October 12, 2023 • 44 mins
Chris Haynes was in Phoenix this week for Nuggets at Suns. Marc Stein was in Madrid this week for the last leg of the Mavericks' lengthy preseason trip abroad. They meet up here to go in depth on the state of the depending champs, as well as Phoenix and Dallas, as part of what turned into a wide-ranging discussion about how dangerous the whole Western Conference looks right now. And they also weaved in some discussion about Joel Embiid ultimately deciding on his international future. A jam-packed pod from the guys!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty
four hour NBA.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
News misters, you'll Chris Haines.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's so time, Mark Stein, It's so time. This League
Uncut is underway and on fire. This should be a
good one.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Everyone, Welcome in to a somewhat international edition of This
League Uncut podcast. Mark Stein. Here, I am in far
away Madrid making my way back to the United States
after spending four days in Spain with the weary and
(00:49):
battered Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has made its way back home.
I am a little bit behind them, but I will
soon soon be back on us Chris Haynes joining me.
He also was on the road this week his TNT debut,
shaking the rust off with a preseason game two heavyweights
(01:12):
in the desert, the reigning champions from Denver in Phoenix
against the super team that has been assembled to try
to dethrone the Denver Nuggets. Of course, we didn't get
to see the Superstars in action because Phoenix didn't play them,
(01:33):
but Chris Haynes was on the scene anyway. Had an
interview with Bradley Beal I saw on Twitter or x
or whatever the hell we call it Now, Chris Haynes,
how did how did your first TV assignment of the
season treat you?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
It was cool, a little rusty, but you know, that's
what the preseason is for.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Uh new suit though, I think new suit though, I
think right.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
No, no, no, I haven't No, I haven't put out
a new suit yet. That is that suit? Actually, that
that blazer that I wore. That's the first ever blazer,
that suit that I've worn on a on a TNT assignment.
It was when I backed in So this three years ago,
first assignment ever. Lakers spurs and uh jacket yep, Greg
(02:23):
Popovia jacket right there. So I don't think I've worn
it since then, But yeah, I mean it was a
good time. You know. Phoenix, the great weather, great great weather.
The only problem with Phoenix is like, you know, the
weather was cool, but the weather is still for me,
it's still not cool enough where I can just walk
a half a mile. The problem with Phoenix is there's
(02:43):
no trees, so when you're walking, you're just exposed. The
sun is hitting you like you can't hide from the
sun in Phoenix. And Dwayne Rakins, the the longtime beat
rider for the Suns over there really good guy. I
just tell him all the time. Man, He's always posted
and early in the morning, five six in the morning,
just posting on Instagram of him drenched in sweat talking
(03:07):
about I just ran two three four miles. I'm like,
who in the hell is running two three four miles
in the desert. It's Dwayne, I tell him, Man, you
give me anxiety every time I see that post man.
But Phoenix was cool. I was glad to be back
on the road. Man. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I mean, look, you saw two of the what four
or five most important teams in the league this coming season,
or maybe important is a poor adjective choice, but of
the two of the five or six teams that will
be talking about the most, presumably because Phoenix has assembled
so much star power, with Bradley Beal brought in to
(03:44):
join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and Denver as the
reigning champs, first title in the Nuggets NBA history, and
Nikola Jokic returns as Finals MVP after losing out on
the regular season MVP. To Joe l Embiid, I mean,
it's early, but we all do it. We all overreact
(04:07):
to what we see in the preseason I was, you know, again,
far far away when Wemby dual chet the other night.
But man, people just could not get enough of their
first showdown. And of course we're gonna draw crazy conclusions
from preseason games that we probably shouldn't because we're fans,
(04:28):
we're the public, we are the basketball public. We cannot
help it. So give me your give me your your
quick snapshot of your temperature take on where the Nuggets
are and where the Suns are right now.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, let's talk about the Nuggets. They're in a mode
where they're just in a chill mode right now. You know,
I spoke with Calvin boof our God. Calvin Booth came
on our podcast the general imagine of the Nuggets, and
he told me like that, they're just in a space
where they're just ready for the season and they're in
a tac mode, but it's in a calm space. And
(05:03):
I think he described it like that because this team,
like they know, they know their sales, like they understand
what they have to do. They know they're going to
be a target. Now, they're not going to sneak up
on anybody. But this is a group that's been together.
We talked about that at starting five. It's a group
that's been together a while, and so they feel like
(05:23):
they feel like they're in good shape. What he did say,
Calvin Booth did say, is that they're young, you know,
so there's rotation minutes to be had. And one guy
who was very impressive in his rookie preseason day debut,
Julian Strauter. That guy, he stein he is a quick sharpshooter.
He and what I mean by that, he has a
(05:45):
quick release. He catches it and it leaves his hand
pretty quickly, and he has a beautiful stroke. And I
believe he had four three's that game, had twenty points.
And so the Nuggets, they're looking for guys who can
come in space, space the floor, guys who can compliment
Joker as well in some of those rotation, rotational spot duties,
(06:08):
and so you know, that's what they're you know, they're
expecting a lot more from Christian Brown. You know, he's
a guy that's poised to have a really good season.
And so they feel like they this is what they said,
they said, as long as they're five, as long as
they're five, are healthy, they feel like they're in really
good shape throughout the season. Now it's just about adding
(06:29):
other complimentary pieces the sun Stein you know, KD, Devin Booker,
Bradley Bill. They did not play in the game that
I was on assignment on. They played the game before
in Detroit. Remember the the owner of matt Ishpiah, he's
out there in Detroit, and so they played out there.
(06:50):
They actually went to his house after the after the
game for dinner, and they had practice at his at
his company's office the next day. So, uh, you know,
I could say this T and T was very shocked
to learn that those three were sitting out that game.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
With the NBA's new player participation policy, that's not gonna fly.
Playing the game in Detroit and sitting in all three
stars sitting out the national TV game. I don't think that.
I don't think that happens in the regular season.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yes, I love stave Ac Guddy, that's my guy. I
think it's safe to say Stan did not approve of
that that move made by the SuDS. But hey, it's preseason,
and uh you know I'm gonna say this right now.
You know we all expect so it's it's it's not
a lot that I can break down on the Suns
because of those three were out. But those three were out.
(07:47):
But what I can say, I think is going to
be really good on the high posts, on the elbow,
initiating the offense office going through him. I think he's
going to be really good. I think he's going to
be a really good big body just in case they
have to face the Nuggets down the road. And Joker,
you know, those two were teammates for a little bit
in Denver. I will say this, Stein, They're they're trying
(08:09):
to rotate the point guard assignments between Bradley Bill and
Devin Booker, and that is the plan right now going
into the season, that those two are going to share
those roles. They did a point guard, Stein, and I'm
gonna go as far as I think they need to
point guard desperately.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
And do they know it? Would they admit it to
the side if you ask them.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I think some would, as others wouldn't. So you know,
take that as you as you will. But yeah, I
think they're going to need a point guard. And I'm
and I'll let you I'll let you finish.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But you had the very interesting report that when when
the whole Damian Lillard trade went down, Phoenix knew they
were going to be in it. They wanted use of
Nurkic that you know, they wanted to send eight into
the Blazers and take on Nurkic. But had Miami been
(09:06):
that third team instead of Milwaukee, you reported that Phoenix's
dream scenario would have been to get both nurk and
find a way to bring in Kyle Lowry, who obviously
most definitely would address the point guard issue. And same
thing when there were rumbles that Indiana might be that
third team, we know that the Sons have had a
(09:29):
long standing interest in TJ McConnell, So I mean those
names were out there. Obviously, Dame did not go to Miami.
