WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - James Jones 0:00:02.400 --> 0:00:05.240 Welcome to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. We 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:08.440 are presented by bet MGM, the official sports betting partner 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:12.119 of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hilo River Hotels and Casinos. 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:14.800 You can follow us on Twitter at pash Pot for 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:19.280 updates on future guests and reliving highlights of recent guests. 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.560 Normally we talk Cardinals in NFL on this podcast, but 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.200 one of the reasons we started this was to branch 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:30.760 out into other sports and also talk with actors and 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:35.040 comedians like James Rode and Frank kelliendo previous guests. So 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:38.559 given that the Phoenix Suns are coming off a Western 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:42.519 Conference championship, we thought we would talk with general manager 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:45.959 James Jones about what to expect from the Suns here 0:00:46.000 --> 0:00:48.640 in twenty twenty one twenty two. I truly believe it 0:00:48.720 --> 0:00:51.920 would help you If our guys are available, I don't 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:55.480 think there's anyone better. We will still talk football. James 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:58.120 grew up in Miami and as a big Dolphins fan. 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:00.960 He'll give us thoughts on the Cardinals and maybe even 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:04.120 a comp an NBA comp for Kyler Murray. But we're 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:06.560 also going to talk about the Suns how they got 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:09.360 to the title last year, what he thinks of this 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:13.800 year's team. Everybody's talking right now about DeAndre Ayden and 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:16.800 the Son's electing not to give him that max extension. 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:19.759 James will talk about that, what to expect from Devin 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:23.360 Booker this year, and whether Chris Paul can play until 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:27.679 he's over forty. And Lebron James, somebody that James Jones 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:31.479 knows very well, won three championships with Lebron in Cleveland 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:35.800 and Miami. James will give his most memorable Lebron James 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:39.400 moment in the upcoming podcast. So thanks for tuning in 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:41.800 as we talk a little NBA, a little NFL, a 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:49.559 little Cardinals and Sons with Phoenix Suns GM James Jones, Well, James, 0:01:49.640 --> 0:01:52.760 obviously you have an incredibly busy week with the season 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.840 opener Wednesday against Denver, so I appreciate the time before 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:00.440 we get into the Suns and the twenty twenty one 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:03.560 season as well as the upcoming campaign. I want to 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:05.600 talk a little football with it because I know growing 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:10.600 up in Miami, having played collegiately at the University of Miami, 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:12.720 that you're a big Dolphin fan. So give me your 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.639 take on the Dolphins so far here in twenty twenty one. 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:20.320 I mean, well, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:22.400 It's been a tough start to the season. You know, 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:26.000 as a Dolphins fan, we've had some tough times, and 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:29.239 you know, you you wish that you could take advantage 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:31.720 of the early part of season with the weathers in 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:35.720 your favor, you know, the humidity and the heat. We 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:37.640 typically try to get off to a good start, but 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:41.120 this year with the injuries, with two we struggled. But 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:44.720 you know, coming off a tough loss against Jacksonville, I'm 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:46.919 still bullish on this team, just because I believe in 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:51.120 coach Flores and I think we have the right culture, 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:54.120 we have the right mentality, and now we just have 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.720 to make the right places at the right time. So, 0:02:56.800 --> 0:03:01.359 growing up, were you a Bob Greasy fan, a Dan 0:03:01.440 --> 0:03:04.480 Marino fan, both one or the other. Who is like 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:08.800 your guy at the quarterback position when you were growing up? Um, 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.520 I was a Marino era, like that was a Greasy 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:16.320 before me. But you know, we had Mark Duper, Mark 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:21.880 Clayton Marino. We had some really good some really good 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:25.480 years and so I'm a Marino guy all the way. No, 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:27.600 I know you're young, enough. I knew Greasy was way 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:29.720 before you. I just didn't know because obviously they had 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:34.480 the last undefeated season, true undefeated season, nineteen seventy two. 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:38.200 How much attention do you pay to the Cardinals now 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:40.240 that you're living here in the GM of the Suns? 