WEBVTT - LeBron rumors HEAT-ing up, Hurts TUMBLES down Top 100, NFL training camps commence | Nick Wright 0:00:02.000 --> 0:00:05.280 Welcome in What Driving Nick Wright? Episode four eighty two. 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:09.280 This episode of What's Right with Nick Right as always, 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:12.240 is presented to you, pardon me, by our friends at 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:15.720 boost Mobile. So a few programming notes for all of 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:19.319 you guys here. We are going to actually record a 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:23.320 number of episodes today. This one is live on YouTube. 0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:26.000 You can subscribe to the show. This is a great 0:00:26.079 --> 0:00:28.560 time to subscribe to the show on YouTube or on iTunes, 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:32.120 are on Spotify, and get alerts on YouTube when we 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:34.479 post a new episode because the schedule is gonna be 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.280 a little different over the next ten days or so 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:40.760 as we get our post World Cup break. So we're 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:44.120 live right now. We are going to shortly after the 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:48.640 show record a mail bag episode, calling it a semi 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:53.240 monthly mail bag episode. We have some good long emails 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:56.920 from people, thoughtful ones that have been sent to What's 0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:01.040 Right Mailbag at gmail dot com. Do that, and then 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:05.400 we will also do back to back like fifteen minute 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:09.959 many episodes where we spend a minute or two on 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:13.600 each team in the NFL. Those will be dropping in 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:16.279 your feed next week when I am out of town 0:01:16.760 --> 0:01:20.240 as I am bringing a bunch of family, extended family, 0:01:20.400 --> 0:01:24.800 A lot of people down to the Caribbean to meet 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:29.280 Demanse's daughter, Mila, and so all of that is kind 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:31.600 of the schedule. Also, I'm gonna say this on the 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:34.840 front end. If you're listening to this, you know, on 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:38.920 iTunes or Spotify, So the next few episodes are probably 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:44.640 going to have a disproportionate ad to content. You know, 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:49.360 rate if you will, and so I apologize for that. 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:54.600 But sometimes, like the ads that we have are loaded 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:57.200 as if we were gonna have an hour's worth of content, 0:01:57.240 --> 0:01:59.520 So if there's twenty minutes worth of content, it's gonna 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:03.040 feel heavy on that front. I apologize on my end 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:05.000 for that. I know that can be frustrating for a 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:08.320 lot of you guys when you're listening to the show. 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:12.400 But so you know, my apologies from it paying the bills, 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:15.480 trying to create some content and there's no real way 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.280 to cut out, you know, some of those ads. So 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.720 I apologize. I don't know if people even care, but 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:22.440 I know when I'm listening to a pod and it 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:24.400 feels like, man, there's almost as many ads as there 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:27.240 is talking. That can get annoying to apologies on my 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.240 end if that is the case. But that's the schedule. 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:34.760 Today's live show mailbag, a couple recorded NFL shows next 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:37.400 week and then first week of August, we'll be back 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:41.160 right here live with our regular shows. Demons should be 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:44.640 joining us back for those as well. Straight the voicemail 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:47.920 brought to you by Boost Mobile. Thank God. The Red 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:51.480 Sox fifteen game winning streak ends nothing against the Red Sox. 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:54.320 Kevin Wilde's just been so annoying about it. So good 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:57.600 job by the Orioles winning five to one. Curry becomes 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:01.440 the first active player with Hall of Fame exhibit. We're 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:04.680 actually gonna spend some time today talking about Steph Curry 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.800 and the Chiefs. New stadium renderings are revealed. The stadium 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:13.800 looks beautiful. I have been consistent on this. I don't 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:18.440 like that it's in Kansas. I'm not, as I think, 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:25.160 adamantly or diametrically opposed as I once was about it 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:28.120 being in Kansas when this first came up like five 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:32.240 years ago. It's gonna be like twenty five minute drive 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:35.040 from where the current stadium is. And for Chiefs fans 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:37.760 outside of the Midwest, there's no difference if the game's 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:40.160 played in Missouri or Kansas. But I'm a Missourian. So 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:42.280 it bums me out that it's gonna be in Kansas. 