Taylor Jenkins firing & NBA Europe discussion - Featuring Bryan Toporek

Mort has his old pal Bryan Toporek back again, this time to discuss the unexpected firing of Taylor Jenkins, Adam Silver calling the All-Star game a "miss", NBA Europe, and Quentin Grimes!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi, my name is Morten Jensen and you're listening to
the NBA podcast. Hi, and welcome to the NBA Podcast.
My name is Morden Jensen, and today we'll be discussing
the totally expected Taylor Jenkins firing of nine games before
the start of the playoffs, because that's totally normal. We're

(00:30):
going to talk about that. We're also going to get
into the fact that Adam Silver called the All Star
Game a miss, which I think is pretty good. That's
nice that he can look into his own soul and
determine that was indeed a miss, because yes it was.
And of course we're also going to be talking about
how the NBA is going to start a brand new
league in my neck of the woods, which has really

(00:54):
split the waters over here a fair bit. And finally,
we're gonna talk about Quentin Grimes, because Quentin Grime. This
is awesome. And if that last one wasn't a dead
giveaway as to who I have on the docket today,
it's my old pal, Brian Zaporik. Brian, how are you, sir?

Speaker 2 (01:10):
I am good, Thank you for having me back. Good
to be back in the old stomping grounds, Happy to
be here, and yeah, this is the only Sixers topic
I'm willing to discuss right now. So thank you for
not making me talk about the rest of the team.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
No, no, you know what, like I just couldn't do
that to our listeners at all. No, that wouldn't be fair.
That would be very, very evil, especially during a weekend
like this where where it's gonna be published. That's not
that's not fair. Taylor Jenkins, my god, what the hell?
Like I was sitting there, I'm gonna I'm gonna be
level with you, Brian. I wasn't even working. I've I've

(01:46):
been taking a little bit time off lately to play
Assassin's Creed because I needed I've been working like eighty
hours per week for the majority of the season, and
I felt in my body like, whoah, something is like
not working. The Assassin's Creek game came out, and I
was like, you know what, this is a good opportunity
for me to like just calm the f down. And

(02:08):
so I was there and suddenly there's like this notification
and his tailor chinking to getting fired. I'm like, no, surely,
surely that's bullshit. Nine games before the start of the playoffs,
they were like what the fourth seed, the fifth seed,
somewhere along those lines. What the hell to like firing
a coach at this stage of the season, Like I

(02:31):
I can't. I don't understand how that's gonna improve you
down the line, like for this season. Maybe it helps
you down the line, Like if it was an off
season fire, sure like I could get behind that. I
know Memphis fans have spent the last half season at
least complaining about substitution patterns and all these things. I

(02:52):
didn't expect like a late March fire here for a
playoff team, Like what should make of this?

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, I want to shout out our friend Kevin Farrigan
who on Blue Sky basically said this is where we
could really use WOJ because wog would actually report on
the news and tell us the why instead of Cham's
who was just a parrot and just reported the news
and provided zero context as to why they made this move.

(03:20):
It's been what like two or three hours since this
news is broken, and we still have zero details as
to what led to this, which, as you said, like
him getting fired is not necessarily a surprise that would
especially if they had lost in the first round of
the playoffs this year. Like that would have been the
obvious domino the fall. The timing of it is suspect,

(03:43):
and it makes you wonder if there's like you know,
I'm hesitant to speculate on what off court reason there
could be for firing him, but like that was where
my mind went to initially, was like, not just this
is not necessarily just performance based, Like are we about
to find out some really terrible news about Taylor Jenkins.

(04:04):
I hope not. I hope it really was just performance based,
and they said, like, you know what, this is just
not working and let's try something new. And as you said,
the timing of it's really tricky because you've got two
weeks in the playoffs. Start like you are not setting
your team up for success if you're expecting to on
a deep playoff run this year. Giving a coach two

(04:27):
weeks to implement his system and get his team ready
for the playoffs seems like an upward battle, especially since
you're in the West, where like there's not gonna be
an easy matchup. I don't care who Memphis gets in
the first round, any team that makes it in the
West is going to be a tough out. So yeah,

(04:48):
I mean, I'm really just wondering, like why they made
this move, and I guess what the long term vision is,
like are they going to stick with his interim coach
or they gonna have a widespread coaching search this summer,
Like what are the bigger implications for the Grizzlies.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, so the guy's taking over, and I will absolutely
butcher his name. He's from Juomas Lisalo Lisala. That was
an American klang. But I'm not actually not lis Alo
sounds more right. Sure, So I was asking around about

(05:30):
him because I don't have a lot of insights to
him whatsoever. Apparently he is an offensive genius, like really
an offensive mastermind, a guy who can just go out
there and draw plays and drops schemes that that are
truly like produces elite offense. And that again just speaks

(05:54):
into your point, like if you have this guy on
the team already and you're kind of done with with
Jenkins like a month ago, because this has to be
a conversation that didn't just materialize over the past week.
It has to be a long running thing. Why weren't
you looking at that, like at the deadline, for example,
as saying okay, like let's let's spend the rest of

(06:16):
Fab and March, like just getting this guy acclimated to
the big job. I mean, uh, the All.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Star break right exactly the logical time to do it.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
And it's it's wild because you know Sacliman who leads
the team there. Obviously that's not a guy I usually
associate with making weird moves. Like, that's a guy I
look at as one of the best in the business.
I think I even said something that might age very
poorly when uh, like I wrote on Blue Sky Sacklimon

(06:46):
is one of the best in the biss. I absolutely
refuse to believe this is a basketball move this late
in the season, but seems like it is.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, I mean again, like ESPN doesn't have a ton
of details in their story about why they did it.
The only thing in the second paragraph, it says the
team believed that Jenkins had lost the locker room over
the course of the season and that making a change
now might mitigate how the Grizzly finished the season. And
then they point out, you know, they have an eleven

(07:17):
and twenty record against teams that are over five hundred
and they've so they've mostly been feasting on Patsy's They're
thirty three and nine against teams that are below five
hundred or five hundred or below. So I guess they're
worried that they were just going to get knocked out
in the first round of the playoffs. But again, like
making this change now, I'm not sure that anything's going

(07:39):
to drastically change. It feels like you're probably going to
get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs
either way at this rate.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Well, maybe maybe Dismond Bain and Sanciel Dama will not
be fighting on the bench. Sure, I guess so, I
mean the standard.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, like right now they are. Yeah, they're fifth in
the West. They're tied with the Lakers. They play tomorrow,
so whichever team wins is gonna be a game up
or fourth. You know, there's still enough time, like the
Clippers or two and a half games behind them. Both
teams are only a game and a half behind the Nuggets.

(08:17):
But like if the season ended today, it's Lakers Grizzlies
in the first round of the playoffs. And you know,
I mean, the Lakers don't have front court depth, so
maybe Jeron Jackson, Jujior zach E, Ed Santil Damo as
you said, all those guys go off, but then you've
got okay See in the second round and you're gonna
get violated. I mean we saw last night like they

(08:38):
hung for a couple quarters and then okay See was like,
oh okay, we're just gonna end this game and win
by twenty plus.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
So yeah, yeah, unless they're buying into this fan lad
thing that okay See actually isn't that dangerous, which I
just like, I don't know if you've seen like just
the fan sentiment about okay See lately, it feels like
fans are sitting them sells up to be very disappointed
in what they're saying because good luck, I can't. I
can't join in on that one. That's just that's too

(09:06):
crazy to me.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
I saw there was like an EESPN story recently about
like why teams said they're not scared of oka See.
But look, I don't think okay See is unbeatable.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
I think they're clearly the favorite in the West.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
They you know, like I was on the radio earlier today,
I said, like you can pretty much barring health and injuries,
you like, if I had to predict right now, it's
gonna be Cleveland and Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.
I would pencil okay See into the Western Conference finals.
But then after that, you could tell me any of

(09:41):
the other seven teams that make the playoffs, Like I'd
be surprised if Memphis made it. I'd be surprised if
Houston made it. But you tell me the Clippers are
in there, sure, ye yep, totally Nuggets, Yep, no doubt. So,
like I think the West are going to be just

(10:01):
largely match up dependent. But yeah, I mean, like the
thunder have clearly established themselves the best team in the West,
and you know, as long as they've got everyone healthy
going to the playoffs and Jdubb is now back, which
is great. You know that the top end power with SGA,
JDub and chet. Isaiah Hartenstein's been one of the best

(10:24):
signings of the summer. Like it's so wild that they
were able to you know, they completely overpaid him, but
because of their salary structure, they just have the luxury
of doing so, and he's been exactly what they needed.
So he's been great. And they just have so much depth,
Like they're such a fun team. So yeah, I'm not
I'm not buying the They're not terrifying they are. I mean,

(10:44):
they've got the MVP on their roster. They you should
be scared of them.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
If they signed into a deal Hardenstein, that's not going
to affit their long term picture. Did they overpay him?
I understand this is like Schroderinger's salary cap question, would like,
is that even an overpay? Given like how short it is,
like they have a club option or team option after
the second year. I don't even think it's that it greatious.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
I mean it's it's like and in terms of value
of contract relative to production, I would say it's an overpay.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
But okay, it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
It doesn't affect them negatively in any way.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Because j dub and chet are on these rookie deals.

