1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,160 This podcast episode is brought to you by Coors Light. These days, everything 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,640 is go, go go. It's NonStop hustle all the time. Work, 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,679 friends, family, expect you to be on twenty four seven. Well, 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,800 sometimes you just need to reach for a Coors Light because it's made to chill. 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,160 Coorse Light is cold loggered, cold filtered, and cold package. It's 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:25,320 as crisp and refreshing as the Colorado Rockies. He's literally made to chill. 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,679 Coors Light is the one I choose when I need to unwind. So when 8 00:00:28,679 --> 00:00:31,519 you want to hit reset, reach for the beer that's made to chill. 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,840 Get Coors Light and the new look delivered straight to your door with Drizzly or 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:42,640 instat cart Celebrate responsibly. Coors Brewing Company, Golden Colorado. What's up, 11 00:00:42,719 --> 00:00:46,320 y'all is Jerusky and I've teamed up with Mountain Dew to produce a hilarious new 12 00:00:46,359 --> 00:00:50,520 basketball podcast called The Douzone. With Drusky, learn the backstories of your favorite 13 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,880 balls and celebrities like Jamal Murray. Did you have like a favorite team? 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,960 Was it the Raptors at the time or no? Was the Raptors even started 15 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,280 around the top? Come on, Brod, like I'm Vidi, Taylor, 16 00:01:00,359 --> 00:01:03,079 Rose, Asia Wilson, and many more. You won't want to miss this. 17 00:01:03,319 --> 00:01:07,079 Listen to the Dues one with Drusci on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and 18 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:19,040 wherever you listen to podcasts. Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest episode 19 00:01:19,079 --> 00:01:22,799 of Hardwood Knock. Because this is Adam Promwell here with my fantastic co host 20 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,159 Dan for Valley. Today we're going to be playing buy or Sell with some 21 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,920 takes on the Eastern Conference's fifteen teams. So Dan and I are going to 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:36,879 alternate as we go through these teams alphabetically and put forth a statement, whether 23 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:38,799 about an individual player, the team is a whole, future, trade, 24 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:45,239 aspirations, whatever the case may be, something where we feel it can justifiably 25 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,560 be bought or sold, and see where the other person stands and if debates 26 00:01:49,599 --> 00:01:52,599 and sue, then debates and sue before we get into that though, how's 27 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,480 it going, Dan? I am doing well. This was a good exercise 28 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,640 because and from since we have a preview of what each other was doing. 29 00:01:59,799 --> 00:02:02,799 If there was one instance where we each eight the low hanging fruit because we 30 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:07,959 had to, but we both pretty much tried to go off at least something 31 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,639 that was a little bit different than what the national narrative might be for each 32 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,280 team, and so that was like a fun thought exercise. Yeah, for 33 00:02:15,319 --> 00:02:17,400 sure, I totally agree with that. There was some low hanging fruit picked 34 00:02:17,439 --> 00:02:22,439 cough cough, Bradley Beal cough cough. But it is what it is. 35 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:25,439 How are you doing though? I'm doing pretty well. I was telling you 36 00:02:25,479 --> 00:02:30,319 before we started to record that my brother and his wife had control of our 37 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:35,039 toddler for the morning and it was like the first time and probably six months 38 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,280 or so that my wife and I had free time where neither of us were 39 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,520 working, and it was so freeing. It's amazing. How like after you 40 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:44,159 turned twenty five or whatever it is, that free time is just so scant. 41 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,759 It's depressing. Every time my two year old doesn't take his nap, 42 00:02:47,759 --> 00:02:50,719 I'm like, dude, what are you doing? Like enjoy that? Well? 43 00:02:50,759 --> 00:02:53,240 At last? I wish I could take naps now, right. That's 44 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,840 my biggest mistakes as a young kid was wanting to grow up. What a 45 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:00,120 dumb ass? I know. It was like that. It's like how when 46 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,800 you're really young your parents don't know anything, and then you quickly realize sometimes 47 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,240 that they do know stuff, or like any authority figure in your life, 48 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,080 you know, like that mentality shifts so much. Yeah, I would do 49 00:03:10,319 --> 00:03:14,680 I people and people need to find more free time for their stuff. There's 50 00:03:14,719 --> 00:03:16,000 like a stigma. I know there are some people that are really good about 51 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,680 it, but there's a stigma about doing nothing or taking mental health days. 52 00:03:20,719 --> 00:03:23,960 And it's okay. And I'm part of the problem because I feel if I'm 53 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:25,960 doing nothing, I'm wasting time. But like it's very bad at doing nothing. 54 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,599 Yes, I'm terrible at it, as as are you. The stuff 55 00:03:29,599 --> 00:03:31,599 that you get done while having a child all never ceases to amaze me. 56 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:38,240 But we are endorsing our listeners to take some time for yourself. It's healthy, 57 00:03:38,479 --> 00:03:39,919 you know. Listen to a podcast or two, like I've heard of 58 00:03:39,919 --> 00:03:44,439 this good one called Hardwood Knox. Well it's mediocre, but yeah, that's 59 00:03:44,439 --> 00:03:46,280 fair better than all of us are good at selling this podcast. Yeah it's 60 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,159 terrible, but look, and we're gonna get even worse as we go through 61 00:03:50,199 --> 00:03:53,039 these teams with Buy Ourself. Are you ready to get started there? Let's 62 00:03:53,039 --> 00:03:54,479 do it. Let's start with the Atlanta Hawks, where I'm gonna say that 63 00:03:54,879 --> 00:04:00,639 the Atlanta Hawks are disappointing, primarily because the many injuries that have plagued this 64 00:04:00,719 --> 00:04:05,840 roster, ranging from Danilo Gallinari to Rajon Rondo to Chris Duntnyka Kongwu to Clint 65 00:04:05,879 --> 00:04:12,639 Capella, have prevented them from establishing continuity with so many new pieces. I'll 66 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,960 buy that, and it's I did call I did. Trey Young has been 67 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,800 one of the more disappointing players, at least until recently. When you looked 68 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,160 at what he was shooting from three, what he was shooting on his floaters, 69 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,759 It's okay to admit that. I don't think it's going to continue. 70 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,879 I think his job gets easier, and as you, I mean, look 71 00:04:26,959 --> 00:04:30,519 to not have Gallinari or Bogdanovitch at the same time, the two players who 72 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,879 were most responsible in Fury for alleviating the ball handling work load on Trey Young. 73 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,120 I don't know what else you're necessarily supposed to point toward. Maybe the 74 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,680 dynamic between him and John Collins is a long term concern, but I think 75 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:46,240 insofar as they ever get close to full strength, my guests would be that 76 00:04:46,519 --> 00:04:49,120 they'll be fine. Especially you know, Clinck Cappella has been playing really well 77 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,000 for them of late. This could be a situation where maybe they decided to 78 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,519 need to trade, but if they can get Bogdanovitch and Gallow healthy, you 79 00:04:56,519 --> 00:04:58,519 know, I don't I don't really even know what to take away from this. 80 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,480 The Gallow contract or it's like this is going to be the tenth time 81 00:05:00,519 --> 00:05:04,360 in thirteen years he doesn't play in the equivalent of seventy games. But it's 82 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:06,680 such a short term investment. They give you it as a two year deal 83 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,360 if they're willing to. I think he's guaranteed four or five million in the 84 00:05:10,439 --> 00:05:15,600 third. I'm just not super alarmed with Atlanta right now. I think I'm 85 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,240 gonna slightly sell it. I think there are more overarching concerns here, Like 86 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:24,800 I'm not entirely convinced that Lloyd Pierce is the right coach for this team between 87 00:05:24,879 --> 00:05:29,000 the locker room dysfunction and are the reported locker room dysfunction, I should say, 88 00:05:29,079 --> 00:05:32,600 and it's just some of the lack of effort that we've seen mixed with 89 00:05:32,639 --> 00:05:36,680 some weird rotations late in games, Like this team hasn't really blown out the 90 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,600 teams that it should given the level of talent on the roster, And it 91 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,800 just seems like Trey Young in particular, hasn't played with the confidence that he 92 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,560 had last year. The floaters haven't been falling, He's been taking a few 93 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,040 too many hero shots, almost like he's searching for something like it's not a 94 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:57,720 heat check so much as I hope I get hot check, and I don't 95 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,439 have real long term this team is definitely going to miss the playoff concerns, 96 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,560 but I think there's something more going on here than just the injuries. And 97 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,759 look, it does a real cost for conformed being What if Cleveland and New 98 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,279 York are actually just this much better than people thought, then you're all of 99 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,560 a sudden just not guaranteed to have this this spot in that you know, 100 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,720 play in Chase let alone a top six seed that would guarantee you a playoff 101 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,199 spot. Yeah. So I think we're like kind of on the same page 102 00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:29,120 where it's like a mediocre buy and a mediocre sell here. Yeah, I 103 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:30,720 mean it's funny that I'm a little bit more optimistic on them than you. 104 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,519 I find that kind of hysterical. Moving on to Boston, I'm focusing on 105 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:40,720 Jalen Brown here, buy or sell Jalen Brown as a top twenty five player 106 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,920 in the NBA. Yeah, I'm gonna buy it. You know, I 107 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,800 was looking at your rankings for the top hundred players going into this season, 108 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:51,800 and you had Jalen Brown at thirty two coming off a bubble ranking. Where 109 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,680 are a pre bubble ranking where you had him at thirty And I'm looking at 110 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,800 these top twenty five names because it's always hard to like wrap your head around 111 00:06:59,079 --> 00:07:01,920 those numbers. And so the guy's around twenty five, Jamal Murray at twenty 112 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,639 seven, Chris Middleton at twenty six, Kyle Lowry at twenty five, Donovan 113 00:07:05,639 --> 00:07:09,639 Mitchell at twenty four, Rudy Gobert at twenty three. Yeah, I think 114 00:07:09,639 --> 00:07:12,920 he's in that tier. The leap that he's made as a scorer, a 115 00:07:12,959 --> 00:07:16,480 self sufficient score is a profound one. And when you couple that with the 116 00:07:16,519 --> 00:07:20,439 advancement that he's continued to make as a distributor, as a game changing defender, 117 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:26,120 he's a complete player. You can put him in maybe a slight tier 118 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,560 below Jason Tatum at this point, like there's actually a conversation about who's the 119 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:32,800 better player on that team some nights. I think he's I think he's in 120 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,600 that top twenty five conversation if he's not locked into it. Yeah, I 121 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,480 buy it as well, which probably could have been given away by the fact 122 00:07:40,519 --> 00:07:43,720 that I suggested it. He's just having like a monstrous season and he's cool 123 00:07:43,759 --> 00:07:46,319 off a little bit, but he's still averaging twenty six point nine points three 124 00:07:46,319 --> 00:07:51,600 point seven assists, shooting almost forty two percent from three. He's hitting fifty 125 00:07:51,639 --> 00:07:55,680 six point eight percent of his pull up twos, and like that seems far 126 00:07:55,720 --> 00:08:00,839 more sustainable than there's like eighty percent he was hitting before. There's his game 127 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,199 just seems more dynamic. It wasn't just the product Olo Kemba was gone. 128 00:08:03,439 --> 00:08:09,959 There's a better feel for it there. He's been incredibly efficient on his drives. 129 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:15,480 He's shooting fifty nine point one percent on drives and that is among fifty 130 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,120 eight players who are taking at least four shots out of drives per game. 131 00:08:18,519 --> 00:08:22,759 That is seventh best in the league. And so that's just I mean, 132 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,240 he's shooting better on drives than Janice right now. And look it's early, 133 00:08:26,319 --> 00:08:30,199 so Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Hero are in that company as well, but it's 134 00:08:30,199 --> 00:08:33,240 just super when you can do what he does. He's so plug and play 135 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,799 on offense, and now there's the dynamic where he doesn't feel just plug and 136 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:39,039 play anymore, coupled with what he does on defense. I it's a hard 137 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:43,480 buy for me. Yeah, I'm pretty confident in the buy there as well. 138 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:50,360 For the Brooklyn Nets. Since James Harden arrived via that mega blockbuster trade, 139 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:54,039 the Nets have beaten the Orlando Magic by seven points. They've beaten the 140 00:08:54,039 --> 00:08:56,799 Milwaukee Bucks by two points in one of the best games of the season so 141 00:08:56,879 --> 00:09:01,080 far. They've lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers and double over time when Colin Sexton 142 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,080 went off. Then they lost to the Cavaliers again. Then they beat the 143 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:07,120 Miami Heat by four points. A lot of mixed results. Are we buying 144 00:09:07,279 --> 00:09:13,679 or selling the fit of the new big three in Brooklyn? I buy the 145 00:09:13,879 --> 00:09:18,200 offensive fit. The one ball stuff was super low hanging fruit. And I 146 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,159 get some of the concern where it's, yeah, long term, one of 147 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,440 these guys has to be the third option, and who just knows how well 148 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:26,759 that's it's it's they wanted to play together. It's going to work on offense. 