WEBVTT - The BroadCast: 4/11/2018 ~ ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks on 76ers, Playoffs 0:00:01.040 --> 0:00:04.800 It's time to talk Sixers. Simmons off balance in an 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:09.000 incredible bank shot is good here on the broadcast the 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:13.360 official podcast of Sixers dot Com If Drive, he goes 0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:16.280 in that slabs and oh man, what a play by 0:00:16.320 --> 0:00:22.319 it be. Now here's today's episode. An amazing end of 0:00:22.400 --> 0:00:26.440 season stretch just keeps on rolling on for the seventy Sixers, 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:32.599 picking up a franchise record fifteenth fifteenth consecutive victory Tuesday 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:35.800 night in Atlanta, holding off the Hawks by the final 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:39.559 score of one twenty one to one thirteen. Brian Seltzer 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:41.760 with you from Sixers dot Com. Thank you, it's always 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:44.960 for checking out the podcast on this the final day 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:47.800 of the regular season. We know there is plenty more 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:50.000 basketball to come for the seventy Sixers. In the way 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:54.680 they're playing, that can't be anything but a very promising 0:00:54.760 --> 0:00:57.360 and good thing. Last game of the year later on 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.800 tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks at eight o'clock at this 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.960 Center on fan Appreciation Night, a great way for the 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.720 Sixers to wrap things up and what could actually be 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:09.679 a playoff preview for the Sixers in the opening round 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.559 for the Eastern Conference quarterfinals if the current seatings hold 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:15.600 it'll be the Sixers at the three spot and the 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:20.000 Bucks at six, so this could be a preview somewhat 0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:22.720 of things to come for the opening round playoff series 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:25.600 for these seventy sixers. All that will be sorted out 0:01:25.680 --> 0:01:29.039 later on tonight once regular season action in the Association 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:32.120 wraps up. On this episode of the podcast, we're going 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:35.000 to talk with the man who knows his front office 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:39.559 stuff from ESPN. It is Bobby Mark's front office NBA 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:42.319 insider and will get on the phone with him in 0:01:42.360 --> 0:01:45.240 just a moment. A reminder that to subscribe to the podcast, 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:47.080 you can do a couple of things. You can go 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:48.840 to iTunes, you can go to Google Play, you can 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:51.640 go to Stitcher, and you can type in Sixers podcast 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:56.720 network roles on SoundCloud at SoundCloud dot com, backslash Sixers. 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.240 If you are like me, you really enjoy and dig 0:02:01.280 --> 0:02:05.040 everything that Bobby Marks does for ESPN, you can follow 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:08.000 him on Twitter at Bobby Marks forty two. He is 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:11.079 also the front office insider for ESPN, which has to 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:14.000 night's game between the seventy Sixers and the Bucks at 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.720 eight o'clock. Bobby, a longtime executive, spent two decades with 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:20.280 the new Jersey and Brooklyn Nets rising all the way 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:24.280 to vice president of basketball and assistant general manager has 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:26.960 plenty of contacts throughout the league, so we thought it'd 0:02:26.960 --> 0:02:29.600 be a good time to touch base with Bobby and 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:31.720 get the word from him about what people are saying 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.320 about the seventy Sixers around the rest of the league 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:36.840 and get his opinions and thoughts on the team and 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:39.880 its progress as well. Bobby, thanks so much for taking 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:41.919 the time man to talk. And I guess why don't 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:45.840 we start with this? On your original list of expectations 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:49.519 for this season, where did the seventy Sixers at fifty wins, 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:52.079 a top four seed in the East, and a monster 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:56.560 a winning streak rank on your lists? I don't think 0:02:56.600 --> 0:03:01.040 that was even on my list. I list when I 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:03.520 and I do this for all the teams, um I 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:06.320 put notes down for each team. My notes for Philadelphia 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:11.000 entering the season was U Joe ellenbad, healthy, and play 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:15.560 meaningful games in March and April. That's that those are 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:17.440 the two things that I had my list in regards 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.840 to Philadelphia. And what I mean meanful games, I just 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.040 that you know in the past and you know and 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:25.160 following this team and working for the team is that 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:28.360 you get to a point past the All Star breaking, 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.200 you start playing out the string of games and you 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:35.880 look towards the you know, the postseason and the lottery. Um, 0:03:35.960 --> 0:03:38.160 and I just wanted to philt Olphia team to start 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:41.360 playing games that meant something where you're trying to fight 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:44.200 for a playoff spot. Um, and give these guys some 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:49.240 some experience here. So um, yeah, I think, um, I 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:51.480 think this probably caught us all off a little bit 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:54.760 off guard here, safe to say, it's happened more quickly 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:59.120 than you would have thought. Yeah, I think. Um. I 0:03:59.160 --> 0:04:01.760 think if they had not made up the playoffs this year, 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:03.800 I think it would have been, you know, certainly a disappointment. 