Draft Prospects & Embiid’s Heated Exchange with Philly Media and Fallout!

[00:00:12] It's Monday, you know what time it is, Front Runner Podcast Collective is back on the air. I am your humble host Vince and today we have a really jam-packed show for you today. We're going to be talking about some out of the top five draft picks. We're going to also be speaking on the Joel Embiid situation in Philadelphia and also a couple, we got to check in on a couple teams and do temperature check and see what's going on.

[00:00:41] But before we get to all that, two things. First I want to apologize for Friday. We are going to not talk about it today. We're going to talk about it this upcoming Friday. I think it's apropos that we do. With that being said, there's a lot of fantastic things about to happen on this podcast, but we will talk about our absence on Friday, this upcoming Friday.

[00:01:10] And we have some things that will be rolled out also on that podcast on Friday that you guys should be really excited. Well, it's going to bring us all together a lot more interaction and things of that nature. Keep it locked here. We're going to be here Monday, Wednesday, Friday this week, and we will address our situation in our absence for last Friday.

[00:01:33] Okay. Now with that being said, the socials. Follow us on my producer, Raya. Follow her at Raya underscore FRPC. Also follow myself at Frontrunner PC.

[00:01:51] You also want to stay tuned for the YouTube, but we're not going to announce anything until Friday.

[00:01:59] And then be a friend and tell a friend about the podcast. The more people you tell about us, the better it gets. We can start doing more things. Start having like prizes and things of that nature and swag.

[00:02:13] So those are the type of things that we want to do for you guys. I appreciate the audience that we have now, and I just want to grow it.

[00:02:21] So please be a friend and tell a friend about this podcast because we keep you up to date on all the news you need to know about the NBA.

[00:02:32] And with that being said, let's jump right into this podcast. Like I said, we have a lot to get to.

[00:02:38] The first and foremost thing that I want to talk about is that there was a report by Bobby Marks of ESPN that highlights the strategic value for teams like Brooklyn and Washington to make moves to secure better positioning in the 2024, in the 2025 NBA draft.

[00:03:02] So to get talents like Cougar flag, ace, Bailey. Now, the reason why I bring that actual quota is for this particular reason.

[00:03:13] If you look at how good or if you want to say functional, let's put it that way. I won't say good because that that that solves too many issues right there.

[00:03:28] But what I would say is that if you want to talk about functional and the job that Jordy Neff, Nelt, Jordy Fernandez is doing as the Brooklyn Nets code.

[00:03:39] And then what Keith is doing for the Washington Wizards, these teams look very functional, but I'm trying to tell everybody, keep your eye on the prize.

[00:03:53] Okay, keep your eye on the prize. I don't know what you see out there.

[00:03:58] But Utah has really outdone itself on the level of taking that is going on.

[00:04:08] I'm impressed by Danny A and Justin Zanuck on the depths that they will go to to get this thing going.

[00:04:17] They are 0-6 right now.

[00:04:20] And it is amazing to me to see Brooklyn and Washington, who we picked as like bottom keepers of the NBA, to see them off to the start.

[00:04:32] Whereas if this continues, you might be in the high 20s, in the low 30s.

[00:04:38] And that's not where you want to be, especially in this upcoming draft.

[00:04:43] It's apparent to me that Brooklyn and also Washington might have to shed itself of some of its veteran leadership as we get closer and closer.

[00:04:56] But as we do, we've talked a lot about Cougar Flagg.

[00:05:00] We've talked a lot about Ace Bailey and also Dylan Harper.

[00:05:04] The names that we're going to bring up today are going to be names that will be probably right outside the top five.

[00:05:12] Maybe one of these guys will probably end up in the top five.

[00:05:15] But I wanted to bring some other names to the forefront so you would have a taste of what some of these prospects are looking like right now

[00:05:24] and what to expect as we go forward into this season and as we get into our draft observations.

[00:05:34] So what we're going to do, we're going to talk about Portland, Brooklyn, Washington.

[00:05:38] And we're going to talk about all these things that are going on and some couple of these prospects that if for some reason they keep on winning,

[00:05:45] you might be in a situation where you thought you had a top four pick.

[00:05:50] And for some reason you have been competent enough to get yourself into, let's say, the seven to nine range.

[00:05:59] And I know for Portland and Washington and especially Brooklyn, because they did so much to get their back,

[00:06:07] that this is something that can't stand.

[00:06:12] They're definitely trying to dip their toe back into the talent pool to at least get one more prospect in the case of like Portland.

[00:06:21] But in the case of Brooklyn and Washington, where they're really in the start of their rebuild,

[00:06:27] I understand that Bob Carrington is there and he is a good prospect.

[00:06:31] Take nothing away from Bob Carrington.

[00:06:33] We liked him in our draft prep and things of that nature.

[00:06:38] We also have been singing the praises of Bilal Koulibaly as well.

[00:06:44] And look at how he has blossomed.

[00:06:47] And we're going to talk about him a little bit more in a second.

[00:06:51] But you got some work to do.

[00:06:53] I know it's early in the season.

[00:06:54] I know a small sample size theater.

[00:06:56] I get all of this, these things, but.

[00:07:00] Do not stack up wins.

[00:07:03] Do not end up like Utah two years back when they're in the.

[00:07:09] Dang playing race.

[00:07:12] In the middle of January, and then they had to like literally just start throwing things overboard.

[00:07:19] We need to get rid of some of these dudes.

[00:07:20] We're winning too much.

[00:07:22] Don't tell anybody.

[00:07:24] Keep this on.

[00:07:24] All right.

[00:07:28] Who are we going to get rid of?

[00:07:29] Jared Vanderbilt.

[00:07:30] He plays too much defense.

[00:07:32] And maybe we get rid of him.

[00:07:34] Okay.

[00:07:35] We should do that.

[00:07:36] So don't be like that, Portland.

[00:07:39] Do not be like that, Brooklyn.

[00:07:42] Shed your competent players now.

[00:07:46] Like right now, Portland, for instance, has been competitive.

[00:07:50] DeAndre Agen is actually been playing very well.

[00:07:53] He's been putting up double digit rebounds every game.

