1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,120 What's up, y'all is Drewski and I've teamed up with Mountain Dew to produce 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,640 a hilarious new basketball podcast called The Due Zone with Drewski. Learn the backstories 3 00:00:08,679 --> 00:00:11,839 of your favorite balls and celebrities like Jamal Murray. Did you have like a 4 00:00:11,919 --> 00:00:14,720 favorite team? Was it the Raptors at the time or no? Was the 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,199 Raptors even started on the topic? Come on, bro, I had that 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,559 talking like I'm fifty, Taylor Rogues, Asian Wilson, and many more. 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,480 You won't want to miss this. Listen to The Due Zone with Drewski on 8 00:00:24,559 --> 00:00:36,039 Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts. What is krack lacking 9 00:00:36,119 --> 00:00:40,560 hard withinox listeners, I am Dan Valley coming at you. Unfortunately without my 10 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,840 co host Adam Bromo. There's time who we need to cancel last minute again 11 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,039 because he had a second dose of the COVID shot. So we won't be 12 00:00:48,079 --> 00:00:52,039 joining us today, which means that I have to go through an NBA mailbag 13 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,640 solo. But that's still fun. If you are listening in locker rooms, 14 00:00:56,679 --> 00:00:59,880 I know people tend to not join rooms when there's only one host. Feel 15 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,000 to speak, ask questions in the chat. Do have a bunch of questions 16 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,760 tied up, also have nets Bucks on in the background if you have any 17 00:01:07,879 --> 00:01:11,400 questions about that. Won't talk necessarily scores. You know, we're not going 18 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,280 to play by play this because it'll be super dated by the time that it 19 00:01:15,799 --> 00:01:19,439 you know airs. However, we do have a ton of questions, so 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,400 let's not mince words. Let's get right into it. Gonna start with a 21 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:33,640 question from Brendan McKay and nine at Brendan McKay nine, is Rudy Gobert having 22 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:38,920 an historically good defensive season or just pretty good? I feel like it's really 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:47,200 difficult to measure historical defensive impacts just because we don't have the access to the 24 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,680 stats or I don't even know if you could adequately quantify defense anyway, even 25 00:01:51,719 --> 00:01:53,319 if we had all, you know, if everyone had access to all these 26 00:01:53,519 --> 00:01:57,920 stats that are behind you know, their proprietary stats basically, so that gets 27 00:01:57,959 --> 00:02:01,480 difficult to look at. I do think he is the defensive player of the 28 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,799 year still, even as I've thought the Jazz have struggled over the past a 29 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,280 month or so, there's still like first in defense over the past month or 30 00:02:08,319 --> 00:02:12,280 something, or second just wild and how much of an impact he can have. 31 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,919 Two things. If you do want to look at numbers, they have 32 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:21,159 the rim defensive impact data that goes back as far as twenty thirteen twenty fourteen. 33 00:02:21,719 --> 00:02:25,639 Rudy Gobert this season is defending seven point nine attempts at the rim per 34 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,599 game, holding opponents to a fifty point one percent clip there. If you 35 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,479 use that sample size between twenty thirteen and now, only one other player has 36 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,759 done the same. Whereas he's averaging as many shot contests at the rim as 37 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,520 Rudy Gobert and then holding opponents at fifty point one shooting or lower. It's 38 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,560 actually this year's Miles Turner, and then Rudy Gobert himself did it last year, 39 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,960 and that's just it. Those are the only ones in that eight year 40 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,479 sample size that we're working with here. I do think it speaks to how 41 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,520 much of an impact he's definitely having, and also just how more common it 42 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,560 is, or maybe it's getting a little bit more common. We have these 43 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,759 higher volume and protectors and teams are really good to funnel guys towards them, 44 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,560 and right now I would argue that Rudy Gobert, Miles Turner, just the 45 00:03:08,599 --> 00:03:13,039 two guys that you're going to do that. Also, just if you want 46 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,960 numbers, he is on pace to have a block percentage comfortably above seven while 47 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,400 logging more than two thousand minutes. That has only been done by twelve players 48 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,680 in NBA history thus far, Sean Bradley, Mark Eaton, Marcus Camby to 49 00:03:25,759 --> 00:03:30,800 Kemby Matumbo. I feel Ratliff is on white side a new bowl. Serge 50 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,520 Ibaka, Alonzo Morning, David Robinson, Tree Rollins, and then Miles Turner, 51 00:03:35,759 --> 00:03:38,520 not like a who's who of all these necessarily elite defenders, but some 52 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,159 pretty good company. The fact that's block rate is so high when that's not 53 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,759 even necessarily the thing that he's best at. It's deterrence more so than even 54 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,319 just I mean, it's probably equitable. I shouldn't put it that way, 55 00:03:51,639 --> 00:03:54,919 but he just dissuades people from trying to do anything at the rim. And 56 00:03:55,039 --> 00:03:59,360 that's how he That's where his value lies. Also, his value lies in 57 00:03:59,439 --> 00:04:03,080 just the sheer v that the Jazz can direct so many ball handlers his way. 58 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,560 Let's keep this rolling. We have a bunch of questions about the Nuggets. 59 00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:12,280 Most of what you're about Nicola Yokich, who I might have Yokis fatigue 60 00:04:12,319 --> 00:04:15,040 on this podcast, even though he's one of my favorite basketball players to watch 61 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,920 at the moment. Let's start with the bigger picture one, and then we'll 62 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:24,079 loop all the Nicola Yokich ones together at nineteen thirty three was a bad year. 63 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:30,439 That is fred as how legitimate will the Nuggets be without Jamal Murray in 64 00:04:30,519 --> 00:04:35,959 the playoffs? That's a really fair question. I think that they are still 65 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,040 going in there. They've proven they're already a great regular season team. Still, 66 00:04:40,079 --> 00:04:43,959 they're nine and one. Since Jamal Murray tore has left ACL I am 67 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,240 of the mind that the playoffs are going to be a different animal. And 68 00:04:46,319 --> 00:04:51,240 you don't have someone who can replace all of Murray's shot making from scratch creation 69 00:04:51,319 --> 00:04:55,000 and then table setting for others, and then also just the two man game 70 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,240 with Yokich, I don't know that there's anyone else on the roster who's going 71 00:04:58,319 --> 00:05:00,279 to be able to replicate that. It's sucks for them that they're also dealing 72 00:05:00,319 --> 00:05:03,000 with injury Will Barden at the moment, you'd like more of a sample size 73 00:05:03,079 --> 00:05:08,720 with as many of these other main guys as possible without Murray. Michael Porter 74 00:05:08,879 --> 00:05:13,399 Junior, though, is making another leap having after made like two or three 75 00:05:13,439 --> 00:05:15,600 of them. It feels like right before our eyes. In the ten games 76 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,639 since Murray went down, he's averaging twenty five point six points, shooting sixty 77 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:25,279 two point seven percent on two's fifty one point three percent on threes, just 78 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,879 absolutely ridiculous. Getting to the line slightly more, which I think is good 79 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,680 still at only three attempts per game, but that's up from two point five. 80 00:05:31,759 --> 00:05:33,680 And so if he can just get to the line more, if you're 81 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,399 gonna have the ball on this hands more, that will help you a little 82 00:05:36,399 --> 00:05:43,279 bit too. I do think if you want to still register as that foremost 83 00:05:43,399 --> 00:05:46,639 title contender in the West, where you don't want to be considered the least 84 00:05:46,759 --> 00:05:49,639 likely of the five main contenders in the conference to come out and get a 85 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:56,720 title, you're going to need more of Michael Porter junior self creation twenty point 86 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,279 four percent of his field goals made we're going unassisted before Murray's injury. That's 87 00:06:01,319 --> 00:06:05,480 ticked up to twenty four point two percent in the past ten games. That's, 88 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:10,240 you know, it's noticeable. It's not insubstantial, but when things bogged 89 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:14,879 down in the playoffs in crunch time one possession game, can you go to 90 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,079 him? Is he going to be able to generate a shot from scratch and 91 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,600 hit them in those situations? I think he could. I don't know if 92 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:23,959 that don't necessarily happened this year, but he absolutely is the player prototype to 93 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,839 do that. What I will point out though, is Nicole Yokich has been 94 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,319 one of the clutches players in basketball this year in the final two minutes of 95 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:38,759 one possession games. Damar de Rosen is the only player who has made more 96 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:43,759 shots in those situations, which is, you know, pretty flipping amazing when 97 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,560 you really think about it. Yokich is also getting to the line of ton 98 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:51,399 in those situations. He's tied for sixth place in total three free throw attempts 99 00:06:51,519 --> 00:06:55,800 during those clutch situations. Again, that's these are high leverage moments. I'm 100 00:06:55,839 --> 00:07:00,000 even narrowing the crunch time criteria just one possession in the final two minute, 101 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:01,519 and so to have someone who can get to the line, who's not just 102 00:07:01,639 --> 00:07:04,360 taking jumpers or posting up like he's putting the ball on the floor. And 103 00:07:04,439 --> 00:07:10,120 that was the thing before Murray's injury, more of a thing now after Murray's 104 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,800 injury of course, So I'm not counting out the Nuggets anymore. I was 105 00:07:13,839 --> 00:07:16,000 going to put them in the bottom five of those five teams. I think 106 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,519 they're gonna wind up being better. This might have a lot to do with 107 00:07:18,639 --> 00:07:21,560 matchups too. I think they might need to be higher than that, But 108 00:07:21,639 --> 00:07:24,920 as of right now, I wouldn't be prepared to put them in front of 109 00:07:24,959 --> 00:07:27,639 any of the other teams, if that makes any sense. What I will 110 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,839 say is that they're going to be more threatening than just this. If you 111 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,879 thought they were going to be a first round stepping stone, if they have 112 00:07:32,959 --> 00:07:36,480 to face the Lakers in that three six matchup, or if it ends up 113 00:07:36,519 --> 00:07:39,639 you know they're in fourth and they're facing the Mavericks, who are in fifth 114 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,240 right now, they're not. This is not that's not happening. If they 115 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,959 face the Mavericks in round one, I would pick them to beat the Mavericks. 