1 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,120 What is krack alackin fellow Thermo du clear a everst I am a Daniel is 2 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:25,120 coming at you win my certified fantabulous co host with your granted dude. We 3 00:00:25,199 --> 00:00:30,719 are on to the Central Division to wrap up the Eastern Conference in our offseason 4 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,039 grades series. As a reminder before, we plead with you to subscribe to 5 00:00:35,119 --> 00:00:39,159 us everywhere, a C is average and not a bad grade, so please 6 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,079 do not get mad if your team ends up with a C. End though, 7 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,039 back to the task at hand, remember subscribe to loss if you haven't 8 00:00:46,039 --> 00:00:50,119 already, hit sub Like every video on YouTube, comment help the algorithm of 9 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,719 us back. Go on Apple Spotify, hit that subscribe, but leave ratings 10 00:00:53,759 --> 00:00:56,200 and reviews. Those help us climb up the charts a little bit, and 11 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,159 we would ask you, if you've done all those things, recommend us share 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,439 an episode word of mouth that can help the popularity of the show travel upward. 13 00:01:03,479 --> 00:01:07,280 Follow us on all the socials at Hardwood, Knox on TikTok and Twitter, 14 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,000 at Harvard Underscore, Doox on Instagram. I am posting fewer unique videos 15 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,200 there while we're in the off season and because they take so long, but 16 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,200 we're still trying to do about three weeks, so it's worth following us there 17 00:01:17,519 --> 00:01:19,120 and join our discord. The link to that is in the podcast and YouTube 18 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,840 descriptions. And finally, if you want to support the show, we would 19 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,200 encourage you to go buy our merch our t public store link is in the 20 00:01:26,239 --> 00:01:30,200 podcast and YouTube description. Send us screenshots and discord or post them on Twitter 21 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,879 or whatever when you get your stuff. It's always fun to see to see 22 00:01:33,879 --> 00:01:37,760 those pop up. Grant, how the heck are you doing? I'm getting 23 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,799 kind of hungry, Dan, but how are you doing? You were eating 24 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,760 when we started recording. That was like an hour and a half ago. 25 00:01:44,599 --> 00:01:48,959 I gotta feed the machine that. Wow, okay, it's got like a 26 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,560 Jersey Shore reference. I'm pretty sure you feel good thing. I'll tell you 27 00:01:53,599 --> 00:01:56,640 that. Do you want to I appreciate you being the one to lead us 28 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,920 through the transactions since I could barely talk at the moment. I'm still high, 29 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,239 he congested and not feeling great. Do you want to start us off 30 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:06,640 with the your Chicago Bulls? Why are they gonna be all right? I'll 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,319 take him, I'll I'll take the Chicago Bulls. So they did a lot. 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,599 They signed some basketball players, many of whom were already on the team, 33 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,039 the first of which, in terms of significance, Nikolavuvich is back three 34 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,919 years, sixty million dollars extension. Kobe White also back three years and thirty 35 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,039 six. I had just soon moved back three years and twenty one. UH 36 00:02:25,159 --> 00:02:29,639 signed Javon Carter three years, nineteen point five million or cornering the market on 37 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,199 defense first guards with Alex Cruzer already on the team, got Tory Craig for 38 00:02:34,199 --> 00:02:37,599 the minimum, lost another defense first guard and Patrick Beverley, so I had 39 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,960 to replace him and Javonte Green and Dirk Jones Junior. I think remains unsigned. 40 00:02:42,319 --> 00:02:45,719 You can correct me if that is the case or is not the case. 41 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:51,879 Did I miss anything of consequence? Djj opted in. I believe he's 42 00:02:51,879 --> 00:02:54,599 outside. You're right. Last year, you are correct. That's pretty much 43 00:02:54,639 --> 00:03:00,199 it so a lot of action UH in terms of money spent and play is 44 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:06,639 acquired, slash routined. Are the skoggle bulls better? Doesn't matter? How 45 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,879 do you feel about what they did this offseason? Well, they're the perfect 46 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:15,680 team to talk about. How much do you penalize a team that's not acting 47 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,280 in a way that you would would you control them? It's not a matter 48 00:03:19,319 --> 00:03:22,120 of what moves did they miss out on. It's a matter of the path 49 00:03:22,199 --> 00:03:24,360 not yet traveled, which would be to tear it down because I think every 50 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,360 single move they made. The Foots deal, I still don't love it, 51 00:03:28,439 --> 00:03:30,840 but it's like that's everyone just seemed to think that was a fine number. 52 00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:32,479 I didn't see when he first reported. I thought, I said three years 53 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:37,159 an eighty million, and so my response to it was just so inflammatory. 54 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,080 I love the Javon Carter deal. I think that's a great fit. I 55 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,120 think they made Kobe White had a quietly a good season last year. I 56 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,000 owe to soon move. I can't believe no one else wanted to even take 57 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:47,240 a look at him. I thought they got good value there. One of 58 00:03:47,319 --> 00:03:51,960 the things I'm questioning though I know nothing about him, so I didn't judge 59 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,560 this too harshly. But why was number thirty five Julian Phillips worth second rounders 60 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:00,400 in twenty six and twenty seven feels like a very you know Bull is really 61 00:04:00,439 --> 00:04:03,639 gonna be that good? Then I felt like a little steeper price to pay. 62 00:04:03,039 --> 00:04:06,159 I don't know what to give this team. Is there is there a 63 00:04:06,199 --> 00:04:10,000 move that they made not that they didn't make because there are a move that 64 00:04:10,039 --> 00:04:15,360 they made that you actively dislike. I'd say the Vuchevich deal comes the closest 65 00:04:15,399 --> 00:04:19,879 to that, But that is going to tie into the like what's the bigger 66 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:25,240 plan here kind of line of criticism than the years and dollars for this particular 67 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,839 player, Like it's kind like he's probably worth that, right, Like in 68 00:04:28,879 --> 00:04:32,600 a vacuum. I think he's actually, he's definitely worth that in a vacuum. 