December 22, 2023 • 19 mins
Sarah talks with NBA.com senior writer Steve Aschburner about the battle for Rookie of the Year raging between Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. They also get into the Pistons struggles and what might need to change in Detroit, as well as why Orlando is succeeding despite also having a very young roster.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome into NBA pulsive production of iHeartRadio in the NBA.
I'm Sarah Husak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network, and
today is Friday, December twenty second. From our extraordinary core
group of NBA journalists, We're joined now by NBA dot
Com senior writer Steve Ashburner. Ash how are we doing?
How are we feeling?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
It's good, it's good. It's calm before the storm, right
before the flurry of final Christmas scrambling and family festivities.
And of course everybody all loves each other every year,
oh all of it, in all of it. I mean,
it's a great time of year. It's a magnificent holiday
to celebrate, and then some of the celebrations become a
(00:43):
bit stressful, but you know, I'll take it. It's a
great time of year.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You want this, let's close.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You want this, or you want the middle of June, you.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Know, exactly close. Twenty twenty three off strong, and we
have some strong play out of a couple of individuals
from the twenty twenty three class. You, of course, every
Wednesday have your rookie ladder. There's been some flip flopping
throughout the course of the season. I think we're going
to see more of that up top. Currently Victor wimbin
Yama of the San Antonio Spurs and at number one
(01:12):
spotch At Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, number two,
Haimi Hakkaz of the Heat, number three. But I want
to get into Chet in Wemby, and let's begin with
Chet because Oklahoma City sitting number two in the Western Conference.
They just had a big win last night UH one
thirty four fifteen against the Los Angeles Clippers. Shay Gildas.
(01:34):
Alexander continues to sparkle as he's done throughout the course
of this season, but Holmgren as well. Twenty three points,
six rebounds, seven assists. UH he's been so efficient nine
of eleven from the field.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Pulgrin put a up but.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Under off the pack card Ted Holdren setting.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Up on Sun.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
When you look at what Chet has done, and those
are similar to the numbers that he's been putting on,
maybe more in the assist column, but the numbers that
he's been putting up throughout the course of this year.
What's impressed you most about the way that not only
he's played individually, but doing so in the context of
this Thunder team and how they've been so successful collectively.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, since you use the word impressed, I can go
with my first reaction. Had you used the word surprised,
I couldn't say this, but impressed, I would say how
plug and play he has been into that Thunder lineup.
This is a team that played largely without a center
pun intended I guess last season, and they went small
(02:40):
and they needed chet Holmgeren. They had drafted him with
the intent he would be there last year because of
his foot injury, he was not. However, he was around
the team all year. He was in the gym when
they practiced, he was in the film studies, he traveled
with them. He got that rookie sort of red shirt year,
and so now he's technically still a rookie, so he's
(03:03):
eligible for the award and all that consideration. But he
came in much more ready to help instantly on a
team that's rising, and I think we've seen that. That's
the key is he has given them what they've needed
on so many nights so far. And it's not a
matter of looking at Chat. I mean you can do this.
You can look at Chat and say wow, look at
(03:24):
those fifteen blocks in two games. You know, you can
isolate individual achievements, but really it's what he's contributing to
the whole fifty one Minyama, by contrast, you are looking
at his specific skills and what he's doing and things
we've never seen, but it really isn't translating to success
(03:45):
for the Spurs home grin, you know, against a good
and hot Clippers team. You know, he scores what twenty
three points, six rebounds. Should he have more? You know, maybe,
but it worked out for them. In that game, he
had zero blocks, which I don't even really hold that
against him, because when you've block six shots a game
(04:06):
for an entire week, maybe the teams already are self
censoring when it comes to how they attack him. So
just that intimidation factor can mean no blocks but altered shots.
