NBA Preseason Power Shifts and 2025 Draft Prospects Breakdown: Future Stars and Eastern Conference Surprises

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: It's Monday, you know what time it is front runner podcast collective is back on the air

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I am your humble host Vince and today is Friday. It's a fun day. We have a lot to get to

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Last episode we got to the Western Conference

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Today we will hit the Eastern Conference and also

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_00]: reintroduce you to some of the

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: 2025 NBA draft class but

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Before we get to there. We got two things to get to we're gonna talk about socials and then there's a couple little

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Odds and ends I want to

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Get through and then we'll get to the rest of the pot

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm throwing some gorilla style tactics on to my producers right now

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00]: So they're freaking out anyways the socials X at front runner PC

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Also, the producers are at Rea underscore funsch FRPC follow

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[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Get the video clips because it will lead you to

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Some of these predictions that are coming up towards the start of the year

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And then the last thing is be a friend tell a friend about the podcast

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Make sure that we are continuing to grow. We give you NBA coverage

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Monday Wednesday and Friday

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_00]: So keep it locked here with us follow download

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Tell people tell your dentist

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Tell your psychiatrist your therapist

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: The dude that bagged your groceries let them all know. All right

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_00]: now

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_00]: My producers have no idea what we're about to talk about but there are a couple things that we need to discuss

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: one I was privileged to see

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Rob Kalinka the president of

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Personnel with the Los Angeles Lakers to his state of the Union for the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Now a lot of it to me was very hopeful

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: There was one piece of information that caused me great deal of pause though

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_00]: We unearthed the information that Jared Vanderbilt a

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Key contributor to the Los Angeles Lakers as far as defense a point of attack defense a long

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_00]: wing span wing

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Somebody that we can definitely use to agitate ball handlers on the other side

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_00]: has had foot surgery and

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Will not be ready for camp and maybe not ready for the start of the season

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: now

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: You can go ahead and say okay. That is a blow that we were not expecting and what have you

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_00]: When I said I had a great deal of pause

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_00]: We talked all throughout the summer about how no Lakers should have been a little more prepared for these type of situations

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Why weren't we?

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Untangling some of the knots that we caused ourselves

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't gonna cost like these tremendous amount of draft picks to give us a little more

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Financial wiggle room to do things or whatever the case may be

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_00]: And now it comes out that Jared Vanderbilt is hurt. You don't

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_00]: You don't add a wing anything to the team except the draft picks which brawny is a non sequitur

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_00]: We don't even need to talk about

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_00]: brawny because we don't expect brawny to play

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Any significant minutes for the Lakers

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_00]: So Dalton connect

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Dalton connect has a completely different skill set than Jared Vanderbilt

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Dalton connect is there to provide spacing

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_00]: provide a

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_00]: lethal

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: outside shooting presence

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_00]: That the Lakers have sorely lacked over the years

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He is not the point of attack defender

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Nor should you want him to be?

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_00]: We are hoping and praying that he can stay in front of his man with that being said

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_00]: this goes on with the whole summer and how

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00]: You can say it was mismanaged

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_00]: You can say that I

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Told you previously on previous pause that there were Eastern Conference

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_00]: people and NBA offices that said that

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_00]: They had no idea what was going on in Los Angeles. I don't know where this evidence lies

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know where you want to put it on the pro or the con side

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00]: JJ's seen very

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_00]: confident in the group that he was gonna be able to put out on the floor and

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_00]: The implementation of what he wants to do and what he'd like to see

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Throughout the season so maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe we get through the first part of

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: December Jared Vanderbilt is back and no one's the wiser I

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Just a little more not clarification, but I would like a little more

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey, we're on top of this and now we saw this coming and this is what we did a counteract that or hey

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_00]: We saw this coming and we tried to counteract that situation

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_00]: But the value in the pricing for the players

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: For the skill set of Jared Vanderbilt. They just seemed like they were too high

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00]: There's so many things that you could have said that would have basically appeased people like me who are looking at you

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Trying to figure out are you the right man for the job? No

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of things I've given Rob Plinker credit for there's a lot of things that I've

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Said that I wish he would have done better. I

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Love the draft picks

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Either way, I love that he has stood up to the run after the Westbrook situation

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_00]: But to me this seems oh we got caught with our pants down and

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if you as a Laker fan feel

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_00]: The way I do that to me feels unsettling

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Now

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The second thing I want to get to them are producers are probably screaming about he didn't tell us anything about this. I

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Want to credit Ryan Rocello and the Ryan Rocello podcast?

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_00]: He had an interview with Gordon Hayward today

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: And in that interview he spoke about

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00]: How his time in Boston went and especially the

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_00]: 2018-2019 season

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And Gordon Hayward went on to talk about how there was a split in the locker room you had

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_00]: people with different agendas

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Trying to

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_00]: In a sense basically be the best person or the best player they could be but not necessarily

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Worrying about the team as a whole it's an incredible interview

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Please go listen to it if you like this podcast

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure that you are already subscribed to the Ryan Rocello podcast, but it's a great interview. I

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Don't want to step all over it and give you all the

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Exert that they excerpts of it or whatever the case can be I do not want to do that

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_00]: But the reason why I bring it up is because we talk about on this podcast how we want to give you a

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_00]: panoramic view of

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Teams and how they inner work and what have you and we talk about it from the top down a governorship

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_00]: your front office

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_00]: player development

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_00]: analytics, you know coaching things of that nature and the one thing that I've always talked about is how

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Extremely difficult it is for an entire organization to get on the same page or roll on the same side

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_00]: of the boat

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And here's a great depiction of that

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Gordon Hayward was coming back off a catastrophic

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Entry right or where you were when you saw that that injury and how grotesque it was and also

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Damn, this is real tough

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Literally what game one into his Celtic career remember he it came in as a free agent

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But that also launched the careers of Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown who

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Played very well in that season and showed the beginnings of what we now see as an NBA champion

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Correct, they talk about how Kyrie are you trying to be a leader?

