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Speaker 1: Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty

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Speaker 1: four hour NBA.

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Speaker 2: News misters, you'll Chris Haines.

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Speaker 1: It's so time, Mark Stein, It's so time. This League

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Speaker 1: Uncut is underway and on fire. This should be a

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Speaker 1: good one.

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Speaker 2: Everyone, Welcome in to a somewhat international edition of This

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Speaker 2: League Uncut podcast. Mark Stein. Here, I am in far

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Speaker 2: away Madrid making my way back to the United States

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Speaker 2: after spending four days in Spain with the weary and

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Speaker 2: battered Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has made its way back home.

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Speaker 2: I am a little bit behind them, but I will

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Speaker 2: soon soon be back on us Chris Haynes joining me.

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Speaker 2: He also was on the road this week his TNT debut,

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Speaker 2: shaking the rust off with a preseason game two heavyweights

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Speaker 2: in the desert, the reigning champions from Denver in Phoenix

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Speaker 2: against the super team that has been assembled to try

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Speaker 2: to dethrone the Denver Nuggets. Of course, we didn't get

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Speaker 2: to see the Superstars in action because Phoenix didn't play them,

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Speaker 2: but Chris Haynes was on the scene anyway. Had an

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Speaker 2: interview with Bradley Beal I saw on Twitter or x

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Speaker 2: or whatever the hell we call it Now, Chris Haynes,

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Speaker 2: how did how did your first TV assignment of the

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Speaker 2: season treat you?

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Speaker 3: It was cool, a little rusty, but you know, that's

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Speaker 3: what the preseason is for.

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Speaker 2: Uh new suit though, I think new suit though, I

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Speaker 2: think right.

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Speaker 3: No, no, no, I haven't No, I haven't put out

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Speaker 3: a new suit yet. That is that suit? Actually, that

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Speaker 3: that blazer that I wore. That's the first ever blazer,

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Speaker 3: that suit that I've worn on a on a TNT assignment.

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Speaker 3: It was when I backed in So this three years ago,

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Speaker 3: first assignment ever. Lakers spurs and uh jacket yep, Greg

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Speaker 3: Popovia jacket right there. So I don't think I've worn

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Speaker 3: it since then, But yeah, I mean it was a

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Speaker 3: good time. You know. Phoenix, the great weather, great great weather.

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Speaker 3: The only problem with Phoenix is like, you know, the

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Speaker 3: weather was cool, but the weather is still for me,

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Speaker 3: it's still not cool enough where I can just walk

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Speaker 3: a half a mile. The problem with Phoenix is there's

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Speaker 3: no trees, so when you're walking, you're just exposed. The

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Speaker 3: sun is hitting you like you can't hide from the

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Speaker 3: sun in Phoenix. And Dwayne Rakins, the the longtime beat

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Speaker 3: rider for the Suns over there really good guy. I

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Speaker 3: just tell him all the time. Man, He's always posted

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Speaker 3: and early in the morning, five six in the morning,

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Speaker 3: just posting on Instagram of him drenched in sweat talking

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Speaker 3: about I just ran two three four miles. I'm like,

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Speaker 3: who in the hell is running two three four miles

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Speaker 3: in the desert. It's Dwayne, I tell him, Man, you

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Speaker 3: give me anxiety every time I see that post man.

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Speaker 3: But Phoenix was cool. I was glad to be back

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Speaker 3: on the road. Man. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I mean, look, you saw two of the what four

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Speaker 2: or five most important teams in the league this coming season,

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Speaker 2: or maybe important is a poor adjective choice, but of

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Speaker 2: the two of the five or six teams that will

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Speaker 2: be talking about the most, presumably because Phoenix has assembled

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Speaker 2: so much star power, with Bradley Beal brought in to

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Speaker 2: join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and Denver as the

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Speaker 2: reigning champs, first title in the Nuggets NBA history, and

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Speaker 2: Nikola Jokic returns as Finals MVP after losing out on

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Speaker 2: the regular season MVP. To Joe l Embiid, I mean,

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Speaker 2: it's early, but we all do it. We all overreact

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Speaker 2: to what we see in the preseason I was, you know, again,

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Speaker 2: far far away when Wemby dual chet the other night.

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Speaker 2: But man, people just could not get enough of their

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Speaker 2: first showdown. And of course we're gonna draw crazy conclusions

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Speaker 2: from preseason games that we probably shouldn't because we're fans,

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Speaker 2: we're the public, we are the basketball public. We cannot

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Speaker 2: help it. So give me your give me your your

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Speaker 2: quick snapshot of your temperature take on where the Nuggets

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Speaker 2: are and where the Suns are right now.

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Speaker 3: Well, let's talk about the Nuggets. They're in a mode

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Speaker 3: where they're just in a chill mode right now. You know,

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Speaker 3: I spoke with Calvin boof our God. Calvin Booth came

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Speaker 3: on our podcast the general imagine of the Nuggets, and

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Speaker 3: he told me like that, they're just in a space

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Speaker 3: where they're just ready for the season and they're in

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Speaker 3: a tac mode, but it's in a calm space. And

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Speaker 3: I think he described it like that because this team,

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Speaker 3: like they know, they know their sales, like they understand

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Speaker 3: what they have to do. They know they're going to

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Speaker 3: be a target. Now, they're not going to sneak up

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Speaker 3: on anybody. But this is a group that's been together.

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Speaker 3: We talked about that at starting five. It's a group

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Speaker 3: that's been together a while, and so they feel like

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Speaker 3: they feel like they're in good shape. What he did say,

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Speaker 3: Calvin Booth did say, is that they're young, you know,

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Speaker 3: so there's rotation minutes to be had. And one guy

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Speaker 3: who was very impressive in his rookie preseason day debut,

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Speaker 3: Julian Strauter. That guy, he stein he is a quick sharpshooter.

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Speaker 3: He and what I mean by that, he has a

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Speaker 3: quick release. He catches it and it leaves his hand

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Speaker 3: pretty quickly, and he has a beautiful stroke. And I

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Speaker 3: believe he had four three's that game, had twenty points.

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Speaker 3: And so the Nuggets, they're looking for guys who can

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Speaker 3: come in space, space the floor, guys who can compliment

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Speaker 3: Joker as well in some of those rotation, rotational spot duties,

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Speaker 3: and so you know, that's what they're you know, they're

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Speaker 3: expecting a lot more from Christian Brown. You know, he's

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Speaker 3: a guy that's poised to have a really good season.

