Hoops Huddle: Trade Talks and Rising Teams
Daniel and Ekamresh are back on the show and do their first in-person podcast. The boys talk about the entire NBA season, the in-season tournament, and potential trades that could shock the league.
#nba #lakers #inseasontournament
What’s up guys welcome back to another episode of views from the sideline this episode’s really special because it’s actually the first episode that we’ve ever done in person in two and a half years of doing this podcast on and off this is the first time me and Daniel are
In the same room talking with the same mic to you guys which is really cool honestly yeah I mean I moved away we used to be neighbors so now it’s just special that we can move together I think especially since we’ve didn’t to wait for so long just coming back
Together and doing this and hopefully starting off a new Grind will be special yeah for sure for sure I mean it’s been a while since we did the last podcast I think we did one before the season even started so there’s G to be a lot of NBA
Stuff that we have to talk about in this podcast but I want to start first with the newest thing the most different change I would say um from the season which was the NBA inseason tournament which ran for about three and a half weeks uh at the start of the Season
Where games on Tuesdays and Thursdays were not they they counted towards team’s regular season records but they also counted towards the inseason tournament tournament where if they won against teams in their group they would go to the quarterfinals then the semi-finals and then the finals of the s
Season tournament based off of these regular season games and um well what happened was the Lakers ended up winning the entire thing funnily enough LeBron gets another Accolade um the Lakers ended up winning beating the Indiana Pacers in the finals uh and I think I think it was a massive success um what
What do you think about it I mean I think it’s just I think it’s an advantage for theam teams that aren’t as good in terms of playoff potential because if they have a chance to compete for something other than a championship like we saw the Pacers go all the way to
The finals and I mean now that we look at the league I don’t think the Pacers have the best odds of going to the finals so I think it’s just really you mean like getting the for the championship for the championship so it didn’t just give him like a chance to
Win a an inseason tournament also gave them more confidence going after that to know make them person play yeah know it’s also kind of cool how the all the mon AR benefits were there where the winning team each player got an extra 500,000 and everyone was like oh it
Doesn’t really 500,000 is nothing LeBron James making 50 million a year but what ended up happening is it motivated LeBron and you know his high paid teammates to to play well so that they could get guys like Max Christie and their two-way contract players more money because those guys only make like
Half a million to a million per year so 500,000 extra is a lot for them so it really motivated LeBron and and it was really nice to see him talk about that and how that was being that was one of the reasons why he wanted to win that
Tournament so badly yeah and also also actually the Pacers too the Pacers you know everyone was talking about the Pacers and oh wow it’s surprising they made the finals but I think they part of the reason why they made the finals is because they had so many guys in their
Roster who were 2-a contract g-league players who were rookies that just signed last season for minimum deals and Bets too so there weren’t a lot of guys on that roster that made a lot of money so that 500,000 was a really big incentive for a lot of them and and
That’s why they played so hard you got to the final yeah I think I mean I think he should still continue I just think the format is really continuing leading up to the quarterfinals so really if I had to change one thing it would be the
Full because I think the group stuff is a little weird why I mean I just think that I feel like it was pretty good yeah but I felt like I mean I think every group will be competitive just based on the town of the team but yeah I feel
Like they would have to they have to like put some standing together where like the first seed plays like I don’t know I mean not the 30 second SE that would make me on fair but I mean they have to put like the first he plays is
The 16 seed and then like the second seed plays like the 15th seed and they have them you know have guys that are more I don’t know it just it was really confusing for me just because the groups were kind of randomized I feel like could yeah I get what you’re saying like
I think in the group for the Lakers they had the Lakers the Suns I actually don’t even remember the other two I think it was the Blazers and the Jazz so it it’s like it a little bit it wasn’t exact it wasn’t just like you take your division
You play your Division and then the winners of the divisions go on for the two winners it was a little a little more mixed up than that but I think one of the really good things about this tournament was that the games were really really good like there were a lot
Of close games where people were playing toward till the end of the game and like trying hard and really giving them all which you wouldn’t see normally in the regular season so I think I think in that sense um that was a really good that was a really good benefit from the
Season like the games were just better too they felt like play I think it’s just better for the team overall I’m sure it improved like some teams chemistry also but yeah I feel like some in season tournament games especially if you have a good team play a bad team it
May be a little bit boring but I mean I mean have seeing that the good team especially with their rules about like points how points can be like a deal breaker oh the point differential stuff yeah so yeah that was really good I think even if team’s up by 15 20 points
They still want to score even more like I mean there was like there are some like dis like sometimes at the end when he want but I mean I guess it’s part of this tournament it’s just more entertaining so but I think it’s stupid that players get mad when people try and
Chck up through that end the game just in general because like it doesn’t really matter you know what I mean people want to get their points it doesn’t matter how you get your points it’s not disrespectful too because like you have like rookies or like two-way guys who are getting their minutes and
