Just the Stats
Is Nikola Jokic underrated?
-Why is it Nikola Jokic often gets overlooked despite his incredible performances? Join us as we discuss just how impressive Jokic's stats have been.
-As we wrap up the episode, we examine Chris Paul's NBA contract and future, discussing his impact on a team's championship chances, if his salary is justified and explore his potential landing spots.
-Why is it Nikola Jokic often gets overlooked despite his incredible performances? Join us as we discuss just how impressive Jokic's stats have been.
-As we wrap up the episode, we examine Chris Paul's NBA contract and future, discussing his impact on a team's championship chances, if his salary is justified and explore his potential landing spots.
This is Justice Thatcher. Reggie Johnson, Eugene Moore, and coming to you from a lovely city of Atlanta. Thanks for coming to the show whether you are listening or watching. Thank you. Now, this has been a subject that's been burning me here, Eugene. You know you know I've been blowing you up about this subject for quite some time. Only because I think sometime we don't know. Like, we're we're looking at history and we're not aware that we're looking at history. Right? Like, we're looking at it. Sometimes people have trouble. I remember when the Internet It just came around and people like, this will never last. Who wants to send it? Who wants to send an email? They felt like it was never gonna last. And people have trouble realizing that, I think we see the same thing kind of with AI today. AI is gonna change. It's gonna be a massive change to humanity. And don't don't sometimes if it lands in the moment, because, you know, you're going through your day to day, and sometimes you gotta see it over time to see what that impact is. Now what Yolked That's what we're talking about here today. I don't wanna
Speaker 2:go here.
Speaker 1:For people who can't see the graphic that we have up on the screener. This burns me up, ma'am. This brand yeah. This it's so much oh, oh, he just scores or he just he's just a big man who can fast. Nothing to see here. Right?
Speaker 2:Type two. Right.
Speaker 1:Nothing to see here. Just a guy. This guy, anytime you have a big man, and if you're a student of the game, you're gonna know this. Time you have a big man that average is double digit assist, or it can even get you close to average and double digit assist. That isn't a that's an amazing player. Right? That's an amazing player. And when we're talking about Yolked in in sample, from Serbia? Maybe that's what it is. Maybe some of these international players gotta do more. You know? We we have winbyama coming to the league. Or can we came into the Leer, but I haven't played a game at this time. So you have a little bit more of the international player being boosted now. We're coming whoever pretty good I'm gonna think, we have you Luca, we have Johannes. And they have pretty much been. Johannes and Yokich have been MBP's for the last few years. Right?
Speaker 2:Yep. MB is the
Speaker 1:best player. Ah, right. MB. So we count MB. We count Ionis we count yoke. That's just covered in the last few years. You know? Right. So Dirk had his had his day. You know, as an international star. And there's been few through history, but we're in a very concentrated period now where there's just a lot of because, you know, Tony Parker wasn't an MVP, but great player. Same thing with Joonoli. These are great players. But going back here to Yolked, In disrespect, it's just something I can't take, man. It's hard it's hard for me to take. And remember we were gonna do two or three different subjects before we did got into the subject. We already had a couple of the subjects, and I'm reading things, and you're sending me things, and I'm just gonna take it. It pushed me over the line. I can't I can't
Speaker 2:put you on the edge.
Speaker 1:Right. I couldn't do it because first of all, we'll go through a few of his stats here. But let's go back to one of the major ones is a thirty, twenty, and ten game. And it happens in the finals. A thirty two game in the finals. And people are like, well, you know, they're making excuses and they're like pick up in their players that they like. That are sitting yolked at yolked at right as we speak.
Speaker 2:Right?
Speaker 1:For the people that are crapping at yolked at yolked at some other players, no problem liking anybody you like. But don't confuse that with the stats and what's going on here. Because Yokich right now is beasting. He's very consistent player. You're gonna have to guard him at all three. All three levels. He can kill you. One of those threes that he hit wasn't directly on the line in this game was a game four. One of the threes he hit. He was pretty far off the line on some stuff curry. Type stuff there. It's not just something that's not normal. It's just not normalized position. It's not normalized size to have this kind of productivity for the tea. How has this landed for you as far as the criticism that you kind of be leveled against him?
