July 1, 2024 • 50 mins
Episode 176: Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes round up the biggest stories so far from 2024 NBA Free Agency, the 2024 NBA Draft and recent offseason trades. This includes Paul George, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mikal Bridges, Chris Paul, Rob Dillingham, Klay Thompson, Bronny James, Zach Edey and more!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Three to one four. Welcome toBasketball by Association. My name is our
giche, that is the boy,wondered Joel c. Cordes. Uh J
all those numbers was me just addingevery one hundred of millions of dollars that
we're about to give us some basketballplayers already have to give us some basketball
(00:21):
players this year off season. Uh, we haven't really spoken since the Celtics
one. So let's just say theCeltics one. Uh. And we we
were not really shocked by that.We were we were staring down the inevitable
at that point. It was amatter of if you know of when not
if, however, there is anew contender in the Eastern Conference now,
(00:44):
provided no one breaks all their bodyparts. Uh. And that is by
virtue of this year off season.Uh, We're gonna talk about the newly
studded and newly minted favorites of theNBA, the New York Knicks. That's
right, No one past the NewYork Knix the season. Looking at her
eighty one and one, there's gonnabe an hour they fumble. I get
it. We'll also talk about JoelseyCortes's Minnesota Timpa Wolvies getting better too.
(01:12):
But let's talk about team first that'sgetting worse. That's the Philadelphia seventy six
ers. Paul George just signed withthe Philadelphia seventy six ers for two hundred
and twelve million dollars or whatever,so big, some big giant number he
was gonna get anyway. So,uh, Joe, let me just say
this. I don't think this changesat all how I feel about the Philadelphia
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seventy six ers. I think thatthey think that they're better. Uh.
They gave Tyres Maxie a boat tonof money too, which he deserved.
Absolutely. That kid was killing itthis last year. So let me just
ask you, uh this briefly andwe can get to a few of the
(01:53):
moves. I don't want to getto a ton of them because some of
them are just you know, don'tmean jack to me. There's a lot
of hood scratchers, had scratchers outthere, I know. So let's talk
about the Philadelphia seventy six years gettingPaul George. Paul George, who leaves
the Lelly Clippers, who almost wonnothing with him, actually almost won Jack
squad of anything with him on thatroster. What do you think of Philadelphia
(02:17):
being hands on landing spot. Ilike it. I mean, I know
you're down on this one, butif I have the chance to trade Tobias
Harris essentially for Paul George, becauseTobias leaves and goes to the Pistons,
where good luck to you, sir, he will be a veteran cashing some
checks and hopefully your team will wintwenty five games this year, maybe thirty.
(02:40):
You know, for Philly, itis an upgrade. Paul George is
still an effective two way player.And the fact that he gets the slot
onto a team where, yes,their health concerns around Joel Embiid, but
they're not the same concerns that you'vehad around Kawhi Leonard. And you have
a young guy in Tyrese Max youmean the Coasta Rican living Kyrie gwild Leiner
right now. Yeah, he's he'sgot the tyres has got the keys to
(03:05):
the car and every sense of theword now and Paul George gets to be
the third wheel on this team.And at this point, at thirty four
years old, that's a great spotfor Paul George. That's a great point
to be the third wheel. Like, I just don't think this fits well.
Like I think this is either thisgoes great or I don't think it
goes good at all, Like Ithink you're looking at a five hundred team
maybe like this, Really, II'm not. I don't love Paul George
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and I don't think he's a reallygood player. I get it. I
just don't think he makes his teamsbetter. Like It's just it's tough for
me, And I don't care aboutthe money. The money is not my
money to spend. You guys figureout what a guy's worth. Doesn't bother
me. I'm just talking about theplayer himself, right, like gona have
to figure out budget issues. Ijust don't think Paul George makes a team
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around him better. I just knowit's the thing. I mean, Like
Philly last year under Nick Nurse,by the deadline, they laid out the
blueprint of what they want to do, which is Tyre's Maxi and Joel Embiid
surrounded by interchangeable, lengthy wings whocan play three and D and they want
(04:13):
that up and down the roster.They cycle through a whole bunch of different
guys. Kelly Uber Junior re signswith them, and he's the perfect example
of it. Is Uber a superstarno, but can he play and defend
multiple positions and do a lot ofdifferent things. Yes, is Paul George
arguably like one of the top threeto five guys in the league who still
(04:35):
do a little bit of everything reallyreally well and happen to be that body
type as a wing where they're interchangeable. I think this is this is exactly
in the blueprint of what Philly wantsto do, and there are few better
options of guys who have proven theycan do it and who might now at
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this stage of their career, afterhaving chased to ring their own way with
the Clippers, be amenable to cominginto a situation like Philadelphia and going I
just want to ring, and Ican fit I can make something happen here.
I don't think he's that far outsideof the game plan of what the
Sixers have shown they want to dounder Nick Nurse. And it's the same
thing, by the way, prettymuch that Nurse was doing in Toronto.
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It's just he didn't have quite thehigh end Tyrese Maxi and Joel and being
firepower to work. With no disrespectof course to Kawhi Leonard who helped them
get that ring, but otherwise youknow this is Nick Nurse's m and maybe
it's different this year. I don'tknow. But the last few playoffs series
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his plus minus has been minus orbarely above plus. Like it's right,
But he doesn't have to be thefirst or the second wheel to deal with
that anymore. Is he going tobe more invisible than Tobias Harris has been
in the in the playoffs for theSixers. Probably not, Like Paul George
can give you thirty times occasionally consistently, probably eighteen to twenty two or so.
(06:03):
Probably it can get you in theplayoff. That's just what I wonder
about. Philadelphia is not in thein the in the market though they're they're
kind of like Boston for me,right, like Boston has been had been
in the playoffs, and more specificallyfor them, they have been to the
conference finals and the NBA Finals.They just had to break through and do
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it with Philadelphia has been in theplayoffs a bunch lately. They've gotten to
the conference Where is the Paul Georgeis Paul George is going to be the
piece that gets them to Has Phillygotten to the conference finals? Say?
Been playoff series? One playoff seriesis Paul George going to be the guy
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that gets them to the Eastern Finalsinto the NBA Finals. It's like,
is he maybe? But I'll tellyou this, I know Philadelphia felt like
they definitely need to make a movebecause the East wasn't getting worse at the
top, especially when you saw whatNew York did at the top, you
saw with Cleveland was trying to do. I think that there's a decent chance
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it could maybe possibly work to theEast semis. Maybe this does not make
I don't think this makes Philly betterthan New York, although we're going to
talk about the Knicks and losing IsaiahHertenstein, which I think is a big
deal. I don't think it makesthem better than Boston, but I do
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think it helps them not get lappedby those two teams like Cleveland and Milwaukee
now continue to fall down in thepecking order, and where Boston and New
York are like one A, oneB in the East. At least you
can look at Philly and go onpaper and if everybody stays healthy, which
is always the thing with them,but they've got everything, they should be
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the second, you know, inthat second tier, still above Milwaukee and
Cleveland, and maybe even Orlando atthis point it should be, but I
thought they would have been there ifthey had kept Here's the thing, and
as this is all I got on, I don't believe in it as far
as getting them through, but Ifrom what you're saying, to keep them
relevant long enough, and maybe ifJoel Ebid's able to stay healthy, and
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we saw in the East they gotdecimated by injuries last year, maybe you
run into a series like that.Maybe New York does break half their roster
again. Right, So man Bed'sbeen an MVP when he's been on the
floor, right, So he's stillgood when he's able to, like you
said, stay on the floor.Tyre's Maxie took a huge step forward.
Maybe maybe that team just wants tostay as long as they're healthy relevant to
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be in a spot to be ableto have a puncher's chance, right,
have a puncher's chance. And that'swhat I think Paul George, at least
on paper right now, gives them. This is an upgrade over Tobias Harris
and Nick Batoomb because that's who's onthe way out. Maybe Buddy healed because
of this two, but you haveto do something. I just don't know
(09:05):
if they're in a much different spot, if Paul George isn't the guy for
the cash that they paid for him, and they're going to have him for
four years and he's thirty four,So I mean, George has been in
the league since what twenty eleven,twelve something like that. It's yeah,
I covered Paul George's rookie year whenwith the Pacers when I was still with
Bleacher Report. That's how long agothis was. That's been a long time.
(09:28):
That was ninety three rights like thatsometimes. All right, so let's
move on to some of these othermoves that happened. You brought U by
Jay Hartenstein, So let's talk abouthim for just a moment. He goes
to Oka se add some big mandepth and ability and to them, I
do. I will miss him asa New York Knicks fan. But the
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Knicks couldn't offer him as much money, so we went where he got like
another twelve fourteen to fifteen million.I didn see the final number. But
they can get more money with okay, see, because I think the Knicks
had with early bird rights or somethinglike that, and you can only give
him like seventy three million, blahblah, blah, So he goes where
the money is. Why not?Right, he had a phenomenal year and
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not just where the money is,but like the most good right number one
team and yeah so uh not theworst thing in the world, although he
could have stayed in New York.Right, that was gonna be a really
good team this year. Yes,regardless, go where the money is,
and a good team is win winif you're as a Hertenstein. Uh,
that's a pretty significant loss for NewYork. But again, the reason he
(10:37):
was where he was with New Yorkis because of an injury. So Mitchell
Robinson presumptively is going to be ableto come back. That's gonna be your
one. So tell me joel IsiahHartenstein go into Oka see bigger deal for
OKAC or for New York. Onthe negative, that is that is an
excellent question. Thank you, Letme hear. Let me dance around with
(11:00):
that one for a minute. Youknow, Hertenstein to OKC. He's in
a similar and maybe even worse situationplaying time wise, because Jet Holmgren and
Jalen Williams have both shown that theydeserve every minute that you can give them
in that front court. But thedepth behind both of those guys other than
the other Jalen Williams was a littlebit shaky. They were kind of patching
(11:22):
some things together. Kenrich Williams isundersized at that spot. Mike Muscala they
had brought him for depth, buthe never played. So I love Heartenshein
will be in the rotation. He'sgoing to get minutes. He fits their
profile perfectly because he is young.He's twenty six years old, but he's
proven at this point. He's beenin big moments. He's got some really
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unique things to his game, includinghis passing and that little flip half hook
shot that he does. It's likea stationary floater. He's elite with that
shot, as he showed you knowfor the nixt last season. He's going
to really help them. So Ithink in a lot of ways it's a
bigger deal for OKC because it givesthem yet another proven depth piece, but
(12:05):
it doesn't mess with the deck ofcards that they're already playing with. They
didn't have to give up somebody bigto get an Isaiah Hertenstein, but slotting
him into the minutes that he's goingto take is not necessarily going to take
away from somebody else who needs thoseminutes out of this young, developing,
hyper dangerous core. So it's abig deal. I think it is a
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bigger deal for OKC, but itis still a big deal. It's a
big loss for the Knicks because asgood as Mitchell Robinson is at the things
he does, which is rebounding,shot blocking, ingoring a defense, he
can run the floor, he's elite at those things and below average everywhere
else. Hertenstein gave you the perfectyin to the yang there. Right.