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:45.400 Oh Man, I watched them. You know, I've always said, like, 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:48.800 I have such an affinity and a respect for football 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:52.160 players growing up in Florida, being an ex football player 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:54.880 up until I went to high school, of going to 0:03:54.920 --> 0:03:57.680 the EU and playing with a lot of the world's 0:03:57.720 --> 0:04:01.720 best football players, Hall of Fame, Bubble players, um, just 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:05.480 understanding that team dynamic and and how hard it is 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:08.760 to win every play and to win a game in football. 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:11.240 I have the utmost respect for those guys, and I 0:04:11.320 --> 0:04:15.920 enjoy watching watching good teams. And you know, Arizona, the Cardinals, 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:19.400 I'm here, you know, they're They're my one B team 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:23.360 and it's been great to watch them grow. Um, you know, 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:26.160 they're their teammates, like they're just like us. I view 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:29.320 us as one big community, one big family of athletes 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:31.720 and and and guys that are out there just trying 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:33.880 to win and bring you know, pride and respect to 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:36.440 their city. So it's been great to watch them. And 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:39.400 you know, as much as you know, I wish the 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:45.799 Dolphins become or remain the last undefeated team in recent history. 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:47.760 I want to make sure I would. I would be 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.800 more than thrilled to see the Cardinals just run the 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:53.280 table this year. This is probably James an unfair question, 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:55.359 but I was thinking about this last week because I 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:59.640 did the MAVs Hornets preseason game last Wednesday, and I 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:01.880 threw us out there, and then I thought, now, maybe 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:04.120 it's not a good comparison. I was trying to think 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:07.200 of a Kyler Murray NBA comp and I thought about 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:11.560 LaMelo Ball because of just his incredible athletic ability and 0:05:11.720 --> 0:05:14.920 his talent level and his brain that probably he's probably 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:18.680 more like in Mahomes in the realm of a Patrick 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:20.840 Mahomes type than he is a Kyler Murray. Can you 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.560 think of anybody who might be a Kyler Murray comp 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:28.040 in the NBA? Oh man, That's that's a tough one. Um. 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:31.520 I mean, but if I had to say, I'd probably say, 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.760 I mean, I don't want to knock, but I'd probably 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:37.719 say Trey Yon, just in the sense that, like you 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:40.680 watch him as a as a smaller guy, but he 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.680 just plays so big, like he has such a big 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:48.840 impact on the game, so m and offensively just so talented. 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:54.080 So I would say that more more than LaMelo. But 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:57.600 I get where you're going with LaMelo because at such 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:01.880 a young age that their command for the game and 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.520 anticipating where guys will be and being able to make 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.320 every throw in every play, especially when you need it. 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.559 It's unique. So um, that's that's that's that's pretty spot 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:14.479 on though. But I like to Trey Young. And honestly, 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:17.800 if you really dig deeper, I mean, Steph is older now, 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:22.000 but the way Steph in so many respects change the 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:26.920 game and change the NBA with his range, Trey Young is, 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.320 you know, kind of a disciple in that regard. I mean, 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.400 Kyler is kind of changing the NFL a little bit. 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:35.760 So I don't know the Steph comparison is there, but 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:38.839 I do like to Trey Young because of just you know, 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:43.560 how young Trey is. No pun intended, Yeah, I mean no, 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.599 it's it's they're just they're just young. They're dynamic, man, 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:49.240 like you know, they're they're they're smaller guys and you 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:54.200 people always equate like being smaller at being a disadvantage, 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:56.479 but when you have guys that can use it to 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.279 their advantage and do it at a high level, you 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:03.000 have to respect. So how's Larry doing, Fitzgerald. I don't 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:05.360 know how much contact you have on a regular basis 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:11.960 with fits, but obviously Cardinal fans are interested in his 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:14.240 life right now post football, even though he hasn't come 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:16.400 out and said that he's retiring, He's not obviously playing 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:18.640 right now. So now, how much has Larry involved in 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:21.760 the Suns And how often do you guys talk? I 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:29.080 mean we connect, We connect regularly. He's always there to 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:31.800 just you know, give words of encouragement or an inside 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:34.160 or perspective, you know, as a as a high achieve 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.880 or high performer for so many years, he just sees 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:41.800 the game in sport in generally differently than most people. 