And now the low post-post podcast on a Friday morning where boy oh boy Do I get excited when I see this lady's face across from me virtually and in person and now the world gets to see her face because They made me do YouTube podcast. So here we are live on YouTube apparently the Hall of Famer the one and only Dorsberg, how are you superb superb? What do we 1314 games in for some teams? It's been a good start as usual Zach There's there's some things going on in the standings that we're all like it's this real is it not real It's it gonna you know find its own level at some point.
So I'm so good We're 13 14 games and I buy my unofficial count 72 NBA scandals into then into the 20 22 23 season We're gonna talk about basketball today and I don't know if you if you saw this but one of our former colleagues Chris Haynes dropped a piece yesterday about some Notion that the Lakers when LeBron signed his extension, which is really only a one-year extension people acted like what a long-term commitment He may as one year sort of implied to him We will go all in to put a championship in tighter around you every season and flash forward It's 11 games in there two and nine they stink rust off the bench rusting the starting lineup rust selling popcorn It doesn't matter. They're just not good and Now there's this pressure building up Are we just really gonna sit here and waste a year of LeBron James and we have these two first round picks we can trade We have this disaster that's unfolding in Brooklyn Although the nets have looked spirited and are winning games since Kyrie was suspended Are we really just gonna sit on our hands here and DB? I think one of the reasons that that noise is not gonna go away is you look at the Western Conference on top are the Utah Jazz No one expected that Portland no one expected that Phoenix okay? No one's really the big teams are not that scared if Phoenix is really good We're gonna talk about them.
I'd be on the press by what they've done the Clippers seven and five The Warriors four and seven I think those were kind of consensus one and two maybe in the West and the nuggets is we're gonna talk about Sneakyly starting to look a little scary at eight and three But the West doesn't feel as open and shut as clear at the top as people thought and so I think if you were the most optimistic Laker stand in the world you could be like well, there's there's you know, we got this trade right we stole the brown We still have a day maybe maybe we can make a run none of these juggernauts are doing anything and we're gonna have that conversation I think where you want to start Denver or the Utah Minnesota Nexus of trade trade different trade feelings We'll call it well first of all let's start with Denver But I do want you to take on some because I've heard you talk about this and all of the settings we put you in and sort of like The sleepless nights that the Los Angeles Lakers must turn out as it relates to those two picks Would you do it if you then? Well, I mean that's that's the thing I'm gonna talk about later is I just don't know the trade They're so bad and I don't I mean LeBron's hurt already Yeah, I think it's rolled out for tonight. Yeah, he's out for tonight And look maybe it's just one or two games But it's not encouraging that we're 12 games in and he has an injury that he's had before AD is is very good But not top 10 good and if those guys aren't just gods like if LeBron's not in LeBron's shooting 21% of the reason those guys aren't gods Everything else is just window dressing like the whole model of the team is those guys are the third best and ninth best players in the NBA Or whatever you want to make them if they're not that and they're not really even close to that in 80s case I don't know what the trade is and then you look at the team. It's like spurs no Charlotte Charlotte's interesting and looming as a potential they've lost seven in a row lost to Miami and overtime last last night They should just dive all the way to the deep end of the Wemba yama pool Just go all the way in but like Gordon Hayward hurt already I don't know even though like they could trade rose year fine Like is actually in your life as the Lakers the Indiana one is the one that I said I would do sleepover buddy healed in miles Turner But two and nine two and nine in this bad even with the conference is jumbled as we just said I just am I just gonna destroy my entire future?
I mean those those pics are like golden chip Right, and then and then you know that would bring you to Brooklyn and the guy there which I don't really want to talk about right now So I just don't it's easy to say you gotta go all in go all in go all in if you go all in on a deal That's a half measure. That's like a couple okay players pretty good players that you talk guys away You talk by the way 10 to three We're gonna talk about them in a second Why are they trading anybody to you unless you give them everything and it doesn't work and you're the seventh best team in the west And then you get to 2026 2027 2029 all your fans gonna be like oh my god the bronze 40 something and retired and AD is a shell of himself and we don't have our draft picks How did this happen again? What were we agitating for in 2022? What about you?
My answer is the same. I don't think I'd do it sack if LeBron were healthy and as you said AD were dominating It'd be a different story, but it's just I always go back to the question How many times do these things work out and the answer is few and far between my answer would be I don't I don't think I'd do it I don't and you know you know with that story coming out yesterday There's pressure coming from somewhere there's pressure coming from somewhere and you know DB with LeBron's comments about Kyrie look I don't know why LeBron said what he said about Kyrie yesterday about it's time to bring him back in the league jail and Brown his On the Union executive committee has said the punishment the six steps to whatever are is too Honorous although the union hasn't come out and said we're gonna grieve this in one way or another I don't know why LeBron said that maybe just said it because he believes it and there's nothing else to it I can tell you around the league and even within the Lakers some corners of it those comments were read as LeBron opening the door to At least opening the door to hey if you guys if you all are comfortable with it and all the blowback it would be and the nets Are willing to just get out of the business now of Kyrie Irving so we can get him for much cheaper Not both picks maybe one pick. I don't even know how to I don't Doris I don't even know I don't even know how to construct a Kyrie Irving trade right now for nine million different Maybe maybe he's laying the groundwork for who maybe they wave him and he never he never meets those conditions And they wave him maybe he's this was right around the league again not by me I don't know how to read it was right around the league as LeBron indicating if you guys want to consider it I'm at least not gonna stand in your way, but that's just like I can't I can't it's Friday. I'm doing dry November I can't even go there doors I can't put that on a podcast and I questioned your sanity when you were doing dry November Can I tell you can I just tell you what happened last Friday?
