Speaker 1: What is up, Fellasiko's I am Dan Falley coming at
you with mister Moore Jensen of the NBA podcast, fame
of Yahoo Sports, fame of HBO match name.
Speaker 2: And of course only fans celebrity.
Speaker 1: We are gathered around the Hardwood Knocks NBA campfire today
to say we don't care about.
Speaker 2: Lebron James watch four point zero.
Speaker 1: We don't care about waiting for Jailen Duran to sign
wherever he's gonna sign, which will probably be Detroit if
not a sign and trade for another team. We're gonna
go through the lay of the land post free agency craze.
I think we've borrowing any surprise trades. We've exited the
transaction tumult.
Speaker 2: Portion of the NBA offseason.
Speaker 1: So we're gonna take stock of every team doing the
Eastern Conference today, we'll do the Western Conference I think
is scheduled for as of right now. We're gonna do
it on Friday, so you'll be listening to it shortly
after that. But we're gonna begin with the East before
we get started, just alternating teams.
Speaker 2: Moret How are you doing.
Speaker 3: I'm doing well.
Speaker 4: It is It's not quite like Las Vegas temperatures over here,
but it is, uh, it is warm. So I am
looking forward to just getting this pod out of the
way because I'm in my office and it's like I'm
swimming poollets already, which I know you appreciate.
Speaker 1: That is one hot as hell, yeah, and two a
little hurtful that you're just looking to get this pot
out of the way.
Speaker 2: I thought that you look so looked forward so much
to record it.
Speaker 4: I do that. Look, I can. I'm a complex human being.
I can have very I have a lot of it.
Speaker 1: You can't contain multitudes, all right, And you're binary black
or white, all right, So.
Speaker 2: Let's get started.
Speaker 1: You are the guests, though, is there anything that you
really quickly that you consider when you're doing this? Like
I tried to wait, we kind of don't know what's
going to happen here or whatever, but I'm still I'm
looking at the depth charts. How I think these teams
are going to play considering what happened last year, and
I'm just like, no, I think this team still needs this.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, positional need is really what I come down to to.
Speaker 4: Like, there's a few there are there are a few
teams where I'm like does this team have enough toughness?
Like there are some components where I I don't look
at positional need, but that's like eighty percent of it
for me, Like where can this team struggle? Like where
where can this team have issues? And if I can
just jump right in, then I'm just gonna start with
the Atlanta Hawks and.
Speaker 1: We are not going alphabetically. But no, no, that is just
I'm dedicated.
Speaker 4: I am, I actually am. Because here's the thing I love.
I love the Aaron Wickins acquisition.
Speaker 3: I love it.
Speaker 4: It's strengthened their whole wing rotation. But the thing is
the ring rotation is weird because we just don't know
if Sagary Rishche can ever become that quality piece that
they need him to be. Corey Kisbert is fine, but
you know he's he's a backup, Like no, no, no, no,
I'm not not crabbing on Corey Kisbert that this man
can finish at the RAM and he can shoot threes,
like I'm in on Corey Kisburg, but not as a starter.
So I just question their overall wink depth, like can
they somehow finagle this because I'm assuming Jalen Johnson's gonna
play primarily before that, at least to me, seems to
be the most obvious position for him. It just it
feels like there's a move to be had at some
point before at the end of the summer here for them.
Speaker 1: I would be with you that move might be a
Johnathan can make a sign and trade to the Lakers
for some reason.
Speaker 2: I don't really know what Los Angeles is thinking.
Speaker 1: Still, they are an interesting team because I would agree
with what you said. I also have half court shot
creation listed for them, and I think you could probably also
make a case like do they need a bigger earlier center.
Their defensive rebounding got better later last year, but it
did fall off in the playoffs. I know they didn't
have Jock Landale, does Henry Vasar contribute there at all?
But last year they were in the twenty fifth percentile
of half court offense with CJ. McCollum on the court
and no Jalen Johnson, thirty third percentile overall about either
of those guys, And then if you just look at
when Jalen Johnson's on the floor without Trey Young, you know,
so post like when Trey Young's injured, and then after
they traded him. They're about a league average team or
close to it in the half court. I don't know
if Nikkeil, Alexander Walker, Jalen Johnson and CJ.
Speaker 2: McCollum are enough.
Speaker 1: And I think that puts a big burden, maybe a
big burden. How much is Kingston Fleming is gonna play?
And then to your point, you're not getting any of
that stuff out of your wings right now. I mean,
Dyson Daniels can do it a little bit, but because
of his limitations, you want to see more as a
play finisher, the guy that's maybe setting the screens. So yeah,
they're a very talented team, but it does feel that
would be the appeal.
Speaker 2: By the way, I.
Speaker 1: Know a lot of Hawks hans are annoyed they they're
not bringing back Kuminga. Doesn't look like they're open to it,
but as of right now, doesn't look like they will.
Speaker 2: I know that that is.
Speaker 1: Maybe one of the reasons to be frustrated is you
don't trust him to be consistent or set up teammates.
But he is someone who can and rate his own
shot in the half court for sure.
Speaker 3: Right, So yeah, that is that is the need for
for the Hawks.
Speaker 1: If you ask me, I'm gonna go to where do
I want to go to? Let's go to Cleveland. Lebron
hasn't decided yet. I believe that Cleveland is the favorite
to land him as of right now. Get Lebron, don't
get Lebron. This team needs wing defense, or even just
true wings. They lost Dean Wade. He has his offensive problems.
We saw it in the playoffs without question, but he
guarded wings fifty two percent of the time on defense
last year while just routinely taking on the toughest assignments.
Right Without him there, it's Jaellen Tyson and then Dennis
Shrewder can do some of the point of attack stuff,
but it's like that's kind of it, and you have
to chess piece your players around when you're looking at Donovan, Mitchell,
James Harden specifically to insulate them. I think you could
put anybody in front of Evan Mobley and Jared Allen
and they would still figure out a way to be
a good defensive team in those minutes. But if you're
gonna add Lebron, or even if you don't, you get
to the playoffs and they need another like they need
another wing guy, and so I'm curious with them specifically,
they have about thirty eight million dollars in room beneath
the second apron without James Harden on the books. Can
they stay under the second apron so that they can
aggregate salaries as part of a trade. Can they even
they do have a first round pick to trade. So
when you look at the salary of a Max Struce,
if you have Sam Merril on this team, how important
do you view Max Strew So let's saying he's not important?
Or can you use Denis schreuder salary and just get
an upgrade in there? And I also just wonder do
you think they're offensively talented enough to say we don't
have to care about the offense of the wing that
is coming in, or do you need more? You know,
like you can't just go after Herb Jones, or you
can't go after lou Dort and Rope in a third team.
You need someone maybe like a Derek Jones junior or
who has more upside another name.
Speaker 2: I've listened to them.
Speaker 1: I don't know what it costs to get him out
of Washington now, but Palla Kolbali defensively would make a
lot of sense. Yeah, for this team and a trade
that I would throw to you. Can you do something
like Jared Allen and then it's I think it would
have to be like Max Strus for Trey Murphy, Herb
Jones and Eves Meaci And maybe you're throw in the
Cavs first round pick there or is that not enough
if you're in New Orleans. Jared Allen's clearly the centerpiece
coming in there.
Speaker 3: That that's a big one. You just threw at me
right there. Uh, that would be interesting.
Speaker 4: That would shore up there, They're wing dept immediately Like
that would look in both the three and the four
slot for a long time actually, and it allows Mopley.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, I like it.
Speaker 4: That's not bad, Like you get more symmetry in there,
because like, what if we base it off the current iteration?
Do we trust the Jared Allen Eman Moopley combination? Do
we trust it? Or where are we on this?
Speaker 1: I trust it in the regular season for sure, But
I think you might need the blend of or you
either need a better blend of physicality when it comes
to the playoffs, or you need to have a more
liable wing who can, like like for the playoffs, so
that there's not as much on them defensively, but it
also regardless, I think you're still looking at can Evan
Mobley do more? Especially if Lebron doesn't come to the team,
did he diversify his offense even more? I don't know
if I'm the Pelicans, if I would do that trade
I threw out, But I do believe that the Herb
Jones contract, while it's fine, probably doesn't look as good
as it did this time last year. And so I
was curious if for them Jared Allen the first and
then like, look, the team they have right now needs
Max Strus Like you just need a ton of shooting
on the Pelicans.
Speaker 2: So that was one that I had thought of.
Speaker 4: So basically, the first two teams that we've gone through
have had needs on the wing, all right, sensing a theme,
I don't.
Speaker 1: I don't think it's going to be a rebel. I mean,
there needs that bleed into the perimeter for me. But
I don't have a wing listed for every team.
Speaker 2: Some of them, for.
Speaker 4: Sure, no, no, but but quite a few actually, so
this isn't necessarily wing specific. I'm gonna go Detroit now
and it's gonna be yeah, like obviously, we just so
many open ended questions at this point, right, like Jalen Durham,
we don't know what's gonna happen there, but it felt
like they made moves to do something else as well.
And look, they have also Thompson as their their primary wing.
He is unquestionably a and the lead defender. I think
there is some offensive upside in terms of his playmaking,
his athleticism, his his you know, downhill ability. I think
he's underrated as a bowl handler. That said you need
wing offense, you need something offensively from the wing as well.
I'm not going wing specific on Detroit, but it is
a position of need offensively speaking overall, I'm just looking
at this roster and I'm just going scoring, like more
scoring please.
Speaker 1: Uh what I'm interested in because I would agree with
I think your underlying sentiment here because I just have
more offensive creation for them in general.
Speaker 2: Because what you did is you got rid.
