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Speaker 1: is yours. Welcome into Bullyball, presented by DraftKings. I'm Rachel Nichols.
Speaker 1: I am still in the US of A. That's the
Speaker 1: America's cousins. He is not buggy Taiwan. You've been there
Speaker 1: for about a week now, your team is two and
Speaker 1: oh since you got there. But what is it actually like?
Speaker 3: It's actually really nice.
Speaker 4: I'm enjoying myself here, you know, like you said, we've
Speaker 4: won two games. Fourteen hour flight. I basically got off
Speaker 4: a plane win play a game. I haven't played an
Speaker 4: organized basketball game since last July, so you know, it's
Speaker 4: been a fast transition for me, you know, trying to
Speaker 4: get acclimated with everything and get used to the team,
Speaker 4: learn the plays, learn the system, things of that nature.
Speaker 3: So it was a quick turnaround for me.
Speaker 4: So, like you said, too or those things are going well,
Speaker 4: so you know, things aren up, so I'm excited for all.
Speaker 1: Right, what's the part of basketball there that's the most
Speaker 1: different from here?
Speaker 3: Man? It's a physical game.
Speaker 4: One.
Speaker 3: You know, the NBA isn't as physical as it was.
Speaker 2: At one point anymore, man.
Speaker 3: Especially when I first came into the league.
Speaker 4: But I mean my first game, I played a guy
Speaker 4: that was seven to seven and I've never seen a
Speaker 4: human being that massive in my life. That's the first
Speaker 4: time in my life I've ever like felt small.
Speaker 2: So yeah, say, I don't have that much sympathy for you.
Speaker 3: I mean, I'm not asking for sympathy, you know. You know,
Speaker 3: I'm a whole own.
Speaker 4: But it's definitely an experience I'll never forget, like actually
Speaker 4: looking up to another player, So crazy experience. But like
Speaker 4: I said, it's been fun. I'm enjoying myself and you know,
Speaker 4: we're going to keep this thing rolling over here.
Speaker 2: I just want to give you some perspective.
Speaker 1: That guy was seven foot seven year around six eleven,
Speaker 1: so you know, we're talking about what like eight nine
Speaker 1: inches depending on whateverone's measured at that day. Your difference
Speaker 1: in height to me, my friend is let's see, eighteen
Speaker 1: inches eighteen inches I'm five before.
Speaker 3: I felt five for last game, so I know how
Speaker 3: you feel. Rich, I trust me.
Speaker 1: All right, Well, we're still going to ask you a
Speaker 1: bunch of questions about what's going on in the NBA
Speaker 1: state side. I do want to point out too, it's
Speaker 1: after midnight there for you, so thank you very much
Speaker 1: for being here.
Speaker 2: Would miss an episode. I love it, I love it
Speaker 2: all right.
Speaker 1: First up, we got to talk a little bit about
Speaker 1: the Suns because they have won five straight. This is
Speaker 1: kind of what we expected more when they put the
Speaker 1: team together this summer, especially with the additions they made
Speaker 1: before they had all those injuries. Devin booker Man had
Speaker 1: fifty two in a game over the weekend, and by
Speaker 1: the way, they also beat the Pacers yesterday, So it
Speaker 1: just feels as if the pieces are starting to be there.
Speaker 1: Do you feel that you can say that they've turned
Speaker 1: the corner book because they're seventh in the West right.
Speaker 3: Now, you could say they are.
Speaker 4: This is a team that didn't have their you know,
Speaker 4: their entire team at the beginning of the season. They
Speaker 4: lacked a big piece in Bradley Beal early on, so them,
Speaker 4: you know, slowly starting to comment our own at this
Speaker 4: point in the season. It only makes sense. They didn't
Speaker 4: get the luxury of you know, having this right away
Speaker 4: at the beginning of the season. So you know, they're
Speaker 4: finding their flow, they're finding their rhythm, and obviously you
Speaker 4: have a three headed monster and these three guys and Bill,
Speaker 4: Booker and KD so you know, it only makes sense.
Speaker 4: But I think they'll only continue to get better. I
Speaker 4: still feel that this team does need a point guard
Speaker 4: at some point in the season. And the reason I
Speaker 4: say that is because, you know, being with them having
Speaker 4: Booker and Katie early on, I think that should have
Speaker 4: been more than enough to keep them in a playoff spot.
Speaker 3: Right For some reason, it just didn't work out that way.
Speaker 4: So obviously Bill is a huge piece of this team,
Speaker 4: but it still should have been enough to you know,
Speaker 4: keep things afloat. But I think a traditional point guard
Speaker 4: would help this team tremendously.
Speaker 3: You know, there's plenty of time for them to add
Speaker 3: an addition.
Speaker 4: Who that addition is, you know, we'll never know until
Speaker 4: that time comes.
Speaker 3: If that time comes.
Speaker 4: There's plenty of options out here that can you know,
Speaker 4: improve this team at that spot. So we'll continue to
Speaker 4: see how to you know, play throughout the season and
Speaker 4: we'll see if they ever do you know, add that
Speaker 4: key piece that they need to you know, actually be
Speaker 4: a contender for this season.
Speaker 1: And wow, I mean look, I mean when Beal is
Speaker 1: out there, it does make a huge difference. The amount
Speaker 1: of spacing everybody else has just skyrockets up. And he
Speaker 1: has played I mean, these three have only played together
Speaker 1: I think eleven to forty two games.
Speaker 2: That's just over a quarter of the game's played.
Speaker 1: So we just haven't seen yet what I think we
Speaker 1: are going to see if everyone stays healthy. I mean,
Speaker 1: that's the other side of this, right We've seen them
Speaker 1: when everyone isn't healthy, and if an injury happens to
Speaker 1: one of those top three guys, it's such a top
Speaker 1: heavy team that can affect their playoff run certainly as well.