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He's not quite the defender that MitchellRobinson is. He's certainly not the shot
block or the rebounder, but offensivelyand passing wise, just a completely different
dynamic in that front court. Andwe saw how effective that could be in
major minutes all season. There wassome magic there with him being able to
initiate out of the high post orflip passes from the mid post that I
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think got the Villanova guys going.It really meshed well with them. And
so yeah, you bring in MichaleBridges, who we can talk about in
a minute. I love that deal. You retain Ogiannobi. New York is
stacked, stack stacked, But priorto Hartenstein leaving, I would have said,
I really don't think that they havea weakness on this roster anymore.
They have an answer for everything.With Hartenstein leaving, you now have one
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weakness to really talk about with theroster, and that is offensive front court
production outside of Julius Randall, unlessyou're going to play small ball, which
the Knicks may do. But whathappens if Mitchell Robinson goes down, what
happens if he's in foul trouble?You just don't have that dynamic because Julius
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Randall is not the passer and he'sa different time of score, though I
think he scores from a lot ofthe same ranges as Hartenstein. You just
you're missing that dynamic. And I'mnot sure that that guy is available to
come in and bring in that skillset. On the free agent list.
You're just gonna have to change expectationsand what you do for the Knicks.
And that's rough because Hartenstein was abig, big part of making the machine
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work on offense. Because you're notgoing to get it from the coaching side,
right But I will also say this, it is almost impossible to know
what that Knicks team looks like healthywith that Hartenstein having to be the deal
that he is. I mean,they just got decimated from Julius Randall to
Jalen Brunson in the playoffs to OjianaNoobi when they're trying to make their like,
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it just was just impossible sort offigure out. So with Julius Randall
back healthy and with Mitchell Robinson backhealthy, you got to expect that Isaiah
Hartenstein was just going to see significantminutes you decrease, of course, and
who knows what the value is goingto be of that, because we know
at some point Tom Thibodeau is like, I only have four players I gotta
work with, right, and onlyneed four? Right. I do believe
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one of those guys that's played ninehundred minutes a game is now no longer
on the team. So Josh,I do think that. Wait, Josh
Hart is gone? Yeah? Wheredid Josh Hart go? Josh Hart left
the Knicks? What that can't be. I haven't seen that anywhere. I
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see the hold on. This makesfor great theater everyone as we wait.
I thought hard to sign No,but I guess he's still with the Knicks.
Yeah, Hart and Stein left,Josh Hart is still there? No,
No, No, je who isit? Okay, I'll look up
what what what I was thinking andyou can finish your thought. Yeah.
Yeah, So I do believe thatthe Knicks will try to replace some of
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this by moving Julius Randall to center. And this is a good high in
because I think it does fit withthe fact that now you have Bridges,
you have Ananobi, and you haveJosh Hart, all of whom are forwards,
and you're going to play that rotationof three guys at your forward spot
in Tom Thibodeau fashion for as manyminutes as they can handle. And that
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means Julius Randall will play some forwardminutes at the power forward, but I
think he also is going to playcenter when Mitchell Robinson sits. So,
like I said, Randall scores fromsimilar spots in the post. But he's
got some three point range, he'sgot some off the dribble ability. He's
not the passer that Hertenstein is,but maybe that will be okay considering the
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new dynamic that you add with theMkale bridges. And I gotta say,
I mean, you and I havebeen texting about that deal for a while.
You and I both love Mikal Bridges. He is a Swiss Army knife
guy. Yes, was going tobe miscast as a number one wheel in
Brooklyn. Kind of saw that playout. He had a shot. I
don't think that was ever ever gonnawork. Mikhail Bridges is not a number
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one but as a second third wheel, certainly as a fourth wheel, like
he is over talented for that,and he's essentially going to be the third
wheel in New York offensively behind JalenBrunts and Julius Randall. And this allows
Ogianinobi to not have to worry aboutoffense. He'll contribute where he contributes,
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same thing for Josh Hart, DonteDivincenzo's going to do his thing. Bridges
is just again another interchangeable gap filler. He can play the two through four
spots. It's a coup that NewYork was able to get him without giving
up any major pieces of things thatthey really wanted to hold onto. Boy
On Bogdanovitch could have been super helpfulto them going forward. But the NBA
(17:47):
is a wash with a lot ofshooters, and you can find specialist shooters,
especially when Alec Burks showed if they'reable to retain him that he's still
got something left in the tank andcan be helpful. So between Berks and
even Cenzo and McBride and then obviouslyJalen Brunson, you have a solid guard
rotation. The forwards are elite forNew York. The center spot is a
(18:08):
little bit in question, but Ihave fewer questions if Julius Randall is gonna
play the five or death. I'mgonna admit that was dumb. I was
thinking of Bugdanovitch for some reason.I mentioned Josh Harten. I don't even
know why, because my next thoughtwas gonna be about for the Knicks,
the Villanova boys who now had McHaleBridges, and we've already sort of alluded
to and talked a little bit aboutthem, about him, this this next
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team. I don't want to spenda ton of time because it's July,
right, It's literally July. Wegot a ton of time to figure out
what the finality of free agency isgonna be, h so on and so
forth. But literally, I thinkwe were texting with the McHale Bridges and
on draft and I think it wasthat day one draft night. I don't
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know how you can't think it's thispoint that New York is in the cat
bird seed to be able to getto the Eastern Conference finals. Last year,
for me, it was a bitof like, Hey, they're gonna
have to grind to get some winshere, and they're gonna have to beat
a couple of really good teams andthen get to Boston and then they could
(19:17):
probably get Boston a fight. Butthey never got healthy, so did a
lot of teams. Now, Ithink the East, at least as of
July one midday, has opened upwildly for New York. Considering what's happening
with Cleveland Philadelphia, I'm still veryvery very murky on Orlando's gotten a little
bit better right now. We'll seehow that goes. And I don't even
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know if we really want to talkabout Caldwell Pope going there too much.
It's not a huge story for meat this point, but it's a bigger
loss for Denver. Then that's agame for Orlando. I think that that's
probably a fair way to sort ofencapsulate the entire story. Okay, that's
fair. I don't think health permitted, and with everyone coming back, adding
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Michel Bridges and then my heart skippedto beat when OG opted out of his
contract, and I was like,son, But in the back of man,
I was like, I know it'sfor more money, but is New
York gonna pay more money? Likethey've got to see the value in that
guy, right? Oh? Imean yeah, they were like twenty one
and three or whatever when he arrived. Yeah, but you've got I'm growing
(20:26):
up with with an owner for thisnext team that either pays way too much
for very below average talent or getscheap on some dudes. That doesn't make
sense. So I did not knowwhat quite to expect him to give og
all of his money and to beable to say a day later, all
right, he's resigning with the Knicksfor as much moneys he POSSI but can
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perfect perfect? This team's in thecat Perts Sea man like Boss is clearly
at this point still number one becausethey're defending champs. Now now there's a
legitimate roster wise contender to them tostart the season. The Michale Bridges move
is a shot across the bow toBoston. It is a shot across the
bow that says, Yep, we'regonna go toe to toe with you,
and let's see who has The peoplewere texting I had like four or five
(21:11):
people textings like okay, so yougave up like your entire future and like
no, your futures now, Likenow is when this is your window?
Your windows starting right now? Whocares about the twenty twenty five and twenty
twenty six and twenty twenty eight drive, No one cares, Right, New
York should be winning enough games thatthose are you know, aren't gonna be
big deals anyway, Like this isthe window. The Knicks haven't been to
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the conference finals in twenty four years? All right, do you know there's
only like three teams that haven't donethat? And what them is like Charlotte
who didn't have a team for aminute and a half, Like this is
for a real team, Like wedon't count the bot casts, so like
this to me, this is youcan't be New York and not relevant that
(21:56):
long. And it was a commonof miss errors or errors I guess missus
already implied from like two thousand andfive on for like contracts and trades,
I mean the flirting with flirting withLebron and Kevin Durant that all never happened
outside of really one and a half, really great years with Carmelo and Amari
(22:18):
Stottemeyer like this two thousand to nowrun is literally like for me right now,
this is the run that I actuallyneed to have a chance to enjoy.
So you give the draft picks away, give them the choice if you
can Conference finals, NBA finals rightnow, and the Knicks, for the
first time a quarter century, arepoised to be able to do that.
(22:42):
Last thought for me, the Knicks. I've been on record forever the Knicks
are always a team that I dislike. But over the last couple of years,
I've warmed up to the roster becauseThey've got a lot of players that
I really enjoy watching, and I'veenjoyed the fight that they've brought to it.
And but I think this is thefirst year, probably ever for me
(23:03):
as an NBA fan where I lookat the New York Knicks and go,
I like that team. I willwatch it. It's not yeah, it's
not, and I'll tolerate them.And there's a couple of guys I'll watch.
No, I like that team,and I like where they're going.
And it's a guy like Julius Randallresurrected his career like that guy was about
to get out of the league.Jalen Brunson took a risk, not saying
(23:26):
with Dallas and goes to New Yorkand takes a huge step becomes a really
likable dude. Uh there in NewYork. That roster is loaded with ogiana.
Note that guy is likable. Thebat like this, and he's a
champ. And Devincenzo is a champtoo. And it's not a Lebron and
the Knicks. It's not a KevinDurant and the Knicks. It's it's it's
(23:47):
a New York Knicks team. AndI think the New York Knicks fan base,
especially the New York Ones, Yeah, really good to enjoy, really
good, really good, and theygot to coach that. I think a
lot of people hate it at thebeginning, probably still got some issues than
we'll complain about when exactly uh,and I get it. I still hate
him at times too, Like theJosh Hart minutes last year postseason was like
(24:08):
nuts, right, But that's theguy that's going to be able to coach
this team specifically. And to thinkit all started really with the hiring of
a legitimate coach of Tom Thibodeau,but getting someone like a Julius Randol and
coaching him to change his game completelyto really resurrect his career. Then he
started making that team a place whereYeah, Bronson sees the light and getting
(24:33):
a competent general manager staff and givingthem the power to remain competent. It's
not easy to give up that kindof power. It's really it's really not
I'm a fan of the Dallas Cowboysand Jerry Jones always wanted to do the
draft up until a handful of yearsago when he gave it up to his
GM, who he's technically GM uhthe assisted GM, and let basically them
(24:55):
control it. They got a lotbetter, and he basically took a step
back, which is hard for guyswho want to be involved that much.
All right, let's move on toyour I want to call those the timber
Wolves wolves plurals wolves like roofs roofies, roofs roof sis. The Timberwolves are
take, believe it or not,also better, Joel, I took a
(25:19):
lot of time talking about the Knicks, so I'm gonna shut up here for
a minute. Let you talk aboutyour wolves and how you were texting me
that you thought you made some seriousupgrades yeah, I won't go into and
death. We'll save it for adifferent time. Like you said, it's
early in the off season. Ido want to get to some of these
other moves, but I like theRob Dillingham trade to get him at eight
(25:40):
from the Spurs. I Rob dillinghim, by the way, is a
legit guide next to Anthony Edwards.Like that. Rob Dillingham is a scorer.