Yeah, so so I don't even know what happened last I think Wednesday was the Nash gets fired who don't come like it hired everything's going haywire Thursday Kyrie gives his second disaster Express conference and suspended and the anti-defamation league in the most underrated move of the year returns his money And and on Friday I announced to no one my wife because no one cares that dry November is now turning into dry Monday to Thursday November and the other days are open So please continue whatever you want to say it was like when I try to fast and I think oh I don't think that's a good idea after about Three hours with you. Let's get to have your topics Yes, I'm gonna just make one point LeBron says nothing without making it through for a long stretch of time And you know the Kyrie situation it to me it was like the the inappropriateness the unseemliness of Brooklyn even thinking about hiring He mayodoka in such a short period of time I What you can't go there right now. I think there's two look at what has happened in Kyrie's last two stops He's got a kind of unravel his situation first and get get where he needs to be So so yeah, anyway, we're moving on We're moving like like Denver who who and I'm gonna I think we'll touch on what you said in your ten things because I did find out one little line You put in there about how they're playing mpj right now with the second unit But because of how dominant yoga chills the thread running through everything he does, you know Sort of permeates the entire group, you know what you play mpj and Jamal together with the second unit What I do and I one of my storylines coming in was how would Jamal look? I'm a huge Jamal Murray fan You know, I think back to the Portland series where he got played off the floor because they were posting him up And and he you know because it was pride and competitive spirits like I'm not gonna get played off the floor defensively You know and what would he look like this year and all of a sudden his last five games 19 points shooting it better?
You know are he and yoga just productive with their D. H. Oh and the and the two man stuff yet? No, I don't think the points per possession with them is good yet But you're starting to see it right you're starting to see it And yoga chocourse points rebounds assist leaving Michael Porter Jr.
Shooting the hell out of it if you're contagious called well pope you're you're a piggy You're a piggy just run around just run around and the ball finds me in the corner The ball finds me at the rim run like hell in transition and they're running this year They've been such a plotting team with yokech who's a plotter I think given his hit ahead skills and the athleticism on the team Like I think it's awesome that they're trying to get out get out on the break a little bit Yeah, and like just think about how smart he is I have the Golden State game where he makes that full court pass in just two seconds Like whose mind works that quickly in that circumstance where the game is entirely changed It's slipping away from you and you make that pass So so I remember I think it was Ryan black burner The sense it's lessening the covers for the Denver sticks right like he was worried for two games because yokech didn't take as many shots And to me, you know the the delicate balance for Nicola because his mind and the way I think he sees the game Is he wants to be a pass first then he crossed that Rubicon of knowing no I have to be a sworn threat I have to demand the ball. I you know he's leading the league and post ups this year I don't know there's just something so beautiful about how his mind works with the game how he sees the way it should be played His ethos as a I want to make sure everybody's feeling good But now I understand I've got to be that guy on the post as a scorer is he you touched on this He's not taking many threes after the disaster shooting year He had last year No He's not and he's shooting in the 20s and in that in that Indiana game two days ago He took a couple late in the game because they were trying to come back and he was open and he had to take him And by the way that game filed that one away because I Watched that game I was at Barclays Center and I was watching that game during commercials and halftime and all that they fall way behind Yolkich has four thousand a second quarter five I was like a minute into the third quarter has to sit forever And it just felt like a game where you let go of the rope and just say next day is another day and their bench Hung around hung around hung around ship the lead down to like eight nine by the time yolkich you come back in the game And then they come back look it's at Indiana It's not in no great shakes But it was a win that I just filed away It's like this team has a little bit of steeliness to it that I like and you look at that bench everyone was concerned about the bench And I get that like are they still I mean they're plus 13 with Yolkich on the floor and I'm looking it up now minus 17 for 100 possessions with But between Bruce Brown Jeff Green and Bowen's Island those are three guys right off the bat that I trust off the bench Christian Brown I have to stop every time Christian Brown has been okay. Devan Reed has been okay. They float in another rotation I don't even think the Andre Jordan has been bad for them.
I think they have just enough They could use one more guy everybody could use one more guy. I'm just filing that win away and Murray to your point He's not all the way back And you can see him when teams switch big guys on to him think to himself Can I get can I get by this guy? You know what? I'm just gonna dance with him and shoot a step back to it I'm good at that couple times in that Pacers game.
He said to himself. Wait a second. I'm Jamal Murray I'm bubble Jamal Murray. I can get by that guy and roasted him for Adam Galen Smith whoever it was for layoffs I just I was super high on them coming into the season their pieces fit their starting lineup is incredible They're second starting lineup with Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr's place is incredible And but why did Brooklyn not re-signed Bruce Brown by the way like why is no one talking about that?
He was exactly what they needed and they was like yeah, we're cool. We'll take him. Oh my gosh I mean think about his cutting skills around Yolkich You know those playoff moments where there's an opportunistic backdoor cut to be had because you're paying attention to you know The dribble handoffs or whatever's happening or you've got a shade of Michael Porter Jr. Who's lights out What there is a team number one and three point percentage?
I think I worried and I heard your podcast with Jeff I'm a huge Monte Morris fan. I go back to when he was you know at Iowa State and not turning the ball over He's like the Trey Jones, you know the highest Jones family the guys turn over a verse I remember you know Michael Malone at the start of the season sort of saying bones just got to get command of the second unit But bones is growing bones is shooting it. Well, he's not finishing at the rim He's six for 22 at the rim. I think he can at times get pressured So I'm curious about that, but he's playing well and I think he's growing every day and So I just worried that they lost Monte Morris because of how sound he wasn't I know he spent most of last year as a starter So I'm thinking second unit by the bones I like that team.
I like that team. What did Aaron Gordon have the other night 17 and 16 or 18 and 17 perfect role Yep, yep So I'm with the other down the bucket, so they're just fun to watch You know, I like that I loved it. I didn't love it because I like Monte Morris and I knew that what the risk was involved I liked that trade for them And I kind of frankly didn't get why people were so upset about it because I was high on bones I don't know. Yeah bones is not a patch first caretaker on offense bones is like I'm the best player on the floor.
I'm gonna do so. I'm gonna be and that's cool. I like that But KCP versus Barton is just such a fit 180 for Denver starting five KCP is everything they need It's just a better a better player and they are after after like you said kind of a rocky start like a lot weird loss of the thunder I think just a couple of losses were like what's going on with this team Michael Malone was black woman was pissed in preseason already He was like pulling dudes in preseason and and and now they seem to be kind of gelling and to your point about Yolka Which is usage I kind of like that he's taking his foot off the gas a little bit this year as a scorer Like save it for the playoffs. Let these other guys feel the ball.
