June 26, 2025 • 16 mins
Don Harris from WOAI in San Antonio joined the show to talk about the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the NBA Draft. Craig and Don discuss Mitch Johnson's promotion to the head coach in place of Greg Poppovich, why the Spurs like Dylan Harper, and other moves the team could make this offseason.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Next guest fits right into that category. We're talking about
a guy who's an Emmy Award winning Weekday Sports anchored
now in his thirty fifth year. They're talking about our
good friend Don Harris from w a I and News
for San Antonio, who joins us now on the hotline.
(00:21):
Did that bring back some war memories or did it?
Was it even still recognizable to you?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I recognized it right away, Craig, and you know that.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Let's give a cheer for North Texas State. Yeah, it
was the school when you and I were there, and when.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
They got to the middle bridge, when the vans Dada
would go in blah blah blah bump t blah blahlah
s bah blahlah blalah. You n t s U Eagle
fight fight fight. They've had to change that to what
you n T Eagles fight fight fight right, even though.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
They had to change a lot of things, but thankfully
they did not choose change call letters of K into
U to K something else that could have been.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Very not good.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Well, you remember, I know you're familiar with the story.
I was standing there when it happened. I was working
at krold at the time, and when the announcement came
down and this is like nineteen eighty seven, I guess
it was, and I was already two years out of school.
But the announcement came down that the University of North
Texas was changing at North Texas State University was changing
its name to the University of North Texas. And the
(01:29):
chancellor was doctor Alfred Hurley, former Air Force colonel and everything,
and a very distinguished man. And we all remember his
the way he could speak with this stately tone, and
he was taking questions about this and talking about the
changing and the labeling and the branding and all that
sort of stuff. And there was a young reporter there
(01:49):
from the North Texas Daily, the newspaper, and bless her heart,
I know it didn't even turn, you know when he
talked about changing things from North Texas State eight to
University of North Texas, and she just innocently wide ey'd
ask the question, does that mean you'll change the call
letters at the campus radio station? And he looked at
her and smiled and said I don't think so, and
(02:13):
that and and that's that's all that was said about that.
When you when you graduated, where was it still North
Texas State or had it flipped by then?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
No, No, I was eighty eight, so had it flipped?
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Okay iransition?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah, okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Uh, speaking of transition, let's talk about this team that
you cover so very well. And that's why we wanted
to get done on to talk about the Spurs and uh,
you know, the the leanings and the thoughts and stuff
that they might go through with regard to having the
second and fourteenth picks in the NBA Draft.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
But before we get to that, you've.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Known Greg Popovich about as long as anybody in that town,
and uh, you've had many of the conversation with Pop
and with the staff and with the ownership. What's your
take so far on even though it's off season, what
the what the transition has been like with Mitch Johnson
and how I guess how smooth it might be, how
(03:14):
how seamless it might be, because I know it's surprised
some people at first, isn't it done that Mitch, because
everybody seemed to think that Becky Hammond was next in
line for this? But Mitch has been right there for
you know, for some time there with Pop and it
looks like it's been a natural transition.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah, I think if you're outside the organization and you're
not paying attention on a daily basis, there's a lot
of people who.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Thought it could go to any one of his proteges, right,
Brett Brown, Mike Brown, Mike Butenholzer, Will Hardy in Utah,
Email Dook, and Hugheston. The league is littered with Greg
Papovich former assistance, whether it be video coordinators or distant coaches.
(04:01):
Steve Kerr was a popular name being the Spurs and
being Victor Ramanyama, who everybody would like to coach. I
think he was the big fish that was out there.
But those of us who've covered the team closely know
that Mitch Johnson has been a rising star in the
organization for more than a decade, right at a decade.
(04:21):
He got his start in Austin in the G League.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
They saw what he did.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
With the Jante Murray at the AAU level in Seattle
when Dejenttey was a young kid and was troubled on
the streets and had all kinds of issues and was arrested,
and it was Mitch you got him out of jail,
and Mitch you mentored him.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So they became aware of Mitch when they.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Were doing their background on de Jante Murray.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
They brought him into the organization and.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
He has been just moving up the ladder ever since.