He is a move. Every guardthat comes out of Kentucky sucks at
Kentucky right over the last five years, and they're good in the league.
Dealing is going to be one ofthose guys. I really hope. So
(26:03):
I have questions about whether he fitsas the long term starter next to Edwards
just because of that scoring ability.But I think as the sixth man he
slots into a need that the Timberwolveshad. They needed that gunner out of
the guard position, and they didn'thave that ever since Malite Beasley and Jalen
Knowle both left, but they hadshown that that was a valuable spot a
(26:25):
couple of years ago. Last season, the six man was nas reed that
Canon should continue out of the frontcourt, but you still want a gunner
guard to come in with that secondunit, and it was really one of
the only weaknesses that Minnesota consistently hadthroughout the year. As good as Nikhil
Alexander Walker is. He's a threeand D type of guard, and you
can slot him at either point guardor shooting guard interchangeably. That's a strength,
(26:48):
But I don't know if he isa long term guy at just one
of those positions. I do thinkthat as Mike Conley phases into the back
end of his career here and getsfewer and fewer minutes, it actually makes
sense to put Alexander Walker as thestarting guard next to Anthony Edwards, be
the Ron Harper to Edwards Jordan,so to speak, skill set wise.
(27:10):
But Dillingham then gets the keys ofthe car theoretically off the bench as that
scoring combo garden. I think that'sphenomenal. The question for me is can
he slot into that role next yearas a guy who only played one year
at Kentucky. Can he slot intothat next year already? Or is he
going to be a G League guywhere you're developing and you're kind of waiting
(27:32):
and let me help you. Hecan't let me help you, Jill,
He can't. If that is thecase. If true, he was always
recruited as a one and done guy. That guy's built to be in the
league. Kentucky, let me justtell you this about Kentucky. Kentucky was
a team that could have won thenational championship this year. They were talented
enough to win the national championship thisyear. But John Caliperry, just a
quick thing. Had the number oneor number two most efficient lineup in all
(27:57):
of basketball, and he played thelike forty five, no, no,
forty five like what was it,like sixty possessions together or something like just
in like an abomination of bad thathe did not. That was bad coaching,
that's bad analytics. Whenever they wereon the court together, which included
(28:18):
Rob Dillingham and Reed Shepherd, wewon't get everybody for them, but their
most efficient lineup, he played solittle it was embarrassing. Rob Dillingham can
score, he can get space.He is an NBA guard. He is
You're gonna be a good spot.There's a reason there's a reason New York.
There's a reason Milwaukee went after thatguy and got and got that trade.
(28:41):
That guy's going in Minnesota. Thatguy's gonna be a deal for you're
you're gonna run. I really likeand and in the case of they don't
have to give up anything meaningful,they give up some future picks, and
like New York, Minnesota's future picksnow are not as valuable because this should
be a team that's very, verygood, Dillingham can slot into that spot.
(29:02):
It means there's an odd man outamongst the guards. Is that Jordan
McLoughlin is at Monte Morris. We'llfind out. I don't think that's a
deal breaker either way. But ifhe can be the six man scorer,
I would love, love, lovefor that to tie into a Karl Anthony
Towns trade this offseason. Move nasReid to the starting lineup, something that
he's earned, something that he's shownhe can play alongside Rudy Gobert. And
(29:25):
even if you don't want to startNas, read if you trade Towns for
a guy like McHale Bridges, becausethat's who I really wanted out of a
deal, and now your Nick ScottBridges instead. But trade Towns for a
Bridges type. Start Jalen McDaniels andthat new player up front along with Gobert,
and go a little bit smaller,bring nas Reed and Dillingham off the
(29:45):
bench if you want. There's alot of different combinations. Much of it
does depend on is Rob Dillingham NBAready? But I love that the Wolves
swung for that, and the pricethat they paid was was really good enough
to be able to find out.I'm really happy with that deal too.
Yeah, I would be too.I would be to you are still in
(30:08):
it to win it, only thisyear we will meet in the NBA finals,
So that that sound good? Wereyou finally one last thing I'm want
to get to you. They gotlike one or three thoughts in the draft,
and then we'll get out of hereand we're gonna leave so many free
agents on the table and not eventalk about it in the time. I
mean, so, look, there'sgonna be a ton of free agent news
that happens. It's gonna have tocoincide with each other. I want to
(30:30):
get to the biggest stories out there, which clearly are minding your team.
Even if I was talking about atwenty five win next team, it would
be probably the number one story here. The Knicks are able to draft the
eleventh pick because they got screwed inthe NBA draft again, would you guys,
freeze the envelopes again, please,like you know, that's all I'm
(30:52):
asking. So Chris Paul wait byGolden State. By the way, Klay
Thompson's gonna go away too, ButChris Paul waved by Golden State and then
swooping in of the San Antonio arewe smarter than everyone else? Spurs so
(31:15):
Joel. My quick thought on itis this Chris Paul. I don't know
what good he was gonna do onGolden State. Probably nothing at this point.
He's a dirty player. He's anold player, but he is a
veteran, still pretty good player,even introduced minutes. I don't like him
in a lot of spots, butit feels like as a veteran, like
(31:36):
a dirty, wiley veteran, kindof makes sense in San Antonio. What
do you think if he's he's raisingthe white flag on getting a ring for
his career, He's unfortunately gonna bea guy who just doesn't have it as
a first ballot Hall of Famer.So that's tough to stare that down.
He had chased a ring, andthey he must have made the decision that
(31:57):
chasing a ring wasn't he wanted todo anymore. But yeah, as somebody
who like to be honest, Idon't know what contenders would have brought on
Chris Paul at this point. They'rethey're like a gentitle con not just get
to the playoffs, maybe get tothe where he would have gotten a ton
of minutes too. I don't know, And maybe he's not looking for a
(32:19):
ton of minutes anymore. I thinkin San Antonio it'll be a time share
with Trey Jones. But whoever elseis a young, fun team with a
superstar just potential face of the league, super duper duper duper star. Yeah,
something like you can can he canstay irrelevant and he could be the
(32:40):
dude ali to the seventy five foottall man and a multi time All Star.
I think in Devin Vessel, bythe time his career is done,
you've got some I don't think helooked the sports in her headlines. To
be honest with you, You've gotCaldon Johnson. You've got a good team,
a good yeah, Jeremy Sohan staysthere. They've got some pieces,
and now you get a guy whocan help show them the ropes and it's
(33:02):
going to hold them accountable. That'sthe thing too. Chris Paul has been
very I don't know, he's beenabrasive as a leader over time, but
he really doesn't take crap and towork with young guys, and I think
that fits in well with a GregPopovich. There's a lot to like.
Hear the deal the youth. Hedoesn't take crap from, but the old
(33:24):
guy done it a bunch of times. Greg evens it up just a little
bit. I think, not evenjust a little bit. I think he
repets Greg Popovich, who couldn't mutualrespect. Yeah, between both of them.
It's a thing where like Chris likeliterally, if there's going to be
a quoll coach on the floor,like Chris Paul can do that this year.
(33:45):
Here's a thought that just came tome. And then we'll move on
to a couple other free agent thingsand trades. Chris Paul, if he
wants to be a coach in theleague someday absolutely could What better place to
start potentially your coaching career then tocome work with Greg Popovich, who isn't
going to be in the league forever. And is there a scenario where Chris
(34:07):
Paul maybe transitions from playing to coachingdown the line. If the and not
just in the league, but withthis San Antonio Spurs team, if the
dynamic is right between him and theyoung guys, keep an eye on that
storyline going forward over the next fewyears. All right, I can do
that. The entrance into the coachingside, Yeah, but can you imagine
(34:32):
Chris Paul having been your starting pointguard and then two years later he's the
head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. I can actually imagine that happening.
Yeah, I could, specifically onthe Spurs. Specifically on the Spurs.
You get to work with Wemby,you get to work with Vasela and all
these young guys. If the personalitydynamic fits, and if Paul can learn
(34:55):
from Popovich, this is a greatspot to maybe jump in to NBA coaching
if that's what he wants, andif you already have the pre existing relationships
and respect, that would be ano brainer to get Chris Paul into your
coaching ranks, maybe even as yourhead coach. We'll see, they like
to make point guards head coaches.That's that's fair. Jason Kidd. Let
(35:17):
me ask, Okay, so didyou is there something else for HC you
wanted to mention because I had likeone and a half thoughts on the draft.
I just forgot to mention with theOKC thing, the fantastic trade of
Josh Giddy to Chicago for Alex Caruso, Like that's yet another piece in Oklahoma
City becoming even more dangerous. Ilike Josh Gitty a lot as a player.
(35:38):
There's a ton of cool things thathe brings to the floor, But
it was obvious by last year thatShi Gildess Alexander is the primary ball handler.
You don't need Giddy to be thatguy, which is what he's most
comfortable as, because he's not anoff the ball shooter. So Chicago,
in getting Giddy, really gets thesame type of player that they wanted in
(35:59):
Lonzo Ball, and they're probably nevergoing to get ball back, but they
get a dominant ball, dominant guardwho will set the table for everyone else
and is a good defender and isbig. Josh Ginny is a clone in
a lot of ways to what LonzoBall does best. For OKC. You
get an off the ball guy who'san elite defender who fits in much better
(36:20):
with that starting five. You didn'tgive up anything that you weren't thinking about.
Getting rid of already, and nowyou add Isaiah Hartenstein the Thunder.
They're dangerous, man, the mostdangerous team in the league. Yeah,
and then they got their come upins last year, so this could be
that year that maybe that they gotthe hurdins and now they get the feel
betters. Yeah, real quick.I just didn't want to mention Klay Thompson
(36:40):
being sort of said bye bye.Thirteen years in one spot, pretty darn
good, but he's obviously been ashell of what he's formally been. It's
been reported that the first teams hewas going to talk to were the Clippers,
the Lakers, the seventy six ers, and the Mavericks, and apparently
Lebron James immediately started talking to KlayThompson afterwards. Just a senator two,
(37:01):
Where do you think he ends up? Either Dallas or the Lakers? With
Paul George leaving, There's no reasonto go to the Clippers at this point
unless you want the money and youwant the playing time, and maybe Clay
does. There's no room left inPhilly for Klay Thompson unless he's taking a
massive pay cut to go somewhere.And if you're gonna take the massive pay
(37:21):
cut. Chris Paul went, youknow, one year, eleven million from
a thirty million dollar right, Yeah, And if he's willing to do that,
I still don't know that it makesthe most sense to do that in
Philly. You're gonna take that massivepay cut, I think you do.