116 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,360 If they face the Clippers, I don't know, they face the Lakers, 117 00:07:48,879 --> 00:07:53,639 I'm probably picking the Lakers just because of Lebron Still. To lose a 118 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,199 player of Murray's caliber, especially on offense, even though he's made some defensive 119 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:03,040 improvement, and still be in that discussion is absolutely massive. So let's get 120 00:08:03,079 --> 00:08:09,000 to these questions about Nicole Yokich, a couple of which I laughed at dumb 121 00:08:09,279 --> 00:08:13,120 Zach at Michael scarn seven seventy s. Who do we want to pretend is 122 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,879 the MVP over Yokis this week? Kevin Porter. I'm pretty sure he's referencing 123 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,759 the CP three talk that's sort of been drummed up of late. I do 124 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,800 find it funny that there's this and then Steph's been thrown in there, that 125 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:26,720 there are these, you know, everyone's constantly searching for that next narrative, 126 00:08:26,759 --> 00:08:31,240 that next next MVP type candidate. I don't know that we're gonna be able 127 00:08:31,279 --> 00:08:35,600 to throw anyone in there. The Celtics are getting kind of sort of frisky, 128 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:39,840 like, is Jason Tatum after dropping sixty you're gonna be thrown in there 129 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:43,600 saying that he needs to be top in the top five for consideration. That 130 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,360 seems to be you know, I don't know that it's been Stephen Curry needs 131 00:08:46,399 --> 00:08:50,240 to win over Yokich, Chris Paul needs to win over Yokich. Al though 132 00:08:50,279 --> 00:08:52,879 some people are making that argument because the Sons have the best record in basketball 133 00:08:54,919 --> 00:08:56,799 or the second best record in basketball. I forgot Utah was had a half 134 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:01,480 a game on them at the moment. Why we want to throw different names 135 00:09:01,519 --> 00:09:03,200 of the top five? I think we've exhausted the list though new names that 136 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,559 could come in. Julius Randall was even getting his flowers for a while, 137 00:09:07,879 --> 00:09:09,720 so you know, do the Hornets going and run with LaMelo ballback? Is 138 00:09:09,759 --> 00:09:13,600 he gonna be thrown in there? For some reason, have not seen a 139 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,840 push to get any Jazz players in there. And I think that Rudy Gobert, 140 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:20,919 there's only a five man ballot. I'll go ten deep and he will 141 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,000 make the top ten for me. But it's interesting that the Jazz they have 142 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,639 the best record in basketball. They've struggled over the past relative to them. 143 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,440 They're ten and seven in the last month or since April first. That's not 144 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,279 great for them, but that's still above five hundred and they have the best 145 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:39,039 record in basketball. There hasn't been a push to include Rudy Gobert or Donovan 146 00:09:39,039 --> 00:09:41,679 Mitchell in that discussion. Maybe that heats up at some point. Donovan Mitchell 147 00:09:41,799 --> 00:09:46,440 has not returned yet from that sprained ankle. Though Rudy Gobert will be the 148 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,960 guy that I'll identify the sun stuff is interesting. We do have a question 149 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,240 about Devin book, so maybe I'll just I'll save any sunstalk for that. 150 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:58,960 But if I had to guess they're Michael, I would probably say that we're 151 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,159 gonna it's gonna be like a Tatum or maybe a Butler, do the heat 152 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,759 go on some sort of run. They've been wildly disappointed. He's been quietly 153 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:13,879 just super good this year. Next question comes from Jordan's Scott at Jordan fifty 154 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,679 three? How are people still not understanding how historic this season? From Yo 155 00:10:16,759 --> 00:10:22,600 Kitches, I would counter, are they not understanding? It seems to be 156 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,240 pretty commonplace to say that he's just having one of the most offensively efficient seasons 157 00:10:26,399 --> 00:10:31,440 in history. I will say, when you do look at his splits from 158 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,799 the floor over sixty percent on two's, over forty percent on threes. There's 159 00:10:35,799 --> 00:10:39,639 only ever been one player to average twenty or more points while having that efficiency 160 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,240 as the benchmark sixty percent inside the arc, forty percent beyond it. That 161 00:10:43,279 --> 00:10:48,039 would be twenty twelve two thirteen Lebron James, which is the season that I 162 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,720 would probably say, for me personally, I had the most fun watching James, 163 00:10:50,759 --> 00:10:54,480 and I think that was the best season of his career, so that's 164 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,679 certainly saying something. You look at what he's just able to do. Though, 165 00:10:58,759 --> 00:11:03,360 as a passer, I do like using It's behind a pay wall from 166 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,519 Ben Taylor over at back Picks. I like box creation as a passing metric. 167 00:11:07,639 --> 00:11:11,279 It's an estimate of open shots created for teammates per one hundred possessions. 168 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,919 Nicole Yokes ranks near the top of that, and so you have one of 169 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:22,799 the most valuable passers in basketball also scoring a shit ton and doing so efficiently, 170 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:26,519 shooting better than fifty three percent on two point jumpers, hitting almost fifty 171 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:31,639 percent of those wild fadeaways inside the arc he was at. This is a 172 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,279 couple of days old, so it could have not up, it could have 173 00:11:33,279 --> 00:11:35,799 gone down. He was at forty seven point eight percent on fadeaways the last 174 00:11:35,799 --> 00:11:39,240 time I checked. If it is being overlooked, it's kind of wild to 175 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,039 me that anyone could deny what he's doing right now. I just even looking 176 00:11:43,039 --> 00:11:46,759 at his box score numbers, you could tell that he's having his historical season. 177 00:11:48,039 --> 00:11:50,080 So yeah, I don't if they are overlooking it. I don't think 178 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,240 people are. Maybe Denver fans Field National Media is, but I don't think 179 00:11:54,279 --> 00:12:01,159 people are overlooking it. We have another in our final Nicole Yokes question comes 180 00:12:01,519 --> 00:12:07,679 from how did I lose it? Here? Which numbers does Yoki's lead or 181 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,240 is in second this season? That comes from a Duardo at E D seventeen 182 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,960 OLIVERA. So I took this a different direction. I don't want to look 183 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,080 at just points per game and rebounds and assists. He's gonna rank just super 184 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,720 high in all those metrics. So I wanted to just look at more of 185 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:28,639 my go to kitchen sinc ones, which the five that I've been leaning on 186 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:33,159 this year have been estimated plus minus total points added, which is done by 187 00:12:33,639 --> 00:12:39,000 NBA math. As you guys may know by now at this point, also 188 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,159 been living by value over replacement players, one that I like to look at 189 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,799 for for single season. And then of course we have ESPN's plus minus and 190 00:12:46,879 --> 00:12:52,399 then real adjusted plus minus from NBA shot charts. If you look at those 191 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:58,840 five, he is not surprisingly just ranks incredibly highly on all of them. 192 00:12:58,919 --> 00:13:01,240 He leads in three of them, which is you know, there is some 193 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,960 variants in advanced kitchen sink metrics, so that is impressive to me. He 194 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,600 leads in estimated plus minus total points added and vorp he has broken the total 195 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,799 points added metric. When you just look at those graphs that come out on 196 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:20,039 NBA Math at NBA Underscore Math, for anyone who's listening there, his name 197 00:13:20,159 --> 00:13:24,200 is just by four his face since that we use icons, it's just far 198 00:13:24,279 --> 00:13:30,840 and away above and beyond every one else on those lists. It's absolutely absurd. 199 00:13:31,279 --> 00:13:35,960 When you're looking at ESPN's real plus minus, he brings eighth. I 200 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:41,840 think that is his most least favorable positioning on this. But for real adjusted 201 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:46,080 plus minus r a ra APM. Again, this one comes from NBA shot 202 00:13:46,159 --> 00:13:50,120 charts, and they do allow you to adjust for luck, which is interesting 203 00:13:50,159 --> 00:13:52,279 when you're doing it for a single season. He is fifty first overall, 204 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,759 so that was actually the least favorable one. I do remember looking at that. 205 00:13:54,799 --> 00:13:58,960 When you adjust for luc though, he's fifth, and so you take 206 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,440 that for what it is. But he is just he's the as someone who 207 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,080 had him bead over him before beads bone bruise, and then considered Yannis over 208 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,679 him for a little while after that point. That part might be sheepist. 209 00:14:11,759 --> 00:14:13,759 I'm sheepish. I might have been overthinking it. I do think him Bead 210 00:14:13,799 --> 00:14:16,799 had a legitimate case before his injury. I will stand by that, which 211 00:14:16,799 --> 00:14:20,320 is why I would put him second on my ballot right now, behind Yokich. 212 00:14:20,639 --> 00:14:24,000 We're at the point though, where he has run away with the award. 213 00:14:24,399 --> 00:14:28,799 Just seemed like an MVP freefall. Frakis would like battle Roy out. 214 00:14:28,879 --> 00:14:31,679 It's turned into a runaway result. And I think what's not being talked about 215 00:14:31,799 --> 00:14:35,879 enough? And it's odd because people are somebod how he's in the best shape 216 00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:37,360 of his life. He is in the best shape of his life. He's 217 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:43,000 played in every single game after going to the Western Conference Finals and then having 218 00:14:43,039 --> 00:14:46,240 the shortest offseason in sports history, not as short as the Heat or Lakers 219 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,720 who went to the finals, but we're talking then about you know, two 220 00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:54,919 or three teams that had shorter off seasons than the Nuggets this year, by 221 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,799 that measure, that is bonkers every single game and in the best shape of 222 00:14:58,799 --> 00:15:03,399 his life. That's just a testament to the type of season he's having as 223 00:15:03,559 --> 00:15:07,519 much as his actual production. That the Nuggets have climbed up the standings, 224 00:15:07,639 --> 00:15:09,799 that obviously matters too. They're contending for a home court advantage spot, and 225 00:15:09,919 --> 00:15:16,320 he has the storyline boost with Jamal Murray's injury keeping them afloat without him. 226 00:15:16,039 --> 00:15:20,919 That's huge, So I would be he was a runaway result already. I'm 227 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,120 gonna be shocked to see. I don't know that he'll be unanimous, the 228 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,480 second unanimous MVP in Meek history, but he's gonna be. Damn you're close, 229 00:15:28,639 --> 00:15:35,159 would be my guest. Sugar Ray, Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous, 230 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,480 Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns. Legends whose four way rivalry define one 231 00:15:39,519 --> 00:15:45,080 of the greatest errors in boxing history, relive their decade of dominance in the 232 00:15:45,159 --> 00:15:50,080 new Showtime Sports documentary The Kings, a four parts series premiering Sunday, June 233 00:15:50,159 --> 00:15:56,399 sixth, only on Showtime. We're gonna move off some nuggets talk. Sorry 234 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,759 to disappoint everybody. This question was so unbelievably tough, and I'm happy that 235 00:16:02,279 --> 00:16:06,639 you know it wasn't asked about the entire all NBA rosters because centers are easy. 236 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,000 The three centers are gonna be Gobert and Bed and Yokich. That's just 237 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,639 a given. But the guards are a hellscape of talent, is how I 238 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:22,279 put it on Twitter. But Jay dub nine nine one. One asked six 239 00:16:22,399 --> 00:16:26,519 all NBA forwards and then your toughest cut. So my first team as Jannis, 240 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,039 that's a given. Lebron is going to be my other first team member. 