So the next coming off a big win against the Mavs last night
and we charged a Barrett continued. His hot play. They
get another do Blue Devil
in New York
today traded with the Hawks to acquire, 22 year, old cam
reddish
and it looks like a pretty significant acquisition
for the New York Knicks to again. Michael. We talked so
much about
The number one pick
and I drive a couple years ago. Zai Williamson talked a lot
about Job. Morant number three. Pick is coming on strong
RJ. Berry. It is for the New York Knicks and now they get
his old teammate cam writers from Atlanta, Tom haberstroh,
great that trade for us, man. I mean
you see you seen the like it for
Big Picture reasons, based on your Tweet a little while ago,
but just great. Great, that trade from both teams
perspective. Also, curious as to what Atlanta is up to here.
Yeah, to me. This is all about Zion and speaking it into
existence. Of course, RJ, Barrett cam reddish and Zion
Williams and played together at Duke a few years ago. If you
remember,
you know, this recruiting class that Duke got number one was
RJ. Barrett. Number two is Cam reddish and number three was
Zion coming into that that program. So
keep in mind of the kind of ceiling, we're talking about
what cam reddish and, and the player that they're acquiring
and the backstory of them, of course. Together at Duke.
Look, I think that's what this deal is about is not just
acquiring a player who's a good spacer, who's vastly improved
over this past season and cam read, as you can do a couple
things off then Sibley and can give you something offensively.
That's not what this is about. This is about appealing
to that guy in New Orleans who isn't on the floor and still
not going to be on the floor for quite some time. And seeing
if they can speak that into existence. It reminded me of
when the Lakers had LeBron and Rich Paul became the agent for
Anthony Davis, and I just sat there being like God like that,
that's not going to happen. They're not actually going to
be able to acquire Anthony Davis from New Orleans and
that's exactly
what happened. So
I'm not saying that this is going to happen at Zions going
to New York. But remember how the Stars aligned for LeBron
James in Laker Lane and Rich Paul in the same way that for
the Knicks.
I think that they're betting that this is going to make
someone very happy and that audience is of one. It's Zion.
I love it's fascinating and I wonder if
if the Knicks views I in the same way. They did, let's say
this time last year because of his injuries.
You know, I think a lot of us looked at it and we wouldn't
even allow ourselves to say.
John Moran should have been number one in Zion to we're
having those kind of conversations or those kind of
thoughts now, but to the next still look at and do people in
the league, still look at Zion as that guy who
Hey, you make a trade because it's a piece
in bringing him there
eventually.
Well, look if there's one thing that coaches love, it's
a Reclamation project. There is not a coach or a GM in this
league. That doesn't think that they can fix Zion Williamson,
that they can get them into shape that if they just change
in scenery away,
from New Orleans, and The Big Easy
and, and, and Bourbon Street that maybe we can get Zion
Williams and his stay in shape, and to really give it his all
in a different scenario. Surround him with his college
teammates. Adam with a different scenario, maybe that
will snap him back into shape, quite literally pun intended.
So,
I do think that GM's around the league noticed that he hasn't
been on the floor and he has put on some weight. He hasn't
been in game shape. But man, it is a tale as old as time in
the NBA is believing that you can change
a player or a Reclamation project that has always
happened in the league. So while Zion Williamson has been
injury-riddled in his NBA career, I still think people
see the guy who's shooting,
Five percent from the floor and averaging over 20 points a game
when he was healthy and still not looking any like he did at
Duke, where he was slim and he was cut and he was just killing
people.
I do think that his stock around the league is still high,
even if it isn't nearly as high as it was on draft night.
I mean, listen, we've covered Zion. We've covered our Jay Baer.
We've covered cam reddish. We might as well stay with this
2019. NBA draft theme and talk about John, Marantz Memphis
Grizzlies Michael and I can't get enough of them
that are most must see team in the league right now with
apologies to, you know, the Warriors are nets.
