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Speaker 1: What is up, fellow Siko's I am Dana Valley, coming

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at you as always with my super duper certified fantabulous

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co host, mister Grant Hughes. The NBA regular season is back,

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and so are we, even though we never left. We're

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gonna talk about X factors this year. There's just been

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so few games played and we'll have you know, there'll

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be a different cadence to our episodes this year. We

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want to try and have these unifying themes and talk

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about as many teams and players as possible. It feels

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like a good time to like we could still make

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predictions if we wanted to. Just anything you've seen. I

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don't know how much you take away from it, but

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very quickly, we are going to do our over reactions

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in about a week or so, and we will be

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taking submissions. If you're a member of our discord, so

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click the link in the podcast YouTube description. Joined our discord.

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You could have entered the over under competition that had

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a chance to host an episode, but you missed it.

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You didn't miss this though, so come join the Discord.

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I will send it out a link eventually for submissions

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for those overreactions and we would like to know in

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the comments, who are your biggest X factors this season,

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and we'll get into how we define X factors. But

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I'm curious how our commenters, if you had to pick

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a player or a few players and why let us

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know in the comments. Will be interested to read those.

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But before we really get off and running, Grant, how

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the heck are you doing?

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Speaker 2: I'm holding strong, like like my Warriors are against the

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greedy and delusional representation of Jonathan Kaminga who wants way

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too much money and no like uh just you know,

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I the Jonathan Kminga thing. He was my least favorite

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player in the entire world in the first half of

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the Warriors opener against Portland, so I was like, just

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get rid of them. That's how That's how rational I

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am moments a moment as a fan. By this time

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next week, I will probably be ready to put them

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in the Hall of Fame, just depending on how things go.

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Speaker 1: So I'm doing great.

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Speaker 2: It's super consistent, right, I'm doing awesome.

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Speaker 1: Your inconsistency with regard to Jonathan Kaminga is very consistent.

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Although I feel like you've been pretty bullish on.

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Speaker 2: Him, I haven't been. I don't feel like my vacillating

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though with respect specifically to him and Warriors players, is

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relatable because it reveals they're still a fan in me somewhere.

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Speaker 1: Which is good unless you're, you know, covering all thirty teams,

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in which case we can't be fans. I'm not a

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fan of any single team except for the Thunder. I

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get accused of being the Nuggets in the Thunder, which

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are the teams that I'm not actually a fan of.

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I think they're great teams, I love watching them, but

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those are the teams I get accused most of being

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a homer for.

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Speaker 2: Sorry, you like good teams?

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Speaker 1: Well, are the Nuggets a good team?

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Speaker 2: Well? Not against the Thunder.

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Speaker 1: Let's talk how did you approach this before we get

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into our X factors.

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Speaker 2: So it's it's basically like the first rule is for me,

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it can't be you can't just pick the best player

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on each team because like obviously that player matters more

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to like the fate of his team than anybody else,

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Like we work big to small around here, Like that's

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that's the obvious caveat. I just look at it as

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someone who I think can have like a big impact.

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But the likelihood, the chances of him making that impact

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are relatively uncertain. So it's like a big swing like

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you could use you could interchange the term like swing piece,

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like if this guy does X, then this team can

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be this. If he does why then we go the

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other way and this might be a real issue, like

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so like an important piece that I'm not certain how

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he's gonna perform and it will be consequential, like whether

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he performs well in whatever his role is or not.

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Is are you roughly kind of that's your approach as well?

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Speaker 1: Yes, And I tried not to if there's like a

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deeper cut, I'm not trying to be oh, look at me,

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I know who this person is. Uh, I just I

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had it. I wanted to say, it can't be an

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established star, like I can't if it's an up and comer.

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If you really want to pick Jaleen Williams, and I'm

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gonna stick with the teams that I like. If you

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want to pick Jaylen Williams in Oklahoma City, fine, but

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like to me, this isn't about being all like the

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Knicks are more aligned on Jalen Brunson. It's gotta be

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like they're gonna go as far as he can. Yeah,

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I don't view an X factor as that, And so

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I set out by saying, you're not gonna choose any

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of these entrenched stars, and you're going to look at

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either question marks or just players who I view as

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sort of these swing pieces where maybe their role right

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now doesn't seem like it's going to be too large,

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but like if it becomes bigger, it has the opportunity

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to get bigger. They can change a whole lot for

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their team. And in some cases it did vary by situation,

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but I also looked at what players could have an

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outsized influence on how their team is going to fair

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this season relative to how we're talking about them, maybe

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right now or over the offseason.

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Speaker 2: And I think a lot of times too, because we

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do over index a little bit on younger players. Maybe

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that's more me.

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Speaker 1: But like, no, I think I'm there with you.

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Speaker 2: You got something. Yeah, So it's like we're talking about

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this season, but in a lot of cases, you know

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there will be like an X factor can't affect a

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franchise is like five year trajectory, and some you know

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what I mean, like it you can sort of extend

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out the like the area, or like the portion of

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a franchise's future that this guy can have a big,

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like you said, outsize impact on. So like those are

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kind of the ideal ones where it's like, yeah, it

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matters this year, but it also like informs how good

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this team or like what this team is gonna need,

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or just like bigger picture stuff. I think that's that's

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when you really have the X factor nailed down. I

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think with that.

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Speaker 1: Being said, we're gonna throw them up on the screen

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and we'll Grant did the Western Conference, I did the East,

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and we'll obviously go back and forth and see if

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there's any disagreements, which anyone who listen to this podcast

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knows we never agree on anything. So I'm interested to

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see who Grant chose, even though I already know who

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he chose. Let's let's we're gonna go alphabetically again. We've

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been killing it, so we're gonna we're gonna stick with

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that model. We begin with the Atlanta Hawks, because rumor

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has it they're first in the alphabet. Grant I chose

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for this team Trey Young, nonstar. I'm just kidding. I

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chose Dyson Daniels I. Grant I went back and forth

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on this one. I really felt about vit crazy because

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he was playing a lot of backup point guard in

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Game one. I'd really try not to let what I

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saw over the first couple of days of the season

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and influenced me too much. I look at Dyson Daniels, though,

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and they didn't have him on the ball as much

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as I expected in the Game one. But I look

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at how little relative to what I was expecting that

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Zachary Resiche played and he came off the bench, And

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if that's even the medium term plan. I look at

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Dyson Daniels just from the perspective of, well, if you're

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looking for a swing piece who might play a bunch

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of minutes, I assume he's gonna handle the ball even more.

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He'll probably get some backup point guard reps moving forward

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to additional ones of them. That's they had him do

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that in New Orleans. He becomes like kind of monstrous

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to this team, where it's they clearly valued him in

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that the Jonte Murray trade, and it's not about okay,

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how does the jumper come along, but it's also what

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type of spacing do they have around him? How does

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he work off of Trey Young, does the floater continue

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to fall? And then there's if you're looking for the

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best defender on this team, it has to be him, right,

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I'm not like, am I under selling anyone else on

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rim protection? Sure it still clin Capella, But am I like,

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am I overlooking anyone?

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Speaker 2: No? I think that's I think that's him, and that's

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that is why he's a good X factor. I would

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add too, like, you know, given his draft pedigree and

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like what you could envision his longer term future being

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like there's a scenario where he's an X factor without

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Trey Young, Like obviously the fit with him is like

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you got this ace defender now the secondary ball handler.

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It wasn't even clear. I think we talked about this,

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like I think I now it wasn't clear to me

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that that he was going to start. Daniels was over Boogdanovic.

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I think that was like the preseason didn't add a

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lot of clarity to that. The fact that he is,

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I think is just another like point in favor of

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him being someone that can have a huge impact with

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or without Young. And then like like just imagine a

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future where it's like he's on the ball all the

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time because realistically, like he's not a great off ball

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player because of the shooting limitations, Like he could just

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be the guy that is doing the most in the

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majority of the playmaking for this team and defending the

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other team's best wing, you know, in over the next

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whatever five eight years, assuming they resigned him. So like, yeah, good,

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good X factor pick there for.

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Speaker 1: Sure, we move on to would there been any other

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candidates for you really quickly?

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Speaker 2: I mean I would I would give some thought to

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Anyaka kong Wu just because like he's I mean, this

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was before he had a career high twenty eight in

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the opener. But just like Coppell is expiring, kong Wu

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hasn't really announced himself as a like starting caliber five

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yet despite you know, the high draft pick, and he's

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already on his second contract, so his ability or inability

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to occupy that role I think would go because because

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if he can't be your center and Kapell is probably

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not going to be your long term center, well now

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you're just like, well what are we doing? Larry Anson

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even play in the open So it's.

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Speaker 1: Like that was bizarre, by the way, because I would

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have considered him, and it was kind of like that

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made me waffle a bit, right, So our next team,

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going alphabetically, mister Grant Hughes is the Boston Celtics. This

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is this was a team that was unnecessarily difficult just

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because they have So you can't pick. I know how

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Horford's older, and there's the Christops Porzingis injury, so you

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could infery view it as him. But I'm watching him

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just destroy the Knicks on Opening night, and I'm just

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watching Al Horford even against the Al Horford is never

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going to retire, right, Like that's just where we're at.

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So anyone in the starting lineup plus Christops porzingis and

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I didn't. I don't know about you. I didn't go

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the route of oh Joel Embiid's d spoiler alert like

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I didn't. That's not something I did. I went with

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someone who's gonna help them navigate these minutes, Xavier Tillman

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without porzingis, And I think Luke Cornett has a case

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for sure. If you want to go with Sam Hauser, Okay, fine,

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I think if you're trying to replicate what Boston has

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without Christops Porzingis to a t, he comes the closest

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just with the malleability on the defensive end, and they've

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empowered him to shoot from distance. I'm not saying he's

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Christop's light, but if you're trying to get or or

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mirror that experience or get a fac simile of it

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and maintain your five out spacing, at this point, I

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view him as kind of more impactful there, or the

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more likely canadate to actualize that than a Lou Cornette.

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And this might be very matchup dependent. We saw some

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more of name as Cata against the Wizards in Game two,

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but that was the perspective I approached this from. With Boston.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, well, so for me, if you're talking

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about like league wide, full season like impact, the championship

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X factors, Porzingis is one of like the half dozen

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biggest ones in the league. But just you can't really Again,

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we're not picking like major players here generally. I almost

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like I can understand the struggle. Picking anything for Boston

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is like hard. If you're trying to come up with trades,

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it's impossible. If you're trying to come up with you know,

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just a bunch of like they're always so difficult because

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they're so known. You know, the top six, you know,

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the issues, you know, And but so for me, like

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you could have said Cada, Tillman or Cornett or maybe

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just all three are the Celtics X factor because it's

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like which one are they gonna need on a given night,

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and who's gonna give them the spacing and or the

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defense that Porzingis could like who approximates that the most,

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and like Tilman can do a little bit of both

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and Cornett Actually, do you remember by the way, that

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Cornett came into the league as like a spacing big

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because first few years of yeah, of course you do,

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because he's on with the Knicks, but like he was

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a guy that was like he took more than half

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his shots from three for like the first four years

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of his career, So like, oh, maybe he's gonna be

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the spacing and shot blocking Porzingis stand in, Yeah, Tilman's

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a good one. But I acknowledge, like you could just

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pick any of those three centers, not including Horford, and

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just that would be a viable.

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Speaker 1: Way to go. This next team was, I guess even

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harder in the sense of I didn't like what constitutes

253
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an X factor for the Brooklyn Nets, Like I don't

254
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I don't really know. I don't know what the option

255
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is there. I ultimately went with Jalen Wilson. I think

256
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that and I talked about this was lucas kaplan on

257
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theirs and look ahead. He looks a lot more comfortable

258
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on the ball than I was expecting, And so if

259
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you're looking for kind of and like even defensively like

260
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trying to hold up has good positional just size and

261
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instincts there, it feels like, but really offensively, there are

262
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more layers to his game than I thought, and I

263
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probably even going beyond that, it does feel like the

264
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Nets are prepared to explore those layers even more than

265
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I thought, Which maybe that's a mistake on my end

266
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for not assuming that they would really plumb the depths

267
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of his game right out of the game because they're

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not trying to win this season and they have a

269
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dearth of just creators. But you look on the ball,

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off the ball like he's just doing a lot. He

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played more minutes to open and I thought he was

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going to. And I think if you're trying to look

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at oh, they found someone this year like before they're

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getting these high draft picks. I don't know why I'm

275
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quoting Hydra it's going to be a high draft pick.

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That's what they're trying to do here. So before they

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start bringing in these higher end prospects, if you're looking

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for them to oh they found someone during this period,

279
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it's not just Cam Thomas. It's not about Nicholas, it's oh,

280
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they found a dude. Not the dude, but they found

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a dude. And Jalen Wilson. I'd give some consideration to

282
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Trent and Watford for sure, And I mean likeke On Johnson,

283
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like having him on the ball more. That's that's been interesting.

284
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But I think Jalen Wilson is the most likely guy

285
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to become Oh they found a dude candidating for the

286
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men's Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I mean he's definitely one of those guys where like

288
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if you're a if you're not a Nets fan and

289
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you have, for whatever reason, you happen to catch a

290
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Nets game on TV and you just see Wilson out there,

291
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like who is that? I don't know who that is?

292
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And like that's the definition of like they might have

293
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found somebody is He's definitely not, you know, in a

294
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national sense like well known at all. I would just

295
00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:42,519
throw we don't need to do this on every team,

296
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but like Noah Clowney is someone that is just like

297
00:13:44,519 --> 00:13:48,399
what if what if Noah Clowney becomes you know, the

298
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floor spacing super athletic shop blocking four or five guy.

299
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Like you may not get any sense of that this

300
00:13:54,879 --> 00:13:56,519
year because the stakes are going to be so low,

301
00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,200
but like, if he shows enough, then maybe you start

302
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thinking of him as like the closest thing to a

303
00:14:01,759 --> 00:14:03,120
cornerstone piece they have, Like.

304
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Speaker 1: Are the Nets just a team of X factors?

305
00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:08,679
Speaker 2: Well, that's the thing. And but but you raised the

306
00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,759
point too. It's like, so an X factor is supposed

307
00:14:11,799 --> 00:14:13,879
to have like a big swing effects, Like okay, so

308
00:14:13,919 --> 00:14:17,159
that's the difference between like twelve wins and nineteen like that,

309
00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,559
Like okay, Like I don't Well.

310
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Speaker 1: What's interesting is too, is that you could also pick

311
00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,919
is Cam Johnson. The X factor is a Cam Thomas.

312
00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:28,200
It really because they when they win too much out

313
00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:29,919
of the gate, they need to start making Oh it's like, no,

314
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,960
he's too good, He's gonna go is that.

315
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Speaker 2: X factor kind of? I mean, they're they're very much

316
00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:35,679
upside down.

317
00:14:36,519 --> 00:14:38,679
Speaker 1: Our next team is the Charlotte Hornets. And this is

318
00:14:38,679 --> 00:14:40,480
what I actually struggled with because I thought there were

319
00:14:40,519 --> 00:14:43,320
a bunch of options. I gave consideration to Tjan Salon.

320
00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,879
I gave consideration to Trey Man. I came very close

321
00:14:45,919 --> 00:14:49,159
to picking him. I ultimately went with the one, the only,

322
00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:52,679
mister Grant Williams. Dallas Mavericks fans will be thrilled. They're

323
00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,159
just Mark Williams is injured all the time and it

324
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,159
seems like they're gonna have to use Grant Williams to

325
00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,519
defend centers more than they would like. He's he held

326
00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,440
up fairly well in Charles's first game of the season

327
00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,360
from what I saw of it. And if he's gonna

328
00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,759
do that while providing you with the floor spacing element

329
00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,039
in the front court, especially if it feels like you're

330
00:15:11,039 --> 00:15:13,399
gonna get maybe Wax and Waney performances from some of

331
00:15:13,399 --> 00:15:15,960
your other front court players, whether it's Nick Richards, Mark

332
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,679
Williams with the dice, the availability even a Miles Bridges

333
00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,960
in that regard, This is someone who can not that

334
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,639
he's the most likely candidate to provide the dimension of consistency,

335
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,480
but he can open the floor for you in the

336
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half court. He will get up and down the floor

337
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as well, and if if he gets to a point

338
00:15:32,919 --> 00:15:36,159
where oh, like we're comfortable with him just defending fives

339
00:15:36,159 --> 00:15:39,440
and we'll figure out the maybe the roving rim protection

340
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element like by committee around him, or we'll just deal

341
00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,120
with the consequences of it. You could run some pretty

342
00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:49,679
just electric lineups around and especially because the version of

343
00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,879
LaMelo ball, which is also why I considered this for

344
00:15:51,879 --> 00:15:54,679
Grant Williams, who's putting pressure on the rim like as

345
00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,799
much base as you could just get for him to

346
00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,919
do that, Grant Williams is going to be the big

347
00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,320
on this team that will have the biggest impact there.

348
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's a good one. I I think

349
00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,000
it's telling like he's an X factor in the sense

350
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that like he might just be the key to Charlotte

351
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,080
being the best version of itself. And you're talking all

352
00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,080
the things you're talking about like opening the floor up.

353
00:16:15,679 --> 00:16:18,519
I mean, like against the Rockets in their opener, Alpern

354
00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:20,559
Shangun was just putting everyone in the basket and then

355
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,080
Grant Williams was on him and he's just like you

356
00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,519
can't move Grant Williams, Like he's just he's too big

357
00:16:24,559 --> 00:16:27,120
and he's too strong, and he's too low compared to like,

358
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,799
you know, normal sized centers. So if you can get away,

359
00:16:29,919 --> 00:16:31,480
like I think, you run into trouble if you get

360
00:16:31,519 --> 00:16:33,240
him switched out into space and he's got to hang

361
00:16:33,279 --> 00:16:35,559
around with smaller guards. But like if he can be

362
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,000
and you got to get some rebounding I think from

363
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,799
other positions, But if he can be the guy that

364
00:16:39,919 --> 00:16:43,360
just holds up against Biggs and you know, if that's

365
00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,639
getting posted up or whatever, keeping them off the glass,

366
00:16:45,679 --> 00:16:49,399
like that does just allow their offense, Charlotte's offense to

367
00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,399
be like really dynamic and really spaced out, and just

368
00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:54,960
like all of it's because I note the other guy,

369
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,360
I'm just gonna step on it. You talked about Trey

370
00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,279
Mann as like an alternative maybe, like maybe that's the

371
00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,320
key to like Grant Williams and a super small lineup.

372
00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,519
You can get Man and Ball and Brandon Miller out

373
00:17:04,559 --> 00:17:07,039
there together and it's just like when shooting and playmaking

374
00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:07,960
and all kinds of stuff.

375
00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,240
Speaker 1: And it also seems like the Man and LaMelo I

376
00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,200
think played like fifteen minutes or something together in the

377
00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,400
first game of the season, so they're gonna go to

378
00:17:14,519 --> 00:17:16,319
that look a lot. But that's why it was just

379
00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,559
tough to pick Trey Man when LaMelo and Brand and

380
00:17:18,559 --> 00:17:19,519
Miller are on this team.

381
00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,039
Speaker 2: Yeah, but those guys are they're too good right or

382
00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:22,759
too established?

383
00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,359
Speaker 1: My point is just those are going to be more

384
00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,720
of like how much influence is Trey Man ultimately gonna

385
00:17:28,759 --> 00:17:32,599
have over this offense? So he was a candidate, He

386
00:17:32,599 --> 00:17:34,440
was the runner up for me, with Salon coming in third.

387
00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,240
I think his role is gonna end up being bigger

388
00:17:36,559 --> 00:17:40,119
sooner rather than later. But stuck with Grant Williams still

389
00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,920
me as we navigate the Eastern Conference, we're onto your

390
00:17:43,039 --> 00:17:46,440
Chicago Bulls, your favorite team. Who would you have picked

391
00:17:46,559 --> 00:17:48,920
for this team? Do you know who I picked one?

392
00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:50,359
And who would you have picked?

393
00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,079
Speaker 2: I do know who you picked, and it's a good one.

394
00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,119
I'm trying to think, just like off the top of

395
00:17:55,160 --> 00:18:00,359
my head, I mean, you can't go could it?

396
00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:00,759
Speaker 1: Could it?

397
00:18:00,839 --> 00:18:03,519
Speaker 2: Could it just be Patrick Williams because of the investment

398
00:18:03,519 --> 00:18:06,160
they made in him, and because like, Okay, now you

399
00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,359
actually have to do something and like not disappear for

400
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,000
you know, weeks at a time when you're actually playing,

401
00:18:12,079 --> 00:18:15,480
like I just he when you've paid that much to

402
00:18:15,519 --> 00:18:17,559
a guy on a second contract and he's really proved

403
00:18:17,559 --> 00:18:20,920
nothing like that's a swing piece, like either he's gonna

404
00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,119
validate that contract or not. And then like the worst

405
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,880
thing you could be as a rebuilder is like looking

406
00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,839
to offload money you just gave somebody, So like that,

407
00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:31,960
I would have thought about him, But I like your

408
00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:32,400
pick too.

409
00:18:32,839 --> 00:18:36,039
Speaker 1: Well, Yeah, Patrick, player option Patrick Williams.

410
00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:38,000
Speaker 2: We should we have to call him that from now,

411
00:18:38,279 --> 00:18:39,640
player option Pat.

412
00:18:39,839 --> 00:18:42,759
Speaker 1: I went with Jalen Smith just because they don't want

413
00:18:42,839 --> 00:18:44,359
this team does not have a lot of big man

414
00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,240
depth right now. If you want to open the floor

415
00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,359
around all your guards, he is the guy that is

416
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,519
just going to do it. Even like you trust who's

417
00:18:52,559 --> 00:18:54,920
jumper do you trust more right now, Nicole Levucevich or

418
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:55,519
Jalen Smith.

419
00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:56,759
Speaker 2: I'll give me Jalen Smith.

420
00:18:57,559 --> 00:18:59,640
Speaker 1: So I think that's kind of a big deal there,

421
00:18:59,839 --> 00:19:03,440
And like just defensively, I think he's gonna give you

422
00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,279
more relative to the other options. I don't think Jalen

423
00:19:06,319 --> 00:19:08,079
Smith is some world beater. I want to make that clear.

424
00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,319
But if you're kind of looking to move players around

425
00:19:11,319 --> 00:19:14,680
on the perimeter that like he can, he's gonna hold

426
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:16,559
up there better than Booch. That's just not even up

427
00:19:16,559 --> 00:19:18,680
for debate. And also he's kind of an X factor

428
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,400
in the sense of when you look at this team,

429
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,400
I don't mean to say that they're built to play small,

430
00:19:23,519 --> 00:19:25,680
but like you look at their four options, and if

431
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,599
Patrick Williams is not playing, well, it's right, like that's it,

432
00:19:28,759 --> 00:19:30,960
Like he's you. Some will argue like, well, he's kind

433
00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:32,920
of a three himself. You're gonna be playing a lot

434
00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,440
of guards just because Lonzo is healthy, which is amazing,

435
00:19:35,799 --> 00:19:40,039
is that where he's healthier Zach Lavine, Josh Giddy, Kobe White,

436
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,920
Io Dessunmu and already looks like Javon Carter's out of

437
00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,160
the rotation, which we expected. But like you're gonna be

438
00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,759
playing a bunch of lineups where effectively, if Zack Lavine

439
00:19:49,799 --> 00:19:51,799
or Lonzo Ball is your three, like you're playing with

440
00:19:51,839 --> 00:19:54,519
three guards. Yeah at that point then, and so you

441
00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,000
just want a big who's going to space the floor

442
00:19:57,039 --> 00:19:59,519
around them. Doesn't necessarily like, Okay, what bouj can do

443
00:19:59,599 --> 00:20:01,240
is fun, but like when you have these other three

444
00:20:01,279 --> 00:20:04,839
guards on the court, so that coupled with he maybe

445
00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,240
their defense won't be complete, but on the interior when

446
00:20:08,279 --> 00:20:10,920
he's playing. That was why it was my X factor

447
00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:12,400
for me, and it was it wasn't I don't know

448
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,480
if it was a signing. We celebrated, We didn't hate it.

449
00:20:14,519 --> 00:20:16,799
We were just kind of like, you really hardcap yourself

450
00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:20,039
for Jalen Smith, but low and behold, he's a he's

451
00:20:20,039 --> 00:20:21,759
a pretty big deal to this team.

452
00:20:21,839 --> 00:20:22,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good one.

453
00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,079
Speaker 1: Our next team because it's still me what a run here.

454
00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,079
Don't worry, Rant will have his run as well. We're

455
00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:32,400
onto the Cleveland Cavaliers. This one was actually it was

456
00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:34,599
pretty easy. I'm not even gonna like do a preamble here.

457
00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,319
I ended up going with Dean Wade just with the

458
00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:41,119
Max Truce injury. This is the guy like who comes

459
00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:42,920
close like not first of all, this is the guy

460
00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,759
who comes closest to typifying the three and d wing

461
00:20:45,839 --> 00:20:48,440
for them on the roster. It's not Isaaca Corro. It's

462
00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,279
not even Max Drews. Though he'll try defensively like he

463
00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:52,960
has a little bit of shake to him on the ball.

464
00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,359
I think he's a lot better defensively when he's healthy

465
00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,720
than people realize. We're talking. We're not talking about just

466
00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,160
guarding like threes and fours. He will guard ones and two.

467
00:21:00,519 --> 00:21:03,480
So his mobility there is key. The question is can

468
00:21:03,519 --> 00:21:06,559
he one be healthy and be consistent enough like on

469
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:08,720
offense where oh he's gonna take those threes or he's

470
00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,079
gonna attack those closeouts, to where are you trust playing

471
00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,200
him heavy minutes? You want you almost want to get

472
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,599
into a situation where it's, oh, do we close games

473
00:21:17,599 --> 00:21:20,279
with Dean Wade or Max Shruce. That's what you want

474
00:21:20,279 --> 00:21:21,799
to get to when you're at full strength. But in

475
00:21:21,799 --> 00:21:24,400
the meantime, while Max Shreuce is out for a really

476
00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,000
long time. By the way, they said he was gonna

477
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,480
be reevaluated in six weeks, right, that's a long time.

478
00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,720
So I just to me, he not that he's the

479
00:21:32,759 --> 00:21:35,759
only answer, but he felt like a pretty clear cut answer.

480
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,359
Speaker 2: I think he's His X factor status is made even

481
00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:43,680
better by the fact that, like, how long ago are

482
00:21:43,759 --> 00:21:47,160
we talking because it's definitely pre Struce and it's probably

483
00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,759
pre like Carris Lavert a Koro would have been there,

484
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,680
but like when when the conversation was like who do

485
00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,880
we put in between the Garland Mitchell backcourt and the

486
00:21:56,039 --> 00:21:59,680
Mobile Alan frontcourt? All the numbers This is probably now

487
00:21:59,759 --> 00:22:02,599
three seasons ago where it was like, oh, it's Dean Wade,

488
00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,559
like all of all of the lineup numbers was like

489
00:22:04,599 --> 00:22:06,480
when that guy's in there at the three with those

490
00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,480
other four, its like that was just the best version

491
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,000
of the Cavis And it was four of the reasons

492
00:22:10,039 --> 00:22:12,519
you mentioned, like when he was able to be on

493
00:22:12,559 --> 00:22:14,559
the floor, and that is the biggest X factor part

494
00:22:14,559 --> 00:22:16,640
of him is like just can you figure out how

495
00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,920
to play up close to a full season so far? No,

496
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,680
he was just the guy like he gave them everything

497
00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,160
that you wanted, like basically like dependent score but like

498
00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,519
that not in a pejorative sense, but he's gonna make three,

499
00:22:29,519 --> 00:22:31,720
he's gonna move the ball quickly, gonna defend like that's

500
00:22:31,759 --> 00:22:33,559
what you want. And has size like the Corps is

501
00:22:33,559 --> 00:22:35,559
just kind of like too small to be matched up

502
00:22:35,559 --> 00:22:38,839
against like opposing like big wings and combo forwards. Wade

503
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,960
has the size to do all that. Like I forgot

504
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,160
like thinking about, okay, what are they gonna do with

505
00:22:44,279 --> 00:22:46,400
Struce hours, Like okay, I guess a Kor is gonna

506
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,599
start because you just want Lavert being a ball handler

507
00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,039
off the bench, Like I straight up forgot Dean, and

508
00:22:51,079 --> 00:22:53,039
Dean Wade starts the opener, so I was like, oh

509
00:22:53,039 --> 00:22:55,359
my god, yeah, the guy that we all you know,

510
00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:57,440
I don't know I'm projecting, but like that we were

511
00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,960
all clamoring for to like be the be the fifth

512
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:02,799
guy in twenty twenty two or whatever.

