WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: James Harden's Clipper debut ... and so much more 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.520 James Harden makes his debut as an LA Clipper to 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:08.520 less than rave reviews. The Boston Celtics knocked from the 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:12.920 ranks of the unbeaten with a loss, an overtime loss 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:17.440 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. And we're basically two weeks into 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:20.680 the NBA season, so we're gonna discuss a slew of 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:25.040 teams here on the latest edition of this League Uncut. 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:26.480 Welcome to this. 0:00:26.400 --> 0:00:30.520 League Uncut in the world of twenty four hour NBA news, 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:42.120 Mister Blue, Chris Haynes, it's time, Markstein, It's so time. 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:46.920 This League Uncut is underway and on fire. This should 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:47.720 be a good one. 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:54.120 Welcome in everyone to the latest edition of this League Uncut. 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:58.760 Mark Stein and Chris Haynes were recording on Monday night, 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:02.960 a pretty wild Monday night in the NBA. No games 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:06.520 Tuesday because of elections, so there was a lot on 0:01:06.560 --> 0:01:10.400 the schedule tonight, a lot of craziness on the schedule. 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:15.360 The Indiana Pacers, fresh off giving up a buck fifty 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:19.400 five to the Boston Celtics, turn around and ring up 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:22.640 one hundred and fifty two points of their own to 0:01:22.920 --> 0:01:27.640 route Victor Wembin Yama and the Spurs Joe l Embiid 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:35.240 forty eight points, almost almost the second fifty point outing 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:38.360 of the season. Philly rings up one hundred and forty 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:45.400 six on Washington, with both Embiid and Maxi looking fantastic. 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:50.640 The Lakers in Miami take a one point loss. Anthony 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:56.280 Davis comes away injured. Another narrow victory from Miami. The 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:59.200 Heat off to a sub five hundred start in the 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:02.520 wake of a trip to the finals. But when Miami 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:07.000 does win, it's been a close one every time. Sacramento 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:12.120 Kings no dearon Fox, and you can definitely tell two 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:16.560 losses back to back losses for the Kings in Houston, 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:21.000 the Boston Celtics arriving in Minneapolis at five and zero 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:30.679 but losing in overtime. Anthony Edwards takeover in ot. Minnesota 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:36.880 has now beaten both Boston and Denver at home, the 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.960 only loss for those two teams. But even after saying 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:44.320 all that, let's face it, the focus on this Monday 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:48.640 night was it Madison Square Garden. The debut of James 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:52.800 Harden with his new team, the LA Clippers did not 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:57.799 go smoothly. The Knicks off to their own sub five 0:02:57.880 --> 0:03:04.280 hundred start, pull away in the fourth quarter, and worse yet, 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:09.400 for the Clippers, a small team that's really relying on 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:16.600 Zubach and Mason Plumley to provide their size and their rebounding, 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:20.880 and Mason Plumley comes away with an injury. So rough 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:25.079 debut for James Harden and the Clippers. And I think 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:30.120 we look, you don't want to jump to conclusions either 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:33.200 way after just one game. Even if the Clippers had 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:38.520 looked sensational, it would be dangerous and foolish to overreact 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:44.240 to that. So we shouldn't overreact to a loss for 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.920 these guys on the road when they're just coming together. 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:50.640 But I think we did see very clearly there is 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:54.120 a lot of work to do here. These are all 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.600 guys who need the ball. And even if things go well, 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:02.800 even if Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and the 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:06.640 newcomer James Harden, even if the four of them find 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:10.640 a smooth harmony quickly, this is going to be a 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:13.080 small team that's trying to do it with a lot 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:17.640 of offense. And all those guys, I mean, Russell Westbrook 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:21.760 has never had trouble rebounding, and Kawhi Leonard when he's 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:23.560 in the mood, can be a force on the boards, 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:25.440 but they're all going to have to hit the boards 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:32.279 because this is a small team and far from a 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:34.360 traditional construction. Chris Haynes. 