WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: On the road again ... 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.320 Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:05.320 four hour NBA. 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:09.160 News misters, you'll Chris Haines. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:17.599 It's so time, Mark Stein, It's so time. This League 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:22.000 Uncut is underway and on fire. This should be a 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:24.000 good one. 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:33.360 Everyone, Welcome in to a somewhat international edition of This 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:39.440 League Uncut podcast. Mark Stein. Here, I am in far 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:43.240 away Madrid making my way back to the United States 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:49.080 after spending four days in Spain with the weary and 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:53.440 battered Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has made its way back home. 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:56.680 I am a little bit behind them, but I will 0:00:56.720 --> 0:01:02.440 soon soon be back on us Chris Haynes joining me. 0:01:03.280 --> 0:01:07.360 He also was on the road this week his TNT debut, 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:12.160 shaking the rust off with a preseason game two heavyweights 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:17.880 in the desert, the reigning champions from Denver in Phoenix 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:22.400 against the super team that has been assembled to try 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:27.360 to dethrone the Denver Nuggets. Of course, we didn't get 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:32.840 to see the Superstars in action because Phoenix didn't play them, 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:36.319 but Chris Haynes was on the scene anyway. Had an 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:39.400 interview with Bradley Beal I saw on Twitter or x 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.600 or whatever the hell we call it Now, Chris Haynes, 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:47.360 how did how did your first TV assignment of the 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:48.200 season treat you? 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:52.400 It was cool, a little rusty, but you know, that's 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:53.720 what the preseason is for. 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:56.960 Uh new suit though, I think new suit though, I 0:01:56.960 --> 0:01:57.559 think right. 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:00.240 No, no, no, I haven't No, I haven't put out 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:03.880 a new suit yet. That is that suit? Actually, that 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:07.960 that blazer that I wore. That's the first ever blazer, 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:11.919 that suit that I've worn on a on a TNT assignment. 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:14.760 It was when I backed in So this three years ago, 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:23.240 first assignment ever. Lakers spurs and uh jacket yep, Greg 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.639 Popovia jacket right there. So I don't think I've worn 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:28.280 it since then, But yeah, I mean it was a 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:31.680 good time. You know. Phoenix, the great weather, great great weather. 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:34.360 The only problem with Phoenix is like, you know, the 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:37.200 weather was cool, but the weather is still for me, 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:39.359 it's still not cool enough where I can just walk 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:43.320 a half a mile. The problem with Phoenix is there's 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:47.080 no trees, so when you're walking, you're just exposed. The 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:49.440 sun is hitting you like you can't hide from the 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:54.040 sun in Phoenix. And Dwayne Rakins, the the longtime beat 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:57.400 rider for the Suns over there really good guy. I 0:02:57.560 --> 0:03:00.000 just tell him all the time. Man, He's always posted 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:03.000 and early in the morning, five six in the morning, 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:07.040 just posting on Instagram of him drenched in sweat talking 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:10.800 about I just ran two three four miles. I'm like, 0:03:10.840 --> 0:03:13.280 who in the hell is running two three four miles 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:17.400 in the desert. It's Dwayne, I tell him, Man, you 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:20.399 give me anxiety every time I see that post man. 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:22.600 But Phoenix was cool. I was glad to be back 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:23.840 on the road. Man. Yeah. 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:27.560 I mean, look, you saw two of the what four 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:30.320 or five most important teams in the league this coming season, 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:34.520 or maybe important is a poor adjective choice, but of 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:36.560 the two of the five or six teams that will 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:41.480 be talking about the most, presumably because Phoenix has assembled 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:44.760 so much star power, with Bradley Beal brought in to 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:49.960 join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and Denver as the 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:55.440 reigning champs, first title in the Nuggets NBA history, and 0:03:55.880 --> 0:04:01.120 Nikola Jokic returns as Finals MVP after losing out on 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:04.360 the regular season MVP. To Joe l Embiid, I mean, 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:07.640 it's early, but we all do it. We all overreact 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.880 to what we see in the preseason I was, you know, again, 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:15.000 far far away when Wemby dual chet the other night. 