1
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:06,679
Speaker 1: What is up, fella, ciccos.

2
00:00:06,799 --> 00:00:10,599
Speaker 2: I am Dana Valley coming at you with mister Brian

3
00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:16,440
to Porrek, from Bleacher Report, from Forbes, from on SI,

4
00:00:16,719 --> 00:00:20,280
from Liberty Ballers, and from Silver Screen and Roll.

5
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:21,559
Speaker 1: Did I get everything this time?

6
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,000
Speaker 3: Yes? I think it's hard to keep track of pace.

7
00:00:26,039 --> 00:00:26,519
Speaker 2: You do a lot.

8
00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,199
Speaker 1: You have an excellent job covering the NBA.

9
00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,239
Speaker 2: It has been a genuine pleasure to work with you

10
00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,039
for the past I don't even know how many years

11
00:00:32,039 --> 00:00:35,359
at this point, fifteen whatever, something along those lines. We

12
00:00:35,399 --> 00:00:38,479
also everyone, any of the siccos out there, We want

13
00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:39,200
to thank Brian.

14
00:00:39,359 --> 00:00:42,039
Speaker 1: I canceled the podcast because hashtag.

15
00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,240
Speaker 2: Snow and was able to come on late Tuesday night

16
00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:45,920
and record with me so that we could still get

17
00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,359
a second full episode in this week. So I'm very

18
00:00:48,439 --> 00:00:51,280
much grateful for you to come on and talk about

19
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,600
the Eastern Conference of whether anyone can beat the Pistons

20
00:00:53,759 --> 00:00:54,079
with me.

21
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:55,200
Speaker 1: But how are you doing?

22
00:00:55,679 --> 00:00:57,759
Speaker 3: I am doing well. I am not buried in snow,

23
00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,240
so that is great, and I am I'm always happy

24
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,599
to come on and talk basketball, especially the East, which

25
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,120
is kind of a mess right now behind the Pistons.

26
00:01:09,159 --> 00:01:12,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't think we were talking before we

27
00:01:12,719 --> 00:01:15,599
jumped on as to it is accepted now at this

28
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,200
point that they're just the East favorites right before we

29
00:01:18,239 --> 00:01:20,799
get into what we're gonna do is draft. We'll take

30
00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,480
turns picking who we think the biggest threats are to

31
00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,799
the Pistons, but it is widely accepted.

32
00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:26,439
Speaker 1: I haven't seen.

33
00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,120
Speaker 2: I'm sure there's gonna be pushedback or do they have

34
00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:32,840
enough playoff experience? I guess I give some merit to that,

35
00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,799
but they did this group by and large went through

36
00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,799
the playoffs together last year. They lost in the first round,

37
00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,239
but they almost beat a team that made it to

38
00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,920
the Eastern. So I'm not saying they have all of

39
00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,359
their postseason scars already, but it wouldn't. I don't use

40
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,640
that as like if I'm thinking about that, I assign

41
00:01:49,719 --> 00:01:52,000
more weight to it with the Spurs in part peas

42
00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,359
I do think the top of the Western Conference, regardless

43
00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,120
of what the stats or the matchups might say, this

44
00:01:56,159 --> 00:02:00,280
season is just objectively scarier than the East. I just

45
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,879
look at the Pistons and think, Okay, yeah, there's still

46
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,719
playoff in experience, but they just went through that type

47
00:02:05,719 --> 00:02:07,680
of series and the style they play is almost just

48
00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,680
built for not there's concerns offensively, sure, but like the

49
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,000
way they play defense and how physical they are and

50
00:02:14,039 --> 00:02:15,879
the teams that they've beaten with some of the matchups

51
00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,479
they've had this year. How much do you worry about

52
00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,919
the quote unquote lack of playoff experience.

53
00:02:22,599 --> 00:02:26,919
Speaker 3: I don't worry about that as much For all the

54
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,680
points you just made, I mean, they have the second

55
00:02:29,719 --> 00:02:32,919
best net rating in the NBA as well second best

56
00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,840
defensive rating in the NBA. They are tenth in offensive ratings,

57
00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,560
so top ten marks in both offense and defense at

58
00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,319
least heading into Tuesday. I mean, they could use more shooting,

59
00:02:45,039 --> 00:02:48,800
and like if something trips them off in the playoffs,

60
00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,680
I could see that being it. But yeah, I think like,

61
00:02:52,879 --> 00:02:55,199
if you have the best record in the East, the

62
00:02:55,199 --> 00:02:58,319
second best net rating in the league, you know you

63
00:02:59,159 --> 00:03:02,360
deserved be considered the favorite. Although I will say I

64
00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:08,080
just checked the Eastern Conference odds right now and it's

65
00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:12,439
actually very close between the top four. But Detroit is

66
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,159
not number one as of this current moment.

67
00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,840
Speaker 2: That is, I guess it's not insane, but it's so

68
00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,280
what more could they possibly, I guess, have done if

69
00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,000
they guess they made a big swing at the trade

70
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,639
deadline to really juice up the offense. But when you're

71
00:03:27,759 --> 00:03:31,159
five losses ahead of everybody else in the East, and

72
00:03:31,199 --> 00:03:34,520
when you know that there are variables at play. But okay,

73
00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,840
the Pacers have already fallen out of it. Tyres Alburt's

74
00:03:36,879 --> 00:03:39,639
not coming back. Jason Tatum might come back, but what

75
00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,159
does Jason Tatum look like? You've seen the health questions

76
00:03:43,159 --> 00:03:46,360
in Philadelphia always rearing their head. The health questions and

77
00:03:46,439 --> 00:03:51,039
offensive questions in Orlando just still there. Cleveland just having

78
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,599
this massive mid season change with James Harden coming into

79
00:03:54,599 --> 00:03:55,000
the fold.

80
00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:56,919
Speaker 1: It is a little wild to me that they're not.

81
00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,919
Speaker 2: I don't and I know sports betting odds aren't always

82
00:04:00,039 --> 00:04:02,759
rooted entirely in logic, but at the same time, it's

83
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:04,759
a little wild to me at this point.

84
00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,719
Speaker 1: They wouldn't be considered the favorite to come out.

85
00:04:08,039 --> 00:04:11,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree with you, like it's very close right now,

86
00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,319
And I don't want to say who's number one or

87
00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,560
what the odds actually are because that will potentially change

88
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,160
the order of our draft. So I want to keep

89
00:04:21,199 --> 00:04:27,680
the competitive integrity and tax shout out Adam Silver.

90
00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,600
Speaker 2: Which is to say, both of us are properly and

91
00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,879
heavily medicated and ready to go through this podcast. So

92
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,160
we'll set it up this way. Lee's just take turns

93
00:04:36,199 --> 00:04:38,720
alternating teams. We'll see like two or three each, just

94
00:04:38,759 --> 00:04:40,800
to maybe get like a little bit of a hierarchy here.

95
00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,199
Speaker 1: You are the guests. So I'm going to give you

96
00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:43,800
the first pick.

97
00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,120
Speaker 2: But as you informed me when I told you you'd

98
00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:47,759
be getting the first pick, you said, that's actually not

99
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,680
a gift in this instance, which I.

100
00:04:49,639 --> 00:04:52,920
Speaker 3: Don't think it is. I feel like the second pick

101
00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,839
is the easiest, or really the third pick, I guess

102
00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:58,319
is probably trying to.

103
00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,439
Speaker 2: Make a big board of just teams like, Okay, this

104
00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,399
is how and I it was a mess for me.

105
00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:03,920
Speaker 1: I didn't.

106
00:05:04,079 --> 00:05:06,759
Speaker 2: I think that any pick is just kind of difficult.

107
00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:09,279
And that's maybe that's not even reflective of necessarily the

108
00:05:09,319 --> 00:05:12,399
Pistons being head and shoulders above everybody, but it kind

109
00:05:12,399 --> 00:05:15,040
of is because at this moment as we're recording, you

110
00:05:15,079 --> 00:05:17,000
look at just the player that Kate is turned into

111
00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,839
with Jayalen durn has done this year. I know they're

112
00:05:18,879 --> 00:05:21,720
just like the floor spacing concerns, the half core concerns

113
00:05:21,759 --> 00:05:23,759
are gonna be there, but just some of the wild

114
00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,000
different lineups they could throw out there, and I mean

115
00:05:27,199 --> 00:05:31,399
Kid specifically is just if you talk I know this

116
00:05:31,439 --> 00:05:33,519
is sort of an add of boy Crown because we

117
00:05:33,519 --> 00:05:35,680
talk about who's the leagu's best player, who's the league's MVP.

118
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,160
When you're looking at someone and you're trying to say,

119
00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:42,519
who do I feel most comfortable with doing literally anything

120
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:43,759
on the court right now?

121
00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:44,879
Speaker 1: The best two way player?

122
00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,399
Speaker 2: So to frame it, I think Pete Kawhi Leonard probably

123
00:05:48,399 --> 00:05:50,240
still is a case. But who is the case aside

124
00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,519
from Kate? I guess it's Shay. But you also just

125
00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,120
look at what Kate is. The workload he can shoulder

126
00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,639
defensively as a rebound, I think edges that out a

127
00:05:57,639 --> 00:06:00,319
little more. I don't think the efficiency number are going

128
00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,199
to be what they are, but the impact he has

129
00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,800
on the offense and just the across the board impact

130
00:06:04,879 --> 00:06:07,040
that he's able to carry in such high volume.

131
00:06:07,079 --> 00:06:09,079
Speaker 1: When you're looking at two way.

132
00:06:08,879 --> 00:06:11,560
Speaker 2: Workload, let's call it is kind of insane. And I

133
00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,319
do feel like flies under the radar a little bit.

134
00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,279
When we talk about the completeness of players. I think

135
00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,600
the honored probably go to maybe Jason Tatum if he

136
00:06:19,639 --> 00:06:23,040
were healthy, But this season if you're not making the

137
00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,959
case for Kawhi, I guess it's like Kawhi Sha or

138
00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,120
Kate or probably the options there.

139
00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,199
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Lebron is not in that conversation anymore.

140
00:06:32,399 --> 00:06:37,920
KD not in that conversation anymore. Paul George, you're disrespecting

141
00:06:38,959 --> 00:06:42,920
performance enhancing p.

142
00:06:41,439 --> 00:06:42,720
Speaker 1: Performance enhancing P.

143
00:06:43,519 --> 00:06:45,800
Speaker 2: Hey, he helped us. You want to talk about completeness.

144
00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:47,560
He helped the Sixers duck the luxury.

145
00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,360
Speaker 1: Time's right, that's not versatility.

146
00:06:50,639 --> 00:06:53,879
Speaker 3: What is coming up with new ways to duck attacks?

147
00:06:53,879 --> 00:06:54,160
Thank you?

148
00:06:54,199 --> 00:06:54,439
Speaker 2: Paul?

149
00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,360
Speaker 3: All right, So yeah, it's the number one pick. Look,

150
00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,079
I think this completely depends on whether Jason Tatum is

151
00:07:02,079 --> 00:07:04,720
coming back this year and what version of Jason Tatum

152
00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,439
is coming back this year if he does return. If

153
00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,639
we had assurance that by mid April Jason Tatum is

154
00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:16,199
back and he's even like eighty percent of normal Jason Tatum,

155
00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,879
I think Boston would be the choice here. But because

156
00:07:19,879 --> 00:07:22,920
we do not have that knowledge right now, I can't

157
00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:26,920
quite get there with the Celtics. So this might just

158
00:07:26,959 --> 00:07:31,720
be my recency bias talking, but I'm leaning toward the Cavs.

159
00:07:32,079 --> 00:07:33,360
Speaker 2: Ooh, you throw a change up.

160
00:07:33,399 --> 00:07:35,399
Speaker 1: I should have waited. I'm gonna have to post edit

161
00:07:35,439 --> 00:07:37,279
this on screen now I love it.

162
00:07:37,519 --> 00:07:40,000
Speaker 2: Huh oh mate, So is it? Are you looking at

163
00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,160
James Harden's playoff track record or you're just you're feeling it?

164
00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,680
Speaker 3: That is exactly right. Yeah, you know, he's illustrious. Six

165
00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:51,959
time NBA champion James Harden. Look, I understand the criticism

166
00:07:52,319 --> 00:07:56,240
of that trade, in particularly that aspect of the trade,

167
00:07:56,399 --> 00:07:59,759
but it's not like the Cavaliers as currently constructed or

168
00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,319
as previously constructed, had a ton of playoffs success on

169
00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,000
their own. Like they you know, we still have the

170
00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:09,759
Jared Allen the lights were too bright for me, me

171
00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,399
from a couple of years ago, and they've gotten punked

172
00:08:12,399 --> 00:08:15,560
in the playoffs a couple times now. Garlands, i mean

173
00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,560
still isn't healthy as of this moment. We don't know

174
00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,600
when you or if he will be this season. Like,

175
00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:23,959
you can say what you want about James Harden, but

176
00:08:24,519 --> 00:08:27,319
he is at least like on the floor more often

177
00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,240
than not. You know, there are lots of critiques about

178
00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:35,440
the way he plays. I also will say, like you know,

179
00:08:35,519 --> 00:08:39,080
it wasn't his fault in Philly a couple of years ago,

180
00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,960
like they had a golden opportunity. If Deanthony Melton knocks

181
00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,480
down a couple of wide ass open threes, they knock

182
00:08:46,519 --> 00:08:49,200
out the Celtics in Game six and they're the Conference finals.

183
00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:49,399
Speaker 2: Like that.

184
00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,320
Speaker 3: You know, James Harden MB completely crapped the bed in

185
00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:52,879
game seven.

186
00:08:53,519 --> 00:08:56,879
Speaker 2: But James Harden is also that's really kind of the

187
00:08:56,919 --> 00:09:01,399
genesis of James Harden's playoff people's eye or towards James

188
00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,600
Harden the Playoffs is that he has some signature moments.

189
00:09:04,639 --> 00:09:06,799
But if there's it just feels like you can recall

190
00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,759
more of the I don't want to say no shows,

191
00:09:08,759 --> 00:09:10,559
but the struggles in a game six or a Game

192
00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,840
seven and so anecdotally just makes it easier to say

193
00:09:12,879 --> 00:09:15,039
James Harden is this playoff choke cards.

194
00:09:15,399 --> 00:09:17,679
Speaker 3: Yeah, but like early in the series, he had a

195
00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:19,240
couple of games, like, they don't get to a game

196
00:09:19,279 --> 00:09:21,639
six without him. Yeah, he was so good that he

197
00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,480
won one or two games for them almost by himself.

198
00:09:25,799 --> 00:09:28,600
And I think what I like about his fit in

199
00:09:28,639 --> 00:09:31,080
Cleveland is that he doesn't have to take over. He

200
00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,320
doesn't have to be Houston Harden. You have Donovan Mitchell

201
00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,600
for that, you have Evan Mobley. He's unlocked a much

202
00:09:37,759 --> 00:09:41,159
more dynamic version of Jared Allen, which is not a

203
00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,279
surprise because he's still one of the beast passers in

204
00:09:43,279 --> 00:09:43,759
the league.