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:39.080 Yeah, they were out rebounded by the Knicks forty eight 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:44.080 to thirty one. And to your point about you know, 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:49.360 Paul George is a good rebounder for his position, Russell 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:53.360 Westbrook's exceptional rebounder for his position. James Harten's always been 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:58.880 a guy who gets high rebound numbers. So on paper, 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:02.840 it looks okay. But when you start talking about the 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.839 size of other teams, especially when they have traditional players 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:10.200 at the power forward and center spot, especially like the 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:13.599 Knicks Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randall, and you got long 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:17.680 guys like Barrett at the end, you know, don't Josh 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:20.360 hart who's one of the best rebounds for his position 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:23.360 in the league. They're going to have problems when they 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:27.560 face traditional teams with size. So that's going to be 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:30.200 the only issue. But as far as James Harden's debut, 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:33.200 pretty good. You could tell he was trying to blend in. 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:37.560 You could tell he's trying to defer. He was very 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:41.120 efficient from the field on the offensive end six to 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.760 nine from the field two or four from three. So, 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:46.839 you know, I think there's a lot of positives that 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:50.080 the Clippers can take, but definitely on a defensive end 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:54.799 that's going to be a concern, and particularly on the glass. 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:58.600 So you know, this is you know, a plubly situation. 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:02.599 That's that's tough. We'll have to see what comes in that. 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:06.560 But yeah, they really have no size, you know, in 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:07.880 that reserve unit spot. 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.560 Yeah, and when they made the trade, I mean, I 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:15.200 you know, I was more for it than against it. 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:20.600 The price was obviously very high. Cynics are going to 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:23.680 look at this trade and ask themselves, why are the 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:27.120 Clippers giving up so much when there are no other 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:30.720 bidders for James Harden? Do the Clippers? Did the Clippers 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:35.120 really need to trade away at unprotected first and to 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:39.719 pick swaps to bring in James Harden at this point? 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:44.040 But I guess on one hand, I talked myself into 0:06:44.080 --> 0:06:48.760 it from the perspective of they've committed already so many 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.560 trade assets to put the team together that they have, 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:56.920 that they're already all in. Had they held those picks 0:06:56.960 --> 0:07:00.360 back and not done this trade, is what they would 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:04.640 have kept, would that have been enough to theoretically protect 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:08.440 them from the ultimate demise of this group. And let's 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:11.320 face it, it, I you know, I think they're gonna have 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:15.240 to stick with this team and stick with at least 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:19.280 three of these stars going forward because they're going into 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.120 this new arena and we know Steve Balmer's not gonna 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:25.760 want to rebuild. So it actually has given leverage back 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:31.000 to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who possess player options 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:33.160 for next season, and James Harden, who's going to be 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:36.240 a full on free agent in the summer. James Harden 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:39.320 is not eligible to do a contract extension with his 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:41.200 new team right now. But I you know, I think 0:07:41.240 --> 0:07:43.680 the Clippers are going to have to resign these guys. 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.480 I mean, they're not gonna want to go into a 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:51.360 new new building starting over. But again, the West, you know, 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:55.560 and again I also they kept Terrence Man, they kept 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:59.160 Norman Powell, So I mean, they they achieved a lot 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:03.840 of their goals this trade. But man, you look at 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:09.280 the West and the Denver Nuggets, they just ooze continuity 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.600 and the Golden State Warriors the same. And they've added 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:18.600 Chris Paul who has really lifted their bench unit. The 0:08:19.000 --> 0:08:25.160 Warriors are also very small, very very small, but they 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:30.280 have so much continuity and that's what the Clippers now 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:35.559 have to catch up to. And you know, just comparing 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:41.680 them to Denver, can they get there? How fast can 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:44.720 they get there? I mean they did get hardened very early. 