WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.360 Andy Larson, Salt Lake Tribune. Andy, Happy Wednesday. How are 2 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:04.639 we doing? 3 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:06.759 I'm good man, how are you good? 4 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:11.519 Give me a bucket list destination geographically somewhere in the 5 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:13.880 world that you've never been to that you'd like to visit. 6 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:16.800 I sew them into Italy and I need to do that. 7 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:19.879 And then, like I've been trying to figure out like 8 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.760 where and how to do a Japan or Korea or 9 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:28.039 something like that trip given the language barrier, Like I 10 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:30.239 don't know if it's a tour guide situation or what, 11 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:32.960 but probably Italy is my number? Want to answerself? 12 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:36.640 Can highly recommend Tokyo. I've decided my next stop is 13 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:38.640 going to be Australia. I've never been to Australia? 14 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:39.039 Have you been? 15 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:43.799 I have? In twenty nineteen, right before the world set down, 16 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.679 I did as a home around the World tour, which 17 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:51.000 was awesome. Spent two weeks there, bounced around different cities, 18 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:56.240 went to the Great Barrier reefs. It was truly awesome. 19 00:00:56.359 --> 00:00:58.600 You won't Yeah, you need to go as through as again. 20 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:00.000 What's your favorite? What's your favor? 21 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.840 I was I was munching on some pistachios earlier. I 22 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.480 feel like pistachios has to be high on anyone's list. 23 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:12.599 That's a good question. I've been feeling like Cashew's right 24 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:16.079 right recently, is really really good nice, So I'll go 25 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:16.400 with that. 26 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:18.280 Where do you get your frid Rise? Andy? 27 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:19.480 So? 28 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:21.040 I used to get it from this place called my 29 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:25.599 Tie on thirteenth and third West, but it just closed 30 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:28.480 about a month ago, So I'm kind of on the 31 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:31.920 lookout for new spots. You know, that place was right 32 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:34.040 by the jazz practice facility, so it's perfect, you know, 33 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.680 after practice, go and get some Frida Rice and it 34 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:40.159 was awesome. And they the owner retired after seventeen years 35 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:43.120 just you know, she was time. And so yeah, I 36 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:44.920 gotta say, I'm certain if you have any good ideas, 37 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:45.280 let me know. 38 00:01:45.719 --> 00:01:47.359 Watching any TV shows these days? 39 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:53.760 Andy, Oh, I don't think so. I'm watching the sports. 40 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.000 I'm sorry, it's it's important sports sent dating anyone. 41 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:02.599 No? Oh, all right, movie. 42 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:02.799 A little bit. 43 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:07.519 Oh yeah, you gotta be careful, you gotta be careful, Andy. 44 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:10.039 All right, we can move on. I mean, kind of 45 00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:12.719 a weird mood on a Wednesday. Several reasons why, but 46 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:13.639 let's move on. 47 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:14.319 All right. 48 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:17.560 Let me ask you this, did you catch wind of 49 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.840 this Austin Ange situation. Did you know this was in 50 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:22.680 the pipeline or did it catch you off guard the 51 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:25.240 way that it seems to have got everybody off guard? 52 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:27.759 Yeah, I mean, yeah, it caught me off guard. I 53 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:29.439 did not know. I knew that there were changes in 54 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:31.840 the front office, and I knew that, and we've reported 55 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:35.400 some of them, right like the Carlos Boozer thing. There 56 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:38.400 are a couple of other Jazz staffers who are no 57 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:41.960 longer going to be with the team moving forward, And 58 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:44.520 now in the wake of Austin Ange being hired, it's 59 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:47.719 looking like maybe there could be more changes. I truly, 60 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:50.199 you know, I don't want to say anything without having 61 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:53.240 that confirmed for multiple sources, because obviously this is people's livelihoods. 62 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:56.560 But I knew that there were changes being made. I 63 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:59.159 thought they were happening at lower levels, right like I thought. 64 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:04.800 Essentially the team was upset with kind of their scouting 65 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:11.439 and player player development, not player development player scouting setup, 66 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:14.879 so that you know, they made some I think some 67 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:17.719 kind of weird draft choices of the last couple of years. 