Go to the Lakers, and yousee how that fits. Klay Thompson is
from La his dad played for theLakers. I think it's either them or
(37:42):
the Mavericks. If the Lakers don'thave the minutes and they don't have the
money, and maybe Dallas comes inwith a really intriguing, you know pitch.
But Dallas has never been able toland those free agents that they get
in on these conversations. Historically theydon't get those guys. Although, but
Clay's not a big free agent rightnow. Like Clay is a solid,
he's a kid, but he's notone of those big, big ones.
(38:05):
And you've got a superstar in theleague and a Kyrie Irving who has rehabbed
g It's about everything he can inthis league, including his image. So
either place, he Thompson just becomesa spot up shooter now who no longer
needs to run around a bunch ofscreens, worry about having to be one
of the best defenders in the league. He just has to go out and
(38:27):
knock down shots, which was aproblem in Golden State last year. But
he was still being asked to domore than just shoot. And now he's
going to enter that shooting specialist roleof his career. All right, Uh
to the NBA Draft, will gobriefly, not a bit, not a
big draft, not a crazy fun, interesting draft to be able to watch.
But the top story clearly is Bronnygoing to the Lakers. And by
(38:52):
the way, shocker, no onesaw Lebron James's son going to Lebron James's
team. Can you believe even latein the second round, that was crazy.
I'll tell you this. Tim Leglerhad the funniest I think take on
this. Did you see Tim Legler'staking on I did. So. There
was a team there was a backend of the second round, but ahead
of the Lakers, and said,and it was the Boston Celtics. And
(39:15):
Tim Legler said, look, Ilove true crime and I love these kind
of stuff. You do a straightup kidnapping here, you do you hold
for ransom, you take Bronnie Jamesand you talk to the Lakers and you
say, give me everything you got. Do you want Bronnie James to come
and get them? Give us something? It would have been a really funny
(39:37):
thing for the Lakers to have thatransom pop by the Celtics. Pretty fun
stuff from Tim Lakeler. I lovedTim Blake. I think he's a phenomenal
basketball analist. But your thoughts anythingshock you there. For Lebron to get
his son to play on his team, the homecoming, we thought we'd never
get. Everyone predicted we can.I'm happy in a way that this actually
(40:01):
gets to happen. From a historicalfootnote standpoint, it's a cool thing.
Lebron has been in the league longenough. It's cool that this works out.
As far as Bronnie the basketball playergoes, I think he'll show some
flashes over the next couple of yearswhile dad is there. I'm not convinced
that Bronni is a great prospect byany means, which is why he was
(40:23):
taken fifty fifth. And if hedidn't have that same last name, if
he didn't have his dad, youknow, maybe taking a pay cut and
whatever to stay with the Lakers.And this was part of the deal to
make that happen. If those things, he's probably undrafted, right, he
probably is going to have to bea training camp player and where does he
go from there? So this ideathat like Bronnie James is going to have
(40:45):
a big career because he starts outwith his dad. No, he may
be a guy who's in the leaguesix seven years total because of his last
name that gets in the seat atthe table. Career. It is a
good career and a lot of money. The influx of money into this league
just keeps ballooning. Like he'll showsome flashes and if if he has his
dad's work ethic and if he hashis dad's basketball intelligence, even at a
(41:07):
fraction of the of what Lebron has, you never know. He may he
may overachieve and become a pretty valuablerole player over time, maybe even an
upper rotation guy. It is possible. But yeah, I think it's a
no brainer for the Lakers. Asecond round pick to ensure that you keep
Lebron and to stay relevant. Youtake that every single time. Good move
(41:30):
for everybody involved. I wish themthe best and we all roll our eyes
because yeah, we know, andlet's be frank JJ Reddick is the coach,
right, someone's going to get theirway. We could spend an entire
show on Yeah, jj, Ithink you made a mistake in signing someone
(41:52):
is going to get control of adecision every now and then. And listen,
it's not a dumb one to makefor a second round Like second rounders
flyl out all the time, right, So why not make it on the
chance to make your son who isa decent basketball player. Wasn't a high
Yeah, wasn't a super elite recruit. He's got, he's got, He's
it's doable, right, Like it'sdoable to be someone who can be formidable
(42:15):
in the league for a little while. Will he be able to come in
and learn what his role in hisidentity is apart from his dad, like
where he fits in the NBA universe, because he's going to have to define
what type of NBA player he isnot just talented, you know, lanky
swingman, but what does he actuallydo at an NBA level and what what
(42:39):
role can he be slotted into.That's going to be the big question for
Brownie and his being with dad goingto help or hurt that maturation process.
We don't have the answer to that, but it's that's going to be over
the next three four years where wefind out. Okay, I think so
too. By the way, waybefore all of this, way before you
(43:00):
know, I was looking projecting whatthe Knicks might do. The Knicks might
lose Ojiananoby, he might opt out. Nix may not also not pay for
him. You know, who knewwhat was going to happen with Isaiah Hartenstein.
This all me just sort of thinkingout loud. Lebron could have opted
out and he did of his playera deal for this this year. By
(43:22):
the way he did was really funny. After the draft. Could have been
like a really funny moment. TakeLebron's baby and then opt out and not
come back. But it's all formore money. I thought that there was
I was gonna for the first timewant Lebron to come to New York and
the Knicks to make a push,and then if they had to spend their
one of their picks on Ronnie,that's fine by me. But I thought,
(43:45):
if you lost Hartenstein and you lostthe Nobe, if you wanted to
try to stay relevant this year andto make a push for this year for
the championship, I would have beenokay with the Knicks going after that.
If if if Lebron uh for becauseit's a very short time him kind of
deal, but if it makes youfeel any better, I would have been
okay with Lebron signing in Minnesota too. I think most I think most fans
(44:07):
would say I would have been okay. I wouldn't allowed it this one time
to be when the Knicks recording itbefore. I didn't want it before because
the Knicks weren't good enough, Likeit was just gonna be like, hey,
the Knicks Jersey's on sports and allthe time because Lebron Duncan, which
is cool, but like the Knicksweren't better or good enough to be anything
(44:27):
above really a five hundred team maybeat the time. So but this year,
just to if all of those badthings had happened for New York,
then I would have been like,Okay, you need a guy who can
start and play all these games.You need a guy that can score,
you need a guy that can bea leader. Let Lebron James come in
with Mitchell and with Julius Randall JalenBrunson, and you could have a really
(44:49):
great team for two years. Souh, Okay, last thought, I
had it on the draft? Howabout I like Zach Edy going to Memphis
And to me, it's only forone reason this draft sucked. Man.
This was not a jeep draft.So outside of probably the top four or
five picks, there are gonna bea diamond show up here or there.
(45:13):
But if you're Memphis and you're gettingback into the relevancy game, which you
are, would you think that youmight be budding to be a pretty good
team getting back there again? Whynot take the capital, the short term
capital and the lower end capital tospend on the biggest guy in the draft
that's got four years of high levelcollege basketball experience and they could come in
(45:37):
and from day one contribute something rightbecause there wasn't a lot behind that keying
that was gonna make much of adifference, I think to that team.
So for me, I thought memphissigningZach Edy and a very shallow draft made
one thousand percent since to me,I thought that was the best pick of
the night. They've had success withbig Bruis centers in Steven Adams, Yeah,
(46:02):
Steven Adams, Jonas Valenschunis, andobviously you go back to like the
Zach Randolph and marcasol Marcus all days. But for this particular team, it's
been shown time and again that JaronJackson Junior would rather play the four than
the five. He'll do it whencalled upon, but like Anthony Davis,
he does better when he's at thefour and the rest of the guys behind
(46:24):
him, whether it's Vince Williams Junior, Santiel Dama, Brandon Clark, they
got a lot of great forward depth, they just didn't have that big body
in a Western conference that is fillednow with really scary center combinations, and
the Eastern Conference has great centers too, But if you're going to run into
Jokichen, you're going to run intogo Bear in Towns and all of these
(46:45):
other groups, like you know,and Anthony Davis who's playing center, you
need to have one of those bigbodies. And if nothing else, if
Edie can contribute a couple of blocks, a couple of rebounds and his fowls
and you know, burn some minutes, that eat some minutes, I should
say that Jaron Jackson doesn't have tospend at the five. Who he's also
(47:05):
a foul trouble player, Like that'sthe one bugaboo about Triple J is he
is a high fouling defensive player.Yeah, it works and at that spot,
like you said, there wasn't ano brainer type of guy. Four
years twenty six million dollars to beable to do that level because four years
is a good window right now forMemphis. Yeah, so four years to
(47:27):
figure out if this guy can beable to eat up those fouls, can
can be good defensively more you theycan get those big arms up. He
may not be super fast, hemay be he's not a great shooter,
but that that's okay. Not everybodyis. You don't have to be all
of that. You can care tothat just a little bit. Can he
survive, you know, being putinto NBA pick and rolls endlessly because that's
what they're gonna do, Memphis.You're gonna have to Memphis is going to
(47:50):
have to get creative to protect him. The good news is it is a
dynamite defensive team that is well coached, that responds well to coaching, that
does a lot of defensive game plans. It's a good unit to be able
to protect Zach Edie while also askinghim to protect the basket. It's a
particularly good team to be able todo that. And look, they will
(48:12):
only go as far as John Morantis going to be able to take them,
and it will be dependent on DesmondBane and Triple J staying healthy as
well. But they got a lotof depth, they got a lot of
young guys, and they're all kindof cut from the same cloth. It
is another hard nosed but athletic team. And like I've said, old Memphis
Grizzlies teams would take you to theback alley and beat the crap out of
you. The new Memphis Grizzlies takeyou to the back alley, beat the
(48:35):
crap out of you, and thengo smooth talkerr girl like. That's that
is this Grizzlies team and Zach EdieI think can provide the same thing that
they had hoped for with Steven Adamsand that they got with Yea Valiere.
Right, there was nobody in thisdraft that was going to be able to
substitute for what John Moran's going tobe able to be. Like if John
(48:59):
moran'st the job Morant up two yearsago, this team's not going to be
great. There are nobody in thedraft that's gonna change that. There's not
a single person so to be ableto take this quote unquote high risk because
some people hadn't projected like early secondround or something. It's like, right,
I saw him three, I sawhim anywhere from top three to undrafted.
(49:19):
Yeah, Like, that's pretty rarethat you get that wide of a
range with anybody, especially somebody that'shigh profile of Zachi. It was crazy,
And I'll say Memphis is a greatspot to do it. Like,
I don't know if there are morethan three or four teams I think would
have been really really suited for someonelike that, But Memphis is a great
spot to give it a shot.So all right, Joe, that's good
to do it for us. Saygoodbye to the good people. Goodbye good
(49:42):
people. If you want the videoversion, you can find us on YouTube
like share subscribe to all that goodstuff over there. If you want the
audio only version, we are onSpreaker, Spotify, iTunes, wherever you
get your podcast. It says penand Basketball by an Association will talk more
about all the other free agent stuffnext time.