241 00:16:30,039 --> 00:16:32,320 I don't really carely missed twenty games. He's playing at such a high 242 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,360 level. Some people might have Kawhi here. That's fine too. Kawai's missed 243 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:40,000 a ton of time as well, but Lebron's influence over the offense it beats 244 00:16:40,039 --> 00:16:42,279 out what Kawai has done for me this season. And he's again, Kawai 245 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,720 has been great on offense and he has his defense, even though there's sort 246 00:16:45,759 --> 00:16:49,399 of a switch with him the past few years. If you want to flip 247 00:16:49,519 --> 00:16:53,200 flop those two, that's fine. After those three, it gets incredibly interesting. 248 00:16:53,519 --> 00:16:57,559 I didn't think i'd be here at this point. I'm the full disclosure, 249 00:16:57,639 --> 00:17:02,080 and this is just someone who has watched a lot of this guy. 250 00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:07,640 Julius Randall is my other second team forward right now. He's been you know, 251 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:11,519 when you're looking at just Biggs, he's seventh and this includes centers, 252 00:17:11,559 --> 00:17:15,000 but he's eighth. Excuse me. A value of a replacement player leads the 253 00:17:15,039 --> 00:17:19,680 Knicks in scoring an assists, playing a ton of minutes held up over this 254 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,759 truncated schedule. The Knicks did have a longer off season than a bunch of 255 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:27,839 teams. Still, that's impressive, and I think his availability in this case 256 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,880 matters, and the Knicks have obliterated expectations more than every other team. Credit 257 00:17:33,079 --> 00:17:36,799 Tom Thibodeau for that as much as you need to, especially on defense. 258 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,240 Randall's running the Knicks offense, and while it's not this great offense, he's 259 00:17:40,319 --> 00:17:45,440 hitting step back threes, throwing these wild last minute passes. Maybe some people 260 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,400 are gonna have one of the other two names that all or three technically that 261 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,359 I'll mention here. That's fine. I think Julius Randall has become all NBA 262 00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:57,400 consensus. Now, Noah, Noah, you're sitting here alone with me. 263 00:17:57,559 --> 00:18:03,559 I appreciate it. Everyone on the room hates the one hosts rooms. Shame 264 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,200 on Adam for getting his second COVID shot, right, guys, But Noah 265 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,279 Otage sent the gift of Randall flexing. I think he's all NBA consensus. 266 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:11,799 I would be shocked at this point if he doesn't make one of the three 267 00:18:11,839 --> 00:18:17,839 teams. My third team is Jimmy Butler, who's missed time. And that's 268 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,319 probably why I haven't bumped him up above Julius Randall. He'd be the player 269 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,279 most likely to do it, just a monster on defense, and we're probably 270 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,079 not and it's it's not even probably and he stopped hedging here. We're not 271 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:33,400 talking enough about the season that he's having. Miami's offense is I would say, 272 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:38,279 kate cles me, kta cles me. Okay, it's it's a catastrophe. 273 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,200 Let me stop trying to use big sat words that I can pronounce will 274 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:45,359 I'm trying to stare at three different screens at once. It's bad. But 275 00:18:45,519 --> 00:18:51,400 he's having basically a career year on offense, twenty one point six points per 276 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,160 game, that's the third highest of his career career, h seven point two 277 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,839 assists per game, shooting fifty three point seven percent on twos, which is 278 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,720 incredibly impressive because people know he's not shooting threes this year, only two attempts 279 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,319 per game, hitting them at a twenty point seven percent clip. Is he 280 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,839 going to shoot like eighty percent in the playoffs again or whatever it was last 281 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,799 year. That's a possibility, and then he leaves the league and steals. 282 00:19:12,839 --> 00:19:17,160 But he's also just mind melting league competitive on the defensive end as well. 283 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,319 The last spot was the toughest. I think the five guys I named, 284 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,160 you can put them in whatever order you want. I think j Honest is 285 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,319 the guy that you look at and say, okay, well he has to 286 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,680 be on the first team. Everyone else can be fudged around a little bit. 287 00:19:30,319 --> 00:19:33,039 I think you could say Lebron and then Clide. They have to be 288 00:19:33,319 --> 00:19:37,240 either first or second. But this was just the spot, that second third 289 00:19:37,279 --> 00:19:41,759 team spot that was most malleable for me, and I went with Jason Tatum. 290 00:19:41,039 --> 00:19:45,279 He's been really good for the Celtics this year, even though they've missed 291 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,880 by preseason expectations. I don't think that's on him. It's what it comes 292 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,200 down to is you have Jayson Tatum, you have Jalen Brown, who's your 293 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,000 third best player On any given night. You're supposed to be able to answer 294 00:19:56,079 --> 00:19:59,519 that with Kemba maybe sometimes Marcus Smart. You haven't been able to answer that 295 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,680 season, and Kemba's missed some time recently again, been up and down, 296 00:20:03,839 --> 00:20:07,519 hasn't really been able to put together any real momentum though, was shooting under 297 00:20:07,559 --> 00:20:11,319 thirty two percent on three overs past twelve games before his most recent injury. 298 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:15,960 It's it's an issue, and you have now on just in the in the 299 00:20:17,279 --> 00:20:19,160 which would be the meat and potatoes, or even just the back end of 300 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,640 the rotation. You're relying on guys that maybe you wouldn't in an ideal season. 301 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,960 You'll Peyton Pritchard's been good, but is that someone that you're going to 302 00:20:27,039 --> 00:20:30,519 want to play heavy minutes in the playoffs? You have Aaron Asmith who has 303 00:20:30,559 --> 00:20:33,640 picked up his play a bit had it, plays some pretty good defense. 304 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,160 The other night. By the way, in the game I was watching, 305 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:38,839 I can't remember who they were playing, So I apologize for that. I've 306 00:20:40,079 --> 00:20:42,640 reached this level of just trying to keep track of lineups and who's available and 307 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:47,400 who's not that I forget matchups and even games I've watched, which probably doesn't 308 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,319 bode well for the projects that I'm in the middle of working on. I 309 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,519 just don't, you know, and maybe haven't formula. That experiment clearly has 310 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:00,000 not gone as smoothly as they would have preferred at the at the trade deadline, 311 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:00,839 and you still make that deal, by the way, ten out of 312 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,039 ten times, because they picked him up for basically nothing and I don't know 313 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,400 that they're gonna They still have part of the traded player exception left. They 314 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,599 don't know who else they were going to get over before expired. That was 315 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,519 better. They still have a higher seiling though. The Celtics, I just 316 00:21:14,599 --> 00:21:18,000 don't view what their struggles have been. The uncertainty that's not on Jayson Tatum 317 00:21:18,279 --> 00:21:22,640 or Jalen Brown really. I guess you can criticize Tatum for not being more 318 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,880 of a natural playmaker, even though he's improved a great deal there. He 319 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,839 shouldn't you know who Jason Tatum is, though that can't be the expect He's 320 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,279 not supposed to be Nicolo. Exit's supposed to Jimmy Butler at this point when 321 00:21:33,319 --> 00:21:37,759 you're looking at that passing type jump, he's been clutched for them getting to 322 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:41,039 the line a lot in the you know, I narrow the crunch time criteries. 323 00:21:41,079 --> 00:21:45,839 I said before one possession games in the final two minutes, he he 324 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,920 has been to the line a bunch of those situations. He is tied for 325 00:21:48,039 --> 00:21:52,799 third place with Devin Booker there. He is also shooting not so well from 326 00:21:52,839 --> 00:21:59,240 three three of nine in those minutes, but he is also twelve of twelve 327 00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:02,799 of seventeen on twos in those minutes, that's wrong. Twelve of twenty three, 328 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,519 twelve of twenty two, excuse me, that's that's huge as well. 329 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,640 What he brings to you defensively can be really disruptive. Never I shouldn't say 330 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,000 never, but he doesn't always defend the best guy. He can be really 331 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,400 really disrupt ruptive off the ball, good health defender, and he can held 332 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,119 his own on it. The toughest guy to leave off for me was Zion 333 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:26,319 Williamson, and I really thought about putting him on his numbers, they bend 334 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,799 your brain. He is on the season, he is averaging, or he's 335 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:36,039 up to twenty seven points on a true shooting of sixty five point two. 336 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,119 Dude gets to the basketbare than anyone else. We've seen the Zion to as 337 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,759 as point guard, so to speak. Experiment has worked out well for New 338 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:48,759 Orleans. I do think we've seen its limitations where it's not working for them 339 00:22:48,839 --> 00:22:52,160 as well now, and that's that's not on him. You want them to 340 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,599 have more options. But between that sort of I don't want to say petering 341 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,160 out because it's still working, but between that becoming less of a novelty and 342 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,240 then just his defensive struggles. There's still he has a long way to go 343 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,880 off the ball. If you think he's fine on the ball this season, 344 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:08,920 that he's even made progress good great, But if you watch the Pelicans and 345 00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:12,039 part of it just might be how they're defending. And Zach Low pointed out 346 00:23:12,039 --> 00:23:15,279 they've changed parts of their schemes mid season, so that that could be confounding 347 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:19,240 him too. I give Tatum the slight edge if you want to put him 348 00:23:19,279 --> 00:23:22,440 in that. Again, that's not something that I could really quibble over. 349 00:23:23,079 --> 00:23:26,880 I didn't necessarily feel I need to give anyone else consideration here, and I'm 350 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,839 wondering if that's terrible. Kevin Durant hasn't played enough, that's just a fact. 351 00:23:32,039 --> 00:23:34,920 Maybe Paul George, you could certainly consider Paul George having a having a 352 00:23:36,039 --> 00:23:41,039 boss year. Playoff pe has arrived in the regular season, but he's playing 353 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:45,759 good, So I guess that means he's not playoff p Actually, that's really 354 00:23:45,839 --> 00:23:49,240 it. Though. You can hit me if you think that I there's any 355 00:23:49,279 --> 00:23:53,160 egregious miss this year, but I think that's pretty straightforward that it's going to 356 00:23:53,279 --> 00:23:56,839 end up being between those seven guys for the spots. Unless you feel strongly 357 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,359 that Chris Middleton needs to be there. I don't know. Let's get to 358 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:06,720 another question. This one comes from Anthony Moore Latchy at Anthony Moore Latchie. 