He very much went to the Milwaukee Bucks. And the
Pacers were not involved in the trade either, So those
options did not avail themselves to Phoenix. But yeah, I'm
with you. I think that is that is a that's
a hole they're going to have to address sooner rather
(09:50):
than later.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
And the reason I say that, Stime, because you know,
you could get by with trying to rotate those guys
in at that point guard spot. And and there's gonna
be a lot of emphasis with Phoenix on pushing the
ball up like out letting the ball get it up,
opposed to having a point guard just bring the ball
all the way up ninety four feet. So they wanted
(10:12):
to get the ball up past half court, give himself
a lot of time in the shot clock to get
into their sets. The problem is this Stein and I remember,
you know, talking to Chris Paul a few years ago,
where it was a few years ago when the Suns
were they played when they got the playoffs, they played
New Orleans in the first round. Did they played Dallas
and New Orleans? They had Alvarado and they had Herb
(10:36):
Jones just smothering, hounding Chris Paul ninety four feet, and
it took his toll, you know, it took his toll
on him getting the ball up with that amount of
aggressiveness and length and quickness. And then in Dallas he
faced Bullock and I forgot the other player that he
said was hounding them ninety four feet. But Phoenix didn't
(10:58):
have another, really another primary point guard to help Chris
Paul in that mode. So in the regular season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Now I don't even remember, was it Phinney Smith.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
It might have been Phinney Smith, but it was two
lyngty guys. I know Bullock was one of them. It
might have been Phinny Smith could have been. But you
know he didn't see that type of a defensive pressure
in the regular season. You know, teams don't do they
don't go all out and do that type of stuff,
you know, in the regular season. So you can see
a scenario in Phoenix where Bill and Booker they're pushing
(11:33):
the ball up out, letting the ball up, or or
they even they're even bringing the ball up full court
with very little pressure in the regular season and then
kind of thinking like, all right, we can get we
can get away with this. This is fine. But when
the playoffs hit, when and then when teams start to scheme,
oh no, let's pressure on full court. Young guy, small guy,
get up in them, tall lyngthy guy, get up in them.
(11:56):
That's where problems can be had. And you didn't work
on it because you didn't think you had to do
in the regular season because teams are not putting those
type of schemes into the regular season. So I think
they desperately need a point guard. Not necessarily for the
regular season, but I definitely think they need one come
playoff time and That's just my opinion, just just the
(12:18):
little basketball that I've watched them against, planned against Detroit,
and just knowing what they don't have on that roster currently.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, you know Bradley Beal very well. You interviewed him
during the game, but beyond that, you've known him for
a long time. How much, though, do you think he
kind of wants to prove to people, hey, I can
do this, I can playmake, I can be I can
be a pseudo point guard for this team, because you
know he hasn't always done that in Washington.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Yeah, I don't know. You know, I've talked, you know,
we talked. You know, I had an any game interview
with him, but we talked before the game as well,
and he was talking about how excited he is and
how he's prepared to do whatever he's called to do.
And then you know, I asked him, you know, about
the role of I don't know if I'll call him
the third star. Maybe he is the third star, but
(13:13):
you know about sacrificing Now, you know, it's always hard
for that third star a lot of times to get
accimmitted to what that role entails. And he said all
the right things, like he's ready for whatever. But stein,
what I would say about that point guard position. Man,
that point guard that's like, it's like playing quarterback. You
don't just step into that role and run everything officially
(13:38):
like you're kind of born a point guard. You're kind
of groomed into being a point guard. It's not something
you could.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Just and you were born a shooting guard.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I would, I would my sources say, well, listen, you
don't need no sources. You can come in from the
horse's mouth here. I am not a point guard. I am.
I am not Listen now from the so you got
they give you a little bit of fake news. I'm
telling you I'm not a point guard because my handles weren't.
That was not that tight. But court vision and finding people,
(14:10):
I got that. But the handles, like and that's another
thing too. But people need to understand is you can
have handles or could be considered somebody who has handles
in half court settings, like somebody who could run pick
and roll in half court. But bringing that ball up
being pressured ninety four feet totally different from using two
(14:35):
or three four dribbles in a half court set to
get to the basket. Totally different, And so That's why
I tell people that point guard transition is not easy,
like it's not and so, and I don't know that
that's fair to ask Bill to do that. That's why
I say, I think they're going to need a point guard,
real point guard service, a point guard point guard down
(14:57):
the line.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well, look, using Bruce Brown and losing Jeff Green, those
are significant losses for the Denver Nuggets. But they are
still my favorites in an absolutely stacked Western conference. And
I can tell you I know it was stacked because
during my trip here in Spain with the MAVs, with
(15:19):
more than one MAVs person that I sat down with,
we did the exercise of let's go through the teams
in the West and just what you have to who
you have to finish ahead of to finish top six,
top eight, and it is just tough, tough, it's brutal.
And I mean because the teams at the bottom, the
(15:41):
teams expected to be at the bottom, your Utah's, your Portland's,
your San Antonio's, your Houston's, they will all be tough outs.
I mean, Houston is obviously trying to be competitive this
year with the moves they've made to bring in Fred
Van Vliet and Dylan Brooks and San Antonio obviously Wemby
in July. Everybody wanted to write him off after one
(16:01):
bad Summer League game, and now everybody is going nuts
after his his preseason debut. So, I mean, san Antonio,
we're still not exactly sure what we're gonna see from them,
but I mean, you know they're gonna have a capable team.
You know, Portland is another tough team to read, very young,
but I mean you know that they Yeah, again, nobody's
(16:23):
just just a gimme in the West, and Utah already
showed us last year when when they were written off
by everyone after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert that
you know they were they were on course to be
a five hundred or better team until they finally at
the end of the season decided to put an eye
on draft positioning. So, I mean, this West is going
(16:44):
to be something else. Denver is still my favorite, and
you know, I guess I would say the Suns are
probably who I would have at the top of the
list of challengers, but I'm I'm not sure. I'm I'm
really not sure that, Like, you know, the Lakers I
really like the Lakers moves in the off season. And
(17:07):
ye you know the Clippers aren done. Okac is moving
up the charts. Sacramento. I was doing my radio show
last weekend and I was going through all the teams
in the West. And somehow, despite how much we talk
about the Kings on this show, I forgot to mention
the Kings. And I'm waiting for Mike Brown to call
me because and I guess Mike Brown priably does not
listened to my radio show in Dallas. But I was
(17:28):
still waiting for the call. I mean, we need to
go on and on about the the West. You tell
me Denver, Phoenix, Lakers, Warriors, who's your favorite in the West?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Okay, Stan, You have to realize, are we ready to
do this? Because teams do even you know, teams, players, coaches,
they all like to say they don't listen to us,
you know, they don't pay us no mind. But during
the season they post, they print these articles out, they
print these headlines out about who we picked to be
(18:00):
a top eight motivation. Are we ready to do this?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Listen today is we're recording this on October twelfth. The
season starts October twenty fifth, if you would rather wait
too closer to October twenty fifth. You deserve that runway,
you do not have. You do not have to make
that declaration right now, Like so I.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Don't think are you making a declaration.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, Denver's my favorite to make Denver's my favorite. To
win the West, I think is defending champions. They deserve that.
And yes, they they lost, they lost two key guys
in their rotation. But Brown I do think is ready
to step up, and you know, I think they will
cope with the losses. And just Joker is Joker, I
(18:46):
mean he is. I just think he's that good and
has proven to be such a dominant force who pretty
much never misses games. Yeah, Denver's okay, I would agree
with you.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
The difference is my favorite as well, Continuity, Like they're
my favorite. I'm a little you know they Hey, Bruce Brown,
Bruce Brown losing him that is a big that's a
big loss right there.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
That is very real. And look, I'm probably not ready
to do the order after Denver.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Okay, all right, all right, that's what I was getting.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
That's why I was like, no, I can't do that yet.
I'm still figuring that out too.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
But let me say this, sty I'm looking at the
top eight from last year who made the playoffs, right, Denver,
and then I'm going in order Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, Phoenix, Clippers, Warriors, Lakers.
Minnesota was eight, Stein I had. Out of those eight,
I have a hard time thinking who can get into
(19:51):
that eight. No, now, listen, I know there are teams
that can get to it. Like so New Orleans they
were nine. Maybe they leap for aud Minnesota, but at
eight or that nine right there, it's tough. And I
know Dallas they were they were eleven.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Like Minnesota thinks they're better, that they will be better
with a full training camp, and obviously Cat missed a
zillion games last year. So Minnesota believes they're a better
team New Orleans if they've got Zion. I mean, obviously
we're gonna have to look at them differently. But that's
a huge iff when you know Zion's got to play
(20:28):
half a season first before we, you know, we even
start talking about it. So but obviously he you know,
he played a pre he made his preseason debut and
people got very excited. I mean, yeah, that again, this
is the conversation I was having with with various folks
in Dallas. You guys, if you want to get back
even in the play in you got a lot of
(20:49):
work to do to leap frog a lot of good teams.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Yeah, it's tough. Like I have a hard time, Like
I think Denver is going to be in the playoffs.
Think Memphis, I think Sacramento, I think Phoenix, I think
the Clippers, I think the Warriors, I think the Lakers.
Those seven, those are seven that I'm pretty certain will
be there. Seven. You know, that's not a lot a
(21:13):
wiggle room for other teams to jump up in there.
