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Speaker 1: Hey, Hey, you are now listening to The free Agents,

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Speaker 1: the new summertime podcast from those basketball guys you liked

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Speaker 1: the Oh Geez of iTunes, the pioneers of the podcast,

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Speaker 1: the Kings of the Memes. We did six seasons and

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Speaker 1: a zoo and now you're listening to the free Agents.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for listening right now. If you want to

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Speaker 1: follow us on Twitter or Instagram, that's The free Agent's nineteen.

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Speaker 1: If you want to email us for any details, that's

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Speaker 1: The free Agents twenty nineteen at gmail dot com. We're

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Speaker 1: getting that out of the way first because it's another

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Speaker 1: emergency podcast. Joining me across the table. I haven't seen

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Speaker 1: him since June fourteenth. The International Man of Mystery has

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Speaker 1: been to every single country in Europe as far as

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Speaker 1: I'm concerned. Looking tanned and well rested, Lee Ellis.

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Speaker 2: Hey Trey, great to see j D t Thanks for

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Speaker 2: having us here in your basement. Last time I spoke

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Speaker 2: to you it was from Oviedo, and Dan's fine. It's

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Speaker 2: great to be here in person.

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Speaker 1: You were hiding in a stranger's closet. I'm curious who

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Speaker 1: you got to take that picture. We'll get to that later.

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Speaker 1: But also Lee, spoiler alert also joining us in the basement.

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Speaker 1: It's his basement, the man that makes the magic happen. JD. Hello,

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Speaker 1: there he is, and here we are. It's me, It's Lee,

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Speaker 1: it's JD. We're in the basement. Also joined by Lee's

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Speaker 1: son Oscar on his lap and his other son, Sebastian,

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Speaker 1: building with some legos. You might hear him a little bit.

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Speaker 1: Maybe they got some hot takes on this big time trade.

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Speaker 1: We're also gonna check in with Skeets and task Skeats

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Speaker 1: down in Florida, tasks up in Ontario. No vacations are safe.

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Speaker 1: It's all emergency podcasts from here on out. That's the

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Speaker 1: only way to do it. Sound the air horns, Well,

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Speaker 1: I was just like I was trying to set you up, Lee,

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Speaker 1: to say, wow, this has been a really exciting summer.

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Speaker 1: But you can tell we've been apart from each other

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Speaker 1: for a month. The chemistry is not there. It makes

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Speaker 1: you wonder is it gonna work for Russell Westbrook and

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Speaker 1: Chris Paul. We've taken a month off from seeing each other.

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Speaker 1: These guys haven't played together in seven years. How in

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Speaker 1: the world could this work? Nonetheless, I want to know

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Speaker 1: your first impressions when you heard the news of the

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Speaker 1: trade last night, Russell Westbrook going to the Rockets, they'd

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Speaker 1: get They're getting him and his contract four years, one

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Speaker 1: hundred and seventy million dollars. The Thunder get Chris Paul

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Speaker 1: his contract of one hundred and twenty million dollars for

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Speaker 1: three years. Thunder also get first round picks from the

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Speaker 1: Rockets in twenty twenty four and twenty six, plus pick

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Speaker 1: swaps in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty five. It's

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Speaker 1: a big hole for the Thunder, but the Rockets get

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Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook. What do you think?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, my first thought was sort of shock. I know

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Speaker 2: that since Westbrook has kind of spoken to Sam Presty

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Speaker 2: in the ownership there in Oklahoma City, since the Paul

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Speaker 2: George trade went down, that he was going to move on.

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Speaker 2: It happened probably a little bit quicker than I thought.

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Speaker 2: I thought it might have taken a few more weeks.

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Speaker 2: But my initial reaction was this is pretty interesting because

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Speaker 2: the Rockets denied there was any tension between Chris Paul

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Speaker 2: and James Harden, but clearly there was. And I think

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Speaker 2: that Daryl Morey had really didn't have a lot of

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Speaker 2: options to move on from Chris Ball because of that

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Speaker 2: Mammoth contract, and clearly he's been in decline last season.

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Speaker 2: He's not the same player he was, so it was

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Speaker 2: going to be hard for him to move on. Instead,

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Speaker 2: he gets Russell Westbrook, who is a former teammate of

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Speaker 2: James Harden's back in the day in Oklahoma City. When

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Speaker 2: things work well together with those guys, that team was

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Speaker 2: successful as far as they got to the NBA Finals

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Speaker 2: when they were a young team, and back then, I

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Speaker 2: think a lot of us thought, well, this team's going

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Speaker 2: to be competing for years to come. Then James Harden

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Speaker 2: got traded to the Ruckets and everything changed. But now

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Speaker 2: it's going to be very interesting to see how Westbrook

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Speaker 2: and James Harden fit with each other. Those two guys

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Speaker 2: both love the ball in their hands, and they both

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Speaker 2: like to be the one who can take over and

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Speaker 2: dominate a game when it.

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Speaker 3: Calls for it.

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Speaker 2: We saw last season Russell Westbrook kind of did give

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Speaker 2: up some of that authority, if you like, to Paul

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Speaker 2: George and the Oklahoma City Thunder, but ultimately it didn't

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Speaker 2: make much difference. Come playoff time, they were just like

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Speaker 2: they had been the last two seasons without Kendrant not

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Speaker 2: very successful. So now Westbrook goes to a situation where

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Speaker 2: he is the second fiddles. James Harden is not conceding

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Speaker 2: the number one spot there in Houston to him. So

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Speaker 2: Russell Westbrook is going to have to adjust his game.

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Speaker 3: Can he do that? He can't.

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Speaker 2: He's not a shooter. He's not a sort of guy

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Speaker 2: who can play off the ball and be a spot

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Speaker 2: up shooter. James Harden probably could, but that would mean

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Speaker 2: Russell Westbrook gets a ball in his hand there. So

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Speaker 2: there's a lot of issues there. I guess Mike D'Antoni

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Speaker 2: has to figure out if they can work together, though,

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Speaker 2: then there's no reason why the Rockets can't be in

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Speaker 2: that hunt, in that top four in the Western Conference,

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Speaker 2: and then you know, perhaps things could be different in

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Speaker 2: the playoffs. But where I sit today in JD's basement,

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Speaker 2: I'm not sure they're significantly better with Russell Westbrook than

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Speaker 2: they were with Chris Ball simply because again Westbrook we've

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Speaker 2: seen sometimes in the playoff he gets in his own

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Speaker 2: way a little.

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Speaker 1: Too much, as opposed to Chris Paul, the notorious playoff

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Speaker 1: draving who never messes upcome playoff, Taane. That was the

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Speaker 1: thing to me. It's going to first of all, be

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Speaker 1: weird to see a Thunder team at all that doesn't

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Speaker 1: have Russell Westbrook. It that has never happened. He was

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Speaker 1: I don't know if you want to say the last

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Speaker 1: lottery peck of the Sarnix or the first of the Thunder.

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Speaker 1: It's in that summer where they were changing, they were

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Speaker 1: moving locations. They haven't had a team that has not

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Speaker 1: had Russell Westbrook. That was crazy to me. I felt

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Speaker 1: the same way sort of when the Clippers traded Blake

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Speaker 1: Griffin a couple of years ago, as we saw that

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Speaker 1: paid off in the long term. That's clearly what the

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Speaker 1: Thunder are going to be hoping for. And then you're

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Speaker 1: right the rockets. The question so much is about the fit.

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Speaker 1: I think that Russell Westbrook, no doubt, is an upgrade

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Speaker 1: on Chris Paul. He's a little bit younger. They both

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Speaker 1: have these massive contracts. It's kind of a wash because

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Speaker 1: you're getting the younger guy. I know Westbrook has had

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Speaker 1: a ton of surgeries. I know that he's going to

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Speaker 1: be coming off a surgery, and I know that the

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Speaker 1: fit isn't great because you put Westbrook onto the Rockets,

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Speaker 1: and all you're thinking is, does this mean he's taken

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Speaker 1: more threes? Does this mean James Harden is going to

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Speaker 1: have to play off the ball in order to have

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Speaker 1: Westbrook thrive? All those things are probably true. I do

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Speaker 1: think though, that the talent upgrade from Chris Paul to

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Speaker 1: Westbrook in this this stage of their career, I think

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be worth it. For the Rockets. The problem

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Speaker 1: is going to be guys figuring out how to work together.

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Speaker 1: Because in James Harden, in Westbrook, and even in Mike D'Antoni,

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Speaker 1: these are guys who sort of can be stuck in

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Speaker 1: their ways. I would think it's not dissimilar to me

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Speaker 1: that when Alan Iverson was traded to the Nuggets and

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Speaker 1: he had to figure out how to play with Carmelo

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Speaker 1: Anthony and also under George carl These are all guys

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Speaker 1: who like to do things their way. Are they going

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Speaker 1: to be willing to change their change their stripes? Tigers

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Speaker 1: changing their stripes, I believe is the saying, are they

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Speaker 1: going to be able to do that for the betterment

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Speaker 1: of the team? You would hope. So maybe you're right.

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Speaker 1: Maybe Westbrook going to a new franchise where he is

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Speaker 1: not the end all be all of the franchise means

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Speaker 1: he will be able to settle into a little bit

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Speaker 1: more of a complimentary role. That definitely happened with Chris

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Speaker 1: Paul when he came from LA to Houston, and I

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Speaker 1: was a big believer in that move as well. I

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Speaker 1: think that the two ball dominant guys can work as

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Speaker 1: long as they want to make it work, as long

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Speaker 1: as they have that relationship. We know that Westbrook and

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Speaker 1: James Harden are close. They played together on an Olympic team,

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Speaker 1: even with Mike D'Antoni as their coach, certainly they wanted

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Speaker 1: to get together. That to me gives me a little

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Speaker 1: bit of optimism for the Rockets that they'll be able

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Speaker 1: to work things out. The fit isn't to be as

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Speaker 1: good as with Chris Paul, no doubt about it, but

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Speaker 1: the talent is better the the I mean, Chris Paul

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Speaker 1: is sort of an angry guy, but Russell Westbrook is

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Speaker 1: an't even angrier gay. Perhaps that's a perfect match for

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Speaker 1: James hoden Well.

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Speaker 2: I think if you look at Westbrook's situation too, the

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Speaker 2: Thunder weren't close to contending. If they were, then I

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Speaker 2: don't think Sam Presti even makes that Paul George trade,

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Speaker 2: but I think he looked and he goes, you know what,

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Speaker 2: we're not where we need to be, George One's out, great,

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Speaker 2: our cash in now. And then he cashes in again

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Speaker 2: on Russell Westbrook. So clearly the thunder looking for the

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Speaker 2: future in the next three or four years. But Russell

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Speaker 2: Westbrook probably looks at what the Lakers and the Clippers

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Speaker 2: have done and the Brooklyn Nets and he's like, all right, well,

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Speaker 2: I've got to get in on that as well. And again,

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Speaker 2: there wasn't a lot of options for him. Maybe Miami,

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Speaker 2: you know, the Knicks were talked about, but clearly if

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Speaker 2: he went to the Knicks, they weren't going to be

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Speaker 2: ready to compete. So this was really his only option.