205
00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,480
Speaker 2: I would just like to say those two already have

206
00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,039
more chemistry together than Jalen Brunston and Karl Anthony Town.

207
00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,120
Speaker 3: I mean, like Harden has experienced I dating back to

208
00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,559
like what Clint Capela in Houston. I mean, you give

209
00:09:59,639 --> 00:10:02,759
him a a rim running big man, and he's going

210
00:10:02,759 --> 00:10:05,039
to find this guy and like work some two man

211
00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,080
actions with him. You know, he hasn't played a ton

212
00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,799
with Mobile yet, but like there's some really interesting combinations

213
00:10:12,279 --> 00:10:15,559
that you can trot out there. We still haven't seen

214
00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,840
Max Struce this year. I believe if he comes back

215
00:10:18,879 --> 00:10:20,960
at some point, that's going to add some shooting to

216
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,159
their rotation. I mean, Jalen Tyson has been a revelation

217
00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,120
for them this year. I really liked the additions of

218
00:10:27,639 --> 00:10:31,320
Kean Ellis less so Dennis Shrewder, but you know, he

219
00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:36,080
like having just more reliable depth in the backcourt. Now

220
00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:41,639
you've got Mitchell, Harden, Ellis and Shrewder, You've got Dean Wade,

221
00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,960
Tyson Struce if he comes back, Evan Mobley, Jared Allen,

222
00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,759
like they've got nine or ten deep that you feel

223
00:10:49,799 --> 00:10:53,480
really good about. You can play a bunch of different ways.

224
00:10:53,519 --> 00:10:55,559
I think, you know, one of the big things in

225
00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,039
the playoffs is just if your style, if you you

226
00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,840
know it's so specific, if your style is a bad

227
00:11:02,919 --> 00:11:06,039
fit for the opponent that you're facing, can you adapt?

228
00:11:06,519 --> 00:11:12,879
And I think against Detroit in particular, Cleveland having being

229
00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,720
more front court oriented with Mobile and Allen is a

230
00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,159
good thing when you've got to deal with Jared Allen

231
00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,320
if you are sorry, not Jared, when you've got to

232
00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:27,120
deal with Jalen Duran. So if you know, Alan gets

233
00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,039
into foul trouble early, you still have Evan Mobley, you

234
00:11:31,039 --> 00:11:33,799
still have like forty eight legiti minutes of rim protection

235
00:11:34,279 --> 00:11:36,720
regardless as long as both of those guys are healthy,

236
00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,440
even if one of them gets into foul trouble and

237
00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,519
you're still you know, not only you're dealing with Jalen Duran,

238
00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,039
but you're dealing with Isaiah Stewart, You're dealing with Paul

239
00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,480
Reid in Detroit, like they've got a lot of size.

240
00:11:46,519 --> 00:11:50,240
I think Cleveland has the size to match up against them.

241
00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,000
The Knicks do as well. So it was you know

242
00:11:53,039 --> 00:11:55,320
that I was tempted to pick them, but we've also

243
00:11:55,399 --> 00:11:58,559
seen Detroit beat the brakes off them a couple times

244
00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,960
this year, and yeah, the vibes, I mean, you can

245
00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,919
speak to this better than I can. But you know,

246
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,639
every time we'd think the Knicks are back, and then

247
00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:09,840
two nights later, it's like, oh, no, they're they're not

248
00:12:09,919 --> 00:12:12,759
back at all. There this is we need to blow

249
00:12:12,799 --> 00:12:15,240
this team apart. So it's it's hard to have a

250
00:12:15,279 --> 00:12:18,559
ton of confidence in them. Whereas Cleveland, I mean, even

251
00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,320
before the trade for Harden had really started to come

252
00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,759
on strong after a kind of mediocre start to the season.

253
00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:29,559
But you know, I think won like uh, I think

254
00:12:29,639 --> 00:12:32,559
twelve of their past fourteen.

255
00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:35,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, they've been even before the Garland trade. The Cave's

256
00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:37,600
basically been the best team in the NBA since like

257
00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,759
the middle of December, at the end of December. And

258
00:12:39,799 --> 00:12:41,559
that's with Garland and missing a ton of time. You

259
00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:45,480
st mobilely miss some time too. I'm I think I

260
00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,360
agree with you. I was going between I've narrowed it

261
00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,960
down to the three teams, but really two for what

262
00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:52,799
would have been my first pick, and I think I

263
00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,480
would have leaned towards the Calves as well. I really

264
00:12:55,519 --> 00:12:57,960
want to see how these two teams and they're gonna play,

265
00:12:58,919 --> 00:13:01,159
is it later this week they're gonna play again, like

266
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,279
we haven't seen them play since the trade deadline, so

267
00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:04,919
hopefully they's place.

268
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,679
Speaker 3: They got we got Friday and then next Tuesday as well.

269
00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,879
Speaker 2: And because I'm very curious to see what they do.

270
00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:14,159
I don't think that DeAndre Hunter was a Caid stopper,

271
00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:15,799
but I'm gonna be curious to see how they go about

272
00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,679
defending Kid. You have Mobile, you have Jalen Tyson, you

273
00:13:19,759 --> 00:13:22,440
also have We've seen Dennis Shreuder go against Kid in

274
00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,559
certain other matchups too, so I'd be curious. I'm just

275
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,399
curious see how they go about defending Kid. But when

276
00:13:27,399 --> 00:13:29,879
you look at Cleveland, you do worry about, well, what

277
00:13:29,919 --> 00:13:33,200
does their wing defense kind of look like? Because they're small.

278
00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,240
Their best wing defenders are just small against the Pistons.

279
00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:37,759
I don't know how big of an issue that is

280
00:13:37,799 --> 00:13:40,519
because Kid is just Kate. Is gonna be Kate like

281
00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,720
there will still have those high turnover performances peppered in.

282
00:13:43,799 --> 00:13:45,519
But even if he's inefficient, or even if he's not

283
00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:48,240
really scoring the stuff, he opens up as just a

284
00:13:48,279 --> 00:13:51,480
passer is like, you could be okay with him scoring

285
00:13:51,519 --> 00:13:53,840
forty plus points. Is, well, how do you go about

286
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,080
defending the others? And they have bodies that throw at

287
00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,399
Jalen Duran and the wings just on Detroit aren't going

288
00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,320
to be as dangerous. So it's it's not that Detroit

289
00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:08,000
that Cleveland's terrible matchup for Detroit specifically, But I think

290
00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,360
that the Cavs is weakness maybe won't manifest as much

291
00:14:11,879 --> 00:14:15,480
like defensively against a Pistons team. Maybe that's under selling

292
00:14:15,519 --> 00:14:18,559
Caid there. I'm also wondering if they could do because

293
00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:20,720
what we have seen and it's not gonna be as

294
00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:23,480
big of a deal if you're playing like when Isaiah

295
00:14:23,559 --> 00:14:26,960
Stewart is available, or if you have like Jalen Duran

296
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,360
on the court, but because you're going dual big with

297
00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,480
Jared Allen and Evan Mobley, could you do something where

298
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,519
it's okay, Alan's on Durance even during even during even

299
00:14:35,639 --> 00:14:37,759
during the Durhan minutes. That's a weird thing to say

300
00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,200
you have Alan on Duran and then Mobley gets to

301
00:14:41,399 --> 00:14:44,480
guard Thompson and just float. That could be like a

302
00:14:44,519 --> 00:14:48,759
super interesting way to go about cobbling together your defense,

303
00:14:48,759 --> 00:14:50,759
and so I really can't wait to see these two

304
00:14:50,759 --> 00:14:53,200
teams play. I hope that they're I want to see

305
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:54,919
everybody better be.

306
00:14:54,919 --> 00:14:55,879
Speaker 1: Playing in those two games.

307
00:14:55,879 --> 00:14:57,759
Speaker 2: I really want I want to see what that looks like.

308
00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,480
But I think you're right to call that out also

309
00:14:59,519 --> 00:15:03,240
because detro Roy's defense is physical as hell. But you

310
00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,600
have now I think the benefit of having James Harden

311
00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,919
in the immediate he is the better player this season

312
00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,679
than Darius Garland, and so you have, whether it's durability

313
00:15:13,759 --> 00:15:16,200
or just even in terms of effectiveness, you have a better

314
00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:17,879
chance of just saying, well, we have two of the

315
00:15:17,919 --> 00:15:21,080
ten best offensive players in basketball on our team right now.

316
00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:26,440
There's not any defense maybe peak OKC, maybe peak Spurs

317
00:15:26,519 --> 00:15:29,159
that is just going to Newter that entirely over the

318
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,159
course of an entire series. And so that goes a

319
00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:36,440
long way. And I think that Max Strews is I

320
00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,039
don't think he's going to be a factor this year,

321
00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,600
even if he's going to come back. But when you

322
00:15:40,639 --> 00:15:43,000
have all these other different options on the perimeter, where

323
00:15:43,159 --> 00:15:45,840
between Jal and Tyson or going with a key on

324
00:15:45,879 --> 00:15:48,799
Ellis Sam Merrill is like Sam Merrill would be a

325
00:15:48,879 --> 00:15:51,279
huge X factor in this series because the way he's

326
00:15:51,279 --> 00:15:53,879
flying around, James Harden already has great chemistry with him.

327
00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,759
Think I think the Cavs are the right answer. Would

328
00:15:56,799 --> 00:16:00,480
you pick playoff series today between these two teams? Though?

329
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:02,679
Would you pick the Calves to beat the Pistons?

330
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,919
Speaker 3: Probably not, But that's in part because we just haven't

331
00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:13,320
seen the full strength Calves very much this year, since

332
00:16:13,399 --> 00:16:16,120
Harden is so new to the team, Like, they have

333
00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,080
a lot more work to do to build that type

334
00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,679
of chemistry between now and mid April or I mean,

335
00:16:20,679 --> 00:16:23,840
these two teams probably don't meet until May. But you know,

336
00:16:24,039 --> 00:16:28,639
Detroit's been rolling all year. They have the benefit of

337
00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,480
continuity in a way that Cleveland does, not having to

338
00:16:31,519 --> 00:16:34,159
integrate not only Harden, but ls in Struder as well.

339
00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:39,440
It's like one massive piece, but then to fairly significant

340
00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:43,039
pieces off the bench as well. So, you know, I

341
00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,039
think the version of Detroit that we're currently seeing is

342
00:16:47,159 --> 00:16:50,399
probably closer to the finalized version of Detroit at least

343
00:16:50,399 --> 00:16:55,559
this year, whereas Cleveland probably has more room to grow

344
00:16:56,039 --> 00:16:59,000
this year just on account of Harden's still so new

345
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,399
to the team. You know, like how many practices have

346
00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:02,559
they had with James Harden.

347
00:17:04,079 --> 00:17:04,720
Speaker 2: It's a good point.

348
00:17:04,799 --> 00:17:07,400
Speaker 1: Well just ja yeah, I would say fewer than two.

349
00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:08,720
Speaker 2: Just be my guest, Like.

350
00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,039
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, Like they weren't doing much on the

351
00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:12,559
All Star break.

352
00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:17,640
Speaker 2: I would imagine are there any I guess off, how

353
00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,960
do you feel about the Mobile versus Detroit's front court

354
00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:23,680
set up? Like if you were to go mobile Loan

355
00:17:23,759 --> 00:17:26,559
minutes at the five? How do you feel about him,

356
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,519
especially the version of him we've seen this season on

357
00:17:28,559 --> 00:17:30,279
the one, hitting more of a play finisher the way

358
00:17:30,279 --> 00:17:32,160
they're set up now, But how do you feel about

359
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:33,880
that sort of chess match in particular?

360
00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,200
Speaker 3: Wouldn't love it against Duran, but I think he could

361
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,519
be fine against Stewart and Paul.

362
00:17:39,319 --> 00:17:44,359
Speaker 1: Red whoa, whoa, whoa Paul Reid. That's that's some That's

363
00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:45,599
a hot take, right there.

364
00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:52,319
Speaker 3: Has been balling without that. The when Duran and Stuart

365
00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:55,480
were suspended, Paul didn't he light up the knicks.

366
00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,880
Speaker 2: There was a joke in our discord that he would

367
00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,559
make like the like he's one of the best third

368
00:18:01,559 --> 00:18:04,319
stringers of all time, and it's whether we should do

369
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,599
like a third Who are the best third stringers of

370
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:07,519
all time? Podcast?

371
00:18:07,759 --> 00:18:09,920
Speaker 3: I love that? Yeah, Instead it was like the best

372
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,759
second off to the best third string. Yeah, who's the

373
00:18:11,799 --> 00:18:13,440
best eleventh man in NBA history?

374
00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:15,559
Speaker 2: I think that was another joke. Someone said he's gonna

375
00:18:15,559 --> 00:18:16,319
win eleventh man.

376
00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:22,839
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, it's a fair question because Mobley hasn't

377
00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:25,160
taken the step forward that I think a lot of

378
00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,319
people hoped this year. And that's not to say it's

379
00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:32,759
not going to come, but it's just not hasn't materialized yet.

380
00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,640
That's another reason I'm bullish about this team, and with

381
00:18:35,759 --> 00:18:38,559
Harden in particular though, because not only like we've already

382
00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:43,440
seen what he's done for Jared Allen, Evan Mobley is

383
00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,240
a much more versatile player than Jared Allen. There's no

384
00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:51,680
reason that Harden and Evan Mogley cannot unlock some really

385
00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,599
difficult two man combinations once they gained a little more chemistry.

386
00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,759
They just like haven't played that much together yet. So

387
00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,440
that's where we'll see. That's what the Cavs need to

388
00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:05,759
do over these next two months. Not only are they

389
00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,480
jostling for playoff seating, but they're like trying to figure

390
00:19:09,519 --> 00:19:12,880
things out on the fly with their entire rotation, whereas

391
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,759
Detroit is much more set in that regard.

392
00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:18,960
Speaker 1: I won't take a pick now.

393
00:19:19,319 --> 00:19:21,240
Speaker 2: I'm going to go with the team that I thought

394
00:19:21,279 --> 00:19:24,240
you were picking at the beginning, which is the Boston Celtics.