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Speaker 3: And so they feel like they this is what they said,

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Speaker 3: they said, as long as they're five, as long as

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Speaker 3: they're five, are healthy, they feel like they're in really

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Speaker 3: good shape throughout the season. Now it's just about adding

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Speaker 3: other complimentary pieces the sun Stein you know, KD, Devin Booker,

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Speaker 3: Bradley Bill. They did not play in the game that

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Speaker 3: I was on assignment on. They played the game before

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Speaker 3: in Detroit. Remember the the owner of matt Ishpiah, he's

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Speaker 3: out there in Detroit, and so they played out there.

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Speaker 3: They actually went to his house after the after the

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Speaker 3: game for dinner, and they had practice at his at

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Speaker 3: his company's office the next day. So, uh, you know,

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Speaker 3: I could say this T and T was very shocked

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Speaker 3: to learn that those three were sitting out that game.

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Speaker 2: With the NBA's new player participation policy, that's not gonna fly.

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Speaker 2: Playing the game in Detroit and sitting in all three

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Speaker 2: stars sitting out the national TV game. I don't think that.

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Speaker 2: I don't think that happens in the regular season.

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Speaker 3: Yes, I love stave Ac Guddy, that's my guy. I

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Speaker 3: think it's safe to say Stan did not approve of

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Speaker 3: that that move made by the SuDS. But hey, it's preseason,

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Speaker 3: and uh you know I'm gonna say this right now.

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Speaker 3: You know we all expect so it's it's it's not

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Speaker 3: a lot that I can break down on the Suns

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Speaker 3: because of those three were out. But those three were out.

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Speaker 3: But what I can say, I think is going to

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Speaker 3: be really good on the high posts, on the elbow,

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Speaker 3: initiating the offense office going through him. I think he's

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Speaker 3: going to be really good. I think he's going to

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Speaker 3: be a really good big body just in case they

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Speaker 3: have to face the Nuggets down the road. And Joker,

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Speaker 3: you know, those two were teammates for a little bit

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Speaker 3: in Denver. I will say this, Stein, They're they're trying

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Speaker 3: to rotate the point guard assignments between Bradley Bill and

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Speaker 3: Devin Booker, and that is the plan right now going

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Speaker 3: into the season, that those two are going to share

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Speaker 3: those roles. They did a point guard, Stein, and I'm

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Speaker 3: gonna go as far as I think they need to

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Speaker 3: point guard desperately.

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Speaker 2: And do they know it? Would they admit it to

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Speaker 2: the side if you ask them.

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Speaker 3: I think some would, as others wouldn't. So you know,

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Speaker 3: take that as you as you will. But yeah, I

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Speaker 3: think they're going to need a point guard. And I'm

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Speaker 3: and I'll let you I'll let you finish.

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Speaker 2: But you had the very interesting report that when when

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Speaker 2: the whole Damian Lillard trade went down, Phoenix knew they

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Speaker 2: were going to be in it. They wanted use of

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Speaker 2: Nurkic that you know, they wanted to send eight into

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Speaker 2: the Blazers and take on Nurkic. But had Miami been

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Speaker 2: that third team instead of Milwaukee, you reported that Phoenix's

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Speaker 2: dream scenario would have been to get both nurk and

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Speaker 2: find a way to bring in Kyle Lowry, who obviously

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Speaker 2: most definitely would address the point guard issue. And same

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Speaker 2: thing when there were rumbles that Indiana might be that

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Speaker 2: third team, we know that the Sons have had a

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Speaker 2: long standing interest in TJ McConnell, So I mean those

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Speaker 2: names were out there. Obviously, Dame did not go to Miami.

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Speaker 2: He very much went to the Milwaukee Bucks. And the

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Speaker 2: Pacers were not involved in the trade either, So those

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Speaker 2: options did not avail themselves to Phoenix. But yeah, I'm

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Speaker 2: with you. I think that is that is a that's

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Speaker 2: a hole they're going to have to address sooner rather

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Speaker 2: than later.

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Speaker 3: And the reason I say that, Stime, because you know,

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Speaker 3: you could get by with trying to rotate those guys

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Speaker 3: in at that point guard spot. And and there's gonna

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Speaker 3: be a lot of emphasis with Phoenix on pushing the

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Speaker 3: ball up like out letting the ball get it up,

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Speaker 3: opposed to having a point guard just bring the ball

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Speaker 3: all the way up ninety four feet. So they wanted

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Speaker 3: to get the ball up past half court, give himself

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Speaker 3: a lot of time in the shot clock to get

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Speaker 3: into their sets. The problem is this Stein and I remember,

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Speaker 3: you know, talking to Chris Paul a few years ago,

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Speaker 3: where it was a few years ago when the Suns

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Speaker 3: were they played when they got the playoffs, they played

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Speaker 3: New Orleans in the first round. Did they played Dallas

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Speaker 3: and New Orleans? They had Alvarado and they had Herb

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Speaker 3: Jones just smothering, hounding Chris Paul ninety four feet, and

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Speaker 3: it took his toll, you know, it took his toll

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Speaker 3: on him getting the ball up with that amount of

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Speaker 3: aggressiveness and length and quickness. And then in Dallas he

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Speaker 3: faced Bullock and I forgot the other player that he

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Speaker 3: said was hounding them ninety four feet. But Phoenix didn't

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Speaker 3: have another, really another primary point guard to help Chris

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Speaker 3: Paul in that mode. So in the regular season.

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Speaker 2: Now I don't even remember, was it Phinney Smith.

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Speaker 3: It might have been Phinney Smith, but it was two

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Speaker 3: lyngty guys. I know Bullock was one of them. It

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Speaker 3: might have been Phinny Smith could have been. But you

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Speaker 3: know he didn't see that type of a defensive pressure

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Speaker 3: in the regular season. You know, teams don't do they

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Speaker 3: don't go all out and do that type of stuff,

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Speaker 3: you know, in the regular season. So you can see

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Speaker 3: a scenario in Phoenix where Bill and Booker they're pushing

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Speaker 3: the ball up out, letting the ball up, or or

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Speaker 3: they even they're even bringing the ball up full court

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Speaker 3: with very little pressure in the regular season and then

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Speaker 3: kind of thinking like, all right, we can get we

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Speaker 3: can get away with this. This is fine. But when

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Speaker 3: the playoffs hit, when and then when teams start to scheme,

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Speaker 3: oh no, let's pressure on full court. Young guy, small guy,

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Speaker 3: get up in them, tall lyngthy guy, get up in them.

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Speaker 3: That's where problems can be had. And you didn't work

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Speaker 3: on it because you didn't think you had to do

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Speaker 3: in the regular season because teams are not putting those

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Speaker 3: type of schemes into the regular season. So I think

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Speaker 3: they desperately need a point guard. Not necessarily for the

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Speaker 3: regular season, but I definitely think they need one come

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Speaker 3: playoff time and That's just my opinion, just just the

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Speaker 3: little basketball that I've watched them against, planned against Detroit,

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Speaker 3: and just knowing what they don't have on that roster currently.

