December 23, 2025 • 44 mins
In hour 2 of the show, Will reacted to the biggest audio in sports with What Did You Say?!?! And Will and Smoke break down how the next 4 weeks could have a massive impact on the Hornets long-term future
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You were listening to The Kyle Bailey Show powered by
Victory Chevy Charlotte, where just nineteen dollars down could put
you in a brand new Chevrolet. Today, the middle hour
of a three hour Schmorga's ford on Sports Trent nine
(00:23):
seven wfn Z, Willie P and for KB as we
roll through this Christmas Eve edition of the program.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
By the way, I did not mean to sound like
I was above anybody by saying I'm sitting with the people. Yes,
Willie P will have his pinky in the air, but
his wife will very very nice. Will I will be
sitting with the people, not the press box dwellers. Is
that better? I'll I'll get on. I'll get on my
(00:52):
friends in the media today. I'm not gonna be with
the press box brows. I will be with the fans
for the game on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
As I like to do.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I tried to want. I want to do it at
least once a year. I haven't done it in the
last couple of years because usually the time when I
would do it would be later on in the season,
and I've had different things getting in the way of
doing so. So, uh, my wife was like, when will
you go back to a game. Uh so she said,
h I said, how about the Seattle game. She's like, yeah,
(01:20):
let's do that.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
When was the last time you went into the stands
with your wife at a Panthers game? Was the twenty
It was the twenty twenty two, the Christmas Eve game Detroit.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
That is right. I forgot you were because you were
doing a post game.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
See that was kind of weird because you were doing
a postgame, but yet you were in there as a fan.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Mhm.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
And I still will do the same thing this week
as well. We'll just make sure Mac doesn't get in. Well,
so if you remember what happened there, For some reason,
we had to close a doghouse. I think it's because
it just Christmas, because it was Christmas Eve. No one really,
no one was going to come to the doghouse on
Christmas Eve after the game, which was I think pretty
especially how cold it was, like people were people were
(02:01):
trying to get out of there. It was one of
the coolest games in Bank of America history. It's not
the coldest. Oh, I remember I was there. I remember
freezing my butt off and.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I was in the studio.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Best clutch, Best clutch, purchase we made. We both bought
the UH, the Lvin UH Carolina Panthers beanies, the greg
Olsen beanies.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
The Panther a.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Warm enough, warm enough, fantastic piece of equipment, by the way.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
But no, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Why it's been I don't know why it's seconds so
long to get back in there as a fan.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I think we want we wanted to go.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I think she went to the preseason game last year
or two years ago with my folks UH, and I
wanted to get to one last year.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
But again, just got to the point where we were
at the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I thought we were we were gonna go to the
Arizona game last year and just for whatever reason, it
didn't didn't work. So that would have been a good
one to go to else and walk off Cuba. It's
been a while for me, ten years. It's all a
playoff game against Seattle. Grip Goes stop by the Commoners
in two twenty eight, WILLI we can get roudy Hornets
(03:11):
wrong Goes. It was the coldest I was chilling in
the suite level. See now that's pinky up territory, that's
pinky up tears. I promise you we will not be
in the suites. We are We're somewhere. We're we're somewhere
either in the one, one or two hundreds. I can't
I don't know exactly where, but we'll be somewhere somewhere
around there. I I just said, hey, just you know,
(03:33):
I gave her a limit and said, just go go
get it five hundreds.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Where's that for me? Oh? I know you did the
CD overhead. That's true.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
It's the best for you to watch the game. It's
it is, it is. It is a fun fun view.
Climbing up those stairs is a little bit. But or
climbing up the ramp, I should say, but climbing down
that ramp. I love walking down the ramp after a victory.
That's the best role. That's the best walk. It's natural, yes,
best considering going down is easier than going up. No,
(04:02):
but I'm just I'm just talking about when you when
you have that after a victory, like that's the best walk.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Oh yeah, that's the best walk in sports.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Uh, weather Man Marco's I'm glad we won, but uh,
you will get to watch the soft coverage again this week.
I doubt you will continue to give ever all a
pass by friend. I'm not giving him a pass.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
They won.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I'm not angry. Who I have become the post of
Chian for not giving EJ a pass. Apparently you're known
as one of the biggest haters, but you're not a
hater enough. Apparently you're soft as a hater. The softest
is soft coverage. You walked into that one. Yeah, sorry,
you walked into that one. Man, I'm sorry, my bad.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
This this, this is proof.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
That even I can't I can't overlook low hanging fruit
when it when it's dangling right there in front of
my Facey.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Guy goes, will he pee?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
The station might need to set up a watch party
for potential Week eighteen Tampa game.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Be fun.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
That'd be a fun little deal. I don't know about that.
Are you just say.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
You're saying events of that nature could potentially lead to
certain doom.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes, let's wait till the playoffs. Hopefully well playoffs.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
If we're in the playoffs, we get a home playoff game,
so we don't need to watch party. Our watch party
is at eight hundred minut Street.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
That's true. It's time for the best audio in sports.
What did you say?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
You?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
What?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
What did you say? Hold up, wait.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
A minute, send me right.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
What I mean by that is gas house, Chips goes
the five hundred little does have escalators now, But I
also see a lot of times that they they usher
you away from the escalators because make you want to
walk down the ramp. So this is sometimes sometimes the
escalator is is the path of least resistance, but other
times they'll say, hey, you know, we want you to
walk down the ramp as well too. All right, well,
(05:59):
we start out to Carolina Panthers and we talk about
one of the biggest things that happened today, which is
the fact that Derek Brown's not going to be in
a Pro Bowl, which has made a lot of people mad.
Despite being third in fan voting, he did not get
derequisite votes needed by the players and coaches now and
Dave Canals was asked about that during his press conference
about an hour ago.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
Yeah, I mean, you know, the recognition and all that happens,
you know, however they come up with those votes and
how they recognize guys. What I saw from Derek this
year is dominant football play, a guy that stands for
everything we believe in, and a guy that's disruptive. You know,
in every way, shape and form, and you know, coming
up with sacks this year, and certainly just against the
run game and the way he's played, he definitely is recognized,
(06:39):
regardless of what the accolades might be, by his teammates
and by his peers, the people that he plays against.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
What even is the Pro Bowl if it doesn't include
a category for a dude who literally throws their own
offensive line of like a ragdoll.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
And this is coming from.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Somebody, And I was in you know, I was like
the violin player on the Titanic. When it came to
the Pro Bowl, I went down with the ship. I
was probably the last person in America who wanted to
see that actual game be played, even though it got
to the point where it was a mockery of its
(07:17):
own self and failed to resemble an actual football game
by the end of it, I still think that it
means something to be recognized by your peers and by
the fans outside of the end of year all pro
voting and stuff like that. This is an absolute travesty.
(07:37):
If Derek Brown's accolades cannot be acknowledged by and again
it was acknowledged by the fans, give them credit. But
if it cannot be acknowledged by the coaches, is other
pros and the media, then just do away with the
whole exercise altogether, because that's a disgrace. Hopefully that's not
(07:58):
too performative for people who think that I'm being performed,
but it's absolutely true. Well, people are thinking you're going
to be performative. Maybe this would be the clip that
gets you to be performative. Oh no. Yesterday, Todd Bowles
was speaking to the media in Tampa as a debrief
of the loss to Carolina and a lot of people,
including yourself who texted me of some explicitive words. He
(08:22):
reacted to the questions being asked of why did you
run the ball so much? That was a very conservative
game plan, especially considering you got all your receivers back.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
And here was his reasoning as to why we have
to get it.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
We wanted to. It was a formula for us that
worked last year. Last year we have forty one and
thirty eight rushes against them. When you win the game,
it's different when you lose the game. We were right there.
We did everything we wanted to do. We controlled every
category except for the turnover battle at the end. And
we lost the ball game. So we tried to get
the ball to our stars, but at the same time
we try to establish a run game and make it
(08:56):
balanced as well.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Is it difficult when of your first downs are running plays?
If you're defensive coordinators that he's a games an.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
Agass depends on what's working. You know, if they're running
the ball and is successful, and then you keep at it.
If it's not successful, then it's going to be difficult
for you.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
You seem per cent in general what you ran or
pass in generally a lot.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
I think you're twenty six first.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Down plays and only one of them six yards?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Was that to trying to shorten the game or what
do you think was the design?
Speaker 6 (09:26):
We're always trying to get first downs. Obviously some of
the things they did kind of stymy some of the
things we did, whether it was run or passed, But
at the same time we got to move the ball
more efficiently on first down.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
The part of that is still most glaring is referencing
last year, like, man, have you not see like last
year they were objectly awful. They were thirty second in
the league against the run. This year closer to the
middle posing rush yards per game. They're at one hundred,
(10:00):
one hundred and nineteen per contest, which is nineteenth in
the league. Not terrible, not awful, not exemplary, but it's
not terrible. The fact that they thought they were gonna
come in here and dominate with a thirty plus carry
game shows to me maybe that Todd Bowles has somewhat
(10:21):
lost the plot here, and it also could be I
think what he's trying to do here, smoke, I'm gonna
this is me be giving Todd Bowles benefit of doubt.
