WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.160 My most un favorite bit we have on the show, 2 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:05.599 by far, especially on a Friday when people are trying 3 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:07.440 to get their weekend started out the right way. We 4 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:09.679 have a lot of bits on the show, and this, 5 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.599 by far is our worst bit by far. 6 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:14.599 I'm not a pit Bull guy. By far, I don't 7 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:17.079 know that we're not helping people get ready for the weekend. 8 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:19.519 Does it helped your brand, Zach Harper? 9 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:21.800 Than in Salt Lake City? When people hear pit Bull, 10 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:22.879 they think Zach Harper. 11 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:28.039 It's any city, any town city, anything thinks of me 12 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:31.039 or thinks of pit Bull when the other one's mentioned 13 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:34.799 or heard. That's the ultimate honor, especially getting the weekend going. 14 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:36.759 This is weekend music. 15 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:40.159 All right? Well he is mister worldwide. 16 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:41.719 I have to ask you right out of the gates 17 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:42.920 because I have your Twitter pulled up. 18 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:45.520 You did a count the Ding's Pod shout out. 19 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:46.280 Yeah. 20 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:46.799 One of the. 21 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:49.719 Topics was things that make us feel old and something 22 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:51.880 that manifests itself from me every day? 23 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:54.280 What was the Zach Harper take on things that make 24 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:54.880 you feel old? 25 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.200 One for me was anytime I'm like out at a 26 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:04.959 grocery store, restaurant, anything a shop and I am around 27 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:08.159 a group of like young people, right, and just hearing 28 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:12.480 them talk it reminds me of how I was when 29 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:15.480 I was that age and realizing like, oh, I didn't 30 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:17.200 know anything and they don't know anything, and I don't 31 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:19.920 know that I know anything now, but just being around 32 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:23.359 that energy, I feel old energy when I'm around those people. 33 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:25.000 I was with my son and a few of his 34 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.879 friends a couple of weeks ago, and they've never been 35 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:28.640 to an ATM. 36 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.840 Now once what they've never They've never been. 37 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:36.519 Yeah, they've never needed These are these are young men 38 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:38.719 in their early twenties. These are not twelve year olds. 39 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:41.200 They've never because for some reason, I'm like, hey, I 40 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:42.959 got to stop in at the ATM, and they're like, wait, what, 41 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:46.959 Like you don't know what that. I'm old enough to 42 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.079 remember when I needed cash to go to the bank 43 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:52.000 and use a depot, you know, a withdrawal slip or 44 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.239 write a check, and now these kids have never even 45 00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:55.439 been to the ATM machine. 46 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.040 I think that the thing for me too is, you 47 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:01.400 know a lot of places will now like do electronic 48 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:05.280 payments for rent, and my my building does not. I 49 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:07.040 have to write a physical check. So that's like a 50 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:11.400 grounding in the twentieth century every time where I feel like, oh, 51 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:13.639 I right, like this is how it used to be. 52 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:16.520 It's it's almost like I think if I had to 53 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.319 move to an electronic payment for rent, it would actually 54 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:21.680 sadden me a little bit, because I like, I like 55 00:02:21.719 --> 00:02:22.479 writing out of check. 56 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:25.960 You know, I don't think I have checks anywhere. I 57 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.639 would have to look. But yeah, now everything is like Venmo, 58 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:31.800 everything's online. But I was I was stunned that adults 59 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.319 in American society would have no frame of reference as 60 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.479 far as okay, you need cash, what do you do? 61 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:37.520 You know? 62 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:38.560 They don't even know. 63 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:40.560 So I thought it was a very good topic that 64 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:42.919 you guys tackled off to check that out. How many 65 00:02:42.919 --> 00:02:45.400 pods are you currently recording right now? What's the what's 66 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:46.000 the workload? 67 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:48.840 That's a great question. I don't know. 68 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:51.840 Let's just call it four four. I feel like that's low. 69 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.280 It might be by like four, I feel pretty confident 70 00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:57.039 in at least four. 71 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:01.039 Okay, all right, all right, yeah, fair enough, there's you know, 72 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:03.159 that was good. I was gonna say, let's get some 73 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:05.599 jazz stuff out of the way. They're just there's there's 74 00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:09.759 nothing interesting, man about the team. Ultimately, it probably is 75 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.840 the worst team we've ever had here, and I'm serious. 