149 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,559 The concern for me would just be what does this team look like defensively 150 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:33,919 where they already had some problems. If you look at you know, go 151 00:09:35,039 --> 00:09:37,960 baseline, not even just their defensive rebounding, but like, who are they 152 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,919 who do that you want to close with at center? Is it really DeAndre 153 00:09:41,039 --> 00:09:43,759 Jordan who's just not moving that well? Do you go with a Kevin Durant 154 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:46,919 at the five and Jeff Green at the five? What does that due to 155 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,759 your defense? We seemly get pummel on the glass in those minutes. I 156 00:09:48,879 --> 00:09:54,440 buy the idea that they're a good fit on offense. I sell this idea 157 00:09:54,519 --> 00:09:58,879 that we don't need to be concerned about their defense because they're just going to 158 00:09:58,879 --> 00:10:01,840 be so elite on offense. I think I'm going to sell it. Overall. 159 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,759 It feels to me like an issue of diminishing marginal returns here where these 160 00:10:07,799 --> 00:10:11,799 guys are all so good, but they do take away from each other's games, 161 00:10:11,039 --> 00:10:15,120 you know, ultimately, like can Kyrie Irving thrive as an off ball 162 00:10:15,159 --> 00:10:18,000 threat? Sure? Can James Harden thrive? And as an off ball threat? 163 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,879 Absolutely can Kevin Durant. We know that that's the case. That's fine, 164 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,120 but just the fit with Harden and Kyrie in particular, like you're going 165 00:10:26,159 --> 00:10:28,360 to have to alternate possessions on who's leading the charge, and you know what, 166 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,919 if you're not picking those spots right, especially with a first year head 167 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,759 coach in Steve Nash, like it feels a little bit too combustible for me. 168 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,799 And if we're saying that this this trio is immediately capable of pushing the 169 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,799 nets to the top of the Eastern Conference or competing for a title right away, 170 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,360 like which I think is the only reasonable expectation given the capital invested in 171 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:54,679 this trio. I'm going to sell that right now. That's interesting. There's 172 00:10:54,759 --> 00:10:56,440 I've actually been worried, like, if I'm too low on them, could 173 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,000 their defense be better than expected long term? Because they're their shot profile is 174 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,399 so good there they have the their less by check they were from killing the 175 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,080 last fifth in location effect the field goal percentage, they were like a you 176 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,039 know, the stuff at the rim. They've been allowing more looks there, 177 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:11,440 it feels like, but they don't allow a ton of threes. They're coaxing 178 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,279 teams and mid range jumpers, and so there's I feel like there's a chance 179 00:11:15,279 --> 00:11:18,240 that maybe not just you, but me might be too low. And I'm 180 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,679 probably a little bit more optimistic it is, but I mean you touch on 181 00:11:22,279 --> 00:11:26,879 good points where it's they're just going to be functional changes to how they play, 182 00:11:26,879 --> 00:11:31,080 and it seems early on one we've really only seen the sample sizes larger 183 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,279 with two of them than three. I think they only played two games together 184 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:39,639 with all three of them if I'm correct, So it does seem Mike James 185 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,399 Harden is going to be kind of the point guard and he's been just passing 186 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:46,559 a ton and table setting. Is that gonna be viable over the longer haul 187 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:48,879 where you know, maybe he's not scoring as much when all three of them 188 00:11:48,919 --> 00:11:52,399 are in the game. I'm I'm very interesting to see who gets the last 189 00:11:52,399 --> 00:11:56,960 shot and these there's options there during crunch time, but I'm I want to 190 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:58,919 see them in more situations where tight games at the end, all three of 191 00:12:00,039 --> 00:12:01,960 them around the court, and how the offense is run that way, because 192 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,960 I think you know, if you're hard and you're counting on him to run 193 00:12:05,039 --> 00:12:07,960 point, his first instinct is going to be to try and create a bucket 194 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,519 in that specific situation. I would think the talent here is unbelievable as you 195 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:18,440 put more cohesive pieces around them in future seasons, rather than trying to adapt 196 00:12:18,519 --> 00:12:22,320 the incumbents on the roster to the new triumvirate and charge. I have more 197 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,559 confidence in them next year than I do this year. So I think my 198 00:12:26,639 --> 00:12:28,960 hot take here is that this isn't an Eastern Conference Finals team this year. 199 00:12:31,159 --> 00:12:33,200 I don't know if that's a hot take. I think because you can name 200 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:39,320 Philly, Milwaukee, a fully healthy Miami, maybe Boston. Those were all 201 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,799 teams I could give them problems. I mean you could. Yeah, it's 202 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:46,879 just with the warrant injury. We don't know how Evert's gonna fit. That's 203 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:50,000 you know, there's they don't feel for a team that has three what does 204 00:12:50,039 --> 00:12:54,000 Kyrie ringing his peak top fifteen three top fifteen guys. Yea, absolutely, 205 00:12:54,759 --> 00:13:01,039 they feel beautible. Can I can I go on an on a side conversation 206 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,159 here before we jump to Charlotte. You know, I was talking with a 207 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,600 friend of the podcast, Jacob Born here last night, and we were talking 208 00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:15,559 about Kyrie Irving's game and how it feels like it's one of the most esthetically 209 00:13:15,639 --> 00:13:20,000 pleasing games in NBA history. Just the way that he dribbles, the way 210 00:13:20,039 --> 00:13:22,840 that he finishes, the wrong footed finishes, everything that he does makes him 211 00:13:22,879 --> 00:13:28,120 look like an absolute master of basketball. And I'm curious if there's anyone you 212 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:35,240 can think of where the ratio of aesthetic pleasantness to effectiveness has been more warped. 213 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,559 Could your mom Murray be up there? Maybe? Because like conversely, 214 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:48,519 Kevin Durant plays like the smoothest, easiest game I've ever seen, and it 215 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:54,120 one hundred percent translates to effectiveness. And like Kyrie's doesn't like as amazing as 216 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,399 he is, he can just put on an absolute show and you're like, 217 00:13:56,399 --> 00:14:00,120 wow, they're they're ahead by two points. That's not to say he's not 218 00:14:00,159 --> 00:14:01,720 a great basketball player, as you said, like a top fifteen guy. 219 00:14:01,759 --> 00:14:07,200 I don't disagree with that, but like the beauty of his game leads you 220 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,240 to believe that he should be even better. I would totally agree with you 221 00:14:11,279 --> 00:14:16,200 there. That's and some of it is like the effort on defense has been 222 00:14:16,879 --> 00:14:20,240 it swung wildly over the past. It feels like a few years where was 223 00:14:20,279 --> 00:14:22,559 he had the season in Boston where he tried really hard, but then the 224 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,240 second season not so much. Last year was whatever. This year, it 225 00:14:24,279 --> 00:14:28,080 feels like he's been engaged at different points. But yeah, I mean that's 226 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,919 a that's an interesting theory that I haven't given enough thought of it to come 227 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,200 up put it with an alternative. But you may be right. Well, 228 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:39,159 I can think on it more. Are you ready for Charton, We'll revisit 229 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,519 that. Are you ready for Charlotte? I'm always ready for Charlotte. Buy 230 00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:48,200 or sell. Miles Bridges is the most important player long term not named LaMelo 231 00:14:48,279 --> 00:14:52,279 Ball to this team. I'm gonna sell it. Okay. I think that. 232 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,960 I think that he could be, and that there's a very real possibility 233 00:14:58,039 --> 00:15:01,080 he's the second best player on his team for a long time. But I'm 234 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,480 gonna I'm gonna put Terry rose Year in that position because he's already been paid 235 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,639 because if if he is an absolute bust, which it does not look like 236 00:15:09,679 --> 00:15:13,919 he's going to be based on this season's early returns, that's really crippling. 237 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,000 And you could say the same thing about Gordon Hayward, where he's been paid 238 00:15:16,039 --> 00:15:20,200 so much money if he doesn't live up to that contract. Because Miles Bridges 239 00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:24,759 has not had that MAX extension, I don't think that you can put him 240 00:15:24,799 --> 00:15:28,559 up there because they could feasibly move on if he doesn't work out. The 241 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,720 thing is, I mean, Terror's here, has one more year left on 242 00:15:31,759 --> 00:15:33,960 his deal and still go a long term. With that, I guess the 243 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:39,360 Gordon Hayward pick makes sense. I thought you might have pivoted to uh Gavante 244 00:15:39,399 --> 00:15:41,600 Graham was gonna be a free agent this year. Is parked up a little 245 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,919 bit over his last few games. He couldn't really hit anything for a good 246 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:50,000 chunk of the season. But I exactly why I'm not picking him because you 247 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,279 know, oh no, he runs away like Grant Rollers step up. I 248 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,240 thought that was also going to be the name that came up, because I'm 249 00:15:56,279 --> 00:16:00,960 selling because of Grant Roller. The other thing I thought maybe might come up 250 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,679 is that you could buy into the idea that whoever they take in the twenty 251 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,799 twenty one draft, even though they're winning a little bit more right now than 252 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,639 expected, that's going to be their most long term important player. But but 253 00:16:11,759 --> 00:16:17,240 Bridges this year has just been really good overall. He's hitting his three. 254 00:16:18,159 --> 00:16:21,879 I think he's shown that he's definitely more than just this power dunker. You'd 255 00:16:21,919 --> 00:16:26,759 still like to see him make more of his like or there'll be less predictability 256 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,399 to his games, like can he do more than straight line driving? And 257 00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:32,879 can he hit when he does? Can he hit those at a higher clip? 258 00:16:32,919 --> 00:16:36,600 But he gives them a bunch of switchability on the defensive end. Maybe 259 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:38,399 not necessarily someone wants you want him covering bigs full time, but he can 260 00:16:38,399 --> 00:16:41,559 definitely defend like basically two through five or three through five at this point, 261 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:45,080 and so I do feel like there's a little element of under appreciation to his 262 00:16:45,159 --> 00:16:49,759 game. I'm going to buy loosely because I kind of want to pick whoever 263 00:16:49,799 --> 00:16:53,080 they take in the twenty twenty one draft, but that just feels like we're 264 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,960 not even there yet. We don't know where their pick is going going to 265 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,399 be. Hayward, I feel like it's fair obviously, if they do invest 266 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,559 in DeVante Graham, there's a chance that it becomes him. We have not 267 00:17:03,559 --> 00:17:07,039 talked about simply Washington either. That ship may have sailed for them. But 268 00:17:08,039 --> 00:17:11,799 it's interesting that you can look at this team and come up with so many 269 00:17:11,799 --> 00:17:15,079 different options for who their second most important player is over the long haul. 270 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,200 And I think it's also interesting that it's taken this little time to be like, 271 00:17:18,279 --> 00:17:22,319 yeah, like, LaMelo Ball is definitely number one on that list. 272 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:26,880 It's impossible to watch even one LaMelo Ball game right now and not be like, 273 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,960 yeah, he gets it, unless you're James Brego who was mad about 274 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,359 his turnovers and then mad about his defensive effort. I'm just you've played DeVante 275 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:40,279 Graham for holding the superscar accountable, the superstar rookie accountable right off the bat. 276 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,240 It rings a little hollow harder on him, but yeah, it rings 277 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:47,319 a little hollow when you've played DeVante Graham so heavily while he's been going through 278 00:17:47,319 --> 00:17:49,079 his own slump and he's going to actively hurt you on defense, and he 279 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,599 was shooting like negative eight percent around the basket at one point. So that's 280 00:17:52,599 --> 00:17:56,119 where it rings a little hollow for me. I don't you know, if 281 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:57,440 they told me that he was going to come off the bench all year in 282 00:17:57,559 --> 00:18:03,200 Charlotte, I might be okay with just because it does, in theory simplify 283 00:18:03,279 --> 00:18:04,200 his role, which I don't think it's a bad thing for a rookie, 284 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,519 But those comments were I don't know that that caught me a little off. 285 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,960 I get it, but like, did that need to be if he said 286 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,720 it behind the scenes, I think it would have made like make the decision 287 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,279 to not really play him that much and then talk to him about it. 288 00:18:15,279 --> 00:18:18,519 You didn't have to go to the media and light this kid up. Yeah, 289 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:25,720 that's fair to Chicago. Oh Chicago, I'm out of whack. Sorry, 290 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:27,559 you're trying to skip a couple of teams here. So yeah, with 291 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,519 Chicago, you know you can look at this roster and find a couple intriguing 292 00:18:32,599 --> 00:18:36,559 names as as long term pieces between No Kobe White, as much as he 293 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,519 struggled at times the season, Zach Lavigne, who's on fire, Patrick Williams, 294 00:18:40,559 --> 00:18:42,400 Laurie Marken, and Wendell Carter Junior. Though that ship seems to be 295 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,839 sailing a little bit. So my question is are you are you buying or 296 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:52,039 selling that Chicago has at least one centerpiece of a future contender on its roster 297 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,799 right now. Centerpiece doesn't have to mean like the number one guy, right 298 00:18:56,039 --> 00:19:00,880 I think it does like like the top guy on a contender is on the 299 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,759 roster right now. You can win a title with one of these guys at 300 00:19:03,759 --> 00:19:07,920 their peak. I'm gonna sell dach Lavine has been spectacular, but I don't 301 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,920 think and he's still young. This is his what is this his age twenty 302 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:17,640 five, twenty sixth season right now, and his playmaking is as age turns 303 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:22,920 twenty six in March. I just can't imagine him being even now, Like 304 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,640 the offensive splits with him are not great because I don't know how much he 305 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,599 actually uplifts his teammates. I think you have to want that player to be 306 00:19:29,759 --> 00:19:33,240 Kobe White or Patrick Williams. I would argue Patrick Williams might have a better 307 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:37,079 chance because he's not going to influence the game as much on offense, even 308 00:19:37,079 --> 00:19:40,519 if he is on defense. That's a tough one I'm gonna sell, but 309 00:19:40,559 --> 00:19:42,480 I don't feel great about it. I just don't think Zach Lavine is going 310 00:19:42,519 --> 00:19:47,519 to end up being the number one guy for a contender, and that's just 311 00:19:48,039 --> 00:19:51,119 that's not even I think he's been spectacular this year. I want to make 312 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,599 that. I want to make that clear. I'm gonna tentatively buy here. 313 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,000 I think that Patrick Williams has enough potential to reach that stage, even though 314 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,079 we definitely haven't seen enough to assertively say that he will. But I do 315 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,920 think Lavigne can be We've been, we were really complimentary of him the last 316 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,200 episode we did together. Just the leap that he's made, which is really 317 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:15,200 more of a gradual climb to this level. I do think he's that good, 318 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,359 and I think he's young enough that he could fit the timeline of whatever 319 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:23,880 Chicago does next. He does not float everyone around him enough, but I 320 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:29,240 think that's at least partially due to the lack of continuity that they've had, 321 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:33,079 you know, shifting coaches and the lack of established talent around him. If 322 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,119 you're if you're putting a cohesive rotation around zach Lavine, I think he can 323 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:41,839 be that guy. In all caps. His teammates are shooting better than thirty 324 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:47,559 nine percent on threes off his passes. My whole thing is we'll get out 325 00:20:47,599 --> 00:20:51,359 good he's been this year. Where is Chicago right now seven to nine, 326 00:20:51,559 --> 00:20:55,480 twenty second in net rating per cleaning the glass? The offense is still seventeenth. 