Speaker 2:I just I don't understand it. I mean, especially last year when because I was just because you're talking about a sense. I wanna look at what he did last year because last year when he didn't have Murray. He didn't have Michael Park junior. He had all these guys. Yep. He pretty just had a mishmash of guys on the team. Right? And I just look at it. It's crazy. His number you would thought, they would have, like, he would have thought his points per game would have would have been just more. He would he would have twenty seven points a game. Last year, the the year wouldn't my poor junior and Murray were injured. Right? Okay. That's so he and the assists were down. But if you watch need his games. How many open shots and guys missed that he was still he was still playing that same style Right? He didn't change that's a crazy part of it. He didn't change his style to play at all. Like, he still tried to get the, you know, try to get, you know, great past somebody. Still got good rebounds. Still got good shots, but it was still trying to get his teammates involved. And you guys said, Oh, he could have just been, like, I'll be a thirty five, thirty eight point game kind of guy that year. And no no one wanna know what about it. I, but he's still played the same way. They played this year. And now you see this year what the the points are down this year, but the assists are back up. The remodels are back up because he's got his team. He's got his, you know, he's got his his his Robin or, you know, with Murray. And Michael Ford Junior's been has been back the whole time. So I just don't I don't get it, especially, like, the way it the way it plays, you you gotta love the way it plays. Right? I mean, he's a past first guy. He he and he just he it was crazy. The one time I don't know if you I think it was the last game where, like, no, it was game three. And and it was, like, and Jamal Moore is trying to get into the ball. And Yogesh pointed to I think it's Bruce Brown. Like, Bruce Brown. Give me, like, pass it to pass it under and, like, because he had a better matchup. Like, he saw the better matchup. Like, he didn't want the ball. I was like, he even though he had, like, a small guy on him. He's like, no. No. Bruce Brown was under the basket. He's wide open throwing the ball. And then it's like, how and he's just how can you now get excited when you're watching the play. And just and just watching this team play overall. Yeah. I I don't understand it. I mean, I know we were talking about Mark Jackson, had him depth on his MVP ballot.
Speaker 1:I mean
Speaker 2:Oh my god. And then the the whole candidate Perkins thing, and it's like it's like the guy just goes out there and hoops. And and the way he's playing in these finals, he's just he's just it's it's so You don't have to look you don't have to look at stats. Right? You could watch every single game and not look at the stats and realize he's the best player Right. I'm on on both I mean, his team. Right? He's the best player, obvious for Denver, but there's no way to match him on the Miami side. There's nobody. And if you look at even if Boston had gotten in, they couldn't imagine they couldn't have been able to stop him. So it's he he would still been the best player then. So I'm Wendy. I don't I don't get it. I know that I know he I know a lot of people that wanna vote for him for MVP. Because it is, like, you know, media that, you know, they don't wanna move for a guy three times in a row for MVP, and I get it. It's fine. NBA, I think, did have the VIP in the regular season.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And he came down the stretch very it's hard to argue against NBA, but -- Right. -- man. They were so close -- Mhmm. -- that if I had a chance to know what the future would hold, it would have been a tie breaker. Like, I would have had to give it a yoke. It's because It's a regular season award, and I'm glad they do it that way. Mhmm. Because it's a regular season award. I mean, it's unfair. You get past certain mountain somebody's got more games to decide who wins for the eighty two. We all need to have the same amount of games. So I definitely get that but all you bring up such a great point in the sense that he did deserve it from regular seasons. I'll give it to him be there, but it's hard for me to I can't none of me reconcile that myself. I you know what I mean? I want Johannes doing it every year. So Johannes is starting one year on my
Speaker 2:Yeah. I got my every day. It was Johannes that everyone could just fill in below. Right? I'm working with you. And, you know, part of it too was we've we've talked about this before, you know, they kinda obviously, they took their foot off the gas towards the end because they hadn't they hadn't been able to see locked up. They had number one home they had the home quarter managed. There was no in that so That was probably smart on them. Like, let's let's rest him. We're we're good to where we're at. No one's gonna pass us on another one seat in the west. So Why why bother? And they probably read, you know, like, he probably it's I think it's the thing I don't think he cares about individual awards. Like, he seems like
Speaker 1:I don't think he does either.
Speaker 2:From just his I think he like, he he wants to submit himself. I think this matters to him right now. Like, everyone's the MVP championship. That's the number one goal. And then it's like MVP from the all after that. So It's kinda like, I remember when I don't know. I'm talking when I'm shippage up the football, but they asked the Lithuanian Thompson if, you know, if I remember, I'd never forget this. And it's like, oh my god. I never he said he would he would he would not trade his hall of fame being a Hall of Fame versus winning a Super Bowl. I was like, wow. I just I'd never the young kids just
Speaker 1:feel like he you feel like most players would. I I don't know if I don't know if if that's that's a tough one for me because one is an individual year achievement and one is an a lifetime achievement. Right. So actually I could see that being one in one versus a single season MVP. So if if it's a single season MVP versus who bulk it at it, Give me that give me that bowl, man. I need that shit.
Speaker 2:Right versus yeah. Yeah. So I don't I don't I was kinda like, wow. I don't know if I but I get it. You know, if But, yeah, just I just it it's great that people are probably getting to see in play. I I mean -- Yes.
