The low post is presented by Amazon music. Did you know you could be listening to this episode of the low post ad-free on Amazon music? And now the low post. Welcome to the low post podcast early on a Thursday morning.
Jeff Van Gundy probably fresh from the clubs in South Beach didn't even go to sleep. Just came right on the pod. How are you sir? A little tired, you know, the clubs were hopping last night.
Who goes harder? You, Breen or Mark Jackson, who's got the best dance moves at the club? You know, you skip the lines. There's no line for you.
I'm going to say, if hard means being in bed 30 minutes after the game, then I go to hardest. Yeah. Last night, a championship level performance by the Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray and Nicole Yolkich dueling 30, 10, and 10 triple doubles, 66 combined points on 24 of 43 shooting, 14 of 16 from the foul line.
If I did my math right, that's 66 out of 109 points. Six of Yolkich's tennisists went to non-Murray players. Four of Murray's tennisists went to non-Yolkich players. I think of him doing my math right.
That's basically two guys just by themselves with the brilliance of their two-man game, with the brilliance of their individual games, combined with a clean defensive performance by Denver, an incredible rim defensive performance by Denver. The Heat shot 35% at the rim, and 43% I think on twos, their best defensive performance of the game after kind of an arduous 72 hours for them with Michael Malone calling out their effort with a reportedly sort of feisty film session with some comments that I think were clearly directed a little bit of Michael Porter Jr.'s defense from game two. Denver came out in a hostile environment, and pretty much laid the Smackdown on the Heat. What stood out to you Coach?
What was your big picture takeaway? I thought Murray's aggression offensively right from the start. I think because he was so active and aggressive and so good that he had to try to start blitzing him. And I thought that impacted him a couple of times.
I thought they did some really good things, but anytime Denver gets too on the ball, it's such a win for them because then the ball finds Yolkich in a four-on-three situation, and ultimately he's gonna make the right play. And I thought Christian Brown did a tremendous job cutting, finding his way to layups as the defense extended. So I thought Murray's aggression, Yolkich's basically normal brilliance. And then as you said, I thought the defense was much more alert for fewer technical mistakes.
Yeah, there were maybe just a couple of breakdowns, and Miami didn't capitalize as readily as they did in game two. I think there are probably more Denver defensive breakdowns in the first five minutes of game two than there were in the entirety of game three. And by breakdowns, I just mean just flat out mistakes. Sometimes the team is gonna grind you into a miscommunication where two guys are playing kind of honestly good defense.
You put them in kind of a chaos situation. I'm talking breakdowns, breakdowns. You just said normal brilliant for Yolkich, and I know people know the numbers, but it's only three games in. It's only three games in.
Nobody's won anything yet. 33 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, 59% shooting, 63% I think on twos. Three games in, he's on pace for one of the greatest finals ever, but they don't give you any trophies for three games in. But just watching him up close last night, watching the two man game up close last night as just sort of the art of it and the skill of it, where there plays that stood out to you, was there something that stood out to you?
I would love a chart on how many times this two point shot, hit the rim first, and fall in versus roll out. Some people just have a naturally soft shot, others have a naturally hard shot. His invariably, even when that first hit of the rim, doesn't seem like there's an angle for it to roll in, it just finds its way in. So that's one thing that stands out to me, just the exquisite touch.
And then I think, I just love every interview. Like, I just love how he gives to his teammates, the credit, particularly Murray, always trying to build him up as far as being their best player. And then I think what stood out to me last night is after the game, he saw a former teammate in Monte Morris, and his just natural reaction to seeing a teammate who used to play with them, instead of celebrating his own greatness, he looked like he really enjoyed the chance interaction with someone he once played with. And I thought that was exactly what you would hope to see from anybody who plays a team sport.
I didn't see that. Was that caught on television? As soon as the game was over, I started doing re-watching parts of it, and said, I didn't see that, that's cool. Yeah, it was very cool.
I just, I mean, that's, everybody told you what you can get out of being a part of a team, but the camaraderie, even through defeat sometimes, there's nothing that replicates it. It was just extremely cool to see, you know, Morris and him, exchange, you know, like real appies to see one another. Well, I mean, look, every time a team does something serious, and again, the Nuggets have won, what, 14 playoff games now, 14 and four, so that's serious, even if they don't end up finishing the job, that's still serious. There are guys who are no longer on the team who are an important part of their journey there, and Monte Morris is one of those guys, not just for what they traded him for, they're starting to guard KCP, who has not had a great series so far, a great last two games anyway.
But for the role they played in all the playoff experience that Denver got on the way here, there's a lot of, we could go through lots of guys, coaches, front office people, Tim Connolly, who played a role. So that's part of the reason why it's cool, because I'm sure that Yokich, it's not just, hey, buddy, I know you, it's you were a big part of what is going on right here. Yeah, and I think Yokich has a way about him that draws people to him. Like there's some stars that other players tolerate because they know of their greatness and their impact on winning.
Yokich, to me, seems like the kind of guy because of how he plays the game and how he gives credit to others that people gravitate to and really enjoy being around. And I just, I'll tell you, I think he is somebody, and I think the ratings show that through two games. I'm not sure what it was last night, but where people were worried that people would not tune in, I think once you see Yokich, you wanna tune in more. I would agree, and I wanna shout out Murray too, because the shot making I think gets a lot of the attention and he makes four or five just demoralizing, you've done a pretty good job and he just pivots and spins and fades away and you're like, what the hell am I supposed to do?
He has a knack for doing that in the very few minutes where Yokich is off the floor. And last night they played 45 and 44. They played 40 minutes together last night, 40 minutes to duo plus 14 in those minutes. I just think his, because Yokich is such an otherworldly once in a lifetime superstar and like a totally rare archetype, not even an archetype, just a totally rare player, he gets most of the adulation for their two man game.
I thought last night, first of all, they ran 32 pick and rolls together last night, according to Second Spectrum. That's their most in any game this season tied for their most in any game this season. His artistry in making that sing, I think doesn't quite get enough attention. And so you mentioned the blitzing last night.
And yeah, that got him a couple of times. He had that lollipop turnover on the sideline right at the beginning of the third quarter, I think. But there were a couple other times where he strung it out to the side, got a round bam who was really trying to try to press him outside. One of them, Bruce Brown got a three, I think he missed, another one, Aaron Gordon got a dunk because he drew a third defender.
He got around both the first two, he drew a third one, dunked it to Aaron Gordon. But just like the little hesitations and then accelerations that draw bam that extra step further and get Yokich that extra step further in the paint, there was a floater in the first half where Yokich got the ball like 14 feet from the rim and that's so much space. He was like, oh, I can just kind of walk this into an eight footer and float it in. And that, a lot of that is Murray just bobbing and weaving and cracking open little windows of space that wouldn't be there otherwise.
