What is up, fellas, I'm clear a efforts. I am Dan Valley,
coming at you with my certified finn As, always dripping with fantabulous miss
co host of the number one podcast. We've transcended the number one NBA podcast.
We moved into the number one sports podcast of all time. Co host
of the HARDWOODKNOCKX podcast, which, like I said, the number one sports
podcast of all time. Mister Grant Hughes, mister Hughes, how the heck
are you doing? I'm just looking at my you can't see it. It's
off screen. It's over here. My list, my hit list of podcasts
we need to take down because we've transcended sports. And it's like I had
started the line through SmartLess. I feel like we're gonna get them, and
then like armschare Eck's is probably next, I think, And so I'm really
excited about this. We're gonna need bigger fish eventually. Like just we can
be the number one media property. We don't need to be confined to podcasts
like people are like I listened to you, and you know the Bill Simmons
podcast is like that's really cute, but like, who is Bill Simmons that's
just like, I hope he makes it good, you know, I hope
he keeps trying. I can feel I just imagine how intimidated I would be
if I were looking up at us all the time and just thinking, like,
what do I have to do? You know, I'm out of ideas.
I've actually read with I have anyone watch on YouTube. My face red
with laughter. That's incredible. We have gotten a lot of really positive support
outside of our discord, which is always a billboard of positive well most of
the time, of billboard for positivity. So thank you everyone for your support.
As always, we really do appreciate it. Even the number one sports
podcast trying to become the number one media property in the world. We see
all of you saying the things, and we very much appreciate all the support
there. I do feel like there's gonna be at least one fan base that
is irate with me after we because I want to start with I don't actually
want to start I don't even want to give them the our time of Look,
our time is valuable, right, you have to start here though,
like you're compelled to the Denver Nuggets and they're there are and I told you
that I was going to hijack the start of this. So if you need
to go grab like if you go to the gym, you go to the
gym. Yet you got to I'm just ready. I'm I'm ready to be
exercised by your passion and great points that are forthcoming. I want to make
one thing clear that this series, when we come out of it and when
we talk about them, it needs to be more about the Wolves. Their
defense is, and I don't say this lightly, it is one of the
most effectively aggressive defenses I've ever seen in my entire life, to where it's
just like the amount of pressure they put on you without fucking up or providing
an opening is honestly incredible. And it's they've they were the best defense in
the regular season. This is not like the like just what and again they're
playing. They tried playing Jaden McDaniels and your guy Nikile Alexander Walker together more.
That's not something that they generally did a ton like relative to their other
lineups during the regular season. They're hell fire and they did it in Game
two without Rudy Gobert, who I was ready for terrible discourse if they lost
that game and he they were the birth of his child, and why would
you miss that game. It's the playoffs and so turns out doesn't matter and
it shouldn't have. That should take precedents, real life should take precedence over
a fucking game. So this is more about the Wolves, and we will
talk about the Wolves and how they have broken the Nuggets. There's also the
caveat of KCP bum ankle. You could tell it. Jamal Murray Castrain you
could actually tell also doesn't like heat packs. Apparently that is a That was
a sorry ass effort. They looked like a bunch of punks the Nuggets did
in Game two. And I appreciate Nikola Jokic's equilibrium to where I don't need
him to be this source of rage afterwards. I saw people getting mad at
his lack of incense, like in the media quotes afterwards. I'm fine with
that as long as you play like you give a fuck. He did not
play in game two like he gave a fuck. I'm not questioning whether he
likes basketball or not. I think he's one of the greatest players of all
time, which is why if you're mad about the discourse surrounding Nikola Jokic.
Take it as a compliment, not because I'm the one saying it, but
because that's the bar to which he needs to be held, is that of
an all time great who understands how to adapt his game to be more aggressive
when the dynamic of your team is shifting, which it is shifting because Jamal
Murray's injured and they don't have the room for him to do less, or
he doesn't know how to adjust to do less, so he's taken bad shots
or missing trying to create separation and can't do it. You look at the
way they played and it was disgusting, especially in the third quarter. And
there's been hints of this all playoffs. They've started terribly in these playoffs.
They're starting lineup right now. Through two games against Minnesota, one of which
Rudy Gobert was not a part of, their starting line has been out scored
by forty two points in thirty nine minutes. That is a fucking shit show.
And you're out there, you have Nicole Jokic only taking twelve shots.
You can credit the Wolves defense all you want, like you can't catch the
ball in traffic or you're just putting it on the floor. Trying to dribble
through like eight dudes, like with this loosey, goosey nonchalance, and then
some of the passes that everybody's throwing. What are you doing like you're supposed
to be this you're the title favorite, Like you're supposed to be the title
favorite. Then Wolves are doing this great job. This is the first time
that I've really watched Nicola Jokic and it was I felt like they need something
different long term or in this series from him to where it's what is this
dude doing here? I understand this team is going through the motions, and
if you told me they came back and won the series, it wouldn't you
know what, It would shock me because it was just one of the sorry
as efforts I've ever seen from them. Even when you're baking in the caveats
of the Wolves are fantasket, It's fantastic. The Nuggets are clearly dealing with
injuries, and you're watching that game. It was like by the midway through
the third quarter and it was just clear like they're not moving, They're not
even trying to move or be in the right position on defense, like contagious
Calbo Pope was probably the guy that felt like he was giving an Aaron Gordon,
especially in the first half. Those were the dudes that were like still
giving it for the most part. I'm watching Nicole Jokic and it was not
do I think that he's good or And you even mentioned this that you think
that Nicole and Jokic discourse could turn after the series in the Macro. I
don't think it should, but like, you need to show something more than
you did in Game two. And this is I guess this boils down to
Radio Dan where I was saying, just give more, give, give more
fucks, and I don't like to boil it down to that, but give
more fucks. You're on your home court and you're just getting absolutely punked there,
and I really think it comes down to the way they defended. For
me too, It's like this they were unraveling on offense, but the way
they're defend, Like again, by the third quarter, it felt like KCP,
even though he was kind of getting beat at points, I felt like
it was really the only one that was like giving any sort of damn there,
and that's just inexcusable at this level, especially when you're at home and
you're going against a team that has had offensive issues all year, and they've
they've shown up in these playoffs. We know what Anthony Edwards could do,
and Wolves are of all the credit in the world. I don't know how
you come away from that game thinking that the Nuggets have a chance in hell
of winning this series. I did not come away from the game thinking the
Nuggets have a chance to win the series. I think I'm just like,
it's hard for me to pile on the Nuggets, which which is justifiable without
like just flipping it to how good the Wolves have been. And I think
what's among the many things that should concern Denver is just the idea that like
it almost feels like they've been surprised by how effective this Wolves defense has been.
And like you know, you've heard I think Aaron Gordon had comments about
it, how Yokic is getting hacked you know all the time, and yeah,
that's the reason you lost by eighty. My guys, well that's the
thing. It's like if I was gonna ask you, like, and it's
almost rhetorical because we talk about this all the time. It's like the way
the series is being officiated, I guess favors the more physical like longer,
more active defense, but like when does the longer, more active, more
physical defense not have advantages like that unless the referees come out and like there's
whistles on the first ten defensive possessions to like signal to Minnesota, you can't
play this way, Like it's never gonna be the wrong move to come out
and just be like we will hack on every play, not saying they're doing
that, but if if you want to go that route and complain about that,
like aspect of the series, Like it's never the wrong decision to come
out that way because like maybe the refs are gonna cut quote unquote let them
play, and then you just the ball starts rolling and you can't you know,
nuggets have no answer. I think maybe for me because I agree with
what you said, I think it's it's it feels like we're not doing a
deep enough dive or being thorough enough in our analysis to say like Denver needs
to play harder, care more whatever, like come out with more intensity.
But it's just like what else do you say, So like let's so let's
put that aside. We agree on that. Well, there's the the other
thing too, is if they want to deep dive for the series, the
Nuggets are minus nine in points off turnovers, they are minus nine in second
chance points, they are minus seven in fast break points, and they are
minus twenty eight in points in the paint. And so it's just like,
you have to win something and they haven't. And it's not just because they
got there the shit kicked out of them in Game two, Like this is
stuff that's dating back to Game one, and there's the lack of you're not
gonna win the series anyway if Tamal Maury's like this, and that would be
fair. But if you saw that the intensity or the ability to like Nicole
Joki can bring the ball up the floor more, that is something he can
do, right, And it's just not something like you could talk. I
know, I saw some people about, well, you need to like rely
on MPJ Moore as a creator, and the answer is no, because he
hasn't done that all season. And I think it's they've gotten away from some
of their principles where if you want to do this dual timeline stuff and Peyton
Watson's playing under ten minutes in a blowout and you clearly didn't trust him in
Game one I get the offensive concerns there, but maybe someone who will move
on the defensive end. Here's your keep die sorry, no, no,
And all those things like are good illustrations of like how Denver is losing the
like whatever you want, the intensity of the athleticism, the give a shit
like battles, because all those numbers are like at least are closely and in
some cases loosely related to like those aspects of the competition. But it's like
I kept thinking during Game two in addition to like, oh my god,
the Wolves are just like their lineups are so big, and they're so physical
and they're so relentless, Like this is overwhelming for anyone, but it just
makes me think, like, because you know, I always come back to
this for the playoffs, the teams that succeed are the ones that don't have
exploitable weak links. And it's it's amazing to me that the Wolves defense has
exposed weak links that you just and you know, put I guess the injury.
We can't just pretend like Murray is one hundred percent and kcp's one hundred
percent and like that their injuries don't matter. But independent of that, Minnesota
is showing that Denver. If Yokic cannot facilitate, like the offense doesn't succeed,
Like that's just like Murray isn't good at Murray's not an all star level,
like I'm gonna run this offense and independently like he even at one hundred
percent, Like that's an iffy proposition and so hobbled. It's just like,
well, Okayn, where does Denver go to create good shots against the defense?
This good if Yokic isn't gonna be able to do that because you have
length on him, You're doubling, you're forcing him to take threes, you're
forcing him to be more. They're forcing he just refused to take them.
This is the thing. So that's one thing. And just the depth issue,
like I don't I feel like when you there were lineups with like Justin
Holiday and Christian Brown and Reggie Jackson on the floor together and it's just like
this this is not going to work at all, Like there's just no So
the depth is another thing. The lack of secondary creation is is probably the
main thing I'm looking at, but like it's okay, so if and on
the other side, Minnesota has weaknesses too, and Denver's defense, to your
point, is not and is just not exposing them like, oh, Jane
McDaniel's going after Murray repeatedly at the start of especially in the third quarter.