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Speaker 2: Well, you know Bradley Beal very well. You interviewed him

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Speaker 2: during the game, but beyond that, you've known him for

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Speaker 2: a long time. How much, though, do you think he

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Speaker 2: kind of wants to prove to people, hey, I can

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Speaker 2: do this, I can playmake, I can be I can

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Speaker 2: be a pseudo point guard for this team, because you

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Speaker 2: know he hasn't always done that in Washington.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know. You know, I've talked, you know,

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Speaker 3: we talked. You know, I had an any game interview

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Speaker 3: with him, but we talked before the game as well,

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Speaker 3: and he was talking about how excited he is and

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Speaker 3: how he's prepared to do whatever he's called to do.

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Speaker 3: And then you know, I asked him, you know, about

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Speaker 3: the role of I don't know if I'll call him

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Speaker 3: the third star. Maybe he is the third star, but

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Speaker 3: you know about sacrificing Now, you know, it's always hard

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Speaker 3: for that third star a lot of times to get

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Speaker 3: accimmitted to what that role entails. And he said all

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Speaker 3: the right things, like he's ready for whatever. But stein,

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Speaker 3: what I would say about that point guard position. Man,

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Speaker 3: that point guard that's like, it's like playing quarterback. You

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Speaker 3: don't just step into that role and run everything officially

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Speaker 3: like you're kind of born a point guard. You're kind

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Speaker 3: of groomed into being a point guard. It's not something

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Speaker 3: you could.

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Speaker 2: Just and you were born a shooting guard.

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Speaker 3: I would, I would my sources say, well, listen, you

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Speaker 3: don't need no sources. You can come in from the

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Speaker 3: horse's mouth here. I am not a point guard. I am.

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Speaker 3: I am not Listen now from the so you got

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Speaker 3: they give you a little bit of fake news. I'm

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Speaker 3: telling you I'm not a point guard because my handles weren't.

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Speaker 3: That was not that tight. But court vision and finding people,

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Speaker 3: I got that. But the handles, like and that's another

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Speaker 3: thing too. But people need to understand is you can

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Speaker 3: have handles or could be considered somebody who has handles

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Speaker 3: in half court settings, like somebody who could run pick

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Speaker 3: and roll in half court. But bringing that ball up

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Speaker 3: being pressured ninety four feet totally different from using two

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Speaker 3: or three four dribbles in a half court set to

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Speaker 3: get to the basket. Totally different, And so That's why

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Speaker 3: I tell people that point guard transition is not easy,

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Speaker 3: like it's not and so, and I don't know that

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Speaker 3: that's fair to ask Bill to do that. That's why

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Speaker 3: I say, I think they're going to need a point guard,

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Speaker 3: real point guard service, a point guard point guard down

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Speaker 3: the line.

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Speaker 2: Well, look, using Bruce Brown and losing Jeff Green, those

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Speaker 2: are significant losses for the Denver Nuggets. But they are

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Speaker 2: still my favorites in an absolutely stacked Western conference. And

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Speaker 2: I can tell you I know it was stacked because

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Speaker 2: during my trip here in Spain with the MAVs, with

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Speaker 2: more than one MAVs person that I sat down with,

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Speaker 2: we did the exercise of let's go through the teams

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Speaker 2: in the West and just what you have to who

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Speaker 2: you have to finish ahead of to finish top six,

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Speaker 2: top eight, and it is just tough, tough, it's brutal.

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Speaker 2: And I mean because the teams at the bottom, the

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Speaker 2: teams expected to be at the bottom, your Utah's, your Portland's,

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Speaker 2: your San Antonio's, your Houston's, they will all be tough outs.

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Speaker 2: I mean, Houston is obviously trying to be competitive this

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Speaker 2: year with the moves they've made to bring in Fred

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Speaker 2: Van Vliet and Dylan Brooks and San Antonio obviously Wemby

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Speaker 2: in July. Everybody wanted to write him off after one

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Speaker 2: bad Summer League game, and now everybody is going nuts

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Speaker 2: after his his preseason debut. So, I mean, san Antonio,

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Speaker 2: we're still not exactly sure what we're gonna see from them,

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Speaker 2: but I mean, you know they're gonna have a capable team.

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Speaker 2: You know, Portland is another tough team to read, very young,

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Speaker 2: but I mean you know that they Yeah, again, nobody's

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Speaker 2: just just a gimme in the West, and Utah already

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Speaker 2: showed us last year when when they were written off

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Speaker 2: by everyone after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert that

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Speaker 2: you know they were they were on course to be

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Speaker 2: a five hundred or better team until they finally at

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Speaker 2: the end of the season decided to put an eye

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Speaker 2: on draft positioning. So, I mean, this West is going

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Speaker 2: to be something else. Denver is still my favorite, and

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Speaker 2: you know, I guess I would say the Suns are

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Speaker 2: probably who I would have at the top of the

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Speaker 2: list of challengers, but I'm I'm not sure. I'm I'm

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Speaker 2: really not sure that, Like, you know, the Lakers I

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Speaker 2: really like the Lakers moves in the off season. And

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Speaker 2: ye you know the Clippers aren done. Okac is moving

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Speaker 2: up the charts. Sacramento. I was doing my radio show

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Speaker 2: last weekend and I was going through all the teams

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Speaker 2: in the West. And somehow, despite how much we talk

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Speaker 2: about the Kings on this show, I forgot to mention

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Speaker 2: the Kings. And I'm waiting for Mike Brown to call

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Speaker 2: me because and I guess Mike Brown priably does not

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Speaker 2: listened to my radio show in Dallas. But I was

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Speaker 2: still waiting for the call. I mean, we need to

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Speaker 2: go on and on about the the West. You tell

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Speaker 2: me Denver, Phoenix, Lakers, Warriors, who's your favorite in the West?

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Speaker 3: Okay, Stan, You have to realize, are we ready to

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Speaker 3: do this? Because teams do even you know, teams, players, coaches,

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Speaker 3: they all like to say they don't listen to us,

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Speaker 3: you know, they don't pay us no mind. But during

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Speaker 3: the season they post, they print these articles out, they

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Speaker 3: print these headlines out about who we picked to be

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Speaker 3: a top eight motivation. Are we ready to do this?

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Speaker 2: Listen today is we're recording this on October twelfth. The

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Speaker 2: season starts October twenty fifth, if you would rather wait

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Speaker 2: too closer to October twenty fifth. You deserve that runway,

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Speaker 2: you do not have. You do not have to make

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Speaker 2: that declaration right now, Like so I.