He did have seven turnovers and credit Miami's pressure defense for that but I thought his kind of guile was on display last night. I just love the way he started the game. He came off the game too where I thought he was good. Like, you know, you look at the numbers, you watch the game, he was good.
But it was a different mindset to attack early and to not just score, like to me, the most impressive plays weren't even his buckets. To me, it was, he had two rebounding sequences where he beat people to the ball. And to me, that shows, again, you can have all the speeches in the world but when your best players do the hard things and they're willing to make contact plays and you're gonna get like bumped and bruised like he did last night grabbing his hand, got stepped on awkward fall but those players are inspiring. And, you know, to me, he set a great tone last night.
Obviously the ball went in. Obviously, he contorted the defense, making them blitz him. But then I just thought the upper plays and the Tony set was really special. He should be really proud of himself.
It was a serious performance by the Nuggets in a serious game and you and I were texting before the game about, you know, we had these TV segments yesterday about who needs the game most, Miami or Denver. And you and I were kind of like, it's game three, the NBA finals, everyone needs this one. And they came out, both teams came out with a level of urgency requisite to the moment. And so here's where we are through three games.
Denver is plus 23 for the series. And I think the stat that is maybe the stat of the series, they're offensive rating through three games, 117.6 points per 100 possessions. That would rank second in the regular season behind only the Kings by easily over third. So a very good offensive rating.
To do that in 2023 with 24 made threes in three games, shooting 32% from three in those three games and having offensive rating that high is unusual. It's a credit to low turnovers, high offensive rebounds, good number of free throws and great two point calculated cutting Christian Browns, cutting against the zone. For people who have been longing for, I don't want to watch teams just shoot 53's a game and it's a maker miss league. And if Boston shoots 40% they win and if they shoot 38% they lose 118 offensive rating on a piddling number of threes is, I don't, it's just, I looked at the numbers.
I'm like, man, they only have 24 threes. I mean, that's, that is, and in its way, it's entertaining to watch. Oh, I think variety is absolutely enjoyable to watch it. It's very hard to go on the road, turn the ball over so much more than your opponent.
Make, I think that what they make six less threes than their opponent than Miami last night. I think they'll make five. Five of 18 from three, 11 of 35. And for the series, Miami has 17 more threes on 36 more attempts.
And I think that's what sometimes I think players too, particularly in transition, but also in half court, they think of the three as the best shot, whereas the layup will always remain the best shot in basketball. And I think free throws being second. I think sometimes we get it that like inverted thinking, like particularly in transition where you should be running for layups, you have the guys going for the home run three, a lot. I think what Denver is willing to do from a cutting standpoint, obviously, Yolka just, you know, the great passing makes it easier, but I loved how Christian Brown took one three last night and he knocked it off the side of the back.
I can say it wasn't pretty. If he tried to play a spot up game, he would be a liability. But because he gives, he has great energy and he has tenacity and he's willing to cut and move and he has a sense of timing, he was so important to them last night. Aaron Gordon, if he was spotting up and just being a stationary type player, no, he doesn't do that.
Now he does it because he gets rewarded. Obviously, Yolka is always looking to reward, but I just, I think sometimes we become these stationary players and I think it's easier to guard. I think every player has to figure out, particularly the ones that aren't just gifted off the dribble. How can I get layups and how can I get to the free throw line?
You know, Duncan Robinson in game two, like showed an improvement, putting it down the ground, okay, on a hard closeout of the curl on a cut. Like he's figuring out how to get layups and diversify his offense and I think everybody's got to think that way. How can I get a layup and how can I get to the free throw line? Hey sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place.
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Sign up or activate now. A couple of things, Christian Brown, you know, the blitz is kind of unnerved Denver for a minute and you could see them within the game kind of figuring out ways around it. And one of them was, you know, he just positioned himself as a release valve a couple of times when there were two on the ball with Murray and maybe the past the yolkich wasn't there once he popped up on the wing, once he cut into the baseline kind of an open area and Jamal Murray hit him directly, skipping, yolkich just hit him. I thought that was really good.
And they started doing like the screen, the screener play, where okay, BAM, if you want to blitz, we're going to hit you with a pick on the way up to the pick and roll and put you behind the play. So they're going to start to figure some of those things out. And Aaron Gordon, I thought Denver came out with a very, and this is hard to do. Miami has 23 turnovers in three games.
I mean, like that's an unthinkably low number. They are getting shots on goal. That's one of their ideologies. You're here supposed to say it.
It's hard to run when you get no turnovers. And Denver last night, I thought made a concerted effort. Anytime you miss at the rim, we are going as fast as we can. You know, BAM, I think Butler threw a lob to BAM that BAM couldn't quite reach.
He leaps 40 falls over. Bruce Brown gets a five on four, three. Yokech is pushing every time. And there was one play you mentioned, and they got some of these Aaron Gordon buckets from game one that they didn't have in game two, where Yokech kind of brought it up pretty fast.
And Aaron Gordon was ahead of Jimmy Butler. And just kind of sealed him. We normally think of guys sealing guys under the rim with their back to the basket. He sealed Jimmy Butler up at the foul line with Jimmy Butler's body between him and midcourt.
And Yokech just kind of led him for a layup. I thought their pace last night, which Mike Malone talked about, was they were urgent with it. They made a real effort to do it against the team that's not giving them any easy chances to do it. I thought Aaron Gordon, I know people would talk about his start of game one, and that was important.
I thought last night was his best overall game. I thought his rebounding in traffic and his bust out dribbles led to really good stuff. He found Yokech on a deep duck in in transition. He got his own dunk once.
He made harder plays when the ball was in the air and then turned him into tangible offense. I thought he was really, really good last night. Miami 11 to 35 from three. And they missed some good ones.
Like gave Vincent had a good one in the corner, on and out of bounds play. Kyle Lowry missed a couple of open pull ups and the nuggets kind of got hung up on screens. They'll shoot better in game four, hopefully. Denver's defense though, I thought, and Aaron Gordon's in particular.
Like Jimmy Butler tried to fool him a couple times by rejecting screens. And he read it as if he knew it were coming. What stood out to you about Denver's defense? How did they pull off this 35% shooting at the rim?
I mean, I thought Yokech's rim defense was good. He had two blocks. Bruce Brown was credited for three blocks that were kind of like half blocks, half strips on shots around the basket. For a team that's not known as a defensive team, what did they do to Miami last night?
