What is krack alakin our we Knox listeners. I am dan Fa Valley coming
at you without my fantabulous co host Adam Bramwell. Today going to dive into
a solo mailbag since you could not join me for this week. Thank you
everyone who sent in questions. As always, you can get at me and
the dms with questions at dan Fa Valley fav alle. You can also respond
to the solicitation tweech we're putting out there. If I don't get to your
question today, this might be a two part mailbag. You guys were amazing
with the queues and whether you're traveling perhaps at this time since we're releasing this
on Thursday, December twenty three in the evening, hopefully it could just give
you something to listen to. We will also try and continue to come up
with just better, more evergreen concepts as the league goes through it. It's
COVID surge. We don't technically cover a bunch of the day to day stuff
anyway. We've always tried to steer away from that because you can get that
from a ton of other podcasts, including specific ones. But rest assured we
will try some different shit as the NBA goes through the motions during the global
pandemic really quickly before we get started one. Thank you everyone who was in
my DMS was in our mentions about the two trade target podcast we did.
The timing on the Western Conference one was terrible. We didn't like publishing that
necessarily at the peak of the NBA's COVID surge, but we kept getting delayed
after we put out the Eastern Conference one, and we at least did acknowledge
it even if it wasn't ideally timed. I love having discussions with people in
the mentions about this who disagree. Trades are divisive. I get it,
some of them are controversial. Lots of fun talking we had. I went
back and forth with a bunch of people in my DMS and the mentions.
I can't remember his name. I think his name is Corey was unhappy about
our Pelicans takes. We had some hornets people in my DMS. Just good
conversations. I will say, I get so tired of the people who slip
in and are just like you. Clearly don't watch Team X or player X.
There's a chance that we misspoke about Jared Vanderbilt. Listening back, I
don't think that Adam was stress and Jared Vanderbilt at all, but there was
someone who accused us of not watching the Warriors at one point. It just
gets ridiculous. That is the lowest common denominator of insults. So please,
I'm happy to have a discussion even if we disagree, and I love having
those discussions, but don't be a dumbass about it. That's all I ask.
How's keeping notes? Remember to follow Hardwood Knox on Twitter at Hardwoodknox.
We're on Instagram at Hardwood Underscore Knox. Find us on YouTube YouTube dot Com
search hardware Knox will come up. This might be the first episode that we
have video live. It was supposed to be, but then Adam is not
with me. So if you see our template up there and then it's just
me maybe next to a still shot of Frank Nilikina. I think that's what
I'll do if I do put this up on YouTube with video. That is
why. Also, please, please, most importantly, remember to rate,
review and subscribe to Hardwinknox. Wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify now has
a rating system. Go in there, rate us very highly. We ask
whether you use iTunes or not to go in there, throw us five star
rating and also write a review that helps a ton. If this is your
first time checking out this podcast, consider throwing us the permanent subscription. We
are only modestly insufferable when it comes to our national NBA takes in my humble
opinion, so that's a pretty good bar. It's clear. Like I said,
YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast, stitch or
a Google play. However you're listening, we ask, if this is your
first time, consider giving us that permanent subscription. And finally, you can
also help us out by telling people about us, friends, family members,
people you know like hoops, random people on social media, or that you
work with, maybe in a slack room or if you're in an office at
this point, you can also retweet our promos. That helps a bunch.
Finally, before we get into the mailbag, I will say if, for
some reason, because I was incredibly inundated while doing research for this, you
DMed me and I did not get to your question, do not hesitate to
DM me again with the question. I'm gonna try and get through as many
queries as we have today, but yeah, let's just see how far we
get and I feel like now is the time to dive in. Oh if
you on a quick update what the NBA is doing with the uptick in COVID
nineteen cases, Aside from throwing just extra bodies on teams, it does seem
that the players association in the league are nearing an agreement to where people who
test positive can return within six days rather than ten. I don't know when
that's going to be implemented, and we're so close to Christmas, and anyone
who sent me questions about the Christmas Day games, I didn't answer them because
I don't want to date this too heavily. There will be some level of
poetic ridiculousness if the NBA doesn't ramp up testing until after Christmas, but it's
going to allow people out of quarantine or health and safety protocols earlier before Christmas,
in the name probably of those Christmas Day games. Again, we went
a little bit more in depth on the COVID situation in the NBA, how
people can't speak in definitives, how shutting down the league isn't necessarily a solution,
how soldiering on like this isn't necessarious necessarily a solution. But I just
I hope it doesn't. I hope the timeline doesn't align like this, whereas
we're gonna have players exit health and safety protocols immediately earlier than expected, but
we're actually not going to ramp up our testing until the day after Christmas,
I believe is when it's scheduled four. That's the only thing we'll mention on
that. Let's dive right into this mailbag. We'll start with Miroslav Shook,
longtime listener, friend of the podcast. He has who will be the best
player in both conferences? Who will not make this season's All NBA squads.
Please, pretty please do not take health and safety protocols into account. I
will not dang players for missing time and health and safety protocols. That is
absolutely not going to happen. I'm also going to exclude people who are impacted
by injuries from this list, where you can easily go with the Bam out
of Bio because he's probably gonna miss six eight weeks, but whatever. It
is, the same thing with Anthony Davis probably gonna miss between four and eight
weeks as well, just because their cases are actually going to be impacted by
availability that extends beyond the health and safety protocols, and so that sort of
feels like low hanging fruit. So the names I came up with the East
is really tough because after sort of Yannis and Kevin Durant and then I guess
Trey Young and Zach Lavine, there's just like a haze of all these really
great players, but like not as many locks as I feel like in the
West, which is weird to say, Maybe you disagree with me. I
think someone from the Jimmy Butler, Jason Tatum, Bred Van Fleet trio is
who I'm picking with. I know that's like a very wide scope of names.
I think most people would say Fred Van Fleet is most likely to not
make an All NBA team. I just think he's gonna have a deserving case.
And so if we look back on this and Butler ends up playing in
enough games because he was more impacted by an injury than health and safety protocols,
I do think people have been lower on Jason Tatum than they should be
this season. He's actually done a better job in recent weeks of just like
having these physical finishes at the rim, which is, you know a lot
of the times it feels like his game bails out before he gets to the
basket, so that's been good for him, but someone from those teams,
and I feel like just Jimmy Butler could be sort of outshined by not outshined
by Tyler Hero or Kyle Lowry because of the time he's missed. I think
he's gonna end up playing enough minutes. But if people really look at availability
as you do, when you probably get to the case of a Joel Embiid
who doesn't face as much competition necessarily, although the NBA does flots and fiddle
with the man positions at this point anyway, still he to me would be
more of a lock than Jimmy Butler on the availability spectrum. So Butler,
again, I'm not throwing him in the auto bio tier just because he has
not missed as much time. It feels like he could be overlooked for that
reason though, and wouldn't necessarily deserve it because he has by and large been
spectacular in the West. I wanted to go with Devin Booker or Donovan Mitchell,
but I've decided that Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell are both gonna make an
All NBA team this year, and I went with John Moran, he did
miss time with that. Was it a nice brain that he had that could
impact him? I also think that people are gonna look at the Grizzly success
without him this season as sort of this barometer for his value, and I
think they'll probably just see him as one of those two early guys on a
Memphis team that's fourth in the West right now, But how really good are
they? You could probably also go with a shake gild just Alexander in this
he did have this just like slump in his efficiency, but he's tasked with
creating so many of his own looks. You can throw him into that equation
if you'd like to, though, those are the two names that immediately so
because the guard pool in the league is still altra DP, maybe Dontrich is
available or eligible with Foward again, but if he's not, or if people
vote him in as a guard, you have done. You have Stephen Curry,
like I said, you have Donovan Mitchell, you have Chris Paul,
You've Devin Booker. That's a really just tough tier to crack. And I'm
also sure that I'm I'm leaving out somebody, So I'm going to be interested
to see how the guard situation plays out in the West, and maybe the
sort of weird positional designations will end up helping get the right players in there.