359 00:24:07,599 --> 00:24:11,200 Well, he's actually his Twitter name is Tony at botha and then he's at 360 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,839 Anthony Mr Latchy. I'm gonna assume the ladder is his name. Hornets got 361 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:19,480 back both Moleigue Monk and LaMelo ball last night, with Hayward returning close to 362 00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:25,480 the playoffs. What is their ceiling? That's an interesting question. I do 363 00:24:25,599 --> 00:24:29,440 think a lot of it's gonna depend on how the play in tournament shakes out. 364 00:24:29,839 --> 00:24:33,559 I don't know that they're gonna it's mathematically feasible for them to get one 365 00:24:33,559 --> 00:24:37,720 of the top six spots. I don't see them passing the heat and then 366 00:24:37,759 --> 00:24:38,920 having to beat out the Celtics. You have to beat out both those teams 367 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,440 basically to get a spot, or let's say two of the Hawks Celtics and 368 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:45,759 or all three of the Hawk It's just, yeah, you're not beating two 369 00:24:45,799 --> 00:24:48,240 of the Hawks Celtics and Heat out. I don't think at this point in 370 00:24:48,279 --> 00:24:52,880 the season, when you get to the play in tournament I don't know if 371 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,200 there's a team there. If I'm Charlotte and I'm at full strength, that 372 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,319 would scare me. I know Washington's been really good and we have a question 373 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:03,160 on them coming up in just a few minutes. I just you know Indiana 374 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:07,799 on our paper, yes, and they're getting They did have the emotional boon 375 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:12,240 that comes with playing the Thunder right now where they beat them by about one 376 00:25:12,319 --> 00:25:18,480 trillion points, give or take a point or two there. Miami is certainly 377 00:25:18,519 --> 00:25:19,839 the team that you would fear in the play in tournament, but there's two 378 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,400 spots to get there. So let's just assume that you lose that game. 379 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:26,279 If it's seven eight against Miami, are you worried about having to beat the 380 00:25:26,319 --> 00:25:29,480 pacers of the Wizards. At this point, it doesn't look like it's going 381 00:25:29,519 --> 00:25:30,480 to be the bulls of the Raptors. I picked the Raptors to get in 382 00:25:30,559 --> 00:25:33,440 there, by the way, and then to get into the playoffs. That 383 00:25:33,519 --> 00:25:38,240 prediction is aging quite poorly. I'm going to be two things I'll be watching 384 00:25:38,559 --> 00:25:42,119 is what is their defense sort of look like when LaMelo Ball went into the 385 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,880 starting lineup, And this is not on him, I'm using this is more 386 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,359 of just a checkpoint for their season. When he went into the starting lineup 387 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:53,640 for Good, they I give credit to James Brego just a personnel in general, 388 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,880 given how small Charlotte has played this year, that they've been closer to 389 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:02,200 league average than not. Defensively, but they were thirty if an opponent effective 390 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,880 field goal percentage. I still think there's potential there because they can force a 391 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:10,200 fair amount of turnovers without without fouling, which is good. They were taking 392 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,039 care of the defensive glass. They were eighth over that time. It was 393 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,960 twenty one games before Lamello's injury. Once he was inserted into the starting lineup 394 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:21,440 for Good, just how what are you going with in the playoffs? Are 395 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:26,279 you gonna need to play have more big man minutes if you're if you're if 396 00:26:26,279 --> 00:26:30,279 you're fully healthy, are you going to consider giving more run to I think 397 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,680 the three guys you look at his staples, even though you do have Malik 398 00:26:33,759 --> 00:26:36,119 Monkey, do you have DeVante Graham Is, Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and 399 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,839 Gordon Hayward and you flesh out your lineups from there. The lineup I would 400 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,400 like to see more of. It's only played one hundred and eight possessions this 401 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,880 season is the LaMelo, Terry Rosier, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, PJ. 402 00:26:47,039 --> 00:26:52,240 Washington lineup. They're plus four point seven points per one hundred possessions in 403 00:26:52,279 --> 00:26:56,519 that sample size. So it's so tiny, but it's encouraging one twenty seven 404 00:26:56,519 --> 00:26:59,519 point and offensive rating in those minutes. They've been a disaster on defense, 405 00:26:59,559 --> 00:27:00,720 but I think a lot of your small ball lineups are gonna give up a 406 00:27:00,759 --> 00:27:04,599 lot there. There have been some PJ. Washington at the five lineups that 407 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,960 are surviving. And so it is this a situation where you just take out 408 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,880 Bridges and Washington the five and then you're gonna try and use Cody Martin or 409 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,759 something, because I don't think leak Monk isn't gonna help you. That that's 410 00:27:15,799 --> 00:27:21,359 not the substitution you're making. And in this instance, but this team could 411 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,759 throw someone for a whirl. I don't think they have a prayer of beating 412 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,359 Brooklyn Philly in the first one of those two teams in the first rounds. 413 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,039 Is it looks like that's how one two is gonna shake out. Is it's 414 00:27:30,039 --> 00:27:34,079 going to be Brooklyn or Philly. But as far as the playing goes, 415 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:37,799 let's let's say that it's just where it lies is you're gonna have Heat, 416 00:27:37,839 --> 00:27:41,720 Hornets, Pacers, Wizards. I might consider picking the Hornets to come out 417 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,880 of there. The Pacers are worrying me more than the Wizards relative to Charlotte, 418 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:51,680 just their roster seems more. There's more depth on that roster, even 419 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,759 if it's not higher end depth, because the Wizards could technically have the two 420 00:27:55,880 --> 00:28:00,119 best players of those teams when you're looking at Bradley Beale and Russell Westbrook at 421 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,240 least something to consider. But having LaMelo back is huge for Charlotte just for 422 00:28:03,319 --> 00:28:07,200 what he can do to sort of delineate the offense set up guys. In 423 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,799 this first game back, we already saw that crazy full court pass, So 424 00:28:10,839 --> 00:28:14,359 there's he adds more of an that air of unpredictability to the offense, which 425 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,440 I think is good, but then also helps them not just full court but 426 00:28:17,759 --> 00:28:21,079 even half court. And there's you know, you probably want more out of 427 00:28:21,079 --> 00:28:22,839 his off the drivel jumper than you've seen because you didn't close at thirty six 428 00:28:22,839 --> 00:28:26,400 percent. I think on pull up three's this year and a shot well off 429 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,400 the catch. You probably just need him to be a stronger finisher, more 430 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,839 of a threat to score once he gets in the lane. But he just 431 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:37,599 creates so much havoc on defense. And then I thought Basketball News is nikaias 432 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,279 Duncan published a great piece on his return where if he can get defenders attached 433 00:28:41,359 --> 00:28:45,279 debt at the hip, like he's really good at derail there their directions. 434 00:28:45,319 --> 00:28:48,119 If you know, if they're trying to switch on screens, He's going to 435 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,920 change a ton up for the defense just by doing that, and that just 436 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,599 gives you someone who can should be the driving force of an offense. DeVante 437 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,160 Graham had a great year last year, kind of overstretched in that playmakers will 438 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,720 still provides the off the dribble juice, and that's where the variance is for 439 00:29:02,839 --> 00:29:06,000 this team. They do have talent on this where I name those, I 440 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:10,039 do them as the three staples. Although Myles Bridges might be working his way 441 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:14,960 into that conversation with the way he's been playing. You have those three guys, 442 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,680 and then there's actual depth here. No, you're not as big as 443 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,480 you'd like. I don't know that you want Bizmacmiambo playing any sort of minutes 444 00:29:21,599 --> 00:29:25,759 in the playoffs, but you do have Cody Zeller when he's healthy, is 445 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,519 a competent five man. You have the smaller lineups that we've already mentioned that 446 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:36,160 that you can go to. There's for you know, maybe Cody Martin kind 447 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,440 of shows out of points. He has his moments, Devonte grahamas I mentioned 448 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,440 with the with the off the dribble juice. Maybe you get some minutes from 449 00:29:41,519 --> 00:29:47,000 Jalen McDaniels that are gonna be quality for you. There's there's names here that 450 00:29:47,079 --> 00:29:51,920 are that are interesting for them, So I don't I'm not ready to pick 451 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:53,400 them if I if I was forced to choose, I'd probably say that they're 452 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,480 not going to be one of the final eight teams. I probably just can't 453 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,400 shake the Pacers. Or maybe I'm trying to hedge against what over the hell 454 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,359 Washington is doing. They've just been annihilating the rest of the league. That's 455 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:11,359 a good segue because Leo Brownstein at Brownstein Leoor asked he has two questions, 456 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,799 what is the Wizard's ceiling this year? Playing or playoff? And then he 457 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,480 asked for two is there a chance for the Calves and Kings to get out 458 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,799 of the least basement next year? Let's talk about the first one. We 459 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:25,920 were just on the Wizards. They have been absolutely wild. They have one 460 00:30:26,759 --> 00:30:30,960 a crap Ton. They're twelve and two over their last fourteen games. They've 461 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,440 gotten great performances from Bradley Beale, Russell Westbrook as well. Still not the 462 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:37,000 most efficient score, but the pressure he's gonna put on the rim matters, 463 00:30:37,039 --> 00:30:41,240 and defenses are reacting to that. Davis Burton shooting the hell out of ball, 464 00:30:41,759 --> 00:30:42,680 Ruby Totter Moore has been really good for them. He's given them a 465 00:30:42,759 --> 00:30:45,720 good defensive minutes too, and just showing a little bit more on offense. 466 00:30:47,119 --> 00:30:52,279 I think what's helped them more than anything is the defense during this stretch. 