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:17.720 But man, people just could not get enough of their 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:22.160 first showdown. And of course we're gonna draw crazy conclusions 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:27.640 from preseason games that we probably shouldn't because we're fans, 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.920 we're the public, we are the basketball public. We cannot 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:34.040 help it. So give me your give me your your 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:39.400 quick snapshot of your temperature take on where the Nuggets 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:41.039 are and where the Suns are right now. 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:44.800 Well, let's talk about the Nuggets. They're in a mode 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:48.839 where they're just in a chill mode right now. You know, 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:51.600 I spoke with Calvin boof our God. Calvin Booth came 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:54.279 on our podcast the general imagine of the Nuggets, and 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.039 he told me like that, they're just in a space 0:04:57.320 --> 0:04:59.839 where they're just ready for the season and they're in 0:04:59.880 --> 0:05:02.760 a tac mode, but it's in a calm space. And 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:05.480 I think he described it like that because this team, 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:09.120 like they know, they know their sales, like they understand 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:11.839 what they have to do. They know they're going to 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:13.640 be a target. Now, they're not going to sneak up 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.320 on anybody. But this is a group that's been together. 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:18.960 We talked about that at starting five. It's a group 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:22.080 that's been together a while, and so they feel like 0:05:23.680 --> 0:05:26.240 they feel like they're in good shape. What he did say, 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:28.960 Calvin Booth did say, is that they're young, you know, 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:32.480 so there's rotation minutes to be had. And one guy 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:37.280 who was very impressive in his rookie preseason day debut, 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:43.160 Julian Strauter. That guy, he stein he is a quick sharpshooter. 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:45.240 He and what I mean by that, he has a 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:48.880 quick release. He catches it and it leaves his hand 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:52.240 pretty quickly, and he has a beautiful stroke. And I 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:55.040 believe he had four three's that game, had twenty points. 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:58.720 And so the Nuggets, they're looking for guys who can 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:02.719 come in space, space the floor, guys who can compliment 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:08.240 Joker as well in some of those rotation, rotational spot duties, 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:10.360 and so you know, that's what they're you know, they're 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:14.320 expecting a lot more from Christian Brown. You know, he's 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:17.800 a guy that's poised to have a really good season. 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:21.040 And so they feel like they this is what they said, 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:23.839 they said, as long as they're five, as long as 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:25.960 they're five, are healthy, they feel like they're in really 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:28.719 good shape throughout the season. Now it's just about adding 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:36.000 other complimentary pieces the sun Stein you know, KD, Devin Booker, 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:38.839 Bradley Bill. They did not play in the game that 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:41.760 I was on assignment on. They played the game before 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:48.200 in Detroit. Remember the the owner of matt Ishpiah, he's 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:50.240 out there in Detroit, and so they played out there. 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:53.919 They actually went to his house after the after the 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:58.240 game for dinner, and they had practice at his at 0:06:58.240 --> 0:07:03.560 his company's office the next day. So, uh, you know, 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:07.160 I could say this T and T was very shocked 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.480 to learn that those three were sitting out that game. 0:07:11.560 --> 0:07:14.920 With the NBA's new player participation policy, that's not gonna fly. 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:19.240 Playing the game in Detroit and sitting in all three 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:23.240 stars sitting out the national TV game. I don't think that. 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:25.240 I don't think that happens in the regular season. 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:29.920 Yes, I love stave Ac Guddy, that's my guy. I 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:32.120 think it's safe to say Stan did not approve of 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:36.440 that that move made by the SuDS. But hey, it's preseason, 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:40.240 and uh you know I'm gonna say this right now. 