WEBVTT - Gottlieb - All Ball - w/special guest Sam Vecenie 0:00:06.720 --> 0:00:10.119 Hey, welcome in. This is the all New All Ball. 0:00:10.200 --> 0:00:12.120 I'm Doug Gottley, but you can listen to the Doug 0:00:12.119 --> 0:00:16.160 Gottli Jailing weekday. So welcome three to six kids of time, 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:20.520 Postport Radio, the I Heart Radio after UM. The last 0:00:20.560 --> 0:00:23.760 couple of weeks, we've had long form interviews j billis 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:27.040 ESPNS League College Basketball analysts. You should download that one 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:30.720 if you've missed it. And uh also with Scott Brooks, 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:32.640 who's the head coach of the Washington Wizards. We got 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:35.640 some more of those interviews returning in the coming weeks. 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:37.760 Just kind of tease a head for it. But this 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:39.800 week we're gonna kind of get into some hoop because 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:45.040 you have college practice starting, you have NBA training camp 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:47.960 starting as well. This is a shout out to the 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:50.120 guys are training camp fodder. Never got a chance to 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:52.240 be training camp fodder. All I wanted to be was 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:54.520 training camp fodder, and I could not make a training 0:00:54.560 --> 0:00:57.120 camp roster. And there's some hard decision times with some 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:00.520 of these guys who could go to training camp and 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:02.440 go through the G League, or you can go and 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:05.319 make more money overseas. Rooting for all you guys that 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:07.040 have the two way contracts to get or even the 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:08.880 ones that don't have the two way contracts to get 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:11.520 called up into the from the G League to the league. 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:16.640 This year, UM, I am fascinated by the NBA. I 0:01:16.720 --> 0:01:21.920 think the NBA has found new life. It's really good 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:26.200 ball in comparison to the NFL in terms of popularity. 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:29.600 It's growing, not shrinking, and there is no risk of 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:33.240 long term brain damage. But also they figured out long 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:34.959 ago with the NFL is trying to figure out which 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:38.800 is offense wins. Defense still wins championships. Gotta shut people down, 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:42.600 but offense gets attention. I would only warn you that 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:46.319 if you're comparing this generation of previous generations, it's not 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:50.040 just the use of three point shots, more possessions, it's 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:54.040 offense friendly rules. Um, all of these things have sped 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:57.920 up the game. It's given more possessions, more possessions, more 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.920 three point shots is more points. Less protection at the rim, 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:05.720 less bodies in the lane means higher efficiency finishing in 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:09.720 the lane. Less postops, post up shots mean more efficient basketball. 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:11.920 There's still room for post up, still room for the 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:15.000 mid range pull up, but we are getting smarter, and 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:18.840 smarter means more points and more possessions and a better watch, 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:21.600 and the NFL is trying to play catch up with 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:26.359 the NBA figured out a long time ago. Lebron is 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:29.080 in l A. That one's just and it's one of 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:33.320 those things where you might have thought it was a possibility. 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:35.240 And last year this time, everybody's saying, Hey, the Bron 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:37.360 is gonna be a Laker next year. But I had 0:02:37.400 --> 0:02:39.040 heard that before I heard Kevin Love was gonna be 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.480 a Laker, right that that didn't happen, and Paul George 0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:43.160 was gonna be a Laker. Ever, lots of people are 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:45.960 gonna be Lakers that didn't end up being Lakers. Lebron 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:49.720 is really a Laker, and that really does change so 0:02:49.800 --> 0:02:52.640 much of the Eastern Conference but also the Western Conference. 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:58.440 But I'm interested in Rondo being named starting point guard 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:01.920 before they ever had a pre season practice. Some of 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:04.160 that is Zo coming back, but isn't that a kind 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:06.359 of tweak at Zoe? And hey, dude, you're gonna have 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.800 to earn it. You have to take it from Rondo 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:13.000 because we just can't hand you the keys to this kingdom. 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:15.280 And then I think the Boston Celtics are suddenly the 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:18.840 most underrated team and Tera Rosier was their fourth guard, 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.720 and Jason Tatum probably wouldn't have started if not for 0:03:22.919 --> 0:03:25.680 Gordon Hayward's injury. Gordon Hayward been back, and if he 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.000 returns to form before he got hurt, he was an 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:30.240 All Star in the West and he's gotten better every year. 