December 26, 2025 • 46 mins
In the show's opening hour, Willie recaps the events of the holiday season, and the guys look at the Hornets over December, and why it looks a bit promising for the bugs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Kyle Bailey Show powered by Victory
Chevy Charlotte. Want to drive a sweet Silverado Trail Boss
like KB. Go to Victory Chevy Charlotte dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Happy Day After Christmas to you and yours, or Boxing
Day as the Brits call it. It is the Kyle
Bailey Show on Sports Radio ninety two seven WFNZ. So
happy to be with you here, live and local on
a Friday. We hope you enjoyed your Christmas. We hope
Santa was good to you. We hope that your belly
(00:44):
was full and your sports appetite was quenched. I think
there were various times of the day where sports might
have made it onto the second TV based on a
couple of those blowouts in the middle of the day
in the NBA and the fact that while I have
a very high tolerance for football, it just got to
the point where, you know, I don't know if it
(01:05):
was Josh Johnson almost throwing it right in the middle
of a cowboy linebacker or Max or Rosmer, just despite
them winning, having only three net passing yards.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
To beat the Detroit Lions.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I just I could not get myself to you know,
be one locked in on all three football games. I
was locked into the early basketball. I had the basketball
all throughout the day, you know, I watched the Lebrons
and the Rockets, watched a little bit of that Warrior
game as well. The Nugget game was incredible. Nuggets t.
(01:40):
Wolves was a classic when you think about the fact
that it went to overtime. Jokic went for fifty six
in a triple double overtime victory over Minnesota. But at
the same point in time, you know, people were talking about, oh, well,
it's gonna be interesting to see what the ratings look
like because the NFL always feels like King, but it
didn't feel like King yesterday. Like people like to make
(02:02):
the pizza slash love making comparison when it comes to
the NFL, Hey, even if it's bad, it's good. I
don't know if it was necessarily proven positive when it
came to the NFL yesterday, because those were two stinkers,
and while one was a close game down the stretch
Denver and Kansas City, by that time, I'd already found
myself in a Lasaga coma, knowing that basically this is
(02:25):
going to be what it was going to be. And
it was going to be the Travis Kelcey coronation party.
Despite the bat that Kansas City even lost with a
third string quarterback against Denver Broncos. So it was a
very tepid sports day. But you know, we get a
lot to getting forward to, a lot of luck too
forward to. In terms of the locals. Of course, the Hornets,
we haven't talked since Tuesday, So the Hornet's victorious over
(02:45):
the Widgets. We'll get into that with Matt al Keisa
coming up later on this hour. We'll talk Panthers with
Mike Kay as the week seventeen matchup approaches us. And
the thing that I keep thinking about with this game
is that while itt it feels like house money, there
are still a lot of important things that can happen
in this game independent of the result. Number one is health,
(03:06):
Number two is momentum, and you'll I feel like we
both kind of regard those things as very, very important.
The Panthers got some good news on Iki Ikwanu. They
get some bad news on Trevin Wallace. His season is done,
as we heard from Dave Canalis earlier today, but Ikey
is going to start and play for Carolina this weekend
back after a one week absence. Trett Timack, who missed
(03:28):
the day earlier this week also is good to go.
As we get you ready for this weekend, we'll talk
a lot about what's going on this weekend again. Panther
went over Seattle and a loss by Tampa to Miami
gives them the division. Otherwise they'll go ahead to head
for the division in the NFC South.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Seven four, five, nine, six tens. How do you get
in touch with me? Willi P?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
On Twitter at Willy P Stale smoke. How was your Christmas?
My friend? Very calm and very warm since we broke
an all time record of hottest Christmas Day and at
least recorded history over the last one hundred and fifty years,
but also very relaxing. It wasn't too big, you know,
I don't really we don't really travel that much for
Christmas or to holiday season, so it's actually kind of nice.
(04:09):
I don't have to worry about going into an airport
during thesime of the year, so I take you know, I.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Don't take that for granted.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
As somebody who has flown on Christmas Day before, I
can tell you flying on the day is actually one
of the best days to fly. It's just a three
days prior today, it's the it's all the stuff leading
up to that and afterwards, like today, absolute mess because
(04:38):
there are people who are going all over the place
and everywhere. There's snow up in the northeast, et cetera,
and so on. As somebody who has flown multiple times
on Christmas, it is, it could not be smoother.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
It is.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It's it's incredible. It's honestly, you know what it is.
It's like being in our office today. There is literally
nobody here. We are the only two people absent the
person who's got to watch the LP one over the there.
I think on WBT and I think a second person.
There's four people in our office today and you and
I are two of them. Which is that's the way
the airports are. The airports are empty on Christmas Day.
(05:11):
It's a great thing if if you're having to travel
and see people. I have traveled to see family on
Christmas Day, and I've also traveled. I had to travel
to go see Clemson in a bowl game. It was
a bowl game or a college football playoffs in my
final was it was a playoffs, my final in Dallas
against against another name Cotton Bowl scenario. That was an
(05:34):
ugly game, blood bath for y all. Yeah, got a
field goal, I hate it, need it, But at the
same point in time, it's a good thing. A lot
to kind of decipher. Yesterday, again, like I said, the
Christmas Day games were a mixed bag. The Nick game was.
I mean, they came back from seventeen down beat the Cavaliers.
(05:55):
Spurs ended up pulling away from the Thunder. By the way,
that's three head to head victories for the Spurs over
the Thunder and not even close games too, and they
say they walloped them. I mean, the Spurs are a problem.
Spurs are going to be a problem in the Western Conference,
and then the West has got I would say four
teams who could win the NBA Finals, and they all
(06:16):
played yesterday, the t Wolves, Nuggets, MAVs, wre uh T, Wolves, Nuggets, Spurs, Thunder.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
I think all can win the NBA title.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And I think I think all four of those teams
are probably head and shoulders above what any team in
the East might be outside of the Knicks and or Pistons.
And even so, I think the three of those teams
are better than the next and and something I also
thought of yesterday while watching all this all this basketball,
(06:45):
and something that you kind of told me, as people
who now are starting to give the Hornets of national cred.
They got themselves on the national TV earlier this week,
and they acquitted themselves I think in three quarters adequately,
although not winning the basketball game. I want it to
not far off now, y'all. Like we talk about some
of the abject failures that have started here for the
(07:06):
first thirty games of this season, they find themselves with
some health now outside of the center position. They made
a move over the holiday to bring PJ. Hall in
from the Greensboro Swarm after we found out that Kulkbrenner
and Plumbley are going to be down again for a
second consecutive game, and they didn't want to have to
go through what they did in the Washington game. They
(07:26):
have to basically be down to one center and then
some small ball five. They released Drew Peterson as a
corresponding move to make that happen. So independent of the
center position woes and independent also of not having Grant Williams,
everyone's basically back, and from that perspective that gives you
something encouraging because It's the thing we've all wanted to
(07:48):
see is that this is the this is the route
ahead for Charlotte. This is the opportunity to see exactly
what this group is.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
That doesn't mean they're gonna be moves.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
We talked about the Colin Sexton thing earlier this week
about how apparently they are shopping Sexton who I mean,
I don't know if you, I don't know how you
feel spoken about.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
I've been a somewhat disappointed about Colin Sexton.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
He has not looked as smooth as I thought he'd
be on the ball. He does not give up the
ball for nothing, and I also think too from his perspective,
I think even he'd tell you he probably had a
disappointing start to his hornet's career. Yeah, tunnel vision is
probably the word that comes to mind for Colin. I mean,
he's not awful, but you were, as you said, probably
(08:31):
expecting more sure from him.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
But it's also not as good a shooter as I
thought he was gonna be either.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah, and the free frazer kind of it kind of
makes me nervous. You can't be you can't be a
guard and shoot free throws as badly as he does,
you just can't and Dan and it looks like he's
gonna miss him half the time to the way he
looks at it after shoots him. But I look at
it like this, he's probably your most movable asset because
he's own an expiring deal. He doesn't cost poukuo's of money,
(08:58):
and you know, I think tams are gonna want him
coming off the bench on a team that already has
legit playoff chances. So I think that's where youre kind
of looking at with him. Basically, your hope is that
tree Man starts to get into a rhythm, because that's
been the problem. He's also been a little bit shaky
and and I'm not going to go so far as
to use the word liability, but there have been times
(09:20):
he has looked as such out there. But LaMelo's healthy,
not gone wood. Everybody else is healthy, not gone would
So from that perspective, the Hornets have something. They're gonna
play a tough opponent, tough customer tonight in the on
Land of Magic. We'll get into that coming up about
a half hour from right now. Of course, it's all
about Panthers and Seahawks this weekend. The Trevin Wallace news
(09:40):
not encouraging, but they are going to get Cherilists back,
which you know, I mean, not get him back, but
he's still good to go, so it'll be cheerless and
rose room at the line backing position. They get Ikey
Aquanu back, which is very very encouraging. No yosh Niemen experience,
we hope also from that perspective, so that at least
(10:01):
gives you a little bit of a leg up. In
talking to our friend from Seattle, Brian Emhouser earlier in
the week, and also I did the home and Home
back with him on his podcast on Wednesday morning, which,
by the way, both Mike Kay and I were back
to back guests on his podcast. Mike's gonna join us,
by the way in fifteen minutes, so we could talk
about how we were both involved and that outfit on
(10:22):
Wednesday morning. Seattle comes in with a lot of confidence,
as they should have confidence because they're basically number one
seed right now in the NFC. But again I also
look at this and I say Seattle better than any
team we've beaten already, I don't think so. I think
Seattle is as good as the Rams with a quarterback
(10:46):
I trust less. Like that's the problem with Seattle is
that you look at them and you see over there,
you see Sam Donald. We know what Sam Donald is.
And while Sam is better in Seattle, and I think
was better in Minnesota than anything we saw from him
and his Panthers career save for the end of twenty
(11:09):
two and the beginning of twenty one, you're looking at
it and saying they're beatable. Would I favor the Panthers
in this game, Absolutely enough. The betting line does not
do so either. But I look at them when I say,
is the Seattle challenge greater than anything we've conquered in
this season beforehand? And I'd say absolutely not. They've gone
(11:34):
on the road in won Green Bay. I know that
Dallas is not a playoff team anymore, but Dallas was
a darling at the time we beat them and the Rams.
