Just the Stats
Just the Stats
NBA Trades Unraveled: Analyzing Player Impact, Roster Changes, and Draft Prospects
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-NBA Trade convo: Bradley Beal to the Suns, Kristap Porzingis to Boston, Jordan Poole to Washington and Chris Paul to Golden State
-2023 NBA draft
NBA Trades and Team Rebuilding
Speaker 1Just a stat ready , johnson , you do more and come into you for the lovely CD of Atlanta , georgia and Eugene . I'm so Excited to be on the day We got some NBA trades . We have to talk the trades man , and you know we love this time of the year , man , we get it's sad because NBA ends , but you get so much insight on the future of the league , right , right , the future of the association with the trades and the draft and all that stuff . And we'll talk to raf later in our podcast show . Welcome to our youtube channel . Here We're gonna discuss the NBA trades and who got better ? here We got some trades to discuss that are very interesting . Yeah , very interesting . I guess we'll . We'll discuss them . I want to say in order , but I guess kind of in order of importance Because of the type of players .
Speaker 2So of course you know you don't want to talk about the Indiana Lakers .
Speaker 1Goodness gracious . No , absolutely , absolutely not . I'm not . We're not talking any of these Trading late picks , any of these picks that were traded for like 2030 . You have some teams trading 2030 picks , 2029 picks . We're not gonna talk that stuff . We're gonna talk the actual players got you , because we know kind of what , what's going on here with them and and , and I think we got to start with the Bradley Bills situation , which happened right after we did our last show , so I had to edit out of our last show here , just a little behind the scenes there .
Speaker 1But you know , this is interesting to me For a variety of reasons , because it wasn't just the bill to the sun situation , it was also cp3 . That way , i don't even think he flew out to Washington , i don't know . I figure he wasn't going to make that trip , but he's now in golden state pools now going to the wizard , so it's a lot going on there With that Washington team , right , yeah , now bill to the suns . This is a situation to me where two things can be true . One of them is , if you're the suns , if I was a son , i do make this trade . Landry , sham it . Cp3 some picks . Yes , yep , i'm making this trade . At the same time . I don't know if they're better than Denver with this trade . Um , they went in or came out of this season , i should say being a little top heavy . Um , you could argue that if bill was on the suns During this last playoff run , they have a better run . Maybe so , but I think bills had some lingering injury issues . I think that's also that's concerning , because now you , your three guys , have all had injury issues And it's not like cp3 did it . So I still make this trade 100% .
Speaker 1But I think there's another trade that needs to be made , yep , and that is the andre eight . It's another trading . You got to fill your team . You need guys , man , you need guys Eugene , like you need . You need bodies out there , like , um , i think they got exposed , their depth got exposed during this last playoff run And I don't know if bill just going to the suns addresses that . So I feel like they're going to have to trade the andre eight and get a few guys Back . You know some bodies you can run out there .
Speaker 1Right , it's a competent minutes too , and I'm not really aware of all of their finance , all the financial implications here , like I'm not sure how much cap space they got , or I don't think they have . I don't know if they have a whole team signed at this point in time , but I do think that You know and I used . You know it's funny , as I was on another sports show and I used your league pass team And they got a kick out of that . I was like you know this , this is the suns are nice . League pass team . Now Tell you that you're going to want to watch those games . Man , yes , running around out there , yes , yes , we want to watch those put butts in the seats .
Speaker 1Absolutely Gonna put butts in the seats there . Better than Denver ? Uh , I don't think so right now . I don't think so right now .
Speaker 1You can need some more guys again Can have them running the airing gordon to the world's microporting juniors or the world's out there Right , you're gonna need somebody , you're gonna need some people to deal with that . So I do like this trade because I feel like it's a good trade for both teams . Washington widgets have embraced Their ticket to rebuild land Hopefully it's not a one-way ticket , right . So I think that's a good idea . The ticket to rebuild land Hopefully it's not a one-way ticket , right . Hopefully they'll be back to prosperity here at some point . but They're on the plane to rebuild land is what they're all aboard type situation , right , i think they're , they're embracing it .
Speaker 1I think one of the things that I love about teams that embrace this , this perspective , is they actually believe it . like you know , those teams that go in and have two guys , maybe an all-star and a half on their team and think that they're going to compete With teams that have two or three all-stars on their team . Yeah , right , and Jeff , it's kind of like you're delusional . like you , you're gonna need the bodies You don't have the bodies to compete , right as well . just embrace the rebuild . You know what I mean . Say , hey , this is gonna be a process , we're gonna tear this thing down to the studs , build it back up and we'll be a better team . Yep , what are your thoughts there on That trade ?
Speaker 2no , I just I love it , I love . I mean I know we we talked about portland not going all in when they have a chance .
Speaker 1It's , it's just like okay , discuss them .
Speaker 2Yeah , i mean Portland and a little bit later here , right , but I just I just think it's amazing and it's it's good for your fan base too . Right , your fans know , okay , um word , this is it . We're going all in to rebuild .