So yeah, he's just been what they've needed. And you know,
a rookie, you can hardly ask for more than that.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, in last night, no blocks, but he did have
seven assists, handling the ball aton only one turnover. Now
you've got me intrigued, ash, What if I were to
asked you what surprised you?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
To be honest with you, His their ability. You know,
he still is unnervingly thin, and you know, in terms
of I mean, I think about it every week when
I write up the rookie ladder is you know that
race I imagine between Wemban Yama and home Grin is
going to be close. It's going to flip flop week
(04:58):
to week, month to month. And to me, the biggest
thing that could determine who ends up on top by
the end of the season is who ends up with
a longer layoff from injury. So I think about both
those guys and how thin they are, how much their
bodies are going to grow into you know, full NBA potential,
And I would say with Chad it's that there hasn't
(05:21):
been any reinjury, you know, knock on wood here, any
reinjury of his foot and just some other stray injury
to this point. And when Minyama, you know, same on
that ladder, that he just has not suffered. He had
some soreness and he sat out a game in Milwaukee
this week, but that's to me, the biggest surprise is
they've held up and the durability so far has been
(05:44):
has been strong.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Durability has been strong for when Binyama. But let's get
into just him his play individually and also so a
very different story. The San Antonio Spurs sitting at four
and twenty three there in the Western Conference, in trying
some things. I don't think there was intentions that they
would necessarily, you know, be in playoff contention this season.
(06:09):
But I think those couple of games, the way it started,
people were getting excited what it looked like, you know,
the signing or I should say extension of Devin Vessel.
Kelton Johnson's been playing well. They're trying to use Jeremy
Sohanna in that point guard position, which obviously there's a
lot of things that are work in progress, and I
think they look at the big picture for this team.
But when it comes to wembin Yama in particular, he's
(06:30):
averaging over eighteen points a game, three blocks a game,
nearly eleven rebounds per game. A lot of the things
you would anticipate the.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Block Kelvin Johnson are balancing.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
What's what you paid for.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I think there was so much attention on him coming
in and what he would be and how he would
impact the game. What have you seen out of him?
Gives you optimism? That he will continue on the trajectory
that I think we expect of him, not only for
him playing personally, but inevitably and eventually how he will
(07:11):
impact winning for an organization.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Well, I mean, I think it's just the degree to
which what he brings is unique. I mean, at seven
foot four and with the handle that he has, and
with the shooting range that he has. Now, you know,
I was early on in saying I don't care if
he's eight foot tall. If he's eight feet tall, I
(07:35):
don't care if he's shooting three pointers. I mean that
sort of equalizes and diminishes that size advantage. So the
fact that he's played a little bit more as a
pure center recently, to me, that's a good sign. You know, Okay,
you can draw the other team's big men outside. Whoop
do you do at a certain point? You know, there's
(07:55):
a point where where teams want to have Giannis Antokumpo
taking three pointers because it relieves the pressure inside. Same
thing with wim Minyama. I think that if he really
asserts himself in the post, down low ways to get
down there, not necessarily back to the basket play. But
but no, I think I think it's it's his potential
(08:17):
still that is so fascinating. They have the greatest coach
in NBA history, and yet they tinker around and they're
not winning more. I mean, look, rookies go to bad teams,
but there have been other bad teams equally is down
that have gotten rookies not nearly as highly touted. This
(08:38):
is like the best prospects since Lebron Right and one
of the all time prospects. And he's our pace to
finish with more losses his team than any serious Rookie
of the Year candidate ever. So you know, there's a
disconnect between what he brings to a team, even in
his first year and the results that they are getting.
(08:59):
And I can't really explain it.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
And a couple things to your point about whin bin Yama,
and I think it's just a work in progress. The comparison,
to be honest, but the fact that he's taken almost
five three pointers per game and shooting out of twenty
eight percent from three, so that you know the actual
impact of that shot where you want to see him
taking shots from there, there's a lot of bigs and
(09:23):
stretch bigs that that can you know, put up five
to three pointers a game into twenty eight percent from three?
Is that the most effective shot for your team and
for your offense? Probably not. Yeah, the team as a whole,
I think it's interesting. I mean, worse worse records than
the Washington Wizards and the Portland Trailblazers, still with a
lot of young talent. And I know Greg Popovich signed
that extension, but I think how you want to continue
(09:47):
taking steps forward to have those type of winning habits
and the culture that's already been created. Obviously that's one
that's one of the best in the league. But I
but I think those are the questions you begin to
look at. And I've got some questions for you in
regards to losing a team that is doing a whole
lot of it this season right after the break.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Yeah, we're not two and twenty six bad, you know
what I mean, It's like, no way I'll we that that. So, Yes,
I think we can turn it around. I think we
can play a lot better branded basketball than we're playing
right now.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Welcome back to NBA Pols. Sara Kustaik, joined by the
great Steve Ashburner and Ash We are talking about teams
that are struggling and one is on a historic pace.
