WEBVTT - Keith Smith & James Ham Join The Heat Check! 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:05.560 Your cure. You're listening to the Hottest, the Hottest. 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:08.480 It'd be a podcast out here. I said what I. 0:00:08.440 --> 0:00:12.160 Said, heating up. It's the heat check check. 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:16.400 It's here's a little appetizer before we get into the 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:19.160 main event interview with James Hamm. We had the great 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:21.680 Keith Smith on through spoke track on my nightly show 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:23.800 bet MGM tonight. By the way, I have a betting 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:26.640 show that's on Monday through Friday seven to eleven Eastern 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:29.000 Standard time. It's a lot of hours, so why don't 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:32.159 you come join us enjoy sweat out some bets from 0:00:32.240 --> 0:00:36.520 all around the association, the NFL, college football, college basketball, 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:39.479 and women's hoops. I was joined by my co hosts 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:43.400 Nick Ashe and Ryan Horvack. Keith always insightful, so let's 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:44.159 get right into it. 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:46.800 Keith Smith jumps on with us now and uh, you know, 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:49.080 you know what, Let's start with your Celtics a little bit. 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:52.120 I'm looking at a team right now, Keith. That God, 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:54.680 they look like, if not the best team in the NBA, 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:57.560 pretty damn close. But we got the Sixers up four 0:00:57.600 --> 0:00:59.000 on them about two minutes to go here in the 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:02.200 second quarter. When you watch the Sixers and you see 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:04.280 what's going not just tonight, but just just in general 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:06.160 for the Sixers team. I don't want to say, like, hey, 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:07.760 are they better than what they could have been with 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:09.920 James Harden, But it just felt like there was a 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:12.479 distraction there and in some ways, I don't know, maybe 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:15.080 he held them back somewhat. Do you see a Sixers 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.200 team that is maybe I don't know, has a higher 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:20.640 ceiling now just give it the way they're playing without 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:22.319 James Harden, I don't know that. 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:24.880 They have a higher ceiling, but but I do think 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:28.920 sometimes you know, it's addition by subtraction. There was clearly 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:32.280 a major distraction going on with him and the way 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:35.440 things were going and the way you know, things were 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:38.759 headed with this situation. Where getting that out of there, 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:42.479 we're moving that distraction, allowing everybody to just basically take 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:44.959 their role and slot in and do what they're going 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:47.440 to do. That puts them in a great, great place, 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.360 you know, moving forward. Now, you know, anybody worrying about, all, right, well, 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:52.280 when he gets back, what's my role going to be 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.280 when he is not around? What? You know, then what 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.520 do I have to do? Now? Everybody can just play 0:01:57.520 --> 0:01:59.920 what they're going to play and just move forward with it. 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:02.720 So I think there's a chance it's edition by subtraction 0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:06.640 for Philly. This ceiling that will ultimately be determined, you know, 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:08.840 when we get into the playoffs and we'll see do 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:10.160 they have enough offense creation? 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:13.799 And like this question is random but near and dear 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.160 to my heart because people are calling me a hater 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:17.440 on Twitter right now. 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:18.280 What is your. 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:23.000 Thoughts on Cam Thomas and how the Nets have basically 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:26.120 allowed him to have superstar green light right now, he's 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.320 attempting the most amount of shots in the NBA with 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:32.519 the lowest assist ratio. As you can tell, Keith, I'm 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.160 not super high on building a team or building an 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:36.160 offense around him. 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:39.280 Yeah, I think the problem for the Nets right now 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:41.840 is they just don't have enough offense. So it's a 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:45.120 lot of Michale bridges and then they need anybody else 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:48.520 who can create their own. Look, Cam Johnson hasn't been there, 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:50.920 he's been out, so you got to you know, figure 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:53.240 things out, sort through it for as long as it's 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:55.440 going to take to get him back on the floor. 