Speaker 1:-- that's a small market team in the west. Right. You'll really give the time nationally to watch those games all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And it's like and and no offense, but who are you effing? You got Gold State and and, you know, and and Lakers. You're probably gonna watch that game versus Denver versus clippers, you know, or Denver versus whoever. It's, like, they're not gonna be just on everyone's, you know you know, top ten top five list to to watch on, you know, league pass. Right? So but, no, I don't I'm I'm I just it's great that everyone's seeing him play on the stage and just and he's performing. Right? He's doing that's the great part. It's like, he's performing at expectations or even higher. I was even higher than, you know, with than than what you were expecting. So I'm just I'm throwing everyone's gotten to see him. I just think it's funny, all these people. It's like, you and I have known how great he is in this, like -- Yeah.
Speaker 1:--
Speaker 2:when we see all the hate, like, What are you guys talking about? This is this is what this is what MB this is what we love. We love guys like that. A lot of new passwords. And Yes. He's average attributable. He's doing it the right way. Like, he's not doing it the the Russell Westbrook way of getting pissed when some guy like, pass it. Like, he used I remember Westbrook getting mad when a guy when he would pass it by a a ball pass the ball with somebody. They went shoot. Because or the person who passed up, he would literally assist, or if he got if he someone got a rebound up before he did. Like, I remember him. Oh, Yolked just not care. It's like, if there's a open if there's a better shot, that's all he cares about. And he's gonna he wants he's gonna put sky's a vision. To, you know, have a have a better pass. I just it's like he's so unselfish and he's a superstar. What what what can we ask for? You know?
Speaker 1:That's totally agree though. That's that's not that's not really anything I can even take from that because at the end of the day, a lot of people who know that basketball is a pass game. Just as much as a score game is a pass game. The ball's to be rotating. The ball's to the ball movement is is kinda what basketball is, passing up a good shot for a great shot. Stuff like that is what you see in players that are on selfie scene, LeBron. LeBron came into the league doing that. So -- Right. -- you great players know how to get the ball. They were teammates of ball. That's something Jimmy Butler. You know? And and let's go about Jimmy Butler here for a second. In Miami, I don't I wouldn't never mind it. Miami winning winning it all because I think the heat and Jimmy Butler led heat in particular this this season. They play the game the right way. Like, he gets his teammates involved and when people would come to him after games and say, well, you're gonna try to do more and he was like, no, I'm gonna play the same game. You're gonna Try to get my teammates involved. You can't listen, you can't have one guy scoring forty, and your teammates watching him play the entire time. And maybe you get down to the fourth. They're not warmed up. They haven't taken any shots. They haven't got a chance to get into any rhythm because they're just sitting around watching you play.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:All games. So I can I can see that? Well and I'm gonna piggyback or well, I'm gonna go look through a little bit here first, and then I'm gonna go back on a few things you said here. As I have the stats up for our YouTube audience. The his first start because I think he was drafted forty first, I wanna say. Forty Because he was drafted
Speaker 2:Forty first second round.
Speaker 1:Hey. Which is wild now. Right? So for all you people who've got second round players who don't have first around picks, it's still possible. Get your MVP out here. He didn't start his he didn't start his first game. So until twenty fifteen, That was October twenty eighth twenty fifteen. That was two points, ladies and gentlemen. Solid two points. I think you only play, like, three minutes, and I No. Twenty sixteen, December fifteenth. First start, thirteen points for rebounds, five assists, plus shift teams, not too horrible. And his first triple double was a year after that. So look at look at that the way that went. Twenty fifteen first game started. Right? On drafted twenty fourteen, so he didn't play in his first game until about a year later. Then he has his first start, which is a year later than that. So we have years in between these. So we have a guy to sit on a bench over here. He's been one of the greatest players of all time. We just sit on the bench. Twenty sixteen, he's started. Gave him a pretty good stat line there. And his first double double didn't come to almost a year after or I don't know if it's a solid year. After that, it might be the same season. No. It was the same season. Okay. Yeah. It's first triple double, but but it was just in twenty seventeen. And it was twenty thirteen and eleven. Twenty seventeen. So he was on a trajectory so speak. Like, he was, you know, some people come in if, like, it's gonna happen right overnight. It that's why I love, like, these are the players. Players like him and Jimmy Butler, like, I love those kind of players, man. Guys who just or kinda maybe churn him in a little bit, kinda working their way up. Nicole, it wasn't that path, but definitely Jimmy had to work for his and Nicole, as you see, he strapped it did have his first triple double to three years later. Yeah. So you're working your way up you're working your way up the up the list there. I can kinda see that. What is interesting is that I think him and Jamal Murray were coming off the bench. Run it. I don't know if either of those players were started. They were hit their ...ivoivoivo moutier, and that didn't really work out for him. I'm not I don't know if he's playing or not. Going back to what you were saying, and and and for people that are in our just listening to the show versus watching the show, There's a stat here. I said, I didn't even know. Just going through this playoff stats, I gotta share it with you. Three point percentage, forty five point five, and he shot forty seven point four against Miami this year. That is amazing.