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:07.640 But the expectation level now and is, you know, we're 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:09.720 not just looking at this team just to get into 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:13.200 the playoffs. I think you know, um, you know, certainly 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:15.800 to win an advanced based on who they play in 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:17.719 the in the first round. So yeah, I think there. 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.440 I think there's certainly ahead of the curve here when 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.400 it goes to how this has been built and how 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:28.080 from a winning standpoint, I think the culture from a 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.119 winning standpoint is that they've got a pretty good taste 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:33.040 of success right now, and they're not really willing to 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:35.880 give that up. Why don't we go into the layers 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:38.279 of the sixers turnaround a little bit more. I suppose 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:42.039 there's a bunch of different ways you can assess the 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:44.360 way things have gone for them this season. There's obviously 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:48.480 young individual talents, some veterans sprinkled in that have made 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:51.200 a difference as well. Collectively, this is a team that 0:04:51.320 --> 0:04:54.159 is a top four net rating going into the final 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:58.200 game of the regular season. Their style is something that 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:00.560 the head coach, Brett Brown, has talked about since his 0:05:00.720 --> 0:05:04.000 very first day on the job. Where did this all 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.040 start and seem to get rolling and pick up this 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:09.120 year and accelerate? Do you feel well? I think a 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.680 lot of it had to do with a health you know, 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:14.119 we all you know, that's kind of the under under 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.400 statement of the year as far as what you know, 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:22.200 getting Joey out there healthy. Um, it's keeping him healthy, um, 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:25.000 extending his minutes and then kind of just building around 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:28.760 that in that base there. Um. The big thing too, 0:05:29.040 --> 0:05:31.840 is is that, um, you know, this is although they 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:34.479 are top ten in the league and average aged, they 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:39.320 have built this with veterans on the outside as an 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:42.960 outside layer here when you look at the JJ Reddick 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:46.200 signing and the Emir Johnson signing this summer, and then 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:49.120 to be able to add Bell and Ellie and Nili 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:54.400 Silva um after the trade deadline, that those two those 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.760 four players themselves and and and I think if we're 0:05:57.760 --> 0:06:00.760 looking at don Elli and Nili Silva, I can't make 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.000 the case that the Sixers team would be would be 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:04.480 able to get out of the first round if those 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.040 two players were there and they had stayed pat right 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.400 now just because it gives them a I don't want 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:12.240 to say, an insurance policy if the bright eyes of 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:14.240 the of the playoffs gets a little bit too big 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:15.919 for some of these young players. But there is a 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:19.840 fallback there for for the veterans. So um it you know, 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:22.600 it's it has always started with health. We always thought 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:25.960 if the team could could stay healthy, um, there could 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:28.520 be something there. But when you added you know, the 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:30.680 two in the summer, the two veterans in the summer, 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:34.400 and then you get the two two players post deadline, 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:36.880 I think that's kind of where you started. Really things 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:39.120 picked up here. We'll talk about some of the young 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:41.880 members of the Sixers nucleus in just a moment, But 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.320 in continuing along with some of the veterans, I know 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:46.720 that a couple weeks ago, you put a tweet out 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.960 there during I think the Sixers game in Atlanta that 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.880 all signs are pointing towards the Sixers recently making a 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:56.760 run towards the