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:57.800 So that that's been you know, a challenge for sure 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:00.720 for the Nets. So that's going to be a you know, 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:03.120 a whole thing for them. So for right now, I'm 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.560 kind of okay with them letting Cam Thomas go, but 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:09.640 I think, yeah, you're going to struggle to find yourself 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.320 in a spot where if Cam Thomas has taking thirty 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:14.560 shots a night, you're probably not going to be a 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:17.120 very good team unless all of a sudden he develops 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:19.760 into the most efficient score in the world, because he's 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.320 not always doing it with the most efficient levels. 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:24.800 Keith, it's only a seven game sample size, but are 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:26.840 you a believer in what the Dallas Mavericks are doing 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:28.079 here early at six and one? 0:03:28.440 --> 0:03:31.200 Yeah, yeah, I think you know what they did really 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.880 well was they want with shooting in defense around Luka 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:36.640 Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and that's that's how you're going 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:38.480 to have to win. You know, Grant Williams is one 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:41.119 of the best value signing this summer because it'll play 0:03:41.200 --> 0:03:44.200 defense and it'll make open shots. He did that with 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:46.720 Boston at a pretty good clip. We saw him do 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.640 it also in you know, high level important games, so 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:53.280 no reason to think he can't still do that with Dallas. 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:56.440 And then Derek Lively has injected just some energy, some 0:03:56.760 --> 0:03:59.720 you know, bounce into that starting group. He's really figuring 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:02.280 it out pretty quickly. And their depth is all of 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.040 the nonstin They've got enough guys kind of round the 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:07.720 two stars that they need. So when you build a 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:10.480 team like that, you're gonna probably have pretty good levels 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:12.720 of success. So I think it's sustainable. I don't know 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.280 that it's you know, one loss every six to seven 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:18.280 games sustainable, but I think they should be a top 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:20.359 six team when all a said and done in the 0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:23.200 Western Conference, which really you should be if you're building 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:25.120 the team around Doncich and Irving Keith. 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:26.799 We're looking at the Bucks right now give up almost 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:28.800 one hundred and seventeen points a game, which is actually 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:30.839 slightly better than where they were earlier in the season 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:33.400 when they were twenty eighth and points allowed. Do you 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:36.039 look at this and say, ah, it's a team, got 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:38.560 some new players on there, Dame's not really a defensive guy. 0:04:38.800 --> 0:04:40.719 This is going to take some growing pains to figure 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.599 out everybody's role on both ends of the court. Or 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:46.040 do you maybe see a bigger issue in Milwaukee. 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:49.720 I think there's that part with Damian Lillard and some 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:52.280 other new guys that are playing, you know, pretty big 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:55.080 roles there Milwaukee. But I think the other challenge that 0:04:55.120 --> 0:04:59.320 you have with them right now is you've got the 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:02.680 Bucks are playing a very different scheme they have. You 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:06.760 gone through a period where they're bringing Adrian Griffin's new 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.360 scheme in and they're putting Brook Lopez up at the 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.039 level of the ball. And the challenge with that is 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:14.839 that's not taking advantage of what he does well. Even 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:16.920 when he was much much younger, he was not going 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:19.680 to be a hedge hard, hedge high guy and then 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.760 quick hard recover to his man. He was always going 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:24.360 to be someone who is going to be all right, 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:26.400 they need to lay back a little bit, And that's 0:05:26.560 --> 0:05:29.120 just not taking advantage of what he's done and what 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:32.840 the real kind of skills are of him that's made 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:35.279 him the defensive Player of the Year candidate year in 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:37.120 and year out. But I'm okay with trying it and 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.640 trying some new stuff because you're never going to know 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.440 if it will work unless you give it a shot. Now, 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:44.680 but it's one of those things where I think eventually 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:47.279 they'll probably scrap some of that, at least when Lopez 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:49.200 is in the game and go back to what they 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:50.839 know works real well for them. 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:52.360 Yeah, that's a really good point. 