1
00:00:03,879 --> 00:00:09,119
What is krack a lackin hardwood knocks
For listeners, I am Damp Valley coming

2
00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,439
at you without my fantabulous co host
Adam Prommel. I am, however,

3
00:00:14,599 --> 00:00:19,239
continuously excited to keep our team look
ahead, train on the role. The

4
00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:24,480
Washington Wizards are up next, and
we brought on Quentin Mayo. He can

5
00:00:24,519 --> 00:00:28,000
be found on Twitter at real Quinton
Mayo. That's at r e A l

6
00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,759
q U I N t O n
m A y O. He's the host

7
00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:37,719
of bet MGM Tonight. He's an
overall Washington Wizards insider. Covers the team

8
00:00:37,719 --> 00:00:41,119
for Blue Wire Pods during the regular
season, which is also the umbrella under

9
00:00:41,119 --> 00:00:46,079
which this podcast can be found.
He is also covers basketball and betting at

10
00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,719
large. For honesty, he does
a lot, and he does it extremely

11
00:00:49,759 --> 00:00:52,840
well. We had a great conversation
about all things Wizards heading into the season,

12
00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:58,039
tackled, of course, Bradley Beale's
future, all that good important stuff.

13
00:00:58,039 --> 00:01:02,640
Before we get started, just the
usual yet salient reminder to please,

14
00:01:03,039 --> 00:01:07,519
please, pretty please continue subscribing,
rating, reviewing, hardwoo Knox wherever you

15
00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:11,319
get your podcast. We can be
found everywhere. The subscriptions, the ratings,

16
00:01:11,359 --> 00:01:14,680
and the reviews. Those help us
out a ton, whether you use

17
00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,719
iTunes or not. We also ask
that you head over there, so long

18
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,840
as you have access to it,
search Hardwoo Knox, throw us that five

19
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,159
star rating, and write a review. It should take ten to fifteen seconds.

20
00:01:23,159 --> 00:01:25,879
You can even include criticism in the
review as long as you give us

21
00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,000
that five star rating. Dolways help
us a ton in the charts, so

22
00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:30,840
I just want to reiterate that,
as well as subscribing wherever you're getting your

23
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,359
podcasts and downloading episodes. If this
is your first time checking out hardwin Knox

24
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,799
because you're a diehard Washington Wizards fan
and need to consume all the Wizards content

25
00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,920
possible, maybe you're just really a
fan of Quinton Mayo, which I get

26
00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,640
it. Perhaps you've just stumbled upon
us accidentally. Consider throwing us that permanent

27
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:52,120
subscription. We cover the entire MBA
at large. We are pleasantly sub mediocre,

28
00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:57,239
only half insufferable. It's a fantastic
experience in my totally unbiased opinion.

29
00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,760
Follow us on Twitter at hardwoo Knox. We can also be on YouTube,

30
00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,840
YouTube dot com s or chrdwin Knox. People show up. We are on

31
00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:08,159
Instagram as well at Hardwood, Underscore
Knox. With all of the business out

32
00:02:08,159 --> 00:02:10,919
of the way, or the unfun
business, let's get to the super fun

33
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,319
business of talking a bunch of Washington
Wizards with Quentin Mayo. Quentin, thank

34
00:02:16,319 --> 00:02:21,039
you so much for coming on the
Hardwoo Knox podcast. The first time that

35
00:02:21,159 --> 00:02:23,719
I spammed your DMS and you answered
and you came on, and I am

36
00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:28,400
forever thankful for it already. How
are you doing, I'm doing well.

37
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,439
Thank you for inviting me first and
foremost. And you say spam dms like

38
00:02:31,479 --> 00:02:35,560
it was a like like you reached
out multiple times. It was one time.

39
00:02:35,599 --> 00:02:38,280
I don't want people think you're thirsty
into dms. I was very open

40
00:02:38,319 --> 00:02:40,680
and willing to hawk one with you. I think people who listen to this

41
00:02:40,719 --> 00:02:45,960
podcast know that I just feel like
a perpetual infringement upon people's lives, So

42
00:02:46,479 --> 00:02:51,479
one DM is considered spam from my
book. I'm excited to talk about the

43
00:02:51,479 --> 00:02:54,360
Wizards. They had a pretty boring
offseason. Nothing happened there, just nothing

44
00:02:54,759 --> 00:02:59,840
major. We have to start with
the Rush trade. Yeah, what were

45
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:04,479
you? I think the biggest team
has been everyone's excited or commended them for

46
00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,560
They're so flexible long term, they
can choose all these different directions. I'm

47
00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:09,759
curious where you land on that,
But I also want to know how you

48
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:14,439
feel about what it does for them
in the present, because you can argue,

49
00:03:14,479 --> 00:03:19,960
hey, they lost a star,
but they also really deepened their rotation

50
00:03:20,039 --> 00:03:23,719
by like four players as part of
that transaction. And we'll probably talk about

51
00:03:23,719 --> 00:03:25,479
this later, but it might be
a little too deep, Like it's a

52
00:03:25,479 --> 00:03:28,639
lot of depth, and you gotta
get guys that can go out there and

53
00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:30,520
play, and they have a lot
of guys and pretty much the same positions.

54
00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:35,280
But it did add a lot of
flexibility to this team. I mean,

55
00:03:35,319 --> 00:03:38,240
that's undeniable. Coming into this offseason, we were saying, okay,

56
00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:40,680
well, Russ contract, it's untradeable. Bradley Bill is making an X amount

57
00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,520
of money, Davis is making sixteen
million a year. How can they take

58
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,599
the next step and add a player
that's good enough to really elevate the floor

59
00:03:50,879 --> 00:03:53,280
or the ceiling of this team.
And it was hard. I mean,

60
00:03:53,319 --> 00:03:55,280
Demarna Rosen was thrown around, but
Damar wants X amount of money. How

61
00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,080
does he fit in the cap?
Is he gonna take a pay cut?

62
00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,960
All these different type of players have
been speculated, but for them to trade

63
00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,479
Russ, it was kind of a
mutual thing. And actually it was more

64
00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,680
on the Rush side because Russ wanted
to play in LA. Like that's the

65
00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,120
fact of the matter. Russ wanted
to go to LA and he wanted to

66
00:04:10,159 --> 00:04:12,400
win. He wanted to play some
meaningful basketball. And what he did in

67
00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,079
DC will not be forgotten. I
mean he I mean, watching Rush from

68
00:04:15,079 --> 00:04:17,600
the outside, you're like, man, he just goes so hard, Like

69
00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,199
you just think he goes so hard. He hustles harder than everybody else.

70
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,839
And that's who Russell Westbrooks been watching
every single game from him here in DC.

71
00:04:25,959 --> 00:04:29,680
I'm like, this is not something
I think we'll ever see again in

72
00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,639
the NBA. Like it's so rare
for somebody to play the game like he

73
00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,279
does, even with all the criticisms. So it was signed for him to

74
00:04:34,319 --> 00:04:38,519
go and you know, being a
place where he can chase the championship or

75
00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,120
win a ring in and get that
last I guess notch in his belt of

76
00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,199
you know, on court accolades.
So it was cool. It was a

77
00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,079
good trade. I mean, Kyle
Kuzman, you get back Spencer Dinwdy,

78
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,399
Montres, Harold KCP. I mean, the the listious feels like it goes

79
00:04:50,439 --> 00:04:55,360
on forever. These are not just
like young guys who haven't done anything.

80
00:04:56,079 --> 00:04:59,319
Kuzma at one point we were talking
about I remember reading articles about, you

81
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,759
know, Kuzman was better than Jayson
Tatum, or Kuzma's ceiling is higher than

82
00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,920
next player, and all these different
things, especially this first year in the

83
00:05:03,959 --> 00:05:06,800
league, and you know, he
comes in with some experience or playing in

84
00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,639
LA and playing with those basketball players
like Braun and a d But now he's

85
00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:15,279
kind of at appointed his career where
he has to have his own identity Outside

86
00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:16,639
of that, I think he adds
a lot to this team. Spencer Dinwity

87
00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,519
coming off the ACL, I think
got a lot of nice pieces. So

88
00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,319
I like the trade. I like
that both sides worked on it. Brad

89
00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,120
and Russ did talk about it before
it happened, and it was just like,

90
00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,399
hey, you ready, I want
to go. Is that cool with

91
00:05:28,439 --> 00:05:30,600
you? I mean, this is
what I'm thinking, And Brad I was

92
00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:31,680
like, yeah, it go do
your thing, and it was kind of

93
00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,399
a shake hands and love you for
life and keep it keep it moving.

94
00:05:34,439 --> 00:05:40,120
So the trade was cool. The
team's flexibility is incredible. I mean,

95
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,000
even if you are not bought into
this team at the trade deadline or for

96
00:05:44,079 --> 00:05:46,399
whatever reason, if it's winning or
not, you have some pieces that other

97
00:05:46,439 --> 00:05:49,399
people will actually look for. Last
year the trade deadline, people were talking

98
00:05:49,399 --> 00:05:54,360
about, Oh, well, we
could trade Dives, or we could trade

99
00:05:54,439 --> 00:05:57,879
Garrison, or we could trade this
player. I'm like, those guys are

100
00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,480
cool if you're a Wizards fan,
but outside of the DMV area, I

101
00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,720
don't think anybody's really clamoring to trade
for those guys to take them to the

102
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,000
next level. So now you have
some pieces where you know, a little

103
00:06:08,079 --> 00:06:11,560
highly sought out there, and especially
in this situation, you could probably see

104
00:06:11,639 --> 00:06:14,759
more of what they can do because
they have more free rein to operate in

105
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:19,800
the offense and defensively. The Spencer
genuine addition, I mean, the first

106
00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,439
off, he's coming back for the
Parsley Touring ACL. Is he's gonna be

107
00:06:23,519 --> 00:06:27,879
under any significant limitations to start the
season, not that I've heard, Not

108
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,959
that I've heard. He looks the
best, and we just talked about this

109
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,560
before. This is the best he's
looked since for the for the ACL,

110
00:06:33,639 --> 00:06:36,519
this is the best. But he
looks really good. I think I've talked

111
00:06:36,519 --> 00:06:40,639
to his trainer, Olin Simplest,
the guard Whisper, and that's also his

112
00:06:40,759 --> 00:06:44,879
uncle, and like the way he
works is kind of freaky. Like I

113
00:06:44,879 --> 00:06:46,360
know, we talked about the players
work ethics, especially when you get to

114
00:06:46,399 --> 00:06:49,319
the NBA, it's just a different
level of work. But he's been really

115
00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,720
grinding, like three workouts today,
especially recovery and rehab, and seeing him

116
00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:57,279
in practice, he's been He's been
phenomenal. Like I mean, talking to

117
00:06:57,319 --> 00:07:00,560
the players, talking to Brad,
even talking to Spence just feels good.

118
00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,319
I don't think there'll be any limitations. He wants to play in preseason.