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Gordon Hayward trying to prove that he can come back off this injury

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Our Horford was on that team

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Terry Rogier was on that team and then Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Also Marcus smart was on that team as well

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_00]: So you had a lot of guys in a lot of situations that were

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Completely individualized to them and they were looking to set their no plant their flag in the league

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Sort of sweet. Oh and Kyrie's trying to adjust to this leadership role

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_00]: You got Gordon Hayward, which who's a vet

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_00]: coming off injury and

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Know the young guys are looking at him like hey man

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_00]: We just got to the Eastern Conference finals without you. Why are you starting in?

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I'm talking about as good as you feel about your team as

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Good as you think your lineup is or how stacked your roster is and you think oh my god who we have so much depth

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_00]: We have

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_00]: multiple

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_00]: multiplicity at different positions

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Just when you think you have that

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Keep this in mind too. Is everybody on the same page?

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Is everyone on the same page?

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Have people gotten their money already?

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Are they established?

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Does the front office have a different vision than the coach?

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Because the coach is there to win today

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_00]: The front office is there to sustain winning over three four five year periods of time

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And how does the owner fit in?

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_00]: What is he or she's personality in this are they a hands-off owner?

[00:11:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Are they a hands-on owner?

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_00]: white Matt Joe Lakeup

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_00]: right

[00:11:33] [SPEAKER_00]: These are the type of things that you have to think of when you are looking at your team and you're also looking at how

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_00]: The season is gonna play out and the reason why I bring all those things up is because of the fact that

[00:11:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Soon we're gonna give predictions and soon we're gonna have a lot of things to say and hopefully they sound very very smart

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_00]: but the act that at the end of the day the actuality of all of us is that

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Who knows the inner workings of NBA basketball team?

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_00]: We will try to get you all that information as we possibly can but here's the one thing

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_00]: If guys want to play for one another and believe in what the coach is telling them

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_00]: They feel like they're seen and and heard

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_00]: They feel a sense of ownership with that team

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_00]: You're probably gonna have a really good year

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_00]: If you have a lot of guys who are like man, I gotta play really well to get this contract

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I need to be on score center a lot or

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_00]: A vet who is coming in as a free agent and maybe they have a lot to prove

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_00]: You might struggle early on in the season

[00:12:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Not saying necessarily you're gonna struggle the whole year

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_00]: What you could struggle

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Early part of the season and you're looking at it going we have all this talent. How could this be?

[00:12:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Can we all work together?

[00:13:00] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, that's my rant we can actually get to the podcast is all good. It's all good

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, so we're gonna talk about the Eastern Conference and we're gonna

[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, where do you start? There's so much that's gone on. There's so many story lines to talk about New York

[00:13:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Nicks their brand new

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Jalen Brunson doing his thing. You got Philadelphia 76ers. What's up with them?

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, what we're gonna start in Boston. I know

[00:13:29] [SPEAKER_00]: From my Boston people they love it. No, this hurts my heart

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_00]: I gotta start with the champ Boston is coming off winning the NBA championship last year

[00:13:38] [SPEAKER_00]: They're looking to repeat there hasn't been 18 to repeat in seven years

[00:13:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Ever since Toronto stole that championship from going state with all the injuries

[00:13:51] [SPEAKER_00]: We got like new faces and new places in the Eastern Conference. We got Paul George with the Sixers

[00:13:58] [SPEAKER_00]: We got McKell Bridges with the Knicks

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: So we got a lot of things going on in the Eastern Conference

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the thing

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's where we're gonna start with the Celtics and I just want to I want to start by saying this about them

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a long time cup. You went a championship in 2008

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_00]: You think and like injuries and things derailed that team with the Kevin Garnett Park peers of it all

[00:14:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Now you reinvent yourself you go through the crucible, which is the playoffs

[00:14:35] [SPEAKER_00]: several times

[00:14:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Not getting to the end of your quest and then last year

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_00]: You finally break through

[00:14:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Coach Joe Mozilla looks a lot better obviously after the first year to the second year

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_00]: To a point where some of the odd strategies and things that nature don't look so odd anymore, right?