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:42.720 You know we all expect so it's it's it's not 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:45.080 a lot that I can break down on the Suns 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.000 because of those three were out. But those three were out. 0:07:47.240 --> 0:07:49.200 But what I can say, I think is going to 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:52.440 be really good on the high posts, on the elbow, 0:07:52.600 --> 0:07:56.440 initiating the offense office going through him. I think he's 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:58.120 going to be really good. I think he's going to 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:00.400 be a really good big body just in case they 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:03.200 have to face the Nuggets down the road. And Joker, 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:05.360 you know, those two were teammates for a little bit 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:09.880 in Denver. I will say this, Stein, They're they're trying 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:14.080 to rotate the point guard assignments between Bradley Bill and 0:08:14.120 --> 0:08:18.000 Devin Booker, and that is the plan right now going 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.160 into the season, that those two are going to share 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:26.200 those roles. They did a point guard, Stein, and I'm 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:27.880 gonna go as far as I think they need to 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:28.840 point guard desperately. 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:31.880 And do they know it? Would they admit it to 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:33.280 the side if you ask them. 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:39.280 I think some would, as others wouldn't. So you know, 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.080 take that as you as you will. But yeah, I 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:44.080 think they're going to need a point guard. And I'm 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:45.959 and I'll let you I'll let you finish. 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:51.280 But you had the very interesting report that when when 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:55.160 the whole Damian Lillard trade went down, Phoenix knew they 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.520 were going to be in it. They wanted use of 0:08:57.600 --> 0:09:00.920 Nurkic that you know, they wanted to send eight into 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:06.040 the Blazers and take on Nurkic. But had Miami been 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:11.520 that third team instead of Milwaukee, you reported that Phoenix's 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:14.680 dream scenario would have been to get both nurk and 0:09:15.360 --> 0:09:18.920 find a way to bring in Kyle Lowry, who obviously 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:23.000 most definitely would address the point guard issue. And same 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:25.719 thing when there were rumbles that Indiana might be that 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.480 third team, we know that the Sons have had a 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:33.320 long standing interest in TJ McConnell, So I mean those 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:36.240 names were out there. Obviously, Dame did not go to Miami. 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:38.960 He very much went to the Milwaukee Bucks. And the 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:41.880 Pacers were not involved in the trade either, So those 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:45.560 options did not avail themselves to Phoenix. But yeah, I'm 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:48.120 with you. I think that is that is a that's 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:50.120 a hole they're going to have to address sooner rather 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:50.600 than later. 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:54.280 And the reason I say that, Stime, because you know, 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:58.280 you could get by with trying to rotate those guys 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:01.600 in at that point guard spot. And and there's gonna 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:03.600 be a lot of emphasis with Phoenix on pushing the 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.840 ball up like out letting the ball get it up, 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:10.720 opposed to having a point guard just bring the ball 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:12.840 all the way up ninety four feet. So they wanted 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:16.440 to get the ball up past half court, give himself 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:17.760 a lot of time in the shot clock to get 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:21.199 into their sets. The problem is this Stein and I remember, 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:24.280 you know, talking to Chris Paul a few years ago, 0:10:25.080 --> 0:10:26.880 where it was a few years ago when the Suns 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:29.800 were they played when they got the playoffs, they played 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:32.120 New Orleans in the first round. Did they played Dallas 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:36.400 and New Orleans? They had Alvarado and they had Herb 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:41.440 Jones just smothering, hounding Chris Paul ninety four feet, and 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:45.440 it took his toll, you know, it took his toll 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.640 on him getting the ball up with that amount of 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:52.280 aggressiveness and length and quickness. And then in Dallas he 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:54.839 faced Bullock and I forgot the other player that he 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:58.440 said was hounding them ninety four feet. But Phoenix didn't 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:02.720 have another, really another primary point guard to help Chris 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:09.880 Paul in that mode. So in the regular season. 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:09.360 Now I don't even remember, was it Phinney Smith. 