WEBVTT - BONUS: Interview with Keith Smith of Spotrac

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<v Speaker 1>You're tuned into Heat Check with Trystal Quick.

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<v Speaker 2>On this episode of the Heat Check, we have a

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<v Speaker 2>special interview with one of my favorites, Heath Smith. Keith

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<v Speaker 2>is a senior writer at spot Track or spoke Track,

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<v Speaker 2>one of my favorite NBA websites that I don't know

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<v Speaker 2>how to pronounce, as well as the Celtics Insider. Keith

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<v Speaker 2>joined me and my co host PJ Glass on bet

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<v Speaker 2>MGM Tonight. On a recent episode, we discussed the Trailblazers,

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<v Speaker 2>of course, Miles Turner, why he may actually not be

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<v Speaker 2>on the move, how Malcolm Brogden symbolizes the new NBA,

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<v Speaker 2>fascinating conversation around that, what's going on with Kawhi Leonard,

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<v Speaker 2>and why the Wolves might be the latest team to

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<v Speaker 2>be taken by Trader Danny. One of my favorite interviews

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<v Speaker 2>this season, Nick, So do me a favor. Let's drop

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<v Speaker 2>that beat. I asked Keith whether he thought the Cleveland

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<v Speaker 2>Cavaliers were for real and what he thought about the

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<v Speaker 2>Portland Trailblazers in this clip listening.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's still too early, but I think this is

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<v Speaker 1>a case of water finding its level. They got out

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<v Speaker 1>to that great start, but they weren't going to be

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<v Speaker 1>that team all year. They've definitely got some holes in

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<v Speaker 1>their rotation that they've got to shore up, and whether

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<v Speaker 1>that's with development or they make conditions down the line,

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<v Speaker 1>but they're going to settle into being a good team,

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<v Speaker 1>which is probably a top six team in the East

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<v Speaker 1>versus being a top two or three team in the end.

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<v Speaker 2>I saw that you went on Rip City Radio this

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<v Speaker 2>morning and talking about my Blazers. What do you think

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<v Speaker 2>about them and whether they're going to find their level

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<v Speaker 2>or whether what they're doing is sustainable and kind of

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<v Speaker 2>just your thoughts on what you are seeing from them

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<v Speaker 2>because last three years, Keith, defensively, they've been abysmal and

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<v Speaker 2>right now there's sixth in defensive rating because of really

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<v Speaker 2>Jeremy Grant.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean a lot of it is. I think

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<v Speaker 1>two things. They got better defensive players on the court now,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I think that has helped a lot by

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<v Speaker 1>Durreamy Durant, but I think they're playing some other guys

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<v Speaker 1>Drew you Banks for the really solid defender when he's

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<v Speaker 1>in their upfront. And then I think this is a

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<v Speaker 1>year into what Chauncey Billips wants them to be doing

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<v Speaker 1>and they've been more relatively healthy ish I think has

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<v Speaker 1>also helped them, So I think there's some sustainability. They'll

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<v Speaker 1>drop offs. I don't think they're gonna, you know, be

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<v Speaker 1>the top team in the Western Conference when all is said,

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<v Speaker 1>don but I think again, this is a team that will.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, I had them in the playing tournament, they

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<v Speaker 1>might be able to get themselves out of it because

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of teams in the West that I thought

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<v Speaker 1>might be ahead of them right now that look like

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<v Speaker 1>they kind of can't get out of their own way.

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<v Speaker 1>So Fortan just needs to keep doing what they're doing

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<v Speaker 1>and they're gonna put together a nice share of ten.

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<v Speaker 2>Indiana having a fascinating year. So I asked Keith about

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<v Speaker 2>the Pacers and Miles Turner since he recently broke him

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<v Speaker 2>down on spot track, he had a ton of great

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<v Speaker 2>insight into his situation. I'm curious about your thoughts on

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<v Speaker 2>Indiana because this is a team that everyone says wants

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<v Speaker 2>to have the top five draft pick, and yet they're

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<v Speaker 2>above five hundred. Miles Turner has been awesome. He's on

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<v Speaker 2>an expiring to you, what are the odds that Miles

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<v Speaker 2>Turner he's been in trade talks for forever ends up

