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Speaker 1: What is up Fellasiko's I'm Dan fa Valley Our twenty

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twenty five twenty twenty six NBA season look Ahead train

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rolls on. When this goes live, will be one third

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of the way done. Ten teams will be in the books.

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We're onto the Charlotte Hornets, which means I have the

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distinct pleasure to be joined by CBS Sports podcast producer

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extraordinary mister Kanada Edwards. I love picking his brain every

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single year, and this team is more fascinating than it

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was last year, so this is gonna be super fun. Kanada,

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how the heck are you doing well?

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Speaker 2: First? Since first anything is more fascinating than a nineteen

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win team that was probably the most depressing team to

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watch outside of maybe Utah. But outside of that, I'm

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good again. I'm enjoying my summer like I'm glad again.

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I'm glad this again. The content calendar. I know we're

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headed towards fall the minute I see Dan, I see

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all these these team previews. I know we're headed towards

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an actual regular season and we'll be inundated with nothing

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but content for the next nine months.

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Speaker 1: I want to preface everything we're about to talk about

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with the Charlotte Hornets have sucked me in again. So

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you mentioned they were impressing nineteen win team last year.

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They didn't look like they were gonna be that. Before

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the season, it was all will they be healthy?

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Speaker 2: Well, hold on, someone warned you about that last year.

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Speaker 1: You might have. But I looked at this the roster

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they just had so many dudes. Now are to point again.

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And I just recorded a podcast a couple of days

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ago and I sang the Hornets praises they have so

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many dudes again, They're sucking me in Kannada. So this

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is a team that I don't think they're gonna win

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the championship, want to make that year. But this is

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a team that has sucked me into where I think, Oh, like,

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I think people might just be too low on them,

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or at least the consensus is too low on them.

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Speaker 2: Define too low, define too low, because I might I

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might agree.

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Speaker 1: I think the projections just came back from ESPN. They're

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like everyone's putting them in. I've seen like twelfth or thirteenth,

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and I just think, is it possible? Sure? I'm just

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I think that there's a like, this is a team

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that if they get relatively good health. I know the

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set we're gonna get into all of I know what

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the center rotation is. They index heavily on offense. I

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get it. All. This is like a team that I

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could see more than doubling their win total from last year.

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Damning with faint praise maybe, but still.

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Speaker 2: You have them as a forty win team.

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Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no no, I said I could see it.

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I haven't done my act, but you can.

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Speaker 2: You can see them double it?

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Speaker 1: You can thirty eight?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's not thirty. I wait, you are higher on

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this team than I am. Right now, you were much

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higher on the team than iame.

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Speaker 1: I hope we get an influx of Charlotte Hornet subscribers

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just and then they'll they'll unsubscribe when they hear my

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other takes. So let's start here. Yeah, just really quickly,

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with last season, what are you able to take away

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from it? Relative to all the injuries that were once

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again suffered, relative to some of the turnal we've seen.

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Now Mark Williams is no longer on this team, is

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there anything you could take away maybe about the way

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that Charles Lee coaches this team, the things they're doing

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on the court, anything at all.

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Speaker 2: Charles Lee. That's that's the coach. That's the thing. That's

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the respond because I saw that man coach wins out

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of teams, and I also saw him pull guys to

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win it, to lose as many games as possible this team.

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And this is where I kind of see where you're

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talking about, Hey, they can more than double their their

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win total. I can see it because there were a

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lot of games where they were competitive and they pulled guys.

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Miles Bridge played a lot of games, didn't finish a

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lot of games. I think Charles Lee can really coach.

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I think it can really coach defense. I do think

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that his offensive schemes rely a little bit too much

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on the three ball, and I think he got a

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lot of that from the Budenholzer slash Joe Miszula school

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of offense, which when it's on, it's great. When it's

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not on, it's not great, and it's not fun to watch,

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and it can be it can be a slog for

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a lot of these games. So I do think that

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he can coach man. I think that's the thing that

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I came back with, is that he can coach everything else.

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Like I think it was an inconclusive grade for a

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lot of this stuff.

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Speaker 1: The off season. Have we in dexing on offense?

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Speaker 2: Yes?

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Speaker 1: What do you what do you make of it? How

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do you feel about it? Was it the kind of

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the right call here? The direction that they've taken.

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Speaker 2: I do think I do think we're headed for a

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very very interesting thought experiment. Is how good if is

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this offense going to be if we don't have LaMelo ball?

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And we're gonna say, if LaMelo Ball's not there, can

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we like before it was LaMelo's out, Oh my god,

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what are we going to do? What are we going

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to do? Now it's LaMelo's out? And Colin Sexton can

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step in, or tray Man can step in, or Spencer

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Dinwittye it stopped laughing. I hear everybody laughing right now.

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I understand can step in and they had or kJ

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Simpson can step in. There's a lot of these guys

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to where they just said, if LaMelo gets hurt, we

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need to find a way to soldier through regardless. And

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I understand that that thought process. I just not like

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there are a lot of guards here that feel a

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little small to me, like Sexton's there, Trey Mann's there,

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Nick Smith Junior for now is there you have a

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lot Spencer Dinwiddie, as I just mentioned, like, there's a

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lot of these small guards on this roster where positional

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size is are very important to them. But at the

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same point, you have a lot of these guards that

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are way too small to be playing two guard next

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to LaMelo Ball or too small to really be a

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point guard for right now in the NBA.

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Speaker 1: Do you think that any of the thought process, I

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mean the Sexton thing specifically, could that have just been

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born out of pure opportunity and it wasn't supposed to

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be tell tale and even able to because that is

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still one of the most baffling trades I've ever seen.

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My favorite conspiracy theory is that the Jazz did it

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so that the Hornets wouldn't take as Bailey. I don't

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think they like, I don't if it was, if that's

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all a cost to get the Hornets and not to

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take as Bailey, Okay, do it. That's why I don't

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really buy into it. But that's my point is that's

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how confounding that move is from Utah's perspective. To me,

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I get they're trying to clear playing time for the kids,

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But why are you catching a pick?

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Speaker 2: Like what yep, yep, But that's the thing, Like, and

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I can tell you we'll get into this, but Con

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was the guy. Con, It was Con And I think

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from everything I've heard it was VJ than Khan, and

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I believe they really believed in the distant shooting of Khan.

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But like Colin Sexton, was an opportunity. Like, the one

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thing that we've found out about Jeff Peterson is if

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you're going to give him some picks to take on

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some bad salary, he's likely going to do it. More importantly,

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if you're going to give him the better player and

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take a pick, he's absolutely gonna do it, despite the

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fact that you eroded your center depth. I do think

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that this team, I do think that Jeff Peterson looks

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at this as we're going to figure out exactly what

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we have. Like the game, the lineup, Shenanigans, those are done.

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We are going to try and win as many games

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as possible, figure out exactly what we have and who

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we actually can build around. Because I think that this

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is a team that's going to by the end of

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the season, they're going to know exactly what they have

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and what when they figure that part out, that's when

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you're gonna start seeing guys start moving around.

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Speaker 1: And while they're sort of on this fact finding mission

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about maybe who's keepers. Do you think having all these

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guards or like I would call them non wings because

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what's interesting is like LaMelo sixty seven nipples six to seven,

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Leam mcnely is six to seven, right, So but having

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all of these non wings does it speak to how

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you expect them to play? So my example would be,

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should we expect to see that concept in and Trey

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Man playing together next year?

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Speaker 2: I would would be I would be shocked if we didn't,

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quite honestly, like I would be shocked if we didn't.

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I do think that you're gonna see a lot more

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offensive viability. I don't think Conkinebile starts. I do think

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that you're gonna see even No, I don't think Conkin starts.

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I think we're you're probably gonna see lineup of and

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I know this is a later question typically, but we'll

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just go with it now. Like, I think you're gonna

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see ball Sexton Miller bridges plumbly to start. I think

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that's gonna be the opening day line up against Brooklyn.

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I do believe that this team is going to bring

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along these guys kind of slowly, and I completely understand

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why they want to do it because, quite literally, it's

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just like you have a lot of youth at the

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back end that and we know that rookies typically don't help.

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So I do think you're gonna see a lot of

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Trey Man, Colin Sexton. I do think you're gonna see Conkin.

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It will come along slowly. Now, granted this is all

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training camp dependent. He comes comes out and he does

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a PJ. Washington from his rookie year, then he may start.

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This is all very very subject change. But for the

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for right now, I can't see. There's no way I

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can see like Conception is going to play a lot

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of minutes regardless of whether LaMelo balls in the lineup

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or not.

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Speaker 1: Well, that's interesting and given that's like a lot of

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I would have thought like Diabate might have been the

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starting five. But I mean, you signed plumbly because that's

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an offensive decision maker at the big man spot too.

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Speaker 2: That there's that, and I like most of Diabate. I

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think I think the world of Diabate. He is one

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of the bright spots of last year. To me, I

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think his role is better suited as a bench big.

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Speaker 1: Like think, well, I would agree with you, but when

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your alternatives are Mason Pluckley and Ryan Kulkbrenner, I would

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make it. I could make a case for Diabate.

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Speaker 2: You can make a case, But I think the thing

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is like, how effective does he become it by like

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two three weeks into the season, especially if his game

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is basically Kenneth for Reid with a little bit of

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a baget to him, Like, think about it like that.

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As much as I love Musa Diabat, Musa Dibat is

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a rotational big. I love him, I don't think that

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you can legitimately put him out there and actually ask

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him to be effective as a starter and give him

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starters minutes. I just wonder if we're headed to a

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Mason plumb Lee and then when Ryan Kulkbrenner gets up

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to game speed, then he's the starter. And on top

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of that, now you have that cheap backup big and

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then you can say goodbye to Plumbe in February if

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you need to.

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Speaker 1: Do. You think that the big man spot is something

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that they might look to upgrade or address in the

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middle of the season or are they not. I know

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a lot could be Well, if they're so much better

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than we thought, tell you just zooming far out? Is

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that could you see the front office being it doesn't

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have to be ultra aggressive, but trying to capitalize on

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any to say, hey, like, this is someone who actually

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profiles as a starter in today's NBA or is that

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maybe not going to be a priority given where they're

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at in their competitive window.

