WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.480 Special thanks to our next guest as we go from 2 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.320 one goat to the next goat for being a little 3 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:09.359 bit adjustable today and versatile today. Tom Haberstrow for some 4 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:11.759 NBA basketball to Monday Tom, Happy Monday man. 5 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:13.320 How are we doing doing great? 6 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:13.480 Man? 7 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:16.960 How I'm good? I'm good. So we'll do a little 8 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:17.480 jazz here. 9 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:19.199 We're not gonna do We're not gonna do a ton 10 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:20.839 of jazz because I think we all kind of know 11 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:22.839 what time it is, we all kind of know what. 12 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:23.320 The deal is. 13 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:26.600 But I'll say this, over the past seven or eight games, 14 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:30.519 at least offensively they don't guard anybody, they just don't. 15 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:32.560 But offensively they've been a lot better. 16 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:34.560 And I thought that went over the Knicks on Saturday 17 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:37.000 here in Salt Lake was probably the best game I've 18 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.520 seen him play all year long. But what are your 19 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.000 thoughts on and if you have anything specific about the 20 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:44.479 past seven or eight games, why is the offense look 21 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:45.159 so much better? 22 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:52.880 To think, Well, first of all, marketing helps. Ye, that 23 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:55.600 guy is really good, and of course really good against 24 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.039 the Knicks too. But I think another thing that you 25 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:00.960 have to really pay attention to is the shot selection 26 00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:05.200 is very modern. NBA We've got a head coach and 27 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:09.239 Will Hardy, who is as astute as it is when 28 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:11.680 it comes to what is the best way to win 29 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:15.640 in today's NBA. And what I mean by that is 30 00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:20.560 the Utah Jazz are the leaders in one category offensively 31 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:23.840 that probably is a little under the radar, but I 32 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:27.879 just wrote about this at Yahoo Sports. There are these 33 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:31.359 things that I'll coin as shot desert games. These are 34 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:35.920 games in which teams do not make a single shot 35 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.040 in the mid range. They don't take a single shot, 36 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:40.680 make a single shot, they don't score in the mid range. 37 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:44.519 They just abandon it. And while it is for us 38 00:01:44.599 --> 00:01:47.719 who grew up in the nineties, it is kind of 39 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:49.840 sad to see how the mid range game is dead, 40 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:51.920 but it is the smart way to play, just in 41 00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:54.480 the same way that in baseball, the smart way to 42 00:01:54.519 --> 00:01:56.840 play is to try to hit it over the fence 43 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.920 and get walks. And it might not be appealing for 44 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:02.879 a product standpoint, it is what the math tells us 45 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.200 to do, and what the math tells NBA teams to 46 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:08.400 do is what the Boston Celtics did last season is 47 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.199 bomb away from three and attack the rim and go 48 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:17.360 for rim attacks and the Jazz lead the league in 49 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:20.319 most games in which they don't score from the mid range. 50 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:23.039 You normally might say, hey, that's a bad thing. Well, no, 51 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:26.240 the mid range game is kind of a dead zone. 52 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:28.639 It's you don't get fouled, it's a low percentage shot, 53 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:31.639 and there's only a few players that it makes sense 54 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:33.840 to be living in the mid range, whether it's Chris 55 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:38.319 Paul or jamar Derozen and the Utah Jazz continually do this, 56 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:42.479 and even you know, in Saturday's game against the Knicks, 57 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:45.159 they scored one hundred and twenty one points and only 58 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.800 one basket was in the mid range. And they have 59 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:52.319 more shot desert games than any other team. It's four 60 00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:54.719 to this point in the season, and this number is 61 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:57.360 exploding league wide. You know, we didn't even have a 62 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:00.840 single team a decade ago with any of these games. 63 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:03.080 And now we're on pace for about one hundred and 64 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:06.879 fifty desert games where they don't score from the mid 65 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.919 range for the entire game. And so we're almost double 66 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:13.719 what we're you know, we're pacing at almost double the 67 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:17.000 rate at what we normally see over the last couple 68 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:19.439 of years, and there's a real inflection point. We're seeing 69 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:22.719 in the NBA where team smart offenses, even if they're 70 00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:25.439 not being able to make all the shots from downtown. 