1 00:00:15,439 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: What is up, fellow Siko's I am Dan Valley coming 2 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,839 at you with another twenty twenty four twenty five NBA 3 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,960 season look ahead. We're on to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which 4 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,120 means I get to speak with Kyle Taigi from the 5 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,359 Flagrant Howse podcast over at Score North he co hosted 6 00:00:31,399 --> 00:00:34,640 with Phil Mackie and also the Dane Moore NBA podcast 7 00:00:35,399 --> 00:00:37,719 where he does a lot of appearances. There a lot 8 00:00:37,719 --> 00:00:40,399 of work behind the scenes with day Moore. Love both 9 00:00:40,399 --> 00:00:42,479 those podcasts a day more podcasts, especially if you're a 10 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,520 Timberwolves fan. It's just an absolute behemoth. So go find 11 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:47,200 the work to all the stuff that Kyle does that 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,359 will be in the links of our podcast and YouTube descriptions. 13 00:00:50,359 --> 00:00:52,679 Go support him. You're in for a very fun conversation. 14 00:00:52,759 --> 00:00:55,600 This is as I'm recording this now, the intro, the 15 00:00:55,719 --> 00:00:57,960 longest look ahead that we've done. We went over ninety 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,159 minutes on the Timberwolves. So if you're a Timberwolves fan or 17 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,640 someone just curious about this team, I think you'll enjoy 18 00:01:02,679 --> 00:01:04,760 it very quickly. As usual, though, just the reminder, if 19 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,400 you've not done so already, subscribe to us YouTube, Apple, Spotify, 20 00:01:08,439 --> 00:01:10,359 The whole mine. Ratings and reviews on Apple help us 21 00:01:10,359 --> 00:01:14,200 out a ton in the charts as well. Comment, help 22 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,640 like our videos on YouTube. That'll help the algorithm. Love 23 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,400 us back a little bit. And if you do all 24 00:01:18,439 --> 00:01:20,879 those things consistently, One, thank you, I love you, and 25 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,840 two tell people about us, Share our episode, share our content, 26 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:25,480 come join our discord. The link to that's in the 27 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,879 podcast and YouTube description. Two. But that's enough for me. 28 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,000 Let's get to talking lots and lots of Minnesota Timberwolves 29 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,319 basketball with the One the Only Kyle Tige. Kyle, welcome 30 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,519 back to the Hardware Nots Podcast. Your third appearance, your 31 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,079 second time doing the look Ahead. So I'm always grateful 32 00:01:41,079 --> 00:01:43,439 when guests agree to come back after doing their first 33 00:01:43,439 --> 00:01:46,159 one or two appearances. Before we dive into just all 34 00:01:46,239 --> 00:01:49,359 things Minnesota Timberwolves, have a very important question, how the 35 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:50,000 heck are you doing? 36 00:01:50,879 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: I'm doing well, I was telling you before we hit record. 37 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,760 Finally in a house. So the last time we spoke 38 00:01:55,799 --> 00:01:57,359 on the micause I was still in an apartment but 39 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,480 got my first house. My back is if you're watching 40 00:02:01,519 --> 00:02:04,280 on YouTube the opposite of what Dan's rocking, there's nothing 41 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,760 in here but a plant, but Uh, you're You're my 42 00:02:06,799 --> 00:02:08,879 inspo on that. So I'm gonna start to build up 43 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,479 the studio a little bit because I woke up I 44 00:02:11,479 --> 00:02:12,120 think it was yesterday. 45 00:02:12,159 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 3: I woke up and I was like, we're. 46 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: Like two weeks away from training camp and like media 47 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,240 day and stuff. So it's it's been a nice summer. 48 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,360 I know, you know, if you take vacations or whatever, it's 49 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,080 been nice to kind of get away football seasons on. 50 00:02:22,159 --> 00:02:24,919 But basketball season's coming really quick and then I don't 51 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,280 know from a Timberwolves perspective, and I'm sure we'll get 52 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,639 into it. Probably the most exciting year we can think 53 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,479 of based on what they did last year. 54 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 1: Right. I am grateful that for the NBA this summer, 55 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,080 like the transactions were just like there was the lotry 56 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,759 market in like fake thing that dwindled, lingered, excuse me 57 00:02:40,759 --> 00:02:42,599 for a little bit, but it's made it really easy 58 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:44,080 to do these look aheads, and I'm plug at these 59 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,280 a little bit because there's just nothing happening in the NBA, 60 00:02:46,319 --> 00:02:48,280 and I favor it. I know people are starved. I'm like, 61 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:50,400 I need this break. I need I need to figure 62 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,039 out what's going on with the entire league. As we 63 00:02:52,039 --> 00:02:52,840 go into next season. 64 00:02:53,159 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 3: Yeah it was. 65 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 2: It was a couple of years ago, well a handful 66 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,120 of years ago now, but where the like Andrew Wiggins 67 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,560 thing dragged on with into like August or something. So 68 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:02,919 it is nice from a basketball perspective. Can I just 69 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,360 have one month where there's nothing going on in the 70 00:03:05,479 --> 00:03:07,599 NBA with you know, the new salary caps and the 71 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:09,479 CB and all stuff. It makes it a little harder 72 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,199 for August transactions. So August was nice, But yes, you 73 00:03:13,199 --> 00:03:15,439 flipped the page September after a Labor Day. It's like, 74 00:03:15,479 --> 00:03:17,639 oh my god, I need to refresh on my favorite 75 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,719 team or the league in general, because it just keeps 76 00:03:20,719 --> 00:03:22,639 getting more chaotic as the season starts. 77 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,879 Speaker 1: So I have one more tangent. So are we gonna 78 00:03:24,879 --> 00:03:27,240 have as the background? Gonna include like some Leonard Miller 79 00:03:27,439 --> 00:03:29,680 propaganda the background? 80 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 2: There's a lot of options on the table right now. 81 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,159 The NASE reed flag slash towel probably needs to be 82 00:03:35,199 --> 00:03:37,759 incorporated as well. But uh yeah, I got to watch 83 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,360 Leonard out in Vegas during Summer League this past July, 84 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,879 and I still believe. So I don't know if that's 85 00:03:43,879 --> 00:03:45,840 where we're gonna start today, but I will say that 86 00:03:45,919 --> 00:03:48,360 Leonard Miller's stock is still very much a hold, and 87 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,800 if you have some extra discretionary income, maybe a buye. 88 00:03:51,199 --> 00:03:54,479 Speaker 1: I bought last year and before the season started, so 89 00:03:54,639 --> 00:03:57,280 I'm holding as well. But this is not the two 90 00:03:57,319 --> 00:04:00,680 hour segment on Lendon Miller will come shortly. I want 91 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,919 to start here with just what were your kind of 92 00:04:02,919 --> 00:04:05,960 your biggest takeaways from last season? Because there was so 93 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,719 much happening, not just the Wolves being good, but how 94 00:04:08,759 --> 00:04:11,039 they were good, what happens in the playoffs, and then 95 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,240 of course all this stuff happening not so much in 96 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,000 the back drop, but like the battle over the soul 97 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,839 of the franchise from upstairs, and like even was Tim 98 00:04:18,879 --> 00:04:20,639 Connolly going to be back? But okay, now he's going 99 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,560 to be back. But it's still sort of a year 100 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,839 by year thing. Just what are yours we're moving in 101 00:04:24,879 --> 00:04:27,680 to this period of thinking about next season, what were 102 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:29,680 your biggest takeaways that are still kind of sticking with 103 00:04:29,759 --> 00:04:30,639 you from last year? 104 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,199 Speaker 2: Oh, biggest takeaway by far is just the basketball, like 105 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:35,879 the on the court stuff and the fact that it 106 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,399 was finally good. It was the furthest the Timberwolves had 107 00:04:39,439 --> 00:04:43,160 made a postseason run in twenty years they've been around 108 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,000 for as long as I've been around Dan, so thirty 109 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,000 five years kind of age myself, and they basically had 110 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,519 like one good season and it was that kg Latrell Spreewell, 111 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,040 Sam Casell year where they go they lose to the 112 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,160 Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers obviously then 113 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,040 go on to lose to the Pistons, but that was 114 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,759 kind of the two thousand and three two thousand and 115 00:05:01,759 --> 00:05:03,519 four season was like the benchmark of like, remember the 116 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:04,160 good old days. 117 00:05:04,199 --> 00:05:05,439 Speaker 3: So for the Wolves to. 118 00:05:05,399 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 2: Get back to that stage and to kind of show 119 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,600 that all this all these years of rebuilding and high 120 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,600 lottery picks and big trades and all this turnover finally 121 00:05:14,639 --> 00:05:18,399 paid off. It was the best season again in two decades. 122 00:05:18,959 --> 00:05:22,240 The off the court stuff with ownership or you know 123 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,399 what's gonna happen with the front office, or even when 124 00:05:24,439 --> 00:05:26,360 you try to factor in all those things, and then 125 00:05:26,399 --> 00:05:29,120 the new CBA and our favorite term now you know 126 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,560 second Apron. That stuff sucks, and we'll always kind of 127 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,800 stick around ownership stuff. Like the next big date is 128 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,800 November for arbitrations, so that battle is not gonna go 129 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,079 away anytime soon. But I think for a fan base 130 00:05:42,199 --> 00:05:45,439 like Minnesota, they just were so happy to finally have 131 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,600 real Like, you know, we weren't looking at lottery picks 132 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:50,519 and ping pong balls in March. We were trying to 133 00:05:50,519 --> 00:05:53,439 figure out seating. So I think from a fan perspective, 134 00:05:53,439 --> 00:05:55,439 it was just really necessary to kind of get that 135 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,600 monkey off your back. Win a series, right, They sweep 136 00:05:57,639 --> 00:06:00,639 the Suns, shock the Nuggets, and then I think kind 137 00:06:00,639 --> 00:06:03,319 of flame out against the MAVs. Better team probably won, 138 00:06:03,439 --> 00:06:05,519 but I don't think they gave them their best shots. 139 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,199 So just a really really good basketball season, and then 140 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,680 when they run it back and have pretty much the 141 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,600 same roster this next season minus a couple guys that 142 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,040 we'll talk about, it's hard not to be really excited about, 143 00:06:16,079 --> 00:06:18,319 you know, Dan, They're talking about them as contenders, like 144 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:19,079 we're not used to that. 145 00:06:19,759 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean we haven't done our record projections or 146 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,000 over under stuff yet, but like they're pretty If they 147 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,439 fall outside of my top three, I'd be floored. And 148 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,240 I honestly think, despite what the YouTube comments might say, 149 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:30,959 a lot of the time or some of the Twitter people, 150 00:06:31,399 --> 00:06:35,319 I enjoy when teams, especially in non glamour markets, like 151 00:06:35,519 --> 00:06:38,279 flip narratives on their head and like I root for 152 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,160 I did this with the Cleveland and Donovan Mitchell thing, 153 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,519 like I want those teams to go like I want 154 00:06:42,519 --> 00:06:43,920 a team like it's supposed to go all in for 155 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,040 Rudy Gobert, and I want them to be good because 156 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:47,600 I want more teams to do that. I want to 157 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,399 be able to get angry at other teams for not 158 00:06:49,439 --> 00:06:52,480 doing that. And it was really cool to see Minnesota 159 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,560 just not the big model, just it's working. Rudy Gobert, 160 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:57,839 it's fourth defensive player of the year and maybe playing 161 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,399 some of It's like it's tough to separate because he 162 00:07:00,439 --> 00:07:02,600 actually had good talent around him in Minnesota and like 163 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,720 Utah but like some of the best defense in terms 164 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,639 of mobility I've ever seen from him. Karl Anthony Towns 165 00:07:07,639 --> 00:07:11,160 still kind of just like this wild, inconsistent adrenaline rush, 166 00:07:11,199 --> 00:07:14,319 but him having like a couple big postseason performances, him 167 00:07:14,319 --> 00:07:16,360 coming back from injury, him having like I thought he 168 00:07:16,399 --> 00:07:19,399 was more aggressive on drives. I just enjoyed that whole thing. 169 00:07:19,439 --> 00:07:21,399 Like even the people who thought like, oh, like, how 170 00:07:21,399 --> 00:07:23,240 good is your ceiling if Anthony Edwards is the driver 171 00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:25,839 of your offense? And there were imperfections, but I really 172 00:07:25,879 --> 00:07:28,800 just enjoyed the Timberwolves, like for for the most part, 173 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,560 it came to a point where it was everyone was 174 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:33,439 wondering when or how they were going to break this 175 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,319 team up this past offseason, and then it became very 176 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,600 quickly before the playoffs, it was like, no, this team 177 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:40,920 is just too good. Like nothing's happening this offseason. It 178 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,120 would be franchise melpractice if it did. 179 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,079 Speaker 2: You know, it's kind of funny, right, especially in the 180 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,319 league and you cover the league from the highest views, 181 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,360 you kind of monitor all the teams. NBA is really 182 00:07:51,399 --> 00:07:54,079 about ring culture, right, like winning, Like, at the end 183 00:07:54,079 --> 00:07:55,199 of the day, what are you trying to do. You're 184 00:07:55,199 --> 00:07:56,959 trying to win a game, trying to win a playoff series, 185 00:07:56,959 --> 00:07:59,240 You're trying to win a title. And it's funny how 186 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,040 teams like clevend to Minnesota, as you put are not 187 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,120 glamour markets, but almost kind of get ripped for trying 188 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,120 to win or trying to go all in. You know, 189 00:08:07,439 --> 00:08:09,000 I don't like the trim all in because from a 190 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,759 Wolve's perspective, they still have future picks, they have things 191 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,839 they can do, they have young players. Cleveland's the same, 192 00:08:13,879 --> 00:08:16,519 but it does kind of seem like Utah was just 193 00:08:16,639 --> 00:08:19,920 given the trophy for trading two guys and getting all 194 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,600 these picks. Were in reality, it really did turn out 195 00:08:22,639 --> 00:08:25,639 well so far right for Cleveland and Minnesota. And from 196 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,680 the Wolve's perspective, they don't do what they just did 197 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,480 without Rudy Gobert. He wasn't the best player on the team, 198 00:08:32,519 --> 00:08:34,759 but I think a lot of us that watched could 199 00:08:34,799 --> 00:08:37,320 have made an argument that maybe he was the most valuable. 200 00:08:37,639 --> 00:08:40,559 Just again, after that Grizzlies series that was kind of 201 00:08:40,639 --> 00:08:43,600 Ant's first taste of the playoffs a couple of years ago. 202 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,360 They left that thinking we probably should have beat the Grizzlies, 203 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:48,360 and we lost because we couldn't protect the rim, we 204 00:08:48,399 --> 00:08:50,559 couldn't rebound. Well, what did Tim Conley do? As soon 205 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:52,080 as he got here, he just went and got probably 206 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,080 the guy that best addresses those two needs. He went 207 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,519 and got Rudy Gobert to protect the rim and get rebounds. 208 00:08:57,519 --> 00:09:00,240 So the first year of the experiment didn't work. Two 209 00:09:00,279 --> 00:09:04,080 years ago, Carl missed fifty two games. The two big 210 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,639 thing was kind of clunky. But to see them again 211 00:09:06,759 --> 00:09:09,919 run it back kind of as you said, defy all 212 00:09:09,919 --> 00:09:12,399 the commenters and haters online and just say we're gonna 213 00:09:12,399 --> 00:09:15,320 try again. Rather than switching up the formula, We're just 214 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:19,000 gonna kind of try again and use the same exact, 215 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,799 you know, ingredients to make a better meal. And it worked. 216 00:09:21,799 --> 00:09:24,159 And last year it really showed by you know, they 217 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,879 actually had an identity dan for the first time since 218 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,159 I was in middle school, where they came in every 219 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,480 night and said, we're gonna play really good defense and 220 00:09:32,639 --> 00:09:35,000 we might slip from the best defense in the league 221 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,519 in January to like the seventh, but every night we're 222 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:41,320 gonna make you have to work offensively, And I think 223 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,480 that's kind of what led them as far as they 224 00:09:43,519 --> 00:09:45,200 made it. And now, you know, now they have to 225 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,279 make some tweaks because I think they lack little offense, 226 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,360 and that will be something that we look forward to 227 00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:52,600 this next season. That did the draft and some of 228 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:54,879 the other moves they made will that helped them up 229 00:09:54,919 --> 00:09:56,919 their offense a little bit while still maintaining a really 230 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:58,399 talented defense. 231 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,279 Speaker 1: You just about this during point there, and I'm sure 232 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,120 I'm guilty of it a lot. Is we tend to 233 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,480 romanticize the tear down aspect when you're looking at what 234 00:10:05,519 --> 00:10:07,039 Utah did on that side of the Rudy Go Baron 235 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,960 Dono Mitchell trades, and then we'll hammer the teams that 236 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,519 like went for it. And it's the same way with 237 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,039 player contracts, where it's do you remember back when this 238 00:10:14,039 --> 00:10:16,120 feels like eight years ago when Tyler Hero was like 239 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,200 a darling, but then he signs his next deal and 240 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,679 people like, oh, that dude's overpaid. He's not valuable at all. 241 00:10:21,039 --> 00:10:23,360 I need to know like the psychology behind that thought 242 00:10:23,399 --> 00:10:25,320 that is a random tangent, but you're saying that made 243 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,399 me think of it. We both agreed though that they 244 00:10:28,399 --> 00:10:31,720 were too good to like really for lack of like 245 00:10:31,919 --> 00:10:33,960 just fuck with Like you shouldn't be like trading a 246 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,320 core piece over the offseason. But was there any part 247 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:40,080 of you just knowing about the second apron, knowing about 248 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,960 the uncertainty upstairs, that there wasn't some type of cost 249 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,759 cutting maneuver you know, from them this summer? 250 00:10:47,399 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 2: Yes, Like it's still something I think about randomly when 251 00:10:50,519 --> 00:10:52,960 like best buys over here mounting my TV or on 252 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:57,360 like on vacations this in Minnesota Timberwolves lower we kind 253 00:10:57,399 --> 00:11:00,399 of referenced Charlie Brown and when Lucy pulls the football 254 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,360 right like every time, She's like, I'm not going to 255 00:11:02,399 --> 00:11:04,399 pull the football this time, and then Charlie's like, Okay, fine, 256 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,279 I'm gonna kick this thing, and then she still pulls it. 257 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,960 So from a fan perspective, you're thinking, at some point, 258 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,039 what's the next shoe that's going to drop? But so far, 259 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,519 despite the ownership thing, which is completely unnecessary, and I 260 00:11:16,519 --> 00:11:18,200 think people are starting to pick sides, and I know 261 00:11:18,279 --> 00:11:20,720 what my side would be. I'm a fan of the 262 00:11:20,759 --> 00:11:22,960 side that has come in and led to actual change 263 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,399 and brought in a guy like Tim Connolly and pays 264 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,799 all the coaches. But at the end of the day, 265 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:30,440 you don't really pay the luxury tax bill until the 266 00:11:30,519 --> 00:11:33,120 end of the season. So this team is facing with 267 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,039 the second Apron and the new CBA they're facing. I mean, 268 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:37,320 I think Dan, they're gonna be one of the five 269 00:11:37,399 --> 00:11:39,600 or six most expensive rosters. 