playoffs, but guys like Bellinelli and Ilyasova 0:06:57.200 --> 0:06:58.880 put them over the tops. I mean, is that a 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.920 sign of change in perception that a guy like a 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:04.440 Bellonelli or an ilias Silver or even dating back to 0:07:04.680 --> 0:07:08.360 July with JJ Raddick and Amir Johnson, that this was 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.240 a destination in the seventy sixers that they were not 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:14.800 only willing to entertain, but ultimately sign with and jump 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:18.520 on board with. I think certainly. I think the you know, 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.840 when you go through the March one way buyout period, 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:25.800 those players have basically they can pick any team they 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:28.120 want to go to. You know, most of the time 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:29.960 it's not on a team that's heading to the lottery. 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:32.880 But they had the choice of picking sixteen or seventeen 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:35.960 other teams that were sixteen teams that were heading towards 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:39.120 the playoffs. And it took Philadelphia, And it wasn't just one. 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:41.480 It was two of them. I mean the two guys. 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:46.120 You know, Arison certainly held being there before, but a 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.120 guy in marcol Bellonelli because he felt like there would 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:50.600 be a role for him and he felt like this 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.760 team was a playoff team and it was a two 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:56.440 way street. You know. He kind of used the team 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:59.880 to help him next year in free agency and then 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:02.400 they relied on him to to you know, not just 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:05.040 be a six or seven seed. But yeah, I mean 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.200 it's it's hard in UM in March when you go 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:10.440 through that process and you kind of and it's really 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:13.160 not about finances because both guys signed for the pro 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:16.080 rated minimum, but to be able to UM, to be 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:18.280 able to you know, sign both players is a huge 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:20.280 father in your cap and in the same thing to 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:23.400 be said about UM. You know JJ and this the summer, 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:25.640 I mean, JJ Roddick had his pick a team. You know, 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:29.239 he probably could have gotten gotten to Brooklyn on maybe 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:31.400 not it's probably not as much money, but in length 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:34.959 and contracts and security, but he took Philadelphia. He kind 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:37.880 of bet on himself a little bit. UM certainly came 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.200 in at a pretty high number there, but it was 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:42.600 it was certainly worth it and it's helped both out. 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:46.440 You mentioned the culture factor at the start of the interview. 0:08:46.480 --> 0:08:48.880 Just what have you been hearing about what the rest 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:51.120 of the league thinks of the culture that the seventy 0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:54.679 six ers have built and that's really taken shape, um, 0:08:54.720 --> 0:08:57.000 I guess more exponentially the last couple of years as 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.280 things have started to move in a different direction. Well, 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.600 if I'm just talking with people that they've only scratched 0:09:02.600 --> 0:09:05.240 the service here, I mean, we're only we're only seeing 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:09.120 the first foundation of things that are going to happen. 0:09:09.240 --> 0:09:12.120 And the beauty of this all is that they have 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:16.720 so much flexibility going into into the summer and possibly 0:09:16.720 --> 0:09:19.079 in the summer of twenty nineteen how they really want 0:09:19.120 --> 0:09:21.640 to shape their team. And you add, you know, a 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:24.360 lottery pick, likely lottery picks from the Lakers in your 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:26.959 own pick, and then you have possibly twenty five or 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:28.800 thirty million dollar cast space. You can go in so 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:32.280 many different directions, either retain these this current group or 0:09:32.880 --> 0:09:35.800 go out free agent shopping. So there is a and 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:38.000 it's a good time to be uh, you know, a 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:40.800 team in the market from a free agent perspective and 0:09:40.840 --> 0:09:45.480 being on a national stage in the playoffs, Uh, playing 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:48.280 on ABC or ESPN or T and T is there's 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:51.320 no better selling point from a recruiting tool than doing that. 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:54.720 The identity for the Sixers, it seems like first and 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:58.440 foremost is what they've been able to do with young talent. Um. 