Summer Bucks with Ti Windisch

Ti Windisch of the Gyro Step Podcast Network joins Justin and Carter to discuss the offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks. Breaking down both the Cavs and Bucks coming up short in the postseason, the offseason moves both teams have made, thoughts on how both teams match up and more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This crowd rises to its being.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
What Carl slamming it out?

Speaker 3 (00:04):
Darlett left wing reball perfect Arl, the helift block, the
shot at the rim.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
How with the left hand and a fowl.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Welcome to the Chase Doown Podcast, part of the Cave
Media Family. I'm your host, Tustin Rowan. The Chase Doown
is presented by Fubo TV. Watch over one hundred channels
of live sports and TV for half the cost of cable.
There's no contract and no commitment. Try for free at
FuboTV dot com. The offseason just keeps rolling on, and
you know what, there's no transition, no transactions to talk about,
no moves for the Calves. So we're going to start

(00:37):
with some team previews. We are going to interview some
of our favorite people from around the league with other
top teams in the Eastern Conference. But before we get
to our interesting guest that has tons of insightful things
to say, we have Carter. Carter, how you doing, buddy?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
This is Garrett temple Erasure. No transactions, that's true. Toronto's
got a veteran leader. Yeah, let's let's just go along
on that. I love shooting on the wing.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah yeah, you, brother, but they desperately need today they're back.
You know what, he might even run the point guard position.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
He's probably the most qualified on the roster right now.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Scottie Barnes. Sure, I hate it, but we're not here
to talk about that. Thank you, Carter for getting us
off off track. Todate, we are joined by one of
my absolute favorite guests for the Chase Down from the
Eurostep podcast Network, Ty Wendish. Welcome back to the program. Ti.
How you doing, buddy?

Speaker 4 (01:32):
I'm doing great now that I'm back on the prestigious,
illustrious Chase Down podcast. Before Carter pointed out Garrett Temple,
who I always I think of a tweet this summer
that just said Garrett Temple failed when all the Zion
stuff was coming out. That's the first thing I think
about with Garrett Temple. But they also overlooking the Nasus.
I don't know if he's officially resigned yet, but reportedly

(01:54):
coming back to the Bucks. I think that was a
day or two ago as well, so a lot of
huge earth shattering moves. Who cares about this day stuff?
We got Garrett Temple and the Nasis, a tet of
Kupo news. That's what the people really want.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, I saw the people going. I saw Shams reported
other teams like the Knicks were in the mix for him. So,
you know, good good for the Bucks to retain players.
And really that was a theme for the Milwaukee Bucks
this off season overall. You know a lot of speculation
that guys might be on the way out. But before
we get to that, before we get to the offseason,
I think we as a collective here need to kind

(02:27):
of reminisce on the playoffs and the second round matchup
that never was because you and I were messaging at
the time, doing a little bit of planning, like, hey,
you know what, in all likelihood we're going to be
doing a lot of content second round Milwaukee Bucks. You know,
you're always you're planning ahead, and it just didn't work
out for either of us. Does that disappointment still linger
for you, because I don't think I'm fully over it.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
I mean, any season when you have Giannis and you
know he missed some games in the first round whatever,
you still had prime honest on their roster.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
It's not like he was out for the playoffs, which
would have it would have been worse.

Speaker 4 (03:00):
Like I'd be I'd be less happy if you had
that series of an injury, but it would have been
more explainable than what happened.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
So yeah, it's certainly still really disappointing.

Speaker 4 (03:09):
I think getting the excitement of the new coaching, the
coaching search and bringing in the new coach, and you know,
making some small moves although as you kind of alluded to,
and we'll get into, you know, mostly standing pat this summer,
but really bringing in the new coach and apparently some
new schemes, I think that excitement kind of takes over.
But looking back, I've said it's one of the top

(03:32):
two disappointing Bucks playoff runs in this honest era. I
think the bubble is the bubble. The Toronto series, of course,
also hurts a lot. Like last year, if you're going
to lose in the first two rounds, losing to Boston
and seven without your second best player, that's kind of
how you would draw up like the least disappointing way
to go out in the playoffs. It still sucks, but
it's like, Okay, sure that'll happen. This past year though,

(03:55):
that was that was brutal. So no, not quite over
it yet, although at least we have other stuff to
distract us with in the you know, the fun the
roster moves, everything else going on.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
It's I feel like it was kind of a weird
year where all these teams that were favored to win
their series or were the higher seed lost and it
almost like diluted how much crap the teams took nationally,
Like I feel like like I feel like the Bucks
have gotten functionally no heat for for their loss to

(04:28):
the Heat, at least nationally.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Face because we are all so acutely aware of.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Like I feel like I feel like every Calves fan
is more mad at the Calves than the national media is.
I feel like every Bucks fan is more mad at
the Bucks. I probably feel like every Grizzlies fan is
more mad at the Grizzlies, like, you know, up and
down for these teams that lost that series that maybe
they should have won. I think the only the only

(04:56):
fan base that like of the high seed that isn't
miserable with how their postseason ended was the Kinks, you know,
in terms of teams that you know lost to it
to a lower seated team. So I don't know, it's
it's so such a weird thing, and like, does it
does the fact that the Heat made the finals, like,
is that a salve on the wound a little bit?
Or does it also just suck because you're like, well,

(05:18):
that should have just been us going to the finals.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
No, I think it worked as a solve because you know,
Bucks fans. Bucks fans aren't as mad at the Bucks.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
I will say.

Speaker 4 (05:26):
I think it's more it's like the universe because it's like, really,
Jimmy Butler's going to do that, and do you look
at the like Jimmy Butler.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Was good the rest of the playoffs. There's like a
clear difference.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
So I know he banged the ankle up against the Knicks,
but obviously goes on to play four playoff rounds.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Was not that guy.

Speaker 4 (05:41):
I mean we watched in the rest of the playoffs
and they kept winning, which did make it better because
it's like, Okay, this zombie team is clear. It's not
just the Bucks like falling apart, although they did, it's
also like they just keep they keep grinding it out,
like they know how to do this. But obviously the
Cabs inherited one of the players who really helped them
do that. But it's more like, really, Jimmy Butler's going

(06:02):
to be Kawhi Lenon because he was like Kawhi.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
He was twin nineteen Kawhi for that series. Like it
was insane.

Speaker 4 (06:07):
It was like to a certain extent, you know, they
needed to make more adjustments all this stuff. Like again,
I really don't want to be the Bucks guy who
just is like, oh, yeah, the Bucks were perfect. They
didn't know they mess up a lot. They needed to
make some changes. Hopefully they've made enough. But also, like,
what can you do if Jimmy's just going to make
every shot against Drew Holliday, Like, Okay, we don't have
a lot of counters for that. No team has a

(06:27):
lot of counters for that. He was otherworldly good. I mean,
Caleb Martin almost won Eastern Finals MVP. That Heat team
just had something in the water.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
Shot was one of the most insane that I've seen
that Jimmy did, Like it just didn't make any sense.
And you're right, like it's funny looking back at it.
He didn't have four rounds of playing like that either, Right,
Like you could tell kind of ages catching up to him,
those TIBs miles that he's got on his body. He
wasn't that guy. In the Eastern Conference Finals. He wasn't

(06:57):
that guy in the NBA Finals. And I do, like
echoing what Carter said, I feel like a lot of
the top teams in the East kind of beat themselves,
and Miami's that team that won't right, Like they refuse
not to they force you into those mistakes. And I
was really interested to kind of get your perspective of
that series, because, like you said, even though Joannis missing

(07:18):
time obviously was a major factor, he wasn't one hundred percent.
It still felt like a missed opportunity and a year
where I really thought that Milwaukee had a great chance
to win the championship. Do you do you feel like
that there was kind of a championship left on the
table here due to the variety of circumstances, or did
the way they lost make you think, hey, maybe they

(07:42):
weren't as infallible, Maybe they weren't as mentally prepared for
this particular run as they could have been, and that
would have cost them in the end.

Speaker 4 (07:51):
I never feel like, you know, a championship was left
on the table, because there's there was so much more
basketball to be played, and I think Miami em matches
up better with Boston than maybe anybody.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
So you know Boston.

Speaker 4 (08:04):
I think now at this point a lot of Bucks
fans think they're a bit of a boogeyman. I don't
go that far. I think it's a I think it's
kind of a good matchup for both teams. I'll be
really interested to see this year without smart, how Boston
goes about defending some Bucks, especially Giannis. But that's saved
that for a different two team preview podcast to dive into.

(08:26):
But no, I mean it's more like just a better run,
like a run squandered, Like I know, I'm trying to
look at it ever as oh, if this happens different,
it's a title, whether it's last year with Chris getting hurt,
because again, there's so much more to be played. Even
twenty nineteen, a lot of Bucks fans sit on that
one almost up three to zero against Toronto. Obviously, what
happens happens to Katie and Clay, But you replay that

(08:48):
again in a different universe, maybe those guys are healthy
and the war is another one.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Yeah, I can see Carter wants to top, but I
just have to add that one haunts me because Jannis
in that game three, not getting a single free throw
in regulation. I still curse it was a.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
Weird thing at the end of the Siakam It kind
of went off him at the end and it was
Raptor's ball. We for some reason, I know, you guys,
I think I actually tell people all the time. You
guys did an amazing job of finding content. You know,
during COVID when everything was off, not the bubble, but
before it. We to pass the time during that we
rewatched every game of that playoff run. I don't know

(09:22):
why we didn't have fun my co host Rohan Katti
and I, but rewatching that game, you're like, oh my god,
so much happened in this game that you just kind
of you just kind of pack away, right, like, oh,
that's over. And rewatching it's like, oh, it was so
close to being up three to zero. But here I
go again getting hysterical. But you know, they have to
be honest, and Chris and everyone they can go on
more runs, and you know, I try not to hold

(09:43):
too tight to the missus. We're lucky enough to have
gotten one, and you know that that's really special.

