Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest episode of Hardwood Knocks. This is
Sadam Framwl here with my fantastic co host Dan fa Valley. Last week we
brought you are Buy and Sells for all fifteen teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
We're flipping it around this time and going with buy our Cells for all
fifteen teams in the Western Conference. We'll be running through alphabetically, starting with
Dallas, finishing with Utah and covering everyone in between, and as always,
trying to keep this around an hour and most likely bringing you a three hour
podcast before we dive in. How's it going, Dan? I am doing
well, relatively well anyway, How about yourself? Pretty good. It's been
a you know, we're recording this on Sunday afternoon. It's been a great
weekend. The weather is looking up in Colorado. We've got to spend some
outside time. No complaints there. Well, we have like a huge blizzard
coming our way apparently over here so in New York, so good, fundle
up, fundle up. It's been a freezing here and I've wanted to kill
myself every single day, but that's figuratively speaking. Didn't mean to get that
dark I'm ready to talk though by buy or sell some stuff with the Western
Conference teams, there's like a lot of weird situations, and as always we
both it seems like basically approach this with our buyer sells will be general as
a means to launch into the wheats is basically the goal, and we did
try to frame them as questions where it's like it's fairly reasonable to pick either
side, Like it's not a really a good buy or self question if you're
like buy or selling Nikolai Yoki just having an MVP caliber season, like buy
move on, I would like to say, does seem like Denver Nuggets fans
are getting annoyed that he hasn't been higher in MVP ladders And it's just like
the Nuggets of fight probably winning more games and they finally just started being good
and the defense is getting better. But like we need to you know,
the the what about my favorite team's best playerism, like needs to I think
in general needs to chill. I will do you know who I want to
shout out on that front though, there's really quickly the Cleveland Cavaliers. They've
been on the context in bandwagon, the fan base for a really long time,
and they seem to be welcoming other people. But like with if you
don't, let's use Miles Turner and and yeah as an example, but like
you can't really call make culpa on what you think of Miles Turner at this
point. And it seems to be the same way with Yo Yokich. You
know, I had yokis I think third when we did the prediction for MVPs,
like basically one month to the season. At this point, it does
look like he might need to be too in an exercise if that was to
be redone right now, just if people are gonna, you know, with
more information change their change there I guess stances. Isn't that the whole point
of everything? But NICOLEA. Yokich has been phenomenal. I don't want to
dilute that. I think in general, more people just need to be okay,
admitting that their views can change and should change and will change as they
get more information. Like that's what we're supposed to do. And the flip
side is admit that you're wrong. If I end up voting Miles Turner for
Defensive Player of the Year, I will full stop admit okay, my prediction
was wrong. Let's get to Dallas, though we did the Eastern Conference already,
so this is interesting as we're recording this. They're losers of five straight.
And I'll say the I know it was on the second end of a
back to back, but that breakdown against Phoenix, who didn't have Devin Booker
not great. And Luca said after the loss to the Jazz that it doesn't
look like the Mavericks scare buy or sell that the Mavericks' biggest issue has been
the limited availability slash play of Christops Porzingis as he continues to work his way
back from his injury. I'm gonna sell that I think it is a big
deal. It's problematic that he's only shooting twenty eight point six percent on his
threes. It's problematic that he's been fouling too frequently and hasn't been on the
court at all for many games, and just isn't playing the level of basketball
that we know he's been capable of playing, albeit in shorter spurts mostly with
the New York Knicks. There are more issues than that on this Maverick's roster.
Now. It's a problem that Josh Richardson isn't hitting shots, that Tim
Hardaway Junior has been unbelievably streaky, that there just aren't major sources of reliable
offense aside from Luca don Chich. That the defense hasn't coalesced with or without
Chris Stops on the floor, like this has been a very disappointing team that
currently sits at eight and twelve as were as we're recording this, and that's
about more than Chris Stops only playing nine games so far. Yeah, look,
they've had some nice surprises by and large. Jale and Brunson has been
really good for them this year. Trey Burke has had his moments, although
they need him over this five game losing streak. They need guys like him
need to shoot better from three, and Hardaway Junior was shooting fine from three
over the course the year, but he's not shooting well over this stretch,
so maybe that's being exacerbated. I think you could even caught out Luka don
Chich. He's at thirty two point four percent from three over this five game
stretch, which is higher than he is overall for the season. And I
know the level of difficulty on his shots matters, and I get that that's
important to Dallas's offense. But if you're gonna live or feast on those three
is like you need to hit. I would say above thirty three percent of
them at some point. That would just be my take. And I think
I'll sell as well. I mean, it's tough not to maybe I'll buy
because they need Chris Stops to be the number two. That's why you made
the trade for Seth Curry and Josh Richardson. I think because you're confident that
you have a number two, which offensive option in Chris Stops Porzingis and the
fact that he hasn't been that there doesn't appear to be like any synergy between
he and Luka dan Jag at this point. And look, kp is only
three games into the season, so like we need to see that. There
another thing you look at with this team there once again, they're two and
five in the clutch this season, and just so many of their shots are
coming from beyond the arc during that time. Twenty nine of the shots that
they've taken in crunch time have come from beyond the arc and they're only shooting
twenty four point one percent on those, And that's like you need to put
some more pressure on the rim or vary it up. They've actually been shooting
okay from two in those minutes. I get that we're dealing with a small
sample size here, but of fifty four shots, if twenty nine of them,
which amounts to which is twenty nine, it's more than fifty percent.
So quick math, fifty three point seven percent of your shots you're coming from
beyond the arc and crunch time, like those are gonna need to fall at
a higher clip for you to be fine. And so I'm gonna buy that
it's KP, but maybe it's more so buying that they might need to trade
for another shot creator, which I guess then extends past KP. So I
guess I am I am selling here. That was my round of way of
buying throughout that well. I think my cliff notes summary is kind of just
that, like they need kristaps Porzingis to be what they expect as that number
two option to be title contenders. But that is not the only reason they're
eight and twelve correct. And I will say, I don't know if you
saw this tweet because they came from the pot Hardwa Knox account on Twitter at
hardware Knox folks follow it. Did you see the tweet I did about the
Knicks from there? I've been very offline this weekend. So now, Okay,
the Knicks are on pace to have exactly one lottery pick this season,
and it is not their own. I wish that were more surprising. I
don't think it's gonna say, I don't think it's gonna stay that way.
And look, if I'm like an upper echelon Western Conference team that is not
going to fall out of the play in tournament area, even in the worst
case scenario, I don't want I want them to climb up a little bit.
I don't want a first round matchup with Luca. I just don't Maybe
you're not as afraid of them in the second round or the conference final.
I don't want to have to face Luca in the first Like that just seems
unnecessarily difficult. I think we saw that last year where it was like we
thought he had this brutal matchup against the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
both checking him, and it just didn't matter because he's kind of matchup proof,
and if you're putting him in a playoff situation, where typically you get
to see those rotations condensed and you know, coaches make adjustments throughout a series,
but it didn't affect him. Yeah, Marcus Moore has actually ended up
doing the best defensive job of him of anyone on the Clippers. Do you
want to move on to Denver? Though? Let's move on to Denver.
So, coming out of the bubble last season, it seemed like Jamal Murray
was ascending to that superstar tier where he'd just taken over entire playoff series.
It really felt like he could make that leap to be an unquestioned top twenty
player. But now we've seen him struggle to reach that same level to exhibit
any sort of consistency. And meanwhile, we've seen Michael Porter Junior just proved
that he can be this absolute offensive hub of a capable three level score,
an improved defender. He looks like he could be a superstar. So are
you buying or selling that if the Nuggets get involved in trade talks for a
player like Bradley Beale, that Jamal Murray should be more available than Michael Porter
Jr. I'll buy just because I think at this point there's more variance to
Jamal Murray's performance, and since you've already paid him, there's going to be
variance to Michael Porter Junior's performance and availability apparently too. But he's just cost
less right now, and so that's no, that's not going to stay that
way forever. But that might be the actually the only situation which I would
trade for Bradley Beal from Denver because their problem is not necessarily offense. It
would be what plus Jamal Murray get you to Bradley Beale, who theoretically makes
you more playoff proof? Right? Yeah, I think I'm going to buy
it as well, just because you don't need a Jamal Murray as much when
you have Nicola Yokich on your team. But Porter's ability to thrive as a
score in just every setting imaginable, I think is more valuable. He just
as good as that pick and roll combination and reverse pick and roll combination has
been with Yo Kitchen Murray. It's kind of like a luxury and Porter seems
like more of a floor raiser for them. Yeah, I'm totally with you
there. Do we want to move on to Golden State? Do we have
anything to add? Is there any other player that you would consider moving Murray
for though, if you're Denver, just that's theoretically could be available. Probably
not, I mean it's unless someone is just entirely unexpectedly made available. But
like of the players who are commonly talked about as trade candidates this season,
like, I don't know that you would want to move Murray for anyone else.
