WEBVTT - |FULL POD| Southeast Division Preview & Kurt Helin! 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:09.280 On this episode of The Heat Check, we finish our 0:00:09.360 --> 0:00:15.120 Eastern Conference preview with the IKEA of Divisions, the Southeast 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:19.480 Division worse than the IKEA of Divisions actually like IKEA's 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:21.880 coffee tables. You know, they try to pretend like there would, 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:24.080 but it's actually just made out of cardboard that's been 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:27.319 like disintegrated and packed into like some glue form. So 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:35.600 I guess it is the IKEA Divisions. We're looking at Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Look, Orlando, 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:41.800 and the Washington Wizards. We also have a great interview 0:00:41.800 --> 0:00:45.040 with Kurt Healing from NBC Sports to prepare you for 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:47.760 all the things about the new season. It is a 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.400 loaded show. Welcome, let's get into it. William drop that 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:53.360 generic gas beat that should be reh. 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:58.640 Honest breaking down all the biggest NBA storylines. 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:00.520 Heat Check. 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:04.240 The Heat Check was just a CRA's the best podcast 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:06.520 covering all the drama around the association. 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:13.920 Our final preview Southeast Division. I'd like to say last, 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:16.360 but not least. We saved the best for last, but 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:20.320 we didn't. I waited as long as I possibly could 0:01:20.680 --> 0:01:25.119 to talk about this shitty ass division. The yellow starburst 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:30.319 of NBA divisions is the Southeast. It's like the candy 0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:34.679 corn in the Halloween Bowl, whereas like nobody wants this shit. 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.800 It's sticking to everything else. You can't get rid of it. 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:39.759 They put it on sale for nine to nine cents 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:03.640 for an entire pound at your local Fred Myers. But 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:05.800 we're gonna get into it anyway because there's still NBA 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.200 teams here that we have to cover. That's how much 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:10.079 I love you. I want to talk about other things 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:14.560 the tea, like the Chicago Bulls players meeting only first 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:16.239 game of the season has to get waxed by the 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:22.080 Okase thunder. But no, no, sir, we must fulfill our commitments, 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:26.320 and we start with the Atlanta Hawks. Key additions. They 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:29.000 get Kobe Buffin in the draft out of Michigan. They 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:32.320 get Patty Mills from free agency. What is Patty Mills 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:34.919 doing there? By the way, what the fuck? Why? First 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:37.520 of all, aren't you ready to retire? And second of all, 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:40.959 why do you want to be with that dog shit organization? Subtractions. 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:45.600 John Collins Finally, he's been in the news trade rumors 0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:49.160 so long. Finally happened. He gets himself into a better situation. 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:53.960 Congratulations to John Collins. Anyway, we move forward about the Hawks. 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:58.799 So though last year the Hawks imploded, they fired their 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:02.359 coach of the deadline, they went out and hired a 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:06.080 coach midway through the season in Quinn Snyder for so 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:10.080 much money, all the money. Spectacularly, also fired their GM, 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:13.960 hired a whole new front office. Remember then they tried 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:15.960 to say the GM wasn't really fired, he was just 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:18.520 in an advisory role. Now I mean they fired him 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:20.560 and he just kept him on site on step. Yeah, 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:24.000 Travis Schlank. Now he's working for the Washington Wizards, part 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:27.840 of the same same sort of umbrella, yellow starburst. But 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:32.800 we'll move forward. The explanation of hiring Quinn Snyder and 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:34.840 then not waiting out the year was just so that 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:38.160 Snyder could assess, he could wait and see what he had. 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:41.320 He could get a head start for this season. And 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:46.320 he found out pretty early that this old John Collins 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:49.440 Trey Young thing it's not working. It's never gonna work. 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:53.200 John Collins doesn't like Trey Young. So this summer they 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.760 sent out John Collins the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gay 0:03:57.280 --> 0:03:59.760 and his second round pick. Remember they were at one 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.080 point I refusing to trade John Collins unless they got 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:06.200 multiple first round picks for him back That was a 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:09.680 real article. Those were the real news rumors. Sounds like 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:12.000 they couldn't get that first round pick for him, and 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:14.400 now they got a dirty muffin which was Rudy Gay 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.760 and his second round pick. They turned down much better 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:20.480 packages for him in the past. I like where John 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:24.760 Collins landed for a team that was pretty trash. Last year, 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:28.240 the Hawks didn't really do much. They're still trying to 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.640 roll out this whole Dejontey Murray and Trey Young experiments. 