Speaker 1: But for right now, having those guys all together has
Speaker 1: made clearly a huge difference, and I think now it's
Speaker 1: just a matter of figuring things out. Defensively. They're still
Speaker 1: in the bottom half of the league. Defensively, those numbers
Speaker 1: are particularly bad when you isolate to the fourth quarter,
Speaker 1: So again, they're on a five game winning streak, so
Speaker 1: some of that's really improved. But that to me is
Speaker 1: the direction now that they have all these guys in
Speaker 1: the lineup, they have to figure out for me at least, And.
Speaker 2: We'll see if they make a deal before the deadline.
Speaker 3: Book.
Speaker 2: I don't know from your lips.
Speaker 1: Maybe Suns fans would be excited about bolstering the team
Speaker 1: and we'll have to see if they can make their
Speaker 1: way up into the middle of the Western Conference standings.
Speaker 2: Well, feel good about it.
Speaker 1: I want to talk about the other side of the
Speaker 1: conference though, with the Pacers landing Pascal Siakam. This trade
Speaker 1: happened such high hopes for the way these teams, this
Speaker 1: team would absorb Siakam, that they would fit together, and
Speaker 1: then with him on the floor.
Speaker 2: So far they're oh and too.
Speaker 1: So look, we're not judging off of two games, obviously,
Speaker 1: but what do you think long term of the fit
Speaker 1: there and how much is Pascal Siakam going to change
Speaker 1: the fortunes of this time.
Speaker 4: I think this was a great move for the spacious team.
Speaker 4: I think he fits, He fits in seamlessly with his team.
Speaker 4: I think he's a great compliment to Halliburton, the pace
Speaker 4: they play at the young it's a great mixture of
Speaker 4: young and old talent, well older talent, I don't want
Speaker 4: to say old, but older talent. But I think if
Speaker 4: it's perfect and it's gonna take a little time for
Speaker 4: them to figure each other out, you know, figure out
Speaker 4: the chemistry, gain the chemistry. Him, has to learn the system,
Speaker 4: he has to learn habits of his teammates and vice versas.
Speaker 4: So it'll take a little time. It's a mid season trade,
Speaker 4: and this is usually how you know midseason trades happened,
Speaker 4: and it's gonna be an adjustment period. But as far
Speaker 4: as on paper, I think it's a perfect move. And
Speaker 4: you know, I think the Pacers can easily slide into
Speaker 4: that top five in the East.
Speaker 3: M h, maybe top six.
Speaker 4: But I think they're a team that's gonna I think
Speaker 4: this is a team that's going to definitely make some
Speaker 4: noise in the East. And they're a dangerous team on
Speaker 4: a nightly basis. So like I said, I think this
Speaker 4: is a great move for the spiciest team.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I mean, look of the two games they lost, one
Speaker 1: of them I mentioned was to the Suns yesterday. They
Speaker 1: haven't had Tyrese Haliburton in the lineup, So that's been
Speaker 1: a huge thing of this transition for Siakam. How is
Speaker 1: he supposed to get used to playing with Tyrese Haliburton
Speaker 1: when Haliburton isn't there. Tyre'ss mixed six at the last
Speaker 1: seven games. You know, we're still sort of waiting for
Speaker 1: that hamstring to level out. So I think we're gonna
Speaker 1: have to wait and see what happens. Obviously, just the
Speaker 1: speed on the break with both of those guys is
Speaker 1: going to be just, you know, like thunder or raining
Speaker 1: down on people and the pacers. You know, there's a
Speaker 1: lot of hype about how they're you know, top three
Speaker 1: in the league and transition and their transition offense it's
Speaker 1: so good and all this other stuff. I think what
Speaker 1: people forget is that that then allows them to drive
Speaker 1: the lane really well too, And they're top three in
Speaker 1: that by the way, top three in points from drives,
Speaker 1: and top three in just attempt to drive attempts. So
Speaker 1: I think that he's going to help on both of
Speaker 1: those scores because he's so good at that too.
Speaker 2: And we'll have to see.
Speaker 1: I just the larger question is, are these two guys
Speaker 1: enough that you would put them in a year or
Speaker 1: two just sort of not in that top five or six,
Speaker 1: but in the top one or two, depending if they
Speaker 1: can build around them.
Speaker 2: Is are they enough to be your big stars?
Speaker 4: I say yes. I think Halliburn is only going to
Speaker 4: continue to get better. He's still a young player in
Speaker 4: this league. He's still in actuality, he's still figuring out
Speaker 4: his game, like, he's still going to grow in his game.