That's a victory you look at and say, is incredibly
promising to look at When you think about the formula
of how you end up making this happen, it's gonna
(11:55):
take the same kind of formula. Team's gonna have to
give you the football You're gonna have to play close
to if not one mistake free football. Bryce is going
to have to give you one of those games that
is close to doesn't have to eclipse Atlanta, but it'll
have to play somewhat close to that. And you gotta
be able to run the football. You do all those things.
(12:16):
You're in the football game, You do all those things.
You might still lose to Seattle, But I'm not as
much concerned about the win loss in this one as
I am the Panther's being able to do what they
want to and dictate the terms of this game. I
think smoke. If it's it's enough they end up dictating
the terms. That has me satisfied.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Am I gonna be ticked off if the Buccaneers lose
and Carolina loses and we missed an opportunity one hundred percent? Yes,
But I think there's so much that's out of your
control in this game viaa v. Seattle that I'm I'm
hopeful for a good performance. As long as they don't
lay an egg on Sunday, I think I'm fine. As
long as they don't lay an egg, they play close. Yeah,
(12:59):
I'm kind of in that boats. I don't really I think,
you know, we talked about it.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
I believe on.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Tuesday when we were asking about, you know, what should
be the plan for Dave Canals When he was asked,
or are you gonna be scoreboard watching? I think I go
back to when Carolina was trying to secure to number
one seed in twenty fifteen, Ron Vera made sure did
not have the Arizona Seattle game even on a scoreboard
of any kind on a TV. It was basically, you know,
(13:29):
keep that a secret. We're worrying about what we have
to do here. I think you can't worry about what's
gonna happen in Miami for the Tampa Bay game because
you can't control it. You can only control what you
can control, and that's the Seattle game. So I just
feel like you gotta go out there and play to win.
Do you understand the criticism that people are saying from
(13:51):
the toward Dave Canal is saying that he's not gonna
scoreboard watch, He's not gonna dictate his personnel based on
what's going on with the Miami tip game. I don't
understand that criticism. What's the criticism? Some people would be like, Oh,
he's got to be more in tune about what's happening
because people want him to save his bullets, so to speak. Like,
(14:11):
for example, Ikey playing this week. I saw a lot
of that conversation where it's like, oh, Ikey should sit
because they want him healthy for the Tampa game.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
In my opinion, if you saw josh.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Nayman play, I'm concerned that Bryce might get broken in
half if Josh Nyman plays another snap at left tack.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Gosh, yeah, yeah, I don't get it.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
You can't have that mindset because if you have that mindset,
you're going to be playing scared, and you can't play
football scared.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
That's the worst possible way to play football.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Scared.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So no, scared, money, don't make money. I'm with you.
You go out there and play. If something happens, something happens.
This isn't the preseason, this is the regular season, So no,
I really don't care if an injury happens. Yeah, it sucks,
but you're still playing for something. You haven't clinched a
playoff spot, you haven't clinched a division, so no, you're
(15:00):
pay for something. You brought something to my attention, we
didn't touch on because it happened literally rather right at
the end of yesterday or Tuesday, show, but or as
we were getting off the air, it looks like a
minor move on the Charlotte of CE front. Drake Calendar
is going to go from Charlotte OFFC to Minnesota, as
first reported by Tom Bogert, Charlotte of f C probably
in the neighborhood of trying to find a backup keeper.
(15:22):
Now does kind of solidify the Christian Khalina thing. I
don't know that people was thinking maybe Calendar's inclusion on
the roster meant that Kalina was expendable. I never really
saw it as that. I thought that they felt that
Calendar could be a solid backup. Quite frankly, he lit
a bit of a fire underneath Cleena's behind. After the
way Kalina had played during the summer, he looked a
heck of a lot more like the guy we had
(15:42):
seen in twenty four by the way that he's played
after Calendar got here. Calendar the former Miami goalkeeper now
going to Minnesota. Ironically enough, Minnesota's goalkeeper is now in Miami.
The two could have simply just traded and had them
go through themselves as the post going through Charlotte, But
it does appear that Charlotte would not have let Calendar
(16:04):
go if they didn't not only get their investment back
and then some so some general allocation money probably coming
back towards Charlotte to either use on a player. They
might also try to go and see what they can
get from a veteran backup standpoint, they also have a
pretty nice stockpile of goalkeepers themselves. They drafted one on
the Super Draft last week. He'll probably be ticketed for Legacy,
but they like to toro a Dunze.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I've heard a Dunza.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
It's kind of fifty fifty on whether or not he wants.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
To be a backup.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
He might want to go on loan and get some minutes.
They also have Nic Holladay, but Holiday struggled to get
minutes as well.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
At at legacy.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
They might still again be on the lookout for a goalkeeper,
but at the same point in time, it does put
Charlotte have set a position to get some more assets
back that way for somebody. Again, as you're talking about
with goalkeeper, only one of them plays except for in
some of these other ancillary competitions. And again it looks
like Kalina will be here to stay for the long
haul seven O four five s an oh nine six
ten will be here with you. We'll come back, Mike Case,
(16:56):
Charlotte Observer will join us at three twenty five. We'll
get into the Pants and the Seahawks. Is it house
money or do the Panthers treat this like a playoff
game themselves? Sports Ready ninety two seven WFNZ, Sports Ready
(17:18):
a ninety two to seven wufn Z. Before we get
to Mike k that there is you found a dooms
Day third scenario for the Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
And not that I didn't believe you, but I looked
this up myself.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
There is a way that all three teams in the
AFC the NFC South can finish eight and nine. Given
the current stature of things, If all three teams finish
eight to nine, i e. The Panthers lose out, Miami
beats the Bucks, the Bucks beat Carolina, and Miami and
(17:53):
the Falcons went out, they'd have to beat the Rams
and the Saints. They all finish eight to nine, it'd
be a three way tie. And guess two holds the
tiebreaker for the three way tie because it goes to
head to head record between those three teams the Carolina
Panthers because because they have a three because they have
(18:16):
a three to one record against those other three other
two teams, it only wats would be in Week eighteen
for the Panthers if that scenario broke that way. That
is the un That is the unpublished as yet unpublished
third scenario. The other two again are much easier. Just
went out or I'm sorry or sorry, win win Week
eighteen against the Bucks, or win this weekend and have
(18:37):
Miami beat Tampa Bay. It is in that fame we
go to Mike k I didn't know that'd be math involved,
but Mike joins us here on the twenty sixth day
of December, joins us on WFNZ.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Hello, Mike, how are you, sir?
Speaker 5 (18:51):
I'm well are you?
Speaker 3 (18:52):
I'm fantastic.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
So, in terms of how you can forecast this game,
does it feel like house mo for the Panthers or
does it almost feel like they can throw everything at
this one and feel like they're okay as long as
they don't lay an egg?
Speaker 6 (19:09):
I don't think how money. I mean, if they're playing
with house money right now? Yeah, but if you look
at them being eight and seven, if they want to
make the playoffs, and they want to have a strong
start to the playoffs, they've got to.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
Keep their foot on the gas.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
But you can say to yourself, is in the grand
scheme of things, that they lose, they don't lose out
on the division.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
And so in that case, this game, especially if.
Speaker 6 (19:36):
The Eagles take care of business in their games like
this game and the grand team of things doesn't matter
because the only thing they'd be chasing with a win
here is the third seed. So that's kind of a
loaded answer. But to answer your question, like, no matter
what happens this week, the Panthers and their fans should
(19:57):
feel good about the home season.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Finale looking at the team as it sits. When I
talked to you a couple of weeks ago, you said,
good luck trying to figure out this team, because I
haven't yet. Are you any closer to figuring out exactly
how this team is from a mentality standpoint, consistency standpoint,
because it seems like all of those things have been
(20:22):
a wavering moving target over the course of this season.
Speaker 5 (20:26):
I mean, I think from.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
A mentality standpoint, this team plays very hard for their
head coach. I think culturally they have really over the
last two years overhauled this building, and the vibes are
completely different, and not just because you know they are winning.
You know, eight they've won more games than they've lost.
Like even when they were one in three, you could
tell there was a belief within the organization, within the
(20:50):
locker room and leads, And when they were you know,
kind of hovering around five hundred, maybe one game below
or one game over, there were guys who were referring
to them sell playoff contenders. So they have a belief
in themselves now. From an execution standpoint, a play calling standpoint,
I still don't think this team has been consistent enough to.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Say, oh, there it is.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
But that said, when they run the football effectively and
they stop the run effectively, they are typically pretty good.
The thing that happens, though, is there will be a
game where, like last week, they worked particularly good as
a running team and bright Young carried them to a win.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
The passing game carried them to a win.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
So I think they're still kind of an anomaly in
that regard. But I think from a mindset standpoint, it's
very easy to figure them out. They want to out
effortview and sometimes that works when everybody the executes.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
What is the most surprising part about the Panther's success
this season.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
It's taking me a while.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
To kind of figure out, Dave Canalis honestly from a
leader ships standpoint, but I think what you've seen over
the past five weeks is the result this team has and.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Their ability to bounce back from being punched in the space.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
You know, they could have easily quivered after that forty
nine Ers loss, they could have easily sunk after both
Saint Clauses.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
They did not do that.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
They were able to battle back, and I think that
speaks to the leadership in the building, the leadership in
the locker room, and the way that they view this
mission that they're on because really we brought up house money.