When when Tim and Becky Tim Duncan that is and
Becky were assistants with Pop and Mitch was on that
staff during the COVID bubble year.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It was Mitch, not Becky and Tim.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
It was Mitch that was Pop's right hand to that,
and he's leaned on Mitch. Mitch's bright and connects with
young players very well.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So we kind of saw this coming.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I think it was Pop's choice and Mitch was kind
of his hand picked successor. He's very smart. It was
an All Conference a point guard in the PAC twelve
for Stanford with the Lopez brothers, and you know, anybody
from Stanford's got a brain, and Mitch certainly has both
(05:34):
the basketball acumen on the intellect and the young This
is the way the league's going now. You can see
how Phoenix has made their higher and other coaches, this
is moving towards a very younger coaching. Just like players
are now eighteen years old, coaches are getting younger too,
because they identify with these guys a lot easier.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, And would you agree that probably one of those
examples of what you just said is the guy who's
coached now of the world champions in Daniel and Dagno
and what he's done with Oklahoma City.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, These young assistants have been rising through
the ranks. It's a new league, and.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's a different league, and the organizations that are with it.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And changing and hiring these young guys are the ones
that succeed.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I think it's interesting that the Knicks, you.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Know, can't find a coach and they run off Thibodeau
without a better solution, and now they're looking at Mike
Brown and some of these other guys have been around
a while, but a lot.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Of the young guys in the league that you don't even.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Know who the coach of that team is. Are these
young up and comers in Michige.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
That talking Spurs basketball here with Don Harris here on
a thirteen hundred the side. Okay, before we get your
your absolute takes on what you think will happen with
the two and fourteen picks, night, lib, let me get
your take on the roster as it stands today and
how it could affect what happens tonight. I think everybody's
(07:07):
expecting Dylan Harper to be obviously the number two pick.
But in terms of what the Spurs have, since we're
talking backward guys, they have several of those as well,
both very young and long in the tooth as well.
So how about your thoughts about this the roster makeup
as it stands going into the draft, and what ultimately
could shake down as a result of how they select
(07:29):
in the draft tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Well, my first observation is that basketball fans in Texas
often look at the draft through a football lids in
that you think, Okay, they have that Prescott, they don't
need a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
That's not the way it works in the NBA. For
the most part, you take the best player available. And
that was never more obvious than when the Portland Trail
Blazers and eighty three drafted Clyde Drexler and in eighty
four they passed on a guy named Michael Jordan because
they always had they already had a two guard and
Clyde Drexler and they and they chose Sam Bouie instead,
(08:07):
and we all know how that turned out.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Oh yeah, and then and then also Don they're gonna
add Kevin Durant and with with Greg Goldenden.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
That's right, So don't draft, don't draft for need. Draft
the best player, and especially when it's.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Clear and there's there is Cooper Flag and one.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Hundred yards between everybody else, and then there's Dylan Harper, and.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Then there's probably five.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Hundred yards between number.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Three, four, five and the rest of the group. So
Harper is clearly the second best player in this draft.
He is clearly who the Spurs are going to take.
Even though they took Steph Cassel.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Who was the Rookie of the Year last year, who's
another sixty five sixty six, you know, combo guard. And
even though they traded for Deer and Fox, who's going
to be the point guard in the future. There they
can play all three of those guys together.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
They can play them in lotations.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
They can bring the young kid off the bench and
have them be Fox's primary backup. There's a million ways
they can go. But the need is for a big guy.
They need a stretch five. They need a Brook Lopez.
Christapsperzingis type guy to go next to Wimby, to take
some of the pressure off of Wimby. On defense so
(09:25):
that you U doesn't get pounded by guys like Shangun
of Houston and Nurkic and Zubots and these guys in
the West that are big, strong, athletic centers. Women needs
a break from that pounding. So they need to add
a big to go next to Wimby. And they need shooting.
