WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.879 North Sall Lake KXR k HD three ESPN seven hundred 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.439 ninety two to one f M. Download the ESPN seven 3 00:00:08.519 --> 00:00:11.560 hundred app for free today. He's the pride of Norwich, 4 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:15.279 Connecticut and an adopted son of Salt Lake City. After 5 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:18.640 forty years with the Utah Jazz, there's no one better 6 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:22.160 to talk some hoops. Richard Smitty Smith is back on 7 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:24.920 the Drive on ESPN seven hundred. 8 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:27.440 So I texted Border today and I said, look, the 9 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:30.199 Lakers are in town, which means I only want stars 10 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:33.600 on the show. I want superstars, I want celebrities. I 11 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.560 want heavy hitters. When the Lakers are here, we have 12 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:38.640 to bring in the heaviest of hitters, the biggest stars 13 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:40.520 that we have in our rollodeck. So, of course, for 14 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:44.840 the next hour, the superstar himself, Richard Smith is live 15 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:45.320 in studio. 16 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:45.960 Hello Smitty. 17 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.280 So then so then Porter texted you back said, no, 18 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:51.759 we're all out. I got nothing else. So oh, come on, man, 19 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:53.679 We're at the bottom of the barrel. This is all 20 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:56.200 I got. You take it or you leave it, or 21 00:00:56.359 --> 00:00:57.560 off the air or whatever. 22 00:00:57.719 --> 00:00:59.240 This is a this is the top of the barrel. 23 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.280 Smith Spence, like. 24 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:04.000 You always do, you come through and go, hey, I'll 25 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:07.560 take the last the last piece of candy in the barrel. 26 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:08.840 I don't care whoever it. 27 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:10.599 Is not at all, not at all. How you doing. 28 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:13.680 We're doing great, We're doing great. You watch the Super Bowl? 29 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:15.879 I did watch the Super Bowl, you know. You know, 30 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:18.040 we have a family thing we've been doing for years. 31 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.840 My nephew has a great home where he has one 32 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:24.920 of those big new theater rooms and all that, and 33 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.640 you know, big heavy hitter type stuff, and and he 34 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:33.280 put together a like a bingo card that everybody could play, 35 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:36.200 and they were all different, you know, so that every 36 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:39.319 square was like, uh, you know, missed field goal to 37 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:43.359 the right, you know, or fumble recovered by the offense 38 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:47.079 or whatever it was. And so everybody was engaged in 39 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:49.760 that all all all, all game long, and it came 40 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:52.280 down right to the right to the end, and I 41 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:55.719 had I had my whole card completed except for one 42 00:01:56.359 --> 00:02:00.879 one square, and that was the missfield goal, which there 43 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:04.680 wasn't any missfield goal, right. But we were arguing the 44 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:07.519 fact that earlier in the game, if you remember, one 45 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:12.759 of the long sideline passes resulted in a passing apference, 46 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:17.560 and I said, well, the passing apference was because the 47 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:21.080 guy grabbed his face mask. That's a face mask. And 48 00:02:21.159 --> 00:02:25.080 I have a square on my card that says penalty 49 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:29.000 face mask. I said, that's a penalty. No, no, it wasn't. 50 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:30.840 They didn't call a face mask. They said it was 51 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:34.560 passing apference. I said it was passing apference because he 52 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:38.719 grabbed his face That was no. No, that doesn't. You know. 53 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:41.759 So this is the kind of family arguments you get, 54 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:45.639 you know, when the big candy bar is on the 55 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:46.800 line for the winner. 56 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:50.560 Yeah, yeah, no, I feel like you have a legitimate 57 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:51.000 beef there. 58 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:51.120 Oh. 59 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:53.879 Dave mcmitman's on TV's in Salt Lake front of the show, 60 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:56.400 get a consistent guests of the show. I'm sure he's 61 00:02:56.439 --> 00:02:57.919 not thrilled to be in saw Lake when it's ten 62 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:01.680 degrees outside. You know, it's funny because I talk a 63 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:05.199 lot about I'm fascinated by like ratings and the business 64 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:08.840 of sports and how certain leagues and certain products have 65 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:10.479 captured the market share that they have. 66 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:11.960 It's always been interesting to me. 67 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:16.159 And the NFL just set another record for viewership with 68 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:18.879 the Super Bowl. Fox reported a peak in the second 69 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:21.680 quarter when it was still close ish of one hundred 70 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:24.639 and thirty seven point seven million viewers on Linard television. 71 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:28.479 Streaming numbers were close to fifteen mil. The Spanish broadcast 72 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:31.159 got close to two. So some quick math, I mean, 73 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.639 that's north of one hundred and fifty million people watching 74 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:35.919 one sporting event, which is pretty stunning so many when 75 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.599 you think about it. I'm just curious as too, as 76 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.319 somebody who made a career in pro sports, why you 77 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:43.960 think pro football has been able to capture this market share. 78 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:46.280 And you know, there are a few different reasons. And 79 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:50.120 you know, anecdotally, I was home with my family for 80 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:51.919 the Super Bowl and I was watching with all my 81 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:55.360 nieces and nephews, and we had our little square game 82 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:58.439 going on and all the you know, nieces and nephews 83 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.120 were allowed to pick a square. And towards the end 84 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:03.159 of the game, because at this point the kids were 85 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:04.520 upstairs playing, it was a blowout. 86 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:05.280 They didn't give a rip. 87 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:07.639 But my nine year old nephew, Teddy comes up to 88 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:09.960 me and he says, Uncle Spencer, will you come and 89 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.840 get me if Kansas City scores a touchdown but misses 90 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:14.800 the extra point Because if that happens, I'm gonna win. 91 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:15.479 The Gummy Bears. 92 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:19.000 Oh it just kind of hits you like, this is 93 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.920 a nine year old essentially gambling on a game of course, right, 94 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:26.240 and part of part of the NFL's market share and 95 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.120 the ability to capture it. I think they I think 96 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:31.120 they were able to kind of create a space for 97 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:34.240 gambling on their sport far before it was legal and 98 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:36.959 be far before anyone else kind of leaned into it. 99 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:40.360 Well, and you know, you know, Spence and my extended 100 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:43.240 family does this as well. They you know, everybody from 101 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:45.839 the from the eight year old all the way up. 102 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:50.360 They're all involved in the fantasy football every fall, you know, 103 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:52.639 and everybody they have a draft and they do all 104 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:55.040 this stuff and they check scores and they have a 105 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:57.480 you know, a thing online and then get on and 106 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.000 see who who got the most points this week or whatever. 107 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:04.920 But that isn't done with any other sport, right, Nobody 108 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:07.519 does it with you know, any other time of the 109 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:09.560 year for anything else. Right, And so I don't know, 110 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:11.519 I don't know if it's because it's the once a 111 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:15.480 week thing. I don't know if it's because it's the 112 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:19.160 the time of year, you know, in the fall. And 113 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:22.439 I mean I'm not I'm not quite sure exactly what 114 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:24.720 the what the great great holders. I do know that 115 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.720 I've always thought, you know, especially you know, the way 116 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.759 technology is now in the last fifteen twenty years, and 117 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.439 the way they show slow motion and they and they 118 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:36.199 do all this stuff is is you know that it's 119 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:41.000 gotten more to me of somewhat of the gladiator type 120 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:44.399 thing the Roman times, where everybody's in the in the 121 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:47.720 arena and they're rooting for the guy to get get 122 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:51.120 smashed on the on the on the block or whatever 123 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:53.680 it is, or tackled you know, and and thrown up 124 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.680 in the air and whatever during the during the course 125 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:58.120 of a game. So I don't know if that's it 126 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:01.120 or what what the you know, how they ended up 127 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:04.439 marketing it this way, but part of it I think. 