WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.439 What is up, Fellasiko's I am Dan Valley coming at 2 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.960 you with the one, the only, this certified, fantabulous mister 3 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:11.279 Grant hues he's getting ready to leave us for a 4 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.160 little bit for vacation, but has agreed to do the 5 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:17.000 NBA most confusing team's draft. We know you're all excited 6 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:20.199 for it. Coming at you a full twelve hours earlier, then, 7 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:23.600 I accidentally scheduled this live show for so Apologies to 8 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:25.519 anyone who was waiting for us to be going live 9 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:29.480 at two o'clock Eastern time in the morning. That's not 10 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:31.280 when we were planning on going live. It was around 11 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:34.399 two o'clock in me in the afternoon. A lot of 12 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:37.399 just missteps on my end, Grant, As you said, I 13 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:40.520 should probably start getting some sleep, but my question to you, 14 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:45.359 I'm not so in my sleep deprived state. I will 15 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:47.880 not forget this. How the heck are you doing? We 16 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:48.719 need to know the answer. 17 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:50.479 I'm happy to be here. It feels like it's been 18 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:54.079 a really long time. It because we didn't We haven't 19 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.039 potted for a full week, is that correct? Is it 20 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:00.200 more than that? It feels like almost two weeks. That's 21 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:03.799 why it feels like a long time. I do feel 22 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:09.239 like regular listeners would have immediately flagged the two am 23 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.519 Eastern live stream start time and said that must be 24 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:15.319 a mistake, because we're all well aware that that's several 25 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:17.799 hours past my bedtime. There's no way I would appear 26 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:21.879 on a live stream that's that late. If I did, 27 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:25.120 it would be really unexciting because I would be unconscious. 28 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.000 I would be asleep, which, you know, maybe that's something 29 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:28.959 to put behind the paywall. 30 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.319 I don't know how often we need to do a podcast, 31 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.120 but how often are you up past eleven pm? Your time? 32 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:41.640 No more than once a week, I would say, like that, 33 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:45.840 and that's just how oft Well I could ask you 34 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:50.040 the same question, but I know the answer. The time 35 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:55.319 you were asleep before eleven pm? Oh like on purpose, 36 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.239 not like you crashed out at four in the afternoon, 37 00:01:58.239 --> 00:01:59.680 And it doesn't care. 38 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:03.519 Uh. Probably when I used to have a bedtime, I 39 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:05.719 was probably being bottle fed at that point. I have 40 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.599 no idea, if. 41 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:09.439 You think about it, we really could we need to 42 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:13.560 find a job where it's like a twenty four hour 43 00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:16.680 thing and we could just both hold the position and 44 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:20.080 just work opposite twelve hours, you know, because I don't 45 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:23.280 function outside of like normal working hours, and you only 46 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:26.000 function outside of normal working hours, so there must be 47 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:28.159 some way for us to exploit this. Should we do 48 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:30.840 a twenty four hour live stream where it just we 49 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:32.360 just tag in and tag out. 50 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:34.199 Twelve hours of each year, we do it in like 51 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.319 four hour increments. We need to You got me thinking, though, 52 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:39.400 is we need to do if we get a thousand 53 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:43.639 more Patreon members the next month, Grant, we'll do a pod, 54 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:47.800 a live stream podcast after midnight his time. I'm doing 55 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:48.439 it anyway. 56 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:51.840 Yeah, easy light list for you. 57 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:53.879 We'll have to see what type of state he's in? 58 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:56.400 Is he like? What does he consume to stay up 59 00:02:56.439 --> 00:02:57.159 past midnight? 60 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:00.919 I can't even imagine. I can't imagine. It wouldn't be pretty, 61 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.159 it would Yeah, yeah, you know what, I'll commit to 62 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:07.400 it though. A thousand more subscribers, I'm happy to I'm 63 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:10.039 happy to debase myself by staying up late. 64 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:17.639 I guess debase yourself, Grant, the most Confusing Teams draft. 65 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:22.439 Ideally we'd be doing this when Lebron post Lebron James's 66 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:26.199 next decision, which should be coming imminently, maybe while we're 67 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:29.680 recording this podcast. Probably not, I think most people think 68 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.960 it'll happen sometime after the World Cup final, but enough 69 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.520 stuff has happened that we can sit here survey the 70 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:37.280 lay of the land, and even when we're kind of 71 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:41.479 baking in, this team clearly doesn't feel like it's finished. Uh, 72 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:44.199 there are other teams that are just confusing me, ever, 73 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:47.159 living heck out of me. So is there anything as 74 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:49.240 you went about this before we start going through our 75 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.960 picks that is there a certain set of criteria that 76 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.800 stands out to you? Or is it are these if 77 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:57.879 you're going through when you've built your big board? Was 78 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:00.400 the prevailing theme? This is a team that I didn't 79 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:02.319 think made sense leading into the off season and they're 80 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:04.159 still confusing me. Or has a lot of this stuff 81 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:06.719 been transaction driven over the off season? 82 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.400 Great question? I think. I think the first thing is 83 00:04:10.439 --> 00:04:13.319 that it used to be easier to point to a 84 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:17.240 team and say this one doesn't make any sense because 85 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.360 that was just shorthand for well, they're they're not going 86 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:25.399 for a championship and they're not tanking, and so that's 87 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:27.720 so like, what's the plan. You know, the Raptors have 88 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:29.199 occupied that space for. 89 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:29.680 A long time. 90 00:04:29.720 --> 00:04:32.279 The Bulls kind of and lived in it for they 91 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:36.600 were like the poster team for that type of things. 92 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:38.439 You know, any any team that was like in the 93 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:40.920 play in mix or whatever, and it just didn't feel 94 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:42.639 like they were going for one or extreme or the other. 95 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:44.560 You'd say, like, well, that's confusing. Why would you try 96 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.199 to say it's different now? It's different now with the 97 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.839 way the lottery odds are, like, there's there's certainly not 98 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:54.160 a payoff for being abjectly terrible on purpose, or at 99 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:56.360 least your odds are are not as favorable. And so 100 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:01.639 I really found myself trying to avoid just the teams 101 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:03.680 that are kind of in the middle, or at least 102 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:07.360 not choosing them for that reason alone. Like there needed 103 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.639 to be to answer your question more precisely, like there 104 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.439 needed to be roster stuff that that struck me as 105 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:18.120 ill conceived or like just unfinished, or you couldn't really 106 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:23.639 find the sense of or just the way management is operating. 107 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:25.920 I've got a team that has some ownership issues that 108 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:28.399 are confusing to me. I'm sure they're on your list too, 109 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.720 stuff like that. You know, it's all the basics, but 110 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.120 it can't and it can't just be well, they don't 111 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:39.040 seem to have it can't only be well, this is 112 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:42.160 like a team that's going to finish between thirty two 113 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.120 and forty two wins, So what's the point Because you 114 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:46.839 could get away with that before, but I think you 115 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:48.560 need to look a little harder. Now what do you 116 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:50.519 think do you? Does that resonate with you? That was 117 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:52.319 that an issue as you were putting your list together too, 118 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:53.920 of like, oh, this is kind of different than it 119 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:54.240 used to. 120 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.240 Be, right, and it's just so as like a spoiler, 121 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:58.519 like the Chicago Bulls would not be high up on 122 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:01.600 my big board. But what I did all also factor 123 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:04.240 in is that a lot of this goes beyond just 124 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:07.519 this coming season too. It's not about trying to figure out, okay, 125 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:10.040 well we kind of understand what the Bulls are doing 126 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:12.959 in the long term, or at least get like it's 127 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.240 all right, new front office regime, so we understand what 128 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:18.199 they're doing this year or what the overarching picture should be. 129 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:20.199 Some of these teams you look at and a lot 130 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:22.680 of it could be just awkward fit with players or 131 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:26.199 on court stuff driven by all of that. But there 132 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:29.839 are a couple of teams where it's not just what's 133 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:32.720 the end goal this season, but what is the plan 134 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:35.680 long term. They every team in theory all has the 135 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:39.160 same endgame. But if you haven't acted like a team 136 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:42.399 that's cobbled together any type of long term vision, and 137 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:47.040 you're not clearly all in on winning next season, that's 138 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:49.639 a I mean, it's a red flag or confuses the 139 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:50.720 hell out of me. I call it more of a 140 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:54.480 red flag than confusing. But it goes into the roster 141 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:57.920 construction or the construction of a vision and the incoherence 142 00:06:57.959 --> 00:06:58.360 of it all. 143 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.800 Yeah, I'd agree with that. I think if if I 144 00:07:01.800 --> 00:07:07.279 had to, if I divert from your methodology at all, 145 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:09.240 it's that I did focus a little more on this 146 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:14.399 upcoming season. But I do think if if something about 147 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:16.360 your team is confusing in the short term, there's a 148 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:18.480 really good chance that it's also like your big picture 149 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:20.600 is kind of a mess too, because right, you know, yeah, 150 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:23.399 because here we are three months from the start of 151 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:26.920 the year, and if things are weird now, it's it's 152 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:29.199 not like you're you know, this isn't a case where like, 153 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:32.560 well I can see the vision of Team X. It's 154 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:34.800 it's all confusing now, but like once things line up 155 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:36.800 in twenty twenty eight, I get it. It's not. You know, 156 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:40.040 usually it's it's kind of like systemically confused. 157 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:44.199 Honestly, it's probably never been harder to measure a team's 158 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:49.519 longer term viability or trajectory, even if they're an established contender. 159 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:51.959 It's sort of use windows just feel as if they're 160 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.800 built to open and shut one a whim. 161 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:58.040 The flip side of that is, we're just lots of preamble, 162 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:00.120 but we haven't talked in two weeks or whatever. I'm 163 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:03.959 working on something ranking like trade ships, you know, and 164 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.240 it's not it can't be like wemben Yama, but it's 165 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:09.000 like the types of stuff you would use to acquire 166 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:12.000 the next available superstar, right, So, like young players, or 167 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:17.279 like draft picks and trying to rank draft picks, Like, okay, 168 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:20.000 the Nuggets twenty thirty two, that's out there, you know 169 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:23.199 that the Nets have. It's like, okay, that seems really choice, 170 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.399 but that's so far away, Like the Nuggets could have 171 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:28.079 gone through two competitive cycles by then, or even more 172 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:30.560 than that. So does that mean like a twenty twenty 173 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:33.159 eight pick is what you want? Or what about? So? 174 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:39.159 I to your point, it's really hard to game out 175 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.919 anything past a year or two at this point because 176 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:46.080 just the way the lottery works, the way the aprons 177 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:48.759 of affected team building, it's it's a you know what, 178 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:52.200 confusing times we live in, confusing times, uncertain times. 179 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:57.840 I'm with you there, and because I'm a kind and 180 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:01.159 generous person, I will give you the first pick of 181 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:03.320 the most confusing teams draft. 182 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:06.000 So this was the first team that came to mind. 183 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:10.799 It's the one that I tease a little bit. They 184 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:12.600 have to be on your list. We've talked about them 185 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:14.600 a little bit. I don't know if they justify the 186 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:17.039 first pick, but first thought, best thought, the Portland Trail 187 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.360 Blazers are a confusing basketball team to me. 188 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:21.600 You know how well I know that we're in lockstep. 189 00:09:21.799 --> 00:09:25.320 Is John Moran in a Blazers jersey is the front 190 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.679 and center of our YouTube thumb now for this episode. 191 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:29.679 We didn't go into this knowing what each other's big 192 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:31.960 boards were, but I knew they would be a team 193 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:33.519 that were on both of our lists, and I thought 194 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:34.440 they would go first. 195 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:39.799 Overall, Okay, great, they have to be so this the 196 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:42.720 Ja Morant of it all is part of it. I 197 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:44.960 want to start though with there are a lot of 198 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:48.519 things I like about this team, Like we both were 199 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:52.120 Denny Avviapild. We think he's great, great contract. We like 200 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:53.960 some of their young guards. We're never giving up on 201 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:57.840 Scoot Donovan Klingen, Like there is a version of this 202 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:00.240 team that has just built around young guys as an 203 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:03.320 Ovidia that I think we like a lot, Like even 204 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:06.559 some of their marginal moves like Brandon Carlson might be helpful, 205 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:08.919 and like we're never giving up on young handsome and 206 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:11.120 like what if Shade and Sharp becomes something, then maybe 207 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.759 that deal turns out to be a pot. There's a 208 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:15.240 lot to like, is all I'm saying, Like the defensive infrastructure, 209 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:18.399 they're just a couple shooters away all that stuff. But 210 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:23.080 starting from the very top with ownership, what is happening here? 211 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:25.720 Like where will this? Is this a team that is 212 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:27.919 now suddenly like a real threat to move because of 213 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:30.639 what Tom Dundan has said about public funds and like 214 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:34.320 basically telegraphing his feeling that hey, Portland, you're lucky I'm 215 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.559 even here, Like that's a that's talk about red flags right, 216 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:42.120 Like that is the ownership situation there kind of puts 217 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:44.080 anything in place. So I don't know if confusing is 218 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:47.440 even the right word. It's like ominous. You know, there's 219 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:51.679 unstable concerning whatever you want to use, So start there, 220 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:55.039 move down the list to Mike and nor is on 221 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:58.360 like the least stable head coach contract we've ever seen. 222 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:02.120 Just it's he's one instantly. 