Speaker 1 (09:49):
As you know, you guys I'm sure can relate to
as well.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
We absolutely can. I wanted to ask you about kind
of a big talking point that came out about the
Bucks playoff roster construction, because I think everyone really liked
this Bucks roster, you know, like going into that postseason,
they liked a lot almost every player up and down
the roster, and then the playoffs start and you go,

(10:13):
there's not a ton of athleticism out here. They kind
of seem old and slow and crafty, And it kind
of made me think of the end of the first
Lebron era in Cleveland, when the Cabs had really surrounded
Lebron with a ton of high skill veterans that you know,
then you would go and play a team like the

(10:35):
Lakers and lamar Oden would just like run them off
the floor. Like do you feel like maybe the Bucks
maybe over indext a little bit on that with their
roster construction, where it's like, hey, we have eight nine
guys you can be trusted to make the right decision
and play smart defense and shoot the ball and oh wait,
we're they're just faster and can jump higher than us,
except you're honest.

Speaker 4 (10:56):
Yeah, yeah, I think that was a big part of it,
and I think that it kind of doubled down on
Gianness's injury being problematic because when he got back he
didn't have that same burst either. But I think I
think it was kind of a twofold problem and that
they didn't have enough athletes, and also there was this
is gonna sound stupid, they were almost too deep in
that there's probably eleven players on that team who should

(11:16):
have gotten rotational minutes, and in the playoffs, that can
be a difficult thing to figure out, like, okay, which
seven or eight actually get them?

Speaker 1 (11:24):
And it means someone.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
Like je sounds like a great problem to have.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
That's what I said too. That's what I said too
going in.

Speaker 4 (11:32):
And then Jae Crowder plays forty minutes over five games
and looks bad and you just can't play him anymore
after looking great in the regular season. And Javon Carter
kind of the same deal quietly did not have a
good playoffs. And when you have that level of expectations
and that kind of roster, there's not a whole lot
of time to figure it out, and you can't just
give a guy twenty minutes a certain night because it's

(11:52):
just not working. So I think that, coupled with the athleticism,
was a double detriment, and that they had these vets
who you know, they know how to play, but they
don't have that same level of bounce and they don't
They're not getting enough minutes to get acclimated, to get
totally comfortable out there. Neither are the players around them.
They just they looked off, you know, watching that that series.
The funny thing about that series not funny to maybe

(12:14):
funny to heat fans.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
Like Game three.

Speaker 4 (12:16):
I remember watching it. I was like, yeah, they're cooked.
They're not going to win this game, like Yas can
come back.

Speaker 1 (12:20):
They're not.

Speaker 4 (12:20):
I mean, sorry, they're not going to win this series.
Like something's just wrong. And you could really see it,
like they didn't have the same level of fight.

Speaker 1 (12:26):
They weren't. They weren't as competitive.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
As they should be, even when someone goes down, even
when Yannis misses time. So I do think whether it's
you know, Malik Beasley whatever, he can obviously not a defender,
but you know, certainly younger and more athletic than the
guy Joe Inglees, Wesley Matthews, some of the guys they
were trotting out last season. Certainly, if Marjon Bochamp can
earn some minutes, I mean that that guy is a
real just dropped eighty three points in the Crossover baby,

(12:53):
So that's like, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
Dropping thirty at summer league. I don't know the conversion. Yeah,
I don't know the conversion. It's got to be at
least fifteen in the regular.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Seasonmate, and that pro am run, like, come on, man,
we call that a CEBL forty.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, CEBL forty. We'll take that.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
But had some really good summer league games too, had
some quiet ones as well. But you know, I kind
of said, listen, anytime you have to spend five days
in Vegas in a row, like you're not going to
be performing the same like that that it creeps up
on you. So I understood that from Marjohn But seeing
those guys get real opportunities which they didn't, I mean,
marjoh On was year one. You know, a non lotto pick,
you're not going to get that much run on a

(13:31):
good team. But now he's have more time to develop.
It seems like they're pretty high on him. They drafted
two really athletic rookies and a former Bucks front office
staff are actually posted I think on Twitter x whatever
like these would not have been draft picks when budd
was there, Like it's just everyone had to shoot, you know,
everyone needed those skills and having shooters around the honest

(13:52):
is really important of course, but I do think they
went too far away from athleticism in how they assembled
the roster, and I am really excited to see, like, what,
maybe they can have an actual good transition offense if
Gianni's has some running mates. This is something that Bucks
Twitter was kind of befuddled by. They weren't good in
transition last year, Like they didn't score a lot, and
it's like, well, yeah, half the roster or more is

(14:12):
very old and not fast.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
It's gonna be tough even when.

Speaker 4 (14:15):
You have, be honest, because you only have one guy
getting down court. So I think very excited to see
some more athleticism on the court this season.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah. Obviously one of the biggest changes is with the
coaching staff, right with Budenholzer no longer being there. Were
you happy with the direction that Milwaukee went with her
coaching higher because I was happy for you guys. I'm
not the biggest fan of Nick Nursing and you know
him kind of being in the rumors and whatnot, and
you went with the Toronto coach, just a different one

(14:44):
than the rumors would have indicated. Were you happy with
that decision?

Speaker 1 (14:48):
Yeah? I was.

Speaker 4 (14:49):
I mean, you know, I think certainly didn't expect it
didn't expect Adrian Griffin, a doctor Adrian Griffin recently and
I believe to make the top three, much less actually
actually get the job. Really just thought it would be
someone who was a coach before, so I was a
little worried it would be Nurse just for that reason,
just for that the clear selling point of like, oh
he won a title as a coach, he's got what

(15:10):
it takes, whatever that means. And I just thought they
would go with someone established. I really like Kenny Atkinson
going in. I thought, you know, kind of getting more
seasoning from that first job in Brooklyn and the player development.
I thought he would make a lot of sense. Obviously
didn't go that direction. I think though, what was exciting
was someone who's been around the league for a long

(15:32):
time and seems like he just really can relate and
connect with players. I think that's one of his major
strengths so far, and really a defensive minded coach, and
I love what he and the organization did in you know,
bringing in Terry Stotts and bringing in Joe Prunty and
some of these other coaches and pretty pretty openly being like, yeah,

(15:53):
Terry Stotts and Joe Prunty are gonna like have a
lot to say in cooking up this offense, Like I think,
being able to recognize that you have a deaf sit
in something and then just bring in the right kind
of expert. I mean, Terry Stotts, in addition to his
time in Portland, was the offensive coordinator whatever the title
is in the NBA for the twenty eleven Mavericks. Like
this is a guy who knows building great offenses very well.

(16:13):
I think bringing in those guys really reassured me a lot,
because if there is any question mark with really any
Raptors coach right, it would probably be offense. Over the
last several years. I mean, the player development there, the
defense certainly there. The offense not an ideal roster, but
also not a very good offense anyway. And they will
tell you they have five six all NBA players over
there in Toronto, so there should be a better offense

(16:35):
than we've seen out of their Raptors in these last
several years since Kawhi so yeah, I'm excited. I think
that they needed to change. Something was just off, and
you know, it was very unfortunate. You know, we found
out afterward that that Mike Budenholzer's brother passed away during
the playoffs. I think that certainly had an effect on him.
But like the Bucks offense had just been stale for
a little bit too long, you know, the adjustments, and

(16:57):
it seemed like there was a little bit of you know,
there was more discord I think between the players and
the coaching staff than we thought. And some reports came
out and you know, one of those comes out you
can kind of hand wave it away, but multiple and
then hearing Giannis really wanted to find the right coach
to connect with, I think you can kind of connect
some dots and see, you know, maybe the team that
message just wasn't resonating the same.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
They needed a new voice.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
I think it's hard to fire a guy who won
a title two years ago, but I think it was
the right move and I'm very excited to see what
Adrian Griffin can do this year for the Bucks.

Speaker 3 (17:29):
Yeah. I mean it goes to show you just how
important that buy in is for players, right. Carter you're
about to say something.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
No, I mean I was about to say as much.
You know, it kind of feels like they were they
saw the Darvin Ham experiment go well in LA last year,
you know, after a rocky start obviously, but after that
roster came together, Ham, who had been an assistant for
a really, really long time that was beloved by the
players he coached like it kind of you can kind

(17:56):
of see the through lines there.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
And sorry quickly, Haim in particular, I mean Bobby port
has called out after the loss. People didn't realize how
impactful it was losing him for as the Bucks leader
assistant like that voice, and I think, again, just more
signs that the team I don't think was necessarily clicking
on the same level. But yeah, Darvin, I think someone
that Bucks fans love. I mean, there were certainly a

(18:19):
lot of posts during dire parts even the postseason they
won it all that, you know, let's get Darvin in
the lead chair for the next game. So yeah, I
think he for multiple reasons, Ham has a lot to
do with this move.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, It's part of why I feel looking at where
the Cavs came up short in the postseason, like there
were just so many points of failure across the board.
There were so many things individually the players could have
done better. There were things that we would have liked
to see done differently from JB. Bickerstaff, whether it's you know,
bringing Alan that far beyond the three point line, you know,

(18:53):
going a little too far, or going away from their
identity a little too quickly. I thought they were trying
to adjust to what the Knicks we're doing, rather than
forcing the Knicks to adjust to them. But when you
hear like Chris Fiedor had a great interview with Darius
Garland that was posted today, and when you hear the
players talk, it's there's all there's still that kind of

(19:14):
unanimous buy in, right like that they all believe they're
all pulling in the same direction. And when you hear
interviews with jab it's always you know, it's a collaboration,
right You're working with the players. You're trying to identify, Okay,
are we all pulling in the same direction? Are we
all working towards the same goals and getting their input?
And I definitely feel like the Kasar are still on

(19:35):
that path. And you never know, right like the twelve
months ago, Donovan Mitchell wasn't even on this roster right like,
so much can change, but right now it feels like,
you know what, we addressed some of the concerns that
we had in terms of personnel, adding a lot of shooting.
You hear Garland talk about adding strength and being ready

(19:57):
for the physicality of the playoffs. I'm I'm very, very
excited to see kind of what the offseason changes mean
for the Cavs, But I'm also looking around the Eastern
Conference and I don't know if I'm in the minority
with this sentiment, but I don't love what Boston did
this offseason, like I think with you, I think.

Speaker 2 (20:17):
They hate what Boston did.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
Okay, so I'm not in the minority, at least not
in this podcast.