He's trying to throw a little mister xsh out there
on Baker Mayfield. He's trying to get people away from
asking about Baker Mayfield and at his shoulder and his
ability to move around the pocket, because it looks incredibly
(10:44):
and inherently obvious to me or anybody who watched that
game on Sunday that that man ain't right. And it
was funny before the game they said, oh, they think
he's made a lot of progress on his shoulder and
he feels better, bull Corn. And then I saw the
game plan. I'm like, no, no, no, that doesn't look
like that at all.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
No.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Only one pass that was really deep and it was
a good play to Mecha Buca, but outside of that,
it just felt like they were keeping it very close
and then they weren't even going intermediate.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
It felt like they were.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Just trying to keep it ten yards And I think
part of that might also be the defense Carolina played,
but still it didn't really feel like they were giving
Baker free reign, especially now that you have all these
weapons back.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Not to mention the fact that.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Who's playing in this game that didn't play in either
of the two Tampa Bay games last year, Derek Brown,
I'd be Derrick Brown.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I think he makes up for a lot of the
ills that were missing and prevalent as a part of
the defense a year ago. Well, speaking of a quarterback
in the NFL, this quarterback had free reign to do
whatever last night and Monday Night football and it didn't
result in a win. But man Old man Rivers has
(11:54):
still got a little bit of grease in that arm
of his as he kept the Colts in it until
late when he threw a pick six. And it's got
a lot of people talking the fact that Philip has
it looked awful in this process. What does this say
about his return and Kyle Brandt of NFL networking Good
Morning Football, thanks to this could help him in the
long run.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
My take on Rivers again is, I think a few
weeks ago, I think he was really a borderline Hall
of Famer. I personally would not have voted for him,
and we don't need a debate that right now. I
think over the last two weeks he has become a
Hall of Famer, and you think that's ridiculous and it
shouldn't matter two games. I think in the minds of voters,
anybody who was on the fence is now saying, I'm
voting for Philip Rivers for the Hall of Fame because
he has the one game. He comes out fine, he
(12:37):
throw the ball around a little bit. The fact that
he played the way he did in this is chucking
touchdowns and it was the sequel.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Was even better than the original. And I'm just so impressed.
Speaker 8 (12:45):
And I think when we look back on this, there's
gonna be this weird night with Philip Rivers in this
weird helmet and weird uniforms. I don't know if you're
going to remember that he lost both those games and
that he threw a pick six at the end.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
It was just fantastic. It's been a fun story watch.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I know my wife, who again, I think if you
asked her, in her heart of hearts, she still loves
the Panthers more. She will still cosplay is a little
bit of a Colts fan, So she was watching that
last night and at least tickle to death that Philip
is still doing that. But at the same point in time,
(13:22):
will it change people's minds in terms of his Hall
of Fame vote, I.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Don't think so.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I already thought he was in the Hall of Fame. Yeah,
I think I think the die is cast one way
or the other. If you feel if you don't think
he's part of a Hall of Fame, I don't think
these two weeks necessarily change your mind. I think, let
me put it this way, if he led them into
the playoffs, which again the still tally well, the odds
(13:49):
are incredibly on. They're like three percent right now, they're
two out and they need some help, then again, he
was a part of that two thousand and eight Chargers
team that somehow got in. If he led them into
the playoffs, that could potentially take somebody who's out and
put him in. But I don't know if it's changed.
I mean, it's a great story. I'm not denying that
it's not a great story, but I don't think it's
that seismic from a point where it's taking a guy
(14:11):
who was soldly out of the Hall of Fame and
putting him in the Hall of Fame. I don't think
that's not well. We end with a guy who is
a no doubt Hall of Famer in his sport. The
difference is he was in college football a hall of
famer that is Nick Saban. People have been wondering, is
Nick Saban going to return to coaching his name got
thrown up in a couple of jobs.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
It's not gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But I will say he seems to be enjoying his
new sports and his new role as part owner of
the Nashville Predators. And apparently it's an endeavor that Miss
Terry is a big fan of as well, as he
revealed yesterday.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
And you know, to be honest, Miss Terry has never
asked me like who won a game? Last night, I
was looking at scores and she asked me who won
the Pretors game? So this runs deep in our house.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Now, she's not asking who what because most, she's at
most she was at most of his games. No, yes,
she doesn't have to ask him who won the Alabama game.
But it seems like she's a lot more occupied with
the hockey, because, let's face it, I'm a casual hockey fan.
But when we get to March in April, oh, sure
(15:25):
you're getting to watching Hurricanes hockey.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's like it's tantalizing.
Speaker 6 (15:28):
Man.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And I'll watch a lot of the Stanley Cup playoffs
in general, watch a little bit of West Coast hockey
with the Edmonton Oilers going against Calgary or Winnipeg or
the LA Kings. This is my prime time when I
usually will We'll dip back into hockey a little bit.
I'll dip into like December January, right before the MLS
(15:49):
season starts, and then I'll leave it alone until the
until the playoffs. So like this, this is my prime
hockey viewing. It also doesn't help that you're an Islanders fan.
They actually played all right this year. They've they they
started out, they started out really badly, and then they
they've really come on lately.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
They're actually second in the metro.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I think, let's go say Carolina had a rough week
last week, but they've been doing pretty good over the
last month. So, by the way, all your hockey requests
can be talked to between ten to twelve am ten
am to twelve pm with strappy owned Charlotte Sports Today.
Still think it's a it's a massive under like we
need him to have a hockey podcast period stop. And
(16:29):
plus you can always go watch the Charlotte Checkers exactly
owned by one J. J.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Jansen. There you go. They've been pretty good too over
the years.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Seven O four five, seven h nine six ten, Willie
here with you, We'll come back. Carlon Gaye will talk
hoops with US Hornets and NBA at Large Sports Radio
ninety two seven wfn Z.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Portra wn Z.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Darren goes, sorry, guys, I don't want to hear anything
about Baker mayfield shoulder. He was on TV a couple
of weeks ago flexing his shoulder doing a good pass.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
He was good to go.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
What about Bright Shawn playing on a terrible ankle who
did not refuse to come out of a game with
the high ankle sprain. That is toughness. So that's uh,
that's interesting Uh stuff to say. Uh A guy who
says catchup sucks with the people Charloto of see get
Antoine Greetzman. Uh. I, I don't know if it makes
(17:36):
a lot of I mean, I think it makes sense
the move, but I just don't know. I've not heard
a lot of the smoke. Aside from that one report,
I haven't really heard anything corroborated on that. I'm not
going to be trying to be the guy who's a
wet blanket guy on that, but I'm kind of calling
question into the feasibility of that.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
I do know they're working on something.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
They're trying to get stuff into all of the trying
to get the replay from Milanda et cetera and so
on and make that happen. But I don't know if
he's the one who's necessarily on their radar. What's on
the radar for the Hornets tonight is a game against
the Washington Wizards, and we'll talk a little bit of
Hornets and some NBA wide ranging stuff with our good
friend Carlin Gay, who joins this Sporting News NBA writer.
(18:18):
He joins us on Sports Ready on ninety two seven WFNZ. Carlin,
what's going on, pal?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
How are you Willie Pe?
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Not much? How you been.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I'm good, dude, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I know that we ran into each other at a
Hornet game not to recently, and reminded me how long
it had been since we've done this on the air.
So I appreciate you bullying me back into maybe having
you part of the regular rotation.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It was not done misintentionally.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
It's just you know, fasketball season was a long time ago,
at least last time we talked. But I guess my
first one to you is just kind of from a
thirty thousand foot view, you have to see this group,
you know, a couple of different opportunities here over the
last couple of weeks, obviously National TV last night, and
obviously some bigger opponents here recently. What's your thirty thousand
foot view one on with the Hornets are right now?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
The first thing is first, you know, you always wonder
what this team could be like when they're fully healthy,
and we saw a glimpse of that last night. Right Like,
you have your three best players in the lineup in
LaMelo ball in Brandon Miller and then now Konker Nipple.
He is that third piece and that third guy, and
I think that it's a drastick that most people around
the NBA say, the Hornet's absolutely hit on. He's going
(19:22):
to be a guy that's going to be around FO
for many, many years. So you always wonder when those
three guys are in the lineup, what this team could be,
what is the ceiling? And for me, they're absolutely a
team that should be a playoff team. I'm not talking
about the play in I'm talking about one of the
top six teams in the Eastern Conference. The problem is
is they haven't had enough time to build chemistry together
because one or both or two are out of the lineup.
(19:46):
And you know, that's really been the problem for this
season so far. A lot of start stops. But if
they can get some health, they're gonna get some consistency.
I think this Hornets team could make a run here
on the back end of the year.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's a very encouraging thing when you know high how
much does say like that Atlanta game last week? You
know that that game when when LaMelo came back, Trey
Young came back, they put up I think something like
one hundred and forty points or whatever it was. They
shot the ball incredibly well. They were up and down
because I mean one of the things they kept saying
on the broadcast last night is that they're down in pace. Well,
part of the reason they're down in pace is because
(20:19):
LaMelo has been hurt. And when LaMelo was in they
definitely play a lot faster. They played on as fast
than Atlanta games. They did it er James Morego and
I think those were kind of the years where you
looked at the Hornets and said, that was some of
the best years of LaMelo. How much can it look
like that on a night in night out basis, Well,
it can look.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Like that on a night on nine of the basis
if you have that consistency and you can build that
chemistry with that starting lineup. And I know I said
those three players are probably your best three players. Let's
not forget about Miles Bridges and what he's been doing
really the last two seasons, amongst all the injuries that
the Hornets have had, he's probably been the most consistent
player over the last fighters or maybe even since Kemba
Walker left the franchise, Like he has been that that
(20:59):
guy when he's in the you know what you're gonna
get out of him. So just how they kind of
having that and building those pieces around and making sure
that you know your best players are actually playing good
minutes and being able to be used. That allows for
some of those secondary players to step in. Last night,
I thought, you know, a guy like Josh Green, who
you know was signed here to be one of those
defensive stoppers. He has a role in him. You haven't
(21:21):
really seen much of him because he's been hurt, and
you know, I think most Horns fans are kind of
being are starting to get frustrated with, you know, the
build or or the lack of really rebuild because of
these injuries. So you really don't know what you have.
But you know, I'm going to preach patience because I
do think that there's enough talent on this team, especially
(21:42):
with the way the Eastern Conference is shaking out right now,
will be like there was not a dominant team in
the East, and one trade here or there could really
shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. The
biggest piece out there, of course, is Johnest outside of Kompo.
Whatever happens with him, that will kind of change the
landscape of the Eastern Conference. But Detroit is not far
off from Charlotte. If Charlotte could stay healthy, right like
(22:03):
That's what Detroit had. They had the ability to be
healthy against the playoffs, learn as a unit, and now
you see them kind of rolling. And the same with
the Knicks, right like they have a solid start and
five you go deep into that bench. It's not much
more impressive than what the Hornets do have on paper.
So give me some consistency, give me some health, and
I think the Hornets could kind of slowly turn it
around and becoming that playoff team that everyone expects.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And the only thing about the next is that it
seems like the Hornets have kind of rento a buzz
saw every time they find them up against them had
to head because of what they can bring with the
front line with Robinson and Towns, they just don't really
have the beef to kind of stand up to it.
