Ep. 95: VJ Edgecombe is the REAL DEAL, NBA Free Agency Updates and Takeaways - 07/07/25

Sean Barnard and Sam Oshtry talk VJ Edgecombe's Summer League debut, NBA free agency updates, and more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Number one on your car radio preset hand the new
and improved Diehard Radio, WAYES and WD two seven three
D Philadelphia Ice Fox Sports Radio like Gambler.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Anyway we go?

Speaker 3 (00:11):
What is going on? Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome back to
Fox Sports The Gambler. This is pix and Roll. My
name is Sean Bernard with Sam Austrey. Here we are
in the dead of the NBA offseason, but kind of
the busiest time to an extent. The news is flowing,
the rumors are still flying, and we have some live
basketball to breakdown as NBA Summer League is underway, and
there may not have been a better NBA Summer League

(00:32):
debut that I've seen from a Sixers player than what
we got from our guy BJ edgecom so excited to
dive into all of that. But before we do, Sam,
how we doing, my guy? How's the holiday weekend?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm great? Holiday weekend was awesome.

Speaker 4 (00:44):
July fourth always great, got some got always my favorite holiday,
like just just the best holiday of your hands down,
never have a bad July fourth ever, good beach time, fireworks,
little beach bar down the shore.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
So great.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
July fourth great, your Lily fourth. I'm ready to get
back into it.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
I love to hear it, love to hear it. And
with that, with the holidays behind us, the NBA season
already undertaking, so I've got to get before I wax
poetically about my thoughts on VJ edge com. Did you
have any key takeaways from VJ or any thoughts on
some league to lead off the batway?

Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yeah, I mean, it was an incredibly impressive debut. Like,
let's just start with that, twenty eight points, ten boards
for assists.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, but really, what like I saw.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
From them is stuff that you don't even I didn't
even see from his tape at Baylor necessarily, where his
explosiveness and athleticism all that was on display at Baylor.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
But this was a whole new level.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
And you know, Summer league's kind of it's very similar
competition to college. Like a lot of those guys are
former college players or guys who are around the college
G league level, So it's similar competition to what you
see in college. It's not really what you're going to
see in the NBA. And also it's more like a
pickup run than a structured game because there's very little
practice time before those guys go and play together, so

(02:00):
there's not as much game planning, not as much sets
and offenses and schemes that you're running and stuff of
that nature.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
So it's very much a pickup run.

Speaker 4 (02:06):
When you get a guy as athletic as vg edge
comb in a pickup run setting, he is impossible to guard.
I mean there's nobody on the floor who could stay
in front of him. He was awesome in transition, which
we know he's great and most athletes are good in transition,
but he's also really good in secondary transition where not
where necessarily the Sixers had an advantage, but it was
more like the defense was running back and it was

(02:28):
like they were on their heels a little bit, and
vg edgecumb just got downhill every time, finished well around
the rim, operated well in the mid range. We know
his hangtime is just absurd. How he attacks closed outs constantly,
makes the right decisions, plays the right ways, made great
defensive plays with his athleticism. The one thing was his
three ball still wasn't there one for seven from three,

(02:49):
which is something that he everyone knew coming in. He
has to develop a better shot. I don't love how
his shot looks like it almost looks like he's shooting
with two hands, and so I think that's something hopefully
the Sixers will developed with their shooting coach. But other
than that, like, it was just an incredible debut. I mean,
how he got to the rim, how he attacked, attacked
the basket, finished around the rim, operate in the mid range.

(03:10):
This was everything we thought that the Sixers were getting
with a number third pick and they he put it
all on display in his summer league debut.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah. No, one hundred percent there. And to set the
ground rules here, the how you watch summer league here
is if the performance confirms your initial takes or your
expectations here, then you're one hundred percent right if it
looks different than it's just summer.

Speaker 4 (03:31):
League, because we've never seen summer all time Summer League
performances respond with doud careers in the NBA and vice versa.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah. Remember remember just two years ago when Victor Wemenyama
couldn't hang in the Summer League and people were ready
to get off.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
Couldn't he couldn't handle the physicality the NBA because he
had a bed summer league debut.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, but the point being here, it is still summer league.
But with that said, that is the most impressive debut
I've seen from a six er Summer League player in
this era. Better than Ben Simmons, better than Joelle and
be better than Mark el Folds, better than Evan Turner.
You can run down the list of like all these
high profile players that were brought in, VJ looked as
game ready as we've seen. The athleticism just pops off

(04:11):
the entire screen. Man like when he gets his head
down in transition, the one player where he had the
block on Spring on the defensive end, then goes immediately
down gets an and one. It's just like absurd stuff there.
And the biggest thing that stood out to me about
VJ Edgecomb He's fearless man. He is not afraid whatsoever.
He made five mid range jumpers in that game. He
made thirteen mid range jumpers his entire time at Baylor.

(04:31):
Like that is some absurd stuff. And I love that
he kind of took it personally of like, I am
the guy here, I'm expected to be to do running
the show, leading this team, and that's exactly what he did. Obviously,
there was a cool storyline with the head to head
with Ace Bailey, and it did make me quite satisfied
to watch a struggle a little bit. I didn't think
he was like got off all in the way that
I think some people are talking about it. But he
certainly has some catching up to the NBA's speed of

(04:54):
play or you know, decision making process. I thought he
overpassed in kind of an intentional way to probably as
one of those I'll proved the people I can pass now.
But if you were to tell me one of these
guys shot the ball twenty seven times in these games
between Ace Bailey and NBA VJ. Edge Gump, I would
have guessed Ace ten times out of ten there. But
I love that VJ took that personally and honestly could
not be more impressed. But we saw from him in

(05:14):
day one.

Speaker 4 (05:15):
Ace Bailey was three for thirteen, one for five from three,
while VG Edgecombe.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
Was thirteen of twenty seven I.

Speaker 4 (05:22):
Believe thirteen of twenty seven, which twenty seven is a
ton of shots. But I love that the thing about
his three ball he talked about, which you just said it,
with those numbers in the mid range, where he only
had thirteen mid range jumpers this entire season at Baylor
and had five yesterday.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
I was really impressed with that.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
But going back to his confidence in his jumper, not
just off the dribble, he was really confident in his
three ball. I just said, I don't like I would
look necessarily and he struggled shooting it. He never wavered
in his confidence in his three bowl off the dribble
and off the catch in that debut.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
So you want to see you don't want to have.

Speaker 4 (05:53):
You don't ever want a player to lose confidence in
his three bowl and even if he's not a great
shooter and has to improve that area, especially cause he
even playing more off the ball than we saw from
his summer league debut where he was the primary ball
handler a lot. You still want to see a guy
remain confident in his three ball as it develops.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
They've made him play a lot of primary ball handler
and basically point guard for a good stretch of that game.
I think that is probably just a developmental tactic, like
let's get him as much live defense on him and
improve that handle. I love a handle for all that
has been made about it, Like looks pretty solid to me.
It's not you know, he's not Kyrie Irving and won't
be that, but like he's absolutely a passball guard dribbler

(06:32):
in the NBA. But what was your thoughts about like
specifically those week This is that we had concerned. And
from a positional fit standpoint, do you see a role
where he slots in that point guard role or do
you think this is just purely a developmental tactic here.

Speaker 4 (06:43):
Yeah, I mean it's it's he should serve that role
with this roster on this summer league team, when he's
playing alongside Tyrese MAXI I don't think so. I don't
think he will serve that role, but it is some
and especially we'll talk about Quentin Grimes, but assuming Quentin
Grimes is there, Quentin Grimes can also a lot of
a primary ball handler, which is what we saw from
the Sixers last year, even Jared McCain. So just based

(07:05):
on how those guys slide, I don't really trust VJ
as a rookie to slide into that role. And he
also thrived off ball at Baylor, like we saw how
good he was playing off ball, attacking close outs when
a shot was falling falling, and just as.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
An absurd athlete.

Speaker 4 (07:19):
So I'm not really concerned or I'm not really concerned
about that stuff, at all. I think he will be
playing way more off ball. They're not really going to
give him on ball reps that much just because of
the depth in the backcourt in terms of the ball
handling thing with Like in transition, his athleticism just carries
him where it doesn't even matter, Like he takes two
strides and he's at the rim, blows by his defender.

(07:41):
He's not the greatest ball handler, like with his handles
like a Kyrie is, but he doesn't have to be,
because athleticism just can beat beat guys off the dribble
so quickly, especially in transition, even when they don't in
the secondary break too, Like when I talked about earlier,
when they get this, when it's a secondary break, it's
not a full transit possession and the defense's back but

(08:02):
they're on their heels. He just takes advantage of any
defender on this. Seels so good at attacking the top foot.
His athleticism in his first step first is unbelievable. And
that's not like a summer league college thing that will
translate immediately to the NBA. He's already that good of
an athlete. So I think that's that was our whole
thing leading up to this draft process is when you're
an athlete that great, there's no question that you're going

(08:25):
to translate into the NBA immediately, even if you hit
some rookie bumps along the way. And that's why he
was the most ready player for the Sixers to draft.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah. I said in the pre draft process a ton
that I thought from day one in the NBA he
was going to be like a top fifteen percentile athlete.
I think I might have undershot that a little bit.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah, you did under shoot that.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
He's gonna be even more higher on that list than
I expected. Do you have any crazy player comps you
want to throw out? Because I got one that I
have to get off my chest before.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
I know you got let me react to yours.

Speaker 3 (08:54):
I don't take this as him as the basketball player Parely.

Speaker 4 (08:58):
Oh okay, wait, wait before you even say the person.
I wish you actually listen to that comp when I
do with Derek Queen and Jokich. But that or was
listen to that sentiment when I do it with Derek
Queen and Jokich. But that's a conversation for another deck. Well,
all right, I'll you're about to say someone crazy. I
know you are vj.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Edgecombe moves like Michael Jordan. I know he's not Michael
Jordan as a basketball player yet and probably ever, but
watch the way they glide, the way that like the movement,
the athleticism, the package and frame, like I really see
some remnants of that.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
Well, so you texted me Anthony Edwards is where I
thought you were going to go with that. And the
reason Anthony Edwards is obviously not Michael Jordan. But the
reason Anthony Edwards gets these comparisons to Michael Jordan from
a lot of people is just because of the way
you're what you're talking about with the how he operates
in the mid range, his footwork, how he glides, his athleticism.

(09:50):
So is that a crazy comparison? Yes, it's absolutely absurd.
He's not going to be Anthony Edwards and definitely not
going to be Michael Jordan, but in terms of the athleticism,
I do get it.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
Yeah. I Again, I don't expect him to turn into
Michael Jordan, although I would love it to be wrong
about this here, but just purely from like the way
that he moves, the package of size, athleticism, frame, and
again like the way that he glides really just pops me.
I think he's cut from that same cloth, and it's
a pretty pretty damn good cloth to be cut from there,
So pretty thrilled about that. Any thoughts on Derek Queen

(10:23):
that you want to wrap up here? We have not
seen him in Summer League yet. I believe he's exclusive
to playing in Vegas. I don't think they're in Salt
Lake City, right, No, they're not the reason that I
think my comparison is slightly different, Like, I just see
the vision from that. We still have not seen it
from Derek Queen that he can play make like that.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
We really want to do this again.