223 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:04.679 Right, like what could go what could go wrong? Like 224 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.879 surely there's no real reason why teams have forever avoided 225 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:11.480 employing lame duck coaches, Like what you know? So there's that. 226 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.360 Then you get to the roster. The jaw trade is crazy. 227 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:16.720 We've talked about that plenty. He's kind of in the 228 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:19.600 way of a lot of people. It creates a bunch 229 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:22.519 of roster crunch issues. His effect on Danny Avdya feels 230 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:26.600 like certainly negative, proved me wrong. I would love to 231 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:28.919 be wrong, But that that doesn't Those two don't make 232 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.240 a ton of sense together. This team hasn't added shooters, 233 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:35.960 and they were twenty seventh and three point shooting accuracy 234 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:38.559 last year despite getting up the fourth most in terms 235 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:42.279 of share of their shots. Like, I don't, I don't 236 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:45.519 know how you look at what happened last year and 237 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:48.320 decide adding Jah Moran and not shooting is the solution. 238 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:53.080 I We could go on, but like those are the 239 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.240 sort of the pillars of like what I don't get 240 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:57.600 about what's going on with Portland? Do you have anything 241 00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:00.000 to add to that? Would they have been your first pick? Yeah? 242 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.000 They would have been my first pick. And I think 243 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:05.799 the Tom Dundan stuff only just adds to the confusion 244 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:08.360 because it's it's not even just the are they still 245 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:12.600 gonna be here in five years or whatever it's is 246 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:14.720 he actually will? They were linked to some of these 247 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:17.879 bigger names, including John Morant, but that was a value 248 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:19.960 playing a vacuum, But it's are they gonna be willing 249 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:23.279 to pay Denny Avia next summer? Is a renegotiating extent 250 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.799 or even when he's up for a new contract and 251 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:27.840 hits restrict unrestricted free agency? Like, what are going to 252 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:30.600 be their limits when it comes to investing in players? 253 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:32.879 We've seen their limits when it comes to investing in 254 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:36.360 what surrounds the players, and it's not great. It's not 255 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:41.399 great so far. The guard glut I was just insane 256 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:44.919 to me. Now, I don't see how you caught to 257 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:47.879 trade Chris Murray wasn't a big part of what they're doing, 258 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:50.000 but to trade like two wings who can help you 259 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.039 on defense? For John Morant, who nukes your spacing and 260 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.200 hurts your defense, and you're also gonna play him with 261 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:00.600 Damian Lillard, is what their early speculation sounds like. I 262 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:03.360 don't know what that's like. I don't know what that 263 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:06.399 says about what these teams core lineups are gonna be, 264 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:08.559 because then it's you get into well, then one of 265 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:10.799 Tamani Kamara or Drew Holliday is gonna be kind of 266 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:13.200 left out in the cold, or you're gonna be playing 267 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:15.679 smaller a lot. But oh, it's kind of harder to 268 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.519 play smaller now that Jeremy Grant isn't there. And you 269 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.759 also did resign Robert Williams the third, so you would 270 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:25.200 assume between young handsome Brandon Carlson r W three and 271 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:28.480 Donovan Klingon that you want more of a traditional big 272 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:33.039 man rotation anyway. I And then just like, what does 273 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:35.639 John Morant look like on this team? Have you done 274 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:37.639 him a disservice on the court? You know, we're saying 275 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:39.919 that John Morant comes in and complicates a lot of stuff. 276 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:43.000 You've probably not put John Morant in his best on 277 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.519 court situation just because you don't have the surrounding space 278 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:50.360 and to capitalize on whatever he's able to provide in 279 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:55.039 terms of rim pressure. I this it's just so interesting 280 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.679 because they were one of the teams. I don't know 281 00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:59.240 if you could call him a feel good story. I 282 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:02.200 thought Tiago's did great work after Chauncey Billups went through 283 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:05.399 the whole indictment process, so like to kind of keep 284 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:08.519 a stable baseline there. They were pretty strong defensively at 285 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:11.960 points you saw just tons of growth from certain players. 286 00:14:12.919 --> 00:14:16.080 I like to go in this direction. I don't like 287 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:19.120 the Jahn Morant was it just oh, he's so cheap, 288 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:21.320 Like we're gonna roll the dice and hope it works out. 289 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:24.000 The problem with that is, even if it works out, 290 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.799 I don't really know what the ceiling of that kind 291 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:28.759 of look like. What does the best case scenario of 292 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:31.279 John Morant on this team look like? And finally, you 293 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:36.000 mentioned Shandon Sharp and also Scoot Henderson. What's going on 294 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:38.919 there and with Scoot specifically, is extension eligible and it's 295 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.799 you could say, yeah, they definitely haven't seen enough to 296 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:44.559 pay him, and I would agree unless the price is 297 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:48.480 just so low. At the same time, you haven't built 298 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:50.639 a team that makes it seem as if you're even 299 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:53.639 invested in him in the slightest and you could make 300 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:57.120 the same case for Shade and Sharp. And in addition 301 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:00.679 to being part of why they feel confusing, is not 302 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:04.039 just because we I look at what's in place and say, well, 303 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:05.759 this is what they're clearly trying to move forward with 304 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:07.960 this season. I look at it and say, there's no 305 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.679 way that they can be done this offseason, right, is 306 00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:13.039 part of what my brain is saying. Yeah, I don't 307 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:15.679 know whether that's true, but that's when you look at 308 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:18.840 the roster. I think it's that's a reasonable conclusion to 309 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:21.039 come to if you had no inside information on what 310 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:22.159 the Blazers are planning. 311 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:25.519 Well, it's a charitable conclusion too, because you're assuming you're 312 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.480 looking at it and saying, well, like, no, sane you know, 313 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:33.000 decision maker would would stop here, right because for all 314 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:38.080 the reasons we just went through. Do you think we 315 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:41.240 can't know this? But do you think that acquiring Jah 316 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:47.000 Morant was done with the idea of this is just 317 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:50.000 a pure asset play. This is a by low guy 318 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.080 that maybe plays well for us and we can turn 319 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:55.519 him into something like is that maybe the move that 320 00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:57.639 needs to be made for stuff to make more sense here. 321 00:15:57.679 --> 00:15:59.759 Obviously moving him would make more sense, But like, do 322 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.679 you think think that was the logic behind it, or 323 00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:04.559 do you think the Blazers looked at him and said, 324 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:09.200 this is a guy that we can imagine being a 325 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:14.320 core piece, like because John Moran is not a supporting player, right, 326 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.240 Like that's one of the issues with him, is like 327 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:18.759 he does not have a skill set that lends itself 328 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:22.879 to being a skill set matched with sort of an 329 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:26.679 ego or like a willingness to accept that type of 330 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.320 role to be like a smaller time piece. It's like, 331 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:30.840 if you have him on the team and he's playing 332 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:33.000 like he's kind of in the middle of everything. So 333 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:35.399 do you think which which of the two seems more 334 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:38.399 likely to you as far as they're justification for adding him. 335 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:41.240 It has to be the former, because if you're saying 336 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:43.679 the latter, what have you seen over the past three 337 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:47.960 years that would make you think one that player has 338 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.440 appeared at any point during that time or two this 339 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.679 is someone who because he was so reliant on his 340 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.519 athleticism and he's he is a really good passer, but 341 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:00.240 because so much of his game was rooted in athleticism. 342 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:03.519 Even if you rehabilitate his value. What does that window 343 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:06.000 look like or does what we say at the top 344 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:08.720 apply here to where these these windows are opening and 345 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:12.400 shutting so quickly that even if it is for two years, 346 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.319 But it's just I don't know, especially with the way 347 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.279 his contract is. He is two years left, and so 348 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.880 you kind of need to make a decision on him 349 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:23.480 after this season the way the extension game works. Yeah, 350 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:25.839 so I think it's where do you land on. I 351 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.880 think it's kind of just stab in the dark. They 352 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.440 viewed it as opportunism, and this was you know, if 353 00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:34.480 the alternative was Jalen Brown might have been a better 354 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.759 fit or a higher end acquisition. He also, even though 355 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.599 we criticized or were I guess we were more on 356 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:44.559 the Sixers' side of that deal, he would have cost 357 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.400 substantially more than what they gave up for jaw Rant, 358 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:49.319 Like they didn't give up any draft equity for. 359 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.960 Him, right, I mean I lean more towards just the 360 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:54.599 like the first the form, like the asset play, the 361 00:17:55.640 --> 00:18:01.359 potential upside measured against the low cost of adding him. 362 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.519 Partly because like if you let's take the alternative, uh, 363 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:07.240 if you thought that, you know what somewhere in here 364 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:10.480 there's a core of jaw Denny Avdia and Donovan Klingen, 365 00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:13.200 Like we can. We can, especially if Clingon develops as 366 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:18.079 a shooter, like I guess, But like I just don't 367 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:21.759 see the Avdya jaw fit because I don't want to 368 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:24.319 take the ball out of Avdya's hands. I want shooting 369 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:26.039 around him and he gets to run the off. I 370 00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:29.920 just I believe that that's a more effective more effective 371 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:33.640 maybe not Like if the the highest ceiling version of 372 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.240 the Blazers is John Morant looks like he did five 373 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:40.680 years ago and and he's like your your top ten 374 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.319 MVP candidate. You build the whole thing around him with 375 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:47.400 shooting in defense, Like sure, I would concede that's probably 376 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:52.640 better than Avidya could make the team maybe, But I 377 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.200 just don't. They're not they're not acting. They didn't just 378 00:18:55.240 --> 00:18:57.279 go out and find every shooter on the market, right 379 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.359 they they Because if you really thought that, like we're 380 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:01.440 gonna build a team around this guy or even just 381 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:03.920 him and Obdia, you just go find shooting. So to me, 382 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:05.960 it's just this is all it costs to get a 383 00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:08.440 guy that like there's a five percent chance he could 384 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:10.720 be an All NBA player again, Like, I guess you 385 00:19:10.839 --> 00:19:14.119 just pay that right, and that's that leads to confusing 386 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:16.359 teams because you're just like, well, we'll take him, but 387 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:18.880 he doesn't make any sense in any way for us, 388 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:21.240 and so that's how you end up the first pick. 389 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:24.880 We spend enough time on that, But what does we 390 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:27.640 oh we were wrong about the Blazers look like? Like what 391 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.599 has happened in you? Like? Because I think with some 392 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.920 of these teams you could at least envision X happens 393 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.839 and that's where we could be. It doesn't feel likely, 394 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:37.960 but X happens, and it feels like we could be wrong. 395 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.680 I keep trying to sit here and figure out, well, 396 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:43.200 what are we missing? Because you can say all that 397 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:46.400 stuff is fine about the value play on John Morant, okay, great, 398 00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:49.119 doesn't necessarily make him just because you think there's a 399 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:50.920 five percent chance of be an All NBA player again 400 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:53.720 doesn't mean that you've set up the ecosystem or the like, 401 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:56.519 have the supporting cast to make that happen. So the 402 00:19:56.519 --> 00:20:01.640 theory of this roster right now feels jagged for sure. 403 00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:03.680 I think I think the one way that it does 404 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:05.640 make sense, and this is not a positive, but it 405 00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:08.160 could be something that teams maybe should think about more. 406 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.160 Is because, as we've said, there just seem to be 407 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:12.519 a lot of players that are kind of in each 408 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:15.680 other's way. Here if forty of the roster is hurt 409 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:20.200 basically all season, right, because then it's like if Scoot 410 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:22.599 Scoots had plenty of injury problems, Dame was coming off 411 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.880 the Achille who knows right, Robert Williams is not a 412 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:29.160 reliable guy from a health perspective, Drew Holidays Old Like 413 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:32.599 suddenly you're not sitting there thinking like how are we 414 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:34.960 going to possibly play Scoot and Shade and Sharp Andrew 415 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.039 Holliday and Dame Lollard and John Moran and like how 416 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:38.640 does that all work? With Obdy and eating the ball? 417 00:20:38.680 --> 00:20:40.799 It's like, well, if four of those guys are hurt 418 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:43.480 on any given night, suddenly the rotation makes a little 419 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:46.240 more sense, just because it's like it's clearer who should 420 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:48.920 play because you you just play your better players and 421 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:51.279 you figure it like that element of it can make 422 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:55.240 more sense. The overall build, which again is short on 423 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:58.480 shooting and kind of lighter on forwards, and that whole 424 00:20:58.519 --> 00:21:01.920 thing that I don't know what the best. Like how 425 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:03.480 you look at that and say, well, it could work 426 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:06.279 out if this like there's just it's a weirdly built roster. 427 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.839 The only positive is like it could just because of injuries, 428 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:12.799 there wouldn't be quite as much overlap as there seems. 