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Speaker 2: So he may you know James Harden when he went

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Speaker 2: from OKAC to Houston and Mike Darrel Morey gave him

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Speaker 2: that huge contract, it was like, is this guy really

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Speaker 2: a number one option on the team?

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Speaker 3: We didn't know?

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Speaker 2: And he went there and he became MVP a run

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Speaker 2: up three times, so he clearly was that guy. But

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Speaker 2: if you're now getting a guy like Russell Westbrook, eleven

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Speaker 2: seasons into his career and say, okay, we need you

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Speaker 2: to change the way that you've played your entire career.

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Speaker 2: That's so much harder for a guy to be able

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Speaker 2: to do. And that's what he's going to be asked

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Speaker 2: to do, really because again in Okay, see James Harden

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Speaker 2: was clearly behind Russell Westbrook in the food chain. That's

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Speaker 2: not the case right now. And James Harden, we've seen

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Speaker 2: now things didn't work with Dwight Howard, he didn't like

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Speaker 2: playing with him, who's a center. Things didn't really work

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Speaker 2: out with Chris Paul, he didn't like playing with him,

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Speaker 2: he's a point gud. So does James Harden really not

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Speaker 2: want that other superstar around him or is he someone

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Speaker 2: who just hasn't found the right complimentary piece to him next?

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Speaker 2: I mean, that might be the answer. We find out

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Speaker 2: with Westbrook there that perhaps there is only one type

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Speaker 2: of guy that James Harden likes to play with, and

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Speaker 2: maybe it's a guy who's similar to himself. Who knows,

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Speaker 2: because if you're d'An toni, those two are obviously going

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Speaker 2: to be on the starting five. But maybe then that second,

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Speaker 2: third and fourth quarter is when you try to of

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Speaker 2: them to be like, all right, you go and get

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Speaker 2: yours and then the other guy goes and gets his,

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Speaker 2: because that might be the only way it works. And listen,

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Speaker 2: if you're Mike D'Antoni, he's in a bit of a

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Speaker 2: weird situation himself. He tried to get an extension from

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Speaker 2: the Rockets that fell through, so he's kind of in

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Speaker 2: lame duck status himself. So I wouldn't be surprised if

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Speaker 2: there's another coach in Houston at some point this season,

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Speaker 2: particularly if things get off to a rough stop.

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Speaker 1: Well, no doubt the Houston Rockets in general could look

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Speaker 1: completely different in three years from now. d'An TONI, like

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Speaker 1: you're saying, was a little bit on the hot seat

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Speaker 1: this summer the extension talk. We saw the press conferences

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Speaker 1: with Till and Fertita and Darryl Moury, where nobody was

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Speaker 1: looking like they really wanted to be there. Maury obviously

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Speaker 1: is making an all in move here to try and win.

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Speaker 1: Now all you needed it seems like in the Western

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Speaker 1: Conference is a duo, you don't need the third guy.

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Speaker 1: There's not a team that has three superstars. So this

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Speaker 1: definitely I think keeps the Rockets in contention because they

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Speaker 1: still have two MVP level players. The question, you're right, Lee,

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Speaker 1: The good question is who's going to be the one

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Speaker 1: to change? Because to me, the perfect setup for would

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Speaker 1: be that Harden would go off ball. He's a better

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Speaker 1: off ball shooter. He you know, he will draw more

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Speaker 1: eyes from the perimeter, which will open things up for Westbrook.

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Speaker 1: Westbrook will have more space inside than he's had since

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Speaker 1: Kevin Durant was in town. And even then, the thunder

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Speaker 1: teams that Durant and Westbrook had, they were always looking

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Speaker 1: for more shooting. It was always guys like Derek Fisher

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Speaker 1: when he was a thousand years old, Kron Butler after

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Speaker 1: he had given up chewing on straws. They would take

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Speaker 1: a shot at anybody hoping to get the space that

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Speaker 1: the Rockets are already going to have built in. To me,

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Speaker 1: the spread, pick and roll Capella Westbrook, you got three

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Speaker 1: shooters outside. That makes sense. But James Harden has had

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Speaker 1: the ball for forty seven out of forty eight minutes

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Speaker 1: every single game for the Rockets. Is he going to

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Speaker 1: be okay with a relaxing on the outside, Yes, he will.

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Speaker 1: The man likes to relax when he gets a chance. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: but also will he be integrated into the offense, will

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Speaker 1: he be cutting, will he be trying to get open

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Speaker 1: or will it just be your turn? Mitern, your turn, Mitern.

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Speaker 1: That doesn't sound great, but you're like you're saying Westbrook

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Speaker 1: against second units is exciting. I'm sure dan TONI will

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Speaker 1: stagger minutes the way he did with Chris Paul when

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Speaker 1: he was there, and Chris Paul did it all right

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Speaker 1: against second units. He was good. Clearly he took a

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Speaker 1: step back this past season, but the advantages are still there,

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Speaker 1: and the advantages for Westbrook now going against second unit

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Speaker 1: guys is going to be crazy. He's going to give

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Speaker 1: the Rockets a lot more transition points. I would think.

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Speaker 1: You know, he's not necessarily the most efficient transition player,

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Speaker 1: but that gives the Rockets a different look than what

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Speaker 1: they're used to. A guy who can just take the

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Speaker 1: ball off the glasses, zoom up the court and get

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Speaker 1: a lamp. I think that's beneficial. And like you're saying,

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Speaker 1: playing against second units is going to be huge, do

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Speaker 1: you think that the Rockets are going to be better

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Speaker 1: this season with Russell Westbrook as compared to they were

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Speaker 1: with Chris Paul because to me, I think they will

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Speaker 1: be better just because of the talent bump. I don't

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Speaker 1: necessarily know that they'll be better in the playoffs, but

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Speaker 1: during the regular season I can see it succeeding.

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Speaker 4: Well.

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Speaker 2: You know one thing you guarantee with Russell Westbrook is

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Speaker 2: he's going to come in motivated. He's going to give

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Speaker 2: you one hundred and fifty percent every single night. He

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Speaker 2: doesn't take positions off. You love his work ethic, you

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Speaker 2: love his his will to win and his desire. But

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Speaker 2: he has to realize that he has to know how

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Speaker 2: to change gears, and that's not just go one hundred

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Speaker 2: miles an hour every time. He has to figure out

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Speaker 2: away because against the Blazers in that first round, Portland basically.

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Speaker 3: Said shoot it whenever you want shoot it.

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Speaker 2: We'll give you all these shots, and Westbrook got sucked

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Speaker 2: into that, took them and it was a bad series

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Speaker 2: again for the Thunder. So he has to figure out

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Speaker 2: a way to use his strength, and his strengths are

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Speaker 2: going insides, getting around the rim, scoring around the rim.

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Speaker 2: He used to be able to get to the free

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Speaker 2: throw line a lot. He doesn't do that as much anymore,

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Speaker 2: and his free throw shooting was awful last season, so

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Speaker 2: I think there are ways for him to be effective

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Speaker 2: and to score points and to be efficient, but he

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Speaker 2: has to play to his strengths and not get caught

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Speaker 2: up in the sort of little battle within the game

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Speaker 2: that he like. You know, he does get involved sometimes

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Speaker 2: he likes to win a meaningless battle against an opponent

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Speaker 2: rather than look at the big picture. I think it

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Speaker 2: can work with him and say Clint Coppella. You know,

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Speaker 2: Copella is a good rim runner. He can go in

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Speaker 2: there and throw him his little lob. So I think

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Speaker 2: that could be effective. But ultimately it's down to Westbrook

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Speaker 2: and Harden both looking at each other in the eye

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Speaker 2: and saying, neither of us have really had playoff success,

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Speaker 2: you know, as the main guy on our team. If

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Speaker 2: this is going to work, then we have to both

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Speaker 2: give a little here. And that does mean James Harden's

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Speaker 2: at times is just going to be a spot up shooter.

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Speaker 2: But also it means that Westbrook can't get himself too

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Speaker 2: upset if Harden's giving into his ISOs and doing his

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Speaker 2: one on ones and all that step back, because that's

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Speaker 2: what Harden does, and I just can't see Harden going yeah,

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Speaker 2: I'm fine.

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Speaker 3: Not doing this is whenever I want, you know what

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Speaker 3: I mean, that's.

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Speaker 1: The question for me because there was Remember there was

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Speaker 1: that clip at the All Star Game where Steph Curry

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Speaker 1: was chatting up I think Mike Budenholzer and he was saying,

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Speaker 1: how Harden wishes he didn't he could play a little

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Speaker 1: bit more of a beautiful game, he didn't have to

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Speaker 1: do everything, And that's kind of you can understand that

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Speaker 1: from James Harden, that he wouldn't want to have to

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Speaker 1: be the guy that creates every single shot for both

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Speaker 1: himself and for everybody else on the court. But handing

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Speaker 1: that over is a different, a completely different beast. I

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Speaker 1: do think that maybe the friendship really matters. Maybe the

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Speaker 1: fact that these guys, according to Michael Lee, these guys

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Speaker 1: started playing together at a boys and girls club in

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Speaker 1: La a million years ago. I mean, I guess not

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Speaker 1: a million years ago. These guys are actually very young

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Speaker 1: compared to us. Uh everyone's yeah, yeah, twenty years ago

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Speaker 1: at least. But the fact that they actually respect each other,

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Speaker 1: that they that, like you're saying, Westbrook is hopefully gonna

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Speaker 1: understand that he's not the lead dog here. I do

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Speaker 1: think that maybe Harden will will turn turn over a

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Speaker 1: new leaf and kind of and let Westbrook take the reins.

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Speaker 1: But I don't know if you think the guy loved

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Speaker 1: winning the MVP. The guy loved getting close to winning

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Speaker 1: the MVP and controlling every single possession. It started out

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Speaker 1: we were like, oh man, you're gonna move James Harden

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Speaker 1: to a point guard? How's he gonna do this? And

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Speaker 1: then he was like a super Steve Nash, He's an

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Speaker 1: incredible player. Do you want to give that up? Maybe

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Speaker 1: you do. Maybe you have enough playoff failures that you're like,

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Speaker 1: something's got to change. Clearly something changed with Westbrook. Hopefully

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Speaker 1: he can change his mindset as well.

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Speaker 2: This could blow up though in their faces as well.

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Speaker 2: This could easily go south very quickly, that it just

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Speaker 2: doesn't work at all, and the Ruckets just find themselves

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Speaker 2: in a bit of a mess here, you know, because

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Speaker 2: if they if those two guys aren't able to adjust

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Speaker 2: and figure things out, then the Rockets they could be

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Speaker 2: struggling to make the playoffs, you know, I mean, things

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Speaker 2: could go that bad. I don't think it will.

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Speaker 3: You know, you mentioned earlier, it's clearly a talent.

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Speaker 2: Upgrade at this stage of the career of Westbrook and

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Speaker 2: Chris Paul. But we just know things don't always work out.

