Which teams got better and worse in NBA free agency? | ALL NBA Podcast

Which teams got better and worse in NBA free agency? | ALL NBA Podcast

[Music] [Applause] [Music] what is up everybody and welcome to the all MBA show part of the All City Podcast Network I’m your host Adam mes I’m joined by my esteemed colleague Tim legler legs I was hoping for a louder day in the NBA more crazy moves or trades or something happening we didn’t get it but there’s still things to talk about who got better who got worse how you doing today I’m doing great man getting ready for this holiday weekend man but uh and I was with you I feel like yeah I feel like now it’s just like like the trickle effect Adam it’s it’s like nothing big for the most part uh it’s just little additional signings to fill out rosters we had we had some of that go on yesterday and this morning but for the most part no the big stuff the heavy stuff uh has already happened and I guess you know as far as these teams go Adam a lot of what remains to be seen is let’s take a look at some of these guys in summer league right I mean that yeah that could be something where you look at because look I’m going to be honest I mean there’s a lack of familiarity with this draft probably more than any draft I’ve covered so I’m anxious to be out there and see these guys and and you never know one of these guys might totally you know convince you that like not that they’re necessarily gonna be a star or anything this year but you might might give you a little bit hey that’s a nice pick for that team I remember first time I saw Tyler hero in Vegas summer league that’s kind of how I felt about him I was like wow okay he’s got deep shooting range off the dribble that I did not know he had uh and I I thought man this guy’s gonna be a player and you know that’s they ended up getting a really good player with that pick so we we we that’s what remains to be seen is that that couple of weeks out in Vegas I think maybe some guys to kind of open your eyes to an additional important piece that somebody may have picked up I still think there might be a trade as well I mean some some major trades through the NBA I mean you still look at Brandon Ingram and wonder what’s happening in there low marinan rumored to be you know teams interested in him could he go somewhere so I I think that we’ll still get some major news probably over this holiday weekend so we’ll have to wait and see but we got a Full Slate today leg so let’s hop into it we’re g to be talking about some of these teams one at a time and at the end we’ll just ask did they get better did they get worse did they stay the same um and we’re GNA start with a big team the Golden State Warriors very high-profile losses or guys out the door Klay Thompson and Chris Paul some guys in some underrated guys though coming in DeAnthony Melton uh DeAnthony Melton Kyle Anderson and then Lind Lindy Waters they’re they’re an interesting team because obviously you think of Klay Thompson it’s the end of an era in terms of the Steph Curry Draymond Green Klay Thompson trio that has been a staple there for a decade now best team of a generation so that’s out the window but they weren’t good last year whenever you have Steph this is how I felt about the Warriors even last year if you have Steph ‘s always a chance things just fall into place like he’s so good that if the team finds their Rhythm and their identity then the ceiling just goes so high for them but now that you lose Klay Thompson what do you think of these guys De Anthony Melton missed a lot of games last year but when he played he was an impact player Kyle Anderson’s obviously a good you know high IQ player so what do you think of the roster as you see it right now all right so I mean obviously losing Clay is the big story here I don’t know how much worse they’re going to be right look they were 10 games over 500 they were 46 and 36 we’re not talking about you know a 20- win team here they were 10 games over 500 um there’s some things that are going to have to happen I like the pieces they brought in you know Kyle Anderson you know one thing I know about that they’re not gonna play faster I can tell you that with Kyle Anderson in the mix that’s for sure but he’s a very good player uh he’s smart he’s a he’s a pretty good defensive player uh he’s G I think gonna do well in that in that system because he’s really got a high IQ offensively he’s going to pick up the reads and the screening action and all of that very very well and then DeAnthony Melton’s a really good player man again he guards he was he he played well for Philadelphia those are two nice little pickups uh you lose Klay Thompson and Chris Paul who really had no impact on them whatsoever Klay Thompson it it for me I just wonder if it’s more you’re gonna feel differently about them because Clay is not there anymore and it’s like the first step and breaking up that group right he’s gone is that just going to now kind of demoralize everybody in terms of how they view the Warriors in general when the truth of the matter is they might be able to replicate his production and they get two pieces back that are going to be absolutely in the rotation that are going to play a lot of minutes and overall are they that much worse off if Adam two things have to happen kaminga has to take another step forward which I don’t think that’s unrealistic to think that he can he took a big one forward last year ended up averaging 16 points a game particularly the second half of the year really you know emerged is there level for Jonathan kaminga why why wouldn’t we think there could be with his age and athletic ability and now even more responsibility offensively so that has to happen and then what’s up with Andrew Wiggins do you think Andrew Wiggins can play the way that he did when they made their Championship run um or is what we saw last year pretty much what Andrew Wiggins is GNA be the rest of his career 13 points a game 71 games uh 27 minutes a game 13 points what what’s Your Gut because he had that one year honestly they won the title that year he seemed hyper motivated locked in unselfish all those things but since then he has not seen those things