The Detroit Pistons just two and twenty six. They've lost
twenty five straight games. It has been it's been tough
to watch, and it is turned I think just a
(10:55):
lot of question marks, obviously some of the moves that
they have made. The hire Monty Williams pay him a
very handsome salary to try and help this young group.
Kate Cunningham missed a good part of the season last
year with the injury. He is back, but they have
been extraordinarily bad, to say the least. Ask what do
(11:17):
you I'll be gentle about that. That's a vast understatement.
What do you make of where this team is at
in what's happening in Detroit?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I spoke earlier about the Spurs and how their struggles
are a little hard to explain. I think there's their
doors into what the Pistons are doing or not doing.
They're a little more evident to me. But yeah, they're
historically bad. They're on pace not just to undercut the
all time worst record, which is the nine and seventy
(11:47):
three Philadelphia team back in nineteen seventy two seventy three,
but they're on pace to shatter that they're right now
projected to win six games, and they're at that pace.
So I think that the first thing you look at
is roster construction. They have a lot of lottery picks.
(12:07):
They have a lot of young guys. Those are the
same guys. They don't have much veteran influence. They had
even less from much of the start of the season
because Bogdanovich was out. They don't really have much veteran
influence Alec Burks at best coming off the bench. It's
a team that may be too young and stocked with
(12:29):
too many guys who had their own ambitions of you know,
I'm going to be a star in the NBA. I'm
not going to be a role player. I'm not going
to be a grinder. I'm not going to be a
does the little things kind of a guy. So finding
people that will accept that role, you know. I write
that rookie latter every week and my thoughts on the
on the Pistons because I've dealt with these rookies as
(12:50):
they've come through. Cad Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Jade n Ivy,
and Jalen Terry last year and now you've got Sasser
and yeah, Asar Thompson, you know, and James Weisman's not
long removed from his rookie year, and it's sort of like,
can this losing be a trauma to these guys in
their development and set them back or put them on
(13:11):
the wrong track. I mean, to go through this where
you have to naturally cope with the idea that you
didn't win two nights ago, You're not going to win tonight,
You're probably not going to win tomorrow. What does that
do to you as a player? Can you stay as resilient,
can you stay as driven? Or do you find ways
to rationalize and cope and those ways might not be
(13:33):
good for you long term. It's it's it's really I
think a concern. But I think that just in terms
of they need more veterans, they need a blend in
the rotation more than they have. The way Monty Williams
has sort of used his bench and who he sits
together and who he plays together that hasn't always looked
too good. He has limited options. The other part of
(13:54):
it is is that you know, coaches take heat for
this stuff, and Monty Williams is despite having you know,
the time, I mean, signed the biggest contract for a
coach in league history. If they win six games, he'll
be making three million dollars a two million dollars per victory.
So you or I could coach them to twenty five
(14:16):
straight losses, Sarah, and something is going to have to change,
without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And I do think, especially with young players, the amount
of young players, the talent that they have in those players.
When you are in a situation that you're going through
the motions and there's no necessary, necessarily hope of winning
or how you're continuing to improve and get better, I
(14:41):
worry about it for the individuals themselves, the young players themselves,
what that looks like and how that impacts their career.
You look at another young team, though, and I want
to compare it, not compare though, Orlando Magic, a team
that how they have grown in what they did and
flourished with a lot of lottery picks. You look at
the way that team has constructed, what Jamal Moseley has
(15:02):
done with this young group. They're currently they're on a
four game losing streak, but even with that, still sitting
forth in the Eastern Conference, Paula Bacaro has been fantastic.
Franz Wagner. I mean, really, you go down the list
of how they have put together a group that compliments
one another so very well. In the mix of young
and old. I mean, they've got a lot of young, optimistic,
(15:25):
potential players and those that are getting the job done
now and also you know some veterans that have helped
settle things. To look at the even just Joe Ingles
coming over in the presence that he brings to the table.
What if you liked about where Orlando is at and
just the ceiling that they may have on this season.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, I think, I mean they've taken steps, and I
don't know that their roster is dramatically different. They do
have a ton of young guys, but last year's Rookie
of the Year, Paulo Bankero, he has sort of assumed
the mantle of team leadership and he exerts that on
the floor and also off the court. Jalen Suggs, you know,
(16:07):
tough guy, Cole Anthony, tough guy. Those guys they do
not handle losing well and they will do what it
takes to either beat you or they will walk off
bloodied in the process. So I haven't seen that level
of grit in the Detroit Pistons. But it's not just Orlando.
