WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.639 I time the Uncrustable perfectly today, just like you could 2 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:07.080 not have done it better. I'm not sure if it's 3 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.880 like twenty minutes twenty five minutes, but if you can 4 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.080 get it when the jelly is still a little bit 5 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:14.839 cold and it's like a little crunchy, o oh, man, 6 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:17.679 knocked it right out of the park. I usually save 7 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:19.679 until three, but I tried something new today and I 8 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:21.480 think I'm onto something grape. 9 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.359 Yeah, oh yeah, okay, I'm all in on the grape man. 10 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:27.600 Like I've now only started to buy only grape. I 11 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:29.879 don't buy the strawberry yet. Really, I haven't tried it. 12 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.359 There's like new flavors, but I'm all in on the grape. 13 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:33.920 There is quite a few. There's like a honey one. 14 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:36.439 I mean, let's be clear, it's not anything groundbreaking. This 15 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:40.799 is a peanut butter and something else sandwich. There's honey ones, 16 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:45.679 there's strawberry jamda. The Uncrustables, though they don't miss well, I'm. 17 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:48.119 Just afraid that they're, as the kids would say, they're 18 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:50.159 doing too much. They're trying too hard. Just stick with 19 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:53.479 the basics. At least that's my opinion. We've got doney 20 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:55.840 on the program today RSL was able to get a win. 21 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:58.280 The Voice of the Utes, Bill Riley, stops by Sam 22 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:01.200 Monson for some football. But on a Monday afternoon, it's 23 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.399 always going to start a week with my buddy Tom 24 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:05.640 Haberstrow to talk a little pro basketball. 25 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:05.879 Tom. 26 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:07.040 Happy Monday, buddy. How we doing. 27 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:12.439 Oh, I'm doing great. FCC champion Staples Wreckers. You're talking 28 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:17.760 to an alum of the raining champion FCAC Staples Wreckers. 29 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:21.319 That's right, that's right, Spence. I had that in my 30 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:22.680 back pocket before I came on. 31 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:24.319 You know, you don't have to rub that in. 32 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:26.599 I'll just encourage you to go look at the box 33 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:29.040 score from nineteen ninety six at Staples High when your 34 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:32.519 boy just took Pete Van Sicklin and Ernie Verina to school. 35 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:37.400 Well, I don't know if you know this, and it 36 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:42.519 is for another time, but the suburban teams in the 37 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:46.159 FCAC are now raining. They're now dominating the FCAC, which 38 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:47.840 is very different than when we were growing up. But 39 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.680 I digress. That is another topic for another conversation. And 40 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.400 I am here in Portland. I am in studio for 41 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:58.120 this four game trip that the Blazers are on the road. 42 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.200 And they just finished up a game against the Cleveland 43 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:04.879 Cavaliers in overtime. It was an amazing game. And the 44 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:06.879 reason why we had pearl Jams starting up is because 45 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:09.680 I am here in the Pacific Northwest coming to you 46 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:11.719 live from Portland, Oregon. 47 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:12.240 I love it. 48 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:15.439 Are you a fan of the PMW as those of 49 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:16.479 us out here like to call it? 50 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:21.360 Yes, yes, And it's there's such a great food scene 51 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:26.159 and people are very friendly. It's just there's like so 52 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:31.280 here at the hotel, there's a you know, a purel dispenser, 53 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:35.919 like a hand sanitizer dispenser, and it says, spread joy, 54 00:02:36.439 --> 00:02:41.240 not germs. Love. To me, that is Portland in a nutshell. 55 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.960 Is there's just on something as just random and basic 56 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:47.719 as a hand sanitizer machine. They gotta make it weird. 57 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.599 They got to make it fun. Spread joy, not germs. 58 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:52.479 Worse to live by. 59 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.680 Keep Portland weird, man. I'm telling you, I've got buddies 60 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.840 up there. And if you watch like propaganda news, you 61 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:00.240 believe that the city is dad. 62 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:01.719 It's not. It's very much great. 63 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:03.800 Do not watch the news and believe what they tell you, 64 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:06.800 Just go and experience it. How often are you able 65 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:08.719 to get up there, because usually you do all this 66 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:11.159 stuff via zoom right or in the studio in your house. 