And now the low post welcome to the low post podcast live from an undisclosed location in New York City I promised Detroit fans we were gonna do Pistons week Pistons day last week then I delayed it and I let y'all down And I delayed it because I knew where I found out they were coming to New York They're gonna have a few days in New York Maybe just maybe I could get Kate Cunningham to come on the low post to slum it on the low post and here he is Kate Cunningham How are you sir? I'm all good. I said you have me on so you guys got drilled by the next lesson. I wear what is this Wednesday Wednesday afternoon And Dwayne Casey like preseason your practice.
They told me get here at 12 30 and it's like two right now He's not messing around. No, definitely definitely had a really good one today. Um Yeah, he's not playing around with I mean the whole team We had to lock in again today and figure some stuff out so it was going Is it old school like are you running or you doing conditioning or is it just like we're gonna drill down on concepts like Dwayne Casey bad mood after a bad Game, what is he making you do? Um, I mean, he's definitely we're definitely getting up and down I think we needed to get up and down um stride out a little bit But definitely a lot of you know just going over the the last game and you know trying to fix some of the stuff that we had going on That you know we can't have anymore.
We have nippin in the early so um definitely got up and down did some running Like it was a physical practice for sure a lot of scrimmage and other plan So we got after today. Did you guys as a team or a group last night after the game watch the web and yama scoot game in Vegas? I don't think it was on after we were done playing but by the time we were done. We're back in hotel Um, I saw the highlights already so I mean it was big time It was a bunch of both of them big time player so they're from the watch for sure You want to be in the draft room?
They like some teams like their franchise guys like in the draft room just to see what's going on They let you in last year. No, I went in there last year, but soon man. I like that process. I feel like it's a it's a cool process Um, but I mean I trust I trust people we got in there.
I think they do a great job at it You finished third and regalia the year Scotty Evan you know, hey, did that make you angry? No, I wouldn't say angry was aware. I was angry, but um, I definitely Took it to heart me. You have to um, I want to go war back.
So now I definitely took it to heart. Um, it's tough He'll swallow but you know it humbled me for sure and it made me more hungry for it to keep grinding her no keep growing Um It's kind of cool to think about regardless of the results. Scotty and you were teammates at mamberg He's in toronto toronto Detroit very close to each other. Evan's in cleveland another central division cold weather city If you guys like talked about how you could all be rivals on these eastern conference cold weather northern cities for like a long time It's kind of cool.
Yeah, we have to talk about it, but um, I think we're all thinking that the east is definitely tough and you know Having us three being in the east that we're gonna be playing each other all the time. Um, it's gonna be fun I think it's gonna be like you said a long time no long time battles and long time rivalry between the three teams are It's gonna be interesting to see how we do there were all these rumblings After the draft combine your year when you were getting drafted. Oh Cade after the lottery specifically on Kate Kate doesn't want to go to Detroit No, it's that people tell me zach you gotta look into this kid doesn't want to go to try and I looked into it people are like That's not sure like Kate's totally cool to try was that ever a thing like you were and also you see that I've heard that people were saying that so Really you saying that's the first time me hearing it, but not I was never saying for me I never ever had a problem with going to Detroit. I never really thought about it too hard.
I just wanted to Be an NBA and figure out where I was gonna be I wasn't really just trying to tools where I was going because I can't handle that You know, I don't have any saying that so I wasn't even thinking about it that way in fact You've kind of embraced the bad boys history Right. I mean you know the history you had to ask Chuck Daly's family to wear number two Which I didn't know because they had retired it for his two championships Like Isaiah Thomas comes around over now and then my horns around like if you got into know any of the bad boys You kind of embrace that history. Yeah, definitely Um, Ben Wallace's hall of fame ceremony was the first time that I really got to be around everybody in the same room and get to talk with everybody and Learn from here stories and all that so um, I mean like you said it's a deep history It's it's cool to have all those guys stood around and still caring about the Pistons And you know coming back and talking to us because I mean there's so many things that you know They've already been through all the things I'm trying to go do so um it's fine. It's a blessing to have those guys around so When something like the Jeremy Grant trade happens Are you are you another trade happened after that?
We'll talk about but are you for a minute like I mean that kind of stinks like he's one of our best players and now we're taking a step back Did you react that way did you find out about it before they call you be like hey, we're gonna do this just heads up Yeah, no, it's I didn't hear about it before um I mean it's someone else things where like you build a relationship with the person You know I'm saying and so you sad to see the guy the person go away You're sad to see them not in the programming anymore and that's that was the case for Jeremy for sure Um, it was guy I played a lot of minutes with so having him out of rotation now was Uh, I mean it was a change for us. You know we had to readjust and see who we were bringing in why we're bringing them in and keep moving forward But um, no it definitely helped me realize the business of basketball the business of the NBA and just you know Take what it is and keep moving forward You get bogged on a bitch kind of out of nowhere. Nobody no one expected was like it was like We put Miami Phoenix like no one was saying to Troy when that happens. Do you suddenly say okay now now we got something here?
He's a perfect fit with what you guys need and I'm looking at your team I'm like I saw it cated the last two months a lot though as he's like why can't they get in the plan race? Yeah, that's that's the goal for sure. Um, I was super excited to have him come here. Um, he's a dude I mean just in my first week of practice and we're gonna I'll play with him for years.
Um, just because I think he's one of those guys where he can go in any system and just flow and fit into Any group of guys any group personality. So um super happy to have him. I feel like it's gonna be a A great addition to us and you know, he's gonna help us face the floor and bring another professionalism and I get to the team that we need Play play in playoffs like you guys are talking about it. You're not trying to away from it.
No, definitely not trying away from it That's that's the whole goal. It's not we're not soon for anything. I'm trying to be in the playoffs Um and defensively with with beef stew in the middle, we start switching about halfway through last year you guys Like we're just gonna switch everything you're big enough to do it. That's a deek bogey ib Like that's kind of it.
That's the modern style, right? Like you guys are leaning all the way into that. Yeah, um It's good to have I mean, it makes the game a lot easier when you have bigs that can go switch out on guards and really guard the yard Keep guys in front of them. Um, it's huge, you know, it helps us keep everything in front less rotations Uh, so and still is definitely, you know, one of the best I've seen at it switching out on guards and being able to contain everybody So, um, I think I think we could have the potential to be a really good defense We just got to come together a little more and stay physical being more physical like I think New York game, we just weren't physical enough.
We didn't know make sure that they felt us um Defensively and they translated over on the offense. I think so we learned about it and we know we had a big time practice today. Like I said, so Where were you on the floor when students around? Where were you on the floor when to do went after LeBron?
It was that's an all-time image stuff like going down his face like nine guys So are you I got a real watch video are you on the floor where you're like, what the hell is going on? I'm definitely on the floor. I'm trying to stop him from from doing something that we don't need him to do I was a crazy moment for sure. Something that I won't forget definitely but man still we still laugh about this I mean it was It was just a crazy moment.
You laugh about it. You can laugh about it like man. I snapped it's behind us now So I mean it's not at the same time. It's not funny like we lost the game But you know, it's something that I mean we move past this point but it's I mean social media and the media That's gonna live on forever for sure.
I'm gonna read you a line that it was in Texas monthly What a big profile of you when you were in college? And this is a line that really stood out to me It's kind of a beautiful description of your game. His defining characteristic is a kind of athletic empathy and understanding of how every action on a basketball court influences every other one when I read that I thought because when I close my eyes of poetry, that's pretty good. I didn't write that Um, I think of you in the lane on a pick and roll and others including me have made the luka Comparisons before like just you seem to have a sense of every pivot every fake every glance is done Not necessarily with a purpose or with the knowledge of what the ripple effects of that are gonna be in terms of if I do this This guy's gonna come over that guy's gonna be open two passes away Is that is that a fair description of your game and just have you always had that because it's not below a waistfeed It's not above the rim dunking.