429 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:14.559 There's definitely going to be Right now. 430 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:17.559 What is up, fellowsikos, You're listening to this episode right 431 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:19.640 now thinking wow, it would be so cool if there 432 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:20.640 were no ads on it. 433 00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:22.519 We have the power to make this the last ad 434 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:24.519 you ever hear. And that's not a threat, it's more 435 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:26.799 of a promise. 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Thank you 446 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:52.839 again as always for listening and for watching. 447 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:55.759 And now back to the show with the second pick 448 00:21:56.720 --> 00:22:02.200 in the most confusing NBA Teams Draft to select the 449 00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:07.680 Washington Wizards. I there's the Trey Young contract, which you 450 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:09.640 know we want to talk about the Bucks coming to 451 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:11.759 terms of Gary Trent Junior a year or two ago. 452 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:14.640 It feels like this Trey Young deal was agreed upon 453 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:17.240 as part of his trade to Washington to where he 454 00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:20.680 gets the four years, two hundred the max that he 455 00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:22.440 could the four year max basically he could have gotten 456 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:24.160 from another team of four years and two hundred and 457 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:27.599 twelve point nine million dollars after declining his player option 458 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:32.920 given the market. That just doesn't make sense to me 459 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:36.000 in a vacuum from a pure value perspective, I thought 460 00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:37.680 we were gonna reach a point. What do I keep 461 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:39.200 saying every summer is when are we gonna reach a 462 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:43.640 point where actual negotiations are happening with perceived stars? And 463 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:46.839 what happens Victor Wamanyama takes a fifty million dollar discount 464 00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:49.319 like before, there's negotiation happening on Trey Young to the 465 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:53.640 next contract. Wild to me, what still is confusing about this? 466 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:55.039 And you could look at some of the other moves. 467 00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:57.880 By the way, good friend Chris Middleton, he's back. I 468 00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:00.880 would have probably preferred them to like lean more towards 469 00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:03.000 just a pure shooter. When you're looking at who else 470 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:07.279 is on this roster, their big man rotation is now okay, 471 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:11.400 getting off the Jaden Hardy contract fine. Getting DeAndre eighton 472 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.000 eight million dollars backup five also fine. You have Alex 473 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:16.480 hard and Anthony Davis, and you needed to give up 474 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:20.000 second round picks to make it happen. The other thing is, 475 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:23.000 when you're looking at investing in Trey Young at this level, 476 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:27.160 you just drafted Aj Debantsa, who I think needs to 477 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:30.519 be on the ball more often than Darren Peterson. This 478 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:32.839 is the only viable alternative at this point. Maybe I'll 479 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:35.920 prove wrong. Summer League is not a good gauge of that, 480 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:37.640 just because all of these guys are going to be 481 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:41.119 on the ball a ton. That being said, like Cam 482 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:43.559 Boozer is a better shooter than Aj Debantsa is. Right now, 483 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:46.559 when you're looking at like the three point stuff, do 484 00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:49.599 you trust Trey Young? There's something to be said about No, 485 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:51.920 AJ doesn't need to be the number one option. He 486 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:54.440 probably shouldn't be the number one option. He can be 487 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:57.880 uplifted by funneling that usage towards someone else where, then 488 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:00.559 he's gonna get a lot of the secondary looks. Is 489 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:05.480 Trey Young the type of player that can function differently 490 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:09.160 because when you look at the percentage of his team's 491 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:11.680 on ball possessions he has used when on the floor. 492 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:15.119 Since entering the league, he has never ranked lower than 493 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:18.160 seventh in the entire league grant and he's only ranked 494 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:21.279 outside the top five once when he was seventh, and 495 00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:23.400 I think that was this past year. By the way, 496 00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:28.319 Like what now you're adding Anthony Davis, it will presumably 497 00:24:28.359 --> 00:24:30.039 endo them mas Anty David still going to be there. 498 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:32.720 He didn't get any He's he he's going to be 499 00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:34.960 extension eligible? Are you giving him one? 500 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:35.759 Does? 501 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:38.440 I don't think the eight and acquisition signals that, oh, 502 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:40.519 we want to we're more likely to trade Anthony Davis. 503 00:24:40.519 --> 00:24:43.119 If anything, it signals do we want to play a 504 00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:47.160 lot of Alex Sar with another big type lineups? And 505 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:49.640 if that is a default, what does that mean for 506 00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:53.079 a wing rotation that's fairly stacked at this point? When 507 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:55.039 you look at debantsa when you look at having Keishon, 508 00:24:55.119 --> 00:24:58.319 George Black, Kulabaly still being there. Oh, Cam Whitmore's still 509 00:24:58.359 --> 00:25:00.400 on this team. So it was justin Champenny and we 510 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:04.279 just brought back Chris Middleton. I am so confused by 511 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:07.599 this shruster. Not in a way where I'm necessarily down 512 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:10.240 on it, but I also just find myself looking what 513 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:12.359 Trey Johnson was able to do in Summer League, and 514 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:14.480 I kind of find myself wondering, well, how does he 515 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:16.839 work into all of this? And if he works into 516 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:20.119 all this, what does that mean for Bob Carrington. There's 517 00:25:20.759 --> 00:25:23.440 this roster is all over the place, even when you're 518 00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:27.319 looking at like just we probably get too caught up 519 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:30.480 in timelines, but like, on the one hand, you have 520 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:33.119 Anthony Davis and Trey Young taking up sixty plus percent 521 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:35.000 of your cap, and on the other hand, you have 522 00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:37.759 the number one overall pick from this draft. You have 523 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:40.440 Keishaan George who before he missed time last year, who's 524 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:43.400 having a breakout campaign. You have alexar who's drafted number 525 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:48.000 two overall two years ago. Is what is even with 526 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:51.920 the idea of Okay lottery reformation, this team's been rebuilding 527 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:53.720 for a minute now. They want to make a jump. 528 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:56.160 I don't even understand what type of jump they're trying 529 00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:58.839 to make. Is it to just be in the the 530 00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:02.000 middle at this point? Did they internally just because they 531 00:26:02.039 --> 00:26:04.440 do have some of the name power, they have not 532 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:07.640 necessarily transacted like a team that is desperate to be 533 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:10.119 in the top six in the East per se. But 534 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:12.559 you did just give Trey Young a quasi max and 535 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:15.599 you have Trey Young and Anthony Davis just hashtag on 536 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:20.920 this team. So I don't know honestly what the wizards 537 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:23.680 Is short term game is, and you could even long 538 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:26.640 term I still think right there are some clear core 539 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:30.200 pieces in place, But do they view Trey Young and 540 00:26:30.279 --> 00:26:34.200 AD as one of those pieces? I honestly, Trey Young 541 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:35.720 certainly seems like they might. 542 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:42.240 Well, if he's not, i'd sure like to know what 543 00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:45.119 they would have paid him. Isn't this this is kind 544 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:51.000 of a wild sort of like turn about because I 545 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:54.039 think we both were probably I don't know what the 546 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:58.480 breakdown was, but we both liked the Young trade and 547 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:01.240 the Davis trade to varying. He's like, I wouldn't say, 548 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:03.400 don't let me put words in your mouth, but like 549 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.720 in both cases, I was kind of like I think 550 00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:08.240 if that's the cost, you just do it. By the way, 551 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:10.640 a lot more trades happening these days where that's the 552 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:13.599 justification of it with so which maybe suggests that like 553 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:16.559 that shouldn't be the cost. But were you there at 554 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:19.599 like with with both Trey and Davis when they made 555 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:22.559 those trades. It's like, yeah, man, I guess like that's 556 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.240 just an asset you take for the for the price. 557 00:27:25.079 --> 00:27:27.200 Which is why didn't we just say that when we 558 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:28.920 were talking about John Morant with the Blazers. 559 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:32.000 Well that's why I kind of asked, like, I'm coming 560 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.920 around to that perspective, but we went through I like, well, actually, 561 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:37.319 this is just it's actively damaging maybe in a lot 562 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:37.680 of ways. 563 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:39.720 No, you're not putting words in my mouth. I went 564 00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:41.440 back and forth with more on this at the time 565 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:43.319 where I was like, no, these trades make sense as 566 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:46.799 an opportunity, Like as a matter of opportunity. It's oh, 567 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:49.200 if they go turn around and give them these massive deals, 568 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:51.079 that's when you have questions and what did they do? 569 00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:55.680 Guess what they got some questions? Yeah, I so the 570 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:59.400 trading extension spun me all the way back around to 571 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:03.519 this before. But like, this is just the same organization 572 00:28:03.640 --> 00:28:06.599 that gave Bradley Beal that contract, and this is just 573 00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:10.119 like this is this just feels like so right on 574 00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:13.920 brand for a team that we really thought was doing 575 00:28:13.960 --> 00:28:18.559 things a little more sensibly. So I would echo everything 576 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:21.319 you said. I this in a lot of ways, this 577 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:24.079 is more confused. This team is more confusing than Portland. 578 00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:27.039 It's just that like it's not quite at every level 579 00:28:27.039 --> 00:28:29.359 because the Dundon and the Morant pieces are just so 580 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:36.119 like just confounding. But let's be looking. Let's let's try 581 00:28:36.119 --> 00:28:38.240 to give the Wizards the benefit of the doubt. I 582 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:40.440 can't do it with the young extension. That's never gonna 583 00:28:40.440 --> 00:28:42.799 make sense. But like maybe there's some element of we 584 00:28:42.839 --> 00:28:44.920 got all these young guys, if any of them are 585 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:47.359 any good, they'll be good enough to prove it in 586 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:50.720 suboptimal circumstances. Look what Cooper Flag did in Dallas last year, 587 00:28:50.759 --> 00:28:53.680 Like you know, he kind of the role wasn't great. 588 00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:56.160 There weren't like a ton of veterans that like we're 589 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:59.440 eating into his time and if anything, like he had 590 00:28:59.480 --> 00:29:02.480 to play it difficult role because they didn't have good alternatives. 591 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:06.480 But if you just throw Debanza and Sar and Keishan 592 00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:09.839 George and Trey Johnson and you neglected to mention my 593 00:29:09.880 --> 00:29:12.880 guy Will Riley in the mix, and like just toss 594 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:15.400 them all in there with Anthony Davis and like something 595 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:18.640 emerges and it becomes clear organically, like who belongs and 596 00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:22.359 who doesn't and who fits whatever timeline you're on. That 597 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.000 feels more like just that doesn't feel like a plan 598 00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:28.599 to me, Like that just feels like we cobble. We've 599 00:29:28.599 --> 00:29:32.279 thrown together guys all across the age bracket and we'll 600 00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:36.640 get what we get. And like, sure, in a world 601 00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:40.680 where being absolutely terrible doesn't pay, you might find something 602 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:44.200 that gets you on the most optimistic end of things 603 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:47.640 out above the plane or something. I don't think that's 604 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:52.319 happening the East is crazy, but like you don't get 605 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:55.799 to if things work out here, it will feel more 606 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:00.440 like happenstance than an organized sort of effort to get 607 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:04.559 this team to wherever it's trying to go. I feel 608 00:30:04.599 --> 00:30:11.160 like the Debanza pick provided them cover to go to 609 00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:13.200 Trey Young and say, hey, whatever we agreed to, like 610 00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:16.400 we didn't contemplate we were gonna have this potentially generational guy. 611 00:30:16.519 --> 00:30:19.240 We're kind of going in a different direction, here's twenty 612 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:21.759 five million a year with like a team option on 613 00:30:21.799 --> 00:30:26.240 the third. Godspeed if you can go beat this somewhere else, 614 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:30.000 Like circumstances changed, you understand, and if he walks, he walks, 615 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:31.799 it didn't cost you anything to get him like that, 616 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:36.160 the doubling down whether it was being I do you 617 00:30:36.200 --> 00:30:39.640 believe that the reporting that like the Wizards were afraid 618 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:42.039 somebody else was gonna put you like That's just the. 619 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:45.000 Only team I could think of is because they traded 620 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:47.920 for Julius Randle was the Nets would they have preferred to? 621 00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:52.559 But if they guards right, who went off in the 622 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:55.559 summer League and then they drafted Mikel Brown Junior, So 623 00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:57.759 I think that would have possibily would have come off 624 00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:01.319 the table. I don't see another team that this. This 625 00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:04.400 is just like the Bucks had suitors for Gary Trent 626 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:07.279 Junior and sign in trades potentially at this four year, 627 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:08.680 sixty four million dollar number. 628 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:11.400 This, so then you're what you said initially was right, 629 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:15.039 is this was agreed to at the time of the trade, which. 630 00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:18.880 Oh, you don't see that happen where one player gets 631 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:23.519 salary dumped only to turn around and then sign a 632 00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:25.240 near ax deal. With them. 633 00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:27.680 The market just told you what he was worth, and 634 00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:30.240 it wasn't fifty million dollars a year. It was dead. 635 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:33.480 It was basically dead Corey Kispert's contract and dead money, 636 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:36.440 which six and one half done the other Like if. 637 00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:39.839 You McCollum won the Hawks a playoff game, he really did, 638 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:41.039 he really did. 639 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:43.759 I might like this team better if CJ. McCollum were 640 00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:48.079 on it instead of Tree Young, certainly at his new contract. Yeah, 641 00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:50.920 it doesn't make a ton of sense. Yeah, Phil Barksdale 642 00:31:50.920 --> 00:31:52.920 feel like Washington went on a shopping spree on Facebook 643 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:54.720 marketplace a little bit, a little bit. 644 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:57.839 The one difference I will say between them and Portland is, 645 00:31:57.880 --> 00:32:03.079 at least in theory Trey Young and Anthony Davish Phil 646 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:05.920 needs where was they didn't have a floor general of 647 00:32:05.960 --> 00:32:08.440 the future and if you wanted Alex Are to play 648 00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:12.799 alongside a more physical big man done in Portland, it's 649 00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:16.160 I don't know what I think job Rant exacerbates the 650 00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:18.400 problems they were supposed to address. When you're looking at 651 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:21.480 the shooting, that's damning with fame praise for Washington, but 652 00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:23.799 but it's also different because I do look at this 653 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.599 roster and it's not even Portland. I'm pretty sure is 654 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:30.839 going to be disappointing just because of the makeup of 655 00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:35.039 the team with washing Art. Yeah, I can't fathom what 656 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:38.559 this team divisions itself being enough to know whether they're 657 00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:41.000 going to be disappointing or exceed expectations. 