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Speaker 2: All right, we do it every week with the one
Speaker 2: and only Marcus Thompson with the Athletic.
Speaker 3: Marcus.
Speaker 2: What's going on man?
Speaker 3: How's the backyard with Tom? Oh? It was a great time, man,
Speaker 3: it was. We were there for a while long.
Speaker 2: Yeah, four hours?
Speaker 3: Four hours? Yeah, I think I did a solid four.
Speaker 3: What beer did you offer you? Ginger beer, my beer
Speaker 3: of choice? You're okay? All right, all right, all right,
Speaker 3: there you go.
Speaker 2: So I want to talk to you about Don Nelson.
Speaker 2: You wrote a great article in The Athletic, and you know,
Speaker 2: I've heard stories from my pops, Tom and Gary Saint
Speaker 2: Gene about how great Don Nelson was. It's also great
Speaker 2: to read your article. And you know, we'll talk about
Speaker 2: how Stephen Jackson loved him and smoke we with him
Speaker 2: and Willie Nelson. So just what was it about his
Speaker 2: personality in your opinion, that made him relate to everybody?
Speaker 3: I think Nelly just understood people because he had decided
Speaker 3: long ago to just be himself. And you know that
Speaker 3: was sometimes mercurial, right, he rubbed some people the wrong way,
Speaker 3: and I think he just understood like some people think
Speaker 3: of him in a way, and he still knows he
Speaker 3: gets the job done. So like he just had a
Speaker 3: unique ability to see pass whatever the perception was, and
Speaker 3: to find and even if it was true, he could
Speaker 3: just find the gym. And that's why so many people
Speaker 3: just really ride for him because if you doubt yourself,
Speaker 3: if you have questions, if he listened to narrative, Nelly
Speaker 3: will be like, yeah, I hear what they say, but
Speaker 3: watch what I do with you. And he was that way, right.
Speaker 3: He was a guy who, you know, in many ways
Speaker 3: people thought was a gimmicky coach and didn't have what
Speaker 3: it takes to win. And he's like, yeah, see me
Speaker 3: in the playoff series though, I'll show you something. And
Speaker 3: that was kind of his thing, Like he knew he
Speaker 3: was smart, that he knew how to find the best
Speaker 3: in people. And because of that people, the people who
Speaker 3: love him, they really love him.
Speaker 4: Marcus, what what do you remember about just kind of
Speaker 4: growing up and run TMC and and and being a
Speaker 4: young man and enjoying that style of basketball and then
Speaker 4: becoming somebody that covered the We Believe team and actually
Speaker 4: got to you know, talk to Nelly daily and go
Speaker 4: to practice and hear the way the players spoke of him.
Speaker 4: Just take me through sort of that transition of kind
Speaker 4: of being a fan and appreciating Nelly for you know,
Speaker 4: creating this brand of basketball that that was great and
Speaker 4: fun and everybody wanted to watch or play, and then
Speaker 4: actually getting to cover him as as somebody that was
Speaker 4: you know, young and up and coming in the business.
Speaker 3: You know, growing up, I didn't I don't think I
Speaker 3: under stood it well enough, right, I just knew it
Speaker 3: was exciting. I knew Chris Mother was great. Tim Hardaway
Speaker 3: had to crossover, you know. Mitch Richmond I was a
Speaker 3: big we're big fans of Shrew and this Marcell owners
Speaker 3: in our neighborhoods, and he was so tough, you know,
Speaker 3: and you just you don't really understand the philosophy behind it.
Speaker 3: We just knew that like the Big Bad Lakers, or
Speaker 3: remember they beat the Sun Antonio Spurs in the series,
Speaker 3: Like these were the teams that we didn't have a
Speaker 3: shot at, and somehow we had a shot at him,
Speaker 3: and I felt like that I didn't understand why that
Speaker 3: was until you cover him and you start to hear
Speaker 3: his philosophies and his viewpoints and how how he saw
Speaker 3: the game, And now that stuff starts making sense in hindsight.
Speaker 3: I know, I couldn't stand I was hot when they
Speaker 3: traded Mitch Richmond for Billy Ones. That was crushing, But
Speaker 3: you understand, like how he thinks about the game. So
Speaker 3: later on, when it's like, hey, Steven Jackson Al Herringson's
Speaker 3: you're my four, my five, right, You're like, Okay, it
Speaker 3: sounds crazy, it sounds ridiculous, but I get why he's
Speaker 3: doing it. So covering Delly, getting to ask him why
Speaker 3: he's doing something, and his willingness to explain it to.
