Speaker 1: What is up, fellow Siko's I am Dan fa Valley
coming at you with what's the opposite of.
Speaker 2: An emergency reaction podcast?
Speaker 1: Since we took our time to get this out and
it's coming out the following morning, but that's what we're
coming with with you coming to you with the Sixers,
as everyone might have heard, signed Ronnie James's dad and
apparently that's a big deal. It's only a minimum contract player,
but he did get a player option.
Speaker 2: On his deal, so that's pretty important.
Speaker 1: But I have mister Bryan Taporik here to talk about
every angle of it.
Speaker 2: Find his He does great.
Speaker 1: Work at Bleacher Report, mostly behind the scenes, been a
longtime print and colleague there for me. Also writes and
covers the Sixers in the NBA Liberty Ballers Silver Screen
and roll Forbes. I feel like I'm forgetting one place
fan sided. You do too much stuff, man, every single
time on here, and it's a different I forget a
different outlet every time. If I ever forget Bleacher Report, though,
that'd probably be problematic.
Speaker 2: Mister Taporak, how the heck are you? Oh?
Speaker 3: You know, it's been a day, It's been an eventful day.
I am doing well though, Dan, thank you for having me.
As always, I'm excited to talk and crap all over
Lebron James to the Sixers, just like everyone else seems
to be doing today.
Speaker 1: Which I mean, it's Lebron at the minimum, Like, just
do it and then figure out whatever you need to
figure out later. This is not We'll get into more
of the weeds with it, but it's not. It's Lebron
at the minimum.
Speaker 2: Is a bad thing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I feel like anyone who doesn't have this as
an a triple plus for the Sixers is just trolling
at this point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would imagine you are right.
Speaker 1: My first question on this though, on a scale of
one to ten, what was your level of surprise when
you saw the news that Lebron was going to the Sixers?
Speaker 3: Probably lower than most people. I know. I I don't
want to be beholden to polymarket. I know he was
fourth in the polymarket odds the whole time, but I
just kept thinking, like, why did the Sixers keep coming
up when Shams is revealing you know, he's got three
teams he's really considering, and then he expanded it to
Golden State, Minnesota. But like the Sixers were just always
in there. They were the first team Rich Paul talked
about on the infamous Whiteboard episode.
Speaker 1: Oh they were you see, I didn't actually watch that episode.
I did not know they were the first team he
talked about.
Speaker 3: They were the first team, and you know, he talked
about he went on to talk about the Calves and like,
you know, there are a lot of connections there. But
he did at the end of the Cavs section, was like,
but there's one negative, no offense to James Harden, but
it's not Darius Garland. And he said, you know, Lebron
feels about Darius Garland like he did Tyrese Maxey. So
there was it was just like a couple of things
stuck at the back of your craw you know, the trust,
the process that he dropped at fanatics Fest that he
quickly tried to tamp down. But it's like, are you
doing a Taylor Swift thing right now? Are you dropping
these little easters?
Speaker 1: And I now believe I don't know if it was
a report or conspiracy theory that after Adam Silver said
Lebron was delaying the schedule, which he was clearly being
tongue in cheek about.
Speaker 2: It wasn't an insult or an actual demand.
Speaker 1: I now fully believe, just based off the breadcrumbs, as
you put it, that were now analyzing in hindsight, Lebron
would have announced this already had it not been for
that Adam Silver comment.
Speaker 3: I think he knew that we were doing br NBA
Goat Week this week at Bleacher Report.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 3: He just wanted to wait until Friday. He thought the
culmination of Goat Week would be let me announce my
next team.
Speaker 1: So thank you Lebron for not or he was scared
that his decision would be overshadowed by BR's coast.
Speaker 3: That's a fair point. Yeah, he needed to wait till Monday,
but he just got too excited.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: The final sort of housekeeping question I have on this,
so as we're recording this, the Sixers cannot legally sign
Lebron James to this contract because it's not going to
be offset. It's a two year, basically eight million dollar deal.
Because it's more than one year, they don't get that offset.
So are you able just to tell everyone how they
will most likely go about creating the space to legally
sign Lebron James to this massive to buy the weirdest
thing I saw this is he's making less than he
did as a rookie, but you're taking him in a contract.
Speaker 3: I had not seen that. I doubt I did appreciate
that he's making less than Anfdy Simon's his new teammate, which.
Speaker 1: Just my favorite thing I can say now is that
the Pelicans gave DeAndre Jordan Lebron James.
Speaker 3: I saw Bason Getsburgh Sailor earlier. I really that one
got me. So yeah, pre official Lebron signing, they are
three point four million dollars below the first apron. They
are hard capped there for just about every reason you
possibly could be. They use non tax MLI used bi
annual to sign your guy. Huk forty, took back more
money in the Paul George trade than they set out,
So they are just super mega hardcapped at the first apron.
As you mentioned, Lebron's making three point nine so add
him into the current roster and that puts them about
like four hundred and I believe sixty or seventy thousand
above the first apron, which is a no go. Two
guys on the roster one dalunary two point six million
dollars fully non guaranteed. Jabari Walker is the other one,
also two point six million dollars two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars guaranteed, which sounds kind of inconsequential in the
grand scheme of things, But given how close they are
to the hard cap, if they wave Walker and then
sign a mind deal in his place, which is about
two point four million, that ends up adding one hundred
thousand to their books or so. So my guess is
they waive Dale and Arry, who will not leave any
dead cap hit sign Lebron. That puts them about two
point one million below the first apron, which does not
leave them enough room as of now to sign anyone
else with even a year of NBA experience before the season.
They could sign an undrafted rookie. That's it. So my
guess is this is their tribute to Daryl Morey, who
always used to leave a roster spot open heading into
the season. I think they're going into the season with
fourteen guys, and then you know, a minimum contracts start
to pro rate once the season begins, so they can
eventually add someone else in season. But I think they
are this is probably for better or worse their roster.
Maybe they'd make one or two small moves around the margins,
but they do not have a lot of flexibility salary wise.
Speaker 2: How are you feeling about the fit?
Speaker 1: I think that's what a lot of people have made
us think about, is the one ball argument. And when
you dig into just the on ball usage for all
the players on this team, Joel Embiid's was a lot
lower last year, still used close to thirty percent of
the Sixers zombie all possessions when he was on the floor.
Tari's MAXI was over fifty percent this year. You want
that now. He probably wants that number to come down.
DJ Edgecomb wasn't particularly high, but VJ Edgecomb was good,
and so you would want that number to scale up
in theory. And then Jaylen Brown last year, I think
was close to forty percent of on ball possession share
when he was on the court. And then Lebron of
course is going to be up there as well. He
did reduce it though when he was playing alongside Austin
Reeves and Lukadancic.
Speaker 2: What do you make of this fit?
Speaker 1: Not measuring it against other places he could have gone
to just in the vacuum of what the Sixers have
how do you feel about this? What is your concern
level about Let's start offensively, because defensively I think it's
a different question. But do you have any concerns about
this group when they're fully healthy, which, to be fair,
might not be often and is calculus right when fully healthy?
How do you feel about the offensive fit of Lebron
on this current Sixers team?
Speaker 3: You know, so Bob gave a press conference after they
fired Daryl Morey that basically said like the Sixers didn't
have an identity and they didn't have, you know, championship teams,
he said, usually have a clear strength. Either you have
an elite defense or an elite offense, and that is
your identity. This Sixers group, I think they are leading
more in the elite offense. Well, you know, I would
be more concerned if this move came out of nowhere
and if the players did not play an active role
recruiting Lebron. But by all accounts, Maxi, Jalen Brown, and
Joel Embiid were all recruiting Lebron behind the scenes, and
I don't think they were recruiting Lebron saying like, hey, Lebron,
come play with us, but we still want to commandeer
all the touches. We don't want you to touch the
ball at all. I think they are presumably the messages
we are willing to do whatever it takes. We are
willing to sacrifice our touches. You know, we want this
to be a well balanced offense. And if you look
at the roster now, I mean before today, the sixers
were projected to start. Dean Wade at Power Forward going
to go out on a limb and say, Lebron James
is a slight upgrade over Dean Wade at Power Forward.
I think his passing is just going to be the
connective tissue that they were missing. No tyres Maxi, as
good as he is and as many strides as he's
made as a floor general in recent years, I would
not call him a natural point guard by any stretch
of the imagination. I think, you know, had they not
gotten Lebron, I think VJ. Edgecomb probably would have taken
on a larger share of the ball handling duties. Jalen
Brown can also initiate as well. So I think they
were moving and I mean Nick Nurse has said they
want to have Maxi off the ball more. I think
this will unlock that Joel embiid, this is the least
the Sixers will ever have to rely on him offensively,
I mean for an entire decade.
Speaker 2: Is that because he starts the season in Washington though,
or we can get there.
Speaker 3: But you know, like they could just say, you know,
we'll feed you the ball, but really you need to
focus on defense, rebounding, setting good screens, like you need
to focus on kind of more blue guy things rather
than we don't need twenty five points per game out
of you anymore because we have four other guys that
can carry the load on a given night. And I
think you know, you said this before we start recording.