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:54.839 What is it time for us to panic about the 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:55.919 Sacramento Kings. 0:05:56.279 --> 0:05:59.240 Yeah, let's see what happens. You know, it's two old. 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:01.599 How long is Darren Fox out for him? What do 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:04.559 they look like when he is fully backed in the fold, 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:06.919 Because that's gonna be something they're certainly going to have 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:10.520 to figure out, you know, because if he's there and playing, 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:15.120 then you're probably doing, you know, pretty well. If he's not, 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:18.159 you know, if they're not winning games when if he's back, 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:21.600 and that's worrisome for them. And in the Western Conference, 0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:24.240 you can't give up too many games. There's too many 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:26.440 good teams. So you're gonna end up in a spot. 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:28.200 You know, we've seen the Grizzlies. They're kind of in 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:30.200 that spot already, and you're gonna end up in a 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.680 spot if you're the Kings where if you look up 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:35.000 a month from now and you're five six games already 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:37.560 out of the playoff picture, you're making your task in 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:39.800 the second half of the season really really difficult. 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.000 If you're a Miami fan, is there any reason to 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.320 be concerned at all? I mean, you're three and four 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:46.240 you're the ten seed in the East, but really all 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:47.880 you have to do is get into the playing tournament 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:49.880 and you're probably guaranteed to go to the finals again 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:50.760 for whatever reason. 0:06:51.960 --> 0:06:54.320 Yeah, I mean they did. There's some of that, right, 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:57.279 but it also I think what you saw with Miami, 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.440 much like with the Lakers in the Western Conference, but 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:04.000 it definitely with Miami was they ran out of gas 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:05.760 by the time they get to the finals because they 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:07.760 had to push so hard, you know, to get all 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:09.400 the way there. You know, you don't want to make 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:12.200 that path more difficult if you don't have to. But 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:15.480 you're also seeing some limitations of a team that they 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.240 make the big trade. They didn't build out their roster 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.080 because it felt like they spent most of the summer 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:24.720 anticipation of making the big trade. So that bele comes, 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.360 you know, a major thing for the you know Miami 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:29.440 heat of you know, all right, you know they're gonna 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:31.600 have enough, you know, we know their top line guys 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:33.720 are pretty good, but are they gonna have enough to 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.160 really get you know, all the way you know where 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:39.000 they need to be, and you can't just count on 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:40.920 every year we're going to get in the playoffs. We're 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:42.920 going to make a run from the you know, playing 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:45.400 tournament deep into the playoffs, because that's just not a 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:46.280 sustainable thing. 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:48.760 Keith, I'm looking at the NBA Most Improved Player right now. 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:50.960 Tyrese Maxie is the favorite of plus two twenty five, 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:53.320 Scottie Barnes is five to one, and then Cam Thomas 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.320 that we just mentioned obviously seven to one, kgs way 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:57.240 back at sixteen to one. It's it's kind of a 0:07:57.240 --> 0:07:59.480 weird award, like, you know, there's no real It just 0:07:59.560 --> 0:08:02.640 kind of feels like you have different situations every year 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:04.520 when a player wins. Sometimes a guy could just jump 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:06.640 up and be an All Star. Sometimes it's bigger role, 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.520 sometimes it's new team, whatever the case is. Does this 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:11.920 kind of just feel like as long as Tyrese Maxi 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.080 keeps pace with just the season that he started to 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:17.080 have already, this is his award the loser. Could you 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.800 see anybody like a Scottie Barnes, of Cam Thomas, maybe 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.320 even a kid Cunningham jumping up and maybe winning the award? 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:25.040 Yeah, I think fair or not. I think a lot 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:28.040 of time team record get involved in these kind of 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:31.320 awards too, and that probably really shouldn't be it it 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:33.280 should just be based on, you know, what did the 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:36.000 guy do, But like a guy like Cam Thomas, for example, 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:38.920 it's more role. He's always kind of been this guy. 