But one thing they do have, as you mentioned, is
Kanka Nipple, who him the fastest to hit one hundred
and three pointers last night in the in the loss
(22:45):
to the Cavaliers, twelve games faster than Lowry Marketing. Are
you getting the sense that this guy's no longer a
secret around the league?
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Absolutely, he is not a secret. And actually the game
that we ran into each other, that was the top
by a conversation. Almost every chat I had was how
good kN Kinipple has been this season? And I think
coming into the season, I think a lot of people
would have said, you know what, here's a guy that
is just a flat out winner. I think you're starting
to learn a little bit more about him. You can
put him in different scenarios and he's going to be
(23:14):
able to produce. You know, he's been able to stretch
your floward seeing that with the way that he's shooting
the three. Yeah, getting to one hundred threes fast is
cool and all will he be but what about the efficiency?
He's shooting forty one percent from three point range and
the Hornets haven't really had someone that's been able to
knock down the three at that type of efficiency in
a very long time. So it's not just the volume.
(23:35):
It is the efficiency that just changes everything offensively for
this team. Defensively, I think people had questions with kN
coming into the season, right like, I think, you know,
you leave Duke and you say, all right, you know
air Konkanekle, He's going to be guarding a lot of wings.
This is a wing heavy league. Can he keep up?
I think he's held his own and I think those
same questions were you know, asked about him last season
(23:56):
at Duke, right like, people ask can he defend, you know,
at a highlight level at the college level, and he
proved that he can do that. So you know, when
you when you kind of move that away, those negatives away,
and you just look at what he's been, say, you know,
twenty nine games into the season. This is a guy
that I think the Hornets found in the draft. They fell,
they fell right to them, They drafted the correct way.
(24:17):
They got someone that they could kind of now have
plopped in their starting lineup to be you know, tendon
not penciled in, and now you can kind of work
around that. And the other thing about it, he hasn't
missed any games, right like, He's been relatively healthy for
the entire run here, and that is a big, big
difference between everybody else around them, not named Miles.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Bridges both smoke logally and I both knocked on the
wood of the table that are in front of us.
So we very much appreciate you saying that. Carolyn joining
us here as we talk Hornets, Hornets and Wizards tonight.
Carlin of course joining us from Sporting News the other
Hornet rookies. Look, I think the Hornet's kind of telegraphed
their plan a little bit when they gave all four
(24:57):
of those dudes full contracts.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
No two ways.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
I know that Liam McNeely has rowed the Greensboro shot
a little bit, but how surprised are you that we're
seeing high rotation minutes for both sea On James and
Ryan Colkbrenner and a little bit more from now Liam
McNeely as well.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Coke Brenner I think is the one that surprises me
the most coming out of college. You know, I think,
you know, playing in the league that he played in,
he didn't see as many athletes that you would see
in the NBA. But honestly, it will be I think
he's he's played fantastic, you know, just to start the season,
and you know, barring the de slight times that he's
missed some games here and there, he's really been a
guy that you could put out there for twenty twenty
(25:33):
five minutes and he's not going to file out of
the game, and that that's something that you would you
would worry about with a guy that you look at,
you know, seven to two whatever, he is and maybe
slow prodding, but he's been able to eat up that
space and he's only going to get better. He's just
averaging under two blocks a game right now. I think
he's going to get He's going to get up to
that two and a half mark. But it's also the
shots and the decisions that he's going to make. You know,
(25:54):
Opposing teams change when they get to the paint or
change at the rim, and that's going to help the
rest the defense around him. So, you know, Cole Brenner,
I think if you know, again, if he can slowly
figure out what his role is offensively, you know, I
know many people made this comparison the Brook Lopez. When
brook Lopez came into the league, he was a back
to the basket player. The league was also completely different
(26:15):
and invited those back to the basket player, so he's
allowed to do that. Then he turned into sort of
a stretch three. I think if Cole Prenner could hurry
up and get to that point and turned into that
stretch three a little bit. Hasn't really shot the three
pretty much at all. We're not gonna expect them the
shu Kan Kneppal rage, But like just kind of make
the defenses kind of think about him out there a
little bit. Once he gets comfortable from three point range,
(26:35):
I think that changes the offense for him. But right now,
I love the defensive effort from con b Renner, and
if he can stay out of foul trouble, which he
had so far, I think that makes the Hornets at
least have a building block that they can continue to
add pieces on top of it and become a much
better defensive team.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
National NBA rider Carl and Gay joining us here as
we talk Hornets on Sports Ready on ninety two to
seven WFNZ. How does the deadline look for the hole?
I think when you think about some of these guys
who are on this roster. Colin Sexton was mentioned by
a couple people here, I know that there could be
some other people.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Who might be on the move.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
I didn't think, you know, t John Salon's emergence might
make some other parts of this roster more expendable because
it just seems like he looks like so much better
of a player in year number two, and there's probably
a desire to see that continue to develop. Where do
you think, you know, buy or sell is kind of
such a rudimentary way of putting it, But like, what
(27:31):
do you think the deadline looks like for Charlotte.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
I would be sellers if I was the Hornets in
terms of the deadline. And you know when I say sellers,
you're not looking at, you know, kind of just breaking
this team apart so much. You're really kind of, you know,
putting some pieces out there. Like you mentioned the column sections,
they do have a lot of wings and young wings
out there that they could kind of dangle in front
of teams and see what you could get back. And
you know, on the back end of the draft, you're
(27:54):
probably not going to get any first round picks, but
second round picks are now valuable, you know, with the
cat the way that it is, and those second round
picks could also turn into bigger trades. We've seen some
of these massive trades over the last couple of years
involved a lot of second rounders, and the Hornets could
stockpile those. That would be a good situation. Now, I
will say this, I don't expect the Hornets to be
big players in the draft or sorry, in the in
(28:17):
the this coming trade deadline. I think, you know, again,
you have to see what this team is as you're
fully healthy, and then you figure out, well, the big
question is at the end of the years, you know
whether or not this is a LaMelo ball team going
forward or not. Right Like, that's the big, big question
that you really have to figure out. But you can't
answer that question until he plays a little bit more
(28:38):
with this unit and then Oh, by the way, I
think a lot of people are gonna be afraid to
pull the trigger on a trade around this deadline because
I think the draft is so good coming into this.
You know that the draft class is so good. I
think in the top ten players, if you end up
anywhere from one to ten, you're not going to complain
about who you're gonna be able to get to select
out of this year's college draft class. I really do
(28:59):
believe that. And even beyond that, some of the older
college players that are just going to be there, that
are ready and willing and able to just win coming
out of this year's class is going to be special.
So you know, the deadline for me is not going
to be as crazy as the years past. I think
a lot of teams are going to be a little
bit skittish about giving up draft picks. Et cetera, and
just kind of ride the forest up to see what
(29:20):
you get in the draft. And then once the draft
happens and we see the lottery and how things shake out,
I think that's when you'll get the normal, you know,
chaos that you have around trade deadline and the trade season.
But I hate to break it to the most NBA
fans who look forward and kind of probably take the
day off on that on that last Thursday before before
All Star weekend. Don't do it this year. You save
yourself some time, go to work, and use that PTO
(29:41):
later on in the summer.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I'm gonna ask it only because you brought his name up.
But the Lamello ball conundrum, where do you sit in
the vast range of opinions that could be brought on
where he sits in this Hornet's development crew, whether or
not he needs to stay, whether or not they needs
to Oh, I know that you've said earlier in our
conversation that they owe it to the fan base, they
(30:04):
owe it to the organization to see how this plays out.
From a length standpoint and a and an injury run standpoint,
where do you ultimately find you find yourself simming, I think.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
I think if I give you a percentage, Pie, I'm
going to give you seventy percent stay thirty go. And
the reason why I'm so bush on the seventy percent
stay is, you know, this is a year six for
a guy who's not even twenty five years old yet
and you know, really hasn't scratched the surface of what
he can be in the NBA. And you see it
last night like this team is his team, right, Like
this is his team no matter what you say about
(30:37):
you know, development, move Cohn and Brandon Miller and even
Miles Bridges. The team goes the way that LaMelo ball goes.
And you know, with what you don't find guys like
that on trees, Like they don't grow on trees. You
just have to be lucky to be able to draft
guys like that, and the Hornets were able to be
able to lucky enough to draft him. Now you can
find a regiment that could keep him healthy, build around
(30:58):
him and see what you have. I think the next
step is, like I said, is the playoffs and being
a top six team in the Eastern Conference. And I
think Memolo ball is good enough to get you there.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Carlin Gay Sporting News also NBA International. Always love you
our conversations together. Hopefully I get to see over at
the Rain a little bit more. I know the curries
are in town on Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
I'm missing tonight. I'll tell you that the Winzars aren't
going to get me out tonight. I'm missing tonight.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
But yes, before the end of the year, I will
be there, all right, Pal, appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Happy holiday.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That is Carlin Gay joining us here on sports radio
wfn Z. Part of the reason I love him is
that he is a Charlotte based NBA writer, So it's,
you know, one of those things where it's it's easy
to get his perspective on what's going on with our
local team. I was gonna say he's one of a
couple of Carlin Gay's one, but you know, I think
(31:47):
Tom Hide the Habistro. Yeah, and he does some work
like he just like some he has some random gig
with the Blazers of some sort. Really, yeah, he's like
one of he like does some stuff on there on
their TV broadcast with like analytics like I don't know
if he's still doing that or not.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
When I was thinking to Kay, is Duncan too, Those
are like the three guys. Great, So like those three guys.
If you want to look at guys that are national
but also local, those are three guys I recommend you
follow very much.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
So it's time for smoking the headlines.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Alrighty, we didn't get to talk about this yesterday, and
I'm sad I didn't because Kyle would very much hate this.
But you're also a very good substitute and if not
a better person to ask about this since you lived
in the area. Yesterday, it was announced that the Chiefs
have entered into an agreement with the state of Kansas
to host Chiefs football games beginning with the twenty thirty
(32:39):
one NFL season. They've been playing at Arrowhead Stadium since
the late sixties, early seventies, I believe nineteen seventy two exactly.