Speaker 2 (11:29):
And honestly, it was a smart use of space because
now if they do decide, like I don't think they're
gonna trade for another star and have like four guys
on max contracts and go way into the second apron,
but like having Isaiah Hartenstein on this massive contract does
give them salar matching ship next year, yep, if they

(11:50):
do decide to flip him as well, So that's what's
I mean. Honestly, like if you're not scared of okaysee
already the teams a freaking sixty one and twelve and
it's like easily going to clear sixty.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
Five wins this year.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Oh that team also has the deepest cash of draft
picks and future capital that they could trade. Like teams
just aren't supposed to be in this position when when
you're this good, you're supposed to be like out of picks,
stuck financially, you know, like this is your core moving forward.
And Okay, so he is the exact opposite of that.

(12:26):
Where they are. You know, they're like set up better
than the Hornets from a rebuilding perspective, except they're sixty
one and twelve.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
I love how in a segment about Teal Jenkins getting fired,
we just automatically start talking about the Thunder, which in
itself it's sort of evidence of how good they are.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, I mean, we got to give a plug to
thunder Buddies the podcast Jan Jans Valley.

Speaker 3 (12:50):
I are going to start one day.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean you better started. I mean it shouldn't end
just with the thought no, so so rounding it out
with Memphis as well. It's like there's something that I've
been thinking about since it happened. I remember, this is
a couple of hours ago, Like this episode is coming
out Sunday, March thirtieth, so these this news have been

(13:13):
a couple days old by the time. For us, it's
just a couple of hours old, this bit of news.
And I was thinking, perhaps they also made this switch
right now because they have to almost show a certain
player in Phoenix that they're serious about getting on the
second page, because they did try to go acquire Kevin

(13:33):
Durant at the trade dead line. Perhaps well, I mean,
I'm just thinking out loud, perhaps installing a more offensive
minded coach over the last remaining nine games and like
going into the playoffs, perhaps that sends a signal to
a certain old Sun player who is reported to not

(13:55):
be there anymore at the end of the day.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Sure, I guess it.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
Also question I mean we saw was Howard Beck I
think was the one who floated, Like NBA executives are
just keeping an eye on job Moran. Not that we
expect him to move, but let's just see. And I
know the Grizzly shot that down immediately, but.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
But that's a job.

Speaker 4 (14:21):
That's their job, right right right, So like I don't
know what the dynamic was between Jaw and Taylor Jenkins
behind the scene, but if they were not simpatico, maybe
this is a way to see like was this a
Taylor Jenkins problem or is this a job problem?

Speaker 2 (14:39):
And like do we need to more seriously consider moving
him this summer because you know, it seems like this summer,
like no team other than Brooklyn has cap space, So
if you're gonna want to make a big move, it's
going to be via trade.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yeah. I think that's honestly, that's probably the way you
improve your team moving forward. I would be very skeptical
of like hoarding cap space and then going into the
summer and say, oh, yeah, we're gonna find guys out
the market like Brooklyn for example. Is are one of
those teams that will actually go in and say, no,
we can use cap space for more than signing players.

(15:12):
We can use it to absorb deals like we can
essentially we can trade our way to the top. It's
it's very interesting how that's that's become a thing.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, so we'll get there with Quentin Grimes later.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
We will get there to Quentin Grimes later, but before
we take our first commercial break, here, what do we
expect just in terms of like the Grizzlies we're kind
of talking about. We don't expect them to make it
far in the playoffs, that's fair. Do we think they
even have time to like make it not a run
that's the wrong way to phrase it, but like, do

(15:47):
you think there could be that kumpa yah feeling that
lasts for a couple of weeks, maybe even a month
or so, that could propel them into deeper depths of
the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
I mean, it's certainly possible that they beat the Lakers,
Like I think the Lakers got We're pleasantly surprising for
a bit and then came crashing back to reality when
it became clear, like, oh, you're relying on Jackson Hayes
as your only center. Yeah, that's that's not great. Now,
with that said, I don't know that Memphis has the

(16:21):
personnel defensively to shut down Luca and Lebron. So I
think it actually were really fun first round matchup. I
mean it'd be like a two hundred and forty points
in you know, first one hundred and twenty five wins
each night, if not more. But yeah, if they stay

(16:41):
at four or five they're gonna get barn stomped by okay,
see in the second round.

Speaker 1 (16:47):
It's interesting. We'll see what happens from Memphis. I I
can't wait until there's like an article out for like
Ramona Shelburn or whoever who was like, all right, I
found out what the hell went down. I'm laying everything
out because I want to peek behind the scenes on
this one. And just to reiterate something very very important

(17:09):
that you said at the top, we are indeed all
crossing everything that we can cross here, fingers toes, whatever,
that this was a performance firing and not a scandal
oriented thing. That is what the hope is all around,
because he seems like a good guy. Let's hope he
is a good.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Guy, right right, Yeah, very much so.

Speaker 1 (17:32):
All right, Brian, we have to talk about the All
Star Game, or rather, we don't have to talk about
the All Star Game itself. We have to talk about
Adam Silver at a press conference just basically saying that
was a miss. I respect the hell out of that,
and I do think Adam has sometimes been thrown for
the throne under the bus a little bit too much
in some regards. I actually appreciate how he can be

(17:55):
honest and admit mistakes when they happen, and for him
just basically say, yeah, that didn't work, like maya kulpa,
We'll figure out something new that that to me was awesome,
like instead of like trying to save face and like
our numbers actually indicate that this All Star performer was

(18:15):
no just like no miss moving on, Yeah, super refreshing.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
Could I ask you a potentially loaded question, absolutely, because
I know you've been kind of out on All Star
proceedings for a while now. Yes, did you watch the
All Star Game this year?

Speaker 1 (18:35):
I saw highlights, I couldn't get myself to watch the
whole thing.

Speaker 2 (18:39):
Yeah, And have you watched the All Star Game in
past years or have you been that way for a
while now.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
On and off like sometimes so when they implemented the
first the elam ending first time around, I watched, oh yeah, yeah,
and then I realized that was, you know, fun ish,
and I was like, what not to the point where
I need to like revisit this right, And then I
didn't know.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
I'm only asking because I, like, I have traditionally watched
it in the past, and this is the first year
that I just did not at all, And you know,
maybe it's because I have two kids now and just
do not have the time to do things I used
to enjoy. But yeah, I mean, like I knew there

(19:25):
was this new gimmick, it did not hook me at all.
And as I'm following along on Blue Sky and I'm
seeing like mostly people are just like, why is mister
Beast there?

Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, I'm like.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
Oh, okay, I really don't want to watch this at all,
Like you're just not And look, they're catering to a
younger generation with this kind of stuff, which I get,
but part of me thinks like other leagues, especially the
NFL has basically admitted the way that the Pro Bowl
used to be just does not work anymore. Like guys

(19:58):
do not want to put their bodies on the line, right,
And I think what all start weekend? Like before the Internet,
before social media, like that was the way to see
all of these superstars in one place, and it was
really exciting and novel, and like.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
You didn't you didn't have the chance to.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
See these guys as much as you know, like on
demand like we all do now. So I think that
it like it's lost part of its luster for that reason.
And also, like I wish. I mean, Adam Silvera is
never going to come out and say this, but I
wish more media members would like All Star Weekend only
exists at this point because it's just the brand convention.

