WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:01.199 Monday afternoon. 2 00:00:01.240 --> 00:00:04.759 Mister statistician face Man, as he's known on social media 3 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:06.919 we know him around here, is the great Tom Haberstrow. 4 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:10.480 Tom. Happy Monday, my guy. How are we doing doing? 5 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:11.279 Great man? How are you? 6 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.199 I'm well, I'm well. I'm good. I'm good. So we 7 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.960 do have I suppose if. 8 00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:20.399 You're going to, you know, make this NBA Cup thing 9 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:23.320 a reality, you could do worse than Bucks thunder Correct 10 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.440 as the final. So we've got a pretty exciting NBA 11 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:29.120 Cup Finals matchup. I wonder how many people care about it, 12 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:30.679 but give me your thoughts on what will be the 13 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:34.560 final matchup of this year's Emirates shout out to the 14 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:35.759 sponsor NBA Cup. 15 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:40.799 I love this matchup because I love what Chris Middleton 16 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:43.920 brings to this Bucks team and the fact that he's 17 00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:49.359 back and healthy is a much needed positive story from 18 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:54.079 what seems to be an injury rattled season, beleaguered season 19 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:57.960 of NBA star injuries. And Chris Middleton is finally back 20 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:01.640 from his double ankle surgery in the offseason and the 21 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:03.600 Bucks are whole at the right time. I wrote about 22 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:06.879 it on Tom Thefinder dot com this morning. Is you 23 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:11.120 know this this season has been a nightmare season from 24 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:16.799 an injury perspective for NBA Stars. At one point, NBA 25 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:21.000 Stars had missed fifty one percent more games than they 26 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:25.359 did last year, which is astounding. You know, at this 27 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.959 time last year, a couple of weeks ago, when I 28 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:32.480 was on this program talking about it, the increase in 29 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:35.359 number of game absences from star players had reached an 30 00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:39.400 increase of fifty one percent. And luckily there have been 31 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:42.959 some returns. You've got Dejan sat Murray, who's not an 32 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:47.519 A list NBA celebrity, but Chris Middleton has come back. 33 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.359 And when you see the Milwaukee Bucks play, he does 34 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.640 so much for them. And so look, it's not the 35 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:56.959 marquee matchup that I think a lot of NBA fans 36 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.680 are clamoring for. But I'm telling you, Spence, I think 37 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:03.920 this okac Thunder team they should be on national TV 38 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:07.879 every week. They are that fun to watch. They have 39 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.400 that much kind of wholesome homegrown talent. If you watch 40 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:16.800 their postgame press conferences on the floor at the podium, 41 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:20.639 they are everything that I think NBA fans of your 42 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:24.120 claim that the NBA isn't about, that is what the 43 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:27.960 Oklahoma City Thunder are. They are elite. Defensively, they're in 44 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:32.879 the talks statistically for the best defense in NBA history, 45 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:38.919 the way that they defend and the turnover rate. Isaiah 46 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:42.639 Hartenstein has been a perfect fit next to Shay Gilders, 47 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.199 Alexander and Jalen Williams. And the fact that it isn't 48 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:49.960 a marquee team in the NBA despite having the number 49 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.759 two guy in the MVP vote last year and having 50 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.439 the number one seed in the Western Conference. The fact 51 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:59.039 that Okac is not going to be on Christmas Day 52 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:03.240 is it's a real travesty for the NBA fan because 53 00:03:03.240 --> 00:03:06.039 I do think that this Thunder team is electric. They're 54 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:09.120 the next big team, and they were the next big 55 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:12.000 teams as recently as last year this time last year, 56 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:16.560 and yet I think that NBA fans aren't excited about 57 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:19.719 this matchup and they should be. You know, the Dame 58 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:24.639 Janice and Middleton Jannis is playing some of the best 59 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:27.599 basketball of his career and the Thunder are twenty and 60 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:30.879 five with a points afferential that points them as being 61 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.000 one of the greatest teams that we've ever seen in 62 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:36.960 the NBA. I'm telling you, like they are at that level, 63 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:41.840 that caliber team even without ched Holmgren, and it just 64 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:45.520 I don't know, Like you said, the buzz doesn't seem 65 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:48.439 to be there for Tuesday nights matchup, and it really 66 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:50.400 is a shame because I think that it should be. 67 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:52.680 It should have a lot of buzz, a lot of hoopla, 68 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:54.919 because the Thunder and the Bucks deserve it right now. 69 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:58.199 Tom, I promise I will not revisit this every week. 70 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:59.680 But the fact of the matter is, I don't feel 71 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:01.840 like the legue has buzz right now, and I don't 72 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:03.439 know how much of that is football. 