WEBVTT - Northwest Conference Preview: Thunder and Trail Blazers

0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:06.480
<v Speaker 1>Break was breaking down all the biggest NBA storylines, so

0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:09.319
<v Speaker 1>the Heat Check. The Heat Check was just a crack

0:00:10.000 --> 0:00:13.200
<v Speaker 1>the best podcast covering all the drama around the association.

0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:21.080
<v Speaker 1>Up next is My Team, My Squad the Oklahoma Seat Thunder.

0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:26.560
<v Speaker 1>Key editions, Well, it's more an addition from coming back

0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:29.680
<v Speaker 1>from injury. But Chet Holmgren is now there, Vasilly Machich,

0:00:30.800 --> 0:00:36.159
<v Speaker 1>Davis Bertons comes in through trade, Victor Oladipo leaves now

0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:38.720
<v Speaker 1>right the second I think now right the second caseon

0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:41.600
<v Speaker 1>Wallace through the draft, key subtractions, there were none that

0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:46.440
<v Speaker 1>were significant. We saw the Thunder explode on the scene

0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:49.159
<v Speaker 1>last year. They've seemed to be on the verge of

0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:55.000
<v Speaker 1>something really, really fun, playing team that was even better

0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:59.240
<v Speaker 1>than probably the record suggested. Why, Well, you got a

0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:02.080
<v Speaker 1>first team All in guy in Shay Gilgess Alexander. You

0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:05.080
<v Speaker 1>got a guard whose first team All NBA and is

0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:09.039
<v Speaker 1>not a great three point shooter. He is the best

0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:11.880
<v Speaker 1>player in the NBA with the most mediocre gym shot

0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:15.920
<v Speaker 1>in the last decade. He belongs in the nineteen seventy so,

0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:18.680
<v Speaker 1>honestly like he would have been awesome on the Lakers

0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:24.039
<v Speaker 1>in nineteen eighty one, but listen. He's near the bottom

0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:26.960
<v Speaker 1>in high volume three point shooters, but it doesn't even matter.

0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:31.440
<v Speaker 1>It doesn't matter. He does everything else so great. He

0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:33.520
<v Speaker 1>made an All Star team and he hasn't even reached

0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:38.880
<v Speaker 1>his ceiling yet. He is valuable beyond belief. His defense

0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:43.360
<v Speaker 1>is very underrated. He adds so much value to a

0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:46.080
<v Speaker 1>team that already has a ton of value, starting with

0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:48.560
<v Speaker 1>Chet Holmgren, who looks really really good in preseason. He

0:01:48.560 --> 0:01:51.000
<v Speaker 1>looks really good. Josh Giddy, I don't know how he

0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:53.080
<v Speaker 1>fits on this team, but he is maturing into a

0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:55.880
<v Speaker 1>really great point guard. Jalen Williams was the best rookie

0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:58.560
<v Speaker 1>in the NBA the final third of last season. Lou

0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:02.880
<v Speaker 1>Dort continues to be a person that you don't even

0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:07.080
<v Speaker 1>realize is a person because they are so huge. I've

0:02:07.240 --> 0:02:12.200
<v Speaker 1>never seen a non football player look as big as

0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:15.240
<v Speaker 1>lou Dort does in real life. He is a lockdown defender,

0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:19.880
<v Speaker 1>shoots pretty good threes. He's it's just an exceptional starting five.

0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:24.760
<v Speaker 1>But where Oklahoma City excels is their bench because they've

0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.239
<v Speaker 1>just had first rounders on first rounders on first rounders

0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:29.880
<v Speaker 1>for like I don't even know how long. Uzman Jang

0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:36.560
<v Speaker 1>Jalen Williams with a y Alexi Pokoshewsky Akaa Poku Isaiah Joe.

0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:39.760
<v Speaker 1>They end up getting Cason Wallace and Mike Chitch, who

0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:42.959
<v Speaker 1>brings over a EuroLeague MVP alongside of him, So it

0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.919
<v Speaker 1>is loaded. This team fun twelve deep. I have no

0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:49.639
<v Speaker 1>idea how many games they're gonna win, but I tell

0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:51.359
<v Speaker 1>you what, they could be a top six team in

0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:55.519
<v Speaker 1>the West. They play off ball defense better than almost anyone.

0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:58.200
<v Speaker 1>Chet fills the biggest hole that they had last year,

0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:02.440
<v Speaker 1>which was rim protection, and listen, I think check could

0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:06.919
<v Speaker 1>be very impactful, very very impactful. So watch these Thunder.

