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Speaker 1: Well to Jurassic Bunk.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to another bonus edition of the Nounks podcast. We

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Speaker 2: Got the whole Gang here today plus one. He is

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Speaker 2: the lead Raptors writer for The Athletic in Toronto. He

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Speaker 2: also co hosts a Raptors specific podcast on the Athletic Network.

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Speaker 1: It's Eric Crean.

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Speaker 3: Eric, thanks for joining us. Oh Man, Blake is going

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Speaker 3: to be all over me now that you you snuck

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Speaker 3: lead writer Alex said my bio. But like we have

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Speaker 3: a long standing semi joking, not really joking feud over

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Speaker 3: over that title that I sort of gave myself.

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Speaker 1: Well, you both do great work. Honestly, it's the man.

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Speaker 2: He's great. Well, our first question, Eric, it's not even

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Speaker 2: really a question at all. It's more of a demand.

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Speaker 3: Give me some rapt in news.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, just give me some Raptor news. We just had

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Speaker 2: to get that in there. It's a classic throwback for us.

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Speaker 3: Well, I think we got to start with Norm. Right,

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Speaker 3: were you guys at the game yesterday?

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Speaker 2: A lot of us were down at the Fortress watching

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Speaker 2: Norm catch fire?

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Speaker 1: There the fourth what's.

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Speaker 3: Going on with Norm? Last fifteen games? His shooting splits

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Speaker 3: are I believe fifty seven forty eight to eighty six.

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Speaker 3: He's currently started seventeen of his thirty two games, but

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Speaker 3: if they stay at full health, he's going to creep

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Speaker 3: below that fifty starting mark. I asked him if he

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Speaker 3: wanted to make a case to participate in the three

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Speaker 3: point competition. He declined. Norm well to make the campaign,

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Speaker 3: like I think he would probably gladly take apart, but

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Speaker 3: he's not going to make the case. He's very diplomatic

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Speaker 3: in these situations. You know, a few of you guys

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Speaker 3: are Raptors fans. I think you've probably taken the roller

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Speaker 3: coaster with Norm over the air. This is easily the

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Speaker 3: most sustained, you know, consistent basketball he's played, and really

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Speaker 3: at an unreasonable level. Like I don't think those numbers,

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Speaker 3: those percentages can really keep up at this volume. But

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Speaker 3: he's becoming that guy they really haven't had since Lou Williams,

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Speaker 3: which is a sort of a sixth men type instant

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Speaker 3: offense off the bench. But he's not gonna, you know,

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Speaker 3: not everything has to run through him quite in the

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Speaker 3: same way. He's been great, and it's something you know,

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Speaker 3: that contract that he's signed has gone like good deal,

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Speaker 3: bad deal, good deal, bad deal, and now it's like, oh,

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Speaker 3: maybe he opts out in twenty twenty one and we

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Speaker 3: don't have to worry about unloading him. So you know,

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Speaker 3: Jannis can come home and.

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Speaker 2: It's all because he touched Fred van Vliet's son.

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Speaker 1: Is that is?

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Speaker 3: That is the rumor on Twitter? I saw that. I mean,

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Speaker 3: we saw what Fred Junior can can do in the playoffs.

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Speaker 1: Yep.

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Speaker 3: You know. Fred came back in Minnesota and shot six

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Speaker 3: or seven for eight or six for seven, I don't

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Speaker 3: remember from three. So I was wondering if he had

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Speaker 3: another baby on that, and then Kyle Lowry's mom got

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Speaker 3: in touch, you know, sort of did an loll and

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Speaker 3: added Fred's I'm not sure if it's fiance or wife,

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Speaker 3: significant other, and she sort of shot down those rubers.

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Speaker 3: I believe there was a no no, no evolved. So anyway,

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Speaker 3: I think there's a three thousand word featured to write

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Speaker 3: on Fred Junior. Probably think, well, there.

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Speaker 2: Wraps are twenty nine to fourteen here basically at the

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Speaker 2: halfway Marco season, is what is one word that you

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Speaker 2: would use to describe the Raptors through the first chunk

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Speaker 2: of this season, through half.

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Speaker 3: Of it sort of relentless? I think like, no matter

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Speaker 3: who's gone down, and they've almost all gone down like that,

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Speaker 3: you know, of the top eight rotation players if you're

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Speaker 3: including Patrick McCaw and I know some Raptors fence don't want.

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Speaker 1: To do that, well we'll get down.

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Speaker 3: But seven of those guys missed at least ten games

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Speaker 3: in the first forty one games of the year, first half,

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Speaker 3: which is ridiculous. Like, so there's been no stability, no

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Speaker 3: sort of you know, reliability in terms of who's going

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Speaker 3: to be out there and who hasn't. You know, three

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Speaker 3: guys get injured in the same game, three of your

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Speaker 3: top six or seven, and Nick Nurse has found a

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Speaker 3: way to, you know, no matter the style and the

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Speaker 3: style has sort of changed, he's found a way to

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Speaker 3: coke success out of this team. And at the beginning

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Speaker 3: of the year, when Kyle Lowry and Sergebacco went down,

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Speaker 3: you saw lots of heavy traps of star players and

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Speaker 3: you saw guys like you know, Lebron had a meg

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Speaker 3: game against the Damian Lillard in Portland. You know, we

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Speaker 3: saw him go for sixty one last night. I think

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Speaker 3: he had like eight or ten or something like that

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Speaker 3: in a win in Portland. James Harden. They sort of

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Speaker 3: you know, Golden State stole what they did against him

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Speaker 3: on Christmas Day. They used it as a blueprint. You

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Speaker 3: saw it a number of times. And then when Kyle

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Speaker 3: and Surge come back, and then almost immediately or within

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Speaker 3: a few weeks, you have Siakam Gasol and whom I

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Speaker 3: missing there, Norm Powell go down at the same game.

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Speaker 3: Nick Nurse uses more sort of normal defensive approach and

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Speaker 3: it's a little bit of zone, but there's more men

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Speaker 3: to man and guys are just playing their butts off.

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Speaker 3: This is one of the hardest playing teams in the league.

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Speaker 3: Like they don't really get blown out very often, and

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Speaker 3: so I think there's a bunch of guys who will

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Speaker 3: be an awards consideration, but I think Nick Nurse has

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Speaker 3: to be at the forefront of that. As far as

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Speaker 3: Coach of the Year, I know we can all name

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Speaker 3: five or six foot candidates, but he's one of them.

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Speaker 3: He is a big kiss.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it seems like most Raptors have been free of ridicule.

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Speaker 4: No one's really getting blamed on that roster other than

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Speaker 4: I think somebody who's taken a little bit of heat

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Speaker 4: is og Aninobi, the guy that you know, out of

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Speaker 4: the rotation has been in every game basically and has

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Speaker 4: been there, and it was hard at the beginning of

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Speaker 4: the season. I'm guilty of it seeing Pascal siakams growth

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Speaker 4: last year and watching og go into year three now

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Speaker 4: and saying.

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Speaker 1: Ah, he could do what Pascal did?

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Speaker 4: Can can Does he have that? Does he have that

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Speaker 4: ability to make that jump? So what has the guy

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Speaker 4: that people want to kill o Jan Andobi? What's his

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Speaker 4: what's his growth been like this season?

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Speaker 3: You know what's great about that conversation, and certainly you're

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Speaker 3: not the only one who is a part of it,

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Speaker 3: is like, oh, you remember that type of growth that

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Speaker 3: resulted in the most improved player, literally the most improved

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Speaker 3: player in the league, and sort of a level of

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Speaker 3: year by year growth that we haven't seen much of, Right, Yeah,

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Speaker 3: another guy in the roster is going to do that.

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Speaker 3: So that hasn't happened. I think what we've seen is

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Speaker 3: improvements in fits and starts, especially from his second year.

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Speaker 3: I think his defense at the beginning of the year

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Speaker 3: and also as of late, and I'll get to that

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Speaker 3: in a minute, has been really good. You know, I

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Speaker 3: think probably not quite good enough to get on an

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Speaker 3: all defense team. But if he's your lead defender against

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Speaker 3: some of the earlier scorers in the league, that's a

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Speaker 3: good place to be. He's shown some capability, more capability

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Speaker 3: when he gets the ball swung to him to drive out,

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Speaker 3: to drive at a close out and sort of use

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Speaker 3: his physicality to sort of you know what I can

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Speaker 3: only call power layups kind of he really gets his

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Speaker 3: shoulder into you and he's got space. Yeah, the dude is,

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Speaker 3: you know, chiseled. I think for him to make that

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Speaker 3: Siakam step and again unfair. But for the stuff that

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Speaker 3: you know you're dreaming of, he has to go to

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Speaker 3: work on his handling. And that's the thing that really

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Speaker 3: separates a lot of great role players from stars, is

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Speaker 3: like ball handling's the number one skill because that's when

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Speaker 3: you can start to because he's even shown improved passing.

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Speaker 3: But unless you have the ball handling to properly leverage that,

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Speaker 3: that's only so useful. It's useful in breaking his own

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Speaker 3: if you're the guy at the nail. It's not so

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Speaker 3: useful if you're just catching the ball on the perimeter.

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Speaker 4: So he's been solid, So yeah.

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Speaker 3: I think, but I think he's been much better when

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Speaker 3: the Raptors have been healthier. Yeah, and he's been in

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Speaker 3: that role of like he's your fifth or fourth or

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Speaker 3: fifth offensive player. He's going to defend like hell, and

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Speaker 3: he knows exactly what to do when the ball comes

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Speaker 3: to him.

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Speaker 4: And Norm's not going to take a spot in the

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Speaker 4: starting line It doesn't really make sense, I imagine.

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Speaker 3: I don't think you need another high usage guy with

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Speaker 3: Kyle Lowry, Fred van Vliet, and Pascal Siakam all likely

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Speaker 3: staying in some version of the starting lineup. We can

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Speaker 3: talk about Fred and Norm if you want. I think

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Speaker 3: it doesn't really matter that much. But I don't see

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Speaker 3: Norm coming for OG's But to me, that doesn't make sense. Now,

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Speaker 3: Nick Norse likes to experiment. If we see it a

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Speaker 3: few games, that's not crazy. He's been open about wanting

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Speaker 3: to experiment with other lineups, like he's not as into

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Speaker 3: stability and role stability as his predecessor was. Maybe definitely,

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Speaker 3: which isn't a criticism. I mean, I think that's something

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Speaker 3: he gets buy in from the way he handled last year.

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Speaker 3: Like Fred van Vliet's been open about It's like I

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Speaker 3: didn't like not knowing what my role was going to

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Speaker 3: be every game, but look, we won the championship, so

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Speaker 3: it's tough to argue with the results. So I mean

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Speaker 3: stuff like that, stuff like winning the championship gets gets

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Speaker 3: a lot of buy it and buys the some tibe

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Speaker 3: As a coach.

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Speaker 5: I feel like that has also trickled down to the

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Speaker 5: fan base. Just judging off of tweets, it seems like

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Speaker 5: Raptors fans like this year's Raptors team even more than

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Speaker 5: they liked last year's championship team. Does that just cause

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Speaker 5: everybody's still happy they won the champions.

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Speaker 3: There's also no pressure, right, Like, you know, you look

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Speaker 3: at some of the other teams, like especially Philly, like

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Speaker 3: they've had this big, you know, years long experiment and

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Speaker 3: it hasn't paid off yet and it might never pay off.

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Speaker 3: It might I picked Philly to go to the finals

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Speaker 3: this year, I'm not sure I'm ready to go off that.

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Speaker 3: But you feel the burden of that, And that's sort

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Speaker 3: of what the Raptors fans felt last year. Like, yes,

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Speaker 3: it was great to have Kawhi Leonard and that meant

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Speaker 3: a real real shot at making the finals or winning

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Speaker 3: the championship, But that also meant a real real shot

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Speaker 3: at making the finals and winning the championship, which means,

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Speaker 3: you know, coming up short would be a greater level

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Speaker 3: of disappointment than they'd ever felt. And then you know,

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Speaker 3: I think they're back to a place that is more

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Speaker 3: familiar and comfortable, which is nobody believes in us. It's like,

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Speaker 3: there's that picture of Deadis Scott and Sam Mitchell and

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Speaker 3: NBA TV debtas Scott not having the Raptors make in

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Speaker 3: the playoffs. I think Sam had them eighth or something

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Speaker 3: like that. I forgot who tweeted it, but like the

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Speaker 3: best part of that is Deatis Scott looking incredulous that

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Speaker 3: Sad would even put them in the top day. So

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Speaker 3: it's like, oh no, there, they might get the second

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Speaker 3: seed or they're going to be you know, whatever it is.