Speaker 5: A little scrub from the construction times like me, I
Speaker 5: learned it and then I got I gained a greater
Speaker 5: appreciation for what they actually encountered because it really, it
Speaker 5: really was all a byproduct of having, you know, not
Speaker 5: not as much as the other team, but figuring out
Speaker 5: a way to still be a threat, and that that
Speaker 5: was pretty big.
Speaker 3: I like that once I got to understand what.
Speaker 2: It was talking to Marcus Thompson on the UMA guest Line. Okay,
Speaker 2: we've been talking about Mike de Levy's comment the other day.
Speaker 2: I thought it was kind of odd. Jad doesn't think
Speaker 2: it's that big of a deal. Why do you think
Speaker 2: Mike done Leevy wanted to let us know that if
Speaker 2: Steph were to ask for a trade, he and Joe
Speaker 2: with Grant.
Speaker 3: One because he wants everybody to know that he's loyal
Speaker 3: success and a lot of people are thinking they're ruining
Speaker 3: the end of Seth's career, and he's making it clear, like, man,
Speaker 3: Steph is in it with us. If Steph wanted to go,
Speaker 3: I would let him go, That's what he's saying, Like
Speaker 3: Steph is who they view Steth the way the fans
Speaker 3: view steps I think that was his point was I mean,
Speaker 3: I probably wouldn't have went there if I was him,
Speaker 3: Like why would you even bring it up in this
Speaker 3: age of like aggregation, But that was his point, like
Speaker 3: we you guys, you guys think we're ruining it for Steth,
Speaker 3: but really we have this value for him that is
Speaker 3: surpassing what you think. So we respect him so much
Speaker 3: that if he wanted to be traded, we were just
Speaker 3: that we would just do it just because that's what
Speaker 3: he wants and he deserves right now, I wouldn't do
Speaker 3: it anyway, Like, God, all.
Speaker 6: You want, Steph, but you know, I'm sorry, I want
Speaker 6: I want to do who's such a big draw that
Speaker 6: this is widely regarded as not even a playoff team,
Speaker 6: But somehow he's got twenty eight you know, national TV games, Like.
Speaker 3: I'm keeping that guy around. But but that was the sentiment,
Speaker 3: like they are they value step That's what he's trying
Speaker 3: to get across, and they aren't trying to hurt him.
Speaker 3: And if he ever felt that way, you know they would,
Speaker 3: they would, they would grant his wishes. That to me,
Speaker 3: that's a backdoor way of saying everything we're doing Steph
Speaker 3: is aware of, and he understands, and we're talking to him,
Speaker 3: and he hasn't demanded a trade the BD we will
Speaker 3: honor it. So what did that feel you? I think
Speaker 3: that's what Mike Denley was trying to say, Marcus.
Speaker 4: Are the Warriors delusional in thinking that they can run
Speaker 4: back this this same team? And and once you like,
Speaker 4: shouldn't it be freeing that you're acknowledging the fact that
Speaker 4: you can't win a title in terms of trying to
Speaker 4: go out and do something a little bit different.
Speaker 3: I don't think they're a delusional. I think they're probably
Speaker 3: more realistic than their fan base. I mean, look, if
Speaker 3: you're just looking at it from their perspectives, are you
Speaker 3: really about to start over? Like what would you rather
Speaker 3: h you know, just to be the Sacramento Kings or
Speaker 3: to be the Warriors with Steph Curry fighting for relevance?
Speaker 3: Like in the end, twenty twenty five was two years ago,
Speaker 3: right like that, it literally just happened, and I know
Speaker 3: people were like they didn't have a chance at a title,
Speaker 3: But making the second round of the playoffs it's profitable, right, Like,
Speaker 3: it's way more profitable than not making a playoff. As
Speaker 3: long as you've got step there's still a draw. You
Speaker 3: got Raymond, Like, I think they've settled it into reality.
Speaker 3: I don't think they have options, to be honest.
Speaker 4: But couldn't you make the case Marcus that looking at again,
Speaker 4: maybe there isn't the big move that makes you a
Speaker 4: title contender, But this as it's currently constituted is not
Speaker 4: gonna be two years ago. Like they're they're not, like,
Speaker 4: and I.
Speaker 3: Don't know that they I don't know that they've made
Speaker 3: that conclusion though, like and I don't know that you
Speaker 3: can either, Like we're looking at this. I mean, look,
Speaker 3: just just say, by some stroke of magic, they're healthy
Speaker 3: in May or in April, they're somehow Staffs Drakemond, Jimmy
Speaker 3: Butler and all of them are healthy in April. You
Speaker 3: don't think they gould to play a game that's that's invaluable.