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Speaker 2: I wonder if that. I do wonder like, if there's

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a Collin Sexon like trade out there, I think they

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absolutely do it. If there's a guy that they absolutely

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say we can't not have this guy on the roster

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right now, and we can do it for less than

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the Miami pick that they own or the Dallas top

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two pick that they own, I think there. I think

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they'll be in the market for it. I don't see it.

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I think it's more likely we see them shed a

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lot of talent this year, a lot of players this year.

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But I don't know. I get this team. I don't

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have a pulse on really what they All I know

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is that they're going to at least assess everything in everybody,

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and we are going to see a lot of change

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come June twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 1: What I find interesting about what you said is that

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a lot of what they did this offseason was geared

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towards planning for the minutes that LaMelo Ball is either

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not on the court or planning around when he's injured

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and you need to play entire games without him, So

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you think that was the primary aim rather than well,

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let's also try and give LaMelo Ball enough spacing, enough

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secondary ball handling around him for what the first time

247
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and at least three years, just when you look at

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the level of I know, people like to criticize LaMelo

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Ball's games, and there's certainly things to quibble over there,

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but when you're talking about him taking too many shots,

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where you're talking about the you know, assist to usage ratio,

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you have to, to me, look at the context of

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the town around him, and town around him was not great.

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So how much of that, like that had to be

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somewhat of a factor too, right, If that.

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Speaker 2: Is absolutely a factor, that was absolutely a factor. Remember,

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Brandon Miller only played I think like twenty something games

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this year that last year I.

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Speaker 1: Had to go back and watch him before doing this

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because it was so long since I saw or really

261
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thought about Brandon Miller the basket.

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Speaker 2: That was the thing. Like, Brandon Miller only played twenty

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something games. And the sad part is Brandon Miller in

264
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that first game against Houston looked like he was absolutely

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going to build on his season and then he hurts

266
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himself dunking trying to dunk the ball, ironically and set

267
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him on a path to where he had to go

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get a resurgery that ended the season. But I think

269
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there's a lot of this to where you've got guys

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with actual solid basketball IQ, the Nick Smith juniors of

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the world. They're nice, but it's gonna take a little

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bit more time in the oven. And you don't necessarily

273
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have that time when you have Lamellow ball in a

274
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max contract and oh yeah, you might have to pay

275
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Brandon Miller at the end of next season as well. Like,

276
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there's a lot of this to where they're trying to

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figure this out. Again, it's not only evaluation, but like

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you said, it's a lot of get a lot of

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secondary IQ, get a lot of guys that can actually play,

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that actually know what they're doing, and more importantly, can

281
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actually hit a jump shot because a lot of the

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guys that they played last year couldn't hit water if

283
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they fell out the boat.

284
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Speaker 1: What do you this is a good place to put this.

285
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What do you make of the discussion nationally even locally

286
00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:16,480
sometimes around LaMelo Ball, the Hornets, the coverage of it,

287
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the franchise's view of him, his flaws as a player.

288
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I'm asking you to unpack a lot of things there.

289
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But what is just your kind of stance on just

290
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how it's approached, and then what you actually think about

291
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this situation.

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Speaker 2: I think LaMelo Ball, it's one of those like I

293
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:36,840
see both sides, But for the most part, I understand

294
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why people say he doesn't play winning set of basketball.

295
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But also at the same point, he hasn't, like think

296
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about his the best two teammates he's ever had in Charlotte,

297
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:52,159
it's probably a fifty percent Gordon Hayward and a Terry

298
00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:57,039
Rogier that wasn't necessarily trying to blow games like those

299
00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:01,159
are his two best teammates ever, you're gonna throw someone's

300
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,960
gonna say Miles Bridges deserves to be in this conversation.

301
00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:08,360
Yes and no, Miles Bridges is a really good player.

302
00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,919
At the same point, he didn't. He doesn't do what

303
00:15:12,159 --> 00:15:15,519
Gordon Hayward does, and he didn't do what Terry Rogier

304
00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,080
at that point when he was when he wasn't point shaving,

305
00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,360
he tried to do. I think we have to look

306
00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,080
at the context of the teammates. I think we also

307
00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,799
have to look at the context of the franchise. Like

308
00:15:25,159 --> 00:15:27,639
we start thinking, you start peeling back what happened with

309
00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,200
this ownership group with Jordan. Like the first thing that

310
00:15:31,559 --> 00:15:35,399
Gay Plockin and Rich Snall did was they added a

311
00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,440
medical a legitimate medical staff. They bolstered the medical room.

312
00:15:39,799 --> 00:15:43,399
Like how many of those games did Lamela lose because

313
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they really kind of didn't have the medical staff to

314
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take care of them. Like there's a lot of this

315
00:15:48,679 --> 00:15:51,799
to where I understand why he plays the way he plays.

316
00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,720
But at the same point, like you have to understand

317
00:15:54,799 --> 00:15:59,480
that a lot of this is like nature and not

318
00:15:59,639 --> 00:16:03,000
great nature instead of nurture, and they didn't really nurture him.

319
00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,200
So there's a lot of this to where I want

320
00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,200
to see what this looks like as a functional franchise

321
00:16:09,399 --> 00:16:12,840
before we start saying, hey, look, he's not necessarily a

322
00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:13,440
winning player.

323
00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,080
Speaker 1: Do you think that. I think the organization overall is

324
00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:18,919
headed in the right direction. But do you look at

325
00:16:18,919 --> 00:16:20,840
the and again, the caveat for all of this with

326
00:16:20,879 --> 00:16:22,679
the Hornets is always going to be health. But do

327
00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,120
you think that this is a roster to where you

328
00:16:25,159 --> 00:16:27,279
can come out of this season or even let's say

329
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,600
going into this season and we know what we've all

330
00:16:29,639 --> 00:16:32,360
identified is like what can the melow ball do more of?

331
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,600
Like how can the drives go up? But can they

332
00:16:34,639 --> 00:16:36,960
sustain if they do go up? Can the finishing get better?

333
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:38,639
Is he going to be stronger? What does the defense

334
00:16:38,639 --> 00:16:40,600
look like? Do you think that this is the roster

335
00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,840
and the situation where they can come out of the season,

336
00:16:42,919 --> 00:16:45,679
assuming he's actually playing and kind of have more of

337
00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,960
a I don't want to say a final verdict, put

338
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,919
a better grasp of who they actually have.

339
00:16:51,679 --> 00:16:53,960
Speaker 2: I think the polaroid gets clearer. I do think that

340
00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,279
we get a situation where the polaroid is absolutely so

341
00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:02,840
much more clear than last year. Like I do think

342
00:17:02,919 --> 00:17:06,960
that there are pieces here. I do think that when

343
00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,000
we start talking about this team, like if Brandon Miller

344
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,079
plays sixty games, I think we're gonna have an idea

345
00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,119
what he actually is or what he's closer is at Ranton.

346
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,480
I expect a slow start because again, risk surgery is

347
00:17:18,519 --> 00:17:20,720
nothing to play with, especially when it's your shooting risk.

348
00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:22,880
Speaker 1: Right. That was the big thing is that having that

349
00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,319
surgery on a shooting hand is makes you wonder what

350
00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:26,720
everything's gonna look like.

351
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,200
Speaker 2: Like there's a concern I have about that, but I

352
00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,880
think you're gonna figure I think we're gonna figure out

353
00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,039
what this team looks like when you have smart basketball

354
00:17:36,039 --> 00:17:39,480
players around him. And the last time that LaMelo Ball

355
00:17:39,559 --> 00:17:43,640
had smart basketball players around him, they won forty four games.

356
00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:48,799
So I do think that there's a possibility that this

357
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,720
team can pop, but I don't think they're gonna be Again,

358
00:17:52,759 --> 00:17:56,400
we see the projections twenty six wins or so I

359
00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,359
can see a scenario like I feel like this team

360
00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,039
is closer to thirty wins than they are to twenty.

361
00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,480
And I also think a lot of that is because

362
00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,880
everyone needs to see how clear this polaroid is before

363
00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,880
further making decisions and seeing who they have to move

364
00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:11,559
and who they have to.

365
00:18:11,599 --> 00:18:16,440
Speaker 1: Keep based off the small sample the injury. Have your

366
00:18:16,759 --> 00:18:19,799
impressions of Brandon Miller changed at all? And what will

367
00:18:19,799 --> 00:18:22,160
you be watching most closely for him in year three.

368
00:18:22,559 --> 00:18:24,680
I think he's recovery from said res surgery.

369
00:18:24,759 --> 00:18:26,680
Speaker 2: I think he's a dog. I still think he's a dog.

370
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,720
I think the one issue that you might have is

371
00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,440
that he has lapses on defense, but I think those

372
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,160
are going to get drilled out of him. I do

373
00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,319
think that he's competitive. I do think he's exactly necessary.

374
00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,720
I am still bullish outside of the wrist surgery. I

375
00:18:41,759 --> 00:18:43,920
still believe in this kid, and I'm not one of

376
00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:45,960
those that says he needs to have a big year

377
00:18:46,079 --> 00:18:49,599
or else. This kid was second in rookie voting for

378
00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,920
a reason. He was very, very very excellent. Now, granted

379
00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,480
a lot of that was without Lamello, But I do

380
00:18:56,519 --> 00:19:01,039
think that there's a scenario where these two you start rotating,

381
00:19:01,079 --> 00:19:03,799
where again you cycle one on, you cycle one off.

382
00:19:03,799 --> 00:19:06,359
And I do think that there's a possibility that this

383
00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,160
team really really starts popping when those two really start

384
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,000
playing games. If they play fifty games, I can see

385
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,119
a scenario where this team's a lot better than a

386
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:15,440
lot of people expect.