Yeah, just like there are so like if you're looking for hope on the
Nuggets side, it's like Minnesota hasn't just morphed into a team that's different from
the regular season one that just sometimes could not score. It's like those those
things are out there for Denver to attack, and you know, leave Jade
McDaniels alone, like, you know, attack cat so he gets in foul
trouble, get him out in space, like do what. There's just ways
to go. Denver doesn't seem tactically or like motivationally like inclined to like go
after that sort of stuff in the same predatory way that that like Minnesota is
just like it's the timberwolf is like the correct mascot for this team right now.
They're just like it's a pack and it's swarming and it's just like they're
vicious and it's it's such a perfect thing if you're the Nuggets, let's like
spin it forward a little bit, like doesn't it just need to be now
go Bear coming back might change this, but doesn't it need to be.
If Yokic isn't gonna shoot threes and Cat's gonna guard him, you just have
to basically change your offense or at least early in the game, to where
Yokic is like getting the ball at the elbows or on the block and he's
gonna try to score on Cat. And if you send a second defender,
that's almost always what the Nuggets want anyway, because then he can use his
greatest skill, which is setting up other guys to score. Like is it
as simple as just do that until Minnesota proves that you know, Cat's not
gonna foul out? Or it can it can rotate quickly enough, like what
are this? What are the solves? Or like if we get away from
well, they need to be healthier and they need to try harder, like
what what is the fix against the defense? Like this? And all this
momentum now that Minnesota has built up, I don't think that they have one,
and so that would be more. You know, these were two close
games that they lost that I feel like that would be the discussion that we're
having. I think what they could do is do you sell out on offense
a little bit to you know what, like it's time to go pull the
Peyton Watson and Christian Brown at the same time lever, because we need to
at least try and make sure that we're not getting caught caught off card by
Minnesota's offense, which has been They've been able to it. They've been good
and smart about it, seemed, attacking weak points in Denver's defense and repeatedly
going after me. Of course, it helps that you have Anthony Edwards,
who's just once again like having a transcendent series here. But karl anthy Towns,
he's been really good. This has been a very like productive nas read
series and they're getting Look, I mean, you have we've talked about like
Nikailexander Roker has become a dependable three point shooter, is basically what I'm stammering
through my work, Like that's just the thing that's happening. You have the
smarts of Mike Conley, and so the Wolve's offense has been really really good
and it's not a matter of on that into the floor. Yeah. Game
two, it felt like they really just sort of imploded at both ends of
the court. When you look at the Nuggets, but it was the Wolves
that led them to the implosion. And when you're looking at how they've been
able to poke in prod like if so, My point being, it feels
like Denver actually has more control, can have more control over what the Wolves
are doing on offense, then they can have control over their own over their
own offense at this point, if that makes sense, because as you can
do whatever you want with Jokic, I know his game is not he's gonna
have knights where he doesn't take all those shots, but like part of being
this three time MVP that he's about to be is yeah, and he's always
I thought he's always done a really good job of toggling between existences. I
think he's done a really poor job. He did a poor job of that
in game two. In game one, like he took shots, he took
more threes. I don't think if Murray's going to be like this, you
just don't have I agree with, yeah, go ahead do that, Like
it's just try to make Yokic's score and make them send two or three to
the ball and try to cape from there. I'm almost at the point like
if this is gonna be what you look like on offense or if you could
only be a little bit better, is it? I'm not They're not gonna
yank Jamal Murray out of these lineups, so though maybe the NBA will do
it for them for Game three. After throwing the heat pat by the way,
I like in our discord, I said, like it fits me,
I'm suspending his ass for Game three because, like I don't know, if
I don't know. Part of it was like we were talking off air like
I'm frustrated and annoyed because I thought Denver was gonna win and they're getting their
asses kicked, and I'm like, oh, you're making me look like a
fool. So I'm mad at Denver just subjectively, No, he should be.
You can't throw shit on the floor during play, like it's just like
one, it's just like it's bush league, and two it's super dangerous,
Like, guys, we're jumping up and down near that he Now you're gonna
leave without talking to the media for the second straight night. Yeah, I
have no bones about I don't really like saying this about people who are so
much younger than me specifically, and so we're talking about it. He's a
twenty seven year old. He's adult. That's that's powered. Shit. Go
talk to the media after you through something. He should be suspended like he
should. I don't want to see the first of all, the sea isn't
gonna be packed up impacted either way because at this, at this rate,
the way how injured he is. I honestly don't have a sol for the
Nuggets, but he You don't want to see a playoff series impacted by an
absence. But you know what the Wolves in let Rudy Gobert's absence impact them.
I get their healthier, I get there longer, I get that they
were kind of built and look, I saw someone tweet this, if Tim
Connolly is both the person to build the Nuggets and then their kryptonite shout out
to whatever that on Twitter, that's fucking crazy. Yeah. So but he
should be suspended and it shouldn't be. I don't want to see a playoff
well if you get swept or down, if like look that Jamal Murray didn't
play. Game three is a completely different series. I don't know what they're
gonna do. But that's that's dangerous stuff. And what were you thinking?
I know, I was trying to watch the video and I was like,
does it look like it slipped like he was just waiting. No, it
doesn't, so it it to me it signals like so we what we want
is, oh, Denver's got to like, you know, get more serious
and fit, like you know, physical and intense and all that stuff.
But like the way that Denver because they're frustrated, the way that Denver collectively
operated in response to the frustration of Minnesota, just like eating its lunch was
like all the wrong ways. Like throwing the heat pack is obviously the most
egregious thing, but like Mike Mike Malone in the first quarter, like sprinting
onto the floor and just getting into Mark Davis's shit over like a block charge
call on the other end that like was okay, sure that could be a
charge. I guess kat On Murray. But then like by the way Edwards
also just like kicked KCP in the nuts making a layup right before that too,
So it was like I get it, but like that was a sign
of like and the heat pack, the Malone outburst, the Aaron Gordon tech
later during stoppage was just like it felt like an expression of like helplessness,
Like we can't. We can't like manifest any kind of like response on the
floor and we don't know what to do. So we're gonna we're gonna let
all this out some way. And it was just all the wrong ways.
It really does like point to me. It highlights to me like Denver does
not feel like it has answers and it's just like acting out, you know,
uh, in all the wrong ways. I had another point to make,
but I lost track of it in the in the Murray suspension discussion because
I was gonna bring that up to oh, so what I think that it's
like the reason we liked Denver so much for and and just believe like you
can't beat them is like the way they beat teams and Jokic specifically, it
like feels surgical, like they're diagnosing. They're saying, oh, you you're
gonna do A, so we do B and you don't, like you don't
have a C, so like we win, like Jokic can just pick things
apart, operate. It's and it's like the way the Wolves are playing.
It's like Denver is trying to operate, like imagine like they're a surgeon or
something, and it's like Okay, we do. We cut here and here
and here, but it's like there's an earthquake going on, and it's just
like you can't you can't focus enough, like you're being spent. Denver's being
sped up, Like how do did you ever imagine that Denver could be sped
up and like forced into like panic mode. That that is a new experience
for this version of the Nuggets. You could even see it what their defense
is doing to like the point of like Jokics trying to like not even I
can't even call it, like he's trying to re screen. They like don't
even let him set the initial screen. Everything's work, They're making everything's hard,
everything's like messy. They just aren't letting Denver get comfortable. And I
feel like I need to shout out Jayden mcde Anthony Edwards shout out Jayden Daniels.
We talk about for what is he twenty two? There's I know we
underrate leadership qualities, but every single interview he does is just I come away
like, wow, this he gets it, Like he just he gets it
in a way that we don't even get it type deal where he can bring
it back to He's always shouting out his teammates, which one, okay,
you get, but it's like he's called him out specifically for something. It
was Jade McDaniels, which so I want to shout Jay McDonalds. It was
pretty hard on him because of his offense during the regular season and at points
justifiably though, like that's that was fair. The Nuggets are scoring when he
guards Jamal Murray in this series zero point six two points per possession. When
he guard on a possession in which he guards to Murray, that's fucking bonkers.
Yeah, that's crazy, Like that's like I don't even by Jaden mcdaniels's
standards, even by the standard of Jamal Murray being injured, that is that
is absurd. He had been like just he's been smothering, suffocating, and
Kile Alexander Walker has been good too, So it was Anton. I mean,
I think you could have made a case during the regular season at Mikhail
Alexander Walker and this is you know, smaller minutes, maybe not facing him
a start of he was like might have been better defensively than Jade McDaniels.
J McDaniel's had the harder workload though for sure. Uh, he's been.
McDaniel's been spectacular in this series, but Andy Edwards also shout out Jan McDaniels
and the way that he's just been able to make you sort of where maybe
internally make Karl Anthony Towns feel like he is still like a one one B
or one A when it's just like no, that's not and we don't need
to get him. That's fine, but like he's still deferential to Karl Anthony
Towns and he's just we talk about toggling between existences. I felt it more
in this series than ever. We're like he kind of like he can flip
a switch between like now recognizing when he needs to force something or when it's
he need they need him as a score, when he needs to actually defer.
And Game one, do you remember point I felt like he was by
the second quarter or something, he winded and then like all of a sudden,
it's just like no, like he's gonna set up maybe defer a little
bit more, But then he's back and he's closing strong. He has been.
I don't know that you can speak in hyperbole about Anthony Edwards at the
moment on that topic. I think it was in game one where Reggie Miller
was saying, like, you know, show me a better two way player
in the league than Anthony Edwards, And my, my, my immediate reaction
is just like ah, cringe, Like I just come on, man,
Like, first of all, what does that mean is we've started with face
of the league and now we're now we're talking about two way player, which
is like this term that gets thrown out like when a guy is good at
both sides, but it's like, well, it's he. It was just
like I don't know that participation trophy where it's you wanted to call him the
best player in the NBA but you couldn't because of Lebron at the time,
the totally totally apt comparison. The thing is, though, like the longer
this goes on, again, like I'm so resistant to like, let's crown
this guy because he had a like an All NBA season, but I don't
think anybody serious had him as a first teamer and like, you know,
he's just statistically like he's not on the level of a lot of those guys
on the first team and in that neighborhood, wasn't a serious MVP candidate.
