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Speaker 1: What is up Fellasiko's I Am dan fa Valley coming

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at you with an NBA podcast crossover, which means it's

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featuring Mort Jensen of the NBA Podcast Fame, Duh, of

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Yahoo Sports, Fame, of OnlyFans, celebrity notoriety, infamy, and also

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of Forbes Fame. I can't believe I forgot about that one,

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but really Only Fans is more important. We're taking a

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break from single teams, single topic. Deek dives to do

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something no one else has ever done. As More, it

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was so kind enough to point out to me once again,

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just like we went through restricted free agents the other day,

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we're gonna talk about teams we were each limited to picking.

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We're gonna pick three. We don't know who the other

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team is picking, so we need other persons picking, so

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they will need to be alternates. We're going to try

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and identify teams that could These aren't necessarily predictions, tho

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in some case they would, but teams that could surprise us,

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and that could be as More, it was kind enough

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to mind me before we hopped on good or bad surprise,

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so disappointments. Pleasant surprise is unpleasant surprise. Ifoever you want

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to frame it. That's what we're going to tackle back

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and forth. We don't know what the other person's going

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to come up with. It's going to be absolute insanity

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as usual. But first and foremost one everyone poorn went

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out for more. Who's powering through what sounds like the

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flu or just some type of sickness? He sounds he's

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ready to narrate pornos folks. Moort, how are you doing well?

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Speaker 2: I'm not doing fantastic or I'm just going to be

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completely honest with you outside of having my annual virus

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or whatever the hell that I caught.

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Speaker 1: Oh, annual, I thought you said something.

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Speaker 3: No, that's for later, honey, don't worry. That's for later.

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Speaker 2: But I do always appreciate that when I'm sick, I

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have my sexy mort voice going so like, and I

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will say, a couple of years ago, my wife was like,

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could you just keep that just that around? Like, could

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you just somehow turn that into a staple. I don't

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want all the sickness, I don't want all the snot

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coming out of you, but the voice I could get

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used to that.

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Speaker 1: So so she just wants you to basically lick public

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toilet seats just to ensure that she doesn't want she

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doesn't want the work.

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Speaker 3: I do that every day regardless. Now that doesn't work,

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so well, we will.

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Speaker 1: We appreciate you being here so that you can power

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through this, uh, this exercise. Do you have any notes

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about how you approach this before we get started?

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Speaker 3: Well?

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Speaker 2: Yes, I mean, look, obviously this is focusing on teams

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and not players, but I decided to like give the

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rosters a thorough look and try to what's the word,

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not predict, but I tried to envision where things could

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go wrong and where things could go really okay. And

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and it's it's basically off that a lot of it

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is shooting variants. I'm not gonna lie to you that

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a lot of that came down to that.

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Speaker 1: I So the thing that I struggle with furthest exercise

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is I'm looking at it mostly from my perspective or

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what I think might be a consensus perspective, rather than

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what does this team think about itself? And I'll throw

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out a team as an example here. I apologize if

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it spoils one for you, But like the Pelicans, and

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I don't mean to pile on clearly think that they're

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going to be contending for something or going to be

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good right away. Otherwise why do you go get Derek Queen.

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I don't think they're going to be good right away,

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and so when they invariably finish eleventh or twelfth or

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thirteenth in the Western Conference, that's not going to surprise.

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Speaker 2: Me, right right, And yeah, And that's the way I

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looked at it as well. I mean not, I just

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didn't lean into anything obvious. So if you wouldn't mind,

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I'm actually gonna go to my first one. I actually

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have the Bulls. That's a team that could be surprising

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in a positive sense because while look, their process and

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their roster construction philosophy is horrendous, I actually do like

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a lot of the components that they do have on

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the roster. I think Sack Collins has historically been pretty underrated.

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I think Kevin Herder is someone who offers so much

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volume three point shooting and a lot of like space

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and gravity. If they hang on to Kobe White, he's

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entering like his prime years, Like there's a chance he

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could be an All star caliber player. If not, you know,

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a short fire all star. I think with more minutes

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for Jalen Smith, presumably that that's going to be a

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good thing. They have Iod Assumer, who we talked about

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matsas Buslas looked really good last year. There's a lot

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of reason to believe he's going to take a step up.

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Trey Jones is one of those players who kind of

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flies under the radar. So again, I don't buy the

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Balls as a team for the future in any sense

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of the word. But I do think the parts that

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they do have can come together on a level where

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by the end of the season they might actually be

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in that top six playoff hunt. Not saying they will,

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and I think that's because again, everything can happen, but

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it is the East, and a lot of teams are

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basically just mailing it in this year. So I'm just

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actually going to say the Bulls could be a surprise,

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but through no shar fault or so to speak of

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their own, they'll they'll just run ass backwards into it.

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Speaker 1: I you know, because I was going to ask you

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what does a surprise look like for them? Because they're

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aiming for like that thirty seven to forty two win,

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right sweet spot, and so what is the ceiling on

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that type of a team like that would be that's

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like you're thinking they could get to forty five or something.

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Speaker 2: Yes see, I actually didn't look at it through like wins.

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I looked at it through seeds.

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Speaker 1: Well, they're the quintessential like mid team. So that's I

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think that's why the wins come into play to where

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it's like, oh, if you have you know, if you

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have the Wizards winning let's say like twelve games, and

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you think that they could win thirty, it's just like

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you it's easier to talk about like a wider range

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of that. But the Bulls, like they're the definition of midley.

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Speaker 3: Well, they won forty nine games last year.

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Speaker 2: I would not be surprised if they had like forty two,

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forty three, maybe even forty four. Again, it's it's not

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gonna take them anywhere, ultimately speaking, because they still lack

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that top tier guy. I'm not a big believer in

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them being able to retain Kobe White past next season either. So,

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but this could be the last gasp of this current

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iteration of the Bulls because you also have Sat Collins

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who goes into a contract year. I think Kevin Herder

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is in a contract year as well. So I'm just

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assuming a lot of these guys are going to step

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up now. Of course, there's also Nikola Vuzovich. He's played

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one game so far at EuroBasket where he looked really

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good offensively and on the glass. Defensively, though, oh my god, Dan,

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it looked horrendous. He was like two or three steps

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slow on every possession. I could be a little concerned

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that for him specifically, this might be you know, quote

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unquote the decline year, especially defensively. But that's almost the

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beauty of it, because if that means less vooge, it

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presumably means more sac Collins, it means more Jalen Smith

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two options. I would frankly prefer for the Bulls if

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they play up tempo. So I just think they have

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a lot of those safeguards in place. So it's interesting,

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Like I don't necessarily think that I would be willing

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to write this in Stone. I could just see a

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scenario where what do you call the sun folder parts?

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Speaker 3: Just make it up.

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Speaker 1: There's and the only other thing I have to add

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on them is I think what would make me reticent

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to pick them is the other thing we almost have

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to factor in is what if these teams I guess

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because it's the Bulls. You don't have to factor this in,

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But what if these teams decide to steer out or

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steer in rather to a skid to where if the

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Bulls are like, we're kind of too good, but we're

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not good enough, or someone comes along with a Kobe

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White offer with him at during free agency, do we

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pounce on it? I guess because you picked the Bulls

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though you're it's pretty safe to say they won't do that.

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That's the thick about the bo So my pick is

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going to be a team that I think has been

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getting shit on a lot because they don't I think

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people don't believe their roster makes sense, which to some

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extent is fair. The Toronto Raptors, for me, they just

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have a lot of guys. And this is something that

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Grant and I had talked about last offseason when we

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were discussing the Portland Trailblazers, and it did take a while,

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but things started to coll lace for them. It didn't

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seem like everyone fit together. And Toronto is in a

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similar boat to where Okay, RJ. Barrett and Brandon Ingram

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and Scottie Barnes and then what's happening? They have all

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these bigs and fours that can't really shoot. How does

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Jako Perle factor into it all? I feel like in

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the minutes that their core guys have played together over

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the past two seasons, it's the season and change. There

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hasn't been a lot of it because of injuries. For

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the most part, they've absolutely annihilated opponents, and I isolated

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even further because I do think that there's something to

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be said about RJ. Barrett being the odd man out here,

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and so in the time that Emmanuel Quickly, Scottie Barnes,

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and Yakub Peertle have logged without RJ Barrett. Over the

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past two seasons, the Raptors are plus eight point seven

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points per one hundred possessions with an offensive rating that's

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like close to one hundred and twenty four. And they're

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not shooting threes that well during these minutes thirty six

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point seven percent. Now you throw they're shooting like six

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what is it like sixty crazy percent on twos? Sixty

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percent on twos. What's really interesting is now you put

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Brandon Ingram in RJ Barrett's place here, brand Ingram's a

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better three point shooter. That's something that you could Bank.

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I think RJ. Barrett's better at moving off the ball

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right now. But RJ. Barrett didn't really start moving off

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the ball or operating with these heads of steam in

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transition with the Knicks and some of those second units. Sure,

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but like RJ. Barrett is used differently in Toronto than

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the way he was from New York, I don't see

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anything about brandon Ingram, not as much like RJ. Barrett

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has more of that like knife through butter movement away

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from the ball shore. You can use brandon Ingram, I

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think in a lot of the same ways. And I

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think you could argue that brandon Ingram coming to the

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Raptors is better as a passer and a shooter than RJ.

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Barrett was coming to the Raptors when he did. Now,

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you could talk about the passing after the season, especially

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to start that RJ had last year, So you've upgraded

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the talent in that spot. And if you just get

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a hit from anywhere else, maybe Grady Dick takes it

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like another lead he started off the season really well,

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or maybe you get something like oh chaiak Baji just

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like had a really good year. He continues to shoot

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the three ball well or maybe you even fox in fiddle.

