he's made like marginal improvements every year as a shooter and scorer and
as an efficiency guy. Just's I need to see it look a little easier
for Edwards more often, or you know, be able to consistently. There
aren't games where it's like, wow, jaw really isn't affecting play. There
are games like that for Edwards still, I think, and that's maybe part
of the issue. I would if I would go a Zie on over Job.
I'm just too tantalized by what Zion could do at both ends if he's
going to be what if he, like ever, sustains his peak. I
do, But they also you mentioned they're both injury risks. I also wonder
if they both have shorter span prime windows. Not a lot of guys in
their situations shake off their like their physical tools. I would still take Zie.
I think I'm just smitten by what he could be, And then I
would have Job over Edwards. And that wasn't That's not particularly difficulty. Let's
move on to the New Orleans Pelicans, and our first one comes from Nick
Malan. Do the Pells have the best trade asset for the trade deadline?
And do you see them using it to bring in a person of need?
What area do you think they need to focus on the most to keep them
at the top of the West. Do they have the best trade asset?
And so I guess we're talking about the they could trade like they have,
they can swap with the Lakers this year, they own the Lakers pick out
right next year, or can refer to twenty five, and so I assume
that's the asset Nick is referring to one of those. I would say they
probably come pretty close to it, but there might be teams that value I
don't the Lakers pick there. I think there's a belief still around the league
the Lakers will stumble into something that not this season necessarily, and so if
you're New Orleans and you can trade this year's pick, but like even shorter
term, whereas they're going to stumble into something because that's what happens. Maybe
they're not great, but they won't suck, which is why those twenty seven
and twenty nine picks aren't that valuable for from them specifically, Are is this
pick like the single most valuable maybe available one near the deadline? Maybe I
would say there are a lot of teams that I think would want to get,
Like if you're just offering the ability to have a Lakers pick in one
of the next two drafts, like unless someone's gonna put I'm trying to think
of who else would be on the table. If the Sixers, would you
rather that or would you prefer Tyres Maxie? If the Sixers have I'd probably
prefer Maxie. I love the idea to be able to defer it, though,
because you start to get two cracks at it, and just for you
know, the twenty four and twenty five, right, because that's what they
That's what you can essentially do is say like, oh, we're going to
punt that one. I just like the odds of at some point in the
next couple of years three years, the Lakers might just really fall apart,
and I want as many cracks at that as I can get. But yeah,
MAXI Maxie is like it's a conversation for sure. But because in theory,
if you if if it really goes sideways for the Lakers, you're drafting
like god knows how high, and you know there's a potential like franchise cornerstone
there. Maxie isn't quite that guy. But like, probably if you're risk
averse, then for ship, Maxie would be more valuable, is it.
Do I think they would move it? Yes? Do I think the player?
Do I see the Pelicans moving this asset? And look, so the
answer to the first question, is they might have the single most valuable trade
asset that's actually up for grabs at the trade deadline that's possible. Is the
player out there who's worth giving up that asset going to become available? I
don't know, and it's a right now he's not. They don't even if
it was Bradley Beel or Zach Lavine. This team doesn't need that, Like
I wouldn't say, and I think they need. People are gonna get mad
this is all we talk about. But like I still think it's just the
changing up sort of the front corse Bot next design on, like when Nance
is healthy. Yes, that's fine. I know Jannis Palatunas is good.
I don't trust it in the playoffs. I just I don't, And that's
maybe I'll be wrong. That's fine even if you want to address that,
who's the player that's worth this pick specifically? And I don't or one of
the picks specifically, I don't know. I mean, I've thought about if
Pascal Siakam became available, there's kind of like maybe I just his shooting fit
on this team could be weird. Would you give it up for o Gianna
Noby does he make sense when you have Trey Murphy the third, Dison Daniels,
we've seen herb Jones slip off this year. I don't like I guess
you. I probably would just give it up because he is someone who could
absolutely put it and we've seen him defend a bunch of fives in Toronto.
Anyway, I just don't. I don't think they move that pick just because
I don't think the market is going to dictate it. And I also think
that's where parody comes. There's a lot of teams just aren't going to sell
because they fancy themselves buyers. But my biggest need for them would still be,
like, let's diversify that front court spot next design on. But beyond
having Larry Nance or Jonas valanctutis there. Everyone knows I love Miles Turner.
Maybe it's a matter of aiming smaller scale, and I like, is Mobamba
available? I don't think you give up. I wouldn't give up Yonas valanctutis
for him, want to make that clear. And I wouldn't give up Nance
for him either. But if it's just in terms of matching money to bring
him over and then a lower end asset yeah, I would. That's something
that you could look at just to have that diversification. But that's also it's
a very tough spot to film when you're looking at the archetype of player that
you would want for them in that spot, and it's just I don't you'll
beyond those names, and this is someone who is I honestly, I haven't
thought about the trade deadline as much this year because I'm almost expecting it to
be a relative disappointment two years past based on just how many teams sort of
fancy themselves buyers right now. But the thing that I the player I think
they need the most. I just don't know if he's readily available there.
And you can go different routes with the center rotation, but if you're looking
for someone who could also space the floor and then maybe he's going to give
you rim protection, the list gets just inherently short of there. Or you
need to go the bigger wing route, who can maybe give you helprin protection,
who can defend some fives if you want him to, And like that
list is even like the Oganna nobis are not just floating around out there.