387
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,599
Speaker 1: Is there any way when you're kind of looking at

388
00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:19,599
what he's able to do on offense, they put the

389
00:19:19,599 --> 00:19:21,359
ball in his hands more to start last year, which

390
00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,039
I think is important. Turnovers were a Lilwaukee off the

391
00:19:24,079 --> 00:19:26,079
live dribble stuff. I think he's gonna be fine as

392
00:19:26,079 --> 00:19:28,559
a secondary passer. I am wondering, and I don't know

393
00:19:28,559 --> 00:19:30,039
if this is more of a strength thing, because you've

394
00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,279
harped in the past a lot about LaMelo strength. Should

395
00:19:33,279 --> 00:19:35,039
it be a priority, like try to get him moving

396
00:19:35,079 --> 00:19:37,960
into the rim more just for someone his size, like

397
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,160
the rim volume just really isn't there. And if it

398
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:42,839
is a strength thing, like is there more things they

399
00:19:42,839 --> 00:19:44,720
can do for him off the ball, especially if he's

400
00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,400
going to be in this environment where the floor should

401
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,000
be way more open.

402
00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,160
Speaker 2: I would argue he has to do more, like because

403
00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,759
of who else is on the floor. Like ideally, if

404
00:19:55,799 --> 00:19:57,880
you're the Charlotte Hornets, at some point you're starting a

405
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,079
lineup of LaMelo Ball, Conkainipple and Brandon Miller at three

406
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,319
at one two three, someone's gonna have to be the

407
00:20:04,319 --> 00:20:07,559
one to put the pressure on the rim. Unfortunately, we

408
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,279
know LaMelo can do it, but struggles with it. We

409
00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,519
know con Again it's TVD about Conk Nipple, but everything

410
00:20:14,559 --> 00:20:17,559
I've seen about Conko Nipple is much more of I'm

411
00:20:17,559 --> 00:20:19,200
going to get my spot to my spots in the

412
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,599
mid range, and I'm gonna bury you there. Brandon Miller's

413
00:20:22,599 --> 00:20:25,200
got to be that guy, Like Brandon Miller has to

414
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,000
be that guy. And unless you're telling me it's going

415
00:20:27,039 --> 00:20:30,759
to be Miles Bridges in, it's just a strictly rim

416
00:20:30,799 --> 00:20:34,920
pressure role. I like it's one of those three guys

417
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,759
got to do it, and I think if there's anyone

418
00:20:36,759 --> 00:20:38,599
that can do it better than most, I think it

419
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:39,960
might end up being Brandon Miller.

420
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,039
Speaker 1: What are you You already said that you don't necessarily

421
00:20:43,039 --> 00:20:45,240
expect him to play a ton out of the gate,

422
00:20:45,319 --> 00:20:48,000
But what are just the early impressions of Conk Nipple.

423
00:20:48,039 --> 00:20:50,400
You saw him at Summer League. His fit, YadA YadA.

424
00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:53,799
Speaker 2: I think he fit like I was one of those

425
00:20:53,799 --> 00:20:57,680
that wanted Trey Johnson. I thought Trey Johnson had one

426
00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,160
of the greatest seasons as freshman that we've seen in

427
00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,880
quite a while. After seeing what Kanka Nipple can do,

428
00:21:05,319 --> 00:21:08,839
especially with the feel for the game, and if you again,

429
00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,039
you've watched enough Hornets games to where you know feel

430
00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:17,720
for the game sometimes can lack with the Hornets. A

431
00:21:17,799 --> 00:21:20,920
guy with a basketball IQ, guy that can hit shots,

432
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,279
a guy that can credibly defend his position is going

433
00:21:25,319 --> 00:21:28,160
to be invaluable. I don't think again, I don't think

434
00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,279
he starts initially, But what I do I see a

435
00:21:31,279 --> 00:21:35,880
scenario where if they're out of it and someone comes

436
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,480
calling for Colin Sexton in a deal that they can't

437
00:21:38,519 --> 00:21:42,640
say no to, Like, does he start in February and

438
00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,720
start taking off from there? Yeah? Absolutely, I think he's

439
00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,039
gonna get a lot of benchminutes, though I do think

440
00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:54,039
him Trey Mann, Liam McNeely, Ryan Kulkbrenner eventually, like, I

441
00:21:54,079 --> 00:21:56,319
think they're going to do a lot of work off

442
00:21:56,319 --> 00:21:58,160
that bench, and I think it's going to be very,

443
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,519
very fascinating to see how this goes going forward.

444
00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,079
Speaker 1: And what are your early impressions of Leam McNeely. Who

445
00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,200
caught my eye at Summer League was not did not

446
00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:08,400
have a ton of priors on Leam McNeely beforehand, but

447
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,720
there was you know, had some feel there, better passer

448
00:22:10,799 --> 00:22:13,240
than I expected, and he was someone who was like, all, look,

449
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:15,640
maybe it's the size thing, but he held up sturdier

450
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:16,640
on defense as well.

451
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,839
Speaker 2: Liam McNeely. So, Liam McNeely is probably one of the

452
00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:26,559
most overthought prospects that went into the draft last year.

453
00:22:27,519 --> 00:22:31,279
People saw the low numbers and everything else, didn't really

454
00:22:31,319 --> 00:22:33,079
look at the context of the Yukon team that there

455
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,519
was last year as someone that had to watch that

456
00:22:35,559 --> 00:22:38,960
team a lot. They didn't have a point guard, they

457
00:22:39,079 --> 00:22:43,640
didn't really have, Like he was the only NBA talent

458
00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,119
on that team. As much as I like Alex Caraban,

459
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,079
Alex Caraban is a guy you signed to a too

460
00:22:49,079 --> 00:22:52,839
away contract at best, I say this to say that

461
00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,559
people overthought it. I think giving him a guy that

462
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,359
actually again giving him a point guard, letting him do

463
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,799
a lot more stuff off ball, and I think there's

464
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:07,440
a there's a chance where he basically goes from I

465
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,480
don't know, like he ends up being a three to

466
00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,359
four hybrid more than a two to three hybrid. I

467
00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,720
think there's a potent, there's potential for that to be

468
00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,680
something off the bend. But I think he's absolutely NBA

469
00:23:19,759 --> 00:23:22,240
player and it didn't make any sense for him to

470
00:23:22,319 --> 00:23:23,640
drop all the way to twenty nine.

471
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,480
Speaker 1: If you're I do think we're gonna end up looking

472
00:23:27,519 --> 00:23:28,799
back at that pick, and I don't know if it'll

473
00:23:28,839 --> 00:23:31,519
be Desmond Bain levels of insane dropping all the way

474
00:23:31,519 --> 00:23:33,119
to thirty, but that that seems like it's gonna be

475
00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:34,799
a good value pick at number twenty nine.

476
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,319
Speaker 2: Go ahead, No, I was gonna look. But again, like Dan,

477
00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:43,359
I saw this kid put the fear of God. Him

478
00:23:43,519 --> 00:23:46,680
and Solo Ball put the fear of God in Florida,

479
00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:51,839
in Raleigh. That kid can absolutely play. I don't Again,

480
00:23:52,039 --> 00:23:54,440
I don't understand it. I think a lot of people

481
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,319
overthought this, and I think they let a lot of

482
00:23:57,359 --> 00:23:59,880
workouts again because I heard about how he had didn't

483
00:24:00,039 --> 00:24:02,240
certainly work out the greatest, But I think a lot

484
00:24:02,319 --> 00:24:04,519
of people didn't look at the context of that film

485
00:24:04,559 --> 00:24:06,799
and figure, if we just get this kid at point guard,

486
00:24:06,799 --> 00:24:07,559
he'll be just fine.

487
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,440
Speaker 1: Well, you did mention that you eventually see him Kank

488
00:24:13,519 --> 00:24:15,400
Nipple all playing a bunch of minutes off the bench.

489
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,319
How does this all? How do you Charles Lee? How

490
00:24:18,519 --> 00:24:20,680
does it work? Because you have Coin Sexton right now?

491
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,599
You mentioned Spencer Dimwiti, if there if they still want

492
00:24:23,599 --> 00:24:26,359
to give kJ Simpson run Josh Green when he's healthy,

493
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,039
like if you want defense like he is, is he

494
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:33,119
still your best perimeter defender? Yeah? Probably yes, by the fault,

495
00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:36,119
So how does that like, how does that all shake out?

496
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,559
Or is it that's not like this is a team.

497
00:24:38,599 --> 00:24:40,240
You mentioned it that they're going to shed talent, But

498
00:24:40,279 --> 00:24:42,839
that's what we need to wait for. To see a canipple,

499
00:24:43,079 --> 00:24:46,119
to see a McNeely get like large swats of playing

500
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:47,720
time when this team's at full strength.

501
00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:51,039
Speaker 2: I I kind of wonder what this is going to

502
00:24:51,079 --> 00:24:53,680
look like in October. I'm fascinated to see what this

503
00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:55,799
looks like in October, because again, we haven't even talked

504
00:24:55,839 --> 00:24:58,920
about Grant Williams yet, and Grant Williams, like, if you

505
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,319
start looking at the game he played compared to the

506
00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:05,799
games he didn't play, Like, this team that looked like

507
00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,880
it was gonna win closer to thirty games than twenty

508
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,599
changed completely once once he left the once he left

509
00:25:13,599 --> 00:25:15,880
the lineup and tore up his knee. I don't expect

510
00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,440
him back anytime soon. But every report I've heard is

511
00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,720
that this kid that he's ready to go. So I

512
00:25:22,759 --> 00:25:26,640
don't know, like it's a fascinating Like it's fascinating to

513
00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:28,960
me because I do see a lot of the veterans

514
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,279
get getting the benefit of the doubt initially, and if

515
00:25:32,319 --> 00:25:34,799
we get to games and then we get to the

516
00:25:34,839 --> 00:25:39,000
point of, oh my god, we have to play continent butlemore,

517
00:25:39,079 --> 00:25:41,759
Oh my god, we gotta play Liam McNeely Moore, Like,

518
00:25:41,839 --> 00:25:44,599
oh my god, we gotta play Ryan Kulkbrenner Moore. I

519
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,480
can see that happening sooner rather than later. But also

520
00:25:47,519 --> 00:25:50,480
at the same point, the if when you start seeing

521
00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:55,119
the schedule and how it unfolds initially, I'm not sure

522
00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,799
you can afford to play those rookies just that are again,

523
00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:01,559
I'm not sure you can afford to play the rookies

524
00:26:01,599 --> 00:26:02,480
that much that early.

