Speaker 1: On this episode of the Heat Check. It's here, It's here.
Speaker 1: I've been teasing it for months. It is finally time
Speaker 1: to drop the one on one with Toronto Raptors head
Speaker 1: coach Nick Nurse. You're gonna hear Nick Nurse talk about
Speaker 1: everything from roster construction to Scottie Barnes to jazz music.
Speaker 1: We cover and that's I'm not talking about Danny Ainge
Speaker 1: and Rudy Gobert. I'm talking about actual jazz. We cover
Speaker 1: just about everything. It's Nick ur Nurse's world and we are.
Speaker 2: Just living in it. So do me a favor.
Speaker 1: It's actually not true, but just drop the peak. So
Speaker 1: after the Jerry West interview, I decided I liked it
Speaker 1: narrating these and this is a very clean interview.
Speaker 2: There is no audio issues.
Speaker 1: But I do think that giving additional context and what
Speaker 1: we were doing, what we were thinking going into the
Speaker 1: interview in each section makes sense. So first and foremost,
Speaker 1: getting an interview with Nick Nurse has taken me years,
Speaker 1: literally literally years.
Speaker 2: His book came out in twenty nineteen, I think twenty twenty.
Speaker 1: And I tried to get I tried to get an
Speaker 1: interview with him in like the summer or fall of
Speaker 1: twenty twenty, and we.
Speaker 2: Got it set up. It was happening. It was on
Speaker 2: this league.
Speaker 1: He was all down to do it, and then all
Speaker 1: of a sudden, I don't know why, but the interview
Speaker 1: was canceled.
Speaker 2: There was no there was no rescheduled date.
Speaker 1: Nothing, And I've been trying to get him in, trying
Speaker 1: to get him in, trying to get him in, and
Speaker 1: head coaches in this.
Speaker 2: NBA they're busy guys.
Speaker 1: They're scheming, they're trading, they're wheeling, their dealing, they're traveling.
Speaker 1: And so while I was at summer league, I remembered, Oh, yeah,
Speaker 1: everybody's here. So I sent him a little texty text
Speaker 1: and I said, Hey, by any chance, do you have
Speaker 1: any time in the next day or two to sit
Speaker 1: down and finally do that interview. I could do it
Speaker 1: literally any time you want. And because I've been preparing
Speaker 1: for this interview, I don't know for two years, I
Speaker 1: had notes written down and I even mentioned, Hey, there's
Speaker 1: some things that have gone on in this league that
Speaker 1: sort of correspond to some lessons that I've learned in
Speaker 1: your book that I really would like for us to discuss,
Speaker 1: and he mentioned he got back to me, Hi, how
Speaker 1: are you?
Speaker 2: Yes? How about today? Today? Perfect? Let's do it. So
Speaker 2: we did.
Speaker 1: I think he's one of the most remarkably deep people,
Speaker 1: A very introverted dude, very funny, very gentle energy, a
Speaker 1: very musical. Everybody has talked about that, there's a million articles,
Speaker 1: but he actually brings his piano and his guitar with
Speaker 1: him everywhere he goes on the road. He had it
Speaker 1: with them at Summer League. He mentioned that to me.
Speaker 1: So the level of commitment to take that amount of
Speaker 1: equipment with you and all those bags dope. So let's
Speaker 1: start out by sort of, I guess, getting into the mindset,
Speaker 1: and I wanted to start with a conversation and a
Speaker 1: question that was non basketball related, knowing that from his book,
Speaker 1: him and his mom were really, really close. His mom
Speaker 1: passed away in his first year as head coach of
Speaker 1: the Toronto Raptors. Obviously we know what happened. He not
Speaker 1: only won the title in that year, but also ended
Speaker 1: up writing a book about the autobiography of his life.
Speaker 1: So I thought it would be a very proud moment
Speaker 1: for a mom to know all this. But his answer
Speaker 1: about whether she was proud of him or whether she
Speaker 1: would have been proud of him writing a book about
Speaker 1: the autobiography of his life was even better.
Speaker 2: Than I expected.
Speaker 1: How proud do you think she would have been to
Speaker 1: see you have your name in print as the author
Speaker 1: of your life story.
Speaker 3: I don't know about that one, right, but I think
Speaker 3: that a couple of things. My mother would be proud
Speaker 3: of it.
Speaker 4: I mean, she loved the Raptors, watched it, you know,
Speaker 4: never missed a game, had a lot of merchandise.
Speaker 3: You know, she was a really big fan, obviously.
Speaker 4: So, but she also was She'd be probably more proud
Speaker 4: of me that I'm still playing the piano and the
Speaker 4: things that she tried to get me to do when
Speaker 4: I was a kid that I was reluctant to do
Speaker 4: because I was chasing every ball bouncing that I could find,
Speaker 4: and have five older brothers and played every sport known
Speaker 4: known in our area and didn't want to play the
Speaker 4: piano there, but she ingrained it in me and.
Speaker 3: I've come back to it. She'd probably be most proud
Speaker 3: of that, to be honest with you.
Speaker 1: The fact that you did stuff creatively or the fact
Speaker 1: that that is now integrated into your life.
Speaker 4: My mother was very her side of the family is
Speaker 4: super musical. I wouldn't say artsy, but they really believed
Speaker 4: in in you know, that everybody should play an instrument.
Speaker 4: That we had pianos in the house, and we had
Speaker 4: you know, like all my brothers and sisters played something right.
Speaker 4: It was in her side of the family. There's there's
Speaker 4: tons of like you know, their their professors and music
Speaker 4: at university now and like things like that.
Speaker 3: So it's just it was just a thing for her
Speaker 3: that she really loved.
Speaker 4: You know, She'd seen every musical that she could get
Speaker 4: to when she was growing up or whenever she could
Speaker 4: get to when she and she loved them.
Speaker 3: That's it was just part of who she was.
Speaker 1: Was she musical herself? No, really, no, she wasn't just
Speaker 1: enjoyed it.
Speaker 4: She was a music lover to no end and really
Speaker 4: wanted the kids to share that.
Speaker 2: How how did she feel about hip hop?
Speaker 3: I don't think I ever had a conversation with her
Speaker 3: about that. I don't think so much.
Speaker 4: My mother is an interesting story too, is she got
Speaker 4: married at twenty nine, started having kids at thirty, and
Speaker 4: had nine and so she was you know pretty pretty.
Speaker 4: Had me when she was forty three, so she was
Speaker 4: you know when I was coaching. We actually she passed
Speaker 4: away during the first year of my head coach right
Speaker 4: and gig when we were out on the West coast
Speaker 4: and got I mean the you know, got back. I
Speaker 4: did a lot of flying there. We were in we
Speaker 4: just had landed or just took off for LA. My
Speaker 4: sister called me and said, you better, you know, when
Speaker 4: you land you better come home. So I did and
Speaker 4: got to see my mom, and then she passed away,
Speaker 4: and then I flew back to I think met the
Speaker 4: team in Golden State, and then flew right back for
Speaker 4: the funeral, and then flew back to Portland. So I
Speaker 4: was doing a little flying back and forth.
Speaker 3: But I think we had ever had a conversation about
Speaker 3: hip hop, just.
Speaker 5: Never came up on the radio.
Speaker 1: In next book, he also discusses how much friction the trade,
Speaker 1: the Demart Rosen trade made on the team, considering that
Speaker 1: Kyle Lowry and Tomorrow were best friends. Right Kyle Lowry
Speaker 1: was fucking pissed, and that's well documented, and he discusses
Speaker 1: how important it is to work through that friction, to
Speaker 1: handle the elephant in the room, to tackle that no
Speaker 1: matter what head on versus some things also needing to
Speaker 1: kind of let time cool them off and settle them down.
Speaker 1: And given where we're at in the NBA landscape, there's
Speaker 1: a lot of that going on, a lot of tiptoeing around,
Speaker 1: players getting traded without anyone knowing why, players getting coaches
Speaker 1: fired without anyone knowing why. And I think that there's
Speaker 1: a lot of, I would say, a lack of conflict resolution.
Speaker 2: So I wanted to get his perspective.
Speaker 1: On these types of situations and what he would do,
Speaker 1: given that James Harden left the Nets, given that what
Speaker 1: was looming around the summer league was that Kevin Durant
Speaker 1: wanted to be traded, and whether teams should allow time
Speaker 1: to pass, which they did, or whether they should appease
Speaker 1: these players and do whatever that is, whether that's trading
Speaker 1: them or firing a coach, what have you do? See
Speaker 1: that that's what the Nets did decide to do, and
Speaker 1: Kady decided to pull his trade request off the table.
