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Speaker 1: What is up, fellasic Goos, I am Dan Valley coming

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at you with the one, the only, the certified, fantabulous

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Grant Hues.

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Speaker 2: It's time for Hardware Knocks to gather everyone together and

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talk about.

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Speaker 1: The biggest questions we have coming out of the NBA

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All Star Break. This is being recorded because we have

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fun content plan for you during the NBA's little week off,

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but it's being recorded before the All Star Game, so

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we're not reacting to what All Star weeken looked like

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with the NBA really tapping into the content creator, Well,

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that's really overwhelming us with content is the plan?

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Speaker 2: I don't know who. I don't know who's.

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Speaker 1: Planning those things, but hope maybe went better than we expected.

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These questions, though, are ever green in the sense of

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we're still going to have them a few days from now.

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How are you feeling, Grant as we get ready for

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our All Star break break, but then also for the

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final closing kick of the season.

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Speaker 3: Just mostly I just sort of can't wait to see

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what all the seemingly preteen influencers that I I am

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not familiar with bring to the table and brought to

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the table. It just maybe I should I should phrase

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this like as if we just watched All Star Weekend

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and we're like, man, that was some just some terrific

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content creation and by people that I definitely know who

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they are, right.

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Speaker 1: Same, I think I've just come to look at it

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as the All Star Weekend. It's not for it's for

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a certain demographic. It's for younger people, which I think

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is fine. But I do think the NBA is doing

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a disservice by making so much of it about not

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actual basketball. There's nothing in the rule book that says

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the youths don't care about. The whole point should be

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to promote the actual sport and their whole just like

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really leading into the tiktokification but it doesn't have anything

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to do with the actual basketball is bizarre to me.

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And also it's stop trying that.

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Speaker 2: I don't like the team versus World format. It's stupid.

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Speaker 1: It made the selections and replacements just unnecessarily convlude. There's

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players who are like on one team an now are

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on a different team. I don't want to get into it.

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Maybe it was awesome. Maybe these words just age so

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incredibly poorly. I don't think they will. Let's move on

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to our biggest questions draft style. You're going to get

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the first pick because you just killed it on another

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exercise that's going to be going live either before or

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after this, and you did a hell of a job.

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Speaker 2: So this is your reward.

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Speaker 3: All right. Well, let's see, there's like kind of a

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little batch that we definitely need to address that are

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bigger picture. Uh So I'm gonna pull from one of those, uh,

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just because I think I don't know, that's kind of

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the most important stuff to discuss. So let's go Dan

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with which Eastern Conference team has the most at stake

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ahead of this offseason, which I took to mean a

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non lottery division, So teams that one will actually be

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watching down the stretch because there's a whole bunch we

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can just sort of sorry that I'm going to tune

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out for. Don't know which your approach is going to be.

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Speaker 2: And I watched the Kings.

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Speaker 3: Yeah you're well, first of all, you're fighting the question

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because this is an Eastern Conference question unless the Kings

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get relegated to the Eastern Conference, which is possible. I

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suppose I'm taking this to mean down the street.

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Speaker 2: You have to go to the East.

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Speaker 3: Sorry, So you the way this phrase is ahead of

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the off season and the full question. It's really just

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kind of like, I do you disagree that this is

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mostly about like based on how the season progresses from

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now on to how it ends for this team, like

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the most might change. There might be you know, the

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stakes are highest that most at steak is right in

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the question. But it's like this, this encompasses playoff performance

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for me? Does that is that the same for you?

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Or you just okay, it's not just like they need

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to get this seed. Uh, and then we stop caring.

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It's it's the whole deal from now till the end

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of the league year basically, right.

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Speaker 2: Yes, that's how That's how I approached it.

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Speaker 3: Why isn't it your New York Knicks, who the owner

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who never speaks came out and said that the finals

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are just like we gotta, we gotta, we expect to

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make the finals. Why is that not the answer?

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Speaker 2: I'm not saying it's not.

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Speaker 1: I would say they are for sure candidate, but I

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would argue they're limited in what they could do because

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let's just say they get bounced from the first round.

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What's what's the move you trade anyone you trade?

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Speaker 2: You just get worse.

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Speaker 1: Short of Joannice, iutent to people going full James Hardens

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circa Houston Rockets in was that twenty twenty, twenty twenty,

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doesn't know what?

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Speaker 3: Who can say how many trade demands ago it was.

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Speaker 1: But his most his most egregious one was not egregious,

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but his most forceful one was the first one.

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Speaker 3: Right, well, let's see the not the thunder one, not

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thunder to rockets.

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Speaker 2: That was not super much a request, that was just

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they didn't want to pay him.

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Speaker 3: Yea, they didn't want to pay him.

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Speaker 1: I guess his departure from well it needs to be

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James whole episode, by the way, power ranking, the seriousness

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of James Harden's trader's request go on, and so short

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of that happening, I just don't know what the Knicks

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are support, Like, you don't have two tradeable first round picks,

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But do you get better if you attach two first

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round picks to Karl Anthony Towns for what and for who?

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You're not gonna tade Jail and Jail and Brunton and

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start over.

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Speaker 2: My pick would be the Calves, right.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you're right, that's why it's not the Knicks. I

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was one I was kind of trolling you. And two

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the only the only case you make for the Knicks

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is that the stakes are high because any fall, any

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significant disappointment sort of can only be remedied by a

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very drastic move, you know, like it's not like they're

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gonna tinker. So the stakes are high in that sense.

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But to your point, they really can't like even whatever

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qualifies as drastic for them, just as like how do

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we get off towns? Basically, so it's not them before

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I agree, it's the Calves. Do you want to we

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got to go through the teams that it just isn't

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we like the Celtics gap year found money, Like nothing

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at stake here if they if they get swept in

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the first round, everybody's like good season relative to expectations,

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right right. Pistons more the fact that they're like if

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they got smoked in the first round, it is there

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anything at stake, because then that would just make them

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do the move we thought they should do it that

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like that then they'll go make the go for it move,

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which good.

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Speaker 1: We we have a question that kind of dovetails with us.

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But the case for the Pistons would be this is

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their best chance to win a championship.

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Speaker 3: This is this is a take of years that I'm

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really into. I really enjoy that like framing it that

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way because it it doesn't feel like it could be right,

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but it also could very very much be right, because like,

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how often are you gonna just run away with a conference?

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You know?

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Speaker 2: Right? And it's harder to do this.

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Speaker 1: The other thing is is every team that we've identified

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as just they're still going to be there. Something has

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happened where in two or three years they're not.

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Speaker 2: At this level anymore.

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Speaker 1: So you just look at the circumstances of the East

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right now, Boston you said found money, maybe Jason Tatum

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comes back, but this isn't gonna be peak Boston Celtics.

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Even if you think Boston's the biggest threat. The Knicks

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are just eminent. They were eminently beatable for the Pistons

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last year, they just didn't they're eminently beatable now. The

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Calves have been on fire even before they had the

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best record in the NBA since like before the New year,

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so this pre dates Darius Garland getting moved. There's also

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just something about their playoff performances and even their durability

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and their lack of overall physicality and pure wing depth.

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Speaker 2: That's not a team I'm afraid of. Philly is such

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a wildcard.

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Speaker 1: Toronto is like they're better than expected, but they're not.

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I'm not worry if I'm the Piston, I'm not worried

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about Toronto. So there's that element of the East Orlando

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not doing that. Orlando, by the way, could be another

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candidate for this.

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Speaker 3: I was gonna say, like, there are a couple other

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teams we need to talk about, not not on the

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Calves level, and Orlando's definitely one of them, right because

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everybody's were very much in the cycle of questioning the

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Pallo of it all as a first option again, like

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here we are questionings as an offensive coach, like all,

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like they're what are they? As we're recording this, they're

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in the play in game and a half out of

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six and just not gonna win the fifty plus games

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that a lot of people saw coming, and that was

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the consensus.

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Speaker 2: Are they the only? Are they the best alternative?

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Speaker 3: Too?

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Speaker 1: Because we're gonna talk more Pistons later, Yeah, is Orlando

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the best? I think the answers pretty clearly the Calves

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because of yeah, you just traded, you got so much older,

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and this clearly is a move you're you were either

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planning on doing something dramatic or you're worried about Donovan

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Mitchell remaining committed to you. I think Orlando might be

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the next best choice, though, unless you want to go

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with Milwaukee.

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Speaker 3: So that was the other team, and they're a lottery

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team at the moment and probably will stay there. So

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they don't technically qualify, but in a different way they

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they do deserve some mention just because I mean, what's it,

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what's at stake?

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Speaker 2: I guess next contract man.

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Speaker 3: His next like him coming back, getting hurt, trying to

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get them into the tent spot or something like. There's

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it's a weird set of stakes. But like for a

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team that just isn't good, the potential fallout for what

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happens over the last what is it, thirty games of

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the year for them is weirdly significant. You know, like

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they're not playing for anything really except your honest maybe

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wants to I don't know how much that's posturing.

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Speaker 1: But you could do the reverse too, of are they

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playing to improve their draft pick in the sense they're

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getting the less favorable of their own in New Orleans

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is but New Orleans is so bad that the worst

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you are, it ensures that you have a chance of

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still getting a pretty high pick.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, no, they have a lot of stakes. Just I

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wouldn't pick them just because that they're not like well

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technically they're excluded as a lottery team, but also because

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the spirit of this question is kind of like just

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all the giant like neon arrows are pointing at the

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calves like that that's the answer. We didn't even stalk.

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You know. The hard and trade is obviously the main

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and the desperation that seemed to fuel it with respective

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Mitchell's future. The other thing is like they've disappointed in

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the last is it to at least the last two postseasons,

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and like had they done nothing with the roster, and

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if they were first in the conference right now behind

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the old Big four and everything was going great, if

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they were on the same pace they were last year

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for example, when they won sixty four, they would they

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would be the answer anyway, like they would still be

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the answer because they're very much in like the prove

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it territory of their arc. And now just adding to

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that is the desperation of the hard and move it like,

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I don't think there's a close second. Like I mentioned

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the Knicks just to bother you.

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Speaker 1: I think they're candidate, but I think I picked the

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Magic as number two. The other thing looming over the

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calves it's not just the James Harden trade, it's what

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do we do with James Harden after this season? He

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has a player option. And also I respect what he

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said in that press conference. They watched the full clip

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where he said loyalty is overrated. He's one hundred percent right.

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We could the way he's gone about some of his

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trade demands are no doubt frustrating to fans. And then

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some of the effort level we've seen from him on

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the court, like during some of those What's trade demand,

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the Houston trade.

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Speaker 2: Demand, and like the whole Philly holdout stuff.

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Speaker 1: But like he's right, So this is someone who's going

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to follow the money now, so few teams have cap

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space again after the trade deadline, where is he really

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gonna go? But if they're not willing to if he

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just picks up his player option, they're not willing to

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talk about an extension.

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Speaker 2: Do we get another James Harden trade demand?

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Speaker 3: Don't, don't you assume that they prior to trading for him,

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like laid out, Hey, here's what we're here's what we're thinking,

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like contract wise, like that's that's got to be in place.

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Speaker 1: That also contributes to what's at stake then, because now

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you've committed to age thirty six James Harden. If this

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isn't it, what if you get bounced in the first

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round by like in the three to six matchup or

254
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something that could happen.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean that that if that happens, and

256
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we're gonna throw out a lot of ifs if that happens,

257
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and if you didn't just predetermined Harden's gonna get like

258
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I don't know what, is it gonna be more than

259
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a one plus one? Can it? Is it? Is it

260
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a two plus one? That would be insane if that's

261
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if that's what was potentially on offer. But like he's

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there for.

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Speaker 1: The over thirty eight rules, so you can't get longer

264
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than that, which I guess is a good thing. But

265
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but I feel like any of his deals are gonna

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have that it'll just have a player option in year

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two and so you're still kind of.

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Speaker 3: You're just you're immediately you're immediately on the clock. You're

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immediately on the clock, like it just you're permanently on

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the clock now for the rest of James Harden's career.

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But but if if things go badly and whatever they

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they they don't extend, they don't give him a new deal,

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then then that trade starts to look even more like

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we just didn't believe in Darius Garland like at all,

275
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and we just want it out, We want the They're

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not a flexible team because they have so many other

277
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big contracts, but like they just decided they'd rather rent

278
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Harden for a postseason, watch them walk, and just not

279
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have Darius Garland's contract on the books. Like that line

280
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of thinking becomes like more plausible, which is feels crazy

281
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to me. But but if you end up there, then

282
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maybe that really was more of a motivator than it

283
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might seem. That there's some wild outcomes for the Cavs,

284
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like a pretty broad set of possible like you could

285
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do you just trade Donovan Mitchell, like I don't know,

286
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there's like depending on how how gnarly the the.

287
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Speaker 1: And then if you go that route, you also have

288
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to decide, Okay, Jared Allen, you could probably move but

289
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then you have to decide is Evan mobley Worth rebuilding around?

290
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And it feels like the decision would have been easier

291
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to make our Darius Garland and Evan mobley Worth be

292
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building around.

293
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Speaker 3: Yeah, no, that there's a lot that could happen here.

294
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So it's clearly it to me, it's very clearly them

295
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and Orlando is probably second. But it's but it's a

296
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it's a pretty different set of circumstances.

297
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Speaker 1: Let's go here, which Eastern Conference player to you grant

298
00:13:55,639 --> 00:13:57,879
has the most at stake the rest of this season

299
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non tabs divisions and we already recycled because you could

300
00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:02,559
argue it's James Harden.

301
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Speaker 3: But you could, Yeah, I mean he's gonna be He's

302
00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:06,960
gonna land on his feet whatever happens. It seems like

303
00:14:07,039 --> 00:14:11,240
he's kind of find honestly good for him. Yeah, uh okay,

304
00:14:11,279 --> 00:14:16,240
so some of this will be So it can't be

305
00:14:16,639 --> 00:14:20,639
Cad Cunningham, I don't think, because I don't I guess

306
00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,759
if like, if he in the unlikely event that he

307
00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:29,440
disappoints in the postseason, I guess you like, what would

308
00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:33,399
be reevaluated then like, oh no, actually he's not, uh

309
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,600
the because what will happen is if the Pistons fail,

310
00:14:37,759 --> 00:14:40,480
it'll probably because just the offense around him isn't good

311
00:14:40,559 --> 00:14:42,200
enough and I don't feel like that's gonna get held

312
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:43,960
against him. So even though he's the best player on

313
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,799
the top seed, I kind of don't feel like he's

314
00:14:46,799 --> 00:14:49,840
gonna catch and it won't deserve to catch most of

315
00:14:49,879 --> 00:14:54,480
the heat. I'm kind of leaning, is it? I think

316
00:14:54,519 --> 00:14:58,120
it might be Ben Carro Is that is that a

317
00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,840
crazy take? Oh good, So tell tell me why because

318
00:15:00,879 --> 00:15:02,559
that was the first name that jumps to mine.

319
00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,639
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was for me too, and it's I think

320
00:15:05,759 --> 00:15:08,639
some of the did work. Much of the discourse has

321
00:15:08,799 --> 00:15:13,919
probably been overstated, and he has gotten more efficient, shooting

322
00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,440
forty percent from three I think since the middle of January.

323
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,240
But when you talk about and think about the magic,

324
00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,440
I think it's fair to say, well, it'd be nice

325
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,759
to see this group one fully healthy, but two perhaps

326
00:15:27,799 --> 00:15:30,919
they just need a different coach to change up the offense.

327
00:15:31,639 --> 00:15:34,360
But even if they decide to go that route, then

328
00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,080
let's say they move on from Jamal Mosley.

329
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Speaker 2: That's it.

330
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,240
Speaker 1: The cover for Palo Bank Cao is gone, and all

331
00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,600
like people will then zero in even further on some

332
00:15:42,639 --> 00:15:44,679
of this line up data that shows they're better when

333
00:15:44,679 --> 00:15:46,799
Franz plays without him, and I think there's a ton

334
00:15:46,799 --> 00:15:48,919
of noise that could go in there. I believe I'm

335
00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,440
still highest on Palo Bankcaro long term of any I mean,

336
00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,600
it's between him and Franz, but it does get tougher

337
00:15:55,639 --> 00:15:58,679
to defend when this got when this team, which already

338
00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:02,240
doesn't have a good offense, is worse offensively with him

339
00:16:02,279 --> 00:16:05,840
on the court, and you're starting to have to deal

340
00:16:05,879 --> 00:16:08,480
with that. It's good that he signed his extension when

341
00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,960
he did, because I think that had he they waited

342
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,919
to restricted free agency to max him out, or does

343
00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:15,720
he even get the max after this season, probably just

344
00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,159
because he's played well overall, but now we're looking again

345
00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,360
how many straight years it happened. Last year they were

346
00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,879
better offensively without him on the court. And there are

347
00:16:25,919 --> 00:16:28,639
so many things that I think he brings to the table,

348
00:16:28,799 --> 00:16:33,879
just his meld of balletic brute force. You wish he was, like,

349
00:16:34,279 --> 00:16:36,759
I don't know, ten to twenty percent more efficient from

350
00:16:36,799 --> 00:16:41,679
basically everywhere on the floor. I just as a Palo

351
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,519
Bin Carol defender, I will continue to defend him, But

352
00:16:44,519 --> 00:16:47,840
when you're dealing with three straight seasons of the offense

353
00:16:47,879 --> 00:16:49,679
being worse with him on the court, and we can

354
00:16:49,679 --> 00:16:53,200
point two excuses, including his own injuries, the injuries around him,

355
00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,799
the lack of space and has done nothing for him.

356
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,399
The Magic have consistently rated in like the zero fith percentile,

357
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:04,680
basically complimentary floor spacing. But when you're making that big

358
00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,559
a money, you get to a point where's figure it out. Yeah,

359
00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:11,400
and the fact that that also contributes to why the

360
00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,119
Magic have the most at stakes. I don't think it's

361
00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,559
exclusively a Palo Bancaro thing. I don't know if the

362
00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,119
entire supporting cast or I shouldn't say I don't know. I

363
00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,119
believe that it is somewhat counterintuitive. I think it can work.

364
00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,119
We've seen it from their top end unit. But if

365
00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:25,599
you can't count on Sugs or Wagner, even ban Caro

366
00:17:25,759 --> 00:17:28,359
to be healthy for a given clip, that gets messy.

367
00:17:28,559 --> 00:17:32,319
Now let's throw an Anthony Black's extension eligibility into the equation.

368
00:17:34,039 --> 00:17:37,680
Palo Bancaro just perceptionally. Again, I think too much of

369
00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,039
the discourse veers away from the talent and sometimes actually

370
00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:43,200
what's happening to where you look at it. Oh, Palo

371
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,559
Bancaro's first fifteen games or whatever. That narrative takes on

372
00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,880
a life of its own and is applied to the

373
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,799
entire season. But the concerns also, as much as Magic

374
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,559
fans want to push back, they are absolutely real, and

375
00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,720
I don't is there anything he could do to change

376
00:17:58,759 --> 00:18:00,920
that before the offseason at this point?

377
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,119
Speaker 3: Well, so that's I'm glad you asked, because I think

378
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:09,039
for him specifically, it's the I'm viewing. I know the

379
00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:11,720
question is asking, like who's got the most at stake

380
00:18:11,759 --> 00:18:14,400
between now and the offseason, and that encompasses the rest

381
00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,519
of the regular season. To me, the rest of the

382
00:18:16,519 --> 00:18:19,839
regular season for Paolo just like doesn't really matter except

383
00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,599
in so far as it like positions him to have

384
00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,039
playoff success. I don't really care how he plays the

385
00:18:27,079 --> 00:18:30,400
rest of the regular season because so much of his

386
00:18:30,599 --> 00:18:33,920
perceived value and like it's not quite right to call

387
00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,799
it the legend of Paolo Bankaro, but like the appeal

388
00:18:36,839 --> 00:18:40,279
of him is that in the playoffs he's better, Like

389
00:18:40,319 --> 00:18:42,880
he's more valuable. Like he's played two playoffs series. He

390
00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,160
averaged twenty seven a game in one, he averaged twenty

391
00:18:45,279 --> 00:18:47,559
nine point four in the other. Was more efficient than

392
00:18:47,559 --> 00:18:50,200
he generally is. Did all the get to the line stuff,

393
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,880
did all the tough shot making stuff, all these things that,

394
00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:55,839
at least with respect to the tough shot making, we

395
00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,000
don't love as a regular season proposition, but that in

396
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,680
theory like highlights his value in a playoff scenario, because

397
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,480
those are the shots you gotta make, you know, like,

398
00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:06,920
you don't get the easy ones. You need someone that

399
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,839
can be physically overpowering that will take him make tough twos.

400
00:19:10,039 --> 00:19:12,440
And that's kind of his deal. And so far his

401
00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,440
playoff effectiveness has just been greater than his regular season effectiveness.

402
00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,519
So for him a bad playoffs then just sort of

403
00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,319
allows us to say, oh, well, he's not even that guy.

404
00:19:24,559 --> 00:19:27,240
You know, we we know the regular season questions, and

405
00:19:27,279 --> 00:19:29,240
we know the big picture questions about like can he

406
00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,039
anchor a good offense so far? No, but at least

407
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,559
at the moment prior to another playoff series loss, and

408
00:19:36,599 --> 00:19:39,119
if he has a bad performance, you can say, like, yeah,

409
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,880
but look what he can do in the games that

410
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,559
really matter. He's better in those. What doesn't that count

411
00:19:44,559 --> 00:19:45,039
for something?

412
00:19:45,079 --> 00:19:47,000
Speaker 1: So he takes more threes and hits them at an

413
00:19:47,039 --> 00:19:48,079
astronomical clip.

414
00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,440
Speaker 3: Explain that yeah, if he falls short, yeah, forty four

415
00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,559
ATMs per game, yeah yeah, so like and not really

416
00:19:56,599 --> 00:19:58,720
losing any of the free throw volume in the process.

417
00:19:59,279 --> 00:20:03,480
So if he does give you that, then the questions

418
00:20:03,599 --> 00:20:06,599
just get louder about, like did we I mean, they

419
00:20:06,599 --> 00:20:08,400
were always gonna give him that extent. He's a number

420
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,480
one pick, he's been productive, he had all this potential,

421
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,920
but like good, he's good. But then the question then

422
00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,000
the questions get louder about, like is he good enough

423
00:20:16,039 --> 00:20:18,880
to justify the position we have him in in our

424
00:20:19,319 --> 00:20:22,559
like big picture plans like that. I can't really think

425
00:20:22,599 --> 00:20:25,160
of another player that has all that kind of riding

426
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:26,319
on the next few months.

427
00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,440
Speaker 1: I thought maybe, but if he's under contract for two

428
00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,480
more years, I did think maybe Karl Anthony Towns as

429
00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,039
just I also thought could one of the Wizards. Will

430
00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,400
Dawkins says that Trey who has a player option, and

431
00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,720
Anthony Davis, who wants an extension, are gonna play this season?

432
00:20:41,759 --> 00:20:42,519
Speaker 2: Do they have?

433
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,119
Speaker 1: They certainly have something to prove, but that feels more

434
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:46,559
like a next season thing to.

435
00:20:46,559 --> 00:20:47,799
Speaker 2: Me, not a this season thing.

436
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,400
Speaker 3: I mean, that's an interesting way to go about it, though, Like,

437
00:20:51,599 --> 00:20:56,359
what if either Davis or young actually plays. How good

438
00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,480
would they have to play for us to not just

439
00:20:58,559 --> 00:21:01,079
say yeah, but these games didn't anything like. It would

440
00:21:01,079 --> 00:21:04,160
have to be remarkable and it would have to lead

441
00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,039
to wins, which the Wizards don't want. And like, I

442
00:21:07,039 --> 00:21:09,680
think I think those are interesting names to consider. I

443
00:21:09,799 --> 00:21:12,440
just I struggled, like, if Trey went, if Trey averaged

444
00:21:12,559 --> 00:21:15,920
forty and twelve, you know, over down a stretch or something,

445
00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,759
we would just I would just dismiss it. And I

446
00:21:18,839 --> 00:21:20,359
might be wrong to do that, but I feel like

447
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,440
that would be the take on Like some I don't

448
00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,319
think anyone would be like, oh my god, he's back,

449
00:21:26,559 --> 00:21:29,519
you know, Yeah, suddenly the Wizards are guaranteed a top

450
00:21:29,559 --> 00:21:32,279
five offense because Trey is Trey again. I think there'd

451
00:21:32,319 --> 00:21:34,920
be some some like side eye at any at any

452
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:39,279
level of production for him. What about there's I mean,

453
00:21:39,519 --> 00:21:41,960
Giannis could be another nominee for kind of the same

454
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,599
reason as when we discussed the Bucks.

455
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:45,880
Speaker 2: I had Joel Beide on my list too.

456
00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:48,799
Speaker 1: I know he's already been paid, but it's sort of okay,

457
00:21:48,799 --> 00:21:51,000
it looks like he's playing better, but can he do it?

458
00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,480
We've seen him dominate in the playoffs, but can he

459
00:21:53,519 --> 00:21:54,880
do it for an entire playoff run?

460
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:56,359
Speaker 2: Be healthy the whole shebang.

461
00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,759
Speaker 1: The Sixers could be they having DJ, Edgecomb and Maxie

462
00:21:59,799 --> 00:22:02,200
into them against being the team with the most at stake.

463
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,240
But Joel Embiid individually, I think he's been even when

464
00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,160
he was bad this season, I thought he's done a

465
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,920
great job of just like adapting or at least trying

466
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,720
to to where it hasn't. He hasn't made it the

467
00:22:12,799 --> 00:22:16,119
Joelle Embiid show. He's tried to fit in alongside everybody.

468
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,319
But if we go through the playoffs and he either

469
00:22:18,319 --> 00:22:21,200
doesn't look right or it's just not the same even

470
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,000
in I don't want to say small bursts, but smaller

471
00:22:24,079 --> 00:22:27,240
spurts a lot of questions. But it's also he's got

472
00:22:27,319 --> 00:22:29,240
his money, he's signed his extension good, So I don't

473
00:22:29,279 --> 00:22:32,000
know how much he could change the I don't know

474
00:22:32,039 --> 00:22:34,720
that he could change any sort of narrative on himself.

475
00:22:34,839 --> 00:22:37,160
Speaker 2: Regardless of how good or bad he plays.

476
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,359
Speaker 1: It'll act as I think, affirmation for one side of

477
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:41,359
the fence versus the other.

478
00:22:41,559 --> 00:22:42,880
Speaker 2: Oh I knew he couldn't do it, or oh, we

479
00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:43,759
knew that he could do this.

480
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,319
Speaker 3: I think that's a good one. What if what if

481
00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:52,039
the Hornets come out of the plan and like, well,

482
00:22:52,079 --> 00:22:56,160
then it all I guess they'd have to be eighth

483
00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,680
and they see Detroit in a first round series, who

484
00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,200
they played tough in the game where all the fighting happened,

485
00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,640
all the fisticuffs took place, and LaMelo shows that against

486
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,839
this defense, I can get us to score at a

487
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,160
good rate in the playoffs. I think his reputation changes

488
00:23:13,319 --> 00:23:18,599
a lot, right, Like you're answering a lot of questions

489
00:23:18,599 --> 00:23:21,599
like in succession that at like a high degree of difficulty.

490
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,079
I would just say, if they don't need to beat

491
00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:25,960
the Pistons, they don't need to upset the Pistons. But

492
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,000
if they take him to six or like even seven obviously,

493
00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,240
and the Hornets score at like let's just say, like

494
00:23:33,279 --> 00:23:35,640
the regular season clip, which would be a huge achievement

495
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,839
one in the playoffs two against the Pistons, and LaMelo

496
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,680
is like very good in orchestrating that. We would have

497
00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,759
very different offseason conversations about him that we've had for

498
00:23:46,839 --> 00:23:48,160
like the past four years.

499
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,519
Speaker 1: I think I honestly he did not come to mind

500
00:23:50,519 --> 00:23:51,519
for me, which is shocking.

501
00:23:51,559 --> 00:23:54,440
Speaker 2: That is a great isn't he doesn't.

502
00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,039
Speaker 3: He always come to mind for you just in general?

503
00:23:56,079 --> 00:23:56,599
Speaker 2: Well, doesn't he?

504
00:23:56,799 --> 00:23:59,400
Speaker 1: His is sort of more of a the pendulum can

505
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,200
only swing one direction at this point, because I think

506
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,759
people just believe that he won't show up in the

507
00:24:04,759 --> 00:24:06,720
playoffs or that he's not good. I feel like that's

508
00:24:06,759 --> 00:24:09,000
the default argument, and so anything he does is sort

509
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,119
of gravy well, right.

510
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,799
Speaker 3: Because the Hornets, you know, when they were had that

511
00:24:14,279 --> 00:24:17,480
nine game run, and the offense has just keeps climbing.

512
00:24:17,839 --> 00:24:21,359
It's like, I feel like people are I don't know,

513
00:24:22,039 --> 00:24:24,079
straw Manning here a little bit, but like it's easy

514
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:27,599
to be dismissive of that because they're still just like

515
00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,759
barely a playing team and this is just the regular season.

516
00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,079
Not a lot of teams are like getting up to

517
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,680
play them yet. They're definitely not at that stage. But

518
00:24:36,759 --> 00:24:41,559
if you if you give a real like wor serious

519
00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,799
postseason team like the Pistons, or even if it's like

520
00:24:43,839 --> 00:24:47,640
Boston in a two seven, potentially I think, yeah, I

521
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,400
think you could really see. You could really see not

522
00:24:51,519 --> 00:24:53,880
just like him recovery, like getting back to how he

523
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,519
was viewed a few years ago, but like even getting

524
00:24:56,519 --> 00:24:58,440
a level above that where it's like, no, he is.

525
00:24:58,799 --> 00:25:02,599
He is like the player that we said Trey Young

526
00:25:02,839 --> 00:25:06,000
was in like twenty twenty one or however, whatever comp

527
00:25:06,039 --> 00:25:07,079
you want to use, he's that guy.