69 00:04:32,759 --> 00:04:36,279 He's a good player, good offensive player. Somehow the Bulls have had 70 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:41,160 good defensive numbers, but that's probably because Alex Caruso is involved with Vouchevich out 71 00:04:41,199 --> 00:04:44,319 there. So it's like, that's that's the closest I can get to, 72 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,839 Oh, that's just objectively a bad move, right, And I don't even 73 00:04:48,959 --> 00:04:53,279 feel I don't even think I would, you know, if pressed would say 74 00:04:53,319 --> 00:04:56,560 that, that's just, oh, that's bad, Like you probably can't trade 75 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,879 him for value at that number, So that isn't great, But it is 76 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,240 ties in more to the the first thing you lad with, which was like 77 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,160 how closely did the Bulls moves it here? To like what I would have 78 00:05:05,199 --> 00:05:09,000 done if I were in charge of the team and in that sense, they're 79 00:05:09,319 --> 00:05:12,399 way off, but a lot of that is just it's got to do with 80 00:05:12,439 --> 00:05:15,360 like the team that they've built over the last three four years. It's just 81 00:05:15,439 --> 00:05:19,079 you're they're in a situation that I wouldn't want to get into because they're just 82 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:24,000 in the middle and everything they did this year, I think you look at 83 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,319 all those signings and it's like, yeah, they might be better. They 84 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,439 could be better this year significantly even maybe, but it's still middle ish to 85 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:35,480 me, and so I'll just say it's a D plus. And that's with 86 00:05:35,639 --> 00:05:40,360 saying that. If you go down the line, like itemize their transactions, 87 00:05:40,639 --> 00:05:43,519 there's nothing that makes you say, oh my god, this is cats, 88 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,240 this is horrible, like they've they've ruined the It's just the team is going 89 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,600 to be roughly what it was last year and the year before, and that's 90 00:05:50,639 --> 00:05:54,959 not a place I'm interested in being if I can get myself out of that. 91 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,920 I'm wanted to see Midas in part because not that they didn't tear it 92 00:05:58,959 --> 00:06:01,040 down, but if you were going to go this route, you still didn't 93 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,720 address your biggest needs, which I guess their biggest need was we want to 94 00:06:03,759 --> 00:06:10,759 avoid the tax, which they did. Congratulations and they but like you needed 95 00:06:11,199 --> 00:06:15,079 shooting volume, maybe another point guard in here? Could you diversify your front 96 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,519 court rotation at all? They checked none of those boxes, just because I 97 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,800 think Javon Carter comes closest. But he's not extra ball handling. Really. 98 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,399 I mean he will give you some extra shooting, but like Tory Craig is 99 00:06:25,439 --> 00:06:28,000 not that guy, and he doesn't. And again I like the signing, 100 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,920 but like you, they should have been a team and it couldn't been because 101 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:32,079 they weren't going to spend that money. They should have been in on like 102 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,040 the Max Strew sweepstakes. He would have done a lot of wonders for them. 103 00:06:35,079 --> 00:06:39,279 And so if you want to be a team that's better, go ahead 104 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,480 and act like a team that's better. Stop penny pinching just to avoid the 105 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,639 tax. And so, yes, they made reasonable signings that we can all 106 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,079 like in a vacuum, but I don't know that they're much better and look 107 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:54,480 much better than a playing team. Is not something to write home about either. 108 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:59,120 And I think it's close to an average off season because nothing they did 109 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,920 was below average. But for them to decide that we're not going to start 110 00:07:02,959 --> 00:07:06,759 over or more realistically, it'spore, rebuild and then not be aggressive and trying 111 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:11,879 to get better. It's just like that's a miss. Yeah, I agree. 112 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,519 I think if you start to think about the counterfactual, it's like, 113 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,680 well, if they're going to do what we want them to do, what 114 00:07:17,759 --> 00:07:20,680 was the market for damar Derozen, what was the market for zach Lavine. 115 00:07:20,759 --> 00:07:24,600 And it's possible that they could have traded those guys and we would be just 116 00:07:24,639 --> 00:07:28,279 as critical because they didn't get enough for them in our opinions. But or 117 00:07:28,319 --> 00:07:30,199 it could have been the Wizard's route of oh, we're excited that they finally 118 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,720 chose a direction outside of the sub middle. I think that's more likely. 119 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,959 Had they just gutted the team and got what they could get for their expensive 120 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,319 veterans, I think I probably would have had a higher grade almost, you 121 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:44,560 know, unless they just I'm trying to think of a situation where you trade 122 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,879 zach Lavine and just like get nothing, which that's not realistic because you get 123 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,199 something for him. You know, you end up getting at least three the 124 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:53,040 equivalent of three first round picks for zach Lavine. I would have felt better 125 00:07:53,079 --> 00:07:56,399 had they done that. But you know, if you're interested in being five 126 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,240 hundred or maybe a little better than that, then this is the team for 127 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,120 you. Are the odds that they use their disabled player exception they got from 128 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:07,879 Blondzo lasted zero. I was gonna say, can I go like into negative 129 00:08:07,959 --> 00:08:11,920 numbers? Is that allowed? No? I will take us to the Cleveland 130 00:08:11,959 --> 00:08:16,439 Cavaliers. I assume their off season is going to be more upbeat. They 131 00:08:16,519 --> 00:08:20,120 drafted Emity Bates and signed them to a two way contract. They signed Georgiang 132 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,759 to with three year, twenty five point five million dollars deal that declines in 133 00:08:24,199 --> 00:08:26,959 salary. They acquired Max Struss on a four year, sixty four million dollars 134 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,360 deal. For the Lakers is twenty twenty six second round pick. They signed 135 00:08:31,439 --> 00:08:35,759 Isaiah Mobley and Craig Porter Junior to two way contracts. They resigned Carras Lavert 136 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:37,960 to a two year, thirty two million dollars deal. They signed Tod Jerome 137 00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:41,440 to a two year, five million dollars deal that's fully guaranteed. They traded 138 00:08:41,519 --> 00:08:46,080 cash to Utah for Damien Jones. And there's another note here. Ricky Rubio 139 00:08:46,159 --> 00:08:50,360 was taking time away from basketball to work on his mental health. It's not 140 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,120 clear whether he will be with the team when training camp opens. Do I 141 00:08:54,159 --> 00:08:56,120 miss anything? Where do you land on this offseason? Grant? You got 142 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:01,840 everything that I had, plus Damien Jones a glossed over. Did you mention 143 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,360 some of the losses? Not? Not nothing huge, but Robin Lopez, 144 00:09:05,399 --> 00:09:09,639 Dylan Windler, Danny Green or Lopez and Windler gone, Danny Green and Netto 145 00:09:09,759 --> 00:09:13,159 remain unsigned? Not not needle movers. I love their offseason. I think 146 00:09:13,159 --> 00:09:16,759 they did. You know, I guess, I guess. If you're gonna 147 00:09:16,759 --> 00:09:18,919 be critical, it's well Max Struce, Like is he exactly what they needed? 