WEBVTT - The BroadCast | A Conversation With Elton Brand 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:09.040 Search seventy Sixers podcast Wherever you get your pods. What 0:00:09.320 --> 0:00:11.600 have the seventy Sixer's been up to and what could 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:14.720 they still be in the event the NBA returns. Those 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:17.639 are obviously two key questions surrounding the team since the 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:20.520 season was suspended. This home stretch was going to be 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:23.040 about getting everybody healthy and set it all seeming along. 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:25.639 We're built for the playoffs. I was looking forward to 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.440 actually seeing what that would look like for Ben Simmons status. 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:32.159 He's going to be back and then it's just off 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:35.040 to the releases to Joel and beats postseason potential. He 0:00:35.080 --> 0:00:37.600 can ramp up like no other. What he brings to 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.320 our team, that's what it makes us a real competitor 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:44.400 and contender. In we zoom with Sixers general manager Elton 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:52.080 Brand on this episode of the broadcast, how you doing 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.680 out there, seventy Sixers pod people, It's Brian Seltzer. Hope 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:57.960 we're doing well and that you and your peeps are 0:00:58.040 --> 0:01:01.520 staying as safe and small aren't and healthy as possible 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:06.920 as we continue to navigate these tricky times. Last we 0:01:07.000 --> 0:01:10.520 heard from Elton Brand, at least publicly, he too was 0:01:10.640 --> 0:01:15.080 navigating some tricky times. The circumstances were pretty surreal. It 0:01:15.200 --> 0:01:18.640 was March eleventh at the Center Mere moments after the 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:22.679 NBA announced its decision to halt the season, the forty 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:24.959 one year old general managers spoke at a quickly arranged 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:28.120 press conference just outside the Sixers locker room that lasted 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:33.200 all of two minutes. Brand Like everyone else reporters players, 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:36.720 Brett Brown, who was seated next to him, was simply 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:41.200 trying to wrap his mind around the news. I guess 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:43.120 what do you think about the fact that the season 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:45.600 has actually come out to the point where that has suspended. Um, 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:48.800 we have great leadership in NBA follow their lead. Is 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:54.200 important that the fans, players, coaching staff, our staff here 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:58.080 at the Sixers, UM, you know, remain healthy and we 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:00.960 do everything we can so we believe in a leadership 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:04.600 in the league. Two months later, Brandon the seventy Sixers 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.160 find themselves in a groove of going about their demanding 0:02:07.240 --> 0:02:10.600 day to day remotely. In a conversation we published on 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:13.480 May fifth, the second year general manager reflects on how 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:17.760 he and the Sixers have adapted to unprecedented circumstances all 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:20.920 while eagerly hoping to at some point continue their pursuit 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:24.600 of a championship. EB it is great to see you 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:27.960 zoom or by any other mechanism. Just nice to see 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:31.040 the face. After a couple months, I see some facial hair. 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:33.000 If people are listening this, they might not be able 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:35.120 to see it, obviously, but there is some facial hair 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:39.799 there a quarantine byproduct. I'm sure, right, absolutely, Brian, good 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:43.040 to see two. Hope you and your family are healthy 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:46.320 and safe. But yeah, some facial hair more greg protruding 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:48.760 out than usual. But uh, you know how to teach 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:52.000 myself how to do a haircut? I did okay job? Really? 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:56.240 Did you yeah? Or did I do it okay job? Well, 0:02:56.240 --> 0:03:00.880 that's what a viewers to decide. If you I think 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.360 it looks great? Who who did the execution? Did you 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:04.840 really do it by your own hand? Or do you 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:08.600 have some personal assistance with the fam at home? No, 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:11.160 my wife and kids did not help. I did it 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:13.320 on my own. I don't know what the back looks like. 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:15.680 And he used the mirror and get that fancy. But 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:18.400 it was getting really really rough in the in the 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:21.960 quarantine age, so I had to shave it down I 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.920 had to shave it down. I feel like, by today's standards, 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:27.600 as long as it's presentable from the front and looks 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:30.080 okay on a zoom or a team's call or anything 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.240 like that, then you're in good shape. Right, I agree? 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.760 I agree. Well, tell us for people out there who 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:39.280 last they heard from you was the night the season 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:43.520 went into suspension, how are you doing? Are you okay? 