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:44.920 So he's good. You know, he's enjoying the time with 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:49.160 his Family's enjoying the time you know, away from football. 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:52.120 But I know that the Suns are doing well and 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.720 the Cardinals are doing well, and so for him things 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:59.200 are are awesome. So I'm curious James at this time 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:03.840 last year obviously, last year was strange coming off the bubble, 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.320 the performances you guys had in the bubble. I'm sure 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:10.600 the expectations were higher than they were going into the 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:14.560 previous year. But did you think coming into the season, hey, 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:18.240 I put together a championship team, or were you unsure 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:22.400 because of adding Chris Paul who obviously has had a 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:24.760 lot of success but hadn't got to that point yet 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:27.560 in his career and hoping that DeAndre Ayton would take 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:31.120 the next step and mcel bridges and Devin Booker. Where 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:33.400 were you at this time a year ago with regard 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:36.520 to your thoughts on how deep you guys could go 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:39.200 in the playoffs or even if you could get to 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:42.000 the playoffs last year? Well, I mean, well, I thought 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:46.720 we were legitimate playoffs contender last year, whether or not 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:50.400 we get to the finals, even with the loaded roster. 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:55.360 I've been around as long enough to never assume anything. 0:08:55.960 --> 0:08:58.719 You get into the playoffs and you're you know, we 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:02.280 were fortunate. You can be one ankle spraining away from defeat. 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.560 And so for me, it's always been the hurdle has 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:08.439 always been get to the playoffs. And once you get 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.920 to the playoffs, if you have a team that can 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:13.439 be consistent night in and night out, and you have depth, 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:18.360 you have a real shot. I think the best teams, 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:24.000 best healthy teams, overcome the unhealthy, star studded teams, and 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.120 so you just want to increase your odds. So I 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:31.120 thought by adding Chris, we increased our odds drastically, giving 0:09:31.120 --> 0:09:34.320 ourselves a shot to make some noise in the playoffs. 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:38.319 And then when you put together the performances of Devin 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:43.960 and DA and mchl and Cam Johnson and Campaign you know, 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.320 Jay Crowder and Tory Craig, when all those guys have 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:50.480 their moments, you start to believe, like, okay, if we 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:54.240 can maintain this consistently over the course of you know, 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:59.560 these twenty eight games or sixteen games, we have a shot. 0:09:59.679 --> 0:10:01.679 And I thought we did last year, and I definitely 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:04.280 believe we have another shot this year. It was so 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:07.800 weird for us, James at ESPN, we didn't travel last year. 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:10.200 I did a lot of your games, but I'd be 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:12.160 in my house and I live in Chandler, so here 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:13.880 I am twenty five minutes from the arena and I 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:17.160 can't even see you guys in person. Thankfully, that's change 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:19.680 this year. We're back in person. We were in the 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:21.679 playoffs last year. But I didn't have any of your 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:24.120 games in the playoffs, but I remember doing some games 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.040 in January, and I think one of them was with 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:28.920 Jeff Van Gundy and we both said I think it 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:31.920 was the Milwaukee game. I'm trying to remember in January, 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:34.120 but it was after the game, Jeff and I were 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:37.079 both like, man, that's a legit team. Like that, that's 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:39.480 a playoff team. And this was in January. When did 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:42.840 you know that it was real that you guys were, Hey, 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:45.120 we got a chance to do something special this year. 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:48.480 Was there a turning point or a particular game where 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:51.240 you really started to believe that it was possible you 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:55.520 guys could do what you did. I would say there 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:57.120 was a course of a few games, and it was 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:58.920 after we got off to our start. I believe we 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:00.719 were at eight and eight or eight and seven. We 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.440 were close to a five hundred team at some point. 