(20:39):
Like this is where all of the NBA's sponsors go,
and they all have events or quote unquote activations or
whatever dumb term you want to call it, and like
all of these guys are shuttling around from event to event,
So I don't blame them by the time Sunday night
rolls around that they have no interest in actually playing
competitive basketball. They're probably just exhausted from you know, bouning

(21:03):
down to corporate sponsors for three days, want to go
take their three day trip to Cago before the season
starts again. So I think, like, if the NBA wants
to make this more of a thing, they need to
just rethink the entire weekend and make it more of
a like a celebration of players rather than a celebration

(21:25):
of all of the brands that are paying them lots
of money.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
Right. It's interesting because I heard someone say a couple
of years ago, and to your point about like branding
and people coming over to like basically sell their their
stuff in whatever capacity. And this person said to me,
if you think the All Star Game is more about
basketball than it is about a lot of marketing people
coming to town and snorting blow and buying right right right.

(21:52):
It was like, Oh, oh, that's that's that's why you
want to praise it fair enough, Like it's basically a
party where the excuses basketball to some extent. I will
say this so you know, you and I we have
always been proponents of trying something new. We've always thought

(22:13):
that it's a good idea to throw shit at the
wall see what sticks, because that is, in many ways,
how you improve. We're always looking ahead to like being
open minding about new initiatives and whatnot. I do think
that the All Star Game will actually benefit from going
in the other direction, because just the presentation alone, you

(22:33):
can't find a serious NBA fan who isn't saying, hey,
we want to see players play in their normal jerseys.
We don't want the All Star specific jerseys. That's been
a thing that's been said for twenty plus years. Twenty
plus years. I think presentation for an All Star Game
in particular is very very important because you're sitting there

(22:56):
and you're getting introduced to a bunch of players. If
you're like a guy who may not follow the NBA religiously,
like you're just coming off the Super Bowl, Like now
you're turning your attention to the NBA, and the All
Star Game is kind of there to like allow you
to get a glimpse into, oh, so who are All
Stars this year? What teams are good? And then all

(23:16):
these guys play in a uniform where you can't really
identify who are they playing for? Like who are these guys?
Like what you're oh, I don't know where For example,
Vixerama is playing for it like that tall dude who's
super interesting, what what is his team? I think we
should return the whole thing to like team oriented jerseys
and make it East and West. Like basically, what I'm

(23:38):
saying is we need a reset and then we can
move forward from there, like go back to what we
know at least work for a handful of years. Let's
just no draft, no C and C draft. Because you know,
it was fun that one year where James Harden got
traded and Kevin that was fun. But outside of that,
it's just it. No, it's not fun, it's not engaging.

(24:01):
It's not anything East West Old team jerseys like normal
team jerseys. And then you can work it from there
because now we're into like a fifth dimension time of
Galaxy Breen result that that's just not appealing to anyone, anyone. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, My two thoughts to salvage the All Star Game. One,
you just have to pay the players more money if
you want them to care. A million dollars per I mean, honestly,
they're all suit they're all stars, They're like superstars and
are making a lot of money. So like five million
a player on the winning team, make one of these

(24:40):
stupid sponsors to pay it. Who cares, You're making seventy
six billion dollars from your TV deals like whichever. I
think NBC got the rights to this pony up. NBC paid,
you know, you split the costs twenty million each. Great,
and maybe i'd like or five million dollars to a

(25:00):
charity of their choice. I think the guys would actually
play hardfest. The other idea, because I think part of
the problem not to sound so boomery with oh there
are too many threes in the game, but like it,
it's just so easy to just set jack up threes
and settle for threes and not actually drive to the basket,

(25:21):
So either make threes worth the same as two's, like
you use this as a lab to experiment with some
changes that you're either considering or like some wild ideas
that you just want to see in action, because why not,
like you know what, have the foba goaltending roles in

(25:42):
place for this game, Like I think encouraging guys to
have more action around the basket would be fun, right,
I know, like we still are just gonna see guys
not really play defense, so it's just going to turn
into a dunk fest instead of a three pointer fest,
which is fine, but I think that was also so
kind of what was exciting about it.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
Back in the day.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
And my other thought is like this might just be
a general rational thing and then you know, god willing,
Victor woman Yama will recover from this DVT and will
be totally fine next year. But like as guys like him,
and as guys like Cooper Flag come in the league,
come into their own, maybe this generation actually cares more.

(26:25):
And like I just don't see Victor Womban Yama like
loafing through an All Star game. I feel like he
would actually try hard and play defense because he just
doesn't like gianness. He's kind of wired that way, like
he just doesn't know how to not play hard.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
Even in the All Star Game.

Speaker 2 (26:41):
So we just need more guys like that, and maybe
it's not as broken as we think.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
And then there are the Balkans like Yoki Luka who
are like, no, this is just yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
They're just they just want to go there ukuha bar.
It gets traded for wanting to go to a uka bar.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
Look, I mean that's fair. That fair. I'm actually coming
up with a fun idea, I think. But like it's
so the NBA during All Star Game has to lean
into its history, right, well, a part of the history
of the NBA isn't exactly always what happens strictly on
the court, but also what happens off of it, such
as Antwine Walker one's saying or answering to the question

(27:22):
why do you shoot so many threes because there are
no fours? Implement a four point line with ant Swan
Walker's face on it, like on it where that lights
up when you take a shot from there, like from
behind that line, Antwe Walker's face lights up on the court.
And then when a shot goes in a sound over

(27:45):
the loudspeakers go because there are no fours, like that
sound bit is gonna play. Just lean into the absurdity
and make people laugh, because that the thing with the
All Star Game is I think primarily people find it boring.
So if you make it fun, at least people will laugh.
And if you laugh, it's very hard to argue afterwards,

(28:05):
Oh I got bored. No, if you're laughing your ass off,
you're not bored at the very least, Like you could
actually just take the piss, as the Brits say, like
just make kind of a mockery of yourself and be
very like you score a lot of points humility points
that way, because when the league tries to trots out
all these players, it's always with a very straight face,

(28:27):
like these are the best players in the NBA. They're
gonna participate in a game against one another. No one's
gonna make it e heard, what makes no sense? Like
just have fun with it. I mean, yeah, just ant
swan Walker's face on the on the court. I need that.
Give me four point shots just for the hell of it,

(28:47):
and let's see and if it becomes a fourth point
shooting contest, all right, that's probably gonna suck, but at
least we're gonna hear ant Swan Walker say because there
are nor fours, and his face is gonna light up,
and that's gonna make me smile. I'll actually watch that.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
Not only am I here for it, but like I
did see this quote from Daryl Moray the other day.
I guess he gave this panel at Sloan where he's
talking about how three pointer, like the volume of three
pointers has broken the NBA. I'm not sure if he
was wearing a hot dog costume as he said it.
He should have been, but like it did get me thinking,

(29:23):
I mean, the one the way to potentially mitigate the
advantage from three is like, okay, well three's are now
worth four and inside baskets are now worth three, and
there's going to be a slightly less of a math
advantage in that regard, Like it will completely nuke all

(29:46):
historical contexts. So I don't think the NBA would ever
consider it, nor do I think they should, But it
is the type of like corporate executive think that I
could actually see someone pitching to the NBA and then
they're thinking, like, no, what maybe this would be a
good idea. So make off two is worth threes, make

(30:08):
off three is worth four. Then when the score is
like two hundred and fifty to two hundred and twenty
is less of an embarrassment for the NBA.

Speaker 1 (30:15):
That's actually interesting because what you're saying is the shot
will only have a difference of twenty five percent of
the value. It's right, fifty mm hm. So like it's
pretty not easy, but like it's easier to make up.
Like if you want to establish an inside game, for example,
that's actually interesting. I hadn't thought about that before. That's fun,

(30:37):
Like you're right, like you would almost the league would
almost have to say, look like we start over now
we're the NBA two point zero. Every conceivable like record
is being sealed off and we're starting something new.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, because yeah, it agreely every single record would be
completely meaningless.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
Like the first week of a new season, like you'd
have at least a guy going for a hundred, like
you just right, exactly, Yeah, like you would.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
Wealth record would be done in the first week in
the season.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
Yeah, that'd be fun. That'd be fun. It'd probably be
Luca too, I could see that.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
I mean, honestly, that's right.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
Oh, but I okay, But like to the larger point,
I do appreciate Adam Silver not being stubborn about it.
Could you imagine David Stern coming out and saying that
was a miss that would never happen never, Like, I
gotta give him that. Like, Adam has a weird track record,

(31:42):
Like some things he has done has been fantastic, others
have been a little bit like what what is going on?
I do appreciate like his his honesty on this one,
and I do feel he actually do want like he
wants the best for the game. I do think he
wants that.

Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yeah, I mean his credit. He's also like acknowledged that
they've made strides on tanking, but obviously, again, what we've
seen this year, it's you know, teams are still finding
workarounds to it, and he recently acknowledged like that's also
not perfect. So I agree with you overall, like his
willingness to admit that things are not perfect and they

(32:19):
can continue to improve the game is an overall positive
for the league. I just hope they don't go too
far into like again, like my suggestion of changing twos
to threes and three support should not happen during the
actual season. You want to try during the All Star break. Great,
But like I, that's where I get a little worried.

(32:41):
Will will we get too innovative, like these hologram courts
or whatever, like the you know, even for the n
season tournament. I most of them just make my eyes bleed.
But like they'll light up green courts at all start
break to show off all our fancy new sports tech.
Please miss me with that, I could not care less.

(33:02):
So I that's where I got.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
A little annoyed with the NBA.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
But overall, I think being willing to continue to innovate
is a good sign for especially for someone who's leading
the league.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
I mean, what are you talking about? We should implement
it right now. If you can fire Taylor Jenkins nine
games before the end of the season, you can threes
and fours starting tomorrow April first, And it's not an
in for fool's joke.

Speaker 3 (33:31):
That would be very funny, Oh man, Just.

Speaker 1 (33:34):
One night a year where you have that those rules
April first and every team plays, That would be fun.
I don't care about records, So that the NBA basically
tells players one night a year you get a chance
to just break every NBA record out there.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
Yeah, yeah with Steph just jack like thirty threes.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
Look he should right now, so why not lead.

Speaker 2 (34:01):
Giannis might actually break the record then, but Yannas has
the Wilt game.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
That's true crushed.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
Yeah, a thirty four dunks, get it done. It's just
gonna drive to the basket every chance he can.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
Like if he makes like just fifteen shots, that's forty five. Yeah,
just from that, and that's without the free throws. And
do free throw still count as one or they go up.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
To they count at point five count counterbalance.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
I think we officially just broke the game. But I'm
here for.

Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, yeah, well that that'll If they're only point five,
then we get rid of the grifting as well. Jalen
Brunson is not going to be able to rack up
thirty points a game anymore. But I just stopping and
starting in the middle of the drive.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
I love how you, of all people a Philly fan
is like talking about foul drifting and not mentioning Joeliban.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
He is not my concern for anymore, as far as
I'm concerned. His grift and gays are over.

Speaker 1 (35:09):
That is so harsh, all right, Brian, we have to
actually go back to the Adam Silver well because the
NBA and with along with FIBA are looking into starting
a league over here in Europe. That's been discussed for
years and it's something that's been a very big topic

(35:31):
over here as well, which I've been a big part of,
like from fans and whatnot, like that's we've had Danes
especially like these conversations for many years. The feeling over
here is mostly negative. Like there is that there is
a segment that is very open to the idea, but

(35:51):
it's like saying it has to be done just right.
I'm part of that one. Like I actually do think
the NBA brand on European soil would be extremely interesting.
I've said for years the NFL tried NFL Europe and
they did that without Europe having virtually any interest in
American football, at least with basketball that is huge over

(36:12):
here and is the second largest sport in the world,
there is and should be more grounds for potential even
with the established clubs already. Now we know that Real
Madrid for example, has wanted to be an Eastern Conference
team for at least six years, Like they've even pitched
it to the League in twenty nineteen, Like we want

(36:34):
to be an Eastern Conference team. Not really sure how
that would work, but the most Eastern Eastern Conference team
of anyone there, if that's the way you go about it.
But like I think, I think it's cool if there
there are you know, if there's a handful of teams
that wants to say, look, we are willing to become
an NBA team. We're willing to like say we're leaving

(36:56):
the Early we want to do this NBA thing because
there is a lot of fricks in between FIBA and
the Early. I could see that. My biggest challenge to see,
like how they like, how could this get off the ground.
The biggest challenge the NPA is facing is players. So
you could take all of the you know, European players

(37:16):
over here put them on those teams. Cool, But is
that going to be enough to draw in people to
the NBA brand because the NBA brand is usually associated
with superstars, Like, there's not gonna be a Luca over here,
because the salary cap is not gonna be even remotely
the same to the US teams. There's not gonna be
a Yo kids, There's not gonna be Ay honest, like

(37:37):
that to me is the biggest hurdle. Like you can
have all the fans complain about oh americanizing the product
and oh that's cool, Like you can, you can complain
all about that, But the biggest issue to me is
if you don't have that superstar, because if you complain
and Real Madrid signs Luka Doncic, You're gonna stop complaining.
You're gonna buy tickets. That's just the thing. That's a reality.

(37:58):
They're gonna buy tickets. M those players will not be available,
I believe to be a europe So how can a
league starting out try to like uphold the standards of
the NBA brand without having superstars?

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Yeah, I mean I think that's the number one question
that the NBA has to answer. And you know, it's
funny that you'd say they won't have Yokic because I
put when this plan, Windy reported on it in January
and then like obviously it took it got new legs
this week. My thought was like, are we sure Yokic?

(38:38):
Wouldn't you know, go make your money in your twenties
and then like go back overseas in your thirties and
just go dominate over there and be closer to home
and right, you know, it seems like him in particular
does not really enjoy the media, limelight and the typical

(38:59):
trappings of an NBA superstar. So I I was wondering
if it actually might cannibalize the actual NBA in that
some of these guys would leave to go back to
NBA Europe sooner than they would otherwise retire from the
NBA for good. I don't know how much of a

(39:20):
concern that is and how many guys that would apply to,
but I think that is one thing the NBA needs
to at least be mindful of. But otherwise, like, yeah,
I just have no perspective. I know the interest is
growing globally, but I have no perspective as to like,
would this be a thing that they're trying to sell

(39:43):
to American audiences as well? Or is this like really
a European league for Europeans and Americans aren't supposed to
care about it? And like is there enough money when
they're I know, I saw five hundred million being thrown
around as like a perch price for one of these teams,
Like is there enough money to justify that type of investment?

(40:06):
I have no idea.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
I don't either. I mean, I do know that the
NBA would stand like a much better chance of luring
in sponsorship with the NBA brand than you know, the
Year League, to just be honest, and to your point
about Yogi's just wrap that up, Like Yogi's just under
contract through twenty the twenty twenty six twenty twenty seven season,

(40:30):
but he would have to turn down a sixty two
million dollar player option in twenty seven twenty eight, which
I'm kind of guessing he won't. That's a lot of money, right,
just not to pick up though, So that's that's one thing.
But it's a good question just in terms of like
will there be enough interest, Like there are a lot
of older people who are very stubborn and very very

(40:53):
proud of their local teams and like reject Americanism, which
is at least right now probably fair. Yeah, I do
not blame you it up and that that's also a thing,
Like the timing of this was just could not have
been worse. No could, Like the entire entire Europe right now,

(41:13):
Like I'll tell you something from over here, like American
products are being boycotted to the point where grocery stores
right now are actually putting up like stars on their
items detailing whether a thing has been made in Europe
or if it's been made in Denmark, basically to let
people know, yeah, you can buy this instead of everything else.