513
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,480
Speaker 1: And you made a point that made me think of

514
00:23:05,519 --> 00:23:07,839
another point is because he has that size when you're

515
00:23:07,839 --> 00:23:10,359
talking about the staggered big lineups. Yeah, we saw something

516
00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,240
like Max Struce is like the four stuff last year.

517
00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:15,000
I'm trying to figure out how to get Larry Dans

518
00:23:15,079 --> 00:23:16,880
Junior back on this team forever, because like he would

519
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,319
be perfect for those lineups. Dean Wade, I think when

520
00:23:19,319 --> 00:23:21,680
you're looking, when you're looking for the perfect or ideal

521
00:23:21,799 --> 00:23:25,240
solution to that player in the stagger let's call them

522
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,079
the one center units whatever you want to call him,

523
00:23:27,279 --> 00:23:30,119
the Mobile by himself or Alan by himself. Is he

524
00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,839
He's the closest approximation to perfection that they have on

525
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,079
the roster right for that role.

526
00:23:34,519 --> 00:23:37,119
Speaker 2: Right. Yeah, It's like if you were if you had

527
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,680
you know, a lab to do this in, you would

528
00:23:39,759 --> 00:23:43,640
want like twenty seventeen Marcus Morris or something is something

529
00:23:43,759 --> 00:23:46,000
like that in that spot. And Dean Wade's like, not

530
00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,880
that far off. I guess like that that similar size,

531
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,160
like you know, can shoot a shoot all that stuff.

532
00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,240
So yeah, that's a good one. All right, It's just

533
00:23:53,279 --> 00:23:55,200
take your current take a break.

534
00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,119
Speaker 1: Of it over here. I'm not going anyway. If this

535
00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,119
episode is out of whack, I apologize to our listeners.

536
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,000
I'm deteriorating in real time. I thought I was getting sick.

537
00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,319
I'm one hundred percent sure now that I'm getting sick.

538
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,319
Speaker 2: You're watching it happen, you're getting sick. Well take a

539
00:24:07,319 --> 00:24:08,960
break that. When you get the East, you got to

540
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,400
just run off like six, yes, six teams in a row.

541
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,359
So the next team up is the Dallas Mavericks. The

542
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,519
X factor to me, there are a lot of good

543
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,240
ways to go here, and we're this is probably this

544
00:24:20,319 --> 00:24:23,359
is definitely the most established player that I think either

545
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,799
of us has. My ex factors play Thompson and it's

546
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,559
just I'm not gonna, you know, belabor the suspense, and

547
00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:36,359
it's fairly straightforward. I think his ability to like Nico Harrison,

548
00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,960
I think I forget, sorry, I forget who I think

549
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,960
it was. Zach Harper mentioned of the Athletic that he

550
00:24:42,039 --> 00:24:45,000
talked to Nico Harrison over the summer and Nico Harrison thought,

551
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,759
like we're a clay away. Is the quote you know,

552
00:24:47,799 --> 00:24:51,480
from being a like a real title threat or getting

553
00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:53,799
over the hump, and so that that's kind of true

554
00:24:53,799 --> 00:24:56,279
and kind of not like you are on certain nights

555
00:24:56,279 --> 00:24:58,039
you're a clay away and on certain nights like Clay

556
00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,000
is in the way. So like I think if he

557
00:25:01,079 --> 00:25:04,799
can give Dallas more nights that look like the opener

558
00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:08,240
where quick catch and shoot threes, not a lot of dribbling,

559
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,400
active defensively, certainly put on matchups that he can handle

560
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,759
and not ask to do too much. Like yeah, that's

561
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,279
that's a piece right there that like makes a difference

562
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,559
all the stuff we've talked about since he signed. There

563
00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:23,319
just an outlet in the corner that's not like you're

564
00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:25,640
you know, PJ. Washington and Derek Jones junior last year,

565
00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,200
It's like defenses are happy if that shot is being

566
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,240
taken by those guys. It's a it's an emergency if

567
00:25:31,279 --> 00:25:33,920
Klay Thompson is getting that like shot diet in a

568
00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,599
playoff series. So you got the upside there. The downside

569
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,599
is like the injuries are what they've been. He had

570
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,240
brutal stretches last year, forcing shots like in a total

571
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,160
inability to guard anything like that's gonna happen like those

572
00:25:48,279 --> 00:25:51,000
nights will appear this year, and the expectation, given his

573
00:25:51,039 --> 00:25:53,640
age is that there might be more of them. But

574
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,759
if Dallas can just get the best out of him

575
00:25:56,759 --> 00:25:59,720
as often as possible, he's just a game changing offensive

576
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:02,640
piece there. Like you just you can't overstate the potential

577
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,480
impact of a guy that like gets the full defensive

578
00:26:06,799 --> 00:26:10,640
focus when he's hot, and that plays on a team

579
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,960
with Kyrie Ring and Luka Doncics, Like that's that fundamentally

580
00:26:14,039 --> 00:26:15,079
changes what Dallas can do.

581
00:26:16,519 --> 00:26:18,960
Speaker 1: I'm with you, what do you make of do you

582
00:26:19,039 --> 00:26:20,880
think that they are in what ways? Were they better

583
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,400
built to insulate him defensively than the Warriors? Where because

584
00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:25,680
I saw a lot of that where it was, oh,

585
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,240
Clay was active, look at the steels he had in

586
00:26:28,319 --> 00:26:32,559
Game one. But to me, I view it as yes,

587
00:26:32,599 --> 00:26:35,400
they had Draymond Green, but inconsistently what you look at

588
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,880
his availability, the Mavericks are just bigger. They're huge, and

589
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:40,960
it feels like they are better built than the Warriors

590
00:26:41,039 --> 00:26:44,920
to manipulate the type of matchups and responsibilities that Clay

591
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,039
is going to take on. And they also are you know,

592
00:26:48,079 --> 00:26:50,200
maybe this year's version of the Warriors would have been

593
00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,200
fine to insulate him, but when you look at Okay, yeah,

594
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,720
teams will target Clay. Mavericks are like trying and to

595
00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:57,799
switch out of those actions well before it ever happens,

596
00:26:57,799 --> 00:27:00,599
and they have experience doing that. So that's why I

597
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,319
think I don't know if he'll be a good defender.

598
00:27:04,519 --> 00:27:07,319
They don't need him to be a good defender. They

599
00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:09,759
just need him to not be a train wreck, and

600
00:27:09,799 --> 00:27:12,960
they are built to make it so that he's not

601
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,279
a train wreck. And so it's I just I guess

602
00:27:15,319 --> 00:27:18,000
I might be over correcting too, because it felt like

603
00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:19,839
there were corners of the Internet that wanted us to

604
00:27:19,839 --> 00:27:22,880
believe that Klay Thompson was basically a minimum contract edition

605
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,839
at the Mavericks overpaid and it's no, like this dude

606
00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,799
has real value on the offensive end, and you put

607
00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,079
him in a different environment, He's probably gonna buy into

608
00:27:30,079 --> 00:27:32,599
this offensive role more than he would have with the Dubs.

609
00:27:32,799 --> 00:27:34,480
Or maybe he would have bought in if the contract

610
00:27:34,599 --> 00:27:37,079
wasn't a concern, who knows. I just find kind of

611
00:27:37,079 --> 00:27:39,319
the perception of Klay Thompson now very fascinating.

612
00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:41,880
Speaker 2: I mean, look, if you saw him on the wrong

613
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,960
nights last season, you could be persuaded like this guy

614
00:27:46,079 --> 00:27:48,839
is just not a helpful player anymore because that was

615
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,799
the case. But just yeah, the context in Dallas is

616
00:27:51,839 --> 00:27:55,039
so different, Like they can put so much size on

617
00:27:55,079 --> 00:27:57,559
the floor around him that even if he is being targeted,

618
00:27:57,599 --> 00:28:01,240
there's just more length just all over to just like

619
00:28:01,319 --> 00:28:03,759
clean up if he does get blown by or whatever,

620
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,559
and just offensively too. It's like the distinction with in

621
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,759
Dallas is that like you have an ace on the

622
00:28:10,799 --> 00:28:14,240
ball playmaker maybe two, and you have guys that are

623
00:28:14,279 --> 00:28:17,400
just awesome role men which suck the defense in, and

624
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,440
like you don't really have any of that, you know,

625
00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,319
not the curry is just a different kind of first

626
00:28:21,319 --> 00:28:24,160
option and they had no role guys. So it's just

627
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,759
he's he's way better positioned to succeed on both ends,

628
00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:28,559
but it's not guaranteed because of the age and the

629
00:28:28,599 --> 00:28:31,920
injuries and the you know, the lack of discipline and

630
00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:32,480
shot selection.

631
00:28:32,599 --> 00:28:35,839
Speaker 1: Sometimes I have one question, yeah, got this before we

632
00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,680
move on. Did you give any consideration to Quentin Grimes?

633
00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,400
Speaker 2: I mean a little bit, just it's just because like,

634
00:28:41,759 --> 00:28:44,160
well we talked about what a steal. That seems like

635
00:28:45,319 --> 00:28:47,440
I would put him a little bit behind, like I

636
00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,480
think even like Jayden Hardy might be more of an

637
00:28:49,559 --> 00:28:52,160
X factor for me, just because the ball handling and

638
00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,559
stuff like that. But Grimes, I mean, I don't know.

639
00:28:54,599 --> 00:28:56,480
Grimes just feels like it's unfair that they were able

640
00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:58,680
to get him. I don't know what I think about

641
00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,519
his X factor case. All right, Denver Nuggets are the

642
00:29:01,559 --> 00:29:06,039
next team. Man. There's unfortunately, there's like a few too

643
00:29:06,079 --> 00:29:10,599
many guys because the thinking is that, like we've had

644
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,359
a little bit of a talent suck lately, you know,

645
00:29:12,359 --> 00:29:15,279
the last two off seasons, we've lost key guys. Jamal

646
00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:19,200
Murray does not look like Jamal Murray anymore, at least

647
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,160
to start this season. For me, it's still Christian Brown,

648
00:29:22,759 --> 00:29:25,839
and it's a pretty straightforward case, like he is going

649
00:29:25,839 --> 00:29:28,480
to need to prove that he can scare defenses with

650
00:29:28,559 --> 00:29:33,400
a three point shot. While like I think the opener

651
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,559
against Okay, so he was like a really good distillation

652
00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,799
of like sort of what you're getting and why that is.

653
00:29:38,559 --> 00:29:41,920
It's just such an X factor, Like he didn't make

654
00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,960
a three, he passed up some threes. He wasn't getting

655
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,599
guarded at all, and that's a huge problem. But he

656
00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:50,880
was still awesome. As a cutter and in the open

657
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,680
floor and like defends his ass off and plays hard

658
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,160
and like does so many good things that I guess

659
00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,799
against the right teams, maybe that just outweighs the shooting

660
00:29:59,839 --> 00:30:02,519
quest questions. But he's just gonna have to make shots.

661
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,200
Like yeah, I mean the Nuggets fancy themselves a title contender.

662
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,559
I think that's realistic. Like that guy can't that guy

663
00:30:09,799 --> 00:30:12,279
that he can't play big minutes in the finals. I

664
00:30:12,279 --> 00:30:16,720
don't think, Like, yeah, I guess he did play. He's

665
00:30:16,759 --> 00:30:18,240
done that before, but that's on a version of the

666
00:30:18,279 --> 00:30:20,680
Nuggets with Bruce Brown and KCP. Like now it's just

667
00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,200
the stakes are higher and there's no safety net, Like

668
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:24,799
he just has to be that guy, and I don't

669
00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:25,559
know if he can.

670
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,799
Speaker 1: It comes back to for me because when you look

671
00:30:28,799 --> 00:30:30,920
at just the off ball movement and the defense, I think,

672
00:30:31,039 --> 00:30:33,079
really to open up against OKAYC, I thought he did

673
00:30:33,079 --> 00:30:36,720
a fantastic job. But it sucks that it kind of

674
00:30:36,839 --> 00:30:39,680
that we're oversimplifying it. But I don't think that it

675
00:30:39,759 --> 00:30:42,480
is an oversimplification of he needs to take threes, he

676
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,240
needs to make some of them, and it's to me,

677
00:30:44,279 --> 00:30:46,000
it's not about oh, could he play having minutes in

678
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,880
the finals, it's if you don't have If you have

679
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,559
KCP and Michael Porter Junior and Jamal Murray and there

680
00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:54,440
are just three guys that you can count on getting

681
00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:57,279
up a reasonable to an above average to a lot

682
00:30:57,319 --> 00:31:00,119
of threes, it becomes easier to kind of like PLAYU

683
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:01,799
and PLoP some of these other dudes in there. But

684
00:31:01,839 --> 00:31:05,640
when you're dealing with like no KCP, and if you're

685
00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,119
also gonna have nice like if Jabalmartry Michael Porter Junior

686
00:31:08,119 --> 00:31:10,599
are closer to their normals right now, then not now,

687
00:31:10,599 --> 00:31:13,039
it's a real problem. And so you're trying to sprinkle in, Well,

688
00:31:13,039 --> 00:31:15,680
Peyton Watson, we don't want Russ necessarily taking threes, even

689
00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,559
though he's gonna have to take some of them. Like

690
00:31:19,119 --> 00:31:20,759
you get to a point where it's, well, how relied

691
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,039
we need to become. On Julian Strather, I might have

692
00:31:23,079 --> 00:31:25,559
actually picked him for that reason because I remained so

693
00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:30,920
concerned about Denver's over all three point volume. I guess

694
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,440
you have to trust that. Like I've said this before,

695
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,119
like Michael Porter Junior is the streakiest all time great

696
00:31:36,119 --> 00:31:38,200
shooter in the history of the NBA, right, Like there's

697
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,440
just he seems like he has more of those super

698
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,200
cold nights than any all time great shooter that I

699
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,000
could remember. Is that accurate? No?

700
00:31:45,079 --> 00:31:51,200
Speaker 2: He this is annoying. He has the most stretches of

701
00:31:51,319 --> 00:31:55,200
time where it's like, if that's going in, I have

702
00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,799
no doubt that, like the second he shoots out, that's good,

703
00:31:57,839 --> 00:32:00,640
and that'll be true for like entire orders. And then

704
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:02,599
there are other times where it's like that's got no chance,

705
00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,680
which is just like not how you should feel about

706
00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,119
someone with like what he's over forty percent for his career,

707
00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,960
Like I'm pretty sure and he's just like lights out.

708
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,960
But yeah, the streakiness is kind of funny. Strather Man,

709
00:32:15,559 --> 00:32:20,359
I guess like his roles similarly like elevated because you've

710
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:22,640
just pulled Christian Brown off of a bench unit that

711
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,240
was like not good last year, and the early return

712
00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:28,000
suggests the Nuggets bench might be even worse now because

713
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,359
you've promoted someone who was like one of the few

714
00:32:30,359 --> 00:32:33,480
guys that you know was that plus there before. So

715
00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,519
I don't know, double X factor Strawther's there too.

716
00:32:36,799 --> 00:32:38,759
Speaker 1: You could, I mean, you could make Russ the X

717
00:32:38,839 --> 00:32:41,920
factor just for many different reasons too. It's Kenny helped

718
00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,359
that bench. Is he going to be more detrimental than not?

719
00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,519
I think here's my spicy take. I like Dimmy Clair.

720
00:32:47,519 --> 00:32:49,640
I would have went with Strather. You could have went

721
00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:50,519
with Jamal Murray.

722
00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,799
Speaker 2: Oh man, Yeah, that and that's a bad thing that

723
00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:54,640
you really right?

724
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:57,720
Speaker 1: Are we back to me? Oh my god, run of

725
00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,960
the Detroit, Run of the Detroit Pistons. This I'm curious

726
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,079
to see where you would have went here, But for Detroit,

727
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:08,279
I wound up selecting Jay and Ivey. This, in theory,

728
00:33:08,359 --> 00:33:10,039
should be too high profile, because I think if you

729
00:33:10,039 --> 00:33:11,960
look at just the draft statuses and what he was

730
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,400
supposed to be, he should be the second most important

731
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,720
player in the building, no lower than third. And we

732
00:33:16,799 --> 00:33:18,920
kind of just don't know what he is at this point,

733
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,160
which is part of the problem. He is starting so

734
00:33:21,359 --> 00:33:24,720
many Williams that didn't stick. I mean, he'd started a

735
00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:27,400
bunch of games last year too, but whatever. Anyway, Killian

736
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,119
Hayes out of the NBA now too. That's rough stuff anyhow.

737
00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,480
So the X factor stuff for him is can he

738
00:33:33,559 --> 00:33:36,240
play alongside k cunning him in a way that just

739
00:33:36,319 --> 00:33:39,519
makes sense and be efficient while doing it. What I

740
00:33:39,599 --> 00:33:41,480
saw in his first game of the season. This is

741
00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:43,880
someone who feels like he's very much more active away

742
00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,359
from the ball. They had him moving in from the corners.

743
00:33:46,599 --> 00:33:50,039
Defenses still do not care about him from beyond the arc, though,

744
00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:52,359
and that's going to need to change. He did have

745
00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:55,400
some just nifty off the dribble plays. The vision is there.

746
00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:58,920
I'm just curiously like Ken, it all come together where

747
00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:00,680
it's like, even, okay, he's putting pressure on the rim,

748
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,440
but he ends up four to seven at the rim,

749
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,039
and some of those were difficult finishes, but statistically four

750
00:34:06,079 --> 00:34:08,679
to seven at the rim is kind of also ram like,

751
00:34:08,679 --> 00:34:11,320
it's not something that's going to stand out. And can

752
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,440
you be the best or optimal version of Jade and

753
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:18,280
Ivy while you're not necessarily the primary person with the

754
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,639
ball for a lot of your minutes Because Kate Cunningham exists,

755
00:34:20,679 --> 00:34:24,760
and spoiler alert, Kate Cunningham fucking rules that dude looks.

756
00:34:25,079 --> 00:34:27,199
That dude doesn't look just ready to make an All

757
00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:29,440
Star team. He looks ready to contend for all NBA teams.

758
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:31,320
He won't because the Pistons aren't going to play enough

759
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,079
meaningful games for people to watch him, and they might

760
00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:36,800
even play enough meaningful games for him to meet the

761
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:38,840
games threshold. He might get shut down at some point

762
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,880
he's been paid. But like Jade and Ivy is kind

763
00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,880
of just he's a barometer four. Where are the Pistons

764
00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:48,519
headed to? So based off how this comes together this year,

765
00:34:48,559 --> 00:34:50,480
I would say maybe even by the trade deadline, you

766
00:34:50,559 --> 00:34:52,039
kind of have a feeling for like, well, how are

767
00:34:52,039 --> 00:34:55,400
we gonna then use Ron Holland or if he's healthy enough,

768
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:58,679
Asar Thompson. We're still waiting on what word with when

769
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,480
Aasar Thompson is going to back. So the stakes are

770
00:35:01,559 --> 00:35:03,719
high when it comes. I mean it often is when

771
00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:05,440
you don't know enough about a player when he's coming

772
00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:09,679
into year three. But I'm so I like the energy

773
00:35:10,039 --> 00:35:12,079
that I saw from him both on and off the

774
00:35:12,119 --> 00:35:14,599
ball so far. But is it gonna come together in

775
00:35:14,599 --> 00:35:17,440
an efficient package that makes enough sense for the Piston

776
00:35:17,519 --> 00:35:20,760
to say, Okay, we are moving forward with this Cunningham

777
00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:21,840
Ivy dynamic.

778
00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:22,719
Speaker 2: Yeah.

779
00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:23,719
Speaker 1: That No, the.

780
00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:27,320
Speaker 2: Shooting, which informs like how viable he is with CAD

781
00:35:27,519 --> 00:35:29,760
is like the immediate thing. But he when I was

782
00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:31,719
talking in the intro about like some of these guys

783
00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,239
are going to have like long term implications for I

784
00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:36,440
was looking at Ivy's name as I was saying that,

785
00:35:36,559 --> 00:35:39,559
just because like, well, he's either the guy next to

786
00:35:39,639 --> 00:35:41,760
Caid or you're still looking for that guy, and maybe

787
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:43,599
he's maybe that guy's on the roster. Maybe that is

788
00:35:43,679 --> 00:35:45,679
Ron Holland if the shot starts to fall or you know,

789
00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:48,599
it's probably like Asar Thompson is just hope he plays

790
00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:50,480
soon or I hope we find out like what's going

791
00:35:50,519 --> 00:35:54,039
on soon. But he's like he's not a two. I

792
00:35:54,039 --> 00:35:56,960
don't think so. So Ivy just is the guy of

793
00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:58,880
like okay, And this feels like this is the year

794
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,000
too right where it's like he's either gonna show us

795
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,320
that he's a fit or not because we've stripped away

796
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,199
the bad coach that didn't trust him, We've surrounded him

797
00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:10,639
with more shooting, Like he's deep enough in his career

798
00:36:10,679 --> 00:36:12,480
where if there's going to be improvement, you would expect

799
00:36:12,519 --> 00:36:14,519
to see it. So he's like the long term X

800
00:36:14,559 --> 00:36:16,400
factor I think too, because you just don't know if

801
00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,559
he's going to be, you know, in that starting lineup

802
00:36:19,559 --> 00:36:21,639
next to Cunningham for seven eight years or not.

803
00:36:22,159 --> 00:36:23,960
Speaker 1: And I will say based off what we've seen so

804
00:36:24,079 --> 00:36:28,840
far this year and even during preseason. I'm more confident

805
00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,360
that it would work out than I was before. Too

806
00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:34,119
much of it kind of rides on how is he

807
00:36:34,159 --> 00:36:35,719
going to be guarded without the ball, but the way

808
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:37,559
he's moving without it, and if you're able to put

809
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:39,800
like he had not was at nine free throw attempts

810
00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:41,840
in the opening game, And it's like, if you're able

811
00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,440
to generate that type of opportunity while you're not necessarily

812
00:36:45,519 --> 00:36:48,960
your team's primary ball handler like that, I feel really

813
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,760
good about that. And there's still just like the element

814
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,840
of the passes he could make, or like once he

815
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,880
leaves his feet, you don't know what's gonna happen in

816
00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,960
a good way. So I'm more optimistic than I was

817
00:36:59,519 --> 00:37:02,000
a few mon ago. If that's any consolation to anybody,

818
00:37:02,039 --> 00:37:02,559
and it might not be.

819
00:37:02,599 --> 00:37:03,840
Speaker 2: I mean, it would be hard to have been less

820
00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,679
optimistic too, I mean, because it was looking rough. All Right,

821
00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:08,639
we're back to me now, so and I've got two here,

822
00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,199
so you can you can take a brief break. I

823
00:37:11,199 --> 00:37:12,639
said a little bit of a Naples, he got a

824
00:37:12,679 --> 00:37:16,519
little bit onto the Golden State Warriors. This is, I mean,

825
00:37:16,679 --> 00:37:18,679
a team that's gonna play twelve guys. I think by

826
00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,239
definition has a lot of X factors, maybe thirteen shout

827
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:22,800
out Lindy Waters because we have to.

828
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:24,760
Speaker 1: My picks.

829
00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:28,599
Speaker 2: Jonathan Kaminga and the fact that he didn't get his extension,

830
00:37:28,639 --> 00:37:31,840
I think only makes him more of an X factor.

831
00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,760
And you like you might say, well, now, like why

832
00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,960
he improved significantly last year he got into the starting lineup.

833
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,119
He's viewed as, you know, just this key piece going forward.

834
00:37:42,159 --> 00:37:44,480
And then it's like you see how he looks in

835
00:37:44,519 --> 00:37:48,000
the opener where he's just making mistakes, not hitting shots,

836
00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:50,920
not guarding anybody, and it's like, oh no, there is

837
00:37:51,159 --> 00:37:54,960
like a swing here. There's there's potential downside both this

838
00:37:55,039 --> 00:37:58,360
season because we've talked plenty. If he's not the guy

839
00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,519
that's going to be your second score, then like who

840
00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:02,159
is that guy?

841
00:38:02,519 --> 00:38:05,760
Speaker 1: Nindy Waters Water Obviously it's rhetorical.

842
00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,920
Speaker 2: And then and then expand that out, it's like now

843
00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,360
you have the question of how does he handle not

844
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:16,280
getting that extension. The reporting was that the Warriors and

845
00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,039
Kaminga's representation were far apart, like they did not get close.

846
00:38:20,079 --> 00:38:22,760
So to me, that just means he thinks these Max

847
00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:24,599
are close to it and the Warriors are like, well,

848
00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:27,519
let's just prove it. The potential for that the sour

849
00:38:27,639 --> 00:38:29,800
is there, so they'll throw that into the X factor

850
00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:34,960
cauldron and like stir it around. Yeah, he just insane

851
00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:38,360
physical talent. Don't know if the sort of processing is

852
00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:41,679
there on both ends, And he's wildly important to a

853
00:38:41,679 --> 00:38:44,400
Warrior's team that does not have like star quality players

854
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,280
in the pipeline like he's kind of it. So I

855
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:51,039
think he just has a massive potential to impact this

856
00:38:51,079 --> 00:38:53,000
season the next several.

857
00:38:53,119 --> 00:38:56,559
Speaker 1: Potentially we're going to talk more about the extensions that

858
00:38:56,559 --> 00:38:59,920
we're signed and that we're not. But the report there's

859
00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,559
two bits of reporting i'd like your take on, and

860
00:39:02,599 --> 00:39:03,719
I know you know one of them. The other one

861
00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:05,360
I'm guessing you actually don't know yet, so this will

862
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,639
be fun. But the first one, the reports were that

863
00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:09,840
they offered some of the neighborhood of thirty million dollars

864
00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:12,800
per year. He absolutely should have taken that money.

865
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:18,360
Speaker 2: Correct, If I'm making the decision for him, i'm advising him,

866
00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,400
I would say yes, it's pretty clear that either he

867
00:39:21,639 --> 00:39:25,000
and or his team are just like we think he's

868
00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:26,199
way better than that.

869
00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,440
Speaker 1: My whole thing there then is he's there's no way

870
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:32,760
he's finishing the season on this team. Then they're like,

871
00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,119
they're they're not giving Jonathan minga max money.

872
00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:39,800
Speaker 2: I'm I'm no, I'm I'm well, if they give Jonathan

873
00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:45,039
kaminga max money, that'll suggest like great problem because he had,

874
00:39:45,519 --> 00:39:49,159
you know, a an incredible breakout season. I am working

875
00:39:49,199 --> 00:39:51,199
on something about who's going to be in the trade

876
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,159
rumor mill most of this season, and his name's on there,

877
00:39:54,199 --> 00:39:57,360
so like, I I definitely because you're right, Like if

878
00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:00,000
you don't think one, we may have like a frame

879
00:40:00,199 --> 00:40:02,719
relationship between team and player, that's one thing we.

880
00:40:02,679 --> 00:40:06,039
Speaker 1: Probably talk about you and me for a second, we.

881
00:40:06,159 --> 00:40:10,119
Speaker 2: Probably do, uh, and two like this is just what

882
00:40:10,199 --> 00:40:12,599
you do with someone where you're pretty sure that Like

883
00:40:12,639 --> 00:40:14,320
it's almost like the eight and thing with Phoenix a

884
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:18,039
few years ago, whereas like that relationship had soured, they

885
00:40:18,079 --> 00:40:21,320
had his restricted rights, they matched, and then eventually they

886
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,159
just traded him and it was like the most obvious

887
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,480
foregone conclusion ever. I don't think you want that situation, So, yeah,

888
00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:29,119
trading him? Does did you get is there a report?

889
00:40:29,159 --> 00:40:32,039
Speaker 1: I don't know about that? Like yeah from bleacher Report.

890
00:40:32,119 --> 00:40:36,199
Shame you're terrible employee who reported that. Bleacher Reports Jake

891
00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:40,800
Fisher oh Back said that the Sixers are interested in

892
00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:42,800
trading for Jonathan coming good have let it be known

893
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:46,159
that they're prepared to pay him. I I have two

894
00:40:46,199 --> 00:40:49,599
courts from lot of money right, Well, it's not Daryl

895
00:40:49,639 --> 00:40:51,400
Morey's money, so I get why he's mine with it.