Let these other guys get involved and MPJ You know, I heard from around the league before the season Versus health right everyone that's a question anybody can ask looks fine to me. It's certainly like he's playing hard on defense They're gonna be a good defender. He's playing hard. He's trying if he if he stops if he stops wondering with his mind defensively And can somehow stay locked in then he's gonna be okay because I've let it be you know, double back or whatever He can make up for it if he doesn't Completely lose his mind and wander.
So sorry about that And what you know, you hope in the playoffs like when the games really matter that would not be a problem But but off but the other thing you heard was boy I don't this is from opposing scouts in front office people coaches like I think he wants to be like the number one guy Number two guys he can settle for being this kind of spot-up guy off a yolkich and Murray like so far the answer is He's bought all the way into that and DB He makes these three's look so easy these like side step step back three's it's ridiculous and it's obviously because he's 611 or whatever he is he is and If he could just stay healthy he is an absolute ideal third wheel for their offense And I know he probably doesn't want to call the third wheel But a lot of people would sign up for being the third wheel in Denver's offensive all they had to do is like run the floor And shoot a million threes and he's making I think he should be 50% of these he makes it look like there's not even a defender They're agreed the ability to make contested shots dwindling clock Elevation with somebody in your grill and you're right this the efficient side steps Listen, I don't like I think and again you've got so many good local media people who cover it I think Ryan said always a top-ten shooter. I'm like I mean is it possible of course it's possible, but now you got to make these top tip you got a your top-ten shooter You got to make them when they count to be well I don't have any he's clearly unafraid and unbound But I just I get a little worried about premature proclamations There Denver looks like right now of all the teams We thought would be the class of the West Denver and Phoenix are the ones that are living up to expectations Hey sports 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 in service and now you can check if you already have ESPN unlimited as part of your TV Package for no additional call visit activate.esbn.com To learn how to access your account or sign up then start streaming in the ESPN app It's all the ESPN all in one place sign up for activate now Let's talk before we hit Phoenix and what Phoenix is doing without cam Johnson J crowder now Chris Paul is fantastic The last thing they did was go into Minnesota who had everybody and beat the living snot out of the Minnesota Timberwolves Let's talk about the Minnesota Utah connection because obviously they made a gigantic trade together in the offseason The Minnesota Timberwolves are five and seven and look awful The Utah jazz are 10 and three and look incredible and oh by the way everyone is rushing You know Sam Amy growth is peace interviewing executives from other teams saying all Daniel Daniel cell like Danny doesn't want to be good They want to try to get a woman on a woman by yamara scoot or whoever they'll trade Clarkson They'll trade whatever maybe they will maybe they will if they lose five of their next six games I think it becomes much more likely that they will but there I can tell you this They're loving life right now. They are okay for now seeing what this team is And I and I can tell you like the sample size is now big enough that this is a team that will hit a slump at some point reality Will come at some point la remarking is not gonna shoot 65% on twos all season keloland's not gonna shoot 57% on threes opponents Are gonna start hitting threes, etc. It's cetera, etc.
Even so this is a decent team This is not a bad team. This is a 500 team ish at worst. That's now got a seven game cushion on that and oh by the way The people rushing for them to tank you know who's picked They own unprotected this season the Minnesota Timberwolves unprotected 2023 first-round pick all those temporal spicks most of them are unprotected including this year's and the Timberwolves and I know you're excited to talk about this they are Look, I've not seen them in person So I'm getting the vibes through the screen and from talking to people that I've seen them in person I just can't believe how awful it all looks how awful it all sounds and that Phoenix game coming off the blood against the nicks You're New York, Nick's doors work if that doesn't raise alarm bells and get these guys to get their in gear now I don't know what will because that Phoenix loss and that next loss I didn't see the next game. I saw the Phoenix game There were 10 possessions in that Phoenix game where my jaw was a gape at how disorganized unhappy cranky slow Discombobulated the Timberwolves were yeah, I Don't know whether I want to go to Utah first or them because I have Minnesota tonight at Memphis And so obviously I've spent a lot of time on them first of all to your point about Utah No, the one thing you didn't touch on it where they might hit the slump is opponents are getting a lot of shots at the rim And they're not finishing those shots at the rim yet and that will change I think but I watched Holly Road do a little bit of a piece on Lowry marking and and will Hardy and sir will watch in the finish national team and and fun and for years we knew what Utah was you were getting high-screen enroll with two shooters in the corner and Rudy was gonna be at the rim and Donovan was gonna try to get downhill and it was relentless with that that boom boom boom boom boom Here we come you know what's coming, but this is what we're gonna do to great success, right?
Their offense was always five don't know top five and now it's totally different now. It is run You know get it off the window and run run run run run. They're either shooting the three Most recently now they're down and now they're there fifth most recently, but they're they're shooting the hell out of it from free Oh, yeah, Lowry Not only shooting the three and it was open in an article that happened earlier this year about how how things got away from him in the past How you know you get hurt and then you press because you you know the shots that find you are I've got to make this because I'm gonna get X number of these and if I don't make it then my ass I'm going back to the bench And so I don't know there's just something very likable about this team Here's a fascinating thing to me Jordan Clarkson was loved by Quinn Schneider because he brought a different vibe and feel but he was a player who not about himself in a bad ways that just in about my job is coming to be Vinny Johnson, I'm supposed to command and I'm supposed to change the tempo and I'm supposed to score it What is Jordan Clarkson? I look at this morning over there talking about him five point two assists per game a career high in minutes career High at three point percentage and looking like part of a team as opposed to I'm gonna just go dominate the game with my own individual scoring My conley looks like he's having fun eight assists per game like I agree though They'll level out at some point, but will Hardy what a job he's done out of the gates and they're fun They're just fun if you if you ask me right now, you know, they are they're kind of in the catbird seat among the rebuilding teams Allegedly, I mean they're 10 and 3 they maybe they're not rebuilding.
