Embiid’s Suspension and Unfiltered NBA Drama: Cavs, Warriors, Nuggets, and Duke’s Rising Stars

[00:00:13] It's Wednesday, you know what time, Front Runner Podcast Collective is back on air. I am your humble host Vince and I just we have a great show for you today. We're going to be getting into the incident with Joel Embiid and Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the fallout from that. We're also going to be speaking about the Paul George Clippers reunion.

[00:00:42] As far as that's concerned, he's coming home to the Intuit Dome and we'll talk about that. We'll also check in on a couple prospects. We'll be checking in on Cooper Flagg in Khan Canufel of Duke. They played their first game, some observations and what some of the scouts are saying about their first appearance on Ocada's court. But before we get all into all that, let's break down the socials.

[00:01:10] First and foremost, X get with us at Front Runner PC. Also, get with our producer at Rayair underscore fudge FRP. I think there's going to be a just right now. Go ahead and lock that in. The other thing is. We're going to announcements coming up Friday, so keep it locked here. We will we will give you some.

[00:01:38] Information on what.

[00:01:40] Information on what transpired last Friday and what's going forward from there, because there's some really exciting things about the happening on the podcast and also on the YouTube channel as well. So keep it locked here on Friday or upcoming announcements and shed some light on what actually transpired on.

[00:02:03] And last Friday.

[00:02:05] In the heartland of America. I want to start in Cleveland, Ohio. They're off to an eight and all start. They have 121.0 offensive rating second in the NBA.

[00:02:19] They also have a hundred and eight point three defensive rating, which ranks them fifth in the NBA.

[00:02:27] Their undefeated record makes them the last standing team in the East without a loss.

[00:02:34] With everything said, we talked about we wanted to see how effective the offense was going to be under Kenny Atkinson, the new head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[00:02:44] And I have to say that Evan Mobley was the key to this whole deal.

[00:02:49] And Mobley's versatility has led to a staggering point three, a defensive block plus minus this season, placing him as one of the best defenders in the league.

[00:03:02] You know, this is what we thought we were going to get with him when he came out of USC.

[00:03:08] The other thing that has been the uptick, and we brought this up in previous pods, but his ability or his willingness to shoot the three.

[00:03:17] He's not shooting it at such an increased level.

[00:03:22] It's a slight uptick.

[00:03:23] He went from basically 1.33 attempts last year to just above two this year.

[00:03:33] But the percentages are off the charts.

[00:03:36] And that's all to Kenny Atkinson.

[00:03:39] And, you know, we sat here and wondered, were Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell too small of a backcourt?

[00:03:49] And did your two bigs didn't allow for offensive versatility?

[00:03:56] And now we've come here and they're 8-0.

[00:04:00] Gotten off to a great start first in the East because of the Boston Celtics, this kind of lackadaisical fog they went through in Indiana.

[00:04:12] But Cleveland was our team that we thought that could really push for the best team in the Central, no doubt.

[00:04:21] I thought I picked them to win the Central.

[00:04:25] And I also thought they would be one of the top two teams in the East, you know, depending on where Boston was, how locked in they were going to be.

[00:04:33] And Boston is very, very locked in.

[00:04:35] I'm not even dismayed by the loss of the Celtics, but Cleveland is doing really good things.

[00:04:45] Their offense is crisp.

[00:04:47] There's a lot of movement.

[00:04:48] There seems to be a lot of deference between Mitchell and Garland.

[00:04:54] And it seems to be seamless, where last year it seemed to be very calm.

[00:05:00] Now we're seeing a more continuity aspect.

[00:05:04] And we've talked about it with other teams.

[00:05:06] We've talked about it with OKC and the Boston's and other teams and how continuity can breed these types of things.

[00:05:14] Because you know exactly where your guy wants the ball.

[00:05:17] You know exactly where he's going to be on the defensive assignments.

[00:05:22] You've done it in practice.

[00:05:24] You've done it in walkthroughs.

[00:05:25] And you've done it in several games.

[00:05:27] So you're going to have a comfort level that is organic at this point.

[00:05:36] And it's great to see Cleveland flourishing.

[00:05:42] And getting what they could out of Evan Mobley.

[00:05:45] Let's be very clear that that was the cornerstone piece or the keystone piece, if you want to put it that way.

[00:05:53] To unlocking whatever the Cleveland Cavaliers could eventually be.

[00:05:58] So I am really impressed.

[00:06:00] Eight games in.

[00:06:02] You know, a little bit smaller sample size.

[00:06:04] I think we're getting closer to a point where we can start making some serious decisions and some observations on these teams within the next couple weeks.

[00:06:17] I think once you get to 13, 14, get kind of a feel for what the team is going to be.

[00:06:23] Now, obviously with trades and whatnot and injuries, these things change.

[00:06:28] But I like to take little snapshots of the season and kind of go from there.

[00:06:33] And that actually kind of leads us into what's coming up on Friday.

[00:06:38] Keep it locked here.

[00:06:40] Because I think you guys are going to really enjoy it.

[00:06:43] For fans who enjoy the entire NBA.

[00:06:46] For fans who enjoy advanced analytics for the Washington Wizards and things of that nature.

[00:06:53] I think you're going to really enjoy what's coming up next week.

[00:06:56] Now, the other thing with Cleveland is this.

[00:06:59] His on-off splits reveal an increase in opponent's field goals by nearly 5% when he's off the court.

[00:07:07] So, Mobley is being very impactful on the defensive.

[00:07:15] And it's funny how that works out when you get some ownership of the offense.

[00:07:21] When you are allowed a certain amount of opportunities and you know exactly how many you're going to get a night.

[00:07:29] We talked about it before.

[00:07:33] That when you have a situation where you know your role.

[00:07:38] Donovan Mitchell is going to get the lion's share of the shots.

[00:07:42] Darius Garland knows that he is second opportunity person on the team.

[00:07:47] And Evan Mobley knows that he is the third guy on the team when it comes to opportunities taking shots.

[00:07:55] Now, does this role flip-flop two, three years down the road as Evan Mobley continues to grow his offensive game?

[00:08:03] Maybe.

[00:08:05] But, at least now, those guys who are the key central pieces to the team know exactly what they're supposed to do.

[00:08:15] They know how many minutes they're going to be playing, you know, in and around about.

[00:08:20] And then they also know what the role they're going to be playing and how many shots a quarter they're supposed to get.

[00:08:29] It makes you play freer when you know what's going on and what your actual role is.

[00:08:35] What your principles are in the offense and or defense.

[00:08:41] And Kenny Atkinson has brought that stability to the Cleveland players.

[00:08:47] Now, the one other thing that I want to bring up is that we have a difference in Darius.

[00:08:53] So, we then kind of brainstorming to kind of button up a segment of FRPC, obviously Front Runner Podcast Collective, PLV, you know what that means.

[00:09:04] So, Garland's playmaking and Mobley's defensive Cavaliers balance the tag at resilient position, position themselves as a team to watch to the East.

[00:09:15] Now, the thing that I want to bring very clear to this situation is that I think Donovan Mitchell signing that contract and giving the Cleveland Cavaliers, obviously, assurances that his, you know, loyalties were going to be in Cleveland, wanting to be in Cleveland.

[00:09:34] Really kind of just settled that team in.

[00:09:37] And, you know, yeah, we have heard about what they were going to be and how it was going to look and how effective it was going to be.

[00:09:44] But I do want to bring up the point that Darius Garland had a weird injury last year.

[00:09:49] He had a broken jaw.

[00:09:51] When he had the broken jaw, he lost about 25 points.

[00:09:55] When he came back, it didn't look like the same Darius Garland.

[00:09:58] It looked like the Darius Garland that was a little bit listless.

[00:10:02] It looked like a guy that was not as explosive.

[00:10:05] And it also looked like a guy that was kind of light in the right.

[00:10:09] He was getting knocked off his line when he was making drives to the rim, things of that nature.

[00:10:15] You see a complete reversal on what it's the stuff that we saw a couple of years ago with Darius Garland.

[00:10:22] It was a thing that was really exciting us about.

[00:10:26] And his playmaking of film and being able to say to Donovan Mitchell, hey, man, I understand you're aggressive tonight and whatever.

[00:10:35] But let's get the ball to a couple other people right now and just let them touch it and let them get in rhythm.

[00:10:43] And since the ownership piece on both sides, because it takes some deference from Donovan Mitchell for this to happen.

[00:10:53] So credit to him.

[00:10:55] But also the maturation process of Darius Garland into this role where he can speak up and say, hey, let's share the sugar a little bit.

[00:11:05] Let's make sure all our guys are involved so they can go ahead and really bust their ass on the defensive side of the court.

[00:11:13] It's all working out great for them.

[00:11:16] We're excited here at Frontrunner Podcast Collective for the Cleveland fans.

[00:11:21] You know, let them know.

[00:11:24] Hashtag I'm with you guys.

[00:11:26] We'll see as the season continues.

[00:11:30] Can you continue this pace?

[00:11:32] You're going to need to continue this pace because Boston is not going anywhere.

[00:11:37] All right.

[00:11:38] So keep it locked here.

[00:11:40] We are now going to turn our attention.

[00:11:43] To the Golden State Warriors, because here's another team that is actually doing some very good things.

[00:11:50] They're starting off the season right now with a six and one record.

[00:11:53] Golden State boasts a defensive rating of one hundred and two point one second in the league.

[00:12:01] Their offensive rating is one hundred and eighteen point nine, which is fourth in the league.