This is not a great three point shooting.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
I think they were near the bottom of the league
again last year.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
They need a sniper or two. I don't know that
they get that in the draft. I think maybe they
get that in free agency. I think they get that
in trades. They now have some real good trade value
and guys like Devin Micell, Kelvin.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Johnson, Harrison Barnes has.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
A contract that a lot of teams would would like
to absorb because it's expiring.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So I think they can make moves after the draft.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
To address the needs of shooting in a big But
there's no way they pass on harper tonight. No way.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Okay, all right, So assuming that's the route they go,
what does it mean for guys like Jeremy Sohan and
obviously Chris Paul as well. You know, I mentioned long
in the tooth because as you point out, they need snipers,
and yet they do have guards, and obviously you're poised
to add another.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I have heard that both the Cell and so hand.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Are on the market. They're not actively you know, try
to get rid of them, but those are the pieces
that they're dangling in trade talks. They were really close
in the mix yesterday with the for Zingis deal and
jo Atlanta came up with an offer that Boston appeared
to get a better package for. So So those guys, now,
(11:10):
when you start talking about the future of Harper Castle
Fox being your primary, you know, backcourt guys, those are
guys that that they can hang on to. Den Bessell
is a very good player.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Keldon Johnson is a nuts and bolts guy.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
And every championship team needs the the lou Dorts and
the and the Alex Carusos of the world.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
And they may have to adjust.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Because they've been used to to being the guys on
a bad team, to being role players on what should
be a good team.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
And so, I don't know, I think that I think
a lot of this roster could turn over. You know,
there's Andrew Marvel, Kellish, Billy is a guy they really
like at the four He's cheap, and he's he's tough,
and he gives them a lot of good minutes off
the bench.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
But I think some of the guys that we're talking about,
the higher paid guys like Keldon Johnson and Devin Bissell,
could be on the move as the off season progressing.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Interesting well, the one last thing I wanted to ask
you was with regard to that fourteen pick, is is
it difficult to project simply a because of who's available still,
who's still on the board at that point and be
what they identify as a bigger need, whether it's a
big as you mentioned, or a guy who can knock
down threes that in concert with who.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Has been taken and who's available.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
In other words, I guess what I'm asking is you
don't see them packaging that pick and moving somewhere else,
either up or down.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I think that pick has been.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Packaged in the last two a few weeks. I think,
I guess I know that it was in the package
and there Kevin Durant offer, but I also know that
they they weren't going into that wholeheartedly. They would have
taken Durant for what they offered if.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
They sons would have bit, but they knew it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
A great offer. But yeah, they put that fourteen pick
in that field.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
I don't know for sure if it was in the
Porzimis offer yesterday, but it's certainly a piece.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
That they could use with.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
You know, I Devin would sell.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
The fourteenth pick for something. Yeah, they could easily do.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
That if they keep it.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
I don't know that they draft for me again, I
think they draft the best player available. I know they're
really high on Cedric Coward out of Washington State. He's
a really interesting story, a D three guy who then
moved to Eastern Washington and then moved to Washington State.
Only played six games there because he tore his Labraham.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
But then he was on his way to.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Duke in the Portal when the NBA draft scouts got him.
And he's gone from sixty to a top twenty pick six.
He can shoot it from the wing. He's an absolute
scoring machine. He's not necessarily known as a sniper and
a great shooter. And again here he is another sixty
sixth wing. But they really like.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Him and he's a fascinating kid.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
He's probably one of the most engaging soundbites. You here
at this entire draft out of Fresno, California. And he's
very mature, very funny, very smart. So just stick that
in your back pocket if it happens at fourteen. If
he's there and they take him, I know they like him.
It's not a lock by any means.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
And sometimes they float guys that they say they really.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Like, as you know, decoy to keep you away from
guessing on who they really like. So I could be
sniffing up the long tree. There.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
He's Don Harris and from New fourth Aennchona. You can
follow him on x at Don Harris four. He can
be one of the more than twenty two thousand who
follow Don Harris for his outstanding work. Great to visit
with you, as always, I appreciate you take in the
time to do this and I hope.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
You're ray for you anytime, brother, anytime.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
And I miss you, ma'am, and God bless you and
the family and everybody that I hope you're doing well.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
I have to tell this last thing because Don was
a part of this. When when my wife Linda arranged
a surprise sixtieth birthday gift for me a few years
back just a few She rounded up a zoom because
it happened right in the smack.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Dab in the middle of the pandemic.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
So on that zoom you had Brad Sham, you had
George Dunoman, Craig Miller from the ticket, you had a
couple others we do and Don Harris on that it
was the select group and that she reached up with a
complete surprise to me I had. I had no idea
what was happening, none whatsoever. It was a great birthday gift.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
But well, let me let me say this, man, I
didn't belong on that phone call in.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
That class, But I'll tell you this.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Craig and George and I came up behind.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
You North Texas, and.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
The thrill of our lives were to be able to
do the phoners on.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
A Friday night from a football stadium on the Craig
Way Recap show on KROLB. We followed your footsteps at
North Texas. You led the way for all of us
and we will always be forever indebted.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Well, you have cast quite your own shadow and your
own footprints in San Antonio, my friend, I appreciate you
taking the time and good luck and we'll visit down
the road.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
I appreciate you doing this, all.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Right, Craig anytime, man, take care you too.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
That's Don Harris from San Antonio. We have more coming
up when we continue on thirteen hundred.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
The zone
Next guest fits right into that category. We're talking about
a guy who's an Emmy Award winning Weekday Sports anchored
now in his thirty fifth year. They're talking about our
good friend Don Harris from w a I and News
for San Antonio, who joins us now on the hotline.