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Speaker 3: They're going to be between two and six, and are

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Speaker 3: outperforming every expectation from sort of national media, Like this

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Speaker 3: is like you, Trey, it's sort of gravy. But also

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Speaker 3: the way they play, you know, to an extent, a

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Speaker 3: different guy every night. But also again, the word I

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Speaker 3: come back to is relentless. They're fun to watch and

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Speaker 3: a fun group of guys to root for.

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Speaker 6: Someone like Kyle Lowry, you know, He's the sort of

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Speaker 6: guy who plays with a chip on his shoulder a lot.

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Speaker 3: Really, you know the fact that.

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Speaker 6: Kawhi left and everyone you know talking about that, well,

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Speaker 6: the Raptors can't win it now. How much do you

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Speaker 6: think Kyle uses that as motivation to say we can

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Speaker 6: go back and win it again with or without Kawhi Leonar.

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Speaker 6: We're better than we were last season, maybe without Kawhi

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Speaker 6: Leonar because we've been there and we've done it and

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Speaker 6: we've won it.

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Speaker 3: I mean, I think the general more than the specific

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Speaker 3: is on his mind. Like I'm I don't think it's

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Speaker 3: as much Kawhi left. You know, my feelings are hurt.

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Speaker 3: I don't think there's much, if any of that. But

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Speaker 3: you know, you have to remember with Kyle, he was

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Speaker 3: put into a lower usage role and he was sort

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Speaker 3: of the facilitator and he was running picking pops with

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Speaker 3: Sir Chebacca a lot of the time. And in un

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Speaker 3: till sort of that he had a big game one

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Speaker 3: against Milwaukee and then a big game six against Golden State,

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Speaker 3: but there was you know, is this guy just along

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Speaker 3: for the ride, which is ridiculous to people and fans

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Speaker 3: who have watched him. You know, his overall impact in

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Speaker 3: the game can't be denied, but there are you know,

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Speaker 3: it was a large extent of the broader population that

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Speaker 3: still thinks he was just a bystander as the Kauhi

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Speaker 3: Show came in. And so now he's in a bigger

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Speaker 3: usage role. He's, you know, one of the two most

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Speaker 3: important players on the team and you know, pretty much

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Speaker 3: carried them to respectability while those three guys were out

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Speaker 3: and some of you know, real throwback Kyle Lowry, is

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Speaker 3: this guy the best player in the game conversations, which

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Speaker 3: isn't something we've said in a while, you know, just

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Speaker 3: from a scoring perspective, like the game that goes in,

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Speaker 3: the thirty point comeback against Dallas and then the game

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Speaker 3: against Indiana that goes into overtime, those were classic Lowry's

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Speaker 3: taking over games. And for people who just look at

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Speaker 3: his playoff numbers or and I even think that's overstated

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Speaker 3: a bit. I'm sure there's gratification and you know, I'm

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Speaker 3: playing a bigger role now and this team's damn good.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Do you think he's an All Star again this year?

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Speaker 3: I don't think there's a question. Yeah, I've gone through.

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Speaker 3: I mean, there's the practicality issue, which is the coaches

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Speaker 3: are going to vote on the reserves, and I don't

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Speaker 3: think they're not voting for Kyle Lowry, which is somewhat

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Speaker 3: ironic considering the way. You know, he might have missed

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Speaker 3: out on an All Star birth in his first full

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Speaker 3: Toronto season or second full Toronto season because he had

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Speaker 3: this reputation with coaches as a guy who stirred, you know,

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Speaker 3: poop up. But he's become this widely respected not to

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Speaker 3: agem elder State has been, you know, has such a

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Speaker 3: control and orchestrates the game, kind of like the Eastern

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Speaker 3: Conferences Chris Paul in a way. I think that's uh.

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Speaker 3: You know, Chris has the gaudier numbers and is the

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Speaker 3: better overall player throughout his career. But I think that's

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Speaker 3: sort of an apt comparison. I don't know why I'm

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Speaker 3: complimenting my own comparison, but I think because of the

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Speaker 3: success they have and especially had while under manned, I

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Speaker 3: think he's getting in pretty you know, he's the ninth

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Speaker 3: or tenth guy and if not higher.

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Speaker 4: But I don't know about your comparison. This season, Kyle

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Speaker 4: Lowry's got the guttier numbers this.

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Speaker 3: Ye.

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Speaker 4: Yes, over his career, of course, Chris Paul has been gottier,

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Speaker 4: but it's it's it would be strange not to see

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Speaker 4: Kyle Lowry in there, especially as a guy who's gotten

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Speaker 4: there five straight times.

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Speaker 3: It's crazy. I sort of think like last year, you know,

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Speaker 3: somebody had whispered, like he'd sort of made peace with

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Speaker 3: like that being his last year, and then he starts

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Speaker 3: to and at the beginning of the season, especially, he

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Speaker 3: goes down Fred van Vliet's playing great in his place,

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Speaker 3: and you know, some crazy segment of Raptors Twitter is like, oh,

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Speaker 3: maybe Kyle can be the sixth man now, And you know,

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Speaker 3: the last six weeks or whatever have been a reminder that, no,

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Speaker 3: this guy drives a lot of winning and is still

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Speaker 3: capable of the raw numbers too, And yeah, he's he's

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Speaker 3: definitely in my mind, he's definitely worthy of that spot.

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Speaker 3: And it would be I mean, we can have it

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Speaker 3: all star conversation if you want, but it would take

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Speaker 3: some gymnastics for him to not be there.

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Speaker 2: I think I think you are right when you start,

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Speaker 2: because he's going to be going up against like the

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Speaker 2: Brogdin's of the world, and you know, I mean I

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Speaker 2: think I think Ben Simmons has a great case to

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Speaker 2: take it and probably will too. But you get you

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Speaker 2: get like three, four, maybe even five guards in the

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Speaker 2: mix there, but Jalen Brown another one, And I do

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Speaker 2: I'm with you that you would think the coaches more

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Speaker 2: than anyone out of you know, the media and the players,

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Speaker 2: would would side with a guy like Kyle Lowry, that

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Speaker 2: that leader so to speak on a successful team again.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and then you get in to the team conversation

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Speaker 3: about like how many guys does this team deserve? How

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Speaker 3: many you get like, I think there will only be

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Speaker 3: one pacer. And you know, as much as hard as

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Speaker 3: it is to choose between Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum,

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Speaker 3: I don't think they're both going to get in just

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Speaker 3: because you want to have three Celtics on when Indiana

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Speaker 3: is only going to have one. So for that reason,

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Speaker 3: I think that only helps Kyle's case.

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Speaker 2: And then the Bucks have to have another one with.

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Speaker 3: That's interesting to me, like, I'm not sure that's gonna happen,

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Speaker 3: But again, these are the coaches voting, and they tend

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Speaker 3: to value winning over everything else.

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Speaker 5: Well, since we're talking about Kyle Lowry, he just did

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Speaker 5: this postgame interview where he was like, gosh made big

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Speaker 5: shots and uh yeah, it was a really good game.

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Speaker 1: Wow, resilience.

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Speaker 4: We were really resilient squad and we played hard and

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Speaker 4: we'll just keep plug away.

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Speaker 5: It was after the Terrence Davis game. Who was he impersonating?

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Speaker 5: I've heard Russell Wilson. I've heard he was doing a

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Speaker 5: Terrence Davis.

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Speaker 3: Who Actually it's not Terence Davis. That's not how I

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Speaker 3: didn't think so either. In Canada the theory and I

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Speaker 3: do not agree with this, but he was doing like

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Speaker 3: a hockey player impression. I didn't get that vibe at all. Like,

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Speaker 3: first of all, you have to throw a lot of

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Speaker 3: really bad nicknames and they're so like you'd have to

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Speaker 3: be like you know Normy and pass and you know

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Speaker 3: Marquee or gas Man. That's funny you say that. Some

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Speaker 3: people say it was nick Nurse. But I think you

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Speaker 3: have to have right in there a lot like you

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Speaker 3: have to have the rhetorical right and there. I think

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Speaker 3: the two best theories I've heard one is Russell Wilson

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Speaker 3: and the second is Tiger Woods. You know he was,

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Speaker 3: I believe, going golfing the next day. But these are

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Speaker 3: I have he will certainly never tell. Uh, Kyle le

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Speaker 3: Lari loves to mess with you know, the media at

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Speaker 3: the broader fad base, maybe more than he loves perfect

348
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Speaker 3: people wrong. So it's right up there. Wadded one day

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Speaker 3: in terms of the joys of his life.

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Speaker 2: But if you're guessing it's a Wilson or a Tiger,

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Speaker 2: that would be.

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Speaker 3: My best guess. But I like, admittedly I wouldn't put

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Speaker 3: any money on it. That was so weird, gloriously weird.

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Speaker 2: What is the what is the team like overall in

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Speaker 2: the locker room, this this group of guys. Yeah, it's

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Speaker 2: like you said, they're like they seem like a professional squad. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: but you got Surge seems like a hilarious.

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Speaker 3: Everybody loves like Serge Abouta's transformation from sort of I mean,

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Speaker 3: I don't know what he was like in Oklahoma City,

360
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Speaker 3: but I never got a sense he was the life

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Speaker 3: of the party. And now he's just like this widely

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Speaker 3: loved teammate and veteran mentor like Terrence Davis has mentioned him,

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Speaker 3: and and you would think it would just be Fred

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Speaker 3: van Vliet because he's like the prototype of you know,

365
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Speaker 3: undrafted makes a name for himself gonna get paid this summer,

366
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Speaker 3: already got paid once. You'd think that would be the

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Speaker 3: strongest relationship, and I think it's a pretty strong relationship.

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Speaker 3: But Surge has like a great relationship with everybody. And

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Speaker 3: you know, when I was trying to write this Kyle,

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Speaker 3: this piece on when the Raptors were going to La

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Speaker 3: on the impact that Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard had

372
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Speaker 3: on the Raptors, and you know that San Antonio experience

373
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Speaker 3: really got to them and really played played a part

374
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Speaker 3: when the Raptors were down as they were in you know,

375
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Speaker 3: each of their first three series. Nick Nurse corrected me,

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Speaker 3: it was like no, actually, and he didn't say no,

377
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Speaker 3: like obviously that's built in DNA. But it's like, well,

378
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Speaker 3: Serge Ibaka was the guy who was on Oklahoma City

379
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Speaker 3: when they went down too to those spurs and then

380
00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,760
Speaker 3: ran off four winds like the Raptors did in Milwaukee

381
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Speaker 3: in the conference final. It's it's a fascinating, fascinating transformation,

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Speaker 3: and it's probably just the result of a guy getting

383
00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:07,200
Speaker 3: older and his worldview broadening. But overall, to answer your question,

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Speaker 3: I think it's a fun group. I think they're they're

385
00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,840
Speaker 3: pretty tight knit. Like you know, Norm and Fred van

386
00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,000
Speaker 3: Vliet have had a close relationship for years. Pascal is

387
00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:18,879
Speaker 3: you know, on the star spectrum, is sort of a

388
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,840
Speaker 3: lighter personality, but that's you know, his work ethic is again,

389
00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,040
Speaker 3: you know, way up there. And you know, you could

390
00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,439
Speaker 3: probably credit that to watching a guy like DeRozan for

391
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Speaker 3: years who always came back with something new. And you know,

392
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Speaker 3: we're watching Pascal take a few Dirk jumpers every night,

393
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Speaker 3: so that's certainly developed over time. Kyle Lowry's the lad

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Speaker 3: and and Fred to a lesser extent, I think they're

395
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:52,359
Speaker 3: the guys whose play really influences the raptors ethos the

396
00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,080
Speaker 3: most for undersized guys to be able to get so

397
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,800
Speaker 3: many deflections, so many steals, to be able to you know, Kyle,

398
00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,119
Speaker 3: he's one of the best post defenders in the world

399
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Speaker 3: if if you'll let him defend somebody bigger, which is

400
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Speaker 3: you know, sort of why they're not frightened of playing

401
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,040
Speaker 3: a huge team in the playoffs. I think they take

402
00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,320
Speaker 3: their cues from them. But the locker room, you know,

403
00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:13,720
Speaker 3: it's hard to see much division.

404
00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:15,959
Speaker 1: Who is the toughest guy to get a quote out

405
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:16,760
Speaker 1: of oh Og?