Speaker 4: Like I said, he's only going to get better. I
Speaker 4: think Siakam was a great compliment to this guy, and
Speaker 4: I think once they gain that chemistry, it's going to
Speaker 4: be a scary duo. So they have some good key
Speaker 4: pieces around him and Buddy Hill, Miles Turner. Miles Turner,
Speaker 4: he can shoot the ball, he protects a round greatly,
Speaker 4: Buddy Hill being one of the better shooters in his
Speaker 4: So this team is definitely taking the steps to becoming
Speaker 4: a team that could possibly contend at some point. But
Speaker 4: as far as the move they made with Siakham, they're
Speaker 4: making the right steps moving forward. So I think they
Speaker 4: have a bright future ahead.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I mean, look, and he does officially become an unrestricted
Speaker 1: free agent over the summer. However, the feeling is that
Speaker 1: this deal would not have happened if there hadn't been
Speaker 1: some agreement that the Pacers are going to use the
Speaker 1: extra money they get now by having his bird rates
Speaker 1: to re sign him. Teams don't make these kinds of
Speaker 1: deals unless there is a little bit of a wink
Speaker 1: wink about a long term contract. So you know, I
Speaker 1: think we can expect this pairing for a while. I
Speaker 1: think he will help them defensively, and I think they
Speaker 1: are a threat to maybe, you know, upset one of
Speaker 1: the big boys in the East during the playoffs. We'll
Speaker 1: have to see how things progress, but I think this
Speaker 1: is going to be a young, fast, dangerous team, and
Speaker 1: certainly for a Pacers group that can't attract a ton
Speaker 1: of free agents in the summer. I think that this
Speaker 1: was huge for them too, because this is the way
Speaker 1: teams like this build is. They're not going to be
Speaker 1: some hot free agents destination, so they got to build
Speaker 1: through moves like this, and as a result, I think
Speaker 1: they will get who would have been the hottest free
Speaker 1: agents of this coming summer of pass galciakam so smart
Speaker 1: move all the way around.
Speaker 2: I could not agree with you more on that one.
Speaker 1: I want to talk a little bit about this issue
Speaker 1: that has been bought to bring me boogie talked about
Speaker 1: a little bit over the course of this season, but
Speaker 1: I've reached my boiling point.
Speaker 2: I can't deal with this anymore.
Speaker 1: Because we are now that we're at the midway point,
Speaker 1: little past it. We are really starting to see which
Speaker 1: players are potentially going to be affected by the new
Speaker 1: rule the NBA has in place this year that you
Speaker 1: have to play at least sixty five games to be
Speaker 1: considered for postseason awards. I do not understand how this
Speaker 1: is supposed to change the amount of games that guys
Speaker 1: sit out, because yes, I think making all NBA is
Speaker 1: an honor, and in some cases it affects contracts, which
Speaker 1: we'll talk about in a minute, But in general, players
Speaker 1: are not going to put what they consider their health
Speaker 1: in jeopardy, no matter what the incentive is in the moment.
Speaker 1: So I don't know how much this rule is actually
Speaker 1: impacting the behavior that they're concerned about and the way
Speaker 1: that they thought it would. And all it is doing
Speaker 1: to me is eliminating worthy candidates from a place of
Speaker 1: honor that they should be in. And I can give
Speaker 1: you some names here if we look at the All
Speaker 1: NBA teams from last year, Boogie, you had five of
Speaker 1: the guys big names who did not play sixty five
Speaker 1: games and would not have made it. So if I
Speaker 1: look in here, I'm looking at Yannis Steph Lebron, Jimmy Butler,
Speaker 1: and Damian Lillard all would have been eliminated from postseason
Speaker 1: awards if this rule had been in place. This does
Speaker 1: not make sense to me, and it impacts guys money also,
Speaker 1: because if you don't make All MBA at a certain time,
Speaker 1: you're not eligible for a supermax. At Boogie, you certainly
Speaker 1: you know with the mechanic of when you were going
Speaker 1: to get the supermax from the Kings and sort of
Speaker 1: how it was working, that is a big difference in money.
Speaker 1: You've got two guys this year with bam Adebaio and
Speaker 1: Dearon Fox are on the list who if they do
Speaker 1: not make All NBA, and they both have had injuries
Speaker 1: so far this season, they each will be looking at
Speaker 1: a difference and what they can be offered of ninety
Speaker 1: three million dollars. That's crazy that this rule could impact that.
Speaker 2: I don't know. I'm very upset to feel my thing.
Speaker 4: I mean, ragel I totally agree, and I could take it,
Speaker 4: you know, a step even Firth. I mean, obviously the
Speaker 4: money is a huge issue, and it can you know,
Speaker 4: it can affect a player's pockets, but on top of that,
Speaker 4: it could affect the player's legacy. These guys could be
Speaker 4: missing out on all NBA you know selections which, like
Speaker 4: I said, asked to their legend, as to their legacy.
Speaker 4: When these guys careers are over, it could be two
Speaker 4: three seasons where they missed out on this because it's
Speaker 4: something as simple as you know, they played sixty four
Speaker 4: games instead of sixty five. But I just I don't
Speaker 4: think it's a realistic thing. And this is going off
Speaker 4: topic a little bit, but at the end of the day,
Speaker 4: I blame the analytics. I think analytics are literally fucking
Speaker 4: the game up. And this is an example why when
Speaker 4: I came into the league, you know, guys didn't miss games.
Speaker 4: You didn't have to worry about low management, you didn't
Speaker 4: have to worry about, you know, a guy taking two
Speaker 4: three games off just because hey, I don't feel like
Speaker 4: playing this week. I don't think guys are as conditions
Speaker 4: conditioned as they were in the early twenty tens when
Speaker 4: I came in, even something as simple as training camp.
Speaker 4: When I came in the training camp, we were having
Speaker 4: two days for the first week. Training camp lasted two weeks.
Speaker 4: The whole first week it was two days. The first
Speaker 4: part of practice. First part of practice, you learned the
Speaker 4: system and the defenses. You came back the second half
Speaker 4: of the day, you scrimmagh. And it was like that
Speaker 4: for the entire first week. So we're now at this
Speaker 4: point in the league where you know, they they're preaching
Speaker 4: this low management and reserving you know, with guys, uh
Speaker 4: these players' bodies and things of that nature. But at
Speaker 4: the end of the day, I think it's also crippling
Speaker 4: these players. It's hurting these players, and it's also hurting
Speaker 4: the competitive nature of the game. So you know, we
Speaker 4: I don't want to offend anybody, but we gotta we
Speaker 4: gotta remove the nerves from the game because, like I said,
Speaker 4: it's fucking up the game.