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You're a guy, mamu, someone who could space the flour

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at the five spot. Maybe you see what that looks

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like instead of Perle. But just go through go through

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the depth chart too. They have a lot of dudes

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that will be dogs on defense. I think Scotty Barnes

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is good there. Emmanuel Quickly has not been good defensively

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in Toronto. I think he has more to offer. I

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just think the stop and start nature of what he's

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been in terms of availability is hurt him. Jamal shd

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ak Baji is another one. If you get any minutes

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from Mobo or Colin Murray Boyles, like those are guys

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that I think, especially Colin Murray Boyles. If you told

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me Klin Murray Boyle's played thirty minutes a game, I'm

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not saying he will. I might like he could make

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an all defense team, that's how good I think he

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might be out of the gate. So they just have

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a lot of guys. They're not all perfect fitting, but like,

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it doesn't always need to be perfect fitting. This isn't oh.

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Stars have a way of figuring it out. But sometimes

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you're just so deep and have so much actual positive

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NBA talent that you will figure it out. And I

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also kind of think we saw this for stages last year,

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Like even if the offense is choppy, I really do

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look at this team as one that could be a

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gangbuster on the defensive end as well. Like they're young,

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they can play fast, but also they could force a

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bunch of turnovers. If they want to go to that

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aggressive route, get out and transition, then that helps your offense.

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So I look at the Raptors as I'm not saying

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there'll be a top four seed in the East, but

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if we just kind of look back and see that

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the Raptors won forty five games, it wouldn't it wouldn't

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shock me. But I think that they're built to shock.

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In general.

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Speaker 2: I love that inclusion and I think it's it's pretty

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interesting that we started with the Bulls and then the Raptors,

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because I just wrote a piece about the Raptors, specifically RJ.

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Speaker 3: Barrett over at Forbes.

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Speaker 2: You know, in terms of like they can probably get

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to a new level if they pivot off RJ. Because

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they need a guard. And there is a world where

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in a deal centered around r J. Barrett and Kobe White,

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and Nikola Vusovich kind of makes sense if you want

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to optimize, like the floor spacing in Toronto. Now where

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it gets tricky, And I didn't mention this in the piece.

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I didn't even include Vucevic. I took this from a

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Toronto perspective. Like a Kobe White type of player, there

254
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would be beautiful for them, a guy who can.

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Speaker 3: Play a lot off the ball.

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Speaker 2: But like if they are looking at you know, forty

257
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forty five wins, but they want to make that leap,

258
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like they think the trade deadline that they're like, okay,

259
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if we get buried out of town, if we make

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that push for Kobe and Booch, maybe that's the ticket

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to actually get into the playoffs fully fledged. Would you

262
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even be willing to, like Dankle Colin Murray Boyles in

263
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those trade talks to get those guys in, Just like

264
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if I had Kobe on a longer deal, I would,

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But since I don't, I probably wouldn't.

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Speaker 1: I probably wouldn't either, just because you do get into

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a situation where, yes, they could play together, but how

268
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much money are you gonna want committed to a manual quickly?

269
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In Kobe White long term, especially after having paid Barnes

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and Ingram, so that I probably wouldn't include Collin. I

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mean maybe if the Bulls are sending out a pick

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or something in that scenario, or you're getting ioed assume

273
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as well. But he's also someone who's gonna be up.

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Speaker 2: For Yeah, he also needs he needs a new deal

275
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as well. Booch needs a new deal. But I mean, well,

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I mean, right, you can get him on the cheat right.

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But it's it's interesting. I think those two are going

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to be the potential trade partners if we're wrong about

279
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you know, them not being surprises.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't. I'm I Finding an RJ. Barrett team

281
00:14:09,879 --> 00:14:12,600
is tough. I've thought about Charlotte a little bit because

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they have like not a ton of wings, but I

283
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don't know who, Like, do you are they giving you

284
00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,120
Colin Sexton? That makes your team a little smaller, does

285
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help their shooting. He's an expiring contract. I don't I

286
00:14:21,919 --> 00:14:25,200
don't know which side would have interest in that. But

287
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finding an RJ. Barrett team is It's the I thought

288
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about Washington until they traded for Cam Whitmore. Now it's like, okay,

289
00:14:33,919 --> 00:14:35,840
well no, it doesn't need to be It definitely doesn't

290
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need to be Washington, who's your next team, sir?

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Speaker 2: Well, So by definition I have to go Spurs positive

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in a positive light obviously, and that is because I

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am I'm going out on a limb, Dan, and I'm

294
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I'm being even more of an idiot than usual. I

295
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think that the Spurs are going to win fifty plus games,

296
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and I think Victorum Panama's to be the youngest MVP

297
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in league history.

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Speaker 1: I think, so this is a good team to pick

299
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because I had them as a team that's going to

300
00:15:10,279 --> 00:15:13,559
be an unpleasant surprise, like to clock. So like this

301
00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,480
is a great discussion to have. I kind of just

302
00:15:15,519 --> 00:15:18,000
feel like we're getting ahead of our skis here. I

303
00:15:18,039 --> 00:15:20,399
think they won the minutes with Wemby last year. On

304
00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,600
the court, they're like almost a plus four. They have

305
00:15:22,679 --> 00:15:27,039
more talent objectively on the roster, right, but you also

306
00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,840
have two major young guards and Steph Castle and Dylan Harper.

307
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And I know that Spurs fans tend a default that

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it's just all gonna work out right away. I'm not

309
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saying it's not all gonna work out, that the dynamic

310
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will never work out, but right away, like we're so

311
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are you just if they're going to be good. So

312
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I'll start there. If you think that's going to happen.

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Do you think that Dylan Harper then is not really

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going to play a major role for this teamer? You

315
00:15:51,639 --> 00:15:52,919
just expect him to be really good?

316
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,440
Speaker 2: Off rip I off rip first and foremost. I love

317
00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,159
his game. I think he is an NBA ready player,

318
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both physically and the game. And like the IQ wise,

319
00:16:02,879 --> 00:16:05,080
like the shooting is a legit question mark, and I'm

320
00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:06,799
not trying to downplay that.

321
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Speaker 3: I think I think the shooting concerns.

322
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Speaker 2: Are greater with Castle than Harper, though, like I think

323
00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,000
we've done the Spurs a bit of a disservice by

324
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going into this everyone and saying, oh, well, Castle and

325
00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:20,960
Harper are both bad shooters where this is this is

326
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,279
partially true, but one is further ahead than the other.

327
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Speaker 3: I think that's fair to say.

328
00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,240
Speaker 1: Again, Also the Harper stuff, I know what the percentages are,

329
00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,960
but now after getting a chance to see him and

330
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,519
the way he moves in Summer League, right, I said this, like,

331
00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,759
I'm just not worried about that dude as a shooter

332
00:16:36,919 --> 00:16:38,639
long term, and so it's not on a level of

333
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,120
I know some people provide pushback on oh, Steph Castle

334
00:16:41,159 --> 00:16:43,879
will eventually be a good shooter. That's the that's the

335
00:16:43,919 --> 00:16:46,360
guy to talk about. I think that's the right guy.

336
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Like Harper. I'm just not really worried about as an

337
00:16:48,559 --> 00:16:50,519
off baller on ball shooter exactly.

338
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Speaker 2: And I think if he comes in and pops, which

339
00:16:52,519 --> 00:16:56,360
I think, then Castle might be a little bit of

340
00:16:56,399 --> 00:16:59,200
a luxury item where he's nice to have, not need

341
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,360
to have, so like whatever he gives you, you can

342
00:17:01,399 --> 00:17:04,720
sort of pluck him in where he's necessary, like he's

343
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a big dude. Or are we saying that you can't

344
00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:10,319
put Castle at the three occasionally to get a little

345
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bit more playmaking and shooting in the back court. I'm

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just not ruling that out. But for me, obviously, when

347
00:17:17,799 --> 00:17:20,680
I have wemps the MVP here, which is the real

348
00:17:20,759 --> 00:17:23,000
thing is I think this is going to be like

349
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,839
a superhuman year from him, and I think Darren Fox is.

350
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Speaker 3: Yeah.

351
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Speaker 2: I don't like his contract, I've said as much, but

352
00:17:30,759 --> 00:17:33,880
that doesn't mean Daron Fox isn't damn good like him,

353
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pushing the tempo, him just getting everyone moving.

354
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Speaker 3: We know Wemby is able to play with quick guards.

355
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Speaker 2: We've seen that both at the NBA level, We've seen

356
00:17:41,839 --> 00:17:44,880
it in the international level as well, Like, this is

357
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a dude who understands, oh, if the guards are actually

358
00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,920
running and pushing, I need to make myself available constantly.

359
00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,880
Be that as a trailing three point shooter, be that

360
00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,599
as a lob threat. Hell be it as an open

361
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mid range guy, like he does not like look at

362
00:18:02,079 --> 00:18:06,839
the game as like, yeah, he does have an analytical approach,

363
00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,279
but he's not someone who will not take an open

364
00:18:10,279 --> 00:18:13,480
mid range you know what I mean. Like, he understands

365
00:18:13,519 --> 00:18:15,200
the value of an open shot, whether it's a three

366
00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,759
or made or whatever, and so he won't discriminate. That

367
00:18:17,799 --> 00:18:20,319
was the word I was looking for. He won't discriminate shots.

368
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,680
And now you also add in thesell who I think

369
00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,960
he had a down year. I think there's a perfectly

370
00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,920
reasonable expectation for him to bounce.

371
00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:29,279
Speaker 3: Back a little bit.

372
00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,920
Speaker 2: We know Harrison Barnes is efficient. We know he takes

373
00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,039
a lot of threes, we know he scores a lot

374
00:18:35,079 --> 00:18:38,480
at the rim. We know he's efficient. At the same time,

375
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I also don't think they're done. I don't assume that

376
00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,799
they're going to finish the year with the roster that

377
00:18:43,839 --> 00:18:48,079
they have now twenty four point five I think million

378
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,680
in backup centers in shape of Kellyo Linic and Luke Cognette.

379
00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:53,839
That to me is just like such a flag that

380
00:18:54,039 --> 00:18:57,559
something is going down before the traded line, like there's

381
00:18:57,599 --> 00:19:01,039
definitely a deal to be found there. And if they're

382
00:19:01,039 --> 00:19:05,440
on the right track by December, January whatever, I assume

383
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,720
that they're going to feel some calls and try to

384
00:19:07,759 --> 00:19:10,599
make a sort of pushing, not like all the chips,

385
00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,759
but some of them to make them better right off

386
00:19:13,799 --> 00:19:16,640
the bat. I also think they have some depth, and

387
00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,039
I think that goes flies a little bit onder the radar.