76 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:14.120 They don't do anything well. 77 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:16.879 But I will get your take on a dynamic we 78 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:19.879 just discussed last hour with Dave mcminnimon, and that is 79 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:23.759 the conversation about Will Hardy, who seems to be like 80 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:29.439 universally respected in pro basketball and look ultimately as of 81 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.479 right now, you know the old saying you are what 82 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:32.599 your record says you are. 83 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:34.240 He's seventy two and one thirteen. 84 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:36.479 The fact that he's almost won forty percent of his 85 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.080 games here is actually a miracle. It's thirty eight percent 86 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:42.919 technically as far as the win percentage goes. He's got 87 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:45.639 an option picked up for both next year and year five, 88 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:49.039 and they're not close to being good. Is there a 89 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:53.879 danger here of the Jazz front office and there inability 90 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:56.719 to get him high level talent? Are they running the 91 00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:58.960 danger of maybe scaring off a really good coach at 92 00:03:58.960 --> 00:03:59.360 some point? 93 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:00.960 Is he gonna look at being like, dude, what are 94 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:01.360 we doing? 95 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.120 I think as long as they communicate with him, as 96 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:07.560 long as you know, like you have to present a 97 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:09.599 certain level of like we're trying to win and we're 98 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.759 trying to do this publicly. But if internally, it's a 99 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:15.560 clear line of communication on what the plan is, what's happening. 100 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.759 I think that I would assume that he'll be fine 101 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:22.360 unless another team just comes and throws an insane amount 102 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:24.439 of money at him to try to try to lure 103 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:27.839 him away. Right, So if that, like, if that doesn't happen, 104 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:31.199 I wouldn't worry about scaring him off. Like I think, 105 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:34.600 I don't know. The whole conversation got really dumb about 106 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:37.000 him after that time out called because people were like, 107 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:39.319 but he scored. It's like three yeah, three seconds after 108 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:41.879 a timeout was called, Like it's like, I get it, 109 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:44.519 but it was it was such an obvious time out 110 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.199 call at the time because that's just what you do. 111 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:49.560 And I think it, you know, with with like casual 112 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:52.160 people don't really pay attention to the Jazz. I think 113 00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:56.000 it it like skewed the perception of the coach, like, oh, 114 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:57.959 this coach is that. But I think the people around 115 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.399 the NBA know what the deal is with him, know 116 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:02.759 what the deal is with the Jazz, and it wouldn't 117 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:04.360 shock me if the team tried to pull him away. 118 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:06.680 I just think the Jazz would be smart to make 119 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.519 sure that that's not a possibility, I don't think. But 120 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:10.519 I don't think it's a lack of talent thing. I 121 00:05:10.519 --> 00:05:14.279 think coaches recognize how few of these jobs there are, 122 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:17.519 and if there is actual security with one team being 123 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:22.720 offered in a secondary contractor or even a third contract, 124 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:25.079 I think that's enough to keep him. But you know, 125 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:27.480 the market will dictate what that is. 126 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:30.720 We're nine days away from December fifteenth, and the Jazz, 127 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:33.759 of course, are a team. Every time somebody writes the 128 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.279 whole like, hey, watch out for these teams to potentially 129 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:38.920 make trades, the Jazz are on that list. Any of 130 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:41.600 these vets hold any interest, I mean the weird thing. 131 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.639 And look, if you're on an NBA team and that 132 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:46.879 NBA team is bad and you played in the NBA 133 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:49.040 for a while and you're just alive with the Poultz, 134 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.639 you can put up numbers. But John Collins is legitimately 135 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:53.600 fifty to forty ninety this year, believe it or not. 136 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.560 So there's Collins, there's Sexton, there's Clarkson, who is just 137 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:01.800 no longer the guy that he once was simply because 138 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:04.959 he's older. Any of these vets hold legitimate value on 139 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.079 the open market. 