I think it's a fair point, Like this just raises
the floor for them. You know, I don't know that
they necessarily should be considered the championship papers. They should
not be considered the championship papers at this point. I
think they're you know, they surge up the title odds.
It's reasonable, but it's going to take time for this
group to coalesce. But you know, if Tyreese Maxi is
having off night or VJ edgecumb has a tough defensive matchup,
and you just you know, you don't want to force
the issue. It's like, all right, give it to Jaylen Brown,
give it to Lebron James, give it to Joel Embiid.
You have so many different ways that they can kill you,
and that if any of those guys have it going
one night, just feed the beast for that night. I'm
not super worried about the you know, there's only one
ball argument, because I think all of especially Lebron and Embiad,
are at the stage of their careers where if they
aren't willing to sacrifice for winning, it's just never gonna happen. Lebron,
we saw it last year with the Lakers. He already
moved into more of a tertiary role and you know,
let everyone know about it very loudly, and he thrived
in that role. I think that the one concern, like
the one ball argument, I'm not especially worried about shooting.
Long range shooting, I think is a fair thing to
point out. You know, Lebron has made strides in that
department in recent years, had a bad year last year. Embiid.
It was not particularly accurate, or is it. You know,
he just he waxes and wanes in terms of his
long efficiency VJ was better than I expected as a rookie,
but I think that's going to be, you know, an
area of focus for him moving forward to Maxie you know,
is definitely the best long range shoot that they have,
and then Jalen Brown can also knock him down, but
not you know, Paul George is much better than him
in that regard. So I think that is a fair
thing to worry about and wonder about. But I also
think this team might just be running in transition so
much that they might not have to worry about since
he and a half court settings all that much.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they they could use like a embiid throwback season too.
What was he thirty eight point eight percent in twenty
three twenty four but he only played in thirty nine games,
so the season sixty eight was that his MVP when
he put twenty twenty two, uh thirty seven point one
percent on almost four attempts per game. No, that was
when he was a runner up, but he was the
MVP the next year when he shot actually worse from three.
Speaker 2: They could use that.
Speaker 1: I don't think defenses will ever care if he had,
like he could choo forty percent from three, And I
don't think that they'll will care all that much, but
they could certainly use that And to your point, like
Jaylen Brown and Lebron of Leish and they could make
threes at a league averager better clip in the past,
even if they weren't there last season.
Speaker 2: And I think I saw so.
Speaker 1: Data Baller had an interesting stat on Twitter where it's
some of the biggest underachieving lineups in the league are
structures that are similar to what the Sixers have now,
and they were and I do think that's worth discussing,
and they pointed to some of the the Kevin Durant
era Phoenix Suns lineups. I think that to be clear,
I think that's legitimate risk and concern where I think
it falls apart. And you made a great point about
Maxi and Embiid being actively involved in the recruitment is
a big deal.
Speaker 2: All of these guys.
Speaker 1: I think have been used in if not dramatically different
ways at some point in the past. Like first of all,
VJ Edgecomb last year was not some needed to be
on the ball guy and so he have to stand
in the corner a little bit more.
Speaker 2: But as you said, they're gonna get out in transition
they'll be fine.
Speaker 1: Joel Embiid last season, specifically, even when he was on
the floor, there was a distinct difference in how they played,
but they reoriented that offense so that it wasn't just
so Joel Embiid dependent even when he was on the
floor with Tyres Maxie. Anyway, look at who Tyre's Maxi
has played. Besides, since coming to the Sixers, his role
has shape shifted basically, it feels like every single year.
And then Jalen Brown has always been preferred to be
ball dominant and certainly has limitations as a player, but
he's also been, while still being around All Star level,
a third option rather than the first option. And as
you mentioned, I just think through last season where Lebron's
playing alongside Reeves and Doncic, and look, some of those
lineups were not as good statistically as you would.
Speaker 2: Expect them to be.
Speaker 1: Lebron is no worse than the second greatest player of
all time. He is choosing this situation, and he is
doing so at a point in his career when he
knows that not everything is going to revolve around him specifically,
I just maybe I'm too caught up in the thrill
of the names on paper, I have very few concerns
about them tying it together offensively. Maybe it'll be a
bigger deal because we're talking about players who are unfamiliar
with each other, and how is that impacted by if
embiid is only playing in thirty seven games or something
and he just you know, it's not someone you're one
familiar with to begin with, and two just isn't playing
a ton with the team. That would be a bigger
concern to me. The shooting, for sure, but even just
the number of wide open looks that a VJ. Edgecombe
and I would say Jaylen Brown or Lebron that some
of their share is gonna get shifted to that's got
to go up. And then Lebron and Jalen Bren ENVJ
Edge Clumb like all all those imagine them just attacking
like they get spaceed on closeouts and that's what they're
We've seen Lebron do it all the time. But if
Jalen Brown shot quality is improving, I think that this
is going to be an elite offensive team. And I
just even if they're not a good three point shooting team,
I would echo everything you said. And I just think
that the difference between them and some of the the
problem lineups or problem pairings we have seen in years
past is really just we're not dealing with play where
we're not dealing, you know, like with a Bradley Beal
or a Devin Booker. Like Devin Booker's never been the
best three point shooter. He's been using a bunch of
different ways. Bradley Beal has just sort of been good shooter,
but the time he goes to Phoenix, he hadn't been
used in a different way in quite some time. So
I think that all of these players, you could probably
argue that maybe it's Embid, it's Embid, or Brown was
proved like.
Speaker 2: The quote unquote least adaptable.
Speaker 1: I just look at all these players as fairly pliable functionally,
and I'm if this isn't again availability dependent, to me,
they should be a top five offense in the league.
You tell me they're shooting thirty four percent from three,
I would still say, yeah, that they could still be
a top five offense.
Speaker 2: Just that's the talent level here. And also, what do
we know?
Speaker 1: The one ball argument feels kind of dated in a sense,
like how important is ball handling?
Speaker 2: Now?
Speaker 3: That make right yeah, I like, every good team needs
multiple ball handler. You're kind of screwed if you're running
everything through one person. We moved away from the heliocentric
model being the way to win because it hasn't won.
I mean, I think this is going to be a
chance for Nick Nurse to shine as well. Like we
haven't really seen Nick Nurse let his freak flag fly
as much. The twenty four to twenty five season was
just an injury ravage mess, and you know, you started
to see a little bit more of it last year.
But like it's gonna be on Nurse to come up
with schemes to maximize all of these guys. But you know,
I think think the two man chemistry between some of them,
like Lebron Maxie inverted pick and rolls could be fun.
I mean, honestly, the Sixers have not had many good
entry passers, like Nick Patum was one of their best
entry passers and was a revelation because it was like, oh,
you can get the ball to Joel Embiid in the
post accurately where he can catch it. Like Lebron James
is going to be a slight upgrade over Nick Batum
in that regard. I think his passing ability really just
changes everything for this team and for this offense in particular.
Speaker 1: What do you envision as the crunch time hierarchy though
with this team, that could be where I could see
it getting a little finicky.
Speaker 3: I get I like, I don't know that there's gonna
be one, and maybe that's just wishful thinking, but I
think it will change on a game to game basis.
I don't think you necessarily need like we're going to
run every single possession through one guy. I think you
look at it on a matchup by matchup basis and
you kind of, you know, you attack it like you
win at a playoff matchup. You play hunt the bozo,
You look for James Harden, whoever James Harden is guarding,
that's who you pick on. Or you know, like there
there is not a weak spot in the offense if
you're if all five starters are healthy, all five of
those guys could theoretically go off for thirty on any
given night. So you know, whoever has the easiest matchup
in crunch time, go attack that matchup.
Speaker 1: What is up, fellow Sickos, You're listening to this episode
right now thinking wow, would be so cool if there
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again as always for listening and for watching.
Speaker 2: And now back to the show.
Speaker 1: So, when you are looking at this team and then
specifically offensively, who's the player that you think will end
up needing to make the biggest adjustment?
Speaker 3: I mean Embiid in a sense, although he's already as
you mentioned, the Sixers like have begun to move away
from being so Embiid centric, like they're going to move
even further in that direction. So you know, this will
probably be the lowest scoring season that Joel Embiid has had,
I mean, at least in five years. Like he averaged
twenty three in twenty nineteen twenty. Like, honestly, wouldn't shock
me if he averages a career low in scoring Like
that's how much I.
Speaker 2: Think he's never been below twenty right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, his rookie season he had twenty point two,
like I I mean, maybe just because he's so big
and because Lebron is such a good passer and can
just get it to him in really easy positions, that
he'll still end up putting that putting up numbers like that.
But you know, I think they need to be mindful
of his minutes throughout the regular season. They're going to
really want to preserve him as much as they can
for a potential playoff run. So you know, he averaged
thirty one point six last year. I don't know that
he needs to be above thirty. And we can get
into the backup situation at some point. So I think
it's either Hammer Jalen Brown. As you said, MAXI is adaptable.