Yeah, I think you know, parody is just kind of ruining you know,
our transactional slam on the league right now, just because it's still you
know, every every report you read is you know, you know, everybody's
gonna wait and and you know we nobody knows if they're they just aren't really
any sellers. So like, well, on one hand, maybe that should
make a team like Chicago just get on the market immediately because you're gonna be
the only team that's looking to punt. And like Toronto, I think that
applies to to a lesser extent because I think Toronto's future is just brighter with
a truster than Chicago. But I agree, like Turner is just the first
guy that comes to mind, and it's group think and we'd say it a
million times, you know, every week, but just something like that,
that's the move. But I don't know that that move is there, so
I would it's not the worst thing if the Pelicans just stay intact like and
think it's it. I'm not saying I think that they if they made a
Turner trade, that their championshop would championship stop will go through the roof.
But I'm not as of right now, I'm not. If they're healthy,
like Brandon Ingram's available available, Herb Jones isn't you know is playing more consistently?
Zion is you know, he's been out freaking, he's been out in
health and tapty protocols to miss the game for conditioning. If they're just full
strength, I think they could theoretically win the West. Now, I will
say if they went a little bit lower end, and I don't know that
these players would be available, especially because they're they're in the Western Conference,
and if they fancy themselves. That's the other that's the politics of all this.
Why are you helping out another team you might be compete with, like
anas Read Zeke Naji, those are guys that could help you too and deepen
your just wealth of options at the front course spot does nas Read become his
extension uncle? Does he become gettable? The Timberwolves sort of fade out,
knowing that they have Gobaron Kat on the books already. I don't know that's
the route they could go, and I would predict those are not the players.
Those are just two that came to mind. If they make a move,
it's probably going to be more on that scale than just like what their
assets might suggest, because one they're already so good. And two, as
we've just driven home now way too many times, the market for this is
just not like, it just doesn't exist. And so unless you think,
like, oh, would it make sense, you know, if the Clippers
are looking to divest some of their like combo forward wing types, like if
Marcus Morris or Robert Covington becomes available, but it's oh, if Roco can't
get consistent playing time with the Clippers, is he really going to help us
a ton? So there's there's a lot of thinking that goes into it,
but I would guess if they make a move, it'll be on a smaller
scale. It might even be just a matter of, hey, we're gonna
dump Jackson Hayes to open up an additional roster spot. Use that at the
buyout market, and also gives us more wiggle room if we want to under
the tax if we want to make moves of the trade deadline. But I
don't expect them to do anything just particularly nuclear very quickly, Brad Bradley,
you're asked, who is the brighter future Memphis or New Orleans? This is
tough I would go with, as I pause here, this is not that
my cutting out I was, I was so committed to saying New Orleans because
I'm higher on Zion than i am Job. But they're Grizzlies are just built
like they're so deep and they seem to figure out things every year even when
we don't like what they're doing, and there's is there more There might be
more sustainability behind there is because they can row into their ceiling a little bit
more. Where C McCollum's on the older side, you wantas Valancunis isn't young,
Larry Nance Junior isn't young, Brett Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson of course
young, and yet you have Diyceon Daniels and Trey Murphy the third. This
is a fascinating question. I'm going to tilt towards the Pelicans just because I
think their top end talent, Like if it, let's go Zion, Ingram
and McCallum beats out Jah Baine, who is there Jaren Jackson Junior. I
mean, so the top end talent helps them, and then they also have
the Grizzlies have a ton of assets too, but they have like not dispensable
assets, but assets that aren't tangible, whereas we don't necessarily have to send
out all these players to make it work. They have those Lakers picks kind
of sitting in the cupboard, and I feel like they are a franchise based
off what we saw them do with CJ. McCollum, they would be more
likely to make the seismic trade and upgrade if it becomes available then Memphis.
If you're looking at just the players on this roster, I still might favor
New Orleans. I am smoking hot high on Dyson Daniels and Trey Murphy.
Those are just two guys that I think New Orleans are gonna if they stay
there, they're gonna they're gonna kill it. I lean Pelicans. I don't
know about you, though. That's it's a It's really hard. I think
the way I'm gonna lean, I'm gonna lean Memphis, and it's a Lean.
It's not like I'm not diving in on this at all. So my
thinking is, I think Moran is the best player on either team. We've
just discussed that and it's close. I think the optimized version of Jaren Jackson
Jr. Is just so valuable with if you're talking about bright features, you're
talking about like that jack the best version of Jaren Jackson Junior is exactly who
the Pelicans should have, right It's it's yeah, but he's going nowhere because
he's a potential defensive player of the Year that we've seen at least that point.
It's probably my pick. By the way, if he had played more,
we'll see where he's at there he might be my DPO y right now,
though he could get there. And and he's still I think this is
aged twenty three season, so like, and he's missed a ton of times,
so there's still developmental root room I think there so, and then Bain
is just like if Bain is healthy, I just think he is exactly the
type of second option score you want on a team that's run by a really
dynamic, superstar point guard. I do agree, so in one sense,
I think Memphis has like the higher ceiling at everything with those three key guys
just works and then you can figure out the rest of it around them.