528
00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,680
Speaker 1: Now I think we could blow through him because we

529
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,480
told about the Cavs Ray Butt Evan Mobley. Just to

530
00:25:12,559 --> 00:25:15,039
harken back to the decision of you kind of need

531
00:25:15,079 --> 00:25:18,599
to prove that you can be the second best player

532
00:25:18,759 --> 00:25:21,799
on a championship contender in the playoffs, and I think

533
00:25:21,839 --> 00:25:23,559
he can be, and I think we've shown like just

534
00:25:23,559 --> 00:25:26,359
the level he's reached. But also you also need to

535
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,400
kind of prove that well, if the Cavs do pivot,

536
00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:30,680
you need to be part of like can you be

537
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,480
the centerpiece of the post pivot because Darius Garland's not

538
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,839
there anymore, and so it would only be you and

539
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,440
I could also make occasion like three different Hawks players.

540
00:25:38,519 --> 00:25:39,039
Speaker 2: Is that weird?

541
00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:45,039
Speaker 1: John Yeah, the offense without Trey has been even before

542
00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:47,880
he left, like slightly above league average. And it's is

543
00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:49,839
that enough to say that Jalen Johnson is the guy?

544
00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:51,640
But you have to look at the context of the personnel,

545
00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,359
which leads me to say, one, Jonathan Cominga is there

546
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,160
now he has presumably a ton of stake, but also

547
00:25:57,599 --> 00:26:03,000
Zachary Resiche, like what is how important is he to them?

548
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,960
So three ball falling at a higher clip over the

549
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,319
past month and whatever, But is this someone that they

550
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,599
view as as what? What do you think the Hawks

551
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,200
view him back? Do they view him as the guy

552
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,920
next to Jallel Johnson? Or is that Dyson Daniels? Is

553
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,960
that on Yaka Kongu? Is it this year's draft pick

554
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,279
from the Pillions or Bucks?

555
00:26:22,759 --> 00:26:24,960
Speaker 3: That's where I was gone. I think the good thing

556
00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,079
about Johnson is that his contract is such that he

557
00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,119
doesn't It's not a Bankaro situation where it's like, well

558
00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:34,680
we have we've like staked our claim as like this

559
00:26:34,759 --> 00:26:36,920
is the guy Johnson does not make so much that

560
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,400
it's like, well, we can't have anyone coming over the

561
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,000
top of him in the hierarchy. Like that pick, depending

562
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,559
on how high it is, might get you that guy,

563
00:26:43,839 --> 00:26:45,839
but that makes your timeline weird because you're setting it

564
00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,960
back another couple of years probably, and I don't know

565
00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:52,799
what the appetite is for that. Jason Tatum is another

566
00:26:52,839 --> 00:26:56,279
one where it's all kind of gravy, but like if

567
00:26:56,279 --> 00:27:00,799
he comes back and looks like Jason Tatum I think

568
00:27:00,839 --> 00:27:04,640
it just it at least makes it so this next

569
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,200
offseason we're talking about, like who's gonna beat Boston because,

570
00:27:08,599 --> 00:27:10,599
like I think and if he depends, if he doesn't

571
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,400
look quite the same, we might have that question anyway

572
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:15,240
because we'll just assume he'll get all the way back.

573
00:27:15,279 --> 00:27:18,119
But that that makes that makes it a little harder

574
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,640
to not just say who can beat Detroit. These are again,

575
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,000
these are lower down ballot nominees. Yeah, for sure, I

576
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:26,920
think we've hit the big ones.

577
00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:28,359
Speaker 2: What's your next question? Pick?

578
00:27:28,519 --> 00:27:30,079
Speaker 3: I think we should do this for the West, starting

579
00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:31,880
with the team, So which West team has got the

580
00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,400
most at stake for the rest of this season and

581
00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,680
will include the playoffs. To me, this is harder than.

582
00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,680
Speaker 2: The East because the West is better. Like you think

583
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,359
it's so low stakes.

584
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,799
Speaker 3: Yeah, if you determined, if you get quote unquote upset

585
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:49,480
in the West playoffs, it's like, well, because that sixth

586
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,359
seed was nasty and like might go to the conference finals.

587
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:55,240
So we're not going to like, you know, set the

588
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,519
whole thing on fire. I think it's easiest for me

589
00:27:57,559 --> 00:28:00,440
to start with, like, who is not inconsidering for this.

590
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:05,480
It's not the Spurs. They're kind of piston zy in that, like, okay,

591
00:28:05,559 --> 00:28:07,640
so if they disappoint in a certain way, they just

592
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:09,519
go out and make a trade to address that. The

593
00:28:09,839 --> 00:28:15,079
core is obviously stupid young. No stakes there, the Lakers,

594
00:28:15,079 --> 00:28:18,480
nobody expects anything. Then you get into the play in

595
00:28:18,519 --> 00:28:23,359
team So Phoenix, Golden State, Portland Clippers, no stakes there, really, Like, well,

596
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,319
the Clippers might have some first round picks that get

597
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:27,440
scripped away, but what wasn't that anything to do with

598
00:28:27,519 --> 00:28:30,920
how they Yeah, right, if you don't consider like actual

599
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,000
games played and like what might happen from the league. Sure,

600
00:28:35,799 --> 00:28:39,480
I I don't know if this is the answer, but

601
00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:44,720
why isn't it the thunder just because they are still

602
00:28:45,799 --> 00:28:49,559
they're they bleed. We've decided they bleed this year because

603
00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,480
they've had injuries and they've lost games and they're not

604
00:28:52,519 --> 00:28:56,880
gonna win seventy seven out of eighty two if they.

605
00:28:58,279 --> 00:28:59,480
Speaker 2: Don't.

606
00:28:59,559 --> 00:29:01,960
Speaker 3: Was that what we seventy seven? Can I can I

607
00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,279
take a victory lap a little bit on saying they'd

608
00:29:04,279 --> 00:29:07,880
win sixty two and and and that's like right, that's

609
00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:09,160
where they are pace wise.

610
00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,880
Speaker 2: That was one of my best bets too, and they

611
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:12,960
might not clear it.

612
00:29:13,519 --> 00:29:15,920
Speaker 3: Well, my best bet was the Bulls over thirty four,

613
00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,400
and that's not looking so hot at the moment. But

614
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:19,559
they've they've.

615
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:22,839
Speaker 1: Described a hard wood knocks for all your NBA betting tips.

616
00:29:23,359 --> 00:29:27,119
Speaker 3: Do not follow. I don't know. The Thunder just feel

617
00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:31,920
like they're still the favorite. They still but they seem

618
00:29:32,079 --> 00:29:34,640
vulnerable or more vulnerable than they've been in the past,

619
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,759
and like maybe some of the moves we thought might

620
00:29:37,799 --> 00:29:41,240
be coming financially with like Hartenstein or Dort or whoever else,

621
00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,359
things get fast tracked, they make an upgrade move. If

622
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,519
they don't, I don't know how far they'd have to

623
00:29:46,559 --> 00:29:49,240
go or how soon they'd have to bow out for

624
00:29:49,319 --> 00:29:52,160
that to change. They just I don't know. They jump

625
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,079
out to me, there's a I'm looking at two other

626
00:29:55,519 --> 00:29:58,279
candidates here, one of one of which I imagine you're gonna.

627
00:29:58,039 --> 00:30:04,359
Speaker 1: Mention first thought for this honestly, Okay, see on my radar.

628
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,720
Of course, I didn't even have them in consideration. I

629
00:30:07,799 --> 00:30:12,200
have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I just sort of think we

630
00:30:12,279 --> 00:30:15,440
know Anthony Edwards is that dude. But they've kind of

631
00:30:15,519 --> 00:30:19,440
exhausted all that they can do without all Right, well,

632
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,119
we've burnt down a large chunk of the core around

633
00:30:22,119 --> 00:30:24,160
Anthony Edwards to really change it up, and the fact

634
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:27,839
that they the honest thing, I don't know how real

635
00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:29,880
that was, aside from okay, they tried to pursue him,

636
00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,680
but you had zero first round picks to offer.

637
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,880
Speaker 2: You've given up on the Rob Dillinghan experiment.

638
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,240
Speaker 1: I think there's a level of commendability and not throwing

639
00:30:38,279 --> 00:30:40,279
good money after bad and investing more in him when

640
00:30:40,279 --> 00:30:42,400
it's clear it's not gonna work out with you. That

641
00:30:42,519 --> 00:30:46,759
being said, that decision has been made. You add Iodusunmu,

642
00:30:46,799 --> 00:30:49,920
you let Niki Alexander walk. If it doesn't, You've paid

643
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:53,880
Julius Randall, you've paid nas Reed, you've extended Rudy Gobert.

644
00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:55,960
Speaker 2: If this doesn't work.

645
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,759
Speaker 1: This you've gone to consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances, and

646
00:30:58,839 --> 00:31:02,000
so you're your margin for improvement is actually very slim,

647
00:31:02,039 --> 00:31:06,119
because in a vacuum, any playoff campaign that doesn't end

648
00:31:06,119 --> 00:31:09,680
in at least reaching the Western Conference Finals is technically

649
00:31:10,039 --> 00:31:11,119
an abject failure.

650
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:12,880
Speaker 2: Now that progress isn't.

651
00:31:12,759 --> 00:31:15,519
Speaker 1: Linear or I understand that, but if you get trucked

652
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,039
in the second round or lose in the first round,

653
00:31:18,119 --> 00:31:20,720
which is a possibility, you've had some of the same

654
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,279
the crunch time offense with the turnovers, not getting enough

655
00:31:23,279 --> 00:31:26,720
shots on those possessions, wanting to find that extra ball handler,

656
00:31:26,839 --> 00:31:27,920
not being able.

657
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:28,400
Speaker 2: To do it.

658
00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,160
Speaker 1: Do you look at moving anyone who's not Anthoney Edwards

659
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,920
And let's go back to the Kevin Durant pursuit from

660
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:39,279
them was real, like capslock real, and so the fact

661
00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:43,440
that they've considered what felt like more realistic major changes

662
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:47,160
already coming off of two consecutive Western Conference Finals berths,

663
00:31:47,359 --> 00:31:49,440
what happens if you don't even make it back there

664
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:50,039
this season?

665
00:31:50,559 --> 00:31:53,839
Speaker 3: I was tempted to kind of throw out the like,

666
00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,519
what's the difference then between them and the Knicks, because

667
00:31:56,559 --> 00:32:00,240
they feel similarly like, well, so what do you mover

668
00:32:00,319 --> 00:32:03,160
you're gonna make? That is the difference? Is that as

669
00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,000
opposed to the Knicks, where it's like you try to

670
00:32:05,039 --> 00:32:07,359
trade cat for like neutral value or to get off

671
00:32:07,359 --> 00:32:10,640
the money. The Wolves have like McDaniels with would fetch

672
00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,480
a mint like I do think even Rudy Gobert is

673
00:32:13,519 --> 00:32:15,759
someone if you really want to just completely.

674
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:18,960
Speaker 1: Defensive player of the Year Rudy Gobaar depending on how

675
00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:20,640
to win it.

676
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:21,759
Speaker 3: And then you might be like, we still want a

677
00:32:21,799 --> 00:32:24,680
different identity. We want more offensive dynamism, so he's the

678
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,759
guy we move or Randall obviously is always someone there,

679
00:32:27,839 --> 00:32:31,119
you know that shows up in trades like they I

680
00:32:31,119 --> 00:32:35,759
guess if you're talking stakes, the Wolves have a greater

681
00:32:35,839 --> 00:32:40,119
ability to like react then the Knicks do if things

682
00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:41,839
don't go the way they want them to. So they're

683
00:32:42,119 --> 00:32:45,039
so they're not quite the same in that sense. I

684
00:32:45,079 --> 00:32:47,519
think that's a that's a good pick. Should we talk

685
00:32:47,559 --> 00:32:50,119
about Denver? I mean, like they're one where it's like,

686
00:32:50,119 --> 00:32:51,160
what would they really do?

687
00:32:51,519 --> 00:32:51,720
Speaker 4: You know?

688
00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,599
Speaker 3: Yeah, so what are the steaks? But I guess if

689
00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,640
you know, let's say Aaron Gordon's already in the midst

690
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,880
of his second like major hams ring injury this year,

691
00:33:01,039 --> 00:33:05,759
this keeps happening. It's pretty popular and probably correct to

692
00:33:05,839 --> 00:33:07,880
say that, like, they can't win it if he's not

693
00:33:08,119 --> 00:33:11,359
healthy for a playoff full playoff run. So do you

694
00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,799
start looking at I mean, Peyton Watson's restricted free agencies

695
00:33:14,799 --> 00:33:17,519
coming up? Christian Brown is, like I guess, once he's

696
00:33:17,559 --> 00:33:20,440
not a poison pill contract, you might think about trying

697
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,599
to turn him into something different, but I don't really

698
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:25,960
it's it's and it's also not quite right to say,

699
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,440
like they're their windows closing as long as Yokic and

700
00:33:28,559 --> 00:33:33,640
Murray are there, but you could imagine them falling short

701
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:36,160
and then it's like, oh, I guess this was a

702
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,319
one title team, and I guess, like for Jokic, that

703
00:33:39,359 --> 00:33:42,720
feels like a huge disappointment to this point, so there

704
00:33:42,839 --> 00:33:44,799
would be a desire to change things. I just don't

705
00:33:44,839 --> 00:33:46,920
know what they can really do if if they don't,

706
00:33:47,119 --> 00:33:50,039
you know, meet expectations whatever those are, which, by the way,

707
00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:51,480
like I don't know what I expect of them at

708
00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:51,880
this point.

709
00:33:52,599 --> 00:33:56,119
Speaker 1: They're a good call out too, because I can't remember

710
00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,079
where the clip was from, but Grace Jay from the

711
00:33:59,119 --> 00:34:02,039
What's in a Game podcast had shared it where there

712
00:34:02,079 --> 00:34:04,039
was talk about Denver trying to stay out of the

713
00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:08,039
tax next year, which they can't do that without absolutely

714
00:34:08,599 --> 00:34:12,000
annihilating their roster, and so let's us.

715
00:34:12,119 --> 00:34:13,400
Speaker 2: I'm assuming that was.

716
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,320
Speaker 1: Overstated or maybe it was misrepresented in what they were

717
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,760
trying to explain, but the bare minimum, depending on how

718
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,199
this season ends, you're looking at Christian Brown, Peyton Watson,

719
00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,880
and Cam Johnson as what are we doing here, folks?

720
00:34:25,639 --> 00:34:27,400
And I don't know how deep of a run they

721
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:30,519
need to make to convince ownership to say, no, we're

722
00:34:30,519 --> 00:34:32,760
gonna run this back, pay Peyton Watson, and we'll be

723
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,840
in the second apron. I don't like what even a

724
00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:38,679
Western Conference Finals appearance convince them to do that.

725
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,559
Speaker 3: And that's I mean, if it were highly competitive and

726
00:34:42,599 --> 00:34:45,280
they maybe lost it because Gordon tweaked his hamstring again,

727
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,639
like then then you could just be like, well, you know,

728
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,239
we're still a contender. But yeah, I don't. I don't

729
00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,480
know what level they need to get to. It's that

730
00:34:53,519 --> 00:34:56,800
there in it. There's there's one other team that keeps

731
00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,320
catching my eyes. I'm looking at it, and I think it.

732
00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:02,760
I think we' probably agree it's the Rockets, because.

733
00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:05,559
Speaker 1: No, they've got time, Kevin Rant thirty seven man, they

734
00:35:05,599 --> 00:35:07,079
didn't need to do anything at the trade down and

735
00:35:07,159 --> 00:35:07,760
they're good.

736
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:12,239
Speaker 3: I'm just imagining the scenario where it's it's a specific one.

737
00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,920
So maybe this should just be a pivot to the player.

738
00:35:15,559 --> 00:35:19,719
But if Thompson just in a postseason setting, it doesn't

739
00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:24,119
have to be guarded. I think, like everything about Houston changes.

740
00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,719
I think like then he goes from look at all

741
00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:30,400
the amazing shit this guy can do to look at

742
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,599
the one thing he doesn't do well and how that

743
00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:37,000
like cripples his team in certain situations, Like we've seen

744
00:35:37,039 --> 00:35:40,079
that play out before. You know that that type of narrative.

745
00:35:40,679 --> 00:35:42,960
It would be hugely disappointing if that's what happens. But

746
00:35:43,639 --> 00:35:46,360
we've seen enough signs of that exact thing during the

747
00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:50,039
season this year to where I expect any smart playoff

748
00:35:50,039 --> 00:35:54,239
team is gonna make him be like a weak spot,

749
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:57,679
like an exploitable thing in a series. Yeah, and I

750
00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,000
just wonder what Houston does what he does to come

751
00:36:00,079 --> 00:36:02,079
at that, and will that be sufficient to keep the

752
00:36:02,159 --> 00:36:05,360
narrative of oh, maybe he's not like he can't kind

753
00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,400
of be a core piece here. We certainly can't pay

754
00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:09,400
him like a core piece. And then you're into this

755
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,840
whole like, well who will somebody will get you know,

756
00:36:13,199 --> 00:36:15,800
So he and they are an interesting one to keep

757
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:16,199
an eye on.

758
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,760
Speaker 1: Honestly, I find that more compelling than the Thunder as

759
00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,519
a pick because you can like, there's it's not just him,

760
00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,519
it's I'm trying with al prinshang gun. I'm trying to

761
00:36:25,519 --> 00:36:28,519
think of the last player to whom I thought was

762
00:36:28,559 --> 00:36:32,280
so much better defensively than his coach did, to where

763
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,599
you see I may Udoka not having Al prinshing like

764
00:36:35,639 --> 00:36:38,960
playing weird offense defense games with Alt prinschangon and crunch

765
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,280
time when it's Al pern ching Gun is not the

766
00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:44,639
best defender, but he's far from just like this turnstyle,

767
00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:46,519
but he's got I mean, he may took a cause

768
00:36:46,519 --> 00:36:48,760
out everyone. So there's that element of, well, how do

769
00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,079
the Rockets feel what is al prinching Gun look like?

770
00:36:51,119 --> 00:36:52,599
How much do they trust trust him?

771
00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:53,400
Speaker 2: Maybe an even.

772
00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:55,599
Speaker 1: Bigger element would be what if free Chepper just doesn't

773
00:36:55,599 --> 00:36:58,480
look ready and like for the moment and we all

774
00:36:58,519 --> 00:37:01,119
know he'll be ready for the moment this Reachepherd podcast,

775
00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:03,280
what if jo Barter Smith Junior is wide open threes

776
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:09,360
hard point. It feels as if every non Kevin Durant

777
00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:12,519
core piece on this team has something at stake in

778
00:37:12,559 --> 00:37:14,920
the playoffs of if it doesn't go well for them,

779
00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:17,599
they just won't be part of the Rockets's long term

780
00:37:17,639 --> 00:37:18,360
plan anymore.

781
00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:22,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's right, because we're past the Durant trade.

782
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:27,039
Was the official like, we're past the let's look at

783
00:37:27,079 --> 00:37:30,119
all these guys we got, let's see like which combinations work,

784
00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,119
and you know we don't. We don't really expect any

785
00:37:33,199 --> 00:37:35,119
kind of massive success, even though they were the two

786
00:37:35,119 --> 00:37:39,000
seed last year. But it's it's different now because you

787
00:37:39,039 --> 00:37:42,519
made the Durant trade. You you didn't do anything at

788
00:37:42,519 --> 00:37:44,679
this deadline, which I don't know what to take. I

789
00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,119
guess I take from that you just didn't see value,

790
00:37:47,119 --> 00:37:50,559
but like there was an opportunity to get better, you couldn't.

791
00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:53,519
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I've said this eighty thousand times this podcast.

792
00:37:53,559 --> 00:37:57,480
You still I agree that they shouldn't have done anything nuclear,

793
00:37:58,079 --> 00:38:01,199
but you can just get some shooting on this roster.

794
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:06,000
I don't want to hear about Fred VanVleet being out

795
00:38:06,079 --> 00:38:08,440
is a big deal. But I'm not saying go get

796
00:38:08,559 --> 00:38:11,079
your floor general of the future one because he's already there.

797
00:38:11,119 --> 00:38:14,119
But two, I'm not saying go get Kobe White's been

798
00:38:14,119 --> 00:38:15,840
the name that's come up a lot and for the cost,

799
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,519
it's well, why couldn't you have figured something out there?

800
00:38:18,559 --> 00:38:19,199
Speaker 2: But you don't.

801
00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:21,360
Speaker 1: What I can't wrap my head around is you don't

802
00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:23,039
get to play like well, Steven Adams is out for

803
00:38:23,039 --> 00:38:26,679
the rest of the year. That should not be such

804
00:38:26,679 --> 00:38:29,800
a huge inflection point in the year twenty twenty six. Yeah,

805
00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:33,360
And I also think even if it was when you

806
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:35,639
trade for a thirty seven year old Kevin Durant, I

807
00:38:35,679 --> 00:38:39,039
know you extended him, You're not guaranteed. Just the way

808
00:38:39,079 --> 00:38:41,719
age where Kevin Durant's fantastic, He's one of the fifteen

809
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,840
best players in the game. Still he's thirty seven. That's

810
00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:47,960
not so I'm not saying they needed to make a

811
00:38:48,039 --> 00:38:50,159
huge move, but not to even add a shooter just

812
00:38:50,159 --> 00:38:52,039
to open up the floor for the rest of the

813
00:38:52,039 --> 00:38:55,280
regular season to see, hey, what does this look like.

814
00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,400
I was pretty disappointed that, especially when Dorian Phinney Smith

815
00:38:58,400 --> 00:38:59,960
hasn't made a three since last season.

816
00:39:00,079 --> 00:39:05,119
Speaker 3: Basically, yeah, they The more we talk about them, the

817
00:39:05,119 --> 00:39:09,239
more it does feel like maybe it's partly because like

818
00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:13,559
they are one because of like contract situations in a

819
00:39:13,599 --> 00:39:16,039
position like Tari Easton is another one. It's not just

820
00:39:16,199 --> 00:39:18,679
a men Thompson, but like they're in a position where

821
00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:20,880
they they have to make decisions and the information they

822
00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,320
get in this postseason is going to inform those like

823
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,280
pretty strongly. I would think, so that it's not just

824
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:28,519
that like, all right, we're at that point, you know

825
00:39:28,599 --> 00:39:31,280
where prove it. It's like, no, they actually they got

826
00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,519
to decide who to pay and how much, and they

827
00:39:33,599 --> 00:39:35,920
might really change how much they think certain guys are

828
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,280
worth to them based on what happens the rest.

829
00:39:38,119 --> 00:39:40,159
Speaker 2: Of the way their pressure feels.

830
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:42,400
Speaker 1: I don't know what the word is a little bit

831
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,599
more passive than a team like the Timberwolves, where if

832
00:39:44,639 --> 00:39:48,519
the Rockets do something nuclear, you can because of the

833
00:39:48,519 --> 00:39:51,679
information they get in the playoffs, it allows them to

834
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:54,920
do other things where maybe they get better you consolidated

835
00:39:55,199 --> 00:39:58,000
these players and picks into Yannis or just someone else

836
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,159
too becomes available. Whereas the Wolves, it's what are they

837
00:40:01,199 --> 00:40:04,800
supposed to do? But the way we talk about the Rockets, there's.

838
00:40:04,559 --> 00:40:05,639
Speaker 2: More layers to it.

839
00:40:06,079 --> 00:40:08,920
Speaker 1: But I just wonder if even if things don't go

840
00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:13,079
according to plan, they have more options than the Timberwolves do.

841
00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:17,239
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think with the Timberwolves, I guess if

842
00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:20,199
the Timberwolves go out early, then maybe my opinion changes.

843
00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,440
But I have the thought about them that I kind

844
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:27,880
of throughout there last year with the Knicks, and really

845
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,079
any team that makes the conference finals is just like

846
00:40:30,599 --> 00:40:32,920
it's really hard to be better than that. And like

847
00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:38,079
almost any move you make, barring like adding Kevin Durant

848
00:40:38,159 --> 00:40:41,519
to the fifteen Warriors or whatever, is like there's a

849
00:40:41,559 --> 00:40:44,440
pretty decent chance it'll make you worse, like just because

850
00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:46,480
it's so hard to be better than the level of

851
00:40:46,519 --> 00:40:49,599
a team that reliably makes the conference finals. Like, all

852
00:40:49,639 --> 00:40:51,559
you really know about the Wolves over the last couple

853
00:40:51,599 --> 00:40:53,639
of years is like, well, they weren't quite as good

854
00:40:53,679 --> 00:40:56,280
as the Thunder. It's like, all right, like show me

855
00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:58,559
the move that guarantees that that will change, you know.

856
00:40:59,039 --> 00:41:02,840
But whereas the Rocket, it's the first round out, you know,

857
00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,880
they aren't there at a point where it's like, yeah,

858
00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:07,920
there definitely are things you could do that can get

859
00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,320
you above that level, so the urgency to do them

860
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,360
feels greater. The Wolves are just sort of like, well, shit,

861
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:17,000
we're not like generationally good. Yeah, I don't know that

862
00:41:17,039 --> 00:41:19,079
we can be better than that. It's possible, I guess,

863
00:41:19,159 --> 00:41:20,440
but it's not easy or likely.

864
00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:23,480
Speaker 1: I'm gonna lock in my pick with the Wolves. Who

865
00:41:23,599 --> 00:41:24,599
ends up being your pick?

866
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,840
Speaker 3: I might have talked myself into the Rockets, I think,

867
00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,000
just to be different, I'll say the Rockets, but the

868
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,440
Wolves are The Wolves are a good one because they

869
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:34,880
kind of need to do better than last year, and

870
00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:35,760
that's gonna be really hard.

871
00:41:36,679 --> 00:41:37,440
Speaker 2: I'll do what you.

872
00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:39,960
Speaker 1: Did and keep the connective tissue going and ask which

873
00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:44,039
Western Conference player has the most state. I did not, honestly,

874
00:41:44,519 --> 00:41:46,599
Amen Thompson was not on my brain, and you might

875
00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,159
have talked me into picking Amen Thompson.

876
00:41:49,679 --> 00:41:52,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's I mean, we talked plenty about him, so

877
00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:56,280
we should probably look elsewhere. But he's pretty easy pick.

878
00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:58,599
I mean, Shane Gooon is right there too, I would say,

879
00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:02,320
like and so at least like I don't know the

880
00:42:02,679 --> 00:42:06,360
maybe the the like wildly diverging opinions on his defensive

881
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,159
value will like reach some kind of consensus based on

882
00:42:09,199 --> 00:42:12,639
what happens in the playoffs, and that changes sort of

883
00:42:12,639 --> 00:42:14,480
how he is viewed. The fact that he's not on

884
00:42:14,559 --> 00:42:17,960
a max and is viewed as a value, like regardless

885
00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:19,880
of what you think about his defense makes the stakes

886
00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:24,239
a little lower for him. But yeah, Thompson, Thompson's a

887
00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:26,199
good pick. I'm struggling to think, like, you can't pick

888
00:42:26,239 --> 00:42:31,079
a Cantarius Garland. Well how much is he going to play?

889
00:42:31,199 --> 00:42:35,679
And how how how fairly? Also, yeah that's a good call.

890
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:39,280
Well no, well you know I'll return the compliment good

891
00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,280
nomination because how much he plays is actually going to

892
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:46,119
factor into like what what how how he's viewed going forward.

893
00:42:47,119 --> 00:42:50,079
Speaker 1: He would say the Spurs, I like, I like that

894
00:42:50,199 --> 00:42:52,239
I have thought about it's one of their guards.

895
00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:54,880
Speaker 3: It's one of them. It could be any of Fox

896
00:42:55,039 --> 00:42:58,119
seven Castle or or or Dylan Harper. I feel like

897
00:42:58,159 --> 00:43:01,119
we have a rough idea of what Devin Vissel is. Uh.

898
00:43:01,159 --> 00:43:03,320
And that's not a knock. It's just like I think,

899
00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:07,000
I get it. There's no scenario where Wemby has anything

900
00:43:07,039 --> 00:43:07,440
at stake?

901
00:43:07,519 --> 00:43:07,840
Speaker 2: Is there?

902
00:43:08,199 --> 00:43:11,159
Speaker 3: Like I guess if if you flopped somehow, but I don't,

903
00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:13,239
I don't know what that even is if.

904
00:43:13,119 --> 00:43:15,719
Speaker 1: He doesn't, do you think people are gonna because he's

905
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,840
not dealing with a chronic injury. But if we now

906
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:20,760
go through yet another year where he wouldn't qualify for awards,

907
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:23,079
do you view that as more of an NBA problem

908
00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:25,360
or is that does the discussion around Wemby then get

909
00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:27,280
Are we ever going to see him play in sixty

910
00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:28,039
five plus games?

911
00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:28,880
Speaker 2: Well?

912
00:43:30,159 --> 00:43:33,599
Speaker 3: Both? But I like as you're saying, as you're laying

913
00:43:33,639 --> 00:43:35,239
out like what the first few years of his career

914
00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:38,360
might look like, I'd say, like Embiid rebounded pretty well

915
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:40,280
from that he won an MVP, but like he.

916
00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:42,639
Speaker 1: Also played in seventy one as a rookie, so yeah

917
00:43:42,679 --> 00:43:44,079
not yeaheah.

918
00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:46,480
Speaker 3: I I I think with Wemby, I don't know if

919
00:43:46,519 --> 00:43:49,840
we're ever getting past like if he plays seventy one

920
00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:51,920
plus in like four years in a row, we just

921
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:54,559
shut up about the injuries, I guess. But like he

922
00:43:54,599 --> 00:43:57,239
feels like someone that because there's not really anything else

923
00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:59,480
to be worried about, Like that'll always be that the

924
00:43:59,559 --> 00:44:01,280
durabil will always be the thing.