71 00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:27.919 You know, it's it's not every night that you see 72 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:32.840 the Jazz shoot. You know, what was it seventeen nineteen 73 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:36.639 to thirty four, fifty six percent from downtown. But this 74 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:38.840 is kind of by design, is that they have made 75 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:44.560 the team buy into this, you know, threes and rim shots, 76 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:49.560 you know, attacking the basket and not worrying so much 77 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:51.719 about the mid range, try to get to the free 78 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:55.360 throw line, try to take threes, and so far, I 79 00:03:55.400 --> 00:04:00.199 think that shot profile is really helping them slim the 80 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:03.319 talent gap. And you saw it on Saturday night, just 81 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:06.599 how good they look when the three ball is falling. 82 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:08.599 But it's not a matter of being lucky. This is 83 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.960 a team that is designed that way and the offense 84 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:13.719 is designed that way, and I think it's really smart, 85 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.600 even if it's a little sad for us watching and 86 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:19.120 growing up watching Michael Jordan. This is the way to 87 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.600 win in today's NBA, and they're doing an excellent. 88 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:24.480 Job of it. So do you think the league will look? 89 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:27.399 Because I read your piece and that's kind of why 90 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.040 I asked you the question to lead you into that answer, 91 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:31.879 so you could explain it to our listeners because you 92 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:34.600 unpacked it better than I could. But the fact of 93 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:36.920 the matter is, you know, you and I will watch 94 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:39.279 NBA basketball, but a lot of people aren't. 95 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.879 The ratings are suffering. I don't know if it's the product. 96 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:46.240 I continue to believe until stars show up every single night, 97 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:48.920 you know, unless we got to say it, unless they're hurt, 98 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:52.920 I know, but you can't argue with the numbers. And yes, 99 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:55.079 they can throw their P and L statement at me 100 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:56.199 and say where's the problem? 101 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:57.240 I say, Okay, I get it. 102 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:00.680 But do you think the decline in NBA rings as 103 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.600 because nobody wants to just watch a team, you know, 104 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.560 shoot sixty plus threes. Nobody wants to, you know, watch 105 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:09.120 a three point shooting shooting contest unless it's during All 106 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.959 Star weekend, And as numbers tell us, people don't really 107 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:13.879 like to watch that either. Does the league have a 108 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:17.079 problem with this style of play that you outline in 109 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:19.000 your piece? Do you think they look to do something 110 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:19.439 about it? 111 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:22.519 I think they're always looking to do something about it. 112 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:25.920 I mean, this is a This is the same league 113 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:29.839 office that introduced the in season Tournament, the play in Tournament, 114 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.160 as well as the elam Ending and the All Star, 115 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:36.839 the NBA draft for the All Star. They're trying to 116 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:42.319 figure out ways to augment or gimmick or gamify the season. 117 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:45.319 And I don't think that they're you know, the shot 118 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:47.959 selection is off the table in terms of how do 119 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:51.639 we adjustice to make it more appealing for the audiences. 120 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:54.439 And I think, you know, Nick Wright, the kind of 121 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:57.319 the reason why I did that story was Nick Right 122 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:00.959 went on his podcast. You know, it wasn't on Fox 123 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:02.680 Sports one, but it was on his podcast that it 124 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:04.720 went viral where he was like, the India has as 125 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:06.839 a as an entertainment problem is that it's not as 126 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:09.240 entertaining as it used to be, and a lot of 127 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:11.439 that is because of all the threes. And he suggested 128 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.680 the idea of making dunks worth three points. That was 129 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:17.480 one of his proposals. And I think it gets at 130 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:20.639 something that I think we do need to consider is 131 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:26.439 should we make the mid range alive again and make 132 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.600 more shot diversity where it doesn't feel like it's just 133 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:34.680 threes and rim attacks every time down the floor. My 134 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:40.360 suggestion is this two three four system where you shortened 135 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:44.240 the three point line to about fifteen feet to bring 136 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.240 back the mid range, and then you extend the current 