They take that. Tonight's gonna be a great game. Like a lot of
people talking about Warriors bucks.
The Timberwolves. Grizzlies is, I mean, Anthony Edwards, Iowa.
I'll see the job, my rant, like I'm psyched for That game
both Michael and I have put Memphis in the contender
category in the western conference right up there with
golden state and Phoenix. How far do you see?
Memphis going? Come play all time? Given what they've done
so far and regular season with and without John Moran.
Yeah, I'm not there yet, guys. I'm not there yet. I've Loved
what I've seen from John Moran, but he needs another star on
his team to get him into that next here. Look,
we've seen it with, with Chicago, with Derrick Rose,
where they ran the table there, and that 2011 seasons, and he
got MVP, and when he ran into the machine of
the Miami Heat, the big three in the Miami and then they just
they couldn't compete at that level.
Like, who is the number two on that? Memphis Grizzlies. Team
the Jaren Jackson jr.
Dylan. Brooks. I'm either going to have to find someone who is
like, you know, in Chicago was like, is it Carlos? Boozer is
Carlos Boozer. Enough to scare the Miami Heat in 2011. And
that's my thing with with Memphis has
as well as John Moran has been.
He still needs that co-pilot
to me to take that next level into that Contender category
because I just think Golden State Phoenix
Milwaukee Brooklyn when it comes playoff times. I mean
John Moran cannot do it by himself.
Hello. So I love Hate the, the roles comparison. That's pretty
app. Go ahead, Michael. Sorry.
Now, I was going to say, you know, you mentioned Golden
State. Do you look at it now with the return of clay? Do you
think okay game over? They did well without them.
Now that he's coming back working here and working
his way back into the rotation and back in the shape and get
into his rhythm. You just feel like it Golden State and
everybody else in the west
man. Clay looks great defensively getting after it
offensively. When he dunked, it was
it was a revelation. It was just like,
it wasn't even on my radar that He could do that period. That
he could dunk period. And then to do with that kind of force
and that kind of energy was, it was beyond like this, that's
almost didn't matter.
I needed to see that. And I needed to see him
taking on those defensive assignments because those were
the two biggest question marks. I had not about fit and
chemistry. Like, that's fine. Like it's shot. I'm not worried
about that. The two things that I was concerned about was
his lift and his ability to move laterally and stay in
front of those star players on the other side. And to me,
that's the biggest Thing about Klay, Thompson's return
is his ability to not just leap but dunk and take on those
defensive assignments because they're going to need it.
They're going to need all the help. They can get on that end
of the floor.
Gary Payton. The second
has been fantastic, another Revelation for that team.
But to me Klay Thompson's addition and his mobility and
his confidence. All of that tells me that the Warriors are
in another plane.
They're on another level despite Steph Curry slump right now.
I know what they Can do with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green
and Steph Curry win 73 games and I really like their
complementary players on this team. I still think they're
a tier above everybody else.
What does Damian Lillard having abdominal surgery? By the time
he gets back. I mean, the blaze is what 16 and 24 right now,
but I'm it gets back.
It's hard to imagine
that they would still be,
you know, in the mix you maybe
might not even look the same come to trade deadline, but
it's hard to imagine to be in the mix for even to play in
spot by the time he gets back. So let's say his Seasons done,
whatwhat's the Going to effect of Damian Lillard, having
abdominal surgery.
That's pretty good. My that's impressive.
I think the say
the dad jokes. I do not have to teach you about those. So when
you
when you look at this situation,
I can't project until they get a general manager there
who is going to be steering that ship. Is that going to be
a person that Damian Lillard trust to
restart the engines and to retool that organization in
a championship form. To me. This just kicks, the can down
the road to that inevitable.
And it is going to have to be had that tough conversation,
that Damian Lillard is going to have to have with his front
office about the future of this franchise, not about this year.