406
00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, I I do a Week in the Life feature

407
00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:26,600
Speaker 3: almost every year, and last year I sort of wanted

408
00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:28,520
Speaker 3: to do og as, like I wonder if I could

409
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,640
Speaker 3: get him to crack over the spat of a week

410
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,200
Speaker 3: if he has to talk to me every day for

411
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,560
Speaker 3: seven days. But then like I was like, what if

412
00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,479
Speaker 3: I don't, like, I'm going to need a lot of

413
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:45,600
Speaker 3: color and access is fined, but it's not that good. Yeah, yeah,

414
00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:49,879
Speaker 3: he's as Yeah, Yeah, he has a he's a I

415
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:51,280
Speaker 3: don't know if I should be saying this. He has

416
00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:55,280
Speaker 3: a great relationship with Raptors media relations had Jennifer Quinn. Okay,

417
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,480
Speaker 3: it's like really endearing almost and I want to write

418
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,680
Speaker 3: a story about that, but I don't think will ever

419
00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:05,680
Speaker 3: cop to to sort of like the I don't want

420
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,280
Speaker 3: to really really you know, compared to any family type relationship.

421
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Speaker 3: But that's like the most bubbly and open I ever

422
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,080
Speaker 3: see him as talking to Jennifer Quinn. So shout out

423
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Speaker 3: to Jake.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, shout out to JQ.

425
00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:17,640
Speaker 4: Well, let's talk.

426
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:19,760
Speaker 2: Let's talk about the raps of the deadline here, because

427
00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,119
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, woes sort of start things up

428
00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,960
Speaker 2: a little bit here, recently saying that the wraps they

429
00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,800
Speaker 2: actually might be buyers. There's talking that being buyers at

430
00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:29,920
Speaker 2: the deadline. Well, they got all these possible moves they

431
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,280
Speaker 2: could sell on, you know, obviously expiring deals with some

432
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Speaker 2: of these guys, because there have been that talk at

433
00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,520
Speaker 2: the beginning of the season. What do you think, Eric,

434
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,720
Speaker 2: as we get closer here to the deadline, what are

435
00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,760
Speaker 2: the what are the raptors you think gonna do? And

436
00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:43,960
Speaker 2: have you heard any whispers of where they're leaning one

437
00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:44,440
Speaker 2: way or the other?

438
00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,160
Speaker 3: So I should say that I came into the year

439
00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:52,240
Speaker 3: thinking that being sellers, especially if they were doing decently,

440
00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,520
Speaker 3: was unlikely because I think there's a real value in

441
00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,200
Speaker 3: running it back to the extent that they can. And

442
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,879
Speaker 3: like you know, nobody else considers them the champs, but

443
00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:05,960
Speaker 3: last year was so important to them and to be

444
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,600
Speaker 3: able to honor that in some way, and you know,

445
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,680
Speaker 3: for some team to pry the championship out of their

446
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,919
Speaker 3: cold dead hands, I think it means more to the

447
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,399
Speaker 3: fan base than you can really understand. If you're looking

448
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,840
Speaker 3: at the NBA from a strictly asset perspective, which a

449
00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,280
Speaker 3: lot of people do, and to some extent, that's Messiah

450
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:30,320
Speaker 3: Jerry's job. The other reason I didn't think that was

451
00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,840
Speaker 3: likely to happen. Is because I don't think like to

452
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,400
Speaker 3: salary match with Serge Ibaka and Mark Gasol and get

453
00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:42,800
Speaker 3: something of real tangible value back, and like for those salaries,

454
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,159
Speaker 3: I sort of thought was unlikely. So if the Raptors

455
00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,040
Speaker 3: were really doing poorly, I think Kyle Lowry trade would

456
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,200
Speaker 3: be more on the table because that's somebody you could

457
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,560
Speaker 3: obviously get a nice package back. You know, I think

458
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,800
Speaker 3: I would think teams like Miami or I mean, you

459
00:23:57,359 --> 00:23:59,439
Speaker 3: guys have probably thought about it more that you know,

460
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,159
Speaker 3: would who wouldn't want to have Kyle Lowry as a

461
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,720
Speaker 3: secondary piece on a team with a superstar? You know

462
00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:10,840
Speaker 3: that that formula has worked before I seem to remember so,

463
00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:16,000
Speaker 3: but with how good they've been, here's a conundrum. Where

464
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,679
Speaker 3: is like the marginal upgrade coming in the top seven,

465
00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:25,359
Speaker 3: Like who is better than Norm Powell in the Norm

466
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:30,280
Speaker 3: Powell role right now? Now? If that drops off, that's

467
00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:31,720
Speaker 3: where and that's where I would have said the most

468
00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,280
Speaker 3: natural upgrade would have come before the season is you know,

469
00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:39,480
Speaker 3: you get another two, three or three four in there

470
00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,960
Speaker 3: and give yourself some more scoring and maybe some more

471
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:49,120
Speaker 3: defense along the wing. But there's no, there's nobody out

472
00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,080
Speaker 3: there who's doing that role and would fill that role better.

473
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,240
Speaker 3: So now you're looking at it and it's probably okay,

474
00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,840
Speaker 3: can we do better than og and an ob in

475
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,800
Speaker 3: the starting lineup? And and that could be a small forward,

476
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:06,080
Speaker 3: it could be a power forward. Whatever positions are meaningless

477
00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:10,399
Speaker 3: to some extent. And I think then you're you're inching

478
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:14,840
Speaker 3: into blockbuster territory. And how many of those guys are available, Like,

479
00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,840
Speaker 3: as we know it's going to be a seller's market.

480
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:22,480
Speaker 3: There's too many teams involved in the respective playoff races.

481
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:28,200
Speaker 3: I think for there to be too many guys really

482
00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,320
Speaker 3: available out there. So you know, let's throw out some

483
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,840
Speaker 3: possible names LaMarcus Aldridge, c J McCollum, Like, who else

484
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:40,199
Speaker 3: is there on a potential seller that really moves the

485
00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,440
Speaker 3: needle for this team? And I'm just having a tough

486
00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,800
Speaker 3: time figuring it out. But I think that's the most

487
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,640
Speaker 3: likely meaningful trade they are to make, is something closer

488
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,920
Speaker 3: to a blockbuster, rather than we're going to trade one

489
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,359
Speaker 3: of our top seven for a slight upgrade on that

490
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:56,960
Speaker 3: top seven.

491
00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:58,919
Speaker 1: I don't see, don't see it out there?

492
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,439
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. I came into the season

493
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,920
Speaker 4: as sort of the analytical idea that you know, because

494
00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,800
Speaker 4: we cover all thirty teams that I was thinking assets,

495
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,480
Speaker 4: I was thinking Ledger, I was thinking they got a

496
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:13,320
Speaker 4: trade one of these expiring deals.

497
00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:14,359
Speaker 1: But the more.

498
00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,800
Speaker 4: I get into it, the more I see Messio Jerrie,

499
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,640
Speaker 4: as you said, type of guy who, yes, that's sort

500
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:22,640
Speaker 4: of his job, but at the same time, a guy

501
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:27,680
Speaker 4: who says, Brooklyn is also thinking about the city and

502
00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,400
Speaker 4: about the organization that he just helped bring a championship.

503
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, and we saw what Mark Gasol fetched last trade deadline.

504
00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:38,480
Speaker 3: It was Jonas valanciunist Alnwright, a fill our contract in CJ.

505
00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:41,920
Speaker 3: Miles and a second round pick in twenty twenty four,

506
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,399
Speaker 3: Like do you want to give up on a hugely

507
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,639
Speaker 3: impactful player on a very good team that, like, you know,

508
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,679
Speaker 3: I don't think they're Eastern Conference favorites, but would anybody

509
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,600
Speaker 3: here be like just blown away if they came out

510
00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,720
Speaker 3: of the East. I mean Milwaukee and then Philly are

511
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 3: the two favorites, but I don't think either of them

512
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,520
Speaker 3: those teams as unbeatable, and the Raptors themselves certainly don't

513
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,520
Speaker 3: think that, And I think it would be disappointing to

514
00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,200
Speaker 3: a lot of the fan base. It's it's hard for

515
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,119
Speaker 3: me to see it unless the trade is big. And

516
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,800
Speaker 3: I'm not ruling out a big trade happening, but those

517
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,320
Speaker 3: a lot of the times are things you don't necessarily

518
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,920
Speaker 3: see coming. And like the most obvious guy, Kevin Love

519
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:27,080
Speaker 3: does not fit at all a Drummond too, I've heard that,

520
00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:29,960
Speaker 3: but I like Marcus. I'm just going to say it.

521
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,280
Speaker 3: Marcasol's a better player for this team and a lot

522
00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,600
Speaker 3: of winning minded teams than Drummond.

523
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,560
Speaker 6: We just don't hear a lot of whispers coming out

524
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,240
Speaker 6: of rooms coming out of Toronto. Is that Messiah? Is

525
00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:45,359
Speaker 6: he saying you know, he just doesn't leak anything and

526
00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,360
Speaker 6: those around him know to keep things quite or they're

527
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,520
Speaker 6: just maybe not having discussions, or it's that.

528
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,720
Speaker 1: BlackBerry real ones.

529
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:59,280
Speaker 3: No, I think that's sort of always been their their motto.

530
00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,359
Speaker 3: Like even thing back to the Kauhi trade, like days

531
00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 3: before that happened, the odds in Vegas of the Raptors

532
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,719
Speaker 3: getting of Kauai playing on the Raptors that season went up,

533
00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,560
Speaker 3: and everybody was like, what the Hell's going on? It

534
00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,800
Speaker 3: wasn't like a leaked report like oh, the Raptors are

535
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,119
Speaker 3: in deep discussions with the Spurs. It was this odd

536
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:26,040
Speaker 3: thing that's probably the result of you know, the tenth

537
00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:30,440
Speaker 3: guy in some front office whispering somebody to who whispered

538
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,720
Speaker 3: something to somebody in Vegas. If that's indeed what happened,

539
00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:39,800
Speaker 3: Who knows. I don't think you know, Especially as they've

540
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,160
Speaker 3: gotten better and better, they're particularly inclined to leak stuff.

541
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:48,160
Speaker 3: You know, the thing with WOJ if you want to

542
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,040
Speaker 3: think that's coming straight from the Raptors, and I think

543
00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,680
Speaker 3: that's a reasonable opinion. It's just like, we're open for business.

544
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:58,200
Speaker 3: We're we think we're a good team. If you're, you know,

545
00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,200
Speaker 3: thinking of doing something major, come at us because we

546
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:04,240
Speaker 3: have all our picks in the first first round picks,

547
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:08,480
Speaker 3: we have some contracts that we can match with, you know,

548
00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:13,960
Speaker 3: Norms contract, Surge's contract. If you're doing something huge, I

549
00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,600
Speaker 3: think that's just saying, look, we're not selling, we're buying.

550
00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,880
Speaker 3: And if you know you're in a bad place in

551
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 3: terms of competitiveness, don't forget us.

552
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, I saw you recently tweet. People really like

553
00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,200
Speaker 2: talking about trades that won't happen because you guys have

554
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:31,760
Speaker 2: been doing great work. You and Blake over on the

555
00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,760
Speaker 2: Athletic writ and about potential trades. Maybe who could be moved?

556
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,040
Speaker 3: Yeah, Blake, I should plug it. Since he's not here

557
00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,280
Speaker 3: to do it, he will have his annual wire. Trades

558
00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,560
Speaker 3: are bad, Your trade ideas are bad. Column, which is

559
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,440
Speaker 3: always a fun read, and it's not as glab as

560
00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,280
Speaker 3: it sounds. It's actually fun. But as somebody who knows

561
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,520
Speaker 3: the CBA very well or how front offices think very well,

562
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,720
Speaker 3: it's always an educational read where people give Blake their

563
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:03,360
Speaker 3: fake Raptors trades a Drummond Yeah, and Blake says, well,

564
00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:05,480
Speaker 3: you know, Marcus Al's better than Andre.

565
00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,600
Speaker 2: Drummer that part. But yeah, people love this stuff.

566
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:10,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course I do too.

567
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,480
Speaker 2: But but your gut says you do think the Raps

568
00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,160
Speaker 2: will probably be fairly quiet at the deadline, just with how.

569
00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,080
Speaker 3: Hard it is to make a big trade. I think

570
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,760
Speaker 3: the smart money is they don't do much. And because

571
00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,480
Speaker 3: I think a big trade is the most likely meaningful trade,

572
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,920
Speaker 3: they can always do something minor on like you know

573
00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,640
Speaker 3: spots nine and ten in the rotation. Oh yeah, you know,

574
00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:40,720
Speaker 3: Patrick O'Bryant, Jan Dixon, Primo Bras. We can't forget Primos.

575
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,320
Speaker 1: Why didn't he get Jake Will get Dealt as well?

576
00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,200
Speaker 3: I don't know. I think he was signed and it

577
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,560
Speaker 3: was in a three way battle with Will Cherry and

578
00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:58,840
Speaker 3: somebody else Will Chair to make to be the fifteenth

579
00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,680
Speaker 3: man on the roster. I remember a media day than

580
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:03,920
Speaker 3: those three guys, and I can't remember the third person

581
00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,280
Speaker 3: just in a corner. So now we're we're really retaining here.