[00:07:57] This is really hard for a taking performance situation.

[00:08:01] So we're going to need him to back off a little bit.

[00:08:04] You need to live down.

[00:08:08] Not live up to your self-proclaimed nickname that you gave yourself.

[00:08:14] DeAndre.

[00:08:15] We're going to need you to calm down a little bit.

[00:08:18] And also, it's about the kids, man.

[00:08:21] It's about school.

[00:08:22] Shaden.

[00:08:23] I know Shaden's hurt right now.

[00:08:24] But it's all about the development of those guys.

[00:08:27] So, DeAndre, you already got paid.

[00:08:30] You already got paid.

[00:08:31] We don't need you to get more money.

[00:08:33] We need you to calm down.

[00:08:35] Now, when it comes to Washington, the young guys have been actually doing really well.

[00:08:42] And let's sing the praises of Bilal Kulibale.

[00:08:45] And the reason why I want to do this, Kulibale was one of those guys in the draft cycle that we picked out as we were watching Victor win by Yama.

[00:08:56] They were on the same team.

[00:08:57] And his story was interesting to me for two reasons.

[00:09:01] Because he was actually on the B team.

[00:09:04] And then Victor asked for him to be promoted to the team that he was playing on.

[00:09:11] He really enjoyed playing with Kulibale.

[00:09:14] So much so that Kulibale flourished.

[00:09:18] It ended up in a lottery position.

[00:09:22] And for the Washington Wizards, it ended up to be for somebody, for them to take a real chance.

[00:09:29] Because this is a, he was raw coming in.

[00:09:33] Absolutely raw.

[00:09:34] But there were so much telltale signs of if he was properly developed, he could turn into something.

[00:09:43] And be really additive when you got to an iteration of your team where you were actually trying to compete.

[00:09:49] Now, also, I want to say about Bilal Kulibale is that he is like 19 years of age.

[00:09:55] He's still so young.

[00:09:56] So, when you hear stats like this where he's averaging 18.8 points a game.

[00:10:02] With an impressive shooting stats of 59.1% from the field and 42.1% from three.

[00:10:10] This is a great start for the Wizards front office trio of Michael Winger, Travis Slink, and Will Dawkins.

[00:10:17] But I will say this.

[00:10:20] Are we really going to say they might have to get rid of Jordan Poole?

[00:10:24] We already have earmarked Kyle Kuzma to somewhere else.

[00:10:30] But are they still too competent?

[00:10:33] Now, the jury's still out on Jordan Poole because we think Jordan Poole will always Jordan Poole.

[00:10:42] And you know what I'm talking about.

[00:10:46] But it's a really good sign for this new front office to see the fruits of their labor.

[00:10:52] And also the reinvestment in development and really trying to build a culture and also get talent.

[00:11:04] And hopefully, in these next couple drafts, get high, high-end talent to team with the above characters of the world.

[00:11:18] To team with the below Kulibalis of the world.

[00:11:21] And then see what you have.

[00:11:23] And then start making adjustments from there.

[00:11:26] But kudos to Winger, Slink, and Will Dawkins.

[00:11:31] They're off to a phenomenal start.

[00:11:34] This team looks...

[00:11:36] Washington, I know it's been a long, long time.

[00:11:40] I know the district has wanted the Bullets slash Wizards to be good.

[00:11:47] And yeah, you might have to hold on for a couple more years.

[00:11:50] But I really do think that you are headed in the right direction.

[00:11:57] Now, we also buttoned everything up with a collective focus stat or what have you.

[00:12:04] This is per Yahoo Sports Kulibale ranks among the top three in scoring efficiency.

[00:12:12] Will you see a promising indicator for Washington's development direction, even if it impacts their draft position?

[00:12:19] I don't think it will.

[00:12:21] I think Jonas Valanciunas and Will find their way off this team by the trade deadline.

[00:12:29] Just a thought.

[00:12:30] Too good to be bottom four.

[00:12:32] So we're going to have to get him off the team.

[00:12:34] Now, the next thing I want to talk about is the Milwaukee Bucks.

[00:12:40] And the Milwaukee Bucks are off to a really uncharacteristic 1-5 start,

[00:12:46] which has left fans and analysts wondering what is wrong with Damian Lillard.

[00:12:53] They brought him in to add scoring depth, especially in clutch moments.

[00:12:58] But so far, he's posting a negative 2.5 defensive box plus minus.

[00:13:05] That was understood when Damian came in, though.

[00:13:08] Okay?

[00:13:08] We know that Damian is not the greatest defender on the face of the planet.

[00:13:13] We also know he's small.

[00:13:14] And you have to start thinking about the age variant.

[00:13:20] I'm not saying he's slowed down.

[00:13:22] I'm not saying that he can't be effective.

[00:13:26] But the other thing that you thought you were getting with Damian is the explosivity of the scoring.

[00:13:33] And as the age and some of the core injuries that he has had over like the last three or four years,

[00:13:40] you're not getting a frequency of that daytime magic that you were getting in court.

[00:13:50] It's maybe once every three or four games where he was doing this on a more regular occurrence in Portland.

[00:14:00] Now, can they get back to this?

[00:14:03] Now, I know myself for basically the whole year last year and also into the summer.

[00:14:10] The thing that I keyed on, the thing that I watched with the Milwaukee Bucks was,

[00:14:15] is the Dane Giannis Antetokounmpo pick and roll situation ever going to come to fruition?

[00:14:23] I know they broke it out early.

[00:14:25] Like, I think in the first couple of games, it started to dwindle and dwindle again.

[00:14:29] And the very first thing we talked about when Dane got traded to the Milwaukee Bucks was this,

[00:14:40] was that this pick and roll should be devastating.

[00:14:42] I can't wait to see it.

[00:14:44] And we were bamboozled last year because we didn't see it.

[00:14:49] And then we get the reports in the summer that, yes, Dane and Giannis took their workouts very seriously.

[00:15:01] He came in incredible shape and what have you.

[00:15:04] And Dane expressed his apologies for not coming in shape last year because he was going through stuff.

[00:15:10] And also, he didn't want to get hurt before the start of the season and go into the season with a nagging injury.

[00:15:18] And that's all well.