148 00:09:20,039 --> 00:09:22,240 Is he? Is he big enough? Is he good enough defensively to 149 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:28,000 fill that like glaring void at the three that just was such a piece of 150 00:09:28,039 --> 00:09:33,600 why the Calves underwhelmed in the playoffs. I think he's about as good as 151 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,279 they could have done realistically. So like, if we're gonna try to be 152 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:43,600 fair about, you know, what did a team do relative to what it 153 00:09:43,639 --> 00:09:46,159 was capable of doing? I think Struce is really like, is you know, 154 00:09:48,279 --> 00:09:50,360 just barring like pie in the sky stuff. That's that's as good as 155 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:54,399 you're gonna do to fill that void. Not perfect, but you know, 156 00:09:54,799 --> 00:09:58,279 hard to hard to quibble with that you aren't going to get someone who defends 157 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:01,399 like Isaaca Coro but shoots like shoots like Max Drews. Right, first of 158 00:10:01,399 --> 00:10:03,799 all, that player wasn't on the market this summer anyway, but like you 159 00:10:03,799 --> 00:10:07,799 weren't going to get that with having the tools you did to work with. 160 00:10:07,039 --> 00:10:09,759 Yeah, and just thinking of comps, like there aren't even really any good 161 00:10:09,759 --> 00:10:13,919 comps, but just in terms of like what guys got paid. You know 162 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,360 Cam Johnson, we talk all the time. He's not quite a three and 163 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,720 he but like he got you know, four years and ninety, like you 164 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,919 just that's you couldn't have gotten a guy like that for the with the tools 165 00:10:24,919 --> 00:10:28,960 that the Cavs had. I don't love Lavert, but it's a short deal. 166 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,919 Two years, thirty two millions, fine, Like that's sixth seventh guy. 167 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:39,399 Maybe that can run the team if you know one of or both Garland 168 00:10:39,639 --> 00:10:45,120 and Mitchell are out. Niang three for twenty five three twenty five seems a 169 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,159 little rich, but that's just more shooting. And if you're gonna play two 170 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,039 bigs and Evan Mobley doesn't develop a three point shot as quickly as someone prefer 171 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,200 like I think Niang is gonna bring real value, and the good backline defense 172 00:10:56,279 --> 00:10:58,159 is going to mitigate some of his struggles to stay in front of guys on 173 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,240 the perimeter. So there's the theory of him on the team works. It's 174 00:11:01,279 --> 00:11:07,399 just a little costly. So I have this down as a B plus, 175 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,360 but I think I need to go to an A minus. But I'm hesitant 176 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,600 because I have so many high grades in this division that I don't want to 177 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,480 do it. But to be fair to the Cavs, this feels more like 178 00:11:16,519 --> 00:11:20,279 an A range grade than a B range grade. To me, I wouldn't 179 00:11:20,279 --> 00:11:24,080 be plus just because the George and the anxiety makes me a little uncomfortable in 180 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,120 the sense that are we going to see him play some three and then he's 181 00:11:28,159 --> 00:11:31,639 not someone who rebounds well enough to make the mobili at five units that much 182 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,039 better there, and I think he's look at okay, well, what else 183 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,480 were they supposed to do with that money? I just like, would you 184 00:11:37,519 --> 00:11:43,559 be better off without George and Yang in general? So I don't. I 185 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,919 don't like. It's it's more shooting, like you said, and there's real 186 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,240 volume there. Both him and Max Hrews I think average about nine plus attempts 187 00:11:48,279 --> 00:11:52,200 per thirty six minutes from deep. They totally needed that. I do think 188 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,679 Nyang is probably on someone who's in your playoff rotation at least not anywhere near 189 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,720 prominently. And so to give him three guarantee years for you know, quite 190 00:11:58,759 --> 00:12:01,639 a bit like quite a bit of money, it's not you know, it's 191 00:12:01,879 --> 00:12:05,440 it's not nothing in the grand scheme of the cap. But you're not paying 192 00:12:05,519 --> 00:12:09,559 him nothing at this point. You gave him most of the non taxpayer at 193 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,679 Emily. So I that's I'm just trying to poke holes. And I don't 194 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,440 think there's anything out there that they necessarily could have done better. But you 195 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:22,080 probably could have gotten another like biggest type and just sort of plugged that hole 196 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,759 and move forward for cheaper. And so that's like the one to merit I 197 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,759 had for them. But B plus a very strong grade from I think Max 198 00:12:28,799 --> 00:12:33,600 Drews is a fantastic fit. Yeah, let's see, do I have the 199 00:12:33,639 --> 00:12:35,240 pistons or do you? As we move on, you have you have the 200 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:39,720 pistons, all right, Happy, happy Dan, really happy to have the 201 00:12:39,759 --> 00:12:43,360 pistons. One of my favorite offseasons drafted the star Thompson number five, but 202 00:12:43,399 --> 00:12:46,919 before that hired Money Williams. So the richest head coaching contract in NBA history. 203 00:12:48,639 --> 00:12:50,799 That is a huge deal. I would love to know the mechanics. 204 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,759 I think there's been some reporting on it, but it's like, how do 205 00:12:54,799 --> 00:12:58,000 you He was never going to say no to that that amount of money, 206 00:12:58,279 --> 00:13:01,559 wasn't The report was basically he tried to say no and they made it that 207 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,799 he couldn't. But credit the Pistons for realize, like, there's not you 208 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,720 know, there's all these salary constraints, and all we've spent the last several 209 00:13:07,759 --> 00:13:11,559 months talking about is how the CBA makes it harder to build a good team 210 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,919 and keep it together. It's like, you can spend whatever you want on 211 00:13:13,919 --> 00:13:16,919 a coach, so do it, because especially for a team like the Pistons, 212 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,919 as a ton of young guys that wants to be good, that has 213 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,320 operated kind of weirdly at times, as a team that's like, well, 214 00:13:24,399 --> 00:13:28,440 we're gonna keep Bullion Bogdanovitch and we're gonna extend him because he's valuable and he's 215 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,960 gonna make us be like this is the move. So so money, I 216 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,559 have no problem with paying Monty Williams as much as you possibly can. Brought 217 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,360 in Joe Harris, brought in Monte Morris with seconds attached to Harris, and 218 00:13:39,799 --> 00:13:43,720 all it cost was a future second to get Morris signed Beef stew Isaiah Stewart 219 00:13:43,759 --> 00:13:46,960 four years sixty million could go up to sixty four. I think there's a 220 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:52,320 team option on the last year of that, which is awesome. I just 221 00:13:52,919 --> 00:13:56,240 I'll throw it to you. But I struggled to find fault with almost anything 222 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:01,759 that the Pistons did. Way they r J Hampton was unforgivable. So this 223 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,200 is not a real to bury it for me. But when they gave up 224 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,120 like kind of a lot to just get Marcus Sasser at what was that number? 