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:34.960 I preferred to Jontay Murray. They add Patty Mills and 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:38.080 Kobe Buffkin. Neither are going to be very much factors. 0:04:38.440 --> 0:04:41.680 This team is going to fall again on whether Dejonte 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:45.560 and Trey could play together. And I don't know, honestly. 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:48.400 I like DeAndre Hunter a lot. I am not sure 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:51.640 honestly if this roster makes any sense. They refused to 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:56.159 extend Sidik Bay, which they traded for, which means he's 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:58.800 probably getting moved at the deadline or they'll lose him 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:03.000 for nothing. We're looking at a starting five of Clint Capella, 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:07.239 who looked horrible in their opening game. He's been rumored 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:10.160 to be traded for the last sixteen months, Trey Young, 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:14.040 de Jontey Murray just signed an extension, DeAndre hurt Hunter, 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:18.719 and bog Don Bogdanovic. Does anybody think that this team 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:21.960 is gonna win their division? No, this is a team 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:25.159 that went to the Eastern Conference finals. Does anyone actually 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:30.479 like this team? The Washington Wizards circle Atlanta on their calendars, like, yep, 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:34.120 that's the game. That's the game we low manage stars for. 0:05:34.279 --> 0:05:37.040 That's the game we low manage Jordan Pool for. They're 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:42.159 gonna probably win forty forty two games. They're gonna be 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:46.360 a playing team as like a twelve seed? Was it seven, eight, nine, ten? 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:51.080 So it's a ten seed? Ten seed? It feels like 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:53.320 so many damn teams get in. This is the kind 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:57.000 of team really is like wins the NBA in season 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.360 tournament and they just call that season his success because 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.719 the owner's son is now running the team, and you 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:05.880 know how that whole thing goes. And then we're gonna 0:06:05.880 --> 0:06:08.480 have another mediocres to season and Quinn Snyder will have 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.760 to decide whether Trey Young can be on this team 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:14.640 any longer in order for them to move on and succeed, 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:16.800 and I think he'll get to the point where he 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:20.080 realizes maybe he's been the problem the whole time. We 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:24.279 move forward another team in this division. My vote for 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:28.520 the team that had the absolutely worst off season by far, 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:32.200 by far was the Miami Heat. How do you go 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:35.599 to the finals and still have the worst off season 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:39.479 of anyone? Love their draft picks, Haimi Hawkez love him, 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:44.479 you end up getting Thomas Bryant. Don't hate it, Josh Richardson, 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:48.000 you pick him up. That's terrible, John. I might be 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:52.039 the leader of the Josh Richardson dis fan club, like 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:54.640 the non fan club like. I don't hate him as 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:57.279 a person. He is not a piece. Though he is 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.000 not a piece. I would have rather they got Kelly 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.400 than Josh Richardson. That's not a lie. They lose Max Struz, 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:06.120 who by the way, had seven threes for the Caves 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.680 the other night, just loading up buckets after buckets. They 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:16.000 lose Gabe Vincent. They lose Victor Oladipa. They were just waiting. 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:18.520 They knew they were getting Damian Lillar, didn't they. They 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:21.520 just knew they were getting Dame. They thought they were 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:24.200 getting Bradley Beal for a song. This team could have 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:33.240 had Dame brad Beal, Jimmy Butler, bam Adebayo. Jesus, what 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:39.120 are they doing? Pat Riley? Pat Riley, I don't know 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:41.520 what to say other than he just doesn't want to 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:45.480 spend money. He's done, he's decided, like the Chicago Bulls, 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:49.160 We're gonna put together a good product and in the 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:51.880 playoffs we'll see. But I'm not gonna go into the 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:55.440 luxury tags for a thirty something star who's gonna make 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.680 like sixty five million dollars next year. They lost out 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:00.880 on Bradley Beal, who was his first choice, was going 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:03.520 to Miami. Even this week. Something came out where he 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:04.800 was like, I thought it was a done deal, and 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:06.840 for whatever reason, they did not want to make a move. 