327 00:20:56,519 --> 00:20:57,680 It's a hair better with him on the floor. I do believe. 328 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,960 I'll double check that to make sure that I'm not lying to you, guys. 329 00:21:00,279 --> 00:21:03,279 I understand that it's a talent thing. But if you are, you 330 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,839 like, is there anyone that's on the roster currently, then that's gonna work 331 00:21:07,839 --> 00:21:11,240 with the iteration of the team that has Zach Lavine as it's number one option 332 00:21:11,279 --> 00:21:15,680 and is contending Patrick Williams. But yeah, I mean, I think that's 333 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,160 all you can confidently say right now. Isn't Laurie Markten going to be back 334 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,160 on a new contract? Is Kobe White actually good? Like with those I'm 335 00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:26,200 very they should trade Laurie much doubt about they should trade Larry market In right. 336 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,559 I don't know that they should be as from a team perspective, I 337 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,759 hope every player gets paid, but I don't know why they would give him 338 00:21:32,839 --> 00:21:33,880 a ton of money. It doesn't seem to make sense for them. And 339 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,720 yeah, they're a hairbetter on offense plus point three points per possession with Leavin 340 00:21:38,799 --> 00:21:41,079 on the floor. And I don't think at this point that's clearly not an 341 00:21:41,079 --> 00:21:45,720 indictment of him. There's I never thought he I don't. I can't watch 342 00:21:45,799 --> 00:21:48,559 him anymore and think empty stats. Guy, I don't know that I ever 343 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,200 put I thought there was something to it because his teams are just never substantially 344 00:21:52,319 --> 00:21:55,440 uplifted when he's on the court, But just watching the way he's played this 345 00:21:55,519 --> 00:21:59,519 season, like that just can't be it. I maybe I'm just having a 346 00:21:59,599 --> 00:22:02,319 tough time because of what this team is doing right now, having a tough 347 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:03,440 time of vision, and they've been a lot better since the beginning of the 348 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,759 season. So some of these numbers are probably dragged down by how they looked 349 00:22:07,759 --> 00:22:10,599 at the start of the year. I'm still I'm going to sell. I 350 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,039 don't feel great about it because I thought I was high enough on Zachovine, 351 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,640 but number one on a contender is a pretty lofty goal. And that's kind 352 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,960 of saying that he's going to get to be like a top fifteen guy or 353 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:23,440 a top twenty guy or something. And I don't know that he ever gets 354 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,000 to that level, but I do think it says a lot that it seems 355 00:22:27,039 --> 00:22:32,359 like a reasonable question right now. Fair Sugar, Ray, Leonard, Roberto 356 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:37,480 Duran, Marvelous, Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns legends whose four way rivalry 357 00:22:37,519 --> 00:22:42,440 define one of the greatest errors in boxing history, relive their decade of dominance 358 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:48,319 in the new Showtime Sports documentary The Kings, a four parts series premiering Sunday, 359 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:55,240 June sixth, only on Showtime. Cavaliers I have. I'm wondering if 360 00:22:55,279 --> 00:22:57,400 this one caught you off guard when I told you it before we started. 361 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:06,200 Colin Sexton is better and is going to remain better than Jamal Murray. It 362 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,720 didn't catch me off guard. Just I think that those are our guys who 363 00:23:08,759 --> 00:23:14,319 are definitely trending in opposite directions right now, and I'm actually gonna buy it. 364 00:23:15,079 --> 00:23:18,759 I have concerns about Jamal Murray's inconsistency at this point. You know, 365 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:23,599 we were expecting that this could be the year that, coming off that remarkable 366 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,559 Bubble performance, that he showed that he could really thrive in the regular season 367 00:23:27,599 --> 00:23:32,160 and elevate a team. And it really does fall on his shoulders that the 368 00:23:32,279 --> 00:23:37,319 Nuggets are struggling to remain above five hundred with Nicola Yokis playing MVP caliber basketball 369 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,519 like that. That's a testament to how much Murray has struggled at times, 370 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:45,799 along with other pieces throughout the roster and the lack of availability from Michael Porter 371 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,920 Jr. Etc. Etc. But meanwhile, Sexton is just lighting it up 372 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:56,400 and beating good teams on his shoulders. He's showing that he can fill multiple 373 00:23:56,519 --> 00:24:00,000 roles out of the backcourt, that he can be a number one score without 374 00:24:00,079 --> 00:24:07,319 sacrificing efficiencily, without sacrificing any semblance of efficiency, that he can work cohesively 375 00:24:07,519 --> 00:24:11,039 alongside Darius Garland and elevate the play of others around him. Like I'm buying 376 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:18,319 him as an offensive superstar. I'm buying this too. And there's Look, 377 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,319 there's the obviousness of it just when you look at his numbers this season, 378 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,720 but overall this year, there are a total of seven players who are shooting 379 00:24:26,759 --> 00:24:30,680 better than fifty percent inside the arc, at least forty percent beyond the arc, 380 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:34,079 and averaging more than twenty five points per game. Kevin Durant, Colin 381 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:38,079 Sexton, CJ McCollum, Kyrie, Jalen Brown, Kauai and Joel Embiid. 382 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,599 And the thing that I will note is that he's coming off a season where 383 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:48,359 he was one of just a handful of players to do something similar. Last 384 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:49,559 year, he wasn't averaging twenty five points per game, but there were only 385 00:24:49,599 --> 00:24:55,160 six players who attempted as many threes as him and then shot at least thirty 386 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,440 eight percent from three and fifty percent inside the arc while averaging over twenty points 387 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:02,839 per game. That was Middleton, Cat Dame, Brandon Ingram, Jalon Brown, 388 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,400 and of course Colin Sexton was there. Look Jalen Brown appearing twice too. 389 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,720 That's another argument in favor of him. This is not his offensive stardom 390 00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:11,799 is not news. He's done the two things that have real or three things 391 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,799 really that have sold me. I don't know the viability of Darius Garland Collin 392 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,599 Sexton long term defensively, Then again, the personnel they now have around them 393 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,839 with Isaaca Cora, Larry Nance Junior and Jared All, maybe that doesn't matter. 394 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,839 I also think Colin Sexton has been better on defense this year, at 395 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:32,440 least on the ball. The second thing is I don't know if he's ever 396 00:25:32,519 --> 00:25:34,480 the guy that you want to trust to create off the dribble, but he's 397 00:25:34,519 --> 00:25:37,799 so efficient off the catch it doesn't matter. And just something to monitor is 398 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:42,680 he's shooting forty seven percent on a bunch of pull up two pointers this year, 399 00:25:42,799 --> 00:25:47,400 and then fifty six point fifty two point six percent on two pull up 400 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,160 three point attempts per game. So again, I don't know that he's ever 401 00:25:51,279 --> 00:25:56,359 going to be that traditional from scratch scorer. I don't know one that he 402 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,599 needs to be. And the indicators this season are fantastic for him, And 403 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,920 this might be the biggest one of all. His passing Since sort of the 404 00:26:03,039 --> 00:26:07,079 end of last year, it has gotten better. And the thing that I 405 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:11,440 looked up for this is so last season he was averaging thirteen point nine drives 406 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:12,720 per game. He shot fine, it was forty seven point six percent. 407 00:26:14,319 --> 00:26:17,480 He passed on thirty two point four percent of his drives for an assist rate 408 00:26:17,559 --> 00:26:22,599 of six point seven. This year he is averaging sixteen point seven drives he 409 00:26:22,799 --> 00:26:26,440 is playing. I think he's the last. He's averaging substantially more minutes, 410 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,240 but he's driving, so he's still attacking. He's shooting fifty two point one 411 00:26:30,279 --> 00:26:33,759 percent on them, but he's passing on forty two percent of his drives with 412 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,880 an assist rate of ten. Sort up. The percentage of drives that you're 413 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,480 passing on is actually more difficult, I would argue, as the number of 414 00:26:40,599 --> 00:26:42,720 drives increases, the fact that he's doing that. No, I don't think 415 00:26:42,759 --> 00:26:45,400 you need to look at him as a point guard, because first of all, 416 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,400 he's not a point guard, and so as someone who's your two guard 417 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:52,680 till it's toward off guard, whatever you want to call him, he's he's 418 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,240 improved enough there where it's like, Okay, we were wondering whether the Cavs 419 00:26:56,279 --> 00:27:00,680 had this long term cornerstone of the future. Will he be You're asking about 420 00:27:00,759 --> 00:27:03,240 Zack Levine being the best player on a contender. I don't know if we 421 00:27:03,279 --> 00:27:06,359 can ask that about Colin Sexton yet, but it's interesting enough to where it's 422 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:11,160 like, Damn Cleveland is Cleveland's future is a lot different based off what Colin 423 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:12,279 Sexton has done the past two years. I want to be clear, it's 424 00:27:12,279 --> 00:27:15,880 not even just about this season. And he's had a level of consistency on 425 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,079 offense where, yeah, Jamal Murray is going to have those step backs and 426 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,319 there's just more to him there and I think that he'll you know, probably 427 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:26,599 have higher peaks. How long do those peaks last? And so there's just 428 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,960 been that level of consistency from Colin Sexton that we've never seen from Jamal Murray, 429 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,720 who arguably might be one of the most entertaining but albeit roller coaster rides 430 00:27:33,799 --> 00:27:37,519 in the NBA. And I think it's important to note that when we ask 431 00:27:37,599 --> 00:27:41,039 this question, we are splitting hairs. It's not like Colin Sexton is blowing 432 00:27:41,079 --> 00:27:44,480 Jamal Murray out of the water. They're both all star talents. Like that's 433 00:27:44,519 --> 00:27:48,920 the important thing here is that we're putting Colin Sexton into that same tier that 434 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,559 Jamal Murray has been occupying for a little while. Now. Yeah, I 435 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,240 just think that he needs to be viewed in like a which is by the 436 00:27:56,279 --> 00:27:59,079 way, it's not to say that I was or either of us are out 437 00:27:59,079 --> 00:28:02,200 in front of this. I rank him as the hundredth best player coming into 438 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,359 the season. I think we ended up at our panel Jamal murs I'm pretty 439 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,839 sure I tried to argue out of including him. I don't remember that, 440 00:28:08,039 --> 00:28:11,839 but I don't doubt it. And we probably had Jamal Murray. I don't 441 00:28:11,839 --> 00:28:15,240 know that I'm about He was probably in the thirties, early forties, and 442 00:28:15,279 --> 00:28:18,759 so that's a huge discrepancy twenty seven because I think I didn't didn't I mention 443 00:28:18,839 --> 00:28:22,359 that on the Boston section of this maybe of players going into the bubble, 444 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,079 he might have been it. There's no way he was. I would have 445 00:28:25,079 --> 00:28:30,000 bumped him out of the top twenty seven real quick. So I that's a 446 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,720 huge gap to make up. But to say that he's going to be better 447 00:28:32,799 --> 00:28:36,839 than him, that probably he says more about the recalibration of Jamal Murray maybe 448 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,000 than sex, and it says it. It's just a great deal about Paul. 449 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,920 I'm not trying to crap all over Jamal Murray. But Colin Sexton has 450 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,640 flown under the radar since last year. Like, this isn't just a this 451 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,240 season thing. The defense, Yeah, the passing took a little while later 452 00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:52,480 into last season, but like that's even been more sustainable. So and if 453 00:28:52,519 --> 00:28:56,680 he finishes the year putting up numbers like this twenty five while shooting so efficiently, 454 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,599 wow, just wow, right right, So moving on to the Detroit 455 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:06,000 Pistons, they are three and thirteen and at the time of recording, but 456 00:29:06,599 --> 00:29:11,680 they're Pythagorean wins, which are based on points scored and allowed. They've underperformed. 