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Speaker 3: Don't think are you making a declaration.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Denver's my favorite to make Denver's my favorite. To

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Speaker 2: win the West, I think is defending champions. They deserve that.

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Speaker 2: And yes, they they lost, they lost two key guys

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Speaker 2: in their rotation. But Brown I do think is ready

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Speaker 2: to step up, and you know, I think they will

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Speaker 2: cope with the losses. And just Joker is Joker, I

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Speaker 2: mean he is. I just think he's that good and

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Speaker 2: has proven to be such a dominant force who pretty

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Speaker 2: much never misses games. Yeah, Denver's okay, I would agree

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Speaker 2: with you.

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Speaker 3: The difference is my favorite as well, Continuity, Like they're

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Speaker 3: my favorite. I'm a little you know they Hey, Bruce Brown,

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Speaker 3: Bruce Brown losing him that is a big that's a

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Speaker 3: big loss right there.

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Speaker 2: That is very real. And look, I'm probably not ready

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Speaker 2: to do the order after Denver.

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Speaker 3: Okay, all right, all right, that's what I was getting.

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Speaker 2: That's why I was like, no, I can't do that yet.

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Speaker 2: I'm still figuring that out too.

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Speaker 3: But let me say this, sty I'm looking at the

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Speaker 3: top eight from last year who made the playoffs, right, Denver,

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Speaker 3: and then I'm going in order Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, Phoenix, Clippers, Warriors, Lakers.

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Speaker 3: Minnesota was eight, Stein I had. Out of those eight,

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Speaker 3: I have a hard time thinking who can get into

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Speaker 3: that eight. No, now, listen, I know there are teams

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Speaker 3: that can get to it. Like so New Orleans they

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Speaker 3: were nine. Maybe they leap for aud Minnesota, but at

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Speaker 3: eight or that nine right there, it's tough. And I

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Speaker 3: know Dallas they were they were eleven.

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Speaker 2: Like Minnesota thinks they're better, that they will be better

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Speaker 2: with a full training camp, and obviously Cat missed a

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Speaker 2: zillion games last year. So Minnesota believes they're a better

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Speaker 2: team New Orleans if they've got Zion. I mean, obviously

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Speaker 2: we're gonna have to look at them differently. But that's

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Speaker 2: a huge iff when you know Zion's got to play

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Speaker 2: half a season first before we, you know, we even

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Speaker 2: start talking about it. So but obviously he you know,

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Speaker 2: he played a pre he made his preseason debut and

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Speaker 2: people got very excited. I mean, yeah, that again, this

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Speaker 2: is the conversation I was having with with various folks

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Speaker 2: in Dallas. You guys, if you want to get back

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Speaker 2: even in the play in you got a lot of

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Speaker 2: work to do to leap frog a lot of good teams.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's tough. Like I have a hard time, Like

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Speaker 3: I think Denver is going to be in the playoffs.

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Speaker 3: Think Memphis, I think Sacramento, I think Phoenix, I think

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Speaker 3: the Clippers, I think the Warriors, I think the Lakers.

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Speaker 3: Those seven, those are seven that I'm pretty certain will

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Speaker 3: be there. Seven. You know, that's not a lot a

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Speaker 3: wiggle room for other teams to jump up in there.

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Speaker 3: You know, I know Dallas is better than what they

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Speaker 3: were last year. New Orleans is better than what they

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Speaker 3: were last year. Minnesota. It's it, man, I'm looking forward

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Speaker 3: to It's gonna be tough.

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Speaker 2: Well, we can talk about Dallas now a bit, because

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Speaker 2: again I did not go to Abu Dhabi with them.

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Speaker 2: I met them in Madrid. I got to Madrid a

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Speaker 2: few hours before they did. And look, this will go

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Speaker 2: down as the longest trip in NBA preseason history, both

383
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Speaker 2: literally and figuratively. They flew nearly seventeen thousand air miles

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Speaker 2: combined to do the two games in Abu Dhabi before Madrid,

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Speaker 2: and they came home Thursday today with both of their

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Speaker 2: stars carrying injuries. Luka Doncic suffered a left calf strain

387
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Speaker 2: in practice on Monday, and that was the only real

388
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Speaker 2: practice that the Mavericks were able to have on the

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Speaker 2: whole trip after they lost to the Wolves twice in

390
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Speaker 2: Abu Dhabi. Because you know, when you go to Abu

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Speaker 2: Dhabi and it's the league trip, when you're not playing,

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Speaker 2: the league's got you doing all kinds of stuff. There's appearances,

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Speaker 2: there's clinics, there's special dinners and tours, and it's like

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Speaker 2: it is not conducive to practice. So they had six

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Speaker 2: practices before they left for Abu Dhabi. Go to Abu Dhabi,

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Speaker 2: play the two games, come back. They basically fly from

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Speaker 2: Abu Dhabi to Madrid, which is like going coast to

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Speaker 2: coast in the States. They have their first real practice

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Speaker 2: before the game. Luka calf strain, the same left leg

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Speaker 2: that has been bugging him on some level since late

401
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Speaker 2: February early March. You know, they lose to Real Madrid.

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Speaker 2: That's the least of their problems because it was their

403
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Speaker 2: third string against the Real Madrid starters. In the fourth quarters,

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00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:05,359
Speaker 2: so it was the revenge of Facundo Composo. Faco Composo

405
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Speaker 2: with the last nine points for Real Madrid in the

406
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Speaker 2: last eighty five seconds. Composo, of course, spent about six

407
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Speaker 2: weeks as a mav last season. They brought him in

408
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Speaker 2: to be Luca's sidekick and someone he absolutely loved from

409
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Speaker 2: their days as Real Madrid Real Madrid teammates, and then

410
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Speaker 2: Dallas waived him to launch the Kemba Walker experiment, which

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Speaker 2: didn't work. So there's all these storylines, but the basics

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Speaker 2: of it are Dallas comes back, Kyrie Irving only played

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Speaker 2: one of the three games because of left groin soreness,

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Speaker 2: Luca has this left leg issue, and those two are

415
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Speaker 2: supposed to be the sure bets for a Mavericks team

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Speaker 2: that has ten to eleven new players. Grant Williams is

417
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Speaker 2: the only surefire starter. So okay, I just went through

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Speaker 2: all of that. You know, what was your reaction from home?