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:09.920 It's the no trade clause, Bradley, It's the no trade clause, 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:15.040 and they dragged their feet. No clue what happened. I 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:17.960 know what happened. You know what happened, pat Riley. Happened. 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.840 He wanted to basically get another star for free and 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:25.840 have Bradley Beal wave his no trade clause, and instead 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.920 Bradley Burele goes to Phoenix for basically nothing. Literally, I 0:08:28.920 --> 0:08:31.480 think it was like what how many? Like a handful 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:34.319 of second round picks? And Beale is still like, how 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:36.880 did I end up in Phoenix? I don't know how 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:41.000 this happened. It wasn't even on my board. It didn't 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:43.720 even register as a team for me to go to. Then, 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.839 of course they lose Dame because they didn't want to 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.680 make a real offer. What did that leave them thinking 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.440 maybe they could get into the Drew Holiday Sweepstakes? But 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:54.719 by then it was like Portland's I don't call us 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:58.320 lose our number. Then now they're thinking maybe they can 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:00.840 get into the Heart and Sweep steaks because Harden is 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:05.120 now opening up the possibilities of trade partners for Philadelphia. 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:08.840 He just wants to compete, doesn't matter if he's in La. 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:13.000 It's a disaster. Their backup plan, Kelly Oubre went to 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:17.240 the Sixers. Then Jannis, who was their backup, backup, backup plan, 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:20.640 just signed a massive three year extension. All they can 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:24.320 hope for now is Joel Embiid. That's it. I'd say 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:27.160 pat Riley is coming to a close of what he's 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:29.959 willing to do in terms of his aggressiveness. They find 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.120 these guys out of the bottom of the barrel. They 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:35.079 want these role players who can contribute with very little 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:38.360 money attached to them, and that helps them, you know, 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:42.840 with their financial situation. That's fine, but ultimately that's not 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:46.840 what you want to do when you are a championship 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:51.600 caliber franchise. He's a junk ball pitcher now, pat Riley, 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:55.079 his command has failed. The Heat were three minutes from 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:57.120 getting bounced last year in the player and then what 0:09:57.160 --> 0:09:59.280 do they do? They said, well, well, just instead of 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:02.160 using that data to make our decision, we're going to 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:04.400 use the data that's less likely, which is the fact 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.160 that we went to the finals and then you lose 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:09.880 two guys that were on the team that were key contributors. 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:13.760 What do I like about this team? Obviously Jimmy Butler, 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:15.920 He's fucking beast. He's one of my favorite players in 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:18.920 the league. I love bam Adebayo. Those two are enough 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:22.120 to do a lot for you in a postseason. Tyler 0:10:22.160 --> 0:10:25.280 hero is an absolute bucket. He's like the white Anthony Simons. 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:28.080 He's going to be able to get your buckets from 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:30.400 the perimeter. He's going to probably have a chip on 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.439 his shoulder and Chuck I don't know eighteen times a game. 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:40.360 He's been rumored to be in every trade Miami's ever had. Recently, 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:43.480 he deleted Miami from his Instagram. Remember, at one point 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:47.040 this beach could probably revenge season for Tyler Hero. Duncan 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.480 Robinson I think is back into the rotation. I think 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:52.600 they hate him less because he proved himself when Tyler 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:55.079 Hero was out. In the playoffs, they're starting guards though, 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:59.840 are Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin. This is a bad team, folks. 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:01.960 This is a bad team. This is the same team 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:05.240 as last year, only worse. If Heimi Hawkaz doesn't produce 0:11:05.480 --> 0:11:08.319 or Nikola Yovich, who was a healthy scratch last night 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:11.160 doesn't produce ah and they don't make the playoffs, I 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:13.040 would not be shocked if they don't make the playoffs. 