Speaker 1Yes .
Speaker 2And they that's . You know it could be fun , you know , and and I know we're gonna talk about players that got back but They don't have . It's not like they . They're putting a bunch of just scrub guys out there . They've got a pretty good , they're gonna feel a pretty good team like it's not gonna be . I think it's gonna be like bad like San Antonio . This I . They could possibly be like The jazz last year . Right , just surprised you in the beginning but you know , fade away towards the end . Just , you know They got . They got some good , good , good guys back there . But yeah , your point is spot on . They Beal . I like it for him because He's never proven to me that he's a number one guy , a number two guy , so he can go in there to that he was to win wall was there right , and they were We're .
Speaker 1We're gonna a decent little run there . Yeah , yeah , i was there .
Speaker 2Yeah , i've just never thought of him was like he's always been more of kind of that , that Bottom tier the two , but closer to the year three .
Speaker 2So I think , if it's , nice and already Yeah , he does already he can , but this he hasn't looked that way in the last couple years . But again it could be like I said you , washington , change the scenery . You're being Phoenix . You know fans are gonna love them , but yeah , they've . They've got to fill out the roster because the scary part is is Denver won the championship with . You could look , you could poke some holes in there in their roster right And make they're going to improve the roster and you know they're gonna be above because most guys , who's gonna want to go play now ? We're you gonna want to go play in Phoenix If you're like that kind of mid-tier Rotational guy , or are you gonna play ? we're playing Denver . Hey , if I got , all I gotta do is cut , cut to the basket and someone's gonna throw me the ball right So that they yeah , but I think and then I haven't heard it But I think eightons gonna they're gonna have to trade them .
Speaker 2Yeah , i don't know if they are , but I should they should , they should , because you know you need , at least when Rather season . It's gonna be fine , they're gonna , they're gonna the what . They're just those three guys , and they've , let's just say they don't trade . Hey , do you know a tree ? They're a 50 plus , They're a 50 game .
Speaker 1That's a man . Still fun to watch , right ?
Speaker 2fun to watch , yes , but when you get the playoffs , we know you get any at least six or seven guys .
Speaker 1You need seven guys that you can count on you get , that is every night penciled in right nightly , right nightly .
Speaker 2Because you know when , when poor junior was off , what did ? what him alone do ? Oh Well , i'm gonna throw one of my , one of my other guys in there on the case if you are brown or whoever you know . So they don't have that luxury It's . It's those three guys and you know , maybe in the under is not , you know That scrub out there , but you know it's .
Speaker 1No belief in campaign huh .
Speaker 2No , I would not reside that guy .
Speaker 1If I'm not a pain . Man gave me some competent minutes on on my fantasy team .
Speaker 2Yeah , Yeah but yeah , that's well , that that's what they need to do . So they've they've got to fill the roster and there's the good thing is , there's a ton of free agents . I heard this . It's not a deep creation class , but there's a ton of guys out there They could fill out their roster spouse with .
Speaker 1So they have the money to actually do it . What do you think about the CB3 to Golden State is kind of a man move for me , because I just don't know , i don't know , i , i Want , with no matter what team . See me , three goes to . That's the team I want to win the chip . Yes where's my Hawks ? who ?
Speaker 1were not going to be right now , but of course I want CB3 to win a chip . I like seeing that style of play be rewarded . He's been , he's been good to the game . I want to see the game be good to him . Yeah , that's said . You have to play the games like you have to play Play . He's been snakebitten postseason . He can't it's , it's , it sucks . Do you bubble wrap him until the Second half of the season ? What do you ? what do you do with CB3 there in ?
Speaker 2Golden State come off the bench . He's really . It's a time , is it that time ? I think so , because you don't want him Doing , because he kind of does the same thing , because you know , i know , dreymond , he declined the option , but I all find his point right . He's gonna come back , so he's gonna be back . Yeah , i think he's gonna be back too . So all and that's the thing . I think he comes out with that second unit .
Speaker 1I'm 20 minutes a game to be the first time right , because he didn't come off the bench with Phoenix right .
Speaker 2But Because , again , that's where I would want him and , like you said , why ? why play him 30 plus minutes ? that he's not . You need to keep him healthy . I just would rather and Here's a guy who's figured out right , he's played all different kinds of style . I think he's just such a smart guy , i think he's gonna figure it out and , like I said , when I saw it I was like , hmm , i don't know how it's gonna fit , but let's you know , cp3's played with more of a ball dominant guy when he's with . You know , in Houston , when you play with what hardened , so he's , and that's . I saw stat . He's met every team that he's been on . He's made them better , like he's improved .
Speaker 1When he was in okay , oklahoma City , they're better He was in Houston , i he's . He's a great Basketball IQ guy . Yeah , you can affect your team in more ways than one and just with the stats show . So I think that he is a great player and and welcome addition to Golden State . The pool situation , you can Argue , has been doomed ever since the situation that he had with Ray Mon and you know , some people say that never got better .
