1 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Jason Tip Podcast. Thank you guys so 2 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: much for taking time out of your Wednesday to come 3 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: hang out with Tommy and I as we talked some basketball. Tommy, 4 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: how you doing today, man, fantastic, Excited to talk. NBA 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: is always a lot of stuff happening. Um. It feels 6 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: like I say that every week, but it's the truth. 7 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: The NBA's probably the most active day to day league 8 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: out of all the professional sports, so it always give 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: us something to talk about. Man. Yeah, And you know, 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: it's funny because I feel like one of the reasons 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: why I'm excited for our topic today is I feel like, 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: for the first time this season, I feel like I 13 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: have a decent grasp on all of the of the teams. 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: I've been super lucky because my wife, you know, I've 15 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: talked with you before about how like I try very 16 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: carefully to balance like you know, diving too hard into 17 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 1: my hobbies and then also kind of make I'm sure 18 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: that I spend time with my wife and and she 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,919 Speaker 1: right now is going to school in addition to work. 20 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: And it's ironically been kind of a blessing for me 21 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: because I've just been diving into basketball. Uh and watching 22 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: a lot more games than I usually do. You know, 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 1: I've always been able to watch like every Laker game 24 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: and a handful of Marquee games, But now I can 25 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: like really dive into a lot of the teams, and 26 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: it's been nice because I've been able to get like 27 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: a much better feel for a lot of the teams. Today, 28 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: we are going to discuss, uh, basically, as a result 29 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: of the Anthony Davis injury and the fact that he's 30 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: going to be out for probably a month and then 31 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: who knows what it might look like for him the 32 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: rest of the season, We're going to talk about how 33 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: that has kind of cracked the door open for a 34 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: lot of different teams to potentially win a championship this year. 35 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna let you guys know what I think are 36 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: the list of contenders. Tommy's gonna let us know if 37 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: he disagrees, and then we're gonna go one by one 38 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: and kind of just talk about what it would look 39 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: like for that team to get the job done and 40 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: to to hoist the trophy at the end of the day. 41 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: But before we get to that point, I want to 42 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: talk about a couple of current events stuff. Um, The 43 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: first thing I wanted to touch on, was this Draymond 44 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: Green quote that he had in this post game the 45 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,679 Speaker 1: other night, uh, involving the Andre German situation, in the 46 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,239 Speaker 1: Black Griffin situation, and some of the you know, the 47 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: hypocrisies that he pushed, UH pointed out about, like the 48 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: way that uh, you know, activity in business, Uh, it 49 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 1: takes place in the league. And so I want to 50 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: start there. I want to let you go first time 51 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: to give you your idea. But I do think it's 52 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: I do think it's important right off the top to 53 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: talk about it's just very complicated. It's always a lot 54 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: more complicated than people are willing to to originally kind 55 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: of admit. So I want to kind of dive into that. So, 56 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 1: for starters, what was your first impression when you heard 57 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: that quote? Like you're noting it is complicated. I don't 58 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: think there's any one correct answer here in terms of 59 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,399 Speaker 1: how to analyze the situation. But I think what we're 60 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: seeing here, and we see this increasingly with with more 61 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: players basically having access to fans and to media just 62 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: through their own ability being able to use things like 63 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: Uninterrupted or just things like Twitter or Instagram where they 64 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: can just contact bans directly. It's more, you know, kind 65 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: of consumer to consumer. Everybody wants credit and nobody really 66 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: wants to take responsibility for their own actions, right Like 67 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: he Drman pointed to the Hardened situation, and every every 68 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: bit of criticism that Hardened got was deserved. Houston bent 69 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: over backwards for that guy for four or five years, 70 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: and then he got all of his money, and then 71 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: he turned around and wanted to be traded. And at 72 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: the end of the end of the day he wont like. 73 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: He got what he wanted and he got all of 74 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: his money. So if he had to take a bit 75 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: of bad public publicity, who cares, Like, at the end 76 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: of the day, he still wins because he might win 77 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: a championship. Now, Broolyn looks amazing, Um. But I think 78 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: the important distinction is to make between superstars. Like superstars, 79 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: I think to have a ton of power in the 80 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: week because they can single handedly determined championships, right And 81 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: I think if you are that good and you're that 82 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: talented at what you do, you should be able to 83 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: determine kind of where you go and where you play. 84 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: But I I don't think the Andre Drummond types do 85 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: have the same type of power. So I do understand 86 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 1: what Draymond is saying, but I also think a lot 87 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,119 Speaker 1: of his ire is directed maybe at the wrong people. 88 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: So I'm interested to hear what you think, because I 89 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 1: think he's he's trying to direct ir at the league 90 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: instead of looking why a guy like Andre Drummond would 91 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: be perceived as a cancer. I don't think it's the 92 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: league's fault. I think there's something else that play here, 93 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: But I'll let you go. Yeah, So the same as 94 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: Fontiero talks about this all time and about how like 95 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: the Players Association cares too much about the top of 96 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: the league and the and the middle class kind of 97 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: gets snubbed out of that. And you know, there's been 98 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: some improvements recently with them attempting to help the bottom 99 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: of the league, you know, through you know, raising the 100 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: veteran minimum to you know, raising G League salaries, to 101 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: creating that G League Select Team or what I can't 102 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: remember what it's called, but the team that they have 103 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: that's got all the guys fresh out of college, ge 104 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: leaue Ignite, that's right. So, like there's been some improvement, 105 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: but there's a lot of truth to the fact that 106 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 1: like a lot of the power in the league. You know, 107 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,239 Speaker 1: this player empowerment era is really just about a handful 108 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: of guys. It's very concentrated. It's a very concentrated bit 109 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: of power. And and I'm kind of okay with that, 110 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: Like I think, like you know, I'm I'm a big 111 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: believer in, like you know, understanding the harsh reality that 112 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: the guys in the middle of the league don't really 113 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: have an opportunity to get this wealthy if it wasn't 114 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: for the fact that the very, very best players in 115 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: the league drive such great viewership. So that's why we 116 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 1: talk about how, uh, you know, Lebron or Staff might 117 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 1: be worth a hundred million dollars a year if you 118 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: really get down to brass tacks, like I I do 119 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: understand that. I think the interesting thing about the Draymond 120 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: Green quote is agree with you. I thought it was 121 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: kind of directed in the wrong in the at the 122 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: wrong people. Because if you're worried about the impression that 123 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: that a certain move gives to a player or to 124 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: an organization, you have to look at the media and 125 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: you know, and and quite frankly, I'm a little bit 126 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: of a defeatist when it comes to the media. I 127 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: just think it's I think we're in like the whatever, 128 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: you know, like a Golden age, were like the opposite 129 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: of a Golden age with media because the there's too 130 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 1: many cooks in the kitchen. There's too many cooks in 131 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: the kitchen. There's almost no accountability. Like even the people 132 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: that had tried to hold themselves accountable are in the 133 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: political world, they're like painted is like fake news and 134 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: stuff like that. Like it's been one of the most 135 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: frustrating eras to to try to, you know, lean on 136 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: any sort of journalism pretty much in the history of mankind, 137 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: you know, And and we live in a free country. 138 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's it's way worse obviously in other 139 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: countries where you know, the government controls the media. But 140 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's just not it's not perfect. And 141 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: you know what's frustrating is like you know, if you're 142 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: uh if if if James Harden does something, you know 143 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: what ends up happening is there's a large cool of 144 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: media and all of them kind of form their opinions 145 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: about it. And you had people come out caping for 146 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 1: James Harden, and you had people coming out that we're 147 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: ripping him ripping him too, shreds and and but the 148 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: same thing happens to the teams. And that's the funny 149 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: part I think. I think like the Draymond Green speech 150 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: kind of like took the focus off of the much 151 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: bigger problem, which is a collective bargaining issue between the 152 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: league and its players, between the owners and the players, 153 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: because the truth of the matter is, for decades and 154 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: decades and decades, the owners took advantage of the players. 155 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: That's true. There's if you read any that book about 156 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: basketball history, it was pretty bad. And and and credit 157 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: to the player, especially like the early players like Bill 158 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: Russell who and Will Chamberlain who were willing to put 159 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: their foot down on certain issues with the owners and 160 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: leverage some more rights for the players. But if you 161 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: look at this current situation, in recent years, the players 162 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: have regained some of that power, but now it's almost 163 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: like an even playing field where they're kind of both 164 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: screwing over each other. Because for every situation like a 165 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: Andre Drummond, which may be ugly, or that Harrison Barnes 166 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: situation in Sacramento, there's also a situation like Anthony Davison 167 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: New Orleans or James Harden in Houston, where it's just 168 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: as ugly the other way around. So, like, the big 169 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: thing that I thought when I saw that quote was like, 170 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: We're headed to a nasty collective bargaining agreement the next 171 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: time that they get into a negotiation. Because if I'm 172 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: the owners, I'm like, I'm sick of these guys. And 173 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: if I'm the players, I'm like, I'm sick of these guys. 174 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: And I don't know where. I don't know where it 175 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: settles from there. I mean, it could get ugly. I 176 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: don't think a strike is out of the question. I 177 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: really don't, especially considering that the league is losing money 178 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: relative to where they thought they would be because of COVID. 179 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: You know, there's there's still no fans in most of 180 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: the arenas, and the ones that do have fans there 181 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: at like capacity. So I do not think strike is 182 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: out of the question at all. Like it it can 183 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: get very very ugly. But what I'd say, just in 184 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: regards to this situation is it just felt like weird timing. 185 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: It felt like Draymond had this thought in his mind 186 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: for a while and he was just waiting for a 187 00:08:57,679 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: moment to go off about it, and he picked a 188 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: weird moment because who was saying anything bad about Andre Drummond. 189 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: Who was saying anything bad about him? The Calves are 190 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: sitting him out to recoup value for him and make 191 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: sure he doesn't get injured so they can actually trade 192 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: him and both sides can get probably the best of 193 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 1: both situations. Drummond doesn't want to be there anymore because 194 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: they're losing games, and the Calves don't want him there 195 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: because he's not playing hard. Like nobody was saying terrible 196 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: things about Andre Drummond in the first place. And if 197 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: if people are saying bad things about him, it's going 198 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 1: to be media members, like you're noting, It's gonna be 199 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: the people in the media, and they're doing so maybe 200 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: at the behest of an organization, right, which is something 201 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,719 Speaker 1: that you have to look at. Maybe the organization is 202 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: backchandling bad messages about a player. But Draymond sitting there 203 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: yelling at you know, about all that the league is 204 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: and trading the players, right, It's and media members are 205 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: sitting there like nodding their head. Wow, Draymond so brave. 206 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: He's right. It's like, dude, media members, you guys are 207 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: the ones that talk about about the players in the situation, 208 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: in these situations, and I realized the irony of this 209 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: because we're sitting here doing a podcast essentially acting like 210 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: media members and like yelling into the void about this stuff. 211 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: But like, yeah, it just doesn't make sense. His comments, well, 212 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: I understood kind of the broad overarching theme of everything 213 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: he was trying to say. It just it didn't hit 214 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: quite as well as it could. Because Draymond is one 215 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: of the smartest dudes in the league. Like, by all accounts, 216 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: he's an incredibly smart guy. And I'm one of Draymond's 217 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: biggest fans, so I'm kind of apprehensive to criticize him 218 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: in any manner. But it just felt like weird timing 219 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: and weird messaging. I got the point, but he didn't 220 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: connect it as well as I thought he could have. Yeah, no, 221 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: I agree, and like, and that's the thing, like, like 222 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: Draymond has, uh, he has a motive. He's he's got 223 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: a bias in this case, and that that that's always 224 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:40,559 Speaker 1: going to be the case, like when you're when you're 225 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,719 Speaker 1: asking a player to talk about players rights. I think 226 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: he made good points. He pointed out some hypocrisies and 227 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: media coverage, but then he like seemingly like passive aggressively 228 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: put it on the owners and again, like I said, 229 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,319 Speaker 1: I'm a media defeatist, Like, good luck changing that situation. 