Speaker 4 (10:43):
Look, I don't have any wrap up thoughts because everyone
knows how I feel about Derek Queen and the trade.
A lot of people will be eating their words based
off that trade if Derek Queen turns into an All
Star And that's why I defended the trade, and that's
why would continue to defend the trade from the Pelicans' perspective,
because I think Derek Queen is that good and everyone
knows how I feel about Derek Queen. At this point,
he has all star potential and I think we're gonna

(11:05):
actually see that materialize when he forget.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
The summer League.

Speaker 4 (11:08):
I don't really care that much about the summer League,
but when he actually plays in the NBA and plays
for the Pelicans. But just some final thoughts on the
Sixers game. I was really impressed with Adam Bona too. Yes,
Like I thought he was awesome just as a finisher
around the rim, as a rebounder. And I was impressed
with his screen setting too. I mean, he sets really
hard screens that freeze, freeze open guys. And when you

(11:29):
talk about the Sixers front core depth, they're gonna need
Adam bone. He's gonna play real rotational minutes for this team.
And I thought he had a pretty good summer league
game as well.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, one hundred percent there for starters, he looks even
bigger and stronger. To me, he every time that he
got Philapowski, like in a chance there, he his mind
just went weight room, like I can put this guy
in the in the stanchion here, and he did. He
was successful with that there. They also bought on like
the pump fake three to him attacking. I don't understand
why anyone would be fighting on a den Bone three

(12:00):
point two.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
You learned it from the best.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yeah, it's a Joelle move.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
It is the best at that, and it's like you
always want to give him that shot and it's such
a slow moving pump fake, but it catches the defender
every time.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yeah, no, you're one hundred percent right there. That is
straight from Joel's playbook. But the number one thing that
I'll compliment Bona on he did get eight fouls, like
he was not perfect Terry st I think.

Speaker 4 (12:18):
Wait, do you know how many fouls it takes to
foul out in the summer league.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
It's ten, right, it's ten. It's just as third I think.

Speaker 4 (12:25):
I think it's only happened once actually, where someone actually
fouled out of a summer league game with ten fouls.
It's pretty funny watching them just have no regard for
the foul trouble because you could foul ten times if
you want to. But yeah, I mean the thing is
Adam Bona will never play like he can use his
fouls the end yet, right, I don't have a problem
with that within the Sixers rotation because he's not gonna
be playing hefty minutes where like it'll be a it'll

(12:47):
be a troublesome thing for the Sixers if he's in
foul trouble.

Speaker 3 (12:50):
Yeah, no, I one hundred percent agree with that. I
always thought there was way too much made about the
Paul Read foul trouble because to me, if your max
is you're playing eighteen to twenty minutes, if you want
to use all five fouls across that time, I have
zero problem with that, and I think that's gonna be
the situation with Bona. But the number one thing that
stood out to me he just looked so much more
intentional with his movements across the floor here. Like last year,

(13:11):
there was a little bit of like scattered brain to him,
where he's sort of flying around without a plan too often.
I didn't see a lot of that from Game one
and summer there felt a little bit more like veteran
poise to him than was the case in his year one.
So was very thrilled to see that. I do think
that he's gonna be a big part of this rotation,
and the guy that he's gonna be competing with second
round picked Jani Broom as well as Andre Drummond there

(13:32):
if he's down the roster. What did you think of
Bruin's performance in Game one of the Summer League.

Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah, I didn't think it was great. I believe he
was four for eleven from the field, but he made
two threes. Mean, we know we can step out and
make some threes. He's a smaller big, so he's gonna
have to extend the floor with his jumper. I just
wasn't really that impressed. And yes, he was a typical
guy who's a great college player. I don't think his
game will translate as a small, bruising big who just

(13:56):
isn't big or athletic enough to go against some of
the the big men in the NBA, the centers and
power forwards in the NBA. I just can't really imagine
him being in the Sixers rotation this year or beyond.
He's just not a successful NBA player to me based
on his ability. He's a high character guy, a really
hard worker, and a good guy to have in the
locker room. So it's a second round pick, Sure it's

(14:17):
not that big of a deal, but I wasn't impressed
with him the other night, and I don't think he'll
be in the rotation or have any impact on this
Sixers team next year.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yeah, I was not a Jeni broom guy before the draft,
and then the Sixers made that selection, I sort of
dove deeper in and try to like palk myself into
it a little bit. The concern for me right now
would be like, this dude is as close to a
finished product as you're kind of gonna get drafting a
player like there is not this untapped potential. He kind
of is who he is at this point in this game,
and what I see was a guy that I just
don't see a defined NBA role for. To give him

(14:48):
a little bit of credit here, he did look like
he thinned down pretty notably since college that I thought like,
he didn't look like he couldn't move out there or
his legs were stuck in mud or anything like that.
I thought he was competitive in trying with that, but
sort of some of the telling points that he can
bring to the table is he can be a guy
that can be a bit of a hub of the
offense or playmate. I saw none of that in Game one, really,
and there are even a couple of decisions that I thought, like,

(15:09):
honestly just looked dumb to me that I was like,
I don't see what you're seeing in this specific situation here,
I'm gonna I don't think so.

Speaker 4 (15:16):
Something that you as you were talking yourself into him,
something that you pointed out was you thought he was
a good passer, And I'd never really think that. I
never thought that he was a good passor. He really
improved that Auburn passing out of double teams because teams
would constantly double him in the low post or the
mid post. But I don't I don't know. No one's
ever going to double him in the NBA, even in
the summer league. Said it, so he is he really
a good passor when it's not out of double teams,

(15:38):
and he honestly a lot of these doubles doubles that
college teams throwed him, it's they're not even doubling from
his back. He's facing the double team and the thrown
at him. So it's pretty easy to pass out of
that double team. So I was not never impressed him
as a passer. He's he's Yeah, he can slim down,
but that's not really the concern with him. It's more
than autism in the size, and I just don't think
that'll translate to the NBA.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
Yeah, the lack of vertical and jumping was very evident
in that game, and like I put up that video
after Draft night as sort of a joke of me
doing a basically a box jump higher than his vertical. Here,
well that's like a joke there. It's also like, dude,
that should not be happening.

Speaker 4 (16:13):
Like he's one of he had one of the worst
verticals and combine history. Like we know how unathletic he is.
It's not a secret.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
I did think he was worse in the class. It
does turn out that it's Derek Queen, So I will
just put that one on record there. But any other
guys that popped out to you from Summer League before
we keep it wrong?

Speaker 2 (16:30):
Not really.

Speaker 4 (16:30):
I really think Justin Edwards is gonna have an awesome
year for the Sixers. I'm really high on him. He
wasn't remarkable in that some of the game at all.
There's a lot of times he didn't notice him. But
I think he's gonna have a great year for the Sixers. Again, like,
Summer League is very fun to get hype about and
get excited about great performances and trash guys call them
busts because they're bad because of bad performances. It really

(16:52):
doesn't matter in the grand scheme of thing. There's been many,
many prospects who've struggled in summer league and have had
incredible NBA careers, and many who have been awesome in
some of the league and have had bad NBA careers.
So in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.
But it's a fun event to get excited about.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, now you're one hundred percent right about best. And
the last thing that I'll just tie a tie a
little bow on this here is there is sometimes that
sinking feeling when you draft the top guy and he
doesn't quite have the juice or you know what you're
expecting there VJ. Edgecomb's got it. So we'll check this
way as a positive. The sixer are back in action tonight.

Speaker 4 (17:26):
And if he keeps us up, if he keeps us
up into Vegas, that he probably won't be playing too
many more games.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
It's very possible there. And I will say, like Justin
Edwards was a guy I kind of wanted to have
circled as a show why you're too good to be
here type guy hasn't looked to be the case, and
I think he's probably we should accept that he's going
to be always a low usage type guy that fits
in around guys more so than being the dude, which
is totally useful and fine for that.

Speaker 4 (17:48):
For that exact reason, I'm not even sure why he's
in the summer League. Like Summer League is very unnecessary
for guys who have gotten real NBA reps, Like Justin
Edwards played a ton because of all the injuries last year,
so we got real NBA reps. It's summer League is
for very young guys, really rookies, or to me, it
should be for rookies or guys who are obviously trying
to make the league, but guys who have not played

(18:09):
a lot in the NBA, like two way guys, guys
who just aren't in rotations and haven't had a lot
of NBA reps. Justin Edwards had a ton of those
last year because of all the injuries. It's just like
you said, he's a low usage guy. You're not gonna
run stuff through him. So I don't really understand the
point of him being in Summer League. And for that reason,
they might pull him not necessarily because he's dominating him.
They might just pull him earlier because it's not really

(18:30):
accomplishing a lot for his development playing in summer.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, it's possible there. I do like it when a
guy like Earn is like I'm too good to be
here or is very clearly the best player on the floor,
and then they pull you after that. Maxie, I know
went through that with here, Like that's a cool kind
of earn It situation to me. But nonetheless, we'll see
how things shape out from there. I do want to
keep it in the Sixers world a little bit though.
Here Garashan Yabuseli we have not talked about since it

(18:53):
has become official yet, signing with the New York Knicks,
going to the Evil Empire there, joining the dark Side
very frustrating stuff. And Yabu himself has been a little
bit more expressive than I think he probably should be
on how this went down speaking about it. To put
my two cents in before I tossed you, I'd have
zero hate in my heart for Yabu or I don't
think anybody can have any real like this disdain form

(19:16):
for how this went down. The reality is, if anything,
I think this is the Sixers fumbling the situation, and
it directly ties to the Quentin grime situation, which we're
gonna circle into this. I wish it wasn't the Knicks.
If it was twenty eight other NBA teams that I
would be thrilled for Yabuselli be supporting them from afar.
It's maddening that it's them, But I can't fault the
dude for just getting his money. And I think if
anything like the blame has to fall in the Sixers,

(19:38):
you just.

Speaker 4 (19:39):
Know there's gonna be a second round series next year.
Nick Sixers and Yabu Selli's gonna have an incredible Game
four that's gonna swing the series. You just know that's coming.
It's gonna make everyone sick to their stomach.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
You know.