VJ is just so young and probably just like so
psyched to play with all these guys that I you know,
he'll pick and choose his spots, but I think they're
going to look at him as the you know, you're
a lot of your responsibilities on defense, what you give
on offense as a bonus, but you know you need
to guard the best bet, be our best point of
attack defender for sure, and you know, even maybe guard
up and defend some elite wings at times. So Jalen Brown,
I mean, especially coming off of last year where he
was the focal point of the Celtics. You know, you
mentioned like earlier in his career, really prior to last year,
he had never had that experience. He's obviously not going
to get that experience in Philly this year, probably not
going to get it at least for another couple of
years if he's in Philly for that long. So no,
I would imagine that he's okay with that. Again, I
don't think he's contributing to the recruitment if he really
wants to average thirty points per game. And I would
also think that, you know, the chatter around him this offseason,
like if I were Jalen Brown and just knowing how
elite athletes tend to be wired. They're one just like
homicidally competitive. But also whenever there's you know, skepticism about
them their ability, they're ceiling who they are as athletes.
That like sets off something and makes them even more resolute,
improving people wrong. And I think the conversation about Jalen
Brown this offseason, I can't imagine he's going to come
back and you know, just be like so me focused
and you know, chucking up inefficient shots, not caring about
his teammates. Like I think he's going to want to
prove to the analytics community that they are completely off
base with who he is as a player. So like
I think, and Brown and MBI will have a lot
of adjusting to do. I would imagine that both of
those guys are willing to make those adjustments, and I'm
I'm going to assume that until they prove me wrong.
Speaker 1: Do you think Darryl Moore because you mentioned the analytics community,
do you think Darryl Morey makes the he's still in charge,
does he does he make the Jaylen Brown trade.
Speaker 3: It's a funny question. We were talking about it earlier today.
I don't know I would hope so, given what they
gave up, like it was not all that much, and
especially knowing that that was the domino that led to
Lebron James. Man, what a bleak scenario it would be
if they were just like, no, we're good, We're gonna
just stick with the team that got swept in the
second round.
Speaker 1: Yeah, No, that's I I've I was thinking about that,
and my honesty, I think he would have. I'm wondering
if would this have needed to have been in a
situation that would he have even contacted Boston where Boston
have needed to reach out and initiate discussions, whereas it
seems like Gancy might have more aggressively just pursued this.
Speaker 3: He tended to go after any star on the market,
so I think he would have reached out, But like,
would the negotiations have gone the same way? I don't know.
You know, when Boston starts off by asking for four
or five first round picks and for VJ. Edgecombe, does
he even bother does he just say all right, no,
it's just completely unrealistic, we're not going to engage any further.
Speaker 2: I feel like, as.
Speaker 1: Someone who's probably been on the other end, of that
and asked for the moon for player X that they
were trading. I think dal Morey would know how the negotiation.
Hell of an introduction to Mike Ganty though, right, Yeah,
what a man really leaving his mark on this roster?
Speaker 3: His high school needs to start selling his jersey again.
They would make roughly five billion dollars from the Philadelphia market.
I mean Lebron James Philly jerseys went on sale and
are already sold out? Like I guarantee you, how does
that the high school jerseys would be okay?
Speaker 2: But how does that even happen?
Speaker 1: Like?
Speaker 2: How does this say?
Speaker 5: Like?
Speaker 2: Are they made all?
Speaker 5: Right?
Speaker 2: Does it they run out?
Speaker 3: Like?
Speaker 2: I don't understand, Like what does it mean sold out
to me? Or they they're not printed yet right?
Speaker 1: Or is it just one place had them printed and
we're sold and now they're sold out?
Speaker 2: I'm just like, how do you sell out of.
Speaker 1: Jerseys that you could just make more of? I guess,
I guess to me, these weren't things that were in stock.
But is that the implication that they were already stocked
and now they're just hold on? I just don't know
what it means when the jersey of this player who's
never played for our team is already sold out. Like,
I don't know how to interpret that.
Speaker 3: That is a great question for Michael Rubin and fanatics.
I do not know. But go to NBA store dot
com and they are also out. They do have some
nice Mitchell and Ness shirts right when it's still shopping.
But also, don't buy products from Fanatics, they're trash. Go
cops some hardwood Knox merchan instead.
Speaker 1: Yeah, honestly, I can't believe it, and mentioned this and
Grant and I will do more of a show and
tell since we haven't tested out all this stuff. But
this is the it's technically the second podcast, but it's
the first one that's being released. When wearing a new
piece of hardwood Ox merch, so they wants to go
check out. Well, I don't know if it's live yet,
but nice little Seattle super Sonics nostalgia with some hardwood.
Speaker 2: Knox sprinkled in there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, go buy hardwin knocks. Don't forget about the this
is lebron to the city. Why are you buying apparel
for someone who just signed a minimum contract?
Speaker 3: Yeah, my ches, for someone who's gonna be there for
two years at most.
Speaker 1: Come on, can you give me your ten best trade
packages for Bronnie James to the Philadelphia.
Speaker 3: I'm shocked the Jani broom for Brownie James has not
dropped yet. I'm just glued to my phone waiting for it.
Speaker 1: I mean one even dropped during this podcast. We're after
midnight Eastern recording this on Friday night. I did actually
want to ask you, in all seriousness, what does the
defense look like?
Speaker 2: What is the concern here?
Speaker 1: Honestly on the perimeter, I'm not too concerned in a
lineup that has or just a rotation that's Jalen Brown,
Dean Wade and VJ.
Speaker 2: Edgecomb.
Speaker 1: I do wonder if this is a move because we've decided,
the Sixers have decided, Oh, we're filling a huge share
of our forward minutes with forty plus year old lebron James.
Does this expose the Joelle and b defensive regression that
we saw last tree for more or did maybe him
playing in so few games, like did that rejuvenate?
Speaker 3: Like?
Speaker 1: Is he is he fresher than normal? Not having to
do as much on offense? Is he fresher than normal?
How do you feel about this team's overall defensive ceiling?
And what are your biggest concerns for them defensively?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that this of the two sides of
the floor, I'm more concerned about defense. O.
Speaker 1: Wait, we do have breaking news No way KCP to
the Philadelphia seventy six ers as we're recording this, how
KCP intends to join the seventy six ers veteran guard
to negotiate buy out with the Grizzlies after Lebron's decision.
Speaker 2: How who's getting traded? Then? Is this like bye bye
Dominic Barlow?
Speaker 3: And I mean that's was my when I was going
over the cap showed earlier, I was my brain was putting,
and I thought they only had thirteen guys on the
roster instead of fourteen. So I was like, oh my god,
they don't have enough room to sign anyone to a minimum,
Like they might have to trade Barlow just to make room.
Speaker 2: Huh.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I have no idea how they swing that. They
got a two way spot open. Can casep be on
the two way spot?
Speaker 2: Oh no, he's past year five? Right? Well can he
apply for an exception because he was never on a
two way?
Speaker 3: I don't know. There you go, hopefully, Well.
Speaker 1: I mean he does he didn't look great last season.
But that's another impulse, like defensive pulse.
Speaker 3: And I mean shooting too. That's wow.
Speaker 2: What did he shoot last year? From three? He was down.
Speaker 3: Fair point.
Speaker 1: I will say catching passes from Tyre's Maxi and Lebron
James is probably a little bit different from Memphiss carousel
of injured guards and whatever was happening.
Speaker 3: He went two years ago. He was over forty. I
mean he was like in the high thirties, low forties
for and he played with Lebron in the Lakers.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's shot that season he was forty one,
he was thirty eight point five and won.
Speaker 3: So yeah, win a championship. Oh, they're adding more champions
to the roster. We got some.
Speaker 1: You know, I haven't looked at his this will surprise you.
Haven't really looked at his basketball reference page lately. He
has always been one of the guys where I look
at and I'm surprised that he hasn't taken more threes
on a per minute basis.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree, Well, maybe he's gonna have to. Now
that's your choice.
Speaker 2: Man.
Speaker 1: This is like I feel like, remember when we were
all kind of getting tripping over our there was some
concern when they did the Paul George contract. With that
off season they got Caleb Martin. We're all just kind
of over the moon about the Sixers offseason and it
panned out poorly. This has been I don't know how
this ends badly. This has been one hell of an
off season for the Sixers.
Speaker 2: My god.
Speaker 3: And yeah, I mean, like we'll get back to the
defense in a minute, right.
Speaker 1: I would to be clear, I was on the fence
about their offseason until they got KCP.
Speaker 2: Up until this point, I was tottering.
Speaker 3: Yeah, well let's well, well let's hit the defense and
then we can go big picture at the end if
that works for you, because I have some some thoughts. Yeah, defense, defense,
So well, now that they have KCP, I mean finished
eleventh and d p o y when he was now,
it's everything's fixed, We're all good.
Speaker 2: He is their best room protector.