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't look I want is successful

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_00]: When you got one in on big old rings on your finger

[00:15:06] [SPEAKER_00]: It looks really good

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_00]: It looks actually doesn't even look eccentric. It looks like he's usually you don't look you like utilizing

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_00]: He's utilizing

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Different methods our guy J. King of the athletic said that he was in a scrimmage with Joe Mozilla

[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_00]: On the first day of training camp and no one nobody was allowed to score

[00:15:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Mozilla's unorthodox training drills a control madness coaching style is designed to keep players focused on

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Every aspect of the game except scoring

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_00]: these ideas

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Art into instilled defensive principles and disciplines and emphasizing fundamentals like rebounding

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_00]: positioning and forcing turnovers

[00:16:02] [SPEAKER_00]: okay

[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Joe Mozilla is

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_00]: One of these cats that watches the town

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Like on loop we have heard some of the press conferences

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Listen

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_00]: This actual drill or whatever you want to cause this method

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_00]: he knows that

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER_00]: The next player that we're about to talk about is gonna be out for a while. I understand

[00:16:33] [SPEAKER_00]: The

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_00]: emphasizing rebounding

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_00]: emphasizing get deflections

[00:16:39] [SPEAKER_00]: emphasizing

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_00]: moving your feet and fundamentals and

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Getting down the principles of the defense

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Because you're gonna need all that

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_00]: It Christoph for Zingas is not gonna come back until 2025

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Not the whole year. I mean like January calm down. Everything's good

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, what do the Celtics have right now? Okay, so they have obviously Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown

[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Both of them will be salty sour and

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_00]: They will be on a revenge tour because their summers didn't go great

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Jason Tatum who made the Olympic team

[00:17:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Didn't really get to participate a lot and

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Jaylen Brown who thought he should have made the team once Kawhi Leonard

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Left out with a knee injury, which is still bothering him to this

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_00]: day

[00:17:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Huh, but go check out

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Wednesday's pot

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I talk all about Kawhi Leonard in his situation and

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_00]: It's spicy. So go get that

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_00]: You have Derek White. You also have Drew Holiday

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Sam Hauser is signed up

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Peyton Prichard is there Al Horford is there. So the contact the core of this roster is all intact

[00:18:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, Christoph for Zingas is a big loss a big loss. This is what Brian Stevens said on the 23rd

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Porzinga's

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Recovery from ankle surgery is going better than expected. We're very very pleased with his progress and we think he'll be

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_00]: He'll be ready sooner

[00:18:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Then we initially thought now

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna pump the brakes on all that

[00:18:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I

[00:18:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Understand what he said I understand Boston fans might get a little excited and that's cool. What?

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's learn from Philadelphia let's learn from that

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_00]: They brought Joelle and be back too early last year

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_00]: He got re-injured right before the playoffs and then guess what happened. Oh

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_00]: He's hurt he's on one leg. He's scoring 50 points, but they're not gonna get past the next

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Porzinga is essential to what they want to do in the playoffs

[00:19:12] [SPEAKER_00]: if they can get him healthy and get him right in

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Giving him until January to make sure he is fully healthy and then having enough time to ramp up

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Playoff conditioning obviously and also no gamesqueed

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I think you would still have enough time in January to be able to do that

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_00]: So I understand that they are saying he is progressing nicely and he might be back sooner

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Rather than later, but I'll tell you this. I rather you come back

[00:19:43] [SPEAKER_00]: later and

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Be no doubt with clear my

[00:19:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Okin hard and play basketball

[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_00]: That's just me. I

[00:19:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Could be wrong Jonathan Cavani is talking about the vulnerability of the interior defense of

[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_00]: The Boston Celtics without poor Zingas. He's their x factor obviously if he's healthy

[00:20:05] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a strong chance for them to repeat if not their interior defense is vulnerable

[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Our guy J Kyle Mann chimes in Missoula's weird energy is

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly what a championship team needs to avoid complacency in keeping players engaged with unorthodox methods

[00:20:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Can help them stay sharp. I do agree with all that. I

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Agree off with all of that. I'm saying I just yeah, I get it. I

[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Hope that in all that

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_00]: All that rebound in

[00:20:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I know what this is about I

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Know exactly why he was doing this drill

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Jason Tatum hasn't shot three pointers very well lately and you gonna need a lot of rebounding

[00:20:57] [SPEAKER_00]: To get those carams

[00:20:59] [SPEAKER_00]: From that 28% three-point shooter. You got

[00:21:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Playing the at the three. Oh, you Boston God knew I was gonna get my shot in okay?

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, you're better than the Lakers. You know that

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_00]: You're probably gonna win a championship

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not gonna pick you right now because we're not there yet, but I

[00:21:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Know how good you are

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Congratulations on the championship still salty. All right. Let's move on to the nugget not to the nugget

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Ta-da, we're gonna move on to the Philadelphia 76ers. I don't know why I talked about the nuggets

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I have them on the brain

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_00]: so Philadelphia

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Comes in to this season a lot of expectations Joe L and B

[00:21:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I will still content that that dude should not have played

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Not one game after he got injured last year

[00:21:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Understand that every chance at the playoffs is a chance at the championship

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Y'all knew better

[00:21:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Now you've got the team sets

[00:22:00] [SPEAKER_00]: You also still have some assets to be able to move

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_00]: At the trade deadline if you need to get bigger at the four position

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Because right now Caleb Martin from the Miami Heat

[00:22:12] [SPEAKER_00]: it or is

[00:22:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Manning that position and

[00:22:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Caleb Martin is what six seven

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Fistie guy a very good defender

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Decent little three-point shooter

[00:22:29] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll see if there's an upgrade needed at some point not saying you will not saying you

[00:22:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Won't just saying that that might be the key to the whole deal

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Paul George is there. Paul George is playing the number three role

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_00]: which is great and

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the thing

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Does Paul George understand how he signed a two hundred and twelve million dollar contract in Philadelphia

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Does he understand what that city is

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_00]: about

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_00]: To look like because

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_00]: They think they're built for contention

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Which they are because I'm not doubting the Philadelphia 76ers at all. I just wonder

[00:23:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Does he understand the level of the fan in Philadelphia and the expectations are really high

[00:23:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Ask Philly ask some what's his name Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies

[00:23:29] [SPEAKER_00]: How Philly Philadelphia Philly fans can be

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_00]: ask Jalen Hertz of the Philadelphia Eagles of

[00:23:38] [SPEAKER_00]: how

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Philadelphia fans can be get off to a good start Paul get off to a good start my guy

[00:23:45] [SPEAKER_00]: This is what Fred Katz of the athletic chime down with George brings the perimeter scoring and playmaking the sixers

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Have a lot the questions is can his body hold up?