925
00:44:01,599 --> 00:44:04,639
Speaker 1: He's such an anomaly. But it's just funny. Why is

926
00:44:04,679 --> 00:44:07,039
it just because he's so tall? Because Kevin Durant was

927
00:44:07,039 --> 00:44:10,679
a seven footer who's just super spindily as well, and

928
00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:13,840
we didn't have the same Kevin Durant health concern until.

929
00:44:13,639 --> 00:44:18,360
Speaker 3: He that's true, maybe it's not like maybe the concern

930
00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:20,840
doesn't come from like height relative to position. It's just

931
00:44:21,039 --> 00:44:25,199
raw height, you know, right, Like anecdotally, everybody always says

932
00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:28,599
like if over a certain height, like you just those

933
00:44:28,639 --> 00:44:31,559
guys never last, like people cite Ralph Sampson and like

934
00:44:31,599 --> 00:44:34,719
Sabonis and like who else is he? I don't know,

935
00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,519
nobody's like Sean Bradley in Manoopowl, Like those guys are

936
00:44:37,599 --> 00:44:41,440
very different, like levels of players, but I don't know. Anecdotally,

937
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:43,880
it does feel like there's something to like, there's some

938
00:44:44,079 --> 00:44:47,239
justification to being concerned about their health. I don't know why.

939
00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,000
I think if we choose a Spur, it's just like

940
00:44:52,599 --> 00:44:54,559
it's one of the guards, and are they gonna be

941
00:44:54,599 --> 00:44:57,840
good enough to look like the second best player on

942
00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:00,280
a championship team, which is like we're ahead of schedule.

943
00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:03,320
Speaker 1: That I think you've I also think is it weird

944
00:45:03,559 --> 00:45:05,480
for me to not have I would look at Castle

945
00:45:05,559 --> 00:45:08,360
or Fox because it feels like those would be maybe

946
00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,559
a team would insist on Dylan Harper being included, But

947
00:45:10,599 --> 00:45:12,960
Dylan Harper to me, is a rookie, and so your

948
00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:15,840
not if you're rendering a verdict on him after this,

949
00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:17,920
it's not on Dylan Harper specifically.

950
00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:18,719
Speaker 2: You've just decided.

951
00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:21,000
Speaker 1: And maybe it's like this with Steph Castle too, you've

952
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,639
decided we have a chance to get johannest Or. I

953
00:45:23,639 --> 00:45:25,440
don't know if they want someone else that ambles on

954
00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:28,639
at the trade block and it's costing us Dylan Harper,

955
00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:31,199
Steph Castle to where a lot of people had him

956
00:45:31,199 --> 00:45:31,800
in the Fringe All Star.

957
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:33,199
Speaker 2: You're in love with Steph Castle too.

958
00:45:34,079 --> 00:45:38,000
Speaker 1: His playoffs are that could that'll be and Daron Fox

959
00:45:38,039 --> 00:45:39,719
as well, those are the two guys up because Daron

960
00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,719
Fox could be the outgoing money in a trade for

961
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,199
anyone who's big, and that's just easy to fit in.

962
00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:48,360
And then I think at this point I remain more

963
00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:50,800
of a Dylan Harper. Maybe in the context of the

964
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:53,400
Spurs it shouldn't be Dylan Harper who I'm highest on,

965
00:45:53,519 --> 00:45:56,840
but Steph Castle has proven the most already, so I

966
00:45:56,880 --> 00:45:59,039
think he's the one that teams might insist on if

967
00:45:59,039 --> 00:46:01,519
you were trading the Spur, if they're trying to get

968
00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:04,760
It's like, that's a that's a different type of question.

969
00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,159
I'm running an NBA front office. Dylan Harper is the

970
00:46:07,159 --> 00:46:08,840
guy I'm after, and a lot of some of that

971
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,440
is he has a year extra left on his rookie scale.

972
00:46:11,559 --> 00:46:15,000
But I'm also is this also just are we overstating

973
00:46:15,039 --> 00:46:16,920
it then, because it doesn't that just feel purely a

974
00:46:17,079 --> 00:46:19,199
honest discussion. What's the other player that gets you to

975
00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:22,679
think about moving Dylan Harper or Stephcastle?

976
00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:24,639
Speaker 2: Which by just fault, does that mean Darren Fox is

977
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:25,519
for the most pressure?

978
00:46:26,119 --> 00:46:30,840
Speaker 3: Well, yeah, I we're kind of like trying to get there.

979
00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:33,480
It's hard. It's because the Spurs again are just like

980
00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:37,360
their runway feels and it feels like they're gonna be

981
00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:39,880
great forever. So it's like how much urgent They're not

982
00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:41,880
in the Pistons boat where it's like this might be

983
00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:44,360
the best shot they have. Nobody thinks that about the Spurs.

984
00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:48,400
Speaker 1: So I have two nominations from the same team. Hm,

985
00:46:49,599 --> 00:46:51,400
I want to guess the team.

986
00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:56,400
Speaker 3: I don't think I can. I'm gonna say the Wolves

987
00:46:56,440 --> 00:46:57,719
are Are we going Wolves again?

988
00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:00,519
Speaker 1: Okay, we've talked about this team already, but but I'm

989
00:47:00,559 --> 00:47:03,800
looking at lou Dort and or case and Wallace because

990
00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:07,119
you mentioned the thunder. There are other ways that they

991
00:47:07,119 --> 00:47:08,840
could get their payroll undercut. I don't think is say

992
00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:11,400
a Hartenstein's under pressure if his team option gets declined,

993
00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:12,639
someone will just pay.

994
00:47:12,519 --> 00:47:13,960
Speaker 2: Him mid level or more money.

995
00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:18,519
Speaker 1: But Cason, Wallace and lou Dort are more entrenched, like

996
00:47:18,599 --> 00:47:22,639
into Oakan, Like Casey Wallis's extension eligible. Lou Dort has

997
00:47:22,719 --> 00:47:25,719
the team option of his own. They just traded for

998
00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:27,920
Jared McCain nicolo.

999
00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:28,880
Speaker 2: Topicch is back.

1000
00:47:29,239 --> 00:47:32,440
Speaker 1: You have aj Mitchell, you have other pim Jayalen Williams

1001
00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:34,599
of course other perimeter players, and you could say it's

1002
00:47:34,639 --> 00:47:36,599
Aaron Wiggins, right, say a Joe, but they just don't

1003
00:47:36,679 --> 00:47:40,159
feel fit like the spirit of this exercise. The there's

1004
00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:42,639
gonna be collateral damage at some point for the Thunder.

1005
00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:45,760
Some of that collateral damage is going to be this offseason.

1006
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,679
Could it be one of these guys where they decide, oh,

1007
00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:51,400
we're not gonna extend caseon Wallace and we're not gonna

1008
00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,920
let this. They typically have not let it unless they

1009
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:56,559
know like they're gonna pay, like they don't let this

1010
00:47:56,639 --> 00:47:59,360
ride out into restricted free agency, and so are they

1011
00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:03,119
gonna render casey laws might be my pick, just because

1012
00:48:03,119 --> 00:48:06,320
everyone's identified Lou Dort as that might be a form

1013
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:09,079
of collateral damage. Maybe even some people have identified Alex

1014
00:48:09,079 --> 00:48:11,960
Caruso as a possibility of that caseon Wallace just being

1015
00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:14,719
extension eligible. And I'm wondering how much would I pay

1016
00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:17,000
him as someone running a team, and how much is

1017
00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:18,719
that going to diverge from what the Thunder might be

1018
00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:21,639
willing to pay knowing how they've handled these situations in

1019
00:48:21,639 --> 00:48:22,079
the past.

1020
00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:23,920
Speaker 2: He's kind of a sneaky candidate.

1021
00:48:24,440 --> 00:48:28,719
Speaker 3: So then do you think, I mean, do you think

1022
00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:31,920
that he needs to basically outplay Dort to sort of

1023
00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:34,440
be the guy they choose when when they when it

1024
00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:36,639
comes time to make a decision on that roster spot,

1025
00:48:36,679 --> 00:48:40,079
because they're they're different players, but it's like what they're

1026
00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:42,519
gonna ask them to what the thunder will ask them

1027
00:48:42,559 --> 00:48:45,480
to do is pretty similar, right, Like you're you'll never

1028
00:48:45,559 --> 00:48:48,239
be higher than the fourth option. You're you just got

1029
00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:50,599
a guard and you need to make open threes. I

1030
00:48:50,639 --> 00:48:54,519
guess Dort can guard different players just because of his strength,

1031
00:48:54,960 --> 00:48:59,679
But like, does Wallace have to be the better offensive contributor?

1032
00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:01,679
And like does he just need to be better? Like

1033
00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:04,760
does he need does not?

1034
00:49:04,800 --> 00:49:07,440
Speaker 1: Even it's not even just Dort, but if aj Mitchell

1035
00:49:07,679 --> 00:49:09,280
is getting minutes over him because he does a better

1036
00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:12,719
job of running the offense, and you know what Dort

1037
00:49:12,719 --> 00:49:14,800
will cost you at least through next season. You know

1038
00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:16,760
what Alex Caruso is on the books for. You know

1039
00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:19,920
what Aj Mitchell's on the books for. Kason Wallace is

1040
00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:22,360
the mystery box there, and you know what Jared McCain's

1041
00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:23,960
on the books for for the next two years after

1042
00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:27,440
This doesn't provide the same level defensive value, but if

1043
00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:31,000
he has the higher offensive ceiling, and that's like the

1044
00:49:31,079 --> 00:49:33,880
Thunder aren't gonna want for defense unless they'll get rid

1045
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:36,280
of all like Dort and Cason Wallace, and I say,

1046
00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:39,199
then okay, we can have that discussion. It might be

1047
00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:41,480
Kason Wallace as the maybe the Thunder player under the

1048
00:49:41,519 --> 00:49:42,159
most pressure.

1049
00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:43,480
Speaker 2: I don't know if I could lock him in.

1050
00:49:43,599 --> 00:49:47,000
Speaker 1: You're ONM and Thompson shout out that I'm really sold

1051
00:49:47,079 --> 00:49:47,480
on that one.

1052
00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:50,400
Speaker 3: I think, yeah, I'm trying to think who else i'd

1053
00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:52,559
even like throw up there?

1054
00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:55,880
Speaker 2: Does have anything at stake with free agency coming up.

1055
00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:56,880
Speaker 3: For his legacy?

1056
00:49:57,360 --> 00:49:57,559
Speaker 4: Uh?

1057
00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:01,000
Speaker 3: No, I what about do any Lake warrant mentioned? Like

1058
00:50:01,039 --> 00:50:04,559
it seems like Luca should have something at stake coming

1059
00:50:04,599 --> 00:50:07,480
off of like getting thrown away last year by the team.

1060
00:50:07,519 --> 00:50:10,320
Speaker 1: That I mean, okay, let's say the Lakers lose in

1061
00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:11,760
the plane or the first round.

1062
00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:13,719
Speaker 2: What does that Luca got his extended I don't know

1063
00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:14,039
what that.

1064
00:50:14,519 --> 00:50:16,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, people are still gonna Oh, the timeline was always

1065
00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:18,480
this is the summer they're gonna start making.

1066
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:20,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, Austin Reed.

1067
00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:22,119
Speaker 3: Haves that to fall back on. I wonder if like

1068
00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:25,800
maybe he maybe he doesn't hold up physically again, you know,

1069
00:50:25,920 --> 00:50:28,920
like he's got this nagging thing in a postseason series,

1070
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:32,360
and then it gets easier to kind of start start

1071
00:50:32,360 --> 00:50:36,320
the clock on like is he ever gonna like, is

1072
00:50:36,360 --> 00:50:38,960
he ever gonna get like win anything, or is he

1073
00:50:39,039 --> 00:50:41,320
just gonna go down as someone that you know, you

1074
00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:44,760
can imagine that narrative developing if he has a bad

1075
00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:47,480
playoffs or he looks he gets picked on defensively, or

1076
00:50:47,519 --> 00:50:49,079
he looks out of shape or what like all the

1077
00:50:49,159 --> 00:50:52,000
Lucas stuff, which has mostly been kept at Bay this year.

1078
00:50:52,639 --> 00:50:55,199
But again, you're right, like nobody expects the Lakers to

1079
00:50:55,239 --> 00:50:58,920
do anything, so he'd have to be pretty disappointing individually.

1080
00:50:59,119 --> 00:51:00,639
Speaker 2: I have a good one, but I don't know how

1081
00:51:00,679 --> 00:51:01,840
fair it is.

1082
00:51:03,119 --> 00:51:06,840
Speaker 1: We are four games into the twenty twenty five twenty

1083
00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:10,920
twenty six Scoot Henderson experience in Portland. As we record this,

1084
00:51:11,280 --> 00:51:14,320
he's going to be extension eligible too. I've seen bits

1085
00:51:14,519 --> 00:51:17,079
of three of his games. I've been impressed with some

1086
00:51:17,119 --> 00:51:20,920
of the passing that I've seen. The turnovers have been

1087
00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:24,440
out of control, and I don't know how to feel.

1088
00:51:24,599 --> 00:51:26,079
I still don't know how to feel about him as

1089
00:51:26,079 --> 00:51:28,760
a score. His final two games heading into the All

1090
00:51:28,760 --> 00:51:32,440
Star Break kind of self contained only taking like taking

1091
00:51:32,559 --> 00:51:34,280
under ten shots a game, not playing a ton of minutes.

1092
00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:36,199
He's on a minutes cap seems to be around like

1093
00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:40,280
twenty right now. But when you look at their offense,

1094
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:42,920
they've treaded water when Denny Avi is on the court.

1095
00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:45,639
I think if you want to sit here and say

1096
00:51:45,679 --> 00:51:47,960
we're fine with Denny Avia being the driver of our

1097
00:51:48,039 --> 00:51:51,079
offense as a contender, I still think there's room for

1098
00:51:51,159 --> 00:51:52,960
debate there. We have to see it in the playoffs,

1099
00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:54,559
which will probably I mean maybe they come out of

1100
00:51:54,559 --> 00:51:56,079
the plane and who knows, that would be another guy

1101
00:51:56,119 --> 00:51:59,760
that'd be interesting to see. But Scoot, like, for what

1102
00:51:59,840 --> 00:52:01,920
the Blazers need, he's supposed to be the guys, even

1103
00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:03,639
if you think Denny Avia is going to stay above

1104
00:52:03,679 --> 00:52:06,760
him or should be above him. If I knew they

1105
00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:08,159
were going to go to the playoffs, I might just

1106
00:52:08,199 --> 00:52:10,760
say shade sharp because he's had some crazy shot making,

1107
00:52:11,039 --> 00:52:13,400
but he's already got his extension. Scoot to me is

1108
00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:16,320
you have just kind of some injuries now in the

1109
00:52:16,320 --> 00:52:18,840
rear view, missed a ton of this season. You've never

1110
00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:21,440
really he improved last year, but it was never Scoots

1111
00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:24,440
averaging twenty five and five on shooting fifty five percent

1112
00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:27,840
from two and from three. Really for this protracted stretch,

1113
00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:31,119
he's got a but what do you give him? I

1114
00:52:31,159 --> 00:52:33,880
had this conversation with mort the other day Shade and Sharp.

1115
00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:37,360
I forgot how cheap his extension was. Does does Scoot

1116
00:52:37,440 --> 00:52:41,039
get the equivalent of that? This like you put as

1117
00:52:41,079 --> 00:52:43,800
what you've seen so far from the Blazers, Are you

1118
00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:45,320
putting that on the table for Scoot?

1119
00:52:45,880 --> 00:52:50,440
Speaker 3: I don't think you can. I don't. I think in

1120
00:52:50,480 --> 00:52:52,920
a weird way. Not in a weird way, in like

1121
00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:57,559
a very normal way, the sort of gradual like diminishing

1122
00:52:57,599 --> 00:53:00,840
expectations for Scoot over this two plus years of his

1123
00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:04,719
career brought about by injuries and really brought about by

1124
00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:06,320
like this guy has got a ways to go at

1125
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:09,079
least early on. Makes it so like I don't even

1126
00:53:09,119 --> 00:53:12,880
think I don't even think anyone expects him to get

1127
00:53:13,079 --> 00:53:15,559
like a to get paid like A certainly on a

1128
00:53:15,639 --> 00:53:18,960
high end starter or you know, I like what, like

1129
00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:22,119
what's his pushback gonna be? Like he can't point to

1130
00:53:22,159 --> 00:53:25,199
anything other than draft pedigree to say, and Shadan Sharp

1131
00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:26,320
could kind of point to some of that.

1132
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:30,320
Speaker 1: And he's making between twelve and thirteen percent of the

1133
00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:32,199
salary cap, and it was four for ninety, which is

1134
00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:35,800
between twelve and thirteen percent of the salary cap. I

1135
00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:39,679
think because of Scoot's passing, you could talk yourself into

1136
00:53:39,719 --> 00:53:43,239
four for one hundred, But that's can you even talk

1137
00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:45,280
yourself like into you know what, like the idea of

1138
00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:48,480
Scoot I still, oh, maybe not because of Sharpe's physics.

1139
00:53:48,519 --> 00:53:49,480
Speaker 2: I don't know this.

1140
00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:52,360
Speaker 1: And you know what, Scoots my Western Conference pick that

1141
00:53:52,559 --> 00:53:54,480
this is just this is it for him?

1142
00:53:54,639 --> 00:53:55,000
Speaker 2: It's not.

1143
00:53:55,599 --> 00:53:57,519
Speaker 1: And maybe it's not because you could just go into

1144
00:53:57,599 --> 00:53:59,679
next season and then he has restricted free agency coming.

1145
00:53:59,719 --> 00:54:02,159
That's say there's a lot of noise. Then there too,

1146
00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:04,440
Damian Lillard's coming back because Drew Holliday is still on

1147
00:54:04,440 --> 00:54:07,039
the team. How does that dynamic work with Dennyaffia? The

1148
00:54:07,159 --> 00:54:10,440
runway is clearer for him right now just by virtue

1149
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:14,039
of Damian Lillard not being healthy. The Damian Lillard shadow,

1150
00:54:14,079 --> 00:54:16,639
even if his role is gonna change, that's gonna eclipse

1151
00:54:16,679 --> 00:54:19,480
a lot of stuff. And so if I'm scooted this

1152
00:54:19,639 --> 00:54:22,360
like this closing kick of the season is pretty big

1153
00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:25,320
for determining not just what type of player he is,

1154
00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:27,000
but his overall future in Portland.

1155
00:54:27,079 --> 00:54:30,320
Speaker 3: I think I think, to me, there's almost nothing he

1156
00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:33,480
could do that would make the Blazers giving him an

1157
00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:36,239
extension a responsible decision. Oh, I think.

1158
00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:38,360
Speaker 1: I think, like, well, what if he closes the season

1159
00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:42,400
strong and signs the Shane Sharp deal, Okay, then that

1160
00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:45,480
would be a responsible number probably, Like but I think

1161
00:54:45,559 --> 00:54:50,559
for for him, I mean, he wasn't like he.

1162
00:54:49,840 --> 00:54:52,159
Speaker 3: He was like expected to be really good this year

1163
00:54:52,239 --> 00:54:54,400
until the hamstring happened, and then it's like, so, if

1164
00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:57,599
you're the Blazers, how do you go into this offseason

1165
00:54:58,360 --> 00:55:00,960
having any idea in regard less of what he does,

1166
00:55:01,159 --> 00:55:03,280
of like what to expect next year. I don't know.

1167
00:55:03,280 --> 00:55:06,280
Maybe that's unfair, but part of it is too. Restricted.

1168
00:55:06,320 --> 00:55:09,960
Free agency is like such a such a team friendly

1169
00:55:10,039 --> 00:55:12,679
thing now more so than ever where it's like, yeah,

1170
00:55:12,679 --> 00:55:16,239
he might be mad, but like you still hold all

1171
00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:20,400
the power, right like and that'll be great. The cold

1172
00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:23,239
calculated way to treat this as like it's great if

1173
00:55:23,239 --> 00:55:26,360
he looks awesome. If I'm Portland, I'm still just like,

1174
00:55:26,559 --> 00:55:28,719
there's no based on the last three years, there's just

1175
00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:31,239
no way I can give you extension money right now.

1176
00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:34,079
I need I need a full season, Like I just

1177
00:55:34,119 --> 00:55:35,679
got to see it, does.

1178
00:55:35,559 --> 00:55:37,239
Speaker 1: That lower the stakes then of the rest of this

1179
00:55:37,320 --> 00:55:38,880
year for him or doesn't heighten him in the sense

1180
00:55:38,920 --> 00:55:41,679
that your team doesn't believe in you, you don't want

1181
00:55:41,679 --> 00:55:43,400
to lower that belief even further.

1182
00:55:44,599 --> 00:55:46,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's got stakes going the other way where if

1183
00:55:46,760 --> 00:55:48,000
he's just bad.

1184
00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:50,039
Speaker 1: And by the way, they're going to play meaningful games.

1185
00:55:50,079 --> 00:55:51,679
This team is going to be in the play in

1186
00:55:51,880 --> 00:55:55,199
But just so, like what if he get like you

1187
00:55:55,239 --> 00:55:56,360
get in what if you get into.

1188
00:55:56,199 --> 00:56:00,960
Speaker 2: The playoffs and he looks awful, then it's very bad

1189
00:56:00,960 --> 00:56:01,239
for him.

1190
00:56:01,320 --> 00:56:02,159
Speaker 3: So yeah, there is a little bit.

1191
00:56:02,079 --> 00:56:03,960
Speaker 1: Of the playoffs and he looks great. You're not gonna

1192
00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:10,920
consider it like the playoffs are. I don't sample, but it's.

1193
00:56:09,159 --> 00:56:12,000
Speaker 3: Sharp number if you if you, it would be it

1194
00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:14,199
would be a fun thought exercise to just say, like

1195
00:56:14,519 --> 00:56:17,440
you decide today, just does Scoot get the shade and

1196
00:56:17,480 --> 00:56:20,559
sharp numbers or not? Like what what Portland would say

1197
00:56:20,639 --> 00:56:23,480
or what Blazers fans would say. Be very curious as

1198
00:56:23,559 --> 00:56:24,280
to the as I'd be.

1199
00:56:24,280 --> 00:56:24,840
Speaker 2: Curious to know that.

1200
00:56:24,880 --> 00:56:26,480
Speaker 1: I want you to file this away, not to answer

1201
00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:28,440
it now, but when we do world eventually you off

1202
00:56:28,440 --> 00:56:31,320
season questions, does a restricted free agent get an offer

1203
00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:33,239
sheet from an outside team this year because we haven't

1204
00:56:33,239 --> 00:56:34,960
seen one in a few seasons since Paul Reid.

1205
00:56:35,039 --> 00:56:36,840
Speaker 2: Don't answer it. Now we have to file that away.

1206
00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:38,480
But I think that'll be an interesting discussion.

1207
00:56:38,599 --> 00:56:41,559
Speaker 3: Yes, I agree. I'm already thinking of possibilities there.

1208
00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:45,280
Speaker 2: I'm locking as my pick. I think you are. You're

1209
00:56:45,320 --> 00:56:46,280
going with am and Thompson.

1210
00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:48,880
Speaker 3: I got to Yeah, I got to stick with him

1211
00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:49,559
on that one.

1212
00:56:50,280 --> 00:56:51,880
Speaker 2: The answer could be read sheepherd, but I'm not. I

1213
00:56:51,920 --> 00:56:53,199
just have so much faith in him. It's going to

1214
00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:53,599
be fine.

1215
00:56:53,760 --> 00:56:56,960
Speaker 1: You're up what you're now. Now we're leaving the stakes,

1216
00:56:57,480 --> 00:56:58,599
the stakes bubble.

1217
00:56:58,920 --> 00:57:02,960
Speaker 3: Now we're in the like Pope section here. So I

1218
00:57:03,000 --> 00:57:07,599
went ahead and highlighted this one and maybe it'll be quick.

1219
00:57:08,159 --> 00:57:10,719
But I'm kind of curious, like, what just just to

1220
00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:12,559
discuss this with you, because we haven't talked about it.

1221
00:57:13,119 --> 00:57:13,320
Speaker 2: Well.

1222
00:57:13,320 --> 00:57:17,599
Speaker 3: The Bucks shut Giannis down and not let him play

1223
00:57:17,639 --> 00:57:21,159
even if he gets over this calf injury, comes back

1224
00:57:21,599 --> 00:57:25,800
and says, guys, I only do it one way, and

1225
00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:27,880
I'm gonna come back and play really hard and we're

1226
00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:30,559
gonna try to win games because I'm honest and my

1227
00:57:30,599 --> 00:57:36,760
competitive integrity is cannot be contained. So you're the Bucks.

1228
00:57:37,320 --> 00:57:41,760
I'm honest, I'm healthy, I want to play. And let's

1229
00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:45,039
say you've lost god knows how many games in a row,

1230
00:57:45,159 --> 00:57:47,199
or like eight out of ten, nine out of ten,

1231
00:57:47,239 --> 00:57:51,880
you're really making inroads to improving your lottery position. What

1232
00:57:51,880 --> 00:57:52,800
what do you tell him?

1233
00:57:54,760 --> 00:57:56,000
Speaker 2: You have to shut him down?

1234
00:57:56,199 --> 00:58:00,559
Speaker 1: And so my justification here would be if you didn't

1235
00:58:00,559 --> 00:58:04,199
straighten this out with him before the trade deadline, because

1236
00:58:04,199 --> 00:58:06,599
there's no way he said he wanted to stay in

1237
00:58:06,599 --> 00:58:08,559
Milwaukee thinking that the Bucks have a chance of winning

1238
00:58:08,599 --> 00:58:09,480
a title this season.

1239
00:58:09,679 --> 00:58:10,719
Speaker 2: There's there's none.

1240
00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:17,559
Speaker 1: I'm all for self belief in professionals, but but look,

1241
00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:20,800
they have plus five point four per one hundred possessions

1242
00:58:20,840 --> 00:58:21,559
with him on the court.

1243
00:58:21,719 --> 00:58:25,199
Speaker 2: That's great. The defense has still been shaky overall.

1244
00:58:25,639 --> 00:58:30,840
Speaker 1: I just you're so Ryan Rollins, great story, AJ Green,

1245
00:58:31,159 --> 00:58:33,639
great store, But like you're a team that is so

1246
00:58:33,800 --> 00:58:36,400
dependent on Kevin Porter Junior and end or camp Thomas

1247
00:58:36,800 --> 00:58:38,880
in any way, shape or form. I just can't take

1248
00:58:38,920 --> 00:58:41,440
seriously as a contender, and I don't think Giannis would either.

1249
00:58:41,800 --> 00:58:45,159
So there has to be an agreement in place that no,

1250
00:58:45,239 --> 00:58:48,679
we're gonna shut you down, and especially if you're still

1251
00:58:48,719 --> 00:58:51,239
outside to play in organically he's And the other thing too,

1252
00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:54,159
is he's already been disqualified from the NBA Awards ballot,

1253
00:58:54,199 --> 00:58:56,519
so you're not messing with that. He's not making an

1254
00:58:56,519 --> 00:58:59,519
All NBA team this year. What does he missed twenty

1255
00:58:59,559 --> 00:59:00,480
three games so far?

1256
00:59:00,960 --> 00:59:03,320
Speaker 2: He crossed that. I believe should double check.

1257
00:59:03,440 --> 00:59:05,719
Speaker 3: I think he's played thirty because I know they're fifteen

1258
00:59:05,760 --> 00:59:06,679
and fifteen with him.

1259
00:59:06,679 --> 00:59:09,079
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, then they're definitely there for then he's for

1260
00:59:09,119 --> 00:59:10,119
sure not eligible.

1261
00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:12,159
Speaker 2: So what are you give Giannis?

1262
00:59:12,280 --> 00:59:14,639
Speaker 1: But he's gotten injured so much with these calfstrains, why

1263
00:59:14,800 --> 00:59:19,639
risk having another one? I think they will and they should,

1264
00:59:19,960 --> 00:59:22,400
I guess it if they go on to maybe really

1265
00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:24,559
post All Star break, if they just open up with

1266
00:59:24,599 --> 00:59:26,519
a five or seven game winning streak and now you're

1267
00:59:26,559 --> 00:59:29,760
just firmly in the play in. I just look at

1268
00:59:29,800 --> 00:59:32,039
the teams in front of them. The Bulls are the

1269
00:59:32,039 --> 00:59:33,920
only one that are trying to lose. I would think,

1270
00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:35,719
are the Hawks or the Hornets or the Heat or

1271
00:59:35,719 --> 00:59:37,280
the Magic gonna be worse than the Bucks?

1272
00:59:37,760 --> 00:59:37,920
Speaker 3: No?

1273
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:38,639
Speaker 2: Moving forward?

1274
00:59:38,719 --> 00:59:43,039
Speaker 3: No, the answer is simple. You can't take minutes away

1275
00:59:43,039 --> 00:59:46,519
from Musman Jang. That's as the Bucks are reoriented around

1276
00:59:46,559 --> 00:59:49,719
a new star, and you can't mess with it. I

1277
00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:52,000
think I think the I agree with you that, like

1278
00:59:52,039 --> 00:59:54,840
you just it's a hard nobody like you can't like

1279
00:59:55,280 --> 00:59:57,119
you can't come back, whether we intend to keep you

1280
00:59:57,199 --> 01:00:00,199
or trade you. Another calf injury in meaningless games is

1281
01:00:00,239 --> 01:00:03,760
like insanity. We can't have that happen. Do you think

1282
01:00:04,719 --> 01:00:09,000
his profession too, that he intended to come back and

1283
01:00:09,039 --> 01:00:14,599
play was like performative and designed to get the Bucks

1284
01:00:14,599 --> 01:00:16,840
to trade him? Like was that part of the like

1285
01:00:17,519 --> 01:00:20,519
I'm not asking to be traded, but just so you know,

1286
01:00:20,719 --> 01:00:23,000
I'm gonna come back and fuck up your plans to

1287
01:00:23,079 --> 01:00:25,559
be bad if you don't trade me. Do you read

1288
01:00:25,639 --> 01:00:28,039
do you read it as that a little bit now?