You know, I know Dallas is better than what they
were last year. New Orleans is better than what they
were last year. Minnesota. It's it, man, I'm looking forward
to It's gonna be tough.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Well, we can talk about Dallas now a bit, because
again I did not go to Abu Dhabi with them.
I met them in Madrid. I got to Madrid a
few hours before they did. And look, this will go
down as the longest trip in NBA preseason history, both
literally and figuratively. They flew nearly seventeen thousand air miles
(21:46):
combined to do the two games in Abu Dhabi before Madrid,
and they came home Thursday today with both of their
stars carrying injuries. Luka Doncic suffered a left calf strain
in practice on Monday, and that was the only real
practice that the Mavericks were able to have on the
(22:09):
whole trip after they lost to the Wolves twice in
Abu Dhabi. Because you know, when you go to Abu
Dhabi and it's the league trip, when you're not playing,
the league's got you doing all kinds of stuff. There's appearances,
there's clinics, there's special dinners and tours, and it's like
it is not conducive to practice. So they had six
practices before they left for Abu Dhabi. Go to Abu Dhabi,
(22:32):
play the two games, come back. They basically fly from
Abu Dhabi to Madrid, which is like going coast to
coast in the States. They have their first real practice
before the game. Luka calf strain, the same left leg
that has been bugging him on some level since late
February early March. You know, they lose to Real Madrid.
(22:55):
That's the least of their problems because it was their
third string against the Real Madrid starters. In the fourth quarters,
so it was the revenge of Facundo Composo. Faco Composo
with the last nine points for Real Madrid in the
last eighty five seconds. Composo, of course, spent about six
weeks as a mav last season. They brought him in
to be Luca's sidekick and someone he absolutely loved from
(23:20):
their days as Real Madrid Real Madrid teammates, and then
Dallas waived him to launch the Kemba Walker experiment, which
didn't work. So there's all these storylines, but the basics
of it are Dallas comes back, Kyrie Irving only played
one of the three games because of left groin soreness,
Luca has this left leg issue, and those two are
(23:43):
supposed to be the sure bets for a Mavericks team
that has ten to eleven new players. Grant Williams is
the only surefire starter. So okay, I just went through
all of that. You know, what was your reaction from home?
Just just kind of watching the MAVs go on this
crazy long trip and coming back with both of those guys,
(24:06):
both of their stars in some level of injury distress.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Yeah, I'm not, I mean, unless you know I've been
following you know your reports over there, and they're saying,
you know you reported the injury, especially particularly to Luca,
is not serious. And I think that's common around preseason,
like you don't want to take any risks. And one
thing I will say about the Suns that I didn't
say about Vogel told me that he planned to play
(24:34):
KD and Booker and two of the last three preseason games, like,
so for whatever reason, they're just being really safe and cautious.
And you know, you can look at the Milwaukee Bucks
as well, Dame and Giannis. They're about to make their
preseason debut this weekend Sunday against the Lakers. So I
think that's normal around the league. I wouldn't get I
(24:56):
wouldn't get too nervous if I was a fan of
of those those star players all those teams. So I
just there's just not a lot to gleanstein from these
preseasons for the most part, because we were not seeing
a healthy dose of these guys playing, and so a
lot of a lot of what we're going to find
out is going to be when the regular season starts,
(25:17):
and so I do want to see more, but I
just don't have There's just not enough sample size for
me to go off and have.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Well, this is a MAVs team that needs a good start.
I mean, they desperately need a good start after the
way last season ended. And that's kind of the issue,
is that this trip was supposed to be a renaissance.
It's a it's you know, a team that's made a
lot of changes. It's the first training camp that Luka
Doncic and Kyrie Irving get to spend together. And they
(25:45):
return home today. They have one exhibition game left a
week from Friday against Detroit and then an opening night.
They're at San Antonio in the Wemby Bowl, and I
do plan to be at that one to see Wemby's
first game, his first real game. But I mean Luka
Dancic and Kyrie Irving played in three exhibition games. They
(26:07):
played together for less than seven minutes, so they still
have not had a lot of court time together. And
this is again a duo that last season when both
were in uniform, the MAVs went five and eleven. So
I mean, I have certainly taken on an alarmist tone
here and I'm sure I'll hear about it in my
home city, But I think it is justified. The trip
(26:29):
was a grind and now they're basically going to have
three days off. The gym will be open for some
voluntary stuff, but the Mavericks can't even have an official
practice until Monday, and so they got a lot to
do next week Monday through Thursday before Dallas area star
(26:50):
Cade Cunningham brings the Detroit Pistons into town for an
exhibition on October twenty.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Who did the Mavericks open up with San Antonio? One? Okay?
In San Antonio?
Speaker 2 (27:02):
In San Antonio on Wednesday? What what's your opening night
assignments on Tuesday? You'll wear you? Where are you? Are
you at Ring Knight? Are you at the other.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Game I actually have? Is that Ring Night? No, that's not.
Who does Nuggets have for Ring Night?
Speaker 2 (27:19):
So it's Nuggets Lakers Ring Night? And then there's your
game Sons Warriors, so Western Conference only the first night
of the season. And you said you got.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
I have Sons Warriors in San Francisco Tuesday. Then I
take off immediately for Milwaukee. I got the Bucks opening
night game against the Sixers. That's third, Tuesday and Thursday. Yep,
that is a strong week.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I hope you have a lot of good stories for
those for the podcast that show rolls around.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
I wasn't assigned to that game initially, but you know,
things have changed over the last couple of weeks in
the league.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
You're going to be voting. You're going to be voting
in Milwaukee election.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
A big trade to change some of my assignments. So
I got I got two games that week, so I'm
looking for me.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I'm so jealous. I love Milwaukee. I love visiting Milwaukee.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, it was beautiful when I was there.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I was there, and I'm not sure i've been there
since since. I can't even remember because I don't think
I went to those finals. Yeah, I can't remember my
last trip to Milwaukee.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I have a strong feeling the weather is not going
to cooperate like it did when I was there a
few weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Well, I don't even want to talk about weather because
I will really make you jealous, because it has been
spectacular in Madrid, absolutely gorgeous, and I'm told it's finally
cooling down when I get back home to Dallas.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
So, yeah, I've never been stein. Are you one of
those guys, you know, older people. I used to wonder
this all the time. Why do people retire in Phoenix? Why?
I never knew that, but you know, I started to
see a trend. The older you got, the more attractive
a place like Phoenix became. And I know, my guy
(29:17):
Dwight James, the Commas in Portland, he bought a house
out there in Phoenix. You know, older people like the sun.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
You know what's this is actually some inside baseball on
our profession. There was a time when and Dwight James
is part of that generation right before me. In terms
of writers, a bunch of writers from that era did that.
Pete VESSI spent tons of time in the desert, Sam Smith,
your guy Michael Wilbon still has a place in Phoenix.
(29:47):
I'm quite sure. So all these writers from that generation
before me and there were probably more like it. Just
I think housing prices at that time were really, really
favorable in Phoenix, and and I don't know if that's
still the case now. I'm gonna guess not. I'm gonna
guess Phoenix, like Dallas, has gotten a lot more expensive
than it used to be in terms of real estate.
(30:09):
But back in the nineties that was a very I
remember you know, someone like Sam you know, Sam Smith
spent his whole writing career in Chicago. The chance to
live in Phoenix sounded pretty damn good.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
So it's not a star.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
I mean, I know you're basically saying, now that I'm old,
I'm qualified to answer this question. I love Phoenix to visit,
but I have never had interest in living there. And
I look, I love the desert, the desert skyline, and
just I really aesthetically, I really have always loved going
(30:53):
there and the Steve Nash years from like the Steve
Nash D'Antoni is from two thousand and four to twenty ten. Now,
I mean I spent more time in Phoenix than anywhere
I went, so I've always had great visits there. My
I want to say, my very first NBA All Star
Game I covered was in Phoenix. So I've always had
(31:16):
great experiences there, but I've never had this huge desire
to live there. I think, as an you know, my
older self, I could imagine living part time in either
Palm Springs or Vegas before.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Feast Vegas yeah oh yeah, huh yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I get part time three months a year, but I
I love the energy of Vegas. Man, I love it
is it is it is you know, it's just it's sports.