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:06.600 And for me, I always say, you know, I told 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:09.360 our guys going into last year that I mean, I'm 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:12.080 gonna watch how we respond to the dip. I want 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:16.000 to watch how we respond to the adversity early and 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:19.400 see if if our effort changes, see if our approach changes. 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:22.760 You know, see if we stick to our beliefs and 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:25.199 we stick to our principles, or if we start to 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:30.160 flounder and start chasing things outside of our nature. And 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:32.480 and we were able to bounce back and string together 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.960 some victories, but they were consistent, you know, they weren't 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:38.679 you know, us reinventing ourselves. It was doubling down on 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:42.480 what we believe point five, moving the ball to find, communicate. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:44.720 And so when I saw us do that early in 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:48.920 the year, and I saw like everyone was committed to 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:52.560 digging deeper and doubling down on our principles, I felt 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:55.960 like we have a shot Because I mean I played 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.720 a lot of basketball, watch a lot of basketball. You 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.040 eventually revert back to your nature and you go back 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:03.880 to your principles. And if you can lean on those 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:07.200 in times of adversity, I know that they're going to 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:11.640 serve you well in times or those opportunities present themselves 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:14.959 for you to have success. As someone James who's used 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:18.240 to winning, you won multiple NBA championships as a player, 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:22.520 was the end of last year, how much of it 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:25.560 was a celebration of what you accomplished? And maybe this 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:27.640 isn't the right term, but how much of it was 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:31.760 a funeral the way things ended, how excited were you 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:34.520 for what you would accomplished and how disappointed were you 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:40.520 for not being able to close it out. I use 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:45.679 the word numb. You know it leaves you numb, And 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:48.920 that works both ways because you know, if you have 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:52.840 an experience or you experienced something that is like overwhelming, 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.000 you don't know how to respond. You're almost kind of 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:57.640 like at a loss for words. At the same time, 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:00.720 if you experienced defeat like we did, it leads you 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.559 kind of had a loss where like for words and 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:07.520 emotions and thoughts. So I was numb, but I got 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:10.760 to that place after having years of success and failure 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:15.000 at the highest level in and But what happens is 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:18.679 when you come out of that, you know that you 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:22.840 don't want to see that spot again. You will see it, 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:24.240 but you want to see it on the other side, 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:27.880 Like you want to be numb from success, not defeat. 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.120 And so it's it's a fuel for you. And I'm 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:33.560 excited for what we can do this year because I 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:36.559 believe all of our guys want that other side of 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:40.640 that numbness. So let's talk about the team you have 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:45.040 going into this game against Denver, you got the Lakers Friday, 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:48.560 and then you're off and running. Obviously, everybody's talking right 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:52.199 now about the decision not to give the five year 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:56.000 extension to DeAndre Ayton. Can you tell us what went 0:13:56.040 --> 0:14:00.960 into that decision and why you guys decided not to 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:05.400 do the extension for the five years. I mean, well, 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:07.680 there are a lot of factors, but but ultimately we 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:11.880 just we we just couldn't get off of or we 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:15.480 couldn't agree that anything less than a five year max 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:20.040 um was acceptable. And you know that that it's it's 0:14:20.160 --> 0:14:22.400 it's odd I talk about it. It doesn't change how 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:26.280 we view DeAndre, doesn't change how we view this team. 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:29.000 It doesn't change what we've done, you know, the moves 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:32.280 we've made to continue to build this team and grow 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:36.000 our continuity and improve our environment so that we can 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:40.800 have like real aspirations and goals to win a title 0:14:40.880 --> 0:14:44.920 and and be legitimate contenders. UM. It just from a 0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:51.800 timing perspective, from UM UM like strategy standpoint, UM flexibility standpoint, 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.840 the five year max just wasn't something that we were 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:59.120 going to do, and you know, we didn't get it done. 