You would not move him straight up. They said Jamal Murray for zach
Lavine, and they'll give you something else because Murray makes someone I don't think
I would, all right, would you? Probably not? They would.
They would have to include like other stuff there not even know if they have
the other stuff that would make me do it. And I just think that's
because Jamal Murray, I think we've seen, can give you more on defense
at times, and you could probably trust them more as a playmaker those zac
Lavine has been good. Everybody turns that. He still does turn the ball
over like crazy. I'm even trying to think, like I guess maybe yeah,
yeah, realistically available, like Golden State's not going to trade Stephen Curry.
Yeah, there's I'm trying to go through it right now, and I
just I don't have anyone up there to find any options even if Minnesota was
like, all right, we're gonna get rid of towns like towns just doesn't
make any sense for for Denver at this point, No, not even remotely
as good as he is. Here's something that would be interesting. What if
the Pelicans were willing to do brandon Ingram for Jamal Murray? But why would
they? They need a natural, like real guard, and maybe they don't.
You know, it's not Bledsoe, it's not Lonzo. There's no way
they're giving a brandon Ingram at his age and how quickly he's exploded for them.
All right, that was just an example. Would you do it if
they did? Oh? I have one more too. I'm I'm waffling here.
I yeah, I think I would. I would do it to Ingram?
Yeah do it? That was this One's I'm interesting. I don't know
if it would be straight up or as part of like three team scenario where
they're not the ones getting veal? Would you give him up for Ben Simmons
in a heartbeat? You're not worried about the sort of overlap and ball domination
there with well, Yokich is not. I don't want to say he's ball
dominant, but like you don't want to give him fewer touches ever, because
he is just so. I don't think I would, just because Simmons raises
the defensive ability so much and Denver is uniquely positioned with such a floor stretching
five that it counteracts so many of simmons as biggest shortcomings. You're like the
embiad shoots threes. He's not the floor spacing five that Yokich is. Okay,
I have one more. I just don't think they would do it.
What if Toronto was like, we'll give you Fred van Fleet and OG for
Jamal Murray. No, No, you're you're relying on No. I don't
think so. I think you're still you're relying on too much growth from OG.
Maybe I'm too, Maybe I need to be higher on Jamal Murray,
but I think I would do it. Is it at least that's something you
think about, or it's right, it's like you didn't even would. I
would reject that immediately, And I think likes. As much as Murray has
been perceived to struggle this season, he's still averaging nineteen four and four and
a half and shooting like fairly efficiently because he's just a remarkably talented offensive player,
and we are not seeing the best version of him right now, Like
he's still really good, Like, let's not downplay how devastatingly effective he is
and has proven to be in those playoff situations. Yeah, that's a good
point. And so if you're gonna move with Jamal Murray like it needs you
need to. It needs to be for a transcendent type player exactly. And
I think with Ben Simmons or Bradley Beal, you're sort of guaranteed. Ben
Simmons is a different type of transcendent, let's be clear. And then with
a Brandon Ingram, I think that that maybe it's kind of even, but
just based off with Brandon Ingram showed you over the past two seasons, it
might just make more sense there. And that's why I'm against the Lavigne one,
because as good as the numbers he's putting up are, we haven't shown
that he can elevate a team. He hasn't had to do that in any
sort of pressure packed situation. Yeah, no, that's only fair if this
is second stary podcast. We talked about the Jamal Murray too, because we
talked about him relative to Colin Sexton when we did the Eastern Conference one.
Hey, check out that episode. There's some good there's some good self promotion
here. Golden State, buy or sell. Draymond Green has become too much
of an offensive liability, and the Warriors need to make some sort of a
trade. I'm not saying first star, and I'm not saying they need to
trade Draymond, but they need to make some sort of a trade to now
navigate the minutes that Stephan Curry won't play. And so I have some background
before you even give me an answer. Draymond Green has played nine hundred and
six possessions. How many of those possessions do you think have come without Stephen
Curry? You're on mute, Adam. If you'd like to take yourself off,
you can. You can answer the question like one hundred twenty. That
was my fault for trying to plug in a baby monitor during a podcast.
Could you have some priorities? It's the podcast, then it's your child.
I know. I'm sorry everytinely forget that. So you'd be better better,
I promise. How what was your guest one twenty? It's thirteen and it
was lower than I expected. I'll say Draymond Green has I think this has
always been something like it feels like too many of his shots always come from
the mid range. This year, he is shooting disastrous from mid range,
a whopping twenty six percent, down from he's normally been in the thirties at
least over the past three seasons. Still he's not a threat from the three
point arc. He's shooting fifty five percent at the rim, which would be
a career low. And that they're not even using him really in the Steph
and Curry lists minutes. I feel like it's a problem. And to that
point, there are two things. Golden State has about a league average offense
when Steph and Draymond are playing, and that's basically all of Draymond's minutes,
mind you. And then without Steph and Curry, they rank on the floor,
they rank in the second percentile of offensive efficiency. And so now I
will throw this to you, buy or sell this. Whatever I said all
of that, I think I'm still going to sell because this roster is still
constructed to have use for his remarkable defensive talents, for his leadership, but
still Steph Curry, and throughout much of the season, Golden State has struggled
to have the ancillary pieces assert themselves to any degree. Now we're seeing that
Andrew Wiggins has seemingly turned a corner for the eight hundredth time in his career,
and who knows if it'll be sustainable. But beyond that, Kelly Bray
is still shooting thirty seven point two percent from the field twenty two point eight
percent from three, and that actually feels like misleadingly high based on how he's
played. And beyond those names you're already looking at, you know, a
rookie James Weisman, Damian Lee, Eric Pascal, Brad Wanamaker as guys who
are expected to be scoring. I don't think it's a Draymond Green issue.
I think it's a they don't yet have the support pieces because this is a
team that expected to go into the season with Clay Thompson supporting everyone. So
if you don't have that floor spacing that was expected to be around Draymond,
it's it's not a surprise to me that he hasn't been able to elevate that
offensive performance with or without Steph. But it doesn't mean they need to make
a trade for this season because they're not really realistic title contendors this season anyway,
if that makes sense, it does, But you also kind of prove
my point for me. You need to find a way to maximize Draymond then,
and you need to put more Absolutely, you need to find more functional
shooting around him this season, I would argue, and I'm not so.
I think you straddle the middle ground. And I guess if they could get
Bradley Beal, Jonathan to Jarks had a great piece at The Ringer about why
step should demand a trade for Bradley Beale. If you could get Bradley beyond
this team, I wout one hundred percent do it. But is there like
a middle ground where it's not going to cost Is there someone where it won't
cost you? James Wiseman and the Minnesota pick, where it's one or the
other. I'd probably say preferably the Minnesota pick. I'm not sure, just
knowing what we've seen from James Wiseman, I don't know if you would feel
differently. And then so you have names like Zach Lavine would be someone I
thought for this team if you can get him for basically, I don't know
what the other assets are you have. Kelly Hubery junior salary, by the
way, which is expiring. I wouldn't hesitate to move him Sham. Sham
said that they talked with the Pelicans about a deal for him. I'm guessing
that involved JJ Reddeck, who is gonna go Northeast. It looks like anyway,
so that's out of the question. What'd you do something like that this
season? And I want I'm buying it, I one hundred percent. If
you can get zach Lavine for the cost of I probably just I don't Chicago
doesn't need James Wiseman unless you're gonna get Wendell Carter Junior and zach Lavine and
you're giving up Wiseman. That's something to look at, I guess. But
I would one hundred percent do that this year because I think that they need
it, and I don't know that Clay comes back and fixes all of it.
I feel like he still can, he still be had, but it's
also a year away, and like Stephen is a year away. I think
that that's Steph has not shown a decline and play this season. Okay,
great, he's also you can I don't mean to interrupt, but he's also
why do you mean to interrupt like Stephen Curry is also thirty two, Like
you don't get to you don't get the fuck around for another year, Like
that's my I know you've I feel like we've kepn just just moving for just
moving for zach Lavine, like maybe prematurely? Does that put this scolden State
team in title contention? Are they in the same conversation as the two Los
Angeles teams? Maybe even in that that Phoenix Suns realm, the Denver Nuggets
realm, the Utah Jazz realm, Like does one move like that pushed them
into that category? I don't think so. I don't know if I would
rather see I would rather see like what we're expecting from Clay and then determine
how we can build around it. I don't. I just don't think they
have that luxury when Steph turns thirty three in March, and I think whether
they join the Clippers and Lakers in the upper echelon of the West, wouldn't
you say that with a zach Lavine or even a Victor Roladipot, just someone
who can not a great necessarily great shooter, but someone who can run the
offense. In Steph's absence in fury anyway, it doesn't it substantially elevate their
ceiling from where it is now. It does, I just don't don't know
if it does it enough to justify making that move. Now, would you
trade for Bradley Beale if you're this team then yes? That yeah, yeah,
I mean that's the exception, because Bradley Beale is just that good.