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:32.200 I would expect him to have a huge year, and 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:35.080 I think the Celtics are viable challengers to the Golden 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:42.400 State Ward. Alright, We're a year removed from the FBI 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:47.000 arresting a bunch of coaches and the entire college basketball 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:50.000 world freaking out. And there's no better guy to come 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:52.640 and have a conversation with about this than Sam Passini, 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.160 who also has been arrested by the FBI in the past. 0:03:55.200 --> 0:03:57.720 But that that stuff, when I'm kidding, you got brush 0:03:57.760 --> 0:03:59.560 down of the ruggy rights for the athletic he joins us. 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:02.600 Now he has his own podcast. It's a really good one. Um. Okay, 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:05.560 A year later, where are we with this stuff? Rick 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:11.279 Pettino lost his job, a couple of assistants lost their job. Um, 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:15.720 but that and that's kind of all that happened, right, Yeah, 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:17.760 that's all I feel. I Mean, you could say the 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:21.120 fallout is that Rick Petino is no longer at Louisville, 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:22.880 so we had to deal with Ristino in the media 0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:25.280 for a year. And then Chris Mack is now at 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:28.680 Louisville where he's absolutely killing and recruiting and he's going 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.080 to turn that program around and everything is gonna be great. 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:34.240 Travis Steele is now elevated his Davier. There's been some 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:38.039 fallout there. There's been some fallout with recruiting, like who 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:41.600 knows what happens with Romeo Lankord's recruiting if Rick Petino 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:44.200 and Louisville are still at Louisville and still at the 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.440 level that uh they were before this entire thing went down. 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:52.640 But at the same time, nothing has really changed in 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:56.120 the grand picture, Like in the big picture, that stuff 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:58.960 it may not seem small, but it kind of is. 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:03.960 There's no real momentum towards a reform in college basketball. 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:07.479 We had this commission on college basketball that was set 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:11.880 out with trying to change the game and really trying 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:14.920 to make it so that this stuff quote unquote won't 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:16.800 happen again. But at the end of the day, you 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:18.640 look at what the changes are and they really aren't 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:23.160 that significant other than to the recruitings calendar. So it's 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.240 it's really just been much ado about nothing so far. 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:30.120 Now I assume the FBI investigation isn't over, but you know, 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:32.240 so far, it's fair to say that where you're out 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:36.719 and not much has really changed. Yeah. It was super weird, right, 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.360 super weird, especially when the FBI they had this like, hey, 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.680 we we got your playbook, we got your playbook. We 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:45.040 know a yeah, right, like, oh well they got some 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:47.960 people here and you know, you know, basically come out 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:50.760 with your hands up, admit that you did it. Nobody 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:55.520 did that, and there hasn't been much of anything outside 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.520 of some embarrassment from Adidas, you know, a couple of 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:02.320 players losing their lgbilly, an entire kind of freshman class 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:04.800 kind of gets caught up in it, and then and 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:09.680 then we move on. Alright, So, um, the recruiting calendar changes. 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:11.120 You and I have been to these events. You go 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:12.839 to all of these events, you know a lot more. 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:16.360 What what has what? What? Really has anything changed in 0:06:16.360 --> 0:06:21.000 the recruiting landscape? Not yet, but I think that it 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:24.840 genuinely will change. Like you're talking about a schedule now 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.240 that is markedly different, Like there is no longer a 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:31.080 live period for coaches to go to Las Vegas at 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:34.000 the end of July and go see a bunch of 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:38.279 players in a singular circumstance. Under the a U umbrella. 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:41.320 There now these camps that you know, USA Basketball is 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:43.720 supposed to be involved with, and uh, the n c 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:46.600 A is supposed to be running that College coaches are 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:50.400 supposed to basically hand over their recruiting lists and say, hey, 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:53.960 you should invite these kids to these events. So, I 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:57.440 mean it's gonna change. It just hasn't changed yet. We'll 0:06:57.480 --> 0:06:59.920 see what the changes are. Like, the funniest thing about 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:02.520 this is I think that the n c A and 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:04.760 it's not really funny. It's actually kind of sad. They've 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:07.360 made it harder for kids to get found in my opinion. 