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:17.400 Everyone else except for Atlanta got better in their division 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:20.520 and they got worse. It's Mas school, folks. They are 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:24.640 taking a downturn. The biggest asset that the Heat have 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.839 is obviously Eric Spolstra. He continues to make gold out 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:31.040 of garbage, so I would be also not shocked if 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:33.760 they made the finals again. Best case scenario is playing, 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:36.200 but you never know what's gonna happen when you get 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:38.960 Jimmy Butler in the postseason, the heat though, or a 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:42.000 team in decline. I am not ruining for them. I 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:44.560 do not feel like they are a team that you 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:47.600 can believe in, and pat Riley must take the blame. 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:53.480 We now take our attention to the Orlando Magic. You 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:56.839 know it's bad, right, You know it's bad when the 0:11:56.880 --> 0:12:01.680 one bright spot of your division is Orlando Magic. That's 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:05.040 where we're at. The Orlando Magic are the best team 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:10.640 potentially in this dog shit division. Key additions Anthony Black, 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:16.920 Jet Howard, Joe Ingles Key subtraction Bowl Bull. This is 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:20.360 the only team in modern memory with ten guards on 0:12:20.400 --> 0:12:23.439 a twenty men roster. That's this is insane. I don't 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.720 know what they're doing. Even guys that were rumored to 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:29.679 be traded, like Cole Anthony just signed a three year, 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.240 thirty nine million dollar extension in the draft. They went 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:34.720 out and got I don't know, two more guards just 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:38.160 for safe measure. Anthony Black, he's not really in the rotation. 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:41.360 Jet Howard not really in the rotation. We're just gonna 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:44.560 let him sit there and marinate like good chicken. You 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.560 go with markl Foltz and Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:50.360 and Caleb Houston and Kevon Harris and trevl and Queen. 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:53.079 You get the picture, folks. A lot of guards, a 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:58.359 lot of guards. But I think that kind of diminishes 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:02.560 how good this roster can be. Polo ban Caro will 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:03.880 come off of the Rookie of the Year season that 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:05.920 he had and he's gonna even be better. I think 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:08.960 he could legitimately, once he finds his stride, he could 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:12.680 average twenty five points a season a game. Franz Wagner, 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:14.600 I think he could be most improved player this year. 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:19.600 He was incredible in World Cup play, leading Germany to 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:22.080 a gold medal, but also they were undefeated, and I 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:25.880 like Markel Foltz. I like Cole Anthony to lead this 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.760 group of guards, which means I think the Magic are 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:33.079 probably gonna have a very very deep team, twelve fourteen 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:35.520 guys in a game. They should be fresher than a 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:38.400 lot of teams. What is their upside, that's the question. 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.800 I think this is a playing team. I think this 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.400 is a team that could legitimately win the division. This 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:48.440 is a sneaky playoff team. The Magic in March. From 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:51.680 March on were five hundred, So I think that's what 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:53.840 they're gonna be going forward. I really do. The nice 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:56.800 part though, of the magic is I think they have 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:58.760 a lot of pieces that they can make some moves 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:02.040 if they wanted to. At the deadline. They have enough assets. 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:05.240 You could probably package Anthony Black. There's a lot of 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:07.600 teams that would like a six to seven guard. You 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:11.559 have draft capital, you have young players. You can get 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:13.520 probably anything you want. You can probably get Pascal sa 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.280 Uckham if you want it. You got a starting five 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:21.760 of Wendell Carter, Franz Wagner, marcl Foltz, Paolo and Jalen 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:25.560 Suggs with Cole Anthony first man off the bench. What 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:28.240 you need, or what they need, is veteran leadership. Of course, 0:14:29.520 --> 0:14:31.720 that's why Malcolm I think Malcolm Rognen really makes a 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:35.520 lot of sense for them. Do a deal with Portland Orlando, 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:38.120 do a deal. We could use some wings. You guys 0:14:38.160 --> 0:14:41.360 got a lot, get us window. They also have Jonathan 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:43.520 Isaac there, who's supposed to be good when he's healthy. 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:48.160 You need somebody, probably with veteran mentorship who can slow 0:14:48.200 --> 0:14:51.040 these guards down. Do they need another guard? Probably not. 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:54.560 They could actually use a guy like Jeremy Grant. Do 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:57.080 a deal with Portland, Orlando, do a deal with Portland. 0:14:57.480 --> 0:14:59.240 I like these Magic I think they have a very 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:05.920 bright future. I think they win forty to forty four games. 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:09.360 It's time to chop it up with the Charlotte Hornets. 