It's one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL. I
think the only stadium that's older is lambeau Field and
Soldier Field, and both those places have undergone significant renovations exactly.
But now it's the has Arrowhead for that matter, has
(33:00):
Arrowhead or Geha Field, which no one calls. But it's
led to a lot of a stir because they've been
playing games in Missouri in that same complex for over
fifty years, and now after being declined to a new
stadium in Missouri, they're now going across state line. So Willie,
can you kind of give us some more of a
breakdown so we can understand it since you lived there
(33:21):
for a while. So basically Kansas City, Missouri on the
one side of the line is different than Kansas City, Kansas.
Kansas City, Missouri a lot more cosmopolitan KCK, not exactly as.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
How do I put this nicely enriched? Yes, that's very
very nice.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
There are parts of the Kansas side of there that
are enriched, like where they're picking a building, which is
the Legend's Park, which is where Kansas Speedway is sporting.
Kansas City has their facility out there. There's also a
minor league ballpark, there's a casino. So in that area
it's going to be part of a already larger development.
Kansas is giving him a lot of star bonds one
(34:03):
point eight billion dollars, I think over the course of
that agreement that again I know it's the largest by
the way percentage. I think it's the largest percentage and
volume subsidy of a public stadium in the history of
them having done this. So basically, the mayor of Kansas City,
Quin Lucas, basically said, yeah, we we're in no position
(34:25):
financially as the city to compete with that, and it's
it's it's tough for those who want to be a
part of it. Again, from an infrastructure standpoint, it's a
very easy stateium to get to the thing you're gonna miss.
You're gonna miss the tail getting that the tailgating. As
for an NFL game, I think the only place that
can stand up to it is Green Bay because Gearing
Bay literally is in a neighborhood. Yeah, but absent that,
(34:48):
it's the best tailgating NFL stadium.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
It is like a college stadium in the National Football League.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Having been there to Kansas City Chiefs games, it's one
of the loudest NFL buildings I've ever been in it,
if not the loudest. One of the most historic NFL
buildings too, and that was even before to Mahomes era.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Exactly as I say I was.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
I was there pre Mahomes too, So it's just not like,
you know, I'm sitting here and saying that it's great
because of mahomestcetera, and so on. That's also a fan
base that they have a lot of, you know, a
lot of sympathy towards they were in a lot of
bad years before the Mahomes years, Lynn Elliott, et cetera,
and so on. It's a tough tough thing, I think
for people. And of course I don't need to tell
you about the Missouri and Kansas thing. There are a
(35:26):
lot of people who will not go across the border
to Kansas, even though again it's only about a half
hour from where their old stadium is, just because of
the symbolic nature of that rivalry.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Between them for two hundred years almost So from.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
That perspective, it'll it'll definitely cost some hurt feelings, but
I also don't think that they're going to have a
hurting to get people in that inside that building, especially
if they get back to what they had been before
this year. We'll take a time out, we'll come back,
and a couple of different things in the NBA front
two as well we have to get into, including uh
who was available tonight, and also something from Shamsherania that
(35:59):
could develop be some preventive measures for tanking sport's ready
on ninety seven offense.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
The city get on your feet, Hello, good protection turns
for the year zone.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Can you come to the buck He's gonna go coming
down the sign by side the lock.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Can't back to rush running into the area. It'll pass
towards Pepe.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
Operates from pet.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
It is time to tell you who balled out Curtisy,
the biggest baller of them all.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Thomas L.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Rod of High Performance real Estate find it online a
high performance real estate dot com. That's high Performance real
estate dot com and he will see you at the
closing table. Well, I got to go with kan Ka
nipple here Willy twenty points last night, But that's not
the real story. He has already crossed the one hundred
three point mark and we're not even halfway through this season.
He has attempted two hundred and fifty one to three pointers,
(37:13):
made one hundred and four. For those wondering, that is
forty one point four percent from behind the arc. That
is elite, and he's a rookie. And the fact is, Willie,
it's not too far of a stretch to say that
fifty forty ninety could be a part of the late
season discussion if he can ramp it up a little bit.
It's forty seven point four from the field. But still,
(37:34):
the fact that we're talking about a rookie even getting
close to that discussion is absolutely incredible. Something long ago
and I talked about on the Hornets ivecast couple of
nights back, is that it's It's one thing to be
talking about that kind of a season from a veteran,
but the fact that we're talking about at somebody who
was one year moved from college, two years moved from
high school, like this guy should be in the All
(37:56):
Star Game. One should be in the All Star Game.
Nearly twenty points for game like period stop. He should
be in the All Star Game, like like Derek Brown.
Not being in the Pro Bowl is one thing. If
Konk Nipple is not in the All Star Game and
he continues, if he's if he continues this pace, if
he continues the pace that he's on and he's not
in the All Star Game, it to be a travesty,
(38:17):
I'm gonna say. Zion Williamson balled out twenty four points.
He has been moved by the way to the bench
as kind of a strategic move by former Hornets head
coach and current New Orleans interim med coach James Barrego.
Speaker 6 (38:30):
Fight.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
Barrego's a won five in a row one nineteen one thirteen.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
They beat the MAVs last night, and that's helping Charlotte
because it's screwing over Atlanta and their lottery odds since
Joe Dumars was an idiot and gave up an unprotected
pick for Derek Queen, even though Derek Queen's actually really,
really good.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
What did you think about this? As we kind of
re rehashed some of the stuff on CROWB.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We don't have really a lot of time to get
into something land shakingly new, but the notion that while
the Hornets should be sellers, this also is a team
that can still be amongst the top six when it's
all said and done. It's not necessarily an insurmountable point
(39:14):
of the season where the Hornets can't get themselves back
into the mix, mostly because they are only eight losses
behind third place, which I know sounds I know I'm
not trying to sound, you know, like like Sunshine Sammy here,
but it's mostly a comment of outside of the Pistons
and Knicks, no one's.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
A world beater in the East right now is the point.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, and this is kind of what we were expecting
from the East this year with all the injuries that
have been sustained and just the teams that have been
decimated due to free agency, prime example being the Indiana
Pacers losing Miles Turner and the achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton,
and then doesn't help that they have injuries on top
of injuries.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
It's interesting.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
It's one of those things where for the next three
to four weeks mm hmm, I don't mind them not
doing anything and just let letting things play out because
the trade deadline isn't until Valentine's Day. U no, a
little bit earlier, I believe the fifth of February. But yeah,
early February around Valentine's Day. And look, we're saying, and
(40:18):
we've seen over the last two to three weeks this month,
they actually haven't been horrendous. They've been playing near five
hundred basketball. I understand that early run hurts the way
the record looks right right exactly, and the injuries really
came into play, and now you just basically what you're
hoping is that the whole the guys that you really
want to see don't get hurt again. You hope Brandon
(40:38):
Miller plays throughout the next month with no problems. You
hope LaMelo Ball plays with no problems. Same thing for
Konkain Nipple and Miles Bridges and all that stuff. You
essentially just want to play injury free basketball for the
next month, just to see what you get. See if
the team gets you know, gets a little bit more acclimated,
and if they get better or not. I still think that,
especially in this day and age, as you know we
(41:00):
were talking about earlier, it's gonna be harder to make
bigger deals at the trade deadline and you're gonna have
to wait till the offseason. But I also think, you know,
it'll give us a good idea if they stay healthy
for the next month, what the future might be. There's
this thing that came out today from Sham Sharani. A
NBA Board of Governor's meeting took place earlier this I
should say, last Friday, and apparently there have been a
(41:25):
bunch of ideas to try to combat tanking. According to
the report from Chams, he says one of the things
is limiting pick protection to either the top four or
fourteen and higher, which will liminate problematic mid lottery protections. Again,
that's more of an NBA I think that don't make sense.
It would make sense, But these other two are more
(41:47):
I think harder to enforce. No longer allowing a team
to draft in the top four two years in a row,
and then locking lottery positions after March the first Well,
the problem with that is you basically admitted that the
NBA regular sation is meetingless after that point. And then
if the lottery positions are already locked, I mean that
just insyndiitizes them do to say do it more? Yeah,
(42:07):
that doesn't fix anything, if anything, that makes it worse. Yeah,
it's I saw this from from nota Edwards who said
that the only way you're going to abolish these type
of things is if you abolish the draft outright. Yeah, yeah, probably,
And I don't I don't think I mean that's happening. Yeah,
I mean, that's the only way it's going to get fixed.
But then you know when you create uh, basically a
(42:29):
signing period for the rookies, like, what's the cap for that?
Speaker 3 (42:33):
How's that different from the actual cap? And then you
run into some new problems.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
But it creates that that that sends teams into permanent purgatory.
As far as I'm concerned, you go, you allow no
room or way for a team to end up getting
himself back up. We can get into, we can get
into how you know arbitrary the nm NBA, and NFL
drafts are because there are people who are there are
people who are out there who feel like drafts are
bad inherently, and it's like, well, they're put in place
(42:58):
in order to help these teams rise, and unfortunately there
are teams who know how to do it and the
teams who haven't necessarily done it correctly. And I feel
like that the NBA and look at Detroit, look at
Oklahoma City. I mean, these are teams that have done
it right. And I just feel like American sports in
general are so ingrained in this draft philosophy that it's
going to take generations, if one or two generations, to
(43:19):
fully get out.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Of that draft to go to a non draft.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
It was it was something you know, my old partner,
Jessica Drahman, when we used to talk about this, Uh,
you used to say, this is wild to me that
that that you can just go and play anywhere, and
you don't get to you can you don't get to
choose where you play.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
It was you know, yeah, because it's not like that
and freedom movement.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
When it comes to players and you're in like European
and World Sport, you get to usually determine where you
want to play in any phase. You get to do it,
do that basically on your own merit, whereas in America
it's it's a much different Uh, that's much different scenario.