Three to one four. Welcome toBasketball by Association. My name is our
giche, that is the boy,wondered Joel c. Cordes. Uh J
all those numbers was me just addingevery one hundred of millions of dollars that
we're about to give us some basketballplayers already have to give us some basketball
(00:21):
players this year off season. Uh, we haven't really spoken since the Celtics
one. So let's just say theCeltics one. Uh. And we we
were not really shocked by that.We were we were staring down the inevitable
at that point. It was amatter of if you know of when not
if, however, there is anew contender in the Eastern Conference now,
(00:44):
provided no one breaks all their bodyparts. Uh. And that is by
virtue of this year off season.Uh, We're gonna talk about the newly
studded and newly minted favorites of theNBA, the New York Knicks. That's
right, No one past the NewYork Knix the season. Looking at her
eighty one and one, there's gonnabe an hour they fumble. I get
it. We'll also talk about JoelseyCortes's Minnesota Timpa Wolvies getting better too.
(01:12):
But let's talk about team first that'sgetting worse. That's the Philadelphia seventy six
ers. Paul George just signed withthe Philadelphia seventy six ers for two hundred
and twelve million dollars or whatever,so big, some big giant number he
was gonna get anyway. So,uh, Joe, let me just say
this. I don't think this changesat all how I feel about the Philadelphia
(01:32):
seventy six ers. I think thatthey think that they're better. Uh.
They gave Tyres Maxie a boat tonof money too, which he deserved.
Absolutely. That kid was killing itthis last year. So let me just
ask you, uh this briefly andwe can get to a few of the
(01:53):
moves. I don't want to getto a ton of them because some of
them are just you know, don'tmean jack to me. There's a lot
of hood scratchers, had scratchers outthere, I know. So let's talk
about the Philadelphia seventy six years gettingPaul George. Paul George, who leaves
the Lelly Clippers, who almost wonnothing with him, actually almost won Jack
squad of anything with him on thatroster. What do you think of Philadelphia
(02:17):
being hands on landing spot. Ilike it. I mean, I know
you're down on this one, butif I have the chance to trade Tobias
Harris essentially for Paul George, becauseTobias leaves and goes to the Pistons,
where good luck to you, sir, he will be a veteran cashing some
checks and hopefully your team will wintwenty five games this year, maybe thirty.
(02:40):
You know, for Philly, itis an upgrade. Paul George is
still an effective two way player.And the fact that he gets the slot
onto a team where, yes,their health concerns around Joel Embiid, but
they're not the same concerns that you'vehad around Kawhi Leonard. And you have
a young guy in Tyrese Max youmean the Coasta Rican living Kyrie gwild Leiner
right now. Yeah, he's he'sgot the tyres has got the keys to
(03:05):
the car and every sense of theword now and Paul George gets to be
the third wheel on this team.And at this point, at thirty four
years old, that's a great spotfor Paul George. That's a great point
to be the third wheel. Like, I just don't think this fits well.
Like I think this is either thisgoes great or I don't think it
goes good at all, Like Ithink you're looking at a five hundred team
maybe like this, Really, II'm not. I don't love Paul George
(03:30):
and I don't think he's a reallygood player. I get it. I
just don't think he makes his teamsbetter. Like It's just it's tough for
me, And I don't care aboutthe money. The money is not my
money to spend. You guys figureout what a guy's worth. Doesn't bother
me. I'm just talking about theplayer himself, right, like gona have
to figure out budget issues. Ijust don't think Paul George makes a team
(03:53):
around him better. I just knowit's the thing. I mean, Like
Philly last year under Nick Nurse,by the deadline, they laid out the
blueprint of what they want to do, which is Tyre's Maxi and Joel Embiid
surrounded by interchangeable, lengthy wings whocan play three and D and they want
(04:13):
that up and down the roster.They cycle through a whole bunch of different
guys. Kelly Uber Junior re signswith them, and he's the perfect example
of it. Is Uber a superstarno, but can he play and defend
multiple positions and do a lot ofdifferent things. Yes, is Paul George
arguably like one of the top threeto five guys in the league who still
(04:35):
do a little bit of everything reallyreally well and happen to be that body
type as a wing where they're interchangeable. I think this is this is exactly
in the blueprint of what Philly wantsto do, and there are few better
options of guys who have proven theycan do it and who might now at
(04:59):
this stage of their career, afterhaving chased to ring their own way with
the Clippers, be amenable to cominginto a situation like Philadelphia and going I
just want to ring, and Ican fit I can make something happen here.
I don't think he's that far outsideof the game plan of what the
Sixers have shown they want to dounder Nick Nurse. And it's the same
thing, by the way, prettymuch that Nurse was doing in Toronto.
(05:19):
It's just he didn't have quite thehigh end Tyrese Maxi and Joel and being
firepower to work. With no disrespectof course to Kawhi Leonard who helped them
get that ring, but otherwise youknow this is Nick Nurse's m and maybe
it's different this year. I don'tknow. But the last few playoffs series
(05:39):
his plus minus has been minus orbarely above plus. Like it's right,
But he doesn't have to be thefirst or the second wheel to deal with
that anymore. Is he going tobe more invisible than Tobias Harris has been
in the in the playoffs for theSixers. Probably not, Like Paul George
can give you thirty times occasionally consistently, probably eighteen to twenty two or so.
(06:03):
Probably it can get you in theplayoff. That's just what I wonder
about. Philadelphia is not in thein the in the market though they're they're
kind of like Boston for me,right, like Boston has been had been
in the playoffs, and more specificallyfor them, they have been to the
conference finals and the NBA Finals.They just had to break through and do
(06:23):
it with Philadelphia has been in theplayoffs a bunch lately. They've gotten to
the conference Where is the Paul Georgeis Paul George is going to be the
piece that gets them to Has Phillygotten to the conference finals? Say?
Been playoff series? One playoff seriesis Paul George going to be the guy
(06:45):
that gets them to the Eastern Finalsinto the NBA Finals. It's like,
is he maybe? But I'll tellyou this, I know Philadelphia felt like
they definitely need to make a movebecause the East wasn't getting worse at the
top, especially when you saw whatNew York did at the top, you
saw with Cleveland was trying to do. I think that there's a decent chance
(07:06):
it could maybe possibly work to theEast semis. Maybe this does not make
I don't think this makes Philly betterthan New York, although we're going to
talk about the Knicks and losing IsaiahHertenstein, which I think is a big
deal. I don't think it makesthem better than Boston, but I do
(07:28):
think it helps them not get lappedby those two teams like Cleveland and Milwaukee
now continue to fall down in thepecking order, and where Boston and New
York are like one A, oneB in the East. At least you
can look at Philly and go onpaper and if everybody stays healthy, which
is always the thing with them,but they've got everything, they should be
(07:49):
the second, you know, inthat second tier, still above Milwaukee and
Cleveland, and maybe even Orlando atthis point it should be, but I
thought they would have been there ifthey had kept Here's the thing, and
as this is all I got on, I don't believe in it as far
as getting them through, but Ifrom what you're saying, to keep them
relevant long enough, and maybe ifJoel Ebid's able to stay healthy, and
(08:13):
we saw in the East they gotdecimated by injuries last year, maybe you
run into a series like that.Maybe New York does break half their roster
again. Right, So man Bed'sbeen an MVP when he's been on the
floor, right, So he's stillgood when he's able to, like you
said, stay on the floor.Tyre's Maxie took a huge step forward.
Maybe maybe that team just wants tostay as long as they're healthy relevant to
(08:39):
be in a spot to be ableto have a puncher's chance, right,
have a puncher's chance. And that'swhat I think Paul George, at least
on paper right now, gives them. This is an upgrade over Tobias Harris
and Nick Batoomb because that's who's onthe way out. Maybe Buddy healed because
of this two, but you haveto do something. I just don't know
(09:05):
if they're in a much different spot, if Paul George isn't the guy for
the cash that they paid for him, and they're going to have him for
four years and he's thirty four,So I mean, George has been in
the league since what twenty eleven,twelve something like that. It's yeah,
I covered Paul George's rookie year whenwith the Pacers when I was still with
Bleacher Report. That's how long agothis was. That's been a long time.
(09:28):
That was ninety three rights like thatsometimes. All right, so let's
move on to some of these othermoves that happened. You brought U by
Jay Hartenstein, So let's talk abouthim for just a moment. He goes
to Oka se add some big mandepth and ability and to them, I
do. I will miss him asa New York Knicks fan. But the
(09:50):
Knicks couldn't offer him as much money, so we went where he got like
another twelve fourteen to fifteen million.I didn see the final number. But
they can get more money with okay, see, because I think the Knicks
had with early bird rights or somethinglike that, and you can only give
him like seventy three million, blahblah, blah, So he goes where
the money is. Why not?Right, he had a phenomenal year and
(10:11):
not just where the money is,but like the most good right number one
team and yeah so uh not theworst thing in the world, although he
could have stayed in New York.Right, that was gonna be a really
good team this year. Yes,regardless, go where the money is,
and a good team is win winif you're as a Hertenstein. Uh,
that's a pretty significant loss for NewYork. But again, the reason he
(10:37):
was where he was with New Yorkis because of an injury. So Mitchell
Robinson presumptively is going to be ableto come back. That's gonna be your
one. So tell me joel IsiahHartenstein go into Oka see bigger deal for
OKAC or for New York. Onthe negative, that is that is an
excellent question. Thank you, Letme hear. Let me dance around with
(11:00):
that one for a minute. Youknow, Hertenstein to OKC. He's in
a similar and maybe even worse situationplaying time wise, because Jet Holmgren and
Jalen Williams have both shown that theydeserve every minute that you can give them
in that front court. But thedepth behind both of those guys other than
the other Jalen Williams was a littlebit shaky. They were kind of patching
(11:22):
some things together. Kenrich Williams isundersized at that spot. Mike Muscala they
had brought him for depth, buthe never played. So I love Heartenshein
will be in the rotation. He'sgoing to get minutes. He fits their
profile perfectly because he is young.He's twenty six years old, but he's
proven at this point. He's beenin big moments. He's got some really
(11:43):
unique things to his game, includinghis passing and that little flip half hook
shot that he does. It's likea stationary floater. He's elite with that
shot, as he showed you knowfor the nixt last season. He's going
to really help them. So Ithink in a lot of ways it's a
bigger deal for OKC because it givesthem yet another proven depth piece, but
(12:05):
it doesn't mess with the deck ofcards that they're already playing with. They
didn't have to give up somebody bigto get an Isaiah Hertenstein, but slotting
him into the minutes that he's goingto take is not necessarily going to take
away from somebody else who needs thoseminutes out of this young, developing,
hyper dangerous core. So it's abig deal. I think it is a
(12:26):
bigger deal for OKC, but itis still a big deal. It's a
big loss for the Knicks because asgood as Mitchell Robinson is at the things
he does, which is rebounding,shot blocking, ingoring a defense, he
can run the floor, he's elite at those things and below average everywhere
else. Hertenstein gave you the perfectyin to the yang there. Right.