Maybe there's built I don't know whatever they have the best players to trade of those teams like they have the best sort of available veteran players of those teams Maybe accepting both down of it to Detroit who's not trade eligible immediately because he just signed an extension with them again We'll see if Charlotte jumps in the fray at all and if that if that matters my guess right now Let's just say they go 500 for the next 20 games, right? So they level out, but it's not it's not bad. There's still five six games or 500 I think their stance is gonna be depending a little bit on how Minnesota does and how that pick looks I think their stance is gonna be You can call us you got to offer us something really good We're not selling just to sell and get bad like we're cool. We're cool and by the way if they keep winning They'd have to sell fast to get to get back down into like the three or four or five worst team You've got teams that are two and nine three and nine three and ten There's seven games ahead of those teams already and obviously you can manufacture a one in 20 stretch to end the season If you want to but if you keep winning you're gonna run out of time at some point to do that So I think they're I think right now they're content and you mentioned Clarkson Jo Ingalls once told me a story about Clarkson that when Clarkson got traded to Utah he went up to Ingalls It was like hey Just so you know like if you have the ball the shot clocks like there's like three on the shot clock You can pass it to me like I'm cool taking the grenade shots that no one else like I'll shoot and they are a tribute to The adaptability and resourcefulness of NBA players They have taken I joked and I was dead wrong and I know the jazz wanted to hear me He crowed out it and I've already in crow ones I joked that they were less of basketball team and more an airport waiting area for players who would get traded elsewhere eventually because they just have all these shoot first guards and power forwards who can shoot and just weird skill sets and how do they How do they mesh and they looked at it the total opposite way and said what can these guys do and how can we maximize it?
And how can we use it and they have proven that assessment dead wrong? They are a team and they're just a delight to watch I'm going to see them Sunday and Philly I've got Philly on a week from tomorrow and or tonight and I want to see both teams and I want to see Utah live and And just get to the pregame and get a feel for it But you know just just a lot of fun to watch and you read all the stories and will harden just talks about and I don't know Whether this is the San Antonio, you know Just how does it feel in the organization? Like what's our what's the vibe here? And you know is that a San Antonio thing where like everybody's got to be comfortable and happy and let's work to make everybody happy here So it's just I tell you like one thing that's noticeable to me is we can throw out these coaches ages anymore Taylor Jenkins gets the Memphis job and at whatever age he was I think at the time he was the youngest You know, I know what happened with him.
He may have docked but you know, he gets his first job You know JP Bicherst at all these guys that they've been in a legal on time But you know from an age perspective, maybe young doesn't matter exact they they thrive in these roles. They're comfortable immediately It's just fun to watch it's fun to watch a new generation of coaches get opportunities early and then succeed in those opportunities and and and look so comfortable And wear it so well Joe Missoula in Boston is wearing this position well will Hardy is wearing this position well There are 30 of these jobs in the world and to be mid 30s and handle it the way they do is to me just impressive It's impressive Kevin Durant said this the other night He's like, you know when he's talked about job on and the job he's done early he's like they're in him Vehicle like this is rare. It's a rare position. There's pressure here and you got to be prepared for it I just I'm impressed by what I say ditto as you said there are slight warning signs for you Tell the three-point shooting although they win the math game They take a lot of reason they don't allow a lot of threes They don't get to the line on offense and they turn it over a lot in their 29th and defensive rebounding those are all kind of warning signs Go back going back to Clarkson I looked this up just to see when Clarkson plays without Conley because I thought you know How do they look?
When Conley's on the bench easily he's the pure point guard They're plus seven per hundred possessions as long as Clarkson's on the floor Clarkson's not on the floor They struggle with it so they got some stuff going on for them Let's talk about the other side that trade Minnesota five and seven 19th in offense Fifteenth in defense and first in crankiness and unhappiness and sniping in the media And if people want to go and I told you to watch this and you had the wrong feet So you couldn't if you want to go and see the possession of the year for the Minnesota Timberwolves the best the best in rules possession It's not when Dilo Shielded at the score's table and for 20 seconds they played four on five defensive. I don't know who actually realized I'm playing four on five. I watched that live and I didn't recognize it I'm not gonna give the person away that I spoke to But this person said I watched it live, but at times, you know, we can be so discombobulated on defense And you could see Chris Finch on the sidelines like pointing for people to rotate as if they had five players on the floor You gotta go there. You go wait a second.
Why is everyone rotating so long over such long distances? Oh There's somebody at the score table just watching I want people to watch this because I don't think I got a lot of play 640 left in the first quarter of that disaster loss against the Sun to come in without three other players three other You know two starters and whatever day Crowder is now and just destroy Minnesota Six 40 on the first quarter Anthony Edwards is bringing the ball up town's running hard because it's offense a lot more fun than defense Running hard run and hard ahead of the Andre 8 and by like seven feet calm for the ball and doesn't give him the ball because there's a Back Tory Craig was on the back line. I think it's like this is the smiley dangerous pass But towns on the ball hands are up doesn't get the ball hands down Slaps him on a such keeps running runs directly out of bounds like as passive aggressive if you want to read it generously Maybe you thought maybe you could say he thought the under seven timeout was they were gonna call timeout because it's under seven It runs literally five feet out of bounds Just keeps running on the baseline like Bo Jackson running in the tunnel in the 80s for the Raiders Just runs out of bounds and once he gets out of bounds You know anything Edwards does he passes Carl Anthony towns the ball Carl towns catches it three feet out of bounds whistle blows turnover I don't know who was more passive aggressive. Who's the passive aggressive leader on that play?
It was absolutely incredible. This team has no chemistry D. Lo is been a horrible They have no three point shooting right now and they're starting lineup other than towns The towns go bear pairing is not working. Where are the second side pick and rolls that I thought we're gonna see D.
Lo go bear on one Side swing and cat on the other side. It's just it will stabilize I think I think but my faith is beginning to waver like if I see another lob hit the backboard if I see another how is this team? I want to look it up 27 in defensive rebounding Tori Craig with the wolves making a fake comeback at the end of that game Tori Craig just sneaks around Carl Anthony towns and gets an offensive rebound that ends the game Carl Anthony towns He'll scream leads the league and screaming. I got it.
I got it and then not getting it That's like the Carl Anthony towns on the defensive I got it Rudy and then another player comes in and gets it I just I just I'm starting to get worried you any throw in the media comments that have been made publicly and some of the stuff You're hearing about what's going on behind the scenes It's like oh my god Maybe you taught us the luxury of owning all these pics from other teams as you've sold short on multiple other teams Maybe we could just keep winning. What have you seen from Minnesota? I don't know where to begin. I could not get that turnover interestingly They I'm watching on leaf pass and they they push back to a mike nori sort of break down what happened in the November 1st Phoenix game But there's also a clip of my ganori doing a halftime interview where he is saying if we're X number of games in This is live on their broadcast and we're talking about having to coach competitive spirit and effort this early in the season We've got a problem and I'm thinking my head is snapping back at the moment I don't know where to go the turnovers are inexplicable You know carlamp in towns.