658 00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:44.359 Yeah, I agree, all right, I got an I got 659 00:32:44.400 --> 00:32:47.680 another pick here. It's a little bit of a different 660 00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:52.240 type of team because I think those two were I 661 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:54.119 think the Wizards probably would have been my second pick 662 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:57.319 as well. So I'm gonna go Dallas Mavericks. This is 663 00:32:58.599 --> 00:33:03.039 it's a bizarre roster can struction. It's just the powerful. 664 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:05.720 I mean, I'm gonna forget some. But you have Cooper Flag, 665 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:09.119 you traded for Santi Aldama. Naji Marshall's probably best used 666 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:11.920 as a for PJ Washington. Same there, Klay Thompson is 667 00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:14.000 a is a for at least do me a favor. 668 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:16.319 Just name the team players on this team who aren't 669 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:18.880 best suit forward Kyrie Irving? 670 00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:23.240 Right sure, yeah, I don't know. Right. Defensively is can 671 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:27.240 you hold up so a million forwards? Not a lot 672 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:30.039 of point guard depth behind Kyrie Irving because Brandon Williams 673 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:32.640 has not comeback yet. I feel I think that's someone 674 00:33:32.680 --> 00:33:37.200 they should definitely want to keep around if they can. Uh, 675 00:33:37.640 --> 00:33:40.319 Center seems fine, but you've got Derek Lively's health, you've 676 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:43.480 got Gafford kind of underperforming. It's just a lot of fours, 677 00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:47.400 and it does, again feel like a roster setup. That 678 00:33:49.119 --> 00:33:52.960 I mean, it's it's not designed to make things easier 679 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:55.759 functionally for Cooper Flag again two years in a row. 680 00:33:55.799 --> 00:33:58.799 Now we're going in where it's like, I just I 681 00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:03.279 don't know that it's it's it's it doesn't feel like 682 00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:06.559 trial by fire, like on purpose, because like why would 683 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:08.320 you do that too? You know what I mean? Like 684 00:34:08.599 --> 00:34:11.079 it feels like they're making it deliberately hard on him, 685 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:13.079 but I don't know how deliberate that is. It's just 686 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:16.079 this is a weird collection of players and it doesn't 687 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:19.280 seem to suit a Flag all that well. I do 688 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:22.639 think if Irving is healthy, you get a lot more 689 00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:24.920 reps where he's playing off of somebody, and maybe you 690 00:34:25.079 --> 00:34:28.440 then get to see the defensive ceiling that everybody thought 691 00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:31.360 was an absolute given. If flags lyft on offense isn't 692 00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:33.400 quite as high. And we come out of this coming 693 00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:37.079 this following year thinking even more highly of him right, 694 00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:40.800 because well, we've seen him exceed expectations as an offensive playmaker, 695 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:43.159 as an on ball guy, and then the defense showed 696 00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:45.400 up second year, and then we're primed to put him 697 00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:48.400 on all NBA teams this third year or whatever. If 698 00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:51.679 he doesn't do that this season, then you're still relying 699 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:55.000 on Kyrie Irving to be healthy and productive for most 700 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:56.639 of this year and to be on the team. Because 701 00:34:56.639 --> 00:34:59.400 he still profiles as a trade candidate. There's plenty of 702 00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:03.119 teams that could u him. So this is more strictly you. 703 00:35:03.079 --> 00:35:05.280 Think Portland takes a look, kicks the tires. 704 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:10.880 I mean, you know again, he just he fits a 705 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:13.599 tight So yeah, that this is this is a more 706 00:35:13.719 --> 00:35:16.239 narrow thing. But as I was going through the rosters 707 00:35:16.840 --> 00:35:19.559 around the league, this one just just jumps out of me. 708 00:35:19.719 --> 00:35:22.760 Is why why is it built this way? Like if 709 00:35:22.760 --> 00:35:25.039 they drafted more as Johnson too, who like I don't, 710 00:35:25.079 --> 00:35:25.480 I don't. 711 00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:29.280 Know, that's the what seems just as a fit with 712 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:33.360 Cooper Flag, I think it's terrible. And then also I 713 00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:36.280 don't that is the you don't necessarily make that pick 714 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:38.440 because it's at the best fit with Cooper Flag. I mean, 715 00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:40.880 Brydon Burry's and that's bot I think would have been 716 00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:44.400 the right call there. That being said, the Santi aldomitrate 717 00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:45.920 is the one that I still just can't That was 718 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:48.239 my well, what is going You can talk your stuff, 719 00:35:48.239 --> 00:35:50.480 all right, if they think Marcus Sasser is going to 720 00:35:50.519 --> 00:35:55.199 provide some shooting and not gonna get trucked. Defensively, they're 721 00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:58.119 another team and maybe they're just a suit they're assuming 722 00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:00.719 that they'll go about more of their business in the 723 00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:02.440 middle of the season. But they're another team where this 724 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:06.159 just sort of feels unfinished because you're every I would 725 00:36:06.159 --> 00:36:11.119 echo everything you said. I like, defensively, they're gonna be 726 00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:13.880 huge and pretty versatile when you look at the guys 727 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:15.119 that are on the roster. 728 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:17.320 Right, we said that exact thing last year, too, right, 729 00:36:17.400 --> 00:36:19.480 it was I remember when we talked about Dallas. It 730 00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:21.800 was like, they're gonna rebound the shit out of the ball. 731 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:24.199 They're gonna be big at every position, they're gonna defend. 732 00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:26.679 The offense is gonna suck, and maybe they win forty 733 00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:29.880 games that way. It's like the personnel's kind of different, 734 00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:33.079 but it's also kind of the same. Like going in 735 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:36.039 I can imagine we might say very similar things about Dallas, 736 00:36:36.119 --> 00:36:38.119 except Kyrie Irving will be there, Like you know what 737 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:42.880 I mean, they kind of have recreated the same problems 738 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:45.880 they faced last year, but with just some new personnel. 739 00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:47.480 Right, and they haven't like do they They were so 740 00:36:47.519 --> 00:36:50.880 they were twenty sixth in offensive rebounding last year? Is 741 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:53.519 that like something that you see them improving upon with 742 00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:55.159 this but like something al Dama's not gonna give you 743 00:36:55.199 --> 00:36:57.119 much of that, maybe more as Johnson helps you there 744 00:36:57.639 --> 00:37:03.280 a little bit, but it's confusing. The one thing I 745 00:37:03.320 --> 00:37:05.400 have wondered, and I don't know if this puts their 746 00:37:05.400 --> 00:37:09.000 off season a better light, but if you're incredibly concerned 747 00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:13.000 about the health of Derek Lively moving forward, does that 748 00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:15.960 help explain the off season a little bit more? 749 00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:19.360 I mean a little bit. But it's not like a 750 00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:21.920 lot of these fours that we just listed are also 751 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:25.239 potential fives, you know, Like I think if I mean, 752 00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:27.840 maybe Johnson, I can't claim to have watched a heck 753 00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:30.280 of a lot of college basketball this year, but maybe 754 00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:32.719 Johnson is someone they view as I don't know, in 755 00:37:32.840 --> 00:37:34.880 like a Colin Murray Boyle's mold where it's like he's 756 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:36.800 not really a five, but he can do it, you know, 757 00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:39.800 like like Murray Boyle's is. If Johnson is anywhere close 758 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:41.679 to the defender of Murray Boyles is like, then I 759 00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:44.239 retracked everything I said. You have your center. He's not 760 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:46.599 a power forward all that stuff, but it doesn't seem 761 00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:50.559 like that's the profile for him. I do agree that 762 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:53.280 this seems like a situation you can trade yourself out 763 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:56.119 of because teams will be interested in Washington and Marshall. 764 00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:57.800 I think as long as you're not trying to get 765 00:37:57.840 --> 00:38:00.199 first back or anything like that, you can clean up 766 00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:03.239 the roster that way. But they're not out a wings 767 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:06.679 here like Max Christy and Caleb Martin. I guess who 768 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:08.639 really like is kind of a forore even might add 769 00:38:08.679 --> 00:38:12.920 him to the pile of power forwards. Really, so Marcus Sasser, 770 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:15.039 i'd like, is he you can use him as a 771 00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:19.000 combo guard? I guess I just I don't know. It's unbalanced. 772 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:23.280 There's a lot on Kyrie Irving being healthy and then 773 00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:27.199 Sergio de la Area gonna be good right away. There's 774 00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:29.679 a lot of that happening here, and I guess maybe 775 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:33.559 that speaks to when you're looking at Sergio, Oh, we'll 776 00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:37.119 have the runway or maybe they'll give Marcus Sassar more 777 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:40.000 agency than he ever had in Detroit because Massiu Jerry, 778 00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:43.280 by way, the moves that made sense. Hiring Massiu Jerry, 779 00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:46.440 sure firing Jason Kidd. I won't claim to know enough 780 00:38:46.440 --> 00:38:48.239 about what Dusty May is gonna bring as a head 781 00:38:48.239 --> 00:38:50.159 coach just yet. We'll dig into that like before the 782 00:38:50.199 --> 00:38:55.440 season starts. Those are all fine. I just this roster 783 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:58.920 offensively specifically again and then also just getting ready to 784 00:38:59.159 --> 00:39:01.800 even if Kyrie Irving is playing, aren't you getting ready 785 00:39:01.800 --> 00:39:03.960 to kind of pull your hair out at why as 786 00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:07.719 Cooper flag like your two or your three? Yeah? 787 00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:10.519 Yeah, dijita vous a little bit. We were asking the 788 00:39:10.519 --> 00:39:11.559 same questions last. 789 00:39:11.400 --> 00:39:15.119 Year with the fourth overall pick, my second overall pick 790 00:39:15.239 --> 00:39:18.119 in the most confusing teams NBA draft. I feel like 791 00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:20.400 you're gonna be able to guess where we're going with this, 792 00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:22.079 the New Orleans Pelicans. 793 00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:23.119 So are the comments. 794 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:30.639 Here's the thing I don't understand, like the let's start here, 795 00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:33.800 this is not They're not confusing in the sense that 796 00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:37.559 we have to sit here and demand that they should 797 00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:40.000 have traded everybody at this point. I think that's a 798 00:39:40.039 --> 00:39:41.880 reasonable thing to say, is they should have held some 799 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:46.880 kind of fire sale grant. Their transactions this year have 800 00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:52.280 been basically exercising Karla Makovich's team option, declining Kava Luni's 801 00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:55.159 team option, and re signing DeAndre Jordan on a two 802 00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:57.360 year deal not a one year deal, so that they 803 00:39:57.400 --> 00:40:00.440 would get They were so worried about the market that 804 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:02.599 he had that they had to give him two guaranteed years, 805 00:40:02.599 --> 00:40:05.400 which more power to him being a great locker room presence. 806 00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:09.480 And that is believable because remember what happened in Brooklyn, 807 00:40:09.800 --> 00:40:12.360 where not only did Kyrie and Kevin Durant force the 808 00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:15.920 Nets to sign him, they both took Kyrie took less 809 00:40:16.159 --> 00:40:19.599 and Durant lowered his uh like he took an incentive 810 00:40:19.599 --> 00:40:23.000 based structure so that the Nets could overpay DeAndre Jordan. 811 00:40:23.079 --> 00:40:26.159 So this is not There is a precedent for needing 812 00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:28.719 DeAndre Jordan in the locker room apparently. I'm not saying 813 00:40:28.760 --> 00:40:32.159 it's good, but there is a precedent for it. What 814 00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:34.880 is I saw and she's no longer employed by the team, 815 00:40:35.039 --> 00:40:37.000 but I saw. Teresa Witherspoon had a quote the other 816 00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:39.199 day about like, yeah, if they finally give the keys 817 00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:42.480 to Zion Williamson, and I'm in my mid like, well, 818 00:40:42.519 --> 00:40:45.840 hold up, that's that's not the way that this roster 819 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:48.400 is built. There's okay. If de Jontay Murray's there and 820 00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:50.840 Trey Murphy's they're okay, fine, Like you've Jeremiah Fears and 821 00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:54.159 Derek Queen. That is the antithesis of trying to build 822 00:40:54.159 --> 00:40:57.079 around Zion Williamson. I'm not saying they should have traded 823 00:40:57.159 --> 00:40:59.239 him for pennies on the dollar if there's no value there, 824 00:40:59.280 --> 00:41:01.760 But at the same time, I'm kind of saying, what 825 00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:06.079 is like pick a I want to say pick a lane, 826 00:41:06.199 --> 00:41:08.199 but I don't even know like what laying they're in 827 00:41:08.639 --> 00:41:11.480 right now. It's not even like they're just they're careening, 828 00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:14.880 like from side to side or they've already gone off 829 00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:18.400 the cliff. I don't look at like they don't. If 830 00:41:18.440 --> 00:41:20.800 you point to anyone on this roster, or trying to 831 00:41:20.800 --> 00:41:23.119 point to anyone on this roster and say, who is 832 00:41:23.119 --> 00:41:26.800 our north star, the person that's gonna guide us our 833 00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:30.599 decisions moving forward, the closest you get to an answer, 834 00:41:31.199 --> 00:41:34.400 it's still Zion Williamson. It can't be like Trey Murphy 835 00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:36.800 fits everywhere, but he's not high enough end to say 836 00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:39.519 that's the guy that's gonna direct like kind of how 837 00:41:39.519 --> 00:41:41.719 we flesh out the rest of our roster and now 838 00:41:41.760 --> 00:41:45.599 if you wanted to go whatever this current direction is 839 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:48.519 is my god, did you need to acquire more shooting 840 00:41:48.559 --> 00:41:50.840 than you have on the roster right now? There is 841 00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:55.559 Trey Murphy and that's it, Like if you if we 842 00:41:55.559 --> 00:41:59.559 want to go, we want to talk about it. Herb Jones, Yeah, 843 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:04.280 Jordan Poole before he got to New Orleans. So that's 844 00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:07.360 just like they were better when de Jontay Murray came 845 00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:10.360 back next season and so having that kind of organizer type, 846 00:42:10.360 --> 00:42:12.519 but where where does that even fit into what we 847 00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:17.159 just have Derrek, Queen, Enzion Williamson and Jeremiah Field Fears, 848 00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:21.079 all three of whom can cannot shoot. I don't want 849 00:42:21.079 --> 00:42:23.239 to say that about Jeremiah Fears, but he's not He's 850 00:42:23.239 --> 00:42:26.039 nowhere near a knockdown shooter. His game is pride on 851 00:42:26.480 --> 00:42:28.800 I can get to the basket and my liveable when 852 00:42:28.800 --> 00:42:33.039 I'm in the lane. I don't know what this team 853 00:42:33.440 --> 00:42:35.320 is trying to do. And this this is kind of 854 00:42:35.360 --> 00:42:37.559 an extension of do you remember this was like a 855 00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:40.679 month before the trade deadline this past year where it 856 00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:42.679 came out I think was Chris Haynes had the report 857 00:42:43.000 --> 00:42:47.119 that the Pelicans were basically closer business and little did 858 00:42:47.320 --> 00:42:49.880 we know that he was also talking about the offseason 859 00:42:50.280 --> 00:42:50.840 as well. 860 00:42:51.960 --> 00:42:55.519 I mean, the core issue here seems to be it's 861 00:42:55.559 --> 00:42:58.159 at the top, right, it's the ownership management thing, Like 862 00:42:58.239 --> 00:43:02.159 Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver get put in. It's true Weaver, right, 863 00:43:02.239 --> 00:43:04.199 that's who that's who's there kind of him and Dumars 864 00:43:04.199 --> 00:43:07.199 are splitting the gig? Do I have that right? I 865 00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:17.199 know what It's like everything you said is right about 866 00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:19.320 how the roster makes no sense. I would even add 867 00:43:19.360 --> 00:43:21.599 that it used to be that you had to build 868 00:43:21.639 --> 00:43:24.679 such a specific team around Zion that it like no 869 00:43:24.800 --> 00:43:28.280 roster could make sense with Zion and without you know, 870 00:43:28.480 --> 00:43:30.039 so that was always a huge challenge with him. Now 871 00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:31.880 it's like you still have to do that. He still 872 00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:33.840 probably is there North Star, only he's not good enough 873 00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:36.760 to justify being built around in that way. 874 00:43:36.920 --> 00:43:37.480 Good news. 875 00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:41.440 The Pelicans aren't trying to build anything. They're not doing anything, 876 00:43:41.559 --> 00:43:47.400 so so like the inaction is confusing because it well, 877 00:43:47.480 --> 00:43:50.239 let's let's let you speak for the Pelicans right now, 878 00:43:51.039 --> 00:43:54.599 do you think they believe that this roster is good enough? 879 00:43:55.000 --> 00:43:57.320 Or is it a situation where it's like or it 880 00:43:57.440 --> 00:44:00.199 makes sense and has upside and whatever, or there is 881 00:44:00.199 --> 00:44:04.679 a situation where, like the ownership management situation is so 882 00:44:04.800 --> 00:44:07.440 out to lunch that it's like we're not even like 883 00:44:07.559 --> 00:44:10.840 making calls. We're all like Joe Dumars has like has 884 00:44:10.880 --> 00:44:13.920 passed his expiration data as a decision maker and it's 885 00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:16.840 just like we're not doing anything because we're just collecting 886 00:44:16.840 --> 00:44:19.000 a check and whatever. You know what I mean, Like, 887 00:44:19.119 --> 00:44:21.719 is it just everybody is asleep at the wheel or 888 00:44:21.760 --> 00:44:22.039 is it do. 889 00:44:22.039 --> 00:44:25.119 You think Troy Weavers at that point of you could 890 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:27.039 make that case for Joe Dumars and Gail Benson, But 891 00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:29.079 do you think Troy Weavers that like don't you think? 