457 00:29:11,799 --> 00:29:15,559 They have played more like a six and ten team. Their net rating 458 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,440 shows the same thing, where they have a minus four point six net rating, 459 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,480 which isn't totally at the bottom of the NBA. So are they bad 460 00:29:22,599 --> 00:29:26,160 enough that they don't need to make changes or are they going to make big 461 00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:30,160 changes at the trade deadline? So my buy cell is that Detroit will be 462 00:29:30,319 --> 00:29:34,440 stripped for parts at the deadline, specifically referring to Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, 463 00:29:34,519 --> 00:29:41,759 Mason Plumley, and Delon Right, I'm gonna sell just because maybe Derrick 464 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,799 Rose just because he's on an expiring contract, but they kind of need him 465 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,799 after they killing and Hayes injury because you only have Delan right, you are 466 00:29:48,039 --> 00:29:51,279 relying a ton on Jeremy Grant. I don't know who's gonna want Blake Griffin's 467 00:29:51,319 --> 00:29:55,599 contract at this point without getting a sweetener, So I don't I actually don't 468 00:29:55,680 --> 00:30:00,160 think that they're going to end up gutting it. The spicier take would be, 469 00:30:00,319 --> 00:30:03,440 why don't you try and capitalize on Jeremy Grant's trade value right now? 470 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:07,599 Because he's been basically the most effective isolation scorer in the league. I don't 471 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,559 know how long that could continue. What you do bring up an interesting point 472 00:30:10,559 --> 00:30:14,839 about is Detroit, despite being too inten, is fourth in clutch minutes played, 473 00:30:15,359 --> 00:30:17,920 and so there might be an element of, oh, could they just 474 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:19,519 get better as the year goes on? You been too inten in the clutch? 475 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,240 Just to be clear, yeah, two in ten in the clutch. 476 00:30:22,279 --> 00:30:23,680 Sorry, they're two in ten in those minutes, but they've been the crunch 477 00:30:23,759 --> 00:30:27,000 time in ten games, which is a twelve games, which is also a 478 00:30:27,119 --> 00:30:33,440 league high. And the total minutes they've spent in the clutch of excuse me, 479 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:37,000 forty eight is fourth in the NBA as I stumbled through that, So 480 00:30:37,359 --> 00:30:41,160 maybe it would behoove them to get rid of a Derek Rose, but like 481 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:45,240 they're not really or maybe a plumb Lee like those might be players that are 482 00:30:45,599 --> 00:30:48,720 possibly helping them. I'd be a little bit surprised if they moved Alan Wright, 483 00:30:48,839 --> 00:30:51,759 just because I think since he's under contract for next year, I believe, 484 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,119 and you don't really have another point guard option now because of the Killian 485 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,000 Hayes injury for the moment that it's just makes more sense to keep in him. 486 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,880 What are you gonna get for him? So I'm gonna sell it. 487 00:31:03,079 --> 00:31:06,759 I think they end up moving Derrick Rose would just and since that's the only 488 00:31:06,799 --> 00:31:08,519 player I really see them moving, I don't know that I could buy into 489 00:31:08,519 --> 00:31:11,119 the fact that they're going to strip it down. Yeah, I'm gonna sell 490 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:15,559 as well. I don't think that you can move Blake Griffin without attaching sweeteners. 491 00:31:15,759 --> 00:31:18,519 I think Derrick Rose is too important. But they do need to move 492 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,799 something just because they're a little better than they want to be, even if 493 00:31:21,839 --> 00:31:26,000 the record thus far doesn't indicate it. I think Mason Plumley is going to 494 00:31:26,039 --> 00:31:30,440 be the lone significant name moved from Detroit at the deadline. That's interesting. 495 00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:34,400 There are some teams that could use a wildly big. It'd be funny after 496 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,880 everyone dumping all over that contract that he ends up being moved for like even 497 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,400 if it's just like some positive value. He's been pretty solid so far this 498 00:31:41,559 --> 00:31:45,079 year. He's been good. He's still a very good passer, and I 499 00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:48,400 think he communicates well with his teams based off his teammates, based off the 500 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,960 gate pissing games I've seen this year, this one moving on to Indiana. 501 00:31:52,039 --> 00:31:55,960 Unless you have anything to add on Detroit there, go for it. Miles 502 00:31:56,079 --> 00:32:00,680 Turner will finish in the top two or three if you want to go that 503 00:32:00,759 --> 00:32:04,119 deep of Defensive Player of the Year voting at the end of the season. 504 00:32:04,119 --> 00:32:07,519 I want to make that clear, not where it stands right now. I 505 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:09,960 just I want to ask before we answer, what's making you ask this question. 506 00:32:10,279 --> 00:32:15,200 So I got shipped on by Miles Turner himself. I doubt he paid 507 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:16,680 any mind to who wrote it, even though my name was in the tweet 508 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:21,880 that Bleacher Report put out, because I did predictions for the awards based off 509 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,759 what we've seen this season. Now, the one changed that I would have 510 00:32:25,839 --> 00:32:30,559 made is maybe I should have just done a ladder. Because of the way 511 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:37,480 that Bleacher Report programmed the article and as writers, we don't we have control 512 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,599 over what we're writing about, but headlines are changed, which I don't. 513 00:32:39,839 --> 00:32:43,640 That's editorial. That's totally fine with me. I should have done more of 514 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:45,960 a ladder where if the season were at ten today or right now, who's 515 00:32:46,039 --> 00:32:49,680 leading, in which case I would have had Miles Turnarth Defensive Player of the 516 00:32:49,759 --> 00:32:51,920 Year. I did not have him in my top three. I made it 517 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,240 clear to say that he was fourth. He has been an absolute monster. 518 00:32:54,680 --> 00:33:00,200 I had Imbided Gobert and Anthony Davis ahead of him. Pacers fans were I 519 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,680 rate Miles Turner wasn't happy, but what do you accept expect the player to 520 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:07,640 say? The Pacers even quote treated Bleacher Reports article. My mentions were a 521 00:33:07,759 --> 00:33:10,119 higher fire for probably less than twenty four hours. It wasn't too long. 522 00:33:10,799 --> 00:33:14,759 And so I'm just curious where looking at the end of the season, like, 523 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:19,640 do you see what he's doing as sustainable to the point where he's going 524 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,799 to finish top two or three and defensive let alone win the award the top 525 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:28,480 in defensive player of the Year. I don't think that he will finish in 526 00:33:28,519 --> 00:33:31,039 the top three. I think that there will be a justifiable case to have 527 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:36,640 him there. But the block rate that he's at right now is like unprecedented 528 00:33:36,759 --> 00:33:39,799 in the modern day NBA, and I don't think that he or anyone else 529 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:44,519 is capable of sustaining that for a full season. And as good as the 530 00:33:44,599 --> 00:33:49,240 Pacers have been with him on the floor, they're still not a great defensive 531 00:33:49,279 --> 00:33:52,559 team overall. They have a middling defensive rating. They've been vulnerable and a 532 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:58,880 number of different ways to this point, and without playing for a top tier 533 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:04,359 defensive team, you generally struggle to garner the necessary votes. So will he 534 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,880 be one of the three most impactful defensive players? Sure? Are we sure 535 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:12,800 that he's going to finish the season in Indiana? No, there's just there's 536 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:17,679 too much uncertainty and too many indicators that are just a little bit veering away 537 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:23,000 from sustainability. And if you're not going to be on a top defensive team, 538 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:28,480 you need to lead the league in blocks by a wide margin to get 539 00:34:28,559 --> 00:34:30,599 consideration, which he's doing so far. But I'm not sure he's going to 540 00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:35,039 be able to sustain there. And look, that's part of it, as 541 00:34:35,039 --> 00:34:38,440 people pointed out, because what's also tough is when you're doing the three player 542 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:43,599 predictions is you're more inclined to spend time on why you're picking them as opposed 543 00:34:43,599 --> 00:34:45,599 to why you're not picking someone else. And so I mentioned that I don't 544 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:50,239 think the Pacers defense will hold at the elite level enough for Miles Turner to 545 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,719 win it even though the defensive and look I looked while I was doing it, 546 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,559 I looked up lineup data. There are two games that concerned me. 547 00:34:55,719 --> 00:35:00,360 It was the Pacers game I think they lost to the k and it was 548 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:05,639 their game was a loss to the Suns maybe where they were their defense, 549 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,920 Yeah, their defensers wasn't great with Turner on the court. That being said, 550 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,639 if you break up splits of what the defenses looked like when he plays 551 00:35:10,679 --> 00:35:14,840 without Oladipo, who's not there anymore, they're fine. When he plays out 552 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,280 Oladipo and Warren, who's also injured at the moment, it's great. So 553 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:23,159 he's very clearly in the discussion. But where teams finish wrong or right? 554 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,840 I was trying to make it predictive on who I think was going to win. 555 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:29,920 If the Pacers, they're twelfth in points allot per possession right now, 556 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:31,840 we're cleaning the glass. If they stay there, that's probably not high enough 557 00:35:32,039 --> 00:35:35,719 for him to garner the praise. Maybe he's just so good that it doesn't 558 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,440 matter if his block rate sustains. The other thing is, I do you 559 00:35:38,519 --> 00:35:40,960 know, and Kaylen Cooper Vindy corn Rows wrote a great article on this, 560 00:35:42,039 --> 00:35:47,639 how the Pacers were really limiting three point efficiency without act actively like they're preventing 561 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:52,400 or they're preventing three point attempts without really hugging a three point line. They 562 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:54,239 rely on Miles Turner a lot to do that. As she broke down, 563 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:58,400 Please check out that article. Caitlyn Cooper Indy corn Rows go to a Twitter 564 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:02,480 feed at C two underscore Cooper. But they also like the ball containment I 565 00:36:02,559 --> 00:36:07,000 think is gonna get iffier when you're subbing out eventual hopefully he's fine. Caros 566 00:36:07,119 --> 00:36:08,679 Lavert is going to be in there. You're subbing out old depot for carros 567 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:13,440 Lavert and when Warren's healthy too. Yeah, and look he's been better defensively 568 00:36:13,519 --> 00:36:16,039 than so maybe he actually helps them. And so that was the other thing 569 00:36:16,159 --> 00:36:19,679 is like we're gonna see Miles turn to be really tested. He doesn't have 570 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,760 the sample for independent of old depot of this new team for me to say 571 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:25,960 like he would have changed whatever sort of impact there was on this roster, 572 00:36:27,079 --> 00:36:30,239 and the other thing, I'll note it's not a problem, and I don't 573 00:36:30,199 --> 00:36:32,800 I don't know that he would say after moving all the depot doesn't feel like 574 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,559 they're gonna make any moves. And he's averaging a career high thirty two point 575 00:36:36,599 --> 00:36:40,519 five minutes per game. If the offense remains sort of average to below average 576 00:36:40,599 --> 00:36:44,199 enough, when he's a bonus share of the floor, there are gonna be 577 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:47,039 some weird playing time decisions made. And are you going to gravitate towards perhaps 578 00:36:47,039 --> 00:36:51,400 someone who's averaging more minutes, which I think happened. You know, if 579 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,039 he was at twenty nine five or twenty eight six like he was the past 580 00:36:53,039 --> 00:36:55,559 two years, I don't expect him to drop down at that level. But 581 00:36:55,639 --> 00:36:59,639 that's going to factor into this as well. And I do think if you 582 00:36:59,679 --> 00:37:02,239 look at and talk about the other players, when you look at Joel and 583 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:06,239 bad feels like his pick and roll covers like a lot shiftier this year, 584 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,360 where it's not just you know, him being around the rim, it's him 585 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:12,880 coming out and doing things where teams are scared they won't even sometimes they won't 586 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,159 even bother driving or attempting like attempting floaters now is difficult with and beat on 587 00:37:16,199 --> 00:37:19,239 the court, not just finishing at the rim, and then the other thing 588 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,079 that always gets lost with Anthony Davis, and I think he probably has the 589 00:37:22,079 --> 00:37:25,559 strongest argument over a turner finish if you think that turner is gonna win. 590 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:30,320 His functionality is just never going to be accurately displayed by deflections, by rim 591 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:35,519 protection numbers, by even on offsplits, just because he's doing so much that 592 00:37:35,599 --> 00:37:37,800 he's not going to have all the counting stats or even advanced metrics that love 593 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:42,119 him and some of the lineups he's tasked with anchoring. You know, let's 594 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,920 Kyle Kuzma has been a pretty good defender in the past couple of seasons. 595 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,559 Lebron has been. Not so much this year, I would say, but 596 00:37:46,639 --> 00:37:51,400 just better defensively in LA the past, this season and last than people would 597 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,480 have expected. They have Wes Matthews, they don't have an elite wing defender 598 00:37:53,519 --> 00:37:57,679 any Davis changes so much on the perimeter and a different to being around the 599 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:02,199 basket, and he can be everywhere at one simultaneously without compromising who he's actually 600 00:38:02,199 --> 00:38:06,679 supposed to be. Guarding, and the fact of the matter is there's you 601 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,079 take the best defense in the league, and he makes them stingier when he's 602 00:38:09,079 --> 00:38:12,199 on the court. This year, I think it's by less than a point 603 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,480 per one hundred possessions. I don't care. That's so tough to make the 604 00:38:15,519 --> 00:38:19,039 best defense better, and I think Goberts don't underappreciate it, where people think, 605 00:38:19,079 --> 00:38:21,719 oh, he's he's not matchup proof, and meanwhile, he leads the 606 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:23,719 league in short mid range blocks this year. That's not a defining factor. 607 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:28,199 But I think as of right now, it's a four player race, and 608 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,480 I would predict that Miles Turner is most likely to drop out of that. 609 00:38:30,559 --> 00:38:34,599 If you want to get into the notion of will will embiid playing enough games, 610 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,519 that's fine. I'm I think it's a discussion. I'm going to sell 611 00:38:37,599 --> 00:38:40,639 the idea that he finishes top two. I don't know what to do with 612 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:44,519 top three, because now you're getting into there could be a lot of coin 613 00:38:44,599 --> 00:38:45,800 toss there, and there's a chance that I have in my top three to 614 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,000 finish the season. And I want to make this clear, I'm not shitting 615 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:52,880 on Miles Turner, who I think I've generally been higher on than the consensus. 