But back to the original point. I think, uh that
the the pick limits are for the pick protections, I
(43:59):
think is a good idea. Don't know about the other
or two, but and for the Hornets, just play for
the next month, just see what happens. Michael from Charlotte
says I was expected to hear more Panthers. Guess what
We've got all Panthers the last hour of the program,
and that starts next with the check in on our
next opponent. Hawk blogger Brian Nemhauser will join us coming
(44:21):
up next Sports for ninety Just seven WFZ
You were listening to The Kyle Bailey Show powered by
Victory Chevy Charlotte, where just nineteen dollars down could put
you in a brand new Chevrolet. Today, the middle hour
of a three hour Schmorga's ford on Sports Trent nine
(00:23):
seven wfn Z, Willie P and for KB as we
roll through this Christmas Eve edition of the program.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
By the way, I did not mean to sound like
I was above anybody by saying I'm sitting with the people. Yes,
Willie P will have his pinky in the air, but
his wife will very very nice. Will I will be
sitting with the people, not the press box dwellers. Is
that better? I'll I'll get on. I'll get on my
(00:52):
friends in the media today. I'm not gonna be with
the press box brows. I will be with the fans
for the game on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
As I like to do.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I tried to want. I want to do it at
least once a year. I haven't done it in the
last couple of years because usually the time when I
would do it would be later on in the season,
and I've had different things getting in the way of
doing so. So, uh, my wife was like, when will
you go back to a game. Uh so she said,
h I said, how about the Seattle game. She's like, yeah,
(01:20):
let's do that.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
When was the last time you went into the stands
with your wife at a Panthers game? Was the twenty
It was the twenty twenty two, the Christmas Eve game Detroit.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
That is right. I forgot you were because you were
doing a post game.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
See that was kind of weird because you were doing
a postgame, but yet you were in there as a fan.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Mhm.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
And I still will do the same thing this week
as well. We'll just make sure Mac doesn't get in. Well,
so if you remember what happened there, For some reason,
we had to close a doghouse. I think it's because
it just Christmas, because it was Christmas Eve. No one really,
no one was going to come to the doghouse on
Christmas Eve after the game, which was I think pretty
especially how cold it was, like people were people were
(02:01):
trying to get out of there. It was one of
the coolest games in Bank of America history. It's not
the coldest. Oh, I remember I was there. I remember
freezing my butt off and.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I was in the studio.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Best clutch, Best clutch, purchase we made. We both bought
the UH, the Lvin UH Carolina Panthers beanies, the greg
Olsen beanies.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
The Panther a.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Warm enough, warm enough, fantastic piece of equipment, by the way.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
But no, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Why it's been I don't know why it's seconds so
long to get back in there as a fan.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I think we want we wanted to go.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I think she went to the preseason game last year
or two years ago with my folks UH, and I
wanted to get to one last year.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
But again, just got to the point where we were
at the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I thought we were we were gonna go to the
Arizona game last year and just for whatever reason, it
didn't didn't work. So that would have been a good
one to go to else and walk off Cuba. It's
been a while for me, ten years. It's all a
playoff game against Seattle. Grip Goes stop by the Commoners
in two twenty eight, WILLI we can get roudy Hornets
(03:11):
wrong Goes. It was the coldest I was chilling in
the suite level. See now that's pinky up territory, that's
pinky up tears. I promise you we will not be
in the suites. We are We're somewhere. We're we're somewhere
either in the one, one or two hundreds. I can't
I don't know exactly where, but we'll be somewhere somewhere
around there. I I just said, hey, just you know,
(03:33):
I gave her a limit and said, just go go
get it five hundreds.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Where's that for me? Oh? I know you did the
CD overhead. That's true.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
It's the best for you to watch the game. It's
it is, it is. It is a fun fun view.
Climbing up those stairs is a little bit. But or
climbing up the ramp, I should say, but climbing down
that ramp. I love walking down the ramp after a victory.
That's the best role. That's the best walk. It's natural, yes,
best considering going down is easier than going up. No,
(04:02):
but I'm just I'm just talking about when you when
you have that after a victory, like that's the best walk.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Oh yeah, that's the best walk in sports.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Uh, weather Man Marco's I'm glad we won, but uh,
you will get to watch the soft coverage again this week.
I doubt you will continue to give ever all a
pass by friend. I'm not giving him a pass.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
They won.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I'm not angry. Who I have become the post of
Chian for not giving EJ a pass. Apparently you're known
as one of the biggest haters, but you're not a
hater enough. Apparently you're soft as a hater. The softest
is soft coverage. You walked into that one. Yeah, sorry,
you walked into that one. Man, I'm sorry, my bad.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
This this, this is proof.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
That even I can't I can't overlook low hanging fruit
when it when it's dangling right there in front of
my Facey.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Guy goes, will he pee?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
The station might need to set up a watch party
for potential Week eighteen Tampa game.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Be fun.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
That'd be a fun little deal. I don't know about that.
Are you just say.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
You're saying events of that nature could potentially lead to
certain doom.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes, let's wait till the playoffs. Hopefully well playoffs.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
If we're in the playoffs, we get a home playoff game,
so we don't need to watch party. Our watch party
is at eight hundred minut Street.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
That's true. It's time for the best audio in sports.
What did you say?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
You?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
What?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
What did you say? Hold up, wait.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
A minute, send me right.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
What I mean by that is gas house, Chips goes
the five hundred little does have escalators now, But I
also see a lot of times that they they usher
you away from the escalators because make you want to
walk down the ramp. So this is sometimes sometimes the
escalator is is the path of least resistance, but other
times they'll say, hey, you know, we want you to
walk down the ramp as well too. All right, well,
(05:59):
we start out to Carolina Panthers and we talk about
one of the biggest things that happened today, which is
the fact that Derek Brown's not going to be in
a Pro Bowl, which has made a lot of people mad.
Despite being third in fan voting, he did not get
derequisite votes needed by the players and coaches now and
Dave Canals was asked about that during his press conference
about an hour ago.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
Yeah, I mean, you know, the recognition and all that happens,
you know, however they come up with those votes and
how they recognize guys. What I saw from Derek this
year is dominant football play, a guy that stands for
everything we believe in, and a guy that's disruptive. You know,
in every way, shape and form, and you know, coming
up with sacks this year, and certainly just against the
run game and the way he's played, he definitely is recognized,
(06:39):
regardless of what the accolades might be, by his teammates
and by his peers, the people that he plays against.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
What even is the Pro Bowl if it doesn't include
a category for a dude who literally throws their own
offensive line of like a ragdoll.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
And this is coming from.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Somebody, And I was in you know, I was like
the violin player on the Titanic. When it came to
the Pro Bowl, I went down with the ship. I
was probably the last person in America who wanted to
see that actual game be played, even though it got
to the point where it was a mockery of its
(07:17):
own self and failed to resemble an actual football game
by the end of it, I still think that it
means something to be recognized by your peers and by
the fans outside of the end of year all pro
voting and stuff like that. This is an absolute travesty.
(07:37):
If Derek Brown's accolades cannot be acknowledged by and again
it was acknowledged by the fans, give them credit. But
if it cannot be acknowledged by the coaches, is other
pros and the media, then just do away with the
whole exercise altogether, because that's a disgrace. Hopefully that's not
(07:58):
too performative for people who think that I'm being performed,
but it's absolutely true. Well, people are thinking you're going
to be performative. Maybe this would be the clip that
gets you to be performative. Oh no. Yesterday, Todd Bowles
was speaking to the media in Tampa as a debrief
of the loss to Carolina and a lot of people,
including yourself who texted me of some explicitive words. He
(08:22):
reacted to the questions being asked of why did you
run the ball so much? That was a very conservative
game plan, especially considering you got all your receivers back.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
And here was his reasoning as to why we have
to get it.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
We wanted to. It was a formula for us that
worked last year. Last year we have forty one and
thirty eight rushes against them. When you win the game,
it's different when you lose the game. We were right there.
We did everything we wanted to do. We controlled every
category except for the turnover battle at the end. And
we lost the ball game. So we tried to get
the ball to our stars, but at the same time
we try to establish a run game and make it
(08:56):
balanced as well.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Is it difficult when of your first downs are running plays?
If you're defensive coordinators that he's a games an.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
Agass depends on what's working. You know, if they're running
the ball and is successful, and then you keep at it.
If it's not successful, then it's going to be difficult
for you.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
You seem per cent in general what you ran or
pass in generally a lot.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
I think you're twenty six first.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Down plays and only one of them six yards?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Was that to trying to shorten the game or what
do you think was the design?
Speaker 6 (09:26):
We're always trying to get first downs. Obviously some of
the things they did kind of stymy some of the
things we did, whether it was run or passed, But
at the same time we got to move the ball
more efficiently on first down.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
The part of that is still most glaring is referencing
last year, like, man, have you not see like last
year they were objectly awful. They were thirty second in
the league against the run. This year closer to the
middle posing rush yards per game. They're at one hundred,
(10:00):
one hundred and nineteen per contest, which is nineteenth in
the league. Not terrible, not awful, not exemplary, but it's
not terrible. The fact that they thought they were gonna
come in here and dominate with a thirty plus carry
game shows to me maybe that Todd Bowles has somewhat
(10:21):
lost the plot here, and it also could be I
think what he's trying to do here, smoke, I'm gonna
this is me be giving Todd Bowles benefit of doubt.
He's trying to throw a little mister xsh out there
on Baker Mayfield. He's trying to get people away from
asking about Baker Mayfield and at his shoulder and his
ability to move around the pocket, because it looks incredibly
(10:44):
and inherently obvious to me or anybody who watched that
game on Sunday that that man ain't right. And it
was funny before the game they said, oh, they think
he's made a lot of progress on his shoulder and
he feels better, bull Corn. And then I saw the
game plan. I'm like, no, no, no, that doesn't look
like that at all.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
No.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Only one pass that was really deep and it was
a good play to Mecha Buca, but outside of that,
it just felt like they were keeping it very close
and then they weren't even going intermediate.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
It felt like they were.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Just trying to keep it ten yards And I think
part of that might also be the defense Carolina played,
but still it didn't really feel like they were giving
Baker free reign, especially now that you have all these
weapons back.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Not to mention the fact that.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Who's playing in this game that didn't play in either
of the two Tampa Bay games last year, Derek Brown,
I'd be Derrick Brown.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I think he makes up for a lot of the
ills that were missing and prevalent as a part of
the defense a year ago. Well, speaking of a quarterback
in the NFL, this quarterback had free reign to do
whatever last night and Monday Night football and it didn't
result in a win. But man Old man Rivers has
(11:54):
still got a little bit of grease in that arm
of his as he kept the Colts in it until
late when he threw a pick six. And it's got
a lot of people talking the fact that Philip has
it looked awful in this process. What does this say
about his return and Kyle Brandt of NFL networking Good
Morning Football, thanks to this could help him in the
long run.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
My take on Rivers again is, I think a few
weeks ago, I think he was really a borderline Hall
of Famer. I personally would not have voted for him,
and we don't need a debate that right now. I
think over the last two weeks he has become a
Hall of Famer, and you think that's ridiculous and it
shouldn't matter two games. I think in the minds of voters,
anybody who was on the fence is now saying, I'm
voting for Philip Rivers for the Hall of Fame because
he has the one game. He comes out fine, he
(12:37):
throw the ball around a little bit. The fact that
he played the way he did in this is chucking
touchdowns and it was the sequel.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Was even better than the original. And I'm just so impressed.