(12:48):
He's not quite the defender that MitchellRobinson is. He's certainly not the shot
block or the rebounder, but offensivelyand passing wise, just a completely different
dynamic in that front court. Andwe saw how effective that could be in
major minutes all season. There wassome magic there with him being able to
initiate out of the high post orflip passes from the mid post that I
(13:11):
think got the Villanova guys going.It really meshed well with them. And
so yeah, you bring in MichaleBridges, who we can talk about in
a minute. I love that deal. You retain Ogiannobi. New York is
stacked, stack stacked, But priorto Hartenstein leaving, I would have said,
I really don't think that they havea weakness on this roster anymore.
They have an answer for everything.With Hartenstein leaving, you now have one
(13:35):
weakness to really talk about with theroster, and that is offensive front court
production outside of Julius Randall, unlessyou're going to play small ball, which
the Knicks may do. But whathappens if Mitchell Robinson goes down, what
happens if he's in foul trouble?You just don't have that dynamic because Julius
(13:56):
Randall is not the passer and he'sa different time of score, though I
think he scores from a lot ofthe same ranges as Hartenstein. You just
you're missing that dynamic. And I'mnot sure that that guy is available to
come in and bring in that skillset. On the free agent list.
You're just gonna have to change expectationsand what you do for the Knicks.
And that's rough because Hartenstein was abig, big part of making the machine
(14:20):
work on offense. Because you're notgoing to get it from the coaching side,
right But I will also say this, it is almost impossible to know
what that Knicks team looks like healthywith that Hartenstein having to be the deal
that he is. I mean,they just got decimated from Julius Randall to
Jalen Brunson in the playoffs to OjianaNoobi when they're trying to make their like,
(14:45):
it just was just impossible sort offigure out. So with Julius Randall
back healthy and with Mitchell Robinson backhealthy, you got to expect that Isaiah
Hartenstein was just going to see significantminutes you decrease, of course, and
who knows what the value is goingto be of that, because we know
at some point Tom Thibodeau is like, I only have four players I gotta
work with, right, and onlyneed four? Right. I do believe
(15:09):
one of those guys that's played ninehundred minutes a game is now no longer
on the team. So Josh,I do think that. Wait, Josh
Hart is gone? Yeah? Wheredid Josh Hart go? Josh Hart left
the Knicks? What that can't be. I haven't seen that anywhere. I
(15:33):
see the hold on. This makesfor great theater everyone as we wait.
I thought hard to sign No,but I guess he's still with the Knicks.
Yeah, Hart and Stein left,Josh Hart is still there? No,
No, No, je who isit? Okay, I'll look up
what what what I was thinking andyou can finish your thought. Yeah.
Yeah, So I do believe thatthe Knicks will try to replace some of
(15:56):
this by moving Julius Randall to center. And this is a good high in
because I think it does fit withthe fact that now you have Bridges,
you have Ananobi, and you haveJosh Hart, all of whom are forwards,
and you're going to play that rotationof three guys at your forward spot
in Tom Thibodeau fashion for as manyminutes as they can handle. And that
(16:17):
means Julius Randall will play some forwardminutes at the power forward, but I
think he also is going to playcenter when Mitchell Robinson sits. So,
like I said, Randall scores fromsimilar spots in the post. But he's
got some three point range, he'sgot some off the dribble ability. He's
not the passer that Hertenstein is,but maybe that will be okay considering the
(16:41):
new dynamic that you add with theMkale bridges. And I gotta say,
I mean, you and I havebeen texting about that deal for a while.
You and I both love Mikal Bridges. He is a Swiss Army knife
guy. Yes, was going tobe miscast as a number one wheel in
Brooklyn. Kind of saw that playout. He had a shot. I
don't think that was ever ever gonnawork. Mikhail Bridges is not a number
(17:04):
one but as a second third wheel, certainly as a fourth wheel, like
he is over talented for that,and he's essentially going to be the third
wheel in New York offensively behind JalenBrunts and Julius Randall. And this allows
Ogianinobi to not have to worry aboutoffense. He'll contribute where he contributes,
(17:25):
same thing for Josh Hart, DonteDivincenzo's going to do his thing. Bridges
is just again another interchangeable gap filler. He can play the two through four
spots. It's a coup that NewYork was able to get him without giving
up any major pieces of things thatthey really wanted to hold onto. Boy
On Bogdanovitch could have been super helpfulto them going forward. But the NBA
(17:47):
is a wash with a lot ofshooters, and you can find specialist shooters,
especially when Alec Burks showed if they'reable to retain him that he's still
got something left in the tank andcan be helpful. So between Berks and
even Cenzo and McBride and then obviouslyJalen Brunson, you have a solid guard
rotation. The forwards are elite forNew York. The center spot is a
(18:08):
little bit in question, but Ihave fewer questions if Julius Randall is gonna
play the five or death. I'mgonna admit that was dumb. I was
thinking of Bugdanovitch for some reason.I mentioned Josh Harten. I don't even
know why, because my next thoughtwas gonna be about for the Knicks,
the Villanova boys who now had McHaleBridges, and we've already sort of alluded
to and talked a little bit aboutthem, about him, this this next
(18:30):
team. I don't want to spenda ton of time because it's July,
right, It's literally July. Wegot a ton of time to figure out
what the finality of free agency isgonna be, h so on and so
forth. But literally, I thinkwe were texting with the McHale Bridges and
on draft and I think it wasthat day one draft night. I don't
(18:56):
know how you can't think it's thispoint that New York is in the cat
bird seed to be able to getto the Eastern Conference finals. Last year,
for me, it was a bitof like, Hey, they're gonna
have to grind to get some winshere, and they're gonna have to beat
a couple of really good teams andthen get to Boston and then they could
(19:17):
probably get Boston a fight. Butthey never got healthy, so did a
lot of teams. Now, Ithink the East, at least as of
July one midday, has opened upwildly for New York. Considering what's happening
with Cleveland Philadelphia, I'm still veryvery very murky on Orlando's gotten a little
bit better right now. We'll seehow that goes. And I don't even
(19:41):
know if we really want to talkabout Caldwell Pope going there too much.
It's not a huge story for meat this point, but it's a bigger
loss for Denver. Then that's agame for Orlando. I think that that's
probably a fair way to sort ofencapsulate the entire story. Okay, that's
fair. I don't think health permitted, and with everyone coming back, adding
(20:04):
Michel Bridges and then my heart skippedto beat when OG opted out of his
contract, and I was like,son, But in the back of man,
I was like, I know it'sfor more money, but is New
York gonna pay more money? Likethey've got to see the value in that
guy, right? Oh? Imean yeah, they were like twenty one
and three or whatever when he arrived. Yeah, but you've got I'm growing
(20:26):
up with with an owner for thisnext team that either pays way too much
for very below average talent or getscheap on some dudes. That doesn't make
sense. So I did not knowwhat quite to expect him to give og
all of his money and to beable to say a day later, all
right, he's resigning with the Knicksfor as much moneys he POSSI but can
(20:48):
perfect perfect? This team's in thecat Perts Sea man like Boss is clearly
at this point still number one becausethey're defending champs. Now now there's a
legitimate roster wise contender to them tostart the season. The Michale Bridges move
is a shot across the bow toBoston. It is a shot across the
bow that says, Yep, we'regonna go toe to toe with you,
and let's see who has The peoplewere texting I had like four or five
(21:11):
people textings like okay, so yougave up like your entire future and like
no, your futures now, Likenow is when this is your window?
Your windows starting right now? Whocares about the twenty twenty five and twenty
twenty six and twenty twenty eight drive, No one cares, Right, New
York should be winning enough games thatthose are you know, aren't gonna be
big deals anyway, Like this isthe window. The Knicks haven't been to
(21:33):
the conference finals in twenty four years? All right, do you know there's
only like three teams that haven't donethat? And what them is like Charlotte
who didn't have a team for aminute and a half, Like this is
for a real team, Like wedon't count the bot casts, so like
this to me, this is youcan't be New York and not relevant that
(21:56):
long. And it was a commonof miss errors or errors I guess missus
already implied from like two thousand andfive on for like contracts and trades,
I mean the flirting with flirting withLebron and Kevin Durant that all never happened
outside of really one and a half, really great years with Carmelo and Amari
(22:18):
Stottemeyer like this two thousand to nowrun is literally like for me right now,
this is the run that I actuallyneed to have a chance to enjoy.
So you give the draft picks away, give them the choice if you
can Conference finals, NBA finals rightnow, and the Knicks, for the
first time a quarter century, arepoised to be able to do that.
(22:42):
Last thought for me, the Knicks. I've been on record forever the Knicks
are always a team that I dislike. But over the last couple of years,
I've warmed up to the roster becauseThey've got a lot of players that
I really enjoy watching, and I'veenjoyed the fight that they've brought to it.
And but I think this is thefirst year, probably ever for me
(23:03):
as an NBA fan where I lookat the New York Knicks and go,
I like that team. I willwatch it. It's not yeah, it's
not, and I'll tolerate them.And there's a couple of guys I'll watch.
No, I like that team,and I like where they're going.
And it's a guy like Julius Randallresurrected his career like that guy was about
to get out of the league.Jalen Brunson took a risk, not saying
(23:26):
with Dallas and goes to New Yorkand takes a huge step becomes a really
likable dude. Uh there in NewYork. That roster is loaded with ogiana.
Note that guy is likable. Thebat like this, and he's a
champ. And Devincenzo is a champtoo. And it's not a Lebron and
the Knicks. It's not a KevinDurant and the Knicks. It's it's it's
(23:47):
a New York Knicks team. AndI think the New York Knicks fan base,
especially the New York Ones, Yeah, really good to enjoy, really
good, really good, and theygot to coach that. I think a
lot of people hate it at thebeginning, probably still got some issues than
we'll complain about when exactly uh,and I get it. I still hate
him at times too, Like theJosh Hart minutes last year postseason was like
(24:08):
nuts, right, But that's theguy that's going to be able to coach
this team specifically. And to thinkit all started really with the hiring of
a legitimate coach of Tom Thibodeau,but getting someone like a Julius Randol and
coaching him to change his game completelyto really resurrect his career. Then he
started making that team a place whereYeah, Bronson sees the light and getting
(24:33):
a competent general manager staff and givingthem the power to remain competent. It's
not easy to give up that kindof power. It's really it's really not
I'm a fan of the Dallas Cowboysand Jerry Jones always wanted to do the
draft up until a handful of yearsago when he gave it up to his
GM, who he's technically GM uhthe assisted GM, and let basically them
(24:55):
control it. They got a lotbetter, and he basically took a step
back, which is hard for guyswho want to be involved that much.