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:48.480 Just from a lifestyle standpoint first and foremost, you know, lifestyle, 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:52.040 it's been a lot of it's been a lot of ups, 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:54.600 a few downs. You know, it's tough. No, it's tough. 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:56.920 My wife she's been great picking me up. We talk 0:03:57.000 --> 0:03:59.480 every morning about, you know, how must see you having 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:01.920 the tank. I have twenty, she can step up and 0:04:01.960 --> 0:04:04.760 do eighty. And if she has twenty, I can push 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.520 for eighty. And we both don't have it. We'll figure 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:09.920 it out along with the kids. But it's it's it's 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:12.440 it's been tough, along with work and everything else, because 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:15.480 I had to set some boundaries. We have meetings and 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:18.000 zoom meetings and WebEx and phone calls and I'm on 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:21.320 committees and back to play and when we're gonna get 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:24.800 back to play. Every single day so it's it's it's 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:28.240 been a lot, but I've been getting adjusted and we 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.320 are where we are. It sounds like you have a 0:04:31.360 --> 0:04:34.800 full day right now. Yeah, alluded to that to it earlier. 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:36.680 We had to set some boundaries, you know, I had 0:04:36.720 --> 0:04:39.520 to say, hey, you know, let's enjoy part of a 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.640 weekend at least, you know, let's end the zoom calls 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.640 or the WebEx calls or the video conferences because we're 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:50.640 trying to I'm talking to Adam Silver, the Commissioner, on 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:54.680 GM agendas and return to action on a committee. We 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:57.200 have the draft. I'm doing deep dives in the draft. 0:04:57.279 --> 0:05:00.440 Vince Roseman, as he did last year, is leading those 0:05:00.800 --> 0:05:05.080 scouting efforts with the draft. So you free agency and 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.520 all these scenarios that we have to plan for because 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:10.400 there's so much unknown. I feel like this is probably 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:13.320 a subject we could talk about for hours, if not 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:16.560 over the course of multiple days, but for as much 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:18.960 as you can in this window of time that we have. 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.520 Can you walk us through what you recall from when 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:25.960 you found out the season was suspended to where things 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:28.599 are now with the front office, how you guys built 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.280 up the remote infrastructure to take care of the day 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:33.240 to day that you guys need to do for a 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:38.120 professional basketball team. Yeah, I've rewinded a little bit further. So, 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:42.120 you know, I was in California for the Clipper game, 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:46.800 Laker game, Golden State Warrior game, and I don't know 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:49.039 if they were testing before us, but there were many 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:51.320 more cases and it was more of a hotbed at 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:53.800 the time. So when I got back to the Northeast, 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:55.760 I had a different sense of what was going on. 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:01.120 So I decided made the decision to take the scouts 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:03.800 off of the road a little earlier than some other teams, 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:06.560 and we went more to video work right there for 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.600 the draft and for free agency. It's like, we don't 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:11.440 know where this thing is going, but if there's a chance, 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:15.359 I'd rather um, you know, falling on the side of safety. 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:18.479 So we took the scouts off the road. This is 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.920 before the NCAA was canceled, before all the high school 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.479 tournaments were canceled and things of that nature, or the 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:27.479 All American games you're canceled. Um. And then that night 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:30.680 I was just just in shock because you don't know 0:06:30.800 --> 0:06:33.640 what what's going to happen. Um. You know, we rely 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:37.880 on the leadership of the n Nbaum and they were 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:40.080 going with the knowledge that they had, you know at 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.000 the time. So we were the first league to put 0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:46.200 the season on the hiatus, which you made me proud, 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.240 and then we just went to work from there. How 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:51.960 do we make sure our players are are in a 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:54.600 safe environment? How do we make sure that their k 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:57.760 cared for? Not just physically, but you know, this can 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:00.560 take a mental toll on you, especially you're a young 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:03.720 person used to having friends and traveling and being around 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:08.040 basketball your entire life. Um, you know fur Con these 0:07:08.480 --> 0:07:11.080 his family still in Turkey, Like, how do we interact 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:15.040 and keep him engaged and mentally, mentally engaged and just 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:18.680 just healthy all the way around. I can't imagine that 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:22.080 there is any playbook in any line of work or 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:26.040 walk of life that could have prepared a person, a team, 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:30.600 society for something like this. What did you fall back upon? 