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, also your body needs to hold up and also some of that kind of smooth cavalier kind of

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_00]: What you do your style you might

[00:24:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Me mug every once in a while just to let them know that you are locked in and care. Just a

[00:24:12] [SPEAKER_00]: friendly little reminder

[00:24:16] [SPEAKER_00]: They booed Santa Claus in Philadelphia

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay

[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, the other thing that we need to talk about with the Philadelphia 76 is

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Maxi's growth and now these locked into a five-year

[00:24:33] [SPEAKER_00]: 204 million dollar extension

[00:24:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He's expected to take on more of the ball handling duties

[00:24:39] [SPEAKER_00]: George's playmaking will allow Maxi to play off ball where he has been deadly

[00:24:46] [SPEAKER_00]: The thing what that is is that

[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Paul George at 6 8 is like another point guard on the floor and

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Maxi's kinetic just frenetic energy that he used last year. He was zooming off

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_00]: DHOs whether it was in bead

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether it was but to him last year or whom or even Paul Reed who's no longer there

[00:25:16] [SPEAKER_00]: His ability to catch the ball or get the ball on the dead sprint and

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Then get into his dribble package and he is now coming downhill

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Towards the paint is one of the scariest things in all the NBA

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_00]: because

[00:25:36] [SPEAKER_00]: One he looks like he's on fire

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Here

[00:25:42] [SPEAKER_00]: to

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_00]: he's still itty bitty guy and

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_00]: If you bump him off his line as he's going towards the basket, he kind of flies a little bit funny

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_00]: But also he is incredibly

[00:25:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Has an incredible body control and he's able to get the shot up on the rim

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Now I think he will finish better as he continues to get stronger

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_00]: But he has shown the ability to be effective get into the rim

[00:26:13] [SPEAKER_00]: He's also an effective pastor once he's in the paint and he swallowed up by defenders

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_00]: He can kick it out to the three-point shooters. He's very adept with that

[00:26:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Now I want to move on we're gonna do some quick hitters here. I want to move on to Milwaukee and

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_00]: their health issue

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Chris Middleton as I hope everybody knows who listened to this

[00:26:40] [SPEAKER_00]: podcast he's coming off double ankle surgery of the Bucks are in a precarious position as John Jonathan Wasserman said

[00:26:48] [SPEAKER_00]: in 2020

[00:26:50] [SPEAKER_00]: actually in September of 2022

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Middle Middleton's absence early in the season could allow the team

[00:26:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Like the Sixers or the Celtics a surge ahead in the standings

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the thing we talked about it on a podcast in

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_00]: In the summer and I think we also talked about it during the season last year

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I made the point of

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Would have would John horse and his staff

[00:27:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Would have been prudent to take Chris Middleton and

[00:27:27] [SPEAKER_00]: break him up into

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_00]: pieces

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And what I mean by that is that you take somebody like Chris Middleton

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And then you go out and get maybe a shooting guard

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you go out and get like a big wing

[00:27:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And maybe you get like a throw in backup center type of person Chris Middleton makes a lot of money

[00:27:50] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words like 47 million dollars

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_00]: At least you can do a two-for-one where you can get like a 20 million dollar dude and like a 17 million dollar dude

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna be vital to the Milwaukee Bucks that Chris Middleton is healthy this year

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And he's able to contribute to the level that Chris Middleton can

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not necessarily saying that he needs to be a number two

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_00]: You don't need to be that because here's the thing that I will say to Milwaukee fans

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Dame time I

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_00]: guarantee you is

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_00]: back I

[00:28:25] [SPEAKER_00]: guarantee you that

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Damian Lillard will be that dude. I

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_00]: guarantee you that Damian Lillard for the Milwaukee Bucks

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_00]: You will see a lot of long threes

[00:28:43] [SPEAKER_00]: He will dominate games

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_00]: he is working with a

[00:28:49] [SPEAKER_00]: World renowned trainer and I'm not talking about just he's in the best shape of his life

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He's in a specific shape of his life and that shape is

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_00]: the Eastern Conference better beware

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Cuz Dame time is

[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Come and that's my little tip to the boys and girls out there. I see

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Dame

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Making early statements in the NBA season

[00:29:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Just saying couple of quotes on the way out of here before we get to the the NBA

[00:29:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Draft situation that we want to talk about Jonathan Cavani said this about Paul George

[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_00]: He said that he's in his twilight of his career, but he's in the right role

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_00]: He could give Philly that extra push and it'll come down to whether his body holds up over the grind of 82 game season

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_00]: These are things that you're gonna continue to hear about Paul George because he falls under the stigma of