896
00:40:52,119 --> 00:40:55,440
I want him skeptical that like if Philly is paying,

897
00:40:55,559 --> 00:40:58,079
is it because they're on trading Joell and be that

898
00:40:59,199 --> 00:41:01,719
like you can't have I don't think Jonathan can make

899
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:03,239
is gonna get Max money? That what kind of a

900
00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:06,800
throwaway comment before I think there's a chance Johnathan can make.

901
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:08,239
It could still be really good. I do find it,

902
00:41:09,159 --> 00:41:11,599
of course, I do think he was funny that he

903
00:41:11,639 --> 00:41:14,639
responded to rejecting that type of money by having more

904
00:41:14,679 --> 00:41:16,079
turnovers than assists in game one.

905
00:41:16,159 --> 00:41:18,639
Speaker 2: That was just a very absolute trash effort.

906
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,960
Speaker 1: Well, Andrew Wiggins is dropping twenty looked great, not a

907
00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:27,280
good but like you can't pay you have Maxy, George

908
00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:31,039
and embiid all on Max's If you have to give

909
00:41:31,119 --> 00:41:35,559
kaminga thirty to thirty five million, I respect that ownership

910
00:41:35,599 --> 00:41:38,679
is lying about willing to pay that, but that last

911
00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:41,639
one season and then you're busting up that core correct.

912
00:41:41,679 --> 00:41:45,719
Speaker 2: Well, and like, so he's your fourth option, like you

913
00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,920
really so, so congrats. You've just decided that he's gonna

914
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:50,840
basically be off the ball all the time and you're

915
00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:53,360
just hoping the most athletic guy on planet Earth is

916
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,000
going to shoot a bunch of spot up threes, Like

917
00:41:55,039 --> 00:41:56,000
that's what he's for now.

918
00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,079
Speaker 1: My read on it because despite what Raptors fans think,

919
00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:01,199
Jake Fisher is one of the most plugged in guys

920
00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:03,000
in the business, and he just tells you stuff that

921
00:42:03,039 --> 00:42:06,800
other people probably wouldn't put out there, which I appreciate. Like,

922
00:42:07,119 --> 00:42:09,519
are they just the Joel Ebiid rest plan? Is like

923
00:42:09,599 --> 00:42:11,440
we need like we'll start him at the five or

924
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,880
like our five on our five man, let's say thirty

925
00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:17,320
five games a year isn't gonna be Joellenbiids, So we

926
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,639
kind of need that someone who could slot in as

927
00:42:19,639 --> 00:42:22,199
a second or like first option. And Paul George is

928
00:42:22,199 --> 00:42:25,840
getting older. I don't even know. I don't necessarily understand

929
00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:27,559
the theory of him on that team, but I almost

930
00:42:27,599 --> 00:42:29,559
want it to happen. And if you're the Warriors and

931
00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:31,719
you're looking at it, if they're gonna put that Clippers

932
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:35,440
pick in twenty twenty eight on the table. I'm if

933
00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:38,639
you're worried about Peyton Jonathan Kaminga again, if they're willing

934
00:42:38,639 --> 00:42:40,880
to give up that pick, though, you might be in

935
00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:42,920
a situation where the words that we're not trading him

936
00:42:43,039 --> 00:42:45,000
because we want to keep like if he's if he's

937
00:42:45,039 --> 00:42:47,639
worth that pick and other stuff to the Sixers, Right,

938
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:49,320
this is.

939
00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,559
Speaker 2: The beauty of restricted free agency, is like, as long

940
00:42:51,599 --> 00:42:54,079
as the relationship's not totally wrecked, you just have the

941
00:42:54,119 --> 00:42:57,280
ability to pay him whatever he's actually worth because the

942
00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:59,360
market will tell you. And like, by the way, nobody

943
00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,159
has any money this summer, so like, like I don't

944
00:43:02,159 --> 00:43:04,480
know where he thinks more than thirty million a year

945
00:43:04,559 --> 00:43:05,960
is coming from in free ation.

946
00:43:06,559 --> 00:43:09,159
Speaker 1: To me, that's why the track. So there's like the Nets,

947
00:43:09,519 --> 00:43:11,800
maybe the Hornets, maybe the Spurs. All this other stuff

948
00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:13,400
has to happen. The Spurs have a shit ton of

949
00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:15,760
caproom if they didn't pay Zach Collins. That's I don't

950
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:19,360
think Kaminga is a Spurs type player though, But there's

951
00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,639
so few teams to your point, and that's why my

952
00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:25,519
initial reaction was, well, then he's planning on getting traded,

953
00:43:25,599 --> 00:43:28,519
because that's how you get paid. Yeah, could be, could be,

954
00:43:29,119 --> 00:43:32,280
But to your RFA point, I think teams should use

955
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:34,440
it more. I'm fine with the teams that didn't, and

956
00:43:34,639 --> 00:43:36,440
I'm fine. We're gonna have a podcast on this, so

957
00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:37,960
I don't want to get too much into it. But

958
00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:40,519
I don't think teams use restricted free agency enough. And

959
00:43:40,559 --> 00:43:43,559
that goes both ways. No one gives out offer sheets anymore,

960
00:43:43,639 --> 00:43:45,000
so they don't want to tie up the cap space

961
00:43:45,039 --> 00:43:47,159
for a day and a half. It's like, just do it.

962
00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:48,719
I want to I want to see people try and

963
00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:51,159
game it. So this is He's an X factor in

964
00:43:51,199 --> 00:43:53,320
so many ways, in large part because of what is

965
00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:57,000
his mindset going to be if he if he wants

966
00:43:57,039 --> 00:44:00,519
to get paid. Are you sorry to keep it here?

967
00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:02,679
Is he on the Warriors next season?

968
00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:10,760
Speaker 2: Uh? My gut says yes, just because they I don't

969
00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,239
think there's a huge market, and I think the Warriors

970
00:44:13,679 --> 00:44:16,440
might be able to get him back for like even

971
00:44:16,519 --> 00:44:19,119
less than thirty a year potentially, and if they have

972
00:44:19,159 --> 00:44:22,239
to pay more, it'll be because he's been great enough

973
00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:25,960
to deserve it. But I will acknowledge that, like the

974
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:28,840
things that have happened over the last week or so,

975
00:44:29,599 --> 00:44:33,199
make a trade, like pretty logical. At some point, I.

976
00:44:33,119 --> 00:44:35,480
Speaker 1: Will say if they pay him less. I feel like

977
00:44:35,519 --> 00:44:39,039
teams never squeeze their own guys that are that important,

978
00:44:39,079 --> 00:44:41,079
And so if he has like not a great year

979
00:44:41,159 --> 00:44:43,480
or it's a lateral year, they're still gonna give him

980
00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:45,440
what they offer. I would imagine if it's less, I'm

981
00:44:45,519 --> 00:44:47,880
kind of wondering, Like, man, that must have been some

982
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:51,000
tough sletting in negotiations. But it's is he kind of

983
00:44:51,039 --> 00:44:53,519
the maybe not because he's more important to the Warriors

984
00:44:53,519 --> 00:44:55,079
than Jail and Green is the Rockets, But he's like

985
00:44:55,159 --> 00:44:57,599
kind of the jail and Green of this team in

986
00:44:57,639 --> 00:45:01,000
the sense that he's so divisive, but he's just his

987
00:45:01,079 --> 00:45:03,519
ceiling is so high, and then he's even more important

988
00:45:03,519 --> 00:45:05,119
a Golden State's future than Houston's.

989
00:45:05,559 --> 00:45:08,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, the fourteen other guys, which we're going to talk

990
00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:09,960
about right now, good Sege.

991
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:13,000
Speaker 1: That's why I set it up like that, Houston.

992
00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,000
Speaker 2: Rockets up next again, Like a lot of options here,

993
00:45:15,039 --> 00:45:18,880
just partly because there's so many young players that we're

994
00:45:19,039 --> 00:45:21,519
just not sure like how good or how quickly they're

995
00:45:21,519 --> 00:45:23,320
going to get good and what that's going to look like.

996
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,360
So I'm going with Jabari Smith Junior, and which is

997
00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:30,960
weird because he's sort of a more known commodity than say,

998
00:45:31,039 --> 00:45:34,960
like I'man Thompson or even like Reed Shepherd, uh Cam

999
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:38,599
went more just because like I think we can count

1000
00:45:38,599 --> 00:45:41,480
on the shooting being there. I think I'm I'm mostly

1001
00:45:41,519 --> 00:45:43,480
a believer that he's just going to be a good

1002
00:45:43,599 --> 00:45:46,719
spacing forward who can play a little five. Now that

1003
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:48,400
Shanngoon has got his deal, I don't know how much

1004
00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:49,960
we're going to see of that, and Steven Adams is

1005
00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:53,119
still a thing. The reason to me he's an X

1006
00:45:53,119 --> 00:45:55,880
factor is that he unlocks combinations of all those other

1007
00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:59,079
young guys in ways that you just that is uncomplicated.

1008
00:45:59,519 --> 00:46:01,800
So it's kind of a roundabout way of saying, like

1009
00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:04,960
if Aman Thompson's going to reach his potential, he's probably

1010
00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:06,719
going to do it playing next to Smith because of

1011
00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:09,599
the spacing and the defensive versatility he provides, like just

1012
00:46:09,639 --> 00:46:12,199
go down the line. Smith is kind of the guy

1013
00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:16,000
that as you're putting together like lineup constructions, you can

1014
00:46:16,079 --> 00:46:17,920
just put him out there, and I think he helps

1015
00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:20,519
everybody else around him sort of be the best version

1016
00:46:20,559 --> 00:46:23,280
of themselves. And that's that's true of like Shngoon or

1017
00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:27,519
just literally anybody. So it's a little different approach to

1018
00:46:27,599 --> 00:46:30,400
the X factor thing. But I think his impact on

1019
00:46:30,519 --> 00:46:33,800
everybody else around him that we're not sure about yet,

1020
00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:38,039
I think is so profound that like he registers as one.

1021
00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,000
Speaker 1: I'm I'm totally with you. I think you could have

1022
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,559
gone a bunch of different routes here, but he is

1023
00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:46,199
like the right mix of super high end and an

1024
00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:49,239
X factory. And it's also I don't want to make

1025
00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:51,199
it like this, but where does he fit into the

1026
00:46:51,519 --> 00:46:53,440
He's so plug and play right now at both ends

1027
00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:55,360
of the floor. As you said, he optimizes kind of

1028
00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:57,960
everyone around him and can play in all these different roles,

1029
00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:00,920
like what's the he's going to be extensional after the season,

1030
00:47:00,920 --> 00:47:02,639
and what's the plan for him? Even if you think,

1031
00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:05,880
let's just assume like everyone has that Jalen Green's extension

1032
00:47:06,039 --> 00:47:09,800
was signed so that they could trade him over the offseason. Okay, fine,

1033
00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:12,920
but you've paid shang Gun Tarri Easton's also extension eligible

1034
00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:15,559
next summer. Then you gotta start talking about Ahmed Thompson

1035
00:47:15,920 --> 00:47:18,760
Reed Shepherd's gonna come up after that. Like these are,

1036
00:47:19,039 --> 00:47:21,559
it's not a bad situation to be in, but they're

1037
00:47:21,559 --> 00:47:24,440
not paying over the next two years. They're not paying

1038
00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:26,119
all these guys. So even if you say, well, Jalen

1039
00:47:26,119 --> 00:47:29,199
Green's gonna be God one of Tari Easton or Jabari

1040
00:47:29,199 --> 00:47:31,559
Smith Junior is probably going If you view shang Gun

1041
00:47:31,599 --> 00:47:33,400
as the guy, which I think is smart. He's so

1042
00:47:33,519 --> 00:47:38,360
transcendent on the offensive end, Like that's what's interesting about

1043
00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:40,360
his future, and I think people will look at him.

1044
00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:42,719
And I've even talked to people who don't follow the rockets,

1045
00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:45,360
not an insult to them, like they don't understand how

1046
00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:47,840
good he is because he's filling in all these different

1047
00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:50,599
gaps and he's not not that he's not central to

1048
00:47:50,639 --> 00:47:53,239
what they do, but he's not like front and center

1049
00:47:53,559 --> 00:47:56,039
to everything they do. And that's what makes him so valuable.

1050
00:47:56,039 --> 00:47:58,199
He's able to succeed in that way. And I'll say

1051
00:47:58,519 --> 00:48:01,239
this is someone who I remember how he was considered

1052
00:48:01,320 --> 00:48:04,199
offensively coming out of college. I've been blown away by

1053
00:48:04,239 --> 00:48:06,440
his defense to where if you were asking me, is

1054
00:48:06,480 --> 00:48:10,039
there give me point five all defense teams for his career,

1055
00:48:10,079 --> 00:48:11,679
I might take the over at this point.

1056
00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:15,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's just I mean, he's like a force multiplier

1057
00:48:15,960 --> 00:48:19,719
in that like, well, yeah, what a turn What.

1058
00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:22,079
Speaker 1: A turner phrase by you? Did you have that written down?

1059
00:48:22,119 --> 00:48:23,760
Is it a pot It's.

1060
00:48:23,639 --> 00:48:25,920
Speaker 2: Even it's not even quite right. It's it's more just

1061
00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:28,840
like he allows you to get information about players that

1062
00:48:29,039 --> 00:48:31,239
it makes it easier for you to get information about

1063
00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,199
other players on his team that you need, Whereas like

1064
00:48:34,239 --> 00:48:37,440
so if you're playing Eason and Whitmore and Thompson together,

1065
00:48:37,519 --> 00:48:39,800
it's like, ah, these guys are kind of just in

1066
00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:41,440
the way of each other. You put one of them

1067
00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:43,920
out there or two of them with Smith who's spacing

1068
00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:46,039
and guarding and whatever, and you can just get a

1069
00:48:46,079 --> 00:48:48,719
sense of like, Okay, how do these guys mix in

1070
00:48:49,159 --> 00:48:51,840
with the types of support pieces you're gonna want on

1071
00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:53,920
a good team, which is exactly what it now. He's

1072
00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:56,280
a high end support piece. But like Smith is not

1073
00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:58,559
like a first option, right or me even a second option.

1074
00:48:58,639 --> 00:49:00,800
He's just like the sort of just a three and

1075
00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:04,880
D like big win, like ultra big wing, right, Like

1076
00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:06,840
that's kind of how I view him.

1077
00:49:07,159 --> 00:49:08,679
Speaker 1: But you could watch him and you could see like

1078
00:49:08,719 --> 00:49:12,159
he has that like I'm not comparing the two the

1079
00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:13,800
Kevin Durant in him where it's like no, like he

1080
00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:15,719
wants to operate, get into the mid range, like he's

1081
00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,599
going to take those shots. Yeah, which, by the way,

1082
00:49:18,639 --> 00:49:20,280
the way do you just give him whatever? Like when

1083
00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:21,880
when he can operate on the ball and wants to

1084
00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:23,880
attack that way. But by the way, sometimes they go

1085
00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:25,840
in and the fallaway stuff is pretty it's not always

1086
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,960
going in. But I don't know, he's another player where

1087
00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:31,079
I don't like if you put him in a different

1088
00:49:31,119 --> 00:49:33,880
situation or the Rockets team look different, maybe we would

1089
00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:35,360
have a better gal. I don't know what his ceiling

1090
00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:36,840
is is what I'm getting at it, right, I'm not

1091
00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:38,880
going to put a limit on it. But the fact

1092
00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:41,599
that he can be this good where he's not a

1093
00:49:41,599 --> 00:49:43,719
featured option and he's more of kind of just like

1094
00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:46,679
this defensive anchor than like if you were to like

1095
00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:49,599
his primary responsibilities, he does the most for them on defense,

1096
00:49:49,639 --> 00:49:50,840
I think. Right, that's pretty clear.

1097
00:49:51,119 --> 00:49:54,679
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's good job by me.

1098
00:49:55,159 --> 00:49:58,519
Speaker 1: My team is the Indiana Pacers. You know who I picked?

1099
00:49:58,559 --> 00:50:00,719
Would you have picked the same person before we get

1100
00:50:00,760 --> 00:50:01,079
to him?

1101
00:50:01,519 --> 00:50:05,519
Speaker 2: Uh, Well, there's one other guy who is not even

1102
00:50:05,519 --> 00:50:09,320
in your honorable mention, but he hasn't shown anything, and

1103
00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:12,159
so now you know, now you know who I'm talking about.

1104
00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:16,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think give me the case. I think I think.

1105
00:50:16,639 --> 00:50:17,760
Speaker 2: This is the right pick, though.

1106
00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:20,880
Speaker 1: I went with Bennancmathern, and I hate to be this person.

1107
00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:25,079
I was heavily influenced by their first game of the

1108
00:50:25,119 --> 00:50:28,519
season because I thought jars Walker was going to play.

1109
00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:30,320
Speaker 2: That's the guy I was talking about.

1110
00:50:30,719 --> 00:50:34,119
Speaker 1: Jars Walker barely played, and that is I must not

1111
00:50:34,159 --> 00:50:36,199
have followed him closely enough coming out of college. I

1112
00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:38,199
thought what was going to translate the best from him

1113
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:40,400
was the stuff he could do on defense. And when

1114
00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:42,159
you look at what the Pacers and the Heat on defense,

1115
00:50:42,559 --> 00:50:46,119
it's a Jaris Walker sized player doing what Jarvis Walker

1116
00:50:46,239 --> 00:50:48,679
was supposed to do coming in entering the NBA, and

1117
00:50:48,719 --> 00:50:51,559
he can't get minutes one game. One game. I'm not

1118
00:50:51,559 --> 00:50:54,280
saying I'm proud of it, but that's that's where my

1119
00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:54,800
head is at.

1120
00:50:54,920 --> 00:50:57,960
Speaker 2: Well fair sorry, in fairness to you, it's one game

1121
00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:01,679
and a whole season, so it's not just the one,

1122
00:51:01,679 --> 00:51:03,519
it's it continued and part of.

1123
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:07,239
Speaker 1: That season they did not have Pascal Siakam Right, another

1124
00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:09,639
X factor is okay. So James Wiseman tears his achilles,

1125
00:51:09,679 --> 00:51:11,639
I hope he's okay recovery. I hope he gets a

1126
00:51:11,639 --> 00:51:13,199
good ro It's not gonna be a quick recovery because

1127
00:51:13,199 --> 00:51:15,639
it's never a recovery. But they just don't want to

1128
00:51:15,679 --> 00:51:18,360
play Obie top It wasn't just the Tims thing. People

1129
00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:22,000
like Michael Malone was like James Wiseman gets injured, they

1130
00:51:22,000 --> 00:51:24,519
wouldn't put Obi top It at the five during that game. Anyway.

1131
00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:28,159
I thought about Aaronie Smith here, and I think in

1132
00:51:28,199 --> 00:51:31,039
immediate terms, he might be the pick because of the

1133
00:51:31,079 --> 00:51:34,280
defensive responsibility he's going to shoulder and he looks still

1134
00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:36,480
like a firecracker in transition he fills that three and

1135
00:51:36,559 --> 00:51:38,440
d roll. He don't maybe want him dribbling too much.

1136
00:51:39,079 --> 00:51:42,119
But Benedic Maathrin, it's we're focusing on a lot of

1137
00:51:42,159 --> 00:51:45,199
year three players here. This is no different, but it's

1138
00:51:45,320 --> 00:51:47,360
you're seeing the theory of what he can do on

1139
00:51:47,519 --> 00:51:50,000
offense in a larger context of this team. You saw

1140
00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:52,440
it in preseason, you saw it in their opening game

1141
00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:55,960
of the season. But like they need him to be

1142
00:51:55,960 --> 00:51:58,639
better defensively. I think he's had moments where you I

1143
00:51:58,639 --> 00:52:00,920
don't ever view him is locked down, but like he's

1144
00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:03,760
held his own and been able to scale up. But

1145
00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:05,760
you also need to get to a point where we're

1146
00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:08,840
gonna play him with Haliburton and then Andrew Nemhard and

1147
00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:10,599
then whoever in the front court is Siakam Turner, and

1148
00:52:10,639 --> 00:52:12,960
we're gonna feel really good about what that defense can be.

1149
00:52:13,599 --> 00:52:16,280
As of right now, I don't and I really don't

1150
00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:19,239
blame Benedickmathern for that. It's more about this is why

1151
00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:21,079
he's the X factor to me. The makeup of this

1152
00:52:21,199 --> 00:52:25,880
team is so weird where they've we've known they've needed

1153
00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:28,719
this wing type player forever, they've yet to try and

1154
00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:31,840
go out and get him. People tried to pedal Pascal

1155
00:52:31,880 --> 00:52:34,559
Siakam as that player upon the trade. He was never

1156
00:52:34,639 --> 00:52:36,920
that player maybe first coming into the league, like the

1157
00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:39,280
Pacers didn't even really try to use him defensively as

1158
00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:42,440
that player. I don't think that's his best role defensively,

1159
00:52:42,559 --> 00:52:45,360
And you can only ask Andrew Nemhard to guard up

1160
00:52:45,519 --> 00:52:49,159
so much. And so what do you view Benedickmathern as

1161
00:52:49,199 --> 00:52:51,639
if you're the Pacers by season's end or even the

1162
00:52:51,679 --> 00:52:53,480
trade deadline, if you want to go into that, is

1163
00:52:53,559 --> 00:52:56,480
if you think he's like, Okay, yeah, he can fit

1164
00:52:56,719 --> 00:52:59,719
into the larger context of the offense, all right, cool?

1165
00:53:00,360 --> 00:53:02,039
Is that what you need out of that? Like, this

1166
00:53:02,079 --> 00:53:04,679
guy's about to get paid. So I'm not saying he

1167
00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:07,039
needs to be the answer defensively, but if he can

1168
00:53:07,079 --> 00:53:09,559
continue to get better defensively, and I do think if

1169
00:53:09,599 --> 00:53:12,119
you go back to his rookie season up until now

1170
00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:16,000
in one on one situation specifically, he has gotten better defensively.

1171
00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:19,760
But if you don't view him as an additive on

1172
00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:21,840
that end, or even like I don't even over net

1173
00:53:21,840 --> 00:53:25,360
neutrals enough, I don't understand his like what is the

1174
00:53:25,360 --> 00:53:27,519
future of him on this team, then if you have

1175
00:53:27,599 --> 00:53:30,440
Nemhard and Halliburt, you could just say, well, he's eventually

1176
00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:33,400
like he's just going to settle into that sixth man

1177
00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:37,320
type role. Okay, great, But to me, he's actually clearly

1178
00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:40,639
better than that on the offensive end, like his archetype

1179
00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:43,199
for all he does defensively is a plug and play guy.

1180
00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:45,639
Some of the catching ghost stuff on the ball, some

1181
00:53:45,679 --> 00:53:47,800
of the more methodical stuff on the ball. We'll see

1182
00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:51,119
if he continues to progress as a passer. It's so

1183
00:53:51,320 --> 00:53:53,440
fascinating because I don't put him here because I don't

1184
00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:56,039
think he has value. I just feel like his value

1185
00:53:56,159 --> 00:54:00,320
might be marginalized or is capped on a team that

1186
00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:02,599
is built the way that the Pacers are right now.

1187
00:54:02,599 --> 00:54:05,599
Speaker 2: That's one hundred percent. It's so like, you know, he

1188
00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:09,400
I feel like I default to, Oh, I see the

1189
00:54:09,400 --> 00:54:11,639
skill set, and it's like that's a six man, like

1190
00:54:11,679 --> 00:54:14,000
a very good offensive six man, and like the Pacers

1191
00:54:14,039 --> 00:54:15,800
don't need that, And so he might be an X

1192
00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:17,559
factor in the sense that like if he doesn't show

1193
00:54:17,599 --> 00:54:20,559
the things you're hoping he shows defensively and otherwise he's

1194
00:54:20,599 --> 00:54:24,199
the way you trade for that guy potentially, like and

1195
00:54:24,280 --> 00:54:27,480
like that's it feels early, I guess to be talking

1196
00:54:27,519 --> 00:54:29,800
about that, but like the Pacers aren't a rebuild. This

1197
00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:31,679
is a team that's like ready to try to make

1198
00:54:31,679 --> 00:54:34,360
the conference finals again. So yeah, I think I think

1199
00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:36,039
that's the way to go. Jaris Walker would have been

1200
00:54:36,079 --> 00:54:38,559
my pick, But it's just like the X, the upside

1201
00:54:38,559 --> 00:54:45,760
of the X, Like I just there's.

1202
00:54:42,679 --> 00:54:46,239
Speaker 1: Sorry, is his case stronger or weaker if he's an

1203
00:54:46,239 --> 00:54:49,440
inconsistent part of the regular rotation Walker?

1204
00:54:50,079 --> 00:54:54,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I guess it's stronger just because he's

1205
00:54:54,199 --> 00:54:56,679
playing more and has the potential to have a bigger impact.

1206
00:54:56,719 --> 00:54:59,280
But I I've never heard it quite put like the

1207
00:54:59,559 --> 00:55:02,079
way that you they what they needed. What they need

1208
00:55:02,119 --> 00:55:04,519
basically is what Jarris Walker is supposed to be. Like,

1209
00:55:04,519 --> 00:55:07,199
that's exactly what the Pacers need. So like good pick

1210
00:55:07,320 --> 00:55:09,639
based on the scouting, it just hasn't happened yet.

1211
00:55:10,199 --> 00:55:12,960
Speaker 1: Honestly, I wrote about this for basketball she wrote had

1212
00:55:12,960 --> 00:55:15,639
me on a guest panel shout out Kaitlyn Cooper. One

1213
00:55:15,639 --> 00:55:18,039
of the questions was what were you most what stood

1214
00:55:18,039 --> 00:55:20,280
out to you the most about the Pacers preseason? You

1215
00:55:20,440 --> 00:55:22,760
know that I've just kind of written off Jaredson, like, no,

1216
00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:24,519
he's not really gonna be pluging and playing on offense,

1217
00:55:24,519 --> 00:55:26,719
and so even if the defense comes along, he just

1218
00:55:26,760 --> 00:55:28,840
looks like you put him in any lineup offensively feels

1219
00:55:28,840 --> 00:55:30,599
like he's gonna work. Now, the shooting feels real, He's

1220
00:55:30,599 --> 00:55:33,119
making quick decisions once he catches the ball, and so

1221
00:55:33,119 --> 00:55:36,400
I'm like, oh, okay. But the thing that I thought, well,

1222
00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:38,400
at least maybe I just didn't watch enough of him,

1223
00:55:38,599 --> 00:55:40,119
Like I didn't watch any of him in college. Maybe

1224
00:55:40,159 --> 00:55:42,159
not clear, maybe didn't study him enough coming out of

1225
00:55:42,159 --> 00:55:43,880
the draft. But the thing I thought he was apposed

1226
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,639
to do the best, I'm just kind of like, now, like

1227
00:55:46,679 --> 00:55:48,280
what is going on here.

1228
00:55:49,840 --> 00:55:51,760
Speaker 2: Oh man, all right, I got oh, it's up back

1229
00:55:51,800 --> 00:55:54,119
to me here for three. Here we go, all right,

1230
00:55:54,559 --> 00:55:58,519
So I have the Clippers. Man is the X factor

1231
00:55:58,599 --> 00:56:01,320
like James Harden's usage rate, that's gonna be like in

1232
00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:04,760
the fifties. It looks like this season I went with

1233
00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:08,440
Chris Dunn, and that feels like about as close to

1234
00:56:08,519 --> 00:56:11,239
too deep of a cut as we've had on this.

1235
00:56:11,800 --> 00:56:16,079
And the theory is, just if you're gonna have Harden

1236
00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:19,920
doing everything like you already couldn't ask him to do

1237
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:22,440
anything on defense, and now you really can't expect any

1238
00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:24,840
defense at a Harden. So I just I just view

1239
00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:29,760
Chris Dunn as one sort of a someone who through

1240
00:56:30,000 --> 00:56:33,639
by basically salvaging his career by being a capable three

1241
00:56:33,639 --> 00:56:37,360
point shooter for small samples in the past, like someone

1242
00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:40,079
that can space a little bit you. So therefore he

1243
00:56:40,119 --> 00:56:42,000
can play with Harden, which means you get his defense

1244
00:56:42,039 --> 00:56:43,960
on the floor, which is really the what you're after,

1245
00:56:44,519 --> 00:56:46,880
and can sort of like he's just not a pure

1246
00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:49,320
point guard. I think coming out of college it felt

1247
00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:52,599
like that's what he was viewed as. He can he

1248
00:56:52,639 --> 00:56:54,639
can get the ball over half court and initiate the

1249
00:56:54,639 --> 00:56:56,440
offense as a backup, and I'm fine with that. I

1250
00:56:56,559 --> 00:56:58,960
like him better than like whoever you might Terrence Mann

1251
00:56:59,079 --> 00:57:00,960
or what you want to put the on Nick Batoomb's

1252
00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:03,719
hands as like an initiator or whatever. So he just

1253
00:57:03,800 --> 00:57:06,119
kind of ticks enough boxes for a Clippers team that

1254
00:57:06,159 --> 00:57:08,400
I expect is gonna be pretty bad and it's gonna

1255
00:57:08,440 --> 00:57:11,719
need a lot of help on both ends, especially in

1256
00:57:11,760 --> 00:57:14,079
the backcourt with with what you're asking hard to do.