All right, let's move on toyour I want to call those the timber
Wolves wolves plurals wolves like roofs roofies, roofs roof sis. The Timberwolves are
take, believe it or not,also better, Joel, I took a
(25:19):
lot of time talking about the Knicks, so I'm gonna shut up here for
a minute. Let you talk aboutyour wolves and how you were texting me
that you thought you made some seriousupgrades yeah, I won't go into and
death. We'll save it for adifferent time. Like you said, it's
early in the off season. Ido want to get to some of these
other moves, but I like theRob Dillingham trade to get him at eight
(25:40):
from the Spurs. I Rob dillinghim, by the way, is a
legit guide next to Anthony Edwards.Like that. Rob Dillingham is a scorer.
He is a move. Every guardthat comes out of Kentucky sucks at
Kentucky right over the last five years, and they're good in the league.
Dealing is going to be one ofthose guys. I really hope. So
(26:03):
I have questions about whether he fitsas the long term starter next to Edwards
just because of that scoring ability.But I think as the sixth man he
slots into a need that the Timberwolveshad. They needed that gunner out of
the guard position, and they didn'thave that ever since Malite Beasley and Jalen
Knowle both left, but they hadshown that that was a valuable spot a
(26:25):
couple of years ago. Last season, the six man was nas reed that
Canon should continue out of the frontcourt, but you still want a gunner
guard to come in with that secondunit, and it was really one of
the only weaknesses that Minnesota consistently hadthroughout the year. As good as Nikhil
Alexander Walker is. He's a threeand D type of guard, and you
can slot him at either point guardor shooting guard interchangeably. That's a strength,
(26:48):
But I don't know if he isa long term guy at just one
of those positions. I do thinkthat as Mike Conley phases into the back
end of his career here and getsfewer and fewer minutes, it actually makes
sense to put Alexander Walker as thestarting guard next to Anthony Edwards, be
the Ron Harper to Edwards Jordan,so to speak, skill set wise.
(27:10):
But Dillingham then gets the keys ofthe car theoretically off the bench as that
scoring combo garden. I think that'sphenomenal. The question for me is can
he slot into that role next yearas a guy who only played one year
at Kentucky. Can he slot intothat next year already? Or is he
going to be a G League guywhere you're developing and you're kind of waiting
(27:32):
and let me help you. Hecan't let me help you, Jill,
He can't. If that is thecase. If true, he was always
recruited as a one and done guy. That guy's built to be in the
league. Kentucky, let me justtell you this about Kentucky. Kentucky was
a team that could have won thenational championship this year. They were talented
enough to win the national championship thisyear. But John Caliperry, just a
quick thing. Had the number oneor number two most efficient lineup in all
(27:57):
of basketball, and he played thelike forty five, no, no,
forty five like what was it,like sixty possessions together or something like just
in like an abomination of bad thathe did not. That was bad coaching,
that's bad analytics. Whenever they wereon the court together, which included
(28:18):
Rob Dillingham and Reed Shepherd, wewon't get everybody for them, but their
most efficient lineup, he played solittle it was embarrassing. Rob Dillingham can
score, he can get space.He is an NBA guard. He is
You're gonna be a good spot.There's a reason there's a reason New York.
There's a reason Milwaukee went after thatguy and got and got that trade.
(28:41):
That guy's going in Minnesota. Thatguy's gonna be a deal for you're
you're gonna run. I really likeand and in the case of they don't
have to give up anything meaningful,they give up some future picks, and
like New York, Minnesota's future picksnow are not as valuable because this should
be a team that's very, verygood, Dillingham can slot into that spot.
(29:02):
It means there's an odd man outamongst the guards. Is that Jordan
McLoughlin is at Monte Morris. We'llfind out. I don't think that's a
deal breaker either way. But ifhe can be the six man scorer,
I would love, love, lovefor that to tie into a Karl Anthony
Towns trade this offseason. Move nasReid to the starting lineup, something that
he's earned, something that he's shownhe can play alongside Rudy Gobert. And
(29:25):
even if you don't want to startNas, read if you trade Towns for
a guy like McHale Bridges, becausethat's who I really wanted out of a
deal, and now your Nick ScottBridges instead. But trade Towns for a
Bridges type. Start Jalen McDaniels andthat new player up front along with Gobert,
and go a little bit smaller,bring nas Reed and Dillingham off the
(29:45):
bench if you want. There's alot of different combinations. Much of it
does depend on is Rob Dillingham NBAready? But I love that the Wolves
swung for that, and the pricethat they paid was was really good enough
to be able to find out.I'm really happy with that deal too.
Yeah, I would be too.I would be to you are still in
(30:08):
it to win it, only thisyear we will meet in the NBA finals,
So that that sound good? Wereyou finally one last thing I'm want
to get to you. They gotlike one or three thoughts in the draft,
and then we'll get out of hereand we're gonna leave so many free
agents on the table and not eventalk about it in the time. I
mean, so, look, there'sgonna be a ton of free agent news
that happens. It's gonna have tocoincide with each other. I want to
(30:30):
get to the biggest stories out there, which clearly are minding your team.
Even if I was talking about atwenty five win next team, it would
be probably the number one story here. The Knicks are able to draft the
eleventh pick because they got screwed inthe NBA draft again, would you guys,
freeze the envelopes again, please,like you know, that's all I'm
(30:52):
asking. So Chris Paul wait byGolden State. By the way, Klay
Thompson's gonna go away too, ButChris Paul waved by Golden State and then
swooping in of the San Antonio arewe smarter than everyone else? Spurs so
(31:15):
Joel. My quick thought on itis this Chris Paul. I don't know
what good he was gonna do onGolden State. Probably nothing at this point.
He's a dirty player. He's anold player, but he is a
veteran, still pretty good player,even introduced minutes. I don't like him
in a lot of spots, butit feels like as a veteran, like
(31:36):
a dirty, wiley veteran, kindof makes sense in San Antonio. What
do you think if he's he's raisingthe white flag on getting a ring for
his career, He's unfortunately gonna bea guy who just doesn't have it as
a first ballot Hall of Famer.So that's tough to stare that down.
He had chased a ring, andthey he must have made the decision that
(31:57):
chasing a ring wasn't he wanted todo anymore. But yeah, as somebody
who like to be honest, Idon't know what contenders would have brought on
Chris Paul at this point. They'rethey're like a gentitle con not just get
to the playoffs, maybe get tothe where he would have gotten a ton
of minutes too. I don't know, And maybe he's not looking for a
(32:19):
ton of minutes anymore. I thinkin San Antonio it'll be a time share
with Trey Jones. But whoever elseis a young, fun team with a
superstar just potential face of the league, super duper duper duper star. Yeah,
something like you can can he canstay irrelevant and he could be the
(32:40):
dude ali to the seventy five foottall man and a multi time All Star.
I think in Devin Vessel, bythe time his career is done,
you've got some I don't think helooked the sports in her headlines. To
be honest with you, You've gotCaldon Johnson. You've got a good team,
a good yeah, Jeremy Sohan staysthere. They've got some pieces,
and now you get a guy whocan help show them the ropes and it's
(33:02):
going to hold them accountable. That'sthe thing too. Chris Paul has been
very I don't know, he's beenabrasive as a leader over time, but
he really doesn't take crap and towork with young guys, and I think
that fits in well with a GregPopovich. There's a lot to like.
Hear the deal the youth. Hedoesn't take crap from, but the old
(33:24):
guy done it a bunch of times. Greg evens it up just a little
bit. I think, not evenjust a little bit. I think he
repets Greg Popovich, who couldn't mutualrespect. Yeah, between both of them.
It's a thing where like Chris likeliterally, if there's going to be
a quoll coach on the floor,like Chris Paul can do that this year.
(33:45):
Here's a thought that just came tome. And then we'll move on
to a couple other free agent thingsand trades. Chris Paul, if he
wants to be a coach in theleague someday absolutely could What better place to
start potentially your coaching career then tocome work with Greg Popovich, who isn't
going to be in the league forever. And is there a scenario where Chris
(34:07):
Paul maybe transitions from playing to coachingdown the line. If the and not
just in the league, but withthis San Antonio Spurs team, if the
dynamic is right between him and theyoung guys, keep an eye on that
storyline going forward over the next fewyears. All right, I can do
that. The entrance into the coachingside, Yeah, but can you imagine
(34:32):
Chris Paul having been your starting pointguard and then two years later he's the
head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. I can actually imagine that happening.
Yeah, I could, specifically onthe Spurs. Specifically on the Spurs.
You get to work with Wemby,you get to work with Vasela and all
these young guys. If the personalitydynamic fits, and if Paul can learn
(34:55):
from Popovich, this is a greatspot to maybe jump in to NBA coaching
if that's what he wants, andif you already have the pre existing relationships
and respect, that would be ano brainer to get Chris Paul into your
coaching ranks, maybe even as yourhead coach. We'll see, they like
to make point guards head coaches.That's that's fair. Jason Kidd. Let
(35:17):
me ask, Okay, so didyou is there something else for HC you
wanted to mention because I had likeone and a half thoughts on the draft.
I just forgot to mention with theOKC thing, the fantastic trade of
Josh Giddy to Chicago for Alex Caruso, Like that's yet another piece in Oklahoma
City becoming even more dangerous. Ilike Josh Gitty a lot as a player.
(35:38):
There's a ton of cool things thathe brings to the floor, But
it was obvious by last year thatShi Gildess Alexander is the primary ball handler.
You don't need Giddy to be thatguy, which is what he's most
comfortable as, because he's not anoff the ball shooter. So Chicago,
in getting Giddy, really gets thesame type of player that they wanted in
(35:59):
Lonzo Ball, and they're probably nevergoing to get ball back, but they
get a dominant ball, dominant guardwho will set the table for everyone else
and is a good defender and isbig. Josh Ginny is a clone in
a lot of ways to what LonzoBall does best. For OKC. You
get an off the ball guy who'san elite defender who fits in much better
(36:20):
with that starting five. You didn'tgive up anything that you weren't thinking about.
Getting rid of already, and nowyou add Isaiah Hartenstein the Thunder.
They're dangerous, man, the mostdangerous team in the league. Yeah,
and then they got their come upins last year, so this could be
that year that maybe that they gotthe hurdins and now they get the feel
betters. Yeah, real quick.I just didn't want to mention Klay Thompson
(36:40):
being sort of said bye bye.Thirteen years in one spot, pretty darn
good, but he's obviously been ashell of what he's formally been. It's
been reported that the first teams hewas going to talk to were the Clippers,
the Lakers, the seventy six ers, and the Mavericks, and apparently
Lebron James immediately started talking to KlayThompson afterwards. Just a senator two,
(37:01):
Where do you think he ends up? Either Dallas or the Lakers? With
Paul George leaving, There's no reasonto go to the Clippers at this point
unless you want the money and youwant the playing time, and maybe Clay
does. There's no room left inPhilly for Klay Thompson unless he's taking a
massive pay cut to go somewhere.And if you're gonna take the massive pay
(37:21):
cut. Chris Paul went, youknow, one year, eleven million from
a thirty million dollar right, Yeah, And if he's willing to do that,
I still don't know that it makesthe most sense to do that in
Philly. You're gonna take that massivepay cut, I think you do.