Yeah, I thought they were good. Like if you take away the mistakes and just make people beat you over the top, you have a good chance of playing good enough defense to win. And I thought Miami got great things when Jimmy Butler had a matchup either initially in transition or after a screen by a small that got him with anybody but Gordon on him. I thought he really did a good job in attacking every other matchup.
I thought he missed some. I think he was six or 16 and half, something like that. I thought he had great opportunities in the first half that he didn't cash in at the high percentage that you would expect. So I think they could go to that more.
But I just think Denver did a much better job eliminating blatant mistakes. If you don't get beat in transition and then you don't make bad mistakes, they have such good overall size that it becomes hard even if they're not the most vertical team to go up and block shots or anything like that. Because to me, out of bio struggle last night to score, I'm so impressed, first of all, out of bio like. Oh my God, to get ready to play screening, passing.
And he had good opportunities and he just missed. And I think Butler and he, if they get the same shots, they'll do better. And I think you look at the combination of Struce, Vincent, after playing, getting him off to a great start in game two, Struce did. And then Vincent was such a great, he played so well in that second half with Robinson.
Like they didn't get a big contribution from any of those guys last night. So yeah, I think they'll play better. And I think there's some things that they can go to. But if Denver doesn't make blatant mistakes like they did in game two, their size can still win out.
Yeah, I thought Butler finished with 28 on 11 of 24. Four assists is the number that stood out to me. I thought Denver was a little bit more careful with when they helped and where they helped from, both when he was going one on one against Murray and Caldwell Pope. He's also bullying too.
And on the pick and roll, I thought they were instead of we're going to, if we're dropping back on Jimmy, instead of bringing that third guy all the way in every single time, we're going to try to play two on two or like two and a half on two and make those kick out reads a little harder. You'll get shot a block on Butler at the rim. Maybe it was on Bam on a pocket pass. I can't remember on a play that he played two on two, basically a pick and roll he played two and two and then Vincent and Struce, three of 17, Duncan Robinson had a couple of threes late that didn't add up too much.
What did you make of? It's always curious to me when Miami, and they did it when they were behind substantially in the fourth quarter, goes with the lineup that has no Struce and no Robinson, like neither of their ace shooters. So it's Lowry, Vincent, Butler, Martin, Bam. I always think, I guess, suppose thinking let's just go all defense and see if we can get back into the game that way.
I do, that lineup's interesting to me. And it's also interesting that we have not seen the Butler, Martin, Love, Bam, super big lineup that maybe they just think it's too slow. But what do you make of that like no Struce, no Robinson look? Well, I thought for a time there that lineup has the ability to really extend the floor.
The physicality is tremendous and the quickness and speed. Again, Miami is not the most gifted offensive team. And so I think they're searching each and every night, how can we keep our defensive integrity while still having enough offense on the floor? And I thought, Martin looked better last night than he did in the first two games.
They just got absolutely pummeled in the paint, pummeled on the backboard. And there's a lot of things that go into why that happened. But at the end of the day, the size of Denver to me showed up and showed out and was the absolute difference in the game. They're just big.
And I think Miami, out of Iowa, what's he, 686, 9, whatever he is? 669. As hard as he can, but Yoka just size advantage. And then you go Gordon and Porter Jr.
All the way through. I just think they're overall size one out last night. The tracking numbers on second spectrum seem a little wonky to me this morning. I think there's something off in Denver scoring against the heat zone.
It only lists them right now facing one possession of zone defense, which is obviously wrong. Something happened there. But to my eyes, that was Denver's best game against the zone. What did you think and what did you see?
Again, I don't have the numbers, but it seemed to me they were comfortable against the zone. And Miami kind of came out of it a little earlier than you would think. Well, I thought they ran more. They ran a couple of different actions that just took Yoka and didn't put him in the high post area.
They got him in the low post one time against the zone. That's where Christian Brown had one of his cuts and finishes. I think they moved Yoka or Yoka or Yoka's move himself. However, it worked to different spots on the floor.
And then I thought they were more active in the cutting game once the ball found Yoka. So I agree with you. I thought they played very well, very comfortably. But obviously Miami wasn't in zone as much, but you're right.
I mean, they were in it. I'm going to say 10, 12 times for sure. I was going to say I was going to guess like a dozen, a dozen times. What else can Miami do to win game for other than just make more threes?
What adjustments are there? What did you see out there? What else is there for them to do? I think when they blitz Murray, I wouldn't be.
I wouldn't stay on the blitz as long as they did last night. I would blitz hard for a slide and slide and a half and then get back. So we're not stretched out as long. I think that's one thing defensively that they could go to.
And I would blitz Murray at the start to try to negate his initial aggression. I think you keep attacking for junior when you can. I think they should do that more. I think they didn't go at him enough last night.
You know, they got off like screws made some good plays early passes. You know, he had like florists this early in the game. I think getting Butler, getting Gordon off of Butler as early in the shot clock as possible will produce good shots. And I think out of Iowa, again, like he's taken 20 shots in a game.
He should. He needs to. I think his night started with a really good initial move on the first possession of the game and he missed an easy like reverse layup. But I think he's got to keep going at Yolkich off the dribble.
I thought again, like to me, they got to shoot better. Certainly they got to get, you know, I think Vincent was troubled by the early foul, trouble never found a good rhythm. Somebody's going to have to step forth and make, you know, three, four threes. But I think, you know, it comes down to, you know, the Riley, no rebounds, no rings.
You're not winning games. You lose, you know, getting out of by 25. You're just, you're just not. And you can't get cumbled in the paint.
The game in the paint is more consistent than the three point game. So, you know, they're going to have to figure out how they can stand a firmer in the paint and on the board. But there are some things offensively that I think they can do and did last night to get good shots. And I think they've got to continue to exploit those.
Yeah, it's, it's interesting you mentioned Struce and Struce's playmaking because I kind of thought, you know, I've talked a lot about how they have to get Yolkich moving from the paint to the ark and back on the same possession. I call it the Yolkich, yo, yo, get him, get him dropping back against Butler and then pivot into a BAM two man game with Struce Robinson and you've got to get back up and he's got to chase. I thought they lost that thread of their offense a little bit in the second half and they can get a little more out of that. Porter, I want to talk about Porter.
So, they run the first play of the game for Michael Porter Jr. Clearly Michael Malone said we're going to try and get you going. Pin down for Michael Porter Jr. He misses.
He finishes one of seven, two points. This guy's average like 20 a game in the NBA for long periods of time. Two points. He's had a miserable series.
Plates 21 minutes. They close with their Bruce Brown, all defense and Yolkich and Murray lineup. And yet, and he was the subject of much criticism coming out of the game too. And yet, there were a couple of plays, one of which you called out right on the broadcast where he got switched on to Jimmy Butler in the third or fourth game.