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Kauai Leonard as well

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_00]: J Kyle man said this

[00:29:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Maxi and in weed are the perfect one to punch

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_00]: But George gives them a versatility they need in the playoffs

[00:30:05] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to talk about the nuggets real quick

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Tony Jones from the athletic did a piece on the

[00:30:11] [SPEAKER_00]: On the nuggets and I want to bring it to light a little bit because I thought it was interesting

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_00]: The one thing that we do know is that there have been some departures from the nuggets now we've

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Recorded on it extensively that Calvin Booth has a philosophy that the young

[00:30:28] [SPEAKER_00]: We had to be sustainable and to build sustained success

[00:30:33] [SPEAKER_00]: You need to have the young

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Players develop and take over for the more expensive talent that we are shipping out

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Unfortunately the the pieces that they have shipped out have been contiguous called

[00:30:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, Poe who was instrumental to them winning their championship their lone championship and then also Bruce Brown a year earlier

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Also left because they could not afford him

[00:31:03] [SPEAKER_00]: He signed a big money deal with Indiana and then got traded to Toronto later on year, but

[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_00]: these are two

[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Signature pieces that are no longer with that team and now

[00:31:21] [SPEAKER_00]: You start to wonder has Minnesota

[00:31:28] [SPEAKER_00]: okc passed out Denver as

[00:31:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Just a preeminent favorite in the West

[00:31:37] [SPEAKER_00]: the one thing that I always will say is this with

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Nicola Yelkich

[00:31:43] [SPEAKER_00]: basketball IQ

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_00]: his offensive efficiency his ability to

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Find open people and hit them at the most perfect spot

[00:31:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He'll always have a chance in a playoff series

[00:31:58] [SPEAKER_00]: But I don't like their depth. I do not like it. It's young. It's unproven and

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the other thing they also have Russell Westbrook

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Now Russell Westbrook signed and he provides depth and also a kind of a wild card off the bench

[00:32:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Now Yelkich and Murray still need to stay healthy, which hey

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_00]: We don't even know that to be something of a guarantee because

[00:32:27] [SPEAKER_00]: If you saw Jamal Murray in the Olympics, it didn't know it did not look great

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Now if you're trying to tell me that Westbrook is going to be that guy that kind of

[00:32:42] [SPEAKER_00]: lifts you

[00:32:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Through the regular season. I don't know if Westbrook is that guy anymore. I

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Think can give you energy. I think give you energy for 20 minutes

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_00]: I think if

[00:32:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Given a specific role can be really helpful

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I think Yelkich can make him better if he cuts off the basketball

[00:33:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Because he's still really athletic

[00:33:10] [SPEAKER_00]: But I don't envision a Russell Westbrook led second unit

[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_00]: where oh

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_00]: We gonna let Russ cook now the key battle

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_00]: In Denver in the mile-high city that everybody's talking about is the Christian Brown

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Peyton Watson and they're in a heated battle to replace

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Contavious Caldwell Pope for his spot according to Jonathan Wasserman of

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_00]: The Bleacher Report

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Brown's defense makes him a better fit in the starting rotation, but

[00:33:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Watson's athletic upside could be the difference. Here's the one thing

[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Whoever shoots the ball better in the preseason is going to win that

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_00]: particular role and then the other will back the other person up and

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I would see with something like that

[00:34:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Gavoni checked in with this about Westbrook. He said

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_00]: The addition of Westbrook is Denver's biggest gamble here if he plays smart

[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_00]: They're back in the finals if he doesn't the season could implode

[00:34:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Wow the margin of error has shrunk

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_00]: If Yolk and Jomur can stay healthy there

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_00]: They're a top contender, but they need to develop depth to survive a full playoff run

[00:34:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Now here's the other thing that I have to ask this question Russell Westbrook is

[00:34:38] [SPEAKER_00]: A really excitable dude now. He's playing in the mile-high city y'all better have some oxygen on the bench from my guy

[00:34:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, keep my guy

[00:34:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Lots of oxygen

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, because he really excitable

[00:34:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Can't wait till he rocks the baby on somebody's great

[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_00]: All right now we can go ahead and get to

[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_00]: The NBA draft prospect in our last podcast

[00:35:05] [SPEAKER_00]: We talked about really like the top four or what the consensus of top four are

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_00]: in this particular podcast we will talk about like the next four and

[00:35:16] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll give you a little profile on each guy

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_00]: I know what their role is this year with the scouts are looking for on and so on the first guy up that we're gonna talk about

[00:35:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Is somebody that I was excited about when we first talked about the

[00:35:31] [SPEAKER_00]: 2025 NBA draft and that was Nolan Trey Ori

[00:35:35] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a French playmaker. He's a point guard. He's six foot four. He's a hundred and eighty five pounds

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a projected top five pick right now, but no one Trey Ori

[00:35:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Caught the attention of every major scout

[00:35:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Jonathan Gavoni piece

[00:35:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Trey Ori is the most polished international guard since Luca Doncic

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_00]: His control over the temple of the game in the game management is light years ahead of his age

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I

[00:36:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Was excited while him when I first

[00:36:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Started to

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Dig in a little bit and I told you at that time that we hadn't watched any film. So guess what we have watched

[00:36:23] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to be hyperbolic about Trey Ori, but I will say this

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_00]: he is

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_00]: not just a

[00:36:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Phenomenal pastor

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_00]: He is a guy that can if the shot