225 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,679 It was just the number thirty one in two seconds, I guess it's 226 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:18,279 not like a huge deal. So I need to That's just something to monitor. 227 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,759 But you love I love everything they did. And anyone who says that 228 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,919 them wasting their turning their cap space basically into Joe Harris and Monte Morris as 229 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,279 a failure, it's not because who were they supposed to get if they wanted 230 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,799 Kim Johnson? Guess what the next we're letting him leave. So it's not 231 00:14:31,919 --> 00:14:35,320 like they allowed the nest to keep Kim Johnson Kim Johnson will just never leave 232 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,320 in Brooklyn. That's how we're stricted. Free agency works. I like the 233 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:43,200 idea of rolling over their flexibility into next summer. I love ther Star Thompson 234 00:14:43,279 --> 00:14:45,919 pick. I think you could argue, well, he was the only pick 235 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,480 on the board. It was when you look at the makeup of this team, 236 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,200 they might have decided, oh, do we trade down? Do we 237 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:54,080 go with someone who might provide a little bit more spacing right off the bat. 238 00:14:54,279 --> 00:14:56,240 I'm a big believer in a star Thompson as a defender, and I 239 00:14:56,639 --> 00:15:00,159 think I don't know what he's gonna be as a shooter, but I have 240 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,600 more faith and I've said it countless times on his jumper than I'm and Thompson's 241 00:15:03,679 --> 00:15:05,200 jumper. I think that the speed is at least there. Can they make 242 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,080 some tweaks to the form and the release point. We'll have to wait and 243 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,360 see. But I loved everything about their off season and I think, look, 244 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,840 the Beast do extension is fine. He is not when you talk about 245 00:15:15,919 --> 00:15:18,200 how sort of top seat Turvey they are up front, He's not really a 246 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,320 part of that because he comes closest to allowing them to make dual big lineups 247 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,919 work where it's oh, he can step out and take the occasional three and 248 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,919 four and sixty is just it sounds like a lot, but with the cap 249 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,919 going up, it's just a ten percent of the cap at one point is 250 00:15:31,919 --> 00:15:35,600 what it's going to be. Whatever, And I think he's a hustle enough 251 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,279 player when you look at him on a defense specifically that I think it ends 252 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,799 up being good for you. I will say, I hope that you don't 253 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:48,679 go out and get Joe Harris, Monte Morris, keep Boyemodanovitch and Alec Burks. 254 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,840 If you don't intend on we're going to try and surround Kig Cunningham and 255 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:56,080 or Starr Thompson and or Jay Nivey with as much shooting as possible to where 256 00:15:56,200 --> 00:16:00,639 one Joe throw the duel stuff out the window, and like we're gonna see 257 00:16:00,639 --> 00:16:04,200 Boye mcdonovitch play the four, maybe Joe Harris play some four, and then 258 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:08,120 we're gonna see some staggered lineups where it's Hey, it's Jail and Duran and 259 00:16:08,159 --> 00:16:12,960 it's Kate Cunningham and all shooting, or it's maybe it's Kate Cunningham Isaiah Stewart 260 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,320 and then still all shooting around them and then mix it match with our startops 261 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,039 in there where it's if you want to have Thompson and Ivy and Kate Cunningham, 262 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:22,039 you want two of them on the court at the same time, well 263 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,960 then you're big man's gonna be. We're gonna experiment with Isaiah Stewart at the 264 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,600 five and then a whole bunch of shooters. So I hope that's what this 265 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,679 spells. I know a lot of people are still assuming that they're just gonna 266 00:16:32,679 --> 00:16:34,240 start. They were starting James Wiseman and Jail and during by the end of 267 00:16:34,279 --> 00:16:37,039 the year. I hope that's not what we see. That has nothing to 268 00:16:37,039 --> 00:16:40,480 do with their offseason, and it's you know, you could say, oh, 269 00:16:40,519 --> 00:16:44,080 they should have traded Boyan mcdonovich. You get the same amount for him 270 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,279 leading into February as you would have gotten for him in July. So I 271 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,919 think they're a I think they're they're a they're a off season. Their offseason 272 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,200 wasn't A. I just struggle to go A plus because I don't know enough 273 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,120 about Mark as Sasser, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think, 274 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,919 oh, like this is that's that's a move that you definitely needed to make 275 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,319 it that you're you're like giggling. I just I just want to write down 276 00:17:06,039 --> 00:17:11,680 remember to monitor Marcus Sasster because you made it a real No. I no, 277 00:17:11,799 --> 00:17:12,839 Look, it's like that's what you have to do when you're looking for 278 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,720 reasons to criticize this off season for them. I didn't. I don't think 279 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,400 I gave any a pluses I gave. I gave the Pistons of flat A 280 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,400 probably would be my A plus if I if I were to give one right 281 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,880 they had did they have the I mean, we don't want to spoil the 282 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:29,279 Western Conference here, but did they have like the best off season of anybody 283 00:17:29,319 --> 00:17:30,920 they might have? I think it's I mean, they're certainly in the conversation. 