And I'm I'm so resistant to like it's too early, like what are we
doing? But like to this point in the postseason, given his age,
like what else do we need to see, like I other than like keep
doing it right, Like it's not like there's this glaring and to your point
about the leadership thing, the Michael Jordan comparison falls apart there because Jordan broke
guys down and like if you survived it, you were better for it.
But it just like lifts guys up. Like he's he's completely different type of
leader where it's like he like somehow he's getting away with and not getting away
like it's a bad thing, but like he's marrying just like the killer instinct,
like just a monster on the floor with Also like he like we love
it when he talks his shit and like Kat said after the game, like
when he's talking shit, talking to shit, like we know, like good
things are gonna happen, and he's like pointing out guys when they fall down
and like we're cool with it, whereas a lot of other guys would be
like that's an unserious basketball person out there. We don't like that. In
our alphas, it's like he gets to do it his way and it's as
long as he's just gonna keep like kicking everybody's ass. It's like he's just
like a new he's a very it feels like a new brand, like a
younger brand of like this is what the best player in the league can look
like in twenty twenty four, where he's just like he's having a great time
and he's lifting guys up, but he's also just murdering everything in front of
him. It's a weird hybrid that like, I maybe that's why I'm uncomfortable
with all the like let's crown him already. Is like I don't feel like
I've seen this before and I don't know what to do with it. Yeah,
there's been Like it's weird too because he's already had some bigger called postseason
moments like where it's been you have this regular season sample, but then he's
just this like freak in these like higher stakes games and the other It kind
of led me to believe because we talk a lot about other players in Jabal
Murrady one where it's all right, in the regular season, it's okay,
he's really good, but then he had two game winners in the last series.
He has these epic playoff performances. Does that you get that vibe from
the Wolves collectively? I know they were dominant on defense, but is this
everyone was worried about can they hold up in the postseason Crucible? And it's
weirdly, now, are they better built for the postseason crucible than the regular
season slog? That's a great point, I think. I think I was
certainly guilty of this, and I think a lot of people were that didn't
buy the Wolves of like, well, the offensive weaknesses are just too pronounced
and so the defense doesn't matter, and everybody plays harder in the postseason so
that it vantage dissipates. It's like, maybe we should have just focused on
the strengths and the things that like might actually matter more in the playoffs,
which are all the things we've lauded them for in the last twenty five minutes.
I think that there might be something to that, because like youth,
physicality, aggression, commitment to just like we're gonna be the toughest team on
the floor, Like that's a strength of theirs, and I think that does
matter more in the playoffs. I guess. I mean, don't the Knicks
kind of fit into that to a lesser degree to where it's just like we're
gonna play our asses off and like good luck. Keeping up is kind of
you know, not the same defensively, not the same makeup. But I
don't know. I guess you feel like you learn something new every postseason,
and maybe this year's lesson is like just I don't know, the team that
just brings it defensively is the one that is gonna win now, I mean,
this will We'll see how Boston does and if we get a Boston Minnesota
finals, like, holy shit, that's gonna be. I'm already you want
to start a thunder Wolve's preview for the conference finals. I have started thinking
about how interesting that series might be. But yeah, you talk about a
contrast in styles, that would be a big one. Just line up structure
alone, right, just the size? I mean this, well we can't,
right, Dann, We get the map, like you can't do it?
The is there any other thing else that you have? Like? From
is there? Like? What is there? I don't I don't even know
how to say anything. I'm not trying to say anything negative, but like,
is there anything you look at with the Wolves and it's we just need
to monitor that one. It's like this could go this could go wrong a
couple things. I think there was a really telling run in Game two where
the Wolves were generating turnovers and like just still the through line of that that
game was Minnesota continuing to just like physically dominate Denver defensively. But it seemed
like I guess it was probably the second quarter, I can't remember now.
It all kind of runs together in a blowout like that, but where the
Wolves would generate a turnover and then like Nasried would hit a three, generate
another turnover, and like Nikhil alex is Na hits a three, and it's
so like, I don't know if I believe that, like they can continue
like the back to backing of ridiculous defensive play and like backbreaking three on the
other end. So it's just it's just circling back to like can they really
continue to score effectively enough, especially if Denver get serious about like let's make
Jaden McDaniels shoot eight or nine threes to try to beat us, Like I
don't know if Denver has the ability to control like anything at this point in
the series, but the offense would be one thing. The like the the
stretches where they're just like hitting threes and getting stops. I feel like Minnesota
all season did not string those together really in a sustained way. So I
guess it's just that, Like I guess, I go back to my priors
before Game one of like what am I concerned about with Minnesota? Can you
force someone besides Anthony Edwards soonitiate offense? Can you make Rudy Gobert have to
decide what to do with the ball in space on offense? Like? Can
you do all that stuff? It's the way these first two games have gone.
It's kind of like, I just I don't know how Denver can force
the Wolves to do anything. But but I would just focus on those things,
I guess. But it feels like grasping at straws at this point.
Yeah, the one thing that would be a concern, And I think he's
been I want to be clear, I think he's actually been really good defensively
in this series specifically, but he's had like what but Anthy Edwards, Anthey
Wards, Conthley Towns and the foul trouble aspect of if you do try and
target him a little bit more, because he had a five in Game one
and four. First of all, he can't take them with you, so
I'm all for him to I'm all for using them below six. That's totally
foling with me. And he's also I was looking at this too. The
Nuggets have scored and this team defense on possessions and with Connley Towns is guarding
Nicole Jokich for at least part of it. One point zero one points per
possession for the Nuggets. That's like acceptable, but so far like you would
yeah, that's that's the exact point, and he actually hasn't. He's only
committed one shooting foul on Jokic, and so I think the problem would come
though, is one, if you're gonna see Yokic attack him when they when
he is the primary defender more. But could it come where if you're putting
I mean, which is really hard to do, but if you're putting Minnesota
in rotation at all, or is he gonna be fouling elsewhere? So that
would be something to just monitor, But I don't. This is like sort
of a no notes performance from the Wolves over the past two games, because
they eked out a win in Game one like that was a very hard for
a game, and it was that Denver's best shot already and you just withstood
it. Is the like sort of the takeaway there, So I'm not ready.
I'll never declare the series over because part of the reason I was so,
I don't really care about being wrong. I picked the Nuggets in six.
I do not spoiler alert. My confidence level in that pick is terrible.
Right now, you're still alive. It's possible. I have expectations for
the Nuggets, but I don't come away from this game. And I think
that's the danger of making it. It's weird because I think it's the Wolves
that have led them here. I just can't think of anything that Denver can
do meaningfully enough to change when now feels like inevitable, and I'm I'm not
it would not, you know, I'm open to the idea that the Nuggets
could just win four straight. They're the raigning champs. Maybe CACP gets a
little healthier, Maybe they uncore Peyton Watson more and he kind of disrupts Minnesota's
offense. Maybe Nicole Jokic starts chucking more threes, bringing the ball up the
floor, really trying to make Murray move, not off the ball in screening
actions, but like away from the primary actions, is that something you could
try. But the Wolves have just been and I know we probably spent like
we're thirty minutes in this, we probably spent more time talking about like the
Nuggets is some but it's the Wolves. I want to make that clear.
Anyone who's mad about the way that this was split, this is it feels
like the Wolves have led the Nuggets to this breaking point and maybe we'll come
and appreciate that. Nikole Jokic's lack of just palpable emotion is a good thing.
I think in postgame pressers to not come out and say, I mean
if he wanted to, yeah, I sometimes do find myself wishing. I
don't know if you're the same way. And it's not just specific to Jokic,
where that players were more like Anthony Edwards in sense of go ahead and
say the outrageous thing, like Ampiy Edwards. Would he be the guy if
they're down three to one, you know we're gonna come back and win this
series where it's a little deranged, but you appreciate the optimism, the show
of emotion, and I would have liked to have seen something like that from
Jokic, where it's like this was a this was an excusable loss, and
we're just gonna come back and we're gonna fix it, because then even if
you don't. But that's so, that's not what I expect from Yokic,
and I think it's okay. I expect him to play I don't even say
better. I would say more aggressively and smart. Yeah, I was shocked
that he wasn't flat out great, he wasn't close to great. I thought
game two, here here comes the MVP, Like I don't know what form
it's gonna take. He's not gonna let them go down oh two at home.
And it's like, yeah, okay, we can't just put it all
on him. I know, you get an outside share of credit and blame
when you're as good as he is. But it's like, you know,
two of the other four starters with him just aren't healthy and not help and
are not helpful. But like Game three, we just gotta I mean,
we got to see something spectacular. I think, like, because we can
talk about all this other stuff, what can the Nuggets do? Granted we
didn't come up with much, but like the number one thing just needs to
be like the best play the guy we think is the best player on planet
Earth has to like remind us that that's what he is, and like the
circumstances are what they are, like he just he just that has to be
the fix, right, It's not like you got to be a little better.
He's like, no, yoga has to be the best guy in the
gym. That's just what has to happen. And at the end of the
day too, it just might not be enough because I don't think they win
this series if Murray is is like this and like he needs to take better
shots. But I don't actually know what they're short of saying. And they
went to this lineup for a little bit, but it's okay, So what
if you just put in Reggie Jackson for Jamal Murray and you're just hoping having
the healthy it's not gonna help you defensively, Like maybe just having the healthier
body and someone who's a little bit more reserved on offense, does that help
it. It's just they're not gonna win this series if Murray doesn't have it
doesn't even have to. He didn't put together these complete games against the Lakers,
and he's not healthy. I want to recognize that. But you also
you're out there, you're throwing heat packs, taking bad shots, leaving before
speaking to the media. If you're not gonna get trademark moments or stretches from
Murry, you're not gonna win anyway. But Joki still needs to take ownership
more of the offense. And it's again, the Wolves are doing so much
to fuck up the Nuggets, but like his ability to make better decisions in
traffic or when catching the ball or when just looking for his own offense is
not like that is the Wolves can impact the outcome of what's going on there,
but they shouldn't be impacting like the actual And I it's probably a mind
fuck though, because they're the Wolves are at once this like collective erasure but
also the turrent because there it's not even just about stopping what you're doing or
like the making it more inefficient. It's not even letting you get into it
or making you second guess yourself to not do what you want to do.