0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:10.320
<v Speaker 1>Watch these thunder because Sam Presty, despite what he said,

0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:12.480
<v Speaker 1>he thinks that we need to pump the brakes on

0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:15.280
<v Speaker 1>the hype. And guess what, though hype is here, the

0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:19.120
<v Speaker 1>hype is here for the Okay see Thunder. Stop downpulling shit, Sam,

0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:25.360
<v Speaker 1>I know what you're up to. Let's move forward, oh man, Okay,

0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:29.640
<v Speaker 1>So we know the Portland trel Lasers lost Damian Liller.

0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:33.880
<v Speaker 1>That's the key subtraction. They lose use of Nurkic. Sure

0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:37.120
<v Speaker 1>they lose this here little and Keon Johnson, but they

0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:42.600
<v Speaker 1>add they add a plethora of young, fun talent DeAndre Aight,

0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.320
<v Speaker 1>and he doesn't want to talk about his time in Phoenix. No,

0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:46.880
<v Speaker 1>he doesn't. Don't ask him, Do not ask him what

0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:50.080
<v Speaker 1>it was like. It's very clear that he was he

0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:54.280
<v Speaker 1>was essentially being held hostage there because he doesn't even

0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:56.760
<v Speaker 1>want to say at all what his time was like

0:03:56.920 --> 0:03:59.000
<v Speaker 1>when he played for the Suns. They end up getting

0:03:59.080 --> 0:04:04.280
<v Speaker 1>Toumani kamar Aka too many buckets and guess what Suns

0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:08.120
<v Speaker 1>fans on Reddit are despondent about losing too many buckets.

0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:12.240
<v Speaker 1>Malcolm Brogden, They add Rob Williams, They add Scoot Henderson

0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:17.080
<v Speaker 1>in the draft, add Chris Murray, ad loaded, loaded, loaded loaded.

0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:23.320
<v Speaker 1>No team has changed their roster up more than the Trailblazers.

0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:25.720
<v Speaker 1>We cover all the drama all the off season. We

0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:27.280
<v Speaker 1>won't get into a year, but it is safe to

0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:31.560
<v Speaker 1>say it is. Papa's got a brand new bag in Portland, baby,

0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:34.720
<v Speaker 1>and it is called It is called no shooting and

0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:38.239
<v Speaker 1>more defense, more athleticism, and more length. So this should

0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:40.560
<v Speaker 1>be fun. I don't know a team like this. I've

0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:43.160
<v Speaker 1>never seen a team like this. The change, obviously, all

0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.600
<v Speaker 1>belongs and begins with Scoot Henderson. And Shaden Sharp, who,

0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:50.200
<v Speaker 1>by the way, Shaden Sharp was voted number six by

0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:53.400
<v Speaker 1>anonymous GMS to have a breakout season this year, and

0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:57.160
<v Speaker 1>Scoot was voted I think top three in terms of

0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:01.640
<v Speaker 1>sneaky draft picks, which as a third spot, that's pretty insane.

0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.240
<v Speaker 1>This is the pair that caused Portland to say, Dame,

0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:09.679
<v Speaker 1>you can't come back, can't come back home. You gotta

0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:14.320
<v Speaker 1>move on. So you gotta spread your wings and learn

0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.000
<v Speaker 1>to fly, fly away. That's that's what they said to him.

0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:20.480
<v Speaker 1>Because of those two, right, they are now the nucleus

0:05:20.520 --> 0:05:24.080
<v Speaker 1>of this team. Do not forget Anthony Simons. In five years,

0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:26.360
<v Speaker 1>will Anthony Simons be on this team? I don't know,

0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:29.279
<v Speaker 1>but those two I think will be all stars. Aside

0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:32.040
<v Speaker 1>from those two, a lot is in flux. The Drew

0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:36.080
<v Speaker 1>Holiday trade netted them a pair of Celtics Malcolm Brogden

0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:38.920
<v Speaker 1>Rob Williams. Are those two players healthy? I don't know.

0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:42.960
<v Speaker 1>Haven't seen Rob Williams in even one minute of preseason myself.

0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:45.480
<v Speaker 1>Is he has he played? I don't know, have not

0:05:45.560 --> 0:05:48.320
<v Speaker 1>seen him. Jeremy Grant gets five years, one hundred and

0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:50.640
<v Speaker 1>sixty million dollars. That's a lot of money to pay

0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:53.680
<v Speaker 1>a guy that's on a team that's rebuilding. I like

0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:57.360
<v Speaker 1>him very good. Can you afford him? Sure? Do you

0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.480
<v Speaker 1>want them on that team? Not sure? A Matista Stiebel,

0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:06.520
<v Speaker 1>Latisse Steibel is an Aaron Goodwin guy. So Aaron Goodwin

0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:08.520
<v Speaker 1>agent of Dame Lueller. Does he stay? Does he go?