[00:15:20] They never got together in the offseason.

[00:15:23] Now, prior on this podcast, I've said Giannis was in Greece.

[00:15:28] He played on the Olympic team.

[00:15:30] He had to do his thing there and what have you.

[00:15:35] But such an important part of the offense, you would think the two superstars, right?

[00:15:41] These are the two pillars of the squad now, right?

[00:15:43] So, Chris Middleton, albeit NBA champion, was part of that Milwaukee Bucks team that won the championship and he was a significant part of it.

[00:15:56] I think we can now say that Middleton would be in a more tertiary role.

[00:16:02] And you would consider the pillars of the Milwaukee Bucks would be Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

[00:16:10] Not in that order.

[00:16:10] I'm not saying that.

[00:16:12] It's not Dave's team.

[00:16:13] It's still Giannis' team, 100%.

[00:16:16] But at the end of the day, you got those two guys and they're obviously a cut above everybody else.

[00:16:24] And then you have the Middletons, the Brooke Lope as those other support people.

[00:16:32] Now, they're high level support people.

[00:16:34] So, we're not taking anything away from them.

[00:16:37] Right now, at 185, and Chris Middleton still hasn't played a game.

[00:16:43] We've talked about the air frequency of the explosive point production today.

[00:16:50] He shot the ball from three horrifically so far this year.

[00:16:55] I don't think that will continue, personally.

[00:16:59] I am just worried that this team got old.

[00:17:03] And all I keep hearing out of the Milwaukee area is that they're going to be so much better when Chris Middleton comes back.

[00:17:11] And I'm going, which Chris Middleton do you believe is coming back?

[00:17:16] Because the one that I think is coming back is going to be a diminished Chris Middleton from the one that helped you win a championship.

[00:17:25] I think the guy who helped you win a championship and who was critical in crunch time moments in that championship run, that guy is gone.

[00:17:35] And I'm not saying it disrespectfully.

[00:17:38] You can't ask him to be that guy anymore.

[00:17:41] By the way, that was the reason you got Dame Lillard to begin with because you were like, hey, we got to have something when Chris starts to fall off a little bit.

[00:17:53] And then we can have him fall into that secondary playmaking role, good defender, savvy veteran, do all the little things and what have you and give us 16 points.

[00:18:05] Okay.

[00:18:06] When you don't have him, he's not healthy enough to play.

[00:18:11] And then you have Damian Lillard, who was promised to be this guy that when you needed to get 35, Dame could give you 35.

[00:18:26] And unfortunately, he has seemed to not be able to find that magic as well.

[00:18:35] And that leaves you with a team.

[00:18:39] Needs more scoring or.

[00:18:42] Another defender.

[00:18:44] And where do you put them?

[00:18:46] And you don't have any.

[00:18:49] Real assets to give away.

[00:18:52] So what do you do?

[00:18:56] I'll tell you this right now.

[00:18:58] Dame time is more like wake up call for the Bucks because.

[00:19:03] If you don't get it going soon.

[00:19:06] Oh, brother.

[00:19:08] This season might be really over.

[00:19:12] And then what's the fallout from that?

[00:19:17] Because the rumors have already started.

[00:19:21] I heard rumors about Giannis to New York.

[00:19:25] Like that pipe dream is still not gone.

[00:19:30] I heard things like they would treat Kat in a New York minute.

[00:19:36] For Giannis Edge to Cumpo.

[00:19:40] Do Miami Heat lurk.

[00:19:43] In the distance.

[00:19:46] Oh, and by the way.

[00:19:49] Any point in time.

[00:19:52] If the OKC Thunder.

[00:19:56] Open up.

[00:19:57] The nuclear.

[00:19:58] What they used to call it.

[00:19:59] The football.

[00:20:01] And want to disperse some of those 16 first round picks that they have.

[00:20:07] They also can get Yates at Giannis Antetokounmpo.

[00:20:11] Another team that could get him.

[00:20:14] Another frightening thought.

[00:20:16] What happens if Giannis goes to Houston.

[00:20:20] And that's the consolidation trade that.

[00:20:23] Emi Adelka has been waiting for.

[00:20:25] And Giannis goes there.

[00:20:28] These are all things that could be a play.

[00:20:31] And it could be more reality based.

[00:20:34] Sooner rather than later.

[00:20:36] If the Milwaukee Bucks.

[00:20:38] Doc Rivers.

[00:20:39] Do not figure out their shit.

[00:20:44] It's one of those deals where.

[00:20:47] You.

[00:20:48] Rely on the pedigree of the team.

[00:20:51] You say, OK, this is a funk.

[00:20:53] They can get out of this.

[00:20:54] They could go on and win 12 in a row.

[00:20:57] And get this shit.

[00:20:59] Can't be Cavalier.

[00:21:01] About games.

[00:21:02] You can't just.

[00:21:03] And we don't.

[00:21:04] Yeah.

[00:21:04] We're just easing our way into the season.

[00:21:07] And.

[00:21:07] Oh, you look up.

[00:21:08] And it's close to Christmas Day.

[00:21:10] By the way.

[00:21:11] Giannis is already pissed off.

[00:21:13] That he's not playing on Christmas Day.

[00:21:16] Because.

[00:21:17] ESPN doesn't feel.

[00:21:19] That Milwaukee.

[00:21:21] Is relevant enough.

[00:21:22] To put on Christmas Day now.

[00:21:25] That's a telling sign.

[00:21:27] Because the NBA.

[00:21:29] Wants their stars on TV.

[00:21:31] On Christmas.

[00:21:33] And when they are telling you.

[00:21:36] That the Milwaukee Bucks.

[00:21:37] Are not one of the top.

[00:21:39] Ten teams.

[00:21:40] As far as.

[00:21:41] Markability.

[00:21:42] And.

[00:21:43] Or significance in the league.

[00:21:46] Let you know.

[00:21:48] There's been some slippage.

[00:21:50] There's been an issue.

[00:21:52] And something needs to be rectified.

[00:21:56] Everybody bristled at my thought.

[00:21:58] In the summertime.

[00:22:00] About using Chris Middleton.

[00:22:02] To maybe break up into two pieces.