But John Morant and if you want to throw sche Gildes Alexander's part of
that, I think those will probably be the best players in the West to
end up not making an All MBA team. Damian Lillard could probably be in
there theoretically because he has such a slow start that misses some time. Now
he's sort of on the come up. I just wouldn't put him in there
because that's slow start. If that's why he doesn't get in, I don't
necessarily think that's invalid, and I do think honestly that there's probably a better
chance people end up voting him and just based off how the close to the
season than a John Morand or sche gild justs Alexander there is. It feels
like there's this tendency, even it's even if it's a like not intentional,
to just gravitate towards the players who are more established within this discussion in years
prior, so if they're having years that rival others, they might be more
likely to curry favor over them than less established players who haven't you know,
John Morant or Shikila as Alexander who haven't made an All NBA team. I
think the ease the player I didn't mention was LaMelo Ball. I just I
wouldn't have him on the same level as a Butler or Tatum at this point
if they didn't get him. But that's just another one who He's been really
good on offense for the Hornets this year. He remains a transcendent playmaker.
So those just a few names to keep on. You can let me know
what you think if you disagree. This one was interesting from Jake g asked
which players deserve more recognition for the improvements they've made from last season to this
season. For example, as a repenting Cody Martin hater, he's improved by
leaps and bounds this year, but would never be considered for most improved player.
Those guys deserve some love as well. So I tackled this in the
sense that, like I want to use Desmond Bain as just the a lineation
line where he is a sophomore, I'm not sure enough people are talking about
him. I know Bristly fans are clamoring that doesn't get enough attention I've put
him. He is like the line, he's in the most improved player conversation
for me, and so it's fair to leave him out of this discussion.
I also I hate to frame it as most improved, because I do think
with a lot of players, it's a matter of opportunity. So I was
basically going through every team and just looking at players that have stood out this
year, maybe one from each squad that have not received enough love this season.
Maybe we're underappreciated, or they are the most improved player on the team
that feels like it could be its own podcast. So maybe we'll delve deeper
into that. But if I were to blow through some of those names right
now, and maybe I won't stop at every team or read through the list
that I have from every team, I do think that if we maybe let's
try and go through all of them right here, I'm gonna say Galan right
for Atlanta, that was a tough one, not an improvement, just someone
was underappreciated. I think Romeo Langford's given Boston some really good minutes this season.
When you look over in Brooklyn DeAndre Benbury, I don't know if he's
improved but he's played some highly important minutes for the Nets this season in Charlotte.
Like Cody, Martin's probably the clear answer, but I would listen to
Jalen McDaniels responses there as well. On the Bowls, Javante Green without question.
On the Calves. There's probably a number of candidates, but I ultimately
do think when you look at their top three players in Garland, Allen,
and Mowbley, those guys all get enough attention. I even think that there's
been enough homage pay to Oh Kevin Love is playing a little better this season
and seems happy. And Ricky Rubio might be one of the best backup point
guards in the NBA. I'm inclined to go with Isaaca Coro because I don't
think people realize how much he's improved or was playing well on offense right now.
I'm actually gonna settle on Jetty Osman, who plays with the brazen euphoria
of someone who is peaking on just the right of Madam Molly. That's how
I could best describe the Jetty Osman offensive experience in Dallas. Come on,
we know it's our guy. Frank nil Keena, Jalen Brunson's two mainstream for
this case, he is so far been their best free agent. Addition,
I know the bar isn't super low there Denver. Is it Bones Highland that
was someone? I think it could also be Aaron Gordon. It's really probably
just Jeff Green their backup. Bign situations not on him. He's also not
a backup at this point, but he's been so important just the way he's
defending, and then also he's been shooting threes fairly well. I don't want
to sound like an asshole for this. I don't really have one. For
the Pistons, it's probably Sabing Lee or I still just believe in Killian Hayes
long term. I just watch someone who, even when he's making the wrong
decisions, even when he's not hitting shots, it just feels like there's a
cadence there that is going to turn into something maybe if his feel and proven
there even times which just looks like his feel is through the roof the Warriors.
Everyone there probably just gets enough attention to think of Gary Payton, the
second want Toscano Anderson even I'm actually gonna go with. I mean, Jta
is just you know, a siren song of mine. But I'm not sure
that we appreciate like the season out of Porter Jr. Has Had for the
Doubs, especially defensively. They've they've effectively been using him as a big and
he pitched in in their second game against the Suns. I believe, I
hope I'm not misremembering where he had some good plays when it came to limiting
DeAndre Ayton. There in Houston. You can throw Eric Gordon here and I'll
listen, because I've seen trades for Eric Gordon where they just think people think
that Houston just wants to get off his salary. I think it takes a
first round pick to get Eric Gordon at this point. That's how good he's
actually been. Aside from him, Garrison Matthews without question not shooting as well
over the past few games, I believe, But he never should have been
on a two way contract. Probably needs a new agent at this point,
looking at the contract he did sign the Pacers. This is easy. It's
O shape Er set. I love him. If you're going to watch a
Pacers game, just zero in on O Shaper set and watch what he does
off the ball defensively, how much he works even when he's on the ball,
and then just watch him on offense. He can be there's some stuff
he can do on the ball, and he's hit some threes this year,
but like he's a player that makes you want to watch what's happening away from
the action. I think is the best way that I can describe him.
For the Los Angeles Clippers, I still think people don't realize how important Nick
patumas to them. But Luca Nard is quietly having an exceptional shooting season.
We have a question about him in a short minute. I'm blowing through these.
I hope I'm not going too fast for anyone, god less anyone who's
listening to me on one point five, where like I do two times speed
the Lakers, the trolling answer would just be out, I don't know that
there's anyone really here, and I think it's probably accurate. I believe that
every Star season, when you look at Russ and Lebron and Davis, the
big degree to which they've just been invalidated or criticized, it is probably over
the top because they've quietly played like Russ has played better of late. Lebron's
decline is yeah, he's not getting another rim as much, he's not the
same player. He's also about to turn thirty seven. I mean, come
on, and then Anthony Davis has been there some concerns there. They've just
been some weird moments on defense where he gets pushed around his offensive shot profile.
To me, you would still not be ideal. Is getting too the
rim enough but still too reliant on that mid range not hitting it at a
high enough clip To me to necessarily justify that. If I was really looking
for an underrated or the most improved player on this team, I don't.
I don't know, like you probably have to go with Austin Reeves because he's
had some big moments. There was Carmel Anthi's hot shooting to start the year.
You could even argue a week month. But I'm seriously not trying to
crap all over the Lakers here. It's just they're so they have so many
veterans, so many known commodities that are I think playing up to snuff,
if not worse talent. Horton Tucker would be the one that's played worst just
looking at him, and on offense, Memphis, it cannot be Desmond Baane.
Please, I just want to reiterate that, and so in the absence
of Desmond Baane, I think we really need to go with probably Taias Jones
has played a fairly big role for not improved for sure, but definitely looking
at underrated. You want to rock solid, steady backup point guard, he's
gonna bust his ass on defense, that would be Tias Jones. He was
very important to Memphis surviving that stretch without jaw As was also danthy Melton if
you want to throw him in there. If you do want to go higher
profile, though, I will definitely listen to the Desmond Baane case. The
heat Oh my god, they have too many candidates, which is not something
that I would have predicted. I think I'm going to settle in with Caleb
Martin. The Martin Twins are having a moment on Zebra teams this season.
I think a lot with him. He's not really doing stuff that he didn't
do in Charlotte previously, where like he can do all different kinds of things
on defense, and he has skills that translate all over the offensive. Ends
that his role was sort of augmented or you know, expanded during the heats
rash of not having guys available. If it's not him, I think it's
between Max Druce or Gabe Vincent. I might mean Struce, but I'm actually
not sure they're in Milwaukee. Grayson Allen not sure enough. People are necessarily
talking about him and the job that he has done this season. He's been
a lights out shooter for them. I'm going to be interested once they have
done Devincenzo available to see if his minutes are impacted at all. I would
probably think that we're just seeing less of a Jordan Ullan than Rodney Hood is
just a complete affterthought at that point, maybe Wesley Matthews is even the one
h you know, he's on the ten day contract as of right now.
Even George hilcause he's been a drop. So I don't think Grayson Allen's role,
is what I'm getting at, is going to be diminished by the return
of Dante de Vincenzo in Minnesota. I think there are people that would pick
the ends Litt Russell because he's been a very good connective tissue on offense for
the timber Wolves this year, and I'll totally us into that it's got to
be Jared Vanderbilt, though, there and lay. That'll please anyone who said
that we didn't watch Jared Vanderbilt from the last podcast. His defense is just
absurd. We have a question about the switchiest biggs in the league, and
he is there. His energy is through the roof. He can crash the
glass super hard. I do worry about how he would hold up against just
larger, stronger biggs when you're looking at raw defense or needing to necessarily box
them out on the defensive glass, where the Wolves have struggled at times this
season. But he's just been an absolute joy to watch in New Orleans.