388
00:19:19,839 --> 00:19:23,839
I know you have mentioned a lot and not inaccurately,

389
00:19:24,319 --> 00:19:26,759
the spacing issues and like where is the shooting going

390
00:19:26,799 --> 00:19:29,880
to come from? But there are players on this roster

391
00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,640
who we always tend to forget about, like Julian Champagni

392
00:19:34,039 --> 00:19:37,000
legitimately rotation guy. He started for him a lot last

393
00:19:37,079 --> 00:19:40,200
year at three million. By the way, major bargain, no

394
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:40,920
one seems to get.

395
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,039
Speaker 1: The Shampagnes are out here just getting robbed.

396
00:19:43,279 --> 00:19:46,079
Speaker 3: They are really good, Both of them are really good.

397
00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:49,720
Speaker 1: I've already put this out there, I've who I proposed

398
00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,000
it to. I'm already trying to get Justin Champagne to

399
00:19:53,039 --> 00:19:55,519
the Knicks. Somehows the Wizards just have too many wings.

400
00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,079
Right now, Justin Champagne to the next somebody make it happen.

401
00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,680
Speaker 2: He's so good and he he's to get a much

402
00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,559
better rebounder than his brother, where his brother's a little

403
00:20:03,559 --> 00:20:06,400
bit more of like a finesse shooter. It's it's interesting

404
00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,799
how different their their play style actually is, and ironically

405
00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,960
they go great together on the floor because Champangnie is

406
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,000
more for like three to two or so both Champagne,

407
00:20:17,079 --> 00:20:20,359
like Julian's more of a two, like a three to two,

408
00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:22,640
and Justin's more for a three to four.

409
00:20:22,839 --> 00:20:24,279
Speaker 3: Like they could actually play together.

410
00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,920
Speaker 2: But yeah, no, I think this is gonna be like

411
00:20:29,039 --> 00:20:32,839
a major major Wenby year, Like we're talking close to

412
00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:37,279
thirty points. We're probably talking twelve thirteen rebounds, four blocks,

413
00:20:38,559 --> 00:20:40,359
efficiency through the roof.

414
00:20:40,759 --> 00:20:43,960
Speaker 3: I think this year three Wemby could be just.

415
00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,039
Speaker 2: An absolute monster, and like, how the hell do you

416
00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:47,759
stop him?

417
00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:50,279
Speaker 1: And look, I have no pushback for any of the

418
00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:52,720
If you tell me that Victor Womenyama's gonna play in

419
00:20:52,759 --> 00:20:55,359
sixty five plus games, there's nothing you could tell me

420
00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,880
about him or the Spurs that yeah, there's never gonna happen.

421
00:20:59,279 --> 00:21:04,440
But he's just he defies logic. I think the bar

422
00:21:04,519 --> 00:21:06,400
for them to surprise is just too high because I

423
00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,400
think too many people are expecting. And that's why I

424
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,640
would have them as a potential disappointment. I think too

425
00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,759
many people fall into your camp to where like, no,

426
00:21:13,839 --> 00:21:15,480
this is a team. They're ready to win fifty games,

427
00:21:15,799 --> 00:21:17,440
maybe what a top four seed in the end, Like

428
00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,440
by you saying he's gonna win MVP, I would say

429
00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,640
you're banking on them being no lower than fourth in

430
00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,559
the West. If you're gonna say that.

431
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,799
Speaker 3: Yeah, then that's probably more than fifty. Then we're probably

432
00:21:26,839 --> 00:21:27,720
looking at fifty.

433
00:21:27,559 --> 00:21:30,079
Speaker 1: Right, And just you know, when you're talking about Okay,

434
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:35,680
Okac and Houston and Denver. You love the Clippers, there's

435
00:21:35,759 --> 00:21:41,319
the Timberwolves, the Lakers are looming. I just it's a

436
00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,640
tall order. So I and I just think that we're

437
00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,920
this is to me when Beyama specifically, no, I don't

438
00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,319
think there's a rush to coordinate put the fucking crown

439
00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,519
on him. I'm there, But I think the Spurs as

440
00:21:53,559 --> 00:21:56,200
a team, and one of the things that that does

441
00:21:56,319 --> 00:21:59,279
concern me is that they can get to some nasty

442
00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,319
defensive come combinations. But it's not just about the three

443
00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:06,440
guard stuff on offense. For me, they seem very dependent

444
00:22:06,799 --> 00:22:10,160
on their floor spacing coming from the front court. Right now.

445
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,400
Their best shooters are Victor Wembinyama, Kelly olinok, Devin Vessel,

446
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,319
Harrison Barnes, like a lot of those names are coming

447
00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,240
at the four at that four or the five at

448
00:22:21,279 --> 00:22:23,799
that point. And then I also just kind of wonder, Okay,

449
00:22:23,839 --> 00:22:27,359
you have the primary and the secondary creation to get

450
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,720
Wemby more of those paint touches that everybody wants to see,

451
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,119
those on the move paint touches, but do you have

452
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,039
the spacing yet to do that? Because he is part

453
00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,119
of what's important. I know people get frustrated by a

454
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,319
shot selection sometime, and I know he has some of

455
00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,839
those just you know, yolo threes.

456
00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:43,400
Speaker 3: Let's call them.

457
00:22:43,559 --> 00:22:46,119
Speaker 1: They're almost a necessity to open the floor for the

458
00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,880
Spurs offense at this point, and I just don't know

459
00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,920
if they've done enough to change that. And so I

460
00:22:53,079 --> 00:22:56,359
still have a lot of questions about their offensive ceiling

461
00:22:56,799 --> 00:22:59,559
just because you're also talking about Fox is a veteran,

462
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,480
so it's okay, you lose CP three I think the

463
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:05,440
turnovers will still be fine whatever, But like integrating Dylan

464
00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,559
Harper specifically, whether he's running the second unit or you

465
00:23:08,599 --> 00:23:11,559
want him on the ball in like primary lineup minutes

466
00:23:11,599 --> 00:23:14,119
with Wemby and Stephan Cast, I just things could get

467
00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,200
really rough. And so I would expect this team if

468
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,559
Wenby's gonna be available the entire year, yeah, like they're

469
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:22,559
gonna be in the forties. I would think of the

470
00:23:22,559 --> 00:23:25,000
wins total, But like anyone kind of expecting this to

471
00:23:25,079 --> 00:23:29,839
be their formal entry into fringe contention, I would just

472
00:23:30,039 --> 00:23:32,920
I would pump the brakes. I love when I go negative.

473
00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:34,359
I love to be proven wrong. I want to make

474
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,440
that clear. So I'm sure people are already mad in

475
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,519
the if their Spurs fans mad in the comments. I

476
00:23:38,599 --> 00:23:40,960
just I still have questions about this team, which I

477
00:23:41,039 --> 00:23:43,200
kind of think it's fair when it's it's year three

478
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,279
of Wemby, year two of Castle in year one of

479
00:23:45,319 --> 00:23:46,440
Dylan Harper.

480
00:23:46,839 --> 00:23:51,759
Speaker 2: And look, those are perfectly reasonable arguments at the end

481
00:23:51,799 --> 00:23:54,559
of the day. For me, it's it's really the fact

482
00:23:54,559 --> 00:23:56,680
that they have so much rim pressure now at the

483
00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:01,039
guard spot, where we know the Spurs have just been

484
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,279
excellent when they haven't had a lot of floorspacing and

485
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,960
then getting to the rim, generating good shots near the

486
00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:09,559
rim at the mid range area. Like, they know how

487
00:24:09,599 --> 00:24:11,720
to get two pointers, it's kind of my point here,

488
00:24:12,079 --> 00:24:14,319
and they know how to get efficient looks at two pointers.

489
00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,839
So for them to have both Fox who can really

490
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:22,200
push the tempo. Now Dylan Harper, who is I don't

491
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,759
want to go into the James Harton comparisons, but like,

492
00:24:25,319 --> 00:24:28,680
physically he's similar to James in the sense that broad shoulders,

493
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,000
a lot of strength, can really get people to bounce

494
00:24:32,039 --> 00:24:34,279
off of him instead of him bouncing off of other players.

495
00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,119
I just think that component of having that downhill segment

496
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,799
is just going to unleash Wemby in a row that

497
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:42,960
we have not yet seen.

498
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,079
Speaker 1: This is gonna be an interesting one to track. I'll

499
00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:47,119
have to put a pin in it to see who

500
00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,119
makes out closer. So I was gonna go negative and alternate,

501
00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,079
but I kind of did just go negative as your

502
00:24:52,079 --> 00:24:54,920
counterpoint to the Spurs, So I'll go positive again. They've

503
00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:57,759
sucked me in again. I said this last year the

504
00:24:57,839 --> 00:25:01,119
Charlotte Hornets. I think yet people are too quick to

505
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:02,559
just oh, they're gonna be like one of the two

506
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,200
or three worst teams in the East. I won't again,

507
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:06,640
this is not something I'm gonna roll out, but I

508
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,480
would just like to point we're gonna start with Flamelo

509
00:25:09,519 --> 00:25:12,000
ball more. I know your favorite player in the NBA.

510
00:25:12,279 --> 00:25:16,160
Right past three seasons, Here's where his teammates have ranked

511
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,359
in three point efficiency last year the twenty second percentile,

512
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,640
the year before that, the seventeenth percentile the year before that,

513
00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:29,359
the first percentile. That's all poor per B Ball Index.