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Speaker 2: And as I mentioned earlier, James Harden to me, has

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Speaker 2: shown that he's very He talks a good game about

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Speaker 2: sharing the spotlight and wanting another superstar. But Dwight and

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Speaker 2: Chris Paul, both of them Hall of famous and hasn't

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Speaker 2: worked really with James Harden. He's kind of not gotten

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Speaker 2: along with either of them. So you know, Westbrook is

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Speaker 2: a fairly safe bet that in that respect for Daryl Maury.

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Speaker 2: But until they play together, the big question is how

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Speaker 2: much is James Harden prepared to actually concede, you know,

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Speaker 2: the bull use because I think I maybe not one

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Speaker 2: hundred percent right on this, but last year both of

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Speaker 2: those guys had the highest and second highest usage in

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Speaker 2: the NBA, so.

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Speaker 1: They're like record setting usages guys. So clearly that's going

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Speaker 1: to be weird and it's going to be strange to

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Speaker 1: figure it out. It's definite gonna feel at times like

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Speaker 1: Wade and Lebron that first year in Miami, your turn

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Speaker 1: Mi rind and maybe by the end of the season,

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Speaker 1: maybe they're able to work something out where they're both

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Speaker 1: involved in every possession the defensive end of the court.

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Speaker 1: I don't even really understand how that's gonna work. Neither

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Speaker 1: of those guys is super interested in guarding anybody unless

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Speaker 1: they're you know, like a heated one on one battle,

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Speaker 1: So I don't know. Maybe they will do a good

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Speaker 1: job of convincing the other teams to just be in

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Speaker 1: one on one battles the entire time. I will say this, though,

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Speaker 1: I think the Rockets are more likable now. I know

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Speaker 1: that Chris Paul's a polarizing guy. Westbrook is a polarizing guy.

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Speaker 1: Hardens a polarizing guy. But I think putting Harden and

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Speaker 1: Westbrook together, those two like wild personalities. Like Harden is

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Speaker 1: gonna play his own game, a game that a lot

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Speaker 1: of people hate. You know, he's just gonna beat you

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Speaker 1: one on one and then he's either gonna try and

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Speaker 1: shoot or he's just gonna throw his arms into you.

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Speaker 1: A lot of people hate it, but people will like

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Speaker 1: I think Westbrook joining him and PJ. Tucker for the arrivals.

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Speaker 1: You got three of the craziest dressed guys in the league,

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Speaker 1: three of the most fashionable dudes, and they're all and

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Speaker 1: between Westbrook and Harden the reunit of them from their

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Speaker 1: okayc days. Now they're in Houston playing together, trying to

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Speaker 1: win a championship. It seems like they're at least going

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Speaker 1: to be in the mix. I think they're a more

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Speaker 1: likable team now than with Chris Ball.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Chris Paul is not a likable guy to watch,

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Speaker 2: which is which is sad to say, because he's a

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Speaker 2: great player and he's a Hall of Fame lock, but

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Speaker 2: he does bring with him that that that look on

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Speaker 2: his face and that attitude that he's always either flopping

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Speaker 2: or embellishing or doing something wrong with It's just it

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Speaker 2: is hard to like him. And James Harden did the

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Speaker 2: same thing in the last couple of years with Houston.

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Speaker 2: They weren't a fun team to watch like that. So

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Speaker 2: I hope they are. I hope they sort of prove

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Speaker 2: us wrong and it's like this magical chemistry that just

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Speaker 2: works and clicks and they're almost unstoppable.

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Speaker 3: They could.

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Speaker 2: I can see scores in their games being one hundred

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Speaker 2: and fifty to one hundred and forty five. Sure, because

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Speaker 2: as you mentioned, defensively, you'll be able to get pretty

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Speaker 2: much whatever you want against the Rockets.

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Speaker 1: Player of the Year because he's got to go the

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Speaker 1: most shots.

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Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, but.

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Speaker 2: You know, look, Daryl Moury, the Ruckets weren't They weren't

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Speaker 2: getting closer to winning the championship. The Chris Paul fit

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Speaker 2: clearly wasn't there. You know, he wasn't either liked in

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Speaker 2: the locker room or he and James Harden didn't get along.

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Speaker 2: So for Daryl More it was like, well, I may

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Speaker 2: as well try this. Why not you know, we're not

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Speaker 2: getting anywhere here with Chris Paul and if you're Sam

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Speaker 2: Presty and the Thunder, I think and it sounds as

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Speaker 2: though Chris Paul won't ever actually play for the Thunder,

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Speaker 2: they're going to move on from him. I think for

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Speaker 2: Sam Presty this was things worked out pretty well for

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Speaker 2: him because I believe after last season. He didn't say

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Speaker 2: it in the press conference. He was very, very classy,

430
00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,280
Speaker 2: but I think he probably looked at Westbrook and thought,

431
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,560
Speaker 2: I don't think this is going to work. But he

432
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:38,359
Speaker 2: also didn't want.

433
00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,040
Speaker 1: To be come on, no. I According to Royce Young,

434
00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,200
Speaker 1: the Thunder reviewed this season in nineteen twenty as their

435
00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,440
Speaker 1: last best chance to win a championship if they stay put.

436
00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,720
Speaker 1: If it was just Paul George and Russell Westbrook with

437
00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:54,080
Speaker 1: all functioning joints. You know, Sean George's had his Double

438
00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,680
Speaker 1: Soldier surgery. Westbrook has had his knee surgery. Hopefully those

439
00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,000
Speaker 1: guys are healthy. This is a duo's league right now.

440
00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,199
Speaker 1: They have two A guy who won an MVP a

441
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,760
Speaker 1: couple of seasons ago, Paul George was top five this year.

442
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,359
Speaker 1: Those are both quality players. They would have a little

443
00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,359
Speaker 1: bit of continuity on their opponents. The Thunder would have

444
00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:12,520
Speaker 1: been in the mix. They would have been in the

445
00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,720
Speaker 1: Mets four at least the conference finals. Who knows what

446
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,600
Speaker 1: happens then, as we saw this year, guys get hurt

447
00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,000
Speaker 1: in opportun times. Maybe you see the Thunder back in

448
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,040
Speaker 1: the finals. If they were able to stay put. Paul George, however,

449
00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:24,720
Speaker 1: easily convinced by Kawi Leonards.

450
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,280
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, but I just mean that, like, you know,

451
00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:31,840
Speaker 2: Westbrook would be a frustrating guy to have because he

452
00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,440
Speaker 2: wasn't able to really get out of his own way

453
00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:36,200
Speaker 2: these last couple of years in the playoffs. I mean,

454
00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,040
Speaker 2: you know, against the Blazers, Nick de Paula was the

455
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,119
Speaker 2: only guy who picked them, and they had even though

456
00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:42,800
Speaker 2: the Blazers had home court Avenger, we all thought they

457
00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:44,440
Speaker 2: were going to beat Portland because they swept them during

458
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,480
Speaker 2: the regular season. Last season against the Jazz, they had

459
00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,879
Speaker 2: home court. They lost in six games, but it was

460
00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,000
Speaker 2: lucky to not lose in five games. So, you know,

461
00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,760
Speaker 2: I just feel that like this gave Presty a chance

462
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:56,920
Speaker 2: to move on from Westbrook without him having to force

463
00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,840
Speaker 2: him out or to say, you know what, I'm going

464
00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,160
Speaker 2: to trade this guy and try to do something else here,

465
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:05,520
Speaker 2: because after Kevin Durant left, the Thunder couldn't trade Westbrook

466
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,280
Speaker 2: unless there was a circumstances like these where it's like,

467
00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,440
Speaker 2: all right, we gonna hit the reset button and we're

468
00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,560
Speaker 2: gonna try to move you to a team where you

469
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:14,159
Speaker 2: might get have a bit of chance of winning.

470
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,359
Speaker 3: So that's that's what I think about it.

471
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,879
Speaker 1: But yeah, I think Paul George trade definitely gives Pressty

472
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,320
Speaker 1: cover to move Westbrook because, like you're saying, he's not

473
00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,639
Speaker 1: gonna go through the post rant season again where he

474
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:26,879
Speaker 1: just takes every single shot, and you know, he's already

475
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,199
Speaker 1: averaged a triple double for the past three season. What

476
00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,320
Speaker 1: can he do more than that? I understand that, but

477
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,120
Speaker 1: to me. You know, I'm gonna vowed Paul George Hayter.

478
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,720
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna make Paul George the victim. Here he

479
00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,600
Speaker 1: was in Indiana, he kept sending these signals, I want

480
00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:41,760
Speaker 1: to sign with the Lakers. I want to sign with

481
00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,560
Speaker 1: the Lakers. They trade him to the Thunder, he says, Man,

482
00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:45,960
Speaker 1: if they wouldn't have traded me to the Thunder, I

483
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,640
Speaker 1: would have signed with the Lakers. He gets the chance,

484
00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,480
Speaker 1: he signs with the Thunder. They lose. Unfinished business. I'm

485
00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,359
Speaker 1: coming back. They lose again, and then he's ready to

486
00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,480
Speaker 1: come back until Kawhi Leonard calls him and says, hey,

487
00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:57,959
Speaker 1: you come play with me. Paul George says, all right,

488
00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,760
Speaker 1: I guess my unfinished business was I need to come

489
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,560
Speaker 1: back and win one less playoff game. So now he

490
00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,240
Speaker 1: has thrown the Thunder, a team that was going to

491
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,600
Speaker 1: be gunning for a championship, a team that they're that

492
00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,960
Speaker 1: Royce Young sources say, thought they could win the championship

493
00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,439
Speaker 1: this year. Now they are in complete rebuild mode for

494
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,520
Speaker 1: the first time since they've had a franchise in Oklahoma City,

495
00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:18,920
Speaker 1: all because Paul George couldn't have just signed with the

496
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:20,120
Speaker 1: Lakers two summers ago.

497
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:21,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, I mean that's a good point.

498
00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,679
Speaker 2: And and the fact that that happened so quickly that

499
00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,440
Speaker 2: according to that Woji article, it was basically the Thursday

500
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,480
Speaker 2: night Paul George went to Sam Presty and said, I

501
00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,440
Speaker 2: want to go to the Clippers. And Sam Presty realized

502
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,040
Speaker 2: at that point, like, you know what, Okay, I'm going

503
00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:36,399
Speaker 2: to see what I can get out of this. And

504
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,399
Speaker 2: he got a great haul in return for him. But

505
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:39,919
Speaker 2: there's a lot of pressure now.

506
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,480
Speaker 1: Well he did. He sort of got a great haul.

507
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,920
Speaker 1: According to Reddit, he got the ability to draft six

508
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,720
Speaker 1: high schoolers and two middle schoolers. Right, it's gonna be good.

509
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,840
Speaker 1: The last time the Thunder had a bunch of draft

510
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:50,960
Speaker 1: picks in the top five, they did a great job

511
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,400
Speaker 1: at built their team for a decade and we're seeing

512
00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,120
Speaker 1: it come to an end out but they gotta nail him.

513
00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:57,119
Speaker 3: No, yeah, you're right.