230 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: If your hope is a utopia where the media treats 231 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: every situation a hundred per sent fair from both sides, 232 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: that is never going to happen. And I would even 233 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: go a step further to say it's going to continue 234 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: to get worse, especially as more people get voices and 235 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 1: and at the flip side of that is like, you know, uh, 236 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: from the standpoint of uh, like acknowledging the realities of 237 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: the way that the media treats these situations, you have 238 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: to understand that, Like you're all you can do is 239 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: try to control the narrative yourself. And so it's it's 240 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: it's the onus is on you to try to make 241 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: sure you're ultra transparent in your press conferences. Like Andre 242 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: Drummond needs to come out and say this is what happened. 243 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: I told him I wanted to play. I wanted a trade, 244 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: but I also wanted to play. They said they wanted 245 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: to bench me. I think that's bullshit. They should have 246 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: to put me out there on the floor when I asked, like, 247 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: that's one thing, you know. James Harden said the same thing, 248 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,559 Speaker 1: Like what ends up happening is they leak some stuff 249 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: and it's very vague, and then the media can run 250 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: with it with whatever interpretation they want as opposed to 251 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: like really really going out of your way to tell 252 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: the story. But I mean, again, you're it's a losing battle, 253 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: and it's the onus is on us as people as 254 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: fans to try to like seek out the media that 255 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: is doing the job right, Like that that's the reality 256 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: of the media problem being fixed. It's not you can't 257 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: fix the media. You can just fix the way you 258 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: consume it and that and that responsibility is on you. 259 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 1: Gotta amplify the right voices. And then trying to compare 260 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,839 Speaker 1: any two situations I think is just misguided because all 261 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: these things are case by case. Right, We're dealing with 262 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: human beings, beings who are actively like changing emotions and 263 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: thoughts and and what they want to do. You can't 264 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: compare any two cases, like as many parallels we may 265 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: want to draw, Like even the Anthony Davis and James 266 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: Harden situations are like very very different, right, even though 267 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: there's a lot of there's a lot of similarities kind 268 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: of just from a thirty ft view, they're not the 269 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: same situation when you get down to it. So I 270 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: think trying to compare any of these situations, you're just 271 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,199 Speaker 1: it's always gonna feel kind of hollow and just like 272 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: like you're saying, Draymon is bias. He's always gonna side 273 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: with the players, and then when he gets on the 274 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: other side, he's probably always gonna side with management. We've 275 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,679 Speaker 1: seen this with Michael Jordan. Jordan was like a huge 276 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: kind of players rights guy when he's playing, and now 277 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: he's like all about doing everything that's best for the owners. 278 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: End of the day, people are always going to fight 279 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: for their their own personal gain. They're always fighting for 280 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 1: their own personal game, and that's what That's how we 281 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 1: as fans have to approach these situations. I think we 282 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: just have to understand that from the outset and then 283 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: we can have more honest conversations about this stuff. And 284 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: then there was the classic thing that I always complained 285 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: to you about, where like the someone takes an obvious 286 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: stance on on Twitter and then everyone jumps behind them 287 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: and gives them a raw rab hat on the back 288 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: and round of applause, and it's like and and then 289 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: like the guy who stands up and he's like, actually, 290 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: we'll complicate into that, and that guy gets shredded, like 291 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: it's it's it's the textbook, it's the textbook case. And 292 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: which is actually a good segue to this next situation 293 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: because I think, you know, uh, we're gonna talk about 294 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: this report that came out today with Adrian war Zanowski 295 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: having to do with the player vaccinations, and you know, 296 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: I think it's extremely important like coming into this and 297 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 1: this is something that you and I have talked about 298 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: another podcast that like there is a long, dark history 299 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: as it comes to the treatment of African Americans in 300 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: the medical medical community. That's important. But but I also think, like, 301 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes we have a tendency to draw false 302 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: equivalen seas in those cases, like I remember there was 303 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: a big thing that came out during the UH during 304 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: the Disney bubble, or they're like they're like, oh, I 305 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: don't like the optics of having you know, police officers, 306 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: off duty cops that are guarding the entrances to the bubble, 307 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: and you're like, well, like actually, like they're not there 308 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: to guard the players they're there to guard the people 309 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: that are maybe trying to break the bubble to get 310 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: in the bubble. Okay, Like that's like, I get the 311 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: point you're trying to make, but I feel like this 312 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: isn't the hill to die on. And I think that's 313 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: kind of the the opinion that I have on this, 314 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: Like I understand the idea of of not wanting to 315 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: do a p s A for all of the reasons 316 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: that we discussed in the past, but I do think 317 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: it's okay to tell the players or to ask to 318 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: play years to be realistic about taking the vaccine, just 319 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: individually for themselves, like when in the report it says 320 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: that that the NBA sending out like an education doctor 321 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: to go around to all these teams and sit down 322 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: with him. And I do think, like, again, at the 323 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: p s A thing totally different debate that can get 324 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: ugly and optics are great, but I do think it's 325 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: okay for the players to pressure the or for the 326 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: owners to pressure the players into taking the vaccine because 327 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: it's literally like in their best interests. It's in their 328 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: best interests no matter how you look at it, especially 329 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: when you factor in all of the bad things that 330 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: We've seen even young athletes experience post COVID or during 331 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: COVID when they get the real illness, you know what 332 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: I mean. Yeah, I mean Jayson Tatum is talking about 333 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: it right now. How he's still he's still getting fatigued 334 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: more quickly than he ever really has in his life. 335 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: And he's twenty three years old, twenty two years old, 336 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: something like that, and you know, probably as fit as 337 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: basically anybody in the world that is twenty three years old, 338 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: and he got a bad case of COVID and he's 339 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: still struggling to to breathe times from it, right, And 340 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: I think you said you went through something similar when 341 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: you got it right, and you're in your late twenties. 342 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: I'm still experiencing some lingering fatigue. But I can't tell 343 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 1: if it's literally the same lingering fatigue that every human 344 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: has been experiencing around two pm every day their entire life, 345 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: or if it's post COVID stuff. But I can tell 346 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: you that it was real, like it was a real 347 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: It kicked my but worse than any illness have ever had. 348 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: And and and I I'm you know, there are a 349 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: lot of young people who've had it worse We've even 350 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: heard about the kid from Florida who had the heart 351 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: inflammation that caused his heart to I think I can't 352 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: remember the exact details, but the yeah, Kyante Johnson Johnson 353 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: if family, the family did come out and say recently 354 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: that that wasn't COVID related. I don't know, probably did. 355 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: I didn't see that. That happened like maybe a week ago. 356 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: I remember seeing then the news break, and then I 357 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: read a little bit of the article. Um, they did 358 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: say it wasn't COVID related. I don't I mean, maybe 359 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: they made the wrong determination. I don't want to speculates 360 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 1: my point. That's classic. That's classic, like the way scarier 361 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: version of the story everybody sees, but then like the 362 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: the like the real version of the story comes out 363 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: that's way less scary and like no one sees it. 364 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: That's exactly exactly. UM. As far as the All Star 365 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: Game goes and players getting vaccinated, it's just a really 366 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 1: tough topic, man, for all the things that you said 367 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: at the outset, just kind of the dark history with 368 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: UM Black Americans in the medical medical community here, UM especially, 369 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: it really becomes how concerned do we want to be 370 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: about the optic because at the end of the day, 371 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: you're probably getting white owners telling black players to take 372 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: a vaccine, and that still doesn't look great. Like I 373 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: I still that still makes me like a little bit queasy, 374 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 1: And you know that. I agree. I think though, Like again, 375 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: it's like I think there's there's a difference between empathy 376 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: and like uh and like kind of like letting your 377 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: emotions dictate your dictate your decisions, because like it's IM sure, 378 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: this is not we're asking the black players to take 379 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 1: the vaccines first. This is not we're asking the black 380 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 1: players toticipating in a clinical trial. This is tens of 381 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: thousands of people have been tested by this with this 382 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: vaccine and clinical trial that it has been approved by 383 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: the CDC, it's been approved by the federal government, it's 384 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: been approved by the FDA. It's been already given to 385 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: almost every emergency worker in the United States of America 386 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: right now in terms of people who have for seen 387 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: these pine. I think it's okay to be like, we 388 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: have a checkered history with this stuff, and these are 389 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: the facts about this individual case, and so like, where 390 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:35,639 Speaker 1: where I do agree with the people that are pushing 391 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: back is the the the p s A. It's like 392 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: that's weird, like like, hey, can you guys go and 393 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: do this on television to try and talk to your 394 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: communities so that they're not scared like that I think 395 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: can get ugly really fast. Uh, And I agree with 396 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: but the simple act of saying, hey, guys, it is 397 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 1: in the best interests of our league for you guys 398 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: to be vaccinated so that you don't have some awful 399 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: health issue with the actual virus itself, and so that 400 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 1: we can stop having suspensions and get to get get 401 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: through our schedule. Also, here's all the medical facts that 402 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: show that it's safe. I think that's okay. I don't 403 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: have an issue with that totally. I mean, you can 404 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: frame it as the same way that when you go 405 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 1: off the college, you're supposed to get vaccinations, right, and 406 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: it is a little bit different. And I do understand 407 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: the apprehension because this is a vaccine that was basically 408 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: produced in twelve months, and it did not have the 409 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: normal clinical trials that any other vaccine would have, and 410 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: they did some different things. It's m r NA versus 411 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: kind of your classic vaccine. Like there are I think 412 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: a lot of reasons for apprehension just relative to getting 413 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: a a normal vaccine quote unquote, but it is definitely 414 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 1: in the best interest of the league to do this 415 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: and for like this season to continue at the pace 416 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: they wanted to and for the playoffs to start in May, 417 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,439 Speaker 1: and for there it will be less COVID delays and 418 00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: COVID postponements. And I mean Charlotte and San Antonio going 419 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,719 Speaker 1: through one right now, they've each missed their last two 420 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: games and they might miss their games this weekend. That's 421 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: gonna continue to happen if you know that we don't 422 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: have more players or any players get the vaccine, right. So, yeah, 423 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: it is it is definitely in the best interest of 424 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: the league to do it. It's just the optics are 425 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 1: are really really shaky. And I do understand the stands 426 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: of the players too. This is one of those things 427 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: where I'm probably not gonna come down hard on either 428 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,479 Speaker 1: side because I I truly do understand both sides here. 429 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: Whereas like the last situation we talked about, the Draymond thing, 430 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,199 Speaker 1: I was probably a little bit more opinionated about it. 431 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 1: This is just this is one of those things where 432 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: it's like, look, man, if you want to get it, great, 433 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,719 Speaker 1: get it if not, I totally understand where you're coming from, 434 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,719 Speaker 1: because I think the apprehensions that a lot of them 435 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: have are the same apprehensions that a lot of Americans 436 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,479 Speaker 1: have about getting the vaccine right now. And that's not 437 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: to say I'm an anti vaxx or anything like that, 438 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: but point being like, this is something that we we 439 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: really don't have a lot of data on and and 440 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: for somebody like me who relies on being analytical and 441 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: data for a lot of my approach to life, that 442 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: is something that is a little bit scary. But pointing, 443 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,120 Speaker 1: if the league wants to continue at the correct pace, 444 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: then yeah, they should absolutely push the players to do this. 445 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:08,919 Speaker 1: The p s A stuff is weird, but definitely they 446 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: should have as many players are that are willing to 447 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: get the vaccine to get it. Yeah, I agree, And uh, 448 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: it'll be interesting to see because like this, this was 449 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: something I tweeted about earlier. But I don't think that 450 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: there's actually a large number of players afraid to take 451 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: the vaccine. I don't think that that's the case. I 452 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: think that it didn't want to say I didn't watch 453 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 1: say that there was a good amount of resistance from 454 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: the players. Do you think that's I think thing. I 455 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: think that I think the resistance was more directed towards 456 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: the P S A S, which I get and and 457 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: he specifically said in his piece basically that their tentative, 458 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: especially in light of them being forced to go to 459 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: the All Star Game in Atlanta. So now I don't 460 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: have data on this, but my guests would be that 461 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: the majority of the pushback in this piece is more 462 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: directed towards leverage in hopes of getting the All Star 463 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: Game canceled so that they can have more time off 464 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: in the middle of the season. That's just my guess, 465 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: like there, because everything in life is about leverage, especially 466 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: when you look at these these pieces, which is are 467 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: are basically reporting, right, So like somebody's going to WOJ 468 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 1: and saying, I need you to write this piece, And 469 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: my guess is that in this case it's the owners 470 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,159 Speaker 1: and WOES probably went to Michelle Roberts and was like, 471 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 1: what do you guys want to say in this piece? 