0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:10.560
<v Speaker 1>I don't know. Feels like there's a little bad blood there.

0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:13.880
<v Speaker 1>I like Matisse, very high character guy, good perimeter defense,

0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:16.480
<v Speaker 1>three years, three to three million dollar contract. I feel

0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:18.720
<v Speaker 1>he might get traded. He is an asset that the

0:06:18.760 --> 0:06:21.919
<v Speaker 1>Blazers could very easily move. There's even talk of Anthony

0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.880
<v Speaker 1>Simons getting moved. Seems that no one is safe except

0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:30.720
<v Speaker 1>for Scoot, Shaden and Aiden Aton Aton. Seems no one

0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:33.840
<v Speaker 1>is safe. Why and what this team is going to

0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:36.120
<v Speaker 1>do is build around At and Scoot and Shadon. That

0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:38.640
<v Speaker 1>is a core that you can feel good about. Add

0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:41.120
<v Speaker 1>In Anthony Simons is the lead point guard. There are

0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:43.039
<v Speaker 1>four players twenty five and unders that you can build

0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:45.599
<v Speaker 1>a team around. Add In Chris Murray, who already looks

0:06:45.680 --> 0:06:48.920
<v Speaker 1>very good. Twin brother of King Starr, Keegan Murray too,

0:06:49.000 --> 0:06:52.160
<v Speaker 1>Moni Kamara, like I said, too many buckets, very impressive,

0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:54.480
<v Speaker 1>A lot of players, A lot of people in the

0:06:54.560 --> 0:06:58.160
<v Speaker 1>league that are fans of the league love him. Is

0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:00.640
<v Speaker 1>this team gonna win a lot of games? No, we

0:07:00.720 --> 0:07:02.320
<v Speaker 1>know that they're gonna win a lot of games. Are

0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:04.040
<v Speaker 1>they gonna be fun? Are they gonna get up and down?

0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.240
<v Speaker 1>Are they gonna shoot a lot? Are they gonna play defense? Yes,

0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:09.120
<v Speaker 1>They're gonna be probably one of the most athletic teams

0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:12.080
<v Speaker 1>in the league. Bright future. Although I am sad that

0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:14.680
<v Speaker 1>we do not get to see Dame shoot logo shot

0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:17.920
<v Speaker 1>after logo shot and then play zero defense and be

0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:21.880
<v Speaker 1>the greatest player in Blazer's history. I am sad about that,

0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:23.800
<v Speaker 1>but I do take solace in the fact that Dame

0:07:25.000 --> 0:07:28.560
<v Speaker 1>said today he thinks he'll be playing at thirty eight

0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:30.960
<v Speaker 1>at an elite level, which is where and when he'll

0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:32.600
<v Speaker 1>be a free agent again. So do I think Dame

0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.160
<v Speaker 1>Bullard might come back to the Womb, might come back

0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:38.480
<v Speaker 1>to the Nest when we're a better team. Yes, when

0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:40.800
<v Speaker 1>Dame comes back to Portland, I think we're gonna be

0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:44.640
<v Speaker 1>a wagon, Baby, Wagon Wagon. That's when we contend. When

0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:49.800
<v Speaker 1>Dame's thirty eight, Let's move forward. Utah jazz Key additions

0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:55.640
<v Speaker 1>Omar Yer at seven Miami Heat legend. They get John

0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:57.760
<v Speaker 1>Collins from the Atlanta Hawks, and the trade they get

0:07:57.800 --> 0:08:00.680
<v Speaker 1>Taylor Hendricks in the draft, Kyante Joe in the draft,

0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:04.080
<v Speaker 1>bright sense of ball in the draft. My lord. Then

0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:07.040
<v Speaker 1>they lose Damien Jones and Rudy Gaye. But does anybody care? No,

0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:11.520
<v Speaker 1>they don't. It's a strange feeling to see a Utah

0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:16.360
<v Speaker 1>Jazz team that you're like, h kind of excited. See

0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:19.360
<v Speaker 1>Janny Ainge on the sidelines with his little jazz polo

0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:22.560
<v Speaker 1>and his little jazz hat. He's ready to probably tee

0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.840
<v Speaker 1>it up right after he watches these young guns play

0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:29.360
<v Speaker 1>in a preseason game. This is a team that I

0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:34.400
<v Speaker 1>am excited about. Even when they were undeniably good under

0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:37.439
<v Speaker 1>Quinn Snyder, that was not a team that you enjoyed

0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.839
<v Speaker 1>playing basketball. They were not very likable. They didn't the

0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:46.200
<v Speaker 1>vibes were low. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, yikes. They

0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:49.560
<v Speaker 1>were not exciting even when they were the league's best offense.