514
00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,040
Speaker 2: And they also got Shaike gildg just Alexander in that

515
00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,760
Speaker 2: deal and Gallinari. Gala's at the end of his career,

516
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,000
Speaker 2: but Gilges Alexander's a good young prospect there.

517
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:04,600
Speaker 3: I think he's good.

518
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,040
Speaker 2: But I mean, Sam Presty, the pressure is on him

519
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,399
Speaker 2: obviously to deliver. He's in that sort of situation Danny

520
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:11,679
Speaker 2: Ainge has been in where you've got all these picks

521
00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:15,000
Speaker 2: and okay, turn them into something. Now he's Danny Angel

522
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,240
Speaker 2: has done a good job. The question for Sam Presty

523
00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,920
Speaker 2: is he obviously doesn't have to use them all as

524
00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,399
Speaker 2: draft picks. He can maybe use these in other deals

525
00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,320
Speaker 2: to try to get you know, whatever whatever he wanted

526
00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,600
Speaker 2: to do his path. But yeah, exactly, I mean he's

527
00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,480
Speaker 2: he could get another first round pick in return for him.

528
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,639
Speaker 2: I mean, possibly, it depends on who's prepared to give

529
00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,239
Speaker 2: up whatever they have to get him.

530
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,040
Speaker 1: But I mean, the Rockets just gave up four first

531
00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,520
Speaker 1: round picks, and I don't know, maybe you say two

532
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:41,879
Speaker 1: first round picks and another half for each of the swaps,

533
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,040
Speaker 1: so maybe it's counts as three. But they just had

534
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,360
Speaker 1: a touch a bunch of pecks to move Chris Paul

535
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,720
Speaker 1: for a guy, and Russell Westbrook, who was already on

536
00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:50,679
Speaker 1: the trading Poteah, you knew wanted to go to one

537
00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 1: of two places. Yeah, so I do think that maybe

538
00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,359
Speaker 1: those picks will be used to move Chris Paul. You

539
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,000
Speaker 1: you think he's got you think play again on the

540
00:22:59,040 --> 00:22:59,760
Speaker 1: Thunder uniform.

541
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:01,760
Speaker 2: I mean, I don't see why he would want to

542
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,639
Speaker 2: stay there when they're in you know, rebuild moment. As

543
00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:06,359
Speaker 2: Chris Paul at this stage of his career wants to

544
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,399
Speaker 2: be contending.

545
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,720
Speaker 1: Miami is the place, then that's well last buzz.

546
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,800
Speaker 2: That's getting the most buzz because I don't really see

547
00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,399
Speaker 2: which other team has the ability to trade for him

548
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,240
Speaker 2: given how big his contract is. I mean, you've got

549
00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,919
Speaker 2: to give up I think it's around forty plus million

550
00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,920
Speaker 2: at least for next season to make that deal happen.

551
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,720
Speaker 2: And you know, the Knicks, excuse me, the Nets, the Lakers,

552
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,880
Speaker 2: and the Clippers have already kind of made their moves.

553
00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,800
Speaker 2: They don't have assets to be able to trade for him.

554
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,399
Speaker 2: So if my I don't really know what Miami has

555
00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:36,000
Speaker 2: asset wise either. You know, they trade at Hassan Whiteside,

556
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,160
Speaker 2: so they've kind of lost their big bargaining chip there.

557
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:42,600
Speaker 2: But Chris Paul, Yeah, he wants to be in a

558
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,800
Speaker 2: situation on any team that will at least put him

559
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,119
Speaker 2: in the position to be competing for a championship. But

560
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:52,359
Speaker 2: his career is kind of funny because all of a sudden,

561
00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:53,120
Speaker 2: Chris Paul.

562
00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:54,359
Speaker 3: Anyone can have him if they want him.

563
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, and he's a great player, but he

564
00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,680
Speaker 2: does now have a reputation and he has some baggage

565
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:01,720
Speaker 2: and that's going to be hard for him to shake

566
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,639
Speaker 2: at this stage of his career. So I think I

567
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,400
Speaker 2: think Presty will try to move him to a situation

568
00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,280
Speaker 2: that is favorable. But again, where is that. I mean,

569
00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,439
Speaker 2: let's look at the contending teams. Milwaukee, No, he's not

570
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:13,960
Speaker 2: going there.

571
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,120
Speaker 3: The Raptors. No, I don't see him. I don't see

572
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:18,040
Speaker 3: MESSI at.

573
00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 1: Kyle Larry, Yeah, I mean, you know, for our season

574
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:21,040
Speaker 1: at least.

575
00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,439
Speaker 3: Sure, maybe doesn't see him though, like the.

576
00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:25,960
Speaker 1: Can of game that messas thirty four years old. He's

577
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,360
Speaker 1: had another three years exact. That's a huge money left

578
00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:29,119
Speaker 1: on his contract.

579
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:30,920
Speaker 2: That's the thing you're taking on one hundred and twenty

580
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,320
Speaker 2: million of Chris Paul, which is which is you know,

581
00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,800
Speaker 2: not really what you uh what you want to take

582
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,280
Speaker 2: it that you know when you're when you're the Raptors,

583
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,679
Speaker 2: I mean, Messiah Jerry reportedly turned down the opportunity to

584
00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,520
Speaker 2: get Westbrook and Paul George from the Thunder, although we're

585
00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,240
Speaker 2: not sure how serious that was. Maybe it was just

586
00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,200
Speaker 2: something that the thunder we're using as leverage against the Clippers.

587
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,280
Speaker 2: But yeah, Chris Paul, it's it's funny. I mean, you know,

588
00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,720
Speaker 2: he's he's been a great, great player on the court,

589
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,679
Speaker 2: but he's kind of now found himself in a situation

590
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,480
Speaker 2: where it's like, yeah, you know, not sure, not sure

591
00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,199
Speaker 2: what he can really add to a team at this

592
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,320
Speaker 2: stage of his career. Now he's thirty four, he's got injury,

593
00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,520
Speaker 2: he's got a huge contract, and he's just a player

594
00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:10,560
Speaker 2: who tends to fight with his own teammates a lot.

595
00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,080
Speaker 2: So you know, maybe the Knicks, maybe the Knicks will say,

596
00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,280
Speaker 2: you know what, sure, why not?

597
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,679
Speaker 3: Why not? The name people know exactly exactly he's an

598
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:19,080
Speaker 3: All Star.

599
00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:21,159
Speaker 2: They can they can bill him as the All Star player,

600
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,120
Speaker 2: and you know, he's he's like he.

601
00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:26,920
Speaker 1: Was rumored to go there are a million years ago too,

602
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,080
Speaker 1: back when Caromelo Anthony was making his way to the

603
00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,679
Speaker 1: next Yeah, last question before we call these other guys.

604
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,919
Speaker 1: Do you think now that the Rockets are one of

605
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:36,360
Speaker 1: the top contenders in the lead. Do you think they're

606
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:37,400
Speaker 1: a championship contender?

607
00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:44,920
Speaker 3: Well, I would say the Clippers and the Lakers they're there.

608
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:48,240
Speaker 2: I put him in the same bracket as the Blazers,

609
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,320
Speaker 2: the Clippers, and the Lakers. Yes, yes, I would, just

610
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,200
Speaker 2: just because of what we've seen these last couple of years.

611
00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,440
Speaker 2: Come playoff time as a James Harden led team, they haven't.

612
00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,680
Speaker 2: They've had two great opportunities to beat the Warriors, and

613
00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,399
Speaker 2: they could do it. Will thinks, I mean, the Warriors

614
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,919
Speaker 2: won't be as good next season. They'll be sure, you know,

615
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,880
Speaker 2: they'll be They'll probably still be. I expect them still

616
00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,119
Speaker 2: to be a playoff team, but of course it largely

617
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,600
Speaker 2: depends on when Klay Thompson comes back. But you still

618
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,480
Speaker 2: got Staff and Draymond, so I expect them still to

619
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:17,960
Speaker 2: be good. But I would say they're in that category

620
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,040
Speaker 2: with the Blazers where it's like maybe if everything goes

621
00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,679
Speaker 2: their way, if things break their way, they could they

622
00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:24,159
Speaker 2: could do it.

623
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:24,960
Speaker 3: But if they have.

624
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,560
Speaker 2: To play teams these other teams, you know, and everyone's

625
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,439
Speaker 2: healthy and that, I don't see them coming out of

626
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:31,800
Speaker 2: the West.

627
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:31,840
Speaker 4: No.

628
00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, to me, I think the Clippers and the Lakers

629
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,520
Speaker 1: are probably still the top tier. I don't know that

630
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,800
Speaker 1: the standings at the end of the regular season are

631
00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:41,560
Speaker 1: going to be indicative of all of where the best

632
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,880
Speaker 1: teams are because there's a lot of guys who are

633
00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:46,720
Speaker 1: a load managing kind of guys. There are a lot

634
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,840
Speaker 1: of guys who you know, get banged up and will

635
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,159
Speaker 1: mess fifteen or twenty games during the regular season, be

636
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,320
Speaker 1: okay come playoff time. To me, though, Clippers and Lakers

637
00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:57,000
Speaker 1: probably still top of the pops. Clippers I would say

638
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,400
Speaker 1: number one because of their their depth past the big

639
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,520
Speaker 1: two guys. That being said, we haven't seen them play

640
00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,520
Speaker 1: together at all. At least we've seen all of the

641
00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,520
Speaker 1: Rockets play together, and we have also seen James Harden

642
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,639
Speaker 1: and Russell Westbrook play together. I know it's not the

643
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,400
Speaker 1: same thing, but at least they have familiarity in both aspects.

644
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,040
Speaker 1: The Lakers, who knows the Lakers. I just am really

645
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,400
Speaker 1: trusting Lebron and Anthony Davis to be really, really good.

646
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,720
Speaker 1: And then you look at once it comes down to matchups,

647
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 1: like who's gonna guar to Anthony Davis for these two

648
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:25,359
Speaker 1: teams and the Rockets and the Clippers, It's going to

649
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,200
Speaker 1: be interesting to see. It's gonna be an exciting season.

650
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,320
Speaker 1: Things are changing like crazy. I feel like we're gonna

651
00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,480
Speaker 1: have to have in another emergency podcast and not too

652
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,720
Speaker 1: long and Chris Paul is traded to me, that's not

653
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 1: emergency podcast. Yeah, I don't think twenty nineteen Chris Paul

654
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:40,880
Speaker 1: getting traded is the reason we're here.

655
00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:44,000
Speaker 2: No, No, I agree that the trade here is obviously

656
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,720
Speaker 2: Westbrook moving from the Thunda. Say Chris Paul, wherever you got?

657
00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,720
Speaker 2: I mean, I think he probably wants to stay in THEA.

658
00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,480
Speaker 2: We'll go to the Eastern Conference a little easier.

659
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:53,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so.

660
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,359
Speaker 2: I think I've got the Bucks as the favorite in

661
00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,639
Speaker 2: the East, and then probably the Sixes, and then after

662
00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,640
Speaker 2: that it's kind of maybe the Pices third best team,

663
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,080
Speaker 2: who knows, and then the Raptors. So if Chris Paul

664
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:07,679
Speaker 2: can somehow find his way to I mean where, like,

665
00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:10,720
Speaker 2: where can you see it going? You know, it's very tough.