I like that. We've disagreed twice, so if I don't know we agreed
on Dallas, never mind. But that was a good disagree. That was
a productive disagreement, I would say, as opposed to this one where you're
just you're just wrong. Yeah, fair enough. So Houston Victor Oladipo,
who I don't I don't know if you remember that he was acquired in that
James Harden blockbuster trade for the Houston Rockets. He's gonna way, I know,
I know, breaking news. He's going to play with the Houston Rockets
beyond this season. We buying or sell in that I'm gonna sell. I
just don't know. I can't imagine Tillman for Tita's selling out the money to
pay him, and I don't know that he would want to stay there.
Unless they have this hot end toward the season, he is going to have
to see offensive status to or touches at least to a John Wall. If
Boogie sticks around, you have Christian Wood there as well. I guess if
they're gonna max him out, he would stay. But he just feels like
someone who has a wandering eye, and the noise with Miami is just wild.
And so if they're going to pay him and they're gonna have cap space,
I sell the idea that he'll still be in Houston. If you would
be tough for me is if you said buy or sell him finishing this season
in Houston might actually be the one that's tougher for me to answer. I
don't think he's played well enough this season to have that much interest as an
expiring contract. It's fun that he's scoring twenty point eight points per game twenty
two since he moved to Houston, Like they have not been efficient points in
Houston. He was playing pretty well in Indiana. He was he was playing
very well in Indiana, where I think he just had more comfort and was
more familiar with the teammates who around him on the court and all that.
But yeah, it seems like he's been forcing it a little. He looks
way more like his old self than he has since the injury, but he's
not reached that All Star All NBA level, and knowing that he's an upcoming
free agent, like I don't know that he gets moved this season, but
I agree, I'm gonna sell that he plays more than just the remainder of
this season with Houston. If he even does that, would you buy or
sell though him finishing the season in Houston. I'll buy him finishing him.
I'm gonna sell it just for chaos. I'm gonna throw it out into the
to the ether, and I respect that which would lead us to the Los
Angeles Clippers buy or sell that they need someone on offense to put more pressure
on the rim, And this is mostly in responsible. I think everyone's been
saying that they need a point guard, and George Hill has been a popular
target. But I kind of feel like with as well, that they're shooting
from three this year, and given what they've they're second in points per possession
on offense this season. I believe is we're recording this, so I don't
know that a point guard is necessarily the issue. It's the I'm looking at
the you know, they're twenty eighth in rim frequency right now. So do
you buy or sell the idea that they need someone to kind of put more
pressure on the basket since Clyde's game has always been or at least lately,
you know he bails out, it's gonna be in between. Now they give
sergebaka as those five minutes like he's gonna pop, He's not gonna roll.
So buy or sell that idea. I think I'll sell it just because they
could stand to improve in that area, but it's more of a luxury improvement
than a necessity. Like this team is still really good as is, even
with that inability to put pressure on the rim, because Patrick Beverley isn't really
an offensive point guard. We've known that for a long time. Reggie Jackson
is Reggie Jackson. Lou Williams hasn't looked like full speed Lou Williams. But
all of that said, like as you mentioned, this is still the number
two offensive in the NBA right now, and when you have Kawhi Leonard who
is still playing at an MVP caliber level, and you have Paul George who
has brought back that MVP caliber form we saw in twenty seventeen eighteen. Now
that he's healthy and just ready to go and playing motivated basketball, They're so
good in every other area, especially with Nicholas Patum fitting in nicely, and
the defensive ability that they have in the defensive upside they have that they haven't
really exercised because they haven't needed to. Don't be fooled because the last year's
team collapsed in the playoffs. This is the same roster, but a different
team. I think I sell too, basically for all the reasons you said.
And the other thing is, even if they're three point shooting progresses,
like they're still eighth in free throw teenth rate right now while being twenty eighth
in the share of their shots that come at the rim, they're also first
in efficiency at the rim. So okay, the shots are puer and further
between, but they're just making all of them. I still think it would
be interesting to see them do that on the margins, But as you said,
like it's a luxury, and so you're not thinking like I think people
would say, oh, they should go get Eric Pletzo, and I don't
think it needs to be that star the name back. I kind of like
that springs to mind here when I was doing my research on list, is
like, can you get at Delawn Right? And I don't even know if
you're willing to give up a Lou Williams in that type of a deal,
but he would be also because LA's defense, I know a lot of it
is sort of skewed when you look at the data from that loss to the
Mavericks this season, but it's been like weird, I would say, And
so delaan Right also kind of beefs up what you do on the perimeter when
you're defending the three. So that would just be a name I could look
at, and you have you know, Lou Williams's salary. I don't you
know, Zoobots is too valuable to this team. You can't lose move Kenard.
I don't think you move Everley in that scenario, or Abacca or even
Marcus Morris. You can cobble together like you know, step ladder salaries where
it's okay, Patrick Patterson and then other stuff like there's Terrence Man, So
you could get there maybe in a three for one. I don't know what
the what you else you'd have to do? You have to get him,
but that would just be a name I would look at, and they do
have. If there's another name that brings to mind for you, like they
do have, Lou Williams is eight million dollars salary, and while I still
think he's a useful player, I feel like he's a luxury that they don't
need it, and someone who probably doesn't necessarily boost their ceiling in the playoffs
doesn't hurt it. I don't know where they boost it. It's just I
want I don't want to shoot all over Lou will No, I agree with
you. I think that they can easily move Lou Williams as they want to,
and if they can get George Hill, you know, as I think
you mentioned him earlier, then that's a good fit for this roster if they
can. But he doesn't put pressure on the rim as my points like,
I don't even know if you need he doesn't. He's not. Yeah,
I mean, but I don't. I just I don't think that's the only
archetype that you need to go for. I mean, what if they can
trade for like Patty Mills, that'd be interesting, But yeah, all of
these are luxury editions. I think we're in agreement that the Clippers, like
don't need to make a swing for the fences trade or even one of any
significance to be legit contenders this season. No, I'm totally with you.
They're they're clearly still like the Lakers, and the Clippers to me are on
their own level. And speaking of the Lakers, we can move on to
them. Last year's team won seventy three point two percent of its regular season
games. This one is at seventy one point four percent for the time being.
I like looking at Simple Rating system SRS, which is Basketball References metric
that combines margin of victory with strength of schedule to just put an estimate of
team performance. Higher the better. Last year's Lakers team finished with a six
point two eight SRS. This year's team has a seven point five. So
are you buying or selling that this year's team is better than last year's I'll
buy there's there's certainly better for the regular season, just looking at the way
that that they're really built here, and I think there's there's something to continuity
this season. I think it's valuable every year, but especially now where I
don't know if any if you read or our listeners read Kevin Arnovitz is peace
ESPN about how life on the road has been its own bubble. Teams with
new players and teams in general have had trouble sort of bonding like they normally
went on the road, and so there's still yeah, there were turn there
was turnover with this team, but you know, Andy Davis and le Bron
James's their second season together. There are other guys on the froster that were
in the bubble with them that we're just on the team last year as well,
and you know some of the exchanges you made, Like Mark Gasol is
just like he's a pro's pro at this point, he probably knows Andy Davison
Lebron enough. Just all of them having been around the league. I think
that helps. But just the continuity with their two best players, that's an
absolute big deal. And I think we're even seeing that with the Clippers,
where yeah, they missed time because they did enter the health and safety protocols
at one point, But now Kaali and Paul George have been together for a
year and so we're sort of seeing this coldlace and they're they're Paul George specifically
is healthier than he was last season. So I'll absolutely buy that. I
still to think that I question is going to be Mantras Harrold's minutes in the
playoffs. I think those can still become a liability. And you do have
Anthony Davis the five hanging in your back pocket, but that's just something you
know you did. You use the mid level on him, and that was
effectively like your biggest move. I know you got this all for super cheap,
and the same with Wes Matthews. But I think even if we're looking
at postseason matchups, then having Dennis Shrewder and how he's played, and I
wasn't the biggest fan of that trade right off the bat, which is looking
at what he's been able to do, I would say there, whether it's
the regular season or playoffs, I'll absolutely buy that they're better than last year.
Yeah, I think it's all about the playoff question, and that ultimately
comes down to whether you think that the additions and subtractions cancel each other out.
So you were taking away Danny Green and Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard and
JaVale McGee and adding in Marcus All and Montrase Harrold and Dennis Shrewder which is
probably an upgrade even if Montrese Harold can't get big minutes during the playoffs,
and it's not like Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee played big minutes in the playoffs
anyway last year. So really, I think that the biggest question is,
is Dennis Shrewder a big upgrade from Rayjon Rondo during the regular season Absolutely during
the playoffs, I don't know. I think Shrewder is more solvable. Rondo
played remarkably well during that run to a title last season. We saw the
whole playoff Rondo conversation totally reinvigorated, and justifiably so. But I would still
buy that they're better just because the continuity factors that you talked about, and
I do ultimately think those are upgrades to the rotation. The one thing I
guess I will say about the playoffs is I might argue that Shrewders should be
more value on the playoffs. But if you're looking at this team in the
context of going up against the Clippers, I don't know if they've done anything
to improve their chances against them, And maybe they're just not worried about the
Clippers. But let's just they didn't face the Clippers in the playoffs last year,
and this is a different version of the Clippers right now. I pick
LA in a seven game series. Obviously, I'd pick LA in a seven
yearsers. I'd picked the Lakers in a seven game series right now against the
Clippers, just giving them a benefit of the doubt, but that specific opponent.
