December 12, 2025 • 7 mins
The majority of the best young players in the NBA are in only 3 cities.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
I am your host, Sam Freez filling in for Andy
today and most of next week, so I appreciate all
of y'all riding along with the Shane.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yes, I hate to do this because it's something.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
That I am normally firmly against when ESPN puts out
any kind of rankings that are just based off of
their insiders' opinions. And you don't like list I don't
enjoy list No. And I don't enjoy arguing Jordan or Lebron.
I don't enjoy.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Same arguments that happen over and over again.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Not a fan easy Phil stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I know you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Very very easy Phil stuff. The only reason we're gonna
do this, all that being said, yeah, the only reason
we're doing this is because the more I looked at
this ranking, this list that ESPN put out today, they
did twenty five players under twenty five in the NBA
(01:00):
did their ranking twenty.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Five to one. I'll remove all drama. Of course.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Number one is Wimby. It's second straight year he's been
number one on this list. But including Wimby, the Spurs,
the Thunder and the Rockets have eight players on this list.
Eight Okay, And I said it at the end of
the last segment as a sign that those are basically
(01:29):
your top three teams in the West for the next decade.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
The only other players from the Western Conference on this list.
There are three of them, the only ones that aren't
a member of the Spurs, Thunder or Rockets.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
There's only three.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So those three teams have eight of the eleven Western
Conference players on this list, and the other three are
pretty obvious. Cooper Flag just drafted in Dallas. Sure, Anthony
Edwards still under twenty five. He's number two on the list.
Flag was actually surprisingly high. I think they had him
at like eight. That's like expectations, So it's based off again,
(02:11):
it's insider's opinions, based off of future potential. Sure, and
then the other name, Denny advia the Trailblazers.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
I forgot about him.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
He is still under twenty five and they have him
ranked at fifteen. Those are the only other players in
the Western Conference on this list.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Eight come from the OKCE Houston and San Antonio, not
counting Wimby.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Not well counting Winby. Wimby is one of the eight,
so there's seven. You want to take a swing at
some of them, y.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Es do that, Okay, So if Flag's on there, Harper's
got to.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Be on there.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Harper is on there, and a little surprisingly low on
the list. He's eighteenth, But when you look at the
players that are sandwiched right around him, kan Ka Nipple
is seventeen vj Edgecombe nineteen, So they've got the three
most recently drafted guys right there together. Of course, I
think all of us here would say Dylan Harper has
(03:04):
more long term future potential con Canipple, But I also
think there's a reason Dylan Harper went number two.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
In the draft and con went forward.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Steph Castle is going to be on there.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Of course he.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Is, but again I would say a little low. So
the guy right in front of Conk Nipple, Steph Castle, sixteen,
behind Denny, behind Jalen Duran, behind Bonco and Wagner.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
That makes sense. Frans, I don't mind.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Frans is fine when he's healthy.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
When he's healthy.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Uh. But right now, if you're would you rather have Scotty,
Scotty Barnes or Steph Castle?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I mean, selfishly Steph Castle, but I will say Scotty
Barnes was the guy I wanted the Spurs to get
in that draft.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Sure, and he's a great player.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
He is, but he is also coming off injury, so
that does factor in a little bit. It has to
Are there any other Spurs on there as Wenby, Harper
and cast those are your three Spurs, Okay, so there's
five more from OKC and the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
So Sga obviously just turned twenty six.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, he was aged out of the group.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Probably chet Chet is pretty high on the list.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, he is ninth.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
He's right behind Cooper Flag and right ahead of Jalen Johnson,
who's breaking out for the Hawks over the last season
and a half.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Jalen Johnson has been a bit held really nice surprise
for them, but also also kind of hurts the.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Spurs draft stuff unfortunately. Yeah, unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Probably JDub.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
JDub is your number four listed player. Wemby number one,
Anthony Edwards number two, Cade Cunningham number three, and then
Jalen number four.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I don't mind Jalen being that high.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I think it's just because he plays on a team