(41:37):
That's the thing that's happened because whereas Americans believe that
the rest of the world is just as divided on
Trump as America is, I am here to tell you
we are not. We are not that divided on Trump.
We are mostly very much in agreement with all you
people in America who voted leftist. So that's a thing

(42:01):
that also has to like be navigated just in terms
of like the americanized stuff at all. But there is
like a lot of pride in the local clubs, so
the NBA has to capture that still and say, look,
we're not going to take away from your identity, so
like we're not going to change the logos, We're not
going to do this, this and that. Like if you
want to be become a part of our league, the

(42:23):
only thing that's going to happen is you're going to
get like an NBA sticker on your jersey and perhaps look,
that might also be a selling point and then perhaps
they say, and we're going to get rid of the ads,
so you guys can actually get more clean jerseys like that,
so you don't have like, I don't know, like the
European Home Depot on your ass like Crypto do Crypto
dot com like something along those lines where it's like, no,

(42:46):
like more clean jerseys. But you have to respect the audience.
You have to respect the passion of these people. And
one thing the NBA I'm sure is aware of to
a certain extent, but maybe not as aware of as
they should be is eurly games get they get nuts

(43:08):
like it's yeah, it's it's an entirely different environment. So
the NBA cannot approach this with the family friendly somewhat
like what's the word I'm looking for? Not not like
where something is the same, like like it's the same product,
Like every arena is. It's like the same thing. Where

(43:29):
you have family, it's your priority, taxing the family inspirence.
It's like it's there is a lot of variation in
how people celebrate the NBA. It's like, oh, this guy
made a three, let's clap a little bit. Oh this
guy missed two free throws, which means we get free
Tacos Let's clap extra hard at that. Right in Europe,
it's like it's different, Like I know, everyone's making a

(43:49):
big fuss about the Clippers having the wall. I've even
been to it, Like I was, I was in the stands.
I saw it and like, yeah, it was different from
NBA standard. But my but my son and I were
looking at each other and kind of smirking a little bit,
like yeah, all right, try that in Europe. Let's see,
because they are ruthless and they have like fireworks inside

(44:14):
the arena, and it's like it's a very ruckus crowd.
And I wonder if the NBA is like, sure, we're
down for that, because I don't know. I don't know
the answer to that. There's there's a feeling that I
think the NBA can't replicate.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
Didn't I don't remember someone I want to say, was
it Yannis? Like some star at some point was basically
saying I think they were like asking like how are
you not shook by some of these environments you see
in the NBA, and bro like I played in Europe
like kidding me, Yeah, I think it was honest, right.

Speaker 1 (44:55):
Could have been honest? Could also that sounds like Booked
on too, because Booked then has been throw it like
over here. Like again, everyone who's played high level basketball
over here, like at a year league level, even like
just a local league level, understand that there is a
level of passion that is insane. And like if if

(45:17):
people listening into this are like especially Americans are like more,
You're just you're you're overestimating. That's ridiculous. I'm asking you
to go go to YouTube and just search on like
panasin Iko's crowd or like just your league passion crowd
or whatever.

Speaker 3 (45:37):
Keywords your league fire.

Speaker 1 (45:40):
Yeah, sure, because it's insane, like you have people in
the sand. So, So, one of my good friends, if
A Lumberg plays for in Serbia for partisan and he
told he's told me repeatedly all throughout this season, this
is his first year there's he said that, look that
there's nothing like it. Can feel the entire court shake

(46:02):
when everyone is standing up and they start jumping in
unison because they're just like, oh yeah, let's get this
show on the road. Like he can feel the vibrations
on the court.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
Mhm.

Speaker 1 (46:12):
That's that's where it is. Like, So, and I don't
the NBA. I love the NPA product, but like that
is not it from a fan perspective, So how does
the NBA bridge those elements? It's something I really want.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
To see, Yeah, it would be I mean, I would
love to see the European version of the Lebron Stephen
A Smith beef, which apparently is more of a thing
than I realized or I care about.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
I still don't care about it. I just hope that
a Smith loses. That's where I am.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
That's just I just because I'm not on Twitter anymore.
I just had no idea. It was still a talking
point three days later. But I did a radio appearance
earlier today and that was the first question I got
asked about it.

Speaker 3 (46:56):
That was just.

Speaker 1 (46:59):
I don't I don't even. I think it's something about
Bronny and whatnot, but like, honestly, that type of drama
would not happen over here, And maybe that's not actually
to the league's advantage, like the NBA years league is
advantage because the NBA gets a lot of clicks on,
you know, stuff around the game, like outside the game.

(47:19):
Over here, things are pretty chill, like outside the game,
like nothing really goes on. Most Europeans are like pretty boring,
when it comes to that, like they go to games,
they go home, show up for practice the next day,
go back home, play a game. Like there isn't really
a whole lot of drama. There's not like a whole
lot of things that go on. There aren't these talking

(47:42):
heads that might get into fights with players. Like it's
pretty mellow, is what I'm.

Speaker 2 (47:48):
Talking Like that might be one of the big selling
points is maybe you start this league in Europe and
like figure out, like if things if it gets covered
different diferently over there than it does here, and you
like the coverage there, then figure out what's working and

(48:08):
try to like you know, go back to your American
media partners and say like, hey, right, look, we're we're
celebrating the on core product instead of what talking head
X Y and Z said on your twenty four hour
sports network Drible channel.

Speaker 1 (48:26):
Something that works to the NBA's advantage in that regard
as well, now that you mention it just in terms
of like coverage, is that they have leak Pass and
the NBA app and that's you know, available worldwide because
you wouldn't have to like make a new app, you
wouldn't have to like do anything you can sort of
just put that umbrella of NBA Europe into the existing

(48:48):
NBA app, Like we all have leak Pass on our
televisions now in some regards Apple TV, Google, chromecas whatever.
You just add another tab to that where okay, NBA
Europe and then you go into that and the games
are there. Like that is I think that is an
underestimated selling point that you won't have to go out

(49:09):
and say, all right, local broadcasters and what like. Yeah,
of course you want that. You want games on television,
of course you want that. But the fact that you
already have a platform in app format that works the
way it does, that's pretty big because you can make
the argument that, all right, the NBA app has what
one hundred million downloads or whatever, like, even if only

(49:32):
a fraction of those people catch those games, that's still
pretty significant amount that will tune in off the NBA
app instead of like going out and getting like a
cable subscription somewhere or whatever like, and then my if
the NBA is listening and just hear these words, do
not under any circumstance make the same mistake by blacking

(49:55):
out local games on paths like that I should do
in the state. Just do not do it over here.
Europeans will not take it as lightly as Americans will.
I absolutely guarantee you we are nut cases when it
comes to feeling, you know, disrespected that way. We will
boycott the everlasting shit out of you if we feel

(50:17):
that something like that is ruining our experience, Like that's
the way we work to an insane degree. It's not
going to go over well for you guys if you
do that, like, just don't just don't make it open. Honestly,
that's look I mean, I might as well use my
insights as a European. I'm just saying that would not
be welcomed whatsoever. People would be pissed, absolutely pissed.

Speaker 2 (50:42):
Ye.

Speaker 1 (50:44):
But I was curious as to what you said earlier.
You were actually afraid that an NBA europ League would
like cannibalize the actual NBA. That's because I don't read
it like that at all, that that is something you
think could happen.

Speaker 2 (50:58):
I don't know. I mean, like, as you said, the
money is going to be a lot better in the NBA, right,
but I mean some guys just might want to stay
close to home or like if the if the money
is good enough. Maybe they don't care. I mean maybe,
Like I think the cream of the crap will still
go over because they're gonna want the money. They're going

(51:20):
to want to challenge themselves against the best players in
the NBA. But like, even if it starts to affect
like the types of role players that come over, you know,
I think that that would be the one big reason
not to do it, Like you don't want to water
down the level of talent in your own league, and
you've become such a global game and such a game
that's reliant on international talent that if you're limiting, if

(51:45):
you're creating other realistic avenues for guys to go elsewhere.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
I mean we're even seeing it.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
In college, right, Like the top picks are all still
declaring because they want their money, and that makes sense.
But like guys who might have declared previously are now
going back to school because nil money is pretty good. Yeah, So,
like would that have a trickle down effect to an
NBA Europe where you know, a seventh man who, like

(52:17):
a guy who could be a legit seventh man in
the NBA says now I'm good miss staying Europe and said,
and like does that have an effect on the caliber
of and like the depth of teams.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
It's interesting And to your point about nil, I know
what some of the Danes in the n C Double
A are earning, even if they're like barely playing and
most numbers are insane and they're like, you know, the
end of the bench type of guys. Some of them.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
Yeah, it's way way more. They're about the like next
week they approve the settlement that basically allows schools to
have a salary cap. So like starting next fall, in theory,
schools are going to be allowed to pay twenty million
dollars twenty two million dollars to student athletes.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (53:04):
So yeah, I mean I think we're gonna like, you know,
I think I have yet to read the column. I
hope someone writes it, or someone has already written something.
Please send it to me because I'm very interested in
this topic. But like March madness has not been nearly
as like upset heavy as it typically is, and I

(53:25):
think that was the case last year too, And it's
you know, I think the question is like is this
just a small sample sized thing, and are we gonna
go back to like a bunch of twelve eleven seeds.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
Going on deep runs next year?