119
00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,360
Will we see him play in preseason? I think so maybe a couple of

120
00:07:05,399 --> 00:07:10,639
games or one game towards the end
part of that, especially because this team

121
00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,399
is I think mentally all the injuries
that they went through in past years,

122
00:07:14,079 --> 00:07:15,800
in previous years, this is a
big year for that organization, so you

123
00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,720
don't want any setbacks. But he
looks good. I think he won't have

124
00:07:18,839 --> 00:07:23,399
I don't think you'll have any limitations
in terms of playing time or things like

125
00:07:23,439 --> 00:07:26,519
that. How do you like his
fit with the roster? And I'm wondering

126
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,199
when people see in a Clendre knowing
he's also had a previous A C.

127
00:07:30,399 --> 00:07:32,680
L Indre, all those red flags
pop up. His game has never really

128
00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,279
been prided on a ton of explosion, and so I wouldn't work too much

129
00:07:35,279 --> 00:07:40,160
about it. But I am wondering
if the offense ends up missing like that

130
00:07:40,279 --> 00:07:44,560
pure raw rim pressure Russell Westbrook put
on the basket, because they don't you

131
00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,079
look at this, They have a
ton of players on this roster now,

132
00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,959
and like, I don't know who
their best guy to put pressure on.

133
00:07:49,079 --> 00:07:51,600
Is it Beal? Is it Aaron
Holliday at this point, because it doesn't

134
00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,600
feel like it's going to be Spencer
didn't withy. Yeah, putting pressure on

135
00:07:55,639 --> 00:07:59,720
a defense or you're saying, like
pressure in the rebounding department of grabbing boards

136
00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,920
that rusk draw, I'm sorry,
like putting pressure on the defense around the

137
00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,360
boat that reaction when he gets in
the lane is it's obviously in parallel,

138
00:08:05,399 --> 00:08:07,959
but it feels like they don't have
that, like ball hander was going to

139
00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,040
put a ton of that raw room
pressure on the opposing defense. Yeah,

140
00:08:13,079 --> 00:08:16,920
I'd agree. I think, like
you said, Spencer's game is not necessarily

141
00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,439
finesse, but it's more of controlled. Uh, it's it's a smarter game,

142
00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,879
it's a it's a he has like
a deceiving athleticism about him. He

143
00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,199
does he does playmate well, So
I think that is not anywhere near Russ's

144
00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:33,039
just sheer, explosion, downhill slashing
play style. But you're right, I

145
00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,000
don't think they have like one player
that can that can come in and give

146
00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:39,320
you what Russ did in that department. But one thing that they are going

147
00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,600
to try to do even more this
year is just the ability to have like

148
00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:48,080
Daniel gafferd playing more extensive minutes and
being the role man. But now you

149
00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:52,039
have more options around the perimeter that
can help you keep that floor spread open

150
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,759
to where you know, last year
they were playing all defensive, we're just

151
00:08:54,799 --> 00:08:56,600
playing off of the threes. Like
even Dabby's who two years ago was probably

152
00:08:56,639 --> 00:09:01,039
one of the best three point shooters
in the league. Last year didn't even

153
00:09:01,039 --> 00:09:03,919
look like himself. People were just
playing off of these guys. This year,

154
00:09:03,919 --> 00:09:05,840
you do have some talented perimeter shooting
to where you get more one on

155
00:09:05,919 --> 00:09:09,120
one matchups, especially coming down in
the inside the lane. I think Brad

156
00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:13,159
is also his pressure inside the paint
is really good. He's one of the

157
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,360
more underrated finishers in the league.
I believe on the mid range game is

158
00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:20,360
literally his bread and butter. Right
now, we talk about, you know,

159
00:09:20,399 --> 00:09:22,919
in terms of his scoring ability.
He came to the league as a

160
00:09:22,919 --> 00:09:24,919
spot up three point shooter. Like
he was just a knockdown three point shoot.

161
00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:28,159
That was his thing. He hasn't
shot the ball well from three point

162
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,960
range probably the past two years.
His numbers have steadily declined. Now,

163
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,000
is that because of the fact that
he's been probably the only option and he's

164
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,159
have to do even more probably so, But you know, this year he's

165
00:09:39,159 --> 00:09:41,000
a true three level score. I
think he pressures defenses and with Spencer,

166
00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,279
didn't we just play making. One
thing I love from him is when he

167
00:09:43,279 --> 00:09:46,879
beats a man around the perimeter,
which we'll have to see this year if

168
00:09:46,879 --> 00:09:52,000
he can do because the ACL will
alter the stop start just a little bit.

169
00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:54,639
Is the way he can just effortlessly
find a cutting man, or he

170
00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:58,679
can the lot his lob throwing ability, I mean I saw it in Brooklyn,

171
00:09:58,919 --> 00:10:01,279
Like it's crazy when you go back
can watch these games. His vision

172
00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,120
is really good. So you gotta
room running threat like Daniel Gafford. I

173
00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,639
think that helps out a lot.
So nobody can just one piece can make

174
00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,159
up for Russell Westbrook. But I
think, you know, schematically and with

175
00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,840
the playmaking ability that they have around
the perimeter, it should be able to

176
00:10:13,879 --> 00:10:16,960
do something. Daniel Gafford was one
of the players that I was worried about

177
00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,240
with Rousse's departure because Westbrook assisted on
so many of his buckets last year during

178
00:10:22,279 --> 00:10:26,720
that like Ron, where Gafford was
spectacular for the Wizards, it does feel

179
00:10:26,759 --> 00:10:30,320
like did what he can be that
it's a different type of playmaking, but

180
00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:31,840
I do think that they can establish
that connection. I am curious as to

181
00:10:31,879 --> 00:10:35,200
what you're looking for or what the
Wizards need to be looking for from Daniel

182
00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,879
Gafford in year two with him to
actually view him as the center of the

183
00:10:39,879 --> 00:10:43,519
future, because it was a relatively
small sample size with which they were working

184
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:48,879
last season after the trade deadline.
Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning and conditioning.

185
00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,799
Last year. I mean asking anybody
around DC, you love Daniel Gafford,

186
00:10:52,799 --> 00:10:56,440
but he had problems finishing games,
and that's probably because of the fact that

187
00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,440
he came from Chicago. He wasn't
playing a lot of basketball, so he

188
00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,360
comes from Cogle. Now he's in
a situation where oh, now I'm the

189
00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:03,960
starter, Like, now I have
to be out here for this amount of

190
00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,000
time and they want me to close
games. In the way he plays the

191
00:11:07,039 --> 00:11:11,399
game, it's so fast he gives
like he's sprinting up and down the floor.

192
00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,600
The bunnies are there, like his
athleticism is through the roof. But

193
00:11:13,639 --> 00:11:16,159
you gotta be able to finish games. So now coming into this season,

194
00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,919
all I've heard from you know,
players and also coaching staff members is that

195
00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:24,360
he's the starting center, like he's
the starting guy in Montrez would come off

196
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,039
the bench to to, you know, relieve him at some point. Then,

197
00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,559
of course, Thomas Bryant is working
back from his injury. He'll be

198
00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,799
back in the fold at some point. But Daniel Gaffard has to be able

199
00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,440
to stay on the court and be
and have that wind about him. He

200
00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,919
said he's been working on it this
offseason. He said, we can't really

201
00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,559
tell until he gets thrown into the
fire, which is a great answer,

202
00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,679
because you can work and you do
win sprints, but you gotta be able

203
00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,320
to go out there and show it
in a real game like scenario. So

204
00:11:48,639 --> 00:11:52,879
I think another thing that he's worked
on this year is just also his jump

205
00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:54,480
shot. I mean, every every
center is working on the jumper. You

206
00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,240
want to be a more diverse basketball
player. And I'm not saying he's gonna

207
00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,039
go shoot three jumpers a game or
anything like that, or I sole in

208
00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,399
the posts over the left shoulder fade
or anything of that nature, but you

209
00:12:03,399 --> 00:12:07,799
know, just being a more diverse
basketball player. But what he did last

210
00:12:07,879 --> 00:12:11,799
year is something that will has been
needed in Washington since I don't know when,

211
00:12:11,879 --> 00:12:16,840
I mean March and Gore. Todd
was probably the last realm rim running

212
00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,000
threat. You like a rim running
threat, but he had an excellent finishing

213
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,799
around the room and he can knock
down middies, and since then you haven't

214
00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,320
had a true skywalker like Daniel Gafford. So play exactly how he played last

215
00:12:26,399 --> 00:12:31,120
year and then just be able to
be available. Your best ability is availability,

216
00:12:31,159 --> 00:12:33,120
and you can't get taken out of
games, you know, on a

217
00:12:33,159 --> 00:12:35,679
two point game in the fourth quarter, because you can't breathe like that just

218
00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,799
can't happen. Do you view embers
someone who can be like a viable backline

219
00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,080
rim protector on the defensive end for
them? Yeah, I do. And

220
00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,679
it's and it's kind of it's kind
of scary because I feel like when you

221
00:12:46,879 --> 00:12:50,519
do cover a team, you kind
of you start to get closer to the

222
00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,200
guys, and you get closer to
the team to where you start thinking,

223
00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,720
maybe you think a little more highly
of them than they are. But I

224
00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:01,279
feel like there's a true gym defensively
and Daniel Effort. I saw some plays

225
00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:05,960
and some blocks that he made last
year when Zion Williamson had the rim that

226
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,120
I haven't seen any guys make since
I've been watching, you know, whenever

227
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,639
Zion actually plays basketball like I've seen, I've seen him play, like,

228
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,399
play some good defense in a lot
of tricky spots. I've seen him get

229
00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,360
beat, but take one stride from
the freak go line extended into the block

230
00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,639
and get a chase down in the
half court setting. Like I've seen him

231
00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:26,879
do freaky things defensively. So,
like I said, if he can have

232
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,960
the win to do it, I
think he's a probably the best defensive center

233
00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,120
they've had in a long time.
And I know that puts a lot of

234
00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,600
pressure on Dai Gaffert, especially so
young in his career, but he has

235
00:13:37,639 --> 00:13:39,960
the tools. He just has to
be able to put it together and stay

236
00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,240
out there on the court. Yeah, his ability to cover ground north south

237
00:13:43,279 --> 00:13:48,639
without a headstart was like crazy farming. Yeah, it's really weird. In

238
00:13:48,759 --> 00:13:52,200
my question, not make this podcast
eight hours long because they have so many

239
00:13:52,279 --> 00:13:56,200
new additions sandwiching that together. Aside
from Dinwoody, who ends up being,

240
00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,960
in your opinion, the most important
or most impactful new player on this roster

241
00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,840
there? Man, I think it's
I think it's honestly a toss up between

242
00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,840
Contavious Callwell, Pope and Kyle Kuzma
and a lot of people who haven't talked

243
00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,919
about KCP this offseason as much as
Kuzma because I guess the name isn't as

244
00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:16,960
sexy as a Kyle Kuzma. Like
KCP was never averaging it is too he

245
00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,759
said what KCP tweets last I think
too. Absolutely, he's not. He's