514
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,160
Now you look at the other thing that I don't

515
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,400
think it's talked about enough when it comes to help

516
00:25:33,559 --> 00:25:35,759
is LaMelo's taking too many shots. He's on the ball

517
00:25:35,799 --> 00:25:37,279
too much. Who else do you want on the ball

518
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,480
in Charlotte his teammates on ball gravity for his career,

519
00:25:41,839 --> 00:25:44,400
so the past five seasons, his teammates have never ranked

520
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,839
higher than the thirty third percentile in just on ball

521
00:25:47,839 --> 00:25:51,599
gravity on ball creation that as well, Like those two

522
00:25:51,599 --> 00:25:53,640
different things, that is insane. And so you know what

523
00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:55,960
the Hornets go out and do this summer. Yeah, probably

524
00:25:56,039 --> 00:25:59,000
came with the expensive defense, but they traded for Collin

525
00:25:59,079 --> 00:26:01,480
Sexon in a deal that I still don't understand. For

526
00:26:01,559 --> 00:26:04,559
the conventional wisdom suggests that if you're the team giving

527
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:07,480
up the worst player on the worst contract, you should

528
00:26:07,519 --> 00:26:09,720
include a pick. The Hornet's got a pick. Kudos to

529
00:26:09,759 --> 00:26:13,559
Jeff Peterson and co. They draft Conk Nipple, they draft

530
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,319
Liam McNeely. Brandon Miller is going to be healthier and

531
00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:17,720
whether you want to see him, they put him on

532
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:20,759
the ball more. Last year. I think he showed stuff

533
00:26:20,759 --> 00:26:23,079
as a passer. The turnovers got a little egregious. But

534
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:25,799
now he'll be year three, Hopefully he's healthier. He'll be

535
00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,759
working with better spacing or you know what they could

536
00:26:28,759 --> 00:26:31,799
maybe do for him, get him moving downhill off the

537
00:26:31,839 --> 00:26:33,920
ball more frequently so that he can get to the rim.

538
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,400
Draw some fouls might be a strength thing. Yeah, there's

539
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,480
questions at the center position. They're not like their best

540
00:26:40,519 --> 00:26:44,519
wing aside from Brandon Miller is like wing defensively, I

541
00:26:44,559 --> 00:26:47,680
mean because Canipple and McNeely have the size of wings,

542
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:49,640
which I also feel like doesn't get talked about enough.

543
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,480
People keep calling them like these two guards and they're

544
00:26:51,519 --> 00:26:54,279
six to seven, like they got they got real size. Yeah,

545
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,960
but like it might be Josh Green and that's not okay.

546
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,000
I would argue he was fine last year. He's also

547
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,759
injured right now, so we're probably gonna see I would assume,

548
00:27:02,759 --> 00:27:04,200
can nipples start to begin?

549
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:04,279
Speaker 3: Me?

550
00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:05,960
Speaker 1: I really wish I was. I feel like I would

551
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,359
sound so much smarter about the Hornets because I'm recording

552
00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:11,160
the Hornets look ahead, like twenty four hours after we

553
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,359
record this, I sound so much smarter if I'd already

554
00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:17,119
recorded it, shout out in advance to Kannada Edwards. So

555
00:27:18,599 --> 00:27:21,000
I'm just I'm looking at this team. Yeah, they over

556
00:27:21,079 --> 00:27:25,079
indexed maybe on offense and guards, but like, if LaMelo

557
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,400
stays healthy and you're just giving him room to work

558
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,960
to where his efficiency improves, you'll see his decision making

559
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,480
on offense improved. Maybe his assist rate or assist a

560
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,599
turnover rate or assist to usage rate, whoever you want

561
00:27:35,599 --> 00:27:37,720
to frame it, is gonna go up in the right direction.

562
00:27:38,559 --> 00:27:40,440
This is a team that I've and just you know,

563
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,160
Brendon Miller. If you're high on Brandon Miller, I'm not

564
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,079
saying he needs to be an All Star this season,

565
00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,839
But if you're high on Brendon Miller, why wouldn't he

566
00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,000
get better? Like what is the argument against Brandon Miller

567
00:27:51,279 --> 00:27:56,519
getting better? So I have defensive questions about this, Yeah, right,

568
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,559
and even on defense, look the center stuff. I like

569
00:27:59,599 --> 00:28:03,079
theb the offensive rebounding is good. I think he's done

570
00:28:03,079 --> 00:28:04,799
made some strides as the rim protector. I think he'll

571
00:28:04,839 --> 00:28:07,519
be a better finisher now that there's more ball handlers

572
00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:10,000
in spacing around him too. I do have questions about

573
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,519
the defense, but Charles Lee has also already implemented a

574
00:28:12,559 --> 00:28:15,279
system that did a good job dissuading looks at the

575
00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:19,400
rim with like the personnel last year was like, you're

576
00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,680
not looking if they didn't have Grant Williams, that you

577
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:23,880
look at the center position wasn't exactly. Yeah, they had

578
00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:25,599
Mark Williams for a good chunk of the year, but

579
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,599
he's no just like, you know, defensive like stopper. So

580
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,440
I'm not saying they'll get better defensively, but like, I

581
00:28:32,519 --> 00:28:34,640
don't know, they didn't. I don't know how much worse

582
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,720
they're actually gonna get defensively, if they get worse at all.

583
00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,079
So I kind of like this team. I don't know

584
00:28:40,119 --> 00:28:43,240
what their upper end outcome would be, but I've seen

585
00:28:43,279 --> 00:28:44,960
a lot of just oh, like they're gonna be one

586
00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:46,359
of the three worst teams in the East and I'm

587
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,200
kind of like, I don't like if they might win

588
00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:52,359
enough to be like eight seven, maybe maybe six. So

589
00:28:52,839 --> 00:28:56,480
I'm keeping my eye on the Hornets. I'm not predicting it.

590
00:28:56,519 --> 00:29:00,000
I'm just saying I would say their ceiling is probably

591
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,279
be like six or seven, and that I think is

592
00:29:02,279 --> 00:29:05,480
a higher ceiling then people are giving them credit.

593
00:29:05,519 --> 00:29:08,680
Speaker 2: Well, we agreed that that ceiling means that everything has

594
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,480
to go right, right, Yeah.

595
00:29:11,279 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: I mean, look, I get if your argument, not yours specifically,

596
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,240
is LaMelo's gonna play in forty games and Brandon Miller

597
00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:19,880
is gonna get it, He's not gonna play in sixty

598
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,599
five and the center, Like, I don't have a great

599
00:29:22,759 --> 00:29:26,119
argument against that. But if if these if this team

600
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,200
is gonna be any semblance of healthier like Trey Man

601
00:29:29,359 --> 00:29:31,359
coming back from the neck injury, if Grant but Grant

602
00:29:31,359 --> 00:29:33,200
Williams will help them if they want to switch more

603
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,680
on defense, should he be healthier like coming off that

604
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,000
ACL injury, Like this is a team that will I

605
00:29:40,039 --> 00:29:42,960
would almost say if they're healthy and they win fewer

606
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,920
than like thirty five thirty seven games, I'd be pretty surprised.

607
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,960
Speaker 2: Okay, interesting, all right, I mean, look, I know you've

608
00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,319
been optimistic about them. I respect that, just as you

609
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,359
respect me being optimistic about the Spurs.

610
00:29:55,759 --> 00:29:58,160
Speaker 1: Yours is easier to justify, though, just because it's the

611
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,839
The Spurs have one to be in the Hornets, don't.

612
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,599
Speaker 2: I was about to say that, but in a nicer way.

613
00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,839
But yes, I do see your point, though, Like, I'm

614
00:30:07,839 --> 00:30:10,920
not personally that high on Continental, and yet I need

615
00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,480
to see a little bit more of him before I'm

616
00:30:12,519 --> 00:30:15,759
like at the NBA level, not summer league level, before

617
00:30:15,799 --> 00:30:17,559
I'm like fully confident.

618
00:30:18,759 --> 00:30:21,599
Speaker 1: I just I was impressed with him and McNeely. I

619
00:30:21,599 --> 00:30:24,079
think this is coming from someone who just doesn't follow college.

620
00:30:24,599 --> 00:30:27,160
The level of just playmaking from the two of them

621
00:30:27,279 --> 00:30:29,039
that you could see in some league that really turned

622
00:30:29,079 --> 00:30:29,440
my head.

623
00:30:29,759 --> 00:30:31,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, and they do have that.

624
00:30:31,519 --> 00:30:36,240
Speaker 2: I just wonder when the competition gets significantly tougher whether

625
00:30:36,279 --> 00:30:39,359
they still have that advantage. If they do, a lot

626
00:30:39,359 --> 00:30:42,960
of my concerns just remove itselves themselves from the from

627
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,119
the table immediately. I do also think that if they

628
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,839
somehow find a way to just take Miles Bridges off

629
00:30:48,839 --> 00:30:52,519
the roster. And I'm not only speaking on you know,

630
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,000
as a human being, because there's that element of course,

631
00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,559
I also just don't think he's a good basketball player

632
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,359
in terms of like an influentially positive basketball player. He

633
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,960
scores a lot and that's basically what he does. He

634
00:31:05,319 --> 00:31:07,680
takes up a lot of shots within the offense.

635
00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,759
Speaker 1: On so so efficiency and so efficiency.

636
00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:14,319
Speaker 2: Like to me, these hornets would be so much more

637
00:31:14,359 --> 00:31:18,079
interesting if you took his role away or just him away,

638
00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,960
and spread out that those responsibilities to like a series

639
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:27,680
of different players. So like, you know, you almost hope

640
00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,240
that if there is an injury out there, that it's

641
00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,599
not going to be Lamello or or Brandon Miller, that

642
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:34,759
it's going to be Miles Bridges.

643
00:31:34,759 --> 00:31:35,720
Speaker 3: And yeah, oh oh.

644
00:31:35,599 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 2: More, did you just wish injury upon a player for

645
00:31:38,279 --> 00:31:39,240
that guy specifically?

646
00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:40,359
Speaker 3: I have no issue doing that.

647
00:31:40,519 --> 00:31:43,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, you also didn't. You just said you basically just

648
00:31:43,359 --> 00:31:45,480
boiling it down to if a team needs to miss

649
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,200
a player, you would prefer to be Miles Bridges, then

650
00:31:48,799 --> 00:31:51,680
low ball Brandon Miller, which is just that's the fair

651
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,079
of fact. I think who's your next team? And I'm

652
00:31:55,079 --> 00:31:57,000
assuming you're gonna go with a disappointment here a.