1257
00:57:14,159 --> 00:57:16,639
He just feels like someone who could have a much

1258
00:57:16,679 --> 00:57:20,599
bigger than you think impact for whatever that's worth in

1259
00:57:20,639 --> 00:57:22,119
a season that I don't have a lot of faith in.

1260
00:57:23,239 --> 00:57:23,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't.

1261
00:57:24,480 --> 00:57:26,039
Speaker 2: I don't know where else do you go on the

1262
00:57:26,039 --> 00:57:27,840
Clippers if not? You know, like, I'm sure there's a

1263
00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:29,280
lot of options because there's a lot of guys that

1264
00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:30,159
are just like Iffy.

1265
00:57:31,079 --> 00:57:33,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I guess with Kawhi out is it

1266
00:57:33,960 --> 00:57:37,280
some I mean, Chris dun would be the smartest answer

1267
00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:40,199
because he'll have to do some stuff on ball. Now.

1268
00:57:40,400 --> 00:57:43,480
I think you probably could have gone with Kevin Porter Junior.

1269
00:57:43,519 --> 00:57:45,320
But then he doesn't. After everyone talking about how much

1270
00:57:45,320 --> 00:57:47,239
he was gonna play for the Clippers, he barely plays

1271
00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:49,159
when they opened into it to him, I.

1272
00:57:49,079 --> 00:57:51,320
Speaker 2: Just don't trust him to make it through a season. Frankly,

1273
00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:53,519
like what for on or off court reasons?

1274
00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:56,079
Speaker 1: So like I know i'd be with you. I'm just

1275
00:57:56,119 --> 00:57:59,000
saying for what they need the most. Chris Dunn doesn't

1276
00:57:59,239 --> 00:58:02,119
on offense, does typify that, But I'm with you in

1277
00:58:02,119 --> 00:58:04,079
the sense that I get it could be. I mean,

1278
00:58:04,159 --> 00:58:08,360
is it is it is a Vicha Zubats too or

1279
00:58:08,440 --> 00:58:11,199
is it is he too high profile because he's I

1280
00:58:11,199 --> 00:58:13,400
find interesting about him is that I don't know if

1281
00:58:13,440 --> 00:58:15,519
ty Lew is still coaching, like it's three years ago,

1282
00:58:15,880 --> 00:58:17,599
but he's still kind of like pulling him for these

1283
00:58:17,639 --> 00:58:21,239
smaller lineups and a Vicha Zubats right now. I mean,

1284
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:22,800
who's better defensively than him?

1285
00:58:23,280 --> 00:58:25,440
Speaker 2: He's their best. The thing with him is he's their

1286
00:58:25,480 --> 00:58:28,519
best defensive player, the most important defensive player, and he's

1287
00:58:28,559 --> 00:58:32,400
all I feel like he is, like if X factors

1288
00:58:32,440 --> 00:58:34,679
have like a pretty wide breadth of outcomes, like we

1289
00:58:34,760 --> 00:58:36,639
just know what Zubats is at this point, you know

1290
00:58:36,679 --> 00:58:38,840
what I mean, Like he's just he's gonna produce pretty

1291
00:58:38,920 --> 00:58:41,280
much in line. Maybe maybe the numbers go up because

1292
00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:43,239
Kawi is out, But like he's just he's just not

1293
00:58:43,880 --> 00:58:46,320
maybe Norm Powell just because you're asking him to play

1294
00:58:46,320 --> 00:58:48,000
a role he hasn't played in a while as a

1295
00:58:48,000 --> 00:58:50,920
starter and like much more featured offensive player. So I

1296
00:58:50,960 --> 00:58:51,960
don't know that there's.

1297
00:58:51,960 --> 00:58:55,199
Speaker 1: Clippers are another team populated by X factors because and

1298
00:58:55,239 --> 00:58:59,079
I think, I like it's weird because Kawhi's absence should

1299
00:58:59,119 --> 00:59:01,159
have this mega trickle down effect, but it's hard to

1300
00:59:01,199 --> 00:59:04,679
spot aside from Harden Well, who's the player that's like

1301
00:59:04,800 --> 00:59:07,079
kind of gonna have to pick up the most slacked there?

1302
00:59:07,119 --> 00:59:09,840
So I think done is he's He's one of probably

1303
00:59:09,840 --> 00:59:11,679
a few right answers, And I honestly I don't have

1304
00:59:11,760 --> 00:59:16,119
like the alternative who Yeah, this was the I'm glad

1305
00:59:16,119 --> 00:59:18,000
I didn't have this team. I'm also glad I didn't

1306
00:59:18,039 --> 00:59:18,719
have this next team.

1307
00:59:19,159 --> 00:59:22,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, I'm a little subject to some recency bias here.

1308
00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:26,239
Speaker 1: This is the Lakers and I this is the whoop.

1309
00:59:26,440 --> 00:59:28,519
Anyone who's watching on YouTube already knows. Can you tell

1310
00:59:28,559 --> 00:59:29,199
them who it is?

1311
00:59:29,480 --> 00:59:31,199
Speaker 2: It's down connect, ladies and gentlemen.

1312
00:59:31,519 --> 00:59:34,519
Speaker 1: This is the team. I didn't talk about this at

1313
00:59:34,559 --> 00:59:37,440
the outset. If I had to pick a coach, the

1314
00:59:37,519 --> 00:59:39,119
Lakers would have probably been the team that I would

1315
00:59:39,159 --> 00:59:39,920
pick the coach for.

1316
00:59:40,360 --> 00:59:44,199
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's interesting. I will say the opener reflected

1317
00:59:44,239 --> 00:59:47,159
well on JJ Reddick. So, but that's one game. We

1318
00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:49,440
got several several more this year, Dan, I don't know

1319
00:59:49,440 --> 00:59:50,440
if you know that they play more.

1320
00:59:50,880 --> 00:59:52,559
Speaker 1: How many of those are we actually gonna watch. I've

1321
00:59:52,599 --> 00:59:53,760
watched my one Lakers game.

1322
00:59:53,800 --> 00:59:55,800
Speaker 2: Oh oh yeah, Quota, I ticked the box, and I

1323
00:59:55,800 --> 00:59:58,559
don't have to watch them anymore. No, So Connect, I

1324
00:59:58,719 --> 01:00:01,280
just like, look the twe straight and the thirty five

1325
01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:03,920
points in the last preseason game. Like did some things

1326
01:00:03,920 --> 01:00:06,320
that I was pretty intrigued by in the opener and

1327
01:00:06,360 --> 01:00:09,320
the pedigree of just like he's ready, he can contribute. Now,

1328
01:00:09,760 --> 01:00:12,840
we both have been dismissive, I think as a reaction

1329
01:00:13,119 --> 01:00:15,440
to Lakers fans thinking Connect is just going to be

1330
01:00:15,480 --> 01:00:17,880
like a plus plus rotation player right off the bat.

1331
01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:20,760
We do not subscribe to that thinking for almost any rookie.

1332
01:00:21,239 --> 01:00:24,679
I'm still kind of there, like, but I do think

1333
01:00:25,239 --> 01:00:28,000
he has the It looks like he's got the game

1334
01:00:28,280 --> 01:00:32,199
to just kind of fit in and plug gaps and

1335
01:00:32,280 --> 01:00:36,880
be a valuable shooter and secondary creator hold up on defense,

1336
01:00:36,960 --> 01:00:39,599
like right place right time stuff. And I think the

1337
01:00:39,679 --> 01:00:43,800
bigger factor is, like if he's really ready for big

1338
01:00:43,920 --> 01:00:47,760
rotation minutes, that's kind of the way forward for Okay,

1339
01:00:47,800 --> 01:00:50,079
now if we're trying to make a big impact trade,

1340
01:00:50,119 --> 01:00:52,760
like we're okay giving up ru Hachimura or like we're

1341
01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:55,280
you know, if there's a little more playmaking in his game.

1342
01:00:55,320 --> 01:00:58,039
I don't like the Delo stuff, Like I don't think

1343
01:00:58,119 --> 01:01:00,480
connect being a good offensive player means you can trade Delo.

1344
01:01:00,559 --> 01:01:02,719
I think you can trade Delo because just any guard

1345
01:01:02,760 --> 01:01:05,920
you get back will be fine. But that's the other

1346
01:01:06,000 --> 01:01:08,480
factor is just like if he's really ready and he's

1347
01:01:08,519 --> 01:01:11,239
on a rookie scale contract and just you know, he's cheap,

1348
01:01:11,559 --> 01:01:14,400
he's making an impact, you can move some of your

1349
01:01:14,440 --> 01:01:17,280
costlier guys in a blockbuster trade. And that's just like

1350
01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:18,920
he enables that a little bit.

1351
01:01:19,840 --> 01:01:23,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't even know, like what the alternative pick

1352
01:01:23,039 --> 01:01:25,519
would be. Maybe it would have to be Ruie.

1353
01:01:26,840 --> 01:01:29,119
Speaker 2: Really looked real good to me in that opener, like

1354
01:01:29,159 --> 01:01:33,400
super aggressive. You could go with like I don't know,

1355
01:01:33,480 --> 01:01:36,239
Jared Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent, just like will they play?

1356
01:01:36,599 --> 01:01:38,440
But that you know, that's a short conversation.

1357
01:01:39,199 --> 01:01:41,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, this team this team is another tough one, but

1358
01:01:41,320 --> 01:01:42,880
I agree. I think I probably would have went with

1359
01:01:42,920 --> 01:01:46,159
Dalton Connect as well. All you could have also went

1360
01:01:46,199 --> 01:01:47,559
with Max Christie, I guess, but.

1361
01:01:47,760 --> 01:01:51,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, he's we moved to the Memphis Grizzlies here

1362
01:01:52,199 --> 01:01:54,679
and I'm going to back to back it here. Another rookie.

1363
01:01:55,159 --> 01:01:56,639
I hope I don't have any more rookies. I think,

1364
01:01:56,679 --> 01:02:00,480
Oh no, I do have one further down. I'm going

1365
01:02:00,519 --> 01:02:03,159
with Zach Edie. We have talked. This is like the

1366
01:02:03,159 --> 01:02:05,800
only discussion point about him basically is like he's going

1367
01:02:05,880 --> 01:02:08,599
to start, and he did, and he's got some real

1368
01:02:08,719 --> 01:02:11,719
pluses and that he's enormous and is actually a good

1369
01:02:11,760 --> 01:02:14,880
finisher inside blocks a lot of shots. How's he going

1370
01:02:14,920 --> 01:02:18,239
to hold up in space? How's he gonna can he

1371
01:02:18,320 --> 01:02:22,159
spread the floor at all? So the questions are as

1372
01:02:22,199 --> 01:02:27,039
obvious as the like quality attributes for him, And I

1373
01:02:27,159 --> 01:02:30,239
just think he has such a potential to change how

1374
01:02:30,280 --> 01:02:33,320
the Grizzlies look because if it's not him in the middle,

1375
01:02:33,679 --> 01:02:36,079
then it's a lot more Jaron Jackson Junior when he's healthy,

1376
01:02:36,440 --> 01:02:41,199
and that just that just changes. Or santi All Dama, Yeah.

1377
01:02:41,119 --> 01:02:43,159
Speaker 1: Superstar, santi Al Dama. I don't know good.

1378
01:02:43,679 --> 01:02:45,599
Speaker 2: He looked good. I mean, he's not an X factor.

1379
01:02:45,639 --> 01:02:49,239
He's just gonna get you twenty seven every night. He also,

1380
01:02:49,320 --> 01:02:51,960
by the way, in that in their opener, he he

1381
01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:54,400
couldn't buy one the first He had such clean looks

1382
01:02:54,440 --> 01:02:56,519
to start the game from three, and like, I think

1383
01:02:56,519 --> 01:02:58,039
it might have only been two, but it felt like,

1384
01:02:58,119 --> 01:02:59,960
oh my god, like if he can't make this shot,

1385
01:03:00,039 --> 01:03:01,920
and then he made all of the rest of the shots.

1386
01:03:02,519 --> 01:03:04,760
But yeah, it has to be eaty, doesn't it. It's

1387
01:03:04,800 --> 01:03:06,880
just like he's either going to be a plus starter

1388
01:03:07,079 --> 01:03:09,480
or like, oh no, we can't play him against a

1389
01:03:09,519 --> 01:03:11,000
lot of lineups. And then what do we do.

1390
01:03:11,559 --> 01:03:15,760
Speaker 1: Is there another rookie who profiles is having the other

1391
01:03:15,960 --> 01:03:18,920
will have the single biggest impact on their team, for

1392
01:03:18,960 --> 01:03:19,679
better or worse?

1393
01:03:20,079 --> 01:03:23,119
Speaker 2: This season's another rookie. Well, there may be some that

1394
01:03:23,159 --> 01:03:25,920
play more, but like that's going to develop over time.

1395
01:03:26,000 --> 01:03:28,840
Like they're just starting him now, you know, Like and

1396
01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:31,360
they're trying to be good or trying to win fifty games,

1397
01:03:31,360 --> 01:03:34,880
so yeah, they know. I think he's he's got for

1398
01:03:34,920 --> 01:03:36,920
better or worse, Like he's just in a position where

1399
01:03:36,920 --> 01:03:40,280
he matters more than I think any other rookie I did.

1400
01:03:40,800 --> 01:03:44,239
Speaker 1: Entering the season, I predicted that he was going to

1401
01:03:44,280 --> 01:03:47,280
average a double double with at least one point five

1402
01:03:47,320 --> 01:03:51,840
blocks per game might and I think that sounds fairly modest,

1403
01:03:52,280 --> 01:03:54,119
but there's not a lot of players who have done that.

1404
01:03:54,360 --> 01:03:57,000
Because like, he's gonna get the ten points. I think

1405
01:03:57,119 --> 01:03:59,159
he's going to play enough. But the only other rookies

1406
01:03:59,199 --> 01:04:01,679
to do that are Tim duncan A, Lonzo morning To,

1407
01:04:01,760 --> 01:04:05,599
Kenbe Matumbo, Shaquille O'Neil, Meca okafor kim O LaJuan, David Robinson,

1408
01:04:05,960 --> 01:04:10,000
Ralph Samsaying, Karl Anthony Towns, and Victor Webbin Yama. I

1409
01:04:10,119 --> 01:04:13,480
felt pretty good about the prediction. I spent some time

1410
01:04:13,559 --> 01:04:16,320
writing saying, as long as he stays out of foul trouble,

1411
01:04:17,119 --> 01:04:21,480
oh boycho And after watching him in preseason, I was

1412
01:04:21,519 --> 01:04:24,679
pretty confident that even if the minutes were borderline where

1413
01:04:24,679 --> 01:04:27,000
he wasn't closer to thirty, he was closer like twenty

1414
01:04:27,000 --> 01:04:29,559
four or something. Oh, this will be fine.

1415
01:04:30,079 --> 01:04:33,320
Speaker 2: He bounthed out in his first with fifteen minutes. I

1416
01:04:33,320 --> 01:04:35,840
think it was like some crazy low total. Yeah no,

1417
01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:38,840
I mean I'm going to excuse that just as like

1418
01:04:39,480 --> 01:04:41,639
you know, the cliche of like the game's moving too

1419
01:04:41,679 --> 01:04:43,800
fast for him. It's like I can imagine on opening

1420
01:04:43,880 --> 01:04:46,599
night of your rookie season you're starting, Like I can

1421
01:04:46,679 --> 01:04:49,320
imagine things looking a little blurry out there, at least

1422
01:04:49,320 --> 01:04:50,440
at the outset.

1423
01:04:50,599 --> 01:04:54,000
Speaker 1: If he is not it as a rookie, which by

1424
01:04:54,000 --> 01:04:56,000
the way, is just possible because he's a rookie. I

1425
01:04:56,039 --> 01:04:57,800
know he's a four year college player. He's still a

1426
01:04:57,840 --> 01:04:59,880
rookie in the NBA. Do you actually think they have

1427
01:05:00,079 --> 01:05:02,119
enough in the front court to overcome that?

1428
01:05:02,639 --> 01:05:04,800
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, Like that's what I mean is like

1429
01:05:04,840 --> 01:05:07,760
it'll I think so just because Jackson can be your center.

1430
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:10,280
I just think he's way more dynamic and exciting if

1431
01:05:10,320 --> 01:05:12,159
you can let him rove off the ball a little more.

1432
01:05:13,599 --> 01:05:17,159
But like you're giving up rebounding, you're giving up like

1433
01:05:17,400 --> 01:05:19,800
a lot more size and length because theoretically, if he's

1434
01:05:19,840 --> 01:05:21,800
your center, you're playing someone who's like a three or

1435
01:05:21,800 --> 01:05:23,039
a four at the you know what I mean, Like

1436
01:05:23,079 --> 01:05:25,280
Aldama is not a force full player if he's your

1437
01:05:25,280 --> 01:05:28,519
starting four next to Jackson. So, like you, I think

1438
01:05:28,559 --> 01:05:30,679
the Grizzlies will still be good just because there's enough

1439
01:05:30,960 --> 01:05:34,320
Ja Morant, Desmond Vane Jackson, like that those three like,

1440
01:05:34,960 --> 01:05:37,559
just give me average players around them. That's a good team.

1441
01:05:37,719 --> 01:05:40,400
It's just very different. It's less. It's less like the

1442
01:05:40,440 --> 01:05:43,159
really good Grizzlies teams with Adams, just like beating the

1443
01:05:43,199 --> 01:05:45,280
shit out of everybody in between all that talent.

1444
01:05:46,440 --> 01:05:50,119
Speaker 1: My turn, We're onto the Miami Heat. I struggled with

1445
01:05:50,159 --> 01:05:52,719
this team and I ended up settling on someone who

1446
01:05:52,719 --> 01:05:54,519
I didn't think I was gonna settle on, but he

1447
01:05:54,559 --> 01:05:57,480
came down to Jaime Hakkez and Nikola Jovis for me.

1448
01:05:58,239 --> 01:06:01,199
I ended up going with Nikola Jovich And in theory

1449
01:06:01,480 --> 01:06:04,800
it should be Hakes. He's just a more dynamic player overall.

1450
01:06:05,199 --> 01:06:08,639
But I'm watching this Heat offense and they just desperately

1451
01:06:08,679 --> 01:06:13,599
need somebody, anybody who's gonna get up threes, yep. And

1452
01:06:13,920 --> 01:06:16,599
Nikoliovitch just look, I know Terry Rozier will get him up,

1453
01:06:16,599 --> 01:06:19,320
I know, but I'm talking about someone kind of not

1454
01:06:19,360 --> 01:06:20,840
I don't even want to say, like from the three,

1455
01:06:20,960 --> 01:06:23,239
four to five spot. Someone's got to get him up.

1456
01:06:23,480 --> 01:06:26,079
And Nikoliovitch is gonna get him up. And I know

1457
01:06:26,119 --> 01:06:28,159
he only met went one to seven in their opening

1458
01:06:28,199 --> 01:06:31,000
game of the season, where they got absolutely trucked by

1459
01:06:31,039 --> 01:06:34,719
the way, I just for what they need him to

1460
01:06:34,719 --> 01:06:38,239
do alongside bam Adebayo, and I think he's he's what

1461
01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:43,000
I think defensively, my hope is for Grady Dick where

1462
01:06:43,039 --> 01:06:45,639
it's okay, he's got size, he's always in the right spots,

1463
01:06:45,679 --> 01:06:47,760
he's got some strength to him, and so I don't

1464
01:06:47,760 --> 01:06:50,000
think he's a great defender, but I think that you

1465
01:06:50,039 --> 01:06:53,559
can build an elite defense with him in the lineup

1466
01:06:53,599 --> 01:06:55,320
as one of your five, whether he's a part of

1467
01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:57,159
that or in spite of him. I don't think he

1468
01:06:57,199 --> 01:06:59,360
can summarne a defense, but he's going to be an

1469
01:06:59,440 --> 01:07:01,719
X factor there because if you're playing alongside bam Adebayo,

1470
01:07:02,159 --> 01:07:04,559
ther responsibility is still going to be fairly like huge.

1471
01:07:04,559 --> 01:07:06,719
You're just gonna get a ton of minutes there. But

1472
01:07:06,840 --> 01:07:08,880
it's made me for the offense. It's just like when

1473
01:07:08,920 --> 01:07:12,800
you're trying to search for unexpected dynamism from this team,

1474
01:07:13,400 --> 01:07:16,159
I'm like, Okay, is hawks ever gonna expand his three

1475
01:07:16,159 --> 01:07:18,840
point volume? And we know what Tyler Hero and Terry

1476
01:07:18,920 --> 01:07:21,880
Rozier can do, But they're doing kind of what you

1477
01:07:21,920 --> 01:07:23,960
expect them to do. Like, where's the swing piece on

1478
01:07:24,039 --> 01:07:26,400
offense gonna come? From and that's where it came down

1479
01:07:26,519 --> 01:07:29,480
for Jime or Nikoli Jovich. For me, I think it's

1480
01:07:29,559 --> 01:07:32,920
Jovic because he seems more, he is playing more of

1481
01:07:32,960 --> 01:07:35,519
a I guess finite role would be the way to

1482
01:07:35,559 --> 01:07:37,639
describe it. But like that role is going to be

1483
01:07:37,679 --> 01:07:39,480
important if you want to open the floor because you

1484
01:07:39,480 --> 01:07:41,400
have bam Madabayo is gonna take more threes. He's not

1485
01:07:41,400 --> 01:07:43,719
gonna take a ton. Jimmy Butler is just not going

1486
01:07:43,760 --> 01:07:46,440
to take a ton of threason. Uh, it might is

1487
01:07:46,440 --> 01:07:47,920
that we'll have to do. Is there a piece or

1488
01:07:47,920 --> 01:07:49,719
panic to be done on Jimmy Butler at this point?

1489
01:07:49,719 --> 01:07:51,719
I don't know. But if if Hawks his volume is

1490
01:07:51,760 --> 01:07:53,559
going to remain where it is, If Heyward HeiG Smith's

1491
01:07:53,599 --> 01:07:56,639
value is going to remain where it is, they need

1492
01:07:57,679 --> 01:08:01,079
Nikola Yovich is floor spacing like they absolutely need it.

1493
01:08:01,519 --> 01:08:03,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think Hawkes is someone I don't

1494
01:08:03,800 --> 01:08:07,239
know if this is totally fair, but like he doesn't

1495
01:08:07,400 --> 01:08:09,239
seem like an X factor to me because it's like, well,

1496
01:08:09,239 --> 01:08:11,239
if he just plays more, he'll just give you more

1497
01:08:11,239 --> 01:08:13,239
of what he's already giving you. Like I maybe maybe

1498
01:08:13,280 --> 01:08:15,599
I'm putting too like low of a ceiling on him,

1499
01:08:15,599 --> 01:08:18,199
but I just think he's a he's a really good

1500
01:08:18,279 --> 01:08:21,239
rotation player, could start. But it's like we kind of

1501
01:08:21,319 --> 01:08:23,640
know what we're getting there. Yovic is the guy that,

1502
01:08:23,760 --> 01:08:26,359
like for a couple of years was when you're making

1503
01:08:26,439 --> 01:08:28,239
up fake Heat trades. It's like, this is the young

1504
01:08:28,279 --> 01:08:29,960
piece that you're getting from the Heat. You know, it's

1505
01:08:30,000 --> 01:08:32,279
picks and Yovich and matching salary because he's got all

1506
01:08:32,279 --> 01:08:34,840
this potential. It's like, now we're here, he's a starter

1507
01:08:35,359 --> 01:08:38,199
and he has to exactly what you said, like show

1508
01:08:38,199 --> 01:08:40,760
me you're a little closer to Laurie Markinen than you know,

1509
01:08:40,840 --> 01:08:44,199
this low usage like non threatening offensive piece you've been,

1510
01:08:44,640 --> 01:08:46,399
which is, you know, somewhat unfair to him because he

1511
01:08:46,399 --> 01:08:48,279
hasn't had a ton of opportunity like now he does,

1512
01:08:48,479 --> 01:08:51,520
and the Heat straight up need him to be like

1513
01:08:51,560 --> 01:08:56,199
a really impactful offensive player, and like we'll just we'll see, well,

1514
01:08:56,239 --> 01:08:58,960
we'll just that's gonna go a long way towards determining

1515
01:08:59,279 --> 01:09:01,960
if you're excluding like the superstars, like what this Heat

1516
01:09:01,960 --> 01:09:04,319
team can do because the offensive sucked forever and like

1517
01:09:04,399 --> 01:09:06,880
he's just a piece that could be one of the

1518
01:09:06,880 --> 01:09:08,880
reasons it doesn't. For the first time, in a while.

1519
01:09:09,479 --> 01:09:12,680
Speaker 1: I also have the Milwaukee Bucks here. This I did

1520
01:09:12,720 --> 01:09:14,560
not have to think too much about. I just don't

1521
01:09:14,560 --> 01:09:16,000
even know why we have the mystery up on screen

1522
01:09:16,079 --> 01:09:18,199
for and watching on YouTube. I went with Gary Trent Junior.

1523
01:09:18,680 --> 01:09:20,840
I thought this was pretty clear. He is a starter.

1524
01:09:21,399 --> 01:09:24,359
But they're going to simultaneously be asking him to do

1525
01:09:24,439 --> 01:09:27,319
a lot of lifting defensively in a way that he

1526
01:09:27,359 --> 01:09:29,640
hasn't done in the past, where it's can you all

1527
01:09:29,720 --> 01:09:31,640
right you want to go for your steals? Like, yeah,

1528
01:09:31,720 --> 01:09:34,399
forcing turnovers is great, but you're also like, you need

1529
01:09:34,439 --> 01:09:37,439
to just be a better, more attentive on ball defender.

1530
01:09:37,880 --> 01:09:40,520
And I mean, how many steals did he have in

1531
01:09:40,560 --> 01:09:42,239
his first game of the season, Grant that would be zero,

1532
01:09:42,560 --> 01:09:46,359
atypical for Garret Trent Junior. So that's huge in itself.

1533
01:09:46,399 --> 01:09:49,079
But they're also kind of asking him to play I

1534
01:09:49,119 --> 01:09:50,920
don't know if it's a different offensive role, but you're

1535
01:09:50,960 --> 01:09:53,399
gonna have to be okay taking six shots on some

1536
01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:56,439
night apparently is he gonna be okay doing that? And

1537
01:09:56,640 --> 01:09:59,000
he's going to have to trust that doing that will

1538
01:09:59,039 --> 01:10:01,680
get him paid, that contributing to a winner will get

1539
01:10:01,760 --> 01:10:04,960
him paid, which is it's it's easier said than done,

1540
01:10:05,399 --> 01:10:07,760
especially when and I know the Bucks season kind of

1541
01:10:07,800 --> 01:10:10,039
went off the rails last year, but like Malik Beasley

1542
01:10:10,159 --> 01:10:13,039
was good for them. He got six million dollars on

1543
01:10:13,039 --> 01:10:15,560
a one year deal from the Detroit Pistons. Gary turn

1544
01:10:15,600 --> 01:10:19,640
Junior is different. He's younger, he's a better defender overall.

1545
01:10:19,720 --> 01:10:22,079
But I'm just interested see how his season plays out.

1546
01:10:22,119 --> 01:10:24,359
I also think, by the way, though, if he's buying

1547
01:10:24,399 --> 01:10:27,239
into this role, he's a near perfect fit for this team.

1548
01:10:27,279 --> 01:10:29,079
I think there are other players that you would want

1549
01:10:29,159 --> 01:10:33,319
defensively in a vacuum, but for their core lineup when

1550
01:10:33,399 --> 01:10:35,960
Chris Middleton is healthy, and by the way, he's probably

1551
01:10:35,960 --> 01:10:39,119
more important than them during Chris Middleton's absence as well.