Go to the Lakers, and yousee how that fits. Klay Thompson is
from La his dad played for theLakers. I think it's either them or
(37:42):
the Mavericks. If the Lakers don'thave the minutes and they don't have the
money, and maybe Dallas comes inwith a really intriguing, you know pitch.
But Dallas has never been able toland those free agents that they get
in on these conversations. Historically theydon't get those guys. Although, but
Clay's not a big free agent rightnow. Like Clay is a solid,
he's a kid, but he's notone of those big, big ones.
(38:05):
And you've got a superstar in theleague and a Kyrie Irving who has rehabbed
g It's about everything he can inthis league, including his image. So
either place, he Thompson just becomesa spot up shooter now who no longer
needs to run around a bunch ofscreens, worry about having to be one
of the best defenders in the league. He just has to go out and
(38:27):
knock down shots, which was aproblem in Golden State last year. But
he was still being asked to domore than just shoot. And now he's
going to enter that shooting specialist roleof his career. All right, Uh
to the NBA Draft, will gobriefly, not a bit, not a
big draft, not a crazy fun, interesting draft to be able to watch.
But the top story clearly is Bronnygoing to the Lakers. And by
(38:52):
the way, shocker, no onesaw Lebron James's son going to Lebron James's
team. Can you believe even latein the second round, that was crazy.
I'll tell you this. Tim Leglerhad the funniest I think take on
this. Did you see Tim Legler'staking on I did. So. There
was a team there was a backend of the second round, but ahead
of the Lakers, and said,and it was the Boston Celtics. And
(39:15):
Tim Legler said, look, Ilove true crime and I love these kind
of stuff. You do a straightup kidnapping here, you do you hold
for ransom, you take Bronnie Jamesand you talk to the Lakers and you
say, give me everything you got. Do you want Bronnie James to come
and get them? Give us something? It would have been a really funny
(39:37):
thing for the Lakers to have thatransom pop by the Celtics. Pretty fun
stuff from Tim Lakeler. I lovedTim Blake. I think he's a phenomenal
basketball analist. But your thoughts anythingshock you there. For Lebron to get
his son to play on his team, the homecoming, we thought we'd never
get. Everyone predicted we can.I'm happy in a way that this actually
(40:01):
gets to happen. From a historicalfootnote standpoint, it's a cool thing.
Lebron has been in the league longenough. It's cool that this works out.
As far as Bronnie the basketball playergoes, I think he'll show some
flashes over the next couple of yearswhile dad is there. I'm not convinced
that Bronni is a great prospect byany means, which is why he was
(40:23):
taken fifty fifth. And if hedidn't have that same last name, if
he didn't have his dad, youknow, maybe taking a pay cut and
whatever to stay with the Lakers.And this was part of the deal to
make that happen. If those things, he's probably undrafted, right, he
probably is going to have to bea training camp player and where does he
go from there? So this ideathat like Bronnie James is going to have
(40:45):
a big career because he starts outwith his dad. No, he may
be a guy who's in the leaguesix seven years total because of his last
name that gets in the seat atthe table. Career. It is a
good career and a lot of money. The influx of money into this league
just keeps ballooning. Like he'll showsome flashes and if if he has his
dad's work ethic and if he hashis dad's basketball intelligence, even at a
(41:07):
fraction of the of what Lebron has, you never know. He may he
may overachieve and become a pretty valuablerole player over time, maybe even an
upper rotation guy. It is possible. But yeah, I think it's a
no brainer for the Lakers. Asecond round pick to ensure that you keep
Lebron and to stay relevant. Youtake that every single time. Good move
(41:30):
for everybody involved. I wish themthe best and we all roll our eyes
because yeah, we know, andlet's be frank JJ Reddick is the coach,
right, someone's going to get theirway. We could spend an entire
show on Yeah, jj, Ithink you made a mistake in signing someone
(41:52):
is going to get control of adecision every now and then. And listen,
it's not a dumb one to makefor a second round Like second rounders
flyl out all the time, right, So why not make it on the
chance to make your son who isa decent basketball player. Wasn't a high
Yeah, wasn't a super elite recruit. He's got, he's got, He's
it's doable, right, Like it'sdoable to be someone who can be formidable
(42:15):
in the league for a little while. Will he be able to come in
and learn what his role in hisidentity is apart from his dad, like
where he fits in the NBA universe, because he's going to have to define
what type of NBA player he isnot just talented, you know, lanky
swingman, but what does he actuallydo at an NBA level and what what
(42:39):
role can he be slotted into.That's going to be the big question for
Brownie and his being with dad goingto help or hurt that maturation process.
We don't have the answer to that, but it's that's going to be over
the next three four years where wefind out. Okay, I think so
too. By the way, waybefore all of this, way before you
(43:00):
know, I was looking projecting whatthe Knicks might do. The Knicks might
lose Ojiananoby, he might opt out. Nix may not also not pay for
him. You know, who knewwhat was going to happen with Isaiah Hartenstein.
This all me just sort of thinkingout loud. Lebron could have opted
out and he did of his playera deal for this this year. By
(43:22):
the way he did was really funny. After the draft. Could have been
like a really funny moment. TakeLebron's baby and then opt out and not
come back. But it's all formore money. I thought that there was
I was gonna for the first timewant Lebron to come to New York and
the Knicks to make a push,and then if they had to spend their
one of their picks on Ronnie,that's fine by me. But I thought,
(43:45):
if you lost Hartenstein and you lostthe Nobe, if you wanted to
try to stay relevant this year andto make a push for this year for
the championship, I would have beenokay with the Knicks going after that.
If if if Lebron uh for becauseit's a very short time him kind of
deal, but if it makes youfeel any better, I would have been
okay with Lebron signing in Minnesota too. I think most I think most fans
(44:07):
would say I would have been okay. I wouldn't allowed it this one time
to be when the Knicks recording itbefore. I didn't want it before because
the Knicks weren't good enough, Likeit was just gonna be like, hey,
the Knicks Jersey's on sports and allthe time because Lebron Duncan, which
is cool, but like the Knicksweren't better or good enough to be anything
(44:27):
above really a five hundred team maybeat the time. So but this year,
just to if all of those badthings had happened for New York,
then I would have been like,Okay, you need a guy who can
start and play all these games.You need a guy that can score,
you need a guy that can bea leader. Let Lebron James come in
with Mitchell and with Julius Randall JalenBrunson, and you could have a really
(44:49):
great team for two years. Souh, Okay, last thought, I
had it on the draft? Howabout I like Zach Edy going to Memphis
And to me, it's only forone reason this draft sucked. Man.
This was not a jeep draft.So outside of probably the top four or
five picks, there are gonna bea diamond show up here or there.
(45:13):
But if you're Memphis and you're gettingback into the relevancy game, which you
are, would you think that youmight be budding to be a pretty good
team getting back there again? Whynot take the capital, the short term
capital and the lower end capital tospend on the biggest guy in the draft
that's got four years of high levelcollege basketball experience and they could come in
(45:37):
and from day one contribute something rightbecause there wasn't a lot behind that keying
that was gonna make much of adifference, I think to that team.
So for me, I thought memphissigningZach Edy and a very shallow draft made
one thousand percent since to me,I thought that was the best pick of
the night. They've had success withbig Bruis centers in Steven Adams, Yeah,
(46:02):
Steven Adams, Jonas Valenschunis, andobviously you go back to like the
Zach Randolph and marcasol Marcus all days. But for this particular team, it's
been shown time and again that JaronJackson Junior would rather play the four than
the five. He'll do it whencalled upon, but like Anthony Davis,
he does better when he's at thefour and the rest of the guys behind
(46:24):
him, whether it's Vince Williams Junior, Santiel Dama, Brandon Clark, they
got a lot of great forward depth, they just didn't have that big body
in a Western conference that is fillednow with really scary center combinations, and
the Eastern Conference has great centers too, But if you're going to run into
Jokichen, you're going to run intogo Bear in Towns and all of these
(46:45):
other groups, like you know,and Anthony Davis who's playing center, you
need to have one of those bigbodies. And if nothing else, if
Edie can contribute a couple of blocks, a couple of rebounds and his fowls
and you know, burn some minutes, that eat some minutes, I should
say that Jaron Jackson doesn't have tospend at the five. Who he's also
(47:05):
a foul trouble player, Like that'sthe one bugaboo about Triple J is he
is a high fouling defensive player.Yeah, it works and at that spot,
like you said, there wasn't ano brainer type of guy. Four
years twenty six million dollars to beable to do that level because four years
is a good window right now forMemphis. Yeah, so four years to
(47:27):
figure out if this guy can beable to eat up those fouls, can
can be good defensively more you theycan get those big arms up. He
may not be super fast, hemay be he's not a great shooter,
but that that's okay. Not everybodyis. You don't have to be all
of that. You can care tothat just a little bit. Can he
survive, you know, being putinto NBA pick and rolls endlessly because that's
what they're gonna do, Memphis.You're gonna have to Memphis is going to
(47:50):
have to get creative to protect him. The good news is it is a
dynamite defensive team that is well coached, that responds well to coaching, that
does a lot of defensive game plans. It's a good unit to be able
to protect Zach Edie while also askinghim to protect the basket. It's a
particularly good team to be able todo that. And look, they will
(48:12):
only go as far as John Morantis going to be able to take them,
and it will be dependent on DesmondBane and Triple J staying healthy as
well. But they got a lotof depth, they got a lot of
young guys, and they're all kindof cut from the same cloth. It
is another hard nosed but athletic team. And like I've said, old Memphis
Grizzlies teams would take you to theback alley and beat the crap out of
you. The new Memphis Grizzlies takeyou to the back alley, beat the
(48:35):
crap out of you, and thengo smooth talkerr girl like. That's that
is this Grizzlies team and Zach EdieI think can provide the same thing that
they had hoped for with Steven Adamsand that they got with Yea Valiere.
Right, there was nobody in thisdraft that was going to be able to
substitute for what John Moran's going tobe able to be. Like if John
(48:59):
moran'st the job Morant up two yearsago, this team's not going to be
great. There are nobody in thedraft that's gonna change that. There's not
a single person so to be ableto take this quote unquote high risk because
some people hadn't projected like early secondround or something. It's like, right,
I saw him three, I sawhim anywhere from top three to undrafted.
(49:19):
Yeah, Like, that's pretty rarethat you get that wide of a
range with anybody, especially somebody that'shigh profile of Zachi. It was crazy,
And I'll say Memphis is a greatspot to do it. Like,
I don't know if there are morethan three or four teams I think would
have been really really suited for someonelike that, But Memphis is a great
spot to give it a shot.So all right, Joe, that's good
to do it for us. Saygoodbye to the good people. Goodbye good
(49:42):
people. If you want the videoversion, you can find us on YouTube
like share subscribe to all that goodstuff over there. If you want the
audio only version, we are onSpreaker, Spotify, iTunes, wherever you
get your podcast. It says penand Basketball by an Association will talk more
about all the other free agent stuffnext time.
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