It's just this kind of subtle Really luka style craft in them in the zone of like eight nine feet away from the basket where a lot of guys feel trapped if they pick other dribble Yeah, I've always tried to learn all the aspects of the game. Um, and I'm still learning. I'm still trying to you know Take in, you know the point guard position in the NBA and you know what what all makes a great point guard in the NBA, but um You know, I like what he says You know, I try to make the game easier for my teammates and um that doesn't always need to be by you know Have blow like blow by speed and getting by guys to do it to create offense. You know what I'm saying?
I feel like um I kind of understand who I am my body and you know, I just try to try to get advantages for my team for myself as much as I can Have you talked to luka about the similarities in your game? So no, I don't talk to him No, no I read somewhere that among the guys you watched film of when you were younger was there nivitsky So which kind of surprised me because you know watch games full games Is that a Dallas thing or was there something about his game? You're like, let me see what I can pick up here Uh, I think it was more of a Dallas thing. I mean, I love the game and you know, the master's my team I really liked how he conducted himself as a face of franchise and so um, I mean my family We all like you know, the master watch basketball.
So he was just a guy that I was I was no really loved to watch But I always watch guys that were you know similar to my playstyle and bigger guards and you know, see how they affected the game and what they did to get their game more So who's that who were some of your favorites Brandon Roy somebody that I watch a time. I watch him a ton now too Uh, but trace MacRady. Um, I mean it's a ton of guys Jason kid I mean just all guards and I really try to just pick out what their best, you know, what the best aspect of the game is like I watched Jason kidds dmash Chris ball and picking roller, you know picking roll snake dribbles Chris ball or whatever it is Like Brandon Roy he get into the left he could get whichever way he wanted to go Um and those things always fascinated me and I just try to take that and add it to my game How old were you in Dallas when the title? Nine, eight, nine, ten, ten years old.
What do you remember? Are you watching like everybody else? I remember the whole well, it was I mean it was I remember watching no other big moments. Um, my crib was going crazy And it was just like it was a good time.
It was the first time I'd ever seen one of my hometown teams win So I was locked in we were all locked in and it was good time. Yeah, you're way too young for the Dallas Cowboys. Hey, I live the Dallas Cowboys You're living something different. Yeah, yeah, it's something different for sure, but I'm still a dollar cowboy I think we'll get together.
I'm gonna read you something you said Remember you did those diaries for landscape your rookie diaries with the answer here something you wrote Which really like for a rookie Surprise me to read it when I was going back through your stuff There are a lot of different reasons why I was pick number one But I think it is just who I am as a person one of the main reasons is the pistons are confident that I can be good in any room and can Communicate with people that's something you really want and the first pick is somebody that can turn into a leader for your team And be a franchise guy. You're not talking about like I can score 25 I can think you're talking about commanding the room in a way that I think is unusual for guys who are excited to come into the league What did you mean by that and do you think you have lived it so far? Yeah, I feel like you know one of the biggest parts of my leadership is just I don't try to force leadership on anybody for one because I don't think that ever comes across naturally, but Um, I feel pretty confident and comfortable in every room I go in And I try to relate with guys and I try to learn know where guys are coming from wherever I'm playing with because I mean it's a long season You gotta you gotta have a connection with whoever you're playing with because Throughout the season starts to feel like you're going to war with with these guys and um If you had a connection just makes you know the adversity and the tough times easier to go through Um, because you know each other so yeah, I mean that's that's something I've always taken seriously And I think I'm living up to it. I'm still growing in my role every day.
I'm trying to figure out my game Um, the team's game how we could be better, but you know, it's it all works together and know we're growing each day Uh his mozzie's movie told you stories about what it's like to win the championship and my god You're for he was at monverter with you. You guys like had an NBA team at monverter. Yeah, he comes into the NBA with the warriors Just right away wins the title wins one. That's amazing.
I mean, I'm I was so happy for um Well, he got to go to stay we were talking about, you know, just how crazy would be the for him to be a champ You know what I'm saying and he had a legit shot and you know Credit to him and that that organization for the work they put in to get to that but I mean, that's my god We will be in the dorms talking about a day and night, you know, just dreaming about being in this position For him to go get one. It was cool to see so and they threw him into the conference finals against our team They said here we go man. You're in the rotation. You're probably watching those games.
You're like, whoa, this is kind of cool It was crazy. It was cool. It's hard to see. I mean, he deserves it man.
He's a work horse He's somebody that that's a gym rat stays in the gym or I thought he fully deserves it I'm gonna read you something else from that texas monthly profile view that's less that's less happy And I want to hear your reaction to it A worry sometimes shadows prospects like cunning him who owe their status as much to polish as to potential And the worry is if he already is good as he's going to be and I think what the guy is saying is he's not like a crazy blow away Athlete he's all craft and nuance and what's the upside there and you see you heard that about other prospects like that before Obviously a lot of those prospects have proven that stupid. What's your react? Did you hear that coming up too? I mean, I've heard that that you know, I've seen guys that haven't been big-time athletes, you know, just freak athletes and people say that I've also seen guys that have been freak athletes and they talk about the potential that's there and it never turns out too So I mean it could go out the way I mean, it's just about the guys that stay in the moment and take it day by day You know, I'm saying you don't need to get as your last game.
You don't need as good as last time you're on the court So I mean, you know if you stay locked in and I just keep continue to work on my game and keep adding things to it I mean, I'm not so worried about the far future. You know, I'm saying I got another game today So that's what it's about what give me one or two things you really focused on in the offseason adding to your game Yeah, I definitely um focused on my strength my balance just being able to own my space Um not being bumped off my spots as easy as I was my first year in the league Um my shooting just you know little things like my balance into my shot Making sure I'm balanced now, you know, not shooting leaning or whatever Uh my handle. I mean it was it was a few different things that you know, we gave segments of offseason too How big of a deal is the pull up three for you the ability to hit it when guys go under and then hopefully Guys stop one under and then like the world opens up for you how big of a deal is I think you wear like 30 percent on pull up Three's which for a rookie taking a lot of them is totally fine, but how big a deal is that shot for you? Yeah, it's a big deal.
Um, it's one of the toughest shots in the game guard. Um and gets you good points. So it's something that I mean as a bigger guard Not I'll be able to get off, but it's just about repping it out constantly day by day and being confident when it comes to time to shoot Defensively Who's who's just a nightmare to guard like what's one guy you see coming up on the schedule like oh, man? I'm gonna have to guard this guy.
This is not gonna be fun. Um, I mean from the guard position I mean, I feel pretty good. Uh, I'd say it's more so like like this matches or switching note. Yeah, or seeing it It's another guy that's from no position that no as a team.
We're like, oh, we gotta we got a lot So you get stuck on you ln beat in the post. That's not a good time. Yeah, I mean, he's he's big time He's not it's not a good time for anybody against the country on the beat down there for sure So I say match ups like that Uh, last thing like talk me through the goals for the season for you and the team like let's get a little more kind of specific You know, what are we hoping to see it's only preseason, but what are you hoping to say? Yeah, we're trying to I mean we're trying to be in the playoffs first foremost.
Um, that's the first goal We're trying to be in the playoffs trying to get a taste of the playoffs and build off of that But um, like I said, I think it starts by game by game first off. We're not losing each other staying together Throughout the season. Um, can't get discouraged over losses last year. No, I feel like I think a long Losing streak was like 14 games and the test you mentally.
It's I mean, it's something I had never been through but um, You can't get lost in that you have to you know, stay poised and be locked in to go with your hardest the next game And I feel like you know the talent that we had now we have more depth in last year I feel like if we can maintain that then that'll you know translate into more wins and um more consistent Consistency through the year where we can't you know, keep our same identity throughout the year That's how you turn into a playoff team or anything. So playoff's we're trying to be there man. That's the goal sure last thing I forgot I was told to ask you What's your handicap and how how deep into golf are we gonna get here? Because I know you go to top a lot is it gonna be like a Steph Curry situation where in 20 years You're playing these like events like how deep are you into this?
