WEBVTT - NBA Midseason Grades: Northwest Division

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<v Speaker 1>You're tuned into Heat Check with Triste Quick. On this

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<v Speaker 1>episode of the Heat Check, it's mid season grade time, baby,

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<v Speaker 1>Part two. Time to go over the Western Conference. A

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<v Speaker 1>lot of teams are gonna get grades that'll make their

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<v Speaker 1>parents proud. Other ones may want to pretend like doll

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<v Speaker 1>gated lots to cover Nick. So drop that generic ass

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<v Speaker 1>fucking beat. So we've reached the halfway point of the season.

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<v Speaker 1>It's time to give out these mid semester grades. Last episode,

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<v Speaker 1>which was on Monday night Tuesday for you, we covered

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<v Speaker 1>the Eastern Conference, So now we do the West. So

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<v Speaker 1>let's break it down division by division. My Portland Trailblazers

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<v Speaker 1>in the Northwest Division have to go first. They were

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<v Speaker 1>the first to come to mind. And you know what,

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<v Speaker 1>after careful can consideration, the Portland Trailblazers, they get a C.

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<v Speaker 1>It's better than I wanted to give him. Honestly, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>because of the moves right, the moves that they've made

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<v Speaker 1>in the offseason. You can't really ask for much better

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<v Speaker 1>than that. But they are underperforming in a big, big way.

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<v Speaker 1>I love Jeremy Grant's fit on the team. I think

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<v Speaker 1>he's probably a great third or fourth scoring option, best

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<v Speaker 1>defender on the team most likely in terms of you know,

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<v Speaker 1>point of attack, can guard you know, probably one through four,

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<v Speaker 1>two through five, kind of a thing. Gary Payton, the

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<v Speaker 1>second has been injured, but now that he's back, he's

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<v Speaker 1>been amazing defensively, very good on ball defender, kind of

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<v Speaker 1>guy that's disruptive, kind of guy that just is exactly

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<v Speaker 1>who Portland needs. Scrappy, hardworking, annoying, amazing fit for Damian Lillard,

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<v Speaker 1>the Nirkdee boy. He's shooting a lot of threes. Shooting

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of threes. Is three point percentage is way up.

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<v Speaker 1>His three point volume is way up. Everything else has

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<v Speaker 1>been a little erratic, a little touch and go. Portland

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<v Speaker 1>started out super hot, looked like they were number one

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<v Speaker 1>in the West for maybe a week or so. They're

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<v Speaker 1>in the plan right now, not even and I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>even sure what they're gonna do to make a move.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if they will make a move, but

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<v Speaker 1>I think everyone expected that this is sort of a

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<v Speaker 1>resetting year. You're getting Shade and Sharp back into the

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<v Speaker 1>mix as a rookie. He hasn't played games before this

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<v Speaker 1>since you know, high school, was chilling in Kentucky just

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<v Speaker 1>doing homework and watching and you know, there's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>to be encouraged in. But you're not necessarily saying that

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<v Speaker 1>this is a successful year either. Denver Nuggets, oh man,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not just saying this. They get Nay, I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>just saying this because of the number one team in

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<v Speaker 1>the West. But holy shit, are they just fun and

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<v Speaker 1>good Defensively? They're playing elite defense right now, especially in

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<v Speaker 1>the games that they continue to keep focus. Aaron Gordon

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<v Speaker 1>playing the best basketball of his entire career in his life.

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<v Speaker 1>Guys like KCP Bruce Brown really good fits. Drafting Christian

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<v Speaker 1>Brown aka Christian Brawn has been amazing. He's added to

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<v Speaker 1>the versatility of this team. I like the development of

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<v Speaker 1>Bones Highland. Add that to a healthy Jamal Murray. You

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<v Speaker 1>add that to a healthy Michael Porter ju and your

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<v Speaker 1>healthy Ish is pretty much all You're gonna get. Andy Jokic,

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<v Speaker 1>who's playing better basketball than he's played in years and

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<v Speaker 1>gonna win the MVP for a third straight time. Nobody's

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<v Speaker 1>done that since Larry Bird. Insane. Boy, are they a

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<v Speaker 1>dangerous team. They could win it all if they could

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<v Speaker 1>play some defense when Yokic is not on the floor. Utah,

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<v Speaker 1>Utah is uh is something special. Boy, God damn does

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<v Speaker 1>Danny Ainge know how to take a mess and turn

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<v Speaker 1>it into a bask yacht? Right? I mean he's like

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<v Speaker 1>Jackson Pollock, just random spray pieces all over and you

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<v Speaker 1>look up and you're like, oh my god, that's a vision.