(00:21):
Did that bring back some war memories or did it?
Was it even still recognizable to you?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I recognized it right away, Craig, and you know that.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Let's give a cheer for North Texas State. Yeah, it
was the school when you and I were there, and when.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
They got to the middle bridge, when the vans Dada
would go in blah blah blah bump t blah blahlah
s bah blahlah blalah. You n t s U Eagle
fight fight fight. They've had to change that to what
you n T Eagles fight fight fight right, even though.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
They had to change a lot of things, but thankfully
they did not choose change call letters of K into
U to K something else that could have been.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Very not good.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Well, you remember, I know you're familiar with the story.
I was standing there when it happened. I was working
at krold at the time, and when the announcement came
down and this is like nineteen eighty seven, I guess
it was, and I was already two years out of school.
But the announcement came down that the University of North
Texas was changing at North Texas State University was changing
its name to the University of North Texas. And the
(01:29):
chancellor was doctor Alfred Hurley, former Air Force colonel and everything,
and a very distinguished man. And we all remember his
the way he could speak with this stately tone, and
he was taking questions about this and talking about the
changing and the labeling and the branding and all that
sort of stuff. And there was a young reporter there
(01:49):
from the North Texas Daily, the newspaper, and bless her heart,
I know it didn't even turn, you know when he
talked about changing things from North Texas State eight to
University of North Texas, and she just innocently wide ey'd
ask the question, does that mean you'll change the call
letters at the campus radio station? And he looked at
her and smiled and said I don't think so, and
(02:13):
that and and that's that's all that was said about that.
When you when you graduated, where was it still North
Texas State or had it flipped by then?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
No, No, I was eighty eight, so had it flipped?
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Okay iransition?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah, okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Uh, speaking of transition, let's talk about this team that
you cover so very well. And that's why we wanted
to get done on to talk about the Spurs and uh,
you know, the the leanings and the thoughts and stuff
that they might go through with regard to having the
second and fourteenth picks in the NBA Draft.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
But before we get to that, you've.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Known Greg Popovich about as long as anybody in that town,
and uh, you've had many of the conversation with Pop
and with the staff and with the ownership. What's your
take so far on even though it's off season, what
the what the transition has been like with Mitch Johnson
and how I guess how smooth it might be, how
(03:14):
how seamless it might be, because I know it's surprised
some people at first, isn't it done that Mitch, because
everybody seemed to think that Becky Hammond was next in
line for this? But Mitch has been right there for
you know, for some time there with Pop and it
looks like it's been a natural transition.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah, I think if you're outside the organization and you're
not paying attention on a daily basis, there's a lot
of people who.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Thought it could go to any one of his proteges, right,
Brett Brown, Mike Brown, Mike Butenholzer, Will Hardy in Utah,
Email Dook, and Hugheston. The league is littered with Greg
Papovich former assistance, whether it be video coordinators or distant coaches.
(04:01):
Steve Kerr was a popular name being the Spurs and
being Victor Ramanyama, who everybody would like to coach. I
think he was the big fish that was out there.
But those of us who've covered the team closely know
that Mitch Johnson has been a rising star in the
organization for more than a decade, right at a decade.
(04:21):
He got his start in Austin in the G League.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
They saw what he did.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
With the Jante Murray at the AAU level in Seattle
when Dejenttey was a young kid and was troubled on
the streets and had all kinds of issues and was arrested,
and it was Mitch you got him out of jail,
and Mitch you mentored him.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So they became aware of Mitch when they.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Were doing their background on de Jante Murray.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
They brought him into the organization and.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
He has been just moving up the ladder ever since.