1552
01:10:39,840 --> 01:10:43,880
And but you look at that five man lineup with Middleton, Lopez, Giannis, Damon,

1553
01:10:43,960 --> 01:10:47,359
Garrit trun Junior that has best in the league potential

1554
01:10:47,479 --> 01:10:50,199
as a five man combination, and you need Gary trun

1555
01:10:50,279 --> 01:10:53,039
Junior to be good for that to happen. I'm optimistic

1556
01:10:53,079 --> 01:10:55,840
that it will be. But if things go sideways, or

1557
01:10:55,840 --> 01:10:59,000
if he's just not having enough of a defensive impact,

1558
01:10:59,079 --> 01:11:00,720
or if he's not dealing well with kind of the

1559
01:11:00,760 --> 01:11:03,439
lower more streamlined offensive volume after what he's kind of

1560
01:11:03,439 --> 01:11:05,600
had in Toronto the past couple of seasons, there are

1561
01:11:05,680 --> 01:11:08,319
some downside here. I ultimately think it's gonna pan out,

1562
01:11:08,399 --> 01:11:11,279
but we also could be looking back at just saying wow,

1563
01:11:11,279 --> 01:11:14,119
I didn't realize how huge that minimum signing was for

1564
01:11:14,159 --> 01:11:16,800
the Bucks, Like we touted it as a bargain, but

1565
01:11:17,239 --> 01:11:18,800
look at how good What are they gonna do without

1566
01:11:18,840 --> 01:11:20,039
it when he leaves over the summer.

1567
01:11:20,479 --> 01:11:24,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's such an interesting player because, like like you said,

1568
01:11:25,560 --> 01:11:28,880
being disruptive is valuable, but it's like a guy that

1569
01:11:30,039 --> 01:11:33,319
really his main defensive impacts are sort are It's like

1570
01:11:33,439 --> 01:11:35,840
it's not quite right to say that it's based on

1571
01:11:35,920 --> 01:11:38,439
being kind of undisciplined, but like he did gamble a lot,

1572
01:11:38,560 --> 01:11:41,039
Like that's how you get the steel totals that he gets.

1573
01:11:41,600 --> 01:11:43,640
And now you're asking him to be very very different

1574
01:11:43,640 --> 01:11:46,119
where it's like be solid because you're guarding somebody that

1575
01:11:46,199 --> 01:11:48,199
you can't ignore and you can't go steel hunting. You

1576
01:11:48,239 --> 01:11:51,640
have to check this guy. And like I mean you

1577
01:11:51,760 --> 01:11:55,600
you said, like can he can he do this smaller role,

1578
01:11:55,680 --> 01:11:59,039
different role well enough and help generate wins enough to

1579
01:11:59,039 --> 01:12:01,520
get paid, Like in his mind it's got to be like,

1580
01:12:02,520 --> 01:12:05,239
that's that's all big ask. You're asking someone to be

1581
01:12:05,439 --> 01:12:08,479
very very different defensively and change how they're playing on offense,

1582
01:12:08,520 --> 01:12:11,960
and he totally matters. Yeah, he's like the only pick here.

1583
01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:14,880
I couldn't even entertain an argument on somebody else.

1584
01:12:15,279 --> 01:12:17,319
Speaker 1: Look the I don't really like going by the shot

1585
01:12:17,399 --> 01:12:19,840
data on this, so I'm gonna use the team performance.

1586
01:12:20,119 --> 01:12:22,880
He guarded Tyre's Maxie a bolt load in their opener,

1587
01:12:23,039 --> 01:12:25,479
and the Sixers there's no Joell ebid in Paul George,

1588
01:12:25,479 --> 01:12:29,720
so take this with a gigaton assault. They average point

1589
01:12:29,800 --> 01:12:32,119
nine to five points per possession when Gary Trent Junior

1590
01:12:32,319 --> 01:12:35,000
guarded Tyrrius Maxin, So I don't know if he has

1591
01:12:35,000 --> 01:12:37,199
that same impact if Joel embid and door Paul George

1592
01:12:37,199 --> 01:12:38,920
are on the court but off to a good start.

1593
01:12:39,279 --> 01:12:41,039
Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll take it back to me here. I have

1594
01:12:41,039 --> 01:12:46,279
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Again, I'm brushing up against like to established,

1595
01:12:46,399 --> 01:12:49,079
too well known, too good of a player, but like,

1596
01:12:50,520 --> 01:12:52,720
just look at the dichotomy of his first two games.

1597
01:12:52,720 --> 01:12:56,439
This is Julius Randall just like atrocious in their opener, right,

1598
01:12:56,520 --> 01:12:58,880
Like Ruyachi Mura's quote of like we kind of know

1599
01:12:58,960 --> 01:13:01,800
he just stands around on defense. Was just so damning,

1600
01:13:01,840 --> 01:13:06,239
and it was like, I mean, first of all, appreciate

1601
01:13:06,239 --> 01:13:08,520
the candor. I wish more players just would say stuff

1602
01:13:08,560 --> 01:13:08,840
like that.

1603
01:13:10,359 --> 01:13:11,640
Speaker 1: He said it so casually.

1604
01:13:11,800 --> 01:13:13,920
Speaker 2: Well, that's the thing. It was like, it wasn't meant disrespectfully.

1605
01:13:13,960 --> 01:13:15,399
It was like a matter of I'm going to give

1606
01:13:15,439 --> 01:13:17,359
you a factual statement on what we talk about when

1607
01:13:17,399 --> 01:13:20,479
we talk about Julius Randall. He just laid it out

1608
01:13:20,479 --> 01:13:23,560
there much better. In their second game against Sacramento was

1609
01:13:23,600 --> 01:13:27,560
like thirteen to seventeen, handle the ball a lot, Yeah,

1610
01:13:27,600 --> 01:13:32,840
super efficient, Like, so there's that aspect out of like,

1611
01:13:32,840 --> 01:13:33,600
what's he gonna.

1612
01:13:33,439 --> 01:13:35,680
Speaker 1: Mind his overall though in that game, I believe.

1613
01:13:35,680 --> 01:13:37,960
Speaker 2: And so how's he gonna a lot of this is

1614
01:13:37,960 --> 01:13:40,279
similar to what you would always talk about with Julius

1615
01:13:40,359 --> 01:13:42,159
Randall is like how does he He's a weird fit,

1616
01:13:42,239 --> 01:13:45,039
like he needs the ball, he doesn't really space reliably.

1617
01:13:45,439 --> 01:13:47,720
And that's just compounded by the fact that he's on

1618
01:13:48,039 --> 01:13:50,319
probably the best team he's ever been on, or at

1619
01:13:50,399 --> 01:13:52,319
least played a lot for, because last year's Nicks, like

1620
01:13:52,359 --> 01:13:54,520
he missed a huge chunk of the important part of

1621
01:13:54,520 --> 01:13:58,039
their season. And the fit is weird With Gobert, is

1622
01:13:58,079 --> 01:14:00,359
he just there because he's a contract that might ex buyer,

1623
01:14:00,920 --> 01:14:03,119
Like is he gonna be traded? Like just view him

1624
01:14:03,119 --> 01:14:05,119
as a trade chip, as an X factor if you want.

1625
01:14:05,199 --> 01:14:07,720
Like he there's just so many angles with him. He's

1626
01:14:07,800 --> 01:14:10,159
just the great unknown there, Like there's a world where

1627
01:14:10,159 --> 01:14:12,760
it works, where it fits, where maybe he figures out

1628
01:14:12,800 --> 01:14:14,760
how to play with Gobert, or maybe it just works

1629
01:14:14,760 --> 01:14:17,119
better with nas Reed. Maybe he's a second unit leader.

1630
01:14:17,159 --> 01:14:20,640
I don't know, but like how he plays the role,

1631
01:14:20,680 --> 01:14:24,159
he occupies the night to night fluctuations, like that's gonna

1632
01:14:24,199 --> 01:14:27,399
have such a massive like say in how good the

1633
01:14:27,399 --> 01:14:29,279
Wolves are this year? So I just I know he's

1634
01:14:29,319 --> 01:14:31,319
really good. But like I just had to go with him.

1635
01:14:32,479 --> 01:14:34,640
Speaker 1: I mean, who else were you? I guess you couldn't

1636
01:14:34,640 --> 01:14:36,720
went with Dante DiVincenzo if you think that he's gonna

1637
01:14:36,720 --> 01:14:39,479
close games over him or just play more overall, but

1638
01:14:39,520 --> 01:14:43,600
that his fit is the entire Like they Dante DiVincenzo,

1639
01:14:43,680 --> 01:14:45,920
we know what's gonna do for them, And like that's

1640
01:14:45,960 --> 01:14:48,319
the piece that Knicks fans struggled the most to give

1641
01:14:48,399 --> 01:14:50,079
up in that trade. I think that's the piece that

1642
01:14:50,119 --> 01:14:52,199
Wolves fans are most excited to get back once they

1643
01:14:52,239 --> 01:14:55,279
came to terms of losing Karl Anthony Towns. Julius Randall's

1644
01:14:55,319 --> 01:14:59,760
fit is probably going to There's Anthony Edwards' continued growth,

1645
01:15:00,239 --> 01:15:02,399
and then after that is Julius Randall's fit is probably

1646
01:15:02,399 --> 01:15:06,920
the second most important factor into their ceiling, both offensively

1647
01:15:06,960 --> 01:15:07,640
and defensively.

1648
01:15:08,760 --> 01:15:10,960
Speaker 2: We've come a long way from h is Rob Dillingham

1649
01:15:11,000 --> 01:15:13,119
ready as the main thing we talk about for the

1650
01:15:13,159 --> 01:15:15,560
Timberwolves like not a concern anymore.

1651
01:15:15,199 --> 01:15:17,159
Speaker 1: I will say, because of how late the trade was

1652
01:15:17,239 --> 01:15:21,000
made the Wolves, I'm inclined to give less time to

1653
01:15:21,039 --> 01:15:23,800
the Knicks, like as a grace period, but like for

1654
01:15:23,840 --> 01:15:27,079
the Wolves, like this might need some time and people

1655
01:15:27,159 --> 01:15:28,520
might need to come to terms with that. Maybe it

1656
01:15:28,600 --> 01:15:31,920
still ends up being a poor fit, but there's probably

1657
01:15:31,920 --> 01:15:33,520
going to be a lot of highs and lows in

1658
01:15:33,520 --> 01:15:36,279
peaks and valleys with him, Like he didn't like he

1659
01:15:36,319 --> 01:15:38,920
had to uproot his life, like right before or during

1660
01:15:39,000 --> 01:15:41,359
training camp basically. And the other thing is like he's

1661
01:15:41,479 --> 01:15:45,319
always been a difficult player to fit in to a

1662
01:15:45,399 --> 01:15:48,079
larger context, and so now you're trying to almost incorporate

1663
01:15:48,159 --> 01:15:52,199
this on the fly so I'm inclined to do you

1664
01:15:52,239 --> 01:15:54,039
agree with that, like I'm inclined to give the Wolves

1665
01:15:54,039 --> 01:15:55,600
more of a grace period to figure it out than

1666
01:15:55,640 --> 01:15:57,000
the Knicks Or is that not fair?

1667
01:15:57,199 --> 01:16:00,640
Speaker 2: No? No, No, I think that's right, just because like Towns

1668
01:16:00,680 --> 01:16:03,359
is just I don't know, we we do this too much.

1669
01:16:03,359 --> 01:16:05,520
But it's like he spaces the floor as a center,

1670
01:16:05,600 --> 01:16:08,000
so like therefore everything's easy on offense, you know, like

1671
01:16:08,039 --> 01:16:10,720
on that opening game. That's the thing, Like that's the

1672
01:16:10,720 --> 01:16:14,680
default you go to. Yeah, and like I agree, you

1673
01:16:14,680 --> 01:16:17,199
have to give him time, but not to get too

1674
01:16:17,199 --> 01:16:20,079
far ahead of ourselves, like if he's gonna decline that

1675
01:16:20,079 --> 01:16:22,920
player option and go into free agency, like you kind

1676
01:16:22,920 --> 01:16:25,159
of have till the trade deadline because you're gonna maybe

1677
01:16:25,239 --> 01:16:27,640
want to move him before.

1678
01:16:27,560 --> 01:16:30,399
Speaker 1: You get this happens for the idea that he would

1679
01:16:30,399 --> 01:16:32,640
opt out and you could just wipe that twenty t well.

1680
01:16:32,800 --> 01:16:34,800
Speaker 2: I mean that's like the darkest timeline if you're a

1681
01:16:34,800 --> 01:16:37,319
Wolves fan. Right, it was a purely financial move, Like

1682
01:16:37,319 --> 01:16:39,920
you gotta hate that. I have the New Orleans Pelicans next,

1683
01:16:40,359 --> 01:16:43,840
and this is a deeper cut. So I feel good

1684
01:16:43,880 --> 01:16:48,159
about the contrast here, although I am annoyed that opposing

1685
01:16:48,159 --> 01:16:51,319
broadcasts and even the Pelicans broadcast are now just talking

1686
01:16:51,359 --> 01:16:53,600
about already. Some of it is preseason, and some of

1687
01:16:53,600 --> 01:16:56,880
it was the opener of just like, oh, this guy

1688
01:16:57,239 --> 01:16:59,399
so much more costs, Like damn it stopped talking about him.

1689
01:16:59,399 --> 01:17:03,359
I feel like I was I was in early Jordan Hawkins.

1690
01:17:04,479 --> 01:17:07,239
Who's that Yeah, let me tell you Bill as the

1691
01:17:07,279 --> 01:17:11,880
best movement shooter in his draft class. You know, the

1692
01:17:12,600 --> 01:17:16,279
utility of a player like him, given his size is

1693
01:17:16,399 --> 01:17:19,000
a little bit limited. There's a cap on it. But

1694
01:17:19,239 --> 01:17:21,960
for this Pelicans team, that is just like losing guys

1695
01:17:22,000 --> 01:17:26,199
left and right. I think having just a plus plus

1696
01:17:26,239 --> 01:17:29,960
movement shooter who might have some on ball stuff maybe

1697
01:17:30,079 --> 01:17:32,199
or at least like the kind of on ball stuff

1698
01:17:32,199 --> 01:17:35,279
that really dangerous respected shooters have where it's like upfake

1699
01:17:35,359 --> 01:17:38,279
two dribbles, I'm making a pass because you're terrified that

1700
01:17:38,319 --> 01:17:41,079
I'm gonna shoot the three. Like he could have a

1701
01:17:41,119 --> 01:17:46,000
real outsize impact on how New Orleans plays offensively, whether

1702
01:17:46,039 --> 01:17:48,720
that involves an actual center or not, just to have

1703
01:17:48,760 --> 01:17:52,079
the dimension of someone that saying contrast to Brandon Ingram,

1704
01:17:52,159 --> 01:17:54,279
who when he's sprinting moving around off the ball like

1705
01:17:54,319 --> 01:17:57,039
he's looking for threes, as opposed to look into like

1706
01:17:57,359 --> 01:17:59,439
take a hand off, two dribbles into the you know,

1707
01:17:59,600 --> 01:18:01,920
inside the arc, and pull up like that's just a

1708
01:18:01,960 --> 01:18:04,960
different dimension than they get from anybody else. Trey Murphy

1709
01:18:05,279 --> 01:18:07,640
has insanely deep range, but he's more of like a

1710
01:18:07,720 --> 01:18:09,800
catch and shoot guy. I don't I don't know if

1711
01:18:09,840 --> 01:18:13,439
he's like he doesn't have the dynamic movement that Hawkins does,

1712
01:18:13,479 --> 01:18:17,199
and like I think Hawkins like shot versatility to use

1713
01:18:17,239 --> 01:18:20,800
like the kind of hoity toity, you know, scout term

1714
01:18:20,920 --> 01:18:23,359
is like he doesn't need to have those feet perfectly

1715
01:18:23,399 --> 01:18:25,479
set to get off like a really good look, and

1716
01:18:25,520 --> 01:18:27,359
he can do it at like a Wayne Ellington like

1717
01:18:27,439 --> 01:18:29,359
dead sprint to pull up like that kind of thing

1718
01:18:29,560 --> 01:18:32,119
does It doesn't even deeper pull Wayne Ellington, by the way.

1719
01:18:33,000 --> 01:18:34,920
So yeah, I think he just he gives the Pelicans

1720
01:18:34,960 --> 01:18:37,279
something they can't get from really anybody else. And so

1721
01:18:37,319 --> 01:18:38,279
that's why I'm picking him.

1722
01:18:39,199 --> 01:18:42,439
Speaker 1: What is his role on this team when they're at

1723
01:18:42,439 --> 01:18:44,279
full strength, which we just might not see by the way,

1724
01:18:44,319 --> 01:18:46,600
So Zion miss is the opener and then Jean say

1725
01:18:46,640 --> 01:18:48,359
Murray's gonna be out four to six weeks after having

1726
01:18:48,359 --> 01:18:51,399
surgery on his hand. So I would think in the interim,

1727
01:18:52,199 --> 01:18:54,680
Jordan Hawkins will pull, especially while Trey Murphy's out. By

1728
01:18:54,439 --> 01:18:56,800
the way, now he's gonna play a lot now, I think, right,

1729
01:18:56,880 --> 01:18:59,479
but when Trey Murphy comes back, when de Jontay Murray

1730
01:18:59,560 --> 01:19:02,880
comes back, By the way, this isn't necessarily related, but

1731
01:19:02,920 --> 01:19:05,960
we're now at another point where it's you want to

1732
01:19:06,000 --> 01:19:08,600
know how brandon Ingram fits in when they're at full strike, Well,

1733
01:19:08,680 --> 01:19:10,520
you know what, fuck that, You're not gonna see it

1734
01:19:10,520 --> 01:19:12,800
because now they're gonna need to do more stuff on

1735
01:19:12,840 --> 01:19:15,159
the ball with Right now, he's suddenly.

1736
01:19:14,760 --> 01:19:16,479
Speaker 2: Back to like I guess Zion will be fine, but

1737
01:19:16,520 --> 01:19:18,439
it's just he was just sick. But it's like, so

1738
01:19:18,560 --> 01:19:20,680
now we're back to like we need brandon Ingram to

1739
01:19:20,760 --> 01:19:23,800
dominate the offense for like the several minutes every night.

1740
01:19:23,880 --> 01:19:26,800
Speaker 1: I just not go one season without this team without

1741
01:19:26,880 --> 01:19:29,479
having to say, oh, like we really just need to

1742
01:19:29,479 --> 01:19:32,680
see when it's all together for an extended period of time.

1743
01:19:32,880 --> 01:19:34,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe brandon Ingram should be there.

1744
01:19:34,439 --> 01:19:36,319
Speaker 1: That was a deep cut. I favorite. I don't know

1745
01:19:36,319 --> 01:19:38,159
who else you could have really gone with. I have

1746
01:19:38,199 --> 01:19:40,359
the Knicks, though, I guess you could have gone with

1747
01:19:40,399 --> 01:19:41,840
Trey Murphy. Right if you wanted to.

1748
01:19:42,680 --> 01:19:44,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, right, because it's like, oh, this is the

1749
01:19:44,560 --> 01:19:46,960
guy they paid. He's gonna play over brandon Ingram once

1750
01:19:47,000 --> 01:19:48,119
we trade him like that kind of thing.

1751
01:19:48,199 --> 01:19:49,880
Speaker 1: Or you could have used brandon Ingram. I guess like

1752
01:19:49,960 --> 01:19:52,840
that's super high profile, but you probably could have made

1753
01:19:52,840 --> 01:19:53,199
a case.

1754
01:19:53,039 --> 01:19:54,000
Speaker 2: For brand to make the argument.

1755
01:19:54,600 --> 01:19:58,279
Speaker 1: So I have the Knicks I want with Douced McBride here,

1756
01:19:58,560 --> 01:20:01,319
I think you could. Rapidly it's becoming clear like maybe

1757
01:20:01,399 --> 01:20:03,479
Josh Hart could be the pick. Is he gonna start

1758
01:20:03,640 --> 01:20:05,760
is like what is he gonna look like? But the

1759
01:20:05,840 --> 01:20:08,399
Knicks very clearly seemed to view him as like the

1760
01:20:08,640 --> 01:20:12,399
sixth man and an extension of their starting lineup? Is

1761
01:20:12,399 --> 01:20:14,520
he good enough to be viewed that? Like the whole

1762
01:20:14,920 --> 01:20:17,239
idea of this Knixt team and kind of getting past

1763
01:20:17,319 --> 01:20:20,640
their depth is they have six or seven guys that

1764
01:20:20,680 --> 01:20:23,920
you can trust and regardless of how deep you're going

1765
01:20:23,960 --> 01:20:26,520
Deuce McBride, whether it's six or seven, he needs to

1766
01:20:26,560 --> 01:20:28,439
be one of those guys. I don't know. We've just

1767
01:20:28,479 --> 01:20:31,239
seen enough Depencil. We know what energy's gonna bring. Defensively,

1768
01:20:31,279 --> 01:20:33,640
he's mostly plug and playing on the offensive end. But

1769
01:20:33,680 --> 01:20:36,319
if you're gonna put him in certain lineups. His defensive

1770
01:20:36,359 --> 01:20:38,760
workload's gonna be heavier. There are gonna be certain lineups

1771
01:20:38,760 --> 01:20:41,479
where if you're not you know, like you might need

1772
01:20:41,520 --> 01:20:43,600
him to give you some Paul Handley, even though that's

1773
01:20:43,680 --> 01:20:46,279
not necessarily how they view him. And he's also an

1774
01:20:46,359 --> 01:20:48,079
X factor in the sense of, well, if you're really

1775
01:20:48,159 --> 01:20:50,359
trying to be five out, does it make more sense

1776
01:20:50,479 --> 01:20:53,520
to play him a bunch with the four non Josh

1777
01:20:53,600 --> 01:20:56,680
Hart starters. So there's all types of ways he's going

1778
01:20:56,720 --> 01:20:59,119
to impact this team. But I think probably even just

1779
01:20:59,119 --> 01:21:02,239
the bigger thing. Okay, they have mcal Bridges, they have Ojananobi.

1780
01:21:02,520 --> 01:21:06,560
We're talking point of attack defense against specifically smaller advantage creators.

1781
01:21:06,960 --> 01:21:09,520
He is their best option, like that is just because

1782
01:21:09,560 --> 01:21:12,000
O Janninoby's gonna have to be doing especially he seems

1783
01:21:12,039 --> 01:21:14,119
like he's gonna be tethered to Karl Anthony Towns his minutes,

1784
01:21:14,159 --> 01:21:16,560
maybe even more so than Jalen Brunton is. At this point,

1785
01:21:16,600 --> 01:21:18,079
I don't know how much to take away from one

1786
01:21:18,159 --> 01:21:21,520
or two games, though, like that's McHale Bridges could do that,

1787
01:21:21,840 --> 01:21:24,000
he could probably even arguably like that might be better for

1788
01:21:24,079 --> 01:21:25,960
him than in og who I think you'd rather guard

1789
01:21:26,039 --> 01:21:28,199
up than down. I'm opening to that discussion. But like

1790
01:21:28,479 --> 01:21:30,960
duce McBride is your primary point of attack, defender is

1791
01:21:31,239 --> 01:21:36,079
the answer. So he's low key carrying a like a

1792
01:21:36,079 --> 01:21:39,840
lot of hopes on his shoulders because if he's inconsistent

1793
01:21:39,960 --> 01:21:42,359
on either end of the floor, we're not talking about

1794
01:21:42,359 --> 01:21:45,520
the names going five players deep, because if if your

1795
01:21:45,560 --> 01:21:48,199
seventh players trustworthy, we're getting into the precious that you

1796
01:21:48,319 --> 01:21:50,600
as the Mitchell Robinson if if, and when he's healthy,

1797
01:21:50,640 --> 01:21:53,279
which just by me saying that means he can't be

1798
01:21:53,319 --> 01:21:56,319
one of the seven tacks trust the most. So there's

1799
01:21:56,359 --> 01:21:58,640
a lot riding on duce McBride.

1800
01:21:59,199 --> 01:22:01,399
Speaker 2: I would just say too, there aren't a lot of

1801
01:22:01,479 --> 01:22:06,640
guys that are currently reserves that you would guarantee will

1802
01:22:06,680 --> 01:22:09,279
have multiple games this season where they play like forty

1803
01:22:09,279 --> 01:22:13,279
five minutes, Like what because who what if it's Bridges

1804
01:22:13,319 --> 01:22:16,359
that goes out or Og or brunts and god forbid,

1805
01:22:16,479 --> 01:22:19,560
like he's just gonna play a ton. So like in

1806
01:22:19,640 --> 01:22:21,359
terms like, there just aren't a lot of guys in

1807
01:22:21,399 --> 01:22:25,760
his role that are gonna be positioned to basically like

1808
01:22:26,159 --> 01:22:28,560
decide whether your team wins or loses on a given

1809
01:22:28,640 --> 01:22:30,840
night and if you're like, the crazy thing is you know,

1810
01:22:30,920 --> 01:22:32,159
so we know he can do that because he did

1811
01:22:32,199 --> 01:22:33,640
it last year. And I always cite this, like he

1812
01:22:33,760 --> 01:22:36,000
just had a million forty point game ring that stretch

1813
01:22:36,039 --> 01:22:39,439
where everybody was hurt or forty minute games. Sorry, the

1814
01:22:39,800 --> 01:22:43,239
problem was he averaged like seventeen points per game when

1815
01:22:43,239 --> 01:22:45,760
he was getting like forty three forty four. So like

1816
01:22:46,079 --> 01:22:48,520
he has to not just play a lot potentially, but

1817
01:22:48,560 --> 01:22:50,439
like he might need to be a little more productive,

1818
01:22:50,880 --> 01:22:53,399
you know, because like now he's just elevated in the rotation.

1819
01:22:54,039 --> 01:22:56,520
Speaker 1: Well, and it's I think even more so than the scoring,

1820
01:22:56,600 --> 01:22:59,520
it's can he do any of the secondary ball handling,

1821
01:22:59,560 --> 01:23:02,560
because all right, is Tyler Koleik ready as a rookie

1822
01:23:02,600 --> 01:23:05,000
And I just there's something about being too reliant on

1823
01:23:05,079 --> 01:23:08,880
campaign in the year twenty twenty four, twenty five. That's

1824
01:23:09,239 --> 01:23:13,000
I'm just a little iffy on that. So like and

1825
01:23:13,079 --> 01:23:15,760
also if he's able to do any of that, maybe

1826
01:23:15,800 --> 01:23:17,760
it changes the calculus on how the Knicks are looking

1827
01:23:17,760 --> 01:23:19,560
to make their next move, because there's no way this

1828
01:23:19,600 --> 01:23:22,239
team is done willing and dealing at this point. Everyone's

1829
01:23:22,279 --> 01:23:26,359
assumed that they're gonna target a secondary point guard or creator,

1830
01:23:26,359 --> 01:23:28,439
someone to run the offense. If Duce can do enough

1831
01:23:28,479 --> 01:23:31,920
of that in tandem with or in conjunction with having

1832
01:23:31,960 --> 01:23:34,239
Tyler Kollak, maybe campaign gives you more than you think.

1833
01:23:34,479 --> 01:23:36,319
Maybe you're a going to look for a more consistent

1834
01:23:36,600 --> 01:23:39,000
five that's more available than a Mitchell Robinson, or maybe

1835
01:23:39,079 --> 01:23:41,279
like this team could use some wing depth to Like

1836
01:23:42,159 --> 01:23:45,159
I we probably didn't even talk about this enough. The

1837
01:23:45,199 --> 01:23:48,159
top of this team is so good on paper. I'm

1838
01:23:48,279 --> 01:23:51,119
just how many players on this team do you trust?

1839
01:23:52,199 --> 01:23:54,520
Everyone wants to say, oh, seven or eight if Mitch

1840
01:23:54,600 --> 01:23:57,319
is healthy. The answer is six. And that's if you

1841
01:23:57,359 --> 01:23:59,720
include Duce McBride. The answer is six. And I don't

1842
01:23:59,720 --> 01:24:02,760
want to here. Oh well, Tyler cole pocom Dottie like

1843
01:24:02,840 --> 01:24:04,399
he looks ready.

1844
01:24:03,800 --> 01:24:05,880
Speaker 2: Nobody says. Nobody's saying they trust those guys.