I think it's probably Josh Hart this year. I know it's Herbert Jones that
was. I don't know why I didn't. I just don't even have I'm
looking at if anyone's watching me on camera, I'm looking at my second screen,
and I didn't even have Herbert Jones on there. It's him. He
is just like a defensive monster, and if he hits his threes and a
league average clip moving forward, this becomes just like not just a scalpel player,
but an incredibly valuable one who can play all sorts of different positions on
both offense and defense. For the Knicks, I struggled with this one.
It's actually currently left blank with question marks because I was going to need to
decide in real time. It's got to be. Out Burks just had some
really big moments for them. I think it speaks to they promoted him to
the starting lineup in the first place when they were looking to make a change.
I do think some people might want to go with a Quentin Grimes or
Miles McBride just because they've shown flashes, but neither of them have played enough
this season. So I think by Farts, out burks what he can do
on aside from stretch to floor and offense, like, there are things that
he can do on the ball where it does feel like he operates as a
Kaitlin Cooper called this a separatist when she was talking about Carosel Vernon. I
think that's a perfect way to describe out Burks at points. But he can
really get you a bucket, including in tight situations. He's been huge for
them, not as much this year and fourth quarters, but it was it
was a big deal for them last year and fourth quarters, and looking at
his overall performance that clearly just wasn't a fluke. Okay, see this one
is Kendrick Williams. I was wondering if he was too high profile. He's
not. He's just he can give you some buckets within the flow of the
offense. He is going to space the floor and he can defend positions.
At this point, is he like a big he a wing? He just
blurs that line in the most amazing way possible. For the magic I will
says it has to be Franz Waugner. So I don't think we're talking about
him enough relative to the rest of the rookies. When you look at Evan
Mobley, Scotty Barnes, even Chris Dawarte or Al Prensching good at this point,
he feels like he gets more attention. You could go with Wendel Carter
Junior here too, not shooting as well from three point range as he was
at the beginning of the year, but he just looks more confident. Still
is the same sort of portability on defense, but he's making better decisions and
more more decisive decisions in real time whether he's passing or attacking. Obama's had
some moments this year, but I ultimately think it's Wagner because his game is
just more expansive than at least I realize coming into the league, he hasn't
been as big of a liability on defense, even when he's been on sort
of wings, and there's just it's not just this outside in game for him.
He has a real fu to when he's putting the ball on the floor
and actually getting inside. So he's been a joy to watch. Something to
also monitor. Gary Harris be playing better on offense lately, So I don't
know if he's a trade candidate on his contract if he for some reason hits
the buyout market. There's a team that could potentially sort of hit the lottery
there, the Philadelphia seventy sixers. It's probably George Niang has missed, hasn't
had like the most pristine availability, but he hasn't tapered off the way that
Firkon cork Moss has this season. And so he's been really big as sort
of this fringe big for Philadelphia in second unit minutes, and that's just been
a key to how Philly was treading water when they were dealing with all those
injuries and absences and now they've sort of like fallen off the cliff a bit.
But I think it's nyang for me. Seth Curry has just had He's
in the most improved player conversation at this point, Phoenix, it is Jal,
is it Devale McGee, it's not. I mean, look, he's
been great for them. I really Cam Johnson. I don't know if we
fully appreciate him enough. Maker miss His release is porn. That's probably the
best way that I could encapsulate it. There are so many things that he
can even do on offense. And I think it's someone made this point.
I don't know if it was the folks over the Timeline podcast or just someone
I was reading. While mchaal Bridges might have more of an opportunity to attack
close outs if you need someone to do more directional stuff on offense and the
half court with the ball in his hands as my slack goes off there making
an appearance, Pleach reports slack, Cam Johnson's probably a little bit better suited
to do that. I still trust mchaal Bridges as more of that passer out
of those those situations, and I'm just gonna like mcaal Bridges overall. I
also think that he has graduated Michael Bridges. That is from this discussion,
so is that is a testament to him. It's also a testament probably to
DeAndre Atan at this point because he could have qualified for a conversation like this
in the past. Moving on to Portland this season, Afrey Simes has had
a good year. I don't know we're talking enough about Norman Powell, but
the answer is in the year a little. We talked about him at length
with Terra bone Bigs on the Portland Trail Blazers pod. He's just in slack,
going off again. Need to get rid of it somehow. He He's
been great, Just a high energy player. Can do things on defense,
will hit the glass hard, We'll run the floor, can be really physical
when he's when he's around the basket. I like watching nsire Little probably one
of my favorite players just watch from an entertainment value this year. Larry Nance
Junior still deserves an honorable mention in in these discussions though that's for that's for
absolute damn damn sure that would bring us to the Sacramento Kings. This is
a tough one. I still feel like we're too low on Darren Fox's long
term nationally, but it can't be him. Is It's still Rashaun Holmes just
he's a little push shot. I think he's better on defense if you need
sort of a I don't want to say basic, but a a good rim
protector who is not going to be completely looking like band beyond Ice. If
he's pulled outside of the paint, it's just still him. You look at
what he could do is running the floor, what he can even do on
on the glass. Even though he's not necessarily the burliest big it's for Shaun
Holmes. How do we not appreciate him enough? I think he just deserves
more attention. And I want the Kings to be good because I love Rashaun
Holmes. That is, that's the sole reason I want the Kings to be
good. In San Antonio's it's still Devin Vassell, is it not. I
don't he's He's hit pull up jumpers this year. You look at his hustle
on defense. He can move really well away from the ball too. On
offense, I'm curious to see sort of where his ceiling or where his peak
ends up as an offensive player. More so, I don't think he's gonna
be running these pick and rolls as sort of, you know, a glorified
Derek White off of Deshannte Murray in those cases. But I don't necessarily think
this is someone who just needs to be solely offen. Maybe there's even some
Desmond Baine like potential there. When it comes to operating with the ball in
your hands, you will need to improve his playmaking note to make that type
of a jump Toronto. Oh it's Gary Trent Junior. For me, I
had circled Scottie Barnes, Utah Wanda Nabe. That's a really deep cut.
That's just someone he He's one of the most positionless players in the NBA and
he is going to be sound and nearly everything he does. So I'm curious
to see if there might be a team that wants to trade for him.
This is the final year of his deal and he's super cheap. Maybe Toronto
doesn't want to give him up. But it's been Gary Trench Junior. He's
quietly I feel like outside of Toronto, when you're looking at the Raptors,
are we talking about Gary Trent Junior's defense? Enough and a lot's made of
Yeah, he can space the floor. There are things that he can do
with the ball in his hands too, that put pressure on defense is not
super high volume at the rim, but even if he's pulling up, there's
just more of a threat level there than there was then there needed to be.
In Portland, let's flame it that way. In Utah it is still
Royce O'Neill. If you want to go with the Hassan Whiteside resurgence, or
just Rudy Gay giving them some solid minutes. Even Boyambardanovitch because you know,
I guess because of the contract, is us this detriment, but he's one
of the leaders in points per touch at this point. But looking at the
defensive workload, Royce O'Neill shoulders is that's it's critical to what the Jazz do.
And then he's just really this eminently universal, universal fit on the offensive
end, and he can you know, if he wants to drive and kick
or you just need him to hit threes like he's going to do it.
They've even used him as a spot ball handlern instances. That doesn't always work
out as well, but it's something that he can do. In Washington,
that is another team I left blank. I've enjoyed Denny Afia, but I
was flirting with putting a Kuzmar Contabious called a pope here because we talk about
the wizard struggles this season, and I think a lot of people sort of
focus on, you know, did they make the Maybe they're not focusing on
it, but it's the guard play that worries me in Washington specifically, did
what he's been bad? Bio's not been up to his level of you know,
all NBA type play, and I think that KCP and Kuzuma just both
been rather solid. But it's Denny Ava for me. He's a long way
to go on offense. But I never and this is the caveat being someone
who doesn't dive too deep into college basketball until we get to around the draft.
I was surprised that he's able to hold his own defensively like this and
it's so active there, and I'm curious if he's just can be even heavier
of a secondary playmaker as we fast forward into the future. But I wouldn't
quib if someone wants to just you know, shout out at KCP or Kyle
Kuzma, because it's like, no, they're not part of the issue.
They've they've been KCYP shooting the ball well, Kuzma has been okay defensively.