Speaker 3: No, so Embiid notably after the next series said he
was like actually feeling better. Like he he basically said,
like I thought I was done when this knee stuff
popped up last year with the miniscus, and like he
was worried that this was just he lost it. And
then he said whatever they did this year, he grew
more confident as the year went on that he felt
better now than he did. You know, he felt better
moving forward, more confident in the knee moving forward, and
thought they had something figured out. Now. Does that mean
he's going to play all the two games? Absolutely not. Yes,
Oh all right, Anthony Davis chill. But you know, I'm
hopeful that that is true. And I also again like
him not having to average twenty five points per game
on offense. He can save a little bit more for defense.
I think like his role is going to be as
weird as this is to say about a former MVP
and a you know, one of the league's leading scorers
over the last couple of years. You know, I think
he's going to be kind of a glorified role player.
I think that's probably the best role for him at
this point. To preserve him, I think he needs to
focus rebound defense, screen setting those You do those things well,
and that's going to maximize the ceiling of this team.
Speaker 1: So could I ask a question, do you think there's
anything too when you're worried about the shooting? Is there
if you funnel the ball through embiid? I don't even
know a little bit more as the phrasing, but like
that can open up more cutting opportunities. So maybe it's
not so much as a screen and pop and roll
usage for Embiid as oh, we're gonna actually see some
more split We want those like touches like on the block,
inside like from the nail, so that players can orbit
and cut around him if they're worried about the shooting.
Speaker 3: I could definitely see that, because I mean, that's where
one area where I think they're gonna miss Kelly Ubray
a lot. He was arguably their best cutter last year,
and he and Embiid really had to had some good chemistry.
I think VJ will obviously step into that role just
because he's such an athletic marvel. But Embiid has drastically
improved as a passer averaged a career low in turnovers
last year as well, so you know, he's not Nicolae
Yukitch by any means, but has made major strides that
in that facet of his game over his NBA career.
And yeah, I mean I think I don't know it's
gonna be especially now with KCP and Simon's coming off
the bench, like they have more with those two and
Dean Wade, they have a decent amount of shooting. Like
they're not going to play all of the starters together
the whole game. This is not Doc Rivers. We're not
doing the hockey line change. Hopefully, hopefully Nick Nurse knows better.
So like you know, Simon is gonna play with Lebron
James sometimes, and you know they're gonna mix and match
these pieces where I think they will have more shooting
on the floor than you know, the starting five will
arguably there be their worst shooting lineup. I think the
other question defensively, and like you were probably better quick
to answer to this than I am, I would say,
backup center right now is by far the biggest concern
on this roster. M. I mean, Bona is good defensively, young, springy, athletic,
total bonehead, comits way too many fouls, also has cinder
blacks for hands and can't catch the ball, and then Huckporty.
I mean, I defer to you because I did not
watch much of the Knicks third string center last year.
You know the Knicks the Sixers liked him enough to
give him more than a minimum. They dipped into their
biannual exception to sign him. I would imagine kind of
fits that same mold as Bona, but especially now with
you know you signed Lebron James, you are like very
clearly in win now mode. H Bona, Huckporty and Jani
Broom is the main backups for edit Joel Embiid, who's
probably gonna miss at least twenty games. It feels like
that's an area that they need to address.
Speaker 1: I would agree, because Huckporty is fine as a third big,
but I think the problem is is that the Sixers
need a clear second. I would trust Bona more than
anybody else on this team to fulfill that role up
and I'd be you know, the Sixers don't have a
ton I mean, especially if kcp's coming on. I don't
know what this next move is, but now that makes
it a little bit like harder for them to go
out because now they need to get rid of two players,
as we're talking right now, correct to make this all
work financially presumably.
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, Terry's gonna go for Lebron, and then
I mean I don't know, uh yeah, I really don't
know how they swing this with Briar Walker. Yeah, I
mean that's that does not get them to where they
need to be. If they waived Jabariar Walker, you still
got the two hundred and fifty thousand on the books.
Speaker 2: And is this are we already Is LeBaron already getting
salary dumped?
Speaker 3: No? Maybe? No, I don't think so, but I mean
I guess, yeah, if you wave Jabari Walker and i'd
KCP like you're getting even close to the hardcap. But
I guess it could technically could fit for now.
Speaker 1: Well, so they get those two players and they already
up against yeah, right up against the heart. So it's
I don't know how they would go about then, uh
like getting another big if when you're looking at are
you trading LeBaron?
Speaker 2: Now you're not trade.
Speaker 1: I would hope you're not trading VJ Edgecomb to do
like who is the center you're getting?
Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean that would have to be the
biggest concern.
Speaker 1: I also wonder, like what does the the rebounding look
like for this team. I think they're gonna need like
a lot's gonna be on lebron shoulders. Is gonna need
to rebound. You're just gonna want your guards and wings
in general to pitch in on the glass there. They've
kind of punted on offensive rebounding now right too. I
know that's not defensive specific.
Speaker 2: I don't.
Speaker 1: I'm I'm curious to see where they will rank end
up ranking defensively because they do think they have a
lot of options on the perimeter to be solid, if
not really good. And like Lebron is not good defensively anymore,
but if you're gonna be on the court with at
least two of VJ. Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown at all times,
like he's probably gonna be fine and even just so
now they have a KCP justin Edwards for the regular.
Speaker 2: Season more than fine so and maybe.
Speaker 1: Do you feel comfortable enough with KCP, can you move
justin Edwards for a like a Jay Huff or something.
I don't know what the salaries would have to line
up there, Maybe that's something they could look into.
Speaker 5: So I feel like they should be able to be
like if Joel Embiid is relatively or is healthier than
he was last season and moving better than he looked
like he was moving a lot of the times on defense,
not peak Joel Embiid, where he was a system unto himself.
Speaker 2: I could see them being like league averager better, but
that might be the to me, that's the harder sell
for this team than not anything that you might be
concerned with on the offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 3: I agree. I mean, there was seventeenth last year on defense,
and I subtract Drummond, who is not a defensive plus
like Paul George is a big loss defensively. Quintin Grime
is Kelly Oubrey, but you're bringing in Jalen Brown, Lebron
James Dean Wade. I don't know that they got significantly
worse defensively, at least personnel wise. Like I agree that
they are not, I would be shocked if they are
a top five defense or even a top ten defense.
But I also don't think they're going to be one
of the worst defenses in the league.
Speaker 1: No, I'd be pretty like they should be at least
as good as they were last year when factoring in
what they were dealing with Paul George missing a ton
of time, Joelle.
Speaker 2: And Beide missing a ton of time. I don't know how.
Speaker 1: You're worse if you're getting relatively good health from this roster.
Speaker 3: I would think so as and then again like the
energy conservation I think should be factored in here, Like
if Embiid can focus more on defense, maybe he looks
better than he did last year because he is not
also having to carry the team on offense as much
as he did for most of I mean for most
of his career. But even last season, you know, edgecumb
took steps forward. Maxie obviously had the all NBA lead,
but like Paul George, had a couple of games here
and there where he looked like the old Paul George.
But he, you know, the scalability, which is what one
of the reasons that made him so appealing in the
first place, didn't really show up as much as the
Sixers probably hoped it would.
Speaker 1: So we have to get into that we mentioned Joel Embiid.
Would you this is not likely and you need to
give a time, but as you're running the Sixers, would
you consider just because Anthony Davis has been linked to
go to Lebron, wont would you consider trading Joel Embiid
for Anthony Davis.
Speaker 3: So I wrote about it ironically at Liberty Bollers about
and published like two hours before the Lebron news dropped,
and then obviously got buried, and the the concept was,
you know, if if Lebron's signing in Philly hinged on,
would you do this trade? Then I think that's a
different calculus. I think it depends on two things. One,
how much additional stuff do the Sixers need to give up?
Because they only have one tradeable first round pick, they
could offer a couple swaps. They've got plenty of seconds.
But you know what would the Wizards demand in addition
to Joel Embiid Because he has one extra him and
a d are basically earning the same amount of money
over the next two years. Embiid has one extra year
on his deal. The other question is does AD want
the extension how much? How many years? Because right now
the Sixers books are pristine. After the twenty eight to
twenty nine season, all of Embiid, maxi Jalen Brown all
set to become unrestricted pre agents. VJ said to become
a restricted pre agent that summer. That summer is also
very likely when there will be a new collective bargaining
agreement in place, So I would be very reluctant to
hand out. You know, if AD is demanding a four
year Max extension or a four year near max extension.
You know, if they trade him into Cult, could only
be three years, But I would not want to be
handing that out. You're just about to get off of
this m beat Albatross contract. I don't know why you're
signing up for what would very likely become another Albatross
contract in the near future for Anthony Davis. But no,
if if he was just willing to play out his deal,
and if it did not cost their remaining first if
it only costs like a couple seconds or first round swap,
then I'd be more open to it. Anything more than that,
I would be fairly skeptical.
Speaker 1: That's a really good point, though. It feels as if
they were going to make a move. I feel like
it needs to be asked. But if they were going
to make a move like that, it would have been
in anticipation of getting Lebron rather than he already came
after the The optics of Joel Embiid recruiting Lebron and
then them trading Joel and war Is not those are
not great.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean maybe it's an in season move, if anything.