892 00:44:29.159 --> 00:44:31.760 Well, but is he empowered to do anything? Maybe is 893 00:44:31.800 --> 00:44:32.599 the sub question? 894 00:44:32.679 --> 00:44:34.119 Je Bay is on this team, so why not? 895 00:44:35.480 --> 00:44:39.079 I just this is why it's confusing. I don't even know, Yeah, 896 00:44:39.119 --> 00:44:41.559 we don't know what they think about this team, Like. 897 00:44:41.480 --> 00:44:45.440 Well, they're acting as if they are they're acting they're 898 00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:47.719 not necessarily acting as if they think they're good. They're 899 00:44:47.760 --> 00:44:53.159 acting as if they believe they already have the big 900 00:44:53.199 --> 00:44:55.960 picture talent in place, and both by the way, both 901 00:44:56.079 --> 00:44:59.119 vantage points would be wrong. You're not good. And I 902 00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:02.840 thought there Queen and Jeremiah Fears were fine last year. 903 00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:04.639 They each had their bright spots, and I think I'm 904 00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:07.239 higher on Queen than Jeremiah Fears at this point, I 905 00:45:07.239 --> 00:45:09.400 don't look at any one of them and say, that's 906 00:45:09.400 --> 00:45:12.119 like a potential cornerstone right there. Maybe they are, but 907 00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:14.880 you don't have enough information and so you don't even 908 00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:17.360 have so forget if we throw if we give them 909 00:45:17.360 --> 00:45:19.760 the benefit of the doubt and say, and I'm not 910 00:45:19.800 --> 00:45:21.559 prepared to give them better for the doubt. But let's 911 00:45:21.639 --> 00:45:24.320 hypothetically say they're not sitting there thinking they are good. 912 00:45:24.760 --> 00:45:27.639 They know that they don't measure up to the rest 913 00:45:27.639 --> 00:45:31.559 of the Western Conference. They are then sitting here kind 914 00:45:31.559 --> 00:45:36.639 of like thinking Detroit Pistons before, like their breakthrough season, 915 00:45:36.679 --> 00:45:38.360 not last year, but the year before, where it's like, 916 00:45:38.480 --> 00:45:39.800 you know, we haven't been good yet, but there's no 917 00:45:39.840 --> 00:45:42.920 reason to do anything nuclear to sell off guys, or 918 00:45:42.960 --> 00:45:46.519 to go consolidate into someone who might be our face 919 00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:49.360 of the present, or to pair with Zion or to 920 00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:53.320 pair with Maybe they fear uh, fear Fear Fear, feel 921 00:45:53.719 --> 00:45:59.119 about Fears or Queen with you need like, But that's 922 00:45:59.159 --> 00:46:02.480 wrong too because you don't have like, You don't have 923 00:46:02.559 --> 00:46:05.559 that blue chip talent that you could definitively say and 924 00:46:05.559 --> 00:46:07.960 that's not This doesn't mean that every move needs to 925 00:46:07.960 --> 00:46:10.400 be geared towards we either need another star or we 926 00:46:10.440 --> 00:46:13.679 need this super high end youngster. But you gotta do something. 927 00:46:14.039 --> 00:46:16.559 And if you believe that Jeremiah Fears and Derek Queen 928 00:46:16.559 --> 00:46:19.119 are the future, let's just let's just assume they believe 929 00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:23.000 that is why do you not have more shooting on 930 00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:26.599 this roster? Why are you not working the Like Anthony 931 00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:29.039 Simon's went for six point three million dollars six million 932 00:46:29.039 --> 00:46:30.440 dollars year. I'm not saying he would have taken that 933 00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:32.719 to go to New Orleans, but like, you could have 934 00:46:32.840 --> 00:46:37.760 got out there and done something anything. Their financial situation, 935 00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:42.079 I wouldn't say is enviable, but they're not so close 936 00:46:42.119 --> 00:46:45.159 to the tax. They're eight point four million dollars beneath 937 00:46:45.159 --> 00:46:49.199 the tax. That is, you could have signed somebody better 938 00:46:49.239 --> 00:46:51.280 than DeAndre Jordan. You could have gone out and tried 939 00:46:51.320 --> 00:46:55.280 to make a trade without attaching meaningful draft equity to 940 00:46:55.599 --> 00:46:58.400 the assets. That were going out. I just don't. I 941 00:46:58.400 --> 00:47:00.480 don't get any of this, and I would have this 942 00:47:00.519 --> 00:47:04.199 isn't I don't want to veer into just do something territory. 943 00:47:04.519 --> 00:47:07.840 But wouldn't you have been more encouraged if they just 944 00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:11.480 took the jah Morant type package or Tray Young type 945 00:47:11.519 --> 00:47:13.960 package for Zion, because then you can point to, you 946 00:47:14.000 --> 00:47:16.480 know what, Oh, they're fully invested in Queen and Fears. 947 00:47:16.519 --> 00:47:18.000 I don't know if I feel good about it, but 948 00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:20.360 at least they're showing that that's what they're fully invested in. 949 00:47:20.400 --> 00:47:23.239 I was gonna say, I think the moment he had 950 00:47:23.920 --> 00:47:27.320 positive value, if that ever happened at any point this 951 00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:29.760 past season, they should have traded him. But well, you 952 00:47:30.280 --> 00:47:33.079 I think you're right that the moment Zion had neutral value. 953 00:47:33.400 --> 00:47:36.679 They should have moved him, just because it organizes your 954 00:47:36.679 --> 00:47:39.880 team in a way that like, you're probably wrong, But 955 00:47:39.920 --> 00:47:41.519 then you do get to say, all right, it's Queen 956 00:47:41.559 --> 00:47:43.440 and Fears and we're going to figure it out around 957 00:47:43.440 --> 00:47:46.719 these guys, and we can we can make roster decisions 958 00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:50.840 with them at the center of it. Speaking of which, 959 00:47:50.840 --> 00:47:54.079 who's playing center for this team? That's another confusing aspect. 960 00:47:55.000 --> 00:47:56.239 Andre Jordan, right, thank you. 961 00:47:56.320 --> 00:47:58.360 Right, yeah, what about the other forty six and a 962 00:47:58.400 --> 00:48:03.079 half minutes of the game, Like it's fine, oh, perfect, great, Yeah, 963 00:48:03.159 --> 00:48:05.000 that was a problem. That's been a problem since time 964 00:48:05.039 --> 00:48:08.480 I memorial. The Pelicans to me feel like, do you 965 00:48:08.480 --> 00:48:12.199 ever have like a like a just like a basic 966 00:48:12.280 --> 00:48:15.880 office job that maybe like there's a it's like a 967 00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:18.559 branch office and there's like a middle manager in charge, 968 00:48:19.119 --> 00:48:22.199 and morale sucks, like the person in charge doesn't really 969 00:48:22.199 --> 00:48:25.719 have any power, is not motivated to improve anything, and 970 00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:29.559 like the copier doesn't work. It's like one out of 971 00:48:29.599 --> 00:48:32.880 every three days the copier works, and it's like we 972 00:48:32.960 --> 00:48:35.679 need this fixed, and everybody's like I don't want to 973 00:48:35.719 --> 00:48:37.920 fill out the work order, like I just it's just 974 00:48:38.039 --> 00:48:40.559 fuck it. We'll just we'll get through it. Like that's 975 00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:42.800 what the Pelicans feel like to me, where like nobody's 976 00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:46.400 motivated or empowered to actually do anything, and so you 977 00:48:46.559 --> 00:48:50.880 just kind of like zombie walk along and and don't 978 00:48:50.920 --> 00:48:56.599 have any like any incentive to or ambition to change 979 00:48:56.599 --> 00:48:57.639 anything or fixtion. 980 00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:00.239 But what's interesting is that there are they in a 981 00:49:00.280 --> 00:49:03.800 position to even think that way, because it's not like 982 00:49:03.880 --> 00:49:06.440 the if we're talking about I guess Portland's at the 983 00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:08.760 top of the list now when you're talking about relocation. 984 00:49:08.880 --> 00:49:11.519 But New Orleans is the team, and I'm not advocating 985 00:49:11.519 --> 00:49:13.519 for it, but that is the market that is pointed 986 00:49:13.559 --> 00:49:16.760 to as if relocation, like there shouldn't be a basketball 987 00:49:16.760 --> 00:49:19.440 team in New Orleans. And so if you're is that 988 00:49:19.480 --> 00:49:22.079 what you're trying to do, fast track yourself out out 989 00:49:22.119 --> 00:49:22.360 of here? 990 00:49:22.360 --> 00:49:24.840 In a major league situation where ownership is trying to 991 00:49:24.840 --> 00:49:28.280 tank the teams, it gets, it gets moved if you 992 00:49:29.239 --> 00:49:29.639 have to. 993 00:49:29.559 --> 00:49:32.599 Be I would be curious to know what Pelicans fan 994 00:49:32.679 --> 00:49:35.639 out there is reasonably high on this team to the 995 00:49:35.679 --> 00:49:38.280 point that show me the pathway to the Pelicans being 996 00:49:38.280 --> 00:49:41.719 a top eight team in the Western Conference next season. 997 00:49:41.840 --> 00:49:44.760 It does not exist. It does not exist. 998 00:49:45.880 --> 00:49:49.960 It's it's yeah, it's it's I mean, hasn't the like 999 00:49:50.159 --> 00:49:54.639 the main the overarching issue with New Orleans for however 1000 00:49:54.719 --> 00:49:58.000 long been that like it's not the top priority of ownership. 1001 00:49:58.079 --> 00:50:00.559 It's because the Saints. It's the Saints that mat and 1002 00:50:00.880 --> 00:50:04.840 the Pelicans get like reduced staff or like staff pulling 1003 00:50:04.840 --> 00:50:07.320 double duty for both organizations, and they're just like the 1004 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:09.960 little brother that no one's paying attention to isn't like 1005 00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:11.400 that's that feels like. 1006 00:50:11.760 --> 00:50:14.800 Tick to that this team makes no sense and is 1007 00:50:14.880 --> 00:50:15.760 confusing as hell. 1008 00:50:16.199 --> 00:50:19.280 Right, yeah, well, nobody's it. I don't know what else 1009 00:50:19.320 --> 00:50:22.639 to say. This is like I think the first comment 1010 00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:27.119 Rome said, uh, there's nothing confusing about the Pelicans. They're 1011 00:50:27.159 --> 00:50:30.199 a terrible team. Like, yeah, maybe we've overthought it a 1012 00:50:30.199 --> 00:50:33.639 little bit. They are just bad. Okay, is it my pick? Yea, 1013 00:50:34.159 --> 00:50:38.960 Pelicans are on my list for sure. Okay, Uh, let's go. 1014 00:50:39.280 --> 00:50:43.440 Let's go Phoenix Suns here. Oh, this is enough. 1015 00:50:43.480 --> 00:50:46.519 You're trying to insinuate that giving up a twenty thirty 1016 00:50:46.519 --> 00:50:48.400 three first round pick for the right to pay Miles 1017 00:50:48.440 --> 00:50:52.079 Bridges is in Well, Dan, it's not. 1018 00:50:52.079 --> 00:50:54.280 The first bullet point on my list of notes, but 1019 00:50:54.360 --> 00:50:56.880 it is the first sub bullet right under Bridges trade. 1020 00:50:57.199 --> 00:51:00.800 There's giving up twenty thirty three first is right there. Uh, 1021 00:51:01.400 --> 00:51:05.239 that's that's another one where I've mentioned how, like Washington, 1022 00:51:05.639 --> 00:51:07.440 we were kind of like, all right, things are making 1023 00:51:07.480 --> 00:51:09.960 sense here. For a brief moment last year it seemed 1024 00:51:09.960 --> 00:51:13.320 like the Suns were, to our surprise, like functional and 1025 00:51:13.440 --> 00:51:16.280 had made some good decisions. And I mean, I I 1026 00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:18.199 don't know how you've we've talked a little bit about it, 1027 00:51:18.239 --> 00:51:22.800 like Colin bless by, Colin Gillespie a new contract, great, 1028 00:51:23.719 --> 00:51:26.719 Jordan Goodwin great, happy with that too, Mark Williams don't 1029 00:51:26.760 --> 00:51:31.000 love it, but not a crippling number there. Uh. Their 1030 00:51:31.039 --> 00:51:34.320 return on Kevin Durant seemed fine, like Dylan Brooks played 1031 00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:36.920 pretty well for them. Mala Watch has looked like pretty 1032 00:51:37.039 --> 00:51:39.760 darn interesting in summer League. He's hitting threes like. 1033 00:51:39.719 --> 00:51:42.400 He's humble, did you see it? Humble as hell? Where 1034 00:51:42.400 --> 00:51:44.920 he's talking about no such there's no such thing as 1035 00:51:44.960 --> 00:51:48.559 being too good for summer league. Automatically love him. 1036 00:51:49.639 --> 00:51:52.360 Can we you know what, can we make you trash 1037 00:51:52.400 --> 00:51:55.760 your pick based on no? No, No, I will not, I 1038 00:51:55.800 --> 00:51:58.280 will not. Let's take an official stance right now. I think, 1039 00:51:58.360 --> 00:52:00.440 come on, Malawatch is like he's it needs to be 1040 00:52:00.519 --> 00:52:02.480 one of our guys. I think I think it's not 1041 00:52:02.559 --> 00:52:07.159 too late. He's he has the official Hardwood Knocks endorsement. 1042 00:52:07.360 --> 00:52:08.719 He's he's he gets it. 1043 00:52:08.840 --> 00:52:11.840 But now it's this team used to have that endorsement, 1044 00:52:12.400 --> 00:52:14.519 like last year was the oh we were so wrong 1045 00:52:14.559 --> 00:52:16.840 about them, and that they played hard and they they 1046 00:52:16.880 --> 00:52:20.000 had non bigs offensive rebounding and they they were gritty 1047 00:52:20.039 --> 00:52:22.159 on defense, and like, what is Dylan Brooks doing is 1048 00:52:22.159 --> 00:52:24.440 to look at Jordan Goodwin's locking people up and it's 1049 00:52:25.320 --> 00:52:28.400 it's not the fault of the players that we're here, 1050 00:52:28.480 --> 00:52:31.159 but it's just it's tough to make them. I can't 1051 00:52:31.159 --> 00:52:35.320 give them the Hardwood Knocks over arching stamp endorsement stamp 1052 00:52:35.480 --> 00:52:37.760 just because of like the Miles you might be on 1053 00:52:37.880 --> 00:52:38.599 Mute Grant or. 1054 00:52:38.880 --> 00:52:41.599 Phoenix Phoenix as a team because Bert's over here whining 1055 00:52:41.639 --> 00:52:45.760 he doesn't like the Suns either. No, Phoenix as a 1056 00:52:45.760 --> 00:52:48.760 team doesn't get it. But but Malawatch has the stamp. 1057 00:52:48.840 --> 00:52:51.400 We'll come up with an official stamp. We like him, 1058 00:52:51.519 --> 00:52:52.480 doesn't mean it's to be great. 1059 00:52:52.920 --> 00:52:55.000 He plays more minutes this year. Him or Mark Williams. 1060 00:52:56.800 --> 00:52:59.920 I mean, I really hope it's Malwatch. But also I 1061 00:53:00.119 --> 00:53:02.119 really like oh so a Gadaro too, So. 1062 00:53:02.199 --> 00:53:05.440 That's not That's another thing they That's not the question. 1063 00:53:05.599 --> 00:53:07.960 I was a factory, Mark factory in Mark Williams's injury 1064 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:10.760 history and probably the investment you have in malea Watch 1065 00:53:10.800 --> 00:53:13.360 long term, I'm gonna pick this. He's our guy. The 1066 00:53:13.400 --> 00:53:15.679 answer is Mile Watch Grant. You know what you hesitated, 1067 00:53:15.840 --> 00:53:18.480 that's disappointing. Yeah, I mean, I just well because I'm 1068 00:53:18.519 --> 00:53:21.039 a little reticent to suggest the Suns will make the 1069 00:53:21.119 --> 00:53:23.400 right decisions. That's right, he didn't go to Michigan State, 1070 00:53:23.440 --> 00:53:26.639 so that he did not it really I want to 1071 00:53:26.679 --> 00:53:34.079 make this more complicated, but the glaring like red light 1072 00:53:34.239 --> 00:53:37.719 of giving up that twenty thirty three first to bring 1073 00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:40.920 in Miles Bridges for Royce O'Neil and Grayson Allen and 1074 00:53:40.960 --> 00:53:44.000 that whatever worst of the worst of the worst twenty 1075 00:53:44.079 --> 00:53:47.480 nine pick whatever it was, like I would take the 1076 00:53:47.559 --> 00:53:52.199 picks out. I'm not trading, uh, Grayson Allen and Royce 1077 00:53:52.199 --> 00:53:56.960 O'Neil for Miles Bridges, like start there, right. And then 1078 00:53:57.599 --> 00:54:00.159 I'm also because part of the reason, not just like 1079 00:54:00.199 --> 00:54:02.440 the Miles Bridges of it all is just like I 1080 00:54:02.440 --> 00:54:03.800 think you and I are both like I'm not trading 1081 00:54:03.840 --> 00:54:04.199 for that guy. 1082 00:54:04.280 --> 00:54:06.199 You're not giving me that guy like that. I just 1083 00:54:06.280 --> 00:54:09.719 I don't want him on the team. That's one this 1084 00:54:09.719 --> 00:54:12.840 this Sun's team like had middling offensive performance because it 1085 00:54:12.920 --> 00:54:15.119 shot the three like pretty well, and you just gave 1086 00:54:15.199 --> 00:54:17.119 up two guys that you could rely on to do 1087 00:54:17.159 --> 00:54:19.679 that for one that you can't. And then on top 1088 00:54:19.719 --> 00:54:23.320 of that, the pick where this was kind of your like, 1089 00:54:23.840 --> 00:54:26.400 of course it's your Alaska's, it's the furthest out you 1090 00:54:26.400 --> 00:54:29.880 could move. Now to give that up just tells me 1091 00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:33.760 that like much like the Wizards, it's kind of like, oh, 1092 00:54:33.840 --> 00:54:35.840 you did just kind of show us who you are again, 1093 00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:38.079 like you had you had a moment there where we've 1094 00:54:38.119 --> 00:54:41.840 thought things were being done sensibly and now it's nope, 1095 00:54:42.039 --> 00:54:44.559 we're willing to just fire this pick, you know, into 1096 00:54:44.559 --> 00:54:49.199 space and we'll just continue having no outs, you know, 1097 00:54:49.280 --> 00:54:52.920 for for for Miles Bridges, For Miles Bridges, it's crazy. 1098 00:54:53.000 --> 00:54:54.119 Don't trade with Charlotte. 1099 00:54:54.559 --> 00:54:56.719 That's that's where I'm miss Yeah, that's the moral of 1100 00:54:56.760 --> 00:55:02.320 the story for for Phoenix. Yeah, look, if you there 1101 00:55:02.559 --> 00:55:04.440 probably would have been if we were sitting here and 1102 00:55:04.480 --> 00:55:07.119 they didn't do really any They brought back cong Lesbie resign, 1103 00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:10.440 Mark Williams resigned, Jordan Goodwin, they're banking on common mile 1104 00:55:10.480 --> 00:55:13.280 Watch getting better. I don't know that we would have 1105 00:55:13.440 --> 00:55:15.920 criticized them heavily. We would have said, yeah, this is 1106 00:55:16.039 --> 00:55:17.639 they were in the middle of the Western Conference, Like, 1107 00:55:17.679 --> 00:55:20.800 it makes sense that they didn't fire their best trade 1108 00:55:20.840 --> 00:55:23.039 chips that were left unless there was this name that 1109 00:55:23.119 --> 00:55:25.199 made sense that could elevate them into a different tier 1110 00:55:25.199 --> 00:55:28.239 in the West. I think some Suns fans might have said, 1111 00:55:28.440 --> 00:55:30.079 we want to see them do more. They were talking 1112 00:55:30.079 --> 00:55:32.719 about how happy they were with this past season, which 1113 00:55:32.760 --> 00:55:36.400 is like, yes, they did surprise people, but like at 1114 00:55:36.400 --> 00:55:38.320 the end of the day, they were a first round 1115 00:55:38.360 --> 00:55:42.920 playoff stepping stone, and so not taking a bigger swing 1116 00:55:43.199 --> 00:55:46.199 would have been disappointing to some. The alternative of doing 1117 00:55:46.239 --> 00:55:49.719 nothing beats the quote unquote big swing that they just took. 1118 00:55:49.760 --> 00:55:52.239 Because this is a team and I've said this many times, 1119 00:55:52.719 --> 00:55:54.719 maybe he will prove me wrong on the basketball court 1120 00:55:54.719 --> 00:55:57.360 in Phoenix. I think Miles Bridges is one of the 1121 00:55:57.400 --> 00:56:00.559 biggest empty calorie guys in the league, not the single 1122 00:56:00.559 --> 00:56:03.679 biggest one. You were just hovering around the bottom five 1123 00:56:03.719 --> 00:56:07.239 in first chance offense, So forget about the offensive rebounding opportunities. 1124 00:56:07.480 --> 00:56:10.199 This is not someone I've seen things about like he's 1125 00:56:10.199 --> 00:56:12.199 a little bit better passer than you think, and he's 1126 00:56:12.239 --> 00:56:15.519 gonna give them some like dribble penetration. It's not going 1127 00:56:15.559 --> 00:56:18.960 to be a Charlotte was just better statistically without him 1128 00:56:19.079 --> 00:56:22.880 on both sides of the ball. So trading for him 1129 00:56:22.960 --> 00:56:26.679 is one I the off court stuff, the felody, domestic violence, 1130 00:56:26.760 --> 00:56:30.239 him pleading no contest like that is that that should matter. 1131 00:56:30.960 --> 00:56:33.079 But if you move that aside and look at the 1132 00:56:33.079 --> 00:56:36.840 basketball element, if you wanted to trade for him, okay, 1133 00:56:37.400 --> 00:56:40.480 to give up your best trade chip to do it 1134 00:56:40.519 --> 00:56:43.159 makes zero sense. And it's like you said, it's the 1135 00:56:43.159 --> 00:56:46.360 Wizards kind of maybe re revealing who they were. But 1136 00:56:46.400 --> 00:56:49.719 in this case, it's what made you think like, at 1137 00:56:49.800 --> 00:56:52.480 least with the Wizards, there was an there had to 1138 00:56:52.519 --> 00:56:55.599 be an urgency because you were slow playing it maybe 1139 00:56:55.639 --> 00:56:59.840 for too long for Ted Deansis's liking Phoenix just we 1140 00:56:59.840 --> 00:57:04.360 were just exited in a miniature era of just awful 1141 00:57:04.480 --> 00:57:08.119 vibes where they mortgaged everything to the hilt and got burned. 1142 00:57:08.360 --> 00:57:10.360 And so you decided to do more of it for 1143 00:57:10.440 --> 00:57:15.039 what the right to maybe finish sixth in the Western Conference, 1144 00:57:15.079 --> 00:57:18.000 which I think if most people did their Western Conference 1145 00:57:18.039 --> 00:57:20.679 tiers right now, they're not gonna beat the Timberwolves or 1146 00:57:20.719 --> 00:57:22.639 the Nuggets, or the Spurs or the thunder. Are they 1147 00:57:22.639 --> 00:57:24.480 gonna be ahead of the Lakers or the Rockets. So 1148 00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:29.599 like we're already talking seventh type territory like this is 1149 00:57:29.599 --> 00:57:32.159 they're confusing in the sense that I don't know. Were 1150 00:57:32.159 --> 00:57:34.159 they so high on their own supply that they thought 1151 00:57:34.199 --> 00:57:38.159 Miles Bridges is the difference between what and what like 1152 00:57:38.199 --> 00:57:40.599 between where they were and maybe flirting with fifty winds 1153 00:57:40.679 --> 00:57:42.119 because there's no way that's the case. 1154 00:57:42.599 --> 00:57:47.719 No. I wish that I could have thought about nominating 1155 00:57:47.840 --> 00:57:50.599 them for this because I don't love the Mark Williams 1156 00:57:50.639 --> 00:57:52.440 move and been like, whoa, well, what about Mala watching 1157 00:57:52.480 --> 00:57:54.639 a guitaro and then not done it because that's not 1158 00:57:54.679 --> 00:57:57.519 sufficient and yet here and the Bridges move is just 1159 00:57:57.559 --> 00:57:59.559 like I can't. I can't get there on any level. 