Speaker 2:That's amazing.
Speaker 1:Forty five point five percent three point shooter. The last that's been due to playoffs. And twenty twenty three all year versus Miami shot six games. He shot forty seven point four percent. No. This can go this percentage can be a little bit higher because you might not take a lot of but the fact that
Speaker 2:you didn't
Speaker 1:have -- Right. -- it put player a center who's shooting into forty percent. A lot of these centers could have took three of them and missed all three. Very very easily. Not no no prayer of going in. And this is a lot of the historic centers. We look at some of the greatest centers of all time. I don't even know if they could take two or three shots to shoot forty forty five percent. So for a big man, it's amazing stat. I had to share that stat, man, because it's one of the ones that pops out. He's he's statuesque and general pop out, but that's one that really pops out to me.
Speaker 2:Right. He's taken smart threes versus just have have him hesitating Take that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Those air to shoot threes, man. He's just standing out
Speaker 2:there. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And when a ball gets back to him, he's like, oh, you know, I'm gonna take it. See what happens, you know? I'm a go back to what you said before about the kind of underrate that the being the hating on so to speak, because -- Mhmm. -- I would kincher Perkins credit in this I thought that what he said was absolutely ridiculous and horrible. Because when you say that they that it was something that I'm gonna paraphrase this, but I know it was, like, race race based. I feel like sports is one of the only places that you could have race not be a factor. You're either good or you're not good. I can look at your stats right here. He's either better than people in his position or he's not better.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Part of his stats here say, oh, it's because we don't get the white guy, black guy stats. The foreign guy, the domestic the domestic guy stats. No. These deaths don't break down into the cultural, into the cultural, culture war, so to speak, and I think some of these people already have these issues in general. They just attach basketball to it, you know. They Right. Oh, they just want this. It's a conspiracy. They just want this to and overlook the guy who won it this year. Overlooked the guy who won it, would be honest, and grapple him, overlooked Steph Curry winning it. I'm gonna grapple him. Right? When you go look at it, how many do I guys have one MVPs? So it was an asinine statement, and I believe he got roasted jestly for it.
Speaker 2:I
Speaker 1:think that he has turned it around in the sense like he started talking about like one of the young Yocaj's biggest fans right now. He's he's on a he's on the Yocaj train. Hey, man. Mark Jackson. Mark Jackson's leaving him off. Now did the Mark Jackson was disappointing as well? Only in a sense of, you commentate and you you've coached. You commentate.
Speaker 2:Right?
Speaker 1:You've What's wrong? Like, what what and the guy who won the last, what, two years? You don't even give them a look. You're not in your top three or for the look this year? So stuff like that is disappointing. We look at players who turn around and compensate. And I I like to listen to these guys, the Greatmont Greens to Paul George's of the world. Gilbert arenas, I think, was one of the earliest people to do this. Agent zero was doing stuff like this when he was playing. So I like listening to their perspective. I like listening to how they see the game because the way they see the game is way different than though they forget more basketball today than I've ever known. Mhmm. So I have absolute respect in no matter who the player is, it could be the worst player in the NBA. This might hurt something he was feeling for people who are at home film like they could just jump in and do it. It's only been four to five thousand players that have ever played in the NBA in humanity. That's since the NBA was around four to five thousand human beings have played an NBA. So even the worst player in the NBA, he knows more about basketball than you. And me.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:He knows more about basketball. Like, he could be the worst guy, the last the absolute last guy that's playing. So they seeing players as player empowerment is in so people like Kitchapurfins can come on and and people like Paul George can have his his podcast and stuff like that and he has some measure of success. I'm happy for that. And I think they bring another perspective At the same time, it doesn't mean you're not wrong. At the same time, it doesn't mean they they got they're gonna pick every game. Right? You know? So once you bring yourself into that space, the commentating space, and you're to speculate, speculate, speculate, space. I take it down a bit, but there's still some efforts there to players who have played the game. Your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well and plus especially the Mark Jackson one, like, That was Mark Mark played that way was a pass first guy, a guy. Right?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. He was.
Speaker 2:Right. And that's crazy.