525
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,640
Speaker 1: Not a rookie anymore. But how are you feeling It's

526
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,920
redraft season. He's not getting a lot of love. Question.

527
00:26:10,799 --> 00:26:14,680
I'm still high on him.

528
00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:19,640
Speaker 2: I like, I think we forget one. He was the

529
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:24,920
youngest kid in the draft last year. I And the

530
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,279
thing that I keep coming back to is he was

531
00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,599
drafted because you had a lot of guy His drafting

532
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,920
was an indictment on the roster that Jeff Peterson thought

533
00:26:34,079 --> 00:26:36,839
he had a lot of soft guys that didn't want

534
00:26:36,839 --> 00:26:40,920
to grind. And I keep coming back to I'm still

535
00:26:41,079 --> 00:26:44,000
very very high on that kid. He continues to work,

536
00:26:44,039 --> 00:26:48,000
he continues to grind. It doesn't matter. He just keeps going.

537
00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:52,119
And there's all like effort is a skill man. And

538
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,519
as much as we say, hey, there's no effort, there's

539
00:26:55,559 --> 00:26:59,599
no this, there's no that, YadA, YadA YadA, you can't

540
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,640
tell me that that kid is not going to at

541
00:27:02,759 --> 00:27:05,680
least be a rotation guy. I'm still I'm still high

542
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,039
on him. And granted, there are gonna be people that

543
00:27:09,039 --> 00:27:12,359
said you could have drafted Clinging. Yeah, but again the

544
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:16,039
foot thing scared me. Bezellous, I understand. But the like

545
00:27:17,039 --> 00:27:19,640
the guys that they could have drafted at instead of

546
00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,880
to John, I'm not sure I have How would I

547
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,440
put it? Like the biggest I don't have buyer's remorse

548
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,039
on those as much as much as many people do.

549
00:27:31,039 --> 00:27:33,319
Speaker 1: How does how do you think he factors in this

550
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:35,519
season when you have I mean we talked about like

551
00:27:35,599 --> 00:27:39,079
the perimeter rotation, but you have Miles Bridges, Grant Williams

552
00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,799
when once he's healthy, Like, where does he sort of

553
00:27:41,839 --> 00:27:44,000
factor into all that? Does it not really having a

554
00:27:44,039 --> 00:27:46,759
ton of centers that you're married to on the roster

555
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:48,039
help out there at all?

556
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,079
Speaker 2: Or I think that helps out With Grant Williams, I

557
00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:53,319
think you're gonna see a lot of backup for for

558
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,000
Tojohn as long as Grant Williams isn't healthy. I do

559
00:27:57,079 --> 00:28:01,559
wonder about what this all is gonna look like going far.

560
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,319
I do wonder what this is gonna look like because

561
00:28:03,319 --> 00:28:06,160
I'm again fascinated, because there's a lot of guys that

562
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,039
can beat for a lot of different spots. But at

563
00:28:09,039 --> 00:28:12,640
the same point, I'm just like, this kid is going

564
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,319
to do something because of his perimeter shooting. I think

565
00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,920
his perimeter shooting is gonna get better. I do think

566
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,400
that you're gonna start seeing proof of concept with him

567
00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,559
to where you're gonna see, like, Okay, I see the

568
00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,599
vision of what he can be. I don't think he

569
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,359
was ever gonna be honest, but if he ends up

570
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:31,960
being in Ersan yilis Il Yasova or a Nikolamritach type guy,

571
00:28:32,079 --> 00:28:35,079
I can see that a guy that hustles his threes

572
00:28:35,599 --> 00:28:38,160
and defends at a decent amount, at a decent level,

573
00:28:38,279 --> 00:28:41,200
Like I can see that happening and to the point where, hey,

574
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,119
that ends up being a great pick down the line.

575
00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,200
Speaker 1: I think I think it's TBD to call him a butt.

576
00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,240
I get like, I don't know how everyone approaches Redrafts.

577
00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:51,960
Is there you're picking for the long term you're ranking

578
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,119
them right now, because of course he's not going to

579
00:28:54,799 --> 00:28:56,720
like come off to while there. But I will say

580
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,440
I probably was more encouraged, like later in the year,

581
00:29:00,039 --> 00:29:02,079
even just the transition stuff, it seemed like if the

582
00:29:02,079 --> 00:29:04,079
balls in his hands, he was playing a little more

583
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:08,359
under control. And I tend to throw efficiency. I go

584
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,480
off vibes and eye tests for the first two years

585
00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,920
of a player's career, sometimes even three. He might be

586
00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,000
one of those players where it's like, hopefully the efficiency

587
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,119
will line up with it. But I didn't come away

588
00:29:18,119 --> 00:29:20,920
thinking that he's like definitely going to be a bust.

589
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,119
But I've taken him number six as of right now.

590
00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:26,000
Like objectively, it's tough to say you could frame it

591
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,000
the way you did, where it's how high are you

592
00:29:28,039 --> 00:29:30,240
on Bezellos and clinging or a zach Edy If you're

593
00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,200
not high, I mean the zach Edy with the ankle issues.

594
00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,119
He's had like eight of them in the past year.

595
00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,759
So I think it's independent of the redraft. The discussion

596
00:29:38,799 --> 00:29:40,839
I think is certainly worth having, but it's not as

597
00:29:40,839 --> 00:29:43,000
cut and dry as I think people have made it.

598
00:29:43,039 --> 00:29:45,480
Speaker 2: Not in that draft, not not draft, not not draft.

599
00:29:45,519 --> 00:29:48,559
And again I would add, if you've paid attention to

600
00:29:48,599 --> 00:29:51,279
the Hornets in any little bit for the last couple

601
00:29:51,319 --> 00:29:52,960
of years, do you want to tell me that the

602
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,519
Hornet's drafting an injury prone center or two of them

603
00:29:58,079 --> 00:30:01,160
is a really, really good idea, because if so, I

604
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,559
need you that to explain it to me, like I'm five.

605
00:30:03,599 --> 00:30:06,039
Speaker 1: It's it's only a good idea. Had they done it

606
00:30:06,119 --> 00:30:08,079
and then traded a first round pick to get Robert

607
00:30:08,079 --> 00:30:09,880
Williams the third, that's when it would have been a

608
00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,720
good idea. You got to load up on the injury

609
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,839
prone centers, exactly, you lean into.

610
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,000
Speaker 2: It, like exactly, if you're gonna go do that, you

611
00:30:16,079 --> 00:30:17,960
might as well just go collect the whole set. Might

612
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,160
as well just trade it for DeAndre Ayton at that

613
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,480
point and then sent him off to LA in some

614
00:30:22,559 --> 00:30:23,440
failed deal as well.

615
00:30:23,599 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 1: You know, did you are there any like you have

616
00:30:28,079 --> 00:30:32,200
any strong thoughts on Ryan Kulkbrenner, kJ Simpson, like any

617
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,599
of the other younger, younger guys on this roster.

618
00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:37,519
Speaker 2: Kault Brenner is going to be a factor later it

619
00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,480
later in this year. I do think Ryan Kulkbrenner we're

620
00:30:40,519 --> 00:30:43,400
not talking about enough right now, because again I think

621
00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:45,440
he's gonna he's going to be on the Mark Williams

622
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:48,559
plan of we're gonna get you up to speed in Greensboro,

623
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:51,839
like depending on the health of Grant Williams, which I

624
00:30:51,839 --> 00:30:53,759
hate to keep saying because again someone can play a

625
00:30:53,839 --> 00:30:55,680
drinking game off of this, but depending on the health

626
00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:59,400
of Grant Williams. At this point, if you tell me

627
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:04,599
that it's Williams, it's it's Grant Williams. Your center rotation

628
00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:08,480
is Mason Plumley musad'abate Grant Williams as your third emergency center,

629
00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,559
Like if you told me that it's those three, and

630
00:31:11,599 --> 00:31:14,519
then you let Kaulkbrenner get seasoning in Greensboro and get

631
00:31:14,559 --> 00:31:18,359
adjusted to the speed. Because defensively, I think he's going

632
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,039
to be ready sooner rather than later. It's offensively and

633
00:31:22,119 --> 00:31:25,960
strength wise and keeping people off the glass where I

634
00:31:26,039 --> 00:31:29,359
have concerns for him. I do think that this is

635
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,880
a kid that, as we talk about before, I think

636
00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,079
a lot of people overthought it with Ryan Kulkbrenner, and

637
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,480
I do think he's an NBA center. It's just a

638
00:31:39,519 --> 00:31:43,319
matter of is he going to be there, is he

639
00:31:43,359 --> 00:31:45,400
going to get there this year, or is he gonna

640
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,680
get there closer than next year. And my money's on

641
00:31:47,759 --> 00:31:48,640
closer than next year.

642
00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:53,559
Speaker 1: You kind of said something. I mean, like, we people

643
00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,279
talk a lot about the lack of proven centers, let's say,

644
00:31:56,279 --> 00:31:57,880
on this roster. But I'm just like, how is this

645
00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,640
team you mentioned, like Kulkbrenner keeping people off the glass? Like,

646
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,240
how is this team supposed to consistently rebound? Especially if

647
00:32:03,279 --> 00:32:05,880
you're talking about having Grant Williams slide up to the

648
00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:06,680
five prayer?

649
00:32:07,119 --> 00:32:11,640
Speaker 2: That's it, prayer, that's it. Let's be real, Like that

650
00:32:11,839 --> 00:32:15,559
was my thing. Like, I like Mason Plumbley. Mason Plumbley

651
00:32:15,839 --> 00:32:20,079
should not be your starting center in twenty twenty five.

652
00:32:20,359 --> 00:32:23,839
He should be a nice bench option. Remember Nick Richards,

653
00:32:24,119 --> 00:32:27,799
former Charlotte Hornet, came in immediately and became the starting

654
00:32:27,839 --> 00:32:31,759
center over who Mason Plumbley. There was a reason for that.

655
00:32:32,319 --> 00:32:35,759
So I do think that the Hornets were just so

656
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:41,200
disenchanted is the word I would use with the entire

657
00:32:41,319 --> 00:32:44,759
center room last year, that everybody except Mussa Diabat had

658
00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:46,839
to go. And I completely understand why.