246
00:14:22,799 --> 00:14:26,440
not doing runway shoots and all that
stuff. Even kuz everybody has a thing

247
00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,440
and that's causes thing, but KCP
is more low key. But I think

248
00:14:28,559 --> 00:14:33,240
the veteran presence that he does bring
to that locker room and also just his

249
00:14:33,279 --> 00:14:37,279
ability to shoot, and he's an
underrated defender as well. They need perimeter

250
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,279
defending. Last year, the perimeter
defending of Washington was probably one of the

251
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,000
most glaring issues. The pick and
roll defense was future Like it almost made

252
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,879
me throw up watching them, Like
I was watching my analysis before h this

253
00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,240
podcast, just watching some analysis from
last year's team, and I was just

254
00:14:52,279 --> 00:14:56,600
like, this is the worst basketball
I've ever watched defensively, And it's true,

255
00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,639
they need perimeter defenders. I think
KCP can stress the floor, knock

256
00:14:58,679 --> 00:15:03,159
shot down, and play some defense. But Kuzman is the wild card because

257
00:15:03,519 --> 00:15:07,399
we have seen Kuzman get real buckets
now defensively, you know, that's another

258
00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,039
story, but we've seen Kuzman getting
real buckets to the point where I'm like,

259
00:15:11,799 --> 00:15:16,159
how does he fit into a Washington
system where you know, the only

260
00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,279
time we've really seeing Kuzman in his
bag is when the offense was all his,

261
00:15:20,559 --> 00:15:22,159
like there was nobody else there to
step on his toes. How do

262
00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,559
you come into a situation now to
where you're playing a second, third fiddle

263
00:15:26,679 --> 00:15:31,279
to a superior basketball player and you
now have a defined role in LA It

264
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,159
was like, Okay, one night, we need to be the point guard.

265
00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,279
Next night, we need to go
stand in the corner. Next night,

266
00:15:35,279 --> 00:15:37,240
we need to do all these different
things. You have a defined role.

267
00:15:37,279 --> 00:15:41,080
You're the helper now, like,
can you still be impacward? Do

268
00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:43,320
you know how to be a role
player or are you always having your eyes

269
00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,799
set on being the superstar. That's
the biggest question for kuz But I think

270
00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,879
he has the tools to be whatever
he wants to be. He just has

271
00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,559
to know how to fulfill his role
and do it with a smile. Like

272
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,639
like, if you're not getting seventeen
shots tonight, cous but you're playing good

273
00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:03,240
defense and you give me fifteen points
and a couple possessions where you're playing locked

274
00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:06,120
in defense, that's what this team
needs. They don't need Kuzman to average

275
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:10,480
twenty four like that. That's just
not what they need. So what you

276
00:16:10,519 --> 00:16:12,679
said about KCP, I think is
spot on, because like he LA had

277
00:16:12,679 --> 00:16:15,120
one of the best defenses in the
league last year, even when the Nyas

278
00:16:15,159 --> 00:16:18,519
wasn't on the court and it was
KCYP was routinely covering some of the like

279
00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:22,600
the toughest option on the other team. I still think he was their third

280
00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,519
most important player when they won the
title in twenty twenty five. I think

281
00:16:25,519 --> 00:16:27,919
it's going to be him, especially
based off what you said about Washington's perimeter

282
00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:32,360
defense. I do think there's the
potential for it to be Kuzma because he

283
00:16:32,399 --> 00:16:37,000
has improved positionally on defense. And
I'm probably not as low on you as

284
00:16:37,039 --> 00:16:41,399
you were on what he did like
as a complimentary offensive player with the Lakers,

285
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,080
except that I'm with you where he
feels like this unformed offensive player still

286
00:16:45,159 --> 00:16:49,480
where there was year one where he
could score all those strump scratch buckets and

287
00:16:49,519 --> 00:16:52,320
then he hasn't really had the opportunity
to do a bunch of that since then.

288
00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,120
But he also when he's had the
opportunity, hasn't done it well.

289
00:16:56,159 --> 00:16:59,000
And so I'm curious if you think
is Washington going to put him in more

290
00:16:59,039 --> 00:17:02,559
of the position like you mentioned,
to be predominitely more of a catching shooky

291
00:17:02,639 --> 00:17:06,319
or playoff others, or do you
think because the packing loater after Bell after

292
00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:07,480
didn't what he couldn't get a little
spoty, do you think that they're going

293
00:17:07,519 --> 00:17:10,559
to ask him to maybe do a
little bit more with the ball in his

294
00:17:10,599 --> 00:17:15,000
hands. I do think so.
So One thing wes Unso Junior said when

295
00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:18,000
he came in is that he wants
to take less. He wants to take

296
00:17:18,039 --> 00:17:22,599
more off the plate of Brad Like
last year, it's just straight isol basketball,

297
00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:26,200
Brad pinned down triple handoff, straight
dho action, Like that's it's just

298
00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:27,799
boring basketball. We've seen it before. There wasn't a lot of ball movement.

299
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,400
He West has gone as far as
saying less playing time for Bradley Bill,

300
00:17:32,599 --> 00:17:36,000
like in more off false a movement
for Brad and not just being the

301
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:41,240
primary ball handler. And that fits
perfectly into incorporating guy like Kuzma who needs

302
00:17:41,319 --> 00:17:45,000
both, like he needs to know
that he's offensively inclined and can't go get

303
00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,880
buckets, but also know how to
how to be that compliment, how to

304
00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,920
set those screens and do those things, especially at his size, like it's

305
00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:53,839
crazy he's six foot ten, Like
it's kind of weird when you look at

306
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,799
him on film, Like is he
really that tall? Like he's legit that

307
00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,759
tall. So I think with the
new offense is being brought in, he'll

308
00:18:00,759 --> 00:18:04,720
have a lot of chances to have
options like if he's the if it's a

309
00:18:04,799 --> 00:18:07,119
dribble handoff, or if he has
to set a screen, or if he

310
00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,799
has to initiate the next play,
he can look at whoever's on him or

311
00:18:10,799 --> 00:18:11,960
get switched on and say, oh
I can get a bucket real quick,

312
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,799
and that allows the offense to be
more free flowing and have more options.

313
00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,480
So I think he will get that
opportunity. And also we haven't talked about

314
00:18:18,519 --> 00:18:22,799
the fact that rue hodch Moore still
doesn't report to camp. Ruyhadh Moore is

315
00:18:22,799 --> 00:18:26,200
supposed to be a starter and he's
still not here. So you know,

316
00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,720
the last thing I heard that he's
going through some taking care of his mental

317
00:18:29,799 --> 00:18:32,160
health. But if he doesn't show
up the camp, it doesn't look like

318
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,799
they're gonna have a starting four and
Kyle Kuzma that's gonna be a lot of

319
00:18:34,799 --> 00:18:38,720
responsibility off off from the break.
I don't think Dobbies would get that start

320
00:18:38,759 --> 00:18:42,119
because Darbies can't play any defense,
But I think Kuzma is probably in that

321
00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:47,960
starting slot and that's good for him, especially coming into this situation this offseason

322
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,160
the way he did. How does
do you see that front court rotation sort

323
00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,039
of shaking out for the Wizards?
Then, and I guess, and there's

324
00:18:53,039 --> 00:18:56,640
the intern without Rui, and then
long term, assuming Rui does eventually join

325
00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:02,759
the team. It's so weird because
the depth is crazy because when I look

326
00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:06,200
at it black and white, I've
tend to name names, and forget that

327
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,480
Thomas Bryant is coming back at somewhere
right right like right now, we do

328
00:19:08,559 --> 00:19:11,599
have the fact that Daniel's gonna start, Montress is going to be the backup,

329
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,640
and then the four position you have
probably like you said, Ruy's not

330
00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:21,319
gonna be there, so Kyle Kuzma. And it's just it's a it's a

331
00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:25,279
weird situation. Darby's is gonna come
off the bench as well, but it

332
00:19:25,319 --> 00:19:27,839
is Darby's gonna come in and play
the three or is he gonna come in

333
00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:33,000
and play the four? Because we
can't really can't really get a stronghold on

334
00:19:33,039 --> 00:19:36,319
who's gonna play what, So if
anything, I would I would probably assume,

335
00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:41,640
like I just said, uh,
Gafford Trez at the four or five

336
00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,759
at the five position? Excuse me? Then you got Ruey at the four

337
00:19:45,039 --> 00:19:48,480
when he comes back and they coming
off the bench, I think first off

338
00:19:48,519 --> 00:19:52,519
the bench would probably be Kyle Kuzma, and then Davis is still like an

339
00:19:52,519 --> 00:19:55,240
odd man out to where where are
you gonna get minutes for a guy who's

340
00:19:55,279 --> 00:19:57,559
making the third most money on the
team, Like it's it's that's why I

341
00:19:57,599 --> 00:20:02,359
said it's almost too much up on
the which his teams for everybody to get

342
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,680
minutes and be successful like that,
they feel like they're built to consult,

343
00:20:06,759 --> 00:20:08,480
like for a consolidation trade in the
front court. I guess you could try.

344
00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,279
I don't know how you feel about
this. Playing a Ruey and or

345
00:20:11,279 --> 00:20:14,920
a Kuzma more minutes at the three
is how you open up minutes at the

346
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,519
four for Briton's I don't know that
I like Ruey at the three. I

347
00:20:18,519 --> 00:20:19,759
don't even really like Kyle Kuzim at
the three, to be honest with you,

348
00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,839
saying, and the thing with the
thing with Ruy, we've been talking

349
00:20:22,839 --> 00:20:26,440
about this for you know, since
Ru's been drafted, is that people say

350
00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:32,640
he has positionless potential and I think
his foot speed is way too slow to

351
00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:37,359
guard threes. Like I think he's
great at guarding fours like that that's your

352
00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:40,440
thing, Like he can maybe stick
in there with fives, but like his

353
00:20:40,759 --> 00:20:42,799
lateral quickness is not there. And
what also, it gets to get factored

354
00:20:42,799 --> 00:20:48,039
into this whole dynamic because you're missing
some valuable practice time and playing time the

355
00:20:48,079 --> 00:20:52,759
more minutes that you are out.
So let's say he does come back after

356
00:20:52,839 --> 00:20:57,240
preseason, what time have you spent
practicing guarding threes. What time have you

357
00:20:57,279 --> 00:21:02,640
spent practicing offensively operating at the three
position? Like, it's not just an

358
00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,160
easy switch. And it's funny that
a lot of like more casual fans are

359
00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:07,319
like, oh, he can just
play right here or you can just play

360
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,599
right there. Well, that's a
lifestyle change like that, that is very

361
00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,319
different. Like you don't just say, oh, I'm gonna go from guarding

362
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,000
well Lebron James is a very extreme
example, but going from guarding Lebrons and

363
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,799
now guarding guards like guarding Damarta Rosen. Damar would eat Ruy alive in one

364
00:21:22,839 --> 00:21:26,680
on one situations and scenarios And that's
a three. So, uh, it's

365
00:21:26,759 --> 00:21:30,240
it's rough, it's a it's a
rough position to be in. I think