When they’re down 30 I mean I’m I’m sure they want to score a point or two yeah they could be their first points in the NBA it could be their last points too you know what I mean so yeah but I think overall for me and then ask you too I
Think I think it’s a yes for me in the terms of keeping the tournament I think it’s a good idea yeah for sure um and I think it’s really cool yeah it’s I mean the fact that it’s early in the season two makes it better because if you had
It like leading up to the playoffs I think that would kind of mess it up because you would have you know so much competitive stuff so I think just having you don’t want people to get tired so you have that like competitive stretch in the beginning of the Season then you
Have like a couple months of season play and then you get your is the best yeah yeah I I totally agree so smashing success uh but let’s move on and let’s let’s start to just talk about the general NBA landscape um it’s been a pretty crazy
Season there was a lot of I would say that the standings right now looking through the standings I did not expect a lot of the teams to be there to be where they are like we have the Minnesota Timberwolves who last season just that that whole Rudy go bear trade everyone
Climbed them last season when they just didn’t do it all at all um didn’t make it far in the playoffs and and they they switched up this year they’re the first seed right now through almost 30 games so almost a third of the season definitely definitely something
Something good from them um you want to talk a little about that yeah I mean I think they truly Unleashed their potential this year because I mean looking on them on paper their team was their team was like obviously up there and I mean last season they unleash
Their potential too late in the year I mean they got some more wins to get the eight seed and to go play the nuggets and obviously when you’re playing the Nuggets in the year that they won that you don’t have a good chance so I just
Think they learned a lot from that and they learned that they’re able compete and they just came out rolling this season Anthony Edwards is you know oh he’s so good is really good cat’s playing well Rudy go be is helping them so much defensively and on the boards although Mike Conley’s old I
Think he’s still helping them yeah no they just have a lot of nice guys that kind and they have a wide variety too they have like rookies who are entering the league they have like Anthony Edwards who’s going to step up maybe most improved you never know and you
Have maybe MVP too yeah maybe potentially and then you have defensive R go be going you play the year a couple times and then you have like veterans like Mike Conley and you know those guys who can give these so ADV and you know they can help mature the young time
Especially my times of Crisis year you know you’re in the playoffs or the last years I think they’re in going in a very good direction I won’t be surprised if they can maintain like I don’t know if you think they’re gonna keep it through the entire season or I don’t know about
The one seed I think it’ll be tough especially late in the year when we have I mean teams that are struggling I like the warrior Sun the Mavericks that are more experience than them so you think those teams will pick it up more I’m sure that the Warriors and Sun I mean
The Warriors have a lot of problems right now but I think this like seems like the Suns s do with the injes and you know the Mavericks are also doing going crazy everying when I watching no matter what team he’s playing against and I think the nuggets are just too
Dominant to so you don’t think they’re gonna have the one the Timberwolves are gonna have the one I think they have the potential to be top three for sure top three yeah yeah I see that too and I think actually I want to kind of shift a
Little bit to the Suns because right now the suns are sitting at 10th in the Western Conference uh there’s actually some reports about how Kat is a little bit frustrated and his his patience is wearing thin which is really interesting because you forget that he literally
Came to the Phoenix in February it has been it’s only been 10 months since he got to Phoenix he’s only played for what five or six of those so is it already time I mean there’s been some issues Bradley Beal has literally not played more than what three or four games for
Them in a row the entire year he’s been having back problems uh Devin Booker and Kevin Durant have been more in the lineup but even they haven’t been able to string together like a truly 30- gaug stretch of being healthy so do you think the suns are gonna are going to be a
Team that I mean you said they G to pick it up but do you think that they might move on from KD even at the trade deadline already KD graad the and de Booker they don’t have many guys that can you know on a bad game from those
Three someone can go in score like 25 30 like I mean you have ner but ner is more of a rebounding player you don’t see him putting up 20 30 points like very often so I mean going into the trade deadline I don’t know who would be fair for them
To trade but they need to get role players I you see teams like the Warriors I mean in their Championship run two years two seasons ago they had Jordan P other than Steph Curry they had Dr H have their Dynasty but you know they like Andrew wiggin yeah Jordan P
Andrew Wiggins like you know like SP Anderson to Auto quarter Jun I’ve seen a good reminder since like 2019 dra season no no bias no bias no bias no because if you think about it just looking at their roster I mean they have Kawai but then
They have look they have seaka they have KY lari they have ran po Fred Van like o no like they have so many guys that can just go in score like that Happ in the finals van had like 30 one game K lar had 30 in the last game then you had
Like Denny green who went off in game three and four so like they need some some a team like that I mean you need like I mean obvious they have their three stars yeah um honestly I think the question mark getting rid of they got you think get rid of valy already I
Think all I mean I think seeing I don’t watch the Suns too much but seeing them I think they’re way too injury tone with him so I think that they have to get rid of him and they have to just trade him not for another star but for like three
Yeah you know I’m actually going to agree with you on this one because if we think about Bradley Beal’s history in the league itself like last season of the Washington he was sitting out for majority games he did not play much season before that he played played I