Speaker 1I don't know if it did or not right , but they definitely didn't have it this past year . It's hard for me To believe that CP3 goes to Golden State . Everybody on Golden State is a year older and And they're now like better than Denver or something like that , you know it's still similar to the Sun situation , where I could still kind of See them where they're at , unless Wiggins takes another stand now .
Speaker 1Wiggins did miss significant times right past year , so maybe he's back . I've always liked Wiggins and Then we can see , you know , because see if you come out the bench , of course , but I just got to get to the . I've seen this movie so many times . I got to see them get to the end of the season And see where he is at . What do you think about The Marcus smart to Memphis situation ? poor thing is to Boston . Who who came out better there ? I kind of like You know The smart to Memphis . Let me . Let me speak on this for a second , because Marcus smart is very similar to Draymond Green , to me , in To to Boston . So , yeah , sometimes and we talked about this before show There's a band called limp biscuit
NBA Trades and Player Impact
Speaker 1.
Speaker 1I think maybe there's still touring , i don't know , but let biscuit . Fred Durst , west Portland , all them those guys . At one point West Portland was not a part of the band . I'm not sure if he is now or not , but at one point he wasn't . And you still had your front guy there , though , right , you said Fred Durst . Fred Durst still a guy , still still there . You feel like , hey , nothing's really gonna change . You still got our guy here , but the band was not the same when West left . He wasn't the front guy , but it wasn't the same group , right . I feel the same about players like Marcus smart and Draymond Green . They they're not the front guys on their teams , but they are part of the team . Like they . They bring in tangibles that don't always show up in the stats to those teams .
Speaker 1So I Think what poor zing is ? you do get . You get sighs right . You get him coming off the best year of his career Playing , i think , over 60 games is great for him . But What did you lose ? I don't think this is a situation that I don't know what . If you know what you lost until you start playing the games , i can tell . You start playing the games . I don't know what that trade-off is right . You know you got a scorer right . You definitely got that . Size is seven three . You got sighs . But Marcus smart , i think is an egg , is a great basketball player , and I don't know what they lost there . So it's hard to know . I could see why poor zing is going to . Boston has made them like prohibitive favorites , but they probably came in close to favorites anyway right .
Speaker 1Especially if they get get things done with Jalen and he doesn't move , you would have came in to being close to favorites anyway . But with poor zing is now No . The average in 23 , 23 and 8 . I want to say 23 , 8 and roughly 3 on the assist . I Don't know when poor zing is . If poor zing is , regresses to the mean . So when you look at his years before he played 17 games , play 43 games , seems to have trouble Getting over that 60 .
Speaker 1I think this is like the second or third time in his career , right , and he's got over that 60 . And I think two of those were with New York when he very first came into the league , right ? I Think that those 23 point to help Boston sometimes when things went still out there with Brown and Tatum . It's good to have another guy , right . Yeah , it's good to have a guy who we know can put the ball in the hoop . It's not easy to do , so it's good to know that you have that guy out there . But do you lose something with the spirit ? that's something that's intangible market smart ? I don't know . I think that's a great pick up there for Memphis And maybe this is a situation that works out for both teams . What are your thoughts on that ?
Speaker 2Yeah , i mean , i think the issue is you ran this back some of what the seven years now , and you know , yes , you've had some playoff , you've had some good playoff success . You've gone to the finals twice , but you know , you , some , what you got to break it up All right , so you got to put , you got to bring in something new . At least try to get over that line .
Speaker 1You mean right Getting to the line , but getting too long Or get you that trophy .
Speaker 2Now and the good thing with Pratina is that I think that Marcus couldn't do is when he's on the floor you can have more and more spacing , right ? You're not going to be able to . You know , double team a lot . You're going to have another good shooter on that team . So , man , now they're going to lose . They're going to lose a little defense , but I mean for sure it's a player right , but they've got .
Speaker 2They still got good , good defensive in their point , you know . And Derek White is more than capable of stepping in and being their starting point card . He still plays good defense . It's not . He's not like you know , they're , you know , not always hunting for him . So he's not going to be obviously the Marcus smart defensive player of the year , but you know , i think he'll be fine And um , but yeah it , but it just remains to be seen .
Speaker 2You know what I mean . They were already , you know they're always . They're going to be in that top conversation again next year You can them in Milwaukee . So but yeah , i , and I like it for Marcus , i like Marcus , maybe a change of scenery , i mean that's , i think it's great to defensive players of the year on the same team together him and triple J , that's phenomenal . And and then , and that's the one thing they were , the one thing Boston was not missing was that team plays like their grownups . Right , they're not . I mean , they've been through some wars together . They , you know , they , they know how to play with each other . Memphis was missing , kind of you know , once Adams , when it's out , it went out with the injury . He was on the floor . They kind of missed that . That grown up in the room . I think that's that's the thing from for Marcus I . I like him going there . I think again they're going to be fine with you know they're .
