WEBVTT - The NBA season starts in two weeks?! 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:11.680 On this episode of the Heat Check. 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:16.960 Training Campus Here baby, Yes, your girl is getting psyched 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:19.800 for the new NBA season in two weeks. Two weeks, 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:23.919 the NBA season is getting started. Holy moly, this summer 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:27.760 has come and gone. The fall leaves are starting to brown, 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:30.480 the golds, the browns, the yellows. 0:00:30.680 --> 0:00:30.920 Hell. 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:34.600 Yes, I will cover who has impressed so far in camp, 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:40.720 who is injured? Spoiler alert, Kawhi Leonard, time Lord, Shadan Sharp, 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:43.199 and we'll do a deep dive on Alex Cruzo and 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:46.680 what he's gonna mean to the OKAC Thunder, plus some 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:51.840 other goodies. So Anthony, my man, drop that motherfucking beat 0:00:51.880 --> 0:01:06.120 that should be Rihanna. 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:06.679 It's here. 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:11.800 It is here, folks, the long awaited NBA season and 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:12.920 training camp. 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:16.440 And that means slow season's over. The news is starting 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:16.960 to come out. 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:21.200 We've got Media Day, We've got all of the quotes 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:24.480 for media day, and it is near time for some 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:27.399 honest to god real NBA basketball, And boy have I 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:27.840 missed it? 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:28.560 We have been. 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:31.679 It has not been a very good offseason in terms 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:33.280 of news or drama or tea. 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:37.600 Really, nothing has been popping so much now. 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:40.080 Though, is popping around the league. One of the things 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:42.520 I want to keep an eye on is the rookies. 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.520 We're gonna be doing those rookie reports once again every 0:01:45.520 --> 0:01:48.760 week on the Heat Check. But it's fascinating to see 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:52.600 who gets the shine early from the draft class, especially 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:55.000 considering that this is a group that isn't coming in 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:58.040 with the check, isn't coming in with a victor dominating 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:04.320 the headlines. Of course, the most coverage goes to the 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:09.160 number fifty five pick in the draft, Bronnie James. Tell 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:12.400 me you saw that coming right like oh lebron James 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:15.200 and his son playing on the same team. This is 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:19.600 what he said before his debut, just a grateful opportunity. 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:22.800 I went in there, tried my hardest, worked my butt off. 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:25.640 It's gonna be a special full circuit moment for me 0:02:25.760 --> 0:02:30.200 playing the Suns tomorrow. Bronni then goes out puts up 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:34.600 two one and one with three blocks and sixteen minutes. Also, 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.440 those three blocks pretty impressive, but from a scouting standpoint, 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:39.519 defense looked good. 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:41.400 Had a nice chase down, hustle block. 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:45.359 Offensive game of course is a work in progress, but 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:50.360 not surprisingly, his clips dominated NBA Social which is why 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.560 I have to say, you're probably gonna get annoyed, like 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.440 really annoyed by how much coverage Bronnie's gonna get this year. 0:02:57.160 --> 0:02:59.320 It's gonna drive you nuts. It's gonna be on every 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:03.280 single goal NBA show. But do not come after Lebron 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:06.440 James's son. Do not come after Bronnie. Why because he 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:09.400 has done nothing to bring this attention on himself. He 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:11.760 does not ask for this press, He does not say 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:15.440 anything wild, but yet the press will cover him. No 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:17.919 matter what, come, hell or high water, he is going 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:21.800 to be in the news. Just accept it, ignore it, mute, 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:25.360 go on Twitter, mute the word Bronny, and move on 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:25.960 with your life. 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:26.680 Touch grass. 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:29.280 No need to come for the man's neck, No need 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:32.480 to come for Lebron's neck. Is it fair to other 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:34.920 players that all the mainstream media and social media all 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:36.920 they want to do is talk about Bronnie's two points 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:38.280 in his debut and his three blocks. 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:40.840 No, that's not fair. Does it bring out the haters 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:41.960 and drugs? Absolutely? 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:45.320 Is it contributing to a toxic NBA landscape? For sure, 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:47.360 But you do not have to be one of those people. 