[00:12:06] Now.

[00:12:07] You will say, OK.

[00:12:09] Because I have questions.

[00:12:12] At the start of the year, I was like, wait, hold on.

[00:12:17] We're not going to have any bigs on it.

[00:12:18] Well, they've made that.

[00:12:21] They've made that adjustment.

[00:12:23] Right.

[00:12:23] We have Trace Jackson Davis starting.

[00:12:27] Alongside.

[00:12:29] Draymond Green.

[00:12:31] And then you have Andrew Wiggins.

[00:12:33] Steph Curry.

[00:12:35] And Brandon Kuzemski.

[00:12:37] Now, the thing this is, is that we talked about it in a previous pod about the Jonathan Kaminga aspect of this.

[00:12:44] Now, Jonathan Kaminga has gone to the bench.

[00:12:47] His role is now the sixth man.

[00:12:49] This allows him more offensive freedom to be able to do certain things that he is not going to be able to do when he's on the court with Steph Curry.

[00:12:57] But, again, there are roles on this team.

[00:13:02] Now, Kaminga is trying to get a rookie max extension.

[00:13:08] OK.

[00:13:09] He's trying to get his dollars.

[00:13:10] He also knows that he lives in one of the most expensive cities in the world, which is San Francisco.

[00:13:16] So it's very important for him to live in a high rise in San Francisco.

[00:13:21] Right.

[00:13:22] You got to keep your status game high if you are in the NBA.

[00:13:26] So he's looking for that rookie max extension.

[00:13:29] The problem is, is that he is now the sixth man.

[00:13:32] Less opportunity.

[00:13:34] Ah.

[00:13:36] Don't fret.

[00:13:37] Because now Steve Kerr has kind of blossomed.

[00:13:42] I don't know if it was the Olympic experience, but Steve Kerr is this brand new coach.

[00:13:50] He's using like 10-man rotations.

[00:13:53] Everybody gets the ball.

[00:13:54] Oh, you want to shy?

[00:13:56] Here you go.

[00:13:56] You want a shot?

[00:13:58] Here you go.

[00:13:59] It's great.

[00:14:01] Now, obviously, Steph is still the sixth man.

[00:14:05] Right.

[00:14:05] Everything revolves around Steph.

[00:14:07] Obviously, if they need a tough shot made, Steph is going to do that.

[00:14:11] They know where their bread is buttered there.

[00:14:13] But I do like that.

[00:14:14] There is some more creativity and office of freedom for Havzinski, which is a critical developmental piece.

[00:14:23] I like the way that Trace Jackson Davis is being tutored underneath the learning tree of Draymond Green.

[00:14:32] Shout out to AEW's own learning tree, Chris Jericho, the legend himself.

[00:14:39] Shout out to you, my guy.

[00:14:40] I salute you.

[00:14:41] The other thing is this.

[00:14:43] This is when you have and you have to also now engage Andrew Wiggins in this whole deal.

[00:14:49] And his production, his impact on the game has been felt.

[00:14:56] And defense that we saw in the championship run of a couple years ago seems to be at this point bad.

[00:15:06] So fingers crossed, what have you.

[00:15:10] But the other thing that we want to do is we want to give credit to the front office of the Golden State Warriors.

[00:15:20] Now, on this podcast, I've been critical of Mike Dunleavy Jr.

[00:15:25] and who are running the franchise.

[00:15:28] We did say in the offseason, we thought they did a hell of a job with what they did turning Clay Thompson into Buddy Hill, D'Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson.

[00:15:41] Now, here's a great situation with this is that Buddy Hill is on fire.

[00:15:48] He's like scoring 20 points in pain off the bench.

[00:15:52] He's just unleashed and he's doing and we thought this was going to be the case.

[00:15:57] He's doing the role of Clay Thompson, but he's doing it in the way that is staying within the structure of the offense.

[00:16:07] When Clay was there, because of the stature that Clay carries within the Golden State organization,

[00:16:15] you found it like to be an imperative situation to force feed him shots to get him going.

[00:16:22] Now, because of the fact that there is only one son on this team,

[00:16:26] there's only one superstar on this team, and that is Steph Curry.

[00:16:31] Now, if Steph Curry decides that he wants to take 30 shots a game, guess what?

[00:16:36] Steph Curry can do that.

[00:16:37] But everybody else needs to fall in line, and they have.

[00:16:44] But there's a lot of diversity in this offense.

[00:16:47] They're playing very good defense.

[00:16:51] And I am somewhat surprised.

[00:16:57] The start, obviously.

[00:17:00] And here's a couple of the numbers that are really, really important.

[00:17:09] De'Anthony Melton has a 2.5 box plus minus that he's bringing to the Golden State Warriors.

[00:17:19] He's averaging 1.8 steals a game.

[00:17:21] So, obviously, he's the disruptor.

[00:17:23] That's the point of the tag guy that the Golden State Warriors have had for quite a bit of time.

[00:17:31] Remember, Clay Thompson was an all-world defender for all the injuries.

[00:17:36] You could stick him on little guards.

[00:17:39] He was the guy who could chase John Moran and Damian Lillard around.

[00:17:44] And you're not asking him to stop, though.

[00:17:46] You're just asking him to render them less effective.

[00:17:53] He did that for many a year until the injuries.

[00:17:58] But now you've got a guy who can actually do this,

[00:18:01] who is one of the better perimeter defenders in the game.

[00:18:06] Now, Jalen Suggs of Orland is a different cap.

[00:18:11] Okay?

[00:18:12] That's a different type of guy.

[00:18:14] But De'Anthony Melton is in that echelon of, if you want to talk about,

[00:18:22] maybe like Marcus Smart a couple years ago, that type of situation.

[00:18:27] De'Anthony Melton is in that class.

[00:18:29] And he's bringing something to the Golden State Warriors that they want.

[00:18:34] Randy Pranzynski, on the other hand,

[00:18:37] is doing something that we thought the Wiseman's,

[00:18:42] the Kamingas of the world,

[00:18:44] is that he has found a way to get into this Golden State ecosystem

[00:18:50] and found a role.

[00:18:52] And then in that role, he's been able to expand it out.

[00:18:58] He's gotten trust of Steve Kerr

[00:19:00] and the collective coaches, staff of the Golden State Warriors.

[00:19:04] And he's been able to carve out a nice little starting role for himself.

[00:19:09] And he is dependent upon to the success of what the Warriors are going to be this year.

[00:19:17] Now, FRP's POV,

[00:19:20] Golden State, deep rotation,

[00:19:22] fueled by smart acquisitions like Hill, Melton, and Melton

[00:19:26] give them the defensive and offensive balance

[00:19:30] that is sustainable and impactful throughout the season.

[00:19:35] Now, I will tell you

[00:19:37] that I believe

[00:19:38] that in the regular season,

[00:19:41] this is something that can work.

[00:19:43] We all know when we get to the postseason,

[00:19:49] it's about your horses.

[00:19:51] It's about the dudes that are like,

[00:19:55] hey man, I'm going to take 25 shots.

[00:19:58] I understand it's going to be close quarters.

[00:20:00] I understand that I'm going to be under duress.

[00:20:03] But I'm still going to knock it down

[00:20:05] at such a good level

[00:20:07] that we are going to be competitive

[00:20:11] in these series.

[00:20:13] How many

[00:20:15] of Golden State's players

[00:20:17] do you believe

[00:20:19] are like that?

[00:20:21] Because I'm counting one.

[00:20:23] And that's Steph.

[00:20:25] Now, if you're telling me

[00:20:27] Andrew Wiggins,

[00:20:28] this Andrew Wiggins

[00:20:29] sticks around the whole year,

[00:20:31] well, there's your second guy.

[00:20:34] But we know that depth

[00:20:35] is so important

[00:20:37] in the NBA now

[00:20:39] because of how the new

[00:20:40] salary restrictions are

[00:20:43] with the...

[00:20:44] So, depth

[00:20:45] is key.

[00:20:48] But good start

[00:20:49] for the Golden State Warriors.

[00:20:50] I love what they've been...

[00:20:51] We were

[00:20:54] very skeptical

[00:20:55] of what they were going to be this year.

[00:20:57] And I am very...

[00:20:58] Because their random basketball

[00:20:59] is very beautiful to watch.

[00:21:02] It's enjoyable.

[00:21:04] You know,

[00:21:05] you don't see

[00:21:06] the James Harden

[00:21:07] pound the ball

[00:21:08] for 22 seconds

[00:21:09] and then,

[00:21:09] oh,

[00:21:10] we're going to do

[00:21:12] pick and roll

[00:21:13] and you dive to the rim

[00:21:14] so you'll look

[00:21:15] or I'm going to step back

[00:21:16] for three.

[00:21:17] It's a different type of game.

[00:21:19] There's a lot of movement.

[00:21:21] Balls whipping around.

[00:21:23] Everything's great.

[00:21:24] Steph is running around

[00:21:25] the gym

[00:21:26] like a crazy man.

[00:21:27] It's fantastic.

[00:21:30] I almost feel like

[00:21:31] I'm picking on Denver

[00:21:32] at this point.

[00:21:33] Well,

[00:21:33] we got to get into this.

[00:21:35] So,

[00:21:35] the Nuggets

[00:21:36] have another injury

[00:21:38] that they need to worry about.

[00:21:41] In Monday's game,

[00:21:42] Aaron Gordon

[00:21:43] hurt his calf

[00:21:44] and

[00:21:45] now the tests are back

[00:21:46] and

[00:21:47] it looks like

[00:21:48] he's going to be

[00:21:48] sidelined for

[00:21:49] a significant amount of time.