582
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,480
Speaker 3: But yeah, like because I think that's the most you know,

583
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,360
Speaker 3: I don't really think they're huge Boy and Bogdanovic players,

584
00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,040
Speaker 3: like those are the names they're really hearing a lot about.

585
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,160
Speaker 3: But but like fit him in on this roster? Could

586
00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,240
Speaker 3: he fit? Sure? But like, are you giving up a

587
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:30,000
Speaker 3: positive asset to do that to the extent that other

588
00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,840
Speaker 3: teams probably need him more than the Raptors are. And

589
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,800
Speaker 3: so that's sort of where why I end up where

590
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,320
Speaker 3: I do, And that's sort of why I end up saying,

591
00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,840
Speaker 3: you know, a small trade, a very small trade, a

592
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,720
Speaker 3: pretty damn big trade, or nothing, Yeah, not like you

593
00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,680
Speaker 3: know your typical Oh this guy could help this team.

594
00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:53,520
Speaker 3: You know. The best example I can think of is

595
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,640
Speaker 3: like a Miritach trade from last year. I don't think

596
00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:56,520
Speaker 3: that's on the table.

597
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, especially I think all that what you're saying when

598
00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,200
Speaker 2: you pair it with the fact that the Raptors are

599
00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:03,800
Speaker 2: nearly at thirty wins despite all of these injuries.

600
00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:04,400
Speaker 1: That's the other thing.

601
00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,360
Speaker 2: You They must be looking at the team going, damn,

602
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,840
Speaker 2: we are good. We've barely even had all our guys playing.

603
00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,280
Speaker 3: And to extent, they don't even know who they are. Yeah,

604
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,880
Speaker 3: they know they're a basic identity, but they don't know

605
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,000
Speaker 3: exactly how all those pieces fit, and they don't know

606
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,479
Speaker 3: how it looks like in a you know, in an

607
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:23,360
Speaker 3: eight man rotation yea, or in a nine man rotation,

608
00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:27,560
Speaker 3: And it's I think they have a lot of confidence

609
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:31,360
Speaker 3: in their top guys and it's gonna take something really

610
00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:35,640
Speaker 3: exciting to get them off that. And you know, we

611
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:39,120
Speaker 3: all love transactions, so it'd be cool if that happened,

612
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,200
Speaker 3: because seeing new guys in new jerseys, especially big names,

613
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:46,280
Speaker 3: it's really fun. It's just you know, you go through

614
00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,480
Speaker 3: CBA FAQ dot com and try to make all that work,

615
00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,640
Speaker 3: and it's not easy. Guys, Being a GM or in

616
00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:54,120
Speaker 3: a front office is not easy.

617
00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:56,360
Speaker 2: What have you thought? I mean, I know the injury

618
00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:58,920
Speaker 2: derailed it a little bit, But what have what have

619
00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,880
Speaker 2: been your thoughts on Siakam taking on that sort of

620
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:03,600
Speaker 2: as that lead guy on a team, because there was

621
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:05,200
Speaker 2: a lot of questions coming in the season, like can

622
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,640
Speaker 2: he go from being a Most Improved to actually being

623
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,360
Speaker 2: basically an all star superstar type guy.

624
00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:12,000
Speaker 3: Was your take on, well, he was certainly making the

625
00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,920
Speaker 3: first ever double most Improved case at the beginning of

626
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:16,360
Speaker 3: the season.

627
00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:17,120
Speaker 1: I sure was.

628
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,800
Speaker 3: I think John Hollinger wrote that when the Raptors were

629
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,760
Speaker 3: in Portland. I don't think it's quite there anymore. His

630
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:25,760
Speaker 3: play since he got back now it's only been four

631
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:30,240
Speaker 3: or five games, it's slipped a bit, I'll say that,

632
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:32,840
Speaker 3: and I know this isn't a popular view. I don't.

633
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,360
Speaker 3: He's a very useful defender, particularly in zones, but I

634
00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,160
Speaker 3: think his defense on a man to man basis has

635
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,200
Speaker 3: slipped a bit, which is understandable because you know, he's

636
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,680
Speaker 3: closer to thirty percent usage than twenty two or whatever

637
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:50,200
Speaker 3: it was last year. But just the repertoire of moves

638
00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:53,640
Speaker 3: he has now I mentioned the Dirk jumper, like he's

639
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,760
Speaker 3: so much more comfortable in the mid range, which, as

640
00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,959
Speaker 3: we know in the playoffs, like you're playing good defenses.

641
00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:03,800
Speaker 3: Sometimes you can't, you know, settle for the Houston Rockets,

642
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,600
Speaker 3: what dreams of shot charts? You need to be able

643
00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,200
Speaker 3: to make those, Like the Raptors were a perfect example

644
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,200
Speaker 3: last year, Like they won some gamestition of because Kawhi

645
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,000
Speaker 3: Leonard was able to hit eighteen footers when they were

646
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,719
Speaker 3: the only damn shot available to them. So he's more

647
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,200
Speaker 3: comfortable there. It's not finished, but you can see the progress.

648
00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:28,640
Speaker 3: His pick and roll ball handling is way improved. I

649
00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,359
Speaker 3: think his vision off of that as a passer still

650
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,560
Speaker 3: has a little bit to go. So I think, yeah,

651
00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,040
Speaker 3: I think like I just did great. I gave an

652
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:43,239
Speaker 3: anus And I think when you forward next season, you're

653
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,360
Speaker 3: probably working more on You get to the middle of

654
00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,839
Speaker 3: the paint and defenses are collapsing on you. What are

655
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:54,000
Speaker 3: you doing? Uh? That's probably his next big step as

656
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,160
Speaker 3: an offensive creator. And then you just hope he gets

657
00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,239
Speaker 3: more used to that high offensive usage and can really

658
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,080
Speaker 3: dial it back to that, you know, if not all

659
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:06,040
Speaker 3: defense team very damn close to it type defense. But like, man,

660
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:11,279
Speaker 3: he's a what top twenty, top fifteen player. And imagine

661
00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,600
Speaker 3: saying that even two years ago when I was part

662
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,160
Speaker 3: of the bench mob. It's insane, It truly is.

663
00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:18,520
Speaker 2: And what about a guy like Van Vliet. How much

664
00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:19,520
Speaker 2: money is this guy going to make?

665
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,200
Speaker 3: I think, you know, he's bet on himself. He's going

666
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:28,839
Speaker 3: to win. You look at the free agent market, it's

667
00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:31,560
Speaker 3: not all that strong. I think Brendan Ingram is probably

668
00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:34,880
Speaker 3: he's restricted, but he's probably the biggest name based on

669
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:38,600
Speaker 3: his year that he's having. Fred is one of the

670
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,759
Speaker 3: you know, youngest, best unrestricted guys who's going to be

671
00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,640
Speaker 3: out there. His timeline will work perfectly with the types

672
00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,560
Speaker 3: of teams that have money, which is sort of younger

673
00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:53,040
Speaker 3: bad teams. He has an injury history, not any one

674
00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,440
Speaker 3: body part in particular. But he's a small guy who

675
00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,440
Speaker 3: falls a lot because he's driving a lot, and he

676
00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:01,800
Speaker 3: plays tough as hell defense. So you know, whether a

677
00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:07,680
Speaker 3: team thinks he can be, you know, a starting point guard,

678
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,879
Speaker 3: you have the ball as much as you know Chris

679
00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:14,279
Speaker 3: Paul does. I don't know, but I think if you're

680
00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:16,480
Speaker 3: throwing you know, Broggeden money at him, what was that

681
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,040
Speaker 3: for eighty three? Like that seems pretty damn reasonable. I mean,

682
00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:22,000
Speaker 3: none of this money is reasonable.

683
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,520
Speaker 4: But you're supposed to be a reasonable.

684
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:26,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, In the scale, like in terms of what

685
00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:29,080
Speaker 3: he's going to be offered, the type of deal, I

686
00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:32,120
Speaker 3: would say, there and if there's a real point guard

687
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,879
Speaker 3: and ad team out there, they could up that. Yeah,

688
00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,680
Speaker 3: because you can see you know, the the see the

689
00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:42,080
Speaker 3: luxury tax and the salary cap tend to go up

690
00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:43,560
Speaker 3: every year. I don't know if that's going to be

691
00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,920
Speaker 3: the case, so maybe there's slightly more money available for the.

692
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:48,959
Speaker 2: Van Vleid's going to get like a twenty five million

693
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,680
Speaker 2: dollars per you know year deal. If people are going

694
00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:54,120
Speaker 2: to go, like you know people, I say, yeah, the

695
00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,600
Speaker 2: casual NBA fan is going to go what who? How much?

696
00:36:57,920 --> 00:36:58,200
Speaker 2: I could?

697
00:36:58,320 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 1: You can see it now?

698
00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:04,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, Like I didn't take you know, micro or macroeconomics

699
00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:08,080
Speaker 3: much past first year at Ryerson University. Shout out to

700
00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:12,920
Speaker 3: the rams. But it's a supply and demand thing. And

701
00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,640
Speaker 3: he's going to be one of the best guys on

702
00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:20,120
Speaker 3: the market. And again and he's young, and he's young,

703
00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,279
Speaker 3: and he's damn good like you like the raptors are

704
00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:27,160
Speaker 3: crazy about deflections like go like you have to go

705
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,680
Speaker 3: deep into John Schumann territory to to find it, but

706
00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:34,000
Speaker 3: you go into the hustle stats on NBA dot Com

707
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:38,480
Speaker 3: slash stats, and look at the guys who lead the

708
00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:41,920
Speaker 3: league into flections and it's like a bunch of rangy,

709
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,960
Speaker 3: you know, long wingspan guys. And then there's Fred van

710
00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,239
Speaker 3: Vliet who's just like tipping every ball that's you know,

711
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,959
Speaker 3: with it. It's unbelievable like that somebody shouldn't be able

712
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,720
Speaker 3: to have that big of a defensive impact at that size,

713
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,320
Speaker 3: And you know, it sort of makes you think of

714
00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:01,440
Speaker 3: all the cliche long you've always heard it. You know,

715
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,120
Speaker 3: it's not the size of the dog in the fight

716
00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,560
Speaker 3: to fight in but fighting the dog blah blah blah.

717
00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:09,359
Speaker 3: Guy's tough, he knows how to get inside, he knows

718
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,120
Speaker 3: how to get inside defenders. He's smart as hell, and

719
00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:14,279
Speaker 3: he's gonna parlay that into a lot of money. And

720
00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:16,759
Speaker 3: it's hard to think of many guys who deserve it more.

721
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,400
Speaker 6: Heb Brown had him as finals MVP losses.

722
00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:23,800
Speaker 3: You can never take that one finals MVP vote away

723
00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,880
Speaker 3: from them, Like is there a more anonymous Like I

724
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:30,360
Speaker 3: don't know if there's a place to find every MVP

725
00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:34,560
Speaker 3: Finals MVP vote ever, Like he's gotta be one of

726
00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,800
Speaker 3: the more scure, Like it's hard to call him obscure

727
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,000
Speaker 3: right now. But you know, if we're doing this in

728
00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:42,800
Speaker 3: thirty years, I'm pretty sure we'll all be doing this

729
00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:47,160
Speaker 3: in thirty years. Like, his name's gonna probably stand out

730
00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:49,719
Speaker 3: and Fred van Vliet and he'll just be sitting in

731
00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,040
Speaker 3: Rockford saying he'll be understanding.

732
00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:55,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, it'll be the equivalent of for whatever reason, PJ.

733
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:59,640
Speaker 2: Brown getting the top, like for like the fourteen win hornets.

734
00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:01,040
Speaker 3: Right, it's the weirdest thing.

735
00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:02,839
Speaker 2: You're like, yep, he got one, and it's like it'll

736
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,560
Speaker 2: be similar with Fred Bavleetzl. He's probably even a better player.

737
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,680
Speaker 4: Yeah, I wanted to ask you about the Yonis Valentinnis

738
00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:15,640
Speaker 4: ring situation. That's a scuff. Yeah, Yonis everyone thought he

739
00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:16,319
Speaker 4: was getting a ring.

740
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,000
Speaker 3: Supposed to he thought he was getting a ring.

741
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:21,600
Speaker 4: And then Kyle Lowry supposedly ask him his ring size

742
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:23,600
Speaker 4: as well via text. I mean that was the report

743
00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:26,239
Speaker 4: going on. After they win the ring, Kyle gets on

744
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:31,319
Speaker 4: his phone and says, hey, I message Jonas, what's your

745
00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:31,799
Speaker 4: ring size?