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<v Speaker 2>actually staying in Indiana for the duration of this year

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<v Speaker 2>even longer. The idea seems insane, and yet he is

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<v Speaker 2>still there. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I actually just wrote about him for spot Track yesterday

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<v Speaker 1>because he's a candidate for the very rare renegotiation and extent,

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<v Speaker 1>which is where you can actually up his salary this year,

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<v Speaker 1>because the Pacers have cap space, and because he's done

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<v Speaker 1>a right kind of contract. So I think whenever a

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<v Speaker 1>guy who's been in trade talks for like four or

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<v Speaker 1>five years, like Turner has been, but then he doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>get traded, I tend to think there's something to do that

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<v Speaker 1>either he doesn't want to be or the team doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>really want to move him, and I think he may

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<v Speaker 1>stick right there. I would not surprised that the Pacers,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, after the trade deadline is gone and they

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<v Speaker 1>see what moves are out there for them, maybe using

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<v Speaker 1>that almost thirty million in cash space that they have,

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<v Speaker 1>if they say, all right, you know what, let's give

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<v Speaker 1>some of it as to Miles Turner as a bonus

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<v Speaker 1>now and we'll tack two, three four years on in

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<v Speaker 1>the new contract. That's still cheap of a tradeablasta just

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<v Speaker 1>the case, but I don't think he's gonna go anywhere necessarily.

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<v Speaker 2>Malcolm Brogden went to the Celtics in the offseason for

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<v Speaker 2>less than people thought that he would make, less than

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<v Speaker 2>people thought it would take to get that trade done.

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<v Speaker 2>Keith gives a fascinating answer. I want to delve more

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<v Speaker 2>into an a later episode of The Heat Check. Incredible stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>I like Atlanta to win that division. I think they've

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<v Speaker 1>got a better team Miami is that they're older. You

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<v Speaker 1>are already putting a lot of miles on some of

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<v Speaker 1>their guys early in this season. That's very worrisome to

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<v Speaker 1>me for what they may look like when we get

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<v Speaker 1>into February, March, in April. What's that going to look like.

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<v Speaker 1>They don't have a ton of depths on that team.

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<v Speaker 1>They have major holes up Fronte, They don't have anybody

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<v Speaker 1>at the power forward spot. Their big band rotation has

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<v Speaker 1>been a little bit messy. So unless there's a trade coming,

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<v Speaker 1>which is not an easy thing to do for them,

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<v Speaker 1>because they're kind of out of tradable asset that I

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<v Speaker 1>think they're gonna be one of those teams that might

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<v Speaker 1>be down in the playing range and I think the

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<v Speaker 1>Hawks will ultimately win the division almost by default because

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<v Speaker 1>it's not going to be any of the other three teams.

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<v Speaker 1>They're just looking to Don Keith.

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<v Speaker 2>Can you talk a little bit about the job that

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<v Speaker 2>Joe Missoula has done this year, because WOJ says that

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<v Speaker 2>he's coached his way into a long term deal. I

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<v Speaker 2>think a lot of people think this is a team

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<v Speaker 2>that already went to the finals, so how hard could

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<v Speaker 2>it be. But the institutional chaos that was going on

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<v Speaker 2>when he took over was immense.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's it. It's that part there at the end

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<v Speaker 1>that he said is this could have gone completely sideways

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<v Speaker 1>on the Celtics and you know, really been terrible because

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<v Speaker 1>the players, I openly said, they had no idea any

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<v Speaker 1>of this was coming. They basically found out right before

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<v Speaker 1>the rest of us did that all this was going down.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's you know, that's tough, especially you know right

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<v Speaker 1>on the eve of the season starting off, that you're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be in that spot. I think, you know, Joe Mazzola, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>he's kept some of he May Udoka's stuff in there,

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<v Speaker 1>but offensively, he's created more of a five out system

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<v Speaker 1>than even Udoka ran that's opened up driving lanes for

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<v Speaker 1>Jason Tatum and JAYLEB.

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<v Speaker 2>Brown.

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<v Speaker 1>I think he's really empowered the players. And what he's

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<v Speaker 1>also done is he's kind of said, hey, these are

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<v Speaker 1>my rotation guys. I know who my eight nine guys are.