366
00:21:30,279 --> 00:21:33,359
Ruey is a four. But yeah, you definitely could slide him up and

367
00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,519
down. I think I would have
more faith in Kyle Kuzman to do that

368
00:21:36,799 --> 00:21:40,720
just because of you know what he
has shown previous years. Ruey's still so

369
00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:42,759
young in his game, man,
he still has a lot to work on,

370
00:21:44,279 --> 00:21:47,640
uh, to stay on the floor
and to hold down that starting position,

371
00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:52,680
let alone moving positions up or down. What do you see let's just

372
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,359
a superwey reports is healthy and everything. What do you see his future as

373
00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:59,480
on offense? Like based off what
he can do? I've what I've watched

374
00:21:59,559 --> 00:22:00,880
him. It's always felt when the
balls in his hands, it feels like

375
00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,279
there's a nice feel there. But
I also don't understand what I'm watching a

376
00:22:04,279 --> 00:22:07,200
lot of the time, if that
makes any sense. No, that's that's

377
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,480
the Rue experience so far. And
one thing with Rue is that compidence is

378
00:22:11,599 --> 00:22:15,359
ninety percent about like with anything.
I think he's as skilled as anybody at

379
00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:19,160
that position at his age. I
think he could he could do a lot

380
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,720
of special things, but he just
has to learn not to defer. And

381
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,039
I think a little bit of that
changes this year with a new coaching staff

382
00:22:26,039 --> 00:22:30,480
and a new system, because last
year is just so much ISO basketball that

383
00:22:30,519 --> 00:22:33,400
guys are just like, all right, like I need to get Brad the

384
00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,799
ball and get out the way.
This year is like everybody, we want

385
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:38,759
you to make your own decisions as
a basketball player out there on the floor.

386
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,839
And Brad, I mean, when
Brad gets the ball to Ruey,

387
00:22:42,279 --> 00:22:45,920
it has to be all right,
I'm at the left block, this is

388
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,519
what my I'm gonna do and if
they can't stop it, I'm gonna keep

389
00:22:48,559 --> 00:22:51,279
doing it over and over again.
Sometimes he'll come out hot in the first

390
00:22:51,319 --> 00:22:52,920
quarter. If he doesn't get a
few touches in the second, you know,

391
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,759
Ruey disappears to maybe the second half, and you can't have that.

392
00:22:56,759 --> 00:22:59,519
He has to continue to be aggressive. But I think if he has the

393
00:22:59,519 --> 00:23:02,599
competence in the aggression, the skill
is right there, the length is there.

394
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:07,960
I also would like to see him
have a little more creativity around the

395
00:23:07,079 --> 00:23:10,880
rim. Right now, he's very
linear. He's very straight up and down.

396
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,160
I mean even on fast breaks.
I kind of know what he's gonna

397
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,160
do. Every time he doesn't have
a euro step, he's just gonna try

398
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,599
to put his shoulder down and lay
the ball up. He doesn't have any

399
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,759
wiggle left or right. Some creativity
around the rim, and that comes with

400
00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,839
just, you know, growing in
the league and knowing that you're not a

401
00:23:22,039 --> 00:23:26,559
n Zaga playing against these uh you
know, the younger guys, the smaller

402
00:23:26,559 --> 00:23:27,759
guys where you can just power over
them. You have to have a little

403
00:23:27,799 --> 00:23:32,599
more creativity and wiggle. So I
think he's working on those things, and

404
00:23:32,599 --> 00:23:34,480
when he comes back, you have
to display that. And I really wish

405
00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:40,440
he was in training camp right now
with West because west his focus this offseason

406
00:23:40,519 --> 00:23:45,000
has been teaching the young guys like
the bets are bets and we can work

407
00:23:45,039 --> 00:23:48,839
on that. But he's been really
breaking things down for the young guys so

408
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,359
their growth, like you're only as
good as the last player on your bench.

409
00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:56,039
And I think Ruy could really do
well being coached by West because West

410
00:23:56,079 --> 00:23:59,359
has been implementing a lot of good
stuff for the younger guys. He's not

411
00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:00,920
mentioned waching staff a bunch of times
and that, Yeah, I think you

412
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,920
can get me to say that,
by the way they pay me to say

413
00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,319
that. Yes, what what material
changes do you think we can expect to

414
00:24:07,319 --> 00:24:11,319
the way that the Wizards are playing
under west Son Junior? Because these coaches,

415
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,400
the first time head coaching hires are
always interesting because there are people that

416
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:15,839
are going to pretend they know what
they're talking about with it. I have

417
00:24:15,839 --> 00:24:18,799
no idea what to expect from him. I know what I've heard about,

418
00:24:18,799 --> 00:24:21,720
what he's done, what his reputation
is. But I'm always you know,

419
00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:23,960
as someone who's just not super exs
and oozy to begin with, you have

420
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,000
this new coach plug in there,
I'm very curious to see what's different about

421
00:24:27,039 --> 00:24:32,559
this Wizard's team on the court under
west On Seljr. Yeah, we we're

422
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:34,240
going off of what we've heard so
far, because, like I said,

423
00:24:34,279 --> 00:24:37,160
this is not just his first time
coaching the Wizard. This is this first

424
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,119
time being a head coach. Like
you just said in general, So even

425
00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,119
what you did in Denver or back
when he was with Washington back in the

426
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:45,759
day. You know, how do
you do that when you are the man?

427
00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,680
How do you how do you walk
in and implement whatever your vision is

428
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:53,079
for the team. It's it's very
uh, it's it's a very fine line

429
00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:57,039
to tread because you've never been in
that situation. So watching him closely,

430
00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:02,000
I just know one thing that he
is put an emphasis on his defense.

431
00:25:02,519 --> 00:25:04,960
Like this team's defense, Oh my
gosh, I mean, I don't even

432
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,319
know where to start. It makes
me sick. The defense was that bad.

433
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,880
It's probably it's crazy. And one
thing that they did poorly last year's

434
00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:18,000
their pick and roll defense. They
switched a ton like they switched every every

435
00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:19,960
time the screen comes in, they're
switching. And when you have a lot

436
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,720
of young players and then a lot
of switching going on, it's so easy

437
00:25:23,759 --> 00:25:26,759
to get lost from the sauce.
They're not gonna switch nearly as much this

438
00:25:26,839 --> 00:25:30,039
year. Your manage your man.
You are a capable defender. You stick

439
00:25:30,079 --> 00:25:33,160
in front of your man, and
if you need help, let somebody know.

440
00:25:33,279 --> 00:25:36,759
But you're gonna be on this island
until you're until we see that you

441
00:25:36,799 --> 00:25:40,440
can't anymore. So less switching is
number one, more ball movement, more

442
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,480
creativity. I don't think you're I
don't think the NBA is ready to see

443
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,359
this version of Bradley Bill off the
ball because he hasn't played off the ball

444
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,880
since prime John Wall and that was
a very long time ago, so it

445
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,960
feels like forever ago, and seeing
Brad off the ball, it's easy to

446
00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,680
guard brad when you're watching him bring
the ball up the floor. And then

447
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:00,960
he said, you get a screen
set for him. You just got to

448
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,960
stay in front of him. But
like what if you lose sight of him.

449
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,079
He hasn't been able to move off
the ball, pin downs and all

450
00:26:06,079 --> 00:26:07,960
those stuff in a very long time. And I think with that being the

451
00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,480
case now, with other capable players
and shooters and guys who know who they

452
00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:15,559
are as players, especially around the
perimeter, and that identity. They don't

453
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:17,319
look to Brad be like, all
right, let me get Brad the ball.

454
00:26:17,319 --> 00:26:18,119
It's like, oh, I can
get a bucket, like this is

455
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:22,880
what I do, and that makes
for a more widespread offense. Somebody asked

456
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,519
me a couple of weeks ago,
I think I was on with Slam and

457
00:26:26,559 --> 00:26:30,279
they asked about him, Well,
Brad average thirty again this year. I

458
00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,799
think Brad actually leads has the shortest
odds or the best odds to lead the

459
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,000
league of scoring this year. And
I said, I think he could average

460
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:38,680
thirty again this year. But if
he's averaging thirty, the team's not winning

461
00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:41,599
a lot of games because of the
fact that he should not have to do

462
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,640
that this year. If Brad gives
you twenty five, twenty six, twenty

463
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,799
seven, that's where you want him
to be because a lot of these other

464
00:26:48,799 --> 00:26:52,400
guys are capable scores. They're capable
shooters, and they've shown it. It's

465
00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:53,960
not just off of what we saw
in college or what we think they can

466
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:59,279
do in film. They've done this. They're they're championship winners in this locker

467
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:03,200
room that had operated at the highest
level in an offense. So Brad keeping

468
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,000
his number down I think his point
slope is gonna come down. But that's

469
00:27:06,039 --> 00:27:08,960
gonna be perfect for what the Washington
Wizards want because it's a more widespread offense

470
00:27:10,079 --> 00:27:12,440
from top to bottom. So we
should expect to be more like an egalitarian

471
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,359
approach. But there's obviously Bradley Beale
at the top of the packing uner even

472
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,559
Spencer Denuddy. But it's not going
to be as maybe heliocentric because it was

473
00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,720
last year. Absolutely, you know, you should never know, like it

474
00:27:22,759 --> 00:27:26,519
shouldn't surprise you if KOLs goes off
for twenty five one night and then the

475
00:27:26,519 --> 00:27:29,200
next night. You know, we're
looking at Corey Kissbert, who was their

476
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,359
first round draft pick. People forget
because there's so many names in this locker

477
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,279
room. Corey Kisbert knocks down sixty
three is the following game, and he

478
00:27:34,319 --> 00:27:37,240
came off the bench. Like I
think when you drafted Corey Kisbert, you

479
00:27:37,279 --> 00:27:41,279
assumed that he would probably be put
into the start line because they needed shooting

480
00:27:41,319 --> 00:27:44,160
that bad. Now it's like,
dang, where does Corey Kisbert fit.

481
00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:48,119
They still got howld Netto, They
got Aaron Holliday, who the kids,

482
00:27:48,319 --> 00:27:52,319
the kids, the guys in the
locker room love Aaron Holidays so far,

483
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:53,880
and I mean, I know he's
not a flashy name, but he comes

484
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,319
to work and that's another option that
you do have. It shouldn't surprise you

485
00:27:57,319 --> 00:28:00,599
if the box score every night it's
different, Like everybody should be able to

486
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,799
go off on their own. I
was gonna ask you about that. Do

487
00:28:03,799 --> 00:28:08,160
you view this team as having like
enough secondary playmakers, guys who can actually

488
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:14,519
set other players up aside from Bimwoody
and Beal And you know what does that

489
00:28:14,519 --> 00:28:18,559
sort of inform about the type of
role Aaron Holidays playing or how much they

490
00:28:18,599 --> 00:28:21,559
were lying on how Willetto, who
I've never viewed as he had a great

491
00:28:21,559 --> 00:28:25,680
season last year. That guy wears
other players skins on defense, but I've

492
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,519
just never view him as like that
table setter on offense. And so I'm

493
00:28:27,519 --> 00:28:32,039
curious as to where you land on
like the structure there that they have of

494
00:28:32,319 --> 00:28:37,119
secondary offensive playmaking. Yeah, it's
gonna be It's gonna be a challenge because

495
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:41,079
I do think even when saying like
it's it's extremely localized for me to be

496
00:28:41,119 --> 00:28:45,359
talking about how Netto did last year? Did this? Then if they're like

497
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,559
people were gonna be listening like whol
like what did how will netto do?