Speaker 1They were going to be fine with with job missing those games because they had been in the past , had been in the past , so I just think this helps , you know , and they're going to love , they're going to love him .
Speaker 2You know , Boston love Marcus . I think it's going to translate well for Memphis . They're going to love them there . So I think it's one of the ones . I think it worked out great for everybody . You know , i like , i like all the moves And I like , i think Jones going to Washington actually being able to play , you know , a lot of times he's going to be loved in Washington as well . So , as far as like just the , you know all the the guards got moved . Yeah , i , i love it . I think everyone kind of got what he needed out of this deal .
Speaker 1Okay , now what about ? are we going to give a couple minutes to Jordan pool ? to the wizards ? Is that is that ? is that a man move also , or what are your ? what are your thoughts on that ? I mean , they got to say they'd be able to get off the contract .
Speaker 2Yeah , they already got the contract . Maybe a good fresh air .
Speaker 1Same kind of James Weisman situation , or maybe some times you need fresh air Right .
Speaker 2Different start , you know Different start going to be able to . You know he's going to be able to take as many shots as he wants , because he's the only kind of thing that's shooter on that team right At the moment . But I like it for him And you know I think goal stays going . Look , we wasted a prime Steph Curry year . We're not doing it again . You know they tried to . You know let's bring in something .
Speaker 2Young guys , you know , trying trying to bridge the gap . And they did . It was just they . They're like look , we're not wasting another year , we're going to go all in again , cause , let's just face it , i mean that Lakers year was great , but you know it could have gone . It could have gone a different way , right , if you know , maybe if Wiggins play a little better , maybe they win that series , maybe maybe it's a different commerce , maybe it's a different series against Denver , right . But but you know , with CP3 on that team now and the pull out of there , you know and and you know they they've been saying , and now now it's coming out that that punch did have a lingering effect for the whole season .
Speaker 1I mean , how do you see that ?
Speaker 2Right , so I like it . I really I'm going to . I think everyone won And in that I'm sorry , i'd like , i'm sorry , pull going there . I think that's a good for win for him . You know , bad team , go there and just , you know , just just play . He'll be able to play and want to worry about anybody behind him , because he's , he's going to be the guy .
Speaker 1Well , let's go a couple of minutes here to Dame Lillard and Portland . It's interesting what Portland did , because Lillard isn't , hasn't been traded , and I'm hoping this doesn't happen again , where we do our show and there's a trade that comes through same day here . Right , we just started , luck , but Lillard as as the time of recording has not been , but it seems like what they did on draft night would take a Scoot Henderson . Yep , that has been like you know what I mean , like the writing is on the wall a little bit .
Speaker 1Here . You got Shaden Sharp , anthony Simons , now the kid Henderson is their room for Lillard , and if you're Lillard , do you want that ? You got to be the adult in the room here . Now Got all these kids that you're playing with . Do you want to go and try to contend somewhere ?
Speaker 1I am a big fan of loyalty , and if we all I can't say we all , but if some people had their way , then you'd have 1.5 All-Stars on a team , you know , and then everybody would just build through the draft and through coming up grinding it out , kind of doing it the Denver way , right , yeah , denver grinded it out and they , they got across the line , and that's kind of like what you want to see , and I like the same thing to kind of do there in Miami as well . But the reality is there are going to be teams of multiple All-Stars standing in your way of the promised land And it's going to be so hard And even whatever doing it the right way . That's not . Jamal Murray is an All-Stars , he's not a scrub . So you still had two guys there , right , right .
Speaker 1You still had two guys there that are at
NBA Draft and Lillard's Future
Speaker 1the top . I think he's going to need to go to a team like that . He can be one of the guys , but he is going to need to go to a team . In my opinion , if he wants to win a chip . It's going to be hard to do in Portland , especially in Portland getting younger now , looking like they are kind of looking towards their future .
Speaker 1I like what Portland is doing . I like what they're building there , because I think that Portland themselves are building or looking for at a future that Lillard made . You know they're preparing for Lillard . Yes , so , to walk this certain degree , right , yeah , whether it's this year , whether it's two years online , whether it's three years online , whatever , right , right , right . But it seems that they're mentally making a preparation for him to step away . So here's the hope , and I hope that something gets done here , because I want to see Lillard really compete at the next level . Let's get a chance to see , to give the guy a chance . He hasn't really had a chance , in my opinion , since McCulloch left . I do like Jeremy Grant Now . I do like some of the pieces they had on their team .
Speaker 1I like the Kitchy Sharp and Anthony Simons as well . I like those kids , but it's kind of like , you know , i don't know , i don't know , they don't seem their next year to me . No , you know what I mean . It seems like they're building up , you know . So I would love to see Lillard go to a contender man And let's see , let's see him go to like a Miami or something like that . Man , right , you ?
Speaker 2get a .
Speaker 1Lillard ban and Jamie situation going . You know , let's , let's , let's , let's . I want to see him mix it up , man , yeah , so now let's do a little bit of draft talk here . You know , when we go into these drafts Eugene and this is where it's being an old guy who's watched a lot of basketball drafts Right , i don't want to be get off my lawn is about this but you never know who these guys are going to be .