How did this happen? Uh, I mean it was it was really just something that was on my off time or I'm like, you know, it's fun I mean, I like being outside. Um, it's quiet. It feels I mean, it's almost sinful like being out in nature playing the game It's just a complete change of pace from basketball.
So I got into it and eventually I got addicted to it like after I worked out I was just trying to be in the crib practicing my golf swing or whatever. So, um, I don't know man We'll see maybe maybe I'll be in like the celebrity tournaments or something here soon, but I've seen stuff He's a good player for sure. He's really good. Yeah, so I'm talking my game.
Right. It's just about reps man practice Just like the NBA for sure. Kate Cunningham. Thank you for your time Big fan of watching to play and I think the person's have something exciting cooking with you and jade and ivy and durin and beef stew and sateek and on There's something there's something going on to Detroit which is for a kid who grew up in the 80s and 90s on the NBA Like I hated the bad boys, but I loved to hate the bad boys You know, I mean it's cool to see Detroit trying to build something.
No, definitely definitely I appreciate you having your own. Thank you, sir Baseball fans the espn app has all of espn all in one place the espn app is your home to thousands of live events Espn shows and originals across every espn network and service And now you can check if you already have espn unlimited as part of your tv package for no additional calls visit activate.espn.com You'll learn how to access your account or sign off then start streaming in the espn app It's all the espn all in one place sign up or activate now All right, it's time to continue pistons day with Jamal collier. I don't know what to call you tomorrow You're just our russ belt NBA reporter with milwaukee chicago Detroit. What's your title?
What should we call you? Yeah, midwest eastern conference in v.a. It is cold in your city in the winter I'll probably be there at some point to check in on your teams. I'm excited.
I like my midwest team together a lot of interesting stuff going on Yeah, you got yes, you do you have a lot of different different places on the NBA spectrum and we're gonna start with the pistons who I think I'm a little bit afraid to say it I think it's finally time to get excited about the Detroit Pistons Which is why I'm doing pistons day because Jamal well, you're a young guy I'm not sure you remember the joe doo mars spending spree of ben gordon and charlie bill in a way But I don't know if you remember chauncey billups for allen in the gradual dismantling of one of the iconic championship teams of modern avia history and just The wilderness that these Detroit Pistons have wandered almost the literal wilderness if you go visit where the palace of all 2000 Oh, no, no, we're going to mention it I mean you could mention ben gordon charlie bill in a way of a and the ben gordon signing which resulted in what I think is the single most depressing Trade in the history of the mba ben gordon and a draft pick for cori maghetti in a trade in which the actual players were 0% relevant to the entire trade then they steal Tobias Harris from the magic then they trade him and a lot of other stuff for blake Riff and that didn't work out they were always drafting like seventh eighth ninth So even when they hit like andrae drumman kcp was an okay pick Brandon night stuck in there somewhere It's just never amounted much than jos smith came in there like how about we play jos smith? That's all for that'll be awesome that didn't work out and then you know luke canard over dot of admit Mitchell stanley johnson over devin booker, but here we are The gods shine upon you the troy weaver front office has gradually some misses some hits They have the most important thing that you need for rebuilding mba team a legit point forward can create his own shot Can create looks for teammates at will that's kade conning him obviously and we can talk about the supporting pieces But i'm gonna start with this there's a lot of excitement about the pistons over under vegas has them I think 28 and a half or 29 and a half something like that tie tie for a team that was 28th in offense 24th in defense 26th in that rating is still really really young and has a bench that is sort of just a big shrug emoji Just a big shrug emoji, although i'm very excited about jail enduren What is the proper level of expectations for the detroit pistons 2023 edition Jamal? I think that the organization is pretty careful about what that expectation is going to be because you mentioned is that i got 10 players On their team that are 24 and younger and all those key pieces that you mentioned You know kade is is you know just turned 21 last month during his 18 iB is is going to be 20 stuwors 21 So you're just talking about a lot of guys who are really young and have not played a lot of basketball Uh, so i think that even if like 10 wins would be a huge jump for this team And they would still be like on the outside of the plane turning only 123 games last year So i'm not saying i expected to win 10 games or they necessarily are ready to put that expectation on themselves But uh, i just think that they internally while they're excited are trying to 10 percent expectations And i think that that's kind of what my feeling is too But i think that the reason that you'd be excited about them as you mentioned is kade And kade just looked like a real deal once he got on the floor the injury stuff early on kind of got ironed out And he just started you know the second half of him he really started looking like the the shock creator of the all star Everybody's excited training camp that he's put on 10 to 15 pounds. He always cared about the 15 pounds of muscle in training camp Uh, but they're just excited about how they're going to add to his game He posted he's been posting up a little bit more on some smaller guards Uh during this season love it love to hear it He went out he went at uh at the next name against um, i'm like on the name right now The guy they just signed a guard runs it Uh, they you know he kind of posted up on bronson a couple of matchups and just really was there's been a lot more aggressive getting to the basket Uh, and you know, so i think that my excitement level for kade is still very very high And i think that you know, it's probably not crazy to say the conference is going to be good And there's going to be a credit all star field but if he's sort of in that outside the conversation of Guys in the mix come all star time I think that that's sort of like on the table for kade and as far as he goes and is developing That's how far this team is gonna go but like you said it's not to be excited about it Here's where i am I initially was like whoo i'm kind of i i do think that if a lot of things click right They can get into the back end of the play and race I think that's possible and i really wanted to go out and be like the pistons are gonna win 35 games this year because i'm very excited about kade Ivy is a great in theory at least compliment to kade Um, the bog don of it's trade change my is worth a couple of wins for sure because they just need an elite shooter to open the floor For their guards and i just the deeper i look the more i just said i got it i got it I'm getting ahead of my skis a little bit I I still think it's gonna be a struggle on both ends of the floor They're so young the bench is like a pretty big unknown mostly because killion haze has done pretty much nothing helpful in the NBA over two seasons Bagley is gonna play the four i think because they're gonna give during every every chance to be in the rotation right away I like livers by the way.
I don't think I don't know if casual fans have realized like Isaiah livers is pretty good And he's gonna get a chance to be there backup three yeah He shot really well last year you know came up with injury but shooting was there he's gonna be a really solid just kind of team They're high on the em as a as a defender i think they're leaning for starting bagley by the way Uh putting something no they're gonna start bad. They really want to keep uh bagley and durin separate You don't really want to like they think they're enough of non shooters that you know I think that both don of it is also had coming off the bench during the preseason I would guess you know things can change I would guess they're gonna start with him coming off the bench Uh, so hope it's a floor spacing with durin and they're really high on Isaiah Stewart as a three-point shooter I mean he shot well at the end of last year I think he attended his last night team they've been excited about the short with there in summer league They're gonna get a lot of opportunities to be kind of a floor spacer out there and just give him a green light So right now I think that they want to split bagley and during enough And they trust the word to kind of make up for that three-point shooter You seem to have to look up so so the the the pistons were recording this monday morning October 10th the pistons were in new york wednesday and thursday of last week and I went in wednesday and had a bunch got Kate on the podcast had a bunch of meetings with people and I heard these burblings These burblings I didn't like about bon donovitch coming off the bench potentially like we may you know He's a creative like you can get his own shot like we like kind of his post game off the bench lift the second unit We want badly to kind of maybe badly could start and I would like to preemptively disagree with that I don't like it. I think it's a waste of trading for a bug donovitch Maybe that's a little strong because you can finagle the rotation so he comes in early whatever Like I just I if you're trying to win and we can we can argue about that I would you just start well donovitch And I say that I say the trying to win thing facetiously because I do think look I can tell you for sure what wenbonyama and scoot did in vegas Accelerated the um when do we pull the plug timetable in the minds of owners and decision makers around the league from like maybe we'd kind of Just bail out on the season with 15 games to go if that's what we normally do You know we're gonna look at the calendar on january 1st And then we might decide when we bail on the season and book don't flipping bog donovitch is the easiest way for them to sort of deflate their own wind Told but I I I just would start him keep it simple I don't think bagley despite the fact that you paid him all this money after trading for him I don't think he's worth this this sort of rotation gymnastics I will say the steward shooting thing is interesting What steward does defensively for them is really interesting because I think they're gonna go all in on switching everything one to five And if there's one thing that I like about bagley in that alignment is that I've always thought that was bagley's Best way to survive and if he ever became a plus defender It's not gonna be as a rim protector as I could be as a charge take arts It's going to be as a switch guy because of his speed. So I kind of I kind of like that Um, and I wonder you mentioned stewards 3 point shooting one of the burblings I heard last week was we might see some during steward together minutes in little short stints in games Which could be fun.