Nice rear view contest on a Butler long two. And then later, somebody missed and he just went right around Struce for a monster offensive rebound. Missed a put back and I think it ended with a Yolkich put back. It was like a tip parade and Yolkich put it in.
And those two plays, like those are winning effort plays and they made me hopeful for Michael Porter Jr. He might have a game yet in him in the series because his offenses and going, his minutes are down. He's a young player. He was a little sulky in game two and he could have got super sulky last night.
And those couple of plays he made, I was like, his head is still in the series. And if he keeps his head in the series and he goes long enough, he is going to have a game when the threes fall for him. I thought those plays, I just, they just kind of worm their way into my brain. Well, I thought you work your way out of any offensive struggle is to get out of yourself, get back into the team and make plays that require effort and energy.
And he had, I love the offensive rebound sequence that you talked about. I think Mark, I don't think Mark agrees with me, but if when Gordon rests, when Butler's in, I'd rather have Porter Jr on him with size than the smaller, more acclaimed, uh, other nugget defenders. I just think size on Butler is more impactful than, you know, speed and lateral quickness. And so I think if Porter Jr, like I think some of his issues defensively are effort, but they're also body type.
He's this like really, I mean, he must be six, 11. But he must be almost seven feet. He's so big. I think he's listed at six, 10, but he's, he's a, I mean, it's hard getting down and negotiating these screens.
And oftentimes on these screens, he's so far behind the guy, he's guarding at the point of the screen that they're almost forced into a yokech early on some of these through passes had to hold so long on, on, on spruce. And I think sometimes Porter Jr should just veer back to the guy who screened him because his size does give him the ability to hold his ground against, like a bam out of bio and I liked him on Butler, but I just think, you know, make these effort plays and your offense will find itself. He's too good a shooter if he's in the right frame of mind and he's getting into the game from an effort standpoint to continue to miss. Yeah, I find those minutes when Butler is on the floor and Gordon is on the bench to be really interesting.
You know, going into the series, I wondered if they would just try to play Gordon every minute that Butler is on the floor and then you think, well, I mean, Butler is one of those players who's going to play 45 minutes, 42 minutes, whatever it is in the biggest games and Aaron Gordon, you know, they have guys who are good off the bench. And generally kind of take a little bite of Aaron Gordon's minutes. He's not a 45 minute game player. I still wonder that those minutes from an August perspective, like when I see Jeff Green on Jimmy Butler and Jeff Green's having an okay series, I'm like, ooh, that doesn't seem like great matchup and the same.
What do you think of? Should Spo just have Bam out there every minute? Yolkich is out there and that's a harder question. I think then people realize because Yolkich plays the whole first quarter and the whole third quarter and Jimmy Butler likes to play the whole first quarter and the whole third quarter.
So if Bam is also playing the whole first quarter and the whole third quarter, you've got to either rest butler at a different place or you're going to end up resting them both together at some point maybe. I mean, but any the minutes with zeller have not been good. No, but last night he actually held up much better than he did out in Denver. You know, you got the charge call last night.
I thought he held up better last night. But again, you know, if you'll get to murder, you're basically playing the whole game. Yeah. I think it's really hard.
I mean, particularly if they're if they're rolling like they were last night. I mean, the conditioning it takes to play 45 minutes hard with the balls in your hand and you're having to create plays like and then guard. Particularly a perimeter player like Murray, that was phenomenal conditioning. And so then you go to a bio like you think about him glitzing, picking roles, being undersized in comparison to yokech being really the only player of size on the floor oftentimes to having to try to, you know, rebound the ball in traffic, you know, create clays, shoot jump shots.
I mean, there has to be some minutes where he can rest. But when you look at how the games have gone, he's going to probably have to play, you know, 42 plus every night. And this is, you know, game four is the last time there's only time there's one day between game every other game in this series. There's two game days in between.
So I think that plays to both teams because both teams really right now, you know, might be plays more guys, but the two main guys for both teams are going to play huge minutes. I'm interested to see if Miami goes to someone other than Zeller, I don't see how they could right now. It that's part of the drama of the finals as just a fan of these games is as a coach, you have to look into the eyes of your best players and say, can you give me 47 minutes? Can you give me another man?
I mean, like you probably you probably remember conversations like that looking at, you know, whether it was you, or Alan Houston or somebody and saying, you know, do you have any more for me, right? Well, yeah, I think I think back then again, you know, I just remember like, you know, when the finals that we were in in 99, you know, this was preload management days for Spanish and Tony, like I would have loved it. Tim Duncan had played like, you know, 34 minutes a game, you know, but he was playing like 45 minutes a game. And I get those moments.
I think that's why people that that's why people try to manage minutes throughout the course of the season. So if you're fortunate enough to get to where Miami and Denver is right now, you can play as many minutes as as necessary. And I think, you know, as necessary last night was 44 and 45 for Denver. They knew, especially going into the fourth quarter.
We've tried the rest with like two lousy fourth quarters. If we're going to play a third lousy fourth quarter, it's going to be because our best players were on the floor and they were too tired, but we're not trying to get them, you know, two, three minutes rest and then we lose the cushion that we built up. So I think these, I think, you know, every game is different, but I wouldn't suspect much would be different minute wise with the two stars for Denver. We saw a couple hard double teams on Yokich post-ups last night.
Miami's really trying to stay home on the shooters when Yokich is posting up. First of all, they're trying to get him to not be able to post up by fronting him all the time. We saw him seal Bam for a lob like post up at the elbow almost and get a lob that he just missed a chippy out of that. But we did see a couple hard double teams, one of which resulted in Murray getting that one pass away three.
They're trying to help off the nearest guy and get right back to him and not help off anybody else. And I highlighted a possession in game two when Butler did that off of Murray, Yokich kicked it to him and the pass was like low into the left and Murray couldn't get an open three off. He had to repost it and Bam of course is already fronting because Bam's an animal. And I said it's like that's the margin, like inches, that's the margin.
And last night that pass was on target and he got what might be the first like easy one pass away three they've gotten the entire series. And Lowry got a strip on another hard double T. Kyle Lowry, that two's hands must be made of like, I don't even know, like whatever Wolverine is made of would have tight. I don't know whatever Wolverine is made of in the X-Men.
He's got such great anticipation, such strong hands and he'll put his body into the play. And you know, again, my term is contact place, whatever anybody else. He's not avoiding. He's he's inserting himself into the mix and he does it with intelligence toughness.