Speaker 3: It literally is fucking up the game.
Speaker 1: So I would argue, you're talking about two separate things.
Speaker 1: I will say the NBA agrees.
Speaker 3: With you management.
Speaker 2: Now though management in that you're gonna get me. I
Speaker 2: don't tell me, tell me, I don't agree.
Speaker 4: It's I just I hate where it's going because obviously
Speaker 4: it kind of seems like it's off topic. But these
Speaker 4: things literally go hand to hand, and it's no reason
Speaker 4: that you know, Joe LMB, who I believe is the
Speaker 4: front runner to win MVP this year, if he misses
Speaker 4: another ten games, you're sitting here saying that this guy
Speaker 4: isn't eligible to win MVP.
Speaker 3: And that's that's mind blowing to me.
Speaker 4: As incredible of a season he's had this year, that
Speaker 4: may literally makes no sense. So the reason I say
Speaker 4: is the analytics the reason I say we need to
Speaker 4: remove the nerves because the analytics is the reason we're
Speaker 4: at this point where guys are missing games.
Speaker 1: Well, look, analytics is just a big category, right. There's
Speaker 1: some analytics that tell you, hey, you should shoot more
Speaker 1: from the right side because guys aren't guarding you. There's that,
Speaker 1: to me, is a sort of smart ways to improve coaching.
Speaker 1: But I do get what you're saying about load management.
Speaker 1: The NBA agrees with you. They just put out a
Speaker 1: report saying it doesn't actually impact players' health in the
Speaker 1: way that it was initially thought to be. Now that
Speaker 1: is they can report to be putting out at this
Speaker 1: time when they are trying to get more players back
Speaker 1: into the games. But however you want to look at that,
Speaker 1: that is what they just put out. And your point
Speaker 1: about honor, I think is a huge thing in terms
Speaker 1: of how guys are looked back on because we've been
Speaker 1: talking about the last couple of weeks. The All Star
Speaker 1: Game is a popularity contest. That is literally what it is.
Speaker 1: So it is not a marker of how good a
Speaker 1: player you were. It certainly is an indicator if you're
Speaker 1: saying an eight time All Star, ten time All Star, huge,
Speaker 1: huge thing about you wouldn't have gotten to that point
Speaker 1: without being exceptional at this game of basketball. But it
Speaker 1: is not the same as all MBA, which is a
Speaker 1: much more sort of, you know, based on your season
Speaker 1: judged thing of hey, how did you actually do in
Speaker 1: these games as opposed to how many people like you?
Speaker 1: And I just think that taking that away will skew
Speaker 1: our perception of some of these players when we look
Speaker 1: back at them compared to others. And certainly the MVP
Speaker 1: part that you point out with Joel, I mean, what
Speaker 1: a bad sort of chunk of luck that this was
Speaker 1: changed during his prime of his prime, because if he
Speaker 1: ends up being a two time MVP. That puts him
Speaker 1: in a different category in the game as a one
Speaker 1: time MVP, and that would completely shift just because he
Speaker 1: hasn't played two or three extra games. I mean, I
Speaker 1: just I don't know, man, I feel like you're messing
Speaker 1: with a lot of different things. You don't need to
Speaker 1: be messing with to convince players to do something that
Speaker 1: I don't think there is enough outward incentive for them
Speaker 1: to do. I think that guys are going to play
Speaker 1: as much as they feel like they should play, and
Speaker 1: that teams enable this behavior, and that trying to correct
Speaker 1: what the owners are and aren't doing to protect themselves
Speaker 1: by putting in this rule makes no sense. You own
Speaker 1: the team, You want your guys to play more. Tell
Speaker 1: the coach they all got to play more. Tell the
Speaker 1: players if you're not playing, I'm going to reduce your contract.
Speaker 1: I don't need to protect the owners from themselves here
Speaker 1: where they don't want to actually sort of take responsibilit
Speaker 1: for any of this, and they each run their teams
Speaker 1: in a way where they will rest guys to get
Speaker 1: the advantage.
Speaker 2: That sort of thing.
Speaker 1: Then to have to come in at the end and say,
Speaker 1: oh well, you guys can't, you know, sort of deal
Speaker 1: with your own franchises and your own rules.
Speaker 2: So we're gonna have to make this external rule to
Speaker 2: try to prompt guys to play. I just this is dumb.
Speaker 1: I don't like it, and I hope that this is
Speaker 1: the last year it happens.
Speaker 2: I really, really, really do not like this rule.
Speaker 1: So again, we're at the midpoint of the season, a
Speaker 1: little after we start to see the guys at effects
Speaker 1: and I will be I'll be on this boogie as
Speaker 1: we come forward. We got to talk a little trade
Speaker 1: talk as well, because of course trade deadline's coming up
Speaker 1: in just a couple of weeks now that the Raptors
Speaker 1: have completed the Pascal Siakam trade, but they got Bruce
Speaker 1: Brown back in that deal, and we do not expect
Speaker 1: Bruce Brown to stay in Toronto.
Speaker 2: We expect this to be a quick.
Speaker 1: Turnaround, kind of like Drew wasn't in Portland, and we'll
Speaker 1: have to take a look at who has the best
Speaker 1: offers for him. But right now the reports are the
Speaker 1: two teams most in the running are the Knicks and
Speaker 1: the Lakers, so good little rivalry there. Both teams explore
Speaker 1: getting him in free agency this past summer. What do
Speaker 1: you think of either of those teams acquiring him? Would
Speaker 1: he make a big difference to both rosters to just
Speaker 1: one roster? What's your take.