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<v Speaker 1>I think I love this Utah team. They are fun.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought they were gonna stink. I thought that they

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<v Speaker 1>were gonna just be right in the dumpster for Victor

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<v Speaker 1>Wambin Yama. But man, they have a bunch of fun players.

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<v Speaker 1>They have a boatload of unprotected picks. They have thirteen

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<v Speaker 1>lightly protected or unprotected draft picks that are first rounders

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<v Speaker 1>just from the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trade combined alone,

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<v Speaker 1>just alone, just from that. They also got Lori Marknen

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<v Speaker 1>that I mentioned him, He's probably gonna win Most Improved

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<v Speaker 1>Player of the Year. He is now the leader in

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<v Speaker 1>the clubhouse for that. They have Walker Kestler, who, let's

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<v Speaker 1>be honest, is probably gonna be better than Rudy Gobert.

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<v Speaker 1>He can do more things. Oh, you've got shared Vanderbilt

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<v Speaker 1>nice piece versatil wise and you know that everybody that

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<v Speaker 1>they're not gonna resign. All the old guys, all the

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<v Speaker 1>guys that don't want to stay, they're gone. They're probably

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<v Speaker 1>gonna end up flipping them for more pieces too. This

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<v Speaker 1>team is good, This team in the future is bright.

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<v Speaker 1>They're still in the play in picture. And they didn't

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<v Speaker 1>even want to win. We didn't expect a goddamn thing

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<v Speaker 1>from them. They get name minus. Minnesota gets an f

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<v Speaker 1>really because of the trade with Utah. Danny Ainge fleeces them,

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<v Speaker 1>like you know, that's saying if you can't spot the

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<v Speaker 1>mark in the room that is you, you are said mark.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're the mark. They gave away

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<v Speaker 1>so much for a one dimensional center, like so many picks,

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<v Speaker 1>so many players. The fit with Cat is not good.

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<v Speaker 1>Will it ever be good? I don't know. Probably not.

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<v Speaker 1>They could go down as making one one of the

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<v Speaker 1>worst trade decisions in not just NBA history, but sports history.

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<v Speaker 1>Minnesota they've got a bad record for bad trades, herschel

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<v Speaker 1>Walker being one, remember that one like this is up

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<v Speaker 1>there with the herschel Walker trade. But what's sadder than

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<v Speaker 1>the actual trade itself is it's like a what could

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<v Speaker 1>have been story? You know. They were fun, They were exciting.

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<v Speaker 1>They had one of the best offenses in the league,

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<v Speaker 1>up and down, talking trash, taking Memphis to the break.

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<v Speaker 1>Pat Bev was creating culture there. He loved Minnesota. Kat

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<v Speaker 1>was terrible defensively but flourishing in terms of his scoring.

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<v Speaker 1>It was just a team you could get behind. You

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<v Speaker 1>could say, oh yeah, the future's bright for the squad.

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<v Speaker 1>They add a couple more pieces. They have a bunch of.

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<v Speaker 2>Guys fun and all they got now is Rudy Gobah

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<v Speaker 2>and a dry ass empty cupboard with just brown rice

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<v Speaker 2>bagged up and maybe some cans of cannaloney beans.