I think talent wise, they've overachieved, but they are exponentially
more talented than they were last year or the year before,
and that helped them out as well. It's just a
matter of when they execute and when the play calling
(22:39):
is down is when they have a recipe recipe excuse
me for success.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
The surprising thing for me, we talked with Mike Ka
the Charlotte Observer, is that how many points of demarcation
we've seen in this team, how many almost kind of
forks in the road and crossroads that they have defeated,
And a lot of it kind of goes to their
daringness on fourth down. And I saw something on social
media the other day as I was digesting my Christmas lasagna,
(23:05):
the converting the fourth down down seventeen to nothing against
the Dolphins. Like, if Bryce Young doesn't complete that throat
at Temac, a lot of things could have happened, Like
like Bryce Young could have gotten benched in that game,
They could have gone a different direction at quarterback. They
could have gotten blown out by the Dolphins. There could
have a lot of different things could have happened from
(23:27):
a chain reaction events standpoint, and that and succeeding events
since then have led to this magical run that they've
been on. And I guess I'm impressed with just how
much the resolve has stayed true, like you said, because
I think without that, we're asking a lot of the
same questions we asked last year.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
Well, I quite infamously it was on Your Guy's air
right after that Dolphins game, and I had used that
maybe if Andy Dalton had played, they might have blown
out the the Dolphins. Just because I thought he would
have a lack of turnovers.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
I was very.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
Silly and very wrong, and clearly that wasn't the case
if you watched the Buffalo game.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Sure, but I think what Bryce's.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Young is kind of done, especially over the last five weeks,
has kind of shown that he can be the conductor
of the offense. He can be a guy who orchestrates
in tight pressure situations as well as on fourth down.
I think his resolve has been really impressive over the
(24:36):
last five games. He's thrown for ten touchdowns, only had
two interceptions book came against the forty nine ers, and
he's completing sixty six point seven.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Percent of his passes. Like that's pretty good production.
Speaker 6 (24:47):
I know a lot of stats are floating around like
what he's produced.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
He was benched in Week two of last.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
Year, but really the last five weeks to me have
shown you who this guy is before it's you know,
it's nice to put up stats when your season's basically
over and you're just trying to prove yourself and you're
trying to show that you can be the starter of
the next season. What he's doing right now is showing
you that the Panthers can legitimately contend with him at quarterback,
(25:14):
and I think that that is a very impressive feat,
especially given where he's come from.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Well, that's the thing that I think there are people
who sit themselves in two different camps. There are those
who believe that the Panthers mitigate the limitations of Bryce Young,
whereas others say he's continuing to develop as his weapons
develop and as his head coach develops. I feel like
I'm more on the latter side than the former side.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
How do you sit, I'm kind of in the middle.
Speaker 6 (25:45):
I think, does Bryce me the supporting cast that's competent,
Absolutely do. I think he's also kind of out playing
with the coaching at times and the play calling at times.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
So I think it's one of those things where development
isn't linear. You and I are both objective observers who
are watching this stuff. When when he played poorly you criticize.
When you see him play really well, you praised. And
for the most part, down the stretch of the second
half of the season, we've seen him step up orchestrate
(26:19):
the offense, do a lot of things that he did
not do in previous years. Even as he had that
really nice run the second half of last year.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
The pressure is on him.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
This is go mode time for him, and I think
what's what I've been most impressive impressed by is the
fact that whether it's a fourth down play or a
scramble or having to improvise, he's more than not had answers.
This forty nine Ers game was brutal, it was ugly,
But in between all of that, I thought he played
(26:49):
relatively well against the same game, and I thought play
calling let him down the fourth quarter and that's why
they lost. But really, I mean since that Atlanta game,
things of click and I think he is an improved
player with a pretty decent feeling. Does that mean that
he should be the franchise quarterback for the next ten years?
Speaker 5 (27:08):
No?
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Does it mean that they should pick up his fifth
year option for half of the price of Rock Purdy? Probably.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Mike Ca joining us from the Charlotte Observer, I want
to ask you about the defense before I ask you
about the route the victory, because I think the defense,
I sometimes find myself sitting there and seeing how many
yards they give up and then being amazed at how
well they execute with the you know, fangio esque, Ben,
don't break Moniker. They get turnovers, which is something they
(27:36):
didn't do a lot last year. They're finding ways to
get off the field and turn sevens into threes. How
do you, I guess assess with this defense is which
is still I think an incomplete exercise based on their personnel,
but at the same point in time, Bile's better than
they were a year ago.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:53):
I think this defense, which not necessarily de emphasizes but
doesn't play as much important middle of the field. What
I mean by that is inside linebacker and safety.
Speaker 5 (28:04):
See those lamps.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
But I also think, like you said mentioning Fangio, I mean,
ever coached under him, and he was a relatively big influence,
and I think you're seeing, even with a much less
talented team than Fanchio's previous groups, especially the Eagles, right now,
he's making it work.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
I think having j C.
Speaker 6 (28:26):
Horn and Derek Brown is huge having them both together
as jac continues to ascend and Derek Brown's come back
from injury like nothing even happened. Arguably he's been much
more improved. He leaves all defensive linemen with pass breakup.
He's got a career high in sack. It is an
utter and complete joke that he is not a Pro Bowler.
(28:47):
I understand that the other three guys deserved it too,
but they need to do something about the way this
Pro Bowl vote being is constructed and how that whatever.
That's a whole other tangents. But that said, I think
you look at Nick Gorton, who is the runaway defensive
rookie of.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
The year for this team.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
He's been tremendous, and I think the stafeties have played
relatively well.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Nick Scott got a lot.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Of hate in the off season and in the summer
and early in the season, but he's played fine. Like
he's not been great, but he hasn't been like a
complete liability either. And I think Trevon Marrik changes so
much about this defense because of his versatility.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
It's really impressive.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
It certainly is. And I'll agree with you on Scott.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
He is He's had some moments, had the interception, of course,
and has done some some very marked big things. Is
it just carbon copy of the ram game and bring
it to here or are the different things about this
contest that you look at and say Carolina can take
advantage of. Obviously there's the sam angle of this, but
what is the route to victory for Carolina on Sunday.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Stop Kenneth Walker. If Kenneth Walker gets off to a
really good early start, it's gonna be really tough to
defend Sam with Jack Smith, Nisba and Rashika Rashid Shaheed
who absolutely burned them with the Saint last year. So
(30:09):
I kind of feel like the Seahawks are much more
talented offense for defense. And then I think defensively, you know,
they've got Devin Witherspoon, They've got some guys who can
just get after dudes, get Sir Lawrence Leonard Williams, like
they are staffed, and I think this is going to
(30:29):
be a tough pat for the Panthers, but we've seen
that they are very opportunistics. They do need to be
a little bit like they were against the Rams, where
they take advantage of mistakes. And if anybody knows that
Tim Donold can make some mistakes, it's the folks who
covered him in Carolina and the hope that you can
pressure him enough where he makes a poor decision or
(30:50):
for and you take advantage.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
About to say, I remember a lot of those mistakes.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Mike Mike k from The Child Observer appreciate the time
as always. Man, I'll see you on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Sounds great. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
That is Mike Ca joining us here on sports RIDW
ninety two seven wfn Z. Uh, it's just such a
fascinating story this year has been. Obviously, it's it's the
most intriguing season I've had since I've been here. And
I know that I didn't just get here yesterday, but
I'm not in here as long as a lot of people.
But at the same point in time, this is a
it's been. It's been a pleasure to see. I also
(31:25):
proved I can be fair on Everro. I wanted people
to hear that I can be fair on Everro. Unfortunately
Chris McClain or Travis Hancock hurt that I know.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I know neither of them did I can be fair
on him.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
It's okay, though, I don't need to prove myself to
them or anyone else other than y'all who listen, the
dedicated people of wfnzy's listenership. It is in that vein
we say hello to Smoke Ludwig and he gives you smoke.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
On the headlines, who is smoked? Where is smoked?
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Where there's fire, let's go all right, So we talked
to Mike Kay but we didn't mention all the injury reports.
But outside of Trevin Wallace being out for the remainder
of the year was shoulder surgery, the injury news we got.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Today was good.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Ikim Akwanu is back this week after missing last week's
game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so that means Josh
Nigeman's back on the bench for the time being at least. Also,
we got to report that tenor Or McMillan he was
missing practice, but it was rest days for him. He
is going to be active in playing on Sunday's game.
(32:38):
But that isn't the biggest news today. The biggest news
today comes from college football, as we now basically know
who the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines is
going to be, and it's a wild card. Kyle Whittingham,
who just stepped down from his longtime position as head
coach from Utah, put that perspective. He's the one that
replaced Urban Meyer back in two thousand and five or
(33:01):
to utes he left. He stepped down from Utah and
now he's going to be the new head coach or
to Michigan Wolverines. He was kind of the name that
came up right at the outset because the Sharon Moore
stuff kind of happened right around the same time that
his retirement happened, so candidly a lot of the tension
had gone that way. There were a couple of other
(33:22):
sitting head coaches who had been throwing in the rumor
mill Mile Miters one ended up being thrown in the
room mill a little bit, as did Kalen de Boor,
but neither of those ended up biting, and so Whittingham
kind of seems like the uh, I don't want to
say the last man standing, but I really don't know
where else they would have gone other than promoted Biff,
which I think they really didn't.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Want that I would have been a travesty.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
But yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
I also, Kyle Whittingham kind of made it clear he
wasn't retiring, he was just stepping down. Yeah, so he
was trying to clarify that too. So I don't know
if he knew the Michigan job could come open before
he stepped down.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
A bunch of people who think of people who made it, you.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Know, somewhat known that that wasn't exactly a secret in
ann Arbor. Yes, so it's gonna be very interesting to
see Kyle Whittingham not wearing red moving forward, but instead
gonna be wearing wolverine blue. We'll say, though not bad
all things considered, because again, looked like it was going
to be really bad.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Again.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
There's a couple of those this year that have kind
of gone the way of you know, they ended up
kind of with like Penn and State I think is
in the same vein Penn State ended up you know,
literally asking anybody who would pick up the phone or
any agent would pick up the phone, and a lot
of dudes got raises because of Penn State, my head
coach included. And yet they ended up with a pretty
darn good head coach in Matt Campbell, and I think
(34:40):
Michigan kind of ends up in the same belt.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
We'll see how it works out for them. Do you
want to buoying out too?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Just also doesn't constitute a second wave of musical chairs
for coacheses.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Because he's already gone.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
He was already gone, and Utah has already made a
higher so that hopefully, also, like you said, stops the
coaching carousel.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
On this summer of the twenty six The.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
Kyle Bailey Show, Sports Radio ninety to seven wfn Z
will come back. Matt al Keisa will join us from
Sports Illustrated. Will talk hornets with him next on Sports
Radio ninety seven WFZ Sports raf Z Kyle Bailey Show,
(35:32):
Willie p.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
In for KB.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
We're gonna talk. We have a nice treat.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Next hour, Mike Chiminski is gonna talk to us, of course,
a long time college basketball analyst now works for the CW.