284 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,920 I haven't looked hard enough at the West yet to know, but I 285 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,000 think of the East, I mean, yeah, we probably shouldn't. I 286 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,240 mean, actually, the next team we're gonna talk about is kind of to 287 00:17:40,279 --> 00:17:44,839 me like you could you could have a conversation about whether they they're they had 288 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,079 just as good of an off season, So maybe we should. Uh, 289 00:17:48,279 --> 00:17:52,680 let's get to the Indiana Pacers. Are they a mine or so? Oh? 290 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,160 They're mine? So the Indiana Pacers traded number eight Bolot Coolabali to Washington 291 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,359 for number nine Jaris Walker and Sacramentos twenty thirty second rounder. They drafted Ben 292 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,519 Shephard at number twenty six. They were part of like the Dever Nuggets holes 293 00:18:04,519 --> 00:18:08,440 Shenanigans. They traded a number twenty nine at number thirty two for number forty 294 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,160 seven cash and at twenty twenty four first it's gonna be the least favorable of 295 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:18,480 oka see the Clippers, Houston or Utah. They traded Krista Marte to the 296 00:18:18,559 --> 00:18:22,599 Kigs for Dallas's twenty twenty eight second and Sacramento's twenty thirty second. That's how 297 00:18:22,599 --> 00:18:26,160 they helped complete the Block Coolabali deal. And then they signed Bruce Brown to 298 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:30,559 a two year, forty five million dollar contracts with a team option on the 299 00:18:30,559 --> 00:18:33,640 final season. And they traded two least favorable second round picks in twenty eight 300 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:37,279 and twenty nine to New York for Obie Topping. Other notes that are just 301 00:18:37,319 --> 00:18:41,039 worth considering because it might show where they viewed themselves. They have been linked 302 00:18:41,079 --> 00:18:47,839 to the Pascal Siakam trade sweepstakes. H Max Terris Haliburton. I don't know 303 00:18:47,839 --> 00:18:51,079 if you mentioned that one not wo recall that was another one that was my 304 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:56,200 only only big item feel really good about this offseason. It's not quite as 305 00:18:56,279 --> 00:18:57,880 like, you know, the hits don't just keep coming quite like they did 306 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,599 for Detroit before them. But like the big stuff, I think I like. 307 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:04,119 I think I probably like JAREDS. Walker a little more than you do 308 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:11,119 at least. Oh I mean, well, I know, I know you 309 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:12,799 don't like anyone more than Taylor Hendrix. So I feel like that's an unfair 310 00:19:12,799 --> 00:19:17,480 comparison. Uh, yeah, that's that's fair. I guess if no, 311 00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:19,480 I think I like the fit, I like jarss Walker. Again, don't 312 00:19:19,519 --> 00:19:22,839 draft for fit. Don't draft for fit. And here I am like saying, 313 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,440 oh, it makes sense next to Miles Turner. So yeah, as 314 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,920 always, I don't ever know what I'm talking about. The Bruce Brown deal, 315 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,160 I mean, one of the best deals signed this offseason, just you 316 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,680 know, it seems like a lot of money up front, just on an 317 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,640 annual basis, but it's like you get the team option on that, and 318 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,400 it's just like if you need to make a trade, it's just like you 319 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:47,279 just have this monster expiring contract there. But I'm a player like in the 320 00:19:47,319 --> 00:19:52,039 same vein and Buddy Hill, He's he's really useful universal appeal for like Bruce 321 00:19:52,039 --> 00:19:53,559 Brown, there's I Find Me the team where they're like, I don't know 322 00:19:53,599 --> 00:19:57,799 what we would do with Bruce Brown, like there it doesn't exist Atlanta definitely. 323 00:19:59,319 --> 00:20:00,920 I just I don't know. Start him at the three. Figure it 324 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:06,799 out. Yeah, I think I think Toppin now you can't talk about fit 325 00:20:06,839 --> 00:20:10,160 because he's not a rookie. I think Toppin makes a lot of sense with 326 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,079 just the style they want to play, like just run, just go, 327 00:20:12,079 --> 00:20:15,279 get up and down the floor. And Tyrese Halibert's gonna find you. I 328 00:20:15,319 --> 00:20:19,839 think you know this. This We've criticized a lot of teams for sort of 329 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,279 like what's the plant, Like what do you what's the plan here? Like 330 00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:25,680 how do you want to play? What are your goals? Like? Standings 331 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,680 wise, the Pacers really feel like a team that understands what they are and 332 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,039 like how they want to play, what they want to do. So for 333 00:20:33,079 --> 00:20:37,400 me, I gave him a name minus. I guess maybe maybe that's a 334 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,039 nod to Walker. Could have been somebody else, you know, could have 335 00:20:41,039 --> 00:20:45,000 been Hendricks, But I mean it's it's so early. I don't know, 336 00:20:45,599 --> 00:20:48,200 just getting Haliburton getting Browned to that deal. And if I'm not mistaking, 337 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:52,079 there was no player option on the Haliburton deal, right, I don't think 338 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,880 so even if there were, like I mean, yeah, it's just no. 339 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,279 I mean that's that's like a that's sign that contract no matter what. 340 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,480 But if ye Suppo tracks not showing a player option, So if you don't 341 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,279 get up, that's just that's a net plus where it's just like that you 342 00:21:06,279 --> 00:21:08,480 give Thyry's Halbert and that deal regardless. But if there's no player option, 343 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,279 that's that's an even bigger win. Yeah. No, that's all I got 344 00:21:12,319 --> 00:21:15,119 on them. I mean, they're up there with the Pistons, I think 345 00:21:15,319 --> 00:21:18,440 certainly in this division. I gave them an aid by this because I really 346 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,559 do believe they missed on Taylor Hendricks and that'll be something that Okay, if 347 00:21:22,599 --> 00:21:26,000 they didn't, they should have gotten an a or like you can quipple over 348 00:21:26,039 --> 00:21:32,640 that. I just I and Caitlyn Cooper has done at least two fantastic breakdowns 349 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,680 on jareds Walker, one leading into the draft and then one that was during 350 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,960 summer league and the defensive pressure that he gives you, and then even just 351 00:21:38,039 --> 00:21:41,480 malluability. I totally understand it. I don't know that Taylor Hendricks would have 352 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,519 given you much fewer options defensively, and it would have come with I think, 353 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,359 a cleaner offensive fit to where it's just like you now, you're continuously 354 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,519 having these other if you want to call them bigs or forwards next to Miles 355 00:21:53,519 --> 00:21:57,200 Turner, where unless they're undersized, they're just not like Obi Toppin is not 356 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,119 a plus shooter right now, and if you want to play Jay and Smith, 357 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,160 that's not a plus shooter. If you even figure that Isaiah Jackson needs 358 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,160 a factor into this, that's not someone who's gonna be in that department. 