616 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:57,239 It's just that he's been so good defensively this year that I'm I guess 617 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,880 I'm lower on him, or I just don't know that it will sustain. 618 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:04,039 So this will be interesting to look at at the halfway mark after taking a 619 00:39:04,079 --> 00:39:07,400 look at it during the quarter pole. I apologize to that ramp, but 620 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,320 I didn't have a form to really defend myself. Twitter is not the place 621 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:14,000 for nuance, so may I mostly ignored people getting mad. I did not 622 00:39:14,079 --> 00:39:16,440 ignore people getting mad that I called Trey Young disappointing this year so far, 623 00:39:16,519 --> 00:39:20,400 and something I wrote I was like, Okay, he's still a great passer 624 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,400 and I think he's going to be fine, but like, let's not pretend 625 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:25,719 that Trey Young has an underachieved relative to what Trey Young is. So what 626 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:30,320 I heard from all of this is that you're admitting that you only left out 627 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,360 Miles Turner to be a provocateur, and you got the exact reaction you were 628 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:37,800 hoping from not writing something you believe in, right, Like, the reason 629 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:42,960 writers aren't rich is because we generally don't do that. Like, like if 630 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,840 you're talking TV talking heads, writers aren't generally a persona. Maybe I guess 631 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:51,239 what is that the out dick coverage or whatever it is with Schmey Pravis or 632 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:53,920 whatever his name is, Like, there's the but if you're writing for people 633 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:58,639 at ESPN who are writing, they're not trying to the writers themselves are not 634 00:39:58,719 --> 00:40:01,000 trying to be provocateurs, like I went's assuming this. Those are for the 635 00:40:01,079 --> 00:40:05,559 TV shows, the discussions on there maybe podcasts. I'm hoping at this point 636 00:40:05,639 --> 00:40:08,239 Bill Simmons is playing a cricketure of a human being. Though, I mean, 637 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:10,480 you don't get paid per click and all that, Like, no, 638 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,840 that's the other thing. I don't get paid. I don't get paid per 639 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:17,559 click everybody. So I just I, yeah, that was the funniest thing 640 00:40:17,599 --> 00:40:21,360 where it's like, you guys only cover big market teams, and I want 641 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,599 people to know I picked within that article, I picked Nate Bjorkin to win 642 00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:29,079 Coach of the Year. That's the other thing that was hysterical is that, 643 00:40:29,159 --> 00:40:31,320 no, I don't not saying that if you still disagree with me, I'm 644 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:36,199 all for I had some conversations with people who were you know, had legitimate 645 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:38,880 points, and I think that we can disagree without it being an insult and 646 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:44,239 I'm fine with Miles Turner saying this was disrespectful because what else is the player 647 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:46,639 supposed to say? And he's been really if the season endsed today, he's 648 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:50,960 probably top two in defensive players that year. At worst, I still think 649 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:53,039 there's a chance Davis wins it. The only thing I have to add here 650 00:40:53,159 --> 00:40:57,960 is, like, you know, when the Pacers twitter account quote tweeted that, 651 00:40:58,039 --> 00:41:00,079 and when Myles Turner quote tweeted that, like, they didn't specify what 652 00:41:00,119 --> 00:41:04,599 they were upset about. So I'm just going to assume that there's raving dysfunction 653 00:41:05,119 --> 00:41:08,119 in Indiana and they just hate the idea that their coach could be Coach of 654 00:41:08,159 --> 00:41:12,239 the year. Like That's That's how I'm interpreting this. Like Miles Turner, 655 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,920 he just doesn't like his coach, That's what it must be. He's mad 656 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:20,000 that we didn't pick Nate McMillan as coach of the year in Atlanta because Lloyd 657 00:41:20,039 --> 00:41:22,360 Garris is gonna get fired. The final thing I'll note, and you've seen 658 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:24,840 me at my most vulnerable moments when it comes to work, and I don't 659 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:30,840 want who cares. I'm like, white male, the predominant demographic in this 660 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:35,119 industry, do not feel bad for me. The thing that I'm normally teflon 661 00:41:35,199 --> 00:41:37,360 when it's reader comments or people on Twitter. The thing that still kind of 662 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:42,360 sucks is when I have mutual follows, like we follow each other. I've 663 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:46,360 talked to people and they're just shitting all over the article without one having read 664 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:49,840 it because they're just tweeting. And I get the game. I get that 665 00:41:50,119 --> 00:41:52,880 why it's tweeted out the way it is with graphics. I get it, 666 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:55,079 and I'm fine with it. But that's the one thing that's still just a 667 00:41:55,400 --> 00:42:00,119 little bit weird for me, bordering on not hurtful, but like that is 668 00:42:00,159 --> 00:42:02,440 the thing that stuck with me a little bit with seeing people that I follow 669 00:42:02,519 --> 00:42:07,880 and they follow me and they're just crapping all over it with clearly not having 670 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:08,719 read it. And even if they disagreed, it was fine, but it 671 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:13,159 was just it was so easily dismissed by mutual files that I was like, 672 00:42:13,679 --> 00:42:15,039 oh, all right, And that still happens. It happens with NBA one 673 00:42:15,159 --> 00:42:17,320 hundred every year. But that's the thing that I need to get better at 674 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:22,639 being Pethlon for now before we move on to Miami. This is just a 675 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:24,559 great time for our psa that you know, to make Dan feel better, 676 00:42:24,639 --> 00:42:29,079 you should rate, review, and subscribe to Hardwood Knocks on wherever you're listening 677 00:42:29,079 --> 00:42:30,280 to these podcasts, give him a follow at dan fa Valley, and then 678 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:32,840 be nice to him. Yeah, you don't need to be nice to me, 679 00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:36,760 that's fine, but yeah, I definitely subscribe to this podcast. Juice 680 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:38,920 those numbers up. Let's go. So the Miami Heat. I want to 681 00:42:39,639 --> 00:42:43,360 dive a little bit into the weeds on this one just because I think there's 682 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,679 such an interesting team where they're coming off an NBA Finals appearance. Not much 683 00:42:46,719 --> 00:42:51,480 about this roster is that different. They're six and nine. If the playoffs 684 00:42:51,599 --> 00:42:53,960 ended or if the playoff field was set Sunday afternoon, they would not be 685 00:42:54,639 --> 00:43:00,400 even in the play in game in the Eastern Conference. So one thing I 686 00:43:00,519 --> 00:43:04,039 want to focus on here is they're rebounding. They're twenty third, and total 687 00:43:04,119 --> 00:43:07,880 rebounding percentage they're twenty ninth, and offensive rebounding percentage, they're twenty second and 688 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:12,719 defensive rebounding percentage. Is that alone a flaw that can keep this team from 689 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:19,639 the contender tier. I sell that idea that the rebounding alone would keep them 690 00:43:19,679 --> 00:43:21,960 out of it because I don't think I would have to look at this, 691 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,599 but I don't think they were this rebounding juggernaut last year either, And I 692 00:43:25,679 --> 00:43:30,559 think bigger concerns would be Tyler Hero has been finishing well when he's healthy, 693 00:43:30,679 --> 00:43:34,400 but what does the Tyler Hero point guard experiment do? Do you have enough 694 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:37,760 shot creators? How rely are you on Gore? On Dragic? Bam Adebayo 695 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:40,400 has been just he's hitting his jumpers now too, which is terrifying if you're 696 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,639 the rest of the league. The four spot I think ends up being an 697 00:43:44,679 --> 00:43:47,519 issue. Mo Harkless hasn't really and I think he's in. He's out with 698 00:43:47,559 --> 00:43:51,440 a thigh injury at the moment, but like he hasn't played a ton. 699 00:43:51,519 --> 00:43:54,000 And that was the guy who basically replaced Jay Crowder and was always going to 700 00:43:54,559 --> 00:43:59,840 do that. They've been I've seen more of kaizy Akpala and Precious to Chew 701 00:44:00,039 --> 00:44:02,079 and I thought I was going to and maybe that's not a bad thing, 702 00:44:02,159 --> 00:44:07,400 but I think if you look at their power forward rotation, that would be 703 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:08,880 the thing that would or the guy who plays next to bam in the front 704 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:10,840 court. Let's put it that way. Since I don't want to pigeonhole people 705 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:15,519 to positions. That's going to be their biggest issue moving forward to me, 706 00:44:15,679 --> 00:44:19,079 and I will buy the idea that they will fall outside of that what do 707 00:44:19,159 --> 00:44:21,880 we want to call it the contender click, like the top four or five 708 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,760 contenders? I would buy that that idea. We should note right now though, 709 00:44:24,800 --> 00:44:30,159 that they are just decimated between injuries and health and safety protocols. Avery 710 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:35,480 Bradley and Jimmy Butler are in the health and safety protocols. Tyler heroes dealing 711 00:44:35,519 --> 00:44:39,719 with a neck injury, Harkless thigh injury, Myers Leonard's shoulders injury, and 712 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:44,199 Chris Silva has a hip injury. So they're just they are banged up right 713 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:45,719 now and maybe they get better there and the fact that they had a shorter 714 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:51,000 off season. But maybe you could sell it on do we make this about 715 00:44:51,039 --> 00:44:53,840 depth instead of rebounding? Whereas do they have the the sort of pieces to 716 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:58,079 navigate this year and still be fresh for the finals? Are they slow playing 717 00:44:58,119 --> 00:45:02,079 it now because they'll they'll tick moving forward. Something feels off here and the 718 00:45:02,159 --> 00:45:05,880 fact maybe as they get healthier with band playing like this, this will all 719 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:10,000 be overly manufactured concern I wouldn't have them. I will buy the idea that 720 00:45:10,039 --> 00:45:14,960 they are not in that primary contender's circle. I'm gonna buy that they're not 721 00:45:15,079 --> 00:45:19,119 in the primary contenders circle and that this is the reason. I do think 722 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,199 like some of it is interconnected, Like the lack of depth does bleed into 723 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:27,320 this area because there's only so many areas that you can exert energy in when 724 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,400 you're playing with a skeleton crew, which they've had to do on a number 725 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:32,960 of occasions. But this was a really good rebounding team last year. They 726 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,679 finished the regular season fifth in the league and total rebounding percentage. They were 727 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:42,599 not good on the offensive class on the offensive lasts, mostly by design, 728 00:45:43,079 --> 00:45:46,199 but they did not allow second chance opportunities. Only the Philadelphia seventy six ers 729 00:45:46,239 --> 00:45:51,039 and Milwaukee Bucks were better at grabbing defensive rebounds last year, which is a 730 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:54,719 stark difference from being twenty second and defensive rebounding percentage this year. I think, 731 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:59,760 both because of the personnel and because of the lack of available personnel, 732 00:46:00,119 --> 00:46:02,320 this is where it's really manifesting itself. So I do think that that is 733 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:07,719 the primary concern right now. Yeah, I did not realize they were second 734 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:10,480 in defensive rebound This is Perkley in the glass. I didn't realize they were 735 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:13,920 in the top three or defensive rebounding last year, So that's my mistake. 736 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:15,760 They did not using NBA dot com to be clear on those they dropped off 737 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:19,400 in the playoffs, and so maybe that's what I'm remembering. But even then, 738 00:46:19,559 --> 00:46:21,840 that's way I'm looking at the numbers there. That's way off of what 739 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:23,960 my perception was. So I find again I find it tough to believe that 740 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:27,199 that would be the sole reason. But we are kind of on the same 741 00:46:27,239 --> 00:46:30,440 page where it's unless they do something in the like by the trade deadline, 742 00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:31,559 I don't I don't know that they're going to be in that four or five 743 00:46:31,639 --> 00:46:37,280 contender loop. I thought about making my question like whether they're going to acquire 744 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:42,039 at least two rotation pieces at the trade deadline, but I decided that was 745 00:46:42,039 --> 00:46:45,920 a little too easy. I don't know that I would, but I don't 746 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:47,239 actually if you want buy or sell the heat making a major move of the 747 00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:50,320 deadline, I don't know what I would actually pick about that, to be 748 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:52,280 honest with you, so so much has changed with Yannis off the market, 749 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:58,400 like they all their moves were get around towards maintaining cap flexibility for next off 750 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:00,199 season, and the move is, if you want a star, it's Bradley 751 00:47:00,239 --> 00:47:04,239 Beal and I just don't know. It depends on how Washington would feel about 752 00:47:04,239 --> 00:47:07,480 Tyler. Hero is the centerpiece of that. I'd probably sell it, but 753 00:47:07,639 --> 00:47:10,960 who knows. We are onto the bucks though I have And I think this 754 00:47:12,119 --> 00:47:15,119 is more relevant now because last year, when there were so many injuries, 755 00:47:15,559 --> 00:47:17,559 you could easily call I had him as a when the season wrapped up, 756 00:47:17,599 --> 00:47:22,199 I think I had him as a top twelve player in the player rankings. 