Speaker 1:New York City, I wanna say.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's like, wouldn't you you would I thought you would gravitate towards this guy. Right? Because Mark played kind of in the old style of basketball. Yokich kind of plays that old style basketball, the pass first rebound. He's obviously, we know he's not a good defender, but you're he's not a bad defender. Like, you you know, I'm not seeing, like, teams seek him out to you know, they're not trying to you know, hunt him, like, hunt him. Like, when teams were obviously trying to hunt Luca for many many times. And or now when I know we're gonna talk to up c c p three in the next segment, but keyboards aren't starting to hunt him. Right? So is yeah. I mean, Look, if he wins the NBA, even if he's shown enough, like, unless they just blow these next three games, which I don't think they will. He's proven. He's he's on he is the best player right now in on in the NBA. So there's talking his can talk only one, but he's he's the best. He has the belt right now. You know, he he if he like I said, if he wins Tomorrow, that's it. He has the bell. The bell says. He's the best so. He's the best player in the world right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah. He's gonna have the last laugh. Because he's gonna be finals of VP if he wins. This show is being recorded days before this show is played. So he's gonna have he's he'll be the finals of VP. Take that MVP over regular season MVP any day. Right. That usually helps me out. You did pretty good for yourself. So now let's talk about the CP three situation. Hear you doing it. Now this what's interesting about about this in particular is I saw it coming, but I love the player, man. I just but I I do kinda see it coming because --
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:-- it's the aging superstar situation. Right? Say agent superstar situation, you get superstars and they can get hard to deal with past a certain point from a two part situation for a crystal ball because his ability has waned a bit, but it's the availability. That's really failing. If you if I was to look at this and I'd say, well, you know, we do like the guy, we'd like to have him around, we'd like to have him in a locker room. But he's not really playing a lot of games. He played fifty nine games. And in his defense, Yolked, he only played ten more games in him? Yolked to play sixty nine. So it's not like Yolked just got to play seventy nine games. You know, it's a two game differential -- Right. -- from Chris Paul. But as he ages because that is something that's significantly different. And as he ages, it's gonna be a problem for him. You know, it's gonna be a problem as the ages because we all know that you don't tend to get healthier as you age. Don't tend to get healthier. So What before we kind of dive into the stats and all its other stuff, what is your general feel about Chris Paul?
Speaker 2:I mean, I love him, but it's like one of those things, you know, when if your team signed Chris Paul, like, oh, wait. I have Chris Paul, but you got memories. Three thirty eight years old. He's been not only, yes, the games that you mentioned the game log, with him. It's very close to Yokich. But he's been injured the last, you know, and every playoff series for the Suns. Right? He's missed -- Yes.
Speaker 1:--
Speaker 2:games. He's been missed
Speaker 1:the game.
Speaker 2:So missing game, isn't it? And and
Speaker 1:I think it's some of the Clippers, if I'm not mistaken. Let's see. But I think that when he uses the Clippers he missed zone.
Speaker 2:Right. I'll see. But I'm
Speaker 1:not I have to go back and look at that.
Speaker 2:Right. But you've just we're even even but, I mean, with the year where you're trying with the championship, you need your v d m b you need your point guard. And his shooting percentage was down this past year, so that didn't help put the injuries. But And the money thing that's, you know, you're paying I know it's the thirty million dollar contract, but fifteen is only guaranteed on it. That's still a lot of money. To, you know, to to pay somebody that's not, you know, not giving you a peak performance at that position. And so the do you unless they can bring them back and you still because you you still get that leadership. Right? You still get that leadership quality from him, but and that's a lot of money to pay for somebody who who can't play and he's, you know, and just we just know how guards age, you know. We're gonna have to see how Steph Curry ages come coming down the stretch. Right? He's he's starting to but, again, his numbers aren't having to dwindle, but we gotta wait and see. Twenty these next, you know, four to five years, what he's gonna look like. But it's not good. It has not looked good last, you know, last couple seasons with with Chris. And, you know, the agent superstar.
Speaker 1:So looking at his stats here and you had his contract numbers, what would this You said he has one more year left in the contract?
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's this is the final year, and it's the it's a thirty million, but it's a fifty million dollars guarantee to that money.
Speaker 1:Okay. So that's pretty much give another fifteen and they just wait. They just cut them and just give another fifteen and say see you later. Is that how that goes?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. They just wave them. Right? And that yeah. That's it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So it's it's interesting, man. His stats for this season were he had brought fourteen point two game, nine assists per game, right under on both of those thirteen nine eight nine. Shooting forty four percent overall, it's not horrible. It's not set in the world on fire. Mhmm. Both lower than his dash three point average is a little bit higher than his career. Thirty seven point five on the three point. Average this past season. What is this gotta be something he's worth, man. What is he worth? It's gotta be something. Right? Is he worth thirty mil a year?