73 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:04.840 I don't know how to like you. 74 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.680 Sports Business Journal wrote a piece last week I references 75 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:10.759 to start the show, and you know, the local perspective 76 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:13.120 is simply this, like whenever there has been a compelling 77 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:17.560 basketball product around here, people have shown up, people have 78 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:21.519 consumed the content, and people are interested, whether it's Utah basketball, 79 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:25.160 nder Rick manjaris BYU basketball just signed the best recruit 80 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:28.560 in the country. I AJ Debantsh's coming to Provo next year, 81 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:31.519 so folks excited about that. And when the Jazz have 82 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:34.879 been either really good or with a very clear direction 83 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:37.800 of players that play hard with precision, people show up 84 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.639 and play. But I will take advantage of having a 85 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:43.079 smart guy on the show to ask you why you 86 00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:46.399 think that this thing simply is going in the wrong 87 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:49.839 direction when it comes to interest of its typical consumers. 88 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:53.639 I think part of it is that Lebron and Steph 89 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:57.759 are still here, you know. I think part of it 90 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:00.800 is that is the idea that, you know, the NBA 91 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:05.319 has been slow to invest in the next great star 92 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:10.240 because Lebron and Steph are still here, and until you 93 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:15.000 can't go to that, you know, that mom and pop 94 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:18.439 store downtown anymore, you'd probably take it for granted that like, 95 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:21.040 one day that's going to close up shop, and that 96 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:22.839 you're going to be looking around town being like, where 97 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:24.120 am I going to get food? Where am I going 98 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:27.120 to go? Me and my friends, and Lebron and Steph 99 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.160 are still here at that age. You know, Lebron's turning 100 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.240 forty here and Steph is getting approaching those years. And 101 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:40.040 I just did the math. The number one team in 102 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:45.519 national television appearances this year is the Los Angeles Lakers 103 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:49.000 with twenty seven. Okay, they're a playing team. They might 104 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.079 not even make the play in tournament, Okay. The number 105 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.800 two team, tied with the Boston Celtics, is the Golden 106 00:05:54.800 --> 00:06:00.519 State Warriors. Okay, the NBA is still marketing this league 107 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:02.879 as a Lebron and Steph league, and I get it. 108 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:07.079 They just came off Paris Olympics. Their teams are hailing 109 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:10.040 from huge markets in LA and the Bay Area. But 110 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:14.120 there are real business decisions being made that lead to 111 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:18.879 the Oklahoma City Thunder being this exciting that they play 112 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:23.360 an amazing brand of basketball. They defend their tails off. 113 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:27.000 They have a superstar in Shay Gildris Alexander that just 114 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:30.519 slices up the defense and he's this fashion icon off 115 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:35.319 the floor. And they're the eighth most marquee team in 116 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:38.279 terms of national television games this year, behind the Philadelphia 117 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:42.360 seventy six ers. And I think the NBA has to 118 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:48.519 invest more in Anthony Edwards, in the Oklahoma City Thunder, 119 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:52.160 in Victor Wemba Nyama, this next group. They have to 120 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:55.920 put them in front of the national audience and market 121 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.639 them as the next great thing. There just isn't that 122 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:02.759 buzz around Anthony Edwards and Jahn Morant and Shay Gildos 123 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:06.839 Alexander and Victor wembin Yama, but there should be. They 124 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:09.279 should be on the same pedestal as Steph and Lebron 125 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.480 in terms of marquee national TV audiences, but the TV 126 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.720 partners have chosen elsewhere, and I think a lot of 127 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:20.199 it has to do with the decisions to at the 128 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:23.879 national TV level. And I also think just the conversation 129 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.920 around the NBA is pretty rotten right now. It's like, 130 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.920 if you turn on NBA coverage at the national level, 131 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:35.439 it's a lot of complaining and a lot of you know, 132 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:39.800 Steph and Lebron and negativity, and a lot of that 133 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.079 is because the stars aren't playing as much as they 134 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.759 used to, and that's a problem. But I think a 135 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:48.199 lot of this is we have to put these teams 136 00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:50.759 on national TV and invest in this. Even if you 137 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:54.879 take a little ratings hit now, Lebron and stepths can't 138 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:57.399 play forever. And I do think that the league has 139 00:07:57.480 --> 00:08:02.319 to feature these guys nationally. It'll a lot better and 140 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:07.319 market them a lot better, because it really is, you know, 141 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.279 we've taken Lebron and Steph for granted in some ways 142 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:15.240 that we continue to roll them out on national TV 143 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:19.120 and not investing in the next wave of NBA stars. 