[00:21:51] They did not

[00:21:52] give us a

[00:21:54] a locked down

[00:21:56] top frame.

[00:21:58] If they can apply to calf,

[00:22:00] four to six weeks.

[00:22:04] That's about it.

[00:22:06] If any of you

[00:22:07] have ever seen

[00:22:07] an orthopedist

[00:22:08] for a calf injury,

[00:22:10] they'll tell you.

[00:22:11] And you can say,

[00:22:12] well,

[00:22:12] modern medicine is great.

[00:22:14] You just tell me

[00:22:15] these are great athletes.

[00:22:16] Listen,

[00:22:17] the body can only do so much.

[00:22:21] And yes,

[00:22:22] these are great athletes

[00:22:23] and they do

[00:22:24] recover

[00:22:24] very quickly.

[00:22:26] But the one thing

[00:22:27] about a calf injury,

[00:22:29] it leads to

[00:22:30] an Achilles injury.

[00:22:32] And you can't have that,

[00:22:33] Denver.

[00:22:34] Not right now.

[00:22:36] Not right now.

[00:22:38] But

[00:22:38] this injury,

[00:22:40] along with

[00:22:41] Jamal Murray's

[00:22:42] being in

[00:22:44] concussion protocol,

[00:22:46] this puts a

[00:22:47] real

[00:22:48] onus

[00:22:49] on Calvin

[00:22:51] Booth's

[00:22:52] drafts

[00:22:53] of the last

[00:22:53] couple years.

[00:22:54] Remember,

[00:22:56] this has been his

[00:22:57] rallying cry

[00:22:58] to Michael Malone.

[00:23:00] Sustainability

[00:23:01] comes with

[00:23:02] youth

[00:23:03] being

[00:23:04] developed

[00:23:05] and then

[00:23:07] kind of

[00:23:08] easing

[00:23:10] older,

[00:23:11] more expensive

[00:23:13] veteran

[00:23:13] talent

[00:23:14] out

[00:23:15] and

[00:23:16] allowing

[00:23:16] youth

[00:23:17] to

[00:23:18] purge

[00:23:18] and expand

[00:23:19] their role.

[00:23:20] This is

[00:23:21] the time

[00:23:23] where

[00:23:23] Calvin

[00:23:25] Booth

[00:23:25] would love

[00:23:25] to see that.

[00:23:28] Michael Malone

[00:23:29] is still

[00:23:30] playing Russell

[00:23:30] Westbrook

[00:23:31] who is shooting

[00:23:32] 20% from the field.

[00:23:35] Explain that.

[00:23:36] Oh,

[00:23:37] here's the other

[00:23:38] thing with this.

[00:23:41] Gordon's value

[00:23:42] on the floor.

[00:23:44] Gordon's

[00:23:44] stat line

[00:23:45] 15.4

[00:23:46] points a game,

[00:23:47] 6.7

[00:23:48] rebounds,

[00:23:49] and he is

[00:23:49] shooting 54.5%

[00:23:51] from three

[00:23:52] right now.

[00:23:53] Okay,

[00:23:54] now,

[00:23:55] here's the thing.

[00:23:55] That was

[00:23:56] continued.

[00:23:57] That was small,

[00:23:58] several-sized

[00:23:58] theater.

[00:23:59] Remember,

[00:24:00] Gordon only

[00:24:00] shoots like

[00:24:01] maybe one

[00:24:03] or two

[00:24:03] threes a game.

[00:24:04] His whole

[00:24:05] situation,

[00:24:06] he's in

[00:24:07] incredible

[00:24:07] since he's

[00:24:08] a credible

[00:24:08] athlete,

[00:24:09] and he sits

[00:24:10] in a dunker spot,

[00:24:11] and you can't

[00:24:12] leave him

[00:24:13] because Jokic

[00:24:14] is such a

[00:24:15] great passer,

[00:24:16] and if you

[00:24:17] leave Aaron

[00:24:18] Gordon,

[00:24:19] you're going

[00:24:19] to end up

[00:24:20] on Sports

[00:24:20] Center,

[00:24:21] or you're

[00:24:21] going to

[00:24:21] end up

[00:24:22] on TikTok,

[00:24:24] or a meeting,

[00:24:25] or on

[00:24:26] somebody's

[00:24:27] story with

[00:24:28] some music

[00:24:29] behind,

[00:24:30] or on

[00:24:31] somebody's

[00:24:31] YouTube page,

[00:24:32] and then

[00:24:33] there's going

[00:24:33] to be devastating

[00:24:34] CGI graphics,

[00:24:36] and they're

[00:24:36] going to have

[00:24:36] like Thunder

[00:24:37] rain down

[00:24:38] on you.

[00:24:39] Now,

[00:24:40] you take

[00:24:40] that away,

[00:24:41] because here's

[00:24:42] the other

[00:24:42] thing with

[00:24:42] Aaron Gordon.

[00:24:43] This is the

[00:24:44] key to their

[00:24:44] defense.

[00:24:46] Remember,

[00:24:47] Nikola Jokic,

[00:24:48] he has gotten

[00:24:49] better at

[00:24:50] doing this

[00:24:50] well.

[00:24:50] We would

[00:24:51] never call

[00:24:52] Nikola Jokic

[00:24:53] a defensive

[00:24:54] star.

[00:24:56] But you

[00:24:57] enter Aaron

[00:24:58] Gordon

[00:24:59] into the mix,

[00:24:59] and you have

[00:25:01] this guy who

[00:25:01] is 6'9",

[00:25:02] 6'10",

[00:25:03] he's athletic

[00:25:05] as hell,

[00:25:06] jumps out

[00:25:06] building

[00:25:06] strong,

[00:25:07] can switch

[00:25:08] on to

[00:25:08] smaller

[00:25:09] defenders,

[00:25:10] as well

[00:25:10] on to

[00:25:11] bigger

[00:25:11] defenders,

[00:25:12] and provide

[00:25:13] rim protection.

[00:25:15] He is

[00:25:16] now gone.

[00:25:18] So,

[00:25:19] what do

[00:25:20] the Nuggets

[00:25:20] do?

[00:25:21] Well,

[00:25:21] let's talk

[00:25:22] about

[00:25:22] Christian

[00:25:23] Brown.

[00:25:23] Christian

[00:25:24] Brown has

[00:25:25] been their

[00:25:26] poster child

[00:25:28] of this

[00:25:28] developmental

[00:25:29] train that

[00:25:31] they have

[00:25:31] been on,

[00:25:32] and some

[00:25:33] of the

[00:25:34] fruits of

[00:25:34] their labor

[00:25:35] are starting

[00:25:36] to pay off

[00:25:37] because

[00:25:37] Christian

[00:25:38] Brown is

[00:25:39] averaging

[00:25:39] 14.9

[00:25:40] points a

[00:25:41] game,

[00:25:41] paired with

[00:25:42] his energy

[00:25:43] on defense,

[00:25:44] he showcased

[00:25:45] the readiness

[00:25:45] to step into

[00:25:47] a larger role.

[00:25:48] We're going to

[00:25:48] need him to

[00:25:49] do that.

[00:25:49] He's obviously

[00:25:50] starting now,

[00:25:52] but his

[00:25:53] opportunities

[00:25:53] are going

[00:25:54] to be

[00:25:54] buffed up

[00:25:55] because Aaron

[00:25:56] Gordon is

[00:25:57] no longer

[00:25:58] in the

[00:25:58] lineup,

[00:25:59] at least

[00:25:59] for

[00:26:00] quite

[00:26:00] some.

[00:26:02] Now,

[00:26:03] here's the

[00:26:03] guy that

[00:26:04] I'm very

[00:26:05] interested in,

[00:26:06] and I

[00:26:07] think this

[00:26:07] is the

[00:26:07] huge

[00:26:08] sticking

[00:26:08] point

[00:26:09] between

[00:26:09] Michael

[00:26:09] Malone

[00:26:10] and

[00:26:11] Calvin

[00:26:11] Booth.

[00:26:12] Julian

[00:26:13] Strother,

[00:26:14] his time

[00:26:15] will also

[00:26:16] increase.

[00:26:17] Now,

[00:26:17] right now,

[00:26:18] he is averaging

[00:26:18] 19.9

[00:26:20] minutes a

[00:26:20] game,

[00:26:21] which is

[00:26:21] about 20

[00:26:21] minutes a

[00:26:22] game.

[00:26:22] That's

[00:26:22] where you

[00:26:23] should be

[00:26:24] as a

[00:26:25] second-year

[00:26:26] player in

[00:26:27] the league,

[00:26:29] with

[00:26:29] aspirations

[00:26:30] of

[00:26:31] solidifying

[00:26:32] a

[00:26:32] rotation

[00:26:33] spot.

[00:26:36] He's

[00:26:37] averaging

[00:26:37] six

[00:26:38] field goal

[00:26:38] attempts

[00:26:39] a game.

[00:26:39] Obviously,

[00:26:40] that is

[00:26:41] going to

[00:26:41] be

[00:26:41] lopped

[00:26:42] up.