Speaker 2 (53:37):
Or is it because of ANIL, because of the transfer portal,
Like obviously guys were being paid on the table before ANIL,
but now that you can just legally do it, Like,
are the haves versus have nots in college sports only
going to have a wider gap between them?

Speaker 1 (53:56):
MLB just basketball version, honestly, like the rich schools could
stand to to do more. Like so it's and I'm
guessing that's why there would be a salary cap. Is that?
Do you know if that's going to be like the
same throughout the entire Division one or it's going to
be like different salary caps depending on division or conferences
you call them.

Speaker 2 (54:16):
Sorry, I don't know. This is what I'm like one
of the things I'm going to be looking into for
work next week. I right believe I don't even know
if it's a salary cap per se. I think the
NCAA is approaching it in that way, but like, I
don't know if from my understanding, and this could be
totally wrong. So again, I'm planning on like learning more

(54:38):
about this next week. But I believe schools will be
able to play athletes directly and the pool I believe
is like around twenty two million. I don't know if
that means they also the athletes can't also have nil
deals on the side like they currently do. So, you know,
I think like the schools to your point, I think

(55:01):
like the schools that generate a ton of revenue might
be willing to spend the full twenty two million, where
like schools that are barely breaking even are not going
to right. But then also like if you have insanely
rich boosters who are willing to throw three million dollars
at the top point guard in the and the recruiting class, like,

(55:22):
are you still allowed to do that? I would guess so,
But I don't know either way.

Speaker 1 (55:28):
I mean, there's no doubt that in terms of like
professional leagues, in terms of basketball around the world, the
NCAA has become honestly the second most highest paid rather
league in the basketball league in the world. Like, this
is going to go higher than your league. This is

(55:51):
higher than China, this is higher than all of those
Like for the top tier teams. If you are an
amazing talent, you can go out there and get a
higher salary than anywhere else on earth. In college of
all places which you know, I will say this, go
to the players they were for so many years, like

(56:11):
just go get your money. It's fine.

Speaker 2 (56:13):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, I have a zero issue with it.
I'm just fascinated by the implications of it. But yeah,
these kids are long over. Like it sucks that, you know,
the generation, the guys that we grew up watching in
college did not get the benefit for it, or like
had had to get paid under the table. But I'm

(56:34):
super happy that guys now can just I mean, like,
there's just no reason that a college coach should be
paid ten million dollars and then the kids should earn zero, right.

Speaker 1 (56:46):
Right, I'm sure now that you're regretting not being born
later because you attended Georgetown, you should have worked on
your jumper, Brian, just bro not right.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
I could probably start for Georgetown team at this point.
We suck. We have sucked for a long time. We
though Thomas Torber that'd be a draft respect.

Speaker 1 (57:07):
Oh man, No, but it's it's so it's an interesting
concept like in beavidor Europe, and a lot of people
are like skeptical of how it should work. And I've
come up with an idea and I think I'm going
to write about it over at Yahoo. So everyone is like, oh,
it's going to be too many games if you have
to run like the euro League, the NBA Europe and

(57:28):
also the local leagues, like the domestic leagues. What are
we supposed to do here? And here's my thing? So
we know that one of the reasons that the NFL
is an attractive product is they're not that many games played. Like,
I know it's about to turn to eighteen games now,
but for many, many years it was sixteen, right, you

(57:49):
correct me if I'm wrong. That was the sixteen game right.

Speaker 3 (57:54):
For the NFL.

Speaker 2 (57:55):
Yeah, yeah, And now we're up to seventeen, and then
we will soon be up to eighteen.

Speaker 1 (57:59):
Yes, exactly, all right, cool? But still even with eighteen games,
that's not a lot throughout an entire sporting season that
allows you to like really look forward to the next
game to build anticipation. Why not say, if you're like
NPA Europe and they're supposed to have sixteen teams, I

(58:19):
think start slow. Let's say all the sixteen teams have
to play fifteen games on a year, like before the playoffs,
and then after that, just like in the NFL, it's
single elimination, No, like best of five, best of seven, whatever,
it's like fifteen regular season games and single elimination to

(58:43):
the championship. Because that way, though, see the teams that participate.
Let's take a team like Real Madrid as an example,
that still gives them time to play in the domestic league.
Will it give them enough time to play in the
euro League? That's the question. But like, maybe if it's
only fifteen games added to the season, you can make

(59:04):
some sort of amendment where, well, our roster is getting
expanded for certain things, like for the NBA we get
like an additional three roster spots or whatever like, there
could be some amendments made so it's not the same
players that have to be like driven into the ground.
But I feel as though keeping the amount of games

(59:24):
low is key here because if there's one criticism that
exists around the NBA as well, it's too many games
every single year. Just too many games. It's eighty two
is a number that's sky high. Why not go the
other direction, build anticipation from game to game, so you
have like fifteen weeks of games, or maybe you even

(59:48):
spread it out so some teams don't even play once
a week, some play like every two weeks, you can
spread it out. I wonder if that would build anticipation.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
I mean, I think the the NFL product would suggest, yes,
the counterpoint would be money.

Speaker 1 (01:00:08):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:00:09):
Unfortunately, based on the way the world works, that that
counterpoint is probably gonna win.

Speaker 1 (01:00:16):
Out right, right, But that's immediate money. What I'm saying is,
if you actually get this the right way to the
point where the European audience accepts you, mm hmm, that
should lead to more money. Because you run the risk
of going too hard too soon, and the European audience
just rejects you outright and lo and behold, that league

(01:00:39):
is going to be dead within five years. Rest in
peace and pa euro Whereas if you take the right
approach and you do it cautiously and you nail it,
then I would argue you stand a much greater chance
of prolonging that league here in Europe, thus making it
possible for you to earn more and more money as

(01:01:01):
the lead gros.

Speaker 2 (01:01:04):
Yeah. Like again, if they could pull it off, that'd
be awesome, right because and that would be proof of concept. Again,
like for the I think the appeal of an NBA
Europe would be another like from the overall NBA perspective,
beyond just this is a way for us to make
more money, like having more places to try out innovations.

(01:01:28):
I know they do this a lot with the G League,
like the Elo mending started down there and they tried
it out and see how it works, and then we
could bring it up.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
Like try out.

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
You know. I would imagine if it's NBA Europe, they're
going to do the FEEDBA goaltending worlds there, like if
they're considering bringing those over the NFL or NBA main NBA,
try it over there. See how it looks that, you know,
have another place to innovate. So if you are willing
to not you know, cost yourself however much in TV

(01:02:02):
deals and ticket revenue and whatever, and you're willing to
do this a bridge season and that, as it turns
out like that is enough to keep your franchise on
the float, then yeah, maybe we go back to the
main NBA and we say, look, yeah, maybe we do
gut down to fifty eight games or sixty six games
in the regular season, whatever the case may be. But unfortunately,

(01:02:25):
I know how capitalism works, and they're just gonna instead
go the exact opposite.

Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
Oh yeah, no, I'm not expecting the North American NBA
to change. I'm just right, right, right right, because right
now the NBA is not earning anything off an NBA
Europe because it doesn't exist. So what I'm saying is like,
if you do approach this the right way and have
some patience, oughts are pretty good that you could find
a way to make it work. Well, the goal shutting
thing is interesting. I agree with that. What I what

(01:02:52):
I wouldn't want them to do is keep the court
measurements the same. Like that has to be because one
of the things that separates the NBA brand from the
European brand is it's more spaced out. Like again, every
single European player says the same thing. It's easier to
score at the NBA level, Like Lucas said it, If

(01:03:13):
I said it, Booked just said everyone who who's like
being asked about it, it says, Jokis has said it. Giannis
has also said way more space. So like there there
has to be like the NBA appeal as well. It
can't just be oh, let's just play European basketball with
all the same rules under the NBA brand. It's like
that kind of defeats the purpose a little bit, like

(01:03:35):
it's it's extremely fascinating to me because being over here
and having like a finger on the pulse of what
people are saying over here. I'm tracking this with enormous
interest because whenever you hear something and the league is
you can you can sort of sense, oh, the league
is like trending the wrong direction. You kind of go, oh, guys, nope,

(01:03:56):
not in the other direction, like come on, Like basically
I'm playing Marco Polo with the NBA at this point,
which is extremely fun. But yeah, I love the idea,
I love the potential of it all. Major hurdles ahead, absolutely, Yeah.