653
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,160
Speaker 2: Little bit of a disappointment. I I just have to

654
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,559
go with the Warriors at this point. And I understand

655
00:32:04,519 --> 00:32:06,519
that we still haven't God in the resolution to the

656
00:32:06,599 --> 00:32:10,640
Jonathan cominga situation. I understand that, but the lag of

657
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,559
spacing so far is problematic.

658
00:32:13,599 --> 00:32:14,119
Speaker 3: In my view.

659
00:32:16,079 --> 00:32:19,720
Speaker 2: We are looking at a team where Steph just has

660
00:32:19,759 --> 00:32:24,000
to carry so much more responsibility. As you know, Gravity

661
00:32:24,279 --> 00:32:27,359
advice that when you look at the squad and look

662
00:32:27,359 --> 00:32:30,359
at his age, you're just sort of setting your up.

663
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,079
So you're setting yourself up potentially for disappointment and potentially

664
00:32:34,119 --> 00:32:37,000
also to just put him in a situation where he's

665
00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:39,079
over taxed physically, and you don't want to do that,

666
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,920
especially at this stage of his career. Like Jimmy is

667
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,359
not an actual shooter, Draymond is not a natural shooter.

668
00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,039
They're going to have to play a lot of minutes

669
00:32:46,079 --> 00:32:48,240
together defensively, they're tremendous.

670
00:32:48,279 --> 00:32:50,359
Speaker 3: I'm not gonna sit here and say that there aren't positives.

671
00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:51,480
Obviously there are.

672
00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:55,039
Speaker 2: But in today's league, you just need to have that

673
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,400
floor spacing capability.

674
00:32:57,880 --> 00:32:59,200
Speaker 3: Where is that going to come from?

675
00:32:59,279 --> 00:33:02,599
Speaker 2: Even if they retain Jonathan Kaminga, that's not gonna help

676
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,720
them in the spacing front, Like, what what is your

677
00:33:06,759 --> 00:33:07,319
plan here?

678
00:33:07,599 --> 00:33:07,880
Speaker 3: Play?

679
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:11,240
Speaker 2: Buddy Healed forty five minutes per game. Like Al Horford

680
00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,920
presumably is gonna come in. He can help in that department,

681
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:18,200
but that's not necessarily high volume to Anstheony Melton, we

682
00:33:18,319 --> 00:33:21,240
have no idea whether he's like fully healthy and back

683
00:33:21,319 --> 00:33:24,880
to his normal shooting capabilities, Like those are for me

684
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,799
a little bit larger question marks. Now I'm not saying

685
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:32,119
this can't go right, but it does feel like, Yeah,

686
00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:34,359
like I said before, everything has to go right for

687
00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,000
me to like believe in them. The talent is there,

688
00:33:37,039 --> 00:33:41,119
but it's that talent like does that fit alongside each other?

689
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,400
That's that's basically my big ass question.

690
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:46,759
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good one. I don't I don't know

691
00:33:46,799 --> 00:33:48,519
what to make of this team, Meaning before we assume

692
00:33:48,559 --> 00:33:50,720
Comingda's back and they get Horford and Melton, they've been

693
00:33:50,759 --> 00:33:54,079
linked to Brogden. Speaking of players that have health issues,

694
00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,720
it's they they're tantalizing because having Jimmy Butler gives you

695
00:33:58,799 --> 00:34:02,640
this lifeline during the on Steph minutes that they've never

696
00:34:03,119 --> 00:34:06,359
even with Durant because of like as a playmaker and

697
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,239
as someone who gets downhill and puts pressure on the

698
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,320
rim that they didn't even have during that era. Necessarily,

699
00:34:13,079 --> 00:34:15,719
but they're all so old, and so it's just someone

700
00:34:16,519 --> 00:34:19,320
like that gives you like pause, and then it's we've

701
00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,760
just seen a lot of the players that they relying on,

702
00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,719
including if Jonathan Kminga is back, or if it is

703
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,920
a Buddy Healed, or if it is a Brandon Pajemski,

704
00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:29,239
they all just sort of wax and wane, like their

705
00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,119
best constant is Quinton Post, Like that is the guy

706
00:34:32,119 --> 00:34:33,760
that you know is gonna be there day in and

707
00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:37,519
day out and giving you all star caliber play. Just

708
00:34:37,599 --> 00:34:39,119
catching to see if you were listening. But it's also

709
00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:40,239
just the true fact.

710
00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:42,760
Speaker 3: The I like, I love Quentin Post.

711
00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,800
Speaker 1: Well, he's a little too important though in the sense

712
00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,880
of cause you need that floor spacing around the Draymond

713
00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,760
Jimmy Butler and if Jonathan Kminga's peppered in there, do

714
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:53,719
you want to be that reliant on Quentin Post or

715
00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:55,440
even do you want to say I love Al Horford.

716
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:57,960
That'll be a fantastic signing should it go through. Do

717
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,119
you want to be that reliant on Quinton Post and

718
00:35:01,159 --> 00:35:04,679
Al Horford? I think there's to me, I still view

719
00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:08,639
spacing at the center position, or I'll say like floor

720
00:35:08,679 --> 00:35:12,519
spacing because there's vertical spacing with greens. Of course, I

721
00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,119
still viewed as something that should be more of a

722
00:35:15,199 --> 00:35:18,800
luxury or like it shouldn't be as much of a

723
00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:20,920
necessity as it feels like for the Warriors right now

724
00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,079
when it's when it's Milwaukee and you're playing with Giannis, Okay,

725
00:35:24,159 --> 00:35:25,840
I kind of get it. But at the same time,

726
00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:27,679
like that's one of the knocks again, not knocks, but

727
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,079
concerns with building around Giannis is no, you need that

728
00:35:31,079 --> 00:35:33,159
type of a five around him, And now you put

729
00:35:33,159 --> 00:35:36,239
yourself in a situation where whether you have cominga or not,

730
00:35:36,639 --> 00:35:38,760
right now, you almost need that type of a five.

731
00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,559
So what if Quinton post progress isn't linear? What if

732
00:35:41,559 --> 00:35:43,800
he kind of has a down sophomore year, or what

733
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:45,880
if the defense like he had some good straight up

734
00:35:46,159 --> 00:35:48,000
like he's in the right spots around the basket for

735
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:49,760
the most part, But what if teams like really just

736
00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:52,119
mutilate him on that end this year? What if Al

737
00:35:52,159 --> 00:35:55,000
Horford starts to show his age? So, yeah, I could

738
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,239
see where you're going with it. I think I'm just

739
00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,039
so like on the mid end with towards all, like yeah,

740
00:36:01,079 --> 00:36:03,159
they'll be fifth or sixth or seventh in the West

741
00:36:03,159 --> 00:36:05,159
that it's it's hard for me. I don't think that

742
00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:08,400
their floor or their ceiling is much higher. But I

743
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,400
think I could see your case of Okay, this floor

744
00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,239
might be a lot lower than even people.

745
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:15,760
Speaker 2: Are right, because I didn't even specify where I think

746
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:16,719
they could drop down.

747
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:18,360
Speaker 3: I think they could drop out of ten.

748
00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:24,440
Speaker 2: WHOA, yeah, saying they will, don't worry, don't kill me,

749
00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,519
warriors fans. I know there are millions of you after

750
00:36:26,559 --> 00:36:30,159
Steff arrived. I know I know. Don't worry. I'm not

751
00:36:30,199 --> 00:36:33,519
saying they will. I'm just saying, like, there is a

752
00:36:33,559 --> 00:36:37,199
world wherein the spacing is just completely messed up, where

753
00:36:37,199 --> 00:36:41,440
there it's injuries galore because of age and things just

754
00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:46,039
look horrible and they're just outside the entire plane picture.

755
00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,239
Speaker 1: I mean, so you're saying they will be they could

756
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:54,880
be worse than one of the Suns, Pelicans, Jazz and Kings.

757
00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,760
Speaker 2: Right again, I will say injuries would have to factor

758
00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:01,000
in here, like if they're healthy, they'll find a way

759
00:37:01,039 --> 00:37:03,559
to be relevant, right. I mean, it's it's Steph, it's Jimmy,

760
00:37:03,559 --> 00:37:07,199
it's Straymond, like come on, like, but it's the ages though,

761
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,400
Like Steph is what thirty seven, he's gonna be thirty

762
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,960
eight during the end of the regular season like that.

763
00:37:14,159 --> 00:37:16,800
Let's not sit here and say that that, you know,

764
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,559
you can defy Father time. We're even seeing with Lebron

765
00:37:19,679 --> 00:37:23,039
even though he took it to the limit. It's getting there.

766
00:37:23,079 --> 00:37:26,119
It's getting to be that time. That's gonna be applicable

767
00:37:26,159 --> 00:37:28,000
to Steph as well. It's gonna be applicable to Jimmy,

768
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,199
to Draymond and Jimmy, by the way, if memory serves,

769
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,519
he's begun like missing a few games here and there,

770
00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:36,920
like he's he's not the iron Man that he used

771
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:37,119
to be.

772
00:37:37,599 --> 00:37:40,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's always dealing with stuff and he just he's

773
00:37:40,519 --> 00:37:44,559
he's selectively Jimmy. Now where postseason Jimmy became like this

774
00:37:44,679 --> 00:37:47,199
mythic figure, but he actually existed, And now it's sort

775
00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:51,159
of like postseason Jimmy might exist because regular season Jimmy

776
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,880
is way more selective than he was what like let's

777
00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,079
say three years ago, which, by the way, sure, if

778
00:37:57,079 --> 00:37:59,280
that's gonna if that's gonna keep you like close to

779
00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:03,000
performing at the close to your peak during the most

780
00:38:03,039 --> 00:38:05,199
important time of the year, then I get it. But

781
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:07,960
do they have the cushion like I think it's a fact,

782
00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,400
like they have real depth on this roster, but is

783
00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:14,039
it depth that can navigate in absence from it? Because

784
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:17,199
so I'll ask you this, are they in a situation

785
00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:21,000
to where it's they could lose, like Draymond or Jimmy

786
00:38:21,039 --> 00:38:23,360
could miss time and you still think they would be

787
00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:24,960
screwed or do you still view them as a team

788
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,920
because you're probably more confident in them if you say, yeah,

789
00:38:29,039 --> 00:38:31,159
Steph misses time, like the whole thing is just fucked

790
00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:33,639
and surprise, surprise, like that's been true for how many

791
00:38:33,679 --> 00:38:35,559
years now? But if you think they're at a point

792
00:38:35,599 --> 00:38:37,760
where it's like, I don't even know Steph could uplift

793
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:39,880
this roster if you pulled Draymond or Jimmy off of

794
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,400
it for a few weeks, that's where it becomes.