666
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:12,440
Speaker 2: It's very very tough right now.

667
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:14,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, but you wouldn't. I guess Paul George is getting

668
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,560
Speaker 1: traded to the Klepper Russell weist back to the Rackets,

669
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:18,960
Speaker 1: you know, five days ago.

670
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,480
Speaker 2: I mean you mentioned the Lakers there. I am really

671
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,400
Speaker 2: interested to see how that all comes together because Lebron's

672
00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,160
Speaker 2: thirty four, He's going to be thirty five in December

673
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,760
Speaker 2: coming off his worst year as terms of injury, and

674
00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,480
Speaker 2: when he came back, the Lakers were still very much

675
00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,920
Speaker 2: in the playoff hunt and Lebron just didn't really look

676
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,119
Speaker 2: all that interested. Now things are going to have to

677
00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,640
Speaker 2: change for him a little bit. And DeMarcus Cousins another

678
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,680
Speaker 2: one who we didn't get to see his best because

679
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 2: he was kind of out of shape all season long.

680
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,760
Speaker 2: It wasn't able to get into full game shape. Then

681
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 2: he injures his thigh in the playoffs, and then by

682
00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:50,960
Speaker 2: the time he came back in the finals, just he's

683
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,560
Speaker 2: just not, you know, physically ready.

684
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 3: But if he can maybe.

685
00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,920
Speaker 2: Shed a few pounds and get himself into really good shape,

686
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,640
Speaker 2: then DeMarcus Cousins could be that almost the signing of

687
00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,920
Speaker 2: the sum in terms of, like this guy was available.

688
00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:03,680
Speaker 2: You got him on a one year and he's a

689
00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,280
Speaker 2: dominant player. But if he's not able to sort of

690
00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,880
Speaker 2: find that form that he had in Sacramento and New Orleans,

691
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:11,480
Speaker 2: then he doesn't really add.

692
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:12,440
Speaker 3: All that much to the Lakers.

693
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,040
Speaker 2: So, but I think the Clippers as well, when you

694
00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,360
Speaker 2: got those guys like Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montres Harral,

695
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:22,040
Speaker 2: those guys are hungry, they're ready, they believe in themselves

696
00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,560
Speaker 2: and now they've got two great two way players. They're

697
00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 2: going to be They're gonna be tough to score against,

698
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,680
Speaker 2: I think the Clippers, and then offensively they I mean.

699
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,400
Speaker 3: They're a very very good team on paper.

700
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,400
Speaker 2: But again all it's got all work and they've got

701
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,520
Speaker 2: all sacrifice, and you know, the Raptors showed that it

702
00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:39,040
Speaker 2: can work.

703
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:40,719
Speaker 3: But now that's on the Clippers to do it.

704
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,080
Speaker 1: That's exactly right. A lot still to be decided. Things

705
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,800
Speaker 1: are changing every minute of the day, and I'll change

706
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,080
Speaker 1: again come December fifteenth, when all these guys are eligible

707
00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,120
Speaker 1: to be traded. Maybe DiAngelo Russell being treated as an

708
00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,360
Speaker 1: ex factor. That puts the Warriors up a little bit.

709
00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,880
Speaker 1: But I'm tired of talking to just you and GD.

710
00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,800
Speaker 1: I do like hearing from your sons. But we're gonna

711
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,719
Speaker 1: get skeets and tasks on the phone. Here interrupt their

712
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:12,920
Speaker 1: vacations and see what they're getting up to do. Welcome

713
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,560
Speaker 1: back to the free Agents. It's me, Trey Lee and

714
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,520
Speaker 1: JD here in the basement. But on the free Agents,

715
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,120
Speaker 1: no vacations are safe. So joining us via the power

716
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,680
Speaker 1: of technology from Saint Augustine, Florida. Jay Skeats Skeates, what

717
00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:26,040
Speaker 1: some man?

718
00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:27,640
Speaker 4: What's up?

719
00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,320
Speaker 5: Guys, I'm living that beach life, staying in a weird

720
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,880
Speaker 5: resort where everything on the wall is either a seashell

721
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:35,120
Speaker 5: or a seagull.

722
00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:36,400
Speaker 4: You gotta love it.

723
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,560
Speaker 1: Sea's up, baby, Baby. Also up is Task Melus. He's

724
00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:46,240
Speaker 1: up in the home of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Task,

725
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:46,800
Speaker 1: what's up, man?

726
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,480
Speaker 6: Don't forget those G League nine oh five champions. I

727
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,600
Speaker 6: guess the Raptors are running back to back because then

728
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,840
Speaker 6: they win the G League championship as well. These guys,

729
00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:57,080
Speaker 6: it's a dynasty up here.

730
00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,680
Speaker 1: It's a province of champions and looks it sounds like

731
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 1: a show the Jet Skeets would be wearing.

732
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:02,040
Speaker 7: Guys.

733
00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,760
Speaker 1: Phil Skeates, Yeah, we're a little russy. Phil Skeats never

734
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,640
Speaker 1: heard of him. I know you were packing last night

735
00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,840
Speaker 1: when you heard the news of the Chris Paul Russell

736
00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,240
Speaker 1: Westbrook trade. So Task, it's been a while since we've

737
00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,040
Speaker 1: talked to you. What was your first impression when you

738
00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:18,000
Speaker 1: heard everything was going down?

739
00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,360
Speaker 6: Russell Westbrook is leaving the OKAC Thunder. I just never

740
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:26,480
Speaker 6: thought that Russell Westbrook would do the same thing that

741
00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:28,680
Speaker 6: everybody else was doing, would be he that he would

742
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:33,000
Speaker 6: be okay with trying to make a super team somewhere

743
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:33,800
Speaker 6: besides okay.

744
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:34,040
Speaker 7: See.

745
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,360
Speaker 6: I just thought he would zig when everybody else would sag.

746
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,840
Speaker 6: I thought he would basically say f that I can

747
00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:41,080
Speaker 6: do this by myself. Kevin Rant, you want to leave?

748
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,440
Speaker 6: I got this, Paul George, you want to leave?

749
00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:44,320
Speaker 7: I got this?

750
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,880
Speaker 6: And maybe we're into a new era of Russell Westbrook

751
00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,080
Speaker 6: where he understands that I can't do this by myself.

752
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,200
Speaker 6: I mean he was sort of humble in his exit

753
00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,520
Speaker 6: interview after the okay see thunder lost in round one,

754
00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:58,840
Speaker 6: and he kind of said, you know, I got to

755
00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:02,400
Speaker 6: work on my shot. And he was okay with Paul

756
00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:05,520
Speaker 6: George Leeven getting on Instagram and saying love you, Brody.

757
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,520
Speaker 6: I mean, it didn't feel like the old Russell Westbrook

758
00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:10,400
Speaker 6: me against the world type thing. So I think that

759
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 6: maybe he's going to be fined with another guy, you know,

760
00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,200
Speaker 6: being the being the primary guy, because I think this

761
00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,600
Speaker 6: is different going from yes, Paul George in okay, see

762
00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:21,840
Speaker 6: Kevin Durant in Okay. See.

763
00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,840
Speaker 7: It was quote unquote you know, one A and one B.

764
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,080
Speaker 7: But going to Houston, James.

765
00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,760
Speaker 6: Harden is obviously the guy, and Russell Westbrook is going

766
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:32,720
Speaker 6: to be the number two who can take a huge

767
00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:37,200
Speaker 6: load off his shoulders. And uh, it might be it

768
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,560
Speaker 6: might be crazy enough to work.

769
00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,760
Speaker 1: I'm with you, Tess. I thought that Russ was a

770
00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,640
Speaker 1: thunder lifer, but apparently that's just not a thing that's

771
00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:49,760
Speaker 1: going to happen anymore. If Westbrook after he stayed when

772
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,760
Speaker 1: he had a chance to leave, after Kevin Durant left,

773
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,720
Speaker 1: if he stayed and he's still being traded a couple

774
00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:58,200
Speaker 1: of seasons later, then maybe the the lifer is gone.

775
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:00,640
Speaker 1: But Skeets, I'm curious to hear what you thought as

776
00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,200
Speaker 1: well when you first heard the trade.

777
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,000
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean it is crazy.

778
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,280
Speaker 5: It's wild to try and wrap your head around Russell

779
00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:12,240
Speaker 5: Westbrook being in another Jersey next season and not repping. Okay, see,

780
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,760
Speaker 5: but here's what I think about this trade. I am baffled.

781
00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,760
Speaker 5: I'm a little shocked. From the rocket side of things,

782
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:19,760
Speaker 5: it makes sense. Look, it makes sense from the thunder

783
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,120
Speaker 5: side of things. After Paul George comes and says, hey,

784
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:23,720
Speaker 5: trade me, I'd like to go play with Kawhi Leonard

785
00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:25,760
Speaker 5: and they're like, what, oh, okay, and then we'll get

786
00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:27,520
Speaker 5: a bunch of picks, all right. Well, then it didn't

787
00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,200
Speaker 5: look like you were just going to be rebuilding around

788
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,400
Speaker 5: Russell Westbrook, despite him at times looking like he was

789
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,160
Speaker 5: a lifer. I mean, it just made sense to move

790
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:36,880
Speaker 5: on from him as well, and he was fine with that,

791
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,400
Speaker 5: and they moved him. But from the Rocket side of things,

792
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:42,760
Speaker 5: I mean, this was all I keep thinking about is

793
00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,720
Speaker 5: those rumors, those reports that James Harden and Chris Paul

794
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,520
Speaker 5: butted heads and didn't like each other.

795
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:49,880
Speaker 4: They must have been true.

796
00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 5: And I know Daryl Morey came out a month ago

797
00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,560
Speaker 5: and said, no, that's all fake news, not true. These

798
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:57,440
Speaker 5: guys are fine. Nobody's asking for a trade. Well, I

799
00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,920
Speaker 5: think he was lying to us, because this is obviously

800
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,560
Speaker 5: what happened. Yes, they get a younger guy in Westbrook,

801
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:04,800
Speaker 5: but a guy who has a ton of mileage on

802
00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,600
Speaker 5: those knees, a ton of surgeries on those knees, and

803
00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:12,120
Speaker 5: who looks that could age a lot worse than even

804
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:14,840
Speaker 5: a guy like Chris Paul. I understand Chris Paul misses games,

805
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,000
Speaker 5: but I still keep thinking Chris Paul is a better

806
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,960
Speaker 5: player despite being a little older, a better player when

807
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,000
Speaker 5: he's paired with James Harden. Then a guy like Russell Westbrook,

808
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,319
Speaker 5: who can't hit threes is horrible even when he gets

809
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:28,600
Speaker 5: to the free throw line, doesn't play a lick of defense.

810
00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,319
Speaker 5: I just think Chris Paul is a better fit now.