Speaker 1: So what I think is what they're doing and I
kind of see the vision. I'm assuming John Durham comes back,
and like you said, they did make moves, which feels
as if there's a preamble to other moves. But assuming
Durham comes back by getting John Collins, by getting Isaiah Joe,
keeping Duncan Robinson again the saws. Now it feels like
maybe they're saying, hey, can we get more out of
Asar Thompson and Donnis Jenkins with more floor spacing? And
so I dug into the numbers a little bit, and
this is still in need. I want to make it
clear that the Pistons from the sixteenth percentile of half
court shot creation among players who aren't Ky Cunningham, that
is that is awful. But when Asar and Jenkins shared
the court without k, the Pistons were in the seventy
seven percent title of half court offense. Last year, those
lineup shot forty point eight percent on threes. The one
caveat I will say, as of right now, I think
this team will still miss to Bias Harris because John
Collins isn't much of a shot creator. If you remove
Tobias Harris from those of Sar Jenkins lineups, I just said,
the offensive efficiency plummets to the thirty second percentile. But
Asar Thompson could get better. When you say you need
offense out of the wing spot, I absolutely agree with you,
and for him it's all right if you give him
more spacing, can he improve as a finisher because just
with his his handle, his IQ and the nuclear athleticism,
he should just be finishing better at the rim than
he has right so far overall? Does more spacing help that?
Can you just bank on Jenkins getting better? I'm not
super excited about Detroit's offseason, but the more I look
at their roster, and if you are willing to bake
in the idea of two of the you know, Jenkins
and or Thompson getting better, which is hardly outside the
realm of possibility. I understand what they're trying to do,
but we have slamm o'clock in the chat saying best
target for Detroit Trey Cason Wallace, Peyton Watson, Kevin Durant,
Trey Murphy is how many? How many teams? Is Trey
Murphy the top target for Detroit should be one of them?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: Yeah, all of them.
Speaker 1: Peyton, Watson and Caseon Wallas aren't good enough shooters or
creators for me to view them as a primary. Kevin
Durant would be super interesting if the Rockets were looking
to cut the cord. So I think Detroit still needs
to get better from the offensive creation.
Speaker 2: I'm with you on in that sense. For sure.
Speaker 1: Do you trust Asara Thompson to get better offensively at all?
Speaker 2: You didn't?
Speaker 4: I do, but but I mean in terms of like
the most crucial areas such as shooting. I yeah, that's yeah,
that's just rough. It's rough for me to sit here
and go Yeah. I trust also Thompson as a shooter,
like not really, So we'll see what happens. Like I
will say, one guy who we should probably devote more
energy on in terms of like the Pistons context, is
year three of Ron Holland has to go a lot better.
I think, I think there's something there. I think defensively
he's interesting, but I need to see him become more
of an offensive, elite inclined player because that was also
his m O at G League IIG nine as a
player overall was he was someone who could go get
you scoring. He was someone who could go get you
three free FROs, and we haven't seen that at the
NBA level at all. And shooting wise, he's been dreadful.
So needs to see something pop for for Ron Holland
for sure.
Speaker 1: Honestly he's someone on if you're married to Sara Thompson.
I'm looking to trade Ron Holland I just don't see
the long term fit with him. And again we're assuming
during his back even if he's not, those two could
be an awkward fit. What is up, fellasick gos You
listening to this episode right now thinking wow, it would
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Speaker 2: And now back to the show.
Speaker 1: My pick now right, let's see, let's go to my
Toronto Raptors. Oh, they got some guy named Kawi Leonard.
We don't know about his extension yet, but we assume
he's going to design one they need.
Speaker 4: I'm going to go with the Raptures or a company
that the Raptures associate themselves with.
Speaker 2: Wait.
Speaker 1: Did you see Kyle Lowry's speech, his retirement speech.
Speaker 3: No, I didn't.
Speaker 1: I don't think he did it intentionally based I watched
the like the full clip and just the way he sound,
it didn't sound like he did this intentionally.
Speaker 2: But Kawhi Leonard was there.
Speaker 1: He was talking about the Kawhi Leonard acquisition and he said,
you know you aspire to win a championship after you
make that move. And I because it's Kyle Lowry, you
never know, right, But it didn't sound like he did
it on purpose.
Speaker 2: I thought it was incredible. It was an incredible moment.
Speaker 3: Though, that's fantastic, that's fantastic.
Speaker 1: There are It's uncomfortable because I'm so high on this team.
I think you could go three different ways here. You
could go with big Man Insurance behind Yaka Pertle. You
could go with more guard creation, or you could go
with shooting. I'm gonna go with shooting because I think
Kawhi is just a huge upgrade as a creator from
Brandon Ingram. Look at like how many pull up threes
he made last year, and then I'm just because I
think that their best closing lineup is gonna be Kawhi,
Scottie Barnes and calaminary Boyles in the front court. I'm
not gonna waste too much energy on Oh, they need
like another big man in here. So I think it
just needs to be Now if they can get a
stretch five, that'd be super interesting for this team. I
think it just needs to be shooting. You look at this,
even with the improvement that you're going to get from Leonard,
who took a lot more threes last year, Scotty's teammates
forty six percentile in three point shot making last season,
thirty first and three point attempt rate, and twenty fourth
in pull up three point efficiency. Again, Kawhi takes care
of some of that Manuel quickly. He's he helps there too,
but he was already there last season. Are we relying
more on Jamison Battle to play a bunch of minutes here?
Do we think can Jamal shed improve as a shooter.
This team has a chance to be nasty defensively, but
they still need and they don't have a ton of
stuff left to trade now or a ton of financial
flexibility for that matter. But even going out there and
getting someone like Ashai Mia Kaylea Luke might help them.
Speaker 2: Like that's the type of.
Speaker 1: I just don't between Kawhi and like their best shooters
are who Kawhi Emmanuel Quickly and Jamison battle and if
you like, if you trust Jakobe Walter, you throw him
in there.
Speaker 2: Just don't think that's enough. I don't.
Speaker 3: I don't.
Speaker 4: I don't trust to Kobe Walter yet I think their upside.
I'm not out of him as a prospect whatsoever, but
I'm not at that point where I'm putting my eggs
in the Jacoby Walter can shoot basket whatsoever.
Speaker 1: And even I feel as if he's a solid three
and D option, but the three is always going to
be Is he taking enough on a permanent basis? So yeah,
But I will say what made me think about going
with something like maybe just focusing on the center spot
is because I really do think, with all due respect
to brandon Ingram that Kawhi is such an upgrade for
this team.
Speaker 2: This isn't perfect.
Speaker 1: Like the Raptors did have a top ten half court
offense last year, but Kawhi had a sixty two point
six true shooting percentage with the Clippers when he played
against top ten defenses last year, and you're throwing that
in for brandon Ingram is just a massive upgrade. I'm
interested to see. And I do think they're kind of
obligated too, so it's not spicy take. I think they
will do something in the middle of the season to
address this, Yes.
Speaker 4: But like largely we agree it's it's a shooting related issue.
I think a lot of this also changes if Colin
Murray Boyles comes back with a reliable three point shot,
Like he only made seventeen threes his first year.
Speaker 1: So that he would have to make a pretty bad
The percentage wasn't bad on those though, right, No.
Speaker 4: Thirty four, it's fine, Yeah, but like it's just so
low volume that we can sit here and talk about, like,
can we put any stock into fifty overall attempts from three?
I don't know, but I just I don't hate his release.
I don't hate like his shot selection. I think he's
like pretty smart about understanding when does when do I
have time to take this shot? When am I under
pressure enough to have to seek out alternative reaction patterns.
I kind of trust him to just make the right decision.
So if you can lean into him as more of
a shooter, if you can get there, that would be
a huge help.
Speaker 1: And it does it make you feel better that he
shot so well on arc threes in comparison to corner threes,
because then maybe it's okay, can you screen for Scottie
and you can pop or you could just hit some
trail threes in he.
Speaker 4: Hit seventeen threes all year. I'm not putting suck into
any of it.
Speaker 2: Well, what about the free throws?
Speaker 1: So he's at sixty five percent from the line, that's
not necessarily a good harbinger again, low volume under two
A yeah.
Speaker 3: Every yeah.
Speaker 4: See that's the thing. He he was primarily just a
two point conversion player, So something has to take up
somewhere else offensively for him.
Speaker 1: That or you just bank on Scottie Barnes turning into
a good pull up three point shooter or a good stand
still three point shooter. Is that still there's always there's
flickers and flashes of Oh, Scotty Barnes is drilling like
a trillion percent of his mid range jumpers.
Speaker 2: You never know.
Speaker 4: I I mean, look, he'd be lovely, but I mean
he hit forty percent threes year. I just don't think
we've seen enough from him in that department for me
to trust it. But if it suddenly comes around, sure,
I mean.
Speaker 1: I clearly don't trust that I have shooting listed as
the need. I clearly trust that exactly.
Speaker 4: Then let's just stick with that, because I think we're
very much in agreement on this. Your pick, Oh, it's
me hmm, all right, Uh Pacers, Let's go Pacers.
Speaker 2: Can you can?
Speaker 1: I just preface this with I looked at this team, yeah,
and it took me way longer to come up with
a need than I was thinking, because it's not like
I'm ready to pick them to win the East, but
I'm looking at the talent they have, and if Johnny
Fervey is gonna be healthy, I might be ready to
say some pretty reckless things about why aren't we talking
about the Indiana Pacers Leading into next day, they feel
like they might be one of the most complete teams
in the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 4: Right, which is why I'm gonna bush a bubble just
a little bit, because I also have shooting here. I
guess I look, they're they're an okay is shooting team,
especially if Haliberton is back and fully healthy.
Speaker 3: But there are.
Speaker 4: Certain areas where I'm less optimistic, like supbat shakam uh
front line, Like Siam isn't a knockdown three point shooter.