659
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:51,480
Speaker 1: The other thing, too, is their defense. In general, I

660
00:32:51,559 --> 00:32:54,440
think everyone's impression is they've leaned so far into offense

661
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,440
that the defense is going to be an abject disaster.

662
00:32:57,079 --> 00:32:59,480
I think there's a chance for it to happen again,

663
00:32:59,599 --> 00:33:01,440
just when you look at the personnel. But I think

664
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,799
you could argue for a good chunk of last season,

665
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:05,920
or at least schematically, with some of the things they did.

666
00:33:06,359 --> 00:33:09,559
They punched above their weight with Charles Lee, and I

667
00:33:09,559 --> 00:33:11,359
think you could really see it. You see, you watch

668
00:33:11,359 --> 00:33:12,519
this team way more than I do. Is he can

669
00:33:12,519 --> 00:33:14,680
correct me if I'm wrong when you look at the activity,

670
00:33:15,119 --> 00:33:17,720
like the deliberateness that can go into diss waiting or

671
00:33:17,759 --> 00:33:21,119
limiting shots around the basket, like that was a material

672
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,039
change to them. There is no one who finished the

673
00:33:24,079 --> 00:33:26,799
season on that roster, aside from maybe Mark Williams, where

674
00:33:26,799 --> 00:33:28,279
you look at and said, yeah, you know what, it

675
00:33:28,279 --> 00:33:31,559
would make sense that they were able to do that again.

676
00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,359
Speaker 2: That's that's Charles Lee's thing, Like Charles, Le'll scheme up

677
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,880
some defense. Charles. Like Charles, I'm not worried about the

678
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,960
perimeter defense as much. I'm worried about what's gonna happen

679
00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:42,880
when they get to the rim. I'm worried about I'm

680
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,599
not even worried about them creating stops I'm much more

681
00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:48,759
worried about the rebounding. That's the only thing I ever

682
00:33:48,799 --> 00:33:52,160
really worry about with this team going forward, because like

683
00:33:52,359 --> 00:33:55,000
we've seen Mason Plumley get pushed underneath the rim, I've

684
00:33:55,039 --> 00:33:58,599
seen Mussa Dibat repeatedly get pushed underneath the rim. But

685
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:01,599
the defense is one of those things where like that's

686
00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,480
no negotiable with Charles Lee, we've seen it before. We've

687
00:34:04,519 --> 00:34:07,319
seen him bench Lamelow off of this stuff. We've seen

688
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,679
him bench Brandon Miller. We've seen him bench a lot

689
00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:13,239
of guys. If you do not defend, you will not play.

690
00:34:13,679 --> 00:34:16,280
And he's got enough guys to wear that is a

691
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,559
legitimate threat that he can actually carry out. If you're

692
00:34:19,599 --> 00:34:21,079
not willing to defend this year.

693
00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,840
Speaker 1: Are you ready to enter the cookie cutter portion of.

694
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:27,440
Speaker 2: The podcast, let's do this. Let's do this.

695
00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:31,360
Speaker 1: So, looking at their roster, what do you view as

696
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,159
their biggest need? We've probably talked about a few of them.

697
00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:35,639
If there's anything we haven't talked about you after your

698
00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:39,960
poosh you mentioned rebounding size C Yeah, that's not.

699
00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,679
Speaker 2: Right, like that like that's the thing and shout out

700
00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:46,159
to James plow Right of Buzzby he brings up the

701
00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,199
idea of Bam out of Bios as a hornet center

702
00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:53,280
next year, especially since like Miami's not doing very well

703
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,199
and you kind of own an unprotected Miami pick in

704
00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,000
the future that may end up cashing in and being

705
00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:03,199
very like, I think that's one of the better assets

706
00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:07,039
in the league to have right now. So I would

707
00:35:07,119 --> 00:35:10,480
not be surprised if like he brings up Bam out

708
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,599
of Baio. But I do think center is probably the

709
00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:17,760
biggest asset that they need outside of maybe a legitimate

710
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:18,360
wing stopper.

711
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,199
Speaker 1: What is there a something about this team, whether it's

712
00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,639
like a strength or a storyline that is flying under

713
00:35:25,639 --> 00:35:29,559
the radar relative to how people are talking about them.

714
00:35:31,079 --> 00:35:33,719
Speaker 2: The youth Actually, again, you know what we talked. We

715
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,639
forgot to talk about one guy, Sion James, and I

716
00:35:37,679 --> 00:35:42,079
think he's going to be fascinating because he's again kid

717
00:35:42,119 --> 00:35:44,880
out of Duke, probably one of the better p perimeter

718
00:35:45,079 --> 00:35:48,519
defenders I saw in college last year. I think he's

719
00:35:48,599 --> 00:35:51,360
gonna have a sneaky chance to get on this roster,

720
00:35:51,599 --> 00:35:54,360
and I do think that if he's at least and

721
00:35:54,559 --> 00:35:56,840
if not, he's going to be on the mark Williams

722
00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,599
program with Ryan Kalkbrenner about getting seasoning and he's going

723
00:36:00,679 --> 00:36:04,000
to be a part of this team later rather than sooner.

724
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,599
But I do think that he's a very fascinating character

725
00:36:06,639 --> 00:36:10,199
because if he just does the lou Dort three and

726
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:14,760
D guard you up, that's the kind of wing defender

727
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,000
that Charles Lee likes, and it gives the Hornets a

728
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,159
little bit more flexibility to move a Josh Green or

729
00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:22,840
move some other of these guys and some more of

730
00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:23,360
these guys.

731
00:36:24,199 --> 00:36:26,360
Speaker 1: I mean, how do they go about making a roster

732
00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,320
spot for him at this point? Like that, aren't you

733
00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,400
just get rid of Nick Smith? Yeah? Okay, so I

734
00:36:32,519 --> 00:36:33,159
believe he's.

735
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:37,079
Speaker 2: Okay, I believe him and kJ. It's like him, kJ

736
00:36:37,199 --> 00:36:42,400
and Drew Peterson are the three two ways I believe. Actually, no,

737
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,559
I'm sorry, No, there is a roster No, he's on

738
00:36:44,559 --> 00:36:46,559
a roster spot. I'm sorry. Sign they signed all this.

739
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,079
They signed si On James to a regular roster spot.

740
00:36:50,119 --> 00:36:51,719
He's not on two way. He's actually on a roster

741
00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:52,480
spot right now.

742
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,519
Speaker 1: So who is like on? I guess it's a Nick

743
00:36:56,519 --> 00:36:58,719
Smith junior. We should pencil him in for like getting

744
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:00,000
the boot from him.

745
00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:05,760
Speaker 2: Day Kwon Jeffries, I would assume like him, day Kwon

746
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:09,800
Jeffries are absolutely gone. Pat Conon's on this roster. I

747
00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,199
would not expect him to continue to be on this roster.

748
00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,079
I again, it's very very interesting because again they're at

749
00:37:17,119 --> 00:37:19,719
like the roster max at twenty one. I think right

750
00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:23,079
now that they got to shave down at some point,

751
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:25,480
so they are. They have a lot of guys on

752
00:37:25,519 --> 00:37:28,480
that team that I don't know how it's gonna work,

753
00:37:28,679 --> 00:37:30,840
but it's going to be very fascinating to see what

754
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:31,639
happens after that.

755
00:37:32,039 --> 00:37:33,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, they have I didn't even I thought it was seventeen.

756
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,800
They have eighteen guys. They're not all guaranteed, but they

757
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,000
have eighteen guys under quote unquote contract. One of the

758
00:37:40,079 --> 00:37:43,079
not there's two non guarantees. One of them is Diabatee

759
00:37:43,159 --> 00:37:46,199
he's not going anywhere, and the others d Kwan Jeffries,

760
00:37:46,199 --> 00:37:47,039
so he would.

761
00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:48,199
Speaker 2: Be he's probably gone.

762
00:37:48,519 --> 00:37:50,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, and then I guess it's like after that, it

763
00:37:51,079 --> 00:37:52,519
does have to be Nixon, Like if you want to

764
00:37:52,599 --> 00:37:54,559
keep call Krenner, obviously, yeah, it's got to be Nick

765
00:37:54,599 --> 00:37:57,280
Miss It's no, he's gone. I guess ideally it would

766
00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,239
be pat Conon. But even he could maybe lot some

767
00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:01,639
win minutes if you want him to.

768
00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:04,320
Speaker 2: But isn't he like he's a ten million expiring I

769
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,519
wouldn't necessarily like get rid of that all that's simp

770
00:38:07,639 --> 00:38:08,079
that soon.

771
00:38:08,599 --> 00:38:11,079
Speaker 1: That's the other trades that could be useful, especially given

772
00:38:11,119 --> 00:38:14,039
their flexibility with in trades like being able to flip

773
00:38:14,119 --> 00:38:16,079
him for a player who makes exponentially more.

774
00:38:16,599 --> 00:38:19,199
Speaker 2: That's the other thing. The Hornets have a lot of

775
00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:24,920
expiring salary. I would not be surprised, would not be

776
00:38:25,039 --> 00:38:28,440
surprised if they're the lubricant along with Brooklyn this year

777
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:34,039
in terms of gaining more assets, getting players, Like the

778
00:38:34,119 --> 00:38:37,519
war chest is getting kind of full and they're eventually

779
00:38:37,559 --> 00:38:39,480
going to have to make a move with some of

780
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:43,079
these assets that they've required. But I would not be

781
00:38:43,159 --> 00:38:49,119
surprised if they're in more asset acquisition mode because they

782
00:38:49,159 --> 00:38:51,480
have because of that second the Apron, and we see

783
00:38:51,519 --> 00:38:54,599
how deathly afraid all these teams are of the Second

784
00:38:54,599 --> 00:38:55,280
Apron right now.

785
00:38:56,119 --> 00:38:58,760
Speaker 1: And they've also I mean they've shown now on numerous

786
00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:01,559
occasions to trade death lines and an off season two

787
00:39:01,599 --> 00:39:04,719
off seasons now that they are going to be opportunistic

788
00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,199
and make those types of moves if they're available, because

789
00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:09,159
that's how they've established part of their war chests. Okay,

790
00:39:09,159 --> 00:39:11,880
they got rid of PJ. Washington, but like the Terry

791
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,039
Rozier trade, that was like a really smart move by

792
00:39:14,039 --> 00:39:14,559
them as well.