I mean look you're just a lot of fly let's experiment. Let's have a good time Like that's exactly just the mindset they want to be more competitive They definitely you know I'm not gonna come into the season sort of in that tank mindset But uh, you know they got a lot of young pieces and are trying to figure out how they fit together And I do think that the case is going case is just ready to kind of lean in some So big lineups small switch, you know, he's gonna just throw a whole bunch of different things to see how these pieces fit together Um, and the one that you know, you kind of mentioned the optimism that you may have had coming in You look at it closely I think I was looking at it because I'm trying to get up to Detroit probably around the start of the season I hope we see them Play it because I'm very curious about how this seems going to look and those first few games on the I look at their schedule for the first month out And it's uh, the first few games they start off with their lando the mix Pacers and in Washington. There's a pretty soft opening and it's pretty brutal Just kind of right away for that. I mean they got Atlanta twice And every night in the age that everybody man the east has almost no gimme's other than indiana No, that's just life.
Yeah, it's Atlanta twice. It's Milwaukee twice. It's Cleveland twice It's Boston twice. It's an LA, you know west coast wing with LA and denver and you know It just really is is gonna look up really early and kind of figure out where you caught the wins here And that's kind of where I think that the expectations for this team should probably get the breaks on it because I could see A scenario here early into the season where they just kind of get off to a slow start playing that tough the schedule But whole interesting pieces here and like you said, uh, besides the young kids baggley's probably the guy i'll be watching closest because I'm with you in that they have a lot of optimism and how he's gonna fit in and they They feel there's the things more aggressive than he's attacking a rim a lot more They're gonna stop with the fadeaway jump shots that he sort of always kind of goes back That's a work Marvin baggley is not gonna face up and take jump shots is something that you say on october 10th And then in november, it's like wait, he's still taking some bad shots We don't really like but by the way I all fun and games aside The dude is an elite offensive rebounder and has one of the four or five Quickest second jumps in the entire world like that guy is off the floor for his second jump before people are even completing their first Jumps every every couple minutes jim.
Well, I think it's important to just randomly mention something funny that's happened to the pistons in the last 15 years So here's we've reached we've reached such an interval remember john kusler and when the players had a mutiny against john kusler 2011 players didn't show up to shoot around because they were so pissed about whatever john kusler was doing his high coach Pistons hands haven't thought about that name in 10 years john kusler okay back to the current pistons um I think the biggest reason for optimism is i'm just a k-cunning ham believer and i've seen a little bit of and it's mostly been analytics um focused and i'm analytics adjacent i'm pro analytics so i've seen some analytics analysis in the last few weeks About kade cunning hams rookie season that kind of reminds me of the same vein of analysis of Andrew wiggins rookie season during the season When his statistics were so alarmingly bad that he was declared A likely bust and i guess by standards of number one picks He hasn't lived up to your expectations as a number one pick despite when he's done in golden state He's a good nba player And i've seen some some some like here where here's kade cunning hams effective field goal percentage and where it ranks among number one picks from the last 20 years and it's it's pretty low and you look at the numbers it's like he shot 58 at the rim That's bad shot 35 on floaters or 36 percent. That's not good shot 31 percent from three That's not good and so you add it up and it's like if he's a below average shooter from everywhere is a rookie That's what it adds up to sorry And i just don't care because the eye test to me particularly the last two months of the season was like oh, Hey, this dude's figuring it out and be he has the luka thing where he's so big and strong that he gets into like the paint In that awkward spot 11 12 feet from the rim where most people are like they're just dead They're trapped if you haven't drawn help you're just dead and he just keeps pivoting twisting moving around keeping his dribble alive because he knows If i pivot over here that guy might rotate here that second rotation will come here that guy is going to be open If they over rotate to that guy the swing pass is that he just has that going on and he has the body type to do it And i saw that i believe in it and i think those shooting percentages are going to catch up to his intellect and his skill level And when they do everything opens up for him so we can talk about ivy we can talk about bay We can talk about durin who i think those are future starters current starters mostly and then durin future starter in their mind It starts with kade and i don't throw the shooting percentages away Particularly the three point shot is gonna be not make or break but make or break for how high he can rise in the mba But i'm throwing the rest of it away because i know what i saw and that dude is what every rebuilding team needs i think i don't know where you are on kade Super bullish i'm the same way i'm buying stock and kade and i'm buying stock and kade to make even a leap this year I mean i really kind of what i was in the same boat what you saw the last two months felt like i got big ring things out and You know i do think that he was playing with so little talent at times last year as well that he just had to do everything And again i think we talked about all the reason that he may still have to have a lot of his plate this season Um, i just think that there's more around him and there's gonna be a better system and better flow and he's gonna be more comfortable He's just a guy who always also makes the right decision, you know, he doesn't seem like he's ever forcing anything With shots or passing and i just i would buy stock in him as a future all star and as a real centerpiece for these guys And i think that said earlier like he's they're gonna go as far as he takes him And i have optimism of where the team where the pit is maybe not for this season But how quickly they're gonna be able to rise in the mix and then so the east and compass play in mix and You know, again, that's all confidence and kade for me I just think they got a guy here and once you figured out that guy as you know the rest of it becomes a lot easier Gigi the tome remember Gigi no i know this one this one i've got a blank on who's this? Gigi the google Gigi the tome italian sharpshooter Critical pistons for player for a couple years there just google Gigi i'll have a good time Still a good player by the way overseas Spencer dinwitti Didn't work out in Detroit didn't work out in Detroit his workout his workout since And the most about him from the practice lab to get seen it up So the both of you you're right. There's a lot of there's a lot of dinwitti regret around the league I can't even get the right spelling of the tome for google to correct.
That's okay. Well, you'll do it afterwards you got all day to google Gigi The other thing about the pistons interestingly is you look at their offense They took um like a kind of diet of shots that you want to take they were For a team that can't shoot they took an average amount of threes, which is unusual a lot of shots at the rim I'm looking at cleaning the glass Expected field goal percentage based on where the shots come from not where the shoot who the shooter is which is a variable He's incredibly quite important sixth actual effective field goal percentage dead last I'm almost encouraged by that I'm encouraged because if you get better shooters that's a good thing to good shot diet to give them And you know part of the fun story about the pistons And I hope this part of it continues is a really fun late career arc for dwayne kacie Who was fired? I think in humiliating fashion from the raptors and by the way, I don't question the decision for the raptors They won the championship nik nurse I think is does proven himself a tactician on a level that you need to win a championship And that could have been it for dwayne kacie then he takes this Detroit job during the Blake riff and regi jacksen end of that You know the team's not going anywhere, right? You know eventually it's just gonna get blown up and destroyed and they're gonna tank and usually the veteran coach with the rebuilding team Is just not a great match He seems to have connected with the players and the city in a way that you don't expect in that scenario And he keeps evolving as a coach too.