1289
01:00:28,159 --> 01:00:30,920
Or is it just he really is sincere about like

1290
01:00:30,920 --> 01:00:33,719
because there's a way to be honest, as totally sincere

1291
01:00:33,760 --> 01:00:36,320
and like that's way to go man or as like

1292
01:00:36,960 --> 01:00:40,800
actually like he's really manipulating the Bucks in a lot

1293
01:00:40,840 --> 01:00:43,639
of ways and he's just not doing it super overtly.

1294
01:00:44,280 --> 01:00:47,000
Speaker 2: I I honestly don't know anymore. I can't.

1295
01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:49,400
Speaker 1: It's cool that it seems like he really wants to

1296
01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:52,800
win in Milwaukee again. I fully believe that I want

1297
01:00:52,800 --> 01:00:55,400
to know if he believes that it's possible. I still

1298
01:00:55,480 --> 01:00:58,119
just have skepticism there, and I think the only vision

1299
01:00:58,119 --> 01:01:00,400
you could have sold him on is we have first

1300
01:01:00,440 --> 01:01:02,679
round picks to trade this summer.

1301
01:01:03,159 --> 01:01:05,280
Speaker 2: And so I don't.

1302
01:01:05,519 --> 01:01:09,679
Speaker 1: I think that inherently then lowers the stakes of this season,

1303
01:01:09,679 --> 01:01:11,280
and he needs to understand that. I get that he

1304
01:01:11,320 --> 01:01:14,679
wants to play and he's wired differently, but if if

1305
01:01:14,719 --> 01:01:17,400
he finishes the season playing in most of the games

1306
01:01:17,400 --> 01:01:19,360
and they are going for it, and they finish eleventh

1307
01:01:19,440 --> 01:01:21,599
or to get into the play in, I think your

1308
01:01:21,639 --> 01:01:25,079
point is then validated to where it's just what, so

1309
01:01:25,199 --> 01:01:27,280
now you've lowered the value of this pick that's coming

1310
01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:29,679
in that I presume you sold him on we're going

1311
01:01:29,760 --> 01:01:32,320
to have this pick, two more picks to trade. But

1312
01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:34,280
I'm also not in favor of if he's healthy, don't

1313
01:01:34,280 --> 01:01:36,400
play him. But this is someone who's dealt with enough injuries,

1314
01:01:36,400 --> 01:01:39,199
including during the playoffs, to where I would say, hey,

1315
01:01:39,880 --> 01:01:41,639
you're off. Not the worst idea.

1316
01:01:42,159 --> 01:01:45,119
Speaker 3: That's the thing with him, specifically, given his age, given

1317
01:01:45,159 --> 01:01:49,639
the recurring legs stuff, it's like it's it wouldn't be

1318
01:01:49,679 --> 01:01:52,719
a it wouldn't be a Jaron Jackson Junior, like, well,

1319
01:01:52,840 --> 01:01:55,400
let's have this surgery, shall we? For the Jazz. It's

1320
01:01:55,400 --> 01:01:58,239
it's very much like, no, no, this is we're concerned

1321
01:01:58,239 --> 01:02:00,039
about this and whether we want to keep you or not,

1322
01:02:00,199 --> 01:02:01,800
like you just need to be healthy, like this is

1323
01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:06,800
a real So yeah, I think just to we both

1324
01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:09,239
kind of said it, but like if he is healthy

1325
01:02:09,320 --> 01:02:12,039
enough to play, you've got to figure out a way

1326
01:02:12,079 --> 01:02:14,920
to just not let that happen because it doesn't serve anybody.

1327
01:02:16,599 --> 01:02:18,920
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with this question, and this is where

1328
01:02:18,960 --> 01:02:21,360
I'll get off my Piston stake. I think which contender

1329
01:02:21,400 --> 01:02:25,199
will regret not making a bigger trade more grant the Pistons,

1330
01:02:25,599 --> 01:02:29,480
the Rockets, or the Spurs. Notably, both the Rockets and

1331
01:02:29,519 --> 01:02:32,119
the Spurs did jack shit. The Pistons traded Jade and Ivy,

1332
01:02:32,599 --> 01:02:35,119
they had that pick swap with Minnesota, and they also

1333
01:02:35,320 --> 01:02:36,239
got Kevin Herder.

1334
01:02:37,599 --> 01:02:39,280
Speaker 3: I mean, do you want to get your Piston's sake off?

1335
01:02:39,280 --> 01:02:41,800
Because unfor the thing is, I'm going to agree with you,

1336
01:02:42,079 --> 01:02:45,239
So I would like to seed the floor to you

1337
01:02:45,360 --> 01:02:49,239
on why it actually is the Pistons. I love this take.

1338
01:02:49,840 --> 01:02:53,480
Speaker 1: I think the ceiling on what the Spurs and the

1339
01:02:53,559 --> 01:02:54,440
Rockets could have done.

1340
01:02:54,480 --> 01:02:56,719
Speaker 2: It is higher because of some of their pick equity.

1341
01:02:56,760 --> 01:02:59,800
Speaker 1: Where you look at Okay, Spurs, picks aren't valuable, look

1342
01:02:59,800 --> 01:03:01,639
at some of the teams they can swap with in

1343
01:03:01,679 --> 01:03:05,320
certain years. Plus you have not that they're spendable, but

1344
01:03:05,360 --> 01:03:08,599
because you have Fox, Harper, and Castle.

1345
01:03:08,239 --> 01:03:10,159
Speaker 2: You could envision trading one of them.

1346
01:03:10,159 --> 01:03:12,719
Speaker 1: Where the Pistons it's all right, you can't trade Duran

1347
01:03:12,920 --> 01:03:14,400
definitely not trading k could.

1348
01:03:14,199 --> 01:03:14,960
Speaker 2: You trade one of us?

1349
01:03:15,000 --> 01:03:17,320
Speaker 1: Are in Ron Holland and then the Rockets just have

1350
01:03:17,360 --> 01:03:19,599
extra picks and they kind of have young core members

1351
01:03:19,639 --> 01:03:20,360
to spare.

1352
01:03:20,679 --> 01:03:21,519
Speaker 2: With the Pistons.

1353
01:03:21,800 --> 01:03:24,199
Speaker 1: I believe that this season is going to be their

1354
01:03:24,199 --> 01:03:26,239
best chance of winning the title with this core. And

1355
01:03:26,239 --> 01:03:27,920
that's not because I doubt that the Pistons are going

1356
01:03:27,960 --> 01:03:29,599
to be able to stay good for a while. I

1357
01:03:29,639 --> 01:03:31,400
just think the East is going to be harder. And

1358
01:03:31,440 --> 01:03:34,840
it also speaks to a Western conference to me that

1359
01:03:35,199 --> 01:03:36,760
while there are a bunch of teams that I could

1360
01:03:36,920 --> 01:03:38,800
envision coming out of it, or I could say they

1361
01:03:38,800 --> 01:03:40,400
would be the second best team in the East, free

1362
01:03:40,440 --> 01:03:44,480
and clear. That's kind of part of the point. There's vulnerabilities. Ever,

1363
01:03:44,519 --> 01:03:48,199
look at the inconsistency of Minnesota. Look at the health

1364
01:03:48,639 --> 01:03:51,480
of Denver right now, look at the health and some

1365
01:03:51,519 --> 01:03:56,039
of the inconsistencies from OKC, including J Dubb, like finish

1366
01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:58,440
it when Ja Dubb looked like J Dub and then

1367
01:03:58,519 --> 01:04:01,079
aggravates the hamstring injury right before the Hall Star break.

1368
01:04:01,119 --> 01:04:04,880
It's are the Thunder I don't They're not cooked, but

1369
01:04:04,880 --> 01:04:08,159
if what is going on here? Yeah, So it's not

1370
01:04:08,320 --> 01:04:10,639
just about the East. It's that I could see next

1371
01:04:10,719 --> 01:04:14,480
year the Rockets, the Spurs and or the Thunder are

1372
01:04:14,559 --> 01:04:16,639
all just gonna be better. And this says nothing of

1373
01:04:16,679 --> 01:04:18,920
the Lakers with cap space in a summer when only

1374
01:04:19,480 --> 01:04:21,480
two other teams are gonna have cap space.

1375
01:04:21,239 --> 01:04:22,480
Speaker 2: And one of them is the Bulls.

1376
01:04:23,039 --> 01:04:26,880
Speaker 1: So I look at this Pistons core and I say,

1377
01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:31,039
it's not about doubting their viability long term. It's the circumstances.

1378
01:04:31,159 --> 01:04:33,440
You're gonna be in an East with a healthier Celtics,

1379
01:04:33,639 --> 01:04:36,519
a healthier Pacers team that after getting Zubots, even if

1380
01:04:36,559 --> 01:04:38,719
you don't believe in their title, wind will being that long.

1381
01:04:38,880 --> 01:04:41,119
The next two to three years are gonna be difficult.

1382
01:04:41,440 --> 01:04:44,320
And what you could have done as the Pistons if

1383
01:04:44,360 --> 01:04:46,920
you could have added a Michael Porter junior and it

1384
01:04:46,960 --> 01:04:48,760
cost you to first round picks. If you could have

1385
01:04:48,760 --> 01:04:50,360
added a Trey Murphy, I don't know what the pick

1386
01:04:50,360 --> 01:04:53,599
equity would have been. There someone better than Kevin Herder.

1387
01:04:54,679 --> 01:04:58,480
This easily could have been named as not just the

1388
01:04:58,519 --> 01:05:01,679
Eastern Conference favorite, which you probably should be right now,

1389
01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:04,920
but because you're just so head and shoulders above everybody else,

1390
01:05:05,239 --> 01:05:07,960
But where do you rank in the overall championship picture?

1391
01:05:08,760 --> 01:05:12,360
Their offense, I do not trust it in a playoff context.

1392
01:05:12,440 --> 01:05:14,199
I don't think that there is going to be enough

1393
01:05:14,440 --> 01:05:16,840
proven shooting. Some of their finishing around the rim has

1394
01:05:16,840 --> 01:05:18,599
been all over the place. And the things that you

1395
01:05:18,760 --> 01:05:21,920
do to get you by in the regular season, we've

1396
01:05:21,920 --> 01:05:24,960
seen a lot of it with remember those Grizzlies teams,

1397
01:05:25,280 --> 01:05:28,039
even like the current sort of iteration of the Rockets,

1398
01:05:28,239 --> 01:05:30,000
some previous Knicks teams, or even some of the ways

1399
01:05:30,039 --> 01:05:35,480
that the Knicks still play offense. Piston's super talented Kay

1400
01:05:35,519 --> 01:05:38,920
Cunningham is great. The season that Jalen Dern having is insane.

1401
01:05:39,480 --> 01:05:43,440
They could get better between, They will get better between

1402
01:05:43,480 --> 01:05:45,960
this season and next. Their championship odds are just going

1403
01:05:46,039 --> 01:05:49,719
to go down, and so I'm not I don't want

1404
01:05:49,719 --> 01:05:52,559
to be prisoner of the moment, but in today's NBA,

1405
01:05:52,639 --> 01:05:54,159
I feel like you almost have to be with your

1406
01:05:54,239 --> 01:05:57,800
championship windows, where they don't have just a five percent

1407
01:05:57,880 --> 01:06:00,199
chance of winning a title by virtue of being the

1408
01:06:00,199 --> 01:06:03,840
Eastern Conference favorite. It's more like a twenty five percent

1409
01:06:03,920 --> 01:06:06,639
chance of winning the title. And to me, you're you

1410
01:06:06,679 --> 01:06:09,199
should have been obligated to not throw four first round

1411
01:06:09,199 --> 01:06:11,559
picks on the table, do something stupid to get lowry

1412
01:06:11,599 --> 01:06:14,800
marketing or Trey Murphy short circuit your future. But it

1413
01:06:14,840 --> 01:06:16,800
needed to be more than look at this pick swap

1414
01:06:16,920 --> 01:06:17,880
and Kevin Hurter.

1415
01:06:19,199 --> 01:06:22,800
Speaker 3: So I'm glad you made the point that you're not saying,

1416
01:06:22,800 --> 01:06:25,840
because this is a key distinction. You're not saying the

1417
01:06:25,880 --> 01:06:28,559
Pistons won't ever be better than this, because I think

1418
01:06:28,599 --> 01:06:31,800
we agree, like, no, they're young enough that they they

1419
01:06:31,960 --> 01:06:34,840
probably will be better than this. It's just that their

1420
01:06:34,960 --> 01:06:38,360
chance to to use the talent they have to win

1421
01:06:38,440 --> 01:06:41,199
a title won't be better because of the circumstances. I

1422
01:06:41,239 --> 01:06:43,400
think that's I think that's interesting. I think that's right.

1423
01:06:43,440 --> 01:06:45,800
I think that's nuanced. A couple of things to add

1424
01:06:46,559 --> 01:06:50,159
I always think I never get on board with the

1425
01:06:50,239 --> 01:06:54,920
logic of to use a recent example or a contemporary example, Well,

1426
01:06:54,920 --> 01:06:57,480
the thunder are so good, Like what's the point of

1427
01:06:57,559 --> 01:07:00,159
us making this? Of make it? They're too good? Of

1428
01:07:00,760 --> 01:07:03,840
like we can't compete with them, like let's wait it out,

1429
01:07:03,920 --> 01:07:05,920
or let's keep the powder dry or whatever, like cause

1430
01:07:05,960 --> 01:07:07,480
that was going around a little bit early in the

1431
01:07:07,480 --> 01:07:10,440
season like that or that that line of thinking. I

1432
01:07:10,480 --> 01:07:13,960
don't agree with that. I think that makes more sense

1433
01:07:14,039 --> 01:07:16,159
than the reverse of it, which is the situation the

1434
01:07:16,199 --> 01:07:19,360
Pistons are in, which is that like look at like

1435
01:07:19,679 --> 01:07:23,639
Indiana's down, the Calves are very questionable. The Celtics are

1436
01:07:23,719 --> 01:07:25,360
kind of like, well look at us here. Who would

1437
01:07:25,360 --> 01:07:29,599
have thunk? Like this is the reverse situation where it's

1438
01:07:29,599 --> 01:07:33,559
like we have an opportunity to just capitalize on weakness

1439
01:07:33,679 --> 01:07:37,000
around us. We're not worried about like matching a strength

1440
01:07:37,039 --> 01:07:39,960
of another team or like being dissuaded from doing something

1441
01:07:40,000 --> 01:07:43,360
because we're just gonna run into Team X. It's the opposite.

1442
01:07:43,440 --> 01:07:46,280
It's like nobody is in our way, Like now is

1443
01:07:46,320 --> 01:07:48,679
when we try to get even better, because this is

1444
01:07:48,800 --> 01:07:51,400
just this is a little it's not a window in

1445
01:07:51,440 --> 01:07:53,480
the conventional sense we use it, but it's like we've

1446
01:07:53,519 --> 01:07:56,320
got this little crack we could squeeze through right now.

1447
01:07:56,599 --> 01:07:58,440
Maybe we don't think we're as ready as we may

1448
01:07:58,440 --> 01:08:01,320
be later, but it's like there's no guarantee that this

1449
01:08:01,639 --> 01:08:03,760
that that you will be better. We think they'll be

1450
01:08:03,840 --> 01:08:05,880
like all that stuff like this is when you go

1451
01:08:05,960 --> 01:08:08,679
for it. And I think a good point of reference

1452
01:08:08,719 --> 01:08:11,079
is the is the trade that the Pacers made. The

1453
01:08:11,119 --> 01:08:15,039
Pacers gave up two first round picks for a guy

1454
01:08:15,519 --> 01:08:18,960
that like they just want next year in Zubots. Like,

1455
01:08:19,239 --> 01:08:21,319
so you're telling me that a team that's gonna be

1456
01:08:22,079 --> 01:08:25,720
struggling to win twenty games gives up two firsts that

1457
01:08:25,800 --> 01:08:27,720
will not help it at all this year, and the

1458
01:08:27,720 --> 01:08:30,760
Pistons won't do that, and we're not And like, Zubots

1459
01:08:30,800 --> 01:08:34,399
is a good player, but like maybe MPG relative to

1460
01:08:34,479 --> 01:08:37,039
like what he could provide this specific team matters at

1461
01:08:37,119 --> 01:08:39,479
least as much or is at least as valuable to

1462
01:08:39,520 --> 01:08:41,880
the Pistons as Zubots will be to the twenty six

1463
01:08:42,000 --> 01:08:44,560
twenty seven Pacers. So the fact that the Pacers go

1464
01:08:44,680 --> 01:08:48,159
do that and the Pistons don't do something similar is

1465
01:08:48,279 --> 01:08:51,880
just like it's it's not like maddening, but it is

1466
01:08:51,960 --> 01:08:54,479
frustrating because it's like, you guys are here. The Pacers

1467
01:08:54,520 --> 01:08:56,880
aren't here right now. They're hoping to get back and

1468
01:08:56,920 --> 01:08:59,279
they're preparing as if they will. It's not a guarantee

1469
01:08:59,560 --> 01:09:02,720
the Pistons are. You're right there, like, just just do

1470
01:09:02,880 --> 01:09:05,199
the over. To call it an over the top move

1471
01:09:05,279 --> 01:09:07,680
is even like overstating it because we're not saying, go

1472
01:09:07,800 --> 01:09:10,439
trade for a superstar. Just go get the guy that

1473
01:09:10,520 --> 01:09:13,680
upgrades a clear position of need and hope that's enough

1474
01:09:13,720 --> 01:09:17,319
to beat a weak field. Like, yeah, I the Pistons

1475
01:09:17,319 --> 01:09:19,359
are the only answer to this. There are other teams

1476
01:09:19,399 --> 01:09:21,439
we could talk about, but it's like they're just the

1477
01:09:21,520 --> 01:09:22,279
runaway winner.

1478
01:09:22,760 --> 01:09:25,319
Speaker 1: I think even when we recorded our post trade deadline

1479
01:09:25,359 --> 01:09:28,000
pot I did make the case of the Pistons could

1480
01:09:28,079 --> 01:09:30,479
view themselves as the thunder wanting to go through another

1481
01:09:30,520 --> 01:09:33,520
playoff round. But they I they got it last year.

1482
01:09:33,560 --> 01:09:34,960
The more I munched on it was just that Nick

1483
01:09:35,079 --> 01:09:36,760
Series was there for the taking, and I think it's

1484
01:09:36,760 --> 01:09:38,840
okay that they didn't go out and do something bonkers

1485
01:09:38,880 --> 01:09:41,439
over the offseason. What were the opportunities available to them?

1486
01:09:41,560 --> 01:09:43,640
I actually did think Caroselburt was gonna be way better

1487
01:09:43,680 --> 01:09:47,720
for them than he has been. But like I just

1488
01:09:47,760 --> 01:09:50,399
can't get over the to your point about the Thunder, I.

1489
01:09:50,359 --> 01:09:51,640
Speaker 2: Would not that.

1490
01:09:51,640 --> 01:09:52,960
Speaker 1: I don't know if I would respect it. I would

1491
01:09:53,000 --> 01:09:56,840
understand that logic more. If you're in the West, so

1492
01:09:57,039 --> 01:09:59,359
much of winning the title is getting to the finals,

1493
01:09:59,399 --> 01:10:01,359
and it's so there for the taking in the East

1494
01:10:01,359 --> 01:10:03,640
that I don't know. I'm sure they were aggressive and

1495
01:10:03,680 --> 01:10:06,079
looked at things, but I'd be curious people said Michael

1496
01:10:06,079 --> 01:10:09,079
Porter Junior wasn't available. I have no doubt that Michael

1497
01:10:09,119 --> 01:10:11,520
Porter Junior was available. Where the nets asking for three

1498
01:10:11,520 --> 01:10:13,119
first round picks and they were refusing to move in

1499
01:10:13,199 --> 01:10:15,760
for less that. I understand why the Pistons don't do that.

1500
01:10:16,279 --> 01:10:19,279
It needed to be something bigger than Kevin Hurder.

1501
01:10:19,000 --> 01:10:19,840
Speaker 3: Right, it's a low bar.

1502
01:10:20,359 --> 01:10:23,399
Speaker 1: They're nineteenth in half court offense and they are so

1503
01:10:23,399 --> 01:10:26,039
so thirteenth in first first chanced offense.

1504
01:10:26,479 --> 01:10:27,640
Speaker 2: Your defense is elite.

1505
01:10:28,119 --> 01:10:30,800
Speaker 1: That might get it done, not even just through the

1506
01:10:30,800 --> 01:10:33,199
first but to get you out of the East. Sure

1507
01:10:33,720 --> 01:10:37,319
they are. I would not pick them to beat the Thunder.

1508
01:10:37,319 --> 01:10:39,359
I wouldn't pick them to beat the Nuggets. I wouldn't

1509
01:10:39,359 --> 01:10:42,000
pick them to beat I might not even pick them

1510
01:10:42,039 --> 01:10:44,000
to beat the Rockets or the Timberwolves at this point,

1511
01:10:44,079 --> 01:10:46,600
like there's just something like the Rockets half court offense

1512
01:10:46,640 --> 01:10:49,319
has a Kevin Durant go nuclear, maybe Fred van Fleet

1513
01:10:49,399 --> 01:10:52,159
is coming back at that point. The Timberwolves have Anthony

1514
01:10:52,279 --> 01:10:54,159
Edwards and now I would assume was there but mostly

1515
01:10:54,159 --> 01:10:56,960
Anthony Edwards. Then even at Julius Randall, they have one

1516
01:10:57,039 --> 01:11:00,600
elite half court creator. With all due respect to Jenkins,

1517
01:11:01,079 --> 01:11:04,960
it's Kay Cunningham and the way that defenses defend him

1518
01:11:04,960 --> 01:11:07,159
and also the way that he plays like it takes

1519
01:11:07,199 --> 01:11:10,119
a toll for him to play as physical as he does,

1520
01:11:10,359 --> 01:11:13,319
and that's gonna make them, to me easier to defend.

1521
01:11:13,319 --> 01:11:15,880
Now Jalen Duran kind of expanding his bag, and just

1522
01:11:15,920 --> 01:11:18,800
they do have good complimentary pieces around them, and Tobias

1523
01:11:18,800 --> 01:11:21,760
Harris has delivered some pretty big moments on the ball too.

1524
01:11:22,960 --> 01:11:27,199
Speaker 2: That's not enough, man. So this Piston season is so great.

1525
01:11:26,960 --> 01:11:28,600
Speaker 1: And I feel like I'm poo pooing on it now,

1526
01:11:28,680 --> 01:11:32,680
But to me, it's just they're an excellent team, and

1527
01:11:33,279 --> 01:11:36,920
they are so excellent and they're shot at winning it all.

1528
01:11:36,960 --> 01:11:38,199
Speaker 2: This season is so real.

1529
01:11:38,560 --> 01:11:39,840
Speaker 1: I would have liked to have just seen them do

1530
01:11:39,880 --> 01:11:42,359
more at the trade deadline, and I think in hindsight

1531
01:11:42,479 --> 01:11:44,520
it might not be this season even if they get

1532
01:11:44,600 --> 01:11:47,479
I think in the moment, I wonder what it would

1533
01:11:47,479 --> 01:11:49,399
take for them to regret it. But if we jump ahead,

1534
01:11:49,439 --> 01:11:52,119
like two or three years, this feels as if it

1535
01:11:52,159 --> 01:11:54,159
could be one of those inflection points of what if

1536
01:11:54,159 --> 01:11:56,399
Detroit had done something during the twenty five to twenty

1537
01:11:56,439 --> 01:11:58,760
six season, like made enough grade trade?

1538
01:11:58,920 --> 01:12:01,359
Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, you don't want to be that team that's

1539
01:12:01,399 --> 01:12:03,640
like that. Will that will use as a point of

1540
01:12:03,640 --> 01:12:07,279
comparison anytime in the future. A really good team does

1541
01:12:07,319 --> 01:12:09,840
not make a move like that. That's in the cards

1542
01:12:09,840 --> 01:12:12,560
at the moment. If the Pistons flame out, and it's

1543
01:12:12,560 --> 01:12:15,520
for the reasons that right now you would expect, which

1544
01:12:15,560 --> 01:12:17,520
is to say, they just don't have the shooting or

1545
01:12:17,520 --> 01:12:21,359
half court offense to get it done. Let's see, is

1546
01:12:21,399 --> 01:12:25,680
it my turn because I have it is caught my eye? Uh,

1547
01:12:25,720 --> 01:12:28,359
there's this Lebron guy and he plays for the Lakers

1548
01:12:28,359 --> 01:12:31,560
at the moment, and he's gonna be a free agent,

1549
01:12:32,399 --> 01:12:35,119
and nobody's quite sure where he's gonna play next year

1550
01:12:35,239 --> 01:12:37,560
or if he's gonna play at all. Is this gonna

1551
01:12:37,560 --> 01:12:41,319
be the last season Lebron plays with the Lakers. Yes,

1552
01:12:41,720 --> 01:12:44,960
you know, we have to serve the market. I just answered,

1553
01:12:44,960 --> 01:12:45,319
thank you.

1554
01:12:45,560 --> 01:12:46,640
Speaker 2: I just put you.

1555
01:12:47,319 --> 01:12:49,199
Speaker 1: I would be shocked if he's back with the Lakers.

1556
01:12:49,239 --> 01:12:51,439
The way that everything is unfolded, I'm assuming he'll go

1557
01:12:51,520 --> 01:12:54,520
back to Cleveland and that that'll be his swan song.

1558
01:12:54,560 --> 01:12:56,520
And I guess he'll go back for the minimum or

1559
01:12:56,560 --> 01:12:58,800
will they have access maybe they could access the mini Mmlee.

1560
01:12:59,600 --> 01:13:01,520
I would preferred to see him go somewhere where I

1561
01:13:01,520 --> 01:13:03,720
think he has the most realistic chance of winning a title.

1562
01:13:04,079 --> 01:13:05,640
Speaker 2: But I don't.

1563
01:13:06,119 --> 01:13:08,760
Speaker 1: I don't think he's gonna be because if he's back

1564
01:13:08,800 --> 01:13:11,039
with the Lakers, it's because he's done what he'll do

1565
01:13:11,119 --> 01:13:13,720
with the Calves, except it's for the Lakers, and I

1566
01:13:13,720 --> 01:13:17,720
don't think there's that nostalgic equity there. And then also

1567
01:13:17,760 --> 01:13:20,279
the reporting that came out in the was that the

1568
01:13:20,279 --> 01:13:22,680
bat that was the Baxter Holmes piece right about how

1569
01:13:23,439 --> 01:13:25,800
Genie Buss felt like he was getting too much credit.

1570
01:13:26,279 --> 01:13:28,600
There's there's just no cut. There's there was a bunch

1571
01:13:28,640 --> 01:13:31,039
of other things in there. There was enough smoke for

1572
01:13:31,079 --> 01:13:34,119
there to be a fire, and I don't think there's

1573
01:13:34,199 --> 01:13:37,119
coming back from that, and even if there was, this

1574
01:13:37,600 --> 01:13:41,439
almost just feels just the way last season unfolded. No

1575
01:13:41,560 --> 01:13:44,880
extension offer on the table, You've heard nothing about, Well,

1576
01:13:44,880 --> 01:13:47,479
they just wanted to prioritize flexibility and they'll he's gonna

1577
01:13:47,479 --> 01:13:48,880
take a pay cut so they could do these No,

1578
01:13:49,399 --> 01:13:51,520
it's you haven't heard any of that. And we've heard

1579
01:13:51,520 --> 01:13:53,279
about him taking a pay cut to fit in Jonas

1580
01:13:53,319 --> 01:13:56,279
Founchewtas in previous offseasons, but nothing about he'll take a

1581
01:13:56,319 --> 01:13:59,119
pay cut to make get the Lakers other big names.

1582
01:13:59,319 --> 01:14:02,239
Speaker 2: I just think he's gone. I I would put.

1583
01:14:02,079 --> 01:14:05,239
Speaker 1: The odds at ninety percent that he's on a different

1584
01:14:05,239 --> 01:14:05,880
team next year.

1585
01:14:06,399 --> 01:14:07,840
Speaker 3: I don't know what I put the odds at, but

1586
01:14:08,199 --> 01:14:11,079
the like I think the way I was looking at

1587
01:14:11,079 --> 01:14:14,119
it is just reverse it and say, what that has

1588
01:14:14,199 --> 01:14:17,760
happened in the last year points to Lebron or the

1589
01:14:17,840 --> 01:14:21,359
Lakers wanting this to continue. Like everything from all the

1590
01:14:21,720 --> 01:14:23,960
it's just I'm just repackaging what you said. It's like,

1591
01:14:24,359 --> 01:14:27,520
what's the sign that he wants to stay there or

1592
01:14:27,560 --> 01:14:29,680
that they want him to stay there? Really that they

1593
01:14:29,720 --> 01:14:31,560
want him to stay there is even harder to come

1594
01:14:31,640 --> 01:14:34,399
up with evidence because like he's got business interests, his

1595
01:14:34,439 --> 01:14:37,079
family settled there, Like, you know, there's plenty of reasons

1596
01:14:37,119 --> 01:14:38,760
you could come up with for him to want to

1597
01:14:38,800 --> 01:14:42,279
be there. You could maybe even he could convince himself that,

1598
01:14:42,359 --> 01:14:45,399
like being second fiddled to Luca, especially if we keep

1599
01:14:45,399 --> 01:14:47,479
Austin Reeves, we're still going to draw free agent, Like

1600
01:14:47,880 --> 01:14:50,680
he could talk himself into like this is actually a

1601
01:14:50,800 --> 01:14:55,039
very good situation for me lifestyle wise and like competitive

1602
01:14:55,479 --> 01:14:58,279
from a competitive perspective. But the Lakers are just like

1603
01:14:58,600 --> 01:15:02,000
no extension. U Uh, we just traded for Luca. Uh,

1604
01:15:02,199 --> 01:15:04,920
we're gonna I mean, I don't know what to make

1605
01:15:04,960 --> 01:15:07,520
of like how much control they had over the home

1606
01:15:07,600 --> 01:15:09,560
stuff coming to the Genie bus stuff coming out, but

1607
01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:12,079
like there just isn't anything that suggests they want him

1608
01:15:12,119 --> 01:15:15,359
there because they could have contractually made that clear. They

1609
01:15:15,359 --> 01:15:18,199
could have They could just be messaging that. They could

1610
01:15:18,199 --> 01:15:22,720
be you know, doing some kind of pr push to

1611
01:15:22,880 --> 01:15:24,800
like I don't know, get fans to be like one

1612
01:15:24,880 --> 01:15:27,279
more in La or what. There's there's all those things

1613
01:15:27,279 --> 01:15:29,880
that could be happening that aren't. So, Like it's pretty

1614
01:15:29,880 --> 01:15:33,039
clear that this is already over and and honestly, like

1615
01:15:33,159 --> 01:15:36,600
I am, I want for it to be because it's

1616
01:15:36,640 --> 01:15:39,000
way more interesting to me if the Lakers go do

1617
01:15:39,119 --> 01:15:42,760
their own thing with Luca Post Lebron and he goes

1618
01:15:42,800 --> 01:15:46,800
to Cleveland, just like, that's that's way more fun, especially

1619
01:15:46,840 --> 01:15:47,359
because like.