Speaker 1: Listen to what Nick thinks about these types of situations.
Speaker 5: How do you how do you make sense of that
Speaker 5: type of thing?
Speaker 4: Well, first of all, it is there's a lot of
Speaker 4: things in this job that are part of the landscape
Speaker 4: or come with the territory. Right, So, accepting that these
Speaker 4: things are going to happen and knowing that you're going
Speaker 4: to have to deal with.
Speaker 3: Them, I think prepares you.
Speaker 4: When they do happen that it's not so stressful or
Speaker 4: such a worrying, lose sleep thing over. It's it's part
Speaker 4: of the business and it's part of the landscape, right.
Speaker 3: So it's the first thing.
Speaker 4: Second thing is I'm way more on the side.
Speaker 3: Of, you know, let's talk it out.
Speaker 4: You know what, what's the problem, and here's how you
Speaker 4: see it, Here's how I see.
Speaker 3: It as a kind of curator of the organization, Like
Speaker 3: like my job is.
Speaker 4: To do what's best for the organization at all times, right,
Speaker 4: so I have to give my viewpoint speaking for the
Speaker 4: entire organization.
Speaker 3: A lot of the time.
Speaker 4: So and and usually there is a lot of common ground,
Speaker 4: there's a lot of shared ideas, there's a lot of
Speaker 4: understanding that that that irons irons will sing out. I
Speaker 4: think what you mentioned of kind of taking your hands
Speaker 4: off the wheel and letting it play itself out it happens.
Speaker 3: But I would probably be in the camp where I
Speaker 3: wouldn't do that as much.
Speaker 4: I like to tackle as honestly and frankly as I can,
Speaker 4: whatever problems are facing us.
Speaker 1: So do you think making those changes, whether that's changing
Speaker 1: coaches or allowing players to move teams, is that is
Speaker 1: that addressing the elephant?
Speaker 5: Is that? What is that?
Speaker 1: Like? Should should you say okay, like we're going to
Speaker 1: tackle whatever this issue is between player and coach or
Speaker 1: player and player, or do we just say okay, let's
Speaker 1: let them move on?
Speaker 4: Or well? I think I think like in any group
Speaker 4: setting or relationship, there's always probably a point where sometimes
Speaker 4: moving on is the right answer, right. But I also
Speaker 4: think that maybe going back to your question, is there
Speaker 4: is a time element that heals things sometimes right, you
Speaker 4: try to work through, try, try and get a plan,
Speaker 4: try a couple point a point, B point, plan c,
Speaker 4: whatever you want to call it, and see if you
Speaker 4: can't improve it, and then in the end, if it's
Speaker 4: just not right, then maybe you do find a new
Speaker 4: home or solution to it. But I think that I
Speaker 4: don't know, it's it's I think too that be careful
Speaker 4: how I say this, but I think that it's a
Speaker 4: lot more mediaized than the problems really are, you.
Speaker 3: Know what I mean?
Speaker 4: Like, I think I think there's a lot of talk
Speaker 4: about this, that and the other thing. In the reality,
Speaker 4: the problem isn't nearly as big as everybody's making it
Speaker 4: out to be right.
Speaker 1: And it's interesting because media eyes we can use that,
Speaker 1: we can use that. It does feel to me that
Speaker 1: teams can be very quick to move on from a
Speaker 1: player and move them when they are asking to be moved.
Speaker 1: I think that there's no case more prominent than James Harden.
Speaker 1: I don't know what happened there. I don't know what
Speaker 1: the straw that broke the Harden's back was, but I
Speaker 1: wanted to hear his perspective on whether time could have
Speaker 1: solved that. Considering how good this team was, it was
Speaker 1: a shoe print away from going to the finals and
Speaker 1: maybe winning it all.
Speaker 2: Listen to what he has to say about it, because.
Speaker 1: When I think about, like James, I think that there
Speaker 1: was possibly a way a path forward for that to
Speaker 1: be repaired.
Speaker 5: If there's success on.
Speaker 1: The court, if you have all three of them together,
Speaker 1: especially since the mandate changed where Kai was able to play,
Speaker 1: you get success. Or maybe if Katie's foot wasn't on
Speaker 1: the line, you know, maybe things the course of NBA
Speaker 1: history is different, So maybe you say, you know I
Speaker 1: get you're not happy right now, but we're riding this
Speaker 1: thing out because we think we're a championship caliber team
Speaker 1: and we don't want the Dominos to fall from here.
Speaker 4: Well, my first comment is this is I got enough
Speaker 4: to worry about with my own team, worry about what's
Speaker 4: happening with other teams.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 4: I understand your point, broader point you're trying to make
Speaker 4: with the question, and I agree with you. I think, Yeah,
Speaker 4: I mean I don't have any idea of the specific
Speaker 4: so what right down there? But you know I would
Speaker 4: say what we just talked about sometimes letting time kind
Speaker 4: of heal it and trying to work through it.
Speaker 3: You know, maybe we result a different outcome for sure.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Surrounding this Ktie trade request, there's a lot of boomers
Speaker 1: out here saying, fuck KD, don't trade him.
Speaker 2: He's under team control. What can he do? Very old school.
Speaker 1: Perspective, and they want to know pundits too. How come
Speaker 1: teams can't just say no? So I asked him, how
Speaker 1: come teams can't just say no? I think he's also
Speaker 1: what's interesting too, is he's very much on the side
Speaker 1: that players aren't very effective if they're not happy.
Speaker 3: I think this.
Speaker 4: I think that if someone becomes you know, disenchanted or
Speaker 4: super unhappy and miserable and they don't want to be there.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and what are you going to get out of them? Right?
Speaker 4: If they're just dead set that this is not working
Speaker 4: for me and I don't feel good here, I need a.
Speaker 3: Change of scenery. I think that a team, we.
Speaker 4: Probably don't want somebody that doesn't want to be there, right,
Speaker 4: And I think that's where it all stems from.
Speaker 3: And yeah, maybe there was.
Speaker 4: Less requests like that in the good old days, or
Speaker 4: maybe there was a lot more behind the scenes when
Speaker 4: it was so public or whatever.
Speaker 3: Right, and they probably did again what you suggest that
Speaker 3: they write it out.
Speaker 4: And they get through the stormy waters and it's okay,
Speaker 4: you know a little while later, you know, or they
Speaker 4: just like.
Speaker 3: You said as well, if they just say we aren't
Speaker 3: trading you, you know, figure it out.
Speaker 4: I mean, but I don't think that's that's really the
Speaker 4: culture we're in now.
Speaker 1: What do you think is the ramifications of a team,
Speaker 1: like outside of that player interaction, reputation around the league
Speaker 1: or whatever. If it's if they say something like, I'm sorry,
Speaker 1: we can't get what we want from you, you're four
Speaker 1: years left or three years left, or whatever the case
Speaker 1: may be, and so you're kind of you're kind of here.
Speaker 4: Well, I would say too that if you look at
Speaker 4: this from a player's point of view, you know, there's
Speaker 4: always a time where the team can just trade you too.
Speaker 4: They've got you under contract, and they aren't necessarily they're
Speaker 4: just boom moving you like out of nowhere.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that happens a lot of time.
Speaker 4: Right, So there's there's the players that see that and say, well,
Speaker 4: if that's the case, then why can't X be the
Speaker 4: case on our side too?
Speaker 1: I don't know what was your question again, what do
Speaker 1: you think the ramifications are if somebody does.
Speaker 5: Put their feet in the ground and say sorry, Well.
Speaker 4: I think I think we see some ramifications where people would,
Speaker 4: you know, not look too kindly upon that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, I think.
Speaker 5: I think agents, other players, free agents, media.
Speaker 3: You know, they get they get you know, they get
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 4: A hard time, you know, maybe from fans, maybe from media,
Speaker 4: maybe from you know, whatever.
Speaker 3: You know, Some of them do, some of them don't.
Speaker 3: Maybe it's just the individual case that matters.
Speaker 1: In this era of sports, first round picks are being
Speaker 1: treaded away like crazy for teams that think that they
Speaker 1: can win right now, their articles being written about whether
Speaker 1: they matter or not. There's memes being thrown out by
Speaker 1: players like Lebron James like fuck them picks and first
Speaker 1: round picks are being used to construct roster with stars,
Speaker 1: and I wanted to talk about that with him in
Speaker 1: the context of how you use these assets, whether those
Speaker 1: assets really are valuable enough to keep, or whether they
Speaker 1: should be used as chips.