270 00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 3: In the league. 271 00:11:40,159 --> 00:11:42,039 Speaker 1: Yeah, Bill, that's not. 272 00:11:43,639 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 3: In the past. 273 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,879 Speaker 2: Right now, We're going to say that Glenn Taylor is 274 00:11:46,919 --> 00:11:49,120 the majority owner of the team, because that's that's a fact, 275 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:53,000 and he has paid luxury tax payments before. But it's 276 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,559 important to note that that was four different seasons I 277 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:58,279 think totally about twenty seven million dollars. 278 00:11:58,600 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 3: Oh wow, And. 279 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 2: I can't do inflation calculations on a Friday. But that's 280 00:12:03,519 --> 00:12:06,360 not gonna be the same as what they're facing this season. 281 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,480 Like they're contender. You know, they're gonna have a six 282 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,600 or seventh most expensive roster, but they're gonna have one 283 00:12:11,639 --> 00:12:13,919 of the six or seven best chances probably to win 284 00:12:13,919 --> 00:12:18,120 a title. So everyone still thinks they're gonna no matter 285 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,679 who decides and wins this thing and becomes the owner, 286 00:12:20,759 --> 00:12:23,000 that they're still gonna pay it. But yeah, you're always 287 00:12:23,039 --> 00:12:25,279 thinking in the back of your head, like if this 288 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:29,360 team stumbles or you know they're forty two and forty, 289 00:12:29,399 --> 00:12:31,159 like are you gonna pay one hundred and ten million 290 00:12:31,159 --> 00:12:33,840 dollar tax? And my thing is, and I've heard you 291 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,320 talk about this before too, but it's not talked about 292 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,679 enough in the NBA landscape. Paying the luxury tax is 293 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,039 one thing, right Dan, because you're you're paying money out, 294 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,720 but you're also not getting money in. So when you're 295 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,399 a non tax paying team, like not only you don't 296 00:12:47,399 --> 00:12:48,799 have to pay one hundred and ten million, but you 297 00:12:48,799 --> 00:12:51,320 probably get a slice of you know, twenty five million 298 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:51,720 per team. 299 00:12:51,759 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 3: So it's a. 300 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,879 Speaker 2: Really big one hundred and forty million dollar difference. And 301 00:12:55,919 --> 00:12:58,519 I know after talking to people with the team or 302 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,879 just learning what the NBA and more, that's like how 303 00:13:00,919 --> 00:13:02,679 they pay their expenses. 304 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,279 Speaker 3: That's how they pay for you know, everyone on the team. 305 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: And then the staff gets their own room with the 306 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,679 four seasons when they're on the road in LA. 307 00:13:09,919 --> 00:13:12,279 Speaker 3: So that stuff matters. Even though I know these. 308 00:13:12,279 --> 00:13:14,639 Speaker 2: Numbers for the valuations the teams are crazy. So yeah, 309 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,240 this is a The ownership thing is just a weird 310 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:19,759 gray cloud that sometimes is the big cloud, sometimes it's 311 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:23,559 a small cloud. But until the courts, I guess, settle it, 312 00:13:23,879 --> 00:13:26,159 you're just kind of hoping that this team is finally 313 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,360 good and that they're run by a really really smart 314 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,600 GM and that he has been empowered to make financial moves. 315 00:13:32,639 --> 00:13:35,200 It might be spendy, but are going to lead to 316 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:36,919 giving this team the best chance they've had to win 317 00:13:36,919 --> 00:13:38,159 a title in over twenty years. 318 00:13:38,799 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 1: And I do think I'm always reticent to give you know, 319 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,360 owners billionaire's credit, but like when we saw the Clippers 320 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,440 run scared from this, when we saw the Nuggets run 321 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,720 scared from it, the generals do deserve credit, like because 322 00:13:49,759 --> 00:13:52,519 nothing's gonna happen mid season that dramatically lowers their task. 323 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,919 Believe if they make a talent shutting. They've agreed to 324 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,159 foot float this for a year, and I think they 325 00:13:57,159 --> 00:13:59,120 deserve credit for doing that. But also it was kind 326 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:00,919 of just like, you have no reason not to do 327 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,360 that because the Timbros boxman, because they were so damn 328 00:14:03,399 --> 00:14:05,840 good and that's what it made it easy. But it's 329 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,039 also like, yeah, they deserve credit. We saw these other teams, 330 00:14:08,279 --> 00:14:10,879 like the Clippers specifically make no sense with what they're 331 00:14:10,879 --> 00:14:13,240 framing of why they let Paul George walk. So I 332 00:14:13,279 --> 00:14:15,639 commend them for that. As we get to the actual 333 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,200 basketball and I'm gonna let you dictate where we go here. 334 00:14:18,759 --> 00:14:21,919 What is the biggest storyline that you'll be tracking for 335 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,240 this team, whether it's just to start the season or 336 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:24,840 throughout the. 337 00:14:24,879 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 2: Entire year expectations it's playing simple In my mind, it's 338 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,240 it's the fact that two years ago when they came 339 00:14:31,279 --> 00:14:33,399 off that Grizzly I mean, when they lost to the 340 00:14:33,399 --> 00:14:35,519 Grizzlies in the first round, and Wolves fans will say 341 00:14:35,519 --> 00:14:37,159 that they should have won, and I believe that too, 342 00:14:37,159 --> 00:14:39,720 but the Grizzlies ended up pulling out by just executing more. 343 00:14:40,159 --> 00:14:43,440 They made one of the biggest trades in NBA history. 344 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,679 They go get go bet, they try this two big thing. 345 00:14:46,399 --> 00:14:48,799 I think at the time that it happened, Dan, the 346 00:14:48,879 --> 00:14:51,600 league and fans like myself were still thinking small ball, 347 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,120 small ball, small ball, and like, we're actually just gonna, 348 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,120 you know, hashtag size matters. 349 00:14:55,759 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 3: Like we're just gonna lean into playing big. 350 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 2: And it didn't work that first year, and then it 351 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:01,799 was like they got to blow it up and stuff. 352 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,919 But from a national perspective, you're right, it didn't work. 353 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,120 But there wasn't nuance to like, well, Carl missed over 354 00:15:08,159 --> 00:15:09,919 half the season and there was a lot of change 355 00:15:09,919 --> 00:15:12,960 and all this stuff. So excuses are not. They ran 356 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,080 it back, they had year two, and they didn't have 357 00:15:15,159 --> 00:15:18,039 high expectations last year. I think they're over underwin total 358 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,840 coming into last season was somewhere in like the mid 359 00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:21,879 forties forty six. 360 00:15:22,039 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 3: I mean, they smashed it. 361 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: I meant on it, but I was I was a 362 00:15:25,159 --> 00:15:26,519 little bit surprised at how lo it. 363 00:15:26,519 --> 00:15:30,039 Speaker 2: Was they and they smashed it. So this year now 364 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,279 again all summer, when you listen to you know, a 365 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,480 Zach Low or you listen to any national podcasts, they're 366 00:15:35,519 --> 00:15:37,159 talking about the Wolves as one of the five or 367 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,799 six teams that can win a title. Well, now that 368 00:15:39,799 --> 00:15:43,519 the spotlights back on you, Minnesota has the most the 369 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,519 highest increase in nationally televised games this year compared to 370 00:15:46,559 --> 00:15:49,960 any other team, Like they're going to be on big TV, ESPN, 371 00:15:50,039 --> 00:15:53,279 all that stuff like twenty some times. So how do 372 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,559 you respond to that? Because Minnesota kind of had their 373 00:15:57,559 --> 00:16:00,279 best seasons when they didn't really have the brightlight lights 374 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,639 on them. And now the bright lights, especially because Aunt 375 00:16:02,679 --> 00:16:04,840 and what he did in the Olympics and just his persona, 376 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:06,919 the bright lights are going to be on them. And 377 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,480 that's great when you're winning. But if you stumble, that's 378 00:16:10,519 --> 00:16:12,559 how you're on you know, first take the next morning 379 00:16:12,559 --> 00:16:14,720 in the in the A blocks. So it will be 380 00:16:14,759 --> 00:16:17,360 how does a team that is still And people don't 381 00:16:17,399 --> 00:16:20,039 want to hear this, but Aunt is twenty three. J 382 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,519 mcdanal's is twenty four. I think nas Reed is twenty 383 00:16:22,519 --> 00:16:26,279 four to twenty five. Rob Dillingham is like nineteen or twenty. 384 00:16:26,799 --> 00:16:28,639 They have a lot of youth that's going to play 385 00:16:28,639 --> 00:16:31,440 a big role. Yes, Carl's older, Mike Conley's in his 386 00:16:31,519 --> 00:16:33,919 mid thirties, Rudy Gobert. But to me, it's still a 387 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,720 young team, and how does a young ish team handle 388 00:16:37,799 --> 00:16:40,519 those expectations, especially if things don't start off, you know, 389 00:16:40,799 --> 00:16:42,440 as well as they started off last season. 390 00:16:42,919 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: I've can talk to you about this element of those 391 00:16:44,879 --> 00:16:49,080 expectations for hours because it still fascinates me months later. 392 00:16:49,559 --> 00:16:53,200 The Rob Dillingham acquisition the White I framed it is. 393 00:16:53,279 --> 00:16:56,759 I respect it. It was creative and if it pans out, 394 00:16:56,799 --> 00:16:58,879 they're going to look like geniuses. But it was just 395 00:16:58,919 --> 00:17:01,600 wildly risky. And then you kind of compare that just 396 00:17:01,639 --> 00:17:03,679 the idea of you mentioned bringing in a twenty year 397 00:17:03,679 --> 00:17:07,839 old on a team that has title expectations, Like you 398 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,000 really have to believe that the front office and coaching 399 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,839 staff are a lockstep with how this is going to 400 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:13,720 be handled, because we've kind of seen it go sideways 401 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,200 in Denver over the past couple of years, where Michael 402 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,599 Malone has pivoted away from like maybe not Christian Brown, 403 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,200 but Peyton Watson against the Wolves last year, just going 404 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,519 to justin holiday instead, And so I kind of want 405 00:17:23,519 --> 00:17:25,640 to start there with the move was what were your 406 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,759 overall I guess let's actually start with what's important. What 407 00:17:28,759 --> 00:17:30,799 were your overall impressions when had happened? Were you like 408 00:17:30,839 --> 00:17:32,480 me when you saw a notification coming in and it 409 00:17:32,519 --> 00:17:34,720 was like, oh, the Wolves have acquired the number eight pick, 410 00:17:34,759 --> 00:17:36,880 and I was like, where did Karl Anthony Towns get? 411 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 2: Like? 412 00:17:37,079 --> 00:17:37,839 Speaker 1: Is he on the Spurs? 413 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 2: Now? 414 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 1: That was my first reaction. 415 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm so glad you bring that up, because life 416 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,400 moves so fast now in the Internet era that we 417 00:17:44,599 --> 00:17:47,599 just forget things that happened two months ago, and it's 418 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,519 important to take take a second timeout and be like 419 00:17:50,799 --> 00:17:53,480 when that was announced that the Wolves were trading up 420 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,279 to eight with the Spurs, it was just like the 421 00:17:56,319 --> 00:17:59,039 Minnesota Timberwolves are now moving up to eight. And if 422 00:17:59,039 --> 00:18:01,039 you're a Wolve's fan, you're like, well, that's impossible because 423 00:18:01,039 --> 00:18:02,880 we have no money, like we were poor, Like we 424 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,119 have no assets. Everyone said roll in, so it'd be 425 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,759 like they had to have traded like you said, Carl, 426 00:18:08,079 --> 00:18:10,319 or maybe they traded nas So everyone kind of had 427 00:18:10,319 --> 00:18:12,440 a lump in their throat when it happened, and then 428 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,839 to find out that they essentially just kind of and 429 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:16,880 I'm I'm learning more and more about this Dan as 430 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:18,880 I continue to put things on my credit card. They 431 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:20,200 just kind of kicked it down the road and said, 432 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,880 we'll just take whatever we can down the road. 433 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 3: Like what twenty thirty are we even going to be here? 434 00:18:25,519 --> 00:18:26,720 Is life going to exist? Like? 435 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,039 Speaker 2: What is so once you found out the parameters of 436 00:18:30,079 --> 00:18:34,640 the trade. Yes, it's always risky, especially for a smaller 437 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,319 market to do something where you're giving an asset that's 438 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:41,000 unprotected or lightly protected, giving that a way way down 439 00:18:41,039 --> 00:18:41,799 the road because you don't know. 440 00:18:41,759 --> 00:18:42,400 Speaker 3: What it's going to be like. 441 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,319 Speaker 2: But if you're Tim Conley, I think this is kind 442 00:18:45,319 --> 00:18:47,680 of one of the most badass things about him is 443 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,319 that I referenced that Grizzly series he came in and Dan, 444 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,160 you know this, like when when a new GM or 445 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,440 president of basket operations comes in, sometimes they just have 446 00:18:55,559 --> 00:18:57,519 like the easiest first year. They can just kind of 447 00:18:57,559 --> 00:18:59,759 see what the ingredients are, like, figure it out, and 448 00:18:59,799 --> 00:19:02,519 then and make a move. There's like no expectations. Tim 449 00:19:02,559 --> 00:19:04,880 Conley made the Rudy go Beartrade like seven weeks after 450 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,319 he signed with Minnesota, Like that's pretty crazy. So, but 451 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,799 he identified we need to rebound better, we need to 452 00:19:10,799 --> 00:19:12,559 protect the room, we need to play better defense. Let 453 00:19:12,559 --> 00:19:14,799 me just go get that, and he got it coming 454 00:19:14,839 --> 00:19:17,559 off this Maverick series where he watched the team that 455 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,079 was really good at defense, but just you know, when 456 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:22,559 they got down to eight seconds on a shot clock 457 00:19:22,599 --> 00:19:24,640 and a broken play and they needed someone to just 458 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,359 get a shot, it was like Ant And then I 459 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,680 think maybe the second best option was nas Read. They 460 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,799 just didn't have a lot of guys that could create 461 00:19:32,799 --> 00:19:34,160 their own shot, create for others. 462 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,319 Speaker 3: Dribble. It's kind of my joke sometimes. 463 00:19:37,319 --> 00:19:40,519 Speaker 2: So again, Tim Conley just identified in the draft kind 464 00:19:40,519 --> 00:19:42,799 of a weakness. I don't get the move from the 465 00:19:42,839 --> 00:19:45,000 Spurs perspective, even though I know they're kind of building 466 00:19:45,079 --> 00:19:47,559 up assets for when Wenby's in his prime, but to 467 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:51,160 go out and address another need that specifically a backup 468 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,119 point guard, a bucket getter, a guy that can space 469 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,680 the floor and hit threes. It was kind of one 470 00:19:56,759 --> 00:19:59,759 hundred percent approval rating. Again, at some point you'll have 471 00:19:59,759 --> 00:20:01,400 to pay that penalty of that you're going to give 472 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,880 up a pick. And but is Tim Conley even here 473 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:05,720 in twenty thirty who owns the team? 474 00:20:06,279 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 3: Is Ant here? 475 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 2: And I don't say that but grudgingly, like I hope 476 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,079 he's here, But it's so far down the road and 477 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,680 for them to and this is starting to become more national, 478 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,799 it was kind of the first mover right in terms 479 00:20:17,799 --> 00:20:20,119 of this new CBA. We're all going to be in trouble, 480 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,359 We're all gonna be hurt from it. And Tim Conley 481 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,160 kind of found this one little sliver of like, you know, 482 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:26,880 like the goat path in three hundred, like maybe we 483 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,839 can just go that way, and maybe we can just 484 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,599 use this asset that everyone has but they haven't really 485 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:33,640 thought of using to move up in the draft and 486 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,240 to get a guy who Dan. They couldn't spend seven 487 00:20:36,279 --> 00:20:38,279 million dollars on a backup point guard because of the 488 00:20:38,319 --> 00:20:40,240 new CBA in the second apron so to use the 489 00:20:40,319 --> 00:20:43,640 draft to do that was really creative. And again, at 490 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,039 some point in twenty thirty, when I'm in my forties, 491 00:20:46,039 --> 00:20:47,240 I'll be like, well, you know, they don't have that 492 00:20:47,319 --> 00:20:49,519 pick anymore, but I don't think we're gonna care because 493 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,119 they needed more offense. They needed more guys that can 494 00:20:53,559 --> 00:20:56,559 play alongside Ant. And also, when you do it that 495 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,480 way versus I don't know, acquiring an older VET, you're 496 00:21:00,519 --> 00:21:02,680 still building up your foundation, right, So I mean you 497 00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:04,680 for a team that's all in Dan and a team 498 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:05,759 that has no assets. 499 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 3: You kind of have like a. 500 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,839 Speaker 2: Core young four of Aunt, Jayden Nas and Rob Dillingham 501 00:21:10,839 --> 00:21:13,440 and they're all under twenty five. Like that's pretty impressive 502 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,599 for a team that's coming off a Western Conference final strip. 503 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,559 Speaker 1: How do you think they will go about though, juggling 504 00:21:18,599 --> 00:21:22,160 the development of Rob Dillingham versus the expectations that you're 505 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:23,640 talking like does he just I mean when you look 506 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,960 at the depth chart, like, okay, they do have nikil 507 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,160 Oxaar and to Walker you can stagger my comedy. PJ 508 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,720 Dosers on this team. Joe Ingles is on this team, 509 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,440 but like, is he just the backup point guard? 510 00:21:34,599 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 2: If you listen, you said something about are the front 511 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,079 office and the coaching staff like lockstep in Minnesota, it's 512 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,039 pretty awesome. Tim Conley raves about Chris Finch, and Chris 513 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:44,920 Finch kind of raves about Tim Conley. So it does 514 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,400 seem like those two levels of the organization are really 515 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,920 hand in hand. But Tim Conley has also pulled no 516 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,799 punches of being like Rob's gonna play, you know, like 517 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,960 it's not like the Wolves also in the draft in 518 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:56,920 the first round, late in the first round draft Terrenshin 519 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,319 and junior who's more proven, kind of an older, older 520 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,279 rookie like twenty four come and plug and play. But 521 00:22:03,319 --> 00:22:04,920 when you go get the eighth pick in the draft 522 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:06,799 and a lottery pick, those guys have to play like that. 523 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,240 This we're not talking G League stints and that stuff 524 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,240 like that. Guy's got to get minutes. So expectations to me, 525 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,880 Dan or the number one thing. But one of the 526 00:22:15,039 --> 00:22:17,519 two or three most important storylines is what do you 527 00:22:17,599 --> 00:22:19,880 do with Rob? Because Rob I watched. 528 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 3: All the Summer League games. I was out there in Vegas. 529 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:22,599 The first couple of games. 