137 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:51.319 three point line to a four point line at about 138 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.399 thirty five or forty feet. You make it far enough 139 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:58.279 that it's a real challenge for NBA players to hit it. 140 00:06:58.720 --> 00:06:59.879 So it's not just gonna be a bunch of do 141 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.240 who is pulling up from half court every time. But 142 00:07:02.360 --> 00:07:05.720 you also want players to want to go to the rim, 143 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.079 to want to shoot from twenty feet, and want to 144 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.399 shoot from forty feet if it makes sense, And so 145 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:14.079 I think that proposal is one of my favorites that 146 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:16.399 I've heard. There's also, and I talk about this in 147 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:20.519 the piece, the idea of do we get rid of 148 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:22.920 the corner three so that you don't have two guys 149 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:25.279 standing in the corners and then getting a short, shorter 150 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:29.120 shot because the NBA dimensions make it such that the 151 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:32.040 corner three is about a foot shorter than a normal three, 152 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:34.519 and so there's an advantage there. Get rid of that 153 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:36.959 advantage and you won't see as many three pointers. There's 154 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:39.800 another idea that I've heard is capping the number of 155 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:43.279 three pointers that you make or take sorry to about 156 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:47.279 twenty per quarter, So basically you have like or sorry, 157 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:49.959 twenty per game, so you have basically twenty three pointers 158 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.959 to play around with, and then after that any three 159 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.480 pointer is worth two points. All those ideas are getting 160 00:07:57.480 --> 00:08:00.879 to the same trying to solve this problem, which is 161 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:04.639 it feels like the NBA is all about threes and 162 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:08.399 all that rim attacks and some of the creativity and 163 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:11.519 ingenuity and spontaneity of the NBA that might have been 164 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:14.120 around in the eighties and nineties it might be overstated. 165 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:16.560 How you know, the x's and o's were amazing, and 166 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:18.920 the game was amazing because of this, A lot of 167 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:21.920 those games were just they were It was wrestling. It 168 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:24.120 was a different sport. It was not the same thing 169 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:26.000 as what we're seeing today, and in a bad way. 170 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:29.480 So I'm not saying that everything was perfect in nineteen 171 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:32.320 ninety five. It wasn't. But the idea of there's too 172 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:34.600 many threes and it might be repelling some people from 173 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:38.279 watching the sport, I understand that viewpoint, but I don't 174 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:40.960 think that making dunks worth three points is the answer. 175 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.320 I think it'll make more injuries because of you know, 176 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:46.919 it's a violent sport already, but making it a dunk 177 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:49.559 worth three points would only increase the mid air collisions 178 00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:53.200 and you'll see Chet Holmgrens of the world land horribly 179 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:55.720 and be out because of a broken hip. I think 180 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.320 that would be more commonplace in a league with a 181 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:01.120 three point dunk. But I do think I think bringing 182 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.440 back some shot diversity and bringing back the mid range 183 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:06.720 in a way that makes sense, I think could go 184 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.240 a long way to bringing back some viewers who feel 185 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:12.159 like this game is just make or miss from downtown 186 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:15.080 and that's going to dictate everything is whether my team 187 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.679 made threes, and certainly the Utah Jazz on Saturday night 188 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:19.480 we're evidence of that is how good they look when 189 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:22.759 those threes are dropping. But some other nights it's pretty 190 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:23.279 hard to watch. 191 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:28.000 What do you most attribute the lack of solid ratings to, Tom, 192 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:30.519 Maybe it's just this, Maybe it's just this, And look, 193 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:34.279 historically speaking, it's been a number of years since pro 194 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:38.080 basketball was even within a earshot of Pro football, and 195 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.639 this time of year, most everybody that are sports fans 196 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:43.840 are you know, they're watching football, college and pro. Sunday 197 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:47.799 Night football is the highest rated television show in our 198 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:50.240 country not sporting a d television show. 199 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:53.679 So we will see the numbers improve come, you. 200 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:57.039 Know, February January, February when bowl seasons behind us, the 201 00:09:57.080 --> 00:10:01.279 Super Bowls behind us. But it's undy liviable that these 202 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:03.720 NBA ratings like the first couple of weeks like whatever. 