But New Orleans just has so many shots at it because of all the draft
equity, because of guys like Daniels and Murphy who are already kind of hinting
at and Daniels especially, it could be like a difference maker. There's just
there's just more well if they or but what if you know that kind of
stuff. For New Orleans, I think Memphis. Memphis has just been better
over the last couple of years, and I just think, I guess,
I'm I guess it's another risk aversion thing. I think Memphis is like more
likely to get things to go right. But the Pelicans have just so many
cracks at this thing. It's this might be my propensity for just underestimating the
Grizzlies too. So the fact that I picked the Pelicans boats very well for
Grizzlies fans. SU you want to go to the thunder, I have thunder?
Yes. So this is from Glad. If you were to take the
bottom three teams okay, see Houston and San Antonio in the West, and
combine all their players and coaches to form a new team, what players would
make the team and where would they rank in the West. And I'm smiling
as I read it because this is really fun. I made a roster too,
because I thought they were my team, so I'll have one. Okay,
So I didn't go all the way. I think I have a dozen
guys, and I just stopped there. That's what I did do perfect.
I wonder if we overlap. So let's start with the coach. I just
took pop just because I'm a I'm into the classics, and I think,
you know, Steven Silas has had a rough go, and I think Mark
Dagnall has done a lot of good stuff. But I'm just gonna take Popovich.
I don't know if you made a pick on the coach before we go
to the roster, I thought, so, I have Pop too, but
I really thought about dang Note for just a little. He's real that team
is by and large overachieved. I would say defensively, yeah, okay,
So I'm gonna go through my roster first, just with like loose physical breakdown.
So, and I already hate my backup point guard. So as Shakila
Alexander is the starting point guard, Jalen Green at the two, Devin Vassel
three, Keldon Johnson four, Yaka Pearl five, and my backups are Giddy
who. I'm already thinking about taking out Lue Dort, Jalen Williams, Pokashevski,
Albern Sangun. So that's my one through five as my backups. I
also put Chet Homegren on there because why not? And I put Tarry Easton
on there as well. So do you diverge at all from that? Or
do we need to debate somebody? So I'll give you my twelve that I
had. I didn't have Chet Homegren because he's injured and I was looking at
just this season, so I would have him on the long term roster.
I had Sga, Jalen Green, Lue Dort, Devin Vsel, Keldon Johnson,
Alpern, Schangu and Taris and Josh Giddy, Kendrick Williams, Yaka Pearle,
Eric Gordon, and Jabari Smith Junior. If Chet Homegren's on the table,
bye bye Jabari, so I'll throw Chet in there? Where does that?
So? How many? How many did we miss on? I didn't
have Gordon, so that means I'm have someone that you don't. Do you
not have Jaylen Williams, I don't have Jaalen Williams. Or I thought about
who's mon jaging Tube. I'm in love with him, but yeah, I
think for this year probably Gordon is the right pick. But I just I'm
in the bag for Jaylen Williams and had I stuck to the question of like
how good would this team be? Gordon probably matters more, although yeah,
I don't know. So the second part of this question is is kind of
where we can't be wrong because it's totally speculative and hypotheticals be wrong, we're
gonna be wrong. Well, we can't be wrong because it'll never happened.
Where would they rank? Where would they rank in the West. So I'll
tell you mine. I think here's here's just I made it simple. The
thunder as I was putting this together are fourteen and nineteen, and we just
gave Gili Alexander four upgrades at the other starting spots. So I'm saying I
think this team is somewhere in like the four to eight range in the West
and could absolutely win fifty games. Like there's just there. I mean,
like I don't know if there's enough defense, but kind of you know with
Dort and with Peral you get there a little bit, uh and Easton if
you really need it to. So yeah, I think it's a fifty win
team and you can't prove me wrong because we'll never see this this team take
the floor. Fifty wins seems incredibly ambitious. Well, if if with SGA
and he has four improved starters next to him, like significantly just Johnson and
Vassell are Yeah, that's true, big, Yeah, Yeah, that's the
Is it? So the team's a playoff team? I think so? Yeah,
I think so. I mean with you, I guess there's just the
banking on that. Like you have Jalen Williams on yours, if we both
have jet homegrenn you are banking on some inexperience there yet and likes Jalen Green
looking off sga on how many how many possessions of game we need to we
need to factor that in a little bit. That's true. That's a fun
question. That was fun. Thank you for that, Glade. Moving on
to the Phoenix Suns. Who are Who are my team? As it turns
out, this question comes from brisk Paul, Why are the Suns? And
then Yokich for shokis which struggling team is more likely to write the ship and
be a serious Western Conference contender, the Suns or the Pelicans. So and
I think even if you just want to say who is the better championship equity
right now, that's a fair question. Why are the Suns? I assume
that price Paul is referring to just their ghastly December stretch where they are twenty
seventh in defense and they are four to nine in the month of December as
we record this. They've dealt with some injuries, including to Devin Booker.
He's now dealing with that that growing thing that limited him to basically barely even
playing on on Christmas. That certainly doesn't help. It would be nice if
the Sun's like didn't. They just feel like they've completely collapsed on the defensive
end if you go back and watch them, like, hey, could you
grab a defensive rebound or maybe just not foul so much, or it just
feels like guys are getting by them quicker. That there's more, there's more
breakdowns, and there's more mcaial Bridges looking exasperated after every possession because of the
breakdowns. Not every possession, but on possession is because of the breakdowns.