467 00:30:52,359 --> 00:30:56,440 Well, you know, let's look at this specifically. Since they've racked up 468 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,279 these victories, I think it's since April seventh, But just looking at their 469 00:30:59,359 --> 00:31:03,079 last fifteen games, their ninth in offense and seventh in defense, and looking 470 00:31:03,119 --> 00:31:07,519 at points allowed per possession for defense, the two things driving that I don't 471 00:31:07,559 --> 00:31:10,519 know that I don't I don't know that they're unsustainable, which would be a 472 00:31:10,559 --> 00:31:12,480 good thing. Opponents aren't hitting a high clip of their threes, but they 473 00:31:12,519 --> 00:31:15,839 were hitting an overly high clip of their threes before that. The fact that 474 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:21,119 that's starting to normalize, that's probably fine. That just means they're probably a 475 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,319 better three point defense than they were credited for at the beginning of the year 476 00:31:23,359 --> 00:31:26,920 when they were just absolutely atrocious. And their rim protection has gotten a lot 477 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,240 better. And when you look at what Daniel Gafford has done, what Robin 478 00:31:30,279 --> 00:31:33,799 Lopez is able to do, even Alex Lynn has been good for them, 479 00:31:33,319 --> 00:31:37,400 and you're exchanging those minutes, it's you know, Thomas Bryant is not a 480 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:40,759 good rim protector, he's been injured, but that he's not your primary room 481 00:31:40,799 --> 00:31:44,519 protector now. He barely played this year. Just just so we're clear, 482 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,240 And like Moe Wagner, was that the who was your highest volume m protector 483 00:31:48,279 --> 00:31:52,119 after Rollo, before the before Daniel Gafford came in and having Alex Lynn. 484 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:56,240 I think those are huge. I think they could be a playoff team. 485 00:31:56,279 --> 00:31:59,880 They could, sir. I think anyone that's going to qualify for the Plant 486 00:32:00,039 --> 00:32:01,960 Ornament could win it. In the Eastern Covers. I don't think there's gonna 487 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,319 be a team that sneaks in if it were the Bulls, actually no, 488 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:09,000 even if Lavigne, no, the Raptors, Bulls, Wizards, Pacers Hornet's 489 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:15,000 Heat. If you told me any combination of those two teams were in unless 490 00:32:15,039 --> 00:32:17,440 it didn't include Miami, I'm going to I'm going to buy it because I 491 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:22,640 would pencil Miami in. So maybe that's the real surprise there. But I 492 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:25,039 think their ceiling is playoffs. They're not beating. I'll look at this through 493 00:32:25,079 --> 00:32:29,920 the context of if they get in, they're going to play the Nets or 494 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:31,880 the Sixers. They're not putting. I don't think they put up a fight 495 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:35,440 against either of them. Ideally, you probably more I want to go with 496 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:39,160 Philly just because at this point, if the Nets are fully healthy, I 497 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,920 think you'd just prefer to avoid them either if you think the Sixers are the 498 00:32:43,039 --> 00:32:46,200 more well balanced team, which which they are. So that's where I'm at 499 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:47,960 With the Wizards. I don't know that. I don't know that I have 500 00:32:49,039 --> 00:32:51,599 a pick for the plan. It's it's Miami and TBD. For me. 501 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:53,559 I'm still trying to figure it out. But play the first round is certainly 502 00:32:53,559 --> 00:32:58,839 their ceiling this year, And I will say I think their defense I don't 503 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:00,839 know that I would think it's top ten like it's been. I would say 504 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:07,279 it's more a harbinger of real than artificial. The second questionaire was is there 505 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:10,000 a chance for the Calves and Kings to get out of the league's basement next 506 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:13,880 year, both of them at the same time. Probably not. I would 507 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,480 be shocked looking at the Calves. First, they're going to have another lottery 508 00:33:16,519 --> 00:33:21,119 pick, and then they add that to just an interesting, youthful bass and 509 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,880 we talked about that in our futures rankings for the NBA's worst teams on this 510 00:33:25,039 --> 00:33:30,279 podcast. They have Colin Sexton. There's been a there was a report from 511 00:33:30,079 --> 00:33:35,319 Joe Varden that teammates are frustrated with him not passing the ball enough. I 512 00:33:35,359 --> 00:33:37,200 thought he's actually improved as a playmaker a little bit over the last year and 513 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,519 a half. But he's an efficient scorer when you're looking at what he shoots 514 00:33:40,559 --> 00:33:45,200 on twos and threes, and he was flirting with twenty five points a game. 515 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:47,240 I think that matters. Darius Garland's gotten a lot better hitting a good 516 00:33:47,319 --> 00:33:51,000 clip of his pull up three's this year. Looks like he has more control 517 00:33:51,039 --> 00:33:53,599 over the offense when he gets in the lane. The game feels like it 518 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:58,319 slows down when he does that, which I translate to me and it's slowing 519 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,480 down for him, and he will manipulate defense is more. Isaac o'corro is 520 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:06,880 the real thing on defense, superactive. Can he find his offensive role? 521 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:13,000 That's very much TBD as well. They haven't really been super healthy. But 522 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,199 looking up front, you do have Kevin Love, nary n Larry Nanchu, 523 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,480 or Jared Allen, for whatever that's worth. I don't know how many of 524 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,480 those. Jared Allen will certainly be here, fantastic room protector, shown a 525 00:34:22,519 --> 00:34:27,639 little bit more as a passer with Cleveland. And isn't someone do you want 526 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:30,280 to call matchup proof? No, because I think Rudy Gobert is even shown 527 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,880 in certain games for certain moments against certain lineups. He's not matchup proof. 528 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:36,559 You will never do that over the an entire series. I want to make 529 00:34:36,599 --> 00:34:42,000 that clear, but it can be tough for the more traditionalist A pure five, 530 00:34:42,119 --> 00:34:45,559 let's call it. Jared Allen No is more mobile than a lot of 531 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:49,119 his peers. There is Kevin love Stone in Cleveland next year, Like, 532 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,000 what is this team's path out of the basement? Doesn't include keeping Kevin love 533 00:34:52,119 --> 00:34:55,639 Nary Nance Junior. I don't know Larry Nance Junior for sure, just what 534 00:34:55,760 --> 00:35:00,159 he brings it at both ends. You probably need to have one of the 535 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:04,440 top three or four picks in the lottery though, where you're telling me that 536 00:35:04,519 --> 00:35:07,199 this team has Kay Cunningham obviously is the big one, but did they get 537 00:35:07,559 --> 00:35:13,519 Jalen Suggs. So if you add one of those top four, top three 538 00:35:13,639 --> 00:35:15,719 guys, I think that's their quickest path out of the basement, and then 539 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:19,239 you probably have to keep the rest of the roster intact. I don't know 540 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,960 that you're getting. Maybe you can still move Love. I would say you 541 00:35:22,039 --> 00:35:24,440 have to keep Larry Nance Junior if you want to be good Already. The 542 00:35:24,599 --> 00:35:30,599 Kings, it's tougher just by virtue of playing in the Western Conference. They're 543 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:35,760 approaching a weird I feel like they've just been at a perpetual crossroads every single 544 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:39,320 offseason since the dawn of time. To be honest with you, the big 545 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:44,400 indicator that I'm looking for is what happens with Rashaun Holmes. They have his 546 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,519 early bird rights and he's a free agent. They can pay him because he's 547 00:35:47,519 --> 00:35:52,400 making so little. It's it's essentially this, is he going to make around 548 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:54,760 the league average salary or are they gonna have to have cap space to resign 549 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:59,960 him if they're gonna pay him around the league average salary that's about ten million 550 00:36:00,079 --> 00:36:01,519 in right now. I think he goes for substantially more than that, in 551 00:36:01,559 --> 00:36:05,480 which case they need to carve out cabspase, in which case they need to 552 00:36:05,679 --> 00:36:08,000 shed money. Where is that money coming from? Is it getting rid of 553 00:36:08,039 --> 00:36:12,360 Buddy Healed? They just traded for delun right, so I wouldn't think it 554 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,760 would be him. Is it a Harrison Barnes move. It's not going to 555 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:19,639 bed Aaron Fox. Is it a Marvin Bagley salary dump? Is that something 556 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:22,719 they look at? And I have to look at their numbers. I'm not 557 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:25,719 sure Bagley alone gives them the room to just go out and Shaun Holmes. 558 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:30,360 I'm actually ninety percent sure it doesn't. Though if any Kings fans are listening, 559 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,239 they're of course free to correct me on that. I should have brought 560 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,840 up their cap sheet for myself with all this research I have, In case 561 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:40,920 anyone cares, like between probably forty three and fifty tabs open right now, 562 00:36:42,039 --> 00:36:45,199 I should count them. That would be a fun live exercise. Anyway. 563 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:50,159 If you don't bring back, bring back Rashaun Holmes. I think it speaks 564 00:36:50,199 --> 00:36:53,960 to more of a gradual process. I then would not predict them to come 565 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,159 out of the basement. I don't know that I would predict that anyway. 566 00:36:57,159 --> 00:37:00,360 I think Tyrri's Aliberton is really fucking good. Tyry Talbert might be an All 567 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,440 Star. I want to make that everyone thinks that there's limited room for growth, 568 00:37:04,639 --> 00:37:07,400 that he's more of just as an all around complimentary player. I don't 569 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,679 know when I see him hit step backs or kind of just butcher defenders when 570 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:15,880 he's working off the dribble, but it disarms you because it's not super explosive 571 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:20,199 when I watch him break up passing lanes. When I watch him, I 572 00:37:20,199 --> 00:37:22,280 don't know if you want to call him a lockdown defender, but being able 573 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:24,519 to hold his own in a lot of one on one situations, he might 574 00:37:24,639 --> 00:37:29,559 be an All Star. You're getting to let's say the d Aaron Fox level, 575 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:31,800 or maybe slightly just a tier below that, and if you're having two 576 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:36,239 top twenty five, top thirty players on your team, that's a good place 577 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,079 to start your rebuild. I don't know where you flesh it out from there, 578 00:37:38,119 --> 00:37:40,360 though. If you don't bring her Sean Holmes back, who are you 579 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:44,880 replacing him with number one, and you can look at any of the number 580 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:46,760 of flyers that you have on the roster right now, it's on Whiteside. 581 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:51,880 Probably comes back pretty cheap for them. They're also they've also given looks to 582 00:37:52,519 --> 00:37:58,239 Damien Jones, so yeah, there, I don't know what. They also 583 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:00,920 need wings regardless of what they do with the roster. Is Robert Woodard the 584 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:04,119 second the answer hasn't played a ton this year. It's not no Harkless. 