144 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:20.720 A lot of good stuff in there, and I do 145 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.600 want to be clear, you are spot on about OKC. 146 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:26.720 You know, watch the Jazz Okase game like a week 147 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:29.600 and a half ago. Defensively, they're like and I keep 148 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:32.759 drawing the parallel to NFL safeties, they're like ballhawks and 149 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:34.960 the Jazz aren't good, but they couldn't get any. 150 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:36.200 Action going consistently. 151 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:40.039 And there are compelling teams and very good players, and 152 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:42.639 what Sam Presty has done in OKAC to make them 153 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:46.279 excellent now with a bevy of assets to continue that 154 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:50.000 excellence moving forward. And of course there's always the scenario 155 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:52.440 of when players decide they want to get paid because 156 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:55.080 he had Durant Westbrook and hardened there at once and 157 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.399 couldn't make that thing last. So there are plenty of 158 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:02.639 compelling stories and plenty of talent outside of Stephan Lebron. 159 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:05.360 But one more thing here, because you know the fact 160 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:07.720 of the matter is Tom and you know this. The 161 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:12.360 revenue streams the NBA creates internationally allows them to I'm 162 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:14.879 not going to say turn a blind eye to the 163 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:18.360 domestic ratings, but it allows them to make up a 164 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:21.360 lot of that income, those revenue streams that maybe could 165 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:25.559 be sacrificed a little bit with dipping ratings domestically you know, 166 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.279 soccer is the number one game in the world, but 167 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:30.679 basketball is number two. Soccer is the global game, and 168 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:35.240 basketball moves the needle in China, which we all learned 169 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.320 with the tight lipped nature of folks after the Darryl 170 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:41.159 Mory tweet, and then in Europe in a way that 171 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:45.159 football just doesn't. So is the expedited nature of their 172 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:49.360 profit and loss statements because of the international money enough 173 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:51.120 for them to kind of turn a blind eye to 174 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:55.039 what is clearly now a trend of dipped domestic ratings 175 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:57.039 or is that bad for business and they need to 176 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:59.080 figure something out well? 177 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:02.440 I think also you're hitting on something that is a 178 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:05.120 big piece of this that we haven't talked about is 179 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:08.960 the gambling aspect. You know, so much of the oxygen 180 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:12.399 on air and I've been a part of this too, 181 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:16.960 is devoted to the bets of the night, the parlays 182 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:20.240 of the night, and you have you know, Charles Barkley 183 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:23.720 and Kenny Smith on every broadcast talking their their their pips. 184 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:26.279 And the same thing with ESPN bet is that the 185 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:29.279 TV partners that are currently existing are trying to push 186 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:32.399 a lot of gambling. You know what, the gambling doesn't 187 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:37.279 do very well with is storytelling, and the storytelling is 188 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:41.480 at a loss right now. And the Victor wembn Yama story, 189 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:47.679 the the Shay Gilgris Alexander story, Luka Zancic, uh Nikola Jokic. 190 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:50.639 They haven't done a great job of telling those stories, 191 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:57.080 partly because they're international. Like Shay Gilders, Alexander went to 192 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:01.200 Kentucky for a year, but he's Canadian, you is Serbian 193 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.600 and didn't even play. He was drafted and then stashed 194 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:07.960 for a year before he came to Denver. Doncic was 195 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:11.840 this wonder kid that came to Dallas and was sensational 196 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:14.120 from day one, but we didn't know who he was. 197 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.440 Jan assigned Atkoupo, who's playing in the in the NBA Cup. 198 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:22.120 He's the Greek freak and he has a Nike campaign 199 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.720 around him. What a wonderful story he is. But it 200 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:28.480 