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.280 It might have been Phinney Smith, but it was two 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:14.959 lyngty guys. I know Bullock was one of them. It 0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:17.920 might have been Phinny Smith could have been. But you 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:21.000 know he didn't see that type of a defensive pressure 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:23.160 in the regular season. You know, teams don't do they 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:25.120 don't go all out and do that type of stuff, 0:11:25.360 --> 0:11:27.240 you know, in the regular season. So you can see 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:33.360 a scenario in Phoenix where Bill and Booker they're pushing 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:35.640 the ball up out, letting the ball up, or or 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:38.120 they even they're even bringing the ball up full court 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:40.720 with very little pressure in the regular season and then 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:42.960 kind of thinking like, all right, we can get we 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:45.439 can get away with this. This is fine. But when 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:49.120 the playoffs hit, when and then when teams start to scheme, 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:53.080 oh no, let's pressure on full court. Young guy, small guy, 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.040 get up in them, tall lyngthy guy, get up in them. 0:11:56.679 --> 0:12:00.640 That's where problems can be had. And you didn't work 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:02.480 on it because you didn't think you had to do 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:05.000 in the regular season because teams are not putting those 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:08.120 type of schemes into the regular season. So I think 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:10.960 they desperately need a point guard. Not necessarily for the 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:13.520 regular season, but I definitely think they need one come 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:18.040 playoff time and That's just my opinion, just just the 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:21.880 little basketball that I've watched them against, planned against Detroit, 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:25.480 and just knowing what they don't have on that roster currently. 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:32.080 Well, you know Bradley Beal very well. You interviewed him 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.520 during the game, but beyond that, you've known him for 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:37.800 a long time. How much, though, do you think he 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:39.520 kind of wants to prove to people, hey, I can 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:43.120 do this, I can playmake, I can be I can 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:48.040 be a pseudo point guard for this team, because you 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:50.840 know he hasn't always done that in Washington. 0:12:52.520 --> 0:12:54.200 Yeah, I don't know. You know, I've talked, you know, 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:56.560 we talked. You know, I had an any game interview 0:12:56.600 --> 0:12:58.959 with him, but we talked before the game as well, 0:12:59.480 --> 0:13:01.800 and he was talking about how excited he is and 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:05.960 how he's prepared to do whatever he's called to do. 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:08.199 And then you know, I asked him, you know, about 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:10.360 the role of I don't know if I'll call him 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:12.760 the third star. Maybe he is the third star, but 0:13:13.400 --> 0:13:16.160 you know about sacrificing Now, you know, it's always hard 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:19.200 for that third star a lot of times to get 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:22.840 accimmitted to what that role entails. And he said all 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.199 the right things, like he's ready for whatever. But stein, 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:27.600 what I would say about that point guard position. Man, 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.640 that point guard that's like, it's like playing quarterback. You 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:38.440 don't just step into that role and run everything officially 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:42.320 like you're kind of born a point guard. You're kind 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:45.240 of groomed into being a point guard. It's not something 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:45.840 you could. 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:47.760 Just and you were born a shooting guard. 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:52.400 I would, I would my sources say, well, listen, you 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:54.200 don't need no sources. You can come in from the 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:57.120 horse's mouth here. I am not a point guard. I am. 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:00.600 I am not Listen now from the so you got 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:02.760 they give you a little bit of fake news. I'm 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:05.959 telling you I'm not a point guard because my handles weren't. 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:10.360 That was not that tight. But court vision and finding people, 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:14.440 I got that. But the handles, like and that's another 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:18.960 thing too. But people need to understand is you can 0:14:19.080 --> 0:14:22.680 have handles or could be considered somebody who has handles 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:26.840 in half court settings, like somebody who could run pick 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.720 and roll in half court. But bringing that ball up 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:35.680 being pressured ninety four feet totally different from using two 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.440 or three four dribbles in a half court set to 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:41.520 get to the basket. Totally different, And so That's why 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:44.400 I tell people that point guard transition is not easy, 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:48.240 like it's not and so, and I don't know that 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:51.600 that's fair to ask Bill to do that. That's why 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:54.680 I say, I think they're going to need a point guard, 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.520 real point guard service, a point guard point guard down 0:14:57.560 --> 0:14:58.040 the line. 