1845
01:24:06,079 --> 01:24:09,079
Speaker 1: Oh, Dottie is like a thing among Nick's Twitter, which

1846
01:24:09,119 --> 01:24:11,479
is I think it's fine, but I don't like. They

1847
01:24:11,479 --> 01:24:14,000
think he's gonna be in the rotation when the Knicks

1848
01:24:14,000 --> 01:24:17,079
are at full strength. Now, maybe that's okay, but we

1849
01:24:17,239 --> 01:24:19,399
know that's good. We have a ton of history that

1850
01:24:19,479 --> 01:24:21,479
shows that rookies are not going to contribute at a

1851
01:24:21,560 --> 01:24:25,680
high level to should be contender. So that's we still

1852
01:24:25,720 --> 01:24:27,239
have to see how all these moves pan out. I'm

1853
01:24:27,279 --> 01:24:29,359
not saying the Knicks are gonna suck or mis expectations

1854
01:24:29,439 --> 01:24:31,640
or that they were necessarily overrated, but we need to

1855
01:24:31,640 --> 01:24:33,960
stop pretending like they have more than six guys that

1856
01:24:34,000 --> 01:24:36,439
you can legitimately truy Like I don't care about the

1857
01:24:36,439 --> 01:24:38,359
flashes of precious of Cheway. He's been all over the

1858
01:24:38,359 --> 01:24:40,760
place for the most part. And then Mitchell Robinson is

1859
01:24:40,800 --> 01:24:41,960
good when he plays.

1860
01:24:42,239 --> 01:24:44,800
Speaker 2: How excited are you for when the Knick signed Markel

1861
01:24:44,840 --> 01:24:45,760
Folts after.

1862
01:24:45,640 --> 01:24:49,800
Speaker 1: Campaign Oklahoma City Thunder, they were your team?

1863
01:24:50,800 --> 01:24:53,880
Speaker 2: Uh okay, so another team where you could go a

1864
01:24:53,880 --> 01:24:56,439
lot of different routes. We're skewing towards the star side

1865
01:24:56,439 --> 01:24:59,640
of things here. I'm going with Chet Holgren, and I

1866
01:24:59,680 --> 01:25:02,239
went with with him. I made this decision before he

1867
01:25:02,640 --> 01:25:05,079
out played Nicola jokicch in the opener. That's a little

1868
01:25:05,079 --> 01:25:06,640
bit of an exaggeration, but not much.

1869
01:25:08,239 --> 01:25:08,399
Speaker 1: So.

1870
01:25:08,680 --> 01:25:12,720
Speaker 2: This just on the theory that we don't know what

1871
01:25:12,840 --> 01:25:15,319
kind of star Chet Holmgren is going to end up being,

1872
01:25:15,359 --> 01:25:18,039
but he will be one, and so that just opens

1873
01:25:18,119 --> 01:25:21,359
up so many possibilities for just this year for example,

1874
01:25:21,479 --> 01:25:25,720
Like yeah, they the thunder gave eighty seven million dollars

1875
01:25:25,760 --> 01:25:28,119
to Isaiah Hartenstein. He's gonna play a big role once

1876
01:25:28,119 --> 01:25:30,720
he's healthy. I still think you might just decide that

1877
01:25:30,800 --> 01:25:33,279
chet Holmgren has the five. If he's gonna hold up defensively,

1878
01:25:33,319 --> 01:25:35,600
if he looks stronger, that's just gonna be the best

1879
01:25:35,640 --> 01:25:37,680
version of your team on a lot of nights. So

1880
01:25:37,880 --> 01:25:40,920
that will depend on him being you know, the shop blog.

1881
01:25:41,039 --> 01:25:43,119
He's a great defensive player. Can he do that as

1882
01:25:43,159 --> 01:25:46,000
a full time anchor against like the best bigs in

1883
01:25:46,039 --> 01:25:51,079
the league? Like so far, results signs points. Then we're

1884
01:25:51,079 --> 01:25:54,640
talking about a team that has had secondary playmaking concerns.

1885
01:25:54,760 --> 01:25:56,560
Oh it's Jayalen Willms is fine, he's gonna do it.

1886
01:25:56,640 --> 01:25:58,720
I think that's true. But you also might get a

1887
01:25:58,760 --> 01:26:00,760
whole lot of that from chet Holmgren just because he's

1888
01:26:00,800 --> 01:26:04,560
so much more than like he's He's not the shot blocking,

1889
01:26:04,600 --> 01:26:07,279
floor spacing big that like you think he is. He's

1890
01:26:07,319 --> 01:26:09,560
not just a knockdown three point shooter. If anything, that's

1891
01:26:09,600 --> 01:26:11,800
like a weak point right now. Just the three point

1892
01:26:11,880 --> 01:26:14,199
accuracy and the quickness with which he gets a shot off,

1893
01:26:14,319 --> 01:26:16,000
He'll put it on the deck and like make a play,

1894
01:26:16,000 --> 01:26:18,880
whether that's finishing, whether that's finding somebody. There's just so

1895
01:26:18,960 --> 01:26:23,000
many avenues for him to be just a just a

1896
01:26:23,119 --> 01:26:26,560
ridiculously important player for the Thunder and like at the

1897
01:26:26,640 --> 01:26:28,279
highest level, because the Thunder are going to try to

1898
01:26:28,319 --> 01:26:30,560
win a title this year and for however many years

1899
01:26:30,600 --> 01:26:33,520
after this. So I think we're talking about high level

1900
01:26:33,560 --> 01:26:39,039
stuff like he he his ability to hit whatever version

1901
01:26:39,079 --> 01:26:41,760
of his ceiling ends up being like the actual one,

1902
01:26:42,319 --> 01:26:44,760
just is what could elevate the thunderdoe point where it's

1903
01:26:44,800 --> 01:26:47,079
like it's a joke that we're thinking about anybody else

1904
01:26:47,079 --> 01:26:48,680
winning championships for a while.

1905
01:26:49,479 --> 01:26:52,399
Speaker 1: The and if anyone we record an entire segment on

1906
01:26:52,479 --> 01:26:54,479
Chad hool we're going pollow his performance against the Nuggets.

1907
01:26:54,479 --> 01:26:56,000
Go check it out on our YouTube channel if you

1908
01:26:56,039 --> 01:26:58,840
haven't already, and maybe just subscribe while you're there. The

1909
01:26:58,920 --> 01:27:01,359
thing that I think may him the right pick here

1910
01:27:01,960 --> 01:27:03,560
is that if you had to pick out a weakness

1911
01:27:03,560 --> 01:27:05,880
for Okac, it would be if you had to pick

1912
01:27:05,880 --> 01:27:09,000
out two, it'd be Okay, Well beyond Shay and j Dubb,

1913
01:27:09,479 --> 01:27:12,359
who are your best initiators of the offense, and then

1914
01:27:12,359 --> 01:27:14,960
it was their three point shooting that portrayed them. Chet

1915
01:27:15,000 --> 01:27:17,399
Hulgrin can be the anecdote to all those things. And

1916
01:27:17,439 --> 01:27:20,119
I honestly think just knowing the type of games that

1917
01:27:20,159 --> 01:27:22,760
Alex Caruso and Case and Wallace play, the only other

1918
01:27:22,800 --> 01:27:25,760
answer here might be Aaron Wiggins, and it's you know,

1919
01:27:25,800 --> 01:27:28,720
he showed some different type of moxy off the dribble

1920
01:27:28,880 --> 01:27:31,520
against the Nuggets. We've seen those Aaron Wiggins moments, but

1921
01:27:31,560 --> 01:27:34,279
he looks more comfortable than ever doing that. But if

1922
01:27:34,279 --> 01:27:36,840
you're trying to frame it through, I know Isaiah Hartenstein's here,

1923
01:27:36,840 --> 01:27:39,880
but he's not really gonna the three point shooting that

1924
01:27:39,920 --> 01:27:42,399
we saw in the playoffs. That's not Isaiah Hartstein's not

1925
01:27:42,399 --> 01:27:44,239
coming in to fix that. Maybe as a passer out

1926
01:27:44,239 --> 01:27:47,079
of the short role, Chetleman has the ability to make

1927
01:27:47,119 --> 01:27:50,319
it so that to me that the thunder are and

1928
01:27:50,359 --> 01:27:52,880
I mean this literally we use eleven of ten no

1929
01:27:53,000 --> 01:27:55,359
notes team like that's the Celtics right now. But you

1930
01:27:55,399 --> 01:27:58,760
coul still quibble the chrisofsporzingis health if chet hung Grin

1931
01:27:59,279 --> 01:28:01,600
is hitting through ease, and it's just the even the

1932
01:28:01,680 --> 01:28:03,439
version we saw against the Nuggets of what he did

1933
01:28:03,520 --> 01:28:06,840
inside the arc with his passing plus the defense. What

1934
01:28:06,960 --> 01:28:09,000
is the Thunder's weakness.

1935
01:28:09,479 --> 01:28:12,479
Speaker 2: That I mean youth, you've inexperience, like, which is just

1936
01:28:12,520 --> 01:28:14,920
like that's not really you know, you're you're not. That's

1937
01:28:14,920 --> 01:28:15,880
not the question you're asking.

1938
01:28:16,359 --> 01:28:18,479
Speaker 1: No, I mean I I but that's what you have

1939
01:28:18,520 --> 01:28:20,640
to like, that's what people had to cling to last

1940
01:28:20,720 --> 01:28:24,960
year too. Except so there's because there are we talk

1941
01:28:25,000 --> 01:28:27,600
about the Thunder and glowing terms because they are. There

1942
01:28:27,640 --> 01:28:30,279
are very few teams that are set up both financially,

1943
01:28:30,479 --> 01:28:33,840
it's not even both so functionally financially and then in

1944
01:28:33,920 --> 01:28:35,840
terms of assets of being able to roll this thing

1945
01:28:35,840 --> 01:28:39,079
over to run shit for the next however many years.

1946
01:28:39,119 --> 01:28:42,520
All these other teams feel like Boston has been here,

1947
01:28:42,560 --> 01:28:44,039
but they're kind of it feels like coming to the

1948
01:28:44,159 --> 01:28:46,520
end in the sense like there will still be a contenders,

1949
01:28:46,560 --> 01:28:49,199
but there might be some real turnover here. They've had

1950
01:28:49,279 --> 01:28:52,239
like their seven years where like, Okase he's on that

1951
01:28:52,239 --> 01:28:54,279
that's really fucking hard to do. That's why we talk

1952
01:28:54,359 --> 01:28:58,119
about them and the Celtics in glowing terms. But like

1953
01:28:58,600 --> 01:29:00,800
I don't even think I can fab the like how

1954
01:29:00,840 --> 01:29:03,399
good this team might be and for how long it

1955
01:29:03,439 --> 01:29:06,279
could be that good if chet Holmers just gonna actualize

1956
01:29:06,279 --> 01:29:08,159
his ceiling, which we both agree at this point is

1957
01:29:09,760 --> 01:29:12,439
top single digit player in the NBA. That's his ceiling.

1958
01:29:12,439 --> 01:29:13,880
I'm not saying he's gonna hit that outcome, but that

1959
01:29:13,960 --> 01:29:16,279
is on the table and that is bonkers. So I

1960
01:29:16,319 --> 01:29:19,159
think that was the right pick because of how much

1961
01:29:19,439 --> 01:29:22,600
like he has the ability to just make them teflon like,

1962
01:29:22,640 --> 01:29:25,279
I'm like, just go ahead, point to the Thunders we

1963
01:29:25,399 --> 01:29:29,000
spot like, what is it? Yeah, I have the Orlando

1964
01:29:29,079 --> 01:29:31,760
Magic and I went with someone who was about to

1965
01:29:31,840 --> 01:29:34,439
start one hundred and fifty million dollar extension next year,

1966
01:29:34,920 --> 01:29:37,319
and that's Jail and sucks. I have him as the

1967
01:29:37,479 --> 01:29:40,039
X factor because I think you could point to Okay,

1968
01:29:40,119 --> 01:29:41,960
he was one of them. He was probably their best

1969
01:29:42,039 --> 01:29:44,000
three point shooter last year when you look at volumet

1970
01:29:44,000 --> 01:29:46,760
efficiency wise, because only two of their players made one

1971
01:29:46,800 --> 01:29:48,439
hundred threes last year. He was one of them, and

1972
01:29:48,439 --> 01:29:49,920
he shot at a good clip. So you want that

1973
01:29:50,000 --> 01:29:54,680
to continue. But they've made very few changes offensively. Yes,

1974
01:29:54,720 --> 01:29:57,439
you added Kintabius called well Pope, but if you're banking

1975
01:29:57,479 --> 01:29:59,840
on ranking in the top half of offensive efficiency for

1976
01:29:59,880 --> 01:30:03,319
the first time since at the start of time, I

1977
01:30:03,359 --> 01:30:06,560
guess you kind of need Jaellen Suggs to be even better,

1978
01:30:06,680 --> 01:30:09,760
specifically in the half court. And I think through the preseason,

1979
01:30:10,079 --> 01:30:12,520
through their first game of the season, it still doesn't

1980
01:30:12,520 --> 01:30:14,600
look like they're gonna trust him with a ton of

1981
01:30:14,680 --> 01:30:17,399
methodical work. And I would like to see him pick

1982
01:30:17,479 --> 01:30:19,680
up his dribble less when he's kind of getting in

1983
01:30:19,720 --> 01:30:21,680
a lane or having to like guys around him develop.

1984
01:30:22,199 --> 01:30:24,039
But I do see the outline of a player that

1985
01:30:24,079 --> 01:30:26,640
can do more facilitation here, more table setting overall, and

1986
01:30:26,640 --> 01:30:29,600
he is like if Kevin Love was smaller or Nikoli

1987
01:30:29,640 --> 01:30:32,359
Jokich was smaller. He has the gall to throw those

1988
01:30:32,399 --> 01:30:35,399
outlet passes. And for a Magic team that I think

1989
01:30:35,479 --> 01:30:37,680
is built to get out in transition more than it does,

1990
01:30:38,000 --> 01:30:39,960
I view that element as an next factor as well.

1991
01:30:40,279 --> 01:30:42,279
And so even if you want to boil it down

1992
01:30:42,279 --> 01:30:44,199
to what type of table setting can he do out

1993
01:30:44,199 --> 01:30:47,199
of his drives which improved last year as well, you

1994
01:30:47,279 --> 01:30:49,159
need him to kind of stay this course, not just

1995
01:30:49,199 --> 01:30:51,399
because you invested in him, but I view as a

1996
01:30:51,439 --> 01:30:53,479
next factor in the sense, and I've said this before,

1997
01:30:54,000 --> 01:30:56,760
I'm not entirely certain that Franz Vogner is the second

1998
01:30:56,800 --> 01:30:59,319
most important player on this team. I have a case

1999
01:30:59,359 --> 01:31:02,159
for Jaalen sugg Ugs. I just made it. I don't

2000
01:31:02,159 --> 01:31:05,840
see the same level of facilitation, let alone defense, out

2001
01:31:05,840 --> 01:31:09,039
of Franz Wagner. And you have questions about Jalen suggs jumper,

2002
01:31:09,079 --> 01:31:12,640
I have questions about Froanz Wagner's jumper two. So I

2003
01:31:12,760 --> 01:31:15,880
like that's a discussion that might make him an X

2004
01:31:15,920 --> 01:31:18,720
factor this. I think this Orlando team, they've decided this

2005
01:31:18,760 --> 01:31:21,600
is our core between Suggs Wagner and then we know

2006
01:31:21,720 --> 01:31:24,279
Palo is gonna get paid. I think that's fine, but like,

2007
01:31:24,399 --> 01:31:27,520
you need Suggs to kind of okay, this guy needs

2008
01:31:27,520 --> 01:31:29,319
to hit if you're not planning on making any other

2009
01:31:29,359 --> 01:31:32,680
offensive substantial offensive changes. I don't want to hear about

2010
01:31:32,720 --> 01:31:35,000
Anthony Black. I just don't want to. Like, he might

2011
01:31:35,039 --> 01:31:37,279
be a good player, but you're not saddling the level.

2012
01:31:37,399 --> 01:31:40,039
You just paid Jalen Suggs one hundred and fifty million

2013
01:31:40,079 --> 01:31:41,600
dollars in an extension. That's quite a bit of money.

2014
01:31:41,680 --> 01:31:44,000
Even in the new cap era it's declining. I think

2015
01:31:44,000 --> 01:31:45,439
it was a smart deal for them to get some

2016
01:31:45,479 --> 01:31:47,560
of the higher expenditures out of the way and that

2017
01:31:47,640 --> 01:31:49,840
as Palo gets paid, it gets a little easier maneuver.

2018
01:31:50,359 --> 01:31:52,560
But like you, I think you need him to make

2019
01:31:52,840 --> 01:31:54,800
And maybe we wouldn't have said this last year, but

2020
01:31:54,880 --> 01:31:57,239
as both a score and a passer, you want him

2021
01:31:57,279 --> 01:32:00,399
to make another jump off of what he did like year.

2022
01:32:00,680 --> 01:32:02,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think if you're gonna go with

2023
01:32:02,920 --> 01:32:05,119
the offensive side, which you just should if you're talking

2024
01:32:05,119 --> 01:32:07,319
about Orlando, because that's where the growth needs to happen,

2025
01:32:08,000 --> 01:32:10,960
he's the pick because like you're just you paid him,

2026
01:32:11,000 --> 01:32:13,039
so now it's fair to ask, but you're asking him

2027
01:32:13,039 --> 01:32:18,720
to grow in ways that like it just you're not

2028
01:32:18,760 --> 01:32:21,159
sure he can do. And it's like it's necessary now

2029
01:32:21,159 --> 01:32:24,479
because you're fairly financially. They gave everybody new money over

2030
01:32:24,520 --> 01:32:27,199
the off season. They just extended everybody, everybody, and it's

2031
01:32:27,239 --> 01:32:30,079
like not to the point where it's like, oh, you know,

2032
01:32:30,159 --> 01:32:32,760
we're too expense Like you're basically in the sense of

2033
01:32:32,800 --> 01:32:36,039
like you're committed pretty clearly to like the guys that

2034
01:32:36,119 --> 01:32:38,359
are here, not in an inflexible way that you can't

2035
01:32:38,359 --> 01:32:40,159
trade him. In fact, like a lot of these numbers

2036
01:32:40,199 --> 01:32:42,279
are going to be very tradable because of the declining

2037
01:32:42,279 --> 01:32:44,760
structure and stuff. But like you're just asking sugs who

2038
01:32:44,800 --> 01:32:46,760
made the three point shooting leap to make leaps in

2039
01:32:46,800 --> 01:32:49,439
other offensive areas now and also still be like one

2040
01:32:49,479 --> 01:32:51,840
of the best defensive guards in the league. Whether he

2041
01:32:51,920 --> 01:32:53,880
can or can't do that is going to really have.

2042
01:32:54,039 --> 01:32:57,439
Just like will the Magic's offense be abovely average or not,

2043
01:32:57,560 --> 01:33:00,600
We'll just probably go back to that because Palell is

2044
01:33:00,600 --> 01:33:02,399
gonna be what he is, Like he provides a lot

2045
01:33:02,399 --> 01:33:05,079
of cover, but he was very good last year on offense,

2046
01:33:05,119 --> 01:33:07,279
and they're in the bottom ten, So like that's a

2047
01:33:07,319 --> 01:33:09,279
good one if you're going the other way. Just the

2048
01:33:09,359 --> 01:33:11,439
quick just the thought. And like we always talk about,

2049
01:33:11,439 --> 01:33:12,880
like how much of an impact can he really have

2050
01:33:12,920 --> 01:33:15,439
because he plays fifteen minutes a night, But like the

2051
01:33:15,439 --> 01:33:18,560
Magic's overall defensive numbers weren't, you know, mind blowing. They

2052
01:33:18,560 --> 01:33:21,199
were top ten, but barely in the minutes that Jonathan

2053
01:33:21,199 --> 01:33:22,880
Isaac was not on the floor last year and they

2054
01:33:22,880 --> 01:33:26,119
were just insanely better than everybody's when he was. And

2055
01:33:26,199 --> 01:33:28,439
so if you like, say he goes down, this is

2056
01:33:28,520 --> 01:33:30,239
we don't like to use the injury side of things

2057
01:33:30,279 --> 01:33:32,279
as an X factor, but he's kind of a unique

2058
01:33:32,279 --> 01:33:34,840
case because he's had so many like if he's not healthy,

2059
01:33:35,159 --> 01:33:37,920
then Orlando's greatest strength, you know, potentially could be the

2060
01:33:37,960 --> 01:33:42,119
best defense in the league. It's like, well now they're tenth, twelfth, whatever, like,

2061
01:33:42,399 --> 01:33:44,760
so then your offense really has to be better if

2062
01:33:44,760 --> 01:33:47,800
you're gonna sustain the spot in the East hierarchy that

2063
01:33:47,800 --> 01:33:50,720
they occupied last year. So that would be my other nomination,

2064
01:33:50,880 --> 01:33:53,119
just the do you get the fifteen minutes of Jonathan

2065
01:33:53,159 --> 01:33:54,079
Isaac every night or not?

2066
01:33:55,079 --> 01:33:56,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a you could have gone with probably a

2067
01:33:56,880 --> 01:33:58,159
few different options here as well.

2068
01:33:58,239 --> 01:34:00,039
Speaker 2: You do Anthony Black, I know you disissed him, but

2069
01:34:00,079 --> 01:34:01,840
it's like, are you gonna or Jet Howard? Like are

2070
01:34:01,880 --> 01:34:03,159
either of you going to be anything?

2071
01:34:03,640 --> 01:34:05,239
Speaker 1: Jet Howard would be another one to where it's like

2072
01:34:05,239 --> 01:34:07,520
he provides a lot of what they need on this team.

2073
01:34:07,560 --> 01:34:10,000
I just after the extension it kind of see aed it.

2074
01:34:10,119 --> 01:34:11,920
I was on the fence with Jalens is he two

2075
01:34:12,000 --> 01:34:13,880
high end and we the problem is I'm so high

2076
01:34:13,920 --> 01:34:16,119
on Jalen Suggs. But once they gave him the money,

2077
01:34:16,119 --> 01:34:17,720
it was okay, like no, this is very clearly like

2078
01:34:17,760 --> 01:34:19,880
they've invested in him, like he is one of the dudes.

2079
01:34:20,079 --> 01:34:23,119
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, and he probably is like we're talking about

2080
01:34:23,159 --> 01:34:24,840
him as an X factor, but he's really good.

2081
01:34:25,279 --> 01:34:29,680
Speaker 1: I have the Philadelphia seventy six Ers, and there's probably

2082
01:34:29,720 --> 01:34:31,520
a bunch of different routes you could go because this

2083
01:34:31,640 --> 01:34:33,800
roster is so new outside of the Stars for the

2084
01:34:33,800 --> 01:34:36,279
most part. If you want to go with kJ Martin

2085
01:34:36,640 --> 01:34:39,079
because of the human trade excepter, who might actually play

2086
01:34:39,159 --> 01:34:42,479
by the way, fine, I went with Caleb Martin, another

2087
01:34:42,560 --> 01:34:46,239
Martin here, and I had this conversation with Kyle Nubeck

2088
01:34:46,359 --> 01:34:49,000
of Phly that I thought people were There was a

2089
01:34:49,039 --> 01:34:51,880
lot of kind of handwringing over the Sixers just don't

2090
01:34:51,880 --> 01:34:54,960
have like this premier stop around the perimeter and it's okay,

2091
01:34:54,960 --> 01:34:57,239
well they didn't have that. Who was that last year

2092
01:34:57,479 --> 01:35:00,640
for them? So you have Joel Embiid and like Paul

2093
01:35:00,680 --> 01:35:03,479
George and Kayla Martin are good enough, Kelly bred Junior

2094
01:35:03,479 --> 01:35:05,319
can do stuff on the ball. Kyle Lowry still just

2095
01:35:05,359 --> 01:35:07,199
has his moments. I mean, he'll be frustrating as hell,

2096
01:35:07,239 --> 01:35:09,880
but he still has his moments. My whole thing is

2097
01:35:10,119 --> 01:35:13,479
all right and beand's not gonna play a ton this

2098
01:35:13,720 --> 01:35:15,800
Like by a ton, I mean, is he gonna play

2099
01:35:15,880 --> 01:35:18,760
sixty five games? Pretty clearly not. No, is Paul George

2100
01:35:18,800 --> 01:35:21,119
gonna play in sixty five games. I have no fucking idea.

2101
01:35:21,239 --> 01:35:24,640
Probably not. Keith Martin's gonna be doing some really heavy

2102
01:35:24,680 --> 01:35:28,600
defensive lifting, because if you have Andre Drummond or yabou

2103
01:35:28,680 --> 01:35:31,000
Celli as your five, a lot of this stuff is

2104
01:35:31,000 --> 01:35:33,000
gonna need to happen from the outside in more so

2105
01:35:33,079 --> 01:35:36,039
than the inside out at that point. And it's different

2106
01:35:36,159 --> 01:35:38,720
when you're kind of sharing it in tandem with a

2107
01:35:38,800 --> 01:35:40,760
Paul George and you have Kyle Lowry and you can

2108
01:35:40,800 --> 01:35:43,239
move Kelly Oubray Junior around and even Eric Gordon's at

2109
01:35:43,319 --> 01:35:46,920
least long. But like when there's very clearly going to

2110
01:35:46,960 --> 01:35:50,479
be games plural, not just the beginning of the season,

2111
01:35:50,479 --> 01:35:51,960
but the middle of it, maybe the end of a

2112
01:35:52,000 --> 01:35:54,399
two at this rate, where you don't have either Paul

2113
01:35:54,439 --> 01:35:57,600
George or Joelle and Beid. There's just so much riding

2114
01:35:57,600 --> 01:35:59,520
on him. I don't We can get into the offense

2115
01:35:59,560 --> 01:36:01,399
and how he might need to be higher volumement points.

2116
01:36:01,439 --> 01:36:03,880
I don't fucking care. It is all about the defense

2117
01:36:03,920 --> 01:36:06,319
for me. That he needs to be probably the best

2118
01:36:06,399 --> 01:36:09,279
version or the near best version of himself defensively to

2119
01:36:09,359 --> 01:36:11,840
feel really good about the sixers at least up until

2120
01:36:11,880 --> 01:36:13,640
they do whatever they're gonna do with the trade. Thenline,

2121
01:36:13,640 --> 01:36:16,079
when Tary Easton is in Philadelphia.

2122
01:36:15,680 --> 01:36:18,399
Speaker 2: Yeah, and uh, coming off the bench, it looks like

2123
01:36:18,479 --> 01:36:20,359
which even though Nick Nurse is acknowledged he's one of

2124
01:36:20,399 --> 01:36:22,399
their five best players, it's like, I think you need

2125
01:36:22,399 --> 01:36:24,359
this guy out there to guard the other team's like

2126
01:36:24,439 --> 01:36:26,239
top threats, don't you don't you like that? Seems like

2127
01:36:26,279 --> 01:36:26,960
a strange call.

2128
01:36:27,159 --> 01:36:30,520
Speaker 1: So I get the call when you have Paul George

2129
01:36:30,560 --> 01:36:31,880
and Joel Embiide, right, But.

2130
01:36:31,920 --> 01:36:36,000
Speaker 2: When you don't get him in there, you want to get.

2131
01:36:35,960 --> 01:36:38,479
Speaker 1: Him into the rhythm of coming off the bench. So

2132
01:36:38,640 --> 01:36:41,800
I guess he's still gonna play a bunch. But I

2133
01:36:41,840 --> 01:36:44,880
think I thought he was incredibly important and it was

2134
01:36:44,920 --> 01:36:47,520
a good pickup. But like, imagine, think about this team

2135
01:36:47,520 --> 01:36:50,800
defensively right now, if they just didn't figure out how

2136
01:36:50,800 --> 01:36:52,680
to get Caleb Martin that wasn't a given.

2137
01:36:52,880 --> 01:36:56,000
Speaker 2: Yeah right, there'd be a lot of bigger questions for sure,

2138
01:36:56,359 --> 01:36:58,359
or Paul George would just have to be like five

2139
01:36:58,399 --> 01:37:00,039
years ago, Paul George defensive.

2140
01:36:59,680 --> 01:37:02,720
Speaker 1: Would you would you've gone with? Aside from the Joelle

2141
01:37:02,760 --> 01:37:05,000
and b Nie haha, anyone who's gonna be in the

2142
01:37:05,000 --> 01:37:07,399
comments with that? But would you've gone, was there like

2143
01:37:07,439 --> 01:37:09,439
anyone else that you would have picked off this roster?