Speaker 2: For a trade. Not sense.
Speaker 1: No team has been better about finding value late in
Speaker 1: the draft and also traded first round picks to get
Speaker 1: a star in order to win a title. I thought
Speaker 1: this was an apropos time to ask him about that,
Speaker 1: especially considering his assistant is the head coach of a
Speaker 1: team that just traded a million picks for Rudy Gobert.
Speaker 4: I mean, obviously I hired to pick the better your
Speaker 4: chances of finding a good player that can impact your
Speaker 4: organization and be along round for a long time. But
Speaker 4: there's many, many, many cases of late first round, mid
Speaker 4: first round, second round players who are some of the
Speaker 4: best players in the league. So there's that part of it.
Speaker 4: But I think you're right they are, for lack of
Speaker 4: a better term, their assets for the organization right there,
Speaker 4: and you say, well, they're not.
Speaker 3: Worth whatever, but you know what they are worth is.
Speaker 4: Probably other chips to throw in another deal, right you know,
Speaker 4: They're just assets that get included in deals. And they
Speaker 4: seem to move around in circles a lot right now,
Speaker 4: right like you know, I'll saying, well, this team doesn't have.
Speaker 3: Any picks, now what are they going to do?
Speaker 4: And then they trade one of their stars and now
Speaker 4: they've got a whole bunch of them again m m.
Speaker 4: So it's like their assets their player right now, and
Speaker 4: if they give that player.
Speaker 3: Up, they their assets become a bunch.
Speaker 1: It's like a house, right, Like you've got a house
Speaker 1: that's worth or whatever a piece of You're like, oh, well,
Speaker 1: maybe I don't have a lot of cash in my
Speaker 1: bank account, but I've got all this real estate.
Speaker 5: If I needed to flip it for cash, I could.
Speaker 2: The go Bear trade Rock the Summer League.
Speaker 1: So I asked Nick about it, knowing how close he
Speaker 1: is with Wolve's head coach Chris Finch, I wanted to
Speaker 1: get his explanation on why Minnesota pulled the trigger on
Speaker 1: Rudy Gobert and how he would get used to Carl
Speaker 1: Anthony Towns. Very fascinating conversation and a nice panacea the
Speaker 1: people who are saying that this trade made no sense.
Speaker 1: Clearly Nick feels Minnesota can win now and got better,
Speaker 1: a lot better. And what that also shows about what
Speaker 1: this team feels about Karl Anthony Towns. How how do
Speaker 1: you imagine Rudy gets used alongside of Carl Anthony Towns,
Speaker 1: especially in today's modern MBA where we're seeing you know,
Speaker 1: bigs in and bigs out and some of them getting
Speaker 1: ran off the floor. And and also how does that,
Speaker 1: you know, unlock things for talents?
Speaker 4: Well, I think, first of all, answer the first part
Speaker 4: of your question. They obviously do a deal like that
Speaker 4: because they think they've got pieces.
Speaker 3: To win now. I mean more than they are winning.
Speaker 4: I'm not saying like win at all now, but i
Speaker 4: mean obviously that's everybody's end goal. But they obviously feel
Speaker 4: like they've got enough pieces that they went out and
Speaker 4: kind of gave up some of their future right for
Speaker 4: the immediacy of the results this season. Okay, so that's
Speaker 4: first part of why they do it. That's that's what
Speaker 4: they think, right, That's what any team would do that
Speaker 4: thinks they could make.
Speaker 3: Could jump up, right, and how are they gonna play together?
Speaker 3: I think it's gonna be super interesting.
Speaker 4: I think, I mean, Gobert who it is, who he is, right,
Speaker 4: He's gonna rim protect and lob dunk and and do
Speaker 4: what he does at a super high level.
Speaker 3: I think Towns is you know, certainly plays a lot
Speaker 3: from the perimeter.
Speaker 4: Yeah right, he shoots threes, he he trails and drives
Speaker 4: it a lot. He's a playmaker out there from the outside,
Speaker 4: even though he's got the size that he has.
Speaker 3: So I think it'll work out just fine. I mean,
Speaker 3: I mean they'll have their they'll have their challenges.
Speaker 4: You know, teams will say, well we can't match up
Speaker 4: with them, Well let's just go small and quick and
Speaker 4: see if we can't just drive around, you know whatever,
Speaker 4: play faster pair.
Speaker 3: You know, they'll have some some you know ways, teams.
Speaker 4: Will have some ways to try to go against the
Speaker 4: grain of what they have.
Speaker 3: Because he just can't. Man, who's got who's got two
Speaker 3: guys that big?
Speaker 1: Not very many teams, right, And to me it kind
Speaker 1: of feels like, as I watch from the outside, Wow,
Speaker 1: this team really wants to put Carl in position to
Speaker 1: do all the things that he does really well, doesn't
Speaker 1: have to play five, can kind of come off week side,
Speaker 1: be a block monster, but not worry about getting into
Speaker 1: foul trouble, not worry about shouldering the low defensively. And
Speaker 1: now you've got him really in the best potential spot
Speaker 1: and it kind of showcases what Minnesota thinks about him.
Speaker 3: Don't you agree one hundred percent?
Speaker 4: I think I think that he should have a lot
Speaker 4: more time to focus on his offensive skills, right instead
Speaker 4: of like you just mentioned all.
Speaker 3: The things he has to do.
Speaker 4: Now he's still gonna have to guard somebody. He's gonna
Speaker 4: have to guard for it. He's not like I don't
Speaker 4: think as well he's He's a he's a pretty pretty
Speaker 4: good defender already, I mean, not like I think people
Speaker 4: portray him to be.
Speaker 3: But this will again. You know what's what's a strategy
Speaker 3: against Karl Anthony Townes, Well, it's to make him play
Speaker 3: defense every possession.
Speaker 1: The Raptors very unique team filled with three and four's,
Speaker 1: no true center, a lot of guys somewhere between six
Speaker 1: seven and six'. Nine until they recently Drafted arizona Center Christian,
Speaker 1: coloco they did not have a true. Center but we
Speaker 1: are in the space right now where roster flexibility really,
Speaker 1: matters AND i wanted to ask him, about given how
Speaker 1: certain teams are really constructing that, roster how do you
Speaker 1: build something that can contend with? Anyone and what does
Speaker 1: that mean about finding a big? Man what does that
Speaker 1: mean about the value of a big? Man sort of
Speaker 1: a complex, question But Nick, nurse being the guy that he,
Speaker 1: is dumbed it down for me and dumbed it down
Speaker 1: for anyone. Listening how do you think the versatility across
Speaker 1: the league in terms of how rosters are constructed change
Speaker 1: what you AND messi and just other people around the league,
Speaker 1: think how they think about roster, construction team.
Speaker 3: Building, YEAH i mean for, us you're, Right, like, listen
Speaker 3: we got a lot of.
Speaker 4: Six eight and above guys with seven foot plus wingspans
Speaker 4: on our, team.
Speaker 3: Like nine of, them, yeah, right or eight or nine
Speaker 3: something like.
Speaker 4: That so we think that's a you, know interchangeable player
Speaker 4: that we can. Use and we Obviously scotty place point,
Speaker 4: Guard pascal place point.
Speaker 3: Guard so we've got the ability to kind of go
Speaker 3: out there with the whole whole five of. Them but
Speaker 3: In christian's, case, again it makes us gives us. Something,
Speaker 3: again we don't really have a rim protected shot block lob,
Speaker 3: threat so it makes us more.
Speaker 4: Versatile, Right like you, said there's certain games where you need,
Speaker 4: that there's certain games where you don't need, it, right
Speaker 4: and there's and it gives you a chance to at
Speaker 4: least have another kind of tool in the tool, KIT i.
Speaker 4: Think and that's WHY i like the. Pick and the
Speaker 4: big THING i like about it is really.
Speaker 3: Really runs and he really moves his. Feet you, know
Speaker 3: it's not like he's you can't.
Speaker 4: Play you can play every coverage with this guy and
Speaker 4: he can switch at seven foot he can get out
Speaker 4: there and move his feet and all that. Stuff so
Speaker 4: he's almost like another wing player even though he's over
Speaker 4: seven foot, tall.
Speaker 5: Like A rob william. H, yeah yeah like.