1160 00:58:00.199 --> 00:58:02.079 Who's your next pick? All right? 1161 00:58:02.320 --> 00:58:06.320 So I think this is gonna enrage some people. I'm 1162 00:58:06.320 --> 00:58:08.920 gonna go with the Los Angeles Lakers on my list. 1163 00:58:09.920 --> 00:58:13.159 I actually do not It's risky, but I don't have 1164 00:58:13.199 --> 00:58:16.079 a problem with the money they gave Walker Kestler one 1165 00:58:16.119 --> 00:58:18.840 hundred and thirty million dollars just first starting caliber center 1166 00:58:18.840 --> 00:58:22.239 who is statistically can be a transcendent like rimp protector 1167 00:58:22.280 --> 00:58:27.000 and defensive base sure. Giving up control of four first 1168 00:58:27.079 --> 00:58:31.559 round picks to outright two swaps insane, insane. I don't 1169 00:58:31.599 --> 00:58:34.559 care that you Lukanchich on your team. He's not signed 1170 00:58:35.119 --> 00:58:37.800 that deep to when those picks are going to convey, 1171 00:58:38.159 --> 00:58:41.159 then to go out, and when we're in a market 1172 00:58:41.280 --> 00:58:45.440 where you have Norman Powell who just made an All 1173 00:58:45.440 --> 00:58:48.960 Star team, couldn't get more than one guaranteed year. Mam 1174 00:58:48.960 --> 00:58:51.679 who gets four guaranteed years. I like Mamu. I think 1175 00:58:51.679 --> 00:58:53.119 the deal is a little rich. I like Mama four 1176 00:58:53.159 --> 00:58:55.800 guaranteed years. Quentin Grimes who need to sign the qualifying 1177 00:58:55.840 --> 00:59:01.119 offer last year, four guaranteed years, Colin Sexton two guaranteed years, 1178 00:59:01.679 --> 00:59:05.559 which wouldn't you have rather just had Marcus Smart back? 1179 00:59:05.599 --> 00:59:09.519 Based on what your team needs? What is this team's identity? Also, 1180 00:59:09.559 --> 00:59:13.000 here's another question, what are they doing at backup five? 1181 00:59:13.159 --> 00:59:15.519 I get the JJ Reddick probably didn't like DeAndre Ayton. 1182 00:59:16.159 --> 00:59:18.320 DeAndre Ayton is a backup versus DeAndre Ayton as a 1183 00:59:18.320 --> 00:59:21.119 starter when you also lost Jackson Hayes. What is the 1184 00:59:21.159 --> 00:59:23.320 plan here? Is it to downsize with Vando? Is it 1185 00:59:23.360 --> 00:59:25.559 to use Mama with the five? Because I got news 1186 00:59:25.920 --> 00:59:28.800 for people that's not gonna fly. You don't have like 1187 00:59:28.880 --> 00:59:31.639 Desire Williams signing. I really liked that. Being linked to 1188 00:59:31.639 --> 00:59:35.199 matist Thibele makes sense them being linked to Jonathan kaminga 1189 00:59:35.280 --> 00:59:37.000 and being willing to give up a twenty thirty two 1190 00:59:37.039 --> 00:59:39.760 swap to make a sign and trade happen. No, that 1191 00:59:39.800 --> 00:59:44.000 doesn't make any sense. I they're confusing because for a 1192 00:59:44.039 --> 00:59:47.760 team that needs to operate as if they're trying to 1193 00:59:47.800 --> 00:59:51.519 maximize Luka Doncics's window, they feel like they chose this 1194 00:59:51.639 --> 00:59:55.760 weird middle build that the end result. I'm open to 1195 00:59:55.760 --> 00:59:57.800 the idea they might be better during the regular season 1196 00:59:57.800 --> 01:00:03.840 reason Luca remain healthy. Sure in the playoffs, I don't 1197 01:00:03.880 --> 01:00:05.800 see a team right now that can win more than 1198 01:00:05.840 --> 01:00:07.880 a single playoff series. And if I had to guess 1199 01:00:08.800 --> 01:00:10.800 we're gonna do, you should subscribe to our patron because 1200 01:00:10.800 --> 01:00:13.280 we're gonna be doing the Superstar Trade Draft at the 1201 01:00:13.360 --> 01:00:17.119 end of this month. I don't think. I honestly think 1202 01:00:17.159 --> 01:00:20.159 this is the off season that is putting Luca's future 1203 01:00:20.400 --> 01:00:22.880 in LA like it's the now in the coffin. This 1204 01:00:22.960 --> 01:00:27.280 is gonna be another two season thing, Max, because this roster, 1205 01:00:27.840 --> 01:00:31.760 what is there? I don't I keep seeing they they 1206 01:00:31.840 --> 01:00:35.480 rebuilt this roster in the image of Luka Doncic. How 1207 01:00:36.360 --> 01:00:39.039 was Luka Doncics blindfolded and just pointing at names on 1208 01:00:39.079 --> 01:00:41.159 a board and that's what you did. I don't like, 1209 01:00:41.440 --> 01:00:43.800 how is this team if it was rebuilt in the 1210 01:00:43.800 --> 01:00:48.079 image of Luka Doncic aside from getting Walker Kessler, where's 1211 01:00:48.119 --> 01:00:50.519 the evidence that, Like, how is Colin sext and someone 1212 01:00:50.519 --> 01:00:53.000 who is in the image of Luke? Why is we're 1213 01:00:53.079 --> 01:00:54.840 quite and grinding him so tight when he was in 1214 01:00:54.920 --> 01:00:58.119 Dallas that yeah, we needed to bring him, bring him on. 1215 01:00:58.360 --> 01:01:01.679 I don't And by the way, way this this franchise 1216 01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:05.199 might be the best in the league at watching the 1217 01:01:05.320 --> 01:01:09.559 complete opposite and decide like happening in the playoffs and decide, yo, 1218 01:01:09.599 --> 01:01:12.119 we don't really need like true wings, like those are 1219 01:01:12.280 --> 01:01:13.079 that important. 1220 01:01:14.239 --> 01:01:20.519 I mean, I don't know how long the list of 1221 01:01:20.679 --> 01:01:23.239 players in the league is. 1222 01:01:23.400 --> 01:01:26.559 I forgot about it. Yeah, that's Cavanloney who couldn't get 1223 01:01:26.559 --> 01:01:28.119 into Pelicans rotation. 1224 01:01:28.559 --> 01:01:32.039 Ye great locker room presence, can't. I don't think you. 1225 01:01:32.039 --> 01:01:35.599 Can play them anymore Looney or DeAndre Geordan. 1226 01:01:36.760 --> 01:01:39.039 I mean that's a it's gonna go down to the wire. 1227 01:01:39.440 --> 01:01:41.480 That might depend on if if somebody gets a game 1228 01:01:41.519 --> 01:01:44.840 at the end of the year. Uh, I don't. It 1229 01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:47.719 does seem like Luca put his thumb on the scale 1230 01:01:47.760 --> 01:01:50.960 for Walker Kessler yes, I mean, like I think, I 1231 01:01:51.000 --> 01:01:53.159 think that has to be a factor. I just don't 1232 01:01:53.159 --> 01:01:56.960 think you should ever let like Lebron's a bad GM. 1233 01:01:57.000 --> 01:02:00.239 Like the players are terrible at this, the guys because 1234 01:02:00.280 --> 01:02:02.039 they don't think about it in terms of like, well, 1235 01:02:02.079 --> 01:02:04.519 if we do this, not only are we paying him 1236 01:02:04.519 --> 01:02:06.320 the money, we're giving up all the assets that we 1237 01:02:06.360 --> 01:02:08.840 would need to have the flexibility for other moves to 1238 01:02:08.840 --> 01:02:11.000 make this team better down the line, like Luca's not. 1239 01:02:11.079 --> 01:02:14.239 I don't think, I mean, I'm just I'm just totally speculating, 1240 01:02:14.280 --> 01:02:16.400 but like, I don't feel like players think about those 1241 01:02:16.400 --> 01:02:19.000 things like the actual cost of going go get the 1242 01:02:19.039 --> 01:02:22.360 guy that I like, and whether Kessler's the right guy 1243 01:02:22.440 --> 01:02:24.800 or not remains to be seen. Like I think, I 1244 01:02:24.840 --> 01:02:27.400 think the center depth issue is a massive problem, partly 1245 01:02:27.440 --> 01:02:29.960 because you can't count on him to necessarily be healthy. 1246 01:02:30.000 --> 01:02:32.199 I know he had like it's a shoulder injury so 1247 01:02:32.360 --> 01:02:34.599 that it had surgery. Whatever. It's not like he has 1248 01:02:34.679 --> 01:02:38.000 chronic like calf streams or whatever. But still the Senate 1249 01:02:38.000 --> 01:02:39.599 def behind him is terrible. I don't think you can 1250 01:02:39.599 --> 01:02:41.760 play MoMu as a backup center and get away with it. 1251 01:02:41.800 --> 01:02:46.159 And by the way, Walker Kessler has averaged over thirty 1252 01:02:46.199 --> 01:02:48.440 minutes a game once and it was the season in 1253 01:02:48.480 --> 01:02:51.199 which he played five games. Yeah, and he's thirty minutes 1254 01:02:51.239 --> 01:02:52.880 the season he played in fifty eight games, and then 1255 01:02:52.920 --> 01:02:55.039 he's in the twenties. I'm not saying he can't do it, 1256 01:02:55.400 --> 01:02:57.760 but they treated it as like a sure thing, and 1257 01:02:57.800 --> 01:03:02.320 even through the lens of to take riks Risks with 1258 01:03:02.440 --> 01:03:05.920 Luca on board. Sure, that was an insane cost that 1259 01:03:05.960 --> 01:03:08.960 they gave it, Like the draft, the money you can 1260 01:03:09.000 --> 01:03:11.159 get me on board with that, don't have the four years, 1261 01:03:11.159 --> 01:03:14.079 one hundred and thirty million dollars feels based off the 1262 01:03:14.119 --> 01:03:17.360 track record, but you are it is an investment in 1263 01:03:18.079 --> 01:03:20.079 what you believe he can do, and so are the 1264 01:03:20.079 --> 01:03:22.719 first round picks. But if the alternative is just I 1265 01:03:22.719 --> 01:03:24.880 get to keep control of those four picks and not 1266 01:03:25.079 --> 01:03:29.679 have Walker Kessler, Yeah, what just be the Mitchell Robinson 1267 01:03:29.719 --> 01:03:32.360 team at that point, Like if that was the opportunity cost? 1268 01:03:32.679 --> 01:03:36.079 Yeah, So I think like there are some elements here 1269 01:03:36.119 --> 01:03:39.480 that you can see the logic. I think in like, yes, 1270 01:03:39.559 --> 01:03:41.840 we understand the type of team you should build around 1271 01:03:41.880 --> 01:03:43.920 Luka Dancic because the MAVs did it and they made 1272 01:03:43.920 --> 01:03:47.199 the finals. Like it and so okay, Austin Reeves is 1273 01:03:47.199 --> 01:03:49.840 in the Jalen Brunson role, except he's making ten x 1274 01:03:50.199 --> 01:03:51.280 whatever Jalen Brunson was. 1275 01:03:51.519 --> 01:03:53.440 Yeah, he took like five million less. 1276 01:03:53.280 --> 01:03:58.559 Than nine point seven head And I yeah, you go 1277 01:03:58.639 --> 01:04:01.039 get Kessler because that's you. You got to have that 1278 01:04:01.199 --> 01:04:04.920 center position, the room rolling guy, the paint protector, got 1279 01:04:04.960 --> 01:04:07.880 to have that. But like, there's unless you really think 1280 01:04:07.960 --> 01:04:11.840 Zion Williams is gonna fill this role, and I'm with you, 1281 01:04:11.880 --> 01:04:14.239 like for the price, you absolutely sign him for that, 1282 01:04:14.639 --> 01:04:16.280 or if you think Quentin Grimes is up for this. 1283 01:04:16.760 --> 01:04:22.840 I don't see the defensively versatile athletic combo forwards and 1284 01:04:22.880 --> 01:04:27.239 wings that will make threes and defend, Like I just 1285 01:04:27.280 --> 01:04:30.440 that element is just not present here. So that's really, 1286 01:04:30.840 --> 01:04:33.039 as much as anything why this team is confusing, because 1287 01:04:33.039 --> 01:04:35.239 you seem to understand some of the pieces of what 1288 01:04:35.239 --> 01:04:39.199 a Luka Doncicch led team should be, but you really 1289 01:04:39.239 --> 01:04:42.960 glossed over, maybe like the core element of what you've 1290 01:04:43.000 --> 01:04:45.000 got to have to make this whole thing work. So 1291 01:04:45.639 --> 01:04:49.000 I agree, and I haven't really thought about the is 1292 01:04:49.079 --> 01:04:52.719 this pushing Luca out? But in the sense that, like, so, 1293 01:04:52.760 --> 01:04:56.199 how do you improve this team now without moving some 1294 01:04:56.239 --> 01:05:00.639 of your key pieces for like not and not getting 1295 01:05:00.679 --> 01:05:02.679 back the best player in any of those deals because 1296 01:05:02.679 --> 01:05:04.320 you know Sweeten like. 1297 01:05:04.239 --> 01:05:08.519 And also watch off their non Luca players has positive 1298 01:05:08.639 --> 01:05:13.159 trade value right now? Austin Reeves maybe like that. Let's 1299 01:05:13.159 --> 01:05:17.320 just say, Austin Reeves, does Walker Kessler have positive trade 1300 01:05:17.360 --> 01:05:20.000 value on this deal? I would say, TBD, Well, you're 1301 01:05:20.000 --> 01:05:22.320 not getting back what you gave up for Walker Kessler. 1302 01:05:22.559 --> 01:05:23.039 No you're not. 1303 01:05:23.599 --> 01:05:27.239 You're not getting Yeah, I I I don't know, so yeah, 1304 01:05:27.360 --> 01:05:30.440 I agree, they're on my list too. All right, we 1305 01:05:30.519 --> 01:05:35.719 gotta get another team here. Dang, I think you took Amine, 1306 01:05:35.760 --> 01:05:37.079 so I got to go off the board here. 1307 01:05:38.719 --> 01:05:40.960 You only had a list of three teams. 1308 01:05:40.719 --> 01:05:44.920 At six, that's right, we boke All six of mine 1309 01:05:45.280 --> 01:05:49.360 were on your list. Let's see. Well, I mean, do 1310 01:05:49.440 --> 01:05:50.679 you want to talk about the Warriors? 1311 01:05:50.719 --> 01:05:51.000 I could? 1312 01:05:51.119 --> 01:05:56.400 I mean, because at at a base level, they're trying 1313 01:05:56.440 --> 01:05:59.280 to maximize Steph Curry. This is all old news. They're 1314 01:05:59.280 --> 01:06:03.960 trying to maximize Steph's prime, and the hope in achieving 1315 01:06:04.000 --> 01:06:06.719 that rest so on Lebron James choosing them. And if 1316 01:06:06.719 --> 01:06:09.960 he doesn't, how can you go into this season saying 1317 01:06:10.039 --> 01:06:13.000 anything better than what happened last year is possible, and 1318 01:06:13.119 --> 01:06:14.920 last year was not nearly good enough. There was that 1319 01:06:15.000 --> 01:06:17.079 one play in game where I was like, oh, and 1320 01:06:17.119 --> 01:06:19.320 I'll treasure it forever because it was a great STEPH game. 1321 01:06:19.519 --> 01:06:22.880 Steve is never gonna stop talking about it. How like 1322 01:06:22.920 --> 01:06:24.960 that was our reminder of what it felt like. That 1323 01:06:25.039 --> 01:06:29.119 was that was pure basketball. That's all you got really, 1324 01:06:29.880 --> 01:06:35.639 So I don't think you could say it's I don't know. 1325 01:06:36.119 --> 01:06:38.280 Really what's happened here is like the heart, it keeps 1326 01:06:38.320 --> 01:06:40.400 winning over the head, which I'm fine with because that's 1327 01:06:40.440 --> 01:06:42.800 how I think about the Warriors. But if you don't 1328 01:06:42.840 --> 01:06:45.920 get Lebron, what is your argument going into this season 1329 01:06:45.960 --> 01:06:48.280 that anything will be different and that we will be 1330 01:06:48.760 --> 01:06:51.599 that that better, better things can happen than we saw 1331 01:06:51.679 --> 01:06:52.159 last year. 1332 01:06:52.760 --> 01:06:56.480 Is Jimmy Butler having a half season off is going 1333 01:06:56.519 --> 01:06:58.360 to be fresh and you catch lighting at a ball, 1334 01:06:58.400 --> 01:07:02.119 I'm not even and Jacksville London Brok's able to contribute, right, 1335 01:07:02.280 --> 01:07:04.960 which I will say about Yaxville. So after he played 1336 01:07:04.960 --> 01:07:07.119 twenty seven plus minutes against the Knicks the other night, 1337 01:07:08.079 --> 01:07:11.760 he was out there in between timeouts during Miami Toronto 1338 01:07:11.960 --> 01:07:15.840 summer League basically like holding the T shirt toss. He 1339 01:07:15.880 --> 01:07:17.679 was throwing the T shirts out in the street clothes, 1340 01:07:18.000 --> 01:07:20.639 so that that dude gets it. And I think that's 1341 01:07:20.639 --> 01:07:22.559 where at least one first place Rookie of the Year 1342 01:07:22.639 --> 01:07:24.320 vote alone, I just want to throw it out there. 1343 01:07:24.679 --> 01:07:27.639 That's that's the pathway. And by the way, the reason 1344 01:07:27.639 --> 01:07:29.920 I don't find them confusing is this has been their 1345 01:07:29.960 --> 01:07:31.760 stick for a while, is we will be. 1346 01:07:31.639 --> 01:07:33.719 Well, we're just used to it though, We're just that 1347 01:07:33.719 --> 01:07:35.519 doesn't mean it's not like illogical. 1348 01:07:36.599 --> 01:07:38.719 Yeah no, you're well, yeah, all right, you're right. So 1349 01:07:38.800 --> 01:07:42.679 just because I understand their their irrationality doesn't make it rational. 1350 01:07:42.719 --> 01:07:46.119 Yeah that makes sense. Yeah, but it's hasn't it been 1351 01:07:46.119 --> 01:07:48.440 the same song and dance basically every summer for the 1352 01:07:48.440 --> 01:07:50.440 past since they won the title. Words, we're kind of 1353 01:07:50.480 --> 01:07:52.760 sort of linked to this one big name, and we 1354 01:07:52.760 --> 01:07:55.519 weren't really all in because with Lebron it's are we 1355 01:07:55.559 --> 01:07:58.039 sure they're like ready to give him the non text mL. 1356 01:07:58.480 --> 01:08:01.280 I mean, if that's a sticking point, we gotta have 1357 01:08:01.320 --> 01:08:02.039 a conversation. 1358 01:08:02.800 --> 01:08:06.559 So they're confusing. But they've been confusing for a while, 1359 01:08:06.599 --> 01:08:08.719 and maybe that's what makes them not as confusing to 1360 01:08:08.760 --> 01:08:12.119 me is that they seem very content to just let 1361 01:08:12.159 --> 01:08:14.440 this ride off into the sunset while being mediocre, and 1362 01:08:14.480 --> 01:08:18.000 they're gonna, you know, let it ride out with Steph, 1363 01:08:18.039 --> 01:08:20.479 and that's I guess they've earned that right with four titles. 1364 01:08:20.479 --> 01:08:23.720 But they can't come out and just say then they 1365 01:08:23.800 --> 01:08:25.760 kind of have in so many ways said it, But 1366 01:08:25.800 --> 01:08:28.560 you can't come out and just say, yeah, we're not 1367 01:08:28.600 --> 01:08:30.800 trying to win titles anymore, like this is just that 1368 01:08:30.840 --> 01:08:33.279 would be too expensive and too risky and we'd mortgage 1369 01:08:33.279 --> 01:08:36.119 too much of our future for an abridged window that 1370 01:08:36.359 --> 01:08:40.880 might not even end up panning out. But the fact 1371 01:08:40.920 --> 01:08:42.880 that Steph is just when he's playing, is still very 1372 01:08:42.920 --> 01:08:44.720 clearly like a top ten to twelve player in the. 1373 01:08:44.760 --> 01:08:47.680 League is well, and even if he is not, it's 1374 01:08:47.720 --> 01:08:50.960 it's like he's top five in giving you the feelings 1375 01:08:51.039 --> 01:08:53.359 you want to feel, you know, if you're a Warriors fan, 1376 01:08:53.720 --> 01:08:58.039 it's just like you're just every every like little you know, 1377 01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:02.640 three possession scoring streak in a row is just like 1378 01:09:03.319 --> 01:09:06.640 just scratches that little itch of like, hey, hey remember 1379 01:09:06.680 --> 01:09:09.600 when this was like remember when things were this way 1380 01:09:09.640 --> 01:09:12.880 all the time? And that's enough, honestly, I think for 1381 01:09:13.000 --> 01:09:16.119 like the vast majority of Warriors fans, but I nominated them, 1382 01:09:16.119 --> 01:09:18.479 so I have to concede that, like, from a purely 1383 01:09:18.520 --> 01:09:20.600 logical perspective, what they've done for the last like two 1384 01:09:20.720 --> 01:09:23.159 or three years, it's just like, this isn't This isn't 1385 01:09:23.199 --> 01:09:25.239 how a normal team should be operating. 1386 01:09:26.000 --> 01:09:27.479 No, I'm with you there. I didn't want to get 1387 01:09:27.479 --> 01:09:30.159 your thoughts though on someone posts this in the discord 1388 01:09:30.199 --> 01:09:33.479 and now I can't find it. Okay, so I can't convert, 1389 01:09:33.520 --> 01:09:37.720 so kill Haws and our discord posted Lebron James. Oh no, 1390 01:09:37.800 --> 01:09:39.359 this is it turns out that it did not happen, 1391 01:09:39.399 --> 01:09:41.159 so I'm not going to bring it up. Never mind, then, 1392 01:09:41.199 --> 01:09:45.239 but are you still clinging to Lebron James? Using the 1393 01:09:45.399 --> 01:09:47.920 meaningful basketball is sort of a clue that, oh, maybe 1394 01:09:47.920 --> 01:09:50.159 he really is considering I mean, I'm not. 1395 01:09:50.439 --> 01:09:52.239 I feel like when I said that to you, you 1396 01:09:52.359 --> 01:09:54.039 really were like, this is this? 1397 01:09:54.039 --> 01:09:57.359 I haven't like Grant. I've done podcasts in radio spots 1398 01:09:57.399 --> 01:09:59.439 where I've brought up that moment as that I was 1399 01:09:59.479 --> 01:10:02.159 so short was Cleveland or bust and then my co 1400 01:10:02.319 --> 01:10:05.920 host comes in just with this like baseless bread crumb 1401 01:10:06.000 --> 01:10:08.000 that I'm now clinging to and. 1402 01:10:08.000 --> 01:10:10.920 I mean it's it's it's good to believe, it's it's 1403 01:10:10.960 --> 01:10:16.239 important to believe in something. I think. Uh I I 1404 01:10:16.279 --> 01:10:20.399 am less sure that it's gonna happen than I was 1405 01:10:21.279 --> 01:10:23.560 initially when like, oh my god, they're gonna do They're 1406 01:10:23.560 --> 01:10:26.479 gonna do a d and Lebron Like that's that's that's 1407 01:10:26.479 --> 01:10:29.000 how it's gonna work out. Like if you force me 1408 01:10:29.079 --> 01:10:31.840 to give a percentage likelihood on Anthony Davis and Lebron 1409 01:10:31.880 --> 01:10:33.600 being on the team next year. At that time when 1410 01:10:33.600 --> 01:10:36.479 that news was just breaking out of been like sixty five, 1411 01:10:37.319 --> 01:10:41.640 it's like overwhelmingly likely. Don't know what, you would never 1412 01:10:41.680 --> 01:10:45.119 bet against it, you'd be a fool. But now it's like, 1413 01:10:45.720 --> 01:10:49.039 it doesn't seem like Davis is going anywhere. I will say, 1414 01:10:49.199 --> 01:10:51.760 like getting Lebron still seems We talked about it off 1415 01:10:51.760 --> 01:10:53.840 air a little bit. The Warriors make as much sense 1416 01:10:53.880 --> 01:10:56.399 as anybody. Like Cleveland's a sentimental pick. If I had 1417 01:10:56.439 --> 01:10:58.800 to guess, I would just say Cleveland because I don't 1418 01:10:58.840 --> 01:11:01.680 know if it just yeah, he's gonna go finish where 1419 01:11:01.720 --> 01:11:04.079 he started, like that kind of thing. But I think 1420 01:11:04.079 --> 01:11:07.159 the Warriors to me are like second or third most likely, 1421 01:11:07.159 --> 01:11:09.039 and it may maybe the gap isn't even that big 1422 01:11:09.079 --> 01:11:12.680 between one and two and three and then getting Lebron. 1423 01:11:13.199 --> 01:11:16.359 I do think if if they are finally ready to 1424 01:11:16.439 --> 01:11:19.239 like put some chips on the table, maybe the next 1425 01:11:19.279 --> 01:11:21.840 guy that gets you know, itchy to leave a big 1426 01:11:21.840 --> 01:11:25.000 star is like maybe the Warriors are higher on my 1427 01:11:25.119 --> 01:11:27.960 list of teams I'll extend with or want to steer 1428 01:11:27.960 --> 01:11:30.720 myself too, because like Lebron is there, and that's more 1429 01:11:30.880 --> 01:11:33.039 enticing than just like well Steph in half a season 1430 01:11:33.039 --> 01:11:34.159 of Jimmy Butler and. 1431 01:11:34.039 --> 01:11:38.439 Like you're talking about a Bronni consolidation trade is sure. 1432 01:11:38.560 --> 01:11:40.159 Yeah, whatever you have to give up to get him, 1433 01:11:40.520 --> 01:11:42.399 I think I think you probably do it. No. 1434 01:11:42.439 --> 01:11:44.119 I know, if I was the Warriors, I was just 1435 01:11:44.119 --> 01:11:47.000 try and trade for him. Right now, it's just sort 1436 01:11:47.000 --> 01:11:49.640 of a like. 1437 01:11:49.600 --> 01:11:52.920 A ransom situation, like just like do you ever want 1438 01:11:52.920 --> 01:11:55.319 to see him again? Play with him every day? 1439 01:11:55.319 --> 01:11:56.680 Do you ever want to see him outside of the 1440 01:11:56.720 --> 01:11:59.520 G League? You're gonna you're design with us. 1441 01:12:00.079 --> 01:12:01.600 I like, Mike, don't leave you on the phone with 1442 01:12:01.640 --> 01:12:05.359 like one of those voice disguisers, like we have your boy. 1443 01:12:07.359 --> 01:12:09.960 You know what you need to do? Uh Yeah, I 1444 01:12:10.279 --> 01:12:16.000 don't know. I I hope they get Lebron. I don't 1445 01:12:16.039 --> 01:12:17.319 know how likely it is anymore. 