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.920 But the thing that I am adamantly against I hate 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:50.080 that it's going to have a roof. I love outdoor football. 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:53.600 I believe football is to be played in the elements. 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:57.480 I think a huge part about what makes the NFL 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:00.520 unique is can you build a team that can win 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:04.160 in the elements. I also think it has been a 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.120 advantage for the Chiefs that they have a quarterback that 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.520 is so good in the cold and the wind and 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:12.480 the snow, And I don't like that we're gonna have 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:17.520 another one of the kind of you know, stayed domed stadiums. 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:22.080 With that said, the fact that Patrick Mahomes in his 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:25.919 you know age thirty five to forty seasons will be 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:31.000 playing indoors probably good for the Chiefs. But overall, I 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:36.560 just I wish there was more or fewer dome stadiums, 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:39.480 and the Chiefs becoming a dome stadium bums me out 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:44.919 a bit. Okay, Now, so the news of the week 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:48.480 post World Cup, which is where the hell is Lebron 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:54.320 James going? That news moved a bit, I suppose this 0:04:54.440 --> 0:05:01.320 week because someone in the Miami Heat digital or social 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:09.200 media team posts posted a scheduled live stream for July 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:15.560 twenty seventh, which is I guessed Monday, this coming Monday. 0:05:16.080 --> 0:05:22.920 That said, Lebron James introductory press conference. I can tell you, 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:32.840 beyond a shadow of a doubt that the idea that 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:39.960 Lebron's decision not only has been made, but has been 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:47.800 shared with enough people that it got down to the 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:53.160 person who is running the Heat's YouTube channel. The idea 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:58.240 of that is utterly preposterous. If that many people knew, 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:04.160 it would be out there one hundred percent leaked and 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:09.720 reported elsewhere. So in that regard, I think this is 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:13.080 a I don't want to call it harmless, but just 0:06:13.080 --> 0:06:22.960 a mistake. With that said, right now, the Heat feel 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:28.480 like the most viable option. And I have wavered and 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:32.200 waffled and flip flopped and gone back and forth on 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:35.039 where I thought he was gonna go, Where I want 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:38.200 him to go, what makes the is the best story, 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:41.120 what gives him the best chance to win all of that. 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:45.119 But as we sit here today on July twenty third, 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:58.760 I am hoping he goes to Miami because the more 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:01.280 I look at it and the more I think about it, 0:07:02.520 --> 0:07:06.480 I think Miami does of the I think there's Let 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:11.440 me also back up a bit. I think you can 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:19.920 safely say that the list at most, at most is 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:25.120 four teams long, Miami, Philly, Cleveland, Golden State. That's not 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:26.960 necessarily the order I think the list is in, But 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:30.760 those are the four teams Denver, which we had flirted 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:34.280 with the idea of I do not believe to be 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:41.960 truly in consideration. Minnesota, which a lot of people are 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:46.440 still talking about. I do not believe to be truly 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:52.560 in consideration. I think we're down to those four and 0:07:53.640 --> 0:08:01.960 I also contrary to many of my colleagues, but with 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:11.560 what I will say is with good reason. I want 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:14.640 to be very careful with how I phrase these things. 