We know Sue isn't much of a shooter, Like he
can take the mid range pop, which is good, but
like the long ball not really, So like how do
you bridge that? C. C. McConnell's still on the roster,
He's not much of a shooter. Jeris Walker was still
like it's up and now. I don't think it's very
much the Jacoby Walter situation with Jeris Walker, like we
might believe in him, but at the same time we
might not. It depends on the week we're kind of in.
So to me, I think shooting is definitely one thing.
I like the Kelli Oupra acquisition. I thought that was
severely underrated, especially I would like eight was it was?
Speaker 1: It even made you think because I was kind of wondering, Look,
he played some center, but like he got a lot
of wings last year. And so if you don't have
Johnny Furphy in the rotation, the fact you of Kelly Uber,
who guarded a metric ton of wings yep last year,
and just he fits. You need him to get off
the ball quicker or to pass at like at all whatsoever.
But he fits like the way he can move off
the ball or get out.
Speaker 2: He does fit.
Speaker 1: Let him and Obi topping on the court at the
same time. The pacers might just be a blur in
transition at that point.
Speaker 4: So but yeah, so I'm sticking with my three point
shooting accuracy skepticism.
Speaker 3: At this point.
Speaker 4: That is my biggest question or biggest need for them
at this current stage, because if they can get a
couple more guys in who can spread the floor, things
could be really fun.
Speaker 1: That's interesting, And I think you're right in the sense
that they don't have aside from Tyre's haliburt, and you
don't look at anyone on this team and say they're
ultra high volume for three maybe relative to their position,
like a Jay Huff permanent relative to his position. Sure,
had I ended up settling on I was trying to
decide between they either need another guard creator just how
much like TJ McConnell, how much gas does he have
left in the tank. And he's also comes with his
own you know you mentioned shooting. That's not someone who's
gonna be hitting a ton of threes. They do have
Quenton Jackson, Haliburton's coming back, you have Andrew Nemhard, but
it feels like they need a Maybe it doesn't need
to be a guard, but maybe another ball handler on
this team that's not Pascal siakam Or. I didn't like
waving Micah Potter to sign Larry Nance junior. The theory
of Larry Nance Junior is great, but he's older, doesn't
really play. Michael Potter shot well from three last year,
which gets into your you know, Zubats isn't gonna take
those threes, so they have both him and Huff coming.
Speaker 2: Off the bench.
Speaker 1: I think they could stand to maybe upgrade the reserve
big rotation. But I did have a trade for them,
and it was curious. There's a challenge trade of who
says no, Jim A Hawkes Oh Jim Hawks for Jaris
Walker and Ben Sheppard.
Speaker 3: Who says no, oh, that's good.
Speaker 2: Hawk has checked the ball not the shooting, to be clear,
that's it.
Speaker 3: I think I think.
Speaker 4: Milwaukee says noted that because hak has just had that
good of a year and Walker had what was just
the second half of the year that was okay for him.
Speaker 2: Sheppard just had the extra year of cost control, which
is why.
Speaker 4: And and Shephard was okay. I actually thought he'd play
better given that he was given a real chance at minutes. Defensively,
I think he's really good. I thought he'd up the
offensive volume a little bit because frankly, I trusted his
shot release. I trusted him as an offensive player. But
for some reason, he seemed passive, not that engaged. I
felt like, so maybe it's just because he's young. There's
time yet, like if we're getting a version of Ben
Sheppard that's more aggressive, they're not willing to relinquish Haimi
Hawkins with those two. But right now I have the
known commodity of hok Kiss, which I think is a
little bit more important.
Speaker 3: That's fair.
Speaker 1: Do you think if that deal, say that deal has
to go through, am I a first round pick short
or is it we're talking second round?
Speaker 3: Second round?
Speaker 4: The conversation, because we saw what seconds could give you
this summer, Like, I'm not trying to downplay that, like
so many guys would just move for nothing, so it
will see.
Speaker 1: Let so my turn, Let's go to Boston. I did
find it funny that, regardless of what you think of
the uh Jalen Brown trade, the fact that Brad Stevens
kind of lamented the lack of rim pressure on this
team at the end of the year and then went
out and traded the guy who's best suited to providing
rim pressure is problematic. The Celtics were when you start
to dig into the numbers from last year, they were
twenty ninth in shot attempts at the rim and the
half court per one hundred possessions, and they were fourteenth
out of sixteenth during the playoffs. Jalen Brown led the
team in hon assist did rim attemps per one hundred
possessions at eight point four to eight. Next up with
Jason Tatum at five point three. You're replacing Jalen Brown
with Paul George, who averaged two point seven unassisted roem
attemps per one hundred possessions last year. What comes along
with that room pressure too? Are they going to be
able to get to the foul line enough that already
wasn't necessarily a strength with Jason Tatum and Brown, and
now you're removing Brown, who led the team in free
throw attempts per seventy five possessions last year. He didn't
necessarily have this profound impact on the team's overall three.
Like when you start to really dig into the advanced metrics,
that's where their John Brown discussion gets so fascinating. George
just isn't going to get to the foul line at
the same rate. And I do think you're losing something
when you look at Jalen Brown's performance against top five
defenses last year, fifty six true shooting against top ten defenses.
If you broaden that up, fifty six true shooting again,
not incredibly high, but at least it's that league averages
baseline against these elite defenses. Paul George was in the
fifty threes in both of those filters. So if I'm Boston,
you have Mitchell Robinson now on the offensive glass, which
will matter for sure, and he's gotten better at throwing
the ball out for three pointers, which fits Missoula ball,
as does the offensive rebounding. I don't know where this
team is going to generate rim pressure from though in transition. Yeah, sure,
they could do it in the half court, though I
don't like who's best suited to do that for them, Right,
it's probably Jason Tatum. I don't think that's probably Yeah,
it's yes, Okay, So after Jason Tatum, is it? I
guess it's Derek White? Is that the the answer?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Yeah, probably right, Peyton Pritcher're gonna pinch no. I it's
the fact that we even have Jalen Brunts in two
point zero. So all right, oh god, that was the
sake my biggest need for these guys. And I don't
mean to troll them, because this is just the reality
of the situation.
Speaker 3: Center.
Speaker 4: Look, we can't sit here and act as though Mitchell
Robinson can be penciled in for sixty plus games every
single year.
Speaker 3: He just why.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, why not? Dan? Why not? So? So like, great, okay,
they got him in there.
Speaker 4: Look, I'm crossing everything I have here that I am
that he's healthy and that it'll be fine. But history
kind of suggests otherwise, which means that Cata once again
could be in a role where he will have to
overextend himself or it'll have to go back. You will
have to go back to the Luca Garsa wacken it.
So I'm just a little bit worried about the quality
and depth at center.
Speaker 2: I think that's fair and it's a fair quite.
Speaker 1: The Knicks cheaping out after winning a title not going
to the second aprin I think is bullshit. With that
being said, when you dig into the Mitchell Robinson contract
A two plus one, so three guaranteed years. Yeah, even
if the Knicks were willing to go into the second
A B, that's a conversation I'm having as a front
office as to the wather we're matching that deal.
Speaker 2: So that's in support of your point.
Speaker 1: I think they probably will cobble together enough from the
center position because Garza was pretty good for them last year.
Could they go out and to your point or not,
to the team that they're building, do you go like,
could you get a Kyle Philipowski just to add more
stretch because right now, Mitchell Robinson and Kada aren't gonna
add a ton of stretch for you.
Speaker 4: Garza might that's such a good player to bring up
Kyle Philipowski. I think he's such a Boston guy.
Speaker 1: Could he play center though, because he can't. He's not
doesn't play like he feels like against Robinson he probably could,
and the rest probably a little bit. So that's I
think they'll just get enough at the center spot that
I would view rim pressures because even if you look
at their centers, like Mitchell Robinson just doesn't have a
ton of offensive value in general general. Kada is more
versatile on that end, but he's not, Like so even
at the center spot, you're not looking at them and saying, well,
we have someone who could generate a ton of rim
pressure outside of whether they're in transition or getting offensive
rebounds or have a wide open lane of the bet like,
do you have a decision maker at the center of
the floor who could like make the three two or
three dribble decision that might be lacking at the center spot.
Speaker 2: I think rim pressure is probably the bigger issue for
this team.
Speaker 1: And I also, just as I said top, I think
it's hilarious that they they publicly pinpointed it as the
biggest issue and then proceeded to make it worse over
the offseason.
Speaker 3: Yep, So was that a question? Can we move on?
Speaker 2: What you can answer it? If you think it was
a question.
Speaker 3: I don't think it was. I agree.
Speaker 1: Oh, a regulator says Chris Kanac should get twelve minutes
a game two, so raw though that that would be
the other thing that I didn't get. YOUO Gonzales might
we didn't mention his name. That might be someone or
maybe a bayl or shireman Jordan Walsh too. Uh, that
is that's fair, that's a really good I didn't give enough.
I wouldn't bet on CC doing it, but right, Lo
Gonzales or Jordan Waller. Yeah, I still think you made
you made the rim pressure issue worse though, right, just
by getting rid of John Brown.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I have the Miami heat here.
Speaker 1: Oh, just the most anti climactic, the honest destination of
all time. Congratulations on leaving Milwaukee to not contend for
a title, honest, great great work.
Speaker 2: So so.
Speaker 4: Guards, no, just guards. Dabian Mitchell and Tim Hardaway.
Speaker 3: Junior are going to play a billion minutes this.
Speaker 4: Year unless something happens like okay, Pela Larson too. But yeah,
respective Throne, Yeah, you're gonna need something else here, like
I don't know who that is, but there is some
huge lack of playmaking from the guard spot.