67 00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:14.319 Yeah. Yeah, I come up a couple times a year, 68 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:16.919 and I got a cousin, one of my close cousins 69 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:19.479 here in Portland, so it's always great to come. The 70 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:22.840 food scene is outrageous. I have that Top Chef podcast, 71 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:25.599 Pack your Knives. If you're a big fan of that 72 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:28.199 show on Bravo Top Chef, you can listen to that. 73 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:30.039 And I got to eat at one of these Top 74 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:34.680 Chef restaurants called con Gregory Gordat, And like, man, every 75 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.319 time I come to Portland, I'm just blown away at 76 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:40.520 the food scene, the beer scene, like all the arts 77 00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:44.840 here in town. It's just a great I love coming here. Besides, 78 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:48.520 you know, this is the only pro sports team in 79 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:51.400 the four major sports here and they really care about 80 00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:55.080 their Blazers. And I know Salt Lake, you guys are 81 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:58.439 experiencing this too. Is just like they're adding, you know, 82 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:02.560 they're adding an team there, and I gotta imagine, does 83 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:05.000 this mean that the Jazz lose some of their real 84 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:08.080 estate in the sports conversation, I'm wondering. I'm curious. 85 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.240 It's a good question, and you know, I've often drawn 86 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.919 parallels between Salt Lake City and Portland. You know, they 87 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.879 have an MLS team, and their soccer fans are are 88 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:20.079 very intense and it's a really cool soccer experience like 89 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:24.600 we have here right now. The hockey club's presence has 90 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:27.879 not seemed to dilude the fan base when it comes 91 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:30.439 to attendance for the Jazz. You know what's interesting, Tom, 92 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:33.439 is we got some TV ratings data a couple of 93 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:37.160 weeks ago. And when you know the Gobert, Mitchell Quinn teams, 94 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:40.800 when they were at their peak, the Jazz were second 95 00:04:41.079 --> 00:04:44.279 in the entire league in local NBA ratings, the Warriors 96 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:45.959 were won and this was like two three years in 97 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.639 a row. And now the Jazz are like third to 98 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:51.360 the bottom and they have the second worst drop as 99 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:56.560 far as ratings go locally. So there's information available to 100 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:58.920 indicate people aren't watching the games at home as much 101 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:00.959 as they typically do. But I think I've been to 102 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:03.439 maybe nine or ten games, and every game I've been to, 103 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:05.959 and look, I will admit to being a snob. I 104 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.680 only go to the games where the good teams are 105 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.519 actually playing on the other side. Because the Jazz, you know, 106 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:13.120 we know the deal. But every game I've been to 107 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.600 Tom that Arena has been packed. The Jazz fans continue 108 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:17.560 to show up. At least from my vantage point. 109 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:20.959 Yeah, and Blazers fans too, is that even though they're 110 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:24.120 going to this rebuild, the attendance is strong. And we 111 00:05:24.279 --> 00:05:28.040 just on the broadcast side, have the highest increase in 112 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:33.079 year over year audience numbers. The ratings have increased by 113 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:37.519 see something like sixty percent. And you know, the team 114 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:41.600 right now has the second best defense in the NBA. 115 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:45.120 The Blazers do since they made this lineup change Shade 116 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:48.519 and Sharp out of the starting lineup. Timani Kamara is 117 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.519 a beast and Will Hardy has talked a big game 118 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.319 on to Monic More loves that guy, and it reminded me, 119 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:58.240 you know, like the Jazz, they would love a player 120 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:01.240 like that. And I've always said that Hammani Kamara is 121 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:05.439 like the Walker Kessler of the Rudy Gobert trade. Is 122 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:07.680 like a kind of like an afterthought, a throw in 123 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:10.600 that people aren't really excited about at the time of 124 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.000 the trade because they don't they're not familiar with his game, 125 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:16.959 and then later on they're like, oh, like long term, 126 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:19.600 like Walker Kessler's he's a real piece. Like he's a 127 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.759 really good young player in the same way that Tammani Kamara, 128 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:26.639 who's this all World defender on the wing, second year 129 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:29.319 player for the For the Blazers, he's like the real 130 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:32.079 gem of that Damian Lillard trade, where it's like, yeah, 131 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:35.639 he's not as good as Drew Holiday right now, but 132 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:38.680 down the line, if the Blazers can get Timani Kamara 133 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:42.360 to develop on the offensive end, they've got a real 134 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:45.639 like Jimmy Butler type, Derek White type and at the 135 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.040 time just a second round pick, no one thought anything 136 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:51.079 of it, but just like Walker Kessler, a real deal player. 