I mentioned that kind of shot distribution to switch everything defense He's probably getting excited about going back to what he and george carl did in seattle in the 90s with like a switching attacking defense I think it would be kind of a cool story If he gets to see this through to the other side and going back to the team To me the guy that i'm most interested to watch is ivy because in kade i'm pretty confident data They have a regular all-star player You need a second one to pop and become an all-star level player if you're really building to something Maybe it's duren. We'll see you know rim running centers. We kind of kind of learn a lot about them Ivy as the second ball handler and the and the lightning next to kade's thunder so to speak Is is the swing guy to me if he really makes it then we're on to something What can you what can you tell us about how he's looked early on next to kade as the sort of second option? He's asked I mean that's just the thing that just we watch him on a court with the ball Whether he's taking the ball out, you know, they get enough to the end of the floor or he's catching the ball in half We're off and he just kind of has that speed that can just blow by a defender and with kade passing and timing being so good I really i'm curious of how much ball handling responsibilities are going to put on ivy You know and allow kade to play off the ball and that's kind of where the shooting comes in as where the post-up comes in for kade But you know, they were excited after the draft that he fell there that he did They just thought he was the perfect player to compliment kade, you know, the john meringue comparisons have been thrown out for ivy And i've heard john meringue without the shooting as well, which is like, okay Well, that's a very different player And i think the shooting is gonna be a big one for ivy is that if his shooting is gonna be a problem on the perimeter And he's not gonna be able to sort of knock down shots consistently Especially if you got kade in the floor and then you got you know, bag later during on the floor then i think this is where it may become an issue But i'm with you, you know, i'm a baggley's probably the guy i'm also just very interested in just because i i'm a big welcome lasher and i'm curious of what they see for him with the money but They pay him but you know ivy is the one long term wise.
It's just gonna have the biggest You know, what exactly what exactly they got from him and what exactly they have in this this top i pick And how he grows the kade right is gonna determine how far Their ceiling actually is but they're cursed i mean about what they've seen from him so far I think that they are trying to get him to slow down a little bit and learn to play within himself and learn how to sort of lead an offense And do a lot of the things he's gonna get a chance to be a Primary ball handle when kade sits and i'm gonna get a million has some a chance to prove something Anything off the bench this year and show that you can start 23 or 23 or 23 of me still i mean he still is an important other guy was the seventh pick Um in has some injuries so he still hasn't had a whole lot of of play just yet, but uh, you know, are you out on him all the way? Hays are you are you? You can't go out you can't go out on a number seven pick who's 22 years old and has it had injury issues You can go out yeah out out but i think the ship has very likely sailed on him as like a foundational above average starter On a good team great team someday i would be surprised if that happened given his track record so far his lack of birth His lack of shooting um and they've telegraphed that by selecting ivy and saying you're now coming off the bench But there's a road map where like a killion haze allak berg's livers boganabitch durin bench is not is not bad There's just like a lot of things have to have to go right and allak berg's has to get healthy and ready to go And i think that's their optimistic about that and if that bench produces like they could be Okay this year i just i just think it's they still look like a bottom 10 team to me on both ends of the floor Which adds up to a bottom 10 team overall, but i'm curious about how they're gonna play We didn't mention how to do diallo maybe he's an important part of that bench he he made strides They're kind of consistently getting a little more under control like there are some interesting there's interesting stuff going on here Yeah killion haze over haliburton and vacelle kind of hurts now, but that's that's life man You just you miss in the draft sometimes yeah, and you mentioned the three point shot night as well And i was one day but they were excited about adding what kind of age you first can help them is that you know They just think they've got more three point shooters now and it got you know kc I've been impressed as well because i think that when you first saw him that moved to the rebuild and moved to the stage They were going in you kind of wondered how long maybe that that would last but they've extended him They seem really happy with him. He seems to be kind of a core You know a part of sort of what they're building and on board for all of it So i'm excited about doing case you're just as well as anybody else He's happy.
Yeah, he likes teaching these kids like getting down and like back to the really like let's dig into the game Within the game the footwork the passing all the ingredients that sort of you build from the ground up I do I do wonder what would happen If there was ever a mandate this year to pull the plug for wem and yana and scoot because veteran coaches don't tend to react very Well to that unless you give them a lot of long-term security he has signed an extension It's not that long of an extension, but it's an extension and the other thing about these guys is you know Obviously they've got cap space up the wazoo for infinite time now They've leveraged their cap space the last couple years mostly to take on bad salary and get picks and they've gotten like little bits and pieces Second round picks here second round picks here extra first from the next like they've done pretty well in little deals like that Um now more of the league is gonna have cap space so they're leveraging those deals kind of shrinks You're not the only one or one of only two teams that can offer that kind of dumping ground So i'm interested to see sort of like what players they go try to get maybe they maybe they just actually go try to get talent Before the before they ended up with the fifth pick and I mean they were one of the teams who I think were sort of in the mix for Jalen Brunson they were kind of rumored as well potentially as a trade target for uh For debris a Well kind of for that also so they kind of got it tells us a little bit I think this obviously is well to see okay what things could we get involved in could be as a talent? So I would also keep an eye on that if they feel like that they're I mean the bottom of the trade I think was a source of the first indication there where it's like okay We can start to get some players in here So we can start to help us win and and answer this this young group now because I mean again They're just really excited about the the young pieces that I got and I think that they got reason to be because these guys have all got talent and I'm curious to see how it offers together They're the lead past team for me that I'll be watching a whole lot of when a whole lot of nights on lead pass to see how these guys Are all fit together Lawrence Frank Anyway, I remember Lawrence Frank Now the president of basketball operations with the Clippers who have traded with the Pistons many many times in the in the last five six years I'm excited for them to The eight and thing I think they were going to be the eight and offer sheet team until jail and during fell to them at wherever Was it 13 11? I can't remember what she said like that. Yeah, um, which I don't think they expected to be in play for them At that level.
I mean I know they didn't and and once that happened I think they said okay We're just gonna roll it. We got we're not gonna clutter our center rotation absent that if they don't get during I think they were gonna be the eight and offer sheet team and I would have loved that move for them Like you pair a guy like that with Cunningham on the pick and roll. It's a really interesting mix But it's still it's still interesting. They have a direction they've got some talent and if everything clicks right this year They could hit that over under and be in the back end of the play on play and race I'm not I wouldn't expect that but they're gonna be fun to watch any any last pistons thoughts before before we let you go No, just again.
I'm with you. I'm excited about it all. I think he's gonna be awesome I think they're gonna run the floor a lot. Um and again, I'll be I'll be watching hopefully we can We're just talking about this.
Yes, Kate posting up is exciting to me I'm glad you mentioned that because again that like leaning into the luka comparison and not to compare them Luka is a perennial top five MPP player. He's going to go down with one of the greatest players of all time He is the first team all-in-day player every year not comparing them qualitatively I'm comparing them stylistically and I love when luka because of how big and strong and not only that how smart he is reading the floor again From those places where you're not facing the whole floor from the top of the key You're down in the muck of it and still able to control the game from there I love when he leans into his oh, you got pat Beverly on me You got john moran on me I'm gonna take you to the weight room because I'm six eight and I'm big and kade's not that big but he's pretty freaking big And I love that he's dipping his toe into that part of his game because I think that's important like the harder the competition gets And that's the whole aim here is to build a team that can play against hard competition Maybe in three or four years But still the more tools you need in the toolbox and that should be a tool that he has and I'm glad to hear that he's leaning into it Yeah, we didn't mention a city bay and some of the guys as well I think again that's gonna open up the floor for those guys you got city bay you got ivy You know you guys they just do where kind of all is A lot of shooters or cutters or whatever I just think it's an all open uppercut and I think that he's the right guy to unlock it Um, yeah again, my business excitement is very high for it's saying that I also would probably take the under on that Look man, look as a child of the 80s and 90s like me the pistons are cool and they'll always be cool And that seems to be the Lakers was cool, you know, the old or chancy bill of his brit hamilton the wall is you know The gee she didn't and then while us, you know the team was cool as well But but look man, even if you hated the pistons growing up because they were beating the hell out of your team You respected them the white shooting shirts with the first names on them instead of the last names izea bill venny joe Are awesome and iconic it's good for the league when it's historic teams are good And i'm just i'm over the right age where the pistons will always be cool They just always will be the bad boys were cool and uh, and i'm excited to be excited about the game Our jama collier would be bothering you throughout the year about the rust belt more pistons talk get your winter jackets ready and enjoy the season my friend Thanks. I'll be talking to you All right, let's wrap this episode with what is still 72 hours or 96 hours later I've lost track of time the biggest story in the NBA and that is the video leaking of dream on green Punching jordan pool straight in the face knocking them down and um the ramifications of that for a team that just won the championship a team that has contract extension decisions with several players including the Puncher and the punch e um and a team that looked prime to make a real run at defending its title and In that event having steff curry clay tomsen and dream on green And on dray would all join the very very rare air of five championship rings Uh, we have both our warriors slash ogland experts with us mr. Mark spears.