And like you said, tremendous anticipation and use of his hands. Really he's a great screener. And I thought they missed some opportunity, not opportunities, but there were good plays where he screened for Butler last night when he had Murray on him and he would flip the angle of the screen and like Jimmy would Jimmy went kind of the way that Aaron Gordon expected him to do so. Denver shut that off, but I like him screening for Butler and vice versa really because you know, they can go under sometimes on Butler when he's the ball handler.
But Kyle Lowry is just an awesome, awesome screener. And I think there's there are little bits of profit for them to get going there too. I agree. I thought they did a good job.
Again, I think Butler, if you look at the quality of his shot, you know, he think he took four threes. He made one versus an Aaron Gordon going under a pick and roll. But the other shots he got, I thought he could have easily had instead of 11 for 24, to me, he could have had 14 for 24, 15 for 24. I thought I thought he because of those screens and other people, other small guys setting screens, forcing switches and then him having advantageous matchups, I thought he could have had, you know, he had 28, but I thought he could have had, you know, a 40 point game.
I thought that was the quality of shot. He got and if they're able to do that again, I think that's really good offense for him. And I got to say every time a team goes under a screening against Butler, the same thing goes on in my brain in real time, every single possession. Oh, that's really smart.
They're mixing and they're going under a gym, but they're like, oh, he just made a three pointer like he just he just every time they do it, he punishes them. And I know you got to go. I just want to highlight one defensive possession. Can I say one last thing on that?
Yes, absolutely. Bam out of bio as a screener is so good. Like I don't know what the legality of his screens are, but these are full body like I'm taking you out of the plane. You try to go under against a lot of guys, you can go under and guys aren't impact.
Bam out of bio like he's cleaning you up. Like this guy gets people more space and I don't know how you can chart this, but to me, he gets guys more space, more separation than an average screener. This guy, like we talk about making guys better with passes. This guy makes guys better because of his willingness to screen on an every night basis.
It is impressive. I coach on this podcast. I have pitched already the last week that part of the NBA's media training should be at Summer League. We all have to try to get around a bam out of bio screen against like a good NBA, like bring gay Vincent into Summer League.
We all have to try see how that feels because it doesn't feel good. And if you try to get under it, they're going to win the race to the other side because you're not getting hung up. You're not getting clean under that thing. No, he's not allowing that.
Like I watch. I mean, it's really impressive. If people want to see a really good Denver defensive possession and how they were locked in last night, about two 15 left in the third quarter Kyle Lowry Bam pick and roll. Christian Brown is on Lowry.
Three heat players are spaced to the right side. The other three guys are all bunched up together. Christian Brown chases over the screen. A plus, Yokech drops back solid, Bam's rolling.
Bruce Brown because the other three guys are all bunched up says I can come in and help a little bit here. My other two guys can take these three guys are close together, comes in and helps off of I want to say Caleb Martin. Kyle Lowry sees that kicks the ball to Caleb Martin. Kyle Lowry is like right under the rim when he makes his pass.
Bruce Brown flies out with the ball, runs Caleb Martin off the line. Caleb Martin beats him off the dribble. Who does he run right into? Christian Brown who's in there because Kyle Lowry was in the paint.
Kyle Lowry's going back out to the arc. Bruce Brown reads that right away. So I'm switching on to Kyle Lowry. Possession dies out.
Denver was like dialed in last night on defense. And when they're dialed in on defense, I mean, I pick Nuggets and six. I just think they're a little bit better than Miami and game four, obviously coach, it's a must win for Miami. They're not going to be done for three times in a row.
They're not going to beat them twice at home. I'm laughing because like when we talk in the playoffs like, like, it's important for Miami, but like you said earlier, like it's also important for Denver. I mean, you it's not about getting home court advantage. It's about like not being softened by the win last night.
If you're Denver, like, no, like we have to come out. You cannot mess around. It's just they are a little bit better, but they're not so much better that they can, they can be assured like, Hey, if we turn it into a three game series, we got two at home, it'll take care of itself. All seeing these, the pressure that mounts on game five home teams and it's hard.
And so then if you're not successful there, you're going back to Miami, game six, like so, you know, they're all important. Obviously it's in this case, you would say it's more important for Miami, but I think that's a dangerous mentality if you're in Denver. You have to conjure up in your mind that this game is more important to us or as important to us. You're right.
You're playing for the championship, you know, like every game, every inch you get their matters, Miami wins tomorrow. It's two, two. They've beat Milwaukee. They beat Boston.
One team has won in Denver in the playoffs. One, it's them. They don't care. They don't care if they lost by 15.
It's already out of their brains. They're going to come back and they're going to pound you and pound you and pound you because that's what they do. So I can't wait for game four. Jeff Van Gundy, you'll be on the call with our friends Mike Green and Mark Jackson.
Thank you for your time, sir. You got it. Have a great day. Okay.
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I want to understand what the hell is going on with Chris Paul. So there's nobody better to do that with than resident cap expert Florida man Bobby Marx. How are you, sir? I'm good, Zach.
How are you? Good. I just had Van Gundy on to talk about the finals and I mentioned all these Miami heat lineups and machinations and adjustments. I forgot to mention Tyler Hero.
So before we start with the Chris Paul man, I just wanted to acknowledge Tyler Hero and the possibility that he might return. And last night, felt like a game where I've said before that the heat could use his pull up jumpshooting and short spurts here and there. I wouldn't overdo it. But he told our Rosgold on Wude that he's still experiencing soreness that was in game two and in his hand.
So I just wanted to at least remember that Tyler Hero exists as a potential wild card here is that he tried to even up the series or get into the series or whatever. But the longer it goes, the more it feels like, is this just going to not happen with Tyler Hero is it just an extra thing? We'll see. Well, yeah, especially if they don't get game four, I mean, this thing could be over by Monday.
I mean, that's kind of the reality of it. I think if, you know, certainly if they even it out, we might see him here. Yeah, I mean, there's certainly parts of game three and I thought game one, you know, I think we forget how good of a rebounder he is to with his size. Even if he's not out there making shots, just to, you know, gives you another body with, if your lineup is struggling with the Struv's Vincent Martin, Duncan Robinson group out there, bigger defender.
So we'll see if he's out there. But as I said, if we if this thing goes back to Denver three one, I don't like the chances of seeing Tyler Hero out there. So I am in the NBA finals bunker and I would like to come out of the NBA finals bunker Bobby could I be a final? This is the whole reason we do this.
In the nonsense, all the drafts and the undrafted reagents and the trade rumors and all these, all to get here. So I'm in my bunker. I'm watching every game like three times. I'm talking to people.