472 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: And I'm sure Michelle Roberts was like, we don't love 473 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,880 Speaker 1: the way this looks in light of what uh they're 474 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: trying to get us to do in Atlanta, And then 475 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: here come you can kind of like try to draw 476 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: the picture from the from the reporting, and and I 477 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: think that's I think that's probably where where this is going. 478 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 1: But uh, like I said, I think there's probably an 479 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: agreement to be had, Like get sit down at the 480 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: table with these guys, be like, you know, uh, do 481 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 1: you are you interested in in uh making a deal? 482 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: Do you guys want to maybe consider giving up the 483 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: All Star Game? But in return we get you all 484 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,400 Speaker 1: vaccinated in in early March? Is part of an ad 485 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: campaign because I think the important part of the ad 486 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 1: campaign is, you know, as is usually the case, there's 487 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: an ulterior motive to every charitable contribution that that most 488 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: big businesses do you know like and in this case, 489 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: like the the I think the NBA is saying like, 490 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: if we have to wait for the public to get it, 491 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,400 Speaker 1: then we have to wait potentially Fauci was saying, potentially 492 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: the late April early May, which which might be too 493 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: late to necessarily help the regular season and be in 494 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,919 Speaker 1: time for the playoffs, but not much else. So I 495 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: guarantee the league was like, what if we use these 496 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: p s A s as an excuse to do it 497 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: in March? And basically now we're working with the state 498 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: governments and it's like, a we can skip the line 499 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: a little bit as part of these p s. A. 500 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: So that'll be the the interesting thing to kind of 501 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: figure out what they're working on behind the scenes, because 502 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 1: that would be my guest, because they're never in a 503 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: million years with the players agree to do those p 504 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,640 Speaker 1: s as just for poops and giggles, like it's got 505 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: to be for has to be for something having to 506 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: do with beating the line. And they did mention easing 507 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: COVID restrictions on teams that do our players that do 508 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: get they the vaccinations. How I mean, yeah, it's all 509 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: leverage play and we'll see where it goes. Man, it's 510 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: a weird situation just the fact that we're even here 511 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: to begin with, where we're talking about whether players need 512 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: need to get vaccinated for an NBA season to continue. 513 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: So it's just it's all unforeseen and it's it's nothing 514 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: that anybody has really experienced before. So yeah, I don't know. 515 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: I think the best thing would be for Silver just 516 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 1: to actually have a conversation with the guys in the 517 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: players Association, which is that even happening. It seems like 518 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 1: he's always just trying to like channel messages through Michelle 519 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: Roberts instead of just actually sitting down at a table 520 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 1: with the people who matter and trying to make decisions. 521 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: At least if I'm just reading the between the lines 522 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 1: and the articles, I could be totally wrong. But it 523 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:42,199 Speaker 1: just always yeah, it just always seems like he's pushing 524 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: the message to somebody else and then hoping it gets 525 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,679 Speaker 1: relayed correctly. Well you, and it's like we talked about earlier, 526 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: it's just the it's the classic case of of people 527 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: letting to leaving too much to the imagination when they 528 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: when they when they release any sort of snippet of information, 529 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: rather than just coming out and saying what you think. 530 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: You know that that was the ironic part about the 531 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:04,199 Speaker 1: Kyrie decision earlier in the years, like Okay, well I'm 532 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: not going to talk to the media. It was like, okay, 533 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: well that's that's gonna make things worse, actually, because now 534 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: everything they say about you is gonna be some sort 535 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: of pontification having to do with you know, what they 536 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:16,959 Speaker 1: think you're thinking. You know, it's a referendum on him 537 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: as a human being instead of just him saying what 538 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: he thinks exactly. But let's talk some basketball. So, uh, basically, 539 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: you and I talked about before the season that we 540 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: thought that the Lakers were in their own team, um, 541 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: that no one was going to be able to beat 542 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: them if they were healthy because of the offseason acquisitions 543 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: that they made that improved their offense, and just because 544 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: Lebron Peeking and Anthony Davis making some strides in the bubble. 545 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: That was kind of the the the reasoning behind all 546 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: of that. So then we get into the season and 547 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis doesn't really look like himself and there was 548 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: a lot of guessing as to what was causing that, 549 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: and uh, then we kind of figure out that it's 550 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:57,920 Speaker 1: it was related to a lower leg injury that he's 551 00:25:57,920 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: been dealing with most of the year, Which makes sense 552 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: because you know, they had just started playing stopped playing 553 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: two months ago before the start of the season, so 554 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: theoretically it should have been that hard for Anthony Davis 555 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 1: to get back in shape. And so we got twenty 556 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: three games of him, and in those twenty three games, 557 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: he looked like a shell of himself. And so now 558 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,400 Speaker 1: he's gonna be managing this injury. He's gonna be out 559 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: for at least a month, but There's basically a couple 560 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: of different ways that this could go south for the Lakers. One, 561 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis could come back and he could not look 562 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: like himself and still kind of just be a shell, 563 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: a certain percent shell of himself for the entire season, 564 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: including the playoffs. Or it could become one of those 565 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 1: things where he never actually comes back and he ends 566 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: up missing the playoff runs. So this to this completely 567 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:43,439 Speaker 1: changes the whole UH contender situation, and what was, in 568 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: my opinion, a one the two or three team field 569 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,679 Speaker 1: is now kind of like a six team field in 570 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 1: my opinion. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna 571 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,919 Speaker 1: tell you the teams that I think now have a 572 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: chance to win the title, and then I want you 573 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: to let me know if there's anybody that I left off. 574 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: But so I Brooklyn and Philly out East as teams 575 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: that now have a definitive, clear cut path to potentially 576 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: win a championship. Then I have the Lakers and Clippers, 577 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: and I have the Jazz and the Suns. Is there 578 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 1: anybody that I didn't mention that you would add to 579 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: that list as a team that in the vacancy created 580 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: by the Lakers dominance, that you think could win a 581 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,199 Speaker 1: title this year at this to at this exact moment. No, 582 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: But I think now a lot of teams are one 583 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: move away, maybe one big move and one small move 584 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: away from jumping into contention. Um. And this has been 585 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: something that I have talked about with some Warriors Twitter 586 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 1: people and in some discords, some Warriors discords. If Anthony 587 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: Davis is out for an extended period of time, you've 588 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: got to push your chips. And if you're the Warriors, 589 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: now if you get steps some actual help, but the 590 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: way he's playing, you can you have a puncher's chance 591 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: at winning the title without that Lakers kind of domination 592 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 1: hanging over your head. And which goes into a point 593 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: of I think there's now a lot of teams in 594 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: that situation, or at least more than there was. I 595 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: think the Blazers could even be in that situation if 596 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: Dame continues to play well and CJ comes back and 597 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: Nerk comes back. Um. I think Boston, if they make 598 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: the right move, could maybe be in that situation. It 599 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: would probably be a little bit more complicated for them, 600 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: but they do have a massive trade exception. They have 601 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: a million dollar trade exception. What they which they can use. 602 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: So there now maybe a mover too away, um, maybe 603 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 1: the Bucks. Even if the Bucks make a mover too 604 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: to improve their roster, and you honest starts to play 605 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: a little bit better than then he has, honestly, then 606 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: there there they have a chance. But point being, I 607 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: agree with those six, but I also think there's other 608 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: teams that are now very very close that weren't even 609 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: close to having a chance before this injury, for sure, 610 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: and it may cause them to be more aggressive, especially 611 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis. Come. I'm not sure when the trade deadline is, 612 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: but I would assume it's short after It's it's March 613 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: this year, Okay, So so theoreticly there will be maybe 614 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: a week or two of games after the All Star break, 615 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: and theoretically I would like to see them be extra 616 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: careful with a D and wait till the end of 617 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: March to bring him back. But he might be back 618 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: and people might get to have a look at how 619 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: good he looks. But so let's let's go down through 620 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: the Lakers have. Yeah, the Lakers have no reason to 621 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: rush him back. In my opinion, they already know what. 622 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: They already know what Lebron and a D look like 623 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: as a playoff tandem. They've obviously changed the roster a 624 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: little bit on the margins, but a lot of the 625 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: same important pieces are still there. Um, I don't think 626 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: chemistry will will really be an issue for them, especially 627 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: because when Lebron and a D are back, most of 628 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: the possessions are going to run through them anyway, especially 629 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: in a playoff series, So rushing him back in any 630 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: manner would be the wrong move for them. Yeah, I agree, 631 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: and we already know that with Anthony Davis in there, 632 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: they are an extremely dominant basketball team. But like we 633 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: we've talked about that version of the Lakers at length, 634 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 1: so really quickly, let's go over what it would look like, 635 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: you know, without a D in this case. And so 636 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: this is something that I talked a lot about over 637 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks. Um. You know, the Lakers 638 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: have a lot of depth, and they're actually kind of 639 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: constructed in a way that can win without Anthony Davis. 640 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: And I always pointed to their defense, like everyone was 641 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: so obsessed with Anthony Davis's impact on their defense because 642 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 1: of his shop blocking ability, because of how mobile he 643 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: is if he switches onto a guard to be able 644 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: to defend and things along those lines. Well, if you 645 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: look at the roster now, they basically slide slide Kuzma 646 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: into the Anthony Davis spot. So now you're playing Marcus 647 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: al at center, who finally started making some shots last night. 648 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: You have Dennis Shrewder who finally broke out of his 649 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: slump last night. You've got Contavious call Well, Pope, You've 650 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: got Lebron and Kyle Kuzma. That's a pretty good starting lineup. 651 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: I would put them behind the Clippers starting lineup. I 652 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 1: put them. I put them kind of in the same 653 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: tier as the Suns and the Jazz in the Western 654 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: Conference as a starting lineup. Their depth is actually, in 655 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: my opinion, a bit better than what than what you're 656 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: seeing from some of these other teams. Like Wesley Matthews 657 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: as an NBA starter, he started for the Buck flash year. 658 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: He's a really good NBA player who can defend and 659 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: knockdown shots. Montrez Harold has been playing really well lately. Uh, 660 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: there's something clicking for him on defense. In my opinion, 661 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: it's ball pressure he's just doing. He's doing a lot 662 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: better job of using his quickness in length instead of 663 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: trying to be bigger than guys around the basket, which 664 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: is just always gonna end up putting him on the 665 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: losing side. But that's a starter caliber player. Markie Moore's 666 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: not so much. Alex Cruzo is a starting caliber player 667 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: coming off your bench. So you literally have in talent 668 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 1: Horton Tucker borderline, I don't think yet, but will be 669 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: a starter lever player potentially come playoff time or by 670 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 1: next year. Really good defensively at this point in the season, 671 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: and he's one of those guys, one of those young 672 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: players where when you watch him, it's like every week 673 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: you're like, holy sh it, he's getting better, Like he's 674 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: better than he was last week. And to me that 675 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 1: that is just something that tells me a guy has 676 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: really good feeling, really good basketball i Q. And those 677 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 1: are the type of guys that tend to farewell in 678 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 1: the playoffs anyway, because they can make basketball reads and 679 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: basketball plays instead of just being in a super defined 680 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: I just shoot threes and I can't dribble, you know, 681 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 1: and I don't know how to do something when defenses 682 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: are a little bit discombobulated. Um So point being, yeah, 683 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: he's an amazing player. They do have a ton of 684 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: starter level talent on that roster. Yeah, he's dynamic, like 685 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: he's got almost like borderline Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Leonard light 686 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 1: level defensive ability. And he what was funny is his 687 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: defensive focus was trash to start the year. It actually 688 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: cost him a game against Portland because he kept losing 689 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: the little shooting guard they have him blinking but the 690 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: literally trend trend. Yeah, but since then, he's come miles 691 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: in terms of his defensive focus. He's got incredible length, 692 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: he's super super strong. Offensively, he's a little touch and go, 693 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: but you don't mean much from him offensively on that roster. 