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:51.000 He is very raw, in my opinion, probably not ready 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:56.400 for the NBA full time. But I me am choosing 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.240 to concentrate on how amazing it is that Lebron gets 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:03.360 to play with his son in an actual NBA game, 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:08.040 something that Lebron James has thought about largely the entire 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:11.839 time Bronni has been playing basketball. Hey, how cool would 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:13.720 it be if I could play with my son? And 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:14.360 now he does? 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:17.920 What a story. Welcome to the modern world. This is 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:20.720 how things work. Like nepotism exists absolutely. 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:23.240 And I think Bronnie's a good kid, like I think 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:25.720 he's really like has his head on shoulders. I think 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:28.760 he has his head good head on his shoulders. And 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:33.480 to be honest, like a lot of people already hate him, 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:35.320 so that I kind of hope that he balls out now. 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:36.680 I kind of hope he impresses it. I kind of 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.600 hope that he surpasses the expectation. That would be an 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:41.440 incredible story. Is that gonna happen? 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:43.160 I don't know, but. 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:45.600 I'm going to let Bronnie James roll off of me 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:47.320 like water on a duck's back. In the meantime, and 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:51.080 we're not talking about Bronnie James. You do you, my guy, 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:54.520 enjoy the spotlight, be with your dad, carpool with him. 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:57.520 Don't carpool with him, have meals with him on the road, 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.040 don't have meals with the Mona road I do. I 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:04.120 think what was hilarious though, was that Brownie said that 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:08.880 the vibes are better right now under JJ Reddick than 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.080 with Darvinham. He's like, or so I hear like, we 0:05:12.160 --> 0:05:14.520 don't know where you would have gotten that inside information 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:20.160 from where Braun is just shit talking Darvingham hilarious anyway, 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:22.599 I don't care if he averages two to one one 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:24.680 per game. It's still a great story and I'm still 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:27.719 gonna be rocking for this to be something that we 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:29.000 can at least hang our hat on. 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:31.719 Is a good feel good moving forward. 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:35.279 Some early standout performances in training camp Worth talking about 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:39.560 let's start in Minnesota, Boyle Boyd, does Tim Conley make 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:42.400 people look dumb? Boyle Boyd? Does he know what the 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:45.640 right moves are to make? The Wolves, of course, are 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.640 still reeling from the Karl Anthony Towns trade. They still 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:51.640 haven't integrated Dante DiVincenzo and Julius Randall into their new offense. 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:55.120 But one guy that already seems at home, one guy 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:57.799 that's already doing the damn thing one guy that's already impressing. 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:01.679 One of the most controversial picks in the entire draft, 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:06.200 Rob Dillingham. They pulled up the draft rights. They picked 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:09.280 up the draft rights on him, and a lot of 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:11.280 people thought that it was a reach six to one 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.520 guard out of Kentucky. He was either gonna be the 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:15.840 steel of the draft or an absolute bus because he 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.400 was so small. Turns out, even though he didn't look 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:21.200 good in the summer League because he was still fighting 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:23.120 through an injury, he looks. 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:26.160 Pretty pretty good, like pretty good. Playing against the Lakers. 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:29.640 He put up twenty one one in four. He was 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:30.800 three from six and three. 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:33.680 He was shifty on offense, He's got a little wiggle 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:37.240 in his step, play decent defense. He's not gonna be 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.159 asked to do a lot. He's not gonna contribute full 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:41.640 time starter minutes. But from the look of things, once 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:43.640 Mike Conley retires, he might just step right in. 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:46.119 Could be a spark off the bench, could be a bucket. 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:47.200 He's a bucket. He's a bucket. 