and when I see a player motivation is a hard thing to predict in a player he’s a guy that seems to be the gap between his most motivated years and least motivated years is really wide so what does your gut tell you about him here’s the thing now I’m I’m gon look just looking at his time in Golden State all right he in his four years prior to last year 19.4 18.6 172 171 so four years over 17 basically between 17 and 19 in all of those years uh he took between almost 16 shots a game and then somewhere in the 14s for three straight years he dropped down to 11 shots a game last year and averaged 13 points a game I don’t know I wish I had an answer he’s only 29 years old like he should not be past the point of like his still his prime scoring years and so if if kaminga takes a step forward and Wiggins reverts not even necessarily to how good he was when they won it but just how good he’s been in the regular season for them over the last four years prior to this year if he does that plus the two pieces they added I don’t think necessarily the Warriors can be looked at as being worse I think they could actually potentially be better than they were last year if those things happen and I don’t think any anything I just said is crazy I’m not saying Jonathan kaminga has to be an All-Star this year he’s got average 24 points a game that’s unrealistic uh I’m not saying that Wiggins has to get back to like 20 points a game like he was in Minnesota that’s probably unrealistic um I’m not saying that Kyle Anderson and DeAnthony Melton have to be anything more than they’ve been throughout their careers with really good role players I don’t think none none of this stuff’s crazy I I think if those just basic things happen I think golden state has a chance to actually be better in the way we view them than they were last year so what about you said you don’t not saying anything crazy about k but I know you’re high on kaminga and to me with clay out of the mix he moves up a spot in terms of importance including on offense like they need to now have him be a guy that is a factor night to night maybe run some more plays to him give him more touches so you said without factoring that in but I am factoring that in that now kaminga is on is on the clock so what do you expect from him now so all right look I think you might have a good point he only played 26 minutes a game last year that’s not a lot of minutes I mean if you if you get him up to 32 33 minutes like normal starter minutes in the NBA that’s a significant jump you’re talking about a 25% increase in minutes if that alone and not having clay which I think clay and his struggles at times almost kind of became almost a distraction for the team a little bit because we talked so much about clay what’s wrong with Clay how do you get clay going and and was he coming off the bench was he going to start like there was so much about that that’s removed from the equation now did to me is clearly now Jonathan kaming is their second best player clearly and and and that’s the first time he felt that way about himself and I’m saying offensively because some people might still say Draymond is their second best player but I’m talking about just in terms of offensive production he’s their second best player they’re counting on him so you might have a good point Adam 26 minutes a game what if the guy plays 32 33 minutes a game can he be a 20-point scorer in this league probably he averaged 16 a game this year I so I think there’s a decent chance um and another thing is those numbers last year are really scooted toward the second half of the year so he didn’t even have a great start so let’s see if he comes in out of camp and he feels different about himself when he walks through those doors because he now is the second man on the totem pole offensively and how that empowers a young player how he carries himself the confidence level he plays with I you’re you might be right maybe there is a leap there where Jonathan kaminga you know averages 21 points a game this year on 32 points if that’s the case uh Golden State’s going to be you know very competitive and you know we don’t think that they’re going to challenge for a title but they’re going to be competitive like they’re not going away because the Klay Thompson left town that that’s not how I feel about them right now what about this one L he he’s a uh Larry marinin a lot of teams interested in him he’s been Golden State’s been rumored to have interest I don’t know what it would take to get it done obviously that’s a great player so it’s going to take a lot the market has been set for great players in terms of how many draft picks it costs but what would you just think about the fit of a Steph Curry Lowry marinin Duo is that is that something that you feel can give a new era a new life to the Steph Curry Warriors very few teams in this league you could mention and I would say Lori Markin it’s not a great fit I I I really think he’s a super talented player uh seven-footer that can shoot the ball like that runs well he’s he’s a tough defensive rebounder um so he’s you know he’s tougher than probably you would think for a seven-footer that shoots a lot of perimeter jumpers um that would be phenomenal I don’t know what it would take to get lorri Markin in but he would fit in that system you know perfectly well I don’t know if it would just be picks would it be you know psky kaminga like would they be looking there because Markin and how old is Markin Markin is pretty young right I mean he’s yeah he’s he’s right just starting I always say prime years are 25 to 32 um I don’t know how old he is I don’t have it in front of me but he’s he’s in there at the beginning of those years so I think I think that would be a phenomenal pickup I just don’t know what all they’d have to give up to get him but if you go Curry and baren in and you know it cost you we one of your young guys in some picks but you you hold on to one of those other two young guys I mentioned and you still have Wiggins it’s pretty interesting team they’ve got all their draft picks um you know so they they could put together a nice package they do have some young players that you could also include