395
00:19:24,279 --> 00:19:26,640
And I don't feel I feel like, I don't feel

396
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:28,680
good about my entire order that I've written down. I'm

397
00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,119
not gonna lie. Sure Boston's I know it wasn't these

398
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,319
mission critical players that there was a ton of turnover

399
00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,240
for at the deadline, But I'm just wondering how much

400
00:19:36,279 --> 00:19:39,000
that churn impacts them and then playing the game to

401
00:19:39,079 --> 00:19:42,079
sidestep attacks, and when is Jason Tatum coming back? Like

402
00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,920
what does that just all look like fully integrated? But

403
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,799
I look at this team and just the basis of it,

404
00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,559
I do worry about how especially if Jason Tatum, or

405
00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,200
even if Jason Tatum is playing just Detroit if they

406
00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:56,759
want to, feels like they just have answers on answers

407
00:19:56,759 --> 00:20:00,960
for Boston's perimeter players Jaylen Brown, Derek White, Jason Tatum,

408
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,759
whatever he looks like, because you have a sar Thompson,

409
00:20:02,799 --> 00:20:05,759
you have Ron holland you have Javonte Green. But I

410
00:20:05,799 --> 00:20:09,759
do wonder Boston feels like the team where if they're

411
00:20:09,759 --> 00:20:13,440
at full strength, is best built to get out to

412
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,000
maybe some of these bigger leads against Detroit because of

413
00:20:16,039 --> 00:20:19,039
the three point variants between the two, and then that

414
00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:23,079
really forces Detroit into some difficult decisions to where it's, well,

415
00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:28,039
how many minutes can we play Asar Thompson, Ron holland

416
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,720
Javonte Green. If you are working from a deficit, how

417
00:20:31,759 --> 00:20:33,240
willing are you to go to some of these other

418
00:20:33,279 --> 00:20:36,240
combinations that have worked over the course of the year.

419
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,480
And also, the thing with Detroit is excellent on the

420
00:20:39,519 --> 00:20:45,519
offensive grat Glass, not Grass, weirdly just okay on the defense.

421
00:20:45,559 --> 00:20:47,759
Even during the minutes when Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Derner

422
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,759
on the court, they're not even a league average defensive

423
00:20:50,759 --> 00:20:54,960
rebounding team and they're like hovering right around there. You

424
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,960
in theory, would want that to be. Like, you have

425
00:20:57,079 --> 00:20:59,799
great size at so many different positions, including with Kaid,

426
00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:05,079
and the way that Boston crashes the offensive glass could

427
00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:08,960
make Detroit uniquely vulnerable in those instances. And so maybe

428
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,279
their first chance offense won't be as efficient, But what

429
00:21:11,279 --> 00:21:14,759
would their second chance offense look like in a protracted

430
00:21:14,799 --> 00:21:18,240
series against Detroit? Because you know we're saying all this now,

431
00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,720
and Boston is on the season, they're one in three

432
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,359
against Detroit. Is that right?

433
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,000
Speaker 1: I think that's the that's the notes I have.

434
00:21:25,079 --> 00:21:26,240
Speaker 2: So if it's not right, that's on me.

435
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,359
Speaker 3: So well a fact check you just to be sure.

436
00:21:30,599 --> 00:21:33,759
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're one in three, but they have a top

437
00:21:33,839 --> 00:21:36,960
five relative the rest of league offensive rating against Detroit.

438
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,160
So you've already kind of seen like we at least

439
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,279
have proof of concept there. And now you add, yes,

440
00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,279
you lost Anthony Simons, but you add if you just

441
00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,000
need Jason Tatum to play the Anthony Simon's role where

442
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,880
you're not asking tatusn is just make shots, that's fine,

443
00:21:52,039 --> 00:21:54,200
Like Jason tam could come back and be sixty percent

444
00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,480
and I think probably play that role. Maybe I'm under

445
00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,160
selling Anthony Simons a little bit, who's apparently just playing

446
00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,839
with a dislocated or broken wrist. Did you see that? Yes?

447
00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:02,279
Speaker 3: I did?

448
00:22:02,559 --> 00:22:05,079
Speaker 1: Yeah, tougher than me all shout out?

449
00:22:06,039 --> 00:22:08,079
Speaker 3: Is this one of the like how use of Nurkic

450
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,359
like suddenly had a nose fracture that needed to seas

451
00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,559
an ending surgery even though he wasn't on the injury report?

452
00:22:15,279 --> 00:22:18,079
Speaker 2: Is this just Simons isn't shutting it down? I thought

453
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:19,480
unless I misread he.

454
00:22:19,519 --> 00:22:23,759
Speaker 3: Is at yet. I mean, we'll see.

455
00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:26,319
Speaker 1: They're like, oh they're doing they're playing the long game.

456
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,519
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know what. I respect that.

457
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's better than a lot of these like, oh

458
00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:34,319
yeah he has a hangnail. He's gonna be out of

459
00:22:34,319 --> 00:22:36,440
eight weeks. Sorry, see see you next year.

460
00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:40,440
Speaker 2: I do also wonder, and I don't know, because I

461
00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:42,799
could see it being cut one of two ways to

462
00:22:42,839 --> 00:22:46,759
where if you're worried about Detroit on the offensive glass.

463
00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,640
Now I love Nami as Kaita and they've gotten some

464
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,359
good minutes from Luka Garzer, but having Nikola Vucevic there

465
00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:55,640
should help out a ton. And if he's also hitting

466
00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,200
his threes he's at thirty eight percent since being traded

467
00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,799
to Boston, that also coaxes Detroit into some maybe more

468
00:23:02,799 --> 00:23:06,200
difficult defensive decisions. And also, could you do something as

469
00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,920
Boston where it's depending on who's on the floor. Are

470
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,319
you having Vouch on a Sar or Holland so you're

471
00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,079
trying to just insulate him and he can hang around

472
00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:18,079
the basket more. I don't know that I feel too

473
00:23:18,079 --> 00:23:20,839
confident in that strategy, but I think Vouch at least

474
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,799
adds a helpful element when it comes to keeping Detroit

475
00:23:24,279 --> 00:23:26,759
off the offensive glass. And if you just have that

476
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,400
higher volume floor spacing element at the five, then you

477
00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,839
can get from a Cata or a Garza.

478
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,079
Speaker 1: I don't know how.

479
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,039
Speaker 2: Predicated this ranking is though, even as I was thinking

480
00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:39,599
about it, even as I'm talking myself through it, I

481
00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,799
think I might still have them here even if Jason

482
00:23:42,799 --> 00:23:46,119
Tatum isn't playing. Yeah, maybe that's I've skewed too far

483
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,680
away from the Knicks, the Sixers, the magic of it

484
00:23:49,759 --> 00:23:52,640
or the raptors of it all. But there's just the

485
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,400
way his team plays offense. I think even if Detroit

486
00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,839
is the more talented team, which no Tatum on the Celtics,

487
00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,599
Detroit is the more talented team with the tops. That's

488
00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,799
that's clear. But the Celtics just have that higher variance

489
00:24:05,839 --> 00:24:08,079
caked into their offense in a good way, and so

490
00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,119
I think there'd be more nights where they could catch

491
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,519
Detroit just in a really bad situation based off there

492
00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,000
through and even their ability to you know, we kind

493
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,200
of saw it against the most recent Spurs matchup, where

494
00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,119
I had to go back because yes, I was clearing

495
00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:23,880
snow until very late that night for anyone who cares.

496
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,960
But I went back and was like going over possessions

497
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,279
from that game, just having the ability where there's, oh,

498
00:24:29,279 --> 00:24:31,000
there's like three or four guys on the floor that

499
00:24:31,039 --> 00:24:33,400
could just put the ball like that's Steph. I don't

500
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,720
know why they were being so aggressive with and a

501
00:24:35,799 --> 00:24:38,599
lot of teams have been overly aggressive, like defending Steph

502
00:24:38,599 --> 00:24:41,279
Castle from the perimeter. But you have a bunch of

503
00:24:41,319 --> 00:24:43,640
guys in Boston. I know Derek White's not making shots

504
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,319
at the same level, but between him and Brown and

505
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,960
Pritchard just right there are just three guys that you

506
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,160
could trust to get you some semblance of dribble, penetration

507
00:24:52,279 --> 00:24:55,000
and drive and kicks going to that way, I think

508
00:24:55,039 --> 00:24:57,519
I'd still have Boston at number two even if Jason

509
00:24:57,519 --> 00:25:00,480
Tatum doesn't come back with the caveat being I do

510
00:25:00,559 --> 00:25:03,720
expect him to come back. It's funny how the narrative

511
00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:07,519
or the story was before we saw these workout things,

512
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,920
he was totally planning on coming back. But now that

513
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,160
there's video surfacing of him doing activity, that's when they're

514
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:14,759
trying to pump the brigs, got it.

515
00:25:16,839 --> 00:25:20,599
Speaker 3: I mean, honestly, I consider taking Boston number one regardless

516
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,319
of Tatum status. So I think these two teams should

517
00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,160
be one to two in some order. I think Cleveland

518
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,759
deserves a benefit of the doubt right now given the

519
00:25:29,799 --> 00:25:32,799
uncertainty with Tatum. But to your point earlier about you

520
00:25:32,799 --> 00:25:35,559
know the regular season series. Yes, Detroit is three and

521
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,920
one against Boston this year, but all four games were

522
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,160
decided by seven points or less, so these were all

523
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,960
four were pretty close games. You know, regular season series

524
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:51,039
don't ultimately matter in the end, Like how many times

525
00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,920
did you know Toronto beat up on Cleveland during the

526
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,599
regular season when Lebron was there, only for them to

527
00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:58,359
get swept in the playoffs. So I don't want to

528
00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,440
read too much into this, especially because most of these

529
00:26:01,519 --> 00:26:05,200
games were early in the season. I think three of.

530
00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:08,880
Speaker 2: The four the regular season is so tough because of

531
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:12,480
either we know Tatum is missing those games. But I

532
00:26:12,519 --> 00:26:15,079
don't like dismissing the importance of the regular season, and

533
00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,000
I've seen I think that, just because it's most recent

534
00:26:18,079 --> 00:26:20,960
in my head, Knicks fans saying it doesn't really matter

535
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,680
that they went zero to three and lost by double

536
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:24,319
digits every single time against the Pistons.

537
00:26:24,319 --> 00:26:25,519
Speaker 1: And it's yeah, in.

538
00:26:25,559 --> 00:26:30,799
Speaker 2: Theory because you got swept by Boston last year, like you.

539
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,599
I found the stat there since the Jalen Brunson error, Brian,

540
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,319
they are one to fourteen against number one seeds in

541
00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,039
the East during the regular season, which isn't great, So

542
00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,079
it doesn't have to portend to what's happening in the postseason.

543
00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,960
At the same time, I don't know like kind of

544
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,759
matters and so to me. So if you're playing a

545
00:26:47,759 --> 00:26:51,480
team close across four different appearances, as Boston did with Detroit,

546
00:26:51,599 --> 00:26:55,039
or at least a semblance of close, and that's without

547
00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,960
your best player, right, I think that augurs pretty well

548
00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,799
for your chances to at least be competitive.

549
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:03,119
Speaker 3: I agree, and you've got I mean, Joe Mizula, I

550
00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,480
like have faith in as a coach. There's not a

551
00:27:06,559 --> 00:27:10,079
massive coaching mismatch that the Pistons can exploit. I would

552
00:27:10,079 --> 00:27:13,480
think most people would with all due respect to JB. Bickerstaff,

553
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,960
I think most people would say that the Celtics have

554
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,680
the better coach of the two, which is just another

555
00:27:20,599 --> 00:27:25,039
feather in their cap. So yeah, I think you know.

556
00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:28,039
I'm glad you did not put your Homer hat on

557
00:27:28,079 --> 00:27:30,920
for the Knicks. If anything, I think having watched the

558
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,440
Knicks as much as you have this year probably skewed

559
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,279
you in the other direction where you're like, absolutely not,

560
00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,880
I will not be picking these two teams and the

561
00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,559
Knicks in the top two.

562
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:45,240
Speaker 2: So I think also the bias of look at what happened.

563
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,359
They barely beat Detroit last year, and Detroit is the

564
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,319
personnel might not be a lot different, but even JB.

565
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,079
Bickerstaff was changing some of the like the it took

566
00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:55,519
him two want to change some of the stuff they

567
00:27:55,519 --> 00:27:56,319
were doing defensively.

568
00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,960
Speaker 1: Then this is just a better team from top to.

569
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,839
Speaker 2: Bottom, even though it's basically the same team, or it's

570
00:28:01,839 --> 00:28:02,799
a lot of the same team.

571
00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:08,240
Speaker 3: Definitely, yeah, I mean I think moving on to my

572
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:12,200
third pick, I think the Knicks are the default here.

573
00:28:12,839 --> 00:28:14,799
And this is where I would go back to the

574
00:28:14,839 --> 00:28:18,240
odds that I was referencing earlier. So Cleveland is the

575
00:28:18,319 --> 00:28:22,119
number one, has the best odds to win the East

576
00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,559
at plus three hundred. The Pistons and Celtics are tied

577
00:28:25,599 --> 00:28:28,720
at plus three forty, and then the Knicks are plus

578
00:28:28,759 --> 00:28:31,079
four to forty and no other team is even close.

579
00:28:31,599 --> 00:28:35,799
So odds makers see this as basically being a four

580
00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,119
team race in the East, and I think that's fair

581
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,079
Like I would be fairly surprised if any other team

582
00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:46,559
beyond Cleveland, Detroit, Boston, or New York represented the East

583
00:28:46,559 --> 00:28:50,559
and the finalist this year. So by default, I think

584
00:28:50,599 --> 00:28:53,279
the Knicks are the choice here. I don't feel good

585
00:28:53,279 --> 00:28:57,519
about it, especially given how much the Pistons have laid

586
00:28:57,519 --> 00:28:59,759
waste to them in the regular season. I don't know

587
00:28:59,839 --> 00:29:04,200
that Jose Alvarado and Jeremy so Han change the mashup

588
00:29:04,279 --> 00:29:06,920
that significantly for the Nicks that all of a sudden.

589
00:29:07,119 --> 00:29:09,759
Speaker 2: I'm already I have my drafts pre written on being

590
00:29:09,799 --> 00:29:12,519
angry that Jeremy so Han's in the game over Mohammed

591
00:29:12,559 --> 00:29:16,160
do you aara, Yeah, inevitable Knicks Pistons playoff series, don't worry.

592
00:29:16,279 --> 00:29:18,799
Speaker 3: That sounds right. Well, didn't Mike Brown say he's just

593
00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:21,519
like trying so Han out right now because he knows, which.

594
00:29:21,799 --> 00:29:23,480
Speaker 2: It does make sense, and he I feel like there

595
00:29:23,519 --> 00:29:25,480
was the ceremonial coming out of the All Star break

596
00:29:25,519 --> 00:29:28,240
he brought d r off the bench before, so I'm

597
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,480
just like, okay, this is but we're just testing. We're

598
00:29:30,519 --> 00:29:32,440
just hashtag of culture, just trying stuff.

599
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:37,200
Speaker 3: So sure, yeah, well, well we'll see. I mean like

600
00:29:38,279 --> 00:29:40,400
this ceiling is there for the Knicks if they can

601
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,880
just put it all together. The top end talent is there.