Speaker 4 (20:22):
None of this podcast. The first move terrified me. I
will say that I'll get my finger in frame. The
first trade that didn't happen, I was like, oh no,
I don't like this at all for the rest of
the league. And then that fell through and they traded
I was like, oh, okay, take all the second round picks.

Speaker 1 (20:35):
I don't care about that.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
Who Yeah, I'm in the exact same boat as you.
I thought that made sense to move Brogden, but smart.
You know, that's a locker room leader, that's one of
their primary organizers for a team that was short of organization.
I think that's why they haven't won the championship the
last two years, since they didn't have that playmaking. Then
you know, losing Grant Williams, I think that that hurts
them as well, for a guy that's you know, struggled

(20:59):
to be a number two option, played very well with
Bradley Beal, you know, largely out of the lineup last
year for Washington as the lead guy. I just don't
love what they did Philadelphia. It looks like they're probably
going to get worse. There's so much dysfunction. Darryl Morey's
talking about. You know, it's not going to look great
in training camp, but wait until like the middle of
the season. That rarely works out in the NBA, especially

(21:22):
when you have such a competitive conference NIXT. I think,
you know, there's still kind of treading water, but that's
still a good team. They're going to have a full
year of Josh Harden whole likelihood at in Devincenzo. I
think they got better, but it doesn't feel like outside
of like the Cavs, and I guess we'll see what
happens with the heat. Nobody got better in ways that

(21:44):
really moves the needle. But does that make you feel
better about Milwaukee kind of bringing back Middleton and brook
Lopez where it's like nobody really raised the standard of
excellence here in the Eastern Conference. There's no massive star
edition that we now have to contend with, and we
can just kind of bring back our guys, make some

(22:06):
tweaks to the system and learn from the playoff shortcoming.
Does that make you feel better about the way that
the Bucks approached the off season?

Speaker 4 (22:14):
Yeah, I mean I think you know, I've tried to
make this point before and fans never want to hear it, right,
But like just saying we brought in Chris Middleton and
Brook Lopez for thirty teams, that's a great summer in
the NBA.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
And just because they.

Speaker 4 (22:28):
Were already on the Bucks, I know it makes it
feel less impressive. But as Toronto, how much they would
have liked to just retain their guys in free agency
and how much And I don't mean to keep bringing
back to the Raptors, but like it's a big deal
and both of those guys were unrestricted. It's not like
this is you know, they deserve a cookie because they
matched an offer sheet or whatever.

Speaker 1 (22:47):
But the leaguer was gone.

Speaker 3 (22:48):
I thought, I thought Brooke at least was gone.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
And it's seem great about that.

Speaker 4 (22:52):
It seemed like it was a lot closer than we
had anticipated. And at that point, you know, we're scrounging through.
Like can Thomas Bryant start for the Bucks and ends
up going to the Heat for a minimum? I believe,
but you know, it got desperate, and I think, you know,
and I want to get back to Brook later because
like looking at these two teams, like just that center
who is like truly a three and D center.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
It's such a rare player in the league, and.

Speaker 4 (23:12):
Like how badly the Bucks or any team could use
that guy, but especially a team like the Bucks and
the Cavs who have a player like Mobiley in the
front court. He wasn't the best shooter, not comparing Mobi
and Jiannis directly, but in terms of like a big
four who can work around the paint and could use
some spacing, but also could use that room protector for
a lot of the time on defense. That player like

(23:32):
Brook is invaluable and that was extremely scary. So I
think getting Chris for whatever thirty four million a year,
I think sure absolutely signed me up. Only having to
do three years for the Bucks. I think it's really good.
And then retaining brook Lopez, who I really did consider
that Houston bag clearly got a bag from the Bucks.
Has been playing under market value for five years.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
Outrageous.

Speaker 1 (23:55):
No, it's not crazy.

Speaker 4 (23:56):
When when Siakim and Vucevic both got like twenty ish
million per I was like, he's probably gonna.

Speaker 1 (24:00):
Get more now. I mean, that's right. What did I say,
Sakam Sorry, ye.

Speaker 3 (24:07):
Be taking all I know he reportedly wants to stay
in Toronto, but I don't think it's for that kind.

Speaker 1 (24:12):
I'm not going to do that much.

Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yes, Perdle and Vucevic, excuse me, but when they both
got twenty million annual, I was like, Brooks probably going
to get more now. And he did good for Brooks,
he earned it. He's very he was second to DVOI
voting last year. So yeah, I think and certainly looking
around like the super Team forming being out West, it's
like whenever that happens, I'm like, sure, it's not Brooklyn anymore.
Somehow they never won one, which is still pretty wild

(24:34):
considering the talent they had there. Maybe Phoenix will, maybe
they won't. A lot of the same questions even though
it's different players apply there, but certainly like not having
Bill or someone get added to like the Celtics, it
is a good thing. Not having the Celtics being on Dame,
even though they probably could without giving up their two
guys a good thing, I think for for the East.

(24:54):
And we'll see if he goes to Miami, that's going
to be a scary team. It hasn't happened yet and
they've let to start walk already, so we'll see what happens.
They're kind of a secretly precarious position for them, even
though you know the heat reporters will tell you they're fine,
it's all good, it's.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
Handled, it's whatever. Whatever.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
But yeah, I think the Bucks mostly running it back
but getting younger and having actual young players on the roster,
which may sound silly, but it just hasn't happened very often.
I mean, that's just not something they did on the
actual NBA roster really at all.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
In the Buck, when you're trying to win titles, it
is and.

Speaker 4 (25:28):
It's easy to not do, especially when you know you
can load up on the Corvers and forbes' Is and
all these guys and just have them and not really
use them. I mean last year Myers, Leonard and Gordon
dragics Like sure, I guess emergencies app I like though,
having three players on rookie contracts, and I just found
aj Green to a one year deal too, just like
actual some real prospects who could develop. The Bucks just

(25:50):
haven't really done that. They haven't drafted much, they haven't
developed very much. They've more been a second draft team,
which is great. You do need guys who can play,
but it does make it a little unsustainable. You do
get unathletic and old. So I think being able to
kind of shift the roster to be a little more
sustainable while also keeping the players who I think really matter,
retaining your top seven, that's a pretty good summer for me,

(26:11):
especially as you mentioned, the rest of the East didn't
make that huge move yet. Maybe Miami will, we'll see,
but they're just going to be a totally different team,
maybe not necessarily a clearly better team.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah, I mean the reality here is like when you're
a team like Milwaukee with title aspirations. Talent drain is
a real danger because you're an over the cap team
pretty much no matter what, because of how many other
good players are on the roster, So like you just
can't let talent walk. And like, the one thing about
retaining your guys is even if you do need to

(26:44):
like make some kind of big, blow it up type
of trade to change things up, you just need as
many pieces, as many as many you know, chips to
play as you as you can have. What does the
pickout look like for Milwaukee right now? Like that I
know they's not a lot of capital, maybe more than
I'm comfortable with at the time for jew holiday, Like,
do they are they going to be able to try

(27:05):
to swing for some like you know, legitimate upgrades mid season?

Speaker 1 (27:10):
I don't think mid season.

Speaker 4 (27:11):
I think they'll be quieter mid season, maybe see like
another Crowder kind of thing where they send out some seconds.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
I think next draft, though.

Speaker 4 (27:19):
They'll have to duck under the second apron, which they're
a little over it this year.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
I don't think it'll be difficult.

Speaker 4 (27:23):
They'll have to duck under it for next year so
they don't get to pick frozen in this insanely anti
competitive anti teams trying to win CBA that we're in now.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
For some reason.

Speaker 4 (27:34):
But they can trade three picks at the draft, so
the guy they draft and then twenty nine and thirty one,
so you're looking at okay, you can actually make a
real swing with that now, especially as you mentioned, you know,
you're probably if it's someone making a decent amount, you're
sending out real players. And again, I don't want to
do the biased homersm thing. I think that everyone the

(27:55):
Bucks have under contract is at least like a slightly
net positive. I don't think you look, there's no deal
where you're just like, oh, that's dead bloated money, like
someone like the Grayson Allen's Pat.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
Connan's now on kind of feels like the poster child
there was like, yeah, it's fine, it's probably gonna play
for anywhere anywhere he goes.

Speaker 3 (28:12):
Yeah, maybe he'll call you home or just to be
the one that calls you.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
That's fair, That's totally fair.

Speaker 4 (28:18):
You know, it's just like which it almost hurt them
this year because you know the all these players are
basically kind of being given away, right John Collins, I
think you know the Wizards who they give away to
the Pistons. I get their point guards confused. It wasn't
tires right, it was Monty Morris. Because because these teams
just like either have cap space or an exception or

(28:39):
just like a yeah, we don't care about this eleven
million dollars.

Speaker 1 (28:41):
The Bucks don't have that, Like they don't.

Speaker 4 (28:42):
Have like you know, the this there was so much ironically,
Colin Sexton buzz around the Bucks and it's like you
got to give up two rotation players to get him,
and the Jazz probably want stuff on top of that.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
It gets kind of expensive.

Speaker 4 (28:53):
So it's almost been an issue this summer where teams
kind of running the shed payroll. We're really just giving
away players. The Bucks couldn't take anyone for free. But
I do think when you look at, oh, we're trying
to trade for a real player, like around the draft
or next offseason, then it's like, okay, you're going to
get plus value contracts, whether it's a huge swing one
of their star players or some of the role players.

(29:14):
And we have three first and we have whatever seconds
are left after John Horace sends out fifteen more for
the next seventh guy or whatever we do, whatever the
Bucks do with the deadline this year.

Speaker 3 (29:24):
Was there an aspect of this offseason that you found
to be a bit disappointing or is something that you
were hoping that the Bucks were going to be able
to accomplish that they haven't yet. I guess it's worth
noting that the off season isn't over, but I think
most of the major Domino's f fall in, at least
for our two teams.

Speaker 4 (29:41):
Yeah, I mean with only a two way spot open,
certainly it's not going to be a big free agent addition. Obviously,
there's not many guys left out there anyway, a backup
point guard. It's probably the one thing they really don't
have right now. And I think if there's any position
they'll target midseason, it'll be that.

Speaker 2 (29:57):
And even it is a sneaky big loss. Yeah, he
was an important player for them.