585 00:38:04,159 --> 00:38:07,440 You're not getting away with playing Buddy Heels the three. Terrence Davis has been 586 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,880 sneaky good on the court. Maybe it's not sneaking if you're watching kids games. 587 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:14,519 I think he's been pretty evident that he's good. You're not getting minutes 588 00:38:14,519 --> 00:38:15,760 with him at the free Delaun Wright helps a bunch though, And that was 589 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:19,440 the trader I looked at, like, Okay, maybe they are this hurts 590 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:22,719 their ability to keep Rashwan, but maybe they're all more committed to them now 591 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,480 than we think. I wouldn't be opposed to see if you can trim salary 592 00:38:25,559 --> 00:38:28,599 by moving Buddy Healed, because if you want to be good, you need 593 00:38:28,679 --> 00:38:30,480 Harrison Barnes. He's not a true wing but he's just one of the options 594 00:38:30,599 --> 00:38:34,719 that you can use to defend the three, and then he's just a solid 595 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:39,000 player all around. I also think there's a higher chance where Cleveland. I 596 00:38:39,039 --> 00:38:42,159 guess you could say they're not at a point to say we need to hit 597 00:38:42,199 --> 00:38:44,880 reset. But there could be more of a tear down in Sacramento over the 598 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,000 summer than there would be in Cleveland, just because so many of their players 599 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,599 are long term keepers and just important to their future at this point, even 600 00:38:52,679 --> 00:38:57,199 Dylan Windler, who feels like he's been injured since the day he entered the 601 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:01,039 league. Having him Isaac oh Cora, you have Darius Garland, you have 602 00:39:01,199 --> 00:39:05,480 Colin Sexton, You're gonna have this year's pick. I think Jetty Osman, 603 00:39:05,519 --> 00:39:07,760 it's safe to say, is not going to be a part of the long 604 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:12,760 term plan, might be one of the He might be the single leads valuable 605 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,719 NBA player this season. If you're looking at players who actually get minutes, 606 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:20,039 they have Lamar Stephens and Dean Wade that they've been monitoring Jared Allen I already 607 00:39:20,039 --> 00:39:23,280 mentioned, so they're kind of on their rebuilding already, and you could attach 608 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:28,079 that label to the Sacramento But they're also still they've been chasing the plan and 609 00:39:28,159 --> 00:39:30,440 they have that more veteran presence, which is a weird thing to say when 610 00:39:30,519 --> 00:39:37,239 Cleveland has Kevin Love on their roster. I think, though, if I 611 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,400 had to pick which one's more likely to be a playoff team next year, 612 00:39:40,519 --> 00:39:46,639 the easy answer is Cleveland, because Noah Owners says Lamar Stevens the goat. 613 00:39:47,079 --> 00:39:51,000 I think, look, that was smart for them. They've made a lot 614 00:39:51,039 --> 00:39:52,800 of understated these smart moves, and I think Colin Sexton might be one of 615 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,639 them. I don't understand that. Hey, if he was my only point 616 00:39:55,679 --> 00:40:00,880 guard, Yeah, you could moan about his passing numbers, which I still 617 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:06,239 just don't think are terrible. If they're they're set up well, and they 618 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,360 would be the easy answer to this question that I'm asking myself, which are 619 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,760 these teams has a better chance of making the playoffs? Here, I'm going 620 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:15,039 to say it, Kings. I love Rashaun Holmes and Tyris Haliburton and Darn 621 00:40:15,079 --> 00:40:19,280 Fox for anyone who listens to this podcast that much, And there's like the 622 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:23,199 outline of a team ready to compete now with their top four guys in Barns 623 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,679 and then the three I just named. I'm not trying to dump all over 624 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,920 Buddy Healed. I don't know that he's that mission critical is shooting? Certainly 625 00:40:30,079 --> 00:40:32,320 is I think you can try and move him. Is there a way to 626 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:36,519 get a cheaper wing out of this. I don't know how teams are going 627 00:40:36,559 --> 00:40:39,159 to view the final three years of his the next three years of his deal, 628 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:42,599 or does this extension you can kick in this year. I'm always off 629 00:40:42,639 --> 00:40:46,400 on a Buddy Heal's age, but that's I think that's the move. If 630 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:50,480 you can move Buddy Healed, and I might be I don't want to give 631 00:40:50,559 --> 00:40:53,000 up on Marvin Bagley, but I might be ready to. And I was 632 00:40:53,079 --> 00:40:55,360 a Morvin Bagley optimist. I thought he was gonna be a top one hundred 633 00:40:55,360 --> 00:41:00,519 player as a sophomore. So you should just not not listen to anything I 634 00:41:00,599 --> 00:41:06,320 say, clearly because I missed on on that one. Is the final three 635 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:09,280 years and roughly like sixty something million of Buddy Heal's deal. Can you get 636 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:14,079 net positive value for that? Will also trimming salary or not net positive value? 637 00:41:14,159 --> 00:41:16,960 King trim salary, I'll get somebody back who plays I do not know, 638 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:22,639 but that would be the move to consider the Kings won't make the playoffs 639 00:41:22,679 --> 00:41:25,800 if Luke Walton is still the coach. Noah Odit says, yeah, you're 640 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,920 right, that's fair. He's not. There's I'll be shocked if he still 641 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,719 has a job with the Kings next season. His some of his rotations just 642 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:36,159 don't make sense. The Kings are playing faster, but it still feels like 643 00:41:36,199 --> 00:41:39,559 they're not playing fast enough. So yeah, those are the two things they 644 00:41:39,639 --> 00:41:43,440 keep for Shawn Holmes and get rid of Luke Walton, and then I'll be 645 00:41:43,519 --> 00:41:46,480 more inclined to pick the Kings to make the playoffs next season than the Cleveland 646 00:41:46,679 --> 00:41:54,719 Cavaliers. Let's get to this question from Dirk. I'm sorry, Dilka Siramana, 647 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:58,280 I apologize if I butchered that. And the at is just like the 648 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:02,280 name. Since we've seen Andrew Wiggins play defense and the Warriors are forced in 649 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:07,519 defensive rating over April. Who was the worst defensive rating this season? It 650 00:42:07,679 --> 00:42:09,079 was the team that we were just talking about, the Sacramento Kings. It's 651 00:42:09,079 --> 00:42:13,880 by a fairly wide margin. It's by more than two points per one hundred 652 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,360 possessions, which this late the season is it's almost impressive. How bad that 653 00:42:16,559 --> 00:42:20,320 is. I don't look at that team and think that they should be this 654 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:25,239 bad on defense necessarily. Darn Fox not a great defender, but can he's 655 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,559 fine. But for point guards, especially if he's not somebody you have to 656 00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:31,719 move around, would be my point. Tarry's Halibert is good for a rookie. 657 00:42:32,119 --> 00:42:36,360 Rashaun Holmes is not going to anchor, could be the anchor of a 658 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:38,440 top tier defense, but he's quality room protector. He can be pulled outside 659 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:44,440 the paint without getting absolutely roasted. Harrison Barnes rock solid positional defender against the 660 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,159 three and four. Feeling this teams to be, but they have more Harkless 661 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:51,360 now why they're they're They've had stretches where it's like, okay, earlier in 662 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:55,239 the season they were just getting they're switching for no reason and getting absolutely barbecued 663 00:42:55,800 --> 00:43:00,280 in those instances. But they have the league's worth defense, which what's interesting 664 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:08,159 is Dilka mentions the Warriors there's seventh in defensive rating on the season, which 665 00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:10,239 is great. And I want to be clear, I'm not a big fan 666 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:14,800 of applying lineup ratings to what that would rank across the league, and I'm 667 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:16,960 not using I'm not a big fan of cross year comparisons. When we say 668 00:43:17,119 --> 00:43:22,079 Dallas had the best offensive league history last year, what was their offensive rating 669 00:43:22,119 --> 00:43:24,199 relative to the league average? That's what I'd be more interested in than compare 670 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:29,119 that to other offenses relative to the league average in their seasons. So I'm 671 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:31,559 kind of being a hypocrite by using this, but just a testament to how 672 00:43:31,639 --> 00:43:37,280 good offensive offenses have been this year or how poorly defenses have been. However, 673 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:40,800 you want to spend this the warriors seventh place defensive rating this year, 674 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:45,440 which is I believe it's one to eleven point two. Yeah, it's one 675 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:49,199 to eleven point two. What a right seventeenth last year. That's just food 676 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,360 for thought as we get into next season. Maybe it's going to be a 677 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:55,000 similar situation the next season, because I imagine that the NBA is still gonna 678 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:59,920 be trying to play catch up with itself where they're not starting directly on time, 679 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,320 and if they are, oh my god, another shortened offseason. Let's 680 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,719 hope that there aren't a ton of injuries. As the result of that. 681 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:12,880 Next question comes from sons Burner, I promised a son's question, and here 682 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:19,119 it is. Does Devin Booker's defense defensive stats reflect his on court improvements. 683 00:44:19,519 --> 00:44:21,880 Again, I want to make it clear I don't place too much stock and 684 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,599 defensive stats, which is also a problem for me because I'm not mister X's 685 00:44:24,639 --> 00:44:28,800 and Oh's guy. I can't tell you where everyone's supposed to be. I 686 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,719 read what I can, I watch what I can. I'm going to try 687 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:36,880 and definitely go beyond steals and blocks. The numbers, though, do not 688 00:44:37,159 --> 00:44:39,440 support that. Devin Booker has been a demonstrably better defender when you're looking at 689 00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:44,800 an individual level, his steel rate and block rate or slightly up. So 690 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:49,880 that's fine. When you look at RPM, that's just the defensive one I'll 691 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:52,960 go to to adjust for luck. This season, he still ranks among the 692 00:44:53,039 --> 00:44:58,480 worst defenders in the league. When you look at ESPN's defensive RPM, he's 693 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:02,159 a little bit higher from the which is better than he's been in recent seasons. 694 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:06,719 He's above the way I put it, he ranks higher than Donna Mitchell 695 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:09,039 in defensive RPM. And I don't think Donovan Mitchell is a great defender either. 