[00:26:42] But the

[00:26:43] one thing

[00:26:43] that I

[00:26:44] think

[00:26:44] that

[00:26:44] Strother

[00:26:46] has

[00:26:47] that is

[00:26:49] the most

[00:26:49] important

[00:26:50] thing is

[00:26:50] that he

[00:26:51] has the

[00:26:52] capability

[00:26:52] to be

[00:26:52] a knock

[00:26:53] down

[00:26:58] that

[00:26:58] continue

[00:26:59] to be

[00:27:00] Pope,

[00:27:00] who

[00:27:00] Michael

[00:27:01] Malone,

[00:27:01] the head

[00:27:02] coach of

[00:27:02] the Nuggets,

[00:27:03] has been

[00:27:04] opining for

[00:27:05] since he

[00:27:06] left over

[00:27:07] the offseason.

[00:27:09] This guy

[00:27:10] right here

[00:27:11] can really

[00:27:13] carve out a

[00:27:14] role in

[00:27:15] this situation

[00:27:15] with Aaron

[00:27:16] Gordon being

[00:27:17] gone and

[00:27:17] also Jamal

[00:27:18] Murray at

[00:27:19] least one

[00:27:19] more game

[00:27:20] in concussion

[00:27:22] protocol.

[00:27:22] call.

[00:27:23] The other

[00:27:24] guy that

[00:27:25] must have

[00:27:28] looked,

[00:27:28] this is the

[00:27:29] guy that

[00:27:30] has to do

[00:27:31] something and

[00:27:32] it's not

[00:27:32] because he's

[00:27:33] a former

[00:27:35] UCLA

[00:27:35] basketball player.

[00:27:36] It is

[00:27:37] Peyton

[00:27:37] Watson.

[00:27:38] And the

[00:27:38] reason why

[00:27:39] I say

[00:27:39] Peyton

[00:27:39] Watson is

[00:27:40] because he

[00:27:41] is the

[00:27:41] closest thing

[00:27:42] athletically

[00:27:43] to Aaron

[00:27:45] Gordon.

[00:27:46] This is a

[00:27:46] guy that

[00:27:47] you can put

[00:27:47] in that

[00:27:48] Decker

[00:27:48] spot.

[00:27:48] This is a

[00:27:49] guy that

[00:27:49] you can,

[00:27:50] as far

[00:27:51] as

[00:27:51] vertical

[00:27:52] verticality,

[00:27:53] when they

[00:27:54] say spacey,

[00:27:55] sometimes you

[00:27:55] can create

[00:27:56] space by

[00:27:57] having vertical.

[00:27:58] So Peyton

[00:27:59] Watson can

[00:27:59] do,

[00:28:00] he can't

[00:28:01] shoot the

[00:28:01] ball whatsoever.

[00:28:02] So you

[00:28:03] can't have

[00:28:03] him out

[00:28:03] there at

[00:28:04] the three

[00:28:05] point line

[00:28:05] because no

[00:28:06] one is

[00:28:06] going to

[00:28:07] guard him.

[00:28:07] But in

[00:28:08] that Ducker

[00:28:09] spot,

[00:28:09] and if you

[00:28:10] can get

[00:28:10] Julian

[00:28:11] Straubber

[00:28:12] and

[00:28:13] Christian

[00:28:14] Brown,

[00:28:15] who is

[00:28:15] shooting

[00:28:16] very well

[00:28:17] so far,

[00:28:18] and if you

[00:28:24] can't

[00:28:24] play,

[00:28:26] you can

[00:28:27] survive

[00:28:28] four to

[00:28:29] six weeks

[00:28:30] if it's

[00:28:31] not serious

[00:28:32] with Aaron

[00:28:33] Gordon.

[00:28:33] You can

[00:28:34] survive it.

[00:28:35] But it's

[00:28:36] critical that

[00:28:37] Peyton

[00:28:37] play,

[00:28:39] and that's

[00:28:40] going to be

[00:28:40] up to

[00:28:40] Michael

[00:28:40] Malone.

[00:28:44] Now,

[00:28:46] here's another

[00:28:46] thing to

[00:28:47] keep in mind.

[00:28:48] When you

[00:28:48] take core

[00:28:50] pieces away,

[00:28:51] that means

[00:28:52] that the

[00:28:52] usage rate

[00:28:53] of Jokic

[00:28:54] probably

[00:28:55] will have

[00:28:55] to go

[00:28:56] up.

[00:28:56] Now,

[00:28:57] Jokic

[00:28:58] on-court

[00:28:59] presence

[00:29:00] amplifies

[00:29:00] Denver's

[00:29:01] offense.

[00:29:02] Their

[00:29:02] offensive

[00:29:03] rating is

[00:29:03] 120.8

[00:29:05] when he's

[00:29:06] on the

[00:29:06] floor.

[00:29:07] However,

[00:29:08] when he's

[00:29:09] off the

[00:29:09] floor,

[00:29:09] it drops

[00:29:10] drastically.

[00:29:12] This is

[00:29:13] crazy.

[00:29:14] It drops

[00:29:14] to 98.3,

[00:29:17] which is

[00:29:18] underscoring

[00:29:19] his

[00:29:21] irreplaceable

[00:29:21] role.

[00:29:22] When we

[00:29:22] talk about

[00:29:23] he's the

[00:29:24] best player

[00:29:24] in the

[00:29:25] game,

[00:29:25] if those

[00:29:26] numbers

[00:29:27] do not

[00:29:28] tell you

[00:29:29] that,

[00:29:30] I don't

[00:29:31] know what

[00:29:31] else to

[00:29:32] give you.

[00:29:33] So,

[00:29:34] again,

[00:29:35] the

[00:29:35] offensive

[00:29:35] rating

[00:29:36] when he's

[00:29:36] on the

[00:29:36] court

[00:29:37] is

[00:29:37] 120.8.

[00:29:38] When he's

[00:29:39] off the

[00:29:39] court,

[00:29:39] 98.3.

[00:29:42] 22.5

[00:29:44] difference.

[00:29:48] Jokic

[00:29:49] is that

[00:29:49] dude.

[00:29:50] Now,

[00:29:52] FRP's

[00:29:52] POV on

[00:29:53] this,

[00:29:54] Denver's

[00:29:54] ability

[00:29:54] to tread

[00:29:55] water

[00:29:55] without

[00:29:56] Gordon

[00:29:57] and

[00:29:58] or

[00:29:58] Murray

[00:29:58] is

[00:29:59] going to

[00:29:59] hinge

[00:30:00] on

[00:30:00] Peyton

[00:30:00] Watson's

[00:30:01] development

[00:30:02] and

[00:30:02] Michael

[00:30:03] Malone's

[00:30:04] willingness

[00:30:04] to play

[00:30:05] and also

[00:30:06] how much

[00:30:07] mileage can

[00:30:09] you put on

[00:30:09] Jokic early

[00:30:10] on in the

[00:30:11] season

[00:30:11] with this

[00:30:12] attempt him

[00:30:12] when we get

[00:30:14] to the

[00:30:14] time where

[00:30:15] basketball

[00:30:16] is very

[00:30:17] intense,

[00:30:18] which is

[00:30:18] the playoffs.

[00:30:19] this is

[00:30:22] going to

[00:30:22] be a

[00:30:22] really

[00:30:23] interesting

[00:30:24] balance.

[00:30:26] And

[00:30:26] Malone's

[00:30:27] resistance

[00:30:28] to play

[00:30:29] the young

[00:30:29] guys,

[00:30:30] he might

[00:30:31] have to

[00:30:31] just wave

[00:30:32] the white

[00:30:33] flag at

[00:30:33] this point

[00:30:34] because

[00:30:37] your players

[00:30:38] are falling

[00:30:39] like flies

[00:30:39] and you

[00:30:40] can't

[00:30:41] play

[00:30:41] 42

[00:30:43] minutes

[00:30:44] a game

[00:30:44] in a

[00:30:46] November

[00:30:46] game.

[00:30:46] it just

[00:30:47] doesn't

[00:30:47] make any

[00:30:48] sense.

[00:30:48] It's a

[00:30:48] disservice

[00:30:49] to the

[00:30:49] team.

[00:30:50] It's a

[00:30:50] disservice

[00:30:51] to your

[00:30:51] superstar.

[00:30:52] Can't

[00:30:53] do it.

[00:30:57] All right.

[00:30:58] Something that

[00:30:58] I'm actually

[00:30:59] really about.

[00:31:01] Paul George

[00:31:02] comes home

[00:31:03] to LA

[00:31:03] tonight.

[00:31:05] This is

[00:31:05] great,

[00:31:06] right?

[00:31:06] Paul George

[00:31:07] in Los

[00:31:09] Angeles,

[00:31:10] hometown,

[00:31:12] everything.

[00:31:13] In an

[00:31:14] interview with

[00:31:14] The Athletic,

[00:31:16] George

[00:31:16] expressed

[00:31:17] deep

[00:31:17] appreciation for

[00:31:18] Clippers

[00:31:19] executives

[00:31:19] Lawrence

[00:31:20] Frank and

[00:31:21] Steve

[00:31:21] Ballmer,

[00:31:22] calling his

[00:31:23] time with

[00:31:23] them awesome.

[00:31:26] Despite

[00:31:27] parting ways,

[00:31:28] George

[00:31:28] maintains an

[00:31:30] all-business

[00:31:31] approach.