Think half the games or so he’s not someone in the in the league that’s consistently been playing over you know the new Benchmark of 65 games to win Awards he’s not been above 65 games very much in the past few years and the sun’s traded for him he’s a great player when
He’s playing but if he’s not on the court he’s not contributing and I I totally see that I think if you can trade him maybe get I’m trying to think who you could go you could go for you could go I think maybe get like a guy like get Dennis Schroeder and a
Few players on the Raptors maybe something like that some good veteran Ro players that help you with the championship push I think that’s what you need you don’t want to go younger right now I mean I think it’s it’s hard just to find a team in mind right now
But I think I kind of thought about the Hawks just playing Deon Murray I think maybe get jont Murray but also get those guys like their their rookie Center and like Jaylen Johnson who’s donovich maybe bonovich yeah having those type of guys on your team I mean who can facilitate
The game and they can also just make the team better in terms of their chemistry and just their overall Arsenal so I think that yeah trading them away and also you’ll be more healthy yeah you’ll have more guys on the court I feel like right because right now who they even
Kevin Durant Kevin Durant playing but he’s not playing every night he’s still out sometimes for two or three games in a row and right now they’re like they’re at 500 if not a little bit below 500 so it’s not really good for them they need
All the guys they can get on the court healthy contributing because they need to secure a top five seed right it’s not like they’re terrible too it’s just that they need to make that push from being a playing team which they’re not supposed to beat to a contender to make the
Finals which I’m sure Kevin R de Booker want to get that to I mean Deon second round so he made the final I mean oh yeah what I’m just thinking of last year and the year before where he got dominated by Luca and then of course the Meltdown versus the the Nuggets or
Wait oh my God I’m lost or no they lost the Nugget six yeah I mean that was the year the Nuggets were dominant but yeah they need a guy like I mean obviously it’s hard to get Chris Paul run it back I don’t know I mean the didn’t do to I
Don’t I mean honestly would you I honestly would not have traded Chris Paul andr and that’s I mean I think and honestly this is a very hot take that we talked about Kevin dur the Kevin Durant trade all those Kevin Durant now that I think about it I imagine having that
Team the finals team this year you have Chris Paul Deon buer M Bridges Cameron Johnson young that team although like their star they don’t have like Kevin Durant guy they they have Deon Booker Deon Booker is a good player shows up the like that’s the team about you’re
Talking about in the final they have those Ro guys they have m g they have Cam Johnson they have like DeAndre even DeAndre a he wasn’t a star he wasn’t a star but he was he he gave you that double double every game yeah and then I
Mean maybe their bench was a little weak I mean they had landre shaman on the bench I mean they had they had a team that um they beat who they beat some pretty good teams I the Lakers in the first round ad won the championship the
Year before that so and Mel Bridges I mean I don’t know if he would have been the same star now with r Phoenix but I mean obviously we just saw it you you got traded to a team like the Suns had guys where if they go to their own team
Stars I brid BR was a star Chris Paul went to an even deeper I mean Chris Paul Chris Paul’s not a star anymore but he he gives you production Chris PA’s the backup for Steph C right now um but yeah that’s that’s a very take right
Now I don’t I don’t have much of I don’t know I I’m not going to say I’m not sure Kevin Durant but yeah I think I would agree with people if they said that that they I don’t think they should have ever traded for K I’m kind of agree with that
Because everyone was they all their idea there was that KD’s gonna bring us over the top but I think people overreacted when they lost um in 2022 to the Ms and really I think people overreacted cuz although it was a game seven right Lucas gor it was a game seven Luka scored like
50 prob I think I don’t know I don’t know but I just remember at halftime the naick had 54 the sun’s at 27 Luka had 27 yeah so he out scored them in the half so he definitely scored like 50 so I mean our team’s going to have a bad
Game unfortunately happen G7 the playoffs but I guess the idea there was like if you have KD in game seven you’re not GNA lose like yeah but it’s a who you also gave up because what they do the year after they had to play the Nuggets nobody on that team could guard
Yage yeah come on respectfully disrespect the thing is the Suns probably in my opinion had the best chance of beating the Nuggets last year because the Nuggets first round they beat I think I think they s oh they beat the timber timber four or five games per
Then they beat the Suns and they SW the Lakers they swep the Lakers and beat the heat pretty pretty easily except for games one and two so I think the Suns didn’t have to I mean I mean they traded they trade for was wasn’t a in that three team trade
Aen was in that three team trade it was they Trad like valy Beal the Suns they got Suns got n here a little than I just remember the Wizards the Wizards actually gave up nothing for Bradley Beal and I think that’s part of their plan because they realized Bradley
Beal is an aging injured Superstar I don’t think we want him like although the Wizards are not a good team I mean not obviously the best rec with Jordan Kuma in three years I wouldn’t be surprised yeah I mean get they get their re they’re like the youngest team in the
NBA right now so actually speaking of young teams I want to talk a little about our boy Victor wanyama who debuted in the league finally and he’s been absolutely on a tear I mean the Spurs not so much the Spurs have like four wins this season like six four six
Something like that I don’t remember exactly what I know they’re at the bottom of the standings them and the the Pistons we get to the Pistons too um but the Spurs they’ve been on a they’ve been wanyama has been on a te he’s averaging
19 and 10 I think at this point in the season with maybe almost two blocks two per game so he’s having a great season he’s not shooting great from three but from the field he’s pretty okay in in the 40% range um I just want to ask what
You think of the season so far what you see I mean it’s the rookie year so I mean I guess it’s just introduction to I his new job I guess so I mean his orientation yeah so I mean he’s having a good year and I mean although his team’s