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Speaker 2: Just just kind of watching the MAVs go on this

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Speaker 2: crazy long trip and coming back with both of those guys,

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Speaker 2: both of their stars in some level of injury distress.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not, I mean, unless you know I've been

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Speaker 3: following you know your reports over there, and they're saying,

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Speaker 3: you know you reported the injury, especially particularly to Luca,

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Speaker 3: is not serious. And I think that's common around preseason,

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Speaker 3: like you don't want to take any risks. And one

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Speaker 3: thing I will say about the Suns that I didn't

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Speaker 3: say about Vogel told me that he planned to play

429
00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:39,520
Speaker 3: KD and Booker and two of the last three preseason games, like,

430
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,160
Speaker 3: so for whatever reason, they're just being really safe and cautious.

431
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:45,920
Speaker 3: And you know, you can look at the Milwaukee Bucks

432
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,320
Speaker 3: as well, Dame and Giannis. They're about to make their

433
00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:52,479
Speaker 3: preseason debut this weekend Sunday against the Lakers. So I

434
00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 3: think that's normal around the league. I wouldn't get I

435
00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,080
Speaker 3: wouldn't get too nervous if I was a fan of

436
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,040
Speaker 3: of those those star players all those teams. So I

437
00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,200
Speaker 3: just there's just not a lot to gleanstein from these

438
00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,480
Speaker 3: preseasons for the most part, because we were not seeing

439
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,439
Speaker 3: a healthy dose of these guys playing, and so a

440
00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:15,040
Speaker 3: lot of a lot of what we're going to find

441
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,760
Speaker 3: out is going to be when the regular season starts,

442
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,879
Speaker 3: and so I do want to see more, but I

443
00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,919
Speaker 3: just don't have There's just not enough sample size for

444
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:24,840
Speaker 3: me to go off and have.

445
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,639
Speaker 2: Well, this is a MAVs team that needs a good start.

446
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,000
Speaker 2: I mean, they desperately need a good start after the

447
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,240
Speaker 2: way last season ended. And that's kind of the issue,

448
00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:36,320
Speaker 2: is that this trip was supposed to be a renaissance.

449
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,240
Speaker 2: It's a it's you know, a team that's made a

450
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,640
Speaker 2: lot of changes. It's the first training camp that Luka

451
00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,760
Speaker 2: Doncic and Kyrie Irving get to spend together. And they

452
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,320
Speaker 2: return home today. They have one exhibition game left a

453
00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,960
Speaker 2: week from Friday against Detroit and then an opening night.

454
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,840
Speaker 2: They're at San Antonio in the Wemby Bowl, and I

455
00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,600
Speaker 2: do plan to be at that one to see Wemby's

456
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:04,200
Speaker 2: first game, his first real game. But I mean Luka

457
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,479
Speaker 2: Dancic and Kyrie Irving played in three exhibition games. They

458
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,720
Speaker 2: played together for less than seven minutes, so they still

459
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,640
Speaker 2: have not had a lot of court time together. And

460
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,920
Speaker 2: this is again a duo that last season when both

461
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:19,320
Speaker 2: were in uniform, the MAVs went five and eleven. So

462
00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:23,720
Speaker 2: I mean, I have certainly taken on an alarmist tone

463
00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,119
Speaker 2: here and I'm sure I'll hear about it in my

464
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,359
Speaker 2: home city, But I think it is justified. The trip

465
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,040
Speaker 2: was a grind and now they're basically going to have

466
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,320
Speaker 2: three days off. The gym will be open for some

467
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,320
Speaker 2: voluntary stuff, but the Mavericks can't even have an official

468
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:45,040
Speaker 2: practice until Monday, and so they got a lot to

469
00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:50,560
Speaker 2: do next week Monday through Thursday before Dallas area star

470
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,600
Speaker 2: Cade Cunningham brings the Detroit Pistons into town for an

471
00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:55,000
Speaker 2: exhibition on October twenty.

472
00:26:56,080 --> 00:27:00,960
Speaker 3: Who did the Mavericks open up with San Antonio? One? Okay?

473
00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:02,160
Speaker 3: In San Antonio?

474
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:09,000
Speaker 2: In San Antonio on Wednesday? What what's your opening night

475
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,120
Speaker 2: assignments on Tuesday? You'll wear you? Where are you? Are

476
00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:13,520
Speaker 2: you at Ring Knight? Are you at the other.

477
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,439
Speaker 3: Game I actually have? Is that Ring Night? No, that's not.

478
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,119
Speaker 3: Who does Nuggets have for Ring Night?

479
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,840
Speaker 2: So it's Nuggets Lakers Ring Night? And then there's your

480
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:28,240
Speaker 2: game Sons Warriors, so Western Conference only the first night

481
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,120
Speaker 2: of the season. And you said you got.

482
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:34,399
Speaker 3: I have Sons Warriors in San Francisco Tuesday. Then I

483
00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,919
Speaker 3: take off immediately for Milwaukee. I got the Bucks opening

484
00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:42,800
Speaker 3: night game against the Sixers. That's third, Tuesday and Thursday. Yep,

485
00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,560
Speaker 3: that is a strong week.

486
00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:48,840
Speaker 2: I hope you have a lot of good stories for

487
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:53,080
Speaker 2: those for the podcast that show rolls around.

488
00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:57,679
Speaker 3: I wasn't assigned to that game initially, but you know,

489
00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,200
Speaker 3: things have changed over the last couple of weeks in

490
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:00,600
Speaker 3: the league.

491
00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:02,800
Speaker 2: You're going to be voting. You're going to be voting

492
00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,120
Speaker 2: in Milwaukee election.

493
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,800
Speaker 3: A big trade to change some of my assignments. So

494
00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,320
Speaker 3: I got I got two games that week, so I'm

495
00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:12,760
Speaker 3: looking for me.

496
00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:16,320
Speaker 2: I'm so jealous. I love Milwaukee. I love visiting Milwaukee.

497
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was beautiful when I was there.

498
00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:22,760
Speaker 2: I was there, and I'm not sure i've been there

499
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:27,520
Speaker 2: since since. I can't even remember because I don't think

500
00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:32,199
Speaker 2: I went to those finals. Yeah, I can't remember my

501
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:33,600
Speaker 2: last trip to Milwaukee.

502
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,280
Speaker 3: I have a strong feeling the weather is not going

503
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,840
Speaker 3: to cooperate like it did when I was there a

504
00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:39,560
Speaker 3: few weeks ago.

505
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,280
Speaker 2: Well, I don't even want to talk about weather because

506
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 2: I will really make you jealous, because it has been

507
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:50,400
Speaker 2: spectacular in Madrid, absolutely gorgeous, and I'm told it's finally

508
00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,400
Speaker 2: cooling down when I get back home to Dallas.

509
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,840
Speaker 3: So, yeah, I've never been stein. Are you one of

510
00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,400
Speaker 3: those guys, you know, older people. I used to wonder

511
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:05,400
Speaker 3: this all the time. Why do people retire in Phoenix? Why?