took years for us to really get familiarized with that 201 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.840 product because a lot of these stars are international and 202 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:36.799 they've invested in the sports gambling and I've profited off 203 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:40.080 of that too. Is that those decisions in my career, 204 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:44.200 like I've made money off of you know, media partners 205 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:46.919 that are investing in these these entities. So it's not 206 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:49.600 like I'm totally clean from this, but in terms of 207 00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:53.120 storytelling and that where we find ourselves, I don't think 208 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:56.799 there's that much buzz comparatively where we could be. I 209 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:58.759 think a lot of it is that those like more 210 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:02.399 short term decisions business decisions rather than long term. And 211 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:04.879 I could be totally wrong about this, but I think 212 00:12:04.919 --> 00:12:07.559 you're hitting on, you know, a lack of buzz for 213 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:10.559 you know, Tuesday night's game, and it does bring to 214 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:13.559 the forefront. You know, why is that? And for all 215 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:17.840 the reasons I laid out, it explains why, you know, 216 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:23.639 the NBA does have at this point a marketing problem, 217 00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:26.360 which I always thought the NBA was the best marketed 218 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:30.600 product and on Planet Earth, like no sports league markets 219 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.399 the NBA coming off of Jordan and the NBA is 220 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:37.080 amazing and all that. It just feels like there's a 221 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:39.320 we're in between eras right now, or we're trying to 222 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:39.919 find our footing. 223 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:42.000 Yeah, and look, man, you're grown up. 224 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.519 You know this, Like you followed the money to find 225 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:48.480 the story and when the NBA was most compelling, the 226 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:52.960 money hadn't you know, permeated its way through everything like 227 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.120 players used to play because they needed to get paid, 228 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:57.799 and coaches used to coach because they needed to get paid, 229 00:12:57.840 --> 00:12:59.440 you know, twice a month. 230 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:01.720 And now the money is so ridiculous. 231 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:04.240 And if you just follow the money, and then if 232 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:08.000 you listen closely, you hear things occasionally where they do 233 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:10.360 say as the kids say these days, the quiet part 234 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:13.559 out loud. So two years ago, after Dallas was beaten 235 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:17.200 in the playoffs, Jason Kidd takes the mic and says, 236 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:20.279 what you guys don't get is we're millionaires cheering for 237 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:21.440 other millionaires. 238 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:23.559 And I just went, oh, dude. 239 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:27.360 Like I know, Jason, I'm aware of that, but don't 240 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:30.879 say it out loud. I honestly think there's a feel 241 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:34.600 from general, the general sporting public that if you're in 242 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:38.360 the NBA circle, you're fine just cashing your checks and 243 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.080 you don't really give a rip about whether or not 244 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:43.799 the fans watch or not, because you're getting your guaranteed 245 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:47.840 money anyway. Kevin Durant last year set it out loud. 246 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:50.919 You guys don't understand. We never talk about the fans. 247 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:53.960 We don't keep you guys in mind. So last thing 248 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:56.919 here and then we'll move on to the more compelling stories. 249 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:00.720 I honestly believe if we bottom line this, Jason Kidd 250 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:04.120 said it out loud, these are millionaires cheering for other millionaires, 251 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.879 looking from their ivory tower down to everybody else. 252 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:07.840 That's what I believe. 253 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:14.600 I've heard it from GM's executives around the league that 254 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:21.440 are frustrated by the power that players have now both 255 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:30.080 financially and politically, that they're untouchable. And is that the 256 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:34.320 best thing for the league? That Lebron James last week 257 00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:37.840 and dude, the guy's turning forty, Like we're already playing 258 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:40.799 on bar time in terms of like Lebron does he 259 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.720 need to do more for the NBA, But as an 260 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:48.799 example of where we're at, he just left in the 261 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:53.360 middle of the season. JJ Reddick doesn't even have an 262 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:55.919 answer for where he went, what he's doing when he's 263 00:14:55.919 --> 00:15:00.559 coming back in the middle of the NBA season, right, 264 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:04.200 I mean, Lebron James still the biggest star in the 265 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:09.200 sport and can just leave for multiple games and no 266 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:12.799 one knows what's going on. And I think that speaks to, 267 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:17.960 you know, the general lack of