Speaker 4: I would love Bruce Brown on this next team. I
Speaker 4: like the direction that you know, this organization is moving
Speaker 4: in with the type of players that they're you know,
Speaker 4: trying to put together and form with this team, Bruce
Speaker 4: Brown fits im perfectly. He's that gritty, you know, tough,
Speaker 4: hard nosed player that you know also fits Thibodeau's system.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 4: He matches the rest of the team as far as
Speaker 4: their playing style, and I know he's a great on
Speaker 4: ball defender. He's a hard hustling player, so all of
Speaker 4: those things just fit this team perfectly. So my mind,
Speaker 4: Bruce Brown going to the Knicks will only improve this
Speaker 4: team more, even more, even after adding a guy like OLG.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I think that's the perfect move for them
Speaker 4: moving forward. And once again, if they if they are
Speaker 4: able to make this move, you can see them moving
Speaker 4: up in the East even more.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think you're completely right. I think he'd be
Speaker 1: perfect on that team. They have a little more more
Speaker 1: capital to play with in terms of trades, so they
Speaker 1: can make a deal for him and still have enough
Speaker 1: leftover to make another deal down the road, Whereas with
Speaker 1: the Lakers, they're so thin that I don't know what
Speaker 1: they can offer the Raptors that would then not deplete
Speaker 1: them for making other offers to other guys, you know,
Speaker 1: acquiring other guys that would fill their need fit their
Speaker 1: needs also. So it's going to be interesting to see
Speaker 1: if this really does become a war of bidding war
Speaker 1: between these two teams. But to me, the Knicks are
Speaker 1: the right fit, and I think to Bruce Brown, the
Speaker 1: Knicks are the right fit. But he actually said the
Speaker 1: other day, Hey, I could be a great Tom Thibodeaux player.
Speaker 1: He said, I love to run. You mentioned how he
Speaker 1: was hustling, you know, I love to play hard. I
Speaker 1: love that character. So he's campaigning to get to the day.
Speaker 4: It makes sense, it makes sense. He knows what, he
Speaker 4: knows what's well for him. He knows, you know, what
Speaker 4: system works well for him. Obviously, he was a huge
Speaker 4: piece for that championship team in Denver. Yeah, he changed
Speaker 4: the whole dynamic of that team with just hustling energy. So,
Speaker 4: like I said, I think he fits in with that
Speaker 4: Nick culture. Perfectly.
Speaker 2: Another deal we're looking at is Kyle Kuzma in DC.
Speaker 2: The Wizards aren't.
Speaker 1: Definitely going to deal him, but he's certainly available for conversations.
Speaker 1: And two teams that have sparked some interest there of
Speaker 1: the Mavericks and the Kings. I guess which team do
Speaker 1: you think could use Kuzma more Between those two franchises.
Speaker 4: I think both teams could use him, but I would
Speaker 4: love him with this King scene, the pace that they
Speaker 4: play at. Obviously, Cools was a you know, a part
Speaker 4: of that championship Lakers team with the Bubble team. Kuz
Speaker 4: knows how to play, he knows how to you know,
Speaker 4: fit that mode of you know, being that sidekick or
Speaker 4: at sometimes you know, third fourth option on teams.
Speaker 3: And he's a versatile defender, he's a versatile score.
Speaker 4: I just picturing him next to Sabonis, Fox Monk on
Speaker 4: the floor getting up and down. At the pace that
Speaker 4: they play at. That's a scary team, and I think
Speaker 4: he elevates that Kings team to, you know, to the
Speaker 4: level that they're potentially trying to get to. Obviously we
Speaker 4: all know that they have, you know, championship aspirations and
Speaker 4: you know, adding a guy like Kuzma. I think they
Speaker 4: get one step closer to reaching that goal.
Speaker 1: See that's why I like him on the Mavericks, because
Speaker 1: I feel like they're closer right now. So I like
Speaker 1: the idea that Kuzma could raise them into that like
Speaker 1: super elite West level. And look, people forget because he's
Speaker 1: been on such a bad team that has really struggled
Speaker 1: for so long now and is trying to rebuild at
Speaker 1: the moment. This is a guy who's shooting forty five
Speaker 1: percent from the floor. He's twenty two six and four
Speaker 1: on the season, and again, in an environment where nobody's winning,
Speaker 1: nobody's scoring a lot of points. It's just not been
Speaker 1: a good place for him. And if he moved to
Speaker 1: a team that was doing all of those things, I
Speaker 1: think you would see his defense pop back up. As
Speaker 1: you said, he's a versatile defender. He defended well during
Speaker 1: that championship run with the Lakers, so he's capable of
Speaker 1: doing it. He just probably hasn't been in an environment
Speaker 1: where it feels like the highest priority right now. And
Speaker 1: I would love to see him on that team because again,
Speaker 1: now we're really talking, if you've got Luca and Kyrie
Speaker 1: and him and I just and some of the supporting
Speaker 1: players they have there. I'd be interested, man, I want
Speaker 1: to see it, and they would help Washington too with
Speaker 1: what they're trying to do with rebuilding and acquiring assets.
Speaker 2: But I'm willing for you to sell me, even sell
Speaker 2: me on the Kings deal.
Speaker 1: What would the deal you would do with the Kings
Speaker 1: to acquire Kyle Kusma, How would you put that together?
Speaker 4: Well, I think the obvious would be there trying to
Speaker 4: correct that for that three four spot within their team.