Speaker 1: Well, do you you want a stat that should terrify
the Miami and their fans. Yes, here are the three
players who led them in half court creation last season,
Jaime hawkez Tyler Hero and Norman Powell. Oh god, how
many of those guys are still on the team. Yeah,
you got Giannis to be fair, true.
Speaker 4: But.
Speaker 1: At what, like you don't even have You can't even
look at say, well, maybe Yaconas is going to provide
us with that outlet. Oh he's gone too. He's also
Oh okay, Pelee Larson, like, we really need you to
kind of him and Davion Mitchell are just way too
critical to the Heats offensive structure right now.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and look in regards to Pela Larson, you can
never trust a suite to do anything.
Speaker 3: So that's just that's where we are.
Speaker 1: I don't know how they they are from a need perspective,
Could you argue that they are the team that needs
Lebron the most?
Speaker 2: If everyone has to.
Speaker 4: Mention, See that's the thing, because look, Lebron is going
to be forty two. Can you imagine getting him and
installing him as the starting point guard? That is just
that's too tall task for someone at that age, Like
I just don't know where to place him.
Speaker 3: They're absolutely well.
Speaker 1: I think if you start Andrew Wiggins, bam Oudebaio, Jannis Lebron,
and Davion Mitchell, you're fine. Lebron is your point guard
but doesn't have to play point guard on defense.
Speaker 4: Yeah okay, so you kind of switched the roles, all right,
Yeah maybe, and then you have wigs guarding like two's
yeah okay, I can. I can sort of see it,
like you definitely need something. You need creation at some
level that isn't Giannis and and Bam because like Bam
is okay, Giannis is better, but like none of those
guys are like true elite playmakers. So and Mitchell I
felt like even though he was averaging what like seven
assists last year, it felt as though so many of
those assists were just like him passing the ball along
the baseline and like they were not advanced playmaking, right,
Like he's fine, I'm not trying to rag on him,
but like it was simple assists. They were just simple.
So I'm just gonna need something else from the card spot.
Speaker 1: I don't how do they get it? So they have
ten million dollars in room beneath the first apron right now,
which they cannot go over. It's but they don't have
a like you have to turn Yovich and or Bobby
Portis into something, right.
Speaker 3: I thought they'd pivot off Portois, but I don't know.
Speaker 2: Maybe I just I don't even know who is.
Speaker 1: Like what does that put you, like in the market
for could you get both? Like, could you put those
two together and get Jalen Green?
Speaker 2: Hmmm?
Speaker 3: Yeah, But does Jalen Green solve anything?
Speaker 2: No?
Speaker 1: No, I mean at this point, I feel like you're
kind of praying for a zach Lavine buy out or something.
I mean, Demart Rosen's floating around out there on the
market as we're talking.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, let's let's add tomorrow to it. Seemed that
like doesn't really have a whole lot of floor spacing
as is.
Speaker 3: Okay, could you.
Speaker 1: Talk the Kings into the dude, I mean, I don't
even know what the heat's second round pick situation is.
But like, does Yovich and seconds get you Malik Monk
from Sacramento?
Speaker 2: Probably not. Even that would be a little bit underwhelming.
I mean relative to the roster, I think that's a
whole run.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's yeah, you're right, you're right, but like, yeah,
so Miami, I think Miami have like quite a few questions.
Speaker 1: Can you get Scoot Henderson for free? Now that John
Moran's in Portland? Like what's going on?
Speaker 2: God?
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's look that actually that's a good point. Like
maybe if you want to point guard, go fish in Portland.
Like there are a lot of guys there. There's Drew,
there's Scoot, there's Dame, there's job Like.
Speaker 2: Whoever Fish in Portland got ma? That was good.
Speaker 1: I wish they don't even have enough to like Cam
Spencer or Tie Jerome would make a lot of sense
on this team. They're gonna end up getting D'Angel Russell
off a bio market probably, isn't that.
Speaker 2: Oh poor Miami fans.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they would have man and Formy Simon's for the
deal he signed would have made even with Tim Hardway
Junior would have made a lot of sense in Miami too.
Speaker 3: I agree.
Speaker 4: I was very, very uh surprised that he didn't sign.
There are they the how low are you?
Speaker 2: They can't?
Speaker 1: Like there's no Yovich Bobby Ports for Josh Giddy? Would
you want that in? That would actually make a lot
of sense. I just don't know why Chicago would do it.
Speaker 4: Oh, that would actually be pretty interesting, wouldn't it not.
Speaker 1: For Chicago, yo, which is four years left on a
deal where he wasn't really a rotation player last year,
regulator says Brandon Williams at the minimum, he'd be interesting.
But are we just gonna have no shooting on the
heat at that point? Just Tim Hardaway junior and hopes
and dreams and that's it, right?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Oh and Jovic floor space or baby in theory.
Speaker 4: In theory, no, we'll see. And by the way, even
if they did get gidd like not a natural scorer
either or sorry that Netill shooter.
Speaker 3: Either also fair.
Speaker 1: I think just with the level of like spray out
he get from Giannis would probably be fine. But yeah, yeah,
that is the need like that that you could talk
yourself into overall depth for this team. But it's Miami
just needs guard creations so so badly.
Speaker 2: It is my turn. Who haven't we done yet? Uh?
Speaker 1: Let's see here, Yeah, well duh, let's go to uh,
let's go to Philly, all right?
Speaker 2: They I they need shooting.
Speaker 1: Right, especially because they got Anfrey Simons, which I thought
was good. Uh, And then I think So what I
do think is overblown is the one ball argument with
Jallen Brown, Tyres max evje Comben, Joel Embiid. We saw
Joel Embiid scale back his on ball action share last year.
He only used twenty five point four percent of the
team's on ball offensive possessions when he was on the court,
but Tyres Maxie was at fifty one point three in
Jaale Brown is at forty seven point seven. I think
ideally you want Tyres Maxi to not have to be
on the ball that often, and so he addresses some
of the off ball shooting concerns.
Speaker 2: And we've seen Jalen Brown be on the.
Speaker 1: Ball much less as recently as the season before. Last
season he used thirty seven point two percent of Boston's
on ball possessions. So I'm not worried about the distribution.
I'm worried about, Okay, where is the gravity or the
knockdown shooting coming from. You do have Simons, you have
Maxi vj Edgecomb just isn't like he could be there,
but he's not there yet. Jalen Brown's in the thirtieth
percentile of catch and shoot three point efficiency last year.
Two of their top four players in off ball gravity
last season are just gone, and so it's all right, Simons.
Speaker 2: Will help you.
Speaker 1: Do we need the Baron Filon to play minutes in
Philly And that's probably not ideal if you because it's
not even just the shooting. Do you need more of
a ball handling option off the bench, which I think
Simon's addresses enough of that, but he's not a born playmaker.
He's a better passer than a Colin Sexton. But so
I think that's what this team needs. A shooting and
maybe like a different, a more seasoned guard creation coming
off the bench.
Speaker 2: But for me, it's just if you're gonna have Jayen Brown.
Speaker 1: Joel Embiid and or another bit like it's Joelle just
a big man, Jaylen Brown a big man. And then
how do you feel about Tyre Spaxy's not afraid to
take three pointers? How do you feel about him though
as a knockdown shooter. It's really just Maxi and Simon's
on this roster as knockdown spacers.
Speaker 4: Yep, I don't disagree, and I will one up here
and say power forward. It's a need for me. They
just they don't really have a good four if they
get Trenton Watford back. I think that helps, but like
is it enough? That's the question? Right, Like, then you're
you're pivoting between Dominic Barlow and and Trenton Watford. We
saw that last year some Jabbari Walker like sprinkled in
here and there. I guess it's fine, or unless we
were just kind of putting Dean Wade into that spot.
Speaker 3: Maybe we are.
Speaker 4: It just feels like they need a better four, someone
who's a little bit more connective.
Speaker 1: Do you so you don't think between Dean Wade and
John Brown they just have it have it covered.
Speaker 4: Yeah, No, I would like someone because I would like
someone with a little bit more size, at least if
Brown is going to play some of those minutes because
we again, we just don't know with embiid right, Like
we don't know if he's going to go down, how
long he's gonna stay healthy. So, like, if you're putting
a lot of onus on Dominic Barlow, for example, in
Dean Wade and aerial, howk porty to just do big
man stuff assuming EMBID isn't available. I feel as though
that could be pretty taxing. So I would like to
see someone in there. Who's like a bigger four, who
has perhaps a little bit of center position center experience,
or who just has a skill set that could be interesting.
Speaker 2: But lebron j do it for you? He would, Yes,
all right, bald, Bald.
Speaker 1: There's not slim Pickens on the fore market in free agency. Yeah,
Keishaw Johnson would be interesting, but he's a little bit
on the smaller side. He does play a lot of
four before what you're talking about. He's a little on
the smaller side. Yeah, uh no, keep Kamingo away from
this team. Shire Williams doesn't do it not. Baggie Flyer
might be interesting, but he's probably better at guarding down. Yeah,
And I mean, like they don't have you still like
the Paul George John Brown trade, didn't trade their salary structure.
They're so top heavy as to where until the like
the trade deadline, will they'll have a couple of like
middle and Dean Wade and every assignmons. They just don't
have these salaries to move. So I think that the
team we're looking at now is kind of just the
team that they're going to go into the season with too.
So I guess we'll get an answer as to what
is the bigger need.
Speaker 3: Yeah, who's your next pick?
Speaker 4: So my next pick the Milwaukee Bucks, and it's home
most unfair because I have questions and their needs everywhere,
so like should we I just want to cover them
because like maybe we should ask in reverse, what do
they have covered Tyler hero.
Speaker 2: I?
Speaker 1: So short term, you I think you can make the
case that they're set with guards for Tyler hero Ryan Robins,
and Brandon Burry's being there, just to name a few.