Bad I think it was expected I mean I think obviously if IAS SP understand before to how they the playoffs because yeah mention James but I mean we can I can already see signs of womaning becoming a star in the league one day and honestly I’m just impressed by how
He’s able to maintain his health because being seven fo seven in the MBA is not easy I mean all if you look at all those breaks that were 76 77 they retired because injuries because they can’t maintain their body and just I actually saw a video a couple days ago you know
What Yama does so much stretching so much you know agility just maintaining his body shape and also not getting injury defending his injuries so that’s going to really weap him to Great this because if you can be 7 foot seven dominate when you’re on the court and
Then off the court you’re do need to keep your body healthy that’s just super important that’s really underrated what basketball you don’t see that on the court you have to actually see that out yeah I think I think I totally agree with everything you said there everything about wemi it’s his biggest
Part I mean I think he’s shown that if this is his this is his rookie GE so this is like his Baseline right he can only get better from here in in most scenarios so I mean he’s shown what he can do on the court and as long as he’s
Healthy as long as he’s available for the Spurs he plays they build a better team around him they get a better point guard than Jeremy San don’t even don’t even get me started on him um they build they build their team around him they you know make the play get to the
Playoffs and you know when he’s 2728 they’re making their Championship contenders everything will be good he just has to stay healthy I mean we just talked about Bradley Beal not being healthy affected Suns so health is just a very big thing and I think as you said
It’s a very unrated part of his game because showing up is also part of the game right being available to play it’s like Zion BR you know Zion he’s always he’s always Zion always drops 20 20 and 12 every game I swear he’s averaged like 26 through his first you know however
Many games he’s played he’s consistently good when he plays but he’s never healthy he plays like 30 Games a year he’s overweight he doesn’t play and he doesn’t lose his train he doesn’t listen to his trainer like even Stephen A Smith was calling him out and there was the
Whole thing there so health is such an underrated aspect of this game and if he can stay healthy I think I think he’s good but do you think he do you think he’s the Rookie of the Year right now because the other guy there’s another
Guy in OKC who didn’t play all last year but he’s been looking really good this year too CH he’s averaging pretty much the same stats he’s like 18 and 10 same amount of blocks but he’s his efficiency is much higher though I don’t think I mean this is I don’t usually look like
Rookie of the Year r usually it’s really obvious every year but this is one of the years where it’s it could be wom Yama it could be Chad honestly I don’t know I’ve watched a lot more Chad than Wy this year so I can’t tell you what I think like I mean just
Seeing Chad I mean Chad’s similar to tall skinny and I’m sure Chad does off because he hasn’t G any but I mean looking at CH Chet’s abilities BL shots I think that just amazing different I mean I think lendy is different in the that you can score he can can shoot I
Mean I know I check too but see how dominant ched ISM the pain is just so like so impr yeah and also I think one of the things that I mean obviously the Thunder as a whole are a better team where you have SGA Jaylen Williams is
Having a good year then obviously Chad um they they have just a good team in general and that’s why they’re what they’re like second or third in the west right now third in the West Third in the west may be the timber was yesterday Yeah by 2013 yeah um they’re third in
The west but I think I think you have to give some of that credit to Chad and I think having the better team do you think that factors into it because right now the Spurs their Spurs are not making the playoffs their bottom R do you think
Do you think that has anything that affects your rookie leer choice because their stats are really really idal that’s really that’s just really hard because I think if you put if you reverse their positions it would be the same thing be third and SP and the wor in the
League because yeah I mean I mean they’re both young you can’t I mean not going to be like the LeBron James 2018 leading that’s like bum pass to the finals yeah so um I think they shouldn’t Factor it into of the year I mean for MVP I’m sure
You have to right because you can’t have like going sch5 game against team yeah yeah for sure but I think for Rookie of the Year you shouldn’t Factor because I mean it logically if you look at the past 10 years plus rookies have gotten drafted to that
Team just because teams tank to get good players like I’m sure next season the Pistons will draft they got so imagine they get the pick so the Pistons yeah I mean the Pistons need a big at this point but um yeah they should not factored in but I mean our
Transitioning to the Detroit Pistons Detroit basketball has been it’s been amazing this year you know you know the Pistons current record it’s so funny like 27 straight losses right so they they’re two and 28 right now they started season two and one they were up
There in and they had a great great win against I think it was Chicago to go two- one where they Cade went crazy and and since then it’s been it’s been like what two two months without a win so they’ve been 0 and 27 they just yesterday night they lost the Brooklyn
Nets at home Kade Cunningham dropped 41 points but they were not able to beat the Nets who beat them I think 118 to 113 and now they have the single longest losing streak within a single season in NBA history 27 losses they beat both they beat out the both the 2011 Cavs the
Year after LeBron left in the 2015 process Sixers who both had 26 straight losses I mean you can’t I mean you can’t make excuses for them because 27 losses on any team it’s just that’s horrendous horrendous that’s a 4 and 50 win Pace they’re they’re on Pace to get seven
Wins I just think I mean they’re obviously a young team but can’t EXC for that I think Kate Cunningham has to go Kate cunning has to no not for not because he’s bad for his own oh for his own sake like free kid cutting him I was
To be like like free him because you saw last night he draw 41 against the that’s who are decent team in the East well they’re only at 500 they’re not even that good they’re 500 they’re 500 but they’re better than they were like fiveo