746
00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:32,160
Speaker 3: My man?

747
00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,040
Speaker 4: And then then the report comes out a guy who

748
00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:37,440
Speaker 4: spent six and a half seasons along with Delon Wright

749
00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,160
Speaker 4: and CJ. Miles aren't getting rings. But let's forget about

750
00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,400
Speaker 4: those two guys. Yonas Valentinis doesn't get a ring? Does

751
00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:44,560
Speaker 4: it matter? Does anyone care?

752
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:50,400
Speaker 3: It does? We haven't spoken to him, they have, Raptors

753
00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:54,520
Speaker 3: haven't played Memphis yet, in Memphis or in Toronto. I mean,

754
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,160
Speaker 3: it sort of sucks, right, Like you're a huge Raptors fan,

755
00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:01,560
Speaker 3: you know how much like that guy cares so much

756
00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:04,840
Speaker 3: about that team and winning and you know he might be,

757
00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:08,080
Speaker 3: you know, a sort of a player who reminds you

758
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,759
Speaker 3: more of a different decade, but man, did he try

759
00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:14,360
Speaker 3: hard and did he love the city and want to

760
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:18,560
Speaker 3: win in the city, And you know, for him to

761
00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:20,920
Speaker 3: not get it, I think, you know, it's sort of

762
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,600
Speaker 3: I don't have a strong take on it, but I

763
00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:27,440
Speaker 3: understand as a Raptor fan, and you hear about like all,

764
00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,040
Speaker 3: you know, we know how many people get rings in

765
00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,640
Speaker 3: an organization, Like for that guy, who put in as

766
00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:38,359
Speaker 3: much sweat equity as anybody to not get one after

767
00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:42,520
Speaker 3: he did play on the team that year, it's it's

768
00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:44,880
Speaker 3: a bit of a blow, I think. But you know,

769
00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:48,080
Speaker 3: even though he didn't play for the team like Demardro's

770
00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:51,440
Speaker 3: and it's tough to imagine him not getting so much

771
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:53,480
Speaker 3: of the credit and then do you give him a ring?

772
00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:58,160
Speaker 3: So I know there's a year like one guy played

773
00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:00,160
Speaker 3: for the team that year, one guy didn't, and you

774
00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:03,680
Speaker 3: can make that line, but there's all like, I don't

775
00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:08,120
Speaker 3: see anybody, you know, crying for Malchai Richardson, and it's

776
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:11,080
Speaker 3: a different situation. And I so I'm literally torn, not

777
00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:15,280
Speaker 3: literally figuratively. I just heard somebody, I forget what podcast

778
00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:18,319
Speaker 3: I was listening to, as somebody was talking about how

779
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:23,400
Speaker 3: like millennials are so much better with you know, word usage,

780
00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:27,840
Speaker 3: except they've decided to make literally mean the opposite that

781
00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:33,080
Speaker 3: it actually means. Now I've forgotten my point. It does.

782
00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:36,640
Speaker 2: Here was the shocking part, though, correct me if I'm wrong.

783
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:38,600
Speaker 2: I think a lot of people thought the Raptors as

784
00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,680
Speaker 2: an organization would be like, it'd be a no brainer

785
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:43,560
Speaker 2: to give a guy like Valtrins, to give all these

786
00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:45,359
Speaker 2: guys that played on the team that you're a ring.

787
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,279
Speaker 2: I think that's what shocked a lot of people because

788
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:48,480
Speaker 2: they just feel like that type of.

789
00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,960
Speaker 3: Thing, yeah, and it just hasn't been the norm and

790
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,800
Speaker 3: the NBA, I forget what the one case was that

791
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:55,319
Speaker 3: he did get was a zaza.

792
00:41:55,160 --> 00:42:01,520
Speaker 6: And offered by uh Calves when they went to but

793
00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:03,160
Speaker 6: he was on the Warriors, and yeah.

794
00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:07,320
Speaker 3: And I think that's a pretty analogous situation, right, like

795
00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:12,440
Speaker 3: it's longtime pillar of the team gets traded or moved

796
00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:16,200
Speaker 3: in year, Like how many years was you know Anderson

797
00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:20,640
Speaker 3: Vera Joe sideshow bobbing next to Lebron? Yeah, both versions,

798
00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:23,560
Speaker 3: you know, Lebron one point oh in Cleveland, Lebron two

799
00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:28,120
Speaker 3: point zero. So I would have leaned toward especially I mean,

800
00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:30,120
Speaker 3: once you give it to yonas you have to probably

801
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:32,600
Speaker 3: give it to to everybody who played on the air,

802
00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:36,279
Speaker 3: I would have leaned toward them getting it. It's a

803
00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,279
Speaker 3: bit disappointing to me that they didn't. I still don't

804
00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,759
Speaker 3: totally understand why it happened, but it doesn't make me

805
00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:44,560
Speaker 3: angry or anything like that.

806
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:46,759
Speaker 4: Well, you mentioned all the people in the organization that

807
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:49,240
Speaker 4: do get rings, aside from the players, all the employees,

808
00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:52,360
Speaker 4: et cetera. Who's the most obscure person who got a

809
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:53,759
Speaker 4: ring who works for the team.

810
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,480
Speaker 3: I'm not sure I have an answer for that. I

811
00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,480
Speaker 3: wish I did. Like you know, I'd love to shout

812
00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:04,440
Speaker 3: out Romeo, the security guard by the elevator. He's been

813
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,840
Speaker 3: in some viral moments. I believe I don't think he

814
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:13,440
Speaker 3: got a ring. Let's you know, let's start give Romeo ring.

815
00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:15,759
Speaker 2: We're gonna be upset about val.

816
00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:18,880
Speaker 4: I'm upset about get Romeo ring.

817
00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:21,520
Speaker 2: Well, one of the guys, you know, obviously value was

818
00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:25,440
Speaker 2: trade for was Gasol. You've created the gasol statistic.

819
00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:27,600
Speaker 1: Has it caught on? Can you explain that for the

820
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:29,200
Speaker 1: for the listener, it is not caught on.

821
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:34,960
Speaker 3: He's he's now ruining it by shooting tons. He's just

822
00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:40,120
Speaker 3: you know, he's just chucking now because earlier the year

823
00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:42,480
Speaker 3: and you know, by the way he sort of should

824
00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:46,920
Speaker 3: like he's a really good jump shooter now and as

825
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:50,000
Speaker 3: he realized, I think, especially while he was out, if

826
00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:53,960
Speaker 3: he's passing down those open opportunities, it's actually bad for

827
00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:58,440
Speaker 3: the offense unless there's another wide open opportunity that can

828
00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,640
Speaker 3: be available in one or two passes. But to credit,

829
00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:04,480
Speaker 3: you know, to sort of you know, I love watching

830
00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:07,960
Speaker 3: Marcasol play. I think he's like center Kyle Lowry in

831
00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:11,000
Speaker 3: a lot of ways. You know, he tries to make

832
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:14,759
Speaker 3: every take advantage of every situation that's out there. You know,

833
00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:17,080
Speaker 3: one of the highest IQ players in the game. You

834
00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:21,319
Speaker 3: know Zach Lowe named his an All Star team. That's

835
00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:23,399
Speaker 3: sort of based on that same idea that like, maybe

836
00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:26,280
Speaker 3: their box score stats don't pop, but if you're watching

837
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:27,920
Speaker 3: the game, you love what he does. So I'm not

838
00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:31,480
Speaker 3: the first person to really love Marc Gasol, but to

839
00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:35,359
Speaker 3: start the season, he's shooting terribly from two, not great

840
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:38,440
Speaker 3: from three. He was like down in the twenty percents

841
00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:41,520
Speaker 3: from two for a while, but he was still having

842
00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:44,879
Speaker 3: this hugely positive impact on the game. So I made

843
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,480
Speaker 3: a statistic and he was also very shy about shooting. Yeah,

844
00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:52,800
Speaker 3: so the Gasol was fewer than five field goal attempts

845
00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:57,040
Speaker 3: in a game, but five or more assists in rebounds,

846
00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:00,840
Speaker 3: which isn't easy to do because if you're if to

847
00:45:01,360 --> 00:45:04,000
Speaker 3: mostly to get five assists, you have to have the ball.

848
00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:06,919
Speaker 3: If you have the ball of fair amount, you're usually

849
00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:10,840
Speaker 3: shooting the fair amount and it's really hard to do.

850
00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:12,919
Speaker 3: Last I checked, there were like only twenty or twenty

851
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:16,319
Speaker 3: one examples of it happening this season, and Gasol had three,

852
00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:22,560
Speaker 3: tied with Nicola Batoomb. I think they're still tied. Ronde

853
00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:27,480
Speaker 3: Hollis Jefferson picked one up. But the beautiful thing about gasols.

854
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:31,480
Speaker 3: They were also zero free throw gasols, which is which

855
00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:36,000
Speaker 3: is what I now call a true gasol. No, it's

856
00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:40,160
Speaker 3: hard to know why this hasn't picked up as everyone

857
00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:40,600
Speaker 3: should be.

858
00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:43,120
Speaker 6: Yeah, it really is.

859
00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:45,600
Speaker 3: You know, if I could say it's better than a

860
00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:52,360
Speaker 3: should be used more widely, has more utility. It's just

861
00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:54,920
Speaker 3: it was a you know, task that I were sort

862
00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:57,160
Speaker 3: of talking about the you know, the dog days of

863
00:45:57,200 --> 00:45:59,600
Speaker 3: the season, and I think I made that start up

864
00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:03,040
Speaker 3: either in late November, early December, December fourteenth. Yeah, it

865
00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:05,320
Speaker 3: was a good view. It was a good way to

866
00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:07,360
Speaker 3: view a game in mid December.

867
00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:12,120
Speaker 2: The true gasol less than five field goal attempts, no

868
00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:15,200
Speaker 2: free throw attempts, and then plus five in the rebounds

869
00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:15,600
Speaker 2: and assist.

870
00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:18,239
Speaker 3: You still got a gasol if you do take free

871
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:21,839
Speaker 3: throw attempts. But true. Yeah, it's it's pure. It's pure.

872
00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,680
Speaker 3: It's true. And as as I think we had a

873
00:46:24,719 --> 00:46:28,240
Speaker 3: discussion about this online, Nate McMillan is far and away

874
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:32,200
Speaker 3: the career leader in gasols, Like he leads by like

875
00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,600
Speaker 3: twenty or something like that. It's ridiculous, Which.

876
00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:39,680
Speaker 2: Is incredible that Nate McMillan probably maybe coach nurses, you know,

877
00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:42,000
Speaker 2: right there one too in the coach of the area.

878
00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:45,080
Speaker 3: Maybe when Indiana's in town or I'm going to Indiana

879
00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:48,960
Speaker 3: after the tradeline, I'll ask Nate if I'm sure before

880
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:51,799
Speaker 3: a game he will be totally up for us a conversation.

881
00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:57,160
Speaker 3: He seems like a chill dude and sense let's uh, let's.

882
00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:59,440
Speaker 2: Take a step back big picture raptors, because this is

883
00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:01,279
Speaker 2: a top I think everyone loves to weigh in on

884
00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:03,880
Speaker 2: who is the greatest raptor in history.

885
00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:09,880
Speaker 3: I think it's Kyle Lowry. I don't think it's particularly debatable.

886
00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:14,759
Speaker 3: I mean, anything's debatable, but uh, you know, I thought

887
00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:17,960
Speaker 3: that before the championship, to be honest, I was leaning

888
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:21,560
Speaker 3: that way. The championship sort of solidified it. But if

889
00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:23,960
Speaker 3: you look at you know, I hate to be boring

890
00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:27,680
Speaker 3: stats guy, and I won't even cite specific stats, but

891
00:47:27,719 --> 00:47:31,840
Speaker 3: if you look at his his impact on winning, you know,

892
00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,120
Speaker 3: nobody has led to more, has had a greater impact

893
00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:38,480
Speaker 3: on more wins than Kyle Lowry. You know, Vince had

894
00:47:38,600 --> 00:47:42,239
Speaker 3: the higher peak, but he did not come close to

895
00:47:42,360 --> 00:47:44,840
Speaker 3: sustaining get for the raptors in the way that Kyle Lowry.

896
00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:47,440
Speaker 3: Did you know DeMar de Rosen had you know, the

897
00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:53,160
Speaker 3: flashier game, more points, but his you know, his limitations,

898
00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:56,640
Speaker 3: especially on defense, was part of what was holding the

899
00:47:56,719 --> 00:47:59,000
Speaker 3: Raptors back in a lot of way. Now he's you know,

900
00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:03,680
Speaker 3: overwhelmingly a great thing, great player for the Raptors, but

901
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:08,280
Speaker 3: he did not have that two way game that sparked

902
00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:13,439
Speaker 3: you know, so many wins as Kyle Lowry did. Chris Bosh.