795
00:38:42,039 --> 00:38:44,239
Speaker 2: Really probably, And that's where I'm I'm at because I

796
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,519
I just can't. Maybe he can, right, but I don't

797
00:38:48,559 --> 00:38:51,480
think that would be a fair expectation from my perspective,

798
00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:54,719
Like I don't think that's reasonable to go into a

799
00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,360
season and telling a forty seven year old Steph, hey, look,

800
00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,360
Jimmy Butler's out for the next month. Can you just

801
00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,800
go utter ape shit again like you used to and

802
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,519
just average thirty five and hit like six threes per game?

803
00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,159
Can you just do that for us? I think that

804
00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:15,800
is such a preposterous ask, and because he also needs,

805
00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,039
like we were talking about the spurs and wem be

806
00:39:18,119 --> 00:39:22,239
needing like downhill action. There's no question then when there

807
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,039
is downhill action, like when Draymond turns on the jets,

808
00:39:25,079 --> 00:39:28,039
which can't really do you know, to the same extent

809
00:39:28,039 --> 00:39:28,760
as as.

810
00:39:28,639 --> 00:39:29,199
Speaker 3: He used to.

811
00:39:29,679 --> 00:39:33,280
Speaker 2: But when he just pushed the ball and Steph found

812
00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:38,039
those gaps, especially in transition, he was just so freaking terrifying, Like,

813
00:39:38,079 --> 00:39:40,679
who's gonna be that guy who is going to brag?

814
00:39:40,679 --> 00:39:44,440
A guy that Steph can also play off off because

815
00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:47,760
he does need that on occasion. If you're not having

816
00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:51,920
Jimmy around and Draymond is looking old, what then do

817
00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,519
you expect to just say snap your fingers and then

818
00:39:55,039 --> 00:39:57,239
Steph will go back to being twenty six again. It

819
00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:58,360
doesn't work like that.

820
00:39:58,760 --> 00:39:59,880
Speaker 1: So man, imagine if it did.

821
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,880
Speaker 2: Oh oh, that'd be a cheat one. I mean, could

822
00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:05,119
you imagine if you could do that to a whole

823
00:40:05,199 --> 00:40:08,239
roster and like selectively go into the prime years of

824
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:11,159
each guy prime Raymond Prime, Jimmy Prime staff.

825
00:40:11,199 --> 00:40:12,679
Speaker 3: Do you know how good the Clippers would be?

826
00:40:13,079 --> 00:40:13,280
Speaker 1: Oh?

827
00:40:13,519 --> 00:40:17,320
Speaker 2: Like they would cruise, they would cruise to a title

828
00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:20,400
like Oh could you imagine the Spurs just basically doing

829
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:23,559
the opposite and just accelerating Wemby to like year seven Wemby.

830
00:40:24,519 --> 00:40:28,119
Speaker 1: Oh, I you know, I haven't even given thought this

831
00:40:28,159 --> 00:40:30,320
isn't the Wemby segment. But I don't even think I've

832
00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,679
given enough thoughts. Okay, well, what does Victor Webber Yama

833
00:40:32,679 --> 00:40:33,840
look like in his prime?

834
00:40:36,119 --> 00:40:39,159
Speaker 2: I've spent way too much time thinking about it, and

835
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:44,079
I think it's gonna be preposterous. But no, look, I'm

836
00:40:44,079 --> 00:40:48,280
not predicting that the Warriors will, you know, drop out

837
00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:51,159
of tenth seat. I'm just saying that there is a

838
00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:55,920
world wherein the perfect storm hits and everything just goes bad.

839
00:40:58,079 --> 00:41:02,199
Speaker 1: It does feel, you know, I've given I haven't given

840
00:41:02,199 --> 00:41:04,159
them a lot of crap. I've shown some skepticism for

841
00:41:04,159 --> 00:41:07,880
the Clippers, but the Warriors almost feel like their floor

842
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:11,039
is lower than like the Clippers to me have a

843
00:41:11,159 --> 00:41:14,800
higher floor than the Warriors, probably because they're still just

844
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:18,480
top heavy, or you're saying JK or Brandon Pajimski is

845
00:41:18,559 --> 00:41:21,639
really going to caps lock pop, which is just that's

846
00:41:21,639 --> 00:41:23,800
harder than like looking at the Clippers cast of veterans

847
00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,920
and thinking they can navigate an injury to Kawhi or

848
00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:28,920
James Harden slipping or Bradley Beale not panning out. So yeah,

849
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:30,360
I don't know that I would, like we said, we're

850
00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,440
not predicting things. I want to remind people at this point.

851
00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:34,519
But there, that's definitely a team to keep an eye on.

852
00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:36,519
I don't want to are we ready to move on?

853
00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:37,800
Speaker 3: We are?

854
00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:40,400
Speaker 2: I just want to mention one last thing, And I

855
00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:44,679
know it's sacral issues, sacrilgious to just mention that Steph

856
00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:46,920
is trying to drop off, but have you also seen

857
00:41:47,039 --> 00:41:49,920
like his production level over the past two years, like

858
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,719
we are, I think it is fair to say that

859
00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:58,840
we are beginning to see the not Hasten declined at all,

860
00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:04,519
because quite the opposite, the slow, very gracious decline of

861
00:42:04,559 --> 00:42:06,639
Stephan Curry. I think we approached it.

862
00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:10,119
Speaker 1: So we need to spend a second on that, because

863
00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:13,920
I think it's fair to say that. But I've come

864
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,639
to look at it like this is what is the

865
00:42:17,679 --> 00:42:20,639
current version of Steph Curry in today's NBA? Is he

866
00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:23,880
still one of the ten to fifteen best players. Yeah, yes,

867
00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:26,679
still yes, then I think that's honestly all that matters.

868
00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:28,800
There's a difference between Okay, we can't say that he's

869
00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:31,320
one of the top five, but like I don't want

870
00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:33,960
to say he exited that territory a while ago. But

871
00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:38,000
we've been talking about in any given season, Tatum and

872
00:42:38,039 --> 00:42:41,599
b Jokic, Giannis Luka, Doncic as all being in that.

873
00:42:41,679 --> 00:42:43,599
So him and Lebron have been on the fringes of

874
00:42:43,679 --> 00:42:46,639
Kevin Durantz of course been in there too. So I

875
00:42:47,079 --> 00:42:49,519
agree with what you're saying. And it does, it diminishes

876
00:42:49,559 --> 00:42:54,239
your margin for error. But even Steph Curry at what

877
00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:58,320
seventy five eighty percent of Steph Curry from two years ago,

878
00:42:59,639 --> 00:43:01,960
But yeah, it's it's of course something to track and

879
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,519
spoiler alert, someone in their late thirties isn't as good

880
00:43:04,519 --> 00:43:06,239
as they were there.

881
00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:09,280
Speaker 2: I just wanted to say it because I know there's

882
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:11,400
going to be pushback on it by Warriors fans, and

883
00:43:11,639 --> 00:43:15,079
I understand that because look, how do you not fall

884
00:43:15,119 --> 00:43:16,760
in love with Steph Curry if you're a Deubs fan

885
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,599
over the course of like these sixteen years, How do

886
00:43:19,639 --> 00:43:20,920
you not do that obviously.

887
00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean his so his scoring per minute has

888
00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:26,840
dipped in each of the past two years, so that

889
00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:30,920
would be something to monitor. But I mean just twelve

890
00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:31,559
and a half threes.

891
00:43:31,599 --> 00:43:34,800
Speaker 3: But it's still ridiculous. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's still ridiculous.

892
00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,480
Speaker 1: And do you know where I think he's probably inoculated

893
00:43:37,519 --> 00:43:41,039
against any individual drop off is that defenses will always

894
00:43:41,039 --> 00:43:43,719
guard him like a five alarm fire. So he is

895
00:43:44,159 --> 00:43:46,920
propping up your team even if he's not scoring or

896
00:43:47,079 --> 00:43:48,880
on the ball or touches in the corner.

897
00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:51,320
Speaker 3: In the corner, he's providing you.

898
00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:55,679
Speaker 1: Okay, I was. I didn't want to go here, and

899
00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:57,880
I just want to make it clear that it's relative

900
00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:01,039
to expectations. I think this team could just point. Oh

901
00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:04,519
it's the New York Knicks. Here's my thing. They're one

902
00:44:04,559 --> 00:44:06,880
of only I think five teams that are predicted when

903
00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:09,880
you're looking at the win totals to have over fifty

904
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,760
three wins. They are, they are good, but there are

905
00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:16,199
a couple things that I think we need to consider.

906
00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:18,320
Speaker 3: Oh, can I guess one? Can I guess one of

907
00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:19,039
your points?

908
00:44:19,559 --> 00:44:20,280
Speaker 1: Go ahead?

909
00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,400
Speaker 3: Carl Anton needs sounds and the lack of rim defense.

910
00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:26,559
Speaker 1: Oh, no that I mean, like, that's a point, but

911
00:44:26,599 --> 00:44:28,000
it's not one of my primary things.

912
00:44:28,039 --> 00:44:30,480
Speaker 2: Oh interesting, Okay, No, you've been harping on that a

913
00:44:30,519 --> 00:44:32,119
lot this summer, so I was just wondering if you

914
00:44:32,119 --> 00:44:33,000
would go down, well.