And I still think everyone agrees that the Clippers, or at least that's
the consensus of their biggest threat. I don't know if they've improved the way
they match up with with the fellow LA team. I just I hope we
get to see that matchup this year. It felt like we were deprived of
it last season. As entertaining as the playoff series were, I would like
to see that Memphis buy or sell the Grizzlies defense. They are currently third
in possession and so I'll say buy or sell then finishing top seven, top
eight in points allowed per possession. This is probably the one I struggled with
the most when we were going over what these questions were going to be before
the podcast. I'm gonna hesitantly buy it. I think that there's some natural
regression baked into it. They are giving a ton of minutes to really young
players, which is always problematic as the season progresses, especially this weird,
unprecedented short offseason, compressed schedule season. But if Jaron Jackson Junior returns,
that's game changer on defense. When Yona's Valentciunis gets healthy, that's a benefit
to the defense as well. When Grayson Allen gets healthy, not so much.
But you know, ultimately like they're they're going to be adding more than
they're subtracting as as the year goes on, and they do have the defensive
pieces to be really impressive on that end of the floor for the entire season.
John Morant looks better, Brandon Clark is rangy enough to be impactful in
multiple roles in multiple roles, Taias Jones, Kyle Anderson, Desmond Baine,
Xavier Tilman, these are all like already good defensive players. Gorgi Jang has
has looked better in his brief minutes, like there are pieces here to have
a top notch defense. I bought it too, and there are You know,
when you look at the defensive ratings right now, there are some teams
that you can envision climbing into the top seven where it's the Clippers are certainly
their fourteen right now. You don't think that that's going to hold long term.
Could you see Boston or maybe at Cleveland. They might be in and
out of that ritory all year based on how they've defended. But there's also
teams that you could be like, oh, we are they really going to
stay there? The Knicks being the top choice, I'm gonna buy it.
And so I looked into this just a little bit more and was watching some
stuff they have. When you look at some of their one of the things
they're doing so they are limiting corner threes and looks at the rim, and
they're sort of guiding opponents. They're great at coaxing opponents into mid rangers.
But they're also like, they're not going to sell out to contest these above
the break threes, which I actually think is kind of smart because above the
break threes are inherently going to be hit at a lower clip, and teams
are shooting under thirty five percent against them above the break. They've done a
good job contesting them, but maybe that number still goes up a little bit.
They're limiting looks in the corner and opponents are shooting well from the corners
right now, so there's a chance that even that sort of evens out.
I think copponents are shooting forty two point five percent against them in the corners.
They have the best rim protection defense by raw field goal percentage. Jonah
found Tunis I think has been a part of that before. He's missed their
past two games since going in the health and safety protocols, if I believe,
or maybe he's been out even longer than I'm trying a little longer than
that. All right, so if announces January eighteenth, but just because the
Grizzlies didn't two games since then, So he's only missed two games and he's
been out since January two. Yeah, it feels like he's bout for months.
Yeah, So he's been a part of that. And then you just
one of the things that won't compromise this is John Moran. I don't know
if I'm ready to call him a good defender, Like he's sort of smart
enough there where he can exist within this scheme too, and he's a little
bit bigger than you think. And you look at the lineups that they're trotting
out right now, like the I think with their staple lineup is Morant Brooks,
Anderson Clark, and Tilman at this point, and he's Tilman's just been
fantastic for them. They have younger guys, like you mentioned that they're playing
a lot, but they compete and Desmond Baine would be an example there for
them. So just sort of watching them, and I'll admit that I've not
seen them much of the Grizzlies lately, and I think part of that is
because they played so a few games. Yeah, but I think it's sustainable
and I think it will only get easier for them once they have Valancunas back
and jan Jackson Junior might actually hurt them, would be my HoTT ish take
in that department, but has in the past, but the talent is obviously
there. Let's also not forget they have not had Justice Winslow yet, so
if he ever comes back from his hip injury, I don't know if that
helps helps or hurts. Yeah, right, who who's this? Yeah exactly.
H If he ever comes back, I guess there needs to be a
grace period there, But like, that's just more defensive talent, and so
I'm gonna I'm gonna buy this, But I am a little hesitant, but
I'm gonna buy it. And look, Taylor Jenkins has done a hell of
a job this year because we all thought the Grizzlies were dead in the water
after the John Moran injury. It's been very impressive. And yeah, I
think with Moran specifically, like he's big, he's strong, he's fast,
and he tries hard. And if you have those four qualities you can play
at least adequate defense in the NBA. John rand is just so good.
There there's I'm so happy that he's back, and there's just like I'm just
I love John Moran. I love the in and out hesitation, dribbles,
It's like a like some it's like some magic shit. I'm just happy he's
healthy. Shout out John Moran for being healthy. Let's hope it stays that
way. Minnesota. The Timberwolves Karl Anthony Towns has been to the playoffs once
in his career. That came back in twenty seventeen eighteen, when they won
the de facto playoff game play in game against the Denver Nuggets and then promptly
lost in five games to the Houston Rockets. They have not been back since.
They are not going to be there this season. I feel comfortable saying
that since they're four and fourteen and have looked every part the four of a
four and fourteen team. Buy or sell the Karl Anthony Towns will ever win
a playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Well, you're asking me. If
you told me he was going to finish his career there, I would buy
it. It's part of the question. I'm gonna sell it. I just
I don't know that I've seen anything about the way they're building this team.
And I'm not trying to dump all over Gerson Rosas at the moment, but
I don't know that D'Angelo Russell, Connavy, Towns, all these youngsters is
the way to go. And look, there's a chance that they don't improve
a great deal over the off season because they owe this year's picked the Golden
State. They might be bad enough for the top three protection to hit,
but the lottery is just a crapshoot right now, where there's flattening. If
they could finish with the bottom three record and they have a better chance of
falling out of the top three and landing inside, it's still so I'm gonna
I'm going to sell, and I'm not trying to say that. I think
karl Antontown is eventually going to ask for out, but we are rapidly getting
to the point and I don't want to make this the focus. And I
know small market fans hate this being the focus. They have like two years
this season, next season, maybe a year after that before this becomes a
real problem. And I don't know. I don't see their path to making
the playoffs next season. I just don't. I don't know that I see
it. They would have to go all in on some type of trade.
Maybe there's a star that becomes available that I don't realize, and it'll be
tough to make that trade to me if they don't have this year's pick in
the bank. So I'm going to sell it. I think that that's going
to be bad for Karlin anton Town's reputation. I just don't think that he's
not even close to the issue there. You could cite his on off defense
when he's playing. I don't care like his on again, off again motor
on defensive saud say he's not the problem. He's closer to a top ten
player than not at this point in his career. I'm just I need to
envision it somehow. And I'm even looking, like looking at their roster after
you told me this that this was going to be your buy or sell,
like I do. I believe in Jared Colver and Anthony Edwards to that extent,
I'd probably believe in Jared Colver a little bit more than Anthy Edwards.
I don't I'm selling it. I don't feel great. I'm not a compliment
right there. I'm selling it. I have like no way to justify this,
but I'm gonna buy it, mostly because I will move on, mostly
because I just I think Karl Anthony Towns is that good. Just he is
a generational offensive talent. He's one of the most capable scorers, passers,
whatever, on offense we've ever seen from that position. And as poorly constructed
as this roster is, and as unfortunate for the Timberwolves as it is that
they owe that pick to the Golden State Warriors, and as as where do
I go with the Anthony Edwards selection at number one? I think we all
know how I feel about that one. But I still think like, and
I have no sources behind this or any inside information. Karl Anthony town just
strikes me as the kind of guy who's never going to ask out. He
just he's loyal, He's he's a good human. He wants to be there,
he wants the best for his teammates. I just I can't ever see
him asking for a trade, knowing what that would do to the players on
his team. So I think he's going to be there long enough and is
good enough that eventually they're going to sneak in. I don't know what that
path looks like. I don't know if that's it's not the current core though,
right this is not absolutely not Like I would be more confident in Towns
being the only player from the current roster on a playoff team in Minnesota than
anything else. Okay, I think that's Look that Calumny Towns is that good.
It's my lad, Like Minnesota needs to do something about the defensive talent
around him, like they they found some hits. Malie Beasley is playing fine,
Naz Reid great, but like you need better defenders around This is largely
why I wanted to ask that question, because it's worth saying that this isn't
his fault and that he is one hundred percent good enough to anchor a playoff
team, and really to anchor a team capable of going deep into the postseason.