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:51.480 Another standout so far pains me to say this as 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:55.600 a Blazer fan, Dalton Connect of the Lakers. He was 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:58.440 had sixteen three and two, had a steel had a 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:01.799 block against the Wolves, seven for thirteen. On a team 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:04.720 that desperately needs three point shooting, the Lakers will need 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:07.000 Dalton connect. That's what they will need. They will need 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.040 him to do the damn thing. He can look good 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:12.360 for stretches. He can finish with contact, which is a 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:15.280 ste skill really that you cannot learn, gotta be born 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:18.520 with it. Like Maybelee Lebron loves him, said he's a pro. 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:20.640 He's ready to go right now. Don't have any reason 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:21.680 to disagree with him on that. 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:25.680 And I think he's a really good pickup for the Lakers. Finally, 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:28.880 we got to give you an update on Ben Simmons, 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.720 who once again is putting out videos on the internet 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:35.720 and people say he looks incredible in the offseason workouts 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.560 and he's even shooting threes again for the third fourth 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:41.080 year in a row. Ben Simmons says that he feels 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.560 physically ready to play at a high level, and he 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:45.320 got to the point last year where he was good 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:47.320 enough to get on the court, but wasn't one hundred percent. 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:48.760 But at the end of the day, he's here now 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.720 and this is the situation. He feels great. He put 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:53.400 in a lot of time and a lot of work 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:56.120 in he was playing with another herniated disc, so that 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.400 was probably a big reason why this is a second 0:07:58.400 --> 0:07:59.520 surgery in a couple of years. 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:00.880 Blah blah, bah blah blah. 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:04.320 Same situation, situation, different area in the back. But now 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:10.640 he's clear to go and feels great. I am going 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:14.160 to take a different approach with Ben Simmons. I've cooked them, 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:19.120 He's been barbecued. His barbecue crisp has been barbecued again 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:20.320 this time. 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:23.040 I actually hope that Ben Simmons is right. 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:25.560 I'm gonna actually hope that he's healthy. I want to 0:08:25.600 --> 0:08:28.560 know what he looks like healthy. I don't know if 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:31.880 he's any good, but no one does because he hasn't 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:36.240 had a healthy back and literally since he left Philadelphia, 0:08:36.280 --> 0:08:38.559 and even before that, remember he had that surgery in 0:08:38.600 --> 0:08:39.880 the bubble and had to leave. 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:41.199 I think the league is. 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:45.800 More fun when Ben Simmons is playing well. I like 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:48.439 those box scores, those fun box scores three points thirteen 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:51.520 to twenty one rebounds are insane. Those are like very funny. 0:08:52.040 --> 0:08:54.160 That's the kind of guy like it's he's a mystery. 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.600 No player in recent memory, I think gives you such 0:08:57.600 --> 0:09:00.240 strong opinions on either side, and I kind of what's 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:03.520 the controversy of the league. He's an elite defender, He's 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:07.560 a terrific passer, he's a good rebounder, and I think 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:12.000 he has the physical abilities to be a good offensive player. 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:14.959 But mentally, we just don't know. 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:17.960 It's easy to forget that that wasn't always the case 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:20.360 that he was offensively broken. There was a time where 0:09:20.360 --> 0:09:23.720 he averaged seventeen points a game. I hope that he 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:25.560 can fix it. I hope that he can come back 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:30.360 because I miss debating people about Ben Simmons, and now 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:33.400 no one has any issues to debate about him. He 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.240 seems to be quite People are quite clear on what 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:38.280 he is and what he is not. We have a 0:09:38.320 --> 0:09:41.520 lot more to report as camp continues in the new season. 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:43.960 Barrels down on us. He still has a Brooklyn Net 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:45.960 for now, all right, Moving on. 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:48.520 I didn't do a team by team preview for the 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:50.160 season for the first time this year. 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:53.160 I just feel like everybody's kind of doing That doesn't 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:56.480 mean that there aren't teams that we should talk about. 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:58.800 One team that I want to talk about, one team 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:02.000 that I'm super interested in watching this year is okay see, 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:05.880 which is I think, you know, bold choice, right, everybody 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:10.160 wants to talk about okay see, But honestly, the roster 0:10:10.320 --> 0:10:12.839 moves that they've made this offseason make this I think 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:14.920 a very different team than they were last year and 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:15.880 they were the one. 