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:41.800 I don't know that he's any improved. I think he's 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:44.280 just always been a guy who can score buckets if 0:08:44.280 --> 0:08:46.880 he's given the opportunity, and he's certainly been giving it 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:49.679 right now, Maxy, I think what you're gonna see is 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:52.240 can he keep up the playmaking and keep up to defense. 0:08:52.280 --> 0:08:54.600 If he can keep up those two things, that's much 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:57.199 improved because now he's not simply a scorer. I'll give 0:08:57.200 --> 0:08:59.240 you another guy, though, who I really think by the 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:01.280 end is going to be someone that people will be 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:04.280 talking about, especially if the team can win a little bit, 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:07.720 is Albern Shangoun of the Houston Rockets. He is playing really, 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:10.400 really good basketball, and you can see now. When he 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:12.240 came into the league, one of the things that a 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:15.080 lot of really smart draft people said was he's not 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.080 Nikola Jokic, so let's not get it confused. But there's 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.160 a lot of Nikola Jokic in his game, and you're 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:23.120 starting to really see that with Shangdun at this point. 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:26.360 Yeah, Shangun's been really good. He has dominated Sabonis those 0:09:26.440 --> 0:09:30.959 last couple of games as well. Yeah, I'm curious your 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:34.280 thoughts about some of these rookies, right, Like Scoot Henderson's 0:09:34.320 --> 0:09:37.000 been injured, but I think maybe he started off a 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:39.400 little bit slower than a lot of people expected. Brandon 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:42.439 Miller's been kind of up and down, Kyanty George finally 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:45.479 in the starting lineup, Like, who's been the most impressive 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:48.000 rookie so far to you outside of Wemby? 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.800 All Right, I was gonna say, if we're taking him 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:53.120 off the table, I mean I'll throw Chat Holmgren in 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:55.520 that mix too, because he is still rookie the way 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:59.000 the league classifies him. So I think he's played really, 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:01.320 really well and done a lot of good stuff. But yeah, 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:04.040 you mentioned a couple of guys who who have looked 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:06.440 Yeah at times. I think Brandon Miller is starting to 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:08.520 figure stuff out a little bit, and he's starting to 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:11.280 get a little bit more opportunity with Terry Rogier out. 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:14.320 I think it's just Charlotte's in such a weird place. 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:16.600 They have a lot of guys at that forward spot. 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:18.360 We don't know what it to look like when they 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:21.360 get back to Miles bridges in the lineup and when 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:24.640 that comes, if if it comes, you know, with his 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:27.360 more recent trouble, so we'll see what that all looks like. 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:30.280 But yeah, I think it's you know, this is obviously 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:33.160 it's one Minyama's race to lose here. But I think 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:36.719 Holmgren has done some stuff for Shore and I think 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:39.240 Scoot Henderson I know what you're saying, and I've heard 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.160 a little bit of that where a couple of people 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:44.000 have said, yeah, yeah, some you know, it started off slow. 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:45.640 But I think the one thing is that's a really 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:48.720 really hard position in the NBA to adjust to, especially 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:51.959 when your coach is a former point guard. The level 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.160 of expectation there is quite high. So I'm still very 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:56.920 very high on Scoot Henderson. I think he's going to 0:10:56.960 --> 0:10:58.640 be a great player. It's just gonna take him a 0:10:58.679 --> 0:10:59.480 little bit to get there. 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.480 Yeah, you kind of just give a little bit more 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:05.560 detail in terms of how difficult it is to step 0:11:05.600 --> 0:11:06.559 in and be a. 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:08.880 Point guard on a and have to lead a team 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:09.560 as a rookie. 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.520 Yeah, you're processing a lot right out of the gate. 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:15.760 You're running the offense, so not only are you making 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:19.920 the calls in transition, generally, which especially before and they're 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.320 playing a lot up and down games right now, so 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:24.840 that they're looking for him to kind of run those things. 