137 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.519 I'm glad you brought up Walker Kessler because I wanted 138 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:57.759 to revisit a topic that you and I covered to 139 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:00.759 start the year and having kicked it around lately, because 140 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:03.879 it's just been difficult to create interesting narratives for a 141 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:07.360 team that's unserious about winning. And you know, Jaden Springer's 142 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:09.040 signed a three year deal. I don't know if that 143 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:11.199 means that they're super high on him moving forward or 144 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.759 they just need players on the roster, But to start 145 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:17.480 the year and to start the season, for me, whenever 146 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:19.920 I would go on a different radio show or a podcast, 147 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:22.920 I'd get pretty much the same question, which is who's 148 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:26.399 around on the team when they're good again outside of 149 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:29.120 marketing and look, they have a lot of work to 150 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:31.040 do to make sure that they're good in the next 151 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:33.800 four years, or they have Lowry like they are more 152 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:36.959 than one or two pieces away. But just generally speaking, 153 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:39.959 I mean, Walker clearly has played himself now to that conversation, 154 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.439 he's been so good this year. If there's one real 155 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:46.720 positive development for Jazz basketball twenty four to twenty five, 156 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:49.600 it is Walker Kessler. So I am more than willing 157 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:51.800 to put him on that list. But if we look 158 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:54.519 at this group of first and second year guys Keante 159 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:56.920 George and we take Walker off the table and we 160 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:59.800 place him next to Lowry, is okay, we know we've 161 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:00.680 got something with you. 162 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:01.399 Two. 163 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:04.680 Caanta has been better since well we asked him to 164 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.079 come off the bench. There's a lot to like about 165 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.920 the progress Isaiah Callier has made. You can't shoot twenty 166 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.680 five percent from three and be a lead Garden Pro basketball. 167 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:14.959 Taylor Hendrix's hurt, We'll put him on the shelf. 168 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.120 Cody Williams. It does not look good at all. 169 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:20.040 So if you look at these first and second year players, 170 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:23.439 if we say Tom that Lowry and Walker are around, 171 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:26.079 is there anybody else you're willing to put in that 172 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:27.199 category as of now? 173 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:33.360 Not right now. No, I don't have the confidence yet. 174 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.600 I'd have to see more of Cody Williams. He looks 175 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:41.200 just too thin, too unsure of himself. He looks like 176 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:43.480 a child out there a lot of times. And I 177 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:47.279 think without Jdubb, I'm not so sure I'd have the optimism. 178 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:51.039 JDub being Jalen Williams's older brother who's an absolute star 179 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:55.679 in today's NBA, who had forty plus points, and just 180 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.559 the Oklahoma City Thunder are not where they are without 181 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:02.679 Jalen Williams. But Cody Williams hasn't inspired me to make 182 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:06.559 me believe that he's a real deal player. But you know, look, 183 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:10.200 last year, we had a lot of questions about Scoot Henderson, 184 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:12.200 and I kept coming back to the point that he's 185 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:15.799 super young, and it's hard to grade these guys when 186 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:18.639 they're nineteen, when they're twenty years old, And that's what 187 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:21.120 I think is the deal with you know, Cody Williams 188 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:23.279 is that when he started the season, he was nineteen, 189 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:25.399 and I just don't think he's there yet. I don't 190 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:28.559 think he's an NBA player yet. But these guys we 191 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.000 need to grade them in year three or year four. 192 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:34.159 And Walker Kessler is another example of he had a good, 193 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:37.360 good rookie season, but to really see what they're gonna be, 194 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:40.240 you need like three or four years before you make 195 00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:45.320 that evaluation. And Cante George, I'm not there yet. Cody 196 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.759 Williams not there yet. Isaiah Collier, like you said, has 197 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:51.320 to be more efficient, but you really love the playmaking 198 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.799 and the attack mentality that he has. But for me, 199 00:09:54.919 --> 00:09:57.679 it's Walker Kessler and Larry markinhen. 