915
00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:35,440
Speaker 1: What I would harp on it. Well, I guess it's

916
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:37,320
a tangential point. But let me get the quick one

917
00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:38,000
out of the way first.

918
00:44:38,079 --> 00:44:38,360
Speaker 3: Okay.

919
00:44:38,679 --> 00:44:42,760
Speaker 1: I like the signings that they've made, but like Gershan

920
00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:46,159
Yabuseli and Jordan Clarkson are not sixth Man of the

921
00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:49,519
Year candidates right now. I guess maybe you could envision

922
00:44:49,559 --> 00:44:51,480
a world where yab Buselli comes in and does it,

923
00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:55,000
But there's the shooting I kind of buy into, and

924
00:44:55,039 --> 00:44:57,280
they needed a four. If you're trying to play him

925
00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:58,519
at the five at all, I don't know what that

926
00:44:58,519 --> 00:45:00,280
looks like defensively. And if you're not you're going to

927
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:02,360
play him at the five and you want to start

928
00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:06,239
duel Big, you're playing a lot of Ariel Huckporty at

929
00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,760
that point, which I'm fine, but this team hasn't necessarily

930
00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:11,559
shown a commitment to development. That does bring me to

931
00:45:11,639 --> 00:45:14,039
my next point, which and I guess this is Karl

932
00:45:14,079 --> 00:45:17,400
Anthony Towns related, but if you I think a lot

933
00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:20,079
of people expect them to start Karl Anthony Towns and

934
00:45:20,119 --> 00:45:23,840
Mitchell Robinson. We saw promising moments of that in the

935
00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:26,440
playoffs last year. We also saw there was a game

936
00:45:26,639 --> 00:45:29,280
that I think it was against the Raptors. Kat and

937
00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:31,639
huck Porty were playing together and they were killing it.

938
00:45:31,719 --> 00:45:33,119
But that was also the Raptors, and it was a

939
00:45:33,239 --> 00:45:36,719
very small sample size Karnthy Towns and this, of course

940
00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:38,880
was one of the biggest problems people had with Tibbs

941
00:45:40,079 --> 00:45:43,760
Mitchell Robinson. With the starters played in place of Heart

942
00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:47,280
played sixty seven minutes across the regular season in playoffs

943
00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:51,480
last year, that's not a large enough sample size to

944
00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:53,800
go off of good or bad. And by the way,

945
00:45:54,039 --> 00:45:56,480
it wasn't really good or bad. In net. They were

946
00:45:56,519 --> 00:46:00,559
a minus one in those minutes, so almost a neutral.

947
00:46:01,079 --> 00:46:04,519
But what you're doing by playing Mitchell Robinson next to

948
00:46:04,599 --> 00:46:08,039
Karl Anthony Towns is saying, we have completely punted on

949
00:46:08,119 --> 00:46:10,679
this idea of being a five out team for a

950
00:46:10,679 --> 00:46:13,559
majority of the game. And now you've either punted on

951
00:46:13,599 --> 00:46:16,039
this for one of two reasons, you don't think you

952
00:46:16,079 --> 00:46:18,880
actually have the personnel to do it, because Josh Hart

953
00:46:19,079 --> 00:46:22,039
makes you play. Okay, you can play five out lineups,

954
00:46:22,039 --> 00:46:23,679
but it's really more like what four and a half

955
00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,599
four in a quarter out at that point, or you're

956
00:46:26,639 --> 00:46:30,280
saying we need Karl Anthony Towns to play alongside another center,

957
00:46:30,599 --> 00:46:33,679
in which case paying Karl Anthony Towns so much money

958
00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,840
is inherently problematic. So yes, that part can come back

959
00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:39,800
to Karl Anthony Towns. Now, if you told me the Knicks,

960
00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:43,719
we're gonna start duce McBride instead. I think that lineup

961
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,760
has far more potential, just from a higher end perspective,

962
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:51,599
because duce McBride better point of attack defender than mckail Bridges.

963
00:46:51,599 --> 00:46:54,239
So now Michal Bridges trickles down, he's playing more of

964
00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:57,480
his ideal role on defense. You do get five out

965
00:46:57,480 --> 00:47:00,639
spacing because that's what duce McBride does, is to threes.

966
00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:03,760
But then you have Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart both

967
00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:05,559
coming off the same bench. What does the spacing look

968
00:47:05,639 --> 00:47:08,280
like there? And if you don't believe in Gershon Yabucelli

969
00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:11,079
shooting just yet, tons of question marks?

970
00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:14,119
Speaker 3: Oh well you should you should by to that shooting.

971
00:47:14,519 --> 00:47:16,519
Speaker 1: Can I buy I'm saying I buy into it. But

972
00:47:16,559 --> 00:47:20,280
it's not like he's coming in and taking what if

973
00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:21,760
he's playing how many First of all, how many minutes

974
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:23,440
per game is he play? This is someone who avers

975
00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:25,760
about five attempts per thirty six minutes last year, right,

976
00:47:26,039 --> 00:47:29,679
joby Sell, that's not an astronomical rate. And I think

977
00:47:29,679 --> 00:47:32,840
that defenses are still like if he's your fa just

978
00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:35,440
as someone with a meat to the antidote to a

979
00:47:35,559 --> 00:47:38,960
Josh Hart Mitchell Robinson lineup, Gershon Yabucelli does not have

980
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:40,280
the gravity to change that.

981
00:47:40,639 --> 00:47:43,960
Speaker 2: No, well, the thing is because this isn't at you.

982
00:47:44,039 --> 00:47:48,599
But I've seen like the shooting counter arguments for for

983
00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:51,840
Yap was saying like, oh, like can he really come

984
00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:53,039
in and be an NBA shooter?

985
00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:54,519
Speaker 3: Like he was only a pedestrian.

986
00:47:54,679 --> 00:47:58,760
Speaker 2: He's in Boston, and people are just completely ignoring how

987
00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:01,440
elite of a shooter he what's the real Madrid for example,

988
00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:05,280
Like he's been a strong ass shooter for like five

989
00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,400
years now. So I just wanted to make sure the

990
00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:10,480
people are aware that this isn't a guy who's just

991
00:48:10,519 --> 00:48:12,400
gonna have like a lucky few weeks where he hits

992
00:48:12,440 --> 00:48:15,400
like forty five percent from downtown. The guy is a

993
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:17,960
tremendous shooter, and I think the best part about it

994
00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:22,760
is if he gets enough confidence from the coaching staff,

995
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,039
he's a guy who can actually ramp it up. So

996
00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:30,039
it's interesting. We'll see what happens. But I would not

997
00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:33,719
be in any way, shape or form nervous about a

998
00:48:33,760 --> 00:48:36,239
more high volume version of Yahoo.

999
00:48:37,519 --> 00:48:39,440
Speaker 1: I think he's a good signing. I actually think it.

1000
00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:41,360
He'll probably end up playing fewer minutes for the next

1001
00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:42,679
thing he did with the Sixers. When you look at

1002
00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:44,599
other in front court, it's popular. I mean, maybe an

1003
00:48:44,599 --> 00:48:47,039
injury happens, But you also can't like if you play

1004
00:48:47,079 --> 00:48:49,239
him in towns together, that's five out. I don't know

1005
00:48:49,239 --> 00:48:51,719
what the defense looks like in those instances either, a.

1006
00:48:51,719 --> 00:48:53,760
Speaker 3: Lot of offense I wouldn't hate.

1007
00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:56,599
Speaker 1: Uh, they're gonna try it for sure. The other thing, too,

1008
00:48:56,960 --> 00:48:59,519
is I like Mike Brown from the perspective of more

1009
00:48:59,519 --> 00:49:02,599
things should be happening off the ball. He's already kind

1010
00:49:02,639 --> 00:49:04,880
of hinted at using Jalen Brunson in different ways, and

1011
00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,440
I'm a firm believer that Jalen Brunson can be used

1012
00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:14,199
in different ways. But but we can't pretend that the

1013
00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:19,280
Knicks have another high level creator on their team. Currenty

1014
00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:23,320
Towns is too inconsistent, hasn't shown enough live drivel playmaking.

1015
00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:25,440
The tunnel vision he gets on drives is just like

1016
00:49:25,639 --> 00:49:27,920
a career long epidemic for him.

1017
00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:28,400
Speaker 3: That's fair.

1018
00:49:28,599 --> 00:49:31,480
Speaker 1: Yes, McHale Bridges has never really been that guy. Maybe

1019
00:49:31,519 --> 00:49:34,079
he has another level to get to. We will see.

1020
00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:37,800
It's not Ojiananobi. That's not Duce McBride's role I've seen.

1021
00:49:38,239 --> 00:49:42,800
I've seen people call Jordan Clarkson a wing. No, he's

1022
00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:44,719
not a wing. But he's also not a floor general.

1023
00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:46,880
Like he did improve it thought he did. He had

1024
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,320
nice moments or at least ratchet up the passing in

1025
00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:51,840
Utah didn't really have another choice. But he's not someone

1026
00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:53,719
you look at and think that he you're comfortable him

1027
00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:55,840
driving the offense. I think the Knicks, as we're recording this,

1028
00:49:56,239 --> 00:49:59,400
trying to target a guard as But like they've been

1029
00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:01,400
interested in Ben Simmons, they've been linked to Brogden, They've

1030
00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:03,079
also been linked to Beasley, and they've been linked to

1031
00:50:03,119 --> 00:50:07,000
other guys too. It does kind of feel tell tale

1032
00:50:07,039 --> 00:50:09,920
that they believe whether it's Landry Shammitt coming in or

1033
00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:12,760
Beasley or Brogden. They don't think Tyler Kolek is gonna

1034
00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:15,800
be the answer there either, And so are they really

1035
00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:20,519
built to make Jalen Brunson's workload lighter, Because this is

1036
00:50:20,559 --> 00:50:23,320
someone who's ranked in the ninety fifth percentile or higher

1037
00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:25,719
and his three years with Knicks with the Knicks of

1038
00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:29,719
true usage, all while logging two thousand minutes or more

1039
00:50:30,039 --> 00:50:32,760
per season. The other players to do that more in

1040
00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:39,280
the same three year span, Jannis Jokic, Shay, Damian Lillard. Yeah,

1041
00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:40,679
you can look at that and say, well, this is

1042
00:50:40,719 --> 00:50:43,639
a testament to Jallen Brunton's skill and durability. It absolutely

1043
00:50:43,679 --> 00:50:46,239
is none of those other guys, with the exception of

1044
00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:48,960
Damian Lillard, who's also a little bit taller than Jalen Brunton.