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:16.440 Seed in the West. 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:20.320 They added the big man, and iHeart they swapped out 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:24.800 Josh Giddy for Alex Caruso, and to me, that's the 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:26.719 most important move that this team has made outside of 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:28.480 the draft since probably. 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:29.280 Moving Russell Westbrook. 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:34.360 I personally, I fucking love Alex Crusoe. The Lakers have 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:37.440 not recovered since they let him go. I will go 0:10:37.520 --> 0:10:41.160 to my grave saying Austin Reeves is not Alex Crusoe, 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:45.560 not even close. Can't carry his water nothing, And what 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:47.880 we know he brings to a team is not just 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:51.199 elite defense. He's like basically an assistant coach on the floor. 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:56.240 Aaron Wiggins had some comments to one of the reporters 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:59.760 four days into Okac's camp. I think this proves the point. 0:10:59.520 --> 0:11:00.680 On a acy. 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:03.720 He said, He's just very smart, A very smart guy 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:06.600 who knows the game really well, A big communication guy 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:07.679 on both ends of the court. 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:08.679 You can see his. 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:11.280 Experience in the way that he plays. I've been able 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:13.480 to watch him and hear from him. He's always coaching 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:15.520 guys on the court. He always is a good feel 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:17.400 for different looks that he has learned and knows how 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:19.800 to put other guys on the court. So on both 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:22.560 ends of it. He makes good reads on the offensive end, 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:25.079 and he's able to see defenses really well. Then when 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:27.400 he's on defense, he knows how to disguise different looks 0:11:27.400 --> 0:11:29.960 and maybe set up different things. Very smart player on 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:34.680 both ends of the court. So the interesting thing is 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:37.840 that you'd think, with this being shake Gilders Alexander's team 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:40.679 and a team filled with athletic defenders, this kind of 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:44.000 on court coaching wouldn't really be needed or even maybe 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:46.480 even welcome. But if you watch the series against the 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:48.480 MAVs where Okay Soe got run out of the playoffs 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:50.600 in six games, which they probably should have won game six, 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:53.720 but that's another story. What they really lacked was someone 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:57.400 other than Shay to organize the defense. And I think 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.120 that's what Alex Crusoe will do. 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:00.000 That is his special time. 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:03.720 Let me explain what he brings to the table, because 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:05.240 I think it's kind of hard to see in the 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:06.880 box score, and I'll kind of want to break it down. 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:09.640 I saw a great thread by a reditor who broke 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:13.520 this down beautifully. His name is Go su Rus Go 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:20.000 Sue Russ. Evaluating guard defense is very tough, but basically 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:24.160 it breaks down into five things. Defensive rebounding, force turnovers, 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:29.280 on ball defense, rim protection, and off ball defense. None 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.079 of these things are very easy for us to track. 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:34.280 In every category, though, Alex Crusoe is either the league 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:37.240 leader or in the top ten percent. So let's look 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:41.319 at force turnovers, which is steals plus offensive fouls drawn. 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.160 Last year, alex Crusoe averaged three steals and drew one 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:49.000 and a half offensive fouls per one hundred. That equals 0:12:49.280 --> 0:12:51.240 four and a half percent of the turnovers per one 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:54.120 hundred possessions, which leads the league in the NBA and 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:56.920 is well over three times as good as league average. 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:58.600 So how good is he? Well? 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:01.200 Two years ago, his encore defensive rating was in the 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:04.640 ninety seventh percentile, which is better than Yannis on the Bucks, 0:13:04.760 --> 0:13:07.320 who was surrounded by Brook Lopez Andrew Holliday at. 0:13:07.200 --> 0:13:08.880 The time, all defensive players. 