757 00:47:22,519 --> 00:47:25,960 Chris Middleton buy or sell top twenty player in the NBA. I think that's 758 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:30,880 an easy pie for me. Would be as high ast top fifteen. I 759 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:32,760 think it gets tough when you're looking at how well Paul George has played Kevin 760 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:37,039 Durant. Those are players that weren't healthy last year. Hopefully conn Ify Towns 761 00:47:37,039 --> 00:47:40,400 comes back from COVID and he's been a monster this season. Top twenty seems 762 00:47:40,519 --> 00:47:45,480 ambitious enough. And yeah, I think just having like Katie available and staff 763 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:49,719 available and all of that changes it a little bit, and I would probably 764 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:52,719 be more likely to have him towards twenty than towards fifteen. As small a 765 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:55,719 gap as that is, but we're still talking about a guy who is averaging 766 00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:00,840 twenty one point nine point six point two rebounds five point seven assists. He's 767 00:48:00,199 --> 00:48:06,840 joining the fifty ninety club yet again. He is just an unbelievably dynamic and 768 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:10,920 versatile score and remains a perfect compliment to Jannis onto the Kombo. So yeah, 769 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:14,800 I mean, like, I didn't think that you were too high when 770 00:48:14,840 --> 00:48:16,320 you had him going into the bubble. I think is like the number ten 771 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:19,760 player in the league, and caught a little flak for that, Like that 772 00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:22,519 seemed like kind of reasonable based on where he's playing, and it's kind of 773 00:48:22,599 --> 00:48:25,760 similar this year where he's not glamorous. He's never going to have the kind 774 00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:30,760 of star power enjoyed by other players of his caliber, but he is that 775 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:34,800 good. Yeah, and look, people point to Kenny's It shouldn't be an 776 00:48:34,800 --> 00:48:37,519 issue of Kenny be a number two on the title could tender like he's he's 777 00:48:37,559 --> 00:48:40,199 been one for starters and there's been if he playoffs, like you know, 778 00:48:40,280 --> 00:48:43,880 he turns into the best player in the league against that series in Boston a 779 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:46,559 few years ago, but then he stumbles I think when they played the Raptors 780 00:48:47,119 --> 00:48:52,000 in twenty nineteen maybe if I'm remembering correctly, and then last year against the 781 00:48:52,039 --> 00:48:53,639 Heat, like they lose that series after Ghannest, but like Chris Middleton was 782 00:48:53,679 --> 00:48:58,519 really like keeping them in games that points. Look, he's seventy third. 783 00:48:58,599 --> 00:49:02,800 He's in the seventy third percent tile of isolation efficiency this year and that's basically 784 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:06,239 par for the course. He was in the seventy fourth percent high last year, 785 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,199 so that's not new. He's hitting forty seven percent of his catch and 786 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:12,199 shoot threes. He's sitting forty four point four percent of his pull up threes, 787 00:49:12,239 --> 00:49:14,360 and that's not even No. I don't expect it to remain there, 788 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:17,239 but he was at I think close to forty percent last year on that number. 789 00:49:17,639 --> 00:49:21,519 This guy is really good and there's no have we seen he was at 790 00:49:21,559 --> 00:49:23,320 thirty seven point two percent on pull up threes last year. In case anybody 791 00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:28,760 wanted to this is just a really good basketball player. He can score at 792 00:49:28,760 --> 00:49:30,760 every level, even though his game can stall out before the rim. I 793 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:34,440 think get times, you know, if you want to quibble about if we've 794 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:38,719 seen too much of him in crunch time situations this year, for Milwaukee where 795 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:44,679 last night I checked, he was like his usage in crunch time was like 796 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:46,800 pretty freaking high. I'll double check that does him talking now, But yeah, 797 00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:51,239 you can probably quibble over that. He's yeah, he's just averaging the 798 00:49:51,320 --> 00:49:55,320 most shots for them in crunch time at the moment. He's also he's also 799 00:49:55,360 --> 00:50:00,840 slashing sixty forty one hundred in crunch time. That's four games for a total 800 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:04,760 of basically twenty minutes. But that's still just like the thing with him, 801 00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:07,159 and this does not make him better than Yannis. I just want to make 802 00:50:07,199 --> 00:50:09,760 that clear. Is he's he's an overall six of ten in the clutch this 803 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:15,800 year, Like those are pretty good numbers. He's just he's less of a 804 00:50:15,880 --> 00:50:19,440 liability on the primer. I don't know, like teams aren't going to care 805 00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:22,559 about Yannis dribbling into a pull up three. They're not going to care about 806 00:50:22,639 --> 00:50:25,239 Janie's mid range game. For what you need in crunch time, there could 807 00:50:25,239 --> 00:50:29,599 be situations in the half court where like you don't have a ton of this 808 00:50:29,719 --> 00:50:31,960 momentum, like it might just make more sense of the ball on Chris Middleton's 809 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:35,599 hands. Yannis is so good. I just want to make that clear. 810 00:50:35,679 --> 00:50:38,400 He's just he's so good, but we've seen that he can be almost solvable 811 00:50:38,679 --> 00:50:43,360 in those situations where defense is tightened up in the half court. I don't 812 00:50:43,639 --> 00:50:45,920 mean this to say that Chris Middleton is more valuable to the Bucks or anything, 813 00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:50,840 but I feel like he's sort of been because of how video gaming Yannis's 814 00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:53,599 numbers are and because of how the Bucks have popped out that we're not putting 815 00:50:54,480 --> 00:51:00,760 we're not assigning enough blame to the aggregate picture here, which is just Jannie's 816 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,519 struggles looking at what he shot at the free throw line situations. Mike Brudenholzer, 817 00:51:04,719 --> 00:51:07,320 we need to talk about this isn't a Chris Middleton isn't a number two. 818 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:09,719 It's that the Bucks are flawed because of many reasons there happened to this 819 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:13,519 point. I will say, and I don't think Chris Middleton is close. 820 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:15,760 Maybe he's like I don't think he's one of the top three reasons why this 821 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:20,840 team has not or maybe will not win a title with this corps. I 822 00:51:20,920 --> 00:51:25,199 think an interesting way to put it is that Jannie guarantees that this team is 823 00:51:25,239 --> 00:51:29,639 a title contender, but it's not winning a title without Pete Chris Middleton. 824 00:51:30,599 --> 00:51:31,599 I would agree, and I just don't. Look. Here's the other thing 825 00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:36,760 is like, if you give I'm just gonna be honest. If you exchange 826 00:51:37,079 --> 00:51:43,079 Chris Middleton with Bradley Beal, are the Bucks appreciably better? I guess maybe. 827 00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:49,000 I'm not sure because of Middleton's defensive ability too, and they they're probably 828 00:51:49,039 --> 00:51:52,760 comparable passers at this point, like they're just looking at the numbers. So 829 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:55,280 I would put him in the Bradley Beale tier where it's like, you know, 830 00:51:55,360 --> 00:51:59,639 Bradley Beal, I think he'll inherently have more fluence over the offense because 831 00:51:59,639 --> 00:52:04,480 he is number one option at least while Westbrook's not there and so and if 832 00:52:04,519 --> 00:52:07,599 the Wizards get to play games obviously, but with Middleton, it's like, 833 00:52:08,039 --> 00:52:12,199 I think he's closer to like the Bradley Beale level where it's could they maybe 834 00:52:12,599 --> 00:52:15,320 Bradley Bill probablys a better chance of making all MBA in a given season, 835 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:17,079 So brahaps you still put him above there, But he's closer to that type 836 00:52:17,119 --> 00:52:22,079 of star territory than people traditionally credit him. Yeah, I'm with you. 837 00:52:22,159 --> 00:52:25,079 I'd be more. I think I still have Beal ahead of him in personal 838 00:52:25,199 --> 00:52:30,239 rankings even if Bill wouldn't necessarily be as strong a fit on this specific Milwaukee 839 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:34,239 roster, but I would still have Middleton and like that that you know, 840 00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:37,360 you mentioned Kyrie Irving earlier as a potential top fifteen guy, Like I think 841 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:44,239 that Middleton is largely in that same bucket, just in very different esthetic ways. 842 00:52:44,559 --> 00:52:45,360 And the thing that we're never going to get to see, but like 843 00:52:45,400 --> 00:52:50,039 Bradley Beale is shown that having him doesn't amount to a playoff Berth even when 844 00:52:50,079 --> 00:52:52,960 the minutes with the Bucks they're slaughtering people. When Middleton plays without Giannis like 845 00:52:53,119 --> 00:52:57,400 that, the lineups there matter and that's not his full time role. So 846 00:52:57,480 --> 00:52:59,639 we're probably never going to get that taste for Middleton. I don't think we 847 00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:02,519 need to declare that he's a viable number two on a contender. I'm with 848 00:53:02,639 --> 00:53:07,119 you. So moving on to the New York Nicks, I'm going to recycle 849 00:53:07,199 --> 00:53:09,920 a question from the Chicago Bowls section of this this episode, and that is, 850 00:53:10,119 --> 00:53:15,239 does New York currently have a centerpiece of a future contender on its roster? 851 00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:19,519 Right now? We can We can look anywhere from RJ. Barrett to 852 00:53:19,519 --> 00:53:22,760 Emmanuel quickly. I think I'm obligated to mention Frank Neil Keena because of you, 853 00:53:23,719 --> 00:53:28,119 Obi Top and Mitchell Robinson, Like, are any of those guys potential 854 00:53:28,239 --> 00:53:31,039 number ones and a title team? No, there's an look that's not say. 855 00:53:31,119 --> 00:53:35,079 I think Knicks fans will, if they listen to this podcast, will 856 00:53:35,079 --> 00:53:37,320 be angry because they believe that the media is super low on r J. 857 00:53:38,159 --> 00:53:40,800 R J has had a pretty good year and the fact that he's worked himself 858 00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:44,199 out of a rut because he was kind of down there for a while after 859 00:53:44,239 --> 00:53:46,079 a pretty good start of the year. That matters a great deal. But 860 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:51,519 there needs to be I just don't offensively, I don't know that it's it's 861 00:53:51,559 --> 00:53:52,880 tenable for him to be. You know, he might be able to put 862 00:53:52,960 --> 00:53:57,239 up numbers, and he can be an engine of an offense, and he 863 00:53:57,360 --> 00:54:00,480 can be maybe his in between game will start hitting better. I just I 864 00:54:00,519 --> 00:54:04,079 don't see it when I watch him. I just don't. I don't see 865 00:54:04,079 --> 00:54:06,280 even when he has these really good games, I'm not sure that I see 866 00:54:06,320 --> 00:54:08,920 it. I don't think Mitchell Robinson can never be that guy Julius Randall is. 867 00:54:09,039 --> 00:54:10,920 The numbers are fun, but he's not going to be that player. 868 00:54:10,920 --> 00:54:15,320 If you're asking about their twenty twenty one pick. I mean maybe, but 869 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:17,159 they're they're so good at the moment that they're twenty twenty one pick. They 870 00:54:17,199 --> 00:54:21,719 isn't going to be as consequential as I think as any everyone thought. It 871 00:54:22,039 --> 00:54:27,519 almost feels like they're working their way into like Orlando Magic trajectory where it's like 872 00:54:27,719 --> 00:54:32,320 they might be a little too good to escape the mediocrity treadmill for a while, 873 00:54:32,480 --> 00:54:37,119 Like if I don't, I don't think that this is an unsustainable performance 874 00:54:37,199 --> 00:54:39,559 from this team, like being a play in contender in the Eastern Conference. 875 00:54:39,639 --> 00:54:44,480 I to be clear, I actually originally had this question be about RJ. 876 00:54:44,599 --> 00:54:46,559 Barrett because I think he's the most intriguing option, and Dan talked me down 877 00:54:46,639 --> 00:54:50,519 from that. Well, he's the would I think is of right now? 878 00:54:50,559 --> 00:54:52,800 Who else would you put as that unless you're so high on manual? Quickly, 879 00:54:52,920 --> 00:54:55,960 I guess yeah, Or I mean Mitchell Robinson kind of in like a 880 00:54:57,039 --> 00:55:00,119 Rudy Gobert vane where like he could eventually be so impactful defense that he could 881 00:55:00,119 --> 00:55:04,760 be a non traditional number one on a title team. But yeah, I 882 00:55:04,800 --> 00:55:07,639 mean I think it's got to be Barrett, And yeah, yeah, I'm 883 00:55:07,719 --> 00:55:10,119 with you. I'm gonna sell the idea that one is currently on the roster, 884 00:55:10,480 --> 00:55:14,840 even if I'm not yet ready to back down from my idea that that 885 00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:16,199 R. J. Barrett is going to be one of the most improved players 886 00:55:16,199 --> 00:55:20,000 in the NBA by the end of the season. I think that, as 887 00:55:20,239 --> 00:55:22,039 you said, working his way out of that rut showed a lot. I 888 00:55:22,119 --> 00:55:24,480 think if you told me that, I'm just like, I mean, he's 889 00:55:24,519 --> 00:55:29,320 not like this exceptional finisher at the rim yet his in between game is there. 890 00:55:29,719 --> 00:55:34,119 But you know, shooting forty something percent on mid rangers is I don't 891 00:55:34,159 --> 00:55:36,239 know what that is. If you could tell me he's going to develop into 892 00:55:36,320 --> 00:55:39,679 like a really good finisher at the rim and shoot Lee gaverage on off the 893 00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:44,320 dribble jumpers, maybe I'll change my mind. Because he has some positional size 894 00:55:44,360 --> 00:55:47,719 on defense he can get just looking at it. He's a pretty good passer 895 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:52,079 on offense. And then like you know, for if you're gonna play him 896 00:55:52,119 --> 00:55:55,320 at the two, they're just so big that he's gonna win positional rebounds there. 897 00:55:55,840 --> 00:55:59,639 Like he's been doing the thing that all I thought you were going to 898 00:55:59,679 --> 00:56:01,840 ask out their defense, to be honest with you, just because of where 899 00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:06,800 they're at this season. As we're recording this, and this is per cleanly 900 00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:09,320 glass and it tries to filter out the noise by filtering out garbage time. 901 00:56:09,639 --> 00:56:14,679 The mixer fourth in points allowed per one hundred possessions. The thing that just 902 00:56:14,800 --> 00:56:20,679 gets me is they are twenty ninth in shot location affect the field goal percentage 903 00:56:20,719 --> 00:56:24,639 expectation. And that's because they're twenty eighth in the frequency with which opponents attempt 904 00:56:24,679 --> 00:56:29,920 shots at the rim, and they're twenty sixth in the frequency with which opponents 905 00:56:29,960 --> 00:56:34,360 attempt shots from the three point line. And it's like, that's not great, 906 00:56:34,639 --> 00:56:37,880 and I would have sold their defense hard. Yeah, I grant to 907 00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:39,639 use. Another friend of the podcast has written about this a number of times, 908 00:56:39,679 --> 00:56:44,039 the Bleach Report, about how you know, they're allowing so many wide 909 00:56:44,039 --> 00:56:46,960 open threes and they just aren't falling, And that's not something a defense typically 910 00:56:47,039 --> 00:56:52,079 has control over. Even if you're maximizing who's taking those wide open threes, 911 00:56:52,119 --> 00:56:57,039 like they're still NBA players taking wide open threes. Teams are shooting in the 912 00:56:57,119 --> 00:57:00,599 regress, teams are shooting thirty point one percent on above the bridge threes against 913 00:57:00,639 --> 00:57:01,840 them. That's not going to continue. I might be able to buy their 914 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:05,199 sixth and rim protection. I might be able to buy that just because of 915 00:57:05,199 --> 00:57:08,079 the activity of new Lands Noel and Mitchell Robinson, and because their lineups are 916 00:57:08,159 --> 00:57:13,599 so big that even when you have like really bad defenders. And I don't 917 00:57:13,639 --> 00:57:15,519 know if this is a make culpup, but Julius Randold has been probably playing 918 00:57:15,519 --> 00:57:19,400 the best defense of his career. For what it's worth anybody, but it's 919 00:57:19,440 --> 00:57:23,760 fully bought it. They're so big that containing the ball just might be easier 920 00:57:23,840 --> 00:57:27,400 at almost every position, I mean even at manual quickly for a guard, 921 00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:30,639 what is he six four or something like that, So and having r J 922 00:57:30,880 --> 00:57:34,280 B the two at six seven, I could buy into their rim protection even 923 00:57:34,320 --> 00:57:37,400 though there's a ton of volume there. The three point shooting makes me uneasy. 