I mean it's other teams that have had almost too
(16:30):
many young guys at once. Oklahoma City look where they're at.
That has come, you know, to fruition for them, and
it's blossomed to the point where, gee, maybe they don't
need an established star, even though they're set up with
draft assets and you know, money to be able to
do that. But shake Kildess Alexander is like, no, no, no, no,
(16:52):
I'm that guy. Now, you don't need to go out
and get one. Houston had two bad years in a
row and it seemed like they should have take gonna
step last season from two seasons ago. Well they're taking
a step now and they have a new coach in
the process. So there's one explanation for Houston's improvement. So
you know, in Philadelphia, I mean, Philadelphia was sort of
(17:13):
more classic. They were just intentionally bad until they didn't
need to be bad anymore. And but you know, you
can't just Detroit can't snap its fingers. They don't have
a Joel Embiid, and Orlando, to their credit, they don't
have a Joel Embiid either, but they have a more
(17:33):
cohesive group and expectations I think that are that are higher,
maybe than what the Pistons came in with. I know
Jamal Moseley would like to have just one of Money
William's paychecks at this point. So if we're talking potential
coach of the Year in Moseley and a guy who's
been underperforming with money, money, great guy, you'd want him,
(17:57):
you know, in your organization. But boy, I haven't seen
any traction for him and his staff with that team
he has in Detroit. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Yeah, and Jamal Mosley sure deserves it. I will be
the first first in the front line shouting at that.
The leadership and in the quality depth that Orlando has
has certainly shown well.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Ash.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
As always, we appreciate your insight and will continue to
watch read all all the goods that you got on
NBA dot Com.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
A lot of pressure on your Brooklyn nets there for
a couple of games against those Pistons. Nobody wants to
be the team that loses to Detroit.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Now it is that's true. At some point, streaks have
got to end, so you just you just don't want
to be the one on the other side of that.
Happy holidays to you, Ash, I know that that we
will see you again soon.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Merry Christmas to you and all the listeners, and yeah,
we'll see you next time.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
NBA Pulse with Sarahustack is the production of the NBA
and iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
No
Welcome into NBA pulsive production of iHeartRadio in the NBA.
I'm Sarah Husak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network, and
today is Friday, December twenty second. From our extraordinary core
group of NBA journalists, We're joined now by NBA dot
Com senior writer Steve Ashburner. Ash how are we doing?
How are we feeling?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
It's good, it's good. It's calm before the storm, right
before the flurry of final Christmas scrambling and family festivities.
And of course everybody all loves each other every year,
oh all of it, in all of it. I mean,
it's a great time of year. It's a magnificent holiday
to celebrate, and then some of the celebrations become a
(00:43):
bit stressful, but you know, I'll take it. It's a
great time of year.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You want this, let's close.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You want this, or you want the middle of June, you.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Know, exactly close. Twenty twenty three off strong, and we
have some strong play out of a couple of individuals
from the twenty twenty three class. You, of course, every
Wednesday have your rookie ladder. There's been some flip flopping
throughout the course of the season. I think we're going
to see more of that up top. Currently Victor wimbin
Yama of the San Antonio Spurs and at number one
(01:12):
spotch At Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, number two,
Haimi Hakkaz of the Heat, number three. But I want
to get into Chet in Wemby, and let's begin with
Chet because Oklahoma City sitting number two in the Western Conference.
They just had a big win last night UH one
thirty four fifteen against the Los Angeles Clippers. Shay Gildas.
(01:34):
Alexander continues to sparkle as he's done throughout the course
of this season, but Holmgren as well. Twenty three points,
six rebounds, seven assists. UH he's been so efficient nine
of eleven from the field.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Pulgrin put a up but.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Under off the pack card Ted Holdren setting.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Up on Sun.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
When you look at what Chet has done, and those
are similar to the numbers that he's been putting on,
maybe more in the assist column, but the numbers that
he's been putting up throughout the course of this year.
What's impressed you most about the way that not only
he's played individually, but doing so in the context of
this Thunder team and how they've been so successful collectively.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, since you use the word impressed, I can go
with my first reaction. Had you used the word surprised,
I couldn't say this, but impressed, I would say how
plug and play he has been into that Thunder lineup.