530 00:22:22,599 --> 00:22:25,839 Speaker 2: He was really asked to just playmake and not score, 531 00:22:26,319 --> 00:22:28,720 and it was kind of a growing pains for him. 532 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:30,960 But that's what they're gonna need. So there's gonna be 533 00:22:31,079 --> 00:22:33,640 nights with his size and just being a rookie where 534 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,160 he's gonna be one for eight right from the field 535 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:40,079 and with probably more turnovers than assists. And for a 536 00:22:40,079 --> 00:22:42,440 team that is a contender trying to, you know, quote 537 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,079 win now, it's gonna be fascinating to watch. I don't 538 00:22:45,079 --> 00:22:46,839 know if I have a firm answer of how long 539 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,359 Chris Finch will give a leash, but I know Tim 540 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,880 Conley wants that leash to be pretty big, because again 541 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,720 he is in even with his rookie status, he's probably 542 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,000 an upgrade over at Jordan McLaughlin in terms of just 543 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,519 all the different skills that robbers the table. He's more 544 00:23:01,599 --> 00:23:04,200 dynamic obviously than a Kyle Anderson. But he has weaknesses. 545 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,640 He is small. He is he is not my hyke. 546 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:08,720 I stood next him. He is a small guy. So 547 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,119 and that's fine, right. We've seen guys like Trey Young 548 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,240 make a name for themselves being small. But it's just 549 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,119 gonna be interesting to see on those nights where Rob 550 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,400 might just not have it because he is nineteen and 551 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,720 he is a rookie. What does Finch do? Does he 552 00:23:20,759 --> 00:23:23,880 pull the plug early? How does that affect his development 553 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,720 and his mental status? So that's another Really, despite ANTHONYA. 554 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,599 Wards and Karnte Towns, Rudugabert, all these big names, what 555 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:32,920 happens with Rob Dillingham in his first year is going 556 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:34,480 to be really really interesting to watch. 557 00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: People keep calling him small and I've never been with 558 00:23:37,839 --> 00:23:40,480 him in person. He's listed at six three. That's not 559 00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:42,240 like over is he like? Is that is this like 560 00:23:42,279 --> 00:23:44,759 six ' one? 561 00:23:45,079 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 2: He is such a great kid, and he is so 562 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,319 fucking competitive, So I love getting to hang out with 563 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,640 him and talk to him in Vegas. I am I 564 00:23:53,759 --> 00:23:55,720 like to round up. Everyone should round up and everything. 565 00:23:55,759 --> 00:23:59,000 I'm like six to two. He's not six three, and 566 00:23:59,039 --> 00:24:01,319 I'm like a buck seventy five, and we're probably on 567 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,920 the same scale. So again, he's not he can add weight. 568 00:24:05,079 --> 00:24:07,039 I mean, he's gonna be in an NBA lifting program. 569 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:07,319 Speaker 3: Now. 570 00:24:07,519 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 2: I don't know how much taller he can get. I've 571 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,680 people have told me you can grow in your early twenties. 572 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,799 So but if I kind of joke about this, then 573 00:24:14,839 --> 00:24:18,480 if he was six six to ten, the Wolves would 574 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:19,799 have never been able to get him, because would have 575 00:24:19,799 --> 00:24:21,680 gone first overall, right, like in a week draft, Like 576 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,720 if you had a six six bucket getter like him 577 00:24:23,759 --> 00:24:25,799 with that type of handle. I mean, Rob's gonna enter 578 00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:27,839 the league with one of the ten best handles. He 579 00:24:27,839 --> 00:24:29,759 probably has the best handle on the Timberwolves already and 580 00:24:29,759 --> 00:24:32,559 he hasn't played a game. So he is small. He's 581 00:24:32,559 --> 00:24:35,200 gonna have to learn that. But you know, look at 582 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,200 who he could be out there with in rotations, Like 583 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:42,799 Aunt is super long, Jaden is really long, Rudy like nasried, like, 584 00:24:42,799 --> 00:24:45,440 you're gonna have him protected, I think on defense where 585 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,599 they're not gonna be able to pick on him as 586 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,119 much as maybe you would on a on a Charlotte 587 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,279 team or something that doesn't have all that that length 588 00:24:52,279 --> 00:24:54,839 and defense, So it'll be something to monitor. But man, 589 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:56,559 that kid, that kid wants to win. 590 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:57,279 Speaker 3: Uh. 591 00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:59,599 Speaker 2: He has a cool connection with John wall Like, he 592 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:00,920 has a a lot of mentors and a lot of 593 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,440 people in his life that want him to be good. 594 00:25:03,519 --> 00:25:06,279 And I would be so shocked if he, even as 595 00:25:06,279 --> 00:25:07,880 a rookie, doesn't come in and have some sort of 596 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:09,119 a positive impact. 597 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 1: So you've kind of touched upon both of these questions 598 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,559 already though, but let's start with a positive. What would 599 00:25:13,599 --> 00:25:16,799 be the thing that you're most excited to see about 600 00:25:16,839 --> 00:25:18,720 him as or the like where he'll leave the biggest 601 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,920 impact positively as a rookie. 602 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 2: Just offense, just his ability to the wolves. This is 603 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,279 kind of a deep cut for people listening that maybe 604 00:25:27,319 --> 00:25:29,799 aren't diehard Timberlles fans, but like they tried this with 605 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,880 Jalen Noel, kind of another smaller guard like bucket Getter 606 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,119 and stuff like, can you also play the point it 607 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:37,880 never really worked out for Jalen Nowell and then he 608 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,200 kind of fizzled out. So can this guy come in 609 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,440 and give them something that you know, they have so 610 00:25:42,519 --> 00:25:45,039 much offense with Aunt and Carl might be the best 611 00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:47,359 shooting big man of all time or whatever, but they 612 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:50,759 don't really have like that type of player, Like I know, 613 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,079 it's it's easy to say this, like a Jamal Crawford 614 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:54,960 when he was on the team, or like a Derek Rowse. 615 00:25:55,039 --> 00:25:57,000 Just this guy that can come in and just cook, 616 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:01,279 just give you points. And yes, Minnesota was really good defensively, 617 00:26:01,319 --> 00:26:03,359 but as you started to see throughout the playoffs, it 618 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:05,759 showed itself in the Denver series a little bit, and 619 00:26:05,799 --> 00:26:08,279 then it really was highlighted against the MAVs. They just 620 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:14,440 needed another scoring option or playmaker alongside Aunt. Luca and 621 00:26:14,559 --> 00:26:16,319 Kyrie are probably the best to do it right now 622 00:26:16,319 --> 00:26:19,119 in the league. So nothing against them, but you can 623 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,960 make comparisons to like if ant Is or Luca, like, 624 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,720 can Rob maybe eventually down the road be your Kyrie 625 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,200 and can those two guys play together. Ants about as 626 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:30,640 big of a shooting guard as you can have next 627 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,519 to Rob, so he'll protect them defensively, but just that 628 00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:36,480 offensive playmaking. He was really dynamic in a couple of 629 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,839 those summerleague games. I think he had like a sixteen 630 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:40,799 to two assist turn of a ratio in his first 631 00:26:40,799 --> 00:26:43,799 two games, which again it's summer league, but that was 632 00:26:43,799 --> 00:26:46,799 big because they need another guy that can get others involved. 633 00:26:46,839 --> 00:26:48,400 Speaker 3: So it's really exciting. 634 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,039 Speaker 2: I kind of thought back to the summer conversation that 635 00:26:51,079 --> 00:26:53,039 they were just going to run it back, probably lose 636 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,920 Kyle Anderson, make a small move draft at twenty seven, 637 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:58,519 and that was it so for them to go out. 638 00:26:59,079 --> 00:27:00,400 I mean, how many times have you you've seen a 639 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,480 team come off of conference finals or a championship run 640 00:27:03,839 --> 00:27:06,839 and then also have a lottery pick. It's pretty rare. 641 00:27:07,039 --> 00:27:10,000 So all that kind of put into the blender. It 642 00:27:10,039 --> 00:27:12,599 makes you pretty excited for what this team could do 643 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:14,680 on the positive end next season. 644 00:27:15,559 --> 00:27:17,640 Speaker 1: I think what I'm most I'm hoping they play him 645 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,319 an ant together a good amount. But one of the 646 00:27:19,319 --> 00:27:21,480 things that I really liked about digging into diling Ham 647 00:27:21,519 --> 00:27:23,519 is like he will get off the ball when he's 648 00:27:23,559 --> 00:27:25,319 on at his like best, He'll get off the ball 649 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:27,440 really quickly, and the idea of being able to catch 650 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:31,000 it and like go after a careening bent defense already. 651 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:32,759 I just feel like it's something we've kind of gotten 652 00:27:32,759 --> 00:27:34,880 away from because he's so central what the timer Wolves 653 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,559 are doing offensively, and Dillingham might be the guy like 654 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:39,480 he might even be able to unlock that for a 655 00:27:39,559 --> 00:27:41,640 Jade McDaniels where it's like, if we want Jane McDaniels 656 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,799 to put the ball on the four more if Rob Dillingham, 657 00:27:43,839 --> 00:27:45,599 your primary ball handler, is able to get off of 658 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,359 it quickly after bending the defense, get it to Jane 659 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,400 McDaniels and he's able to attack. But even just seeing 660 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,000 that element with Anthony Edwards to kind of simplify or 661 00:27:53,039 --> 00:27:55,680 streamline his offense, I think could go a really long 662 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,279 way for this team. I just you kind of already 663 00:27:58,319 --> 00:28:00,720 mentioned this. I don't know what the president is for 664 00:28:00,759 --> 00:28:03,279 a team as good as the Timberwolves to add such 665 00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:05,680 a high lottery pick, and then what does that lottery 666 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,000 pick do when he's actually playing games for said team? 667 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 2: And this will the team is still going to look 668 00:28:11,519 --> 00:28:14,720 pretty much the same in terms of defensive identity and 669 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,680 offensive structure this next year. You're just trying to add 670 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,119 a little spice with Rob and what Terren Shannon Junior 671 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,160 can do. Who's really impressive his ability to get downhill 672 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,920 and draw files and things the Wolves need. But one 673 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:28,559 thing Tim Conley is hammered all summer during any media 674 00:28:28,559 --> 00:28:32,119 availability is playing faster or at least getting onto transition more. 675 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,519 I mean, this is really really dumb down, which is 676 00:28:35,559 --> 00:28:38,119 how my brain works. But if you get stops on 677 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,119 defense and you're really good, why not get the ball 678 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,480 and turn into transition and try to just you know, 679 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,680 that's easier offense than facing a set defense right in 680 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,599 like a half court situation. So with Aunt, with Jaydeen, 681 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:53,160 with Knas, but also Rob Dillingham, who is super quick, 682 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,200 super fast and it's really crafty around the rim, that 683 00:28:56,279 --> 00:28:58,079 might just be a way to you know, maybe it's 684 00:28:58,079 --> 00:28:59,759 not all going to be about fixing the half court 685 00:28:59,799 --> 00:29:01,880 off which has always been a bugaboo for this team 686 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,839 under Chris Finch. Maybe it's just about getting easier buckets. 687 00:29:04,839 --> 00:29:07,559 And I think Rob will really compliment ant in that 688 00:29:07,599 --> 00:29:10,440 way that just hey, Rudy and everyone, you know, Jane 689 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,519 McDaniel's all defense, that they got to stop, get the 690 00:29:12,519 --> 00:29:15,200 ball out and let's run. Yeah, to your point, they 691 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,559 were twenty eighth in average offensive possession time after grabbing 692 00:29:18,559 --> 00:29:21,359 a defensive rebound. So if Rob Dillingham or anybody on 693 00:29:21,359 --> 00:29:23,640 this team can bring that more pacing element, is there 694 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:27,119 anything aside from just the size that would concern you 695 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,319 though about playing Dillingham major minutes out of the gate? 696 00:29:31,319 --> 00:29:32,039 Speaker 3: Uh? 697 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 2: Just again back to that. Summer League is a good 698 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,599 opportunity to learn, right. I know, we love watching it 699 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:40,960 now and it's all on TV and stuff, and we 700 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,200 want our teams to win because we're already like missing 701 00:29:43,279 --> 00:29:46,720 NBA action. But they really put him kind of square peg, 702 00:29:46,839 --> 00:29:49,720 round hole and said, we want you to focus on 703 00:29:49,799 --> 00:29:53,960 playmaking and then get your shot second. And if you 704 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,119 really watch all the Wolf Summerleague games, he had four 705 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:57,880 games of that, and then the fifth one, a couple 706 00:29:57,839 --> 00:29:59,799 of guys were you know, sitting out to kind of 707 00:29:59,839 --> 00:30:02,119 get towards the end of your stay in Vegas, and 708 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,680 he just was allowed to shoot and he filled it up. 709 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,519 I mean, it was incredible to watch. So the biggest 710 00:30:07,599 --> 00:30:10,440 challenge for him, and he said this, like he verbally said, 711 00:30:10,759 --> 00:30:12,440 it was frustrating to not be able to kind of 712 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,519 do what I do, but I'm also super respecting of 713 00:30:15,519 --> 00:30:18,319 what they want from me. So he is going to 714 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,319 probably be gifted the backup point guard behind Mike Conley. 715 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:23,519 Speaker 3: Mike is coming off. 716 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,079 Speaker 2: I think he played seventy six games last year, which 717 00:30:26,119 --> 00:30:28,920 is the most he's played. I think since like his 718 00:30:29,039 --> 00:30:33,720 mid twenties. That sounds great. Mike wanted to play all 719 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,799 eighty two. I don't know if I love it, because 720 00:30:36,799 --> 00:30:38,960 as you watch down the playoff, like as they got 721 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,359 through Denver and into Dallas series, Mike just kind of 722 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:44,519 ran out of gas and they need Mike Conley. You 723 00:30:44,519 --> 00:30:46,640 can make any criticism you want about why should a 724 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,079 team with this much talent still need a thirty seven 725 00:30:49,119 --> 00:30:51,240 year old point guard, but they do. He is so 726 00:30:51,319 --> 00:30:53,160 important for them on the court and kind of keeping 727 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,160 everyone in their right lanes. So I want to see 728 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,720 Mike Conley ball out in like April in May, which 729 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,119 means Rob's gonna have to be force fed minutes and 730 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,119 is he going to be able to run the offense again. 731 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,920 He's a better player than Jordan McLoughlin, even though Jordan 732 00:31:08,079 --> 00:31:09,680 has been in the league for a while. But Jordan 733 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,079 mclofflin was a really good like table setter, kind of 734 00:31:13,079 --> 00:31:15,359 that point guard you know in the Chris Paul Mold 735 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,079 of getting everyone in their spots. I don't know if 736 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,480 Rob will be able to do that in October, and 737 00:31:20,519 --> 00:31:22,400 that's gonna be a big question mark because you know 738 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,759 he can score, but they might not need him to score, 739 00:31:24,839 --> 00:31:27,440 especially if he's out there in a you know, a 740 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:30,039 rotation in the early second quarter with like Carl and 741 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,759 Aunt and Nas. They don't need you to score, They 742 00:31:32,759 --> 00:31:34,519 just need you to facilitate and get those guys in 743 00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:35,200 the right spots. 744 00:31:35,359 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: Andy Edwards makes the all NBA leap. What to start here? 745 00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:41,759 What impressed you or stood out the most about his 746 00:31:41,839 --> 00:31:43,480 continued development last year? 747 00:31:45,599 --> 00:31:48,039 Speaker 2: I this is this is where it gets Hallmarky. I 748 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,599 just have enjoyed Dan. I've been covering this team for 749 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:53,799 I think it's my eighth year and being here for 750 00:31:53,839 --> 00:31:57,039 the whole story. You know, he came in during COVID. 751 00:31:57,279 --> 00:31:59,200 I mean he hasn't even been It was less than 752 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,559 four years ago to the was drafted, right because the 753 00:32:01,599 --> 00:32:05,640 twenty twenty COVID draft happened in like November, and just 754 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:07,880 to see all the different like I always kind of 755 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,480 referenced it as like years in college, like his first 756 00:32:10,519 --> 00:32:13,279 year he played alongside this professor Ricky Rubio, and then 757 00:32:13,279 --> 00:32:15,279 he had d Lo and they had Pat Bev and 758 00:32:15,319 --> 00:32:17,880 now he's got Mike Conlin. He's just kind of I mean, 759 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,599 he's getting in better and better shape. Obviously, what happened 760 00:32:20,599 --> 00:32:23,359 with the Olympics and Team USA this summer was big 761 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,519 for him because he loves Katie and now he's on 762 00:32:26,559 --> 00:32:28,599 the bus with them. Right he looks up to Lebron 763 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,480 and now he's you know, running pick and roll with him. 764 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:33,359 He loves Steph Curry. Now they're like making TikTok. So 765 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,680 I just think watching this kid, who it seems like 766 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,680 he's been in our lives for a really long time. 767 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,279 But he just turned twenty three in August. He's got 768 00:32:41,279 --> 00:32:43,359 his own shoe, he's got his own you know, star 769 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,720 movie on Netflix, and now he's a gold medalist and 770 00:32:46,839 --> 00:32:49,559 he's coming off a Western Conference finals trip. So just 771 00:32:49,599 --> 00:32:52,559 to watch him continue to get better and to continue 772 00:32:52,559 --> 00:32:56,200 to love basketball more and more. It's again, I'm sure 773 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,160 you probably would have preferred a really specific basketball answer, 774 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,000 but I just kind of love watching, you know, I 775 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,279 don't have a kid like he seems like my child. 776 00:33:03,359 --> 00:33:06,279 Speaker 3: Just to watch him grow and mature and do all 777 00:33:06,319 --> 00:33:09,240 these things. He's about as. 778 00:33:09,079 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 2: Well rounded of a face of the franchise as you 779 00:33:11,759 --> 00:33:15,000 could get, and Minnesota really was you know, no, that's 780 00:33:15,039 --> 00:33:17,359 no shame to Carl or anything, but they just didn't 781 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,319 really have that since Kevin Garnett left. A guy that 782 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,920 you can put all the billboards around and all your 783 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,599 trust in, and that is going to demand respect from 784 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,400 like the national audience. And I think that's what Ant 785 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,079 does right now, is he demands respect from the old 786 00:33:31,319 --> 00:33:34,519 the old guard or the national pundits or anything. So, uh, 787 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:38,279 this guy's the limit for him, and really as far 788 00:33:38,319 --> 00:33:40,440 as he goes, I think that's as far as his 789 00:33:40,519 --> 00:33:41,000 team will go. 790 00:33:41,559 --> 00:33:43,079 Speaker 1: I think what also helps because you mentioned this at 791 00:33:43,079 --> 00:33:44,839 the top of the podcast about the Wolves being in 792 00:33:44,839 --> 00:33:47,039 the national spotlight more even just looking at their national 793 00:33:47,079 --> 00:33:49,880 TV games. Ant's not just someone who seems like he 794 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,240 enjoys it, but like he'll just he'll he'll take so 795 00:33:53,319 --> 00:33:55,400 much of the criticism and it'll just roll off him 796 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:58,079 where it's look at what he said about the older 797 00:33:58,079 --> 00:34:00,599 players in the NBA recently, and it just like to 798 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,160 have someone who can kind of soak up the criticism 799 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,079 or most of that attention and you know they can 800 00:34:05,119 --> 00:34:08,039 deal with it. That does, by extension, make life. I 801 00:34:08,079 --> 00:34:12,280 would think easier on a youngster like Rob Dillingham. But also, 802 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:14,400 we know what the narratives will be about Rudy Gobert, 803 00:34:14,559 --> 00:34:16,639 we know what the narrators will be about Karl Anthony Towns. 