512
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,680
Speaker 3: I never knew that, but you know, I started to

513
00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:13,400
Speaker 3: see a trend. The older you got, the more attractive

514
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,640
Speaker 3: a place like Phoenix became. And I know, my guy

515
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,280
Speaker 3: Dwight James, the Commas in Portland, he bought a house

516
00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,440
Speaker 3: out there in Phoenix. You know, older people like the sun.

517
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,240
Speaker 2: You know what's this is actually some inside baseball on

518
00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,760
Speaker 2: our profession. There was a time when and Dwight James

519
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,800
Speaker 2: is part of that generation right before me. In terms

520
00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,760
Speaker 2: of writers, a bunch of writers from that era did that.

521
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:42,360
Speaker 2: Pete VESSI spent tons of time in the desert, Sam Smith,

522
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,880
Speaker 2: your guy Michael Wilbon still has a place in Phoenix.

523
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,560
Speaker 2: I'm quite sure. So all these writers from that generation

524
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:54,160
Speaker 2: before me and there were probably more like it. Just

525
00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,440
Speaker 2: I think housing prices at that time were really, really

526
00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:01,040
Speaker 2: favorable in Phoenix, and and I don't know if that's

527
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:03,120
Speaker 2: still the case now. I'm gonna guess not. I'm gonna

528
00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,640
Speaker 2: guess Phoenix, like Dallas, has gotten a lot more expensive

529
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,840
Speaker 2: than it used to be in terms of real estate.

530
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,960
Speaker 2: But back in the nineties that was a very I

531
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,719
Speaker 2: remember you know, someone like Sam you know, Sam Smith

532
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:19,120
Speaker 2: spent his whole writing career in Chicago. The chance to

533
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:24,840
Speaker 2: live in Phoenix sounded pretty damn good.

534
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,800
Speaker 3: So it's not a star.

535
00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,240
Speaker 2: I mean, I know you're basically saying, now that I'm old,

536
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:38,000
Speaker 2: I'm qualified to answer this question. I love Phoenix to visit,

537
00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,680
Speaker 2: but I have never had interest in living there. And

538
00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:46,959
Speaker 2: I look, I love the desert, the desert skyline, and

539
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:53,000
Speaker 2: just I really aesthetically, I really have always loved going

540
00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,680
Speaker 2: there and the Steve Nash years from like the Steve

541
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:01,680
Speaker 2: Nash D'Antoni is from two thousand and four to twenty ten. Now,

542
00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,240
Speaker 2: I mean I spent more time in Phoenix than anywhere

543
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 2: I went, so I've always had great visits there. My

544
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,720
Speaker 2: I want to say, my very first NBA All Star

545
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,239
Speaker 2: Game I covered was in Phoenix. So I've always had

546
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,280
Speaker 2: great experiences there, but I've never had this huge desire

547
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,080
Speaker 2: to live there. I think, as an you know, my

548
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,800
Speaker 2: older self, I could imagine living part time in either

549
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,600
Speaker 2: Palm Springs or Vegas before.

550
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:36,040
Speaker 3: Feast Vegas yeah oh yeah, huh yeah, Okay.

551
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:41,160
Speaker 2: I get part time three months a year, but I

552
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,840
Speaker 2: I love the energy of Vegas. Man, I love it

553
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,720
Speaker 2: is it is it is you know, it's just it's sports.

554
00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:49,960
Speaker 2: Everywhere you look, everywhere you turn, it's sports.

555
00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, but Vegas is like Stein. Like for me, when

556
00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:57,040
Speaker 3: I go to a summer league three days, four days,

557
00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,160
Speaker 3: max I started, I start to get irrible, Like I'm

558
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:01,840
Speaker 3: tied of Vegas, Like I don't know if I can

559
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,200
Speaker 3: live there. And then if you live there, are you

560
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,720
Speaker 3: really visiting the strip that often where all the action is,

561
00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,680
Speaker 3: Like I really never spent time outside of strip in Vegas,

562
00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:13,440
Speaker 3: so I don't even know what that's like.

563
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,320
Speaker 2: Well, I don't know firsthand, but people who do live

564
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,240
Speaker 2: there always tell me how great it is off the

565
00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:20,520
Speaker 2: strip and you should just come see how A, B

566
00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,400
Speaker 2: and C is so fantastic. So I'm not qualified answer

567
00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:28,120
Speaker 2: that question, but maybe people can. Maybe people, maybe some

568
00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,719
Speaker 2: of our listeners who do live in Vegas can educate us.

569
00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,040
Speaker 3: But in Phoenix, Stein, I know what your favorite steakhouse

570
00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:40,560
Speaker 3: in Milwaukee is? What again? Carson's Carsons Carsons in Phoenix.

571
00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,520
Speaker 2: It's a Chicago place, but they have a Milwaukee outlet.

572
00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,880
Speaker 3: Okay, Steak forty four in Phoenix the best steakhouse I've

573
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:48,160
Speaker 3: been to.

574
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,280
Speaker 2: Steak forty four best steakhouse in the League.

575
00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,960
Speaker 3: Best best, I've the best I've wanted to I would,

576
00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:59,840
Speaker 3: I would challenge any other steakhouse in the league. Was

577
00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,080
Speaker 3: against Stake forty four. Those in Phoenix know what I'm

578
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:04,880
Speaker 3: talking about. That place is awesome.

579
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:06,480
Speaker 2: All right, Well, I guess I'm gonna have to meet

580
00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:09,160
Speaker 2: you there and we'll put that to the test. Yes

581
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:14,040
Speaker 2: before all right, so before we go. You know, last

582
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:16,240
Speaker 2: the last time we did one of these, you were

583
00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,040
Speaker 2: just you were just love getting me all worked up

584
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,920
Speaker 2: about Joe l. Embiid and international basketball, which you did

585
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:24,400
Speaker 2: on You did it on purpose.

586
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:27,000
Speaker 3: Of course, I need your pe I want to know

587
00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:30,800
Speaker 3: now that Joel and Bid has picked the United States

588
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:35,040
Speaker 3: of America, he will play for Team USA. After all,

589
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:38,800
Speaker 3: I think he heard how you were disparaging him against

590
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,400
Speaker 3: picking team I think I heard that I was.