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:02.080 But like I said, that's just for now, Like we 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:06.280 fully intended to help DeAndre and c DeAndre and his 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:09.800 team progress and get something done. We just didn't get 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:13.960 it done yet. So as a follow up, was this 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:18.280 a financial decision? Then? Was this something that had to 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:22.160 do with you? Just it's hard to project where he's 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:24.560 going to be in five years. I guess my question 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:26.920 is how much has this based on financial How much 0:15:27.000 --> 0:15:30.640 is it based on potential performance? No, it's it's it's 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:32.280 it's a lot of it just has to do with 0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:36.920 the future planning of the team. It's not financials that 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:40.120 that's not the issue, right Like you you try to 0:15:40.160 --> 0:15:43.720 project what your team and what your core guys will 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:49.120 look like five or six years from now, that's tough. Um. 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:51.440 You know, our our focus in our window is the 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:55.040 next two to three years and then things can change 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.120 three to four years from now and you don't know. 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:01.960 So from a flexibility standpoint on both both sides, from 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:04.920 a player and a team perspective, the five years just 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:09.840 wasn't something that made sense. Are you concerned about his 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.920 psyche where he is mentally because of this? Obviously he 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:15.840 was hoping to get it he didn't, So are you 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:18.160 worried James at all about kind of where he's going 0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:20.920 to be mentally if you talk to him yet about that. 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:24.600 I mean, I care about DeAndre. We care about DeAndre 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:26.360 just like we do the rest of our guys, and 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.560 we know, you know, when guy's going to contract years 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:32.640 that aren't on rookie deals, like it's it's an emotional time. 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:35.200 It's one of those things where you question and wonder. 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:40.800 So like I'm I'm concerned about our guys mental approach 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:44.640 and mental state going into a year with increased heightened 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:48.479 expectations to win a title, to be a title contender. 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:50.600 So yeah, I care because you know, this is the 0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:53.480 toughest part of the job when you have to deal 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:56.600 with the people that you care about and that you're 0:16:56.640 --> 0:17:01.760 committed to helping maximize an oppetite, their opportunities and maximized 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:06.760 When you're in these situations, you you know, you you 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:09.800 you concern yourself with how they feel and how they react. 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:12.280 But we're going to be here to support him, and 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:16.960 I think knowing DeAndre that he's going to respond Mike, 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:20.040 he would irrespective of the results. He's gonna come out 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:21.440 here and he's going to compete, and he's going to 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:23.600 try to do whatever he can to help the team 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.920 win and to be the best version himself. So and 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:30.159 whatever it takes from us to do that. Like like 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:33.840 I said, we're committed to doing it. So I'm one 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:37.040 of the voters for the for the NBA Awards, and 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:41.360 I voted Devin Booker second Team All NBA last year, 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:46.320 and I just thought that he had a phenomenal season. 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:48.200 And obviously I'm a little bit closer to it because 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:51.200 I live here, but I also had many as Coach 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:54.440 of the Year, and I was a little disappointed that 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:56.600 I looked TIBs did a great job and the next 0:17:56.640 --> 0:18:00.679 had a great season. It just felt like, for whatever reason, 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:03.159 and maybe it's just because the Suns weren't honest national 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:05.000 television as much as they're going to be this year, 0:18:05.880 --> 0:18:10.680 that the love and respect that I thought that they 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:13.320 deserve maybe they weren't getting from from some of the 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:16.920 other voters. How did you guys feel about that? Is 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:21.560 that something that angered devon or angered money or do 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:23.119 you guys say, you know what that it really doesn't 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:26.600 matter because there is a financial component to that to 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:30.639 being named All NBA for the players, No, it does, 0:18:30.760 --> 