He's got a duke legend. I was gonna say, I
was getting to the duke legend part of it. He's
got a basketball Classic in his name and also the
duke legend as a nominee this year for the A.
Smith Basketball Hall of Fame as well as a player,
(35:56):
which would be a lot of fun to talk to
about him. I'll also ask him about triangle teams as well,
UNC Duke and State. Of course, big Big Classic this
weekend coming up, and we'll talk about that with him
coming up. It's actually tomorrow and a Monday at Marvin
Ridge High School in Waxaw, so a very very pack
day of events basically starting at eleven o'clock going all
(36:19):
the way through eight in the evening. Actually it's a
three day classic sorry, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, so a
lot of fun. Lots of teams from throughout the area
and throughout the state will be involved with that. So
looking forward to talking to Mike just about those games,
but also the Hall of Fame induction stuff for Hall
of Fame on nomination stuff I should say, as well
as what's going on in acc hoops, what's going on
(36:42):
in the NBA of course, the Hornets back in action,
not against the Orlando Magic. It's some odds and ends
to talk about with Matt al Keys, who joins us
here on Sports Ratt ninety seven WFNZ. What's going on, Matt,
Mary Chris, I hope you're doing well.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
I'm doing well, man, Mary chrismas to you too.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
How would you assess kind of what Tuesday night looked
like for the Hornets given their victory over Washington. They
you know, despite the fact they didn't have but one center,
they ended up winning the rebounding battle, only committing five turnovers.
We now Washington's lousy, but felt like a stabilizing uning
for the Hornets after what happened in Cleveland.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
Yeah, I mean all credit on the boards goes to
Musa via Bata. It felt like every couple of minutes
you were looking over at me on press rows saying that, hey,
Musa broke this rebounding record, or Musa set this career
high for rebounds in a quarter or a half. So,
I mean, he was the catalyst on Tuesday night. He
kind of got the Charlotte Hornets out of the gate.
(37:36):
They were a little sleepy to start, and then I
mean the Big three took them home. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller,
kantk Nipple as they do when the Hornets won games.
Each had their turn running the offense and putting points
on the board for the Hornets. But again, Musa the
catalyst of it all, and anytime Charlotte beats a team
like Washington, it needs to be celebrated. That was the
(37:56):
kind of game that the Hornets of years past would
probably lose. The last game before the holidays, second night
of a back to back, the Sleepy Twoes night of
the Spectrum Center, a winnable game against one of the
worst teams in the league. So even though the Wizards are,
like you said, a lousy team, one of the worst
in the league. The Hornets do deserve some credit for
going out there and handling their business with relative eaves,
(38:19):
even while being short handed in the front court.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
You mentioned Musa. The eighteen rebounds is definitely something not
to stick at. But the thing about it is that
Charles Lee said, is that he's made some significant shrines
in terms of what he can do offensively. It's something
that I think we always kind of overlook with his
game because he does so many other great things at
think any offense with him as a bonus. But he's
starting to become a lot more confident in that part
(38:42):
of his game.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Yeah, if you watch the broadcast on Peacock on Monday night,
the guys who are announcing it, Austin Rivers and Robbie
Hommel were the two color commentators. They were kind of
shocked anytime Musa put the ball in the deck and
you know, did one of his patented eurosteps or spin
moves or I don't remember if he dunked on anybody
against Cleveland, but he's done that a number of times
this year. So Yeah, it feels like people are kind
(39:05):
of slow to noticing the offensive rise of Musa, but
he feels pretty comfortable with the bon in his hands
right now. The thing that has always stuck out to
me about Musa is he's a pretty high level processor.
So when he catches the ball at the free throw
line and he has a choice to either drive or
pass the ball to an open shooter, of which there
are many on Charlotte this year, he generally makes the
(39:27):
right decision and can be trusted with the ball in
his hands, and we're just kind of seen him grow
in confidence more and more throughout his year and a
half with the Hornets in making those decisions and the
team doesn't really lose much when he is on the floor. Center.
Compared to Ryan Kulchbrener, they play very differently, their skill
sets are very different, but they are equally as impactful
players on both ends of the floor.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
So the Hornets center depth definitely tested after the injuries
to both Ryan Calkebrenner first and then Mason Plumley and
Cleveland with the groin strains. So as a result, the
Hornets had to make a ross move. Tuesday, they end
up releasing Drew Peterson and then Wednesday end up signing
PJ Hall from the Greensboro swarm PJ who looked really,
really good in Summer League, and I was a little
(40:09):
disappointed the Hornets didn't give him a full time spot.
Ends up coming around the man after signing in Memphis
and then signing with Greensboro, and now he's back on
the hornets purview and in their roster. He'll be in
Orlando tonight for the Hornet game. How would you assess
kind of the traveling soccer that is PJ Hall And
(40:29):
what do you expect for him tonight?
Speaker 5 (40:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:32):
I expected him to get the Hornet's third two way contract.
I mean way back in June when they announced the
summer league roster and I saw that he was on
the team, you know, kind of set off some alarm
belts in my head. He's a guy that has a
little bit of NBA experience, played in the Nuggets organization,
had played a couple of games in Denver, but spent
a lot of time with their G League team, and
you know, all throughout the summer, the main conversation point
(40:54):
around the Hornets was how weak they were in the
front court, with Talkbrenner as a totally unproven option and
Mason Palmley as the veteran stop gap and then Musa
as a you know, intriguing piece, but more of a
I would call him like a depth, energy big off
the bench. So that being said, I expected PJ to
get a contract, at least a two way contract months ago,
(41:16):
so I'm not surprised to see it come all the
way back around with him rejoining the team. He brings
a different skill set. He can shoot it a little bit.
He's more of a stretch big, can handle on the perimeter.
He's going to be really physical in the paint, which
you know all Charles Lee centers are. He likes guys
that you know, can mix it up underneath the boards.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
So I'm not.
Speaker 4 (41:34):
Expecting like an oversized impact. It's hard to really project
too much from a guy on a two way contract,
but I'm expecting PJ to place the minutes tonight and
be pretty effective in them. He had a nice stint
in Greensboro was arguably the Hornet's best player across So
there's some really campaign on their way to a championship,
and I think he'll be a, you know, if not
an important piece, a useful one for the Hornet's going forward.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
That's definitely the right way I would assess it, and
just looking at the games yesterday, obviously the Western Conference
has got some world beaters. But when I assess the
Eastern Conference teams and the way that I watch the
holiday hoops, you know, I kind of watch it in
the vein of you know, how far away are the
Hornets to this? We know that there are certain matchup
nightmare parts of say the Knicks, Orlando, maybe even Detroit.
(42:21):
But outside of that, I look at a lot of
teams and I say, the Hornets are not far off
of them when they are fully healthy and we've seen them,
you know now kind of get back to health. We're
thirty games in, They're not far out of a playoff spot.
How would you assess the intrigue of this next set
of games, provided that the Hornets can escape the injury
bug here?
Speaker 4 (42:42):
Yeah, I mean the injury bug is the biggest thing
need to escape right I don't think the playoffs are
the goals is the goal for the Hornets right now?
I think if they sneak their way into the play
in via the back door after a collapse from a
Chicago or a yanistrait happened in Milaukee, I think the
organization will be thrilled because it means they're a head
of schedule. I think everything the team the franchise is
(43:04):
doing right now is just trying to evaluate the talent
that they have, because more than ever they have it.
I mean, the big three of Ca, Nipple, Miller, and
Ball is as talented of a trio as the Hornets
have ever had in their recent history. And they're all young.
They're all under twenty five or younger right now. So
them making the playoffs and making a legitimate push I
(43:25):
think would put them ahead of schedule. I think right
now it's just about, hey, how do those guys play together?
What do we need to build around them? How can
we improve the talent on the fringes of the roster
to really supplement those guys. So sorry Hornets fans who
are hoping to see a playoff berth in twenty twenty six,
I don't think that's going to be the case. But
(43:46):
I will say they are better positioned right now going
forwards than they have been in a while to become
a consistent playoff team. And that's the terminology that Jeff
Peterson and Charles Lee have used since they came to
Charlot is that they're not looking to skip steps. They're
not looking to rush into anything and make a rash move.
It's going to mortgage or jeopardize the future that they've
(44:08):
built very nicely over the past couple of years. I
will say so, Yeah, they're not positioned for a playoff
birth in twenty twenty six, unfortunately, but I do think
they're in a good spot to make their way up
the Eastern Conference going forward in years to come.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
Last one for you, Matt, The play of t John
Salon has been very, very hard to ignore. I basically
made the comment earlier this week that his emergence is
going to get somebody traded on this roster because at
least proves that he can be a rotation player. If
the guy that we've seen here in the last couple
of weeks continues to develop eliminate some of the mistakes,
(44:44):
it's become great to see his development start to really flourish.
Speaker 4 (44:49):
Yeah. Man, it has been so encouraging. I think a
lot of the fans forget that he is still just
nineteen years old. He's only been in the United States
for a year. These guys take time like he's still
so He's still in his basketball infancy and development is
not a linear thing. We've already seen the roller coaster
of ups and downs of the Tjon Salon developmental track,
(45:11):
but it is impossible to say that he is anything
but on the right track right now. The decision making
has been a lot better. Charlotte has really simplified his role.
He takes corner threes, he sets a lot of screens,
he crashes the rebounds hard. He injects energy into the
lineup and into the spectrum center when the Hornets play
(45:32):
home games, because the passion that he plays with is undeniable,
and you can just see the flashes of what the
Hornets believe in every once in a while when he
gets the ball in transition and does one of those
dead leg euro steps and finishes up and a round
to defender, which is what he did against Washington. He
had a game in Toronto a few weeks ago where
I think he hit five threes. So yeah, every game,
(45:54):
every minute, every second that Tjon plays, you can just
see the light in his just become just that much brighter.
As he continues to develop into hopefully a long term
important piece in this Hornet spore.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
Hornets and Orlando denied. Mattol Kisa, Sports Illustrated joining us.
Thanks a lot, Matt, appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
Absolutely have a good week.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Willie, That is mattol Keisa joining us here on Sports
Radio ninety seven WFNZ quick Break. We are back with
the best audio in sports of what did you say next?