128 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:07.240 I don't know how far down the line it gets. 129 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.639 But they have done a good job over the years 130 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:12.160 with the salary cap stuff and the way they put 131 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:14.720 their schedules together, you know, the you know, during the 132 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:17.920 course of the season, the guys who played well last 133 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:21.839 year play each other next year, you know, you know, 134 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:25.199 outside of your division and stuff, and then they purposely 135 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:29.279 do that so that you know, in week sixteen, seventeen eighteen, 136 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.519 most of the teams are eight and eight, or they're 137 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.439 nine and seven or whatever, and so a lot of 138 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:39.120 teams have a chance to get in the last week 139 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.000 or two. And I don't know if maybe that's part 140 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:45.360 of the stick that everybody's feels like they, you know, 141 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.000 their dog is still in the race most of the 142 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:50.240 most of the year. I'm not quite sure how that 143 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:51.040 plays out. 144 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:54.639 Yeah, And it's interesting to compare because we're an NBA market. 145 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:56.759 We've been an NBA market, you know, for a long 146 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.399 long time now, and I often remind people of this. 147 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.160 The highest rated basketball game and the history of the 148 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:05.519 sport was played here in Salt Lake in nineteen ninety eight. 149 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.480 It was Michael Jordan's last game, and that was the 150 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.639 last time during that era mid to late nineties was 151 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.920 the last time that pro basketball was even in pro 152 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:19.399 football stratosphere. It wasn't on the level, but there was 153 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:22.160 some data that indicated the ratings had improved in the 154 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.600 NBA under you know, it was Magic and then it 155 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:26.160 was Larry and then it was the you know, the 156 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.839 Laker Celtics thing. Then Michael took over and David Stern 157 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:33.480 was a master's craft to manipulate the media to create 158 00:07:33.560 --> 00:07:36.240 this behemoth that was kind of making some inroads. 159 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:39.240 As far as the progress with pro football. 160 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:41.720 Again, it was never in that area, but it was 161 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:45.639 making progress and now the gap could not be wider. 162 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:49.000 The NBA still by most metrics, is number three behind 163 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:52.040 the NFL and college football, then it's pro basketball. Any 164 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.120 thoughts as to why the NBA has not been able 165 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:56.720 to keep up on the domestic viewership, Now, I will 166 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:00.879 add this, the NFL is now talking about trying to 167 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:06.160 capture international audiences. The NBA doesn't really sweat the domestic 168 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:09.480 stuff because their revenue streams internationally are far greater than 169 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.920 pro footballs as far as the global sports, Soccer's won 170 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:16.560 basketball's too, and so they are able to mitigate maybe 171 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:21.439 some revenue or ratings or eyes or attention domestically because 172 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:24.040 of what they bring in internationally. But as far as 173 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:26.600 the attention span of the American sports fan, why do 174 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.399 you think basketball has not been able to keep up? 175 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.519 Well, I don't know. I think that the game itself 176 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:35.480 part of it. To me from my perspective is having 177 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:40.360 seen rules changes over the years, is that we I 178 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:43.480 think maybe the NBA has gone too much, you know, 179 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:46.720 toward trying to make it offensive heavy, you know, by 180 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.960 by putting in all these defensive rules restrictions, and you 181 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:53.639 can't you can't put a hand on somebody, you can't 182 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.840 level somebody off. You know, you have an arm bar, 183 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:58.919 but you can't you know, turn them one way to 184 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:02.200 the other. And so it's all, you know, relegated to 185 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:06.840 trying to legislate the game so that we have these 186 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.440 one forty you know, one thirty five games, you know 187 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:15.200 where where the good games back in our day, Spence 188 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.679 used to be the you know, you know the Knicks pacers, uh, 189 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:22.120 you know, grind them house. Yeah, you know, you know, 190 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:26.799 eighty nine, eighty five and whatever, and you know. But 191 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:29.840 but but I just think that that some of it 192 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:32.399 is it looks it looks to me a little bit, 193 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:36.440 a little bit like there's too much offense. We we 194 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:39.840 don't do enough to help the defensive guys. Everybody wants 195 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:43.960 to score and dunk and and no and nobody plays defense, 196 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:47.919 you know, per se, you know, because you can see 197 00:09:47.960 --> 00:09:49.840 how the how the scoring is and and some of 198 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:52.759 it's because the way the game is legislated and the 199 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:55.360 way that the rules are. And maybe the fans look 200 00:09:55.399 --> 00:09:58.159 at that and go, I don't know, feels a little 201 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.320 bit like wrestling or something like where they're just it's 202 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:04.519 a little bit artificial because they're not really playing a 203 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:07.519 whole game. They're only playing on one side of the court. 204 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:08.879 That makes any sense. 205 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:11.320 Also, I noticed this last night because it's funny you 206 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:14.480 referenced Nick's Pacers. They played each other last night, and 207 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:16.639 I was watching and flipping back and forth. I was 208 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:18.960 watching the utes and Byu both tipped at five, and 209 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.879 then checking out Nick's Pacers later on. There's not a 210 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:27.000 lot of urgency in pro basketball until the final five minutes. 211 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:30.799 And when you're watching an NFL game, almost every single 212 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:33.240 play feels like life or death. 213 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:37.080 There's just like, and I don't this is anecdotal. 214 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:40.000 I don't really know how to like where to grasp 215 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:42.320 this issue to say, Okay, it's this or that or whatever. 216 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:47.519 But you know, a lot of possessions Halliburton dribbles the 217 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:49.720 ball down the floor, puts it through his legs three times, 218 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:51.240 takes a step back three and you're kind of like, 219 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:53.960 what are we doing? Yeah, yeah, there's not a lot 220 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:55.679 of urgency possession by possession. 