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:01.640 There are a couple guys to who analyze on that list. 0:10:01.640 --> 0:10:04.440 You've mentioned Joel Embiid kind of a freak injury that 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:06.719 he suffered colliding with mark El Faults in the game 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:09.360 a few weeks back against the New York Knicks. Before 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:12.040 that point, what were you making of what Embiid had 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:15.079 shown over the course of this season. Well, I mean 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:18.160 as dominant as as a center out there. Um. I 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:21.800 think if if Demurcas Cousins hadn't got hurt, then we 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:24.400 would probably be talking about Joel Embiid for first Team 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.240 All NBA. I think Danthony Davis getting votes there will 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:30.560 probably take that away from him. Even even with mbad Um. 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:33.320 You know the game lands he put sixty games this year, 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:36.400 not playing seven plus, I think we would be talking 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.720 about about him and Cousins of healthy as all MBA. 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:43.760 But one thing I'm marvel about Joel is really is 0:10:44.280 --> 0:10:46.920 his footwork. I mean, I've never seen a footwork for 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:51.400 a big player that size, as fluid as he is. 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.360 M can go out and stretch the floor, can play 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.160 down low if you if you, if you want to. 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:59.960 Is a great teammate. And guys when he's on the court, 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:03.760 they they they thrive off of And you know, it's 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:06.200 it's always been about health. I mean, and if Joel 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:08.400 can stay healthy, you know, he's going to be in 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:10.000 a lot of All Star Games and this team is 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:11.840 gonna be in a lot of postseasons for the years 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.240 to come. When you were with the Nets, do you 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:17.480 remember what people were saying around the time when his 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:22.320 name first surfaced on scouting radars, that sort of thing 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:25.920 and what people felt at that period. Well, it's funny. 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:27.959 I went out and saw him play at um at 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:30.559 Ohio State they were playing. I went and saw a 0:11:30.640 --> 0:11:33.760 game Dayton and drove to do Columbus because I heard 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:36.000 about this guy Joel and beat and I didn't know. 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:37.920 I'm like, you know, who is who is this guy? 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:40.439 And I went out there and uh and uh and 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:43.800 and saw him and um, you know, I mean that 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:45.680 that was the you know, the kind of the tip 0:11:45.720 --> 0:11:48.720 of the iceberg. This this seventh seventh plus guy at 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:52.120 Kansas here, Um, you know who exactly was he? And 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:54.240 he kind of he kind of stormed onto onto the 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:56.800 national scene and then you you go through the draft 0:11:56.800 --> 0:11:59.680 process and he you know, he breaks the foot there, 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:02.000 um and you take a little bit of a risk 0:12:02.040 --> 0:12:04.480 taking him where they did, and then you know he's 0:12:04.559 --> 0:12:06.200 you know, he's out of the picture for you know, 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:08.400 two years, and he kind of teases you last year 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.880 and now he kind of explodes back onto the scene here. 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:15.040 So um. But yeah, I mean where he is right 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.280 now compared to where he was two years ago, I 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:19.760 think it's a it's a great story. Are there certain 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:22.160 players that you found over the course of your time 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:26.000 in a front office? Um where scouts, personnel, people they 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:28.640 just can see and they have a sense they kind 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:32.080 of know immediately that that could be some type of 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:36.240 special piece that's capable to be built around. Well, I 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:38.040 mean I go back all the way back to UM 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:42.679 to ninety six over ninety seven with Tim Duncan you 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:45.400 know we had he I think we were picking seven there. 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:47.079 We wound up going up to two and we made 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:49.040 that trade was fimilating to Keith dan Horn. But I 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:50.920 think at the time you knew that Tim, that that 0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:54.240 Tim Duncan was that special type of player that you 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:57.280 were able to build around. I mean, I think that's 0:12:57.360 --> 0:13:00.880 kind of my you know, maybe not comping to start play, 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:03.400 but that kind of that foundation piece, that kind of anchor. 