694 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: So when he has a great offensive game, it's kind 695 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,440 Speaker 1: of just like gold. It's kind of like the Crusoe thing, 696 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: you know, like if Crusoe is making threes, it's like, 697 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this is a fifteen million dollar year 698 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: level player now. So like there's there's a lot of 699 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: a lot of depth on that raw and I talked 700 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: about this. You know, he had another crazy dunk last 701 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: night where he spun baseline and a play that he 702 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: used to just go up and lay up over the 703 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 1: last couple of years, and he just went up with 704 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: two hands and dunked it over Malik Beasley. He's a 705 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: pretty strong perimeter defensive player and uh, for about three 706 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: games now, Lebron is starting to look vaguely two thousand 707 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: eighteen esque in terms of his athleticism, just in his 708 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: ability to jump and move laterally. Uh, he's ironically he's 709 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: kind of cooling off a little bit as a jump shooter, 710 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: a little bit back, more to too normal. But his athleticism, 711 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: to me is the bigger thing, because I know two 712 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: thousand and eighteen, Lebron is is one of the best 713 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,920 Speaker 1: basketball players I've ever laid eyes on. So I like 714 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 1: how good Lebron looks. They defend extremely well at the 715 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: point of attack. They're not as good around the rim, 716 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 1: but they would go a lot more in on shooting 717 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: with guys like marcosol And and Mark Mark Keith Morris 718 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: as as a stretch fives, so you could kind of 719 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: see like a spacing thing open up for the for 720 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: the for the Lakers. I feel about that team similar 721 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: to how you kind of feel about the War years, 722 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 1: but a little bit better. And what I mean by 723 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: that is like that's one of those teams that against 724 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 1: like the Jazz and against like the Sons or against 725 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 1: Philly like I could see Lebron just being too much 726 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: and putting them over the top. But if Anthony Davis 727 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:18,360 Speaker 1: can't play, they're not beating the Clippers, and they're definitely 728 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: not beating Brooklyn. In my opinion, I just think I 729 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 1: just think they that is the talent differential that would 730 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 1: be kind of too much of a chasm if Anthony 731 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 1: Davis could not come back well Brooklyn just specifically on 732 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,720 Speaker 1: the Brooklyn match up. Brooklyn shoots a lot of jump shots, 733 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 1: but James Harden is probably also the one one of 734 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: the best room attackers in the league. Kyrie is when 735 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: he wants to be, Kevin Durant can when he wants 736 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:43,240 Speaker 1: to be. Not having Anthony Davis his presence inside would 737 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: really really hurt them in that series. Even though they 738 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: do have phenomenal guys to guard the ball, if you 739 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: don't have that back end to be that super elite 740 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 1: defense against an offense like Brooklyn, you're gonna have trouble 741 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 1: because you need you need elite defenders at every position 742 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: on the floor to beat that Brooklyn team. And that's 743 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:01,680 Speaker 1: why I like the Lakers and matchup. If everybody's healthy. 744 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 1: But if they don't have a D, that changes the 745 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 1: entire calculus of the series. It becomes something entirely different. 746 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:11,320 Speaker 1: But overall, I do agree with your point on the Lakers. 747 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: They're They're a team that has just a bunch of 748 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: really good players and then you have Lebron on top 749 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 1: of it. So as long as Lebron is healthy with 750 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: this roster, they're still one of the top three teams 751 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: in the West at the absolute worst, and they're probably 752 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,799 Speaker 1: better than the Jazz because Lebron is Lebron and Utah 753 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: Jazz don't have Lebron, so and I would pick the 754 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: Clippers in in a theoretical series if a D isn't healthy, 755 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,400 Speaker 1: but it's still gonna go probably six maybe seven games, 756 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:41,279 Speaker 1: and you know late game situations. I probably trust Lebron 757 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: more more than CHOIRPG. So he's having a crazy clutch season, 758 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,120 Speaker 1: like I I. As of the other day, he was 759 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: in first, but I'll have to check, but I'm pretty 760 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 1: sure he's still first. And crunch time field goals made 761 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: again last night, Like after Anthony Edwards made a couple 762 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:58,759 Speaker 1: of huge threes to get it close, Lebron made a 763 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: couple of huge plays down the stretch two where he 764 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: drove and kicked to uh one where he drove and 765 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,080 Speaker 1: kicked to a wide open marcusol for three that he 766 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 1: made one where he drove and click kicked to Kuzma. 767 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:09,840 Speaker 1: The close out was sloppy, so Kuzma just drove in 768 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: for a layoup like two plays created by Lebron, and 769 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,719 Speaker 1: then he hit another like crazy tough step back jump 770 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:17,239 Speaker 1: shot that I used the game at the end of 771 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 1: the game, and like it's almost like he always was 772 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,320 Speaker 1: a good closer because he had the combination of decision 773 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: making to go with his offensive ability like as a score, 774 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:28,880 Speaker 1: but now it's like combined with this like unbelievable confidence 775 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:32,360 Speaker 1: that reminds me of Kobe Bryant in the late two thousands, 776 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: where it just felt like every time the game was close, 777 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:36,320 Speaker 1: it just felt like he was going to make the 778 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: shots to win the game. And and I really, I 779 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 1: really think it's just like the the ultimate culmination of 780 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 1: like all of the things that he does extremely well 781 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 1: with supreme confidence lating games, and and that's something that 782 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 1: can flat out swing playoffs series. So I it's if 783 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,279 Speaker 1: I was a Laker fan, obviously I'm a Lebron fan, 784 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 1: but if I was a Laker fan, like I would 785 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 1: be extremely excited about how well Lebron is playing at 786 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 1: the end of these games. Yeah, I mean, it's it's 787 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: the same thing I watched a lot of late career 788 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,080 Speaker 1: MJ growing up that that was my guy. Jordan's my guy, 789 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,719 Speaker 1: I mean, with the same last name, so he was 790 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,560 Speaker 1: obviously my favorite player. But I watched a lot of 791 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: his you know, second three Pete Bulls runs growing up 792 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: because a lot of those games are actually accessible on 793 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:20,879 Speaker 1: tape or you know, on ESPN Classic or whatever. It's 794 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: that same kind of thing where it's like, I know, 795 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,719 Speaker 1: I'm one of the greatest players ever. I have the 796 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: confidence that I am, everybody else knows that I am, 797 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: and on top of that, I have all the accomplishments. 798 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: There's nothing left for me to do, so there really 799 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,359 Speaker 1: is no pressure. It's on the broad at this point. 800 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: It's all just kind of cherry on top. Whatever he does, 801 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:40,960 Speaker 1: it's just extending his own legacy. So I think the 802 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: confidence and then combined with kind of just that no 803 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:46,759 Speaker 1: pressure situation, he's going to be the best clutch player 804 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: in the league probably. Yeah. And the best example of 805 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:52,760 Speaker 1: it was his game tying three that he made against 806 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: okay See in the second matchup, he shot like ship 807 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 1: that whole game from the perimeter and like for him 808 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,120 Speaker 1: to all of a sudden like trust his shot enough 809 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:02,840 Speaker 1: to make the most important three of the game to 810 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: send it to ot after he was like I think, 811 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: I think he was one for nine from three up 812 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: to that point was just to me, it was just 813 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,799 Speaker 1: like the ultimate sign of like how far he's come 814 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,000 Speaker 1: in terms of his confidence in his shot. Like a 815 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: Laton games there there is a post championship glow like that. 816 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:20,320 Speaker 1: The same thing happened with the Warriors in fifteen sixteen. 817 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: That's I mean, partly they went seventy three and nine 818 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: because they were motivated by all the people saying their 819 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: year before it was fake. But Steph was like unequivocally 820 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: a way more confident player the next year in clutch 821 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,800 Speaker 1: situations because he had done it on the biggest stage. 822 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:36,080 Speaker 1: When you've done it on the biggest stage, and like recently, 823 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 1: there is no bigger confidence given than that. We see 824 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: it time and time again, like, yeah, he's gonna be 825 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 1: the best player in any series they probably are in. 826 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 1: So that's with that roster that might be enough, especially 827 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,600 Speaker 1: the defense. And like I said, look, going small. We 828 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:54,600 Speaker 1: see this with Stephan the Warriors, Like going small is 829 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: just gonna open things up for their spacing. But like, 830 00:38:57,480 --> 00:38:59,239 Speaker 1: let's sake way to Brooklyn because you had you had 831 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:03,399 Speaker 1: mentioned Brooklyn. So in the event of Anthony Davis not 832 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 1: being we I think we both agree that Lebron and 833 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:08,839 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis would kind of physically dominate Brooklyn if they 834 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: got into a playoff series. But let's say Anthony Davis 835 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,840 Speaker 1: is out of the picture. Now, all of a sudden, 836 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: all you have to do is outscore Philly, who's a 837 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,760 Speaker 1: limited offensive team, and then you've got to outscore the Lakers, 838 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 1: who are gonna be limited offensively on a fact as 839 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 1: a result of the fact that they're down to basically 840 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: one and a half dribble creators with Lebron and Dennis Shruder. 841 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: So how would you feel about Brooklyn. Let's let's talk 842 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:34,799 Speaker 1: about the whole thing, like how would Brooklyn get through 843 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 1: Philly and how would Brooklyn get through the Lakers. So 844 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:41,879 Speaker 1: this is a big if. But at this moment, if 845 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:43,880 Speaker 1: the setors are fully healthy, and if the Nets are 846 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: fully healthy, I think I would still puck pick Philly. 847 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:50,160 Speaker 1: Then we wright preseason pick. I've kind of stood with 848 00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,520 Speaker 1: them so far throughout this season, and beat has still 849 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: been incredible when healthy. He is starting to miss more games, 850 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:57,920 Speaker 1: so that's maybe knocking his name out of the m 851 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 1: v P conversation a little bit, but he still unbelievable 852 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 1: and healthy. So I still would side Philly in the 853 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:09,560 Speaker 1: potential matchup, but Brooklyn is closing that gap. Um. They 854 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 1: are incredible offensively. Obviously we all knew that was going 855 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:17,040 Speaker 1: to be the case, but I think some of the 856 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 1: things that they've done I've been really good for even 857 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,399 Speaker 1: being better than I might have imagined offensively, Like Harden 858 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:27,239 Speaker 1: is basically their point guard, and Kyrie talked about this. 859 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:29,359 Speaker 1: He said, I'm basically going to be the shooting guard, 860 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,320 Speaker 1: and I think that's the right move. Harden is the 861 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 1: best passer on that team. He is the best decision maker, 862 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:35,440 Speaker 1: He's the best pick and roll guy. That is the 863 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,120 Speaker 1: guy who you want to have the balls in his 864 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,040 Speaker 1: hands and Employemaking has always been a weakness for Kyrie. 865 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:43,160 Speaker 1: We learned this from Lebron, so absolutely at an emplay 866 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,279 Speaker 1: like the Kyrie to Lebron, but in this case to 867 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:49,279 Speaker 1: James harden is a proven method to absolutely and I 868 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,640 Speaker 1: think what we're seeing from harden Um is that his 869 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:56,760 Speaker 1: best role was never to be a volume score. Houston 870 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,839 Speaker 1: just kind of did that. But he in the modern NBA, 871 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 1: he actually wasn't efficient for what he was doing. You know, 872 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:04,720 Speaker 1: he was shooting mid to low forties from the field 873 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:07,959 Speaker 1: and mid thirties from three. Sure in in two thousand seven, 874 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,640 Speaker 1: that's efficient because the defensive rules were different, spacing was different, 875 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 1: it was toffer to get shots at the rim, so 876 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 1: shooting percentages. Shooting percentage is always super inflated by the amount, 877 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 1: but the free drops exactly and and that that ability 878 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:22,640 Speaker 1: goes away in the playoffs. Right. So, but he's but 879 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:26,440 Speaker 1: point being he was going up against players in not 880 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:28,359 Speaker 1: players in two thousand seven. So the guys he going 881 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 1: up against, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, those are 882 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:35,359 Speaker 1: all guys who shoot high forties, low fifties, maybe even 883 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:37,600 Speaker 1: mid fifties. In the playoffs from the field, they're all 884 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 1: shooting thirty five plus from three In stats case, he's 885 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:44,240 Speaker 1: shooting low forties from three and hardens like way paling 886 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:46,799 Speaker 1: in comparison to them. So all the talk about him 887 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,320 Speaker 1: being the greatest score ever was maybe the most ridiculous 888 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: conversation of all time. That's the one thing I'll always 889 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,240 Speaker 1: hold over darry Darryl Moore's head. That was the dumbest 890 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:57,640 Speaker 1: conversation ever. But Harden has been incredible since he's been there. 891 00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:00,359 Speaker 1: He's only averaging three points a game, only it's still 892 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 1: a lot. He's averaging eleven assist per game and I 893 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:04,399 Speaker 1: want to say around eight or nine rebounds. Late he's 894 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,440 Speaker 1: been scoring more too. I think, yeah. I mean he 895 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 1: scored a bunch against Phoenix last night because you know, 896 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,879 Speaker 1: Harden and excuse me, Kyrie and Katie were built out. 897 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,600 Speaker 1: But he's take taking less shots and his splits right 898 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:19,879 Speaker 1: now are like, I want to say, forty eighty something. Right. 