But long term, are you prepared to say anyone on
this rosters just to dead on because we don't know
what Burry's or even Nata meant is going to become.
So the answer is yeah, nothing, Like long.
Speaker 4: We don't know check shit, Yeah we don't know anything.
And that's kind of why I want them cover it
here because that's their need. Their need is talent, future talent,
and maybe that doesn't come around this year. Maybe it's
a it's unfair to put that moniker on them that
they need talent, But I mean, we're doing a podcast
about all for they teams, so we need to bring
them up and right now that is their need talent.
Speaker 1: If I was to boil it down to an archetype
of player. You go up and down their current depth
chart their roster. Do they not have a single three
and D wing on this team?
Speaker 3: No, not really.
Speaker 1: They just traded Torrian Prince and Gary Harris, who are
imperfect answers to that question.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's not It's definitely not Kyle. It's not Green
like Green comes closest, right, he comes closest. Is like,
is the the guy with the most upside to answer
that question?
Speaker 3: Is that Brydon Berry's.
Speaker 1: Yes, Wow, which I which in terms of upside that's problematic.
But actually he might be the answer to that question
right now too, because he's already good defensively, can score
off motion, so he's probably the answer.
Speaker 2: But after that it's I don't like, can we throw
Nate a? And there I'm with you. It's not Kyle Kuzma.
But you look at this team, I will say so
when you when.
Speaker 1: We say they need talent, we're talking about long term cornerstones,
because they actually have a lot of talent on his roster.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but they right.
Speaker 4: But they don't necessarily have the type of talent that
that moves the needle to a major extent, Right, I
think that's fair.
Speaker 2: To say, who's Jang?
Speaker 4: Well, they kept him, that's good. I mean when they
I saw that they didn't they renounce him or something.
At some point I was like, what what is going
on here? And then they still retained him. It was like, oh, like,
don't throw this kid away. That'd be dumb. But then again,
they also chose native end of the draft. And I'm
still not sure what he actually does on a basketball floor.
Speaker 1: But he's giving me which is awful, like poor man
Zachary Resiche vibes and that's not but he's so raw.
Jonathan Wasserman, bleacher Boards draft guru wasn't particularly high on him,
but even said the highest end outcome of him is
just maybe someone that we really haven't like. There isn't
a good analog for interesting. Bet Richard says Milwaukee needs
to avoid relegation. I honestly know they don't. They don't
control their own first round pick. They could, They could
be in the relegation zone if they want. I think
they have too much talent to be one of the
Bond three teams. Why so, asked, are they a case
and Wallace suitor?
Speaker 2: Sure?
Speaker 3: But to what end you see would you rather?
Speaker 1: Well, here's a question would you rather pay Because they're
both gonna be up for new their new deals will
kick in at the same time, would you rather pay
Ryan Rollins or Caseen Wallace Ryan Rollins?
Speaker 2: So what I I think just the offensive upside is high.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, the shooting the creation absolutely regularly ask what
happens to Tyler Hero?
Speaker 1: I don't which did we go through any teams yet
that would actually make sense for a time.
Speaker 2: I think he's good and he's on an expiring contract.
Speaker 1: I just don't know what you get for him, right,
But I think he gets traded.
Speaker 2: I would be pretty so.
Speaker 1: I know he's a Wisconsin native, but I'd be surprised
if he's on the bucks pass to trade that line,
I would agree.
Speaker 4: I think he's an obvious trade candidate. I have no
idea where he goes, but like someone is going to
need the offense, and look, he's extension eligible. So there's
also this finagling of trying to figure out from other teams,
like what can we actually offer, can we have permission
to negotiate with the Age, and like what are we
looking at because apparently like the Wizards had a commitment
from Trey Young in terms of the extension before they
traded for him.
Speaker 2: So that's a thing now.
Speaker 1: I guess yeah, I wasn't completely buying if it wasn't Brooklyn,
who seemed they were just desperate to get someone like
him there. I wasn't buying if there was another team
that was going to be prepared to right right maxim out.
Speaker 2: Uh my turn, let's go with.
Speaker 1: Let's go with Washington. We talked about out at length
the other day. I'm going to say I'm not sold
on the shooting around this team just yet, but.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go with point of attack defense instead.
Speaker 1: There's really oh when you're looking at who needs to
guard the primary ball handlers.
Speaker 2: Last year, their top four in.
Speaker 1: The percentage of defensive possessions spent guarding primary ball handlers.
One of them is off the team, but their top
four was Trey Young, Trey Johnson, Bub Carrington and CJ.
Speaker 2: McCollum.
Speaker 1: That is not okay if you're looking to have a
good defense. And while I do think now they've backstopped them,
they just have a lot of size on the back
line with Anthony Davis, DeAndre and Alexar Tritian Vuksovich is there,
He's not really known as a defender. I don't like
who do you trust is a point of attack defender
on this team? But law Koulabali can do some of it.
But I think you also want him on the wings
just because they're like Keishawn George is fine. Will Riley
might be fine. I like both of those guys, but
they're not they needed. If they were going to go out.
They got Chris Middleton back for some reason. That was
just the Dallas Mavericks and Washington passing d loan Chris
Middleton back and forth.
Speaker 2: Is kind of funny.
Speaker 1: But I would have preferred them to like, can you
go out and get a Chris done for this team?
Rather than did you need a Chris Middleton? They traded
for the wrong Chris's that's the more okay?
Speaker 3: That fair?
Speaker 4: Uh? To answer your question, yes, I would have Billa
Kulibili as my point of attack defender because frankly, I
feel more comfortable with de Bonsa and Trey Johnson and
and Will Riley, keech Or George and so on and
so on to cover wings. Look, if I'm going to
have to find value in Kulabli moving forward, because he's
extension eligible he's going to be a restricted free agent
next year. If he doesn't sign an extension, you are
going to need to figure out what the hell he
is and if he's not the offensive player that your
vision at least turned him into one of those absolutely
insanely switchable defenders, like you have to find some type
of use for him.
Speaker 2: At this point, I don't want to just stick him
on wings.
Speaker 4: I want to throw him into the deep end of
the pool and just say, look, this is going to
be your fourth year. It's it's just time. It's time
that you you really showed us that you're worth a
Hugure commitment for For our point of view.
Speaker 1: I think they would be an interesting and they probably
have to be other teams involved just because of the money.
Speaker 2: Okay, so he's not going to say.
Speaker 1: If they would be a good Loue door team. I
know he doesn't check the shooting box, but that's the
I think that's the level of guy that would help out.
They make everyone because do you, I know you're okay
black coolbai ag Debon says that like those aren't. I
don't know if I want those guys in the point
of attack roles.
Speaker 3: In general, okay, because.
Speaker 2: Do one. I don't know if the Bonsa can do it.
Speaker 1: I feel like he's gonna be, but he needs to
be against probably guys that are how yeah.
Speaker 4: You know that's super taxing. I also only mentioned like,
I don't know why you're throwing aj in.
Speaker 1: There just because he's I'm talking about like their core players,
is it? Do you want key Jean George or like
you have to look at because they don't have it
in a guard is my point. It's not Carrington, it's
not Trey Johnson, it's not Trey Young.
Speaker 4: We just Champagne john justin Champagne. I'll I'll give a
crack at that role as well.
Speaker 2: Fair.
Speaker 1: I don't know. I mean, look how high end is that?
Though not true, but I get they have a lot
of They have a lot of wings on this team,
which makes it interesting.
Speaker 2: But I don't know, like black.
Speaker 1: Kula Bali is very clearly their highest n wing defender,
and I might want I think you'd one want someone other,
just an extra body, like warm body who can handle
those responsibilities. So Chris Dunn would be the name I
would circle, but if lou Dorp becomes available, Although the
Wizard's salary structures all sorts of messed up too. I mean,
they have DeAndre Ayton's deal that they can ship off
to another team now. But yeah, so Wizards, I'm going
with point of attack defense. Shooting is depends on how
much you trust Keean George. Yeah, Trey Johnson, Will Riley,
that might be a need black label.
Speaker 2: He has not shown enough there.
Speaker 1: And if you're gonna start or excuse me, if you're
gonna add any point play Davis and Sar, you really
need Sar to become just a decided the above average shooter.
Speaker 2: Two.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm gonna go with the New York Knicks.
Speaker 2: Who are they? Oh, that's right, the reigning champs.
Speaker 4: Uh yeah, yeah, there we go. And in terms of needs,
I don't think they have all that many.
Speaker 3: By uh, I.
Speaker 4: Will say offensive depth. I just need a little bit
more scoring pop off the bench. And look, it's not
a lot, but we have to find needs with everyone.
And that's the one I have. Just I would like
to have someone else come off the bench with a
little bit more ability to self create and go get
a bucket.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think that's totally fair.
Speaker 1: It Also, you have Jose Alvarado and Duce McBride and
Jordan Clarkson, but you don't necessarily have that B plus
ball handler behind Jalen Brunson right now. And I think
when you look at the passing creation on this team,
Karnthi Towns has passes statistically the past two years have
been the highest quality. When you're looking at the shots
they've generated, there's I don't know if you have enough
of a backstop Like Jalen Brunson having wrist surgery is
kind of a oh crap moment because you only need
him write for the playoffs, but it just kind of
reminds you how fragile it feels like their offensive infrastructure
might be. I'm curious if this doesn't get to the
point of your bench concerns. If the way they use
kar Anthy Towns for more in the playoffs now kind
of opens different doors and you can run different where
you're never without a top tier offensive engine there and
like something like the lineups without Jallen Brunson have always
performed well. I do agree with you that would be
a need. I actually have it as they need a
better backup center. I don't think this isn't just about
going from Mitchell Robinson to Andre Drummond. I just Andre
Drummond is graded out as above average rim protector when
you look at points saved per one hundred possessions, I
think once his entire career, and you lost mobility going
from Robinson to him. You maybe gained some flour spacing,
but you lost rim accuracy. I'd like you look like
you're it's a downgrade as an offensive rebounding back up five.