Everywhere you look, everywhere you turn, it's sports.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, but Vegas is like Stein. Like for me, when
I go to a summer league three days, four days,
max I started, I start to get irrible, Like I'm
tied of Vegas, Like I don't know if I can
live there. And then if you live there, are you
really visiting the strip that often where all the action is,
Like I really never spent time outside of strip in Vegas,
(32:11):
so I don't even know what that's like.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Well, I don't know firsthand, but people who do live
there always tell me how great it is off the
strip and you should just come see how A, B
and C is so fantastic. So I'm not qualified answer
that question, but maybe people can. Maybe people, maybe some
of our listeners who do live in Vegas can educate us.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
But in Phoenix, Stein, I know what your favorite steakhouse
in Milwaukee is? What again? Carson's Carsons Carsons in Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
It's a Chicago place, but they have a Milwaukee outlet.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Okay, Steak forty four in Phoenix the best steakhouse I've
been to.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Steak forty four best steakhouse in the League.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Best best, I've the best I've wanted to I would,
I would challenge any other steakhouse in the league. Was
against Stake forty four. Those in Phoenix know what I'm
talking about. That place is awesome.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
All right, Well, I guess I'm gonna have to meet
you there and we'll put that to the test. Yes
before all right, so before we go. You know, last
the last time we did one of these, you were
just you were just love getting me all worked up
about Joe l. Embiid and international basketball, which you did
on You did it on purpose.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Of course, I need your pe I want to know
now that Joel and Bid has picked the United States
of America, he will play for Team USA. After all,
I think he heard how you were disparaging him against
picking team I think I heard that I was.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I was definitely not disparaging him because Joel Embiid knows
very well. He's one of my favorite people to speak
to on planet NBA. I I don't get to see
him a ton, but there are a few players who
fill up the proverbial notebook like mister em b So
there is no disparaging of him. And you know what,
(34:03):
I can rant all I want. It's his personal choice,
it's his life. He doesn't have to do what I say. However,
I have to admit that I did not I did
not love it. And again you know this. I'm sure
USAB officials who hear me on this rant don't understand
(34:26):
what I'm saying, because when they lose to anybody, I'm
at the front of the line criticizing them. And every
single loss, no matter who they bring, no matter what
the roster looks like, media with me at the front
of the line, treat it like an international incident. So
(34:47):
their natural reply is, how are you gonna wrap us
for bringing Joel embiid into fold when if we lose,
you're gonna crush us? And now you're saying we're too good.
And all I'm saying is, we've heard so many great
American players since camps have started talk about wanting to
(35:10):
join this team, and if the best of our best
show up, and we've got Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry
and Lebron James coming back, and Devin Booker and on,
Jason Tatum, on and on and on, and if there
are so many guys that it's looking like Kawhi Leonard
who also wants to play. If it's looking like Kawhi
Leonard has to settle for being a six man or something,
(35:33):
then no, they don't need Joel Embiid And it just
feels like free agency and I just feel like the
most talent rich country in the world in basketball should
not be signing the reigning MVP as a free agent.
And again, this really stems from me being that basketball
(35:56):
romantic who Cameroon is only one step away from qualifying.
Cameroon won a pre qualifying tournament to get to the
final round of qualifying without Joel Embiid and without Pascal Siaka,
and if those two guys played with the existing Cameroon
team and qualified for the Olympics under the flag of
(36:19):
their native country, that would be an absolutely incredible achievement
and it would not only be huge for Cameroon, but
it would be massive for African basketball. And so I
just I would have loved to hear Joel Embiid say
I loved that France and the United States spend a
year fighting over me and trying to get me. But
(36:40):
I am going to get Cameroon to the Olympics through qualifying.
And I understand It's risky for him to do that
because if Cameroon doesn't qualify, and international basketball is insane,
there's twenty four teams that go to qualifying, they get
broken up into four groups. Only one team out of
every six team group qualifies for the Olympics, and Cameroon
(37:02):
would not be the host. Most likely, the Cameroon Federation
almost assuredly does not have the money it would take
to win a bid to host one of those tournaments.
So Cameroon would have to win on the road somewhere,
and I know that's a tall order, but if you've
got Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam, they can do it,
just like the Bahamas are going to try to do
(37:24):
with DeAndre Ayton and Buddy Healed and Eric Gordon. So
I know that I'm ranting into the win and nobody cares,
and you're just doing this to get me all wound
up because it's fun for you to see me like this.
But yeah, the basketball romantic in me will not let
it go. I would have loved to see Embiid choose
Cameroon because again, I just think with or without him,
(37:46):
the United States is going to be stacked. I really
hope for your sake that you are assigned to cover
the Paris Olympics, because the US team is going to
be If all these guys play, who say they're gonna play,
it's going to be the closest thing in talent to
the original Dream Team that we've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
I will say this, and yeah, I get your point,
all valid points, all valid points. I will say this.
I was watching and I know this is not the
an equal equivalent, but I watched a Bruce Brown clip
that was forgive me, I forgot what pod he was on.
It's a Bruce Brown clips talking about when he was
(38:29):
with Brooklyn how he did not play a single minute
in preseason when they had KD, Kyrie and James Harden
and he talked about wanting to be traded, wanted to
go somewhere else, go somewhere else because he knew he
wasn't going to play. That's the same Bruce Brown who
did all the dirty work for the Denver Nuggets that
helped them win a championship. So what I what I'm
(38:51):
what I'm saying is this, Yes, the United States is
going to be the ods on favorite. Yes, but every
stars always talk about South and doing the dirty work.
But very few of them really know how to do
that because they they haven't had to do that ever.
They think sacrifices is, you know, taking fewer shots, no
(39:13):
diving on balls, what Kobe did his last team, USA
stin what Kobe did. And so what I'm saying is
you always need a Bruce Brown. You need a championship
team needs a guy like that. That's really that's what
his role is to be is to be a guy
that's going to dive for the ball, be a houndless defender,
guy's gonna cause havoc, be a spot up, you know,
(39:36):
spot up shooter and do that. And that's every night.
And so while they're gonna have all the talent, it's
still they still is going to be a lot of
pressure now because they gotta win.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
They have to win, and there will be a lot
of eyeballs on them, and France is gonna have home
court advantage. But again, if you look at all the
guys who put their hand up and said they want
to play, they they are gonna have way more than
twelve good players to choose from. The harder part for
them is going to be who you know, how do
you say no to some of these guys. But again
(40:08):
I'm not even listing. I mean, I can't even remember
everybody who wants to play. And you know they'll have
someone like Drew Holliday to do some of that dirty
work stuff that you're talking about. I'm sure Drew's going
to be.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
On the team again.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
They this team is going to be stacked a lot
these guys. They want to go to the Paris Olympics.
That you know, in our basketball culture, they love the Olympics.
They don't care about the World Cup. The United States
and the last two World Cups has finished seventh and fourth,
and it's been an almighty struggle for USA basketball to
get that roster filled with players who could who could
(40:45):
do it, and you know, two times in a row
they couldn't. But for these Olympics in Paris. Again, the
last two World Cups were in China and then this
past summer in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. I think
that was a harder sell for either of those competitions
than getting guys to go to Paris for the Olympics
(41:06):
that they are going. You know they are going to
be This team is going to be so strong and
they've got Joel Embiid now, but even if they didn't
even had Embiid chose to play for Cameroon or France,
They're going to be fine. They're going to be stacked.
And like I said, I hope, I hope for you
your sake that it gets to be your first Olympics,
(41:26):
because I think it's going to be. They are going
to that team. I mean, if it has Lebron, Curry
and Durant on it, they are going to be the
talk of the Summer Games.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Yeah, Paris, they love the Olympics. They love Paris too.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
Have you been to Paris yet?
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Never? Never have never have never have.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Man, I wonder if our guy, Brad Turner, America's ambassador
to Paris, is he going to get himself to Paris
for the Paris Olympics. I hope. I mean, he basically
lives there at this point, but I like, I would
like to think that the La Times will send him
(42:04):
to cover Team USA and he might just he might
just burst into flames.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Oh man, it's good to hear from you. Stein. Hopeful
next next pot we do, hopefully you'll be back in
the state side.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Yeah, it's good to connect with you good to be back.
Glad we're back. We're both back at it and we
do have Like you said, we still have tennis days
to get our predicted order for the East and West set.
So the season is fast approaching. Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Basically, I actually am, I actually am star, I am.
I'm looking forward to this season. Man, there's really I'll
leave it at that. I'm looking very forward to this season.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
All right, everyone that's gonna do it for this edition
of This League Uncut. Chris and I will be back
together soon. I think we actually have a special interview
on the docket very soon. And we got lots more
to cover and lots more to discuss in these next
(43:09):
couple of weeks before the season actually starts. But the
NBA's seventy eighth season, it will be here for real
before you know it, and we'll be covering it with
you every week twice a week here on This League Uncut.