(01:04:19):
All right, Brian, let's close it up by talking about, well,
one of the best players in this Mickey Mouse March
in the NBA, not just for the Sixers, for the
in the NBA, Quentin Grimes. Because if the Dallas Mavericks
were not kicked in the teeth enough with the Luca
Donta trage here we are. That was what a performance?

(01:04:45):
What are many performances he's had, good Lord, And it's
not just shooting like in spot up situations. This guy
is taking shots off the dripple high level of difficulty.
The forty six pointer against Houston was ridiculous. What like,
is she just like what what? What is your opinion

(01:05:07):
of this whole thing? Sustainable to some extent, like what
are we looking at here? From Quinn?

Speaker 2 (01:05:13):
I mean, I will say this, at least that wasn't
the worst move the Mavericks made the trade deadline. That's
a it's a win. Did you see George and Yang
the other night talking trash to Quentin Grimes?

Speaker 1 (01:05:28):
No, I missed that.

Speaker 3 (01:05:29):
Oh my god, it was very so it speaks to
your question.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
Actually, he was at the free throw line and the
Yang you could like barely hear over the announcers, but
he's basically topic at the lines of like, you know,
this is an allf Luke, You're just a role player.
When Joel's back, You're just gonna be parked in the corner,
like you're not get to do any of the stuff.
It was like, this hits a little close Talp. I

(01:05:53):
think you're you're you're cutting deep here, buddy.

Speaker 1 (01:05:57):
That's good trash talk, by the way, George Niang, So
that is quality trash talk.

Speaker 2 (01:06:05):
The low key one of the best trash talkers. Yeah, yeah,
I don't think on a good team, Quentin Grimes is
going to be a number one option. Like you know,
I think we've seen even though he's going off, the
Sixers are a godless abomination and then it by design.
At this point they are intentionally trying to lose, just

(01:06:28):
not as egregiously as some of the other teams around
the league. So you know, I think his breakout is
raising some really interesting questions about the Sixers future in general.
He's a restricted free agent this summer. No team around
the league other than Brooklyn has cap space, and Brooklyn,
you know, we're starting to see reports that like Brooklyn

(01:06:48):
is not gonna go swinging on free agents, like to
your point earlier, They're probably gonna just try to use
their cap space to acquire bad contracts. So you know,
maybe Quentin Grimes tries to produce a sign in trade,
but otherwise, like, I don't know where the big money
offer is coming from for him.

Speaker 3 (01:07:08):
So my guess is that he is back in Philly.

Speaker 2 (01:07:11):
Like out of all of their potential free agents, him,
Garshan Yabaseli, Kelly Brade Junior, I'm most confident that quitting
Grimes will be back in Philly next year. Yeah, I
think his emergence and assuming that Jared McCane can build
on what he did early this season before he suffered

(01:07:34):
the meniscus tear, that's gonna be like the big push
and pull for the Sixers this offseason because we still
don't know what is up with Joel and Bead's knee.
They still have decided upon a course of action with him,
and frankly, even when they do, we're.

Speaker 3 (01:07:49):
Not gonna hear about it until October.

Speaker 2 (01:07:52):
So and like Paul George just you know, a bunch
of fluke injuries this year, like the growing in the finger,
the two knee injuries earlier this year, like disappointing first
season for him. Hopefully he's back in healthier next year.

Speaker 1 (01:08:08):
But unfortunately he's not old or anything.

Speaker 2 (01:08:11):
Right, Well, that's the thing. So, like I don't if
you're the Sixers, I don't think you can go into
next season saying we are still built around Joel Embiid
being our number one offensive option, Paul George being a
primary offensive option. Like, I think the emergence of Grimes
and McCain and obviously Tyres Maxie had the breakout last

(01:08:32):
year started slow. This year was still playing at an
All star level before he started getting hurt, Like, I
think you have to become backcourt oriented, Yes, Like that's
gonna be.

Speaker 3 (01:08:43):
Your primary source of offensive production.

Speaker 2 (01:08:46):
And I frankly think that could help Embiid and George
as well if they do not have to carry as
much of the offensive load. Just let Joel Embiid focus
on defense, which is where you know early in his career,
that's where he was making an incredible impact. And Paul George,
for his disappointing as he was offensively this year, was

(01:09:06):
still pretty good defensively. So I think that's probably the
path forward for the Sixers. But getting you know, I
don't know if it would be a tough sell for
Paul George because I think you come to this team
and you assume you were splitting touches with Maxi and Embiid,
like you were already going to take a step back
offensively regardless, I think getting Embid on board with that

(01:09:29):
plan is he's going to say the right things, because
he said the right things this year, right going into
training camp, he said, I'm going to take a step back.

Speaker 3 (01:09:38):
I want to defer.

Speaker 2 (01:09:39):
I want to let you know, like make the game
easier for my guys, and then none of that happened.
When he was actually on the court, he still had
a massively thirty four percent usage right high as on
the team, like he was still just doing the same
thing except doing it on one knees, who is completely ineffective.

Speaker 1 (01:09:56):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:09:56):
So I would hope that, assuming he is back to
some semblance of health next year, he realizes like, Okay,
I can't be MVP Joel Embid anymore, that that part
of my career is over, and frankly, I don't need
to be because we have these three electric guards in
the backcourt, and these guys can help me prolong whatever

(01:10:20):
is left of my career as well. So that would
be how I would approach this off season for the Sixers.
I don't know that they'll actually be able to do that,
but I think that's the realistic path forward for them
to salvage whatever is left of this Embid and Paul George.

Speaker 1 (01:10:39):
Era, oh, we are sympatical on this one. That is
where I've landed to. I just don't think you can
build around Joel and Paul George and recently expect a
lot of changes at this point. You have to like pivot,
and there is a world wherein and be just focusing
on defense and still being a point a paint score

(01:11:01):
because he's still seven to two two ninety, so like
that isn't going away anytime soon. The guy can still
create scoring opportunities in the paint on the other side
of the floor. He can still draw refros like that element.
Those elements are still there. He can also pass out
of the post, by the way, so like you can

(01:11:21):
still use him, you just can't let the entire offense
be dictated around him. And look, if Paul George gets
pissy at being asked to like be a three and
D wing, you can just kind of point him to
games played over the past like six seasons and say, look,
do you want to be on the court, because this
is how you stay on the court, Like this is

(01:11:43):
the best path forward for you, old man, Like I
just that it has. They have to pivot. They have
to pivot. They're not getting off those contracts without paying
to get off of them. Like I had Keith Smith
on the show, I want to say a month ago
might have been a month and a half ago where

(01:12:04):
we spent like an hour just breaking down their situation
from a cap perspective, and it's just it's so grim
that you just sort of have to find some type
of value in whatever capacity Paul George and Joel and
can play in. And then you got to pivot, like
Tyrese Maxie starting next year, he's your number one guy,

(01:12:26):
Like he's your he's your star. And then you have Rhymes,
you have McCain, those three, You're gonna let them dictate
the show. Paul George is gonna be like a three
D assass and and then you, I guess when MP
is healthy, you go that route you mentioned where defensively
focus on that. But like if he starts yapping and
say I want a bigger role, you just have to say, no, Yeah,

(01:12:51):
it's just not in the guards for you, man, like
you one of the most injured superstars in NBA history,
Like that's it's not justifiable anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:13:02):
Yeah, I mean, it's just very funny that they all
went into the season saying we're gonna be proactive about
his health, he's going to take a step back, and
then they did none of that.

Speaker 3 (01:13:12):
He was obviously just playing hurt the.

Speaker 2 (01:13:13):
Entire year, and so hopefully I mean, at this point,
it's like I don't know how many more wake up
calls you can get before your career is just over, right,
and maybe, you know, maybe this is it. Maybe this
will make him realize like, Okay, I really need to
put my money where my mouth is at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:13:35):
Well, so, yeah, think you didn't sign them to an extension, then.