Speaker 1Eugene , there's always a fool me guy in there , right , a guy five top five , top 10 with . This is the best they're ever going to . I remember I got fooled on Don AXM back in the day , like there's always a guy That's talked about ad nauseum And then this is the most you're ever going to talk about . The guy is a draft , and NFL draft can be similar to that where you're the most you're ever going to talk about this guys during the draft , and then it's going to be back to the usual suspects when you get into the season . So drafts I kind of have a love hate relationship with to a certain degree , because when you look at where players like Yokech win right , Great Kobe Bryant , kobe Bryant with 13th I want to say You don't ever know who these guys are going to be , right , you don't ever know , right . And when you look at the number one guy , there's hope . And we're going to do a separate video on Winby Alma , so we're not going to spend a ton of time talking about him .
Speaker 1Ok , but definitely number one . I mean , come on , yeah , and that's oh yeah , that was just easy . No brainer , no brainer , no brainer there . So we'll discuss more of the other guys here in the draft . I like the Brandon Miller pick . I don't know if some people don't like it to Charlotte . I've heard mixed reactions on that , but six , nine can shoot . Yes , sir , yeah , right , yes , sir , nba signed him right up . Right , Yeah , i'm right up . It'll be interesting to see , kind of , how his career projects . He's a forward . So that means you're not really taking anything away from a mellow there , from a look to stay on the court .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's a big gift too . That's a big issue there with Charlotte , But still , i mean Brandon Miller , i don't . Who else are they going to take ? They weren't going to take Henderson , no , no , maybe they trade out the spot , like for people that are arguing that Brandon Miller should not have been a pick or they don't like the fit there And in Charlotte , who else did they take instead of him ? He would have been the number one pick this year for one for Winby , like . So who are you going to ? just leave him on the board ? Are you going to get cute , select somebody else and hope that you've outthought everybody ? I mean , i think the best thing you do is , if you don't love that , if you're sitting in the two spot and this is no matter your NBA or NFL and you don't love your choice there , just get more picks and move back .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 1Get more picks and move back , swap that pick with somebody else , get you some more assets if you feel like that's the way you should go . But I personally , just because of Brandon Miller now . Now this is all the other stuff , of course . You have all the other stuff off the court and that's got to be settled , you know , and you got to meet with the kid and hope that the ownership feels comfortable paying the guy . So that's all , of course , right . But that aside , six time can shoot the basketball . What are we really talking about here ? Like , who else are you going to take ? What are your thoughts on that ?
Speaker 2Yeah , especially in this league . Right , you need the more wings , the better . Right , you need wing players . That is the name of the game in the NBA for the last few years now . So , yeah , i like it . I mean they were hinting trying to take Scoot . I think it was more like a smokescreen to see if they can They worked them both out very late in the process ?
Speaker 2They did . I think it was more a smokescreen to see if they could get you know Portland to trade up and maybe fool them a little bit . But Scoot never made sense to me for that team And I know there's like that , you're so funny . I saw it on Instagram , i guess a viewing NBA viewing party in Charlotte and there was people that booed when he got drawn . They when they drafted Brandon . Miller , brandon Miller right through the freedom . Yeah , but I wonder who they wanted .
Speaker 2I think they want . They wanted Scoot like that . That was they help . Yeah , i , because you know he's , he's just got that that in him .
Speaker 1He's a bugger , a rim guy man . I think he's a bugger rim guy . His style of play , that's a sexist style of play to watch . Right It is , it is . But , six , nine and can shoot bro .
Speaker 2Right , that's the thing you like and you want to come , and I think he's going to fit better with with the Lamello there , right ? So unless they were ever thinking about training , then maybe bringing in Scoot , but I like , i like to pick , i like Brandon Miller at two . Here's the thing . It's not a reach , right , it's not like it's not a reach .
Speaker 2There was definitely some . None of them were going to talk about some other picks . There were some that reachers and some other teams , but they got better , they got , they took the best , they took the best player further for the team that they need right now . They need to shoot , they need a shooter to go , you know , on the team Right So , and he's going to get a lot of shots because Lamello is going to , you know , he's going to command some , you know , some double teams And he's going to have some wide open shots .
Speaker 1So I think it may pass that rock bro .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 1That's the rock man .
Speaker 2Yeah , and let's just say , and now we all believe , now I believe in there's everyone in kind of running be able to ease that . So who's going to get a shot ? and he's going to develop it . But just just what , if you know he just ends up not doing it and has kind of that Westbrook career , it's not going to be bad .
Speaker 1But you can't have to All the fame career . That's pretty good , that's pretty good , but you can't have him .
Speaker 2You can't have because I know Lamello is still kind of working on his shot , so you kind of have to guys working on the shot on the team at the same time . You know you got to have at least one guy , you got to have some shooters around around a guy .