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<v Speaker 1>But the rest of you, guys, guys, you're ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen,

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<v Speaker 1>you better be ready because we know we've got a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of injury prone guys. When we come to you,

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<v Speaker 1>you gotta be ready to go. And that's what we've

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<v Speaker 1>seen here over the last couple of weeks with like

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<v Speaker 1>Peyton Pritchard and Sam Houser and Luke Cornett. Those guys

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<v Speaker 1>have been able to step in. You'll really do some stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>and they're they're playing really good basketball, and they're they're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna get Malcolm brogen back. Looks like tomorrow, Marcus Smart

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<v Speaker 1>probably only a couple more games away, and then eventually

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<v Speaker 1>Robert Williams is going to return. That's when I think

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<v Speaker 1>you'll see the defensive takeoffs as well.

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<v Speaker 2>In your travels of covering the league, I've heard some

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<v Speaker 2>things just kind of whispers about that Malcolm Brogden you

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<v Speaker 2>talk about, you know, just guys that are injury prone.

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<v Speaker 2>Something that I heard, you know, whispers about is that

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<v Speaker 2>when Malcolm Brogden gets injured, it doesn't really matter how

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<v Speaker 2>injured he is, he will miss miss time because he's

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<v Speaker 2>that careful about his body. Is that something that's like

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<v Speaker 2>pretty normal across the league? Is there a wide disparity?

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<v Speaker 1>Have you heard this?

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<v Speaker 2>Just kind of curious about that in general and how

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<v Speaker 2>how gms think about players.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I have heard that as it pertained to Malcolm Brocknen.

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<v Speaker 1>I think there's a reason why the Celtics Gotum for

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<v Speaker 1>as low a price as they did, which I think,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, when you just look at the player in

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<v Speaker 1>the talent, it was like, Wow, the Celtics really stolen.

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<v Speaker 1>But when then you look at it, it's like, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the the guy who plays you know, forty to fifty

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<v Speaker 1>games in some years, and that that could be tough

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<v Speaker 1>to work around. And I think for Boston the idea

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<v Speaker 1>was we have Derek White, we have marcusmart we have

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<v Speaker 1>Peyton Pritchard. Hey, if he needs a week off to

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<v Speaker 1>recover from what teams like maybe a minor injury, we go.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's becoming more prevalent around the league with players.

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<v Speaker 1>I think players are looking at this and say, Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't want to have a eight good year career.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd like to have a ten to twelve good year career.

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<v Speaker 1>And the way they're doing that is by not playing

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<v Speaker 1>through injuries in the life. So I think that's where

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<v Speaker 1>we're starting to see a little bit here if some

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<v Speaker 1>of these guys are are taking a little bit more

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<v Speaker 1>time to make sure, Hey, I'm not going to come

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<v Speaker 1>back in ninety ninety five percent. I'm going to be

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred percent before it retakes more.

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<v Speaker 2>Keith, you talk about guys playing through injury and not

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<v Speaker 2>having injury prone guys on a team, what is happening

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<v Speaker 2>with Kawhi because he was supposed to be ready to

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<v Speaker 2>go a lot earlier and with all the hoopline la

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<v Speaker 2>in Brooklyn, in Boston, Kawhi and his status has completely

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<v Speaker 2>flown under the radar. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely. I think the challenge with Kawhi Leonard is when

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<v Speaker 1>the Spurs trade at him after he missed all of

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<v Speaker 1>those games with them, they traded him to the Raptors,

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<v Speaker 1>and then the Raptors really kind of said, hey, we're

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<v Speaker 1>going to put you on a full on maintenance plan.

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<v Speaker 1>Make sure we have what came out at that time

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<v Speaker 1>was he wasn't dealing with a quad injury. It was

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<v Speaker 1>a quad condition, and they said openly this is going

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<v Speaker 1>to last for the rest of his career. And I

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<v Speaker 1>think what we're really looking at now is you're seeing

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<v Speaker 1>the kind of totality of that plus the torn acl

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<v Speaker 1>adding up to being a guy who when he feels

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<v Speaker 1>something it's he's not gonna get He's not going to

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<v Speaker 1>push to get back out there until he feels like

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<v Speaker 1>he's ready. And I think for the Clippers, they're still

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<v Speaker 1>kind of playing it. We have bigger goals. It doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>really matter winning games in November for us. We want

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<v Speaker 1>to be winning games in May and June, and I

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<v Speaker 1>think they're content to kind of make sure let's getting back.