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.199 It basically okay, he wasn't there for training camp, but 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:49.360 they're basically getting hardened at the start of the season. 0:08:49.960 --> 0:08:54.880 But do they have enough time to really put a 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.640 team together? And I say that as a Tyloo fan, 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.160 I mean, I don't think there's a better coach you 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:06.120 could put in charge of this particular situation. But again, 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:09.600 you know, I think we saw enough tonight to say 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.600 there are a lot of questions to be answered and 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:14.560 Tyler has a lot of work to do. 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.240 Yeah, for sure, we knew that from the get go. 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:21.719 You know, for the Clippers felt all off season that 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:26.560 they needed a point guard. Even though they resigned Russell Westbrook. 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:30.800 They tried everything that they could to get a starting 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:34.240 caliber point guard. So walk with me a little bit. 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:40.440 So if that's the case, right, and you're talking about 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:43.959 players that are probably going to be mainstays for the 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:47.640 Clippers because they got that new Arena coming in that's 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:52.320 gonna be that's going to open next season. And James 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:59.120 Harden Paul George have leverage, possibly a resigning of James 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:05.320 Harden possibly, But where does that leave Russell Westbrook? And 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:09.880 I'm not even talking about next season? What is that 0:10:09.960 --> 0:10:14.440 leaving for this season? If they were so adamant about 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:20.200 trying to upgrade the point guard spot, they wanted Drew Holliday, 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.680 they tried to get Malcolm Braden, who else it was 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:26.360 some Damian Lillard. They tried to see if they get 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:30.400 in on that. It just feels like if somebody is 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:34.400 going to end up leaving this season, seems like it's 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:37.720 going to be Russ, Like he would be made It 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:40.000 seemed like he would be made available at some point. 0:10:40.200 --> 0:10:43.360 I don't have any concrete aggregators, hear me. I don't 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:46.320 have anything concrete on it. I don't know. But it's 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:48.520 just the way that the Clippers have been going about 0:10:48.880 --> 0:10:51.760 their pursuit of a point guard, considering it that they 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:58.840 considering they just resign Russell Westbrook this summer, that like 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:02.000 if I'm if I'm Russ, like I don't, I don't 0:11:02.040 --> 0:11:05.319 know if I feel too comfortable with that even though 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.959 I know James Harden is a really good friend of his. 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:10.400 So and look, you know what the Clippers are going 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:13.040 to say. The Clippers are going to say that when 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:17.720 Russell Westbrook was resigned, he was briefed on management plans. 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:22.320 He was told that, hey, you might be resigning here 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:25.640 and we might pull off a trade for James Harden 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:29.240 in the future and bring James Harden back. Are you 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.480 okay with that? And they, you know, they say that 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.560 that Russ knew that was a possibility and blessed it. 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:37.840 And like I said, I don't want I do not 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:40.320 want to jump to too many conclusions because I feel 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:44.400 like we're you know, I've been complaining about this for years. 0:11:44.480 --> 0:11:46.480 I know, I said it on a recent pod with you. 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:51.800 And I just feel like, because we are watching these 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:56.000 games so closely, there's a lot of excitement at the 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.959 beginning of the season. Everybody has been waiting months to 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:01.320 see their team, Like we just we want to draw 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.160 conclusions night to night, and you just cannot do that 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:08.720 in the NBA in early November. You shouldn't do it. 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:11.720 I know. I'm people are just gonna say Stein, you're 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:15.120 you're a traditionalist, You're an old head. You're stubborn, You're 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:17.360 never gonna change. But there's a reason why. 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:20.720 All that is true. That is true, but it is true. 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:21.880 I agree with your point. 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:24.959 But it's an eighty two game season, and there is 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:29.560 a value in waiting twenty games to really make evaluations. 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:34.520 I mean it, you cannot make you cannot make declarations 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:39.040 after game five, six, and seven. It's just too soon. 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:41.560 And I do not want to do that with the Clippers. 