Please remember rate review, subscribe to the show if you
haven't already for Haynes, this is stein. We'll do it
(43:30):
again soon and that'll do it for us.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
See you next time. This League Uncut is and iHeartRadio
production at Chris Haynes and mark Stein
Speaker 3 (44:00):
It took at
Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty
four hour NBA.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
News misters, you'll Chris Haines.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's so time, Mark Stein, It's so time. This League
Uncut is underway and on fire. This should be a
good one.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Everyone, Welcome in to a somewhat international edition of This
League Uncut podcast. Mark Stein. Here, I am in far
away Madrid making my way back to the United States
after spending four days in Spain with the weary and
(00:49):
battered Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has made its way back home.
I am a little bit behind them, but I will
soon soon be back on us Chris Haynes joining me.
He also was on the road this week his TNT debut,
shaking the rust off with a preseason game two heavyweights
(01:12):
in the desert, the reigning champions from Denver in Phoenix
against the super team that has been assembled to try
to dethrone the Denver Nuggets. Of course, we didn't get
to see the Superstars in action because Phoenix didn't play them,
(01:33):
but Chris Haynes was on the scene anyway. Had an
interview with Bradley Beal I saw on Twitter or x
or whatever the hell we call it Now, Chris Haynes,
how did how did your first TV assignment of the
season treat you?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
It was cool, a little rusty, but you know, that's
what the preseason is for.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Uh new suit though, I think new suit though, I
think right.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
No, no, no, I haven't No, I haven't put out
a new suit yet. That is that suit? Actually, that
that blazer that I wore. That's the first ever blazer,
that suit that I've worn on a on a TNT assignment.
It was when I backed in So this three years ago,
first assignment ever. Lakers spurs and uh jacket yep, Greg
(02:23):
Popovia jacket right there. So I don't think I've worn
it since then, But yeah, I mean it was a
good time. You know. Phoenix, the great weather, great great weather.
The only problem with Phoenix is like, you know, the
weather was cool, but the weather is still for me,
it's still not cool enough where I can just walk
a half a mile. The problem with Phoenix is there's
(02:43):
no trees, so when you're walking, you're just exposed. The
sun is hitting you like you can't hide from the
sun in Phoenix. And Dwayne Rakins, the the longtime beat
rider for the Suns over there really good guy. I
just tell him all the time. Man, He's always posted
and early in the morning, five six in the morning,
just posting on Instagram of him drenched in sweat talking
(03:07):
about I just ran two three four miles. I'm like,
who in the hell is running two three four miles
in the desert. It's Dwayne, I tell him, Man, you
give me anxiety every time I see that post man.
But Phoenix was cool. I was glad to be back
on the road. Man. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I mean, look, you saw two of the what four
or five most important teams in the league this coming season,
or maybe important is a poor adjective choice, but of
the two of the five or six teams that will
be talking about the most, presumably because Phoenix has assembled
so much star power, with Bradley Beal brought in to
(03:44):
join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and Denver as the
reigning champs, first title in the Nuggets NBA history, and
Nikola Jokic returns as Finals MVP after losing out on
the regular season MVP. To Joe l Embiid, I mean,
it's early, but we all do it. We all overreact
(04:07):
to what we see in the preseason I was, you know, again,
far far away when Wemby dual chet the other night.
But man, people just could not get enough of their
first showdown. And of course we're gonna draw crazy conclusions
from preseason games that we probably shouldn't because we're fans,
(04:28):
we're the public, we are the basketball public. We cannot
help it. So give me your give me your your
quick snapshot of your temperature take on where the Nuggets
are and where the Suns are right now.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, let's talk about the Nuggets. They're in a mode
where they're just in a chill mode right now. You know,
I spoke with Calvin boof our God. Calvin Booth came
on our podcast the general imagine of the Nuggets, and
he told me like that, they're just in a space
where they're just ready for the season and they're in
a tac mode, but it's in a calm space. And
(05:03):
I think he described it like that because this team,
like they know, they know their sales, like they understand
what they have to do. They know they're going to
be a target. Now, they're not going to sneak up
on anybody. But this is a group that's been together.
We talked about that at starting five. It's a group
that's been together a while, and so they feel like
(05:23):
they feel like they're in good shape. What he did say,
Calvin Booth did say, is that they're young, you know,
so there's rotation minutes to be had. And one guy
who was very impressive in his rookie preseason day debut,
Julian Strauter. That guy, he stein he is a quick sharpshooter.
He and what I mean by that, he has a
(05:45):
quick release. He catches it and it leaves his hand
pretty quickly, and he has a beautiful stroke. And I
believe he had four three's that game, had twenty points.
And so the Nuggets, they're looking for guys who can
come in space, space the floor, guys who can compliment
Joker as well in some of those rotation, rotational spot duties,
(06:08):
and so you know, that's what they're you know, they're
expecting a lot more from Christian Brown. You know, he's
a guy that's poised to have a really good season.
And so they feel like they this is what they said,
they said, as long as they're five, as long as
they're five, are healthy, they feel like they're in really
good shape throughout the season. Now it's just about adding
(06:29):
other complimentary pieces the sun Stein you know, KD, Devin Booker,
Bradley Bill. They did not play in the game that
I was on assignment on. They played the game before
in Detroit. Remember the the owner of matt Ishpiah, he's
out there in Detroit, and so they played out there.
(06:50):
They actually went to his house after the after the
game for dinner, and they had practice at his at
his company's office the next day. So, uh, you know,
I could say this T and T was very shocked
to learn that those three were sitting out that game.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
With the NBA's new player participation policy, that's not gonna fly.
Playing the game in Detroit and sitting in all three
stars sitting out the national TV game. I don't think that.
I don't think that happens in the regular season.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yes, I love stave Ac Guddy, that's my guy. I
think it's safe to say Stan did not approve of
that that move made by the SuDS. But hey, it's preseason,
and uh you know I'm gonna say this right now.
You know we all expect so it's it's it's not
a lot that I can break down on the Suns
because of those three were out. But those three were out.
(07:47):
But what I can say, I think is going to
be really good on the high posts, on the elbow,
initiating the offense office going through him. I think he's
going to be really good. I think he's going to
be a really good big body just in case they
have to face the Nuggets down the road. And Joker,
you know, those two were teammates for a little bit
in Denver. I will say this, Stein, They're they're trying
(08:09):
to rotate the point guard assignments between Bradley Bill and
Devin Booker, and that is the plan right now going
into the season, that those two are going to share
those roles. They did a point guard, Stein, and I'm
gonna go as far as I think they need to
point guard desperately.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
And do they know it? Would they admit it to
the side if you ask them.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I think some would, as others wouldn't. So you know,
take that as you as you will. But yeah, I
think they're going to need a point guard. And I'm
and I'll let you I'll let you finish.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But you had the very interesting report that when when
the whole Damian Lillard trade went down, Phoenix knew they
were going to be in it. They wanted use of
Nurkic that you know, they wanted to send eight into
the Blazers and take on Nurkic. But had Miami been
(09:06):
that third team instead of Milwaukee, you reported that Phoenix's
dream scenario would have been to get both nurk and
find a way to bring in Kyle Lowry, who obviously
most definitely would address the point guard issue. And same
thing when there were rumbles that Indiana might be that
third team, we know that the Sons have had a
(09:29):
long standing interest in TJ McConnell, So I mean those
names were out there. Obviously, Dame did not go to Miami.
He very much went to the Milwaukee Bucks. And the
Pacers were not involved in the trade either, So those
options did not avail themselves to Phoenix. But yeah, I'm
with you. I think that is that is a that's
a hole they're going to have to address sooner rather
(09:50):
than later.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
And the reason I say that, Stime, because you know,
you could get by with trying to rotate those guys
in at that point guard spot. And and there's gonna
be a lot of emphasis with Phoenix on pushing the
ball up like out letting the ball get it up,
opposed to having a point guard just bring the ball
all the way up ninety four feet. So they wanted
(10:12):
to get the ball up past half court, give himself
a lot of time in the shot clock to get
into their sets. The problem is this Stein and I remember,
you know, talking to Chris Paul a few years ago,
where it was a few years ago when the Suns
were they played when they got the playoffs, they played
New Orleans in the first round. Did they played Dallas
and New Orleans? They had Alvarado and they had Herb
(10:36):
Jones just smothering, hounding Chris Paul ninety four feet, and
it took his toll, you know, it took his toll
on him getting the ball up with that amount of
aggressiveness and length and quickness. And then in Dallas he
faced Bullock and I forgot the other player that he
said was hounding them ninety four feet. But Phoenix didn't
(10:58):
have another, really another primary point guard to help Chris
Paul in that mode. So in the regular season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Now I don't even remember, was it Phinney Smith.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
It might have been Phinney Smith, but it was two
lyngty guys. I know Bullock was one of them. It
might have been Phinny Smith could have been. But you
know he didn't see that type of a defensive pressure
in the regular season. You know, teams don't do they
don't go all out and do that type of stuff,
you know, in the regular season. So you can see
a scenario in Phoenix where Bill and Booker they're pushing
(11:33):
the ball up out, letting the ball up, or or
they even they're even bringing the ball up full court
with very little pressure in the regular season and then
kind of thinking like, all right, we can get we
can get away with this. This is fine. But when
the playoffs hit, when and then when teams start to scheme,
oh no, let's pressure on full court. Young guy, small guy,
get up in them, tall lyngthy guy, get up in them.