804 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:18,880 And as the Wolves enter this next phase of hey, 805 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:21,639 we're capslock contenders, we're not just happy to be here, 806 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:25,199 we're cap slot contenders, I think having that magnet almost 807 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:26,400 really works in their favor. 808 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 2: I totally agree it's weird to think of Ant somehow 809 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,119 as like the big brother, even though he's still one 810 00:34:32,159 --> 00:34:34,679 of the youngest players on the team. But there were 811 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,239 moments where I think Karnzi Towns had his best season 812 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,199 or one of his best seasons, and especially a good 813 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,840 playoff run because Ant just kind of had his back, 814 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,519 right And like same with Rudy Gobert. I mean, Rudy 815 00:34:45,559 --> 00:34:48,360 Gobert is always going to be a talking point among 816 00:34:48,519 --> 00:34:50,920 NBA fans and just kind of a punchline and a 817 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,920 lot of jokes. But Ant's got his back and I 818 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,079 think that stuff really matters. And that's another thing too, 819 00:34:56,119 --> 00:34:59,559 in kind of my Hallmark card conversation about his growth 820 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,280 is just you know, I don't think anyone comes in 821 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,079 at nineteen and can be a leader even if you 822 00:35:04,119 --> 00:35:06,039 want to be, you just don't have the experience, even 823 00:35:06,079 --> 00:35:07,639 if you want to demand the room and run the 824 00:35:07,679 --> 00:35:10,119 locker room. But he has really grown into the fact 825 00:35:10,159 --> 00:35:12,880 of like he's given you know, postgame speeches in the 826 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:14,880 locker room, or he him and Finch are kind of 827 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,960 one two in ways to uplift guys if they've had 828 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:19,599 a bad night, or he takes a lot of the 829 00:35:19,599 --> 00:35:21,599 blame too. Like you said, he's kind of water resistant 830 00:35:21,599 --> 00:35:23,280 in terms of anything that hits him. 831 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 3: He's capable and. 832 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:26,519 Speaker 2: Confident enough to just kind of let it run off 833 00:35:26,559 --> 00:35:29,000 his back. And I think he does really enjoy all 834 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,840 the smoke, Like I think he enjoys like you bring 835 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:32,880 it all to me, leave it away from my toothmates. 836 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,760 Speaker 1: He said, he definitely enjoys all the smoke. Yeah, for sure. 837 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,760 Speaker 2: So I think his leadership too, is a big part 838 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,480 of why this turnaround has happened, because they've just again 839 00:35:41,559 --> 00:35:44,840 never had that guy that, for better or worse, has 840 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,360 kind of been able to walk what they talk and ants. 841 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,039 So far, you know, we'll see again because now the 842 00:35:50,039 --> 00:35:52,519 spotlight's on him even more after kind of a you know, 843 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:53,960 and Dan, You know this, like he just kind of 844 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,679 says what's on his mind. He doesn't take He's been 845 00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:59,119 through so much in his personal life and a lot 846 00:35:59,119 --> 00:36:01,559 of people have that. I don't think he really cares 847 00:36:01,559 --> 00:36:04,800 about what funny thing he says in an Adidas commercial. 848 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:08,159 He's like, whatever, it's just a comment. So as long 849 00:36:08,199 --> 00:36:10,039 as he continues to back it up, I think he 850 00:36:10,079 --> 00:36:13,159 can kind of say whatever he wants. But uh, again, 851 00:36:13,199 --> 00:36:15,920 that goes back to those expectations like if they stumble, 852 00:36:16,039 --> 00:36:18,360 or his SHOT's not falling, or he's just not having 853 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:21,719 a good start out the break of in October, then 854 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:23,079 the heat's going to pick up a little. 855 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:24,159 Speaker 3: Bit, and how will he be able to handle that? 856 00:36:25,559 --> 00:36:27,599 Speaker 1: Do you think so? I think what probably impressed me 857 00:36:27,639 --> 00:36:31,199 the most was actually his playmaking last year, and I 858 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:33,840 think that that's still the area I'm looking to see 859 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,559 if he can get even better in. Do you think 860 00:36:35,599 --> 00:36:37,320 that he's able to Like, is there a next level 861 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,000 to Anthony Edwards the passer? 862 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,800 Speaker 2: That's such a good transition because where it comes off 863 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,239 the Rob Dealingham thing, right where if if the Rob 864 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:46,800 Dillingham thing you just realized early on, hey, he just 865 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,440 probably needs little less of a leash, he's going to 866 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:51,159 be great, but maybe this season he's not going to 867 00:36:51,199 --> 00:36:54,360 have the impact. Okay, well this who's the backup point 868 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,719 guard then? Because Nikil Alexander Walker is also coming off 869 00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,239 a really good year and is probably going to get 870 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:02,719 paid next summer someone not Minnesota. But I don't think 871 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:06,760 he's comfortable running like the backup point So while they 872 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,280 did upgrade on offense with not only Rob and TJ, 873 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,639 but also Joe Engels, losing Kyle Anderson, who was not 874 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:16,559 a offensive threat in terms of scoring. He was their 875 00:37:16,599 --> 00:37:19,239 backup point guard and he was awesome at it and 876 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,000 he was just you. 877 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 3: Know, losing him defensively is gonna suck. 878 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:25,639 Speaker 2: But I think there's some offensive stuff that you're really 879 00:37:25,639 --> 00:37:28,360 gonna miss, and it's gonna be highlighted on cold nights 880 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:32,159 in January. So to the playmaking part, yeah, can ant 881 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:35,199 kind of you know, he he has followed a Devin 882 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:38,880 Booker like trajectory a little bit. Can he continue to 883 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:42,239 stack playmaking to his resume, because you know, he can 884 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,960 rebound really well. He obviously can score from any level, 885 00:37:45,039 --> 00:37:48,440 but if he can also just you know, if Finch 886 00:37:48,519 --> 00:37:51,280 realizes on a Tuesday, Dan Rob doesn't have it tonight, 887 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,199 we don't have a backup point guard, Ant, we kind 888 00:37:53,199 --> 00:37:55,519 of need you to also do this. I don't think 889 00:37:55,519 --> 00:37:58,400 in the past Ant would want to because it makes 890 00:37:58,440 --> 00:37:59,920 him have to think a little bit more and now 891 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:02,400 focused on what he's good at. But I think now, 892 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,000 as he evolves and becomes more mature, he'll be like, Okay, whatever. 893 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:05,519 Speaker 3: I got to do to win. 894 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,719 Speaker 2: So his playmaking and if he can be an emergency 895 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,079 kind of slot behind Mike is going to be a 896 00:38:11,119 --> 00:38:14,280 fascinating thing to watch because he's shown you flashes, especially 897 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,559 like in that Phoenix series as he started to just 898 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:19,840 dissect the coverage. I mean, by game four, Phoenix didn't 899 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,480 really have anything they could throw at him that he didn't. 900 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 3: Figure out and realize. 901 00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 2: So that's probably the area of growth that still has 902 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,079 the most to go. But if he reaches his potential 903 00:38:30,119 --> 00:38:32,599 as a playmaker, then you're just talking about one of 904 00:38:32,599 --> 00:38:34,199 the three or four best players in the league. 905 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:36,880 Speaker 1: Yeah. And I was digging into this a little bit more, 906 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:39,559 and I feel like the low hanging fruit is him 907 00:38:39,599 --> 00:38:43,519 And he did increase the share of like his drives 908 00:38:43,519 --> 00:38:45,760 that ended with a pass last year, but it's still 909 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,360 not like super high relative to people that use as 910 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:49,800 many drives. But when I was digging into it a 911 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,320 little bit more, this Mike just come back to Rob Dillingham. 912 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:54,079 But it might be the overall spacing is if they 913 00:38:54,079 --> 00:38:56,760 can put him in situations where he's getting the ball 914 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,679 and doesn't have to do as much work first before 915 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,639 he's making that past or taking a shot. I'm wondering 916 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:06,039 if like better spacing or again, Rob Dillingham already bends 917 00:39:06,079 --> 00:39:07,679 the defense and catches it and is able to play 918 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,280 make from that, wondering if that could help him take 919 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:12,079 the next levels of pastor because the low hanging fruit 920 00:39:12,079 --> 00:39:14,519 for me is just, hey, you're drawing in defense as 921 00:39:14,559 --> 00:39:16,440 no matter what, whether they're on tilt or what have you. 922 00:39:16,519 --> 00:39:18,480 When you're on your drives, like get off the ball 923 00:39:18,519 --> 00:39:20,760 a little bit quicker doing that. I'm just wondering, and 924 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:22,800 that's I guess that's my question to you. How much 925 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,039 of that aspect of his game is more so a 926 00:39:25,039 --> 00:39:27,519 product of the just like the half court spacing and 927 00:39:27,559 --> 00:39:30,239 personnel environment he's been working in for the past few years. 928 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,519 Speaker 2: I mean, low hanging fruit, double edged sow or whatever 929 00:39:32,679 --> 00:39:35,360 you want to say. The rudy Gobert experiment has finally 930 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:37,679 uplifted this franchise and now they're a contender and they 931 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,159 play really good defense. But you're kidding yourself if you 932 00:39:40,159 --> 00:39:42,440 don't think that he clogs up a lot of space, right, 933 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,039 and when you have two bigs in there, even in 934 00:39:44,039 --> 00:39:45,880 the fact that Carl can space it a little more. 935 00:39:46,119 --> 00:39:46,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, there were. 936 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 2: Times where Ant was in a five man lineup with 937 00:39:49,599 --> 00:39:53,480 let's just say, you know, Jordan McLaughlin, Nikil, Alexander Walker, 938 00:39:53,559 --> 00:39:56,519 Kyle Anderson, and Rudy Gobert, and it's like, oh, Nikhil 939 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:58,880 is improving as a shooter, but none of these guys 940 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:01,239 can shoot, and eyone's gonna pack the paint and I'm 941 00:40:01,239 --> 00:40:03,159 supposed to still kind of figure my way out to 942 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:05,480 navigate this and get to the rim. That's why I 943 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:07,559 think this year, and even like I said earlier about 944 00:40:07,599 --> 00:40:10,480 maybe this team becoming a Gazelle like team down the 945 00:40:10,559 --> 00:40:13,239 road after the really ten year ends, is just what 946 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:14,840 does this team look like again. 947 00:40:14,679 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 3: With five out? 948 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,280 Speaker 2: But you have guys like Aunt and Jaden and maybe 949 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,480 Nas that have learned to play better defense because back 950 00:40:21,559 --> 00:40:23,280 like when Ryan Sanders was running the ship for a 951 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,239 little bit, they kind of tried that right, like Carlott 952 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:29,000 the five a lot of just spacing and stuff, and yeah, 953 00:40:29,079 --> 00:40:31,280 it opened things up more, but they were a sive 954 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:34,679 on defense. So threading that needle of how can we 955 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:37,760 still play good defense but also keeping more shooters around. 956 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:40,800 I mean, this was the best defensive team in the 957 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:43,000 league last year, Dan, and all they did in the 958 00:40:43,039 --> 00:40:46,239 offseason was go get offensive players. So they're gonna take 959 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:48,880 a step back defensively. But even if you fall from 960 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,639 let's say first to fifth or seventh, can you go 961 00:40:51,679 --> 00:40:53,800 from they were like sixteenth in the league in offense, 962 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:55,480 can you get that thing up to ninth or tenth? 963 00:40:55,559 --> 00:40:59,000 Because that, to me, there's there's wiggle room to come 964 00:40:59,039 --> 00:41:01,119 down the defensive ring a little bit. But if they 965 00:41:01,199 --> 00:41:03,519 can increase the offense, and most of that is led 966 00:41:03,559 --> 00:41:06,239 by Ant, that's how you put yourself, you know, level 967 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,159 up right and kind of fix what hurt you against 968 00:41:09,199 --> 00:41:11,119 that the MAVs in that Dallas series. 969 00:41:12,199 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 1: And I think the other question I have about their 970 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,519 offense is there a way for them to make life 971 00:41:16,519 --> 00:41:18,480 easier on Ant? In terms of his shot quality, I 972 00:41:18,519 --> 00:41:20,320 think he's actually pretty good, Like when he has to 973 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:22,360 generate his own looks out of io. I think the 974 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:24,159 shots he generates a lot of the time away from 975 00:41:24,199 --> 00:41:26,760 the basket are higher quality than the shots he takes 976 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:29,599 and makes by the way at the basket. But this 977 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:32,159 might just I can maybe I'm just continuing to circle 978 00:41:32,199 --> 00:41:34,000 back to the Rob Dillingham element of it, But is 979 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,639 this a team that is built to maybe simplify his 980 00:41:36,679 --> 00:41:38,840 life a little bit in terms of the quality of 981 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:40,440 half court shots that he's able to take. 982 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,199 Speaker 2: Rob Dillingham again, Terren Sheennon Junr. Who if we're talking 983 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:47,679 like the Leonard Miller arc of like who should I 984 00:41:47,679 --> 00:41:50,559 buy Penny Stocking? I'm a big, big tern Shennon Junior fan, 985 00:41:50,599 --> 00:41:52,719 because again, he just gets the rim. He's a pretty 986 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:54,719 good handle, he can space the floor, catch and shoot. 987 00:41:55,159 --> 00:41:57,519 The more guys that can score, again this is pretty 988 00:41:57,559 --> 00:41:59,199 dumb down, But the more guys on the court that 989 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:01,719 can score and that a threat are just going to 990 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:04,199 open up and make things easier for Aunt And I 991 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:07,920 think that is you know there were you probably think 992 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:10,519 of Team USA and Anthony Edwards as like the last 993 00:42:10,519 --> 00:42:12,800 couple of games where he was mostly cheering on the 994 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:15,679 bench and it was the Goats, Lebron and Stephan KD 995 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,800 kind of finishing things off. But during that entire run, 996 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:20,480 I mean for five or six games, Ant was like 997 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:23,079 their leading score. And it's again, he's not gonna be 998 00:42:23,079 --> 00:42:25,519 able to play with Katie Stephan Lebron every night. But 999 00:42:26,039 --> 00:42:28,880 just having those options out there, I mean, he had 1000 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:31,800 wide runways to do whatever he wanted to get to 1001 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:33,960 the rim. And I think again, just having a little 1002 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:37,119 more offensive threat and getting Carl more involved. That's kind 1003 00:42:37,119 --> 00:42:39,440 of always been the thing I thought, Carl, this is 1004 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:41,960 so stupid, Dan. But with these new TV's getting installed, 1005 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:43,280 they're like, hey, why don't you throw something on and 1006 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:45,400 just see how clear the pictures. And my first thought 1007 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,360 was always like YouTube Nuggets Wolves game seven or like 1008 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:50,239 Wolf's Soun's game four, just to see how clear the 1009 00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:52,400 picture was. And I was reminded of like, oh my god, 1010 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:56,239 Carl had really nice bursts of offense, and that too 1011 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:58,960 just opened things up or gave Aunt more space or 1012 00:42:59,039 --> 00:43:01,000 just more time to be a you know, his his 1013 00:43:01,039 --> 00:43:03,039 big thing is a killer in the fourth quarter and 1014 00:43:03,079 --> 00:43:05,320 to be able to give him more options down the 1015 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,320 stretch to win games. So, yeah, the more offense this 1016 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:11,480 team throws on the court, the more chances, I think, 1017 00:43:11,519 --> 00:43:14,159 and can become more efficient, take less of those kind 1018 00:43:14,199 --> 00:43:16,280 of mid range shots. He still loves every now and 1019 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:18,880 then to really kind of beat a guy down and 1020 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:20,800 take a twenty footer, and Finch is okay with that 1021 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:23,719 because he knows that. I think from a shot profile, 1022 00:43:24,239 --> 00:43:28,679 it's become more analytically friendly since he was a rookie. 1023 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:30,960 But if that can continue to grow too, and he's 1024 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,840 just really efficient again. I know it sounds crazy for 1025 00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:37,000 like a national audience member listening to this, but if 1026 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:38,719 he can become more of a playmaker and take more 1027 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:40,599 efficient shots and get to the rim a little more, 1028 00:43:41,199 --> 00:43:43,519 what else would you want from him? And he's winning, 1029 00:43:43,599 --> 00:43:45,760 what else are you needed to do to be a 1030 00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:46,840 top five player in the league. 1031 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:48,880 Speaker 1: We'll start quibbling about his like off ball. 1032 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 3: Defense and be like, better come over with something. 1033 00:43:52,639 --> 00:43:55,880 Speaker 1: So the bigs the three and bigs the three centers 1034 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:58,920 nasri Contee Towns were to go Bert, I won't list 1035 00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:00,559 off the on off date. I put it outline just 1036 00:44:00,599 --> 00:44:02,239 because I still it just blows my mind to look 1037 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:05,159 at it on paper. When you look at what the 1038 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:08,000 numbers where from twenty twenty two to twenty twenty three 1039 00:44:08,039 --> 00:44:11,079 until last season, just night and day difference. What were 1040 00:44:11,119 --> 00:44:14,840 some of the biggest factors that led to the you know, 1041 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:16,920 the triple Big model. Obviously they're not all playing at 1042 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:20,000 the same time, but that that triple Big rotation working 1043 00:44:20,199 --> 00:44:21,519 so well last year. 1044 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:25,719 Speaker 2: Well, he would probably not want to say this, but 1045 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:27,920 I think it's just Mike Conley. And I know Mike 1046 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,440 Conley is not the thread for all of those things. 1047 00:44:30,519 --> 00:44:33,159 But if you remember, right, like they make the Rudi 1048 00:44:33,199 --> 00:44:36,559 Gobert trade in the summer of twenty twenty two, Delo 1049 00:44:36,679 --> 00:44:38,000 is still the starting point guard this team. 1050 00:44:38,039 --> 00:44:40,000 Speaker 3: There's a lot of off the. 1051 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:42,000 Speaker 2: Court dynamics that don't really gel, and then on the 1052 00:44:42,039 --> 00:44:44,039 court too, they just I kind of always joke that 1053 00:44:44,039 --> 00:44:46,360 no one really knew how to speak French. You go 1054 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:48,840 get Mike Conley, you go get Niki Alexander Walker at 1055 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,760 the deadline in spring of twenty three, and then all 1056 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:53,480 of a sudden things start to click a little more. 1057 00:44:53,639 --> 00:44:55,559 And then this past season it just really I mean 1058 00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:59,000 half the team was like very much fluent in French. 1059 00:44:59,119 --> 00:45:03,800 So I think having people that understand Rudy because Rudy's 1060 00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:05,840 not the best offensive player on the team where he's 1061 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:08,880 not even the best second best offensive big. It's Carl, 1062 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:11,840 it's Nas. But to me, it's still about unlocking Rudy. 1063 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:14,880 And I don't mean in post touches. I mean in 1064 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:17,400 ways that Rudy knows how to score, you know, lobbed 1065 00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:21,079 and put backs. Getting that figured out is harder because 1066 00:45:21,079 --> 00:45:23,320 with Carl you can space him out. You can just say, 1067 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:25,239 hey man, just shoot eight. Three is a game like 1068 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,880 you're you called yourself this title like prove it type thing. 