I have faith in the Suns to figure it out if Devin's is going to
be healthy. But the second part of this question is mega interesting. Who
if I had to guess who's more likely to write the ship at this point,
I'm gonna go with New Orleans just because they've had I know that the
Sons have missed Chris Paul. He's back now, and there wasn't missing Devin
Booker at the moment. They haven't had Cam Johnson. They've also gotten like
really good moments from a Damien Lee or josh Akogi. They've they've been able
to figure out the center minutes between Bismack Bimbo and Jock Landelle throughout throughout the
course the entire season. But call Bridges, Yeah, he's pulled back a
little bit inside the arc, lady. He's been really good this season.
DeAndre Ayton has been mostly fine. Started off the season was basically a disaster
I thought relative to expectations, but offensively he's been able to meet or exceed
expectations. There. I just the Pelicans, like Brandon Ingram's missed like more
and half the season at this point or whatever it is, and Zion's been
down the lineup and cj wasn't playing well to start the year. They're not
getting herb Jones has been intermittently available and not played all that well, and
they're just getting you know, they've been at the tippy top of the West
this year, and so and again so of the Suns. I guess though,
if I'm trusting, like you know, the Pelicans defense has slipped.
After all, the Pelicans hands were mad at us because we said, we're
not sure if they're the best defense in the league, and they've slipped like
they've slipped. Well, when opponents don't miss every three they take, that's
just what happens. And so I almost trust a full strength Phoenix to figure
it out defensively more they I guess. I look at the Suns and I
say for them to reach their pinnacle this season, they need a trade more
than the Pelicans do, because I think if they get so many of their
top guys have been out and you're also caking in something like and also it's
just we know Jay Crowderson playing for the Suns at this point, like you
just sit at home. That roster spot is gone, that money is gone,
and so it feels like they need to make that move. And I
would frame it this way, who to you has more championship equity right now?
Who's championships contending stock is higher right now? The Pelicans or the Suns.
I might lean the Pelicans, but I think I might also just be
sort of wallowing in depression after the Devin Booker growing injury, so I think
I gotta go Pelicans. And that goes against like how I make all these
decisions, because I would just normally pick the Suns because, like I've seen
it before. I know what it looks like. They've they've been to the
finals. The roster's not that different. They've fill in that Crowder spot via
trade Cam Johnson's back, and then bang, you've got a great starting five.
Like the depth doesn't really matter that much to me in the playoffs.
You can get a couple of good campaign games and you're fine. I just
think we've gone far enough into the season that we're not we're not kind of
holding onto our priors. Or maybe I'm just telling on myself of I had
a bad feeling about the Suns because of all the Monty Williams and eight and
stuff, and the whole way the eight and thing went, and then Crowder
being out and Chris Paul slipping and we just kind of keep and now Booker
having like a and groin injury, which is like, God knows how long
he's gonna need to get right with that. So just based on the kind
of my gut feeling that like maybe the Sun's window had sort of shut for
you know, interpersonal reasons for relationships between players and coaches, players and the
organization, the Starver stuff. You can throw that in there if you want
to. That's sort of over now, I guess since the team hasn't sold,
But the Pelicans, I have just fewer concerns about all of that type
of stuff. And then I think the Pelicans have proved that they're just less
susceptible to injury problems because they've been injured as shit and they're they're ahead of
the Suns and the standings and even with defensive slippage, their differentials better.
So shows the value of kind of having the more top end creators because it's
like, after Devin Booker and Chris Paul, Yes, eighton is good,
mcal Bridges a good campaign has been good this year, they're not these top
end creators and I think that New Orleans has three of them, and that's
turns out that's important and just more ways to win, like because you could
lose Zion and then you're because I'm just kind of spinning with well, but
I mean, you lose Booker for the Suns and it's Curtains like, there's
just it's not gonna work if you lose. I mean, the Pelicans don't
have the guy that it's Curtains, right, They've basically been without ingram AND's
eye on at different points of the season, and they've still figured it out.
If Zion isn't healthy, the Pelicans like can't make the finals. I'll
just say that, And but that's true of every team. You're just not
if your best guy's not there, you're not gonna get there. But there's
just more there are. There are more ways for the Pelicans to succeed,
whereas the Suns kind of have to get all five guys on the same page
and healthy. And then that's just that's kind of hard to see from from
where we sit right now. I have the Blazers coming up here. This
is another question from Glad. Where does Dame rank on all time shooters?
He said, he said multiple times, I think he should be second behind
Steph and I kind of think he will be by the time he's done.
I'm gonna give you the lawyerally answer, Well, it depends. Let's move
on. Yeah, right, we could ask we could really blow through these
podcasts if we just answered, it depends all the time for Dame, like
in an empty gym, if you just have like we're going to see who
can make the most shots, then he's not really in the conversation. So
volume has to matter a ton, and I gotta just let's look at the
stats this way. So he's at thirty seven point three percent for his career
among guys with a thousand attempts. That's one hundred and sixtieth two thousand attempts
ninety fifth three thousand attempts, forty eight out of one fifteen. So he's
like middle of the pack. Ish even at three thousand attempts four thousand attempts,
he seventeen five thousand attempts, he's eighth out of eighteen guys with that
many attempts and conversion rate. But then it's like we just have to acknowledge
that the way that he generates his threes is different from basically everybody other than
Steph. So like the impact he has being one of the first guys to
just routinely shoot it from really deep like so that stretch that ruins a defense
because you have to over like fifteen percent more of the court than you did
before and that just has trickled down effects everywhere deep range off the dribble shooting
ability. It's not like this is Ray Allen catching shooting at the end of
his career. Reggie Miller a movement shooter mostly, so that just distinguishes him,
you know, even throwing and guys like Korver or you know, Jason
Terry, all these guys have more attempts and have hit a higher percentage.