903
00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:16,320
Speaker 3: I think it's underappreciating this conversation because he played for

904
00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:22,440
Speaker 3: some truly garbage teams. You know, he was the last year,

905
00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:30,920
Speaker 3: the famous heto year that made task famous. Yeah, but

906
00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:35,480
Speaker 3: like they were thirtieth in defense, and you know, we

907
00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:37,640
Speaker 3: all saw that Chris Bosh can be a pretty damn

908
00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:40,480
Speaker 3: good defender later on. So I'm not ready to pin

909
00:48:40,600 --> 00:48:42,200
Speaker 3: that on him. But it's sort of like what we're

910
00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:44,319
Speaker 3: talking about, Siakam. When you're asked to carry so much

911
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:47,000
Speaker 3: of the offensive load, how much can you do to

912
00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:51,359
Speaker 3: lift a defensive team that has uh, you know, heto

913
00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:53,720
Speaker 3: on the wing and then your pick and roll defense

914
00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:55,640
Speaker 3: if it's a typical one to five pick and roll.

915
00:48:56,320 --> 00:48:58,520
Speaker 3: I'm glad we got from Kyle Lowry to here is

916
00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:02,200
Speaker 3: his Jose called out and Andrea Barniani if there, you're

917
00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:04,919
Speaker 3: one five pick and roll defense. It's gonna be hard

918
00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:07,359
Speaker 3: to work around that. So I think, you know, Chris

919
00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:11,520
Speaker 3: was very efficient and I think he really deserves, you know,

920
00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:16,439
Speaker 3: conversation among the four guys, if you want to include.

921
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:20,439
Speaker 2: Rushmore is probably Kyle deroz In Bosh and then Vince

922
00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:20,960
Speaker 2: or Yeah.

923
00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:23,680
Speaker 3: I think, like, I think Kawhi is just a totally

924
00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:27,360
Speaker 3: a totally different conversation if you're just talking about peak

925
00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:31,319
Speaker 3: and that's how you view this conversation. I think he's

926
00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:34,879
Speaker 3: the greatest raptor of all time, and like, if you're

927
00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:37,120
Speaker 3: just looking at the championship, he's the greatest raptor of

928
00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:40,040
Speaker 3: all time. But if you're looking for like overall impact

929
00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:42,000
Speaker 3: on the team, I almost think he has to be five.

930
00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:46,960
Speaker 3: And I know that's sort of black and white, but

931
00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:49,880
Speaker 3: you know, he just didn't put in the time and

932
00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:53,840
Speaker 3: that's not to you know, he was incredible and what

933
00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:58,040
Speaker 3: he did was super impactful and that you know, moment

934
00:49:58,239 --> 00:50:00,680
Speaker 3: with the shot is going to live on forever, but

935
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:04,400
Speaker 3: he didn't again, didn't have the sweat equity with the

936
00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,440
Speaker 3: team that those four guys do. So you know, to me,

937
00:50:07,640 --> 00:50:10,319
Speaker 3: those are my top four. We can talk a while

938
00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:12,680
Speaker 3: about two through two through four. If you want, I

939
00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:14,320
Speaker 3: think Kyle's a no brainer.

940
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:16,560
Speaker 6: Number one is that you're gonna get his Josie retired.

941
00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,520
Speaker 3: Then, do you think? I think so? You know, there's

942
00:50:20,280 --> 00:50:23,600
Speaker 3: no precedent for this. Yeah, they you know, Vince is

943
00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:26,239
Speaker 3: still playing, Chris Bosh just retired. I think it'd be

944
00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:28,520
Speaker 3: really weird if the first number they retired was Chris

945
00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:32,600
Speaker 3: Bosch's number. I don't know if his number gets retired,

946
00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:35,680
Speaker 3: like they they don't have a bar yet. Yeah, so

947
00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:38,880
Speaker 3: I can't. I can't comment on it, but I would

948
00:50:40,239 --> 00:50:44,200
Speaker 3: the highest of imaginable imaginable bars to me. Kyle Lowry clear,

949
00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:48,400
Speaker 3: so I think he's you know, I would bet Vince,

950
00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:51,400
Speaker 3: him and Damar I'll have their numbers retired. I'm not

951
00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:53,960
Speaker 3: sure about Bosh, but I think those three do. And

952
00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:56,440
Speaker 3: I think Kyle's the easiest call of the three of them.

953
00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,320
Speaker 2: Do you have a favorite raptor you've ever covered in

954
00:51:00,400 --> 00:51:00,920
Speaker 2: the locker room?

955
00:51:04,360 --> 00:51:07,520
Speaker 3: Meir Johnson was just a really fun guy to be around.

956
00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:14,520
Speaker 3: I have a lot of fondness for Quincy Ac Tomarrow.

957
00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:19,279
Speaker 3: I mean, are like I started doing this full time

958
00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:20,680
Speaker 3: in two thousand and eight. He was a rookie in

959
00:51:20,719 --> 00:51:24,759
Speaker 3: two thousand and nine. So to watch somebody grow over

960
00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:28,480
Speaker 3: time was just a really neat thing. And you know,

961
00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:32,080
Speaker 3: one of the you know, most pleasant guys to be around,

962
00:51:32,160 --> 00:51:34,919
Speaker 3: and for him to become like a stronger voice within

963
00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:36,759
Speaker 3: the team. When he as a rookie, he was like

964
00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:39,440
Speaker 3: a lot of rookies like very you know, very very

965
00:51:39,600 --> 00:51:42,640
Speaker 3: very quiet. It was really cool. And to see him

966
00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:47,080
Speaker 3: become the guy he became was really cool. I know

967
00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:50,960
Speaker 3: I'm missing some guys. I mean, Lou Williams was just

968
00:51:51,080 --> 00:51:56,239
Speaker 3: way too cool for me, you know, he almost I

969
00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:58,399
Speaker 3: don't know if you guys got like this when you're

970
00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:01,120
Speaker 3: not around locker rooms as much. But the guys who

971
00:52:01,239 --> 00:52:04,760
Speaker 3: like really intimidated me were guys who I grew up watching.

972
00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:08,239
Speaker 3: So I don't get that feeling that much anymore. Like

973
00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:10,080
Speaker 3: I used to get that with like Shack or KG

974
00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:13,400
Speaker 3: or Tim Duncan's like like why am I here? And

975
00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:16,640
Speaker 3: they're here, And like even with Lebron, it doesn't quite

976
00:52:16,880 --> 00:52:19,400
Speaker 3: happen the same way, even though, like I was eighteen

977
00:52:19,440 --> 00:52:22,680
Speaker 3: when when he came into the league, But Lou was

978
00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:24,520
Speaker 3: one of those guys like should I talk to this

979
00:52:24,640 --> 00:52:30,120
Speaker 3: Guy's freaking cool? I know I'm missing some guys. Chuck

980
00:52:30,160 --> 00:52:35,080
Speaker 3: Hayes was you know, really really insightful. I could go on,

981
00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:39,000
Speaker 3: but I think like Damarro and Emir are, you know,

982
00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:43,319
Speaker 3: and trading barbs with Kyle's fun in a different way.

983
00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:47,239
Speaker 6: He who doesn't make the list, No, they.

984
00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:50,799
Speaker 3: Were never that car. I think Tomorrow and Amy are

985
00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:54,719
Speaker 3: probably top top my list, and you know, given how

986
00:52:54,760 --> 00:52:56,640
Speaker 3: long they are with the team, it probably makes sense.

987
00:52:57,040 --> 00:53:00,880
Speaker 2: What's your favorite part or and or favorite part of

988
00:53:00,960 --> 00:53:03,120
Speaker 2: being a b writer and cover a team so closely?

989
00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:10,239
Speaker 3: Air travel is my least favorite part. Yeah, oh god,

990
00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:15,120
Speaker 3: I hate airports. I just yeah, And I even I

991
00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:17,799
Speaker 3: don't even think I've had a nightmare experience where where

992
00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:19,560
Speaker 3: you're like stuck in a city for two days. I

993
00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:22,799
Speaker 3: know Michael Granger sports Net has a story where he got,

994
00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:24,640
Speaker 3: you know, the Raptors had their last game in Denver

995
00:53:24,800 --> 00:53:27,040
Speaker 3: before Christmas and then there's a huge snowstorm and he

996
00:53:27,200 --> 00:53:29,200
Speaker 3: was like stuck there over Christmas. So I don't even

997
00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:32,160
Speaker 3: I don't even have a story like that. So yeah,

998
00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:34,359
Speaker 3: like it's you're in them en off where you grow

999
00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:38,719
Speaker 3: to hate them just how they work, just the you know,

1000
00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:41,520
Speaker 3: you really see some of the worst of humanity at

1001
00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:44,280
Speaker 3: air parts. And I sort of used to like airports,

1002
00:53:44,360 --> 00:53:46,960
Speaker 3: like you could see like these emotional moments and you

1003
00:53:47,080 --> 00:53:49,279
Speaker 3: try to make up the stories that were happening. Now

1004
00:53:49,360 --> 00:53:52,080
Speaker 3: it's like, just get out of my way, and like

1005
00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:55,480
Speaker 3: everybody you're called, it's like group one, group two, And

1006
00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:58,480
Speaker 3: inevitably there's somebody from group group five who is like

1007
00:53:58,560 --> 00:54:01,760
Speaker 3: standing right in the way and slowing down the entire process,

1008
00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:04,200
Speaker 3: Like why are you standing here? Like you really want

1009
00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:07,239
Speaker 3: to be sitting down in a plane more quickly. Is

1010
00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:12,640
Speaker 3: that your big win? I'm heading, I'm heading to the airport.

1011
00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:16,760
Speaker 5: And yeah, we have tons of cancelations.

1012
00:54:16,880 --> 00:54:18,160
Speaker 1: Things are delayed all the time.

1013
00:54:18,239 --> 00:54:21,160
Speaker 3: So I'm getting I'm getting emotionally prepared for that. My

1014
00:54:21,239 --> 00:54:24,400
Speaker 3: favorite part is still see in the games, especially when

1015
00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:26,840
Speaker 3: you're close. I know a lot of a lot of

1016
00:54:28,320 --> 00:54:31,440
Speaker 3: arenas have gotten rid of the court side see Toronto

1017
00:54:31,600 --> 00:54:33,600
Speaker 3: among them. And I'm not saying we should have them,

1018
00:54:34,040 --> 00:54:37,000
Speaker 3: you know, if teams want to make more money off

1019
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,520
Speaker 3: of those seats to see perfectly logical to me. But

1020
00:54:40,640 --> 00:54:44,880
Speaker 3: you know, to see those guys up close, it's amazing.

1021
00:54:45,120 --> 00:54:50,720
Speaker 3: Like the clearest example of that was Game seven Raptors

1022
00:54:50,760 --> 00:54:55,799
Speaker 3: Brooklyn in twenty fourteen. We were like four people court

1023
00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:58,680
Speaker 3: side because I don't believe there was a Canadian telecast

1024
00:54:58,840 --> 00:55:01,880
Speaker 3: broadcast that game. It was only the ABC broadcast, so

1025
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:05,839
Speaker 3: there was extra room on court side. And I don't

1026
00:55:05,840 --> 00:55:08,200
Speaker 3: know if you remember it, but like Darren Williams is

1027
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:13,040
Speaker 3: shooting some free throws at like seventeen seconds left or something,

1028
00:55:13,880 --> 00:55:17,160
Speaker 3: and like your soul is almost shaking with the amount

1029
00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:20,000
Speaker 3: of noise that that was happening in at that game,

1030
00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:23,000
Speaker 3: and that happened right up until the Terrence Ross Steel

1031
00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:28,360
Speaker 3: And to feel that and to see, you know, to

1032
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:31,520
Speaker 3: feel that at a primal level, and then to see

1033
00:55:31,640 --> 00:55:35,320
Speaker 3: up close what these guys are capable, how of and

1034
00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:38,960
Speaker 3: how quickly they process things, and how quickly they can

1035
00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:43,720
Speaker 3: turn that thought process into activity, it's you know, it's amazing.

1036
00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:46,319
Speaker 3: You know, I've always thought, like, I'm not a big

1037
00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:49,480
Speaker 3: hockey fan. I think hockey is sort of the biggest

1038
00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:54,200
Speaker 3: jump from watching on TV to live. I think it

1039
00:55:54,280 --> 00:55:57,360
Speaker 3: really improves live and you really appreciate it more. But

1040
00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:00,200
Speaker 3: with the NBA, almost the closer you are, the more

1041
00:56:00,239 --> 00:56:03,239
Speaker 3: you can appreciate how skilled these guys are so to

1042
00:56:03,360 --> 00:56:06,880
Speaker 3: be able to do that from you know, different, different views,

1043
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:09,640
Speaker 3: but still pretty damn good views on a nightly basis is.