793
00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,599
Speaker 2: Shout out to that unprotected pick that's going to keep

794
00:39:17,639 --> 00:39:20,360
living on in perpetuity for the next couple of years.

795
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, so what is it. It's it's a top protect

796
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:26,480
twenty it goes out to twenty twenty eight. Holy shit,

797
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:27,639
I thought was twenty twenty seven.

798
00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:30,960
Speaker 2: Rat No, it's I'm sorry, no, it's lottery protected in

799
00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:35,519
twenty twenty seven. But if it if the heat basically

800
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,360
get are in the lottery in twenty twenty seven, twenty

801
00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:42,559
twenty eight is unprotected, I believe that's those are the

802
00:39:42,559 --> 00:39:43,400
conditions on that.

803
00:39:43,719 --> 00:39:45,639
Speaker 1: Wow. I thought for some reason I thought it was

804
00:39:45,679 --> 00:39:47,480
flopped too. I thought this was the year it was

805
00:39:47,559 --> 00:39:51,960
lottery protected. But I mean, either way within their direction.

806
00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,199
Speaker 2: And then you have a mass pick. You also have

807
00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:57,159
the MAVs pick that's the top two protected one. I believe.

808
00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:00,400
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, okay, yeah, you're right, yep, you are lottery

809
00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:04,760
protecting twenty twenty seven, unprotected in twenty twenty eight. So yeah,

810
00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:09,199
uh there I is next offseason kind of like you're

811
00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:11,440
looking at that as will they try to hit I

812
00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:13,400
don't want to say the turbo button, but the be

813
00:40:13,519 --> 00:40:16,400
more aggressive button to maybe cashing some chips, you do think,

814
00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:17,400
So okay.

815
00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:21,039
Speaker 2: They have to they have to because remember Brandon Miller

816
00:40:21,119 --> 00:40:26,159
is extension eligible, so you have like you're gonna have

817
00:40:26,239 --> 00:40:28,480
to make a decision on that. And we saw what

818
00:40:28,519 --> 00:40:31,239
they did with Mark Williams, Like if they didn't think

819
00:40:31,519 --> 00:40:33,320
they don't think you're gonna be a part of the

820
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:35,760
future or you're a part of the solution, most likely

821
00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:38,360
you will not be here. Mark Williams should have told

822
00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:42,000
all of that to start. So I do think that

823
00:40:42,119 --> 00:40:44,639
this is going to be very fascinating in the continual,

824
00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:48,840
continual reshaping of this roster. Someone's again, it's like that

825
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:52,480
TV show with the season finale, Someone's not gonna be

826
00:40:52,679 --> 00:40:55,760
here by the time that we get to that point.

827
00:40:57,239 --> 00:40:59,760
Speaker 1: You're looking at this roster right now trying to factor

828
00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,239
in an everything who winds up being the ten most

829
00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:04,239
used players by the end of the year. I already

830
00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,440
filled out my starters and apparent Cornelid had two of

831
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,320
the wrong which is why this team is so fun.

832
00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:11,239
Speaker 2: All right, again, give me your ten, give me a ten.

833
00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,760
Speaker 1: So I mean, so these are my ten. But my

834
00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:18,840
starters were LaMelo, Canipple, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Mussa Diabatte.

835
00:41:19,519 --> 00:41:22,639
Then I have Sexton, Josh Green, Grant Williams, Mason plum

836
00:41:22,679 --> 00:41:23,760
Lee and t Jon Salon.

837
00:41:25,559 --> 00:41:30,159
Speaker 2: All right, I think ten most us I think you

838
00:41:30,199 --> 00:41:33,559
need to create. I think you need to probably create

839
00:41:33,599 --> 00:41:37,400
a spot for Liam McNeely somewhere in there. I do

840
00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,239
think plumb Lee is gonna get more run than you think.

841
00:41:43,519 --> 00:41:46,639
And some about trey Man. And I think the trey

842
00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:48,880
Man is the wild card to all of this because

843
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:54,440
if he was truly held out because of just simply

844
00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:56,519
because of the back, and they weren't gonna play with

845
00:41:56,559 --> 00:41:58,400
that on a on a walk here, which I don't

846
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:01,360
necessarily blame them like that, that's just good business by

847
00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:06,360
his agent. I there's a part of me that wonders

848
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:10,079
if trey Man doesn't just become just a super super

849
00:42:10,119 --> 00:42:12,760
piece that they end up either keeping or dealing because

850
00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:16,760
the contract is just so just so easy to move,

851
00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:19,800
which is the other thing is again we talk about

852
00:42:20,159 --> 00:42:22,440
easy to move in all these pieces. There are a

853
00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:26,239
lot of pieces that are very very easily movable, including LaMelo,

854
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,280
depending on if they want to get to that point,

855
00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:30,280
which I don't think they do.

856
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:34,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, even going through it, I didn't even like leaving

857
00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:37,159
off of trey Man. Leaving off of I thought Liam

858
00:42:37,199 --> 00:42:39,119
McNeely was easy to leave off just because they had

859
00:42:39,119 --> 00:42:41,119
so many dudes, But leaving off the trey Man is like,

860
00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:42,599
that's guttural.

861
00:42:43,559 --> 00:42:46,159
Speaker 2: Yeah, Like, but I get it because trey Mann had

862
00:42:46,199 --> 00:42:49,480
a similar season though to Brandon Miller, Like he was there,

863
00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:52,880
he was pretty good, and then Christmas came around and

864
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,800
he wasn't there anymore. So I completely understand why anybody

865
00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:56,840
would have forgotten about it.

866
00:42:57,280 --> 00:42:59,840
Speaker 1: Well, those updates too, were non existent for so long,

867
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,840
and all of a sudden he becomes like Andrews free

868
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:03,719
agency and it's like, oh, trey Man's okay.

869
00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:08,880
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah that that that whole scenario was very weird

870
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,559
because you saw, like there were there were instagrams of

871
00:43:12,639 --> 00:43:16,840
him like practicing and they're they're ramping up the play

872
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:24,599
and then radio silence and yeah, yeah, like like that,

873
00:43:24,599 --> 00:43:27,599
that's that's the thing. The hornets move in silence and

874
00:43:27,679 --> 00:43:29,840
mystery a lot they don't let you in unless they

875
00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:32,079
really want to let you in and if it's safe

876
00:43:32,119 --> 00:43:32,719
to let you in.

877
00:43:33,599 --> 00:43:35,760
Speaker 1: Well, So if we say that trade Man belongs in

878
00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:37,800
that top ten, which I like on it from a

879
00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:39,960
talent perspective and like based off the way he's played

880
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:42,280
when he's healthy in Charlotte, it's an easy case to make.

881
00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:44,840
Who gets bounced? Is that like at the expense of

882
00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:47,599
Conkin Nipple losing a lot of size? There is it

883
00:43:47,599 --> 00:43:49,920
at the expense of we could say they'll eventually move

884
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,199
Colin Sexton and maybe that takes care of it. But

885
00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:55,199
you're looking at when I look at the roster of guys,

886
00:43:55,199 --> 00:43:57,960
it's all right or dude, like, who is who's who's

887
00:43:58,000 --> 00:43:59,360
playing less? If everybody's else?

888
00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:01,679
Speaker 2: So are we fact in health? Because again that's the

889
00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:02,119
other thing.

890
00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,639
Speaker 1: I think Josh Green not being healthy to start the season, right,

891
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,320
that'll help. But if this team's at full strength, unless

892
00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:10,000
we just never expect them to be at full.

893
00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:14,079
Speaker 2: Strength, that's that's where I would tell you, like, you

894
00:44:14,239 --> 00:44:17,440
probably need to expect at least one or two guys,

895
00:44:17,519 --> 00:44:20,239
one of two rotation guys, to be hurt. And that's

896
00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:23,000
where the Liam mcneely's come in. I think Josh Green

897
00:44:23,119 --> 00:44:26,960
is a sneaky trade candidate too. If I'm honest, I

898
00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:28,280
think that's a guy should be.

899
00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:31,199
Speaker 1: But I just don't don't. I'm not a Josh Green guy.

900
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:33,079
I can't go No.

901
00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:35,039
Speaker 2: You know what. You tried to warn me about him

902
00:44:35,079 --> 00:44:38,400
last year, and I thought, look, I was looking for

903
00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:42,840
any kind of solid defender, because again, you've seen this team,

904
00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:47,639
and solid and willing defenders are few and far in between.

905
00:44:49,079 --> 00:44:51,559
So I was just looking for report in the storm,

906
00:44:52,039 --> 00:44:54,360
and I came away disappointed, despite the fact that the

907
00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:56,639
guy shot forty from three last year.

908
00:44:58,039 --> 00:44:59,039
Speaker 1: Just hanging out in the corners.

909
00:44:59,079 --> 00:45:03,199
Speaker 2: Though, yeah, it's still there's need for that. There's always

910
00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:05,360
a need for that, always a need for that.

911
00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,800
Speaker 1: This is, to some extent, matchup dependent. It's it's honestly

912
00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:10,960
an unfair not just an impossible question, but it's an

913
00:45:11,039 --> 00:45:14,119
unfair question to throw at you. What is going to

914
00:45:14,119 --> 00:45:17,320
be their their most used closing lineup? When all said

915
00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,480
and done, we could let zoom ahead to April regular

916
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:23,039
seasons over what's been their most used crunch time lineup?

917
00:45:23,079 --> 00:45:29,920
Speaker 2: At that point, I would tell you Ball Sexton, Miller,

918
00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:32,039
Bridges Williams.

919
00:45:33,079 --> 00:45:36,320
Speaker 1: Ball Miller, Sexton Bridges William Yeah, you know, I guess

920
00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:40,119
I underestimated how much I should be expecting Sexton and

921
00:45:40,159 --> 00:45:41,280
LaMelo Ball to play together.

922
00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:45,199
Speaker 2: I think that there's that. I do think Nipples has

923
00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:48,880
a or either the him or Trey Man. Swap him

924
00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:49,480
for Trey Man.