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<v Speaker 1>That's it. No shade to Aunt Edwards. He's he's everything

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<v Speaker 1>to them. But now you got this guy that you've

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<v Speaker 1>replaced all these young players for a lumbering oath who

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<v Speaker 1>all he does is clog up space for your superstar,

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<v Speaker 1>make his life harder, not easier. This is a puzzling

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<v Speaker 1>decision that Tim Connelly made so early in his tenure

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<v Speaker 1>that it's going to be analyzed for years and years

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<v Speaker 1>and years to come. This team had the possibility of

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<v Speaker 1>locking up a top four, top six spot, and now

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<v Speaker 1>it looks like they're a playing team at best. Chris

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<v Speaker 1>Finch probably gonna get fired, despite the fact that it

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<v Speaker 1>is a success that they've gone six and four in

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<v Speaker 1>their last ten. Just barely being five hundred is like

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<v Speaker 1>taking him from the hot seat and putting him on

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<v Speaker 1>the medium heat seat. Not good. By the way, someone

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<v Speaker 1>commented on TikTok that if the Wolves had traded for

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<v Speaker 1>Mitchell Robinson instead of Rudy Gobert, they'd probably be no

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<v Speaker 1>worse than the fourth in the West. Like that team,

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<v Speaker 1>with all its pieces and all of its picks, probably

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<v Speaker 1>would be better than the MAVs right now. Let's be honest,

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<v Speaker 1>think about that. What a fucked up situation for the

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<v Speaker 1>Minnesota Timberwolves. I feel bad from Minnesota fans. Man. They

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<v Speaker 1>can't catch a break. Okay, see they're in the ninth

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<v Speaker 1>spot right now, they get an a Oh my god.

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<v Speaker 1>Can you just tell when you watch basketball and watch

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<v Speaker 1>these teams do their jobs, you know, not just the

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<v Speaker 1>actual basketball, but the work that goes on behind the scenes.

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<v Speaker 1>They're just some teams with smarter decision makers than others.

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<v Speaker 1>And that is Sam Presty, that's him. He's a monster.

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<v Speaker 1>He is just miles ahead of other teams. Not just

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes to deal making, when it comes to

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<v Speaker 1>treating players well. Like you're hearing stories come out from

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<v Speaker 1>guys who rehabilitated their careers there, like Al Horford saying

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<v Speaker 1>that this is a first class organization. They treated me

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<v Speaker 1>better than any place, and they didn't even intend to

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<v Speaker 1>keep him right. Talent evaluation, incredible talent development, bringing on

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<v Speaker 1>Chip England to help Josh Giddy shoot threes. He's playing

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<v Speaker 1>at a level we have not seen from him before.

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<v Speaker 1>He has a team everyone thought would be tanking in

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<v Speaker 1>the ninth spot. The Thunder have well exceeded expectations. They're

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<v Speaker 1>one win away right now from hitting their win total,

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<v Speaker 1>which was twenty three wins. They have twenty two wins

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<v Speaker 1>at the halfway part mark of the NBA season. Anybody

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<v Speaker 1>think that was gonna happen? Did you think Sam Presty

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<v Speaker 1>was gonna shut it down? Shay has been insane. At

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<v Speaker 1>one point, he was the leader to win Most Improved Player.

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<v Speaker 1>He's going to be an All Star this year. He's

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<v Speaker 1>averaging thirty one, five and five. Josh Giddy is a

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<v Speaker 1>bona fide star with court vision you could only hope

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<v Speaker 1>to have in a player, not to mention. He can

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<v Speaker 1>score and rebound and do all kinds of these things too.

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<v Speaker 1>I love the fits of the two Jalen Williams that

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<v Speaker 1>they got for nothing. They traded some random to move

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<v Speaker 1>up in the draft, and now they get both Jalen Williams,

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<v Speaker 1>one j dub one Jay Well, both good in their

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<v Speaker 1>own right. Chet holmerun mind you hasn't played one game

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<v Speaker 1>this year, not one, been out with the list frank injury.

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<v Speaker 1>This team is good. They are more importantly than good,

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<v Speaker 1>super fun. The future's bright. Everything they've done in the

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<v Speaker 1>offseason was good, excellent, elite, and they're a fun ass

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<v Speaker 1>team where you can't really knock anything that's going on

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<v Speaker 1>right now.