you know, I don't 268 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.639 know if information is the right word or care, but 269 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:23.200 I can certainly imagine people at the league office were 270 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:26.600 not too pleased that he was gone for personal reasons 271 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.679 and then came back and said he had to, you know, 272 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:31.799 he had to get his foot right or whatever and 273 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:35.919 get that taken care of. But no one knew, right, 274 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:38.639 and JJ Reddick didn't know and couldn't say anything, and 275 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.399 so it's it's, I don't know. It just feels we're 276 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:49.679 at this place where, you know, guaranteed contracts in football, right, 277 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.879 non guaranteed contracts in the NBA just isn't a talking 278 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:57.159 point with the players union. But you know, you look 279 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:00.799 at the the percentage of games played by end stars, 280 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:05.200 it dipped below seventy percent at one point this year. 281 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.960 It's now above eighty six percent. Currently, at this moment, 282 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:12.399 star players are playing, you know, eighty eighty five percent 283 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:15.960 of their games. But earlier this season it was dipping 284 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.360 below seventy percent where stars were missing games. Thirty three 285 00:16:19.399 --> 00:16:21.919 percent of the forty nine players that had played in 286 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.440 an All Star Game the previous three seasons. If we 287 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:27.200 look at the top forty nine players in the league, 288 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.159 one out of every three were in street cluss. And 289 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.120 that's just tough from a marketing standpoint, not just for 290 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:36.799 the League, but like for fans and like, hey, I'm 291 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:40.639 gonna go buy Lakers tickets when they come through Utah, 292 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.679 But really, how much are you gonna pay if you 293 00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:45.480 don't even know if Lebron James is gonna be there? 294 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:48.320 And so I think that kind of brings it all home, 295 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:50.840 is you know, if you have stars that are missing 296 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:53.600 one out of every three games, and you're supposed to 297 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:57.840 put down money to go attend these games, or clear 298 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:02.320 out your calendar and go to an NBA game, or Hey, 299 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.440 what are we going to watch tonight? Are we gonna 300 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:07.799 watch industry Game of Thrones or the NBA game? Oh, 301 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:10.640 I don't really know. Is Giannis playing tonight? I don't know. 302 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.319 Maybe we'll just watch Game of Thrones. Like that's where 303 00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:16.039 we're at, and it has to be you know, it's 304 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:18.359 it's hard to turn around the Titanic, but I think 305 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:22.000 there has to be a culture change or else, you know, 306 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:24.279 it's gonna be it's gonna be tough for everyone to 307 00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:26.480 make this money at the next TV deal, which by 308 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:30.079 the way, seventy five billion reasons why those stars and 309 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:33.640 those executives are going to be just fine. 310 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:36.240 Right, And that's always going to be their bottom line 311 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:39.519 and human nature is if you have a guaranteed contract. Look, 312 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:41.200 if I signed a deal where I knew I was 313 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:44.599 getting twenty million dollars, no matter what I did on 314 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:46.440 this show, I'd show up on a Wednesday and make 315 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:49.240 fart noises for four hours. I'm not mad at the players. 316 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:52.400 I understand the deal. It does dilute the product, and 317 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:53.519 that's that's what sucks. 318 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:56.720 But let's move on. And to your point, the compelling. 319 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:59.599 Stories are what those of us will love pro basketball 320 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:02.240 in the NBA want to hear. So I'm gonna ask 321 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:05.079 Tom Haverstrow to stretch his creative mind and tell me 322 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:08.680 a compelling story about the five and nineteen Utah Jazz. 323 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:17.359 The compelling story is, unfortunately, another residue of the NBA's 324 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:22.599 incentive system is that Utah Jazz have a fourteen percent 325 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:25.400 chance at the number one overall pick. I mean it is. 326 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:28.319 That's the way that the league has set it up, 327 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:35.000 is that the worst teams have the incentive to continue 328 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.359 to be poor so that they get more ping pong 329 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:40.680 balls to get a guy like Victor wemben Yam or 330 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:45.519 Cooper flag Ace Bailey, you name it. And it's not 331 00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:48.960 always the number one guy. The Thunder have this dude 332 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:51.680 Jalen Williams who was not even a top ten pick, 333 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:53.920 who is looking like one of the best young players 334 