So I think he's top five for sure, just because of the volume and
because of how he generates threes. So like, yeah, second is not
ridiculous. I don't know what to do with Clay on something like this because
at an empty gym, I think Clay just destroys basically everyone but Steph.
I was going to ask how you ascribe value to the types of threes that
Klay Thompson predominantly trafficked in versus the types of threes that Damian Lillard did the
dribble versus incredibly quick fire off movement, which which, by the way,
like we talk about how Steph changes everything all the time and Dame change things,
but like what kind of shots is Clay getting if Steph isn't sucking defenders
like halfway across the floor without the ball. Like, it's just it's totally
different. So like empty gym shooting is different than like on the court value
shooting. And you could definitely make the case that Dame is as high as
second just because of the way he impacts a defense, specifically with his shooting.
It's just it's different than everybody, but Steph, you know in his
career that is sorry, I got another one here. This will be quick
though. This is uh, this is from Kyle Williams. It's a Blazers
adjacent The West has a ton of incredible guards. We talked about this,
you and I did last week with All Star picks. Do you think Anthony
Simons would be an All Star if he's in the East. And I'll get
to the second part in a minute. I don't think so, just because
you're just the list of the names, like you're gonna put him over.
You're not putting him over Donovan Mitchell or Tyrese Halibert or Jaylen Brown. I'm
not putting him over Drew Holiday. So now into wildcard territory, and you
got Tree, you got Garland, got James Harden, de Rozen, Dejan
say, Murray Kyrie, who we didn't consider last time we talked about this,
but now I'm kind of coming around to it. Just I mean,
Simons is a really good player offensively, but he's like that's what did I
list like eight or ten guys that in the East. So it's not just
in East West thing. It's that there's a ship ton of really good guards
everywhere. It does seem like there might be maybe I'm wrong here, but
they're more opening long term for him in the East at this moment, just
with Hardened to Rosen sort of aging out. Maybe not. I mean the
West is like Steph isn't exactly you know, no, and then the other
guys like Luca Morant Booker. Yeah, like those guys aren't going anywhere,
So it's tough. Act might be easier long term in the East for him
if he were in the East. Yeah. The last, the last thing
on the Blazers. Do you see a trade possible this season or in the
offseason to fix their current trajectory of being incredibly mid We've talked about the challenges
of trades, like I don't want to go back over that. It like
they just have to get better defensively their tenth on offense when I look this
up, twenty third on defense, and that's with Jeremy Grant like being kind
of exactly the type of guy that they needed. Maybe Sharp is the guy
you package if you're trying to go big and win now. But we've listed
all the names, turner In and Obi. I just I don't know how
you get there, but they just do need another defender, preferably a big
wing that's you know, not news. It's been a matter like maybe to
add some floorce basing at the five might help them a little bit. But
I would say that kind of the playmaking wing type would be their target.
And I don't, by the way, because the way their pick is protected
this year, you like, you can get into too the conditional language and
whatever, but I don't know that they have the ability to the You're gonna
have to put Jeremy Grant and or Josh Hart or Shaden Sharp on the table
if you're trying to make a big, meaningful way. I think their best
move is if Gary Payton the second comes back and is who he was last
year, because then your defense probably gets you know, a middle of the
pack instead of bottom ten. Let's move on to the Sacramento Kings. I
have two, and let me get to this one first because it's more more
topical comes from Brady Y're if Sabonus misses twenty games, can the King stay
relevant without him? As of right now, he's not going to miss twenty
games. He's going to try and play through that fracture and his right thumb.
That is I mean, domas Bonus as tough as hell. I wouldn't
try and play through fractured fractured thumb. I will say Kevin Love has tried
to play through one in Cleveland and it's definitely impacted his numbers. And you
kind of look at what sa Bonus has done this season, thirty eight point
nine percent from three on, you know, relatively the volume threees, but
sixty three point nine percent on twos, and so you wonder if that compromises
does the commerce his touch around the basket where he's shooting about seventy five percent,
he's at fifty three percent between three and ten feet, forty four point
four percent between ten and sixteen feet, and then fifty percent from sixteen feet
out to the three point line. So this is someone who has just scored
efficiently at every single level this season, even though he relies on them to
two varying degrees. The offense is cratered when he's off the floor, even
with the Aaron Fox in the game. And I think a lot of that
is he is so instrumental as a screener to the White players move off him
and with his vision. But then also you're replacing him with met To You're
they haven't really like I guess you in theory, you can replace him with
Rashaun Holmes, but that's not something that they've generally like to do. You're
replacing with Trey Lyles, and you're getting rid of a lot of your creation
just by losing Sabonus. There's Fox and Sabonus on this team, and then
like, okay, Monk and if you want to rely on davy On,
Mitchell's a second day. But it's just it's different with the way that Sabonis
specifically is able to direct things from his stand stills or when he's putting the
ball on the floor. It's just he's more of an anomaly at his position
than anyone else on the King's roster. And I'm very interesting how they navigate
this stretch. Maybe he won't be impacted a ton, but he's also been
in terms of high volume rim protectors like they've been worse ones, and so
like, did this hurt him there at all? I'm I honestly my answers,
I don't know. But if he is not let's say eighty percent seventy
five percent, seventy percent is effective, the Kings are probably screwed. Yeah,
I think it's his non shooting hand. I don't know if you mentioned
that. I think not, thank you for doing so. And he's like
one of the most left handed left handed players in the league where he's like
he's so and he's not dependent on being a spacer like so in terms like
it, I agree that the same injury really affected Kevin Love. Kevin Love
just gets his value from such it's so dependent on his shooting offensively, So
I think SA bonus can still be pretty close. So if that's that seventy
five or eighty percent figure, like, I think he can be that good.