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:08.920 And I'll give you a great example of this, Like 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:12.880 I talked to Dylan Windler out at Belmont last week 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:14.560 for a story I'm gonna run at the athletic at 0:07:14.560 --> 0:07:17.280 some point. And Dylan was a kid who played golf 0:07:17.560 --> 0:07:20.720 throughout his first I would say, like two years of 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:23.320 high school and played basketball on the side, and then 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:26.640 the summer before his senior year he goes and plays 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:31.480 on Kyle Guy and UH India elite in the AUTH circuit. 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:34.000 Belmont recruits and sees a six foot seven kid who 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:36.200 can shoot, says, hey, we want to get this kid. 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:38.840 Last year, Dylan Windler was the only kid in America 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:43.119 to average seventeen points, nine rebounds, and shot from three 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:47.760 while having three assisted games. He doesn't get found by Belmont, 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:50.560 he doesn't get found by all of these other UH 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:55.560 schools that offer him scholarships. If there's no grassroots system 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:58.720 that he can just easily join because he's been found previously. 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:02.920 So it's it's gonna hurt kids in the long run. 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.520 And that's what's frustrating to me about it. And that's 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:07.480 where I think the biggest change is gonna be a 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:09.280 lot of these under the radar kids are gonna end 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:11.760 up knock getting found and you're gonna see D two 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:15.640 kids end up transferring up to D one. Yeah, I mean, like, 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:18.600 I don't I'm gonna I agree with you. There are 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:21.840 problems with AU basketball, and there are problems with the 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:25.840 connections with the shoe companies on the other hand, and 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:27.760 and I do like that some of the powers being 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:29.680 put back in the hands of the high school coach. 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.480 But even that there are shoe companies that control the 0:08:32.559 --> 0:08:35.760 high schools and the high school coaches. It's like we're 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:41.280 completely missing missing the point. And I'm not sure if 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:44.120 we didn't just kind of move things furniture from one 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:47.199 side of the room to the other and uh yeah, 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:51.240 if if if a player like him is his coins 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:53.280 stuck under the couch, he's still stuck onto the couch, 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:55.880 only it's harder to find because now we've rearranged the furniture, 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:57.760 and the thought is that you've already gone through that 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:01.280 couch and you have not. So um, Okay, we're heading 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:04.480 into college basketball season, we're heading in the NBA season. 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:07.840 I don't want to get too lost caught up in 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:11.240 in the college basketball thing just yet. I do think 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:13.600 one of the great adjustments that's been made to the 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:16.760 college game is that teams are already practicing like that, 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:20.960 to me is awesome. I've always felt like and look, 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:24.480 I do think that college coaches can evolve, but some 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:26.120 of it they're kind of working on the fly and 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:27.959 plugging holes and you don't know who you have do 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:32.040 you play live games. While we can be smartly critical 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:34.720 of their changes in the recruiting calendar and how some 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:36.480 of it doesn't make as much sense as they think 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:40.280 it does. We could both agree that more time together 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:44.480 earlier in the year is better for the overall product 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:48.080 once we see it in early November. Correct, Yeah, no question. 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:52.400 I'm excited that we're going to have more together college 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:55.280 basketball teams. Then I think it's ultimately good for the 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:58.960 kids that they get more time in front of coaches. Now, 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:00.840 I think that we have to if their coaches don't 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:03.720 abuse it. But at the same time, I think it's great. 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.600 You know, Here's that this is a big misconception though. 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.240 I think um that some people have is that the 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:13.120 point of the coaches abusing how much time they have 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:16.480 with their teams. You can lose a kid, you can 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:20.760 lose a team if it's I bring up um Duke's 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:24.240 team when they had Austin Rivers. I don't remember that year. 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:27.040 They went to Beijing and they went to Dubai and 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:30.240 I called those games for ESPN. I didn't get to 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:33.200 go to Dubai in China. I did it from a studio, 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.560 but I talked to the coaches and then I talked 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:36.960 to I remember talking to a couple of the coaches 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:41.760 in like February, and I said, why aren't you guys better? 