[00:31:32] Now,

[00:31:33] we heart

[00:31:34] you back

[00:31:35] to a

[00:31:35] time when

[00:31:36] Kawhi Leonard

[00:31:37] got this

[00:31:38] like

[00:31:38] phantom

[00:31:39] extension

[00:31:40] in,

[00:31:42] I want to

[00:31:43] say late

[00:31:43] January,

[00:31:45] yeah,

[00:31:45] in January,

[00:31:47] no,

[00:31:48] January,

[00:31:50] and at

[00:31:51] that time

[00:31:51] in that

[00:31:52] press

[00:31:52] conference,

[00:31:53] he said,

[00:31:53] I expect

[00:31:54] James Harden

[00:31:55] and Paul

[00:31:55] George to

[00:31:56] be signed

[00:31:56] in quick

[00:31:57] fashion.

[00:31:59] Then we

[00:32:00] fast forward

[00:32:01] to the

[00:32:01] summer,

[00:32:01] none of

[00:32:02] these things

[00:32:03] happen yet.

[00:32:04] There's

[00:32:05] rumors about

[00:32:05] Paul George

[00:32:06] going to

[00:32:06] Golden State,

[00:32:07] there's

[00:32:08] rumors about

[00:32:08] Paul George

[00:32:09] going to

[00:32:10] Philadelphia,

[00:32:11] there's rumors

[00:32:11] Paul George

[00:32:12] going to

[00:32:12] three,

[00:32:13] four different

[00:32:13] places.

[00:32:15] Denver

[00:32:16] checked in

[00:32:17] on him,

[00:32:17] mind you,

[00:32:18] just so

[00:32:19] you know.

[00:32:21] And now

[00:32:22] Paul George

[00:32:24] ends up

[00:32:25] in

[00:32:26] Philadelphia.

[00:32:30] The

[00:32:30] Clippers

[00:32:31] are now

[00:32:32] devoid of

[00:32:33] the stars

[00:32:34] that they

[00:32:34] thought they

[00:32:35] were going

[00:32:35] to have

[00:32:36] because

[00:32:36] Kawhi Leonard

[00:32:37] has not

[00:32:38] played

[00:32:38] 8-8

[00:32:38] in the

[00:32:39] Intuit

[00:32:40] Dome.

[00:32:41] James

[00:32:42] Harden

[00:32:42] is sitting

[00:32:42] there going

[00:32:44] I can

[00:32:44] Houston

[00:32:45] against

[00:32:46] James

[00:32:46] Harden

[00:32:47] again.

[00:32:48] Heliocentric

[00:32:49] James is

[00:32:50] back.

[00:32:51] We are

[00:32:52] so excited

[00:32:53] and all

[00:32:54] of basketball

[00:32:55] fans are

[00:32:56] excited too,

[00:32:56] right?

[00:32:57] You guys

[00:32:57] are excited

[00:32:58] about this.

[00:32:59] 22 seconds

[00:33:00] of pounding

[00:33:01] the ball.

[00:33:02] I know

[00:33:03] there's some

[00:33:03] of you out

[00:33:04] there because

[00:33:04] I know

[00:33:05] you guys

[00:33:05] are

[00:33:05] hoopers

[00:33:06] and y'all

[00:33:07] like that.

[00:33:08] Y'all

[00:33:08] like all

[00:33:08] the sauce

[00:33:09] and pageantry.

[00:33:11] But give

[00:33:12] me somebody

[00:33:13] like KD

[00:33:13] who's

[00:33:14] efficient.

[00:33:15] Kevin Durant

[00:33:16] is efficient.

[00:33:17] Two dribble

[00:33:18] boom

[00:33:18] up

[00:33:19] shot

[00:33:20] this back

[00:33:21] pedal

[00:33:22] casually

[00:33:22] because

[00:33:23] I had

[00:33:24] knocked

[00:33:24] that in.

[00:33:25] No,

[00:33:26] we got

[00:33:26] histrionics

[00:33:27] with Harden

[00:33:29] histrionics

[00:33:30] all kinds

[00:33:31] of stuff

[00:33:31] going.

[00:33:32] But

[00:33:33] he will

[00:33:34] be playing

[00:33:34] against his

[00:33:35] ex-teammate

[00:33:36] Paul George

[00:33:36] because Paul

[00:33:37] George

[00:33:37] is now

[00:33:38] back in the

[00:33:38] lineup.

[00:33:39] We still

[00:33:40] don't have

[00:33:40] Embiid

[00:33:41] and we

[00:33:41] got more

[00:33:42] on him

[00:33:42] a little

[00:33:43] bit later

[00:33:44] but Paul

[00:33:45] George will

[00:33:46] be making

[00:33:46] his return

[00:33:48] to Los Angeles

[00:33:50] tonight.

[00:33:50] Now,

[00:33:52] this helped

[00:33:52] George's presence

[00:33:53] in this

[00:33:54] lineup

[00:33:54] help stabilize

[00:33:56] and also

[00:33:57] gives them

[00:33:58] another scoring

[00:33:58] option

[00:33:59] and Tyrese

[00:34:00] Maxey

[00:34:01] doesn't have

[00:34:02] to die

[00:34:03] because

[00:34:04] it's been

[00:34:05] rough in

[00:34:05] Philadelphia.

[00:34:07] It's been

[00:34:08] rough on our

[00:34:08] guy Maxey

[00:34:09] too.

[00:34:12] Now,

[00:34:14] what Paul

[00:34:15] George is

[00:34:15] going to

[00:34:15] provide is

[00:34:16] obviously

[00:34:16] a second

[00:34:17] side

[00:34:18] initiation

[00:34:18] to help

[00:34:19] out

[00:34:19] take

[00:34:20] some of

[00:34:21] the stress

[00:34:21] off of

[00:34:22] Tyrese

[00:34:22] Maxey.

[00:34:23] He's

[00:34:23] going to

[00:34:23] provide

[00:34:24] them a

[00:34:24] little

[00:34:24] more

[00:34:25] length.

[00:34:26] He is

[00:34:26] also

[00:34:27] pretty good

[00:34:28] in the

[00:34:28] passing

[00:34:29] lane so

[00:34:29] he's

[00:34:29] going to

[00:34:30] help

[00:34:30] them

[00:34:30] with

[00:34:30] the

[00:34:30] defense

[00:34:31] and

[00:34:32] it's

[00:34:32] also

[00:34:32] now

[00:34:33] going

[00:34:33] to

[00:34:33] slot

[00:34:34] like

[00:34:35] the

[00:34:35] Kelly

[00:34:35] Oubre

[00:34:36] juniors

[00:34:36] of the

[00:34:37] world

[00:34:37] in a

[00:34:38] closer

[00:34:39] position

[00:34:39] to

[00:34:40] what

[00:34:40] they

[00:34:40] should

[00:34:41] be

[00:34:42] as

[00:34:43] what

[00:34:43] we

[00:34:44] think

[00:34:44] of

[00:34:44] what

[00:34:44] their

[00:34:45] production

[00:34:45] should

[00:34:46] be.

[00:34:47] These

[00:34:48] are all

[00:34:49] positive

[00:34:49] for the

[00:34:50] 76ers.

[00:34:52] Unfortunately,

[00:34:53] towards the

[00:34:54] end of this

[00:34:54] podcast,

[00:34:55] we got to

[00:34:56] get into

[00:34:56] a little

[00:34:56] bit of

[00:34:57] the

[00:34:57] negative,

[00:34:57] but

[00:34:58] we'll

[00:34:58] get there

[00:34:59] at some

[00:35:00] point.

[00:35:01] Our

[00:35:01] key on

[00:35:01] this

[00:35:02] is

[00:35:02] that

[00:35:02] listen,

[00:35:04] the

[00:35:04] Clippers

[00:35:05] decided

[00:35:06] that

[00:35:09] the

[00:35:11] economic

[00:35:12] flexibility

[00:35:14] of

[00:35:15] not

[00:35:16] signing

[00:35:16] George

[00:35:17] to that

[00:35:17] four-year

[00:35:18] contract

[00:35:18] or five-year

[00:35:19] contract

[00:35:20] when they

[00:35:20] had the

[00:35:20] chance

[00:35:21] to go

[00:35:21] ahead and

[00:35:21] extend

[00:35:22] him.

[00:35:22] They knew

[00:35:23] that

[00:35:23] their

[00:35:24] cap

[00:35:25] situation

[00:35:26] was

[00:35:27] not

[00:35:29] advantageous

[00:35:29] and

[00:35:30] this

[00:35:30] was

[00:35:31] kind

[00:35:31] of

[00:35:31] this

[00:35:32] is

[00:35:32] going

[00:35:32] to

[00:35:32] hurt

[00:35:34] let's

[00:35:34] rip

[00:35:35] band-aid

[00:35:35] off.

[00:35:36] I

[00:35:36] understand

[00:35:37] the

[00:35:38] pick

[00:35:38] to

[00:35:39] OKC

[00:35:40] is a

[00:35:40] cost.

[00:35:41] We

[00:35:41] are

[00:35:42] what

[00:35:42] we

[00:35:42] are

[00:35:42] and

[00:35:43] maybe

[00:35:43] what

[00:35:44] we

[00:35:44] can

[00:35:44] do

[00:35:44] because

[00:35:45] of

[00:35:45] this

[00:35:45] new

[00:35:45] arena

[00:35:46] because

[00:35:46] of

[00:35:47] Steve

[00:35:47] Ballmer's

[00:35:48] deep,

[00:35:49] deep,

[00:35:49] deep

[00:35:49] pockets

[00:35:50] that

[00:35:51] we're

[00:35:51] going

[00:35:52] to be

[00:35:52] in a

[00:35:52] situation

[00:35:52] that

[00:35:53] we're

[00:35:53] going

[00:35:53] to

[00:35:53] attract

[00:35:54] free

[00:35:54] agents

[00:35:55] in

[00:35:56] the

[00:35:57] years

[00:35:57] to

[00:36:03] all

[00:36:04] good.