This is a team that played largely without a center
pun intended I guess last season, and they went small
(02:40):
and they needed chet Holmgeren. They had drafted him with
the intent he would be there last year because of
his foot injury, he was not. However, he was around
the team all year. He was in the gym when
they practiced, he was in the film studies, he traveled
with them. He got that rookie sort of red shirt year,
and so now he's technically still a rookie, so he's
(03:03):
eligible for the award and all that consideration. But he
came in much more ready to help instantly on a
team that's rising, and I think we've seen that. That's
the key is he has given them what they've needed
on so many nights so far. And it's not a
matter of looking at Chat. I mean you can do this.
You can look at Chat and say wow, look at
(03:24):
those fifteen blocks in two games. You know, you can
isolate individual achievements, but really it's what he's contributing to
the whole fifty one Minyama, by contrast, you are looking
at his specific skills and what he's doing and things
we've never seen, but it really isn't translating to success
(03:45):
for the Spurs home grin, you know, against a good
and hot Clippers team. You know, he scores what twenty
three points, six rebounds. Should he have more? You know, maybe,
but it worked out for them. In that game, he
had zero blocks, which I don't even really hold that
against him, because when you've block six shots a game
(04:06):
for an entire week, maybe the teams already are self
censoring when it comes to how they attack him. So
just that intimidation factor can mean no blocks but altered shots.
So yeah, he's just been what they've needed. And you know,
a rookie, you can hardly ask for more than that.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, in last night, no blocks, but he did have
seven assists, handling the ball aton only one turnover. Now
you've got me intrigued, ash, What if I were to
asked you what surprised you?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
To be honest with you, His their ability. You know,
he still is unnervingly thin, and you know, in terms
of I mean, I think about it every week when
I write up the rookie ladder is you know that
race I imagine between Wemban Yama and home Grin is
going to be close. It's going to flip flop week
(04:58):
to week, month to month. And to me, the biggest
thing that could determine who ends up on top by
the end of the season is who ends up with
a longer layoff from injury. So I think about both
those guys and how thin they are, how much their
bodies are going to grow into you know, full NBA potential,
And I would say with Chad it's that there hasn't
(05:21):
been any reinjury, you know, knock on wood here, any
reinjury of his foot and just some other stray injury
to this point. And when Minyama, you know, same on
that ladder, that he just has not suffered. He had
some soreness and he sat out a game in Milwaukee
this week, but that's to me, the biggest surprise is
they've held up and the durability so far has been
(05:44):
has been strong.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Durability has been strong for when Binyama. But let's get
into just him his play individually and also so a
very different story. The San Antonio Spurs sitting at four
and twenty three there in the Western Conference, in trying
some things. I don't think there was intentions that they
would necessarily, you know, be in playoff contention this season.
(06:09):
But I think those couple of games, the way it started,
people were getting excited what it looked like, you know,
the signing or I should say extension of Devin Vessel.
Kelton Johnson's been playing well. They're trying to use Jeremy
Sohanna in that point guard position, which obviously there's a
lot of things that are work in progress, and I
think they look at the big picture for this team.
But when it comes to wembin Yama in particular, he's
(06:30):
averaging over eighteen points a game, three blocks a game,
nearly eleven rebounds per game. A lot of the things
you would anticipate the.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Block Kelvin Johnson are balancing.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
What's what you paid for.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I think there was so much attention on him coming
in and what he would be and how he would
impact the game. What have you seen out of him?
Gives you optimism? That he will continue on the trajectory
that I think we expect of him, not only for
him playing personally, but inevitably and eventually how he will
(07:11):
impact winning for an organization.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Well, I mean, I think it's just the degree to
which what he brings is unique. I mean, at seven
foot four and with the handle that he has, and
with the shooting range that he has. Now, you know,
I was early on in saying I don't care if
he's eight foot tall. If he's eight feet tall, I
(07:35):
don't care if he's shooting three pointers. I mean that
sort of equalizes and diminishes that size advantage. So the
fact that he's played a little bit more as a
pure center recently, to me, that's a good sign. You know, Okay,
you can draw the other team's big men outside. Whoop
do you do at a certain point? You know, there's
(07:55):
a point where where teams want to have Giannis Antokumpo
taking three pointers because it relieves the pressure inside. Same
thing with wim Minyama. I think that if he really
asserts himself in the post, down low ways to get
down there, not necessarily back to the basket play. But
but no, I think I think it's it's his potential
(08:17):
still that is so fascinating. They have the greatest coach
in NBA history, and yet they tinker around and they're
not winning more. I mean, look, rookies go to bad teams,
but there have been other bad teams equally is down
that have gotten rookies not nearly as highly touted. This
(08:38):
is like the best prospects since Lebron Right and one
of the all time prospects. And he's our pace to
finish with more losses his team than any serious Rookie
of the Year candidate ever. So you know, there's a
disconnect between what he brings to a team, even in
his first year and the results that they are getting.