696 00:45:09,119 --> 00:45:13,519 Those two have just been sort of thrust together so often that I'm using 697 00:45:13,559 --> 00:45:15,280 that as hey, there he is. What I have noticed from watching Devin 698 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:21,320 Booker is that he feels more engaged away from the ball, and I guess 699 00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:23,159 you could say even on the ball, he's always been. There have been 700 00:45:23,159 --> 00:45:27,320 situations where he's defended really well on the ball for stretches. I feel like 701 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:31,280 we're seeing those more now. He is defending the number one option a little 702 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:37,760 bit more often this season than he was last season. He's not covering the 703 00:45:37,039 --> 00:45:40,159 toughest matchups overall, though, I want to make that clear, but it's 704 00:45:40,159 --> 00:45:43,440 actually down from last season. I'm reading that role on this from b ball 705 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,280 Index. He is guarding the number one option sixteen point seven percent of the 706 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:50,039 time. That's the third highest mark of his career per B ball Index. 707 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:53,079 That's not huge. They're putting him on you know that he can either chase 708 00:45:53,119 --> 00:45:57,239 guys around or he's going to be on the standstill shooters. That's fine. 709 00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:00,159 You have the personnel when you have Michaal Bridges, you have Chris paul Off, 710 00:46:00,199 --> 00:46:01,559 so you don't have to put Devin Booker on opposing point guards. You 711 00:46:01,639 --> 00:46:05,519 have Jay Crowder. They have the ability to do all this and they don't 712 00:46:05,559 --> 00:46:07,800 need to try and hide put him on bigs because DeAndre Aton's on a liability. 713 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:10,719 Even having Sharis has been someone who can take on this guy's tory. 714 00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:15,199 Craig too fantastic for them this year. I think the biggest difference is coming 715 00:46:15,199 --> 00:46:20,039 away from the ball, on the way he's closing out contesting shots from shooters 716 00:46:20,079 --> 00:46:22,719 who are firing up off the catch. That's something. The energy level feels 717 00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:27,559 like it's more there. And then his steel rate I do think reflects an 718 00:46:27,639 --> 00:46:32,599 uptick in activity, So that's good. But his defensive box plus minus if 719 00:46:32,599 --> 00:46:36,400 you want to throw, it's right around where it was last season, so 720 00:46:36,519 --> 00:46:38,400 I don't think you can look at the numbers for it. I will say 721 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:43,760 though, that the Suns are a good defensive team this year, can defend 722 00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:46,719 a bunch of different ways. I don't know how much value you ascribe to 723 00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:53,679 Devin Booker as the reason that's happening, but he's part of a team that 724 00:46:54,000 --> 00:47:00,519 is currently fifth in points allowed per possession, and so it can't be all 725 00:47:00,599 --> 00:47:02,239 bad. I'm not trying to even give him credit for it. And what 726 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:06,800 I've noticed again, it's come more so away from the ball. But if 727 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:10,079 you're having him on the court right now and the defense is substantially worse with 728 00:47:10,159 --> 00:47:15,039 him on the floor plus seven point two points worse per one hundred possessions. 729 00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:17,199 When you dig a little bit deeper, you know, opponents aren't shooting a 730 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:22,679 crap ton better when he's on the court. They're you know, the Suns 731 00:47:22,679 --> 00:47:28,320 aren't getting worse at forcing turnovers or committing a ton more fowls when he's on 732 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:30,079 the floor. This is not something the one who's up ending your defense, 733 00:47:30,119 --> 00:47:34,360 in my opinion, and a lot of those lineups, i'd probably say there 734 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:37,239 was. There was the starting lineup noise at the beginning of the year for 735 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,119 the Suns. Some of that has normalized is still continuing to normalize. Like 736 00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:45,239 those numbers can certainly skew it when you're looking at sample sizes so small and 737 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:49,960 narrow, but he's also leaving bench units on his own, and those have 738 00:47:50,159 --> 00:47:57,800 been absolutely destroying opponents. They are over plus ten points per one hundred possessions. 739 00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:01,039 They're outs going to their opponents by when Devin Booker plays without without Chris 740 00:48:01,159 --> 00:48:05,960 Paul. And that's why this is probably something Adam and I will talk about 741 00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:09,360 maybe when we do our MVP Awards or do something to reflect the season. 742 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:13,079 And by the way, those book are lineups without Chris Paul. They're not 743 00:48:13,199 --> 00:48:15,159 good on defense. That was meant to be. They have a one twenty 744 00:48:15,199 --> 00:48:20,119 two point four offensive rating against a one fourteen defensive rating. That was the 745 00:48:20,199 --> 00:48:22,719 point I was trying to make. But he can the fact that he can 746 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:25,719 be in control of the offense without Chris Paul on the floor. I think 747 00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:29,360 it speaks that the Sons are more than Chris Paul and that we shouldn't so 748 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:32,000 readily insert Chris Paul in the MVP discussion. You want to put him top 749 00:48:32,079 --> 00:48:37,719 five, I totally get it. Phoenix's supporting cast has improved a great deal 750 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:40,159 independent of adding him. I don't think they would have been this good without 751 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:44,199 Chris Paul. I want to make that clear. But I do view this 752 00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:46,000 as an equitable star partnership and the MVP award. I don't know if this 753 00:48:46,079 --> 00:48:51,400 is right or wrong. I am more inclined to reward Guy. I don't 754 00:48:51,440 --> 00:48:54,079 want to say we were doing it alone, but there are clear demarcations between 755 00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:59,599 the stars that you're selecting and then their second best player. Nicole Yokich and 756 00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:02,880 jam A Murray that Jamour is great, Yo Kitchen's worlds better, Lebron James 757 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:06,679 and Anthony Davis. You can argue both of them are top seven. That's 758 00:49:06,719 --> 00:49:12,039 fine. Lebron James is a lot better than Anthony Davis. This Devin Booker 759 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:15,719 Chris Paul partnership feels more like Donovan Mitchell Rudy Gobert. That might even be 760 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:19,880 a bad example, because no, I think it's Donovan Mitchells gets too much 761 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:22,679 shit there. They feel like an equal partnership. I mentioned Durrant Harden like 762 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:25,480 that. That's what I'm looking at when I see Chris Paul Devin Bookers. 763 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:30,960 They're so equal. The other thing, by the way Devin Booker draws double 764 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:34,599 teams on a higher percentage of his possessions. Chris Paul is drawing more double 765 00:49:34,639 --> 00:49:37,599 teams per game, but he has the ball in his hands more when you're 766 00:49:37,599 --> 00:49:40,320 looking at the raw possessions totals on the percentage of their possessions, Devin Booker 767 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:45,639 is averaging is being double team more often by that metric, and the son's 768 00:49:45,679 --> 00:49:46,719 the last. This is a few games old. I would have to go 769 00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:51,480 back and look at these numbers. They're averaging one point one nine points per 770 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:55,519 possession when Devin Booker is double team. That's also a nod to his shop 771 00:49:55,599 --> 00:50:00,440 making first and foremost, it's a nod to how good he would be out 772 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:02,280 good of a playmaker he's become. And I don't want to use this equivalent, 773 00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:07,480 but one point one nine points per possession is about the second or third 774 00:50:07,519 --> 00:50:10,559 best offense in the NBA. And so the fact that he draws that bunch 775 00:50:10,599 --> 00:50:15,000 attention on the ball and then what he does away from the wall a good 776 00:50:15,079 --> 00:50:17,519 cutter that they've also used him more in those situations. There was this stagnancy 777 00:50:17,519 --> 00:50:21,360 at the beginning of here. They weren't using him that way, and he's 778 00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:23,039 had to change his role. When you're looking at the percentage of a shot 779 00:50:23,119 --> 00:50:28,079 they're coming off assist he is playing off the ball more. That's an adjustment. 780 00:50:28,199 --> 00:50:31,079 And so I feel like I'm not trying to downplay what Chris Paul does. 781 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:37,800 I just feel very awkward that nationally there seems to be this willingness to 782 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:42,880 dismiss so much of what Devin Booker is doing. So, yeah, that 783 00:50:43,639 --> 00:50:45,960 was not the question. That the question was just about the stats for Devin 784 00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:50,280 Booker. Defensively, That's where I'm out on Devin Booker. Hopefully you appreciate 785 00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:53,199 those thoughts. Let's get to see if I can do a couple of quick 786 00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:57,559 ones that I do not have in the document because I got through these way 787 00:50:57,639 --> 00:51:01,400 quicker than I thought I would. But we have one that this is definitely 788 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:06,480 simple enough. How many three pointers has Stephen Curry made? That comes from 789 00:51:06,920 --> 00:51:13,199 Nardine she who uh. Stephen Curry this season has made a total of two 790 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:16,000 hundred ninety one three pointers to lead the league. His career best is three 791 00:51:16,079 --> 00:51:20,039 fifty four came in an eighty two game season in which he played only sixty 792 00:51:20,119 --> 00:51:22,840 nine games. By the by the way, on the way, this career 793 00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:24,760 prest is four or two a twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen. I don't know 794 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:30,199 if he'll it could his full season pace. If Stephan Curry ever catch that, 795 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:34,599 that might be something to watch next year. If you were insued what 796 00:51:34,639 --> 00:51:37,400 he's made for his career, he has made twenty eight twenty I shouldn't round 797 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:43,599 twenty seven hundred and eighty six three pointers for his career. I can confirm 798 00:51:44,199 --> 00:51:47,079 that is a great many three pointers. I'll actually as we get to the 799 00:51:47,639 --> 00:51:52,639 to the next question, I'll look up what that really ranks all time for 800 00:51:52,719 --> 00:51:55,440 anyone who cares about that. But yeah, that was that was a pretty 801 00:51:55,440 --> 00:51:59,440 fund question. What else do we have here? Oh, John Cusack, 802 00:51:59,519 --> 00:52:02,760 We've already answered this, but just so all at which All NBA team is 803 00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:07,519 Julius randall On, I think it's second, It's second or third. I 804 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:14,159 think it's second, though that is subject to change. Lasner's Sport asked which 805 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:19,440 teams don't fear the heat? And our Westbrook and CP three all MBA fuck. 806 00:52:19,519 --> 00:52:22,360 I was asked about an All NBA guard question. Let's tackle the first 807 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:27,960 one, which teams don't fear the heat? If you're talking about a potential 808 00:52:28,039 --> 00:52:30,320 first round matchup. I don't think Brooklyn or Philly is gonna fear the heat. 809 00:52:30,679 --> 00:52:35,280 Maybe Philly more so than Brooklyn because of what Jimmy Butler gives you in 810 00:52:35,360 --> 00:52:38,119 crunch time. If you're Miami that Philly wants had and does not anymore. 811 00:52:39,559 --> 00:52:43,039 I don't think Brooklyn is gonna be scared them. I don't think Milwaukee's gonna 812 00:52:43,039 --> 00:52:45,599 be scared. Milwaukee's probably more scared of itself to see if it's offense can 813 00:52:45,679 --> 00:52:49,280 hold up in the playoffs and by the bye I think it will. Now, 814 00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:52,719 if you're a fellow playing team, yes, you're scared of the heat. 815 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:54,800 Charlotte in the AANA, Washington, Chicago, Toronto. If you're one 816 00:52:54,840 --> 00:52:59,679 of those teams, whoever winds up in the other three spots, You're not 817 00:52:59,719 --> 00:53:02,519 gonna say this, but subconsciously you're like, okay, the heater in and 818 00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:07,239 then what who's getting who else is getting in? Maybe it's Boston that's there, 819 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:10,000 by the way, so that Boston. Would you be more afraid of 820 00:53:10,119 --> 00:53:15,840 Boston in the play or Miami? I feel like it might be Miami, 821 00:53:15,199 --> 00:53:19,800 and I'm not even I'm assuming Victor Oladieopole doesn't play in that scenario. So 822 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:24,639 that's Boston's all over the place. That that is a That is a question. 