Speaker 2: Yeah, could you.
Speaker 1: And I just don't like we're even just moving Joel
Embiid because it's it's such a sad state of affairs
to say that the center might be this team's weeklink.
Just yeah, because even when Joel Embiid was missing time,
we used to just be able to say, well, when
he's healthy, it's just gonna be fine. But now we
don't know whether he's ever gonna be healthy. And even
if he plays in a bunch of regular season games,
is he going to finish the playoffs healthy? Because that's
something that's never happened.
Speaker 2: So it's such a bummer.
Speaker 1: Look at a center position on a team that has
Joel Embiid as the as the weak link, not something
you need to plan around, but something that feels like
the weeklink.
Speaker 3: Now yeah yeah, I mean, you know, I think Sixers
fans don't have quite the emotional attachment to him as
they once did. Like I don't think it would be,
you know, burned down Mike Ganzy's office if they traded
Joel Embiid, especially after the offseason he just had. But
I think unless it's a clear win, you know it
at least open the season and give Joel Embiid a
chance to prove that whatever was going on with his knee,
like he really is over it. Maybe, you know, I
don't think we ever see the prime version of Joel
Embiid again, but when he was healthy this year, he
got closer to it than I ever expected to see. Like,
I think the playoffs are kind of coloring the perception
a lot of people's perception of how he played throughout
the entire season, Like he could not move in the
playoffs because he had his appendix removed a couple of
weeks ago, and he said it, like, you know, totally
nuked his core and he just was not able to
get that back in time. You know, the question is,
like what body part falls off in mid April or
early to mid April unexpectedly next year, even if they
do keep him.
Speaker 1: I have two backup center targets for them that would
work without having to go to nuclear I wanted your
opinion on, and it could be I looked at it
through the lens of mostly justin Edwards's salary, so you
know the scale we're dealing with. But you could also
use Jabari Walker because I think that it'd probably be
easier just to get a team they make basically the same,
but a team I think would be more intrigued of
just taking Justin Edwards versus just taking Jabari Walker at
this point. First name definitely have to include assets here,
unless maybe you're sending Dominic Barlow, which I don't think
I would.
Speaker 2: I'd want to keep him.
Speaker 1: Would be the goal dealing card Well from Sacramento, super
cheap sub two point two million dollars.
Speaker 3: Oh okay, yeah, I mean that that alone has me sold. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Sure he does a lot, and I think that he
guards on the perimeter fairly well, and then his room
protection numbers were pretty good last year, and he can
actually make some decisions on the offense, but like in
the center of the floor, he'll slip a screen and
be able to do that.
Speaker 2: The other one I had this.
Speaker 1: Really doesn't fit, and Dylan card will probably better fits
the transition style that they'll play more so than a
Joelle Embiid, although he could say who doesn't.
Speaker 2: The other name I had similarly cheap.
Speaker 1: I think he makes the same as Justin Edwards, but
Ryan Kalkbrenner of Charlotte.
Speaker 2: They have so many bigs.
Speaker 1: I know, Nasried and Jannis Steinbach are more like fours
who can't quite be fives. But they have those two
Mussa Diabate, I feel like that makes Ryan Kulkbrenner somewhat gettable.
And look, if they're looking to trade Musa Diabate because
he's upcoming on free agency, Sixers have other stuff other
than the matching salary. I'm not saying go nuclear for
a backup big. That's still not the way to expend
his resource, but those would be some of the names
I'd be kicking around, Like now, I don't think this
needs to be Maybe you could wait it out, like
you said, in the middle of the season and make
that call. But I'm also kind of I want to
get out in front of it as the Sixers as
the Sixers, and.
Speaker 2: Maybe that's the wrong call.
Speaker 1: Maybe we should give Ariel Hukporti a den Bona a chance,
and even Joel and Beat a chance. Maybe even see
some Lebron at the five, especially on nights that Joelle's
not playing. Those are lineups though. As a as a
noted small ball lover, Lebron at the five is the
quintessential that sounds so cool, and then it's just not
going to work. Like sounds cool, practice it doesn't pan out.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I agree that this is an issue they
should try to be proactive about. Like I just jan
I broom. I think this ship might have already sailed there.
And if they can use him, you know, his like
the concern would be if you keep all four of
those guys and then also get another center, that's just
like questionable position allocation. I know the Spurs just had
five setters on the roster and just made the finals anyway, but.
Speaker 2: They lost in five though.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 2: If they use one of those spots on the forward,
there you go.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I ideally you somehow involved and I just
to get well, I mean, maybe you could just dump
him elsewhere and free up the roster spot and free
up the salary slot, because yeah, I mean the free
agent market is pretty bleak. It's like I was looking through.
It's like Nick Richards and Kelly olynnok are probably the
best options.
Speaker 2: Can I interest you in a heavily used MAXI quiba.
Speaker 4: Uh?
Speaker 2: I'll take that as a no.
Speaker 3: Fine, I don't. I mean, I guess he played with Lebron, right,
he's got some built in chemistry. Well did he play
with Lebron? He played on the same team as Lebron.
Speaker 2: I don't know how Yeah, it wasn't. I wouldn't how
much time those two spent on the court together. Can
we talk quickly before I want to get your thoughts
on where you think the six or standardis, but can
we talk quickly about some of the just the teams
that he spurned and what they have to do. Now,
let's start with where I think everyone thought he was
gonna go, Cleveland.
Speaker 1: I feel as if those I don't know what the
you were more plugged into what Kyle she was saying.
But I think Cleveland felt like the favorite at most points.
What did they do resigned James Harden? Obviously that's a given.
Who may have chased Lebron away from Cleveland.
Speaker 3: One of the funniest subplots of this whole thing is
that Lebron is probably a Cavalier right now. If they
don't make the James Harden trade. It sounds like Jonathan
Kaminga at least they've been linked heavily to him. I
saw I forget who earlier tonight, but a br alert
came to my phone saying, I think it was Joe
Varden of the Athletic said that Kaminga and the Cavs
have mutual interest, So I would imagine it's some combination
of Max Struce, Dennis Shrewder, maybe Sam Merrill going out
for the salary because.
Speaker 2: It's a terrible idea for Cleveland.
Speaker 1: I think he doesn't do enough of the stuff that
they need around Donna, Mitchell and James, so I'd be
focusing more on I mean, they can get that Herb
Jones has that extension hasn't kicked in yet. That would
just be an I think they can afford, even with
some of their offensive limitations. During the Eastern Conference Finals
against the Knicks, I'm going like, I need a pure
defensive wing combo for you lost Dean Wade, who is
the best on the roster of fulfilling that you also lost,
wasn't playing a ton and couldn't really guard up.
Speaker 2: But Kean Allis is gone.
Speaker 1: There's a lot on the shoulders of your bigs, and
Jail and Tyson and Jonathan Kminga is not the level
of defender Dean Wade is quite frankly, He's also not
really gonna help you. Maybe on some nights he won't
help you rebounding all that much. And so if i'm
them and from the sounds of things. I was reading
that it's said for the Cavaliers to access the non
tax mid level, this needs to happen, and so on
my head, I'm like, oh, so they're just cutting money now.
I think like they're gonna resign James Hard and then
I guess cut because they'll depending on how much Harden gets,
they'll be right at the second apron, or maybe they'll
still be a little bit below it. But it's if
they want to access if they were thinking about accessing
the larger one, who do you want to use it on?
We're in almost August at this point. I know it
could be used as a trade exception, but who are
you planning on using it on?
Speaker 2: But two is Oh, so the plan is to get
off money.
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's no way. I mean, I guess there is
a way, but they're I think they're like twenty five
million below the first apron and then thirty eight million
below the second apron, so one would assume Hard and
a loan probably puts them right at or even above
the first apron. I think they're not gonna want to
go into the second apron because they finished over it
last year, and so then if they finish over it
in two of the next four years. They already have
the draft pick I think it's twenty thirty three is frozen.
If they finish over the second April to the next
four years, that automatically goes to the bottom of the
first round, which seems like we haven't seen the team
do it yet. I don't think we ever will see
a team do it.
Speaker 2: I think it's like a hard cap.
Speaker 3: Exactly. So, Yeah, I don't know how they swing Kaminga.
I don't know what the price point is that they
get him at. I'm curious to see what they get
hard in that. I mean, I'd imagine the only reason
he hasn't resigned yet is because they are now trying
to cook up a Kaminga deal and they're trying to
figure out how much money they need for him and
how much is left over for James. But I'm very
morbidly curious to see what James Harden gets in that
next contract.
Speaker 2: What about the Golden State Warriors? Where do they go
from here? Again? Resign Draymond Green? They can't.
Speaker 1: There's no way unless they're going to be dumping money,
they can access the bigger.
Speaker 2: mL E while resigning Draymond Green. What is the is this?
Speaker 1: Hasn't it become a summer right of passions for passage
for the Warriors to be linked to a star that
they will sign or trade for, but only if it's
at like a steep discount.