Speaker 4 (19:52):
It's really a shame because Daryl Moury. Everyone kind of
is under the impression that after that huge Olympic run
with France last year, that he was just gonna come
to the NBA and that was an inevitable conclusion to
that Olympic run and the dunk on Lebron. That's not true.
There weren't a ton of suitors for him last year.
There were some, there weren't a ton like Daryl Mory

(20:12):
is the guy that brought him back to the NBA,
and so Daryl Mory deserves credit for that. But it's
just really a shame that the Sixers supposed to be
contenders and Gershon Abuchelli was supposed to play a key
ben roll for a contending team and they got a
great year out of Gershaan during a wasted season, a
disastrous season for the Sixers. So that's really just a
shame because Darrel Moriy does deserve credit for that. I
don't have a problem with him being expressed about the

(20:34):
situation because I think he expected the Sixers to prioritize
him more like I think he realized how well he played.
He wanted this. He wanted to return to Philly. He
constantly talked about how much he loved Philly. You and
me were at the Ricky Writes to Ricky Sanchez Live
show where he went on stage and Philly showed love
to him, and he showed love right back to Philly

(20:54):
and some for like something like that. I think he
wanted to stay here. The only problem was he's getting
almost four more million dollars to play for the New
York and that's the situation that it is. I think
he was disappointed by that. The reality for the Sixers
is you can't blame them because they're going to sign
Quentin Grimes eventually. The restricted free agent market is really
weird this year, but they're going to sign him.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
Eventually.

Speaker 4 (21:16):
Another team will make an offer and the Sixers will
match it or however it works out. But if they
were going to sign Quentin Grimes, which they will, they
can't afford Gershaan Abuseli at the price the Knicks are
getting him that so it was really one or the other,
and at that point you're prioritizing Quentin Grimes. And I
think that's the smart move from the Sixers perspective, because
Quentin Grimes is going to be a starter most likely

(21:38):
and be in the backcourt with Tyres Maxie Gershong Abuceli
would play a big role and they need a front
court depth. But they trust Adam Bona, he was going
to come off the bench. I think it's smart to
prioritize Quentin Grimes instead of Yabuseli, and just sad it
worked out that way and that he went to a rival,
but that's just how it goes.

Speaker 3 (21:54):
So a couple things here to this is why I
say you can blame the sixers here. And I will
preface this with every time I think I have the
sorry cap understood here, something else a wrench gets thrown
into it. So after that little asterick next to it,
I wholeheartedly agree, out of the two of them, you
have to prioritize Quentin Grimes. I don't understand why the
hold up is on Quentin Grimes not being signed, and

(22:15):
my understanding is based on the NBA order of operations.
What had to go down is they can get Quentin
Grimes on the books because he's a restricted free agent,
and depending on where exactly that number fits, you then
could have offered that MLA to Garshan the same numbers
that the next offered, frankly a little bit more than
the knixt offer because he took a hair under that.
For New York.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
There the hold of afford six million. Correct if Quentin
Grimes Shelly, even with what they're about to pay Quentin Grimes.

Speaker 3 (22:41):
They have to sign Grimes first, So where's the priorities coming.
If you had signed Yabu Selly, then you put yourself
in a tough spot for Grimes. You're capped out. Anything
above that fifteen point four I think is the number.
You can't go above that. So theoretically, in this case,
why Darrel Mory did not want to do this is
that if you sign Garshan, you cap your sophomore Grimes,
then a team can offer that and then all of

(23:03):
a sudden you can't match that. That's what they didn't
want to do, which makes sense. But my understanding is
if you sign Quentin Grimes get him on the books here,
you then have access to that and that's praise gear
final move of the offseason.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
But just to add to that, he was a restricted
free agent, so you can't play that game. You can't
take that gamble, you know what I mean? Like, if
he's an undrestricted free agent, then you can sign them
and then you could first and then you can get
your Girshaw on the books as well. But if you can't,
you can't gamble with Quentin Grimes if another team offers
something that the Sixers can't match, because then you lose
out on them. So when you have to prioritize the two,

(23:33):
you don't want to take that gamble because Quentin Grimes
is more valuable to this team.

Speaker 3 (23:37):
You're right, but there has not been an offer for
Quentin Grimes. There has not really been an offer for
any restricted free agent this summer, this twenty five million
dollars price point that he just kind of willing Nelly
threw out there. He's not getting that from anyone. That
the free agency money has dried up. The Brooklyn Nets
don't have cap space, but Detroit Pistons don't have cap space.
So if no other team can offer that type of

(23:58):
money for him, why has there not been a deal
agreed upon yet?

Speaker 2 (24:02):
No, it's a great question.

Speaker 4 (24:03):
I think a lot of people are very confused about
what's going on with the restrictive free agent market right now,
because I don't understand why teams haven't made offers, even
if you look at Jonathan kaminga like.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
I think there's something that a lot of us.

Speaker 4 (24:13):
Are missing with with this new collective bargaining where something
is going on with restricted free agent where I don't
know if it's a certain date where the nego these
negotiations can't happen, but there's a lot of restrictive asients
where usually these guys would have had offers and either
the team would have matched it or they would have
gone to play for that team.

Speaker 2 (24:29):
But that hasn't happened for a lot of guys.

Speaker 4 (24:31):
But to the Gershon point, you can't just you can't
just hope that that that nobody's going to match that offer.
So and Gershon's a noun restricted vision. He was going
to wait around for the sixers yet to go sign
somewhere else.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Yeah, I don't fall Gershan for him whatsoever. You get
your money, it's on the table there and like reportedly
all that was offered because based on the same kind
of order operations I'm laying at that they offered him
a veterans minimum, which I understand him not want to
take that. He got like more than double that to
you know, play for the next with it. I do
think they would have given him the mL if that
he had hung around for it. But he's not really

(25:02):
a guy that can afford to do that at this
point when you think about like he flamed out of
the NBA the first time, played overseas for several seasons,
came back on a veteran's minimum next year, like this
is his time to earn his money. I can't fault
him for that whatsoever. But the critique that I would
throw the sixers directly here is if a Grimes deal
had been done already, then I think that you open
the door for keeping Garishan as well, and I think

(25:22):
that has to fall. The only point that is.

Speaker 4 (25:24):
That the Sixers fault is what I'm saying because of
everything that's going on with the restriction agent market and
why teams haven't necessarily offered anything at this point. So
I don't know if that's necessarily the Sixers fault or
based on how this new collective bargaining works with restrictive
free agents.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
It's a fair point. I think. The only real key
difference that I've I've noted with the restricted free agent marker.
Why I think there's a hold up is like one
of the later changes was when you make an offer
sheet that your cap space is directly tied, like you
basically spend the money for two days and it's whether
a team matches or not. So like say in this case,
a team makes a crazy offer for Quinn Grimes and

(25:59):
the six sit on it for the full forty eight
hours that they have. They can't do anything with that
money during that period here, so you kind of like
lock yourself out of free agency for an extent. That's
the only real reason that I've heard that still honestly
is not quite good enough for me. I don't understand
why there has not been a long term deal great
upon between Quinn Grimes and the Sixers yet.

Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, it's weird.

Speaker 4 (26:19):
It's weird, and it's like like I said, with John
the Kaminga and there's some other restrictionve re agents out
there too, where there's just not a lot of movement
for whatever reason, because there's not a lot of money.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
Out there at this point.

Speaker 4 (26:28):
Yeah, it's just the money is completely dried up in
the free agent market because all these unrestricted agents have
gone and there wasn't a lot of teams that had
cap space to begin with. So it's weird, But I
feel like I assume there'll be some sort of resolution
this week.

Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah. Reports are saying that there has not been a
lot of communication yet, which is we will see what
happens from there ultimately. I don't think there's any chance
that Grimes walks away from the Sixers. I think he
will be in a Philadelphius seventy six Ers uniform next year,
like one hundred percent. But we will see what the
details numbers all play out to be. Another key change
around the league. Here is the Los Angeles Lakers finally

(27:05):
found a center here. His name is DeAndre Ayton, one
of the more controversial on the guy that I think
is uh I could have just predicted is going to
be a Laker at some point. It kind of feels.
So what were your impressions of the DeAndre Ayton signing
after the Portland Trailblazers elected to buy him out? There
is this a move that changes how you view the
Lakers and can this guy be a capable big man

(27:26):
for this team?

Speaker 2 (27:28):
I don't like it.

Speaker 4 (27:29):
I mean, look, they didn't pay him a lot because
obviously he got that buyout from the Blazers yep, and
so he already had a massive salary, so it wasn't
even looking for him to go away. Yeah, exactly. And
there's a reason for that, which I'll get to. But
so the Lakers didn't pay him a lot, So it's
kind of a low risk, low reward kind of thing
for me when you don't pay guy that much. I

(27:50):
just don't like the signing because he's not a winning
player like there have been. When you when you listen
to a lot of all time great players and people
have been all time, around all time great players, around
all sports, A lot of it. What it comes down
to is do you love basketball or do you not
love basketball? And it's really that simple, because if you

(28:11):
love the game, you'll work hard to be as good
as possible and you'll impact winning in the right way.
It's pretty clear it's not even a question at this point.
DeAndre Aden does not love basketball.

Speaker 2 (28:20):
He just doesn't.

Speaker 4 (28:21):
He's not a hard worker. He's an incredibly low effort player,
constantly late, poor discipline. There is a reason the Sun's
moved on from him. There is a reason the Blazes
are paying to not have that guy on their own team.
He is not a winning basketball player. He does not
impact winning. The stats and the numbers and the talent
are all there. All that exists with DeAndre, which is.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
Why he's the number one pick.

Speaker 4 (28:43):
He's the number one pick in twenty eighteen draft, the
same draft that Luka Doncics, now his teammate, was in.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
But that was.

Speaker 4 (28:49):
Because of his pure talent, not because of his work ethic,
because of his effort, and those things just don't exist
with him. And I don't think that's good for a
JJ Reddick culture guy. JJ Redick when you listen to
his postgame price commences his last season, after every loss,
it was all about the effort. After every win, it
was all about the effort, and he really believed in

(29:10):
the regular season effort is just what determined these basketball games.
And with a low effort guy, you're bringing that guy
into your culture that JJ Reddick's trying to establish.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
I don't like the move. Also just from his purpose.

Speaker 4 (29:23):
Like Luca Donsh's best when he's with a Derek Lively type,
a rim running center, a lob threat. Dendre Aiden isn't
that guy. He gets touches around the nail, he gets
touches in the mid post. That's when he's best operating.

Speaker 2 (29:33):
He's not like he can be.

Speaker 4 (29:35):
Maybe they'll transform into that, but most of his career
he hasn't been an above the rim, lob threat, rim
running center. So the town's there, the effort is not,
and I don't think it's a good move to bring
someone like that into this new culture that JJ Redick's
trying to build. Maybe it'll work out, he'll have monstrous games,
he might have a twenty twenty game here and there,

(29:56):
and because we know the talents there, I just don't
think this moves the needle at all in the Lakers direction.
Where a lot of the other the West, all around
the West got way better, the Lakers did not this offseason.

Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, I mean, beggars can't be choosers here from the
Lakers perspective that they just so desperately needed a big
man and DeAndre and is still that like, let's not
forget I.

Speaker 4 (30:16):
Would have rather wanted I like, yes, but there was
actually there was actually decent centers on the board.