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:11.960 And while I remind you his running mates were Zach 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:16.640 Lavine and DeMar Derozen. Even NBA two K had him 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:19.080 ranked as the second best perimeter defender in the world, 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:21.800 and now he's replacing Josh Giddy, who is a negative 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:24.600 minut He was a negative eight point two net rating 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.240 in twenty two to twenty three and a negative ten 0:13:27.280 --> 0:13:30.560 point one last year, mostly due to his defensive rating 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:36.320 in the one twenties. Even a friendly OKC blog grated 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:39.720 Josh Giddy a D plus. So now into that void 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:42.760 steps Alex Crusoe, who's a better three point shooter, but 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:44.960 really any offense you get from him is probably a 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:47.520 bonus because he's going to lock down your opponent's best 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:51.560 offensive player. He even said this in an offseason interview. Obviously, 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:53.160 I kind of wear my heart on my sleeve and 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:55.079 I go for it every night. That's just kind of 0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:57.120 what I have to do to be impactful in the league, 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:58.959 and that's something that I'm going to continue to do. 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:00.679 Play to win, play for the team. 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:02.640 Those are the things that I've held true to myself 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:04.840 throughout my whole career, whether I've been in the G 0:14:04.960 --> 0:14:07.600 League or on a two way or on championship teams. 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:09.880 Those things work for me, and they usually work for 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:12.160 my team. This is the kind of guy that the 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:17.080 thunder need to get over the top Shay doored Chet, 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:23.120 Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso. That is a nightmare to 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:26.240 try to play offense against. And that's the glue that 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:28.360 holds it all together. Is the man that they jokingly 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:30.920 call the janitor in LA all the way up to 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:33.080 the point where he helped the LA Lakers get a 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:37.160 freaking ring and Alex Crusoe was a huge, huge part 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:40.320 of that. Let's move forward a few injuries to report 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:42.760 from around the league. The first one the Pelicans lost 0:14:42.800 --> 0:14:46.080 Trey Murphy for at least a month due to hamstring injury. 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:49.200 That is horrible news, never good news for a Pelicans 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:52.320 team that just continues to be reeled with injuries. 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:52.920 For three straight years. 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:56.800 Trey Murphy is coming off an insane season. He was 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:59.920 so good last year offensively, he stepped up his game 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:02.040 fifteen to five and two with one and a half 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:04.720 stock stock stocks per game, lockdown defense. 0:15:04.880 --> 0:15:06.680 The Pelicans I think. 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:09.680 Are a bit of a dark horse this season, as 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:11.760 Willie Green's gonna be looking to find a way packed 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:13.440 into a. 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:14.920 Packed West to take the top seed. 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:17.640 But with injuries like Trey Murphy, this is not a 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:20.880 good start this season in la as they get ready 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:23.720 to open the Intuit Dome, and in Englewood, the Clippers 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:26.920 are dealing with another season of Kauai injury reports. 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.520 Currently he's rehabbing his right kney. We don't really know 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:30.200 how bad it is. 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:32.760 He had another piece of surgery over the offseason, which 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:35.720 we did not know about, he says. According to Kawhi, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.000 I feel good. Just been taking my time getting stronger, 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.920 getting ready. We're just taking it slow, just trying to 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:46.440 get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:48.920 we'll see what they're talking about on the best approach 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:51.040 for back to backs. Could be a couple of weeks, 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:53.160 could be a couple of months. We really can't tell. 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:56.680 Never can tell. With Kawhi Leonard. This is not good. 0:15:57.040 --> 0:15:58.560 This is now the start of the six year the 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:02.080 Kauai has struggled to stay on the court. In fact, 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:05.320 last year, sixty eight games was the far most he's 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.080 ever played in over half of a decade. But of 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:09.760 course then you add to the playoffs and he was 0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:12.160 injured again, and that has not stopped. 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:13.280 Him from being Kawhi. 0:16:13.680 --> 0:16:17.960 He told a reporter in an unsolicited manner that he's 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:20.120 been watching the new guys in camp like Chris Dunn 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:22.840 and Derrick Jones Junior, and says that nobody has stood 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:27.280 out to me so far. Kawhi, kawhi, you can't say that, 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:29.480 my guy, you cannot say that. I really think that 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:32.640 the Clippers that add a crossroads, they are locked into 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.680 some bad contracts. We've got Norm Powell saying that Paul 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:39.040 George Leaving is additioned by subtraction in a loader West. 