And it is an utter indictment of what the Timberwolves front office has been
able to put around him for as long as he's been in the NBA that
he only has one playoff game one, not series one, but game one
to this point in his career. I think that's fair. I'm also just
laughing now because as we're recording this, Denver is in Fuego going up against
the Jazz. At the moment, they I don't even think they finished the
first half. Nicole Yokich has thirty one points. They're beating Utah seventy seven
to fifty two. And if you're wondering whether our Jamal Murray take is going
to age poorly, there's a chance he's had like a Jamal Murray first half.
So that's at least fine. But Yokich, he's building up his MVP
case thirty one points in the first half against the Jazz. We are onto
the Pelicans. Buy or sell the New Orleans Pelicans as the NBA's most disappointing
team. I am going to slightly sell it. I think that they're in
that category, they're in that most disappointing tier. But I'll say that the
Mavericks have been a little more disappointing ultimately because the Pelicans did move drew holiday
to the Milwaukee Bucks, which meant that they weren't making an all in play
for this season. We still viewed them as a play in caliber team,
maybe a team that can finish even higher than that in the Western Conference standings.
While acknowledging that they could fall further down, the Mavericks we talked about
how they could potentially be like the number three seed and the Western Conference.
They're eight in twelve. As we've already covered in this podcast, the disappointment
isn't just because Kristaps Porzingis has been hurt and largely ineffective when he's been on
the court. There are so many things that have gone wrong for this Mavericks
team. Will it bounce back, sure, But to this point in the
season, I think they're more disappointing. I think I agree with you.
I'm gonna say I'm gonna buy it because I think because there's a chance that
the Mavericks worked out of this, they're not as disappointing with the Pelicans.
I do think there was sort of this disconnect between expectations and what they looked
like on paper. They have really good players, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram
being among them. Also a fun fact, Zion is shooting seventeen of twenty
three in isolation this season. Also other fun fact, it really feels like
Zion has like figured it out lately, especially on offense. There's more and
I don't think people appreciate this enough, Like there's more deliberateness to his offense,
Like it's not just this raw explosion on putbacks and like you know,
scoring and these like bullhorn drives, Like there is deliberateness to the way that
he plays with the ball in his hands. So yeah, I would agree
with you there. I go back and forth. Maybe I should be slightly
selling it like you did. I'm just going to buy it because even though
you look at this talent and yeah, oh, shooting is going to be
an issue. I remember we have a question on the early season mailbag,
is Dan gonna walk back what he said about neur Lean shooting? And it
was mostly tongue in cheek and it was actually funny because they were shooting so
well. They're still shooting like thirty seven percent from three with Zion and Stephen
Adams on the floor, but the fit just isn't there. I will say
what's been disappointing is that despite the fit being odd, Like why are you
eighteenth in average possession time you have Lonzo Ball and ViOn Williamson on your team,
You're actually getting out in transition less frequently when Lonzo Ball is on the
floor. Statistically, they're twenty second in average possession time after forcing a turnover.
And I also think like there could be I thought there would be more
to them on defense this year and they started out hot. They're still giving
up a ton of three pointers, and part of that might be on stan
Van Gundy. But and I'm also not as down on Zion as defense,
Like the off ball awareness needs to you know, when you look at how
many corner threes they give up with him on the court, plus the off
ball effort too, I would say, yeah, that's but like that's disappointing
then too. But they're giving up a ton of corners reasons lions on the
court because and that speaks to his drifting Brandon Ingram, it felt like he
was playing a little bit better on defense, and now it doesn't really feel
like he's playing better. So that's been disappointing to me because we're to see
their defense remain in this run. And then Steven Adams has progressed on that
end like quicker than I thought he was going to because he started out well
and now wasn't really there. So they are disappointing to me. But I'm
even viewing that through. I didn't have his high hopes for them, as
I think a lot of other people did, and now we're seeing the sell
off is going to start. I don't think Lonzo or JJ finishes the season
there. We already have the report from Shams that JJ's probably gonna wind up
in Boston, Brooklyn, or Philadelphia. It's definitely not going to be Brooklyn
one. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to have Joe Harris, k D Kyrie,
James Harden, and JJ Reddick on the same team. But also they
don't have expiring money to move aside from DJ or, not like sizeable money
that they can move aside from Djor or Joe Harris. So like, I
don't know with the packages there so we know what JJ Redick's gone. You
need more of like a point guard on this roster. Who's not Eric Bledsoe,
even though he has not been the one that's shooting the words from three,
but someone who's more of a threat to finish. Maybe that's Kyra Lewis
Junior, maybe it's Nikkil Alexander Walker. You need to clear up minutes for
them, but they have been disappointing. I thought there would be more from
them on defense this year, and I'm just I think that there's a different
way for them to play on offense. I get what they're trying to do
with Brandon Ingram having the ball a lot and even Zion having the ball out,
but now it's come almost too much at the expense of a Lonzo ball
to what end. That's his fault because he's culpable. He's just he's not
a threat to finish when he has the ball in his hands, like he
needs to either be in transition or he's gonna hit hit three's. But like
you need someone to put more pressure on the rim than him. So I'm
gonna buy it. I'm gonna lightly buy it because I do think the Dallas
has a case here. I think even Toronto and Miami so far have cases.
I think the Dallas has ultimately been more disappointing to this point, but
I would bet on New Orleans finishing the season as the most disappointing team once
we factor in the Dallas is probably going to bring in someone to help if
it doesn't just automatically improve through positive regression. But New Orleans, as you
laid out, is far more likely to sell off pieces and to get worse
before they get better. Yeah, And I don't know if that makes them
disappointing, Like this is the long term play, it shouldn't be about the
season, so that might actually make them less disappointing. And there does seem
it's disconnect with expectations for both teams too, I would say, because like
the Mavericks were built, is this top three team in the West without getting
like significantly better. And you knew that KP was not going to be available
to start the year and he's only played in three games so far. So
I think it's with both teams, the expectations were probably too lofty, and
yet they've underperformed relative to even giving them that cushion. Yep. Speaking of
warped expectations. Let's move to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who always had weird
expectations going into the season because they were like the NBA's only team that it
felt like they just had no pretense of competing this season. And yet they
have because they're the Thunder and that's what they do. They're eat ten as
we're recording this, which is a far better record than probably you or I
expected. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but certainly for
me, so buy or sell? The Thunder are capable of being bad enough
to compete for the top pick in the twenty twenty one draft. What does
that mean? Bottom five record? I would say, are they going to?
Are they capable of finishing with a bottom three record in the NBA?
I'll buy it. Look, their point differential minus seven point two per one
hundred possessions is second to last in the league. Their offense is bad.
Shake yo. Just Alexander does lift it up to about average, which is
impressive. So he's on the move. Their defense has been real good.
Their defense is frisky, but it's not good enough. Really. I think
outside there, you know their core starting five, and I do think some
of the things that happen here. Al Horford probably finishes the season in Oksey.
George Hill is definitely not finishing the season in Oksey, and so you
lose sort of a little bit of proven depth there. And just as the
season goes on, like I don't know that, like you're still going to
be relying on Alexey Pokashevski is getting minutes masche ghilistsand are eventually going to hit
a wall. It's possible with just the pressure that's being put on him.
And then if you lose George Hill, that's one lest spacer to have around
him. Darius Baisley, they're really giving him a chance to branch out,
and he's been all over the place with the shooting this year. I will
buy it. But they've been pleasant to watch and competitive in certain games.
And I do think it's because when they kind of fus around with their lineup
combinations, they can do some things defensively. Yeah, I'm with you,
I'm gonna buy it. I do think they'll give more minutes to the young
guys as the season progresses. I'd really like to see them give Kenrick Williams
in particular even more run. But Yeah, the point deferential does indicate that
they've played above their heads to this point. Pythagorean record, which just looks
at points scored and allowed, says that they should be a five and thirteen
team rather than an eight and ten. And when we're only eighteen games into
the season, a three game swing is massive and it would completely reshape how
we're framing this if they were five and thirteen to this point. So yeah,
I think between the inevitable cell off of George Hill and I'm not entirely
confident that Al Horford will be there as unpalatable as his contract maybe, Yeah,
I just I can't see them remaining this competitive for the whole season.
Yeah, I mean that's I think we're both on the same page there.
That would bring us to the Phoenix Suns buy or sell. The Phoenix Suns
are the biggest threat to the Clippers and the Lakers in the Western Conference.
I'm gonna buy it. Yeah. I don't think that's any surprise to anyone
who's listened to like any previous episodes of this podcast. I just I remain
really high on the current Phoenix roster to the point that I wouldn't make major
changes with DeAndre Aden, who seems to kind of be figuring out his level
of aggression lately and playing better basketball on both ends of the court as everyone
just adjusts to Chris Paul as Devin Booker starts to hit more shots. This
is a good team on both ends of the court. It's a deep team.
There's top level talents as good as the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz are
who I'm assuming we're going to view as the primary threats to those LA teams.