[00:36:05] All

[00:36:06] good.

[00:36:06] good.

[00:36:07] Now,

[00:36:08] did you

[00:36:08] say that?

[00:36:09] No,

[00:36:09] he didn't

[00:36:09] say that.

[00:36:10] He sold

[00:36:10] his bill

[00:36:11] of goods

[00:36:12] that Kawhi

[00:36:12] was going

[00:36:12] to be

[00:36:13] out here

[00:36:13] playing.

[00:36:13] But

[00:36:16] here we

[00:36:16] are.

[00:36:16] This is

[00:36:16] kind of

[00:36:17] where we

[00:36:17] thought

[00:36:17] we were

[00:36:18] going

[00:36:18] to be.

[00:36:18] It was

[00:36:19] disappointing

[00:36:20] that

[00:36:21] Clippers

[00:36:21] ended up

[00:36:22] this way.

[00:36:23] But

[00:36:24] again,

[00:36:26] at the

[00:36:26] time of

[00:36:27] when the

[00:36:27] trade

[00:36:28] happened

[00:36:29] for

[00:36:30] Paul

[00:36:30] George

[00:36:31] from

[00:36:34] linked

[00:36:34] Kawhi

[00:36:35] Leonard

[00:36:36] at the

[00:36:37] time,

[00:36:38] no one

[00:36:38] had

[00:36:39] anything

[00:36:40] bad to

[00:36:40] say about

[00:36:41] that.

[00:36:41] No one

[00:36:42] knew

[00:36:43] that

[00:36:43] Kawhi

[00:36:44] Leonard's

[00:36:44] knees

[00:36:44] weren't

[00:36:45] going to

[00:36:45] hold up

[00:36:46] anymore.

[00:36:47] No one

[00:36:48] knew.

[00:36:50] But

[00:36:50] at this

[00:36:52] point,

[00:36:53] if you're

[00:36:54] cutting your

[00:36:54] losses and

[00:36:55] you're wiping

[00:36:56] your hands

[00:36:56] of the

[00:36:56] situation,

[00:36:58] I think

[00:36:59] it's smart.

[00:36:59] I think

[00:36:59] Lawrence Frank

[00:37:00] knows exactly

[00:37:01] what he's

[00:37:02] doing.

[00:37:03] Yeah,

[00:37:04] is the

[00:37:05] product as

[00:37:05] pretty as

[00:37:06] it could

[00:37:06] be?

[00:37:07] Could have

[00:37:08] extended this

[00:37:09] window of

[00:37:10] disappointment

[00:37:11] a couple

[00:37:12] more years

[00:37:12] by signing

[00:37:13] Paul

[00:37:13] George?

[00:37:14] Because

[00:37:14] remember,

[00:37:15] here's the

[00:37:15] other thing

[00:37:16] with that,

[00:37:17] is that if

[00:37:17] Paul George

[00:37:18] signed his

[00:37:18] contract,

[00:37:19] this takes

[00:37:19] him to

[00:37:19] age 38.

[00:37:22] This is

[00:37:22] 38 with

[00:37:23] a metal

[00:37:24] rod in

[00:37:24] your leg.

[00:37:25] I don't

[00:37:26] know if

[00:37:27] anybody,

[00:37:27] I don't

[00:37:28] know if

[00:37:28] I want

[00:37:28] to sign

[00:37:28] up for

[00:37:29] that.

[00:37:29] Now,

[00:37:30] Philadelphia

[00:37:30] had no

[00:37:31] choice.

[00:37:32] And I'm

[00:37:33] not saying

[00:37:33] it was a

[00:37:34] bad call.

[00:37:34] What I'm

[00:37:35] saying is

[00:37:35] that it's

[00:37:36] a risky

[00:37:37] call.

[00:37:39] Two

[00:37:40] different

[00:37:40] things.

[00:37:44] Now,

[00:37:46] let's get

[00:37:47] on to

[00:37:48] something that

[00:37:49] I know

[00:37:49] everybody wants

[00:37:51] to talk

[00:37:51] about.

[00:37:53] And no,

[00:37:54] it's not

[00:37:54] the election.

[00:37:55] It's not

[00:37:56] the election.

[00:37:57] What it

[00:37:57] is,

[00:37:58] is Duke.

[00:37:59] Duke

[00:37:59] played,

[00:38:00] let's talk

[00:38:01] about it.

[00:38:01] Cougar

[00:38:02] Flagg and

[00:38:02] Con Canuble

[00:38:03] made their

[00:38:04] debut.

[00:38:05] Cougar

[00:38:06] Flagg

[00:38:06] stand 6'8

[00:38:07] with a

[00:38:08] 7'

[00:38:08] wingspan.

[00:38:10] He scored

[00:38:11] 18 points

[00:38:12] with 7

[00:38:13] rebounds.

[00:38:13] He had

[00:38:14] 5 assists.

[00:38:15] He was

[00:38:16] absolutely

[00:38:17] incredible.

[00:38:19] He threw

[00:38:19] down a

[00:38:20] one-handed

[00:38:21] dunk

[00:38:22] that

[00:38:22] blew the

[00:38:24] roof off

[00:38:25] a camera

[00:38:25] indoor.

[00:38:26] score.

[00:38:26] So,

[00:38:28] and he

[00:38:28] also had

[00:38:29] a full

[00:38:29] court

[00:38:29] steal

[00:38:30] and a

[00:38:31] slam

[00:38:31] as well.

[00:38:32] So,

[00:38:33] he's

[00:38:33] exactly

[00:38:35] what

[00:38:35] he was

[00:38:38] in high

[00:38:38] school.

[00:38:39] This kid

[00:38:39] came out,

[00:38:40] he's going

[00:38:41] to give

[00:38:41] you a little

[00:38:41] bit of

[00:38:42] everything.

[00:38:42] He's

[00:38:42] definitely

[00:38:43] going to

[00:38:43] defend

[00:38:44] at a

[00:38:44] high level.

[00:38:45] He is

[00:38:46] going to

[00:38:46] basically

[00:38:47] stuff the

[00:38:48] stat sheet

[00:38:49] in a way

[00:38:50] that is

[00:38:50] added

[00:38:51] the 7

[00:38:52] rebounds,

[00:38:52] the 5

[00:38:53] assists.

[00:38:53] Obviously,

[00:38:54] he's going

[00:38:54] to share

[00:38:54] the sugar.

[00:38:55] He's not

[00:38:55] a guy

[00:38:56] who I

[00:38:57] need

[00:38:58] 30 shots

[00:38:59] to get

[00:38:59] my stats

[00:39:00] or anything

[00:39:00] like that.

[00:39:02] And,

[00:39:03] he's going

[00:39:04] to be that

[00:39:04] guy to be

[00:39:05] able to

[00:39:06] switch on

[00:39:06] to smaller

[00:39:07] guys,

[00:39:07] be an

[00:39:08] on-ball

[00:39:10] perimeter

[00:39:11] defender,

[00:39:12] and then

[00:39:12] also be

[00:39:13] able to

[00:39:13] because of

[00:39:15] the wingspan

[00:39:16] and his

[00:39:18] athleticism.

[00:39:20] dude's

[00:39:21] an athlete.

[00:39:22] He did

[00:39:23] not look

[00:39:23] out of

[00:39:24] place in

[00:39:25] those Olympic

[00:39:26] workouts

[00:39:26] whatsoever.

[00:39:31] Now,

[00:39:31] I will

[00:39:32] tell you

[00:39:32] from what

[00:39:33] I saw

[00:39:33] is that

[00:39:34] it was

[00:39:35] all of

[00:39:36] what I

[00:39:37] thought it

[00:39:38] was going

[00:39:38] to be.

[00:39:39] I was

[00:39:39] impressed

[00:39:40] with the

[00:39:40] shot.

[00:39:41] The shot

[00:39:42] was looking

[00:39:44] good.

[00:39:45] Now,

[00:39:46] I don't

[00:39:46] know if

[00:39:47] he was

[00:39:47] pressed

[00:39:48] enough.

[00:39:49] Let's

[00:39:49] see when

[00:39:50] you're

[00:39:51] playing

[00:39:51] against

[00:39:51] closer

[00:39:53] competition.

[00:39:55] Duke is

[00:39:56] loaded

[00:39:56] because

[00:39:56] Con

[00:39:57] Canuble

[00:39:57] also

[00:39:58] okay

[00:39:58] to

[00:39:58] play.

[00:39:59] Con

[00:39:59] Canuble

[00:40:00] obviously

[00:40:00] is the

[00:40:02] wing

[00:40:02] that

[00:40:02] could

[00:40:04] be a

[00:40:04] lottery

[00:40:05] guy.

[00:40:06] He's

[00:40:06] 6'7".

[00:40:07] He has

[00:40:07] a 6'10".

[00:40:08] He chipped

[00:40:09] in with

[00:40:10] 22 points

[00:40:11] on

[00:40:11] 8 of

[00:40:12] 14

[00:40:12] shooting.

[00:40:13] He had

[00:40:14] three

[00:40:14] three-pointers

[00:40:15] as well

[00:40:16] and he

[00:40:17] had relentless

[00:40:18] pursuit

[00:40:19] and transition.

[00:40:20] Now,

[00:40:20] his

[00:40:20] shooting,

[00:40:22] that's

[00:40:22] his

[00:40:22] calling

[00:40:23] court.