68 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:21.719 They haven't really identified that star and so just talent 69 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:24.439 recognition I think was kind of lacking since Dennis Lindsay 70 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:28.039 was let go, and so I do think there was 71 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:31.680 room to hire someone. But I'm surprised that it was 72 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:35.879 at the president of basketball operations level. I'm surprised Austin 73 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.439 Angel is the number one guy. And yeah, I had 74 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:40.319 no idea that it was going to be often moving 75 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:41.400 moving over here? 76 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:44.919 What other changes? And I may have missed something. 77 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.680 So for our listeners, Carlos Boozer has been added to 78 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:50.759 the staff as a scout. And I know you said 79 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:53.960 you did not want to pontificate on possibilities, and I 80 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:56.960 respect that because people's jobs are important to them. But 81 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:00.280 what other changes are you alluding to that I may 82 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:02.319 have missed changes. 83 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:05.919 So again, I'm trying to not use names here and 84 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:09.000 until it's announced, until they find new jobs and stuff 85 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:11.599 like that. But yeah, it seems like in the fourth 86 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:15.879 or fifth level of the organization, maybe names that aren't 87 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:20.360 familiar to fans, but are names more familiar to JEVB 88 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:23.680 writers and you know, obviously people my people in the 89 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:26.439 day to day workings of the of the organ All. 90 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:28.800 Right, ten ten four, how do you think I have? 91 00:04:28.759 --> 00:04:31.000 I asked a couple of guests this, and I'll preface 92 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.160 it with you the same way I have with them. 93 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.759 There are thirty NBA general manager jobs, and if you 94 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:41.480 have one, you are very happy to have one despite 95 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:45.120 these circumstances around you. And Justin Xanik is coming off 96 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:49.279 a very trying year where he had some serious health complications, 97 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:51.519 and you know, I've seen him a couple of times 98 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.199 since and seeing him interviewed since, seems like he's doing well. 99 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:58.600 So I'm not implying anything at all with the question, 100 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:02.199 nor am I leading the witness. I am wondering what 101 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:05.199 you believe to be jay Z's reaction to kind of 102 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:08.319 the changes around him in his place in this new ecosystem. 103 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:14.600 Look publicly and privately from all all reports that I've 104 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:16.199 heard about this, I haven't talked to j V about it, 105 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:20.360 but like is that he is taking this positively right 106 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:23.319 like he is, you know, saying all the right things. 107 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:27.040 He is, you know, saying, hey, look, you know that 108 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.560 Austin will be added it to our department, and you 109 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:32.639 know what's best for the Jazz is what's best for me, 110 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.480 and all that kind of good stuff. I also know 111 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.839 how general managers think, and I know how executives think, 112 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.240 and I know how does people think? And the truth is, 113 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:45.959 if you were general manager of a team, you if 114 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.639 they go to somebody else to hire the president of 115 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:53.360 basketball operations, and not only just another teams general manager, 116 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:57.120 but another team's assistant general manager, a person lower on 117 00:05:57.160 --> 00:05:59.639 the totem pold than you are, then you probably don't 118 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:02.639 feel right about it. And it is probably the kind 119 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:04.240 of thing that makes you want to look around. Now. 120 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:06.920 Look like Justin has a contract, and you know, I 121 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:09.399 think is well respected and I think does have a 122 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:11.519 lot to add to this organization. But I did think 123 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:14.879 it was interesting that Ryan Smith made it extremely clear 124 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:17.040 who was in charge when he did not do that 125 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:20.800 in the Danny Aingecrest conference. And I think it was 126 00:06:20.839 --> 00:06:24.040 interesting that he drew such a dividing line between Austening 127 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.639 of skills and Justin venex skills, where you know, he said, hey, look, 128 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.079 Justin's you know, came up through the agency space and 129 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.680 as good at that, is good at dealing with players 130 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:36.600 and that sort of thing, Whereas they feel that Austen 131 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:40.439 came up through the scouting and coaching. It has that 132 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.480 experience and so we'll be able to add kind of 133 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:48.160 those again, player evaluation and talent and scout talent scouting 134 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:52.759 to the organization, and kind of the implicit statement there 135 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.000 is they don't feel like Justin has done a great 136 00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:58.160 job of that. Now, look, you know, Justin hasn't been 137 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:00.120 totally in charge over the last three years. It's in 138 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.959 Danny Ainge too, and mostly Danny Inge. There was a 139 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.120 period of time where Justin was the number one guy 140 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.720 after they fired Dennis Lindsay and you ended up with 141 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:11.079 the Rudy Gay summer, right, So it wasn't like a 142 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:14.600 unadulterated success. But I do think, you know, Justin sent 143 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.600 some good things as well and made them smart moves. 