823 00:53:25,159 --> 00:53:29,440 All NBA guards are Westbrook, CP three, all MBA. I'm not 824 00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:30,920 going to go through my all NBA guards because I need to finalize them, 825 00:53:30,960 --> 00:53:34,960 but I can tell you right now CP three will be online. What I'm 826 00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:38,760 trying to debate is do you put you know we're gonna go through this, 827 00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:44,519 aren't we screw it? Let's do it? First team Steph and Luca, 828 00:53:44,559 --> 00:53:45,800 don Chitzer Dame. That's what I still have to figure out. And the 829 00:53:45,840 --> 00:53:49,320 second team is going to be the other one of Luca, don chrisre Dame 830 00:53:49,360 --> 00:53:54,639 so Steph don Damn three locks. I'm going to have Booker or CP three 831 00:53:54,679 --> 00:53:58,559 on my second team. I haven't decided which one yet, and I think 832 00:53:58,599 --> 00:54:00,599 the other one's going to be on my third team. And so after that, 833 00:54:01,559 --> 00:54:06,639 can Westbrook make it? When Bradby Beale is on it, you're also 834 00:54:06,800 --> 00:54:10,800 going to have I'm sure people are going to vote for Donovan Mitchell it when 835 00:54:10,880 --> 00:54:17,239 it comes to this exercise, I'm gonna I'm gonna say Westbrook does not make 836 00:54:17,320 --> 00:54:21,000 it. I'm not trying to be one of the people that thinks he's terrible. 837 00:54:21,840 --> 00:54:24,440 I do think he's outperformed my expectations this season, most of which has 838 00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:30,360 happened lately. Zach Lavine's name is going to be thrown in there. Trey 839 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:31,639 Youngs might be thrown in there, but I don't know that his case is 840 00:54:31,679 --> 00:54:36,320 that much stronger than Westbrooks. What's gonna be interesting is Kyrie, where if 841 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:39,039 he gets to like fifty five games or close to it, that's like enough 842 00:54:39,119 --> 00:54:44,480 to play where he's been yo everyone consider not everyone. I don't want to 843 00:54:44,559 --> 00:54:46,719 paint everyone with a broadbrush, but he's become sort of this meme, which 844 00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:50,920 is really not fair because he said some of the delivery of what he said 845 00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:53,840 has been awkward, but he said some shit that actually matters. I don't 846 00:54:53,840 --> 00:54:57,039 know why I'm cussing so much on this podcast, Adam, I missue. 847 00:54:57,119 --> 00:55:00,440 You keep my mouth in check, apparently. But he's averaging twenty seven points 848 00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:06,599 six point three assists, shooting fifty six point two percent on two's and thirty 849 00:55:06,639 --> 00:55:08,880 eight point four percent on threes. His name is one that I think is 850 00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:12,840 going to be sprinkled in there. So I'm gonna say yes for CP three. 851 00:55:13,519 --> 00:55:16,760 No on Westbrook because if I had to pick, I'm going to put 852 00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:20,960 I'm not gonna put James Harden there, and I mentioned his name. I 853 00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:22,039 think he ends up missing too much time because he's gonna be out through the 854 00:55:22,039 --> 00:55:25,239 playoffs and the first eight games or whatever he played in Houston, that's like 855 00:55:25,320 --> 00:55:30,159 missing another eight or nine games because of what happened. What happened there that 856 00:55:30,239 --> 00:55:34,119 wasn't all NBA level play from him. But ahead of Westbrook, I probably 857 00:55:34,199 --> 00:55:38,800 have Beal Still, I don't know if i'd have Donovan Mitchell. There's a 858 00:55:38,880 --> 00:55:42,840 maybe there, and if I can get past the sample size, which I'm 859 00:55:42,840 --> 00:55:46,039 more willing to do when we're talking about all NBA's opposed to awards. I 860 00:55:46,079 --> 00:55:50,079 would have Kyrie in front of Westbrook. So the answer is a definitive no 861 00:55:50,559 --> 00:55:54,679 from me on that Westbrook one. Do we have one more question? We 862 00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:59,039 can get to sifting through these had a ton? Thank you all for your 863 00:55:59,119 --> 00:56:00,840 questions. As usual, you can continue to send these in. You can 864 00:56:00,920 --> 00:56:05,800 DM them to me like Yo, I didn't answer Noah's question, who sent 865 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:09,320 me one in d MS. Let's go to his without including franchise Cornerstone Slash 866 00:56:09,360 --> 00:56:17,239 Superstars. What are the five most tradeable rosters in the NBA? This is 867 00:56:17,320 --> 00:56:20,679 a good question, no or You're still in here? Are you trying to 868 00:56:20,719 --> 00:56:25,199 refer to which NBA teams have the most assets to offer or which teams are 869 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:30,480 ready to make a blockbuster trade the most I can try, I might answer 870 00:56:30,559 --> 00:56:36,440 this from both perspectives. There teams that are blockbuster trade ready to acquire someone, 871 00:56:37,679 --> 00:56:39,199 I think, and that Will. I'm going to try and factor in 872 00:56:39,239 --> 00:56:44,400 Will because the thunder absolutely belong in this discussion. I just don't think they're 873 00:56:44,440 --> 00:56:46,760 going to go after that star, at least not for the next few years. 874 00:56:47,599 --> 00:56:51,719 I do think Golden State is blockbuster ready. You still have James Wiseman, 875 00:56:51,800 --> 00:56:54,000 you have the Wolves pick whether that's going to be outside the top three 876 00:56:54,039 --> 00:57:01,360 this season or unprotected in unprotected in two thousand twenty two players only though, 877 00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:06,840 So no cheating with the thunder right, But no, are you talking about 878 00:57:07,079 --> 00:57:12,960 which teams have the most tradeable players that they're giving away or that they're acquiring, 879 00:57:13,119 --> 00:57:17,440 or that they're giving away who and that's realistic on the trade block. 880 00:57:20,559 --> 00:57:23,400 I mean Wiseman is right there. I don't know why you wouldn't take a 881 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:31,400 flyer on him if you're Golden State. This is a I'm gonna save this 882 00:57:31,519 --> 00:57:35,000 question and maybe dig deeper into it. I forgot you had sent it. 883 00:57:36,039 --> 00:57:40,280 I think I need to consider the context of it more of teams that just 884 00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:45,719 have these players that they're just so trade ready to move. If the Warriors 885 00:57:45,760 --> 00:57:47,480 and Wiseman are sort of along the lines of what you're thinking, teams that 886 00:57:47,639 --> 00:57:52,800 have a player that they can use to anchor a blockbuster, there are a 887 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:58,639 couple teams in that situation. I think you start to get with New Orleans 888 00:57:59,239 --> 00:58:04,119 and has Kyra Lewis Junior played well enough to be the blockbuster anchor or if 889 00:58:04,119 --> 00:58:06,760 you really want to swing for the fences. Do you include brandon Ingram in 890 00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:09,320 that. I'm very much in the camp of it's brandon Ingram and Zion are 891 00:58:09,320 --> 00:58:14,000 your only two locks right now. To stick with this core, you'd probably 892 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:16,199 be more likely to trade Lonzo Ball on a sign and trade or just let 893 00:58:16,320 --> 00:58:23,800 him walk for nothing him. I would say this is you said players only, 894 00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:27,960 but it's I think this fits for both these teams. I'm gonna name 895 00:58:27,960 --> 00:58:30,800 it that Minnesota pick this year. Either the Warriors get it and they need 896 00:58:30,880 --> 00:58:36,239 to get Steph help yesterday, or Minnesota has it and you're still sort of 897 00:58:36,320 --> 00:58:39,239 on this urgent timeline because you have Towns, you have Russell, You've paid 898 00:58:39,280 --> 00:58:43,880 Molik Beasley, and the Edwards as Saulder popped, do you try and make 899 00:58:43,960 --> 00:58:46,159 that next all in play, especially when you're twenty twenty two pick is going 900 00:58:46,199 --> 00:58:51,880 to be unprotected. So that would be a team Miami. That's someone who 901 00:58:51,920 --> 00:58:55,119 springs to mind for me. They have Tyler Hero who sheen is not completely 902 00:58:55,760 --> 00:59:00,519 worn off, and so can you use him as the anchor? And you 903 00:59:00,599 --> 00:59:04,840 know, I don't know who's going to become available this summer, but is 904 00:59:05,119 --> 00:59:07,920 him plus stuff going to get you in a Bradley Beal discussion if he becomes 905 00:59:07,920 --> 00:59:12,880 available another sneaky team. I don't know if they would have the guts to 906 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:17,199 do this, but Memphis, when you look at having those mid end contracts 907 00:59:17,320 --> 00:59:22,480 that are very digestible for good players if you wanted to use as salary ballast, 908 00:59:22,559 --> 00:59:25,840 I mean having Kyle Anderson, having Danthy Mountain where it's not strictly for 909 00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:30,639 their salaries that you're moving them. Even Joanna's Mountain junis who's been, as 910 00:59:30,679 --> 00:59:32,880 Adam mentioned in the previous podcast, probably their best player end to end this 911 00:59:34,039 --> 00:59:38,800 year. Plus you have Desmond Baine, you have Brandon Clark. Xavier Tillman 912 00:59:38,920 --> 00:59:44,159 is super intriguing now, plus your future first that can get you into some 913 00:59:44,239 --> 00:59:50,320 pretty interesting discussions. I would think going through the rest of these teams that 914 00:59:50,559 --> 00:59:52,760 might do it for me. Dallas doesn't really have the juice to do it. 915 00:59:52,880 --> 00:59:55,400 Michael Porter Junior would be a no brainer here, but I think Denver 916 00:59:55,960 --> 01:00:00,440 you're keeping him. Now, what is the what is the player who becomes 917 01:00:00,480 --> 01:00:04,719 available this summer that wouldn't make you trade or Michael Porter Jr. If it's 918 01:00:04,800 --> 01:00:07,920 Dame. Are you trading Michael Porter Junior for Dame? You wouldn't evacuting, 919 01:00:07,960 --> 01:00:10,039 But you have Jamal Murray's going to come back in a year, and how 920 01:00:10,079 --> 01:00:15,639 does that Murray Lillard partnership end up working out? Janice isn't gonna become available, 921 01:00:15,679 --> 01:00:20,199 that would be someone to consider. Boston doesn't really fall in this category 922 01:00:20,280 --> 01:00:23,000 anymore, doesn't Atlanta? Are you that intrigued by a healthy DeAndre Hunter? 923 01:00:23,000 --> 01:00:27,480 If you're opposing teams, I would push back against them being included that you 924 01:00:27,559 --> 01:00:31,719 haven't Yakula kung Wu, so maybe having him and DeAndre Hunter plus future picks, 925 01:00:31,760 --> 01:00:36,239 but they're already sort of good that. I don't know teams are going 926 01:00:36,280 --> 01:00:39,400 to value their future first and that when you're giving up a star, those 927 01:00:39,440 --> 01:00:43,920 are the types of things you're going to be looking for. So that would 928 01:00:43,960 --> 01:00:46,159 be that was a good question. Now I might give it more deeper thought 929 01:00:46,199 --> 01:00:50,920 and re answer this once Adam's back on. If I had to pick the 930 01:00:51,039 --> 01:00:53,119 team that's most likely to do it and most capable of doing it, I 931 01:00:53,159 --> 01:00:55,840 do think it's the Warriors, if only because they have the biggest motivation and 932 01:00:57,000 --> 01:01:01,920 they can more easily convince themselves and to giving up James Wiseman. Guys, 933 01:01:02,000 --> 01:01:06,119 this was great. Thank you so much for those who hopped in and out. 934 01:01:06,280 --> 01:01:09,320 Thank you for Noah who's stuck with us for the entire room. As 935 01:01:09,400 --> 01:01:13,320 always, if this is your first time listening to Hardwood Knox, or even 936 01:01:13,360 --> 01:01:15,960 if you're a reoccurring listener, remember to rate, review, and subscribe to 937 01:01:16,039 --> 01:01:20,280 us. Wherever you get your podcast, we found everywhere you get them, 938 01:01:20,400 --> 01:01:24,039 so search us, download everybody episode, subscribe, Follow us on Twitter at 939 01:01:24,119 --> 01:01:28,920 Hardwood Knox, follow us on YouTube YouTube dot com search Hardwin Knox. We 940 01:01:29,000 --> 01:01:30,960 will come up. Until next time. I'll leave you a a shout out 941 01:01:30,960 --> 01:01:43,400 to the one the only second team All NBA Inevitability, Julius Randall, Sugar 942 01:01:43,480 --> 01:01:46,800 Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous, Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns. 943 01:01:47,840 --> 01:01:52,400 Legends whose four way rivalry define one of the greatest errors in boxing history. 944 01:01:53,119 --> 01:01:58,960 Relive their decade of dominance in the new Showtime Sports documentary The Kings, a 945 01:01:59,039 --> 01:02:01,599 four parts series miring Sunday, June sixth, only on Showtime