140 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:10.160 I mean, I think anything with anybody with two or 141 00:06:10.199 --> 00:06:13.800 fewer years left on their contract, especially with the you know, 142 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:16.319 the dreaded second apron. Now, I think those are attractive 143 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:18.040 assets of knowing, all right, we get the rest of 144 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:20.480 this year and then it's an expiring next year. And 145 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:22.600 so I think anyone like like Collins is playing well. 146 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:25.240 I've never been a John Collins guy, but he but 147 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:28.319 he is playing well. He has played well for Utah, 148 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:31.480 and I think actually in maybe a more consistent way 149 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:34.000 than what we saw over the years in Atlanta. But 150 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:36.680 also it's in Atlanta, so you know, like I don't 151 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:39.399 know how you actually judge that, but I think Collins 152 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:42.120 would be someone that that teams are excited about. I 153 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.160 think Collin Sexton would, I you know, Jordan Clarkson. I 154 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:46.759 don't know if they ever could have actually gotten the 155 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:48.480 first round pick for him, but that feels like that 156 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.839 was a couple of years ago that that was a possibility. 157 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:54.079 But I think, you know, I think they have like 158 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.399 this is the thing. I mean, the Jazz have been terrible, 159 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:58.720 but they do have good veterans, they have good young players. 160 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.600 Like I think that there's always a market there. I 161 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.279 just I legitimately don't know how teams are going to 162 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:07.319 approach it now that we've gone through one full offseason 163 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:10.000 of this second Apron and what that's going to mean 164 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:11.680 for team building in the future. I think there are 165 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.040 a lot of teams that are very hesitant about it. 166 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:15.959 I think we're gonna see New Orleans make some really 167 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:20.000 tough decisions over the next couple of months because it 168 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:22.160 hasn't gone well and they don't want to be the 169 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.120 Clippers who just keep saying, Hey, if we're healthy in 170 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.519 the playoffs every year, then maybe we can do something. 171 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:29.160 Yeah, so you brought up the Pelicans, and you know, 172 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:31.319 Philly's got to figure something out as well. Who are 173 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:34.240 the other teams that you think you know? Because to 174 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:37.160 your point with the second Apron stuff, if you are 175 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:39.519 an owner and you're riding a massive check for a 176 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:42.240 team that sucks, then you're probably wanting to get out 177 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:46.079 of that situation. Who are the most likely movers prior 178 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:49.040 to the trade deadline based off of lack of production 179 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:51.519 early on after about twenty twenty three games. 180 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:54.519 Yeah, I mean, I wonder, I wonder if the King, 181 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:57.240 like the Kings might have kind of like an itchy 182 00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:59.759 trigger finger there right, like they might start getting a 183 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:02.439 little anty because it hasn't gone well. I think, you know, 184 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:05.759 I don't know what flexibility Milwaukee could even have, but 185 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:08.759 Milwaukee has to be looking at this and thinking this 186 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:11.040 is supposed to be so much better, right, Like this 187 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:12.920 is supposed to be so much better, and it's not. 188 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:18.120 I think teams like Houston and Memphis may have gone 189 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.000 for big swings, but they've been so successful early on 190 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:24.040 this season that that's not necessary. Minnesota obviously doesn't really 191 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:27.720 have the flexibility unless someone all of a sudden wants 192 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:29.720 Julius Randall, which I I don't think that's the case, 193 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:34.600 you know, because New Orleans been so bad, Utah has 194 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:37.360 been bad. Portland's got some really interesting pieces, Like I 195 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:40.039 think they should be looking to move a veteran or 196 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:42.039 two if they can get any kind of assets back. 197 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.200 But I yeah, I think more teams are gonna be 198 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:49.120 buyers than sellers if they're not afraid of the apron, 199 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:52.440 because that's what the play in tournament kind of gives. 200 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:54.000 Us, all right. 