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:26.760 The guy he thought was going to be his backboard 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:29.360 running mate, who should have made life easier on a 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:32.040 Manfreny Simon's got hurt right away, So that makes it 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:34.280 a little bit more difficult. Then you're trying to process 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:36.680 when you do get into that, or your coach is 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:38.760 setting you up and all right, this is what I 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:40.880 want to run, and you know, let's make sure we 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:42.600 get into it, and you're trying to make sure we're 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:44.719 on a team with a whole bunch of new faces 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:47.000 too that you know, all right, let's uh, you know, 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:49.400 get everybody on the same page here, and that that 0:11:49.480 --> 0:11:52.400 makes it hard as well. And then defensively, you know, 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:54.240 you're you're kind of the head of the snake there 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:56.920 at that position. You're the one stepping out, you know, 0:11:57.200 --> 0:11:59.360 up there, if you're guarding on ball, you're going to 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:01.760 be involved in a lot of on ball actions, a 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:03.560 ton of picking rolls, and you're gonna put that guy 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.240 through quite a bit. So I think scut Henderson's, you know, 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:09.240 he's done well considering all you have to absorb at 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:11.920 the point guard position. But there's a reason why, you know, 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:14.120 everybody says point guard, you got to give him a 0:12:14.240 --> 0:12:16.960 year or two to really adjust to the speed. And 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:18.679 this is even for a guy who played at a 0:12:18.679 --> 0:12:21.480 professional level for the last couple of years with the guage. 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:24.120 The NBA is just a whole different ballgame. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:26.400 Keith, I have to ask a selfish question here as 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:27.959 a bull stand because I knew it was going to 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:29.600 be bad, and I know they won their last game. 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:32.040 But now they're three and five and they've scored ninety 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:34.560 eight point one points per one hundred possessions. They've been 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:36.640 outscored by twenty point eight per one hundred. So it 0:12:36.679 --> 0:12:38.920 hasn't been good. It's been actually worse than I thought. 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:41.400 Any chance that they're sellers at the deadline, I. 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:43.960 Would like to say yes. I think the challenge is 0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:46.640 it's just not what they do. You know, under Jerry 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.480 Rehyinstorp ownership, they've never really bought him the team out 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.560 when it's happened a couple times, but it's happened naturally 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:54.880 through all right, just the wheels came off. We'd wait 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:58.280 too many injuries and now here we are to Derrick Rosier, 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:01.400 for example. So that's the challenge is, you know, unless 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:04.040 they are willing to lean into saying, all right, the 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:06.000 best thing is, let's trade a bunch of guys really 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:08.920 bottomless thing out be bad. I just don't know if 0:13:08.920 --> 0:13:11.119 they're going to go in that direction. And that's unfortunate 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:13.160 because as the roster is built right now, they're never 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:15.520 going to be better than a team that's battling around 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:18.240 the playing line. And that's just for my money, that's 0:13:18.240 --> 0:13:19.880 not good enough. But I don't want to be there 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:20.440 every year. 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:22.199 Thanks Keith, always good to talk to you, buddy. 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:24.480 Thank you to Keith Smith and the whole crew. I 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:25.360 bet MGM tonight. 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:29.120 Let's now welcome James Ham to the show. They call 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:33.400 him the Hammer. He is a Sacramento icon covered the 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:36.120 team for more than a decade. I think fourteen years 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:38.720 he's been on the beat. He co hosts The Insiders 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:42.840 on ESPN thirteen twenty with my man Kyle Manson on 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:45.679 an Odyssey station Buddha Doo. So let's get right back 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:49.280 into it. Welcome to the show, James Ham. James Ham 0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:52.880 is a Sacramento Kings guru, been covering the beat for 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:57.559 a long ass time Insider co hosts actually The Insiders 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:01.960 with My Guy, My Guy Kyle Madn on ESPN thirteen twenty. 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.080 Find them on Twitter. James underscore Ham NBA. He is 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:07.080 here to tell us what the fuck is happening with 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:08.800 the Sacramento kegs Man. 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:10.960 That's a good question, Trista. I wish I had all 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:13.319 the answers. First of all, the pace has fallen off 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:16.320 a cliff the last three games, slowest pace in the NBA. 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:19.480 They actually posted a pace of like eighty nine and 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:22.520 one of the losses to the Houston Rockets. Dearon Fox 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:25.160 is out and they just don't look like themselves without 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.400 him pushing the tempo. But that's not an excuse. 