And so I underlook the Wolves a great basketball team that we may have all
underestimated. And there's gonna be time for bigger picture discussions about Nuggets if they
lose this series. I just hope we get as basketball fans too, like
you deserve, We deserve a better effort than what we saw from Denver in
Game two. Quite frankly, there's the Wolves have been great. That's a
great story to tackle the Nuggets. I think made it easier on them in
Game two than it ever should have been. I think it's all it's all
a feedback loop. Like the Wolves being this good are feeding into the Nuggets
looking this bad, and Denver's got to break out of it or this is
going to be a four or five game series. I think that's that's sufficient
on a on a but like, it's just shocking. I'm shocked. I'm
stunned that the series has gone this way. I did not think that that
Minnesota had this in them, and I didn't think Denver, in a very
different way, had this in them either. Pacers Nicks. Uh. Look,
I'm not a fan. I was talking about officiating either. There are
some pretty bad calls down the stretch of that game. But I really appreciated
and goes shocker, this is this will surprise absolutely no one. I really
appreciate what Kaitlin Cooper wrote in the aftermath of it at basketball, she wrote,
go check it out, go subscribe to her her Patreon where, yes,
those calls, the kickball that wasn't the I think it was actually more
egregious. The moving screen that was called a Miles turner when Dante Devincenzo basically
flopped. Look Devincenzo, you can't be mad at him, because that's just
the level of gamesmanship we're dealing with right now. To call that, then
I understand. And then they they did confirm that it was the right call,
but relative to how the game was officiated and the moment, no,
it wasn't the right call. But but this is I actually came away feeling
not worse about both teams. But the two things that stood out is every
time the Knicks win like this, I feel like it emboldens them to be
a little bit less creative to where I'm wondering down the stretch of that game,
why are they not, like they just won't even send ball screens to
Jalen Brunson to try and get Tyre's Haliburton and like just having him go up
against Nemhard and it's well, are they thinking they're just gonna bring more bodies
into the lane. Man if Tyre's Halburton is involved, and that's so but
like to not even I felt like never go to it. So that was
something that stood out and then but would set up more for me for the
Pacers. Is Tyres Haliburton kind of just like there was a lot of Andrew
demhard in like offense when it came when it mattered most, And it's what
is going on here with is it a health thing? He looks very stiff
on defense at points, like what is going on there? That was just
the most bizarre thing for me. Yeah, it's I feel like, you
know, there have been a handful of these and certainly more post hamstring injury
going back several months now. But I just wonder if, like I just
think Haliburton's wiring is not takeover mode, like it's just like not in his
normal programming, like you know, or like I'm going to force X Y,
I'm gonna force something to happen. I really do feel like one of
his greatest strengths and maybe in this scenario one of his greatest weaknesses is like
if it's the right decision to get off the ball, I'm getting off the
ball. And it's just like that's how you end up with two made field
goals in a play in a playoff game, So like that, you know,
that just has to change because then the Pacers aren't gonna get enough from
everybody else. Like when it's still it's still sometimes a forced shot, I
guess, or like I don't know, just a more determined effort to get
your own. While like yeah, that's you know, in the spirit of
like team basketball, we don't love it, sometimes that's still just the right
decision. When you just aren't gonna get you're not gonna affect the defense in
the same way if they know they can get you off the ball by you
know that consistently. I mean, like I just don't know what else to
say about it, because it is like you can't that like can't happen again
in the series, because like I mean, this was a close game too,
Like what if he has four field goals like five, Like it's it's
not like you needed him to get you forty points. It's just like,
well you get twenty five and this is a totally different game. That's what
makes me think this is less about him trying to adapt to the circumstances of
the roster, and this is like a is he injured, he doesn't have
it is the hamstring? Is something else wrong on someone with his back just
looking at the way he's moving. And also, just to the PACER's credit,
though they limited the Knicks on the offensive glass in the first half,
and you can look at well, like look at what happened in the second
half, and it's if you do that to the Knicks in the first like
that's part of the first half still matters, Like it's you're not allowing them
to kill you on the offensive glass for three out of four quarters, it's
two out of four. That's a dub there. They also the Knicks were
very much for most of, if not all, of this game. They're
not used to and who is but like they're not used to defending a team
that's gonna get out and run after a may shot like that, and like
the Pacers did have them off kilter there, and there's a very and that
I didn't think the Knicks were gonna win that game. It was like they
kept getting closer, even grab a league and then the pacer sees it back
like that variability in like the Knick or not that variability, but like the
warp speed at which the pacers operate whenever, wherever, however, with whoever,
that something I think is going to continue to give the Knicks problems,
especially when no one likes to say it. It's low hanging fruit. The
minute's got to matter at some point, it's are they ever gonna dust off
precious to you again? After the stint that he had in this game,
Mitchell Robinson does not look right, which is at one point not surprising and
then shockingly troubling because Okay, well, what are we just gonna be down
to? Like Deuce McBride didn't have a good stretch. But I am also
just kind of wondering, like, do you need to give him more runway
so that he can get into a rhythm if you need him to provide any
sort of offense. Is this gonna all of a sudden become an Alec Birk
series because they're so down bad when it comes to requisite shock creation. Look,
I think there's been a benefit to having o g Ananobe operate off the
dribble of just someone who will attack and go inside the arc. It is
such an anxiety written experience to watch him put the ball on the floor,
spin or try and make a decision with it, pick up his dribble too
soon, so he may get four siss in game one, So good for
him. But like that feels like in my mind it was gonna catch up
to the Knicks if they got to the conference finals against the Calves or the
Celtics specifically, And now it's just like it might catch up to them against
Indy because you're investing so much in winning. What is have they had a
stress free game this playoffs? I mean, it felt like every game against
the Sixers was like you thought they were gonna lose it at some point,
So likeeah, I don't I you know, you mentioned the minutes for New
York and how like maybe that is just gonna be an increasingly significant factor in
terms of specifically matched up against Indy, who like really in the first half
two, especially for stretches, was just like I just don't know how you
slow them down, Like they just keep that they're throwing the ball seventy feet
down the floor like every other possession for layups or for transition chances. Like
I think the fact that you said I had low hanging fruit in my mind
about something else of just like if you're the Knicks and you can keep Indy
out of transition for I don't know, like twenty percent more of the game
than you did, like then, I don't know how the Pacers are going
to score as consistently. I really my sense looking back now out the next
day is like, I think Indy kind of needed this one. It's you
know, it's one of those ones where it's like, ooh, that was
right there. Because Halliburton had a shit game, they got what they wanted
in transition. I think that might dry up a little bit. They lose
and like Isaiah Jackson dominated the game for like eight straight minutes, it's just
like, you're not getting that again. I don't think maybe you will.
But there were a few things that Indy is going to look back, I
think and say, yeah, that was that was maybe one we needed for
that split look and look just as much as the officiating matter, sort of
that dead ball foul towards the end of the game where they give the Knicks
the free thrown and the ball back right. But what's interesting, so the
Knicks actually outscore them in transition, and I'm only doing this to cover our
bases. When you're talking about like Indy's offense, it's the semi transition or
like operating in the half court before the other team has a chance to really
get set. Here the Knicks we're a plus two and fast break points.
But it's like Indy just gets into its offense so quickly that it's the line
because you look at it, it says, I think eighty percent of their
possessions game in the half court in Game one, and that just feels high
to where and it's not why, but right, and but it just watching
it, it feels high, and so I it's weird that so you you
come away thinking this is a game that and he needed And I'm looking at
it as like this is a game that the Knicks needed to not be so
hard. And so I came feeling almost worse about the Knicks. But I
shouldn't because Jalen Brunson has another just transcendent performance, which is at the eighth
time I use this word on this podcast. That's just terrible variability by me.
Uh. But like now Tyre's Halburton, who's supposed to be your best
player doesn't and I'm not as apt to like it. Didn't feel like he
wasn't You looked at him and it wasn't, Oh, this dude doesn't care,
and and the Knicks didn't necessarily do anything specifically to like throw him off,
but it felt like it's something just it's not right when you're watching him.
He was like, No, you shouldn't be away from the ball this
much. Is the Pacers really trying to run their offense this way? Is
this a mindset thing from him? Is it like the state of him physically
does that have anything to do with Is it a combination of everything a little
bit? So? I guess that technically should be the bigger red flag for
Indy is not that Tyres Halbert only took six shots, but if Tyre's Halbert
is to this extreme, not Tyre's haliburt and physically functionally whatever. I don't
know how you win any series, right, Yeah. I think I think,
like, well, the series you win is the one where like the
other team has even more players out. He was putting more pressure on the
Bucks defense by like getting shots up and being on the ball a little bit
more. Yeah, No, I just yeah, no, I still do
skew towards like I think we're kind of saying the same thing, Like you
know, you're saying the Nick shouldn't have made it that hard. I'm saying
that Indy like probably needed. I think it's just both like Indy had Indy
had a shot, like really probably had that game. To be clear,
I do think that Indy like what New York was in, Like, Indy
just did a really good job against them, and they made it very difficult
on them. So I kind of understand it wasn't like I think that the
like the that the Knicks like could have created more separation, and like you
go back and look and it's like, what did you want them? Let's
say this, use the first half as an example, Like I thought they
looked gassed at there, and then Isaaya Hartst hits that forty six foot or
whatever it ends up. I forgot about that, so like, and that
was like turns out to be huge by the way when you look at the
final score. So I do like I like the fact that Indy has a
gear to where they can throw the Knicks sort of out of their element as
much as they did in that first half and even for parts of the third
quarter. So I don't actually think that I think what worries me about the
Knicks is I look at this game and I actually don't see where they had
the ability to create more separation from an indie team that got like i'll phrase
it, that's, right, a very very very less than ideal performance from
Tyres Alibert. Right. Yeah, that's that's the diplomatic way to say.
Yeah. I mean at this point, it's by far the more interesting series
in certain ways, like because you know, at least at least one of
the games was in doubt and it wasn't that it wasn't Game two for Minnesota
Denver. Yeah, I think ye. I don't know where else to go
really other than like I kept going back to when I was watching it the
turner screen, I audibly said out loud, that's a foul. You can't
call that. I said that to nobody. I was by myself watching the
game. But like that, like we should just circle back to that,
because I feel like that's kind of been from what I've read and heard.