Speaker 1: That there's different models for different types of. Constructions, Right
Speaker 1: we're seeing The warriors go. Small we're Seeing cleveland at
Speaker 1: one point last season go super, big more traditional setups
Speaker 1: like What philly has done With Joel. EMBIID i wanted
Speaker 1: to know how you compete with these different. TEAMS i
Speaker 1: wanted to get his thoughts on the traditional big whether
Speaker 1: they're going. Extinct his answer was wildly interesting about how
Speaker 1: seven footers are actually. Changing it's not the fact that
Speaker 1: they're no longer getting seven, footers it's now that seven
Speaker 1: footers operate like a.
Speaker 3: Wing, WELL i think.
Speaker 4: That the true seven footer was more of a banging,
Speaker 4: type throw it in the low post type of. Center
Speaker 4: that's what kind of the center position historically has been.
Speaker 4: Seen as, now as you've already, mentioned a bunch of,
Speaker 4: centers and most of them are a little bit more
Speaker 4: agile and you don't necessarily pound it inside to, them
Speaker 4: but they're more they're more screened the roll threats at the,
Speaker 4: rim they're more rim. Protectors they're they're able to switch
Speaker 4: and play you, know multiple coverages and.
Speaker 3: Stuff so it's kind of.
Speaker 4: WEIRD i think it's a it's a it's a weird
Speaker 4: situation because you, say, well the big man is is
Speaker 4: gone or it's a dying breed or.
Speaker 3: Whatever, well what is? BIG i, mean these guys are
Speaker 3: seven seven one seven three seven. Foots it's pretty big
Speaker 3: in my. Book so and they are at the.
Speaker 4: Center maybe is morphing into more of an athletic type of.
Speaker 1: Position, yeah BECAUSE i hear you know a lot of
Speaker 1: people who will either make decisions in terms of who
Speaker 1: gets paid, Why they'll, say, well we anybody who can
Speaker 1: get rent off the floor shouldn't be GETTING x because you,
Speaker 1: know teams Like dallas OR la can basically go five
Speaker 1: out and and kind of yield you somewhat useless in
Speaker 1: this particular.
Speaker 5: Matchup is that? Valid?
Speaker 3: YEAH i think.
Speaker 5: So, YEAH i think.
Speaker 4: So and AGAIN i think that the key of that
Speaker 4: is probably being flexible.
Speaker 3: Enough or strategic enough to combat.
Speaker 1: IT i don't know about, you, guys BUT i was
Speaker 1: personally floored about The Scottie barnes pick watching that draft.
Speaker 1: NIGHT i think a lot of people thought they were
Speaker 1: going to Take Jalen, sucks especially considering how well he
Speaker 1: played in the.
Speaker 2: Tournament it's a point guard driven, league et, cetera et.
Speaker 1: Cetera they zigged when everyone expected them to, Zag and
Speaker 1: that was the first moment where it clicked for me
Speaker 1: what The raptors were trying to.
Speaker 2: Do just a little bit of what they were trying.
Speaker 1: To, Do SO i wanted AND i was always curious
Speaker 1: about the mindset of. It what exactly are you trying
Speaker 1: to build? Here it feels like you're doing, This why
Speaker 1: are you doing? It and what exactly are you looking
Speaker 1: For he gave a very robust answer and a very
Speaker 1: detailed answer about the types of players that they want
Speaker 1: on this, team probably one of the most detailed That i've,
Speaker 1: heard And i'm really happy to share it with you.
Speaker 1: Guys AND i think the fact that was the most
Speaker 1: interesting was that they want these, long athletic players who
Speaker 1: can literally do everything on a basketball. COURT a, rosterful
Speaker 1: a rosterful of positional ass. Players that is bananas thinking
Speaker 1: about that compared to how other teams construct their, roster
Speaker 1: given how a lot of teams have players who are,
Speaker 1: limited a lot of teams have players who have very specific.
Speaker 1: Roles he wants guys who can play any. Role AND
Speaker 1: i thought that that really gives me a lot of
Speaker 1: optimism about the future of this. Team what are some
Speaker 1: of the most important things in a player besides, length
Speaker 1: that you guys look for when you're.
Speaker 5: Scouting, yes, YEAH i MEAN.
Speaker 4: I THINK i think what we're trying to do is
Speaker 4: or or you, know it's not.
Speaker 3: Like like we made it up or.
Speaker 4: ANYTHING i, mean it's, like it's, LIKE i want guys
Speaker 4: to be able to do. Everything, yeah, RIGHT i want
Speaker 4: them to grab a rebound.
Speaker 3: And push it up, befloor be able to.
Speaker 4: Pass create offense at the end of a semi break
Speaker 4: or you, know a transition type. Play want them to
Speaker 4: be able to. SWITCH i want them to be able
Speaker 4: to drive it to the. Rim want them to be
Speaker 4: able to space up and shoot it.
Speaker 3: Three you want them to be.
Speaker 4: Able to play pick and roll as the, handler play
Speaker 4: pick and roll as the.
Speaker 3: Center Right, again it's just can we get a bunch
Speaker 3: of guys that are, really you, know a Versatile can
Speaker 3: they do it? All you? Know can they drive? It
Speaker 3: can they shoot? It can they? Post can they? Rebound
Speaker 3: can they? Switch can they you?
Speaker 4: Know and that's that's you know Ask but, YEAH i,
Speaker 4: know it's like it's, like you, know everybody's talked about.
Speaker 3: Positionless right there is no position everybody's doing.
Speaker 1: EVERYTHING i heard a quote on that SAME NBA tv
Speaker 1: interview you did where it was competitiveness and love for
Speaker 1: the game.
Speaker 5: Was what we were really impressed with in terms Of.
Speaker 5: Scottie that was the number one.
Speaker 1: Thing h is The can you talk a little bit
Speaker 1: about the intangible of love for the game and tangible
Speaker 1: for ultimate competitor because that's something everyone can kind of, Say, ye.
Speaker 5: How do you how do you see.
Speaker 3: It, yeah you see, it, well you see.
Speaker 4: It you know with, him he's, again he's super, infectious
Speaker 4: like like loves, basketball Loves, toronto loves.
Speaker 3: Being a raft, or like he was so excited when
Speaker 3: we picked.
Speaker 4: Him and you, KNOW i mean just there's just a
Speaker 4: lot of passion there that fuels a lot of his.
Speaker 3: You, know great.
Speaker 4: Play you, know it gets him in the gym working,
Speaker 4: Hard it gets him in the weight room getting stronger
Speaker 4: so he can be more. Physical it gets him working
Speaker 4: on on his. GAME i, mean he loves to, Play
Speaker 4: he loves the, guard he loves to. Pass those are
Speaker 4: pretty good, qualities, right you, know he he loves defense
Speaker 4: and he loves seeing his teammates score off of one
Speaker 4: of his.
Speaker 3: Passes and that is a it's a little, unique RIGHT i.
Speaker 4: Think AND i think he's got a super super future
Speaker 4: ahead of him because he's got some really good foundational
Speaker 4: points to his.
Speaker 1: Character you could tell he was super loyal because he
Speaker 1: came for and Defended og when all that stuff was going.
Speaker 1: ON i was, Like, wow for a young rookie to
Speaker 1: defend his teammate one year in AND i was, like,
Speaker 1: wow that's really.
Speaker 4: Impressive as a natural, leader you, know even though he's
Speaker 4: only twenty and he's, he's you, know a rookie on the.
Speaker 4: Team he just has that kind of personality and game
Speaker 4: and plays with you, know leading by example quite a,
Speaker 4: bit and he's just kind of a you know guy
Speaker 4: people gravitate.
Speaker 1: Too when The raptors Traded Kyle, lowry it left behind
Speaker 1: a leadership gap that has taken some time to. Fill
Speaker 1: in this, Clip nick speaks about what it means to
Speaker 1: have veteran leadership and how having good veterans actually helped
Speaker 1: the entire team and not just young, players actually get
Speaker 1: better and how that changes the culture of a.
Speaker 5: Squad do you think.
Speaker 1: The love of the game is the number? One, LIKE
Speaker 1: i guess make break you if you see someone six
Speaker 1: seven to six, nine they can do all those, things
Speaker 1: but they don't quite have, That like maybe they'll take
Speaker 1: time off or maybe you feel like they kind of
Speaker 1: halfway love, it kind.
Speaker 5: Of halfway Don't is?
Speaker 1: That?
Speaker 5: LIKE a is that the number one?
Speaker 3: QUALIFIER i MEAN i think.