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:23.800 I do not believe. I I believe this is taking 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:30.640 this long. Not because Lebron is trying to perfectly time 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:36.880 the news cycle for maximum attention on the announcement, not 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:42.760 because Lebron is just enjoying toying with everyone in the 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:47.080 NBA and the media. I believe this is taking this 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:59.640 long because Lebron is yet to actually decide. And if 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:06.360 that's the case, and he's weighing pros cons, whatever it is, 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:11.920 here is how I would stack now again, I keep 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:15.920 interrupting myself. There's a lot here. He has made it 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:18.199 very clear, and Rich has made it very clear. This 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:21.720 is about happiness and I can't define and about family 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:27.880 and about Zuri, and I can't define what make you 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:32.840 know will make Lebron the happiest? You know what? I 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:37.080 obviously don't know what his wife Savannah, his daughter Zuri want, 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:42.960 so I can't weigh those parts of the decision. All 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:46.320 I can do as far as weighing parts of the 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:56.200 decision is look at However, much of this decision is 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:01.280 about winning a fifth championship. Where is the best place 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:08.319 to do that? And when you're weighing that piece of it, 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:15.360 you have to keep in mind what I have been 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:24.840 saying for gosh months, more than a year, and now 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:31.560 folks are finally I think catching on that Lebron has 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:39.160 never said that next year is his last year. That 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:49.000 while this almost assuredly is his last team change, wherever 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:56.280 he chooses this year is not necessarily and in fact, 0:10:56.679 --> 0:11:00.960 I think it is unlikely to be a one year 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:12.440 final stop as opposed to a couple year tenure and 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:21.400 an attempt to continue his history of every time he 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:26.000 has changed teams. By year two, that team has been 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:31.560 a champion. I've talked about this a lot, but it 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:37.880 is It does warrant, you know, revisiting. He leaves Cleveland 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:41.559 to go to Miami. Miami had not won a playoff 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:46.440 series since they won the title in two thousand and six. 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:52.640 He gets there in twenty ten. In twenty twelve, their champions. 0:11:53.240 --> 0:11:59.080 He leaves Miami to go back to Cleveland. Cleveland had 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:03.040 been the worst team in the NBA in the four 0:12:03.120 --> 0:12:07.120 years he was gone, had not sniffed the playoffs, had 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:11.640 picked number one three times. He gets there in twenty fourteen. 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:18.440 By twenty sixteen, their champions. He leaves Cleveland to go 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:26.680 to Los Angeles. Los Angeles had been literally had the 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:29.840 worst record in the league in the five years before 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:35.520 he got there, had not won a playoff game in 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:40.000 a half decade. He gets there in twenty eighteen. By 0:12:40.040 --> 0:12:46.959 twenty twenty, their champions. Wherever he goes next, I believe 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:54.679 he is going to go somewhere that he believes that, 0:12:54.800 --> 0:13:01.000 if not by twenty twenty seven, by twenty twenty, they 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:10.080 can be champions. And for that reason, I think the 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:14.640 best fit and the best option, and I really disagree 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:24.120 with Simmons on this is Miami because Miami is the 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:30.160 only spot where if they were to make the finals 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:37.600 and be up against Joker or Wimby or Shay or 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:45.080 Luca or whomever comes out of the West, he would 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:53.280 not be being asked, hey man, you gotta match what 0:13:53.559 --> 0:14:04.200 that in his prime Apex Predator Superstar is presenting. That 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:09.200 would be Jannis's job. And as good as Jalen Brown 0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:12.040 