(11:56):
That's where problems can be had. And you didn't work
on it because you didn't think you had to do
in the regular season because teams are not putting those
type of schemes into the regular season. So I think
they desperately need a point guard. Not necessarily for the
regular season, but I definitely think they need one come
playoff time and That's just my opinion, just just the
(12:18):
little basketball that I've watched them against, planned against Detroit,
and just knowing what they don't have on that roster currently.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, you know Bradley Beal very well. You interviewed him
during the game, but beyond that, you've known him for
a long time. How much, though, do you think he
kind of wants to prove to people, hey, I can
do this, I can playmake, I can be I can
be a pseudo point guard for this team, because you
know he hasn't always done that in Washington.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Yeah, I don't know. You know, I've talked, you know,
we talked. You know, I had an any game interview
with him, but we talked before the game as well,
and he was talking about how excited he is and
how he's prepared to do whatever he's called to do.
And then you know, I asked him, you know, about
the role of I don't know if I'll call him
the third star. Maybe he is the third star, but
(13:13):
you know about sacrificing Now, you know, it's always hard
for that third star a lot of times to get
accimmitted to what that role entails. And he said all
the right things, like he's ready for whatever. But stein,
what I would say about that point guard position. Man,
that point guard that's like, it's like playing quarterback. You
don't just step into that role and run everything officially
(13:38):
like you're kind of born a point guard. You're kind
of groomed into being a point guard. It's not something
you could.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Just and you were born a shooting guard.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I would, I would my sources say, well, listen, you
don't need no sources. You can come in from the
horse's mouth here. I am not a point guard. I am.
I am not Listen now from the so you got
they give you a little bit of fake news. I'm
telling you I'm not a point guard because my handles weren't.
That was not that tight. But court vision and finding people,
(14:10):
I got that. But the handles, like and that's another
thing too. But people need to understand is you can
have handles or could be considered somebody who has handles
in half court settings, like somebody who could run pick
and roll in half court. But bringing that ball up
being pressured ninety four feet totally different from using two
(14:35):
or three four dribbles in a half court set to
get to the basket. Totally different, And so That's why
I tell people that point guard transition is not easy,
like it's not and so, and I don't know that
that's fair to ask Bill to do that. That's why
I say, I think they're going to need a point guard,
real point guard service, a point guard point guard down
(14:57):
the line.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well, look, using Bruce Brown and losing Jeff Green, those
are significant losses for the Denver Nuggets. But they are
still my favorites in an absolutely stacked Western conference. And
I can tell you I know it was stacked because
during my trip here in Spain with the MAVs, with
(15:19):
more than one MAVs person that I sat down with,
we did the exercise of let's go through the teams
in the West and just what you have to who
you have to finish ahead of to finish top six,
top eight, and it is just tough, tough, it's brutal.
And I mean because the teams at the bottom, the
(15:41):
teams expected to be at the bottom, your Utah's, your Portland's,
your San Antonio's, your Houston's, they will all be tough outs.
I mean, Houston is obviously trying to be competitive this
year with the moves they've made to bring in Fred
Van Vliet and Dylan Brooks and San Antonio obviously Wemby
in July. Everybody wanted to write him off after one
(16:01):
bad Summer League game, and now everybody is going nuts
after his his preseason debut. So, I mean, san Antonio,
we're still not exactly sure what we're gonna see from them,
but I mean, you know they're gonna have a capable team.
You know, Portland is another tough team to read, very young,
but I mean you know that they Yeah, again, nobody's
(16:23):
just just a gimme in the West, and Utah already
showed us last year when when they were written off
by everyone after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert that
you know they were they were on course to be
a five hundred or better team until they finally at
the end of the season decided to put an eye
on draft positioning. So, I mean, this West is going
(16:44):
to be something else. Denver is still my favorite, and
you know, I guess I would say the Suns are
probably who I would have at the top of the
list of challengers, but I'm I'm not sure. I'm I'm
really not sure that, Like, you know, the Lakers I
really like the Lakers moves in the off season. And
(17:07):
ye you know the Clippers aren done. Okac is moving
up the charts. Sacramento. I was doing my radio show
last weekend and I was going through all the teams
in the West. And somehow, despite how much we talk
about the Kings on this show, I forgot to mention
the Kings. And I'm waiting for Mike Brown to call
me because and I guess Mike Brown priably does not
listened to my radio show in Dallas. But I was
(17:28):
still waiting for the call. I mean, we need to
go on and on about the the West. You tell
me Denver, Phoenix, Lakers, Warriors, who's your favorite in the West?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Okay, Stan, You have to realize, are we ready to
do this? Because teams do even you know, teams, players, coaches,
they all like to say they don't listen to us,
you know, they don't pay us no mind. But during
the season they post, they print these articles out, they
print these headlines out about who we picked to be
(18:00):
a top eight motivation. Are we ready to do this?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Listen today is we're recording this on October twelfth. The
season starts October twenty fifth, if you would rather wait
too closer to October twenty fifth. You deserve that runway,
you do not have. You do not have to make
that declaration right now, Like so I.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Don't think are you making a declaration.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, Denver's my favorite to make Denver's my favorite. To
win the West, I think is defending champions. They deserve that.
And yes, they they lost, they lost two key guys
in their rotation. But Brown I do think is ready
to step up, and you know, I think they will
cope with the losses. And just Joker is Joker, I
(18:46):
mean he is. I just think he's that good and
has proven to be such a dominant force who pretty
much never misses games. Yeah, Denver's okay, I would agree
with you.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
The difference is my favorite as well, Continuity, Like they're
my favorite. I'm a little you know they Hey, Bruce Brown,
Bruce Brown losing him that is a big that's a
big loss right there.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
That is very real. And look, I'm probably not ready
to do the order after Denver.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Okay, all right, all right, that's what I was getting.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
That's why I was like, no, I can't do that yet.
I'm still figuring that out too.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
But let me say this, sty I'm looking at the
top eight from last year who made the playoffs, right, Denver,
and then I'm going in order Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, Phoenix, Clippers, Warriors, Lakers.
Minnesota was eight, Stein I had. Out of those eight,
I have a hard time thinking who can get into
(19:51):
that eight. No, now, listen, I know there are teams
that can get to it. Like so New Orleans they
were nine. Maybe they leap for aud Minnesota, but at
eight or that nine right there, it's tough. And I
know Dallas they were they were eleven.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Like Minnesota thinks they're better, that they will be better
with a full training camp, and obviously Cat missed a
zillion games last year. So Minnesota believes they're a better
team New Orleans if they've got Zion. I mean, obviously
we're gonna have to look at them differently. But that's
a huge iff when you know Zion's got to play
(20:28):
half a season first before we, you know, we even
start talking about it. So but obviously he you know,
he played a pre he made his preseason debut and
people got very excited. I mean, yeah, that again, this
is the conversation I was having with with various folks
in Dallas. You guys, if you want to get back
even in the play in you got a lot of
(20:49):
work to do to leap frog a lot of good teams.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Yeah, it's tough. Like I have a hard time, Like
I think Denver is going to be in the playoffs.
Think Memphis, I think Sacramento, I think Phoenix, I think
the Clippers, I think the Warriors, I think the Lakers.
Those seven, those are seven that I'm pretty certain will
be there. Seven. You know, that's not a lot a
(21:13):
wiggle room for other teams to jump up in there.
You know, I know Dallas is better than what they
were last year. New Orleans is better than what they
were last year. Minnesota. It's it, man, I'm looking forward
to It's gonna be tough.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Well, we can talk about Dallas now a bit, because
again I did not go to Abu Dhabi with them.