But that's unnecessarily pejorative because no one's as good as
Mitchell Robinson there, and Drummond does enough of it. So
when I saw them linked to Jannis valenceiunas that's the
wrong answer when you already have Andre Drummond on your team.
Speaker 2: I think they need a more mobile.
Speaker 1: Backup five, which is why the report that they were
linked to a Musa diabate in trade talks.
Speaker 2: I don't the salary structure fits.
Speaker 1: I don't know how many seconds it would take to
get him, because Charlotte has a trillion of those. But
I also don't think you're getting a first for Musa
when he's about to enter free agency.
Speaker 2: But that's the type.
Speaker 1: Of big they need, and he's not on the open
market right now. I mean, I wouldn't mind them taking
a flyer on Micah Potter, but they need to trade
I think for another backup big, and I again, but
another ball handler. I wouldn't hate either, but I think
that a backup big is just more pressing in the
sense of Karl Anthony Towns even in the playoffs, isn't
gonna play forty eight minutes a game.
Speaker 3: I think that's reasonable. So who should next you?
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with the Orlando Magic because we haven't
talked about shooting enough more.
Speaker 2: It's just shooting for this team. Yeah, still right.
Speaker 1: You could talk yourself into they need more guard creation.
But I just think, look, if Paolo and Franz and
Desmond Baine and Anthony Black are all healthy, they're gonna
be fine. Desmond Baine is the only trustworthy catch and
shoot and pull up threat from deep on this team. Trustworthy.
You want to squint and say, what if John sucks
is another really good year, or Tristan de Silva shoots it, Okay,
maybe Polo gets better or Franz gets better. Sure, it
is very much Desmond Bane and that is that is it,
And this team is into the luxury tax right now,
I think there were they ten million over the first
apron or something.
Speaker 2: I'll go double check that. I don't know where they.
Speaker 1: Get it from or how they get it, but that
needs to be. Go out there and get Bryce Sensaba
from Utah. What is it called like he's cheap I'm
trying to think of, like cheap shooters. Go get Vic
Crachi from.
Speaker 3: I love that you went Sensu box. You know how
big of a fan I am his?
Speaker 2: So yes, I did not.
Speaker 1: I didn't know you liked Bryce Sensaba at all. I
did when you said that they should max him out
an extension talks.
Speaker 2: All right, that's what I said.
Speaker 3: That's true.
Speaker 4: We also Jamal Kane dunks frankly, I don't know if
you remember that one against the who was the Durham
He dunked on.
Speaker 1: Oh yes, well look that counts as vertical spacing then, right,
so look they're solid but yeah, so they are are
as of right now? They're what are they there over
the tax by or they are? Do we think they
even finished that they have ten million in first apron space?
Speaker 2: Excuse me, That's why I spoke.
Speaker 1: So they just don't have a Oh no, they're ten Yeah,
they're ten million.
Speaker 2: They're ten over yeah, excuse me over.
Speaker 1: So I don't know how they get a dumb If anything,
I'm gonna think they're looking to cut costs. But at
some point, can you turn go go? But although I
guess Mo Wagner is not there anymore? So do they
need him? When you're looking at kind of their backup
big man rotation? Like do you how do you feel about?
Speaker 2: Is they can come?
Speaker 1: Oh they have boots? Now yeah, can you turn go go?
But Tod's a seven point six number into some type
of resigned.
Speaker 2: Didn't he where or did he go somewhere else? Now? No,
he went to h he's got a mutual option in Brooklyn, Sir.
Speaker 3: Come on, Oh that's true. Yeah, Okay, that's true. My bad.
Speaker 1: Maybe Jace Richardson pops this year or do we see
a lot of Javon Carter Anthony Black gonna be a
better shooter. They just need they need better shooters.
Speaker 4: They they yeah, and they need to figure out their
salary struggle because more we have some breaking news that
complicates this, that complicated an exercise we already did a
little bit.
Speaker 1: Okay, developing. This is from Sean Sharania. The Los Angeles
Clippers Toronto Raptors trade centered on Kawhi Leonard will not
be completed until the NBA investigation into the Clippers is over.
Speaker 2: Oh oh, that's that's awkward. It's a lot awkward. Oh
all right, so you know what.
Speaker 1: There's a long statement from the Clippers, but I don't know.
It just said for the past ten months, our organization
has fully cooperated with an MBA investigation, participating in dozens
of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating
access to our staff. While the process has been challenging,
we have remained committed to transparency. On Drew dirtieth, we
reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi to Toronto.
We have since been informed that the trade can only
be finalized if the Raptors ownership group assumes the risk
of penalties relate to contract.
Speaker 2: Holy shit, Oh my god.
Speaker 1: I'm not going to read the rest of the statement
because it's really long and I want time to digest
it since we're reading it live.
Speaker 2: That is interesting.
Speaker 1: They did close with We remain confident that when the
facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm
exactly what we have said from the beginning. We have
not done what we are accused of doing. This is
actually insane, Yes it is, Yes, it is. That is
that is wild. That is absolutely wild.
Speaker 2: I don't even know what to I don't even know
what to do. You have any thoughts on that? Just look.
Speaker 4: I mean, at the end of the day, I'm probably
not surprised, Like again, that investigation was real. I mean,
this is NBA business Daddy coming home and saying no, no, no, no, no,
We're not playing like this.
Speaker 3: Frankly, I get it.
Speaker 4: I've been very critical of the league over the past
year or so with a lot of things that they've implemented.
Speaker 3: I agree with this one.
Speaker 4: I think this is a completely fair and reasonable thing
where they've come in and basically said, no, we need
to get some ducks in a row before everything happens here.
Speaker 2: Well, couldn't you.
Speaker 1: I'm if the NBA is actually going to punish the
Clippers yet, like it turns out that they they find
we didn't.
Speaker 2: Do what we're accused of doing.
Speaker 3: Let's be more.
Speaker 2: Vague than that.
Speaker 1: If we find out that they are they did what
they were accused of doing, couldn't you if you're making
the Kawhi Leonard trade. I guess the concern is because
his contract could be voided, because couldn't you just retroactively
say we're docking the Clippers those draft picks?
Speaker 2: Like what is it? Do you know what I mean? Like?
Speaker 1: What is the What becomes the harm in letting this
deal go through? If you end up having to punish
the Clippers? So so like the draft picks goes where
just back the rounds just end earlier. We have twenty
nine picks that year. They shouldn't go back to Toronto.
Speaker 2: That'd be just I magine, right, could you imagine? No?
Speaker 4: But like I hate, all right, I hear what you're saying.
I just hated because that means there are at least
some one player not getting drafted. I that's just that sucks,
Like you want to get drafted. Yeah, I guess you
could finagle it. But I actually appreciate the way that
this has developed. I think that's this is the right approach,
basically taking into steps and then if the league comes
up finding nothing, which okay, yeah, then you can just
go ahead as planned. But this complicates their off seasons,
both of them significant.
Speaker 1: Get ready to speak Canadian Paul George. There's like here
because they're not bringing brandon Ingram back, right, They're gonna
go and trade. Uh, they're trade with Paul George or
something may go after Trey Murphy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's why.
Speaker 1: Also, how do you let that leak without, you know,
without kind of confirming with the league that we can
trade Kawhi Leonard? Then why do you try to trade
Kawhi Leonard? That is that's mind melding to me that
the Clippers didn't have confirmation they could do this before,
not that they had confirmation, but that this wasn't How
is this not a stipulation or known beforehand?
Speaker 4: And then they were seeking that Toronto took which they
absolutely should not be on the for No, No, that's ridiculous.
Which is also is that not a bit of a
smoking gun? Oh yeah, Like if you guys take the
take the findes, like what really, Like that's kind of
assuming that something's going to be found, right.
Speaker 1: I don't I honestly don't know, because also do the
is the investigation over? Because it doesn't sound like it's over,
So what are you said, like, what if it's not
over by the start of the regular season.
Speaker 4: I don't know. I'm guessing he's not gonna play until
after it's over.
Speaker 1: By the way, Kawhi, you don't think we'll play for
the if he uh, well, I guess that.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 1: I feel like their working relationship with the Clippers is
fine enough that he.
Speaker 2: No no, no, no, no, I'm saying.
Speaker 4: I'm saying the league could might come in and say, look,
until all of this is clear, we're just not playing
like we're.
Speaker 2: But then where were where was this last year? Then? Though,
so they let him play last year, but we can't
play next year?
Speaker 4: That's so right, I don't I don't disagree with you,
but like, now that this is out, they have to
follow through, right, like they have to do something. Get
They can't come out and do this and then and
then afterwards, feel like Will and Nillian going, oh, it's fine.
He plays like this is salary caps for convention and
Kawhi's team, you know, has agreed to it in some
capacity like this, there should be.
Speaker 2: Some level of penalty race against him too. I I
don't know how I feel about one.
Speaker 1: I want to know just what my biggest qualm is,
How was this not something that was taken to before
the trade was agreed upon.
Speaker 2: H I, I just don't.
Speaker 1: The Rafters can't do this trade. Now, you can't accept
the penalty. So you're gonna trade draft picks for Kawhi
Leonard and then get docked draft picks potentially.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So I just don't.
Speaker 1: I don't know how I feel about said if you
let him play last year while the investigation was going on,
I don't understand why this move can't grow through and
then you conrect it, like, just dock them the picks
after the trade, and then you know what, put those
Adam Silver loves having tournaments.
Speaker 2: Have a tournament to see who gets those picks.
Speaker 1: That's where the.
Speaker 2: Spotslide or something. I don't care.