Yeah, I think that Phoenix has the highest ceiling. I actually thought
you were going to sell this because I buy it as well. And they
don't have Devin Booker right now while he's dealing with it. I think it's
a hamstring injury. The win over the Mavericks was huge. We've seen them
blow some leads in crunch time, Chris Paul, by the way, shooting
twelve of twenty from mid range and crunch time, which is sixty percent because
he's freaking Chris Paul. So I buy it because I do think they're starting
to figure things out and this feels like a team that's coming to peak as
the season goes on, assuming health and Paul has been playing a lot of
minutes lately, so that's something to monitor as well. But DeAndre Ayton,
I think what's been interesting with him is that this isn't a matter of why
he was struggling until recently because he was deviating from the offense. It was
that he was kind of sort of doing the things that he needed to do,
but just not well like almost not like not even slipping screens, but
like running away from them because he didn't want to put the ball on the
floor off the catch. He's not doing that as often now, and I
do think his defensive impact, despite what the on off numbers still say for
the Phoenix and just their starters in general, I think you're going to see
it normalize. And when you watch them play defense, just between having Michael
Bridges, Jay Crowder, and DeAndre Atan on the court in certain times,
like they can switch literally anything they want because eight is so good in space.
But even with a Crowder and a Michael Bridges, and if we're looking
at those specific matchups against the Clippers and the Lakers, I'm not saying that
these guys are stoppers for those players, but they have capable bodies to throw
at Anthony Davis and Lebron Kawai and Paul George. When you look at Bridges
can go up against one of them, and then you have Jay Crowder for
the other one. When you're looking at the Clippers, and then with the
Lakers, it's do I think Eighten should be defending Davis? There are gonna
be points where he's the power forwards or it doesn't even matter. But Jay
Crowder can be thrown at Davis and then you have Mchaal Bridges to like use.
Maybe he gets overpowered against Lebron, but you have Jay Crowder to go
up against Lebron. They just have more defensive options against those teams than I
think any other team in the Western Conference right now might be fair to say.
So I'm absolutely buying it. And it's just a case of remember when
we thought about the Clippers last season, it felt like they were going to
be a team that hit their stride later on they got used to one another.
This is that again. But like you can eat more easily bet against
like it doesn't seem like there's a chemistry issue here because everyone's kind of sort
of on the same page. And if DeAndre atan is like play is going
to normalize. In general, this team just becomes ultra difficult to be and
I think even with Devin Booker when he comes back, he'll probably turn the
ball over less. Chemistry with Chris Paul will get a lot better, and
even some of his shooting numbers, those are going to get better as well.
We know how good the Nuggets are and can be. The Utah Jazz
have just been scorching hot prior to Sunday's game against the Nuggets where Yoki scored
thirty one in the first half. And yet I still just I feel like
Phoenix is going to trend up and up and up throughout the season to the
point that it's the popular I don't feel like picking one of the Los Angeles
teams to come out of the Western Conference pick. And all I have to
add beyond that is a shout out to Cameron Johnson, who somehow has not
been mentioned to this point in a Son's segment, and we need to because
he's really good at basketball. Yeah, and look, I went on the
Timeline podcast, a fellow Bluelyar podcast a week ago. Actually we went in
depth on a lot of stuff. Mike V. Hill and Sam Cooper,
they're they're awesome. You guys check out that podcast. Cam Johnson has been
the Mike mentioned this to me and the DMS at one point, and so
that Cam Johnson has been better defensively this year than he thought. So I
went and I looked and like, holy crap, Like he just moves a
lot better. And even when Dario Sarch is out, I think he's still
in health and safety protocols. Is he injured at this point. I can't
keep track with everything that's going on in the in the NBA. I think
he's out with health and safety protocols, like the backup when he's at the
five. They've just been absolutely annihilating opponents, and so there's a lot to
really like about this team. You could get into talk where it seems like
there's some sort of fragile depth where it's like do they actually have enough depth
upfront? But yeah, they do. If Sarch is your backup center,
you have enough depth. If campaign is going to play well, like,
yeah, you have enough guard depth and you can stagger Chris Paul and Devin
Booker like they've been doing a ton this season. So really high on this
team, and I hadn't wavered It's one of the few where I normally second
guess everything if teams struggle. Just one of the rare instances where I'm just
so confident that their recent sort of lull did not bother me in the slightest.
Yeah, I'm right there with you. And also just a slight correction,
Yo could scored again before the end of the first half. So we
actually had a thirty three point first half against Utah on Sunday. I just
want to point out that is fewer than thirty four. It is, so
really he needs to step up. Yes, that's all. He's struggling a
little too much. The Portland Trailblazers, they currently have the twenty ninth ranked
defense in the NBA. They are dealing with just a litany of injuries between
c J McCollum and c J. L Abe and Derrick Jones Junior who now
has a foot sprain, and Zach Collins and use of nurkicch So my buyer
cell here is that they have the personnel to improve their twenty ninth ranked defense
this season, with or without a trade. Yeah, I'll buy I'm just
I'm looking at some of the lineups that they can form and I'll buy it.
There's like a level of underachieving there. What do you mean by improve?
I guess is really the the one, because do you think, let's
say, if they can be at least on the cusp of a top half
defense. I'm like, you know, eighteen dish, you know somewhere around
there. I will, oh, man, you made this tough. I
mean a lot of it's pride on when use of Nurkics comes back. Is
the use of Nurkics that absolutely matters. Oh my god, I don't know.
I might, I'll let you, I'll let you think, and I'll
just say that I'm gonna sell it. Just because there are too many injuries
right now. I don't think they have the ammo to go out and make
a major trade that would overhaul their defense. And I don't have confidence in
Zach Collins or use of Nurkics being Zach Collins, or use of Nurkics when
they're immediately back on the floor this season, because they've just missed too much
time and they need to work their way into some form of chemistry with largely
a new look rotation, because you know, everyone's still adjusting to Carmelo Anthony
Robert Covington is new, Rodney Hood is back from injury, Derrick Jones Junior
is a new addition, Gary Trent Junior hadn't broken out until so late last
year, and they're still figuring out how to play without McCollum, who's always
been available for them. So there's just there's too much going on here to
to really have confidence in that like large improvement that they would need to get
out of that twenty ninth spot. Like if if we want to say to
like twenty six, sure, but that's just a marginal improvement. I'm talking
more more wholescale than that. Yeah, if you want to ask me whether
I think the Blazers are gonna end up being the what are they the second
worst defensive team by points per possession allowed per possession right now, I will
sell that. I'm with you and probably going to buy. And there's there's
also the level of choice here where if you're looking at some of their their
most used lineups so far, the Covington, Nurkicch and Jones combination, which
we could talk about what that would do to your spacing in general, that's
been like lee average defensively this year when when they're on the court together.
If I'm not mistaken, so I will sell it. But are you also
going to rely on you know, if you're going to play Simon's a ton
moving forward, if McCollum comes back because it continues playing well, there's maybe
you don't. I don't. There's just there's so many injuries right now,
it's tough to envision. I don't even view Collins as a you know,
like a factor for them. And he might be one of the most overrated
prospects if you want to call him still prospect now, I think because ESPN
zac rim protection numbers have always been good. Though ESPN zac Loo was so
high on him, I would just question whether if you're going to play him
next to NRK and you've been hesitant to play him as a backup five thus
far, how does that work? And then also look, he has not
been the best three point shooter for his career and last year he shot thirty
six point eight percent from beyond the arc, which is great. It was
nineteen attempts because he played in eleven games, and so let's chill. There's
I think they need to make a move. I don't know what the move
would be, I will here's something that's interesting. There's a chance that this
team ends up being a lot better in the postseason than the regular season,
just sort of looking at if they're healthy, having Yeah, and then there's
also like having Derek Jones junior in and Robert Comington and if Nurk is just
playing better to where you have just a sturdier rim protection around the rim,
and they've had thus far this season. So I'm gonna sell it for the
regular season. I would say keep an eye for it in the playoffs and
maybe a player like that Derry Joe Jure doesn't play as much in the playoffs,
like that could totally be a factor, just if they're trying to cater
to the offense. But I would think that there there's a chance there,
So sell it for the regular season. I might loosely buy it for the
postseason before we move on to the Sacramento Kings. I feel like this is
maybe the first time we've been in lockstep on anything relating to the Portland Trail
Blazzers and like a year. But it's one that friend of the podcast,
Tara Boone Biggs may not be thrilled about, So sorry, Tara apologies she
did. I think I saw a tweet from her the other night that she's
just focusing on the Portland's offense right now anyway, and so I totally I
respect that. So that's I do too, because it's a lot of fun.
I will always watch as when Damian Lillard is on the court. I'm
going to tune in Damian Lillard is scoring six points and like point one seconds
on Saturday night too. That was That was a great game winner. Was
so cool. We are on to the Sacramental Kings and so winners of three
of their last four as we record this, Adam, do you buy ourselves
that the Sacramento Kings have turned the corner? I think I loosely buy it.