0:18:33.960 It doesn't matter you know our guys are they compete 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:37.960 for things above money, um and and so those financial 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:42.639 incentives of perks aren't would drive them um and in 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:47.800 the to the garner respect from the people that you 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:51.040 work with daily and that know you matters so much 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:54.159 more than the casual observer or people that are observing 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:58.040 you from afar and so um we just talk about 0:18:58.680 --> 0:19:01.480 respect for the game. And you know, if if those 0:19:01.480 --> 0:19:04.720 that are watching our players are coaches, our staff and 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:07.199 they can say that those guys sure respect for the 0:19:07.200 --> 0:19:10.040 game every time they compete, that's all we need, you know, 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:15.720 the accolades, the attention, the recognition. It will come if 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:19.640 you win, and if it doesn't doesn't bother us as 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:22.240 long as we achieve our goals of being the best 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:26.040 version of ourselves. What is the next step for Devin? 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:28.359 He had a great season. He's still a young guy. 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:30.560 What is he twenty four, twenty five and he's going 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:33.439 into year seven. What are the expectations. What do you 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:36.400 think is the next step for him? His toughness, man's 0:19:36.440 --> 0:19:39.720 really stood out obviously in the playoffs. That to me, 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:43.200 above all else was the thing that I've in a 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:45.280 lot of NBA people that I've taught to That really 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:48.320 caught their eye was they knew he could score. We 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:51.680 know he's an excellent shooter, but it was this toughness, 0:19:51.840 --> 0:19:55.320 you know, after the broken nose and you know, playing 0:19:55.359 --> 0:19:57.840 through that and getting hit several times in the face 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:01.439 after that, just to double down on who he is 0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:04.680 and just to become better at at what he does. 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:08.199 He doesn't have to change anything. He just needs to 0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:12.920 improve and become more efficient. So I think you'll continue 0:20:12.920 --> 0:20:16.920 to continue to see him figure out how to better 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:21.520 balance his his stretches of aggressiveness, um, how to facilitate 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:25.600 and be more efficient. So UM, I mean the kid, 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:29.199 the kid competes and whenever you have a competitor, um, 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:32.360 you don't put limits on him. You you just support him. 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:35.760 You played in the NBA for a long time. You 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:38.200 were a long time team, a team of Lebron James 0:20:38.240 --> 0:20:40.080 and I want to get to Braun in a second. 0:20:40.800 --> 0:20:43.520 But you know what makes Chris Paul tick And it's 0:20:43.560 --> 0:20:47.359 hard for an outsider like me to really get it. 0:20:47.400 --> 0:20:49.080 I mean I can talk to Chris and have over 0:20:49.119 --> 0:20:51.360 the years, whether he was with you guys, or the 0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:54.880 or the Thunder or Houston or the Clippers or even 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:56.520 going back to New Orleans. You know, we've met with 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.399 Chris and number of times over the years and you 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:01.800 watch what he does in terms of his production, But 0:21:02.080 --> 0:21:05.040 there is an it factor to him. Why does he 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:09.160 make such a difference? What is it specifically about him 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:15.080 that you notice that wherever he goes, he impacts others 0:21:15.240 --> 0:21:19.600 and takes his team to a different level. I mean, 0:21:19.640 --> 0:21:22.920 because Chris is a mad scientist. I think if you 0:21:23.480 --> 0:21:27.959 to describe someone that lives by or subscribe to the scientific, 0:21:28.320 --> 0:21:34.040 scientific method, that would be Chris's. He's thirsty for knowledge. 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:38.040 He's always questioning, you know, he's questioning what we're doing, 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:40.760 how we're doing it, while we're doing it, why it works, 0:21:40.800 --> 0:21:43.080 why it doesn't work, Why would it work in a 0:21:43.080 --> 0:21:45.720 certain situation. Why wouldn't it work in a certain situation. 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:48.479 Why is a guy struggling to have success in a 0:21:48.480 --> 0:21:51.280 certain play? You know why? You know this is a 0:21:51.359 --> 0:21:55.639 bad situation for our group. He just has that that 0:21:55.880 --> 0:22:00.520 mindset of always trying to improve, and so that's what 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:04.080 makes him tick, like he's never satisfied, and when he 0:22:04.119 --> 0:22:07.480 has success, he's always trying to figure out why and 0:22:07.560 --> 0:22:14.160 why it will be sustainable or won't that's me personally, 0:22:14.280 --> 0:22:16.320 having spent time with him when I was at the 0:22:16.320 --> 0:22:19.479 Players Association and he's the president of the union, watching 0:22:19.560 --> 0:22:23.159 him balance and manage the NBA game and the union's business. 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:26.280 You just hear him ask why a lot, and because 0:22:26.359 --> 0:22:31.000 he's so inquisitive, I think he finds answers like answers 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:33.679 to these questions a lot faster than most people. And 0:22:33.720 --> 0:22:36.000 that's why he's able to have so much success in 0:22:36.000 --> 0:22:40.600 such a short period of time in different situations, because 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:46.359 he is comfortable making people uncomfortable or being uncomfortable, but 0:22:46.400 --> 0:22:48.840