201 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.480 So one of the interesting dynamics here locally is most 202 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:02.279 of the really good players who have gone elsewhere haven't 203 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:06.399 necessarily excelled on a level that we expected namely Hayward, 204 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:10.080 who unfortunately broke his leg, and Darren Darren Williams, who 205 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:13.279 just never really figured it out after he left. But 206 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:15.879 are we seeing Donovan? And you know, I'm gonna keep 207 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:18.600 revisiting this because every time I watch Cleveland there is 208 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.559 this like level up type feel from Mitchell. This year 209 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:23.440 the questions will have to be answered in the spring 210 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.399 by his own accord. But twenty and three, you don't 211 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.519 just fall backwards into that. And I know it's not 212 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:30.799 just him, but he clearly has been the main impetus. 213 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:33.440 He's their best player. So are you ready to talk 214 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:36.399 about Cleveland in a more real way after this crazy start, 215 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:37.759 and specifically from Mitchell? 216 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:38.399 What are you seeing? 217 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:43.279 I mean, yeah, like I do take them more seriously, 218 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.799 but I just don't know, Like I like, I think 219 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.480 Donovan has really impressed me. Where I'll be watching a 220 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:52.840 game and it's, you know, the first couple, you know, 221 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:54.960 two three quarters, I'm like, all right, whatever, it's you know, 222 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:57.840 Donovan's good, but he's not doing anything special, and then 223 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:00.320 he'll just go on those runs in the fourth order, 224 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:02.679 right Like it's just that reminder of like, oh yeah, 225 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.679 this dude can get stupid hot and and really like 226 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.559 hurt a team. And so when he does that, like 227 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.159 when he's that player, I believe in them more. They've 228 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:13.039 also been super injured, like that's a that's kind of 229 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:16.279 an underrated I think because this team has not been 230 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:20.279 very healthy. They've been missing guys left and right. Like 231 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:22.799 I just s don't know. I don't know at what 232 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:25.080 point before the playoffs I can buy in? 233 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:26.759 So do you think? 234 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:28.879 And the easy thing to say about the East is 235 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:32.639 Boston and everybody else. I do think there's some there's 236 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:36.080 some bite to Orlando that is surprising to me. I mean, look, 237 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:38.440 they're new in this could to sack as far as 238 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:42.200 winning basketball games. But is there anyone in the East 239 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:45.000 come playoff time fully healthy that you think at least 240 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:46.000 makes Boston nervous? 241 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:48.919 I do think. I do think New York has a 242 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:51.399 lot of firepower. Right Their defense is not good, and 243 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:53.039 I don't know if you can win with kat as 244 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:57.120 the main big man defensively, I mean, if their offense 245 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.399 just keeps going crazy like this, I mean, it's it's 246 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.399 historic right now, But I do think New York is dangerous. 247 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:04.559 There's still part of me that believes in Milwaukee on 248 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:06.679 some level. Even though I don't believe in doc Rivers. 249 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:09.759 I just think that there's there's just too much talent there. 250 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:11.320 I know it's a little top heavy, but I actually 251 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.799 like a lot of their role players too. Like I 252 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:14.840 just it should be so much better than it is. 253 00:11:14.919 --> 00:11:17.679 But I never bought Philly, Like I think Orlando is 254 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:20.200 still probably a year and some shooting away. I think 255 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:23.120 they need one more shooter. But no, like it just 256 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:25.960 it feels like this is Boston's conference for a while 257 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:29.799 and then and maybe Cleveland disrupts that. Maybe they do, 258 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:31.559 Like they played really well the other night. I know, 259 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:33.759 you know, Boston was missing James Brown and Derek White, 260 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:35.320 but that was a fun game and that was a 261 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.200 good test for them. It just, man, it feels like 262 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:42.080 it feels like Boston would have to historically mess this 263 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:43.639 up in order to not win the conference. 