I want to hear first why that's frightening? What is it that you
buy about their turnaround? I think I just buy that this roster has enough
talent to be better than it's been. So do I think that it's suddenly
like this playoff bound juggernaut, No, absolutely not. Do I think it's
going to continue to win seventy five percent of its games? No, absolutely
not. But I think that it's not just the Western Conference bottom feeder that
it had been prior to this mini turnaround because Deer and Fox is that good.
Buddy Healed can hit shots, Tyrese Haliburton has been unbelievably good for a
rookie. Harrison Barnes has been a very capable veteran. Marvin Bagley has looked
better. Rishaun Holmes is still there. I just I think that there are
enough that was a compliment to Holmes that negatives about him prior to this streak.
But yeah, I just I think there are enough pieces and the pieces
do still make sense together that I just I don't think that this is this
absolute basement dweller of a team that it had been to this point. So
I look, if you want to say so, over the last five games,
if you look at some of the way Daron Foxman solid all season,
it's three balls starting to fall. That's good. Harrison Barnes playing well,
Buddy Healed shingoverty per from three during this stretch. Backley, I think it's
sort of the big one here where he looks like a good offensive NBA player
lately. I do I trust. I don't trust their defense even kind of
sort of like it's just not it hasn't been there there, They've switched,
and to be fair, I've not watched or caught any of their last three
games, so I want to make this clear. They've they just like switched
for the sake of switching, and they just don't really have a personnel to
do that until that point. Maybe they have changed it, so that's something
that I think will ultimately hold them back. You could look at too,
and I'm not saying that the winds during this stretch are not quality if you're
gonna beat Memphis right now, like that's just sort of a slog, but
the defensive issues have still been sort of present in them. And I don't
know that celebrating a win over the Knicks or the way that the Raptors have
played this year, and I know the Knicks have been better of late,
so maybe it is easier to buy into this. The other thing that's going
into this for me is what does buying it look like? Because Sacramento currently
Sacramento is and look, here's the problem too, is there are teams that
are behind Sacramento in the standings right now that you would expect to sort of
rise up. Spoiler alert, Minnesota is not one of them. But the
Pelicans, the Mavericks, those two maybe, And so what does buying into
them playing better look like? If you want to buy it offensively that Marvin
Bagley's not a lost cause. I'm sure the other factor to go into this
is like how many of these guys are still on the team moving forward,
because I would say that Danion Fox and Tyrese Halibert are the only untouchables.
I wouldn't move for John Holmes, but with him entering free agency, you
might have to look at it. Also, sound White Ti has been pla
some pretty good basketball of late. Shout out to him, since I know
he tends to be like a target of NBA Twitter. I just I have
to sell it. I would need if we want to jump another like five
to ten games ahead, maybe I'll be more inclined to buy it if they're
still playing at that level. Yeah, I'm only buying that they look more
like a capable basketball team. I just should continue to look like that.
I'm gonna say, you know, over under one point five of these players
being treated this season for them be Elitza of Not Halberton, Holmes, Buddy
Healed, and Harrison Barnes over under one point five, I'll go over that.
I think that the Elites is basically a lock to be moved, and
then I would bet on both Healed and Harrison Barnes being moved. Barnes feels
just like a natural glue guy fit for a contender who just doesn't make sense
in Sacramento for that much longer, and Healds just you know, has been
malcontent there before and everyone always wants shooting. I think I would go over
to right, you're ready to move on to the San Antonio spreading anti Spurs.
I'm going to focus on Demarta Rosen here, who at the time we're
recording, is averaging nineteen point eight points, four point eight rebounds, six
point seven assists. He's shooting forty eight point eight percent from the field,
thirty seven point one percent from three, and notably has already made thirteen threes
after hitting a combined sixteen the last two seasons. Now, all of that
said, the Spurs net rating has been eleven point three points per one hundred
possessions worse with him on the floor. So are you buying or selling that
this is the best basketball that Demarta Rosen has ever played? Oh? Ever,
sell there has to be just some time in Toronto. That's better.
I did look at it, but there just has to be. There was
a season where he actually kind of shot threes and it was fine. It's
so I'm trying to think of I would have to argue that twenty sixteen twenty
seventeen Demarta Rosen was better than this. I think you could even argue that
twenty seventeen twenty eighteen to mart Rozen is better than this. I think I'm
gonna buy it. I feel like this is the most complete he's ever been,
where the passing strides that he's made are just absolutely remarkable. It's not
just that he's averaging six point seven assists that those are only being coupled with
one point seven turnovers per game. He's been remarkably involved as a distributor without
making mistakes of the unforced or forced variety. Really he's spacing the court more,
he's willing to take three pointers, and that on off swing seems to
be far more a function of the depth of the Spurs and just we've always
seen Greg Popovich coach teams have wonky net rating swings because of how he coaches
up the bench and mixes and matches, lineups and whatnot. So yeah,
I just I don't know that I've ever seen a version of Derosen who just
looked like a better basketball player. So it is it fair to say that
this is the best. It's tough because I feel like he's not take out
you might have talked me into it. I feel like he's not taking on
the same amount of role. But the passing just replaces a lot of the
scoring dip. And he look, this is the second highest true shooting percentage
of his career right now. He's also posting the second highest pr and so
I might and the scoring dip is still nineteen point eight points per game.
Yeah, I'm torn, Like, is there a differentiation between this is the
best version of demardar Rosen we've ever seen as opposed to his best season,
because it feels like this version of demartar Rosen is easier to fit in different
situation just because like he you know that that twenty sixteen seventeen team where he
was so effective on it. It was fifty one and thirty one and finished
third in the East. So like, I think it wasted in that season
though, So there are people that pushed back and push back against that too,
right, Yeah, so that's that season he was He had a negative
five point two swing during that season, I mean, and that's that's been
a constant throughout his career. The only positive in the net rating swing category
is plus three point nine back in twenty eleven twelve with the Raptors. This
is just Demarta Rosen like that. We know that's going to happen, just
because his abilities don't always translate two wins directly. But yeah, I just
I think that even if this isn't the most valuable he's been, that he
it's the best he's been. I will buy that this is the best version
of Demarta Rosen we have we've ever seen. I do think what's helped too,
it's like sort of how the Spurs play around him at this point where
where it's always four out. I am disappointed that you didn't use this forum
to talk about Devin Vassell or Kelvin Johnson. I do forgive you the Spurs
quietly by the way, Oh, they've they've dropped because the West is wild.
They're not ninth in the West, but they were fourth in the West
without Derek White, and Derek White is back now. I believe he played
on Saturday. I didn't catch that game that they played. So Spurs team
to watch, a lot of teams to watch in the West, go figure
our final team. At what point? At what point are we going to
start acknowledging that we talk about the Magic and the Spurs very differently even though
they have like the same strategy. Well, the Spurs strategy is panned out
in a tougher con conference. I think that's the key. And they have
the history of winning, Like the Magic didn't win like the Spurs descended to
the mediocrity treadmill. The Magic haven't like ever ascended past that post like Shack
and t Mac. I guess yeah, they're like the Spurs are playing so
well, or at least, you know, looking at Dwight Howard years,
I should say even then, like, well, the Spurs are just and
maybe they're not playing so well, but they're surviving in the West, which
is still maybe it's not as great as it's been, but it's still tough
when you're in the middle class. And also just like the Marta Rozen,
Keldon Johnson and Jaco peartle playing so well, where it's like we don't talk
about how they boxed the Kawhi trade nearly enough because they did, but they
got Kelton Johnson out of it, who might end up being like this legitimate
cornerstone. So, uh, you've heard it here first. The Dan is
saying that Keldon Johnson is basically as good as Kawhi Leonard. Kelvin Johnson might
be the most reckless player in the NBA right now. I love it,
really fun to watch. Yeah, But so he's I think he's my favorite
long term prospect for them. I'm still big Derek White and Devin vassel Stan
so that core. I want to see more of those three together. Man.
That's the Those are the three players I'm watching for them long term.
Our final team that no one wants to hear about fantasy basketball teams. But
I picked up along with my co owner Kelton Johnson the first week of the
season, and I feel like he's just going to be on our team forever.
Look, look, it takes a lot to work your way into the
Spurs rotation as a second year player. It's I know they're sort of still
kind of rebuilding, but it takes it. He's actually over thirty minutes per
game. I would argue that that might be the most a second year player
has average in San Antonio since maybe a Tim Duncan. Why don't you do
a long lead in to the next team and I'll figure that out. I
will focus on this for Kelton Johnson pretty quickly. Fourteen point five points,
two point two assists, seven point four rebounds. He's a pretty good rebounder,
shooting fifty three point six percent on twos, which is it's lower than
last year, but it's on higher volume. And it's actually shocking because of
how he just bold tries to build those through these crowds thirty three point nine
percent on three. But I think he has more to offer there. He
moves on defense really well. He's just an absolute joy to watch for them,
and between him and Vassell and White and even Murray and Lonnie Walker,
they just all of a sudden have all these win bodies that they didn't have
before. Anyway, I'll move into Utah very quickly while you're looking up that
Spurst that so byers. My buyer cell is that Utah is more than just
an astounding regular season team, and I think it's come back to that a
lot for them, where it's always they're so deep. They have more what
you would call very good NBA players on their team than perhaps any other squad
in the league right now, but it always feels like there's something missing.