0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:52.679
<v Speaker 1>How could it be? How sway? How could they be

0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.360
<v Speaker 1>the league's best offense and not be fun? I don't know,

0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:58.520
<v Speaker 1>but they weren't. They weren't even her winning team. They

0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:02.839
<v Speaker 1>were a paper Tiger. Now this team with Danny Ainge,

0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.280
<v Speaker 1>who everyone hated in his days in Boston, has joined

0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:09.240
<v Speaker 1>this team and just like a Mormon in Utah, it

0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:13.199
<v Speaker 1>is a match made in heaven. I can fuck with

0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:15.840
<v Speaker 1>this Jazz team. I tell you what, Osha ak Baji

0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:19.839
<v Speaker 1>I love love John Collins, who was badly misused and

0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:24.079
<v Speaker 1>abused in Atlanta. As with Walker Kessler, they turned into

0:09:24.120 --> 0:09:27.240
<v Speaker 1>a serious defensive presence two point three blocks per game.

0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:31.840
<v Speaker 1>Lowry Lowry Markenen comes off a twenty six point per

0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:36.480
<v Speaker 1>game season, wins Most Improved Player of the Year. This

0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:40.120
<v Speaker 1>is a no joke. Front. Three. You add Jordan Clarkson,

0:09:40.160 --> 0:09:43.480
<v Speaker 1>who his hair is getting long, boy, I tell you what,

0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:48.600
<v Speaker 1>those braids are, down to his teeth, down to his chin. Anyway,

0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:52.600
<v Speaker 1>he's bawling. Three years, fifty five million dollars detention, averaging

0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:55.800
<v Speaker 1>twenty one a game. Last year filling in for Donovan

0:09:55.840 --> 0:09:58.520
<v Speaker 1>Mitchell Colin Sexton. I don't know what's going on with him,

0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.520
<v Speaker 1>but he's there. He averaged fifth Tina game Still Taylor

0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:04.160
<v Speaker 1>Horton Tucker average eleven three and four off the bench.

0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:07.160
<v Speaker 1>Oh shayok Boji, who I absolutely love, is a young

0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:09.560
<v Speaker 1>player ball to the tune of fifteen points per game

0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:13.000
<v Speaker 1>after coming over in that big trade. What am I

0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:18.559
<v Speaker 1>excited about the draft? Kyante Keyante Kyante, Oh my goodness,

0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:21.839
<v Speaker 1>he is so fun. Also, Bryce Sensible, haven't seen enough

0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:25.360
<v Speaker 1>of him and Taylor Hendrix. That is a haul three

0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:28.480
<v Speaker 1>players that could help immediately. I think Kante George could

0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:30.440
<v Speaker 1>win Rookie of the Year. I really do. If they

0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:32.920
<v Speaker 1>give him the minutes and that team is top six,

0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:35.920
<v Speaker 1>I think he could win it. Hendrix went ninth due

0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:38.040
<v Speaker 1>to this pre draft workouts, Sensible has been called the

0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:40.600
<v Speaker 1>best peer shooter in the draft. I think this team

0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:42.960
<v Speaker 1>is going to be fun. Are they going to blow

0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:46.199
<v Speaker 1>people out of the water. No, No, this is a

0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:48.400
<v Speaker 1>team that's gonna be kind of like they were last year,

0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:50.559
<v Speaker 1>where they just kind of in the first four weeks

0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:52.320
<v Speaker 1>of the season, they're at the top of the standings

0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:55.280
<v Speaker 1>and you're like, is this real? Is this real? Because

0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:59.360
<v Speaker 1>they're like the best offense in basketball and they're number

0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:01.839
<v Speaker 1>one in the West, but you kind of know that

0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:05.240
<v Speaker 1>it's not gonna happen long term. That's them again, folks.

0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.520
<v Speaker 1>Trader Danny, though, has stalked the cupboard with so many

0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:11.600
<v Speaker 1>picks he can make a serious addition as the deadline

0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.000
<v Speaker 1>if he wants to. This is a team that I

0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:16.360
<v Speaker 1>think is a year away from being a year away.

0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:18.640
<v Speaker 1>But I bet you though, this might be the most

0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:21.720
<v Speaker 1>talented team in the West in terms of young talent

0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:25.400
<v Speaker 1>from top to bottom. Think of OKC and who they

0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:27.760
<v Speaker 1>were last year or the year before that, and that

0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:30.079
<v Speaker 1>is the Jazz This year. They will be fun And

0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.000
<v Speaker 1>that is not something I ever thought I'd be saying

0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:33.720
<v Speaker 1>about the Utah Jazz.