Utah is one of those teams we talked about yesterday might be uh looking at the landscape in the west saying okay we’re not good enough right now that’s the draft piece and you can really uh have a nice War chest of picks in the future to start completely over for Utah so I don’t know that’s an interesting one I would keep an eye on it golden state is an interesting year the Klay Thompson era ending obviously feels weird but it does in some ways give it opportunity to Steph Curry to have you know even more of a spotlight here and see if there’s an act three as it were uh with that Warriors team let’s move on now to Atlanta this is a team in full-on rebuild mode so they lose to Jon Murray they also lose AJ Griffin but they add Dyson Daniels who I like point guard really good defensive point guard on ball defense is incredible Larry an Jr you know little veteran presence and then zachari Ray is their big pick the number one pick overall they also added nicoa jich so now you look at this and say they’re clearly in tear down mode you still have Trey young I suspect he’s a guy that could be involved in trade talks this summer or if not this summer during the season but they’re starting the rebuild around ree Jaylen Johnson like they’ve got some young players and it looks like they have you know some picks as well is this the foundation of a good rebuild for you Rees saay Jaylen Johnson and the picks or is this the team you look at that still as Atlanta has been for the last couple years in that middle ground I I think this is going to completely depend uh after seeing Risha a couple of months right I mean yeah such a mystery we pretty much knew what Wen Bama was and we were still kind of Blown Away what he looked like after like three months how much better he was than he was the beginning of the year how quickly that happened I know he’s I’m not comparing him to wanyama but he was the number one pick in the draft he’s a big guy so it for me when you even want to think about what potentially their future looks like and the and the rebuild and some of these additions it’s going to center around him that’s the number one pick in the draft if they got that right and it turns out he know he’s the best of this crop and we’re not going to know that for a little while uh then then I think okay they might be in they might be in decent shape here finally like going forward but that to me the rest of that that was on that screen doesn’t do a whole lot for me it’s about reash Jaylen Johnson like those are the guys that I’m looking at now that have got to be the real deal and I I feel pretty good that Jaylen Johnson could turn into that um you and I talked about him at the end of the end of the season last year and how much we liked him um and and now you add Reet to the mix I don’t know enough about him I gotta see I’m gon get a sample size of him uh against NBA competition before I can really determine what Atlanta’s going to be yeah I think that’s really what it comes down to he to me is a guy he kind of reminds me almost of barani not stylistically but just in terms of what is the guy’s upside is he really a star sometimes you have a tough first first pick and it’s just it’s a guy that’s good but not a Cornerstone piece and you have to build around them or at least give them a chance they do have the one thing I’ll say about Atlanta that I like is they have a lot of players that I think a lot of teams will want including bdon bogdanovich who I think they can fetch something for so their rebuild is maybe only half begun if they continue to tear it down and get some more assets and probably how you how you feel about the Hawks is how you feel about whatever it is they get for these final assets including Trey Young by the way is that a positive asset that you’re getting a lot of stuff for do you find a team that’s vulnerable enough to kind of you know break the bank we’ll find out how that plays out I’m not sure if I really love them uh to be honest if I were predicting Atlanta is going to be great Atlanta next year in my my prediction is we’re GNA we’re going to have to talk about them in the first two weeks of the season because we’re not going to do much more after that that’s my that unless we do what we did with the Spurs right which was we talked about the Spurs a lot in the beginning of the season and then realized you didn’t really need to but we did the our what every probably three weeks we did a wemi watch right maybe we’ll do the same thing with rash that’s kind Ofna yeah I agree with you I think it’s gonna go like this first month of the Season we’ll get a you know we’ll talk about him Reet check in I think again they’ll be just a player at the trade deadline and and and and see and that’s when like I said they have some interesting players so we’ll talk about it team I really want to talk about though and we’ll have to do it on the other side is the New Orleans Pelicans because they are a team that I think made a very interesting move with de Jon Murray but they’re also a team that I think has another move in them with Brandon Ingram so I think let’s take our first break on the other side we’ll get into Atlanta or I’m sorry New Orleans and what they’re going to do as well as Cleveland Phoenix Indiana the Clippers all of those in segment two right here on the other side first let me tell you guys about in deed we’re driven by the search for better but when it comes to hiring the best way to search for a candidate isn’t to search at all don’t search match with indeed if you need to hire you need indeed indeed is your matching and hiring 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been rumored to be interest in wiell Carter Daniel Ty maybe even a big move like Jared Allen so dejonte Murray what are your thoughts on what he brings to the Pelicans I like dejonte Murray a lot I mean I think right now you know he he’s got to almost kind of reemerge as a Difference Maker because you know it just wasn’t a good year in Atlanta I don’t think there was great chemistry with hean Trey young it did it didn’t work it didn’t have the impact you thought I liked him a lot leing uh leaving San Antonio to go there um right now