So um I think K has to go I mean to a team that needs a guard like I don’t know so you think K needs to I think K on the Blazers are something weird K on the Blazer a young team that’s that’s in a better rebuilding position then the
Pistons are because the Pistons the worst team in the league by far right I think Ken’s the S what about what about that would be great Kaden I like w be on the same team they just give like de B like well they just sign de they can’t
They can’t give him I think they get rid of so K Johnson Sun Moy but I want to ask actually on the line you’re saying get rid of Kade like free but if you’re the Pistons GM right now first of all if you’re the Pistons GM you should know
That you’re job you’re you’re out of here you’re gone okay there your your job is gone within the next few weeks like there’s no way they’re keeping you long term unless you have something on the owner I’m think about but what I meant to ask is what if you’re the
Pistons Jam or you’re the Pistons ownership what are you doing to fix this is this something that you’re gonna let this lose out this whole season honestly get to 30 losses in a row I I see like what are you doing I mean it’s are you making moves with the trade deadline
Yeah so it’s like a little over a third of the season but I think the Pistons have 0% chance of going to the I mean not just cuz they’re bad but just CU there’s so many competitive teams in the eag there’s no way you’re going to
Catch up to them like the ton rating yeah okay you not have to me out like that I think that the PES need a tank this year than the year like literally I don’t like the whole year but the thing is it doesn’t even matter because the
Top three picks have the same percentage chance yeah of getting I mean the three worst records have the same percentage chance of getting top because they go their takings oh so like tanking I mean I I don’t I’m not saying they’re going to win they might be trying they’re trying to win games
And they’re still losing believe I think I’m I’m surprised about that Monte Williams is the coach they losing because mon Williams is known to be I mean so far he’s known to be a good coach because the why you did with the Suns the Pelicans too yeah and I mean
Any and although they lost I mean the Suns lost in the playoffs he led them from a terrible team to a championship to to straight second rounds and that’s not bad at all so I’m sure every team wants to be the playoffs so the Pistons definitely yeah they said before the
Season we want to be in the playoffs everything’s turning around so things did turn around for I don’t I don’t know what they have to do honestly if on their GM I I’m sure they’re gonna fire their GM I don’t I don’t know about Monty Williams I’m I’m surprised I think Monty
Williams I mean after this season I mean I don’t know I don’t know if they should do like one in done for Monty will but I mean I think Monty will close somewhere else but um their team is just like if you look at their team you have
Cunningham who’s obviously he’s good you have Joe and Duren who’s their the rookie I he’s a solid player yeah he’s solid then you have jayen ivy too you have jayen Ivy you have kilan hay you k k need to go I’m off the Kil a
Hype TR I was never on it but yeah I’m even more away from it now yeah so it’s it’s hard to know who to trade because you have because everyone’s young I get what you’re saying it’s like hard to know who every who get to trade because everyone’s so young and they’re still
Just Los if you go to like 2027 you don’t you don’t know how good that team maybe they’ll be way better but I mean trading they don’t have any better I mean maybe trade bonovich yeah but you can’t get anything yeah you can’t get much I think they
Should just do the Thunder thing get as many picks as possible and start this thing again start this thing again get rid of Ivy get rid of dur keep Cade everyone else can go why if they trade Duren maybe they can get something for him I think even
Jad and Ivy they can get something for yeah maybe trade Ian and in a package for trade one I just don’t know who I would just try and get picks like get first on get trade them to the Blazers trade them to the teams that want young
Players and I think because as of right now this team is not imagine this team somehow made a push for the plan that’d be so they started their season around 30 27 game lost 30 win well they’re playing the Celtics and they’re playing the Raptors only CH I doing the rap are
Going to somehow you think this Raptors will somehow lose yeah yeah that would be have been super disappointing this year for me so I think yeah let’s talk a little about that yeah so I mean see first game of the year we beat the Timberwolves who are now the first team
Us I felt amazing about this team I was like this team is everything now we got rid of fredley which is a little hard to do but we got rid of him we got Dennis schroer who was world champion in the summer he’s I mean he played solid
Throughout the year for Lakers too Scotty Barnes and pakum are amazing players but I think if this team wants to get their wheel and be a contender they need trade everybody every because so buy seak buy OG trade Everyone by yakoto like all of them I
Mean I mean I don’t think you can trade but but you get rid many get rid of them yeah so because I think Scotty Barn averaging like 22 points in the year I think he’s aing eight rebounds like four assists like he’s having a good year I
Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s name an Allstar like reserve but I think that sakam is worth so much right now and right currently in this season Scotty is how performing him yeah so I think tradeway seak trying to get some good players trade away I just don’t think we
Need a St I mean a star player I mean Chon a lot of people hate toron I don’t know why the city itself but it’s not bad man like come on it’s torado it’s a nice place to live yeah it is a nice place to live so um yeah I would defin I
Would rebuild around Scotty I think Darko is he’s a questionable I mean I I I was I live in Charlotte and I went to the hor CR the raapers ended up losing but Darko it just just W out just sitting behind him and watching him Coach he seemed really harsh on the
Players I mean and the players seem tired in the second quarter I think Darko is a great coach he just you know being able to just like you know rally with your players and you like the energy up is something that coach really needs team especially do you feel like