Speaker 2 (30:22):
I would rather have Clint Capella.

Speaker 4 (30:24):
I know he's old at this point, he's more of
the prototype Luca Donci's plays with. I really would would
have rather had Brook Lopez, who only got the Lakers
could have offered him. I believe it was eight point
one million that mid level and the Clapers only offered
him nine million, So he really took that difference for
one million. Would he not have gone to play with
Luca Doncis on the Lakers? I like Brook Lopez the

(30:44):
guy I would have won it. There's other centers available
on the trade market. I would have won it anybody
other than DeAndre.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
So Capella's deal came in three year, twenty one million.
It looks like twenty one point five million. You can't
b brook Lopez can't be a starting say anymore, like
he could not move all last year. And he also
for your point about like the Derek Lively archetype that
is the opposite of brook Lopez.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
Man, it is.

Speaker 4 (31:08):
Definitely, But I still think brook Lopez is a good
enough player. Like he's definitely he's old. I think he's
about thirty seven. He's getting up there in age and
you see that from his athleticism. But he's still a
really talented center. Different, but you can space the floor
with him. But a two man pick and pop between
him and Luka Doncics, that would be awesome.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
I think he's gonna be excellent with the Clippers as
a backup big man play beyond Hartenstein. And let's not
forget our Boyanik who Penn State product who got picked thirtieth. Overall,
I think he's gonna fit a really nice role. Yes, yeah,
I'm sorry, not hard and Stein. He had a cup
of coffee their way back. But yeah, Zubac, who was
terrific last year, I think he would have been over
expanded if he was asked to be a starting big

(31:46):
man for the Lakers here, not that DeAndre Ayton won't
be and I will say for my personal pleasure here,
I can't wait to watch JJ Redick coach this dude
because he is just the antithesis of everything that he
believes in and as a basketball player, DeAndre as one
of the more maddening Beast players to me because I'm
still like a believer in him from a talent perspective
that you catch him on the right night and he
looks like one of the more dominant big men in

(32:06):
the league. But you're absolutely right, he just does not care.
He just does not have the motor and some of
like the lack of like rebounding effort is just inexcuseable
out there. So let's not forget. This is the same
JJ Reddick who played his entire starting five twenty four
consecutive minutes of the playoffs because he did not trust anybody.
That Jackson Hayes, who was the only real big man option,
was just straight up pulled out of the rotation. And

(32:27):
by the way, he's back on roster this year with
a no trade close so pretty interesting. I that I
was all playing out My ultimate conclusion here, I don't
think the center spot is solved for the Lakers by
any means. I still think that's gonna be a massive weakness,
and it feels like there continues to be some momentum
about this Lebron James being unsure conversation. Are you still
reading into that?

Speaker 2 (32:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (32:47):
Well so, first to an early point you made when
I was writing my Winners and Losers late last week.
That was my exact point that I made, is that
this Lakers team only played five guys in the second
half of a playoff game for the first time in
NBA history, not a single substitution, because their depth was
that poor. One of those five guys, Dorrian Finny Smith
is gone, and they brought in Jake la Revia.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
I believe his name is la Ravia. Excuse me, can't
pronounce names.

Speaker 4 (33:14):
Laarabia from from the Kings, who is a downgrade from
Dorian Finney Smith but can serve a decent role. I
don't think he's the player that Dorrin Phinny Smith is,
but regardless better, I think he's better. You really think
he's better. I don't think he's as good of a defender.

Speaker 3 (33:27):
That's true, but he can play, make more, he can
shoot it I would say probably better at least close.
Dorian's better defender and probably like a cleaner fit as
like a three and d arc type type guy. But
there's some stuff to Jake Laavia that's gonna be trust me,
keep the eye there.

Speaker 4 (33:41):
Regardless that they got rid of him, brought in someone
who you can say maybe is on the same level,
down grade, upgrade, whatever. Those are still the five guys
that they're gonna be rolling with. And then you bring
in DeAndre Eyton, who, as I just told you, I
am not high on for all of the reasons because
of his attitude, his effort, work, ethic, all these things
is why he hasn't been the type of player. He

(34:02):
hasn't lived up to his potential in the NBA. So
did they really get better with their depth from a
depth percentage perspective, I don't think so. Like I don't
think this team caught up to the Nuggets, who built
a ton of depth this postseason or this offseason. The
teams like the Thunder, the Clippers, even the Rockets are
the loaded with depth. They're on the Thunders level with

(34:23):
their type of depth they're gonna play. They have too
much depth, and then to get get rid of Cam
Witmore because they had too much depth.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
So why I think is a really good player.

Speaker 4 (34:30):
So I just don't think this Lakers team solve those
problems when they had to play five guys in the
second half of a playoff team for the first time
in NBA history. The Lebron conversation, a lot of people
think he's gonna get traded. I don't really see that happening,
do you.

Speaker 3 (34:44):
I don't see like a like a.

Speaker 2 (34:46):
He would have to control his destination.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
For sure, But it's more to me like the who
is trading for Lebron James right now? Like the Caves
are the team that I've continued to circle back from,
but diving into it like they're gonna have to do
some real cap gymnastics to make that POSSI it's not
a second Apron team, correct, They would basically have to
shed money to get down in the first Apron and
then you can still sort of piece it together. The
point being there's not like a clear path to this.

(35:10):
I don't know where that like. It sounds crazy to
say there's not really a market for Lebron James, but
I can't really see a team going out and trading
for him right now.

Speaker 4 (35:19):
It's funny because it's like, we're talking about Lebron James right,
and my question is, who actually wants Lebron James?

Speaker 2 (35:25):
Right?

Speaker 4 (35:26):
He's on an expiring deal and he might have one
or maybe max two more years left in his career,
and he's he's still a top fifteen to twenty player
in the league. Yea, he's visibly declined and which what
we saw last season. And he's dealt with injuries the
last few years for the first time in his scurity.
Nothing major, but injuries that have prevented him from playing
for weeks at a time. So who wants this guy?

Speaker 2 (35:47):
Right now?

Speaker 4 (35:48):
We're talking about Lebron James, So it's crazy to say,
but yes, it is like, who wants this guy? The
Clippers you could throw in is a potential trade target
when he got when he would stay in Los Angeles.
I can't see him going anywhere other than the Lakers
or the Calves. And I don't know why the Calves
would won them. I don't know why anyone would want
him at this point if you have to give up
real younger pieces that you have signed long term. So

(36:10):
I can't see him getting traded both because I don't
know where he would want to go. I don't know
who would want him. So that's why I don't think
he's gonna get traded. Do I think he's gonna be
a Laker next year? I'm not so sure about that.
I think the Lakers are handling handling this as they should.

Speaker 2 (36:22):
They not. They should have not.

Speaker 4 (36:23):
They never should have gave him an extension, and I
think his team and his campus pissed about that that
they didn't give him an extension, But that.

Speaker 2 (36:29):
Was the right move.

Speaker 4 (36:30):
You shouldn't be paying this guy exorbitant amounts of money
at this point of his career. He's not some Kobe
Bryant type where he gave twenty years Los Angeles Lakers.
I don't they should not have this absurd loyalty. I
know fans don't. Fans don't have this absurd loyalty to
Lebron James, so the organization shouldn't either, Like he's some
Kobe Bryant type. You respect what he's done for you.

(36:51):
Of course, you won a championship in the Bubble that
one year, and you've had some great seasons, and of
course it's just the Lebron James factor in LA. They
should there should be no loyalty attach It's in their
best interest to not be paying fifty million dollars for
this guy after this season.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
So I think you play this year.

Speaker 4 (37:07):
Out, and I think you don't assign Lebron James unless
he's willing to take a massive pay cut next year.
I think you start to design this team around Luka
Doncics more than anyone else.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
Yeah, And I think that they're taking those steps actively
right now. To be honest that I think we've seen
a little bit of the passing the baton for who
are the decisions made for in the Lakers franchise, And
I think that's correct. I'm not critiquing that whatsoever. It's
very strange because Lebron since he's been in the NBA
has been very clearly the guy and the guy who
everyone operates around for. There does seem to be a
bit of a I guess disagreement under brewing with the

(37:39):
Lakers with the two timelines here, when you have Luka
Dancic the next generation here, the guy who can receive
the baton from Lebron right there, but in the same token,
it is kind of crazy to me to talk about,
like are these guys actual contenders or is there a
better location When they traded for Luka Doncics last year,
like I feel like that has gotten brushed over a
little bit, Like there is a part of me that
is like, well, Lebron, if you still think you're this guy,

(38:02):
this is still your team. Man, you were playing with
Luca don chich. If you take Lebron from like the
early Calvs days and showed him this Lakers roster, he'd
be like, oh, well, we're going to the finals, like
there's no doubt about it. So I get he's old,
I get he's in the end of his career, but
if you still are this dude, then be this dude
on this Lakers team.

Speaker 4 (38:19):
That's why the statement from Rich Paul when they opted
into the player option was so bizarre. Yeah, it pretty
much points to the fact that Lebron wants to play
for a championship contender and a contending roster. I think
the word was the phrase that they used, and that
implied the Lakers don't have them. You just traded for
a top five player in the league rist year, and
you and Anthony Davis were on a sinking shit like

(38:41):
that you guys were not a good pairing together. You
were trying to hand the baton to Anthony Davis, who
could never be the best player on any team. You
guys hadn't been above a seventh seed in like three
consecutive years, and they weren't on pace to be last
year before they traded for Luka Doncis, even though they
made a Western Commas Finals run as a playing team.
So still like this was a perennial playing team. Roster
got better just by adding Luca Dongras. So what are

(39:02):
you talking about when your camp is saying Rich Paul
is saying he wants to play for a contending roster,
You're not going to find a better one than that
than the Los Angeles Lakers. And Lebron knows he can't
be the best player on a team at this point.
He knows he has to take more of his secondary role.
And then when Luca can play together, I don't think
there's any doubts about that. Or two of the brilliant
players to ever played this game, and both can play

(39:22):
on the off ball, and I think Lebron's really improved
playing off ball. He's becoming a really knockdown three point
shoot the last few years, So I think from that
perspective it works. From a basketball fit, I just don't
know what his problem is with this roster and with
this team. I think it's more that he's upset with
how they're handling stuff off the court, maybe not showing
loyalty that he would expect by by giving him an

(39:43):
extension before this player option even had the option to hit.
So I just don't think that this, this Lebron Lakers
partnership is going to extend beyond this season. I think
that's boat best for the Lakers, and the Lakers should
have the Lakers interest in mind and nobody else.

Speaker 3 (39:58):
What does that mean for Brannie game, It's a good question.

Speaker 4 (40:02):
It's like I was actually thinking about it that the
other day. You're upset at this organization Lebron, Like that's
what he implied with that statement. You're upset with this
organization that drafted your son. Your son and no chance
of being an NBA player unless you were in the league.

Speaker 3 (40:17):
You're getting both. You can't do both those things if
I need a playoff contending roster and also draft my.