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:43.440 And I'm going to see the Clippers with my own 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:47.280 eyes this week. They're in Dallas on Friday night, when 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:51.120 it's going to be the second night of your beloved 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:56.400 in season tournament, and all these crazy garish courts will 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:59.679 be trotted back out because again no NBA games on 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:04.840 the Agile Tuesday. The next in season tournament night is Friday. 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:08.559 I will be there at the AAC when the Clippers 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:11.280 are in town. I can't wait to see it for myself. 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:14.080 I'll have more, you know, I can't. I can't wait 0:13:14.120 --> 0:13:16.920 to visit with ty Lou and all the principles and 0:13:17.000 --> 0:13:22.240 kind of take their temperature myself. But based on initial evidence, 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:28.160 you know, I think it's fair to say that much 0:13:28.400 --> 0:13:33.600 much must be figured out and uh ty Lou is 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:36.480 not going to have not gonna have much time off 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:41.240 in coming weeks. There's he's got a lot to dig into. 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:45.720 Yeah, And one thing I want to say I wanted 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:49.240 about the Clippers in their situation and their lack of 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:56.000 size depended on the severity of Plumbley's injury. It is 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.199 very important even for the Warriors to think down the 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:07.040 road because Joker is a problem. You need you need 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:10.080 to have insurance just in case you have to go 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:14.040 through him in the playoffs, and you need to have 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:18.160 a traditional big you know, just like when Shaq was dominating. 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:22.560 All these big men were dominating and you knew that 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:26.240 they were going to be there at the end. Teams 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:30.400 had two bigs, sometimes even had three bigs on the run. 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.600 The Lakers, you know, the Lakers have been at their 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:35.920 best in these this early part of the season. And 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:39.240 they've certainly had their struggles again, losing both in Orlando 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:41.160 and Miami. But the Lakers have been at their best 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:44.440 so far the season when you've had Anthony Davis and 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:47.680 Christian Wood next to Lebron James. So that's a pretty big, 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:48.800 big allignance. 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:53.160 Yeah, no, for sure, and the Warriors for whatever reason, 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:55.960 they chose to go in a different direction right now, 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:59.840 So you know it's still early, but you're definitely teams 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:04.600 that are that are in contention. They definitely have to 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:08.520 go into the playoffs with the mindset of how are 0:15:08.560 --> 0:15:10.760 they going to handle Joker And if you don't have 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:15.840 a couple of quality bigs with with six thousand six 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:18.880 files a piece, you probably won't have a shot. 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:23.640 I am a system, so says James Harden. It's the 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:26.520 kind of thing that I would have expected Chris Haynes 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:29.880 to say at a podcast, meaning I am I am 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:30.560 the system. 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:34.240 Nah, I can't get away with that. I definitely can't 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:39.320 get away with that. I wasn't surprised he said that though, Well. 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:40.960 Like I said, I can't. I can't wait to see 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:43.120 these guys for myself, and they will be in my 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:47.160 city soon. Let's shift to another game that was pretty 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.120 fascinating tonight. I was I was really psyched for this one, 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:53.320 and this will be this will be I I kind 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:54.800 of have a feeling this will be one of those 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:58.560 things that that draws looks of disdain and confusion from 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:02.840 my podcast partner. But do you are you aware of 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:04.320 the game Stratamatic. 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:08.760 I've heard of it, but I'm not familiar with it. 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:15.800 So Stratamatic is basically a board game, a dice rolling game. 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:20.080 It's a managerial game. So you can you will have 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:26.280 no trouble imagining little Mark Stein, age nine ten and 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.640 on for the rest of his life just sitting in 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:34.200 his room by himself on the floor playing Major League 0:16:34.240 --> 0:16:40.440 Baseball games, NBA games and h recreating NHL games with 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:46.480 player cards and dice rolling, and it's just managerial sports. 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:47.840 Nerd hur nervana. 