1620
01:15:48,640 --> 01:15:52,279
Speaker 2: What is James hard and Donno Mitchell, Lebron, James Evans.

1621
01:15:52,119 --> 01:15:56,000
Speaker 3: And Charity Well, in my imagination, James Harden isn't there

1622
01:15:56,720 --> 01:15:57,439
for some reason.

1623
01:15:58,399 --> 01:16:01,680
Speaker 1: But so Lebron gonna go play a season with the

1624
01:16:01,680 --> 01:16:03,439
Warriors and then go back to Cleveland.

1625
01:16:03,600 --> 01:16:05,520
Speaker 3: Well, there's he's got some options. We're gonna do a

1626
01:16:05,520 --> 01:16:07,199
stat padding on this pretty soon, and I have a

1627
01:16:07,199 --> 01:16:11,159
wild card Lebron destination that I really like. But Cleveland

1628
01:16:11,199 --> 01:16:14,239
is like, that's just well, you gotta you gotta wonder

1629
01:16:14,239 --> 01:16:17,079
how much what which way does Harden being their cut

1630
01:16:17,119 --> 01:16:19,680
for him? Like, is that is that an incentive? Or

1631
01:16:19,720 --> 01:16:21,479
is that like I would prefer not to sign up

1632
01:16:21,479 --> 01:16:23,399
for this. You would assume it'd be helpful because all

1633
01:16:23,399 --> 01:16:24,760
the Vets like each other, you.

1634
01:16:24,680 --> 01:16:26,199
Speaker 2: Know, Yeah, it's Darius Garland.

1635
01:16:26,279 --> 01:16:28,680
Speaker 1: Is what do Lebron and him have a relationship when

1636
01:16:28,680 --> 01:16:30,640
he's twenty six years old to the fifteen years younger

1637
01:16:30,680 --> 01:16:34,600
than Lebron. Right, Yeah, here's a better question. Does Bronny

1638
01:16:34,640 --> 01:16:35,399
go with him.

1639
01:16:37,159 --> 01:16:41,840
Speaker 3: No, No, he'll stay, And I mean, I don't know

1640
01:16:41,880 --> 01:16:44,920
if he'll be in the NBA. Actually, I just don't.

1641
01:16:45,000 --> 01:16:46,920
I don't. I don't think Bronni would want to do that.

1642
01:16:47,239 --> 01:16:49,319
You know, I think this he might view this as

1643
01:16:49,359 --> 01:16:51,520
like all right, time to cut the cord a little bit.

1644
01:16:51,800 --> 01:16:54,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, here's an interesting question for you. Grant and I

1645
01:16:54,840 --> 01:16:57,439
have a list in our doc how many first time

1646
01:16:58,079 --> 01:17:00,960
All NBA players will we get? And I'm asking this,

1647
01:17:01,600 --> 01:17:03,520
I mean, there's been standout guys who will make their

1648
01:17:03,520 --> 01:17:06,479
first All NBA team, But I'm also thinking of we

1649
01:17:06,520 --> 01:17:08,199
know Jannis is ineligible.

1650
01:17:08,520 --> 01:17:10,359
Speaker 2: Jokic I think can miss one more.

1651
01:17:10,239 --> 01:17:13,640
Speaker 1: Game, so he's not gonna do it, right Lebron I

1652
01:17:13,880 --> 01:17:15,159
don't think he would have made it based off how

1653
01:17:15,159 --> 01:17:18,319
he's playing, but he's ineligible. Steph is kind of on

1654
01:17:18,359 --> 01:17:21,640
the fence too. Does he have six absences left? And

1655
01:17:21,840 --> 01:17:24,760
Wemby who would be an option for first team All

1656
01:17:24,880 --> 01:17:27,560
NBA he can only miss a couple more games. Lowry

1657
01:17:27,640 --> 01:17:32,199
Market has already been eliminated, Jaleen Joe Williams already been eliminated.

1658
01:17:32,520 --> 01:17:34,199
Kawhi's on the fence, even though he would be a

1659
01:17:34,239 --> 01:17:36,399
lock and the other variable in this we were talking

1660
01:17:36,399 --> 01:17:38,640
about the thunder before the Sga injury.

1661
01:17:38,720 --> 01:17:39,680
Speaker 2: I'm assuming they're.

1662
01:17:39,479 --> 01:17:41,319
Speaker 1: Being overly precautious, but what if all of a sudden

1663
01:17:41,399 --> 01:17:42,840
he was at the time.

1664
01:17:43,039 --> 01:17:45,960
Speaker 3: The wording on that one, too, is reevaluated after the

1665
01:17:46,000 --> 01:17:48,800
All Star break. That's always a flag, right of just like, okay,

1666
01:17:48,880 --> 01:17:50,680
so it might be two to four weeks after that.

1667
01:17:50,720 --> 01:17:51,640
We just we don't know.

1668
01:17:52,840 --> 01:17:55,239
Speaker 1: So I have a list, and let's see who would

1669
01:17:55,239 --> 01:17:58,279
be the locks. I think the locks if he's eligible,

1670
01:17:58,279 --> 01:17:59,880
but he's not a lot so Victor remin Yama and

1671
01:18:00,039 --> 01:18:04,199
Irish Maxy or my stone Cold first time all NBA locks.

1672
01:18:05,239 --> 01:18:07,800
Speaker 3: I think you're go ahead. I was gonna say, you

1673
01:18:07,840 --> 01:18:09,640
go All Stars next like that. You just have to

1674
01:18:09,640 --> 01:18:11,119
start picking from that group.

1675
01:18:11,119 --> 01:18:12,680
Speaker 1: Right, and so we'll just go. We'll go through them

1676
01:18:12,720 --> 01:18:15,399
rapid fire. Denny Avdya, Like, are any of these names

1677
01:18:15,439 --> 01:18:16,560
worth a lock to you?

1678
01:18:17,359 --> 01:18:23,880
Speaker 3: Oh? A lock? I mean it's so hard, Like let's assume.

1679
01:18:24,319 --> 01:18:29,079
Let's assume no Jokic, no, basically anybody that you even

1680
01:18:29,119 --> 01:18:36,000
casually mentioned, like no Steph, no Kawhi, no Jadab Sga

1681
01:18:36,159 --> 01:18:38,960
is a tough one. We need to dial that one.

1682
01:18:38,960 --> 01:18:40,039
In what's he at right now?

1683
01:18:40,279 --> 01:18:42,479
Speaker 1: Well, there's also I think, and we're probably going about

1684
01:18:42,479 --> 01:18:44,279
this the wrong way, so like I'll just rattle off

1685
01:18:44,359 --> 01:18:45,800
the list of names to see.

1686
01:18:45,840 --> 01:18:47,560
Speaker 2: I think I have fifteen.

1687
01:18:47,960 --> 01:18:53,600
Speaker 1: There's Wemby, Maxie Denny, Avdya Chet Holmgren, Jamal Murray, Scottie Barnes,

1688
01:18:53,800 --> 01:18:58,960
Jalen Duran, Michael Porter, Junior, Alprinchengoun Aman Thompson.

1689
01:18:58,640 --> 01:18:59,800
Speaker 2: Brandon Ingram. I have two.

1690
01:19:00,359 --> 01:19:03,720
Speaker 1: This is just deep cuts Conkinipple and Cooper Flag, Jalen

1691
01:19:03,800 --> 01:19:09,079
Johnson and bam Adebayo. The our baseline is two because

1692
01:19:09,079 --> 01:19:11,279
even if Wemby doesn't qualify, we're just gonna get two

1693
01:19:11,279 --> 01:19:14,239
first time All NBA players at least based off that

1694
01:19:14,479 --> 01:19:18,319
pool and knowing what we do about the games missed

1695
01:19:18,319 --> 01:19:24,760
for other players, because statistically speaking, yo, get Steph Wemby

1696
01:19:25,000 --> 01:19:28,520
and who's the other one of super Kawhi at least

1697
01:19:28,600 --> 01:19:30,800
one I'm not gonna qualify, and I'd be I'd be

1698
01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:35,079
willing to even wager maybe two. At least, I'm gonna

1699
01:19:35,159 --> 01:19:37,439
let's set the over under at two and a half

1700
01:19:38,439 --> 01:19:39,640
first time All NBA players?

1701
01:19:39,720 --> 01:19:41,520
Speaker 2: Is that too? Is that even too low?

1702
01:19:41,800 --> 01:19:43,600
Speaker 3: That's a pretty easy over for me, if it's two

1703
01:19:43,640 --> 01:19:45,119
and a half, if you're gonna go like four and

1704
01:19:45,119 --> 01:19:47,239
a half, I think then we have the conversation because

1705
01:19:47,239 --> 01:19:50,840
it's like I think Avdia, I think he's probably there.

1706
01:19:51,159 --> 01:19:55,640
I think saying chet chet probably there. I do think

1707
01:19:55,680 --> 01:19:59,119
it's interesting that he it's partly just because what's happened

1708
01:19:59,159 --> 01:20:01,920
with Jada in wise, but like, I think we're not

1709
01:20:02,000 --> 01:20:04,279
that far from him collectively just being regarded as the

1710
01:20:04,319 --> 01:20:06,079
second best thunder player at this point.

1711
01:20:06,199 --> 01:20:09,399
Speaker 1: Just I think I think we have started each of

1712
01:20:09,439 --> 01:20:12,760
the previous two seasons asking that question only to kind

1713
01:20:12,760 --> 01:20:13,840
of just like phy.

1714
01:20:13,960 --> 01:20:17,640
Speaker 3: Now, how do you conclude otherwise with the with the

1715
01:20:17,640 --> 01:20:19,960
the thing is you could say, like, well, once he's healthy,

1716
01:20:19,960 --> 01:20:22,239
it's just different. But it bit Jada hasn't been healthy

1717
01:20:22,239 --> 01:20:24,079
because of the risk surgery and all that stuff. So

1718
01:20:24,199 --> 01:20:27,000
I think those are pretty comfortably in. I don't know

1719
01:20:27,000 --> 01:20:29,279
how you talk yourself out of Murray the way he's

1720
01:20:29,319 --> 01:20:30,000
played this year.

1721
01:20:30,319 --> 01:20:32,680
Speaker 2: That's like five though, So we're over.

1722
01:20:32,840 --> 01:20:34,800
Speaker 3: We're over four and a half. We got to knock

1723
01:20:34,840 --> 01:20:37,159
somebody else out. Do we knocked Shay out? So he's

1724
01:20:37,159 --> 01:20:41,520
missed one, two, three, four, five six so far? Seven

1725
01:20:42,359 --> 01:20:45,439
So he's topping out at seventy five. He can miss

1726
01:20:45,520 --> 01:20:47,479
quite a bit. Actually down the street.

1727
01:20:47,199 --> 01:20:52,680
Speaker 1: You'll get there, and it's I'm just gonna settle in it.

1728
01:20:52,840 --> 01:20:54,760
I'm gonna take the under of one.

1729
01:20:54,920 --> 01:20:57,279
Speaker 3: Four, I'm gonna go over and say five, just to

1730
01:20:57,359 --> 01:21:00,439
keep it because it's more. That's more interesting because there

1731
01:21:00,439 --> 01:21:01,399
are worthy guys.

1732
01:21:01,479 --> 01:21:03,920
Speaker 2: That's all right, Like though, right, you get don't you?

1733
01:21:04,159 --> 01:21:07,479
Speaker 3: I mean, like if I think if Avdya and Chet

1734
01:21:07,520 --> 01:21:11,640
and Murray were on an All NBA team, you you

1735
01:21:11,680 --> 01:21:13,880
wouldn't like look back in three years and be like

1736
01:21:13,960 --> 01:21:16,880
that is insane. It wouldn't be like, who's the example

1737
01:21:16,880 --> 01:21:19,199
of like that guy like Julius Randall's got a couple

1738
01:21:19,199 --> 01:21:21,560
of those where you're just like, really, I don't I

1739
01:21:21,560 --> 01:21:23,720
wouldn't feel the same way about looking back at those guys.

1740
01:21:23,760 --> 01:21:25,520
So I guess maybe that's just me already like pre

1741
01:21:25,640 --> 01:21:28,840
rationalizing that it's not weird at all that Danny Avdia

1742
01:21:28,920 --> 01:21:30,319
is an All NBA player.

1743
01:21:30,680 --> 01:21:34,000
Speaker 1: Right, I think Danny Avi would be the name historically

1744
01:21:34,079 --> 01:21:35,279
that winds up standing out.

1745
01:21:35,680 --> 01:21:39,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, probably, I mean, you get down passed. Just as

1746
01:21:39,399 --> 01:21:42,039
the lists we're looking at that the viewers can't see.

1747
01:21:42,479 --> 01:21:45,079
I think Scottie Barnes is the one below Jamal Murray

1748
01:21:45,079 --> 01:21:47,239
that like, all right, I could see it, and then

1749
01:21:47,319 --> 01:21:50,920
Jalen Duran would be I mean boys, he getting paid.

1750
01:21:51,000 --> 01:21:53,520
Speaker 2: There were positions still that yeah, of.

1751
01:21:53,720 --> 01:21:56,119
Speaker 3: Positions that that would be even first of all, good

1752
01:21:56,119 --> 01:21:57,920
thing there aren't because then that's how you get the

1753
01:21:57,960 --> 01:22:02,600
real wild outcomes. You get on to the MPJ shingoon

1754
01:22:02,960 --> 01:22:05,760
ingram range, and then it's like something something. The rules

1755
01:22:05,760 --> 01:22:06,800
are dumb, this is bad.

1756
01:22:06,880 --> 01:22:09,560
Speaker 1: We don't like this, all right, So you're taking over

1757
01:22:09,600 --> 01:22:12,680
four and a half, I'm taking I'm taking under four

1758
01:22:12,680 --> 01:22:14,279
and a half. You're taking over four and a half

1759
01:22:14,319 --> 01:22:16,039
first time all NBA players. I want to hear from

1760
01:22:16,079 --> 01:22:18,239
people how many of the first time all NBA players

1761
01:22:18,279 --> 01:22:19,319
they think we're gonna get?

1762
01:22:20,359 --> 01:22:23,359
Speaker 3: All right? Is it my turn here? I hate I

1763
01:22:23,680 --> 01:22:26,840
kind of wanna. I don't want to overlap too much.

1764
01:22:28,600 --> 01:22:31,520
Let's do this quickly. Maybe because this is just like

1765
01:22:31,560 --> 01:22:34,760
a gut feeling thing which should be contender is most

1766
01:22:34,920 --> 01:22:37,399
likely to disappoint us. This is also kind of a

1767
01:22:37,439 --> 01:22:41,159
personal thing because it prices in that you expect something,

1768
01:22:41,680 --> 01:22:45,319
maybe more out of a team than than you're gonna get.

1769
01:22:45,840 --> 01:22:50,479
I don't have a ready answer, well most no, if

1770
01:22:50,479 --> 01:22:51,840
that's too galaxy brain.

1771
01:22:52,640 --> 01:22:54,119
Speaker 2: Or you gonna say the thunder.

1772
01:22:54,520 --> 01:22:58,399
Speaker 3: Yeah, But they're not a should be contender. It's how

1773
01:22:58,399 --> 01:23:00,680
do you qualify a should be contender?

1774
01:23:02,119 --> 01:23:04,800
Speaker 1: Are they supposed to win at least a playoff series?

1775
01:23:06,039 --> 01:23:08,279
Would it be a disappointment if their season ended without

1776
01:23:08,279 --> 01:23:09,520
a playoff series victory?

1777
01:23:09,920 --> 01:23:12,000
Speaker 3: Then it has to be Cleveland, doesn't it.

1778
01:23:12,880 --> 01:23:14,640
Speaker 1: But are they most likely? Do you think they're gonna lose?

1779
01:23:14,840 --> 01:23:16,800
I don't think they're gonna lose in the first round.

1780
01:23:18,640 --> 01:23:20,760
Speaker 3: God, it's so easy to imagine that though.

1781
01:23:20,520 --> 01:23:23,359
Speaker 1: And I'm not including I'd like the magic. If we

1782
01:23:23,520 --> 01:23:26,279
answered this question maybe at the start of the season,

1783
01:23:26,319 --> 01:23:28,800
before we saw what they looked like, I wouldn't be

1784
01:23:29,479 --> 01:23:30,880
The expectations need.

1785
01:23:30,800 --> 01:23:31,479
Speaker 2: To be adjusted.

1786
01:23:31,640 --> 01:23:33,800
Speaker 1: It's disappointing this is where they're at. But if they

1787
01:23:33,840 --> 01:23:36,960
lose in the first round, is it a disappointment? It's no,

1788
01:23:37,039 --> 01:23:39,920
that's just following the natural order of how the season

1789
01:23:39,960 --> 01:23:40,600
has unfolded.

1790
01:23:40,600 --> 01:23:41,279
Speaker 2: It feels like.

1791
01:23:41,560 --> 01:23:43,840
Speaker 3: It's much harder to pick a team from the West though,

1792
01:23:44,039 --> 01:23:46,119
right because, like I, I just gravitated a little bit.

1793
01:23:46,159 --> 01:23:48,039
As I'm looking at the standings towards the Rockets. But

1794
01:23:48,079 --> 01:23:50,520
it's like, so if they lose the four or five

1795
01:23:50,640 --> 01:23:54,279
to Minnesota, is that is that disappointing? Like, I don't know,

1796
01:23:54,920 --> 01:23:55,960
I'm trying to think of the.

1797
01:23:56,000 --> 01:23:58,720
Speaker 2: Can I just give you my the what I think

1798
01:23:58,800 --> 01:24:01,319
is the not the only answer, but should be the answer.

1799
01:24:01,840 --> 01:24:02,119
Speaker 3: Please?

1800
01:24:02,159 --> 01:24:02,800
Speaker 2: It's the Knicks?

1801
01:24:03,960 --> 01:24:06,359
Speaker 3: Well it does? Anybody there?

1802
01:24:07,319 --> 01:24:07,640
Speaker 1: What do you?

1803
01:24:08,640 --> 01:24:09,079
Speaker 3: Knicks?

1804
01:24:09,760 --> 01:24:10,000
Speaker 2: One?

1805
01:24:10,319 --> 01:24:12,840
Speaker 1: They were the most popular pick to come out of

1806
01:24:12,840 --> 01:24:15,720
the Eastern Conference this season. I picked the Calves, but

1807
01:24:15,760 --> 01:24:17,159
they were the most popular pick to come out of

1808
01:24:17,159 --> 01:24:21,079
Eastern Conference this season. Even through their post NBA Cup pays,

1809
01:24:21,800 --> 01:24:24,039
they've rebounded from it a little bit. They're still just

1810
01:24:24,119 --> 01:24:26,560
in contention for a top two record. The team that's

1811
01:24:26,600 --> 01:24:29,840
in first place is a team they beat last year. Well,

1812
01:24:30,159 --> 01:24:32,439
give the Pistons all the credit in the world while

1813
01:24:32,439 --> 01:24:37,000
sort of actively self sabotaging themselves at points. But you're

1814
01:24:37,039 --> 01:24:39,840
a team that were supposed to come in and be

1815
01:24:40,039 --> 01:24:42,640
the Eastern Conference favorite and you haven't lost that sheen

1816
01:24:42,840 --> 01:24:45,520
just yet. And you look around, Okay, Boston's better than expected,

1817
01:24:45,560 --> 01:24:48,560
but the Tatum element not being there. You're still losing

1818
01:24:48,600 --> 01:24:50,800
games to the Pacers at Madison Square Garden. But Tyre's

1819
01:24:50,840 --> 01:24:52,439
Aliburn is not coming back and they're not making the

1820
01:24:52,479 --> 01:24:57,800
playoffs they like. I don't think Boston. Let's look at

1821
01:24:57,840 --> 01:25:00,199
it this way. I don't think Boston is good to

1822
01:25:00,319 --> 01:25:03,159
lose to the Raptors or the Sixers if that's who

1823
01:25:03,199 --> 01:25:04,600
they play in the first round. I don't think the

1824
01:25:04,600 --> 01:25:06,680
Pistons are gonna lose to the Magic to Heat, the

1825
01:25:06,720 --> 01:25:08,880
Hornets or the Hawks, if that's who they play in

1826
01:25:08,880 --> 01:25:11,640
the first round. Do the Knicks end up play like

1827
01:25:11,680 --> 01:25:13,760
I could see the Knicks losing. So that's the amount

1828
01:25:13,760 --> 01:25:15,479
of faith I have in New York, just like reaching

1829
01:25:15,520 --> 01:25:18,079
a certain level. And this is bonkers to say, because

1830
01:25:18,079 --> 01:25:20,520
I was looking the other day. They actually have and

1831
01:25:20,560 --> 01:25:23,319
my concerns are mostly on defense with them. They have

1832
01:25:23,359 --> 01:25:26,319
a top seven defense against top five, top ten offenses,

1833
01:25:26,359 --> 01:25:31,119
which is actually pretty impressive. But the concerns we have

1834
01:25:31,159 --> 01:25:34,439
about the Pistons offense, it's so different with New York.

1835
01:25:34,640 --> 01:25:38,199
But they still don't have a number two option, a

1836
01:25:38,239 --> 01:25:41,880
real one that's not Mikhale Bridges, Karnthy Towns is all

1837
01:25:41,880 --> 01:25:44,279
over the place, like Jose Alvarado isn't coming in to

1838
01:25:44,279 --> 01:25:46,600
do that. I don't want og Anobi handling the ball

1839
01:25:46,880 --> 01:25:50,279
more than he has to. Their second best passer is

1840
01:25:50,680 --> 01:25:54,920
in the rotation or regular rotation is Josh Hart. Okay, cool, Fine,

1841
01:25:55,239 --> 01:25:59,079
they're signing Jeremy Sohan. We'll see what experimentation looks like.

1842
01:25:59,079 --> 01:26:02,119
But they're they're never actually gonna be five out, or

1843
01:26:02,119 --> 01:26:04,079
when they are gonna be five out, it's coming at

1844
01:26:04,079 --> 01:26:07,439
a very steep opportunity cost defensively. But because I'm a

1845
01:26:07,439 --> 01:26:10,760
big proponent of Ifduce McBride is gonna be healthy, him

1846
01:26:10,800 --> 01:26:13,479
plus the starters instead of him, plus the core four

1847
01:26:13,520 --> 01:26:16,920
starters or Bridges, Ananobe, Towns and brunts in that lineup

1848
01:26:17,079 --> 01:26:19,560
can really kill it offensively, it's it's probably not gonna

1849
01:26:19,600 --> 01:26:22,039
be that good defensively, we just haven't seen it enough.

1850
01:26:22,960 --> 01:26:25,800
I just think there's more variance in their outcomes. And also,

1851
01:26:25,960 --> 01:26:28,359
if Boston does lose in the first round, how big

1852
01:26:28,359 --> 01:26:29,560
of a disappointment is that?

1853
01:26:29,640 --> 01:26:30,079
Speaker 2: Actually?

1854
01:26:30,720 --> 01:26:33,439
Speaker 1: So to me, it's to me the answer is the Knicks,

1855
01:26:33,479 --> 01:26:35,119
and a lot of it's because of what you said

1856
01:26:35,119 --> 01:26:38,000
about the West. Yeah, it'd be disappointing if Houston bows

1857
01:26:38,000 --> 01:26:39,880
out in the first round, or if Minnesota does or

1858
01:26:39,880 --> 01:26:42,399
the Spurs do, or but the West is so good, man,

1859
01:26:42,439 --> 01:26:45,520
if the Knicks lose to whatever this version of the

1860
01:26:46,039 --> 01:26:47,880
if they lose to a playing team, which I don't,

1861
01:26:47,880 --> 01:26:50,880
if they play the Magic. I'm not ruling out them

1862
01:26:50,920 --> 01:26:52,399
losing in a seven game series.

1863
01:26:52,920 --> 01:26:55,880
Speaker 3: Oh, I would rule that if they there, that would

1864
01:26:55,920 --> 01:26:58,960
be a massive disappointment to me and I But I

1865
01:26:59,000 --> 01:27:00,600
take your point. I think I do agree that it's

1866
01:27:00,640 --> 01:27:02,720
the Knicks. I do. I was working on something the

1867
01:27:02,800 --> 01:27:06,079
other day, and the Knicks have a higher point differential

1868
01:27:06,079 --> 01:27:07,840
and are on pace to win more games this year

1869
01:27:07,840 --> 01:27:10,159
than last year, and yet it's just like, what a

1870
01:27:10,159 --> 01:27:13,399
catastrophe this team? Like that. I think the problem really

1871
01:27:13,479 --> 01:27:17,239
is preseason expectations were too high, like they're a little

1872
01:27:17,279 --> 01:27:21,319
better on balance, and that just doesn't square with what

1873
01:27:21,439 --> 01:27:24,960
people thought was gonna happen. Does it? Is that an oversimplification?

1874
01:27:25,039 --> 01:27:26,880
I just know I'm think saying that as someone that

1875
01:27:26,920 --> 01:27:28,960
picked them to win like fifty three games.

1876
01:27:28,720 --> 01:27:31,720
Speaker 1: People overestimated the bump they were gonna get, or at

1877
01:27:31,760 --> 01:27:34,319
least the immediate bump, because I do. I actually do

1878
01:27:34,359 --> 01:27:38,000
think they're clearly more flexible than they were under Tom Thibodeau.

1879
01:27:38,039 --> 01:27:40,880
And I think Jeremy Sohan signing with them, I don't

1880
01:27:40,920 --> 01:27:42,520
think he's gonna be a huge part of their rotation.

1881
01:27:42,800 --> 01:27:45,720
But it's proof that this team does have more change

1882
01:27:45,800 --> 01:27:48,760
ups in its arsenal because they've played Modioara. They gave

1883
01:27:48,800 --> 01:27:52,840
Tyler Kollock more minutes. Jeremy Sohan had ten suitors. According

1884
01:27:52,880 --> 01:27:55,119
to Shams, you're not going to the Knicks if you

1885
01:27:55,119 --> 01:27:57,600
think they're just gonna bury you on the bench.

1886
01:27:57,760 --> 01:27:58,560
Speaker 2: There are others.

1887
01:27:58,720 --> 01:28:00,279
Speaker 1: There had to be at least one or two other

1888
01:28:00,319 --> 01:28:02,279
teams that would have promised him X amount of minutes,

1889
01:28:02,520 --> 01:28:05,760
So there is I do think they're better equipped overall.

1890
01:28:06,199 --> 01:28:08,319
Speaker 2: But their inherent.

1891
01:28:07,960 --> 01:28:10,840
Speaker 1: Problem, which I think that people underestimated, is that the

1892
01:28:10,880 --> 01:28:13,880
ceiling Tom Thibodau might have been a ceiling, but the

1893
01:28:14,039 --> 01:28:16,159
roster to me is also a ceiling.

1894
01:28:16,239 --> 01:28:17,920
Speaker 3: I was just gonna say, we spent a lot of

1895
01:28:17,960 --> 01:28:21,840
time leading into this season talking about that exact which

1896
01:28:21,880 --> 01:28:26,640
is it kind of a topic like Okay, yes, uh,

1897
01:28:27,159 --> 01:28:29,840
Mike Brown, maybe he's a better coach, maybe he's not.

1898
01:28:29,960 --> 01:28:32,560
He'll be different and maybe that amounts to better in

1899
01:28:32,600 --> 01:28:35,560
some way, but like, ultimately it is the roster that

1900
01:28:35,800 --> 01:28:39,520
just like it's got limitations, it's got like these unsolvable

1901
01:28:39,600 --> 01:28:42,199
weird fits. A lot of which have to do with towns,

1902
01:28:42,199 --> 01:28:43,720
a lot of which have to do with wing death.

1903
01:28:43,720 --> 01:28:46,359
Like the fact that Sohan, the fact that I could

1904
01:28:46,439 --> 01:28:50,000
immediately talk myself into like, oh, that's gonna matter, Like

1905
01:28:50,119 --> 01:28:52,479
just like someone like Sohan that gets thrown away by

1906
01:28:52,520 --> 01:28:55,640
his team with like that was a a high first

1907
01:28:55,680 --> 01:28:59,279
rounder not long ago. That just like the fact that

1908
01:28:59,399 --> 01:29:01,840
immediately was like, yeah, I could absolutely see how he

1909
01:29:01,880 --> 01:29:04,520
would matter on that team. That just illustrates like the

1910
01:29:04,640 --> 01:29:07,960
roster has been the issue all along, and that didn't

1911
01:29:08,000 --> 01:29:09,479
really change.