Speaker 8 (12:45):
And I think when we look back on this, there's
gonna be this weird night with Philip Rivers in this
weird helmet and weird uniforms. I don't know if you're
going to remember that he lost both those games and
that he threw a pick six at the end.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
It was just fantastic. It's been a fun story watch.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I know my wife, who again, I think if you
asked her, in her heart of hearts, she still loves
the Panthers more. She will still cosplay is a little
bit of a Colts fan, So she was watching that
last night and at least tickle to death that Philip
is still doing that. But at the same point in time,
(13:22):
will it change people's minds in terms of his Hall
of Fame vote, I.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Don't think so.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I already thought he was in the Hall of Fame. Yeah,
I think I think the die is cast one way
or the other. If you feel if you don't think
he's part of a Hall of Fame, I don't think
these two weeks necessarily change your mind. I think, let
me put it this way, if he led them into
the playoffs, which again the still tally well, the odds
(13:49):
are incredibly on. They're like three percent right now, they're
two out and they need some help, then again, he
was a part of that two thousand and eight Chargers
team that somehow got in. If he led them into
the playoffs, that could potentially take somebody who's out and
put him in. But I don't know if it's changed.
I mean, it's a great story. I'm not denying that
it's not a great story, but I don't think it's
that seismic from a point where it's taking a guy
(14:11):
who was soldly out of the Hall of Fame and
putting him in the Hall of Fame. I don't think
that's not well. We end with a guy who is
a no doubt Hall of Famer in his sport. The
difference is he was in college football a hall of
famer that is Nick Saban. People have been wondering, is
Nick Saban going to return to coaching his name got
thrown up in a couple of jobs.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
It's not gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But I will say he seems to be enjoying his
new sports and his new role as part owner of
the Nashville Predators. And apparently it's an endeavor that Miss
Terry is a big fan of as well, as he
revealed yesterday.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
And you know, to be honest, Miss Terry has never
asked me like who won a game? Last night, I
was looking at scores and she asked me who won
the Pretors game? So this runs deep in our house.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Now, she's not asking who what because most, she's at
most she was at most of his games. No, yes,
she doesn't have to ask him who won the Alabama game.
But it seems like she's a lot more occupied with
the hockey, because, let's face it, I'm a casual hockey fan.
But when we get to March in April, oh, sure
(15:25):
you're getting to watching Hurricanes hockey.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's like it's tantalizing.
Speaker 6 (15:28):
Man.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And I'll watch a lot of the Stanley Cup playoffs
in general, watch a little bit of West Coast hockey
with the Edmonton Oilers going against Calgary or Winnipeg or
the LA Kings. This is my prime time when I
usually will We'll dip back into hockey a little bit.
I'll dip into like December January, right before the MLS
(15:49):
season starts, and then I'll leave it alone until the
until the playoffs. So like this, this is my prime
hockey viewing. It also doesn't help that you're an Islanders fan.
They actually played all right this year. They've they they
started out, they started out really badly, and then they
they've really come on lately.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
They're actually second in the metro.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I think, let's go say Carolina had a rough week
last week, but they've been doing pretty good over the
last month. So, by the way, all your hockey requests
can be talked to between ten to twelve am ten
am to twelve pm with strappy owned Charlotte Sports Today.
Still think it's a it's a massive under like we
need him to have a hockey podcast period stop. And
(16:29):
plus you can always go watch the Charlotte Checkers exactly
owned by one J. J.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Jansen. There you go. They've been pretty good too over
the years.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Seven O four five, seven h nine six ten, Willie
here with you, We'll come back. Carlon Gaye will talk
hoops with US Hornets and NBA at Large Sports Radio
ninety two seven wfn Z.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Portra wn Z.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Darren goes, sorry, guys, I don't want to hear anything
about Baker mayfield shoulder. He was on TV a couple
of weeks ago flexing his shoulder doing a good pass.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
He was good to go.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
What about Bright Shawn playing on a terrible ankle who
did not refuse to come out of a game with
the high ankle sprain. That is toughness. So that's uh,
that's interesting Uh stuff to say. Uh A guy who
says catchup sucks with the people Charloto of see get
Antoine Greetzman. Uh. I, I don't know if it makes
(17:36):
a lot of I mean, I think it makes sense
the move, but I just don't know. I've not heard
a lot of the smoke. Aside from that one report,
I haven't really heard anything corroborated on that. I'm not
going to be trying to be the guy who's a
wet blanket guy on that, but I'm kind of calling
question into the feasibility of that.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
I do know they're working on something.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
They're trying to get stuff into all of the trying
to get the replay from Milanda et cetera and so
on and make that happen. But I don't know if
he's the one who's necessarily on their radar. What's on
the radar for the Hornets tonight is a game against
the Washington Wizards, and we'll talk a little bit of
Hornets and some NBA wide ranging stuff with our good
friend Carlin Gay, who joins this Sporting News NBA writer.
(18:18):
He joins us on Sports Ready on ninety two seven WFNZ. Carlin,
what's going on, pal?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
How are you Willie Pe?
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Not much? How you been.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I'm good, dude, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I know that we ran into each other at a
Hornet game not to recently, and reminded me how long
it had been since we've done this on the air.
So I appreciate you bullying me back into maybe having
you part of the regular rotation.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It was not done misintentionally.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
It's just you know, fasketball season was a long time ago,
at least last time we talked. But I guess my
first one to you is just kind of from a
thirty thousand foot view, you have to see this group,
you know, a couple of different opportunities here over the
last couple of weeks, obviously National TV last night, and
obviously some bigger opponents here recently. What's your thirty thousand
foot view one on with the Hornets are right now?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
The first thing is first, you know, you always wonder
what this team could be like when they're fully healthy,
and we saw a glimpse of that last night. Right Like,
you have your three best players in the lineup in
LaMelo ball in Brandon Miller and then now Konker Nipple.
He is that third piece and that third guy, and
I think that it's a drastick that most people around
the NBA say, the Hornet's absolutely hit on. He's going
(19:22):
to be a guy that's going to be around FO
for many, many years. So you always wonder when those
three guys are in the lineup, what this team could be,
what is the ceiling? And for me, they're absolutely a
team that should be a playoff team. I'm not talking
about the play in I'm talking about one of the
top six teams in the Eastern Conference. The problem is
is they haven't had enough time to build chemistry together
because one or both or two are out of the lineup.
(19:46):
And you know, that's really been the problem for this
season so far. A lot of start stops. But if
they can get some health, they're gonna get some consistency.
I think this Hornets team could make a run here
on the back end of the year.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's a very encouraging thing when you know high how
much does say like that Atlanta game last week? You
know that that game when when LaMelo came back, Trey
Young came back, they put up I think something like
one hundred and forty points or whatever it was. They
shot the ball incredibly well. They were up and down
because I mean one of the things they kept saying
on the broadcast last night is that they're down in pace. Well,
part of the reason they're down in pace is because
(20:19):
LaMelo has been hurt. And when LaMelo was in they
definitely play a lot faster. They played on as fast
than Atlanta games. They did it er James Morego and
I think those were kind of the years where you
looked at the Hornets and said, that was some of
the best years of LaMelo. How much can it look
like that on a night in night out basis, Well,
it can look.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Like that on a night on nine of the basis
if you have that consistency and you can build that
chemistry with that starting lineup. And I know I said
those three players are probably your best three players. Let's
not forget about Miles Bridges and what he's been doing
really the last two seasons, amongst all the injuries that
the Hornets have had, he's probably been the most consistent
player over the last fighters or maybe even since Kemba
Walker left the franchise, Like he has been that that
(20:59):
guy when he's in the you know what you're gonna
get out of him. So just how they kind of
having that and building those pieces around and making sure
that you know your best players are actually playing good
minutes and being able to be used. That allows for
some of those secondary players to step in. Last night,
I thought, you know, a guy like Josh Green, who
you know was signed here to be one of those
defensive stoppers. He has a role in him. You haven't
(21:21):
really seen much of him because he's been hurt, and
you know, I think most Horns fans are kind of
being are starting to get frustrated with, you know, the
build or or the lack of really rebuild because of
these injuries. So you really don't know what you have.
But you know, I'm going to preach patience because I
do think that there's enough talent on this team, especially
(21:42):
with the way the Eastern Conference is shaking out right now,
will be like there was not a dominant team in
the East, and one trade here or there could really
shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. The
biggest piece out there, of course, is Johnest outside of Kompo.
Whatever happens with him, that will kind of change the
landscape of the Eastern Conference. But Detroit is not far
off from Charlotte. If Charlotte could stay healthy, right like
(22:03):
That's what Detroit had. They had the ability to be
healthy against the playoffs, learn as a unit, and now
you see them kind of rolling. And the same with
the Knicks, right like they have a solid start and
five you go deep into that bench. It's not much
more impressive than what the Hornets do have on paper.
So give me some consistency, give me some health, and
I think the Hornets could kind of slowly turn it
around and becoming that playoff team that everyone expects.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And the only thing about the next is that it
seems like the Hornets have kind of rento a buzz
saw every time they find them up against them had
to head because of what they can bring with the
front line with Robinson and Towns, they just don't really
have the beef to kind of stand up to it.