Speaker 4: SO i mean it's it's you could say it is
Speaker 4: that or you could say it as competitive, spirit RIGHT,
Speaker 4: Yea like the desire to win and the desire to
Speaker 4: get better fuels your energy to go.
Speaker 3: To work every. Day. Yeah, Right like the guys.
Speaker 4: That are real pros at, that you, know like they
Speaker 4: understand what AN nba day.
Speaker 3: Is you, know it's.
Speaker 4: It's in, early it's it's eating, well it's, lifting it's,
Speaker 4: massage it's shooting, drills it's, film it's, practice it's.
Speaker 3: Massage, again it's cold, tub it's hot, tub it's you,
Speaker 3: know in five o'clock you go.
Speaker 4: Home you, know it's like, yeah and it doesn't bother,
Speaker 4: them like they get, it and they have the juice
Speaker 4: and the energy to do that every day because they
Speaker 4: know that that's the level of greatness they're trying to.
Speaker 1: Attains that structures built in like in terms of so
Speaker 1: say someone comes into the league they're, rookie is that
Speaker 1: like five. O'clock they have to they have to build.
Speaker 4: That everybody does that cost everybody does, that and they
Speaker 4: have they have to learn what being a pro. Is
Speaker 4: and and they, see you, know they see some of
Speaker 4: the really good players and what they do and they
Speaker 4: learn from.
Speaker 1: It one of the things that made me WHEN i
Speaker 1: was in, sales one of the THINGS i was the
Speaker 1: bottom quartile and sales the thing that really took me
Speaker 1: from bottom quartile to top was organization and. Structure AND
Speaker 1: i basically just borrowed it from someone who was really
Speaker 1: good at, it because it's it Makes i'm not great
Speaker 1: at it at.
Speaker 5: ALL i just took it and copied it and followed.
Speaker 1: It is that something that young guys learned from from?
Speaker 1: Vets and are there certain vets that are really really
Speaker 1: good and organized and passed those things?
Speaker 4: Down that's what the vets. Do they teach, them you,
Speaker 4: know how to be true. Professionals they set the, town the,
Speaker 4: organization your your, organization you work for the culture there
Speaker 4: probably spurred some of that for, You.
Speaker 3: Andy that does the same for our.
Speaker 4: Players, yeah and it and it and it's really infectious
Speaker 4: and it's really something that goes from one guy to the,
Speaker 4: next like you, know like for, US i can't be you,
Speaker 4: know our player development that people talk so much about
Speaker 4: is you, know truly twelve months a year and the
Speaker 4: new guys come in and they get on board because
Speaker 4: the train's moving and in the it looks like it's
Speaker 4: going in the right, direction so they get on.
Speaker 1: Board you, know who's the BEST vet that you've been
Speaker 1: around that does that really?
Speaker 5: Well?
Speaker 4: WELL i mean there's a bunch of, them, RIGHT i,
Speaker 4: mean there's THERE'S i could give, you, know Certainly kawhi
Speaker 4: was was super interesting to watch him again like put
Speaker 4: in his day at the office like.
Speaker 3: That, yeah and.
Speaker 4: Again it never phased him like, oh you, know get
Speaker 4: getting out of the car in the, MORNING i got
Speaker 4: to do this.
Speaker 3: Again like that wasn't even anywhere in his sphere of, thought,
Speaker 3: right it was just like this is.
Speaker 4: It i'm going for a level of greatness and here's the,
Speaker 4: day here's the day of work ahead of.
Speaker 3: Me Kyle lowry's like. THAT i, Mean Kyle's kyle's like six.
Speaker 4: Am he's running and he's you, know like he's done
Speaker 4: working out before everybody else he even gets to the,
Speaker 4: building you know WHAT i, Mean like like you, know
Speaker 4: so there's there's some real tone setters there in the
Speaker 4: in the.
Speaker 1: Organization there are a ton of teams that draft on.
Speaker 1: Potential they are very reluctant to take an older player
Speaker 1: like A Chris dwarte for, example.
Speaker 2: Someone who played three or four years in.
Speaker 1: College they just don't feel as high on because they
Speaker 1: don't have as much quote unquote. Upside, right we know
Speaker 1: what their upside. Is it's a new, philosophy really going
Speaker 1: and finding players who are as young as they can,
Speaker 1: come and you imagine who they could possibly, be even
Speaker 1: though though they've only shown glimpses of that. Thing Allah
Speaker 1: shade and sharp, RIGHT i wanted to know What nick
Speaker 1: thinks about. That gave a very political, answer a very diplomatic.
Speaker 1: Answer BUT i think one that that shows that every,
Speaker 1: team EVERY gm has a different perspective on who they
Speaker 1: look for and why it just came.
Speaker 4: FROM i just just spoke at at a conference and
Speaker 4: with the guy speaking in front of, me they asked
Speaker 4: him about he's a front office, guy and they asked
Speaker 4: him about the exact same, question like this potential, thing
Speaker 4: what do you think? About and there's guys getting drafted
Speaker 4: that didn't even average five points.
Speaker 3: And he and, he.
Speaker 4: He, said listen WHAT i told you, BEFORE i got
Speaker 4: enough to worry ABOUT i DON'T i don't need to
Speaker 4: criticize or worry about.
Speaker 3: What other teams are. DOING i didn't have to worry
Speaker 3: about my own. Team but.
Speaker 4: He, Said i'm in the school of and he mentioned
Speaker 4: fort and he, really, yeah he mentioned him and said
Speaker 4: that guy can, play and that's the School i'm. In
Speaker 4: that's the School i'm in the guy can, play and,
Speaker 4: uh And i'm not very good at looking down the
Speaker 4: road and, potential like he, Said i'm not smart enough
Speaker 4: to do that or. Whatever So i'm in The i'm
Speaker 4: in the school that the guy can. Play AND i
Speaker 4: WOULD i would say that there's just different ways to
Speaker 4: the same. PATH a lot of times there's lots Of to,
Speaker 4: ME i always, say there's lots of different paths to a. Title, yeah,
Speaker 4: Right and and everybody's got their own own way they
Speaker 4: think they can get.
Speaker 3: There.
Speaker 1: Yeah it was an interesting watching kind of the pre
Speaker 1: draft content Around shaden because no one's really Seen shaden
Speaker 1: play five on five in a year and a, half
Speaker 1: and at that point you have to be drafting on you,
Speaker 1: know what you think he would be versus guys that
Speaker 1: have been in the league or in college for in
Speaker 1: college for three four. Years which player other Than kaloco
Speaker 1: do you think is going to BECOME i GET i
Speaker 1: guess the longest career Pro, like could you see just
Speaker 1: coming out of this?
Speaker 5: Draft do you? Think, WELL i don't.
Speaker 4: KNOW i mean there's a lot of. Guys obviously there's
Speaker 4: a bunch of. Them the number one pick is a good.
Speaker 4: Player he's got a great, body you.
Speaker 3: Know you, KNOW i think he's he's huge and. STRONG
Speaker 3: i saw him play a lot this.
Speaker 4: Year one of my, Assistants Adrian griffin's son was started
Speaker 4: at the agent, Yea SO i saw them play a,
Speaker 4: lot and you, KNOW i see A i see a, big,
Speaker 4: strong athletic guy with a lot of.
Speaker 3: Skill those are usually pretty good qualities for a, good good.
Speaker 4: Career but you, KNOW i guess you never, know you,
Speaker 4: KNOW i, MEAN i really like just some other guys
Speaker 4: THAT i know a little bit. MORE i really Like
Speaker 4: Keegan murray And iowa to watch them play a lot
Speaker 4: a Where i'm.
Speaker 3: FROM i Like Ben matherin coached him with The canadian.
Speaker 4: Team you, know there's some GUYS i have a little
Speaker 4: bit more knowledge and seeing them.
Speaker 3: Play a little bit more THAT i think are going
Speaker 3: to be.
Speaker 1: Good in this conversation or this part of the, CONVERSATION
Speaker 1: i wanted to get his thoughts On canadian. Players, nick
Speaker 1: if you don't, know is the coach of The canadian
Speaker 1: Of Team, canada and there's a bunch of Young cannadian
Speaker 1: players that are rising to. PROMINENCE i wanted to understand
Speaker 1: why that was. Happening why are all of These canadian
Speaker 1: players rising to this level of. Stature why are we
Speaker 1: seeing kids Like Shay, Gilgis alexander and Lou dort come
Speaker 1: out of the? Woodwork what is the catalyst? Here he
Speaker 1: gave a few different factors THAT i thought were really,
Speaker 1: interesting and one of them was connected to actually The
Speaker 1: Kawhi leonard. Trade, well there's no video in this, interview
Speaker 1: but you're rocking the Team Canada quarterszip were actually full.