Speaker 4: They can if they're thirty three and forty nine, because.
Speaker 3: That's by the point, that's but that's my point. So
Speaker 3: what's the option is to be thirty three and nine
Speaker 3: without that? Without sets? Well, who are you going to
Speaker 3: go get it to make you forty and forty?
Speaker 4: Well, that's where that that's where I do think. I mean,
Speaker 4: that's where I do think there are a ton of
Speaker 4: options available that that they could have explored at the
Speaker 4: expense of running the you know, Porzingis and Horford and
Speaker 4: Melton and look, I'll be accountable to it. I said,
Speaker 4: bring those guys back. But how do you bring those
Speaker 4: guys back and not go get a combo guard who
Speaker 4: can be a lead scorer when Steph's out?
Speaker 3: Wow, I think for the very reason I think the
Speaker 3: very reason that you think they're thirty with three wins teams,
Speaker 3: it's the very reason they can't do that, Because if
Speaker 3: they're a thirty three wins team, what makes you think
Speaker 3: these guys are valuable? Like? Who are you training to
Speaker 3: go get that player? You see what I'm saying, Like
Speaker 3: if there's like if I would say the other way, like, hey,
Speaker 3: this this is a this is a team that could
Speaker 3: be dangerous of healthy. Yeah, they should probably be able
Speaker 3: to go swap one d player. But if you're saying
Speaker 3: this team is trash, what do you need the rest
Speaker 3: of the league things? You're going to fans, So who
Speaker 3: is the player that they're like, yeah, we'll take that player.
Speaker 3: You know, remember their big Fishalis Kamina was like, oh
Speaker 3: de traite commedia, Well we see what the league think
Speaker 3: about Kamina. That's what I've said. I think there are
Speaker 3: the options. I think they ran out of bullets in
Speaker 3: the good right Like now, to me, I think they're
Speaker 3: I don't think they're thirty three win teams. I think
Speaker 3: they're one injury away from being a thirty three win team.
Speaker 3: But to me, it's the Isaiah Jones of the world, right,
Speaker 3: It's the Aaron Wiggins. It's the players who moved and
Speaker 3: they aren't big splashes that Kobe's got a way you
Speaker 3: can get that. Kobe went on Kobe White badragging for
Speaker 3: a minute. Yeah exactly. So I think it's those type
Speaker 3: of players where they probably should have said, ay, all right,
Speaker 3: yeah man, maybe we give up a pick, the first
Speaker 3: round pick instead of whole known to it. But at
Speaker 3: this point right now, with with Jimmy and My and
Speaker 3: Moses Moudy out like, who you taking really like, I
Speaker 3: don't know. I think they're I think they're kind of
Speaker 3: screwed a bit.
Speaker 4: Well that's where I'm with you in terms of the
Speaker 4: Isaiah Joe's and the Aaron Wiggins and the Kobe Whites.
Speaker 4: And I'm not saying it's easy to acquire those guys either, Marcus.
Speaker 4: But but I think, and this is where I'll use
Speaker 4: the word delusional, I think they are a little delusional
Speaker 4: when Mike Dunlevy is saying, hey, I'm we're betting on
Speaker 4: health of guys that have proven that they aren't gonna
Speaker 4: stay healthy. And on top of that, Steph's gonna probably
Speaker 4: miss some time. So it's making the second half meaningful.
Speaker 4: Is gonna be contingent on Steph playing thirty five out
Speaker 4: of the first forty games and being awesome just to be,
Speaker 4: you know, twenty two and eighteen at that point, and
Speaker 4: I just think it's unrealistic to expect that they're not
Speaker 4: gonna be seventeen and twenty three, you know, unless Yaxel's
Speaker 4: just borderline All Star or Pajemski turns into you know,
Speaker 4: a two level better player than he is right now.
Speaker 4: And I don't think Pajemski's a bad player at that
Speaker 4: I think he's a solid player. So I don't know that.
Speaker 4: That's kind of where I'm at on it. So you know,
Speaker 4: obviously it's a fun conversation.
Speaker 3: I don't, Yeah, I don't. I don't think you're off.
Speaker 3: I just say that if you take their reality and
Speaker 3: the one you create, and let's just say they get
Speaker 3: you about the same place, which one you take in
Speaker 3: this un this this unknown road that don't I don't know.
Speaker 3: I'll probably go get these players. I don't know if
Speaker 3: it's gonna work, or you say, well, I just I
Speaker 3: guess I'll just have more faith than Raymond of them
Speaker 3: like that. That's the easy answer. That's what's been for
Speaker 3: the last.