There's been a couple of passes from the high post so he's just it's sailing out of pounds It's it's five feet too high or it's four feet left on Jim Peterson Who's their local you know blood gas there's been added for absolutely forever and it's outstanding It's like listen if we're gonna run cat the four then he's got to Guard the four and you have a piece of your 10 things today talking about some of the mistakes He's maybe making lingering on the ball too long etc. I don't even know what's worse when he's guarding for is he's like chasing Tory Craig around screens And he can't do that then he's guarding fives with either when Rudy's out or when when they just switched a match-ups and they're going back to that high wall Come to the point of attack borderline trap defense and it's like they've never played it before even though they played it all Of my season they just like how long do I have to stay up here? What are the rotations behind this? He's getting faked out of his sneakers at the point of I don't know what's going on with them It's bad.
It doesn't help obviously that that cat misses some time with with some sickness really obviously they manage him with your Basket situation so your repetitions aren't early but for me that's not even it. I don't care about that To me it feels like there's a complete lack of buy-in and I don't I can't wait to ask Chris Finch that question Chris Finch is saying It's on me. I've got to give these guys solutions I feel like the decision-making is poor across the board and starts at the point guard position D'Angelo Russell can't make a shot right now I mean, there's so many things going wrong Zach Anthony Edwards is complaining about not having space I don't know where to begin. It's the play making The Angela Russell's a good path I think his passing is probably his best skill, but it hasn't it hasn't sung yet and Russell Edwards and McDaniel's are all shooting 33% Or worse from three they got they're drawing dead if that's how they're gonna shoot I think Edwards for sure will be better Russell probably will be better but to combine they are really counting on Russell and Edwards to be Major plus playmakers when you're playing two bigs like that and they wage your big on and it's gonna continue to make a leap as a playmaker And that that's a big bet.
He's 21 years old and it just it just hasn't it just hasn't happened yet I think they'll stay below I think he's he and this is what young players do and this is where the danger of making that bet is and Unfortunately, it feels like everybody in the group is doing this. It's like how does this new situation affect me not is Let me throw myself into the defensive end of the floor, which usually makes things better offensively Let me throw myself into the defensive end of the floor Let me grasp these concepts. Let me figure out. What is how do I fit best?
What can I do to make this group successful first and foremost? Everybody's thinking what does this mean for me entities like I don't have enough driving space I can't get to the cup. I've only got four dunk attempts this season through these this number of games It's making me uncomfortable from him. I can accept it.
Zach was he is 21 years of age But there doesn't feel like there's a great deal of maturity yet in terms of accepting what Chris Finch is trying to say and here's here's Is what this group needs and doesn't have anymore? Who is in their face? Demanding accountability a year ago was Patrick Beverly and he probably annoyed some people by the end of the year There's no there's no probably about that, but sure. Okay, but like who who is the voice yelling at these people or at least demanding some level of accountability?
I don't know I and it can't be go bare it can't be go bare because because he's the new guy and Podcast there's just like a bizarre level of not complete respect for legal bear amongst players around the league But publicly kind of including including if he had worked it's kind of sniped about his defense You say it could find itself. I don't know I don't know how because I don't see I don't see a leadership piece to say listen, let's subside our individual agenda for five minutes And let's get to what go just saying I mean, maybe it can because of the talent if it finds its way exact it's going to be because of the talent And that's and that's what I'm going to ultimately bet on like if you ask me right now How many games does this team win at five and seven right like we're sitting here raising the panic button Raising the panic, but you don't raise a button you press the panic button and you know that's because the expectations are what they are Right, we're not panicking about the Warriors because of what they did last year I mean, there's my my little panic. I guess the wolves 146 games last year They added a rooty go bear If they're five and seven now, they should still win 46 games like the talent is the talent Um, so I'm still gonna sort of bet on it on it stabilizing and just let's be a little happy for a second Joe and the well playing well Torian prince is playing well. They're getting some good minutes from people Um, so I'm gonna bet that it stabilizes, but it's this is as disturbing a first 12 games as there could be And I will just raise the alarm on this now The absolute everyone when they traded the whole kitten kaboodle And I don't even know what a kid or a kaboodle is for rigo bear the four picks that swaps the rookies all the Everything immediately everyone said, you know teams are getting so willy-nilly about trading all their future picks I think a lot of teams are starting to think well if we make this deal we trade all our picks to risky But someone else will do the reverse with us down the line They will trade somebody big and get our picks back The obvious somebody is carlance any towns and I will say this the worst thing the minnesota could do Is double down on a go bear trade that was kind of a preemptive panic move with another panic move involving towns I'm not saying this is happening.
I'm not saying there's any talk about this I don't think there is but i'm saying that's just a logical sort of place You look if you had to restart again and reboot again Any towns move like that down the line a year from now two years from now We're never if it ever even comes to fruition that real lines the team more on go bears timeline then edwards timeline is a catastrophe And that's all i'm gonna say unless you have minutes. Do you have any more minnesota thoughts? Oh, well good Let's go to phoenix because no one gives phoenix any love eight and three am three Hey, all we are is fourth in offense second in defense First in net rating slash scoring margin first in the entire stinking nba After we lost to the mavericks in game seven by five thousand points. Everybody wrote us all chris paul is averaging 9.5 points a game on 37 Shooting our starting power forward who wasn't going to be our starter anymore is gone ham jones and torris miniscas had surgery chris paul is injured And we're getting destroyed when evan whenever devan booker who just is putting up 27 five and five not a lot of people talking about him Because of all 30 points scores we're gonna destroy whenever he sits jock landeels involved landry shamans involved damian leaves involved Two of our eight our three losses are heartbreakers to port including including a buzzer beater that the rest mr Travelon apparently by german grant.
Hey, we're just no one's talking about us Beyond impressive stuff from the sun's who and so briefly what do you want to talk about if you notice? How are they doing this? I want to go to devan booger just because i'll go many places but devan booger and manti said this the other day It's like no one in this organization takes for granted that devan booger has absolutely no fear And so what does he do the other night tennitus one turnover? He was asked a question about You know, do you have to take on more of a burden now?