The problem is he is he hasn't been by far the King's most important
and best player. And so with all the parody in the West and with
you know, the King's defensively, I think likely to just stay bad or
get worse. Maybe that is enough of a difference to where it really does
like knock them down. Like we're not talking about them as a playoff team,
it's a play in thing, and they're just down in that lower level
mix. I just think he is one of the guys that could sort of
get through this because of how he plays and because of like what the Kings
need from him. But it is a pretty fine line, for sure.
You have to concede that. I do think in some ways, I guess
maybe it does. But like is he going to be able to log the
same minute just because it's non shooting hand, because when you get into the
backup center rotation here, like there are visible issues, And does that hurt
them at all? He's just been He's probably I've been. I was driving
the Deanarron Fox bandwagon for well, not driving, but I was aboard it
for and I'm still on it for most of the team. But like Sabonus
has been their most valuable player this year overall, and so that makes it
tough if he's going to be reduced version of himself. This next question comes
from Jake Gee, how should we be viewing this Sabonus Haliburton trade this far
in Haliburton is probably an all star, but clearly the King's value making a
playoff run more than anything, and so I thought, I think this has
been talked about, and they've probably been like the low Brown discussions on and
I don't want to have We've talked about it too. I'm sure I still
would not have made that deal if I'm the Kings, because I know making
the playoffs means something. But like you had someone in the second year of
his rookie scale contract with this in him, and I know that the belief
is this couldn't have come out as long as Daron Fox was there, and
that's probably correct to some extent, But I do think the King's kind of
aided in this becoming an either or scenario. How'd you put this much shooting
around them last year? Are the returns different for Fox and Haliburton. Maybe
you still would have needed to have figured out the center spot in theory beyond
having Rashawn Holmes there, Sure, but that seems more manageable than finding someone
as good as Tyrese Haliburn on that contract who afford you such flexibility, and
I do think in the long run it was a miss allocation of an incredibly
talented player and asset. However, right now, if we're looking at just
this season, both teams are accomplishing what they wanted to do. I mean,
Indiana's just flat out better than expected. Sorry, as Burton's an All
Star, He's given them a pull star around which to build for the future.
So Bonus has given the Kings an offensive fulcrum who compliments Darren Fox,
is able to uplift Darren Fox, and puts them helps put them in the
playoff conversation right now. Indiana's path to being more than just this mid playoff
team, though, is more open to me than Sacramentos long term. And
I don't want to poop poo over the season the Kings are having this.
This has been great for them. But I mean, even the Kevin Hurt
trade, like they hit on that with Atlanta, I just it's still not
a trade I would have made. It just comes down to I'm going to
value the long term trajectory more than the short term, and even though the
Kings are about to make the playoffs, that's their aim, all right.
How are you getting better from here? I'm not ruling out development from God's
I mean, Kegan Murray is just a rookie, but like, where is
the rest of the upside coming from? Like Fox, it's a bonus,
are there? This team could be better at some point next season than they
are this season. I'm not ruling that out. But how do you make
that more gargantuan league from playing playoff contender to championship contender? Yeah? I
think, I mean, I agree, I think sort of in our in
the industry, which is a stupid thing to say, but there really is.
Just there's less fandom and there's more how do you maximize the chances of
building a championship roster? And it's having really good young players on controllable contracts.
Like so from that perspective, like Haliburton is just by an enormous margin,
the better asset, the better piece in like that type of roster building
approach. I would also say though that like if you were to do this
again, like let's just say right now, with Haliburton being perceived as he
is and Sabonis being perceived as he is, like there's no chance in a
vacuum a team would trade a player like this version of Haliburton for a player
like this version of Sabonis just because Haliburton has proved Oh he's what is he
like the fifth or sixth best you know, young prospect in the league,
potentially top ten for sure, and he's on a rookie scale deal and he's
like it's just so different than so many of these other young talents like this,
he's super scalable, Like he doesn't have to be your lead ball handler.
He leads the league and assists, so he obviously can be. But
his shooting is good enough. His just general intelligence and ability to figure out
what to do offensively means he can do you can be your third option,
like if you need him to be your spot up shooter, cool, Like
that's doable. So but at the same time, like I think the Kings
would would probably do it again. And like maybe the issue was Fox because
it did seem like Fox bristled at being paired with Alibert and last year he
didn't play very well. You know, he's there are different reasons for that
that have been put out there. That he got too much, he added
too much weight in terms of muscle, like and he just wasn't as quick.
I think if you can't figure out how to play with Albert and that's
kind of more on you. But just just was what it was, and
it the Kings decided. I guess that that pairing wasn't going to work.