1069 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:32,760 So and I also think too, and this is one 1070 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:35,000 of the reasons why last season was so fun for 1071 00:45:35,119 --> 00:45:38,199 me as a fan. Was that to your point about 1072 00:45:38,239 --> 00:45:40,039 blowing it up earlier, when things don't work in the 1073 00:45:40,119 --> 00:45:42,360 NBA specifically, it's always just like all ripped the band 1074 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:45,000 aid off completely, send everyone out, let's redo this, restart 1075 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:46,960 the console type thing and start a new two K. 1076 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:49,400 Whereas the Wolves just said, no, we're just going to 1077 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,559 lean into like everyone knows each other's name, like we're 1078 00:45:52,559 --> 00:45:55,280 going to lead the continuity a little bit. And I 1079 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:57,639 think that helped too, of just an off season where 1080 00:45:57,639 --> 00:46:00,480 they were able to kind of work together figure out 1081 00:46:01,679 --> 00:46:04,960 and it did. It really clicked where now around the league, right, 1082 00:46:05,039 --> 00:46:08,280 Like I don't think Boston stole anything from Minnesota. Boston 1083 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:10,559 as a juggernaut, but you're seeing more and more teams 1084 00:46:10,599 --> 00:46:12,840 now be like, hey, we're gonna actually lean into size, 1085 00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:15,840 like we're gonna play multiple bigs. Nas Reed came in 1086 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:18,840 as an undrafted center from LSU and then kind of 1087 00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:21,199 downshifted to power forward, and now a lot of us 1088 00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:23,639 kind of think like, is he a three right? Like 1089 00:46:23,719 --> 00:46:25,960 it's crazy to say this again if you don't watch 1090 00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:28,079 the Wolves a lot, but like, is he like an 1091 00:46:28,159 --> 00:46:31,119 Aaron Gordon? Now he's not him defensively, but like you 1092 00:46:31,159 --> 00:46:33,679 can kind of play all those guys at the same 1093 00:46:33,719 --> 00:46:36,559 time in small stints. And I think that in and 1094 00:46:36,599 --> 00:46:39,760 of itself, playing nas, Karl and Ruddy together is just 1095 00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:41,800 a major feather in the cap for Chris Finch that 1096 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:43,920 he somehow found a way to pull all this off 1097 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,719 because that size the defense got them to the Western 1098 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:50,039 Conference finals. But that size on a lot of Knights 1099 00:46:50,119 --> 00:46:52,599 is but just kind of bullied opponents into, you know, 1100 00:46:52,639 --> 00:46:54,239 wearing them down and winning those games. 1101 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:56,079 Speaker 1: I'm gonna I have to go to nas Reed here then, 1102 00:46:56,119 --> 00:46:58,920 because you mentioned him, I don't understand and I've seen 1103 00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:02,480 too much of it. Mostly not. You know, Minnesota media, 1104 00:47:03,079 --> 00:47:05,280 you mentioned nas Reed is a three. I think nas 1105 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:07,480 Reid I want to use the word fantastic. I'm gonna 1106 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:11,519 say I think he's become incredibly underrated defensively. What is 1107 00:47:11,559 --> 00:47:14,440 it that I'm missing where there's like this concern about 1108 00:47:14,599 --> 00:47:16,440 I thought his rim protection proof last year and he's 1109 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:18,079 always been pretty good on the perimeter, and I think 1110 00:47:18,119 --> 00:47:20,960 that stuck for the most part last season. What is 1111 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:23,119 it like? What am I missing? 1112 00:47:23,159 --> 00:47:23,239 Speaker 2: Like? 1113 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:26,599 Speaker 1: Is there actual defensive concern about nas Reed? I've just 1114 00:47:26,599 --> 00:47:29,199 seen him painted as a fringe liability too often. So 1115 00:47:29,519 --> 00:47:31,320 there's either something I'm missing or maybe this is a 1116 00:47:31,400 --> 00:47:33,079 rare occasion where I'm right and a lot of other 1117 00:47:33,119 --> 00:47:33,760 people are wrong. 1118 00:47:34,039 --> 00:47:36,199 Speaker 2: Oh I love those moments, by the way, That's how 1119 00:47:36,199 --> 00:47:39,000 it helps me sleep at night. No, nas Reed, and 1120 00:47:39,039 --> 00:47:41,199 this isn't this isn't hyperbolic. And I think nas Reed 1121 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,400 is the greatest, like one of the greatest stories in 1122 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:47,920 Timberwolve's franchise history. He's the greatest developmental story. Again, he 1123 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:50,440 came out, he was a highly rated high school kid, 1124 00:47:50,719 --> 00:47:52,840 goes to a big program and then doesn't get He's 1125 00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:55,559 essentially deemed not one of the sixty best players in 1126 00:47:55,599 --> 00:47:57,840 the draft, and go back and look at that draft 1127 00:47:57,880 --> 00:47:59,280 and there were a lot of guys right that, like 1128 00:47:59,559 --> 00:48:01,119 Jerk was drafted seventh. 1129 00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:04,519 Speaker 1: You said that name on a podcast that you did 1130 00:48:04,559 --> 00:48:06,840 with Dane, and I have not. I was in the 1131 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:09,480 bag for Jared Culver when they went and got him. 1132 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:11,280 I was like, oh, yeah, like they know what they're doing. 1133 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:13,119 And I had not even thought about that name. 1134 00:48:13,719 --> 00:48:15,559 Speaker 2: I was like close to getting to Jared culver tattoos. 1135 00:48:15,559 --> 00:48:17,039 So I'm glad I didn't do that at the time. 1136 00:48:17,159 --> 00:48:19,920 But but no, I mean nas nas has just continued 1137 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:21,719 to work on his game. Like there was a this 1138 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:23,480 is kind of silly, but there was a viral video 1139 00:48:23,519 --> 00:48:25,840 going around the other day about him and Katie and 1140 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:28,440 a couple other guys working out down in California and 1141 00:48:28,599 --> 00:48:31,079 nas Reed has a guard like handle. 1142 00:48:31,639 --> 00:48:31,920 Speaker 1: Uh. 1143 00:48:31,960 --> 00:48:34,760 Speaker 2: He is just hitting with these weird off balance step 1144 00:48:34,800 --> 00:48:38,079 back threes. Talking to people around the team, there are 1145 00:48:38,199 --> 00:48:40,000 very few people that are in the gym in the 1146 00:48:40,039 --> 00:48:43,760 summers more than nas Reid. H He's everything you want 1147 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:47,719 and like a folklore kind of player. He loves Minnesota. 1148 00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,639 He probably should have made damn near double of what 1149 00:48:50,679 --> 00:48:52,360 his contract is right now, but he kind of took 1150 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:56,159 a hometown discount, and normally you see those with stars, 1151 00:48:56,599 --> 00:48:58,320 you don't see like, you know, middle of the pack 1152 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:00,519 guys taking less money, but he did. He loves being 1153 00:49:00,559 --> 00:49:03,360 in Minnesota, so he's continued to work on his game. 1154 00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:06,079 I always laugh and joke that when he was in 1155 00:49:06,119 --> 00:49:08,719 Summer League as a rookie, he couldn't jump over the 1156 00:49:08,719 --> 00:49:11,000 free throw line and that's painted on the ground right 1157 00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:13,599 like there's no depth. Now he can almost jump from it, 1158 00:49:13,679 --> 00:49:16,400 like he has just gotten in such better shape. 1159 00:49:16,119 --> 00:49:17,239 Speaker 3: He listens. 1160 00:49:17,559 --> 00:49:20,480 Speaker 2: He's also won those lean years because he's maybe the 1161 00:49:20,519 --> 00:49:24,440 second longest tenured Wolf right now on the team. He's 1162 00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:27,480 you know, when you say the most competitive player on 1163 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:29,639 the Timberwolves is a lot of people are gonna say 1164 00:49:29,639 --> 00:49:34,079 Anthony Edwards. It's probably nas read and he takes losing 1165 00:49:34,119 --> 00:49:36,360 the hardest. And I just think all of that Dan 1166 00:49:36,519 --> 00:49:39,920 kind of factors into He's never gonna be Aaron Gordon defensively, 1167 00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:42,360 He's never going to be all defense. But just the 1168 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:44,920 fact of this team doesn't always need I mean, they 1169 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:47,079 have the defensive player of the Year, and they have 1170 00:49:47,119 --> 00:49:48,920 a guy who made second team All Defense and Jane 1171 00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:51,480 mcdanal's you don't really need much more, right, Like, you 1172 00:49:51,519 --> 00:49:53,559 just kind of need guys to be average and that'll 1173 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:56,480 amplify everything else. I think Nas has been like, hey, 1174 00:49:56,679 --> 00:49:59,480 if i can just be average or sometimes above average defensively, 1175 00:49:59,559 --> 00:50:02,760 it'll act atually look better because I'm surrounded by potential 1176 00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:05,559 Hall of famers on the defensive ends. So him not 1177 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:08,440 being a sieve has been a huge thing for them, 1178 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:10,800 allowing them to play because Nas has to play Dan 1179 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:13,679 like he yes, you have Carl making sixty million, Yes 1180 00:50:13,679 --> 00:50:16,000 you have Rudy making fifty million, but Nas Reed has 1181 00:50:16,039 --> 00:50:18,400 to be on the court because just too many good 1182 00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:21,639 things happen. He has that point five mentality of catch 1183 00:50:21,679 --> 00:50:24,360 the ball, kick it, dribble or shoot, but he's not 1184 00:50:24,360 --> 00:50:26,400 going to hold on to it and kill the shot clock, 1185 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:30,159 kill the momentum. So he was the biggest revelation last 1186 00:50:30,199 --> 00:50:32,440 year in his growth and now he's a guy that 1187 00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:34,079 is kind of in a contract year. 1188 00:50:34,119 --> 00:50:36,239 Speaker 3: Again, he does have a player option next summer. 1189 00:50:36,599 --> 00:50:39,840 Speaker 2: Two. Radar can't really imagine a world. I don't want 1190 00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:41,519 to live in that world where like Nas isn't on 1191 00:50:41,559 --> 00:50:44,199 the team. So again next summer, you have a lot 1192 00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:46,679 of questions to answer and the ownership stuff. But for 1193 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:49,400 this year, I mean, dude, Dan, he was not to 1194 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:51,599 get too gambly on you, but he was eighty to 1195 00:50:51,639 --> 00:50:53,719 one to win six Men of the Year before the 1196 00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:55,920 season kicked off. Last year it was and when you're 1197 00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:59,039 eighty to one, that's pretty much saying you have no chance. 1198 00:50:59,480 --> 00:51:01,639 And he was a Man of the Year. So his 1199 00:51:01,679 --> 00:51:04,400 story is incredible. He's such a great dude. He loves 1200 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:07,079 it here, the fans love him. And if he takes 1201 00:51:07,079 --> 00:51:09,280 another leap, I mean really truly, the ceiling for this 1202 00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:10,719 team just kind of evaporates. 1203 00:51:11,119 --> 00:51:13,800 Speaker 1: What does that look like? Because like his offensive growth 1204 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:16,119 when you look and I think we saw this before 1205 00:51:16,199 --> 00:51:18,400 last year, like towards the latter half of the previous 1206 00:51:18,440 --> 00:51:19,920 season when he was playing a bunch, Like he just 1207 00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:22,679 continues to add these offensive layers to his game, Like 1208 00:51:22,719 --> 00:51:24,440 he has a floor game, and that was true before 1209 00:51:24,519 --> 00:51:26,679 last season. And I know his efficiency on some of 1210 00:51:26,719 --> 00:51:29,159 the floaters and turnarounds might have dipped, but like nas 1211 00:51:29,159 --> 00:51:31,840 Reed has that stuff in his bag. You mentioned step backs. 1212 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:33,239 I think he only took like four or five step 1213 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:35,159 backs last year and missed them all. But like, if 1214 00:51:35,199 --> 00:51:36,800 that's something that he's just able to do to have 1215 00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,719 another counter from the perimeter. But like, what does you know? 1216 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:41,719 I'm rambling here now, but like what does a nas 1217 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:44,599 red like leap or another step forward. 1218 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:46,079 Speaker 3: Look like this? 1219 00:51:46,079 --> 00:51:49,119 Speaker 2: This is my answer on it. But like I remember 1220 00:51:49,199 --> 00:51:51,559 looking up his per thirty six numbers and I think 1221 00:51:51,599 --> 00:51:54,400 his total rebounds per thirty six last year were like 1222 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:57,039 the lowest of his four or five year career. And 1223 00:51:57,079 --> 00:52:01,280 that's a really nitpicky thing to focus on. But in 1224 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:05,679 my view, while this twenty four summer offseason whatever was great, 1225 00:52:06,119 --> 00:52:08,000 next year is going to be the big one because 1226 00:52:08,079 --> 00:52:10,679 Rudy Gobert has a player option, nas Reed has a 1227 00:52:10,679 --> 00:52:13,760 player option. Tim Connley has a player option. Right like 1228 00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:15,960 he kicked it down the curve or down the road 1229 00:52:16,159 --> 00:52:18,119 a year of whether or not he wants to pick 1230 00:52:18,159 --> 00:52:20,199 up his option and remain the president of the team, 1231 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:23,480 that all effects or is affected by ownership. So for 1232 00:52:23,639 --> 00:52:26,599 NAS it's like if you if they've decided next summer, 1233 00:52:27,079 --> 00:52:29,599 Dan that hey, we're gonna pivot off of one of 1234 00:52:29,599 --> 00:52:31,800 the two highly paid bigs and we're gonna pay you 1235 00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:34,159 again and you're gonna be the second face of this 1236 00:52:34,199 --> 00:52:37,199 franchise or whatever they're gonna need him to rebound more. 1237 00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:37,719 Speaker 3: Again. 1238 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:40,239 Speaker 2: I know that sounds really minor, but like his offense 1239 00:52:40,320 --> 00:52:42,519 has continued to grow, he continues to shoot better from 1240 00:52:42,519 --> 00:52:45,000 the perimeter. Again, he can get to the bucket, he 1241 00:52:45,039 --> 00:52:46,880 can pump and go. So that's all great, and that's 1242 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:49,599 just probably just gonna continue to get better. But you know, 1243 00:52:49,719 --> 00:52:52,239 the Rudy Gobert experiment, as I said earlier, was because 1244 00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:55,920 this team failed to secure rebounds in a playoff series 1245 00:52:55,960 --> 00:52:59,199 and Nas has never been the best rebounder and ant 1246 00:52:59,239 --> 00:53:02,480 rebounds reari well reguard, but Jayden is always on the perimeter, 1247 00:53:02,599 --> 00:53:04,880 so he doesn't rebound well. And Rob Small and Mike, 1248 00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:07,840 you just need more rebounding. And to your point earlier, 1249 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:10,239 like can you continue to be average or slightly above 1250 00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:13,920 average defensively? So he'll give him points and he'll do 1251 00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:15,519 a lot of fun things and make a lot of 1252 00:53:15,519 --> 00:53:18,960 crazy shots, but can he kind of be a starting 1253 00:53:19,119 --> 00:53:23,079 four or five rebounder because rebounding has always been in 1254 00:53:23,119 --> 00:53:25,000 the Anthony Edwards era or something that's kind of been 1255 00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:26,880 an achilles heel for this team when it comes to 1256 00:53:26,880 --> 00:53:27,599 wins and losses. 1257 00:53:28,159 --> 00:53:30,679 Speaker 1: That's a honestly, that's a really good point, because I 1258 00:53:30,679 --> 00:53:32,880 think we can safely say that the three big model 1259 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:35,119 is not going to be forever, and so there's a 1260 00:53:35,119 --> 00:53:36,880 point that there's only two of those dudes on this team. 1261 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:39,119 He will have to play more solo big minutes, in 1262 00:53:39,119 --> 00:53:41,960 which case the rebounding becomes so much more important in 1263 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:44,480 those things. Carl Anthony Towns, what did you make of 1264 00:53:44,800 --> 00:53:47,079 just the type of season hit he had last year? 1265 00:53:48,360 --> 00:53:50,719 Speaker 2: So again back to back to my geek Squad best 1266 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:54,559 by story, but watching especially in that Phoenix series. Well, 1267 00:53:54,559 --> 00:53:56,679 actually you could make a case for the Denver series too, 1268 00:53:56,719 --> 00:54:00,320 but that Phoenix series is highlighted by just crazy, you know, 1269 00:54:00,639 --> 00:54:04,239 ant plays and talking shit to KD. And he had 1270 00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:06,559 that dunk to kind of close out Game four. But 1271 00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:09,760 in every one of those four games. Again, the Wolves 1272 00:54:09,800 --> 00:54:11,960 hadn't won a playoff series in like twenty years, and 1273 00:54:12,039 --> 00:54:15,119 Carl had never won a playoff series. Carl just gave 1274 00:54:15,159 --> 00:54:18,159 them these bursts and it was probably the most professional 1275 00:54:18,239 --> 00:54:21,039 basketball he's ever played. There wasn't a lot of talking 1276 00:54:21,039 --> 00:54:23,400 to officials, there wasn't a lot of theatrics or as 1277 00:54:23,400 --> 00:54:25,760 we call it in Minnesota, stray voltage. He just kind 1278 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:29,440 of played basketball and I think again to my comp 1279 00:54:29,440 --> 00:54:32,320 about Aunt being a closer, sometimes all you need is 1280 00:54:32,360 --> 00:54:34,360 guys just in that second quarter, that third quarter to 1281 00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:35,800 kind of row the boat a little bit and keep 1282 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:39,199 your head above water until your closers can close the game. 1283 00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:42,119 So I thought, you know, Carl's always going to be 1284 00:54:42,199 --> 00:54:44,679 an interesting character. What he says off the court, what 1285 00:54:44,719 --> 00:54:47,280 he kind of says is on or how he carries himself. 1286 00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:50,159 But when he locked in and just played basketball and 1287 00:54:50,199 --> 00:54:51,880 didn't really focus on any of the other stuff or 1288 00:54:51,920 --> 00:54:53,440 trying to say the right thing, I thought it was 1289 00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:57,119 some of his most professional basketball. Which you know, he's 1290 00:54:57,159 --> 00:54:58,880 twenty seven to twenty eight, like he's kind of getting 1291 00:54:58,880 --> 00:54:59,599 into his prime years. 1292 00:54:59,599 --> 00:55:02,119 Speaker 3: You would spec that. But I thought he had a 1293 00:55:02,159 --> 00:55:03,079 really good. 1294 00:55:03,400 --> 00:55:07,239 Speaker 2: Offensive performance in those four games against Phoenix and in 1295 00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:10,199 the Denver series. He'll never get credit for this, but 1296 00:55:10,320 --> 00:55:13,719 I thought he actually had really good defensive moments against 1297 00:55:13,760 --> 00:55:15,119 the best player in the league and NICOLEA. 1298 00:55:15,199 --> 00:55:15,559 Speaker 3: Jokic. 1299 00:55:15,679 --> 00:55:19,039 Speaker 2: So no one ever is gonna stop Jokic or you know, 1300 00:55:19,079 --> 00:55:20,559 the Embids or the Lucas of the world. 1301 00:55:20,599 --> 00:55:22,400 Speaker 3: It's just can you slow him down? Can you make 1302 00:55:22,440 --> 00:55:22,960 them work? 1303 00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:25,760 Speaker 2: And I thought Carl as good as he was offensively 1304 00:55:25,800 --> 00:55:28,559 against Phoenix was as good defensively, and again with with 1305 00:55:28,639 --> 00:55:31,239 a summer. The last couple of summers he's come off 1306 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:33,440 of weird injuries like he had a risk thing the 1307 00:55:33,440 --> 00:55:35,840 first year of the Rudy stuff, he had the knee 1308 00:55:36,159 --> 00:55:39,280 or the calf. He seems about as healthy as he's 1309 00:55:39,280 --> 00:55:42,719 ever been. So again despite you know, Jane McDaniels is 1310 00:55:42,719 --> 00:55:44,800 gonna have a target on his back because he's making 1311 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:47,239 way more money now, Like can you add a little offense? 1312 00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:49,199 Rudy is always going to have a target. Ant is 1313 00:55:49,239 --> 00:55:51,800 always gonna have a target. But if Carl were to 1314 00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:54,400 level up or just become, you know, the best version 1315 00:55:54,400 --> 00:55:57,400 of himself again that we've seen offensively, it just you're 1316 00:55:57,400 --> 00:56:00,039 starting to figure out if you're an opposing team and 1317 00:56:00,199 --> 00:56:03,239 Dan all these leaks right, all these waters coming at 1318 00:56:03,280 --> 00:56:04,880 you from nine different ways, Like there's only so many 1319 00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:07,400 holes you can plug against the Wolves right now. And 1320 00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:10,400 if Carl is, you know, in my mind taking seven 1321 00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:12,519 eight threes a game, I think that's a good way 1322 00:56:12,559 --> 00:56:15,000 to open up more stuff for Aunt two. So there's 1323 00:56:15,159 --> 00:56:18,719 just a lot of positive options that Chris Finch has 1324 00:56:18,760 --> 00:56:22,400 at his disposal, and no one in my mind can 1325 00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:25,079 take more of an offensive leap than Carl because you know, 1326 00:56:25,199 --> 00:56:27,800 Nasried is a great story and Rob Dillingham is a 1327 00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:30,920 fantastic rookie. But outside of Aunt, Carl is the most 1328 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:33,880 talented player on the team. And if he can continue 1329 00:56:33,920 --> 00:56:35,679 to level up or build off what he just can't, 1330 00:56:35,719 --> 00:56:37,599 you know, a lot of monkeys off his back. Dan, Like, 1331 00:56:38,119 --> 00:56:40,320 I know he didn't win a title, but you know, 1332 00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:42,840 streets are saying that, like he's made it further in 1333 00:56:42,840 --> 00:56:45,599 the playoffs and drol embiid, so you know, he doesn't 1334 00:56:45,599 --> 00:56:47,400 have to worry about some of that stuff now, he 1335 00:56:47,400 --> 00:56:49,199 doesn't have to worry about the Jimmy Butlers. You can't 1336 00:56:49,199 --> 00:56:52,239 win without me because again, not a title, but he 1337 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:54,519 was able to win without him. So it'll be a 1338 00:56:54,559 --> 00:56:56,599 fascinating twenty four to twenty five season for Cap. 1339 00:56:56,920 --> 00:56:59,039 Speaker 1: Yeah. I was really impressed with his defense last year. 1340 00:56:59,039 --> 00:57:00,800 He's still the way he moved. I'm always worried he's 1341 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:02,880 gonna like trip over himself, but like he was holding 1342 00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:05,119 up in space better and like he's just defensive floor 1343 00:57:05,519 --> 00:57:08,079 navigation veld a lot better. The actual sticking point I 1344 00:57:08,079 --> 00:57:11,039 have you already mentioned, like can we manifest him taking 1345 00:57:11,159 --> 00:57:13,559 he's he's only averaged more than one than seven three 1346 00:57:13,599 --> 00:57:15,679 point at times for thirty six minutes once and it 1347 00:57:15,719 --> 00:57:18,400 was twenty nineteen twenty when he played in thirty five games. 