924 00:57:37,519 --> 00:57:39,039 But it does feel like Zach always said this, there feels like a 925 00:57:39,119 --> 00:57:43,159 rhyme or reason to what they're doing. And that's more than you could say 926 00:57:43,320 --> 00:57:47,519 about the past like twelve iterations of this team. So I would buy this 927 00:57:47,639 --> 00:57:51,960 defense is like a top half unit. I wouldn't buy it as a top 928 00:57:52,079 --> 00:57:54,760 five, maybe not even a top ten unit, which is still a stark 929 00:57:54,880 --> 00:57:59,159 improvement from where they were last. Yet the other thing, too is like 930 00:57:59,239 --> 00:58:02,079 we need the context of this season where it's just like they could still end 931 00:58:02,159 --> 00:58:06,320 up being top five, but like that doesn't mean that they're actually a top 932 00:58:06,360 --> 00:58:08,280 five defense because of you know, teams that they've played, strength of schedules 933 00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:12,360 are going to be wonky for every team who's missing during those games. I 934 00:58:12,400 --> 00:58:15,239 haven't taken a deep enough look at their schedule, but I've seen a good 935 00:58:15,320 --> 00:58:19,840 deal of their games, and they are excellent at turning these deep on defense. 936 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:23,320 They can turn games into slogs, and so that's credit to them. 937 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:25,760 There. They are. They are fun. I will say that, I 938 00:58:25,840 --> 00:58:30,360 just don't know if it's the type of substantive fun that you can buy into 939 00:58:30,559 --> 00:58:32,480 long term. And that's not me trying to shoot on them, that's just 940 00:58:32,519 --> 00:58:36,760 how I feel. Orlando, you know, I struggled with this one because 941 00:58:36,760 --> 00:58:38,280 I didn't want to say buy or sell. The magic should blow it up. 942 00:58:38,320 --> 00:58:42,440 We both would buy that, and we've talked about on a previous pod. 943 00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:45,079 I'm talking about Aaron Gordon. His value around the league seems to be 944 00:58:45,119 --> 00:58:47,480 all over the place. I'm gonna say that they can get a top eight 945 00:58:47,639 --> 00:58:50,960 buy or sell the idea that they can get a top eight team pick for 946 00:58:51,119 --> 00:58:53,199 for Aaron Gordon top a team, top twenty. I'm trying to be super 947 00:58:53,239 --> 00:58:58,599 specific because lottery is so tough, so I'm gonna say top eighteen. I'm 948 00:58:58,639 --> 00:59:02,760 gonna sell it. I think that there's there's just as as intriguing as the 949 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:08,239 idea of Aaron Gordon remains. We've been talking about the idea of Aaron Gordon 950 00:59:08,400 --> 00:59:13,039 rather than Aaron Gordon the player for what feels like a decade now. I 951 00:59:13,119 --> 00:59:17,000 think it's actually getting close to a decade now. And between that and the 952 00:59:17,199 --> 00:59:22,239 league wide knowledge that Orlando is just kind of stuck as this middling team in 953 00:59:22,280 --> 00:59:25,079 the East, there's not really much of an incentive to like give in to 954 00:59:25,159 --> 00:59:30,360 their lack of leverage here, So I don't I don't think that anything more 955 00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:34,280 than a back end first round pick would be coming if the Magic even choose 956 00:59:34,320 --> 00:59:40,000 to shop him. Yeah, I'm gonna buy. I think he's still underrated 957 00:59:40,039 --> 00:59:43,639 defensively, that we just don't talk enough about it for what he's able to 958 00:59:43,679 --> 00:59:45,119 do. That the passing stuff from him is real. You don't necessarily want 959 00:59:45,159 --> 00:59:49,000 him operating off the dribble too much, but he's at least turned into Oh 960 00:59:49,519 --> 00:59:52,480 he can dribble into picking rolls, and he can facilitate from standstill positions for 961 00:59:52,519 --> 00:59:57,559 his team. The three ball is falling at a good enough clip this year. 962 00:59:58,199 --> 01:00:00,519 He's at over thirty five percent overall, and he is hitting on his 963 01:00:00,639 --> 01:00:06,320 catch and shoot looks forty four point seven percent. If you if you're a 964 01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:07,679 team, and I guess I probably should have come up with a list of 965 01:00:07,760 --> 01:00:10,239 teams that I could see, you know, giving up what would be higher 966 01:00:10,360 --> 01:00:15,320 value first for him, And I don't necessarily know. I guess who springs 967 01:00:15,360 --> 01:00:16,639 to mind, but like, you know what, if Charlotte was like, 968 01:00:16,719 --> 01:00:19,920 hey, we're going for the play in this season, we're just light on 969 01:00:20,000 --> 01:00:22,119 bigs anyway, I don't know what the money becomes for them. But he 970 01:00:22,159 --> 01:00:25,320 would be a great fit there in line ups where you could play a lot 971 01:00:25,360 --> 01:00:29,320 of five there just behind Cody Zeller, but also you have Myles Bridges. 972 01:00:29,360 --> 01:00:31,199 He's valuable, so he could play with him and Cody Zeller at the same 973 01:00:31,239 --> 01:00:34,840 time. I think he would be a and this isn't gonna be a top 974 01:00:34,880 --> 01:00:38,400 Bowl I guess maybe technically could be. And look some of these picks that 975 01:00:38,519 --> 01:00:42,159 would be traded for him and be into the future. So is it. 976 01:00:42,559 --> 01:00:45,559 I guess the notion should be buy or sell the idea that Orlando gets more 977 01:00:46,239 --> 01:00:50,840 than just a throwaway first round pick for Aaron Gordon, because I can't think 978 01:00:50,880 --> 01:00:52,440 I'm still selling it. I'm gonna buy it, Like if you're Denver, 979 01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:57,199 like, he would be such a good fit in Denver, if you're if 980 01:00:57,199 --> 01:01:00,079 you're a Golden State, like, such a good and such a good fit 981 01:01:00,159 --> 01:01:02,840 there, I would think, because you imagine him and Draymond Green defensively, 982 01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:07,719 maybe even play them with James Wiseman talk about playing big like that could do 983 01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:10,440 things defensively, and if you simplify his offensive role, if you're a team 984 01:01:10,639 --> 01:01:13,639 like I don't think. I think if you look at him and say, 985 01:01:13,679 --> 01:01:15,559 hey, we want him to finish plays in transition, catch lobs, maybe 986 01:01:15,719 --> 01:01:19,039 more of a screener. On the other end, will we let him, 987 01:01:19,119 --> 01:01:22,000 you know, maybe try some face ups, I'm sure, but we want 988 01:01:22,079 --> 01:01:23,679 him to space the floor more off catch and shoots. And then you know, 989 01:01:23,800 --> 01:01:28,559 do you give him a ceremonial you know, face two, face up, 990 01:01:28,599 --> 01:01:31,360 the three face up touches or possessions I should say per game more from 991 01:01:31,480 --> 01:01:34,800 whatever he wants to do in the post. Maybe I think there are teams 992 01:01:34,800 --> 01:01:37,119 that could should talk themselves and do it, and look, he's only twenty 993 01:01:37,159 --> 01:01:39,599 five. I would do it. And look another team, they've been aroon 994 01:01:39,639 --> 01:01:44,039 goredon Miami this year. Not sure how much he helps. They're rebounding per 995 01:01:44,119 --> 01:01:45,920 se. But when you're talking about people, they've been running out at the 996 01:01:45,960 --> 01:01:50,400 four this year. That's just someone to imagine him next to Bam And look, 997 01:01:50,440 --> 01:01:52,039 Bam is kind of spacing the floor this year, so maybe that would 998 01:01:52,079 --> 01:01:54,440 work. He'd be a great fit in Minnesota. I just don't know. 999 01:01:55,480 --> 01:02:00,199 Minnesota's like they're so bad this year that it's what do you give up at 1000 01:02:00,280 --> 01:02:01,719 him? Like? How much of that makes sense? So I can come 1001 01:02:01,760 --> 01:02:05,719 up with teams. I think you get more at a low end first for 1002 01:02:05,840 --> 01:02:07,039 him, and if you if you don't have to give up more than that, 1003 01:02:08,119 --> 01:02:12,559 he should be on someone else's team already. Is just how I would 1004 01:02:12,599 --> 01:02:15,440 frame that. All right, one word answer here, Aaron Gordon will be 1005 01:02:15,599 --> 01:02:19,960 on the Orlando Magic past the trade deadline. No, I already predicted he 1006 01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:22,639 wouldn't be, So that's I'm going to stand by it. Okay, So 1007 01:02:22,760 --> 01:02:25,760 let's move on to the seventy six ers. This is one where I just 1008 01:02:25,920 --> 01:02:29,800 I don't know where you're going to go. And my statement is that the 1009 01:02:29,840 --> 01:02:35,079 supporting cast performance is going to be sustainable. This is the seventy six Ers 1010 01:02:35,119 --> 01:02:37,119 are twelve and twelve and five at the time they're recording this. Joel and 1011 01:02:37,199 --> 01:02:44,159 Beata is unquestionably a MVP candidate, but they've also been getting so many contributions 1012 01:02:44,280 --> 01:02:46,480 from the non stars on this team, if it's even fair to call some 1013 01:02:46,599 --> 01:02:51,039 of them non stars, like Tobias Harris, who is having what's probably the 1014 01:02:51,079 --> 01:02:53,440 best year of his career, averaging nineteen point four points, shooting fifty forty 1015 01:02:53,559 --> 01:02:58,480 ninety, Seth Curry when he's been available, shooting fifty six percent from three. 1016 01:02:58,599 --> 01:03:00,480 Danny Green makes the team better. He's on the court. Shake Milton 1017 01:03:00,519 --> 01:03:05,119 has been a revelation off the bench, Tyrese Maxley has shown flashes. But 1018 01:03:05,199 --> 01:03:09,079 are we buying this supporting cast being good enough to make the seventy six ers 1019 01:03:09,119 --> 01:03:13,880 as good as their record appears? Yeah, I'm there. There's I think 1020 01:03:13,920 --> 01:03:15,519 when you look at the supporting cast performances, I don't know if you see 1021 01:03:15,519 --> 01:03:20,079 anyone playing noticeably above their head where it's you know, a healthy Seth Curry 1022 01:03:20,119 --> 01:03:22,239 probably from shooting like fifty six percent from three all year. But at the 1023 01:03:22,320 --> 01:03:27,400 same time, he's a really good shooter and his shots are more simplified Tyrese 1024 01:03:27,480 --> 01:03:29,639 Max. He's probably the one that you could point to and be like, 1025 01:03:29,719 --> 01:03:31,960 hey, can they give him real minutes in the playoffs? But he does 1026 01:03:32,039 --> 01:03:36,679 look like a three level score. It's very feisty on the ball when he's 1027 01:03:36,719 --> 01:03:38,880 defending. But just because he's a rookie, like maybe you just don't trust 1028 01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:40,960 that, I mean, shake Milton Is. He hinted at some of this 1029 01:03:42,000 --> 01:03:45,239 stuff last year. For them, the player you should probably be concerned about. 1030 01:03:45,239 --> 01:03:47,599 It's just Ben Simmons on offense is and putting up these gargantuan numbers. 1031 01:03:47,639 --> 01:03:52,440 He's still really good on defense, So I'll buy that their supporting cast can 1032 01:03:52,920 --> 01:03:55,320 be this good. I don't look at anyone player and say of their supporting 1033 01:03:55,360 --> 01:04:00,800 cast of the non Simmons, non embied tier that they couldn't do this. 1034 01:04:00,119 --> 01:04:03,480 And Harris just having more space to operate and his role has been simplified under 1035 01:04:03,519 --> 01:04:08,000 Doc Rivers, it almost makes sense that he's in the fifty forty. He's 1036 01:04:08,000 --> 01:04:11,920 in the fifty five ninety club right now. To buy as Harris. Yeah, 1037 01:04:12,079 --> 01:04:14,000 I'm with you. I'm gonna buy it as well, and I think 1038 01:04:14,000 --> 01:04:16,960 it's a pretty strong buy for me. It felt it feels like a validation 1039 01:04:17,039 --> 01:04:20,639 of the preseason takes. It like, hey, Daryl Morey actually put the 1040 01:04:20,880 --> 01:04:27,280 right kind of pieces around that Ben Simmons Joe LMB pairing. They have wing 1041 01:04:27,400 --> 01:04:30,519 defenders, they have guys who can space the court, they have players who 1042 01:04:30,559 --> 01:04:33,920 can actually create their own shots and shots for others coming off the bench. 1043 01:04:34,280 --> 01:04:41,159 And because they have so many good pieces, players are allowed to focus more 1044 01:04:41,440 --> 01:04:45,000 on what they're doing well. I mean, like Matisse Tyble is never over 1045 01:04:45,159 --> 01:04:48,440 extended on offense in those fourteen point nine minutes he's playing per game, which 1046 01:04:48,440 --> 01:04:53,199 allows him to focus on being a game changing defender. I think my only 1047 01:04:53,280 --> 01:04:58,079 complaint is that Mike Scott is probably playing a little bit too much. I'd 1048 01:04:58,119 --> 01:05:00,239 prefer to see more of like Isaiah Joe or firk On cork Mas, just 1049 01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:03,719 someone else who does more at the four. But yeah, I mean, 1050 01:05:03,800 --> 01:05:09,039 like I don't I don't think that even as Tobias Harris and Seth Curry inevitably 1051 01:05:09,119 --> 01:05:12,920 see their shooting percentages come back to earth a little bit, we're probably gonna 1052 01:05:12,920 --> 01:05:15,880 see Danny Green hit more shots, and it feels like everything is just going 1053 01:05:15,920 --> 01:05:18,320 to balance it out. And this seventy six ers team is a team we're 1054 01:05:18,320 --> 01:05:21,320 gonna be talking about deep into the postseason this year. Currently the best record 1055 01:05:21,320 --> 01:05:24,559 in the East. I guess the one thing that could shake up their supporting 1056 01:05:24,599 --> 01:05:27,400 cast would be if they make that major move. How does that change the 1057 01:05:27,480 --> 01:05:30,039 dynamic for them? I don't know that they're even if they they're gonna make 1058 01:05:30,079 --> 01:05:32,400 a move because Daryn Moorey's in charge of this team, there's gonna be a 1059 01:05:32,400 --> 01:05:35,039 move made at the deadline. I don't know that it's gonna be massive enough 1060 01:05:35,119 --> 01:05:39,159 to really just be seismic. I don't think they're gonna give up Ben Simmons 1061 01:05:39,239 --> 01:05:43,519 or Bradley Beal like that. I mean, I have no basis for saying 1062 01:05:43,599 --> 01:05:46,679 this other than pure speculation, Like we don't have the sources required to make 1063 01:05:46,719 --> 01:05:50,280 this claim. But I feel like Daryl Morey, it's going to want to 1064 01:05:50,480 --> 01:05:56,880 prove that he, unlike his predecessors in Philadelphia, can win with Joel ebeatn 1065 01:05:56,920 --> 01:06:00,639 Ben Simmons. It's a it's a test of competence and that he he wants 1066 01:06:00,880 --> 01:06:04,679 to win with those incumbents by putting the right pieces around them and showing that, 1067 01:06:05,000 --> 01:06:09,719 hey, he can go out and win in a style that's different from 1068 01:06:10,039 --> 01:06:13,920 doing everything possible to acquire the most stars. The only thing I'll say about 1069 01:06:13,960 --> 01:06:17,079 that is it does seem like he was willing to trade Ben Siffets for James 1070 01:06:17,199 --> 01:06:20,239 Harden. And I don't know that that's that's different, right, Like we're 1071 01:06:20,320 --> 01:06:25,840 talking about a guy who's finished top three and MVP voting for roughly the last 1072 01:06:25,880 --> 01:06:29,400 thirty years. I'm not a three time reigning scoring champ. Like I think 1073 01:06:29,480 --> 01:06:31,960 that's different. Yeah, I'm not saying I personally would not have done it, 1074 01:06:32,039 --> 01:06:34,199 But I'm not saying that it's you know, the stance that you would 1075 01:06:34,199 --> 01:06:38,159 have is completely valid. I'm just saying I don't know that if he did 1076 01:06:38,239 --> 01:06:41,199 adopt that stance that you were just talking about, I would call it a 1077 01:06:41,239 --> 01:06:45,599 fresh adoption, would just before point. Yeah, I think it's it's new 1078 01:06:45,719 --> 01:06:47,599 because like, of course he was going to go try to get James Harden, 1079 01:06:47,639 --> 01:06:50,719 because he's Smarten, who wasn't going to go try to get James Harden 1080 01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:55,119 for their team. But I don't think that he's just going to to want 1081 01:06:55,199 --> 01:06:59,960 to get that second tier star like a Bradley Beal, just because that option 1082 01:07:00,199 --> 01:07:05,840 is available to him. The Toronto Raptors were remocked up on the sixers the 1083 01:07:05,960 --> 01:07:09,360 right bolt, buying that there's a boarding cast to be stainable. The Toronto 1084 01:07:09,400 --> 01:07:12,440 Raptors, this is probably me swing. This was the low hanging fruit for 1085 01:07:12,519 --> 01:07:15,360 me. Pascal siak buy or sell. Pascal Siakam is going to be fine? 1086 01:07:18,599 --> 01:07:25,000 Can you define fine for me? Pascal Siakam is still going to be 1087 01:07:25,119 --> 01:07:27,679 a top twenty five player by the end of the season. I'll sell that. 1088 01:07:28,119 --> 01:07:30,840 Okay, Yeah, I think had you said he's going to be an 1089 01:07:30,880 --> 01:07:34,119 All Star caliber player, that's where I think. I'm more on the fence 1090 01:07:34,400 --> 01:07:38,239 where I think he's going to be one of those guys who, you know, 1091 01:07:38,320 --> 01:07:42,880 we're talking about him as an injury addition to the All Star roster because 1092 01:07:42,920 --> 01:07:46,920 he's capable of making the team but doesn't really have that solidified case. It 1093 01:07:47,559 --> 01:07:53,400 feels to me like he was a little bit solved last year, whereas the 1094 01:07:53,519 --> 01:07:57,360 Raptors asked him to do more in the playoffs and teams adjusted to him, 1095 01:07:57,400 --> 01:08:00,559 and you know, the spins to nowhere as you've put it, just there 1096 01:08:00,679 --> 01:08:04,400 there are. There are just too many flaws in his game for him to 1097 01:08:04,440 --> 01:08:08,519 be that all around player that Toronto wants him to be. I think we 1098 01:08:08,599 --> 01:08:13,719 were just a little too quick with the star proclamations here, and that's fine, 1099 01:08:14,119 --> 01:08:17,640 Like he's still a very valuable second or third best player on a contender, 1100 01:08:18,039 --> 01:08:20,720 but the Raptors are currently asking him to be the best one, and 1101 01:08:20,840 --> 01:08:25,399 that's that's just not going to work. See, and so I buy that 1102 01:08:25,479 --> 01:08:27,720 he is going We had them when we rank them, and you were part 1103 01:08:27,720 --> 01:08:29,279 of this. I don't know what he I