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.320 We've gone about ten minutes so far, Bobby, and we 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:09.640 haven't even mentioned I don't think the name Ben Simmons yet, 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:13.040 and it's been pretty ridiculous. During the back half of 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:15.920 the big winning streak the Sixers were on, it's Simmons 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.720 who really elevated his level of play. With Embied being 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.680 on the sideline. Did you see this type of year 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:25.320 coming from Simmons? No, I didn't. I didn't mean I 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:28.440 mean where he is now. I mean I saw him 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:31.880 at at LSU. I love them at LSU because I 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:34.520 love players at our kind of positionalists that can play 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:38.400 multiple different positions. You're not kind of pegged one thing, um, 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:41.320 you know, you know out last year with the with 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:44.480 the injury. Um, you know, we we thought he would 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:48.000 be healthy. This year he has been. But to throw 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.960 him out there with this team and be able to 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.760 do things and really, I mean he's peaking at the 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:57.280 right time. I mean he's really peaked post All Star 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.160 break Rod, No, I did not. I did not think 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:03.240 we would, you know, I think we would see Ben 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.400 Simmons at this type of level right now, where you know, 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:08.160 if you had some more time up in the season, 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:09.960 you could probably make a cage for him getting some 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:13.880 All Star All NBA votes. I mean, it's certainly where 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.920 you want to put him. But yeah, it is a 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:20.200 remarkable as far as what he's been able to do. 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:24.960 He's not a guy that outwardly emotes much. He's very 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:28.840 businesslike and serious, gets down to work. But to me, 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:30.960 one of the most impressive things has been just how 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.160 much poise he's played with and the fact that he 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:37.440 has really from the start of the season until now 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.000 at this late stage, has kind of acted like a 0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:44.480 guy who's been there before. Um, the intangible factor seems 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:46.800 to have stood out in some ways as much as 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:49.680 some of the skills he brings to the court. And 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:51.600 that's why I don't think he'll have any problems when 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:53.760 we get when we get going over the weekend with 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.920 the playoffs. I know, the knock from talking with people, 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.240 the national people saying well, these young kids has have 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.400 not been there before. You know, and I remember being 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:05.280 in New Jersey when we went to those Cup that 0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:08.360 first year in the finals, and then Das and Kid. 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.120 We had a young team and those guys hadn't been 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.800 there either, And I'm not I'm not worried about, you know, 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:16.400 the bright lights when Ben Simmons played a game one 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:19.920 on Saturday or Sunday here. I think I think he's 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:23.480 cool and collective and that I don't think that will 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:25.840 be an issue. I'll be surprised if it isn't it too. 0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:27.960 And it's interesting because it seemed like there were some 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:31.080 people that took issue with his comments about the Rookie 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:33.920 of the Year remarks when he was asked on ESPN, 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:35.640 well would you vote who? Would you vote for me? 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:37.680 So I'd vote for myself one hundred percent. I mean 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:39.640 that's I think that if you're around him, you get 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.000 an understanding of what type of demeanor he has, and 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.240 it's not really like boastful or overly cockey. There's just 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:49.640 a very subtle, somewhat silent confidence that he carries himself with. 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:52.600 Well yeah, I mean I think you probably heard that 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:54.840 from Lebron too, when they asked Lebron is who he 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:57.320 would vote for for MVP, and he said himself, and 0:15:57.360 --> 0:15:59.320 I think any of us if you had that confidence 0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.640 about um, you can do it. And a certainly the 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:04.640 you know, the right the right manner here. But I 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:06.520 had no issue at all for him saying, you know 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.120 who would he vote for? And um, you know he'll 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:11.640 probably sartainly win the you know, Rookie of the Year. 