1044
00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:11,719
Speaker 3: You know, it's not as special as it was when

1045
00:56:11,719 --> 00:56:14,120
Speaker 3: I started doing it, but it's still damn cool.

1046
00:56:14,200 --> 00:56:17,320
Speaker 2: Were you a Raptors or basketball fan before working for

1047
00:56:17,400 --> 00:56:18,120
Speaker 2: the National.

1048
00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:22,719
Speaker 3: Post, And yeah, yeah, absolutely. You know, I I think

1049
00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:25,560
Speaker 3: last year on the run, I wrote you know a

1050
00:56:25,640 --> 00:56:29,160
Speaker 3: lot what the Philly series meant to me? And you know,

1051
00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:33,200
Speaker 3: I remember the Raptors series against the Knicks that you know,

1052
00:56:33,440 --> 00:56:36,080
Speaker 3: both the one they lost and the one they won.

1053
00:56:37,200 --> 00:56:40,160
Speaker 3: I want to shout out my friend Gary, Gary Klein.

1054
00:56:41,120 --> 00:56:44,720
Speaker 3: After the first, the first Raptors win in playoff history,

1055
00:56:44,840 --> 00:56:48,400
Speaker 3: Game two against the Knicks, he telephone. He called me

1056
00:56:48,719 --> 00:56:51,960
Speaker 3: on the telephone. I remember that was connected to my wall. Yeah,

1057
00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:56,440
Speaker 3: my parents, of course, and he just played Let's Get

1058
00:56:56,560 --> 00:57:00,319
Speaker 3: Loud by Jennifer Lopez. You don't even say hello, played

1059
00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:02,239
Speaker 3: it because that was something you would hear a lot.

1060
00:57:02,280 --> 00:57:04,360
Speaker 3: You still start to do hear it a bit. But

1061
00:57:04,520 --> 00:57:06,680
Speaker 3: that was like a staple of Raptors wins, was that

1062
00:57:06,800 --> 00:57:09,040
Speaker 3: plague Let's get it round. But I remember Game five

1063
00:57:09,080 --> 00:57:13,480
Speaker 3: of that series where Alfred Williams ultimately won the game

1064
00:57:13,560 --> 00:57:15,960
Speaker 3: with a big shot and and like during that game

1065
00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:17,720
Speaker 3: was very close. I think it was like a few

1066
00:57:17,760 --> 00:57:20,880
Speaker 3: possessions either way. For most of the game and during

1067
00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:23,880
Speaker 3: commercial breaks, I was just like leaving the you know,

1068
00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:26,480
Speaker 3: the room and going to like an empty room and

1069
00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:32,320
Speaker 3: just like basically hyperventilst. So I was a big, big fan.

1070
00:57:32,440 --> 00:57:35,600
Speaker 3: I split some like not season tickets, but ticket packages.

1071
00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:38,280
Speaker 3: I think I've been to every Raptors home playoff game

1072
00:57:38,320 --> 00:57:42,160
Speaker 3: except for the very first one, either as a fan

1073
00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:46,320
Speaker 3: or as a reporter. Now, obviously that fandom changes, and

1074
00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:48,960
Speaker 3: you know, dies in a certain way as you get

1075
00:57:49,000 --> 00:57:49,080
Speaker 3: to do.

1076
00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:51,120
Speaker 2: I was going to ask you, how was that playoff

1077
00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:52,000
Speaker 2: run that we just went through.

1078
00:57:52,160 --> 00:57:54,560
Speaker 3: I mean, it was awesome. It's not the same like

1079
00:57:55,360 --> 00:58:00,600
Speaker 3: like there was. There was one time I got up

1080
00:58:00,840 --> 00:58:03,680
Speaker 3: in like an excited way and I'm not even sure

1081
00:58:03,880 --> 00:58:06,080
Speaker 3: it was and it wasn't the shot. I was sitting

1082
00:58:06,120 --> 00:58:07,959
Speaker 3: next to Michael Lee of the Athletic with the shot.

1083
00:58:08,440 --> 00:58:10,320
Speaker 3: When the shot happened, I looked at him. I think

1084
00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:15,120
Speaker 3: I just laughed. It was just preposterous. But in game six,

1085
00:58:15,280 --> 00:58:17,800
Speaker 3: when on that twenty six three to three run, when

1086
00:58:17,880 --> 00:58:22,200
Speaker 3: Kawhi punctuated it with a dunk basically over Yannis like

1087
00:58:22,320 --> 00:58:25,040
Speaker 3: that was this. I've used the word primo a lot,

1088
00:58:25,160 --> 00:58:27,800
Speaker 3: but that was like, oh my god, like that that's

1089
00:58:28,240 --> 00:58:31,240
Speaker 3: like almost put too fine of a point. I think

1090
00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:33,000
Speaker 3: I might have even tweeted this. It's like a little

1091
00:58:33,040 --> 00:58:37,680
Speaker 3: on the nose. So what everybody was talking about, like

1092
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:41,360
Speaker 3: Yatis is probably getted there, but Kauwhi is still you

1093
00:58:41,440 --> 00:58:45,400
Speaker 3: know the guy right now and though you know the

1094
00:58:45,480 --> 00:58:49,400
Speaker 3: sound in the arena and the rawness of that moment,

1095
00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:51,880
Speaker 3: like I'm not sure if it was as like, oh

1096
00:58:51,920 --> 00:58:53,520
Speaker 3: my god, the Raptors are going to do this. This

1097
00:58:53,680 --> 00:58:56,080
Speaker 3: team that I've grown up with, you know, and have

1098
00:58:56,200 --> 00:59:00,480
Speaker 3: been able to transition from fan to reporter and whatever

1099
00:59:00,560 --> 00:59:03,600
Speaker 3: happens is a team I deeply care about and I'm

1100
00:59:03,680 --> 00:59:07,400
Speaker 3: invested in, you know, if not them like winning or losing,

1101
00:59:07,640 --> 00:59:10,680
Speaker 3: just their their history, like the deeply care about it,

1102
00:59:10,760 --> 00:59:12,919
Speaker 3: Like they're going to go to the finals. Like that's

1103
00:59:13,920 --> 00:59:15,960
Speaker 3: I don't know how much how we break that down

1104
00:59:16,040 --> 00:59:19,080
Speaker 3: in terms of me having that reaction, but I had it,

1105
00:59:19,360 --> 00:59:23,880
Speaker 3: so I mean they still It's pretty as far as

1106
00:59:23,960 --> 00:59:27,000
Speaker 3: beat writer to team goes, Like I know, there's a

1107
00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:30,600
Speaker 3: lot of cynical guy you know, beat writers out there,

1108
00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:32,920
Speaker 3: and I'm just don't get me wrong, I'm very cynical too,

1109
00:59:33,160 --> 00:59:37,440
Speaker 3: but I have a pretty you know, a long relationship

1110
00:59:37,480 --> 00:59:40,760
Speaker 3: with the team, and it carries over in certain ways.

1111
00:59:41,120 --> 00:59:43,560
Speaker 6: Just one thing I took about the hockey there. Since

1112
00:59:43,640 --> 00:59:45,760
Speaker 6: the Raptors have gone on to win the championship, has

1113
00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:50,280
Speaker 6: there been any shift in public opinion, I guess, or

1114
00:59:50,360 --> 00:59:53,240
Speaker 6: support for the Reptors, Like are the Reptors making any

1115
00:59:53,400 --> 00:59:55,000
Speaker 6: inroads in the in the hockey people?

1116
00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:00,840
Speaker 3: I mean, it's tough for me to judge, Like what

1117
01:00:01,080 --> 01:00:05,680
Speaker 3: metrics are we usual? Right? Like I still think what.

1118
01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:06,439
Speaker 6: About on TV?

1119
01:00:06,600 --> 01:00:10,440
Speaker 3: Then? For example, Like, yeah, they're like the TV ratings

1120
01:00:10,480 --> 01:00:14,120
Speaker 3: during the playoffs were huge. I haven't been I know,

1121
01:00:14,360 --> 01:00:20,320
Speaker 3: like the Christmas Day game, Kawhi's return opening night when

1122
01:00:20,320 --> 01:00:23,200
Speaker 3: they got the rings, they were pretty damn big. Like

1123
01:00:23,280 --> 01:00:25,760
Speaker 3: those numbers, they are bigger than they had been previously.

1124
01:00:25,880 --> 01:00:32,000
Speaker 3: So if you're judging it by that, they're growing their average,

1125
01:00:32,720 --> 01:00:34,720
Speaker 3: you know, ratings. I'm not sure what they are. There's

1126
01:00:34,760 --> 01:00:37,480
Speaker 3: a bunch of factors we can get into that are

1127
01:00:37,640 --> 01:00:40,000
Speaker 3: pretty boring and I don't really want to litigate here.

1128
01:00:40,960 --> 01:00:46,280
Speaker 3: My colleague Sean Sean Fitzgerald recently wrote a book about

1129
01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:50,000
Speaker 3: shout out to Peterborough, the Peterborough Pets that you didn't

1130
01:00:50,040 --> 01:00:50,480
Speaker 3: expect that.

1131
01:00:52,080 --> 01:00:53,160
Speaker 1: Like Peter Burrow.

1132
01:00:54,800 --> 01:00:58,760
Speaker 3: It's like it's a term like ninety minutes two hours northeast.

1133
01:00:58,800 --> 01:01:01,760
Speaker 3: I think of Toronto and I bring that up because

1134
01:01:01,800 --> 01:01:04,800
Speaker 3: it's sort of it's about life a year with a

1135
01:01:04,880 --> 01:01:08,000
Speaker 3: junior hockey team, but it's also about how hockey culture

1136
01:01:08,080 --> 01:01:12,000
Speaker 3: is really taking a hit in Canada and its sustainability,

1137
01:01:12,680 --> 01:01:15,800
Speaker 3: much like the way people talk about football in the States,

1138
01:01:15,960 --> 01:01:18,400
Speaker 3: like not to the same degree, but it's coming into

1139
01:01:18,520 --> 01:01:22,720
Speaker 3: question because of you know, changing demographics, but also you

1140
01:01:22,840 --> 01:01:26,960
Speaker 3: know how safe it is, how expensive it is, you know,

1141
01:01:27,840 --> 01:01:32,600
Speaker 3: all these things, and increasingly people are coming into the

1142
01:01:32,960 --> 01:01:37,000
Speaker 3: are finding games like basketball more interesting. And the Raptors

1143
01:01:37,040 --> 01:01:41,240
Speaker 3: were on I think caught a lot of hockey fans,

1144
01:01:41,600 --> 01:01:43,440
Speaker 3: you know, a lot of casual fans got caught up

1145
01:01:43,480 --> 01:01:46,280
Speaker 3: into it. I'm sure there was some retention there. I'm

1146
01:01:46,280 --> 01:01:49,720
Speaker 3: sure the way they're playing is helping keep keep that

1147
01:01:49,840 --> 01:01:54,480
Speaker 3: retention higher. You know, I think trade deadline coverage on

1148
01:01:54,600 --> 01:01:58,400
Speaker 3: TSN and sports Net for the NHL trade deadline is

1149
01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:00,640
Speaker 3: still safe. There's still first all going to head. There

1150
01:02:00,960 --> 01:02:05,280
Speaker 3: still hockey still it's still you know, pretty close to

1151
01:02:05,360 --> 01:02:07,960
Speaker 3: her legend and a lot of places. But the Raptors

1152
01:02:08,000 --> 01:02:11,520
Speaker 3: are making in roads and basketball is too, Like you know,

1153
01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:14,760
Speaker 3: we're going to be talking. I think if the players

1154
01:02:15,080 --> 01:02:17,480
Speaker 3: we think are going to show up for the Olympic

1155
01:02:17,600 --> 01:02:21,040
Speaker 3: qualification tournament that's happening in Victoria, BC, there will be

1156
01:02:21,440 --> 01:02:24,920
Speaker 3: a lot of Canadian basketball conversation too in the summer,

1157
01:02:24,920 --> 01:02:25,800
Speaker 3: and that will be really cool.

1158
01:02:25,840 --> 01:02:27,200
Speaker 2: Will you be making that trip you think?

1159
01:02:27,920 --> 01:02:30,640
Speaker 3: I think Blake, Blake Murphy is going to go. I

1160
01:02:31,240 --> 01:02:38,840
Speaker 3: might go Canada. He's written, I'm not going to big

1161
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:42,560
Speaker 3: foot him there. He's put in the groundwork. I want to.