Speaker 5: ZIP a lot of a lot of pros.
Speaker 1: Coming out Of canada right now and a lot of
Speaker 1: Good canadians THAT i think there's like almost like an.
Speaker 1: Emergence you're seeing this, happen Right and do you see?
Speaker 5: That and like why do you think that's?
Speaker 4: Happening certainly it's kind of like this golden era of
Speaker 4: basketball In canada on a lot of.
Speaker 3: Fronts you, know one The raptors winning it.
Speaker 5: In twenty, nineteen you think that mattered?
Speaker 4: All it mattered a little, Bit it mattered from a
Speaker 4: standpoint of basketball.
Speaker 3: Is really like front and.
Speaker 4: Center, yeah it's the true For. Canada it's the true
Speaker 4: kind of melting. Pot everybody from everywhere is What canada
Speaker 4: kind of, is and they all relate to, basketball Right.
Speaker 3: So that's one.
Speaker 4: THING a, listen you know when you, go WHEN i,
Speaker 4: go you, know talk to those guys about you know.
Speaker 4: What you, know the guys in My canadian, natally some
Speaker 4: of the younger.
Speaker 3: Guys what spurred you, guys you know was it? Was
Speaker 3: it was It Vince. Carter you, know everybody Says Vince
Speaker 3: carter like turned on this generation to. Basketball and, they you, know.
Speaker 4: They all say to, me, no, man it's Like Corey
Speaker 4: joseph and you, know it's Like wiggins and you, know
Speaker 4: the guys that, like we're like right here playing with,
Speaker 4: us a few years ahead of, us and we see
Speaker 4: them making it and and and you know they're setting you,
Speaker 4: KNOW i don't like like R. J salwigans get drafted
Speaker 4: high when he was probably LIKE i don't, KNOW i
Speaker 4: don't want to get it thirteen fourteen years old and
Speaker 4: SAID i want to be that, guy you, Know AND
Speaker 4: i think that, again manifests. Itself and that's one. Thing
Speaker 4: and there's a ton of. Talent they've got some unbelievable coaches.
Speaker 3: In those youth.
Speaker 4: Groups they've they really are committed to building these guys.
Speaker 4: Out my bosses At Canada, Basketball Rowan barrett And Michael.
Speaker 3: Meeks they.
Speaker 4: Don't they uncover every stone Across canada behind these guys
Speaker 4: and get them in positions where they can you, know,
Speaker 4: Succeed and they've done done an amazing job of just
Speaker 4: guys keep coming.
Speaker 3: Through but a lot of people playing up.
Speaker 4: There there's a lot of talent and probably should keep happening.
Speaker 1: At is it a matter too of like seeing what
Speaker 1: a player like some of the things that they're good
Speaker 1: at so early and helping them develop like how do
Speaker 1: and putting a plan in place for them to develop
Speaker 1: certain skills for BEING nba.
Speaker 3: Ready, maybe BUT i think it's probably more of just.
Speaker 3: Opportunity yeah, right it's it's you.
Speaker 4: Know, whatever wherever they see a kid, play you, know
Speaker 4: a fourteen year old or thirteen year old or, something
Speaker 4: and they, say you, know there's, something there's something there with.
Speaker 4: Him he's got, size he's got, athleticism or he's look
Speaker 4: at in places it's interesting, Whatever and then they find,
Speaker 4: out you, know some background, work and then they decide
Speaker 4: where they can send, them and usually they'll send them
Speaker 4: to a good.
Speaker 3: Program and then that kind of takes care.
Speaker 4: Of, it you know What i'm, Saying like they just
Speaker 4: get them in the right place to to, learn get,
Speaker 4: coached play and grow. Up and they just do a
Speaker 4: good job of. That there's a lot of places that
Speaker 4: they can send, them.
Speaker 3: And they put them in right.
Speaker 1: Places sometimes outside Of, Canada, Right, yeah SOMETIMES i think
Speaker 1: What ben went To.
Speaker 4: Mexico, yeah They've they've had guys go a bunch of you,
Speaker 4: know a bunch of prep schools and a bunch of.
Speaker 1: Places, yeah that's fascinating to me just how different that
Speaker 1: is than THE us and international basketball as a. Whole
Speaker 1: WHEN i Watched jancho hern And gomez play Bow cruise
Speaker 1: and he was training in the, HUSTLE i said to myself,
Speaker 1: that right there is the kind of Player Nick nurse would.
Speaker 1: WANT a guy who's like almost seven feet, tall can
Speaker 1: handle like a, guard can put a ball through tires
Speaker 1: that are.
Speaker 2: Moving he's going around, screens he's.
Speaker 1: Shooting deep, threes he's setting, screens he's. Rolling not only
Speaker 1: is he the one that's doing, that he's also the
Speaker 1: one coming off the screens and.
Speaker 2: Shooting so asked, him have you seen the?
Speaker 1: Hustle he had, not but they did sign Boaw, Cruise
Speaker 1: SO i assume after this interview.
Speaker 2: He watched it and must have.
Speaker 1: AGREED i think this is a kid who is the
Speaker 1: perfect role player for The.
Speaker 5: Raptors did you See hustle by any? Chance who like
Speaker 5: a million?
Speaker 3: PERSON i have not seen it. Yet list for.
Speaker 1: Sure, yeah but international basketball scouting is kind of like
Speaker 1: front and.
Speaker 5: Center in that in that. Movie, yeah you have to.
Speaker 5: It it's.
Speaker 1: AMAZING i think the thing that's interesting about the amount
Speaker 1: Of canadian players that are coming into prominence are the
Speaker 1: fact that not only are they really good at getting
Speaker 1: buckets Like Andrew, wiggins we're getting some of these dogs
Speaker 1: Like Ben, Matherin we're getting a little loose dorts of the.
Speaker 1: World and, since LIKE i, Said Nick Coach's Team, CANADA
Speaker 1: i wanted to ask him.
Speaker 2: You think that they could Beat TEAM? Usa what do you?
Speaker 1: Think his answer was delightful and shows they are backing
Speaker 1: down from absolutely no. One do you Think Team canada
Speaker 1: there's some studs on, there, Right Shae, wiggins Door.
Speaker 5: BEN i, mean it's just the list goes on and.
Speaker 5: ON i THINK i made kind of.
Speaker 1: Like A Josh primo who a lot of people he's
Speaker 1: been the darling of The Summer league this.
Speaker 5: Year he's kind of high on.
Speaker 1: Him Dylan brooks Kem burch all those, Guys, like do
Speaker 1: you think that team.
Speaker 5: Beats TEAM?
Speaker 6: USA i think that team has a chance to get
Speaker 6: itself in position to do very, well RIGHT i, WOULD i.
Speaker 3: WOULD i would say they've got a lot of, depth and.
Speaker 1: They. Do but here's the, thing, though there's a lot
Speaker 1: of players deciding to opt out Of TEAM usa to
Speaker 1: get their body right for THE.
Speaker 3: Nba.
Speaker 4: YEAH i, MEAN i think when it comes down to, it,
Speaker 4: though when you get to The, olympics you, KNOW i
Speaker 4: think a lot of they're going to get a good good.
Speaker 4: Right SO i, mean, listen we gotta we gotta our
Speaker 4: guys play against those guys every.
Speaker 3: Day our goal would be to make sure we can
Speaker 3: get our guys, there try.
Speaker 4: To get them together a, bit you, know let them
Speaker 4: play over a couple of. Summers that always helps chemistry and,
Speaker 4: continuity and you don't we certainly shouldn't be afraid to play.
Speaker 1: Them in knixt, book it was clear that there was
Speaker 1: a lot of challenges inside of the.
Speaker 2: Bubble how could you not have? Them it seemed.
Speaker 1: Like the, worst, honestly but no team faced the issues
Speaker 1: That toronto had faced having to play games In Tampa
Speaker 1: bay for an entire year with a group of fans
Speaker 1: that were not fans of them and did barely even
Speaker 1: know they were, there away from home for three, months
Speaker 1: quarantining wristbanding to not going close to one, another sci fi.
Speaker 1: STUFF i wanted to get his perspective on not only the,
Speaker 1: bubble but what it was like In Tampa. Bay AND
Speaker 1: i wanted to see if there was a positive side
Speaker 1: that people don't often talk.