221 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:57.840 No, well, you know what in the NFL two spence, 222 00:10:58.120 --> 00:11:00.480 a lot of the players not everybody know, the big 223 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:05.200 names are are secure and and and they're they're situated 224 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:08.080 you know, financially and and spots on the team. But 225 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:11.559 a lot of the players on NFL teams, you know, 226 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:15.440 don't have the so called guaranteed contracts or the big 227 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:18.039 money deals and and a lot of them are weak 228 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:20.159 to week. I mean, if you don't perform and you 229 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:23.000 don't play your position, you know, you could be you know, 230 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:25.960 the ones obviously that that are publicized, the most of 231 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:30.240 the kickers who miss a crucial kick or two extra 232 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:32.440 points in the game, and you see on on Monday 233 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:36.159 they cut the guy and on Wednesday they're having tryouts 234 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:38.279 for a new guy who's going to be the kicker 235 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.720 on Sunday, you know, And and there's a lot of 236 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.879 the other you know, other players, offensive, defensive linemen, linebackers 237 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:48.240 who some guys have guaranteed contracts, but a lot of 238 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:50.320 them are you know, might be you know, could get 239 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:52.519 cut or they or they they you know, they get hurt, 240 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:54.320 you know, they go on the injury list and you 241 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:56.279 don't see him again. And and I don't know if 242 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:58.679 has anything to do with that, you know, relative to 243 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:03.080 like the NBA where virtually every guy on the roster 244 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.360 has a guaranteed contract, and especially after you know the 245 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:09.600 early January date this year, I think it was January 246 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:12.279 sixth or January eighth or something, which is a guaranteed date. 247 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:15.080 So if you had a non guaranteed contract and you're 248 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.360 on the roster after that date, then your your contract's 249 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:21.080 guarantee for the rest of the year, even if you 250 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:21.639 don't play. 251 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:22.360 A minute, you know. 252 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:25.519 So I don't know. I've always thought there's some problem 253 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:29.919 with that in the NBA, where there's too much quote 254 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:33.399 free money and nobody really has to go out and 255 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:39.320 earn it per se. Once they get it and you 256 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:42.879 know it, and there's something to the sense of urgency 257 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:46.039 that if I don't perform tonight and I don't I 258 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:48.399 don't play hard, and I don't dive on the floor, 259 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:50.200 and I don't step in and try and take a 260 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:53.039 charge or whatever it is, that I may not be 261 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.480 on the team on Friday. You know, that's a that's 262 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:58.960 not a feeling, you know, because you know, you know, 263 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:01.200 even if they let you go, oh they don't like 264 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:03.720 you for whatever reason, you're not playing well whatever, Well, 265 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:05.879 I made it past the guarantee date, So I'm getting 266 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:07.440 my mind in your mind, all that kind of thing. 267 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.159 So I don't know if there's something to that that 268 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:13.320 all those a link together and people are going, yeah, well, 269 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:15.000 these guys are getting paid a lot of money and 270 00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:17.399 they don't really look like they're playing hard. I don't 271 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:19.720 know why I should invest my time in that. 272 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:24.519 Yeah, No, some good points, all right. I was excited 273 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:25.679 to have you in because I wanted to talk to 274 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.679 about this dynamic. And I this is going to be 275 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:31.519 a very loose parallel because I don't think there's anything 276 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.039 where we can be entirely analogous. 277 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.679 But follow me for a second. So Lakers are in town. 278 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.399 And I obviously it has been a crazy news cycle 279 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:47.519 surrounding the decisions made by roster constructions in pro basketball 280 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:51.159 to do some things that feel a little bit unprecedented 281 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:53.720 to me and feel a little bit noteworthy, if I 282 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:57.879 could use a jazz phrase. Patrick Dumont is the part 283 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.559 of the new ownership group in Dallas, and it's been 284 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:03.039 a rough week for our guy. He walked into a 285 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:07.480 Mavericks home game to a tremendously loud chorus of booze, 286 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:09.480 and he turned to a security guard and he said, 287 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:10.360 are they booing me? 288 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:12.120 And he said, yes they are. 289 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:15.879 Nico Harrison has been kind of revealed as like the 290 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.399 rogue decision maker here that is behind the Luka Doncits 291 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.759 decision because he simply didn't believe, as you outlined last 292 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:26.120 week in his off court habits. And do you want 293 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:28.240 to invest three hundred and fifty five million dollars in 294 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:30.279 a player who you don't think takes care of himself. 295 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:32.840 We've been all over the things, over all the things. 296 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:36.960 This is a decision that could cost Nico's job, and 297 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.879 it feels like it is already costing Dallas a tremendous 298 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:42.399 amount of goodwill in that community. 299 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:44.679 Can you recall, whether. 300 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.080 It was Scottie or whether it was Kevin or Dennis, 301 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:50.240 a personnel decision that you guys had to make as 302 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:54.840 a front office where you went, Okay, here we go. 303 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:59.200 We just made a call on Darren or whatever, and 304 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:02.159 now it's on. Now it's it's it's gonna be on 305 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:03.639 us as to whether or not this works out. Is 306 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:06.159 there anything that even comes to mind as far as 307 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:08.679 the same type of heat they're kind of facing in Dallas, Well, 308 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:09.039 first of. 309 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:12.120 All, you know, the the the profile of the players 310 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:15.080 involved in this, this Dallas Laker trade was you know, 311 00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:17.320 was at the top of the heap. So that's that. 312 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:21.279 That's the first thing. The secondly, you know, these these 313 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:24.360 aren't unusual, and we've talked about that before Spence too, 314 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:28.480 and across across all sporting lines. Whether it's a Babe 315 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:30.799 Ruth or whether it's a Wayne Gretzky, or whether it's 316 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:33.720 a Wilt Chamberlain, you know, whoever it is. You know, 317 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.519 these guys have all been traded, These things have happened before. 318 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:40.919 The thing that that that I don't I you know, 319 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.679 if I was the guy overseeing and I was just 320 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:46.799 you know, you know, waving a magic wand whatever that means. 321 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:50.799 You know, in this scenario, I would I would advise 322 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:56.200 Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont to instead of running away 323 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:59.600 from what's going on. In other words, Nico doesn't show 324 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:03.039 up in his usual seat for the game, He doesn't 325 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:05.559 show up for the first game after the trade. You know, 326 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:08.720 wasn't there at all. You know that to me, if 327 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:11.360 I'm a fan, I look at that and go, okay 328 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.519 that that even makes me a little more you know, 329 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:17.440 upset about this or there's something else you know that. 330 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:20.360 I'm like, I would rather see them turn around and 331 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:23.799 do just the opposite, just hit it head on, you know. 332 00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:28.240 And and I was just saying to to James Peterson 333 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:30.679 before we came on the air, Hey, if I was them, 334 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:32.679 i'd say, hey, you know what we should do. We 335 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:36.120 should have we should have a town hall meeting tomorrow 336 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:39.279 at noon. Anybody who's upset at this, come on down, 337 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:42.279 let's go, you know. And you know you you guys 338 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:44.799 pay the bills, you guys are investing in this, like us. 339 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:48.000 We'll answer the questions. Now. If I get a question 340 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:51.399 and I don't feel like, you know, revealing you know, 341 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:54.759 corporate you know, secrets or or things that I think, 342 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:56.919 you know should stay in the house, then I'll say so. 343 00:16:57.000 --> 00:16:59.720 But I'm going to give you the opportunity to vent 344 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.559 to me and for us to talk it through, and 345 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:05.440 to give you, you know, as much as I can the 346 00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:08.119 rationale of why, you know, we don't just do this. 347 00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:10.960 I mean, you know, if I'm if I'm playing Nico 348 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:13.920 Harrison for a minute, I don't just wake up in 349 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.480 the middle of the night and say, hey, I think 350 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:16.920 it's a good idea if we get rid of one 351 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.680 of the best players in the league, and I'm not 352 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:22.920 gonna tell anybody why we're just gonna do it Like 353 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:25.799 that doesn't really wash with a lot of people. So 354 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.160 you know, you have to explain to people. You know, 355 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.279 you don't explain all of your business, obviously, but you 356 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:34.640 tell people as much as you can about this process. 