[00:22:04] That would provide you with more depth.

[00:22:06] And what have you.

[00:22:07] And maybe.

[00:22:08] Collectively.

[00:22:09] They can give you the scoring punch.

[00:22:10] That you would desire.

[00:22:13] It doesn't look so stupid right now.

[00:22:15] Does it?

[00:22:16] Now.

[00:22:17] Here's a.

[00:22:18] Collective focus.

[00:22:20] According to Bobby Marks.

[00:22:21] Of ESPN.

[00:22:22] The Bucks struggle.

[00:22:23] With late game.

[00:22:24] Scoring efficiency.

[00:22:26] Highlighting the growing pains.

[00:22:28] Of.

[00:22:29] The Lillard.

[00:22:30] Giannis.

[00:22:31] Antetokoun.

[00:22:32] Lack of.

[00:22:33] Pick and roll.

[00:22:34] Diversity.

[00:22:36] I agree with that.

[00:22:39] That almost sounds like.

[00:22:40] A Tim Lakewater take.

[00:22:43] Now.

[00:22:44] We're about to get into something.

[00:22:46] Pretty serious.

[00:22:47] So.

[00:22:48] Give me a couple minutes.

[00:22:50] To allow this.

[00:22:51] To breathe a little bit.

[00:22:53] We're going to talk about.

[00:22:55] The Philadelphia 76ers.

[00:22:56] Joel Embiid.

[00:22:57] And his incident.

[00:22:59] Over the weekend.

[00:23:00] With the.

[00:23:01] Philadelphia.

[00:23:02] Inquirers.

[00:23:03] Reporter.

[00:23:04] Longtime reporter.

[00:23:05] Marcus Hayes.

[00:23:06] Now.

[00:23:07] The first and foremost thing.

[00:23:09] That I want to talk.

[00:23:09] There's two.

[00:23:11] Situations going on.

[00:23:13] Okay.

[00:23:15] We're going.

[00:23:16] Now.

[00:23:16] Everybody will talk about.

[00:23:18] The incident.

[00:23:18] And what have you.

[00:23:19] We're going to get there.

[00:23:20] Talk about it.

[00:23:21] Everything.

[00:23:23] But there's two things.

[00:23:24] Going on.

[00:23:25] Yes.

[00:23:26] It is about.

[00:23:27] Joel.

[00:23:28] Clay.

[00:23:28] Clay.

[00:23:29] But.

[00:23:30] Remember.

[00:23:32] This podcast said.

[00:23:35] When news broke.

[00:23:37] That Joel Embiid.

[00:23:38] Was going to come back.

[00:23:40] Like the last five games.

[00:23:41] Of the regular season.

[00:23:43] And.

[00:23:43] Playing the playoffs.

[00:23:45] I was like.

[00:23:46] Who.

[00:23:46] Dumb idea.

[00:23:48] Was this.

[00:23:49] Why are we doing this?

[00:23:51] Why are we jeopardizing this?

[00:23:52] We're so close to the finish line.

[00:23:54] We got.

[00:23:55] All this gas space.

[00:23:56] That we are going to.

[00:23:57] Effectively use.

[00:23:59] In the off season.

[00:24:01] We got.

[00:24:03] A bunch of.

[00:24:05] Out of Tyrese Maxey.

[00:24:07] Why are we going to put.

[00:24:09] Joel Embiid.

[00:24:10] In horn's way.

[00:24:11] For a.

[00:24:13] Mission.

[00:24:14] That he cannot.

[00:24:16] Complete.

[00:24:17] I didn't understand it.

[00:24:19] Then.

[00:24:19] And I don't understand it now.

[00:24:22] Let's fast forward.

[00:24:24] As we know.

[00:24:25] Right before the season.

[00:24:26] Joel Embiid.

[00:24:27] Comes out with a statement.

[00:24:29] I no longer.

[00:24:29] Played back to backs.

[00:24:31] Screw the league.

[00:24:32] Screw TV.

[00:24:33] I don't care.

[00:24:34] He didn't say that.

[00:24:35] But.

[00:24:36] That's how it was.

[00:24:37] Now you.

[00:24:38] Cop on that.

[00:24:39] With Paul George.

[00:24:40] Having a hyper aesthetic.

[00:24:42] Knee injury.

[00:24:42] And the bruised knee.

[00:24:44] What have you.

[00:24:45] And you know.

[00:24:46] They have to be cautious with him.

[00:24:47] Because he's 34 years of age.

[00:24:50] They just signed him.

[00:24:51] To a long term deal.

[00:24:52] And they are definitely.

[00:24:54] Not going to.

[00:24:55] Jeopardize.

[00:24:56] That investment.

[00:24:57] So.

[00:24:58] What happens.

[00:25:00] Philadelphia.

[00:25:00] Gets off to a.

[00:25:02] Slow start.

[00:25:04] Who didn't see this coming.

[00:25:07] Now.

[00:25:08] As the tension.

[00:25:10] Builds.

[00:25:10] In Philadelphia.

[00:25:12] We have.

[00:25:14] A really.

[00:25:15] Intense.

[00:25:16] Exchange.

[00:25:17] Between.

[00:25:18] Marcus Hayes.

[00:25:20] And Joel Embiid.

[00:25:22] Now.

[00:25:23] What Joel Embiid.

[00:25:25] Was upset about.

[00:25:26] Was a article.

[00:25:28] Marcus Hayes.

[00:25:29] Wrote.

[00:25:29] Now.

[00:25:30] It has been pulled down.

[00:25:31] From the Philadelphia.

[00:25:32] Inquirer.

[00:25:33] From what.

[00:25:34] I've been told.

[00:25:35] By my producer.

[00:25:36] Soraya.

[00:25:37] And.

[00:25:38] But what it said.

[00:25:40] Initially.

[00:25:41] Was.

[00:25:42] And I'm paraphrasing here.

[00:25:43] So.

[00:25:45] Don't.

[00:25:45] Don't.

[00:25:46] Don't ask me like.

[00:25:47] Oh he didn't know.

[00:25:47] What they're saying.

[00:25:48] But basically.

[00:25:49] He had.

[00:25:50] Brought up.