2144
01:37:09,960 --> 01:37:12,439
Speaker 2: The only and I think he's too good, the only

2145
01:37:12,640 --> 01:37:15,520
Like there is an X factor element to Tyrese Maxi,

2146
01:37:15,680 --> 01:37:18,439
because like he's gonna go from being a third option

2147
01:37:18,720 --> 01:37:20,600
on a lot of nights to someone that needs to

2148
01:37:20,640 --> 01:37:23,880
take like thirty two shots, you know, like just depending

2149
01:37:23,880 --> 01:37:25,079
on who's out there with him or not.

2150
01:37:25,319 --> 01:37:27,520
Speaker 1: Right, and once he once they acquire Jonathan Kamingo, he

2151
01:37:27,600 --> 01:37:29,560
might need to be the fourth option, right, Yeah, who's

2152
01:37:29,600 --> 01:37:29,880
to say.

2153
01:37:29,960 --> 01:37:32,199
Speaker 2: I mean, probably asked for a trade that takes us

2154
01:37:32,199 --> 01:37:34,720
to the Phoenix Suns, which is my team. This is

2155
01:37:34,800 --> 01:37:36,680
when I threw out, like just kind of in the moment,

2156
01:37:36,760 --> 01:37:38,720
but I'm gonna defend it. So I'm going with the

2157
01:37:38,800 --> 01:37:40,640
rookie Ryan Dunn.

2158
01:37:40,840 --> 01:37:43,000
Speaker 1: And don't defend it to me because do you know

2159
01:37:43,039 --> 01:37:45,960
what what part of my predictions piece that I filed

2160
01:37:46,199 --> 01:37:48,039
the day of the season started, I predicted he would

2161
01:37:48,079 --> 01:37:49,039
make it all rookie team.

2162
01:37:49,239 --> 01:37:52,239
Speaker 2: Oh boy, okay, great, So I'll just get out of

2163
01:37:52,239 --> 01:37:55,039
the way. I mean, it's it's fairly straightforward, like to

2164
01:37:55,079 --> 01:37:56,960
his billing coming out of college, is this guy is

2165
01:37:57,479 --> 01:38:00,279
maybe the best defensive guy in the draft, like ready

2166
01:38:00,319 --> 01:38:02,600
to play, does everything but shoot, And then he comes

2167
01:38:02,600 --> 01:38:05,239
out in the preseason he shoots, and so now it's like, Okay,

2168
01:38:05,359 --> 01:38:07,319
is this guy just part is he? Do we need

2169
01:38:07,399 --> 01:38:09,520
Royce O'Neil anymore? Are we just gonna close every night

2170
01:38:09,560 --> 01:38:12,800
with Ryan dunne like that is that the plan? Probably not?

2171
01:38:13,279 --> 01:38:16,439
But if he's like we talk about rookies this way

2172
01:38:16,479 --> 01:38:19,760
all the time, if he's a positively impactful player as

2173
01:38:19,800 --> 01:38:22,399
a rookie for a team like this that's really trying

2174
01:38:22,399 --> 01:38:24,960
to win and you can use him laid in games

2175
01:38:25,479 --> 01:38:28,920
and feel really good about it, Like what a win

2176
01:38:29,239 --> 01:38:32,119
for a Sun's team that was just like I don't know,

2177
01:38:32,119 --> 01:38:35,680
They're defining feature is like inflexibility and like just can't

2178
01:38:35,680 --> 01:38:38,159
add anybody, Like yeah, they got tyas Jones and Monty

2179
01:38:38,159 --> 01:38:40,720
Morris that that's impressive on its own, but like to

2180
01:38:40,760 --> 01:38:42,439
go get a guy like this in the draft when

2181
01:38:42,439 --> 01:38:44,079
you're not going to be making a first round pick

2182
01:38:44,119 --> 01:38:47,720
for a while. His potential to just make different a

2183
01:38:47,760 --> 01:38:51,439
difference for this team is like it's enormous, all rookie,

2184
01:38:51,520 --> 01:38:53,920
it would be like what a win that would be

2185
01:38:54,000 --> 01:38:55,960
for the Sons if he was an all rookie level player.

2186
01:38:56,119 --> 01:38:58,800
Speaker 1: Do you know what the pathway is? It's the maybe

2187
01:38:58,840 --> 01:39:01,760
a scaled down version of what Derek Lively did last year,

2188
01:39:01,800 --> 01:39:04,119
which was contributed to it because Cason Wallace would be

2189
01:39:04,119 --> 01:39:07,920
a good analog there. Right To comes in plays within it,

2190
01:39:08,000 --> 01:39:10,960
plays his ass off on defense, which we know he

2191
01:39:10,960 --> 01:39:12,960
can do. And he looked by the way from their

2192
01:39:13,000 --> 01:39:15,560
first game against the Clippers right done for the minutes

2193
01:39:15,560 --> 01:39:17,319
that heason to play, looks like he might be ready defensively.

2194
01:39:17,560 --> 01:39:20,199
It all comes down to offense. I will say preseason

2195
01:39:20,239 --> 01:39:24,880
is preseason is preseason? Those threes I like, I understand

2196
01:39:24,920 --> 01:39:26,760
it's a small sample, but it's a little bit bad

2197
01:39:26,880 --> 01:39:30,159
we had in college. They didn't look like he was.

2198
01:39:30,239 --> 01:39:32,560
It was in rhythm. It's like it was just teams

2199
01:39:32,600 --> 01:39:34,560
are gonna give them to him, And so it becomes different.

2200
01:39:34,560 --> 01:39:36,359
What does that do to the spacing if they're gonna

2201
01:39:36,439 --> 01:39:39,560
be open if he's hitting them in rhythm and like,

2202
01:39:39,720 --> 01:39:42,039
defenses will have to start to guard him a little

2203
01:39:42,039 --> 01:39:43,600
bit more to at least open the floor for the

2204
01:39:43,760 --> 01:39:45,960
like he won't be a capslock floor space or I'm

2205
01:39:45,960 --> 01:39:48,840
not saying he's gonna be Marcus Smart where it's always

2206
01:39:48,840 --> 01:39:50,840
taking eight attempts of games and defenses even when they're

2207
01:39:50,840 --> 01:39:53,000
not going in are gonna react. But like if you're

2208
01:39:53,079 --> 01:39:55,439
hitting the threes that defense are giving you, where it's

2209
01:39:55,479 --> 01:39:58,840
not like Josha Kogi who's on this team, there's hesitation,

2210
01:39:59,159 --> 01:40:02,039
there's like a buffer internet wind up to it. If

2211
01:40:02,079 --> 01:40:05,199
you're just hitting them in rhythm with like a moderate

2212
01:40:05,920 --> 01:40:09,800
quick release, moderately quick release. Excuse me. That's the pathway

2213
01:40:09,800 --> 01:40:12,079
to him making it all rookie team. Now. Am I

2214
01:40:12,119 --> 01:40:15,239
sipping too much of the preseason kool aid? Probably? But

2215
01:40:15,680 --> 01:40:16,760
I think it's on the table.

2216
01:40:17,079 --> 01:40:18,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, what else do we have to go

2217
01:40:18,319 --> 01:40:20,399
on at this point? We got to be a little reactionary.

2218
01:40:20,720 --> 01:40:24,479
We got another West team for me here Portland Trail Blazers. Man,

2219
01:40:25,359 --> 01:40:30,960
I'm really concerned about how much I'm influenced by one game,

2220
01:40:31,239 --> 01:40:33,439
But here we are. It's Scoot Henderson did.

2221
01:40:33,319 --> 01:40:34,239
Speaker 1: Not start a year.

2222
01:40:36,239 --> 01:40:39,880
Speaker 2: That's the thing, right, Like what so? I mean I

2223
01:40:39,960 --> 01:40:43,319
get it, like Anthony Simon's maybe you're showcasing him to

2224
01:40:43,399 --> 01:40:45,920
trade him or maybe and not, there's no maybe he's

2225
01:40:45,960 --> 01:40:48,119
just a better player than Scoot Henderson. So start him

2226
01:40:48,119 --> 01:40:51,119
at the one. That's fine. Essentially they started Timani Kamara

2227
01:40:51,199 --> 01:40:53,079
at the two, I want to say, because it was

2228
01:40:53,159 --> 01:40:55,800
like an ultra big lineup with Danny Avdya loved Danny Avdia,

2229
01:40:56,319 --> 01:40:59,880
Jeremy Grant, and then Ayton was at center in the Blazers.

2230
01:40:59,880 --> 01:41:03,840
Oh so like Kamara is also a second year player

2231
01:41:04,359 --> 01:41:08,840
and sure his development matters, but it's like what don't

2232
01:41:08,880 --> 01:41:11,000
I mean, don't what are we doing? What is what

2233
01:41:11,119 --> 01:41:13,680
is Portland's plan if not to just see what Scoot

2234
01:41:13,840 --> 01:41:15,640
is and the fact that he's coming off the bench,

2235
01:41:15,680 --> 01:41:18,760
like I don't feel like that positions him for success better.

2236
01:41:18,840 --> 01:41:21,800
I guess you go against backups, but your supporting cast

2237
01:41:21,920 --> 01:41:24,319
is worse. Like I don't know, it's just a bad

2238
01:41:24,359 --> 01:41:27,079
sign to me that we're here now, like the greatest

2239
01:41:27,079 --> 01:41:30,039
point guard prospect since anyone ever is coming off the

2240
01:41:30,039 --> 01:41:33,640
bench in year two. So there's your downside for the

2241
01:41:33,720 --> 01:41:35,640
X factor. The upside is that just like he's still

2242
01:41:35,680 --> 01:41:40,039
athletically does some super impressive stuff, like there's low hanging fruit,

2243
01:41:40,119 --> 01:41:43,199
like just finish better at the basket, be more on balance,

2244
01:41:43,399 --> 01:41:45,520
Like there's still the potential still there. We can't just

2245
01:41:45,600 --> 01:41:47,840
ride it all the way off. So he's here just

2246
01:41:47,960 --> 01:41:51,520
because well two reasons. One, man the lows could be low,

2247
01:41:51,520 --> 01:41:54,560
and man the highs, though hope is dwindling, could still

2248
01:41:54,600 --> 01:41:57,760
be high. And two related to that is like where

2249
01:41:57,800 --> 01:42:00,640
are the Blazers in their rebuild if this guy ain't

2250
01:42:00,640 --> 01:42:03,079
it like that? That's I mean, talk about a franchise

2251
01:42:03,119 --> 01:42:05,760
crossroads like that. That's a big one. So that's that's

2252
01:42:05,760 --> 01:42:07,640
why he was a fairly easy pick for me here.

2253
01:42:08,159 --> 01:42:12,199
Speaker 1: Well, this is this is related to that. I just

2254
01:42:12,279 --> 01:42:14,520
the idea that and I know one of them's injured.

2255
01:42:15,239 --> 01:42:18,319
You don't have Donovan Klagen's Koot Henderson or Shane's Sharp

2256
01:42:18,399 --> 01:42:21,640
starting for you on opening night, all of whom were

2257
01:42:21,720 --> 01:42:24,159
drafted in the top Clayton was six, so the top

2258
01:42:24,199 --> 01:42:26,000
seven because it was Sharp five or seven.

2259
01:42:26,119 --> 01:42:29,000
Speaker 2: I think Sharp was. Uh, I'm gonna say top seven,

2260
01:42:29,079 --> 01:42:30,920
but might be five top seven. We'll say top seven

2261
01:42:30,960 --> 01:42:31,960
to be safe.

2262
01:42:31,840 --> 01:42:35,000
Speaker 1: Right, Like that's just a weird That's again I understand

2263
01:42:35,000 --> 01:42:38,359
that Sharpe understand that he's injured, but Scoot is not.

2264
01:42:38,680 --> 01:42:41,199
At this point, I don't. I had this conversation and

2265
01:42:41,239 --> 01:42:43,520
I respect the hell out of her. Tarabo and Biggs

2266
01:42:43,520 --> 01:42:45,880
when we were doing. He was picked seventh, by the way, sharp,

2267
01:42:45,960 --> 01:42:47,279
so that was good that we went with top seven.

2268
01:42:47,279 --> 01:42:50,640
Look us Paul Rudmeme enter it. I was having this discussion.

2269
01:42:50,640 --> 01:42:52,159
She was like, well, what's the harm in bringing him

2270
01:42:52,159 --> 01:42:55,199
off the bench? And I just I guess in theory,

2271
01:42:55,479 --> 01:42:58,399
conceptually there is no harm. But if he's supposed to

2272
01:42:58,399 --> 01:43:01,760
be the guy, like what are you doing? But if

2273
01:43:01,760 --> 01:43:04,359
you're if your goal is to make his job easier,

2274
01:43:04,520 --> 01:43:06,479
that's not gonna be his job moving forward to put

2275
01:43:06,560 --> 01:43:08,960
him in the job, especially this isn't a team by

2276
01:43:09,000 --> 01:43:11,800
the way, we're not talking about the Wizards necessarily, Like,

2277
01:43:11,840 --> 01:43:14,000
there are veterans around him, so you want to start

2278
01:43:14,000 --> 01:43:16,560
the veterans. Start the veterans around Scoop. That's how you

2279
01:43:16,600 --> 01:43:18,920
make his job easier in a role that he will

2280
01:43:18,920 --> 01:43:22,239
be in, or at least hopefully in a role that

2281
01:43:22,279 --> 01:43:24,199
he will be playing for the rest of his career.

2282
01:43:24,600 --> 01:43:29,439
Speaker 2: So there's again fair point, like why do we need

2283
01:43:29,479 --> 01:43:31,800
to throw him into the fire, Like, let's maybe if

2284
01:43:31,840 --> 01:43:34,319
you could make the case I suppose that coming off

2285
01:43:34,359 --> 01:43:36,520
the bench like is the better long term play. But

2286
01:43:36,560 --> 01:43:40,800
it's like why why this is no, this is the thing,

2287
01:43:40,840 --> 01:43:43,079
it's it's I'm gonna pivot here a little bit, and

2288
01:43:43,119 --> 01:43:45,319
I know I tune out if you want to. But

2289
01:43:45,439 --> 01:43:48,199
like when you have a rookie quarterback in football, it's

2290
01:43:48,319 --> 01:43:50,920
just like there's a there's a there's a difference of

2291
01:43:50,960 --> 01:43:52,640
opinion on like do you throw him into the fire

2292
01:43:52,800 --> 01:43:55,359
and it's like it's gonna be really hard, or do

2293
01:43:55,439 --> 01:43:57,600
you like protect him and play him behind some career

2294
01:43:57,640 --> 01:44:00,399
backup or whatever. It's like I think most people would

2295
01:44:00,399 --> 01:44:02,319
still stay throw him out there because like he's gonna

2296
01:44:02,319 --> 01:44:03,640
have to show you at some point he can deal

2297
01:44:03,640 --> 01:44:05,880
with adversity and like learn on the fly and just

2298
01:44:05,880 --> 01:44:08,199
like trial by fire all that stuff. See, that's how

2299
01:44:08,239 --> 01:44:09,399
I would do it. That's how I think a lot

2300
01:44:09,399 --> 01:44:12,239
of smart teams do it. So, like the only argument

2301
01:44:12,319 --> 01:44:14,760
you could make here is like when Aaron Rodgers was

2302
01:44:14,760 --> 01:44:16,960
coming up in Green Bay, Like, Okay, he was a

2303
01:44:16,960 --> 01:44:19,159
super high pick. We have Brett Farv. We're gonna and

2304
01:44:19,199 --> 01:44:22,079
its like was fading. But as a franchise legend, will

2305
01:44:22,079 --> 01:44:26,720
sit Aaron Rodgers until he's ready quote unquote Anthony Simons,

2306
01:44:26,720 --> 01:44:30,000
ain't Brett Farv. Like, so it's just like to have

2307
01:44:30,119 --> 01:44:32,680
that be the guy that's like in the way I

2308
01:44:32,680 --> 01:44:37,079
guess of Scoot starting Okay, say there's no harm, grant

2309
01:44:37,119 --> 01:44:40,399
that don't know that we agree. It's the signal you're sending.

2310
01:44:40,560 --> 01:44:43,800
It's like this guy isn't better than Anthony Simons who

2311
01:44:43,840 --> 01:44:46,520
were just gonna trade because he's not like he's a

2312
01:44:46,560 --> 01:44:49,880
decent starter. Like that's a problem based on like what

2313
01:44:49,920 --> 01:44:52,960
you sort of hoped and wanted Scoot to be and

2314
01:44:53,079 --> 01:44:56,119
like still could happen. It's just like the signs are

2315
01:44:56,119 --> 01:44:59,439
piling up that are suggesting it it's not gonna happen.

2316
01:44:59,560 --> 01:45:01,159
So X factor big time.

2317
01:45:02,279 --> 01:45:04,279
Speaker 1: I'm not going to add anything to that, all right.

2318
01:45:04,479 --> 01:45:06,520
Speaker 2: But that was a tough one. We love Scoots so

2319
01:45:06,600 --> 01:45:10,560
much in the draft, Uh.

2320
01:45:09,159 --> 01:45:13,079
Speaker 1: There was there, there was love for me and then infatuation.

2321
01:45:13,560 --> 01:45:16,079
Speaker 2: Yeah. I just bought it all. I bought it all.

2322
01:45:16,239 --> 01:45:17,119
I just believed it.

2323
01:45:17,319 --> 01:45:20,199
Speaker 1: Uh you know, I don't mean we're we're supposed to

2324
01:45:20,199 --> 01:45:22,000
be on to the case. Who are you more confident

2325
01:45:22,039 --> 01:45:24,000
in moving forward, Jade and Ivy or Scoot Henderson.

2326
01:45:25,119 --> 01:45:27,199
Speaker 2: Probably Scoot just because I have seen less.

2327
01:45:27,640 --> 01:45:30,039
Speaker 1: You know, there's still a mystery box appeal to him,

2328
01:45:30,079 --> 01:45:31,800
and he's almost kind of oh is he just being

2329
01:45:31,840 --> 01:45:33,199
held back by incompetence.

2330
01:45:33,680 --> 01:45:36,399
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's there's yeah, right, that's it's a perfect example

2331
01:45:36,439 --> 01:45:38,840
of like the less you know, the more optimistic you

2332
01:45:38,880 --> 01:45:41,079
can be. That that's where we're at. The Kings are next,

2333
01:45:41,119 --> 01:45:43,960
fairly straightforward. I went with Kean Ellis. I thought he

2334
01:45:44,079 --> 01:45:46,880
was going to be a starter. Kevin Herder started the opener.

2335
01:45:46,960 --> 01:45:49,439
I think Mike Brown like hinted that that might be

2336
01:45:49,520 --> 01:45:52,800
the case. I don't understand it. Uh, His perimeter defense

2337
01:45:52,880 --> 01:45:55,279
is critical to a team that has like nothing but

2338
01:45:55,359 --> 01:45:58,680
shock creators and only Keegan Murray as a plus defensive player.

2339
01:45:59,199 --> 01:46:02,159
So if you or trying to save DeMar Derozen Daron

2340
01:46:02,239 --> 01:46:05,319
Fox from tough matchups, like Ellis is just your guy.

2341
01:46:05,680 --> 01:46:08,000
He's proved it in big games like he just I

2342
01:46:08,079 --> 01:46:10,159
think he's guarded Steph Curry about as well as I've

2343
01:46:10,159 --> 01:46:14,800
seen anybody guard him in like high stakes postseason competition.

2344
01:46:16,159 --> 01:46:18,960
He I guess you could still have questions about his

2345
01:46:19,039 --> 01:46:21,279
viability as a three point shooter because the small samples,

2346
01:46:21,279 --> 01:46:23,159
but like everything we've seen is just like he can

2347
01:46:23,199 --> 01:46:26,960
do that. So I think in terms of like his

2348
01:46:27,399 --> 01:46:31,800
potential to balance out a King's roster, that over indexes

2349
01:46:31,800 --> 01:46:35,600
towards a certain type of player gives him just an

2350
01:46:35,800 --> 01:46:40,039
enormous capacity to like shape how good this team can be.

2351
01:46:41,119 --> 01:46:43,199
Just it's a scarcity thing, Like they're not getting what

2352
01:46:43,279 --> 01:46:45,920
Kean Ellis does from literally anyone else that's going to

2353
01:46:45,960 --> 01:46:48,159
play for them. So I mean it just to me,

2354
01:46:48,199 --> 01:46:48,960
it has to be him.

2355
01:46:50,279 --> 01:46:53,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, I can't believe what do you play against the

2356
01:46:53,399 --> 01:46:55,439
timber Wood was only eleven minutes or something.

2357
01:46:55,439 --> 01:46:56,760
Speaker 2: That's just I don't get it.

2358
01:46:57,119 --> 01:46:59,359
Speaker 1: I don't understand it at all, and I'm sure that'll

2359
01:46:59,399 --> 01:47:01,680
be subject to change. I think Kevin Herders minutes might swing,

2360
01:47:01,760 --> 01:47:04,640
but that's something Again. They're another team that I think

2361
01:47:04,680 --> 01:47:07,920
you need time to monitor. But when you're looking at

2362
01:47:07,960 --> 01:47:11,199
kind of the four like the Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin

2363
01:47:11,239 --> 01:47:15,680
herder Domas, Sabonis, the Aaron Fox of it all, like

2364
01:47:15,880 --> 01:47:19,680
one of those five players is like, at least their

2365
01:47:19,760 --> 01:47:22,079
role is gonna shift or they're gonna be traded, because

2366
01:47:22,359 --> 01:47:24,079
I don't think it's gonna be DeRos and Sabonas or

2367
01:47:24,119 --> 01:47:28,199
Fox Boiler Alert. But like Keon House needs to play

2368
01:47:28,239 --> 01:47:30,000
for what this team needs. And I also think like

2369
01:47:30,520 --> 01:47:33,439
until he proves, unless he proves, he's an offensive liability

2370
01:47:33,439 --> 01:47:35,479
if him is not. It's not just oh, he'll get

2371
01:47:35,479 --> 01:47:37,319
threes up and hit them, but like he's shown that

2372
01:47:37,399 --> 01:47:39,359
he could move with the ball on his hands too.

2373
01:47:39,560 --> 01:47:40,840
You know. Now, to be clear, you don't need him

2374
01:47:40,880 --> 01:47:42,840
to do that on this team, But if you're looking

2375
01:47:42,840 --> 01:47:45,279
for just someone who can make a decision other than

2376
01:47:45,319 --> 01:47:47,760
shoot off the catch, like he is someone who can

2377
01:47:47,800 --> 01:47:49,920
do that, and like he's.

2378
01:47:49,720 --> 01:47:52,399
Speaker 2: A fifth option, he'll be the fifth option almost all

2379
01:47:52,399 --> 01:47:54,079
the time he's on the floor, Like you're not, Like,

2380
01:47:54,319 --> 01:47:56,319
how bad do you need to be offensively to keep

2381
01:47:56,319 --> 01:47:58,039
that defense off the floor, which you need.

2382
01:47:58,359 --> 01:48:01,359
Speaker 1: I'm just wondering if they're in a political crunch to

2383
01:48:01,359 --> 01:48:03,960
where it's, well, how are we gonna I don't think

2384
01:48:03,960 --> 01:48:05,880
they need to be Kevin Herder in that vein necessarily,

2385
01:48:05,920 --> 01:48:07,680
but if they're trying to showcase him for trade or

2386
01:48:07,800 --> 01:48:11,439
justify his pay grade at this point, but Kean Ellis can't.

2387
01:48:11,439 --> 01:48:14,439
There is not he can't. He's those minutes should have

2388
01:48:14,479 --> 01:48:16,439
been at least doubled, like he needs to be like

2389
01:48:16,479 --> 01:48:18,640
in the twenty plus range, I would say pretty easily,

2390
01:48:18,640 --> 01:48:20,479
and that might even be I don't even know if

2391
01:48:20,479 --> 01:48:20,960
that's enough.

2392
01:48:21,439 --> 01:48:24,760
Speaker 2: The case you make for hurder is that like even

2393
01:48:24,800 --> 01:48:27,000
though he's another offense first guy, like he can be

2394
01:48:27,079 --> 01:48:29,680
running around off the ball and create space in ways

2395
01:48:29,680 --> 01:48:31,880
like you know, Fox doesn't really Fox is on the ball.

2396
01:48:31,960 --> 01:48:34,399
Derozen never does that. Keegan Murray kind of is more

2397
01:48:34,399 --> 01:48:37,159
of a stand still guy, Like maybe that's it, but

2398
01:48:37,199 --> 01:48:39,439
it's just like, well, you gotta you're gonna have to

2399
01:48:39,479 --> 01:48:41,760
guard like I just I just don't know anyway, Yeah,

2400
01:48:42,000 --> 01:48:43,560
I mean the other thing you could do is like

2401
01:48:43,560 --> 01:48:45,640
there has to be a better So I was gonna say,

2402
01:48:45,640 --> 01:48:47,159
if you're in a pinch, it's well then those minutes

2403
01:48:47,239 --> 01:48:48,439
just have to come from Malik Monk.

2404
01:48:48,479 --> 01:48:50,159
Speaker 1: If you're in a status crunch and you need some

2405
01:48:50,279 --> 01:48:52,119
hurder out there. But you also know what you could

2406
01:48:52,159 --> 01:48:55,560
do is like maybe not play like Demarto Rowe's in

2407
01:48:55,600 --> 01:48:58,439
forty plus minutes, Well he doesn't need to play that much,

2408
01:48:58,479 --> 01:49:01,199
like right, why so especially what is he thirty four

2409
01:49:01,319 --> 01:49:05,439
thirty five? So there, I understand that there's it could

2410
01:49:05,479 --> 01:49:07,520
get tough to distribute the minutes, but it does feel

2411
01:49:07,520 --> 01:49:09,479
like there was some low hanging fruit that Mike Brown

2412
01:49:09,520 --> 01:49:10,880
could have like trimmed from the tree.

2413
01:49:11,039 --> 01:49:13,079
Speaker 2: Given nine of those minutes to Ellis and then we're

2414
01:49:13,159 --> 01:49:15,439
up to like a reasonable number, yeah.

2415
01:49:15,279 --> 01:49:17,600
Speaker 1: Or look closer to reasonable. Yeah, it's still you. I

2416
01:49:17,600 --> 01:49:18,960
love that. You just have to be on a run

2417
01:49:19,159 --> 01:49:19,520
right now.

2418
01:49:20,439 --> 01:49:23,159
Speaker 2: Yeah, well not for long. I have the spurs. Next.

2419
01:49:23,319 --> 01:49:26,439
This was hard. There's again it's like with with with

2420
01:49:26,520 --> 01:49:28,600
teams that have a lot of young guys and like

2421
01:49:29,000 --> 01:49:30,960
other than one person, like not a lot of stars

2422
01:49:31,520 --> 01:49:33,079
or not a lot of guys where it's like, oh,

2423
01:49:33,159 --> 01:49:35,039
could go this way, could go that way. I went

2424
01:49:35,079 --> 01:49:38,399
with Jeremy Sohan, And I think that's mostly just because

2425
01:49:38,479 --> 01:49:43,119
like I could see him filling several roles, like they've

2426
01:49:43,119 --> 01:49:45,600
obviously famously tried him in a lot of weird roles,

2427
01:49:45,640 --> 01:49:48,000
like the point guard thing didn't work. But just when

2428
01:49:48,039 --> 01:49:51,960
you have like such a theoretical variety of skills, I'm

2429
01:49:51,960 --> 01:49:53,920
always going to be interested in, like which one of

2430
01:49:53,920 --> 01:49:56,640
those end up sticking and making you valuable and like

2431
01:49:56,680 --> 01:49:59,680
defining the role you play. So that's really why he's here,

2432
01:49:59,680 --> 01:50:01,600
Like you know, he's gonna play hard, to hustle and

2433
01:50:01,680 --> 01:50:04,399
defend multiple positions, Like is he ever going to be

2434
01:50:04,600 --> 01:50:08,319
a reliable shooter? I don't know, Uh, can he facilitate

2435
01:50:08,439 --> 01:50:11,960
like just as a secondary guy I think so, just

2436
01:50:12,079 --> 01:50:15,760
like the size of the athleticism, the motor like give

2437
01:50:15,880 --> 01:50:18,960
him the ability to really make a difference. But then

2438
01:50:19,000 --> 01:50:22,079
the shooting questions and the positional questions and like ultimately,

2439
01:50:22,119 --> 01:50:25,119
how like how does he fit next to Wemby? Those

2440
01:50:25,119 --> 01:50:27,039
are the ones like we just don't really know yet.