If you want to go with Montres Harold, I just think he was an
absolute, you know, terror on the offensive end to begin the season.
That's pretty much more well known. That was a long ask question. Hopefully
you stuck with me while blowing through that. All of these next ones are
going to be a lot quicker, I promise, but it's gonna be covered
every single team there. We have two questions on the Calves here. The
NBA Chickens are the Calves for real? We're almost halfway through the season and
my doubts of them as a team are vanishing. Slash is Evan Mobile the
rookie of the Year, Zach and vouch As Do the Calves make the playoffs?
Which metrics signed support them making it? Which don't? So let's just
tackle their playoff stock. Are they for real? Which metrics like them?
Will loop that together. This is the one that I keep coming back to
because you look at they faced I believe one of the five toughest schedules in
the league right now. When you look at adjusted net rating on dumps and
threes, which is basically ranking teams and adjusting for their points scored per one
hundred possessions against their strength of schedule. The Calves are fourth in adjusted net
rating, behind Phoenix, Golden State and Utah. And I think you can
argue that, you know, if you want to put Milwaukee, but like
those are three those are two of the top three contenders in the league right
now there with Golden State and Phoenix, and three of the top five contenders
just in front of the Calves. I don't think the Calves are going to
be at that level, which gets you too if you're looking at the concerns
or what metrics don't like them. They're eight teams still in offensive efficiency.
They can turn the ball over a lot, and they're they're shooting. They
missed contexts in there, and he wasn't having the greatest year, but they
missed the idea of his floor spacing. You're too reliant on these rickey,
Rubio. Is he going to have a hot night, a good shooting night.
It's good that they still have Jetty Osman, but you know, they're
they're six i think corner three point attempt rate, which is a great shop
profile to have, but they're also twenty ninth in corner three point percentage,
and so that is something that they really need to improve upon. They also
just need a playmaking wing or just someone else to go at it from the
point of attack. A lot of people have named carossel Vert is a trade
target for them. He'd be interesting in Cleveland. I just don't know what
they're willing to give up to get him, because you get into these salary
matching situations. You know, you're not moving in a Jared Owner, You're
not moving in Heaven Mobile, You're not moving Garland. I don't I don't
think you give him Colin Sexton in that deal. Do you even want to
give up Jetty Osman at this point because of how valuable he's been as a
shooter and Carosselverd is not known as like this shooter, and so I think
carossel Verd is better than Jetty Osman. But you are giving up or risking
fit there, and so it just gets really tough to match salaries. You're
not gonna even a Bisaccoro in that deal. I don't think. Maybe you're
considering moving Larry market in, but I don't know why Indiana would want him
if it still has Nomas and Miles Turner there. They need to do something
to sort of juice up their offense, and it should come from the wings.
If Easca Coil is going to shoot around lege average from three on three
attempts per game, then great, grand wonderful. That helps you. He's
still not necessarily that that playmaker. I would trust. They did a lot
of stuff with him like that last year. But I think they need a
higher end solution there, and that would displace them from being in the You
know, when we name the top five to seven contenders, I don't know,
and I would say no, I don't think they belong in that tier.
Will they make the playoffs? If we're just gonna say play in,
this isn't stemming on on a limb, I'm gonna say they will. If
they don't finish the top ten the East at this point, I would be
shocked. Will they be a top six team in the East, that's a
great question. I think you have Milwaukee, you have Brooklyn. Those are
givens. I'm gonna say they finished in the top six. I don't trust
the Knicks this season. I don't trust the Celtics. I don't know how
you could trust the Pacers. The Raptors, to me are the hardest team
to read. I think they're better than they've shown, and they were missing
Siakam to start the year. Then they were missing outa Noby. They've had
some other absences. They're dealing with the COVID outbreak. But they're a team
that I could see making a cell move at the deadline. Their team Macazine
making a boy move. Their team I can see shutting down people towards the
middle of the year if they're just not close enough to the top of the
East. So that's another team. I don't trust them just because I can't
read them, but them, the Knicks, the Pacers, like those are
all teams that you probably expect well. I guess a lot of people didn't
expect the Raptors, maybe even the Pacers to be in the top six,
but that there's a level of opportunity there where I would be confident that the
Cavs can maintain and continue to punch their weight above them. I think Chicago
will be fine. You have the Pennsylvana into the top six. We're three
with Milwaukee, Brooklyn and Chicago. I mean, do you trust Philly and
Boston enough? Unless Philly makes a Ben Simmonstrator gets Ben Simmons back, I
don't know why you would. Boston I probably trust a little more than Philly
at this point, but they just haven't shown it on offense. They need
to make a little bit of an addition there. Charlotte's the same way.
Atlanta I want to trust more. Let's say one from let's say two from
Philly, Boston, Charlotte and Atlanta leap into the top six. Let's just
make that leap, so that's still five of the top six. I'm pencil
in the Caves into the top six. It's happening here. Maybe I'm just
placing Miami there. Don't trust the Wizards. Let's just say the cast finished
in the top six. These might not be bold and go that route.
Evan Mobley for Rookie of the Year, that's a tough one. We have
to discount, like time missed, I think a little bit in these in
this discussion. He the stuff he can do on defense is just mind blowing.
But Scotty Barnes has been fine, been better than fine defensively for a
rookie, and then he's really come along offensively, and he's shot the ball
really well from three over the past month or so. I think he hasn't
an actual chance to win it. I I'm gonna lean Evan Mobley at this
point, but I don't think it's a given. I do think they're going
to be just the top two options. Is the Christaarte case has kind of
faded. Same with Alpern Shanghun. I do believe friends Wagner deserves an honorable
mention, but this does sort of feel like a a Barnes versus excuse me,
a Barnes versus Barnes versus Mobley situation. Kate Cunningham has had his moments
too, so he strings together enough performances and has rerecord this. He's in
health and safety protocols too. Again, you could probably remove that from the
equation. By the time he missed to start the year probably hurts him.
I do think he could work his way into the debate, but as of
right now, I'll say yes for Evan Mobley, but my confidence level on
that actually coming to fruition is not particularly high. Wily Ray, excuse me,
ask what is one move the Hornets can make to improve their putrid defense
without selling away their future. Something's got the change that they want to make
top six in the East. I'm gonna look this into a question that we
got from Raoul Clement. He also asked, does Charlotte have a workable Miles
Turner's trade? On the heels of that report that Indiana might be looking to
get younger, those questions are valid, I will say to Willis, I
don't think the Hornets need to be top six this year. I just want
to make it clear. This is year two. Alamelo, you haven't even
paid Miles Bridges yet. pH Washington still on his rookie scale. I know
you extended Terry Rose a year, but that doesn't kick in till next season.
Gordon Hayward like, this isn't a team that needs to rush it.
I'm not. And I think he understands this too, because he asked,
what's the move the horns can get to improve their defense without selling away their
future. I just don't think they should be doing that in a Miles Turner
trade. Although I went on the Setting the Pace podcast with Alex Golden you
should check that out and he was bouncing trade ideas off me one of the
ones he proposed, So this is addressing the Turner aspect of this. Would
you do Harris Lavert and Miles Turner for Gordon Hayward and PJ Washington. I
said I would if I was Charlotte, you would have to be really fearful
of missing out on PJ. Washington's upside. I think to not make that
deal, I know you're losing scalability in Gordon Hayward just because Lavert is not
the same level of shooter. I don't think he's the same level of passer
either. He's probably best in lineups where he's the unquestioned ball handler, which
could be if he against Lamello. But to have that option of you know,
you're staggering those two and then also getting Miles Turner back, who has
been in Indiana's best shooter this season, probably I do think that helps your
defense. Probably you're definitely downgrading from Heyward to Lavert there if something else needs
to go either way at this point, I don't it would be small,
but I would consider a both teams. I would consider that deal because I
also don't think, to answer rail Clemens question, I don't think the Pacers
are actually looking to get younger. I think they're looking for a change,
and to me that means, yeah, you'll investigate the market for Jeremy lands
expiring contract, does anyone want I don't know what they're gonna do with TJ.
More. You probably keep him just because his values low, since you
haven't played in so long and you risk him entering free agency. Hopefully you
just get him back towards the end of this year and see what he still
has left. You look at justin Holiday Trades story, Craig trades those moves
on the margins that clearly aren't going to make or break you. But if
you want to make more of a wholesale change, I don't think it's with
the idea of selling and tanking in mind. Perhaps for a year. But
you hired Rick Carlisle, who went on the air and said, forgive me.