Here on the Cayle Bailey Show, Sports Radio ninety to
seven WFNZ.
You're listening to the Kyle Bailey Show powered by Victory
Chevy Charlotte. Want to drive a sweet Silverado Trail Boss
like KB. Go to Victory Chevy Charlotte dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Happy Day After Christmas to you and yours, or Boxing
Day as the Brits call it. It is the Kyle
Bailey Show on Sports Radio ninety two seven WFNZ. So
happy to be with you here, live and local on
a Friday. We hope you enjoyed your Christmas. We hope
Santa was good to you. We hope that your belly
(00:44):
was full and your sports appetite was quenched. I think
there were various times of the day where sports might
have made it onto the second TV based on a
couple of those blowouts in the middle of the day
in the NBA and the fact that while I have
a very high tolerance for football, it just got to
the point where, you know, I don't know if it
(01:05):
was Josh Johnson almost throwing it right in the middle
of a cowboy linebacker or Max or Rosmer, just despite
them winning, having only three net passing yards.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
To beat the Detroit Lions.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I just I could not get myself to you know,
be one locked in on all three football games. I
was locked into the early basketball. I had the basketball
all throughout the day, you know, I watched the Lebrons
and the Rockets, watched a little bit of that Warrior
game as well. The Nugget game was incredible. Nuggets t.
(01:40):
Wolves was a classic when you think about the fact
that it went to overtime. Jokic went for fifty six
in a triple double overtime victory over Minnesota. But at
the same point in time, you know, people were talking about, oh, well,
it's gonna be interesting to see what the ratings look
like because the NFL always feels like King, but it
didn't feel like King yesterday. Like people like to make
(02:02):
the pizza slash love making comparison when it comes to
the NFL, Hey, even if it's bad, it's good. I
don't know if it was necessarily proven positive when it
came to the NFL yesterday, because those were two stinkers,
and while one was a close game down the stretch
Denver and Kansas City, by that time, I'd already found
myself in a Lasaga coma, knowing that basically this is
(02:25):
going to be what it was going to be. And
it was going to be the Travis Kelcey coronation party.
Despite the bat that Kansas City even lost with a
third string quarterback against Denver Broncos. So it was a
very tepid sports day. But you know, we get a
lot to getting forward to, a lot of luck too
forward to. In terms of the locals. Of course, the Hornets,
we haven't talked since Tuesday, So the Hornet's victorious over
(02:45):
the Widgets. We'll get into that with Matt al Keisa
coming up later on this hour. We'll talk Panthers with
Mike Kay as the week seventeen matchup approaches us. And
the thing that I keep thinking about with this game
is that while itt it feels like house money, there
are still a lot of important things that can happen
in this game independent of the result. Number one is health,
(03:06):
Number two is momentum, and you'll I feel like we
both kind of regard those things as very, very important.
The Panthers got some good news on Iki Ikwanu. They
get some bad news on Trevin Wallace. His season is done,
as we heard from Dave Canalis earlier today, but Ikey
is going to start and play for Carolina this weekend
back after a one week absence. Trett Timack, who missed
(03:28):
the day earlier this week also is good to go.
As we get you ready for this weekend, we'll talk
a lot about what's going on this weekend again. Panther
went over Seattle and a loss by Tampa to Miami
gives them the division. Otherwise they'll go ahead to head
for the division in the NFC South.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Seven four, five, nine, six tens. How do you get
in touch with me? Willi P?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
On Twitter at Willy P Stale smoke. How was your Christmas?
My friend? Very calm and very warm since we broke
an all time record of hottest Christmas Day and at
least recorded history over the last one hundred and fifty years,
but also very relaxing. It wasn't too big, you know,
I don't really we don't really travel that much for
Christmas or to holiday season, so it's actually kind of nice.
(04:09):
I don't have to worry about going into an airport
during thesime of the year, so I take you know, I.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Don't take that for granted.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
As somebody who has flown on Christmas Day before, I
can tell you flying on the day is actually one
of the best days to fly. It's just a three
days prior today, it's the it's all the stuff leading
up to that and afterwards, like today, absolute mess because
(04:38):
there are people who are going all over the place
and everywhere. There's snow up in the northeast, et cetera,
and so on. As somebody who has flown multiple times
on Christmas, it is, it could not be smoother.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
It is.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It's it's incredible. It's honestly, you know what it is.
It's like being in our office today. There is literally
nobody here. We are the only two people absent the
person who's got to watch the LP one over the there.
I think on WBT and I think a second person.
There's four people in our office today and you and
I are two of them. Which is that's the way
the airports are. The airports are empty on Christmas Day.
(05:11):
It's a great thing if if you're having to travel
and see people. I have traveled to see family on
Christmas Day, and I've also traveled. I had to travel
to go see Clemson in a bowl game. It was
a bowl game or a college football playoffs in my
final was it was a playoffs, my final in Dallas
against against another name Cotton Bowl scenario. That was an
(05:34):
ugly game, blood bath for y all. Yeah, got a
field goal, I hate it, need it, But at the
same point in time, it's a good thing. A lot
to kind of decipher. Yesterday, again, like I said, the
Christmas Day games were a mixed bag. The Nick game was.
I mean, they came back from seventeen down beat the Cavaliers.
(05:55):
Spurs ended up pulling away from the Thunder. By the way,
that's three head to head victories for the Spurs over
the Thunder and not even close games too, and they
say they walloped them. I mean, the Spurs are a problem.
Spurs are going to be a problem in the Western Conference,
and then the West has got I would say four
teams who could win the NBA Finals, and they all
(06:16):
played yesterday, the t Wolves, Nuggets, MAVs, wre uh T, Wolves, Nuggets, Spurs, Thunder.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
I think all can win the NBA title.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And I think I think all four of those teams
are probably head and shoulders above what any team in
the East might be outside of the Knicks and or Pistons.
And even so, I think the three of those teams
are better than the next and and something I also
thought of yesterday while watching all this all this basketball,
(06:45):
and something that you kind of told me, as people
who now are starting to give the Hornets of national cred.
They got themselves on the national TV earlier this week,
and they acquitted themselves I think in three quarters adequately,
although not winning the basketball game. I want it to
not far off now, y'all. Like we talk about some
of the abject failures that have started here for the
(07:06):
first thirty games of this season, they find themselves with
some health now outside of the center position. They made
a move over the holiday to bring PJ. Hall in
from the Greensboro Swarm after we found out that Kulkbrenner
and Plumbley are going to be down again for a
second consecutive game, and they didn't want to have to
go through what they did in the Washington game. They
(07:26):
have to basically be down to one center and then
some small ball five. They released Drew Peterson as a
corresponding move to make that happen. So independent of the
center position woes and independent also of not having Grant Williams,
everyone's basically back, and from that perspective that gives you
something encouraging because It's the thing we've all wanted to
(07:48):
see is that this is the this is the route
ahead for Charlotte. This is the opportunity to see exactly
what this group is.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
That doesn't mean they're gonna be moves.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
We talked about the Colin Sexton thing earlier this week
about how apparently they are shopping Sexton who I mean,
I don't know if you, I don't know how you
feel spoken about.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
I've been a somewhat disappointed about Colin Sexton.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
He has not looked as smooth as I thought he'd
be on the ball. He does not give up the
ball for nothing, and I also think too from his perspective,
I think even he'd tell you he probably had a
disappointing start to his hornet's career. Yeah, tunnel vision is
probably the word that comes to mind for Colin. I mean,
he's not awful, but you were, as you said, probably
(08:31):
expecting more sure from him.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
But it's also not as good a shooter as I
thought he was gonna be either.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah, and the free frazer kind of it kind of
makes me nervous. You can't be you can't be a
guard and shoot free throws as badly as he does,
you just can't and Dan and it looks like he's
gonna miss him half the time to the way he
looks at it after shoots him. But I look at
it like this, he's probably your most movable asset because
he's own an expiring deal. He doesn't cost poukuo's of money,
(08:58):
and you know, I think tams are gonna want him
coming off the bench on a team that already has
legit playoff chances. So I think that's where youre kind
of looking at with him. Basically, your hope is that
tree Man starts to get into a rhythm, because that's
been the problem. He's also been a little bit shaky
and and I'm not going to go so far as
to use the word liability, but there have been times
(09:20):
he has looked as such out there. But LaMelo's healthy,
not gone wood. Everybody else is healthy, not gone would
So from that perspective, the Hornets have something. They're gonna
play a tough opponent, tough customer tonight in the on
Land of Magic. We'll get into that coming up about
a half hour from right now. Of course, it's all
about Panthers and Seahawks this weekend. The Trevin Wallace news
(09:40):
not encouraging, but they are going to get Cherilists back,
which you know, I mean, not get him back, but
he's still good to go, so it'll be cheerless and
rose room at the line backing position. They get Ikey
Aquanu back, which is very very encouraging. No yosh Niemen experience,
we hope also from that perspective, so that at least
(10:01):
gives you a little bit of a leg up. In
talking to our friend from Seattle, Brian Emhouser earlier in
the week, and also I did the home and Home
back with him on his podcast on Wednesday morning, which,
by the way, both Mike Kay and I were back
to back guests on his podcast. Mike's gonna join us,
by the way in fifteen minutes, so we could talk
about how we were both involved and that outfit on
(10:22):
Wednesday morning. Seattle comes in with a lot of confidence,
as they should have confidence because they're basically number one
seed right now in the NFC. But again I also
look at this and I say Seattle better than any
team we've beaten already, I don't think so. I think
Seattle is as good as the Rams with a quarterback
(10:46):
I trust less. Like that's the problem with Seattle is
that you look at them and you see over there,
you see Sam Donald. We know what Sam Donald is.
And while Sam is better in Seattle, and I think
was better in Minnesota than anything we saw from him
and his Panthers career save for the end of twenty
(11:09):
two and the beginning of twenty one, you're looking at
it and saying they're beatable. Would I favor the Panthers
in this game, Absolutely enough. The betting line does not
do so either. But I look at them when I say,
is the Seattle challenge greater than anything we've conquered in
this season beforehand? And I'd say absolutely not. They've gone
(11:34):
on the road in won Green Bay. I know that
Dallas is not a playoff team anymore, but Dallas was
a darling at the time we beat them and the Rams.