You know in his head he's thinking hell yes I can care it's team by myself on that freaking scale, but he also his answer was brilliant It's like we got a team man We got a team and he's gonna try to elevate the guys around him and I just I love everything about devan booger Not only his skill, but his mindset, you know Like his thought this year is let's just improve Let's just get better every day because we had 64 wins a season ago It didn't matter a hill of beans at all and we lost in the playoffs I just like his approach I loved it in the NBA finals when he's got a busted up nose and a lot of times You know how that goes you get hit constantly when you have something like that the kid never was dramatic He never showed anything. He just freaking played ball. He just always plays ball And so like he doesn't care Chris balls got a Bruce deal and it's you know not shooting it and go out about let's just keep playing Um, here's the things I'm curious about in the absence of cam johnson. They're not gonna make up the threes You're not gonna do that.
What was cam making cam was making a career high 2.8 Taking a career high 6.4 making 43 so that you're gonna have to win a different way But there's mckell bridges You know, I mean the guy is so brilliant defensively, but now does he take a step? Can you sustain landries landry shammets continents for four to six weeks? Well, chris is getting better. Um, because if if you if he can keep keep that confidence I i'm a believer that landry shander can help and contribute to winning does cam pain Play in a starters role the way he played a season ago as a starter because that was you are winning games like that.
Um, So, I don't know what is your take on it? First of all devan boaker the sons are plus 128 Raw points with devan boaker on the floor. That's number one in the NBA or minus 27 when he sits Wow mckell bridges mckell bridges was a cute kind of um Well, if we're if we're talking about kind of all-star snubs at the bottom of the snub list Maybe you saw much of mention mckell bridges this year mckell bridges if he keeps laying like this is going to be in the all-star conversation full stop 16 points five rebounds three assists. No, it doesn't sound great 59% shooting 46% on threes 63 percent on twos and boy oh boy those little leaning those little leaning mid-rangers are a thing of beauty And the defense is what it is.
He's a first team all defense level player that hasn't dissipated at all And when you look at the sons my whole thing coming into the season with m was I just think they've maximized Their their style of play. I don't I don't think they can Stay atop the west with this offense that is all mid-range jumpers No threes no free throws no offense of rebounds too many fouls on the other side of the floor So we're spotting teams five points in him at the foul line. They have to adjust little by little None of it is big here. Here's some numbers.
They were 29th and free throw rate last year They're 13th this year And if you look at like who's getting to the line more it's just everyone's just a little bitty bits devan boaker a little bit more mckell bridges a little bit more The bench unit with tori craig and jock landale is is sort of Lifting their rim toughness stats offensive rebounding. They were 21st last year They're 11th this year and again. You look at the numbers. It's landale.
It's tori craig It's everybody else just a little bit little bit here and there they took the 25th most threes last year That's up to 18th this year. It's just a couple threes game. It's not big They took they were dead last in shots at the rim last year They're 27th this year. So they only moved up three spots.
That doesn't sound like much They took 25% of their shots in their restricted area. That was last by a mile last year They're up to 31 percent this year. That's like six shots a game. They've redistributed from the mid-range to the rim That has taken them.
I know they're only 27th, but they're like a normal team now They were an abnormal team last year and again you look at the numbers who's getting to the rim more Which is bit by bit mckell bridges a little bit more landale a little bit book a little bit more So everybody tori craig crashing the glass a little bit a little bit and as you mentioned with cam johnson although it wasn't playing out In the aggregate. I think the idea of starting him was we just got to shoot more threes We got to get more threes up mckell bridges. You got to get more threes up and those numbers They're little they're little and a lot of it is the bench scrappy guys lifting them up But they're just i'm just gonna watch them because I think it reflects a little bit of self-awareness that they needed of We just have to get a little more modern and diverse if we want to stay where we are And they have emphatically stayed where they are to do this without Jay and now cam and with chris again looking like a shell of himself. Although I got to tell you db Even when he looks like a shell of himself chris paul 94 assists in 15 turnovers for the season It's like ridiculous and who do you want managing the game down the stretch?
You know like give me chris paul every every day of the week what should take on dionre eight and i That first presser where he said, you know somebody asked him about he and monty and he said we didn't we haven't spoken i that was jarring for me um, you know Any concerns about that or him at all You know, I guess my concern would just kind of be like Maybe this is just it like he's he's at 15. I'm looking I was at 15 and eight his minutes are a little bit down But so per minute he's probably about the same still doesn't get to the line. Okay, pesser Okay offensive rebounder still kind of wants to fade from contact at the rim By catches and traffic and his default is spin away for a fade away and you keep but he's just good He's good at lots of different things and you keep hoping from the leap for the leap from good to all-star Which when they made the finals look like it was kind of in progress and he's 24 now and it hasn't happened yet But I guess i'm not worried because again that as you said that was sort of an alarming press conference But he's playing well like he's doing he's doing the dionre eight and stuff on both ends of the floor And they just keep on keeping on it to your point We could be if they win those two games against portland They are 10 and one and they are at the top of everybody's conversation through all the adversity they've hit it's uh You know, I think this goes a little bit to You know what they've established as a baseline of acceptability and standard and accountability and all those things and And it feels like a complete contrast to the team we just spoke about in the soda where and those games that can go borderline Either way, you know, they're they're winning those games. So it's been impressive.
Um, I don't think they're on my schedule and that disappoints me Because I like watching book in person, but you know by the way, they're for sale Look at that that seven scandals ago. I forget sometimes they're for sale. That's right. That's right They need to get Bob iger involved with Disney.
He had the mittest touch Doresburg, you gotta go to work in Memphis. We got Memphis Minnesota tonight on yes, man. That's correct. Yeah, what time eight eight eight eastern No, nine thirty eastern.
Oh, no over the late game. You're the late game I think there may be college football on before us. I'm not a hundred percent sure Make way for So hard and it isn't everything you're doing. I feel like you're podcasting more you twice a week Twice a week.
Who do you got on play by play tonight? Mark kester sure. Oh, interesting by my radio partner now. This would be game two with him I love mark kester.