925
00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:53,239
Speaker 1: That'd be fun line. He's like Trey Man, just his

926
00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:55,719
esthetics are more fucking like watching him a little bit.

927
00:45:55,679 --> 00:46:00,440
Speaker 2: More like that, Like, I think that's that's the closing lineup.

928
00:46:00,559 --> 00:46:02,440
I do think there's a spot, there's a spot where

929
00:46:02,519 --> 00:46:05,400
Klank Nipple can sneak his way in, but I don't

930
00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:08,079
think that's this year. I do think that they're gonna

931
00:46:08,119 --> 00:46:11,440
figure out what they have in all this and then

932
00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:15,400
they're gonna start again. This is a very very fluid

933
00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:19,199
evaluation year to where this can either be twenty four

934
00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:21,199
win again. I do think they're gonna hit the over,

935
00:46:21,639 --> 00:46:23,480
and I think they're over is twenty four and a half.

936
00:46:23,519 --> 00:46:25,679
They're going to hit that over this they.

937
00:46:25,559 --> 00:46:28,320
Speaker 1: Talk myself into, like can I bump up that line

938
00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:29,000
and hit the over?

939
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:33,199
Speaker 2: Like I like, I feel like that's an easy over

940
00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:35,880
at twenty four and a half. I do think that

941
00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:39,559
they're gonna hit that. I just wonder if the ceiling

942
00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:44,440
is thirty three to thirty four wins for this team?

943
00:46:44,559 --> 00:46:47,320
Speaker 1: Is there a funky weirdo lineup you want to see

944
00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:50,719
Charles Lee try this year? It should really be all guards, right, Like,

945
00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:52,840
what's what's the all guard unit we can come up with?

946
00:46:53,679 --> 00:47:02,000
Speaker 2: Honestly, hold on funky lineup? Let's see man Can Nipple, Neely, Salon,

947
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:04,039
caulk Brenner.

948
00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:07,639
Speaker 1: Oh my god, that's a great one. I don't know

949
00:47:07,679 --> 00:47:10,679
that I could beat that. I grant Williams McNeely, ca Nipple,

950
00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:12,159
LaMelo Ball and Trey Mann.

951
00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:16,079
Speaker 2: I think the thing that the issue with like the

952
00:47:16,159 --> 00:47:18,920
LaMelo ball things is I think we're gonna see them.

953
00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:23,480
Mine is I get mine is if these guys defend,

954
00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:25,480
then we might actually see it.

955
00:47:26,159 --> 00:47:28,719
Speaker 1: But I want Sion Sion James in mine. Now that

956
00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:31,239
you sold me on his defense.

957
00:47:31,119 --> 00:47:33,880
Speaker 2: Sion James is going to be Sion James. Like if

958
00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:36,719
he's they think he's lou Dort or they think he's

959
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:39,760
going to be lou Dort. Eventually, if he ends up

960
00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:42,840
hitting anywhere close to lou Dort, that is your starter

961
00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:45,079
at two for a very very long time. And then

962
00:47:45,119 --> 00:47:48,760
we have a very very uncomfortable conversation about who stays

963
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,920
and who goes in that starting rotation between Konk Nipple

964
00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:52,920
and Brandon Miller.

965
00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:57,079
Speaker 1: And so I'll change mine then to Brandon Miller, Cion,

966
00:47:57,239 --> 00:48:01,320
James Nipple, McNeely and Grant Williams.

967
00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:04,559
Speaker 2: I do like that. That is going to be a grinder,

968
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:07,880
like that is going to be a grinder type lineup.

969
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:10,559
I do oh, I do like that one. I do

970
00:48:10,679 --> 00:48:11,480
like that one.

971
00:48:12,159 --> 00:48:15,719
Speaker 1: So before I ask you for some predictions, is there

972
00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:18,719
anything else about this team that we didn't talk about

973
00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:20,920
that you think needs to be hit, Anything you'd like

974
00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:22,679
to still get off your chest about the way that

975
00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:25,079
they are covered from a national perspective.

976
00:48:24,639 --> 00:48:29,639
Speaker 2: Honestly, like, like, my whole thing is at this with

977
00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:35,880
the Charlotte Hornets. I am of the You're probably right,

978
00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,840
but they have like that You're probably wrong about the Hornets.

979
00:48:40,079 --> 00:48:42,079
And I say this as a national thing, like most

980
00:48:42,079 --> 00:48:44,159
people are probably wrong about the Charlotte Hornet, but they

981
00:48:44,159 --> 00:48:46,679
haven't done enough to where they actually work defending right

982
00:48:46,719 --> 00:48:51,679
now if they again, they were so bad intentionally so

983
00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:53,800
now mind you. And they were one of the few

984
00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:56,079
teams that didn't get fined one hundred thousand dollars for

985
00:48:56,320 --> 00:48:59,119
like shout out to Utah for catch catching all those

986
00:48:59,159 --> 00:49:01,000
fines for lineuplation everything else.

987
00:49:01,039 --> 00:49:04,400
Speaker 1: They secretly got fined because Walker Kessler were shooting threes.

988
00:49:04,519 --> 00:49:07,000
That's what really happened. And they're like, Okay, that was

989
00:49:07,039 --> 00:49:08,360
too egregious for the league.

990
00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:14,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, but like that's I think this team like hasn't

991
00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:16,760
done enough to where I'm actually going to fit like

992
00:49:17,199 --> 00:49:20,760
vehemently defend them anymore. They've got it like they're embarrassing

993
00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:24,559
to be in be seen with in public, even though at.

994
00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:26,119
Speaker 1: This point, like, yeah, look at it.

995
00:49:26,079 --> 00:49:30,760
Speaker 2: I'm wearing the Summer League Vegas championship shirt. Yes, I

996
00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:33,840
paid fifty dollars for this. No, I have no change.

997
00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:37,119
Speaker 1: That is the most insane thing that's been discussed in time.

998
00:49:37,159 --> 00:49:40,199
Not the Hornets winning forty games this year, You're paying

999
00:49:40,239 --> 00:49:43,119
fifty dollars for a Supper League championship shirt. I can't

1000
00:49:43,199 --> 00:49:44,280
look down a dynasty.

1001
00:49:44,760 --> 00:49:48,480
Speaker 2: But come on, look, I'm okay with it. Like again,

1002
00:49:48,519 --> 00:49:50,719
this is mind you. This is a team that has

1003
00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:56,000
never been to the Eastern Conference finals, Dan, they've never

1004
00:49:56,199 --> 00:50:00,559
won anything of significance. Of course, I'm going to commemorate

1005
00:50:00,719 --> 00:50:04,480
this the one time they've won anything, period, not even

1006
00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:08,679
of significance, won anything. Of course I'm gonna buy it.

1007
00:50:10,039 --> 00:50:13,320
Speaker 1: I get you bought multiples though for other people that's yes,

1008
00:50:13,599 --> 00:50:14,840
probably the real insanity.

1009
00:50:15,159 --> 00:50:18,559
Speaker 2: No it's not. Again, this is a sickness. I'm viral.

1010
00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:21,920
I passed on my sickness to other people. Now granted,

1011
00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:24,239
technically one of those was my father, who was a

1012
00:50:24,239 --> 00:50:26,840
bigger sicko than I, so I had to get it

1013
00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:29,239
for him. The other person I converted was my wife,

1014
00:50:29,239 --> 00:50:30,400
so yes, feel bad for her.

1015
00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:36,480
Speaker 1: So how many games do you see them winning and

1016
00:50:36,519 --> 00:50:38,840
where do you have them stacked up in the rest

1017
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:39,880
of the Eastern Conference.

1018
00:50:45,159 --> 00:50:47,440
Speaker 2: I see a thirty three I see like thirty one

1019
00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:51,639
to thirty three wins. I think they're going to compete

1020
00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:57,599
for that ten slot. I do think. I think thirty

1021
00:50:57,719 --> 00:50:59,679
like thirty one to thirty three wins, and we're talking

1022
00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:02,239
about out a top three pick because of the way

1023
00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:05,559
the lottery works now, where you're better off winning as

1024
00:51:05,559 --> 00:51:09,119
many games as possible as humanly possible and then letting

1025
00:51:09,159 --> 00:51:11,519
the chips fall where they lottery balls fall where they may.

1026
00:51:12,639 --> 00:51:16,239
But I just, for some reason, I just see this

1027
00:51:16,280 --> 00:51:19,000
team winning thirty plus games and giving people something to

1028
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:19,880
be excited about.

1029
00:51:21,320 --> 00:51:24,159
Speaker 1: And that's weird territory to be in, because I think

1030
00:51:24,239 --> 00:51:26,000
at some point in the season you could look at

1031
00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:27,599
it and say, when you're a win like I don't

1032
00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:30,920
fourteen or something, is it time to steer out of this?

1033
00:51:31,599 --> 00:51:34,000
Do you think that this team still has the potential

1034
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:37,599
the front office specifically would still think in those terms,

1035
00:51:37,639 --> 00:51:39,599
or if they're on track to actually be a thirty

1036
00:51:39,639 --> 00:51:42,400
three thirty four to thirty five win team, that they'll

1037
00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:43,960
you know, if it's happening, because some of the young

1038
00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:46,639
guys are playing. It's not that they're over indexing on

1039
00:51:46,679 --> 00:51:48,960
a Miles Bridges and a Mason Plumley, and those are

1040
00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:51,039
the guys in a Collin Sexton that are making the impact,

1041
00:51:51,519 --> 00:51:54,320
because I think that's what's tough about their situation is

1042
00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:57,360
like thirty three might get you in the play in

1043
00:51:57,400 --> 00:51:59,960
it was thirty nine last year was the ten see

1044
00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:03,400
And I think to the people, I think some of

1045
00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:05,599
it's reductive when you're talking about the Hornets, but I

1046
00:52:05,599 --> 00:52:07,639
do think you could also reasonably look at the East

1047
00:52:07,679 --> 00:52:11,360
and say how many teams would you guarantee are worse

1048
00:52:11,840 --> 00:52:14,960
than Charlotte? And it gets hard after Washington and Brooklyn that.