I don't like to come out of my finals bunker. I certainly don't like to come out of it to talk about the top of the 2019 draft class in whatever the hell I have missed that is going on there. Yeah, that's more for a, that's more for the night crowd, you know, the after the 10 to 10 p.m. and above the, you know, when put your kids away to bed crowd truthfully people aren't going to believe the degree to which I'm in the bunker.
You all had to explain to me what I have missed in the last 36 hours. Dan, my producer, Andrea, the video producer, you can all attest to it. I was like, what's happening? So we're going to table that one for a different day.
Maybe I can resurrect the drinking Vegas podcast that I used to do with Howard Beck and Rachel and Nick, I can resurrect that and it feels appropriate for that. Anyway, what the hell is going on with Chris Paul? So Chris Paul has not been waived. He is still a member of the Phoenix Suns.
He is still under a contract that pays him $30.8 million in this coming season about 15.8 of which is guaranteed. And then 30, the next season, none of which is guaranteed. So let's just erase that. He's on a $30.8 million expiry.
Has not been waived. The deal becomes fully guaranteed, I believe, on June 28th. So that's when the 30.8, it's locked in, blah, blah, blah. Then it's, so he's not waived.
Hasn't been waived. Don't waive. What would you report yesterday that there have been discussions with Chris Paul's representatives and the Phoenix Suns about his future with the Phoenix Suns, a future that could include him being waived, could involve him being waived with the stretch provision, which would allow them to stretch that $15.8 million over, I believe, three seasons. So five and change each one.
Five seasons. Oh, because that's right. The second episode. So it's three and change each one.
But if you stretch him, you can't re-sign him. If you waive him, just outright pay him all the money. And he clears waivers. You can re-sign him.
Which feels to me like it should be illegal. It shouldn't be allowed. Why is it allowed? Why am I thinking of Zadrunasil Gauskis when this comes up?
Like, why is that okay? That's different. That was the Zadrunasil Gauskis was that he was, what was he traded and then he waived them and then he re-signed, right? Like, that was that rule as far as you can't, you can't, Chris Paul cannot get traded to, let's see, Atlanta, the Hawks waive him and then Phoenix re-signed.
That is not allowed. It was like, it shouldn't be allowed for the Suns to waive Chris Paul, pay him $15.8 million and then re-sign him for some much lower amount. Although he's getting all the money either way. So I just, it just feels like, feels a little, just like, I don't know, weird.
But so, okay, so, so let's go through the options. What is that? What is actually going on here? How about we start there?
What's going on? Yeah. So, you know, you can see between Chris Paul and his representatives and the Suns and basically they kind of outlined what the offseason is going to look at for the perspective of, you know, you've got Kevin Durant, you've got DeAndre Eit, and you've got Devin Booker, guys making 30 million plus, Chris Paul would be the fourth guy there, right? So in reality, how this roster is constructed, it's not really feasible to bring back these four players and then, I mean, it is feasible, but basically your options are limited.
You're basically filling it out with all players to the veteran minimum exception, right? That's the reality of the situation here. Phoenix does not have to do anything until June 28th, which I don't think they will because that will be post draft in case a trade happens here. When you look at it from the Suns perspective, you kind of laid it out.
They're basically two different options here. If there's no trade in place, right, you can wave him and incur the $15.8 million cap hit and then that basically leaves you with a $5 million tax mid-level exception, okay? I went through the numbers yet last night and then basically you're filling out the roster with players signed to the veteran minimum exception. That's the reality of it.
And that still puts you over the luxury tax, right? Sets you below that first apron number, but below the luxury tax, then you can stretch him. So basically you're taking that $15.8 million number and you're stretching it over five years. It's a $3.2 million cap hit.
You will not be allowed to resign him. That's part of the rules. And that gives you access to the bigger exception, your $12.2 million non-tax mid-level exception to go out and split it up among however many players you want to do, two players, three players. Maybe it's one player here, but you're still space with the situation where most of your roster and free agency is still going to be signed with players signed to the veteran minimum exception here.
So that's kind of the two different options. Certainly the first option where you're basically taking on that big cap hit, you can resign and you can sign him to the veteran minimum exception if that's what he wants to do. It's like $3 million to bring him back and then use that smaller exception on somebody else. I don't think he wants to come back for the minimum because I think if he would, I think that's what would be happening.
So I took this as they met. The meeting does not appear to have gone well. And Chris, here are your options. We can wave you and resign you at X number, whatever number that might be.
We can stretch you and say goodbye. Or we could keep you for $30.8 million, but that's going to take us right up to the second paper. And once we fill up our roster, we're not going to have any exceptions, either the big or the small mid-level exception because we're going to have too much money. And so our team is going to be problematic to build.
So this is the reality staring us in the face. Is there any way this is just a game of chicken about how much money they'll resign Chris Paul for after waving him? Or is this like, what is the end game here? Yeah, I mean, I don't know about a game of chicken.
I mean, at the end of the day, this was coming, right? I mean, where, why it happened, you know, the first week of June, you know, I think it's more that they just had this meeting. And based on, you know, where their finances are, like, this was coming. I didn't see like, I didn't, the only way I saw Chris Paul's contract being guaranteed at that full number was for them to use him in a trade, right?
For them to use him in a trade and see if you can go out and split that up into two players or three players and bounce out your roster here. I just never, I never thought that. But here's the thing about the trade though. If I'm taking his $30.8 million and I'm trading for whatever players that make cut either one or multiple up to that number, near that number, I'm not solving the financial constraint thing.
And I guess I am in that I'm turning him into three players. And so I don't care if I don't have the exceptions that you're talking about. Maybe that's all there is. I just, I haven't found a great Chris Paul trade of that.
I only have really one or two suggestions. No, either of I. And I think now that it's out that the likelihood is that they're waving him, now you have teams saying, wait a minute, I can maybe possibly sign him to maybe one of our exceptions or maybe he comes to the Clippers for the veteran minimum. I don't want to just throw you out there.
I mean, I look the big picture is Chris Paul's made $376 million in his career, right? So is he at a point where he's looking for the 12.2 non-taxmen level? I mean, I think we also have to remember that there's a set there's a set off in the contract, too. So like it's not like Chris Paul is going to get the 15.8 and then go sign somewhere for 14 million and get both.
Like there's a reduction and as far as what Phoenix would owe him there. So no, I haven't found it. I haven't found a good trade. I think, you know, if you're Phoenix, you're kind of you're doing your due diligence.
You're seeing maybe something happens around the draft unlikely here. And then you probably go in the course of waving him and then it's a matter of if his contract is stretched. I think certainly DeAndre eight, well, which mentioned it in the article DeAndre eight and certainly could be in play. Maybe that opens up some more flexibility for you as far as breaking up that contract.