264 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:46.360 What does Philly do? Like, what's their course of action 265 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:51.279 at this point? I know it's only twenty games, but obviously, yeah, 266 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:54.759 it's not working. And man, it's just every time you 267 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.480 get like a Philly alert, it's just bad news, whether 268 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:00.600 a players missing game or punching a reporter whatever, Like, 269 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:02.840 what's there? What's their course of action. Do they just 270 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:03.759 have to ride this out? 271 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:07.240 Don't be don't be dramatic media, it was just the 272 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:12.639 shoulder push come on of the I don't, man, I 273 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.759 don't know. Like I you're you're hoping, and like all 274 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:18.519 you can do. I think that, like what they have 275 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:21.639 to do is one, they've got to cultivate just a 276 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:24.720 defensive mentality, right like that, like that has to be 277 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:28.039 their calling card. Is they've got to create, even if 278 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:30.360 it's just creating ugly games, they have got to create 279 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:33.919 an ugly mentality that is relying on defense and just 280 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.159 that never goes away, whether it beads in the lineup 281 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:38.480 or not. And so if they can get that identity, 282 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:40.759 you can start carving away at some stuff. They they 283 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:43.919 don't have to be good in the regular season, but 284 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:46.240 they do have to build, right, they have to build 285 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.600 towards the end of the season and then and then 286 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:51.240 then avoid the Celtics in the first round. I don't 287 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:53.000 even know that they could beat any of those other teams, 288 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.320 top teams in the East right now in a seven, 289 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.840 seven game series. But I know they can't beat Boston 290 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:00.480 whether they're healthy or not. And so as long as 291 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:02.639 they avoid Boston, I mean, they probably need to avoid 292 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.519 Cleveland too, but as long as they avoid Boston if 293 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:07.559 you're healthy in the playoff when the playoffs start and 294 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.639 you've got some momentum going and man, this just feels 295 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:12.879 like a broken record every year with feeling, no matter 296 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.919 what the machination is. But but that's that's really all 297 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:17.960 they can hope for, right Like, there's no getting out 298 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:22.320 of this. You're you're committed to this roster. It's just man, 299 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:23.600 it's just not good. 300 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.799 Well, before we move out to the Western Conference, I 301 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:30.480 have not asked you your opinion on the latest attempts 302 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:32.919 by the NBA to fix the All Star Game with 303 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:36.200 this different format, four team competition. We don't know much 304 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:39.240 about how the players are going to be, you know, picked, 305 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:41.159 and I don't know what the format essentially is going 306 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:41.600 to look like. 307 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:43.240 We still have to wait for some of the details. 308 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:46.679 But I always appreciate the attempts to clean something up 309 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.159 that's so boring people probably won't watch anyway. But do 310 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:51.840 you like what they're at least trying to do with 311 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:53.399 the revamped All Star Game format? 312 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:56.120 I think this year it's going to completely fix the 313 00:13:56.120 --> 00:13:59.120 All Star Game, and then nobody will care next year. Yeah, 314 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:00.960 like I just like, I mean, that's what happened with 315 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:03.159 the elam ending, right, Like they got that really good 316 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:06.159 one right away and then you know, hey, I got 317 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:08.840 two hundred million dollars in the bank and I don't 318 00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:10.559 really want to get hurt, and I don't really want to, 319 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:14.279 you know, go out there and and bust my tail 320 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:18.159 after hanging out all weekend in San Francisco or wherever 321 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:20.960 they're gonna be the Serrana time next year, wherever that's 322 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:23.360 gonna be, and like, oh it's in La next time. Yeah, 323 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:25.320 the LA one's gonna be disaster. That now that I 324 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:29.120 think that's an absolute disaster. So yeah, like I think 325 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.240 it's gonna I think anytime you fix the format, they'll 326 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.759 get into it initially, but eventually that human nature is 327 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:37.559 just gonna take over. And I think that's the problem 328 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:40.320 with the All Star Game is in today's world, that 329 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.679 human nature is just not interested in trying. 330 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:46.399 Yeah, certainly when it comes to you know, pro basketball 331 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:50.080 players now and the money has changed everything, as we've discussed. 332 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:54.159 But speaking of Los Angeles, watch the Heat Laker game 333 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:56.679 as long as I could, and you know, if it 334 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:59.879 doesn't if it doesn't matter to you, It doesn't matter 335 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.679 to me. So after they went down like forty or whatever, 336 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:06.720 I just kind of turned it off. And look, I'm 337 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:09.000 not laying all this at the feet of JJ Reddick. 