899 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: He's more efficient because he's not shooting bad shots and 900 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 1: he's playing in a role that actually suits his abilities 901 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 1: instead of just taking trying to be a volume score 902 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:30,680 Speaker 1: for lack of a better term, that's all he was 903 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,080 Speaker 1: trying to be. He wasn't actually trying to do things 904 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:34,880 Speaker 1: efficiently in Houston. He was just trying to get up 905 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:38,439 Speaker 1: as many shots as possible. Um, they look really good. 906 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,560 Speaker 1: I'm still he's had a couple of quotes, by the way, 907 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:42,880 Speaker 1: over the last week where he's made kind of passive 908 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,200 Speaker 1: aggressive comments about the way things were in Houston, and 909 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:47,480 Speaker 1: I want to be like, dude, it was your fault, 910 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 1: Like it was you, Like he said something about how 911 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 1: like we're a true team over here something. I'm like, man, 912 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,360 Speaker 1: every one of those guys that Houston hated you, because 913 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:00,040 Speaker 1: like they literally they came. They came, just shot I 914 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,400 Speaker 1: have saying we're so glad James is gone, like and 915 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:04,240 Speaker 1: then there was another one where he said something stilar 916 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:07,600 Speaker 1: but like he just I'm like, dude, look, I'm happy, 917 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:11,359 Speaker 1: you're happy now, but shut up about it. Everybody that 918 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 1: went there basically hated it, or not even not hated it, 919 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 1: but I mean role guys, stars, nobody really enjoyed their 920 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:20,640 Speaker 1: experience playing there. And it all started from the top down. 921 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:23,600 Speaker 1: It started from him point being I'm gonna give him 922 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:25,439 Speaker 1: some credit because I have been very harsh on Harden. 923 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:27,280 Speaker 1: I said he wasn't a top ten player in the league. 924 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 1: He's obviously a top ten talent, but I thought he 925 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 1: hadn't been a top ten player because he had leaned 926 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:34,799 Speaker 1: so far into Mori Bowl that he had screwed over 927 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 1: a lot of his own effectiveness by being a guy 928 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,800 Speaker 1: who was just basically super inefficient because of the volume 929 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:42,759 Speaker 1: of shots he was taking. He's been amazing since he's 930 00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:45,080 Speaker 1: been broken, been in Brooklyn. He's playing in the correct role. 931 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: And I think if if they do continue to do this, 932 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 1: if they continue to play in this manner, especially when 933 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: all three guys are healthy, they're beating almost every over 934 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:56,040 Speaker 1: five team that they play. Kevin Durant is taking less shots, 935 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:58,239 Speaker 1: he's taking less of an offensive role. He's one of 936 00:43:58,239 --> 00:44:00,600 Speaker 1: the best on ball guys in the league right now 937 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:03,399 Speaker 1: in terms of field goal percentage defended. Um. I want 938 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 1: to say he's holding his opponents under fort from the 939 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:08,879 Speaker 1: field when he's the one on one matchup. So he's 940 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 1: doing a very good job defensively. Um. They still do, 941 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:14,359 Speaker 1: in my opinion, need more defensive help. They're gonna need 942 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,839 Speaker 1: actual rim protection at some point because Joel Embides still 943 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 1: will absolutely destroy them in a series if they do 944 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:23,879 Speaker 1: match up. But I am much more optimistic on them 945 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:25,640 Speaker 1: than I was even two or three weeks ago when 946 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:27,239 Speaker 1: the trade was initially made, because I think we were 947 00:44:27,239 --> 00:44:30,080 Speaker 1: both very low on it. I hope they signed Andrew Drummond, 948 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:32,279 Speaker 1: that would be that would be my dream scenario as 949 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:34,400 Speaker 1: for them to sign Andre Drummond, because I think it 950 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 1: would be the ultimate like catastrophic mistake, just because like 951 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:43,160 Speaker 1: I really do think that, uh, that there are going 952 00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 1: to be like obvious decisions that that aren't the right decision, 953 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:50,239 Speaker 1: while there are some like some other kind of like 954 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:53,240 Speaker 1: lower profile guys that they could find, like a Dwayne 955 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:55,839 Speaker 1: Deadman or somebody like that, that that I think would 956 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:58,240 Speaker 1: be much better for what they're actually asking that player 957 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:00,840 Speaker 1: to do. You think you think I'm gonna just command 958 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 1: too many minutes, even if it's on a buyout, I 959 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:05,919 Speaker 1: don't think. I don't think Drummond plays a winning brand 960 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,520 Speaker 1: of basketball for a for a contender like I think. 961 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:10,560 Speaker 1: I think here's the thing with Andre Drummond. Once every 962 00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: couple of weeks he decides to get twenty rebounds and 963 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: twenty points off offensive rebound putbacks. But he's very much 964 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:17,360 Speaker 1: like Dwight Howard and the fact that he demands the 965 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 1: ball in the low block when he has no business 966 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:21,839 Speaker 1: having it down there. As far as his defense goes, 967 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:24,520 Speaker 1: he's a little bit of a shot block chaser in 968 00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:27,000 Speaker 1: the sense that like any decent high i Q team, 969 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:29,520 Speaker 1: like as on White side, like as on White side, 970 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:31,399 Speaker 1: where he's just jumping in everything and now you're giving 971 00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:33,640 Speaker 1: up like eight offensive rebounds because he's jumping at shots 972 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:35,440 Speaker 1: he shouldn't be jumping at. This is all you need 973 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:39,799 Speaker 1: to know, Like, uh, Cleveland is not going to be 974 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:42,279 Speaker 1: able to get any asset for him. In fact, they 975 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:43,840 Speaker 1: may have to pay to get rid of him or 976 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:47,080 Speaker 1: buy him out. And so there's no incentive for them 977 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:48,759 Speaker 1: to get rid of him other than the fact that 978 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:51,920 Speaker 1: they know Jared Allen is way better. And and what 979 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:53,640 Speaker 1: does Jared Allen do, Like Jared Allen is on a 980 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 1: post up player, Jared Allen is not taking threes Jared. 981 00:45:57,320 --> 00:45:59,919 Speaker 1: All they do is they can rely on Jared Allen 982 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:02,920 Speaker 1: to be a like a a presence around the basket 983 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:05,799 Speaker 1: defensively who's smart with his length instead of like aggressive 984 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:08,600 Speaker 1: with his length. And then on the offensive end, he's 985 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,000 Speaker 1: got a bunch of vertical gravity as as a lob catcher. 986 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,000 Speaker 1: Like the center position, unless you're using them like a 987 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,880 Speaker 1: d as a primary scoring option. The center position is 988 00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:18,920 Speaker 1: all about doing dirty work. And I don't think that 989 00:46:18,920 --> 00:46:21,719 Speaker 1: that's necessarily something that Andrew gumand would accomplish for them. 990 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:26,560 Speaker 1: I still can't believe Brooklyn gave Allen up. You know, Okay, 991 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,279 Speaker 1: I was really confused about this, and you and I 992 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:31,320 Speaker 1: were both really confused about this. But I heard that 993 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:34,279 Speaker 1: you make the trade work the day that Cleveland through 994 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:37,880 Speaker 1: another first round pick to Houston in that trade, and 995 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:39,840 Speaker 1: I'll have to look into that. But like, if Cleveland 996 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: through a first round pick to Houston, you can safely 997 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:46,279 Speaker 1: assume that that was in payment for Jared out. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. 998 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:47,520 Speaker 1: But yeah, so I think we're I think we're in 999 00:46:47,560 --> 00:46:50,160 Speaker 1: agreement about Brooklyn as far as like what their path 1000 00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:52,440 Speaker 1: looks like, which is like Kevin Ran defending better, getting 1001 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:55,160 Speaker 1: a decent buyout guy, you know, James Harden, embracing the 1002 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:58,400 Speaker 1: playmaking girl, Kyrie Irving basically becoming two thousand sixteen Kyrie 1003 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,600 Speaker 1: Irving in his role in the offense. Um. As far 1004 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,759 Speaker 1: as Philly goes, though, I agree with you. I think 1005 00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: that I think that Joe l Embiad is such a 1006 00:47:07,960 --> 00:47:11,080 Speaker 1: like unbelievable mismatch for them, uh, And I think they 1007 00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:13,799 Speaker 1: have so much length, And I think Ben Simmons is 1008 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:16,000 Speaker 1: probably the best defender in the league right now. And 1009 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:19,960 Speaker 1: for guarding. For guarding Kevin Durant and the Matistabel is 1010 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:23,480 Speaker 1: a problem they've got. They've got such a Tobias if 1011 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:26,680 Speaker 1: they've got so much length defensively, ironically, the guy that 1012 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:29,279 Speaker 1: would worry me for them is Kyrie Irving, because I 1013 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:30,759 Speaker 1: don't think they have someone who can stay in front 1014 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,640 Speaker 1: of Kyrie. But that I I do think that they 1015 00:47:33,719 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 1: have the two way play mixed with the physical offensive 1016 00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,239 Speaker 1: dominance to cause them a lot of problems. I just 1017 00:47:39,239 --> 00:47:41,239 Speaker 1: think they would rip muck that series up. I think 1018 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,160 Speaker 1: they would just ugly, just really ugly. And I think 1019 00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 1: they have enough shooting around him Bead and Simmons now 1020 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,160 Speaker 1: to make it work if if both Seth Curry and 1021 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:51,920 Speaker 1: Tobias are healthy, I think they have just enough shooting 1022 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:53,439 Speaker 1: to get it done. If one of those two guys 1023 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:56,080 Speaker 1: goes down, then they're screwed, even if it's just Seth 1024 00:47:56,120 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 1: who's a role player, but they need the shooting that 1025 00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:02,839 Speaker 1: both m and Tobias provide. No, I agree, and they 1026 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:05,240 Speaker 1: the big thing is going to be the Anthony Davis 1027 00:48:05,239 --> 00:48:09,120 Speaker 1: situation because I think, I think, I literally think that 1028 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:12,360 Speaker 1: the Lakers are the much better version of the Sixers. 1029 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: They they have very similar things that they bring to 1030 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,200 Speaker 1: the table, and this like big playmaking forward going with 1031 00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:21,800 Speaker 1: this like dominant mismatch big man in a great defense 1032 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:23,600 Speaker 1: full of a bunch of There's a little bit of 1033 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:25,359 Speaker 1: difference in the way they defend. The Lakers are more 1034 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,879 Speaker 1: ball pressure oriented with less size, and the Sixers are 1035 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:32,440 Speaker 1: more length oriented and just kind of swallowing up distance 1036 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:35,080 Speaker 1: with long arms. But but I think the Lakers are 1037 00:48:35,120 --> 00:48:36,920 Speaker 1: a better version of them. So they would, in my opinion, 1038 00:48:36,960 --> 00:48:41,160 Speaker 1: depend on a injury to Anthony Davis in order to 1039 00:48:41,200 --> 00:48:44,920 Speaker 1: actually come out on top in the in the finals. Um, 1040 00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:47,440 Speaker 1: what do you think about Uh, what do you think 1041 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:51,160 Speaker 1: about Utah right now? I mean my position on Utahs 1042 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:56,040 Speaker 1: and change. They still look amazing that they're just they're, 1043 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:58,040 Speaker 1: like I said a couple of weeks ago, they're playing 1044 00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:00,239 Speaker 1: a brand of basketball that I've never seen, just in 1045 00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:02,879 Speaker 1: terms of the actual efficiency that they're making three point 1046 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:06,200 Speaker 1: shots with across the roster. Right, even even a team 1047 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:09,880 Speaker 1: like the Warriors, who you obviously had Stephan Clay and Katie, 1048 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:13,400 Speaker 1: it was really concentrated their shooting abilities, right. It wasn't 1049 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:16,080 Speaker 1: like this team wide thing where you have six, seven, 1050 00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:19,040 Speaker 1: eight guys that can make three pointers. It's a different 1051 00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:21,560 Speaker 1: type of stress on your defense, right. The Warriors version 1052 00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:23,600 Speaker 1: was like more star centric, where it's like you had 1053 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:25,440 Speaker 1: these three guys you really had to worry about, and 1054 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:27,440 Speaker 1: everybody else on the team was basically just trying to 1055 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:30,080 Speaker 1: get them shots at all times, whereas with the Jazz, 1056 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:32,799 Speaker 1: it's like six, seven, eight guys who are all able 1057 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,640 Speaker 1: to shoot and all able to make decisions. So one 1058 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:39,880 Speaker 1: bad step by a defensive player, one wrong assignment, one miscommunication, 1059 00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:43,040 Speaker 1: it starts kind of that cavalcade of events where that 1060 00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:45,600 Speaker 1: ends in an open three or a dunk for Golbert basically, 1061 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:47,120 Speaker 1: or a wide open lay up for one of their 1062 00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:50,880 Speaker 1: their perimeter guys attacking the rim. So, I mean, my 1063 00:49:51,239 --> 00:49:55,239 Speaker 1: concerns remain the same about their playoffs ceiling, but in 1064 00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:58,040 Speaker 1: the case that Anthony Davis is not a factor, and 1065 00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:00,600 Speaker 1: maybe Paul George two because he's kind of sort of 1066 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:02,239 Speaker 1: injured right now, he has the bona demon thing in 1067 00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:05,000 Speaker 1: his foot, nobody's really sure what's going on there. I 1068 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:07,280 Speaker 1: think I think it's a perfect comp to the Anthony 1069 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:10,360 Speaker 1: Davis injury, Like, yeah, he don't know, so it's almost 1070 00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:13,279 Speaker 1: exactly pretend like it might not be great, you know 1071 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:15,480 Speaker 1: what I mean. Paul George also has a history of 1072 00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 1: coming back from his injuries with no rhythm and not 1073 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:20,680 Speaker 1: playing particularly well. That was one of those things this 1074 00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:22,480 Speaker 1: offseason is like, oh I was healthy, I got to 1075 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:24,239 Speaker 1: train with my guy. Well it's like, okay, well now 1076 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:26,319 Speaker 1: you're just taking a month off. We'll see how that 1077 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:30,440 Speaker 1: disrupts your rhythm. Yep, exactly. So Utah, it definitely has 1078 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 1: more of a chance if neither one of those guys 1079 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:35,879 Speaker 1: are a factor, meaning Anthony Davis or Paul George. I mean, 1080 00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:38,520 Speaker 1: I could see I could see Donovan Mitchell getting hot 1081 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:40,360 Speaker 1: enough to beat anybody in a playoff series because we 1082 00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:42,920 Speaker 1: actually have seen it before, right, It's not something that's 1083 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,239 Speaker 1: what We've seen it against Russell Westbrook, and we've seen 1084 00:50:45,239 --> 00:50:47,560 Speaker 1: it against Paul George. We've seen it against Jamal Murray, 1085 00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:49,680 Speaker 1: although not enough to actually win the series. Sure, right, 1086 00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:51,480 Speaker 1: we haven't seen it against Lebron James. That's not what 1087 00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:55,480 Speaker 1: I'm saying, But we know that he is capable of 1088 00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:58,440 Speaker 1: getting hot for a long period of time, especially in 1089 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:00,960 Speaker 1: you know, in big moments like that. That is not 1090 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:03,960 Speaker 1: something he he is unable to do, and it wasn't 1091 00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:06,799 Speaker 1: just one series. He's done at multiple times now, So 1092 00:51:07,120 --> 00:51:08,920 Speaker 1: it looks better now than he did in the past. 1093 00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:13,440 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, he's a better player. Um, But yeah, they 1094 00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:15,839 Speaker 1: definitely have more of a chance if Anthony Davison Paul 1095 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:18,239 Speaker 1: George aren't playing. This is this is their window to 1096 00:51:18,320 --> 00:51:20,680 Speaker 1: a title, right, This is a team like the Jazz. 1097 00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:23,640 Speaker 1: You're probably never gonna win and every if everybody is healthy, 1098 00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:27,120 Speaker 1: but you get some injury, Look now you've got a chance. 