602
00:29:44,599 --> 00:29:47,119
I mean, the addition of Alvarado we saw it against

603
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,480
Houston the other night, is a legitimate difference maker that

604
00:29:50,279 --> 00:29:52,119
he swung the game for them. They would have lost

605
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,680
that game without Jose Alvarado, So maybe he does steal

606
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,200
a game for them in the playoffs that same way.

607
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,279
You know, the problem is that in the playoffs you

608
00:30:02,359 --> 00:30:04,759
can really focus in on one opponent and what do

609
00:30:04,759 --> 00:30:06,680
you think is the first thing on the scouting report

610
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,519
for Jose Alvarado just do not in bound the ball

611
00:30:09,599 --> 00:30:14,160
anywhere near that NF. So, you know, I don't know

612
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,599
how much he makes a difference there.

613
00:30:17,079 --> 00:30:20,119
Speaker 2: Because it also depends on how much can you play

614
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,519
him and Jalen Brunson together in this series because Jalen

615
00:30:22,519 --> 00:30:25,200
bruns is going to play forty minutes and so how

616
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,720
much do you think that those two can play together?

617
00:30:28,079 --> 00:30:32,279
Speaker 3: So especially with Ivy no longer in Detroit, like Detroit

618
00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,039
just has so much size, you know, I think that

619
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:40,079
was the thought or the theory behind this next team construction,

620
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:43,200
is like we have these two lockdown wings in McHale

621
00:30:43,279 --> 00:30:47,839
and og We have, you know, two bigs in Towns

622
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,960
and then Robinson, so we have the size to contend

623
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,640
with some of these bigger teams. But Detroit just seems

624
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,640
even bigger. I mean, there's there's nowhere to hide Brunson

625
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,039
against the Pistons.

626
00:31:01,079 --> 00:31:05,960
Speaker 2: Really, No, you're right. And also the thing that I

627
00:31:06,039 --> 00:31:07,759
think needs to be said is, Okay, the Knicks or

628
00:31:07,799 --> 00:31:10,079
third in offensive rating, and as you mentioned, the ceiling

629
00:31:10,599 --> 00:31:13,359
is there. There are nights where the Knicks look like

630
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,640
they are one of the three best teams in the

631
00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:17,839
NBA when the offense is really humming, and they've they've

632
00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:22,880
had some really stingy defensive performances against really good teams.

633
00:31:23,279 --> 00:31:25,759
But the two things that I don't say, I don't

634
00:31:25,839 --> 00:31:29,319
think that defensive quote unquote switch is there for an

635
00:31:29,359 --> 00:31:32,359
extended period of time. I will be among those who

636
00:31:32,359 --> 00:31:34,759
are shocked. If we look back on the Knicks playoff run,

637
00:31:34,799 --> 00:31:37,519
it's oh, they really flip that defensive switch. Just the

638
00:31:38,119 --> 00:31:41,759
fluctuation for Mitchell Robinson, not even just availability, but when

639
00:31:41,799 --> 00:31:46,720
he's played defensively og Ananobi McHale Bridges and look the

640
00:31:46,759 --> 00:31:49,680
Pistons in their most recent win over the Knicks, we're

641
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:54,400
actively hunting Cade was actively hunting McHale Bridges. That's like,

642
00:31:54,759 --> 00:31:57,440
and it wasn't the wrong move, but that's sort of

643
00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,720
the state of the Knicks defense there. And the other

644
00:31:59,799 --> 00:32:03,440
thing is offensively, what did we just talk about with

645
00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:04,960
Boston and then what do we just talk about with

646
00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,160
Cleveland to where it's they have like the multiple dribble

647
00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,319
penetrators and it's with Cleveland you say you have two

648
00:32:10,319 --> 00:32:12,640
top end ones, but you add Dennis Shrewder into that.

649
00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:13,640
Speaker 1: Jalen Tyson can do a.

650
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:14,200
Speaker 2: Little bit of that.

651
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:16,519
Speaker 1: The Knicks don't. The Knicks have Jalen Brunson.

652
00:32:16,839 --> 00:32:19,000
Speaker 2: Like, it's not something Michale Bridge is gonna fade away

653
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,119
from the basket if he gets anywhere near it, and

654
00:32:21,519 --> 00:32:24,279
og Ananobi is just it has to be almost straight

655
00:32:24,319 --> 00:32:26,880
line or a completely open runway, which hey, you're not

656
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,559
going to get against a lot of the Pistons lineups.

657
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,920
And Karl Anthony Towns is just so predictable on his

658
00:32:33,079 --> 00:32:36,039
He's having a pretty good stretch offensively right now, but

659
00:32:36,119 --> 00:32:39,680
overall for the season, he's never been less efficient, and

660
00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,559
so if Detroit is gonna he's also struggled since he's

661
00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:45,160
arrived in New York, and even dating back to his

662
00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:46,680
time in Minnesota, even though it doesn't feel like it

663
00:32:46,799 --> 00:32:50,279
happened anecdotally as much just punishing smaller matchups. So even

664
00:32:50,279 --> 00:32:53,200
if the Detroit tries to game who you're covering him with,

665
00:32:53,279 --> 00:32:56,119
you can't. The coronathy Towns isn't gonna capitalize on that,

666
00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,160
whether it's like forget about the post touches, like even

667
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,759
on his drop, and so you just factor all that

668
00:33:01,839 --> 00:33:05,599
in it, and it's maybe I'm oversimplifying it, but I

669
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,640
don't think I am. You don't have a second offensive

670
00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,279
option on this team still, you're weirdly dependent on it

671
00:33:12,359 --> 00:33:15,240
being just number two by committee, and you don't know

672
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,039
what you're gonna get from the fact that you need

673
00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,759
Jose Alvarado to be transformative on certain nights or the

674
00:33:22,279 --> 00:33:25,920
better yet, and kudos to them for keeping him, but

675
00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,000
the fact that they're so dependent on Landry sham Att

676
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,880
being healthy and good, yeah, is really troubling. And he

677
00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,119
he plays hard, he defends really hard, but he's probably

678
00:33:35,119 --> 00:33:37,480
gonna dislocate his shoulder again in this series because the

679
00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,200
way he just he's he might be I'll still give

680
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,880
it to Deuce McBride and now Jose Alvarado is there,

681
00:33:43,119 --> 00:33:45,319
but he really fights around screens, which is just something

682
00:33:45,359 --> 00:33:47,359
that like you're not getting from all the Knicks on

683
00:33:47,519 --> 00:33:49,559
like any given or on most On a lot of

684
00:33:49,559 --> 00:33:52,079
the Knights, it almost feels like there's an any given

685
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:54,480
Sunday element to the way they defend, where it's there's

686
00:33:54,519 --> 00:33:56,200
one or two games that they really shut it down.

687
00:33:57,359 --> 00:33:59,920
I don't have confidence in this team against Detroit specifically.

688
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,960
I feel like if we were talking about another team,

689
00:34:02,319 --> 00:34:05,200
maybe the Knicks would rank more highly, but just in

690
00:34:05,279 --> 00:34:07,160
terms of going up against a Pistons team that is

691
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,000
both physical, has a ton of size, which the Knicks

692
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,599
can technically do on their front line. But do you

693
00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,960
feel like, if I'm Detroit, I'm not even gonna because Okay,

694
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,239
you have Mitchell Robinson, Karnathy Towns on the floor, I

695
00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,760
can throw out Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duran. I don't

696
00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,800
feel compelled to. I don't continue to go with Tobias

697
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,360
Harris or like even downsize even further, like if it's

698
00:34:28,519 --> 00:34:30,800
if it's a sar Thompson and Duncan Robinson, like that's

699
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,079
those are kind of your forwards in that instance, I

700
00:34:34,079 --> 00:34:36,679
think like I don't know, if the series started today,

701
00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:38,239
I'm picking the Pistons to beat the Knicks, and I

702
00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:40,679
don't even know if it's it'd be an interesting series

703
00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:43,599
because of the history from last year. But the Pistons

704
00:34:43,639 --> 00:34:45,599
just seem to have the Knicks's number in a way

705
00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:47,760
that's not even just anecdotal. But you look at the

706
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,320
way these teams are built, and I keep coming back

707
00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:55,079
to the Knicks offense. It feels eminently solvable for a

708
00:34:55,159 --> 00:34:56,280
defense like Detroit's.

709
00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:59,679
Speaker 3: Yeah, and this is kind of like the exact opposite

710
00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,320
of Bustin where, like most of those matchups happened early

711
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,800
in the season. Maybe you know, maybe they caught not

712
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,599
only Boston but like other teams off guard with how

713
00:35:08,639 --> 00:35:11,199
good they work that no one expected the Pistons to

714
00:35:11,199 --> 00:35:13,480
be like the number one seed in the East this year.

715
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:14,719
Speaker 2: Right.

716
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,880
Speaker 3: All three of these games between the Pistons and the

717
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,400
Knicks have happened in the last month and a half.

718
00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,480
They all happened after the start of twenty twenty six.

719
00:35:24,079 --> 00:35:27,119
All three unlike Boston, where every game was within seven points,

720
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:29,440
all three of these have been blowouts. I mean thirty

721
00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:32,440
one points the first game thirty eight, the second game fifteen,

722
00:35:32,559 --> 00:35:37,079
The third I'm looking. I mean, like Josh Hart didn't

723
00:35:37,119 --> 00:35:43,000
play in the first one. Uh no Towns or og

724
00:35:43,199 --> 00:35:45,559
in the second one. So you don't want to extrapolate

725
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:47,000
too much here.

726
00:35:47,119 --> 00:35:51,599
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm sorry, but the second one, Stuart and Duranton play. Yeah,

727
00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:55,320
one either. And by the way, here's every team that

728
00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,840
has a lower net rating against the Pistons than the

729
00:35:57,880 --> 00:35:58,679
Knicks this season.

730
00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:01,360
Speaker 1: The Brooklyn net end of list.

731
00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:06,159
Speaker 3: Oh oh, the knicker of the Sacramento Kings have been

732
00:36:06,159 --> 00:36:07,400
better against.

733
00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:09,360
Speaker 2: They've they played two games and they're only a minus

734
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,000
fourteen point eight. They actually Sacramento has the best offense

735
00:36:12,039 --> 00:36:13,039
in the league against Detroit.

736
00:36:13,079 --> 00:36:15,519
Speaker 1: These are small, but that's actually really.

737
00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,360
Speaker 3: Funny, amazing.

738
00:36:17,599 --> 00:36:19,400
Speaker 1: Wow, Executive of the year.

739
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,960
Speaker 2: Give it. Give it to Sacramento, Scott Perry. They deserve

740
00:36:22,039 --> 00:36:24,800
it for what they're talking about. But yeah, and I

741
00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,400
mean they're they have a bottom Their offense is bottom

742
00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:33,360
four against the Pistons, and their defense has actually been worse. Now,

743
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:36,280
I like, the Knicks just aren't even built to defend

744
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,880
Caid all that well, So I don't I'm not saying

745
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,719
it'd be a quick series, and I think that Caid's

746
00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,199
not gonna have he was I don't even know there

747
00:36:45,199 --> 00:36:46,559
was one of the performances. He was like four of

748
00:36:46,599 --> 00:36:48,360
eleven or whatever it was, and the Pistons still just

749
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:49,880
kicked the shit out of the Knicks. I'm like, that's

750
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:54,079
what's gotta be so so concerning there that You're right

751
00:36:54,079 --> 00:36:56,000
they probably belong here by default. But I'm gonna tell

752
00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,360
you right now, this might be just an overexposure to

753
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:00,840
their roller coasch overseas and they weren't going to be

754
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,320
my third pick. I just it was that was probably

755
00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:05,760
they probably deserve to be the third pick. But I

756
00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,119
think it speaks to how dominant Detroit has been and

757
00:37:09,159 --> 00:37:11,599
how problematic a lot of the teams underneath them feel

758
00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:14,840
that you could make a case for maybe other teams

759
00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:15,719
over the next year.

760
00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,679
Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree. I mean I think like the odds

761
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,119
are what they are for a reason, because you have

762
00:37:23,159 --> 00:37:25,599
to even squint harder to make the case for a

763
00:37:25,599 --> 00:37:28,000
lot of the other teams in the East. Like the

764
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,119
ceiling case for a couple of teams, sure, but the

765
00:37:31,199 --> 00:37:34,199
floor I think is a lot lower for every other

766
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:39,199
team besides Boston and Cleveland. So like the combination of

767
00:37:39,199 --> 00:37:42,880
floor ceiling puts the next year, but like I do.

768
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,199
I would I pick them again to beat the Pistons. No,

769
00:37:45,519 --> 00:37:49,599
especially not without home court advantage. And you know you

770
00:37:49,639 --> 00:37:52,480
said it wouldn't be a quick series. I'm I'm not sure,

771
00:37:52,599 --> 00:37:54,719
like I could easily see that being a Pistons in

772
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,239
five there?

773
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:56,599
Speaker 2: Do you know?

774
00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:58,559
Speaker 1: That's the where you can't quantify it.

775
00:37:58,639 --> 00:38:00,920
Speaker 2: You look at the Knicks and say, at least pre

776
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,920
Alvarado they feel mentally flimsy, and so yeah, you could

777
00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,079
definitely see it being being a quick series. Have Pistons

778
00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:10,079
in five? Just just why not? I'm trying to see.

779
00:38:10,119 --> 00:38:12,119
I was trying to pull up the data. Yeah, okay,

780
00:38:12,119 --> 00:38:14,920
So the Knicks have played Mitchell Robinson and Cornthley Towns

781
00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,239
together for ten minutes against the Pistons so far this season.

782
00:38:18,639 --> 00:38:21,800
They've been outscored by nine points in those ten minutes.

783
00:38:22,599 --> 00:38:24,400
That's a net rating of minus forty five for.

784
00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:25,239
Speaker 1: Anyone who cares.

785
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:25,920
Speaker 3: Is that good?

786
00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:27,719
Speaker 1: That good for the Pistons?

787
00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,840
Speaker 2: I think it might be. Is it fair to say,

788
00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,639
as we move on to the fourth pick that we're

789
00:38:34,199 --> 00:38:36,519
can I enter the just this is the vibe portion

790
00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:39,679
of the selection process, because I don't. I think I

791
00:38:40,199 --> 00:38:41,800
probably even though of what I said, I might have

792
00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:43,559
just picked the next third because they are the right

793
00:38:43,599 --> 00:38:45,679
default pick, Like it feels like the top three has

794
00:38:45,679 --> 00:38:47,960
to be the top three. But after that, I don't

795
00:38:48,039 --> 00:38:50,760
We're not going I'm not going off any real anecdotal

796
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,679
evidence other than I don't know. I just I'm feeling

797
00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:55,800
this team right now, or like I feel like they're

798
00:38:56,119 --> 00:38:56,760
pure yola.