[00:25:50] The tragic loss.

[00:25:52] Of Joel Embiid's.

[00:25:53] Brother.

[00:25:54] Arthur.

[00:25:55] In his first season.

[00:25:56] When he was with.

[00:25:57] The Philadelphia 76ers.

[00:25:59] And then.

[00:26:00] He parlayed that.

[00:26:01] Uh.

[00:26:02] Piece of nugget.

[00:26:03] Of information.

[00:26:04] To Joel Embiid's.

[00:26:06] Son.

[00:26:06] And what kind of.

[00:26:08] Example.

[00:26:08] Was he set.

[00:26:10] Before his son.

[00:26:11] He was talking about this legacy and how he wants to be great and show his son what greatness is and carve out this legacy.

[00:26:19] You've got to be on court to carve out this legacy and you can't get on court and all this.

[00:26:26] Now, that's a background to this whole deal.

[00:26:30] Okay.

[00:26:32] Now let's get into the part of the altercation.

[00:26:40] Joel Embiid sees a reporter.

[00:26:42] The reporter comes in trying to do his job.

[00:26:46] And obviously Joel Embiid has some harsh words for him.

[00:26:51] Obviously, this guy's saying to Joel, I'm just doing my job.

[00:26:56] My man, I'm going to say this right now.

[00:26:59] Now, I understand that Mr. Hayes has been doing his job for a long period of time.

[00:27:03] He doesn't need me to tell him how to do his job.

[00:27:06] But I will say this.

[00:27:07] When somebody on the outside looking in, I thought that was a piss poor way to poke the bear.

[00:27:16] Now, if you want to sit there and go like this and beat the handling of the Embiid health and conditioning situation, go right.

[00:27:27] If you want to question the intelligence of allowing Joel Embiid to play in the Olympics, knowing he had just come off some knee surgery and also had re-injured the knee prior to the playoffs.

[00:27:51] I will say go right ahead.

[00:27:55] If you want to talk about him not fighting through injury or, you know, when the playoffs come, he seems to shrink a little bit and things of that nature.

[00:28:07] If you want to talk about maybe his competitiveness, go right ahead.

[00:28:16] But I will say one thing that you should not do.

[00:28:19] You should not bring his family into it.

[00:28:23] Especially when you don't know what kind of trauma that man went through just to get to this country.

[00:28:31] We all don't know.

[00:28:33] We've all not walked a mile in Joel Embiid's shoes.

[00:28:39] But he loses his brother.

[00:28:45] And it impacted him in such a way that when he had his first child, he named his son, his brother, who has passed away.

[00:28:56] So there's a special connection, obviously, you know.

[00:29:01] And that was just way below the belt.

[00:29:05] And it just didn't need to be presented in that fashion.

[00:29:11] There were so many ways that you could have, like, nitpicked Joel Embiid or his conditioning or whatever the case may be.

[00:29:18] But my man, when you talk about this man's family, that's where you lost me.

[00:29:25] And I'll say this.

[00:29:27] If somebody who does a podcast, who looks to generate buzz or whatever the case may be and things of that nature,

[00:29:36] and we're trying to find this algorithm where we're reaching more people and what have you.

[00:29:46] If I have to do it that way, I don't want to do it.

[00:29:49] I'll stay small if I have to do it that way.

[00:29:52] But I don't want to be a look at, you know, we want to have fun here.

[00:29:58] I'm not trying to be a hypocrite.

[00:30:00] We're hard on guys, but we try to give you a whole panoramic view of the situation.

[00:30:06] Andrew Wiggins was going through something the last couple years.

[00:30:09] We were trying to figure out what his play was all about and everything like that.

[00:30:14] And then he loses his dad, who had a long bowel cancer.

[00:30:19] And obviously there were some other things that were floating out in the Internet that I'm not going to touch.

[00:30:23] But that must have impacted him in a really, in a real way.

[00:30:30] Because he missed some time to go back.

[00:30:35] Before we're so quick to jump on somebody and whatever, or we're trying to make a name for ourselves,

[00:30:43] or we're trying to get that engagement up, or whatever it is that we're trying to achieve.

[00:30:50] What's the cost of it?

[00:30:52] And I understand that, yeah, we live in a dog-eat-dog world, all that.

[00:30:56] You got to get yours while you can, all that.

[00:30:59] But it's a real easy premise for everybody to understand.

[00:31:08] If you can't confidently say to your mama what you did,

[00:31:13] if you can't just come out and blurt out what you did to your mama in a discussion,

[00:31:21] nine times out of ten, you should not do that situation.

[00:31:26] Just a little helpful to whatever case may be.

[00:31:31] Now, the real problem is this.

[00:31:33] MB hasn't played.

[00:31:34] Now, his age and his history of lower body injuries mean that careful approach is critical.

[00:31:42] I do not think that what the 76ers are doing right now is wrong at all.

[00:31:50] I do not.

[00:31:51] I think what they're doing is right.

[00:31:53] Now, did they go about it a real shady way and say that it's some sort of low management

[00:31:58] when this dude is clearly still hurt?

[00:32:01] Yeah.

[00:32:02] Wrong.

[00:32:04] But at the end of the day, if he's back by the end of November and he's healthy

[00:32:10] and maybe he's dropped a little weight, then we're good.

[00:32:15] And hopefully they can have a really successful season.

[00:32:18] And this is a blip on the radar.

[00:32:21] The focus, the collective focus on this one is from John Halger of The Athletic.

[00:32:28] As mentioned on 11-2 this year, Philadelphia long-term success hinges on MB's health management,

[00:32:37] advocating for a more conservative approach, giving his knee issues.

[00:32:41] Meanwhile, Frank Katz argued that the Sixers should reassess their strategy and focusing on more sustained conditioning

[00:32:53] and less short-term results.

[00:32:57] I agree with those things.

[00:32:59] I think what we're trying to do here with Joel Embiid at this point is, is there a way that we can get him to the finish line healthy?

[00:33:09] And at the end of the day, like I said before, if Joel Embiid can miss basically the month of November

[00:33:20] and Philadelphia can stay relevant, just stay within shouting distance.

[00:33:26] He's such an incredible player.