Speaker 4: So I could see a guy like Harrison Bonds being
Speaker 4: you know, on the block and a part of that trade,
Speaker 4: and a guy that's been struggling to kind of crack
Speaker 4: the lineup and Davion Mitchell. So I think it benefits
Speaker 4: both sides. Those guys get to go to Washington, Davion
Speaker 4: Mitchell gets to expand his game and show you know,
Speaker 4: the league that he is, you know, a top player
Speaker 4: or a guy that could fit the mode of being
Speaker 4: a starting point guard in his league. Obviously that will
Speaker 4: never be the case playing behind dearon Fox in Sacramento. So,
Speaker 4: like I said, I think that's you know, a move
Speaker 4: that benefits both sides. And I think both sides get better.
Speaker 4: So in my opinion, Kuzma going to the Kings just
Speaker 4: it just works. It fits with exactly what they need.
Speaker 4: You know, they're big on, you know, a certain type
Speaker 4: of guy, Kuzma, super laid back, things of that nature.
Speaker 4: So it just fits the moment. Everything fits perfectly with
Speaker 4: that team. So I could see that move, you know,
Speaker 4: working for both sides.
Speaker 1: All right, So mister GM, what about the first deal
Speaker 1: that we talked about. You want to see Bruce Brown
Speaker 1: with the next how would you execute that one?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 4: With Bruce Brown, let's see Evan Fournier. Evan Fournier would
Speaker 4: definitely be on the move. He you know, he's been
Speaker 4: very vocal about, you know, not enjoying the role that
Speaker 4: he's had the past couple of seasons. He's falling out
Speaker 4: of the rotation and you know, he's a veteran guy
Speaker 4: that still has a lot to offer. So him being
Speaker 4: on the move, going to a new destination definitely would
Speaker 4: help him with finishing out his career. And you know,
Speaker 4: the Knicks can move on with what they're trying to
Speaker 4: do with creating an identity within this team of you know,
Speaker 4: hustling grit and everybody kind of matching that vibe with
Speaker 4: now adding Bruce Brown to the picture. So once again,
Speaker 4: I think both sides will benefit from that and they'll
Speaker 4: be able to get off Evan Fournier's that's right. They
Speaker 4: have plenty of pigs to throw in.
Speaker 1: And I was going to say they need to throw
Speaker 1: in a few things to sweeten the deal, but you're right,
Speaker 1: they've got They've got that, so they could do that
Speaker 1: no problem.
Speaker 4: And like I said, I think every everybody benefits from it,
Speaker 4: so it just makes sense.
Speaker 2: I like this, You've solved all of the NBA's problems
Speaker 2: and two trades. You're good.
Speaker 1: Just sitting there in your layer in Taiwan. I like
Speaker 1: the idea that you've got, Like you know this this
Speaker 1: Asian plenty of time over here, Like let me organize
Speaker 1: everybody's trades. All right, it's time for I will take
Speaker 1: that bet presented by Draft Kings and Bogie. I want
Speaker 1: to take a look at the Lakers and one of
Speaker 1: the odds up on the board right now. It's obviously
Speaker 1: been an up and down season for them. They had
Speaker 1: a nice win yesterday. They're showing us flashes of what
Speaker 1: they said that they could be. But still I mean,
Speaker 1: when you talk about what they need before the trade deadline,
Speaker 1: it feels like it's getting to be a very long list.
Speaker 1: They're the number nine seed right now, they're twenty two
Speaker 1: and twenty two, they're exactly a five hundred. So the
Speaker 1: bet is will they or will they not make the playoffs.
Speaker 1: They are plus one oh five to make the playoffs
Speaker 1: and minus one thirty to not make the playoffs, So
Speaker 1: that's where the better money is. Are you taking the bet?
Speaker 1: I just want to point out this means that they
Speaker 1: will make the final eight after the playing round going
Speaker 1: into the playoffs.
Speaker 2: Are you taking the bet?
Speaker 3: I'm taking the bet.
Speaker 4: I'm taking it bat And the reason I say that
Speaker 4: is because one of Lebron James two Anthony Davis, with
Speaker 4: that being your foundation, you always have a great chance.
Speaker 4: I don't know what's going on with you know, the
Speaker 4: rest of the team or the rest of you know,
Speaker 4: those rotating pieces that go around those two guys last
Speaker 4: year worked well. This year it's just not working. Yeah,
Speaker 4: I'm not really sure what it is. But I still
Speaker 4: think with those two guys that have a great chance
Speaker 4: of making the playoffs, obviously they're gonna, you know, make
Speaker 4: some moves this during this season or maybe during the
Speaker 4: bio marker, who knows, but they're definitely make some moves.
Speaker 4: But like I said, as long as those two guys
Speaker 4: are your foundation, they have a great chance of making
Speaker 4: the playoffs. So I'm taking that bit.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, look, this is the second half team.
Speaker 1: We know that we've watched that. I mean, they were
Speaker 1: not in great shape at this time last season. They
Speaker 1: made the Western Conference Finals, and yeah, some of it
Speaker 1: is because they scrambled and made those trades, and I do,
Speaker 1: like you expect them to make trades again before this
Speaker 1: trade deadline. But a lot of it, too, is that
Speaker 1: Lebron James and Anthony Davis no one to turn it
Speaker 1: on that influences their other teammates. I think everybody has
Speaker 1: a more collective energy going in that building. You know,
Speaker 1: when you get to the second half of the season,
Speaker 1: I just I've seen this movie with Lebron too many
Speaker 1: times before. The team isn't doing great in the middle
Speaker 1: of the season. You know, he's one of the few
Speaker 1: guys who's powered a team that didn't finish in the
Speaker 1: top ten defensively and still ended up winning a championship.
Speaker 1: This happens with Lebron James teams now in the back
Speaker 1: half of his career, and I just I feel like
Speaker 1: we're going to get that push still coming. But I
Speaker 1: guess part of it depends too on what these teams
Speaker 1: were just talking about trades for the Kings, what was
Speaker 1: happening with the Suns, right, and they're on the move,
Speaker 1: So you know, some teams.