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.120 You know? They said, you know what, You're around each 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:48.520 other too much, too much, like just too much. We 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:50.400 we started the year before we ever got to school. 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:53.720 There's just kind of a natural evolution of a team, 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:56.680 and we kind of jump started the process by having 0:10:56.679 --> 0:11:00.440 those nine practices and then going overseas, and guys are 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.080 already around each other from the moment they start school 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:06.560 until the moment that the season is over. But we're 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:08.960 just around each other too much. And I do think 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:11.880 that one of the misconceptions is, hey, look, kids are 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:14.120 gonna be in a gym anyway, it's better off when 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:17.360 they're under the watchful eye of their college coaches. I 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:21.160 actually like, I would actually like to be no hours limits, um, 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:24.040 because I don't I do think it's really hard for 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:27.160 a coach to abuse those numbers because the abuse the 0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:30.160 hours because you can one wear a kid out too 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:32.840 They tune you out after a certain number of hours. 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:35.920 They just don't have that attention span. And then you 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:37.960 know you'll get in fighting within a team simply because 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.960 guys are around each other too much. Yeah, no question, 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:43.040 I think that's absolutely right. And then I would even 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:46.920 throw in it. In addition to this that the advents 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:50.720 over the last let's say like four years of the 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:54.040 like personal trainer that goes around and you know, it 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:56.600 kind of helps these kids out. Some kids have them, 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.560 some kids don't. The higher end kids for the most 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.600 part them nowadays because it's big business for the trainers 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.640 get involved earlier on. Uh. It does help a little bit. 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:09.000 I think is well in terms of these coaches not 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:11.120 being able to be on the court with their players 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:15.640 having someone there who hopefully uh and in most situations 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:18.720 and most trainers that I've met are very smart and 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:21.679 can help kids get better at basketball. Yeah. I also 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:23.440 think the other thing that's changed in the last this 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:26.200 is like ten years, is everybody has a facility now 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:29.720 and and so kids can get in and they're getting 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:31.840 shots up. Like you said, they have that personal trainers 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:33.880 or you know, you have a group of managers that 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:35.760 are feeding kids. And that's why I do think that 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:38.680 having practice time and workout time with coaches on a 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.000 daily basis, they're going to be in a gym, why 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:43.000 not you know, it's like, would you rather kid lift 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:45.360 on his own or lift with your strength coach? Would 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:47.240 you rather kids shoot in his own or shoot with 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:49.920 your coach, so he's taking game shots and working on stuff. 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:52.400 You do want some other voices in their ears so 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:55.120 they don't get tired of you. But but I do 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:59.120 think that having those basketball facilities, which almost almost everybody 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:01.280 at the high level and even mid major level has, 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:03.679 I do think it's changed how much kids kind of 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:06.680 live in the gym, and it's helped the skill of players. 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:08.520 The question is does that skill fit in with their 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.440 role in college. Sambasini is our guest here on the 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:15.800 All Ball podcast. All Right, NBA teams have had their 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:21.199 media day, and um, let's start with the Lakers, because 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:24.000 that's the biggest change for a team. I would say 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.880 them and the Calves obviously has the worst Lakers for 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:30.960 the better. My My couple of quick takeaways are Lebron 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:34.680 is smart, smartly speaking the truth, and that hey, they're 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:36.920 building this thing kind of from the ground up. They 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:39.319 are chasing the Warriors, but they are not even close 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:43.640 to being competitors with the Warriors. And uh and and 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:46.800 I think he seems sensible about his own expectations and 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:50.120 maybe he's lowering our expectations. I found it a little 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:53.480 bit curious that the Lakers already announced that Rondo is 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:55.080 gonna be the starting point guard at the start of 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.520 the season. What are your thoughts on the Lakers now 0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:01.120 that we're two or three days into training camp. I 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:04.560 was surprised by the Rondo news, no question. It wouldn't 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:07.360 surprise me if they end up starting both of those guys, 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.080 Like I don't think there's been an announcement on like 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.720 who's the starting two is gonna be. But I'm not 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:14.839 surprised that Rondo is gonna start the year as a starter. 