[00:33:30] And if he's healthy and motivated and invigorated, he can sustain a long winning streak almost onto himself.

[00:33:42] That's how incredibly offensively potent Joel will make the 76ers lineup be.

[00:33:50] Let's not get it twisted.

[00:33:51] This is an all-world talent type of dude.

[00:33:55] It's just that he can't be on the court consistently enough.

[00:33:59] We can be critical of Joel's kind of lazy attitude about his conditioning.

[00:34:10] And maybe a couple years ago, he should have started to start shedding like 10 pounds a year

[00:34:16] to take some of the stress off his knees.

[00:34:20] All those type of things are very valid points.

[00:34:24] Well, we're here now and we got to deal with now.

[00:34:29] What can we do now?

[00:34:32] Is it that we try to squeeze a season out of this guy and then see what the trade market is like?

[00:34:39] Or are we hot committed?

[00:34:42] This is what we got.

[00:34:43] We're going to ride or die with Joel Embiid.

[00:34:47] We're going to try to stress upon him just the measures and conditioning he needs to get into.

[00:34:55] Kind of like Pat Riley did with Jimmy Butler.

[00:34:58] Like, you didn't play no games.

[00:35:00] We're not giving you an extension.

[00:35:02] You got to get him better shape.

[00:35:03] Okay.

[00:35:05] Probably the way Philadelphia should go at this.

[00:35:11] But what they've done over Joel Embiid's career is they have catered to him.

[00:35:22] And now in season 11, you're asking him to just give a lot of catering and whatever that you guys have done for him.

[00:35:32] Kind of hard.

[00:35:33] Hard because human nature says that we don't do that.

[00:35:37] In some ways, giving us something consistently, whether it was a gift or not.

[00:35:41] But if they've given us something consistently, when that thing stops.

[00:35:45] Or when that entity stops giving it to us, we get upset.

[00:35:51] We don't even just appreciate just the time and the well-meaning of giving the gift for whatever period of time they were given it.

[00:35:59] We're upset that we're not getting it anymore.

[00:36:01] Very interesting situation developments in Philadelphia.

[00:36:05] I think the stress of how the season started, Paul George's injury, exacerbated the situation.

[00:36:12] And now we're here.

[00:36:14] Now we're having little pushy sessions in the 76ers locker room.

[00:36:20] Good news, Paul George plays tonight.

[00:36:22] So we're looking forward to that.

[00:36:24] We're also looking forward to this.

[00:36:28] As you know, we are very intrigued by the.

[00:36:35] The tales and the fortunes of one Brooklyn Nets, Cam Thomas.

[00:36:41] Now, last week, we talked to you about Cam Thomas and his ability to put up shots.

[00:36:48] And he's never seen a shot that he is not liked.

[00:36:52] Now, Cam Thomas, so far during the season, is the focal point of the offense for sure.

[00:36:58] He's putting up nearly 20 shots a game.

[00:37:01] And new coach, George Fernandez seems to be fully behind Thomas, allowing him to lead the team's teams in scoring efforts.

[00:37:10] With Thomas developing into a high volume scorer.

[00:37:14] Very efficient.

[00:37:17] 32.8 from three.

[00:37:20] And I believe he's around 43 percent from all over the court.

[00:37:26] So very inefficient is Cam Thomas, but this is a guy you need, Brooklyn.

[00:37:32] This is a guy you need.

[00:37:34] The Nets appeared to be focused on maximizing his potential while strategically staying within the league's bottom tier for sure.

[00:37:41] Because we are trying to take this very seriously.

[00:37:45] The one thing that I do want to bring up, though, is that Cam Thomas is seven shots ahead of his nearest teammate in field goal attempts.

[00:37:59] Cam Johnson at 12.9 is the closest thing to him.

[00:38:06] Just saying.

[00:38:08] Jordy Fernandez.

[00:38:10] He understood the assignment.

[00:38:14] Well done, Jordy Fernandez, for getting your team to probably the bottom four.

[00:38:20] So you can go ahead and then start your rebuild earnestly.

[00:38:26] Now, here's the thing.

[00:38:27] Now, I love that there's a Cam show in Brooklyn.

[00:38:31] You know, that's very nice.

[00:38:32] Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas.

[00:38:34] I like the synergy.

[00:38:35] I like all of them.

[00:38:37] But I really would like to see Cam Johnson on a relevant tee.

[00:38:43] I mean, Indiana, whatever Atlanta's got going on with the wings down there.

[00:38:49] Is there a place in Cleveland?

[00:38:51] Maybe.

[00:38:51] I don't know.

[00:38:53] But it would be nice to see Cam Johnson play in meaningful games.

[00:38:58] And this would also give Cam Thomas more opportunities to shoot.

[00:39:04] And this is what we're looking forward to.

[00:39:06] Is Cam Thomas and his ability to take any shot he would love, just desire to take.

[00:39:14] I just want him to be able to do it.

[00:39:15] Now, Mo DeKiel of Bleacher Report reported that Cam Thomas' usage rate puts him among the league's top 10 and field goal attempts, which aligns with Brooklyn's development first approach.

[00:39:29] I don't know if this is development.

[00:39:31] I think this is just tank until we get a high level prospect.

[00:39:35] There's a couple coming out this year, maybe more than a couple as we continue to dive deep into these draft waters.

[00:39:44] But I will say this is, yeah, you got to start.

[00:39:50] You got to start getting some of this influx of talent in.

[00:39:54] And the only way to do it is to remand it off.

[00:39:57] And we're going to shift gears a little bit.

[00:40:00] We'll talk about some of the prospects that will be coming out next year.

[00:40:05] And I wanted to spotlight DJ Edgecombe from Texas and Liam McNeely from Connecticut.

[00:40:12] These players may not have the star hype of Cooper Flagg or East Bailey, but they bring unique strengths that the NBA teams covet.

[00:40:25] So let's start off with DJ Edgecombe.

[00:40:29] DJ Edgecombe is an explosive weight.

[00:40:32] Now, the last time I had him measure at 6'3", I've seen measurements at 6'5".

[00:40:39] I can't wait to see him at the scouting combine and get a pure measurement for DJ Edge.