When when Tim and Becky Tim Duncan that is and
Becky were assistants with Pop and Mitch was on that
staff during the COVID bubble year.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It was Mitch, not Becky and Tim.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
It was Mitch that was Pop's right hand to that,
and he's leaned on Mitch. Mitch's bright and connects with
young players very well.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So we kind of saw this coming.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I think it was Pop's choice and Mitch was kind
of his hand picked successor. He's very smart. It was
an All Conference a point guard in the PAC twelve
for Stanford with the Lopez brothers, and you know, anybody
from Stanford's got a brain, and Mitch certainly has both
(05:34):
the basketball acumen on the intellect and the young This
is the way the league's going now. You can see
how Phoenix has made their higher and other coaches, this
is moving towards a very younger coaching. Just like players
are now eighteen years old, coaches are getting younger too,
because they identify with these guys a lot easier.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, And would you agree that probably one of those
examples of what you just said is the guy who's
coached now of the world champions in Daniel and Dagno
and what he's done with Oklahoma City.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, These young assistants have been rising through
the ranks. It's a new league, and.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's a different league, and the organizations that are with it.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And changing and hiring these young guys are the ones
that succeed.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I think it's interesting that the Knicks, you.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Know, can't find a coach and they run off Thibodeau
without a better solution, and now they're looking at Mike
Brown and some of these other guys have been around
a while, but a lot.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Of the young guys in the league that you don't even.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Know who the coach of that team is. Are these
young up and comers in Michige.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
That talking Spurs basketball here with Don Harris here on
a thirteen hundred the side. Okay, before we get your
your absolute takes on what you think will happen with
the two and fourteen picks, night, lib, let me get
your take on the roster as it stands today and
how it could affect what happens tonight. I think everybody's
(07:07):
expecting Dylan Harper to be obviously the number two pick.
But in terms of what the Spurs have, since we're
talking backward guys, they have several of those as well,
both very young and long in the tooth as well.
So how about your thoughts about this the roster makeup
as it stands going into the draft, and what ultimately
could shake down as a result of how they select
(07:29):
in the draft tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Well, my first observation is that basketball fans in Texas
often look at the draft through a football lids in
that you think, Okay, they have that Prescott, they don't
need a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
That's not the way it works in the NBA. For
the most part, you take the best player available. And
that was never more obvious than when the Portland Trail
Blazers and eighty three drafted Clyde Drexler and in eighty
four they passed on a guy named Michael Jordan because
they always had they already had a two guard and
Clyde Drexler and they and they chose Sam Bouie instead,
(08:07):
and we all know how that turned out.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Oh yeah, and then and then also Don they're gonna
add Kevin Durant and with with Greg Goldenden.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
That's right, So don't draft, don't draft for need. Draft
the best player, and especially when it's.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Clear and there's there is Cooper Flag and one.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Hundred yards between everybody else, and then there's Dylan Harper, and.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Then there's probably five.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Hundred yards between number.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Three, four, five and the rest of the group. So
Harper is clearly the second best player in this draft.
He is clearly who the Spurs are going to take.
Even though they took Steph Cassel.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Who was the Rookie of the Year last year, who's
another sixty five sixty six, you know, combo guard. And
even though they traded for Deer and Fox, who's going
to be the point guard in the future. There they
can play all three of those guys together.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
They can play them in lotations.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
They can bring the young kid off the bench and
have them be Fox's primary backup. There's a million ways
they can go. But the need is for a big guy.
They need a stretch five. They need a Brook Lopez.
Christapsperzingis type guy to go next to Wimby, to take
some of the pressure off of Wimby. On defense so
(09:25):
that you U doesn't get pounded by guys like Shangun
of Houston and Nurkic and Zubots and these guys in
the West that are big, strong, athletic centers. Women needs
a break from that pounding. So they need to add
a big to go next to Wimby. And they need shooting.