203 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:06.480 But now we've got to sample size. We're approaching Thanksgiving 204 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:09.200 where some of the time slots are down as much 205 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:11.320 as like thirty forty percent. This is not five or 206 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:13.480 six percent. Why do you think people are watching pro 207 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:14.480 basketball right now? 208 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.360 Well, I think large majority of that slide is due 209 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:22.759 to the absence of Stars, And you hit on it 210 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.840 in the beginning, and I'll just give you this that 211 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:33.080 games missed by Stars is up fifty two percent compared 212 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:38.159 to last year, fifty two percent increase. Through fifteen games 213 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:41.320 of the season, we've had one hundred and fifty two injuries, 214 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:44.039 and last year at this point there was one hundred 215 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.279 games lost due to injury. So last year we had 216 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:50.320 one hundred games lost due to injury for Stars, and 217 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:53.120 now we're looking at one hundred and fifty two over 218 00:10:53.159 --> 00:10:56.919 that same time period. So what we're seeing is, you know, 219 00:10:57.320 --> 00:11:03.639 a nice return of stars, say Murray, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beale, chrisafsperzingis. 220 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:07.440 These guys are coming back, but a lot of players 221 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.840 are not that. Luca Dncrich is out for a week. 222 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:14.120 You have Joel Embiid, who knows what's happening with that guy. 223 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:18.000 Kawhi Leonard is still out for the season. Chris Middleton, 224 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:21.879 we have no real, real timetable for his return. And 225 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:27.559 we're seeing star players miss at extreme rates compared to 226 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:32.759 the recent history. And I think there's this there's this 227 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:40.360 happy medium between being smart and being good business smart, right, 228 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:42.759 Like there's smart in the medical sense of like, hey, 229 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:46.000 we're holding out these players because we don't want to 230 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:49.799 hurt them for the long run, or we're having preventative 231 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:53.600 treatments so that you know, this knee brain doesn't turn 232 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:56.960 into a torny acl I get that, but also there 233 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:00.200 has to be a happy meeting between that. And we're 234 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:03.000 seeing now where injuries or games lost due to injury 235 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:06.480 or absences are up fifty two percent, and so you know, 236 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:09.320 it's not good for business to have a Thursday night 237 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:12.320 game without any stars. Or have you know the Clippers 238 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:15.200 playing the Sixers in the opening week of the season 239 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.519 and only Paul George is playing. You got no Joelle Embiid, 240 00:12:19.559 --> 00:12:24.320 no Tyrese Maxey, no Paul George, no Kawhi Leonard. And 241 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:26.759 that's not good for the sport, not just for that night, 242 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.600 but also the message it sends to potential viewers is, oh, 243 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:34.240 I'm going to watch this Sixers Clippers game. Wait a minute, 244 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:36.919 those guys aren't playing, ah man, Like this is just 245 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:40.360 another game where the NBA stars aren't playing. That can 246 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:43.840 kind of really poison the well. And I'm hoping that 247 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:47.519 this avalanche of injuries is really coming to an end 248 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:50.919 here because we are seeing some players come back this week, 249 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:53.679 which is really good for the NBA Cup. The NBA 250 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:55.960 Cup is coming up, and I really hope that we 251 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:59.360 have a full, you know, roster of star players because 252 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:02.279 this is a star league and when you know injuries 253 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:04.279 or games lost, Dude, injury to star players is up 254 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.960 fifty two. That's about as much of an explainer as. 255 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:10.200 Anything well said. Good stuff. 256 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:12.159 Let me go back to the Jazz for a moment 257 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:14.480 and uh just kind of kick the tires with you 258 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:18.799 on some potential storylines and topics you know, this year, 259 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:21.679 and they took a big step back with their developmental 260 00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:24.440 program after Taylor broke his leg. Poor kid, because he 261 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:26.519 came back in great shape and he's looking pretty good. 262 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:28.559 Marketing cannot be traded. 263 00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:32.480 Maybe all I need to say to real NBA fans 264 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:34.799 about who the jazz are is John Collins might have been. 265 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:37.080 They might be their best players so far. Maybe maybe 266 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.799 that's all you need to know. But you know, certainly 267 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.279 Danny Aing's Justin Zannik open for business at all times. 