That's a victory you look at and say, is incredibly
promising to look at When you think about the formula
of how you end up making this happen, it's gonna
(11:55):
take the same kind of formula. Team's gonna have to
give you the football You're gonna have to play close
to if not one mistake free football. Bryce is going
to have to give you one of those games that
is close to doesn't have to eclipse Atlanta, but it'll
have to play somewhat close to that. And you gotta
be able to run the football. You do all those things.
(12:16):
You're in the football game, You do all those things.
You might still lose to Seattle, But I'm not as
much concerned about the win loss in this one as
I am the Panther's being able to do what they
want to and dictate the terms of this game. I
think smoke. If it's it's enough they end up dictating
the terms. That has me satisfied.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Am I gonna be ticked off if the Buccaneers lose
and Carolina loses and we missed an opportunity one hundred percent? Yes,
But I think there's so much that's out of your
control in this game viaa v. Seattle that I'm I'm
hopeful for a good performance. As long as they don't
lay an egg on Sunday, I think I'm fine. As
long as they don't lay an egg, they play close. Yeah,
(12:59):
I'm kind of in that boats. I don't really I think,
you know, we talked about it.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
I believe on.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Tuesday when we were asking about, you know, what should
be the plan for Dave Canals When he was asked,
or are you gonna be scoreboard watching? I think I go
back to when Carolina was trying to secure to number
one seed in twenty fifteen, Ron Vera made sure did
not have the Arizona Seattle game even on a scoreboard
of any kind on a TV. It was basically, you know,
(13:29):
keep that a secret. We're worrying about what we have
to do here. I think you can't worry about what's
gonna happen in Miami for the Tampa Bay game because
you can't control it. You can only control what you
can control, and that's the Seattle game. So I just
feel like you gotta go out there and play to win.
Do you understand the criticism that people are saying from
(13:51):
the toward Dave Canal is saying that he's not gonna
scoreboard watch, He's not gonna dictate his personnel based on
what's going on with the Miami tip game. I don't
understand that criticism. What's the criticism? Some people would be like, Oh,
he's got to be more in tune about what's happening
because people want him to save his bullets, so to speak. Like,
(14:11):
for example, Ikey playing this week. I saw a lot
of that conversation where it's like, oh, Ikey should sit
because they want him healthy for the Tampa game.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
In my opinion, if you saw josh.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Nayman play, I'm concerned that Bryce might get broken in
half if Josh Nyman plays another snap at left tack.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Gosh, yeah, yeah, I don't get it.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
You can't have that mindset because if you have that mindset,
you're going to be playing scared, and you can't play
football scared.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
That's the worst possible way to play football.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Scared.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So no, scared, money, don't make money. I'm with you.
You go out there and play. If something happens, something happens.
This isn't the preseason, this is the regular season, So no,
I really don't care if an injury happens. Yeah, it sucks,
but you're still playing for something. You haven't clinched a
playoff spot, you haven't clinched a division, so no, you're
(15:00):
pay for something. You brought something to my attention, we
didn't touch on because it happened literally rather right at
the end of yesterday or Tuesday, show, but or as
we were getting off the air, it looks like a
minor move on the Charlotte of CE front. Drake Calendar
is going to go from Charlotte OFFC to Minnesota, as
first reported by Tom Bogert, Charlotte of f C probably
in the neighborhood of trying to find a backup keeper.
(15:22):
Now does kind of solidify the Christian Khalina thing. I
don't know that people was thinking maybe Calendar's inclusion on
the roster meant that Kalina was expendable. I never really
saw it as that. I thought that they felt that
Calendar could be a solid backup. Quite frankly, he lit
a bit of a fire underneath Cleena's behind. After the
way Kalina had played during the summer, he looked a
heck of a lot more like the guy we had
(15:42):
seen in twenty four by the way that he's played
after Calendar got here. Calendar the former Miami goalkeeper now
going to Minnesota. Ironically enough, Minnesota's goalkeeper is now in Miami.
The two could have simply just traded and had them
go through themselves as the post going through Charlotte, But
it does appear that Charlotte would not have let Calendar
(16:04):
go if they didn't not only get their investment back
and then some so some general allocation money probably coming
back towards Charlotte to either use on a player. They
might also try to go and see what they can
get from a veteran backup standpoint, they also have a
pretty nice stockpile of goalkeepers themselves. They drafted one on
the Super Draft last week. He'll probably be ticketed for Legacy,
but they like to toro a Dunze.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I've heard a Dunza.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
It's kind of fifty fifty on whether or not he wants.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
To be a backup.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
He might want to go on loan and get some minutes.
They also have Nic Holladay, but Holiday struggled to get
minutes as well.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
At at legacy.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
They might still again be on the lookout for a goalkeeper,
but at the same point in time, it does put
Charlotte have set a position to get some more assets
back that way for somebody. Again, as you're talking about
with goalkeeper, only one of them plays except for in
some of these other ancillary competitions. And again it looks
like Kalina will be here to stay for the long
haul seven O four five s an oh nine six
ten will be here with you. We'll come back, Mike Case,
(16:56):
Charlotte Observer will join us at three twenty five. We'll
get into the Pants and the Seahawks. Is it house
money or do the Panthers treat this like a playoff
game themselves? Sports Ready ninety two seven WFNZ, Sports Ready
(17:18):
a ninety two to seven wufn Z. Before we get
to Mike k that there is you found a dooms
Day third scenario for the Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
And not that I didn't believe you, but I looked
this up myself.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
There is a way that all three teams in the
AFC the NFC South can finish eight and nine. Given
the current stature of things, If all three teams finish
eight to nine, i e. The Panthers lose out, Miami
beats the Bucks, the Bucks beat Carolina, and Miami and
(17:53):
the Falcons went out, they'd have to beat the Rams
and the Saints. They all finish eight to nine, it'd
be a three way tie. And guess two holds the
tiebreaker for the three way tie because it goes to
head to head record between those three teams the Carolina
Panthers because because they have a three because they have
(18:16):
a three to one record against those other three other
two teams, it only wats would be in Week eighteen
for the Panthers if that scenario broke that way. That
is the un That is the unpublished as yet unpublished
third scenario. The other two again are much easier. Just
went out or I'm sorry or sorry, win win Week
eighteen against the Bucks, or win this weekend and have
(18:37):
Miami beat Tampa Bay. It is in that fame we
go to Mike k I didn't know that'd be math involved,
but Mike joins us here on the twenty sixth day
of December, joins us on WFNZ.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Hello, Mike, how are you, sir?
Speaker 5 (18:51):
I'm well are you?
Speaker 3 (18:52):
I'm fantastic.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
So, in terms of how you can forecast this game,
does it feel like house mo for the Panthers or
does it almost feel like they can throw everything at
this one and feel like they're okay as long as
they don't lay an egg?
Speaker 6 (19:09):
I don't think how money. I mean, if they're playing
with house money right now? Yeah, but if you look
at them being eight and seven, if they want to
make the playoffs, and they want to have a strong
start to the playoffs, they've got to.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
Keep their foot on the gas.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
But you can say to yourself, is in the grand
scheme of things, that they lose, they don't lose out
on the division.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
And so in that case, this game, especially if.
Speaker 6 (19:36):
The Eagles take care of business in their games like
this game and the grand team of things doesn't matter
because the only thing they'd be chasing with a win
here is the third seed. So that's kind of a
loaded answer. But to answer your question, like, no matter
what happens this week, the Panthers and their fans should
(19:57):
feel good about the home season.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Finale looking at the team as it sits. When I
talked to you a couple of weeks ago, you said,
good luck trying to figure out this team, because I
haven't yet. Are you any closer to figuring out exactly
how this team is from a mentality standpoint, consistency standpoint,
because it seems like all of those things have been
(20:22):
a wavering moving target over the course of this season.
Speaker 5 (20:26):
I mean, I think from.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
A mentality standpoint, this team plays very hard for their
head coach. I think culturally they have really over the
last two years overhauled this building, and the vibes are
completely different, and not just because you know they are winning.
You know, eight they've won more games than they've lost.
Like even when they were one in three, you could
tell there was a belief within the organization, within the
(20:50):
locker room and leads, And when they were you know,
kind of hovering around five hundred, maybe one game below
or one game over, there were guys who were referring
to them sell playoff contenders. So they have a belief
in themselves now. From an execution standpoint, a play calling standpoint,
I still don't think this team has been consistent enough to.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Say, oh, there it is.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
But that said, when they run the football effectively and
they stop the run effectively, they are typically pretty good.
The thing that happens, though, is there will be a
game where, like last week, they worked particularly good as
a running team and bright Young carried them to a win.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
The passing game carried them to a win.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
So I think they're still kind of an anomaly in
that regard. But I think from a mindset standpoint, it's
very easy to figure them out. They want to out
effortview and sometimes that works when everybody the executes.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
What is the most surprising part about the Panther's success
this season.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
It's taking me a while.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
To kind of figure out, Dave Canalis honestly from a
leader ships standpoint, but I think what you've seen over
the past five weeks is the result this team has and.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Their ability to bounce back from being punched in the space.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
You know, they could have easily quivered after that forty
nine Ers loss, they could have easily sunk after both
Saint Clauses.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
They did not do that.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
They were able to battle back, and I think that
speaks to the leadership in the building, the leadership in
the locker room, and the way that they view this
mission that they're on because really we brought up house money.
I think talent wise, they've overachieved, but they are exponentially
more talented than they were last year or the year before,
and that helped them out as well. It's just a
matter of when they execute and when the play calling
(22:39):
is down is when they have a recipe recipe excuse
me for success.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
The surprising thing for me, we talked with Mike Ka
the Charlotte Observer, is that how many points of demarcation
we've seen in this team, how many almost kind of
forks in the road and crossroads that they have defeated,
And a lot of it kind of goes to their
daringness on fourth down. And I saw something on social
media the other day as I was digesting my Christmas lasagna,
(23:05):
the converting the fourth down down seventeen to nothing against
the Dolphins. Like, if Bryce Young doesn't complete that throat
at Temac, a lot of things could have happened, Like
like Bryce Young could have gotten benched in that game,
They could have gone a different direction at quarterback. They
could have gotten blown out by the Dolphins. There could
have a lot of different things could have happened from
(23:27):
a chain reaction events standpoint, and that and succeeding events
since then have led to this magical run that they've
been on. And I guess I'm impressed with just how
much the resolve has stayed true, like you said, because
I think without that, we're asking a lot of the
same questions we asked last year.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
Well, I quite infamously it was on Your Guy's air
right after that Dolphins game, and I had used that
maybe if Andy Dalton had played, they might have blown
out the the Dolphins. Just because I thought he would
have a lack of turnovers.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
I was very.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
Silly and very wrong, and clearly that wasn't the case
if you watched the Buffalo game.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Sure, but I think what Bryce's.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Young is kind of done, especially over the last five weeks,
has kind of shown that he can be the conductor
of the offense. He can be a guy who orchestrates
in tight pressure situations as well as on fourth down.