Speaker 3: Uh, Jonathan Kaminga reunion is that in the cards?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 3: My god, I really don't know. I mean this, this
felt like this was their shot, and I think there's
not an obvious move left on the board for them.
Although I did see what was it, Hazonia. I forget,
I forget who had I want to say someone said
Hisonia was down to Golden State and Cleveland depending on
what Lebron did. So assuming that Kaminga goes to Cleveland,
Mario Hiszonia to Golden State to save everything. Honestly, I
think they'll be good. Yeah, more impactful than the Brian
James probably, I don't know what that.
Speaker 2: They'll resign Draymond.
Speaker 1: I think they'll probably keep the Anthony Melton, they'll extend
Steph but it's just we're gonna run back the same
core that won thirty seven games, but we're not gonna
have Moses Moody or Jimmy Butler before twenty twenty seven
is very uninspiring.
Speaker 2: I understand that you.
Speaker 1: Don't want to do anything reckless, and if you were
to ask me, okay, well, then who should they be
chasing in a trade? I mean, they should be a
Trey Murphy team, but he I even recognize that he's
not gonna solve everything. I would be interested to stick
with Pelicans, Like how much does it cost to get
Zion Williamson at this point? I know that'd be a
weird fit with Draymond and KP there, but they need
just kind of they need some more on ball juice
and they just need an infusion of a bigger name
at this point. Maybe I'd feel differently if Jimmy Butler
wasn't injured, but even then we're talking about just him
and Draymond and Steph and even Al Horford.
Speaker 2: Just the ages of this roster.
Speaker 1: They need to get younger and more athletic, and Lebron
wouldn't have made them younger, but he certainly would have
made them more athletic.
Speaker 2: Are we just like, is this the plan? Like it's
just to run it back?
Speaker 3: It kind of seems that way, it doesn't. I haven't
seen any speculation about their backup plans, like, you know,
we'll get to the Heat next presumably, But like they
all of these other teams have been linked to at
least one big ish name, and the Warriors has just
been like, well, if they don't get Lebron, but.
Speaker 1: They're sitting there like crossing their fingers for a zach
Lavine buy out.
Speaker 3: Does that really make a difference for them? He's probably
going to the six Ers two at that point.
Speaker 1: He would be interesting on the Heat as their Norman
Powell replacement.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean he would. Actually, the Heat are just
so desperate for shooting, so naturally they're going to go
and get the mar De Rozenan instead.
Speaker 1: Well, hey, let's uh, let's talk about those Heat. Where
do they go from here? It's are they just crossing
their fingers for Bradley Beal and or Demarty Rosen.
Speaker 3: It sounds like it. I mean, it sounds like Damar
is Probably it's either there or Toronto would be my guess.
Speaker 2: I don't know, two teams that really need two teams,
not the only two, but two teams that really don't
have room for another non spacer.
Speaker 3: Right, it seems like the weirdest fit to put him
in Miami. But I guess they just need need more
guys who can put it in the hoop.
Speaker 1: So sure, I mean Miami specifically needs like ball handling
and playmaking too.
Speaker 2: So I get the appeal to demart Rosen.
Speaker 1: But so there's a lineup of Davion Mitchell, Demardro's, and
Andrew Wiggins, Giannis and bam Adebayo. Davion Mitchell has shot
the ball better since arriving in Miami. Andrew Wiggins is fine,
but there's not There's not a net positive or distinctly
net positive shooter in that group.
Speaker 3: All of the concern trolling about the Sixers better be
applied to the heat. If they get DeMar Derozen, that's
all I'm.
Speaker 2: Saying, they'll be like a rust team. I guess at
that point.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he has been hitting up tomorrow, hasn't he. That's
a fair.
Speaker 2: Point there was.
Speaker 1: I was trying to just like, they need a Klay
Thompson buy out. That'd be a good destination for them.
I had thought about when I was writing about this.
There are two things. One is I don't think it's
gonna get he fans excited. But like rumor has that
the Memphis Grizzlies have a D'Angelo Russell to spare if
they need guard play. I had also kind of thought,
what would it just because new for an office regime, Like,
what would it cost to they have the salaries to
do it? I don't know that I want to give
up Andrew Wiggins to make it happen. But like the
swaps and salaries to get Josh Giddy do anything for you?
Speaker 3: Oh no, No, that does not do anything for me?
Speaker 2: All right?
Speaker 1: Uh, they don't have They have like a fake Memphis
second round pick. I think that's the only draft pick
that Heat can dangle. Aside, they could do swaps obviously,
good luck. Do they like, do they have enough to
get maleak monk out of Sacramento?
Speaker 2: Like salaries? They do? But do they they don't have
anything to attach?
Speaker 3: I mean, does that materially change much for them? I
just don't understand.
Speaker 1: I think the monk would help them quite a bit,
like someone who could get downhill and spray out of
those drives for sure.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I question more like what the ceiling of this
group is as currently constructed. You know, I know Wendy
is routinely been saying like they're going to need multiple
transaction cycles for this roster to really make sense. And
I think that's probably a fair read on where the
Heat stand right now.
Speaker 1: They I think were the most of the four and
we'll talk about the terms of the second. They were
the most desperate for Lebron. I bet you can maybe
make the case for Cleveland, but when you look at
what Miami needs, it feels as if they were the
team that was most desperate to land him.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, really, I would say any team but
the Timberwolves, because I mean that we just talked about
the Warriors or kind of sol right now. The Calves, like,
they just made the conference finals, so they're not necessarily
that nervous about it, but one of their conference rivals
just got significantly better, and they have not gotten better
this offseason. Other teams have loaded up around them, so,
you know, I don't know how the Calves, especially, like
it's not like they barnstormed their way through the first
two rounds of the playoffs. They you know, barely got
by with the skin of their teeth through both of
those playoff series, and a lot of other teams are
going to be better this year. Like, I don't think
the Calves are entering this season with the expectation of
champ of conference finals.
Speaker 1: What do the Minnesota Timberwolves do. I think they still
need Trey Lyles infury shore floor spacer around Rudy Gobert,
But I think they need to try and use the
Josh Green salaries. The one I'm looking at can they get.
Maybe it's someone who's on a multi year contract versus
an expiring deal, but they need they need a forward
like that Lebron just I think Minnesota was the best
basketball fit for Lebron. It felt like with the defense,
they could still surround them with what they actually needed
for the roster. And like positionally, they just need they
need a Lebron James sized player.
Speaker 3: What you think they're going to miss Julius Randall and Nasrieden.
Their front court is completely depleted. I think they first
signed LaMelo Ball up for some drivers ed that's the
top priority. Uh yeah, After that, you go bargain hunting. Maybe,
Like tell, if the Sixers keep adding random players, maybe
they can scoop Don Barlow up for cheap because he
actually could.
Speaker 1: Be a good fit some of the trade targets I'd
listed for them. It need a third team because you
can't trade Josh Green back to Charlotte, but like Dorian
Phinney Smith or Grant Williams, who made a lot of
sense for this team.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I imagine that.
Speaker 1: I know Charlotte had a plan to keep Dorian Phinney Smith,
but I don't with his contract. I don't think you're
not sweetening anything.
Speaker 2: It's just the who's taking Josh Green and sending.
Speaker 1: What to Charlotte specifically. I had also wondered about Derek
Jones Junior. Do they have enough to get to get him?
Naji Marshall would be really interesting for that team.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I actually would like both of those. Yeah, I mean,
at least they've got some flexi but like you know,
they're not bumping up against hard gaps where it's like
every single dollar is gonna be an issue for them,
So they've still got some flexibility to figure it out.
Speaker 2: And like I have, they're only like four plus million
beneath the second apron though, right.
Speaker 3: They're also I mean, I know Gobert is older, but
like Aunt LaMelo, Jaden McDaniels are all still fairly young,
so I don't know that they necessarily feel the same
urgency that a Cleveland should or even that I mean
a Golden State obviously, But like, I think all of
the other three teams that missed out are probably more
scramble mode than the Timberwolves who already made I mean,
you know they got Lamellow Ball. They already made a
pretty big change to the roster of this offseason.
Speaker 1: Two other names I had circle was like Torrian Prince
or and this would fit for every team, but the
Wizards just have a stacked wing location right now.
Speaker 2: Is justin Champenny gettable for not that much.
Speaker 3: He was on pretty much everyone's sixers trade target list
as well heading into the off season, and I mean, hell,
I'd still take them, but.
Speaker 1: I had briefly thought about But I think they would
internally have to view his extension as just this giant
net negative Josh Green and Tarren Shannon Junior and then
anything that you could send, like in terms of additional
draft compensation. Their pick situation is they've basically been obliterated
for Herb Jones. Oh wait, but I just don't think
that's enough for the They would have to look at
his extension that's gonna kick in in twenty seven and say,
oh we don't want that deal in our books. Let's
get the Josh Green expiring deal instead.
Speaker 3: I mean, if I know, Tari Easton is not trade
eligible now, but if they could somehow pry Tarry Easton
out of Houston in mid January.