It's always about what are the next 2-3 years. What is that
going to look like? Because he's not getting any younger
and I know that's true for everybody on this planet,
including you and me, but when we talk about Damian Lillard,
it is all about this offseason and seeing a vision about what
this looks like going forward because book a tee Simon's.
Great. Great job the other night against the Nets,
you know, Nasir, Like this is great, this young nucleus that
is forming there in Portland, but that's not going to get it
done. That's not going
to get them in hint in the conversation of the contender
pile. So to me this injury, just kicks, the can down
the road
even more to this summer. When things the fireworks might get
even might get even bigger because we might get finally
some clarity on the Benson and situation.
You know, Astro man, I missed an opportunity. I should have
asked you this right after you write
in conjunction. With my Klay Thompson, Golden State question
because Michael Smith and I had this debate at the end of
the show yesterday.
I'm not going to tell you what side. He's on what side I'm on,
but I don't know if you saw
Steph, Curry said he had to be got a question.
Hey, how would you guys do against a 96 Bulls, Jordan,
Pippen, Rodman?
And, you know, Steph said, you know, he was polite, but he said
dvbbs & 6. Now, I got to say,
The doves with Kevin Durant and Steph and Klay and Draymond and
big word Allah.
That's the best team I've seen in my lifetime. So I said they,
well
already gave her. I said they win Michael Smith says, no way
bulls, and for
bulls and 55
cents. A ride gentlemen. Hey,
what are you doing
with KD
with Katie?
Yes. Oh, yeah. That that's Warriors. Warriors and six how
much stuff on that one. Like
I don't think people.
Understand
how the three-point shot would be totally alien to everything.
The Bulls had seen that season and I know it's hard with these
time travel things. But like, Steph Curry is an alien to
today's coaches.
Today's coaches. Don't know what to do with Steph Curry.
Now, imagine him in 1995 96,
on those defenses. That are still packing the paint
and wondering what to do with Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry,
and Klay Thompson. Like I think the three ball is so much
bigger.
Advantage than say, Jordan versus KD or Jordan versus
Steph. I think that's a gap. They wouldn't figure it out.
This is
you. You knew where Stroh was going to go. You knew I didn't
have an emotional conversation
and then you bring intro who you know, God's Rod knowledge
and facts and what not to say it about facts about feelings.
Okay. It's about feelings,
Michael Jordan. Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Toni kukoc,
Bulls in five. Okay, I don't care about your facts Stroh.
Okay, we're not here to be smart.
We're here to be motional
and irrational. Okay, you just understand what show you're on
right now.
They would have just figure it out. Bill Jackson, wouldn't
figure it out. Somehow
you so much. Yeah, like, they figured out that magic team,
a shack, right? So anyway,
when we're talking about this team, someone hit me up on
Twitter. Like, how is
who's gonna guard Michael, Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and
I'm like, yo, do we not see? Andre Iguodala win a Finals,
MVP by playing defense against LeBron James. Like the dude is
so much bigger than Scottie Pippen and Michael. Jordan, you
Still able to win a Finals MVP, playing defense
against LeBron. So
not only that, I just think it's a total loophole. It's
a total loophole. This whole three-point shot. Like they
wouldn't even know what to do with staff. Like, no one comes
even close
to that. He is so alien to today's coaches
back then, man, right? It's like, it's a yeah,
I think they do, but no aliens are. A totally did. Like, nah,
man. If aliens are still on this plate, if aliens are out
here.
They attract the scene.
They try to be, see, we are
making our own like human projectile. We think an alien
is that's what Stefan's.
So it's hardly showed up, but he brought in places. I don't
talk about.
I know you're right. I know you.
Yeah, but Ron Harper for Ron Harper would lock down step.
He said that
P.
Dennis Rodman will get in their heads. All those intangibles
Stroh. We talked about intangibles here.
I just want to hear where this Brooklyn Nets. Team. What they
would be like against what was it that the 96 Bulls were
talking? Yeah. It's yeah, I'm done with them. I'm done.