(08:59):
And I can't really explain it.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
And a couple things to your point about whin bin Yama,
and I think it's just a work in progress. The comparison,
to be honest, but the fact that he's taken almost
five three pointers per game and shooting out of twenty
eight percent from three, so that you know the actual
impact of that shot where you want to see him
taking shots from there, there's a lot of bigs and
(09:23):
stretch bigs that that can you know, put up five
to three pointers a game into twenty eight percent from three?
Is that the most effective shot for your team and
for your offense? Probably not. Yeah, the team as a whole,
I think it's interesting. I mean, worse worse records than
the Washington Wizards and the Portland Trailblazers, still with a
lot of young talent. And I know Greg Popovich signed
that extension, but I think how you want to continue
(09:47):
taking steps forward to have those type of winning habits
and the culture that's already been created. Obviously that's one
that's one of the best in the league. But I
but I think those are the questions you begin to
look at. And I've got some questions for you in
regards to losing a team that is doing a whole
lot of it this season right after the break.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Yeah, we're not two and twenty six bad, you know
what I mean, It's like, no way I'll we that that. So, Yes,
I think we can turn it around. I think we
can play a lot better branded basketball than we're playing
right now.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Welcome back to NBA Pols. Sara Kustaik, joined by the
great Steve Ashburner and Ash We are talking about teams
that are struggling and one is on a historic pace.
The Detroit Pistons just two and twenty six. They've lost
twenty five straight games. It has been it's been tough
to watch, and it is turned I think just a
(10:55):
lot of question marks, obviously some of the moves that
they have made. The hire Monty Williams pay him a
very handsome salary to try and help this young group.
Kate Cunningham missed a good part of the season last
year with the injury. He is back, but they have
been extraordinarily bad, to say the least. Ask what do
(11:17):
you I'll be gentle about that. That's a vast understatement.
What do you make of where this team is at
in what's happening in Detroit?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I spoke earlier about the Spurs and how their struggles
are a little hard to explain. I think there's their
doors into what the Pistons are doing or not doing.
They're a little more evident to me. But yeah, they're
historically bad. They're on pace not just to undercut the
all time worst record, which is the nine and seventy
(11:47):
three Philadelphia team back in nineteen seventy two seventy three,
but they're on pace to shatter that they're right now
projected to win six games, and they're at that pace.
So I think that the first thing you look at
is roster construction. They have a lot of lottery picks.
(12:07):
They have a lot of young guys. Those are the
same guys. They don't have much veteran influence. They had
even less from much of the start of the season
because Bogdanovich was out. They don't really have much veteran
influence Alec Burks at best coming off the bench. It's
a team that may be too young and stocked with
(12:29):
too many guys who had their own ambitions of you know,
I'm going to be a star in the NBA. I'm
not going to be a role player. I'm not going
to be a grinder. I'm not going to be a
does the little things kind of a guy. So finding
people that will accept that role, you know. I write
that rookie latter every week and my thoughts on the
on the Pistons because I've dealt with these rookies as
(12:50):
they've come through. Cad Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Jade n Ivy,
and Jalen Terry last year and now you've got Sasser
and yeah, Asar Thompson, you know, and James Weisman's not
long removed from his rookie year, and it's sort of like,
can this losing be a trauma to these guys in
their development and set them back or put them on
(13:11):
the wrong track. I mean, to go through this where
you have to naturally cope with the idea that you
didn't win two nights ago, You're not going to win tonight,
You're probably not going to win tomorrow. What does that
do to you as a player? Can you stay as resilient,
can you stay as driven? Or do you find ways
to rationalize and cope and those ways might not be
(13:33):
good for you long term. It's it's it's really I
think a concern. But I think that just in terms
of they need more veterans, they need a blend in
the rotation more than they have. The way Monty Williams
has sort of used his bench and who he sits
together and who he plays together that hasn't always looked
too good. He has limited options. The other part of
(13:54):
it is is that you know, coaches take heat for
this stuff, and Monty Williams is despite having you know,
the time, I mean, signed the biggest contract for a
coach in league history. If they win six games, he'll
be making three million dollars a two million dollars per victory.