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:13.520 Oh gross, just a team that has a lot of 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:18.360 issues culturally with that roster. You've had some turnover, You've 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:21.560 had a lack of turnover with players you probably should 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:26.360 have turned over. Key Losses, Kelly oubre Kai Jones, the Mahollick, 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:31.000 Dennis Smith junior, Key additions Brendan Miller in the draft, 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:34.200 Nick Smith Junior who I like in the draft. Miles 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:38.400 Bridges signs his contract officially announced. That's the one where 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:40.560 you wonder, why is this man still on the roster? 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:45.880 LaMelo Ball agrees to a multi year extension. Frank Nilikina 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:51.720 signed an extension. PJ. Washington agreed to an extension. I 0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:54.480 don't really know what to make of this team. Sometimes, 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:58.280 things that they do in this franchise in general just 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:02.920 leave me speechless. Why why you ask? Just why? Why? 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:04.320 Let me count the ways? 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:05.480 So? 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:09.680 Okay, So instead of cutting ties with Miles Bridges when 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:12.320 they had the chance. I don't know, in like the 0:16:12.400 --> 0:16:16.800 last ten months, you re sign him and then guess what, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:21.920 you resign him and he breaks his probation and is 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:27.880 accused of domestic violence once again, throwing pool balls at 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:32.800 his girlfriend's car window while his babies are in the car. Shocking, 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:37.520 shocking stuff from Miles Bridges. I tell you the Hornets, 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:39.880 I don't know why they can't just get out of 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:43.640 their own way. Michael Jordan has sold his majority share 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:46.120 at the franchise. The team has a chance to draft 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:49.080 a once in a generation player, which is Scoot Henderson, 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:52.480 and yet you pass on him for Brandon Miller, who 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.320 by the way, also has his own off the court issues. 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:58.400 Has struggled that summer League. Isn't some guy that you 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:02.640 think can immediately respond as a franchise altering player. He 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:04.840 just gets named I think a couple of weeks ago, 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:08.120 maybe even less, in a wrongful death suit. Kaya Jones' 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:11.119 former first round draft pick ig lived himself out of 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:14.399 the league. Half of Twitter joked that this team was 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.160 going to sign Kevin Porter Junior. That's how bad things 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:20.479 are in Charlotte is that people think you're gonna make 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:24.159 the disastrously wrong move when given the chance. What do 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:26.960 you have left? You got LaMelo five years, two sixty 0:17:27.000 --> 0:17:29.600 million dollar extension. I think he's worth it. You've got 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:35.040 a great point guard surrounded by a sea of toxic mididity. Yeah, 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:39.080 toxic mididity. I said it. A bunch of mid guys 0:17:39.240 --> 0:17:43.200 who are toxic. Miles Bridges. I like PJ. Washington. He's 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:44.960 just been at the wrong place in the wrong time. 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:47.840 I think he was the last major free agent to sign, 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:51.520 and he found almost no interest anywhere else for the price, 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:54.120 which I think is is weird because he's a good piece. 0:17:54.160 --> 0:17:56.000 I like him. A lot three for forty eight is 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:59.600 very good deal. I like Mark Williams. He's a nice 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:03.840 little p had him last year sophomore season. He's already 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:07.439 snatched blocking people. Gordon Hayward. Is he gonna be healthy? 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:11.280 Terry Rozier, does he even want to be there? You 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.520 lost Kelly Ubre, which I mean, I don't think that 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:18.400 was such a huge loss. Dennis Smith Junior. No one 0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:21.320 knows who can reliably hit a three pointer on this team. Besides, 0:18:21.359 --> 0:18:24.040 I don't know Terry Rozier. This is just not a 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:28.120 good roster folks. This has got flashes of excitement, but 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:30.440 not a team that you want to watch on a 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:32.720 night to night basis. They'll sneak up, they'll win some 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:36.280 games when you're not watching right, They'll beat a team 0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:38.320 that you have no idea how they beat. They'll beat 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:41.600 the box on a Wednesday. That's what they'll do. But 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:44.359 short of a rebuild, I can't see how this team 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:49.280 gets better anytime soon. We end our preview with the 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:52.720 Washington Wizards, who I think are my pick for the 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:55.719 worst team in the NBA. I watched him last night 0:18:55.760 --> 0:18:59.040 the whole game played the Indiana Pacers. The Indiana Pacers 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:02.480 blew hm out by like twenty. Key additions Jordan Poole 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:06.120 in the trade, Tias Jones, who I love, Balao Kulibali 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.520 who they got in the draft, and Landry Shaman who's 0:19:08.560 --> 0:19:11.359 in street clothes in game one. So that tells you 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:14.960 everything you need to know. Key subtractions Bradley Beal, Poor Zingis, 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:17.920 and Monty Morris. The Wizards are gonna be bad, folks. 