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:03.280 Well, look, using Bruce Brown and losing Jeff Green, those 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:07.000 are significant losses for the Denver Nuggets. But they are 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:12.240 still my favorites in an absolutely stacked Western conference. And 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:14.640 I can tell you I know it was stacked because 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:19.320 during my trip here in Spain with the MAVs, with 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:22.760 more than one MAVs person that I sat down with, 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.920 we did the exercise of let's go through the teams 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:28.600 in the West and just what you have to who 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:30.880 you have to finish ahead of to finish top six, 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:37.520 top eight, and it is just tough, tough, it's brutal. 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:41.120 And I mean because the teams at the bottom, the 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:44.720 teams expected to be at the bottom, your Utah's, your Portland's, 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.800 your San Antonio's, your Houston's, they will all be tough outs. 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:51.680 I mean, Houston is obviously trying to be competitive this 0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:54.400 year with the moves they've made to bring in Fred 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:58.000 Van Vliet and Dylan Brooks and San Antonio obviously Wemby 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:01.480 in July. Everybody wanted to write him off after one 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:05.080 bad Summer League game, and now everybody is going nuts 0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:09.240 after his his preseason debut. So, I mean, san Antonio, 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:11.960 we're still not exactly sure what we're gonna see from them, 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:15.480 but I mean, you know they're gonna have a capable team. 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:18.880 You know, Portland is another tough team to read, very young, 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:23.479 but I mean you know that they Yeah, again, nobody's 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:27.320 just just a gimme in the West, and Utah already 0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:30.360 showed us last year when when they were written off 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.280 by everyone after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert that 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:35.440 you know they were they were on course to be 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:38.040 a five hundred or better team until they finally at 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:41.200 the end of the season decided to put an eye 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.360 on draft positioning. So, I mean, this West is going 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:47.560 to be something else. Denver is still my favorite, and 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:51.080 you know, I guess I would say the Suns are 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:54.400 probably who I would have at the top of the 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:58.560 list of challengers, but I'm I'm not sure. I'm I'm 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:03.200 really not sure that, Like, you know, the Lakers I 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.440 really like the Lakers moves in the off season. And 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:11.240 ye you know the Clippers aren done. Okac is moving 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:14.680 up the charts. Sacramento. I was doing my radio show 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:16.359 last weekend and I was going through all the teams 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:20.160 in the West. And somehow, despite how much we talk 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:22.040 about the Kings on this show, I forgot to mention 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:24.040 the Kings. And I'm waiting for Mike Brown to call 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:26.399 me because and I guess Mike Brown priably does not 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:28.159 listened to my radio show in Dallas. But I was 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:30.560 still waiting for the call. I mean, we need to 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:32.840 go on and on about the the West. You tell 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:39.760 me Denver, Phoenix, Lakers, Warriors, who's your favorite in the West? 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:43.199 Okay, Stan, You have to realize, are we ready to 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:48.080 do this? Because teams do even you know, teams, players, coaches, 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:50.160 they all like to say they don't listen to us, 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.480 you know, they don't pay us no mind. But during 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:57.880 the season they post, they print these articles out, they 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:00.879 print these headlines out about who we picked to be 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:03.639 a top eight motivation. Are we ready to do this? 0:18:03.720 --> 0:18:08.080 Listen today is we're recording this on October twelfth. The 0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:11.120 season starts October twenty fifth, if you would rather wait 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:15.040 too closer to October twenty fifth. You deserve that runway, 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.440 you do not have. You do not have to make 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:20.080 that declaration right now, Like so I. 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:22.880 Don't think are you making a declaration. 