591
00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:47,240
Speaker 2: I was definitely not disparaging him because Joel Embiid knows

592
00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,320
Speaker 2: very well. He's one of my favorite people to speak

593
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,200
Speaker 2: to on planet NBA. I I don't get to see

594
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 2: him a ton, but there are a few players who

595
00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,360
Speaker 2: fill up the proverbial notebook like mister em b So

596
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,080
Speaker 2: there is no disparaging of him. And you know what,

597
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,760
Speaker 2: I can rant all I want. It's his personal choice,

598
00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,520
Speaker 2: it's his life. He doesn't have to do what I say. However,

599
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,200
Speaker 2: I have to admit that I did not I did

600
00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:21,319
Speaker 2: not love it. And again you know this. I'm sure

601
00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:26,000
Speaker 2: USAB officials who hear me on this rant don't understand

602
00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:30,879
Speaker 2: what I'm saying, because when they lose to anybody, I'm

603
00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:34,600
Speaker 2: at the front of the line criticizing them. And every

604
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,279
Speaker 2: single loss, no matter who they bring, no matter what

605
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:43,359
Speaker 2: the roster looks like, media with me at the front

606
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:47,120
Speaker 2: of the line, treat it like an international incident. So

607
00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:51,200
Speaker 2: their natural reply is, how are you gonna wrap us

608
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:56,920
Speaker 2: for bringing Joel embiid into fold when if we lose,

609
00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 2: you're gonna crush us? And now you're saying we're too good.

610
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:04,480
Speaker 2: And all I'm saying is, we've heard so many great

611
00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:09,960
Speaker 2: American players since camps have started talk about wanting to

612
00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:13,400
Speaker 2: join this team, and if the best of our best

613
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:18,240
Speaker 2: show up, and we've got Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry

614
00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:22,080
Speaker 2: and Lebron James coming back, and Devin Booker and on,

615
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:24,560
Speaker 2: Jason Tatum, on and on and on, and if there

616
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,600
Speaker 2: are so many guys that it's looking like Kawhi Leonard

617
00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:29,800
Speaker 2: who also wants to play. If it's looking like Kawhi

618
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,920
Speaker 2: Leonard has to settle for being a six man or something,

619
00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:36,840
Speaker 2: then no, they don't need Joel Embiid And it just

620
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,759
Speaker 2: feels like free agency and I just feel like the

621
00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:46,480
Speaker 2: most talent rich country in the world in basketball should

622
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:51,120
Speaker 2: not be signing the reigning MVP as a free agent.

623
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:55,960
Speaker 2: And again, this really stems from me being that basketball

624
00:35:56,160 --> 00:36:01,640
Speaker 2: romantic who Cameroon is only one step away from qualifying.

625
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:06,480
Speaker 2: Cameroon won a pre qualifying tournament to get to the

626
00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:11,160
Speaker 2: final round of qualifying without Joel Embiid and without Pascal Siaka,

627
00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,880
Speaker 2: and if those two guys played with the existing Cameroon

628
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:19,120
Speaker 2: team and qualified for the Olympics under the flag of

629
00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:23,640
Speaker 2: their native country, that would be an absolutely incredible achievement

630
00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,920
Speaker 2: and it would not only be huge for Cameroon, but

631
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,640
Speaker 2: it would be massive for African basketball. And so I

632
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:33,680
Speaker 2: just I would have loved to hear Joel Embiid say

633
00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:37,040
Speaker 2: I loved that France and the United States spend a

634
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,880
Speaker 2: year fighting over me and trying to get me. But

635
00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,719
Speaker 2: I am going to get Cameroon to the Olympics through qualifying.

636
00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,640
Speaker 2: And I understand It's risky for him to do that

637
00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:51,440
Speaker 2: because if Cameroon doesn't qualify, and international basketball is insane,

638
00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:54,919
Speaker 2: there's twenty four teams that go to qualifying, they get

639
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,560
Speaker 2: broken up into four groups. Only one team out of

640
00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:02,520
Speaker 2: every six team group qualifies for the Olympics, and Cameroon

641
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:06,400
Speaker 2: would not be the host. Most likely, the Cameroon Federation

642
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,640
Speaker 2: almost assuredly does not have the money it would take

643
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,680
Speaker 2: to win a bid to host one of those tournaments.

644
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,840
Speaker 2: So Cameroon would have to win on the road somewhere,

645
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:17,919
Speaker 2: and I know that's a tall order, but if you've

646
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,000
Speaker 2: got Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam, they can do it,

647
00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,120
Speaker 2: just like the Bahamas are going to try to do

648
00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:27,840
Speaker 2: with DeAndre Ayton and Buddy Healed and Eric Gordon. So

649
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,920
Speaker 2: I know that I'm ranting into the win and nobody cares,

650
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:32,919
Speaker 2: and you're just doing this to get me all wound

651
00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,640
Speaker 2: up because it's fun for you to see me like this.

652
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,279
Speaker 2: But yeah, the basketball romantic in me will not let

653
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:43,280
Speaker 2: it go. I would have loved to see Embiid choose

654
00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,080
Speaker 2: Cameroon because again, I just think with or without him,

655
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,120
Speaker 2: the United States is going to be stacked. I really

656
00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,800
Speaker 2: hope for your sake that you are assigned to cover

657
00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:55,920
Speaker 2: the Paris Olympics, because the US team is going to

658
00:37:55,960 --> 00:38:00,160
Speaker 2: be If all these guys play, who say they're gonna play,

659
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,960
Speaker 2: it's going to be the closest thing in talent to

660
00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:05,359
Speaker 2: the original Dream Team that we've ever seen.

661
00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:09,120
Speaker 3: I will say this, and yeah, I get your point,

662
00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:11,799
Speaker 3: all valid points, all valid points. I will say this.

663
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,120
Speaker 3: I was watching and I know this is not the

664
00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:20,000
Speaker 3: an equal equivalent, but I watched a Bruce Brown clip

665
00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:23,520
Speaker 3: that was forgive me, I forgot what pod he was on.

666
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:29,160
Speaker 3: It's a Bruce Brown clips talking about when he was

667
00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,560
Speaker 3: with Brooklyn how he did not play a single minute

668
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:37,000
Speaker 3: in preseason when they had KD, Kyrie and James Harden

669
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:40,440
Speaker 3: and he talked about wanting to be traded, wanted to

670
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:42,200
Speaker 3: go somewhere else, go somewhere else because he knew he

671
00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,960
Speaker 3: wasn't going to play. That's the same Bruce Brown who

672
00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,799
Speaker 3: did all the dirty work for the Denver Nuggets that

673
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,560
Speaker 3: helped them win a championship. So what I what I'm

674
00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:54,440
Speaker 3: what I'm saying is this, Yes, the United States is

675
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:57,879
Speaker 3: going to be the ods on favorite. Yes, but every

676
00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:01,560
Speaker 3: stars always talk about South and doing the dirty work.

677
00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:05,480
Speaker 3: But very few of them really know how to do

678
00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:09,239
Speaker 3: that because they they haven't had to do that ever.