He does that or no he does for sure are you keeping Darko is my question I mean we just got I me I’m surprised they fired Nick Nur because Nick Nur is supposed to be one of the best player coaches in the league yeah I mean he’s with the Sixers
Now they’ve been really amazing so but I think I think it’s time for a full change I think we were at RP we won the Championships bubble was a little disappointing we lost this H scene not the best in game seven too that was tough down in 2021 was
Just we our main stadi was from Tamp like come on so that was just a bad year 2022 made the playoffs with Scotti lost to Joel we were down 3 almost got her back to a game seven lost we lost by 30 games but we got it to game six in
Toronto um so the team the team’s very up and down because we won a championship two years later out of the playoffs so out of the plan well yeah because they lost Kawai that’s their best player I mean Kawai we lost Kawai Danny Green lost K was our main veteran so
Looking at the r team right now we don’t have any better we don’t have any but I think you’re saying you’re saying that doesn’t you’re saying just rebuild around Scotty I’m saying rebuild around Scotty I I want to say keep Darko maybe for I I don’t know how we don’t know how
They’re gonna do they’re like what I think they’re like 11th right now they’re 11th so they’re sitting on the they’re not terrible but I see but they’re not Champion contenders they’re not champ contenders for sure so I think I think wait see how the season I mean I
Say wait until the trade deadline see how we’re doing I say no matter how we’re doing even if we somehow go up until above 500 I say still trick that Scout you say he’s gone yeah I mean looking looking at looking at the teams that are want him
Is pons the Piston he’s GNA save the Pistons from that 27 game Pistons the Pacers and the Kings I mean oh the Kings would be good I feel like the Kings could offer something I think the Pistons if you can get like Keegan Murray or something yeah I think Kean
Murray gets a young down the team or if you want to trade with the p think Bru Brown to that I think Den schroer is a little like do you think dener I mean I we just got him yeah but I I mean I think they I
Think the Raptors thought they would be better than they would this year that’s the thing you know what I mean yeah I know what you mean I think they probably thought they were top eight and that’s why they that’s why they signed guys like Dennis schroer because like oh we
Need those veteran players who will take us far in the play Dennis schroer is averaging I mean I he’s underperforming I mean I think I mean obviously Dennis schroer won’t replace he’s averaging he’s actually not doing that bad he’s aing 14 points seven assists per game that’s actually that’s not bad at all
That’s actually definitely way better than I thought screw this bro I mean yeah it’s it’s because I think just watching the Raptors Scotty’s we missed too many threes missed too many open threes in the past like three years our rebounding has been a big problem and I
Feel like improve that but I think our defense in general is not our perimeter defense is bad and our just perimeter yeah so I I mean Scotty yeah even Scotty like he gets those 30o games every game like 25 but it’s mainly clean range so I say trade
If we want to trade seak like OG go the talking about trading tra I’m sure’ll be bigger Nam so I think we need I think you should try and trade with the Nets maybe get like Mel Bridges or something I mean I think but it be really nice you get Mel
Kem Johnson I me trading Scotty I mean seak it’s all about seak I mean I I don’t see how that’s or get like trade like Bridges I they trade seak toal for like Nick because if you do that you have I mean your starting lineup will have
Finish he’s fine he’s going to get your points he’s GNA pass the ball you Gary Trent honestly just honestly Gary Trent might be a good player to trade because I feel like Championship contenders always want the three and D yeah shooting guard small for I think if we
Get Cam Thomas who a young shooter and he’s obviously I mean at the beginning of the year he was going 40 and four points 30 but I mean he’s starting to become more consistent as his career he’s young but Nick Clon is a very underrated C he’s a and he’s young too
And he’s young exactly so if the r build this young team with Scotty leading having a couple guys on side maybe turning it into like 2019 having a star player and having these you know small guys on this who can make the team of play into more eight or seven SE or six
Seed but then having that star player who can push them to like third seed or something yeah I think if the rappers can create that that’ll be a and I feel like they have I think they have a they have the assets to trade away
To do it I they can they can go they can go both routs they could go they could blow up the entire team keep Scotty get a bunch of first round picks and rebuild or they could go the way where they trade for valuable players like with the
Nets I mean honestly if they could trade they can’t trade with the Knicks unfortunately because they have Julius Rand Julius R pass too similar but imagine you could get like Emanuel quickley Josh Hart and a few guys like that that’d be pretty good too um Dante D venzo too
Yeah you get some guys like that yeah they just like Messi for some reason like for the past couple Seasons like they’ve always talked about like getting traded tra they finally traded like but OG’s still been on the team I think OG would be so valuable to so many
Teams yeah imagine honestly call the Lakers or someone yeah I think OG could is gonna be first or second well he’s consistently consistently there so yeah either one of them like SE and OG I I think we have to trade one of them maybe both of them get
Like a lost yeah because their their values are so high right now we can’t wait another year I think last year OG value was honestly lower than it was this don’t their guys are so high they have they have a dream yeah I feel like they can offer as you were talking about
The 2019 Raptors with seak contribute and how OG would also contribute around Kawhi Leonard around Kyle Larry Le I I think that’s that’s a really good point where these guys if you can put them into a championship contending team or even like a mid-level playoff team they
Boost that team up to a top three SE top because they provide the skill set that every team wants they got the shooting they have the defense they have a reliable seak is going to be a reliable he can be reliable third option second option on a team even a first option