Speaker 2: Could get better if they get better also, But.
Speaker 1: I'm still I put my money on the Lakers making
Speaker 1: it in before I wouldn't. Right, it is now time
Speaker 1: for doom scroll. Oh yes, we search the socials. We
Speaker 1: searched the internet so you don't have to. We bring
Speaker 1: you the hottest stories every week, and this time it
Speaker 1: involves our own Puggy. Part of our collective group here,
Speaker 1: as you know, includes Stephen Jackson, includes Paul Pierce, and
Speaker 1: they've both been involved in a storyline with you Donnas Haslam.
Speaker 2: This week. Oh yes, UD's number, his name went up in.
Speaker 1: The rafters of Miami after twenty years being such a
Speaker 1: core part of that team. I personally was thrilled to
Speaker 1: see you Donnas go up there. I think he absolutely
Speaker 1: is etched on that franchise's history.
Speaker 2: Stephen Jackson apparently agrees with me.
Speaker 1: He did this whole post on Instagram tribute to UD
Speaker 1: one of the realist guys to do it, you know,
Speaker 1: and he pointed out this was earned, not given.
Speaker 2: He went through this whole list of accolades.
Speaker 1: For Haslam and just at the bottom and a comment
Speaker 1: there on the post is our friend Paul Pierre saying, nah,
Speaker 1: man given, not earned, which is now caused a lot
Speaker 1: of back and forth. So, I don't know, maybe you're
Speaker 1: the tiebreaker in our group here. We had Stephen Jackson,
Speaker 1: pro we had Paul definitely con I want to know
Speaker 1: where you are and what you think of Paul as
Speaker 1: usual making trouble this week.
Speaker 4: You just you gotta love Paul. I'm gonna start off
Speaker 4: with that, you just gotta love Paul. But back to this,
Speaker 4: it's absolutely deserved.
Speaker 3: You did. Is a huge part of that Heat culture.
Speaker 4: Obviously, when it comes to, you know, the criteria of
Speaker 4: getting your jersey retired, it's it's a certain standard that
Speaker 4: goes amongst the league. But also with that being said,
Speaker 4: the Miami Heat organization works off their own standard. They've
Speaker 4: created their own standard. They've always operated differently than the
Speaker 4: rest of the NBA. So they set their own criteria
Speaker 4: and a huge part of that is jodona'sassen. He's the og,
Speaker 4: you know, that's what they call him. He's well respected
Speaker 4: within the organization, within the locker room. He's a huge
Speaker 4: part of the reason the culture is the way it is,
Speaker 4: and you know it is it is deserved. So when
Speaker 4: when you think about it from their standard, Uh, obviously,
Speaker 4: Paul can you know, have his opinion. He's he's a
Speaker 4: Hall of Fame player. He comes from an organization of.
Speaker 2: Members up the Raptors in Boston.
Speaker 4: Gardens absolutely, and Boston has some of the greatest players
Speaker 4: to ever lace him up. So it's a different criteria
Speaker 4: when it comes to Boston. But like I said, when
Speaker 4: it comes to heat culture, when you think about it,
Speaker 4: you're Donna's Hassem is the first person that comes to
Speaker 4: mind outside of you know, the way, But when it
Speaker 4: comes to you know, pushing the culture and preaching the
Speaker 4: culture is ud So I do believe it's deserved. I
Speaker 4: think most of the league has a lot of love
Speaker 4: for you d and the way he cares himself, the
Speaker 4: way he goes about being a professional, the way he
Speaker 4: takes the young guys under his wing, and you know,
Speaker 4: just teaches the game and it's always dropping knowledge, so
Speaker 4: you know the mommy. He also have Dan Marino and
Speaker 4: Michael Jordan hanging up like like I said, they they
Speaker 4: just operate on their own. Yes, they do it their way,
Speaker 4: so to each his own. And with that being said,
Speaker 4: congratulations ud Man, well deserved brother.
Speaker 1: And those numbers going up in the rafters of each building,
Speaker 1: no matter what city you're in, are about what you
Speaker 1: meant to the franchise. It's not the Hall of Fame, right,
Speaker 1: we have a Basketball Hall of Fame to judge where
Speaker 1: you are in the greater scheme of the NBA and
Speaker 1: NBA history and all of that stuff. The numbers going
Speaker 1: up in the rafters are about what you meant to
Speaker 1: the team that is deciding to put them up. So
Speaker 1: to your point, the Heat have their own system, their
Speaker 1: own set of values. He certainly qualifies. But even in
Speaker 1: just sort of one of these other teams systems of values,
Speaker 1: you donnas meant enough to that franchise that in any
Speaker 1: of those other buildings.
Speaker 2: If he had done the same thing, I believe.
Speaker 1: His number would still be going up. I mean, he
Speaker 1: has just been a core, core part of who that
Speaker 1: team has been twenty years is a very very very
Speaker 1: long time. So few guys have done it with one
Speaker 1: team so nowadays. So I just I don't think there's
Speaker 1: any question, But I appreciate that Paul Peters could just
Speaker 1: not help himself when it comes to that Miami franchise
Speaker 1: and that era and ended up with them. So I
Speaker 1: just I don't know if he thinks he can go
Speaker 1: back and we're in a playoff series that they didn't
Speaker 1: just throw all of these comments. But you know, he's
Speaker 1: also gotten himself in trouble this week with someone over
Speaker 1: in the NFL.
Speaker 2: To plays for the Bucks.