1049
00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:21,719
Speaker 2: Washington and dare I say it, and I feel bad

1050
00:52:21,760 --> 00:52:24,760
for the people up north, But I feel like Toronto

1051
00:52:24,840 --> 00:52:25,239
is not that.

1052
00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:30,320
Speaker 1: Good, So I strongly disagree. But what I will say is,

1053
00:52:30,519 --> 00:52:33,960
if you actually got rid of Massai EUJII for anything

1054
00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:37,400
that had to do with his philosophical approach to team building,

1055
00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:40,920
it would to me increase the likelihood that this roster

1056
00:52:41,639 --> 00:52:43,800
has a lot of churn, and they lean into that. Now.

1057
00:52:44,199 --> 00:52:46,119
I think where that logic falls apart a little bit

1058
00:52:46,159 --> 00:52:49,719
is they've done literally nothing since getting rid of Uji.

1059
00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:52,960
They extended Yaka pertle, so if anything, they've doubled down

1060
00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:55,960
on it. I think. I think I'm pretty hot. They

1061
00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:57,800
were the other team I had to pick two surprises

1062
00:52:57,840 --> 00:52:59,480
for a podcast I was doing that People are Too

1063
00:52:59,519 --> 00:53:01,480
Low on and picked the rafters in the Hornets.

1064
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:06,239
Speaker 2: I like, I just like there's a like that's the team.

1065
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:10,519
I wonder like they have so many redundant parts that

1066
00:53:10,679 --> 00:53:16,000
also can't necessarily stay healthy. Where I'd like to see

1067
00:53:16,000 --> 00:53:19,960
Brandon Brandon Ingram play sixty games, I haven't really seen

1068
00:53:19,960 --> 00:53:22,440
it in a while. Same thing with RJ. Barrett. I'd

1069
00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:24,840
like to see that same thing with quickly. I would

1070
00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:28,039
like to see all those pieces come together. I again,

1071
00:53:28,119 --> 00:53:31,159
they they are Hornets North to me, except they actually

1072
00:53:31,159 --> 00:53:35,840
have a center. That's yeah, that's true. And I do

1073
00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:41,039
think Colin Murray Broyles is a very, very very good player,

1074
00:53:41,159 --> 00:53:47,119
but he's incredibly redundant for that entire process, and I wonder,

1075
00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:50,559
I do wonder what all of that is gonna look like.

1076
00:53:50,599 --> 00:53:53,760
But like I feel like it's gonna be that like

1077
00:53:53,880 --> 00:53:58,440
Toronto and Charlotte for that ten spot. But as to

1078
00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:01,599
the other thing, like you're wondering, like what happens if

1079
00:54:01,639 --> 00:54:04,679
they're over indexing on a Miles on a Mason plumb Lee,

1080
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:07,119
if they're over indexing on a Miles Bridge is like,

1081
00:54:07,519 --> 00:54:11,079
I don't think the way this roster is built, even

1082
00:54:11,079 --> 00:54:14,320
if you are, those are guys that you can probably

1083
00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:15,119
move anyway.

1084
00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:18,480
Speaker 1: Well, I guess that was my question though, is if

1085
00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:22,000
this team is headed down that path, like are they

1086
00:54:22,079 --> 00:54:25,800
going to lean more into the youth movement? Either by Okay,

1087
00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:27,920
Miles Bridges would be the one because of his contract

1088
00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:30,599
and just the baggage that comes with him. Is we're

1089
00:54:30,639 --> 00:54:33,079
gonna shut him down to lean into it? Or is

1090
00:54:33,119 --> 00:54:35,440
this a year where it feels like they're gonna follow

1091
00:54:35,480 --> 00:54:38,280
it through just so they have a sample size with

1092
00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:41,800
as many of the prospective core guys together as possible.

1093
00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:44,480
Speaker 2: I do you don't have enough data? Like That's the

1094
00:54:44,519 --> 00:54:46,239
thing I keep coming back to, is you don't have

1095
00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:48,559
enough like the Charlotte Hornets front off is does not

1096
00:54:48,719 --> 00:54:51,679
have nearly enough data to make a decision on anybody,

1097
00:54:52,400 --> 00:54:54,880
Like you need to see what this looks like. You

1098
00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:57,960
have to play this out, and more importantly at this point,

1099
00:54:58,800 --> 00:55:01,840
like if you I'm out in January, who is it

1100
00:55:02,039 --> 00:55:05,639
actually helped? Like that's the thing I keep coming back to,

1101
00:55:05,840 --> 00:55:09,039
is who does this actually help when you start bombing out?

1102
00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:12,800
Did it help Utah? No? Did it really help Washington?

1103
00:55:13,199 --> 00:55:16,320
Also know? But again granted, Washington ended up winning a

1104
00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:18,480
ton of games on the back end, so they may

1105
00:55:18,519 --> 00:55:23,000
not necessarily figure into this equation. But san Antonio it helped,

1106
00:55:23,119 --> 00:55:26,440
But that's only because quite literally, Wenby got hurt in February,

1107
00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:31,320
like Luca got traded, and that's what helped Dallas. But

1108
00:55:32,239 --> 00:55:35,159
not like it helps you to win as many games

1109
00:55:35,519 --> 00:55:39,519
as possible because the margins are so thin right now,

1110
00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:42,360
you're better off figuring out what you have so that

1111
00:55:42,559 --> 00:55:45,280
no matter where you pick, especially in a draft like this,

1112
00:55:45,360 --> 00:55:47,760
which is the last real draft in a long time

1113
00:55:48,199 --> 00:55:50,880
for at least another year or two, Like this is

1114
00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:53,800
the last real draft, I think it helps the Hornets

1115
00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:55,840
more to know exactly what they have and what they

1116
00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:59,800
don't have and to pivot into something actually worth winning again,

1117
00:56:00,119 --> 00:56:01,960
to actually have winning basketball around.

1118
00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:08,199
Speaker 1: Could I get one other prediction for you for this team, Oh,

1119
00:56:08,239 --> 00:56:09,000
to be whatever you.

1120
00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:18,000
Speaker 2: Want, Liam McNeely, Second Rookie, All Team, All Rookie Second Team.

1121
00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:21,480
Speaker 1: At minimum, They're really gonna find playing time for these

1122
00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:23,199
guys to spend having such a jumble the roster.

1123
00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:27,599
Speaker 2: That's I think. I just I may believe Ridley and McNeely. Again,

1124
00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:30,320
I'm very much a believe ri in Ley and McNeely.

1125
00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:33,280
I think he's one of those guys that if you

1126
00:56:33,360 --> 00:56:36,000
build something sustainable, you have to hit on those kind

1127
00:56:36,039 --> 00:56:37,960
of guys in the twenties and everything else like that.

1128
00:56:38,079 --> 00:56:40,719
We've seen it again. You mentioned Desmond Baine, Draymond Green

1129
00:56:41,000 --> 00:56:42,760
the obvious answer, but there are a lot of these

1130
00:56:42,760 --> 00:56:45,760
guys that if you hit on late like I think

1131
00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:50,119
that you can end up changing your entire trajectory. And

1132
00:56:50,159 --> 00:56:52,400
I think he was criminally underdrafted.

1133
00:56:54,280 --> 00:56:56,280
Speaker 1: I like that one. That's a really good one.

1134
00:56:56,599 --> 00:56:56,719
Speaker 2: Man.

1135
00:56:56,719 --> 00:56:59,039
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be tracking this team's minutes pattern more than

1136
00:56:59,039 --> 00:57:00,920
I kind of thought coming in here. They have so

1137
00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:02,559
many dudes. That's what I said at the top of this.

1138
00:57:02,840 --> 00:57:04,840
Speaker 2: They have a ton of dudes. It's they have a

1139
00:57:04,880 --> 00:57:07,800
ton of very interesting dudes, and it's just about figuring

1140
00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:11,320
out where this is. Like, I don't want to say

1141
00:57:11,480 --> 00:57:14,519
CON's gonna be I think Con has a shot at

1142
00:57:14,639 --> 00:57:17,199
Rookie All First Team, but I also think there's a

1143
00:57:17,320 --> 00:57:19,559
there's a chance that he ends up just being a

1144
00:57:19,639 --> 00:57:23,079
really solid bench contributor this year and he ends up

1145
00:57:23,119 --> 00:57:27,039
popping in the following year. But I also wonder, like

1146
00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:29,320
there's a lot of this, Like you said, it's a

1147
00:57:29,400 --> 00:57:31,320
roster jumble, and I think a lot of this is

1148
00:57:31,360 --> 00:57:33,480
gonna end up having to get clear. That Polarid is

1149
00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:36,679
gonna end up having to get clear probably in October,

1150
00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:39,239
and we'll find out probably first two weeks of the

1151
00:57:39,280 --> 00:57:40,840
season exactly what this is.

1152
00:57:42,360 --> 00:57:45,440
Speaker 1: Kanada. This was a blast, as it is every single year.

1153
00:57:45,559 --> 00:57:47,719
Are you able just to tell our listeners where they

1154
00:57:47,719 --> 00:57:50,559
could find you on the social machines and what you

1155
00:57:50,599 --> 00:57:51,639
got going on this season.

1156
00:57:51,840 --> 00:57:54,400
Speaker 2: I'm still barely on Twitter at not of the scribe,

1157
00:57:54,559 --> 00:57:58,320
barely barely, but I'm also on Blue Sky. I believe

1158
00:57:58,360 --> 00:58:00,800
that yeah, it's not a describe at Blueska on Blue

1159
00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:03,599
Sky as well. And if you want to catch any

1160
00:58:03,639 --> 00:58:06,119
of my work and follow me on the draft stuff

1161
00:58:06,119 --> 00:58:09,119
that we do in college basketball stuff, check the CBS

1162
00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:11,360
College Basketball YouTube channel.

1163
00:58:12,519 --> 00:58:14,440
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for all your time as always,

1164
00:58:14,480 --> 00:58:16,480
as you know by now, I'll be pestering you again

1165
00:58:16,760 --> 00:58:19,400
in the future, and until next time, I leave everybody

1166
00:58:19,440 --> 00:58:22,480
with the shout out to the one the only former Hornet,

1167
00:58:22,719 --> 00:58:23,840
mister Frank Nilakina.