This is not a great three point shooting.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
I think they were near the bottom of the league
again last year.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
They need a sniper or two. I don't know that
they get that in the draft. I think maybe they
get that in free agency. I think they get that
in trades. They now have some real good trade value
and guys like Devin Micell, Kelvin.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Johnson, Harrison Barnes has.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
A contract that a lot of teams would would like
to absorb because it's expiring.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So I think they can make moves after the draft.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
To address the needs of shooting in a big But
there's no way they pass on harper tonight. No way.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Okay, all right, So assuming that's the route they go,
what does it mean for guys like Jeremy Sohan and
obviously Chris Paul as well. You know, I mentioned long
in the tooth because as you point out, they need snipers,
and yet they do have guards, and obviously you're poised
to add another.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I have heard that both the Cell and so hand.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Are on the market. They're not actively you know, try
to get rid of them, but those are the pieces
that they're dangling in trade talks. They were really close
in the mix yesterday with the for Zingis deal and
jo Atlanta came up with an offer that Boston appeared
to get a better package for. So So those guys, now,
(11:10):
when you start talking about the future of Harper Castle
Fox being your primary, you know, backcourt guys, those are
guys that that they can hang on to. Den Bessell
is a very good player.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Keldon Johnson is a nuts and bolts guy.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
And every championship team needs the the lou Dorts and
the and the Alex Carusos of the world.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
And they may have to adjust.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Because they've been used to to being the guys on
a bad team, to being role players on what should
be a good team.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
And so, I don't know, I think that I think
a lot of this roster could turn over. You know,
there's Andrew Marvel, Kellish, Billy is a guy they really
like at the four He's cheap, and he's he's tough,
and he gives them a lot of good minutes off
the bench.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
But I think some of the guys that we're talking about,
the higher paid guys like Keldon Johnson and Devin Bissell,
could be on the move as the off season progressing.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Interesting well, the one last thing I wanted to ask
you was with regard to that fourteen pick, is is
it difficult to project simply a because of who's available still,
who's still on the board at that point and be
what they identify as a bigger need, whether it's a
big as you mentioned, or a guy who can knock
down threes that in concert with who.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Has been taken and who's available.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
In other words, I guess what I'm asking is you
don't see them packaging that pick and moving somewhere else,
either up or down.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I think that pick has been.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Packaged in the last two a few weeks. I think,
I guess I know that it was in the package
and there Kevin Durant offer, but I also know that
they they weren't going into that wholeheartedly. They would have
taken Durant for what they offered if.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
They sons would have bit, but they knew it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
A great offer. But yeah, they put that fourteen pick
in that field.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
I don't know for sure if it was in the
Porzimis offer yesterday, but it's certainly a piece.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
That they could use with.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
You know, I Devin would sell.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
The fourteenth pick for something. Yeah, they could easily do.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
That if they keep it.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
I don't know that they draft for me again, I
think they draft the best player available. I know they're
really high on Cedric Coward out of Washington State. He's
a really interesting story, a D three guy who then
moved to Eastern Washington and then moved to Washington State.
Only played six games there because he tore his Labraham.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
But then he was on his way to.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Duke in the Portal when the NBA draft scouts got him.
And he's gone from sixty to a top twenty pick six.
He can shoot it from the wing. He's an absolute
scoring machine. He's not necessarily known as a sniper and
a great shooter. And again here he is another sixty
sixth wing. But they really like.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Him and he's a fascinating kid.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
He's probably one of the most engaging soundbites. You here
at this entire draft out of Fresno, California. And he's
very mature, very funny, very smart. So just stick that
in your back pocket if it happens at fourteen. If
he's there and they take him, I know they like him.
It's not a lock by any means.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
And sometimes they float guys that they say they really.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Like, as you know, decoy to keep you away from
guessing on who they really like. So I could be
sniffing up the long tree. There.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
He's Don Harris and from New fourth Aennchona. You can
follow him on x at Don Harris four. He can
be one of the more than twenty two thousand who
follow Don Harris for his outstanding work. Great to visit
with you, as always, I appreciate you take in the
time to do this and I hope.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
You're ray for you anytime, brother, anytime.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
And I miss you, ma'am, and God bless you and
the family and everybody that I hope you're doing well.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
I have to tell this last thing because Don was
a part of this. When when my wife Linda arranged
a surprise sixtieth birthday gift for me a few years
back just a few She rounded up a zoom because
it happened right in the smack.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Dab in the middle of the pandemic.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
So on that zoom you had Brad Sham, you had
George Dunoman, Craig Miller from the ticket, you had a
couple others we do and Don Harris on that it
was the select group and that she reached up with a
complete surprise to me I had. I had no idea
what was happening, none whatsoever. It was a great birthday gift.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
But well, let me let me say this, man, I
didn't belong on that phone call in.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
That class, But I'll tell you this.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Craig and George and I came up behind.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
You North Texas, and.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
The thrill of our lives were to be able to
do the phoners on.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
A Friday night from a football stadium on the Craig
Way Recap show on KROLB. We followed your footsteps at
North Texas. You led the way for all of us
and we will always be forever indebted.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Well, you have cast quite your own shadow and your
own footprints in San Antonio, my friend, I appreciate you
taking the time and good luck and we'll visit down
the road.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
I appreciate you doing this, all.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Right, Craig anytime, man, take care you too.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
That's Don Harris from San Antonio. We have more coming
up when we continue on thirteen hundred.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
The zone
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