She wouldn't talk about pros pro and just uh ego free and loves a game How many points of game you think does been bane is averaging doors? 24.7 on the dot and his and his assist numbers are what's really striking to me and down the stretch the other night and They were playing through him and he was getting below the free throw line Desmond bane is tough and I saw their end-of-game interview where they were throwing shade at courtland because they said we were the first ones to bomb These post-game interviews Because portland had a big show with with brook their sideline reporter I just love this team because they're gonna talk smack about post-game interviews give me the smoke I hope we get the carl town's dad and john maran's dad again tonight. I hope they're both in attendance I will say this last thing i'm emphyse and i'll let you I was at mark glaze Wednesday for the first jocob on game stockin and nick fredell and I have a running joke with nick fredell that every team he covers Is just cursed until he leaves he gets there he ruins the team and then leaves And we were we were talking about where we're gonna send him next if and when let's say if if then that's some at some point blow up And it's all over and I just said we have to keep you away from emphyse We cannot send you anywhere near john maran and desbin bane and taylor janket We have to keep you away from there because it's too precious. It's too good.
It's too fun And we get to listen to you tonight talk about the timbre wolves and the grizzly's dorris berk You're the best. Thank you for your time always gonna be with his app All right I wanted to wrap the week by elaborating for a little bit on something that dorris and I talked about which is the pressure the Lakers may or may not Feel to trade russell westward plus their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for an immediate upgrade to their two and nine Would be juggernaut and as mentioned with dorris christian said a piece yesterday for bleacher report I think i'm gonna miss spoke and said yeah who I can't keep track of everyone's comments and goings and the piece has this paragraph in it Which is pretty damn direct james who turns 38 next month and is in year 20 of his NBA career Who does not want to waste a season of his high-level playing days in hopes of incoming reinforcements for the 2023 24 campaign sources say Other core players on the roster would likewise prefer those picks be used to elevate this year's team Okay, um, so that's pretty direct and let's just review what this year's team is before we move on The Lakers are two and nine They're just not a good team and rus off the bench has helped there are two and five i believe since rus become started coming off the bench Off the bench the bottom line is for them to get anywhere the rus le brian ad combination has to work and you can see them sort of flailing around for All right, which two players do we think have enough three point shooting and defense to fit around those two also reves choy brown you try Okay, kendrick none. Let's let's take you out of storage. Okay, you try with with maybe a lot of walker He's hurt but like he'll be one of the he'll be one of them when he's back And just they just haven't found enough size enough defense enough shooting and as I mentioned with DB part of that is the whole model is based on Lebron and ad being apex versions of themselves and that just doesn't appear to be the case anymore We know why if that's the case for lebron who's still putting up incredible numbers He's just ridiculous what he's doing he's old he's old and he's not gonna The rim is much not gonna lie as much you know a lot more three is that's life the ad one is It's a little strange to me, you know, there's been a lot of talk about his body weight is he put on too much weight to play center He looks slower.
He's not as fluid, you know, I when he was playing power forward next to lebron I kind of understood it to some degree because It was easier in that alignment for defense to switch the lebron ad pick and roll and force ad to create one on one and sometimes You can do that really well and really fluidly less less so now I don't really get now. He's playing center. That should be a little bit less switchable I don't understand why he's just sort of not a little I predicted an anti- Maybe the total disintegration of his jump shot which I guess someone is gonna have to figure out like how that happened Um is just sort of taking away his options guys are taking a step back from him in the post and saying I go ahead and beat me off the dribble and that's just hard for a seven foot guy to do But it's just if they're not going to be completely Dominant players, you know the third best player in the ninth best player in the league The whole thing falls away and as I said with Doris, it's tempting to look at the west and say well, it's a little A little more open than we thought like clippers clippers warriors, you know, they were supposed to be Juggernauts and they're kind of scuffling around and collies already heard and do we believe in Utah? Do we believe in Portland?
You should believe in Portland a little bit Get back to that you believe in Phoenix. Maybe you should believe in Phoenix talked about that Denver Denver's looking pretty dominant You can really almost talk yourself into well We just got buddy healed in miles turner We're right at like little warriors are under 500. We're right there and then you just have to remember You're two and nine But there's just no evidence that you're even close to being a good team and the players are talking about our sub all-star Good players who bring at least some mild fit questions I'm more optimistic than most people about miles turner and Anthony Davis playing together Some people don't think that's a great fit because they're both centers I think it can work But it's not like you're getting world beaters And it's not like your team is three games over 500 and remember as open as the west looks It's not gonna look that way at the end of the season You don't have to win one playoff series You got to win four You got to meet three of those teams in the west and then you got these powerhouses in the east That are waiting for you and you cannot make a trade involving both of those graphics Unless you think you're giving yourself a real chance to win four playoff series four And the leap between where the Lakers are now and winning four playoff series is absolutely jike It's the grand canyon and so right now, you know, we can go through the trays And it's like what do you want to do? Dame all the speculation about dame first of all forget the salary implications and how complicated that is Portland's eight and three or nine and three or whatever they are Why are they trading dame they're going there behind he's out spurs spurs are rebuilding you want Yaka pertle so ad is going to be a forgan and josh richardson and duck Mcdermott or some combination those guys all nice players They're making you contender Charlotte that's the one that was Speculated about quite a bit and charlotte who's lost seven in rosion absolutely go in the tank and try and get wemann yamans scoot henderson and just pump the entire season I don't know if they're going to do that but they should maybe they'll just do it by kind of just natural You know evolution of their team is not gonna lose a lot of games.
They are losing a lot of games Gordon Hayward and tear roseer that was the package well Thank gordon Hayward's already heard why do I have any faith he's gonna be healthy when it matters are those two guys enough Is two picks enough for charlotte probably is considering Hayward's contract is considered Negative ish value second to change your life two picks you get to 2026 2027 LeBron's gone eighties old. We don't have any picks as a disaster. What do we trade those picks for? What place do we finish in 2023?
Oh my god. She's got to think ahead a little bit Detroit I've seen and heard some speculation about well, maybe we could get boy on bug donovitch nirlins and a well allie bergs For us and just one of the picks maybe we could just keep one of the picks and get and get those guys Well, no as well as I even the rotation allie bergs is recovering from a foot injury. He's a good player I like I like bergs. Well, donovitch is a great fit for the Lakers I mean he's fit right next to LeBron and ad in those closing lineups one pick that sounds great trading one pick I get to keep I get to keep one that's amazing.