359 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,559 So I really thought that. I also think that Hendricks, long term, 360 00:22:11,599 --> 00:22:14,920 because of his rim projection, might be better equipped to play the five. 361 00:22:15,279 --> 00:22:17,799 And that's just we don't know enough about them. People have followed those guys 362 00:22:17,799 --> 00:22:19,599 for way longer than I have, so they can disagree there. That's just 363 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:22,480 why I went to an A minus. There's literally nothing else I might even 364 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,559 be glad to go with A because of the you don't have a player option 365 00:22:26,559 --> 00:22:29,839 on Tyre like you can just have Tyrese Halbert now for the next six years, 366 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,160 which gives you for being honest five years before you would need to make 367 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,079 any sort of real decision on okay, where are we? And I think 368 00:22:36,079 --> 00:22:37,920 what they also did was nice. Not only are they rolling over flexibility in 369 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,640 the next season, but like their timelines very open ended, where it's we 370 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,119 could be good and then maybe that's when we go and make the Pascal Siakham 371 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,519 trade if he's still available mid season, or make another trade, or like, 372 00:22:48,519 --> 00:22:52,359 okay, this is another year, but there's a real, real theory 373 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,279 to what we're doing. Fans are still gonna tune in and maybe we'll be 374 00:22:55,319 --> 00:22:59,119 fringe playing again and we're gonna have another high draft pick. They're just there's 375 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:00,960 a lot of different direction as they could travel. They did not limit themselves 376 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:03,319 in any way, shape or form with anything they did. They saw. 377 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,960 Yeah, I think they're interesting because, oh, it feels like they're a 378 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,400 young team, which is just I guess because of Haliburton's age, but like 379 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,799 Helburn's really good now. Haliburton is an all star player today and I you 380 00:23:14,839 --> 00:23:17,960 know, Bennick Matherin has limitations, but like the things he does well, 381 00:23:18,039 --> 00:23:19,640 he does well right now. And unless you think, oh, we're waiting 382 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:25,119 for him to become like a you know, an all fringe, all star 383 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:26,559 starter, like I don't. I don't think that's in the cards from mather 384 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:32,359 And I think Matherin is like a like stick of dynamite six man scorer and 385 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,000 he's that now. I mean you trail off, but like you get, 386 00:23:34,039 --> 00:23:37,440 you get the point and turns. He's improves passing for sure. I think 387 00:23:37,799 --> 00:23:41,880 you mentioned math Rooms makes me think of this. I applaud the Pacers or 388 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,720 they are, they were and they will continue to be very i'll say creative 389 00:23:45,759 --> 00:23:49,079 or innovative with their lineups. But there's still absence of true sized wig players 390 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:52,799 here where it's okay, you're good as he Bruce Brown and Buddy Hell that 391 00:23:52,839 --> 00:23:56,240 math like a lot of those guys play the three and ned hard defending fours. 392 00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:59,880 It's just like, aside from Aaron E. Smith, who's the other 393 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,640 just wig on this team, it's not even is Ben Shephard that guy probably 394 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:07,519 Walker? You probably just have Walker guard everybody, right? Is that is 395 00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:11,119 that the theory? Right? I guess, So that's a question. But 396 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,240 I don't know what, like you weren't going to get a better quote unquote 397 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:18,000 way that Bruce Brown on the free agent markets. It's just a question. 398 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:19,839 No, that's That's the point I'm making is like it seems like a young 399 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,440 team, so maybe like, well, what's Bruce Brown doing here? And 400 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:27,359 like does what do we what's the what do we bring veterans on? It's 401 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,759 like, no, No, the Pacers could just compete for a playoff spot 402 00:24:30,839 --> 00:24:33,880 now and then when Bruce Brown is gone, when whether they trade them or 403 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,519 they keep them for the two years. You know, Terrs Haliburton is like 404 00:24:36,559 --> 00:24:40,319 twenty five and a half years old by then and you're still just you're you're 405 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:45,240 ready to continue competing. So they certainly have a case for best offseason in 406 00:24:45,319 --> 00:24:49,160 the NBA for sure. Yeah. The last team we have is the Milwaukee 407 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,559 Bucks in this division. Uh, start with the big stuff. Fired Mike 408 00:24:53,599 --> 00:24:57,799 Budenholzer. Sort of controversial, I guess, but at the same time, 409 00:24:59,079 --> 00:25:03,079 you know, we're this is this one of those where we say, like 410 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:07,240 it's Kevin Durant's shoe size determined, you know, bought Mike Budenholzer like two 411 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:08,319 more years. Like do you need to trot that out? I mean, 412 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,960 I wasn't a fan of the firing, but I don't know enough about Adrian 413 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,119 and you're gonna get through. They hired Adrian Griffin, right, we know 414 00:25:15,279 --> 00:25:18,839 less about Adrian Griffin. So I mean that's the other that's the other issue. 415 00:25:19,079 --> 00:25:22,480 But it's one of those things that kind of felt like, you get 416 00:25:22,519 --> 00:25:26,039 it right. It felt like it was time. There'd been enough whispers and 417 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,240 you gotta you're gonna change something. You can't change the team, you gotta 418 00:25:29,319 --> 00:25:30,599 change the coach. I get it. It's unfortunate. It may not be 419 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:36,000 an upgrade. We'll see. Brought back Chris Middleton three years ninety three with 420 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:40,279 a player option. Recent Brook Lopez two years forty eight seemed like boez. 421 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:42,640 He was he care to walk, He was brasing the fridges of the entire 422 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:47,119 NBA. He was coming. Didn't he side for the biannual when he went 423 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:49,160 to Milwaukee? Well, it was just like, I mean, go back 424 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,640 farther than that. I mean, just you know, the Lakers were kind 425 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:56,960 of like, yeah, we don't you know, usually basically yeah, and 426 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,960 then he's you know, is in the defensive player that you're running every year 427 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,440 after that and shoots three? Is in? Is great? Those are huge 428 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,160 deals. Will talk about them more, I'm sure, but like those were 429 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,119 not givens either, I don't think, especially in the case of Lopez, 430 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:14,960 who seems like he almost would argue that he was a medver of right right, 431 00:26:15,039 --> 00:26:17,640 So this could have gone way worse. It didn't, So I don't 432 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,759 know how you factor that into a grade, but we'll do our best. 433 00:26:22,319 --> 00:26:26,079 Jay Crowder, Mallie Beasley, Robin Lopez, and aj Green are all aboard 434 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:30,839 via minimums. Joe Ingle's gone, Javon Carter gone, West, Matthew's gone. 435 00:26:30,079 --> 00:26:33,519 I think that's pretty much it. I didn't hit on any of the 436 00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:38,119 draft stuff because Chris Livingston at number fifty eight, who interestingly they assigned to 437 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:41,200 a four year deal. That's kind of fun. We're seeing more of those 438 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:47,000 for second rounders. Andre Jackson comes aboard for a twenty thirty second round pick. 439 00:26:47,519 --> 00:26:52,400 He was number thirty six, and shock of all shocks, the Nazis 440 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:56,920 Areta Cobo is back. He will he will return and not go sign with 441 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,640 a team that is trying to approachy on us in a couple of years. 