and Tyrese Maxi are if he were in Philly, it 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:15.240 would fall on him. As good as Donovan Mitchell is 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:17.640 if he were in Philly, it would fall on him. 0:14:18.160 --> 0:14:21.040 And then we'll get to the issues with the Warriors 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:27.960 in a moment. In Miami, that would fall on Giannis, 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:31.760 one of the twenty greatest players ever who has something 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:38.040 to prove. Furthermore, in Miami, Miami last year the number 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:43.160 thirteen offense and the number thirteen defense, a decidedly barely 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:51.920 above average team on both sides of the ball. Adding 0:14:51.960 --> 0:15:01.160 Giannis and Lebron immediately gives them the opportunity to be 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:11.360 a top six offense and six defense. Because you're adding Giannis, 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:14.760 you're losing Tyler Hero. So even if Lebron is not 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:18.320 adding much on the defensive end throughout the regular season. 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:26.120 That hero to Giannis flip is just in almost undefinably 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:30.080 great on that side of the ball. Giannis is thirty 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:33.840 points per game on fifty five percent in his sleep, 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:41.040 and every offense Lebron orchestrates is somewhere from super elite 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:48.080 to very good. Lebron would on this team with Andrew Wiggins, 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:55.080 Davion Mitchell, bam Adebayo Yannis be able to spend all 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:59.240 of his energy on the offensive side of the ball, 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:05.120 and while they wouldn't have, they would be a below 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:11.120 average shooting team. Bobby Ports and Tim Hardaway Junior coming 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:15.520 off the bench might give you just enough spacing at times. 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:19.680 And then you add to the fact it's Miami, and 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:22.240 I do not think it would be just as I'm 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:28.600 saying for the one year experiment. You would have a 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:32.720 couple more transaction cycles to try to fill out the shooting, 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:35.960 but you would have the athleticism, you would have the defense, 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:39.760 you would have the requisite wing play that is so 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:43.040 hard to find. A lot easier to find someone who 0:16:43.120 --> 0:16:48.080 can shoot than it is some than it is switchable 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:55.520 long bigs like Giannison bam You add to it that 0:16:55.600 --> 0:17:00.400 of that entire group, Spolstra with respect I mean nurse, 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:04.000 very good coach. Steve Kurr is obviously an all time coach. 0:17:04.320 --> 0:17:06.920 I think Spolstra might be the best coach of them all. 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:10.520 I think that makes a lot of sense. So I 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:18.640 stacked Miami here number two I would have at Philly. Now, 0:17:18.760 --> 0:17:24.720 Philly is a cleaner fit as far as Maxi, Edgecombe, Brown, 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:33.720 Jalen Brown, EMBIID than any of the other options. The 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:40.840 problem for Philly is, and I've been a long term 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.959 you know, fan supporter. However you want to put it 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:52.640 of embid, But how do you get continuity and get 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:58.879 in a rhythm and develop an identity when you simply 0:17:58.960 --> 0:18:03.119 have no idea whether or not a guy who on 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:06.040 any given night can look like the best player in 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:09.960 the whole league is going to be there. I think 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:13.159 that makes it a little clunky. I think Jalen Brown, 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:19.800 who is going to want at some point a contract extension, 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:23.320 and clearly I think it's fair to say wanted his 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:27.280 own team all of a sudden, going somewhere where it's like, well, 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:32.159 embiids the MVP who's been here the longest. Maxi's the 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:36.920 superstar on the Ascent and oh yeah, Lebron freaking James 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:42.160 is here. I think that would it again, it could 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:51.320 potentially be difficult personality wise, So I don't think Philly 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:55.480 is a bad idea. And from a purely selfish me 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:58.600 being able to go to the most games possible for 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:04.000 Lebron's final act in the league, it is the best 