[00:36:38] [SPEAKER_00]: comes around

[00:36:40] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a guy who can conduct your offense and get you into good shots all the damn time

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_00]: He's 18

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_00]: 18

[00:36:55] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a special type of pastor. He has special vision. He's not afraid to shoot

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_00]: he's not afraid to shoot he's not afraid to

[00:37:07] [SPEAKER_00]: independently look for his offense but

[00:37:10] [SPEAKER_00]: the passing and also

[00:37:13] [SPEAKER_00]: He's gritty on defense. He's able to seem to shadow his man stay on the hip

[00:37:20] [SPEAKER_00]: We always how stay on the inside part of a hip

[00:37:23] [SPEAKER_00]: He's usually able to do that. He does gamble because he's young right? He gambles

[00:37:29] [SPEAKER_00]: So let's get into some of the strengths of Trey Ori's game, but that's what I've seen so far

[00:37:35] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot. He's very special and the shot needs to come around because I think it's about 32% at this point

[00:37:44] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, Trey Ori 8.5

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Assist per game during the international play is a testament to his

[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Exceptional ability to find Oakland teammates even when defenses try to collapse on him

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_00]: His quick and roll play is already in VA ready

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_00]: His poison IQ Trey Ori operates like a veteran

[00:38:07] [SPEAKER_00]: He rarely forces passes. He excels at controlling the flow of the game

[00:38:12] [SPEAKER_00]: His gas while IQ is off the charts says Jonathan was from areas of improvement. This is what the scouts want to see

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I was right. Trey Ori's three-point shooting is sitting just at about 32%

[00:38:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Which means the biggest knock on his game teams are looking for more consistency beyond the arc

[00:38:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Especially in today's NBA where shooting is paramount if Trey Ori can raise his shooting percentage to about 35%

[00:38:40] [SPEAKER_00]: There's no doubt that he'll go top three and this is what Kyle Boone of CBS Sports who does a really good job of

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Covering basketball for them. I like that guy a lot right now

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_00]: His expected role in the NBA is to be used as a lead playmaker

[00:38:58] [SPEAKER_00]: But executive will closely monitor his shooting this season

[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_00]: His passing decision-making can anchor a team's offense, but he needs to develop a reliable jumper to become a

[00:39:11] [SPEAKER_00]: franchise cornerstone

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Again is it always comes down to the shooting especially when you are talking about a guard when you're talking about somebody

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Under the size of 6-6. It's always gonna come down to can you knock down that shot?

[00:39:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the thing. I don't think he needs to be this 42

[00:39:32] [SPEAKER_00]: like this

[00:39:34] [SPEAKER_00]: marksman if he can get to 35 36 and

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I think he'll have every opportunity

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_00]: To whomever drafts him because he's that special of a connective piece to a team and

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_00]: People will absolutely enjoy

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Playing with Nolan Trey Ori. You will not be unsatisfied

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Playing with this cat because he's gonna get to the ball in a position where you can be successful

[00:40:05] [SPEAKER_00]: No doubt. We're gonna move on to a Trey Johnson of Texas

[00:40:13] [SPEAKER_00]: now Trey Johnson is

[00:40:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Absolute

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Bucket getting machine. Okay, he's a BGM

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_00]: He's gonna play the wing position at Texas. He's dead in 6-6. He's

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_00]: 190 pounds his projected draft range is also top five now. This is what we know about Trey

[00:40:35] [SPEAKER_00]: I wanted to see the shot like I hadn't seen it. I wanted to see it. The shot is smooth. It is

[00:40:44] [SPEAKER_00]: very

[00:40:47] [SPEAKER_00]: nice, I

[00:40:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Don't really have a problem with it

[00:40:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Now he's also seen in one of the most versatile offensive players in this draft

[00:40:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Wasserman said this in his piece on September 14

[00:41:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Johnson is as polished offensively as

[00:41:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Anyone in this class

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a three level score who thrives with the ball

[00:41:11] [SPEAKER_00]: On ball and off ball

[00:41:13] [SPEAKER_00]: So here's the thing that we love about kids like this and it actually showed up on take

[00:41:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I love kids that don't pout when they don't get the ball and I saw in a

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I think this was impeached at Peach Jam earlier this year

[00:41:29] [SPEAKER_00]: There was three possessions where Trey Johnson does not get the ball. He doesn't get it

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_00]: He goes down court plays his position

[00:41:39] [SPEAKER_00]: spaces the floor

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Ran a curl did a couple things whatever now

[00:41:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Four time down the court. He said it's a high pick and roll and gets the ball

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Now here's the best quarter what it is. He didn't even keep the ball

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He got the ball swung it or actually he skipped past it to the corner. It was wide open. It was a three

[00:42:04] [SPEAKER_00]: But what I'm trying to say is that he just needed to touch the ball and you made sure he did it

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_00]: That showed me two things one

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_00]: He didn't pout when he didn't get the ball, but

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER_00]: to

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Trey know he a star and he was like, okay screw this give me the okay. I'm gonna make sure I get the ball

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just gonna make sure

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, here's some of his strength

[00:42:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Johnson's ability to create his own shot from anywhere on the court is special

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He has 22.7 points a game in his high school and with his shooting range of 40

[00:42:42] [SPEAKER_00]: 45 percent from mid range and 39 percent beyond the arc NBA scouts are eggs right footwork and fluidity