498
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:49,720
Like and and like you said,
he was probably the team's one of the

499
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,480
team's best defenders last year, which
is crazy because I don't even think he's

500
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,640
six two, like he's under six
foot three. I'm he's incredible. But

501
00:28:56,039 --> 00:29:02,400
seeing what they can do with playmaking
outside of Brad and Spencer Dinwoody on that

502
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,240
bench's going to be interesting because they
have a loggedym at the forward position,

503
00:29:06,319 --> 00:29:11,039
not the point guard position. So
that's gonna be something west Unsel Junior has

504
00:29:11,079 --> 00:29:15,359
to come up with on his own. Merit. Hey, that's a that's

505
00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:18,880
a great question. That's that's a
really good question. We'll have to see

506
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,799
what that second unit does look like. And of course you get staggering and

507
00:29:21,839 --> 00:29:25,160
you do all these different things with
your starters, but yeah, that second

508
00:29:25,279 --> 00:29:26,519
unit. Who runs that second unit? I mean, how wool has had

509
00:29:27,119 --> 00:29:30,519
history and doing so, but how
Old is more of a scoring guard,

510
00:29:30,599 --> 00:29:33,079
like he's not, He's not more
of a facilitating point guard. Aaron Holliday

511
00:29:33,079 --> 00:29:37,960
can play decent defense as well,
but they're both kind of more like undersized

512
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:41,880
combo guards to me, and with
a lean to the scoring department. So

513
00:29:42,079 --> 00:29:47,119
we'll have to see how that shakes
out for them. Denny Avya is he's

514
00:29:47,119 --> 00:29:49,599
gonna have any restrictions coming off that
fracture foot. And he's also someone who

515
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,519
know sandwiching that discussion together, I
thought maybe perhaps not immediately, but watching

516
00:29:55,599 --> 00:29:57,039
him, I know he didn't necessarily
have the ball in his hands enough,

517
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,559
but he felt like someone who might
be able to step up and fill this

518
00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:03,400
void eventually for the Wizards as that
secondary type of playmaker. Yeah, it's

519
00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:07,160
crazy. I feel like I need
to apologize. I keep forgetting about all

520
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,480
these the names on this team,
like Denny Is. When we talked to

521
00:30:10,519 --> 00:30:14,480
West the first day of training camp, what he brought up was Denny Optia

522
00:30:14,599 --> 00:30:18,559
as a secondary ball handler like that, and that's something that Denny was marketed

523
00:30:18,559 --> 00:30:22,200
as and has branded himself as since
coming out of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the

524
00:30:22,279 --> 00:30:26,240
draft, and I think he is
capable of that now. Healthwise, he

525
00:30:26,279 --> 00:30:29,960
looks good. He hasn't participated in
any five on five with the players with

526
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,599
the guys out there, but he
has been running three on threes, five

527
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:34,319
and fives with coaching staffs and stuff
like that, and he looks good.

528
00:30:34,359 --> 00:30:38,119
I talked to him the other day
I think you can probably expect him playing.

529
00:30:38,359 --> 00:30:41,400
If not, the first piece is
the game against Houston, I think

530
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,920
the second game against the New York
Knicks. But he's good to go.

531
00:30:45,079 --> 00:30:48,480
I mean, his recovery has been
good and they expect a lot out of

532
00:30:48,519 --> 00:30:52,799
him, especially right now with what
they saw it up him last year.

533
00:30:52,799 --> 00:30:56,400
West un still speaks highly of him, so he will have opportunities to become

534
00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:00,039
the secondary ball handler, especially with
that second unit, something that fans and

535
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,119
it's so much for him last year
because it's funny, when they drafted him,

536
00:31:03,119 --> 00:31:04,839
a lot of fans were like,
who is Denny I deal like,

537
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,039
especially not because of the fact that
he was from overseas, but he was

538
00:31:08,079 --> 00:31:11,240
projected to go top five, So
for him to slide in the draft,

539
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,359
Whizards fans weren't looking that high about
God, oh these guys are locked up.

540
00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,880
Let's see who are actually going to
be projected to come to our team.

541
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,720
And last year you're like, oh, they drafted Denny. He's a

542
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,440
playmaker. And then you get him
and then Scott Brooks sticks him in the

543
00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,400
corner and says, hey, you
need to shoot threes all game, every

544
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,839
game. It's like, that's never
what he's done, like you watched the

545
00:31:29,839 --> 00:31:32,400
film. Even when you talk to
Timmey Shepard the GM on Draft night,

546
00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:36,359
he said he's a positionless basketball player. He can be that playmaker and he

547
00:31:36,559 --> 00:31:38,720
never got that opportunity when Scott was
here. So look for him this year

548
00:31:38,759 --> 00:31:41,880
to be able to do that.
And also they're gonna lean him. They're

549
00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,400
gonna because the depth, They're gonna
work these guys in slowly, like I

550
00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,079
feel. I feel like they feel
comfortable, especially this year, slow walking

551
00:31:48,119 --> 00:31:51,440
a lot more of these guys due
to injuries than they did last season.

552
00:31:52,079 --> 00:31:55,640
It's good to know because I was
pleasantly I didn't I get like shin deep

553
00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:57,759
into the draft and then I'll do
crash courses afterwards. I was surprised at

554
00:31:57,759 --> 00:32:01,079
how like not terrible he was on
defense last year too, And when you

555
00:32:01,119 --> 00:32:04,319
look at the fewer death I was
worried that maybe is he going to be

556
00:32:04,319 --> 00:32:07,880
someone coming off an injury being only
a sophomore. This team has, like

557
00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:10,720
I guess, semi immediate expectations that
could he get squeezed. But it sounds

558
00:32:10,759 --> 00:32:13,960
like what you're saying, he won't
be, And I think that's smart because

559
00:32:14,119 --> 00:32:16,920
he just looks like there's gonna be
a really good basketball player in there soon,

560
00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:22,079
not already. Absolutely a lot of
he was mad last year a lot

561
00:32:22,119 --> 00:32:25,200
because he got called for fouls a
lot of especially on defense, and it

562
00:32:25,279 --> 00:32:29,839
was like, I think he has
the potential to be a really good defender,

563
00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:32,680
but sometimes here a short end of
the stick. You're a rookie like

564
00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,400
this is this is just what happens. And also with the position that you

565
00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:38,319
were kind of being expected to guard. If his size, you've got some

566
00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,440
really wily veterans that are going to
get those calls more often times than not.

567
00:32:42,599 --> 00:32:45,839
So this year is another year for
him. He's definitely trying to decrease

568
00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:47,960
the fouling and that's something that Russell
Westbrook talked to him a lot about before

569
00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:52,519
he left. Didn't even shout it
out Russell Westbrook in his press conference last

570
00:32:52,519 --> 00:32:55,559
week and just saying helping him become
more mentally tough and also defend without fouling

571
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,680
is one thing or two things that
he's focused on this offseason. I didn't

572
00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,680
see them westper comment where if Westbrook
influenced Denny Audias approached at all, that'll

573
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:07,599
be very interesting to watch. Yeah, that's that'd be crazy that'd be really

574
00:33:07,599 --> 00:33:09,240
crazy to watch. I didn't send
this to you in the outline, but

575
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:13,359
do you think this team should have
taken a bigger swing than Kissbert in the

576
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,400
draft at number fifteen? Also sort
of knowing like at that point, like

577
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:19,359
we knew what was happening with Russell
Westbrook, like we knew what the Wizards

578
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,599
were doing. To me, it
felt like, yeah, maybe Kissberg ends

579
00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:23,400
up being able to play a little
bit more right away, but as you

580
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:28,000
mentioned the rotation where he should play, we'll be really crowded at full strength.

581
00:33:28,359 --> 00:33:30,000
I'm just wondering if they should have, like, should they have taken

582
00:33:30,039 --> 00:33:34,880
the project if it was like a
Jail and Johnson like the like the Hawks

583
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,039
did, or even like a you
know when Usman Garuba, who I couldn't

584
00:33:37,079 --> 00:33:39,920
believe fell as far as you get
guys who might not give you a return

585
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:44,960
on investment as soon. But this
it felt like a very wind now draft

586
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:49,119
pick for a team that was veering
away from any defined timeline. Yeah,

587
00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,200
the biggest issue that they had last
year was shooting. Like the shooting board

588
00:33:52,279 --> 00:33:55,200
is terrible. So that was the
number one I think thing on their list

589
00:33:55,279 --> 00:33:58,880
was we need somebody that can shoot
the ball, and Corey kissber felt that

590
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:02,599
fit that mold. Another thing with
Washington is that with ted Leons's and Tommy

591
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:09,400
Shepard, they're really huge on image
and off court presence and just the ability

592
00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,800
to come in and be a professional. If you look at Corey Kisberty,

593
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,639
if you look at Denny Abdia,
look at Rui Hachimura, you kind of

594
00:34:15,639 --> 00:34:19,199
fit a mold of guys who,
Okay, they're seilings may not be as

595
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:22,639
high as X player X, but
they're never gonna give you any issues off

596
00:34:22,639 --> 00:34:25,599
the floor and you haven't heard anything
about them negatively wise in terms of personality

597
00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:30,480
with the what was it Jalen Johnson? I love Jalen Johnson. I thought

598
00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:32,679
his athleticism was crazy. I love
that he that Atlanta picked him up.