Speaker 1: So you know he's got a lot on his plate
Speaker 1: right now with all of the beef that he has started.
Speaker 3: You gotta love We love him.
Speaker 2: We love you, Paul Beers, we love you. All right.
Speaker 1: This is a much sadder and less entertaining part of
Speaker 1: Doom Scroll. This really bummed me out to see Sports
Speaker 1: Illustrated has laid off basically its entire staff.
Speaker 3: Now.
Speaker 1: A lot of the key staffers do have contracts for
Speaker 1: the next ninety days. We will have to see if
Speaker 1: another buyer comes in. If they do buy it and
Speaker 1: want to keep them going, then those employees I assume
Speaker 1: will sort of either be formally rehired or just let
Speaker 1: be allowed to stay on. But there's a bunch of
Speaker 1: dominoes that has to happen. For that to happen, someone
Speaker 1: does have to come in and buy this and want
Speaker 1: to resuscitate it as an actual institution, because that's what
Speaker 1: it is to this country, and the value that Sports
Speaker 1: Illustrated has in the hearts and minds of sports fans.
Speaker 1: I just don't think you can create that anymore. Like
Speaker 1: it's too big a media market these days. There's too
Speaker 1: many things competing for your attention. When Sports Illustrated was
Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated, it was because it was the only game
Speaker 1: in town. And then you know, we started to get
Speaker 1: you know, Slam and some of the other magazines that
Speaker 1: meant so much. But Sports Illustrated was the rock that
Speaker 1: a lot of that stuff that idea was built on,
Speaker 1: and you just can't get that anymore. And I just
Speaker 1: I cannot understand these ownership groups that there have been
Speaker 1: several in the last few years, just letting this brand
Speaker 1: deteriorate into the ground. I mean, Buggie, you were on
Speaker 1: the cover of Sports Illustrated. What did that mean to you?
Speaker 1: It wasn't just some like normal thing.
Speaker 2: Right man.
Speaker 4: It was a huge honor and honestly, growing up, you know,
Speaker 4: as a young kid trying to make it in this game,
Speaker 4: you strive to try to be on the front of
Speaker 4: Sports Illustrated. Some of the greatest collegiate athletes and professional
Speaker 4: athletes you know have you know, graced this cover.
Speaker 3: So when I think.
Speaker 4: About it, it goes right back to my childhood just
Speaker 4: remembering some of the greats being on the front of it.
Speaker 4: And you know, one of the coolest moments, and you
Speaker 4: know my college career was you know, being able to
Speaker 4: be on the front of I Got the Rock My
Speaker 4: one of my favorite pair of shoes was the Space
Speaker 4: Jamie Levins And yep, I mean, it's just so many
Speaker 4: memories when it comes to this magazine.
Speaker 3: So I agree with you.
Speaker 4: Hopefully something somebody comes in and buys this, you know,
Speaker 4: takes over you know, this this magazine and hopefully continues
Speaker 4: the legacy of it, because it deserves it. It's a
Speaker 4: huge part of this sport in general, and like I said,
Speaker 4: it's a huge part of my childhood. So hopefully somebody
Speaker 4: comes in and does the right thing.
Speaker 1: It's just a resource that's not available anywhere else anymore.
Speaker 1: You can't go out and create another Sports Illustrated it.
Speaker 2: So this is the one.
Speaker 1: This is the thing that holds that place and everyone's
Speaker 1: heart since sort of has been the standard for so long.
Speaker 1: I just don't know how someone isn't going to see
Speaker 1: the value in it. But as I said, the last
Speaker 1: few ownership groups certainly haven't. So it's it's just very
Speaker 1: difficult to watch. We have friends who are there, of course,
Speaker 1: you know, our producers were kicking around some ideas for
Speaker 1: SI's future. Producer Nate would like to see Michael Rubin
Speaker 1: of Fanatics by it. I actually love, love, love this strategy.
Speaker 1: The idea that Fanatics could then market the covers, right,
Speaker 1: So if they were able to restore Sports Illustrated into
Speaker 1: meeting as much as it used to mean with the
Speaker 1: quality journalism and making the cover was a big deal,
Speaker 1: you could then market those covers as collectibles, right and
Speaker 1: also put my T shirts license them stuff like that.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 2: I like the producer pod thinking here.
Speaker 3: I think that's a great idea as well.
Speaker 4: Right, It's just it's too special to sports to let
Speaker 4: this just you know, die out and act like it
Speaker 4: never happened. This is definitely something that should you know,
Speaker 4: be able to be continued. And I think Michael Rue
Speaker 4: want to be the perfect guy, you know, not only
Speaker 4: you know, take over, but elevated and continue to this
Speaker 4: legacy live on.
Speaker 1: All right, Well, we'll have to see if he listens.
Speaker 1: If anyone out there is listening, please take care of
Speaker 1: this institution. We as a sports fandom collectively, we need
Speaker 1: you to. And I just said, there's some really good
Speaker 1: people over there and I would like to see them
Speaker 1: still getting to do what they do best. All right,
Speaker 1: but we have kept you awake in Taiwan for too long.
Speaker 1: I appreciate you hanging out with us in the middle
Speaker 1: of the night, Psyche. That has been such a good
Speaker 1: start for you over there, and we can't wait to
Speaker 1: see more to come. You will be back with us
Speaker 1: next week again from Taiwan.
Speaker 2: I love it.
Speaker 1: The dedication and we will see all the rest of
Speaker 1: you guys next week as well. Until then, you can
Speaker 1: find Bully Ball on the All the Smoke YouTube platform,
Speaker 1: you can find us wherever you get your podcast, and
Speaker 1: of course on the DraftKings Network.
Speaker 2: Catch you guys next weeks.