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:41.080 I don't even know if this is a plan team. 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:42.000 I really don't. 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:47.320 Speaking of snake bitten, my Portland Trailblazers continue to struggle 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:51.480 again from an injury standpoint. First, Robert Williams a player 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:53.480 that they're definitely trying to get off of, trying to 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:55.280 get a first round pick for, and he is not 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.880 healthy again. He has a Grade one left hamstring strain, 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:01.840 which he got in the first couple. 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:03.000 Of days of training camp this week. 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.800 He's now expected to miss two weeks, which probably means 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:08.800 he's not gonna be ready for the start of the season. 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:11.560 Probably gonna be you know, we always see those setbacks. 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:13.679 It's gonna be tough. This guy can't catch a break. 0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:16.040 Rob Williams is one of the more talented big men 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:17.600 in the league, and I just don't know what's up. 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:20.919 I just cannot understand why he can't get it together. 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.040 From a health standpoint, he needs to probably put together 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:26.760 a stretch of like fifty healthy games so that they 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:30.520 can increase his trade value. But right now, with Klinging 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:32.919 and Ating, there's really not much for him in the rotation. 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:38.960 But even more concerning than Rob Williams is that is it. 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:42.480 Shade and Sharp is hurt again, and I'm starting to 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:44.480 get nervous. It's the same shoulder he had an injury 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:50.439 on before. This time is a small posterior posterior labral 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:53.520 tear in his left shoulder, which will sit him four 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:57.880 to six weeks. He's a player who relies on his athleticism. 0:17:58.000 --> 0:17:59.600 It's gonna be hard for him to play freely when 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:02.480 he has injury like this. He's only twenty one. He's 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.840 played in just thirty two games last year. Didn't progress 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:06.920 as much as they wanted. I am starting to get 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:09.719 worried about Shadon Sharp. I am starting to not not 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:11.920 know what to do with Shadon Sharp. He has the 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:15.240 potential to be generational. Seventh overall, pick one of the 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:17.679 guys that I think has the most upside in this league. 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:20.359 But if he can't progress because. 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:24.439 He's always injured, I don't know if that athleticism is 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:28.200 going to translate into the league. The best ability is availability. 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:31.479 I really hope I'm wrong. I really hope I'm wrong. 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:33.199 Shade Sharp is one of the most fun players in 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:35.159 the league for me, but if he has another season 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:38.040 like last year, I will be officially ready to hit 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:42.240 the panic bucket button. Finally, a bit of fascinating news 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:43.920 that ties into the biggest story in the past few 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:48.840 weeks in the basketball world. ESPN reported that they hired 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:53.119 Michael C. Wright for one reason and one reason only, 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:59.440 to cover Victor wembin Yama. That is his entire beat. Wow, 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.800 she just goes to show you how popular Victor wembenyams. Like, 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:06.080 how smart ESPN is to have someone cover him specifically. 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:08.840 That's like a very non ESPM move. Actually, remember back 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:11.320 when ESPN hired Brian Windhorst to cover Lebron when he 0:19:11.359 --> 0:19:13.960 went to the Heat, and pretty much every Chicago NBA 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:16.120 reporter in the nineties was just on the Jordan Beat, 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:18.320 So this isn't new to the NBA, but it is 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:21.960 new to the WNBA, which is why I bring this up. 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:26.320 Longtime reporter Christine Brennan is getting cooked by old WNBA 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:28.919 media because ninety percent of her articles on the w 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:31.879 this year are about Kaitlyn Clark, which probably is not 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:35.280 shocking because she is the reason that women's basketball is 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:38.240 having a moment, So why should we be shocked when 0:19:38.280 --> 0:19:40.720 she gets so much coverage. There is an unlimited demand 0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:45.600