Yeah and and our problem was like you know keeping big Le because I think our team is good at starting off early against any team I feel like like every single time we’ve played the bugs the Celtics the Warriors the like heat we’re always we’re either even in the first
Half or we’re winning by a lot I mean yeah having a play unfortunately we’re at 20 L but I think even just make this team like in that first year I mean this season or next season making the first just the first round and losing like six games to a good team I
Think that could just boost us I think give us more confidence going into the next season that for you know it’s the year I mean especially if we make a trade with Pascal and OG we’re going to have like two months more playoffs so like two months in if we’re already
Making the playoffs we to a good team in a year so yeah the team the team has potenti they just Mah just has to do something I feel like he hasn’t done much I think if I think if MSI doesn’t trade seore OG he has to get fir really you’re gonna
Fire everyone loves MSI though I think he has I think he’s pushing this team in the bad Direction because we getting progressively worse and worse and he’s not doing anything yeah like our team’s been the same every year and we re we got yako P back from San Antonio in
February and everyone thought oh my God our defense is gonna get fixed and there we go we wasn’t fixed we are up by 20 L it to Chicago with the rosen’s daughter being the reason why we lost the pl that’s just stupid I remember that yeah
I mean it was kind of funny I I wasn’t even too this is so fun yeah so we’ve talked a lot about the Raptors but I think to wrap it up we’re going to go to where we always go which is Los Angeles and the Lakers you know our favorite
Team out there with my boy LeBron James Anthony Davis uh they made the Western Conference Finals last season obviously got swept by the Nuggets nobody on that team for guard yic even with Anthony Davis defensive play of the Year finalist um but this season they’re hovering around 500 they went on a quick
As I said they won the inseason tournament uh they started around 500 then won all their inseason tournament going going undefeated and they were at one point they were like 16- n 16 15 and eight um really solid record they were top four in the west but since then they
Had a five game losing streak they dropped him to the Spurs to the Knicks like teams that you don’t really want to drop to and now they’re kind of sitting around 500 as the eighth ninth seed so I just want to know what you’ve kind of seen from them people are hinting at
Zack LaVine coming to the team they’re hinting at mention de Murray yeah I didn’t mention that the Raptors actually were interested it’s kind of weird though it is kind of it is kind of weird yeah I mean I think Zack gine for the Lakers would be I mean I just don’t I think
They’re gonna say like DLo ruy you can’t trade Austin re I think Austin re was Untouchable because Austin Rees was the youth that yeah so I think I mean we saw their potential these beat anybody all they players to end it you play the Pacers the Pacers are obviously team with the
Right future so the Lakers can compete with young teams although they’re old so I mean you can I mean but do you think what do you think they need to do do you think they I honestly I’m saying keep the current roster maybe D ham has to go
But I would just say try and find like try and find a good consistent starting lineup because they I feel like every game they’re switching people out is different sometimes cam register Austin Reeves is benched then dowlo is benched get some consistency there I think the
Team I mean I think I mean since for Bron’s been there every year they can win a championship they can make comp finals or something like that so I think it’s yeah that seems super weird because I don’t understand why they’re Bening Austin re because you have Austin re 26
Bench put like 30 and so yeah I I mean I don’t the the that starting lineup one of the things that they’ve been really bad in is starting games they’re always down big in the first quarter and always down big going into the beginning of the
Second half see I think in the offseason and fin TR last year everyone was saying how Rob blink best like you know moves in the league best GM yeah best GM in the league I mean I mean sure they got the role players they got Jackson ha
They got ke redish they got prince who started hey he’s playing m though he’s playing shooting off from three I think I mean they’re a balanced team that’s the team that you want but why are they not top three why are they they’re losing to all the good teams Sixers
Timberwolves Clippers I mean they’re losing to every team that that’s good even I mean you’re I mean what you said they just have to start the g off right because I mean LeBron is just you can trust in any situation they super clutch too so yeah I think has to use use them
Better I don’t know because I I think I think you have to start a I think LeBron point guard Austin re shooting guard toon Prince and then like cam reddish Anthony Davis I I want three-point shooting you know what I say I say don’t start Vander
Do do this do it’s a it’s it’s a weird lineup but honestly or Ru do do Reeves point guard yeah and shooting guard okay this is going to sound I’m just going to do Austin to LeBron at the Sho guard then a small for LeBron at the
Shooting guard or no no no Austin Reeves it’s a big lineup so Austin Reeves ruy has a shooting guard LeBron ad and then at center it’s surprise Jackson you want 80 at the four I think Jackson Hayes just looking at his stint in New Orleans last year when he was their starting
Center he was amazing I just he was I mean he was big on the you can’t slam it Al you slam it I think he’s just he was so dominant and I think just for this Lakers Squad now they’re not giving him enough time to show that so I feel like
I you know we’ve been saying this since the beginning I do agree on the fact that Anthony Davis needs to play power forward why do they keep going back to Anthony Davis Center Anthony DAV I get the three-point shooting you want someone who can shoot but when they won
That Championship it was Anthony Davis Java McGee who was not the best starting center in the league but by any means best even starting role playing Center by any means but him and Anthony Davis in those two in that lineup was so useful them they they had like 35y old
Dwight Howard coming off the bench it’s just so hard to that was so effective for them I don’t know why they ever went away from it from after that year it’s just so hard to think about it because they they’ve got so many good players they got ruy from the Wizards and before