1045
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,000
But like, look at how Damian Lillard's body held up.

1046
00:50:51,159 --> 00:50:53,119
We're talking about a smaller guard here. I know he

1047
00:50:53,159 --> 00:50:55,480
took on a higher volume role later, but you want

1048
00:50:55,480 --> 00:50:57,519
to get to a point where you could say Jalen

1049
00:50:57,519 --> 00:50:59,320
Brunson will be at the peak in the playoffs, which

1050
00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:01,960
he's he has been, but also we want Jalen Brunson

1051
00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:05,079
to be peak. Jalen Brunson two three years down the line. Still,

1052
00:51:05,199 --> 00:51:07,480
I just don't know. I'm open to the idea that

1053
00:51:07,519 --> 00:51:09,480
they could be better, that this will be a team

1054
00:51:09,519 --> 00:51:13,000
that is more capable of winning three to four playoff series,

1055
00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:16,039
but I kind of think we're penciling them in as oh,

1056
00:51:16,039 --> 00:51:18,320
they're easily like, no worse than two in the East.

1057
00:51:18,519 --> 00:51:21,719
When my final part of this point is I didn't

1058
00:51:21,719 --> 00:51:23,360
pick them as a team that could surprise because I

1059
00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:25,559
think people are high on both of these squads. The

1060
00:51:25,599 --> 00:51:28,760
Hawks and the Magic are right there. There's a chance,

1061
00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,159
like the Sixers, you don't want to predict they'd be

1062
00:51:31,199 --> 00:51:33,440
a surprise, but if they get any semblance of health,

1063
00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:36,840
like that's a team that could factor in Miami. I

1064
00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:38,599
don't know that I'm in love with the roster, but

1065
00:51:38,639 --> 00:51:42,000
they're really deep. Now. I don't understand the Heywood high

1066
00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:44,639
Smith trade. Yes, Boston and Indiana will be missing their

1067
00:51:44,679 --> 00:51:48,280
best players. Milwaukee has Giannis Turner and a bunch of

1068
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:52,719
guys basically that might be enough to make a ruckus

1069
00:51:53,239 --> 00:51:56,639
in the East. So I think the Knicks are gonna

1070
00:51:56,719 --> 00:51:58,280
end up being one of the two or three best

1071
00:51:58,280 --> 00:52:01,320
teams in the East. That's how I would But if

1072
00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:04,559
you're if we're trying to think that between firing Thibodau

1073
00:52:04,559 --> 00:52:06,480
and going to Mike Brown and then signing Yabu Selling

1074
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:11,079
and Clarkson, then deepening your rotation to guaranteed nine players.

1075
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:17,719
But which is that's good? I just I I'm put

1076
00:52:17,760 --> 00:52:19,440
a pin in it. That's all, like, let's put another

1077
00:52:19,440 --> 00:52:21,800
pin in it. I'm not saying they'll be worse, but

1078
00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:24,199
I don't know that they're going to be much better

1079
00:52:24,760 --> 00:52:25,880
than they were last year.

1080
00:52:26,239 --> 00:52:28,760
Speaker 3: I think that's that's fair. I think that's that's fair.

1081
00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:32,800
Speaker 2: So to your point about using Brunson off ball a

1082
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:35,000
little bit more, you don't think Josh Hart could come

1083
00:52:35,039 --> 00:52:38,239
in and take on the on ball reps in those situations.

1084
00:52:39,599 --> 00:52:43,079
Speaker 1: With Jalen Brunson on the court, I don't really love

1085
00:52:43,159 --> 00:52:45,360
that as like a member of the second unit. Maybe,

1086
00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:47,079
and sure you can do that with Jalen Brunson, but

1087
00:52:47,119 --> 00:52:50,000
I'm talking more about like of a Josh Josh Hart

1088
00:52:50,039 --> 00:52:53,440
to me, is more like a full speed creator, and

1089
00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:56,719
they need someone who's gonna be better at breaking down at.

1090
00:52:56,679 --> 00:52:58,320
Speaker 3: Half court of by the way, guy.

1091
00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:00,840
Speaker 1: The other thing with Josh Hart too, is that if

1092
00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:05,239
in those minutes you're playing him with Mitchell Robinson statistically,

1093
00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:08,360
his rim pressure falls off a cliff like that's like

1094
00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:10,320
Karl Anthony Towns is really important to Josh Hart. So

1095
00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:12,039
that's another trade off, by the way that you make

1096
00:53:12,280 --> 00:53:14,119
of having Josh Hart come off the bench. Now, yes,

1097
00:53:14,159 --> 00:53:16,559
staggering patterns, what have you all that, I get it.

1098
00:53:16,760 --> 00:53:19,199
You could still game it. This team just still has

1099
00:53:19,719 --> 00:53:23,239
a couple of distinct question marks, if not flaws, And

1100
00:53:23,280 --> 00:53:26,119
so I could see us looking back and saying, you know,

1101
00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:29,199
I think the Athletics poll said that the vast majority

1102
00:53:29,199 --> 00:53:32,119
of Knicks fans believe they need to win the conference

1103
00:53:32,159 --> 00:53:35,199
finals for next season to be a success. And it's

1104
00:53:35,239 --> 00:53:38,360
if they're kind of getting to the NBA Finals or bust.

1105
00:53:38,760 --> 00:53:41,119
Let's say, there's a lot of town in the East

1106
00:53:41,159 --> 00:53:43,159
to where if they lost in the first their second round, like,

1107
00:53:43,239 --> 00:53:45,599
that's not gonna as of right now. I need to

1108
00:53:45,599 --> 00:53:47,360
see what happens on the court. Of course, as of

1109
00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:49,480
right now. I don't think that that's like a preposterous

1110
00:53:49,519 --> 00:53:49,960
thing to one.

1111
00:53:50,119 --> 00:53:52,039
Speaker 2: No, I don't think so either. I think that's fair.

1112
00:53:52,199 --> 00:53:53,039
I think that's very fair.

1113
00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:56,400
Speaker 1: Did you have any other teams that you wanted to me?

1114
00:53:56,559 --> 00:53:58,960
Speaker 3: No, I think I think I went through a three.

1115
00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:01,519
Speaker 1: Miami could deserve an They're just so deep. I don't

1116
00:54:01,559 --> 00:54:03,440
know what the offense is necessarily going to look like

1117
00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:07,360
and how much are they playing Pelee Larson or Casperus jacacionas.

1118
00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:09,280
I don't know what the youth investment's going to be.

1119
00:54:09,639 --> 00:54:12,840
Don't love the Heighsmith trible like Norman Powell. People have

1120
00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:15,719
already applauded the acquisition, but like that dude gives you

1121
00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:18,199
rim pressure and it's going to open up the floor,

1122
00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:22,159
make life easier on Tyler hero. But their center rotation

1123
00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:23,840
is like, or are we just going to burn out?

1124
00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:26,519
Bam Adebayo? Now? Is that the endgame here?

1125
00:54:26,599 --> 00:54:30,400
Speaker 2: So yeah, no, it's fine, it's fine. Like their their

1126
00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:33,320
depth is fine, But I still find the team overall

1127
00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:34,800
pretty unspectacular.

1128
00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:37,199
Speaker 3: I gotta admit I wonder is there very quickly?

1129
00:54:37,239 --> 00:54:39,440
Speaker 1: Was there another team you considered mentioning as a surprise

1130
00:54:39,519 --> 00:54:40,239
or a disappointment.

1131
00:54:41,639 --> 00:54:44,559
Speaker 2: Well, see, I thought about Dallas, and then I realized

1132
00:54:44,559 --> 00:54:46,719
I have no freaking idea where they're going up and down,

1133
00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:49,159
So I thought that that wouldn't be fair because like

1134
00:54:49,559 --> 00:54:52,159
you could basically point them in every wish direction.

1135
00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:55,880
Speaker 1: I think the Kings could surprise some people and maybe

1136
00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:58,079
not move heaven and Earth to make sure that Russell

1137
00:54:58,079 --> 00:55:01,840
Westbrook is signed. That could be like real surprise that

1138
00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:04,960
could happen there more. This was fun and it was

1139
00:55:05,039 --> 00:55:06,840
kind of cool limiting it to three teams because I

1140
00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:09,760
had other tough cuts and it's just I was happy

1141
00:55:09,800 --> 00:55:11,360
you picked the Spurs, but then I was a little

1142
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:13,239
sad because you picked the opposite end of the spectrum.

1143
00:55:13,239 --> 00:55:15,239
But I still I didn't need to burn a pick

1144
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:17,000
on them. But that's why this was fun limiting it

1145
00:55:17,159 --> 00:55:19,719
to three teams. Are you able just to tell everyone

1146
00:55:19,760 --> 00:55:21,840
where they could find you and all the fantastic work

1147
00:55:21,880 --> 00:55:22,400
that you do.

1148
00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:25,719
Speaker 2: Yes, sir, you can find you over at Kyahu Sports,

1149
00:55:25,840 --> 00:55:29,119
for Red Forbes, at the NBA podcast and if you

1150
00:55:29,280 --> 00:55:30,440
speak damish bus.

1151
00:55:30,519 --> 00:55:33,840
Speaker 1: Rem until next time, And as always, we moved a

1152
00:55:33,880 --> 00:55:37,199
shout out to the one, the only, the indelible, the

1153
00:55:37,199 --> 00:55:40,360
real surprise MVP candidate of the season once he finds

1154
00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:43,559
an NBA team, Mister Frank Nila Keenan