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:18.400 I'm sure that there was some sort of statement made 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:19.880 to him that he's going to come in and have 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:23.240 a specific role. And you know, Rajon Rondo is coming 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:25.880 off of the year that I think was drastically underrated. 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:27.960 Like over the last couple of years, he's gotten a 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:31.160 lot of crap about being a player who dominates the 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:34.560 ball and pounds the ball in the ground and doesn't defend. Look, 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.120 he's not a great defender anymore. I think that that's clear. 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:39.920 But you look at his role on those New Orleans teams, 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:41.960 and you look at on that team last year, and 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:43.680 you look at how he performed in the playoffs. He 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:45.800 was really good. He was really useful for them, I thought. 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:47.960 And then the other big takeaway I agree with you 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:52.440 is that Lebron is starting to kind of lower expectations 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:55.800 for this team whatever he signed there. My assumption was 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:59.120 that he's playing the long game here. He's playing the game, 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.600 uh to where he knows that this year is a 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:05.760 developmental year. He wants to see which of these young 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:08.200 guys he wants to keep around long term, which of 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:11.560 these young guys can be used as trade bait going forward. 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:14.840 And they're in a good situation where, now that you 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:17.360 know Anton gave us assigned with Rich Paul as his agent, 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:19.560 they could potentially go down that road for a trade, 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:22.600 or they could also have the option of using their 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:24.880 max cap space next summer, and it could be a 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:28.040 situation where they use both. So he is in a 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:30.800 year where I think he knows this is I don't 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:32.800 want to say it's a wasted year, but it's a 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:34.720 year where he's probably not going to be competing on 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:37.520 the highest level and he's trying to position the chips 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:40.280 on the board to where he can compete at the 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:43.520 highest level with the Warriors. Again, especially when you know 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:46.240 we can talk about the Warriors situation as well. There's 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:49.040 no indication right now that Kevin Durant is for sure 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:51.000 going to be in Golden State next year. Yeah, I 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:53.080 want to get to that. Let's let's conclude here. On 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:56.520 the Lakers, I'm trying to figure out though, Like I 0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:59.400 do think there's a certain amount of tweaking taking place 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:02.280 to where they're they're trying to figure out if a 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.160 Lonzo has it right. Like I think that, I think 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:07.800 the coaching staff that the parts that the guys that 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:09.760 I know they like. Look, we really like a Lonzo. 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.720 He's a very good rebounder. He's an incredible passer um, 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:16.200 and he's a He's a good teammate and a good 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.800 player in that he you show him something on film 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:22.280 and he tries to legit, tries to make an adjustment, 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.920 and like this is basically freshman year to sophomore year. 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:28.880 His body has changed dramatically and that should help his 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.040 game all around. On the other hand, he didn't get 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:33.240 to play that much with that body because he had 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:37.120 the knee surgery in the off season. That said, I 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:39.880 don't know, I feel like announcing it that early is 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:44.320 either to pacify Rondo or to motivate Zoe or maybe 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.720 both right, Like they didn't announce a KCP starting, or 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.280 if it's Josh Hart, they announced anything out, Like what 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.880 are they doing with Kyle Kuzma. You know KU's in 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:54.760 many parts is better coming off the bench, so he 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:57.240 can be a starter to a bench player. I do 0:16:57.320 --> 0:16:59.520 feel like they're tweaking Zoe a little bit to try 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:02.520 and figure what he's got between his chest and if 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.679 he can stand up and take the job from Rondo. 