200 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:01.919 All right, just for our Jazz fan listeners who are 201 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:07.240 very interested in the current landscape of these prospects rising 202 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:10.720 up draft boards. Now, ultimately the bottom three teams will 203 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:13.039 all have about a fourteen percent chance, and the Jazz 204 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:16.120 should be in that bottom three. We'll see what happens, 205 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:18.440 but they're clearly trending in that direction. They're resting their 206 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:22.600 vets every night. It seems to me, Tom that it 207 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:25.039 is Cooper flag and then there is a massive gap 208 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:26.039 between everybody else. 209 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:27.080 But are we. 210 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:30.519 Going to have people like some of the ziggers when 211 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.320 people zag, like when wembin Yama was available, and people like, well, 212 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.279 I kind of like Scoot, You're like, no, it's stop 213 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:35.720 doing that. 214 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:36.840 It's him, right. 215 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:40.480 Is there anybody else that's in the Cooper flag cul 216 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:43.120 de sac or is it Cooper Flag and then everybody 217 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:44.399 else in this draft process? 218 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:49.279 Yeah, it's Cooper Flag and everybody else to me, you know, 219 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:53.519 some of these guys. I got to see Duke in 220 00:10:53.559 --> 00:10:58.080 person a few weeks ago at Cameron Indoor and Mallley 221 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:02.840 Walk the big man and seven foot two. He's he's 222 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:05.240 going to be a really good NBA player, But he's 223 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:08.440 not even in the same stratosphere as Cooper Flag. Cooper Flag. 224 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:11.360 The fact that he's averaging, you know, twenty two nine 225 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:15.360 and five per thirty six minutes, you know, to keep 226 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:20.039 the grade on that scale for all players in college basketball, 227 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.200 no one has the productivity, no one has the upside. 228 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:26.679 And by the way, he's the youngest guy in the class. 229 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.320 That's what I don't think people realize. He's eighteen years 230 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:34.120 old and doing this. He just turned eighteen, So he's 231 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:37.840 not only the best player in college basketball. And dude, 232 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:41.759 like the dude from Auburn right, he's like twenty four 233 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:45.200 years old. They're in the same conversation for Player of 234 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:46.879 the Year. And I'm just sitting here, like they play 235 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:50.720 two different leagues. Like the fact that that guy, and 236 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:53.399 as good as he is, he's like four or five 237 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:57.480 years older than Cooper Flag. So what are we doing here? 238 00:11:57.559 --> 00:11:59.919 I know this isn't like who's the number one overall 239 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:03.200 should get Player of the Year, but it's just amazing 240 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:06.519 to me that Cooper Flag is playing head to head 241 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:08.519 with a guy who's like five years older than him 242 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:13.120 and still putting up extremely good numbers. Look, you know, 243 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:16.759 the Blazers fans, they're kind of in this very difficult 244 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:19.559 position is they know that Cooper Flag is right there 245 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:23.799 in the next year's draft pool, and yet the Blazers 246 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:25.639 are one of the best teams in the NBA over 247 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:28.639 the last month, and so it is this kind of 248 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.320 like I just I just hate that this is the 249 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.720 conversation for the NBA is like, when you have a 250 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:36.919 good team, I don't want to have to be like, yeah, 251 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:40.120 but they're missing out on Cooper Flag. And that's a 252 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:42.240 tough thing. With the incentive structure, as you've lived it 253 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:47.120 there in Utah is there should never be a system 254 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:51.960 in place that makes fans feel bad about winning, and 255 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:55.080 that's unfortunately what we've created with the draft. And even 256 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:59.320 though they've done those those flattening of the odds to 257 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:03.759 curb tand and to disincentivize teams from trying to lose, 258 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:08.399 it's still unfortunately a big part of the conversation is 259 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:15.679 whether teams like the Phoenix Suns or the Miami Heat 260 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:18.759 the Golden State Warriors, should they really go for the 261 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.399 playoffs or should they tank for Cooper Flag And unfortunately 262 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:24.480 we are still in that conversation no matter what the 263 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:26.679 league has done in the recent years to curp tanking. 264 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:30.080 One more Jazz thing here if we operate off a 265 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:34.559 fun hypothetical and say, okay, finally, Lady Luck shines on 266 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:38.360 Salt Lake. Finally, the Utah Jazz received the lottery luck 267 00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:41.320 that they've never received in the history of this organization. 