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:34.360 How did you adapt and adjust to this on the fly? Um? Yeah, 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.440 it SAIDs a human level, Like you said, society, It's 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:41.360 like it's it's bigger than sports, it's bigger than basketball. Um, 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:43.480 just trying to relate to everything from a human level. 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:45.840 What do you need as a as a human, as 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.520 a person, What can we do just to make your 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:52.440 transition with all this as easy as possible. And then 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:54.720 on the other side, you know, as a fan, like 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:57.840 I'm chomping at the bit to figure out a way 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:01.560 to you know, have some some semblance of sports in 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:04.560 our season and the team we put together and competing, 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.720 and so I look forward to the day when it's 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.360 deemed safe for us to do that. Amen to that. 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:13.280 From what I remember the night of the Pistons game 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.440 at the Center, I don't think I really even paid 0:08:16.560 --> 0:08:19.000 attention to one bit of the game itself, because right 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:21.560 after tip it seemed like there was this scroll on 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:25.120 social media on my Twitter feed of development after development. 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:27.880 It was first Tom Hanks and his wife tested positive. 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:31.000 Then you saw reports coming out of Oklahoma City and 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:33.520 what was going on there, and it just seemed like, 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:36.840 very quickly, there was no doubt about it. The league 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:39.319 needed to take action and take action as quickly as 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:41.920 it could. Yeah, now we were I was on that 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:45.720 same path, says that the Tom Hanks. I didn't know 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:48.280 about that one til later. But we're following what's going 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:52.319 on with Oklahoma City, you know, against the Jazz, and 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:54.760 you know where they're going with it, and the game's postponed, 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:57.880 and what's going on? There's another game? I think the 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:00.880 Sacramento Kings are playing the public are they're gonna play? 0:09:01.200 --> 0:09:04.640 What does this mean for us? And then post game, 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:07.559 you know, I got the news that we're putting the 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:10.560 season on a hiatus for postponing the season and just 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:13.439 had to address the players. And I just just went 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:16.600 in that locker room, and the unknowns are still unknown, 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:18.480 so I didn't know what were where we were going, 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:20.640 how long this would last. And I'm glad the way 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.840 the league handled it all for fans who might not 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:26.800 be familiar with how you guys communicate, but also at 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:29.840 the same time not asking you to spill too many secrets. 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:33.000 How do you get the message out to players in 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:35.320 a remote world like for instance us In our world 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:37.199 and the business side of the seventy six ers, we 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:40.320 use Microsoft Teams and Slack, that sort of thing. So 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:42.440 how do you stay in touch with the players on 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:46.080 a regular basis? Yeah, so we do, of course, you know, 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:50.400 the org side, we have Slack, we have teams players, 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:54.079 we use more video conference and tools sometimes like Zoom 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:58.480 or WebEx or FaceTime. I'm a little old school. I'll 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:02.120 just call them kind of get permission to FaceTime. I'm 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:04.640 still I'm still in the era. This is weird to 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:06.880 have someone just FaceTime me out there blue like I 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.600 need permission, Like, hey, then if you want to FaceTime 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:12.760 and talk, we can do that. Players have had happy 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:15.680 hours that I haven't been invited to, but they've They've 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:19.079 been getting together on our own and Brett. Brett's been leading, 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:22.840 you know, with his staff. They're preparing as you know, 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:24.800 the season's coming back and we have to be ready 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:27.320 for a regular season or playoffs. There are two three 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.640 times a week they're getting together. They're on the video 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:34.920 conference and technology working and we do something with the 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.920 players probably every two weeks that we just get together. 