I don't remember who was interviewing it during it, but he basically said
he didn't want to rebuild. Herbsimon came out and refuted the idea that he
was open to a rebuild, which makes sense because he's never been open to
it before, at least a full tilt one that he's eighties seven. Now,
that was I think in the Athletic article there was something like herb Simon
at eighty seven is more open to will rebuild. Does he want to see
the end of that rebuild? That that was shocking to me. And you
also you drafted the right rookie in christ warn't Day, but you drafted an
older rookie, and so that doesn't scream a team that wants to make this
a gradual process. And so I do think Charlotte, if it wanted to,
can sort of blur those lines. If you're if you're using Hayward and
then is it a is it a pick? Is it PJ? Washington?
If they want to go after Miles Turner, I if I were them,
I'd probably be looking lower end or lower cost. Can you do something to
where you're not even giving up? PJ? Washington? And the idea I
came up with and wrote about, and I bounced this off of one of
our friends of the podcast who covers the Hornets, Knada Edwards, and he
ultimately he said no to it. He doesn't think that Charlotte would move Hayward,
which is which is fine. I had to get Hayward for Chris Stops
in a twenty twenty two second round pick. That's you know, I think
Charlotte probably wants more of an above the rim threat at center, but KP
he is a better shooter than he's shown this season. He's been a lot
better on defense this year, has held up really as a ring protector.
The Hornets won't care about playing him at the five. You know, we're
Dallas tries to sort of use him sometimes a day Factor four. They've used
PJ. Washington a bunch of the five. Miles Bridges has seen spot minutes
there. They're not going to concern themselves with that. And I think,
you know, having someone who can stretch the floor like that alongside the move
that's going to be good too. It's he's not Miles Turner because he's not
as switchable defensively, but you can use him offensively in the same vein.
And if he's going to be a good rim pretender, it doesn't cost you
a pick or PJ Washington. That might be a route to explore if you're
not going to go even that route, which I again I would understand.
We mentioned this. Check out our trade podcast. What does it cost to
get Newland's Noel out of New York? Where is it called to get Mitchell
Robinson at this point because of all his uh, you know, He's had
some highs, but he's had a hell of a lot of lows this year.
Is it even worth testing out a use of Nurkics? Depending on what
Portland is trying to trade him for, I would say no. I don't
necessarily like kids fit with the way that Charlotte plays. Rashaun Holmes would be
ideal for this team. I don't know what the cost is there something I
would consider if it costs to PJ Washington. But if you don't want to
mortgage at any part of your future, you gotta start looking at like these.
You know Orlando want to give you Robin Lopez or do you even just
look at him Mo Bamba because they just don't trust his offense and they extended
Wendell Carter Junior. You know what does do you just try and take a
flyer on Jackson Hayes? Was New Orleans want for him. Now he's playing
behind Willy Herning Gomez this season, So that would be the level of move
you could look at if if you're Charlotte and you don't want to give up
anything even remotely semi valuable, you're gonna have to come up with a necessarily
salary matching tools. And I think that's one thing that makes moves difficult for
Charlotte is that they do have all right, I shouldn't say that they Mason
Plumber's Midden salary at nine point two million, and then you have Kelly Uber
Junior at at twelve million, so you have the men even Ish Smith if
you want to move him at four point five. So you have the Midden
salaries to get something done. But do you want to trade a wing for
big in Kelly Ribridge junior if that's what are you giving Kelly rid Junior for
Nerylan's Noel? I think Kelly Brujini has played far. You know, if
this was last season, yes, I would do it, but this season
is specifically, no, I would not. And so you want something higher
ended than that. And if you want to use Kelly Brugini to get a
Rashaun Holmes, you're gonna need to attach PJ. Washington maybe a pick to
that. So there there will be cheaper options maybe if you even address it
on the buy out market. And I again, I don't love the way
that Robert Lopes would fit with this you. I want to make that clear.
That was just a trying to think of a lower cost big but he
is a name I could proba up on the buy out market. We don't
know how that's going to develop. So I would kind of like to see
if they could get Grant Willingwars from Boston, But that's someone else who would
be He doesn't play a five all the time, but he can make a
lot of really good decisions on offense, and he's portable on defense. I
don't know if that really fixes their interior defense. So that's the other thing
if you're trying to remedy how bad they've been defensively this year, and look,
they've been bad for more than a month. They've been last in points
loud per possession. They teams are still throwing parade when it comes to getting
to the basket for them, and they are I was looking at this before
for something I was writing a few days ago. They're just one of the
worst teams when it comes to preventing second chance opportunities, and that comes back
to their defensive rebounding. But you look at just the number of plays that
rival offenses generate after a miss against Charlotte is the third highest in the league.
That is bad so there the Charlotte is twenty eighth in preventing second chance
possessions. Essentially, that's per cleaning the glass. That is, you know
that that's no bueno. And they're not especially good when it comes to there's
their twentieth when it comes to looking at points allowed per possession in those situations,
and they're twenty eighth in total value that they've allowed because it happens.
So for you going me, that's not necessarily a per play measurement. Something
needs to be done. I don't know that there's a Turner would be the
perfect cancer. I just don't know what it costs to get him, and
I'm not willing to mortgage too much in the future if I'm Charlotte. I
think Kris Stops would be a nice middle ground. But I understand where people
might not want to gamble on his health or they just want above the rim
threat on offense. I mean, Miles Turner is not going to be like
super above the rim either there. Can you take it? Can you get
Chris Bouchet from Toronto this year? Sort of a stop gap. He's a
little undersized and he's not like above the rim all the time, But you
can throw it down. He can throw it down lobs, he will be
he frenetically close out on jump shooters of the defensive end. He can be
a fairly good rim protector. He also stretches the floor even though it's three
balls not falling this year, he has shot better in the past. So
those are all names that Charlotte could keep in mind. We have more like
Hornets adjacent questions, which is, we have a great Hornets following. I
guess shout out Knada Edwards, former co host of the lock Oh my God,
former co host of Lockdown Hornets, Yes, that was the podcast and
now a podcast producer at CBS. Maybe you all followed him here. We
appreciate you. But we always get a ton of Hornets questions. People are
always in my dms about the Hornets. One of the most frequent teams with
Utah and Denver that I seem to be asked about with this podcast. So
Miles Bridges for All Star Game asked who's the real winner on the graff Night
trade between Shachils, Auxander and Miles Bridges. That is a fascinating question because
Jaquil and Suxanders no longer with the Clippers. They used him to get Paul
George from They really traded for Paul George and Kwhi Leonards. I don't think
they lost that trade, but they've definitely shrunk. They're window and SGA spectacular.
Miles Bridges, though, was turned into a hell of a player.
Even when his efficiency is down, he's doing really complicated, valuable things on
the offensive end. I think the real winner of the SGA for Miles Bridges
trade is okay See, because Paul George was going to leave anyway, and
they found a way to trade Kawhi Leonard without ever having him on the rosters.
They extracted SGA and all this other value out of Los Angeles and for
a player that they were going to use anyway, and two players tycinally one
they never had because Kawai wasn't going to the Clippers without Paul George, and
then a PG who Yeah he stayed, he resigned, but he wasn't gonna
be there long term. He had asked for out and it was politely.
They handled it well. I think okay See is probably the real winner of
that deal. You probably still have the lean Clippers. I would say it
might just be TBD. If you're gonna say the Clippers never win a title
because you don't think Kwai is gonna play this year, and that they just
never hit that ceiling. It's fair to wonder if they gave up, you
know, too much value in that they had SGA and then and then they
didn't. But I do think Shake Gildra's Alexander is the noticeably better player compared
to Miles Bridges when you just look at what he is, the load he
is carrying on offense, that self creation load. He's not been good as
good on defense as he was during his rookie year, But I wonder if
that's if a TI issue when you look at at offense. It is close,
though, I will say when looking at this, I mean you're measuring
up between Okay, see the Clippers and Charlotte. Really at this point,
Charles Swan asked who's most like going to win an MVP in their career,
Donovan Mitchell, Shay Gilder's Alexander or LaMelo Ball. This is a fascinating question.
I think Donnov Mitchell is gonna be last for me, just because he's
twenty five now and he's still kind of battling against the peak of Janice and
then the tal end of the primes of Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Stephen
Curry dominating that discourse where you look at LaMelo Ball, who I think is
my pick just because he plays a flash year style that's going to resonate compared
to Shae Guler's Alexander. I'm throwing market out of the equation right now.