268 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:45.919 Do you think any of these vets are going to 269 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:48.080 be on the move, because there is part when I like, 270 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:51.840 when watching the Nick game, I'm thinking, all right, Marketing's back, 271 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:52.879 you know, here we go again. 272 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:54.279 Are they going to start winning a little? 273 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:57.080 Because Lowry's that good and when they're hitting shots like 274 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:59.639 they were, they have the ability to win some games, 275 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:01.440 which I they very much do not want them to do. 276 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:04.080 I've been on that page for two years, as you know, Tom, 277 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:06.559 So I'm bring on the losing, Like when they started 278 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:10.279 losing big, you know, like where it seemed to be 279 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:12.840 pretty obvious that they were leaning into this development. They 280 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:15.360 started losing, and I felt better about their direction that 281 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.720 I have in two years. But you think we're gonna 282 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:21.240 see Danny and Justin maybe break this down to like 283 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:24.039 if they start winning tom if they go on some run, 284 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.600 whether they win like twelve of fourteen, which I do 285 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.559 not believe that they will do. But if they do that, 286 00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:32.600 will they start breaking this down prior to the February 287 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:33.600 deadline this time? 288 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.320 Yeah, it's just the perverse incentive structure of the NBA, right, 289 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:44.279 is that we're rooting. If you're a Jazz fan, you're conflicted. 290 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:46.759 You're rooting for them to lose because they might give 291 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:49.080 them the best chance at a star in that market. 292 00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:52.360 It might be the best route, the best path to 293 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.639 getting a foundational star. But it's also you look at 294 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:59.080 the Detroit Pistons. You look at for so long, the 295 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:02.960 Sacramento King the Minnesota Timberwolves when they got Andrew Wiggins, 296 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:05.879 and then only saw, you know, all of that mediocrity 297 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:08.919 to continue under Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns, and 298 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:11.399 it's like, we got two number one overall picks and 299 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:15.159 we're still not anywhere until they moved Andrew Wiggins and 300 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:17.879 then they got Rudy Gobert and of course Anthony Edwards 301 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:21.919 another number one overall pick. It's not it's more art 302 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:26.240 than science how to build a championship team. But the 303 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:29.519 problem is that the incentives are right there is you 304 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:31.879 have more ping pong balls if you are not good, 305 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:34.879 and so I think that will be the you know, 306 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:38.440 telling factor is how much they got to be in 307 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:40.600 the bottom five. But it doesn't have to be necessarily 308 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:43.840 the worst team. But I think if they're going to 309 00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:47.240 be record wise, you know, on that five to six, 310 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:51.120 you know, bottom of five six teams, I think that'll 311 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:54.159 be enough to you know, give them a solid shot 312 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:57.360 at a star in the draft. But you know, the 313 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:01.080 question is you look at a team like the Houston Rockets, 314 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:06.799 where there now as have won as many teams. And 315 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:09.519 I wrote about this for a Tomdefiner dot com I substack. 316 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:12.080 They're twelve and six right now, and they've built through 317 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:15.120 the draft. You look at Alphera and Shane gun Jalen Green, 318 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:19.600 Amen Thompson Reed, Shepherd's glued to the bench because there's 319 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:22.879 just so many good young players on that Teamtari Easton's 320 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.639 been fantastic for them. They made one signing right there 321 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:30.200 with Fred van Vliet, and he's kind of set the 322 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.039 tone for the locker room and that is a model 323 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:35.559 for the Utah Jazz. Is like building, it's going to 324 00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:38.399 take a few years, but building through the draft and 325 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.320 seeing where it gets them, but you have to hit. 326 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.320 And the Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder, they've built 327 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.679 through the draft in a way that is a nice 328 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.639 model for Houston, but you have to make sure you 329 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.440 nail those picks. And so for the Jazz it's like, yeah, 330 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:53.639 we can build through the draft, but if we don't 331 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:57.559 get Cooper Flag in the draft, will this be all 332 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:00.000 for not? And unfortunately the NBA, for a small mart 333 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:04.880 the team, the odds are not great to begin with, 334 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:07.119 and the odds that might be best if you build 335 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.519 through the draft like OKAC and Houston has and hope 336 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:13.119 you can nail those picks and you can get an 337 00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:15.960 Alpera and Shane Gun. You can get a check Holme 338 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.960 Grin or a Jalen Williams. But the history of the 339 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.440 NBA shows you know you need a superstar and probably 340 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:24.480 two or three of them in order to win a championship. 