They got him Ry was really good with the Wizards and he was their star player then you had Jackson Hayes who was in New Orleans he was playing really well you had D who was playing all right I think he was well deal Deal’s just really inconsistent he just does not
Have back to back good games yeah so I think you would have to use really more use ha and then you have your and then Off the Bench you have Sol I don’t know the bench I don’t know bench have but I know they have a good
Ben like toon Prince Kim R you got those guys they would be good I think you have to start Ry though because Ry is yeah I think maybe even maybe if you don’t put Anthony Davis at Power Forward put Ry at Power Forward LeBron small forward yeah I just think
Yeah I mean it would be really hard to like Yeah Austin Reed have and then I’m saying but R willon A Jackson Maybe not maybe not Jackson a if you’re gonna start ruy I think it should be I think I’m gonna Ron Austin Rees either camish or toon Prince not Jared vanderville ruy
And I say I say start I say start reallyy and give Haze more minutes start really give hay more minutes yeah depending on the type of yeah I I want to more lineups where Anthony Davis plays with the center I want to see I think Anthony Davis be a good because
Anthony Davis also just matches up so well against Power for every Power for these days is like a stretch four lanky guy not going to be playing in the post and AD would dominate against can shoot too’s not a terrible shooter I mean he’s not great but he’s Center he’s he’s a
Good he’s a really good Sho person exactly from the mid-range at least when when he’s on he’s on so what we saw in20 literally 2020 the bubble finals he would not miss from the mid-range in any of those yeah I think because look at the Timberwolves right they have Carl
Anthony I mean AD is not Carl Anthony new when it comes to shooting cat’s a way better shooter but like they start goar and car Anthony Townson lineups and it works they do Naas re and CAD they knew NZ re and go be sometimes even they
Run these two big man lineups and it works even the Cavs right Jared Allen Evan Mo they’re not as successful of an example but I think you go back that two big man lineup you you have a consistent lineup if you’re not going to go to that you have a consistent lineup with
Shooting and they can make a push I think because the best the thing that you want to do more than anything is not play LeBron James 40 minutes a game in the regular season you need him to be resting because in the playoffs it doesn’t matter what senior team is with
LeBron James and Davis they can they are always gonna be a threat to get out like 32 but they got to be winning you know what I mean they got to put the game they got to start the games out strong they’ started too many games I think you
Have to like start the game out strong keep them in for most of the first quarter 10 10 minutes 10 over minutes and then second quarter if you’re on a roll yeah then just put out those guys put out Jackson bro benderville cannot shoot bad
Put out hay put out your bench could be like hay Rudy like you can put more in the game yeah I think DLo in the second unit is just a good idea c r and toon Prince like alternate d so I think that the rakers should have to put that Union as a
Really young so I think yeah go off to a hot start bench LeBron you can keep I play 80 as much as possible I don’t really get I know there’s injury concerns but like the time to win is right now 80 is also 30 you need you
Need to win LeBron’s gonna be retiring soon come on I think LeBron yeah I think this is the year where if they do that they can because their team I don’t think they need to do a trade for like dejonte Murray or something I think in the Western Conference the the only team
That can stop them right now is the that’s I think the the Warriors are buns you don’t think the timber wolves are somethingone I think the timber wolves will be to inexperienced see Timberwolves and thunder are both really good teams I don’t think the Thunder I think the Thunder are young I think
Thunder are the kings of last year I think both teams the Thunder and the Tim they’ll be topam this they’ll be top six this year for sure no yeah I just I don’t think the Thunder the Kings the Warriors Clippers don’t no the Clippers are not a threat I think I think the
Timberwolves and the nuggets are the two teams that could be a threat to the Lakers we didn’t talk about the Clippers too much but with the James Harden oh yeah James Harden but I mean just to keep it short I mean the Clippers lost a
Lot and they won a lot so I think that the Clippers if they’re on they could be a threat they just have so much star power it’s so hard to have one guy be it was just weird to have three guys like Harden Paul George and Kawai who are all
ISO scorers and you still have Westbrook and you have it’s just weird to have all three of them on in the same lineup because they all do a lot of the same thing and effective what happens is you reduce two of them to spot shooting they’re trying to do like the Kyrie KD
Hard thing that just didn’t work I I don’t know I mean to be fair they were really good in the playoffs so I guess the bu injuries yeah I think the net that Nets team that’s the thing with what those star teams with three four star players like if you if you’re in
The playoffs or late in an important game one guy is injured you’re one guy SC 50 luckily KD just went off and they almost won but if you would have I’m I don’t think people can do that now I get what you’re saying you’re saying you
Know if you have three guys for example Kyrie K Kyrie Harden KD and then Kyrie Harden are injured or even just Kyrie gets injured then the role players can’t pick up the slack yeah like I mean if you if you look at three four guys three four star players on a team
Usually other than those guys the teams not good like on that n they Nick Clon but he wasn’t as good as Nick super young they did Joe Harris actually yeah Joe Harris but he he forgot how to shoot playoff now he’s like somewhere I think he’s in the Pistons yeah he’s in the
Pist he the Pistons Joe Harris Alex B boys but yeah I mean it’s overall just a crazy NBA season we’re definitely going to be more consistent I think now that we’ve s on the ball rolling we’ll get more podcasts out there um I’m finally happy to do an in person podcast after
So many years yeah I know it was really nice but yeah thank you guys for watching and stay tuned for more content yeah make sure to like And subscribe on all platforms and we’ll see you guys next time