357 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:37.880 And you have to ask people to think for a minute, 358 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:40.519 to step back and say, do you think we would 359 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:45.240 trade a top five player who's not even in his 360 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:48.759 prime yet age wise, who's performing the way he has 361 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:52.599 performed so far for us for for just just to 362 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.839 do it and just to get a different look on 363 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:58.759 our team. I mean, I hope you think that we 364 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.839 have more than that in our substance in making these 365 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.000 decisions to to to be able to exercise something that 366 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:09.960 we know is going to be difficult, you know, to 367 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.599 deal with. You know, we didn't think this was just 368 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:14.920 going to go in a twenty four hour news cycle 369 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.279 and then everybody's onto the next thing. And so, you know, 370 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.799 give us some credit or at least have some substance 371 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:27.160 to thinking that that there's a rationale, there's some reasoning 372 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:31.000 behind why we would make such a move, you know, 373 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.799 in the benefit of our organization, of you, our fans. 374 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.640 That's that's where our responsibility is. And I would just 375 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.000 hit it head on, you know, in that regard, because 376 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:42.319 that's usually if you look in the pass in any 377 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.640 scenario of this nature spence where there's an uproar, But 378 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.400 any decision is it a sports decision, is it a 379 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:51.440 governmental decision? Is it something you know that affects our 380 00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:54.680 culture or our life. People who are in those positions 381 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:59.039 that when times when they've just faced the music head 382 00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:01.680 on and took it on and said, hey, let's go, 383 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:04.440 let's go, what do you got, Let's talk it out 384 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:07.160 and and and do that. Most of the time people 385 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:10.240 go yeah, but what if what if this thing? And 386 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.960 you go, well, you know, because of A B and 387 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:17.279 C whatever and and and then you find out people realize, okay, 388 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.799 I don't know, you know, and and but they but 389 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.880 they start backing down because they understand that you're in 390 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:26.400 a difficult position and you wouldn't make a decision like 391 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:33.200 this unless you actually felt somewhere that this made sense, uh, 392 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:36.359 for the for the overall business that were running. You know, 393 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:40.079 whether you understand what those things are or you don't. 394 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:42.960 I can communicate some of them to you. Some of 395 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.519 them I might not be able to, but at least 396 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:48.640 rationally look at it, you know, for what it is, 397 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:52.160 instead of trying to find you know, some underbelly or 398 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:54.400 some you know some you know, there's got to be 399 00:19:54.440 --> 00:19:57.680 some secret thing that's going on that nobody's telling us, 400 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:01.279 you know whatever. And you know, it's just I think people. 401 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:05.759 You have to give people credit, you know, for trying 402 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:11.039 to help you to overall understand what this overall situation is. 403 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.119 If that makes sense sense, yeah, it does. I just 404 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.240 don't personally see the rationale. 405 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:16.400 Now. 406 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:20.079 Bob Myers made a really compelling point because about an 407 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:22.440 hour after the trade was announced, he was on the 408 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:27.240 dais for the NBA on ESPN coverage and he said, look, 409 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:31.200 I'm not saying that Anthony Davis is Luca, but what 410 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.839 I am saying is peak Anthony Davis and peak Luka 411 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:36.519 doncis if you can get like a seven game healthy 412 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:39.880 peak Anthony Davis, he is still one of the elite 413 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:43.000 talents in all of the lead. Well, he affects the game, yes, yes, 414 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:45.279 and so now the problem is he's hurt now and 415 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:47.200 he might be shelved for four or five weeks and 416 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.440 so as we react to what's in the moment. If 417 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:54.000 you're Nico Harrison, the worst case scenario happened where he's hurt, 418 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:58.799 and so even you know if he's able to come 419 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:01.599 back and at some point maybe make a difference in 420 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:03.599 the postseason. Where we are in the news cycle right 421 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:06.359 now is these guys are getting killed. The only thing 422 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:08.839 I could think of is when Kevin decided to trade Darren, 423 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:10.680 as far as trying to be analogous here in the 424 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:14.079 market now, the circumstances were much different, and that's what 425 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:16.960 I think confuses a lot of people, because Darren and 426 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:20.200 Jerry had their thing, and so Kevin had Jerry's back 427 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:21.480 and said, we don't want this male content. 428 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.720 We're gonna hit the reset button. 429 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.880 There are no indications like it's been interesting seeing the 430 00:21:27.880 --> 00:21:30.960 look on Jason Kidd's face whenever he's been front facing 431 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.799 he didn't do me the other night. I would be 432 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:35.920 very curious to hear what Jason Kidd had to say 433 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:38.000 in a very honest moment about as a coach losing 434 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:41.519 a guy like that. But this is different because it 435 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:44.240 doesn't appear that Luca had issues with a coach or 436 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:47.720 his teammates. From what we know, this was a executive 437 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.480 making a decision almost on his own. But Kevin never 438 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:53.960 struck me as a monolith, right. You guys were very 439 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:57.680 upfront office. They would communicate together and come up with ideas. 440 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:00.319 Did you guys feel the heat when you just added 441 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:01.200 to do the Darren thing? 442 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:04.559 No, you know, I it was a different set of 443 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:07.720 circumstance because I think the I think the general Jazz 444 00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:13.799 fan uh back at that time, if you remember, had 445 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:19.000 the had the the blow up between Darren, Darren Williams 446 00:22:19.079 --> 00:22:23.400 and and Jerry Sloan and the prompted you know, Jerry 447 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:29.359 to to to step down and resign. And then uh, 448 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:33.599 shortly after that, Kevin made the move, you know, to 449 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:36.359 trade Darren because he thought that was in He also 450 00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:41.640 thought it was in the again similar to the d 451 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:46.039 Aaron Fox situation Sacramento a few weeks ago, where Fox 452 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.359 came out and said, you know it didn't say directly, 453 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:53.920 but but there were all indications internally that he's gonna 454 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.720 he's not gonna come back here when he's a free agent. Right, 455 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:00.160 whether it's Aaron Fox, that was the so called scut 456 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:04.400 But with Donovan Mitchell, I'm not sure if that was 457 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:09.519 if that was totally uh accurate or or or a truism. 458 00:23:09.559 --> 00:23:13.000 But that's that that that's what the general perception was, 459 00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:16.039 uh with Darren. With Darren Williams, it was the same 460 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:19.119 similar type thing. We don't know if Darren Williams is 461 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:21.839 gonna come back when he's a free agent in a 462 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:25.160 year and a half, and so let's you know, we 463 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:30.640 we we put that together with the discord or whatever's 464 00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:34.039 going on, you know with uh with coach Sloan and 465 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:36.400 that kind of stuff, and you go, okay, you know, 466 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:39.599 maybe it makes sense to to do something now, you know, 467 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:42.720 while your value is high and in terms of that 468 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:48.039 that player. But but again, Spence, uh, Kevin, Kevin O'Connor, 469 00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:50.920 you know, did I wouldn't say exactly the same because 470 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:53.559 I obviously I wasn't wasn't in the room, you know, 471 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:55.880 with Nico Harrison and and and and all that stuff. 