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:41.079 I pop on, I don't stay too long. Basically, give 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:44.400 a message and an update and let them go. You 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:48.400 alluded to this dynamic and this tricky balancing act that 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:50.559 you guys are currently in the midst of. Right now 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:53.000 with the season in limbo, you have the evidence of 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:55.440 about two thirds of the season to fall back on, 0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:58.720 but now it's during this hiatus. If play were to resume, 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:01.600 there is projecting out as far as what might be. 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:05.280 How do you account for the layoff and whatever ripple 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:08.360 effects that might have. So I guess my question is 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:10.520 how do you do it? How do you strike that 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:13.520 balance and walk that line? Like what are the pieces 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.400 of evidence you're trying to piece together here? Yeah, So 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:22.040 it's it's strictly scenario planting. There's there's nothing that we 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:24.880 can't be surprised by. So it's we don't know when 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:28.000 the draft is, but we're assuming that the draft is 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.520 going to happen, So we're preparing as you know it's 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:33.640 going to be in June. We don't know when we're 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:37.120 going to return, but I think we are going to return, 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:39.960 So we're preparing like business is usual when we return. 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.240 This is what we're gonna need. This is what the 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:44.559 players will need to ramp up and get ready. Everyone's 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:48.079 gonna need ramp up time, UM to get back to 0:11:48.080 --> 0:11:51.160 to UM, you know, physically fit state that you can 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:55.240 compete at an NBA level. UM, you know, free agency, 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:57.600 what happens at this what happens is that. So it's 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.920 just a lot of scenario planning so that we don't 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:04.440 miss anything more With Elton brand in about fifteen seconds 0:12:05.600 --> 0:12:09.920 in this time of social distancing, Novocare rehabilitation is offering 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:13.280 physical therapy from the comfortence safety of your home. Through 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:17.080 their new tele rehab program, Novocare will virtually bring their 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:20.040 services to you so you can heal, build strength, and 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:22.880 get back to the things you love. Tele Rehab lets 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.880 you easily connect with one of Novocare's licensed therapists through 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:29.160 web paste technology that hip a compliant. For more information, 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:33.040 visit novocare dot com. Now back to our chat with 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:37.160 Elton Brand at thirty nine and twenty six when play stopped, 0:12:37.200 --> 0:12:40.400 where did you think the team was at? And I 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:44.280 think that the season was incompletely you know, we knew 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:47.040 we need to get our players healthy. Down to stretch. 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:52.120 You know, Joel was out, Ben was out. You know, 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.920 keep mashing. We have some really good games. We proved 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:58.120 that we could beat anybody. So this home stretch was 0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:01.240 going to be about that, just getting everybody healthy. Um, 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:04.200 we said it all season long. We're built for the playoffs. 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.920 I was looking forward to actually, you know, seeing what 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:10.800 that would look like. It's funny because even though the 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:14.320 wins weren't there, on that West Coast trip, it felt 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:17.200 like there were some good things that were happening. The 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:20.760 vibes were positive, there was energy it seemed like not 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:23.360 just demeanor wise the guys off the court, but in 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:27.400 how they played. Then Joel comes back for the Detroit game, 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:30.520 has a great night. Did you see things trending in 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.600 the right direction at that point in time, it was 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:35.960 that's that's what you want. You want to hit that 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:39.840 stage where you know, all cylinders are flowing shape. Broke 0:13:39.880 --> 0:13:43.360 out against the Clippers, had an amazing game. Um, you know, 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:46.840 be Sacramento. You know, a game or two after that, 0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:50.560 after a good battle with the Lakers, great spirited battle. Um, 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:53.960 Joel comes back, has an amazing game at home. Um. 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:55.880 So we were just kind of putting the pieces together. 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:59.560 Ben Um, his rehab is going well, so when it's 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:02.360 time to ramp up, I'm encouraged and I see him 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:05.560 being able to ramp up and be right along with 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.480 his teammates when it's when did we do return to play? 0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:11.080 So but we were trending in the right direction. So 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:14.200 that's a little disheartening. But of course what we're dealing 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:16.760 with is like we talked about, as bigger than basketball. 