1348 00:57:18,679 --> 00:57:21,719 Can we please, just for the love of anything, just 1349 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:24,360 get this dude to start. I don't call it chucking. 1350 00:57:24,480 --> 00:57:26,480 I know people are like, forced volume isn't okay? You 1351 00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:28,840 know what, force the volume already? Like, he's just too 1352 00:57:28,880 --> 00:57:31,840 good of a shooter to be taking like five threes 1353 00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:33,199 under five threes a game. 1354 00:57:34,079 --> 00:57:36,960 Speaker 2: Dan, if you said you were the greatest NBA podcaster 1355 00:57:37,079 --> 00:57:40,679 in the league and you podcasted twice a month, people 1356 00:57:40,679 --> 00:57:41,920 would be like, come on, man, like, what are you 1357 00:57:42,000 --> 00:57:43,400 doing right? Like, so if you say you're the best 1358 00:57:43,400 --> 00:57:46,000 shooting big man of all time and there's games you 1359 00:57:46,039 --> 00:57:49,400 take one or two threes, like, you know, so if 1360 00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:50,920 you want to be the best at it, like and 1361 00:57:50,920 --> 00:57:53,000 I think Carl's a really great shoot, like, then just 1362 00:57:53,280 --> 00:57:55,440 increase the volume. That's why this pod is great because 1363 00:57:55,440 --> 00:57:58,239 there's so many podcasts of it. You do so many episodes. 1364 00:57:58,280 --> 00:58:01,000 So for Carl, it's like, man, you just got to 1365 00:58:01,079 --> 00:58:04,079 let it rip, especially on a team again, all the 1366 00:58:04,079 --> 00:58:06,679 fun stuff you remember of the twenty three twenty four Wolves. 1367 00:58:07,039 --> 00:58:09,639 Speaker 3: You forget that three minutes left in the game. 1368 00:58:09,679 --> 00:58:12,199 Speaker 2: They just didn't have an offense and they didn't run anything, 1369 00:58:12,239 --> 00:58:15,159 and there's a lot of bad shots. To me, Carl 1370 00:58:15,239 --> 00:58:18,039 taking a three, even if it's from thirty feet is 1371 00:58:18,039 --> 00:58:20,360 a better option a lot of times than what else 1372 00:58:20,400 --> 00:58:23,280 they would do. Right, So if you're in a late 1373 00:58:23,280 --> 00:58:25,639 shot cock situation, I just want Carl to shoot, even 1374 00:58:25,639 --> 00:58:27,840 if he's on the bench, just shoot rather than like 1375 00:58:27,840 --> 00:58:31,119 the ball touch Rudy's fingers or anything. So yeah, he 1376 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:32,920 needs to And you know, we try to ask Finch 1377 00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:34,199 this all the time, and I'm going to ask him 1378 00:58:34,199 --> 00:58:36,960 at media Day again. Finch isn't gonna put a number 1379 00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:38,719 on it, but to me, I do have a number, 1380 00:58:38,719 --> 00:58:40,480 and I'm with you, Like if he just said, hey, 1381 00:58:40,519 --> 00:58:43,199 whatever happens tonight in the game plan, we're building this out. 1382 00:58:43,239 --> 00:58:43,920 Speaker 3: We have this plan. 1383 00:58:44,239 --> 00:58:45,880 Speaker 2: But Carl, you just have to take eight threes or 1384 00:58:45,960 --> 00:58:48,239 like you don't get dinner. That would be awesome for me, 1385 00:58:48,320 --> 00:58:52,679 because again, his volume has never matched and he loves 1386 00:58:52,679 --> 00:58:54,159 the efficiency part of it, but it's like, we don't 1387 00:58:54,199 --> 00:58:56,519 need the efficiency. You just you make a lot of threes, 1388 00:58:56,599 --> 00:58:59,440 So take more threes. And that'll open up so many 1389 00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:01,800 more things driving lanes for Aunt and Jaden and Mike. 1390 00:59:01,920 --> 00:59:02,840 Speaker 3: So I'm with you. 1391 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:06,679 Speaker 2: That's probably my biggest complaint with him or Finch is 1392 00:59:06,800 --> 00:59:10,480 just you have this weapon that's really unguardable from deep 1393 00:59:10,599 --> 00:59:12,159 you should just lean into it more. 1394 00:59:12,159 --> 00:59:14,000 Speaker 3: And I don't think they have so far, and. 1395 00:59:14,039 --> 00:59:15,800 Speaker 1: It doesn't aggrevate me. But where a lot of the 1396 00:59:15,840 --> 00:59:17,559 talking points have been like, Okay, we get like Cat 1397 00:59:17,559 --> 00:59:19,559 in the Post a little bit more underpitched, and I'm 1398 00:59:19,599 --> 00:59:22,920 just like, no, Like okay, sure, fine, as like sort 1399 00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:25,239 of a safety valve there, but like, let's get the 1400 00:59:25,280 --> 00:59:27,679 three point volume up there first. And maybe he's taken 1401 00:59:27,719 --> 00:59:30,360 you know, you mentioned if you're only you know, podcasting 1402 00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:32,079 twice a month, does that make you the best podcast? 1403 00:59:32,360 --> 00:59:34,199 Is he taking the NFL approach where it's like their 1404 00:59:34,239 --> 00:59:36,239 product is built around scarcity and so like you can 1405 00:59:36,280 --> 00:59:38,239 get shooting a big man because he doesn't take enough 1406 00:59:38,280 --> 00:59:41,440 threes counterintuitive. So I want to see him take more 1407 00:59:41,440 --> 00:59:43,840 threes and I'm hopeful that he will. I have a 1408 00:59:43,920 --> 00:59:46,199 question about Rudy Gobert that has almost nothing to do 1409 00:59:46,239 --> 00:59:47,000 with basketball. 1410 00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:49,760 Speaker 3: Oh my favorite analysis, Actually. 1411 00:59:50,280 --> 00:59:53,239 Speaker 1: What makes him such a polarizing player at this point? 1412 00:59:53,320 --> 00:59:55,360 Is it really just I think there are two things 1413 00:59:55,440 --> 00:59:58,199 that people would lean on, is well, he gets played 1414 00:59:58,239 --> 01:00:00,679 off the court and like it's happened, but there's always 1415 01:00:00,719 --> 01:00:03,719 context behind it. Or and this might be actually the 1416 01:00:03,719 --> 01:00:06,119 most fair answers, that people are still aggravated with his 1417 01:00:06,199 --> 01:00:09,000 approach to the COVID situation when he made light of 1418 01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:11,800 it before all of us knew what we were dealing with. 1419 01:00:11,840 --> 01:00:14,400 But I just find it like NBA players don't seem 1420 01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:17,639 to like him, and just the discourse around him coming 1421 01:00:17,639 --> 01:00:21,840 out of the Olympics, this like was just so toxic, 1422 01:00:21,960 --> 01:00:24,079 and it's just it's also coming from people too where 1423 01:00:24,119 --> 01:00:26,880 it's like you really watch all France's games, like that's 1424 01:00:26,920 --> 01:00:29,559 just like you're so I don't under I'm not here 1425 01:00:29,599 --> 01:00:31,440 to say that Rudy Gobert is a perfect player. There's 1426 01:00:31,440 --> 01:00:33,840 stuff that he has done that has aggravated me. But 1427 01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:35,880 like what makes him such a lightning rod? 1428 01:00:36,880 --> 01:00:40,280 Speaker 2: That's such a great question, I do think, because again 1429 01:00:40,360 --> 01:00:42,480 not to get outside of basketball too much here, but 1430 01:00:42,559 --> 01:00:45,320 just society, like COVID was a big thing for anyone 1431 01:00:45,360 --> 01:00:48,079 that's alive right now, or like consuming any sort of content, 1432 01:00:48,119 --> 01:00:50,000 So for him to kind of be you know, I 1433 01:00:50,039 --> 01:00:52,440 still remember that night. I was at like a local 1434 01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:54,599 grocery store and all of a sudden the Rudy Gobert 1435 01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:56,639 Mike thing, and all of a sudden the league shut down, 1436 01:00:56,679 --> 01:00:58,239 And we don't know anything about COVID at the. 1437 01:00:58,199 --> 01:01:00,440 Speaker 3: Time, so it's like, did Rugobert cass COVID? 1438 01:01:00,719 --> 01:01:03,119 Speaker 2: Uh? That's not a great and again, no one really 1439 01:01:03,159 --> 01:01:04,360 knew what was going on at the time, but that's 1440 01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:07,559 not a great moment in time for him. But even 1441 01:01:07,599 --> 01:01:10,000 if you strip that away, I still think and you know, 1442 01:01:10,039 --> 01:01:11,800 we all had a friend growing up who was tall 1443 01:01:11,800 --> 01:01:12,960 and ganglier, kind of goofy. 1444 01:01:13,360 --> 01:01:15,280 Speaker 3: He's just kind of different. He's just kind of goofy. 1445 01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:17,960 Speaker 2: He's a great, great person, like being in the locker 1446 01:01:18,039 --> 01:01:21,519 room pregame like, he's just a really great teammate. But 1447 01:01:21,599 --> 01:01:24,519 I think a combination of the COVID thing, the fact 1448 01:01:24,599 --> 01:01:26,760 that and I mean I complain. 1449 01:01:26,519 --> 01:01:28,440 Speaker 3: About this sometimes that he's a. 1450 01:01:28,079 --> 01:01:31,639 Speaker 2: Mid thirties, probably future Hall of Famer that still really 1451 01:01:31,679 --> 01:01:35,119 doesn't have one single offensive post move or like like 1452 01:01:35,119 --> 01:01:36,519 he doesn't you know, Dane Wore is always trying to 1453 01:01:36,519 --> 01:01:38,199 get him to kind of do a little bit of 1454 01:01:38,199 --> 01:01:39,960 a floater or something. He doesn't really have a go 1455 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:42,440 to move that back to my six seconds on the 1456 01:01:42,440 --> 01:01:45,039 shot clock thing, like if he catches the ball, it's 1457 01:01:45,079 --> 01:01:47,119 a turnover, right, it was just gonna be a bad shot, 1458 01:01:47,239 --> 01:01:49,719 So I think that, and then all the money he's made, 1459 01:01:49,760 --> 01:01:51,559 and then just maybe a little bit of like the 1460 01:01:51,599 --> 01:01:54,199 international flare, which is weird because I don't think like 1461 01:01:54,280 --> 01:01:57,000 Yannis or Jokic or Luca gets any of the hate 1462 01:01:57,039 --> 01:01:58,079 that like Rudy gets, so. 1463 01:01:58,360 --> 01:01:59,719 Speaker 1: It has no bag. 1464 01:02:00,239 --> 01:02:03,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it is just a perfect storm. And then 1465 01:02:03,920 --> 01:02:06,880 of course, yeah the France stuff. You know he's getting benched. 1466 01:02:06,920 --> 01:02:09,239 I mean, you know, if you're getting benched for Victor 1467 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:11,559 wembin Yama, is that really the worst thing in the world. 1468 01:02:11,679 --> 01:02:13,880 Speaker 1: The whole thing is like, is so he's guilty of 1469 01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:17,119 not being what is like a one of one player 1470 01:02:17,280 --> 01:02:19,159 at this point, Like in terms of the I just 1471 01:02:19,880 --> 01:02:21,599 I don't I never thought I'd be in a position where, 1472 01:02:21,599 --> 01:02:23,119 like I feel like the past few years I've needed 1473 01:02:23,159 --> 01:02:26,000 to actively defend and that has never a hat I 1474 01:02:26,079 --> 01:02:26,800 envisioned wearing. 1475 01:02:27,239 --> 01:02:30,360 Speaker 2: And he is the perfect pat Bev falls into this 1476 01:02:30,400 --> 01:02:32,400 category as well, where you're like, when he's done on 1477 01:02:32,440 --> 01:02:34,480 your team, you're like kind of bleep him, but when 1478 01:02:34,519 --> 01:02:36,039 he's on your team, it's like, oh, I'm ready to 1479 01:02:36,119 --> 01:02:37,679 I wake up every day ready to go to war 1480 01:02:37,760 --> 01:02:39,280 for Pat Bev and Rudy Gobert. 1481 01:02:39,360 --> 01:02:41,599 Speaker 3: So I don't know. I think he's just a polarizing player. 1482 01:02:41,639 --> 01:02:43,599 Like you said, I don't think. 1483 01:02:43,639 --> 01:02:47,360 Speaker 2: Again, the NBA, no matter what people say to me, 1484 01:02:47,440 --> 01:02:51,079 is still like offense is cool, defenses whatever. Because you know, 1485 01:02:51,199 --> 01:02:53,800 when you're in your driveway, you're not working on sheldrill, 1486 01:02:54,119 --> 01:02:57,280 You're you're just shooting, right, So for Rudy, defense isn't 1487 01:02:57,320 --> 01:03:00,480 as cool. But I can't speak to the three other 1488 01:03:00,519 --> 01:03:02,880 defensive Player of the Year awards that he won because again, 1489 01:03:02,960 --> 01:03:04,280 to be honest, I wasn't really watching a lot of 1490 01:03:04,360 --> 01:03:06,840 Utah Jazz games, but he was the defensive player of 1491 01:03:06,840 --> 01:03:08,679 the Year last year, and there were some other great guys. 1492 01:03:08,840 --> 01:03:11,840 Anthony Davis is always really elite, but dude, he took 1493 01:03:11,840 --> 01:03:14,119 the Minnesota Timberwolves and made them the best defense in 1494 01:03:14,119 --> 01:03:16,519 the league. Like, you don't even have to watch the 1495 01:03:16,519 --> 01:03:19,880 games to be like, that's a pretty impressive resume booster. 1496 01:03:20,039 --> 01:03:22,920 So yeah, and I also think too with the France stuff. 1497 01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:25,760 You know, France was not supposed to be in the 1498 01:03:25,760 --> 01:03:27,679 Golden Medal Game, and they did it, and a lot 1499 01:03:27,719 --> 01:03:30,239 of that credits back to wembin Yama. But when Rudy 1500 01:03:30,280 --> 01:03:32,360 did get in, I thought he had big time, you know, 1501 01:03:32,480 --> 01:03:35,360 rim protection and rebounds and stuff. But I also think 1502 01:03:36,159 --> 01:03:38,800 he's done everything Dan like he his resume. I know 1503 01:03:38,840 --> 01:03:41,079 I joke about this a lot, but I mean, you 1504 01:03:41,159 --> 01:03:42,880 and I are a couple pods away from making the 1505 01:03:42,880 --> 01:03:43,920 Basketball Hall of Fame. 1506 01:03:44,119 --> 01:03:46,639 Speaker 3: Rudy Gobert is going to make the Basketball Hall of Fame. 1507 01:03:46,960 --> 01:03:49,320 Speaker 2: And all he has left, and this is Mike Conley's 1508 01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:51,760 motto too, all those guys have left as a title. 1509 01:03:52,000 --> 01:03:54,440 I mean, Rudy Gobert has now got a silver medal 1510 01:03:54,559 --> 01:03:56,480 as a host country in the Olympics, He's got four 1511 01:03:56,519 --> 01:03:58,159 Defensive Player of the Years, He's in all this stuff. 1512 01:03:58,480 --> 01:04:01,719 If he gets a title, it's gonna be a lot 1513 01:04:01,760 --> 01:04:03,599 of receipt polling in a lot of like, what what 1514 01:04:03,639 --> 01:04:04,599 can you say about me now? 1515 01:04:04,639 --> 01:04:05,199 Speaker 3: Type stuff? 1516 01:04:05,360 --> 01:04:08,480 Speaker 2: So yeah, so I think he's gonna come in this year. 1517 01:04:08,519 --> 01:04:11,039 He might have the biggest chip on his shoulder of 1518 01:04:11,079 --> 01:04:13,880 anyone on this team. He's boxing now, he's ready that 1519 01:04:14,119 --> 01:04:15,639 and that that's what I was going to close is 1520 01:04:15,679 --> 01:04:17,960 now he's boxing. So he came off of getting choked 1521 01:04:17,960 --> 01:04:19,880 out by Draymond Green in a situation where he was 1522 01:04:19,920 --> 01:04:22,840 again he didn't cause that that was Clay and Jade. 1523 01:04:22,880 --> 01:04:24,920 They kind of got into a kerfuffle and he kind 1524 01:04:24,920 --> 01:04:27,519 of jumped in being a good teammate. So I think, 1525 01:04:27,599 --> 01:04:29,840 I he's not the guy I'm looking forward to most 1526 01:04:29,920 --> 01:04:32,519 this season. But if he comes in motivated and says, 1527 01:04:32,559 --> 01:04:34,320 all I want to do is win, because two years ago, 1528 01:04:35,119 --> 01:04:36,679 you know, the wolf pumped is tired and said we're 1529 01:04:36,679 --> 01:04:39,440 gonna get him, you know, Doingkeem Elijah on post moves. 1530 01:04:39,239 --> 01:04:40,360 Speaker 3: And it's like, no, he can't do that. 1531 01:04:40,480 --> 01:04:43,719 Speaker 2: So just play defense, get rebounds, you know, fill in space, 1532 01:04:43,880 --> 01:04:46,599 and uh, lead this team to more winning. Because when 1533 01:04:46,599 --> 01:04:49,400 they're winning, even the Shacks of the world really can't 1534 01:04:49,519 --> 01:04:51,360 say much. It's when they start losing or you know 1535 01:04:51,760 --> 01:04:54,960 that Luca three over Rudy in game two or game 1536 01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:57,559 one or two, that's when you start to see the jokes. 1537 01:04:57,559 --> 01:04:59,280 But if they win, man, there's really nothing you can 1538 01:04:59,320 --> 01:05:01,239 say to someone when winning basketball games. 1539 01:05:01,639 --> 01:05:04,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, and also the remember when dream I think was 1540 01:05:04,519 --> 01:05:06,840 Draymond Green made fun of him when he either cried 1541 01:05:06,880 --> 01:05:09,199 because he got his first All Star appearance or didn't, 1542 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:12,519 and that was like pre COVID and everything. So, like, 1543 01:05:12,880 --> 01:05:16,280 Rudy Gobert has kind of had that lightning rod status 1544 01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:19,000 among players and fans like a really long time. 1545 01:05:20,039 --> 01:05:23,519 Speaker 2: And you know, for rewinding back to this playoff run, 1546 01:05:24,000 --> 01:05:26,159 they were ripping Raymond was still ripping him pretty hard, 1547 01:05:26,159 --> 01:05:28,199 and again they have a checkered history of those two 1548 01:05:28,519 --> 01:05:30,320 and then the Wolves kind of rallied around him and 1549 01:05:30,360 --> 01:05:32,320 said we're not going to send anyone to postgame t 1550 01:05:32,400 --> 01:05:35,199 and t stuff, And I think that was if you 1551 01:05:35,280 --> 01:05:38,719 cover the Wolves or follow the Wolves closely, the relationships 1552 01:05:38,719 --> 01:05:41,760 with the players and Rudy compared to the first year 1553 01:05:41,800 --> 01:05:44,239 and to second year. I mean again, Kyle Anderson and 1554 01:05:44,280 --> 01:05:47,280 Rudy Gobert punched each other on the court, and then 1555 01:05:47,280 --> 01:05:49,920 in year two we're like setting up post game dinner 1556 01:05:50,000 --> 01:05:52,519 dates with their significant others in them to like go 1557 01:05:52,559 --> 01:05:55,480 hang out. So I think the chemistry with this team 1558 01:05:55,559 --> 01:05:58,119 running it back all the continuity has really helped, and 1559 01:05:58,199 --> 01:06:00,239 it was kind of amplified in a moment in the 1560 01:06:00,239 --> 01:06:02,719 playoffs where it's like you've been talking so much about 1561 01:06:02,760 --> 01:06:04,480 our teammate we're not going to come up there and 1562 01:06:04,519 --> 01:06:05,920 talk to you. And I think that was a really 1563 01:06:05,920 --> 01:06:08,199 cool moment for this team in that locker room. 1564 01:06:08,840 --> 01:06:11,480 Speaker 1: Look. As an employee of the parent company of TNT, 1565 01:06:11,599 --> 01:06:14,559 I cannot condone that, except that I absolutely condone that, 1566 01:06:14,679 --> 01:06:17,000 and it was the right call by the Timberwolves. And 1567 01:06:17,079 --> 01:06:19,800 Draymond Green is insufferable when it comes to that stuff. 1568 01:06:19,920 --> 01:06:23,360 Moving on here, So I know we talked about this 1569 01:06:23,480 --> 01:06:26,960 pre playoffs. You came on the podcast. Jade McDaniels then 1570 01:06:26,960 --> 01:06:29,280 proceeded to do like his kind of best Jimmy Butler impression, 1571 01:06:29,280 --> 01:06:31,000 where it was, Okay, the regular season is going to 1572 01:06:31,039 --> 01:06:32,519 be ghastly from three, but then I'm just going to 1573 01:06:32,559 --> 01:06:35,079 come in during the playoffs and shoot the hell out 1574 01:06:35,119 --> 01:06:37,599 of the ball. Is there a level of concern either 1575 01:06:37,880 --> 01:06:40,639 with that aspect of a game or just if how 1576 01:06:40,719 --> 01:06:44,079 is he to get better offensively in this current ecosystem 1577 01:06:44,119 --> 01:06:46,119 now where they it's not you know, last year they're 1578 01:06:46,159 --> 01:06:48,519 adding Karl Anthony Towns's usage back of the equation and 1579 01:06:48,599 --> 01:06:51,119 now it's right you have that. Plus Rob Dillingham is 1580 01:06:51,159 --> 01:06:52,800 probably going to play a fairly major role. 1581 01:06:54,079 --> 01:06:57,199 Speaker 2: Jade McDaniels, row, I'm probably the most excited right to 1582 01:06:57,239 --> 01:06:59,679 watch Rob Dillingham play real NBA games. I'm excited to 1583 01:06:59,679 --> 01:07:02,199 see what chip Rudy Gobert has on his shoulder, what 1584 01:07:02,199 --> 01:07:05,559 can Carl do? But Jane mcdowal's is probably the most 1585 01:07:05,599 --> 01:07:10,840 intriguing because I'm I'm on the Jaden mcdowells island, I'm 1586 01:07:11,079 --> 01:07:14,000 the president of the fan club. But he was like 1587 01:07:14,039 --> 01:07:17,000 the two hundred and seventieth highest paid player last year. 1588 01:07:17,199 --> 01:07:18,840 I mean, he was a late first round pick, but 1589 01:07:18,880 --> 01:07:20,960 he was making less than you know, two hundred and 1590 01:07:20,960 --> 01:07:22,960 sixty nine other guys in the league, and he was 1591 01:07:23,000 --> 01:07:25,519 all defense. So when people criticize him, it's like you're 1592 01:07:25,519 --> 01:07:28,239 getting this level of production from a guy who's making 1593 01:07:28,239 --> 01:07:30,280 like three million, four million a year. Well, now he's 1594 01:07:30,320 --> 01:07:33,440 making six hundred percent of what he's making, right, So 1595 01:07:34,000 --> 01:07:37,320 he's never going to rebound super well because most of 1596 01:07:37,320 --> 01:07:40,199 the times a good defensive possession for the Wolves is 1597 01:07:40,280 --> 01:07:43,320 Jaden forcing a tough shot, and now he's thirty feet 1598 01:07:43,320 --> 01:07:44,880 out of the perimeter or whatever Garden kd. 1599 01:07:45,360 --> 01:07:46,480 Speaker 3: So he's not going to rebound. 1600 01:07:46,559 --> 01:07:49,000 Speaker 2: He's probably never going to be asked to playmake much, 1601 01:07:49,360 --> 01:07:50,880 even though I think he has a little bit of 1602 01:07:50,920 --> 01:07:54,000 that in his bag and he's probably And Chris Finch 1603 01:07:54,000 --> 01:07:55,760 said this last year at media day of like, hey, 1604 01:07:56,039 --> 01:07:58,400 do you expect more of a pie for Jaden? And 1605 01:07:58,440 --> 01:08:01,519 they're like probably not. Like in the starting lineup of 1606 01:08:01,519 --> 01:08:04,000 Mike Aunt, Jayden, Carl and Rudy, he is going to 1607 01:08:04,039 --> 01:08:06,480 be the fifth option and you bring Nasreed in and 1608 01:08:06,480 --> 01:08:07,119 now he might be. 1609 01:08:07,079 --> 01:08:07,920 Speaker 3: The sixth options. 1610 01:08:07,960 --> 01:08:10,599 Speaker 2: So it's going to be pretty hard for him to 1611 01:08:10,639 --> 01:08:13,599 increase his offensive production. So now you're starting to just 1612 01:08:13,599 --> 01:08:16,680 ask him to be more efficient, like hit damn near 1613 01:08:16,720 --> 01:08:17,800 every corner three. 1614 01:08:17,640 --> 01:08:20,199 Speaker 3: That is fed to you type of stuff. So but 1615 01:08:20,279 --> 01:08:20,800 if he's. 1616 01:08:20,640 --> 01:08:24,960 Speaker 2: Still averaging eight three and two and they're not winning games, 1617 01:08:25,439 --> 01:08:26,800 I think the heat's going to be on him a 1618 01:08:26,840 --> 01:08:29,520 little bit because of his pay raise and his kind 1619 01:08:29,560 --> 01:08:32,880 of rookie extensions. So but again to the Rudy Gobert thing. 1620 01:08:33,439 --> 01:08:35,520 He led them to be the best defense in the 1621 01:08:35,560 --> 01:08:38,319 league last year, but they don't do that, and Rudy 1622 01:08:38,359 --> 01:08:40,640 doesn't feel as comfortable in that role if he doesn't 1623 01:08:40,640 --> 01:08:42,600 have a guy like Jayden on the perimeter, who every 1624 01:08:42,760 --> 01:08:46,279 night is, in my opinion, task with the least fun 1625 01:08:46,479 --> 01:08:48,840 task you can have of Hey, can you go shut 1626 01:08:48,880 --> 01:08:53,479 down Katie on Monday, Luke on Tuesday, maybe guard Yokic 1627 01:08:53,520 --> 01:08:56,000 for four possessions on Wednesday. And you might also not 1628 01:08:56,079 --> 01:08:58,880 ever get shots. I mean you play pickup like playing 1629 01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:00,800 pickup ball, that would suck after a while. You would 1630 01:09:00,800 --> 01:09:01,920 just be like, give me the ball, I'm gonna take 1631 01:09:01,920 --> 01:09:04,319 a fucking jump shot. And he doesn't do that. So 1632 01:09:05,239 --> 01:09:08,800 his role is really important, but it's also probably the 1633 01:09:08,840 --> 01:09:11,000 hardest one for me to try to think in my 1634 01:09:11,079 --> 01:09:14,359 brain of where else can Jaden stack production. 1635 01:09:15,279 --> 01:09:16,920 Speaker 1: Actually that's why I mentioned this before. I would love 1636 01:09:17,000 --> 01:09:19,159 to see him in kind of the secondary units with 1637 01:09:19,279 --> 01:09:21,960 Rob Dillingham where somebody's to get him the ball with 1638 01:09:22,119 --> 01:09:25,640 defenses on tilt and then maybe McDaniels can attack in 1639 01:09:25,640 --> 01:09:27,359 those vans. Because I'm with you, I think it's really 1640 01:09:27,880 --> 01:09:29,399 the players can say, and he's been paid, and we 1641 01:09:29,439 --> 01:09:30,920 could harangut that way, like, oh, he should be fine 1642 01:09:30,920 --> 01:09:32,399 with this role. He's been paid, but like to ask 1643 01:09:32,520 --> 01:09:35,720 him to be that level of engaged on defense every 1644 01:09:35,760 --> 01:09:38,960 single possession, every single night against the guys he's tasked 1645 01:09:39,000 --> 01:09:42,439 with going after and then not to be guaranteed anything offensively. 1646 01:09:42,439 --> 01:09:43,880 I mean, what was it his usage rate was still 1647 01:09:43,920 --> 01:09:46,680 sub fifteen last year, and it was like a pleasant surprise, like, oh, 1648 01:09:46,720 --> 01:09:48,840 it didn't get much lower when they had all this stuff, 1649 01:09:48,840 --> 01:09:51,119 and now oh dilling Ham's here. It's and even if 1650 01:09:51,159 --> 01:09:53,039 it's not, I'm not asking to see him take like 1651 01:09:53,159 --> 01:09:54,720 eighty dribbles and create his own shot. 1652 01:09:55,000 --> 01:09:55,119 Speaker 2: Right. 