472 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:59.559 But but but Kevin, you know, in a similar fashion, 473 00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:04.640 did you know, handled it and kind of the same 474 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:08.240 framework that Nico Harrison did with Darren Williams. He didn't 475 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.920 tell any of us what was going on in his 476 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:13.680 in our so called in their circle whatever that was. 477 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:16.519 You know, I didn't know what was happening. You know, 478 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:21.400 Kevin did it with his good friend Billy King, who 479 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:23.519 was the general manager in New Jersey Nets at the time. 480 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:28.240 They had worked together in Philadelphia ten years earlier, become 481 00:24:28.359 --> 00:24:31.920 very good friends, very good colleagues. They felt they could 482 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:35.160 trust each other in terms of doing some kind of 483 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:37.759 a deal that didn't get out in the media, Allah 484 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.759 the Jimmy Butler Miami Heat type thing. And and they 485 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.759 they they put a package together and discussed it. And 486 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:49.680 then Kevin went to you know, the Miller family and said, hey, 487 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:51.559 I think you know, for reasons A, B and C, 488 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:55.000 this is this is a good time to make a 489 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:58.079 move like this, even though it's our best player and 490 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:00.720 it's going to hurt us in the short term, but 491 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:03.000 I think it'll help us somewhere down the line in 492 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:06.359 the long term. Okay, the Miller's bought bought into that. Okay. 493 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:08.519 And I'm sitting in my office on the day that 494 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:11.759 they know it was leaked, and I see a scroll 495 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:14.319 on the TV in my office that says, you know, 496 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:17.480 breaking news, Darren Williams traded. You know, I'm going, what 497 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:19.960 is that, you know whatever? And then and then Kevin 498 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:23.279 literally like, walked through my office. I said, Hey, when 499 00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:25.039 is this thing on the on the on the TV. 500 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.720 And he looks and he goes, oh, is that out already? 501 00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:30.119 And I looked at him, I said, is that a 502 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:34.160 real thing? He goes, yeah, you know, typical Kevin fashion. 503 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:37.279 He shrugged and then kept walking. You know, So now 504 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:38.960 I got to go chase him down the hallway into 505 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:42.440 his office. What's going on whatever? And you know, but 506 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:44.400 he did a similar thing where he played it close 507 00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:45.880 to the vest because he didn't want to be in 508 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:47.920 the public, didn't want to have to deal with media 509 00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:50.200 and and all that kind of stuff in a similar 510 00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:53.599 fashion what happened with Dallas and Lakers last week. And 511 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:57.720 sometimes front office people in those decision making roles will 512 00:25:57.799 --> 00:26:01.640 will handle things in a particular away because they feel 513 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:05.559 that's the best way to handle it with the least 514 00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:08.880 amount of noise going on around it, and it doesn't 515 00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:12.240 really affect, you know, the decision making process that they're 516 00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:12.799 going through. 517 00:26:13.799 --> 00:26:17.279 Lebron James Luka, Doncic rolling to town and I the 518 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:19.720 LA Lakers taking on the Utah Jazz. We got Richard 519 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:25.119 Smith live in studio for one more big segment. All right, smitty, 520 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:27.400 thirty games left for the Jazz. I think a lot 521 00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:29.839 of people that don't maybe file the league closely feel 522 00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:32.039 like the All Star break is the halfway point. It's 523 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:34.799 very much not past halfway point, about two and a 524 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:38.119 half three weeks ago, So thirty games left for the 525 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:41.880 Jazz and the Lakers come into town tonight, and you know, 526 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:45.119 it's It's interesting a lot of the national guests that 527 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.720 we have on to talk Pro Basketball, some of them 528 00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:50.240 will text me before the interview, like, dude, I got 529 00:26:50.279 --> 00:26:52.440 nothing on the Jazz, so just like you don't ask 530 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:56.240 me about it. And with this entire boom of the 531 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:00.319 media attention surrounding Luca and Lebron, I've listened into a 532 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:02.319 lot of podcasts, watch a lot of coverage, and they 533 00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:04.119 all say the same thing, like, well, we can't learn 534 00:27:04.119 --> 00:27:06.200 anything about them yet because they're only playing the Jazz, 535 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:09.839 not a serious team about winning this year. With thirty 536 00:27:09.880 --> 00:27:12.599 games left, what would you say to Jazz fans about 537 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:15.599 some takeaways you've had that are positive that they can 538 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:19.119 just kind of latch onto. If there's anything there to 539 00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:21.200 indicate that this thing is moving in the right direction. 540 00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:27.200 Well, that's it's a difficult question. Spence because there hasn't 541 00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:29.160 been a lot. I mean, to be honest. You know, 542 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:33.200 they're in the third year of this tear down, rebuild, reboot, 543 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:39.160 whatever however you label it. Their overall team defense hasn't 544 00:27:39.160 --> 00:27:45.440 gotten any better, hasn't gotten appreciably better. Whether that's by schematics, 545 00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:48.920 whether that's coaching, whether that's the players who aren't aren't 546 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:53.119 executing what the coaches want, whatever it is, it hasn't 547 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:59.480 gotten anybody. There's still a bottom five defensive team. Lowry 548 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:02.880 markin you know, had a very good first year with 549 00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:06.720 the Jazz, obviously played to an all star level. He's 550 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:08.640 gone down a little bit. You know. Some of that 551 00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:10.799 I think is just because he's he doesn't have a 552 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:13.599 good team around him, and so there's you know, the 553 00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:15.720 other teams are leaning on him a little bit. But 554 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:18.920 how about this little little tidbit, which is which is 555 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:24.119 interesting more than anything that that's really helpful to the cause. 556 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:28.200 But John Collins through you know, two thirds of the season, 557 00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:30.160 after they play these two games, it will really be 558 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:32.799 two thirds of the way through the season. John Collins 559 00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:37.400 is playing close to a one eighty clip. He's shooting 560 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:40.000 over fifty from the floor, he's shooting forty four from 561 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:43.200 three and eighty seven from the line, so he's almost 562 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.559 close to you know, you know, touching up on that 563 00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:50.440 that fifty forty ninety line that we talked about Lowry 564 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:54.440 markin and last year, you know, touching. John Collins is 565 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:56.480 playing a fishing now. He hasn't played a lot of games. 566 00:28:56.759 --> 00:28:58.559 He's been out a bunch of games. He's been out 567 00:28:58.599 --> 00:29:01.880 like fourteen to fifteen games. He's only started half the 568 00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:05.880 games that the Jazz have played. But the other guy 569 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:09.480 who's been playing very efficiently and is out currently with 570 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:13.240 an ankle injury is Colin Sexton, who's played very well, 571 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:17.960 and again he's played much more efficiently than Lowry market Is. 572 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:20.440 If you look at their numbers, you know, Sexton to 573 00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:23.799 market In, you know, field goal percentage forty eight to 574 00:29:23.920 --> 00:29:28.720 forty two, three point percentage forty one to thirty five, 575 00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:32.480 field goal free throw percentage eighty nine to eighty six. 576 00:29:32.599 --> 00:29:35.839 I mean, Colin Sexton has played very efficiently, very well. 577 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:38.880 So he's he's played better this year. So he's a 578 00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:41.640 guy that I'm excited to see if they hold on 579 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:44.720 to him in the offseason, because I think he can 580 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:49.559 really continue to play well and play efficiently. He's really 581 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:54.319 grown into his game and his body and the way 582 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:59.519 he plays aggressively on the court. Walker Kessler has shown 583 00:29:59.559 --> 00:30:02.720 to me that that he's a he's a rim protector, 584 00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.440 he's a natural rebounder. He's a guy who can who 585 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:10.400 can uh can get you a double digital rebounds. He's 586 00:30:10.440 --> 00:30:14.200 gonna average a double double. I think he's never gonna 587 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:15.960 be a great score, but he's gonna be able to 588 00:30:15.960 --> 00:30:19.799 get mop up points and easy rim runs and stuff 589 00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:22.160 like that. And you know, I think he'll always be 590 00:30:22.359 --> 00:30:25.319 like a you know, a twelve and twelve type guy. 591 00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:27.480 And then if he can average a couple of block shots, 592 00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:31.200 I think he's someone who's who's a keeper for them 593 00:30:31.640 --> 00:30:34.359 with marking in with maybe sext and how they see that. 594 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:37.839 John Collins again, never been a big John Collins fan, 595 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:41.119 but he's played, he's played better this year. He's got 596 00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:43.920 a year left on his contract, which is a big 597 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:46.400 number of twenty six for really for what he does. 598 00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:49.319 But John Collins is also the same age as Lowry Markin. 