1446 01:12:17.479 --> 01:12:19.399 I don't Hey, look, this is why you subcribe to 1447 01:12:19.439 --> 01:12:22.039 our Patreon for more on bias takes Like I hope 1448 01:12:22.079 --> 01:12:23.399 the Warriors get Lebron. 1449 01:12:23.800 --> 01:12:26.119 I mean, isn't that Isn't that more fun than Cleveland 1450 01:12:26.159 --> 01:12:27.720 unless you live in Cleveland, and then you're. 1451 01:12:27.600 --> 01:12:30.680 Like I would say, with the exception of Miami, any 1452 01:12:30.720 --> 01:12:33.319 spot is more fun than Cleveland. Just because I don't 1453 01:12:33.680 --> 01:12:37.960 think he meaningfully improve there's that word improves their championship 1454 01:12:38.000 --> 01:12:42.960 equity and poetic like the poeticism of it. You can't 1455 01:12:43.279 --> 01:12:46.159 like the emotional component. I can't argue against it. I 1456 01:12:46.199 --> 01:12:48.359 just want to see something new with him, and if 1457 01:12:48.359 --> 01:12:51.680 you want another title with just a different team I have. 1458 01:12:51.840 --> 01:12:54.760 I've had people come up to me normal that's the 1459 01:12:54.800 --> 01:12:56.600 only place I go. Not a brag, but like at 1460 01:12:56.600 --> 01:12:58.840 the gym and when they try to invariably talk to 1461 01:12:58.920 --> 01:13:01.520 me about the NBA. I don't like Lebron. He just 1462 01:13:01.520 --> 01:13:04.560 plays for whichever team he wants and like Jordan was 1463 01:13:04.600 --> 01:13:07.920 undefeated in the finals, could be times Lebron got to 1464 01:13:08.000 --> 01:13:11.079 the finals and like winning a championship with all these 1465 01:13:11.119 --> 01:13:15.119 different franchises is incredibly difficult. So I would I want 1466 01:13:15.199 --> 01:13:18.159 him Golden. To see him play with Steph I think 1467 01:13:18.159 --> 01:13:20.119 would be high up on my League Pass rankings. But 1468 01:13:20.199 --> 01:13:24.239 I would love to see him go to Minnesota or Denver. Yeah, 1469 01:13:24.319 --> 01:13:25.880 it would be there's a lot of big Oh right, 1470 01:13:26.159 --> 01:13:29.039 he's a basket He's a real basketball sick go. Speaking 1471 01:13:29.079 --> 01:13:32.720 of Grant though, with the what is this the eighth pick, Yeah, 1472 01:13:32.800 --> 01:13:35.279 I'm going to go to one of Lebron James's potential 1473 01:13:35.279 --> 01:13:37.680 teams that has also kind of been ruled out as 1474 01:13:37.720 --> 01:13:40.640 one of no longer his potential teams, the Denver Nuggets. 1475 01:13:41.800 --> 01:13:45.760 I do find it interesting that in a summer in 1476 01:13:45.800 --> 01:13:51.560 which Nicoliokich has so far declined to extension for reasons, 1477 01:13:51.840 --> 01:13:53.920 we could talk about the financial reasons. Right now. He 1478 01:13:53.960 --> 01:13:56.960 can get the Donovan Mitchell Special, which would be four 1479 01:13:57.079 --> 01:14:00.640 years and two hundred and seventy seven plus millionllion dollars, 1480 01:14:01.239 --> 01:14:03.800 or he could wait next year and if he wants 1481 01:14:03.800 --> 01:14:05.920 to sign a full five year contract that could be 1482 01:14:05.920 --> 01:14:08.520 worth three hundred and fifty three point two million is 1483 01:14:08.520 --> 01:14:10.560 the projected total. By the way, that number is going 1484 01:14:10.600 --> 01:14:12.600 to go down because the NBA salary cap projection is 1485 01:14:12.680 --> 01:14:14.600 just keep being lowered. I love how people are still 1486 01:14:14.800 --> 01:14:16.680 some people are still using like the ten percent year 1487 01:14:16.680 --> 01:14:19.880 over year. That's not it's not happened anymore. But he 1488 01:14:19.920 --> 01:14:23.640 hasn't signed an extension, which last year that raised eye brows. 1489 01:14:23.840 --> 01:14:26.560 It should be raising eyebrows no matter what you think 1490 01:14:26.560 --> 01:14:30.079 he might be saying publicly. There was that that Serbian 1491 01:14:30.119 --> 01:14:32.279 interview that we also where he has said he wants 1492 01:14:32.319 --> 01:14:35.560 to retire in Denver. I don't I don't doubt those intentions. 1493 01:14:36.600 --> 01:14:42.119 You've done basically jack shit. You lost Tim Hardaway. 1494 01:14:41.800 --> 01:14:45.359 Junior high Jones, Dan, what are we doing? 1495 01:14:45.399 --> 01:14:48.239 You brought back Tias Jones and so that just leads 1496 01:14:48.239 --> 01:14:50.439 me to say, oh, you still need a backup point guard. 1497 01:14:51.439 --> 01:14:54.039 You signed Diallo and is are we but okay? Cool? 1498 01:14:54.039 --> 01:14:55.760 But like Spencer Jones is it? Is he part of 1499 01:14:55.760 --> 01:14:58.680 the planet anymore? And you still have the big note 1500 01:14:58.720 --> 01:15:01.279 here is Peyton Watson slowing around in the restricted free 1501 01:15:01.279 --> 01:15:04.880 agency market. Now I'm not criticizing or saying the Nuggets 1502 01:15:04.880 --> 01:15:07.319 are confusing because they haven't paid him yet. This is 1503 01:15:07.359 --> 01:15:09.560 how RFA works. The way the Pistons are playing with 1504 01:15:09.680 --> 01:15:12.439 Jayleen Duran is perfect. I know there are other teams 1505 01:15:12.760 --> 01:15:14.359 like the Nets and the Clippers that have been interested 1506 01:15:14.399 --> 01:15:17.319 in Peyton Watson, but there's been no offer sheet and 1507 01:15:17.359 --> 01:15:19.239 so everything has to run through the Nuggets. 1508 01:15:19.239 --> 01:15:19.399 Now. 1509 01:15:19.399 --> 01:15:24.239 Anyway, I'm looking at this and thinking, you bring back 1510 01:15:24.279 --> 01:15:28.039 Peyton Watson? Is that just enough? Are we also assuming 1511 01:15:28.079 --> 01:15:30.520 that they're not gonna like there was the report from 1512 01:15:30.560 --> 01:15:34.399 the Steinline that well, they're not obligated to cut money 1513 01:15:34.439 --> 01:15:37.039 if they go into the second apron. They're inside, They're 1514 01:15:37.079 --> 01:15:39.640 like right at the second apron at this moment, they're 1515 01:15:39.640 --> 01:15:43.760 not there, but they're pretty close. Peyton Watson's getting even 1516 01:15:43.760 --> 01:15:45.560 if you think he gets less than Christian Brown, he's 1517 01:15:45.560 --> 01:15:47.840 not getting less than twenty million right to start. 1518 01:15:48.159 --> 01:15:49.079 It would be shocking. 1519 01:15:49.800 --> 01:15:52.840 So you're a repeater team who's blowing past the second 1520 01:15:52.880 --> 01:15:57.439 apron to field the same core that lost in the 1521 01:15:57.479 --> 01:16:02.680 first round. I'd call schnet on that. So something afoot 1522 01:16:02.760 --> 01:16:05.399 has to be happening here. But what is it? And 1523 01:16:05.520 --> 01:16:07.520 do the Nuggets come out of this? Is there any 1524 01:16:07.560 --> 01:16:10.520 scenery in which the Nuggets exit this off season and 1525 01:16:10.560 --> 01:16:14.119 you feel better about this team than you did entering 1526 01:16:14.199 --> 01:16:18.720 last year. And I'm struggling to find the I mean, 1527 01:16:18.760 --> 01:16:21.600 I like, hey, Trayvon Brazil drop thirty five yard right 1528 01:16:21.640 --> 01:16:25.239 and he was my guy. But to be with all sincerity, 1529 01:16:25.720 --> 01:16:27.960 I don't know what's going on here, but for a 1530 01:16:27.960 --> 01:16:30.760 team that I'm not saying they needed to do something reckless, 1531 01:16:31.000 --> 01:16:33.279 trade everybody. Because you and I have talked at length, 1532 01:16:33.720 --> 01:16:35.960 it's easy to say, well, just trade Jamal Murray or 1533 01:16:36.000 --> 01:16:38.239 Aaron Gordon for who and how do you how does 1534 01:16:38.279 --> 01:16:41.039 that make you better? But in an off season, in 1535 01:16:41.039 --> 01:16:45.079 a summer, when it doesn't seem like Nicolaiokich is gonna commit, 1536 01:16:45.640 --> 01:16:49.760 like formally commit to you in the future, like for 1537 01:16:49.800 --> 01:16:52.920 this to be what's happened so far, or even just 1538 01:16:52.960 --> 01:16:55.880 bringing back Peyton Watson or running it back in general, 1539 01:16:56.520 --> 01:16:57.560 it feels unsettling. 1540 01:16:59.039 --> 01:17:02.479 I was, you know, I've been thinking lately that so 1541 01:17:02.520 --> 01:17:07.319 for a while there the sort of examples of what 1542 01:17:07.399 --> 01:17:09.880 the second apron Era was going to do to team 1543 01:17:09.880 --> 01:17:14.159 building were Boston, who stripped it down and maybe still 1544 01:17:14.239 --> 01:17:16.039 the Jayalen Brown trade is kind of like the final 1545 01:17:16.119 --> 01:17:19.880 move of like this is what happens or the thunder, 1546 01:17:19.920 --> 01:17:22.479 but then the thunder just kind of managed it well enough, 1547 01:17:22.760 --> 01:17:25.159 like there are still a little ways away from the 1548 01:17:25.239 --> 01:17:28.119 real pain. I'm starting to wonder if maybe Denver is 1549 01:17:28.159 --> 01:17:31.039 actually the team that you see the Like this is 1550 01:17:31.119 --> 01:17:33.960 quint essentially what happens when you win a championship and 1551 01:17:34.000 --> 01:17:38.319 things get expensive and there's just over the ensuing years, 1552 01:17:38.319 --> 01:17:41.000 there's just the degradation and talent as your own players 1553 01:17:41.039 --> 01:17:43.199 cost more and you try to hold it together and 1554 01:17:43.239 --> 01:17:46.279 you make these cost cutting moves that everybody hates. But 1555 01:17:46.479 --> 01:17:50.560 like this is where you end up, which is they 1556 01:17:50.600 --> 01:17:53.319 have to make a move, and it's kind of impossible 1557 01:17:53.359 --> 01:17:56.560 to imagine them in the aftermath being better, where it's 1558 01:17:56.600 --> 01:17:59.680 just you keep running into it's hard to stay even 1559 01:17:59.720 --> 01:18:03.359 as good as you were, because if you're even if 1560 01:18:03.359 --> 01:18:06.439 you're selling off pieces and trading picks or whatever, like 1561 01:18:06.920 --> 01:18:09.640 it's just like over time, and it's not a long time. 1562 01:18:09.680 --> 01:18:12.279 It wasn't that long ago they won the title. You 1563 01:18:12.479 --> 01:18:15.520 just you just kind of slowly by degrees, have to 1564 01:18:15.560 --> 01:18:18.239 tear yourself apart. And like, in some ways that's more 1565 01:18:18.279 --> 01:18:20.479 painful than what Boston had to do, or like what 1566 01:18:20.560 --> 01:18:23.399 the Thunder may eventually have to do, because it's just 1567 01:18:23.760 --> 01:18:27.640 there's a hopelessness attached to it, and like an inescapability 1568 01:18:27.680 --> 01:18:31.560 attached to it. It's it's kind of bleak, right because, like, 1569 01:18:32.439 --> 01:18:34.880 paint me the scenario where we go into this season 1570 01:18:34.920 --> 01:18:38.000 saying Denver actually has a better chance to advance a 1571 01:18:38.039 --> 01:18:40.319 long way than they did last year, and what's that 1572 01:18:40.399 --> 01:18:44.960 look like? It's just what I mean, right, they might 1573 01:18:45.000 --> 01:18:47.000 get out of the first but like their profile as 1574 01:18:47.039 --> 01:18:51.079 a more serious contender. It's just like Peyton Watson takes 1575 01:18:51.079 --> 01:18:52.880 a leap, they keep him, they pay what it costs, 1576 01:18:52.880 --> 01:18:55.680 they take he takes a leap, and they're willing to 1577 01:18:55.720 --> 01:18:59.640 pay massive repeater tax. Like they haven't acted like a 1578 01:18:59.640 --> 01:19:02.039 team that ever been willing to do that. So I 1579 01:19:02.239 --> 01:19:05.439 just it is they do now feel to me like 1580 01:19:06.239 --> 01:19:09.560 the team you'd point to, like say you're criticizing your 1581 01:19:09.600 --> 01:19:12.960 team or any team for doing what the Celtics did 1582 01:19:13.000 --> 01:19:15.840 last summer or like those kinds of moves. He's like, 1583 01:19:15.880 --> 01:19:17.640 do you want to end up like Denver where it's 1584 01:19:17.680 --> 01:19:21.359 just like you just slowly degrade and there's no you 1585 01:19:21.439 --> 01:19:25.960 just don't have the ability to like improve yourself like that. 1586 01:19:25.960 --> 01:19:28.720 That seems worse than what Boston went through because I 1587 01:19:28.800 --> 01:19:32.279 like looking forward, like Boston seems like like a hopeful place, 1588 01:19:32.319 --> 01:19:34.039 like we don't like that trade, but but you know 1589 01:19:34.079 --> 01:19:36.039 what I mean, it feels like Denver is just like, 1590 01:19:36.199 --> 01:19:36.800 what do you do? 1591 01:19:37.359 --> 01:19:40.159 I do think part of it, though, is and we're 1592 01:19:40.199 --> 01:19:42.680 pointing to one move here is so yes, there has 1593 01:19:42.720 --> 01:19:46.479 been that slow degradation. But last years a perfect example. 1594 01:19:46.880 --> 01:19:49.760 Looking back, even if we ended up being too low 1595 01:19:49.840 --> 01:19:51.359 or I was, I don't remember where you ended up 1596 01:19:51.359 --> 01:19:52.600 on it. So I want to put words in your mouth. 1597 01:19:52.880 --> 01:19:54.720 Even if I ended up being too low on the 1598 01:19:54.800 --> 01:19:58.640 Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Junior twenty thirty two first 1599 01:19:58.720 --> 01:20:04.760 round pick deal, that was your last best bullet on 1600 01:20:04.800 --> 01:20:07.600 the trade market, and that's what you did. Is that 1601 01:20:07.680 --> 01:20:11.199 acceptable when framed through that view? And the answer is 1602 01:20:11.199 --> 01:20:12.960 just no. I thought Cam Johnson was fine for them 1603 01:20:13.000 --> 01:20:15.239 last year by like, he didn't start out too great, 1604 01:20:15.239 --> 01:20:16.800 but by the end of the playoffs he was one 1605 01:20:16.800 --> 01:20:19.119 of their most trustworthy guys. And he still ended up 1606 01:20:19.159 --> 01:20:21.399 the percentages from three we're still pretty hot, and he 1607 01:20:21.439 --> 01:20:23.560 just had moments where's, oh, okay, I see the vision here, 1608 01:20:23.920 --> 01:20:26.359 but now we're talking about, oh, are they gonna need 1609 01:20:26.399 --> 01:20:28.039 to like just dump him because we know they're not 1610 01:20:28.039 --> 01:20:30.039 going to go this far into the second apron and 1611 01:20:30.079 --> 01:20:32.319 by the way, for a team that you don't think 1612 01:20:32.359 --> 01:20:34.439 can make it out of the conference, No, you shouldn't 1613 01:20:34.439 --> 01:20:36.680 be like twenty million dollars into the second apron or 1614 01:20:36.680 --> 01:20:41.119 whatever it is. That's a fact. So it's not. Yes, again, 1615 01:20:41.159 --> 01:20:43.000 there was sort of the gradual decline from them, and 1616 01:20:43.039 --> 01:20:45.000 they had some injuries crop up. But it's also I 1617 01:20:45.039 --> 01:20:49.199 don't know that they've maximized the opportunities that were before 1618 01:20:49.199 --> 01:20:51.079 them since they won the title. I don't think they 1619 01:20:51.079 --> 01:20:54.439 have it all. They didn't negotiate with Jamal Murray at all, 1620 01:20:54.560 --> 01:20:56.399 Like if we want to hammer the Wizards for Trey 1621 01:20:56.439 --> 01:21:01.720 Young or the Spurs for Darren Fox, certain teams where 1622 01:21:01.800 --> 01:21:03.600 you have the margin for error where it's no, you 1623 01:21:03.600 --> 01:21:06.119 shouldn't have done that. But look at the Spurs because 1624 01:21:06.119 --> 01:21:08.119 so many of the guys are on their their rookie scales, 1625 01:21:08.199 --> 01:21:12.840 or Wemby's just not gonna take the escalator language in Washington. 1626 01:21:12.880 --> 01:21:15.920 You just haven't paid anybody yet. So not that it's 1627 01:21:16.399 --> 01:21:18.520 a good move, but it's, oh, we can stomach this. 1628 01:21:18.920 --> 01:21:21.279 You knew you were gonna get progressively more expensive. And 1629 01:21:21.279 --> 01:21:24.399 what was the market for Murray now? I'm not if 1630 01:21:24.439 --> 01:21:26.760 he wanted to explore the open market. I'm not saying 1631 01:21:27.239 --> 01:21:29.560 just from running the team the way things are working 1632 01:21:29.640 --> 01:21:32.600 right now, like they're just even Aaron Gordon on his extension, 1633 01:21:32.680 --> 01:21:35.279 I think he's invaluable to this team. He's also probably 1634 01:21:35.279 --> 01:21:38.159 more valuable to the Nugget than any other team in 1635 01:21:38.199 --> 01:21:41.199 the league. And so to not negotiate harder on those 1636 01:21:41.199 --> 01:21:44.520 types of deals when it was like the climate isn't 1637 01:21:44.520 --> 01:21:46.880 necessarily what it is now, but it had shifted enough 1638 01:21:46.880 --> 01:21:50.600 to people thought the Aaron Gordon extension, it feels as 1639 01:21:50.640 --> 01:21:52.800 if people were mostly okay with they might have acknowledged, oh, 1640 01:21:52.840 --> 01:21:55.239 the back end of that could be rough. The Jamal 1641 01:21:55.319 --> 01:21:58.600 Murray deal, it was actually viewed until this season is 1642 01:21:58.640 --> 01:22:01.159 worse than it is now, Like people are, oh, you 1643 01:22:01.239 --> 01:22:03.520 might have net positive value or be a slightly met 1644 01:22:03.560 --> 01:22:06.760 positive So there's just been too many missteps or missed 1645 01:22:06.800 --> 01:22:10.680 opportunities there and now I don't know how you get 1646 01:22:10.680 --> 01:22:12.960 better is the answer. Like that's why they're confusing and 1647 01:22:13.359 --> 01:22:16.039 the fact that they've done so, Look, who's the best 1648 01:22:16.039 --> 01:22:19.199 shooter on Like, Okay, it's not Jamal Like aside from 1649 01:22:19.279 --> 01:22:23.159 Jamal Murray and Nikole Jokic, you have Cam Johnson. Like 1650 01:22:23.159 --> 01:22:24.840 I get is that enough shooting? I guess in an 1651 01:22:24.880 --> 01:22:27.479 offense when the Kohle Jokic, it doesn't matter, You're just 1652 01:22:27.520 --> 01:22:28.359 gonna be top three. 1653 01:22:28.720 --> 01:22:31.199 It's depth and defense, depth and defense for them, like 1654 01:22:32.600 --> 01:22:35.479 nice too. Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I don't know. 1655 01:22:35.840 --> 01:22:38.760 The thing is, like I guess, sort of implicit in 1656 01:22:38.800 --> 01:22:40.880 what I've been saying of like, this is what happens 1657 01:22:40.880 --> 01:22:43.640 if you just try to hold it together. Uh. In 1658 01:22:43.680 --> 01:22:47.680 the apron era, if they had done the opposite and 1659 01:22:47.800 --> 01:22:51.560 moved Murray or or played hardball with Gordon, like, we 1660 01:22:51.680 --> 01:22:53.640 might be in a situation where it's like Yokic isn't 1661 01:22:53.640 --> 01:22:56.239 even on this team anymore because he's just like forget it, 1662 01:22:56.319 --> 01:22:58.199 you know, like I can't win here. You guys are 1663 01:22:58.199 --> 01:23:00.640 going in a different direction by trading all these players 1664 01:23:00.640 --> 01:23:04.199 that I view as integral to our whole operation, and 1665 01:23:04.279 --> 01:23:06.600 you force him out sooner it's kind of I mean, 1666 01:23:06.640 --> 01:23:08.439 I don't know. And in a roundabout way, this is 1667 01:23:08.479 --> 01:23:12.600 just illustrative of the corner that the apron era sort 1668 01:23:12.640 --> 01:23:14.880 of allows you to paint yourself into where there isn't 1669 01:23:14.920 --> 01:23:18.000 like a good way. There's no there's no like there's 1670 01:23:18.000 --> 01:23:20.720 a way that doesn't hurt in some fashion to to 1671 01:23:20.880 --> 01:23:23.439 sort of go forward after you've been successful and you 1672 01:23:23.479 --> 01:23:26.479 have expensive players because they were good and helped you 1673 01:23:26.520 --> 01:23:28.439 win at a high level, Like this is just where 1674 01:23:28.479 --> 01:23:29.000 you end up. 1675 01:23:30.000 --> 01:23:32.199 Do you think Wemby's painted Yokic into a corner where 1676 01:23:32.199 --> 01:23:34.079 now he yes, he's gonna need to take a pay cut. 1677 01:23:34.399 --> 01:23:36.439 I mean, I know you guys talked about this a 1678 01:23:36.479 --> 01:23:41.199 little bit, but like I I my suspicion is that 1679 01:23:42.800 --> 01:23:46.760 I wasn't surprised that Wemby did what he did. If anything, 1680 01:23:46.800 --> 01:23:49.239 I was surprised he didn't take an even bigger discount. 1681 01:23:49.319 --> 01:23:52.920 I gotta believe this was the largest discount he felt 1682 01:23:52.960 --> 01:23:56.279 he could take without incurring the wrath of like every 1683 01:23:56.279 --> 01:23:57.039 other player. 1684 01:23:56.880 --> 01:23:59.560 The players Union, yeah, which already wasn't happy by it, right, 1685 01:23:59.760 --> 01:24:03.000 Which I think that's what this was. This is off 1686 01:24:03.039 --> 01:24:04.520 topic a little bit, but we got a lot of 1687 01:24:04.880 --> 01:24:09.039 pushback from that, saying like, why are we criticizing what's 1688 01:24:09.039 --> 01:24:12.319 happening with the Bucks and Gary Trent Junior? But why 1689 01:24:12.359 --> 01:24:14.560 isn't it salary caps or a convention with what Jalen 1690 01:24:14.600 --> 01:24:17.439 Brunson and Victor Woman Yama did. I just wanted to 1691 01:24:17.479 --> 01:24:19.159 point out I didn't know that that was a thing. 1692 01:24:19.199 --> 01:24:21.039 It was a more common response than I thought, and 1693 01:24:21.119 --> 01:24:24.199 some people were like, pretty I don't want to use 1694 01:24:24.199 --> 01:24:27.079 the word hostile, like they were pretty passionate about it. One. 1695 01:24:27.159 --> 01:24:29.920 I think the bigger difference is those players were already 1696 01:24:29.960 --> 01:24:32.680 under contracts with these teams, and Jalen Brunson's case, he 1697 01:24:32.720 --> 01:24:35.319 took the maximum allowed to him at the time. There's 1698 01:24:35.359 --> 01:24:38.039 no the The issue is, and now, if we find 1699 01:24:38.079 --> 01:24:40.960 out that the Spurs and Wemby or the Knicks and 1700 01:24:41.079 --> 01:24:45.760 Brunson have an agreement in place, you sign something like 1701 01:24:45.840 --> 01:24:49.640 when you're like inking these contracts or electronically signing these 1702 01:24:49.680 --> 01:24:52.359 contracts that said there is no other agreement in place. 1703 01:24:52.399 --> 01:24:55.439 It's apparently a big stipulation when you're signing minimum deals specifically, 1704 01:24:55.760 --> 01:24:57.920 which is what Gary Trent Junior was on. And the 1705 01:24:57.960 --> 01:25:00.920 other thing is that Gary Trent Junior then proceeded to 1706 01:25:01.000 --> 01:25:04.119 get like Victor O Miyama had a Gary Tran Junior 1707 01:25:04.159 --> 01:25:07.840 signed a three year minimum deal or something, and he 1708 01:25:07.920 --> 01:25:09.760 just said like, yeah, this is not what I'm worth. 1709 01:25:09.800 --> 01:25:11.399 I could make more, but I'm signing this three year 1710 01:25:11.439 --> 01:25:14.640 minimum deal. There's actually nothing wrong with it. Like Wemby 1711 01:25:14.760 --> 01:25:17.399 is saying I'm taking this for the life of this deal. 1712 01:25:17.680 --> 01:25:20.199 It's still technically the maximum allowed or close to it. 1713 01:25:20.199 --> 01:25:22.800 It just doesn't have the hypotheticals in this. The same 1714 01:25:22.840 --> 01:25:25.439 thing with Jalen Brunson, like the Gary Trang Junior when 1715 01:25:25.439 --> 01:25:29.279 he did get paid, Jalen Brunson and Victor Miyam are 1716 01:25:29.319 --> 01:25:33.199 being paid below market money. Let's say characters jug got 1717 01:25:33.239 --> 01:25:35.720 way above his market value. So like, that's just I was. 1718 01:25:36.520 --> 01:25:39.840 I don't they seem like apples and oranges situations to 1719 01:25:39.920 --> 01:25:42.920 be either all looped under the same umbrella of is 1720 01:25:43.239 --> 01:25:45.520 like do players need to take less? Or like, is 1721 01:25:45.560 --> 01:25:47.199 this a way to gain the system in the case 1722 01:25:47.239 --> 01:25:49.319 of the bucks, so that if you're good and you're 1723 01:25:49.359 --> 01:25:51.560 trying to maximize the window, can you get guys who 1724 01:25:51.600 --> 01:25:54.079 are implact players to come in a lower number. But 1725 01:25:54.560 --> 01:25:56.600 I was surprised that it was more of a common 1726 01:25:56.680 --> 01:25:59.760 refrain than I had. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about, well, 1727 01:25:59.760 --> 01:26:02.720 what's the why isn't what Wemby's doing or what Jolen 1728 01:26:02.720 --> 01:26:04.920 Brunson did salary cap circ convention. 