341 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.079 And for Utah, it's just gonna be really hard to 342 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.240 bring one in without having enough bites at the apple 343 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:30.599 at the. 344 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:32.759 Top before I set you loose, because I know you 345 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:34.319 got to go, and if you need to go quick, 346 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:35.720 Just be quick, quick with the answer. 347 00:17:35.720 --> 00:17:36.359 But here's the thing. 348 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:40.799 I've never considered anybody to be able to win a 349 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:44.000 quote triple crown in pro basketball because I simply thought 350 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.680 it was entirely impossible. And Nikola Jokich is second in 351 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.119 rebounding right now, he's second in assists. 352 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:51.599 Uh no't excuse me. 353 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.240 He leads the league in rebounding, he's second in scoring, 354 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:57.279 and he's second in assists, and he's shooting like forty 355 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:00.200 three percent from three. Maybe we're numb to it, but 356 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:02.880 he strikes me as like this virtue. Also, who's mastered 357 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.440 the cello and wants to retire and go do something else. 358 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.920 What do you make of what we could potentially see 359 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.880 with the Jokics this year? 360 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:13.599 I hate to correct you, but I'm only doing it 361 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:15.720 because I love you, and because it's even funnier. The 362 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.440 stat is, Yoki isn't shooting forty three percent from downtown. 363 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:21.480 He's shooting fifty six. 364 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:24.960 Oh my gosh, I must have had the wrong stat 365 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:27.200 that's insane. 366 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:33.720 Say fifty six percent spence from downtown and it's you know, 367 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:35.799 do you have to qualify it? I'm not so sure 368 00:18:35.799 --> 00:18:39.079 he qualifies right now. Just because of the games played 369 00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:43.039 from the three point standpoint, but fifty six percent from 370 00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:46.880 downtown first and rebounding not quite like you said, not 371 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:49.400 quite assists and points right now, but he's right in 372 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.960 the mix of it. I never thought i'd see anything 373 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:55.319 like that, But then again, I thought i'd never see 374 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:57.680 Lebron James score forty thousand points, and I thought i'd 375 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:00.519 never see someone break off for Robertson's triple double record, 376 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:04.319 and then basically Russell Bosper did it three times. So 377 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:07.640 I can't put it past Jokich. He's a virtuo. So 378 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:11.400 he is the best player in the NBA, and I 379 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:12.920 don't think it's particularly. 380 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:13.680 Close this season. 381 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.759 I don't know if you'll have the volume or he'll 382 00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:22.759 continue to shoot that well from downtown, but it's all 383 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:25.240 things are possible with that guy. He is a savant. 384 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:29.559 He is the chosen one in terms of like basketball skill, 385 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:34.680 and he's got incredible hands. He's second in the NBA 386 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:38.400 in deflections. We're not even talking about those steals and 387 00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:41.680 block numbers for Jokic, but he's second in the NBA 388 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:45.000 in deflections per game, behind Dyson Daniels. Which no one 389 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:49.279 realizes is that he's just got these ridiculous myths that 390 00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:52.119 not just has the touch but also just the hand 391 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:56.599 eye coordinations ridiculous. And so Jokich is incredible. He's my pick, 392 00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:59.440 easy pick for MVP at this point. And it's certainly 393 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:03.640 within the realm possibility that he could have that triple 394 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:06.680 crown so to speak, and points, rebounds and assists. But 395 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:09.079 also that three point percentage is in sane fifty six 396 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:10.200 percent unbelievable. 397 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:12.559 Heading back to the motherland Tommy tomorrow. 398 00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:16.279 So I'll pay my respects to the great I'm sure 399 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:19.400 Tom Haberstrow statue that's outside of Staples High School at 400 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:19.799 some point. 401 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:22.200