268 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:42.759 It's crazy that they've. 269 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:44.919 Only been to the lottery nine times for a team 270 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.480 that plays there basketball in Salt Lake City. They've never 271 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:50.480 moved up, They've only stood pat or moved down. And 272 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:53.080 they are able to grab that number one pick and 273 00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:57.000 we enter next year, Tommy with a front line around 274 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:00.399 here of lowry marketing, Walker Kessler and Cooper Flag. First 275 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:02.559 of all, tickets would be flying off the shelf and 276 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:04.960 they would be very popular. But second of all, from 277 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:08.480 a basketball standpoint, we got something now right, Like that's 278 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:11.000 now something the fan base can say, Okay, now here 279 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:11.360 we go. 280 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.279 I can see a future. 281 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:17.639 And I don't think that those three guys can't play together. 282 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:20.519 I mean, you look at Cooper Flag. He's kind of 283 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:25.320 a Luca in the sense that he is a He's 284 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:29.039 a hub of your offense and is marketing the hub. 285 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:31.759 I don't. I don't think Mark I like and marketing 286 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:36.519 as a tall clay like Klay Thompson. He's an amazing shooter, 287 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:38.960 but he's not a guy who's gonna be ball dominant 288 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:43.200 and running the offense and playmaking for everybody else. That's 289 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:45.759 Cooper Flag, Like I see, that's the vision for this dude. 290 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:49.600 Is like KG. Like KG was a guy who is 291 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:52.720 the hub of the Minnesota Timberwolves at his peak, and yeah, 292 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:57.000 the Boston Celtics. KG wasn't that guy, but man like 293 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:00.440 peak KG, he very much was a point big And 294 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:02.559 I see the same thing with Cooper Flag. So if 295 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:05.679 you have Walker Kessler and his rimp protection, and then 296 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:08.519 you have the weak side help protection that a Cooper 297 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:12.279 Flag gets you overnight. If they can find, you know, 298 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:16.159 some shooting around those guys overnight, the Utah Jazz would 299 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:19.480 be a playoff team. I firmly believe that is the impact, 300 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.679 the effect of Cooper Flag. 301 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:23.679 Let me ask you, just because you'll be good with this, 302 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:27.000 you live there. I've always wondered, So, Durham, what's like 303 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:29.600 a two hour drive from Charlotte roughly. 304 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:30.039 Something like that. 305 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:35.840 Yes, So is there anything that would turn Charlotte's or 306 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:39.120 just that area North Carolina into a pro basketball market 307 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:41.440 in a way that we haven't seen? Like Charlotte's gonna 308 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:42.919 be one of the three worst teams I think, along 309 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:45.840 with Washington and Utah. If the Hornets get number one 310 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:48.519 and they put Cooper Flag next to, you know, next 311 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:51.440 to ball, is that is there anything that will turn 312 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:55.960 that area into a pro basketball market that we haven't 313 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:57.399 seen so far? I thought it was going to be 314 00:15:57.480 --> 00:15:59.320 more of a natural fit than it seems to have been. 315 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:04.000 It would one percent put people back in the seats 316 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:09.159 for the Charlotte Hornets. The whole city is ravenous for 317 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:13.840 something to cheer about the city just got an MLS team, right, 318 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:18.720 They've got this LaMelo Ball kid who's like just turning 319 00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:20.559 the corner and trying to be a winning player. But 320 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.159 the roster they're breaking it down to the studs with 321 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:28.279 the new ownership. And you have to remember, the Charlotte 322 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:32.960 Hornets had the longest sellout streak in NBA history at 323 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:38.159 one point. They were a huge market in the nineties. 324 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:42.360 During the nineties with Larry Johnson, Alonzo Morning, Muggsy Bogues, 325 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:46.840 they were huge, and especially so in the local market, 326 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.440 and it was impossible to get a ticket to go 327 00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:53.080 see the Charlotte Hornets. So it's there. There is this 328 00:16:53.200 --> 00:17:00.159 kind of this this this sense that we've got a 329 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:04.720 huge fan base of basketball with UNC with the Tobacco 330 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:08.079 Road right here, that if Cooper Flag, coming from Duke, 331 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:12.039 can come here in Charlotte and be the face of 332 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:15.240 the Charlotte Hornets, it'll change everything. And he is a 333 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.880 very very serious basketball player in the way that there 334 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:20.839 are a lot of questions around LaMelo Ball and how 335 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.559 serious is about winning. He's never been on a winning team. 336 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:25.680 