I met them in Madrid. I got to Madrid a
few hours before they did. And look, this will go
down as the longest trip in NBA preseason history, both
literally and figuratively. They flew nearly seventeen thousand air miles
(21:46):
combined to do the two games in Abu Dhabi before Madrid,
and they came home Thursday today with both of their
stars carrying injuries. Luka Doncic suffered a left calf strain
in practice on Monday, and that was the only real
practice that the Mavericks were able to have on the
(22:09):
whole trip after they lost to the Wolves twice in
Abu Dhabi. Because you know, when you go to Abu
Dhabi and it's the league trip, when you're not playing,
the league's got you doing all kinds of stuff. There's appearances,
there's clinics, there's special dinners and tours, and it's like
it is not conducive to practice. So they had six
practices before they left for Abu Dhabi. Go to Abu Dhabi,
(22:32):
play the two games, come back. They basically fly from
Abu Dhabi to Madrid, which is like going coast to
coast in the States. They have their first real practice
before the game. Luka calf strain, the same left leg
that has been bugging him on some level since late
February early March. You know, they lose to Real Madrid.
(22:55):
That's the least of their problems because it was their
third string against the Real Madrid starters. In the fourth quarters,
so it was the revenge of Facundo Composo. Faco Composo
with the last nine points for Real Madrid in the
last eighty five seconds. Composo, of course, spent about six
weeks as a mav last season. They brought him in
to be Luca's sidekick and someone he absolutely loved from
(23:20):
their days as Real Madrid Real Madrid teammates, and then
Dallas waived him to launch the Kemba Walker experiment, which
didn't work. So there's all these storylines, but the basics
of it are Dallas comes back, Kyrie Irving only played
one of the three games because of left groin soreness,
Luca has this left leg issue, and those two are
(23:43):
supposed to be the sure bets for a Mavericks team
that has ten to eleven new players. Grant Williams is
the only surefire starter. So okay, I just went through
all of that. You know, what was your reaction from home?
Just just kind of watching the MAVs go on this
crazy long trip and coming back with both of those guys,
(24:06):
both of their stars in some level of injury distress.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Yeah, I'm not, I mean, unless you know I've been
following you know your reports over there, and they're saying,
you know you reported the injury, especially particularly to Luca,
is not serious. And I think that's common around preseason,
like you don't want to take any risks. And one
thing I will say about the Suns that I didn't
say about Vogel told me that he planned to play
(24:34):
KD and Booker and two of the last three preseason games, like,
so for whatever reason, they're just being really safe and cautious.
And you know, you can look at the Milwaukee Bucks
as well, Dame and Giannis. They're about to make their
preseason debut this weekend Sunday against the Lakers. So I
think that's normal around the league. I wouldn't get I
(24:56):
wouldn't get too nervous if I was a fan of
of those those star players all those teams. So I
just there's just not a lot to gleanstein from these
preseasons for the most part, because we were not seeing
a healthy dose of these guys playing, and so a
lot of a lot of what we're going to find
out is going to be when the regular season starts,
(25:17):
and so I do want to see more, but I
just don't have There's just not enough sample size for
me to go off and have.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Well, this is a MAVs team that needs a good start.
I mean, they desperately need a good start after the
way last season ended. And that's kind of the issue,
is that this trip was supposed to be a renaissance.
It's a it's you know, a team that's made a
lot of changes. It's the first training camp that Luka
Doncic and Kyrie Irving get to spend together. And they
(25:45):
return home today. They have one exhibition game left a
week from Friday against Detroit and then an opening night.
They're at San Antonio in the Wemby Bowl, and I
do plan to be at that one to see Wemby's
first game, his first real game. But I mean Luka
Dancic and Kyrie Irving played in three exhibition games. They
(26:07):
played together for less than seven minutes, so they still
have not had a lot of court time together. And
this is again a duo that last season when both
were in uniform, the MAVs went five and eleven. So
I mean, I have certainly taken on an alarmist tone
here and I'm sure I'll hear about it in my
home city, But I think it is justified. The trip
(26:29):
was a grind and now they're basically going to have
three days off. The gym will be open for some
voluntary stuff, but the Mavericks can't even have an official
practice until Monday, and so they got a lot to
do next week Monday through Thursday before Dallas area star
(26:50):
Cade Cunningham brings the Detroit Pistons into town for an
exhibition on October twenty.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Who did the Mavericks open up with San Antonio? One? Okay?
In San Antonio?
Speaker 2 (27:02):
In San Antonio on Wednesday? What what's your opening night
assignments on Tuesday? You'll wear you? Where are you? Are
you at Ring Knight? Are you at the other.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Game I actually have? Is that Ring Night? No, that's not.
Who does Nuggets have for Ring Night?
Speaker 2 (27:19):
So it's Nuggets Lakers Ring Night? And then there's your
game Sons Warriors, so Western Conference only the first night
of the season. And you said you got.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
I have Sons Warriors in San Francisco Tuesday. Then I
take off immediately for Milwaukee. I got the Bucks opening
night game against the Sixers. That's third, Tuesday and Thursday. Yep,
that is a strong week.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I hope you have a lot of good stories for
those for the podcast that show rolls around.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
I wasn't assigned to that game initially, but you know,
things have changed over the last couple of weeks in
the league.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
You're going to be voting. You're going to be voting
in Milwaukee election.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
A big trade to change some of my assignments. So
I got I got two games that week, so I'm
looking for me.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I'm so jealous. I love Milwaukee. I love visiting Milwaukee.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, it was beautiful when I was there.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I was there, and I'm not sure i've been there
since since. I can't even remember because I don't think
I went to those finals. Yeah, I can't remember my
last trip to Milwaukee.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I have a strong feeling the weather is not going
to cooperate like it did when I was there a
few weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Well, I don't even want to talk about weather because
I will really make you jealous, because it has been
spectacular in Madrid, absolutely gorgeous, and I'm told it's finally
cooling down when I get back home to Dallas.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
So, yeah, I've never been stein. Are you one of
those guys, you know, older people. I used to wonder
this all the time. Why do people retire in Phoenix? Why?
I never knew that, but you know, I started to
see a trend. The older you got, the more attractive
a place like Phoenix became. And I know, my guy
(29:17):
Dwight James, the Commas in Portland, he bought a house
out there in Phoenix. You know, older people like the sun.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
You know what's this is actually some inside baseball on
our profession. There was a time when and Dwight James
is part of that generation right before me. In terms
of writers, a bunch of writers from that era did that.
Pete VESSI spent tons of time in the desert, Sam Smith,
your guy Michael Wilbon still has a place in Phoenix.
(29:47):
I'm quite sure. So all these writers from that generation
before me and there were probably more like it. Just
I think housing prices at that time were really, really
favorable in Phoenix, and and I don't know if that's
still the case now. I'm gonna guess not. I'm gonna
guess Phoenix, like Dallas, has gotten a lot more expensive
than it used to be in terms of real estate.
(30:09):
But back in the nineties that was a very I
remember you know, someone like Sam you know, Sam Smith
spent his whole writing career in Chicago. The chance to
live in Phoenix sounded pretty damn good.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
So it's not a star.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
I mean, I know you're basically saying, now that I'm old,
I'm qualified to answer this question. I love Phoenix to visit,
but I have never had interest in living there. And
I look, I love the desert, the desert skyline, and
just I really aesthetically, I really have always loved going
(30:53):
there and the Steve Nash years from like the Steve
Nash D'Antoni is from two thousand and four to twenty ten. Now,
I mean I spent more time in Phoenix than anywhere
I went, so I've always had great visits there. My
I want to say, my very first NBA All Star
Game I covered was in Phoenix. So I've always had
(31:16):
great experiences there, but I've never had this huge desire
to live there. I think, as an you know, my
older self, I could imagine living part time in either
Palm Springs or Vegas before.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Feast Vegas yeah oh yeah, huh yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I get part time three months a year, but I
I love the energy of Vegas. Man, I love it
is it is it is you know, it's just it's sports.