599 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:52.359 He's not an old guy. You know, he came in young. 600 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:56.559 So so these are guys that that you think they 601 00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:58.640 I don't know if the lall be with them, you know, 602 00:30:58.759 --> 00:31:02.119 next year, but I think they're guys who can be 603 00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:05.920 guys that that that are somewhat of a foundation. Now 604 00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:08.799 you still have to have a couple of these young 605 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:13.039 guys show up. The one guy who's who's played better, Uh, 606 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:16.519 still don't know if I really like his game that much, 607 00:31:16.680 --> 00:31:21.680 but he has improved somewhat in this these first fifty 608 00:31:21.720 --> 00:31:27.240 games is Isaiah Collier. You know, he's he's a natural passer. 609 00:31:28.680 --> 00:31:32.119 Sometimes he gets too deep into the defense, into the 610 00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:36.119 paint and then and predetermines where he's gonna throw the pass, 611 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:39.759 and and and he's turned over prone that way. But 612 00:31:39.880 --> 00:31:44.039 he's he's really looks like he's got a good feel 613 00:31:44.599 --> 00:31:46.880 early in off in the offense to to where the 614 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:48.559 ball is supposed to be. And the other thing I 615 00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:51.119 like about him is that he'll get it and he'll 616 00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:54.960 push it aggressively from free throw line to free throw line. 617 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:58.000 So instead of walking it up like Kant George does 618 00:31:58.599 --> 00:32:02.079 and and saunter into an offense, Collier will really push 619 00:32:02.119 --> 00:32:05.480 it and he'll he'll he'll he'll uh make a quick 620 00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:08.400 speed pass to somebody up ahead to try and get 621 00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:11.960 something early, and that's what I just like that mindset that, 622 00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:14.119 you know, trying to push it, push it, to be 623 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:17.839 aggressive that way. He's a young guy. He's two years 624 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:21.160 removed from high school, so he's got a ways to go. 625 00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:26.000 But I like some of his natural tendencies when he 626 00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:28.559 has the ball in his hand to get it to teammates. 627 00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:32.960 That that Now, his issue, obviously is he can't shoot, 628 00:32:33.160 --> 00:32:36.480 and so does that get appreciably better or at least 629 00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:41.160 better enough that that he can stay in the lineup 630 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:43.960 and stay on the floor late in games and make 631 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:46.799 some things happen. But I like his game a little bit. 632 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:50.599 It's growing on me a little bit. But a lot 633 00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:52.599 of the other guys, you know, the jury sort, and 634 00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:55.000 I'm not sure how many of them, if any of them, 635 00:32:55.039 --> 00:32:57.000 will be be here long term. 636 00:32:57.079 --> 00:32:59.480 So let's, uh, let's take into call here a little 637 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:02.000 bit more, because I agree with you there are a 638 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:05.559 lot of things to like seven plus or seven games 639 00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:08.559 with ten plus assists. No Jazz rookie's ever done that. 640 00:33:09.480 --> 00:33:09.680 Now. 641 00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:11.480 I'm sure John could have pulled that off if he 642 00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:13.000 played a little bit more as a rookie. He was 643 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:16.880 behind Rocky Green. But you reference the splits the shooting splits. 644 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:20.319 He's twenty one percent from three. So it's not like, yeah, 645 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:22.359 he can't really shoot it. No, he can't shoot it 646 00:33:22.440 --> 00:33:26.279 at all. But there are some things about him that 647 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:30.559 are in eight that he has that I wasn't sure 648 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:33.680 that would translate to pro basketball because we didn't see 649 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:36.400 a ton of him in college and only saw one year. 650 00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:39.920 And your point, it's important to reiterate two years out 651 00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:42.200 of high school is he's a puppy. I mean, he's 652 00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:45.720 so young, but there are some things that he has 653 00:33:45.880 --> 00:33:48.599 that you can't necessarily teach. And then there are some 654 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:51.799 things that he has to work on, namely shooting. If 655 00:33:51.839 --> 00:33:55.119 he puts in the work. Okay, tap into your knowledge 656 00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:57.880 forty plus years you know with the Jazz, do you 657 00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:59.920 have a success story that we can point to. 658 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:01.079 He was a young player that. 659 00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:03.880 I mean, I can remember Carl as a rookie shooting 660 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:05.480 free throws and you're like, dude, just hit the rim, 661 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:07.079 so maybe we can get the rebound. He turned into 662 00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:09.880 a seventy five percent free throw shooter. Yeah, you can 663 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:12.280 learn to shoot it, right, Like you think Isaiah can 664 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:15.159 learn to be a thirty five percent three point shooter. 665 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:19.400 Well, yeah, time will tell I don't know what kind 666 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:21.599 of a worker he is. I don't know if he's 667 00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:25.159 a guy who's determined to do that. You know. Again, 668 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:28.639 you know, we'll we'll see that bear itself out as 669 00:34:28.679 --> 00:34:32.599 we go forward. The one thing about him, he's got 670 00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:37.039 elite speed. When he gets the ball out of bounds, 671 00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:40.000 he can really push it, and he can really push 672 00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:43.360 it quickly. And he also has a great, a great 673 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:46.559 first step when he gets the ball in a half 674 00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:49.440 court offense, and he sees that he has a slight 675 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:52.719 advantage on his guy, he can really he can put 676 00:34:52.760 --> 00:34:55.719 it on the floor and he can get two steps 677 00:34:56.199 --> 00:34:59.920 really quickly right to the dotted line. And then he 678 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:02.360 he's got that powerful body. He's got like a Marcus 679 00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:06.840 Smart type body, and so he can he can get it. 680 00:35:06.920 --> 00:35:11.360 He can get it with speed. He sees the floor. Uh, 681 00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:14.960 he's gotta he's gotta smooth out those rough edges. Will 682 00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:20.960 he ever be a serviceable shooter? Okay, Well, we'll see that. 683 00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:23.960 That was also a concern with Marcus Smart when he 684 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:27.440 came into the league. And obviously he made himself into 685 00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:30.719 a bona fide uh A player in this league, and 686 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:32.920 and and obviously was a Defensive Player of the Year 687 00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:37.039 a couple of years ago. You know, this kid has 688 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:42.039 the chance to be something like that with his innate 689 00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:47.320 speed feel for the game. Now, can he can he 690 00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:50.320 smooth out the other the other parts of his game 691 00:35:50.440 --> 00:35:54.119 to make him himself more valuable in someone who gets 692 00:35:54.599 --> 00:35:58.000 more extended time as he goes along. But but he's 693 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:00.719 a guy who I would I would if I was 694 00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:03.599 a fan, I'd be keeping an eye on to see 695 00:36:03.679 --> 00:36:08.199 how he improves because he has the body and he 696 00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:12.480 has some of the innate of athleticism that you need 697 00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:17.199 in this league as a lead guard to have some success. 698 00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:20.960 Can he can he grow into that three years from 699 00:36:20.960 --> 00:36:24.840 now when he's twenty three years old? Is he appreciably 700 00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:27.639 better and is he one of the guys you're counting on. 701 00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:30.320 That's one of the things that you want to take 702 00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:31.000 into account. 