It's like that's getting fixated on like a little too much. It's just because
like we always say, like there's forty in this case, like forty seven
other minutes to decide this game. I was stunned that that was called a
foul even though it was absolutely a foul. I just and like, I
don't like to talk about in that moment and can't you can't call it like
that just cannot be called. And that's also I understand where people get frustrated
by the officiating. I don't need I was tagged multiple times and like game
is rigged, Like I'm not like miss me with that right, so my
whole thing, I just I don't know what to make of a game in
which Tyre's Haliburton plays like that. And I know I'm talking in circles now
and the Knicks still win, but it was so stress It was so stressful
for them and taxing, and yet I can't point to, well, how
would they have created You could say some of these guys could have hit more
shots, but like that's just like Indie even they brought them out that it
comes from not on the offensive glass. I'd be curious to see the data
on this. They had at least in the first half, like the Knicks
had to switch more than I think maybe like ever, because that's not something
Tom Tipbodow necessarily likes. To do, and so I think the Knicks could
probably stand to be a little bit more aggressive on the defensive end. But
like it's so, it's sort of like something has to give to where it's
does New York get to play their game or is Tyre's Haliburton going to be
Tyre's Haliburton at some point? Because how did the Knicks grapple with that?
Then? Yeah, I don't know. I don't have a lot I keep
we should move on. That's the problem too. It's like it's one game
and it was just a host of caveats in there, so we can only
move on. Uh, let's talk about the team that was just eliminated,
The Orlando Magic are Why are you laughing? I said, Denver Nuggets.
Oh sorry they I hear that. That's cold. So Orlando gets to a
game seven against Cleveland. It looked like they were in a win game seven.
Where were they up by like eighty at one point in that game.
I think what's interesting about this team is everything. I don't know that I
need to adjust my prior as much because everything that I think they need they
still need. But what I will say is I flip flopped on kind of
at the beginning of the playoffs, I thought they don't necessarily need a floor
general as much as they just need functional shooting. And now I've kind of
flip flopped back where it's like, no, you can't have your floor general
be a non shooter, but you do need the offensive organizer because Palo Bancaro
is just that dude. I came away from that definitely thinking and he is
just the stuff he could do with the ball. Like I know people like
to use Blake Griffin as an analog. I just don't think we've ever seen
someone with his like build and the stuff so light, lightfooted and artsy like
with the ball in his hand. I don't know that I have a good
analog for well, I do know I don't have a good analog. But
what he does, don't you think? I know this isn't the whole point
of what we're gonna talk about, but like, I get the Blake Griffin
thing, but there's almost like there's more like Carmelo. There's a little there's
like shades of mellow in there, like the good the good shades and like,
but yeah, there's not even that doesn't feel quite right, just because
the physical size and the power that he plays with with, like the good
footwork and the the ability to like he's not just he does not hunt the
mellow like face up jab jab jab long two like he does the like the
younger mellow of like face up, I'm maybe gonna shoot a turn around,
I'm maybe gonna put you in the basket like that. It is. I
don't. I struggle for the comparison too, but the Blake Griffin one is
not enough, Like on its own, it's not it's not quite right.
You talked about the guard thing. So I think, ironically I come away
from that series the only the only real change really over the course of the
year and especially this series is like I think Jalen Suggs now is like one
of the easier guards to build around. Whereas before I was like, you
can't shoot, he can't pass, Like what do you do with this guy?
And now it's like it could be a two, right, you could.
You could he could maybe get better as a playmaker. You could put
a two next to him. You could put a one next like if they
go get Tias Jones or whatever, Like I would kind of leave that being
like all right, that that might work. I don't have a problem with
Jalen Suggs spotting up more so. The way I would phrase this though,
is so and one thing. So just looking at the tools the Magic have
this offseason, I'm curiously won the urgency at which they operate, and I
think there needs to be not we need to give up everything like right now.
But Franz and Jalen Szugs are extension eligible, and well, we probably
have a discussion about Franz Wagner where I feel less confident that he can be
like the number two. Maybe it was just like sort of an off year
for him, but they need someone who's gonna be at least more dynamic on
the ball, not a battery year for Franz. So he still think he's
a very good player. His extension talks are suddenly fascinating, though, because
he's not where I would have thought this time last year, or he's just
gonna get the max I maybe he still does. No, you're just saying
no way. I don't know, I'm already say that, but you do
have him and Suggs are extension eligible. Palla Bangkarro will be extension eligible next
year, and so these deals aren't kicking in. You know they're a year
behind, but when you're looking at twenty twenty five twenty twenty six, you
are going to have Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner on substantially higher numbers. So
this offseason they can get up to This is not what I project them to
have. Yeah, we gotta talk about that. Go ahead. They can
get up to sixty five point seven million in cap space, about almost sixty
six. That is though, that's everybody is basically gone. That's John Isaac,
that's no Mo Wagner, that's no Joe Ingles. Those are the three
big ones that just would have to be gone if you want to get to
the sixty plus, right, it's gonna be more like thirty five. I
think yeah, and I because I think you keep one. I think there's
value because teams want players. It's not just there's very rarely if you're taking
back a bad contract. If you were to go out and get maybe Brogden
from Portland, where it's like, oh, you could just take him into
cap space and give us a pick. Yeah, there's a team that'll be
interested in that. But like you, contracts they have value just so they
could be moved, and so my guest would be, okay, like,
do they bring Gary Harris back? Like he's sort of important. But I
think when you're looking at I think fault is gone or at least he's just
like his market creators, and maybe they bring him back that way. But
I think Isaac and I almost feel like I don't know what they're gonna do
with Joe Ingles. He did provide some like shooting and ball handling for them
and might be a valuable locker room presence. I think Mo Wogner's back,
I think Ji is back, and I want to say Gary Harris is back.
I don't know if it's at the same number, but like they're working
with probably thirty to thirty five million in cap space is what I do think,
at least when you look at it, I would say, of that
sixty five, like at least Jonathan Isaac salary's gone right off the bat.
They guarantee the seventeen point four million number, so that's that's gone. You're
working with let's just estimate forty eight million from there. Then I'm gonna sy
wouldn't even shock me if they're working with like twenty five million in CASA says,
what does it take to keep Gary Harris? And or do you just
bring back Mo Wagner? So you're gonna bring back more Vagner? Okay,
Boom, we're down to forty million in cap space? What does it cost
to keep Gary Harris from there? If it's the same number, Boom,
you're down to twenty five to twenty seven to twenty eight million in cap space.
So this isn't the market to have that much cap space anyway. I
think those three guys are back, though, would be my prediction. Maybe
Harris leaves, but he was pretty important to them. Now, this is
my roundabout way of phrasing this to you. I would have said this like
kind of at the start of the playoff series that if they just went out
and traded for Anthony Simons, I would declare them not done. They're gonna
win the title. But like that's enough. I think Simon's is proved enough
as a passer, gives them the exact type of shot making they need both
on the ball and away from the ball. You mentioned the name Hyas Jones,
that is someone that they could afford to sign, and then you would
still have the flexibility go out and trade Anthony Simons. You have all your
own first round picks and plus you have that Denver twenty twenty five first round
pick, which makes did that increase in value? What we were talking I
forget you ahead of ourselves, So you have the assets to do both.
And I do think now because of the contracts of everybody else that are coming
to bear, and specifically it's it's not so much a Bancaro thing because like
that's not gonna kick in until twenty twenty six, but it's definitely a Fronds
and Jail and Suggs thing because without knowing their numbers, but like they're gonna
be at higher numbers even if you let them reach restricted free agency, their
tab holes are gonna be pretty sizable. So I think it's a paramount that
you do make moves this year. And I'm thinking on the level of like
it's not I don't think Simon's is enough for me to be satisfied with their
off season. That's where I'm at now. I think it needs to be
can you sign Tighes Malcolm Brog gonna be a great fit for this roster if
you're willing to actually add shooting. I think Dejontay Murray's a really good fit
for this roster. Actually, I think he's improved enough as a shooter.
And then if you're gonna sign or get another form of shooting here because they
are shooters on the market, or you could trade for other like Buddy Healed
could be an interesting fit for this team. I think it needs to be
guys, like two guys that are gonna fit into the top seven of your
rotation. And that's if I didn't have that prior before. That's what I
came away from this Cavs series really thinking about, is my my priorities have
flip flopped a bunch, and now they flip flopped again to where I think
they can't have an offensive organizer who doesn't shoot, but like the offensive organizer
needs to be the priority over we just we can go and get pure shooting
and we'll be fine. Yeah, I I think I think I would just
echo what you said, like they It doesn't need to be like you don't
go crazy and you know Sham's reported the other day like oh the war Klay
Thompson and the Magic have mutual interest, Like I just don't that that doesn't
Paul George too, right, which is kind of it just doesn't Yeah,
it doesn't make sense to me, where like I said, Tyas Jones for
a reason. I just you know, watching the game, it's like,
man, he would make things a lot easier. And he's like a forty
three point shooter or two, So like nice bonus there. I think it's
got to be a trade and assigning. Uh And and then like I wonder
though the like the trickle down effects of that are are you looking to move
Cole Anthony? Now? Who's like suddenly like what's he really at? Is
he your is your eighth guy, your ninth guy now? Because that's twelve
million that that you could you could turn into something else. Maybe he's a
trade ship. And then like where's it? Where is Anthony black shakeout in
all of this because like the types of players we're describing as Orlando's needs,
like that's not him, So like what like is he is he part of
a trade package? Is he someone that like you just bury on the bench
now, because like he just doesn't bring the offense that you want from those
positions, Like I it's a it's a good problem to have. There's no
urgency. You just finished his rookie year, like you could mess around for
two more years developing him if you want, but like he doesn't fit the
conception of this team that we're kind of putting together. Now, would you?
And I want you to put on like your most conservative hat here.
I'm not saying campaign for my MAGA hat that there's no more conservative, no,
not not just Santis level conservative, or I don't have one of those.
If anyone that's listened to us for five seconds knows, I don't know.
Yeah, I mean, and also that's not so much conservative is just
a moral so got it? Uh? Would you give up Anthony Black for
these players via trade? Malcolm Brockton, No good, I'm glad around the
same. But I thought you were gonna say yes, and now I'm just
gonna stop there. But yeah, no, Anthony Simons, I think I
would. I think I would too. De Jontay Murray. Weirdly, I
don't like the Murray fit as much as the Simons fit, even though I
think I probably would. I probably would, but like I would have the
Simons one is no hesitation because the fit is just like that's you said,
I think exactly what they need. Murray. I would think I would probably
do it, but I I don't like I'm not jumping on that as immediately
as I would for Simons. I also what I think is interesting when we
talk about an offensive organizer and why Tias Jones or even a even to Jontay
Murray makes sense. I don't think it needs to be like this heliocentric organizer
where there will be a team. And I probably advocated for this at some
point. So part one of the things that we get the most compliments for
which I don't know if I feel a good or bad about, we talk
about when we're wrong. So I'm pretty sure at one point I said Trey
Young should be on the list of like this might have been like a year
or two ago. That's not you don't want Trey Young here, Like I'm
past that. I don't know how long. I don't know when I said
it. I definitely said it at one point, but like is there like
another they need that player to be able to coexist with the idea of pala.