811
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:33,800
Speaker 5: And the weird part is if the Rockets could have

812
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,840
Speaker 5: just stayed cool and got along, then it looked like

813
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,960
Speaker 5: that championship window was there for it was theirs to

814
00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,280
Speaker 5: walk through, to step through that window out on the balcony,

815
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,520
Speaker 5: like I am in Saint Augustine here looking at the

816
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,799
Speaker 5: beautiful beach off in the distance in the palm trees,

817
00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:48,520
Speaker 5: and a car just pulled up, So don't mind that car.

818
00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:50,200
Speaker 4: Hey, could you turn your car off? Sir? I'm trying

819
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:50,719
Speaker 4: to talk here.

820
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:54,200
Speaker 5: But yeah, it's like the championship window might be it

821
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,960
Speaker 5: might be open a little bit longer, but I don't

822
00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:58,480
Speaker 5: think it's any bigger with.

823
00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 4: Westbrook from the Rockets side of things.

824
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:01,960
Speaker 5: So look, I think it just came down at Harden

825
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,520
Speaker 5: and Chris Paul not getting along and Maury being sort

826
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,640
Speaker 5: of forced to throw those picks in and the pick

827
00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,040
Speaker 5: swaps to get out to get out of the Chris

828
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,000
Speaker 5: Paul because I think we get way too caught up

829
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,440
Speaker 5: in this Chris Paul contract. I really do, especially when

830
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:15,840
Speaker 5: we start comparing it to Russell Westbrook's contract was just

831
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,280
Speaker 5: as insanely big. So yeah, I'm shocked. I am really

832
00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,000
Speaker 5: truly shocked. And Maury went in this direction.

833
00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm with you, Skeates. There must have been something

834
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,520
Speaker 1: going on behind the scenes. We know that James Harden

835
00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,040
Speaker 1: blew up Chris Paul's kitchen, never admitted to it. We

836
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,200
Speaker 1: know that he brought Clutch the bear and let him

837
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,120
Speaker 1: shoot his T shirt cannon all over the place, didn't

838
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,920
Speaker 1: offer to pay for anything, destroyed his TV. And if

839
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:37,839
Speaker 1: that's just what we've seen, who knows what's going on

840
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,879
Speaker 1: behind the scenes, But you guys know it, Skeets Test.

841
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,600
Speaker 1: You guys have been together for thirteen years. It's hard

842
00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:45,960
Speaker 1: to stay liking each other for such a long time.

843
00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:48,840
Speaker 1: But as we're seeing things change all the time, and

844
00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:52,239
Speaker 1: you guys nailed that, everybody's concerned with the fit and

845
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:56,120
Speaker 1: mostly can Russell Westbrook change? Can he either be a

846
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,560
Speaker 1: more efficient on ball player, which allows James Harden to

847
00:35:58,560 --> 00:35:59,960
Speaker 1: play off the ball, or is he going to figure

848
00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:01,440
Speaker 1: out a way to play off ball for the first

849
00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:03,359
Speaker 1: time in his career. Skeets, I'll start with you, since

850
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:05,239
Speaker 1: you're in a new role. You're usually the guy setting

851
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:09,279
Speaker 1: people up. Today you're getting set up, So, uh, show

852
00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:11,319
Speaker 1: me how Russell Westbrook can change the way you are

853
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:12,640
Speaker 1: changing on this very podcast.

854
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,920
Speaker 4: Well, yeah, look, I'll tell you. I'll be completely honest

855
00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:17,279
Speaker 4: with you. It's not easy. Right.

856
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,080
Speaker 5: You get into that role, you think you're solid at

857
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:22,160
Speaker 5: your role, and you just embrace it and you run

858
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:23,840
Speaker 5: with it, and then maybe a little bit later, you

859
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:26,279
Speaker 5: have to do something else and it's foreign to you.

860
00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,439
Speaker 5: And some people are very good at changing and doing

861
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,480
Speaker 5: multiple things, while others struggle with it. And I think

862
00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:35,000
Speaker 5: Westbrook is a guy history shows us that, you know,

863
00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:37,640
Speaker 5: for the most part, he struggles with it. He needs

864
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:39,680
Speaker 5: the ball, especially when you are a point guard and

865
00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:42,319
Speaker 5: you play professional basketball and you're a point guard that

866
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,480
Speaker 5: just dominates the ball like he has for his entire career,

867
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,040
Speaker 5: you know, preve, NBA, pre college. I'm sure he's just

868
00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:51,319
Speaker 5: always been the most athletic guy. So you give him

869
00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,080
Speaker 5: the ball and you let him dictate what happens offensively.

870
00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:55,920
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think he.

871
00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:59,319
Speaker 5: You know, it is interesting, what does Dan TONI do?

872
00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:01,160
Speaker 5: Do you and you set it up there perfectly trace

873
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:02,840
Speaker 5: so you're doing a fine job. Mine, man, do you

874
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,759
Speaker 5: go do you go with Westbrook? Hey you're off the ball,

875
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:07,440
Speaker 5: or do you go, hey, Harden, maybe you're off the

876
00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:09,080
Speaker 5: ball a little bit more. Because these guys have some

877
00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,680
Speaker 5: of the crazy highest usage percentages we've seen in NBA history,

878
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:15,000
Speaker 5: if they have two of the highest we've ever seen.

879
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,879
Speaker 5: So I think, I think, if I'm d'antni, it makes

880
00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:20,759
Speaker 5: more sense to me to try the Harden a little

881
00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,760
Speaker 5: bit more off off of the ball and let Westbrook

882
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,000
Speaker 5: still sort of dictate the offense. Because he did, and

883
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:28,160
Speaker 5: I will give him credit, he showed there for a

884
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:29,879
Speaker 5: couple of months that he could be he could take

885
00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:31,319
Speaker 5: a step back, be a little bit more of a

886
00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:33,760
Speaker 5: facilitator when Paul George and he had another star player

887
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:35,600
Speaker 5: there and he didn't had times of course with Kevin

888
00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:37,880
Speaker 5: Durant as well, though that was a little bit you know,

889
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,160
Speaker 5: i'll go, you go, I'll go.

890
00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:40,520
Speaker 4: You go type of vibe. You don't want that in

891
00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:41,040
Speaker 4: an offense.

892
00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,279
Speaker 5: So I think, I mean, look, if anybody can figure

893
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:44,759
Speaker 5: it out, you would you would hope would be the

894
00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 5: offensive genius said is Mike D'Antoni. Darryl Morey's betting on

895
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:50,759
Speaker 5: that obviously right now and here we go. But I

896
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,400
Speaker 5: think I think it'll be Westbrook sort of still being Westbrook,

897
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,319
Speaker 5: so to speak, and Harden maybe for his own good,

898
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:59,640
Speaker 5: maybe for the team's better, that he will sort of

899
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:01,520
Speaker 5: like be a little bit you do not ask to

900
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:02,759
Speaker 5: do so much offensively.

901
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, bad news for you too, Skatsy Worrige is just

902
00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:07,840
Speaker 2: tweeted out that you've been treaded for night Duncan.

903
00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:12,040
Speaker 3: So wow, yeah, sorry man, we just shake like that.

904
00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:14,600
Speaker 4: I love the promise that Daniel LaRue and I can.

905
00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:19,160
Speaker 1: Go skates and LaRue. It sounds sounds like a match

906
00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,759
Speaker 1: made in Heaven to me. Right there a couple of

907
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:22,239
Speaker 1: I just.

908
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,879
Speaker 6: Loves Trey Trey. I'll say two things. I don't even

909
00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:25,520
Speaker 6: need a setup.

910
00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,160
Speaker 7: Just give me the ball. I'll see this.

911
00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:31,760
Speaker 6: About this about Chris Paul, it wasn't working in Houston.

912
00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:35,040
Speaker 6: He had all the opportunities. He was thirty three years old.

913
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:38,440
Speaker 6: This past year, Golden State was not one hundred percent.

914
00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:41,879
Speaker 6: Kevin Durant goes down and they lost a series. Chris

915
00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,279
Speaker 6: Paul had all the opportunities in the world to.

916
00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:45,480
Speaker 7: Make it happen. It didn't.

917
00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:48,440
Speaker 6: You can't bank on him in his mid thirties trying

918
00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,440
Speaker 6: to make it happen now it didn't work. Moving on

919
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:53,000
Speaker 6: to somebody younger is a good move. Whether they sacrifice

920
00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:54,640
Speaker 6: a lot of the future, I mean, that's that's a

921
00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:57,239
Speaker 6: totally different argument. That's share But they had to do

922
00:38:57,320 --> 00:38:59,560
Speaker 6: this to get better now. And we're really what it

923
00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,320
Speaker 6: comes down. We know Russell Westbrook can't carry a team

924
00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:04,640
Speaker 6: to a championship. It comes down to James Harden. And

925
00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:07,960
Speaker 6: I think the good thing about Russell Westbrook is.

926
00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,040
Speaker 7: That even if you know, like Ski said, maybe.

927
00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:13,000
Speaker 6: The fit isn't as good with James Harden, but Russell

928
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:15,840
Speaker 6: can carry a team because he is that guy that

929
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,200
Speaker 6: can't question his work. Ask like, you can't question how

930
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,120
Speaker 6: much he can do on a court, how much he

931
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:24,600
Speaker 6: can carry a team with that usage, Chris Paul, you

932
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:25,480
Speaker 6: know he can't.

933
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:27,719
Speaker 7: I mean, he can't do that anymore. So he might

934
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:29,240
Speaker 7: just James Harden fresher.

935
00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:31,280
Speaker 6: And that's the question that we always ask in the postseason,

936
00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 6: is James Harden fresh enough?

937
00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,200
Speaker 7: And I think we might see.

938
00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:37,080
Speaker 6: Finally James Harden take a little bit step back in

939
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:40,120
Speaker 6: the regular season Alec Kawhi Leonard to some degrees, so

940
00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:42,400
Speaker 6: he's fresher for the postseason. Because Russ can do that,

941
00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,839
Speaker 6: Chris Paul didn't, and that's what we're going to see

942
00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:46,520
Speaker 6: in the postseason. It's not going to be a great

943
00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,800
Speaker 6: regular season team, but I think the good thing in

944
00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:53,480
Speaker 6: the Western Conference a lot of these teams. I think

945
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:55,400
Speaker 6: you look at the Clippers, who are probably going to

946
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:59,440
Speaker 6: have Kawhi taken a lot of load management. Lakers, you've

947
00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,040
Speaker 6: got to manage Lebron's load. I think there's going to

948
00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,239
Speaker 6: be a lot of guys, a lot of teams that

949
00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:07,640
Speaker 6: look at the playoffs like their end goal. And maybe

950
00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,680
Speaker 6: the Rockets won't fall too far down in the standings.

951
00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:11,239
Speaker 6: But I think that's a great thing for them is

952
00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:14,320
Speaker 6: that Russell Westbrook can just be their motor during the

953
00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:17,000
Speaker 6: regular season that Chris Paul couldn't, and maybe James Harden

954
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:18,759
Speaker 6: can take over because that's the guy who's gonna have

955
00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:20,920
Speaker 6: to win them in a playoff series.

956
00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:22,600
Speaker 4: Are they going to stop anyone?

957
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:22,839
Speaker 3: Though?