Speaker 2 (01:13:38):
Yeah, great choice, great choice, that definitely, you know, I
get why they did it in theory, Like I understand
Darryl thinking like if we don't do it, we're going
to be swamped by trade rumors by the deadline, and
they'd be in the exact position that the Kings were
with dearon Fox basically, But like they also didn't have to, right,

(01:14:03):
Like you could have done it this summer.

Speaker 1 (01:14:05):
And the player option of sixty nine million twenty eight
twenty nine, they certainly didn't need to.

Speaker 2 (01:14:09):
Yeah, yeah, so I mean they really don't have any
other choice but to run this back next year, because like,
I don't know what you're getting for Joel Embiid or
Paul George at this point, Like I don't even if
you're able to get off of them, like without taking

(01:14:30):
you know, without giving up additional pix prospect whatever. Maybe
you still could You're not gonna get like much of value.
You're not gonna get anywhere close to actual value for them.
I think that that door closed. Like I was kind
of banging the drum that they should have seriously considered
moving Paul George to the Warriors at the deadline, Yeah,

(01:14:51):
because they were, you know, Warriors were after him last summer.
I thought if they got Jimmy Butler, that door would close.
And I did not see another team. There's not another obvious,
like win now team that needs that archetype. Although maybe
the Grizzlies will surprise me here.

Speaker 3 (01:15:08):
And make a panic with this offseason.

Speaker 2 (01:15:11):
But yeah, like I think they're kind of just stuck
with this group as is. And maybe they get lucky
and keep their top six pick in the lottery, maybe,
like you know, help they get Cooper Flag and a
lot of things start to start clicking the place for them.
But otherwise, like you know, if they get the number
three pick and it's like Ace Bailey is the best

(01:15:33):
player on the board, then we've already got three guards
who are gonna need a lot of touches. Like that's
gonna only raise more questions for them as well. So
regardless of what happens with the pick. Yeah, I think
they've become more back coorrid oriented moving forward. And you know,
I'm just really interested to see what happens to all

(01:15:55):
of these free agents this summer, Like if Brooklyn is
not gonna spend their money on a free agent, Like
where's the big contract coming from? For for Quentin Grinds,
for Josh Gitty, for Jonathan Kaminga, Like all these restricted
free agents are expecting a big payday, and I.

Speaker 1 (01:16:13):
Oh, Josh Gitty's gonna get his payday because he yes
for the Bulls. That's that's AK is going to give
him that money, whether it's like without having the presence
of mind and considering, oh, I can actually squeeze the guy.
No no, no, that's not how we're doing one hundred
and fifty mili. That is gonna oh God.

Speaker 2 (01:16:34):
Like shock you no, no, no no, but uh yeah,
that's the.

Speaker 1 (01:16:41):
One guy I'm not worried about getting paid.

Speaker 2 (01:16:44):
Like I just well, like Grimes, it's interesting. I've written
a ton for any Sixers fans out there, go check
out Liberty Botherings. Because I've already done a couple of
things on this. I'll have plenty more but like Grimes, Yaboo,
and Uber are all kind of interconnected in a way
because like if they if they want to retain Yaboo,

(01:17:05):
it's got to either be through it's got to be
with the mid level exception, so they get hard capped
either way. You know, I think a lot of people
were thinking Yaboo was going to get the non taxpayer Emily,
which would hardcap them at the first apron. And if
that's the case, like you start doing the math and
they are not keeping you're just not keeping all three

(01:17:26):
of them, of Grimes, Oubra, and Yaboo, if you're hard
capped at the first apron, right, it's like slightly more
feasible at the second apron. But you know, this is
where it comes to the question of like, if you
can get Grimes back at fifteen million a year instead
of twenty or twenty five, then it's easier to fill

(01:17:47):
out the rest of your roster. But if Grime, like
if the Nets do decide to screw with the sixers're like,
you know what, four years ninety million for Quentin Grimes,
then in all likelihood they cost them probably Yaba and
like Ubre is they could in theory they can retain

(01:18:07):
both crimes and Ubra either way, but like the Apron
stuff could just make them reluctant to go, Like I
doubt they're going to go in the second Aprin next year,
especially unless they think embat is one hundred percent back
and they are legitimately a championship contender like this.

Speaker 1 (01:18:27):
He might be for a couple of months and then
he's not so back one hundred percent later. That's the issue, right,
I mean, at the end of the day, like, you
can be as optimistic as you want in terms of
the start of the season, but history is beginning to
show us a different picture. Like, yeah, a healthy and
better start the year. Cool, I'll always take that, But
you just can't build on the assumption that's going.

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
To last, right, Yeah, Yeah, it's unfortunate, but I think
I think you're right. I mean, I just don't. I
think point you cannot go into next season assuming and
be just gonna make it through the full season and
assuming he's gonna be your focal point. You it's you
have to treat it like he is. You're not gonna

(01:19:10):
get anything from him, and whatever you do get is
a bonus because otherwise, like you just can't play the like, oh,
who could have seen these injuries coming? Again, you already
can't really play it this year, but you really really
can't play it next year.

Speaker 1 (01:19:27):
I mean, at this point, Brian, you just got to
start that that thunder pod with.

Speaker 2 (01:19:32):
The Yeah, I think that I think that's the play.

Speaker 1 (01:19:35):
Yeah, you really do you really do that? That is
that is your saving grace. I mean, god, these years
are going to be you gotta be.

Speaker 2 (01:19:45):
Rough bleak well. I mean, you know, we have me
back over the summer. We can talk Tyres Maxy's future,
especially when we see what they do with crimes.

Speaker 1 (01:19:54):
I know, Oh, I'm expecting to have you back before this, but.

Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
I've seen the Maxi trade ideas already and I understand it.

Speaker 3 (01:20:04):
I think we're a year or too.

Speaker 2 (01:20:06):
Early on that, but I'll uh, I'm sure I'm gonna
be writing about it sometime between now and July, so
I am happy to battle that one out at some point.

Speaker 1 (01:20:15):
So before we say goodbye, I just would like to
let you know the last time you were you were
on the show, we were discussing the Luca do trade. All.
It's funny like that was and now it's Taylor Jenkins
whenever I have you on, crazy shit goes down. Apparently. Yeah,
there were a lot of comments from Danes that were like,

(01:20:40):
wonderful to hear your voice again. So I just wanted
to relay that that that it was greatly appreciated from
the danishins that you came, that you came back, so
I'm sure for them this will also be a nice
weekend treat.

Speaker 2 (01:20:53):
I am sorry for any slander I had for NBA Europe.

Speaker 3 (01:20:57):
For any Danish fans.

Speaker 2 (01:20:58):
We're excited about it here, that's the case.

Speaker 3 (01:21:00):
But it's always good to catch up with you man.

Speaker 2 (01:21:03):
I'm happy to come on when when my schedule allows it,
and yeah, we'll we'll definitely catch up at some point
in the playoffs. And thankfully, you know the best part
of the season. I have not had to worry about.

Speaker 3 (01:21:15):
The MVP debate this year.

Speaker 2 (01:21:18):
Right, I'm sure you are thrilled that we're not doing
quarterly NBA awards.

Speaker 1 (01:21:23):
I think I don't think I have. I don't even
think i've done an award pod and those those were
the one who actually did very well for us, So
that a mistake.

Speaker 2 (01:21:32):
On my If you want, I'll come back and we'll
do a whole thing on most Improved Player, because Cunningham
thing is going to break me.

Speaker 1 (01:21:41):
It's already broken me. Like that's I can't, I can't anymore.
I'm almost at the point of tears. Like if that
a former number one overall pick who averaged twenty three
and seven and a half assists last year is winning MIP,
I'm just no, that is not in this seat. You're
already you did that. That was fait. That was faite.
I'm not gonna take the bait I already did. I'm

(01:22:03):
not gonna take it more.

Speaker 3 (01:22:05):
It's just too easy.

Speaker 1 (01:22:06):
It's too easy. Brian soap Porik, thank you so much
for joining the show. Uh everyone listening in. Thank you
for listening in. Of course, I always appreciate that. And
until we talk again, have a good one and a
safe one out there.