Speaker 1: My god, that'd be an incredible fit. I just can't
imagine they have the assets to make that happen.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, especially on the contract he just signed. But
I mean that that contract, I feel like it flew
unto the radar. But man, Houston is you know, every
other team in the NBA is you know, still handing
out big, crazy contracts or a lot of other teams are,
and Houston is like rightfully negotiating these guys down to
which should be very team friendly, trade positive contracts.
Speaker 1: So the big question now as things stand, we know
they could change, especially it feels like there might be
some turbulence in Cleveland. But where does Philadelphia rank to
you relative to the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think the Knicks just to be
the champion, got to beat the champ so they're number one,
and the have you just got you know, I think
the Sixers are going to start slow. They just have
two huge pieces, and you know now are overhauling their
entire supporting casts, so it's going to take time for
them to gel. I think you could argue they have
the second highest ceiling in the East and probably one
of the higher floors as well, assuming again, like Joel Embiid,
does not come down with dysentery. Would I would put
them more in like tiers. I think the Knicks are.
I don't know if they're necessarily in their own tier,
but they're at least at the top of one tier.
I think Sixers Celtics, I think the Pacers. I don't
understand why they are not being mentioned more.
Speaker 1: They've one of the most well balanced teams after the
Kelly Bridge Junior so that like, yeah, and one of
the most well balanced teams in the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 3: Yeah. And I mean they were in the NBA Finals
two years ago, they were a game away from winning
the NBA Finals, and right now they are eighth on
the East in the odds leader board.
Speaker 1: In terms of a lot of that's got to be
baked in fear of what does Tyres Halbert look like?
Speaker 2: Right coming back to her.
Speaker 3: But he's like he's more than a year He's going
to be almost eighteen months removed from that injury by
the time the season tips. I'm just not that. We
just saw Jason Tane return in less than a year
and he looked more or less like Jason Tatum.
Speaker 2: How you finished the season injured though?
Speaker 3: Still yeah, one game, But yes, I'm not overly concerned
about that. I think the Pacers should be much much higher.
I mean Toronto, I guess we'll see if Kawhi Leonard
is allowed to start the season on the Toronto Raptors
or is allowed to be in the NBA, who knows.
So I would think like those those five are probably
the ones, and then Cleveland, Miami, Detroit, Orlando all in
a tier. Atlanta probably in there as well. Like there's
a lot of good teams in the East this year.
It's it's odd.
Speaker 1: Next season is going to kick assy. I can't wait.
Speaker 3: I mean, this is really the first time, you know that.
I feel like the West has just always been so
much better than the East, but I think this might
be the year that the East closet back at least temper.
Speaker 2: I think you're right.
Speaker 1: You could make the case that the West has the
two best teams in the NBA.
Speaker 3: Oh for sure.
Speaker 1: But after that you could then make the case that, like,
does the East have like teams three through eight the
best teams in the NBA, So like, I know, the
Nuggets and the Timberwolves and the Rockets are all like
what would factor into that discussion, But like there's like, yeah,
the East is just stacked, Like this is gonna be
such a fun season, and because even the teams that
we don't expect to necessarily be good, like the Wizards
just having a j debantsa with Anthony Davis and Trey
Young is just like.
Speaker 2: This massive wild card.
Speaker 1: Like oh, by the way, there's a lot of other
like what if Alex are kind of pops yeah, or
what if Trey Johnson kind would if Will Riley and
Keisha on George take steps?
Speaker 2: So the Carrington is so fun this year?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know how Bob Carrington plays if Ty
and Trey, I don't know where the minutes for Bob
carringson't come from.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean the Bucks, Nets, and Balls are the
only three teams that I feel fairly confident will not
be in the playoffs this year.
Speaker 1: They feel locked into the relegation zone, right, Maybe Charlotte
could sneak in there, But I think Charlotte is still
has like quality enough quality NBA players on its roster
that they won't be a relegation zone team.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's fairly damning that the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball
and their their win total is not all that different
than what it would be if they had I don't.
Speaker 1: Know if it's see you call it damning, I call
it dumb. I think that they are going to be
a materially worse team. You really need his content, like
Christian Anderson. I guess we don't read too much in
the summer league, but like, are they going to rely
on him to be.
Speaker 2: Their best passer?
Speaker 1: Kobe White is score score first, score second past third.
You really kind of relying on confident when Brandon Miller
would take leaps as playmakers, which maybe they do.
Speaker 2: But I don't know. I I think the Hornets are
gonna be worse than people are. Like, I'm not saying
you rode off LaMelo Is just like there's a book
keeping whatever. I think they're gonna be a lot worse
without him.
Speaker 1: Offensively, he just got so many things started for them
or commanded so much attention that nobody else on the
roster right now has a prayer of matching.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was pretty surprised there. I think they're over
unders at thirty seven and a half, and I was
pretty surprised when I saw that number. That felt a
little high.
Speaker 1: So I think I have, like, this is such recency bias.
But I look at the East and I was trying
to I went through the exercise of who am I
prepared to say is definitely gonna finish with a better
record than the Sixers next season. I put the Knicks
in there. I also think that their off seasons not.
Speaker 2: Done when you see what happens with Jalen Duran.
Speaker 1: But like the Pistons are still just built to be
this regular season wins machine they have. They have more
spacing on the team, and even if Jalen Duran isn't
as good as he was during last year's regular season,
there's kind of a margin for error there. And I
thought the John Collins acquisition was it was just sneaky
in the sense of he'll take more threes than Tobias
and let you kind of run dual big without necessarily
feeling like you're going dual big. But the extra spacing
I think will be a boon for Donnish, Jenkins, Asar
Thompson and there on.
Speaker 2: Ball reps.
Speaker 1: Still wish they would swing higher for a secondary creator.
You mentioned the Pacers were another team that I came
close to saying I'd be prepared to guarantee. I think
I'm kind of at just to guarantee it. And this
is the tyres Halburton injuries kind of.
Speaker 2: Wreaking havoc on my brain. I don't know what to do.
Speaker 1: With that, but I think it's the Pistons and the
Knicks are the only two teams I'm prepared to guarantee
right now we'll have a better regular season record than
the Sixers.
Speaker 2: I don't I just don't know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, could you envision Miami doing it, or Toronto doing it,
or Cleveland doing it, maybe even Boston doing it? Sure,
I just wouldn't predict it.
Speaker 3: M hm. It looks like Detroit, Boston, and Philly all
are at fifty point five so and the Indiana's forty
four point five.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I honestly, Philly's floor feels like fourth just trying to
ballpark it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, barring like catastrophic injury, I think again, like I.
Speaker 2: How many gets? Sorry?
Speaker 1: Take Joell and beat off this team.
Speaker 2: How many games does it win?
Speaker 3: Still?
Speaker 1: Right, I don't know how much does are over under change.
I think his name power and the idea of him
defensively it matters quite a bit.
Speaker 2: And then all of a sudden you're starting who a
demp oon orty. I don't think that's gonna go well
with the linemakers.
Speaker 1: But yeah, I think that that's not to say I
don't think Joel Embiid is important. I think it's just
this team is built in all its flaws to withstand
the absence of any single one player. Maybe I'm understating
how much Tyres Maxi does for this team is with
his on and off ball gravity.
Speaker 2: But I don't think that.
Speaker 1: There's a player they could lose to injury for an
extended But now if you stack injuries on top of
one another from multiple players. Sure, but they feel built
to have like high floor, high ceiling. To me, like
that's how they feel like they're built right now?
Speaker 3: I agree. I mean again, we saw them last year
even without Embiid and Paul George for half of the season,
and they still managed to stay afloat. And now they're
adding one additional piece, and a piece's name is Lebron James.
Speaker 1: Well, that's a that's a good book end of this,
because my final question is did Lebron make the right decision? So,
if you take off your six Ers cap for a second,
do you actually think any of the forget about the
emotional components, do you think any of the basketball fits
were that much better? And then also what do you
make of It's funny? So my wife comes home and
knew I was having a day. She goes, I was
with her. Cousins had flown in and she was with
one of them and they said, oh, Lebron shows where
he was going.
Speaker 2: She's like, oh, Dan must be crazy. She said.
Speaker 1: One of the reactions that her family member had was, Yeah,
Lebron's just like latching on and trying to ring chase
at this point, and he's clearly trying to win another ring.
But I look at Philly. We talked about this a
little before we hopped on. It's yeah, they're a bigger
market team that's also has this championship drought, but they
were also an interesting basketball fit where it wasn't this
no brainer decision where it's Lebron's just coming on to
be a hanger on It's you mentioned it, Lebron. They
really need his passing, and I kind of think that
there's a I don't know if it's a risk, but
it felt like more of an innovative decision, where going
back to Cleveland or Miami would have felt like, all right,
been there, done that, and even Golden State would have felt, oh,
you're just trying to ride off in the sunset to play,
which I wanted to see him and Steph play together.
Speaker 2: I would have welcomed that, but.