How are you? I'm making it man nice introduction. Kendra andrews. How are you?
We're good. We're getting caffeinated. So Already Oh, you do you do the full on the full on show. Kendra appreciate this.
I've got some beans from cafe, santana And uh, an oak with What are we doing breakfast mark jeez invite me over? So now you know you left us these pay folks, you know i'm saying but i'll make a trek out there to visit you You guys would be disgusted with what passes for my coffee at six in the morning literally any the faster It's made whatever is as long as it contains caffeine I'd actually rather talk about this than what we're talking about but hindra knows this like coffee is a big deal in the bag It's a real big deal. I am um, I am a coffee caveman. Just just give me give me the caffeine I don't care about anything else.
Um, europe when I go to europe they laugh at how disgusting my coffee Okay, so we've had three four days to live with this. Um, we had multiple press conferences over the weekend dream on green spoke And apologize also in a move that I didn't love Um kind of indicated that perhaps the tape was edited to make him look worse There was no audio on the tape he made a point of saying it cuts right to him walking over to jordan I would have just sort of scrapped that if I were him because I don't know what you guys have heard But I have not heard of any sort of um further footage that would change anyone's interpretation of what happened Nothing that jordan pool said or did that would sort of change the story maybe there is such a thing I don't know uh, steve kur spoke and has rarely been as kurt and angry as he was discussing both the incident And the leak of the tape which is under a full-on investigation, I guess kavon looney spoke after a preseason game Where jordan pool played amazingly and was pretty blunt about how dremon needs to win back the trust of the team going forward um He's away from the team I I don't know really if this is a suspension or not I don't know if it counts as that until he misses real gambites away from the team and from why what I understand He will be away from the team until the players decide that it's time for him to come back So spears i'll start with you. Yeah, you've been around the warriors forever You've been around this group of core guys forever We've seen dremon blow-ups before we don't need to go down the litany of them um How different is this and is your base assumption that the culture here is strong enough that this is salvageable that he'll come back And that this team will make a run without any sort of fatal chemistry problems undoing them or is it maybe worse than that? Um, i'm gonna start with the ladder.
Uh, I think that as crazy as this might sound and I love to hear what kenzo thinks about this She's laughing already uh It appears that there's a boiling point perhaps between these two coming and as ugly as it was It's probably better for this team that happened before the season starts than during the season or during the playoffs I don't think that's a that's a crazy, you know thing to say this happened A week and a half before the actual season starts so you can have it's time away Dreamwind can have time away and technically not miss any actual games you just miss preseason games So if they come to a resolution, okay, then you're starting game one of the season ring night With your whole squad you can move forward. Yeah, I agree that that's less interruptive than yeah in the middle of the playoff ramp up or something else Yeah, I mean you hope it doesn't get to that length and I think my biggest In terms of warriors warriors worry for them is the outside noise now Because even if it gets cleaned up and they hug and they move on and as as brothers sometimes do right um When they go on the road, they're going here from the crowd, right? Yeah, I'm sure Pool's gonna hear oh man. I'll beat you.
I can beat you up. You're not you know, I don't already hear the NBA crowds now I can I can hear crowds messing with dream on it and like how do they respond to that? I also think I also think anything anything they do Jordan and dream on Yeah, it's it's under a microscope now if they are talking even last season You know they were seeing having an argument on the bench if that happens again this season Even if it's to a lesser extent of the argument they had on the bench last season It's going to be brought up and it's going to be talked about as much as the warriors don't want that to be the case And so what I'm really curious to see when dream on returns What is his level of fire and passion going to be because the warriors have talked about for 10 years since dream on was drafted How important that is to the warrior's success? He clearly took it a step too far this time and it's it's hit the team very differently than any incident in the past So what version of dream on green is going to be the one that comes back to this team Is he going to feel comfortable getting on people's backs or are people going to be more versus like not wanting not as much because I if I hit a button and I don't know what that button is What what's your reaction going to be?
I do think there's an interesting career symmetry here where a few people have kind of brought this up in writing and in podcast about how The young guys on the team including pool did not come up with dream on yelling at them Did not come up with the experience of winning and sort of seeing until last year obviously in seeing how that leadership style worked And there's there's this an idea there's then this idea floated of is there some sort of not divide But just sort of different experience between the young guys and the old guys and buried underneath that Is there maybe a sense on dream on's part that the dynasty is beginning to move on to a different phase that may not include him Obviously his extension talks are hovering over all this but to your point Kendra You were in Japan with the warriors Let's start with that. Um, I have heard before and since the punch That this idea that there was going to be a problem with dream on because he hadn't been extended he and got the deal he wanted Had not manifested at all in fact people On the team with the team had said they were really thrilled with how dream on was in japan That he was playing really hard that he was a role model that there was just no indication that the contract was going to be an issue For him and maybe that they feared it would be is that is that your understanding as well? Yeah, and from what I observed with the team in japan and kind of like as you're saying that this whole contract situation it I agree it did not seem that this was a was an issue Or if it was I'll say it wasn't so big that it was going to warrant a physical altercation, right? People are really starting to nitpick or pick up on comments that were made you know clay t homestead after after the three points She died.
He said it was great to humble jordan pool dream on then said that again on his podcast Man, it was great to see clann steppe humbled jordan pool, but I don't that's not coming out of a place of jordan is is Walking around talking about how much money he's gonna make and that really piss these guys off Especially dream on who's waiting for his own contract. That's not the energy that's surrounding this team You know one of the things that these guys and dream on specifically likes about jordan is that he has that that that you know Swagging him that he has the ability to trash talk that he has a little bit of cockiness and arrogance That is not new to this year that has been part of jordan's personality since and that's why I meant by this Symmetry with dream on which is I didn't I didn't I didn't finish I'm sorry to the league as the second I just forgot it's not early for me I have no cat he's used to forgetting that he came into the league as the second round pick Who was yelling at the veterans and trash talking to veterans and people are like what is whoa this guy? Who's this guy and so there's sort of an interesting symmetry there and I'm into your point is that like I remember when jordan my god Right second round pick, you know, he's not eating at the big restaurant during summer league He's coming off the bench at summer league and he ended up while he getting wallie pippin um, david lee Getting that's uh, you know, sorry spot and I remember being around him when he went from making 850 000 to 15 million dollars Which think about how incredible that is like making 850 000 in the grand scheme of americans amazing But they get that kind of pay raise like I remember just how Just great. He felt you know when that happened How much pride he had in that and it's a huge accomplishment and then now he's making double that right and he's making a bunch of money everywhere else I agree with him.
I don't think jordan fools money has anything to do with it because he's making a tonne on the court He's making a tonne off the court and I think where he comes from today like he said, I don't like um Look at other people's pockets. Yeah, I think it's more that there there certainly has been like hey Draymond has them out jordan has them out and their mouth went toe to toe and reached the boiling point And uh, I know that draymond does have when he said he has some things off the court That have been really tough to deal with uh, i've been privy to some of that What's going on and I get it and sad thing is you know, the court is supposed to be your sanctuary Supposed to be where you leave your troubles in the locker room, right and not bring them to the court and Unfortunately, I guess I don't know what jordan said what pushed the button Um, and I know probably where draymond's from if he pushed me you could get swung on right Um, like I think people have missed that part that you know the punch came after the push It's not um saying what was right. I just think that where draymond's from Is someone pushes you that's how you respond? Um, which isn't just about it.