703 00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:33.039 Yeah, it's tough, man, you know. 704 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:35.440 It really is tough to make this team interesting when 705 00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:37.639 they're not trying to win, and even the people to 706 00:36:37.679 --> 00:36:39.920 cover them day to day are just kind of doing 707 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:42.039 everything they possibly can to try to come up with 708 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:45.039 topics that are interesting. I do think there's some things 709 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:47.639 to like about Isaiah. I do think Walker has shown 710 00:36:47.679 --> 00:36:50.880 a very real step forward. It was tough to see 711 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:52.639 Taylor Hendrix go down. It would have been nice to 712 00:36:52.679 --> 00:36:57.280 analyze his growth. The rookie year of Cody Williams. Okay, 713 00:36:57.320 --> 00:37:00.199 now Cody's had some injury issues. I'm pulling up. There's 714 00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:03.880 numbers right now. So Cody right now has played in 715 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:05.079 twenty seven games. 716 00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:06.039 He started twelve. 717 00:37:06.920 --> 00:37:08.800 You know, when you pick a guy in the top ten, 718 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:10.480 I just think you hope it looks a little bit 719 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:12.840 better than it has. I know he's had some moments 720 00:37:12.840 --> 00:37:15.719 in the G League, but you know, as we're trying 721 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:17.719 to analyze who these young players are, whether or not 722 00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:19.800 they can be part of winning basketball, we've got to 723 00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:22.679 talk about these rookies. I mean, do you think behind 724 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:24.960 closed doors they're a little bit concerned even though he 725 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:26.039 is still just a kid. 726 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:31.159 Yeah, you know, I don't know's that's that's hard to say, 727 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:34.920 just because of you know, without being there every day 728 00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:38.000 and being in practice, being in film sessions, talking to 729 00:37:38.039 --> 00:37:40.840 those guys one on one to get a real feel 730 00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:44.320 for who they are, what their mindset is, what their 731 00:37:45.320 --> 00:37:49.079 what their desires are to be a top level professional, 732 00:37:50.199 --> 00:37:53.719 It's hard to say for me this year for Cody 733 00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:58.519 Williams has been a washout. He's he's been a bust 734 00:37:59.559 --> 00:38:03.760 for me as far as showing any kind of potential. 735 00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:08.039 You know, he's long, he's thin, okay whatever you know, 736 00:38:08.159 --> 00:38:10.800 So what does that mean? You know? And uh uh 737 00:38:10.920 --> 00:38:13.800 you know my old colleague and and and obviously one 738 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:16.360 of the one of you guys on on the radio 739 00:38:16.360 --> 00:38:19.760 station here weekly or coach Cheesa, you know, would always 740 00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:22.079 would always come back with, you know, if you brought 741 00:38:22.119 --> 00:38:24.519 up a guy that that he didn't he didn't like, 742 00:38:24.840 --> 00:38:27.400 or question about what he could what he could do 743 00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:29.440 to help you, he'd always come back with just this 744 00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:33.800 three word question, which was always very salient, you know, 745 00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:37.320 as succinct as it could be. You'd bring up a 746 00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:41.440 guy and you'd say Cody Williams, Gordy, Cody, Cody Williams. 747 00:38:41.480 --> 00:38:45.400 He'd go to do what do what? Yeah? To do what? 748 00:38:46.280 --> 00:38:49.679 You know? And and that's what I would say about him. 749 00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:52.280 You know, somebody brings him up, I go to do what? 750 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:53.159 You know? 751 00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:54.000 What does he do? 752 00:38:54.519 --> 00:38:56.840 You know, he doesn't guard anybody, He doesn't use that 753 00:38:57.000 --> 00:39:01.360 length athleticism, he doesn't hasn't shown any toughness, He doesn't 754 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:04.519 have any kind of offensive game that he could go to, 755 00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:07.639 whether it's a dribbled drive game and use his athleticism 756 00:39:08.039 --> 00:39:10.800 to get up and over guys and do that or 757 00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:13.719 around guys with quickness, or can't shoot it over the 758 00:39:13.719 --> 00:39:15.280 top of guy. You know, I don't know what he does. 759 00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:18.480 So so this has been an interesting year for him. 760 00:39:19.239 --> 00:39:21.639 I think he I would I would label it as 761 00:39:21.639 --> 00:39:26.880 a disappointment myself. I don't know what they see in 762 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:30.480 him going forward. If if it's just he has to 763 00:39:30.519 --> 00:39:34.199 get his mindset, he has to get some toughness, he 764 00:39:34.280 --> 00:39:37.519 has to get some strength his body, He has to 765 00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:40.280 get a skill level up. Although you know, for me, 766 00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:42.920 for him on that if you're grading him out on 767 00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:46.000 a on a report card, you know, all those things 768 00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:48.880 are things that he has to get better at or 769 00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:51.920 he's not gonna, you know, graduate to the next class. 770 00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:54.559 You know, that's that's just the way it is. And 771 00:39:54.639 --> 00:39:57.320 so you know, they have quite a few of those 772 00:39:57.360 --> 00:40:00.719 guys for me, but he's one that sticks out that 773 00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:02.920 you go, yeah, he just to me, it looks psych 774 00:40:03.039 --> 00:40:05.960 he's you know, not sure what he's doing out there 775 00:40:06.119 --> 00:40:08.760 and doesn't doesn't play with a lot of confidence and 776 00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:11.480 doesn't play with anyway. You know, like Collier, he makes 777 00:40:11.480 --> 00:40:13.840 a mistake, okay, throws up in the fourth throw whatever, 778 00:40:14.199 --> 00:40:17.920 But he plays with a certain amount of confidence and toughness, 779 00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:22.280 at least offensively aggressiveness, I should say. But Cody Williams 780 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:24.880 for me is uh is a is a big, big 781 00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:26.440 question mark, all right. 782 00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:29.000 I just look, there's just nothing to talk about with 783 00:40:29.079 --> 00:40:32.079 the rest of the roster. They're not serious about winning. 784 00:40:32.159 --> 00:40:33.559 We all know what time it is, we all know 785 00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:35.639 what they're trying to do. It makes it really challenging 786 00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:38.840 day to day to try to even make it somewhat fascinating. 787 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:41.360 Jazz fans continue to show up. Jazz fans rule, and 788 00:40:41.400 --> 00:40:43.840 I think the building will be packed tonight. But when 789 00:40:43.840 --> 00:40:46.360 it comes to what JJ Reddick has now at his disposal, 790 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:49.559 I was listening to JJ's media after the Jazz game 791 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:51.960 and then he did some media I want to say 792 00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:55.320 it was yesterday maybe after practice. Made a point that 793 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:58.519 with their roster now, the third best defender on the 794 00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:02.840 opposing team asterguard Offs Reeves. Now Austin is not Luca Lebron, 795 00:41:02.880 --> 00:41:04.920 but he's a good player. You can run stuff through 796 00:41:04.920 --> 00:41:07.960 Austin Reeves. He's a capable ball handler, he passes it 797 00:41:07.960 --> 00:41:10.320 pretty well, and when he gets going, he can really score. 798 00:41:11.119 --> 00:41:15.679 But obviously the headline is Lebron and it's Luca. How 799 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:17.360 do you think this is going to work? And what 800 00:41:17.400 --> 00:41:19.679 do you think JJ is going to try to implement 801 00:41:19.719 --> 00:41:22.559 to make sure because they now have the opportunity to 802 00:41:22.599 --> 00:41:25.000 play forty eight minutes of pro basketball with either Luka, 803 00:41:25.039 --> 00:41:28.280 Doncic or Lebron James. I still think Oklahoma City is 804 00:41:28.280 --> 00:41:30.360 head and shoulders above everybody. I will not bury the 805 00:41:30.400 --> 00:41:32.280 Denver Nuggets, even though a lot of people have. Jamal 806 00:41:32.360 --> 00:41:33.920 Murray's been better as of late, but they have the 807 00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:36.679 best player on the planet, Nicola Jokic. But when it 808 00:41:36.679 --> 00:41:39.320 comes to what JJ Reddick has at his disposal, Jazz 809 00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:40.559 fans going to the game, what do you what do 810 00:41:40.639 --> 00:41:43.119 you think this Laker attack is going to look like 811 00:41:43.559 --> 00:41:46.480 right away? And what's best case as far as what 812 00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:47.760 it looks like when it's fully baked? 813 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:51.519 Well, I think that you know it's you know, they 814 00:41:51.519 --> 00:41:54.519 have two and a half guys. If you're talking about 815 00:41:54.599 --> 00:41:59.480 being a serious contender, whether it's donc James and Austin Reads. Why, 816 00:41:59.480 --> 00:42:03.239 I like, you know, Austin Reeves is a beneficiarya of 817 00:42:03.440 --> 00:42:06.559 having played with two great players so far in his 818 00:42:06.599 --> 00:42:10.119 career in Davis and James. Now he's playing with James 819 00:42:10.119 --> 00:42:12.880 and Doncic and so he gets to do some things 820 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:15.320 and maybe he's you know, if he's with the jazz team, 821 00:42:15.760 --> 00:42:19.039 I don't think he's as effective because he'd be asked 822 00:42:19.119 --> 00:42:21.639 to do too many things that he's not used to 823 00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:24.519 doing at a high volume level. But but I like 824 00:42:24.840 --> 00:42:27.559 the way he plays. I liked him at Oklahoma. You know, 825 00:42:27.719 --> 00:42:30.760 he played well, you know in college, was an all 826 00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:33.559 around kind of guy. But he's a guy who who 827 00:42:33.679 --> 00:42:36.599 plays off of the strengths of his teammates. And he's 828 00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:40.280 been playing with a couple of great teammates, you know 829 00:42:40.400 --> 00:42:42.760 so far in l A and and that's been switched out. 830 00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:47.320 But we'll see what, you know, how it is going forward. 831 00:42:47.320 --> 00:42:50.320 But they still have a big problem with their roster. 