So you or I could coach them to twenty five
(14:16):
straight losses, Sarah, and something is going to have to change,
without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And I do think, especially with young players, the amount
of young players, the talent that they have in those players.
When you are in a situation that you're going through
the motions and there's no necessary, necessarily hope of winning
or how you're continuing to improve and get better, I
(14:41):
worry about it for the individuals themselves, the young players themselves,
what that looks like and how that impacts their career.
You look at another young team, though, and I want
to compare it, not compare though, Orlando Magic, a team
that how they have grown in what they did and
flourished with a lot of lottery picks. You look at
the way that team has constructed, what Jamal Moseley has
(15:02):
done with this young group. They're currently they're on a
four game losing streak, but even with that, still sitting
forth in the Eastern Conference, Paula Bacaro has been fantastic.
Franz Wagner. I mean, really, you go down the list
of how they have put together a group that compliments
one another so very well. In the mix of young
and old. I mean, they've got a lot of young, optimistic,
(15:25):
potential players and those that are getting the job done
now and also you know some veterans that have helped
settle things. To look at the even just Joe Ingles
coming over in the presence that he brings to the table.
What if you liked about where Orlando is at and
just the ceiling that they may have on this season.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, I think, I mean they've taken steps, and I
don't know that their roster is dramatically different. They do
have a ton of young guys, but last year's Rookie
of the Year, Paulo Bankero, he has sort of assumed
the mantle of team leadership and he exerts that on
the floor and also off the court. Jalen Suggs, you know,
(16:07):
tough guy, Cole Anthony, tough guy. Those guys they do
not handle losing well and they will do what it
takes to either beat you or they will walk off
bloodied in the process. So I haven't seen that level
of grit in the Detroit Pistons. But it's not just Orlando.
I mean it's other teams that have had almost too
(16:30):
many young guys at once. Oklahoma City look where they're at.
That has come, you know, to fruition for them, and
it's blossomed to the point where, gee, maybe they don't
need an established star, even though they're set up with
draft assets and you know, money to be able to
do that. But shake Kildess Alexander is like, no, no, no, no,
(16:52):
I'm that guy. Now, you don't need to go out
and get one. Houston had two bad years in a
row and it seemed like they should have take gonna
step last season from two seasons ago. Well they're taking
a step now and they have a new coach in
the process. So there's one explanation for Houston's improvement. So
you know, in Philadelphia, I mean, Philadelphia was sort of
(17:13):
more classic. They were just intentionally bad until they didn't
need to be bad anymore. And but you know, you
can't just Detroit can't snap its fingers. They don't have
a Joel Embiid, and Orlando, to their credit, they don't
have a Joel Embiid either, but they have a more
(17:33):
cohesive group and expectations I think that are that are higher,
maybe than what the Pistons came in with. I know
Jamal Moseley would like to have just one of Money
William's paychecks at this point. So if we're talking potential
coach of the Year in Moseley and a guy who's
been underperforming with money, money, great guy, you'd want him,
(17:57):
you know, in your organization. But boy, I haven't seen
any traction for him and his staff with that team
he has in Detroit. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Yeah, and Jamal Mosley sure deserves it. I will be
the first first in the front line shouting at that.
The leadership and in the quality depth that Orlando has
has certainly shown well.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Ash.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
As always, we appreciate your insight and will continue to
watch read all all the goods that you got on
NBA dot Com.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
A lot of pressure on your Brooklyn nets there for
a couple of games against those Pistons. Nobody wants to
be the team that loses to Detroit.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Now it is that's true. At some point, streaks have
got to end, so you just you just don't want
to be the one on the other side of that.
Happy holidays to you, Ash, I know that that we
will see you again soon.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Merry Christmas to you and all the listeners, and yeah,
we'll see you next time.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
NBA Pulse with Sarahustack is the production of the NBA
and iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
No
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