958
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:24,840
Speaker 5: Are these two guys going to be able to stop you?

959
00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:27,680
Speaker 5: This is your starting back. For me, it's not solid,

960
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,359
Speaker 5: but not solid on that at all.

961
00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:32,359
Speaker 1: We're already starting up to Clint Capella for Defensive Player

962
00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:34,200
Speaker 1: of the Year. Bandwagon here. The guy's gonna have to

963
00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 1: block every single shot, no doubt about it. But I

964
00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:38,160
Speaker 1: already am loving this podcast.

965
00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:38,399
Speaker 3: Test.

966
00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 1: I explained to Lee how Paul George is the villain

967
00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:43,280
Speaker 1: in this entire saga, how his choice, how his fickle

968
00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:46,160
Speaker 1: demeanor is the reason why the thunder had to blow

969
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,440
Speaker 1: things up for the first time. And now you're coming

970
00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:50,480
Speaker 1: and telling me that Chris Paul had his chance, but

971
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:53,239
Speaker 1: the man is washed, so the Rockets had to move on.

972
00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:56,400
Speaker 1: I am loving it. This is an all Paul Slander podcasts.

973
00:40:57,719 --> 00:40:59,320
Speaker 1: But Tess, it does sound to me like you're a

974
00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:02,319
Speaker 1: little bit more up a mystic for Houston than Skeet says.

975
00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:04,759
Speaker 1: Do you see the Rockets now as contenders in the

976
00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,880
Speaker 1: Western Conference, as contenders for the championship? Are they in

977
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:09,799
Speaker 1: the mix? Are they one of the elite teams out there?

978
00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:12,560
Speaker 7: They are?

979
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,959
Speaker 6: They literally have a guy who's on the short list

980
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,120
Speaker 6: for MVP every single season and James Harden, so you

981
00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:18,759
Speaker 6: you definitely have a chance. And if he can say

982
00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:23,719
Speaker 6: rest for the postseason, sure they're twenty twenty four and

983
00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:26,680
Speaker 6: twenty twenty five. Chances got a heck of a lot

984
00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,560
Speaker 6: worse by trading every single draft pick that they have.

985
00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:35,200
Speaker 6: But I think they're skeet said, you know, their window

986
00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:38,040
Speaker 6: may have not been thrust open that much more, but

987
00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,759
Speaker 6: it's at least kept open. I think they actually have

988
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,680
Speaker 6: a shot, you know, by by putting a younger player

989
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:48,839
Speaker 6: in Russell Westbrook, who, yeah, it's got some miles on there,

990
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:51,879
Speaker 6: but the guy's not done at thirty years of age. Well,

991
00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:55,399
Speaker 6: Chris Paul, you know, I'm scared to call him wash, but.

992
00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,279
Speaker 7: There's no way he can even be a number two.

993
00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:01,520
Speaker 6: He had that ability and he had that not the ability,

994
00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:03,880
Speaker 6: He had the opportunity to do that just now, and

995
00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:06,920
Speaker 6: he couldn't do it. And so I think Russ is

996
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:11,319
Speaker 6: probably realizing, Okay, I can't do this on my own,

997
00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,759
Speaker 6: and him saying don't come join me, and okay, see

998
00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:18,480
Speaker 6: i'll join you in another situation makes it seem like

999
00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,920
Speaker 6: he understands that he'll do whatever it takes to win.

1000
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:22,920
Speaker 7: And yeah, it's gonna be.

1001
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:24,600
Speaker 6: Weird seeing him off the ball a little bit more.

1002
00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:26,120
Speaker 6: But Chris Paul was a point guard who had the

1003
00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:29,840
Speaker 6: ball in his hands all the time, and Russell Westbrook

1004
00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:33,520
Speaker 6: definitely deferred to Paul. George deferred to Kevin Durand at times.

1005
00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:36,759
Speaker 6: And he's with an old buddy, an old Trump, so

1006
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:38,359
Speaker 6: they can make it work. I mean, it's the two

1007
00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:40,719
Speaker 6: of them and three guys standing around again, and when

1008
00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:42,360
Speaker 6: you've got an MVP, I think there's a shot.

1009
00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:46,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, friendship is rare, and I do think that the

1010
00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:48,520
Speaker 1: relationship between the two of them is going to be

1011
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:52,000
Speaker 1: a factor in hopefully both of them taking a little

1012
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,200
Speaker 1: bit of a step back and figuring out how to

1013
00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:57,319
Speaker 1: play together. Skeets, though I know you're concerned with the fit.

1014
00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:01,440
Speaker 1: You probably you probably have the Rockets behind the Clippers

1015
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:01,880
Speaker 1: and the Lakers.

1016
00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:06,040
Speaker 5: I'm guessing, oh, one hundred percent, I absolutely do. I

1017
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,719
Speaker 5: just don't still get why the Rockets and I look,

1018
00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:10,839
Speaker 5: I really truly think it's just that Harden Chris Paul

1019
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:12,439
Speaker 5: didn't like each other. I think that's all this came

1020
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:17,480
Speaker 5: down to. Because it was there. It was there, you know,

1021
00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,319
Speaker 5: it was up for grabs. Let's put it that way.

1022
00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:22,879
Speaker 5: If you know you have that the same team coming back,

1023
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:26,040
Speaker 5: if everybody's on the same page. Look, we don't know

1024
00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:28,839
Speaker 5: some of these new super squads, it's all, ye, well,

1025
00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:31,000
Speaker 5: we always think they're going to be dominant teams, but

1026
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,279
Speaker 5: actually history tells us it takes a year or two

1027
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:35,319
Speaker 5: to sort of find your footing and to get some

1028
00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,879
Speaker 5: other role players with those superstars to really be those

1029
00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:40,760
Speaker 5: title contenders. And the Rockets, like we're making it sound

1030
00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:43,520
Speaker 5: like the Rockets were a bad team. Yeah, they started

1031
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:45,839
Speaker 5: last season poorly, but for a couple months they were

1032
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:46,760
Speaker 5: the best team in the league.

1033
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:48,040
Speaker 4: And the year before that, you know.

1034
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,720
Speaker 5: Chris Paul maybe doesn't get injured, they're probably winning the title.

1035
00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,799
Speaker 5: Like this was already one of the greatest teams in

1036
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,480
Speaker 5: the league currently constructed, especially with the way they played

1037
00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,439
Speaker 5: through Hard and everything through Harden. But Chris Paul still

1038
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:04,200
Speaker 5: a fine, fine, complimentary player and actually with great numbers

1039
00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:06,239
Speaker 5: when Harden was off the floor. So I think at

1040
00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:08,720
Speaker 5: times still showing he can carry sort of a second

1041
00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:10,759
Speaker 5: unit when the other star player was out. It's just

1042
00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:12,960
Speaker 5: sort of like I get it. I mean, it's classic

1043
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,480
Speaker 5: Maury in a weird way. Hey a superstar is available.

1044
00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:17,920
Speaker 5: Hey I'll take a chance. I know't let's go get him.

1045
00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:20,279
Speaker 5: It might cost the future. I don't really care. I

1046
00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:22,440
Speaker 5: probably won't be here anyway. This this feels like sort

1047
00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:25,560
Speaker 5: of his like little last ditch effort at again, sort

1048
00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,600
Speaker 5: of just keeping the little championship window open. But I

1049
00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:30,799
Speaker 5: don't think it may it made it any like, like

1050
00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,840
Speaker 5: truly longer or better at that. So, you know, just

1051
00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:38,120
Speaker 5: sacrificing your future for the role of a dice with

1052
00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:40,799
Speaker 5: a with a player in Westbrook that you're praying is

1053
00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:43,719
Speaker 5: going to like either change his game or suddenly not

1054
00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:46,560
Speaker 5: throw up six twenty four clunkers in the playoffs.

1055
00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:48,560
Speaker 4: That's a hell of a bet.

1056
00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:51,120
Speaker 5: But you know, Maury, Maury would be fun to play,

1057
00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:53,040
Speaker 5: you know, sit down at the table in Vegas with

1058
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:54,480
Speaker 5: I guess it seems simply wild cared.

1059
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:56,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, we thought they were all in with the Chris

1060
00:44:56,680 --> 00:44:59,120
Speaker 1: Paul trade, but they are even more so all in now.

1061
00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:01,719
Speaker 1: That's why you're seeing that picking up Tyson Chandler. They're

1062
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:03,840
Speaker 1: being linked to Andre Igudala, all those guys who are

1063
00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:06,399
Speaker 1: gonna want to try and get that late career ring.

1064
00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:08,320
Speaker 1: The Rockets are now a place that they're gonna be

1065
00:45:08,320 --> 00:45:09,960
Speaker 1: looking at, and I don't necessarily think that was the

1066
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,319
Speaker 1: case before the Russell Westbrook trade. So you guys are

1067
00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:14,400
Speaker 1: split on whether or not the Rockets are gonna be

1068
00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,960
Speaker 1: any better this year? Do you like them more? Is

1069
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,360
Speaker 1: this a more likable, fun team to watch now that

1070
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:24,080
Speaker 1: you got two quite opposite personalities and Harden and Westbrook together,

1071
00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:26,480
Speaker 1: I think Westbrook is even more extreme than Chris Paul is.

1072
00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:29,720
Speaker 1: I think the match of those two guys alongside PJ.

1073
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:33,239
Speaker 1: Tucker walking into the hallways of the games is going

1074
00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:35,320
Speaker 1: to be perhaps the best content we see from the

1075
00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:39,040
Speaker 1: NBA arrival scene, Skeets, Do you like this team more

1076
00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:40,799
Speaker 1: now with Westbrook than Chris Paul?

1077
00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:44,000
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean sure, I mean I like any sort

1078
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,080
Speaker 5: of change like this. I think we all do. Like

1079
00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:49,680
Speaker 5: this feels at times like this sort of trade. First off,

1080
00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:53,000
Speaker 5: the two players involved, like the main sort of like borderline,

1081
00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:55,000
Speaker 5: you know, all star because Chris Paul's a little older,

1082
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:56,800
Speaker 5: I get that, but all NBA type talent at the

1083
00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:59,480
Speaker 5: point guard position. It's like these guys are the most

1084
00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:02,440
Speaker 5: polarized guys in the league, both Westbrook and Chris Paul,

1085
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:04,759
Speaker 5: because you know Westbrook, people either love them or they

1086
00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:05,120
Speaker 5: hate them.

1087
00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:06,800
Speaker 4: It's one or the other, there's no in between.

1088
00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:08,640
Speaker 5: And then Chris Paul and like Tass and I are

1089
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:10,160
Speaker 5: sort of debating here, and I think a lot of

1090
00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:10,879
Speaker 5: people have been.

1091
00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:14,440
Speaker 4: It's this idea of like is he truly washed? Like

1092
00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:16,040
Speaker 4: is it over? Is he done?

1093
00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:18,640
Speaker 5: Is he not the nine time All Star Chris Paul

1094
00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:22,000
Speaker 5: that we've seen before. Some disagree, like myself, I don't

1095
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,640
Speaker 5: think we've seen you know, I don't think it's over.