599
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:36,199
But with Jalen Johnson, I mean
it's hard to north the fact that people

600
00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:37,320
are like, did he quit on
do? Because he always has an issue

601
00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:42,239
everywhere he goes and does he have
an attitude problem? And with some organization

602
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,519
that are willing to say, hey, we can take a swing, I

603
00:34:44,559 --> 00:34:46,360
think he's talented. Bring him in
this organization, and I don't care what

604
00:34:46,519 --> 00:34:52,159
would happened prior to this position.
We love you, we're gonna take care

605
00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:53,159
of you, We're gonna give you
all the things that you need to succeed,

606
00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:59,000
and some organizations really succeeded that Washington
doesn't want to have to deal with

607
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:00,719
that. I mean especially, I
think something has to be said for like

608
00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:05,320
what happened with John Wall, like
that kind of left a really bad taste

609
00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,280
in ted Leons's mouth to where he's
like, you know, I don't want

610
00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:12,840
anything off the court to impact this
team. Like if we're gonna lose or

611
00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:15,280
if we're gonna win, it's gonna
be because you know, we did it

612
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:20,599
with players that were available and just
didn't you know, live up to the

613
00:35:20,679 --> 00:35:23,480
expectations or exceeded their expectations. But
it's not gonna be a guy that we

614
00:35:23,519 --> 00:35:28,239
have personality questions with off the court. So that eliminates when you watch this

615
00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:30,239
Wizard Team Draft of the Year,
Like, man, I like Jalen Johnson,

616
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,760
but what is there one negative thing
about him? Oh yeah, he's

617
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:36,039
probably not gonna be in DC.
Like that's just kind of where we are

618
00:35:36,159 --> 00:35:38,000
in terms of how they draft guys. And honestly, they love foreign guys

619
00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:42,440
in DC. They love the Japanese
market, the Israel market, Like they

620
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:47,400
just love that to expand to different
continents and countries and nations, and that

621
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:51,519
that's kind of what DC is is
a huge melting pot. And that's I

622
00:35:51,559 --> 00:35:54,239
think another reason why you go with
Denny and Ruey and the draft and courty

623
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:58,719
Kisberd. Of course courty Kisferd.
But extreme is a good point too,

624
00:35:59,039 --> 00:36:01,480
just inin someone looking move off the
ball. This team, You've already mentioned

625
00:36:01,519 --> 00:36:06,000
the defensive problems I had. It's
still so weird. They finished outside of

626
00:36:06,039 --> 00:36:09,440
garbage time sixteen in points loud per
possession. I think I was inflated by

627
00:36:09,679 --> 00:36:14,119
how the season sort of ended for
them. Yeah, is the defense going

628
00:36:14,159 --> 00:36:16,960
to be better this year? And
like what like what what was the inflation?

629
00:36:17,039 --> 00:36:21,320
Dude to like they were they did
a good job. Opponents didn't get

630
00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:22,320
a ton of shots to the rim
last year, but they were finishing at

631
00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,920
will once they did get there.
It was just such an oddball defensive team

632
00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:29,519
that I thought was bad, and
then you look at the standing and it's

633
00:36:29,559 --> 00:36:31,440
like they were around league average.
I don't know what to make of that

634
00:36:32,039 --> 00:36:37,239
size size. Scott Brooks ran a
lot of three guard and four guard lineups.

635
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:42,400
Last year we talked to how would
Netto last Friday, last Thursday,

636
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,239
and how Will Netto said the obvious. I'm a point guard and last year

637
00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,280
I played the two, the three, and sometimes a fourth. Now I

638
00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:52,559
don't know how many teams are playing
how would Netto at the full at the

639
00:36:52,559 --> 00:36:54,719
floor. It's ridiculous, and that
those were things. The all side is

640
00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,800
Schmidt, that is Schmith, how
Will Netto and Russell, Westbrook and Bradley

641
00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:01,000
build all on the floor. So
times at the same time brad is six

642
00:37:01,119 --> 00:37:05,599
three, russ is six two sixty
three Ish, Schmith is six one,

643
00:37:05,679 --> 00:37:08,440
and howld Netto is six two.
You can't defensive wise, I think that

644
00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:12,880
you can stop a team on a
consistent basis with three guard lineups, especially

645
00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,199
when they're that side. Typically,
if you're gonna go with three guard lineup,

646
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,079
you want to go with more positionless
guys that have some type of size

647
00:37:17,119 --> 00:37:21,039
where they bring an expertise in a
set area, and that's not what they

648
00:37:21,079 --> 00:37:22,599
had last year. So I think
with this year you do get a bigger

649
00:37:22,639 --> 00:37:25,840
team. Starting with the point guard
position. You got a big guard and

650
00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:30,920
Spencive Denity didn't he's what six five
sixty six. He's a big guard,

651
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,400
and not that he's been like this
lockdown defender all his life, but it's

652
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,599
a different even when John was here, John is six three, Like it's

653
00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:39,599
a different feel at the point guard
position where you have a bigger guard.

654
00:37:40,119 --> 00:37:44,079
Also, Bradley Bill's defense has to
improved, like this is something that is

655
00:37:44,119 --> 00:37:49,559
just known, Like when it's easy
to talk about your lapses on defense,

656
00:37:49,639 --> 00:37:52,639
when you have to do everything offensively, you kind of get a pass in

657
00:37:52,639 --> 00:37:55,639
that department, And which is a
lot of reason why people want to give

658
00:37:55,679 --> 00:38:00,760
Brad dis respect. But then other
fans and analysts, well Brad doesn't play

659
00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:02,239
any defense. Well, Brad plays
forty minutes and he's the reason why they

660
00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:05,679
had like a hundred of these points, Like he's ninety percent of the reason

661
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:07,719
why y'all have even scored eighty.
So his defense has to get better.

662
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,760
I think all those things kind of
comes to fruition when you bring in west

663
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:14,679
an So junior who does recognize the
flaws on defense. I don't think you're

664
00:38:14,679 --> 00:38:16,679
gonna see many three guard lineups for
West Lonsi junior this year. And I

665
00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:22,960
think the switchiness, you're limiting that
and you do just have more more talented

666
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:27,840
defenders just baseline, and I think
that should be able to shoot them up

667
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:31,039
the ranking a little bit. I
am contractually obligated to ask about Bradley Beale's

668
00:38:31,079 --> 00:38:36,960
future. It does feel like ever
since the reportion about that Russ tried to

669
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,360
get Bradley Beal to request to trade
as well, which Russ might be the

670
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,920
worst star recruiter in the league.
He tried to get team up with Kawai

671
00:38:44,079 --> 00:38:45,880
and then Kawai stole Paul George Smokelama
City. Now he tries to get Bradley

672
00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,840
be able to leave Washington and that
doesn't work out. But it feels like,

673
00:38:50,199 --> 00:38:53,440
you know, if Bradley Beale decided
to stay with this team through that,

674
00:38:53,519 --> 00:38:55,920
it just feels like the noise is
not as loud. But is this

675
00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,079
still a fluid situation given he is
entering a contract year or do you expect

676
00:39:00,159 --> 00:39:04,320
him to sign an extension or is
this just what we should I guess the

677
00:39:04,559 --> 00:39:07,760
question is how likely is brad they
be able to be wearing a wizard's jersey

678
00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,760
after this coming season? Can I
say like yes to every question you just

679
00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,480
asked, because I think all of
those things can be true. I think

680
00:39:14,679 --> 00:39:16,800
it is still a very fluid situation. Like he wants to win games,

681
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:21,159
and if you're an organization that shows
that you're not making strives to win,

682
00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:23,880
then that makes you look that makes
Brad look at the organization a little differently.

683
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,440
Now he's said on record a few
times and off the record, well

684
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:29,440
I can't say what he said off
the record, but he is said in

685
00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:31,960
just conversation that you know, he
wants to retire of Washington Wizard. He

686
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,400
wants that Jersey hung up in the
Raptors and to be there for a long

687
00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:37,800
time. They're the team that drafted
him on his birthday. There's a huge

688
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:40,320
deal for him and they've just that's
been a that's that's his life now.

689
00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:45,880
And they offered them him the extension, which we all knew they would last

690
00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:50,199
weekend, last Friday, last Thursday. But that's gonna sit there for a

691
00:39:50,199 --> 00:39:52,079
little bit, I believe. I
think that's gonna that's gonna sit there until

692
00:39:52,639 --> 00:39:55,840
he feels as though we're moving in
the right direction. Now. On paper,

693
00:39:55,880 --> 00:40:00,119
this team looks better than last year, but we've I feel like you've

694
00:40:00,159 --> 00:40:04,400
said that about this team every single
season that Brad's been here. Is like

695
00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:07,719
this team looks better and you're still, you know, fighting to get the

696
00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:10,000
A seed you're in the play in
situation. In playing scenario, I think

697
00:40:10,039 --> 00:40:14,519
realistically, you want to look at
this team and say, okay, can

698
00:40:14,519 --> 00:40:17,920
we not play the best team in
the playoffs round one? Can we be

699
00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:21,440
a five seed? Can we be
a four seed? Can we be a

700
00:40:21,519 --> 00:40:23,880
top three seed? I think those
are very lofty expectations, but that's what

701
00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:28,159
the type of Brad, type of
player Brad is is the type of team

702
00:40:28,159 --> 00:40:30,119
he wants to have. He wants
that to be to be matched. And

703
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:34,920
I think him and Dane major kudos
to both of those guys, like they

704
00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:37,400
are a different breed. They're so
loyal. But the noise that you hear

705
00:40:37,519 --> 00:40:43,840
now from the Dame side and who's
extremely candid about what he feels in terms

706
00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:45,960
of his future in Portland. It's
the same thing with Brad. Brad wants

707
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:50,239
to be here, but he is
not rushing to sign anything because of the

708
00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:52,079
fact that you have to know that
you're making the right decision and you can

709
00:40:52,119 --> 00:40:54,920
get a lot of Like you can
get a lot of money everywhere. Now,

710
00:40:55,039 --> 00:40:59,079
like that's the thing. You can
get a lot of money everywhere if

711
00:40:59,119 --> 00:41:01,079
you can get a lot of money
and win, great, that's what you

712
00:41:01,159 --> 00:41:04,360
want to do. And if you
can do that at home, excellent.

713
00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:07,519
But so far they have to prove
that they're building a team around him,

714
00:41:07,559 --> 00:41:10,360
and Russ was a big swing and
it kind of hurt Brad a little bit

715
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:15,800
because John was his dog. And
then you have the season where everybody's down

716
00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,360
with Covid and Dobby shows about a
shape and shape and it's just a weird

717
00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:22,280
season. But I think all the
things you can say, it's a fluid

718
00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,239
situation. Do I expect them to
sign yes? Is it fluid? Yes?

719
00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:27,840
Do I expect them to take his
time? Yes? Do I expect

720
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,039
them to possibly look and take maybe
take meetings at some point in time with

721
00:41:30,079 --> 00:41:35,079
other teams. Absolutely? I expect
all those things from Brad because you have

722
00:41:35,159 --> 00:41:38,119
to at this point. Is it
if you're him and you're looking at this

723
00:41:38,159 --> 00:41:40,920
team? Is it? Can it
be all about this season? Like if

724
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:45,480
let's say the Wizards are just like
tenth or something around the trade deadline and

725
00:41:45,519 --> 00:41:47,280
they don't have a clear path to
moving up, well, is even type

726
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,440
of player that might look at what
they're building and say, I can at

727
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,639
least see the vision here because like, even if they have their best season,

728
00:41:52,679 --> 00:41:55,280
they're not gonna they're not going to
be a championship contender right here.

729
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:58,800
And so I'm wondering that how that, you know, the long term sort

730
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,400
of factors in with he's getting a
little older based in NBA years, like

731
00:42:01,679 --> 00:42:05,880
that, how he sort of needs
to weigh that. It's crazy at how

732
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,199
he's in year ten and he's twenty
seven. That's he's twice seven, But

733
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,880
that's that's crazy. And he's the
oldest guy on the team. Like that's

734
00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,360
another thing. We don't talk like
he's the bet and he's twenty seven years

735
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:17,320
old. But I think, yeah, I mean it has to be.