Speaker 2:That's a lot. I don't I don't even
Speaker 1:Not at. Like but look no. I'm not gonna compare him to actually horrible contracts. That's too That's too far. But thirty million a year for a guy who played fifty nine games and only give you seven games in the playoffs. It's just not doing it for you. No. And his playoff average is twelve point four and that's lower than his season average, which is correct. Regular season, he average is seventeen nine. About eighteen points on the regular season and about fourteen points. So he's got lows there and he's even lower for the playoffs when you want to be higher. Little bit better on the rebounds, little worse on the assist. He's always been around the nine to tennis this guy. Yep. He was about a seven point four seven assists guy, his playoffs. And I'm pretty sure those missed games kinda factor into that. But what do you what do you do? What do you do? You got a guy, you like having your locker room, maybe he comes back, who you think in, like, at a lower cost? Or is that out the door? When stuff like that happens?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, that's all up to him. I mean, if because, I mean, if I don't know if it's me, and the team weighs me. I don't know if I'm gonna I just wanna come sign back with you just to get to help you guys out. You know? You know, just Yeah. Sure. I mean, he just need Wherever he goes, I I kept hearing, well, that's just gonna be a perfect destination for Lakers. I'm like, no, it's not. That you can't have two ball dominant guys on the heat. You know, you can't have
Speaker 1:who has to go. Like because I I like them in the Lakers, but I only like them because LeBron's there.
Speaker 2:Right. But again, you can have
Speaker 1:I like that mix.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But they don't need it. It's like he's he's not he's not even the right person for that team anymore. They need shooters around Lebron. They don't need another guy. They can just bring them all up. They can they wanna do that. They can just they can just promote they can just not bring the Angela Russell back and give, you know, shooter shooter that that that
Speaker 1:Which I heard is probably gonna be the move, by the way, else.
Speaker 2:Right. So It's it's just I I love the guy, and I'm trying I'm trying to be objective and not go out. How much I love c p three. I think he does have something to take, but it's, again, you'd have to have a good backup plan with him because he's not playing all all his games. And and be somebody
Speaker 1:assigned your shrewd or your somebody would have to still be there. Right. And it would have to be somebody to get you trust because it's a good chance they're gonna see the corner. Right. Exactly. Minutes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's like it's like NFL. It's like why why so many quarterbacks were taken this It's like everyone needs a everyone needs a backup plan. And it's eventually, when CP three thirty years old, you can see that the numbers are not great. They're trending down, which again, he's still a hall of favor, but I I just don't I don't know how much how much work that is now, you know, on on your team. It just again, it just it doesn't the optics don't look good. So the eye test is matching the stat test. He knows the stat, you know, that. So when those two things are you know, if you're seeing those two things line up, that's never a good thing.
Speaker 1:Very much agree with that. I don't I don't know what he's going to do past here. I would like to see him go to Lakers So we diverge there. But the thing is with that is, man, he might have to keep one or two guys. Me. You might have to keep you might have that point guard position going three deep if that's if that's
Speaker 2:Yeah. Right. And that's a yeah. Again, if he if he was still shooting at the higher, at the rate he was a few years ago, makes perfect sense. Right? And and then well, then if he's doing that, he's then we're not even talking about possibly a wave or traded or because, you know, that was the first thing that came out that they were gonna waive them. And now and they're like, no. No. No. No. We're gonna actually gonna we we wanna try and keep them. So we're trade them and so and they've given up, I think, that that they wanna know by the twenty fourth. Like, you guys need to make up your mind. Tell us what you're
Speaker 1:gonna do. How about end of the month?
Speaker 2:Yeah. By end of the month. So yeah. It's Phoenix just in they're just they've gotta rebuild that roster. They've gotta rebuild around Darant and, you know, Durant Booker. Right? So
Speaker 1:-- Yeah. --
Speaker 2:and that's the thing. Do you keep do you keep c p three? And keep that. Because he wasn't there for the playoffs. So, I mean, it wasn't like they were missing him because he was injured. Right? So
Speaker 1:--
Speaker 2:Mhmm. And then so they've got just a whole lot of things they got, you know, they got the Andrea Hagen thing to figure out. They got this thing to figure out.
Speaker 1:That thing is you're out of here. And so, oh, okay. Figured it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's how I figured it out too. That might be a wonder.
Speaker 1:Somebody's good. He might be sometimes it's just a change of scenery. Right? Like, the the y has been going to Detroit situation. Like, sometimes you just need a change of scenery and things are better for you. But the way that Deandre input Deandre Aton plays, it's very frustrating because when you're five nine guy like me. And you're looking at the seven footer?
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:Athletic?
Speaker 2:Right. Athletic.