Speaker 4 (30:02):
Yeah, I think, you know, looking at his career trajectory,
I was high on him being I think there was
almost a resistance to having be the true nominal backup
point guard, even if he played the one off the
bench for them.

Speaker 1 (30:14):
They didn't put the ball in his hands a ton.
I do think he can do it.

Speaker 4 (30:16):
I really like that contract for Chicago, although he did
not have the best playoffs, which is unfortunate. But yeah,
they don't really have a clear backup point guard. It
sounds like Lindell Wiganton kind of his own, may get
some reps. He's been in their system for about three
years now. He had a really good year in the
G League last year, he had a pretty good Summer League.

Speaker 1 (30:34):
He's developed a shot. He's a good defender at the one,
so we'll see if he gets some run.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
They may also just seed more ball handling to Chris
and Giannis and make it less of an issue, which
is what I would imagine. They also have Amari Moore,
an undrafted two way player who's a point guard too,
and they may add even a third point guard via
two ways. So it looks like they're really taking swings
at that position. But that's the one, and I think
kind of paired with that. I had thought they'd be

(30:59):
able to be a little bit under the second apron
enough to use the mini mL E and there were
some good like Shake Milton kind of guys going for that,
and I was like, ooh, that would be a really fun,
you know, backup point that really. I think then the
roster just looks a lot more complete, but with the
Brooke contract coming out to be more than I think
we had anticipated and not knowing like the way the

(31:19):
unlikely bonuses factor in all this nerd stuff.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
But they're over it.

Speaker 4 (31:22):
They were over it before they signed TA the NASIS,
so and it's fine. I don't think it's a huge concern.
There are some people that are really like, you need
a backup point guard. It would certainly be nice. I
think they're probably a little short on ball handling. But
I also I want to see what the new offense
looks like, because are we just going to let Gianis
actually kind of handle and run pick and rolls like
the Gianness Brook Lopez pick and roll has sneakily been

(31:44):
pretty effective. If you look at the numbers over the
last several years, and they just don't do it much,
maybe it won't be as noticeable as we think. I'm
not really sure, but I do think that's the one where, Yeah,
it would be nice to have a little bit more
depth than just a couple of two way guys, even
if Wigginton is experienced for a two way player.

Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
No, I I.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
Do appreciate though, that you guys didn't take Craig Porter Jr.
I'm very glad that he fell to us as an
undrafted player.

Speaker 4 (32:13):
Listen every time every time the Bucks pass on a
Porter Junior and he goes to the Cavs, it works
out awesome for you guys.

Speaker 3 (32:19):
So very well played.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
Time, very he looks good though he looks good, looks
he does.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
Look really good. And you know what else has worked
out really well for us, the partnership that we have
with Zoom support for this podcast and the following message
comes from Zoom. Half a billion businesses connect using Zoom,
a single platform for phone, chat, workspaces, events, apps, and video.
Zoom enables real time collaboration for teams around the globe.
Zoom how the world can acts? Ty Really well done.

(32:47):
Let's let's move in to how these teams match up,
because I'm disappointed that we didn't get the second round
matchup between these two teams. I thought Milwaukee was going
to be that team that gave Cleveland the type of
series that got against the Knicks. Right, one that doesn't
feel good at all. It's a little embarrassing to go through,
but you learn from it, right. I heard that.

Speaker 2 (33:10):
We just thought we'd get to have some fun first.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
Yeah, and we didn't get that. And it's funny because
I've been having conversations with people about, you know, like
this is something that the Cavs did need to go through,
and they're like, well, they needed to go through the
first round loss. I'm like, no, like that didn't need
to happen. But the lessons you learn, it doesn't matter
whether you learn them in the first round or in
the second round, or if you have like a conference

(33:33):
finals run and then those weaknesses get exposed going through
that was the important thing. You just feel better if
you win around, right, Like the floor feels a little
bit higher. But looking at kind of the Calves now
with the revamp shooting, obviously we saw these teams play
four times throughout the regular season. We get to see
each other a lot. Is there something specific about a

(33:56):
matchup between the Calves and Bucks that does give you
a little bit of concern if we were to go
into a series or even looking forward to these regular
season matchups.

Speaker 4 (34:05):
I mean, with the Cavs, how can it not be
related to both the small back court and the big
front court?

Speaker 1 (34:11):
Right?

Speaker 4 (34:11):
So, I think defensively, having Mobley and Allen on the
back line, it does give a team, especially a team
like the Bucks problems that you know, when your best
player is a shooter, but not an efficient shooter who
really likes to create, having at the rim, having that
kind of personnel is always going to kind of flag
it as the kind of matchup that, as you mentioned,
if you win, you're probably gonna win ugly, Like it's

(34:33):
not going to be easy to get points against that team.
So I think just having Mobley and Allen against Giannis
and even like Drew who regular seasons has shot very
well but also likes to get to the rim, like
you know, they Every team likes to get to the rim,
every player does to a certain extent, but certainly the
Bucks that's been an important thing. So I think that
defensive back line, and then on the other end, trying
to guard both Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland is always

(34:58):
a challenge for any team. And I think, you know,
you have Drew Holliday, one of the best perimeter defenders
in the league. That's a great start, but now with
Javon Carter gone and you know, less guard depth, it
is going to be intriguing, like how do they how
do they handle those two guards. I'm really not sure,
and again it's going to be I remember I actually
joked about this on a podcast this week, I think
late and at one of his first games when he

(35:19):
got back from injury, Bud through Joe Ingles on Donovan
Mitchell in a Bucks cast game, and I remember we
were just watching it.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
Like what is this? Why? Why would you do? What?

Speaker 4 (35:30):
What is this real? Are we in a simulation? Like
what is going on? That's clearly not going to happen.
That's what happened. That's certainly what happened too. But like
who else can guard guards well enough on this roster?
That's going to be a really interesting thing as well,
Like can Grayson step up and you know, guard a
little bit?

Speaker 1 (35:48):
He was better last year.

Speaker 4 (35:49):
Obviously you're not going to look at him though, as
this is someone we want on Donovan Mitchell or Darius
Garland for the whole game. So I think they have
unique problems to solve on both ends for any team,
but especially from Milwaukee, given the proclivity of scoring around
the basket and the lack of size I guess at
the opposite the lack of small size on the Bucks roster.

(36:10):
I'm really intrigued to see how they go about guarding
this team. I do think it's going to be a
huge matchup for anyone that east on how they match
up with Cleveland, because I mean, the Calves were top
four last year and I think got pretty significantly better
over the off season.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
Yeah, and to that point, like they also kind of
if they're gonna start a struce to the three, they
also kind of stopped the hiding spot.

Speaker 1 (36:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
Uh, you know part part of this where you can
just if you do have someone you want to give
a break to that they could just go hang out
in the corner and and and not really guard Isaac Okoro.
You know, I do think that's a challenge for Milwaukee.

Speaker 3 (36:46):
But I still think.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
Milwaukee presents really really tough challenges for the Calves. You know,
obviously Broke is getting along in the tooth, but I
think it was I think it was No Tech Ben
on Twitter who kind of talked about how the Calves
have an advantage of the four and the five against
probably twenty eight teams and not against Milwaukee and I

(37:09):
and then you obviously have Drew and you know, I
think the Calves are probably thrilled that Javon Carter isn't
there to chase the chase of their guards over screened
and stay connected in that Milwaukee drop coverage, and then
you know, I think Brooke does you know, obviously Calves
students are gonna remember Brooke absolutely torching the nets against
them in the regular season last year. But I do think,

(37:33):
like even archetypally, he creates a real big problem for
them because you know, when they when they do have to,
you know, send two to the rim to help guard,
you know, an elite big scorer. You know, normally those
guys are so good at getting out and recovery against
jump shooters. But Brook is so big, the release is
so high that it's really hard to get out and

(37:53):
contest that corner three. So if he's adding it's a really,
really tough he does break their scheme a little bit.
This is a that will give up some corner threes
by collapsing down to the paint, and you just can't
get back out on a seven to two guy like that.
So I think it was a really cool matchup all
through the regular season where you know, if you remember
those first two games, the Calves were running the Bucks

(38:15):
off the floor in the first half of each game,
and then the Bucks ran the Calves right back off
the floor in the second half of those first two games,
so I feel like it was a little bit of
a preview of what each team can do to the
other to bother them. But I really really liked the
matchup for the Calves, and I remain pretty darn disappointed
we didn't get that second round matchup for that reason,

(38:37):
because I think they would have learned learned better lessons
in a series against the Bucks. They then they learned
against the next. I think against the next they learned
that their offense wasn't functional enough and that, you know,
they were bad on the boards and needed to get
more physical. I think I think if they had been
more ready and been able to handle a next team

(39:01):
that I just still do not think was particularly special.
I think this was much more about the Calves limitations
than than the Knicks playing out of their minds good Again, again,
the Knicks had the worst offense in the in the
postseason after the Calves. However, like you know, I do
think like the Bucks, you know, figuring out how to

(39:21):
deal with the Giannis battering ram, figuring out how to
how to guard, how to score against that that that
drop coverage with with Drew coming around the back and
staying connected. I just think the Bucks present a lot
of cool challenges for the Calves, and most importantly, they
present the how are we going to deal with a
top five player in a series, because that is one

(39:44):
thing that like we talked about this a couple of
weeks ago.

Speaker 3 (39:47):
I was talking about.

Speaker 2 (39:48):
Kind of how what the Calves path to a championship
team looks like. And you know, for teams that have
top three players, it's it's pretty easy have a top
three player and get enough good players around them, whereas
it I don't know if the Cavs currently have a
player who I think is going to end up in
that top three, top five, which means you're gonna have

(40:09):
to do it by committee and you're gonna have to
figure out how to make life really hard and crappy
for super duper stars like Giannis. So you know, like
I don't agree with folks who're like Calves needed to
take take a hard lesson anyway. I think they their
non readiness kind of cheated them out of better lessons
and kind of extended their timeline in that way.

Speaker 4 (40:32):
Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of funny because Brunson
played almost like that top five player for some of
that series, not all of it.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
But yeah, it just feels that way because there are
scoring eight the Caves are scoring to eighty six points
a game.