1912
01:29:09,279 --> 01:29:11,479
Speaker 1: The fact that you're so tightly tethered to the fate

1913
01:29:11,680 --> 01:29:16,159
of Landry Shama's shoulder, which kudos said. The way he

1914
01:29:16,239 --> 01:29:18,520
navigates screens is like he's asking to have his shoulder

1915
01:29:18,560 --> 01:29:20,520
just located every single game. So kudos to him for

1916
01:29:20,600 --> 01:29:23,800
still playing like that. But beholden to Mitchell Robinson's ankles.

1917
01:29:24,239 --> 01:29:27,119
It's just so I think it's I'm not saying they

1918
01:29:27,159 --> 01:29:29,640
even will, because I do think some of it's But

1919
01:29:29,760 --> 01:29:32,119
I don't think this season has been a disaster. That

1920
01:29:32,239 --> 01:29:35,039
stretch was disastrous. There was something that felt rotten in

1921
01:29:35,039 --> 01:29:38,239
that locker. We said it, But I just I'm looking

1922
01:29:38,239 --> 01:29:41,079
at the contenders that have the highest ceiling, but like

1923
01:29:41,119 --> 01:29:43,680
there's the variant of the lowest floor, I think it

1924
01:29:43,760 --> 01:29:45,680
might be them.

1925
01:29:45,800 --> 01:29:48,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean I agree with you because I

1926
01:29:48,479 --> 01:29:50,000
just can't pick a West team. I don't think so

1927
01:29:50,039 --> 01:29:51,199
I don't know what else to go.

1928
01:29:51,239 --> 01:29:51,439
Speaker 2: There?

1929
01:29:51,560 --> 01:29:53,680
Speaker 1: Can we do two more before we get into stat padding,

1930
01:29:53,680 --> 01:29:55,560
and one of them being the inverse of this question,

1931
01:29:55,840 --> 01:29:58,319
which under the radar team grant do you think could

1932
01:29:58,399 --> 01:30:01,720
shock us all in the play playoffs? And if it's

1933
01:30:01,720 --> 01:30:03,960
not the answer that I have, I'm gonna dismiss it

1934
01:30:04,000 --> 01:30:04,920
and say that you're wrong.

1935
01:30:05,439 --> 01:30:09,039
Speaker 3: Oh well, I want to know your answer, then I well,

1936
01:30:09,079 --> 01:30:11,079
I'll tell you that I'm gonna pick a West team

1937
01:30:11,119 --> 01:30:14,439
just because, like I don't know that they under the

1938
01:30:14,520 --> 01:30:18,319
radar nature of it. Ah, oh okay, I got one.

1939
01:30:20,920 --> 01:30:24,800
What about Phoenix coming out of the play in and

1940
01:30:24,920 --> 01:30:28,640
beating Let's it's gonna be the Spurs, I guess in

1941
01:30:28,680 --> 01:30:32,159
the first round. I can imagine that just the Spurs

1942
01:30:32,159 --> 01:30:36,199
aren't quite ready. Uh, the Suns just somehow get like

1943
01:30:36,319 --> 01:30:39,800
the high energy like pressure ball movement like offense and

1944
01:30:39,880 --> 01:30:43,520
defense combo to actually work in the playoffs. They got

1945
01:30:43,520 --> 01:30:50,159
nothing to lose. Dylan Brooks causes several fights suspended. Yes,

1946
01:30:50,239 --> 01:30:53,119
but he does it while also getting Wimby suspended. I

1947
01:30:53,119 --> 01:30:54,920
can see. I could see that, Like he goes into

1948
01:30:54,960 --> 01:30:57,000
the series with his only goal as like just double

1949
01:30:57,039 --> 01:31:01,640
text all day baby, and that would be that's that's

1950
01:31:01,640 --> 01:31:03,279
that would be a fun pick. I wouldn't, like, I

1951
01:31:03,319 --> 01:31:06,359
want the Spurs to be great immediately, but the Suns

1952
01:31:06,399 --> 01:31:10,520
are just kind of like mean enough and enough of

1953
01:31:10,560 --> 01:31:11,880
an irritant that I could see it.

1954
01:31:12,199 --> 01:31:15,479
Speaker 1: They're a team that even if you played with Spurs, Nuggets, Thunder,

1955
01:31:15,560 --> 01:31:18,039
whatever and you won that series four, oh, you're still

1956
01:31:18,039 --> 01:31:19,079
gonna feel that series.

1957
01:31:19,119 --> 01:31:20,199
Speaker 2: They're one of those teams.

1958
01:31:20,640 --> 01:31:21,479
Speaker 3: Yeah.

1959
01:31:21,520 --> 01:31:23,960
Speaker 1: My pick is the Charlotte Hornets, the team that is

1960
01:31:24,000 --> 01:31:27,439
in the top five of offense and defense since Thanksgiving. Man,

1961
01:31:27,800 --> 01:31:31,000
you have to believe in their defense to think that

1962
01:31:31,000 --> 01:31:33,720
they'll make a ruckus in the Eastern Conference. I believe

1963
01:31:33,720 --> 01:31:35,399
in it a little bit more than most. Like Seon

1964
01:31:35,520 --> 01:31:38,279
James is a tank. Your guy, Josh Green, what does

1965
01:31:38,319 --> 01:31:38,760
he do again?

1966
01:31:38,800 --> 01:31:41,760
Speaker 3: Grant he passes on? I almost texted you because I

1967
01:31:41,800 --> 01:31:45,840
was watching that the the the Pistons Hornets game with

1968
01:31:45,880 --> 01:31:47,000
the fight Wait, can.

1969
01:31:46,840 --> 01:31:47,680
Speaker 2: We talk really quick?

1970
01:31:47,760 --> 01:31:50,199
Speaker 1: Isn't it so cool that everyone was already watching that

1971
01:31:50,279 --> 01:31:52,920
game before the fight took place, like Piston's Hornets was

1972
01:31:52,920 --> 01:31:54,279
a point like that was awesome.

1973
01:31:54,399 --> 01:31:56,159
Speaker 3: That was my no doubt I got away that was

1974
01:31:56,199 --> 01:31:57,680
like when you go through the games every day. I

1975
01:31:57,720 --> 01:32:00,600
was like, that's number one. I'm definitely watching that and

1976
01:32:00,640 --> 01:32:04,199
then was rewarded with with fireworks. Josh Green one hundred

1977
01:32:04,239 --> 01:32:05,840
percent made a good pass on the move and I

1978
01:32:05,880 --> 01:32:07,680
was ready to like screen cap it and text you

1979
01:32:07,720 --> 01:32:08,560
about it.

1980
01:32:08,319 --> 01:32:12,359
Speaker 1: So yeah, so that like having and then also just

1981
01:32:12,439 --> 01:32:14,680
Conkinnipple size. I'm restating a lot of what I said

1982
01:32:14,720 --> 01:32:16,760
to more than the podcast about where we talked more

1983
01:32:16,760 --> 01:32:17,560
about the Hornets.

1984
01:32:17,800 --> 01:32:19,399
Speaker 2: They've just their bigs have been way better.

1985
01:32:19,439 --> 01:32:22,359
Speaker 1: I think Mussa Diabade is gonna get like they are

1986
01:32:22,399 --> 01:32:24,439
gonna be bigs that give him problem. Jaalen Duran would

1987
01:32:24,439 --> 01:32:26,479
probably be one of them, and we saw that in

1988
01:32:26,520 --> 01:32:30,079
real time. But their defense is not it's not just

1989
01:32:30,119 --> 01:32:32,439
shooting luck for me, and I don't think if they're healthy,

1990
01:32:32,680 --> 01:32:35,640
I don't have questions about their offense. When you have

1991
01:32:35,640 --> 01:32:39,079
Brandon Miller, Khanka Nipple and Lamela Ball is just like plus.

1992
01:32:39,199 --> 01:32:41,560
Now we're integrating Kobe White into the equation, which I

1993
01:32:41,600 --> 01:32:44,159
finally landed on after thinking about it more. I really

1994
01:32:44,199 --> 01:32:46,159
do think it's gonna end up being a functional upgrade

1995
01:32:46,159 --> 01:32:48,399
for them because the different ways you can use them offensively.

1996
01:32:49,199 --> 01:32:51,000
You said it, you kind of alluded to it before.

1997
01:32:52,119 --> 01:32:53,920
If they play the Pistons in the first round, no,

1998
01:32:54,000 --> 01:32:56,600
I'm probably not picking them, but look at how tough

1999
01:32:56,640 --> 01:32:58,920
they played them. Yes, it's one game, but they were

2000
01:32:58,960 --> 01:32:59,640
in the game.

2001
01:33:00,159 --> 01:33:00,800
Speaker 3: They were in it.

2002
01:33:01,239 --> 01:33:04,159
Speaker 1: If the Pistons, like, if the Charlotte's offense is better

2003
01:33:04,479 --> 01:33:07,199
for a few games against the Pistons defense, the Pistons

2004
01:33:07,199 --> 01:33:10,800
offense isn't unsolvable for Charlotte, especially if Arlott's defense is

2005
01:33:10,800 --> 01:33:13,600
getting set and the offense just might be so good

2006
01:33:13,680 --> 01:33:16,520
that if they play the Knicks or the Celtics in

2007
01:33:16,520 --> 01:33:18,760
the first round, yes, I'm picking the Knicks or the Celtics,

2008
01:33:18,800 --> 01:33:21,399
But is it outside the realm of possibility that, oh,

2009
01:33:21,479 --> 01:33:26,000
the Knicks can't guard Charlotte's offense, or oh, Boston like

2010
01:33:26,039 --> 01:33:29,560
they're a little bit more like for Charlotte to guard

2011
01:33:29,640 --> 01:33:32,520
Boston's offense with whatever version of Jason Tatum we get

2012
01:33:32,760 --> 01:33:36,000
feels reasonable to me, And I think this is speaks

2013
01:33:36,000 --> 01:33:38,199
to the state of the Eastern conference A little bit sure,

2014
01:33:38,960 --> 01:33:41,720
it just would not if we get a seven to

2015
01:33:41,720 --> 01:33:46,359
too upset or an eight to one upset without knowing

2016
01:33:46,359 --> 01:33:47,439
the teams or the conference.

2017
01:33:47,439 --> 01:33:49,279
Speaker 2: I'm just assuming it was the Hornets that did it.

2018
01:33:49,720 --> 01:33:52,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think one of the best things about the Hornets,

2019
01:33:52,640 --> 01:33:55,720
at least you know, over the last however many weeks.

2020
01:33:56,640 --> 01:33:59,399
This is a little sports talkie and we like to

2021
01:33:59,439 --> 01:34:02,119
be a little more thoughtful about it. But like you

2022
01:34:02,199 --> 01:34:04,239
do get the sense when you watch them that they're

2023
01:34:04,279 --> 01:34:09,239
just like they're they're not intimidated by like the better teams.

2024
01:34:09,319 --> 01:34:12,199
They really do have this errap. Maybe it's because they

2025
01:34:12,600 --> 01:34:14,960
they don't have anything to lose or some that kind

2026
01:34:14,960 --> 01:34:16,439
of thing. I don't know how many cliches I can

2027
01:34:16,439 --> 01:34:18,880
cram in, but like they very much think they belong

2028
01:34:19,079 --> 01:34:21,720
in this Like they're playing the Pistons. They're up for

2029
01:34:21,760 --> 01:34:25,319
the physicality, Like LaMelo's not really phased, but just by

2030
01:34:25,399 --> 01:34:29,560
usar Thompson just being like glued to Like they that's

2031
01:34:29,640 --> 01:34:32,199
just all to say. As an upset pick, they make

2032
01:34:32,199 --> 01:34:33,960
a lot of sense because like to them, it wouldn't

2033
01:34:33,960 --> 01:34:35,640
be an upset They're just like, yeah, no, we belong

2034
01:34:35,720 --> 01:34:38,239
in this series, Like we're not. Oh the Pistons real

2035
01:34:38,279 --> 01:34:40,800
scary like they're they're not. They're not put off by

2036
01:34:40,800 --> 01:34:42,359
that kind of thing, and that's a good quality to

2037
01:34:42,439 --> 01:34:44,119
have as a as a potential upset.

2038
01:34:44,279 --> 01:34:47,039
Speaker 1: I'm gonna warn everybody right now that if they finish

2039
01:34:47,119 --> 01:34:49,039
the season healthy, whether they're in the playoffs, or if

2040
01:34:49,039 --> 01:34:50,960
they get into the playoffs and win multiple games in

2041
01:34:51,000 --> 01:34:53,399
a series, I'm gonna be calling for them to do

2042
01:34:53,439 --> 01:34:56,399
something so reckless over the offseason like they's just everybody

2043
01:34:56,520 --> 01:34:57,479
be prepared for it.

2044
01:34:57,479 --> 01:34:59,840
Speaker 3: It's good, good to know. Thanks for the.

2045
01:35:00,840 --> 01:35:03,319
Speaker 2: So our final question. We've talked to it.

2046
01:35:03,319 --> 01:35:04,920
Speaker 1: We did a whole episode on tanking. I don't want

2047
01:35:04,920 --> 01:35:07,640
to talk about that. This is more so quick because

2048
01:35:07,640 --> 01:35:11,560
we honestly just don't know. Wasn't post all star peg

2049
01:35:11,600 --> 01:35:13,359
des Well. We're going to get some more details on

2050
01:35:13,359 --> 01:35:16,600
the Clippers aspiration investigation. But every time Pablo Tore comes

2051
01:35:16,600 --> 01:35:19,800
out with what feels like another smoking gun, it's how

2052
01:35:19,880 --> 01:35:21,800
is this investigation going to close anytime soon?

2053
01:35:21,880 --> 01:35:25,119
Speaker 2: Because have they has have the lawyers found all this

2054
01:35:25,199 --> 01:35:25,680
stuff yet?

2055
01:35:25,760 --> 01:35:29,399
Speaker 1: Or are they just like following Pablotore's lead at this point?

2056
01:35:29,800 --> 01:35:31,840
Speaker 3: It you know, we can't talk about this at all

2057
01:35:31,880 --> 01:35:36,479
without just conceding its full speculation, because nobody knows anything,

2058
01:35:36,520 --> 01:35:40,159
at least publicly at least, I mean, we know a lot,

2059
01:35:40,600 --> 01:35:44,560
but we don't know what the NBA is ready to say, like,

2060
01:35:44,680 --> 01:35:49,319
here's what we concede happened, here's the punishment. I just

2061
01:35:49,399 --> 01:35:52,199
think I feel like this question is most interesting the

2062
01:35:52,239 --> 01:35:54,920
result side of it, in terms of like what will

2063
01:35:54,920 --> 01:35:56,319
the league do to the Clippers?

2064
01:35:56,640 --> 01:35:57,640
Speaker 2: And cool?

2065
01:35:58,479 --> 01:36:00,960
Speaker 3: Right, Like that's really what we want to know and

2066
01:36:01,079 --> 01:36:04,520
is that and doesn't some part of you view the

2067
01:36:04,640 --> 01:36:08,079
hardened like getting out of town in the dead and

2068
01:36:08,199 --> 01:36:12,000
night things as him being like, yeah, I can see

2069
01:36:12,000 --> 01:36:14,479
where this is going. Uh, Kawhi is going to get

2070
01:36:14,520 --> 01:36:17,359
suspended for a huge chunk of next year or just

2071
01:36:17,399 --> 01:36:17,960
the contract.

2072
01:36:18,760 --> 01:36:19,960
Speaker 2: That's just can they suspend?

2073
01:36:22,319 --> 01:36:26,399
Speaker 3: It's not a dead giveaway, but hardened bouncing after without

2074
01:36:26,439 --> 01:36:29,199
like any real like lead up to this this.

2075
01:36:29,159 --> 01:36:32,119
Speaker 2: Time, this trade demands normally have a preamble this.

2076
01:36:32,279 --> 01:36:35,920
Speaker 3: Usually yeah, Usually it's like okay, oh, here's the first

2077
01:36:36,960 --> 01:36:39,840
UH teams for personal reasons or whatever it ended up being.

2078
01:36:39,840 --> 01:36:42,079
Speaker 2: That's not that's not a classic James harden eggs.

2079
01:36:41,960 --> 01:36:44,239
Speaker 3: Not enough of a heads up by his standards, right,

2080
01:36:44,279 --> 01:36:46,920
He didn't call any executive liars. Uh. He didn't wear

2081
01:36:46,920 --> 01:36:49,680
a fat suit like usually. There's a playbook and he

2082
01:36:49,800 --> 01:36:51,640
just didn't follow it. He just said, we got to

2083
01:36:51,640 --> 01:36:55,359
get out of here. I have no way of knowing this,

2084
01:36:56,520 --> 01:36:59,640
but but I it feels unlikely that they'll void. Kauhi

2085
01:36:59,720 --> 01:37:00,439
is con tracked.

2086
01:37:00,680 --> 01:37:03,119
Speaker 2: I just don't. What I was going to say is

2087
01:37:03,119 --> 01:37:04,520
if you wanted to Galaxy brain it.

2088
01:37:04,600 --> 01:37:09,119
Speaker 1: James Harden wanting out to me felt like evidence they

2089
01:37:09,239 --> 01:37:11,000
might because he's not gonna care about the first round

2090
01:37:11,079 --> 01:37:13,920
picksh No, they took away the Clippers first round picks.

2091
01:37:13,920 --> 01:37:16,359
I gotta get out players don't think that way, which,

2092
01:37:16,399 --> 01:37:18,800
by the way, terrible idea to have a tournament to

2093
01:37:18,840 --> 01:37:20,319
determine who gets the Adam Silver.

2094
01:37:20,439 --> 01:37:23,239
Speaker 2: Solution to everything is fuck tournament a tournament.

2095
01:37:24,000 --> 01:37:26,760
Speaker 3: Let's add six more games to the regular season for

2096
01:37:26,880 --> 01:37:30,520
this tournament. Uh, I feel like a suspension, like a

2097
01:37:30,600 --> 01:37:34,640
sizeable like twenty five games like fifty feels.

2098
01:37:34,279 --> 01:37:34,800
Speaker 2: Like a lot.

2099
01:37:35,079 --> 01:37:38,199
Speaker 1: I was gonna ask you, is can Kawhi actually be

2100
01:37:38,319 --> 01:37:41,439
penalized for this? Can a player? I don't a player

2101
01:37:41,520 --> 01:37:43,319
circumvent the salary cap.

2102
01:37:44,359 --> 01:37:48,840
Speaker 3: And circumvent I mean you could couch it as like

2103
01:37:49,000 --> 01:37:51,520
there's all this evidence that he and his representation were

2104
01:37:51,560 --> 01:37:54,520
asking for all this stuff, and you want to set

2105
01:37:54,760 --> 01:37:58,319
set the precedent of don't do that because teams are

2106
01:37:58,319 --> 01:38:01,760
going to be like, yeah, okay, you know, maybe it's

2107
01:38:01,760 --> 01:38:04,239
almost easier to punish that side of it than the

2108
01:38:04,279 --> 01:38:08,159
team because you're right, like, I don't know, I just

2109
01:38:08,720 --> 01:38:11,560
I'm the process of elimination. Voiding his contract feels like

2110
01:38:11,640 --> 01:38:14,439
holy I would be surprised, Like wouldn't you be surprised

2111
01:38:14,560 --> 01:38:18,239
if that was what happened. A suspension just feels like

2112
01:38:18,279 --> 01:38:24,199
a like a softer middle ground type. I honestly hadn't

2113
01:38:24,199 --> 01:38:25,520
feels like that's where this is headed.

2114
01:38:25,640 --> 01:38:28,159
Speaker 1: I honestly hadn't given a thought to him being suspended.

2115
01:38:28,279 --> 01:38:30,720
I'm just at the point where, based off everything we've

2116
01:38:30,760 --> 01:38:34,159
seen heard from Pablo Torre and like you said, it's

2117
01:38:34,159 --> 01:38:38,119
all speculation, they're gonna be docked multiple first round picks,

2118
01:38:38,239 --> 01:38:38,960
right this is.

2119
01:38:39,000 --> 01:38:42,000
Speaker 3: I think that at a minimum, given at a minimum

2120
01:38:42,000 --> 01:38:44,560
to pick thing, because that at least, like I don't know,

2121
01:38:44,600 --> 01:38:48,000
I keep viewing this so cynically, like the league doesn't

2122
01:38:48,279 --> 01:38:53,159
the league doesn't want to maybe one like acknowledge the

2123
01:38:53,279 --> 01:38:56,840
seriousness of this with like some unprecedented punishment, and so

2124
01:38:56,920 --> 01:39:00,199
it's easier to say, like, well, Joe Smith, this is

2125
01:39:00,199 --> 01:39:02,199
what happened with Joe Smith. We talked a bunch of picks.

2126
01:39:02,279 --> 01:39:04,920
So let's definitely do that like that that's a given.

2127
01:39:05,760 --> 01:39:07,880
I don't. I wouldn't. Don't you think though, that if

2128
01:39:07,880 --> 01:39:10,680
that's all that happened, everybody would be like, that's not

2129
01:39:10,880 --> 01:39:11,880
nearly enough.

2130
01:39:12,119 --> 01:39:15,920
Speaker 1: From Yeah, you're right. That's why I was wondering if

2131
01:39:16,000 --> 01:39:18,159
James Harden getting out of Dodge was more about the

2132
01:39:18,239 --> 01:39:19,960
Kawhi Leonard contract being voided.

2133
01:39:21,560 --> 01:39:24,199
Speaker 3: I think it's related to what will happen to Kawhi,

2134
01:39:24,640 --> 01:39:27,800
but I just couldn't get to the like we knew contract.

2135
01:39:27,960 --> 01:39:30,439
Speaker 1: Here's a question. Well, here's a first. Here's a really

2136
01:39:30,479 --> 01:39:33,960
serious question. How can this be solved by hosting some

2137
01:39:34,000 --> 01:39:41,359
sort of tournament? My actual question is, is Kawhi Leonard

2138
01:39:41,399 --> 01:39:43,840
available to the Clippers on opening night next season?

2139
01:39:44,439 --> 01:39:47,880
Speaker 3: No, either because he's not on the team or he's

2140
01:39:47,920 --> 01:39:48,560
not allowed to play.

2141
01:39:48,600 --> 01:39:49,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, just available to them?

2142
01:39:49,920 --> 01:39:50,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't.

2143
01:39:50,520 --> 01:39:53,079
Speaker 2: I don't think for non health issues. Though. Let's let's assume.

2144
01:39:52,880 --> 01:39:55,760
Speaker 3: He's health That's such an easy answer. If you get

2145
01:39:55,800 --> 01:39:58,840
to have the health piece in there. No, if will

2146
01:39:58,840 --> 01:40:01,800
a healthy Kawhi Leonard be available to play basketball for

2147
01:40:01,880 --> 01:40:04,239
the Clippers on opening night in twenty twenty six.

2148
01:40:04,800 --> 01:40:06,680
Speaker 2: I don't think so I'm should say no.

2149
01:40:06,720 --> 01:40:10,119
Speaker 1: I might be a doomer, or maybe I'm underestimating the

2150
01:40:10,239 --> 01:40:13,600
NBA's ability to pretzel twist and figure out a way

2151
01:40:13,640 --> 01:40:15,079
to We didn't find anything.

2152
01:40:15,479 --> 01:40:17,319
Speaker 2: I just all this stuff.

2153
01:40:17,680 --> 01:40:20,359
Speaker 1: The inconsistencies too, where they're saying that the big one

2154
01:40:20,399 --> 01:40:21,840
for me, like the I don't know if you listen

2155
01:40:21,880 --> 01:40:25,479
the latest Pabulatory finds out about this, but where they

2156
01:40:25,479 --> 01:40:28,359
said they terminated the relationship at some point, and it's like, no,

2157
01:40:28,439 --> 01:40:30,680
they didn't. They were still and I guess there could

2158
01:40:30,680 --> 01:40:32,640
have been a disconnect between their social media team. But

2159
01:40:32,680 --> 01:40:35,000
then you find paperwork to show that it wasn't terminated.

2160
01:40:35,039 --> 01:40:35,600
Speaker 2: This is just.

2161
01:40:37,479 --> 01:40:40,399
Speaker 1: On everything that's public, and you can't get mad if like, well,

2162
01:40:40,399 --> 01:40:42,239
there's stuff hiding behind the scenes that we will we

2163
01:40:42,279 --> 01:40:44,439
don't know it, then they could be more transparent about it.

2164
01:40:44,800 --> 01:40:46,800
Speaker 2: And the whole I have forgotten how.

2165
01:40:46,720 --> 01:40:50,880
Speaker 1: Ridiculous until that Pabulatory episode. Lawrence Frenk's response to Ramona

2166
01:40:50,920 --> 01:40:53,920
Shelburn's question was towards like you were.

2167
01:40:53,800 --> 01:40:55,680
Speaker 3: Aware of the rules. They're aware of the.

2168
01:40:55,640 --> 01:40:58,159
Speaker 2: Rules, aware of the rules, and that's okay. What is

2169
01:40:58,199 --> 01:40:58,560
the edit?

2170
01:40:58,640 --> 01:40:58,800
Speaker 1: Yes?

2171
01:40:59,039 --> 01:40:59,680
Speaker 2: Is that yes? Or no?

2172
01:40:59,760 --> 01:41:02,159
Speaker 1: Yes, we're aware of the rules. You fucking did it.

2173
01:41:02,279 --> 01:41:04,279
I'm sorry that smirked at the end two I looked.

2174
01:41:04,279 --> 01:41:07,199
Speaker 2: I was like, oh, they're guilty. And I didn't even.

2175
01:41:07,079 --> 01:41:10,840
Speaker 1: Think about this, But this is purely respectable people viewing

2176
01:41:11,159 --> 01:41:13,800
the Lawrence Frank extension as much money, it's just.

2177
01:41:13,840 --> 01:41:14,560
Speaker 3: Right right right.

2178
01:41:14,560 --> 01:41:17,119
Speaker 1: If this is where we're at, it feels like multiple

2179
01:41:17,119 --> 01:41:19,960
first round picks, I would say, a fine, What north

2180
01:41:20,000 --> 01:41:23,199
of ten twenty five million fifty is.

2181
01:41:23,319 --> 01:41:27,319
Speaker 3: Got to be massive, because well you say that, I

2182
01:41:27,399 --> 01:41:30,119
say that, and then it's like, what's the number that

2183
01:41:30,159 --> 01:41:33,319
could make Steve Balmer like blink? You know, like that.

2184
01:41:33,319 --> 01:41:37,680
That's why maybe the avoiding the contract is more likely

2185
01:41:37,720 --> 01:41:39,520
in light of that, because like you sort of can't

2186
01:41:39,560 --> 01:41:43,920
find him enough for it to matter. So maybe maybe

2187
01:41:43,920 --> 01:41:46,760
they could get really creative and just be like picks gone,

2188
01:41:47,000 --> 01:41:52,000
Kawhi contract voided. You are, like, what else could even

2189
01:41:52,039 --> 01:41:55,520
be if we're just totally trying to make it hurt?

2190
01:41:55,560 --> 01:41:58,079
Like what else could the league even do? Just like

2191
01:41:58,439 --> 01:42:00,439
because like in college you know, to get.

2192
01:42:00,359 --> 01:42:02,680
Speaker 2: Them to the Eastern Conference an award.

2193
01:42:02,840 --> 01:42:04,960
Speaker 3: You don't get to be in the playoffs, doesn't matter

2194
01:42:04,960 --> 01:42:07,479
how well you play, Like no playoffs for you, or

2195
01:42:07,479 --> 01:42:10,920
like you don't get the payout from Uh, well this

2196
01:42:10,960 --> 01:42:13,119
doesn't apply to them, but like if you're ever in

2197
01:42:13,159 --> 01:42:15,199
a position to get like tax your share of like

2198
01:42:15,319 --> 01:42:17,600
luxury tax money, you don't get it. Or I don't know,

2199
01:42:17,680 --> 01:42:20,600
like there's that's gotta be her team. Yeah, there's gotta

2200
01:42:20,640 --> 01:42:21,880
be like a team building thing.

2201
01:42:22,000 --> 01:42:25,600
Speaker 2: How long has Kawhi been in LA now, b.

2202
01:42:27,840 --> 01:42:29,119
Speaker 3: I don't know, six years?

2203
01:42:29,920 --> 01:42:31,079
Speaker 2: What if is that enough?

2204
01:42:31,119 --> 01:42:33,640
Speaker 1: If they said you are going to be docked one

2205
01:42:33,720 --> 01:42:35,960
first round pick for every year that Kawhi Leonard has

2206
01:42:35,960 --> 01:42:36,279
been on.

2207
01:42:36,239 --> 01:42:38,920
Speaker 3: This team, so then you're botting out one.

2208
01:42:39,079 --> 01:42:42,600
Speaker 1: Oh, it's more than six grand one seven, three, four, five,

2209
01:42:42,720 --> 01:42:46,760
six seven, So then you're going you're not getting a

2210
01:42:46,840 --> 01:42:50,560
first round pick again until twenty thirty, because first of all,

2211
01:42:50,600 --> 01:42:52,960
they don't have one again until twenty thirty. So it's

2212
01:42:52,960 --> 01:42:57,439
thirty thirty one and thirty two, thirty three, thirty four,

2213
01:42:57,520 --> 01:43:00,399
thirty five, thirty six, so their next first round would

2214
01:43:00,399 --> 01:43:01,640
be twenty and thirty seven.

2215
01:43:02,279 --> 01:43:05,479
Speaker 3: God, I mean that would hurt, like that would really.

2216
01:43:05,800 --> 01:43:08,079
Speaker 1: Do that, you're talking because he has another year left

2217
01:43:08,079 --> 01:43:09,439
on his contract if they're not there.

2218
01:43:09,239 --> 01:43:14,000
Speaker 3: To go yeah, I mean yeah, because it can't be money.

2219
01:43:14,119 --> 01:43:16,359
It's just it's just like that's never gonna matter.