0:16:48.120 --> 0:16:51.000 Yeah, I'm looking at the images right now. Yes, this 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:54.320 is this is definitely even before my time. 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:57.440 But go ahead and right you're and you're not surprised 0:16:57.440 --> 0:16:59.400 that I love this, right, I mean, this is just classic. 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:02.840 This is well in twenty twenty three. Of course, it's 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:06.040 all computerized. Now you can still play the game old 0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:09.239 school with dice and cards, but you can all it's 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:14.920 also computerized. So as a season preview, I reached out 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:17.320 to my friends at Stratamatic and I said, will you 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:20.800 guys simulate the season, just simulate the whole season for 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:25.159 me to let me know what happens, And crazily enough, 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:29.679 to the absolute delight of our friend Scott Shapiro at 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:34.719 iHeart what happened. The stratamatic computer said that the NBA 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:41.400 Finals would be the Boston Celtics sweeping Scott Shapiro's Minnesota Timberwolves. 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:43.639 But now he didn't like the sweet part. But the 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:47.920 Minnesota Timberwolves have only won two playoff series in franchise history. 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:50.760 So a trip to the NBA Finals, I think most 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:55.400 Wolves fans would take that. And so if you if 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:59.960 you read my stratamatic simulation season preview, then you would 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:05.480 know that tonight was low key in NBA Finals preview, 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:12.040 Celtics at Wolves, and of course there were zero people 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:14.760 on Earth besides me and maybe Scott who looked at 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:18.680 it that way. But still a damn good game. Aunt Edwards, 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:24.320 ridiculous in overtime, and the Wolves who awoke today on 0:18:24.359 --> 0:18:28.000 this Monday as we record with the number one rank 0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:29.800 defense in the league. If you want to go real, 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:34.840 super small sample sample sized theater. And now the Wolves 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:39.240 have knocked off Boston, knocked the Celtics from the ranks 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:42.919 of the unbeaten after doing it to Denver, what are 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:48.320 your throw out? All my throat put aside, all my 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:52.040 uh all my nonsense, And you tell what are your 0:18:52.040 --> 0:18:54.439 early impressions of the Wolves? And I mean this is 0:18:54.880 --> 0:18:57.160 you know Aunt Edwards tonight, This this is the guy 0:18:57.200 --> 0:18:58.840 I think a lot of people were waiting for after 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:01.399 what we what we saw during the summer with Team USA. 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:05.880 Before I address that, I'm just I don't know if 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:12.000 you're helping Stratumatic out with publicity or if you're hurting 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:15.679 them by revealing who they had representing the Western Conference 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:18.000 in the NBA Finals. I don't I don't know if 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:20.639 if that's hurting their credibility right there, I don't. 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:24.760 Know their credibility. Their their credibility is untouchable. It's one 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:32.080 computer simulation. It is the greatest American managed sports managerial 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:36.240 sports simulation game there is. I have literally been playing 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:40.239 it since the seventies, man and it's still here. So 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:42.560 their credibility cannot be besmirched. 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:47.239 So with that being said, the Minnesota Timberwolves, we've been 0:19:47.280 --> 0:19:49.960 looking for the last few years for them to take 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:53.399 that next step. They got into the playoffs. Remember the 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:57.840 road they they had getting through the excuse me what 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:01.359 the play in the play in game? Getting there? And 0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:05.240 Anthony Edwards this is his team now he kind of 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:07.280 he kind of took over last year. This is his 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:10.760 team and coming off of a you know, having a 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:16.000 successful stint with Team USA over this past summer. You know, 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:21.119 I think Anthony Edwards not just basketball wise, like personality wise, 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:25.119 like he's a star. He has all the attributes needed 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:26.440 to be a star. 