But the likelihood I would say is that his that Chris Paul is probably not on the son's roster that he is stretched that they do go out there operating as a team with that 12.2 on non-taxman level exception. And then depending now it's where does he go, right? Like that's going to be the next thing like him on him on the veteran minimum. That's a great value contract, right?
Him at the $5 million tax management level is a great value contract. Who are the good teams that would have the full mid level to throw at him that actually need a point guard? I think the Lakers certainly, right? That's that's the one, right?
Yeah, that comes down to the Lakers. Really? Because if you know how we've talked about in the past where if they, you know, with Ruby and Austin Reeves and they're going to operate as a team, basically kind of over the cap, they would still have that non-taxman level and they would still have the flexibility to resign to sign those two players go out and get Chris Paul. I think they would still have some wiggle room to stay below the luxury tax here.
You know, that's in Keep Jarred Vanderbilt. That's your best probably as far as a team with that full that full non-tax mid level. I mean, the other teams, you know, are, you know, the Cleveland's of the world, the Sacramento's of the world, you know, teams that he would probably have to go as a backup to. But I think he can roll into the with the Lakers and, you know, certainly be their starter.
Clippers only have the veteran minimum because where they're out there with finances. Same with, you know, Boston would only have the I heard the Celtics name mentioned this morning, you know, just perusing through TV. They only have the veteran minimum because of the whole Grant Williams situation here. So it really kind of comes down to the Lakers if he's looking to try to make the most money in his next contract.
Yeah, the Lakers make a ton of sense because, you know, I do think they have some interest in bringing Daniel Russell back. But if this were to present itself as a cheaper and shorter term alternative that I think that makes a lot of Chris Paul just better to Daniel Russell. Here's the thing. Chris Paul's still good.
Like this feels kind of bad for Phoenix that just traded McHale bridges and Cam Johnson and four first round picks and a swap and J Crowder who wasn't playing, who wasn't there for Kevin Durant. And I think part of the idea of that trade was Chris Paul plus Devin Booker plus Kevin Durant plus DeAndre and we're talking about turning Chris Paul into an exception salary slot or if you can't trade him, like that feels like not great for Phoenix. And then you mentioned it and you know, Frank Vogel, I think was honest when he was talking about how he was excited to connect with the Envigorate his career. I don't know how how widely that excitement is shared within the Phoenix Suns organization, which has been totally revamped under Matt Ischbia.
But like this feels like a pretty, this is a lot of instability to have on your roster after you just made this mega trade. And it feels like this is an, they really need a stable year. Like they didn't, they didn't get one this year because of Durant's injury and then all the stuff that went bad in the playoffs, right? With Chris getting hurt, DeAndre playing badly and then getting hurt.
It feels like you introduce a lot of flux with that kind of trade, but you had this, this sort of ecosystem that you were, you were counting on with these four guys. It doesn't seem great to me that two of them are now like, may not, like, there's some uncertainty about them. And one of them may turn into a cap exception. That seems not great.
Like, Chris Paul is an injury risk. He's older, not the same guy, doesn't have the same zip. We all know that wasn't great in the playoffs. He's still good.
I think the question for me is what's the end game, right? What's the end game at point guard? So you wave Chris Paul, you still have campaign who's got a partial guarantee to likelihood as you guarantee him, you know, you go into free agency, touting that you've got this, you know, this $12.2 million exception. Like who's the guy?
Who are the guys, right? Like you're, you're, yeah, you're looking at base. I don't think, I don't think it's Gabe Vincent. I think Gabe Vincent is probably, I mean, I think he's a non-taxman, a 12, two guy, maybe a little bit more.
And I think probably Miami is still the priority for him. But then you're looking at guys like Dennis Schruder, right? Like there's a list of those Pat, like, you know, one year type guys that can come in here. I think the big question for me or the, you know, what I would ask Phoenix is that if this was next year, which is 2024, when these more stringent rules are going to come into place, like I understand it.
Like I understand why you would cut bait with Chris Paul and go in this direction. I kind of get it this year. I mean, there are the rules are coming into place. And based on where their finances are, they only have the veteran minimum.
They don't have a first round pick to go out and fill seven roster spots there. So I guess that exception is appealing. But I mean, you just get based, you get lumped with the rest of teams here in a, you know, free agency's hard to go out and get one of these, you know, a guy to take a discount at 12, no matter what. I'm saying, Duran and Booker playing like 48 minutes every game.
Like what are we doing here? Maybe the end game is like, do we spin eight and into a point guard or another or another ball handler? I don't even want to mention, I barely want to mention the possibility of an eight and Kyrie centric sign and trade because I don't know how anybody, and I have no idea if this is, this is not what happens though is that, I mean, what happens with getting rid of Chris Paul now, it gives you more flexibility if you were going to entertain the sign and trade option, right? Like that gives you the flexibility with his number, whether at 15 eight or whether it be stretched to be able to stay under that, you know, whatever, $169, $170 million threshold, right?
That gives you the bigger buffer. Now the question is like, well, if it's eight and like, what else do you got? Like, right? Like that's none of these are great choices.
And I don't know how anybody could have watched that movie in Brooklyn and want to recreate it. But I don't, we'll see what happens. I still think Kyrie probably resigns and Dallas, just because they'll offer them the most money, but I just, this, the clipper, like I thought maybe the clippers look like a team where they could, they could break it up into smaller contracts. But then it's like, am I getting that?
Like what's smaller contracts am I taking back? They're not going to want to trade me Terrence, man, probably if I can get Terrence, man, that's, that's interesting. But like his platoon plus Covington or Morris plus Batum or Morris, like two of those three guys, like it's not that Powell plus Batum. I mean, none of that is that exciting to me if I'm the sons.
No, no, I mean, that's what you're basically looking at. I mean, as I said, especially knowing that this guy, he could be, he'll be on the waiver wire come, you know, June, June 28th. I mean, like he would be perfect in San Antonio. I mean, if that's how he wants to finish it, right?
I mean, basically kind of, you know, with that group there, but I don't think from a rebuilding standpoint, even with the appeal of Victor and playing for pop, right? Like that, I don't know if that does it for you, especially for, as I said, he's made so much money in his career that, you know, he can pick his spot, but it's going to come out of, you know, come out of discount right now. What's the, what if Hardin leaves Philly? Yeah, that opens up the non-taxment level for them.
Him and Maxi's just so small, but it's so small. I get the finances behind it. I get why this was heading here. It just for it to come out June 7th is strange.
Yeah, that's the thing. Like, and so like, that's why, you know, listen, you're three weeks away from the deadline, the cut date, Chris Paul yesterday, even though it came out, was not going to hit the waiver wire because it just made zero sense here. And I think with your Phoenix, what you're doing is you're doing your due diligence. Who are my guys at the five million dollar taxman level?