799
00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:00,159
Speaker 3: I mean, depending on you pick who you pick here,

800
00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:02,800
I might go way off the board next one. So

801
00:39:03,639 --> 00:39:06,159
I'm hoping you pick the team I don't want to pick.

802
00:39:07,119 --> 00:39:13,079
Speaker 2: So I'm going here, the Charlotte Hornets.

803
00:39:13,159 --> 00:39:14,159
Speaker 3: That's what I was gonna take.

804
00:39:14,639 --> 00:39:17,840
Speaker 1: Okay, good r on the same page we are. We're

805
00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:18,559
Hornets pilled.

806
00:39:20,559 --> 00:39:20,760
Speaker 2: Now.

807
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:24,039
Speaker 1: This is stupid for a couple of reasons.

808
00:39:24,039 --> 00:39:27,400
Speaker 2: The biggest one Hornets are in tenth and so they

809
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:30,199
have to get through the plane to like make it

810
00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,079
into the postseason. But if they make it in as

811
00:39:33,119 --> 00:39:36,280
the ten seed, they're going to be playing the Pistons.

812
00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:40,480
Speaker 1: So in fury, I'm just playing the odds of who's like.

813
00:39:40,519 --> 00:39:45,960
Speaker 3: Okay, there you go, ketch up sleeping first round knockout.

814
00:39:46,679 --> 00:39:49,920
Speaker 2: I think you look at Charlotte's offense has received a

815
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:52,440
lot of attention. They've been the best offense in the

816
00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:55,639
league since January first, but they've also been hovering around

817
00:39:56,199 --> 00:40:01,199
top five in offense and end defense since Thanksgiving. Basically

818
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,760
we're talking about this is a huge portion of the season,

819
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:07,199
and I think there are a few things that go

820
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:10,480
into it. Is one, Charlotte's way better defensive rebounding team

821
00:40:10,719 --> 00:40:13,360
than I thought. And because their offense is so good,

822
00:40:13,599 --> 00:40:15,760
you are giving your defense a chance to get set,

823
00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:19,480
and so that's the low hanging fruit end opponent's possessions

824
00:40:19,519 --> 00:40:21,159
on the first try, which we'll see how they hold

825
00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,280
up against, you know, Detroit's offensive rebounding. But that matchup

826
00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,800
everyone was watching where the Duran and Stuart and Bridges

827
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,199
and diabat they all got suspended. Like Charlotte rose to

828
00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:33,320
the occasion of physicality. Can they do it over the

829
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:35,199
course of a seven game series, we would have to say.

830
00:40:36,079 --> 00:40:38,559
But they also they just have dudes that like some

831
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,239
like Brandon Miller's been excellent defensively for I don't know,

832
00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:46,039
I feels like two months. James is just an absolute tank.

833
00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:49,199
Josh Green since he's come back, has done some really

834
00:40:49,199 --> 00:40:52,639
good things for them defensively. Musa Diabatte and Ryan Kalkbener

835
00:40:52,679 --> 00:40:54,840
have been way better. Like can Musa Diabatte hold up

836
00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,679
against the Duran Isaiah Stewart Combo over the course of

837
00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:00,000
a seven game series. I don't know, but he's gonna try,

838
00:41:00,679 --> 00:41:03,880
and he's been just a revelation for them. Konk Nipple

839
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:05,760
just has really good size to where you look at

840
00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:08,880
what he does offensively on the ball. Off the ball,

841
00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:12,239
you don't feel like you're making a concession where even Detroit,

842
00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:16,119
by the way, Duncan Robinson is so important to Detroit's offense,

843
00:41:16,199 --> 00:41:18,639
just when you look at the way defenses treat him

844
00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:21,320
and how he uplifts the spacing and just their effective

845
00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:24,880
field goal percentage improves by like four plus points with

846
00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:27,000
him on the court, which is just a huge margin.

847
00:41:27,519 --> 00:41:30,360
But you feel like you're making a defensive concession by

848
00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:32,519
having him on the floor. And I'm not trying to

849
00:41:32,519 --> 00:41:35,519
compare him to Continnipple, but just as the archetype of

850
00:41:35,559 --> 00:41:37,639
player who does again way more on the ball, you

851
00:41:37,679 --> 00:41:41,320
don't feel like you're giving back as much defensively. LaMelo

852
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:43,519
ball is still an adventure on the defensive end, I

853
00:41:43,559 --> 00:41:45,360
would say, and he can still be an erratic player,

854
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:48,480
but do you know what he draws in defenses and

855
00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,440
his remains just to transcendent playmaker could probably stand to

856
00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:53,440
go to defensive driving court, or maybe he shouldn't go

857
00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,599
to defensive driving is what's the opposite of them. Maybe

858
00:41:55,599 --> 00:41:58,800
he drives two, he drives offensively. Whatever it is, he's

859
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,960
gonna need to address the decision making behind an automobile.

860
00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:05,559
But this team is just I don't know, like going

861
00:42:05,639 --> 00:42:07,719
up against the Pistons, I don't want to compare them

862
00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:10,880
to Boston, but it feels like because they're competent or

863
00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:14,000
have been competent defensively, and it's not just ode to

864
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,840
opponent shooting luck. The way that they play offense, it

865
00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,039
feels like a similar case of saying there might be

866
00:42:21,199 --> 00:42:24,719
nights where they're able to pull away because their offense

867
00:42:25,079 --> 00:42:31,400
structurally is more superior, is superior to Detroit's. I just

868
00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:35,000
feel like Detroit is better built to defend them than Boston.

869
00:42:35,079 --> 00:42:38,320
And that's not really a Boston might just have Jason

870
00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:40,679
Tatum back, and so that's not really a spicy take there.

871
00:42:41,519 --> 00:42:43,440
It's I don't know if it's stupid taking them this

872
00:42:43,519 --> 00:42:45,559
high though, because they are tenth and so I don't

873
00:42:45,599 --> 00:42:48,679
think we've seen we've seen one ten seed make the

874
00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:52,760
postseason right since the play in started, so yeah, there's

875
00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:54,639
still time for them to catch. How many losses are

876
00:42:54,679 --> 00:42:57,480
they behind the Hawks? O don't know. They're tied in

877
00:42:57,480 --> 00:42:59,159
the lost column, so yeah, look they're right there.

878
00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:03,440
Speaker 3: They can sneak in. Yeah, I mean, honestly, wouldn't totally

879
00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:06,159
shock me if they jump even to the seven eight.

880
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:09,880
But yeah, I'm with you in being horns Pille. I

881
00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:12,320
also like the addition of Kobe White at the deadline.

882
00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:14,920
I think tonight was the first game that he played

883
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,480
with for them, and you know, it didn't do a

884
00:43:17,559 --> 00:43:21,199
ton but it was also a thirty point ass kicking

885
00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:23,559
of the Chicago Bulls, so they didn't need him. He

886
00:43:23,639 --> 00:43:27,519
played sixteen minutes, Like I would imagine that he will

887
00:43:27,519 --> 00:43:32,039
get more run in actually competitive games. Did you mention

888
00:43:32,159 --> 00:43:35,159
Miles Bridges. I appreciate you if you didn't.

889
00:43:35,199 --> 00:43:37,199
Speaker 1: But I mentioned him getting suspended.

890
00:43:37,519 --> 00:43:41,800
Speaker 3: Okay, that's well, hopefully that just continues for indefinitely. But

891
00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,000
if he is to play in the playoffs, he is

892
00:43:45,039 --> 00:43:47,159
the type of player that I could really see giving

893
00:43:47,199 --> 00:43:50,039
Tobias Harris a lot of trouble actually, and I think

894
00:43:50,199 --> 00:43:54,760
that is if you're looking to find the weak spots

895
00:43:54,840 --> 00:44:00,320
in Detroit, you're going to exploit Asar Thompson offensively. You're

896
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:03,000
just going to ignore him completely if he's floating around

897
00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:05,360
the partner and just Darren to shoot. And I think

898
00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:09,320
you go at Tobias defensively and having a guy like

899
00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:14,039
Miles Bridges, who you know, unlike an og Ananobi, where

900
00:44:14,679 --> 00:44:18,599
you know he needs either a straight line or needs

901
00:44:18,679 --> 00:44:21,639
to have it created for him or it's probably not

902
00:44:21,679 --> 00:44:25,199
going to happen like Miles Bridges can create on his own,

903
00:44:25,679 --> 00:44:29,119
and I think you know, in one on one situations

904
00:44:29,119 --> 00:44:32,519
against Tobias could either get him in foul trouble or

905
00:44:32,599 --> 00:44:38,360
just score around him, over him, through him. So that

906
00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:44,159
I'm like really focusing, like hyper focusing on this specific

907
00:44:44,239 --> 00:44:46,519
matchup because I think that's kind of how you have

908
00:44:46,559 --> 00:44:49,679
to approach these types of things. It's not like, you know,

909
00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:51,559
we're not saying Charlotte is going to get to the

910
00:44:51,639 --> 00:44:55,599
NBA Finals this year, but like based on their team construction,

911
00:44:56,719 --> 00:44:59,719
they have a better shot than some of the other

912
00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:01,679
team that we will talk about shortly.

913
00:45:02,199 --> 00:45:04,639
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's sort of the you're taking at this point,

914
00:45:04,679 --> 00:45:07,320
we're taking the lottery ticket because despite about me just

915
00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:09,280
going off the rails on New York before, it's that

916
00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:13,719
was the three in some order, Cleveland, Boston, New York,

917
00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:15,360
at least it feels like it. So now you're sort

918
00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:17,920
of taking the lottery ticket of or else are we

919
00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:19,559
gonna go? There's a couple of other teams, but all

920
00:45:19,599 --> 00:45:23,079
of them, including your Sixers, whom shocked you didn't take

921
00:45:23,119 --> 00:45:26,440
number one. You just have these high variants or like

922
00:45:26,519 --> 00:45:28,840
big what ifs that have to be baking to the equation.

923
00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,280
And so Charlotte's big what if at this point, which

924
00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:33,400
is a testament to what they're doing, is and it's

925
00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:36,920
arguably the biggest what if of them all. Will they

926
00:45:37,119 --> 00:45:39,039
or what if they're not in the playoffs? Well then

927
00:45:39,039 --> 00:45:41,639
they can't be a threat to Detroit. That's a pretty

928
00:45:41,679 --> 00:45:44,000
glaring weakness. But if they make it to the playoffs,

929
00:45:45,199 --> 00:45:47,000
I kind of feel better about them than any of

930
00:45:47,039 --> 00:45:49,559
the teams that are like about to come up. I'm sure.

931
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,480
So maybe it'd be a difference st worry if things

932
00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:55,039
were going differently in Philly or a certain Florida team,

933
00:45:55,119 --> 00:45:57,239
But but I don't know, And it would also be

934
00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:00,400
I want that series to happen now because of the

935
00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:02,119
game that we went. Was it like a week and

936
00:46:02,159 --> 00:46:03,920
a half ago now or two weeks whatever it was.

937
00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:05,159
Speaker 1: I just I want to like that.

938
00:46:05,679 --> 00:46:11,000
Speaker 2: Now there's just this pre existing, festering bad blood between

939
00:46:11,039 --> 00:46:15,440
Detroit and Charlotte, and so I and Isaiah.

940
00:46:15,119 --> 00:46:17,800
Speaker 1: Stewart the way he left the court after that whole ordeal.

941
00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,960
Speaker 2: I want to see this matchup. I'm trying not to

942
00:46:21,079 --> 00:46:23,559
root for things during the playoffs. I'll be rooting for

943
00:46:23,639 --> 00:46:25,920
Charlotte to get into the playoffs this season. I can

944
00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:26,440
tell you that.

945
00:46:26,639 --> 00:46:32,000
Speaker 3: We'll say we're manifesting it. Manifesting Yeah, what.

946
00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:35,360
Speaker 2: Would you how many games would you series of starting tomorrow?

947
00:46:35,519 --> 00:46:38,119
How many games would you have it lasting?

948
00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:40,679
Speaker 3: I mean, I think it's still probably Detroit in five,

949
00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:41,360
but I think.

950
00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:44,320
Speaker 2: Too, but yeah, it'd be or be just there's gonna

951
00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:48,440
be between two and four insane games for some reason

952
00:46:48,519 --> 00:46:52,599
or another, but Detroit in five. Ye, all right, your

953
00:46:52,679 --> 00:46:53,159
last pick.

954
00:46:54,840 --> 00:47:00,480
Speaker 3: It took my beloved Hornets. Man. I'm yeah, I think

955
00:47:00,519 --> 00:47:02,679
you have to go the sixers here, And I just

956
00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:06,960
hate saying that. Like, of any of the teams left,

957
00:47:07,639 --> 00:47:10,960
it's them in Orlando, they have the highest ceiling. But

958
00:47:11,119 --> 00:47:14,360
Orlando has just been so snake bit with injuries this

959
00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:17,320
year that I'm just not convinced we're going to see

960
00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:20,480
them at full strength at any point. And even if

961
00:47:20,519 --> 00:47:23,800
we are, they haven't they've had I mean, I don't

962
00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:25,639
have the lineup data in front of me, but like,

963
00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:29,840
how many minutes have all four of Suggs, Bane, Franz

964
00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:32,239
and Paolo played together? I cannot be.

965
00:47:32,639 --> 00:47:36,679
Speaker 2: The lineup's been dynamite when they've played, but I don't

966
00:47:36,679 --> 00:47:41,440
think they've even played. If they've played three hundred possessions,

967
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:42,199
i'd be shocked.

968
00:47:42,519 --> 00:47:45,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that that is higher than I would

969
00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:46,440
have even guessed.

970
00:47:46,519 --> 00:47:49,199
Speaker 2: Yeah, I oh what wait? So oh no, wait, that's

971
00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:52,239
not looking at the most used lineup. That's obviously not them.

972
00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:56,320
I mean yeah, it's oh yeah, whoa, all right, they're

973
00:47:56,639 --> 00:48:01,320
at oh oh no, that's not even them. Scrolling down,

974
00:48:01,519 --> 00:48:03,639
I'm gonna have to manually search it so you keep talking,

975
00:48:03,639 --> 00:48:05,199
because that's how low they are. But it looks like

976
00:48:05,239 --> 00:48:08,199
it's under It can't be under one hundred.

977
00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:09,719
Speaker 1: I got to be looking at the wrong thing here,

978
00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:10,679
Please carry.

979
00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:13,840
Speaker 3: It could be right like they just they have not

980
00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:18,199
had I guess, oh wait, I see I see one.

981
00:48:18,639 --> 00:48:19,679
I'm cleaning the glass.

982
00:48:21,039 --> 00:48:23,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, at plus and they're plus thirteen point four

983
00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:25,480
in those two hundred and seventy five possessions.