Speaker 4 (40:22):
I mean, it's not the big of a deal. Is
the last roster spot. But you can't get mad in
an organization who literally drafted your son so you could
become the first father son duo to play in an
NBA basketball game in history. You can't be upset in
organization for doing that. Like those things don't go hand
in hand that the organization did that. So what happens
to him, I don't know. I mean, he'll probably follow Lebron.

(40:44):
If Lebron gets straight to Lebron go somewhere else, will
probably follow him.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
But who knows.

Speaker 4 (40:48):
Lebron will own a team one day, so he'll just
draft Bryce and Bron and take up two roster spots
with that, and I'm sure that team will be really successful.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
Yeah, Bryce going to Arizona this year, so shout that.
I will say, bronni looking a little bit better in
summer the this year, certainly miles ahead of where he
was this time last year. I was pretty astounded. Uh,
And I've shared this before, but being out there for
some of league last year, it was insane. Every time
he touched the ball, the whole building like going nuts
of like like I it was something like I've never

(41:15):
really seen before.

Speaker 2 (41:16):
And I guess I mean, you got a feel for him.
He he for the player that he is.

Speaker 4 (41:20):
The pressure that's on him, yeah, is just ridiculous and
it's not really right. Like I was at what I
was at the Laker Sixers game when they came when
the Lakers came to Philly last season, and that was
the game Briany played a ton of minutes. They actually
flew him out a couple of days before he was
with the G League team. They flew him out to
come play, and he played a ton and JJ Reddick

(41:41):
put him in an awful spot. He was horrible that game.
Turnovers after turnovers, he looked he had no confidence, He
looked uncomfortablet there. They were attacking him defensively, putting him
in every single action. He couldn't hold his own at all.
And that was like a moment where it's like, all right,
this guy really is not even close to NBA player,
but he has the opportunity to develop and you I
hope it works out.

Speaker 3 (42:01):
Yeah, one hundred percent there and uh yeah, I'll be
I'm rooting for Brownie. I have no hate in my
heart for Brownie, but we'll be interesting. Do you see
how that plays out here? The last guy I want
to bring.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Up, we got breaking We got breaking news here? Uh
what we got?

Speaker 4 (42:13):
Clippers, Jazz and Heat have agreed to a trade that
sends Norman Palell to Miami Wow, Collins to La Wow.
That's that's interesting and Kevin Love Kyle Anderson twenty twenty
seven Clippers secon round pick to the Jazz.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (42:26):
So initially, Norman Pale had an awesome season last year.

Speaker 4 (42:29):
Oh yeah, credible. You're he shot like forty two or
forty three percent from three something like that.

Speaker 3 (42:33):
That was the real deal.

Speaker 2 (42:34):
He was a potential All Star. That is a big deal.

Speaker 4 (42:36):
The Clippers just got rid of him and to bring
in John Collins, who was dealt with some injuries. He
was on a bad Jazz team. I think is still
a really good player. But that's kind of an interesting
fit in Los Angeles getting rid of Norm Pale.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
What else we got?

Speaker 4 (42:49):
John Collins to La Normal? Norm Pal's to the Heat,
I mean the Heat is still the Heat.

Speaker 3 (42:54):
Initial reactions. Initial reaction for me is all right, this
is the first time the Heat have been onto something
and trending in the right direction. I think as Tyler
Hero Norman Power Bam Auto Bio trio. There that's obviously
not like gonna be the gold standard of the Eastern Conference,
but they're way more in the mix than they were
before making this deal. I don't understand why the Clippers
made this whatsoever.

Speaker 4 (43:12):
Yeah, I don't like this from the closer perpective. Well,
here's what I'll say, Kevin Love to the Jazz. That
means Kevin level one hundred percent be bought out and
Kevin Lovell will end up on a different team. Kyle Anderson,
he actually what did you say, slow mo? Yeah, yeah,
he is SlowMo. I Actually I like this for the
Heat a lot too. Like that's what I would say initially.
I like this for the Heat lot. When you bring

(43:33):
in Norman Powell, a borderline All Star last year for
Conison and Kevin Love, that's a massive upgrade. Do I
think the Heat or like one of the five six
best teams in the East now, No, but that's a
massive upgrade. So I like this in the Heat A
little weird From the Clippers perspective, Kevin love will be
bought out and we'll or maybe Jazz will use him
as a trade piece and we'll see what happens there.

Speaker 3 (43:52):
Yeah, pretty confused about this from the Clippers perspective, I
love it for the heat. I am a Norman Powell
guy that I do think he's like legitimately good, probably
never an All Star, but always going to be right
on like the fringe of that.

Speaker 4 (44:02):
The other thing too with the Clippers is Kawhi didn't
play till like December of last season, and it was
Norman pal and James Harden, especially Norm Palell, carrying the
scoring load for that team. What do you really expect
Kawhi Leonard to be playing more than fifty five to
sixty games this season? That is, that's an unfair expectation
towards end. So you need Norman Palell to carry that load.

Speaker 2 (44:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (44:21):
I think John Collins is a good player, but he's
not like the on ball creator that Norman pall is.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
So yeah, I don't. I don't love this from the
Clippers perspective.

Speaker 3 (44:29):
Yeah, we'll get some cool lobs between James Harden and
John Collins, but I I yeah, I'm Norman Palace in
the railbill man. I think that was their under selling
how good he can be in this type of trade.
But a good little breaking news there. The last guy
I wanted to hit on before we run through a
couple of win tittles. Here, Bradley Beal maybe the next
domino to fall across the NBA. Now the Miami Heat
were a team, I initially had my eye on his
potential match if he is bought out from the Phoenix

(44:51):
sound as it's seemingly going to be the expectation. It
does look like there's going to be a bit of
the stretched provision in the same way that was done
with Dame going down in Phoenix. There these teams are
just blowing money left and right, but nonetheless that is
the whole The Phoenix Suns have dug themselves and they're
continuing to dig that deeper. So any feel for aware
that Bradley Beal could end up once he is inevitably brought.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
Out, Yeah, I think the Heat were an option.

Speaker 4 (45:15):
When you're bring in more Norman Powell, it kind of
nixes that a little bit because they both have on
ball rolls. Look, I don't love Bradley Beal, like I'm
not going to considerans defend Bradley Beal. I do think
he can still give you something because based on this buyout,
he's not gonna want a large contract, or would he
warrant a large contract at this point of his career.

(45:36):
So it's a similar to Deandrayton, but in a different
way where it's it's by low it's low risk loverwar.
So when you when you bring in Bradley Beal, it's
gonna be for a very small amount veterans minimum.

Speaker 2 (45:48):
I believe something like that.

Speaker 3 (45:49):
And clip do the Clippers think they're getting them?

Speaker 4 (45:52):
I think that's an interesting call. I think that's doing
the Brian Windhorst things up. Why would they do that
right now? You could get the bill for very cheap
and he can still He's still worth that for what
you're gonna have to pay him.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
He's worth that contract.

Speaker 4 (46:06):
It's worth taking a risk on this guy based on
how little you're gonna have to actually pay it.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
So I like that with the Clippers. That's that he is.

Speaker 4 (46:14):
He's not the player Norm pal is at this point,
but he is a decent replacement for Norm Pale. When
you also bring in John Colson, cause I think that's
a really good call by you because I don't think
the Heat are really an option anymore, and I don't
know a lot of other teams that would want a
Bradley bial right now, So I could definitely see that
being the Clippers.

Speaker 3 (46:29):
Yeah, he does feel like a Clippers player, Bradley Beal.
This feels like the type of movie that they swing for.
I will say, for all we said about DeAndre Ayden,
I think Bradley bial is every bit the loser that
he is. I even might even argue Bradley Beal is
a larger loser as far as a guy who has
the skill set to be dominant whenever just very clearly
does not care and is so unbothered.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
But why do you think it isn't clearly.

Speaker 4 (46:49):
I don't think there's work ethic concerns, Like I don't
think there's effort concerns.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
I think the last.

Speaker 3 (46:54):
Certainly effort concerns last year.

Speaker 4 (46:56):
Yes, but that was a very unique situation where like
both sides had grew incredibly disgruntled with one another. So
that was a very unique situation on a given night.
Not in that situation, He's not a guy who's ever
showed low effort, like he gave it all for the
Wizards all those years.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
He is not to be a one or top two guy.

Speaker 3 (47:15):
I would say for a while that's true. I don't
think we've seen Bradley Beal play legitimate competitive basketball and
probably two three seasons at this point.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
Yeah, you're right, But also let's go through his game logs.
He's dealt with a ton of injuries going back to
twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, sixty games, forty games, the
next year, fifty games, fifty three, then fifty three again.
He hasn't played a full season since twenty eighteen twenty nineteen,
so he's dealt with a ton of injuries, which is
also contributed to it.

Speaker 3 (47:40):
So that doesn't make me want to sign the guy more.

Speaker 4 (47:42):
No, I agree, But when you're paying him nothing, which
whoever will pay him will pay him nothing, essentially, it's
worth the risk because you're not giving You're not spending
a lot on this guy, and if it doesn't work out,
he's not gonna have no trade clause anymore. It's just
you can get rid of him or bench.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
All right.

Speaker 3 (47:57):
I have another question cooked off the Phoenix on situation,
because the Devin Booker is said to sign a two year,
one hundred and fifty million dollar extension and appears with
Phoenix Sam Astri. How good is Devin Booker really?

Speaker 2 (48:11):
I think Devin Booker is awesome. I love Devin Booker.

Speaker 3 (48:13):
How awesome?

Speaker 2 (48:14):
You know. So I was overseas a.

Speaker 4 (48:17):
Few months ago and someone asked me, just talking basketball
with someone, someone asked me my favorite player in the league.
And I don't actually have an answer for that. So
I didn't know what to say, and like, for some reason,
I just said Devin Booker. He's like, what, why is
Devin Booker your favorite player in the NBA? And I
don't That's probably not true. He's not my favorite player
in the NBA.

Speaker 2 (48:33):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (48:33):
I don't really have one at this point. I need
to pick someone. But I do love Devin Booker, always
have always loved his game. Do I think if he's
the best player on your team, you have a great
chance of winning a championship?

Speaker 2 (48:45):
No, I don't. I do think he can be a
number two guy.

Speaker 4 (48:48):
He was the best player on a perfectly constructive roster
for him, though, Like we're not that far removed from
him being the best player on a team that went
to the championship when he had a great point coord
next to him. I think Devin Booker's at his best
when he has a great point guard initiating the offense.
As a table set of Chris Pole. When he played
along Chris Pole, he was great. He Devin Booker was

(49:10):
the best ball in that player on that team with
Chris Paul mchal Bridges. DeAndre Ayton obviously played a big
role on that team too. So I think I think
Devin Booker is capable of being a top guy on
a really good team. So I think he's on the
level like a top eight to ten player in the league. No,
I don't even think he's the top ten player in
the league if I was gonna go through my rankings,
but I think he's twenty. He's not past twenty. I

(49:32):
wed have to go through player bron player. He's definitely
not past twenty. I think Devin Booker is still an
awesome player who can be a really good player on
a really good team, and we're not that far removed
from him being the best player on a finals team.