[00:42:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Trey moves like Paul George in his prime says jay kyle man

[00:42:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He's comparing Johnson's footwork and his shot creation to paul george right there

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's some areas of improvement with every 18 year old kid. You're gonna hear this

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_00]: While johnson has all the tools to be a great defender. He often lacks engagement particularly off ball

[00:43:15] [SPEAKER_00]: This is something scouts will monitor closely throughout his freshman season at texas

[00:43:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's a quote he has

[00:43:25] [SPEAKER_00]: He has a size and the length to be an elite defender

[00:43:29] [SPEAKER_00]: But we're still waiting for him to lock in

[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_00]: On that end of the floor. That's jonathan washington men again

[00:43:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the thing his role in the NBA is i'ma get buckets. I get buckets at the three point line

[00:43:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I get buckets with my uh floater and I get buckets because I can get them on people

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_00]: I just get buckets

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Now the defense aside needs to come along

[00:43:54] [SPEAKER_00]: He just needs to engage more and the thing about it is what you usually see

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_00]: When you get the high profile kid

[00:44:02] [SPEAKER_00]: And he moves into big time college basketball

[00:44:07] [SPEAKER_00]: he'll have a

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_00]: A moment of transition because everybody's athletic

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Everybody's strong. There might be people older than you

[00:44:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Who are like really physically because there's a huge difference between being 18 and 22

[00:44:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Trust me

[00:44:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Now with all that being said this is an electric athlete. This is guy who

[00:44:31] [SPEAKER_00]: His footwork is impeccable. He will find his way, but

[00:44:36] [SPEAKER_00]: If he

[00:44:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Can if somebody can tell him

[00:44:40] [SPEAKER_00]: With your link and athleticism

[00:44:43] [SPEAKER_00]: If you can get deflections

[00:44:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And hone in

[00:44:49] [SPEAKER_00]: On the point of attack defense on your guy

[00:44:54] [SPEAKER_00]: You're gonna have

[00:44:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Sports center leading highlights because you're going to be off to the races and dunking on people

[00:45:04] [SPEAKER_00]: So I think he'll be incentivized to do the next guy on our list is dink pate now dink pate

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_00]: He's an international guy

[00:45:14] [SPEAKER_00]: He's uh six eight

[00:45:15] [SPEAKER_00]: 210 pounds. He's projected as a top 10

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER_00]: traffic

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Now dink pate is somebody that we kind of talked about

[00:45:26] [SPEAKER_00]: A little bit as he's a little bit over project, but

[00:45:30] [SPEAKER_00]: He put a little bit away. He's 210 pounds now

[00:45:34] [SPEAKER_00]: He is a

[00:45:36] [SPEAKER_00]: athletic guard

[00:45:38] [SPEAKER_00]: With playmaking ability and strong defensive presence. Jonathan Gavoni

[00:45:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Said this about him pate physical tools are among the best in the draft

[00:45:47] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a seven foot wingspan and versatility on both ends

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_00]: On both ends that make him a defensive nightmare

[00:45:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Some of his strengths he's six being six eight and being 210 pounds

[00:46:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Pate can guard multiple positions and often disrupts passing lanes

[00:46:08] [SPEAKER_00]: After 1.9 steals a game for his team last year

[00:46:12] [SPEAKER_00]: His vertical leap and his speed in transition make him one of the most exciting prospects to watch

[00:46:20] [SPEAKER_00]: this year

[00:46:22] [SPEAKER_00]: No doubt

[00:46:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Now although he should list it as a shooting guard as far as this are

[00:46:28] [SPEAKER_00]: He does have playmaking ability. He can't handle the ball

[00:46:31] [SPEAKER_00]: He averaged a 4 to 4.2 assists last year

[00:46:36] [SPEAKER_00]: and

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_00]: It's one of those things where

[00:46:39] [SPEAKER_00]: He does a lot. He does a lot of good things on the court

[00:46:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I really liked him when I saw his tape and he was one of the first guys that I really did lock in

[00:46:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Areas improvement obviously shot selection. He's 18

[00:46:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Pate has the tendency to force shots early in the shot clock

[00:46:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Which has led to shooting percentage just over 42 percent last year

[00:47:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Scouts will be watching to see if

[00:47:03] [SPEAKER_00]: He improves his decision making

[00:47:05] [SPEAKER_00]: An overall shot selection this year

[00:47:10] [SPEAKER_00]: His physical tools are undeniable what his shot selection and decision making will be will need to catch up

[00:47:16] [SPEAKER_00]: To the rest of his game and that is guy Kyle Boone of CVS sports

[00:47:22] [SPEAKER_00]: again

[00:47:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's a guy who

[00:47:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Basically he he has an aggressiveness to him and

[00:47:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes

[00:47:35] [SPEAKER_00]: But you can see why it's aggressive

[00:47:38] [SPEAKER_00]: There was sometimes when I looked at some other prospects and you didn't understand why the aggressiveness was there like at that particular point

[00:47:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Like why are you showing it? The one thing with pate is that

[00:47:51] [SPEAKER_00]: You actually do see what the actual damn plan is when he's

[00:47:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Even when he's shooting early in the shot clock

[00:47:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Like you can see it now

[00:48:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Is it an ill advised shot 100%