Over the last this game against the Nuggets that we're recording through. Notwithstanding,
it is looked like they are just a force to be reckoned with over their
last eleven games, all of which they've won. In the nine that Donovan
Mitchell was played in, he's really turned a corner over twenty five points while
slashing forty eight, forty six, eighty eight. Essentially, Jordan Clarks has
been great for them all year. Ditto for Mike Conley. There's no just
like learning curve anymore between he and Rudy Gobert. It's amazing how even after
factoring in last season, like he's just now hardwired to how to throw lobs
and like where to put the ball. For Rudy Gobert, there's chemistry there.
Bai Yeah, Bodanovitch starting to hit his three ball and he's underachieved relative
expectations for the season. Joe Ingles shooting a fifty five percent from three during
their winning streak, which again is about to end. Rudy Gobert. I
don't think he's receiving it. This probably looks terrible because Jokich went off for
thirty nine thousand points in the first half of Sunday's game. I don't think
he's receiving enough. Defensive Player of the Year love. The jazzer second in
points loot per possession, and he does he does more than just protect the
rim, like he can come out into the short mid range and deter shots,
block shot shots. No, he's not the most switchable guy, but
if he's low enough, yeah, he can beat and so I again,
maybe Miles Turner beats him, Maybe Anthony Davis beats him out, Maybe even
Joel em beats so it has a chance of there can't be voter for a
team here. And because he's a little bit more matchup proof than a lot
of those guys, certainly more than Anthony Davis, I'd be on the fence
about Miles Turner. I'd probably say, yeah, a little bit more matchup
proof than him. The Jazz are still just he's so dominant defensively and the
on off swings are just wild with him. So not receiving enough love there,
They've been really good. I still think before I throw it to you.
Since I went through the spield, I might sell it. I feel
like they are a very good team and they're just one like Jay Crowder ish
type players short. And that's not a troll because they already had Jay Crowder.
They just need somewhat different to match up with those top tier wings.
On defense, You're never gonna stop a Lebron or an Anthony Davis. But
like, you don't even have, like, aside from Royce O'Neill, unless
you trust George and Yang, like, you just don't have that obvious body
to throw at them. And that's the type of player they need. I
don't know if they can go trade for that type of player because every team
is after that type of player right now. But I sell it and don't
feel great about it. If you want to call them four team in the
West, that's fine. I still think that top four kind of you know,
put you out of that tier of Lakers Clippers. So before I follow
up on the Jazz, I will follow up on our Spurs question. So
since Tim Duncan's sophomore season in nineteen ninety eight nineteen ninety nine, ten players
have cleared the twenty minutes per game threshold for the Spurs as sophomores, and
I'll run through them real fast. We have Dewan Blair at twenty one point
four. But that's the name you haven't thought about in quite some time.
I remember thinking that he was really good be two and then didn't he like
he hurt his knees, I think, and it just wasn't the same after
that. Yeah, I think so. I think you're right. Gary Neal
number nine at twenty one point five, tied with de John, Tay Murray
at twenty one point five, Derek White at twenty five point eight, George
Hill at twenty nine point two, Manu Ginobili at twenty nine point four,
Kelvin Johnson at thirty point eight. At number four. Number three is Kawhi
Leonard thirty one point two. I did not realize he loves any minutes this
off. Yeah, I didn't either. Number two is Tony Parker thirty three
point eight, and then Tim Duncan at thirty nine point three. So my
notion was only slightly ridiculous, not not that verge, No, I think
it's pretty valid. I mean he's Keldon Johnson is in the top five with
Monty Genoble, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Kawhi Leonard. So he's
gonna he's gonna be a future Hall of Famers. So that's what we're saying,
is that there's a solid chance Keldon Johnson ends up on the Spurs Mount
Rushmore if you're wondering, by the way, it's the Utah's like starting the
third quarter by staging a comeback with this where we're following. This is gonna
be so outdated this portion of the podcast, But if the facts are in
with my buy or sell to Utah, there's a chance, and the Nuggets
are experts at blowing leads, it feels like so. But anyway, after
all I said about the Jazz, do you buy or sell that they are
more than just this really great great and I want to make they are transcendent
as a regular season team. Do you buy or sell that they are more
than that? I'm gonna buy it. I bought it last year and then
the boy On Bogdanovich injury changed everything because they need that secondary tertiary scorer and
floor spacer, and without it, it's easier to play Rudy Gobert off the
floor in the playoffs, because if you can't score enough to take advantage of
the great defense, then it's just easier to target him. It's easier to
get him in foul trouble, it's easier to make sure that he isn't switchable
enough to be on the court. You can't do that if they have this
much weaponry at their disposal. So now you have the fully realized version of
Donovan Mitchell. You have Bogdanovitch who is starting to heat up. You have
Mike Conley who's playing like the actual version of Mike Conley that they expected when
they traded for him. So yeah, I'm going to buy that they are
frisky enough to at least seriously threaten the LA teams and fully exist on that
second tier of contenders in the West alongside Denver and Phoenix. Yeah, I
still I think there's a just that one player short for me, and I
don't think it's a look. My biggest compident that I could give is Rudy
Gobert. Dovan Mitchell just a legitimate one of the best duos in the league.
And I will go back to the Gobert thing. I don't think he
receives nearly enough credit for what he does on defense, and I don't I
don't want to hear screen asist like I get what he does there. What
he does defensively is just is so paramount to what they do the on off
split support it you could just watch it and feel it where it's like,
yeah, try and go to the rim because we just have the best rim
protector that has been in the NBA for how long since who? And it's
even beyond that. There are rim protectors who thrive as help side defenders or
as weak side defenders and help defenders there are guys who you just can't attack
them out of the post. Sobet is both of those things, and he's
probably the best like Chase down half court defender I've ever seen where he's just
uniquely gifted at letting a guy get just enough past him that he thinks he
can go unabated to the rim and get squatted away from behind. His recovery
after seeming to get beat by a ball handler is ridiculous. Do you know
I would really like to see on this team. But I think you're going
to tell me. I'm actually not going to tell you because you refuse to
answer. But what if they were able just to pick up like, well,
I would love to see Aaron Gordon on this team. That would just
make so much sense for what they need in my eyes. Defensively, I
don't know how you get him without moving angles or bogged Doanovitch you have favors
this salary if you really want to go that route and then you could build
up from there, I just don't know how you get there. Maybe even
if Thaddy is young, like does he help him? Does he? I
think he probably would. He's been really good defensively this year. I think
it's that type of a move. I don't think it's a star, but
like if they could make a hit it double on the trade market this year,
I don't think they will because they've been so good lately that I don't
know that they would do that. I mean, even what if they got
Kyle Anderson. Maybe he's just a little too slow, even though he used
that to his advantage, Like that's too much of a replica of what Joe
Angles would give you in his prime, but that that might help them in
that regard. So there are names out there where, Yeah, I think
I've named that. Everyone sort of wants that type of player, and trading
for a Reggie Bullock is not going to solve it. But maybe there's paths
to them, like going out and getting someone of slightly similar caliber that could
that could really help them there. I'm just I'm not even convinced they need
that with the way the current roster looks. My gut would say if they
would be nice for them too, no doubt, my gut would say that.
I they would go up against the Clippers of the Lakers in a playoff
series, they'll just get Roundhouse kicked to the face. And maybe that still
means that they think it would be a series that's interesting. I might be
wrong, and the Jazz had been fantastic over the last eleven games, and
if they erase that lead against Denver, I might walk back this all the
way all the way. Might just walk it back. That does it for
us, though, Do you have anything else to add? Not really.
I think we should do this again later in the season. Now. This
seems to be like a good format, and I would love to hear what
the readers think of this, this this Bicell focus. They are listeners.
But I would also like to say that we did hold it whichever We did
hold it to an average of five minutes per team at an hour and a
little over an hour and fifteen minutes, but there was the intro amble,
so we were at about five minutes per team. Under ninety. Hopefully your
wife does not hate you because this to go sub ninety. But until next
time, one, please rate, review and subscribe to us wherever you get
your podcast but most of all, whether you're on iTunes or not, search
Hardwin Knox, throw us that fire, start rating right, review again.
It doesn't matter whether you're on iTunes, subscribe to us, rate us,
review us there, but also everywhere you get your podcasts. Until next time.
Though we gave you at the shout out two to one, he only
Rudy Gobert. I think we talked about him enough where he deserved that one.
Or maybe it's killed in shout out to Rudy Gobert and killed in Johnson.
Those are the shout outs to end this podcast.