Speaker 1Well , i pass up on the guy who's already got the shot . Like , why Right ? And a person that may develop it Like , like was like 38% from from three .
Speaker 2Yeah , he's very close Yeah 38.3 .
Speaker 1Yeah 38.4 right there , almost close to that number , that four zero , that we all covet . Yes From three you know , he's almost there now , so I'm right there with you .
Speaker 2I think it's a great pick . I like it . I mean , you know he was great in the SEC . Hopefully this I mean this off the court was . You know , it was kind of like a friend of a friend of a friend type of deal . So hopefully , for what I'm hearing , I'm not , I'm not attorney , So I'm not going to , you know , speculate what happens . But hopefully , whatever it is , it's a one time thing . He goes to Charlotte and I said I think it's going to be between San Antonio , Charlotte and Portland . We're going to have some fun , We're going to be able to watch some guys , some fun guys , Some fun guys this year .
Speaker 1Well , let's talk about Portland , because I we had talked about in the beginning of the show . We kind of alluded to this point here . Where would this meant for for Lillard , with them taking Scoot Henderson ? and it's not great . It's not great .
NBA Draft Analysis and Player Evaluation
Speaker 1I like Scoot Henderson from an entertainment standpoint , like watching them play . Yeah , i need to see that . That jump shot . And at six two , he's not , he's not an oversized guy , he's not like six feet No , so he's not all the way undersized , but and he got his build , he's got a stout build to him . So it's not like he's not running around 175 pounds out there . So it's it's . He has that and he's played . You know , grown man , he's played when we got him before and it was a great game . It's a great game to watch . Find out on YouTube . It was good game to watch . I'm fine with this . Like I'm fine with how these picks fell . Like I I don't see any issue with Scoot going three to Golden , to Portland , but what they already got there , yeah , i think it's great . They're going to be a fun team to watch . Man , remember we used to talk about Sacramento Kings when they were coming up and we were like yes , that's just such a fun team to watch , man .
Speaker 1You know they were coming up , coming up through the ranks and they finally realized their success here , or Mike Brown , kind of leading them somewhat to the Promised Land and getting them , uh , separating the Kings from what they've been known for all these years Lathable . I can see the same thing for for Portland here , with their young core , they have going . It's a fun little team to watch , so it'll be interesting to see how they develop . I think they got to deal with the Lillard stuff because that's we all know , the aging superstars is one of the hardest things to deal with in any league . So it's they got to figure that out , like , and he has to figure it out Also , right ? I ?
Speaker 1think he's earned the right to figure it out for himself , to be honest with you . So whether does he want to stay with the kids or does he want to go to a contender I'm not saying they won't contend , but I think they're some years off from contention because they're so young . Yeah , but they're a fun team to watch . So I'm fine with Henderson going to to Portland here . I don't I like that fit better than Charlotte . I really do . But I do also look at Brandon Miller . Six nine can shoot man . There's 30 teams that can use that , so it doesn't matter where he went . Like you know , what team does not want a six nine guy who can shoot almost 40% from three ? What team doesn't want ?
Speaker 2that . Yeah , that's what we use , that's what we tease are going to pass on that .
Speaker 1The Thompson kids I'm not really too aware of I didn't really pay a lot of attention and there's a lot of these players the same thing And it's for the same reason .
Speaker 1I said at the beginning of the show You just don't know , right , you just don't know with these guys , like you don't know , there's somebody who got picked way later than these guys . This can be better than some of these guys . I just don't know who that person is . Right , because no matter what you see people do in college , where this over or over time to lead , or the G league or internationally which I love that too , by the way all the different ways you can come to the league is not like the one college beater system . Yeah , all the different ways you can come to the league . It's so amazing To watch that . The biggest issue , and maybe the international play , is something that translate , because you see so many international players now that are coming in becoming MVPs in our league here in America that Maybe that's the way , maybe that's a good way that you can look and see how are they playing in these pro leagues overseas .
Speaker 1And maybe that's a good way to see how they're translate . But just in my lifetime , whether it's NFL , where there's NBA , mlb , there's just nothing like the pros . Nothing like the pros . Like I , i have to see you play right the pros to see really what you're gonna be . And in a lot of times Eugene , we don't even know in the first year with these guys are gonna be . We don't know . It takes time a couple years . Maybe these players are way different . Look at Giannis coming in versus Giannis , what he is now like correct .
Speaker 2Oh yeah , remarkably different .
Speaker 1Yep . So I I don't really know Thompson twins . I mean I hope they're great , i Don't know . Would you have any more information on Somebody's players ? and then I would come being absolutely useless to the audience . I mean that comes a lot of these guys .
Speaker 2Yeah , i mean from . I like you , i just listen to , i Read just who's the top ones right ?
Speaker 1I've read through some , you know some draft analysis those guys , by the way , i watch Miller .
Speaker 2Yeah , when , being a mom , i've watched all those I haven't watched the other guys though .