984
00:48:25,559 --> 00:48:31,199
Speaker 3: There you go, so like, if those guys are all healthy, sure,

985
00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:34,800
but I just don't expect that to be the case

986
00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:37,480
at this point. And I mean, Anthony Black has been

987
00:48:38,039 --> 00:48:42,880
fantastic in the absence of Sugs, but you know that

988
00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:45,920
also raises quite like your five best players in theory

989
00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:49,480
are Sugs being Black, Franz Palllo, You're not getting way

990
00:48:49,519 --> 00:48:53,800
with that against Detroit Philly at least, you know, we've

991
00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:57,599
seen especially over the last like since the calendar flipped

992
00:48:57,599 --> 00:49:00,719
twenty twenty six, I would say early in the season,

993
00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:04,159
Joel Embiid did not look good, like look better than

994
00:49:04,199 --> 00:49:08,320
he did last year, but still just looked three steps

995
00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:12,400
slow on defense and one step slow on offense. Lately,

996
00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:18,440
we're starting to see more closer to peak Joel Embiid,

997
00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:22,480
at least offensively, he's still not quite back, but he's

998
00:49:22,639 --> 00:49:27,199
he's closer than I expected him to get this season. Defensively,

999
00:49:27,239 --> 00:49:32,760
we still got a ways to go, But like that's

1000
00:49:33,320 --> 00:49:36,679
one variable of this, Like you could at least make

1001
00:49:36,719 --> 00:49:38,639
the case that you know, Kate is probably still the

1002
00:49:38,639 --> 00:49:42,039
best player on the floor in that series, but you

1003
00:49:42,079 --> 00:49:44,800
could argue that Philly has the next two after that.

1004
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:48,920
I think you're you might take this version of Embid

1005
00:49:49,079 --> 00:49:51,920
even over Duran and Maxie is definitely the second best

1006
00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:55,800
player in that series. Paul George will get twenty five

1007
00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:57,840
games of rest. We'll come back nice and well. West

1008
00:49:57,840 --> 00:49:59,400
did at the end of March.

1009
00:49:59,679 --> 00:50:02,840
Speaker 2: So we have you written the Paul George performance enhancing

1010
00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:06,360
peace suspension is a blessing in disguise playoff? Chances is

1011
00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:07,480
that have you written that piece?

1012
00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:10,599
Speaker 3: No, I've been too busy slamming their tax stump. I'll

1013
00:50:10,639 --> 00:50:14,119
get there, but we're I held my fire for a while,

1014
00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:16,199
and because I wanted to wait to see how they

1015
00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:18,960
filled out the rest of their roster, because Daryl was

1016
00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:21,239
making a whole thing about the first Apron which didn't

1017
00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:23,840
make any sense. So once once they filled out their

1018
00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:26,480
roster and it proved to be a tax stump, we

1019
00:50:27,199 --> 00:50:30,159
started to unleash the cannons. We haven't fully finished yet,

1020
00:50:30,199 --> 00:50:32,280
but we'll be done soon that we can turn our

1021
00:50:32,280 --> 00:50:33,920
attention to bigger.

1022
00:50:34,079 --> 00:50:37,760
Speaker 2: Didn't he say something? Unless I misread the quote about

1023
00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:41,159
them having too many guards. After the McCain trade, and

1024
00:50:41,159 --> 00:50:43,639
then they went and got Cameron Payne off.

1025
00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:47,920
Speaker 3: He said something along the lines of like his justification

1026
00:50:48,039 --> 00:50:50,000
for the trade, or one of the justifications, was like

1027
00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:54,440
he would not have had the opportunity in Philly that

1028
00:50:54,559 --> 00:50:59,679
he would in other places, which made like in his defense, like, yeah,

1029
00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:01,559
Jared McCain was not going to be a starter in Philly.

1030
00:51:01,960 --> 00:51:05,000
MAXI and edgecumb just like have that locked up long term.

1031
00:51:05,079 --> 00:51:11,480
So like I was not let me go back. I

1032
00:51:11,599 --> 00:51:14,000
was surprised that they trade him at this year's deadline.

1033
00:51:14,519 --> 00:51:16,159
I was not surprised that they were going to trade

1034
00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:18,280
him at some point. I had been alluding to that

1035
00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:20,480
leading up to the deadline. I just didn't think it

1036
00:51:20,480 --> 00:51:26,320
would happened as quickly. That said, that whole situation sucked

1037
00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:28,599
in is an embarrassment, and it makes me not want

1038
00:51:28,639 --> 00:51:31,239
to pick this team because the vibes have been honestly

1039
00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:34,320
ranted since that move. I mean, they've won now two

1040
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:38,599
games in a row. They beat the Tanking Pacers tonight, Hazza,

1041
00:51:39,679 --> 00:51:44,719
but you know they're without Embiid. They're drawing effectively dead.

1042
00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:49,360
I mean, they beat the Timberwolves without Gobert, which you

1043
00:51:49,440 --> 00:51:52,039
know the Timberwolves are possibly the most bipolar team in

1044
00:51:52,079 --> 00:51:55,639
the NBA this year, but like full strength Sixers with EMBIID,

1045
00:51:56,000 --> 00:52:01,599
Maxie George Edgecombe are actually very good. Don Marlow has

1046
00:52:01,639 --> 00:52:04,719
been really good for them this year, like ended up

1047
00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:09,559
earning a full contract to signed the two way to

1048
00:52:09,599 --> 00:52:12,760
start the year, didn't even hit his fifty game limit.

1049
00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:14,480
I thought they were going to draw it out and

1050
00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:17,320
make a playoff fifty and then try to save a

1051
00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:21,800
couple extra bucks. But they gave him a above minimum contract,

1052
00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:25,000
which speaks to kind of the impact that he's had

1053
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:29,199
this year. But I mean the lineup with Maxi Edgecumbe,

1054
00:52:29,199 --> 00:52:34,199
George Barlow EMBIID is a plus nine point zero differential

1055
00:52:34,559 --> 00:52:39,039
switch out George for Ubre plus fifteen point one. So there,

1056
00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:42,199
those are their two most lineups this year and those

1057
00:52:42,199 --> 00:52:47,840
are genuinely very good. Drummond off the bench has not

1058
00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:50,159
been very good, so they've kind of switched to a

1059
00:52:50,239 --> 00:52:50,760
dem Bona.

1060
00:52:51,119 --> 00:52:53,320
Speaker 2: He had a moment. Was that was that December and

1061
00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:55,760
November where it just felt like he had as.

1062
00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,880
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah he did. He started starting the season better.

1063
00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:03,760
Has not been very good as a plate. The Sixers

1064
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:07,440
just have like a bunch of weird size is how

1065
00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:10,559
I would do. Like they've got Trendon Watford who kind

1066
00:53:10,559 --> 00:53:15,559
of just does everything, is just a very unconventional like

1067
00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:20,039
he's not really a point forward, but he has playmaking chops.

1068
00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:24,719
They've got Barlow, they have Jabari Walker, you know, when

1069
00:53:24,719 --> 00:53:27,559
Paul George comes back, they have him. They have Kelly

1070
00:53:27,559 --> 00:53:31,719
Oubre So like they've got some size to throw at Detroit.

1071
00:53:32,519 --> 00:53:36,880
You have hopefully, you know, hopefully healthy Embiid.

1072
00:53:37,639 --> 00:53:39,920
Speaker 2: Yeah. Can I ask you a question, is there optimal

1073
00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:45,920
team though the lineups that have the most size, because

1074
00:53:45,960 --> 00:53:48,840
I would almost think from my perspective, it would be

1075
00:53:50,000 --> 00:53:53,599
you have Grimes, Edgecomb MAXI is sort of your base

1076
00:53:53,679 --> 00:53:56,039
on the wings, and then that's gonna immediately just make

1077
00:53:56,119 --> 00:53:58,480
you small in general. Even if you have Embiid and

1078
00:53:58,519 --> 00:53:59,920
George populating the four.

1079
00:53:59,800 --> 00:54:03,239
Speaker 3: And the I would have Barlow in there over Grimes. Honestly,

1080
00:54:04,039 --> 00:54:07,920
Grimes has been inconsistent this year, and that is being

1081
00:54:08,039 --> 00:54:11,280
charitable and he's.

1082
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:12,719
Speaker 2: Been like him is just another guy that could put

1083
00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:15,760
the ball on the deck in the half court against Detroit. Yeah,

1084
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:19,199
whereas Barlow you're gonna rely more on accessory stuff in

1085
00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:20,159
that type of a role.

1086
00:54:20,599 --> 00:54:23,199
Speaker 3: He would definitely have a big role, and like Barlow

1087
00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:26,639
is starting, but Grimes is often playing more minutes than him.

1088
00:54:27,480 --> 00:54:30,039
So it's really just like a kind of a feel

1089
00:54:30,159 --> 00:54:34,119
thing for Nick Nurse, like if he if Barlow has

1090
00:54:34,119 --> 00:54:37,199
it rolling early, he will get a little bit more rope,

1091
00:54:37,239 --> 00:54:40,159
and if not, he goes to Grimes and he leans

1092
00:54:40,199 --> 00:54:43,800
into more of the three guard stuff right away. I

1093
00:54:43,840 --> 00:54:48,239
mean that the Sixers bench is not particularly deep, and

1094
00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:52,000
I think that would be a concern against Detroit, especially

1095
00:54:52,039 --> 00:54:55,320
if the series went long or if this is not

1096
00:54:56,159 --> 00:54:57,880
it's not going to be a first round series. So

1097
00:54:58,000 --> 00:55:00,199
like you know, if they get into a long first

1098
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:02,639
round series and they played Detroit in the second round,

1099
00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:05,639
just fatigue catch up with them at some point. I

1100
00:55:05,639 --> 00:55:08,039
think that's a legit concern because like you've got the

1101
00:55:08,119 --> 00:55:12,639
starting five, Paul George, when he comes back, Quentin Grimes,

1102
00:55:12,679 --> 00:55:15,400
you feel good about, Like what for you? I guess

1103
00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:19,119
you feel okay about and that's that's about it, Like

1104
00:55:19,199 --> 00:55:23,599
you're not I mean, Campaign, I know is an NBA player,

1105
00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:26,599
or maybe as he gets back up to speed, we'll

1106
00:55:26,840 --> 00:55:29,960
we'll make more of an impact, but has not not

1107
00:55:30,119 --> 00:55:32,639
really been a major upgrade over Jared McCaine just yet

1108
00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:33,719
say that much.

1109
00:55:34,559 --> 00:55:35,559
Speaker 2: I was gonna say, but if you get in a

1110
00:55:35,599 --> 00:55:38,039
position to where you're needing campaign to help you win

1111
00:55:38,039 --> 00:55:41,039
a playoff series is problematic. And yet the Knicks kind

1112
00:55:41,079 --> 00:55:42,320
of needed him against.

1113
00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:47,199
Speaker 3: Right, That didn't town Sae like they needed to credit

1114
00:55:47,239 --> 00:55:49,639
the guys who were not here this year's.

1115
00:55:50,119 --> 00:55:52,039
Speaker 2: That was that was one of the funny And you

1116
00:55:52,039 --> 00:55:55,639
know what, I applaud him for just such such thinly

1117
00:55:55,760 --> 00:56:01,119
veiled shade being about I'm not involved enough for but

1118
00:56:02,280 --> 00:56:04,119
I think if you, I would to say, I think

1119
00:56:04,119 --> 00:56:06,760
the Sixers might at least have beat the Hornets out

1120
00:56:06,760 --> 00:56:08,280
if you just told me Joel and Beat and Paul

1121
00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:12,239
George were available. Yeah, and just the the unknown of

1122
00:56:12,280 --> 00:56:14,280
what they're how healthy they're gonna be, and what they're

1123
00:56:14,280 --> 00:56:15,719
gonna look like. And then we have I know, he's

1124
00:56:15,719 --> 00:56:19,719
listed as like how concerning is the last Joel and

1125
00:56:19,719 --> 00:56:22,639
Beat injury update where he's listed as questionable But it's okay,

1126
00:56:23,239 --> 00:56:25,440
the right knee and it's shin stuff and that's not

1127
00:56:25,480 --> 00:56:26,800
the left knee is the one that he's had all

1128
00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:29,239
the problems with right right, So is it better that

1129
00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:30,840
it's not the right knee, or are you worried now

1130
00:56:30,880 --> 00:56:34,280
about overcompensation. It's just when it's not that you ever

1131
00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:36,639
forget about it, but just when you're like, Okay, he's

1132
00:56:36,679 --> 00:56:39,719
not doing as much it feels like, and then oh no,

1133
00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:43,239
but this is still just going to be an omnipresent danger,

1134
00:56:43,599 --> 00:56:44,159
all right.

1135
00:56:44,440 --> 00:56:47,719
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yeah, I mean that's the reason you don't

1136
00:56:47,760 --> 00:56:50,639
pick them higher than the Knicks. If anyone's like super

1137
00:56:50,679 --> 00:56:53,199
down on the necks, it's like, well, the Knicks are

1138
00:56:53,199 --> 00:56:56,239
at least probably going into the playoffs. There at least

1139
00:56:56,239 --> 00:56:58,920
you feel better about their chances of going into the playoffs. Healthy.

1140
00:57:00,719 --> 00:57:02,719
Speaker 2: I thought you said the Knicks are at least guaranteed

1141
00:57:02,719 --> 00:57:04,840
to that you can make it into the playoffs. In general,

1142
00:57:05,039 --> 00:57:06,880
was trying to keep that top four.

1143
00:57:08,960 --> 00:57:11,880
Speaker 3: It felt that way a little bit after the trade deadline.

1144
00:57:11,880 --> 00:57:14,199
They're starting to write the ship in the last few games,

1145
00:57:14,239 --> 00:57:17,239
but it was getting bleak for a minute there.

1146
00:57:19,239 --> 00:57:22,000
Speaker 2: I what would be what would be your series pick

1147
00:57:22,079 --> 00:57:22,480
right now?

1148
00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:26,559
Speaker 1: Pistons and what six would you give them?

1149
00:57:26,559 --> 00:57:26,800
Speaker 2: Five?

1150
00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:32,480
Speaker 3: Uh? Yeah, we'll say Pistons at six because it would

1151
00:57:32,480 --> 00:57:34,079
be so sixers to lose on their home.

1152
00:57:34,119 --> 00:57:36,440
Speaker 2: For the other, I will say the other thing Philly

1153
00:57:36,480 --> 00:57:39,440
does have going forward to is that having MAXI and

1154
00:57:39,559 --> 00:57:43,239
edgecomb versus the EMBID and Georgia elements. If everyone's available,

1155
00:57:43,559 --> 00:57:45,800
they can play at all these different cadences. And I

1156
00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:49,199
know this is true of basically every team we've talked about,

1157
00:57:49,840 --> 00:57:52,079
but this team I don't. I don't think maybe other

1158
00:57:52,079 --> 00:57:54,920
people fully appreciate it. Where Detroit is just you don't

1159
00:57:54,920 --> 00:57:57,440
have people that are going to consistently generate free throws.