144 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.920 I think fIF year's trade deadline, frankly, was really well handled. 145 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:23.480 And so you want that kind of guy around. It's 146 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:25.720 just whether or not he wants to be around, and 147 00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:28.360 I think that's, you know, still kind of an open question. 148 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:32.680 If he can get another better job from another NBA team, 149 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:34.879 it wouldn't be super surprising to see him take it 150 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:35.800 so andy. 151 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:38.759 As a nineteen year old, between my freshman and sophomore 152 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:41.199 year at the University of Utai, did an internship at 153 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:46.240 Madison Square Garden where I had a connection loosely and 154 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:50.360 my internship that summer was in the customer relations department, 155 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:52.800 where my job was to answer phone calls from angry 156 00:07:52.839 --> 00:07:55.560 New Yorkers that didn't enjoy Billy Joel the night before 157 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:56.120 or whatever. 158 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:58.839 It was very interesting, and I. 159 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:02.040 Worked in the department of people and a lot of 160 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:05.759 them were almost nervous to me around and didn't really 161 00:08:05.959 --> 00:08:07.519 like to talk to me very much. I've really had 162 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:11.040 one friend. His name was Dave Snowden. Ironically enough, he's 163 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:13.279 still there. He founded the Wheelchair Next and he's the 164 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:16.600 sweetest guy. And went to dinner one night and I'm like, dude, 165 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:18.800 why don't these people just feel like they can I'm 166 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:19.639 a normal person. 167 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:22.160 You can come talk to me and I'll talk to you. 168 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.360 And he'd laid a line on me at the age 169 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:26.680 of nineteen that I still talk about and think about 170 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:29.560 to this day. And he said, Spence, it's important that 171 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.639 at this point in your life you understand one very 172 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.080 simple truth, and that is nobody cheers for the son 173 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:35.120 of a famous father. 174 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:37.480 So thank you. Okay, there you go. 175 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.639 So we move into this space where I feel like 176 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.200 it's easy to have a conversation where two things can 177 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:47.039 be true. That Austin benefited greatly from his last name 178 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:51.159 and who his father was, and Austin has put in 179 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.279 the groundwork and as the resume to qualify himself for 180 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:58.559 a hire such as this, is that fair to say, yeah, look, 181 00:08:58.600 --> 00:08:58.960 I think so. 182 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:02.639 I I think, you know, if you look at another 183 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:05.279 team and they higher off names, it's a little bit 184 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:08.559 of a stretch because he's an assistant GM, not a GM, right, like, 185 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.360 but given the Celtics success over the last decade, like, 186 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:16.799 it does make sense, right And so that's the thing 187 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:18.600 that the Jazz can stand on on this is that 188 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.600 look like, hey, it's you know, he does have he 189 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:24.720 is well respected, he does have a ton of success, 190 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.919 and it's hard to know, you know exactly, you know, 191 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:30.440 who drafted Jason Tatum instead of Markel Foltz, and who 192 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:33.840 drafted Jalen Brown and who you know, But like clearly 193 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.519 Austin was at least a round during those times and 194 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:40.559 helped make good choices. So you know, it's hard to say, like, hey, 195 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.480 this is a catastrophe, but I do think, you know, 196 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:47.200 like this is kind of a nepotism thing, is you know, 197 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:50.919 maybe it prevents you from opening up the job to 198 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:54.159 other names. And I think that's where I think you 199 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.759 can have some real criticism for the Jazz is like, 200 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:01.919 if you are trying to compete in a third team MBA, 201 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:04.960 you want to know as much about your competition as possible, 202 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:07.440 and one of the easiest ways to do that is 203 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:10.720 by having a round of significant and serious interviews for 204 