Ben Carroll's our best player and he needs to be on the ball a
shit ton. You could run more screening actions with him if you get like
a better ball handler at the one, but you need this, Like,
is de jenttey Murray? I guess the question will be plug and play enough.
I think he is. I think it's fair if you differ on that.
And then so we've talked about I think the most common targets to where
they're not. I guess de jentare Murray semi original. I haven't seen him
linked. They're a ton, but like, is there even whether it's have
you thought about anybody else? Even if it's a mega wattage name. I
mean, I don't like getting the huge expensive name just because I feel like
I don't know, like you said it at the at the top of this
where it's like, Okay, we know what Orlando needs, they gotta go
do it. But it doesn't need to be like this desperate, like we
need a Paul George level player and not you don't need that as an offensive
Like that's not solving what I think is there. I have a lot of
questions, by the way, about Paul George in general and what that guy's
worth because he's thirty four and like it's just not quite the same thing that
he was. Honestly, Brian friend of the podcast and our colleague Brian to
Borrick and I we're gonna we want to record a podcast about whether it even
makes sense to have not just a third Max guy, but players in their
mid thirties making maxes anymore. So you should pencil it in your mind.
Maybe you could make that because that's like, that's an entirely different team.
Like, so, I don't think someone like D'Angel russell is is the type.
I mean, he checked some boxes. Judge, yeah, Jamal when
the Nuggets got to be about someone like Austin Reeves, Like, I don't
know what the Lakers want, but like someone Austin Reeves like was a point
guard in college, can't facilitate a little, is proved himself to be a
good three point shooter, is weirdly like a comboie type that you just throw
him next to Suggs And if you get Tias Jones two, then like,
like, I think it needs to be better than him, because I think
Simons is probably on the same level as a passer, if not better at
this point. I honestly, I don't think Simons receives enough credit for how
he's incrementally improved every year as a passer. I think it's like if that's
the like, if you're only looking at making one move this summer rather than
we're gonna sign like two, we're gonna acquire two Top seven guys for a
rotation. It can't be Reeves or Simons. Then that's where That's where I'm
at with their offense. Simons comes very very close for me, but I
think I'm being too seduced by the show. Like if you're telling me they
get to make one move, like one biggish type move, I'm gonna pick
de Jente Murray over Simons, even if you think the offensive fit is cleaner,
because I think Murray checks a more critical box for that. I think
Murray's a better player just overall, well better. He's not the cleaner fit
though, all helas not. That's why I like Simon and Jones, Like
just bang bang, just throw those guys in there. I'm good. I
like that, I know, but I don't like. I don't want to
go one. I want to like. The offense was not good, right,
it was? It was. It was a deeply fun a way.
Thinking that Palo Bank CAO is probably going to be like mb MVP discourse at
some point, interest that the really swayed it for me that dude doesn't receive
enough credit for what he does on the defensive end. Remember that was supposed
to be like his Achilles heel, and I know he has like a good
environment around him, but I'm just like, that is still the most well
rounded player they have to where if you're looking at someone who might be elite
at both ends of the court, he's going to be closer SUGS is always
going to have the offense of just warts. And I'm not saying Palovin Carroll
is an elite defender, but like as someone who can move take on some
of the bigger primary assignments. I I was impressed with him as a rookie
and I'm even more impressed with him now. So that doesn't really have anything
to do with what we were just talking about, but I threw it out
there anyway. Well, it doesn't form like and it does because it informs
like how serious are you going to go after like a quote unquote star you
know that offensively or whatever. It's like if you think Bankaro is going to
be an All NBA guy or an MVP candidate at some point and the in
your future, it's like then we are just talking about filling in around that
because like you can add in all the like, you're not going to get
a guy if he is that type of player, You're not going to get
anyone this offseason that is like above him in the pecking order. So you're
you're just looking for people that that fit in around him and and can make
open shots. It's in a way like we're not really discussing anything different,
Like Orlando has needed guards that can make shots and pass since you know,
this team came together and and the fact that ban Caro like appears to have
an even higher ceiling certainly than I thought. Uh, and that most people
maybe thought is just like, well, that doesn't change the need. It
maybe just lessens the the the quality of player you need to address it.
If that makes sense. That makes that makes a ton of sense. But
at your point about sort of the col Anthony Anthony black stuff, it will
become a decision because it does feel like you're not gonna get what you need
from the center position, and you have Wendell Carter Junior. This was not
enough to be like, well, would we be willing to acquire a wing
who might eat into some minutes for Franz Wagner, and the answer is no,
Like that's why I don't want Paul George here, because you have been
Tearyn, you have Franz Wagner, and there's like you're three and your four
and so these everything we're talking about, even though it's not necessarily positioned specific,
that's where there's room to get it. And so you're gonna nudge,
especially if you get two guys, you're nudging Cole Anthony Anthony Black down the
pecking order, and that's of course you that's why you would look to move
one of them. In said deals, I do have a name for them,
but I'm gonna save it for a podcast that we're hoping to record immediately
after this one, so you already know who it is. Anything else though,
on the on the match, I think, by the way, this
season's an absolute win for them, the massive success, wildly encouraged, and
like we went into that first round series against Cleveland thinking like I did,
any way of like if they losing five or gets up, I just really
am not going to be that deterred from thinking Orlando is just in a sweet
spot going forward, because like we just they know what they need, they
have the resources to get it, they have all the hardest things. The
hardest work is done, you have like your cornerstone star, and after that
it's just like, Okay, well they weren't supposed to do anything this year
anyway. So next year I think it is going to be interesting because expectations
well and are going to be there. That's the summer for me, though,
is like, Okay, the burden of expectations is here, and you
know you now have with this group who full season's worth of evidence, like
this is what we need now you've mentioned it. The flexibility of the assets
to go out and get it, go out and get it, because if
you come back and you decide to do placeholder stuff again, whereas one plus
ones or just guys on a bunch of regular one year deals unacceptable. I
mean, in fact, the guys Tigat Jones, sure, but Tigas Jones
is just I might say he feels a bigger need. But it's like that,
not that it's uninspiring, but like it can't just be. We'll run
this back plush Tias Jones, Like that can't be. That's not what I
want to say. In a lot of ways, this is like the most
important step towards building a sustainable winner, because it's not You're not like skipping
ahead by going and getting like in prime guys right now, but it's just
like you gotta you kind of got to get these right because like it just
get all the way back, like the money's gonna be gone because you're gonna
have to give significant raises to like now too. It's like these are this
is why you it's weird because these teams don't stay together nearly as long.
I'm not talking about the magistisically but in general, but like the planning also
needs to start two years away from when they're starting needing your flexibility, and
they're one year away from their flexibility being cannibalized by paying players who they need
to keep around, right right. Good problems, all good problems, like
they and they have the ability to solve them. So just hard to be
hard to be in a better spot than Orlando right now. Game ones between
the MAVs and the Thunder and the Celtics and Cavs will have played been we
are recording this beforehand. They will be played by the time that we've put
this out. But I didn't want to quickly. I don't want to overlook
them. Are there any let's start with cav Celtics. Is there an one
thing, one question you have or what you'll be monitoring about this series?
One thing I guess is just is Darius Garland gonna be able to have an
impact against the Celtics defensive just like ridiculous number of guys that can put on
him, because like he just felt too small, too slow, ineffective throughout
that Orlando series and like then you're just back to Ken Donovan Mitchell, get
you fifty and keep you in a game. And so I think, like
there's a lot of things. I'm sure you have something different, but Garland
has to be doesn't need to be the rim isn't okay? That's you're right,
you might want to up that just to touch Like I think he's the
guy I'll be looking at cause and like, really he might be someone I
significantly changed my opinion about because I've been really high on him for a long
time. But it's kind of let's see, this is a tough opponent.
He's not set up to succeed. I think he has to be really good
for Cleveland to even make this a series. The obvious I agree with that.
The obvious question is what's going on with Jared Allen's as we record this.
He's questionable for Game one. I've been checking to see if we get
news on that. We haven't as we're recording this. That'll be semi big
because in a way, yes, you want Cleveland to have the option of
going to the one big stuff, but like you want Jared Allen at your
disposal too. I'm going to be what I'm really going to be monitoring is
because of how much the Celtics shoot threes, and if you're looking at like
a per one hundred posession basis, the Cabs are making about nine threes in
the first round series per hunder persessions. Boston's at sixteen, and so if
you break that down per game though for like lessen it you're starting off almost
a minus eighteen from beyond the arc every game is there gonna be room.
Part of that is Candarius Garland make his threes at a higher e clip,
maybe fewer peaks of valleys from Donnald. Mitchell's clearly just banged up, but
he's been I've come away from I just continue to be impressed by Donald Mitchell
and also worried about how dependent they are on that. Is there gonna be
room then to squeeze a Sam Merrill more into this series, Like they kind
of push that button in Game seven, but it wasn't for a crap Ton
but to the degree too. Look, it was nice to see Calvert get
going a little bit inside the arc. Boston's defense is in a weird way,
like they're smaller, especially without Christops Porzingis that's someone else who I don't
think anyone really expects to play, at least in the beginning of this series,
but like you need to, they're gonna be. It almost feels tougher
to go up against inside the arc and the in fact they just have it
doesn't matter, you know, Drew Holiday, Derek White and Jalen Brown.
Jason, Like, who are you gonna throw on any of your two primary
guards Darius Garlander, not Mitchell, me, Derek White and Drew Holliday.
But just there's not like good options after that to where like if you they
could do whatever they want and not whatever they want, but their defense,
my point is gonna be harder like Orlando's events fantastic, and Boston's is going
to be. I think, even without Christops a tougher match for this team,
specifically because they have weak points where Boston can be like Evan Mobley shooting
twenty percent basically on jumpers in these playoffs. That's not his game. I'm
wondering if you're gonna go with the one big stuff, can we see more
to create better room for him? Which might come back to Sam Meryl as
well. Can we see I'd like to see more Evan Mobley drives, like
I need more than one or two a game, which we're getting now.