Speaker 5: About you said that wasn't a huge fan of the.
Speaker 5: BUBBLE i get, That LIKE i opted out of.
Speaker 1: That was there anything or is there anything that you
Speaker 1: think about in.
Speaker 5: Terms of what you did in the bubble or?
Speaker 1: Experience is there relationship that you look back on and
Speaker 1: like with nostalgia with like fond.
Speaker 5: MEMORIES i, mean, YEAH i.
Speaker 3: Mean it was it was, okay, right it was.
Speaker 4: Okay like the best thing was the ease of just
Speaker 4: going from your hotel room to the games and practice and.
Speaker 3: Stuff you, know you're it's not like a typical road
Speaker 3: game where you're getting home at three thirty in the.
Speaker 4: Morning you know it's been bed by, eleven you. Know,
Speaker 4: yeah they just walked down the hall and go to
Speaker 4: the room and call it. Bed so that was nice
Speaker 4: and SO i think more than, anything it was good
Speaker 4: to just be able to figure out a way to continue.
Speaker 3: Playing that was, Great but.
Speaker 4: My thoughts more like, NOW i mean even this, MORNING
Speaker 4: i was thinking about, it LIKE i was looking out
Speaker 4: over our summer league practice and and just looking about
Speaker 4: how great it was and thinking of back to when
Speaker 4: we started going into the, bubble like we had one
Speaker 4: player and.
Speaker 3: One coach allowed in the.
Speaker 4: Gym, wow they would work out and then somebody would
Speaker 4: come in and clean the whole, gym and then one
Speaker 4: more player and one coach would come, In like and
Speaker 4: you now you're looking out and seeing all these, coaches
Speaker 4: all these, players all the front off everybody in, there
Speaker 4: like you, know literally hundreds of people out of, practice
Speaker 4: and it's just like it's incredible to think back to
Speaker 4: that one, player one coach from eight in the morning
Speaker 4: till ten at night to get everybody through the.
Speaker 3: Door you.
Speaker 1: Know, yeah and it kind of like doesn't have a
Speaker 1: very vibey, thing like like there's not much vibe. THERE massi,
Speaker 1: said when you guys went To, tampa AND i made
Speaker 1: jokes about this on the, pod like no one is
Speaker 1: harsher for no. Reason Then Tampa bay people on The
Speaker 1: raptors for just no, Reason LIKE i saw stories they
Speaker 1: were just booing for no. Reason And massia said he
Speaker 1: thought being there set the team back a, year and
Speaker 1: if you guys would have had to be there another,
Speaker 1: year it would have set the franchise back.
Speaker 5: Five how.
Speaker 3: Come first of, All tampa was a very enjoyable place to.
Speaker 5: Live, yeah it was.
Speaker 4: Great we had an incredible job of setting up a
Speaker 4: practice facility and all that.
Speaker 3: Stuff but a couple of. Things, one most of the
Speaker 3: Local tampa people didn't.
Speaker 4: Even know we were Thereause i'd be at the park
Speaker 4: with my kids or, Whatever, sure what are you doing?
Speaker 3: Here And i'd be, like, like, what you, know what
Speaker 3: are you talking?
Speaker 4: About you a lot of Coaches John, rapers but we're
Speaker 4: playing out Of tampa because go with.
Speaker 3: It and they'd be, like you, know like didn't make an.
Speaker 3: Impact that was one thing. Too we didn't have a
Speaker 3: lot of.
Speaker 4: Crowds we were shut down a lot going to no
Speaker 4: fans to then they let three or four thousand in
Speaker 4: and most of them would be cheering for The heat
Speaker 4: or The lakers or. Whatever so that was even like
Speaker 4: another kick to the back. Side, Yeah so it was
Speaker 4: just everything was. Strange it just felt really strange the
Speaker 4: whole time we were.
Speaker 1: There so the, strangeness, though why does that set a friend.
Speaker 5: Like how does that set franchise?
Speaker 3: Back?
Speaker 5: Though in terms of what you're trying to.
Speaker 1: Build is it just the continuity in.
Speaker 5: The place that you're supposed to, be is? It?
Speaker 3: YEAH i just think.
Speaker 4: That well put it this, way, like we have a
Speaker 4: lot Of canadians that work for, us, right and they've
Speaker 4: never really lived outside of anywhere But, canada.
Speaker 3: And they got kids in school and they're taking.
Speaker 4: Them out of, school AND i mean it is uprooting
Speaker 4: everybody's like flow and rhythm from a lot.
Speaker 3: Of, standpoints and it just again they're.
Speaker 4: Just there was not a very good. Flow and now,
Speaker 4: listen we actually started playing really. WELL i, MEAN i
Speaker 4: don't even remember where we finished that. Year it was pretty,
Speaker 4: low eleventh maybe or, twelfth but we were at one
Speaker 4: point up to.
Speaker 3: Fourth we had a really bad start To intent two and.
Speaker 4: Eight or, something lost a bunch of buzzer beaters in
Speaker 4: the first two. Weeks then we got, going you, know
Speaker 4: we went To philly and beat. Him philly came down
Speaker 4: would beat him back to. Back we went To brooklyn
Speaker 4: one and went To boston and one like we just
Speaker 4: picked off everybody at the top right in a, row
Speaker 4: won a bunch of, game got up to.
Speaker 3: Like, fourth and then we lost our entire team TO.
Speaker 4: Covid, yeah for like three weeks, plus and we still
Speaker 4: had to keep going out there and.
Speaker 3: Getting then we just like we lost maybe eleven in
Speaker 3: a row and we never really recovered from.
Speaker 1: That. YEAH i didn't get too much time to talk
Speaker 1: about this book in depth because we'd already gone a full.
Speaker 1: Hour but it's probably one of the best books on
Speaker 1: Basketball i've ever. Read it's Called. Rapture if you haven't read,
Speaker 1: it pick it up at the, library buy it. Whatever
Speaker 1: BUT i did want to delve in a little bit
Speaker 1: into the. Title if you haven't picked up a, copy
Speaker 1: LIKE i, said do. It you're gonna learn a lot
Speaker 1: About nick more about hoops in. GENERAL i think it's,
Speaker 1: Great BUT i did want to get his mindset into the,
Speaker 1: title AND i thought that it was really funny how
Speaker 1: it came to be title the. BOOK i was the
Speaker 1: first THING i thought, of BECAUSE i have some friends
Speaker 1: that are in the book publishing, business and they've told
Speaker 1: me this that the that authors really take great. Care
Speaker 1: one of the things that they spend a lot of time.
Speaker 5: On is the?
Speaker 3: Title?
Speaker 1: Yeah really quite a, word, right?
Speaker 5: Rapture how did you come upon that?
Speaker 2: Title?
Speaker 5: Yeah what were you trying to? Communicate i'm not sure.
Speaker 3: Your friends into.
Speaker 4: Publishing i'm not SURE i fall into that category IF
Speaker 4: i took great care in that title or. Not to
Speaker 4: be honest with, YOU i you, know when it goes,
Speaker 4: down they start sending titles and asking for your, feedback
Speaker 4: And i'm pretty laid back.
Speaker 3: MAN i was just, like what do you guys think is?
Speaker 3: Best and that's when it kind of ended, up SO
Speaker 3: i let them roll with.
Speaker 1: It really, yeah because the definition they, said it's like the,
Speaker 1: title what is?
Speaker 5: It it's a.
Speaker 1: Better describes like the reaching the pinnacle of basketball?
Speaker 5: Coaching think is like getting to? Ascend is that kind
Speaker 5: of what that meant to?
Speaker 1: Them or like to win a title is getting to
Speaker 1: the pinnacle of your?
Speaker 5: CAREER i don't.
Speaker 3: KNOW i THINK i think it was more Like.
Speaker 4: I'm not like the household name or, anything, Right AND
Speaker 4: i think they were with.
Speaker 3: The title being so long and drawn, out they were.
Speaker 4: Trying to they were trying to explain like like what
Speaker 4: this book was this person is right and what and
Speaker 4: what why you should buy it or read. IT i
Speaker 4: GUESS i guess nobody ever told me, that but that's
Speaker 4: kind of my.
Speaker 1: Guess there's a lot of news About Nick nurse being
Speaker 1: courted by The Los Angeles. Lakers there's no fucking, way
Speaker 1: there's no. Shot did you see how dysfunctional this place
Speaker 1: is compared to The, raptors the gold standard of how
Speaker 1: to run a. Team there was no shot he was
Speaker 1: going to The, lakers not even sure why those reports were.