1729 01:26:05.600 --> 01:26:08.720 I yeah, I think it's kind of apples and orangesy. 1730 01:26:08.920 --> 01:26:13.560 It's also kind of like when what about ism is 1731 01:26:13.640 --> 01:26:16.359 taken to like an even stupid or extreme where it's like, 1732 01:26:16.399 --> 01:26:19.159 well but how about this, like why aren't you That's 1733 01:26:19.199 --> 01:26:22.199 like they're not the same. It's Gary Trent's situation is 1734 01:26:22.680 --> 01:26:26.239 he's being paid far more than he is worth after 1735 01:26:26.279 --> 01:26:30.199 taking deals that one of them was maybe like it's 1736 01:26:30.760 --> 01:26:34.039 a player last year, yeah right, so and and whereas 1737 01:26:34.079 --> 01:26:37.079 like a player sacrifice, like it's I get it, Like 1738 01:26:37.159 --> 01:26:40.479 I guess, I guess on some level they share the 1739 01:26:40.560 --> 01:26:44.560 fact that a player is taking less than he could get. 1740 01:26:45.119 --> 01:26:49.520 But unless you're willing to show how Brunson and Wemby 1741 01:26:50.079 --> 01:26:52.680 are like gonna be made whole or more than whole 1742 01:26:52.720 --> 01:26:54.880 on the back end with some other deal that's already 1743 01:26:54.880 --> 01:26:57.199 been agreed to, this is not the same thing, right 1744 01:26:57.319 --> 01:26:59.840 even if so, let's let's not just signing a below 1745 01:26:59.840 --> 01:27:03.720 more market value, it's a contract. It's doing that knowing 1746 01:27:03.720 --> 01:27:06.359 that you will be paid above market or paid in 1747 01:27:06.479 --> 01:27:09.600 some other way as a result of taking that deal. 1748 01:27:10.000 --> 01:27:12.239 And maybe that becomes an issue with Jalen Brunson on 1749 01:27:12.279 --> 01:27:14.960 his next deal, But when he's extension eligible next summer, 1750 01:27:15.760 --> 01:27:17.640 the Knicks probably give him a max deal unless he's 1751 01:27:17.640 --> 01:27:20.239 want to take less can you sit there and say definitely, 1752 01:27:20.279 --> 01:27:22.119 Like Jallen Brunson isn't a max player, why would you 1753 01:27:22.119 --> 01:27:22.439 get right? 1754 01:27:22.640 --> 01:27:26.760 Yeah, It's like it's such a difference of degree, Like 1755 01:27:26.800 --> 01:27:30.680 if Jalen Brunson had a terrible year going into when 1756 01:27:30.720 --> 01:27:32.880 he's eligible to sign his next contract, you'd still be like, 1757 01:27:33.319 --> 01:27:34.720 he's still worth it. You know. 1758 01:27:36.119 --> 01:27:38.079 The Bucks went through this a little bit with Bobby Porus, 1759 01:27:38.039 --> 01:27:40.840 and we even saw the Clippers with Nicholas Batoom when 1760 01:27:40.840 --> 01:27:43.000 those guys ended up signing deals though they were at 1761 01:27:43.079 --> 01:27:46.039 least a round market value, right, we're looking at this garage, 1762 01:27:46.119 --> 01:27:48.840 at the four guaranteed years that way above market values. 1763 01:27:48.880 --> 01:27:51.359 The issue I didn't mean that they're else there. I 1764 01:27:51.399 --> 01:27:53.039 have one more team on my list. Do you have 1765 01:27:53.079 --> 01:27:53.680 another team? 1766 01:27:54.000 --> 01:27:55.840 I could like vamp and pick one, but let's just 1767 01:27:55.880 --> 01:27:58.039 talk about your last one. Uh. 1768 01:27:58.119 --> 01:27:59.880 I'm surprised we haven't talked about them yet, But maybe 1769 01:27:59.880 --> 01:28:01.399 the bar solow that we didn't. 1770 01:28:01.159 --> 01:28:06.119 Think as well. I mean, this is I don't want 1771 01:28:06.159 --> 01:28:07.560 to cut you off, but this is one where it's 1772 01:28:07.560 --> 01:28:09.119 like you could just make the case that they're bad 1773 01:28:09.159 --> 01:28:11.560 and stupid and it's not that confusing and we're used 1774 01:28:11.600 --> 01:28:12.680 to it, but go ahead. 1775 01:28:12.720 --> 01:28:16.560 Look anytime that like your big offseason move outside of 1776 01:28:16.560 --> 01:28:20.359 the draft is waving Demard rozen and then potentially stretching 1777 01:28:20.399 --> 01:28:22.399 his salary so that you can make sure you're not 1778 01:28:22.399 --> 01:28:26.840 in the luxury tax for a twenty something win team. Fireworks, Baby, 1779 01:28:27.199 --> 01:28:31.000 I don't Here's here's the thing. I don't actually know. 1780 01:28:31.119 --> 01:28:33.439 This is why they're being taken Solow. They're still confusing 1781 01:28:33.439 --> 01:28:35.239 as hell because I don't understand the theory of this 1782 01:28:35.239 --> 01:28:38.199 team and the I felt so bad for Kings fans. 1783 01:28:38.279 --> 01:28:39.880 I didn't watch a ton of him in Summer League, 1784 01:28:39.880 --> 01:28:42.319 but there was a game where I, like Darius A. 1785 01:28:42.399 --> 01:28:44.760 Cuptry just not looked like he was engaged at all 1786 01:28:44.840 --> 01:28:46.680 the defensive end or anything, and I was just like, 1787 01:28:47.199 --> 01:28:49.680 oh my god, Kings fans need like some type of 1788 01:28:49.720 --> 01:28:53.239 a reprieve from this shit show. You can't write them 1789 01:28:53.239 --> 01:28:55.319 off based on that. I like Nee Clifford still like 1790 01:28:55.319 --> 01:28:58.640 the maxim right, no good. Find Dylan Cardwell, who was 1791 01:28:58.720 --> 01:29:02.479 pissed after one of the games, which if you're gonna 1792 01:29:02.479 --> 01:29:04.119 get mad after some of league, I respect it. 1793 01:29:04.520 --> 01:29:06.600 You have that guy has to be on this team 1794 01:29:06.880 --> 01:29:09.079 like to just to make sure there's always going to 1795 01:29:09.119 --> 01:29:12.399 be a pulse. He absolutely provides that, Sorry, go ahead. 1796 01:29:14.000 --> 01:29:15.680 What you could sit here and say is what did 1797 01:29:15.720 --> 01:29:17.439 you want them to do? The answer is going to 1798 01:29:17.479 --> 01:29:20.800 be blow it up. Do any of their individual players 1799 01:29:21.439 --> 01:29:24.520 have value in a vacuum? And that's fair, that's why 1800 01:29:24.520 --> 01:29:28.039 they're being taken so low. But they talked about a 1801 01:29:28.079 --> 01:29:30.960 lot as just what Scott Perry's vision for this roster 1802 01:29:31.079 --> 01:29:33.600 is going to be moving forward. I still have no 1803 01:29:33.720 --> 01:29:37.560 idea what that vision entails. And if we're sitting here 1804 01:29:38.119 --> 01:29:41.520 in the middle of July and we know that they're 1805 01:29:41.560 --> 01:29:44.840 not planning anything bigger, just because you did waive to 1806 01:29:45.000 --> 01:29:47.680 Martos and you couldn't find a trade candidate for him, 1807 01:29:48.000 --> 01:29:49.880 or the plan wasn't to then use him and trade 1808 01:29:49.920 --> 01:29:53.880 it his full number, Like I thought the precious Chua 1809 01:29:54.000 --> 01:29:56.720 deal was fine two years and eleven million bucks and 1810 01:29:56.760 --> 01:29:59.159 he had played some really good minutes for them. Time 1811 01:29:59.199 --> 01:30:02.319 will tell what whether Darius A. Cuff Junior was the 1812 01:30:02.399 --> 01:30:05.880 right pick. It's just you know that they're not trying 1813 01:30:05.880 --> 01:30:08.039 to be good and that they're they've kind of boxed 1814 01:30:08.079 --> 01:30:11.800 themselves into a corner. But I look at this team, 1815 01:30:11.960 --> 01:30:15.920 I'm just like, what is actually going on? Like what 1816 01:30:15.920 --> 01:30:18.159 what is the identity. First of all, they don't have 1817 01:30:18.199 --> 01:30:20.920 a defensive identity. I don't know, like forget about what 1818 01:30:20.960 --> 01:30:22.520 is their offensive identity. 1819 01:30:22.680 --> 01:30:26.680 It's it's I mean to me, what's happening here, if 1820 01:30:26.680 --> 01:30:28.439 you want to be as nice about it as possible 1821 01:30:28.479 --> 01:30:30.520 is they're kind of just waiting it out because I 1822 01:30:30.520 --> 01:30:33.439 don't think. I don't you can't trade Levine for anything, 1823 01:30:34.600 --> 01:30:37.239 at least right now. Maybe that changes if he is 1824 01:30:37.279 --> 01:30:40.079 great in the first half and somebody's willing to pay this, 1825 01:30:40.239 --> 01:30:43.039 you know, half of his his salary after the trade 1826 01:30:43.039 --> 01:30:47.239 deadline or less than that. Actually, Sabonis, I don't think 1827 01:30:47.279 --> 01:30:49.960 has positive trade value like Kegan Murray of all people, 1828 01:30:50.640 --> 01:30:53.840 like was untouchable a couple of years ago, And but 1829 01:30:53.920 --> 01:30:56.039 I don't know if he has positive trade value, Like 1830 01:30:56.079 --> 01:30:59.600 he has to play himself into like being tradeable, and 1831 01:30:59.600 --> 01:31:01.960 I don't think want to trade him just as a 1832 01:31:02.000 --> 01:31:04.880 threshold issue. I think you're just kind of waiting for 1833 01:31:04.880 --> 01:31:07.199 some of these contracts to get closer to their conclusions, 1834 01:31:07.239 --> 01:31:11.520 and like that's not the You certainly cannot cannot attach 1835 01:31:11.880 --> 01:31:14.600 draft assets to move off of these bad contracts that 1836 01:31:14.640 --> 01:31:17.439 you stuck yourself with. You just have to sit there 1837 01:31:17.439 --> 01:31:21.239 and wear it until until they're movable for something that 1838 01:31:21.279 --> 01:31:26.520 doesn't compromise your future. So like, it's it's confusing how 1839 01:31:26.520 --> 01:31:29.960 they got here. It's confusing how they empowered the people 1840 01:31:30.439 --> 01:31:33.359 that contributed to getting them here, Like Doug Christy is 1841 01:31:33.359 --> 01:31:34.239 still the coach. 1842 01:31:34.199 --> 01:31:35.039 Like I don't like. 1843 01:31:35.199 --> 01:31:40.560 I guess maybe maybe the logic there is like we 1844 01:31:40.720 --> 01:31:43.720 know we can't do anything, so why go get Like 1845 01:31:43.760 --> 01:31:45.920 it doesn't even matter who the coach is. Like that 1846 01:31:46.239 --> 01:31:48.239 feels kind of crazy to me because you do have 1847 01:31:48.279 --> 01:31:51.319 a rookie in a cuff that, in theory is gonna 1848 01:31:51.359 --> 01:31:55.520 be like he's got the keys, I think, so you 1849 01:31:55.640 --> 01:31:58.199 definitely want like a better developmental environment for him. But 1850 01:31:59.159 --> 01:32:01.880 this is just sort of mess. It's it's confusing as 1851 01:32:01.920 --> 01:32:05.880 to what's confusing is like how did it get this bad? 1852 01:32:06.640 --> 01:32:09.760 That's that's that's hard to fathom because it took so many, 1853 01:32:10.000 --> 01:32:13.239 so many great contributors over so many years to put 1854 01:32:13.239 --> 01:32:14.079 them into the condition. 1855 01:32:14.239 --> 01:32:15.960 What was the inflection point for them? Do you think 1856 01:32:16.000 --> 01:32:18.239 it was the decision to move on from Mike Brown 1857 01:32:18.279 --> 01:32:20.199 and everything sort of snowballing from there. 1858 01:32:21.520 --> 01:32:24.600 I I don't know that Mike Brown would have saved this, 1859 01:32:24.880 --> 01:32:25.399 you know, I. 1860 01:32:25.319 --> 01:32:28.960 Think, but think about what that led to the relationship 1861 01:32:29.000 --> 01:32:29.840 with dearon Fox. 1862 01:32:30.279 --> 01:32:33.680 Yeah, I mean, if you really wanted to go back, 1863 01:32:33.800 --> 01:32:36.800 it might just be the Halliburton for Sabonis trade, because 1864 01:32:36.840 --> 01:32:40.520 they've made a decision at that point that like the 1865 01:32:40.600 --> 01:32:42.760 type of player we believe we should be led by 1866 01:32:42.880 --> 01:32:46.800 is Fox and then Sabonis, and so we will then 1867 01:32:46.840 --> 01:32:50.159 surround them with Derozen and Levine and that type. And 1868 01:32:50.199 --> 01:32:54.840 like maybe if you just picked Tyre's Halliburton, you build differently. 1869 01:32:55.079 --> 01:32:55.479 I don't know. 1870 01:32:56.359 --> 01:32:58.840 I didn't honestly, I didn't see the Tyre's Haliburton trade 1871 01:32:58.880 --> 01:33:01.000 coming up. I'm sure King's fans really appreciate you. 1872 01:33:00.960 --> 01:33:04.399 And that, I mean, that was terrible at the time. Sorry. 1873 01:33:04.640 --> 01:33:06.479 Can I provide a peak behind the curtain though, of 1874 01:33:06.520 --> 01:33:09.279 your loyal of your actual respect for the King. 1875 01:33:09.319 --> 01:33:09.920 Absolutely. 1876 01:33:10.279 --> 01:33:13.159 We have a new merch line that is going to drop, 1877 01:33:13.199 --> 01:33:17.640 hopefully shortly, and Grant and the test merch that is 1878 01:33:17.680 --> 01:33:20.600 being sent to him as we speak, hopefully there They 1879 01:33:20.600 --> 01:33:23.000 are team themed, So that's your little peak behind the curtain. 1880 01:33:23.359 --> 01:33:26.479 Grant picked four teams and the Kings were one of them. 1881 01:33:26.640 --> 01:33:26.840 Yeah. 1882 01:33:26.840 --> 01:33:29.000 I didn't follow up in the moment when I when 1883 01:33:29.039 --> 01:33:31.000 I actually wish we wanted passure. I was just like, 1884 01:33:31.119 --> 01:33:32.800 is this like a bit are you kidding? 1885 01:33:33.000 --> 01:33:36.119 It's a great design. Sorry, sorry, I love great design. 1886 01:33:36.520 --> 01:33:41.199 The logo it works perfectly because it's because the lettering 1887 01:33:41.479 --> 01:33:43.800 makes sense. It like looks a lot like the logo, 1888 01:33:43.920 --> 01:33:47.239 like the actual King's script and logo on first look. 1889 01:33:47.239 --> 01:33:49.520 I don't want to give too much away, but it 1890 01:33:49.840 --> 01:33:51.520 jumped out of me like that's a good one, and 1891 01:33:51.560 --> 01:33:52.920 so I had to have it. I you know, I 1892 01:33:52.960 --> 01:33:55.920 don't discriminate. I'm not listening. My anti King's bias does 1893 01:33:55.960 --> 01:33:58.119 not extend to good logos. 1894 01:33:57.680 --> 01:34:00.239 And and we've established that you are a fashion used 1895 01:34:00.279 --> 01:34:03.159 to too, absolutely, I mean look good, feel good. 1896 01:34:03.439 --> 01:34:03.640 Look. 1897 01:34:05.760 --> 01:34:08.359 So just to get us to ten teams, I want 1898 01:34:08.359 --> 01:34:12.119 to nominate another one very quickly. I'm kind of balancing 1899 01:34:12.399 --> 01:34:14.319 back and forth. I think some people are gonna pick 1900 01:34:14.359 --> 01:34:16.960 the pistons. I want to talk about that. 1901 01:34:17.560 --> 01:34:19.720 Well, so let's real quick, let's pick them, because I 1902 01:34:19.720 --> 01:34:22.439 do I did. I did kind of have them out 1903 01:34:22.479 --> 01:34:23.920 of the corner of my eyes. I was looking at 1904 01:34:23.960 --> 01:34:27.319 just a list. Is what's confusing about them? I don't 1905 01:34:27.319 --> 01:34:29.760 think anything's confusing to me about how they're handling Jalen Duran, 1906 01:34:29.760 --> 01:34:32.199 because I think this means they're drawing an appropriately hard 1907 01:34:32.239 --> 01:34:34.479 line on what they're willing to pay him. That part's fine, 1908 01:34:35.279 --> 01:34:38.079 just the it's kind of been a few years of 1909 01:34:38.119 --> 01:34:40.960 this issue of like just put the right kind of 1910 01:34:41.000 --> 01:34:43.840 support staff around kid Cunningham, you know. And we can't 1911 01:34:43.840 --> 01:34:47.359 be that critical because they won sixty games, But is 1912 01:34:47.359 --> 01:34:51.760 that a lot? It seems like a decent number, you know, 1913 01:34:51.960 --> 01:34:54.239 it didn't amount youer than seventy four, but still fier 1914 01:34:54.319 --> 01:34:58.439 than seventy four, but more than more than fifty nine. Uh, 1915 01:34:59.199 --> 01:35:02.279 it just you. So Tobias Harris goes out like they've 1916 01:35:02.359 --> 01:35:04.520 chosen John Collins. I'm doing this off the top of 1917 01:35:04.560 --> 01:35:08.000 my head. I should have our transaction lists open here? 1918 01:35:08.039 --> 01:35:10.920 Who are the other Isaiah Joe? They get in there right, 1919 01:35:11.600 --> 01:35:13.000 which ends up confused. 1920 01:35:12.600 --> 01:35:16.079 For them essentially swapped out Isaiah Stewart, which I'm okay with, 1921 01:35:16.279 --> 01:35:18.199 especially after some of that reporting that like he was 1922 01:35:18.199 --> 01:35:21.239 pissed off about his minutes in the playoffs and Paul 1923 01:35:21.319 --> 01:35:24.279 reid Is was playing over him and it's a lot cheaper, 1924 01:35:24.319 --> 01:35:25.159 So I'm fine with that. 1925 01:35:25.640 --> 01:35:28.159 I also think, so here can I give you what 1926 01:35:28.319 --> 01:35:30.520 I think might be a hot take is I am 1927 01:35:30.560 --> 01:35:33.840 more confused at this point by the Miami Heat that 1928 01:35:33.920 --> 01:35:36.279 I am the Detroit Pistons. I ultimately would have settled 1929 01:35:36.319 --> 01:35:38.239 on the Miami Heat because, well. 1930 01:35:38.039 --> 01:35:40.720 But you fully understand why the Heat did what they did. 1931 01:35:40.760 --> 01:35:41.960 It's just a bad decision. 1932 01:35:42.880 --> 01:35:45.359 No, it's a bad decision. But then what have they done? Like? 1933 01:35:45.399 --> 01:35:45.479 What? 1934 01:35:46.239 --> 01:35:47.960 Like? How have they made it make sense that we're 1935 01:35:47.960 --> 01:35:51.039 just gonna have no ball handlers? Then why did you negotiate? 1936 01:35:51.279 --> 01:35:54.439 What's confusing is why didn't you negotiats? Again, it was 1937 01:35:54.479 --> 01:35:57.199 a market of two teams. Why weren't you negotiating harder 1938 01:35:57.239 --> 01:36:00.239 in the honest trade. But for the Pistons, here's what's 1939 01:36:00.239 --> 01:36:02.520 confusing about them. Nothing I'm with you, Nothing about the 1940 01:36:02.600 --> 01:36:05.239 Jayleen dur and stuff. I actually think he's John Collins. 1941 01:36:05.279 --> 01:36:08.199 I'm not. I'm surprised that Isaiah Stewart had so little 1942 01:36:08.760 --> 01:36:12.159 value on balance, But I actually like John Collins for 1943 01:36:12.199 --> 01:36:14.600 this team because he's a higher volume three point shooter 1944 01:36:14.920 --> 01:36:16.960 and so you can play him next to Jayleender and 1945 01:36:17.239 --> 01:36:19.000 if you want, he's a higher volume pree point shooter 1946 01:36:19.079 --> 01:36:21.359 than even Tobias Harris. I think this team will miss 1947 01:36:21.760 --> 01:36:24.359 what becomes confusing about this team is they seem to 1948 01:36:24.399 --> 01:36:27.920 be making a big bet on spacing, improved spacing and 1949 01:36:28.000 --> 01:36:31.000 internal development. I'm fine with the spacing aspect of I 1950 01:36:31.039 --> 01:36:34.239 think going from Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart to John 1951 01:36:34.279 --> 01:36:38.039 Collins and Isaiah Joe that's a spacing upgrade, right like. 1952 01:36:38.359 --> 01:36:40.520 Yeah, And if you think Kevin Hurder is going to 1953 01:36:40.600 --> 01:36:45.840 be better, which apparently the Pistons do, based, yeah, do you. 1954 01:36:45.800 --> 01:36:48.800 Need contracts to trade? But that that is confusing? Yes, 1955 01:36:49.600 --> 01:36:51.800 I do believe. What's even so you you then make 1956 01:36:51.800 --> 01:36:55.319 the Karris Lavert trade. What what is confusing is they 1957 01:36:55.319 --> 01:36:58.319 don't have the internal development part is I don't look 1958 01:36:58.359 --> 01:37:02.479 at this roster and say, between Donnish, Jenkins or even 1959 01:37:02.520 --> 01:37:06.560 Asar Thompson, is that secondary ball that primary secondary ball 1960 01:37:06.560 --> 01:37:09.439 handler in place? My answer to that is still no. 1961 01:37:09.600 --> 01:37:12.600 And so that leads me to believe they're so far 1962 01:37:12.680 --> 01:37:14.119 under the tax right now? Are they waiting for the 1963 01:37:14.159 --> 01:37:17.039 Jalhen Duran thing to settle so that they could then 1964 01:37:17.279 --> 01:37:19.359 Is there another move in play here? Because their off 1965 01:37:19.399 --> 01:37:23.079 season does feel anti climactic. But actually, don't think that's 1966 01:37:23.199 --> 01:37:26.279 confusing when you do look at what the logic of 1967 01:37:26.319 --> 01:37:28.399 these moves would be I think that they have improved 1968 01:37:28.399 --> 01:37:31.479 the spacing and I don't know that they've weakened Yeah, 1969 01:37:31.479 --> 01:37:33.359 And I would say they probably haven't. Like Karris Lavert 1970 01:37:33.520 --> 01:37:35.560 was not a huge part of what they were doing 1971 01:37:35.640 --> 01:37:39.560 last year. So have they weakened the secondary creation around 1972 01:37:39.640 --> 01:37:44.000 Ky Cunningham. The answer is no, it does. The confusing 1973 01:37:44.039 --> 01:37:46.439 part is, well, what are you have to be waiting 1974 01:37:46.479 --> 01:37:48.840 for something? Because the grand theory of this team can't 1975 01:37:48.880 --> 01:37:51.680 be like, well, yeah, we're gonna sign John Collins, bringing 1976 01:37:51.720 --> 01:37:53.880 Isaiah Joe, bring back Jalen Durnham, like now we're ready 1977 01:37:53.920 --> 01:37:55.680 to win the championship. 1978 01:37:55.880 --> 01:37:58.520 Right, And I think too maybe you're right that, like, 1979 01:37:58.600 --> 01:38:03.119 if there's anything confusing here, it's I it's maybe procedural, 1980 01:38:03.279 --> 01:38:06.520 just because like it to illustrate, like if they had 1981 01:38:06.520 --> 01:38:09.279 already agreed to terms with Jalen Durant and then still 1982 01:38:09.319 --> 01:38:13.800 hadn't done anything to address the lack of improved secondary playmaking, 1983 01:38:13.840 --> 01:38:16.600 that would feel a little weirder. And then maybe even 1984 01:38:16.640 --> 01:38:19.560 then the argument would just be, like, you know, contrary 1985 01:38:19.560 --> 01:38:22.760 to our hardballing Jalen duran Uh, we think he's got 1986 01:38:22.800 --> 01:38:25.479 even more secondary creation in him after the breakthrough he 1987 01:38:25.560 --> 01:38:27.640 made last year as an offensive player. Like, I don't 1988 01:38:27.640 --> 01:38:30.079 know that that would feel kind of kind of like 1989 01:38:30.119 --> 01:38:34.680 a weird uh double talk, but it is, I guess 1990 01:38:34.720 --> 01:38:38.279 because the Duran stuff sort of needs to resolve before 1991 01:38:38.319 --> 01:38:41.119 they go do something else. Like maybe that explains some 1992 01:38:41.279 --> 01:38:46.079 of it, but they couldn't. Just doesn't outside of outside 1993 01:38:46.079 --> 01:38:48.640 of Kate Cunningham in the postseason. Yeah, and they didn't 1994 01:38:48.680 --> 01:38:50.600 go get anybody else that can create a shot. 1995 01:38:51.239 --> 01:38:53.279 No, I mean, Gary Harrison, Torrian Princes aren't going to 1996 01:38:53.319 --> 01:38:56.760 do that for you again. Yeah, they'll prove the creation 1997 01:38:56.920 --> 01:39:01.199 for you. So they're they're lightly confusing, but I'm actually 1998 01:39:01.199 --> 01:39:05.000 personally more confused. Bye, Miami, that's fair. Do you have 1999 01:39:05.039 --> 01:39:07.319 anything else that you'd like to get to before we 2000 01:39:07.399 --> 01:39:08.680 skidaddle out here? 2001 01:39:08.840 --> 01:39:10.960 So we can skidattle. Great to speak to you again. 2002 01:39:11.079 --> 01:39:12.640 Let's not do two weeks. Well, we might have to 2003 01:39:12.640 --> 01:39:13.760 be two weeks off because don't want. 2004 01:39:13.640 --> 01:39:16.479 To apologize for anyone who's coming here at two o'clock 2005 01:39:16.560 --> 01:39:19.000 am Eastern time, why we're not live. 2006 01:39:19.199 --> 01:39:26.800 Hope you had a great pay good night, sleep well, 2007 01:39:27.319 --> 01:39:30.239 good luck, Yeah, good night and good luck. Thanks everybody 2008 01:39:30.279 --> 01:39:32.800 for listening, for watching. Remember to rate, review, and subscribe. 2009 01:39:33.039 --> 01:39:34.600 Tell your friends, tell your ammies, look forward to that 2010 01:39:34.640 --> 01:39:36.680 merch We're gonna be dropping soon. Dan tease it, so 2011 01:39:36.680 --> 01:39:38.520 I'm gonna talk about it a little bit more. The 2012 01:39:38.560 --> 01:39:41.000 best way though, to support the podcast. 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Thanks to everybody who commented, 2023 01:40:14.399 --> 01:40:19.039 for everybody that was here twelve hours before yet out 2024 01:40:20.920 --> 01:40:22.920 shouts Frank milikin apologies, Jared Allen