2220
01:43:16,680 --> 01:43:19,359
Speaker 1: So it's gotta be point though, aren't you punishing This

2221
01:43:19,520 --> 01:43:22,199
is what I can't you're punishing the fans then no?

2222
01:43:23,279 --> 01:43:27,039
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean the real the only certainty here

2223
01:43:27,119 --> 01:43:29,000
is they're like, there's not a good way to handle this,

2224
01:43:29,199 --> 01:43:33,159
Like there's no, there's no, there's no just punishment that

2225
01:43:33,239 --> 01:43:36,800
doesn't have a ton of collateral damage, like the fans

2226
01:43:36,800 --> 01:43:39,239
are gonna suffer no matter what. It's just how do

2227
01:43:39,319 --> 01:43:43,760
you balance that concern against we have to set we

2228
01:43:43,880 --> 01:43:46,439
have to draw a line somehow and use this punishment

2229
01:43:46,479 --> 01:43:48,960
as a signal of like, if you do this type

2230
01:43:48,960 --> 01:43:53,199
of thing, it's gonna it's gonna really hurt you. And

2231
01:43:53,239 --> 01:43:56,239
the problem is like even that doesn't hurt Balmber because like, no,

2232
01:43:56,479 --> 01:43:59,319
his life doesn't change, you know, it doesn't matter.

2233
01:43:59,640 --> 01:44:02,960
Speaker 1: I think from a competitive integrity standpoint, it needs to

2234
01:44:03,039 --> 01:44:07,159
be historically significant whatever they're doing. So maybe we viewed

2235
01:44:07,199 --> 01:44:09,039
as well, that's not hurting Bomber, that's not enough, but

2236
01:44:09,119 --> 01:44:12,680
you know what, it was marketedly more than the Timberwolves

2237
01:44:12,680 --> 01:44:15,000
were punished for Joe, for Joe Smith.

2238
01:44:15,359 --> 01:44:16,239
Speaker 2: And just that.

2239
01:44:16,680 --> 01:44:19,840
Speaker 1: And I'm curious, I would need to know if they

2240
01:44:19,920 --> 01:44:22,800
come to the conclusion that there's nothing warranting, there was

2241
01:44:22,840 --> 01:44:26,720
nothing untoward here, what is the what's the smoking gun

2242
01:44:26,760 --> 01:44:29,640
that proves that proves nothing untoward happened?

2243
01:44:31,239 --> 01:44:34,079
Speaker 3: I don't, I mean, there isn't one. I don't think.

2244
01:44:34,359 --> 01:44:36,920
I just there's there's too much that it's there's too

2245
01:44:36,920 --> 01:44:41,600
many different like arms of this that are all like incriminating.

2246
01:44:42,119 --> 01:44:46,359
So yeah, I the only I will say it is

2247
01:44:46,399 --> 01:44:51,399
incredible how effectively this story has been memory hold like

2248
01:44:51,520 --> 01:44:54,000
during the season. The fact that we the fact that

2249
01:44:54,039 --> 01:44:57,159
we went like months without really talking about it or

2250
01:44:57,199 --> 01:45:00,720
thinking about it is amazing. Like, I just the way

2251
01:45:00,760 --> 01:45:02,720
that the league and just I don't know, Probably it's

2252
01:45:02,760 --> 01:45:04,960
more about us and our inability to like pay attention

2253
01:45:05,000 --> 01:45:07,439
to anything for more than ten seconds. But like, there's

2254
01:45:07,520 --> 01:45:09,960
wild to me that this should have just been top

2255
01:45:09,960 --> 01:45:11,880
of mind like all the time. There's no there hasn't

2256
01:45:11,960 --> 01:45:14,920
really been a bigger story than this. Well maybe people

2257
01:45:14,920 --> 01:45:15,359
don't care.

2258
01:45:16,039 --> 01:45:20,159
Speaker 1: Well, I think there's just oversaturated with information and maybe

2259
01:45:20,239 --> 01:45:24,000
much more negative information like breaking scientific findings are actually

2260
01:45:24,000 --> 01:45:27,239
inaccurate because we decided that these scientific so.

2261
01:45:27,399 --> 01:45:27,960
Speaker 2: Stuff like that.

2262
01:45:28,000 --> 01:45:30,840
Speaker 1: But also that speaks to is it the attention span

2263
01:45:30,960 --> 01:45:34,159
or more so the oversaturation of all these other things

2264
01:45:34,159 --> 01:45:36,560
to focus on, whether it's inside or outside of sports,

2265
01:45:36,560 --> 01:45:39,720
because of I guess that is an extension of short

2266
01:45:39,720 --> 01:45:41,439
attention span at that point. But you're right, this is

2267
01:45:41,680 --> 01:45:44,119
the only reason we're probably even talking about it as

2268
01:45:44,159 --> 01:45:47,359
consistently or as often as we have is because Pablo

2269
01:45:47,399 --> 01:45:51,159
Torre has continued like a semi steady stream of like

2270
01:45:51,239 --> 01:45:54,960
he has kept this if not center like close to

2271
01:45:55,039 --> 01:45:58,039
the center, like just off center, and that that's an

2272
01:45:58,039 --> 01:45:59,399
accomplishment in this day and age.

2273
01:45:59,399 --> 01:46:01,640
Speaker 3: I would say it is, and it and it is

2274
01:46:01,800 --> 01:46:05,399
like I guess like I'm catching myself because you're right,

2275
01:46:05,439 --> 01:46:07,960
like there's just it's you know, you open your phone,

2276
01:46:08,000 --> 01:46:11,239
it's like what fresh hell today? Uh, it's it's like

2277
01:46:11,279 --> 01:46:15,600
hard to make the clippers matter in like a fully

2278
01:46:15,640 --> 01:46:18,439
zoomed out scope. But like as far as this end,

2279
01:46:18,439 --> 01:46:21,840
if you care about the NBA, this thing has not

2280
01:46:21,960 --> 01:46:25,560
gotten the coverage that it should have, like in terms

2281
01:46:25,600 --> 01:46:27,279
of like a day to day thing, but maybe that.

2282
01:46:27,600 --> 01:46:31,479
I don't know. It's a hopefully we get something after

2283
01:46:31,520 --> 01:46:33,359
the All Star break, because that's been If we don't

2284
01:46:33,359 --> 01:46:35,399
get anything into like the off season, that's gonna be

2285
01:46:35,479 --> 01:46:38,560
deeply annoying because the whole theory was just like, well,

2286
01:46:38,600 --> 01:46:40,399
we got the All Star Game into it Dome.

2287
01:46:40,479 --> 01:46:44,159
Speaker 2: We can't we can't game.

2288
01:46:44,760 --> 01:46:47,199
Speaker 3: You want people to care about the All Star Game,

2289
01:46:47,199 --> 01:46:51,720
which they don't at all. We just build construct a courtroom,

2290
01:46:52,520 --> 01:46:55,960
a set a TV set of a courtroom on Center Court,

2291
01:46:56,279 --> 01:46:58,199
don't play the All Star Game, and we litigate the

2292
01:46:58,239 --> 01:47:00,520
Aspiration scandal on TV. How about that?

2293
01:47:00,760 --> 01:47:02,800
Speaker 2: We have some breaking news, Grant before we move on.

2294
01:47:03,439 --> 01:47:07,199
Speaker 1: Free agent Malik Beasley has signed a deal to play

2295
01:47:07,239 --> 01:47:13,279
with Bad Bunnies team in Puerto Rico, the Santurcet Crabbers.

2296
01:47:13,359 --> 01:47:16,960
Both parties tell ESPN the team season begins in March.

2297
01:47:17,399 --> 01:47:21,079
Beasley has been under NBA and FBI investigations for gambling allegations.

2298
01:47:21,079 --> 01:47:23,279
This is Persham's I didn't see that one coming.

2299
01:47:24,439 --> 01:47:26,079
Speaker 3: Ah, you could have given me a lot of guesses

2300
01:47:26,119 --> 01:47:28,079
about the team. It would have taken me a while

2301
01:47:28,159 --> 01:47:30,439
to get to Bad Bunnies. Puerto Rico.

2302
01:47:30,640 --> 01:47:32,800
Speaker 2: Crabbers is such an awesome name for a team.

2303
01:47:32,880 --> 01:47:34,840
Speaker 3: It is solid. What's the competition level there? Do you

2304
01:47:34,960 --> 01:47:36,760
how many teams are there? Tell me everything you know

2305
01:47:36,840 --> 01:47:38,680
about the Puerto Rican Basketball League?

2306
01:47:38,840 --> 01:47:43,279
Speaker 2: Well, Grant, they run. I have no idea. What seems like?

2307
01:47:43,359 --> 01:47:46,640
Speaker 1: I think this feels like the right time that we

2308
01:47:46,960 --> 01:47:50,960
move on. So with that all being said, we are

2309
01:47:51,000 --> 01:47:52,520
now moving on to.

2310
01:47:58,479 --> 01:47:59,319
Speaker 2: Stat padding.

2311
01:47:59,560 --> 01:47:59,920
Speaker 3: Grant.

2312
01:48:00,199 --> 01:48:02,359
Speaker 1: Lots of goodies that I didn't even sync up with

2313
01:48:02,399 --> 01:48:03,119
you beforehand.

2314
01:48:03,760 --> 01:48:05,840
Speaker 2: They're all they're a lot of fun.

2315
01:48:06,159 --> 01:48:08,119
Speaker 1: So how would you like to How would you like

2316
01:48:08,159 --> 01:48:09,760
to start? Do you want to do a solo one

2317
01:48:09,840 --> 01:48:11,079
or do you want to do a joint one?

2318
01:48:11,119 --> 01:48:14,159
Speaker 3: Together? Let's do a joint one. That sounds fun.

2319
01:48:15,239 --> 01:48:17,399
Speaker 1: I think it sounds fun as well. So let me

2320
01:48:17,439 --> 01:48:20,039
find the joint ones that I that we have.

2321
01:48:21,640 --> 01:48:24,720
Speaker 2: Okay, this is fun. I'll read this one. You could

2322
01:48:24,760 --> 01:48:27,600
read this one. This is great, Grant.

2323
01:48:28,560 --> 01:48:32,840
Speaker 1: We have been administered truth serum. What is one hot

2324
01:48:33,119 --> 01:48:33,960
or against the grain?

2325
01:48:34,039 --> 01:48:34,239
Speaker 2: Take?

2326
01:48:34,279 --> 01:48:36,600
Speaker 1: You're afraid to get off your chest, but now you

2327
01:48:36,680 --> 01:48:37,960
have no choice but to share.

2328
01:48:40,479 --> 01:48:46,000
Speaker 3: All right, I have a couple here I would say, like,

2329
01:48:46,159 --> 01:48:48,239
first of all, is this just bait so that we

2330
01:48:48,279 --> 01:48:50,439
get like I catch a lot of heat. Is that

2331
01:48:50,479 --> 01:48:52,880
your attention here? It's like, tell me what you really.

2332
01:48:52,680 --> 01:48:55,159
Speaker 1: Are so online that I want to ruin your mental

2333
01:48:55,159 --> 01:48:57,079
health when people get so mad at your take, okay,

2334
01:48:57,119 --> 01:48:58,119
spamming the comments.

2335
01:48:58,359 --> 01:48:59,840
Speaker 3: I'll give you I won't ever see it. I'll give

2336
01:48:59,880 --> 01:49:02,319
you one that I feel like you could have guessed

2337
01:49:02,439 --> 01:49:05,079
based on how I've discussed it in the past. But

2338
01:49:05,319 --> 01:49:10,600
I think that Jonathan Kaminga deserves ninety five percent of

2339
01:49:10,640 --> 01:49:15,039
the blame for how things went badly between him and

2340
01:49:15,079 --> 01:49:17,880
the Warriors. And that is entirely because I think food

2341
01:49:18,119 --> 01:49:22,359
is sacred and should be apportioned out. No, Like, here's

2342
01:49:22,359 --> 01:49:23,840
the thing, you know.

2343
01:49:24,199 --> 01:49:26,239
Speaker 2: Food did you see that quote card by the way.

2344
01:49:26,319 --> 01:49:30,680
Speaker 3: Really funny, that's really great. The food is only like

2345
01:49:30,720 --> 01:49:33,520
a small fraction of It's a not insignificant part of

2346
01:49:34,039 --> 01:49:36,119
Here's the thing, you know. I always go to bat

2347
01:49:36,159 --> 01:49:38,239
for Steve Kerr, and I always point to like, show

2348
01:49:38,279 --> 01:49:40,920
me the guy that would have, oh oh he doesn't

2349
01:49:40,960 --> 01:49:43,600
run pick and roll and know he's screwing Kaminga and

2350
01:49:43,640 --> 01:49:46,039
this Over the years, I'm always just like, show me

2351
01:49:46,119 --> 01:49:49,279
the guy that wins the fifth championship with Draymond Green

2352
01:49:49,439 --> 01:49:51,720
doing all the Draymond Green stuff, and all the pressure

2353
01:49:51,760 --> 01:49:54,159
and all like manages, all these personalities. Show me the

2354
01:49:54,159 --> 01:49:56,640
coach that gets you not four but five, and I'll

2355
01:49:56,640 --> 01:49:59,640
stop going to bat for Steve Kerr anytime there's like

2356
01:49:59,680 --> 01:50:04,800
a one side or the other situation. It's not gonna happen.

2357
01:50:05,359 --> 01:50:06,239
Speaker 2: This is not mine.

2358
01:50:06,319 --> 01:50:08,159
Speaker 1: But I would just counter by saying, I think it's

2359
01:50:08,359 --> 01:50:11,640
maybe ninety five to ninety nine percent of Joe Lacup's fault.

2360
01:50:12,520 --> 01:50:16,560
Speaker 3: Uh, well, that's too many percents.

2361
01:50:17,600 --> 01:50:20,720
Speaker 2: I I'm just saying, you've put, you gave.

2362
01:50:21,000 --> 01:50:23,520
Speaker 1: How much did he contribute to Jonathan Kaminga having this

2363
01:50:23,640 --> 01:50:28,119
superstar complex and you didn't leave. I would say, even

2364
01:50:28,119 --> 01:50:30,760
if you're not gonna blame him for drafting Kaminga, that

2365
01:50:30,800 --> 01:50:33,800
stuff can be sensationalized. Sure, And I'm just anyone who's

2366
01:50:33,840 --> 01:50:36,239
not Vivic Renadive or James dolann Im probably won't to

2367
01:50:36,239 --> 01:50:37,600
give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to

2368
01:50:37,720 --> 01:50:42,960
transactional decisions. You still hamstrung your team by viewing him

2369
01:50:43,279 --> 01:50:45,359
so highly. You were enamored by him, and you didn't

2370
01:50:45,439 --> 01:50:48,560
let in some way, You didn't let your basketball people

2371
01:50:48,640 --> 01:50:53,279
make all of the basketball decisions. And I understand billionaires

2372
01:50:53,279 --> 01:50:55,159
can get high on their own supply, and that's why

2373
01:50:55,159 --> 01:50:58,840
they're billionaires in the first place. But that just seems

2374
01:50:58,880 --> 01:51:01,880
so dumb, and it kind of tethered the Warriors through

2375
01:51:01,920 --> 01:51:05,359
this player who was never an archetypal fit for the

2376
01:51:05,399 --> 01:51:06,920
way that they wanted to play. You were gonna have

2377
01:51:07,000 --> 01:51:09,119
to sort of rewire him, and when it became clear

2378
01:51:09,199 --> 01:51:09,720
it wasn't.

2379
01:51:09,560 --> 01:51:13,119
Speaker 2: Working, you probably had There was over a year.

2380
01:51:13,199 --> 01:51:14,279
Speaker 1: It had to be like a year and a half

2381
01:51:14,279 --> 01:51:17,199
where Jonathan McAll probably had real trade value and you

2382
01:51:17,239 --> 01:51:18,520
just sat on it.

2383
01:51:18,600 --> 01:51:21,840
Speaker 3: If so, if if from a buck stops Here perspective,

2384
01:51:21,880 --> 01:51:24,199
you're right, because Joe Lacob is the guy that ultimately

2385
01:51:24,279 --> 01:51:28,279
decides what happens with the team. And if But where

2386
01:51:28,279 --> 01:51:31,079
I run into why why I focus on Cominga Because

2387
01:51:31,119 --> 01:51:33,039
I'm viewing it as like is it Cominga or is

2388
01:51:33,079 --> 01:51:36,680
it kerr Slash like the Warriors and how they used him.

2389
01:51:37,159 --> 01:51:39,600
To me, that's where the ninety five percent Comminga side

2390
01:51:39,600 --> 01:51:41,560
of it comes in, because like, unless you think that

2391
01:51:41,640 --> 01:51:45,079
lacub is entirely responsible for Minga's perception of like the

2392
01:51:45,119 --> 01:51:48,479
type of player he thinks that he is, which I don't.

2393
01:51:48,520 --> 01:51:51,119
I think he just that's what he believed, and maybe

2394
01:51:51,119 --> 01:51:54,119
what other people in his orbit, like agents or family

2395
01:51:54,119 --> 01:51:57,239
members or whatever like had you know, talked him into

2396
01:51:57,359 --> 01:52:02,039
or at least like supported, I think like he didn't.

2397
01:52:02,279 --> 01:52:05,800
The idea of having to rewire a teenage rookie is

2398
01:52:05,840 --> 01:52:09,000
insane to me because like, just you made the NBA.

2399
01:52:09,119 --> 01:52:12,840
That's incredible. You obviously have ridiculous talent and self belief

2400
01:52:12,840 --> 01:52:16,159
in all that stuff, But it's like fit in at

2401
01:52:16,239 --> 01:52:18,479
least at the start, like try that and see what

2402
01:52:18,560 --> 01:52:21,479
it gets you. And he never made a sincere effort,

2403
01:52:21,520 --> 01:52:25,880
Like talking about like citing that Timberwolve series last postseason

2404
01:52:25,960 --> 01:52:29,840
is like the reason that he, oh just reinforced because

2405
01:52:29,840 --> 01:52:32,119
he had like twenty three and thirty and sixteen and

2406
01:52:32,159 --> 01:52:34,399
twenty or whatever, and it's like, your team lost all

2407
01:52:34,399 --> 01:52:37,600
those games, so what did you didn't prove anything? Like

2408
01:52:37,640 --> 01:52:41,199
the the idea that he gave an honest shot to

2409
01:52:41,920 --> 01:52:43,560
doing what the team asked him to do in a

2410
01:52:43,640 --> 01:52:46,800
role playing capacity is like such bs to me, because

2411
01:52:47,159 --> 01:52:50,000
it was it was never viewed by him. I don't

2412
01:52:50,000 --> 01:52:53,880
think as like I don't know a preferable alternative to

2413
01:52:54,039 --> 01:52:57,359
just like entitlement is such a loaded term, but it's

2414
01:52:57,439 --> 01:53:00,680
just like do the stuff your coach wants you to do,

2415
01:53:00,880 --> 01:53:03,600
Like why is that? Why is this such a difficult concept?

2416
01:53:03,800 --> 01:53:08,319
So to me, it's just him never embracing just the

2417
01:53:08,399 --> 01:53:12,720
harder road or like the the the like this guy

2418
01:53:12,800 --> 01:53:16,079
might know better road this guy Okay, people that have

2419
01:53:16,199 --> 01:53:20,000
won four championships playing a certain way, like just try

2420
01:53:20,039 --> 01:53:22,159
that at least in an honest way for a long

2421
01:53:22,159 --> 01:53:23,640
time and see what it gets you. I just don't

2422
01:53:23,640 --> 01:53:27,439
feel like that was ever like given a shot. So

2423
01:53:27,720 --> 01:53:29,800
I don't know, this is too long for a stat padding, but.

2424
01:53:29,840 --> 01:53:31,439
Speaker 2: You're You're wrong. I'm just kidding.

2425
01:53:31,439 --> 01:53:34,359
Speaker 1: The only thing I can't get over is maybe I'm

2426
01:53:34,399 --> 01:53:36,479
reading too much into this because they were highlighting the

2427
01:53:36,560 --> 01:53:41,279
ridiculous of the too much food an anecdote Steph going

2428
01:53:41,319 --> 01:53:42,960
into the comments and saying, go be great.

2429
01:53:42,960 --> 01:53:44,199
Speaker 2: It doesn't. They didn't.

2430
01:53:44,800 --> 01:53:49,039
Speaker 1: The Warriors team, especially Draymond Green, speaks very codedly. It

2431
01:53:49,079 --> 01:53:52,640
never felt like there was this real disdain for Jonathan

2432
01:53:52,720 --> 01:53:56,000
kaminga among the vets. It felt like everything was anonymously

2433
01:53:56,039 --> 01:53:57,640
sourced and through that, and I'm not saying they weren't

2434
01:53:57,720 --> 01:54:01,479
at points, and so I'm just wondering, I would love

2435
01:54:01,520 --> 01:54:03,319
to give those speaking of truth serum. I would love

2436
01:54:03,319 --> 01:54:05,800
to give those two where Steph Curry specifically truth serrman

2437
01:54:05,840 --> 01:54:07,840
see who he thinks is mostly to blame for this.

2438
01:54:08,479 --> 01:54:13,840
Speaker 3: I view that again, shocker more as like a sign

2439
01:54:14,079 --> 01:54:19,239
of like how like professional and just like kind of

2440
01:54:20,399 --> 01:54:22,920
savvy and wise, like the vets on the team are

2441
01:54:23,399 --> 01:54:26,039
than I do as like an endorsement of Kamingo was

2442
01:54:26,079 --> 01:54:29,039
wronged and they all believe that because I do think

2443
01:54:29,079 --> 01:54:33,439
you would have gotten more direct in another situation, you

2444
01:54:33,439 --> 01:54:37,079
would have gotten more like either this guy is like

2445
01:54:37,560 --> 01:54:39,880
his head is way too big, or the team is

2446
01:54:39,880 --> 01:54:42,239
being unfair to him. I feel like all the players

2447
01:54:42,319 --> 01:54:44,880
just consistently like he's our teammate, we support him, we

2448
01:54:44,960 --> 01:54:47,119
like him. They said all the right things, even Kerr

2449
01:54:47,399 --> 01:54:50,600
said the right things most of the time. But it

2450
01:54:50,800 --> 01:54:53,000
just I don't know, the blame to me is always

2451
01:54:53,039 --> 01:54:56,119
going to lie with him just failing to do the

2452
01:54:56,199 --> 01:55:00,479
small things first and just wanting more than his production

2453
01:55:01,079 --> 01:55:03,920
and effectiveness dictated he should get because it's not like

2454
01:55:04,159 --> 01:55:07,399
there was ever a sustained period where the Warriors won

2455
01:55:07,520 --> 01:55:09,520
and it was because he was playing the role that

2456
01:55:09,560 --> 01:55:13,279
he really wanted that just didn't exist. So I just

2457
01:55:13,439 --> 01:55:14,920
That's kind of where I land on it.

2458
01:55:16,479 --> 01:55:18,479
Speaker 2: Would you like to know mine?

2459
01:55:18,840 --> 01:55:19,239
Speaker 3: Very much?

2460
01:55:19,279 --> 01:55:23,399
Speaker 1: So, I don't think that Aman Thompson's ever going to

2461
01:55:23,439 --> 01:55:28,000
be an All Star. I've sort of become in not

2462
01:55:28,079 --> 01:55:29,600
turned off by him as a player, the fact that

2463
01:55:29,640 --> 01:55:31,960
he's made so many things work offensively and what you

2464
01:55:32,000 --> 01:55:35,640
could maybe consider less than ideal spacing. But I don't

2465
01:55:35,680 --> 01:55:38,199
know what else is he supposed to do with better?

2466
01:55:38,239 --> 01:55:39,880
Do you view him as someone who has a good

2467
01:55:39,960 --> 01:55:42,520
enough handle to be a primary facilitator? Do vium is

2468
01:55:42,640 --> 01:55:45,399
enough of like a good enough playmaker to do that.

2469
01:55:45,479 --> 01:55:48,239
I think there's always going to be so many functional

2470
01:55:48,279 --> 01:55:51,880
limitations from him on the offensive end that as the

2471
01:55:51,960 --> 01:55:55,520
nuclear athleticism starts to wane, I don't know how you

2472
01:55:55,560 --> 01:55:57,560
go about navigating that. And to me it feels like

2473
01:55:57,600 --> 01:55:59,800
he might have this half decade window or something not

2474
01:55:59,800 --> 01:56:02,920
to be a really good player. But before we kind

2475
01:56:02,960 --> 01:56:04,840
of move away from the fact, oh is how is

2476
01:56:04,840 --> 01:56:05,319
he going to be?

2477
01:56:05,319 --> 01:56:05,520
Speaker 2: Meant?

2478
01:56:05,720 --> 01:56:08,560
Speaker 1: Who was mentioned alper Jangun, Kevin Durant Even this season

2479
01:56:08,560 --> 01:56:10,800
and a men, Thompson's had a fantastic season. Now the

2480
01:56:10,840 --> 01:56:13,600
defensive baseline is gonna get him in a lot of discussions,

2481
01:56:13,880 --> 01:56:16,680
but is he ever gonna get into actual All NBA,

2482
01:56:16,800 --> 01:56:19,039
which is gone, You don't you kind of fall into

2483
01:56:19,079 --> 01:56:21,680
the Rudy Gobert trap there, to Rudy Gobert would just

2484
01:56:21,760 --> 01:56:25,640
have more All NBA appearances if it was like if

2485
01:56:25,680 --> 01:56:27,680
defense was weighted as heavily as offense was.

2486
01:56:29,000 --> 01:56:31,560
Speaker 3: I love that take, I think unfortunately I'm kind of

2487
01:56:31,560 --> 01:56:33,479
coming around to it. I would frame it a little

2488
01:56:33,479 --> 01:56:37,399
bit as like he's never gonna matter to like winning

2489
01:56:37,560 --> 01:56:40,600
as much as like the perception seems to be. But

2490
01:56:40,640 --> 01:56:43,279
the All Stars that like puts a clear delineation. I

2491
01:56:43,279 --> 01:56:45,479
think the way to think about that one is like,

2492
01:56:45,640 --> 01:56:49,560
who's the example of a player that had the skills

2493
01:56:49,560 --> 01:56:53,520
he has and then and the massive weakness and then

2494
01:56:53,600 --> 01:56:55,800
like fixed it. And I was the first the name

2495
01:56:55,840 --> 01:56:57,800
that came to mind was like, what about like Jimmy Butler,

2496
01:56:57,840 --> 01:57:01,640
because like, didn't he come in as like mostly a defender,

2497
01:57:02,079 --> 01:57:05,439
really athletic, like the kind of similar frame. And then

2498
01:57:05,479 --> 01:57:07,399
it's like, well, but he shot thirty eight percent from

2499
01:57:07,399 --> 01:57:09,640
three in his second year, and then he shot thirty

2500
01:57:09,680 --> 01:57:12,319
eight percent in his fourth year and average twenty. So

2501
01:57:12,399 --> 01:57:15,079
it's just like I don't know who that guy is

2502
01:57:15,560 --> 01:57:18,000
doesn't mean it can't ever happen. But honestly, I think

2503
01:57:18,039 --> 01:57:21,800
for both Thompson's like, we're at a point now where

2504
01:57:21,840 --> 01:57:24,079
if the shot isn't there, it's kind of and it's

2505
01:57:24,159 --> 01:57:26,520
and it's not just like, oh, they're at thirty percent.

2506
01:57:26,520 --> 01:57:28,880
It's like Thompson's at like twenty. I'm and Thompson's at

2507
01:57:28,920 --> 01:57:31,319
like twenty on threes, and he's just like, by a

2508
01:57:31,359 --> 01:57:34,840
lot of measures, the worst jump shooter in the league.

2509
01:57:35,199 --> 01:57:38,439
I just don't it so that's passable.

2510
01:57:39,000 --> 01:57:42,079
Speaker 2: His efficiency is so far below average everywhere away from

2511
01:57:42,079 --> 01:57:42,680
the basket.

2512
01:57:42,920 --> 01:57:44,800
Speaker 1: So it's not even just he needs a three point shot,

2513
01:57:44,840 --> 01:57:46,800
it's is the floater falling at a higher enough clip?

2514
01:57:46,880 --> 01:57:49,680
And the answers no, And I also just wonder if

2515
01:57:49,680 --> 01:57:52,039
he has to what's the way. The way that he

2516
01:57:52,079 --> 01:57:53,800
can move off the ball is great, but then that

2517
01:57:53,920 --> 01:57:57,159
still insists that you have a better offensive player who

2518
01:57:57,239 --> 01:57:59,319
can get him the ball and find him if you

2519
01:57:59,359 --> 01:57:59,960
want to put him.

2520
01:57:59,880 --> 01:58:00,600
Speaker 2: On the ball.

2521
01:58:00,920 --> 01:58:02,880
Speaker 1: What does that team like if he needs to be

2522
01:58:03,359 --> 01:58:06,079
your primary on ball source, what does the rest of

2523
01:58:06,119 --> 01:58:07,319
that team need to look like?

2524
01:58:07,880 --> 01:58:11,720
Speaker 3: Yeah? No, it's the roster building concerns are massive and

2525
01:58:11,800 --> 01:58:15,239
just like the impact of the shooting struggles on his

2526
01:58:15,319 --> 01:58:17,560
ability to contribute in other ways, Like you don't have

2527
01:58:17,600 --> 01:58:19,520
to guard him, honestly, So if he becomes an even

2528
01:58:19,520 --> 01:58:21,640
better pick and roll operator, sort of doesn't matter as

2529
01:58:21,720 --> 01:58:24,000
much because you still just don't need to worry about

2530
01:58:24,359 --> 01:58:26,279
I can go under every time, you know, I never

2531
01:58:26,319 --> 01:58:28,039
need to chase him over a screen. It doesn't matter

2532
01:58:28,079 --> 01:58:29,720
if he has the ball all the time. So it

2533
01:58:29,880 --> 01:58:31,479
just it's a lot to overcome.