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.399 Yeah, Denver's my favorite to make Denver's my favorite. To 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:30.560 win the West, I think is defending champions. They deserve that. 0:18:30.680 --> 0:18:35.480 And yes, they they lost, they lost two key guys 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:39.240 in their rotation. But Brown I do think is ready 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:42.080 to step up, and you know, I think they will 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:46.119 cope with the losses. And just Joker is Joker, I 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:49.919 mean he is. I just think he's that good and 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:54.880 has proven to be such a dominant force who pretty 0:18:54.960 --> 0:19:00.800 much never misses games. Yeah, Denver's okay, I would agree 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:00.960 with you. 0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:05.000 The difference is my favorite as well, Continuity, Like they're 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:08.639 my favorite. I'm a little you know they Hey, Bruce Brown, 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:13.679 Bruce Brown losing him that is a big that's a 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:14.680 big loss right there. 0:19:14.960 --> 0:19:18.200 That is very real. And look, I'm probably not ready 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:19.800 to do the order after Denver. 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:22.520 Okay, all right, all right, that's what I was getting. 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.640 That's why I was like, no, I can't do that yet. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:27.040 I'm still figuring that out too. 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:30.960 But let me say this, sty I'm looking at the 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:35.119 top eight from last year who made the playoffs, right, Denver, 0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:41.879 and then I'm going in order Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, Phoenix, Clippers, Warriors, Lakers. 0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:46.400 Minnesota was eight, Stein I had. Out of those eight, 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:51.080 I have a hard time thinking who can get into 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:52.960 that eight. No, now, listen, I know there are teams 0:19:53.000 --> 0:19:55.199 that can get to it. Like so New Orleans they 0:19:55.200 --> 0:20:00.240 were nine. Maybe they leap for aud Minnesota, but at 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:03.919 eight or that nine right there, it's tough. And I 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:05.680 know Dallas they were they were eleven. 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:11.600 Like Minnesota thinks they're better, that they will be better 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:14.840 with a full training camp, and obviously Cat missed a 0:20:14.960 --> 0:20:18.080 zillion games last year. So Minnesota believes they're a better 0:20:18.119 --> 0:20:22.720 team New Orleans if they've got Zion. I mean, obviously 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:25.120 we're gonna have to look at them differently. But that's 0:20:25.160 --> 0:20:28.560 a huge iff when you know Zion's got to play 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:31.280 half a season first before we, you know, we even 0:20:31.320 --> 0:20:35.040 start talking about it. So but obviously he you know, 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:38.040 he played a pre he made his preseason debut and 0:20:38.080 --> 0:20:40.639 people got very excited. I mean, yeah, that again, this 0:20:40.800 --> 0:20:45.280 is the conversation I was having with with various folks 0:20:45.320 --> 0:20:47.680 in Dallas. You guys, if you want to get back 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:49.560 even in the play in you got a lot of 0:20:49.600 --> 0:20:52.600 work to do to leap frog a lot of good teams. 0:20:52.880 --> 0:20:55.840 Yeah, it's tough. Like I have a hard time, Like 0:20:56.080 --> 0:20:57.640 I think Denver is going to be in the playoffs. 0:20:57.640 --> 0:20:59.959 Think Memphis, I think Sacramento, I think Phoenix, I think 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:02.200 the Clippers, I think the Warriors, I think the Lakers. 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:08.400 Those seven, those are seven that I'm pretty certain will 0:21:08.440 --> 0:21:13.159 be there. Seven. You know, that's not a lot a 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:15.480 wiggle room for other teams to jump up in there. 0:21:15.600 --> 0:21:17.240 You know, I know Dallas is better than what they 0:21:17.240 --> 0:21:19.440 were last year. New Orleans is better than what they 0:21:19.440 --> 0:21:23.160 were last year. Minnesota. It's it, man, I'm looking forward 0:21:23.200 --> 0:21:24.000 to It's gonna be tough. 0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:26.040 Well, we can talk about Dallas now a bit, because 0:21:26.080 --> 0:21:28.960 again I did not go to Abu Dhabi with them. 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:31.520 I met them in Madrid. I got to Madrid a 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:36.440 few hours before they did. And look, this will go 0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:40.560 down as the longest trip in NBA preseason history, both 0:21:40.680 --> 0:21:46.879 literally and figuratively. They flew nearly seventeen thousand air miles 0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:50.640 combined to do the two games in Abu Dhabi before Madrid, 0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:55.160 and they came home Thursday today with both of their 0:21:55.200 --> 0:22:01.080 stars carrying injuries. Luka Doncic suffered a left calf strain 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:05.800 in practice on Monday, and that was the only real 0:22:05.880 --> 0:22:09.520 practice that the Mavericks were able to have on the 0:22:09.560 --> 0:22:13.199 whole trip after they lost to the Wolves twice in 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:15.080 Abu Dhabi. Because you know, when you go to Abu 0:22:15.160 --> 0:22:18.240 Dhabi and it's the league trip, when you're not playing, 0:22:18.240 --> 0:22:21.440 the league's got you doing all kinds of stuff. There's appearances, 0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:25.720 there's clinics, there's special dinners and tours, and it's like 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:29.400 it is not conducive to practice. So they had six 0:22:29.480 --> 0:22:32.800 practices before they left for Abu Dhabi. Go to Abu Dhabi, 0:22:32.920 --> 0:22:36.640 play the two games, come back. They basically fly from 0:22:36.640 --> 0:22:39.119 Abu Dhabi to Madrid, which is like going coast to 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:42.760 coast in the States. They have their first real practice 0:22:43.119 --> 0:22:47.440 before the game. Luka calf strain, the same left leg 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:51.120 that has been bugging him on some level since late 0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:55.439