Speaker 1: It didn't feel that didn't feel like a move to
remain relevant or still be competitive. This is one of
the teams that he could have picked. To me, that
makes me feel like he really thought about it, and like, yes,
there is there are imperfections involved, but I just don't
view this as the typical it's ring chasing in the
sense that every player wants to win a championship when
you look at how important he is, I just don't
I don't know. I don't view this as a cop out.
If anything. I think I was bracing for the Warriors
of the Cavaliers, maybe because he went quote unquote what
I considered off the beaten path and I'm not gonna.
I wouldn't hammer him for it, but I just don't
view this as the traditional ring chasing situation. And it's
probably because Lebron is still good, right. Signing with the
Sixers is ring chasing?
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I'm with you. I mean, anyone who accuses
him of ring chasing, Like, have you seen the Sixers
in the last fifteen years? They haven't the last twenty
five years, they haven't even made the conference finals, much
less the finals, much less want to ring. Like, let's
get to the conference finals before we talk about ring
chasing here. I think, you know, the Spurs and Thunder
would have been ring chasing. Those two teams are just
so so.
Speaker 2: Clearly the Knicks.
Speaker 3: The Knicks, I mean, they just want to ring. So yeah,
probably ring chasing there. But you know, I like, I guess, yeah,
they're not bringing Lebron James off the bench, But there
was not a clear hole in the Knicks starting lineup
like this one. I think when you weigh all of
the factors, you know, I think to your point, Minnesota
would have been a great basketball fit as well. But
Minnesota is also in the West and has to deal
with the Spurs in the thunder before you even get
to the finals. So I think he wanted to go East.
Cleveland has fit with Harden. I think he had reason
to be concerned there. Miami's lack of shooting, you know,
I would argue is worse than the Sixers right now.
I think there are there's reason to be concerned there.
Golden State in the West. Golden State was just the
nostalgic we want to see Steph dre Lebron like they
from a basketball perspective, they did not make sense.
Speaker 2: They would have.
Speaker 1: Had like a fifteen game stretch during the regular season
where they were fourteen and one or thirteen and two,
and we would have whoaing in a bottle is just
too old and too many variables at play?
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, So I think, like when you there is
no I think Rich Paul said this at one point,
there was no perfect option, but when you weigh all
of the different factors, this was the best of his
choices if Okay, see San Antonio and the Knicks were
not in realistic consideration. And I think that the Surgeon
title ods kind of reflected that that, you know, the
Sixers are now fourth behind those three teams. I like,
I don't know if he goes to Miami, if they're
fourth and title odds right now, maybe, but I think
that would have been more off base than you know. Yeah,
maybe the Sixers are a little high, especially because we
haven't seen them play. We got to see how the
chemistry unfolds, and you know they they might not. I
think it's fair to predict they will not start the
season looking like the fourth best team in the NBA.
But can they get there by April? I think there's
a real chance of that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't. I'm I'm pretty much with you.
Speaker 1: I think the only team, like I said before, would
be Minnesota, and in so far as he ever considered,
Denver would have been interesting even there though it's okay,
so Gordon and Jokic.
Speaker 2: And Lebron, do we want Lebron.
Speaker 1: At the three? This is so there would have been
different types of questions there. But yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 2: I don't view this as a cop out.
Speaker 1: And I think that this was when you look when
you're trying to weigh everything.
Speaker 2: I guess I'll say I don't think this was the
raw decision.
Speaker 1: So you had mentioned that you saw a lot of
people were kind of poop pooing on it or just
like what's going on here? I don't view that. I
feel like this is a it's gonna work out fine.
Even if he does, maybe it's not gonna hit the
highest percentile outcome, which would be winning a title. But
I don't think this was the wrong decision, is what
I'll say. If it was purely about basketball, Minnesota would
have been the pick for me. But factoring and everything,
wanting to go to the East, yeah, I think Philly
was the right choice, like maybe Detroit. If we were
trying to think about Eastern Conference teams as like the
secondary creator alongside Caid, they certainly need that, that would
have been interesting. You maybe make the case for that.
But aside from that, Yeah, Miami definitely not. Wasn't the
better fit, wasn't the better fit for him they needed
him more, But wasn't the better fit in Cleveland yet
you already laid that out.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's fair to be skeptical of this
team until we see how unfolds. But I also think,
like some of the reactions, some of the negative reactions
I've seen some people already say like this is gonna
be a disaster, Like that just that feels overboard to me.
And maybe I'm totally wrong and have rose colored glasses on,
but like, you signed Lebron James on a minimum contract.
This is probably one of the best value signings in
NBA history, right.
Speaker 1: It's also Grant had brought this up when we were
talking about there was a report it was when Rich
Paul said that for Lebron to sign with the Knicks,
Jalen Brunson would need to call him. And my stance was,
and a lot of Knicks fans didn't share, this was
the John Brunton should make the call.
Speaker 2: That's happened to me.
Speaker 3: You can call him.
Speaker 1: As Grant pointed out, let's say the worst case scenario materializes,
and not in the sense of injuries, just on court
it doesn't work out, maybe even off the court doesn't
work out. You signed him to the minimum. This is
no risk you could move him. This is not like so,
this is not a bad The Sixers are a much
better basketball team than they were twelve hours before we
sat down and recorded this. This is they're signing someone
who I would still say is what top twenty five
in the league.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's fair. I mean, if he's not
top twenty five, he's pretty close to that.
Speaker 2: Range for the minimum.
Speaker 1: That's I don't care what the fit is, Like the
value play there is just is just worth it. You
see what happens like if this is the opportunity that
befalls you.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I wrote I had this pre written and I
was waiting for him to sign this contract, the best
value contracts in the NBA, and I did it by
wind shares from last year compared to salary this year.
He's not number one, which is like this formula is
maybe not one hundred percent the best way to go.
Aj Mitchell Mitchell, Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I mean he
was number two, was like Peyton Pritchard was right there,
Sadiq Bay, I can't remember the other guys off the
top of my head, but like, yeah, you know, even
if his wind shares last year were much lower than
they had been in previous years, and I wrote this like,
his production will continue to wane as you know. I
think that's the other thing about this move is that
if Lebron James, at age forty two, still wants to
be ball dominant, you know, I'm gonna put up twenty eight,
seven and seven, then no, this was not the right
move for him. But I think at Lebron James that
soon to be age forty two, is saying like, I
don't want that anymore. I don't want to have to
carry a team. I think Joel Embiid is also in
that mold of I don't I'm good, I've had that experience.
I want help like and now Lebron has so much
help that you know he can pick and choose his spots.
But I think he's gonna make his impact more as
a passer than as a scorer because you've got Max
and Brown. I think those two guys, Maxie and Brown
will probably be the two leading scorers on the Sixers
next year, and then I would agree kind of fill
in filling the gaps. He's gonna be the best high
end role player and a long time, if not all,
of NBA history.
Speaker 2: Does he average more points than Joel Embiid next season?
Speaker 5: M M?
Speaker 3: I don't think so, because he was already down in
the twenties.
Speaker 1: Lebron being fourth on score, fourth and scoring on his
team would be surreal.
Speaker 3: What if he's fifth? What if Vj's ahead of.
Speaker 2: Him, videers ahead of him? Fuck? What if kcp's ahead.
Speaker 3: Of him Simon's. I mean he's gonna be just bombing threes.
Speaker 2: Uh. Mister Taporak, this was great.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for hopping on with me late
on a Friday night and riffing on the sixers.
Speaker 2: Unless you have anything else that we didn't.
Speaker 1: Cover about this that you want to talk about, are
you able just to tell our listeners and watchers what
are they called YouTube viewers?
Speaker 2: Who's ever watching on YouTube? Our audience? You're able to
tell them where they can find.
Speaker 1: You and all the marvelous work that you do would
be the last nice thing I say to you, because
you're taking all these victory laps now with the off
season that your team is having as as you should.
Speaker 3: That's right, and we're we're going to go to battle
soon for something in br that people should keep an
eye out for in the coming weeks.
Speaker 1: I'm excited to find a way to offend your impressions
of Jalon Johnson Again.
Speaker 3: That's my real victory lap. I just came on here
to stretch my legs and.
Speaker 1: If I get the first pick, just despite it, I'm
taking Palo Bank.
Speaker 2: The whole draft super flag.
Speaker 3: Uh. You can find me on Blue Sky at b
T O P O R E K. And, as Dan
mentioned in the intro Forbes Sports and Fan Sided for
general NBA Sixers cover at Liberty Bollers Lakers coverage at
Silver Screen Rowl and hopefully I'll get to take a
nap at some point. But Lebron's really screwing up my
summer Friday man rude summer weekend.
Speaker 1: Yeah, my Saturday is kind of already shot with the
obligations I took on, one of which came from you.
But I'm excited to do it because you were adreaming
to come on to do the show.
Speaker 3: So that's true. I'm sorry in advance, but I'm also very.
Speaker 2: Excited until next time.
Speaker 1: It has always weep the shout out to the one,
the only, the indelible, mister Frank Nila Tina