1160
00:57:57,760 --> 00:58:00,239
Speaker 1: The Sixers now just have guys that can do that.

1161
00:58:00,239 --> 00:58:01,400
Speaker 2: I don't know what they're they have to be in

1162
00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:03,800
the top seven of free throw at tenth right this year.

1163
00:58:04,039 --> 00:58:06,000
I work about their rebounding. They're always just for a

1164
00:58:06,039 --> 00:58:07,960
team that has this. I know he's missed a ton

1165
00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:10,360
of time, but just the ginormous player in the middle,

1166
00:58:10,719 --> 00:58:13,679
they're dead last and defensive rebounding since January first, I

1167
00:58:13,719 --> 00:58:16,360
think twenty ninth on the year. So Detroit there could

1168
00:58:16,400 --> 00:58:20,760
be some opportunities there if EMBIID is limited or not

1169
00:58:20,920 --> 00:58:23,760
EMBIID is do the Sixers chances here just submarine to zero.

1170
00:58:23,800 --> 00:58:26,079
Where we talked about Boston, you could still see a

1171
00:58:26,079 --> 00:58:28,800
pathway to victory without Tatum. There's just nothing there for

1172
00:58:28,840 --> 00:58:30,679
the Sixers. If EMBIID is an embied.

1173
00:58:30,719 --> 00:58:34,159
Speaker 3: Yeah, unless Andre Drummond has like the Revenge series to

1174
00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:37,760
end all Revenge series, but no, they're Yeah, if he's

1175
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:39,480
not embied, they're dead in the water.

1176
00:58:41,199 --> 00:58:43,639
Speaker 2: I guess my I'm not the last pick. I'm I'm

1177
00:58:43,679 --> 00:58:46,320
between two teams. Would you care to guess which two

1178
00:58:46,320 --> 00:58:48,079
teams I'm I'm trying to debate.

1179
00:58:47,840 --> 00:58:52,039
Speaker 3: Between Toronto and Orlando.

1180
00:58:53,320 --> 00:58:59,039
Speaker 2: You are correct, and I my head says Orlando because

1181
00:58:59,079 --> 00:59:02,440
if Fronz is health then it just feels like it

1182
00:59:02,440 --> 00:59:03,199
should be them.

1183
00:59:03,199 --> 00:59:05,440
Speaker 1: But I'm gonna go with my heart here and say Toronto.

1184
00:59:06,079 --> 00:59:13,159
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't don't don't don't trust their offense, especially

1185
00:59:13,199 --> 00:59:17,119
against this team, but they do have like they are

1186
00:59:17,159 --> 00:59:19,760
built to win ugly, which I guess so is Orlando,

1187
00:59:19,840 --> 00:59:23,960
but they're not dealing aside from Jaka Pertle, they're not

1188
00:59:24,079 --> 00:59:27,320
dealing with this huge health variance on their roster, and

1189
00:59:27,360 --> 00:59:29,480
they do have I know that they don't always get

1190
00:59:29,519 --> 00:59:32,880
to the levels that you want or people want, but

1191
00:59:32,920 --> 00:59:37,239
between Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes and Emmanuel Quickly and

1192
00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:39,920
RJ Barrett, like they do have guys who can attack.

1193
00:59:40,360 --> 00:59:40,559
Speaker 1: RJ.

1194
00:59:40,719 --> 00:59:44,159
Speaker 2: Barrett has had a great season just after rebounds or

1195
00:59:44,199 --> 00:59:47,119
after turnovers. They've been able to just get out and

1196
00:59:47,199 --> 00:59:50,280
running in transition, and that's a good way to, like,

1197
00:59:50,360 --> 00:59:52,840
don't let Detroit's defense get set, Like that's a good

1198
00:59:52,840 --> 00:59:55,079
way to go up against Detroit and try and figure

1199
00:59:55,079 --> 00:59:57,840
that out. I don't like this is a team like

1200
00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:01,320
I don't trust either like these like either the Pistons

1201
01:00:01,400 --> 01:00:03,199
or the Raptors as a what team could really go

1202
01:00:03,360 --> 01:00:06,199
off from three in a series? If you made me pick,

1203
01:00:06,239 --> 01:00:09,800
I'd probably picked the Pistons just by virtue of all Right,

1204
01:00:09,880 --> 01:00:12,639
Kate exists and Duncan Robinson is there, and that just

1205
01:00:12,679 --> 01:00:14,239
you know, Kevin Herder is on the Pistons now and

1206
01:00:14,239 --> 01:00:17,199
you have Donnis Jenkins as well. But I look at

1207
01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:21,760
Toronto and I think that there might be a lack

1208
01:00:21,800 --> 01:00:25,920
of girth to them, like on the front line. But

1209
01:00:25,920 --> 01:00:28,679
if you have Calamary Boyles and Scottie Barnes, there's a

1210
01:00:28,719 --> 01:00:31,960
bunch of different things that you could game defensively in

1211
01:00:32,039 --> 01:00:35,280
the front court. And so I think it would be

1212
01:00:35,320 --> 01:00:38,840
an ugly series. And I'm still gonna trust I think

1213
01:00:38,880 --> 01:00:43,599
Detroit's offense overall more. But I really do feel that

1214
01:00:43,639 --> 01:00:48,760
the ugly up factor at this point favors Detroit versus Orlando.

1215
01:00:50,039 --> 01:00:52,440
But even that me saying that it's I don't know,

1216
01:00:52,760 --> 01:00:56,159
is Jollen Suggs and Franz Wagner gonna be available. And

1217
01:00:56,360 --> 01:00:59,079
I know the other thing that maybe I'm not giving

1218
01:00:59,159 --> 01:01:01,239
enough way to is Franz Bagner has had still not

1219
01:01:01,280 --> 01:01:03,599
the most efficient player, but he's had two really good

1220
01:01:03,679 --> 01:01:05,760
trips to the playoffs. I know on they've been brief,

1221
01:01:05,800 --> 01:01:09,000
but that's a dude that's been able to get in there, consistently,

1222
01:01:09,239 --> 01:01:11,880
get to the free throw line, knock down his threes.

1223
01:01:12,599 --> 01:01:15,480
So I'm still going back and forth, But my heart

1224
01:01:15,519 --> 01:01:18,719
says Toronto because I think that they're a team that

1225
01:01:18,800 --> 01:01:21,079
at least if you don't trust their offense, it can

1226
01:01:21,159 --> 01:01:24,199
play offense in a bunch of different ways. And even

1227
01:01:24,239 --> 01:01:26,960
they have, like they do have guys that are you know,

1228
01:01:27,039 --> 01:01:28,920
if you need to slow things down, can they still

1229
01:01:28,920 --> 01:01:30,679
get to the foul line. But they're like having more

1230
01:01:30,679 --> 01:01:33,840
of that transition element in them. A proof of concept

1231
01:01:33,920 --> 01:01:36,800
there I'm going to lean towards them. Is that the

1232
01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:38,079
team you would have gone with.

1233
01:01:40,679 --> 01:01:45,519
Speaker 3: I think so by default, because like Atlanta, no Miami.

1234
01:01:47,559 --> 01:01:51,039
You could squint and maybe make a case, but I'm

1235
01:01:51,119 --> 01:01:53,400
not going that far, so I would have also been

1236
01:01:53,519 --> 01:01:57,639
between Toronto and Orlando. And like you, it's just I

1237
01:01:58,079 --> 01:02:01,400
can't trust that Orlando is going to be healthy or

1238
01:02:01,519 --> 01:02:05,480
is going to have had the chemistry. I mean, I guess,

1239
01:02:05,559 --> 01:02:09,239
like I don't see either one of those teams beating

1240
01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:12,440
the Pistons, So really the choice might be none. It

1241
01:02:12,559 --> 01:02:14,880
might be there are no other teams in the East

1242
01:02:15,079 --> 01:02:18,480
that I think could feasibly beat the Pistons, and that

1243
01:02:18,639 --> 01:02:22,840
includes either of them. I like, if I had to pick,

1244
01:02:22,880 --> 01:02:24,840
and if I knew both teams are fully healthy, then

1245
01:02:24,880 --> 01:02:29,480
maybe the magic. But yeah, like the uncertainty with Suggs

1246
01:02:29,559 --> 01:02:33,000
and Franz in particular is so much more. I mean,

1247
01:02:33,079 --> 01:02:35,159
like Pertle, at this point, you're just assuming it's not

1248
01:02:35,199 --> 01:02:36,719
going to be healthy. You're not going to be fully

1249
01:02:36,760 --> 01:02:38,360
himself for the rest of the year, and that's going

1250
01:02:38,400 --> 01:02:41,639
to be problematic against Detroit's front court. With all due

1251
01:02:41,639 --> 01:02:44,159
respect to Mamu, I don't know that he's going to

1252
01:02:44,199 --> 01:02:47,079
hold up in a series, But like they do have

1253
01:02:47,119 --> 01:02:49,000
a ton of size on the wing, as you mentioned

1254
01:02:49,519 --> 01:02:52,320
that I think will help out a lot. I mean,

1255
01:02:52,840 --> 01:02:54,840
you know, I'm also you and I have gotten over

1256
01:02:54,880 --> 01:02:58,920
many battles about polaman Karo this year, but I'm just

1257
01:02:59,159 --> 01:03:02,360
I think lower on him than the consensus. I think

1258
01:03:02,360 --> 01:03:06,159
the consensus has gotten lower on him this year. But

1259
01:03:06,599 --> 01:03:09,280
he feels like the type of player that Detroit especially

1260
01:03:09,360 --> 01:03:13,440
would they would try two funnel shots to him, because

1261
01:03:13,440 --> 01:03:15,480
they would be like, yeah, man, you want to take

1262
01:03:15,519 --> 01:03:17,760
these Contesta's eighteen footers all day. Baby.

1263
01:03:18,599 --> 01:03:21,000
Speaker 2: I think you're now in the majority on Palo Bank, Caro,

1264
01:03:21,119 --> 01:03:25,679
and I'm in the minority leak even with you, So

1265
01:03:25,920 --> 01:03:29,000
let's just assume health then, though, even with your concerns

1266
01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:32,719
of Palo Bank, Carol caked in or should the Magic

1267
01:03:32,800 --> 01:03:36,039
be the more sensible pick than going with Toronto or

1268
01:03:36,119 --> 01:03:39,400
Landa because also, but the lack of size matters. I'm

1269
01:03:39,400 --> 01:03:41,559
not trying to frame this, but even Mamu in Toronto

1270
01:03:41,599 --> 01:03:43,719
gives you the element of a big who can space

1271
01:03:43,800 --> 01:03:47,639
and drive. Yeah, and that's not necessarily something that I mean,

1272
01:03:47,639 --> 01:03:50,880
Detroit can stop it, but that's not necessarily something you want.

1273
01:03:51,320 --> 01:03:54,800
I don't know Duran or Stuart having like his necessarily

1274
01:03:54,840 --> 01:03:56,559
go up against consistently, But how many minutes can you

1275
01:03:56,559 --> 01:03:58,800
get out of Mamu win this series? Because of his

1276
01:03:58,840 --> 01:04:00,559
defense like Mama with the five is not going to

1277
01:04:00,559 --> 01:04:02,199
give you much defensively.

1278
01:04:02,079 --> 01:04:06,719
Speaker 3: Right right at least Orlando. I mean they have more

1279
01:04:06,880 --> 01:04:10,239
size to throw at Detroit in that respect, like between

1280
01:04:11,079 --> 01:04:15,400
Whenell Carter, yeah, Bitadz, I mean even Powell and Franz

1281
01:04:15,400 --> 01:04:19,440
are you know big for four like what six they're

1282
01:04:19,519 --> 01:04:24,239
six ten each? Yeah yeah, So like they yeah, they've

1283
01:04:24,280 --> 01:04:27,639
got but I mean, like the Raptors in pure Raptors

1284
01:04:27,639 --> 01:04:30,840
tradition also just have like they don't have six ten guys,

1285
01:04:30,840 --> 01:04:32,280
but they have a bunch of six seven to six

1286
01:04:32,320 --> 01:04:36,360
eight guys, Like that's their entire rosters basically. I mean

1287
01:04:36,960 --> 01:04:41,199
Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram RJ Barrett, Calinary Boyles, Like they

1288
01:04:41,239 --> 01:04:44,000
just have a ton of different wings that you can

1289
01:04:44,039 --> 01:04:47,280
throw at Detroit. So that would be my concern with

1290
01:04:47,320 --> 01:04:49,840
the Raptors is like does Gialen Duran just go thirty

1291
01:04:49,880 --> 01:04:53,559
and twenty every game against them? Whereas like the Magic

1292
01:04:53,800 --> 01:04:56,840
have enough size that I think they could prevent that

1293
01:04:56,880 --> 01:05:01,559
from happening. But then, especially if Suggs isn't going, is

1294
01:05:01,679 --> 01:05:04,280
Cage just going thirty and twenty against them instead?

1295
01:05:06,400 --> 01:05:09,000
Speaker 2: Do you think that they could get away with a

1296
01:05:09,039 --> 01:05:17,159
front court of Barnes, Murray no center against Detroit. Ooh,

1297
01:05:18,239 --> 01:05:19,840
I don't. I think a lot of it comes down

1298
01:05:19,840 --> 01:05:23,800
to how do you feel about Murray slash Barnes versus

1299
01:05:23,920 --> 01:05:27,480
Jalen Duran, because I don't I mean Detroit. Now, Detroit

1300
01:05:27,480 --> 01:05:29,000
could counter and say, well, we're just gonna play as

1301
01:05:29,039 --> 01:05:30,559
a your Stuart and jail and during that might open

1302
01:05:30,639 --> 01:05:31,079
up account.

1303
01:05:31,119 --> 01:05:35,599
Speaker 1: But having to buy let's Tobias Harris, that's not like

1304
01:05:35,639 --> 01:05:36,719
I'm not phased by that.

1305
01:05:36,760 --> 01:05:41,519
Speaker 2: Like it's really just Durin, like is that enough your physicality,

1306
01:05:41,840 --> 01:05:45,519
enough defense, enough size to keep Jalen Duran in check?

1307
01:05:46,280 --> 01:05:48,440
But I don't like how much is Yaka pertl helping

1308
01:05:48,440 --> 01:05:49,840
against Jaylen Duran anyway?