I just think like the way that Haliburton has ascended means that if you compare
these two players with the contracts, it's just like it's not close. It's
not close. There's no way the Pacers would ever take this back, whereas
the Kings, I guess, you know, they've evaluate things from in a
different way. I have the Spurs coming up next. This is from JPG
one two three. Why does a team like the Spurs not just go after
reclamation projects like Wiseman, Reddish book Night, et cetera. Is that even
a good idea? Yeah, it's a good idea. That's that's what a
team with cap space and no intention of winning games should absolutely be doing.
I think part of the issue is like how you're getting these guys, because
if you're the Spurs, you've got you know, we've toyed with you know,
Spurs Warriors trades before, Like you've got Josh Richardson. I guess you've
got McDermott, you've got Purtle. You don't want to give up picks to
entice anyone to take these guys purdle someone that theoretically they could resign and just
keep around. As you know, if I don't see, I don't see
why you have to move him. I mean his impending free agency as a
factor, But I don't think he's going to cost the Norman a leg.
So yeah, like the Spurs and any other team with cap space, we've
mentioned a handful of them because there aren't that many, or flexibility at least
should be all over the Warriors, like can we get Wiseman, can we
get Moody? Can we get Coming And they should be calling the Knicks to
see this would have been a better move earlier when the younger guys weren't playing.
But like, what's it going to take to get Grimes or Quickly or
McBride or just whatever? Call the Magic see if Jonathan Isaac could be had,
Just take a total flyer, Like there's there's a lot of ways to
go. I think we always kind of espoused this for if you're a bad
team and you've got you know, no one that you're super married to you
should just absolutely be looking for second draft guys, guys that have been huge
disappointments, whose values low that if they come and flop a second time for
you, it doesn't really adder because it's not like affecting a bottom line you
care about. You want to add to that before we get to the pertile
part of this question, No, I guess the only thing you could add
it's like, it's also just you need teams to be ready to give up
on those players, and like making the money work or the roster spots work
could be tough. Word. You can't just trade Josh Richardson for James book
Night if you're the Spurs, Like, yeah, you could, but you
can't do that if you're Charlotte. And so those situations are probably difficult.
And then I think you just run into the issue of your own roster dynamics
where it's like, Okay, if you have open roster spots, it's one
thing, but you then again, are those teams ready to sell on those
players for nothing, or maybe you don't have an open roster spot, and
then you're gonna still have to give up someone to get someone. Yeah,
the stars really have to align I think it's a good idea. It is
something that every bad team should be pursuing. This is from heroes in a
half court with it seeming like Alcaperto will be a popular name around the trade
deadline. If you're the Spurs, is there a scenario where you keep him?
And if not, what would be you're asking price? I guess I
tip my hand on this. I would move him if I could get a
first that was like actually like a real first that wasn't going to be you
know, two seconds if because it's top whatever protected and the odds are,
it's just not going to convey as a first, just because I think even
as as useful as he is, and he's you know, in his prime
years, early prime, I guess I just I'm not going to pay for
centers that are not like elite defensive pieces that I could see succeeding in a
playoffs and have some offensive value. I like Purtile a lot. I think
he's like a mid tier starting center. But the difference between a mid tier
starting center and a guy you can pay like four million bucks a year is
like not big enough for me to want to, you know, keep him
around for anything more than like I don't know the mid level or something in
that range. So if I could get a first, I would move him.
I'd be with you on that, like like you said, a real
first, Yeah, that would lead me to the Utah Jazz. And the
first question we have for them is from dark Queen, Doc town Hornon Tucker
or Nick Keel Alexander Walker are going to kill Alexander Walker? Here? He
is shooting really well and above the break threes this year he has like he
could still be sort of a wild card when you're looking at his finishing,
but like he's at sixty six point seven percent in the restricted area. And
I think that there's more shiftingness to him off the dribble, well not more
shifting than the town Horton Tucker. Is that shifting this? I think that
he's easier to plug and play when he doesn't work off the dribble, and
he's gotten better at doing that in Utah. I think he's had a lot
more like I guess, gutsy defensive moments this year when the Jazz have actually
played him. And so I'm still I've always been fairly bullish on naw.
But if he's going to shoot, you know, above forty percent and above
the break threes, and he's going to shoot above sixty percent of the restricted
the area, and he's not going to dribble into as many wild shots or
you know, tick valuable seconds off the clock trying to make a decision,
and he is making getting rid of the ball quicker this year. And I
think when you look at what he does, the space that Utah creates with
they're all like miming, like people are actually gonna watch this, but the
space that they create in their offense, his skill sets probably just more valuable
because there's more unpredictability and levels to his his actual scoring. Yeah, i'd
lean Alexander Walker too, even though like this is age twenty fourth season,
the shot selection stuff should be fixed by now, and he still is just
prone to some wild like just you know, black hole, just the balls,
just really bizarre decisions. Horton Tucker's two years younger in terms of his
best ball reference age, But I just don't I just don't know what the
theory of Horton Tucker has Like a really great you know there is like a
high end rotation or starting level guy is because she doesn't make enough shots he's
like they're Utah. I think it says as long's that Utah is not even
giving him a consistent role at this point. That's a factor for sure.