679
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,960
Speaker 3: They think sacrifices is, you know, taking fewer shots, no

680
00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,600
Speaker 3: diving on balls, what Kobe did his last team, USA

681
00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:20,680
Speaker 3: stin what Kobe did. And so what I'm saying is

682
00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,840
Speaker 3: you always need a Bruce Brown. You need a championship

683
00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,640
Speaker 3: team needs a guy like that. That's really that's what

684
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:29,799
Speaker 3: his role is to be is to be a guy

685
00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:33,080
Speaker 3: that's going to dive for the ball, be a houndless defender,

686
00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:35,920
Speaker 3: guy's gonna cause havoc, be a spot up, you know,

687
00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:39,480
Speaker 3: spot up shooter and do that. And that's every night.

688
00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:43,919
Speaker 3: And so while they're gonna have all the talent, it's

689
00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:45,400
Speaker 3: still they still is going to be a lot of

690
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,480
Speaker 3: pressure now because they gotta win.

691
00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,200
Speaker 2: They have to win, and there will be a lot

692
00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,399
Speaker 2: of eyeballs on them, and France is gonna have home

693
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,759
Speaker 2: court advantage. But again, if you look at all the

694
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:58,160
Speaker 2: guys who put their hand up and said they want

695
00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:01,799
Speaker 2: to play, they they are gonna have way more than

696
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,759
Speaker 2: twelve good players to choose from. The harder part for

697
00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:06,160
Speaker 2: them is going to be who you know, how do

698
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:08,879
Speaker 2: you say no to some of these guys. But again

699
00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,400
Speaker 2: I'm not even listing. I mean, I can't even remember

700
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,799
Speaker 2: everybody who wants to play. And you know they'll have

701
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:17,200
Speaker 2: someone like Drew Holliday to do some of that dirty

702
00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,279
Speaker 2: work stuff that you're talking about. I'm sure Drew's going

703
00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:19,520
Speaker 2: to be.

704
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:20,240
Speaker 3: On the team again.

705
00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:24,839
Speaker 2: They this team is going to be stacked a lot

706
00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:27,520
Speaker 2: these guys. They want to go to the Paris Olympics.

707
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,759
Speaker 2: That you know, in our basketball culture, they love the Olympics.

708
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,440
Speaker 2: They don't care about the World Cup. The United States

709
00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:37,040
Speaker 2: and the last two World Cups has finished seventh and fourth,

710
00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,400
Speaker 2: and it's been an almighty struggle for USA basketball to

711
00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:45,760
Speaker 2: get that roster filled with players who could who could

712
00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:47,759
Speaker 2: do it, and you know, two times in a row

713
00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:52,800
Speaker 2: they couldn't. But for these Olympics in Paris. Again, the

714
00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,640
Speaker 2: last two World Cups were in China and then this

715
00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:00,080
Speaker 2: past summer in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. I think

716
00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,360
Speaker 2: that was a harder sell for either of those competitions

717
00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:06,000
Speaker 2: than getting guys to go to Paris for the Olympics

718
00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:08,239
Speaker 2: that they are going. You know they are going to

719
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:10,680
Speaker 2: be This team is going to be so strong and

720
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,200
Speaker 2: they've got Joel Embiid now, but even if they didn't

721
00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:18,080
Speaker 2: even had Embiid chose to play for Cameroon or France,

722
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,160
Speaker 2: They're going to be fine. They're going to be stacked.

723
00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:23,120
Speaker 2: And like I said, I hope, I hope for you

724
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:26,120
Speaker 2: your sake that it gets to be your first Olympics,

725
00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:28,160
Speaker 2: because I think it's going to be. They are going

726
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,800
Speaker 2: to that team. I mean, if it has Lebron, Curry

727
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:33,640
Speaker 2: and Durant on it, they are going to be the

728
00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:35,480
Speaker 2: talk of the Summer Games.

729
00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:40,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, Paris, they love the Olympics. They love Paris too.

730
00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:41,439
Speaker 2: Have you been to Paris yet?

731
00:41:41,719 --> 00:41:44,520
Speaker 3: Never? Never have never have never have.

732
00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:49,480
Speaker 2: Man, I wonder if our guy, Brad Turner, America's ambassador

733
00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:52,440
Speaker 2: to Paris, is he going to get himself to Paris

734
00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:58,880
Speaker 2: for the Paris Olympics. I hope. I mean, he basically

735
00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:01,400
Speaker 2: lives there at this point, but I like, I would

736
00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,600
Speaker 2: like to think that the La Times will send him

737
00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,200
Speaker 2: to cover Team USA and he might just he might

738
00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:09,440
Speaker 2: just burst into flames.

739
00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:13,200
Speaker 3: Oh man, it's good to hear from you. Stein. Hopeful

740
00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,200
Speaker 3: next next pot we do, hopefully you'll be back in

741
00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:16,200
Speaker 3: the state side.

742
00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:18,239
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's good to connect with you good to be back.

743
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,960
Speaker 2: Glad we're back. We're both back at it and we

744
00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:24,880
Speaker 2: do have Like you said, we still have tennis days

745
00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:28,160
Speaker 2: to get our predicted order for the East and West set.

746
00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:34,320
Speaker 2: So the season is fast approaching. Are you ready?

747
00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:40,839
Speaker 3: Basically, I actually am, I actually am star, I am.

748
00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:45,080
Speaker 3: I'm looking forward to this season. Man, there's really I'll

749
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:47,760
Speaker 3: leave it at that. I'm looking very forward to this season.

750
00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:50,879
Speaker 2: All right, everyone that's gonna do it for this edition

751
00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:55,399
Speaker 2: of This League Uncut. Chris and I will be back

752
00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:59,239
Speaker 2: together soon. I think we actually have a special interview

753
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:06,399
Speaker 2: on the docket very soon. And we got lots more

754
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,000
Speaker 2: to cover and lots more to discuss in these next

755
00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:11,640
Speaker 2: couple of weeks before the season actually starts. But the

756
00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:15,000
Speaker 2: NBA's seventy eighth season, it will be here for real

757
00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:18,200
Speaker 2: before you know it, and we'll be covering it with

758
00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:22,160
Speaker 2: you every week twice a week here on This League Uncut.

759
00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:26,759
Speaker 2: Please remember rate review, subscribe to the show if you

760
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:30,960
Speaker 2: haven't already for Haynes, this is stein. We'll do it

761
00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:35,239
Speaker 2: again soon and that'll do it for us.

762
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:39,719
Speaker 1: See you next time. This League Uncut is and iHeartRadio

763
00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:46,800
Speaker 1: production at Chris Haynes and mark Stein

764
00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:01,239
Speaker 3: It took at