Who are my guys at the bigger exception here? And I think that will play a big role, because, you know, you're doing your back channeling as far as what we can get come free agency. And you know, what can I actually get? Yeah.
And I think, and I understand it from Chris's perspective, like you want some clarity as far as who you know. I mean, like, you could go down a list of teams who have who has money and who has available accessions, right? That's the reality of it. And getting waived on June 25th and June 28th, I don't see it as kind of a, you know, it doesn't move the needle for me.
Did you read anything into Damien Lillers comments to Brian Custer who hosts get up here and there for Greenie and has his own podcast, the last stand about? If if you were ever traded, what team would he prefer out of? I think he was S Miami, New York, Brooklyn, maybe another team. And he said Miami and they said Brooklyn because he loves Bam and he loves McElbert is, but he also said he wants to stay in Portland and expects to stay in Portland, which didn't get as much publicity as the other parts.
No, I mean, what I got out of it is that I am, I think as much intrigue that Victor has coming into the draft in the 22nd, Portland, I basically have circled as the team to watch, right? For so many different reasons, because as far as whether they stay at three or they'd look to try to upgrade and put other pieces around Lillert here, like, I think that's, like, if they walk out with a third pick, I don't know how that impacts Damien Lillert in a positive when you're rolling into free agency saying we're going to bring back Jeremy Grant and that's basically it there. How I, what I made of it was that if there ever was a scenario where he becomes in play, it has to be the summer, especially for, especially if we're talking about a team like the Heat, right? Because now this is like, this is the window when you have a guy making $45, $46 million, you know, when, if, you know, where the new rules come into play next, the harder restrictions in 2024, where Miami could potentially become a second apron team or right up against that, you will next year, you won't be able to put Duncan Robinson and Tyler here out together, right?
Just throwing that out there. Like, this is the summer to go out and, you know, where you can aggregate that type of money here. So I think we'll see where it plays out, but it is interesting that, you know, usually he's pretty coy about it, but where he did start mentioning teams, whether it be Miami and Brooklyn. Well, he was led there by a specific question.
And my read on it was, you know, Miami's in the finals. Yeah. He has a relationship with Bam, Miami's Miami, everybody wants to live in Miami. It was in Brooklyn for the Nets play his friends with Michael Bridges.
So, so I read that part of it as less. I would love to go to Brooklyn and more. I would love if McKill Bridges were on Portland and hey, Joe Cronin, how about number three plus Simon's for McKill Bridges? Now I've said before, I'm not sure that Nets would do that.
I, a month at the lottery, I had heard they probably wouldn't do that. I actually think that's a fair issue offer. I love McKill Bridges. I know they got offered four first round picks or whatever it was from, from teams, I think Memphis from McKill Bridges.
None of those first round picks are nearly as valuable, even combined, maybe as the number three pick in this draft, if it ends up being Scoot Henderson, right? I mean, like that is a massive blue chip asset. Well, if you said to me, three and Shane Sharp and just fill in the salaries, you know, then that would peak my interest. I don't think they're trading sharp.
I think they like sharp too much. So, but my other point, so that's how I read that. And that's the kind of move I think that Dame would likely want to see if he stays in Portland. There are other guys I'm sure they'll target, you know, Portland is sniff around and it will be before.
I'm not sure what Toronto is going to do this summer. I don't, they don't have a coach yet for one. Well, I think it's interesting too, when we're talking about like just hypothetical Portland, like I read and you know, Joe Cronin came out and said like, you know, they owe that Chicago pick, right? That's basically top 14 protected for the foreseeable future.
I think it's like the next five or six years. He's come out and said like, Hey, there's a deal on the table. I'm willing to basically change that protection to basically fast forward when we can move another first year. I reported that at the end of the day, they will do that if they have to.
The thing about Miami is like, that's cool that Dame said he wants to go there. But it's Tyler hero and how many picks can I am sure they owe this 2025 first local home city. They can probably trade three first now, right? Yeah, they can go 23, which is this year.
I think it's like 18th, 18th picking the draft and then 27 29, right? Some are like, yeah, so probably this year and then plus two, they owe that 25 pick to OK, say so they can. That's that's not awesome for Damian Lillard. And I know that Damian Lillard's contract is gigantic and no one quite knows how to value these gigantic B.
Oh, lillard contracts and the ones that will follow them, particularly as you know, Dame enters his early and then mid 30s. But this is the greatest blazer of all time. Like, this is this is still one healthy this year, a first team, all NBA level player. And now I had him on 13 because he missed a lot of games in Portland, tanked at the end of the season.
But he was that good. He just he just had the best year of his career. You said Tyler, hero Duncan Robinson and three first round picks. And what's the future of those Miami picks?
I mean, the betting against the heat betting that you're going to get a heat like in a, you know, a situation where they bought him out and you're going to get a great pick. Like that hasn't been a profitable bet to make against the Miami Heat ever, similar to the dropage trade with Phoenix. Like that's that's that's stinks. Yeah.
Yeah. There's no, I mean, those picks likely are in the 20s here. Now, if you said to me, hero, Caleb Martin, whatever, I don't even know if that, you know, appeals to me. I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, there's no, I mean, they're nice players, but I get to walk off playoff shots.
Yeah, I inherit four years and $130 million of Tyler heroes contract. It doesn't do, it doesn't move the needle. I do think all of this shows you. I know that John Hollinger has written about all of these teams that have traded all of their picks and are so are thus sort of locked out of making moves.
I still think this summer is going to be frenetic. I mean, it might not all result in movement, but I think there are enough teams and enough players in situations of instability that stuff is going to happen. And I don't think this game stuff is like an accident. I don't think he's publicly commenting on this for no reason or answering these questions.
He's very smart. He knows what he's doing. And we haven't even talked about because it's, I mean, the finals bunker, we haven't even talked about the wizards who just overhauled their entire front office. And look, I would bet my last bottom dollar that Michael Winger from the Clippers does not take that job if he is not given carte blanche to do whatever the hell he wants, including with Bradley Beale's cooperation because he has no trade clause, somehow trading Bradley Beale.
And I would bet not all my dollars, but some of them that when Michael Winger looks at this franchise, he probably would prefer to take a step backward and get out of this muck that they've been in playing champions and wannabes of the world. And so that's another situation that, yeah, I know like a lot of teams have traded their picks, but like I just feel like there's just, there's just a lot in the air. Yeah, I mean, especially and I think the, the approach with the Wizards is that trending water in a deep end at 36 wins is probably not good enough anymore, right? You know, and he's been pretty open.