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:13.720 a president of basketball operations slot right, Like, learn how 205 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:16.159 these guys think, learn what they would do with your roster, 206 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:20.840 get some free consulting, frankly right, and for them to 207 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.559 kind of have bypassed that in order to hire you know, 208 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:28.159 the son of the CEO and the guy who's friends 209 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:33.159 with the owner. Like, look, it is, it's sketchy, it's 210 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:35.120 it's not great. It's a really bad look. And I 211 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.799 think the rest of the NBA was talking all about 212 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:40.679 it this week. So I think that's where I think 213 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:43.279 you can have significant criticism. Is like, look, if you 214 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:45.360 do it in an overall search of the whole market 215 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:48.240 and say, hey, Austin Ange is the best guy. Cool, 216 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:52.200 but you should really have again, serious and significant interviews 217 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:54.399 with other candidates in order to make that in order 218 00:10:54.440 --> 00:10:58.120 to make that determination. Rather than well, Danny thinks often 219 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:01.480 Ange is great. Ryan Smith, the Austin Ange is great. 220 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:03.440 Will Hardy says, Austin Ange is great. It's like, well, 221 00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:07.600 you know, yes, for sure, Like I think the reality 222 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:10.120 is probably the autome age is great. And yet also 223 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:13.879 there are a gazillion other very smart men and women 224 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:17.440 I guess covering and leading NBA franchises right now that 225 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:19.759 you also could have talked to for this role and 226 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:23.639 chose not to. And I think that's the disappointing part 227 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:26.200 of it. I think from a jazz perspective, did. 228 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:27.840 It feel like to you? 229 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:32.320 And I guess i'll use a gen z saying, as 230 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:35.600 the kids would say, doing too much or extra or whatever? 231 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.360 Did it feel like to you in the statements that 232 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:44.279 were released and the comments mainly by Ryan that they 233 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:49.799 just overcooked the qualifications that Austin has, that they just 234 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:53.159 overcooked the whole like without really saying the quiet part 235 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:56.000 out loud, like Danny wasn't even quoted and it was 236 00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.440 never even acknowledging any of the statements. Did it feel 237 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:01.039 like to you that they were making a little bit 238 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:03.919 too much of an effort, being a little extra when 239 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:06.679 it came to just pointing out all of the things 240 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:09.240 Austin has done in the statements, and were you surprised 241 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.639 that Danny was not quoted nor was he available at 242 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:13.320 the media availability. 243 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.639 No, And I mean I guess I don't think they're 244 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.480 doing like you kind of have to if you're if 245 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.120 you are the Pierre Department of the Jazz and you're 246 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:23.840 put in this position, right, like, that's the thing you 247 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:25.240 have to do. You have to say, hey, you know, 248 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.559 this is Danny Ings hiring his son. It's like, look 249 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:30.039 at all the things off and names of son. You 250 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:32.039 have to give the fans the reason to believe, because 251 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:33.799 if you do that, the fans are gonna believe because 252 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:39.879 they're fans. I did. I was skeptical at the idea 253 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:44.399 that Ryan just told Danny called Danny up one Dan said, hey, 254 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:46.039 I want to hire your son to be president of 255 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:48.159 basketball operations, right. You know, I think Ryan and Danny 256 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:51.080 talk more often than that for it to have just 257 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:53.759 been like, hey, got some bad or weird news that 258 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:57.399 I'm hiring your kids, you know, Like I I just 259 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:01.879 am skeptical that that's how that went down. But yeah, look, 260 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:04.720 I mean, if you are if you're trying to spin 261 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:07.360 as any if you are at all professional, you're trying 262 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:09.679 to spin it at least a little bit, and the 263 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:12.080 only way to spend it is by saying that Austin 264 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:14.960 is qualified, you know, but you know in terms of 265 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.360 he is going to be a relatively young general manager 266 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:23.200 or I guess relatively young professional president of basketball operations. 