1309
01:05:50,239 --> 01:05:53,679
Speaker 3: Right? Yeah, I mean not at all this year? And

1310
01:05:53,719 --> 01:05:56,239
then I think that's the big concern with Orlando. It's like,

1311
01:05:56,599 --> 01:06:00,280
you know, I think you offensively, you can send help

1312
01:06:00,320 --> 01:06:02,920
at him and like crowd him and you know, send

1313
01:06:02,960 --> 01:06:07,800
help late make him a turnover machine. But rebounding would

1314
01:06:07,800 --> 01:06:09,840
be the concern. Like if you don't have anyone on

1315
01:06:09,920 --> 01:06:14,119
the floor above six seven, six eight, and you're battling

1316
01:06:14,400 --> 01:06:18,880
for rebounds against Jalen Duran, who is what six eleven

1317
01:06:19,199 --> 01:06:22,599
and is like as I guess, he's listed six ten

1318
01:06:22,760 --> 01:06:25,840
but six ten two fifty and is one of the

1319
01:06:25,920 --> 01:06:32,320
league's better rebounders at this point. It would be tough

1320
01:06:33,480 --> 01:06:34,360
like that. This is a.

1321
01:06:34,320 --> 01:06:39,440
Speaker 2: Series where you're not maybe you're not getting into uh.

1322
01:06:39,599 --> 01:06:41,199
I don't think you're gonna make Detroit feel bad if

1323
01:06:41,239 --> 01:06:44,039
they decide to play three non shooters at once. If

1324
01:06:44,079 --> 01:06:45,840
it was like, you're certainly gonna be they're proably gonna

1325
01:06:45,840 --> 01:06:48,320
feel more comfortable than ever playing Assar Thompson and Jalen Duran.

1326
01:06:48,360 --> 01:06:51,079
But do they care about sprinkling Javonte Green and Ron

1327
01:06:51,079 --> 01:06:52,559
Holland in the fold? Maybe not?

1328
01:06:53,360 --> 01:06:56,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, especially if like if they're confident. I mean you

1329
01:06:56,480 --> 01:06:58,840
said the Raptors can win ugly, like Detroit could win

1330
01:06:58,960 --> 01:07:01,239
ugly too. This might just be like a throwback series

1331
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:03,280
where it's, you know, instead of first to one hundred

1332
01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:06,280
and thirty wins, it's like first to one hundred wins.

1333
01:07:06,000 --> 01:07:08,159
Speaker 1: Right, I mean no, a man, I'm looking right now.

1334
01:07:08,199 --> 01:07:11,559
Speaker 2: The Barnes Murray Boyles minutes at the four and the

1335
01:07:11,599 --> 01:07:14,760
five plus nine point five points per one hundred, ninety

1336
01:07:14,800 --> 01:07:18,760
eight percentile of defensive efficiency seventy nine percent tile defensive

1337
01:07:18,800 --> 01:07:23,840
rebounding eighty fourth percentile of offensive rebounding. Okay, so maybe

1338
01:07:23,880 --> 01:07:26,480
maybe that those lineups are not that's honestly interesting. They're

1339
01:07:26,480 --> 01:07:27,960
not drawing a ton of fouls you would think with

1340
01:07:28,000 --> 01:07:32,199
some more creators. I yeah, I will say where I

1341
01:07:32,239 --> 01:07:34,760
really do think, just because I'm gonna assume that Scotty

1342
01:07:34,800 --> 01:07:36,719
Barnes isn't gonna be hitting a ton of jumpers. If

1343
01:07:36,719 --> 01:07:40,559
this is a series where Manual Quickly is not making shots,

1344
01:07:41,000 --> 01:07:44,039
like specifically three pointers, you're in trouble. So don't You're

1345
01:07:44,079 --> 01:07:47,440
not gonna trust Jakobe Walter, Jamal Shed, Grady Dick to

1346
01:07:47,519 --> 01:07:50,079
uplift you in that way. Grady Dick is someone though

1347
01:07:50,079 --> 01:07:52,079
Detroit's defense would need to account for and is that

1348
01:07:52,119 --> 01:07:54,079
he can open up the floor and open up pathways

1349
01:07:54,079 --> 01:07:56,119
to the basket. But this is a series where I'm

1350
01:07:56,159 --> 01:07:58,440
not saying Manual Quickly wouldn't be important in every series.

1351
01:07:58,800 --> 01:08:02,119
And I think he's over forty from three since January first.

1352
01:08:02,719 --> 01:08:05,000
That being said, if he's not, if he's going through

1353
01:08:05,000 --> 01:08:08,760
one of his just you know, rock bottom stretches or

1354
01:08:08,760 --> 01:08:11,000
one of his colder stretches, I don't think they stand

1355
01:08:11,000 --> 01:08:14,320
a chance in hell, because he is he is their

1356
01:08:14,360 --> 01:08:15,840
high volume three Like, I don't know who else you

1357
01:08:15,840 --> 01:08:17,920
would trust is a high volume three point shooter on

1358
01:08:18,039 --> 01:08:19,479
this on this team?

1359
01:08:19,720 --> 01:08:20,159
Speaker 3: Yeah?

1360
01:08:20,399 --> 01:08:24,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, so we had to recap it on the

1361
01:08:24,800 --> 01:08:27,600
biggest threats to the Detroit Pistons we had. You took

1362
01:08:27,640 --> 01:08:30,159
the Cavs at one, I took the Celtics at two

1363
01:08:30,199 --> 01:08:32,680
with or without Tatum. You took the Knicks at three,

1364
01:08:32,840 --> 01:08:37,039
I took You took the Sixers at five, and we

1365
01:08:37,079 --> 01:08:39,680
got the Raptors at six. But we don't Is that

1366
01:08:39,720 --> 01:08:42,800
the which pick? Like, was that the one where we

1367
01:08:43,119 --> 01:08:44,880
I mean, I guess we didn't feel great about anything

1368
01:08:44,880 --> 01:08:45,479
after three?

1369
01:08:45,640 --> 01:08:49,119
Speaker 3: So yeah, no, I mean yeah, if the Hornets are

1370
01:08:49,159 --> 01:08:52,279
at four, that is that is the sign? Can we

1371
01:08:52,319 --> 01:08:54,760
say the Bucks? Where would you put the Bucks? It's

1372
01:08:54,760 --> 01:08:57,199
the Bucks if I don't even consider them.

1373
01:08:57,439 --> 01:08:59,439
Speaker 1: The idea of having to face Giannis in round one

1374
01:08:59,520 --> 01:08:59,960
kind of sock.

1375
01:09:00,840 --> 01:09:02,119
Speaker 2: But I mean.

1376
01:09:03,600 --> 01:09:07,920
Speaker 3: K lately Cam Thomas.

1377
01:09:08,279 --> 01:09:10,159
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean Ryan Rollins for sure.

1378
01:09:11,000 --> 01:09:14,800
Speaker 3: I just like what Isiles Turner would be mince meat

1379
01:09:14,840 --> 01:09:15,439
in that series.

1380
01:09:16,199 --> 01:09:18,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean do they belong in the top six though?

1381
01:09:18,880 --> 01:09:21,039
But I don't know. I mean, they've they've done well.

1382
01:09:21,119 --> 01:09:23,359
I guess I'm still convinced that like Giannis is just

1383
01:09:23,399 --> 01:09:25,119
going to be shut down at some point this season.

1384
01:09:26,520 --> 01:09:29,880
Speaker 3: It would probably be in their franchise's best interest, but

1385
01:09:29,880 --> 01:09:32,000
they're not. They have nothing they've done is in the

1386
01:09:32,000 --> 01:09:35,680
franchise's best interest. So I think it's coming back, And

1387
01:09:35,800 --> 01:09:41,680
like I would put them over Atlanta.

1388
01:09:40,279 --> 01:09:42,039
Speaker 1: By virtue, by virtue of Yannis.

1389
01:09:42,079 --> 01:09:44,640
Speaker 2: But what happens isn't that you remember what year was it,

1390
01:09:44,880 --> 01:09:47,560
and it's happened multiple times, but was Embiid was off

1391
01:09:47,600 --> 01:09:50,119
the court for for the Sixers in the series for

1392
01:09:50,199 --> 01:09:52,359
like thirty minutes or something the time, Like that's how

1393
01:09:52,399 --> 01:09:56,560
they lost the series. Every minute Jannis doesn't play, that's

1394
01:09:56,600 --> 01:09:59,079
every series, Yeah, but it And I know that the

1395
01:09:59,119 --> 01:10:00,840
Stars are going to play more minutes in the playoffs,

1396
01:10:00,840 --> 01:10:03,800
so the on off stuff doesn't matter as much. But

1397
01:10:03,840 --> 01:10:07,319
if he plays forty two minutes a game, those six minutes,

1398
01:10:07,359 --> 01:10:10,000
they're gonna get outscored, probably by like ten points.

1399
01:10:10,439 --> 01:10:14,119
Speaker 3: I mean, like that Bucks just beat the Heat tonight

1400
01:10:15,359 --> 01:10:21,600
and Sanzianis and like you know, Kevin Porter Juniors has

1401
01:10:21,640 --> 01:10:26,239
been legitimately very good lately. Kyle Kuzma is a thing,

1402
01:10:26,479 --> 01:10:28,600
I guess. I mean they have three point shooting in aj.

1403
01:10:28,960 --> 01:10:31,840
Speaker 2: I guess having the stretch elements in the front court

1404
01:10:31,920 --> 01:10:36,039
around Yannis is interesting between Portos and Turner if his

1405
01:10:36,079 --> 01:10:37,159
threes are going in.

1406
01:10:37,760 --> 01:10:41,279
Speaker 3: And even like Uzman Jeng, who they got the deadline for.

1407
01:10:41,760 --> 01:10:44,520
Speaker 2: I mean, okay, I love me some Uzman Jang, but

1408
01:10:44,600 --> 01:10:46,279
let's let's I know, but.

1409
01:10:48,359 --> 01:10:51,800
Speaker 3: He has been playing. He's been getting an opportunity and

1410
01:10:51,840 --> 01:10:54,439
making the most of it. So I think credit where

1411
01:10:54,439 --> 01:10:57,960
your credit is due. I mean, yeah, I'm not taking

1412
01:10:57,960 --> 01:11:01,720
them to beat the Pistons, but I think and to

1413
01:11:01,800 --> 01:11:03,880
your point, like I don't know that they belong over

1414
01:11:04,000 --> 01:11:07,880
Toronto or Orlando in the top six necessarily, but they

1415
01:11:07,880 --> 01:11:11,399
would be the one like lurking wild card because obviously

1416
01:11:11,479 --> 01:11:14,960
like Bulls, Wizards, Nets, Spacers, see you next year where

1417
01:11:14,960 --> 01:11:16,720
you're not even trying anymore.

1418
01:11:17,760 --> 01:11:20,960
Speaker 2: Right, I just I don't know how I feel about

1419
01:11:21,000 --> 01:11:24,199
I know he's I guess he's done, okay, but like,

1420
01:11:24,199 --> 01:11:29,960
like who's defending kid? It's Ryan Rollins, And what is

1421
01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:30,840
the hope that.

1422
01:11:30,600 --> 01:11:31,720
Speaker 1: That's not what Yannis does?

1423
01:11:31,800 --> 01:11:37,560
Speaker 3: Though, Yeah, Kyle Cuzba.

1424
01:11:38,680 --> 01:11:41,039
Speaker 2: There, I guess they're I don't know which team I

1425
01:11:41,039 --> 01:11:43,359
would feel that we talked about I would, I'd probably

1426
01:11:43,359 --> 01:11:45,399
put Orlando in front of Milwaukee, and I think i'd

1427
01:11:45,399 --> 01:11:50,720
still put Miami in front of Milwaukee. Would you have

1428
01:11:50,800 --> 01:11:52,479
Milwaukee in front of either of those two teams?

1429
01:11:56,239 --> 01:11:59,720
Speaker 3: I just don't really super believe in Miami this year,

1430
01:12:00,560 --> 01:12:03,840
So I think with Yannis, with the honest I think

1431
01:12:03,840 --> 01:12:07,159
I would put them ahead of Miami. Without I would not,

1432
01:12:07,600 --> 01:12:11,439
although I mean they just went tonight with that is

1433
01:12:11,479 --> 01:12:11,800
a thing.

1434
01:12:11,920 --> 01:12:17,159
Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying. If who's man Jang's a thing,

1435
01:12:17,199 --> 01:12:18,119
he gets to be a thing.

1436
01:12:18,239 --> 01:12:20,840
Speaker 2: Okay, that's fair, but that's I guess that's fair with

1437
01:12:20,840 --> 01:12:24,479
my mom. Would you have taken them over Orlando or Toronto? Though?

1438
01:12:25,199 --> 01:12:27,840
How much of a convinment is it? Giannis is playing nice,

1439
01:12:27,920 --> 01:12:30,159
is healthy, which he has not been in any of

1440
01:12:30,199 --> 01:12:32,439
the past, like a few playoff runs.

1441
01:12:32,640 --> 01:12:37,239
Speaker 3: But I still don't think so, in part because I

1442
01:12:37,279 --> 01:12:40,640
have zero faith in Doc Rivers as the playoff coach.

1443
01:12:41,720 --> 01:12:45,000
I mean it's like it's a thing, like you know,

1444
01:12:45,159 --> 01:12:49,079
I brought it up with Missoula earlier with Boston like that,

1445
01:12:49,119 --> 01:12:51,920
would I think that would be a clear coaching this match,

1446
01:12:52,199 --> 01:12:55,840
and that stuff matters in the playoffs more than does

1447
01:12:55,840 --> 01:12:56,640
in the regular season.

1448
01:12:58,640 --> 01:13:01,119
Speaker 2: Okay, so those are definitive pigings. We got them perfect,

1449
01:13:01,319 --> 01:13:03,560
our top six. We were confident in each and every

1450
01:13:03,960 --> 01:13:06,520
single one of them. Let us know in the comments

1451
01:13:06,600 --> 01:13:08,760
or our discord. We're the links to the podcast YouTube description.

1452
01:13:08,800 --> 01:13:10,479
If not already ready to remember, who do you think

1453
01:13:10,520 --> 01:13:13,960
is the biggest threat to Detroit? Mister Taporek, Are you

1454
01:13:14,000 --> 01:13:16,039
able just to tell our audience where they could find

1455
01:13:16,079 --> 01:13:18,439
you and all the fantastic work that you do.

1456
01:13:19,560 --> 01:13:22,960
Speaker 3: Yes, you can find me on Blue Sky at B

1457
01:13:23,279 --> 01:13:26,079
T O P O r E k as Dan mentioned

1458
01:13:26,239 --> 01:13:31,520
Sixer stuff at on SI, Lakers stuff at Silver Screening

1459
01:13:31,640 --> 01:13:35,800
Roll and then General NBA at Forbes Sports and Fans nine.

1460
01:13:36,960 --> 01:13:38,920
Speaker 1: Until next time, and as always do with the shout

1461
01:13:38,920 --> 01:13:39,239
out to the.

1462
01:13:39,239 --> 01:13:42,199
Speaker 2: One, the only, the real player who could swing the

1463
01:13:42,279 --> 01:13:45,399
series against the Detroit Pistons or for the Detroit Pistons

1464
01:13:45,439 --> 01:13:49,359
if they care to sign him, mister Frank Nila Kina