Speaker 4: Come on, guys, go out and plate to see if
we can find your replacement. Come on, come on, well
they could.
Speaker 1: Put Look, I'm just saying this feels like to me,
by the league, feels like a weird line to draw
unless they got the results and they're in which case,
well then okay, levy the punishment.
Speaker 2: So I just I guess what I'm most thrown by
is just how was this not?
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is something that should have been clarified like
before the trade deadline, because people were wondering if they
were gonna trade Kawhi. Yeah, so that's that's what I
don't understand here. And now I'm sort of is there?
So can I ask you this question? Is there a
team Kui is back on the Clippers right now?
Speaker 2: Now you know this? Is there a team that should
just go out and trade for them anyway? Like with
assuming the risk of pedals? Well, could you do this?
Speaker 1: You just get what if it's Toronto, you just get
rid of the picks, Like is that just what happens
now or is it?
Speaker 4: Ah, so you basically sell the Clippers. We'll do this
trade regardless, but like we're not giving you the picks.
That's gonna be the compensation for us, Like taking the penal.
Speaker 1: You risk Kaui's contract getting voided, I guess would be
part of the punishment.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Or here's one.
Speaker 4: If let's let's say he's back, you're getting off the
the you're getting off the contract of brandon Ingram, So
like sure that might be worth it.
Speaker 1: So I'm just wondering like that might be is now
does the cost of the Kuhi trade?
Speaker 2: And then then I won't feel bad for the Clippers.
Speaker 1: If the Toronto Raptors get out of this while acquiring
Kawhi Leonard for less draft compensation, all right, then you
know what that's on the that's still a little insane
though that one again, this wasn't established. But two, he
could play for you, but you can't necessarily just I
find the thought process here. Someone can says that, what
do you think if this trade doesn't go through?
Speaker 2: What do you does? Does one Toronto still trade brandon
Ingram somewhere else?
Speaker 4: I'd be shocked if someone wants him again. I thought
the Clippers did this a little bit out of necessity.
Speaker 1: I mean, I think he's just he's not a two
year deal and as someone who can eat up offensive possessions,
I don't.
Speaker 2: Think it's And he looked like a damn ge leaker
in the playoffs.
Speaker 3: Oh man, all right, oh but he did? He was
so bad?
Speaker 2: Come on, you saw this?
Speaker 1: He was he was injured and there's just like a
lack of other I mean, Scottie Barnes was killed like
he's I don't know what you want.
Speaker 2: He was also injured, then why play him? But did
you look at what did you see? How Cleveland was
guarding him because the couple other series. Yeah, I saw it,
and I still think he took stupid ass shots, that
is all.
Speaker 1: I think branding was bad in the playoffs, and the
fact that you think nobody should trade from him is
perhaps one of your.
Speaker 4: Worst I'm saying, it's a lot of money. It's a
forty plus million dollar cons That is not what you
just said. Yes, forty million dollars a lot of money
tied Like, look, look, Kevin Herder played like crap in
the playoffs too, but he's only okay, he signed.
Speaker 2: For he got he got ten dollars a year.
Speaker 4: But okay, you know what I mean, Like, that's not
the feel break like the salary attached to his name when.
Speaker 2: I don't think he's a value contract.
Speaker 1: I think the idea that Brandon Ingram isn't a valuable
player to me or like it would be oh wait
we have it is this raptor? Oh let's see the raptors.
This is now from this how do we like this?
Unfolding from Cham's The League informed us that as a
result of the ongoing investigation of the Clipers, we would
assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation
impacting Kawhi. In light of this, we will wait until
the league's investigation is complete. Yeah, the Raptors remain eager
to bring Kawhi back to Rono and look forward to
a swift resolution for our players, our organizations, and our fans.
Speaker 2: So does that mean.
Speaker 1: We should expect we should uh? Slam o'clock says Herder
was a doctor injured. To be fair, Kevin Hurter hasn't
made a three in like three years though. To be
even more fair, since the Light the Beam season, he's
been pretty bad.
Speaker 2: Man. I guess so what.
Speaker 1: My read on this is that we should expect the
investigation to be done shortly. Otherwise this is just super
awkward forever. You can't just wait until the investigation, Like, oh,
so it's now We're in November and the investigation's done.
Speaker 2: It's like what has happened since then? Man? Yeah?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't even know how we continue with this
because like we just wrapped up the magic and now
we're going to go needs with someone else.
Speaker 1: Like I this is this is a good point, by
the way, from why so Toronto getting punished for a
scandal that tamper against them in the first place is
bullshit and a reminder that Canadian teams in any league
don't matter to these losers. I don't know who's Oh,
it's a quote. I don't know who said that, but
it is. I don't understand why Toronto would have to
assume the risk Igerie at all if they're agreeing to
I guess should they assume the risk of his contract
getting voided though?
Speaker 4: I mean, look, if his contract is getting voided, I
assume that would happen in Los Angeles, Toronto or a
third place where he ends up.
Speaker 2: I mean, that's just.
Speaker 1: Not well, that's my point though. It's just because the contract.
If part of the punishment was always gonna be the
contract was voided, I guess I might understand that part
of it. But when they say assume the punishment is
it you have to give up you get doc draft
picks because Kawhi' is on your team, that makes no
sense to me.
Speaker 4: Right right, No, I'm gonna follow this so thoroughly because
this this is nuts.
Speaker 3: Have we ever seen anything like this?
Speaker 1: I mean, think of rescinded trade. This is kind of
like a rescinded trade for the moment, right.
Speaker 2: Right, right, But it's primarily off of like medicals.
Speaker 1: Mark Williams do not as a bout of unis. I'm
trying to have other like what other Dwight, this is
Tyson Chandler to Okay, See, this is crazier than what
Dwight Howard did right where he was on a plane,
like he was getting traded on a plane and decided
that he didn't want to leave the Magic at one point.
This is even more bonkers than that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, oh god, this league, man, this league.
Speaker 1: The Richard says, the league didn't tell Miami about the terroors.
You investigate them, let them trade for him, and then
didn't let him play. This is par for the course, oh, Howard,
Beck says, the same thing. You said, like two immediate thoughts.
Speaker 4: One you think they would have consulted the league office
before agreeing to the deal. Uh So I don't want
to jump to yeah, go ahead, it's.
Speaker 2: Not even before the deal.
Speaker 1: This is a suer like leading into the trade that
like why was this not talked about?
Speaker 4: And then he also says, which I agree with, though
I don't want to jump to conclusions. This certainly leaves
open the possibility of the Kawhi's contract gets voided, which
would sort of ruin the trade, which, yes, yeah, who
benefits the most.
Speaker 1: Listen, where's Kawhi land if his contract gets voided, who's
the team that comes in there?
Speaker 2: And cap space is gone for the most part, right,
so so what is he looking at? Like a mid level?
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Warriors for them, they could open the non tax.
The Warriors could open the non tax.
Speaker 4: I mean that might be enough to get them Lebron
instead of trading for Anthony Davis.
Speaker 2: This is insane.
Speaker 3: This is insane.
Speaker 2: Yes, this is insane, and this is even different. Richard
said about Miami. I guess it's a fair point one.
Speaker 1: I want to know how it didn't come up in
their due diligence of this though regulator says the Pistons
do have space. I keep assuming Jaalen Duran is gonna
come back.
Speaker 4: The business were waiting on this, they were playing this.
Speaker 2: When they just sign Kawhi Leonard for that would be insane.
Speaker 1: Uh. This is just different because we've now everyone's known
about this, including both of the teams involved in the trade,
and nobody thought to.
Speaker 2: Get this confirmation beforehand. My god, h this is confused.
Speaker 1: A great theater, but this this particular situation could have
been totally avoided. Yeh yeh uh, we gotta get back.
I think we only have one team left, right, Oh, no.
Speaker 3: We have two. We have sick too at least right.
Speaker 2: Uh, whose pick is it? It's you? You chose Orlando,
didn't you?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: So yeah, you should pick the bulls. I feel like
everyone's waiting for you to pick the bulls. I'm gonna
go with the Brooklyn Nets, all right, lame, but I.
Speaker 3: Want you to pick the bulls.
Speaker 1: All right, you picked the Brooklyn Nets. You care to
get into what their needs are?
Speaker 4: Look at that roster everything. I don't I just again,
this is such a This is a Milwaukee situation all
over again. Basically, we have to go through every single team,
and this team just needs so many things.
Speaker 3: They need reliable guard play. I mean, Mikail Brown, good choice.
Speaker 4: I want to see him get off the ground quickly,
and we'll see if he does that or if this
is a one of those situations where it's a slow start.
But overall, I don't like the guard rotation as is.
The wing situation is completely devoid of interest. The big
Man's situation is Julius Rental and they run Sharp. I
guess Noah Clowney, you want to throw him in there?
Speaker 3: Just why not?
Speaker 4: But like this roster is just so weird, So perhaps
their biggest need is rosters symmetry, line up symmetry.
Speaker 2: So it's interest for them.
Speaker 1: I have a wing slash combo forward of the future,
just because I think you can talk yourself into there's Jaeger,
Joe Man, there's MIKEL.
Speaker 2: Brown, and you could say, right, they.
Speaker 1: Have the baseline of or if you like Nolan Trey
orri Can Can yegor Joeman play the three and like
you view those three, but when you look at just
the three four spot just I don't think I like
Drake Powell, but doesn't seem like he checks that box.
Julius Randall short term answer, Mo Wagner short term, Kean
Ellis short term, Michael Porter Junior, Josh why not short term?
And so it gets into the oh, they just need talent,
because you could sit here and say, well, do they
even have their center of the future, like that's not
necessarily Dayron sharp, But to not really even have a
candidate for like a combo wing of the future feels
a little because at least now you kind of look
at it and it's all right, Like MIKEL Brown and
Diegor Joeman, they got some real and Nolan Tree or
they got real guard and Drake Powell is it too?