If you want to get into the idea of do you trust Charlotte to build
a winner more than okay, see, because that matters. He's twenty years
old and so he's just a little bit more of the future of the league.
Shae guld Alexander's right there too because Sga is twenty two. I believe.
I just think when you look at LaMelo, this is someone who could,
to me lead the league and assists be among you know, a twenty
plus points per game score at some point. And I'm starting to wonder if
should he continue to get stronger or if he gets strong I don't know if
he actually got a lot stronger compared to last year. There's the yeah,
well he finished better around the rim, but I'm starting to or if he's
going to have the higher defensive ceiling than Shay. I would rank it LaMelo,
Shay, Donna Mitchell. This is just purely a youthful upside play because
I think Donna and Mitchell is just in the league at a time where you
know, all the names I listed are just that's not it. I mean,
there's Damian Lillard still has so much juice left in him. Let's not
forget that. He's also like right in line with Devin Booker. You could
also argue, hey, people don't watch Utah and then playing with as of
right now, and maybe this is what I'm overweiting. He's playing with someone
else who might be more valuable, and he's certainly more valuable in certain situations
than Donna and Mitchell himself when you look at Ruy Gobert, whereas right now
LaMelo and Shay don't have that co star. Their teams probably don't get good
enough for them to be considered for MVPs without that co star. Though purely
an age thing for me at this point basically, but that was a great
question that I'm gonna be thinking about for a while, so thank you.
Charles. James Chiputo asked which NBA player do you think is the biggest psychological
impact on the opposing team. I think it's the keek answer is gonna be
Joe Ankles because he's just one of them, you know, if you talk
to people close to the NBA, like he is a great trash talker,
and he is. I don't want to say he's understatedly savage, but I
don't think he gets mentioned enough as someone who gets under opponent's stand I think
it's Draymond Green because he can change so much of what you're doing on offense
just by being on the floor and knowing how high is high Q is.
And Rudy Gobert would be there too. I think he warps teams of shot
profile, perhaps more than any other player in the league. Or Joel Embiid,
but Draymond Green, we also know what he's just. He seems like
more of a talker than Rudy Gobert, But Draymond Green, Joel Ebid because
he's also a talker, or Joe Angles is gonna be mine, Like,
let's I still pick someone from the Jazz. So anyone who's upset that I
didn't pick Rudy Gobert, I'm curious if anyone wants to throw you could respond
to our promo sweet or just at me at Damn Valley. Who who you
would pick? There are a lot of underrated trash talkers throughout the NBA.
I wouldn't look Kyle Lowry would. I just feel like his presence is a
psychological war game, so I would give him an honorable mention as well.
Dutch Courage asked how have the Kings fared with Fox playing versus Fox not playing?
And especially how is Halliburton? How has he fared with Haliburton and how
is Haliburton fared on his own? So went through the data here, and
the Kings with the Aaron Fox on the court this season are as seven points
per one hundred possessions. When he's off the court, they're a plus two
points per one hundred possessions. You do have to factor level of competition into
that, though, I think this speaks more to yes the Aaron Fox has
struggled. They seem to try to be simplifying his role were was not being
tasked with as much passing career, low assist rate and pass rate on drives
at the moment all concerning. I don't think he's responsible himself. Maybe his
really slow start to the year. I don't know that he's not solely dragging
down the Kings. That's what I'm getting at. When Fox and Tyrese Haliburton
played together, there are minus five point one points pern hundred possessions. That's
the Kings. That does not surprise me, just because they spend so many
minute in the starting lineup together. When you have Halliburton without Fox, the
Kings are basically the same. Here. There are plus point two points perne
hundred possessions, so plus four point four points excuse me, perne hundred possessions.
So they're not like incredibly better, they're terrible on offense when Haliburton plays
by himself. And when you dig into Halliburton's own numbers during these playing time,
you see that his true shooting percentage plunges without Daron Fox in the court,
because I don't think he's You see his assist ray climb without his turnover
eight exploding in those minutes. That's great, but I do think he still
needs more of a primary ball handle around him to take the pressure off.
I've never viewed him as a guy that's going to be running a team on
his own, which is why I ultimately think that combined with his own ability
to adapt to the lineup context that the Kings were fielding. I think Fox
and Haliburton can absolutely operate together. It's Fox's defense continues to regress by the
year, at least over the past two or three seasons that I think it's
hurt more than anything. And you see that in the minutes where the Haliburton
on his own without Fox minutes the Kings are really good defensively. That could
be they're not facing a great level of competition, but I think it's also
just that the yard Fox is, you know, like I said, a
stanchion sometimes when it comes to the defense, that that's his stance, like
that's how upright he can be on certain possessions. So I don't I'm this
question wasn't asking that. I think you can absolutely have Fox and Haliburton together
over the long term. And I believe that Fox is much better than he's
shown this season, and that's including with him sort of upticking his offense more
recently. Branch Floridian as should the Pelicans fold the franchise and move it to
Vegas or Seattle? No, their attendants we know is when you look at
the percentage of the seats that are filled is not great relative to the rest
of the league. But I want expansion more than I want a city to
lose a franchise. I felt bad for Seattle when they lost their franchise.
So let's put a team in Seattle in Vegas, realign the East a little
bit, and keep the team in New Orleans. It does need to probably
be run were efficiently, and you want to keep on unhappy, but just
other aspects when you're looking at what happened this past offseason, having a better
read on where you are as a team, a better read on the free
agency situation, a better read on Lonzo Ball's value. They've made some missteps,
but I don't think I don't ever want to pull an NBA team out
of a market, and I don't I guess New Orleans would be the candidate
if a team was going to be yanked out of the market. But I'm
not in favor of relocation. I want expansion. So the answer to that
question, Branch is no Kaga or Kaga asked players with the most points per
touch, so I filtered this by saying that players how to playing at least
ten games just that felt like a good marker given how many you know,
appearances certain other players have missed. The leaders and points per touch are overwhelmingly
bigs. Hassan Whiteside leads of the league, Boban is second, Norman Powell
is third, and so if you're looking for just a higher volume person,
he has been and he leads high volume players and points per touch for the
season. Moses Brown is fourth, Boyon Magdanovich is fifth, and Rudy Gobert
is six. The mart Rosen is seventh, Kelly ghobridg Juniors eighth, Devin
Booker, always among the leaders in this is ninth. Camraddish is tenth.
So among the top ten, I mean we can even shrink it to the
top seven. Of the top seven players who've played, there have been seventy.
There've been four hundred nine players who appeared in at least ten games so
far this season. The Jazz have of that group three of the top six,
and points per touch to me, that reinforces just how ridiculous their offense
is and how you know, I guess well at Hassan, Whiteside, and
Gobert are finishing around the rim this season. Si asked, where does Luke
Kannar rank among shooters. I'm not I'm not that I'm not a fan,
but I think we can go beyond raw three point percentage here. So I
looked at his spot up efficiency, and there are seventy three players who have
used roughly one hundred spot up possessions a season, and Luconard's one point two
one points per possession rank in the top ten. Grayson Allen's first, Norman
Powell is second, Kelly Bridge junior third, Boy Bowyan Bogdanovich is fourth,
Cam Johnson is fifth, Jalen Brown is sixth, Patty Mills is seventh,
Kelvin Johnson somehow is eighth. That's just not something I realized. Luconard is
ninth, and then Desmond baine Is is tenth. You can also though Luconard
not making like a ton of or taking rather a ton of pull up threees,
but among every player who's attempted at least twenty five pull up threes this
year, he's also in the top ten. Ish, oh, he's actually
top twelve, excuse me. In three point percentage on those, Kat is
first, Jerty Osman second, Jalen Brown is third, lu Dort is fourth,
Grayson Allen is fifth, Boyon is sixth, Mike Conley is seventh.