Speaker 4 (40:49):
Did they have like one or two actually really good
games and the restler was it, okay, that's why that's.

Speaker 1 (40:53):
Really good games like Jimmy's whole playoff run. In one series,
they were.

Speaker 3 (40:57):
A little stepfi though. They're like they're already up fifth
team in the fourth quarter, hitting a bunch.

Speaker 1 (41:01):
Of three like old wounds, don't don't heal hu.

Speaker 3 (41:05):
It was just missing a mouth guard, basically.

Speaker 1 (41:09):
Hole in one, just swearing like come on.

Speaker 2 (41:13):
The best way to put it is that Jalen Bronson
had a better statistical series against Miami and every single category.

Speaker 3 (41:19):
Wow, And it just didn't feel that way.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
It just didn't feel that way because the Cows couldn't score,
so like, So, no, I actually don't think that. I
really do think like you you cheat when you're not
ready to, when you lose a series you should have won,
it does block you from learning those better lessons, because
I really think they would have learned a lot, a
lot from a series against the Bucks or the Heat,
even though I probably would have picked you know, the

(41:42):
other teams in each of those series, maybe maybe not.
In hindsight, I probably would have picked Cows against the
Heat because we didn't know that.

Speaker 3 (41:47):
They were blessed by Yeah. Yeah, yeah, we didn't know
what playoff mass Maxtreus was was going to do for them.
But you know he's on our side now. But it's funny,
Carter Won. I completely agree with you. I retract my statement,
I think you said in a much smarter way, and
I agree with every point you made, as much as
it pains me. And the other thing that I didn't

(42:09):
fully kind of comprehend is I think both of these teams,
even though the corps are staying together and you know,
you make some minor tweaks around the edges, it's interesting
that I think both are going to have to change
how they defend the point of attack to some extent because,
like you said, Milwaukee still does have Drew, but you
don't have Carter, right, Like, you don't have kind of
that second option you can go That's true, Yeah, you

(42:32):
don't have that second option you can go to against
a team like the Calves and say Okay, well, now
we have to pick right, like Drew Holiday guards either
Garland and we're hoping to take away some of the playmaking,
or he's going to guard Mitchell right and try to
take away obviously their leading scorer. And I think we
all assume he's going to be a leading scorer next year.
Then for the Calves there's a change because if we're

(42:54):
assuming that Max Struce is going to start, that takes
away Isaacle Cora being that point of attack defender. And
I think Garland did a very good job last year
taking a lot of those point guard assignments. Last year.
I think it kind of went under the radar just
how often he would take those assignments. And it looks
like he's, you know, added a lot of strength. One
of the things he brought.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
Up to he better add a lot if he's going
to have to be the main guy on Drew.

Speaker 3 (43:18):
Right, Drew, I think you might even just cycle Strews
down or put Donovan on him. But I'm saying in general,
like I think Garland's going to have to take a
lot of those assignments. But it is interesting that kas
are probably going to have to play a little more
base defense and guard the guy across from you, rather
than you know, kind of having that option to go to.

(43:38):
Do you think when you look at this matchup, Tie,
is there a specific part of the Kavs roster that
you think is vulnerable and particularly that Milwaukee is well
suited to exploit with the Cavs.

Speaker 4 (43:53):
Yeah, I definitely think it is just the lack of
size one through three. If it is Streuce who starts.
You mentioned Drew. Of course, drewis as strong as hell.
Drew is power forwards strong anyway, But really it's Chris.
And I think the thing about Chris is like playoff
Chris Middleton. If he is healthy, he'll just kill you
if you don't have size on him. I mean he'll
post up and just hit that shot all day. And

(44:13):
Shruce is a fine positional defender. He's not you know,
he's not an offense only player, but at I think
six ' five, that's just going to be an issue
for him trying to guard Chris. And I think that's
where that's where a series could go from Oh, this
is tight, this is grimey, this is hard to win,
where there could be some games where Chris is just like, really,
there's there's problems then of course, you know, do you

(44:34):
bring back in Acro and then and go away from
Strus or one of the guards, well, then defense will
beg It's harder for the Cavs, as you mentioned, where
you can kind of either have a roamer who can
just reak havoc, which they'll do with the honest from
time to time. He'll probably be on mobile most of
the time, but or just you know, bring bring one
of your worst defenders out of the actions and not
have to worry about them. So I think that's going

(44:55):
to be their hardest problem to solve is, Okay, there's
a player one through three who's going on off and
there's a power forward that we can't really move Mobley
away from that much. I wouldn't be surprised, you know,
they try to put smaller players on Brook, kind of
cheat it that way. We've seen teams do this. The
Bucks probably don't take it. Certainly have not taken advantage
of that as much as they should have. Teams kind

(45:16):
of stashing someone like a power, small forwardy guy on
Brook and they just let him stay out there. We'll
see if this new coaching staff wants to I think
advantage basketball has been something they've thrown around.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
I mean quite.

Speaker 4 (45:27):
Honestly, although he's thought of as the defensive player first
the floor space or second if there's like a six
to six guy on brook Lopez, though that's barbecue chicken Ernie, Like,
they're not gonna.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
They're not gonna guard him.

Speaker 4 (45:38):
He still has that he didn't forget, you know, he
made an All Star teams then that's all time leading scorer,
all back to the basket stuff. So I think that's
gonna be their big issue is they have the Calves
have the big front court like the Bucks. Then the
Bucks size kind of extends beyond that where the Calves
there's a pretty severe drop off, and it's gonna be okay,
how do we marry the offensive strus and of course

(45:58):
that the two guards who are great offense we do,
but how can we defend well enough when teams have
multiple sides? Because I know, you know, the first answer
to oh, who guards Chris he's going off, well, Mobley
can do it. Certainly, Mobley is the permanent defender who
can do it. But when you're playing the Bucks, it's like, okay,
then who guards Giannis? You know, and can Jared Allen
do that, and then who guards Brooke. It's this cascading thing.

(46:19):
So that's what I'm interested to see is do they
have to go more defense? You know, are they not
forced to? You know, that's the one of the interesting
like give and take chess matches of the playoffs, is
what lineups for the Calves really work and how can
they find that balance against the Bucks.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
This has been I think probably the single most underdiscussed
part of what the Calves did this offseason, something that
the Bucks have never done in Giannice's tenure. He is
asked him to go be a point of a tech defender.

Speaker 1 (46:50):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (46:50):
I mean, obviously he'll switch, he'll do that sort of stuff.
But they have always had uh you know, Middleton to
throw at wings scorers, Drew to throw a wing scorers,
and they have all and they have almost exclusively played
him next to another big over the course of his career.

(47:12):
And I think it's going to be really interesting because
you know, there are all these analogs in comparisons between
Giannis and Mobley, especially on the defensive end, where you know,
this would be uncharted territory for that comparison, because what
how much utility do you lose with Evan Mobley If
you're saying you have to go guard Jason Tatum, you

(47:34):
have to go guard Chris Middleton on the perimeter, you know,
is that the best use of Mobley's defensive talents. We
know he's an elite defender in isolation, but is it
How is he going to do, you know, navigating screens
as the primary in those moments, And I'm super fascinated

(47:54):
to see kind of how that ends up playing out
and whether that's really the best use of him defensively,
because as we've seen, Giannis can be a great isolation player,
he can be a great switch player.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
But the Bucks have you.

Speaker 2 (48:07):
Know, created a championship identity on that end by letting
him roam and free and play free safety while Brooke
plays in a drop and just staying in their shell.

Speaker 4 (48:17):
Yeah, it's going to be fascinating to see how much
that changes this year, because it's funny the exact flip
side of what you're saying is and certainly Bucks fans.
I think Giannis as well, from some of the things
he said, I think he would have liked to be
a primary a little bit more. I don't think all
year It's one of those you know, it's like, you know,
you play the center until you can't. I think it's
that same idea of like you play Gianness as the

(48:38):
helper until you really need to stop on KD or
Jimmy Butler or whoever it is.

Speaker 1 (48:43):
And it sounded like Giannis wanted to do that a
little more. So.

Speaker 2 (48:45):
I do think that was weird. It's like, yeah, he
kind of feels like he's made in a lab to
guard Kevin Durant in a closing posession and there would
still be Chris on him, and.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
I'm like Chris or Drew or PJ. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (48:55):
Well, And I think it was very frustrating because the
bubble seer or the post bubble seat is when they
when they swept the heat, it was he and Brooke
guarding Jimmy and Bam and it's like, okay, your pick
and roll just means nothing, like we're just gonna drop
and and and they just didn't do it this year,
and he had the injury everything else. I think I
think he honest wants to be a little more involved defensively.
I still think there's gonna be a lot of him
as the rumor. I think that's you know, you have

(49:17):
to look at regular season versus playoff stuff. You know,
I don't think he should start the five ever. I
don't think he should be guarding wings all season ever,
or even all game maybe because as you mentioned, you know,
even for you honest getting over those screens, that's the
hard part. When you're that big and that long, it's
really hard to get around screens all day. But toward
the end of the game maybe that's when you want

(49:38):
to do it more so. Yeah, again, that's another just
another balance that how do you find the right balance,
How is the player happy? How is the team you know,
performing at its best? That's only the Bucks actually have
to figure out a little bit this season as well,
but certainly will be interesting to see. As you mentioned,
you know, before Drew was there was Eric Bledsoe, for
all of his faults, an amazing point of attack defender
on guards like they've always had guys to throw at

(50:00):
those offensive players, kind of sparing Giannis from doing so,
even if he wishes he did a little bit more.
Certainly has made them such a consistently great defense though,
to have Chris and Giannis behind those other defenders.