Speaker 2Yeah , the Thomas wins . I think you're just they . I mean , you've got One's . A better shooter was a better pastor , um , so I think that was . That was One of the one things I was reading about them . But They're they're supposed to be both pretty good guys , supposed to be pretty good good players , but you nailed it . It's it's so hard . It's it's so hard to see , because you may see like 10 through Whatever , 10 through 30 . They might be all rotational guys from the draft and everybody from the second round becomes a superstar or vice versa .
Speaker 1Right , you know right , i'm not . The guy gets , gets a max contract , right , and they can hundred million dollars .
Speaker 2Right , because now because that was that was hitting afterwards , after the draft , they're assuming guys getting the undraft players being being picked up . So But yeah , then I think that's a good thing too is like now The things has just changed , i think from our perspective you know , used to be like you said , just if , if you go into the top college like Duke or cans or Kentucky , you're gonna get drafted and that still happens , right , but it's not . They're not the top guys anymore . So now you've got international and the G League . The G League is that is come on in the last few years .
Speaker 2I absolutely love that too right and those guys could go into the G League and play there for years . Look at , was it Tim Hardaway Jr ? Right , there's a perfect example . Um , he went to the , he went there and now We , now I bring you know , we people want to play and Pick them up , put them on our team because he's a good defensive guy , he's a good rotational guy . So , again , it's you never know , you never know until Until they're on your screen and oh , look , he's getting minutes for us or he's getting minutes for this other team . We're , he's impactful . Um , yeah , that's . And like , look at , and I know , miami white had all those undrafted players in the finals . Like you , just never , he never know .
Speaker 2And , like I said , and let's just like the top three , top , you know , top five , top ten . It's just , it's so hard , it's so hard to predict and I think you just got a draft for for your needs . Like the Hawks drafted for their knees , right , we needed , we need more shooters , so you know , so we drafted a shooter Um the first and second round . So I think that's where we , you know , you just at some point you just got to go Yeah , we need a rim protector . We're gonna draft this guy here . I mean we're gonna like we need a shooter . You're , i just think until unless you have like , this can't miss guys . You're just drafting for what's what's my need , what's my ? I need to fill out my roll sheets and I need this guy in this role .
Speaker 1Is there anybody that you're surprised about now ? of course the kid can't win more fail .
Speaker 2Mm-hmm .
Speaker 1That's always . Anytime you see a guy fall , always got to watch that . Yeah , always got to watch that because he was a guy that was projected in the top 10 for a long time .
Speaker 2Yeah right , right I . That was one I'd like when he kept . When he asked that who it kept falling . I was hoping the Hawks pick up because I hate . we had an opportunity right , right there .
Speaker 2Again , it was all medical is and you know there's some Miss , there's different information on his medicals and you know from this to that . But it's like man , if there's there's a time , just take a flyer . Once you get past , I'm what's ? Could we ? we think those three guys are can't miss us , right ? We ? we honestly think now , could they one of those guys not make it or All three be bust ? Yeah , but Highly improbable , right ? this guy is gonna make it . I think after that point , just take a flyer and somebody , especially for us , the Hawks We don't , we have a pretty good roster . Let's just take a flyer in this guy , you know , and he's a , he's a top , he projected , it's the top 10 talent and he's gonna fall you to 15 . I just , i just hope doesn't come back and buy us because , like Houston could have taken it , taking him at five And they get up taking about 20 And they get up taking about 20 .
Speaker 1Yeah , I've seen they had such a great draft , draft right to lottery players in In the top 20 . Yeah , you know . So the right right to be a mid around , a mid lottery guy . Yes , and we're more .
Speaker 2Was projected to be yeah , i'll the 20 and you know it's like okay , so Just , we just hear it all the time . All the medics scared them off . Well , you know , we've heard so many guys that that happens to . They fall and they fall into good teams . Like Mike poor junior , like his medicals were the same and , yes , he's had some health , health issues . But you know what ? Yeah for sure , what's he have right now ?
Speaker 2Championship ring right , right and that's any , and he played big minutes and he and he'd be . You know he's a starter and he again He kind of fell . You know some of the finals games , but man , when his score was rebounding , was Right right . Yeah , there's rebounds and the assists , like you know . And hey , he and he wasn't the thing too , he wasn't scared to put it up . So I just hope that pick out the cam , that the Whitmore pick does not come back behind us .
Speaker 1Speaking of of haunting us here , like . So I looked at our pick here and I don't know a ton about the kid buffing . We took Kobe buffing at 15 and I Wasn't In his no , knock on the kid specifically is a knock on the position .
Draft Picks and Team Needs
Speaker 1When I look at our team , the last thing I didn't really think going into this draft like man , we got to get another guard man . I'm sure we got a shore guard position up here , right , i Think that this doesn't bode well for the John Tage future here . I mean , we , we all know that Trey Tends to be up and down , you know , i mean , but I don't think they're ready to move off Trey this year . So maybe this is a Dajonte situation . This doesn't look good for that situation . What are your thoughts here ? because I Didn't think we needed another guard , especially not addressed at 15 . Um , because I get addressing a need , right . Yeah , can we address that second round ? Can we ? can we take our flyer in the first ? I think we . Can we take our flyer at 15 ?