[00:48:05] [SPEAKER_00]: 100% I'm not even trying to deny this whatsoever

[00:48:11] [SPEAKER_00]: But there is a there's a level

[00:48:14] [SPEAKER_00]: To his game that if he

[00:48:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Just refines a little bit

[00:48:20] [SPEAKER_00]: We're gonna see this guy really knocking on the door

[00:48:24] [SPEAKER_00]: of like a top five

[00:48:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Top seven pick

[00:48:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And then the last guy that we're gonna talk about today and then get up out of here is drape pal

[00:48:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Now drape pal

[00:48:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He's gonna be his calling card is defense. He's gonna be the defense of stock were

[00:48:42] [SPEAKER_00]: at North Carolina

[00:48:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Pal is a shooting guard that is 6'6". He is 205 pounds

[00:48:51] [SPEAKER_00]: He's projected to be a top 10 type of guy

[00:48:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And

[00:48:56] [SPEAKER_00]: This is one of the better defenders in the drape class pal will be playing for North Carolina this season

[00:49:02] [SPEAKER_00]: He's already shown flashes of being a defensive anchor. This is something that jonathan gavoni wrote in on september 16th

[00:49:12] [SPEAKER_00]: pal's defensive instincts are elite

[00:49:15] [SPEAKER_00]: He's already capable

[00:49:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Of locking down

[00:49:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Positions one through four as a hell of a defender right there now

[00:49:23] [SPEAKER_00]: He averaged 2.4 steals and 1.1 block a game last year in his high school

[00:49:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And he routinely

[00:49:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Guarded the opposing team's best player

[00:49:34] [SPEAKER_00]: His basketball IQ

[00:49:35] [SPEAKER_00]: He's known for his ability to read offenses and disrupt passing lanes

[00:49:40] [SPEAKER_00]: And his and position himself for weak side health

[00:49:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Which will which is why scout

[00:49:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Love his upside as a defensive playmaker

[00:49:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's some of the areas and improvements that scouts are looking for while pal's excel to defense his offense's game is still raw

[00:50:00] [SPEAKER_00]: He's streaky beyond the arc

[00:50:02] [SPEAKER_00]: He needs to develop the ability to create shots off the dribble

[00:50:06] [SPEAKER_00]: His offense will be the key of unlocking the full potential if pal can become

[00:50:12] [SPEAKER_00]: More than just a catch-and-shoot guy

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_00]: He's easily a lottery pick and that is from jonathan wasterman

[00:50:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Now here's the thing that I will say about pal

[00:50:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Right now. He's a great defender

[00:50:28] [SPEAKER_00]: The shot will definitely have to improve

[00:50:32] [SPEAKER_00]: He's athletic he can dribble

[00:50:35] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not

[00:50:37] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not okay. This is kairi or anything like that. No

[00:50:41] [SPEAKER_00]: He can handle himself if he's pressured a little bit if somebody comes up and he's in the corner

[00:50:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And somebody's very aggressive with their closeout. He can get beyond them very easily

[00:50:52] [SPEAKER_00]: And then be able to go and attack the rim. So that's not a problem whatsoever

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_00]: The thing will be consistently knocking down the jump shot

[00:51:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Because all it is defense is great

[00:51:06] [SPEAKER_00]: But if you're shooting 28 or 25 percent, you can't get on the court

[00:51:10] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope mr. Powell is sitting in the gym somewhere in the corners and just shooting threes a thousand of them a day

[00:51:18] [SPEAKER_00]: and just

[00:51:20] [SPEAKER_00]: honing

[00:51:21] [SPEAKER_00]: That rhythm of that jump shot. All right

[00:51:25] [SPEAKER_00]: With that being said, I think we are done here and we are I like to thank my producers funch and sarah

[00:51:32] [SPEAKER_00]: For helping me put this podcast together without their help

[00:51:37] [SPEAKER_00]: This would not sound as professional as it does

[00:51:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Now also mark my words

[00:51:44] [SPEAKER_00]: You guys get up on this be a friend tell a friend

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER_00]: It will change your life. It will change somebody else's life

[00:51:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Because we do the nba what monday wednesday and friday

[00:51:58] [SPEAKER_00]: So we get you

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_00]: all the heat

[00:52:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And you don't have to be like it's like you talk you get the heat monday

[00:52:06] [SPEAKER_00]: You discuss

[00:52:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Tuesday you get the heat wednesday

[00:52:10] [SPEAKER_00]: You discuss all the stuff that we talked about on wednesday on thursday with your partners and then you get heat

[00:52:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And feel good stuff on friday

[00:52:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And then you can discuss all of the three podcasts

[00:52:24] [SPEAKER_00]: over the weekend

[00:52:25] [SPEAKER_00]: With your friends

[00:52:27] [SPEAKER_00]: That is

[00:52:29] [SPEAKER_00]: The guaranteed solution

[00:52:31] [SPEAKER_00]: to a happy life

[00:52:33] [SPEAKER_00]: frontrunner podcast collector

[00:52:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And god bless america

[00:52:39] [SPEAKER_00]: All right with that being said the best part of you is you

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Make sure that you are surrounding yourself with people that are lifting you and also providing

[00:52:50] [SPEAKER_00]: More brightness to your light go ahead and do good

[00:52:54] [SPEAKER_00]: In this world

[00:52:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Over the weekend, and we'll see you on this podcast on monday

[00:53:00] [SPEAKER_00]: deuce