Speaker 3 (50:12):
Yeah, and I've been pretty adamant that that's the role
for Mobili moving forward, right, Like he might play minutes
at the five, right, Like you might close with him
at the five. And I shouldn't say might play minutes
at the five. He plays about half of his minutes
at the five, So we know that it's going to
be part of the game. But I still think the
way that you maximize him defensively is having him at

(50:34):
the four. And I think you look across the NBA,
the only teams that seem to be able to play
defense against what modern basketball is is the teams that
have these guys at the power forward position, whether it's
the Honest, whether it's Jared Jackson, Junior Mobley, Robert Williams,
Draymond these versatile guys that you know someone's taking care
of the center responsibilities and I'm able to be that

(50:56):
kind of world destroyer, right and that Romer. It'll be
interesting to see how the Cows balance having Mobile as
a primary defender and when they have him strictly in
that power forward role, because they just don't have the
size at the small for position. And that's definitely something
that became very apparent to Carter and myself as soon
as we started, like the gears changed and we start

(51:18):
looking at free agency, where like, wow, there's not really
options at the small for position, which isn't a surprise
because you know, big three and D wings are one
of the hardest things to find. But immediately like I
went into spow track and I'm like, okay, let's go
to shooting guards. Can I find a large shooting guard
that maybe fits? And that's how we landed on Strus
says probably the best option, even though he doesn't have

(51:41):
that size, but they're probably even though you're not counting
on it. You want someone like Dean Wade to kind
of return to form right the Dean way that we
saw prior to the injuries, because he's just like one
of the few options of a guy that's six '
nine that's shown, Hey, he's defended Jason Tatum Wall, he's
defended Kevin Duran. Well, he's given you, honest, some tough

(52:02):
minutes at times, although you know Gianness is just god Zilla,
so that's a little bit difficult, but tough one.

Speaker 2 (52:08):
The mats typically are tough for you, even if Jannis has.

Speaker 3 (52:11):
A bad game exactly exactly, Yeah, a little bit of
wear and tear on the body there, so you're going
to need him to step up. You're going to need
isaacle Kro to take another step forward as well. But
in terms of just adding a big wing, it's just
they don't become available. It's really hard to find those
kind of guys. And who knows, maybe George Niang can

(52:32):
be our bores d O and and bait Giannis into
those mid range jumpers like the out did to Lebron.

Speaker 4 (52:39):
Well, it's just funny because I remember, you know, seeing
the Cavs off season unfolded. They got Niang first, right,
it was like, Oh, I like that. You know, it's
certainly not a perfect player, but you can always use
more shooting on a team when you have the two
bigs who are non functional three point shooters, and just
the size, as we've talked about, just having more big
players who can move a little bit is nice. But

(53:00):
I was like, that's that can't be there three right,
And then the you know, Strew's news came out.

Speaker 1 (53:04):
It's like, Oh, that makes a lot. Then I like
this a lot better.

Speaker 4 (53:07):
It's kind of the same way I've viewed the Lakers
off season, Like the first couple moves. I was like, okay,
and then the rest of it. And that's the that's
the funny thing about the NBA off season is everything
is in pieces, and even like a trade will be
in pieces, Like you can love and then hate a
trade just by finding out what else, Like everything comes
out so incrementally.

Speaker 2 (53:25):
Joe car is that all this happens within like three hours?

Speaker 1 (53:28):
Yeah exactly.

Speaker 4 (53:29):
Yeah, It's like, oh, I totally flipped it four hours
later when they got Strews soon.

Speaker 3 (53:33):
I was about to say, not everything happens in pieces.
The analysis happens all at once, Yeah exactly, and doesn't
factor in that there is still months left of the
off season at all. We have to react to every
single thing like it is a finished product.

Speaker 1 (53:46):
The bestest draft grades.

Speaker 4 (53:48):
I feel like I see a new screenshot every week
of like some team that absolutely crushed it in a draft.

Speaker 1 (53:52):
It's like, f these.

Speaker 4 (53:53):
Guys are terrible, Like like I can't think of a
good example. I mean it's I think it's probably more
NFL bexy have so many more rounds, but like a
draft that totally changes the team's life for the next decades,
like Cheff stinks, we need to that has to be
a grade, though, we have to know right away how
you did.

Speaker 3 (54:09):
The flip side is there's always one analyst that loves
everything your team did on draft night, and I love
finding that guy. You're just eating it up. I'm just
I'm eating it up. And I'm also being like, what's
his email so I can book them for the podcast
I need.

Speaker 1 (54:28):
Right now.

Speaker 3 (54:29):
I need you to go along on this. That make
me feel really good about it. Yeah, and I'm interested.
I'm excited to having theang on the team. I think
he brings kind of a grit to them. I'm still
concerned about the rebounding because none of the guys that
they brought in really are or plus rebounders for their position.

Speaker 2 (54:47):
And can I can I zag there? Yeah, go for it.
If if the Calves need to go get a rebounding
specialist to fix their rebounding, They're not. They're never going
to do anything. The guys they have on their team
need to get better at rebounding.

Speaker 3 (55:04):
I mean, you're not wrong, Like a big part of
the problem was one through three, right, Like, I think
a lot of the rebounding failures came down to that
right where you know whether it's Jared Allen not necessarily
in position or I think first two games in the
series he was in position, right, he had the fourteen
fourteen game and whatnot, and it was Josh Hard, it

(55:25):
was these other guys coming in rebounding on the perimeter,
and who knows, maybe having a six or five guard
and Ty Jerome is something that will be helpful. But
Don and Mitchell has been a strong rebounder at times. Garland,
if he's getting a little bit stronger, he's going to
need better. Strus is going to need to, you know,
put a body on him and not allow Derek White
to go to the rim a late game situations, right,

(55:47):
And like, if.

Speaker 2 (55:48):
We're subbing out any of these core guys because they
can't rebound, yeah, we've got bigger problems. That's kind of
the crux of what I'm trying to say.

Speaker 3 (55:56):
No, you're You're completely right. It does need to get better,
and I'm going to I'm almost ready to do a
rewatch that Knick series.

Speaker 1 (56:03):
Carter.

Speaker 2 (56:04):
I never.

Speaker 3 (56:06):
I'm getting ready to do a rewatch. I know, I'm
not expecting.

Speaker 4 (56:09):
I don't think it would be fun. I don't think
it would be fun watching those games.

Speaker 3 (56:13):
Enough paychecks in the world. Brother.

Speaker 4 (56:15):
No, I was just like, this is this is the
kind of games are the worst to lose, because it's
just like they really shouldn't be.

Speaker 1 (56:20):
But Alas, I'll.

Speaker 2 (56:21):
Watch tape, but I'm not rewatching the series.

Speaker 3 (56:25):
Yeah, I'm going to rewatch it, and I'm not feeling
good about it. I want to rewatch the regular season too,
because I looked it up and the Cavs offensive rating,
like in terms of how teams performed against the Knicks offensively,
as were fourth worst against the Knicks in the regular season,
and they had that massive game one where they just
hit every single three. And I want to figure out
what exactly it was about that matchup that just made

(56:45):
the Cavs struggle offensively. And I guess eleven matchups or
nine matchups? All right, great math, good job justin, But
I want to figure out exactly what that was, so
I'll put myself through that.

Speaker 2 (56:57):
I don't think you just played the next one out
of every games.

Speaker 3 (57:01):
It's like that year we're after the All Star break,
we just played Philly seventeen times. That was ridiculous. I
hated that this is the worst. Let's let's talk about
the rest of the Eastern conference though, because we're going along,
we're having a lot of fun, but we do need
to keep this show moving.

Speaker 1 (57:17):
Ty.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
Let's get your prediction for what the regular season standings
will look like for the Eastern Conference, and you know what,
let's you can go just top six. Let's let's ignore
the plan. Let's ignore the teams that are going to
be in that mixt Let's talk about your top.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
I want to preset some ground roles. Are we assuming
Dame on Miami or are we not assuming Dame on Miami.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
We're just assuming there's a chance. It's like it's likely.

Speaker 2 (57:41):
Yeah, let's let's let's factor it in. Let's factory, let's
factor it in. That's more interesting to me.

Speaker 1 (57:47):
I'm going to say the Bucks hold their spot at one.

Speaker 4 (57:49):
I think it's like, it's pretty likely they just finished
somewhere in the top three. But I do a Bucks podcast.
The Bucks finish one. Okay, it gets honestly, I didn't. Hmm,
it gets.

Speaker 2 (58:01):
Really hard for you get sloppy right away.

Speaker 1 (58:03):
It does. Here.

Speaker 4 (58:06):
No, I'll just I'll put in the Celtics still, I'll
just retain last year's I don't like the moves much.

Speaker 1 (58:11):
I think they manifest more in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (58:14):
But I do remember seeing like a Celtics tweet the
night of Celtics person tweeting at the account, but like
with like the worst passing team in the league and
we just lost our best passer for a post big
and it's just like it's gonna be difficult to overcome.
I think they'll be fine. I mean, the Jays are
really good. They'll figure it out in the regular season.

Speaker 3 (58:29):
That would be pretty wild if their account tweeted that.

Speaker 4 (58:31):
Yeah, yeah, just like I mean, with how much Marcus
Smart meant to that Org, I wouldn't be totally shocked.
That would be the trade that would do it. I'll
get the cast three though, And I'm not even pandering,
but I just you look at the Sixers, They're just like,
I don't know if I could, as someone who really
hates the Sixers and has for a long time, I

(58:52):
don't know if I could have scripted a funnier way
for this all to go down, Like this whole thing
then just like they end up with Harden, Morey gets
his guy and then in just the most classic moriy fashion,
just completely disregards the relationship, totally lies about giving him
the deal. After he takes less and now it's this
ugly thing for the second time in three years and

(59:12):
beat us to carry the team with a star teammate
sitting out, We're getting uncomfortable. Harden's gonna wear just the
most tremendous fat suit we've ever seen. They're saving up
cap space for some reason. Has no one told them
the memo that it doesn't matter anymore? I don't know
that the plan this summer is cap space. Baby, We're
not extending Tyrese MAXI. That can only end well. So

(59:33):
I'm gonna say they take a hit. I'm gonna say
they not as good. They're still top six, but we're
gonna go buck Celtics Cavs. I'll just throw in the
heat at four. I don't care what their roster is,
to be honest with you, they just feel like they
just zigzag from like eight to four every couple of years.
Let's say they get Dame, whatever they're for, Okay, I'll
throw the Sixers in at five, which sets up a

(59:56):
hilarious first round, and then I will probably put the
Nicks at six. If you told me it was the Hawks,
I wouldn't be surprised if you told me it was
the Pacers or Magic, I wouldn't be shocked.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Oh, come on, I wouldn't be shot.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
I like those. I don't like the Dogs.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
Is it the Hawks? I'm fine with the Pcers.

Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
The Pacers had a really good summer.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
Pacers were good children. They talking talking, and Bruce Brown,
Bruce is nice. Yeah, they had the eighth man of
of another team.

Speaker 3 (01:00:33):
Pacers are defensible because Pacers were outside of the plane
while Hallie was healthy basically all of last year. And
I think the roster got a little bit better they needed.

Speaker 1 (01:00:44):
They just had.

Speaker 4 (01:00:44):
They have spots in their rotation where it's just like, yeah,
that guy should be that guy should be getting thirty
minutes for west Chester.

Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
The real players.

Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
I think you're getting a little too cute. I mean,
the benefit of what the NBA is now is you
have four play in spots where you can just store
all of your cute stories and teams that you like.
He can do.

Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
That's where I would have you. I was limited to six,
so I just shouted him out.

Speaker 3 (01:01:06):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:01:07):
I I think it's a lot more likely they're seven
through ten and then they actually cracked top six, but
one weird injury. Whatever, I think Orlando is the one
where I'm like, listen, I don't think they have enough
real players.

Speaker 1 (01:01:18):
They were pretty good.

Speaker 4 (01:01:19):
The second half of the year, and Paulo is one
of those guys where like, if Polo shows up, it
is an All Star next year.

Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Is anyone shocked.

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
His readiness at the World Cup?

Speaker 2 (01:01:28):
Like, is he gonna play a bunch of ye And
that's it for a Team USA team that's pretty young.

Speaker 3 (01:01:33):
People throw a mid range guy that doesn't work.

Speaker 1 (01:01:36):
People throw around, the people throw around just generally.

Speaker 4 (01:01:39):
Generational comps too much. But like the KD one for
how he plays, I get it. I don't I'm not
saying he's gonna be that. I get why you would
say it, And I know people have talked about like
that was kind of a turning point for KD. Was
like Team USA get that real role that can really
bring a lot of energy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
So I think that's a great take. Carder, I agree.

Speaker 4 (01:01:57):
I'm not putting Detroit if people everyone loves Detroit last year,
I said slow the role. I'm still not putting them
there this year because the roster makes no sense and
it's bad.

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
But you know, Orlando, I kind of like just shouting out.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
Orlando as a shout out honorable mention.

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
YEA, yeah, that's it. That's it.

Speaker 3 (01:02:13):
I like that Palo plays like Lake career Blake, but
like without the back issues. It's just if Blake started
playing that way, where it's like I'm just going to
really put a pressure on the rim. I'm going to
draw a lot of fouls. Here, got a nice little
mid range game. I love Palo. I'm so impressed by him.
Curveball here. How does your rankings of this top six

(01:02:34):
differ from how you feel about those teams come playoffs? Like,
if you were to power rank those teams of how
playoff ready they are, how would you go.

Speaker 4 (01:02:42):
So throw away all the young teams, the Pacers, thet
I don't even care. I'm not even mentioned anymore. Okay,
I'll still put Bucks one blaytant homer ism. Yeah, Celtics
heat up, the next two.

Speaker 1 (01:02:54):
The heat just shoot up. I mean we've seen it, right,
We've seen it enough times.

Speaker 2 (01:02:57):
If they have Dame, I'm putting them above the Celtics.

Speaker 3 (01:03:01):
I might put the playoffs. Yeah, I don't like the
Celtics for the playoffs. I don't like the Celtics at all.

Speaker 4 (01:03:06):
I'm just I'm just putting them there and I'll tell
you it's it's close. I don't know, I just said it,
but it's close. Tatum a year older and Jimmy a
year older factors in here where it's just like.

Speaker 3 (01:03:18):
It also depends how much like what moves if they
were to pull that trigger, because they lost so much
shooting depth already that if Hero and Duncan are going out,
then all of a sudden, it's like, Okay, you lost Rucy,
lost Duncan, you lost Hero, you lost Vincent, Like Lowry
might not be in the mix anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:03:37):
They're really old.

Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
Game right, Like it's I'm a big high Smith fan.
I like him.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
He doesn't have a shot like that doesn't address my
shooting death is I get it?

Speaker 2 (01:03:48):
I get it? Can I make my anti Celtics take
while we're here? That's true on both so regular season,
I think they have at most seven, like guaranteed NBA
roster quality guys, rotation quality guys. Yeah, I think two

(01:04:09):
of them are going to be hurt at all times.

Speaker 1 (01:04:11):
Okay, yeah, And I.

Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Think if we have learned anything from the last couple
of years, you know, looking at teams like the Lakers,
looking at you know, all these top top heavy teams.
Having functional depth matters so much more than it ever has.
Playing guys who cannot hang kills you in the modern NBA.

(01:04:39):
And even if your top four, even if four of
your guys on the court are really really good, if
you're playing a fifth guy who just doesn't really have
the juice, that's a huge problem for you. So like,
like it alarms me how quickly I get to Sam
Hauser from when I'm running through their rotation.

Speaker 3 (01:04:57):
But fine, you don't think he can and hang. He
seems like.

Speaker 4 (01:05:01):
Tenth man Richard, I think is kind of good, and
that helps me in the math.

Speaker 1 (01:05:06):
I think he can.

Speaker 2 (01:05:06):
He has also been demanding a trade for the last
two years.

Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
He won the war.

Speaker 4 (01:05:10):
Marcus Smart's gone somehow.

Speaker 2 (01:05:15):
I just think, like looking at their regular season, I
think that they they have their their wing and guard
depth is functionally non existent. Like one injury really puts
them in a really tough spot. Obviously, Jalen and Tatum
have been, you know, superheroes of of staying healthy, and
that's that's kind of their ace in the hole. But like,

(01:05:38):
you know, I think people kind of have these fallacies
when they look at injury luck where it's like, well,
that guy got got hurt, so the other guys probably
won't get hurt. You know, like you have that fallacy
where it's like like it is just as likely that
Williams and Porzingis are both hurt at the same time
than it is that neither of them are hurt.

Speaker 1 (01:05:59):
You know, have like, well, at least they have forty
five year old Al Horford to.

Speaker 2 (01:06:02):
Step and Horford is getting to that age where like
any season he might not be good anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:06:09):
Yeah, you know, I remember when.

Speaker 2 (01:06:10):
It happened with David West, who was like helpful, helpful, helpful, helpful,
you can't play anymore. Yeah, And like so like I
just look at all the reasons, like you know, with
with this, with evaluating these teams, I feel like you
always have to kind of do the you know, what's
your median outcome, and their median outcome is still pretty
darn good, but there it goes wrong. Outcome is so

(01:06:33):
much the floor. The floor is so much lower than
it was just a year ago.

Speaker 4 (01:06:39):
I don't disagree. I don't they's stocked up some all
these second round picks. I feel like they're going to
add some depth as the season goes. But I also
just like, do we live in a world that good
things happen and the Celtics aren't good?

Speaker 1 (01:06:52):
I doubt it. I feel like.

Speaker 2 (01:06:55):
Maybe this is some wishful thinking because I.

Speaker 4 (01:06:57):
Like you, I love I don't think you're totally off though,
Like I think they're they're not even like worst worst case, right, Like,
oh all they're played like they're their bad case is
not very good for them. Like, I do think it's
kind of fascinating what they did, And I think that's
the part that I don't know if I like for them,
is that they were so close with that core and
to break it up for Porzingis and then pay him,

(01:07:17):
I just think it's like.

Speaker 2 (01:07:19):
Did you have to do it like that? Yeah, Porzingis
had a lot of fun playing really low stakes basketball
last year.

Speaker 1 (01:07:25):
Has never done anything but that.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
He had a couple of really great playoff games before
he got hurt. I do think that's that's the kind
of the case. Like, I really like remember that against
that in that Clipper series with the MAVs, he looked
really really good. He was legitimately presenting a problem for them,
and at his best he's a really helpful player, and
I'm really high on the best version of Porzengas. I'm
just like, man, it just feels like you're betting a

(01:07:50):
lot on him being a no doubt really good third
best player like he like at at the level of
investment they made in him, he needs to probably be
like one of the two or three best third.

Speaker 3 (01:08:03):
Wheels in the league.

Speaker 1 (01:08:06):
Is he that?

Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
I don't know about that? And like, if you're gonna
be worried about their teamker, it needs.

Speaker 3 (01:08:11):
To be that. I really worry about their playmaking because
I think I think in modern NBA basketball, you need
to have two three playmakers and they need to be
like you need to have them multiple positions too. You
need to have that frontcourt playmaker. And I think Jason
TAM's probably their best bet to take a leap in
that area. But I just feel so bad about their

(01:08:32):
their guard depth there when it comes to playmaking. Like
that was one of the issues with the Kas in
the playoffs, right was you know, yeah, Garland and Mitchell,
but Mobiley wasn't ready to do that yet at the
playoff level, and it looked like he was thinking a
little too much relative to even how he played in
the regular season, So I think that's that's my biggest
concern for them.

Speaker 1 (01:08:50):
But I.

Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
Completely derailed.

Speaker 1 (01:08:54):
Yeah, that's fun.

Speaker 3 (01:08:55):
I remember that that's the form out of this. It's
just an excuse for us to sit around and talk hoops.

Speaker 4 (01:09:02):
The Strews edition helps with that. I mean, I think
the shooting is probably the biggest thing he adds. But
just greasing the wheels offensively, it'll be it'll be really
nice to He clearly knows how to do that. Yeah, Bucks,
Celtics heat. I'm not changing, I heard Carter. I'm keep
in mine, though, I just I don't. I don't trust
that good things will happen.

Speaker 1 (01:09:18):
Okay, and then Nicks Calves, Sixers.

Speaker 2 (01:09:30):
Calves.

Speaker 3 (01:09:30):
I have to ask the question even though I think
I know the answer.

Speaker 4 (01:09:33):
Yeah, I mean it's I feel like I'm a luddite
in certain sensus when it comes to the league, and
it's just like I just saw it to such a.

Speaker 1 (01:09:40):
Degree that's yeah, thanks, I just and I don't.