Speaker 1Right , right , that's our need second round versus right taking a rotation guy 15 .
Speaker 2Yeah , your thoughts on that . I'm right there with you . I would have like , like you said , that once Cam started following I was like , ooh , can we get a ? that's just a perfect , like , that's just a smart pick . And I'm right there with you . I like I mean I sound like I don't like the pick , but it's like , man , i wish .
Speaker 1Yeah me neither . I'm not like , i'm not like , i'm not like whatever .
Speaker 2But I'm like I might really reduce , like , if there's nothing , if there's just nothing , that's going to just again I don't watch and watch a ton of these guys . I watched a lot of it , you know , youtube on the on the fly , just to kind of , you know , get act made with some of these guys . But but I'm right , i'm right there with you . It's like it's why why not just take a flyer , especially when , when this draft is was pretty weak after , you know , after three , after the five , whatever I mean you can . I've heard there's nothing after three , not heard there's nothing after five . And it's like , okay , if there's nothing after five , if that's what you guys are saying , is that's really neat . There's a lot of just kind of you're going to be reaching for guys . Why not take a flyer on this guy sitting right there ? But I'm right there with you , yeah , and maybe it is insurance for John Jay , which I think would be a travesty if they let him go because we gave up so much draft capital to get him .
Speaker 1I don't like the , so there's a few things going against the Hawks here . So for one , the luxury being in a luxury tax without even paying to John Jay is depressing to me .
Speaker 1Being in luxury tax and being in a playing game is depressing to me , right , and I hear from from from news reports that I've heard is that there's a mandate to get below the luxury tax Like they're they they want . I don't think they want to be in a luxury tax And from what their ROI you're getting , i understand that . Yeah , the kid Buffkin , i will say stats wise looks and pretty impressive .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 1And the final . Well , over the final 12 games here . I got to look and see how he did before that , but let's just get over his final 12 games here with Michigan 17 , 17.4.6 rebounds , three assists , 1.9 steals plus blocks We like to call those stocks while shooting 52% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc . And that's only 12 games . But that's another wonderful 12 games , right , right . So that's that stuff .
Speaker 1And right there , man , you give me some of that . I'm back in , i'm , i'm all in , i'm . Put me back on the Buffkin train . I'm bound , i'm bound , i'm all in . Right , you give me anything like that .
Speaker 1Um , but I think that you're right with the picks . That , and you know , there's going to be guys , like everybody missed on Yelkich , even when Denver took your , because he wasn't there first picking when they , when they came around , after they got him again , Yeah , um , so it's , there's , there's players , and we don't know who those players are going to be , right , i mean , that's just , that's just the position that we're going to be in , for , you know , that is where I think the , the , the , the position , the position that we're going to be in for , is going to be great . Um , for me , position standpoint . That's my biggest knock on this , on this . Not necessarily the kid or the player , it was .
Speaker 1I don't know if we needed another guard , yeah , unless the John Tage is not going to be there . You know , and maybe would trade I'm not sure You know trade on shooting nearly that good from three , but you can tell their way they're moving . They don't know how long he's gonna be there . Is that the same situation we have here going on in Atlanta with Kobe Buffkin , like Trey's , here , but we don't know how long he's gonna be here ? So we start stockpiling some backups , right right Could be the case .
Speaker 2I mean because I hear like the same thing with him , it's we're not trading him . then you kind of hear buzzes he might be traded . or you kind of hear buzzes that everyone's on the table , everyone on the hox is on the table . would you be traded ? So I don't .
Speaker 1Everyone right ? We see here all these names all the time And we're in a luxury tax with everybody on the table to be traded . Like how these things don't go along with luxury tax . To me , like they don't . That does not compute with the things that I just said And the word luxury tax . You're paying extra money for this type of mediocrity , right , unbelievable , right , unbelievable .
Speaker 2If they're not gonna be there long , that's the thing . If they're not gonna be in the luxury tax for long , if they keep playing this way , because they're gonna have to tear it out at some point . There's no way you can keep running this out here , that every year and going expecting . You know , because I've been , they've got to . There's gotta be some moves , they've gotta make some moves . That's gonna be the goal to get under the tax . So I'll be interested to see what they do there . But by Keith Perringi Murray's name , i've heard his name echoed more lately than being traded , so maybe that's yeah .
Speaker 1One more year Interesting to see . Well , we will be back with that . If anything , it drops on that here soon . I'm not sure how long that all that'll take to work out , but we'll definitely be back with more here . There's just a stats . Check us out , check us out on our YouTube channel or check us out on . Well , wherever you find your podcast , i should say Stitcher , i Heart Radio , google Podcast , apple Podcast , spotify , and we will see you next time . All right , my friend , i'll see you next time .