267 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:26.679 And you know, like, while he does have fourteen years 268 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:29.639 of experience in the Boston Celtics organization or whatever it is, 269 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:32.840 seventeen like, you know, it's not all that has been 270 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:35.080 as assistant general manager. It's also been at like the 271 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:37.879 scouting level and stuff like that. Right, So again, it's 272 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.919 a reasonable resume and a relatively good one, especially given 273 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:44.639 how good the Celtics has been. But that's what you 274 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:46.679 had to do. If you're the Jazz. You can't just say, well, 275 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:49.279 there's a Danny Agis kid and and try to spin 276 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:49.799 it that way. 277 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:54.840 Skeptical that Ryan didn't talk to There's no shot in 278 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:58.120 hell are you kidding? That was the most insulting part 279 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:02.039 of the entire scenario. Hey, Danny's been completely kept out 280 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:03.919 of you. He had no idea I was doing this. 281 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:06.519 I just told him, like, dude, like, what do you mean, Andy, 282 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:08.480 There's no chance that was the case. 283 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:10.720 Almost insulting that that was said out loud. 284 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:15.799 Yeah. Look, I mean Ryan likes to tell a yarn 285 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:20.639 that's probably not super based in reality. Sometimes he's done 286 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:23.080 it at press conferences before. I mean, even Katz the 287 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.120 copyed like the old Greg Miller gas station story, right, 288 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:30.440 like I am, you know that's that's Ryan Smith. 289 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.240 Yes it is, Yes it is, And you know, I 290 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.679 guess if it's working for you, just keep rolling with it. 291 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:37.840 But yeah, there's no shot. 292 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:41.200 But when it comes to the Danny angle here, I've 293 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:48.480 always been skeptical personally of really just how for lack 294 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.480 of a better term, invested in the day to day 295 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:55.039 process that Danny is with the entire thing. Now, I 296 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:58.360 want to be very fair, Danny retired when he left 297 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:01.000 the Celtics. He retired. He he didn't move out here 298 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.120 to work for the Jazz. Okay, that wasn't the reason 299 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:06.039 he moved to Utah. He moved to Utah to be 300 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:09.720 around his family. And I've never believed Now, look, he's 301 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:11.639 at the games. I see him at games, I see 302 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:15.159 him at events. I'm not saying he's never there. But 303 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:18.840 you reference kind of the original ambiguity when Danny was 304 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:22.279 hired and the messaging from Jazz ownership about like I've 305 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:25.519 always drawn the parallel between the Jim Halpert, Michael Scott 306 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:27.600 off the stuff big picture of day to day and was. 307 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:29.120 Kind of like who's doing what all right? 308 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:31.480 And this kind of get you know, does this to 309 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:33.720 you indicate that Danny might even be a little bit 310 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:38.559 further removed in valuing his riverside tee times and hanging 311 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:41.279 out with his grandkids. Now that Austin is in place 312 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:42.519 and will be in place for a while, do you 313 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:44.440 think Danny's gonna be even a little bit further removed 314 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:45.120 from the scenario. 315 00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:48.399 I'll say this, like over the last couple of years, 316 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:52.559 if Danny was truly removed, like he was way more 317 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:54.600 involved than I thought he would be from that press 318 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:58.159 conference right like he was at random star game that 319 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.840 I was at that you know, the league College City Stars, 320 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:03.279 but he had no reason to be at whatsoever? Right 321 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:08.440 Like you can successfully delegate the tenth man role on 322 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.279 the Salege City Stars and feel pretty good about it 323 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:13.799 if you're Danny Inge and he didn't, like he was 324 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:17.120 involved in that kind of weird stuff like and so 325 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:20.039 and was involved like was that morning shoot around again 326 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:23.600 for games that did not matter? And just was was 327 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:28.120 around again more than it did scouting trips to the 328 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.679 middle of the country on the for players. You wouldn't 329 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:33.399 think that Danny ainge if he were truly you know, 330 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:37.080 like just doing the golf tea time thing that he 331 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:38.960 would have been involved in. I think he was. That 332 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:42.159 being said, I also had that same thought that you did, 333 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:45.080 like that, hey, maybe this is a way to get 334 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:48.840 Danny to where he wants to be, where he feels comfortable, uh, 335 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.039 golfing more and being with his grandkids more and all 336 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:55.159 that kind of stuff. I could absolutely see. Hey, that's 337 00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:59.279 why the jazz decided to add another, uh, the louder 338 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:00.960 voice of the room. And of course you can get 339 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:04.680 Danny on board by making it Austin. So you know, 340 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.759 I think that it's very plausible that that's what happened. 