I Almost think trading one pick in a half measure kind of trade for guys who are less good than the Indiana guys Is almost worse than trading both for the Indiana guys like the half measure of just I get less good players But I traded less picks like what what's even the point? I've seen a few of what's even the point of that Utah Talked about that with Doris. I still don't think they want to trade Jordan Clarkson They love him in that organization. What's the other package about?
Why are they trading marketing right now? Oh, Linik and who is changing your life? I mean, I don't know why they would do it You know certainly for just one of the picks and they're sitting there owning minnesota's pick saying maybe we don't have to do this Maybe we don't want to deal with you. We couldn't find a deal with you with bergonovich.
Maybe there's no deal here Bradley Beale that's been mentioned. Okay. Let's work that one out from Washington's perspective Even if you think that contract is a disaster and I'm going nowhere the wizards and they are going nowhere Bradley Beale for us and two first round picks So Russ's deal is costing you a pick to get off of so that's one pick So basically i'm trading Bradley Beale franchise icon. Yes, he's on this ginormous contract with a no trade clause I'm trading him for one first round pick I just don't see Washington no matter how mediocre it get they are no matter how bad it might get there in their tread water right now Beat them as at home as night on the beautiful pick court with the pink uniforms love it every bit of that I just don't see that being a thing that the wizards are gonna entertain And so you end up going back to the indian ideal and if i'm the pacers everything I just said about all those deals and the problems with them I am not relenting for one second from I want to unprotected first round picks from blakers You want buddy and miles you've got to give me both and by the way I've said before I think they would do that and I think push comes to shove they probably would but they're kind of fun right now Buddies got value some value miles turn as a free agent and you want to say well They have to trade miles turn to they can't lose miles turn for nothing They can also resign miles turn as not the worst thing in the world It's not like any of the other centers on your team are blowing the doors off and just laying claim to the starting center spot next to tyre's Halliburton and Benedict mather and oh my god what a backward that is by the way They're not doing that for anything less than those two unprotected first round picks Probably I would guess right now educated guess that they would do that in the end for both picks That worth it for the Lakers, but at the very least in the end is having a meeting to say do we really want to at These picks really gonna be that good.
Do we really want to do that? And then that brings you to the synergy between the disaster and Laker land and the very different kind of disaster in brooklyn Where the nets are three in one since the spending Kyrie Irving and boy oh boy. They're having fun Edmund some nurse flying up and down the court kd is completely engaged. Seth curry looks like Seth curry again They're having fun.
They're winning games There was a scenario late in that nix game where they blew the crap out of the nix in brooklyn where kd and I think it was Roy so Executed a clean switch on the nice piece of defense fourth quarter nets are up 27 games completely Other seven minutes left and kd bam claps his hands. He's pumped up You could hear the clap reverberate around the Barclays center. He's having so much fun Ben Simmons is coming off the bench and no one's even talking about it and it just makes you wonder You know Kyrie is completely radioactive around the league has zero as negative trade value. They're mostly we're not even touching With the Lakers.
I'm not even sure the Lakers would honestly I'm not even sure if you went to the Lakers said we'll give them we'll trade them for we don't even want to pick Just just we just want to wash our hands of it. I'm not even sure I don't know what the Lakers would do I know that they would have a long conversation about what the right thing is what kyrie is tweeting of the movie means All of it, but I can tell you this as I told Doris LeBron's comments about kyrie should be allowed to play again and the punishment Was too harsh was widely read around the league is LeBron saying LeBron delivering a message that I don't know why you said it I can't speak for LeBron. I'm just saying what people around the league said was that was they read that as a message to the Lakers for an office saying Hey, I'm not gonna stand in the way if you guys decide it's an okay thing to do I'm not gonna stand in the way of you doing it that combined with Adam Silver As according to the New York Times reported yesterday Adam Silver said after meeting with kyrie doesn't believe kyrie to be anti-Semitic and it seemed to to indicate that in Adam Silver's viewpoint There's an easy roadmap here for him to return to the team And you just sort of combine all that together and say if the nets are playing this well And they appear this happy would they get off of them for one first round pick like with the Lakers even consider that one pick for kyrie When they have to consider that I get him in the door I get his bird rights And then you just think would they really do it with a really do it all the baggage all the noise all of it and also Shouldn't your assumption at this point be that if kyrie brings on your team the over under until he's off your team away from your team Suspended by your team. My is like 12 and a half games Like why am I assuming if I'm getting kyrie Irving?
I did next I can't for 60 games in the playoffs great But there's nothing that suggests Um that you should assume that and the nets as fun as this is and it's been fun The schedules been angel food cake. They beat the nix they beat the hornets They beat the wizards lost to the mad's on the road in a close game That's their three in one record without kyrie kd is just surrounded Surrounded by five defenders at all time. It's not at all times at some point the talent is just the talent And the simmons thing is showing very little signs of progressing to ben simmons being what ben simmons used to be And at some point as tempting as it is for the nets to I think wonder huh Is kd really gonna be mad if we get out of the kyrie business or they're really still attached to the hip Can we can we just sort of quietly move on from this and not risk alienating Kevin Durant not risk the Re resurfacing of the trade request that would effectively take us back into the tank Maybe put our jobs in jeopardy even though we built this thing up from the from the deepest hole in the history of the NBA To begin with are we really willing to risk that? Or are we really willing to risk that because at some point the talent is the talent and in how much fun and lively Enjoy us the nets have looked in the last five games when the competition gets better and it's about to get better It's just as likely if not more likely that Kevin Durant looks around and is like oh without kyrie I'm kind of drawn dead in this game.
I don't have enough talent around me. I'm shooting around me I'm relying on this guy and that guy who are kind of fringe players I don't know what the right answer for anybody is which makes me think that the right answer the one that's going to happen is Nothing and inertia and However, this kyrie situation unfolds it will unfold with him as a member somehow with the Brooklyn Nets, but I don't freaking know I just know that the Lakers It's hard to find a deal that works even even if you go to the unthinkable extreme The the the sort of blow up NBA twitter what remains of NBA twitter extreme of revisiting the kyrie stuff Even if there was some deal that would somehow make sense for both teams boy. It's hard to see Lakers just might be just might be quantum a season guys everyone at the weekend