Yeah, I don't know, it's I guess the best version of Alexander Walker
to me is like a high like a good six man, like not Jordan
Clarkson level, who's on his own team, but a guy that can just
you know, and can score and isn't going to defend. I don't know,
I think it's Alexander Walker, but it's I could see how someone would
say Horton Tucker, just because the idea of him as like a defensive difference
maker who if he could get the ball to go in enough, could actually
like you could see him on a winning team, maybe more easily than Alexander
Walker. But yeah, I'm I'm not sure you could see him on a
winning team more easily, but because he was the idea that only because yeah,
I could, I could theoretically see him guarding, you know, a
couple of positions and just making spot up threes if the three ever came around,
which for a guy in the twenties, person is iffy JABRONI asked,
is Lowry Market in the next Kevin Durant, Brady, You're asked, will
Larry market and be an All Star? I put him on my All Star?
Is he the next Kevin Durant? Yes, obviously that's that. There's
no question about that. I put him on my All Star team. Last
time? Did you have him on your All Star team? He was my
most painful snub would and he came down to Paul George or Lorry Mark.
And I just want to make my case that Marketing this season is averaging twenty
three point one points, eight point two boards, two point one assists,
shooting sixty one point two percent on twos and forty three point two percent on
threes, which he's taking at a clip of nearly seven per game. There
are two players, or there's all Actually one of them is Lowry Marketing.
There's one other player for an entire season who is averaged twenty three points while
hitting sixty percent of his twos and forty percent of his threes. Would you
even care to venture a guess as to me? It's mother fucking twenty twelve,
twenty thirteen, Lebron freaking James. Sure that Lebron James, he's both.
Yeah, that's my point. So that has no bearing on this season
obviously because the game has changed. This is still remarkable what he's doing.
And I think just because when you start to look at the minute's disparities now
and the last time I checked, he had a few hundred minutes on Paul
George. If I'm not mistaken it, maybe that has shade plus right,
if that's what it's coming down, Like, I know that we're not supposed
to We're supposed to reward ability over availability, but when you have this ability
with that playing time, what he's done on offense. Oh, by the
way, like he's sometimes or oftentimes being uses a hashtag wing, this is
not someone who's just like a pure four anymore. Like he's operated like a
wing on offense, he's had to defend at times like a wing on defense.
I think he will be an All Star, and I think he's a
deserving All Star. Now will he get the bump because the games and Utah
and people will deliberate that. As of right now, December twenty seven,
at two forty two pm Eastern time, Larry Marketing is an All Star.
And I'm saying that not as the empty handed tweets that I myself have sent
out where I think I called darreon Fox an All NBA player earlier this year,
and you just don't name who they're gonna beat out, I will point
out, because I already did, so go back and listen to that podcast.
Who Larry Marketing belongs on the All Star team over for the West All
Stars, even though the way the teams are draft now changes where he could
be So yes, resounding yes ten times over, Yes, Lorry Marketing is
currently an All Star, you swayed me. I think that it's it's that
it's that the difference between market In and George and some of the catch alls
have flipped, and Marketing is ahead of him in EPM, for example,
and he's closer in Raptor. I based most of my argument for George over
him on the idea that George's role is just harder and like more meaningful as
a playmaker, you know, high end defender just has to do a bunch
of different stuff for the Clippers. But I think, in addition to the
numbers you laid out, which are like that's compelling, I think I heard
I heard another good argument that like when you're picking All Stars. You're also
kind of trying to make your selections on the basis of if you're telling the
story of this season, like who sort of features in it and market in
being like a breakout star for a Jazz team for whom he's the best player
by a lot and is the biggest reason that the Jazz are not like leading
the tankathon, like that's the big story for this season. We talked a
ton about the Jazz, especially earlier, so that's a factor. The numbers
are a factor. I gotta I gotta go marketing, and now over Paul
George, you've done it. Also to your point about Paul George though,
and there is a Paul, so just this is just one number that illustrates
it. Paul George, fifty six point eight percent of its three pointers have
been assisted marketing. That numbers like ninety one percent of us three people.
There's there's definitely a case to be made there, But I'm just gonna ride
the coattails of what you were talking about with the story of the season,
and that's well. Larn marking is done for the Jazz who were supposed to
They didn't make sense on paper, but they never were going to be god
awful. The assumption was and I said on this podcast, I reassured Jazz
fans who were worried this wouldn't happen, and I was clearly wrong. The
Jazz would not let themselves get even remotely close to a point like this they
have. I'm enjoying it. I think fans should enjoy it. They have
enough picks in the asset clip and the Timberwolves look like their dogshit. Anyway,
feel pretty good about this season and enjoy the lowry market. And you
traded away to All Stars and still end it up with an All Star at
the twenty twenty three All Star Game. I say we end it there.
There's another question. We have other questions. I might try to get to
them later this week, but we've gone for almost two hours on this.
Did you want to take us out of what I thought was a good I
like this set up, and so if we can get enough questions, this
is definitely a we'll bring it back for the East, clearly, but this
is definitely something we can cyclically go through. Yeah, where are you at,
Clippers fans? We got just one. Yeah, I'll take us out.
Thanks again, everybody for all your questions. Keep them coming. We'll
do the East at some point here. As Dan mentioned at the top,
please remember to rate, review, subscribe, get us on wherever you listen
to your podcast. We've got our socials here. If you're watching on YouTube,
check us out, follow us on Twitter, follow us on Instagram,
and everyplace else. Tell your friends. Wordermouth still really helps give us five
stars all over the place. And lastly, I guess I want to apologize.
I'm gonna I'll have to apologize to Jared Allen for not apologizing, but
I will apologize to Laurie market in this week. And we leave, as
we always do, with a shout out to the one and only Frank Lakimo.