832 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:57.039 You know, Mark Williams. The trade didn't go through, and now, uh, 833 00:42:57.199 --> 00:42:59.559 the other kid just got hurt, you know, the other 834 00:42:59.559 --> 00:43:01.960 big guy that they have the name of Caseman at 835 00:43:01.960 --> 00:43:04.360 the moment with the Lakers, and so now you know 836 00:43:04.400 --> 00:43:08.519 they're they're really down. You know, they're short big guy, 837 00:43:08.920 --> 00:43:11.320 whether it's Jared Vanderbilt is going to try and plug 838 00:43:11.360 --> 00:43:15.639 in there. It's gonna be tough. Their roster is not 839 00:43:15.960 --> 00:43:20.360 very good beyond those guys, and so they they have 840 00:43:20.440 --> 00:43:22.840 to rely when they get to the playoffs. They have 841 00:43:22.920 --> 00:43:26.679 to hope that Doncicic and James are healthy, that Reeves 842 00:43:26.760 --> 00:43:28.960 is healthy, which you know he's been for the most part. 843 00:43:29.360 --> 00:43:32.119 But Doncic and James are gonna be playing, you know, 844 00:43:32.280 --> 00:43:35.920 forty two, forty three, forty four minutes in playoff games. 845 00:43:36.440 --> 00:43:40.360 And we've seen both guys be able to lift their 846 00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:44.960 teams up with the way that they play. And so 847 00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:48.239 I wouldn't put anything past a team that has a 848 00:43:48.280 --> 00:43:52.880 healthy Lebron James on it because he's He's always proven 849 00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:55.280 that he's that good, you know, when the when the 850 00:43:55.440 --> 00:43:59.159 real lights come on. So can they get past Okay, see, 851 00:43:59.239 --> 00:44:02.000 can they get past Memphis, which is a very good 852 00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:04.639 team when they're healthy. Can they get past a healthy 853 00:44:04.719 --> 00:44:09.480 Denver team? You know these guys, these are tough, uh 854 00:44:09.519 --> 00:44:11.599 teams that that are going to give them a lot 855 00:44:11.639 --> 00:44:14.480 of problems. You know, it's Golden State going to be better, 856 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:17.679 uh towards the end of the season, when when Jimmy 857 00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:19.960 Butler gets in in a flow. And if those guys 858 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:23.159 are healthy, you know, with Green and Curry, you know, 859 00:44:23.239 --> 00:44:25.440 can they make some kind of noise in in the 860 00:44:25.599 --> 00:44:28.800 in the playoffs? It's you know, as we always say, Spence, 861 00:44:28.840 --> 00:44:31.639 the old worn out adage, right, the best players best 862 00:44:31.639 --> 00:44:35.039 ability is his availability. And so that's what it comes 863 00:44:35.079 --> 00:44:37.199 down to when you get to the to the playoffs, 864 00:44:37.280 --> 00:44:41.000 is who's who's on the floor, who's healthy and and 865 00:44:41.440 --> 00:44:44.400 can they can they carry a team over a seven 866 00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:48.000 game stretch, you know, in that kind of an atmosphere. 867 00:44:48.119 --> 00:44:51.880 He referenced the Mark Williams trade being rescinded, which meant 868 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:54.880 the Lakers had to tell Dalton Connect they actually liked 869 00:44:54.920 --> 00:44:57.440 them a lot all along. And same thing on the 870 00:44:57.480 --> 00:45:00.280 other side. That has to be a unique challenge when 871 00:45:00.440 --> 00:45:02.400 a trade is done. You were telling a story off 872 00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:05.440 air about the Ronnie Cyclic deal back in the day, yep, 873 00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:08.320 that really, you know, would have given you guys a 874 00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:12.079 very talented center. My understanding of the story is Ronnie 875 00:45:12.119 --> 00:45:14.599 did not want to live in Salt Lake City. What's 876 00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:17.800 it like when the trade is actually consummated and then 877 00:45:17.960 --> 00:45:20.079 for whatever reason it falls apart, then you have to 878 00:45:20.119 --> 00:45:22.000 remind the guy who trade to wait, No, we actually do. 879 00:45:22.079 --> 00:45:24.360 Like you well, you know back then, you know Spence 880 00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:28.000 to refresh memories of our fans. I mean, maybe some 881 00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:31.559 haven't even heard this story. But in ninety eight February 882 00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:35.079 of ninety eight, near the trade deadline, the Jazz decide 883 00:45:35.119 --> 00:45:39.000 to try and get a an offensive threat in the 884 00:45:39.000 --> 00:45:41.760 center position to go along with Karl Malan, John Stockton, 885 00:45:42.199 --> 00:45:45.880 Jeff Horniseck making another push toward a second NBA Finals. 886 00:45:45.960 --> 00:45:48.719 So they got a deal done with Orlando where they 887 00:45:48.840 --> 00:45:55.079 were willing to trade Chris Morris, Greg Foster and a 888 00:45:55.119 --> 00:45:59.280 first round pick to the Orlando Magic for Ronnie Cycally. 889 00:46:00.199 --> 00:46:03.599 Cyclely was an offensive center, was a good player and 890 00:46:03.719 --> 00:46:05.760 would have fit in well with what the Jazz are 891 00:46:05.760 --> 00:46:10.320 doing at that time. And the Jazz in Orlando actually 892 00:46:10.360 --> 00:46:14.119 made the trade. Chris Morris and Greg Foster went to Orlando, 893 00:46:14.599 --> 00:46:18.679 they did their physical, they actually attended an Orlando practice 894 00:46:18.920 --> 00:46:23.360 wild and then they were pulled off the court after practice, 895 00:46:23.880 --> 00:46:28.840 and Ronnie Cyclely was balking about coming, balking about coming, 896 00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:32.159 something about you know, whether he wanted to play here 897 00:46:32.280 --> 00:46:34.880 or he wanted his contract extended, if he was coming 898 00:46:35.280 --> 00:46:38.360 something something, And so finally the trade was just called 899 00:46:38.360 --> 00:46:40.480 off and the parties and Bob said, you know what, 900 00:46:41.159 --> 00:46:44.000 there's too much heavy lifting going on here. We're just 901 00:46:44.039 --> 00:46:47.159 going back to what we had. And so Greg Foster 902 00:46:47.280 --> 00:46:51.360 and Chris Morris come back to the Jazz. They have 903 00:46:51.440 --> 00:46:54.280 a meeting with Jerry Sloan. You guys got a problem. 904 00:46:54.719 --> 00:46:56.760 You know, this is the NBA, this is the business. 905 00:46:56.960 --> 00:46:59.480 Both guys are like, now, you know, we get it. Whatever, 906 00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:02.840 and we ended up. The Jazz ended up that year 907 00:47:02.920 --> 00:47:05.880 going on and and UH making another run to the 908 00:47:05.960 --> 00:47:08.960 to the their second NBA Finals in ninety eight, with 909 00:47:09.000 --> 00:47:12.400 both those guys playing minutes and rotation and and UH 910 00:47:12.440 --> 00:47:16.079 and Greg Foster doing his famous throat slash and and 911 00:47:16.159 --> 00:47:18.400 at near the end of Game four in LA to 912 00:47:18.400 --> 00:47:20.920 to help the Jazz go get over the hump and 913 00:47:20.920 --> 00:47:24.679 and then get to the NBA Finals again. And you know, 914 00:47:24.719 --> 00:47:27.039 that's just part of the business. You know, you hope 915 00:47:27.079 --> 00:47:29.639 you got guys who who understand that I got a 916 00:47:29.679 --> 00:47:33.239 young guy like Dalton Connect. You know, he's a rookie. Okay, 917 00:47:33.480 --> 00:47:35.280 you know he's a little bit of an older rookie. 918 00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:39.360 But you know, you know, guys, Jerry Sloan will always say, 919 00:47:39.400 --> 00:47:42.119 you know, are your feelings hurt, you know. Okay, well 920 00:47:42.239 --> 00:47:44.000 you know you got about ten minutes to get over 921 00:47:44.039 --> 00:47:46.320 that and and then we got we got work to do. 922 00:47:46.840 --> 00:47:50.000 And and that's just the business, you know, And it's 923 00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:53.320 an unfortunate part. Uh. And it's a difficult part because 924 00:47:53.320 --> 00:47:56.639 sometimes you know, people's families are involved and and uh, 925 00:47:56.719 --> 00:47:59.440 those kinds of things, and and uh, you have to 926 00:47:59.480 --> 00:48:01.559 deal with that. And that's all part. That's why the 927 00:48:01.599 --> 00:48:04.320 trade deadline, being in the middle of the season like 928 00:48:04.360 --> 00:48:08.079 that is really is really uneasy for everybody because nobody 929 00:48:08.119 --> 00:48:10.840 wants to have to go through that and be in 930 00:48:10.920 --> 00:48:12.000 situations like that. 931 00:48:12.679 --> 00:48:14.920 What's one thing before I say you lose that you 932 00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:19.480 find interesting about tonight Because it's, like we've talked about, 933 00:48:19.599 --> 00:48:21.800 it's tough to cover a team that's not trying to 934 00:48:21.840 --> 00:48:25.639 win and you're reaching for storylines and maybe Isaiah Colliers 935 00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:28.280 this or that. Before I set you loose, one interesting 936 00:48:28.360 --> 00:48:29.639 tidbit for tonight's. 937 00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:30.880 Game, Well, I just got one that's way out in 938 00:48:30.960 --> 00:48:33.800 left field, Spencer, but he doesn't doesn't make any difference 939 00:48:33.840 --> 00:48:36.440 about anything. Yeah, talking to coach laying about this the 940 00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:39.400 other day, first time, I can never remember, and I'm 941 00:48:39.400 --> 00:48:42.079 pretty sure this would be right that the Jazz are 942 00:48:42.119 --> 00:48:47.000 playing the teams from LA four games in a row. 943 00:48:48.679 --> 00:48:51.920 Think about it. They played the Clippers in LA, played 944 00:48:51.920 --> 00:48:54.719 the Lakers in LA, play the Lakers in Salt Lake, 945 00:48:54.960 --> 00:48:58.760 play the Clippers tomorrow night. They never used to. Whenever 946 00:48:58.800 --> 00:49:02.440 you'd go to LA, you never used to play both 947 00:49:02.559 --> 00:49:03.960 teams on the same trip. 948 00:49:04.239 --> 00:49:06.679 All They always split it up for whatever reason. 949 00:49:06.840 --> 00:49:10.000 So you always go there, play the Lakers, go back, 950 00:49:10.079 --> 00:49:13.159 go to Phoenix, go to Sacramento, go somewhere else. Three 951 00:49:13.199 --> 00:49:15.960 weeks later, go back to LA to play the Clippers. Whatever. 952 00:49:16.440 --> 00:49:20.079 Now they've got this thing where, you know, an unusual 953 00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:22.440 quirk in the schedule where they're playing the LA teams 954 00:49:22.880 --> 00:49:26.039 four times in a row, which is unusual. That's about 955 00:49:26.119 --> 00:49:29.039 the best thing I can come up with for any 956 00:49:29.079 --> 00:49:33.559 interesting storyline about the game tonight, Spence, because otherwise, really, 957 00:49:34.119 --> 00:49:37.559 let's be honest, it's just game fifty one out of 958 00:49:37.599 --> 00:49:42.239 eighty two in early February that nobody really cares much about, 959 00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:47.559 other than maybe Luca Doncic and Lebron James both play. 960 00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:49.920 Maybe they both. 961 00:49:49.960 --> 00:49:50.599 They're both playing. 962 00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:53.360 According to what we've been telling about more Laker fans 963 00:49:53.440 --> 00:49:55.000 or Jazz fans of the building tonight. 964 00:49:55.440 --> 00:49:59.800 Well, that's always been a question forever. Anytime in the 965 00:49:59.840 --> 00:50:03.719 LA has come, there's always a large contingency of Laker 966 00:50:03.800 --> 00:50:06.920 fans in the Delta Center building. And which is uh? 967 00:50:07.159 --> 00:50:10.039 Which is always uh uh? We always would have a 968 00:50:10.039 --> 00:50:12.159 big bone to pick with you know a lot of 969 00:50:12.199 --> 00:50:15.320 the season ticket holders who would sell their tickets to 970 00:50:15.800 --> 00:50:17.960 some people they knew were Laker fans and try and 971 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:20.159 make a bunch of money off them and stuff, and 972 00:50:20.159 --> 00:50:22.599 and the Laker fans always show up. They always show 973 00:50:22.679 --> 00:50:23.360 up in Lake. 974 00:50:23.559 --> 00:50:26.119 Yeah, all right, it' Smittiwell, great to see you. As always, 975 00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:29.519 we'll continue to make NBA basketball interesting even though the Jazz. 976 00:50:29.360 --> 00:50:30.039 Are tough to cover. 977 00:50:30.199 --> 00:50:31.920 Hey, hey, that's what we're here for. 978 00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:33.760 Indeed, enjoy the game. We'll see you, say man. 979 00:50:34.039 --> 00:50:34.199 Yeah. 980 00:50:34.239 --> 00:50:36.800 The great Richard Smith forty years with the Jazz front office.