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:58.119 in the NBA, and Shay Gilgris Alexander also not a 335 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:00.599 top ten pick. So it's possible that you can still 336 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:04.799 get an elite player outside the top five, but your 337 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:10.000 chances fall off pretty dramatically, and Utah right now as 338 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:14.559 it stands, it's just it's hard to build a winning 339 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.559 culture when we know the incentive structure in the NBA 340 00:19:17.640 --> 00:19:21.880 as such that it's it pays to lose, and marketing, 341 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:26.000 you know, it would make things so much more interesting 342 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:30.960 if Lowry Markinen wasn't locked in, but he's locked in, 343 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:34.559 and so you're kind of just building around Lowry marketing 344 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:39.160 and hoping that like they're able to fast track this 345 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:42.960 bring in some real talent around him to take advantage 346 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:45.559 of the fact that two years ago the dude was 347 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:47.559 an All Star, starting in the All Star Game and 348 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:51.079 averaging twenty five point game, and now after two years 349 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:53.039 of being kind of in the bottom of the league, 350 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:57.519 you're looking at a guy that is struggling to maintain 351 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:00.000 that status. And I wish I had better news for you, 352 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:04.599 but it does seem like Larry marketing at this point. 353 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:07.000 And you've talked about this before. Is he a one 354 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:08.839 A on a championship team? I don't think though he's 355 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:12.160 it one B or a C star player. Is he 356 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:16.000 a third on an NBA, you know, championship team right now? 357 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:19.079 It seems like the face of the franchise is probably 358 00:20:19.079 --> 00:20:21.920 in college basketball or international right now, because I don't 359 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:22.839 know if it's marketing. 360 00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:27.119 Yeah, yeah, it's it's a rough scene. 361 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:29.480 I tried to do something positive and ended up being 362 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:31.680 way more dark than I intended. 363 00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:34.920 Well, like there's there's just no way to spin it, 364 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:37.880 and you know, I get a lot of pushback. 365 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:41.200 I had Zach on last week, Zach Harper, your buddy. 366 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.839 He joins us every week, and I had somebody reach 367 00:20:43.880 --> 00:20:46.960 out after listening to that interview, you know, being a 368 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:49.319 little bit surprised about how hard we are. 369 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:51.599 On the team, and I'm like, dude, what do you 370 00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:52.559 want me to do? 371 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:55.039 I mean, we have smart basketball fans here that have 372 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:59.799 seen great college basketball for decades, and while the NBA 373 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:02.400 team has never won a championship, more often than not, 374 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:05.200 this is a market that's used to seeing a connected 375 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:09.079 team that plays hard with precision. They're the worst team 376 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:11.200 in the league. The Jazz are this year at turnovers 377 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:13.279 per game. They're the worst team in the league at 378 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:17.079 allowing points off of turnovers. They're the worst defensive team 379 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:20.200 in the league. They're the worst transition defensive team in 380 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:24.839 the league. Indicate those are lazy things, those are habits, 381 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:28.240 those are work hard things. Those are get back on defense. 382 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:32.079 Don't be an idiot with the ball. And look, we 383 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:35.119 could bottom line it and say this is all intentional. 384 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:39.200 But to your point about covering basketball, it should be 385 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:41.960 about the games. It should be about talking about what 386 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:44.720 we're seeing and the games. And if I watch the 387 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:48.319 Jazz and I talk about what I'm seeing, all I'm 388 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:51.759 seeing is some of the worst basketball we've ever had here. 389 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:56.200 And I really feel Tom because you will. Hardy's had 390 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:58.359 his option picked up both year four and year five, 391 00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:01.480 and I'm telling you when that hire came down, I 392 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.839 talked to all of my NBA contacts and one said 393 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.920 grand slam. Jeff Van Gundy on the show called them 394 00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:11.240 a rising star. Steve Kerr said something to that effect. 395 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:15.599 So my basketball knowledge says, a team that turns the 396 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:18.720 ball over. A team that won't get back on defense, 397 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.079 A team that doesn't play hard is poorly coached. 398 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:23.359 But I can't go there with. 399 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:25.680 Will because I just don't think he's had the pieces, 400 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:29.440 and when he's had even average pieces, he's actually coached 401 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.880