1099 00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:29,320 Speaker 1: Now you can rely on your system and you hope 1100 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:31,719 Speaker 1: that that your star is good enough to get the 1101 00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:35,080 Speaker 1: job done against other rosters that are depleted to what 1102 00:51:35,120 --> 00:51:37,840 Speaker 1: they normally are. So yeah, I haven't moved on them 1103 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:39,799 Speaker 1: at all. They're just an outstanding basketball team and I 1104 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:43,080 Speaker 1: love watching them. So I think I think it's important 1105 00:51:43,120 --> 00:51:45,799 Speaker 1: to understand and respect the fact that they're winning a 1106 00:51:45,840 --> 00:51:48,040 Speaker 1: lot like I don't think that's easy to do. I 1107 00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:51,520 Speaker 1: don't think that's a coincidence. I think it's worth acknowledging that. 1108 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,479 Speaker 1: I think there's a clear reason why they're the best 1109 00:51:54,520 --> 00:51:56,440 Speaker 1: three point shooting team in the league on offense, and 1110 00:51:56,440 --> 00:51:58,839 Speaker 1: they literally lead the league and opponents three pointers made. 1111 00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:00,440 Speaker 1: So they're doing a great job of kind of doing 1112 00:52:00,440 --> 00:52:03,319 Speaker 1: the reverse analytics thing, like we're gonna we're going to 1113 00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 1: take advantage of it on this end and take it 1114 00:52:05,560 --> 00:52:08,200 Speaker 1: away on the other end. However, you know, I do 1115 00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:11,440 Speaker 1: think that they have like there's a little bit of 1116 00:52:11,480 --> 00:52:16,080 Speaker 1: a gap between what their actual outcomes have been versus 1117 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:18,560 Speaker 1: what their roster would tell you about them as a team. 1118 00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:21,799 Speaker 1: You know, for instance, like they're not the only team 1119 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:23,680 Speaker 1: in the league that has guys that can knock down 1120 00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:26,719 Speaker 1: shots and defend. But yet somehow Joe Ingles and and 1121 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:30,480 Speaker 1: Bogdanovich and and O'Neil are kind of exceeding expectations in 1122 00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:34,120 Speaker 1: that regard. They're not the old guys, are they Those 1123 00:52:34,120 --> 00:52:37,120 Speaker 1: guys will not O'Neil. O'Neil is not like a career 1124 00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:40,279 Speaker 1: three point guy, but Bogdanovitch and Angles basically are those 1125 00:52:40,280 --> 00:52:44,040 Speaker 1: are guys who shoot basically every year. No, I I agree, 1126 00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:46,760 Speaker 1: But at the same time, like there are other teams 1127 00:52:46,800 --> 00:52:49,320 Speaker 1: in the league that that have good three point shooters 1128 00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 1: who can defend what I'm sure what I'm trying to 1129 00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:53,200 Speaker 1: talk about as matchups here, So I'm going somewhere with this, 1130 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:55,160 Speaker 1: but basically with the with the matchups, the way I 1131 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:57,279 Speaker 1: look at it is like they also have like a 1132 00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:00,319 Speaker 1: good playmaking guard mixed with a good scoring guard, and 1133 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:02,200 Speaker 1: then they have a guy who can protect the rim, 1134 00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:04,760 Speaker 1: and then they have a really aggressive score off the bench. 1135 00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:07,640 Speaker 1: That's like the really quick like breakdown of the way 1136 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:11,320 Speaker 1: their team works. They do not have a crazy mismatch 1137 00:53:11,360 --> 00:53:13,480 Speaker 1: problem that they can make in a series now other 1138 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,359 Speaker 1: than Donovan Mitchell, who is more or less the same 1139 00:53:16,440 --> 00:53:19,200 Speaker 1: archetype of player that you see and and on a 1140 00:53:19,239 --> 00:53:21,239 Speaker 1: half dozen different good teams in the league, which is 1141 00:53:21,239 --> 00:53:23,120 Speaker 1: this really good scoring guard that if you go under 1142 00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:24,920 Speaker 1: screens he can shoot from three and if you go 1143 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:26,719 Speaker 1: over the top he's really athletic and get to the 1144 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:28,720 Speaker 1: room and score. So like it's not like he presents 1145 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:32,920 Speaker 1: you know, some sort of monstrous playmaking or uh mismatch. 1146 00:53:33,160 --> 00:53:35,359 Speaker 1: And on the nights where he's not making shots, he's 1147 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:37,520 Speaker 1: just not as effective, like he doesn't find other ways 1148 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:41,080 Speaker 1: to affect the game really exactly. And and and he's 1149 00:53:41,080 --> 00:53:43,640 Speaker 1: not a great playmaker, like he's an average he's an 1150 00:53:43,719 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: average playmaker. So what I what I what I kind 1151 00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:49,120 Speaker 1: of take away from that is like I try to 1152 00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:51,800 Speaker 1: like you have to look at like the Atlanta Hawks 1153 00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:54,920 Speaker 1: from two thousand fifteen, or like the Rafters from two 1154 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 1: thousand eighteen as examples, Like when you looked at the 1155 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:00,400 Speaker 1: success that they were having on the court, being a 1156 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:03,120 Speaker 1: lot of teams winning a lot of games, so much 1157 00:54:03,120 --> 00:54:05,200 Speaker 1: of it had to do with effort and making shots 1158 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:07,440 Speaker 1: and and just a really good coaching and all of 1159 00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:09,200 Speaker 1: this stuff. But then when it came down at the 1160 00:54:09,200 --> 00:54:11,960 Speaker 1: playoff time, there were obvious deficiencies in the way that 1161 00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:15,120 Speaker 1: their roster was constructed. Okay, So that's that's what I 1162 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:17,440 Speaker 1: think is okay to point out with this Jazz team, 1163 00:54:17,440 --> 00:54:20,840 Speaker 1: and it's simply put, like, I don't think Donovan Mitchell 1164 00:54:20,920 --> 00:54:23,000 Speaker 1: is as good at what he does as the other 1165 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:25,319 Speaker 1: guys he's going to run into around the league. I 1166 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:27,799 Speaker 1: don't think Mike Connolly is as good at what he 1167 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:30,239 Speaker 1: does as the other guys he's gonna run into. Gobert 1168 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:32,640 Speaker 1: is fine, but you and I both are kind of 1169 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:34,680 Speaker 1: I think I think we both respect what he does, 1170 00:54:34,680 --> 00:54:37,360 Speaker 1: but I think he's like John Hollinger was at the 1171 00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:39,520 Speaker 1: other day. Put I was just about to say that, 1172 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:41,520 Speaker 1: did you hear him? He put him top three in 1173 00:54:41,719 --> 00:54:43,560 Speaker 1: m v P. He said that him and Lebron had 1174 00:54:43,560 --> 00:54:46,600 Speaker 1: the same case, his media his media passion be revoked. 1175 00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:52,000 Speaker 1: That's the most ridiculous fucking are you kidding me? It was. 1176 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:55,040 Speaker 1: It was bad, and like basically this is his whole thing. 1177 00:54:55,080 --> 00:54:56,440 Speaker 1: Was like, he's the best player on the best team 1178 00:54:56,440 --> 00:54:57,480 Speaker 1: in the league. And I'm like, first of all, I 1179 00:54:57,520 --> 00:54:58,920 Speaker 1: don't think he's the best player on the best team 1180 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:02,279 Speaker 1: in the league. But regardless, like you get what I'm 1181 00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:04,640 Speaker 1: we're going with this, Like I don't think that I 1182 00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:07,560 Speaker 1: don't think that they do a thing that is going 1183 00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:10,520 Speaker 1: to scare the best teams in the league when they 1184 00:55:10,560 --> 00:55:13,239 Speaker 1: can face them seven times, and most importantly, I don't 1185 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:16,280 Speaker 1: think they've faced the two teams that I'm really interested 1186 00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:18,600 Speaker 1: in seeing them play, our Phoenix and the Lakers. And 1187 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:20,319 Speaker 1: we're gonna see the Lakers play them here in a 1188 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:22,239 Speaker 1: couple in a couple of weeks, which is gonna be 1189 00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:25,279 Speaker 1: interesting because even though Anthony Davis is not playing, I 1190 00:55:25,320 --> 00:55:28,360 Speaker 1: think the the Lakers are I think second or third, 1191 00:55:28,440 --> 00:55:30,520 Speaker 1: I think third in the league and taking away opponents 1192 00:55:30,520 --> 00:55:33,840 Speaker 1: three point shots. So they're a team that's gonna force 1193 00:55:34,400 --> 00:55:37,759 Speaker 1: the Utah Jazz off the line, and it'll be really 1194 00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:41,400 Speaker 1: interesting to see how they audible to that and then 1195 00:55:41,440 --> 00:55:43,760 Speaker 1: Frank Vogel is so good at coming up with defensive 1196 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:46,560 Speaker 1: game plans. And then the Lake. You're gonna get a 1197 00:55:46,640 --> 00:55:48,680 Speaker 1: great effort from the Lakers in that game because they're 1198 00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:51,120 Speaker 1: gonna have something to prove. That'll be a really interesting one. 1199 00:55:51,160 --> 00:55:52,880 Speaker 1: And then Phoenix is the other one because Phoenix is 1200 00:55:52,920 --> 00:55:54,640 Speaker 1: one of the best teams that chasing teams off the 1201 00:55:54,640 --> 00:55:57,160 Speaker 1: three point line as well. Chris Paul is great at 1202 00:55:57,200 --> 00:56:00,360 Speaker 1: the point attack. Defensively, they've got all their their wings 1203 00:56:00,440 --> 00:56:02,959 Speaker 1: on the perimeter are actually every bit is good defensively 1204 00:56:03,719 --> 00:56:06,880 Speaker 1: as the kind of wings that uh that Utah is 1205 00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:08,440 Speaker 1: gonna throw at them. So those are that those are 1206 00:56:08,440 --> 00:56:10,200 Speaker 1: the matchups I would just I would like to see 1207 00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:13,080 Speaker 1: a team try to make Utah do something different, kind 1208 00:56:13,080 --> 00:56:15,160 Speaker 1: of like the Milwaukee Bucks last year. It's like, what 1209 00:56:15,200 --> 00:56:18,120 Speaker 1: are you gonna do when Rudy Gobert gets consistently pulled 1210 00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:19,840 Speaker 1: out of the paint. What are you gonna do when 1211 00:56:20,040 --> 00:56:22,080 Speaker 1: all of a sudden all your catch and shoot threes 1212 00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:24,719 Speaker 1: aren't there? What are you gonna do? Like the that's 1213 00:56:24,719 --> 00:56:26,440 Speaker 1: gonna be the thing to see, Like they beat Milwaukee 1214 00:56:26,440 --> 00:56:29,319 Speaker 1: the other day. Milwaukee famously just lets you shoot three. 1215 00:56:29,400 --> 00:56:31,480 Speaker 1: So that was a recipe for disaster from the beginning, 1216 00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:33,040 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So that'll be the the 1217 00:56:33,239 --> 00:56:37,320 Speaker 1: I just want to see how they adapt because in theory, 1218 00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:40,520 Speaker 1: if you actually look at the way they're constructed, they're 1219 00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:42,920 Speaker 1: not really constructed to be a team that succeeds in 1220 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:46,000 Speaker 1: the playoffs. If that makes sense. Yeah, to be clear, 1221 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:49,319 Speaker 1: like I said, I still doubt their playoffs ceiling, right, 1222 00:56:49,640 --> 00:56:51,279 Speaker 1: they can actually be in the playoffs, I would still 1223 00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:54,120 Speaker 1: put the Lakers and the Clippers over them in a series, 1224 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:56,320 Speaker 1: And if the Warriors make a couple of MOVs to 1225 00:56:56,400 --> 00:56:58,960 Speaker 1: improve their roster, I'm picking the Warriors over them too. 1226 00:56:59,040 --> 00:57:01,359 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Steph Curry so much better than anybody on 1227 00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:04,360 Speaker 1: that team. I think they would beat that team. Point 1228 00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:07,040 Speaker 1: being there are a tremendous team, and we in the 1229 00:57:07,040 --> 00:57:09,239 Speaker 1: same way that we owe the two fifteen Hawks, you know, 1230 00:57:09,600 --> 00:57:12,239 Speaker 1: a certain amount of um credence for playing as well 1231 00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:13,960 Speaker 1: as they were, we owe the same to the Jazz, 1232 00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:16,840 Speaker 1: And I think the Jazz is best player in terms 1233 00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:18,480 Speaker 1: of just being a pure score is better than that 1234 00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:21,760 Speaker 1: two Hawks team had. Right, So, just going off of 1235 00:57:21,800 --> 00:57:23,960 Speaker 1: that model, they have more of a puncher's chance in 1236 00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:29,400 Speaker 1: a series against an actually really really Donovan Mitchell is 1237 00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:31,520 Speaker 1: always like a one in four chance of looking like 1238 00:57:31,600 --> 00:57:34,480 Speaker 1: Dwyane Wade on any given nights. So exactly undercutting that. 1239 00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:37,360 Speaker 1: I'm not undercutting that at all. Um. Let's talk about 1240 00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:41,000 Speaker 1: Phoenix though, So uh well, I'll let you go first 1241 00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:43,600 Speaker 1: on this or what what would it look like for 1242 00:57:43,640 --> 00:57:46,120 Speaker 1: Phoenix to to make it all the way, because this 1243 00:57:46,160 --> 00:57:49,760 Speaker 1: is a team I'm extremely high on. Yeah, they keep 1244 00:57:49,760 --> 00:57:52,080 Speaker 1: looking better, man, they look better almost all the time 1245 00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:54,640 Speaker 1: a game. And that that was bad? That was that 1246 00:57:54,720 --> 00:57:58,840 Speaker 1: was really bad last night. It's Chris Paul has a 1247 00:57:58,880 --> 00:58:01,280 Speaker 1: few too many of those on his he does, he 1248 00:58:01,320 --> 00:58:03,240 Speaker 1: has way too many of those on his record. And 1249 00:58:04,720 --> 00:58:08,320 Speaker 1: there Phoenix is starting to grow restless about DeAndre Ayton. 1250 00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:11,240 Speaker 1: I think a lot of he's a he's a nice player, 1251 00:58:11,280 --> 00:58:12,840 Speaker 1: and I think he's gonna be a nice NBA player 1252 00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:14,240 Speaker 1: for a long time. But you picked him over Luca 1253 00:58:14,280 --> 00:58:18,120 Speaker 1: don Chrich like that at some point, like the the 1254 00:58:18,200 --> 00:58:21,280 Speaker 1: frustration is gonna boil over and like it's gonna get 1255 00:58:21,320 --> 00:58:22,720 Speaker 1: I think it might get a little bit ugly there, 1256 00:58:22,720 --> 00:58:24,800 Speaker 1: just because of the pressure that fans almost put on 1257 00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:28,360 Speaker 1: the organization. Um, even though I wouldn't say the Phoenix 1258 00:58:28,360 --> 00:58:31,000 Speaker 1: Suns fan base is a huge one, but point being 1259 00:58:31,080 --> 00:58:33,640 Speaker 1: like it could have turned into an ugly situation. But 1260 00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:35,280 Speaker 1: I think, do you think Devin Booker is better than 1261 00:58:35,320 --> 00:58:40,200 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell? Yes, I do. I think I think he's 1262 00:58:40,200 --> 00:58:43,120 Speaker 1: significantly better. Yeah, I don't even think it's close. Really, 1263 00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:46,480 Speaker 1: I think he's I think he's the type of score 1264 00:58:46,560 --> 00:58:48,960 Speaker 1: that can be the best score in any playoff series 1265 00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:51,560 Speaker 1: against any player in the league besides like maybe three 1266 00:58:51,560 --> 00:58:55,840 Speaker 1: guys an actual mismatch, like one that's three other teams out. Oh, 1267 00:58:56,080 --> 00:58:59,120 Speaker 1: because because he can get a bucket and like legitimately anyway, 1268 00:58:59,160 --> 00:59:01,040 Speaker 1: like he can pull, he can do threes off the dribble, 1269 00:59:01,120 --> 00:59:02,920 Speaker 1: off of off ball movement, he can go into the 1270 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:05,440 Speaker 1: midpost and post smaller guys up and get buckets. He 1271 00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:07,760 Speaker 1: can go to the rim, like he keeps getting better 1272 00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:10,640 Speaker 1: at finishing around the rim every year. And he's one 1273 00:59:10,680 --> 00:59:14,320 Speaker 1: of those like classic examples this year specifically, where like 1274 00:59:14,360 --> 00:59:16,480 Speaker 1: his numbers are actually down compared to other years. But 1275 00:59:16,520 --> 00:59:19,360 Speaker 1: he's a better player because he's yeah, it's in a 1276 00:59:19,360 --> 00:59:21,480 Speaker 1: winning context and he's taking a step back and he's 1277 00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:24,200 Speaker 1: giving Chris Paul more playmaking responsibilities and he's like letting 1278 00:59:24,400 --> 00:59:27,480 Speaker 1: other guys take more shots. And I mean he shouldn't 1279 00:59:27,480 --> 00:59:29,360 Speaker 1: have done that in years, part because the roster sucked, 1280 00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:32,760 Speaker 1: But point being, his numbers are worse. But he's, you know, 1281 00:59:32,800 --> 00:59:34,920 Speaker 1: he's learning how to be a better player because he's 1282 00:59:34,960 --> 00:59:38,600 Speaker 1: taking on less responsibility in a good way. Um yeah, 1283 00:59:38,640 --> 00:59:43,000 Speaker 1: I mean better than Conley, Yes, absolutely, I mean not 1284 00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:46,560 Speaker 1: even a question that And their wings are probably on 1285 00:59:46,640 --> 00:59:48,920 Speaker 1: pars with the Jazz, So I see the point that 1286 00:59:48,920 --> 00:59:50,760 Speaker 1: you're making. You're saying the Sons would probably beat the 1287 00:59:50,800 --> 00:59:53,560 Speaker 1: Jazz in a series. If you were the Warriors, would 1288 00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:56,200 Speaker 1: you be more scared of the Sons or the of 1289 00:59:56,240 --> 00:59:58,120 Speaker 1: the Jazz? I think I think it's a clear difference, 1290 00:59:58,160 --> 01:00:02,240 Speaker 1: don't you probably These Sons, yeah say the Sun's Um, yeah, 1291 01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:04,240 Speaker 1: they just I think they're They're best two players are 1292 01:00:04,240 --> 01:00:05,920 Speaker 1: just better than the Jazz's best two players. And that's 1293 01:00:05,920 --> 01:00:07,680 Speaker 1: what playoff series come down to a lot of the time, 1294 01:00:07,840 --> 01:00:09,840 Speaker 1: especially if your best two guys are better than their 1295 01:00:09,840 --> 01:00:12,680 Speaker 1: best two guys, which would be the case with Phoenix 1296 01:00:12,680 --> 01:00:15,280 Speaker 1: and Utah for sure. And even though Chris Paul does 1297 01:00:15,320 --> 01:00:18,560 Speaker 1: have his history of of playoff blunders, and just like 1298 01:00:18,680 --> 01:00:22,880 Speaker 1: last night. I still think there's like the outside chance 1299 01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:25,120 Speaker 1: he does. Like the two thousand eleven Dirk thing were, 1300 01:00:25,120 --> 01:00:28,320 Speaker 1: like Dirk before two thousand eleven was this guy who 1301 01:00:28,360 --> 01:00:30,360 Speaker 1: always choked in the big moment right and then all 1302 01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:32,320 Speaker 1: of a sudden, it was like a switch flipped and 1303 01:00:32,360 --> 01:00:34,880 Speaker 1: he he had like a three series run where he 1304 01:00:35,000 --> 01:00:37,200 Speaker 1: was one of the best closures that we've ever seen 1305 01:00:37,560 --> 01:00:41,520 Speaker 1: in that in the I mean, they they beat the 1306 01:00:41,560 --> 01:00:43,160 Speaker 1: Spurs in round one and then they kicked the crap 1307 01:00:43,200 --> 01:00:45,800 Speaker 1: out of the Lakers the Thunder. He had like four 1308 01:00:45,920 --> 01:00:48,400 Speaker 1: late game situations where he was just making impossible shot 1309 01:00:48,400 --> 01:00:50,520 Speaker 1: after impossible shot to close out those games. And same 1310 01:00:50,520 --> 01:00:52,960 Speaker 1: thing against the heat. Like and I'm not saying Chris 1311 01:00:52,960 --> 01:00:54,840 Speaker 1: Paul would do something as crazy as Dirk did in 1312 01:00:54,840 --> 01:00:57,720 Speaker 1: those playoffs, but just I think he might. Really just 1313 01:00:57,840 --> 01:00:59,840 Speaker 1: a question. It isn't out of the question, because he 1314 01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:02,280 Speaker 1: is that great. He's one of the five six greatest 1315 01:01:02,280 --> 01:01:05,240 Speaker 1: point guards of all time. And when he's on, because 1316 01:01:05,280 --> 01:01:06,640 Speaker 1: he was on for a lot of the game that 1317 01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:09,280 Speaker 1: last night, he's just incredible to watch. He's such a 1318 01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:11,880 Speaker 1: good basketball player. He understands the game. I think he's 1319 01:01:11,920 --> 01:01:16,400 Speaker 1: up over like twenty and seven over his last games, 1320 01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:20,760 Speaker 1: and he's basically like like something in something some crazy 1321 01:01:20,920 --> 01:01:25,040 Speaker 1: like he is peaking again right now. Somehow. He's the 1322 01:01:25,080 --> 01:01:27,640 Speaker 1: only guy like he The only guy I would say 1323 01:01:27,640 --> 01:01:29,439 Speaker 1: that controls the flow of a game better than him 1324 01:01:29,600 --> 01:01:32,000 Speaker 1: in the league right now is Lebron. I agree, that's it, 1325 01:01:32,080 --> 01:01:35,320 Speaker 1: and the only guy Ron. That's what he is. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, 1326 01:01:35,320 --> 01:01:36,920 Speaker 1: he's a six ft version of Lebron. And he was 1327 01:01:36,920 --> 01:01:39,360 Speaker 1: always going to play himself into shape this season. I 1328 01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:40,960 Speaker 1: thought like he wasn't gonna come and I think that's 1329 01:01:40,960 --> 01:01:43,600 Speaker 1: probably why his numbers were low to start the year. Um, 1330 01:01:43,640 --> 01:01:45,400 Speaker 1: he just wasn't gonna be in shape coming into the year, 1331 01:01:45,400 --> 01:01:47,040 Speaker 1: just because of how weird it is. Like he's very 1332 01:01:47,120 --> 01:01:49,800 Speaker 1: involved with the Players Association obviously, like the dudes, got 1333 01:01:49,800 --> 01:01:51,600 Speaker 1: a lot on his plate. So he's probably like, I'll 1334 01:01:51,640 --> 01:01:53,760 Speaker 1: work my way into shape at the beginning of the season. 1335 01:01:53,800 --> 01:01:55,919 Speaker 1: I'll be good by game twenty or thirty. And that's 1336 01:01:55,920 --> 01:01:58,560 Speaker 1: what we're seeing. He looks awesome. Devin Booker, like you said, 1337 01:01:58,680 --> 01:02:00,840 Speaker 1: is better than anybody that you taw as for sure, 1338 01:02:01,240 --> 01:02:04,440 Speaker 1: So they might I really hadn't thought about it in 1339 01:02:04,480 --> 01:02:05,800 Speaker 1: this manner, but they really might have more of a 1340 01:02:05,880 --> 01:02:07,840 Speaker 1: chance than you try to go to the finals. They're 1341 01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:09,640 Speaker 1: just they have a lot of guys who have never 1342 01:02:09,680 --> 01:02:11,840 Speaker 1: been there. Eight is really young, Bookers really young still. 1343 01:02:12,320 --> 01:02:14,520 Speaker 1: Um obviously Cam Johnson, who was playing a lot of minutes, 1344 01:02:14,560 --> 01:02:17,400 Speaker 1: is very young. U Michail Bridges is very young. And 1345 01:02:17,400 --> 01:02:20,000 Speaker 1: those guys are all really good players, but they're still 1346 01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:22,600 Speaker 1: just really young. They're all like it under And that's 1347 01:02:22,640 --> 01:02:24,760 Speaker 1: just if you're lying on that many guys that are 1348 01:02:24,800 --> 01:02:26,480 Speaker 1: that young, it's just gonna be tough to make a 1349 01:02:26,520 --> 01:02:28,640 Speaker 1: deep playoff run. It always is like if you just 1350 01:02:28,640 --> 01:02:30,480 Speaker 1: look through the history of the league, that doesn't really happen. 1351 01:02:31,240 --> 01:02:34,200 Speaker 1: I agree. I think Chris Paul and Jay crowder at 1352 01:02:34,200 --> 01:02:36,919 Speaker 1: a little bit more of a veteran presence. That's because 1353 01:02:36,920 --> 01:02:38,760 Speaker 1: the Lakers, for the record, have the same problem. I mean, 1354 01:02:38,800 --> 01:02:41,400 Speaker 1: they have a lot of young guys that they depend on. Uh, 1355 01:02:41,440 --> 01:02:43,280 Speaker 1: you know, Anthony Davis is still in his twenties. Dennis 1356 01:02:43,280 --> 01:02:45,280 Speaker 1: shooters in his twenties, like Crusoe and th h t 1357 01:02:45,400 --> 01:02:47,160 Speaker 1: are super young. There are a lot of young guys 1358 01:02:47,240 --> 01:02:49,400 Speaker 1: kind of mixed in that they're that there were a 1359 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:51,280 Speaker 1: lot I think k cps only like twenty seven or 1360 01:02:51,280 --> 01:02:54,840 Speaker 1: something like that too. Yeah. One of those guys who's 1361 01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:56,480 Speaker 1: been in the League three you feel like fifteen years 1362 01:02:56,520 --> 01:03:00,400 Speaker 1: but he's years old. Oh yeah, well yeah, that that's 1363 01:03:00,400 --> 01:03:02,400 Speaker 1: just it's like the Brad Beal thing. And ever since they, 1364 01:03:02,600 --> 01:03:05,560 Speaker 1: you know, we ever since these guys have been especially 1365 01:03:05,560 --> 01:03:07,320 Speaker 1: the guys in the Eastern Conference that we're playing in 1366 01:03:07,360 --> 01:03:09,439 Speaker 1: like big Marquee playoff games when they were like twenty 1367 01:03:09,480 --> 01:03:11,800 Speaker 1: two years old. It's just they're burned in your memory 1368 01:03:11,840 --> 01:03:15,800 Speaker 1: from a young age. Um. Anyway, like, I'm super high 1369 01:03:15,800 --> 01:03:18,000 Speaker 1: on the Sun's because they check all of these boxes 1370 01:03:18,040 --> 01:03:20,520 Speaker 1: that that that I believe in the championship contenters and 1371 01:03:20,520 --> 01:03:21,880 Speaker 1: I've talked to you about it a million times, so 1372 01:03:21,880 --> 01:03:23,800 Speaker 1: I don't dive into it. But it's just that can 1373 01:03:23,920 --> 01:03:25,320 Speaker 1: do you have alpha's that can go toe to toe 1374 01:03:25,360 --> 01:03:27,000 Speaker 1: with the best players in league? Can you defend an 1375 01:03:27,000 --> 01:03:31,400 Speaker 1: extremely high level? And can you uh, are you versatile offensively? 1376 01:03:31,440 --> 01:03:34,480 Speaker 1: Like can you attack offensively? In different ways? They're touching 1377 01:03:34,520 --> 01:03:36,600 Speaker 1: top five and defense, now, aren't they They're right around 1378 01:03:36,600 --> 01:03:38,720 Speaker 1: like top five. I'll check, but I think they're I 1379 01:03:38,720 --> 01:03:42,880 Speaker 1: think they're already in the top five. But anyway, the 1380 01:03:43,160 --> 01:03:47,400 Speaker 1: I've always kinda used those landmarks as the things that 1381 01:03:47,600 --> 01:03:50,400 Speaker 1: I used to evaluate regular season success. The Suns are 1382 01:03:50,440 --> 01:03:53,840 Speaker 1: sixth and defense right now, yea um, but I use 1383 01:03:53,920 --> 01:03:56,080 Speaker 1: those as as the lens to to kind of evaluate 1384 01:03:56,120 --> 01:03:57,840 Speaker 1: that because you know, you and I talk all the 1385 01:03:57,840 --> 01:03:59,720 Speaker 1: time about how the regular season doesn't matter. And there 1386 01:03:59,720 --> 01:04:03,240 Speaker 1: are million, literally a million examples in NBA history of 1387 01:04:03,240 --> 01:04:05,560 Speaker 1: a team that had great success in the regular season 1388 01:04:05,800 --> 01:04:08,400 Speaker 1: and for whatever reason, it didn't translate the playoffs success, 1389 01:04:08,440 --> 01:04:10,160 Speaker 1: and and there are a lot of reasons for that. 1390 01:04:10,200 --> 01:04:11,919 Speaker 1: We're not going to get into it, but I think 1391 01:04:12,000 --> 01:04:14,480 Speaker 1: that's why that's why we're having this conversation. If it 1392 01:04:14,520 --> 01:04:16,840 Speaker 1: was who had the best team in the regular season 1393 01:04:16,880 --> 01:04:19,720 Speaker 1: just always won the title, then we would, uh, then 1394 01:04:19,760 --> 01:04:22,040 Speaker 1: these debates would be meaningless because it would just be like, hey, 1395 01:04:22,080 --> 01:04:24,080 Speaker 1: let's look at the standings. Okay, the standings say the 1396 01:04:24,120 --> 01:04:25,960 Speaker 1: Bucks are the best team in the league. They were 1397 01:04:26,000 --> 01:04:29,080 Speaker 1: on pace for sixty seven wins. Oh wait, they lose 1398 01:04:29,120 --> 01:04:31,000 Speaker 1: in the second round and kind of get boat race 1399 01:04:31,120 --> 01:04:34,600 Speaker 1: because they're actually not built for for that type of 1400 01:04:34,600 --> 01:04:37,080 Speaker 1: of matchup. And you know, when I look at the Suns, 1401 01:04:37,120 --> 01:04:40,959 Speaker 1: it's like I know that Devin Booker, like there's only 1402 01:04:41,000 --> 01:04:43,360 Speaker 1: a handful of players that can make him really work 1403 01:04:43,520 --> 01:04:45,880 Speaker 1: in the entire league. You know, like maybe a Ben Simmons, 1404 01:04:45,960 --> 01:04:48,479 Speaker 1: maybe a Lebron maybe someone like that. But like the 1405 01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:50,640 Speaker 1: the if he ends up on any smaller guard, he's 1406 01:04:50,640 --> 01:04:53,440 Speaker 1: taken him into the post, anybody who tries to you know, 1407 01:04:53,480 --> 01:04:55,400 Speaker 1: if he gets some in ball screen situations, he can 1408 01:04:55,400 --> 01:04:56,760 Speaker 1: get him on his hip and get into the mid 1409 01:04:56,880 --> 01:04:59,160 Speaker 1: range to take a little like side step and step 1410 01:04:59,200 --> 01:05:01,520 Speaker 1: back jump shots. You you went over that earlier. He's 1411 01:05:01,560 --> 01:05:05,520 Speaker 1: got such a versatile scoring ability. And then Chris Paul 1412 01:05:05,600 --> 01:05:06,960 Speaker 1: all of the things that he brings to the table 1413 01:05:07,000 --> 01:05:09,120 Speaker 1: that we just talked about. They have tons of length 1414 01:05:09,160 --> 01:05:12,240 Speaker 1: and shooting on the wing. Michail Bridges and Cam Johnson 1415 01:05:12,240 --> 01:05:14,240 Speaker 1: are both shooting the ball really well. Jake Crowder has 1416 01:05:14,240 --> 01:05:17,560 Speaker 1: been hot, hot and hot and cold. But you know 1417 01:05:17,760 --> 01:05:21,080 Speaker 1: he's he's a more He's as good of a playoff 1418 01:05:21,200 --> 01:05:23,120 Speaker 1: wing as you'll you'll see in the league. As far 1419 01:05:23,160 --> 01:05:27,040 Speaker 1: as role players go. They've got Uh and then Deandreton. 1420 01:05:27,160 --> 01:05:29,960 Speaker 1: You know, the thing with him is he's he's hot 1421 01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:32,360 Speaker 1: and cold. It will be interesting to see how a 1422 01:05:32,440 --> 01:05:36,280 Speaker 1: player like him UH performs when there's a little bit 1423 01:05:36,320 --> 01:05:39,400 Speaker 1: more steaks because I remember this, like I watched him 1424 01:05:39,480 --> 01:05:41,959 Speaker 1: very closely at Arizona. He's got a love with an ego. 1425 01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:44,400 Speaker 1: He's got like in a good way, Like he's confident 1426 01:05:44,400 --> 01:05:46,440 Speaker 1: in himself. He believes that he's one of those guys, 1427 01:05:46,480 --> 01:05:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, And in Arizona he played well in the 1428 01:05:48,720 --> 01:05:51,520 Speaker 1: biggest games, Like I remember that just from being a 1429 01:05:51,560 --> 01:05:54,320 Speaker 1: fan of the Wildcats and watching them play, Like I 1430 01:05:54,320 --> 01:05:56,560 Speaker 1: always felt more confident in him in a bigger game 1431 01:05:56,560 --> 01:05:58,560 Speaker 1: than I did in others. And that's just a textbook. 1432 01:05:58,640 --> 01:06:01,040 Speaker 1: Like some guys, it's like the Rondo thing. It's like 1433 01:06:01,080 --> 01:06:02,640 Speaker 1: some guys are just wired in a way that they 1434 01:06:02,640 --> 01:06:04,320 Speaker 1: have hard they have a hard time getting up for 1435 01:06:04,320 --> 01:06:08,320 Speaker 1: for meaningless games. And physically, like he's about as good 1436 01:06:08,320 --> 01:06:10,120 Speaker 1: as you can do against Anthony Davis. He's a little 1437 01:06:10,120 --> 01:06:12,720 Speaker 1: bit young, obviously, but just in terms of like the 1438 01:06:12,760 --> 01:06:15,040 Speaker 1: lateral quickness, the length, the athleticism, kind of the whole 1439 01:06:15,120 --> 01:06:18,040 Speaker 1: encompassing package. He's got it. Like it is there. It's 1440 01:06:18,080 --> 01:06:21,600 Speaker 1: just Kenny tap into it consistently. And is he good 1441 01:06:21,680 --> 01:06:24,040 Speaker 1: enough mentally to kind of go through the slog of 1442 01:06:24,080 --> 01:06:27,200 Speaker 1: a seven game series. And we've all we've already seen 1443 01:06:27,280 --> 01:06:30,160 Speaker 1: that when they stagger Chris Paul and Devin Booker. It 1444 01:06:30,280 --> 01:06:32,840 Speaker 1: leads to success because both of them can kind of 1445 01:06:32,880 --> 01:06:34,600 Speaker 1: just run the show while they're on the floor. And 1446 01:06:34,960 --> 01:06:38,160 Speaker 1: as of late, although they started terribly, as of late, 1447 01:06:38,200 --> 01:06:40,240 Speaker 1: they're playing well and both of them are on the court, 1448 01:06:40,360 --> 01:06:43,840 Speaker 1: so it just they check all of the boxes. And like, 1449 01:06:43,920 --> 01:06:46,480 Speaker 1: you know, if I got into a playoff series watching 1450 01:06:46,480 --> 01:06:49,960 Speaker 1: a playoff series and I was worried about, like, okay, 1451 01:06:50,040 --> 01:06:52,880 Speaker 1: we're we're all these two teams are relatively evenly matched, 1452 01:06:52,960 --> 01:06:55,480 Speaker 1: so every game's coming down to the final ten minutes, okay, 1453 01:06:55,840 --> 01:06:58,400 Speaker 1: And uh, you know in every fourth quarter there, you know, 1454 01:06:58,440 --> 01:07:00,840 Speaker 1: the scores are within five points going into the fourth quarter, 1455 01:07:01,160 --> 01:07:04,200 Speaker 1: and it really comes down to who do I trust 1456 01:07:04,400 --> 01:07:07,280 Speaker 1: to to win four times out of seven Devin Booker 1457 01:07:07,280 --> 01:07:11,640 Speaker 1: and Chris Paul or Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell. I'm 1458 01:07:11,720 --> 01:07:14,880 Speaker 1: going with, uh, Chris Paul and Devin Booker. And I 1459 01:07:14,880 --> 01:07:17,800 Speaker 1: think we saw that from Yo Kitchen Murray last year, 1460 01:07:17,840 --> 01:07:20,320 Speaker 1: Like they just even when they were blowing the three 1461 01:07:20,320 --> 01:07:22,280 Speaker 1: one lead, the Jazz blew some late leads again in 1462 01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:24,520 Speaker 1: that and and I think I and it's not because 1463 01:07:24,560 --> 01:07:26,600 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell is bad. It's just that when you're going 1464 01:07:26,680 --> 01:07:29,600 Speaker 1: into into the playoffs, especially in the Western Conference, it's 1465 01:07:29,640 --> 01:07:33,600 Speaker 1: like everybody's good, you know, like everybody's good. The Lakers 1466 01:07:33,680 --> 01:07:36,360 Speaker 1: might be rewarded with Steph Curry for getting the one 1467 01:07:36,400 --> 01:07:37,920 Speaker 1: seed if they happen to get the one seed, or 1468 01:07:37,920 --> 01:07:41,080 Speaker 1: the Jazz might might be rewarded with Steph Curry, Congratulations, 1469 01:07:41,080 --> 01:07:43,439 Speaker 1: you get Steph Curry for seven games like that. That's 1470 01:07:43,480 --> 01:07:46,560 Speaker 1: the nature of the Western Conference. And and I think, like, 1471 01:07:47,880 --> 01:07:49,800 Speaker 1: I think it's okay to point out the fact that, 1472 01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:52,800 Speaker 1: like there's a reason why we're surprised about how well 1473 01:07:52,800 --> 01:07:55,200 Speaker 1: the Jazz are playing. It's because it doesn't really make 1474 01:07:55,280 --> 01:07:57,240 Speaker 1: sense for them to be as good as as they 1475 01:07:57,280 --> 01:08:01,120 Speaker 1: have appeared to be here and here in the early going. Yeah, 1476 01:08:01,200 --> 01:08:03,120 Speaker 1: the regular somebody on the Ringer Road an article the 1477 01:08:03,160 --> 01:08:06,120 Speaker 1: other day I want to give credit words due um. 1478 01:08:06,160 --> 01:08:08,680 Speaker 1: It was Zach Cram, who does who's a really big 1479 01:08:08,720 --> 01:08:12,680 Speaker 1: analytics guy, super into the numbers. He basically the thesis 1480 01:08:12,760 --> 01:08:15,480 Speaker 1: of the article was, the NBA is a maker misleague 1481 01:08:15,560 --> 01:08:18,519 Speaker 1: more than ever. It's just dependent on variants and are 1482 01:08:18,560 --> 01:08:20,559 Speaker 1: you making your shots or not? Because teams are shooting 1483 01:08:20,560 --> 01:08:22,360 Speaker 1: a lot of threes, and most teams don't know how 1484 01:08:22,400 --> 01:08:25,680 Speaker 1: to defend threes, and I think his overall conclusion is 1485 01:08:26,040 --> 01:08:29,040 Speaker 1: somewhat correct. But in the playoffs, teams do know how 1486 01:08:29,040 --> 01:08:31,160 Speaker 1: to defend the three. They just take it away, right, 1487 01:08:31,200 --> 01:08:33,160 Speaker 1: They just take away threes from your good shooters and 1488 01:08:33,200 --> 01:08:35,679 Speaker 1: they make you do something else. We see it every 1489 01:08:35,680 --> 01:08:38,719 Speaker 1: single year, So the probably looks there are no open looks. 1490 01:08:38,960 --> 01:08:41,720 Speaker 1: Defenses just lock in more right there. Night to night. 1491 01:08:41,760 --> 01:08:43,719 Speaker 1: In the regular season, it is hard to chase guys 1492 01:08:43,720 --> 01:08:46,920 Speaker 1: around for forty eight minutes and defend forty three point attempts. 1493 01:08:47,080 --> 01:08:49,120 Speaker 1: But when you actually get into the weeds of it 1494 01:08:49,160 --> 01:08:51,320 Speaker 1: and game plan for it and say, okay, we're taking 1495 01:08:51,360 --> 01:08:53,519 Speaker 1: away this guy's this guy likes to do this, and 1496 01:08:53,560 --> 01:08:54,960 Speaker 1: this guy likes to do that to get his shots, 1497 01:08:55,160 --> 01:08:56,800 Speaker 1: and we're gonna leave these guys. We're not going to 1498 01:08:56,920 --> 01:08:59,360 Speaker 1: leave these other guys, it just becomes harder to create 1499 01:08:59,400 --> 01:09:02,360 Speaker 1: those open look consistently so that that would be what 1500 01:09:02,479 --> 01:09:05,000 Speaker 1: Utah is gonna run into and then to piggyback off 1501 01:09:05,040 --> 01:09:08,479 Speaker 1: of that. Phoenix. All the things you've pointed to with 1502 01:09:08,520 --> 01:09:11,479 Speaker 1: Phoenix are correct. And Booker is like the best young 1503 01:09:11,560 --> 01:09:13,600 Speaker 1: scorer in the league, Like not counting Lebron James or 1504 01:09:13,640 --> 01:09:15,880 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant, Since like Kobe, if you look at just 1505 01:09:15,920 --> 01:09:18,160 Speaker 1: the numbers, like the true shooting, that the points per game, 1506 01:09:18,240 --> 01:09:21,839 Speaker 1: all that stuff, like it's those three, it's Kobe, Durant, 1507 01:09:22,000 --> 01:09:25,200 Speaker 1: Lebron and Devin Booker over like the last twenty five 1508 01:09:25,280 --> 01:09:27,400 Speaker 1: years in the post MJ era, Like he's that good 1509 01:09:27,439 --> 01:09:31,280 Speaker 1: as a score he's incredible. And Monty Williams is a 1510 01:09:31,280 --> 01:09:34,400 Speaker 1: phenomenal coach, Like he doesn't get enough credit that that 1511 01:09:34,479 --> 01:09:37,400 Speaker 1: franchise is still kind of like an organizational mess, but 1512 01:09:37,439 --> 01:09:39,599 Speaker 1: they made the right higher at the top. They hired 1513 01:09:39,640 --> 01:09:42,640 Speaker 1: the right guy. Like the culture has absolutely shifted there 1514 01:09:42,640 --> 01:09:44,880 Speaker 1: and basically an eighteen month period to where they went 1515 01:09:44,920 --> 01:09:47,439 Speaker 1: from one of the worst situations in the league to 1516 01:09:47,600 --> 01:09:49,360 Speaker 1: where in the bubble they were like the most fun 1517 01:09:49,360 --> 01:09:51,240 Speaker 1: team to watch. And now they've come into this season 1518 01:09:51,320 --> 01:09:53,040 Speaker 1: and they're they're one of the best teams in the West. 1519 01:09:53,080 --> 01:09:55,200 Speaker 1: So I don't think it can be understated. With a 1520 01:09:55,200 --> 01:09:58,080 Speaker 1: phenomenal job he's done um and that, and that also 1521 01:09:58,120 --> 01:10:00,080 Speaker 1: obviously matters in a playoff series, you know how, being 1522 01:10:00,120 --> 01:10:01,920 Speaker 1: a really good coach who was willing to make adjustments, 1523 01:10:01,960 --> 01:10:03,120 Speaker 1: And it seems like He's the type of guy that 1524 01:10:03,160 --> 01:10:05,559 Speaker 1: would definitely do that. In a regular season where not 1525 01:10:05,600 --> 01:10:07,479 Speaker 1: many teams have been able to separate from the pack, 1526 01:10:07,720 --> 01:10:09,720 Speaker 1: the Sons have managed to put a little bit of 1527 01:10:09,760 --> 01:10:11,639 Speaker 1: separation from the pack. And I'm talking about all those 1528 01:10:11,640 --> 01:10:13,360 Speaker 1: teams that are hovering within a few games of five 1529 01:10:13,439 --> 01:10:15,400 Speaker 1: hundred and and so I think I think it is 1530 01:10:15,439 --> 01:10:17,040 Speaker 1: their credit. And like I'm just saying, like when we're 1531 01:10:17,040 --> 01:10:20,160 Speaker 1: splitting hairs, because all this is splitting hairs, Like the Jazz, Lakers, 1532 01:10:20,160 --> 01:10:22,160 Speaker 1: and Clippers are all within a few games of each other. 1533 01:10:22,200 --> 01:10:24,280 Speaker 1: The Suns are only a few games behind that, Like 1534 01:10:24,320 --> 01:10:27,480 Speaker 1: the if you look out East, like you know, Brooklyn's 1535 01:10:27,600 --> 01:10:29,280 Speaker 1: like actually kind of in the middle of the pack 1536 01:10:29,320 --> 01:10:31,479 Speaker 1: with their records. So all of these teams have flaws. 1537 01:10:31,840 --> 01:10:34,680 Speaker 1: We're splitting hairs. And all I'm saying is like when 1538 01:10:34,680 --> 01:10:37,280 Speaker 1: I when I'm splitting hair, because you know, and again 1539 01:10:37,640 --> 01:10:40,840 Speaker 1: we're not hating on the Jazz, like the this is 1540 01:10:41,880 --> 01:10:45,799 Speaker 1: this is a proven thing in NBA history that every 1541 01:10:45,880 --> 01:10:48,519 Speaker 1: year there's that team that just wins a lot of 1542 01:10:48,520 --> 01:10:50,640 Speaker 1: games in the regular season, and for whatever reason, it 1543 01:10:50,680 --> 01:10:53,639 Speaker 1: doesn't translate. And usually there's a reason. It's like last 1544 01:10:53,720 --> 01:10:57,679 Speaker 1: year you know, the Bucks won a million games and 1545 01:10:58,000 --> 01:11:00,639 Speaker 1: you know, uh, and it didn't trans to the playoffs 1546 01:11:00,640 --> 01:11:03,080 Speaker 1: and there was a clear reason. Oh wait, their elite 1547 01:11:03,200 --> 01:11:05,920 Speaker 1: high end shot creation is not there. You know. Two 1548 01:11:06,200 --> 01:11:09,719 Speaker 1: two thousand eighteen, you know, the Toronto Raptors win fifty 1549 01:11:09,800 --> 01:11:13,360 Speaker 1: nine games and get swept by a bad Calves team, 1550 01:11:13,640 --> 01:11:16,120 Speaker 1: you know, by a bad Calves team, and and like 1551 01:11:17,280 --> 01:11:20,040 Speaker 1: literally that that that you look at that team and 1552 01:11:20,080 --> 01:11:23,120 Speaker 1: you're like, oh wait, they're alpha dogs. Can't go toe 1553 01:11:23,160 --> 01:11:25,080 Speaker 1: to toe with the biggest stars in the league. Like 1554 01:11:25,080 --> 01:11:28,200 Speaker 1: like de Marta Rosen is like way too passive in 1555 01:11:28,240 --> 01:11:30,240 Speaker 1: those types of moments, Like he just he kind of 1556 01:11:30,240 --> 01:11:32,760 Speaker 1: plays worse than he Like anybody could have seen that 1557 01:11:32,840 --> 01:11:36,120 Speaker 1: writing on the wall, and it's not hard to kind 1558 01:11:36,120 --> 01:11:38,679 Speaker 1: of interpret those kinds of things. And so I think 1559 01:11:38,760 --> 01:11:40,760 Speaker 1: we have evidence of this being the case. You know, 1560 01:11:41,080 --> 01:11:43,759 Speaker 1: we gave some other examples earlier. We have as evidence 1561 01:11:43,800 --> 01:11:45,880 Speaker 1: of this being the case. There there are a ton 1562 01:11:45,920 --> 01:11:48,040 Speaker 1: of examples. We're just trying to find out if the 1563 01:11:48,120 --> 01:11:51,160 Speaker 1: Jazz are that team this year. And I think it's 1564 01:11:51,160 --> 01:11:55,040 Speaker 1: okay to to guess that. Yep, totally in agreement, so 1565 01:11:55,760 --> 01:11:57,320 Speaker 1: real quickly before you go, because I know you gotta 1566 01:11:57,360 --> 01:12:00,320 Speaker 1: go the uh. We didn't talk much about the war years, 1567 01:12:00,720 --> 01:12:02,640 Speaker 1: but I I made this point and I wanted to 1568 01:12:02,680 --> 01:12:05,920 Speaker 1: hear your response to it. So, you know, I think, 1569 01:12:06,200 --> 01:12:10,040 Speaker 1: you know, I think Lebron was unbelievable in two thousand eighteen. Like, 1570 01:12:10,120 --> 01:12:12,200 Speaker 1: make no mistake, I'm not trying to undercut that at all. 1571 01:12:12,240 --> 01:12:16,479 Speaker 1: But there's the obvious backstory that they beat a pretty 1572 01:12:16,520 --> 01:12:19,759 Speaker 1: flawed Indiana Pacers team and then they beat that pretty 1573 01:12:19,800 --> 01:12:22,920 Speaker 1: flaws Celtics team. The real, the reird, weird outlier was 1574 01:12:23,000 --> 01:12:26,000 Speaker 1: the fifty nine win Raptors that they just literally destroyed 1575 01:12:26,080 --> 01:12:28,799 Speaker 1: and by the end of that series like that mentally 1576 01:12:29,000 --> 01:12:32,360 Speaker 1: just put them into like oblivion. But you know, I 1577 01:12:32,439 --> 01:12:35,000 Speaker 1: would say that that Indiana Pacers team and that Boston 1578 01:12:35,040 --> 01:12:38,320 Speaker 1: Celtics team would be somewhat equivalent to what you're going 1579 01:12:38,360 --> 01:12:40,160 Speaker 1: to see at the bottom of the West this year, 1580 01:12:40,240 --> 01:12:43,720 Speaker 1: teams in that seven to ten range. And so I 1581 01:12:43,760 --> 01:12:46,080 Speaker 1: think it's important understand that they almost lost both of 1582 01:12:46,120 --> 01:12:48,720 Speaker 1: those series. They trailed in the fourth quarter of the 1583 01:12:48,720 --> 01:12:52,160 Speaker 1: Game seven against the Celtics and then against the Pacers, 1584 01:12:52,160 --> 01:12:55,080 Speaker 1: they were basically like a crazy fourth quarter from Lebron 1585 01:12:55,120 --> 01:12:58,400 Speaker 1: and Kyle Korver from going down three one in Game 1586 01:12:58,439 --> 01:13:00,920 Speaker 1: four in Indiana. So what I think is going to 1587 01:13:01,000 --> 01:13:03,240 Speaker 1: be interesting to see is like I think, I think 1588 01:13:03,280 --> 01:13:06,840 Speaker 1: the two thousand eighteen lebron thing has made people think 1589 01:13:06,960 --> 01:13:10,160 Speaker 1: that it is possible for Steff to maybe overcome some 1590 01:13:10,240 --> 01:13:13,720 Speaker 1: of this. But I think that it's very possible that 1591 01:13:13,800 --> 01:13:16,320 Speaker 1: Steph ends up in the play in and and that 1592 01:13:16,439 --> 01:13:19,320 Speaker 1: it's going to be a couple of dog fights, especially 1593 01:13:19,320 --> 01:13:20,920 Speaker 1: if he ends up in like a nine seed and 1594 01:13:20,960 --> 01:13:23,800 Speaker 1: he has to win twice. And I think like people 1595 01:13:23,840 --> 01:13:26,000 Speaker 1: are gonna think, oh, eight seed, like this will be easy, 1596 01:13:26,120 --> 01:13:28,120 Speaker 1: but that's not the way it is in the West, 1597 01:13:28,600 --> 01:13:30,960 Speaker 1: and it's gonna be an extremely tough matchup. And I'm 1598 01:13:30,960 --> 01:13:33,320 Speaker 1: wondering what you kind of at this point are thinking 1599 01:13:33,360 --> 01:13:35,639 Speaker 1: about what it could potentially look like for the Warriors 1600 01:13:35,680 --> 01:13:39,360 Speaker 1: in a in a short playoff run. They would have 1601 01:13:39,400 --> 01:13:42,519 Speaker 1: to be the sixth seed for me to feel really comfortable, right, Like, 1602 01:13:43,080 --> 01:13:45,320 Speaker 1: if you're in that play in, it's just a crapshoot, man. 1603 01:13:45,439 --> 01:13:47,439 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously, if they're the seven or eight, I 1604 01:13:47,479 --> 01:13:49,040 Speaker 1: would feel confident that they're going to be one of 1605 01:13:49,080 --> 01:13:54,720 Speaker 1: the nine or ten seeds. Once. Um, I think I 1606 01:13:54,800 --> 01:13:58,080 Speaker 1: don't think they are done adjusting the roster. I do 1607 01:13:58,160 --> 01:14:01,080 Speaker 1: think there are moves, not big necessarily, but I do 1608 01:14:01,120 --> 01:14:03,360 Speaker 1: think they will make up probably a couple moves near 1609 01:14:03,360 --> 01:14:06,280 Speaker 1: the deadline, especially if they continue to win over the 1610 01:14:06,280 --> 01:14:08,400 Speaker 1: next two to three weeks. Right, Like, they keep showing 1611 01:14:08,439 --> 01:14:10,720 Speaker 1: signs that this is a team that's improving. They just 1612 01:14:10,760 --> 01:14:12,679 Speaker 1: needed some time to gel together. It was a very 1613 01:14:12,680 --> 01:14:14,920 Speaker 1: new roster with a bunch of guys who have really 1614 01:14:15,040 --> 01:14:18,120 Speaker 1: never played basketball together, with a shortened training camp and 1615 01:14:18,160 --> 01:14:20,599 Speaker 1: a shortened preseason, and they really just needed some time 1616 01:14:20,640 --> 01:14:22,519 Speaker 1: to figure things out. And they are showing time I've 1617 01:14:22,520 --> 01:14:24,759 Speaker 1: ever seen. That was the worst offense and worst defense 1618 01:14:24,760 --> 01:14:26,840 Speaker 1: in the league through two weeks and then suddenly became, 1619 01:14:27,000 --> 01:14:29,160 Speaker 1: you know, the middle of the pack type of team, 1620 01:14:29,240 --> 01:14:31,680 Speaker 1: Like that's crazy to me. Correct and they still, I 1621 01:14:31,680 --> 01:14:35,080 Speaker 1: mean they still really struggle against good teams, like really 1622 01:14:35,080 --> 01:14:37,439 Speaker 1: struggle there. They're like five and eleven against good teams 1623 01:14:37,439 --> 01:14:40,400 Speaker 1: and ten and two against bad teams, essentially the dividing 1624 01:14:40,400 --> 01:14:44,320 Speaker 1: marker being over N think part of that, I I 1625 01:14:44,840 --> 01:14:46,240 Speaker 1: saw that said the other day. I think part of 1626 01:14:46,240 --> 01:14:49,200 Speaker 1: that is they haven't closed games particularly well, which I 1627 01:14:49,200 --> 01:14:52,479 Speaker 1: think because stef is a good closer, yeah, yeah, I 1628 01:14:52,479 --> 01:14:55,360 Speaker 1: mean it's a lot of things. I think it's also 1629 01:14:55,560 --> 01:14:58,519 Speaker 1: they just they get down big too good teams because 1630 01:14:58,920 --> 01:15:00,960 Speaker 1: they'll be kind of within Viking distance and the bench 1631 01:15:01,040 --> 01:15:02,560 Speaker 1: comes in and then all of a sudden, it's like 1632 01:15:02,560 --> 01:15:05,920 Speaker 1: a fifteen point game. That that happened with Brooklyn on Saturday. 1633 01:15:05,920 --> 01:15:07,639 Speaker 1: Like it was maybe like a five six point game 1634 01:15:07,640 --> 01:15:09,280 Speaker 1: at the end of the first quarter by the time 1635 01:15:09,320 --> 01:15:11,960 Speaker 1: Steph got back and it's like fifteen or twelve. And 1636 01:15:12,000 --> 01:15:13,800 Speaker 1: now Brokelym makes a couple of shots when you get 1637 01:15:13,840 --> 01:15:17,280 Speaker 1: back in and the wheels come off right. Um. So 1638 01:15:17,360 --> 01:15:20,080 Speaker 1: I don't think they're done making moves. Um. I think 1639 01:15:20,120 --> 01:15:22,360 Speaker 1: they're gonna try to improve this roster, especially because they 1640 01:15:22,400 --> 01:15:25,200 Speaker 1: have four fairly easy games over the next week two weeks. 1641 01:15:25,320 --> 01:15:26,920 Speaker 1: They should be able to win at least three of those. 1642 01:15:26,960 --> 01:15:29,160 Speaker 1: They get four or five games above five hundred, if 1643 01:15:29,520 --> 01:15:32,240 Speaker 1: you know, the front office gets more optimistic, they actually 1644 01:15:32,240 --> 01:15:37,000 Speaker 1: get healthy again. Um. And I just think Stephen Draymond 1645 01:15:37,000 --> 01:15:39,639 Speaker 1: in a playoff series against any of these like mediocre teams, 1646 01:15:39,640 --> 01:15:41,800 Speaker 1: I'm still picking them, especially if they can get like 1647 01:15:41,840 --> 01:15:44,880 Speaker 1: another shooter and maybe somebody to help the second unit 1648 01:15:44,880 --> 01:15:47,120 Speaker 1: a little because the defense has been really good. It's 1649 01:15:47,160 --> 01:15:49,720 Speaker 1: just that offense is so bad when Steph sits there. 1650 01:15:49,720 --> 01:15:51,400 Speaker 1: I want to say, their offensive rating when he's on 1651 01:15:51,400 --> 01:15:54,599 Speaker 1: the floor even it's like one fifteen, And they started 1652 01:15:54,600 --> 01:15:56,840 Speaker 1: this season it was like, you know, one oh three 1653 01:15:56,880 --> 01:15:59,120 Speaker 1: overall because they were playing Ubray and Wiseman together there 1654 01:15:59,160 --> 01:16:00,920 Speaker 1: a lot and those guys just don't function well on 1655 01:16:01,000 --> 01:16:04,840 Speaker 1: like a very complex reads heavy system. Um. But it's 1656 01:16:04,840 --> 01:16:06,439 Speaker 1: like one fifteen when he's on the floor, and when 1657 01:16:06,439 --> 01:16:08,160 Speaker 1: he's off the floor, I want to say their offensive 1658 01:16:08,200 --> 01:16:11,200 Speaker 1: rating is like one point three, like it would be 1659 01:16:11,360 --> 01:16:14,080 Speaker 1: by far the worst in the week. So they still 1660 01:16:14,120 --> 01:16:16,080 Speaker 1: do have a really good offense when he's on the floor, 1661 01:16:16,080 --> 01:16:18,960 Speaker 1: even though they're eighteenth or ninething and offensive rating. If 1662 01:16:19,000 --> 01:16:20,919 Speaker 1: they can do a couple of things on the margins, 1663 01:16:21,200 --> 01:16:24,280 Speaker 1: I really don't think they're that far from being They're 1664 01:16:24,280 --> 01:16:25,720 Speaker 1: not in the top tier of the West, but they 1665 01:16:25,800 --> 01:16:27,840 Speaker 1: would scare any team outside of the l A t 1666 01:16:28,360 --> 01:16:30,320 Speaker 1: l A teams. I still think that if they make 1667 01:16:30,360 --> 01:16:32,280 Speaker 1: a couple moves, I would be a couple of moves 1668 01:16:32,280 --> 01:16:35,240 Speaker 1: aren't necessary, Like a couple moves are necessary. They if 1669 01:16:35,240 --> 01:16:37,959 Speaker 1: they just stand pat with the current roster, I'm basically 1670 01:16:38,000 --> 01:16:39,720 Speaker 1: out on this team because there just isn't enough there. 1671 01:16:39,720 --> 01:16:41,639 Speaker 1: The bench is too bad. They have too many guys 1672 01:16:41,640 --> 01:16:46,160 Speaker 1: playing in the wrong role to actually scare any good team. Interesting, Yeah, 1673 01:16:46,240 --> 01:16:48,599 Speaker 1: like to be clear, I would be scared. I'm literally 1674 01:16:48,680 --> 01:16:51,479 Speaker 1: just saying, like, you know, just under scrutiny, Like when 1675 01:16:51,479 --> 01:16:53,640 Speaker 1: I really look back at you know, the camp, the 1676 01:16:53,640 --> 01:16:56,360 Speaker 1: comp would be two thousand eighteen because it's like similar 1677 01:16:56,800 --> 01:17:00,439 Speaker 1: different it's it is differently of the cop A tition 1678 01:17:00,920 --> 01:17:02,519 Speaker 1: the competition. But that's what I'm saying. But if they 1679 01:17:02,560 --> 01:17:04,000 Speaker 1: get into the play and that's the type of team 1680 01:17:04,040 --> 01:17:05,680 Speaker 1: they're gonna be playing, And that's my point is like 1681 01:17:05,760 --> 01:17:08,760 Speaker 1: you would have thought going into that Pacer series, like, dude, 1682 01:17:08,760 --> 01:17:11,719 Speaker 1: there's no way Lebron and Kevin Love are losing this series, 1683 01:17:11,840 --> 01:17:14,639 Speaker 1: and especially with Lebron being at that version of himself, 1684 01:17:14,680 --> 01:17:17,719 Speaker 1: which was I I like, you know, arguably the best 1685 01:17:17,800 --> 01:17:20,080 Speaker 1: version of themselves. Now Draymond I think is better than 1686 01:17:20,160 --> 01:17:22,960 Speaker 1: Kevin Love. But but you get the point though, And 1687 01:17:22,960 --> 01:17:25,519 Speaker 1: and yeah, I mean the teams. The teams in those 1688 01:17:25,560 --> 01:17:31,920 Speaker 1: play ins Sacramento, UM, Memphis, Dallas, Dallas they man handled 1689 01:17:31,920 --> 01:17:34,000 Speaker 1: once and then the next night they the next game 1690 01:17:34,040 --> 01:17:35,640 Speaker 1: they didn't play as well because they only had eight 1691 01:17:35,640 --> 01:17:37,639 Speaker 1: guys on the roster and they ended up losing. They've 1692 01:17:37,720 --> 01:17:40,920 Speaker 1: kicked Sacramentos ass uh. They've beaten San Antonio like they've 1693 01:17:41,080 --> 01:17:43,519 Speaker 1: They've been san Antonio twice badly and they lost to 1694 01:17:43,600 --> 01:17:45,840 Speaker 1: him once. Like the teams in that kind of tear 1695 01:17:46,280 --> 01:17:49,759 Speaker 1: right near five under five hundred, they're beating them soundly. 1696 01:17:50,160 --> 01:17:52,800 Speaker 1: It's the teams that are like a couple, like the 1697 01:17:52,800 --> 01:17:56,160 Speaker 1: Phoenix is, the brook Wins, the Phillies, the Lakers, the Jazz, 1698 01:17:56,200 --> 01:17:57,720 Speaker 1: the Clippers. Those are the teams that are beating the 1699 01:17:57,760 --> 01:17:59,439 Speaker 1: crap out of them. I really wouldn't worry about them 1700 01:17:59,479 --> 01:18:02,080 Speaker 1: against the play end teams on That's an interesting difference 1701 01:18:02,120 --> 01:18:06,120 Speaker 1: because the two thousand eighteen Calves were very mediocre against 1702 01:18:06,120 --> 01:18:08,680 Speaker 1: bad teams because they had trouble getting up. Yeah, but 1703 01:18:08,680 --> 01:18:11,320 Speaker 1: then they had a bunch of really impressive wins. So 1704 01:18:11,320 --> 01:18:13,679 Speaker 1: so you're you might be onto something there. I just, well, 1705 01:18:14,200 --> 01:18:16,439 Speaker 1: it'll be interesting to see. The thing about step is 1706 01:18:16,800 --> 01:18:19,240 Speaker 1: like against the bad teams, they always end up losing 1707 01:18:19,320 --> 01:18:20,800 Speaker 1: him and if you give him enough open looks, he's 1708 01:18:20,800 --> 01:18:22,840 Speaker 1: eventually going to break the game open. That's just how 1709 01:18:22,880 --> 01:18:25,960 Speaker 1: he works, right, Like With Lebron, it's different because he 1710 01:18:25,960 --> 01:18:27,080 Speaker 1: has to be locked and he has to have his 1711 01:18:27,160 --> 01:18:29,080 Speaker 1: energy because he's more of just a rim attacker like 1712 01:18:29,120 --> 01:18:31,680 Speaker 1: that requires a certain amount of like mental energy and 1713 01:18:31,720 --> 01:18:34,640 Speaker 1: physical want to. With Steth, it's just, oh, he's he 1714 01:18:34,680 --> 01:18:36,920 Speaker 1: has eight open threes a night, six of those are 1715 01:18:36,920 --> 01:18:40,400 Speaker 1: going down. That's that's why he's scoring forty against the Magic. 1716 01:18:40,439 --> 01:18:42,960 Speaker 1: That's why, like, that's why they're just crushing the team. 1717 01:18:43,160 --> 01:18:45,559 Speaker 1: It's magic. They kept losing him in transition. I couldn't believe. 1718 01:18:45,560 --> 01:18:47,439 Speaker 1: It was ridiculous, Like it's like, you're you just gonna 1719 01:18:47,479 --> 01:18:49,280 Speaker 1: keep giving him wide open three. So they're going to 1720 01:18:49,320 --> 01:18:51,080 Speaker 1: continue to beat the crap out of the bad teams. 1721 01:18:51,320 --> 01:18:53,400 Speaker 1: It's more so, can they make enough improvements to where 1722 01:18:53,439 --> 01:18:55,559 Speaker 1: they just don't have these spells where they they can't 1723 01:18:55,600 --> 01:18:58,200 Speaker 1: score for like in six minutes in a row because 1724 01:18:58,360 --> 01:19:00,559 Speaker 1: their bench is so bad. The game is funny because 1725 01:19:00,560 --> 01:19:02,800 Speaker 1: I just I just watched the fourth quarter and like 1726 01:19:03,880 --> 01:19:06,080 Speaker 1: I I turned turned it on like ten minutes left 1727 01:19:06,080 --> 01:19:09,000 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter, and Sacramento had taken the lead 1728 01:19:09,040 --> 01:19:13,080 Speaker 1: back in the non staff minutes. Uh, but Steff hadn't 1729 01:19:13,080 --> 01:19:14,400 Speaker 1: come back in yet. And over the course of the 1730 01:19:14,400 --> 01:19:16,439 Speaker 1: next few minutes. Like now, there there's a lot of 1731 01:19:16,439 --> 01:19:19,120 Speaker 1: talk about how Orlando is so destroyed by injuries that 1732 01:19:19,160 --> 01:19:22,400 Speaker 1: it's basically Nicolas Vosovic and four non NBA players, But 1733 01:19:22,560 --> 01:19:26,479 Speaker 1: like Ubra and Wiggins just put this relentless ball pressure 1734 01:19:27,040 --> 01:19:29,280 Speaker 1: on the ball handler coming up the court. They can 1735 01:19:29,280 --> 01:19:33,919 Speaker 1: do that, and you could literally see you could literally 1736 01:19:34,040 --> 01:19:39,719 Speaker 1: see Orlando just completely get out of pace, completely get scared, 1737 01:19:39,760 --> 01:19:42,400 Speaker 1: start rushing to and it was just like turnover run out, dunk, 1738 01:19:42,400 --> 01:19:45,080 Speaker 1: turnover runout shot, turnover run And I was like, holy 1739 01:19:45,160 --> 01:19:47,919 Speaker 1: cal like and that's the interesting thing with that team 1740 01:19:48,040 --> 01:19:50,599 Speaker 1: is that they're starting to make sense in the sense 1741 01:19:50,640 --> 01:19:53,599 Speaker 1: that it's like Ubray and Wiggins are just like these 1742 01:19:53,720 --> 01:19:58,519 Speaker 1: ridiculously athletic, like ball pressure wings, and then Steff is 1743 01:19:58,520 --> 01:20:01,040 Speaker 1: Steph and Draymond is Draymond. And that's why I agree 1744 01:20:01,040 --> 01:20:02,679 Speaker 1: with you, Like, if they make a couple of moves 1745 01:20:02,680 --> 01:20:04,839 Speaker 1: that they were willing to move Wiseman and that stupid 1746 01:20:04,840 --> 01:20:07,280 Speaker 1: pick from next year and just dive into this era 1747 01:20:07,880 --> 01:20:11,040 Speaker 1: and and commit um Man, like, it could be scary 1748 01:20:11,080 --> 01:20:13,280 Speaker 1: because there's some stuff on that team that makes legitimate 1749 01:20:13,280 --> 01:20:18,360 Speaker 1: basketball sense as dangerous that's totally being out potential that 1750 01:20:18,479 --> 01:20:20,320 Speaker 1: that and I've been trying to make that point toward 1751 01:20:20,439 --> 01:20:23,320 Speaker 1: to people who don't want to go all in for 1752 01:20:23,479 --> 01:20:26,439 Speaker 1: right now, there is no other choice in my mind. 1753 01:20:26,479 --> 01:20:28,200 Speaker 1: You have one of the best three players in the 1754 01:20:28,280 --> 01:20:30,599 Speaker 1: league playing at his absolute peak, and he's also one 1755 01:20:30,600 --> 01:20:32,920 Speaker 1: of the twenty fifteen greatest players of all time, Like 1756 01:20:33,400 --> 01:20:35,360 Speaker 1: there is no other time there might not be a 1757 01:20:35,400 --> 01:20:37,800 Speaker 1: player as good as this on the Warriors for the 1758 01:20:37,840 --> 01:20:41,600 Speaker 1: next fifty years. Like betting that James Wiseman might be 1759 01:20:41,640 --> 01:20:43,280 Speaker 1: a really good player one day, which he might be, 1760 01:20:43,320 --> 01:20:45,479 Speaker 1: he very well might be. That's not the bet you 1761 01:20:45,520 --> 01:20:46,840 Speaker 1: want to make. You want to make the bet on 1762 01:20:46,880 --> 01:20:49,200 Speaker 1: the guy who's the best player that this franchise is 1763 01:20:49,200 --> 01:20:51,679 Speaker 1: ever gonna see for probably either of our life times. 1764 01:20:51,840 --> 01:20:53,719 Speaker 1: By the time somebody as good as step Currey plays 1765 01:20:53,720 --> 01:20:55,960 Speaker 1: on the Warriors again, it will probably be probably be 1766 01:20:56,080 --> 01:20:59,280 Speaker 1: the year. Like that's how good this dude is. You 1767 01:20:59,320 --> 01:21:01,479 Speaker 1: have to go all the right now is no other 1768 01:21:01,560 --> 01:21:04,640 Speaker 1: choice in the Minnesota pick combined being as good as 1769 01:21:04,640 --> 01:21:07,760 Speaker 1: staff are like one in fifty Like it's that I 1770 01:21:07,800 --> 01:21:11,040 Speaker 1: agree that. I mean, they ask yourself, like you know, 1771 01:21:11,080 --> 01:21:15,719 Speaker 1: given the uh, the fact that Houston almost beat Golden 1772 01:21:15,760 --> 01:21:20,000 Speaker 1: State in two thousand eighteen without Chris Paul. Like imagine, 1773 01:21:20,040 --> 01:21:21,760 Speaker 1: I literally sit there sometimes and I'll be like, that's 1774 01:21:21,840 --> 01:21:24,280 Speaker 1: why you trade the Collin Sexton pick, like you you 1775 01:21:24,320 --> 01:21:27,599 Speaker 1: trade the calling Sexton pick because now you have Collin Sexton, 1776 01:21:27,720 --> 01:21:29,639 Speaker 1: a guy who is a very middle of the pack 1777 01:21:29,720 --> 01:21:33,360 Speaker 1: guard in a league where that position is unbelievably stacked. 1778 01:21:34,240 --> 01:21:36,679 Speaker 1: Or you could have traded him, and then a couple 1779 01:21:36,720 --> 01:21:38,400 Speaker 1: of things break your way and all of a sudden 1780 01:21:38,400 --> 01:21:41,559 Speaker 1: you're playing against the wounded Houston Rock Paul George. Maybe 1781 01:21:41,680 --> 01:21:44,360 Speaker 1: could have I could have a chance won the title. 1782 01:21:44,479 --> 01:21:47,120 Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying, is like you have it's gambling, 1783 01:21:47,520 --> 01:21:49,880 Speaker 1: but it's like, to me, it's a better gamble than 1784 01:21:50,000 --> 01:21:52,599 Speaker 1: kind of towing that line either way and never committing. 1785 01:21:52,760 --> 01:21:56,160 Speaker 1: You know, the Lakers did the Lebron experiment with experiment 1786 01:21:56,160 --> 01:21:57,720 Speaker 1: with the young guys. They tried it for like three 1787 01:21:57,760 --> 01:21:59,599 Speaker 1: months and then they were all just like, screw this, 1788 01:21:59,680 --> 01:22:02,240 Speaker 1: let's go get Anthony Davis. And Anthony Davis, to be clear, 1789 01:22:02,240 --> 01:22:03,960 Speaker 1: isn't on the market right now. There isn't a level 1790 01:22:04,280 --> 01:22:06,400 Speaker 1: that level of guy out there for them to go get. 1791 01:22:06,640 --> 01:22:09,040 Speaker 1: But there are like really good players who are available 1792 01:22:09,080 --> 01:22:12,519 Speaker 1: Bradley Beal, Zach Lavine, like guys who would I don't 1793 01:22:12,520 --> 01:22:14,519 Speaker 1: know what it would look like moving forward. Right, the 1794 01:22:14,960 --> 01:22:16,840 Speaker 1: the fickets a little bit clunky. If play is still 1795 01:22:16,840 --> 01:22:19,479 Speaker 1: really good and you have Levine and or Bal on 1796 01:22:19,520 --> 01:22:22,600 Speaker 1: that roster, it's three guards. It's not great defensively, but 1797 01:22:22,640 --> 01:22:24,760 Speaker 1: those guys still have value moving forward. Those guys are 1798 01:22:24,800 --> 01:22:27,880 Speaker 1: incredible scores. Other teams would want to take those guys, 1799 01:22:28,080 --> 01:22:30,880 Speaker 1: you know, other teams with scoring deficiencies. Like let's say 1800 01:22:30,880 --> 01:22:32,639 Speaker 1: you get Beal and then you turn around, you want 1801 01:22:32,640 --> 01:22:34,240 Speaker 1: to trade them for like Miles Turner and a couple 1802 01:22:34,240 --> 01:22:36,760 Speaker 1: of Indiana's wings. I think Indiana would be into that right, 1803 01:22:37,000 --> 01:22:39,360 Speaker 1: same thing with Levine, Like the Warriors have to be 1804 01:22:39,400 --> 01:22:41,800 Speaker 1: thinking not just the one move. It's like, what's the 1805 01:22:41,840 --> 01:22:43,960 Speaker 1: move and where can that get us in the future? 1806 01:22:44,000 --> 01:22:46,880 Speaker 1: If Clay is still Clay right, so I would point 1807 01:22:46,920 --> 01:22:50,599 Speaker 1: being step looks so good. He looks so good, better 1808 01:22:50,640 --> 01:22:52,160 Speaker 1: than ever, which is something you and I talked about 1809 01:22:52,200 --> 01:22:54,200 Speaker 1: last week. If you give him zach Lavine or Bradley 1810 01:22:54,200 --> 01:22:56,280 Speaker 1: Beal and you don't absolutely have to gut the roster 1811 01:22:56,400 --> 01:22:58,479 Speaker 1: for it, like the guys who are currently helping, Like 1812 01:22:58,520 --> 01:23:01,480 Speaker 1: if you only have to move Hooper a Um and Wiseman, 1813 01:23:01,640 --> 01:23:03,400 Speaker 1: and you bring in Deal and then you have Bal 1814 01:23:03,560 --> 01:23:06,920 Speaker 1: Wiggins staff Draymond and then who's ever at the five, 1815 01:23:07,720 --> 01:23:09,400 Speaker 1: who's better than that team in the West besides of 1816 01:23:09,560 --> 01:23:13,360 Speaker 1: a healthy Lakers team. I'm dead serious. Yeah, So, like 1817 01:23:13,400 --> 01:23:16,600 Speaker 1: I just I think it's it's foolish not to go 1818 01:23:16,640 --> 01:23:18,040 Speaker 1: all in with as good as step In it is 1819 01:23:18,160 --> 01:23:21,960 Speaker 1: right now. No, I agree. It's just like you have 1820 01:23:22,160 --> 01:23:24,400 Speaker 1: the second best player in the world in my opinion, 1821 01:23:24,680 --> 01:23:27,840 Speaker 1: playing at the very top of his game, and you've 1822 01:23:27,840 --> 01:23:31,759 Speaker 1: got two super young assets, one of which you literally 1823 01:23:31,760 --> 01:23:34,160 Speaker 1: don't know what it's going to be. Yet it has 1824 01:23:34,200 --> 01:23:36,360 Speaker 1: the highest value it will ever have right now because 1825 01:23:36,640 --> 01:23:38,639 Speaker 1: they might not even get the pick this year. That's 1826 01:23:38,680 --> 01:23:41,719 Speaker 1: the kicker. It's top three protected. And I know Steps 1827 01:23:41,720 --> 01:23:43,840 Speaker 1: not washed yet, But like, I wouldn't count on him 1828 01:23:43,880 --> 01:23:46,080 Speaker 1: being like a Lebron or he's super effective in his 1829 01:23:46,240 --> 01:23:48,679 Speaker 1: late thirties. I would plan on being like two three 1830 01:23:48,760 --> 01:23:50,960 Speaker 1: years here where you have a real chance. That's the 1831 01:23:51,000 --> 01:23:54,559 Speaker 1: windows three years. But dude, I've taken enough of your time. 1832 01:23:54,560 --> 01:23:56,080 Speaker 1: I know you've got plans tonight, so I'm gonna let 1833 01:23:56,120 --> 01:23:57,040 Speaker 1: you get out of here. And get the rest of 1834 01:23:57,080 --> 01:24:00,160 Speaker 1: your work done. Everybody listened in, I really sincere, really 1835 01:24:00,200 --> 01:24:03,880 Speaker 1: appreciate you guys as always. UM, I'm going to release 1836 01:24:03,920 --> 01:24:06,479 Speaker 1: the podcast version probably here in about twenty minutes, but 1837 01:24:06,600 --> 01:24:09,320 Speaker 1: everybody enjoyed the rest of your week and your weekend, 1838 01:24:09,439 --> 01:24:11,920 Speaker 1: and Tommy and I will see you probably next Tuesday 1839 01:24:12,040 --> 01:24:13,719 Speaker 1: or Wednesday. Thanks everybody,