Speaker 4 (01:09:43):
I think the Calves are better, But it's just like
I'm gonna need to see them not just like defeat,
like oh that we won the game. I want to
see him bully the Knicks for some games. Before I
start to reevaluate that. So it's not as much like analysis,
Like I love the Dante ad, I don't. I kind
of think it's not great for them, and it's like,
get over the nova thing.

Speaker 1 (01:10:00):
It's just weird.

Speaker 4 (01:10:01):
You have to see a thing now you have a
nova thing, Like, just find players they don't all need
to have. This isn't hoopcrids, like, just add good players.
I don't think they really needed him.

Speaker 1 (01:10:10):
Whatever, that's what they do. No, I came up with that.
That's it's so weird to me. But whatever, it's fine.

Speaker 4 (01:10:20):
But like I mean, as much as we all thought
Tibbs was cooked, they're really well coached and and they're
keeping the team together.

Speaker 1 (01:10:25):
I think they're good. They could also.

Speaker 4 (01:10:28):
Randomly end up with Joel Embiid one of these days.
I'm not factoring that in.

Speaker 1 (01:10:31):
Who knows.

Speaker 4 (01:10:31):
They're clearly they're clearly trying, and that's you know, they
looked at the gnosis. I wonder why, right, Like we
all know what the next plan is. It's to turn
Julius Randall into a real all NBA player, not a
Julius Randall All NBA player, but even just with him
and brunts in and everything. They're deep. They got a
little deeper. I think, even though I didn't like giving
away Toppen. They're relatively young, they're well coached, and they

(01:10:52):
just did it to such an extent versus the Cavs
that I need to see the Cavs. I need to
see like, Okay, they learned it, like Mobley develops, Streuce
is missing piece, Niang shooting helps, and they can prove
it to me in the regular season. I don't need
to see it in the playoffs. But I'm just giving
the next to benefit of the doubt. And then the
other three teams ahead of all of them, I just
think those are the three teams by and large, and.

Speaker 1 (01:11:12):
Then Philly I just win win two's playoff.

Speaker 4 (01:11:15):
Series once with with an MVP and all these other
all stars, just one time.

Speaker 3 (01:11:19):
I like the hating. I understand why you have to
do it. I understand where you put the Knicks ahead
of us, and I understand as a fan, as much
as I want to object, as much as I want
to jump down your throat, we have to take this
like it just is what it is now and we'll see.
I have full confidence in the in the Fellows and
the boys, but it's.

Speaker 2 (01:11:39):
Worth noting Ty had to go through this too, like series,
they shouldn't lose. Oh yeah, you know you had to
go through the Well, we're just gonna have to see
it happen. Yeah, we're not gonna we're not going to
pick the Bucks.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52):
Well, the results drive everything. I had calves in five
going into the series.

Speaker 2 (01:11:56):
I was like, oh, yeah, you were the only two
I and four.

Speaker 4 (01:12:00):
Going into our first round series, So don't go with
my first round takes.

Speaker 3 (01:12:04):
But yeah, midst Miami, right, like sometimes yeah one Miami
has the Bucks numbers. Other times, you know, they lose
in four.

Speaker 1 (01:12:12):
And all Haymakers, they're all four or five.

Speaker 3 (01:12:15):
Didn't Jimmy get out scored by Bryn Forbes in a series?
Who was it?

Speaker 4 (01:12:18):
Yeah it was Brent, it was I wish it was
some Brynn really ugly thing, since I wish it was
anyone else. But yeah, Bryn Forbes not scoring Jimmy is
very very funny and well, it's like to the results point,
like people everyone, Jokic is everyone's number one now and
two years ago, Yannis is everyone's number one. I'm not
gonna say you're gonna argue against Yokich is your number one, Like,
look what he just did, right, Like like Kawhi in

(01:12:39):
twenty nineteen, he's never won MVP, but that's the guy.
Like when when you go prove it in that level,
I'm fine giving the better for the doubt. I'm not
saying I have over honest, I am saying everyone.

Speaker 1 (01:12:49):
Putting in there.

Speaker 4 (01:12:50):
It doesn't bother me at all because of course we
just saw it, and I think I think it's fine
even if it's simple to just be like, yeah, if
you just did it, you deserve that respect going into
the next year.

Speaker 3 (01:13:00):
Yeah, I think that's completely fair. And Joannest and Jokic
right now, that's my top two, Like that's yeah, that's
that's my tier number one when it comes to NBA Stars,
I think it's those two and everyone else is trying
to get on that level.

Speaker 4 (01:13:14):
So now it's a three way tie for you. Mitchell
Garland mobiley Yeah, the next tier.

Speaker 3 (01:13:19):
Yeah, of course, yeah, you know me, well, just you
know he's peaking his way right into that group.

Speaker 4 (01:13:25):
He's number one of the most improved leaderboard for you
going into the year.

Speaker 1 (01:13:28):
That's the that's the allen Place or No. Number two, Mobiley,
I guess makes more sense.

Speaker 3 (01:13:32):
Oh, you know what, it might even be Garland. Just
just you wait, baby, I'm running to trade hard. I'm
a big believer that we got another leap coming here.
But we have gone really long on this. And I
don't feel bad about going long on this either, because
this is such an NBA dead time. I was sitting
there trying to work all day.

Speaker 2 (01:13:51):
Yelcome everyone. Simmons is on vacation. JJ Reddick's on vacation.
Not the working men of the chase in the euro step.
I'll tell you what now, Yeah, you know what.

Speaker 3 (01:14:03):
We went along. We gave you some content. Let's give
a little more content. Carter, start the clock at sixty
seconds of Sea Bears time. E My Sea Bears update
for you is nothing but heartbreak. Winnipeg showed out in
the final game of the regular season with a record
setting crowd, ensuring that the six largest crowds in CEBL
history are all owned by Winnipeg. It was a back

(01:14:24):
and forth game Saturday against Edmonton, with the good Guys
coming back and building a six point lead in the
fourth quarter, sally that vanished before target time even began,
with Isaiah Osborne knocking down three straight triples. And the
Stingers pulled away with a ninety eight eighty sixth victory.
This means, despite time for the best record in the West,
Winnipeg lost the tiebreaker against Calgary and falls all the
way to the three seed because Vancouver gets a bye

(01:14:45):
to the Championship weekend. For hosting the weekend, Winnipeg will
get their first try to get their first home win
against Edmonton this year Friday in the playing game, and
then they have to get their first win on the
road versus Calgary two days later just to make it
the Championship weekend. Instead of hosting game one, instead of
hosting one game, the head to Vancouver. They have to

(01:15:05):
go on the road. But it is what it is.

Speaker 1 (01:15:09):
Wow, sixty seconds.

Speaker 3 (01:15:10):
I got it in and we got a little bit
of bonus gripes here Wisconsin heard legend aj Hesk brought
in from just what the people came to.

Speaker 4 (01:15:20):
The from the first This is what this is the
one thing about it I teased on Twitter. So there
is like one person out there who probably did tune
in for this.

Speaker 3 (01:15:27):
Yeah, you know, Ty got me all excited when the
signing came in. I'm like, man, he played for the
hurd he's like, you got yourself a shooter, or you
know what his splits are for the year? Tell me
about it, brother, shooting thirty three percent from the floor
and thirty from.

Speaker 2 (01:15:43):
Three central Dovis Bretons type of fools, gold.

Speaker 3 (01:15:48):
Set shots, money movement, shooting not his bag, not not ideal.
It hurt. I'll tell you what. There might have been
a reason he didn't get up to the bucks.

Speaker 4 (01:15:58):
Yeah, I don't think he was really starter from if
memory serves either. But I looked back and you know,
I thought of him as like this shooter when I
messaged you. I looked at the stats later and I
think it was like thirty three thirty four percent with
the herd too, and I was like, oh, that's what
he does.

Speaker 2 (01:16:13):
You know, we talked about, you know, downgrading mar John
Beauchamp's crossover stats and and pro rating. I think you
got a pro rate at a couple percentages, you know,
going going to the CEBL. So yeah, he was a
hell of a shooter. He's just letting justin down.

Speaker 1 (01:16:29):
Well.

Speaker 4 (01:16:29):
I saw in the second league in France. In the
second League in France, he shot like forty five percent
from three this past season, So maybe maybe it's the
Sea Bears that are the problem.

Speaker 3 (01:16:39):
No, it's just the level competition. It's the level of
competition and those record setting crowds. Man, first, you're in
the pussure and we have the top six attended games
in the history of the league. We're showing out with
Winnipeg knows ball. We know ball. Now we have to
play a playing game with the best record in the West.
I hate that's all my people. We got to do

(01:17:02):
a watch party or something justin Friday. Now you're gonna
be well, I guess you got a product. No, it's
not a home game.

Speaker 1 (01:17:07):
It is a home game, home game and then road game,
which is a very weird.

Speaker 3 (01:17:11):
We got to go head out on the road Sunday.

Speaker 1 (01:17:14):
Sunday you can do the watch party hopefully.

Speaker 3 (01:17:16):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Well you better tune in card because
CBL plus is free. Just register with your evening. Absolutely,
buddy Ty, thank you so much for coming on the
podcast and indulging us and going along and hanging out.
We really appreciate it. Everyone that tuned in. I hope
you guys enjoyed it. Make sure that you guys are
subscribing to the Eurostep Podcast Network. Anything else you want
to plug before we get you.

Speaker 1 (01:17:36):
Out of here, Ty, no man.

Speaker 4 (01:17:38):
All the links are at GSPN dot in photo anything.
I appreciate anyone who checks us out, but thank yous
guys so much for having me for accommodating my long talking.
It was a ton of fun, as it always is,
so very very very great time here as always on
the Chase Down.

Speaker 3 (01:17:53):
Plus yeah, just three long winded long talkers. Big thanks
to everyone that tuned in on YouTube ben and hung
out with us throughout this whole thing. Make sure you
like and subscribe, clicking notification bell so you know when
we're going live. If you're listening to via podcast and
you want to support us, leave us radiantly, review, subscribe, unsubscribed,
resubscribe and help cook those books you want to be
part of the Chase Down's exclusive discord chats and the
screenshot that review to Chase down pot at gmail dot com.

(01:18:15):
However you choose to support us, we really do appreciate it.
Make sure you guys are staying safe out there until
next time, Yo, Cass