They got some real guard prospects in there. I think
they need more flyers on the wing. I like Joshua
Jefferson's probably my favorite wing prospect. That I like it
more than Drake Powell. That's probably my favorite wing prospect
they have. But that's not that's not a lot.
Speaker 2: Nope, nope.
Speaker 4: I at this rate, I'm just curious at what they're
gonna do.
Speaker 2: Again.
Speaker 4: You and I we disagree on this. I I I
did not love their draft last year. I just I
didn't love it either.
Speaker 1: I just think that I think the whole oh, they
have five point guards was wildly inaccurate type deal.
Speaker 2: That's an opsis of it.
Speaker 4: Oh at five point No, I I just think they
went over five in the first round. But I mean
that's that's where I'm at. Uh So again we're going
back to talent level. I think you're right, and maybe
maybe maybe we could just sum it up. I just
don't even care about positional need right now. Just find
a number one guy, find the guy. Maybe they did.
Maybe it's me Cale Brown. We don't know. Like I'm
over for that, but right, right, right.
Speaker 2: He is there. I think MIKEL.
Speaker 1: Brown is very clearly their highest end prospect. I like
Jegor Joeman, but unless he just has some type of
you know, getting inside the arc finishing chops that we
haven't seen. Uh yeah, I'm gonna pick so two teams left.
Speaker 2: I'm I thought, yeah, I thought we only had one
team left. I was mathing off of IY sight.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with the Hornets because that'll force you
to pick the Bulls next, which.
Speaker 2: Is just I will. Didn't we didn't we all God
damn it. I thought we had gamed it wrong. Sucks
for you, sucks for you, the Hornets.
Speaker 1: I was tempted to go with playmaking, just because I
don't know that Christian Anderson, Kobe White, Kanka Nipple is
gonna like his for in terms of half core creation
for everybody else. I don't know if that's gonna be enough,
and we don't have the data. Kobe White played seventy
four possessions with Miller and Ca Nipple and nol LaMelo
last year, so they did lose what I think is
a transcendent playmaker in LaMelo. I think this is another
team though, that needs point of attack, wing defense, just
name it. At this point, I mean not that I was.
I'm not a Josh Green guy, but he was. You
kind of just lost that body to throw at other dudes.
So you have Miller, who I think is fine. Royce
O'Neil's kind of I don't want to say he's washed,
but he's not great on that's like it's kind of
Brandon Miller and Seon James. Now, so I think you
need there needs to be somebody else, Like we're getting
into what is Grant Williams okay, switchable t Johnson excuse me, athletic.
Speaker 2: They need like they need. They need the.
Speaker 1: Guy you look at and say, oh, he's all defense
and that not necessarily going to be elected to all defense,
but he might not provide enough on offense. And see
On James checks that box a little bit.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: They need another guy just along the lines that they
can view as a lockdown defender. I think Charles Lee's
probably coaxed better defensive returns out of teams that aren't
so talented on the less glamorous end. But he's going
to have his work cut out for him, like kind
of the same as could you argue not having LaMelo
Is makes that an upgrade yet? Sure, but I think
looking at the perimeter, specifically a point of attack wing
defense is still a need for this team.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I've loved their summer, but if we have to
find a need defense and playmaking, I think those two
are the right choices. I'm still unreasonable high on this team.
I think the three point volume is going to be insane.
I don't think the advanced playmaking is going to be
that necessary because it's going to be a five out
oriented offense, I assume. But at any rate, it's still
in need. Like you can never have too much creative passing,
you can never have too much quality defense.
Speaker 3: So the fact that you have neither of.
Speaker 4: Those avenues available to the extent that you need, yes,
I would agree with you that something's got to give eventually.
Speaker 1: That or the case because regular says losing bridges help
their defense. I mean, no, I won't argue that point here.
But if you're building, for sure, if you're building your
best playmaking lineup, it comes at the cost of defense.
If you're building your best defensive lineup one. I don't
even know what that looks like. So it's Musa Diabaatee,
nas Reed, Miller, Seon James, and then Conk Nipple. If
we're trying to be semi realistic, so you're losing, you
might be losing too much offense in that regard. And
then if you're building your best playmaking unit, you're for
sure gonna it's gonna come at a stark defensive costs.
Speaker 2: I agree, who's the final team, bore that you're gonna
that you're gonna pick.
Speaker 4: I hate you so much for this, I really do. Yeah,
that was you just set me up?
Speaker 3: All right?
Speaker 4: Well there, their biggest need is that they need to
trade Josh, No, it's.
Speaker 1: Uh to the what was the team we sent them
to hypothetically before?
Speaker 2: Was it the Heat Miami?
Speaker 4: I think again, they they just need so many things,
uh where to start. Really, they're they're just starting over
from scratch. So like they have like they got a center,
they got a shooting guard, but like none of those
two are viewed as necessarily long term pieces. I think
both Claxton and Powell were acquired for free by the
way to be pivoted off later like, I would be
kind of surprised if Claxton Powell are on the team
after the trade headline, which would be the smart approach.
Just get them in there to trade them later, take
on bad money and pick this compensation.
Speaker 3: Why not?
Speaker 4: So if that's the play, cool, But in terms of need,
like they need a first tier player, like like their star,
the guy who they can you can build around, because
it's not Josh Giddy, is it Caleb Wilson?
Speaker 3: Will find out, but you know.
Speaker 2: You can't be.
Speaker 1: I guess I don't. I do understand a Scotty Barnes
comps with him. I don't think he's they need their
number one offensive option. I don't know if that's going
to be Boozellis or Caleb Wilson.
Speaker 3: No, I would I would be surprised too.
Speaker 4: I do think Caleb Wilson is going to be a
really fine player, but I just don't know if he
has that every Everyone is also like, oh, it's the
new Kevin Garnett and he has like a seven foot
seven to one wingspan, like you Usually the guys who
become that level player have these insane long arms and
can you slide up positions? I question if Wilson can
actually slide up to the five if he's more of
like a pure four, and that's kind of it. So
there are questions. There are definitely questions. I don't think
they have their their best player moving forward. I don't
think they have their second best player moving forward. I tell.
Speaker 1: I feel like Kayleb Wilson or Brizzelles could still have No,
we don't.
Speaker 3: We don't have any data on Wilson.
Speaker 2: I do.
Speaker 3: I like Bussella's fine, I really do.
Speaker 4: I actually think he's going to be like a twenty
plus score and everything, but like, is he going to
be the second best player if they want to be
a good team. I don't know if you have to
move him down the pegging order a little bit. It
depends again, like if he takes a major leap, obviously
will reality reevaluate. But as of right now, I have
a hard time seeing, you know someone on this roster
who just is primary and secondary option? Well what about
like he's still pretty young. Couldn't Patrick Williams develop into that?
Speaker 2: Oh man, well you know what? Who?
Speaker 4: I feel bad for Demartin Rosen Dunbar spent like three
years just trying to get Patrick Williams into the right
mindset and nothing worked. Like poor Demartin Rosen for just
wasting three years of his life with that project.
Speaker 1: Uh and then he went right to the Kings. He
got paid though, So up they can build.
Speaker 2: This isn't doesn't get any but they can. They can build.
Speaker 1: I know a lot of people are lower on Claxton
after last year, but he was dealing with back stuff
and I still think he can add a ton of
value defensively even though he's not super strong. This team
can build a lot of interesting defensive lineups if they
just want to punt on like shooting or out like
between Dan and Swayne and Caleb Wilson, Buzzellis, Claxton, Leonard,
Noah Sange.
Speaker 2: If he's healthy Isaaca.
Speaker 1: Korro, this team might be a little bit like feisty
on the defensive end. This year sure doesn't change what
you're saying. I think that there are a ton of needs.
They need their first option, they need shooting and center
of the future. They might if you were to look
at this team and say they're set here for the future,
you might be able to say, between Buzzellis and Caleb Wilson,
I'm willing to give them they have like a forward
spot or bright I think that would be reasonable.
Speaker 4: Yes, And look if if Wilson and Pussilla's becomes like
long term starters and those are like the main guys,
you know, not not the main guys in a couple
of years because they need someone better, but like if
they are just high level starters. Yeah, I think that's
a win.
Speaker 1: Yeah for sure, you've anything else or are you ready
to We did it under ninety minutes while reacting to
breaking news.
Speaker 4: I think we did well because you and I usually
have issues keeping it short. This is this is like improvement.
Our couple's counseling sessions have gone great. Thank you, honey,
with attention spans.
Speaker 1: I don't know if anyone appreciates us when we do
like ten minutes on every single team, right, we do
that either? So, uh, can you just tell everyone who's
watching listening where they can find you and all the
work that.
Speaker 4: Yes, yes, you can find my work oread, Yahoo Sports,
and you can listen to the NBA podcast and if
you understand Danish, you can listen to buser Beater or
catchment calling games at HBO Max.
Speaker 1: And because I'm just so bad at promoing this. Do
not forget to subscribe to our Patreon if you want
all this content add free as well as some of
bonus extra bonus episodes every month and just a bunch.
Speaker 2: Of other goodies.
Speaker 1: Discord access as well, Patreon dot com, Slash, Harber Knox MBA.
Speaker 2: And come back.
Speaker 1: Tentatively Google Live Friday at four pm Eastern to do
the Western Conference version of this. Hopefully nothing comes up,
although with the Kauhi trade being rescinded, more than I
might need to have a discussion like with what that's
gonna look like. That only give back to the quick
first right now though, so until next time, and as always,
we needed to shout out to the one, the only,
the indelible.
Speaker 2: His trade for him has never ever been rescinded, mister
Frank La Tina