341 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:09.640 But we'll see over the next course a couple of years, 342 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:11.240 you know, Like I was surprised at how involved he 343 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:14.200 was before, now it could be surprised again. 344 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:18.200 All right, in the spirit of listening to what these 345 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.759 people say and then trying to understand what actually is real, 346 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:24.640 Let's move over to the response that Austin gave to 347 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:28.119 the question that our very own Sean o'cotta asked about 348 00:17:28.119 --> 00:17:32.200 his personal philosophy on tanking and manipulating lineups, to which 349 00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:35.440 Austin responded, you will not see that this year. Austin 350 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.720 went on our guy John Paul's podcast, I would encourage 351 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:42.599 people to go check out Roundball Roundup and expanded on 352 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:43.359 the answer. 353 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:46.839 So, look, Andy, we know the deal here. 354 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.799 It's a top eight protected pick that goes to Oklahoma City, 355 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:52.680 who most likely is about to win a world championship, 356 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:55.160 and then over the next week or so, and I 357 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:58.920 would view it as an epic failure if that pick 358 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:01.880 had to be conveyed to Oka. See if the Jazz 359 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.480 win thirty four to thirty five games and end up 360 00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:07.279 drafting ninth in the lottery and that goes to Oklahoma City. 361 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:10.839 I view holding on to that asset as important as 362 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:14.079 anything else this year. So if we take Austin at 363 00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:16.880 his word that they will approach this season with more 364 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:19.480 integrity than they did in years past and be front 365 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:24.400 facing about injuries and availability and not wait to get 366 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:27.200 fined and then have Walker shoot seven threes a game 367 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:29.839 and we actually see a serious basketball team this year? 368 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:34.240 Can they do that while also maintaining the spot they 369 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:36.279 need to maintain to hold onto their draft capital. 370 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:40.960 It becomes really really hard even if you trade the veterans, 371 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.160 like that's that's the tricky spot for me. So like 372 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:48.759 you know, you can trade lowerry marketing, You could probably 373 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:51.319 trade polmssts, and you can probably trade down Collins. I 374 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.119 don't think you can trade Jordan Clarkson unless it's packaged 375 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:57.640 in a deal where you're giving up value. I don't 376 00:18:57.680 --> 00:18:59.279 think they're going to get a lot for those guys, 377 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:01.599 but I think you can and move them if you'd like. 378 00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:04.240 But how whoever you get back is at least going 379 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.640 to have salaries and at least it's going to be 380 00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:08.759 on the roster, and you know, like you'll have to 381 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.240 play those guys too. You can't get you know what's 382 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:14.880 got a combined eighty million dollars in money off your 383 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:18.720 books without taking some veteran contract back. Who then yes, 384 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:21.200 under kind of the oft names we won't tank rule 385 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.519 that you would have to play. And if you look 386 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:29.000 at the bottom eight of last year's draft pree lottery, 387 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.319 all of those teams tanked to some degree. None were 388 00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:36.519 as you know extreme as the Jazz, but like Washington 389 00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:38.559 definitely thanks at the end of the year. New Orleans did. 390 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:41.279 Brooklyn tanks from the beginning of the year, trading Dennis 391 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:45.240 Ruder a year in a month into the season. You know, 392 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:47.839 let's see Philadelphia definitely thanks at the end of the year. 393 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:50.640 The Spurs even tanked once Webb Yama got hurt. Like 394 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:54.319 everyone actually was tanking by the end of the year. 395 00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:58.680 So I find it difficult to imagine that the jazz 396 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:02.319 I don't have to do that to some degree in 397 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:04.880 March and April in order to stay quote unquote competitive 398 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:07.960 or really anti competitive. Right, Like, there's a real chance 399 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:10.079 that if they try their hardest in all eighty two 400 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:12.680 games next year, that they end up with, yeah, that 401 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:15.359