I think his resolve has been really impressive over the
(24:36):
last five games. He's thrown for ten touchdowns, only had
two interceptions book came against the forty nine ers, and
he's completing sixty six point seven.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Percent of his passes. Like that's pretty good production.
Speaker 6 (24:47):
I know a lot of stats are floating around like
what he's produced.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
He was benched in Week two of last.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
Year, but really the last five weeks to me have
shown you who this guy is before it's you know,
it's nice to put up stats when your season's basically
over and you're just trying to prove yourself and you're
trying to show that you can be the starter of
the next season. What he's doing right now is showing
you that the Panthers can legitimately contend with him at quarterback,
(25:14):
and I think that that is a very impressive feat,
especially given where he's come from.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Well, that's the thing that I think there are people
who sit themselves in two different camps. There are those
who believe that the Panthers mitigate the limitations of Bryce Young,
whereas others say he's continuing to develop as his weapons
develop and as his head coach develops. I feel like
I'm more on the latter side than the former side.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
How do you sit, I'm kind of in the middle.
Speaker 6 (25:45):
I think, does Bryce me the supporting cast that's competent,
Absolutely do. I think he's also kind of out playing
with the coaching at times and the play calling at times.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
So I think it's one of those things where development
isn't linear. You and I are both objective observers who
are watching this stuff. When when he played poorly you criticize.
When you see him play really well, you praised. And
for the most part, down the stretch of the second
half of the season, we've seen him step up orchestrate
(26:19):
the offense, do a lot of things that he did
not do in previous years. Even as he had that
really nice run the second half of last year.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
The pressure is on him.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
This is go mode time for him, and I think
what's what I've been most impressive impressed by is the
fact that whether it's a fourth down play or a
scramble or having to improvise, he's more than not had answers.
This forty nine Ers game was brutal, it was ugly,
But in between all of that, I thought he played
(26:49):
relatively well against the same game, and I thought play
calling let him down the fourth quarter and that's why
they lost. But really, I mean since that Atlanta game,
things of click and I think he is an improved
player with a pretty decent feeling. Does that mean that
he should be the franchise quarterback for the next ten years?
Speaker 5 (27:08):
No?
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Does it mean that they should pick up his fifth
year option for half of the price of Rock Purdy? Probably.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Mike Ca joining us from the Charlotte Observer, I want
to ask you about the defense before I ask you
about the route the victory, because I think the defense,
I sometimes find myself sitting there and seeing how many
yards they give up and then being amazed at how
well they execute with the you know, fangio esque, Ben,
don't break Moniker. They get turnovers, which is something they
(27:36):
didn't do a lot last year. They're finding ways to
get off the field and turn sevens into threes. How
do you, I guess assess with this defense is which
is still I think an incomplete exercise based on their personnel,
but at the same point in time, Bile's better than
they were a year ago.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:53):
I think this defense, which not necessarily de emphasizes but
doesn't play as much important middle of the field. What
I mean by that is inside linebacker and safety.
Speaker 5 (28:04):
See those lamps.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
But I also think, like you said mentioning Fangio, I mean,
ever coached under him, and he was a relatively big influence,
and I think you're seeing, even with a much less
talented team than Fanchio's previous groups, especially the Eagles, right now,
he's making it work.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
I think having j C.
Speaker 6 (28:26):
Horn and Derek Brown is huge having them both together
as jac continues to ascend and Derek Brown's come back
from injury like nothing even happened. Arguably he's been much
more improved. He leaves all defensive linemen with pass breakup.
He's got a career high in sack. It is an
utter and complete joke that he is not a Pro Bowler.
(28:47):
I understand that the other three guys deserved it too,
but they need to do something about the way this
Pro Bowl vote being is constructed and how that whatever.
That's a whole other tangents. But that said, I think
you look at Nick Gorton, who is the runaway defensive
rookie of.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
The year for this team.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
He's been tremendous, and I think the stafeties have played
relatively well.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Nick Scott got a lot.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Of hate in the off season and in the summer
and early in the season, but he's played fine. Like
he's not been great, but he hasn't been like a
complete liability either. And I think Trevon Marrik changes so
much about this defense because of his versatility.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
It's really impressive.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
It certainly is. And I'll agree with you on Scott.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
He is He's had some moments, had the interception, of course,
and has done some some very marked big things. Is
it just carbon copy of the ram game and bring
it to here or are the different things about this
contest that you look at and say Carolina can take
advantage of. Obviously there's the sam angle of this, but
what is the route to victory for Carolina on Sunday.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Stop Kenneth Walker. If Kenneth Walker gets off to a
really good early start, it's gonna be really tough to
defend Sam with Jack Smith, Nisba and Rashika Rashid Shaheed
who absolutely burned them with the Saint last year. So
(30:09):
I kind of feel like the Seahawks are much more
talented offense for defense. And then I think defensively, you know,
they've got Devin Witherspoon, They've got some guys who can
just get after dudes, get Sir Lawrence Leonard Williams, like
they are staffed, and I think this is going to
(30:29):
be a tough pat for the Panthers, but we've seen
that they are very opportunistics. They do need to be
a little bit like they were against the Rams, where
they take advantage of mistakes. And if anybody knows that
Tim Donold can make some mistakes, it's the folks who
covered him in Carolina and the hope that you can
pressure him enough where he makes a poor decision or
(30:50):
for and you take advantage.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
About to say, I remember a lot of those mistakes.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Mike Mike k from The Child Observer appreciate the time
as always. Man, I'll see you on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Sounds great. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
That is Mike Ca joining us here on sports RIDW
ninety two seven wfn Z. Uh, it's just such a
fascinating story this year has been. Obviously, it's it's the
most intriguing season I've had since I've been here. And
I know that I didn't just get here yesterday, but
I'm not in here as long as a lot of people.
But at the same point in time, this is a
it's been. It's been a pleasure to see. I also
(31:25):
proved I can be fair on Everro. I wanted people
to hear that I can be fair on Everro. Unfortunately
Chris McClain or Travis Hancock hurt that I know.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I know neither of them did I can be fair
on him.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
It's okay, though, I don't need to prove myself to
them or anyone else other than y'all who listen, the
dedicated people of wfnzy's listenership. It is in that vein
we say hello to Smoke Ludwig and he gives you smoke.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
On the headlines, who is smoked? Where is smoked?
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Where there's fire, let's go all right, So we talked
to Mike Kay but we didn't mention all the injury reports.
But outside of Trevin Wallace being out for the remainder
of the year was shoulder surgery, the injury news we got.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Today was good.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Ikim Akwanu is back this week after missing last week's
game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so that means Josh
Nigeman's back on the bench for the time being at least. Also,
we got to report that tenor Or McMillan he was
missing practice, but it was rest days for him. He
is going to be active in playing on Sunday's game.
(32:38):
But that isn't the biggest news today. The biggest news
today comes from college football, as we now basically know
who the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines is
going to be, and it's a wild card. Kyle Whittingham,
who just stepped down from his longtime position as head
coach from Utah, put that perspective. He's the one that
replaced Urban Meyer back in two thousand and five or
(33:01):
to utes he left. He stepped down from Utah and
now he's going to be the new head coach or
to Michigan Wolverines. He was kind of the name that
came up right at the outset because the Sharon Moore
stuff kind of happened right around the same time that
his retirement happened, so candidly a lot of the tension
had gone that way. There were a couple of other
(33:22):
sitting head coaches who had been throwing in the rumor
mill Mile Miters one ended up being thrown in the
room mill a little bit, as did Kalen de Boor,
but neither of those ended up biting, and so Whittingham
kind of seems like the uh, I don't want to
say the last man standing, but I really don't know
where else they would have gone other than promoted Biff,
which I think they really didn't.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Want that I would have been a travesty.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
But yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
I also, Kyle Whittingham kind of made it clear he
wasn't retiring, he was just stepping down. Yeah, so he
was trying to clarify that too. So I don't know
if he knew the Michigan job could come open before
he stepped down.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
A bunch of people who think of people who made it, you.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Know, somewhat known that that wasn't exactly a secret in
ann Arbor. Yes, so it's gonna be very interesting to
see Kyle Whittingham not wearing red moving forward, but instead
gonna be wearing wolverine blue. We'll say, though not bad
all things considered, because again, looked like it was going
to be really bad.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Again.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
There's a couple of those this year that have kind
of gone the way of you know, they ended up
kind of with like Penn and State I think is
in the same vein Penn State ended up you know,
literally asking anybody who would pick up the phone or
any agent would pick up the phone, and a lot
of dudes got raises because of Penn State, my head
coach included. And yet they ended up with a pretty
darn good head coach in Matt Campbell, and I think
(34:40):
Michigan kind of ends up in the same belt.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
We'll see how it works out for them. Do you
want to buoying out too?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Just also doesn't constitute a second wave of musical chairs
for coacheses.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Because he's already gone.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
He was already gone, and Utah has already made a
higher so that hopefully, also, like you said, stops the
coaching carousel.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
On this summer of the twenty six The.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
Kyle Bailey Show, Sports Radio ninety to seven wfn Z
will come back. Matt al Keisa will join us from
Sports Illustrated. Will talk hornets with him next on Sports
Radio ninety seven WFZ Sports raf Z Kyle Bailey Show,
(35:32):
Willie p.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
In for KB.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
We're gonna talk. We have a nice treat.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Next hour, Mike Chiminski is gonna talk to us, of course,
a long time college basketball analyst now works for the CW.