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:19.920 But as a fan, um me being a fan of 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:22.360 the game, it's it's a little disheartening. I wanted to 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.840 see it. I know this is probably a very obvious 0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:28.960 question and it may have an obvious answer, but the 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:32.240 Ben Simmons that we saw this season before the nerv 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:35.400 and pigment, if he comes back, what does that do 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:39.760 for this team? You know, it's he's going to be back, 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:42.640 and then it's it's just off to the racist. You know, 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:46.160 he's his defensive level. We went back to Brett and 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:48.920 I we were talking about pre All Star Break in 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:51.800 the game against the Clippers at home and the defense 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.400 he played against Kauai and that level of intensity like 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:58.440 that was high level. I don't want to even say 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:01.440 first round playoff basket, but I was high level. You 0:15:01.680 --> 0:15:05.840 multiple round playoff basketball in the atmosphere and that energy 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:07.720 that he brought in, that skill set that he brought, 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:12.240 and again Joel being healthy and having our full compliment 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:17.560 of our team, Shakespeaw latise growth for con coming into 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:21.080 his own in the season that he had. So we're 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:23.800 looking to all put it together. What do you think 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.800 triggered that next step defensively for Ben? Does it go 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:29.680 back as far as what happened this time last year 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:32.840 against the Raptors and how he was challenged with obviously 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:35.640 facing quiet in that series and then the series before 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:37.400 that against Brooklyn, he had to go up against some 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.240 really good guards in that series. Yeah, I think it's 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:44.120 his competitive nature. You know, before you know him missing 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:46.720 these games. I think he's missed one game last season. 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:51.040 You know, it says he's such an elite competitor, elite 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:53.680 young player, young talent, and he just wants to win. 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:55.880 He wants the team to win, and he wants to 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:58.160 do whatever he has to do to have the team win. 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.960 The incredible thing about Joel is that he can have 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:04.800 games like forty nine and fourteen, like what he did 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:07.640 in that home game against Atlanta, miss a couple of weeks, 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:10.560 come back and then drop thirty and put up fourteen 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:13.560 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons. Where did you guys think 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:16.160 that he was at right before the season was put 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:19.880 on pause. Yeah, he was at that stage where you know, 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:22.960 bet against Joel and b he was at that flock 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:27.720 in focus. That's that's special. And he's so talented and 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:30.320 when he brings that, you know what he brings to 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:34.040 our team and to our court. That's that's what makes 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:38.440 us a real competitor and contender. In my opinion, we 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:41.480 talked a lot going back to last summer after the 0:16:41.520 --> 0:16:44.160 acquisitions and the signings, and at the start of this 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:47.680 year of this starting five and its potential. But as 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:51.520 the season unfolded, we saw some really encouraging and strong 0:16:51.600 --> 0:16:54.400 player development success stories. Whether it was someone like a 0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:57.480 fur Con Cork, Moise Matisse, Thible right off the bat 0:16:57.560 --> 0:17:00.200 jumping in and doing what he did, and then you 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:02.240 referenced Shake Milton in the way that he was coming 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:05.280 on in relief of Ben Simmons right before the outbreak 0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:08.520 of Corona. What do you think was helpful to putting 0:17:08.560 --> 0:17:10.960 some of these players on the right path as far 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:14.560 as the player development standpoint. Um, you know, I give 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:16.879 a lot of kudos to Brett Brown and the player 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:20.840 development crew for what they've done. They always had the 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:24.080 players ready. You know, we didn't know Josh would miss 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:28.560 as many games as he missed, or you know, for 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:31.280 Batist to have to step up or bend to miss 0:17:31.320 --> 0:17:35.360 any games. He was really durable for Shake to step up. 