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:29.000 It's okay. 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.120 This is a fast paced team. They should be moving 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:32.720 the ball up and down the court. It shouldn't be 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:35.920 all on Davion Mitchell to deliver pace. But they are 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:39.640 searching right now, and they definitely did not expect something 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:41.800 like this to happen in the first week of the season, 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:45.560 where they went from really high with a win opening 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:48.320 to open against Utah, a win over the Lakers, a 0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:51.400 couple of losses to the Golden State Warriors, and then 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:54.120 to just fall on their face against the Houston Rockets twice. 0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:55.240 They did not expect that. 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:57.880 Yeah, you know the question, you mentioned Davion Mitchell, and 0:14:58.040 --> 0:14:59.480 you know, I'm a big fan of Davion. 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:03.880 I love I've got no negative things to say about Davion, 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.840 But his player comp isn't the same as d'erran's. They're 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:12.800 not like, you can't just substitute Davon into the lineup 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:16.680 and it be anywhere close to the same style of offense. 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:21.760 The closest player to meet on the roster is Malik Monk. 0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:25.200 Why isn't Malik Monk taking the Deer and Fox role 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:28.920 and Davion staying in the role that he was in 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:30.640 when deeron Fox is running the show. 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:34.080 Yeah, so Monk has carved out a different role for 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:36.600 himself on this team. Of course, he's a six man extraordinary. 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:38.840 He's a guy who brings all kinds of energy off 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:40.920 the bench. That's not who Davion is even when he 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:43.320 comes off the bench. And so to take a guy 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:45.760 out of that role would really upset the avl karte 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.160 with your second unit as well. Just think of all 0:15:48.200 --> 0:15:52.320 the Malik Monk and JaVale McGhee like hookups that we've 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:55.040 got going on right now. These lobs that they have 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:58.320 going that would go away if they weren't playing together. 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:01.400 So I think Monk needs an expanded role. I would 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:03.440 like to see him play thirty five minutes. I'd like 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:05.640 to see him come in at the five minute six 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.000 minute mark of the first quarter and play a huge 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:11.320 stretch to the first and second quarter. But for right now, 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:13.240 Mike Brown has been reluctant to put him in the 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.800 starting lineup. He didn't do it last year. Deeron Fox 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:19.160 miss nine games last season, and I believe that all 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:22.360 but one of those games that Davion Mitchell started, and 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:24.520 this team, you know, outside, if we take the one 0:16:24.560 --> 0:16:26.360 game at the end of the season, there was a 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:30.400 total throwaway where Fox didn't play. This team was four 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:33.480 and four without Fox. So they shouldn't have this type 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.360 of disparity when he walks off the court. And it's 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:38.000 something that they're going to have to figure out because 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:41.200 it's gotten really, really ugly very quickly here in Sacramento. 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:43.720 Why do you think the pace is so bad and 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:45.560 like the offense has fallen off. 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:45.920 Of a cliff. 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:47.920 Well, I think if you take Fox off the floor. 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:51.920 It does allow oppositions to just stack everything they've got 0:16:52.040 --> 0:16:55.040 right on Sabonis. Take away his passing lanes, take away 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.920 his dribbling lanes, take away his ability to get into 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:01.760 the paint and score or for himself. I mean against 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:04.720 the Rockets this last game out get four shot attempts 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:06.840 and that's just not going to cut it. You know, 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:08.960 this is a very very high end player. He's an 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:12.480 All NBA player, and to see him his numbers kind 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:15.399 of fall off so quickly is really strange. But I 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:17.120 think it also has something to do with the fact 0:17:17.160 --> 0:17:19.680 that the Kings haven't been able to get their shooters going. 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.080 Keegan Murray and Kevin Herder have struggled to hit the 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:25.679 three ball to open the season. Both of them are 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:28.040 shooting around twenty five percent, maybe a little bit less 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:31.359 for Keegan now, and they just haven't found a rhythm 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:34.239