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:17.080 I assume um and go on from there. It sounds 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:18.720 like the seventy six ers are still in the midst 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.160 of trying to figure out exactly how they might try 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:25.200 to incorporate Marquel Folts into their playoff plans. But how 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:27.680 far do you think it could take him? Just the 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:29.360 fact that he was able to get back out on 0:16:29.400 --> 0:16:32.760 the court before the end of the regular season. I 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:36.280 didn't think we'd say, Brian it all this year. I 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:38.760 thought we would. I thought we would go into I 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:41.120 think the big two biggest questions going into the summer 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.400 would be mark El Folts and Kawhi Leonard. I thought 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:46.080 those were going to be the things because we hadn't 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:49.280 really seen much of both these guys during during the 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.560 season here, so to be able to come back a 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.320 couple of weeks ago and play you know somewhat of 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:56.440 a roll down the stretch here now will be interesting 0:16:56.480 --> 0:16:59.720 as far as what happens when we get going, because 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:02.760 you know that lineups start to get shrunk down a 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:05.400 little bit, minutes start to get um you know, change 0:17:05.480 --> 0:17:07.320 changed up a little bit. You'd probably see that in 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:09.960 Toronto with that team up there. Um. So it will 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:13.000 be interesting as far as what role Mark help plays here, 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:17.679 but playoffs aside, I think it's a lot. There's a 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:21.199 good there's enough body of work over the last you know, 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:23.560 I guess five or six games here to go into 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.440 the summer and kind of build off that. For many 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:28.520 clips that you've seen or highlights your games, do you 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:31.000 feel like he's shown more than what he did in 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:34.040 the first four games of the season. Well, I think 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:36.040 there's a little bit more of a confidence level, I 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:38.840 really do. I think that kind of I think when 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:42.800 you play with confidence, the forty percent shooter, you know, 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:44.760 all of a sudden, the shooting forty five to fifty. 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.760 I think that's where you know he's a he's a 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:51.240 big physical guard, I mean, and to kind of either 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:53.320 post up or trying to get to the hoop. I 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:55.800 don't think that's something maybe we saw in um, you know, 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:57.840 early in the year, and I think that all that 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:01.280 stems from just having a having a confidence PubL As 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:03.320 we begin to wrap this up, have you heard any 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:06.160 scuttle butt from contacts you might have around the rest 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.320 of the league as far as how they view the 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:11.399 Sixers going to the postseason, what level of threat, how 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:15.120 seriously um they're being taken at this point. Well, if 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:17.399 you talk to my counterparts at ESPN on some of 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.120 these shows, I think they've got them penciled in going 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:23.360 to the Eastern Conference Finals. So I think I want 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:26.040 to I want to pump the brakes a little bit there. 0:18:26.560 --> 0:18:29.040 I think we'll take it round, take a round by round. 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:30.919 I think a lot of it will depend on seating. 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:34.760 I expect them to win against Milwaukee and and get 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:37.200 the three seeds, and who knows who they'll play. Maybe 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:40.720 I will be uh, maybe it'll be Miami there um, 0:18:40.840 --> 0:18:43.520 and then go through there. But they have certainly if 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:44.960 they do get the three seat, they're in a good 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:47.960 draw with Boston as a as a decimated Boston team 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:51.080 as a two seed. But I wouldn't be surprised if 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.399 we see this team in the Eastern Conference Finals. I wouldn't. 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:55.439 I really wouldn't be or and I wouldn't be surprised 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:58.200 if they lose and you know, in the second round here, 0:18:58.800 --> 0:19:01.560 because there's so much there's so much unknown with this 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:04.520 group because they haven't really been there before. This might 0:19:04.520 --> 0:19:06.280 be a strange question for the guy who works for 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:09.360 the seventy six ers digital department to ask, But if 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:11.879 you were inside an opposing front office, what are the 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:15.840 types of conversations once seating and matchups are set? Can 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:17.720 you kind of take us in there and the dialogue 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:20.000 that takes place between a front office and a coaching 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:22.919 staff about getting ready for a long playoff series, how 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:26.680 you try to attack the opposition. Well, you know, it's funny. 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:28.560 I was driving earlier and I was thinking that I 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:31.920 do not see I'm not envy the person who is 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:35.600 in charge of putting together the scouting books because you're 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:38.760 heading into Tuesday and Wednesday and you have no idea 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:42.119 who you're playing here, and now you've kind of basically 0:19:42.160 --> 0:19:44.720 you're studying for a test and you've got, you know, 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:47.560