But one thing they do have, as you mentioned, is
Kanka Nipple, who him the fastest to hit one hundred
and three pointers last night in the in the loss
(22:45):
to the Cavaliers, twelve games faster than Lowry Marketing. Are
you getting the sense that this guy's no longer a
secret around the league?
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Absolutely, he is not a secret. And actually the game
that we ran into each other, that was the top
by a conversation. Almost every chat I had was how
good kN Kinipple has been this season? And I think
coming into the season, I think a lot of people
would have said, you know what, here's a guy that
is just a flat out winner. I think you're starting
to learn a little bit more about him. You can
put him in different scenarios and he's going to be
(23:14):
able to produce. You know, he's been able to stretch
your floward seeing that with the way that he's shooting
the three. Yeah, getting to one hundred threes fast is
cool and all will he be but what about the efficiency?
He's shooting forty one percent from three point range and
the Hornets haven't really had someone that's been able to
knock down the three at that type of efficiency in
a very long time. So it's not just the volume.
(23:35):
It is the efficiency that just changes everything offensively for
this team. Defensively, I think people had questions with kN
coming into the season, right like, I think, you know,
you leave Duke and you say, all right, you know
air Konkanekle, He's going to be guarding a lot of wings.
This is a wing heavy league. Can he keep up?
I think he's held his own and I think those
same questions were you know, asked about him last season
(23:56):
at Duke, right like, people ask can he defend, you know,
at a highlight level at the college level, and he
proved that he can do that. So you know, when
you when you kind of move that away, those negatives away,
and you just look at what he's been, say, you know,
twenty nine games into the season. This is a guy
that I think the Hornets found in the draft. They fell,
they fell right to them, They drafted the correct way.
(24:17):
They got someone that they could kind of now have
plopped in their starting lineup to be you know, tendon
not penciled in, and now you can kind of work
around that. And the other thing about it, he hasn't
missed any games, right like, He's been relatively healthy for
the entire run here, and that is a big, big
difference between everybody else around them, not named Miles.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Bridges both smoke logally and I both knocked on the
wood of the table that are in front of us.
So we very much appreciate you saying that. Carolyn joining
us here as we talk Hornets, Hornets and Wizards tonight.
Carlin of course joining us from Sporting News the other
Hornet rookies. Look, I think the Hornet's kind of telegraphed
their plan a little bit when they gave all four
(24:57):
of those dudes full contracts.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
No two ways.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
I know that Liam McNeely has rowed the Greensboro shot
a little bit, but how surprised are you that we're
seeing high rotation minutes for both sea On James and
Ryan Colkbrenner and a little bit more from now Liam
McNeely as well.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Coke Brenner I think is the one that surprises me
the most coming out of college. You know, I think,
you know, playing in the league that he played in,
he didn't see as many athletes that you would see
in the NBA. But honestly, it will be I think
he's he's played fantastic, you know, just to start the season,
and you know, barring the de slight times that he's
missed some games here and there, he's really been a
guy that you could put out there for twenty twenty
(25:33):
five minutes and he's not going to file out of
the game, and that that's something that you would you
would worry about with a guy that you look at,
you know, seven to two whatever, he is and maybe
slow prodding, but he's been able to eat up that
space and he's only going to get better. He's just
averaging under two blocks a game right now. I think
he's going to get He's going to get up to
that two and a half mark. But it's also the
shots and the decisions that he's going to make. You know,
(25:54):
Opposing teams change when they get to the paint or
change at the rim, and that's going to help the
rest the defense around him. So, you know, Cole Brenner,
I think if you know, again, if he can slowly
figure out what his role is offensively, you know, I
know many people made this comparison the Brook Lopez. When
brook Lopez came into the league, he was a back
to the basket player. The league was also completely different
(26:15):
and invited those back to the basket player, so he's
allowed to do that. Then he turned into sort of
a stretch three. I think if Cole Prenner could hurry
up and get to that point and turned into that
stretch three a little bit. Hasn't really shot the three
pretty much at all. We're not gonna expect them the
shu Kan Kneppal rage, But like just kind of make
the defenses kind of think about him out there a
little bit. Once he gets comfortable from three point range,
(26:35):
I think that changes the offense for him. But right now,
I love the defensive effort from con b Renner, and
if he can stay out of foul trouble, which he
had so far, I think that makes the Hornets at
least have a building block that they can continue to
add pieces on top of it and become a much
better defensive team.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
National NBA rider Carl and Gay joining us here as
we talk Hornets on Sports Ready on ninety two to
seven WFNZ. How does the deadline look for the hole?
I think when you think about some of these guys
who are on this roster. Colin Sexton was mentioned by
a couple people here, I know that there could be
some other people.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Who might be on the move.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
I didn't think, you know, t John Salon's emergence might
make some other parts of this roster more expendable because
it just seems like he looks like so much better
of a player in year number two, and there's probably
a desire to see that continue to develop. Where do
you think, you know, buy or sell is kind of
such a rudimentary way of putting it, But like, what
(27:31):
do you think the deadline looks like for Charlotte.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
I would be sellers if I was the Hornets in
terms of the deadline. And you know when I say sellers,
you're not looking at, you know, kind of just breaking
this team apart so much. You're really kind of, you know,
putting some pieces out there. Like you mentioned the column sections,
they do have a lot of wings and young wings
out there that they could kind of dangle in front
of teams and see what you could get back. And
you know, on the back end of the draft, you're
(27:54):
probably not going to get any first round picks, but
second round picks are now valuable, you know, with the
cat the way that it is, and those second round
picks could also turn into bigger trades. We've seen some
of these massive trades over the last couple of years
involved a lot of second rounders, and the Hornets could
stockpile those. That would be a good situation. Now, I
will say this, I don't expect the Hornets to be
big players in the draft or sorry, in the in
(28:17):
the this coming trade deadline. I think, you know, again,
you have to see what this team is as you're
fully healthy, and then you figure out, well, the big
question is at the end of the years, you know
whether or not this is a LaMelo ball team going
forward or not. Right Like, that's the big, big question
that you really have to figure out. But you can't
answer that question until he plays a little bit more
(28:38):
with this unit and then Oh, by the way, I
think a lot of people are gonna be afraid to
pull the trigger on a trade around this deadline because
I think the draft is so good coming into this.
You know that the draft class is so good. I
think in the top ten players, if you end up
anywhere from one to ten, you're not going to complain
about who you're gonna be able to get to select
out of this year's college draft class. I really do
(28:59):
believe that. And even beyond that, some of the older
college players that are just going to be there, that
are ready and willing and able to just win coming
out of this year's class is going to be special.
So you know, the deadline for me is not going
to be as crazy as the years past. I think
a lot of teams are going to be a little
bit skittish about giving up draft picks. Et cetera, and
just kind of ride the forest up to see what
(29:20):
you get in the draft. And then once the draft
happens and we see the lottery and how things shake out,
I think that's when you'll get the normal, you know,
chaos that you have around trade deadline and the trade season.
But I hate to break it to the most NBA
fans who look forward and kind of probably take the
day off on that on that last Thursday before before
All Star weekend. Don't do it this year. You save
yourself some time, go to work, and use that PTO
(29:41):
later on in the summer.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I'm gonna ask it only because you brought his name up.
But the Lamello ball conundrum, where do you sit in
the vast range of opinions that could be brought on
where he sits in this Hornet's development crew, whether or
not he needs to stay, whether or not they needs
to Oh, I know that you've said earlier in our
conversation that they owe it to the fan base, they
(30:04):
owe it to the organization to see how this plays out.
From a length standpoint and a and an injury run standpoint,
where do you ultimately find you find yourself simming, I think.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
I think if I give you a percentage, Pie, I'm
going to give you seventy percent stay thirty go. And
the reason why I'm so bush on the seventy percent
stay is, you know, this is a year six for
a guy who's not even twenty five years old yet
and you know, really hasn't scratched the surface of what
he can be in the NBA. And you see it
last night like this team is his team, right, Like
this is his team no matter what you say about
(30:37):
you know, development, move Cohn and Brandon Miller and even
Miles Bridges. The team goes the way that LaMelo ball goes.
And you know, with what you don't find guys like
that on trees, Like they don't grow on trees. You
just have to be lucky to be able to draft
guys like that, and the Hornets were able to be
able to lucky enough to draft him. Now you can
find a regiment that could keep him healthy, build around
(30:58):
him and see what you have. I think the next
step is, like I said, is the playoffs and being
a top six team in the Eastern Conference. And I
think Memolo ball is good enough to get you there.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Carlin Gay Sporting News also NBA International. Always love you
our conversations together. Hopefully I get to see over at
the Rain a little bit more. I know the curries
are in town on Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
I'm missing tonight. I'll tell you that the Winzars aren't
going to get me out tonight. I'm missing tonight.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
But yes, before the end of the year, I will
be there, all right, Pal, appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Happy holiday.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That is Carlin Gay joining us here on sports radio
wfn Z. Part of the reason I love him is
that he is a Charlotte based NBA writer, So it's,
you know, one of those things where it's it's easy
to get his perspective on what's going on with our
local team. I was gonna say he's one of a
couple of Carlin Gay's one, but you know, I think
(31:47):
Tom Hide the Habistro. Yeah, and he does some work
like he just like some he has some random gig
with the Blazers of some sort. Really, yeah, he's like
one of he like does some stuff on there on
their TV broadcast with like analytics like I don't know
if he's still doing that or not.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
When I was thinking to Kay, is Duncan too, Those
are like the three guys. Great, So like those three guys.
If you want to look at guys that are national
but also local, those are three guys I recommend you
follow very much.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
So it's time for smoking the headlines.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Alrighty, we didn't get to talk about this yesterday, and
I'm sad I didn't because Kyle would very much hate this.
But you're also a very good substitute and if not
a better person to ask about this since you lived
in the area. Yesterday, it was announced that the Chiefs
have entered into an agreement with the state of Kansas
to host Chiefs football games beginning with the twenty thirty
(32:39):
one NFL season. They've been playing at Arrowhead Stadium since
the late sixties, early seventies, I believe nineteen seventy two exactly.
It's one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL. I
think the only stadium that's older is lambeau Field and
Soldier Field, and both those places have undergone significant renovations exactly.