forgot. Would he ended up 1104 01:08:29,279 --> 01:08:31,960 being an nbamath he was nineteen for burs NBA predicting this year, I don't. 1105 01:08:31,960 --> 01:08:35,239 I don't think he's going to finish that high spoiler alert and there I 1106 01:08:35,359 --> 01:08:39,439 do agree with a lot of the stuff that you said, but because Toronto 1107 01:08:39,520 --> 01:08:42,840 is still trying to overextend him, Like this is just year two of his 1108 01:08:43,039 --> 01:08:47,039 being the offensive system and they're basically still trying to push that. And I 1109 01:08:47,199 --> 01:08:50,439 don't think you know other teams. He still has Kyle Lowry, so it's 1110 01:08:50,439 --> 01:08:53,399 not like he doesn't have any help. But like Fred van Fleet is not 1111 01:08:53,479 --> 01:08:56,439 the best shot creator. He's a good shot maker. When he isn't creating 1112 01:08:56,479 --> 01:08:59,600 for himself, there's just a ton of pressure on him when you're looking at 1113 01:08:59,600 --> 01:09:01,720 the person now, that's going to make it harder. He's still he's getting 1114 01:09:01,720 --> 01:09:04,680 to the rim less than he ever has, which is down from a career 1115 01:09:04,760 --> 01:09:08,119 low and getting to the rim last year. He still kind of has some 1116 01:09:08,239 --> 01:09:13,399 nice touch around there. There needs to be like when he is attacking, 1117 01:09:13,640 --> 01:09:18,319 like he can't bail out as much of his drives and the turnovers in traffic 1118 01:09:18,399 --> 01:09:21,399 for him, they just still feel like they're they're such an issue and his 1119 01:09:21,479 --> 01:09:25,119 decision making needs to be better there. He still only has a twelve nine 1120 01:09:25,199 --> 01:09:28,760 turnover rate in general, which is not super high. But when you're looking 1121 01:09:28,800 --> 01:09:32,560 at yeah, I mean he's you know, throwing weird passes that don't make 1122 01:09:32,560 --> 01:09:38,960 any like there's there's clearly problems there. When defenses are able to like just 1123 01:09:39,039 --> 01:09:41,439 throw bodies at him, he doesn't really seem to know how to react, 1124 01:09:41,560 --> 01:09:44,600 whether it's to settle for this mid ranger or like we've put it the spins 1125 01:09:44,960 --> 01:09:47,840 to nowhere, the spins just directly into the defense. Not going to be 1126 01:09:47,920 --> 01:09:50,960 the best guy at drawing fouls, it seems like people kind of know like 1127 01:09:51,079 --> 01:09:56,079 what's going to happen there, and that's aspect of his game is probably suffered 1128 01:09:56,119 --> 01:09:59,600 a little bit. I'm just they're still trying to work through him so much. 1129 01:09:59,760 --> 01:10:01,800 Why I can't we count on him improving incrementally as the season goes on. 1130 01:10:01,920 --> 01:10:05,560 Maybe the biggest mistake was just expecting that that leap like he had been 1131 01:10:05,920 --> 01:10:09,640 showing, and the signs were on the wall last year because his efficiency kind 1132 01:10:09,640 --> 01:10:14,159 of dropped. But this role that they're trying to groom him into it is 1133 01:10:14,319 --> 01:10:18,199 so huge. It is so massive that it's not just this like tiny aspect 1134 01:10:18,239 --> 01:10:23,439 of branching out. They're basically trying to make him an offensive system unto himself. 1135 01:10:23,880 --> 01:10:25,920 And you can even see it with some of the touches and crunch time 1136 01:10:25,960 --> 01:10:30,000 he's had this year too. I don't know. Maybe this season is the 1137 01:10:30,039 --> 01:10:31,439 more ambitious part that I'm trying to buy or sell, but I think he 1138 01:10:31,560 --> 01:10:34,960 ends up being fine, and if he's not, I still wouldn't be worried 1139 01:10:35,039 --> 01:10:39,399 going into next season. Like it feels. Maybe it's the personnel thing offensively 1140 01:10:39,760 --> 01:10:42,920 around him, and maybe I'm just so far off base there, but I 1141 01:10:43,319 --> 01:10:46,560 remain a firm believer in Pascal Siakam. I think it's for me, it's 1142 01:10:46,600 --> 01:10:50,640 more of a condemnation of the Toronto Raptors than Pascal Siakam, where it's like 1143 01:10:50,720 --> 01:10:55,960 they expected too much, too soon of him and then built the roster accordingly, 1144 01:10:56,399 --> 01:10:59,359 and it's biting them now. Well, they're just they're tasking them with 1145 01:10:59,399 --> 01:11:01,720 too much, especially in crunch time, and it just doesn't quite make sense. 1146 01:11:01,960 --> 01:11:06,119 And also, to clarify your point from earlier in Crystal Basketball at NBA 1147 01:11:06,199 --> 01:11:10,079 math going into the season, we had him ranked to twenty one. He 1148 01:11:10,239 --> 01:11:13,119 was directly ahead of Chris Paul and Trey Young, and he was directly behind 1149 01:11:13,199 --> 01:11:16,199 Rudy Gobert and Paul George. He was the second to the last of the 1150 01:11:16,399 --> 01:11:20,000 All NBA candidates. Okay, yeah, so pretty close there with where we 1151 01:11:20,119 --> 01:11:23,600 ended up at BR two. I don't clearly he's not going to be at 1152 01:11:23,640 --> 01:11:26,800 that level. I still view him as this top twenty five ish player that 1153 01:11:27,079 --> 01:11:30,600 we're looking at the long term. I think I'm looking more like top thirty 1154 01:11:30,680 --> 01:11:33,159 five ish. There needs to be great. He needs more offensive variants off 1155 01:11:33,199 --> 01:11:36,119 the dribble, or at least variants in his decision making, or just whatever. 1156 01:11:36,199 --> 01:11:39,560 You want to call it, and I think he's potentially get there. 1157 01:11:39,560 --> 01:11:44,840 I'm also wondering if it did Toronto, like do we know that they weren't 1158 01:11:44,880 --> 01:11:46,760 prepared for this? And maybe I mean the fact that he missed the game 1159 01:11:46,800 --> 01:11:50,640 for disciplinary reasons, which when you're playing Terrence Davis at all, it is 1160 01:11:50,680 --> 01:11:56,640 just a questionable decision at best as an organization, but or as raptors. 1161 01:11:56,680 --> 01:12:00,039 Twitter likes to put it redacted. Oh I like that redacted when you're playing 1162 01:12:00,119 --> 01:12:05,319 redacted at all. So there definitely does. Yeah, I guess you're right. 1163 01:12:05,319 --> 01:12:09,680 There's definitely a level of unexpectancy here where they probably thought he was going 1164 01:12:09,720 --> 01:12:11,520 to be better. But I don't know, just based off what they did 1165 01:12:11,560 --> 01:12:13,920 to the roster over the off season, where you lose a Vaka, you 1166 01:12:14,000 --> 01:12:15,560 lose Marc Gasol, unless you thought, like like I guess I did that 1167 01:12:15,600 --> 01:12:20,760 an and nobody was going to turn into this all star basically they so maybe 1168 01:12:20,840 --> 01:12:25,479 that like that's the expectations have fallen. Eltright would be clear about that too. 1169 01:12:25,560 --> 01:12:29,279 Is I think fred van Fleet has I don't think his contract is bad. 1170 01:12:29,359 --> 01:12:30,479 I think he's really good. He would have he has a chance to 1171 01:12:30,479 --> 01:12:33,800 be a ceremonial All Star this year. I don't know that he's just improved 1172 01:12:33,840 --> 01:12:38,199 a bunch on offense. He's still hitting the same shots, still struggling to 1173 01:12:38,239 --> 01:12:41,279 finish at the rim, not great at hitting these pull up jumpers. So 1174 01:12:41,399 --> 01:12:44,119 the same sort of flaws are still there. He's just still a really good 1175 01:12:44,119 --> 01:12:45,680 player. There's a lot of I think there are a lot of things that 1176 01:12:45,800 --> 01:12:49,399 they that have not gone to plan or that they didn't hit on, and 1177 01:12:50,079 --> 01:12:54,640 Pascal siakam struggles, while being one of them, are also a symptom of 1178 01:12:54,800 --> 01:12:59,439 sort of those those other problems on the team. That seems fair. So 1179 01:12:59,560 --> 01:13:02,319 if that was, if that was the low hanging fruit, then my fruit 1180 01:13:02,439 --> 01:13:05,239 here is so low hanging that it's growing up from the ground in the form 1181 01:13:05,279 --> 01:13:10,359 of a boo. Dug it up because it went rotten and then someone buried 1182 01:13:10,399 --> 01:13:15,319 it and he dug it up. Buy or sell? Bradley Beale has gone 1183 01:13:15,439 --> 01:13:18,960 from Washington before the trade deadline. This is so tough. He should I 1184 01:13:19,079 --> 01:13:25,199 buy the idea that he should stop the question. I'm gonna sell because it's 1185 01:13:25,640 --> 01:13:30,720 it's the Wizards, and there there might be this I don't I call it 1186 01:13:30,760 --> 01:13:33,119 a trace, but maybe it's just like this huge impetus of stubbornness because they 1187 01:13:33,199 --> 01:13:38,720 gave up a first for Russell Westbrook and if he gets healthy, they gets 1188 01:13:38,720 --> 01:13:42,159 still pass themselves into making noise in the East. This feels like a situation 1189 01:13:42,199 --> 01:13:44,479 where they could also look at it and say, well, are they offers 1190 01:13:44,520 --> 01:13:45,640 for Bradley? We are going to get any worse over the summer, and 1191 01:13:45,640 --> 01:13:48,079 when he has a full season left as opposed to a season and a half, 1192 01:13:48,920 --> 01:13:54,119 probably not. So I'm gonna sell I'm right there with you for the 1193 01:13:54,199 --> 01:13:59,000 exact same reasons. It all comes down to Westbrook being there. As long 1194 01:13:59,039 --> 01:14:00,960 as he's there. Actually, because they gave up that first round pick to 1195 01:14:01,000 --> 01:14:05,479 acquire him, there has to be optimism in DC, even if there shouldn't 1196 01:14:05,479 --> 01:14:09,039 be. They also paid Thomas Burton's too, where it's like we have to 1197 01:14:09,079 --> 01:14:12,039 see at least the first season of this whole thing through. Yeah, but 1198 01:14:12,119 --> 01:14:15,520 I mean, like with Thomas Bryant hurt and no really usable replacement for him, 1199 01:14:15,520 --> 01:14:18,359 they shouldn't. They should absolutely trade him for whatever they can get before 1200 01:14:18,359 --> 01:14:21,279 the deadlock. If you had to pick the team to just go get him, 1201 01:14:21,720 --> 01:14:28,000 just pay the cost that it is, which team would that be Miami. 1202 01:14:30,000 --> 01:14:31,560 I guess they would be the team. I just question whether they have 1203 01:14:31,760 --> 01:14:36,079 the and look, Brian Renhorse of VESPN wrote about how there's just a shortage 1204 01:14:36,079 --> 01:14:40,479 of now first round picks that could be traded. I think he over exaggerated 1205 01:14:40,479 --> 01:14:42,760 a little bit, because there are things that teams could do, like remove 1206 01:14:42,840 --> 01:14:45,159 protections on ones that they alway so they can trade deeper in the future. 1207 01:14:45,239 --> 01:14:50,199 But we talked about how what the Pelicans got for Drew and even Davis and 1208 01:14:50,479 --> 01:14:57,439 what wow this is. James Harden commanded from Houston that the value of Rady 1209 01:14:57,479 --> 01:14:59,640 Bill is gonna be through the roof. Maybe it's actually lower. Just if 1210 01:14:59,640 --> 01:15:02,159 there is the scarcity of first round picks, the trade Miami would be the 1211 01:15:02,239 --> 01:15:06,760 one. If I'm just not convinced on their their assets. If we're forgetting 1212 01:15:06,760 --> 01:15:12,119 about realism, I'll put the Toronto Raptors out there, just because everything that 1213 01:15:12,159 --> 01:15:16,520 we just said about Pascal Siakam is partially, if not fully fixed. If 1214 01:15:16,560 --> 01:15:21,560 you have Bradley Bielder, would you give up Pascal Siakam for Bradley bald I 1215 01:15:21,640 --> 01:15:28,880 mean, yeah, probably. I think that the ceiling is significantly higher. 1216 01:15:29,239 --> 01:15:31,960 He's still under contract for another year. You can sell him as the centerpiece 1217 01:15:32,039 --> 01:15:39,319 of an organization that is antithetical to everything that Washington has done recently. So 1218 01:15:39,479 --> 01:15:42,560 yeah, I think I think that I would. But ideally you're acquiring him 1219 01:15:43,039 --> 01:15:46,479 without giving up Siakam and just throwing them every pick that you can muster, 1220 01:15:46,680 --> 01:15:50,720 and you know, maybe you're giving up oge On and Obie or some other 1221 01:15:50,800 --> 01:15:57,920 piece, because that deal Siakam pairing would be super ideal. Yes, it 1222 01:15:57,960 --> 01:16:00,920 would. And actually to your point about that, so you would give up 1223 01:16:00,920 --> 01:16:04,760 og for Beal? Yeah? And would you give up what I've thought about 1224 01:16:04,800 --> 01:16:11,239 and I thought about, Well, I go back and forth on that one, 1225 01:16:11,279 --> 01:16:15,000 because then you're gonna like have van Fleet and Beal. I guess that's 1226 01:16:15,000 --> 01:16:16,760 a yeah, that's probably fine. I guess what you could do if you're 1227 01:16:16,760 --> 01:16:18,960 the Raptors though, and the fact that the Knicks have so much cap space 1228 01:16:19,000 --> 01:16:24,039 would make this feasible, is you can move moving in those poison pill extensions 1229 01:16:24,840 --> 01:16:28,680 because og and and Nobi to the Raptors, he's only worth whatever he's making 1230 01:16:28,760 --> 01:16:30,920 this season and outgoing trade money, but to inbound for the Wizards, it's 1231 01:16:30,960 --> 01:16:35,039 the average of all his salaries and including those extension years. The Knicks have 1232 01:16:35,159 --> 01:16:38,439 cap space, so you can figure out a way to get Norman Powell to 1233 01:16:38,479 --> 01:16:42,039 the Knicks or something and move if you knew og and Fred van Fleet as 1234 01:16:42,079 --> 01:16:44,880 the baseline, and then maybe there has to be picks or something in there. 1235 01:16:45,399 --> 01:16:46,960 I would totally do that if I were If I were the Raptors, 1236 01:16:47,119 --> 01:16:49,800 the team I was gonna pick is if they don't have to move Ben Simmons, 1237 01:16:49,840 --> 01:16:54,880 If it's all the picks and you're using Maxie and you have a te 1238 01:16:55,000 --> 01:16:58,720 Siebel Philly would be as long as we're just dreaming there, that would be 1239 01:16:58,840 --> 01:17:00,600 the team. I don't know that I would move Ben Simmons for him. 1240 01:17:00,640 --> 01:17:04,319 It does make sense, and you know, functionally for a lot of things, 1241 01:17:04,319 --> 01:17:06,600 and I think he's a better fit with Joel and Bid that James Harden 1242 01:17:06,600 --> 01:17:11,439 would have been. But that would be the team I would immediately look at. 1243 01:17:11,560 --> 01:17:13,800 And there are less realistic ones, like imagine if you could get him 1244 01:17:13,800 --> 01:17:17,039 to Dallas. But it's just like unless Washington wants Christops Porzingias, who i'd 1245 01:17:17,079 --> 01:17:18,840 move A heartbeat for Bradley Bell. I want to make that clear. I 1246 01:17:18,840 --> 01:17:23,520 don't know. Heartbeat maybe even quicker than that. I'm glad that you didn't 1247 01:17:23,560 --> 01:17:26,880 say the Suns because I don't want to have that argument again. They're not 1248 01:17:27,000 --> 01:17:29,319 the team I would pick. I think they could if DeAndre At was on 1249 01:17:29,359 --> 01:17:30,479 the table, but they have to go somebody. Salley thought him the last 1250 01:17:30,520 --> 01:17:34,239 team I'll mention, and this might support your buy yourself from before. You 1251 01:17:34,319 --> 01:17:39,359 want a best player on a contender material in Chicago, you put Bradley Bill 1252 01:17:39,439 --> 01:17:43,159 there and the party changes. And I don't know that you could use Zach 1253 01:17:43,239 --> 01:17:45,560 Lavine as the baseline if you were making other packages, but if you made 1254 01:17:45,560 --> 01:17:47,840 it strictly young players and salary filler, I don't know what your defense looks 1255 01:17:47,880 --> 01:17:51,880 like with Levine and Bill, but those two could do some damage. I'll 1256 01:17:51,920 --> 01:17:56,119 give you a hint. It doesn't look good. So I will say this 1257 01:17:56,159 --> 01:17:59,439 about Lavine still bad on defense, but I think they've sort of decided like, 1258 01:18:00,119 --> 01:18:01,960 Okay, fuck it, we're still gonna throw them at these basically start 1259 01:18:02,520 --> 01:18:06,319 like player types and relative to like that assignment, like you could be bad 1260 01:18:06,600 --> 01:18:10,920 defending star players, and it's it's more okay to be bad, if that 1261 01:18:11,039 --> 01:18:14,039 makes any sense. No, it's totally fair, that viable and fair. 1262 01:18:14,800 --> 01:18:16,199 That does it for us. It's weren't way longer than I thought it would 1263 01:18:16,239 --> 01:18:19,720 have. We'll have to live up to the eight seventy five minutes when we 1264 01:18:19,840 --> 01:18:24,479 go to the Western Conference. My indie one took us off the rails. 1265 01:18:24,479 --> 01:18:28,000 We spent like, probably ten or fifteen minutes on the pacers. Please, 1266 01:18:28,159 --> 01:18:30,920 we spent ten or fifteen minutes, all right. I spent ten or fifteen 1267 01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:33,479 minutes without taking a breath, just on the pacers, and I hate Usually 1268 01:18:33,560 --> 01:18:38,319 that's reserved for Frank Ni Lakinick takes. I have no frank Nuclear takes other 1269 01:18:38,399 --> 01:18:41,600 than I'm gonna be heartbroken if the Knicks end up letting him walk and restricted 1270 01:18:41,600 --> 01:18:44,479 free agency, which means I'm gonna need to be prepared to be heartbroken. 1271 01:18:45,560 --> 01:18:49,920 Guys, gals, everybody, please rate, review, and subscribe to us 1272 01:18:50,000 --> 01:18:54,479 on iTunes wherever you're getting your podcasts. Still helps us out a ton Until 1273 01:18:54,560 --> 01:18:57,960 next time. We want to hope that you enjoyed this discussion, this rambling, 1274 01:18:58,039 --> 01:19:00,680 whatever you want to called it. And two, I leave you with 1275 01:19:00,760 --> 01:19:04,479 the shout out to the one the only still really good even if he doesn't 1276 01:19:04,520 --> 01:19:08,239 finish Top three and Defensive Player of the Year voting at the end of the 1277 01:19:08,319 --> 01:19:19,600 season. Miles Turner, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous, Marvin 1278 01:19:19,680 --> 01:19:25,760 Hagler, and Thomas Hearns. Legends whose four way rivalry define one of the 1279 01:19:25,840 --> 01:19:30,960 greatest errors in boxing history, relive their decade of dominance in the new Showtime 1280 01:19:30,039 --> 01:19:34,560 Sports documentary The Kings, a four parts series premiering Sunday, June sixth, 1281 01:19:34,840 --> 01:19:35,800 only on Showtime