1162
01:02:42,720 --> 01:02:46,080
Speaker 3: I have some friends in Victoria, you know, the Prince

1163
01:02:46,200 --> 01:02:54,440
Speaker 3: and and his lovely bride what she is. No, I

1164
01:02:54,600 --> 01:02:59,720
Speaker 3: have actual friends in Victoria, but so you know, maybe

1165
01:02:59,760 --> 01:03:02,320
Speaker 3: on my pitch thing, I can stay stay for cheap.

1166
01:03:03,760 --> 01:03:06,240
Speaker 3: But no, I think Blake's gonna go there, but I'd

1167
01:03:06,280 --> 01:03:09,400
Speaker 3: love to. I think like if if you know, shake

1168
01:03:09,480 --> 01:03:13,640
Speaker 3: il just Alexander and if Jamal Murray, if you know,

1169
01:03:13,680 --> 01:03:16,160
Speaker 3: as long as he gets healthy. I wrote about Andrew Wiggins.

1170
01:03:16,200 --> 01:03:17,760
Speaker 3: I don't think he's going to be there, but if

1171
01:03:17,800 --> 01:03:21,200
Speaker 3: he is there, that'd be really cool. We could go

1172
01:03:21,280 --> 01:03:23,200
Speaker 3: on and augustin Canadian basketball players, but.

1173
01:03:23,440 --> 01:03:24,880
Speaker 2: I would do a ton for Canada.

1174
01:03:25,040 --> 01:03:27,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, and we've been waiting so long, Like we had

1175
01:03:27,200 --> 01:03:30,160
Speaker 3: this conversation back in twenty twelve when Steve Nash took

1176
01:03:30,200 --> 01:03:32,960
Speaker 3: over and rehired Jay Triano. It's like and that year

1177
01:03:33,040 --> 01:03:36,320
Speaker 3: Tristan Thompson and Corey Joseph like had just been the

1178
01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:38,760
Speaker 3: start of this wave. And now like they're sort of

1179
01:03:38,800 --> 01:03:42,960
Speaker 3: the elder statesman's statesmen, and we're still waiting for Canada

1180
01:03:43,120 --> 01:03:46,160
Speaker 3: to make a real breakthrough on the international stage, even

1181
01:03:46,200 --> 01:03:47,840
Speaker 3: though I think they have the second most players in

1182
01:03:47,840 --> 01:03:50,080
Speaker 3: the NBA next to the States. If not, they're right

1183
01:03:50,200 --> 01:03:53,439
Speaker 3: up there. So I think as long as you see

1184
01:03:53,480 --> 01:03:55,760
Speaker 3: that and that's you know, until they're in uniform on

1185
01:03:55,880 --> 01:03:59,480
Speaker 3: that floor, it's fair to be skeptical about that. But

1186
01:03:59,720 --> 01:04:02,640
Speaker 3: if that happens, I think it can only help help

1187
01:04:02,720 --> 01:04:03,400
Speaker 3: the conversation.

1188
01:04:03,720 --> 01:04:05,600
Speaker 2: And what about the Raptors As we put a little

1189
01:04:05,640 --> 01:04:08,480
Speaker 2: button on this, where do you think the Raptors finished

1190
01:04:08,520 --> 01:04:10,880
Speaker 2: this year? How deep can they go? Can they go

1191
01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:12,080
Speaker 2: back to back get crazy with?

1192
01:04:12,240 --> 01:04:14,320
Speaker 3: What do you think? They have a cake schedule coming

1193
01:04:14,440 --> 01:04:17,320
Speaker 3: up Philly on Wednesday, So that should be a fun game,

1194
01:04:17,480 --> 01:04:20,560
Speaker 3: but there aren't many plus five hundred teams coming up.

1195
01:04:21,760 --> 01:04:26,200
Speaker 3: I know Alex Wong Stephen Lebron on Twitter is pitching

1196
01:04:26,320 --> 01:04:29,240
Speaker 3: the twelve game winning streak. I don't know where they

1197
01:04:29,280 --> 01:04:33,640
Speaker 3: are in that streak right now. I think they're Minnesota.

1198
01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:35,680
Speaker 3: I think they are four games into the twelve game

1199
01:04:35,760 --> 01:04:40,200
Speaker 3: winning streak that he's pitched. Yeah, so that's on the table.

1200
01:04:40,520 --> 01:04:42,280
Speaker 3: It's really I mean, they're right as of today, there's

1201
01:04:42,320 --> 01:04:46,400
Speaker 3: two and a half between second and sixth. Their strength

1202
01:04:46,440 --> 01:04:50,160
Speaker 3: of schedule, I think, along with Miami's, are the easiest

1203
01:04:50,280 --> 01:04:53,680
Speaker 3: remaining schedules. Boston has a tough one, although if they

1204
01:04:53,760 --> 01:04:56,360
Speaker 3: keep beating the Lakers by thirty then maybe it doesn't matter.

1205
01:04:58,920 --> 01:05:01,840
Speaker 3: I called forth in the to begin the year. I

1206
01:05:01,960 --> 01:05:05,600
Speaker 3: guess I'm gonna stay with that. I'm pretty boring like that.

1207
01:05:05,920 --> 01:05:10,880
Speaker 3: I think the Philly matchup would be troubling. Any other

1208
01:05:11,080 --> 01:05:14,360
Speaker 3: matchup I think is sort of a fifty to fifty

1209
01:05:14,640 --> 01:05:16,600
Speaker 3: to slight like if they're playing Indiana, I like them

1210
01:05:16,600 --> 01:05:20,160
Speaker 3: over Indiana, even if Philadepo comes back. I just think

1211
01:05:20,200 --> 01:05:23,800
Speaker 3: they have a few more options that Indiana does. I

1212
01:05:23,880 --> 01:05:26,440
Speaker 3: think Miami and Boston are coin flip situation. So I'll

1213
01:05:26,480 --> 01:05:28,440
Speaker 3: say they get you know, I had them losing in

1214
01:05:28,480 --> 01:05:32,320
Speaker 3: the first round to Boston. I'll say at the before

1215
01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:34,160
Speaker 3: the season, I'll say they get to the second round

1216
01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:39,880
Speaker 3: and put up a spirited series against probably Milwaukee if

1217
01:05:39,880 --> 01:05:42,680
Speaker 3: they're at four, and end up getting knocked out by

1218
01:05:42,680 --> 01:05:46,520
Speaker 3: the Bucks. Which means, bringing this back to the airport conversation,

1219
01:05:47,280 --> 01:05:49,760
Speaker 3: it's very difficult to get directly from Toronto to Milwaukee.

1220
01:05:52,160 --> 01:05:55,760
Speaker 3: Lots of connections available, though, go you know, go through Detroit,

1221
01:05:55,920 --> 01:05:59,360
Speaker 3: go through Minneapolis for some reason, go through Chicago. O'Hare

1222
01:05:59,720 --> 01:06:02,360
Speaker 3: which you want to beat writer Minutias Blake and I

1223
01:06:02,480 --> 01:06:07,479
Speaker 3: like to say on Raptors, reasonable less avoid connecting shadow hair. Yeah,

1224
01:06:07,920 --> 01:06:08,800
Speaker 3: if at all possible.

1225
01:06:09,080 --> 01:06:10,040
Speaker 1: You beat writers.

1226
01:06:10,120 --> 01:06:12,440
Speaker 2: You love to talk about the connections, the direct flights,

1227
01:06:12,520 --> 01:06:15,240
Speaker 2: and like the proximity of the hotel to the arena.

1228
01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:16,520
Speaker 1: Look, you you.

1229
01:06:16,760 --> 01:06:19,680
Speaker 3: Asked me about my favorite at least favorite part about

1230
01:06:19,720 --> 01:06:22,440
Speaker 3: being a beat writer. So you got what you deserve sometimes.

1231
01:06:23,000 --> 01:06:25,480
Speaker 2: Well, Eric, we told everybody, obviously your great work is

1232
01:06:25,600 --> 01:06:28,200
Speaker 2: on the Athletic. You guys should subscribe the athletic dot

1233
01:06:28,240 --> 01:06:30,680
Speaker 2: com slash no Dungs for forty percent off. If you

1234
01:06:30,800 --> 01:06:33,720
Speaker 2: haven't already and where else can everybody sort of follow your.

1235
01:06:33,800 --> 01:06:37,160
Speaker 3: Work on Twitter? And so yeah, equrein a Twitter, I don't.

1236
01:06:37,280 --> 01:06:40,680
Speaker 3: I usually use my Instagram Instagram account to take pictures

1237
01:06:40,800 --> 01:06:42,880
Speaker 3: of my dog Walter. He's great.

1238
01:06:43,280 --> 01:06:46,560
Speaker 1: Okay, that's what type of dog are we talking?

1239
01:06:47,000 --> 01:06:50,800
Speaker 3: He's a mix uh, part shitsu, we were told, part

1240
01:06:51,080 --> 01:06:54,600
Speaker 3: Bassett hound. We're not sure about that. He's long and

1241
01:06:54,840 --> 01:06:57,280
Speaker 3: has a shitsu type face. It is great and I

1242
01:06:57,320 --> 01:06:59,760
Speaker 3: miss him very much, along with my wife. I guess

1243
01:07:01,800 --> 01:07:04,760
Speaker 3: I'll hopefully see them later tonight. My instagram's e Quarrying,

1244
01:07:04,760 --> 01:07:07,240
Speaker 3: and I acasually take pic basketball related pictures there, but

1245
01:07:07,280 --> 01:07:10,160
Speaker 3: it's mostly my dog. I should I should ward you

1246
01:07:10,800 --> 01:07:15,080
Speaker 3: the Athletic dot com slash Raptors, slash e Couory or

1247
01:07:15,240 --> 01:07:21,640
Speaker 3: whatever my author pages Eric Kurean probably reasonable the Raptors

1248
01:07:21,680 --> 01:07:26,840
Speaker 3: reasonablest podcast. Uh, you can hear pretty much weekly on

1249
01:07:26,960 --> 01:07:31,520
Speaker 3: the Athletic or wherever you get your podcasts. That's the phrase, right,

1250
01:07:32,200 --> 01:07:35,760
Speaker 3: everybody has the same phrase. Wherever you find your podcast, yes.

1251
01:07:35,800 --> 01:07:39,520
Speaker 2: Wherever you find download your podcast exactly. Well, thank you

1252
01:07:39,600 --> 01:07:41,520
Speaker 2: so much, really appreciate you coming in here today.

1253
01:07:41,800 --> 01:07:45,160
Speaker 3: Love to be with three commonwealthares and uh, Trey.

1254
01:07:46,360 --> 01:07:49,680
Speaker 1: Sorry, sorry for opening our borders to you this one time.

1255
01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:53,880
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, no, I was going to start some Royals conversation,

1256
01:07:53,960 --> 01:07:55,240
Speaker 3: but I didn't want you to feel left up.

1257
01:07:55,600 --> 01:07:57,480
Speaker 5: Oh I'm actually up to date. My sister is very

1258
01:07:57,520 --> 01:07:59,480
Speaker 5: into the royals game. I think they're able to call

1259
01:07:59,520 --> 01:08:02,600
Speaker 5: themselves the Duke and Duchess still, but they can't say

1260
01:08:03,360 --> 01:08:07,880
Speaker 5: her Royal Highness or whatever they h I got a stipulation.

1261
01:08:07,560 --> 01:08:10,840
Speaker 3: My Uber driver here. That was the most intense royal

1262
01:08:11,000 --> 01:08:13,800
Speaker 3: conversation I've had here. So, I mean, I talk about

1263
01:08:13,840 --> 01:08:16,519
Speaker 3: the Commonwealth, but man, people are people are caught up.

1264
01:08:17,080 --> 01:08:18,720
Speaker 2: Everybody just want suits back on the air.

1265
01:08:19,840 --> 01:08:20,160
Speaker 3: All right.

1266
01:08:20,520 --> 01:08:23,000
Speaker 2: We'll close this podcast with a little Lord Eric.

1267
01:08:22,960 --> 01:08:23,639
Speaker 1: Thank you so much.

1268
01:08:24,720 --> 01:08:26,519
Speaker 3: Thanks guys, a pleasure to be here.

1269
01:08:26,800 --> 01:08:27,160
Speaker 4: Thanks sir.

1270
01:08:27,360 --> 01:08:34,439
Speaker 2: Brace today people and will be. It's a out that

1271
01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:36,360
Speaker 2: kind of loves for us.

1272
01:08:37,240 --> 01:08:39,120
Speaker 4: We create a different kind of bud.

1273
01:08:39,479 --> 01:08:40,240
Speaker 2: Let me be you

1274
01:08:43,400 --> 01:08:44,559
Speaker 3: You can go be creeping