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:29.080 Do you think Cat and Gobert are good with it 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:30.160 that it's his team? Now? 0:20:31.280 --> 0:20:36.600 Well? I don't. Does it doesn't matter it Stein because 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:46.600 it's his team? I think I think, Look, I can't say, well, Rudy, Rudy, 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:49.240 I don't Why would Rudy have a problem with it? 0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:51.919 You know, he he got traded over there. He's not 0:20:52.720 --> 0:20:56.159 He's not a franchise guy anymore. So Kat is probably 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.320 the only one. But I don't. I don't think Kat 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:03.800 is think in that way because just going by interviews, 0:21:03.960 --> 0:21:08.239 and again, people stop believing everything you hear in these 0:21:08.280 --> 0:21:12.400 interviews because they don't always say what they really want 0:21:12.480 --> 0:21:16.080 to say or how they really feel. But Kat has 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:22.640 going out of his way to kind of uplift Anthony 0:21:22.720 --> 0:21:27.520 Edwards and kind of he says things that kind of 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:34.320 insinuate that ant is the guy. So you know, it 0:21:34.400 --> 0:21:36.520 is what it is at this point. That's why I said, like, 0:21:36.720 --> 0:21:39.440 it really doesn't matter. You know, they have an obligation 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:42.520 to play to their fullest capabilities on both ends of 0:21:42.560 --> 0:21:47.879 the floor, and the stars are going to show out regardless. 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:51.760 And Anthony Edwards is that guy, so you know, and 0:21:51.800 --> 0:21:54.960 they're only going to get as far as ant because 0:21:55.200 --> 0:22:00.959 you know he's their playmaker. Is this real? Is this really? 0:22:01.280 --> 0:22:05.280 Is this really a situation where the Minnesota Templewolves have 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:08.880 really taken the next step and realistically can be there 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:12.840 representing the Western Conference finals? I mean representing the Western 0:22:12.920 --> 0:22:17.080 Conference in the finals. I don't know that yet. I 0:22:17.119 --> 0:22:19.280 don't you know, I don't know. 0:22:19.200 --> 0:22:22.040 If I'm joking aside, I'm not saying that either. 0:22:22.280 --> 0:22:23.879 Of course you're not. No, of course you're not. No, 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:28.600 of course you're not. But but it's just, you know, 0:22:28.640 --> 0:22:31.359 I look at that team and I'm like, hmm, the 0:22:31.520 --> 0:22:33.560 size wise, they they do have re member. I will 0:22:33.560 --> 0:22:36.120 tell you about what it's going to take to take 0:22:36.160 --> 0:22:39.760 down the joker if he's there and if he's healthy. 0:22:40.680 --> 0:22:44.080 You know, Minnesota has the size. That's what Tim Conley 0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:47.280 over their head of the basketball operations over there, That's 0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:50.920 what he hadn't had in mind, and so Tim's been 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:54.760 thinking that way for a few years already. So maybe 0:22:54.760 --> 0:22:59.439 the Minnesota Templeleves can be on course to get to 0:22:59.480 --> 0:23:01.920 that path, but you know, I need to see a 0:23:01.920 --> 0:23:02.920 little bit more for sure. 0:23:04.080 --> 0:23:05.880 Yeah, Look, I think I think what we can say 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:07.879 about the Wolves at this early juncture. You know, when 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:10.919 they first got go Bear, I thought that they would 0:23:11.080 --> 0:23:14.320 at least be a great regular season team because Rudy 0:23:14.720 --> 0:23:18.520 until last season was a walking top five defense all 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:23.199 by himself. And the way this season has started, you know, 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:26.560 they're on that course that should set them up to 0:23:26.760 --> 0:23:30.359 be a top five defensive team during the regular season 0:23:30.920 --> 0:23:32.760 at the very least, and then we'll have to see 0:23:32.760 --> 0:23:34.800 where they are six seven months from now. But you know, 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:37.720 I know, I know they're not getting carried away either. 0:23:37.760 --> 0:23:41.280 Even before this win over Boston, I spoke recently to 0:23:41.840 --> 0:23:45.240 their coach, Chris Finch. I had him on my weekend 0:23:45.320 --> 0:23:48.760 radio show in Dallas when Minnesota was opening the season 0:23:48.960 --> 0:23:52.639 in Abu Dhabi with two exhibition games against the Mavericks, 0:23:52.680 --> 0:23:55.919 and Finch gave me some interesting stuff. I've kind of 0:23:56.720 --> 0:23:58.719 I ran this quote today because I'm kind of filing 0:23:58.720 --> 0:24:01.359 it away. I think there's I think he's onto something here. 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:05.120 This is Chris Finch just looking at the West in general, 0:24:05.240 --> 0:24:09.760 at what an absolutely stacked conference the West is. Here's 0:24:10.000 --> 0:24:13.080 the Chris Finch view quote. I would point to the 0:24:13.119 --> 0:24:15.879 parody that we've seen across the league in the last 0:24:15.920 --> 0:24:20.760 five years. Five years, five different champions, Finch said, I'm 0:24:20.800 --> 0:24:23.480 not putting us right there with the title contenders right 0:24:23.520 --> 0:24:26.160 off the bat. And we're also not in the business 0:24:26.160 --> 0:24:28.560 of predicting anything, but we feel like we have the 0:24:28.600 --> 0:24:31.960 potential to be a really good team. Now in the West, 0:24:32.040 --> 0:24:34.919 it's going to be so tough, A really good team 0:24:35.119 --> 0:24:38.159 might be I don't know, hovering around five hundred for 0:24:38.200 --> 0:24:40.959 a lot of the season, if everybody's going for it 0:24:41.000 --> 0:24:43.840 and everybody is at some point going to take a 0:24:43.920 --> 0:24:46.960 piece out of everybody else. I don't think we're going 0:24:47.040 --> 0:24:49.840 to see many sixty game winners out there this year. 0:24:50.359 --> 0:24:53.919 How close can you get to fifty? That's going to 0:24:54.000 --> 0:24:59.239 be like everyone's kind of standard and he and that 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:04.000 quote hits on one of my nerdy curiosities. I love 0:25:04.080 --> 0:25:06.439 every year to keep track of how many fifty win 0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:08.680 teams did we see? How many sixty win teams did 0:25:08.680 --> 0:25:11.439 we see? Last season in the West, there were only 0:25:11.520 --> 0:25:15.240 two fifty win teams. It was an abnormal year. It 0:25:15.359 --> 0:25:20.320 was the mildest West in the modern era. And you know, 0:25:20.359 --> 0:25:23.479 you had Denver and you had Memphis squeaking into fifty 0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:27.080 win territory. And it's definitely something to watch this season 0:25:27.200 --> 0:25:29.919 how many teams in the West can get into the 0:25:30.000 --> 0:25:35.920 fifties when the conference is just so stacked. Again, Sacramento 0:25:36.359 --> 0:25:39.199 just went to Houston. Even without the Aaron Fox, the 0:25:39.320 --> 0:25:42.159 Kings would not have would not have expected going to 0:25:42.240 --> 0:25:45.160