[00:40:23] That's

[00:40:23] how he's

[00:40:24] going to

[00:40:24] make

[00:40:25] his

[00:40:25] mold in

[00:40:26] this

[00:40:27] league.

[00:40:27] But it

[00:40:28] was the

[00:40:29] other stuff

[00:40:29] that I

[00:40:30] liked.

[00:40:30] It was

[00:40:31] the

[00:40:32] outlet

[00:40:33] pass,

[00:40:33] getting the

[00:40:34] ball up

[00:40:35] court.

[00:40:36] I like

[00:40:36] that he

[00:40:37] was pretty

[00:40:37] feisty on

[00:40:38] defense.

[00:40:39] I want to

[00:40:40] see more

[00:40:40] from that.

[00:40:42] That's a

[00:40:42] big thing

[00:40:43] for him

[00:40:43] this year.

[00:40:44] This is what

[00:40:45] scouts are

[00:40:45] looking for

[00:40:46] is what his

[00:40:46] defense is going

[00:40:47] to look

[00:40:48] like.

[00:40:48] Is he

[00:40:49] going to

[00:40:50] get picked

[00:40:50] on every

[00:40:51] single time?

[00:40:52] So far,

[00:40:53] not so

[00:40:54] much.

[00:40:56] I am

[00:40:57] looking forward

[00:40:57] to just

[00:40:58] these two

[00:40:59] develop.

[00:41:01] Now,

[00:41:01] we didn't

[00:41:02] talk about

[00:41:02] Mailer,

[00:41:03] who's the

[00:41:04] center for

[00:41:05] Duke as far

[00:41:06] as that's

[00:41:06] concerned,

[00:41:07] who actually

[00:41:08] provided

[00:41:08] rent protection,

[00:41:09] things of that

[00:41:10] nature.

[00:41:10] There were a

[00:41:10] couple things

[00:41:11] that were

[00:41:11] little

[00:41:13] foul issues

[00:41:14] and,

[00:41:14] you know,

[00:41:15] where,

[00:41:15] when to

[00:41:16] go for

[00:41:16] the block.

[00:41:18] He is

[00:41:19] so wrong.

[00:41:21] He is

[00:41:22] so

[00:41:23] athletically

[00:41:24] gifted because

[00:41:25] he's like

[00:41:25] 7'1",

[00:41:26] 230 pounds,

[00:41:27] but he

[00:41:27] can switch

[00:41:29] on to

[00:41:29] wings.

[00:41:32] That's

[00:41:33] different.

[00:41:35] If he

[00:41:35] can continue

[00:41:36] to show

[00:41:36] those things,

[00:41:39] this could

[00:41:39] be kind

[00:41:40] of like a

[00:41:40] Derek

[00:41:40] Lively

[00:41:41] type of

[00:41:41] deal,

[00:41:42] because there

[00:41:42] is some

[00:41:44] passing

[00:41:45] ability

[00:41:45] there.

[00:41:46] He's

[00:41:47] just

[00:41:47] raw

[00:41:47] writing.

[00:41:51] Now,

[00:41:52] this gets

[00:41:52] us to

[00:41:53] our last

[00:41:54] segment.

[00:41:55] This is

[00:41:56] what we

[00:41:56] were talking

[00:41:57] about earlier

[00:41:57] about Joel

[00:41:58] Embiid.

[00:41:59] Joel Embiid

[00:41:59] has been

[00:42:00] suspended

[00:42:01] for three

[00:42:01] games by

[00:42:02] the NBA

[00:42:03] and Adam

[00:42:04] Silver.

[00:42:05] Following

[00:42:05] the Sixers

[00:42:06] loss to

[00:42:06] Memphis,

[00:42:07] Joel Embiid

[00:42:08] clashed

[00:42:09] with

[00:42:09] Philadelphia

[00:42:10] Inquirer

[00:42:10] columnist

[00:42:11] Marcus

[00:42:12] Hayes.

[00:42:13] Hayes,

[00:42:13] who had

[00:42:14] been

[00:42:14] critical of

[00:42:15] Embiid

[00:42:15] and his

[00:42:17] commitment

[00:42:17] to playing

[00:42:19] previously,

[00:42:19] wrote a

[00:42:20] column

[00:42:20] referencing

[00:42:21] Embiid's

[00:42:22] late

[00:42:22] brother

[00:42:23] and

[00:42:25] a

[00:42:26] deeply

[00:42:27] personal

[00:42:28] approach

[00:42:28] for the

[00:42:29] Sixers

[00:42:30] star.

[00:42:30] Now,

[00:42:31] we talked

[00:42:32] about this

[00:42:32] on the

[00:42:32] last

[00:42:33] podcast.

[00:42:34] We

[00:42:34] thought

[00:42:34] that he

[00:42:35] did

[00:42:35] overstep

[00:42:36] the line.

[00:42:37] We talked

[00:42:38] about what

[00:42:38] you could

[00:42:39] talk about.

[00:42:40] Now,

[00:42:41] if you

[00:42:41] want to

[00:42:41] talk about

[00:42:42] Embiid

[00:42:42] and talk

[00:42:43] about

[00:42:44] maybe

[00:42:45] he hasn't

[00:42:46] been in

[00:42:46] the best

[00:42:47] condition

[00:42:47] to allow

[00:42:49] himself to

[00:42:50] stay healthy,

[00:42:51] you can

[00:42:52] talk about

[00:42:52] that.

[00:42:53] If you

[00:42:54] want to

[00:42:54] talk about

[00:42:54] maybe some

[00:42:55] of the

[00:42:55] suspect

[00:42:56] playoff

[00:42:56] runs,

[00:42:58] you can

[00:42:58] talk about

[00:42:58] bringing up

[00:42:59] his kid,

[00:43:00] his late

[00:43:01] brother,

[00:43:03] and then

[00:43:03] tying that

[00:43:04] into him

[00:43:06] having the

[00:43:07] willingness

[00:43:07] or the

[00:43:08] want to

[00:43:09] play.

[00:43:11] I'm not

[00:43:12] saying that

[00:43:13] you deserve

[00:43:14] what you

[00:43:14] got,

[00:43:15] my man,

[00:43:15] because nobody

[00:43:16] deserves to be

[00:43:17] pushed by

[00:43:18] somebody's

[00:43:18] 72,

[00:43:19] 73,

[00:43:21] 275,

[00:43:21] 280 pounds,

[00:43:23] but at the

[00:43:24] end of the

[00:43:24] day,

[00:43:25] that was

[00:43:26] a low

[00:43:27] blow.

[00:43:28] So what

[00:43:28] did he get

[00:43:29] for a piece

[00:43:30] of this?

[00:43:31] He got an

[00:43:33] unbrotherly

[00:43:33] shove.

[00:43:35] So

[00:43:35] brotherly

[00:43:36] shove

[00:43:36] the Eagles

[00:43:38] where they

[00:43:38] go and

[00:43:39] they

[00:43:39] Jaden Hurts

[00:43:40] into the

[00:43:41] end zone.

[00:43:41] This is

[00:43:42] an unbrotherly

[00:43:43] shove

[00:43:44] by Joel

[00:43:45] on B

[00:43:45] saying,

[00:43:46] hey man,

[00:43:47] don't be

[00:43:47] talking about

[00:43:47] my relative.

[00:43:48] I'll bust

[00:43:49] you up.

[00:43:50] So

[00:43:52] here's

[00:43:52] the deal.

[00:43:53] I think

[00:43:54] there's

[00:43:54] almost

[00:43:54] nothing

[00:43:55] to see.

[00:43:55] You know,

[00:43:56] I'm sure

[00:43:56] that the

[00:43:57] league

[00:43:57] will want

[00:43:58] Embiid

[00:43:59] to have

[00:43:59] some work.

[00:44:00] You know,

[00:44:01] it's my

[00:44:02] responsibility

[00:44:03] to not lose

[00:44:04] my control

[00:44:05] or my

[00:44:05] composure

[00:44:07] because it

[00:44:08] is a bad

[00:44:08] look for the

[00:44:09] league

[00:44:09] players

[00:44:10] putting

[00:44:10] hands

[00:44:11] on

[00:44:12] reporters

[00:44:13] or

[00:44:13] columnists

[00:44:14] and things

[00:44:14] of that

[00:44:15] nature.

[00:44:15] But at

[00:44:15] the end

[00:44:16] of the day,

[00:44:16] that was

[00:44:16] a low

[00:44:17] blow.

[00:44:20] I hope

[00:44:20] that we

[00:44:23] all are

[00:44:24] some here.

[00:44:26] We all

[00:44:26] are.

[00:44:27] Here's the

[00:44:28] thing.

[00:44:28] I talk about it

[00:44:29] all the time.

[00:44:31] I wanted

[00:44:31] to,

[00:44:33] I've told,

[00:44:34] I live in

[00:44:35] Los Angeles.

[00:44:36] Let's put it

[00:44:37] that way.

[00:44:37] I live here.

[00:44:39] I am a

[00:44:40] long,

[00:44:41] long time

[00:44:41] Laker fan.

[00:44:43] Right?

[00:44:44] Now,

[00:44:44] I might be

[00:44:45] less fan

[00:44:46] now because

[00:44:47] of I do

[00:44:48] this.

[00:44:49] This is what

[00:44:50] I do.

[00:44:50] I watch

[00:44:51] games.