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:11.439 for me personally. I don't think it works quite as 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:14.720 well as the Key where everyone would know exactly their role, 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:19.800 and then to me there's a big gap. And in 0:19:19.920 --> 0:19:23.120 third place as far as fit and winning a championship 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:28.120 is Cleveland. And we've talked about this. We talked about 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:31.679 this ad nauseum the moment they traded for Harden, which 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:39.160 is Lebron didn't seem to love third option with Luca 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:43.840 Austin than him. He would be in a very similar 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:51.920 position Donovan Harden him where he's clearly better than Harden. 0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:55.480 But Harden can only play one way, needs the ball 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:59.639 in his hands. And I don't know. I understand that 0:19:59.680 --> 0:20:03.040 team has Biggs in Allen and Mobiley, but I don't 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:07.440 know that they have anybody to guard a point guard, 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:13.119 to guard one of the shifty perimeter players. In the 0:20:13.200 --> 0:20:16.440 league to prevent them from getting to the rim. Now 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:21.280 you would have rim protection, But I just don't know 0:20:25.200 --> 0:20:30.880 how capable that team is defensively in a series against Shay, 0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:36.800 in a series against the perimeter guys the Spurs have 0:20:37.880 --> 0:20:42.639 in Hell in a series against Edgecomb and Maxie in 0:20:42.720 --> 0:20:47.520 the East, and that's tough. And because I believe if 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:51.320 Lebron was definitively just doing a farewell tour and it 0:20:51.440 --> 0:20:55.879 was just one more year, then okay, maybe it just 0:20:55.920 --> 0:21:01.359 makes sense finish where you started. And also, to be clear, 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:06.120 I think any of these three teams I've listed, if 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:13.880 they add Lebron, can win the East. But winning these 0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:17.199 is one thing. Winning that extra series the finals is 0:21:17.240 --> 0:21:20.040 something else. And I think of the three Eastern Conference 0:21:20.080 --> 0:21:23.359 teams Miami, Philly and Cleveland, Cleveland will have the toughest 0:21:23.359 --> 0:21:29.440 shot at winning that final series and so that's why 0:21:29.480 --> 0:21:35.280 they're third. They are, however, ahead of the Warriors, who 0:21:36.480 --> 0:21:40.600 I will discuss how I think the Warriors screwed this up, 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:44.320 or I shouldn't say screwed this up. Where I think 0:21:44.359 --> 0:21:48.480 the Warriors have misstepped, why I don't like the fit 0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:52.159 and one other team that I think has to be 0:21:52.320 --> 0:21:55.920 kicking themselves saying, were we just going to be the 0:21:55.960 --> 0:21:59.680 favorites to get Lebron had we held our water on 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:03.440 one transaction. We'll discuss that in a second, but first, 0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:07.280 today's show is brought to you by representing sponsor hard 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:11.399 Rock Bet Sportsbook. Some sports fans call this the slow 0:22:11.480 --> 0:22:15.040 period until football season, but on hard Rock Bet we 0:22:15.119 --> 0:22:18.639 call it baseball season. Full slate almost every day for 0:22:18.720 --> 0:22:22.000 you to bet on your favorite teams and players, build epics, 0:22:22.000 --> 0:22:25.720 same game parlays, even live bet every inning from first 0:22:25.720 --> 0:22:28.200 pitch to the final out. 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So the Warriors, which at one point in 0:24:03.920 --> 0:24:06.359 time I think I said I wanted I didn't want 0:24:06.440 --> 0:24:08.000 him to go there, then I did wanted to go there. 0:24:12.160 --> 0:24:15.959 Had if they had been able to swing a trade 0:24:15.960 --> 0:24:25.840 for Anthony Davis, then it makes a little more sense 0:24:28.440 --> 0:24:33.200 as presently constituted. If they were to add Lebron James, 0:24:34.080 --> 0:24:41.119 they would excuse me, obviously be a team that you 0:24:41.160 --> 0:24:44.800 would hate to play in a series, but also a 0:24:44.840 --> 0:24:50.879 team with Chris STAPs and Steph coming off an injury 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:54.639 riddled season, and Horford at forty and Jimmy Butler coming 0:24:54.680 --> 0:24:58.679 off in ACL and Draymond a I think thirty five 0:24:59.200 --> 0:25:03.960 is Draymond thirty five and Lebron at forty two, that 0:25:04.000 --> 0:25:09.960 it would be very difficult to shoot. No, Dravon just 0:25:09.960 --> 0:25:12.800 turned thirty six to see how they can win four 0:25:12.880 --> 0:25:21.280 straight series. And I really did enjoy seeing Lebron and 0:25:21.320 --> 0:25:25.840 Steph play together in the Olympics, and we know that works. 