that's so stacked that you kind of forget about how
good he is even as an All Star.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well, and his numbers, his numbers don't show his actual values. Sure,
because he's taking us, you know, a secondary role, uh
in their system, kind of like.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Them to sell on this team. Like the numbers don't
aways reflect how valuable he actually is to the team. Okay,
So but I I would only think that's kind of
the only two from Okay, see right from Okay, See
those are the only two.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
So then the last three come from Houston.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
This is where it gets a bit controversial.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
So one of them I would probably say is Shangoon.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Shngoon is number five on this list, ahead of guys
like Evan Mobley.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, ahead of Mobile.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Ooh, that's that's tough because Mobile last year was like
in the running for defensive player of the Year.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I'll probably would put him at Shangoon. I think I
think she's a better offensive player.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I believe he was your defensive year.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I'm thinking of the year I was going back a
year too far. You're right, yeah, so, I and.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I think Shanoon is a guy unlike Jaylen Williams. If
you just look at Shangoon's stats, you say, oh, that's
a top five player in the whole league.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I would probably say I'm in Thompson No.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Number six, really I'm in Thompson. I mean, I guess again,
ahead of Evan Mobley, that's ahead of Chat, ahead of
Jalen Johnson, ahead of Scottie Barnes. Pretty pretty shocking to
see how high ESPN is on the Rockets young talent.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
And then I can appreciate that they're given a credible
value though to guys who are primarily defensive.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Defensive guys.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, and that's that's what I'm in is, you know,
bringing to that Rockets team the.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Only other player I could think, and this.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
One's a stretch. He's number twenty five, the only I could.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Think of, and I don't know how old he is exactly.
If I'll say Jabari Smith.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
That's a good guess he is not the guy.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Okay, who am I thinking of?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Read Shepherd? Really they have a number twenty five?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Really they haven't get up on Read Shepard yet.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Still not.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I mean, he's doing far better edition he did all
of last year. Last year he spent time in the
G League, So I mean, I guess like it's still
based on expectations a little bit in there.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Again, still based on two K potential rating. But yeah,
the bigger takeaway eight of The eleven Western Conference players
listed on this top twenty five are all Spurs, Thunder Rockets.
It's going to be an awesome decade ahead for the
(07:21):
Southwest Division.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Here in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Coming up next, let's do one more little touch and
go segment here in the four o'clock hour, we've got
the official charges for Sharon Moore and Buddy.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
It's not good.
I am your host, Sam Freez filling in for Andy
today and most of next week, so I appreciate all
of y'all riding along with the Shane.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yes, I hate to do this because it's something.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
That I am normally firmly against when ESPN puts out
any kind of rankings that are just based off of
their insiders' opinions. And you don't like list I don't
enjoy list No. And I don't enjoy arguing Jordan or Lebron.
I don't enjoy.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Same arguments that happen over and over again.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Not a fan easy Phil stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I know you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Very very easy Phil stuff. The only reason we're gonna
do this, all that being said, yeah, the only reason
we're doing this is because the more I looked at
this ranking, this list that ESPN put out today, they
did twenty five players under twenty five in the NBA
(01:00):
did their ranking twenty.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Five to one. I'll remove all drama. Of course.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Number one is Wimby. It's second straight year he's been
number one on this list. But including Wimby, the Spurs,
the Thunder and the Rockets have eight players on this list.
Eight Okay, And I said it at the end of
the last segment as a sign that those are basically
(01:29):
your top three teams in the West for the next decade.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
The only other players from the Western Conference on this list.
There are three of them, the only ones that aren't
a member of the Spurs, Thunder or Rockets.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
There's only three.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So those three teams have eight of the eleven Western
Conference players on this list, and the other three are
pretty obvious. Cooper Flag just drafted in Dallas. Sure, Anthony
Edwards still under twenty five. He's number two on the list.