Can you create the space necessary to get Kaslovert going inside the arc? Which
something I just alluded to before. I'm fascinated by what the Cavs are going
to be able to do offensively against this group, and are they going to
have to concede get in to a point where actually think jam Bickerstaff has done
a pretty good job coaching during these playoffs and trying out different things, But
are they going to be willing to get like, let's say, if Jared
Allen is healthy, they want to deviate enough from their i'll say core principles
even though we've seen the best version of the Cavs might look something different too.
You've got to win some type of possession battle, whether it's keep up
with them in terms of three pointers, not keep up. But you can't
lose the three point battle by you know, minus six, seven, eight,
may to three pointers per game. Can you play faster to We've seen
them up the speed when they need to, but like, can you do
that more often to maybe win the possession battle or just create more scoring opportunities
in general? I think that's kind of my one overarching I don't really have
questions about Boston specifically late game offense, surprise prize, what's up with Chris
Stock. I'm just very curious to how the Cavs run their their offense and
their lineup to try and optimize that offense against this team. Yeah, I'm
I am very excited to see some MOBILEI Tatum back and forth. That's a
that's a fascinating matchup. To me, it's like you're gonna get Mobile out
in space a lot. He's really fun to watch there, and I maybe
MOBILEI like has a bigger offensive role if you're gonna have him try to attack
Tatum like that's that's kind of that's gonna be fun. I don't know how
I think that's gonna shake out. I probably in favor of Boston, Like
I think most things will go in this series, but I'm I'm here for
some Evan Mobley like pretty good first round series in parts other than the jump
shooting, Like I would like to see maybe a little step forward MAVs Thunder
and he we did previe that with BT, but anything from you. I
think the Thunder are such a different defensive challenge for a MAVs defense that has
like exceeded expectations to me so consistently. Where Like you know, Zubats was
a key in the first round I thought, and he kind of was.
He was, he had really good stretches, but like that's something Lively and
Gafford can handle. And Chet is just such a different animal. And the
way that the Thunder move bodies and move the ball and just relentlessly attack the
basket, I think has a chance to kind of kind of get the MAVs
defensive head spinning a little bit. It's almost this will be like if if
Dallas defends really well against this type of offense, I just won't have any
more questions about you talk about adjusting our priors. Yeah, right, I
just I'm really interested to see that I haven't actually have you made an official
pick in this series? I went with a thunder in was it six or
seven? It was one of those two and the honestly, I know that
he hasn't always had the same impact like the Maxi Kliba shoulder injury. Knowing
that he's probably not gonna play this and if he does, it's coming off
a dis shoulder dislocated. How is that even possible? Yeah, I've it's
interesting. I had thunder and seven. I don't think I've officially made that
pick, but that's what my gut says. But like it's official now,
isn't there? I mean, this is, of course there is, But
like what if Luca's just like not kind of shitty like he was for a
lot of that first round series, And like you're gonna have lou Dort,
You're gonna have Jillen Williams, You're gonna have lots of options to throw at
him. But like, I like he might just be more than a young
thunder team is ready to handle if he's healthy and if he kind of can
get to the spots. Yeah, I mean, the hell things because he
shot so poorly from three, and like that would be something I would assume
would correlate to, Okay, if that me is fucked up, that kind
of makes sense, I think, And based off how that first series played
out, I am wondering if, like what it comes down to for the
MAVs, And that's probably the thing I've been thinking about most. I have
less questions about the Thunder just because they're dealing with fewer injuries, and I
do think they are the more well rounded team. But can the mav get
to those half court four on three situations like sort of either in the short
roll or Luca's gonna be in the middle of the floor, And can you
get to an enough of those where like the Thunder defense is kind of built
to prevent a lot of those. So that's like kind of the thing I'm
going to be watching. And also can you vary your pace enough? I
saw that the benefit of listening to this number one sports podcast, by the
way, is I was listening to a few where everyone's talking about how slow
that the Mavericks play and that they only have one gear. The Mavericks may
not be looking to play at warp speed all the time. They have done
a great job of sort of varying up or rationing up their pace at different
points, and we saw a lot of it in the like Luca can play
despite what I think is me you say, he can play at more than
one cadence and he's proven that this year, and so can you continue to
play because the Thunder are going to do that to you? And so does
that become a more important element of And it's almost one of those is this
every team against the Thunder? It feels like where it's who kind of wins
the battle of does one team conform to the other vice versa. It feels
like that could be something that not in terms of even lineup structure, but
just the way, the speed, the cadence at which they're playing that's gonna
be I think that might just be a question I have of every Thunder opponent
because of their prime very lineup bases. Yeah, I do think the last
thing I'm really interested to see because I do I think Luca's gonna be able
to get to his spots? Can you can okay see put chet on?
I guess I don't know, Like, is he gonna be on Derek Jones
or maybe PJ. Washington where he can just leave those guys and kind of
get in there and muck up Luca getting looks closer to the basket or around
the elbows and stuff. And then is Luca gonna just pick that apart and
spray the ball out? And maybe this just comes down to, like,
are Derek Jones and PJ. Washington gonna make enough threes to punish Chet for
overhelping? Like that's okay, Se has the supplemental size, though behind home
Grin to be like what do you doing? Because you know lou Dort's gonna
get the Dodgers assignment just because he's kind of fly built for it. It's
like, what are you doing on the MAVs is center in that situation?
If you want home Grin to be sort of more like the guy playing off
of I think it's I think it's Jalen. I think I think you might
see a lot of stretchers on Kyrie, is what I guess. Yeah,
Like I mean that all the matt are interesting because if you do put Chet
on the center and like that's just a more conventional way to go. I
don't love Luca being able to like maybe get a switch and go at chet
and get him in foul trouble and then if that happens, then the Thunder
just got like you can just we love, we love big Jal and Williams,
but like you don't want to be leaning on him, uh in the
in a second round series. Well it does almost feel like though, if
you want to do what you're saying when it may be too big in this
series a bunch yeah, Like is that something I mean? And also because
even without Kleba, the MAVs are they're sneaky huge, which is like,
Okay, Derek Jones Junior good size when he's technically your three or PJ.
Washington plus Stafford or Lively and those are that's your primary front court and then
Luca's just for a point guard at six' eight, Like that's monstrous.
Kudos to us for going like eight to ten minutes into a Thunder preview,
uh without mentioning Josh Giddy and and what what happened? That's the first round
series? You did? You did, But you better believe he's gonna get
left open again and attacked again, like that that's that's gonna happen. That
might be the move too, is just rather than have Chet be responsible for
doing that is Who's Ever like? Is it's Shae on Giddy, And then
you're gonna have Shay just roam and that's how you're gonna force your turnovers too.
So j Doub is gonna be on Kyrie Blud'ort's chain to Luga Dancic and
then you have Chet still doing like the big man stuff, and then your
help is coming from who's ever on Giddy, which at that point I assume
is going to be I don't know why. I just say you're gonna have
I think the Thunder have Shay on Giddy for much of the game. Your
problem, I'm tired they aroke andythin ss to guard his own team. But
that was my point, so like do you have like you know? So
it's just well no, it's if you're Dallas, who do you get to
hide on Giddy? Like you almost want to put Kyrie there just to be
like, okay, well Gid like he can cause you're not gonna want to
put I mean, I guess the thought process would be put Doncic on him
because they're less likely to try and attack Ye back up actively, but had
some he had some good defensive moments in the right. I think in isolation,
you almost hmm, it's gonna be fascinating because I think and I think,
I think that's the I think, you know what, Dallas will never
see that one coming, just they will not know what to do. Uh
yeah, I do. I'm by the way, all these series are fun
now, they're they're all great, like there's there's not any more, Oh,
come on. The one that I was looking most forward to is let
us Down. Well yeah, but I mean it's been exciting in a totally
different way with I mean just because the Nuggets are apparently terrible. Now we're
gonna get a new champion apparently that I guess. Well, but it's just
like there's no more or there's so many fewer, like well, Jimmy Butler's
out. I don't need this series is obviously that was a different one,
like Joannie is hurt, like there's all we're done with these now. It's
like, I don't know, there's like exciting matchups to discuss, and it
doesn't just evolve into like, well they don't have other guys, so what's
the point. You know. That's fair. I like that we have stat
padding and we have have we'll have maybe we do like get to a guest
a player each since everybody loves that. But we also have a we have
traditional stat padding as well. Grant does that? Does that excite you at
all? I am and my interest is peaked. Ooh it's a great phrasing
there. Okay, So a little bit of a theme here. Who is
the NBA Playoffs all time leader in total points Kareem abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant,
Lebron James, or Michael Jordan Lebron James. That is correct? Eighty
and sixty two. It's not It's not even close to anybody else. I
got scared there. Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader in total assists?
Lebron James, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd or John Stockton? Oh you
through Stockton in there. I'll say Magic. That is correct three hundred and
forty six assists and it's really not even that close. Lebron's in second,
by the way. Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader in total rebounds?
Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Lebron James or Bill Russell. All those
the old timer guys like are they even counting all those back then. I'll
I'm gonna say Wilt just because he probably averaged like twenty five a game for
the few series he was in. That would be incorrect. Bill Russell four
for it is close within one hundred of Wilt though, Okay, feel better.
Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader in total steals Lebron James,
Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen. You had to throw Scotty in
there. I'll say Jordan. That is incorrect. It's Lebron James with four
hundred and eighty three. Okay. Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader
in total blocks? Kareem abdul Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Keem Olajuan or Shaquille
O'Neal. I'll say Hikeem. That is incorrect. It's Tim Duncan with five
hundred and sixty eight. I hate not honoring Tim Duncan at every opportunity.
What a mistake. Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader in made threes?
Steph Curry, James Harden, Lebron James, or Klay Thompson. I'm
gonna say Steph that is correct. It's not even relatively one thousand, five
hundred and fifty seven. Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader in total
turnovers? Ooh, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson or Shaquille O'Neill.
I'll say Lebron. That is correct, one thousand and thirty four,
and it's a lot more than anybody else. It's a lot of playoff games.
Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader in total personal fouls Kareem abdul
Jabbar, Robert or Lebron James or Shaquille O'Neill, Kareem Ory Lebron Shack.
I would say Lebron, that is incorrect. It's Kareem abdul Jabbar with seven
hundred and ninety seven. By the way, every time you pause after telling
me the category, part of me is like, oh, he wants me
to guess cold, and then I get really scared because I have no idea
appreciate the options. Final one. Who is the NBA Playoffs all time leader
in total shot attempts Kareem abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, or
Michael Jordan. Jordan incorrect, it's Lebron James ninety six. Okay, I
don't know. I don't know if I got fifty percent. There you were.