Speaker 4: Four years, and I guess that's where I'm more inclined
Speaker 4: to maybe maybe take a little bit of a risk
Speaker 4: because I'm convinced that the way that they're doing it
Speaker 4: probably isn't isn't gonna work.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm just saying I think they they're looking at
Speaker 3: it like, man, if we can just get healthy, because
Speaker 3: when it when it happens. But also we we tend
Speaker 3: to look at it like they don't have a shot
Speaker 3: to win a championships, to do something different, and it's
Speaker 3: like that. I don't think that. I don't think that's
Speaker 3: the case. I think they're thinking, hey, if you make
Speaker 3: the second round of the playoffs and put a scare
Speaker 3: into somebody and maybe make the West Finals, that was
Speaker 3: a good year. I think Steph is thinking, man, just
Speaker 3: get me a shot, like, get me a shot at
Speaker 3: Oklahoma City, get me a shot at saying so they
Speaker 3: still feel like they can they can do some damage, right,
Speaker 3: So perhaps that's the delusion, But I'm saying it's also
Speaker 3: a little bit delusional to think they're about to cash
Speaker 3: in niche ships and go get a team that's better
Speaker 3: than what they have. That's that ain't gonna happen either, Well,
Speaker 3: that's fair.
Speaker 4: And I will say, if they can get to the
Speaker 4: second round, that would be an awesome season. Like I'm
Speaker 4: not sitting here saying everything I'm saying Marcus and then saying,
Speaker 4: but it's got to be a championship. I'm saying that
Speaker 4: fully understanding the championship's off the table, no question.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I just think, yeah, it's a wild bet.
Speaker 3: It's probably not a conventional bet. I don't know if
Speaker 3: the other bed is better. Like, I mean, you get
Speaker 3: down to it. Just do you give four picks for
Speaker 3: Jayalen Brown? Like, I mean, that's really what the clutch.
Speaker 3: It is what we're talking about. Do you get do
Speaker 3: you do it?
Speaker 4: Now?
Speaker 3: If they do it, you know that's the move, that's
Speaker 3: the movie. You make it. Now you got to live
Speaker 3: with it. That's what it was with Jimmy. Do you
Speaker 3: remember it was like Jimmy. I don't know about Jimmy.
Speaker 3: I don't know. It was nicey. They gave Jimmy fifty
Speaker 3: eight million dollars extra right and gave up a first
Speaker 3: round pick, so it was like, all right, this is
Speaker 3: the move. So I mean, at some point they just
Speaker 3: don't have the Arsenal. I don't even know what they
Speaker 3: have anymore. They like the Kaminga, George Blue, all those
Speaker 3: other players, they didn't flip them into something. So now
Speaker 3: they're just running out of options, and I don't know
Speaker 3: who the player is they gets them to April, like
Speaker 3: I don't know, maybe maybe Steph can play seventy games
Speaker 3: and still have some juice left at the end. Maybe
Speaker 3: they make it till December, Jimmy comes back, and now
Speaker 3: Steph carest and Jimmy carry. I don't know. I feel
Speaker 3: like that's the part where it's like I just I
Speaker 3: kind of don't see it. It feels like Lebron didn't
Speaker 3: see it either. But if you're there and you're thinking,
Speaker 3: if we get to April with with with with health,
Speaker 3: you know, I think they feel like, all right, we
Speaker 3: can do this now. We saw it didn't happen last year,
Speaker 3: but they were without Jimmy Butler, you know, in Moses Moodie.
Speaker 3: So they beat If they beat Phoenix, they're in the
Speaker 3: playoffs and then they probably get you know, boat race
Speaker 3: for Oklahoma City. That's what it would have been.
Speaker 2: I was hope we could do the Marcus and JD
Speaker 2: back and forth for the next four hours, but we're
Speaker 2: running that time here. Marcus will go through the schedule
Speaker 2: game by game next week.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry. I thought it was a good question and
Speaker 3: worthy of conversation. No no, no, no no no no,
Speaker 3: no no no, it was good.
Speaker 4: It was going to get scolded for going back and forth.
Speaker 3: Mark, Well, I loved it. I loved it. Time before
Speaker 3: pregame here, Marcus.
Speaker 2: We'll talk you next week, man, yes, sir, alright later, man,
Speaker 2: all right, we'll wrap things up here at fifty eighth
Speaker 2: Social John Dickets and Derek Papa the Sports.
Speaker 3: Later