Flag was actually surprisingly high. I think they had him
at like eight. That's like expectations, So it's based off again,
(02:11):
it's insider's opinions, based off of future potential. Sure, and
then the other name, Denny advia the Trailblazers.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
I forgot about him.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
He is still under twenty five and they have him
ranked at fifteen. Those are the only other players in
the Western Conference on this list.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Eight come from the OKCE Houston and San Antonio, not
counting Wimby.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Not well counting Winby. Wimby is one of the eight,
so there's seven. You want to take a swing at
some of them, y.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Es do that, Okay, So if Flag's on there, Harper's
got to.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Be on there.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Harper is on there, and a little surprisingly low on
the list. He's eighteenth, But when you look at the
players that are sandwiched right around him, kan Ka Nipple
is seventeen vj Edgecombe nineteen, So they've got the three
most recently drafted guys right there together. Of course, I
think all of us here would say Dylan Harper has
(03:04):
more long term future potential con Canipple, But I also
think there's a reason Dylan Harper went number two.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
In the draft and con went forward.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Steph Castle is going to be on there.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Of course he.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Is, but again I would say a little low. So
the guy right in front of Conk Nipple, Steph Castle, sixteen,
behind Denny, behind Jalen Duran, behind Bonco and Wagner.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
That makes sense. Frans, I don't mind.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Frans is fine when he's healthy.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
When he's healthy.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Uh. But right now, if you're would you rather have Scotty,
Scotty Barnes or Steph Castle?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I mean, selfishly Steph Castle, but I will say Scotty
Barnes was the guy I wanted the Spurs to get
in that draft.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Sure, and he's a great player.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
He is, but he is also coming off injury, so
that does factor in a little bit. It has to
Are there any other Spurs on there as Wenby, Harper
and cast those are your three Spurs, Okay, so there's
five more from OKC and the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
So Sga obviously just turned twenty six.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, he was aged out of the group.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Probably chet Chet is pretty high on the list.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, he is ninth.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
He's right behind Cooper Flag and right ahead of Jalen Johnson,
who's breaking out for the Hawks over the last season
and a half.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Jalen Johnson has been a bit held really nice surprise
for them, but also also kind of hurts the.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Spurs draft stuff unfortunately. Yeah, unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Probably JDub.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
JDub is your number four listed player. Wemby number one,
Anthony Edwards number two, Cade Cunningham number three, and then
Jalen number four.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I don't mind Jalen being that high.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I think it's just because he plays on a team
that's so stacked that you kind of forget about how
good he is even as an All Star.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well, and his numbers, his numbers don't show his actual values. Sure,
because he's taking us, you know, a secondary role, uh
in their system, kind of like.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Them to sell on this team. Like the numbers don't
aways reflect how valuable he actually is to the team. Okay,
So but I I would only think that's kind of
the only two from Okay, see right from Okay, See
those are the only two.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
So then the last three come from Houston.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
This is where it gets a bit controversial.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
So one of them I would probably say is Shangoon.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Shngoon is number five on this list, ahead of guys
like Evan Mobley.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, ahead of Mobile.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Ooh, that's that's tough because Mobile last year was like
in the running for defensive player of the Year.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I'll probably would put him at Shangoon. I think I
think she's a better offensive player.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I believe he was your defensive year.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I'm thinking of the year I was going back a
year too far. You're right, yeah, so, I and.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I think Shanoon is a guy unlike Jaylen Williams. If
you just look at Shangoon's stats, you say, oh, that's
a top five player in the whole league.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I would probably say I'm in Thompson No.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Number six, really I'm in Thompson. I mean, I guess again,
ahead of Evan Mobley, that's ahead of Chat, ahead of
Jalen Johnson, ahead of Scottie Barnes. Pretty pretty shocking to
see how high ESPN is on the Rockets young talent.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
And then I can appreciate that they're given a credible
value though to guys who are primarily defensive.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Defensive guys.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, and that's that's what I'm in is, you know,
bringing to that Rockets team the.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Only other player I could think, and this.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
One's a stretch. He's number twenty five, the only I could.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Think of, and I don't know how old he is exactly.
If I'll say Jabari Smith.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
That's a good guess he is not the guy.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Okay, who am I thinking of?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Read Shepherd? Really they have a number twenty five?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Really they haven't get up on Read Shepard yet.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Still not.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I mean, he's doing far better edition he did all
of last year. Last year he spent time in the
G League, So I mean, I guess like it's still
based on expectations a little bit in there.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Again, still based on two K potential rating. But yeah,
the bigger takeaway eight of The eleven Western Conference players
listed on this top twenty five are all Spurs, Thunder Rockets.
It's going to be an awesome decade ahead for the
(07:21):
Southwest Division.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Here in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Coming up next, let's do one more little touch and
go segment here in the four o'clock hour, we've got
the official charges for Sharon Moore and Buddy.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
It's not good.
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