Speaker 1:He's he's skilled. He can shoot. If he had to. So it's frustrating watching the guy like that just not be aggressive. You know? Yeah. Same thing it wouldn't be when he had the fifteen point in that series that he had with the heat and that close out game. Like, you you see a guy with that Like, you just jump over anybody, you just slam on anybody, but yet you got the stature and it's just not working out. Now, of course, it beats a bigger and they're under Aiden, but they're both capable of getting a job done in that in that aspect. So it's more disappointing when they're kinda shrinking in that moment. No. At Chris Paul, he's played a lot of games, man. He's played over twelve hundred games --
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:-- more than eighteen points. Tennis is five rebounds. That's a pretty good pretty good stat line for a guy who's played that many seasons. So definitely think he's first ballot hall of fame or and I don't think that's even a discussion right now. No. I mean, people do feel like he's gone going to the hall of fame. I happen to think he's gonna be first ballot. But it may be over, man. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I know. I know.
Speaker 1:I know. To the end.
Speaker 2:And that's I think that's the the tough thing is when when you start watching these guys and you're like, you just you you're just like, you hear c p three and you're you immediately go. He's at this level. And then you start looking at the stat line, like, oh, no, he's not. And then you start watching some of the games. Oh, he's not there. And even, like, even last year when they got when Dallas just roasted them, Luca was hunting. Oh, man. CP three. He was
Speaker 1:We'll see why. Right. You if he's gonna guard Luke for one, nobody can.
Speaker 2:Nobody can.
Speaker 1:You don't have the stature to even put up a fight. Now what we saw, Aaron Gordon play, Jimmy Butler --
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:-- I don't feel like Jean Butler is or Aaron Gordon is better than Jean Butler, but at least his height alone -- Right. -- but his hands up is gonna bother Right. You got to figure something out. The guy was like, what? Sixteen or so. And in Lucas' case, he's a a strong six eight or so. Yes. Seven eight. He's around there. It's a tough stuff assignment.
Speaker 2:But even yeah. But even a healthy Chris Paul, I mean, obviously, younger would or just give him would give him fits. Right? He would know that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Those are the Bulldog, Christian.
Speaker 2:He's a ball day. Bulldog, you know. Yeah. I I don't know what they're gonna do. I mean, he's gonna end up somewhere.
Speaker 1:I just don't think so too. Right? Somewhere. Like, he does some contracts somewhere. I don't know where that somewhere is gonna be, but I think that he does deserve it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I just hope it's like a contending team I don't wanna see him go to, like, a rebuild team. You know what I heard was it might it might be. Actually, a a good team was, you know, was San Antonio. You know, if they kept a block They could get
Speaker 1:in there.
Speaker 2:Could Wimby and they can maybe just they decide, oh, grieves and then they, you know, and then they have him, but that would be good, you know, where he's not, where he could just come in and, you know, be on this with the two younger guys and just kinda help those guys out. I can see that. I just it's just what that team right now with Phoenix, you know, I don't You can't have for you guys that are injured. It'd be build your cross around that. Right? You're kidding. You got two superstars.
Speaker 1:In in during
Speaker 2:Injury prone. Okay.
Speaker 1:Yes. Injury prone, they they both miss time this year.
Speaker 2:Right. Especially, Durant. Durant is like, and you just can't have Okay. You can't have your point guard. So you gotta get you gotta strengthen up your I'd say, well, well, you know, they gotta do something about their bench.
Speaker 1:And -- Yeah.
Speaker 2:And and it's like, okay. Well, if if you if you do c p three, I mean, you don't really have to get another point guard. I mean, you can get It's kind of another guard. Just a good guard handling, you know, player. Right? Because you've got Durant. You could break them all down. I mean, you've got booker who can bring the lions. They don't really just need a, you know, a point guard, you know, a true point guard. So I don't know. I mean, I love him, but it's like it's it's he'll be he'll go somewhere. I just wanna make sure it's not, like, Oklahoma City or somewhere. Oh, wait a long time.
Speaker 1:No long time. Yeah. Because I'm sorry. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That'd be good team.
Speaker 1:Tati. I mean, that's looking better than probably even San Antonio. I'd rather probably as you mentioned it,
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Right. You've been there before.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:Got it. Say, Gilles, you have Josh Katie there? Yeah. But it's a budding squad there. It's definitely a younger team. I'm not sure if he's looking a lot of these older players don't wanna go to younger teams. But Right. I don't know how many choices he's gonna have. At this point in his career.
Speaker 2:That's the thing. He's not gonna have a lot of choices. That that's that's where we're coming down to. It's not not everyone's signing up for your services at this point. Just And it's not hey. Like you said, if you're if you're an NBA team, you're gonna, like, you gotta remember it's, like, you're gonna get because you might be getting c p three, but you're getting, you know, like you just said, a lot of games, a lot of mileage And
Speaker 1:--
Speaker 2:Yes. -- because he's just been around. And he's played great. I'll wherever where he's been. But just you just gotta make sure whoever signs him. You gotta have a good backup plan. Like, you know, you can't have a campaign as your as your back backup up. Right? He's not that you can't be done.