2441
01:50:27,239 --> 01:50:29,560
There's a lot of other options here. I'm looking forward

2442
01:50:29,600 --> 01:50:31,680
to discussing a few more of them, but I just

2443
01:50:31,760 --> 01:50:34,960
kind of feel like there's enough breadth in his game

2444
01:50:35,159 --> 01:50:37,800
and there's enough unknowns still that he just kind of

2445
01:50:37,800 --> 01:50:39,399
felt like an X factor guy to me.

2446
01:50:39,840 --> 01:50:41,520
Speaker 1: No, I think I think you're right. The other pick

2447
01:50:41,720 --> 01:50:43,720
would be Devin Miselle if he's healthy. If you're viewing

2448
01:50:43,760 --> 01:50:46,079
it through the lens of who's the player that can

2449
01:50:46,199 --> 01:50:48,640
ensure like everyone that's on the Wemby Hype Traine, I

2450
01:50:48,680 --> 01:50:50,920
get it. But if they're really gonna party crash the

2451
01:50:50,960 --> 01:50:54,479
play in or playoff discussion, it's because Devin missel Is

2452
01:50:54,479 --> 01:50:56,399
emerges like, Oh, that guy's ready to be the second

2453
01:50:56,439 --> 01:50:57,439
best player on a good team.

2454
01:50:57,760 --> 01:51:00,199
Speaker 2: Yeah, Like it's sorry, Like is he is he like

2455
01:51:00,239 --> 01:51:03,159
a nice like offensive piece or is he like can

2456
01:51:03,159 --> 01:51:05,720
he be Bradley Beal like that? You know, something like

2457
01:51:05,760 --> 01:51:07,079
that Devin Booker type.

2458
01:51:07,159 --> 01:51:09,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, exactly, But I think so hands the

2459
01:51:10,000 --> 01:51:12,960
right pick because you don't want to get yourself. I

2460
01:51:12,960 --> 01:51:14,439
know he's not making a ton of money, but you

2461
01:51:14,439 --> 01:51:16,159
don't want to be in what are a year six

2462
01:51:16,640 --> 01:51:19,840
of Keldon Johnson or whatever and not understand his long

2463
01:51:19,920 --> 01:51:22,920
term place on this team. And you just laid out

2464
01:51:23,000 --> 01:51:26,039
why we still don't understand because the fit is difficult,

2465
01:51:26,199 --> 01:51:28,039
and like, I don't know, he got beat a couple

2466
01:51:28,079 --> 01:51:29,560
of times. I know it's the MAVs, but like he

2467
01:51:29,600 --> 01:51:31,960
looked lost a couple times on defense against Dallas, and

2468
01:51:32,199 --> 01:51:33,680
you can kind of see the theory of him moving

2469
01:51:33,680 --> 01:51:35,880
off the ball, maybe boxing people out, fighting for rebounds

2470
01:51:35,880 --> 01:51:38,279
on offense. But the Spurs also don't have the requisite

2471
01:51:38,279 --> 01:51:40,960
spacing to capitalize on what he can do best away

2472
01:51:41,000 --> 01:51:42,399
from the ball right now, they don't have the record

2473
01:51:42,560 --> 01:51:45,279
spacing or three point volume out of their guys. So

2474
01:51:46,439 --> 01:51:49,039
it's he's right because I don't know what his and

2475
01:51:49,079 --> 01:51:50,560
I don't even know you would have to name a

2476
01:51:50,600 --> 01:51:53,960
team like that. Don't say like Boston or okayc because

2477
01:51:53,960 --> 01:51:55,880
they have five outs space and can fit anyone. I

2478
01:51:55,920 --> 01:51:57,439
don't know what team he would be a great fit

2479
01:51:57,520 --> 01:51:59,239
on right now. But the Spurs really need to figure

2480
01:51:59,239 --> 01:52:01,359
it out because this is year three for it. We

2481
01:52:01,479 --> 01:52:03,880
just talked about all these other year three players and

2482
01:52:03,920 --> 01:52:06,239
he's in that mix as well. All right, this is

2483
01:52:06,239 --> 01:52:08,560
still you, Toronto Raptors. I never put him up on

2484
01:52:08,560 --> 01:52:10,439
the screen front anyone watching on YouTube. I apologize, but

2485
01:52:10,479 --> 01:52:13,319
we're onto the Toronto Raptors, which is actually my team

2486
01:52:13,600 --> 01:52:16,920
I went with. I thought about RJ Barrett here, and

2487
01:52:17,000 --> 01:52:19,840
like the Emmanuel Quickly injury, like that certainly factors into it.

2488
01:52:19,960 --> 01:52:22,199
I hope he went with Grady Dick because I think

2489
01:52:22,239 --> 01:52:27,199
this team needs like another because Scottie Barnes is he's

2490
01:52:27,199 --> 01:52:29,239
still up and coming, but like now you've given him

2491
01:52:29,239 --> 01:52:31,720
his extension, but you want you're in this stage where

2492
01:52:31,760 --> 01:52:34,159
it's all right, everyone's on their second or third contract

2493
01:52:34,199 --> 01:52:37,560
or they've signed it. At least who's like the prospect

2494
01:52:37,840 --> 01:52:40,039
on this team, and it's him. I guess you could

2495
01:52:40,039 --> 01:52:42,560
go with Jamal shd or Jacobe Walter if you want to.

2496
01:52:43,079 --> 01:52:44,880
I'm inclined to go with Graandy Dick instead. And also,

2497
01:52:44,920 --> 01:52:47,479
this team still needs like shooting. I don't like you

2498
01:52:47,520 --> 01:52:49,560
could trust that r J. Barrett will continue to shoot

2499
01:52:49,560 --> 01:52:52,399
as well as he has since arriving in Toronto. Okay, fine,

2500
01:52:52,680 --> 01:52:55,159
but also in the intern if you're worried about the

2501
01:52:55,199 --> 01:52:59,880
availability of Emmanuel Quickly and even even RJ barret him

2502
01:52:59,880 --> 01:53:01,960
so well. He's just so important for the motion shooting

2503
01:53:02,000 --> 01:53:04,239
he provides. I think he's I said this last season,

2504
01:53:04,560 --> 01:53:06,399
there's more on ball work for him to plum where

2505
01:53:06,399 --> 01:53:08,000
I don't think you need him to initiate stuff, but

2506
01:53:08,039 --> 01:53:10,640
like he will get moving inside the arc, attack closeouts.

2507
01:53:10,760 --> 01:53:13,399
And I think because of his size, he could be

2508
01:53:13,479 --> 01:53:15,520
someone who's not a negative defender. Like he's in the

2509
01:53:15,560 --> 01:53:17,359
right spots. He probably still needs to get a little

2510
01:53:17,359 --> 01:53:20,840
bit stronger. And so what what slot can you play

2511
01:53:20,880 --> 01:53:22,600
him at? I think could be a bunch of different ones.

2512
01:53:22,600 --> 01:53:24,439
There could be lineups. So you want to go ultra huge,

2513
01:53:24,479 --> 01:53:26,479
Is he like kind of your two or something? If

2514
01:53:26,479 --> 01:53:28,399
Emmanuel Quickly's not on the floor, but like you can

2515
01:53:28,439 --> 01:53:31,880
play him, I would say pretty easily alongside Scotti, RJ

2516
01:53:32,279 --> 01:53:36,439
and Quickly and then insert big or whatever. So and

2517
01:53:36,520 --> 01:53:38,560
if you're looking for kind of the finishing piece of

2518
01:53:38,560 --> 01:53:41,840
what's the best lineup for this team? I think it's

2519
01:53:42,079 --> 01:53:47,600
a healthy RJ and Scottie and IQ, plus probably Yaka Pertle.

2520
01:53:47,680 --> 01:53:49,199
But if you want to talk about a different big

2521
01:53:49,199 --> 01:53:51,359
man setup and it's okay, well, who's like the best

2522
01:53:51,439 --> 01:53:54,760
fifth member who could optimize those four? I think it's

2523
01:53:54,800 --> 01:53:56,680
Grady Dick. I don't know, like I'm not holding out

2524
01:53:56,680 --> 01:53:58,880
hope for Davion Mitchell or Jamal Shad or even Jakobe

2525
01:53:58,920 --> 01:54:01,479
Walter who's better on ball off it to do it. So,

2526
01:54:01,520 --> 01:54:03,800
I mean, the answer is obviously Chris Bouchet, who I've

2527
01:54:03,840 --> 01:54:06,840
just glossed over, But I think it's it's Dick just

2528
01:54:06,880 --> 01:54:08,960
for the pressure that he could put on defenses with

2529
01:54:09,000 --> 01:54:11,159
his shooting, but also some of the stuff he can

2530
01:54:11,199 --> 01:54:11,760
do on the ball.

2531
01:54:12,199 --> 01:54:14,199
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it just has to be him. Like

2532
01:54:14,239 --> 01:54:16,319
you could kind of contort and say, well it's Quickly

2533
01:54:16,359 --> 01:54:19,560
because can he be actually a top fifteen starting point

2534
01:54:19,560 --> 01:54:21,319
guard or did they just give a bunch of money

2535
01:54:21,359 --> 01:54:22,560
to a guy who should be a backup.

2536
01:54:22,600 --> 01:54:25,760
Speaker 1: Still, you know, he's an X factor for every single

2537
01:54:25,840 --> 01:54:29,279
team that has to deal with extension negotiations for guys,

2538
01:54:30,199 --> 01:54:32,159
because the whole thing we've seen is like they saw

2539
01:54:32,239 --> 01:54:34,600
Manuel Quickly's deal and that's what they wanted, and then

2540
01:54:34,600 --> 01:54:37,039
what does Jalen Johnson get one hundred and fifty million,

2541
01:54:37,159 --> 01:54:39,640
like kind of in line with what Quickly ends up getting,

2542
01:54:39,680 --> 01:54:41,960
so that he's an X factor if you're if you're

2543
01:54:42,000 --> 01:54:43,159
another team's run offense.

2544
01:54:43,520 --> 01:54:45,720
Speaker 2: That's so strange the guys that end up being like

2545
01:54:45,920 --> 01:54:48,880
the point of comparison for for sal like there's a

2546
01:54:49,279 --> 01:54:52,000
I'm trying to think of there, like what was it,

2547
01:54:52,079 --> 01:54:55,239
like Evan Turner or like Alan Krab Like certain guys

2548
01:54:55,239 --> 01:54:56,920
are just like, well he got this, or like Tima

2549
01:54:56,960 --> 01:54:58,680
fay mos gob remember that, I was like, well he

2550
01:54:58,760 --> 01:55:00,640
got sixty million or whatever it was.

2551
01:55:00,800 --> 01:55:04,920
Speaker 1: I got to say, Quickly's deals should not be viewed

2552
01:55:04,960 --> 01:55:07,039
in the same terms as any of the players that.

2553
01:55:06,960 --> 01:55:10,039
Speaker 2: You just no, no, no, no, but it is. It is

2554
01:55:10,079 --> 01:55:12,479
a weird like that's our baseline. Now, that's just we've

2555
01:55:12,600 --> 01:55:15,760
established that strange. I got the Utah Jazz coming up next,

2556
01:55:16,720 --> 01:55:19,359
I'll say they're my Utah Jazz, but I have selected

2557
01:55:19,399 --> 01:55:24,279
your Taylor Hendrix. Uh. And that is because the profile

2558
01:55:24,359 --> 01:55:27,840
of Taylor Hendrix were he to like sort of actualize

2559
01:55:27,840 --> 01:55:30,000
what we since the draft have thought he could be,

2560
01:55:30,640 --> 01:55:34,520
is that of a like floor stretching, big forward that

2561
01:55:34,600 --> 01:55:37,920
can do something off the dribble, block shots, defend on

2562
01:55:38,000 --> 01:55:40,720
the ball, all this stuff. And if you have that

2563
01:55:40,760 --> 01:55:43,279
guy as the Utah Jazz, I think to a greater

2564
01:55:43,359 --> 01:55:46,680
extent than you got with someone like Keyante George, who

2565
01:55:46,720 --> 01:55:49,119
we like but is like, I don't know, I feel

2566
01:55:49,119 --> 01:55:51,159
like I understand the type of player George is gonna

2567
01:55:51,159 --> 01:55:54,359
be and it doesn't feel like the superstar alpha ball

2568
01:55:54,359 --> 01:55:56,760
handler like he'll be good, might be a quality starter.

2569
01:55:57,720 --> 01:56:00,239
The Hendrix archetype is one that's like, oh God, this

2570
01:56:00,279 --> 01:56:03,439
guy right and and we've seen so little, like got

2571
01:56:03,800 --> 01:56:06,119
some starts, got some minutes down the stretch last year,

2572
01:56:07,239 --> 01:56:11,319
put put whatever like a predictive quality you would like

2573
01:56:11,439 --> 01:56:13,960
on that Utah had packed it in at that point.

2574
01:56:14,399 --> 01:56:17,560
But just if he's something, if he's anything close to

2575
01:56:17,640 --> 01:56:20,079
what like the tools suggest and what like, had a

2576
01:56:20,119 --> 01:56:24,119
lot of draft analysts high on him, then Utah's sort

2577
01:56:24,119 --> 01:56:26,880
of overall outlook is pretty different because it's like, all right,

2578
01:56:26,920 --> 01:56:28,840
we have him, we have marking in. I guess, we

2579
01:56:28,920 --> 01:56:31,199
have Kessler. We'll see if they decide that he's a

2580
01:56:31,239 --> 01:56:33,800
piece of the future or not. But and Cody Williams

2581
01:56:33,920 --> 01:56:35,520
is another guy we could choose, but we just have

2582
01:56:35,680 --> 01:56:38,039
less than zero information on him because even when he plays,

2583
01:56:38,039 --> 01:56:41,319
he doesn't shoot. Hendricks is just the guy to me

2584
01:56:41,399 --> 01:56:44,079
because he he's like the level raiser or the like,

2585
01:56:44,119 --> 01:56:46,600
oh shit, he's not what do we do now, Like

2586
01:56:46,640 --> 01:56:49,359
we've we've were this year three of our like half

2587
01:56:49,439 --> 01:56:52,439
assed rebuild and we just don't have a cornerstone guy

2588
01:56:52,479 --> 01:56:55,159
like Hendricks. It's it's a big ask. I don't know

2589
01:56:55,199 --> 01:56:57,640
that he has it, but like he still might because

2590
01:56:57,640 --> 01:56:59,439
it's too early to just foreclose on that.

2591
01:56:59,800 --> 01:57:02,239
Speaker 1: I think Cody Williams is more likely to be that guy.

2592
01:57:03,039 --> 01:57:04,880
But the problem with him, and you can get it's

2593
01:57:04,880 --> 01:57:06,960
in the same vein as Hendricks. But Hendrick isn't necessarily

2594
01:57:06,960 --> 01:57:08,880
supposed to be that guy. Is Cody Wynns could just

2595
01:57:08,880 --> 01:57:10,600
be too passive. It's just like, oh, he's not going

2596
01:57:10,680 --> 01:57:13,399
to be assertive enough in situations. I like to tell

2597
01:57:13,479 --> 01:57:15,680
Hendricks pick I think he's he's already a defensive monster

2598
01:57:15,720 --> 01:57:17,520
to me, I'd like to see him. I know some

2599
01:57:17,560 --> 01:57:20,039
of this can be overshadowed by if he's playing alongside

2600
01:57:20,479 --> 01:57:23,119
Larry Markinen, Anna Walker Kessler or another big but like he

2601
01:57:23,159 --> 01:57:24,920
needs to I'd like to see him have more of

2602
01:57:24,920 --> 01:57:27,159
a presence on the glass too. Especially, they're not gonna

2603
01:57:27,159 --> 01:57:30,239
excorse four game too much. But that archetype of can defend.

2604
01:57:30,319 --> 01:57:33,279
Basically anyone will hit threes and can do a little

2605
01:57:33,319 --> 01:57:35,000
bit of things inside the arc. Will they give him

2606
01:57:35,000 --> 01:57:37,960
the opportunity to But to have someone like him when

2607
01:57:38,239 --> 01:57:41,039
you can't guarantee there'll be minutes where he's your primary screener,

2608
01:57:41,079 --> 01:57:43,680
but he can still be effective on offense, huge deal.

2609
01:57:43,840 --> 01:57:46,359
I think he's even if he's not the cornerstone, this

2610
01:57:46,439 --> 01:57:47,960
is someone who's just like I did say, do you

2611
01:57:48,000 --> 01:57:50,840
remember last year when I said he's gonna be better

2612
01:57:50,880 --> 01:57:53,560
than Jaron Jackson Junior. Gonna walk that back a little bit,

2613
01:57:54,039 --> 01:57:57,399
but the theory of him on defense like that is

2614
01:57:57,399 --> 01:57:59,319
still very much like he could. And I think there's

2615
01:57:59,359 --> 01:58:01,880
even more like you need to stand still like vertical

2616
01:58:01,960 --> 01:58:04,359
like backline rim protected, like he could do that stuff

2617
01:58:04,560 --> 01:58:06,399
in addition to everything else the Jazz have him doing

2618
01:58:06,479 --> 01:58:06,760
right now.

2619
01:58:06,800 --> 01:58:08,640
Speaker 2: That's the thing, like you know, if I guess I

2620
01:58:08,760 --> 01:58:10,840
made it like such a binary thing, like he'll reach

2621
01:58:10,920 --> 01:58:13,000
this crazy ceiling or he won't. Like if he gets

2622
01:58:13,159 --> 01:58:15,159
eighty percent of the way there, he's suddenly like one

2623
01:58:15,199 --> 01:58:17,680
of the most scalable like three and d players around

2624
01:58:17,720 --> 01:58:20,319
that everybody wants, you know, like there but or or

2625
01:58:20,479 --> 01:58:22,880
He's just not any of that because we you know,

2626
01:58:23,000 --> 01:58:24,760
and that's the reason he hasn't gotten a lot of tick.

2627
01:58:25,279 --> 01:58:27,000
Speaker 1: I will say, though, I would like to see him

2628
01:58:27,039 --> 01:58:29,159
get more burn with that. I don't need him to

2629
01:58:29,199 --> 01:58:31,119
like initiate picking rolls and I don't even necessarily want

2630
01:58:31,119 --> 01:58:33,000
to see himacilitate out the post. I want to see

2631
01:58:33,039 --> 01:58:35,079
him drive more. And if you have to cut down

2632
01:58:35,079 --> 01:58:37,520
the minutes of a I mean, con Sexton doesn't even

2633
01:58:37,520 --> 01:58:39,000
seem like he's gonna he never plays a ton, but

2634
01:58:39,000 --> 01:58:40,760
like if you've got to start trading people or like

2635
01:58:40,920 --> 01:58:42,720
hey Keyantay George, play off the ball a little bit

2636
01:58:42,760 --> 01:58:44,960
or something. I just want to see. Now's the time

2637
01:58:45,119 --> 01:58:47,279
to try this stuff out of my Why not our

2638
01:58:47,399 --> 01:58:50,039
final team? We did it a little over two hours, Grant,

2639
01:58:50,239 --> 01:58:50,760
look at us?

2640
01:58:51,000 --> 01:58:51,520
Speaker 2: Impressive.

2641
01:58:52,439 --> 01:58:54,359
Speaker 1: I pick who would you gone with? With the Washington

2642
01:58:54,359 --> 01:58:56,039
You know who I picked? Would you have picked someone different?

2643
01:58:56,399 --> 01:58:59,279
Speaker 2: I so a week ago I would have just said

2644
01:58:59,399 --> 01:59:02,039
blall cool, But as of today, I would have gone

2645
01:59:02,079 --> 01:59:04,159
with who you went with because it's even more of

2646
01:59:04,199 --> 01:59:04,960
a mystery box.

2647
01:59:05,159 --> 01:59:07,039
Speaker 1: The reason I didn't pick balal Is because I'm just

2648
01:59:07,039 --> 01:59:08,640
so certain he's gonna be good. And by the way

2649
01:59:09,479 --> 01:59:11,680
I would I mean, the Wizards are paying him a

2650
01:59:11,680 --> 01:59:13,319
lot of money, so I'm not gonna frame it that way.

2651
01:59:13,359 --> 01:59:15,680
But I want to see just a fucking shoot. Man.

2652
01:59:15,960 --> 01:59:18,159
He looks so good on the ball. I don't want

2653
01:59:18,159 --> 01:59:20,039
to see you're taking two shots in a game on

2654
01:59:20,079 --> 01:59:22,840
this Wizard like. He looks so much more confident handling

2655
01:59:22,880 --> 01:59:25,000
the ball, so not always pretty. He threw some nifty

2656
01:59:25,039 --> 01:59:26,640
passes in that game, and we've seen hints of it

2657
01:59:26,760 --> 01:59:29,840
last year. I'm convinced. I know he's gonna be He

2658
01:59:29,880 --> 01:59:32,520
looks stronger defensively. I think he's gonna be I don't

2659
01:59:32,520 --> 01:59:33,680
know if he's gonna be a star, but I think

2660
01:59:33,680 --> 01:59:35,720
he's gonna be a really good player. I really do

2661
01:59:35,760 --> 01:59:38,079
think there's more to him on the offensive end than

2662
01:59:38,079 --> 01:59:41,359
people kind of understand. But this other player fits that

2663
01:59:41,399 --> 01:59:44,600
bill as well. He Shawn George shout out Matt Maderno

2664
01:59:44,680 --> 01:59:46,399
for turning him on to me before we did the

2665
01:59:46,399 --> 01:59:48,399
Wizards Look Ahead is when I kind of dove into him.

2666
01:59:48,680 --> 01:59:51,840
I still am floored based off what I saw in

2667
01:59:51,880 --> 01:59:54,640
preseason and the first game of the season, there's like

2668
01:59:55,199 --> 01:59:57,640
on ball rhythms to this dude, Grant, like put the

2669
01:59:57,680 --> 02:00:00,920
ball in his hands, let him create. I fucking he's

2670
02:00:00,960 --> 02:00:03,760
going to work defensively, has nice positional size there. I

2671
02:00:03,840 --> 02:00:05,840
think the three point shot is fine, and so is

2672
02:00:05,880 --> 02:00:07,960
a fail safe of just oh, he'll be a three

2673
02:00:08,000 --> 02:00:10,199
and D option for a team that's probably not gonna

2674
02:00:10,199 --> 02:00:13,000
play much defense anyway. But now there's another one where

2675
02:00:13,000 --> 02:00:14,680
it's okay. I don't know if any of these guys

2676
02:00:14,800 --> 02:00:17,159
that they have, even Bub Carrington included, I don't know

2677
02:00:17,199 --> 02:00:19,279
if they have their floor general of the future. They

2678
02:00:19,319 --> 02:00:22,000
just might have a bunch of nifty secondary ball I'm

2679
02:00:22,039 --> 02:00:24,119
not saying Keishan George is meant to be a primary option.

2680
02:00:24,159 --> 02:00:26,199
I'll make that clear. Yeah, but you throw him a

2681
02:00:26,199 --> 02:00:29,359
ball screen. He's making shit happen as both the passer

2682
02:00:29,399 --> 02:00:32,640
and like even a score. My god, he's gonna I

2683
02:00:32,720 --> 02:00:34,720
predicted he was gonna make it all rookie team, and

2684
02:00:35,359 --> 02:00:38,800
that seems to me more bankable, probably owe to opportunity,

2685
02:00:38,840 --> 02:00:41,720
than my Ryan Dunn prediction. I think I will be

2686
02:00:41,800 --> 02:00:44,239
kind of shocked if he doesn't make it all rookie

2687
02:00:44,239 --> 02:00:45,279
team this year.

2688
02:00:45,319 --> 02:00:49,000
Speaker 2: He's like Kolibali is so if you're in a situation

2689
02:00:49,119 --> 02:00:51,600
like the Wizards are, Kolibali is like the you know

2690
02:00:51,920 --> 02:00:53,920
kind of exactly what you want of like oh my god,

2691
02:00:53,960 --> 02:00:56,439
like what is this guy? And then but George is like,

2692
02:00:56,680 --> 02:00:59,239
because he's now a year later down the pipeline, still

2693
02:00:59,279 --> 02:01:02,039
he's even newer and like shinier, but like more of

2694
02:01:02,079 --> 02:01:06,039
a surprise because coolbally sort of like he exceeded expectations.

2695
02:01:06,039 --> 02:01:09,159
But it was like, this guy's a raw like good athlete,

2696
02:01:09,279 --> 02:01:11,680
like we'll just see. But George was like, I don't

2697
02:01:11,680 --> 02:01:14,119
feel like George had any of that like put like

2698
02:01:14,199 --> 02:01:17,399
crazy potential attached to him. And then to have like anyway,

2699
02:01:17,479 --> 02:01:19,239
the shorts, the short story of it is like Wizards

2700
02:01:19,279 --> 02:01:22,640
fans are not lucky in the macro sense, but but

2701
02:01:22,720 --> 02:01:24,920
are but are lucky to have like another guy like

2702
02:01:24,960 --> 02:01:26,520
this where it's gonna be a rough year and you

2703
02:01:26,560 --> 02:01:29,640
can just sort of enjoy the progress and like the

2704
02:01:29,680 --> 02:01:31,960
surprising like oh my god, this guy's good now like

2705
02:01:32,079 --> 02:01:32,880
kind of vibes to it.

2706
02:01:32,920 --> 02:01:36,199
Speaker 1: So yeah, my my biggest concern for him should also

2707
02:01:36,239 --> 02:01:38,079
be the simples, which is, okay, is he gonna hit

2708
02:01:38,119 --> 02:01:40,680
and take enough of threes? Yeah, and that's like, I

2709
02:01:40,880 --> 02:01:42,720
think he's gonna take them. Is he gonna hit them

2710
02:01:42,760 --> 02:01:44,840
at a high enough clip? I'm gonna you know, I

2711
02:01:44,840 --> 02:01:47,119
think he. I don't see anything that's like mechanically wrong

2712
02:01:47,359 --> 02:01:50,199
from my idiotic perspective of it. But the fact that

2713
02:01:50,199 --> 02:01:52,039
that's what I'm focusing on, rather than well, what would

2714
02:01:52,039 --> 02:01:54,199
you look like defensively? Or oh, can he actually do

2715
02:01:54,279 --> 02:01:56,479
something on the ball? I think he says a lot

2716
02:01:56,520 --> 02:01:57,359
about his potential.

2717
02:01:57,680 --> 02:01:58,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, hey, we did it.

2718
02:02:00,520 --> 02:02:01,720
Speaker 1: Would you like to take us out of here? If

2719
02:02:01,720 --> 02:02:02,640
I would love to take.

2720
02:02:02,520 --> 02:02:04,119
Speaker 2: Us out, Dan, You're not an X factor to me

2721
02:02:04,239 --> 02:02:07,199
or a known commodity, just to superstar getting helping us

2722
02:02:07,199 --> 02:02:10,119
get through this in about two hours. Impressive. Thanks everybody

2723
02:02:10,119 --> 02:02:12,399
for listening, for watching as usual. Please, I don't know

2724
02:02:12,399 --> 02:02:14,000
if Dan said it at the top, but you should

2725
02:02:14,000 --> 02:02:17,439
just hear it in your brain coming through in his voice.

2726
02:02:17,640 --> 02:02:20,720
I can hear it right now. Rate review, subscribe, Make

2727
02:02:20,760 --> 02:02:23,439
sure if you're watching this on YouTube, leave a comment.

2728
02:02:23,479 --> 02:02:24,880
We appreciate that helps the algorithm.

2729
02:02:24,920 --> 02:02:26,640
Speaker 1: Love us. Who's your biggest X factor? We said it

2730
02:02:26,640 --> 02:02:28,840
at the beginning. What do they call that? A CTA

2731
02:02:28,960 --> 02:02:31,600
call to action? Let us know your single biggest X

2732
02:02:31,640 --> 02:02:34,359
Factor or the NBA season in the comment, because.

2733
02:02:34,199 --> 02:02:35,880
Speaker 2: I mean, that's on the assumption we didn't get all

2734
02:02:35,920 --> 02:02:39,239
of these correct, which I'm not willing to accept. But yeah,

2735
02:02:39,319 --> 02:02:41,520
give us, you know, in case we need some fallback. Yeah,

2736
02:02:41,560 --> 02:02:44,079
get involved. Join our discord links for that in YouTube

2737
02:02:44,079 --> 02:02:46,119
and podcast description. Tell your friends, tell your enemies to

2738
02:02:46,119 --> 02:02:47,920
shout out Franklin Can apologies joke,