[00:40:46] But he's known for his defensive intensity, his finishing around the rim, and drawing comparisons to Josh Hart.

[00:40:57] He is a well-rounded game.

[00:40:59] And scouts are closely watching his shooting consistency.

[00:41:05] Edgecombe's high motor and his defensive reliability make him a fit for any team looking for a strong two-way player.

[00:41:12] Now, here's the thing with DJ Edgecombe.

[00:41:15] A lot of people have thrown out Westbrook vibe to him in the sense of what kind of athlete he is.

[00:41:21] I'm not talking about the demeanor.

[00:41:23] I'm not talking about what is he going to screw up what you got going on.

[00:41:28] None of that.

[00:41:29] I'm just talking about he's well 6'3", from what I can tell.

[00:41:34] He's super strong, real physical, can jump out the gym, and he's super quick.

[00:41:40] It's all the things that Russell Westbrook was.

[00:41:43] It still is, actually.

[00:41:45] But I want to see what the jump shot looks like, too.

[00:41:50] It's always the thing.

[00:41:52] And here's the thing.

[00:41:53] Even if he doesn't shoot it well, as long as the mechanics are great,

[00:41:59] there's still somebody who's worthwhile to take a look at, at least in the top five at this point.

[00:42:05] As we get further and further into the season, because tonight it starts.

[00:42:10] College basketball is back.

[00:42:12] We are excited.

[00:42:13] I know UCLA is playing tonight.

[00:42:15] Can't wait to see it.

[00:42:16] I know Rutgers is playing very, very soon.

[00:42:18] Can't wait to see those games, because then we'll have more information, more data to look at when it comes to these prospects.

[00:42:27] I want to switch my focus to Liam McNeely.

[00:42:32] Now, Liam McNeely is going to Connecticut.

[00:42:34] He's a versatile forward, but he is a high SWAT IQ.

[00:42:39] Scalcy him as a plug-and-play prospect who can slot into multiple roles.

[00:42:44] His shooting ability and smart off-the-ball movement make him similar to Keegan Murray.

[00:42:51] And also, he has...

[00:42:54] Now, I think Khan Canuple Duke has a little more...

[00:42:59] What's the word I'm looking for?

[00:43:01] There's some more sauce to his...

[00:43:03] I think he is more able to get his own shot off where I think McNeely needs some help.

[00:43:11] And his game and his awareness give him high upside as a system player.

[00:43:17] So, this is going to be like a guy who is going to be like a rotation player.

[00:43:22] He'd probably start for you.

[00:43:24] Definitely going to get minutes off the bench early on because he just knows how to play basketball.

[00:43:30] That's going to be his...

[00:43:31] Is that Connecticut got another one that's just smart.

[00:43:36] He'll be able to understand the system.

[00:43:39] Pick it up.

[00:43:40] He'll know his assignments.

[00:43:42] He'll know where to be in the defensive positions and the principles and what have you.

[00:43:47] He will know where to go when they start to swing the ball and swing the ball to the other side of the court.

[00:43:56] He'll know these things.

[00:43:59] And he can shoot it.

[00:44:01] Duke can shoot it.

[00:44:03] And also, I think as a second side initiator, he is going to be lethal for UConn and whoever gets him in the draft.

[00:44:11] So, I look forward to seeing a lot of Liam McNeely this year.

[00:44:16] We can't wait.

[00:44:18] Can't wait to see him.

[00:44:20] Now, Sam Vicente said this.

[00:44:22] McNeely's adaptability and defense awareness.

[00:44:26] Noting that his balance and skill set will make him an asset for teams looking for a high IQ player.

[00:44:36] Let me ask you guys this question.

[00:44:38] You can hit me up on X or you can hit up producer Soraya.

[00:44:44] Both of those handles are at frontrunnerpc and also at rea underscore frtc.

[00:44:52] Tell me which prospect that you're more intrigued by.

[00:44:56] Are you more intrigued by what Edgecombe is able to do in early season performances?

[00:45:03] Or are you more excited to see just what Liam McNeely is going to be able to provide that awesome machine that's going on at UConn?

[00:45:14] So, hit us up on Twitter and let us know.

[00:45:17] Now, a couple other things before we get out of here.

[00:45:20] Soraya has been a very busy person.

[00:45:25] And she has gathered up a couple questions about the draft for us.

[00:45:29] So, I am going to...

[00:45:32] I got these questions here.

[00:45:35] Thank you, Soraya.

[00:45:36] Chrissy Dees.

[00:45:37] This is from...

[00:45:40] Basically, at Draft Clancy.

[00:45:43] I think this is email, right?

[00:45:45] Yeah.

[00:45:45] Okay.

[00:45:46] He asked if VJ Edgecombe's versatility could translate to the NBA level with his defense and motor.

[00:45:53] Edgecombe.

[00:45:54] He thinks...

[00:45:55] Oh, he's seen on IG and Twitter.

[00:45:58] Edgecombe is a favorite among scouts.

[00:46:01] And what do you think his skill...

[00:46:04] The skill mostly that he needs to work on?

[00:46:08] All right, Draft Clancy.

[00:46:09] What I'll tell you is this.

[00:46:10] Is that I think shooting 100% is what he's going to need to work on.

[00:46:15] That's going to be the thing that we are going to need to see.

[00:46:19] The other thing that I would like to see is that...

[00:46:22] Yes, it's been really impressive to see what he's done in the under-18 national scene.

[00:46:28] It's really great to see what he's done on the AAU level.

[00:46:33] Even in high school.

[00:46:34] But I want to see if that physicality translates to the college game.

[00:46:38] Because what happens usually, especially with a prospect like Edgecombe, is that you're so more physically gifted than everybody in high school.

[00:46:48] You might...

[00:46:49] Depending on the league that you're playing, you might run into one guy every month.

[00:46:55] That's like on your level.

[00:46:57] Or close to your level.

[00:46:59] Where you have to get up and go, okay, I've got to be locked in.

[00:47:02] I can't get embarrassed.

[00:47:05] But now you're going to have multiple dudes on the team.

[00:47:08] You've got multiple dudes on other teams.

[00:47:10] And they're going to be...