There's that's sagging off Right. So I think my worry for him is like i've seen the evolution of draymond from coming off the bench assembly to all star Megas media star podcast. He has so much great going for him He got a job at tnt that's groundbreaking for athlete to do what you know I think his time with the brines media group is just a learning experience for him because he's gonna start his own thing But I just hate that this scarlet letter has come for him that you know, no matter where he goes like Hopefully it goes away But there's always gonna be somebody that's gonna remember what happened and perhaps judge him based on that instead of judging him based on You know judging him on the incident rather than judging him on a person. He is off the court which Is one of the most fascinating people I've ever met Let's zoom out for a second Even in discussing this last Friday an hour after the tape came out When you calm down about it My my takeaway immediately was I don't know that they really have any other choice But to eventually bring him back in the fold and try to win because Trading him now is just so complicated for so many different reasons and frankly that should they trade him discussion I mean I had front office people from other teams all week just spitballing like you know Would they really lose that much if they turn draymond green into jaykrouder or deandrae hunter?
These are just fake names that people are throwing out and I was like yeah, yeah, they would The minute step curry runs a pick and roll with player x and he gets trapped and player x has a four on three From the top of the arc and that player is not draymond you're gonna appreciate how fast draymond's mind works and how great his vision is The minute you try to go five out without a center and have somebody guard nicole yolkich in a playoffs You're gonna appreciate how great draymond green is tripping the ball away from nicole yolkich So I don't I just don't see any other path where he's brought back into the team The questions from there are number one and kendra you alluded to it to this is something sapped from his spirit And the way he plays and his wiring that changes that dynamic of the team Um, and that's where the leak plays into it too. I mean we haven't talked about that Does he you know draymond is one of these guys who I think creates he thrives when he feels like he's he's got enemies to slay Right and so now the leak creates this sort of like is somebody here against me Does that set my spirit and then pool just pool just sort of forgive and forget and let's start there kendra We haven't heard pool speak no I've heard behind the scenes that they are really surprised by how calmly and professionally He's taking it that he has not once said that he wants to remain on suspended or penalized in any way and he played well the other end He hasn't talked what have you heard about about jordan pool the other guy in this? I mean, I've heard I've heard the same as you that he has been nothing but even killed and professional during this time I I didn't get the chance to speak with him But I did see him in the locker room after the warriors first home preseason game a couple days ago and spent the Lakers and you guys He was he was same old jordan, right? If the video hadn't been leaked and this hadn't been magnetized anymore You would think yeah, this team has put this in the past because he was joking around he was laughing He was looking at the trophy that step gave him free game about the free throws like he Seemed like the same jordan that I've gotten to know over the past couple of years And the warriors are really taking his lead and how they want to handle this Zach you mentioned before it's really going to be up to the players on when dreemon returns how much he's around and jordan is at the very top of that of that Player I don't know what you want to call it, but just We don't know what that means right?
Right. So there'll be a vote is there gonna be a leadership job? We don't know but I've been told emphatically like this will not be a front office coach driven decision It's from the players and jordan is the number one guy that they have that they're following his lead if you are okay with it Then let's let's start bringing him back and let's let's let's get him back into the fold And that's that's what I've seen from verdon and also heard that um Talk to somebody close to dream on yesterday and they said he's actually in much better spirits now He's working out at the Pepsi Center early like before the warriors players so up there In fact, I heard that yesterday The blazers practice the worst facility and their time was pushed back because dreemon was practicing before them working out before them by himself So he's still going into facility and doing things and he's in a really good place He still hopes to play opening night from what i'm told but To your point Kendra like he's waiting on the team to I think if the guy said hey man come back tomorrow. He'd be there with you know cupcakes and you know smoothies and donuts and You know to be ready to try to patch things up roses or whatever right um, but he's waiting on them and I'm sure like by the time it happened till it's that's more than a week I don't know you can't judge those things unless you're in the locker room, but I'd be surprised if um He's not back in the fold by this weekend.
I do I do think it's notable How steve cur was talking after their last preseason game as if the jordan pool contract extension was almost a fated complete I mean that must be music to jordan pool of the years into the years Um of his agents what kendra you were at all the press conferences over the weekend We sort of glossed over dreemon's remarks and steve cur's remarks. You're there. You're watching in person You're huddling around afterwards dreemon steve whoever what struck you from those remarks that maybe hasn't gotten a lot of attention Or maybe it was a stray comment that kind of that wriggled into your brain what or just in general take a link Yeah, I mean I think there's probably two I guess one from steve and then one or a couple from dreemon you know from steve it was And actually now I would go further back to the very first day that we we spoke with bob mire steaker and stefin curry the day that Uh, I think it was the day after the the report the first report of the punch came out So it's before the video I believe um, don't remember what day that was say was a thursday doesn't really matter You could you could tell that the everyone's demeanor bob steve and step it was a very Downmelon collie demeanor. Um steve sounded really sad and upset.
I don't think i've ever heard steve and curry speak or appear more Just not happy not angry but not happy especially in regards to something not basketball related Um, and then when steve spoke again a couple days later after the video had leaked again, he was So upset and so mad and he made it clear yesterday Um that when he was speaking he was mad he was asked you seemed more mad about the that the video got out than about the actual incident And he clarified no, I'm very upset about both but we also have to understand that one adds so much fuel to the fire of the other Um, so for me their demeanors really stood out when speaking about it because I think that just went to show how That it actually was in inside of their their locker room and training facilities for when dreemon spoke The thing that stuck out to me that I think I still kind of think about and I and I tried to ask him and I don't know If he fully answered my question, but was just talking about how this one was different and maybe maybe it's because the point you may Zach where you do have this new generation of players that don't know dreemon as much but we all know that dreemon's gotten into scuffles with guys in the past I don't know if he's ever punched someone but they've gotten into scuffles and and what stuck out to me was How much work he is aware that he has to do? To get over this incident instead of the last ones he kept saying this one affected someone it affected someone and I asked him I said, but what do you mean by that because anytime you get into a fight with someone doesn't that affect someone or is it just because there was physical Contact made that this one is different than other ones. Um And I'm also curious to see what kind of work he does do on himself because It Like I said, we all know that dreemon's fire is something that he's always had and he has crossed lines in the past. So What work Is going to be different this time than in the past and I and I and I really don't want that to come out in a like me saying that to count In a negative way in any means, but it is just something I'm curious of you What are you doing?
What are you gonna do differently with this different situation than in the past when you've had scuffles? I think you raised an important point about this does happen. There are scuffles and you know, mark you talked last week about how Kenyon martin you you name some kenyon martin stories I think from back in the day and I do think more than a Ordinary that's right nene was involved in almost all of them There is a tendency to almost minimize this is like oh, you guys just don't know there are fights all the time And there are a lot of fights that's just sports right? There are a lot of fights If you talk to coaches who have been in the league for coaches for an office people who ever play or do have been in the league for let's say 15 years Like a long enough time where they've seen some stuff.
Yeah, what I keep hearing is oh, yeah, this happens Most of the time it's like a fake fight pull guys get pulled apart pushing and shoving Yeah, I've seen a couple of punches Here's the stories act you haven't heard before this guy laid out that guy and it never got out But it's not like like that is not typical like I think the minimizing of this is something that happens all the time Well, you guys just don't know I don't think like this kind of punching happens everybody brought up port is meeritich But I think this even setting aside the video is not like typical is that like what did you hear? Kind of canvassing that and canvassing your own history mark covering teams. Um, I talked to Rick mohorned other day Oh boy. I saw about the uh pissed at pelica's game But I'm like it was this commonplace, you know, and he talked about a couple fights he had at practice Maybe the bad boy.