Speaker 3 (49:45):
I don't want you to And for the record, I'm
not like a full out anti Devin Booker guy. I
just really question. I don't think he's a seventy five
million dollars per year type of player, and I think
like but he.

Speaker 4 (49:57):
Like he's a max player, like all the top fifteenth
twenty players league or max players. So if you're putt
him in that range, all those guys weren't max contracts. Yes,
it hinders your ability to build teams around those guys
based on the restrictions with the aprons. But all those
guys get the history of league says they get max contracts.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
So he is in that range, don't cheat. What do
you think Devin Booker's career high three point percentage was
crew high?

Speaker 2 (50:20):
Yeah? Over a season, maybe thirty six or thirty seven, thirty.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
Eight point three percent. If we're gonna set the NBA average,
I believe he's right around thirty five percent. There. How
many seasons for his career do you think he shot
over thirty five percent? Three five of the ten years,
so half the years he's been a below average NBA
three point shooters.

Speaker 4 (50:41):
I thought these numbers were gonna be way worse. So
I was really underselling these predictions.

Speaker 3 (50:45):
Yeah, like last year he shot thirty three point two
percent from three last year. That's just not good enough
for a guy that's gonna be like is taking the
shot volume and the from the locations that he does.
I I like Devin Booker the way he goes about
his business, the way he does compete defensively, and like,
I think it's about the right stuff. But he's just
not a shooter in a way that I think he's

(51:06):
advertised sometimes.

Speaker 4 (51:07):
Okay, but you know what year that thirty eight three
point percentage was Chris Paulier. It was twenty twenty one,
twenty twenty two when they went to the finals, when
he had Chris paul by him side. Like having a
point guard said, he's not a guy. He's gotten better
at playing point guard. He's become a better playmaker. His
SIST numbers have been up last couple of years. So
I like Devin Booker as a playmaker. He can get
those reps. He's at his best when he is playing

(51:30):
the wing and not initiating the offense, and he has
a great point guard setting up shots for him. Of
course he can create for himself, but Devin Booker is
at his best when when you're bringing him off different
types of actions like curl actions, all these different things,
and that's when he can drill threes from there.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
He doesn't have a.

Speaker 4 (51:46):
Point guard, he hasn't had a point guard in years.
He's had to play the point guard. Last couple of years,
Kevin Durant has had some reps in point guard. They
thought Tys Jones would work out. He didn't really work
out a point guard. I like him too, but he
didn't work out last year. He wasn't good last year.
So I just don't think when Devin Bookers a point
gard that's on the Sun. It's not on Devin Booker,
it's on the Suns. I think he can be a
great three point shooter.

Speaker 3 (52:06):
Yeah, I mean I don't know. No love for Monty
Morris Slash Cherry either, I guess, but absolutely not. I
don't know. I'll leave the Devin Booker a conversation.

Speaker 2 (52:16):
So what do you think like this?

Speaker 4 (52:17):
What what would you think the Sun should have done
with it? Like I don't trade him and completely start
over in a rebuilt.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
I mean, truthfully, the Suns messed this up like six
steps ago, and they just keep compounding all this, all
this kind of situation. So what we'll see what overall
shakes out from here. I think like they are pushing
the limits of the CBA and like the league financial
situation beyond what any team I thought would be willing
to hear. We'll see how it shakes out. I get
that they had to pay him, and I think this
probably is something that it's like a keep control of

(52:45):
the asset standpoint, where you have this guy under contract
and can always hit that, you know, trade for whatever
if they need to here. I just I don't I
don't know. It didn't sit right when I saw those numbers.

Speaker 4 (52:56):
I think the Sons are actually doing Devin Booker at
the service by keep him around, because I want to
see Devin Booker on a contending team, Like the Sons
should just start over at this point. I get keeping
a star who has been there his entire career, has
shown a lot of loyalty to Phoenix. I think he
loves Phoenix. A lot of NA players love being out
in Phoenix and living in Phoenix. The Suns should trade

(53:17):
him though, to start over and just get onto a rebuild.
And from my perspective as a Devin Booker fan, I
want to see him on a contending team. I don't
want to see him try to drag this awful team.
The Sons are one of the worst front offices in
the entire league, one of the worst ownership groups at
this point in the entire league. They've done an awful
job building this roster around Devin Booker and around Kevin
Durant and Devin Booker when they traded for Kevin Durant.

(53:39):
So I want to see Devin Booker on a different team,
on a contending team where he doesn't have to be
the guy all the time, and that's when I think
he's at his best. So I hope at some point
he gets back to that where he can make a
real finals run.

Speaker 3 (53:51):
Again, my last note on that is I still they've
financially made some really poor decisions. I still think this
son's front office is bizarre because they've done some stuff
that I like, like even this year, Rashier Fleming in
the second round, bring that in common Malowak with the
tenth pick that they brought in. Even looking back at
last year's drafts, Ryan donahs Igdar, these are good players

(54:11):
that you've been pretty creative in finding ways and some
of the minimum guys they've brought in. Things like that
have been creative and things that I think like are
a good roster practice here. But I think like once again,
the stems from problems that sparked up like six decisions
ago that you can't fully recover from. It's really interesting
to me. The Sons are one of the more unique
franchises and front offices that I think I've seen in

(54:33):
recent years, and I guess to transition directly into this
next one here, I do want to look at some
wind total over under here and get your thoughts, and
I want to lead it right with the Phoenix Suns team,
which is going to be an interesting experience. Here their
number and these all coming from DraftKings sportsbook here, thirty
one and a half for the Phoenix Suns. What is
your initial impression of that? Does that number surprise you?

Speaker 4 (54:55):
The West is so tough, so I get it, like
I get it. I don't think this team will be
above a play team, and that if they have a
really good year, I think their ceiling is a playing team,
so that that would be a seven eight seed.

Speaker 2 (55:06):
Thirty one wins? Thirty one and a half wins? Is
that really what? It was?

Speaker 5 (55:09):
Fifth lowest in the NBA's Yeah, that's exceptionally low. I mean,
the West is so tough that I would lean the
over for shirt, but I don't. I can't see them
getting to forty wins. Definitely can't wouldn't go that high.
I would say around the thirty five to thirty eight range,
which could be a playing team, maybe as a nine
or ten seed, because the West is just so tough.

Speaker 2 (55:28):
But that's really low. That's some serious disrespect towards the Suns.

Speaker 3 (55:32):
Yeah, a couple of teams with higher win totals than
the thirty one and a half the Phoenix Suns are posting,
the Portland Trailblazers, the Chicago Bulls, the New Orleans Pelicans,
Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kanks. A little disrespectful there.

Speaker 4 (55:44):
Yeah, that's that's really respectful. Montly, the Kings, I mean,
talk about dumbfront offices. What are the Kings up even
up to? Like, what do you even want Dennis Schroeder for?

Speaker 2 (55:51):
At this point?

Speaker 3 (55:52):
They them paid them notably too.

Speaker 2 (55:54):
Yes, seriously all right.

Speaker 3 (55:57):
A couple other that jumped out to me that I
didn't want to dive into for starting to run down
the list, the Oklahoma City Thunder leaving the pack at
sixty two and a half. Once again, the win totals
brought to you by DraftKings Sportsbook.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
Here.

Speaker 3 (56:06):
Cleveland Cavaliers second at fifty five and a half. The
Houston Rockets are third at fifty four and a half.
That one's a little bit interesting to me. Any thoughts
on either of those first three or the Rockets specifically.

Speaker 4 (56:18):
I would like to under on the Calves and last
year the Calves are my favorite over. Like I was
just drilling, take the Calves over, Take the Calves over,
and then awesome regular season. I think you hear a
lot of comments from them where the regular season doesn't matter,
Like they've acknowledged Donovan Mitchell and that acknowledged that what
we do for eighty two games means nothing. Even if
they go eighty two and zero, it does not matter

(56:38):
because it's all about the postseason for this team. So
I think a lot more of what they'll do is
get ready for the postseason and then not necessarily prior
I mean want a good seed in the East, of course,
but they're not going to prioritize the regular season as much.
They weren't as healthy. They were really healthy during the
regular season, but not for the playoffs as they would
have liked to been. So maybe there's some maybe some
guys workload and they've always been a deep team, but

(57:00):
some guys WORKLOADUS is shortened a little bit, So I
like the under on the.

Speaker 2 (57:04):
Cavs the Rockets.

Speaker 4 (57:05):
I love the over, and it's because of how deep
they are this team, like Steven Adams and Clint Capella
can each play forty games, and just pairing those guys
forty one games and pairing those guys with Alprin Sengun
and that large, that monstrous front court that they're gonna have,
you can sit a couple of those guys a lot
of the times. They're so deep where you can put

(57:26):
Jabari Smith at the five sometimes and all three of
those guys, Alprin Sengun, Steven Adams, and Click Capella can
all be on the bench. That there's so much you
can do with this lineup and this these these rotations,
there's gonna be so much flexibility, so much experimenting that
Emi Udoka is going to do because they're so deep,
and Kevin Durant even doesn't have to play that much,
Like Kevin Durant can play sixty to sixty five games,

(57:48):
so he's fully healthy for the postseason. Because this team
is capable of winning a ton of regular season games
with their defense, especially because they've been one of the
best defens in the league the last couple of years
without Kevin Durant, So Kevin Durant rest. This team is
just so deep. I don't see how they win. What
was the number, exactly, fifty five and a half, Yeah,
I could. I could see them getting upwards of sixty

(58:08):
wins this year.

Speaker 3 (58:08):
Yeah, that was gonna be my take that I wrote
in with is I think the Houston Rockets win the
most games in the regular season of any team in
the NBA next year. I think the depth which you
laid out, the defensive identity that you also brought up there,
like they seriously can go through games where they have
scheduled rest days with some of these guys, that's how deep.
And I think that there's gonna be a lot of
like experimentation or experimenting from emay Udoka figuring out what works.

(58:30):
But all these options sound pretty good to me, frankly,
like their Plan C is better than a lot of
teams Plan A on a night to night basis from
a rotational standpoint. So I love the over fifty five
and a half for he or fifty four and a
half excuse me, for Houston, And do think that they
and no north of sixty wins this season. To jump
down the list a little bit, Denver Nuggets fifty three
and a half, New York Knicks fifty two and a half,

(58:52):
Minnesota Timberwolves fifty one and a half, and Orlando Magic
fifty one and a half, any or all the Nuggets.

Speaker 4 (58:58):
Has there been a honess Valannus up that I sold
last time? I looked that the Nuggets are not letting
him out of that contract. But if he wants to
go over to Greece and play in the Greek League,
what like do we do we have a resolution with
that because that matters to me.