[00:47:11] They were just as good in high school.

[00:47:14] And they got all the accolades.

[00:47:17] And all of these type of things.

[00:47:19] So it will be interesting to see.

[00:47:22] I don't think the athleticism will not play.

[00:47:24] I just want to see physicality with the athleticism.

[00:47:30] Will it all play together?

[00:47:32] But the most important thing is the shooter.

[00:47:35] Make no mistake about it.

[00:47:37] Our next question is from Prospect Pete.

[00:47:42] Love that.

[00:47:43] His question was about Liam McNeely.

[00:47:45] His question was about his potential on some of the teams that were more established.

[00:47:52] And what I thought his role would be.

[00:47:56] And what his immediate SSR thoughts on his defensive growth.

[00:48:02] Obviously with McNeely, it's going to be the defense.

[00:48:05] Can you match some of the physicality?

[00:48:08] Can you match some of the defensive intentionality?

[00:48:12] Where when you were in high school, you were asked to score.

[00:48:15] You weren't asked to really defend anybody.

[00:48:18] You were asked to get the offense going.

[00:48:21] Playmate made right decisions.

[00:48:23] Now your defensive capabilities played out.

[00:48:26] Because you were just more talented than anybody.

[00:48:30] I just want to see what he looks like on ball.

[00:48:32] As an on ball defender.

[00:48:34] I want to see how he plays within a team scheme.

[00:48:38] And there's no doubt that he'll be able to grasp the philosophies.

[00:48:43] And principles of everything.

[00:48:44] It will be will the foot speed.

[00:48:47] Hold up.

[00:48:49] Or will he need a lot of help on the back end?

[00:48:52] These are questions that we have to answer.

[00:48:55] As far as offensively is concerned.

[00:48:57] I don't think there is.

[00:48:59] Yeah.

[00:48:59] Well, we like to maybe more back work.

[00:49:01] More dribble.

[00:49:02] You know, independent dribble.

[00:49:04] To see if he can get his own shot creation going on further.

[00:49:10] But if he goes to a good team.

[00:49:12] If he goes to a well-coached team.

[00:49:14] Like Miami.

[00:49:15] Goes to a team that has a really good development.

[00:49:18] Like Orlando.

[00:49:19] Or whatever case may be.

[00:49:22] Oh, shit.

[00:49:22] I tell you.

[00:49:23] Another team he could go to.

[00:49:24] They don't have any picks.

[00:49:25] But Phoenix.

[00:49:26] You see what they're doing right and done right now?

[00:49:29] Crazy.

[00:49:30] Dude, shooting damn near 50% from three.

[00:49:34] He was allergic to threes at Virginia.

[00:49:36] And now he's shooting threes.

[00:49:39] It's a crazy NBA world.

[00:49:41] I tell you.

[00:49:41] I think his offense will play.

[00:49:45] Because he's just a connected player.

[00:49:47] He'll make it happen.

[00:49:48] He knows where to pass to.

[00:49:51] He'll find the open.

[00:49:52] He has a feel for the game when it comes to that.

[00:49:55] So I have no issue with him.

[00:49:57] When it comes to.

[00:49:59] Will he be able to integrate himself into the NBA game?

[00:50:03] Offensively.

[00:50:04] I have no questions.

[00:50:05] My questions are on the defensive side of the ball.

[00:50:09] Are you quick enough?

[00:50:10] Laterally.

[00:50:12] Are you.

[00:50:13] Do you have like small.

[00:50:17] What is it?

[00:50:19] Tight corner.

[00:50:21] Explosiveness.

[00:50:23] Those type of things.

[00:50:25] And then.

[00:50:27] I think personally.

[00:50:28] He's.

[00:50:30] In the right situation.

[00:50:32] Because he's.

[00:50:34] At UConn.

[00:50:36] And he's with Dan Hurley.

[00:50:38] Dan Hurley is one of those guys who can.

[00:50:41] Coach him up.

[00:50:42] And get him ready to go.

[00:50:43] Well.

[00:50:44] And he doesn't.

[00:50:46] He demands a lot.

[00:50:48] So I think.

[00:50:49] Liam McNeely is definitely going to understand.

[00:50:52] What it is to be part of the team.

[00:50:55] And also.

[00:50:56] Understand his role defensively.

[00:50:58] And I have no doubt.

[00:50:59] That.

[00:51:00] At some point.

[00:51:01] We'll start to see some.

[00:51:03] Progression there.

[00:51:04] Throughout the season.

[00:51:06] So.

[00:51:07] With that being said.

[00:51:08] I think we.

[00:51:09] Are.

[00:51:10] Ready.

[00:51:11] To get up.

[00:51:11] Out of here.

[00:51:12] I want to thank.

[00:51:13] Producer Soraya.

[00:51:14] Today.

[00:51:14] Again.

[00:51:15] For her.

[00:51:16] Standing work.

[00:51:17] I'm getting some of this stuff.

[00:51:18] For me.

[00:51:19] Now.

[00:51:20] I want to.

[00:51:21] Tell you.

[00:51:22] We're.

[00:51:22] Continue.

[00:51:23] With just.

[00:51:23] Other observations.

[00:51:24] Through this week.

[00:51:26] But.

[00:51:26] We have.

[00:51:27] Coming.

[00:51:28] Next week.

[00:51:29] That I'm really excited about.

[00:51:31] Keep it locked here.

[00:51:32] On.

[00:51:33] And we'll talk about it.

[00:51:34] On Friday.

[00:51:35] Lay it all out.

[00:51:36] On Friday.

[00:51:37] And we'll progress.

[00:51:38] From you.

[00:51:38] So keep it locked here.

[00:51:40] We'll be back on this feed.

[00:51:41] On Wednesday.

[00:51:42] As always.

[00:51:43] The best part of you.

[00:51:44] Is you.

[00:51:45] Make sure that the people.

[00:51:46] That surround you.

[00:51:48] Are elevating your light.

[00:51:51] And intensifying it.

[00:51:53] So that you can go out.

[00:51:54] And do good in this world.

[00:51:57] And we'll see you back.

[00:51:58] On this feed always.

[00:52:00] Peace.