736
00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:21,440
If I were him, I would
look and say, okay, well we

737
00:42:21,519 --> 00:42:23,880
have better players than we had last
year. I think they're starting to realize

738
00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:28,880
what we need and address those needs. A new coach also, I feel

739
00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:31,119
like buys you a little more time
if you're the Wizards and you're looking at

740
00:42:31,199 --> 00:42:34,280
him and saying, okay, well
what can West do in year one?

741
00:42:34,559 --> 00:42:37,360
How do I like Western Sojo?
I think the relationship with Scott Brooks for

742
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:39,679
a lot of players kind of soured, not negatively, but just you get

743
00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:44,400
a little used to playing under a
certain coach and you're not really being challenged

744
00:42:44,519 --> 00:42:46,519
and you're not hearing a different voice. So you bring in a different voice

745
00:42:46,599 --> 00:42:51,320
and you bring in a Flip Russell
for all these different pieces. KCP and

746
00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:53,880
him are really really tight best friends. Like that's a really big deal to

747
00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:58,039
him to play with somebody. I
think that even adds a little like that's

748
00:42:58,079 --> 00:43:00,880
a that's a little addition to the
time on Bradley Bill is playing with a

749
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:04,840
guy who now is your best friend. That that's something that he can get

750
00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,280
behind and staying in DC. But
if they're tenth to run the trade deadline,

751
00:43:08,719 --> 00:43:10,519
I'm gonna have a lot to write
about it, I feel like,

752
00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:15,639
because that that is gonna be very
disappointing on all fronts. You can never

753
00:43:15,679 --> 00:43:21,719
predict injuries or anything like that,
but yeah, it I don't think anything's

754
00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:24,320
off the table if you're tenth at
that point, do you cut some slack

755
00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:28,360
to the roster age, or do
you cut some slack to the first year

756
00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,239
head coach or you're like, man, this is a swing and I thought

757
00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:32,960
we had something, but I don't
think these guys can really play, And

758
00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:36,400
you know, it might be time
for me to take my talent. Solseware

759
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,079
That get's really interesting if they all
Suden are moving him with a half season

760
00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:43,480
essentially left on his deal rather than
you know, two seasons or a season.

761
00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:46,159
Yeah, it's a tricky game.
I plant this is we've reached a

762
00:43:46,199 --> 00:43:49,639
cookie cutter portion of the podcast,
right. I asked this on every single

763
00:43:49,639 --> 00:43:52,599
look Ahead, and this is matchup
based this question. I know. But

764
00:43:52,679 --> 00:43:53,800
if you had to pick, what
do you think ends up being their most

765
00:43:54,039 --> 00:44:00,400
used or most effective crunch time unit
with this roster, Spencer, Witty,

766
00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:07,280
Bradley, Bill, Cantavious Carwell,
Pope at the three. Caseyp's gonna start

767
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:09,079
this year. I don't think a
lot of people realize that Casey is gonna

768
00:44:09,079 --> 00:44:15,280
start at the four. I would
love to say Ruey and then at the

769
00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:21,159
five Daniel Gafford, but it wouldn't
surprise me if it's Kus at the four.

770
00:44:22,119 --> 00:44:27,480
Also, Cools brings a little more
shooting at the four position, not

771
00:44:27,679 --> 00:44:30,280
that he's an excellent three point shooter, but he can. He's a scorer.

772
00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:34,320
He's more of a score and he's
more app to go and get a

773
00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:37,679
bucket than Ruey is at this point
in his career. So probably say Spence,

774
00:44:38,559 --> 00:44:46,440
Brad Kcpku's and Daniel Gaffer or those
basically like four starters, and then

775
00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:50,400
the four is going to be very
like malleable, like would you expect Ruey

776
00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,039
to start if he's with the team
and then ready to go. I would,

777
00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:58,119
Now if if Ruey shows up,
you know after preseason, he's not

778
00:44:58,159 --> 00:45:00,519
going to start, Like what I
just know where that's not the kind of

779
00:45:00,519 --> 00:45:02,960
guy. What's is where you can
just come into camp and now be throwing

780
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,800
this to the fire like that.
So he's gonna have to work for that,

781
00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:07,760
especially because who's has been working his
butt off too. But also the

782
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,880
five position is also kind of up
in there because I think Danan Gafford is

783
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:16,440
the starter. But what they had
and Thomas Bryant, it's it's very consistent.

784
00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:20,280
I mean he led the league in
field goal percentage from inside the pain

785
00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:23,000
at one point in or a couple
of years ago. He's extremely efficient.

786
00:45:23,039 --> 00:45:27,039
He can stretch the floor, and
it's it's kind of like what do you

787
00:45:27,079 --> 00:45:30,159
need because you love stretched bigs,
but also you need some defense, and

788
00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:34,639
Daniel gafferd brings more defense than Thomas
Bryan does. But Thomas Bryan's also working

789
00:45:34,679 --> 00:45:38,119
back from an injury. But I
would agree at four starters in a transition

790
00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:43,519
a fluid situation at the four.
Is there a quirky, out of left

791
00:45:43,519 --> 00:45:45,679
field, weird lineup that you think
this team needs to try, just it

792
00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:49,440
doesn't even necessarily have to be good, just to see what would happen,

793
00:45:49,599 --> 00:45:53,480
to see what it might be.
Yeah, I would. I would probably

794
00:45:54,079 --> 00:46:01,039
go. I would, uh,
let's go spin set the one. Actually

795
00:46:01,039 --> 00:46:06,039
know what, Let's go see Spence
at the one, but at the two,

796
00:46:06,599 --> 00:46:12,800
Corey Kisspert, slide Brad down to
the three, Darby's, Burton's at

797
00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:17,320
the four, and then at the
five when healthy Thomas Bryant. Now,

798
00:46:17,360 --> 00:46:21,840
I don't know how much defense is
getting played in that lineup, but I

799
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:25,480
know that that that lineup can run. That lineup can score like crazy.

800
00:46:25,559 --> 00:46:28,639
That I feel like, you know, you have like a nitro or a

801
00:46:28,639 --> 00:46:30,719
turbo package in football where you got
all your past pressers out there for a

802
00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:35,159
third and long situation. Feel like
that's like a highest scoring lineup. I

803
00:46:35,199 --> 00:46:37,760
see that washing ticket throw out there
and really put some pressure on some defense.

804
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:42,679
Kissberd has been so impressive in training
camp, Like a lot of people

805
00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:45,840
have had questions about other players.
But the most consistent thing that you've heard

806
00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:50,280
across from players and coaches that Kissper's
ready right now. Like Kissburd not only

807
00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:52,159
does he shoot the ball well,
he has a little bit of a load

808
00:46:52,199 --> 00:46:55,960
delivery on his jumper, but it's
still butter. He hustles so hard,

809
00:46:57,119 --> 00:47:02,559
his defense is very obvious. He
doesn't cut any corners. So you're gonna

810
00:47:02,559 --> 00:47:05,760
see a lot of minutes from Corey
kissing. Our West is gonna have to

811
00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:08,800
find him somehow for court, but
he's gonna get a lot of playing time

812
00:47:08,840 --> 00:47:13,239
this year, and he's ready for
it. It seems I agree that line

813
00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:15,559
up should get buckets. I would
also agree that I think they would give

814
00:47:15,639 --> 00:47:17,760
up a lot of buckets too.
Absolutely absolutely. I think the one I

815
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:22,639
would want to see it because I
am an endless lobbyist for small ball lineups,

816
00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:28,519
and I want to see Spencer be
all KCP, Denny and then Kuzma,

817
00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:30,480
Like, let's just roll out Bell
and Duty and all the wings sin

818
00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:34,039
see what happens. I don't think
that lineup defends particularly well either, but

819
00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:37,079
it's fairs netto from locking minutes at
the five, so we don't have to

820
00:47:37,079 --> 00:47:39,679
stay one out the five minutes situations, I don't I do. If I

821
00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:45,920
see Netto play a second outside of
the two guard, I'm throwing my TV

822
00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:49,400
out the window. I do not
want to see it anymore, obviously,

823
00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:52,880
And I love no. Netto can
defend his butt off like he's he can

824
00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:54,480
really defend. Last year he had
such a good He's been good since he's

825
00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:59,079
been in DC. Had an injury
late to him. I think he's sprained

826
00:47:59,079 --> 00:48:01,239
his ankle late season and is production
kind of decreased. And at the same

827
00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:05,239
time, Ish Schmith started getting buckets
out of nowhere and then the last year

828
00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:07,679
too. But Netto was solid.
Man, I really like them this and

829
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:10,960
I apologize for sending you a typo
in your outline, but their over under

830
00:48:12,039 --> 00:48:15,199
is set at thirty four point five? Would you take the over under on

831
00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:19,000
that? And where do you see
them stacking up in the larger picture of

832
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:22,920
the East? I would take the
over I would, I honestly would,

833
00:48:23,079 --> 00:48:28,840
because of the fact that they are
a group that knows how to play basketball.

834
00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:30,719
Like it's less youth. I mean
it's still young, but it's less

835
00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:34,320
youth, if that makes sense.
Like you've got young guys who have done

836
00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:37,679
things and have expectations and everybody feels
like they know that this is this is

837
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:42,079
this is something that we can really
compete with. I think, you know,

838
00:48:42,119 --> 00:48:44,199
if anything, a lot of people
ask me, like Quinn, this

839
00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:46,360
roster, you know, six seed, like we're no longer the eight seed.

840
00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:49,079
I think it, give me six
or five. But the only thing

841
00:48:49,079 --> 00:48:52,400
that I'm challenged with is that the
rest of the East is actually gotten really

842
00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,079
good, Like like I think they
can have a significantly better season than they

843
00:48:55,079 --> 00:48:59,800
did last year and still be around
the seven. Like, I just think

844
00:48:59,800 --> 00:49:01,000
that East is that good this year. And then I look at the West.

845
00:49:01,039 --> 00:49:04,880
The West it's kind of more open
because you have so many injuries.

846
00:49:05,039 --> 00:49:07,519
The East is pretty loaded this year
on paper. I mean, Chicago you

847
00:49:07,639 --> 00:49:09,719
got named Like when you look at
the Knicks, even tho I don't love

848
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:13,280
Edvfornier, They've got a point guard
in Kimbla. And then you look at

849
00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:16,400
all these different teams where I think
they can they can you know, easily

850
00:49:16,519 --> 00:49:22,599
creep up on like you know,
mid forties in the win total would still

851
00:49:22,599 --> 00:49:25,280
be around the same position that they
were last season. So we'll see.