Speaker 3 (59:12):
That is the latest update right now is that the
Denver Nuggets expect him to honor his contract there. He
is currently overseas in Greece with the intention of signing
an overseas deal. This either the stalemate works out in
one way or another, that Valentinis comes back to America
and plays for the Denver Nuggets, or he cannot play
overseas until he is released from his NBA deal. I
don't know how that's going to holpenly mark itself out.

(59:32):
I think my bet at this point in the game
is probably that valentin has ends up just playing for
the Nuggets next year.

Speaker 4 (59:37):
Yeah, it's gonna be an interesting situation. I love that
signing because the Jokic hasn't had a real backup big
in forever, Like DeAndre Jordan couldn't give you any minutes
the last couple of seasons. So him when he's out
of the game, we've seen the plus minus and the
Nuggets have just been awful in the non Jokic minute.
So finally having a good backup center is huge. And
I think Cam Johnson is upgrade over Michael Porter Junior.

Speaker 2 (59:58):
I just do.

Speaker 4 (59:59):
I think I think he's he can, He's more of
a movement and actually so is Michael Board Junior. But
I love how much of a movement shooter Cam Johnson is.
That was more incredible three point shoot. Ye, he definitely
does more. And based on that trade, they were able
to sign Bruce Brown, So I thought this Nuggets team
got way better. They won the offseason for sure, so
I like their over on that. I think they're gonna

(01:00:20):
win more regular season games because of their depth, which
they still have. Peyton Watson is still jewling Straw. There's
still these guys who are capable of giving you good
regular season minutes and could be in a playoff rotation too.
So I think this Nuggets team is gonna have an
awesome regular season and I expect them to go over.

Speaker 3 (01:00:35):
Yeah, I think I lean more so on that side.
I don't feel as passionately about this one. I will know,
like volunteered, this is a way better basketball player than
a lot of people realize. Like he's a good player
and like for sure the best backup that Jokic has had.
So I'm with you that I would like for him
to come back and join this team and try and
help them contend here. I have a little bit of
a I guess I'm higher on Michael Porter Junior than

(01:00:57):
I would probably say the general consensus here. I think
it's gonna look bizarre in Brooklyn. I do think like
he's a special caliber of shooter that he doesn't always
get appreciated appreciated for at his size, that he can
do it off movement in those ways. With that said,
Cam Johnson's about as close as you can come to
that exact archetype of player and can do more beyond
just a shooter, which we know the limitations from a

(01:01:17):
defensive standpoint and athleticism standpoint that can that Michael Porter
Junior still holds. So I totally get the swing and
with the all the flexibility and what they did with that,
I still think it was the right move for Denver.
There so kind of interesting there.

Speaker 4 (01:01:29):
I was want to hit on the next real quick too,
because you mentioned the next another team that added a
ton of depth like that was a lot. A lot
of these teams goals this offseason where there weren't a
lot of Marquis free agents, not a lot of cap
space available add depth, and who needed depth.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
More than the Knicks. Not a lot of teams.

Speaker 4 (01:01:45):
You bring in Jordan Clarkson, Who's going to be an
electric score off the bench. There are concerns who has
efficiency all this, but he was playing on an awful
Jazz team. I think he gets back to being a
lightning rod of a score off the bench and can
assume a lot of those primary bull handling responsibilities when
Jilen Bruns is out and maybe he can't even sit
jenlen Bunson for longer stretches. And you bring in Gershan Ebissell,

(01:02:06):
who already talked about who I think is gonna have
an incredible season for the Knicks and is a perfect
fit for that team. So when you already have those
two guys and Duce McBride off the bench, and Mike
Brown is a regular season coach, like, yeah, I think
he's a great coach. I don't know if we even
touched on that. I think Mike Brown's a great coach.
There's not a lot of playoff resume there, which could
be concerned, but he's a guy that practices really hard
during the regular season, really prioritizes the regular season. I

(01:02:28):
think the Knicks are going to have be a top
two seed in the East and go over that win
total too.

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
Mike Brown took the Cavs to an Eastern Conference Finals.
He's got four championships as an assistant coach there.

Speaker 4 (01:02:39):
That's an assistant coach. That's not a playoff resume. He
hasn't won a playoff series in over a decade. That's
true that that part was with the since since he
was with the Lakers, and he's coached Kobe coach Lebron,
so he's coach Stars. But I think he's a really
good coach. I think he's innovative. I think he's a
really smart guy. I think players will like him. I
think it's a good hire, but there there's not a
lot of playoff resume there.

Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
I do as well, and uh, I do hate that
the Knicks did have a good offseason that I think
Blax and Yabuseli were both good signings. But that team
can go eighty two and zero and I will still
feel exactly how I feel right now, So we will
see how that shakes out. To continue going down Orlando
Magic at fifty one and a half, any immediate thoughts there.

Speaker 4 (01:03:17):
They dealt with a ton of injuries last year that
really hampered them. They still won a decent amount of
games given how many injuries to fronts Wagner and Paalopunker.
Of course, Jalen Suggs was out at the end of
the year. Like Desmond, Bad Train was awesome, Like I loved,
I loved the Desmond being acquisition. I think this team
is primed to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference,
so I'd lean the over. But yeah, I'd probably lean

(01:03:39):
the over.

Speaker 3 (01:03:39):
Yeah, I do as well. The Eastern Conference is wide open.
I do think Orlando is going to be a team
that is going for and should and have a real
chance to make some noise. Then we go to a
little bit of a drop as we go from fifty
one with the Magic to forty seven and a half
with the Los Angeles Lakers, forty seven and a half
with the Golden State Warriors, forty six and a half
with the Hawks, forty five and a half with the Clippers.
There any thought on those four teams, the Lakers number

(01:04:01):
feels very high to me.

Speaker 4 (01:04:03):
Yeah, the Lakers numbers always high, and the betters will
always lean the over just because it's Lakers. Is why
the Lakers' future numbers always higher than they should be,
just because betters love betting on the Lakers. The Lakers
will go under that total. I think, Look, this isn't
a team that didn't add a lout of depth.

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
They just didn't.

Speaker 4 (01:04:18):
DeAndre Ayton is not an eighty two game player, not
because of injuries, because of his effort. He's not capable
of putting an effort, and there's not going to be
snow in Los Angeles during the winter. But I don't know,
somehow he's gonna make some excuses where he can't show
for certain games. Do you remember that with that Lazer
there was an ice storm and every other player could
get there. He told the team he couldn't get to
the game because of some ice. Every other player shut

(01:04:40):
up for the game.

Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
So I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:04:41):
I don't know he's going to manufacture some ice in
his driveway when he's playing in LA. But I just
don't like this Lakers team. And there's the question with
Lebron and his future with the team, which is gonna
hang over this team's head all the time, so many distractions.

Speaker 2 (01:04:55):
I like the under the Hawks. I've We've talked about
the Hawks so many times.

Speaker 4 (01:05:00):
I think another team that won the offseason Nikill, Alexander Walker,
Luke Kennard, how much they added with Kristaps Porzingis as
a stretch big. I already thought this team was great
because I think Jalen Johnson is an all star level player,
Trey Young made leaps as a playmaker, Dyson Daniel's most
improved player in the league last year, Zachary Richard shar
was a pretty good as a rookie, and Keisha continued

(01:05:22):
to develop. I love love this Hawks team, So that's
my favorite over I haven't even looked at these I'm
just listening as you're reading off. Based on everything you've said,
and the Hawks are my favorite over because I think
this team will be a top four seed in the
East next year.

Speaker 3 (01:05:35):
You think they win fifty games this year?

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
Yeah, I do.

Speaker 3 (01:05:38):
I lean that way as well, So forty six and
a half the number for the Hawks. I agree with that.
I think the Hawk's gonna be very good this year,
and we're gonna find out this season if Trey Young
can be that guy. I kind of lean towards that
he can be. I've seen him do some pretty nightmarish
things on big stages in the playoffs before. I think
he finds that version of himself.

Speaker 4 (01:05:55):
I heard someone say that this is a superstar audition
for him, and he's eligible for an extension. Be interesting
how the Hawks handle that and handle his future. But
he is eligible for an extension. This is a superstar
edition for him.

Speaker 2 (01:06:07):
It just is like that. He has all the tools.

Speaker 4 (01:06:09):
This is the best team he's ever been surrounded by,
and he's not an immature player anymore. He's improved a
shot selection, he's improved his playmaking. He can he can
make others better. So this is it for Trey Young.
This is a really important season for his career.

Speaker 3 (01:06:22):
Yeah, definitely, it's gonna be very interesting there. To keep
it rolling down the list, the Clippers at forty five
and a half, the Bucks hit forty five and a half,
the Pistons at forty five and a half, the Celtics.
I will leave it at those three, So forty five
and a half for the Clippers, Bucks, and Pistons. Any
thoughts on those three?

Speaker 4 (01:06:38):
I lean over on the Pistons with Jane Ivy coming back,
I think they're gonna have a really good regular season again,
even with no Malik Beasley in the picture. The Clippers
one just on that trade that just broke. As we
would laugh here, Norman Powell is on an expiring contract
and he's gonna turn thirty three, which I didn't realize
when that trade initially broke. So it's kind of part
of that is they I don't think they want to

(01:06:59):
sign him to an extension. I don't think they wanted
they were going to pay him because he's going to
command a lot of money from somewhere. I would have
paid him the Clippers, but he's thirty three, so you
have to pay him for a four year deal. And
it's like, yeah, but he's on a two years Do
I believe does his timeline line up with Kawhi Leonard
James Harden who will only have a couple of years left.

(01:07:20):
So I think it's getting something back for Norm Pouks.
You're getting a asset back. John Collins is also an
expiring deal, so the Jazz we're trying to get something
back for him. Well, the Jazz got back for an
expiring contract in John Collins. Was Kevin Love, who won't
play for the Jazz, will be shipped off somewhere or
some buyout, Kyle Anderson, which maybe you can flip, but
not for much.

Speaker 2 (01:07:41):
And a second round pick.

Speaker 4 (01:07:42):
And now Scham's tweeted that ad after was he was
commending the Jazz for getting an asset as a second
round pick.

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
A second round pick is not an asset.

Speaker 3 (01:07:51):
Well, the win for them is getting worse. Is that's
still their intentions right now? If they want a j
de Bannster, they wanted to top overall pick, is what
the goal of this?

Speaker 4 (01:07:58):
I get it, but like I don't think that's the
right approach anymore. We saw tanking doesn't work. The Wizards
and Jazz both had the worst record, and they had
the fifth and sixth pick in the in the draft
this year. I just like, I get there's not another options.
I don't think tanking is the right approach right in that.

Speaker 3 (01:08:14):
Yeah, fair, but that is uh, they're already down that
rabbit hole. They've gone down that pathway already, So I
get it from that perspective. Here three more that are
tied the same forty three and a half wins for
the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia seventy six Ers.
Three very different teams here.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
Wow, very different teams.