That's not the case of Cooper Flag. There are no 337 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:28.839 questions about his desire to be professional, desire to be 338 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.720 a winning player, and to do all the little things 339 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:34.720 to win basketball games, and the other thing. I will say, 340 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:39.519 the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets are very similar 341 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.200 in this sense where they always feel like they are 342 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:44.359 the bridesmaid, never the bride when it comes to the 343 00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:47.880 draft lottery. I'm going to remind the listeners here the 344 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:51.759 Charlotte Hornets and the Bobcats history in the NBA draft, 345 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:55.119 because it's crazy, all right. Number one in the Dwight 346 00:17:55.160 --> 00:18:00.839 Howard draft, who do they get at number two? Echa Okafer. 347 00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:04.640 The Charlotte Hornets could have had Dwight Howard, but instead 348 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.519 they got a Mecca Okafer. In the Shaquille O'Neal draft, 349 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:11.839 of course, the Charlotte Hornets didn't get the number one 350 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:13.480 overall pick even though they are the one of the 351 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:16.400 worst teams, and they ended up getting the number two pick. 352 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:20.039 When Victor webbin Yama was the number one overall pick. 353 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:23.839 The Charlotte Hornets ended up at number three. In of course, 354 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.359 the Anthony Davis Draft, they couldn't get number one. They 355 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:30.799 ended up at number two to get Michael kick Gilchrist. 356 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:35.039 The fall off between these generational bigs, and the number 357 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:37.480 two or number three guy that the Charlotte Hornets ended 358 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:42.160 up getting has been outrageous, it is it? The fans 359 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:46.920 always say, you know, there's something that the league will 360 00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:49.200 not let us get the number one overall pick, because 361 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:53.079 look at this slew of generational bigs that come through 362 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.519 the NBA, and we always seem to get the number 363 00:18:55.559 --> 00:19:00.000 two pick. And hopefully for Hornets fans that changes. Hopefully 364 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.880 for Jazz fans that changes. But there's only one Cooper flag, 365 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.680 and unfortunately those fan bases can't get they can't all 366 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:11.160 get Cooper Flag, and so for many many fan bases, 367 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:13.119 this is just gonna be another year losing. 368 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:14.480 That is brutal. 369 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:17.319 I don't think I've ever heard anybody articulate that draft 370 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:21.519 history before. That's a baby's breath away from several franchise pieces. 371 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:23.359 Goodness, all right, Tom. 372 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:26.160 Let's move off the Jazz now and let's get some 373 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:29.039 big picture thoughts about what's currently happening in the league. 374 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.400 What are you willing to say about where the Lakers 375 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:36.000 are at today and winning six straight games, Luca kind 376 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:38.319 of taking over as the centerpiece against the Clips the 377 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:42.640 other night, and Lebron really certainly not looking near his age. 378 00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:45.880 Are you willing to say that they need to be 379 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:49.680 put in the category with OKC And I'll say, Denver, 380 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.440 maybe that's your Tier one in the West. Are they 381 00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:54.240 a legitimate threat come playoff time? 382 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:59.960 Now, I've got OKAC in its own tier out well, 383 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.920 I got Denver and the Lakers in that set, and 384 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:06.720 the Golden State Warriors in that second tier. So out 385 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:11.240 on tomafinder dot com, I tear out the contenders by 386 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:14.599 five star, four star, three star, two star, one star ratings. 387 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:19.559 And this morning just released my newest title tiers. The 388 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:24.400 Lakers are upgraded to a four star status and I 389 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:28.480 look at their performance with Luka Doncic, and it's all 390 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:34.960 about Lebron looks rejuvenated, Like he looks like prime Lebron 391 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:37.240 right now, in the sense that he's trying a lot 392 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:41.119 harder on defense. He's everywhere defensively, he's running out in fast, 393 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:44.240 fast breaks, his transition game. It looks like they breathe 394 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:47.680 new life into Lebron. And Draymond Green said this about 395 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:51.119 Jimmy Butler the acquisition. Right after they got Jimmy Butler, 396 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:53.640 he said, we're gonna win the championship you said it 397 00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:57.640 over All Star weekend, and it's because of belief capital 398 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:01.079 b belief. And in some ways I see the same 399 00:21:01.240 --> 00:21:05.119 corollary for the Los Angeles Lakers as Lebron believes. I 400 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:08.079 think he gets Luca on his team and he believes 401 00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:10.519