Speaker 1: Out did not fit his personality type in any. WAY
Speaker 1: i want to get his thoughts on those headlines that
Speaker 1: were coming out about him and why he thought that
Speaker 1: they WERE i had to.
Speaker 2: ASK i had to. Ask his answer did not.
Speaker 1: Disappoint but you don't strike me as AN la guy
Speaker 1: like you strike me as someone who wants to have a,
Speaker 1: nice low key and also the culture that you guys
Speaker 1: have been building In.
Speaker 5: Toronto AM i wrong about?
Speaker 1: That?
Speaker 3: NO i don't think. SO i, MEAN i don't. Know,
Speaker 3: again you know where that stuff comes? From? Sometimes obviously
Speaker 3: you said.
Speaker 4: You know the news is semi, yeah fake, news but,
Speaker 4: yeah so you don't know where they. START i GUESS
Speaker 4: i guess you'd take it as a, compliment right that.
Speaker 4: THAT i, mean it's a historic. FRANCHISE i Got, lebron you,
Speaker 4: know playing for. Him it's La it's The, lakers you,
Speaker 4: know all that, Stuff so you take a little bit
Speaker 4: of take the. Compliment i'm just.
Speaker 3: Really focused on the. RAPIT i, MEAN i Loved. TORONTO
Speaker 3: i coached the national. TEAM i, like, Yeah i'm.
Speaker 1: Like you're.
Speaker 5: EMBEDDED i love.
Speaker 3: It SO i don't know. Contracts.
Speaker 5: YEAH i.
Speaker 1: Also finally Got nick to do some rapid fire, questions
Speaker 1: just a fun little game to get you the listener
Speaker 1: to know him a little bit. Better AND i think
Speaker 1: that even though he's a bit, introverted a little bit like,
Speaker 1: me when you get to know, him he's very, funny very,
Speaker 1: insightful very interested in other people doing well and helping. Others,
Speaker 1: yeah by the, way no reason to do this interview with.
Speaker 1: ME i think THE pr people were actually kind of
Speaker 1: mad that he decided to do.
Speaker 2: It it gets a lot of.
Speaker 1: Interview, requests but of, course being the mench that he,
Speaker 1: is he decided to say yes since it was two
Speaker 1: years in the. Making and of, course as we, know
Speaker 1: and what you'll find out here is he has a
Speaker 1: very elite basketball.
Speaker 5: Mind let's do a couple of like rapid. Fires are you?
Speaker 5: Ready LAST tv?
Speaker 1: Show you?
Speaker 3: Binged Breaking Bad?
Speaker 5: Again start bench?
Speaker 1: Cut Eric, Clapton Damian, MARLEY Bb king what start bench?
Speaker 3: Cut? Yeah pull three. Starters start actually those.
Speaker 5: Three because they're like it's a hard, decision like my.
Speaker 3: Favorite, yeah seriously, STARTING i can't cut.
Speaker 4: Any of, them so you. Can't this Is i'm not
Speaker 4: answering this. QUESTION i Love. Clapton he's one of the
Speaker 4: first CONCERTS i saw that like turned me into a
Speaker 4: lover of blues. MUSIC i saw him in nineteen ninety
Speaker 4: one at The Royal Albert hall In, london and he
Speaker 4: was playing twenty four nights there AND i saw him
Speaker 4: perform with The London Real Philharmonic, orchestra and LIKE i
Speaker 4: was like, Wow AND i started going backwards and tracking
Speaker 4: his career and he started out as a blues. Artist
Speaker 4: i've just literally written not the, ForWord but like a
Speaker 4: special appreciation FOR Bb king's new book that's come.
Speaker 3: OUT i took a.
Speaker 4: Course from his biographer photographer The history Of blues In.
Speaker 4: America we became friends and so deep INTO Bb king as.
Speaker 4: Well and if you ask me what my top three
Speaker 4: favorite songs are one of them is gonna be welcome
Speaker 4: To Jim rock From Damian.
Speaker 5: Marley so pick some good those three. People favorite memory
Speaker 5: from coaching in The London.
Speaker 4: Games favorite memory was walking down the hallway going out.
Speaker 3: To the first. Game it was it was a temporary.
Speaker 4: Gym it was kind of a weird long hallway and
Speaker 4: me And Chris finch were like the only two guys
Speaker 4: walking out to open the door to go on the,
Speaker 4: court AND i remember just stopping him and, saying, man
Speaker 4: thanks for letting me be a part of.
Speaker 3: This this is like we're gonna go through those. Doors
Speaker 3: it's gonna be really, something. Man and that's my favorite.
Speaker 5: Memory tough, day tough.
Speaker 1: Loss what's the song that you play either on the
Speaker 1: guitar or on the.
Speaker 4: Piano, well the SONG i play the most is Probably
Speaker 4: Purple rain By prince and that again goes back to you,
Speaker 4: know being childhood. MEMORY i rode A greyhound bus WHEN
Speaker 4: i was seventeen years, old about six hours To minneapolis
Speaker 4: to see The Purple.
Speaker 3: Rain tour in eighty four, wow and have never been
Speaker 3: the same. Since SO i play. That probably the.
Speaker 1: Most, nice best trash talking player in THE, NBA.
Speaker 3: I don't Know i'm not very good at the trash talking.
Speaker 3: Stuff you trash talk all the. TIME i think who
Speaker 3: is good at? It? Though?
Speaker 5: Right how about the most trash talking.
Speaker 3: Again difficult. Question, wow it's Probably.
Speaker 5: Draymond, yeah he talks a.
Speaker 1: Lot. Yeah does anybody Rival Larry bird at?
Speaker 3: That, AGAIN i.
Speaker 4: Can't give first hand knowledge to, that but the stories you,
Speaker 4: hear AND i was fortunate have spent a lot of
Speaker 4: time Around.
Speaker 3: Kevin, McHale SO i heard a lot of a lot
Speaker 3: of those. Stories he's one of the all time great.
Speaker 1: STORYTELLERS i BET i doubt it best trash talking coach
Speaker 1: in THE.
Speaker 5: Nba there's no coaches trash, talk you don't, think so
Speaker 5: that's a. Lie you're, smiling you're, smirking like that's.
Speaker 1: False you guys aren't competitive with one another at, all
Speaker 1: not in the, hall really.
Speaker 4: Not you're really, honestly you're really in your own sphere so,
Speaker 4: much and you don't really.
Speaker 3: Like cross paths with the other head coaches very.
Speaker 4: Much you, know, seriously there's times when there's like really
Speaker 4: good friends of mine on the other's bench and you
Speaker 4: don't even get to see.
Speaker 3: Them you come into the, town.
Speaker 4: You play the, game you're on the, plane you're, gone
Speaker 4: and literally it's like you wave down and that's about.
Speaker 3: It.
Speaker 1: Sometimes last, one what do you think it would be
Speaker 1: like to have AN nba team And?
Speaker 3: Vegas, YEAH i MEAN i think it's a good, market.
Speaker 4: RIGHT i think they've proven that with the other THE,
Speaker 4: nhl in THE, NFL. WNBA i think it's a great.
Speaker 3: Market.
Speaker 1: Cool thank you so, much my, Man Nick nurse giving
Speaker 1: me some. TIME i appreciate.
Speaker 5: You you're, welcome thanks for having.
Speaker 2: Me that's all the time that we have for The Heat.
Speaker 1: Check, sincere thanks To Nick nurse for carving out time
Speaker 1: for me At Summer. LEAGUE i apologize to the folks
Speaker 1: in The Toronto RAPTORS pr department for not clearing it through.
Speaker 1: You next, TIME i. WILL i promise we will be
Speaker 1: back next week with an all new episode featuring the
Speaker 1: final encore from the logo, Himself Jerry. West we will
Speaker 1: be breaking down rookies and young players that are At
Speaker 1: Summer league who they could, become what they like about,
Speaker 1: him what he likes about, them and help you prepare
Speaker 1: for the upcoming, season which is right around the. CORNER
Speaker 1: i think training camp is next. Week follow up for
Speaker 1: the rest of The heat. Check we also have parts
Speaker 1: one and two Of Jerry west up on the. Feed
Speaker 1: check those out if you haven't, already and please do
Speaker 1: not forget to download. Subscribe please tell your friends and
Speaker 1: follow us on social at at this heat check And
Speaker 1: tristacrik on tik tok