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:07.960 Is that Is that a fair guess? I think that's 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:12.080 a reasonable guest. I am fascinated by this Alonzo ball 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:16.480 gen Rondo situation just because I think it's incredibly combustible 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:20.320 in a lot of ways. Like Jon Rondo is starting. 0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:24.200 We've seen what LaVar ball is like whenever Alonso is 0:17:24.400 --> 0:17:29.000 wronged in LaVar's mind, So it's it's a combustible situation. 0:17:29.240 --> 0:17:32.239 But I think Alonzo proved last year that he is 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.480 a useful NBA player. He's a very good defender. Last 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:38.960 year he's a very good passer. Uh. He plays team 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:41.480 ball in the manner that I'm sure Luke Walton wants 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:44.360 to run in his body makes it so that he's 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:47.000 a lot more useful in their defensive scheme where they 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:51.280 want to switch all actions. So it's it's a complicated situation, 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:54.200 but I think I agree with your initial point that 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:57.680 it is a place where they're trying to challenge Alonzo 0:17:57.800 --> 0:18:01.159 Ball to come back from this injury with a vigor 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:03.800 and with a verb and to get used to his 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.800 body and to figure out everything that is going on 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:09.160 with this game. And then there's the part that maybe 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:12.800 I don't get, which is I like Rondo, um, but 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:14.640 you know, guy like me can appreciate how you can 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.080 play this long and be this successful without a jump shot, 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:20.879 but that that's not traditionally what Lebron likes for his 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:23.840 point cards, right, and and Lebron no, he wants to 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:25.760 handle and even Lebron plays out of the post, like 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.720 are we gonna have back? You know, Rondo back, you 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:31.879 know in what's called the ghost which is the position 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:34.359 if you take the backboard and you go all the 0:18:34.400 --> 0:18:36.959 way out to the end edge of the court, like 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:40.480 below that level, closer to the baseline. That's the ghost position. 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.879 That's where Boston would put him offensively so that his 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:45.879 man couldn't help or double team or get in the 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:49.000 way because he can't shoot. Is that where we're putting rondo? 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.640 Is that? Because that screws up your defensive balance as well. 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:54.399 I just I'm fascinated to see how the rondo a 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:58.200 Lonzo thing works out, how the rondo and loop things 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:01.360 works out, and then how the rondo and Lebron thing 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:04.640 works out, because those are not pieces that traditionally would 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:09.520 be aligned. Yeah. No, I agree with that, But even 0:19:09.960 --> 0:19:12.919 more than that, all of those combinations fascinating. I agree 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.480 with you. But the most important thing that the Lakers 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:18.040 have to find out this year are how a Lonzo 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:21.680 Ball and Brandon Ingram play together with Lebron James. Because 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:24.919 Brandon Ingram not a super comfortable shooter. Yet he's shot, like, 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:27.639 I want to say, from three last year or something 0:19:27.680 --> 0:19:29.399 in that range. So he did it on like one 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:32.600 attempt to game. Bonzo Ball obviously struggled to shoot it 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:36.359 last year. I'm a big believer in body strength and 0:19:36.480 --> 0:19:40.800 just improving your frame, improving your muscle uh tone and 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:44.080 definition can really help a jump shooter because it becomes 0:19:44.119 --> 0:19:47.800 a little bit easier to keep your mechanics consistent throughout 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:50.400 the long kind of an NBA season. So I think 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.879 that that could really help his jump shot. But again, 0:19:52.920 --> 0:19:55.720 we're talking about a guy who's an unproven shooter right 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:58.480 now at the NBA level. So how did those two 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:02.680 guys more for Lebron, who is traditionally, as you said, 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:06.359 love to have shooters around. I am fascinated and I 0:20:06.359 --> 0:20:09.199 think that that is the absolute biggest thing that the 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:11.679 Lakers have to figure out in the first year of 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:15.479 Lebron experiment. Here, any join us, Let's let's get to 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:19.280 the Golden State Warriors. There is kind of this, this pilaver, 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:22.920 this this slow murmur of hey, Kevin Durand doesn't He's 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:26.320 not tied to any one place. If you had to 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:29.520 put a percentage chance he he leaves Golden State, what 0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:34.520 would it be. It sounds fifty to be honest, Like 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:36.840