442 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,799 I miss anything there, I don't think. So I still can't believe they 443 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:07,240 got both Jay Crowder and Malie Beasley on one year minimums that aren't even one 444 00:27:07,279 --> 00:27:11,480 plus once, so they're one the team's gonna be reimbursed for like the offset 445 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:12,640 the difference of the salary, because when you add the player option, you 446 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,400 have to pay out the full boat of it, which is why Matt Ishpia 447 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,559 received so much credit for what he did at Vedix. So that's like, 448 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:22,480 that's a win from the team perspective, and you know the player option only 449 00:27:22,519 --> 00:27:25,680 does the player or solid like it's not to be the team because if they're 450 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:27,440 good, they're gonna declinde it. Anyway, those are two players that could 451 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,400 really I would argue those are two players that could technically still be a part 452 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,960 of their closing five. I know people Pencil and Grayson Hallard. Maybe Pat 453 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,960 codditated to that spot. It probably could more likely to be I would say 454 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,720 mo League Beasley than a Jay Crowders is because Jay Crowder at the three is 455 00:27:41,759 --> 00:27:44,559 a little is a little or at the two rather it's a little weird. 456 00:27:44,839 --> 00:27:48,759 Yeah, but weight Beasley comes in that is pure three point volume. They're 457 00:27:48,759 --> 00:27:51,799 clearly I don't know enough about Cliff Chris Levings did, but they're clearly very 458 00:27:51,839 --> 00:27:53,599 high on him and I like what they did. Again, I wasn't a 459 00:27:53,599 --> 00:27:57,640 fan of the Buddenholzer firing. But I like that they're very clearly on this 460 00:27:59,559 --> 00:28:03,160 like two to three year timeline where Chris Middleton and Yannis come off the books 461 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:07,640 right now at the same time, or and Brook Lopez comes off the year 462 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:11,000 before, Drew Holliday comes off the year before he has that that player option, 463 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:15,839 Bobby Portis comes off the same year as Yannis and Chris Middleton Diddo for 464 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:19,559 Pat Cottton and so they're now it's not I don't want to say it's fluid, 465 00:28:19,759 --> 00:28:23,079 but like they're everyone in place is on like this same timeline, and 466 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,880 so you use the information that you have from season by season to figure out 467 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:30,519 what you need to do. And I think some people will try and focus 468 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:33,039 on the absence of what he's eligible that Yannis won't sign an extension. It 469 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,960 just makes sense for him to wait so he can attack on more years as 470 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,519 we move forward. I thought, given what limited tools they had aside from 471 00:28:41,559 --> 00:28:44,200 the coaching change, which I just don't think is a guaranteed to be a 472 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,359 home run, I think it helps that Jannis wanted him. This might be 473 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,599 in the running for not maybe not the best off season in the NBA, 474 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:55,440 but like, was it the most under the radar good off season in the 475 00:28:55,559 --> 00:29:00,000 NBA. It feels like the biggest exhale, like the biggest relieved exhale offseason. 476 00:29:00,119 --> 00:29:03,200 And for sure because again, like Lopez was was kind of gone and 477 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,079 then you're suddenly you just I mean it's a little bit hyperbolic, but like, 478 00:29:07,319 --> 00:29:11,400 if you believe the Bucks are a top tier title threat, I think 479 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,920 without Brook Lopez they're just not so like that, just oh, thank god, 480 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,920 Like, so we got at least another year, probably two. I 481 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,000 mean, Lopez's age is a real factor, but like you got another year 482 00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:26,599 or two where where we're right back up there. I would expect the Bucks 483 00:29:26,599 --> 00:29:30,160 to win more games than anyone in the East in the regular season, just 484 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,119 like they did last year. And so I gave m a B plus. 485 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:36,880 I don't think I said that. And the only reason it's not an A 486 00:29:37,519 --> 00:29:40,519 is because I really don't know about the coaching thing, and like we I 487 00:29:40,559 --> 00:29:42,839 don't think I factored that in as heavily for a lot of other coaching changes. 488 00:29:44,279 --> 00:29:48,119 But what we do know is that Budenholzer has coached a team to a 489 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:55,680 title and has presided over really exceptional regular seasons and has figured out how to 490 00:29:55,799 --> 00:29:59,720 make this team work during the year so it can secure that high seed, 491 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,480 and then the playoff record is not just that's why he's not back, like 492 00:30:03,559 --> 00:30:07,440 that's that's it. There's no guarantee Adrian Griffin is going to be any better 493 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,559 at that sort of stuff. So that's the only reason the stakes are so 494 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,319 high, because this is title or nothing for this team, and you've got 495 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,920 a guy that that may or may not be an upgrade and that uncertainty, 496 00:30:21,079 --> 00:30:22,400 like I'm and then it's a little unfair because it's like, well, who 497 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,240 should they have brought in that would have definitely been an upgrade. I don't 498 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,920 know who that is, but I'm not sure that Popovitch would have done it. 499 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,599 Well, I don't know he slipped. Everyone likes to say, but 500 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,039 yeah, so it's a B plus. You could definitely talk me higher. 501 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:40,039 But but that's gonna try to I give an A. And that's well, 502 00:30:40,119 --> 00:30:44,000 not having enough confident did the coaching change, because as I met it at 503 00:30:44,039 --> 00:30:47,799 the top, going with the guy that yadis and Teta kopa Wads is valuable 504 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,400 and you at least know what you have at Buddenholzer And that was the only 505 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,880 way for you to meaningfully improve your team was to make the coaching change. 