Someone for the bad boy pisses wasn't the right example I don't think any He's gonna glorify they're like go back in mind. Yeah, I'm like lace them up and fly over there Just about to say we're talking about the generation that calls I'm not saying that this is true But like not everyone I guess we're like older basketball players older basketball fans talk about how soft this generation of basketball players is so like I would be curious to canvas in the past I don't know like 20 years or something like that with the people that are currently in this league how often does this happen? Well, I thought to One two current coaches. Well one was current recent But and they both say like typically during the season's act or like four or five things that happen It doesn't typically escalate that far, but they've seen similar things happen over the year But it's just like the one these guys are too competitive Um actually Rick mohorn mentioned this like hey like a lot of people don't understand like two Maybe there's some jealousy over money.
Maybe somebody's trying to save their job So there's tension with that right um, I think in a fantasy world Sports fan think that like all these players are friends and they go out to dinner and they all put their arm around each other all the time They're the coworkers. Just like we have co-workers, right? I love you guys, but I don't know that we if we're honest we can say yeah I love all my co-workers. They're great, you know, I'd love and they spend more time with their co-workers than anybody like not only Practice with them every day.
You physically bump each other every day And you got to fly everywhere like they spend more time with each other than they do their own wise or own children and girlfriends whatever, right? And so I do think that there is probably More probably verbal altercations that fast, but I think there's so zach I started covering NBA like I always say I told hilly me this yesterday So I always feel like an old man when I said it's I covered NBA back in 1999 I started covering it But when I did we used to be able to watch practice As media like the rule was you have to come 15 minutes before it started and you could watch the whole thing And they also told us that if there was a fight we couldn't report it which was a hard thing to Agree to as a journalist. Yeah, and as soon as like blogging became possible where we could get internet access and vlog on our laptops or whatever They basically kicked us out of practice. You know, they didn't want to sit there anymore and and I don't know that I so much missed it because I felt like I lost a lot of time of my life sitting there watch practice I do missing You could tell how good a player is and why they're not starting and how lazy they are like everything good to see the behind the scenes part But there were a couple times where it escalated And I think that's part of the reason why they kicked us out was they didn't trust us to just like turn the blind eye to it anymore That there are more things than happen than we noticed and um, so I think it's like that video uncovered A dark side of practice that happens probably maybe not to that level But that I bet you if the players were honest and felt comfortable saying it and the coaches felt saying that they could probably Give you an example.
Yeah, I remember when this happened and that happened and you know boogie got in a fight You know or somebody you know and I've not tried to call out boogie You know, but you know like all these tough guys. Yeah in the league like they're gonna make practice tense And it's only I mean I'm I just remember my little bit Pilly College basketball career I still talk about stuff that we got into a practice Do we real quickly? Full disclosure. I know nothing about the league investigation who they think might have done it What entity like is it from inside the house or outside the house?
I don't even know like what are they hiring a private investigator? Are they hiring a law firm? Are they hiring some sort of uh tech company? Do either of you have any insight into any of that or is it just I have to say this is the first time I feel like the Warriors are in Defcon one like this is like people a lot of people aren't picking up phones They normally pick up phones.
I have no answers to these questions. Do you either of you? Kendra be sure about homes right now. What you got?
What you got? That's my guess on the side. I mean I think I I have not been told a like a status support of where the investigation is but You know, my my knowledge on it goes probably as far as what's been reported that they are taking every step You know, they have been in contact with the league just saying What and this was earlier in the investigation what avenues can we take right where we're gonna talk to lawyers or talking this but as as the NBA like what what what can we do? Um And and that's that's kind of the extent that I know and because zak I agree with you that the Warriors are Really wanting to keep as much of this in-house as possible in terms of what information is out there Right, they they're really wanting to keep this within their walls Um to try and build up some more build back some of that uh, you know privacy that they had before the video was leaked Yeah, I'll just wrap by saying this like maybe in a month It'll just feel like nothing has changed like it doesn't appear that Draymond was gonna get an extension Before his contract expired and or his player option came up And so we were always gonna be headed to this sort of Armageddon like is the he gonna be the one they don't pay Is that where the line's gonna be drawn and what does that mean for the team?
Which means we were also going to be headed for this sort of meta Draymond discussion of well, how good is he really and how much is he a product of playing with the two greatest shooters of all time in this beautiful game system that amplifies him so well and You know when they put four shooters around Looney You see Looney sort of masquerade in that Draymond role and do it pretty well and it is tempting to sort of think well They could go Steph Clay Wiggins player x Looney or you know, maybe player x is comminga. Maybe it's Moses Moody, maybe it's d'Vincenzo. Maybe it's Jordan Poole Maybe it's whoever and have great spacing and Looney can be Draymond and all that and I always thought that That might be their roadmap down the line But to win the championship this year that hurt your team like Draymond is is still a massively important part of the team He is not a product of that system. He is a piece of it He is what part of what makes it go and the ability his playmaking Mixed with that shooting his playmaking the ability to play Draymond and Looney together has allowed them to Max out their size and their defense and that's in their rebounding and that's a big part of why they win those lineups have been consistently Successful so to me that model if you're positing it that it's a sort of way to replace Draymond is still a year away Which means we're still kind of where we were before all this happened and it's just a matter of can that team Exists in a copacetic way once he comes back and I guess we don't know the answer to that But I just don't see another choice that they have if they want to repeat a champion this season Yeah, and I'll kind of bring it just and for me It's like to bring it back full circle But I think that one of the first things we talked about was like I don't know just about how maybe this was better that it's happening the preseason versus in the middle of the season and I Overall think that that's true I think the one negative to that is we have not seen this team play right like we do not know Where any of these guys are at in your game, you know, yes I've been told how I've been told how I've been told how good step looks and I've seen how good these guys looking practices and And preseason games and stuff but with Zach with your point now of like how how they want to use dream on moving forward all that stuff What if dream on started out this season just as he did last season, right?
Leading the defense early defensive player over the year conversation I think if that if that was the case if we were two months in and he was at the top of his game and then this happened There's like no one would be saying well Let's let's pull dream on out of the the main the main game plan because the no because he was so good to start the season The fact that this has happened before any basketball games have even been played it opens the door to the conversation of will the warriors should change their entire system And that's just not what they're going to do especially just to start off this season And I'll say this real quick too is like so much emphasis is put on scoring that a lot of times what a dream on green does Doesn't really get the respect that it deserves. I mean if you go watch his first game And can remember this that he we had this absence and the struggles that the warriors had during his absence last season Um because they didn't have him Playing traffic cop offensively. They didn't have him setting screens for first step They didn't have him moving the ball to the opening open man There's something I mean defensively he's invaluable, but offensively He's a hockey pass guy. He's a guy that um Every you know, I don't care if to get a shot.
I don't care if I if I don't score I want to get Steph a great shot I want to get Jordan a great shot. I want to get clay open There's so many things that he does that leads to their super score success that if you take that away I think that it's it's like taking the the engine out of the Ferrari, right? There's so much that he does that's not on a stat sheet that In the midst of the warriors trying to get a repeat championship trying to get a fifth ring I think it would be absolute idiotic move to move him Unless it unless it's just like an unbearable situation in the locker room, which I'm sure they'll figure out They'll be some silly drama and the crowds will act a fool about it but Ultimately like they got to get past this and for the bigger goal and there's a Brilliant offensively that I a basketball cue that can't be replaced without him So what what happens after this season so be it but to move him right now before the season to move a mid season I think it's basically would be devastating to this team. Yeah, I to my knowledge that hasn't even been broached Really?
That's not a thing right now. Okay, Mark Spears of ANSCAP, Kendra Andrews of ESPN You guys are just indispensable to our coverage across the board It's wonderful to virtually see all of you after physically seeing all of you in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago I am sure I will see you guys down the line as the season kicks off and travel kicks up But thank you for your time on the low post and continue to great work and by the way Kendra has a great story today on James Wiseman Who she talked to in Japan and his evolution and the social media break that he took along with Steve curlesters A lot of great inside stuff in there read read that and I will see you guys down the line Yeah, we'll bring you some we'll bring you some good barrier barrier coffee next time we see you Thank you as a spresso from sending you some of my my boy stuff mr. Espresso