852
00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:28,400
Now every year there's an injury,
it to a certain player, or a

853
00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:31,920
certain team that you know one team
unexpectedly drops and one unexpected team jumps up

854
00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:35,199
in the standings. I think they
can be in the middle of the pack

855
00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:37,880
this year. I don't expect them
to be like a top three or four

856
00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:42,880
seed, but I think realistically,
you know, six, seven, eight

857
00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:45,880
is probably where they'll fit. But
if they can get five six, I

858
00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:50,639
think that's a win for the organization. I think you hit the problem with

859
00:49:50,679 --> 00:49:52,960
the East head on, which is
just that I think there'll be a clear

860
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:55,320
cut packing enter in the top four, even though right now I feels like

861
00:49:55,360 --> 00:50:00,239
Milwaukee and Brooklyn than everyone else.
I think in Landa belongs in the top

862
00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:02,360
four, and then maybe Miami.
But I think four teams will you know,

863
00:50:04,079 --> 00:50:07,559
they'll establish themselves, but everyone like
five. There could be five through

864
00:50:07,559 --> 00:50:10,360
eleven of interchangeable teams. I think
that's what makes it tough to peg where

865
00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:14,480
the Wizard's fall. I'm curious to
why the over under on them is so

866
00:50:14,599 --> 00:50:19,480
low. I'm guessing it's just the
combustible potential of what does happen with Bradley

867
00:50:19,519 --> 00:50:21,679
Beal, Because if you decide to
move him, like no, you're not

868
00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:23,360
winning thirty five games this season.
Exactly. I don't care how many guys

869
00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:27,320
you have, whether you're not winning
without Brad, it's it's gonna be something

870
00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:31,199
interesting because, like we preview on
my show, we preview the Pacers last

871
00:50:31,199 --> 00:50:35,599
week, and it's like, oh, the Pacers have all solid guys,

872
00:50:35,599 --> 00:50:37,519
like they all that they typically do, all these guys that can get buckets.

873
00:50:37,559 --> 00:50:39,840
But then they got Rick Carlisle.
Like, I think Rick Carlisle is

874
00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:43,159
going to bring something to that team
that you know, it's going to be

875
00:50:43,199 --> 00:50:45,559
a little different than we'll be seen
in a year's past. The Celtics are

876
00:50:45,559 --> 00:50:51,199
a tricky team to me too,
because Jason Tatum healthy, Jalen Brown is

877
00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:53,320
healthy, Marcus Smart is gonna be
the starting point guard, There's still much

878
00:50:53,360 --> 00:50:57,280
to desire at the center position.
Like they're kind of a question mark too

879
00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:59,920
now, dude, I think they
think last year they were seven seed.

880
00:51:00,119 --> 00:51:01,880
But a lot of these teams are
interesting. Charlotte just keeps getting better and

881
00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:05,239
they're younger, they're exciting. Lameto
is probably gonna play the rest of this

882
00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:08,000
hopefully he stays healthy this season.
Miami as well, gets Kyle Lowry.

883
00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:12,639
It's just gonna be so many What
the hell is Chicago is what I'm still

884
00:51:12,639 --> 00:51:15,519
trying to like. What is Chicago
because are they gonna defend like they might

885
00:51:15,559 --> 00:51:20,599
defend because they have nice perimeter defenders, but then Booch is down low.

886
00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:27,079
I don't know. Like Chicago to
me feels like a team that coming into

887
00:51:27,119 --> 00:51:30,480
the offseason we're excited about, but
something will go wrong, Like something just

888
00:51:30,519 --> 00:51:32,280
feels like it's gonna go wrong there
in Chicago. I don't know why,

889
00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:35,599
but that feels like one of those
teams to me. And also in New

890
00:51:35,679 --> 00:51:38,039
York, I'd hated the Evan Fournier
pick up. I'm sorry, I'm not

891
00:51:38,119 --> 00:51:42,760
huge in Evan Fournier. Maybe that's
just me, but I didn't see how

892
00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:45,880
I mean, he's a score and
that's awesome, but I don't like the

893
00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:49,760
Evan Fornia pick up. I'm Kimba's
possible to me, but Evan Fournier was

894
00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:52,639
a head scratcher. I mean,
Kimba at that price point is certainly passible.

895
00:51:52,679 --> 00:51:54,719
That's take the flyer, move on, That's fine. I was with

896
00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:59,400
you in the general sense of I
get why they lean so much into getting

897
00:51:59,400 --> 00:52:02,280
shot maker this offseason because of how
that Atlanta sere has went. But you

898
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:07,400
let your best perimeter defender walk What
leverage did Evan Fournier had that he needed

899
00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:10,639
to get that third guaranteed year?
And I know it's a small sample size,

900
00:52:10,679 --> 00:52:14,360
but that might say a lot about
Evan Fournier, but his like postseasons

901
00:52:14,360 --> 00:52:19,000
have been largely unspectacular. So I
love with you. There is there anything

902
00:52:19,079 --> 00:52:22,119
or anyone on this team that I
did not ask you about that you think

903
00:52:22,159 --> 00:52:28,400
needs to be covered. Mantres,
Harold. I don't expect Mantres to go

904
00:52:28,400 --> 00:52:31,159
out here and be six Men of
the Year or anything like that. But

905
00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:37,599
the toughness that like, the reason
they elected to get Montrese is because he

906
00:52:37,679 --> 00:52:40,400
can bring a toughness that I don't
think they've had, like they didn't they

907
00:52:40,440 --> 00:52:45,079
haven't had really like any Rioters.
Like if Brad gets roughed up, you

908
00:52:45,119 --> 00:52:46,920
know who's coming to brass defense,
Ruy, Like you know what I'm saying.

909
00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:51,199
Ruy's not like Davies is a Darbes
is a mean lap being, like

910
00:52:51,239 --> 00:52:53,039
he does not play around. But
you need somebody that's going to come in

911
00:52:53,039 --> 00:52:58,760
instill that physicality, especially on defense, and take some flagrants, take some

912
00:52:59,199 --> 00:53:01,239
and have some idea about them.
So like the last time this team had

913
00:53:01,280 --> 00:53:06,519
that was Mark Keith Morris back in
those death Row DC days, And if

914
00:53:06,559 --> 00:53:07,800
you don't know what that is,
I don't blame me, because that is

915
00:53:08,079 --> 00:53:15,880
another extremely localized Washington Wizards fan thing. But I think Montrese also pushes the

916
00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:19,719
younger guys to be tougher, like
he's gonna bang around with Ruey. He's

917
00:53:19,719 --> 00:53:22,639
gonna like Ruy is gonna have to
assert himself if he wants to, if

918
00:53:22,679 --> 00:53:25,239
he wants to practice with this team. I think Montrese does definitely bring a

919
00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:30,159
different attitude to the locker room that
I think would be advantageous to them.

920
00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:34,119
You mentioned Montres Harrol, which makes
me realize I forgot to ask this question.

921
00:53:34,119 --> 00:53:36,159
Who do you view is the most
likely player to be traded on this

922
00:53:36,239 --> 00:53:45,800
roster heading into the season? Man, Probably cous really, that's interesting,

923
00:53:46,119 --> 00:53:52,360
Probably probably Cous Not that not that
Washington like doesn't like him. But if

924
00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:58,000
I think if you're a team that's
calling about somebody, it would probably be

925
00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:01,920
between like CU's and KCP like.
You're looking at guys who have been there

926
00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:06,480
before. We've had a track record
of being playing winning basketball. I have

927
00:54:06,559 --> 00:54:08,880
had experience in the playoffs. You
want somebody, especially like if you're an

928
00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:14,320
elite team, you wanted somebody who
can come in and not shy away from

929
00:54:14,360 --> 00:54:17,440
that spotlight. Now, I think
Washington views Cou's extremely, extremely high and

930
00:54:17,519 --> 00:54:22,519
think there's a lot of untap potential
there. But you might be able to

931
00:54:22,519 --> 00:54:24,639
get something for Kyle kuzmant the trade
their line if if things fall apart and

932
00:54:24,679 --> 00:54:30,440
you have to start unloading ships.
So I think probably kuz Or. It's

933
00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:31,920
just tossible. Between the Lakers guys, it's all they're all Lakers. Who's

934
00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:36,000
KCP in Mantrese. I guess I
looked at it from the view of like

935
00:54:36,039 --> 00:54:37,320
they would be buyers because of what
they're trying to do. So I just

936
00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:42,119
viewed Harold salary like that expiring contract
to Magic. But what you bring up

937
00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:45,239
a really saling point if they just
if they're willing to prioritize the bigger picture.

938
00:54:45,599 --> 00:54:49,559
I think KCP and Kuzma, aside
from Bill obviously, are going to

939
00:54:49,639 --> 00:54:52,079
generate the most interest on the roster, and they're much easier to part with

940
00:54:52,119 --> 00:54:55,920
than a Bradley Beal because that that's
a directional decision on your entire franchise.

941
00:54:57,039 --> 00:54:59,639
Yes, yes, absolutely, I
didn't even think of it from your point

942
00:54:59,639 --> 00:55:01,360
of view that it's a good point
as well. Tres's contract is right there,

943
00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:05,320
and Tress kind of feels like,
you know, sometimes he feels like

944
00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:07,039
the odd man out. I mean, because we talk about Thomas Bryan and

945
00:55:07,079 --> 00:55:10,559
we talk about Daniel Gafford because we've
seen them in DC. But Tress is

946
00:55:10,599 --> 00:55:14,840
like a tweener guy, Like he's
not your back to the basket big He's

947
00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:17,480
not like an elite defender, but
he has a force out there on the

948
00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:20,880
floor, and I think a lot
of teams could use a guy like Tress

949
00:55:20,880 --> 00:55:23,360
as well. Quentin, thank you
so much for speaking with me. Are

950
00:55:23,360 --> 00:55:27,119
you able to tell our listeners where
they can find you on social media and

951
00:55:27,159 --> 00:55:30,199
all the great work that you do? Follow me on social media at Real

952
00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:34,280
Quentin Mayo also hosts the show for
All Tossey It's bet MGM Tonight. It's

953
00:55:34,280 --> 00:55:37,559
actually a live sports gambling show from
seven to eleven pm Eastern times, so

954
00:55:37,599 --> 00:55:40,360
you can guys can tune in on
that and for the Wizard season, the

955
00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:44,639
cover the team also for All Tossey
and Blue Wire, so you can check

956
00:55:44,679 --> 00:55:47,239
me out at Blue Wire Pods,
the Quinn Mayo Podcast and also stream live

957
00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:52,039
on Twitch, Twitch dot tv slash
Quentin Mayo, so any Wizards content,

958
00:55:52,119 --> 00:55:55,039
and we also do a lot of
NBA stuff as well on our noon streams

959
00:55:55,039 --> 00:55:59,400
and just go back and watch all
the games and laugh at Dwight Howard probably

960
00:55:59,440 --> 00:56:04,119
out in prese and stuff like that. I commend you for watching preseason NBA

961
00:56:04,199 --> 00:56:07,840
basketball at all. I saw one
clip and that's it, so we'll probably

962
00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:09,480
watch it a couple of days from
now. Quentin, you do a lot

963
00:56:09,519 --> 00:56:12,960
of work, and you do it
extremely well. So thank you for giving

964
00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:15,599
me so much of your time,
and rest assured I will be pestering you

965
00:56:15,639 --> 00:56:19,599
again in the future. Not a
problem, man. Thanks for having me