Jazz just so ridiculous on offense this year. Tyres Howiburton's eighth and Beat his
ninth. That's a low volume thing. Lonzo Ball is tenth, Rosier eleventh,
Gordon Hayward is twelfth, and Luke Nard is tied for twelfth with Gordon
Hayward. So he's been he's been good as a shooter for He's been valuable
as a floor spacer for the Clippers this year, and he has hit other
pull up jumpers aside from Justice threes. Is an effective field goal percentage of
forty four point two on pull up jumpers. That's not astronomically high. It's
on I mean, you know a lot of these affective field goal percentages are
going to be inflated by guys who are taking more threes, and those are
more difficult shots to take. But forty four point two is just it's probably
semi valuable for a player who you expect Luke Ard to be, Like,
you're not supposed to take those those shots. So again it's not super high,
but it's not you know, baseboard low it's right, mon. Joel
Embi's at forty five point one for context, and that's not a good mark
for Joel Embi, but just to provide you with a snapshot of context there,
rich Nielsen asked, most people think the Jazz are fatally flawed on defense
and that they aren't series championship contenders. Do the analytics justify or refute that
assertion. If most people think the Jazz aren't legitimate championship contenders, then most
people are wrong. I get the inclination to want to watch them in the
playoffs, and I do think that zeroing in on their defense is actually the
right call, because anyone who says that they're worried about their offense is just
not watching them the past few postseason campaigns. They have enough shot creation and
making on this team between Boyon Macdonovitch, Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe
Angelis, Jordan Clarkson, like they are deep there. What concerns people on
defense is they ahomactically think Gobert could be played off the floor, and when
teams downsized, that's not actually what's happening. The bigger issue is that the
Jazz just don't have a ton of speed and athleticism or even above average defenders
in front of him, aside from Royce O'Neil. At this point, if
you consider Mike Conley better than that for his age, or if Donovan Mitchell
improved enough for you, it's just they need more of a combo wing who's
better to help what's happening in front of Gobert when teams are downsizing and they're
able to attack off the dribble much more and he has to rotate too much
and cover up too many things. I think that I don't know that the
Jazz are better suited to beat that. This year. You have Rudy Gay,
but he's not just like some quick twitch defender. If you do need
to downsize your center minutes when Gobert is resting for in the playoffs, ten
to fifteen minutes a game, whatever it is, maybe that's valuable. I
still think they need just like that additional wing. But there's still fifth in
points aloud per possession during the regular season. They are also you know where
you would think that they might struggle is in isolation. Their fourth in points
allowed in isolation on the season. So Cleveland, Memphis and Toronto are the
only teams that have been better. That data is imperfect, but just something
to look at. You look at their opponent shooting. They have like the
best defensive shot profile teams. Just they're not getting to the rim aton,
they don't take a ton of threes. They're being goaded into a ton of
mid range jumpers, and they're not really getting burned from any spot. If
anything, they've had a little bit of luck with opponent three point shooting this
year. Teams are shooting forty five percent from float range against the Jazz,
which is a lot when you consider that Gobert is there, I would argue
unsustainably high, and they're also shooting just that's inflated by the short mid range
well for mid range, so a day of like a great shot profile they're
doing, they're hitting all the right notes there. If there's like a concern
that with this current roster, I don't necessarily understand. Their transition defense is
really spotty. They've tightened up a little bit lately after what felt like a
super sloggy start to the season, but the Jazz are currently twenty fifth or
excuse me, twenty second in the frequency with which teams get out on the
break after the Jazz miss is shot that's too high, and then they're twenty
fifth in points allout per possession in those situations. That's something to me that
reads like gods need to just do a better job of getting back because it's
not a matter of just stopping opponents. And yeah, there could be some
bad missus. I don't necessarily I don't know what the data says on this,
but I think things have been written that I hope not misremembering that.
I read something about this where shooting jumpers, and the Jazz shoot a lot
of jumpers. They're the best pull up jump shooting team in the league long
rebounds, Does that help get on the break? Really buy into that it's
just a matter of getting back and that's going to fall more so on their
perimeter players probably, So that's something to actually monitor just with this personnel,
because if you're concerned about how they're gonna match up with teams that have an
Anthony Davis, Enna Lebron or Paul George na Kwhi Leonard, assuming a quite
Letard comes back, or just two really good perimeter scores, that's a fair
concern, but it can't really be addressed with this roster, that transition stuff
is there was hints of that last year too with Utah. You haven't gone
further back to see if that has been something that's played to them even longer
term. But but yeah, next question comes from Danny Moss. Are Jalen
Brown and Jason Tatum actually a good pair and when they are both playing?
The answer to me is yes. If you don't want either one of them
to be your primary playmaker, that's a different story. But the rumor that
maybe the Celtics will consider moving on from Jalon Brown, it didn't feel like
that was an imminent thing, and I don't think that's They are their archetype
of player, are the most coveted essentially around the league right now. You're
not just going to trade one of them. And look, the Celtics have
not been bad. They haven't played too much time together this season, just
relative to Jalen Brown has miss some time, but they have locked nine hundred
possessions together. The Celtics have a net rating of plus six point seven during
those minutes, with a defensive rating below one hundred, and so you look
at what both these guys can do defensively. I think Jason Tatum's kind of
an underrated defender at this point, especially when you look at the plays that
he can make away from the ball. It's the offense that struggled for them,
and so lineups with them this season have actually been finishing well around the
rim. What you would probably argue is that they're not getting to the room
enough. But even those lineups with both of them in the game, and
I think a lot of this has to do with Jalen Brown's pressure, they're
getting to the rim fine. They're really what's hurt the Celtics this season is
they're only They're shooting sub thirty five percent from three when Brown and Tatum play.
Tatum has been part of that with his tough threes. They're shooting terribly
from mid range. Tatum has been a part of that for stretches. This
team might need an actual type of point card. I think of the better
version of Dennis Shrewder, a friend of the podcast outscomegu who covers and follows
the Celtics. I think put out a fake Darn Fox trade to Austin at
one point that cost him Jalen Brown just as an exercise. I don't think
he endorsed it, but that might be the type of player that you need
to go after. Or I came up with a CJ. McCollum trade that
I don't know how well it's going to be received. This assumes that TJ.
Mccollumb is fine after he comes back from his collapsed along and I also
recognize that if you want someone who's gonna put pressure on the rim, this
would not be the guy that you go after. However, the trade I
came up with CJ. Mccllum and Ben Mackramore for Juan Hernan Gomez, Romeo
Lang for Josh Richardson and Robert Williams the third. This does work even though
Robert Williams the third is on the poison pill. Maybe you're concerned about the
center position after that, just because you still have out Horford, But are
you gonna have him next season with that hat like he's like fifty percent of
his money a little bit less than fifty percent guaranteed. You still do have
Grant Williams, but do you do you trust him? I think they can
withstand the loss of Jason Richardson up Jason Wow, Josh Richardson on the wings.
You have Marcus Smart, you have Jalen Brown, you have Jason Tatum.
That's a lot of defensive talent right there. It'd probably be the you
know, looking at their long like you don't want en his freedom as like
to have to like I have to have to have to bring this guy back
right now. It's something I would consider if CJ McCollum is CJ McCollum upon
return and playing better than he did upon exit, because that's he's not someone
who needs to eat into their touches a ton. But he also gives you
the ability to I think enhanced lineups with the both of them, or even
just the one of them, or even maybe you want to like tightly tether
the jail and round and Jason taita minutes together. Even more, we've see
mccllum be able to run some units in Portland without Dame in the past because
they've never really invested in that backup point guard. Not all those units have
been good, but that has a lot to do with talent. He's also
really improved was off the dribble three and he remains a good three point shooter.
And the Celtics don't have that knockdown shooter makes a ton of money,
but it's only two years and seventies million after this season. If you're willing
to eat it. I don't think that this is an unreasonable cost, and
I also think that it's a trade that the Blazers should accept. I like
Timelord in Portland, and then you're also Herning Gomez is expiring. That's why
he's in this. Josh Frsus in Quie, they had a good year and
he's the exact type of wing they want. He's a better individual defender who
can defend a greater bandwidth of the positional spectrum than Robert Collington and Larry as
junior at this point, and he's been he's been okay on offense for Boston
this season. Then Romeo Langford, I think is maybe that's why you worry
about your ring rotation a little bit. Do you trust Aaron new Smith to
Lankford has given them. He's shown flashes a better shooting this year, and
this is someone who could be active on defense. That was the package I
threw out though, was c J. McCollum and Ben maclamore to Boston for
Juan Hernan Gomez, Romeo Lankford Josh Richardson and Robert Williams the third. We
are in the home stretch here. I'm going to get through all the questions
and this is gonna be a long ass mailbag. Apparently three planets asked,
who's the best defensive center after a switch? I do not have access to
the stats that will measure this specifically. I will say that watching one,
who do you like consider a big? It has to be Draymond Greene.
Is there is a name that's a certainly pop up thinking Jared Vanderbilt belongs in
this discussion, Maxi Kleiba. Still, just when you look at the volumement
which he's had to do it, or just the scope of his assignments.