1653 01:09:55,239 --> 01:09:57,039 Speaker 1: Can they use him in more of a play finishing role, 1654 01:09:57,479 --> 01:09:59,239 especially when ant is off the floor. 1655 01:09:59,279 --> 01:10:03,039 Speaker 2: And is low key as sneaky, good like cutter and 1656 01:10:03,159 --> 01:10:05,319 he gets it. It's just a lot of times like 1657 01:10:05,399 --> 01:10:06,960 what do he wanted to do? Have a baseline cut 1658 01:10:07,039 --> 01:10:09,000 Rudy and Carl are standing in the paint like that 1659 01:10:09,039 --> 01:10:11,840 doesn't really work. So again, I think I'm probably the 1660 01:10:11,920 --> 01:10:14,880 most defensive of Jayden another one of my children, because 1661 01:10:15,399 --> 01:10:17,880 I just think he's being asked to do the worst thing. 1662 01:10:18,039 --> 01:10:18,159 You know. 1663 01:10:18,319 --> 01:10:19,119 Speaker 3: Just imagine being. 1664 01:10:19,000 --> 01:10:20,920 Speaker 2: Asked to work really hard and never getting fed, Like 1665 01:10:21,000 --> 01:10:22,640 you're like, well, I'm kind of getting pissed off and 1666 01:10:22,640 --> 01:10:25,760 I'm hungry. So he doesn't really complain much. Yeah, he 1667 01:10:25,840 --> 01:10:28,279 punched a wall. He's had some kind of temper things 1668 01:10:28,279 --> 01:10:31,079 that have followed him throughout his career. But again, like 1669 01:10:31,720 --> 01:10:33,600 when I said, the Wolves don't get to draft Rob 1670 01:10:33,680 --> 01:10:36,399 Dillingham if he's six ' six. The Wolves probably don't 1671 01:10:36,399 --> 01:10:38,760 get to draft Jade McDaniels at like twenty eighth back 1672 01:10:38,800 --> 01:10:41,000 in twenty twenty if he doesn't have an attitude problem 1673 01:10:41,279 --> 01:10:42,560 and he's rained that in pretty well. 1674 01:10:42,720 --> 01:10:44,640 Speaker 3: So he's a big part of what they do. 1675 01:10:45,159 --> 01:10:46,920 Speaker 2: I know, I said, Nas is in the gym every 1676 01:10:47,000 --> 01:10:49,960 day at Mayo Clinic Square downtown Minneapolis, working on his game. 1677 01:10:50,000 --> 01:10:53,560 Speaker 3: But when he shows up, he when he shows up, 1678 01:10:53,600 --> 01:10:54,359 Jayden's already there. 1679 01:10:54,720 --> 01:10:57,479 Speaker 2: So Jade McDaniel's one of the many new fathers on 1680 01:10:57,600 --> 01:11:00,680 this team, but he is about his locked in as 1681 01:11:00,720 --> 01:11:03,359 I think he's ever been. And if he were to 1682 01:11:03,960 --> 01:11:06,000 We've talked about so many guys, but if if Jade 1683 01:11:06,000 --> 01:11:07,920 and all of a sudden just were to amplify his production, 1684 01:11:08,039 --> 01:11:10,680 his efficiency as volume whatever next season, I mean, just 1685 01:11:10,760 --> 01:11:13,720 think about the fifth option taking a leap offensively, what 1686 01:11:13,840 --> 01:11:15,520 does that do for your whole offense? I mean it 1687 01:11:15,600 --> 01:11:17,880 just kind of takes the ceiling again off and just says, 1688 01:11:17,920 --> 01:11:20,760 this team, could you know, be a top five offense 1689 01:11:20,800 --> 01:11:22,960 in the league next year in a league that has 1690 01:11:23,079 --> 01:11:24,199 so many good offenses. 1691 01:11:24,319 --> 01:11:25,880 Speaker 1: I meant to ask this in the Rudy go bear section. 1692 01:11:25,960 --> 01:11:29,079 But you called your shot on Jade McDaniel's extension last year. 1693 01:11:29,239 --> 01:11:31,640 You were like, I can't remember what the exact figure 1694 01:11:31,840 --> 01:11:33,720 was that you had, but like you were within ten 1695 01:11:33,800 --> 01:11:36,000 million of what he ended up getting. Do you think 1696 01:11:36,039 --> 01:11:38,359 we get a Rudy Gobert extension at all? Specifically in 1697 01:11:38,359 --> 01:11:40,720 the vein of okay, he declines his player option and 1698 01:11:40,760 --> 01:11:43,079 they lower his average annual value from there. 1699 01:11:43,720 --> 01:11:46,239 Speaker 3: That's a that's a fascinating question. 1700 01:11:46,840 --> 01:11:50,359 Speaker 2: He is eligible now and I was doing we kind 1701 01:11:50,399 --> 01:11:52,119 of did this fun exercise the other day on a 1702 01:11:52,159 --> 01:11:55,159 podcast where we did you know, expansions coming right? Like 1703 01:11:55,279 --> 01:11:58,079 who would you protect six or seven guys on the team? 1704 01:11:58,159 --> 01:12:00,920 Speaker 3: Leond Miller won, right, yeah, Miller two three four. 1705 01:12:01,520 --> 01:12:03,279 Speaker 2: Like with Rudy, it's like I thought about, maybe you 1706 01:12:03,359 --> 01:12:06,399 don't protect him because and again this is a weird conversation, 1707 01:12:06,520 --> 01:12:08,199 but you don't protect a guy. He can still come 1708 01:12:08,239 --> 01:12:12,640 back to your team, but his contract status is really unique. 1709 01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:15,560 I said earlier that all Rudy Gobert has left in 1710 01:12:15,640 --> 01:12:18,199 his basketball life is to win a title. He has 1711 01:12:18,319 --> 01:12:20,680 done everything else and proven a lot of people wrong 1712 01:12:21,199 --> 01:12:23,880 along the way. But Mike Conley is the same. Like 1713 01:12:23,960 --> 01:12:26,800 Mike Conley was that dude at Ohio State and its 1714 01:12:26,920 --> 01:12:28,920 top five pick or whatever. All he wants to do 1715 01:12:29,079 --> 01:12:31,880 is win. Well, Mike Conley a few months ago essentially 1716 01:12:31,960 --> 01:12:34,319 took a fifty percent pay cut in the next couple 1717 01:12:34,359 --> 01:12:37,000 of years, signed an extension for literally half of what 1718 01:12:37,159 --> 01:12:40,079 he was making, and was like, figure out what to 1719 01:12:40,119 --> 01:12:40,720 do with that money? 1720 01:12:40,840 --> 01:12:41,560 Speaker 3: I just want to win? 1721 01:12:41,920 --> 01:12:44,960 Speaker 2: Will Rudy Gobert do the same thing Mike. Mike has 1722 01:12:45,039 --> 01:12:46,880 like the greatest approval rating in the league, whereas like 1723 01:12:46,960 --> 01:12:50,359 Rudy's the opposite. So maybe he'll want every dollar to 1724 01:12:50,479 --> 01:12:53,399 prove that he's worth it. But the Rudy Gobert extension 1725 01:12:53,479 --> 01:12:56,760 is probably the biggest kind of leftover thing on the 1726 01:12:56,840 --> 01:12:59,000 to do list. They don't have to do it now, 1727 01:12:59,159 --> 01:13:02,720 but again next summer they won't. I don't think this 1728 01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:05,119 is like hot take or breaking news that I would 1729 01:13:05,199 --> 01:13:08,439 be one shocked if in the twenty five to twenty 1730 01:13:08,560 --> 01:13:12,479 sixth season. So a year from now they have Nasrid 1731 01:13:12,520 --> 01:13:15,119 Contany Towns and Rudy Gobert. You can't afford to pay 1732 01:13:15,119 --> 01:13:17,680 all those guys as this second apron becomes multipliers and 1733 01:13:17,720 --> 01:13:21,720 all these penalties. So who do they decide to pivot 1734 01:13:21,840 --> 01:13:25,239 off of and if Rudy doesn't take a team friendly 1735 01:13:25,399 --> 01:13:28,239 deal like his counterpart Mike did, then it'll be a 1736 01:13:28,279 --> 01:13:32,399 really interesting conversation of does this team pivot their identity? 1737 01:13:33,439 --> 01:13:36,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, I honestly think I almost would predict an extension, 1738 01:13:36,600 --> 01:13:38,319 or at least a point where he's gonna decline his 1739 01:13:38,359 --> 01:13:41,359 player option and get a longer deal that's worth substantially less, 1740 01:13:41,720 --> 01:13:45,680 just because the center market is so fickle right now. Yeah, 1741 01:13:45,760 --> 01:13:48,239 unless you're like probably like two or three guys, you're 1742 01:13:48,319 --> 01:13:50,479 just not guaranteed any set amount of money. And I 1743 01:13:50,560 --> 01:13:52,880 think we kind of, you know you, maybe he would. 1744 01:13:52,920 --> 01:13:54,640 There's not gonna be as much task space floting around 1745 01:13:54,680 --> 01:13:56,840 next year. It doesn't seem like maybe you luck into 1746 01:13:56,840 --> 01:13:58,359 a point where you get kind of like the Isaiah 1747 01:13:58,359 --> 01:14:02,119 Heartenstein special, like even that Isaiah Hartenstein got fifteen million 1748 01:14:02,119 --> 01:14:05,079 dollars a year less than Rudy Gobert is making now. Basically, 1749 01:14:05,479 --> 01:14:07,720 So my guess is, and this is just based off 1750 01:14:07,760 --> 01:14:09,920 we saw Jared Allen do this in Cleveland. I kind 1751 01:14:09,920 --> 01:14:12,159 of think he's going to extend. Maybe I'll wind up 1752 01:14:12,159 --> 01:14:13,560 being and if it's not an extension, I think he'll 1753 01:14:13,600 --> 01:14:15,680 be back at you can call it team friendly. It 1754 01:14:15,760 --> 01:14:18,319 might also just be market value at that point for 1755 01:14:18,399 --> 01:14:22,119 a big in his thirty who is not an offensive star, and. 1756 01:14:22,800 --> 01:14:24,960 Speaker 2: He does love it in Minnesota, Like I think it 1757 01:14:25,039 --> 01:14:27,399 took a lot for him to leave Utah because he 1758 01:14:27,760 --> 01:14:29,960 really loved it in Utah and that's a credit to 1759 01:14:30,159 --> 01:14:31,800 that city, in that state and that organization. 1760 01:14:31,920 --> 01:14:33,479 Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean, I don't know. 1761 01:14:33,560 --> 01:14:35,239 Speaker 2: I don't really and you're the same. Like we don't 1762 01:14:35,239 --> 01:14:37,439 love talking about guys pockets even when they're making hundreds 1763 01:14:37,439 --> 01:14:39,119 of millions of dollars. I know they have other things 1764 01:14:39,199 --> 01:14:42,000 going on in expenses, But at what point in your 1765 01:14:42,119 --> 01:14:44,920 career anything? This could be basketball, this could be podcasting, 1766 01:14:44,960 --> 01:14:47,079 this could be a teacher, Like do you just say 1767 01:14:47,600 --> 01:14:50,239 all the other stuff is more meaningful to me than 1768 01:14:50,239 --> 01:14:53,000 a couple extra dollars? And to your point about the 1769 01:14:53,039 --> 01:14:55,920 center market or just his role or view around the league, 1770 01:14:56,760 --> 01:14:58,840 there probably aren't that many spots where he has as 1771 01:14:58,920 --> 01:15:01,199 good of a chance to win and is large of 1772 01:15:01,279 --> 01:15:03,279 a role. I I mean, he is the captain of 1773 01:15:03,319 --> 01:15:06,279 that defense, He's the green dot helmet, right, So how 1774 01:15:06,359 --> 01:15:09,159 many other teams in the league next summer can offer 1775 01:15:09,279 --> 01:15:11,399 him that and offer him that comfortability. He's got a 1776 01:15:11,479 --> 01:15:14,520 kid now too, so like I'm hopeful, I'm with you 1777 01:15:14,640 --> 01:15:17,800 that he does take a discount. What does that discount 1778 01:15:17,880 --> 01:15:20,479 look like? How does that affect what is a crazy 1779 01:15:20,600 --> 01:15:23,039 luxury tax bill? But yeah, man, I mean, you know, 1780 01:15:24,079 --> 01:15:26,720 twenty like one million dollars, there's a lot of money 1781 01:15:26,800 --> 01:15:28,800 he's making. I think forty three to come down to 1782 01:15:28,880 --> 01:15:32,039 twenty five, that's a significant pay cut. So Mike Conley 1783 01:15:32,079 --> 01:15:35,039 showed that it's possible and that Tim Conley's really good at. 1784 01:15:35,000 --> 01:15:36,079 Speaker 3: Negotiating those things. 1785 01:15:36,159 --> 01:15:38,960 Speaker 2: But the Rudy Gobert one is by far in terms 1786 01:15:39,000 --> 01:15:42,239 of contracts, in salary capin transaction. He is the next 1787 01:15:42,359 --> 01:15:43,680 Domino to eventually fall. 1788 01:15:45,000 --> 01:15:46,399 Speaker 1: Whyt to ask you very quickly about some of the 1789 01:15:46,399 --> 01:15:48,840 other players in the roster who plays more this season, 1790 01:15:48,960 --> 01:15:50,920 Tarren Shannon or Joe Ingles. 1791 01:15:51,359 --> 01:15:53,560 Speaker 3: Oh, this one's easy for me, Dane. 1792 01:15:53,680 --> 01:15:55,960 Speaker 2: If you're listening, I win, I think it's going to 1793 01:15:56,000 --> 01:15:59,960 be Terren Shannon junior and Joe Ingles again talk about 1794 01:16:00,439 --> 01:16:04,479 like Olympic stuff. He was dnping for Australia kind of 1795 01:16:04,560 --> 01:16:06,479 like Rudy, I don't really care because I think what 1796 01:16:07,079 --> 01:16:10,880 a international country program is doing for their international team 1797 01:16:10,960 --> 01:16:12,880 is so different than what I mean. Joe Ingles is 1798 01:16:12,920 --> 01:16:15,880 coming off a really productive year in Orlando. He was 1799 01:16:15,920 --> 01:16:19,039 asked to do a lot because Orlando has so much 1800 01:16:19,119 --> 01:16:21,079 talent and is such a fun team up and coming, 1801 01:16:21,159 --> 01:16:24,239 but they didn't always have the playmaking or the veterans. 1802 01:16:24,159 --> 01:16:27,920 Speaker 1: And they decided to get exactly none of that more 1803 01:16:28,039 --> 01:16:28,720 this offseason. 1804 01:16:28,800 --> 01:16:31,479 Speaker 2: So yeah, listen, how Tias Jones isn't the starting point 1805 01:16:31,520 --> 01:16:33,479 guard for the Orlando Magic is disgusting to me, but 1806 01:16:33,560 --> 01:16:36,239 that's probably for another day. Joe Ingles, though, is gonna 1807 01:16:36,279 --> 01:16:38,359 come in, And I mean Joe Ingles in Orlando was 1808 01:16:38,439 --> 01:16:40,479 kind of like what Mike Conley is in Minnesota, and 1809 01:16:40,560 --> 01:16:43,840 now you're bringing him in. Kyle Anderson again, I can't 1810 01:16:43,840 --> 01:16:46,640 stress enough as ugly as it was to watch him 1811 01:16:46,680 --> 01:16:48,920 shoot or to do things offensively or to turn down 1812 01:16:48,960 --> 01:16:52,159 mid ranges. Uh, he played a vital role in just 1813 01:16:52,319 --> 01:16:55,760 facilitating and they're gonna need Joe Ingles to facilitate. Also, 1814 01:16:56,520 --> 01:16:59,800 what Kyle, What the team loses with Kyle on defense 1815 01:17:00,079 --> 01:17:02,800 gaining with Joeingles shooting. I mean, Joeingles can still light 1816 01:17:02,840 --> 01:17:05,199 it up from three, so he's another guy that can 1817 01:17:05,239 --> 01:17:06,840 space the floor. But I say all of that to 1818 01:17:07,000 --> 01:17:10,560 just say maybe it was the desert or the drinks 1819 01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:12,159 or whatever. But I got to watch a couple of 1820 01:17:12,199 --> 01:17:15,279 Terrence Shannon junior games up close, especially the first Summer 1821 01:17:15,319 --> 01:17:19,039 League game, and it's so cliche, but he just has 1822 01:17:19,119 --> 01:17:21,239 that dog in him. I mean, he was I think 1823 01:17:21,399 --> 01:17:23,600 fourth in college last year in like free throw rate, 1824 01:17:23,720 --> 01:17:25,920 just get into the line. He puts his head down 1825 01:17:26,000 --> 01:17:29,000 and he loves physicality, and I think pairing that with 1826 01:17:29,079 --> 01:17:31,159 an Anthony Edwards is going to be so much fun. 1827 01:17:32,119 --> 01:17:34,359 He did turn down a lot of open threes, which 1828 01:17:34,399 --> 01:17:36,680 it's like, hey again, if you're out there and you're 1829 01:17:36,720 --> 01:17:39,359 playing alongside Ant or Rob or Carl, like, we just 1830 01:17:39,439 --> 01:17:41,399 need you to stand there, catch it and shoot it. 1831 01:17:41,960 --> 01:17:45,119 Speaker 3: But I think Terrence Shannon junior man. Again I am biased. 1832 01:17:45,239 --> 01:17:47,239 I cover the Timberwolves, but I think he might. 1833 01:17:47,640 --> 01:17:49,079 Speaker 2: We might look back when we do one of those 1834 01:17:49,119 --> 01:17:51,399 redrafts and say, yeah, I know he was an older rookie, 1835 01:17:51,760 --> 01:17:53,880 but that was a lottery pick that somehow fell into 1836 01:17:53,880 --> 01:17:57,000 the late twenties. He is he is that good and 1837 01:17:57,119 --> 01:18:00,039 he again is not nas or Amp, but he he 1838 01:18:00,119 --> 01:18:01,920 might be the third most competitive player on the team 1839 01:18:01,960 --> 01:18:04,000 and all of that stuff just really makes it really 1840 01:18:04,039 --> 01:18:06,359 exciting to watch a team of full of dogs. 1841 01:18:06,640 --> 01:18:09,000 Speaker 1: I thought for a lot of last year that Nikila 1842 01:18:09,000 --> 01:18:11,479 Alexander Walker had like a fringe all defense case, and 1843 01:18:11,520 --> 01:18:15,960 I hope we teams is his role in Jeopardy of 1844 01:18:16,000 --> 01:18:19,199 shrinking it all though, because you're bringing in a Rob Dillingham, 1845 01:18:19,319 --> 01:18:20,960 Joe Ingles, even Terren Shannon Junior. 1846 01:18:21,439 --> 01:18:24,000 Speaker 2: You're the first person to say that, and I think 1847 01:18:24,119 --> 01:18:26,640 it'll be something that we all locally start talking about 1848 01:18:26,680 --> 01:18:28,920 more as we get ready for training camp in the 1849 01:18:28,960 --> 01:18:32,159 preseason as the regular season, because at some point, again 1850 01:18:32,800 --> 01:18:35,920 you love when your favorite team has fifteen good players, 1851 01:18:36,359 --> 01:18:38,920 but no coach wants to play more than nine, right, Like, 1852 01:18:39,319 --> 01:18:42,760 playing a ten man rotation is really hard, especially when 1853 01:18:42,760 --> 01:18:45,159 you want to keep guys. You know, you know, it 1854 01:18:45,279 --> 01:18:48,239 takes twenty minutes to make a frozen pizza. If you 1855 01:18:48,319 --> 01:18:49,760 try to cook it in fifteen, it's not going to 1856 01:18:49,800 --> 01:18:52,079 be as good. And some of those guys need those 1857 01:18:52,399 --> 01:18:55,960 minute allotments to stay in their rhythm and all that stuff. 1858 01:18:56,039 --> 01:18:58,520 So if Rob comes in and gets eighteen to twenty 1859 01:18:58,560 --> 01:19:00,640 minutes of backup point guard and Ternshine and Junior's in, 1860 01:19:01,199 --> 01:19:02,960 I mean we're we're at nine guys right now, and 1861 01:19:03,000 --> 01:19:05,239 you're like, okay, so how does Nikil fit in? Nikil 1862 01:19:05,319 --> 01:19:08,520 should have probably not made All Defensive team, but he 1863 01:19:08,560 --> 01:19:10,479 should have got the votes. I mean, he was incredible 1864 01:19:10,520 --> 01:19:13,439 last year coming off He's another one of those lottery picks, 1865 01:19:13,520 --> 01:19:15,760 right Dan that kind of don't really know what happened 1866 01:19:15,760 --> 01:19:17,399 those first couple of years. Finally found a place that 1867 01:19:17,439 --> 01:19:20,399 he's comfortable and kind of shined. His shot fell apart 1868 01:19:20,560 --> 01:19:23,640 and his confidence waivered pretty heavily in that Dallas series. 1869 01:19:23,720 --> 01:19:27,159 But man, when you can have Jane McDaniels start on 1870 01:19:27,199 --> 01:19:29,600 a guy and then maybe throw Anton him a little bit, 1871 01:19:29,720 --> 01:19:31,760 and then sub those two guys out, and now Jamal 1872 01:19:31,840 --> 01:19:33,680 Murray's like, okay, I get a break, and then it's 1873 01:19:33,760 --> 01:19:37,880 Nikkiel that has to just suck mentally. And that's what 1874 01:19:38,039 --> 01:19:39,760 Nikiel was the best at. So, I mean, he hit 1875 01:19:40,239 --> 01:19:43,239 almost every big three, it seemed like in the regular season. 1876 01:19:43,319 --> 01:19:45,119 I always joke he was shooting one hundred percent on 1877 01:19:45,720 --> 01:19:49,119 late shot clock threes and stuff. So his confidence has 1878 01:19:49,119 --> 01:19:53,239 probably never been higher. He's probably already priced himself out again. 1879 01:19:53,319 --> 01:19:56,279 As I talk about summer twenty five, I would be shocked. 1880 01:19:56,319 --> 01:19:58,399 I mean, he's a real true free agent next summer, 1881 01:19:58,399 --> 01:20:01,039 I'd be shocked if he re signs, because again, you're 1882 01:20:01,079 --> 01:20:04,000 just running out of dollars. So is Jalen Clark the 1883 01:20:04,159 --> 01:20:07,840 up and coming kind of fixture to fill that role 1884 01:20:07,920 --> 01:20:10,840 down the road maybe, But for this season, Nikiel's going 1885 01:20:10,880 --> 01:20:13,000 to be really important because again they don't have a 1886 01:20:13,279 --> 01:20:16,439 certified backup point guard yet. And we'll see what Rob 1887 01:20:16,520 --> 01:20:19,079 can do. But someone's gonna get squeezed out. It's kind 1888 01:20:19,119 --> 01:20:21,039 of my rant, and I think it could be him 1889 01:20:21,079 --> 01:20:23,399 at times, despite the fact that what you just said, 1890 01:20:23,399 --> 01:20:25,359 he's coming off his best season of his career. 1891 01:20:25,640 --> 01:20:27,960 Speaker 1: Anybody else on this roster that you think could kind 1892 01:20:27,960 --> 01:20:30,359 of sneak their way into relevance this season, whether it's 1893 01:20:30,399 --> 01:20:34,840 a Josh Mino, Luca Garza, or our joint favorite Leonard Miller. 1894 01:20:36,439 --> 01:20:38,960 Speaker 2: This sucks if you just if you're young, or if 1895 01:20:39,000 --> 01:20:41,079 you like the younger guys, or you know, you want 1896 01:20:41,119 --> 01:20:43,960 to see some of these guys get a chance. Two 1897 01:20:44,079 --> 01:20:45,880 years ago, when they signed Kyle Anderson, I said it 1898 01:20:45,960 --> 01:20:48,399 was the deepest team they've ever had, and then last 1899 01:20:48,560 --> 01:20:50,680 year they added a couple of fringe pieces and as 1900 01:20:50,720 --> 01:20:53,960 like This is even a deeper team, this upcoming one. 1901 01:20:54,000 --> 01:20:57,039 As we just talked about Nikhil Alexander Walker. Could he 1902 01:20:57,079 --> 01:20:58,720 have made all defense? Did he have the best year 1903 01:20:58,760 --> 01:21:00,039 of his career? And you and I are like, like 1904 01:21:00,199 --> 01:21:03,600 he might play less. This is the deepest team in 1905 01:21:03,680 --> 01:21:08,319 Wolve's franchise history, and because of that, you're probably still 1906 01:21:08,359 --> 01:21:10,880 a year off from a Leonard Miller or a Josh 1907 01:21:11,000 --> 01:21:13,640 Mayno or a Jalen Clark getting real minutes. Luca Garza 1908 01:21:13,720 --> 01:21:16,239 even was kind of like, I don't know, just a 1909 01:21:16,359 --> 01:21:18,399 fan favorite because of all the work he's put him, 1910 01:21:18,399 --> 01:21:20,159 but now he's on a real contract, and like credit 1911 01:21:20,239 --> 01:21:22,399 to him for not a lot of guys that have 1912 01:21:22,640 --> 01:21:25,239 that path to the league make it, and he's made it. 1913 01:21:25,319 --> 01:21:27,000 So he's like a real NBA dude. Now he's not 1914 01:21:27,079 --> 01:21:30,239 just chilling in des Moyne, Iowa. But I don't think 1915 01:21:30,399 --> 01:21:32,399 any of those guys are gonna get real minutes, and 1916 01:21:32,479 --> 01:21:35,640 if they do, we're probably talking about an injury or 1917 01:21:35,720 --> 01:21:38,279 like things have gone pretty south. But I don't think 1918 01:21:38,359 --> 01:21:40,800 that means that you need to completely cut them from 1919 01:21:40,840 --> 01:21:43,560 your dynasty team. Like at some point, if they do 1920 01:21:43,880 --> 01:21:46,000 unload one of the bigs and let's say it's a 1921 01:21:46,159 --> 01:21:49,760 Carl or a Rudi, They're gonna need, like other guys 1922 01:21:49,800 --> 01:21:51,640 to step up, and I think that's what Leonard Miller's 1923 01:21:51,680 --> 01:21:53,920 role is. So I think what was it fran for 1924 01:21:54,000 --> 01:21:55,600 Schill or whatever or someone a couple of years ago 1925 01:21:55,640 --> 01:21:57,159 that said, like so and so was two years away 1926 01:21:57,159 --> 01:21:59,720 from being two years away. I think Leonard Miller is 1927 01:21:59,720 --> 01:22:01,880 like one year away from maybe being one year away. 1928 01:22:02,560 --> 01:22:04,199 But they have a lot of guys, right, I mean again, 1929 01:22:04,359 --> 01:22:06,520 you're talking about a team that was criticized for the 1930 01:22:06,600 --> 01:22:09,159 Rudy go bertrad because they have no pieces, no assets. 1931 01:22:09,680 --> 01:22:11,960 And in summer League, every one of those guys, whether 1932 01:22:11,960 --> 01:22:14,279 it be Jalen Clark, Leonard Miller, even Josh Minott, they 1933 01:22:14,279 --> 01:22:17,800 all had real signs of growth from the previous year 1934 01:22:17,840 --> 01:22:18,239 to this year. 1935 01:22:18,359 --> 01:22:21,239 Speaker 3: So they might have a loaded Iowa Wolves. 1936 01:22:21,039 --> 01:22:23,640 Speaker 2: G League team, But in terms of the big team 1937 01:22:23,760 --> 01:22:26,000 and the pro I don't know if any of those 1938 01:22:26,039 --> 01:22:28,000 guys are going to see any time because again, like 1939 01:22:28,479 --> 01:22:31,399 in my mind, the tenth man on the team, if 1940 01:22:31,439 --> 01:22:35,319 you go one of the best starting fives Nazrit six Man, Nikiel, 1941 01:22:35,800 --> 01:22:38,840 Rob Dillingham, Terrencehennon Junior. I mean Joe Ingles is like 1942 01:22:38,920 --> 01:22:41,000 the tenth man in this rotation, and he's just well 1943 01:22:41,079 --> 01:22:43,840 more proven and trustworthy for a coaching staff than a 1944 01:22:43,920 --> 01:22:47,199 Leonard Miller. So hold the stock, Dan, and we'll talk 1945 01:22:47,199 --> 01:22:49,039 about it maybe next summer, but for now, I don't 1946 01:22:49,039 --> 01:22:50,960 see any of those guys having any sort of impact. 1947 01:22:51,279 --> 01:22:54,000 Speaker 1: Are you ready to enter the lightning round such a 1948 01:22:54,119 --> 01:22:56,560 cutter portion of the podcast, let's do it so just 1949 01:22:56,680 --> 01:22:59,279 as a refresher, it sounds like full strength. Their ten 1950 01:22:59,319 --> 01:23:01,840 man rotation will consist of you think it's these ten 1951 01:23:01,920 --> 01:23:04,359 guys in some order, So it's the starters, Mike Conley, Edwards, 1952 01:23:04,439 --> 01:23:08,399 Jane McDaniel's, Cat Englebert. Then you have nas Reed, naw Ingles, 1953 01:23:08,479 --> 01:23:11,119 Rob Dillingham, and Karren Shannon Junior. And you think those 1954 01:23:11,119 --> 01:23:12,399 will be their their go to ten? 1955 01:23:12,760 --> 01:23:13,359 Speaker 3: I do, yeah. 1956 01:23:13,560 --> 01:23:17,279 Speaker 1: Is there any what is there gonna be any fangling 1957 01:23:17,319 --> 01:23:18,880 with their crunch time unit, do you think? Or is 1958 01:23:18,880 --> 01:23:20,560 it just gonna wind up being most of the time 1959 01:23:20,640 --> 01:23:21,840 the starters this year? 1960 01:23:23,000 --> 01:23:25,039 Speaker 3: Oh that's that's a great question. 