2534
01:58:32,800 --> 01:58:34,359
Speaker 1: Let's move on here. Do you want to take us

2535
01:58:34,399 --> 01:58:37,760
to You alluded to it before one Lebron James.

2536
01:58:39,640 --> 01:58:43,520
Speaker 3: Oh, the Lebron James. Next team should be yes? All right,

2537
01:58:43,560 --> 01:58:46,279
So here's a couple of things. As we're deciding Dan,

2538
01:58:46,560 --> 01:58:49,560
who should Lebron play for next? It cannot be the

2539
01:58:49,640 --> 01:58:52,960
Lakers or the Calves. Money doesn't matter. Let's just say

2540
01:58:53,000 --> 01:58:55,399
he can sign wherever he wants for the minimum. We'll

2541
01:58:55,439 --> 01:58:57,439
break it into a couple categories. I would like you

2542
01:58:57,479 --> 01:59:01,720
to tell me from a basketball iq you porn standpoint,

2543
01:59:01,960 --> 01:59:03,720
where would you like to see Lebron go? And then

2544
01:59:03,800 --> 01:59:06,800
let me know his best overall fit? What team would

2545
01:59:06,840 --> 01:59:07,600
you like to see him with?

2546
01:59:08,359 --> 01:59:12,760
Speaker 1: My two picks the start of basketball porn would Lebron

2547
01:59:12,800 --> 01:59:15,960
and Jokic be the two like highest IQ pair, like

2548
01:59:16,000 --> 01:59:18,560
the highest IQ pairent we've ever seen in NBA history.

2549
01:59:18,960 --> 01:59:20,079
Speaker 2: It would have to be up there.

2550
01:59:21,479 --> 01:59:22,960
Speaker 3: Chris Paul's a free agent right now. I don't know

2551
01:59:22,960 --> 01:59:23,520
if you know that.

2552
01:59:23,680 --> 01:59:26,319
Speaker 2: He retired though, so he's not really a free agent anymore.

2553
01:59:26,319 --> 01:59:29,439
Speaker 3: He could come back. That's I love that, Like why

2554
01:59:29,439 --> 01:59:31,680
wouldn't you want to see Lebron and Jokic? Like what

2555
01:59:31,680 --> 01:59:34,239
what kind of backdoor passes and stuff would you get there?

2556
01:59:34,279 --> 01:59:36,079
Speaker 1: Do you think Lebron would move away from the ball

2557
01:59:36,199 --> 01:59:38,640
like I think Jokic could? Ever, everyone talks about does

2558
01:59:38,720 --> 01:59:40,960
Lebron said enough screens or move away from the ball enough?

2559
01:59:41,000 --> 01:59:43,960
I just feel if you play alongside Yokic, you end

2560
01:59:44,039 --> 01:59:45,039
up doing those things, no.

2561
01:59:45,079 --> 01:59:46,760
Speaker 2: Matter the archetype of player that you are.

2562
01:59:47,319 --> 01:59:49,039
Speaker 3: And not only that, but like this will get into

2563
01:59:49,039 --> 01:59:50,920
some of what I like him in some other spots,

2564
01:59:50,920 --> 01:59:53,960
Like he's a couple He shot like forty seven percent

2565
01:59:54,000 --> 01:59:56,560
on catching shoot threes two years ago, like forty two

2566
01:59:56,640 --> 01:59:58,920
last year, thirty five this year not so hot. But

2567
01:59:59,359 --> 02:00:02,840
like there's a world where mostly what he does is

2568
02:00:03,239 --> 02:00:06,640
like be a swing pass recipient and either shoot or

2569
02:00:06,680 --> 02:00:09,720
like find the next brilliant cutter on the weak side,

2570
02:00:09,800 --> 02:00:10,800
like that works.

2571
02:00:11,000 --> 02:00:13,840
Speaker 1: And the shape that he is still in assuming he's healthy,

2572
02:00:13,840 --> 02:00:15,279
and the way he takes care of his body. Does

2573
02:00:15,319 --> 02:00:18,279
Denver just have an even bigger home court advantage because

2574
02:00:18,279 --> 02:00:21,000
it's Lebron's conditioning versus everybody else's.

2575
02:00:21,720 --> 02:00:23,159
Speaker 3: Love that one. That's a good one.

2576
02:00:23,239 --> 02:00:27,119
Speaker 1: Yeah, my, my actual if it was just pure basketball

2577
02:00:27,199 --> 02:00:29,439
or maybe most realistic, I kind of think the Knicks

2578
02:00:29,880 --> 02:00:31,960
because he would have a bigger role on the ball

2579
02:00:32,239 --> 02:00:34,920
just they have Jalen Brunson still and it's who else

2580
02:00:34,960 --> 02:00:36,920
on that team if the team stays the same or

2581
02:00:36,960 --> 02:00:39,720
you giving the ball over Lebron aside from Brunson.

2582
02:00:40,760 --> 02:00:41,640
Speaker 2: The ANSWER's nobody.

2583
02:00:41,840 --> 02:00:45,319
Speaker 1: Nobody, So you could insert him into the starting lineup

2584
02:00:45,359 --> 02:00:48,359
instead of Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, mckel Bridges, o Gananobi,

2585
02:00:48,800 --> 02:00:52,279
Lebron and Karnathy Towns. Sounds like an Eastern Conference favorite

2586
02:00:52,279 --> 02:00:54,800
to me, my totally unbiased opinion.

2587
02:00:57,680 --> 02:01:02,399
Speaker 3: Mine, you're gonna love this. So just the basketball IQ

2588
02:01:02,720 --> 02:01:05,600
side of it. How about Charlotte Because I don't know

2589
02:01:05,640 --> 02:01:09,720
if you know this, but LaMelo ball pretty creative guy

2590
02:01:10,199 --> 02:01:12,520
passing wise, sees the floor pretty well get you out

2591
02:01:12,560 --> 02:01:16,039
in transition, does some exciting things. Conkin Nipple also really smart.

2592
02:01:16,079 --> 02:01:18,640
Brandon Miller. I wouldn't put him on either of their levels,

2593
02:01:18,640 --> 02:01:21,600
but like as a third ball handler is like really

2594
02:01:21,640 --> 02:01:23,920
good as for the position that he's at. And then

2595
02:01:23,960 --> 02:01:26,560
you add a fourth in Lebron to that, and just

2596
02:01:26,760 --> 02:01:29,840
Miles Bridges take a hike your power forward minutes all

2597
02:01:29,880 --> 02:01:34,159
go to Lebron. Now that would be it'll never happen

2598
02:01:34,159 --> 02:01:36,239
because why is he going to Charlotte? But man, that

2599
02:01:36,279 --> 02:01:36,960
would be exciting.

2600
02:01:37,000 --> 02:01:38,840
Speaker 1: I think that the no TV after dinner on a

2601
02:01:38,880 --> 02:01:40,880
school night energy he would bring to that locker room

2602
02:01:40,880 --> 02:01:41,319
would be.

2603
02:01:41,600 --> 02:01:45,319
Speaker 3: Sir, you can he's got like a fifteen yeah, twelve

2604
02:01:45,359 --> 02:01:48,239
to fifteen year maybe more than that. Oh my god, yeah,

2605
02:01:48,279 --> 02:01:53,439
he's real dad energy to get on board. There my

2606
02:01:53,520 --> 02:01:56,960
best overall fit though, I mean, it can't be Cleveland

2607
02:01:57,039 --> 02:01:59,119
because but then because the fit then is just like

2608
02:01:59,560 --> 02:02:02,720
mostly narrative base and also like he could make sense

2609
02:02:02,760 --> 02:02:04,720
next to Jared Allen or Evan Mobley at the four

2610
02:02:04,800 --> 02:02:06,960
that totally works, or he could just be a three

2611
02:02:07,000 --> 02:02:11,000
in super sized lineups. That's fine. What about the pistons

2612
02:02:11,439 --> 02:02:14,920
because the spot we focus on for them is power forward,

2613
02:02:14,960 --> 02:02:17,840
which is the Tobias Harris spot, the one we wanted

2614
02:02:17,880 --> 02:02:20,720
to be filled, you know, a while ago by Lori

2615
02:02:20,840 --> 02:02:25,520
Markinen and later by MPJ. You put Lebron there defensively

2616
02:02:25,600 --> 02:02:29,239
is where he's slipping. Fine, You've got a million guys

2617
02:02:29,239 --> 02:02:31,359
that can guard up, can guard down. He just is

2618
02:02:31,399 --> 02:02:35,239
always guarding the least threatening opponent. You get a secondary

2619
02:02:35,279 --> 02:02:38,399
creator which still is in need there where Kay does

2620
02:02:38,520 --> 02:02:41,479
just everything at the very least. Lebron can be like

2621
02:02:41,560 --> 02:02:45,279
a connector a facilitator there and to cite the same

2622
02:02:45,359 --> 02:02:47,760
catch and shoot stuff like I trust him as much

2623
02:02:47,800 --> 02:02:50,479
on an open three as I trust Tobias Harris. I

2624
02:02:50,600 --> 02:02:53,680
just I think I don't think you're giving anything away there.

2625
02:02:53,760 --> 02:02:56,920
And then maybe that is the move that really does

2626
02:02:57,000 --> 02:02:59,680
put the Pistons over the top. And we're talking about

2627
02:02:59,720 --> 02:03:01,880
them as just like, as long as Lebron is close

2628
02:03:01,920 --> 02:03:05,159
to what he is now, they're just runaway favorites in

2629
02:03:05,199 --> 02:03:05,560
the East.

2630
02:03:06,159 --> 02:03:08,000
Speaker 1: I would just like to say, I'm both shocked and

2631
02:03:08,119 --> 02:03:10,600
proud you didn't pick the Warriors for Lebron.

2632
02:03:10,720 --> 02:03:13,680
Speaker 3: Steph Perry, Yeah, you know that'd be the easy one.

2633
02:03:15,119 --> 02:03:18,439
Speaker 2: I've got two for you before we skidattle from this.

2634
02:03:18,520 --> 02:03:20,760
Are you ready for them? I think you're gonna enjoy these?

2635
02:03:21,119 --> 02:03:21,640
Speaker 3: So ready?

2636
02:03:24,000 --> 02:03:26,479
Speaker 2: Laughing here? Sorry, hold on, grant.

2637
02:03:27,199 --> 02:03:31,359
Speaker 1: Eight NBA players have recorded a fifty point triple double.

2638
02:03:31,800 --> 02:03:33,880
Speaker 2: How many of them can you name? I will give

2639
02:03:33,880 --> 02:03:34,640
you three strikes?

2640
02:03:37,600 --> 02:03:43,560
Speaker 3: Uh, fifty point triple double? I impressed. Nobody jumps to mind.

2641
02:03:44,079 --> 02:03:49,479
So that's a problem. I'm gonna say. I just gotta

2642
02:03:49,520 --> 02:03:52,439
go with the usual suspects. I'll say Jokic.

2643
02:03:53,760 --> 02:03:56,800
Speaker 2: Jokic is a correct answer. He has two of them.

2644
02:03:57,159 --> 02:03:59,119
Speaker 3: Okay. I'll say Russ.

2645
02:04:00,199 --> 02:04:02,399
Speaker 1: Russ is also a correct answer. He has four.

2646
02:04:03,479 --> 02:04:06,640
Speaker 3: I'll go James Harden is also a correct answer.

2647
02:04:06,760 --> 02:04:07,439
Speaker 2: He has five.

2648
02:04:09,039 --> 02:04:12,079
Speaker 1: We're just acause you care? Is James Harden with five?

2649
02:04:12,520 --> 02:04:16,079
Speaker 3: Five is the high? Okay, Now it gets tougher. I'll

2650
02:04:16,079 --> 02:04:17,119
say Luca has done it.

2651
02:04:17,920 --> 02:04:22,119
Speaker 1: He has done it once, four of eight with zero strikes.

2652
02:04:22,119 --> 02:04:24,239
Speaker 3: Look at you, Well, the strikes are going to come

2653
02:04:24,279 --> 02:04:27,600
fast and furious. Here in a minute. A fifty point

2654
02:04:27,640 --> 02:04:29,680
triple double. This is one where there's always like a

2655
02:04:29,720 --> 02:04:32,479
relatively recent player that I am not going to remember.

2656
02:04:35,119 --> 02:04:39,600
How's about I don't think he's done it, but I

2657
02:04:39,640 --> 02:04:42,920
just the volume that gives you some Lebron. Has Lebron

2658
02:04:42,960 --> 02:04:43,319
done it?

2659
02:04:43,680 --> 02:04:45,000
Speaker 2: He has not that Strike one?

2660
02:04:45,479 --> 02:04:46,039
Speaker 3: I knew it.

2661
02:04:47,560 --> 02:04:49,319
Speaker 2: Fifth, Yeah, triple double.

2662
02:04:52,000 --> 02:04:53,880
Speaker 3: I don't want to ask you for hints yet, but

2663
02:04:53,920 --> 02:04:55,840
I also don't want a bunch of dead air. Well

2664
02:04:55,880 --> 02:04:56,840
I'm just sitting here.

2665
02:04:57,079 --> 02:04:59,439
Speaker 2: I'll give you a hint. Oh, none of them are

2666
02:04:59,479 --> 02:05:01,079
active player, yours remaining.

2667
02:05:00,760 --> 02:05:06,840
Speaker 3: All right, No active players with a fifty point triple double. Well,

2668
02:05:06,880 --> 02:05:08,720
this is the question, how far back does it go?

2669
02:05:08,760 --> 02:05:11,159
Because like Oscar Robertson has to be a guess. If

2670
02:05:11,159 --> 02:05:12,640
he's not in it, then I know we don't go

2671
02:05:12,760 --> 02:05:17,279
back that far. That is strike two. Okay, So that's

2672
02:05:17,279 --> 02:05:22,319
gonna rule out a lot of throwback guys. Fifty in

2673
02:05:22,399 --> 02:05:27,720
a triple double. I'm gonna say, how about Shaq?

2674
02:05:28,640 --> 02:05:30,880
Speaker 2: That is incorrect? Strike three? Yeah, that's a bummer. I

2675
02:05:30,880 --> 02:05:32,159
was rooting for you, buddy.

2676
02:05:32,159 --> 02:05:34,039
Speaker 3: Thank you. I got half of them. It's pretty good.

2677
02:05:34,039 --> 02:05:35,279
Speaker 2: So you got you got half of them.

2678
02:05:35,399 --> 02:05:38,199
Speaker 1: James hard and Nikole Jokis, Russell Westbrook, Lukadancis have all

2679
02:05:38,199 --> 02:05:40,039
had a fifty point triple double at least one.

2680
02:05:40,399 --> 02:05:41,800
Speaker 2: Kareem abdul Jabbar.

2681
02:05:42,039 --> 02:05:44,239
Speaker 3: Oh I gave up on him after Oscar was out,

2682
02:05:44,359 --> 02:05:44,760
damn it.

2683
02:05:46,079 --> 02:05:47,279
Speaker 2: Will Chamberlain had two.

2684
02:05:47,439 --> 02:05:48,840
Speaker 3: I thought you were gonna want him too.

2685
02:05:49,600 --> 02:05:53,079
Speaker 1: Elgend Baylor had two, and finally, this is the one

2686
02:05:53,079 --> 02:05:54,159
I didn't think you were gonna get.

2687
02:05:54,479 --> 02:05:56,239
Speaker 2: Richie Geeren had one.

2688
02:05:56,840 --> 02:06:00,760
Speaker 3: Don't do not know who that is? Uh, that's tough.

2689
02:06:00,800 --> 02:06:03,960
So Oscar didn't do it. And then I was out

2690
02:06:04,159 --> 02:06:05,800
because I was like, oh, they're just not going back

2691
02:06:05,840 --> 02:06:06,960
that far. That's tough.

2692
02:06:07,479 --> 02:06:09,319
Speaker 1: I didn't know why would come in there and say,

2693
02:06:10,640 --> 02:06:13,479
and maybe would you if I pronounced it correctly, Richie Garren,

2694
02:06:13,479 --> 02:06:17,279
would that make you feel? Apparently the pronunciations roll there.

2695
02:06:17,399 --> 02:06:19,279
His nickname was the leather Neck and he's in the

2696
02:06:19,279 --> 02:06:19,760
Hall of Fame.

2697
02:06:19,800 --> 02:06:23,520
Speaker 3: Grant okay is this was he active from like nineteen

2698
02:06:23,600 --> 02:06:25,279
forty eight to nineteen fifty four.

2699
02:06:26,439 --> 02:06:30,039
Speaker 1: He played fifty six through he made it to the

2700
02:06:30,119 --> 02:06:31,560
nineteen seventies.

2701
02:06:31,600 --> 02:06:33,760
Speaker 3: All the fun fifty point doubles.

2702
02:06:34,279 --> 02:06:37,359
Speaker 2: You got the skill the last uh so half of

2703
02:06:37,399 --> 02:06:38,520
them solid showing.

2704
02:06:38,560 --> 02:06:40,239
Speaker 1: But I didn't think I thought you would have gotten

2705
02:06:40,239 --> 02:06:41,600
more though, So I'm a little disappointed.

2706
02:06:41,600 --> 02:06:42,199
Speaker 2: I was rooting for you.

2707
02:06:42,720 --> 02:06:45,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I talk myself out of anybody before, like nineteen

2708
02:06:45,880 --> 02:06:49,560
ninety with the Oscar thing, I do. I do have

2709
02:06:49,600 --> 02:06:52,319
a couple of trade related stat pattings for you.

2710
02:06:52,720 --> 02:06:54,960
Speaker 1: Let's sit on those until trades down at the trade

2711
02:06:55,000 --> 02:06:55,680
that lines passed.

2712
02:06:55,760 --> 02:06:58,960
Speaker 2: I have one more for you. Oh, I have insanely high.

2713
02:06:58,800 --> 02:07:01,399
Speaker 1: Hopes for not to put any more pressure on you,

2714
02:07:02,079 --> 02:07:05,800
but Grant, eight NBA teams have gone at least seven

2715
02:07:05,960 --> 02:07:10,600
years without winning a playoff series. How many of those

2716
02:07:10,600 --> 02:07:13,239
eight teams can you name? You will once again get

2717
02:07:13,279 --> 02:07:14,159
three strikes?

2718
02:07:14,720 --> 02:07:16,520
Speaker 3: Well, my Warriors have got to be one of those.

2719
02:07:19,199 --> 02:07:20,079
Speaker 2: Strike one.

2720
02:07:20,680 --> 02:07:26,199
Speaker 1: What didn't win a playoff series in the past seven years?

2721
02:07:26,439 --> 02:07:28,800
Speaker 3: Oh, the past seven years? I thought you meant seven

2722
02:07:28,840 --> 02:07:30,159
years in franchise history.

2723
02:07:30,560 --> 02:07:33,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, sorry, I went their streak erased the strike.

2724
02:07:34,199 --> 02:07:35,760
Speaker 3: Itrased the strike immediately.

2725
02:07:36,479 --> 02:07:41,720
Speaker 1: Grant, eight NBA teams have playoff series victory drafts of

2726
02:07:41,800 --> 02:07:46,159
at least seven years running currently. How many of these

2727
02:07:46,199 --> 02:07:49,239
teams can you name? I will give you three strikes?

2728
02:07:49,520 --> 02:07:53,279
Speaker 3: All right? Uh? The Kings?

2729
02:07:55,199 --> 02:07:57,960
Speaker 2: No, yes, that the Kings Kings around here.

2730
02:07:58,000 --> 02:07:59,800
Speaker 1: That streak, in case you care, is going to extend

2731
02:07:59,840 --> 02:08:01,560
to twenty two seasons after this year.

2732
02:08:02,720 --> 02:08:07,000
Speaker 3: Uh the no, they I think the Mitchell gobert Ones

2733
02:08:07,039 --> 02:08:08,800
are not seven years ago. So I will not say

2734
02:08:08,800 --> 02:08:11,880
the Jazz. Uh, the Bulls.

2735
02:08:12,880 --> 02:08:14,439
Speaker 2: The Chicago Bulls are on the list.

2736
02:08:14,479 --> 02:08:17,199
Speaker 1: It'll be eleven if they don't win a playoff series

2737
02:08:17,199 --> 02:08:18,199
this year, which they will not.

2738
02:08:19,319 --> 02:08:21,399
Speaker 3: Hmm, this is harder than I thought it would be.

2739
02:08:21,479 --> 02:08:25,600
I guess, man, when so that Wizards one was like set,

2740
02:08:25,840 --> 02:08:26,800
I'll say the Wizards.

2741
02:08:27,800 --> 02:08:28,920
Speaker 2: The Wizards are on there.

2742
02:08:29,039 --> 02:08:31,520
Speaker 1: They are about to have season number nine of a

2743
02:08:31,560 --> 02:08:33,359
playoff series victory drought.

2744
02:08:34,199 --> 02:08:39,319
Speaker 3: Oh uh, man, I gotta go with the Hawks.

2745
02:08:40,520 --> 02:08:41,680
Speaker 2: That is incorrect. Strike one.

2746
02:08:41,960 --> 02:08:44,199
Speaker 3: Oh no, I first have forgot one in there.

2747
02:08:45,600 --> 02:08:47,239
Speaker 2: They were just to the conference finals in.

2748
02:08:47,800 --> 02:08:50,520
Speaker 3: Oh shit, that's right, that's terrible.

2749
02:08:51,520 --> 02:08:52,840
Speaker 2: Well, proove how fake that was?

2750
02:08:52,880 --> 02:08:55,720
Speaker 3: According to Grant that sho count as like two strikes.

2751
02:08:55,760 --> 02:09:01,560
That's awful. See Trey Young bowing at center court right now, Okay,

2752
02:09:01,640 --> 02:09:06,680
let's see hmmm, No, this Memphis is one one. I'm

2753
02:09:06,680 --> 02:09:09,640
just going through all the teams. How long ago was

2754
02:09:09,680 --> 02:09:16,239
that Blazers conference phony Conference finals appearance? Uh, I'm gonna

2755
02:09:16,279 --> 02:09:20,279
go Blazers strike two. Dang, this is harder than I

2756
02:09:20,319 --> 02:09:20,920
thought it would be.

2757
02:09:22,159 --> 02:09:24,000
Speaker 1: If they don't win a playoff series this season, their

2758
02:09:24,039 --> 02:09:26,119
streak will reach seven years.

2759
02:09:26,159 --> 02:09:27,560
Speaker 2: But they're there right now.

2760
02:09:27,600 --> 02:09:31,079
Speaker 3: So all right, there's gotta be Can you tell me

2761
02:09:31,119 --> 02:09:33,680
how long the streak is for the next the longest

2762
02:09:33,680 --> 02:09:36,439
available streak, just so I know, like how often I

2763
02:09:36,479 --> 02:09:37,520
am active.

2764
02:09:37,680 --> 02:09:41,840
Speaker 1: Longest streak was tied between the Kings, which was twenty

2765
02:09:41,840 --> 02:09:46,399
one going on twenty two, and this team.

2766
02:09:46,439 --> 02:09:48,680
Speaker 3: There's another team that hasn't made the play won a

2767
02:09:48,680 --> 02:09:52,239
playoff series in oh uh, twenty years, Charlotte.

2768
02:09:52,680 --> 02:09:55,119
Speaker 2: That is correct. Okay, but you know what They're about

2769
02:09:55,119 --> 02:09:56,239
to break that streak, right.

2770
02:09:56,239 --> 02:09:58,399
Speaker 3: Yeah, they are. I'm gonna knock off the Pistons or

2771
02:09:58,479 --> 02:10:01,119
the Celtics. Hard to say what team's remaining. I can

2772
02:10:01,159 --> 02:10:03,800
give you the length of their playoff series drought. Sure,

2773
02:10:03,840 --> 02:10:05,880
give me the length of the longest one.

2774
02:10:06,279 --> 02:10:09,439
Speaker 2: Seventeen Oh oh boy.

2775
02:10:11,439 --> 02:10:20,439
Speaker 3: A playoff series win seventeen years? Man, oh, I have

2776
02:10:20,520 --> 02:10:23,680
a guess, but I really will feel terrible if if

2777
02:10:23,720 --> 02:10:27,319
it's not this team. How about the Pistons?

2778
02:10:28,319 --> 02:10:31,039
Speaker 1: They are seventeen. If they don't win this year, it'll

2779
02:10:31,039 --> 02:10:32,760
be eighteen. But they feel like a team that'll break

2780
02:10:32,760 --> 02:10:33,199
that streak.

2781
02:10:33,359 --> 02:10:34,239
Speaker 3: So three more to go?

2782
02:10:35,159 --> 02:10:39,039
Speaker 1: Yes, the next longest streak fifteen years without winning a

2783
02:10:39,039 --> 02:10:40,159
playoff series.

2784
02:10:40,000 --> 02:10:48,439
Speaker 4: Fifteen ooh, I I don't feel confident here, but I'm

2785
02:10:48,479 --> 02:10:51,279
gonna go with the Magic.

2786
02:10:52,199 --> 02:10:53,079
Speaker 2: That is correct.

2787
02:10:53,119 --> 02:10:56,199
Speaker 1: You're on fire. The Orlando Magic need to win a

2788
02:10:56,239 --> 02:10:58,479
playoff series, not to make it sixteen.

2789
02:10:58,399 --> 02:11:00,800
Speaker 3: Those Dwight Howard years long time ago.

2790
02:11:01,600 --> 02:11:03,800
Speaker 2: That's six teams you got. You have two left.

2791
02:11:04,239 --> 02:11:06,920
Speaker 1: The next longest streak is eight years without a playoff

2792
02:11:06,920 --> 02:11:09,399
series victory. And my prediction is this is where your

2793
02:11:09,399 --> 02:11:10,439
third strike comes.

2794
02:11:10,680 --> 02:11:16,239
Speaker 3: Okay, the Pelicans came to mind because I want to

2795
02:11:16,279 --> 02:11:19,239
say they beat the Blazers because the Warriors got them

2796
02:11:19,359 --> 02:11:23,079
in a second round series. Maybe I could be imagining that,

2797
02:11:23,199 --> 02:11:26,880
or they beat somebody who has not won a playoff

2798
02:11:26,920 --> 02:11:35,079
series in eight years, eight years. I will say, oh, man,

2799
02:11:36,399 --> 02:11:37,159
is it the Spurs?

2800
02:11:38,399 --> 02:11:39,479
Speaker 2: Oh you got it?

2801
02:11:39,680 --> 02:11:39,920
Speaker 3: Eight?

2802
02:11:41,880 --> 02:11:42,840
Speaker 2: One more team.

2803
02:11:43,479 --> 02:11:45,640
Speaker 3: You're really playing with fire. If you pick the Spurs

2804
02:11:45,680 --> 02:11:47,760
for like historic futility records.

2805
02:11:47,479 --> 02:11:48,840
Speaker 1: I didn't think you were gonna get I thought just

2806
02:11:48,880 --> 02:11:51,720
the recency of it all, or yeah, their longevity that

2807
02:11:51,760 --> 02:11:52,800
you weren't gonna pick them.

2808
02:11:53,319 --> 02:11:56,039
Speaker 3: So I just have run out of options that seem

2809
02:11:56,079 --> 02:11:59,279
obvious to me. So I'm gonna say, Phoenix.

2810
02:11:59,640 --> 02:12:00,479
Speaker 2: That's three.

2811
02:12:00,800 --> 02:12:03,760
Speaker 1: Okay, you're onto something with the Pelicans. Their streak is

2812
02:12:03,760 --> 02:12:05,079
about to extend to eight years.

2813
02:12:05,199 --> 02:12:08,880
Speaker 3: Okay, okay, that was Drew Holiday did something cool in

2814
02:12:08,920 --> 02:12:09,840
that playoff.

2815
02:12:09,520 --> 02:12:11,840
Speaker 2: Run seven of eight. That's not bad.

2816
02:12:11,880 --> 02:12:13,640
Speaker 1: And you got the team that I didn't think you

2817
02:12:13,680 --> 02:12:15,199
were gonna I thought you were gonna go out on

2818
02:12:15,239 --> 02:12:17,039
the Spurs and you went out on the Pelicans, which

2819
02:12:17,079 --> 02:12:17,720
is well.

2820
02:12:17,760 --> 02:12:20,760
Speaker 3: I also guess the Warriors first, so it didn't start

2821
02:12:20,760 --> 02:12:23,399
out so hot it was.

2822
02:12:24,279 --> 02:12:25,920
Speaker 2: At the end it was grant.

2823
02:12:26,039 --> 02:12:28,479
Speaker 1: You have three strikes to guess the eight teams with

2824
02:12:28,520 --> 02:12:31,560
the longest active playoff series victory droughts.

2825
02:12:31,920 --> 02:12:33,159
Speaker 2: That's how we should have worded it.

2826
02:12:33,199 --> 02:12:35,000
Speaker 1: Andrew, if you're listening to the end of this, throw

2827
02:12:35,039 --> 02:12:36,920
that in the front as the start off so people

2828
02:12:37,000 --> 02:12:40,239
understand what we're talking about. Do you have anything else

2829
02:12:40,399 --> 02:12:42,199
or are you ready to take us out of here? Sir?

2830
02:12:42,359 --> 02:12:44,680
Speaker 3: I think that'll do it. Thanks everybody for listening, for watching,

2831
02:12:44,760 --> 02:12:47,159
Thank you for excusing my nomination of the Warriors as

2832
02:12:47,199 --> 02:12:52,319
a playoff series drought team. We're you know, we're all

2833
02:12:52,319 --> 02:12:54,960
of the All Star Break, aren't we? Remember to rate,

2834
02:12:55,039 --> 02:12:57,319
review and subscribe, Remember, tell your friends and tell your enemies.

2835
02:12:57,359 --> 02:12:59,000
Joining our discord links for that on the YouTube and

2836
02:12:59,000 --> 02:13:02,920
podcast description. UM I think that's gonna do it. Thanks everybody,

2837
02:13:02,920 --> 02:13:05,840
Thank you, Dan shouts, Frank mio Kino apologies. Jared Allen