Perhaps it's not too much switching, but he's had to be basically classified as
a perimeter big, and he's not as good defensively as he was. And
then I think, just if you want the pure center where it's not Draymond
green it's not Jared Vanderbilt, who's on the smaller size, it's not Maxi
Kleiba or any if you want to delve outside of just the big man umbrella
and look at his specific center, I think it might be Nicholas Claxton.
People can correct me if I'm wrong there, But a lot of that has
to do with the frequency with which the Nets will switch him. He was
like the most switched big last year in basically a decade per B ball Index.
When you were looking at the frequency with which that is, I frame
that poorly. It's when you looked at the frequency that he had to defend
point guards last year. It was the highest for someone's six ten or Pauler.
It was one of the highest of the decade of all the information that
was in Bball Index, which is a great resource of if you have chance
to go check that out. So I think I'm gonna go with Nicholas Coston
because he's actually effective when he does it. Like he can be overpowered by
people, but if you need him to switch out and on a dame in
crunch time, the Nets almost have to do it. When you look at
some of their personnel, maybe they have to do it less this season they
did lesson But he can actually do it and you feel good about it.
And again that's a Draymond Green. We're not if we don't want to consider
him a center. He's not starting games at center. And he's you call
him a big sat with Jared Vanderbilt, I think is probably an underrated selection
along with Mexic Kiba in this anyone who has just is Kenrick Williams belong in
here? Like I think he's probably more of a way But anyway, that
would be my answer to that question. Let's make this the final three questions
here we have two. We have one about the Lakers from Haram What player
could the Lakers trade for to improve their championship odds most improve their championship?
Oops? I don't know the the Godfather package. I do have names,
but the Godfather package for them is talent Horton Tucker attached to Kendrick Nunn plus
if they want to give up their twenty twenty seven first or twenty twenty eight
first, depending on how their obligations to New Orleans shake out the names I
have listed, I'm not giving up that first for Buddy Healed, But are
the King's out enough on Buddy Heels and in trees enough by talent Horton Tucker,
who's been terrible a lot on offense this year to give up Buddy Healed
for him? I don't know. Would you give up the first round pick
if it's talent Horton Tucker and none for Carris Lavert and isn't even interested in
that? Are they thinking that long term down the line? Eric Gordon is
the one that I think he would just be the ideal acquisition for the Lakers
when you look at a wing type player who puts real pressure on the basket
like he does in addition to spacing the floor, and then I don't he's
not going to cripple your defense. He's had like fairly stout moments on the
wings in playoffs years past. Even if you think that he's not as good
as he was two or three years ago there, which is fair. This
isn't a Wayne Ellington situation. And so can you get Eric Gordon for that
package? Would you give up the first round pick for it? I think
a lot of people who are gonna say no, looking at just this season,
and if you're the Lakers and you've decided fuck tomorrow, that would be
the deal. And if you're in Houston, it's like, do we really
need the imminent first round picks? And if we hedge against the Lakers future
that far in advance, Lebron's probably retired in twenty twenty seven, or on
a different team, or just at least not Lebron. There's also the caveat
there of the Lakers always do seem to get somebody like the Laker exceptionalism is
not, you know, some made up thing from Lakers fans like they have
a reason to be optimistic despite having a lack of assets or maybe not even
having the best trade packages at certain points because players want to go there.
But that would be the Eric Gordon. If I'm Houston, I would think
about it. And if I'm I'm gonna be I'm gonna be honest. If
I am the Lakers, I'm thinking about it too. Gordon Heyward, Eric
Gordon is still someone that you could move after the fact too. Of course,
then you do sacrifice your picks in that situation if you're going into town
Horton Tucker plus a pick round or even talent Horton Tucker, who's as bad
as he's been, it's still twenty one and even turned twenty one yet,
so he's that young. That's the LA asked, you know, that's the
last card in your equip like for you to play, because what are your
packages look like after that if you're not trading a Lebron or an Anthony Davis,
you would have to hope that whoever you're acquiring then turns into this massive
trade asset. Eighth Hood asked, are the Grizzlies better without Jah Moran?
So the answer to this is an overwhelming no. I think they played spectacular
without him while he was dealing with that knees brain. I think it was.
And if if I'm wrong on the knees brain, I think it was
someone else's that's my bad. But so Memphis played thirteen games without him,
they went ten and three. They had at least best net rating where eighthan
offense and first in defense. I think the defensive shift is real. John
Moran is he. I do think he has more moments of effort than some
other guards who are bad at defense. But he's not going to help your
defense. And when you're going from him to Dylan Brooks is still on the
court, but you have danthy Melton and Tias Jones maybe playing slightly larger roles.
That's just going to a cly help your your defense. I mean,
even having Kyle Anderson's role wasn't really peeped up though, during that stress.
I remember, so that's going to help your defense. Their offense, that
they were an eighthan offense without him, it shocked me. I don't know
that. I buy and been shooting forty five point six percent from three on
even some off the dribble looks on super high volume, but they weren't getting
like incredible three point shooting from anyone aside from him. Jaren Jackson Junior during
this stretch was thirty two point eight percent from three. Desmond Baine, I
said forty five point six percent, the Anthy Melton was thirty five point one,
Dylan Brooks was thirty three point three, same for Brandon Clark. On
minimal attempts, Tyas Jones was at thirty two point five percent. Kyle Anderson
quietly turned into like this league average. If I have to shoot a wide
open three from the corner, I'll hit it thirty six point four percent.
So they weren't getting like a ton of luck there. And so you look
at their shooting during this time where they had the most success without John Morant
during this stretch is they were shooting sixty hundred one percent at the rim.
I don't that he doesn't affect that to me at all. He's probably taking
more difficult looks at the rim then most players, and so your percentage isn't
gonna hover around seventy percent as much. But he's not the reason that you're
just lights out at the basket not having him. Anyway, they were also,
excuse me, they also they were ten to three point I keep forgetting
that three point shooting went down this year. They were ten to three point
shooting without him. They didn't have any mid range efficiency with which to speak
though, So the offense is that they were eight during that stretch and they
had some like there are teams that they played were shorthanded or not great,
but they had some good wins over that thirteen games. Ban they're not better
without John Moran. He just gives you a level, especially you look at
the he did not play in the game or they lose to Portland. I
think it wasn't crunched time, like not having that type of an option when
things bogged down in the half court. That's inevitably going going to hurt you.
So no, the Grizzlies are not better without John rand I'm sure this
was sarcastic, but if we just want to put the now on the coffin
once after all final question are asked if you did a twenty twenty one region
draft, who jumps out the most too early to do this, I think,
but just based off this, and I'm steering clear second round picks because
it's just easier to jump, like twenty spots or something from the second round.
I think it's Bones Highland at twenty six, or Alpa and Shane gun
at sixteen, and then Christa wart Day it's seventeen. I think it's Bones
Highland. Actually there's room, there's more room for him to jump. But
this is someone who I think should go We'll end up should have gone the
top ten. I don't even know because Kay, Jalen Green, Mobley barn
Sugs, Kaminga Wagner, those are all guys that should be in the top
ten if you're looking long term, even if you haven't been impressed by Jalen
Green or Jalen Suggs like that's you would still take a chance on those guys
today, is my point. But I think where you're saying Christa wart Day
or Alper and Shane Gun Becauld, they have gotten into the top ten.
Sure, I think bones Highland Ken and should have I So that's just a
huge jump for him. So he would be the one that jumps out the
most me. His shooting is real, but he can do away from the
ball, the distance on it. He's okay pulling up off the drib.
There's some stuff you can do with the ball in his hands. I think
we're going to see a really good and crafty finisher around the basket or from
float range eventually. And he's a better passer than I expected coming into the
league. This was fun. Thank you everyone who got this far with me.
I hope you enjoyed it. If you're listening to this while you're traveling
for Christmas or whatever, I hope you're staying safe. Hope this has given
you something to kill time with. If you have any thoughts on it,
you know where to find me at dan pha Valley on Twitter. We could
be found at Hardwood Knox on Twitter. We're Hardwood NX on YouTube at Hardwood
Underscore Knox on Instagram. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe for
us wherever you get your podcast. An I said in the top this is
your first time stumbling upon us at random or because someone recommended it consider throwing
us that permanent subscription and then paying that recommendation forward by recommending us to someone
else. Until next time, I'll leave with a shout out to the one,
the Only, Frank Nilkina