He's got a duke legend. I was gonna say, I
was getting to the duke legend part of it. He's
got a basketball Classic in his name and also the
duke legend as a nominee this year for the A.
Smith Basketball Hall of Fame as well as a player,
(35:56):
which would be a lot of fun to talk to
about him. I'll also ask him about triangle teams as well,
UNC Duke and State. Of course, big Big Classic this
weekend coming up, and we'll talk about that with him
coming up. It's actually tomorrow and a Monday at Marvin
Ridge High School in Waxaw, so a very very pack
day of events basically starting at eleven o'clock going all
(36:19):
the way through eight in the evening. Actually it's a
three day classic sorry, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, so a
lot of fun. Lots of teams from throughout the area
and throughout the state will be involved with that. So
looking forward to talking to Mike just about those games,
but also the Hall of Fame induction stuff for Hall
of Fame on nomination stuff I should say, as well
as what's going on in acc hoops, what's going on
(36:42):
in the NBA of course, the Hornets back in action,
not against the Orlando Magic. It's some odds and ends
to talk about with Matt al Keys, who joins us
here on Sports Ratt ninety seven WFNZ. What's going on, Matt,
Mary Chris, I hope you're doing well.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
I'm doing well, man, Mary chrismas to you too.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
How would you assess kind of what Tuesday night looked
like for the Hornets given their victory over Washington. They
you know, despite the fact they didn't have but one center,
they ended up winning the rebounding battle, only committing five turnovers.
We now Washington's lousy, but felt like a stabilizing uning
for the Hornets after what happened in Cleveland.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
Yeah, I mean all credit on the boards goes to
Musa via Bata. It felt like every couple of minutes
you were looking over at me on press rows saying that, hey,
Musa broke this rebounding record, or Musa set this career
high for rebounds in a quarter or a half. So,
I mean, he was the catalyst on Tuesday night. He
kind of got the Charlotte Hornets out of the gate.
(37:36):
They were a little sleepy to start, and then I
mean the Big three took them home. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller,
kantk Nipple as they do when the Hornets won games.
Each had their turn running the offense and putting points
on the board for the Hornets. But again, Musa the
catalyst of it all, and anytime Charlotte beats a team
like Washington, it needs to be celebrated. That was the
(37:56):
kind of game that the Hornets of years past would
probably lose. The last game before the holidays, second night
of a back to back, the Sleepy Twoes night of
the Spectrum Center, a winnable game against one of the
worst teams in the league. So even though the Wizards are,
like you said, a lousy team, one of the worst
in the league. The Hornets do deserve some credit for
going out there and handling their business with relative eaves,
(38:19):
even while being short handed in the front court.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
You mentioned Musa. The eighteen rebounds is definitely something not
to stick at. But the thing about it is that
Charles Lee said, is that he's made some significant shrines
in terms of what he can do offensively. It's something
that I think we always kind of overlook with his
game because he does so many other great things at
think any offense with him as a bonus. But he's
starting to become a lot more confident in that part
(38:42):
of his game.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Yeah, if you watch the broadcast on Peacock on Monday night,
the guys who are announcing it, Austin Rivers and Robbie
Hommel were the two color commentators. They were kind of
shocked anytime Musa put the ball in the deck and
you know, did one of his patented eurosteps or spin
moves or I don't remember if he dunked on anybody
against Cleveland, but he's done that a number of times
this year. So Yeah, it feels like people are kind
(39:05):
of slow to noticing the offensive rise of Musa, but
he feels pretty comfortable with the bon in his hands
right now. The thing that has always stuck out to
me about Musa is he's a pretty high level processor.
So when he catches the ball at the free throw
line and he has a choice to either drive or
pass the ball to an open shooter, of which there
are many on Charlotte this year, he generally makes the
(39:27):
right decision and can be trusted with the ball in
his hands, and we're just kind of seen him grow
in confidence more and more throughout his year and a
half with the Hornets in making those decisions and the
team doesn't really lose much when he is on the floor. Center.
Compared to Ryan Kulchbrener, they play very differently, their skill
sets are very different, but they are equally as impactful
players on both ends of the floor.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
So the Hornets center depth definitely tested after the injuries
to both Ryan Calkebrenner first and then Mason Plumley and
Cleveland with the groin strains. So as a result, the
Hornets had to make a ross move. Tuesday, they end
up releasing Drew Peterson and then Wednesday end up signing
PJ Hall from the Greensboro swarm PJ who looked really,
really good in Summer League, and I was a little
(40:09):
disappointed the Hornets didn't give him a full time spot.
Ends up coming around the man after signing in Memphis
and then signing with Greensboro, and now he's back on
the hornets purview and in their roster. He'll be in
Orlando tonight for the Hornet game. How would you assess
kind of the traveling soccer that is PJ Hall And
(40:29):
what do you expect for him tonight?
Speaker 5 (40:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:32):
I expected him to get the Hornet's third two way contract.
I mean way back in June when they announced the
summer league roster and I saw that he was on
the team, you know, kind of set off some alarm
belts in my head. He's a guy that has a
little bit of NBA experience, played in the Nuggets organization,
had played a couple of games in Denver, but spent
a lot of time with their G League team, and
you know, all throughout the summer, the main conversation point
(40:54):
around the Hornets was how weak they were in the
front court, with Talkbrenner as a totally unproven option and
Mason Palmley as the veteran stop gap and then Musa
as a you know, intriguing piece, but more of a
I would call him like a depth, energy big off
the bench. So that being said, I expected PJ to
get a contract, at least a two way contract months ago,
(41:16):
so I'm not surprised to see it come all the
way back around with him rejoining the team. He brings
a different skill set. He can shoot it a little bit.
He's more of a stretch big, can handle on the perimeter.
He's going to be really physical in the paint, which
you know all Charles Lee centers are. He likes guys
that you know, can mix it up underneath the boards.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
So I'm not.
Speaker 4 (41:34):
Expecting like an oversized impact. It's hard to really project
too much from a guy on a two way contract,
but I'm expecting PJ to place the minutes tonight and
be pretty effective in them. He had a nice stint
in Greensboro was arguably the Hornet's best player across So
there's some really campaign on their way to a championship,
and I think he'll be a, you know, if not
an important piece, a useful one for the Hornet's going forward.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
That's definitely the right way I would assess it, and
just looking at the games yesterday, obviously the Western Conference
has got some world beaters. But when I assess the
Eastern Conference teams and the way that I watch the
holiday hoops, you know, I kind of watch it in
the vein of you know, how far away are the
Hornets to this? We know that there are certain matchup
nightmare parts of say the Knicks, Orlando, maybe even Detroit.
(42:21):
But outside of that, I look at a lot of
teams and I say, the Hornets are not far off
of them when they are fully healthy and we've seen them,
you know now kind of get back to health. We're
thirty games in, They're not far out of a playoff spot.
How would you assess the intrigue of this next set
of games, provided that the Hornets can escape the injury
bug here?
Speaker 4 (42:42):
Yeah, I mean the injury bug is the biggest thing
need to escape right I don't think the playoffs are
the goals is the goal for the Hornets right now?
I think if they sneak their way into the play
in via the back door after a collapse from a
Chicago or a yanistrait happened in Milaukee, I think the
organization will be thrilled because it means they're a head
of schedule. I think everything the team the franchise is
(43:04):
doing right now is just trying to evaluate the talent
that they have, because more than ever they have it.
I mean, the big three of Ca, Nipple, Miller, and
Ball is as talented of a trio as the Hornets
have ever had in their recent history. And they're all young.
They're all under twenty five or younger right now. So
them making the playoffs and making a legitimate push I
(43:25):
think would put them ahead of schedule. I think right
now it's just about, hey, how do those guys play together?
What do we need to build around them? How can
we improve the talent on the fringes of the roster
to really supplement those guys. So sorry Hornets fans who
are hoping to see a playoff berth in twenty twenty six,
I don't think that's going to be the case. But
(43:46):
I will say they are better positioned right now going
forwards than they have been in a while to become
a consistent playoff team. And that's the terminology that Jeff
Peterson and Charles Lee have used since they came to
Charlot is that they're not looking to skip steps. They're
not looking to rush into anything and make a rash move.
It's going to mortgage or jeopardize the future that they've
(44:08):
built very nicely over the past couple of years. I
will say so, Yeah, they're not positioned for a playoff
birth in twenty twenty six, unfortunately, but I do think
they're in a good spot to make their way up
the Eastern Conference going forward in years to come.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
Last one for you, Matt, The play of t John
Salon has been very, very hard to ignore. I basically
made the comment earlier this week that his emergence is
going to get somebody traded on this roster because at
least proves that he can be a rotation player. If
the guy that we've seen here in the last couple
of weeks continues to develop eliminate some of the mistakes,
(44:44):
it's become great to see his development start to really flourish.
Speaker 4 (44:49):
Yeah. Man, it has been so encouraging. I think a
lot of the fans forget that he is still just
nineteen years old. He's only been in the United States
for a year. These guys take time like he's still
so He's still in his basketball infancy and development is
not a linear thing. We've already seen the roller coaster
of ups and downs of the Tjon Salon developmental track,
(45:11):
but it is impossible to say that he is anything
but on the right track right now. The decision making
has been a lot better. Charlotte has really simplified his role.
He takes corner threes, he sets a lot of screens,
he crashes the rebounds hard. He injects energy into the
lineup and into the spectrum center when the Hornets play
(45:32):
home games, because the passion that he plays with is undeniable,
and you can just see the flashes of what the
Hornets believe in every once in a while when he
gets the ball in transition and does one of those
dead leg euro steps and finishes up and a round
to defender, which is what he did against Washington. He
had a game in Toronto a few weeks ago where
I think he hit five threes. So yeah, every game,
(45:54):
every minute, every second that Tjon plays, you can just
see the light in his just become just that much brighter.
As he continues to develop into hopefully a long term
important piece in this Hornet spore.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
Hornets and Orlando denied. Mattol Kisa, Sports Illustrated joining us.
Thanks a lot, Matt, appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
Absolutely have a good week.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Willie, That is mattol Keisa joining us here on Sports
Radio ninety seven WFNZ quick Break. We are back with
the best audio in sports of what did you say next?
Here on the Cayle Bailey Show, Sports Radio ninety to
seven WFNZ.
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