506 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,519 So the fact that you had I don't want to say the courage, but 507 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:02,200 the gall to do it. And then also I don't think Middleton's deal he's 508 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,279 making less. So it was a given that Lopez deal was not a given 509 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,920 for them to pay and they had to come over the top, right, 510 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:10,799 Presumably they had to just say, well, we were ready to spend X, 511 00:31:10,839 --> 00:31:15,119 but now it's gonna have to be why. Let's Yeah, a lot 512 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:18,079 of people wouldn't do that right, and I won't applaud ownership for it, 513 00:31:18,119 --> 00:31:19,200 but like you kept this cord together, you didn't. The other thing that 514 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,599 I think that's really important is aside from the coaching change, which again some 515 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,839 people would have made it after not not just this past off season, but 516 00:31:26,839 --> 00:31:30,480 the one before that. So it was a move that other people would have 517 00:31:30,519 --> 00:31:33,319 made. And I just we don't know enough about Adrian Griffin as a head 518 00:31:33,319 --> 00:31:33,920 coach. That's the other thing. I'm not going to pretend to be a 519 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,160 whiz if it was someone who I firmly believe should have kept their job. 520 00:31:37,559 --> 00:31:41,200 And Mike Budenholzer, the timing was awful by the way the way like it 521 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,279 trickled out that his brother had passed away. I hope the families doing okay. 522 00:31:45,319 --> 00:31:48,920 That the optics on that were just absolutely terrible. Yeah, but so 523 00:31:48,119 --> 00:31:52,279 you pay those contracts. But you also you didn't overreact to what happened against 524 00:31:52,279 --> 00:31:56,680 the Heat, Jannis dealt with a back injury. Middleton was not himself defensively 525 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,640 for pretty much all of last year. He eventually turned a corner offensively, 526 00:32:00,119 --> 00:32:04,319 and just like the Heat caught lightning at a bottle with some of their shooting, 527 00:32:04,599 --> 00:32:07,680 so like it just felt like a singularity what happened. If Yannis doesn't 528 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:09,480 miss time in that series, and if he's fully healthy, I'm picking the 529 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:13,759 Bucks again without any regrets. So the fact that you kept this cord together 530 00:32:13,799 --> 00:32:16,000 where it feel like zach Lois said this, and it feels on the money 531 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:21,920 of the really good, really great teams. Whenever something goes wrong in Milwaukee, 532 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,119 like something basic like an early playoff exit or an injury, it feels 533 00:32:25,119 --> 00:32:29,160 like the sky is falling, or it doesn't always feel like that for everyone 534 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,079 else. And so the Bucks could have gone. I don't think they realistically 535 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:35,200 didn't have these other options, but they certainly could have looked at and said, 536 00:32:35,359 --> 00:32:37,920 well, we need to make like an impulsive trade or we're certainly not 537 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,079 going to play pay Brook Lopez. And the fact that they didn't, and 538 00:32:40,119 --> 00:32:45,680 the fact that they again Jay Crowder League Beasley two of the what five to 539 00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:47,599 seven best minimum flyers I would think in the league, maybe two of the 540 00:32:47,599 --> 00:32:51,319 best ten because Phoenix has a ship ton of him. I thought they had 541 00:32:51,359 --> 00:32:57,079 a great offseason relative to the strictures which within which they were working. Yeah, 542 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,759 I think I would agree, And I think, like I'm gonna talk 543 00:32:59,799 --> 00:33:01,559 this up like I had the higher grade for them, but you actually did, 544 00:33:02,039 --> 00:33:07,799 like you talk about options, and they didn't have alternatives, Like they 545 00:33:07,839 --> 00:33:10,559 had to get Middleton right, and they had to get Lopez right, and 546 00:33:10,559 --> 00:33:15,599 they had to nail multiple minimum signings, and they just like because like if 547 00:33:15,599 --> 00:33:20,160 Middleton leaves, he just leaves, and if Lopez leaves, he just leaves, 548 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,799 and you're just significantly worse in the most meaningful way because you go from 549 00:33:23,799 --> 00:33:28,920 contender to not. So I think because they were kind of like walking the 550 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,279 tight rope with no net and managed to make it across. I think that 551 00:33:31,359 --> 00:33:37,599 probably you know that the degree of difficulty or sort of the stakes of failure 552 00:33:37,319 --> 00:33:39,559 were you know, very different for the Bucks and they weren't for a lot 553 00:33:39,559 --> 00:33:43,880 of other teams. It will be interesting to see whether they are open to 554 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,200 putting their twenty twenty or twenty thirty first on the table for this group in 555 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,920 the middle, like if a bog Dot Boydanovitch becomes available, so like something 556 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,240 like that makes a lot of sense for them, or even a bow yacht 557 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,480 if they get to the to the salary number, because that's still what's sort 558 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:58,680 of unsettled here is like, Okay, you have this timeline, how much 559 00:33:58,839 --> 00:34:01,279 you willing to get take you would vesting at it? Right? I think? 560 00:34:01,279 --> 00:34:05,960 I mean it's still just Yannest. Yannest just is the timeline. So 561 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,840 I wonder if you could if you think he's gonna resign for the max and 562 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:13,360 just be around for five more years after this deal is done, like you 563 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,199 just keep you just keep punting on those draft picks, right, Like that's 564 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:19,360 the only the only way to do it. That's gonna do it, though, 565 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:21,760 I think for this division, do you have anything else to add or 566 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:23,119 should I take us out? Nope? Take us out? All right? 567 00:34:23,159 --> 00:34:29,159 Everybody? Thank you for listening. Remember to subscribe rate review wherever you consume 568 00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:31,840 your podcast. If you're watching us on YouTube, please subscribe there. Please 569 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:36,599 leave comments, join our discord, Follow us on our socials at Hardwood Knocks 570 00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:40,119 on Twitter and TikTok Hardwood Underscore Knox on Instagram. Tell your friends, tell 571 00:34:40,159 --> 00:34:45,000 your enemies. Buy our merch We have links there in the YouTube description and 572 00:34:45,039 --> 00:34:49,880 the podcast description. Give us five stars wherever you can do that, and 573 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,320 just say good things, think good thoughts. How about that we never say 574 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:53,880 that, Just think good thoughts about us and the success of the podcast. 575 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:58,039 That would be cool of you. And as usual, we close with a 576 00:34:58,079 --> 00:35:00,800 shout out to the one and only Frank Milli, Keena reemployed and uh An. 577 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:15,079 Apologies to chair now m