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:39.080 But once they got their opportunity that they were, they 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.440 were they were engaged, they was zoned in, and they 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.520 were they were ready, and they stepped up. They really 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:45.560 stepped up and that's what you want, added a young player, 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:47.040 so now they have a taste of it and they 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:50.000 only want more. They can't wait to get back so 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:53.320 that they can continue to grow and seize the moment. 0:17:54.160 --> 0:17:56.520 Do you have any sense of what it could look 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:59.720 like from a team standpoint on your side? For a 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.840 perfect world, let's say all clear is given for play 0:18:02.840 --> 0:18:07.480 to resume somehow, Just how the gradual bringing everyone back 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:09.399 and then getting the team ready from a physical and 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:12.639 mental standpoint, training wise to resume the demands of the 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:15.960 most important time of the season. Essentially, it's it's hard 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:19.520 to speculate. I'm on GM calls weekly. I'm going to 0:18:20.000 --> 0:18:23.240 you know, committee that we have separate calls and return 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:26.639 to action to return to play, We're going to study 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:29.159 what happened during the lockout, so it's gonna need a 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:31.439 ramp up period. We're going to make sure we have 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.400 ample times so that that there's no setbacks. That's our 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:37.440 goal once it's teams safety, even play. For as much 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:39.600 as you want to bring the people listening out there 0:18:39.960 --> 0:18:42.720 into the world of Elton brand in quarantine, I may 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.120 throw a couple quick hitting questions at you right now. 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.359 Best thing you've read so far. It could be an article, 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:55.200 a book, anything. There's some really great articles that I 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:58.880 read about just you know, you're like your moral bucket list. 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:03.160 That was a great article. Um reading The Infinite Game 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:07.520 by Simon sinek Um. What's that? What's that? Other one? 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:11.879 Outward mindset that Rob Nusson gave me? And he and 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:16.560 Scott O'Neill actually meant both mentioned in it? Um. Those 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:18.960 are those are the two that I point to that, uh, 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:21.679 you know, I've been really focused on those. Those are 0:19:21.880 --> 0:19:23.680 kind of main ones I've been focused on. And there's 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:27.159 some good YouTube videos and and things like that that 0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:29.960 just some make you laugh because you need a good laugh, 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:32.400 and some make you think, like, what's the world gonna 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:35.480 be once we get through this? Oh? In Range, I've 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:37.960 read Range, a book called Range that was really good. 0:19:38.240 --> 0:19:41.440 It's about being a specialist versus you're having a lot 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:45.600 of other tools. The best thing you've watched, the best 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:49.800 thing I've watched, I'd say a show called Nailed It. 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:52.399 I wish I could say the last dance, but I 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:54.840 haven't seen it yet. I'm gonna binge watch it, watch 0:19:54.880 --> 0:19:57.639 all those ten episodes or reach out to David Fox 0:19:57.720 --> 0:20:00.840 I can watch all episodes at once. But a show 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:06.080 called Nailed It. It's it's on Netflix, and my wife 0:20:06.080 --> 0:20:08.119 and I took the TV off the wall, so the 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:11.600 kids have to create for a month and on yeah 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:16.080 May first they first, um, first time back to TV. 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:19.080 We watched Harry Potter the movie, which they haven't seen. 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:21.600 My son's eleven. He's into the series now, he's read 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:24.520 all the books. And we watched the show called Nailed It. 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:29.399 That is very funny on Netflix. Tremendous anything that you've 0:20:30.320 --> 0:20:33.199 nostalgically done, just you know, now that there is a 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:35.560 little bit more free time for as much as you 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:38.320 can get of it. Um, just a lot of you know, 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:41.119 looking at pictures, you know, spending time with my wife. 0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:47.120 We'll sit through some some pictures and family and by accident, 0:20:47.200 --> 0:20:49.680 we've we've went through some of her old electronics or 0:20:49.720 --> 0:20:52.680 some of my old electronics, like we have the first iPhone. 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:58.600 We have computers from almost twenty years ago, like Sony 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:02.720 vayos and this stuff still around. That kind of work 0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:05.480 still so that was cool, but that that kind of 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:10.920 butt that uh, that nostalgia when just vacation pictures when 0:21:10.960 --> 0:21:13.560 we were traveling, I talked to my daughter about, yeah, 0:21:13.560 --> 0:21:15.919 where we're gonna go, you know, once we can move around, 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.400 and she's like Paris and I want to have cheese 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:20.000 and breads. She's never been to Paris, by the way, 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:22.080