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<v Speaker 1>My worry is, is he going to come back for

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<v Speaker 1>a week and they need to miss another month, because

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<v Speaker 1>if that happens now all of a sudden, that changes

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<v Speaker 1>the whole upside of the Clippers. And for what it's worth,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought they were going to be in the NBA

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<v Speaker 1>Finals this year.

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<v Speaker 2>Finally, I asked Keith about whether he thought the Rudy

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<v Speaker 2>trade in Minnesota was going to work out long term.

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<v Speaker 2>Hint he's not optimistic Minnesota.

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<v Speaker 1>I think I kind of with the Clippers that I

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<v Speaker 1>thought they might get off to a little bit of

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<v Speaker 1>a slow start, just because I did. I obviously didn't

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<v Speaker 1>think it'd be quite to the extent of time Kawhi's mess,

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<v Speaker 1>but I thought he might miss some time Paul George

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<v Speaker 1>john Wall coming back after a year away. I thought

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<v Speaker 1>they might just take a little bit of time to

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<v Speaker 1>get going. But Minnesota just looks I mean, they look

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<v Speaker 1>like a mess a lot of the time. And now

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<v Speaker 1>I know they won the other night, so maybe they're

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<v Speaker 1>starting to figure some stuff out. But you know, when

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<v Speaker 1>you're five six games into the season and guys are

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<v Speaker 1>already talking about how these lineups don't work and this

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<v Speaker 1>facing is a mess, that's a problem that's normally kind

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<v Speaker 1>of reserved for, you know, thirty forty games into the

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<v Speaker 1>season kind of conversation. So I'm a little bit worried

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<v Speaker 1>about what they are and I got to start to

0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:00.920
<v Speaker 1>wonder if it all falls apart there Danny Age like

0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:02.920
<v Speaker 1>he did with the Celtics when they made the trade

0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.360
<v Speaker 1>with the Nets, did he outsource his tank job to

0:11:05.480 --> 0:11:07.839
<v Speaker 1>another team and lets them do it and he builds

0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.160
<v Speaker 1>his own roster the way he wants to stay in Utah.

0:11:10.520 --> 0:11:14.360
<v Speaker 2>See, that's a fascinating point Chest not checkers with when

0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:14.920
<v Speaker 2>it comes.

0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:17.959
<v Speaker 1>To Danny Ainge. Yeah, he he really can be you know,

0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:20.880
<v Speaker 1>in that in that position. And I think too, what

0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:23.719
<v Speaker 1>I learned covering him for years, what the Celtics is.

0:11:23.960 --> 0:11:26.120
<v Speaker 1>Danny Ainge is not the kind of guy. He might

0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:28.839
<v Speaker 1>bottom it out for a year, but he is not

0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:31.520
<v Speaker 1>going to do a multi year you know, tear down

0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:34.760
<v Speaker 1>and take. He's far too competitive to that. It sounds good.

0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:37.040
<v Speaker 1>I take to him to hey, let's have a million

0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:38.959
<v Speaker 1>draft picks. But I think he loves the idea of

0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:41.440
<v Speaker 1>if I don't have to do my own tanking, let

0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:43.800
<v Speaker 1>these other teams be bad for me, and I can

0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:45.839
<v Speaker 1>build a pretty good roster like he did, you know

0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:48.920
<v Speaker 1>with Boston when he rebuilt that team kind of on

0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:51.959
<v Speaker 1>the fly with Brett Stevens into what became a playoff

0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:54.760
<v Speaker 1>team and then into eventually a pretty good team as

0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:56.520
<v Speaker 1>they added a few more talented players.

0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:00.880
<v Speaker 2>NMGM Tonight airs Monday through Friday, live seven pm to

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<v Speaker 2>Ryan Horbot, and super producer Cameron Gray, along with my

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<v Speaker 2>other co host PJ Glasser. That's all the time that

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