You started off pretty hot and really strong. Sorry fell off? Should
What if I had said Lebron for every answer, would have got half of
them? Right, probably the leader in four categories, so you would have
gotten at least forty percent. So he led shot attempts points, he had
assists, steal no, Magic had assists. Lebron had steals though, steals,
turnovers, shots points, so he got four of them if I just
said Lebron the next time. Uh, he was second in made threes by
the way. Oh Jesus, hashtag longevity. Okay, final one here,
But this is gonna be this is gonna be tough for you. Ready ready,
so great? Ten NBA players have won three or more MVP Awards.
How many of them can you name? I will give you three strikes?
Oh? Hell, okay, well, Kareem correct, that's why. Jordan
that's two, Lebron that is three. This is terrifying. Oh, Larry
Bird, that is four. Kareem Jordan, Lebron Bird Magic get three?
He did. That's fine. I feel good. I gottaay there, got
half of them. Uh, this is I don't like this because there's so
many. All of the names I won't get will be really obvious. And
we're not counting Yokic because he doesn't have it yet. All right, Yo,
Kitch is the freebie. That's six. Gotta have that. Did I
say wilt you? Did I feel like I should give you a strike?
Oh? No, you didn't, But hey, you get a strike?
I get it? Fourth one? Now? Uh? Three? More?
Who's got three? Other three? MVPs? Uh, I'm not gonna get
it now, Shack? Did Shaq have three? Probably not? Strike one?
Nationally has two, Curry has two, Kobe has like one. Uh,
that's what I should know. I'm not gonna say. I'm not gonna
say Kobe. God, I don't know. I'm out of like off the
top of mind, missing one. Obvious one one? Like ok, yeah,
like you're gonna be like, oh doesn't It doesn't feel very obvious to
me right now, partly because I can't remember who I've said so far.
Obvious one. I don't know. Does Oscar Robertson have three? Strike two?
Does Bill Russell have three? There you go? That's eight. That
was the obvious one. That was the obvious one. So two more,
uh shit, Jerry West strike three. The final two were Julius Irving with
three, and I didn't expect you to guess one Moses Malone with three.
Oh no, I don't think if you've given me like ten strikes, I
was gonna get either of those two. I'll take it. I'll take eighty
percent. Anytime's not bad. Yeah, I'll take it. Do you have
a guess a player that you want to give me? As a matter of
fact, I do. This is from Bill here. Let me pull it
up. So you need to get into the mind of a psycho bath.
Just hop in, look around, see what you think in there? All
right, let me make sure this is the right one. Okay, Clue
number one. Not a ton of clues here, uh clue number one.
I was a top ten first round pick in two thousand and five, top
ten first round pick in two thousand and five. I don't even remember that
draft at all. You got to shooting drafts. He tried to, did
you hear me say? Michael Sweet and he had the last puts. I
was you gotta take a shot. Just the glory of a one shot kill
is worth a bad guess I still have nothing. That was my guess.
Nothing. Okay, no, it is, in fact not Michael Sweety.
In my second year, I finished third and most improved player voting. A
young Dan Favalley must have been furious. I was even in the conversation.
I bet you I don't even remember who it was because I didn't even consider
him to be part of the conversation. You weren't thinking about most improved in
two thousand and five? What were you thinking about in two thousand and five
turning twelve years old? Wow? That's bad math turning fifteen sixteen years old?
Next clue my five. My five most similar players according to Basketball Reference,
you could just tune out are Kyle Lowry, Dick van Harsdale, DeMar
DeRozan, Stefan Marberry, and Tim Hardaway. Dick van Arsdale was famously on
the nineteen sixty five sixty six All Rookie team and nicknamed the Flying Dutchman.
You're just at all, like just blatant efforts to distract you. I feel
like some of those are actually the top pen pick most improved player, a
third and most Improved as a sophomore, and then the most Similars are not
going to help you. Yeah, give me the d all right. In
my third season, I was second team All NBA, but not an All
Star. How about that? I made my first All Star team in my
fifth season, the first of three in a row, spanning both conferences.
So he made it his fifth season. So we're in two thousand and nine,
twenty ten, and twenty eleven, they were an All Star. Yeah,
spanning both conferences, so it goes from one to the other at some
point in that three year run of consecutive All Star games. Assume me one
of those names I'm gonna be taking myselfself over that I didn't get. Two
thousand and five was the Chris Paul draft, So I know it's not Chris
Paul or Marvin Williams. I've ruled it out. Was two thousand and four
the Chris Paul draft. No, you're you're right? Ye? Two thousand
and five was the Chris Paul draft. I can I can feel you getting
closer right now. I can see it. Ah, That timeline is so
weird. Both conferences in the early twenty tens, and was an All Star.
Good know that, But I don't. All right, next clue,
I have to be the only NBA player to win two Olympic gold medals and
in between playing the Turkish Basketball League, once dropping fifty against the fearsome German
club Gottingen. I made five million dollars for playing fifteen games abroad during the
twenty eleven lockout, and my number eight jersey was retired by my Turkish club.
Oh wow, this is where I got it. No, oh no,
this is gonna bug the ever living shit out of me. The mark
of a good guess a player? Oh my three All Star appearances in a
row both conferences and then was one of the players that played abroad during the
lockout, but also two Olympic gold medals. That actually doesn't help me.
No, I mean just basketball has never been like my bag. But now
you know you're dealing with someone that was like, Okay, this guy was
on the short list there for a minute because your ma was on the Turkish
national team. Uh no, he was not on the Turkish national team.
He played in the Turkish Basketball League. Okay, Ah, who win or
pretend that that helps me? And it really well, I don't feel like
it's a giveaway to say the Olympic golds are with Team USA. I'm gonna
hate myself for this again. Is there another clue? Or is that it?
There's one more which I think will probably help uh My last season,
I was waived by the Mavericks due to recurring injuries that plagued the second half
of my career. Four days later, I signed with the Calves, became
Kyrie's backup, and ultimately lost in the finals to one of the best teams
in NBA history. Well, why would I know this one? So?
Who is the washed up guard that used to be really good on the Cavs
team that lost to I don't know it. I'm gonna hate myself for it,
and I'm I'm just not gonna know it. What other clues could I
give you? I think so? I told Bill if he had given the
teams from the East the two conferences, you would just get it. So
if I tell you that this this player went from the Jazz to the net
Aaron Williams, damn it. For some reason, It's interesting that you like
the Turkish League. Thing like like hit a switch in your brain, because
it did to me too. I don't know why, but it's just like
that's where it came to me, and it's clear that it was like trying
to bust through your skull. Are on that one? Are you ready for
one? I'm as ready as I'm gonna get. This. One's from Austin
dud. Number one. I was a former first round pick, never recorded
a single nc double A stat and later I went on to become an NBA
champion, formers first round pick with no NCAA stats and became an NBA champion
j R. Smith incorrect Clue two. I played against many NBA legends over
my career, such as Reggie Biller, Chris Weber, and Gary Payton.
So my guess was a little too current. So we're talking like nineties but
no NCAA stats. So an international player, so he played against Peyton and
who else? Weber and Reggie Miller. Uh, this is the more I'm
reading this, the more this is built for you not to get it on
purpose. Okay, great, I love it. Vlati divots no Clue three.
I've appeared in several theater movies. I almost almost wanted to go back
to Rick Fox, but I know, we know he went to college.
You need to think more current. But he played against Peyton, and I
keep I can't I remember the other names Chris you said, Chris Weber and
Reggie Miller. Reggie Miller, Chris Weber and Gary Payton. What an odd
collection of players? Uh? Played against those guys? Been in movies?
Been in why? Why have movie theater movies? Are there other kinds of
movies? I'm unaware of? Uh? He's not for streaming, dreaming,
he's not he's not a red box all star. Uh more current that's so
bizarre. Uh? Well more current wouldn't be Dennis Rodman. Uh, I
don't. I don't know who for my career high at sixty one points came
out. It's a team that has since been rebranded the name slash mascot sixty
one. I never remember who. Like, I'd assume that's like the Bobcats
they did it against or something. So who's got sixty one should get me
there in movies? But I don't know. I'm like completely spun out here.
Clue five. I've gone back and forth between two different numbers my entire
NBA career. I mean Kobe Bryant incorrect, Who's six? I've in the
top fifty in all time scoring totals and I'm not number fifty. Okay,
so anything but those more current is I'm all completely how many more clues do
I have? That was clue six? You have five more? Okay,
we'll just give me the next one then, please Clue seven. Like many
athletes, I have a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike. Am I making a
mistake being hung up on the movie thing? I don't know. I don't
know to what degree that's impacting well. I feel like he said multiple theater
movies, Like, so this person's been in lots of movies. I don't
really know he's been in He's yes, he's been in multiple movies. I
feel like that should just be the easiest way to get there. H and
it's more current. Just one will become much more fair by clue number nine.
Okay, let's keep going. Then Clue eight, though is I've had
many nicknames over the years, but my most notable nickname would imply that I
am Royalty lebron correct clueline was I have a love for books. It would
appear, although as a running joke that I never seem to make it past
the first page. Ten. I've won a championship with three different NBA teams.
Clue eleven if you haven't guessed by now, Oh boy, I have
his son entering the twenty twenty four NBA draft have expressed I hope to play
alongside him next year. I really feel like the one that threw me off
was the I'm top fifty in all time and not number fifty. Yeah.
The well, I mean, if you're gonna use Lebron, though, you
gotta be like deliberately making it difficult. You got to mislead a little bit.
I think I respect it. I respect the nature of the clues.
So wait, what was the first clue was that the players he played against?
No? Clue two was the ones he played against klu One was I
was a former first round pick, never recorded a single NCAA stat, and
later I went on to become an NBA champion. You know what, I'm
happy with that. I think that's I think, if you're gonna use Lebron,
you gotta make it as tricky as possible. So all right, good
job, Austin. Do you want to take us out of here? I
guess so, I guess we better do that. Everybody. Thanks for listening,
thanks for contributing, Thanks for just bearing with us as we evaluate our
whole outlook on the world with Denver falling apart, It's gonna be a process
and thanks Thanks for going on that journey with us. Please remember to rate,
review, subscribe, tell your friends about the podcast, and if you're
interested in further contributing or getting more involved, join our discord check out our
merch links for both. Those things are in YouTube with podcast description. That's
going to do it. Enjoy the rest of the playoffs. We'll be back
with you soon, shouts Frank Lakina. Apologies, Jared Allen