Everywhere you look, everywhere you turn, it's sports.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, but Vegas is like Stein. Like for me, when
I go to a summer league three days, four days,
max I started, I start to get irrible, Like I'm
tied of Vegas, Like I don't know if I can
live there. And then if you live there, are you
really visiting the strip that often where all the action is,
Like I really never spent time outside of strip in Vegas,
(32:11):
so I don't even know what that's like.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Well, I don't know firsthand, but people who do live
there always tell me how great it is off the
strip and you should just come see how A, B
and C is so fantastic. So I'm not qualified answer
that question, but maybe people can. Maybe people, maybe some
of our listeners who do live in Vegas can educate us.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
But in Phoenix, Stein, I know what your favorite steakhouse
in Milwaukee is? What again? Carson's Carsons Carsons in Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
It's a Chicago place, but they have a Milwaukee outlet.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Okay, Steak forty four in Phoenix the best steakhouse I've
been to.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Steak forty four best steakhouse in the League.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Best best, I've the best I've wanted to I would,
I would challenge any other steakhouse in the league. Was
against Stake forty four. Those in Phoenix know what I'm
talking about. That place is awesome.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
All right, Well, I guess I'm gonna have to meet
you there and we'll put that to the test. Yes
before all right, so before we go. You know, last
the last time we did one of these, you were
just you were just love getting me all worked up
about Joe l. Embiid and international basketball, which you did
on You did it on purpose.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Of course, I need your pe I want to know
now that Joel and Bid has picked the United States
of America, he will play for Team USA. After all,
I think he heard how you were disparaging him against
picking team I think I heard that I was.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I was definitely not disparaging him because Joel Embiid knows
very well. He's one of my favorite people to speak
to on planet NBA. I I don't get to see
him a ton, but there are a few players who
fill up the proverbial notebook like mister em b So
there is no disparaging of him. And you know what,
(34:03):
I can rant all I want. It's his personal choice,
it's his life. He doesn't have to do what I say. However,
I have to admit that I did not I did
not love it. And again you know this. I'm sure
USAB officials who hear me on this rant don't understand
(34:26):
what I'm saying, because when they lose to anybody, I'm
at the front of the line criticizing them. And every
single loss, no matter who they bring, no matter what
the roster looks like, media with me at the front
of the line, treat it like an international incident. So
(34:47):
their natural reply is, how are you gonna wrap us
for bringing Joel embiid into fold when if we lose,
you're gonna crush us? And now you're saying we're too good.
And all I'm saying is, we've heard so many great
American players since camps have started talk about wanting to
(35:10):
join this team, and if the best of our best
show up, and we've got Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry
and Lebron James coming back, and Devin Booker and on,
Jason Tatum, on and on and on, and if there
are so many guys that it's looking like Kawhi Leonard
who also wants to play. If it's looking like Kawhi
Leonard has to settle for being a six man or something,
(35:33):
then no, they don't need Joel Embiid And it just
feels like free agency and I just feel like the
most talent rich country in the world in basketball should
not be signing the reigning MVP as a free agent.
And again, this really stems from me being that basketball
(35:56):
romantic who Cameroon is only one step away from qualifying.
Cameroon won a pre qualifying tournament to get to the
final round of qualifying without Joel Embiid and without Pascal Siaka,
and if those two guys played with the existing Cameroon
team and qualified for the Olympics under the flag of
(36:19):
their native country, that would be an absolutely incredible achievement
and it would not only be huge for Cameroon, but
it would be massive for African basketball. And so I
just I would have loved to hear Joel Embiid say
I loved that France and the United States spend a
year fighting over me and trying to get me. But
(36:40):
I am going to get Cameroon to the Olympics through qualifying.
And I understand It's risky for him to do that
because if Cameroon doesn't qualify, and international basketball is insane,
there's twenty four teams that go to qualifying, they get
broken up into four groups. Only one team out of
every six team group qualifies for the Olympics, and Cameroon
(37:02):
would not be the host. Most likely, the Cameroon Federation
almost assuredly does not have the money it would take
to win a bid to host one of those tournaments.
So Cameroon would have to win on the road somewhere,
and I know that's a tall order, but if you've
got Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam, they can do it,
just like the Bahamas are going to try to do
(37:24):
with DeAndre Ayton and Buddy Healed and Eric Gordon. So
I know that I'm ranting into the win and nobody cares,
and you're just doing this to get me all wound
up because it's fun for you to see me like this.
But yeah, the basketball romantic in me will not let
it go. I would have loved to see Embiid choose
Cameroon because again, I just think with or without him,
(37:46):
the United States is going to be stacked. I really
hope for your sake that you are assigned to cover
the Paris Olympics, because the US team is going to
be If all these guys play, who say they're gonna play,
it's going to be the closest thing in talent to
the original Dream Team that we've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
I will say this, and yeah, I get your point,
all valid points, all valid points. I will say this.
I was watching and I know this is not the
an equal equivalent, but I watched a Bruce Brown clip
that was forgive me, I forgot what pod he was on.
It's a Bruce Brown clips talking about when he was
(38:29):
with Brooklyn how he did not play a single minute
in preseason when they had KD, Kyrie and James Harden
and he talked about wanting to be traded, wanted to
go somewhere else, go somewhere else because he knew he
wasn't going to play. That's the same Bruce Brown who
did all the dirty work for the Denver Nuggets that
helped them win a championship. So what I what I'm
(38:51):
what I'm saying is this, Yes, the United States is
going to be the ods on favorite. Yes, but every
stars always talk about South and doing the dirty work.
But very few of them really know how to do
that because they they haven't had to do that ever.
They think sacrifices is, you know, taking fewer shots, no
(39:13):
diving on balls, what Kobe did his last team, USA
stin what Kobe did. And so what I'm saying is
you always need a Bruce Brown. You need a championship
team needs a guy like that. That's really that's what
his role is to be is to be a guy
that's going to dive for the ball, be a houndless defender,
guy's gonna cause havoc, be a spot up, you know,
(39:36):
spot up shooter and do that. And that's every night.
And so while they're gonna have all the talent, it's
still they still is going to be a lot of
pressure now because they gotta win.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
They have to win, and there will be a lot
of eyeballs on them, and France is gonna have home
court advantage. But again, if you look at all the
guys who put their hand up and said they want
to play, they they are gonna have way more than
twelve good players to choose from. The harder part for
them is going to be who you know, how do
you say no to some of these guys. But again
(40:08):
I'm not even listing. I mean, I can't even remember
everybody who wants to play. And you know they'll have
someone like Drew Holliday to do some of that dirty
work stuff that you're talking about. I'm sure Drew's going
to be.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
On the team again.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
They this team is going to be stacked a lot
these guys. They want to go to the Paris Olympics.
That you know, in our basketball culture, they love the Olympics.
They don't care about the World Cup. The United States
and the last two World Cups has finished seventh and fourth,
and it's been an almighty struggle for USA basketball to
get that roster filled with players who could who could
(40:45):
do it, and you know, two times in a row
they couldn't. But for these Olympics in Paris. Again, the
last two World Cups were in China and then this
past summer in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. I think
that was a harder sell for either of those competitions
than getting guys to go to Paris for the Olympics
(41:06):
that they are going. You know they are going to
be This team is going to be so strong and
they've got Joel Embiid now, but even if they didn't
even had Embiid chose to play for Cameroon or France,
They're going to be fine. They're going to be stacked.
And like I said, I hope, I hope for you
your sake that it gets to be your first Olympics,
(41:26):
because I think it's going to be. They are going
to that team. I mean, if it has Lebron, Curry
and Durant on it, they are going to be the
talk of the Summer Games.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Yeah, Paris, they love the Olympics. They love Paris too.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
Have you been to Paris yet?
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Never? Never have never have never have.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Man, I wonder if our guy, Brad Turner, America's ambassador
to Paris, is he going to get himself to Paris
for the Paris Olympics. I hope. I mean, he basically
lives there at this point, but I like, I would
like to think that the La Times will send him
(42:04):
to cover Team USA and he might just he might
just burst into flames.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Oh man, it's good to hear from you. Stein. Hopeful
next next pot we do, hopefully you'll be back in
the state side.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Yeah, it's good to connect with you good to be back.
Glad we're back. We're both back at it and we
do have Like you said, we still have tennis days
to get our predicted order for the East and West set.
So the season is fast approaching. Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Basically, I actually am, I actually am star, I am.
I'm looking forward to this season. Man, there's really I'll
leave it at that. I'm looking very forward to this season.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
All right, everyone that's gonna do it for this edition
of This League Uncut. Chris and I will be back
together soon. I think we actually have a special interview
on the docket very soon. And we got lots more
to cover and lots more to discuss in these next
(43:09):
couple of weeks before the season actually starts. But the
NBA's seventy eighth season, it will be here for real
before you know it, and we'll be covering it with
you every week twice a week here on This League Uncut.
Please remember rate review, subscribe to the show if you
haven't already for Haynes, this is stein. We'll do it
(43:30):
again soon and that'll do it for us.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
See you next time. This League Uncut is and iHeartRadio
production at Chris Haynes and mark Stein
Speaker 3 (44:00):
It took at
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.