But now it's the has Arrowhead for that matter, has
(33:00):
Arrowhead or Geha Field, which no one calls. But it's
led to a lot of a stir because they've been
playing games in Missouri in that same complex for over
fifty years, and now after being declined to a new
stadium in Missouri, they're now going across state line. So Willie,
can you kind of give us some more of a
breakdown so we can understand it since you lived there
(33:21):
for a while. So basically Kansas City, Missouri on the
one side of the line is different than Kansas City, Kansas.
Kansas City, Missouri a lot more cosmopolitan KCK, not exactly as.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
How do I put this nicely enriched? Yes, that's very
very nice.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
There are parts of the Kansas side of there that
are enriched, like where they're picking a building, which is
the Legend's Park, which is where Kansas Speedway is sporting.
Kansas City has their facility out there. There's also a
minor league ballpark, there's a casino. So in that area
it's going to be part of a already larger development.
Kansas is giving him a lot of star bonds one
(34:03):
point eight billion dollars, I think over the course of
that agreement that again I know it's the largest by
the way percentage. I think it's the largest percentage and
volume subsidy of a public stadium in the history of
them having done this. So basically, the mayor of Kansas City,
Quin Lucas, basically said, yeah, we we're in no position
(34:25):
financially as the city to compete with that, and it's
it's it's tough for those who want to be a
part of it. Again, from an infrastructure standpoint, it's a
very easy stateium to get to the thing you're gonna miss.
You're gonna miss the tail getting that the tailgating. As
for an NFL game, I think the only place that
can stand up to it is Green Bay because Gearing
Bay literally is in a neighborhood. Yeah, but absent that,
(34:48):
it's the best tailgating NFL stadium.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
It is like a college stadium in the National Football League.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Having been there to Kansas City Chiefs games, it's one
of the loudest NFL buildings I've ever been in it,
if not the loudest. One of the most historic NFL
buildings too, and that was even before to Mahomes era.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Exactly as I say I was.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
I was there pre Mahomes too, So it's just not like,
you know, I'm sitting here and saying that it's great
because of mahomestcetera, and so on. That's also a fan
base that they have a lot of, you know, a
lot of sympathy towards they were in a lot of
bad years before the Mahomes years, Lynn Elliott, et cetera,
and so on. It's a tough tough thing, I think
for people. And of course I don't need to tell
you about the Missouri and Kansas thing. There are a
(35:26):
lot of people who will not go across the border
to Kansas, even though again it's only about a half
hour from where their old stadium is, just because of
the symbolic nature of that rivalry.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Between them for two hundred years almost So from.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
That perspective, it'll it'll definitely cost some hurt feelings, but
I also don't think that they're going to have a
hurting to get people in that inside that building, especially
if they get back to what they had been before
this year. We'll take a time out, we'll come back,
and a couple of different things in the NBA front
two as well we have to get into, including uh
who was available tonight, and also something from Shamsherania that
(35:59):
could develop be some preventive measures for tanking sport's ready
on ninety seven offense.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
The city get on your feet, Hello, good protection turns
for the year zone.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Can you come to the buck He's gonna go coming
down the sign by side the lock.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Can't back to rush running into the area. It'll pass
towards Pepe.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
Operates from pet.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
It is time to tell you who balled out Curtisy,
the biggest baller of them all.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Thomas L.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Rod of High Performance real Estate find it online a
high performance real estate dot com. That's high Performance real
estate dot com and he will see you at the
closing table. Well, I got to go with kan Ka
nipple here Willy twenty points last night, But that's not
the real story. He has already crossed the one hundred
three point mark and we're not even halfway through this season.
He has attempted two hundred and fifty one to three pointers,
(37:13):
made one hundred and four. For those wondering, that is
forty one point four percent from behind the arc. That
is elite, and he's a rookie. And the fact is, Willie,
it's not too far of a stretch to say that
fifty forty ninety could be a part of the late
season discussion if he can ramp it up a little bit.
It's forty seven point four from the field. But still,
(37:34):
the fact that we're talking about a rookie even getting
close to that discussion is absolutely incredible. Something long ago
and I talked about on the Hornets ivecast couple of
nights back, is that it's It's one thing to be
talking about that kind of a season from a veteran,
but the fact that we're talking about at somebody who
was one year moved from college, two years moved from
high school, like this guy should be in the All
(37:56):
Star Game. One should be in the All Star Game.
Nearly twenty points for game like period stop. He should
be in the All Star Game, like like Derek Brown.
Not being in the Pro Bowl is one thing. If
Konk Nipple is not in the All Star Game and
he continues, if he's if he continues this pace, if
he continues the pace that he's on and he's not
in the All Star Game, it to be a travesty,
(38:17):
I'm gonna say. Zion Williamson balled out twenty four points.
He has been moved by the way to the bench
as kind of a strategic move by former Hornets head
coach and current New Orleans interim med coach James Barrego.
Speaker 6 (38:30):
Fight.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
Barrego's a won five in a row one nineteen one thirteen.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
They beat the MAVs last night, and that's helping Charlotte
because it's screwing over Atlanta and their lottery odds since
Joe Dumars was an idiot and gave up an unprotected
pick for Derek Queen, even though Derek Queen's actually really,
really good.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
What did you think about this? As we kind of
re rehashed some of the stuff on CROWB.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We don't have really a lot of time to get
into something land shakingly new, but the notion that while
the Hornets should be sellers, this also is a team
that can still be amongst the top six when it's
all said and done. It's not necessarily an insurmountable point
(39:14):
of the season where the Hornets can't get themselves back
into the mix, mostly because they are only eight losses
behind third place, which I know sounds I know I'm
not trying to sound, you know, like like Sunshine Sammy here,
but it's mostly a comment of outside of the Pistons
and Knicks, no one's.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
A world beater in the East right now is the point.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, and this is kind of what we were expecting
from the East this year with all the injuries that
have been sustained and just the teams that have been
decimated due to free agency, prime example being the Indiana
Pacers losing Miles Turner and the achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton,
and then doesn't help that they have injuries on top
of injuries.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
It's interesting.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
It's one of those things where for the next three
to four weeks mm hmm, I don't mind them not
doing anything and just let letting things play out because
the trade deadline isn't until Valentine's Day. U no, a
little bit earlier, I believe the fifth of February. But yeah,
early February around Valentine's Day. And look, we're saying, and
(40:18):
we've seen over the last two to three weeks this month,
they actually haven't been horrendous. They've been playing near five
hundred basketball. I understand that early run hurts the way
the record looks right right exactly, and the injuries really
came into play, and now you just basically what you're
hoping is that the whole the guys that you really
want to see don't get hurt again. You hope Brandon
(40:38):
Miller plays throughout the next month with no problems. You
hope LaMelo Ball plays with no problems. Same thing for
Konkain Nipple and Miles Bridges and all that stuff. You
essentially just want to play injury free basketball for the
next month, just to see what you get. See if
the team gets you know, gets a little bit more acclimated,
and if they get better or not. I still think that,
especially in this day and age, as you know we
(41:00):
were talking about earlier, it's gonna be harder to make
bigger deals at the trade deadline and you're gonna have
to wait till the offseason. But I also think, you know,
it'll give us a good idea if they stay healthy
for the next month, what the future might be. There's
this thing that came out today from Sham Sharani. A
NBA Board of Governor's meeting took place earlier this I
should say, last Friday, and apparently there have been a
(41:25):
bunch of ideas to try to combat tanking. According to
the report from Chams, he says one of the things
is limiting pick protection to either the top four or
fourteen and higher, which will liminate problematic mid lottery protections. Again,
that's more of an NBA I think that don't make sense.
It would make sense, But these other two are more
(41:47):
I think harder to enforce. No longer allowing a team
to draft in the top four two years in a row,
and then locking lottery positions after March the first Well,
the problem with that is you basically admitted that the
NBA regular sation is meetingless after that point. And then
if the lottery positions are already locked, I mean that
just insyndiitizes them do to say do it more? Yeah,
(42:07):
that doesn't fix anything, if anything, that makes it worse. Yeah,
it's I saw this from from nota Edwards who said
that the only way you're going to abolish these type
of things is if you abolish the draft outright. Yeah, yeah, probably,
And I don't I don't think I mean that's happening. Yeah,
I mean, that's the only way it's going to get fixed.
But then you know when you create uh, basically a
(42:29):
signing period for the rookies, like, what's the cap for that?
Speaker 3 (42:33):
How's that different from the actual cap? And then you
run into some new problems.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
But it creates that that that sends teams into permanent purgatory.
As far as I'm concerned, you go, you allow no
room or way for a team to end up getting
himself back up. We can get into, we can get
into how you know arbitrary the nm NBA, and NFL
drafts are because there are people who are there are
people who are out there who feel like drafts are
bad inherently, and it's like, well, they're put in place
(42:58):
in order to help these teams rise, and unfortunately there
are teams who know how to do it and the
teams who haven't necessarily done it correctly. And I feel
like that the NBA and look at Detroit, look at
Oklahoma City. I mean, these are teams that have done
it right. And I just feel like American sports in
general are so ingrained in this draft philosophy that it's
going to take generations, if one or two generations, to
(43:19):
fully get out.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Of that draft to go to a non draft.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
It was it was something you know, my old partner,
Jessica Drahman, when we used to talk about this, Uh,
you used to say, this is wild to me that
that that you can just go and play anywhere, and
you don't get to you can you don't get to
choose where you play.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
It was you know, yeah, because it's not like that
and freedom movement.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
When it comes to players and you're in like European
and World Sport, you get to usually determine where you
want to play in any phase. You get to do it,
do that basically on your own merit, whereas in America
it's it's a much different Uh, that's much different scenario.
But back to the original point. I think, uh that
the the pick limits are for the pick protections, I
(43:59):
think is a good idea. Don't know about the other
or two, but and for the Hornets, just play for
the next month, just see what happens. Michael from Charlotte
says I was expected to hear more Panthers. Guess what
We've got all Panthers the last hour of the program,
and that starts next with the check in on our
next opponent. Hawk blogger Brian Nemhauser will join us coming
(44:21):
up next Sports for ninety Just seven WFZ
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