Speaker 1:Hey, Cam. He's got his data. He's a my fantasy team. Cam. Cam got it in for me a few games. I think what what a lot of times those backup players lack Eugene is to consist see of a star player. Like, they can be a star player for four quarters. Right? They can be a star player for, like, a a game or two.
Speaker 2:Right?
Speaker 1:But consistently, it just shows how hard it is to do this night in and night out. Right. To be the focus of somebody's deepness night in and night out, It's difficult. Mhmm. It's difficult. And with these role playing guys, just come in and give us a few minutes. Spell, can you spell for the starter a little bit? Or we got can you give me two or three games?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I think campaign is perfect for that position. I just don't we all know that it right now, he hasn't proven to be a starter. No. And you know what I'm thinking? He's like a backup guy. Where would you put him at? Like, third third of the team?
Speaker 2:We're we're We have
Speaker 1:a guy like camping.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, he's, like, your he's, like, your third option. Like, it's I mean, I just I don't think he's
Speaker 1:at point guard specifically.
Speaker 2:So Yeah.
Speaker 1:At your point, I have two part game point two point guards in front of him.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I would. I just I mean, especially, I I I I loved in the playoffs when he was waving up Kevin Durant. You're waving off one of the best players in the NBA. You're waving him off. It's because you are
Speaker 1:I got this, man.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I got this. It's just like I can't I cannot there's no way Kevin going. Kevin's not signing off on this guy coming back. I was just no way. He's like, dude, we got it. So I don't know. I mean, I could I mean, I I was greeting then, you know, an officer Frank Bogle has come out. I there's no way that Frank Bogle was signing up for this, you know, not to have c p three on his team. You know? Because at the end, I was like, I just I mean, I would I I think it'd be shocking to be if he'd left. But I mean, I could -- Mhmm.
Speaker 1:--
Speaker 2:I wouldn't I wouldn't be surprised. You know, you've got new like you said, you got the new owner in there. He's already mixed it up with the
Speaker 1:if it came into Grant left?
Speaker 2:No. No. That no. I'm talking
Speaker 1:about that. Oh, if Frank Vogel left because of c p three.
Speaker 2:Right. Right. You know, because Focals come out and said, no. I I can't I can't think I don't think he signed with Phoenix think if c p three is gonna be weak, you know? Or, you know, I thought
Speaker 1:stuff like that. Man, I hope they talked about it real because I think you at least owe a coach that. It sucks for getting to getting a team that you feel that you're signing up for, you move your family, you get everything ready, this is a team you think you're gonna get the guys out of here.
Speaker 2:Right. Right. You you guys one way you're thinking, I'm getting this team. I'm getting three hall favors pretty much. Two are definitely hall of favors booker, you know, we probably know what can you see more for next few years. But probably thinking I got three. Right. Prudential Hall flavors of my team. Right? It should be good. And then we can just build around those guys. But, yeah, it'll be interesting. I mean, I I I wouldn't be shocked either way because I know, you know, like I said, you got the new owners. Made made that Kevin Durant trade, traded fired a pretty popular coach. So It's you know, it comes in threes. Right? We're so late for the third thing. So it could it could be three, c p three.
Speaker 1:It's gonna be eight, man.
Speaker 2:That that could be yeah. That could be your third thing.
Speaker 1:Eitan is out of there. And I think that he should be because it listen to me, like, the team which ended up absolutely working out for Monty's being paid a fortune. So it worked out for him. He kinda, like, traded up. He got fired. He got a a better a better situation.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So I don't understand what I chose. If it was as reported, like, a lot of people saying, like, beef with between the eight and then Monty throughout the season, and NBA does tend to been a tend to be a players league. But I think that who the player is should matter.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And as Dehydraiding has not earned a significant say in any type of operations in Phoenix up to this point in my opinion. And you wanna talk to Kevin? I would even take a CP3's advice over over dangerous ratings. But Kevin, Devin, and Devin mostly. So there you start with Evan Booker because you've been longer than Kevin. Yeah. Younger than Kevin. So you start there with this guy. Then, yes, Kevin, what is how do you at least how you feel? Like, a lot of people say that players shouldn't have a say so, but of course, I'm going to talk about better players. I'm not just gonna give them a guy they don't wanna play for. That doesn't make sense. So I will at least get their opinions. I'm gonna make the final decision, but I will at least get their opinions on it. To see how you feel. And if I get a universal no, not not even universal. I need a universal yes. Forget the universal no. If there's a no for one of these guys, It's a no. In general, like, I'm not gonna bring I can find a guy who I think I can get to two yeses on, and I wanna keep trying to go down the list and tag it to the guy that they both sign on and kinda think they can go in and go to war with so to speak.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I guess we'll see what happens as time goes on here. With that because there's still some developing things there. It'd be interesting to see exactly how all this falls. Thank you for listening.