Speaker 3 (01:08:31):
Yeah. I love the over for the Spurs. I do
think that they clear that. I love the over for
the Sixers. I think it's disrespectful forty three and a
half wins. I still don't know, it's still not quite
sure what to make about the Celtics.

Speaker 2 (01:08:41):
Yeah, honestly love I love the under for the Celtics. Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:08:44):
I think this team is going to struggle to make
the playoffs. I mean they were stripped to bare bones.
I think this team is just really I don't think
Jaylen Brown is capable of carrying the type of workload
that he's going to be asked to. Sam Hauser and
Peking Pritchell, you're gonna have a ton of pren number
ye yees. He love Pritchard, but how his usage is
gonna be absurdly high where that's not really the type

(01:09:04):
of player that he is when he's playing that many minutes,
He's more of a bench six man type guy. I
like the over on the Spurs and the Sixers as well.
Like I think the Sixers are gonna have a pretty
good regular team. They prioritize getting younger and more athletic,
and they did that, and that's they're gonna be able
to withstand Joel Ellenbiid's injuries and his rest and same
thing with Paul George. I think they're gonna be doing

(01:09:26):
do a much better job of that this year than
last year, basically improve into the roster, getting Jerry McCain
back for a full season healthy, hopefully beg Edgecombe. So
I think the over the Sixers was the most unlucky,
misfortunate team in the entire NBA. But I do like
the over based on the roster on paper, that.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
Is a number that to me, I read as they
do not believe Joel Embiid is playing much basketball this year.
I will note that, and who would?

Speaker 2 (01:09:50):
Who would? Because he has the last couple of seasons.

Speaker 3 (01:09:53):
Can't, can't put up too much of a fight about this.

Speaker 2 (01:09:55):
Yeah, can let me ask you something.

Speaker 4 (01:09:57):
Who was the last Sixers rookie, first around rookie who
actually lasted a full healthy season. I don't know, necessarily
know the answer. I'm just thinking about it out loud.
That rarely, rarely happens when a rookie goes through a
full season healthy in Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (01:10:11):
Yeah, so the most recent one, I mean, MAXI did.
He didn't play a ton ton, but he never got
like injured injured.

Speaker 2 (01:10:19):
Like, yeah, that's true, that's true.

Speaker 4 (01:10:21):
But Okay, someone whose role will be actually Max's Max
is a good one, someone whose role will be pretty high.
I'm just saying, because every injury, every rookie abound injury,
Simmons missed the entire year.

Speaker 2 (01:10:33):
We know with em be.

Speaker 3 (01:10:36):
Don't put that evil. I'm not.

Speaker 4 (01:10:38):
I'm not Mark kel Fuld's Jared McCain. Max he was
the only one that actually withstood it, but he didn't
have that big of a role that year. Yeah, I mean,
it hasn't happened a long time.

Speaker 3 (01:10:47):
VJ.

Speaker 4 (01:10:47):
Hopefully it does not happen to It's just they're the
unluckiest organization in the NBA.

Speaker 3 (01:10:52):
I don't like that being put out at the universe.
We're keeping it.

Speaker 2 (01:10:54):
I was just thinking about it. I was just it
just came to my mind.

Speaker 3 (01:10:57):
A couple more. I want to rip through the rest
of these here, Memphis Grizzley's forty and a half, Indiana
Pacers thirty nine and a half, thirty eight and a
half for the Dallas Mavericks, which feels incredibly disrespectful to me.
I love that over what was the Mavericks thirty eight
and a half. They're gonna be a five hundred team
at least.

Speaker 4 (01:11:14):
I think that's a very good line. I don't lean
one way or the other that I would be a
pass if we were doing this, I would be a
pass to me. I think this team would be hovered
right around five hundred, like thirty nine forty wins, but
they could also go the over. Dude, Kyrie Irving isn't
playing this entire season until March.

Speaker 3 (01:11:30):
Maybe Cooper flag Is, Anthony Davis is gonna be there,
Derek Lively.

Speaker 4 (01:11:34):
Davis also dealt with a ton of injuries. Anthony Anthony
Davis is not a healthy guy. Cooper Flagg is the
only perimeter creator that they have. Dangela Russell is fine.
He can put up numbers, He's not a winning player.
I just don't love. I don't love this roster construction
right now around Cooper Flag. And I love Cooper Flag,
but without Kyrie Irving until he's back, I don't think
this team's gonna be very good in an incredibly talented West.

Speaker 3 (01:11:56):
I think they're at least a five hundred basketball team,
and I think they squeak a couple more than that.
You're right, like, they're not going to be a contender
until Kyrie's back, but I think they can very well
hang in the mix. I think like that's gonna be
a tough team to face on a night to night
basis with what they bring defensively. So I'm buying in
on the thirty eight and a half for the Mavericks there.

Speaker 2 (01:12:14):
The Pacers number is really low. Thirty nine and a half.

Speaker 3 (01:12:18):
Yeah, I mean, no, Haliburton, man, I don't that's going
to be a pass for me, because their death is
obviously a huge strength of theirs. I have no clue
how to you that.

Speaker 4 (01:12:25):
In like a n actual season long. I mean, I
could see them being a playing team in the East.
But I think a playing team in the East will
win forty plus games because just actually.

Speaker 2 (01:12:35):
Actually that might not be true.

Speaker 4 (01:12:36):
But I think Rick Carola is a great coach, so
I think he somehow will them to like a five
hundred mark yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:12:41):
Which is I mean, thirty nine and a half is
pretty fair there. I would pass on that just because
I don't know what to make of it, but I
think that's pretty spot on as well. We go, we
drop a little bit. Here goes thirty six and a
half for the Miami Heat, thirty two and a half
for the Toronto Raptors, thirty two and a half for
you New Orleans Pelicans, thirty two and a half for
Chicago Bulls, and thirty two and a half for the

(01:13:02):
Portland Trailblazers. Any of those teams popped.

Speaker 4 (01:13:04):
Up, One that jumped out to me was the Heat.
I think this team is now with Norm Pal, Norm
palll Tyler hero Bam out of Baio.

Speaker 2 (01:13:11):
They might not be done.

Speaker 4 (01:13:12):
I don't know the exactly numbers because we've been on
this this on Live since this trade happened. But is
Jonathan aminga still an option? I'm sure Bradley Beal isn't anymore,
but this team might not be done. I think this
Heat team thirty six and a half wins. If Eric
Spols is your coach, you should be around a five
hundred team regardless. And I think this Heat team is
better than they were last year, and you're not dealing
with the Jimmy Butler saga going into the year. So

(01:13:33):
I think I love that on over now that I'm
thinking about it. Hawks in the Heat are my two
favorite overs so far.

Speaker 3 (01:13:39):
I will know they went thirty seven and forty five
last year was their record, but you're right, the Butler
thing did take up a lot of that and a
little bit of a clean slate, and they still hit
the over of it. It's a little bit interesting there. Yeah,
the Pelicans, I don't know what to make of that
number or their situation as a whole. It's so it
kind of a two and a yeah, Willie, We'll see

(01:14:00):
how that shakes out there. But to rattle off the
final handful of these, Charlotte Hornets at twenty five and
a half, Brooklyn Nets at twenty one and a half,
Washington Wizards at nineteen and a half, and Utah Jazz
at eighteen and a half. I love the Wizards over
really why so much. I think they're gonna be competitive
and sneaky in the mix in the Eastern Conference. They're

(01:14:20):
still not gonna be good, but they've built a foundation
of defenders with Alex r Billel Kulibaal, even bub Carrington
can compete on that end of the floor and as
a bucket as well. I think Trey Johnson's the scoring
punch that they really needed there, and like that team
is looking more competent. They brought in CJ. McCollum. I
think we need to start looking stop looking at the
Wizards as like the Little Brother, and start recognizing that

(01:14:41):
this is a team trending in the right direction. They're
doing things the right way, even like the Cam Whitmore trade.
He may not work out, but that is great organizational
practice to take a swing on a player like that.
I think this team is trending in the right direction.
I don't think they're gonna be good, but I think
there they could get as high as like a thirty
win team this year.

Speaker 4 (01:14:57):
Yeah, I don't necessarily disagree with that. I think Wizards
are have a great front office. I think they're really
smart and how they're handling their their rebuild. And look,
they got a little unlucky with the lottery, But I
kind of agree with that. I don't, I don't disagree.
The team that stuck out for me was the Hornets.

Speaker 3 (01:15:12):
What was that number again, twenty five and a half.

Speaker 2 (01:15:14):
I love that over. I think this team is gonna
have a really good year.

Speaker 4 (01:15:17):
And I'm not a LaMelo ball guy at all, but
I think at some point this guy has to just
learn how to play mature, fundamentally sound basketball where he
makes his teammates better and contributes to winning.

Speaker 2 (01:15:28):
Brady, what does he have to I think? I mean
maybe maybe not honestly, maybe not.

Speaker 4 (01:15:34):
Maybe he just never will. But I do think that
they've done a good job surrounding him with with better pieces.
Bring Trey Man back. You still have Miles Bridges there.
He's still a Brandon Miller who will be returning from injury,
who I think is going to have a pretty good season.
I still am big Brandon Miller fan. You bring in
Mason Plumley during free agency and nice veteran, nice veteran center. Yeah,

(01:15:55):
Kulkbrenner another another center to bring and you get rid
of Mark Williams, which I think is in some ways
on a dish by subtraction because he dealt with a
ton of ton of He's a good player, towned player,
dealt with a ton of injuries in and out of
the lineup all the time, so I never really trusted him.
Who else, Oh, Kanker Nipple, who I think is gonna
have a great rookie season. I think will be in
contention of Rookie of the Year. I think this Hornets

(01:16:16):
team is going to compete for a playing spot in
the East. And they've been really bad last few years,
but twenty five and a half, I think they exceed
thirty wins.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
Yeah, I don't hate that whatsoever. I'll be a little
bit of a Hornet believer this year, so you can
talk me into that. Getting plus one hundred for the
over of twenty five and a half right now, So
good little shout there. Any other final NBA thoughts before
we wrap up here. I know we went on for
a little extra as usual.

Speaker 4 (01:16:39):
Even during the dry season, we always have stuff to
talk about. Nothing now, I mean, this is the driest
month of the NBA calendar, July and August, but we'll
still find stuff to talk about. We'll probably get in
some football stuff too, keep rolling on Mondays.

Speaker 3 (01:16:52):
Yeah, definitely, so we will be on top of things
here on Picks and Roll. Appreciate you guys tuning in
once again. These six Ers back in action for summer
league tonight. Me and Sam will have our eyes on
this and plenty of more moves to still go down
this NBA off season, so we'll be back breaking it
up every single week right here on Fox Sports The Gambler.
Appreciate you guys for tapping and make sure to keep
it locked on the dial. We back talk with you
next time right here on Fox Sports Gambler.

Speaker 1 (01:17:13):
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