0:25:27.880 --> 0:25:30.560 But I understand folks who feel like it would just 0:25:30.600 --> 0:25:33.880 be weird. Now what I said at the front end 0:25:35.000 --> 0:25:40.560 that if I can't figure out how you know where 0:25:41.560 --> 0:25:45.960 Lebron's wife and daughter want him to go, and if 0:25:46.000 --> 0:25:53.560 the fact that San Francisco is the easiest flight and 0:25:53.600 --> 0:25:58.720 it would be the least disruptive to his family plays 0:25:59.080 --> 0:26:02.520 a large factor in it than God bless salute. I 0:26:03.000 --> 0:26:08.520 like totally understand it, but from a basketball perspective, I don't. 0:26:09.040 --> 0:26:17.280 I like it the least, which brings me to Anthony Slater, 0:26:18.560 --> 0:26:25.160 who on NBA Today yesterday. Oh that's my pal Mjay 0:26:25.240 --> 0:26:31.280 Acosta hosting in this clip shout out. MJ was asked 0:26:31.320 --> 0:26:35.679 what the Warriors plan be without Lebron is and he said, 0:26:35.880 --> 0:26:40.880 quote boring. I think stable. Part of the Warriors long 0:26:41.000 --> 0:26:44.640 term plan is post Steph. Right now, it's not really 0:26:44.680 --> 0:26:47.320 about the next couple of years. Think about the way 0:26:47.359 --> 0:26:50.600 they've kept their books clean. They have a lot of optionality, 0:26:50.880 --> 0:26:54.000 they've kept their draft picks. I am here to tell you, 0:26:55.480 --> 0:26:59.040 and I am consistent on this and Steph fans, many 0:26:59.040 --> 0:27:02.199 of whom can't stay and me, I'm your biggest ally 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:12.160 on this one. You should be beside yourself that they 0:27:12.280 --> 0:27:18.080 have not done everything they can to maximize the end 0:27:18.119 --> 0:27:26.080 of Steph Curry. He was an all NBA level player 0:27:26.880 --> 0:27:35.680 two years ago. The he has Obviously he was a hell. 0:27:35.760 --> 0:27:38.560 He was an All NBA third team All NBA player 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:45.000 three years ago. This year, the reason he didn't wasn't 0:27:45.080 --> 0:27:47.800 an All NBA guy was because of the injury. He 0:27:47.880 --> 0:27:53.919 didn't play enough games like a lot of the older legends. Yes, 0:27:54.000 --> 0:27:58.240 he does not have as much of an impact on 0:27:58.480 --> 0:28:04.320 winning as he won did, but he is still, without 0:28:04.359 --> 0:28:07.560 a shadow of a doubt, one of the twenty best 0:28:07.600 --> 0:28:10.080 players in the league, and if you get him in 0:28:10.119 --> 0:28:13.920 the right spot, one of the ten scariest playoff guys 0:28:13.960 --> 0:28:17.000 in the league. And for the Warriors to be focused 0:28:17.040 --> 0:28:25.280 on and worried about and thinking about their post Steph life, 0:28:25.520 --> 0:28:32.679 it's just abominable. And I've talked about this before, but 0:28:32.760 --> 0:28:35.760 I will talk about it again. It is what I 0:28:35.840 --> 0:28:40.840 saw the Cleveland Cavaliers do. It's crazy that this was 0:28:40.960 --> 0:28:46.280 eight years ago, but in or I guess nine years ago. 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:49.800 But when they had an opportunity, when Kyrie was demanding 0:28:49.840 --> 0:28:52.640 out to have Paul George be the focal point of 0:28:52.640 --> 0:28:55.000 that trade, but they weren't going to get any draft 0:28:55.000 --> 0:28:57.840 picks attached to it, and they wanted to focus on 0:28:57.880 --> 0:29:01.920 their post Lebron life, and so instead the focal point 0:29:01.960 --> 0:29:04.600 of the trade was little Isaiah Thomas coming off a 0:29:04.680 --> 0:29:08.480 hip injury because they so desperately wanted to pick that 0:29:08.600 --> 0:29:11.560 ended up becoming Colin Sexton, the eighth pick of the draft, 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:17.040 and Lebron dragged that team to the finals anyway, but 0:29:17.080 --> 0:29:21.640 then found himself drawing dead in those finals. And now 0:29:21.680 --> 0:29:26.080 eight years later, they've made one conference finals, and their 0:29:26.160 --> 0:29:30.720 only hope to get further than that is praying Lebron 0:29:30.880 --> 0:29:36.960 saves them again. When you have one of these guys, 0:29:36.960 --> 0:29:42.480 and many franchises go the entirety of their existence without 0:29:42.560 --> 0:29:47.800 ever having one of these guys, you do everything you 0:29:47.920 --> 0:29:52.200 can to elongate and maximize your contention window with them, 0:29:52.640 --> 0:29:56.640 and the Warriors being like, all right, I guess we'll 0:29:56.640 --> 0:30:01.360 trade for Jimmy Butler not going all in to get ad, 0:30:02.080 --> 0:30:06.479 not doing the things necessary to maximize steps final what 0:30:06.600 --> 0:30:08.440 might be is I mean, for all we know, two 0:30:08.520 --> 0:30:11.520 years ago was his final year of actual semi contention. 0:30:12.240 --> 0:30:14.280 But we'll see if he has one more in him. 0:30:14.960 --> 0:30:26.320 I'd be beside myself. Beside myself now, I said there 0:30:26.400 --> 0:30:29.000 was another team that if I were a fan of, 0:30:31.400 --> 0:30:35.920 I'd probably be a little frustrated and this all of 0:30:35.960 --> 0:30:40.640 a sudden, I've seen this take on Twitter the last 0:30:41.040 --> 0:30:46.800 thirty six hours. You simply have to take my word 0:30:46.880 --> 0:30:49.960 on this that this is something I've been talking to 0:30:50.000 --> 0:30:58.280 Bruin Wilds about off the air for days. Really. I 0:30:58.400 --> 0:31:00.560 started talking about this, and I don't know if I 0:31:00.560 --> 0:31:02.800 ever did it on the pod when we did the 0:31:02.920 --> 0:31:08.760 Rich Paul from his podcast with Kellerman game over the 0:31:08.800 --> 0:31:15.440 whiteboard and that what Dallas had underneath it was you know, 0:31:16.280 --> 0:31:23.680 gas I'm sorry, not gas oil, cassinine Macaw Africa because 0:31:23.680 --> 0:31:30.920 a MESSI I think there is a very real chance 0:31:31.880 --> 0:31:35.160 that if Dallas had just held their water and not 0:31:35.360 --> 0:31:42.360 accepted twenty cents on the dollar for Anthony Davis and 0:31:43.040 --> 0:31:49.680 Lebron had the opportunity to go to Dallas, which might 0:31:49.720 --> 0:31:52.320 be as close to Los Angeles and a flight wise 0:31:52.760 --> 0:31:57.760 damn near as close as San Francisco is, to play 0:31:57.760 --> 0:32:03.280 with Kyrie, Anthony Davis and year two and three of 0:32:03.360 --> 0:32:12.600 Cooper Flag with a little added bonus of all right, 0:32:12.640 --> 0:32:17.920 the Lakers understandably, of course, yeah, you prioritize Luca, he's younger, 0:32:18.880 --> 0:32:25.160 got it going to where Luca was and then having 0:32:25.160 --> 0:32:27.920 the Lakers have to deal with him there. I think 0:32:27.960 --> 0:32:32.720 they would have been, if not at the top, very 0:32:32.800 --> 0:32:38.160