1096
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:25,800
Speaker 4: I don't think he's done.

1097
00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:27,400
Speaker 5: I get it if you want to make that argument,

1098
00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:29,440
Speaker 5: especially with what he'll be being paid in when he's

1099
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:30,319
Speaker 5: thirty seven years old.

1100
00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:31,560
Speaker 4: So that's the one part of it.

1101
00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:33,520
Speaker 5: And like it also feels like the type of trade

1102
00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:35,440
Speaker 5: of like that like one of those weird trades you

1103
00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:37,719
Speaker 5: used to do when you played fantasy basketball just because

1104
00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,279
Speaker 5: you were sort of bored and you were like, I

1105
00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:42,360
Speaker 5: don't know, I'll trade you a lloy Vought for Vin

1106
00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,520
Speaker 5: Baker and you're like, okay, I mean, I don't know

1107
00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,440
Speaker 5: what's gonna change, but sure, let's just do it for

1108
00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:50,120
Speaker 5: the sake of doing it. That's what this sort of

1109
00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:52,840
Speaker 5: feels like, oddly to me. And it's like, yeah, why not,

1110
00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:54,400
Speaker 5: let's just see what happens, you know.

1111
00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:55,840
Speaker 4: So I love it.

1112
00:46:55,840 --> 00:46:57,719
Speaker 5: I'm one hundred percent on board because I love the

1113
00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:00,000
Speaker 5: NBA chaos. I signed me up for it.

1114
00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,120
Speaker 1: How about you task is this a Lloyd Vaught for

1115
00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:05,839
Speaker 1: Vin Baker or is this actually gonna be a fun

1116
00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:08,719
Speaker 1: team to watch now? Because people people did not like

1117
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,440
Speaker 1: watching the Rockets the past five seasons.

1118
00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:16,600
Speaker 6: If we throw in Laman Murray, I'm down for this trade.

1119
00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:21,799
Speaker 6: I think we're ready for Russell westbrook renaissance. You know,

1120
00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:25,120
Speaker 6: he has been extremely polarizing for the first you know,

1121
00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:28,239
Speaker 6: eleven years of his career here. But I think the

1122
00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:32,680
Speaker 6: fact that he's saying I gotta go somewhere else to

1123
00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:35,879
Speaker 6: make things work, I think we'll lend himself some some

1124
00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:39,200
Speaker 6: likes from people. You know, he's proven to be one

1125
00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:40,680
Speaker 6: of us. He used to be a robot. He used

1126
00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:42,800
Speaker 6: to be a machine. I can do everything by myself.

1127
00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:46,200
Speaker 6: But I think now he becomes a little bit more likable.

1128
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:51,080
Speaker 6: And there's yeah, I understand the Rockets weren't the most

1129
00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:55,640
Speaker 6: exciting team to watch, but you know, there's that rekindled friendship.

1130
00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:58,719
Speaker 6: Like you said, Trey, I think that's it's a nice

1131
00:47:58,719 --> 00:47:59,560
Speaker 6: little storyline.

1132
00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:02,360
Speaker 7: He's do it obviously like each other. You know.

1133
00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:06,279
Speaker 6: I think I think Russell Westbrook showed that even with

1134
00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:08,279
Speaker 6: that Kevin Durant split. You know, they went into the

1135
00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:10,319
Speaker 6: All Star Games, they threw the alley to each other,

1136
00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:12,640
Speaker 6: they pat each other on the butt, they wanted to

1137
00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:15,080
Speaker 6: be friends again. And I think this is sort of

1138
00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:18,000
Speaker 6: an extension of that. He's just trying to you know,

1139
00:48:18,239 --> 00:48:21,279
Speaker 6: maybe he's trying to make up that make up for

1140
00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:23,000
Speaker 6: that split with Kevin Durant by making it up.

1141
00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:23,640
Speaker 7: With James Harden.

1142
00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:27,239
Speaker 6: I think he's just trying to reconcile his old mistakes.

1143
00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:30,959
Speaker 6: And yeah, it's it's great for the NBA, whether whether

1144
00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:31,399
Speaker 6: or not.

1145
00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:33,520
Speaker 7: It works.

1146
00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:37,440
Speaker 6: But you know, I will say, because the West is

1147
00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:40,919
Speaker 6: so wide open and Skeets is mentioning, you know, maybe

1148
00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:43,919
Speaker 6: they could have walked through that open door even if

1149
00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:45,000
Speaker 6: they had Chris Paul there.

1150
00:48:45,080 --> 00:48:45,799
Speaker 7: That's fairly true.

1151
00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,760
Speaker 6: But maybe this team capitalizes on that with Russell Westbrook

1152
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:51,680
Speaker 6: in there, you know, because they don't have that kryptonite

1153
00:48:51,719 --> 00:48:54,080
Speaker 6: the Golden State Warriors anymore, the team that's brought them

1154
00:48:54,080 --> 00:48:57,279
Speaker 6: down three of the last four seasons. I think they

1155
00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:59,640
Speaker 6: feel like they can walk into any barn in the

1156
00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:02,640
Speaker 6: Western Conference playoffs like they did against Golden State and

1157
00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:05,480
Speaker 6: beat anybody. And so I think there's a there's a

1158
00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:09,399
Speaker 6: legit shot that hardens fresher in the postseason, and they

1159
00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:11,840
Speaker 6: do it, and yeah, these next couple of years is

1160
00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:15,319
Speaker 6: their window for sure. And if it doesn't work out,

1161
00:49:15,320 --> 00:49:18,560
Speaker 6: then that thing explodes. I mean that that thing is

1162
00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:20,440
Speaker 6: done in a couple of years if if they don't

1163
00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:23,080
Speaker 6: go to an NBA Finals or or something like that,

1164
00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:27,320
Speaker 6: because it's just it just feels like it's a ticking

1165
00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:30,959
Speaker 6: time bomb there in Houston. But I think Darryl Morey

1166
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,440
Speaker 6: gave it, you know, another ten minute, ten seconds on

1167
00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:37,440
Speaker 6: the before it implodes there. So why not let's let's

1168
00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:40,000
Speaker 6: see this happen. This is a this is an exciting

1169
00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:40,840
Speaker 6: duo argument.

1170
00:49:40,840 --> 00:49:41,640
Speaker 7: We're gonna have a.

1171
00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:44,120
Speaker 6: Lot of debates about the best duo in the Western

1172
00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:45,120
Speaker 6: Conference next year.

1173
00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:48,120
Speaker 5: Yeah, and then the best part is also Chris Paul

1174
00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:50,200
Speaker 5: he's not going to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

1175
00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:52,160
Speaker 4: I don't think he is. I don't think anybody does.

1176
00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:54,839
Speaker 4: He's going to get moved. And who does he pair with?

1177
00:49:55,239 --> 00:49:57,720
Speaker 5: And can we talk ourselves into that being a second

1178
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,440
Speaker 5: tier like sort of duo or is he so part

1179
00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:02,400
Speaker 5: of a trio? Like it just gets better and better,

1180
00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:03,759
Speaker 5: Like it's incredible.

1181
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:07,080
Speaker 6: So would you rather bet on Chris Paul and James

1182
00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:12,320
Speaker 6: I'm sorry, Jimmy James Harden, Jimmy James Butler or James Harden,

1183
00:50:12,480 --> 00:50:15,520
Speaker 6: James Harden and Jimmy Jimmy, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

1184
00:50:16,160 --> 00:50:17,240
Speaker 4: That was very confusing.

1185
00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:20,960
Speaker 5: But I think what I'm good at is I still

1186
00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:24,600
Speaker 5: think Chris Paul with James Harden and the other talent

1187
00:50:24,640 --> 00:50:27,480
Speaker 5: around them in that type of system still makes more

1188
00:50:27,520 --> 00:50:29,840
Speaker 5: sense to me than putting Westbrook there with James Harden

1189
00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:33,560
Speaker 5: in that system, I think, is what is my problem

1190
00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:35,960
Speaker 5: with it, especially when you then do have to consider

1191
00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:39,160
Speaker 5: you've really sort of mortgaged your future with the picks

1192
00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:41,440
Speaker 5: and stuff like that. So yeah, that's that's my opinion

1193
00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:41,640
Speaker 5: on it.

1194
00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:44,920
Speaker 1: Well, I could definitely get ugly fast for Houston. It

1195
00:50:44,960 --> 00:50:47,520
Speaker 1: got ugly fast for Oklahoma City. But as far as

1196
00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:50,319
Speaker 1: I'm concerned, the greatest do in the NBA right now,

1197
00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:52,560
Speaker 1: it's always going to be skeets and tasks. Guys, thank

1198
00:50:52,600 --> 00:50:56,480
Speaker 1: you so much for joining us, for interrupting your vacations. Skeets,

1199
00:50:56,480 --> 00:50:58,600
Speaker 1: I guess, go do some sea balls in the beach,

1200
00:50:58,719 --> 00:51:01,480
Speaker 1: and Task, go do some balls in a lake or something.

1201
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:04,600
Speaker 4: Will do sounds great guys.

1202
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:07,200
Speaker 7: So this is a call thank you so much. I

1203
00:51:07,280 --> 00:51:08,080
Speaker 7: really enjoyed this.

1204
00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:12,040
Speaker 1: And I really enjoyed talking to you guys and talking

1205
00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:13,799
Speaker 1: to Lee. See in his face for the first time

1206
00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,520
Speaker 1: in a month, JD. I saw you last week, but

1207
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:17,439
Speaker 1: you still look great.

1208
00:51:17,719 --> 00:51:18,040
Speaker 3: Thanks.

1209
00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:21,160
Speaker 1: Most importantly, though, thank you to everybody who's listening to

1210
00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,160
Speaker 1: The Free Agents. Please leave us a review on iTunes

1211
00:51:24,239 --> 00:51:27,800
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your podcast. We're available everywhere.

1212
00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:30,080
Speaker 1: I've even heard Spotify and Stitcher. I don't know exactly

1213
00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:32,720
Speaker 1: how those work, but we're there. Follow us on Twitter

1214
00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:36,120
Speaker 1: and Instagram. The Free Agents nineteen. Email us The Free

1215
00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:39,839
Speaker 1: Agents to zero one nine at gmail dot com. We'll

1216
00:51:39,840 --> 00:51:44,480
Speaker 1: be sending updates through our various social media platforms. We're

1217
00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:46,960
Speaker 1: still not sure what's going on, but we're working on it.

1218
00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:51,120
Speaker 1: We will have updates and probably emergency podcast if we're

1219
00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:53,359
Speaker 1: being honest. There's still a lot to happen. We still

1220
00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:55,880
Speaker 1: got a lot of summer ahead of us. Talk to

1221
00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:57,000
Speaker 1: you next time. Thank you.

1222
00:52:00,239 --> 00:52:04,640
Speaker 6: Day, and and you happy every minute.

1223
00:52:07,600 --> 00:52:11,160
Speaker 4: It's been so long that you're the fun up wait.

1224
00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:14,600
Speaker 7: For its happened already.

1225
00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:27,640
Speaker 5: It's gonna be griovy.