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:20.359 It's gonna be I don't know even what the plan 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:23.240 is because you've got guys like Pool and Tias Jones 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:26.240 who are grown who are in the middle of them 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:29.240 of their career, and that's not changing, right. This is 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:31.960 the team you want to be rebuilding around. You blew 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:34.639 up the bridge, you get rid of Porzingis and beale 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:36.840 your two max players for a boatload of picks and 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:40.000 some interesting players. So that's not bad. This team, though, 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:44.439 is gonna lose. They're the East Coast in terms of 0:19:44.480 --> 0:19:47.760 the equivalent amount of games lost. I don't think a 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:50.000 team is gonna be as bad as them, except for 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:54.399 maybe the Portland Trailblazers. A lot of games losing. You 0:19:54.440 --> 0:19:57.320 add Jordan Pool, which means you're gonna be chucking a lot. 0:19:57.440 --> 0:19:59.560 Jordan Poole went zero for six from three last night. 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:02.840 My man Kyle Kusman put up twenty five, but he 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:06.480 was chucking. We already saw that. Denny Abdya is pissed 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:09.000 off at how little these guys want to pass him 0:20:09.040 --> 0:20:12.639 the ball, just casually launching thirty footer after thirty footer 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:16.040 four seconds into the shot clock. That, of course, is 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:19.919 the Jordan Poole experience, so get used to that. What 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:25.320 is left on this roster. They got Patrick Baldwin Junior 0:20:25.400 --> 0:20:29.200 from the Warriors, a nice little piece I like Danilo Gallinari, 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:32.119 Danilo Gallinari. If you're a better he's gonna be putting 0:20:32.200 --> 0:20:35.080 up ten fifteen points a game. I think he's gonna 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:37.360 be looking to get moved at the deadline. I think 0:20:37.440 --> 0:20:41.240 Landry Sham is terrible. Tyus Jones is a good piece. 0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:45.560 He is. I like COO's Coos. I just don't know 0:20:46.200 --> 0:20:49.200 the team. I like ballall Coolibali a lot, but he's 0:20:49.240 --> 0:20:52.000 a brand new baby. He's a rookie. Over the next 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:55.640 three years, Washington has four first and five seconds. They 0:20:55.640 --> 0:20:59.639 can gain even more draft capital by moving guys like Jones, Gallinari, 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:03.800 Daniel Gafford, deln Wright. Maybe they're good in twenty thirty. 0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:09.520 Until then, enjoy Jordan Poole chuckin eighteen shots a game. 0:21:10.359 --> 0:21:12.320 Now we're in for a big treat. We got Kurt 0:21:12.359 --> 0:21:15.280 Healing on. Kurt is the blogger in chief of Pro 0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:18.639 Basketball Talk dot com, but also nbcsports dot com and 0:21:18.760 --> 0:21:22.080 the managing editor in NBC. We had a wide ranging interview. 0:21:22.400 --> 0:21:24.400 It touched on a lot of inner storylines that come 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:27.520 up for the season. So let's get into it. Welcome 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:30.720 to the show, my man, Kurt Healin, lead NBA Rider 0:21:30.840 --> 0:21:34.359 managing editor NBC Sports dot Com, just one of the 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:38.240 I would say more honest guys in their assessments of 0:21:38.280 --> 0:21:41.159 what's happening around the NBA. I've got a ton of questions. 0:21:41.200 --> 0:21:44.840 There's a lot developing, and we could spend all day, 0:21:45.080 --> 0:21:46.800 but I figured I would call it down to the 0:21:46.840 --> 0:21:49.800 teams that I personally am the most interested in based 0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:52.600 on what we saw opening night, but also some of 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:57.400 the sleeper teams too. So I am really intrigued by Phoenix. 0:21:58.080 --> 0:22:02.880 I think that's a team that could potentially break the 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:06.679 mentality of the super team right being dead. And Bradley 0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:09.760 Beal obviously is a guy that they got for absolutely nothing. 0:22:09.880 --> 0:22:13.680 They made moves at in the summer with Nurkic, which 0:22:13.720 --> 0:22:16.200 I think is super interesting, got a lot of depth. 0:22:16.400 --> 0:22:18.760 They get a bunch of guys from the Blazers, and 0:22:19.040 --> 0:22:21.360 I think when they went to Chase last night or 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:23.800 on Tuesday night, we were wondering how they would look 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:27.320 against a team that has largely been a contender anytime 0:22:27.359 --> 0:22:30.959 Steph is healthy. So the thing that stuck out to 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:35.120 me was Devin Booker. You watch him and it looked 0:22:35.119 --> 0:22:36.920 like he was the best player on the floor pretty 0:22:36.960 --> 0:22:40.240 much the entire night thirty two six and eight one steal, 0:22:41.080 --> 0:22:43.800 and that was with Steph doing you know, Steph things. 0:22:44.080 --> 0:22:48.080 Do you think Devin Booker is a legit MVP candidate 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:50.119 if he plays on a team that Kevin Durant plays on. 0:22:50.320 --> 0:22:52.240 I think it'd be hard to be MVP with Kevin 0:22:52.280 --> 0:22:55.560 Durant sitting there because unless he does this like every night. 0:22:55.640 --> 0:22:58.480 But Durant was cold shooting, and by the way, everybody 0:22:58.560 --> 0:23:01.399 not named Booker like great put up numbers, but he 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:03.840 was like eight of twenty and everybody else was just 0:23:04.040 --> 0:23:05.800