[00:44:53] And try

[00:44:54] to feel,

[00:44:54] give you a

[00:44:56] panoramic view

[00:44:56] of what I'm

[00:44:57] seeing and

[00:44:58] hopefully give

[00:44:58] you some

[00:44:59] insights that

[00:45:00] maybe you

[00:45:00] can now

[00:45:00] look for.

[00:45:01] Bring that

[00:45:02] to your

[00:45:02] homie or

[00:45:03] to your

[00:45:03] group.

[00:45:04] I'm

[00:45:05] critical of

[00:45:05] the Lakers.

[00:45:06] I'm being

[00:45:07] critical of

[00:45:07] the Lakers.

[00:45:10] I've made

[00:45:10] fun of

[00:45:11] the Lakers.

[00:45:12] I haven't

[00:45:12] said anything

[00:45:13] like eternal

[00:45:14] Lakers.

[00:45:16] We use

[00:45:16] quotes from,

[00:45:18] you know,

[00:45:19] front office

[00:45:20] people.

[00:45:20] We, you

[00:45:21] know,

[00:45:21] this is what

[00:45:22] there's a

[00:45:23] step,

[00:45:23] right?

[00:45:24] There's a

[00:45:24] step where

[00:45:24] you can't

[00:45:25] go.

[00:45:27] And the

[00:45:28] step where

[00:45:28] you can't

[00:45:29] go past is

[00:45:30] that you can't

[00:45:30] make it

[00:45:31] personal.

[00:45:31] Now,

[00:45:32] you can

[00:45:33] say,

[00:45:33] well,

[00:45:35] question due

[00:45:38] to the

[00:45:39] amount of

[00:45:40] money.

[00:45:41] Joel

[00:45:42] LV has

[00:45:43] made,

[00:45:44] maybe he's

[00:45:46] a little

[00:45:46] more cautious

[00:45:47] about his

[00:45:48] body and

[00:45:49] what his

[00:45:49] after,

[00:45:50] you know,

[00:45:51] after basketball

[00:45:51] life is going

[00:45:52] to be.

[00:45:53] You can

[00:45:53] question those

[00:45:54] things,

[00:45:55] right?

[00:45:55] You can

[00:45:56] propose that

[00:45:56] question and

[00:45:58] none,

[00:45:59] no harm,

[00:46:01] no.

[00:46:04] But when

[00:46:05] you're like,

[00:46:06] if I say

[00:46:06] something about

[00:46:07] Kawhi Leonard,

[00:46:09] which I have

[00:46:10] in the past,

[00:46:11] like I think

[00:46:12] is absolutely

[00:46:13] ridiculous that

[00:46:15] you have not

[00:46:16] been able to

[00:46:17] play basketball

[00:46:18] for a long

[00:46:18] period of

[00:46:19] time.

[00:46:19] You go to

[00:46:20] the Olympics

[00:46:20] and then they

[00:46:22] say you're not

[00:46:22] really fit to

[00:46:24] play there.

[00:46:25] Then I'm

[00:46:26] trying to figure

[00:46:27] out what you

[00:46:27] did throughout

[00:46:29] the summer to

[00:46:31] get to this

[00:46:31] point where you

[00:46:32] can't play

[00:46:32] basketball

[00:46:33] now.

[00:46:34] Now,

[00:46:34] these are

[00:46:35] questions and

[00:46:36] yeah,

[00:46:36] they might be

[00:46:37] more damning

[00:46:38] questions and

[00:46:39] critical questions,

[00:46:40] but I didn't

[00:46:41] say anything

[00:46:42] about Kawhi

[00:46:43] Leonard that

[00:46:43] was out.

[00:46:45] I didn't say

[00:46:46] anything crazy.

[00:46:49] I damn sure

[00:46:50] didn't talk about

[00:46:51] his family.

[00:46:52] And the only

[00:46:53] time I do

[00:46:53] bring up his

[00:46:54] family is when

[00:46:55] I bring up

[00:46:55] Uncle Dennis,

[00:46:57] who's in charge

[00:46:58] of Kawhi's

[00:46:59] affairs.

[00:47:01] and how

[00:47:02] mysterious

[00:47:03] Uncle Dennis

[00:47:04] is with

[00:47:05] Kawhi's

[00:47:06] medical

[00:47:08] goings-on.

[00:47:10] Other than

[00:47:10] that, we

[00:47:11] don't really

[00:47:12] talk about

[00:47:13] people and

[00:47:14] their families

[00:47:15] and all this

[00:47:15] other stuff.

[00:47:16] We stayed

[00:47:17] far away from

[00:47:18] the Giddy

[00:47:18] situation last

[00:47:19] year.

[00:47:20] We brought it

[00:47:20] up, you

[00:47:21] know, did

[00:47:22] our little

[00:47:22] due diligence

[00:47:23] and, you

[00:47:25] know, we

[00:47:25] let the NBA

[00:47:26] handle it.

[00:47:27] It seemed to

[00:47:27] go away.

[00:47:28] Kind of odd,

[00:47:29] but not

[00:47:32] my deal.

[00:47:34] At the end

[00:47:35] of the day,

[00:47:37] the common

[00:47:37] list should

[00:47:40] not use

[00:47:43] that person

[00:47:44] or situation

[00:47:45] about

[00:47:46] Joel and

[00:47:47] yeah, Joel

[00:47:48] and we

[00:47:49] shouldn't put

[00:47:49] hands on

[00:47:49] that.

[00:47:51] But I

[00:47:52] think if

[00:47:53] we were all

[00:47:53] in that

[00:47:54] situation,

[00:47:56] there's a

[00:47:57] good chance

[00:47:57] that we

[00:47:59] might have

[00:48:00] had a

[00:48:01] control

[00:48:02] issue or

[00:48:03] impulsivity

[00:48:05] issue at

[00:48:06] that point

[00:48:07] in time

[00:48:07] too.

[00:48:08] Due to the

[00:48:09] fact that

[00:48:10] Joel Allen

[00:48:10] B is

[00:48:11] the star

[00:48:13] of the

[00:48:13] 76ers,

[00:48:15] due to

[00:48:16] he's had

[00:48:17] a less

[00:48:18] than stellar

[00:48:18] playoff

[00:48:19] resume,

[00:48:20] due to the

[00:48:21] time in

[00:48:23] the hard

[00:48:23] class,

[00:48:24] it's starting

[00:48:24] to dwindle

[00:48:25] out.

[00:48:25] I can

[00:48:26] see where

[00:48:27] all of

[00:48:27] this

[00:48:27] culminated

[00:48:29] some

[00:48:30] frustration

[00:48:30] for

[00:48:31] Joel

[00:48:31] and

[00:48:32] B.

[00:48:33] So I

[00:48:34] give him

[00:48:34] grace

[00:48:36] for

[00:48:37] the

[00:48:40] volcanic

[00:48:41] frustrating

[00:48:43] deal

[00:48:44] that he

[00:48:44] did.

[00:48:45] I give

[00:48:46] him some

[00:48:46] grace for

[00:48:47] that.

[00:48:47] Here's

[00:48:47] what I'm

[00:48:48] not giving

[00:48:48] you grace

[00:48:49] for,

[00:48:49] player.

[00:48:50] Get your

[00:48:51] ass in

[00:48:51] shade,

[00:48:52] play some

[00:48:52] basketball.

[00:48:53] Now,

[00:48:56] with that

[00:48:57] being said,

[00:49:00] remember

[00:49:00] to also,

[00:49:01] if you

[00:49:02] disagree or

[00:49:03] agree with

[00:49:04] any of

[00:49:04] these segments

[00:49:05] that we

[00:49:05] had on

[00:49:05] this,

[00:49:07] hit me

[00:49:07] up on

[00:49:07] Twitter,

[00:49:09] at

[00:49:09] Frontrunner

[00:49:15] PC.

[00:49:17] Let's

[00:49:17] just cut

[00:49:18] that out.

[00:49:19] Cut the

[00:49:19] whole thing.

[00:49:21] Now,

[00:49:22] if you

[00:49:23] agree or

[00:49:24] disagree with

[00:49:24] any of

[00:49:25] the segments

[00:49:25] here on

[00:49:27] our podcast,

[00:49:27] hit us

[00:49:28] up on

[00:49:28] X,

[00:49:29] at

[00:49:30] Frontrunner

[00:49:30] PC,

[00:49:31] or at

[00:49:32] Rhea

[00:49:32] underscore

[00:49:33] Fudge

[00:49:35] FRPC.

[00:49:36] And we're

[00:49:37] going to

[00:49:37] leave you

[00:49:37] with this.

[00:49:38] We'll be

[00:49:38] back on

[00:49:39] Friday.

[00:49:39] I'm talking

[00:49:40] about kind

[00:49:41] of the

[00:49:41] goings-on

[00:49:41] last Friday

[00:49:42] and what's

[00:49:43] going on

[00:49:45] next week.

[00:49:47] But before

[00:49:48] then,

[00:49:49] the best

[00:49:50] part of

[00:49:50] you is you.

[00:49:51] Make sure

[00:49:52] that people

[00:49:52] in your life

[00:49:53] is just

[00:49:54] brightening

[00:49:55] your light.

[00:49:56] Hopefully,

[00:49:57] you're able

[00:49:57] to go out

[00:49:58] and do

[00:49:58] some good

[00:49:58] with your

[00:49:59] life.

[00:50:01] And we'll

[00:50:01] see you back

[00:50:02] on this

[00:50:03] podcast feed

[00:50:04] on Friday.

[00:50:05] Peace.