338 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.919 I just wonder if there's legitimate conversations to be had 339 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:14.600 about whether or not hiring a guy that's never coached 340 00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:18.639 pro basketball to coach that roster with that dude was 341 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:19.799 the right course of action. 342 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:22.519 Through twenty two games, what's the early return on the Lakers. 343 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.159 I don't know about JJ, Like I'm not that impressed, 344 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.039 but I'm not also looking at him like what are 345 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:30.480 you doing? I think we're now on the third coach 346 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:32.879 in four years with the pretty much the same roster, 347 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:36.279 and hey, they haven't figured it out. Maybe it's the roster, 348 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:39.039 like maybe it's the fact, like you know, there's all 349 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:42.120 this like stuff about, Hey, the Lakers, they've been looking 350 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:45.240 for shooters, and they put one around Lebron with Dalton Konnec. 351 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:48.600 I'm like, yeah, he's good, he's a nice rookie. At 352 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:51.159 the same time, they haven't been looking for shooters because 353 00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:53.679 they haven't signed any shooters over the years, Like they 354 00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:55.600 like that. I'm sorry, Like you can go get shooters 355 00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:58.159 if you want shooters. They have tried to put together 356 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:01.840 a different thing around Lebron and hope that Lebron will 357 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:04.720 will make them shooters right by just delivering the ball 358 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:07.480 like it's a video game algorithm, and that's just not 359 00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:09.679 how it works, Like you have to go get shooters 360 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:12.399 like this, this front office is not doing a good job. 361 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.159 And I mean they're big unders still Jackson Hayes and 362 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:18.240 like I think Christian Wood still on the roster like 363 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:21.399 that in Ruey Hotchimore six foot eight Ruey hotchimra Is 364 00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:24.039 is like a part time center for them. That's not good. 365 00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:26.279 Like they haven't done a good job of building any 366 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.639 of this roster out. And so yeah, JJ like talked 367 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:31.120 about emphasizing threes and they don't really shoot more threes 368 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:33.720 than they did last year. NDO Darvin Ham, Like there 369 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.639 are things to change, and there are things to tweak, 370 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:38.759 and their game plans you can implement and all that stuff, 371 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:42.679 but the roster is still limited. And so I just like, 372 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:45.559 I don't know how if we're going to kill I 373 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.480 guess if we're gonna kill Darvin Ham over it, then 374 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:49.240 I guess you kind of have to kill JJ Redick 375 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.799 over it. But I always looked at this as a 376 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.919 roster construction issue rather than whether you think Ham's a 377 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:57.559 good coach or not. I like, I didn't think it mattered. 378 00:16:57.559 --> 00:16:59.879 I think the roster is just not capable of can. 379 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:03.399 I really wonder what Scott Brooks and Aate McMillan are 380 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:05.599 thinking sitting next to JJ Reddick. They might just be 381 00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:07.880 grateful for a job, or they're probably like, dude, this 382 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:09.359 guy has no clue what he's doing. 383 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.079 Yeah, I mean he he might he might not right 384 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:16.519 like he might. This might be like, you know, a 385 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:19.119 bit off more than he can chew with this job. 386 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:22.599 And and it doesn't help that like six straight games 387 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.160 Lebron wasn't any good right that all of a sudden 388 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:27.359 his three point shot went away, Like I mean this 389 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.720 this team is kind of teetering on on certain things 390 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:32.920 that can and can't happen. And when the bad things happen, 391 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:35.599 I don't know that there's a fix, like I I 392 00:17:35.720 --> 00:17:39.519 you know, JJ, JJ's talking about how they're not doing 393 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.359 the basic stuff like I mean, they're they're helping off 394 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.839 strongside shooters and and they're not rotating into the lane 395 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.880 like Lebron doesn't isn't in help ever? Right? 396 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:49.119 Like that? 397 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:52.160 I mean, Ad. You know, I've been on this AD 398 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:55.440 is not that guy island by myself for years and 399 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:57.839 it's not that he's not good, but he's not going 400 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:00.440 to lead a team to a championship, right, And so 401 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:02.559