1961 01:23:25,159 --> 01:23:29,079 Speaker 2: It's kind of loaded because Finch does seem to always 1962 01:23:29,239 --> 01:23:33,239 like closing with who brought like the starters. But I 1963 01:23:33,319 --> 01:23:36,640 also wonder now with success and team success. And I 1964 01:23:36,720 --> 01:23:39,239 know I've talked about expectations, but maybe some monkeys off 1965 01:23:39,279 --> 01:23:42,439 the back simultaneous at the same time, if everyone in 1966 01:23:42,479 --> 01:23:44,199 that locker room will just trust I mean, they all 1967 01:23:44,279 --> 01:23:46,439 love Finch like a father, but will they just trust 1968 01:23:46,520 --> 01:23:50,159 Finch to close? Because if you I hate the idea 1969 01:23:50,159 --> 01:23:52,119 of closing with my starting five because I think you 1970 01:23:52,239 --> 01:23:55,039 remove a dynamic element of maybe that's not what you 1971 01:23:55,159 --> 01:23:57,640 need in this game against that opponent. So I would 1972 01:23:57,680 --> 01:23:59,520 hope that they lean more into kind of a dynamic 1973 01:23:59,600 --> 01:24:03,279 closing lineup where you know, maybe you can close with 1974 01:24:03,479 --> 01:24:06,159 like Nas at the three and Jaden at the four 1975 01:24:06,279 --> 01:24:07,960 and Call at the five or something like that. 1976 01:24:08,039 --> 01:24:08,479 Speaker 3: You know what I mean. 1977 01:24:08,640 --> 01:24:12,640 Speaker 2: Just the more options a good coaching staff has, the better. 1978 01:24:12,680 --> 01:24:14,840 I mean, that sounds so stupid, but that just seems 1979 01:24:14,880 --> 01:24:19,039 pretty basic to me. Of you know, opposing team knows 1980 01:24:19,079 --> 01:24:21,640 that there's gonna be different ways that they get defended 1981 01:24:21,920 --> 01:24:23,279 in the last three four minutes of a game. 1982 01:24:23,399 --> 01:24:25,920 Speaker 3: So I hope. I love Chris Finch. 1983 01:24:25,960 --> 01:24:27,680 Speaker 2: I'm a pro Chris Finch guy, but there are little 1984 01:24:27,760 --> 01:24:29,960 things that I want I would like for him to improve, 1985 01:24:30,199 --> 01:24:32,960 and one of those would be mixing up who he 1986 01:24:33,079 --> 01:24:36,199 closes with, to kind of better not to react to 1987 01:24:36,319 --> 01:24:38,479 your opponent, but to kind of give them different looks 1988 01:24:38,520 --> 01:24:40,800 of You can't just expect that Mike Conley is going 1989 01:24:40,840 --> 01:24:42,439 to be out there every fourth quarter or three minutes 1990 01:24:42,520 --> 01:24:43,000 left in the game. 1991 01:24:43,359 --> 01:24:46,479 Speaker 1: Is there a weird, funky, offbeat lineup you're hoping to 1992 01:24:46,479 --> 01:24:47,880 see them try out next season? 1993 01:24:49,159 --> 01:24:53,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, just like the potential future twenty twenty six Wolves 1994 01:24:53,600 --> 01:24:58,319 of like Rob and Jaden, Terren Channon Junior and Nas. 1995 01:24:58,800 --> 01:25:00,359 I don't know if that team will get a re bound. 1996 01:25:00,520 --> 01:25:02,000 I also don't know if they'll be able to protect 1997 01:25:02,000 --> 01:25:06,760 the rim, but just they that's peer athleticism, peer shot making. 1998 01:25:08,079 --> 01:25:10,479 I just be a fun line up again, like they 1999 01:25:10,520 --> 01:25:14,039 were kind of a slow, methodical team last year, and 2000 01:25:14,159 --> 01:25:16,239 all the numbers like pace and offensive you know, all 2001 01:25:16,279 --> 01:25:19,000 those things kind of prove that I would love to 2002 01:25:19,079 --> 01:25:22,520 see a team that has the closest thing to like 2003 01:25:22,520 --> 01:25:25,399 an Adrian Peterson running back and Anthony Edwards just have 2004 01:25:25,560 --> 01:25:27,760 other guys around him that, once they do get a stop, 2005 01:25:27,880 --> 01:25:29,920 can just get out and punish you in transition. 2006 01:25:30,800 --> 01:25:32,159 Speaker 1: I think I'm at the point where I want to 2007 01:25:32,159 --> 01:25:34,800 see Rob Dillingham plus four bigs like Let's throw the 2008 01:25:34,840 --> 01:25:37,239 three bigs out there with Leonard Miller and let's just 2009 01:25:37,279 --> 01:25:39,640 see what it looks like. I mean, because they in 2010 01:25:39,680 --> 01:25:41,720 the past and then you put Dillingham in there, and 2011 01:25:41,720 --> 01:25:43,600 then it's okay, we could go with Aunt. Might make 2012 01:25:43,680 --> 01:25:45,319 some sense if you want to go with Jayden or 2013 01:25:45,640 --> 01:25:47,720 Saron Hradu was like, no, let's throw Leonard Miller in 2014 01:25:47,760 --> 01:25:49,920 at the two or Nass or two. Leonter Miller's your three. 2015 01:25:50,079 --> 01:25:51,159 I just want to see what it looks like. I 2016 01:25:51,199 --> 01:25:53,199 don't care if it's bad. Just give me, like I 2017 01:25:53,199 --> 01:25:55,199 don't know, ten to fifteen possessions of it. That's all 2018 01:25:55,239 --> 01:25:55,760 I need to say. 2019 01:25:55,920 --> 01:25:57,760 Speaker 2: Like that's like the All Star Game stuff when like 2020 01:25:57,880 --> 01:26:00,279 Shack and for their centers played like give me Leonard 2021 01:26:00,319 --> 01:26:02,680 Miller at the one, Luca Gar's at the two, Carl 2022 01:26:02,840 --> 01:26:05,000 Naz and Rudy and just here, just give me like 2023 01:26:05,079 --> 01:26:07,760 four minutes against like the Pistons and just see what happens. 2024 01:26:08,119 --> 01:26:10,199 Speaker 1: Right. If you're up big, like, just try it. If 2025 01:26:10,239 --> 01:26:12,279 you're down big, just try it. As we record this 2026 01:26:12,479 --> 01:26:15,279 on September the thirteenth, they're over under a set at 2027 01:26:15,279 --> 01:26:17,520 fifty two and a half. Are you taking me over 2028 01:26:17,600 --> 01:26:18,319 or the under on that. 2029 01:26:19,840 --> 01:26:22,000 Speaker 2: I just want to stress quickly if you're not a 2030 01:26:22,039 --> 01:26:25,800 Timberlolves fan listening to this, that's fucking crazy, Like that 2031 01:26:26,000 --> 01:26:28,359 is such a large number for a team that has 2032 01:26:28,560 --> 01:26:31,119 pretty much as long as I've been in existence, been 2033 01:26:31,119 --> 01:26:35,479 a laughingstock. Fifty three and let me what's the math 2034 01:26:35,560 --> 01:26:38,680 on that? Like that's a pretty green twenty seven, that's 2035 01:26:38,920 --> 01:26:43,039 pretty steep. I don't I'm probably I've always been an 2036 01:26:43,039 --> 01:26:45,279 over guy, even when it's just lost me tons of money. 2037 01:26:45,880 --> 01:26:47,840 Speaker 3: I think I might go slightly under. 2038 01:26:47,960 --> 01:26:50,359 Speaker 2: And it's more of a credit to the rest of 2039 01:26:50,479 --> 01:26:54,760 the West. And again, this team last year had to 2040 01:26:54,840 --> 01:26:57,319 finally prove people wrong and shut people up and win 2041 01:26:57,399 --> 01:27:00,439 a bunch of games. I think, and maybe this is 2042 01:27:00,439 --> 01:27:03,319 already being told to us by bringing in two rookies 2043 01:27:03,359 --> 01:27:06,479 that you're going to rely on that maybe they're not 2044 01:27:06,680 --> 01:27:09,399 as hyper focused on do they have to? Mean, they 2045 01:27:09,399 --> 01:27:12,159 didn't have home court advantage against the Nuggets, right, and 2046 01:27:12,439 --> 01:27:14,720 that forced them to go on the road in Game seven, 2047 01:27:15,039 --> 01:27:17,880 and they did it. So maybe they're like, hey, we're 2048 01:27:17,960 --> 01:27:20,079 kind of like, we're not the Celtics, but we're a 2049 01:27:20,119 --> 01:27:24,039 contender now where every every additional win doesn't matter as 2050 01:27:24,119 --> 01:27:27,560 much in February as it does developing and getting our 2051 01:27:27,600 --> 01:27:29,920 shit right for April and May and possibly June. So 2052 01:27:30,720 --> 01:27:33,920 I'm going to end up saying under even if it's 2053 01:27:34,039 --> 01:27:37,039 like fifty two or fifty one, just because the West 2054 01:27:37,159 --> 01:27:39,520 is going to be so loaded, and I wonder if 2055 01:27:39,560 --> 01:27:42,359 the Wolves now have graduated to a level dan where 2056 01:27:42,399 --> 01:27:45,319 they can sit Mike and Rudy on a night and 2057 01:27:45,520 --> 01:27:48,720 just lean into Maybe that night's more about player development 2058 01:27:48,840 --> 01:27:50,920 and getting guys more reps, and they don't care about 2059 01:27:50,960 --> 01:27:53,560 wins as much. Chris Finch is so competitive. I don't 2060 01:27:53,600 --> 01:27:56,199 know how much he'll do that, but I think the 2061 01:27:56,239 --> 01:27:58,880 Wolves have graduated now that not every wind matters. It's 2062 01:27:58,960 --> 01:28:00,520 more about what you do in the post season than 2063 01:28:00,560 --> 01:28:01,600 what you do in the first eighty two. 2064 01:28:02,239 --> 01:28:04,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's gonna be when we eventually do these myself 2065 01:28:04,760 --> 01:28:06,800 and my co hosts, my concern with them is gonna 2066 01:28:06,800 --> 01:28:08,920 be how invested are they in the regular season, Because 2067 01:28:08,920 --> 01:28:11,279 if you want to develop Rob Dillingham and even Terren 2068 01:28:11,279 --> 01:28:13,439 Sheddon Junior, I imagine it will come at the expense 2069 01:28:13,880 --> 01:28:16,119 of wins. But then it's like, if this team is 2070 01:28:16,159 --> 01:28:18,319 really about it, I would hit the over just because 2071 01:28:18,319 --> 01:28:20,760 I think that they're that good, So it's an interesting 2072 01:28:20,840 --> 01:28:22,600 number for them. When you look at the West. You 2073 01:28:22,680 --> 01:28:24,760 mentioned how deep it is, is there like one or 2074 01:28:24,760 --> 01:28:26,520 two teams that you look at right now, it's like, oh, 2075 01:28:26,600 --> 01:28:31,000 those are the most interesting, fascinating or difficult matchups for Minnesota. 2076 01:28:32,239 --> 01:28:34,640 Speaker 2: Again, I can't. I'm not smart enough to cover the 2077 01:28:34,640 --> 01:28:36,319 whole league like you. So that's why I tune into 2078 01:28:36,399 --> 01:28:38,039 your stuff because you kind of see it all. I 2079 01:28:38,239 --> 01:28:42,079 still don't understand how Okac was so good, and I'm 2080 01:28:42,159 --> 01:28:45,119 probably deemed maybe as a hater, but I love what 2081 01:28:45,159 --> 01:28:46,479 they're doing. I mean, how do you not love a 2082 01:28:46,520 --> 01:28:48,119 team that has a bunch of young guys that are 2083 01:28:48,119 --> 01:28:51,640 successful and to have all this draft capital, but like 2084 01:28:51,840 --> 01:28:54,239 to add a Caruso and a Hertenstein to what that 2085 01:28:54,399 --> 01:28:56,720 team needed. I mean that's kind of like in the 2086 01:28:56,760 --> 01:28:59,680 Tim Conley aura of we were lacking this so we 2087 01:28:59,800 --> 01:29:02,520 just and got it. So, okay, C is gonna be, 2088 01:29:02,680 --> 01:29:06,279 in my mind, just the favorite to at least be 2089 01:29:06,319 --> 01:29:06,880 the one seed. 2090 01:29:07,000 --> 01:29:07,399 Speaker 3: Playoff. 2091 01:29:07,399 --> 01:29:09,600 Speaker 2: Basketball, as we've learned now is so much different. But 2092 01:29:10,119 --> 01:29:12,600 they're gonna be so good and on the flip side, 2093 01:29:12,640 --> 01:29:15,119 and maybe I'm a hater again, but it's hard for 2094 01:29:15,239 --> 01:29:18,119 me to look at Denver compared to Minnesota. 2095 01:29:18,159 --> 01:29:20,159 Speaker 3: Denver has the best player in the world. They won 2096 01:29:20,239 --> 01:29:20,600 a title. 2097 01:29:20,680 --> 01:29:22,760 Speaker 2: I would cut off my arms to be one of 2098 01:29:22,800 --> 01:29:25,199 those fans of a team that's won a title, but 2099 01:29:25,399 --> 01:29:28,119 like their bench, like their six. 2100 01:29:28,000 --> 01:29:29,359 Speaker 3: Man is like Russell Westbrook. 2101 01:29:29,880 --> 01:29:32,239 Speaker 2: So while okay see, and maybe like you know, Dallas, 2102 01:29:32,279 --> 01:29:34,199 I think had a nice little offseason and stuff too, 2103 01:29:34,520 --> 01:29:36,079 there are some other teams that are still in that 2104 01:29:36,199 --> 01:29:40,199 contender sphere that I don't know, like the Lakers stuff again, 2105 01:29:40,279 --> 01:29:40,960 what did they do? 2106 01:29:41,199 --> 01:29:42,319 Speaker 3: What did Denver really do? 2107 01:29:42,560 --> 01:29:45,399 Speaker 2: So I think it's okay see, and a tier of themselves. 2108 01:29:45,720 --> 01:29:47,960 And then to me, it's like Minnesota is right there 2109 01:29:48,039 --> 01:29:50,520 with like a Dallas and kind of that slightly tier too. 2110 01:29:51,600 --> 01:29:53,239 And we say this every year for as long as 2111 01:29:53,279 --> 01:29:54,479 you and I have been covering the league, Like the 2112 01:29:54,520 --> 01:29:57,359 West just continues to get better and it kind of sucks, 2113 01:29:57,399 --> 01:29:59,399 Like I know, Paul George goes East, but for every 2114 01:29:59,439 --> 01:30:01,680 Paul George goes East, it seems like three stars or 2115 01:30:01,680 --> 01:30:04,800 three really good players come West. So it's gonna be bloodshed. 2116 01:30:05,520 --> 01:30:07,800 And now this team has finally gotten, you know, to 2117 01:30:07,920 --> 01:30:10,359 a level where maybe they don't need to always fight 2118 01:30:10,479 --> 01:30:11,399 the toughest. 2119 01:30:11,039 --> 01:30:12,600 Speaker 3: Battle in December and January. 2120 01:30:12,680 --> 01:30:15,039 Speaker 2: And that's kind of again, why maybe it's like fifty 2121 01:30:15,079 --> 01:30:17,159 one and twenty nine or twenty eight or something. 2122 01:30:17,600 --> 01:30:19,439 Speaker 1: I know, I wish I had like a diverging opinion 2123 01:30:19,479 --> 01:30:20,760 from what you said, but it's like kind of just 2124 01:30:20,840 --> 01:30:23,119 the classic teams or it's like, yeah, like Memphis is good, 2125 01:30:23,159 --> 01:30:26,920 Phoenix should be better. But like I look at Denver, oh, okay, see, 2126 01:30:26,960 --> 01:30:28,920 probably I'm for sure at the top, and then it's 2127 01:30:28,960 --> 01:30:31,640 like Denver and Dallas too. The one team I will say, 2128 01:30:31,840 --> 01:30:33,239 and I'm not too high on them based off the 2129 01:30:33,239 --> 01:30:35,239 way they're set up are but in this specific matchup, 2130 01:30:35,520 --> 01:30:38,399 if everyone's healthy, I don't know what's going on with 2131 01:30:38,479 --> 01:30:40,319 New Orleans is rotation in the front line right now, 2132 01:30:40,359 --> 01:30:42,119 but if like Zion is just gonna be your big 2133 01:30:42,600 --> 01:30:45,399 they are fascinating matchup against. I'm not saying a bad matchup, 2134 01:30:45,399 --> 01:30:47,520 but they become a fascinating matchup against a team like 2135 01:30:47,840 --> 01:30:48,600 the Timberwolves. 2136 01:30:49,079 --> 01:30:51,439 Speaker 2: Well, now that I'm thinking more about the West, and 2137 01:30:51,560 --> 01:30:53,560 this isn't to bleep on the East, but there are 2138 01:30:53,680 --> 01:30:55,520 nights in the Eastern Conference where you just get a 2139 01:30:55,600 --> 01:30:59,199 free night, Like again, until the Pistons can clear themselves out. Yeah, brokely, 2140 01:30:59,640 --> 01:31:02,079 you just get and sometimes and the Wolves have shown 2141 01:31:02,119 --> 01:31:04,720 this more than anyone. A free night or an easy 2142 01:31:04,800 --> 01:31:06,520 night is not the best thing for their psyche because 2143 01:31:06,520 --> 01:31:07,880 then they're all of a sudden down twelve in the 2144 01:31:07,920 --> 01:31:10,439 third quarter. But in the West, like who you know 2145 01:31:10,479 --> 01:31:12,840 who is predicted to be the worst team in the West, 2146 01:31:12,960 --> 01:31:15,600 Like maybe not San Antonio, but like do they have 2147 01:31:15,720 --> 01:31:18,479 Wemby and like they added Chris Paul or like the 2148 01:31:18,640 --> 01:31:20,840 Kings even who I never know what to figure out 2149 01:31:20,840 --> 01:31:23,800 what the Kings? Like they had Derozen the Suns, who 2150 01:31:23,880 --> 01:31:27,680 the Wolves showed despite what everyone thought after Game eighty two, Uh, 2151 01:31:27,840 --> 01:31:29,760 the Wolves were just a better team than the Suns. 2152 01:31:29,960 --> 01:31:31,760 Where they go out and get in my mind, the 2153 01:31:31,840 --> 01:31:35,840 single most valuable transaction in the offseason and Tias Jones 2154 01:31:35,880 --> 01:31:38,279 for the minimum and like he addresses, I mean, Tias 2155 01:31:38,319 --> 01:31:40,520 Jones is a winning basketball player cliche or not. So 2156 01:31:41,199 --> 01:31:44,079 there's really no easy game in the West, and I 2157 01:31:44,159 --> 01:31:45,800 think that's again what just is going to make this 2158 01:31:45,960 --> 01:31:49,479 all really complicated and every night's going to be a fight. 2159 01:31:50,279 --> 01:31:52,079 But yeah, man, there's a lot of teams that if 2160 01:31:52,119 --> 01:31:54,000 they goes right. I mean, we sleep on Memphis a 2161 01:31:54,000 --> 01:31:55,720 lot because you know, job was kind of not there 2162 01:31:55,800 --> 01:31:59,000 last year. But there's probably a handful of teams that 2163 01:31:59,039 --> 01:32:00,800 you could tell me in April, like, hey, that team 2164 01:32:00,880 --> 01:32:03,680 is actually the one seed right now by three games, 2165 01:32:03,760 --> 01:32:05,840 and the Pelicans would be one that. Yeah, if they 2166 01:32:05,840 --> 01:32:08,159 figure out their rotation, Zion is what Zion can be. 2167 01:32:08,960 --> 01:32:11,119 It's gonna be awesome. Every night's gonna matter, and that's 2168 01:32:11,159 --> 01:32:12,680 gonna be awesome from a fan perspective. 2169 01:32:12,960 --> 01:32:15,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's two teams that don't seem interested in winning, 2170 01:32:15,119 --> 01:32:17,479 and even Portland might be accidentally not shitty. 2171 01:32:17,560 --> 01:32:18,680 Speaker 3: Yep, that's a good one, just. 2172 01:32:18,720 --> 01:32:21,000 Speaker 1: Because of like they're gonna be bad, but they just 2173 01:32:21,039 --> 01:32:22,800 have some really good players and to the point, you 2174 01:32:22,800 --> 01:32:24,960 don't understand what they're doing at the moment. Kyle, you 2175 01:32:25,039 --> 01:32:27,039 have given me more than ninety minutes. Is there anything 2176 01:32:27,079 --> 01:32:29,279 else that we haven't discussed, I haven't asked you about 2177 01:32:29,319 --> 01:32:31,960 that you would like to touch upon before I let uskadaddle. 2178 01:32:32,640 --> 01:32:34,720 Speaker 2: Uh No, I mean I kind of highlighted this at 2179 01:32:34,760 --> 01:32:39,560 the top, but ninety minutes of pretty pro Timberwolves propaganda 2180 01:32:39,720 --> 01:32:44,079 and none of it might matter if this arbitration hearing 2181 01:32:44,279 --> 01:32:47,560 in November between Glenn Taylor and then Mark Laurie and 2182 01:32:47,560 --> 01:32:50,720 Alex Rodriguez if that goes south, because again I have 2183 01:32:50,920 --> 01:32:52,880 my side and I have my belief in how this 2184 01:32:53,000 --> 01:32:55,520 will play out. But if it doesn't go in a 2185 01:32:55,640 --> 01:32:58,039 good way, you're looking at a team that you know, 2186 01:32:58,399 --> 01:33:00,159 twelve months from now might have a new place in 2187 01:33:00,199 --> 01:33:03,560 the basketball operations, might have a new or same owner. 2188 01:33:03,960 --> 01:33:07,359 And how does that affect everything that trickles down. I 2189 01:33:07,399 --> 01:33:09,399 always try to stress this anytime on a pod, but 2190 01:33:09,520 --> 01:33:12,600 this is basketball. This isn't kind of an escape for us, 2191 01:33:12,600 --> 01:33:15,680 a distraction on stuff. But basketball organizations are run kind 2192 01:33:15,720 --> 01:33:18,239 of like normal organizations, right, So the Timberwolves are still 2193 01:33:18,319 --> 01:33:20,520 kind of like Google or Apple, like, they still have 2194 01:33:20,600 --> 01:33:23,239 a lot of power, dynamics and drama and hierarchy. And 2195 01:33:23,760 --> 01:33:26,359 if the top of the food chain is messy or 2196 01:33:26,479 --> 01:33:31,000 gray or not clear or well run, it does affect 2197 01:33:31,119 --> 01:33:32,279 every other level below it. 2198 01:33:32,439 --> 01:33:35,039 Speaker 3: So I'm bullish on this team. 2199 01:33:35,359 --> 01:33:37,600 Speaker 2: I think they can win fifty games, and I think 2200 01:33:37,640 --> 01:33:40,760 they're a real six or seventeen contender to win a title, 2201 01:33:40,800 --> 01:33:43,880 which is crazy to say, but it can all be 2202 01:33:43,960 --> 01:33:46,319 pulled out from under them with like the lucy football 2203 01:33:46,399 --> 01:33:49,319 thing if if the ownership thing goes in a bad way. 2204 01:33:49,479 --> 01:33:51,680 So it'll be a fascinating start to the season because 2205 01:33:51,680 --> 01:33:54,000 it's all gonna be about basketball, But as we start 2206 01:33:54,039 --> 01:33:56,199 to cook that turkey in November, it's gonna be like, okay, 2207 01:33:56,239 --> 01:33:58,359 so who was actually signing all these checks? 2208 01:33:59,479 --> 01:34:03,199 Speaker 1: And look, honestly, the stakes this season are higher or 2209 01:34:03,239 --> 01:34:05,319 more rickety than they were last season because you have 2210 01:34:05,520 --> 01:34:09,319 Rudy Gobert, nas and Naw entering free agency next summer 2211 01:34:09,640 --> 01:34:12,279 on top, so like everyone could have come back. It 2212 01:34:12,359 --> 01:34:14,960 wasn't a matter of oh, we have to repay like 2213 01:34:15,039 --> 01:34:17,079 Kyle Anderson, of course, like that's a loss. But the 2214 01:34:17,159 --> 01:34:20,279 fact that you have three of your i mean top 2215 01:34:20,399 --> 01:34:22,239 seven guys from last year are going to be entering 2216 01:34:22,279 --> 01:34:24,399 free agency, on top of oh, this is now the 2217 01:34:24,439 --> 01:34:26,840 first year we've gone into the second apron, on top 2218 01:34:26,920 --> 01:34:28,840 of okay, what is going on at the top? On 2219 01:34:28,960 --> 01:34:30,960 top of all right, it does Tim Connelly want to 2220 01:34:31,000 --> 01:34:33,479 stick around? The stakes are higher this season. They're also 2221 01:34:33,520 --> 01:34:36,079 they're trying to make a harder leap, which is just 2222 01:34:36,159 --> 01:34:38,960 they went from good to contender last year. Now it's like, 2223 01:34:39,039 --> 01:34:42,359 can we go to contender to capslock contender basically, and 2224 01:34:42,479 --> 01:34:45,359 so I hope I don't want to say I hope 2225 01:34:45,359 --> 01:34:47,079 it doesn't get talked about because you want the focus 2226 01:34:47,119 --> 01:34:49,119 to be on basketball, but like you do kind of 2227 01:34:49,159 --> 01:34:50,600 have to keep one and a half eyes on what 2228 01:34:50,720 --> 01:34:52,640 is going to happen after this coming season. 2229 01:34:52,960 --> 01:34:55,600 Speaker 2: And again that comes back to expectations. Right, if things 2230 01:34:55,640 --> 01:34:57,800 are going well, I don't think anyone's going to really 2231 01:34:57,880 --> 01:35:02,000 care who wins the legal dispute to this team. But 2232 01:35:02,079 --> 01:35:05,399 if things don't go well, I mean again, the day 2233 01:35:05,439 --> 01:35:07,960 that it was announced that Glenn Taylor was pulling the 2234 01:35:08,039 --> 01:35:10,520 team off, you know, not for sale anymore and taking 2235 01:35:10,520 --> 01:35:12,279 the sign out of the yard was the day that 2236 01:35:12,319 --> 01:35:14,159 they went and played the Nuggets. Like every time Glenn 2237 01:35:14,239 --> 01:35:15,960 kind of steps into it, it's like a really big 2238 01:35:16,039 --> 01:35:18,600 time for the team. And credit to Tim Conley and 2239 01:35:18,640 --> 01:35:20,079 Chris Finch, but they've done a pretty good job of 2240 01:35:20,159 --> 01:35:22,840 kind of being like that meme of the shield protecting 2241 01:35:23,199 --> 01:35:25,640 you know, the little guy sleeping, So okay, if as 2242 01:35:25,640 --> 01:35:27,359 long as as long as they're around, they're kind of 2243 01:35:27,359 --> 01:35:28,680 the meat shield for any of the drama. 2244 01:35:28,840 --> 01:35:29,920 Speaker 3: It's a really good locker room. 2245 01:35:29,920 --> 01:35:32,399 Speaker 2: It's a really tight knit group, but you know, all 2246 01:35:32,439 --> 01:35:33,880 it takes is for the thing at the top of 2247 01:35:33,920 --> 01:35:36,359 the food chain to kind of be disrupted and then 2248 01:35:36,359 --> 01:35:38,720 it's all going to trickle down. So it sucks to 2249 01:35:38,800 --> 01:35:40,920 say that because this is the team is finally good. 2250 01:35:41,239 --> 01:35:43,199 But that's also just if you're a Timberwolves fan. That's 2251 01:35:43,239 --> 01:35:45,479 just kind of the experience, right. Like I don't know 2252 01:35:45,479 --> 01:35:47,399 if I've said this too before, but in Ricky Bobby, 2253 01:35:47,399 --> 01:35:49,720 when they're at Applebee's having dinner and the dad's just 2254 01:35:49,880 --> 01:35:51,880 like everything's going too well. 2255 01:35:52,000 --> 01:35:53,279 Speaker 3: I got to cause some chaos. 2256 01:35:53,399 --> 01:35:55,720 Speaker 2: That's kind of the Timberwolf things are going really well, 2257 01:35:56,319 --> 01:35:58,239 Someone's like, we got to kind of disrupt the apple 2258 01:35:58,279 --> 01:36:00,640 cart a little bit. So, uh yeah, there's never an 2259 01:36:00,680 --> 01:36:03,720 easy day or a sleep an easy sleep when you're 2260 01:36:03,720 --> 01:36:04,439 a Timberwolves fan. 2261 01:36:04,560 --> 01:36:06,680 Speaker 3: But this is about as good as it's ever been 2262 01:36:06,720 --> 01:36:08,399 since I've been around. Kyle. 2263 01:36:08,439 --> 01:36:10,479 Speaker 1: Are you able to just tell our listeners watchers where 2264 01:36:10,479 --> 01:36:12,319 they can find you in all the great, great work 2265 01:36:12,399 --> 01:36:12,680 that you do. 2266 01:36:13,079 --> 01:36:16,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, at Kyle Tige on Twitter. I host co host 2267 01:36:16,520 --> 01:36:18,439 Flagrant Holes over at Score North. 2268 01:36:18,279 --> 01:36:21,000 Speaker 2: With Phil Mackie, and then I'm working for Dane Moore 2269 01:36:21,000 --> 01:36:23,520 again this year, doing a lot of daye More NBA podcasts. 2270 01:36:23,960 --> 01:36:26,039 Speaker 3: That show continues to grow too, so a lot of. 2271 01:36:26,039 --> 01:36:29,359 Speaker 2: Timberwolves content, a lot of podcasts, and it's just been 2272 01:36:29,399 --> 01:36:29,880 great again. 2273 01:36:29,960 --> 01:36:32,600 Speaker 3: People that support us, you and I know this. This 2274 01:36:32,760 --> 01:36:34,079 is like the coolest job in the world. 2275 01:36:34,199 --> 01:36:36,199 Speaker 2: So shout out to everyone that supports my stuff and 2276 01:36:36,359 --> 01:36:38,880 supports dan stuff, because without you, I don't think we'd 2277 01:36:38,920 --> 01:36:41,439 be doing this. So it's an exciting time. I'm really 2278 01:36:41,720 --> 01:36:43,880 ramped up again for basketball. Got a new TV DAN, 2279 01:36:44,039 --> 01:36:46,479 so bring on training camp, bring on media Day, and 2280 01:36:46,560 --> 01:36:47,520 not bring on the preseason. 2281 01:36:48,560 --> 01:36:50,640 Speaker 1: You can all find links to everything that Kyle does 2282 01:36:50,720 --> 01:36:53,199 in our podcast and YouTube description, so go support him 2283 01:36:53,239 --> 01:36:57,000 and those podcasts specifically. I love the Day More NBA show. Kyle. 2284 01:36:57,119 --> 01:36:59,000 Thank you so much for all of your time, very 2285 01:36:59,079 --> 01:37:00,920 generous as usual, and as you know by now, I 2286 01:37:00,960 --> 01:37:02,960 will be pestering you again in the future. 2287 01:37:03,239 --> 01:37:03,720 Speaker 3: Thank you, sir,