he’s got to get in a better situation where you winning more games let’s recap first of all their season 49 wins um Zion had his healthiest year 70 games uh and and you know played a little bit differently yeah played differently than he had a little bit in the past had the ball a little bit more facilitated more wasn’t the high usage shot Tak necessarily then of course had that 40o game in the 78 playin game against the Lakers and then he got hurt at the end of that game and they didn’t see him in the postseason when they got swept by Oklahoma City um and in that series you know CJ McCollum didn’t play well Ingram didn’t play well coming back from the injury and just was not very good they were no match for OKC and that’s how their season ended so here we go you add to jonay Murray you still have those other guys and the question is is is Brandon gonna move are you better off moving Ingram at this point or holding on to him I think it’s weird because there’s a lot of mix reaction out there Adam about Brandon Ingram because I’ve been hard on Brandon Ingram and when he signed that extension or no I’m sorry when when that was coming up like would you give Brandon Ingram four years $28 million and and I said you know absolutely not would I consider giving you know you got to be fiscally I think irresponsible to do something like that to your organization um but he had a lot of Defenders out there when I said that really I was surprised by that I really was too and as I sit here now and just looking at the market you know his name came up in Philly uh a couple other places his name surfaced like is this the Difference Maker is this the missing piece and I don’t know man I just don’t feel that way about him right now I would not be surprised whatsoever if they figure out a way to move on from brand Brandon Ingram um and I don’t know like without seeing jonay Murray fit along sides TJ McCollum and Zion it’s hard for me to know is that a step back or step forward if you move him and it also depends on what you get back for him I don’t think his tra I don’t think his market value is very high right now Adam so I don’t know what you’re gonna get I don’t know what you’re gonna get for him that’s gonna really be a massive differen maker in the now which I think is important CJ McCollum is is I think past his prime um you know you never know with Zion in terms of health and when he’s going to be available so I I feel like the windows kind of like now I don’t think you’re talking about getting future picks and all that for a guy like Brandon Ingram I think you need a player that can come in and play or multiple guys that are rotational guys um so New Orleans is is an interesting team because their year wasn’t a disaster it just ended really badly and sometimes that gives you a really bad taste as you go into the summer let I’m curious what the chat thinks as you’re talking you surprised me to say that there are fans of his out there that you know because to me I think this is an no-brainer that they have to move on to me I’m such a Believer legs in players and teams expire there’s a moment when it’s like you know what we gave it enough time and there’s nothing left to be gained even if there’s reason to believe logically that it could there’s more there though there’s more there at a certain time you get there and say it didn’t happen now you got to get off before The Vibes get too low and the team just stops to believe in each other and to believe in themselves and to me that time is now for Brandon Ingram you’re making this move with de jante Murray who by the way has not been the least volatile player to bring into a locker room it’s not that he’s a problem but it’s just you you bring BR them into an environment where already it’s like what’s the identity what’s the you know how does this work to me it’s a great time to move on and then on top of that you need a center you need a just a differently designed team they’ve got Trey Murphy they’ve got herb Jones they’ve got guys that I love that can fill in those spots more as role players than stars but but at a high level Zion showed in the playin and really down the stretch of the season last year how great he can be when he’s locked in motivated and in shape I think you’re better off betting on him to bring that energy into the next season and to move on from B Brandon Ingram and that’s why to me this one’s a no-brainer I would be so shocked if they thought they could just run it back a as they were you talked about Naji Marshall he’s another piece they lost though yeah um he was a depth piece this was one of the things about them Dyson Daniels Naji Marshall part of what I loved about that team is they had the depth the lose Dyson Daniels replac him with dejonte Murray so that’s a one for one Naji Marshall though is a guy I don’t is that a big loss for them what do you what do you make of that one I like Naji Marshall lot you know it it’s all context you know I look at that as a great addition for Dallas you know I don’t I don’t know that i’ view it as a big a loss for New Orleans because they’ve got some other guys those spots right that play those minutes that this kind of fits what Dallas needed man they need to get a little bit tougher stronger and a bigger stronger Wing Defender I think than Derrick Jones Jr was I think that’s that’s what Naji Marshall is gonna give them some am I mistaken or did um did valent chunis he left right he went to Detroit he’s out he’s out as well yeah he’s out yeah so who’s their Center that’s that’s what I’m saying they don’t have one you know they need a center now and they’re rumored to be interested in Daniel Ty Wendell Carter maybe even Jared Allen that’d be more of a trade scenario but you know they need one and I think that’s part of like when you think about this Pelicans roster how do they win a championship you got Zion how do you win a championship the center part to me is the hardest part because Zion as good as he is you need to have somebody in my opinion that both protects the rim but also opens up the paint that’s a hard thing to find especially as a role player but to me the entire roster it’s hard to say is Deonte Murray gonna be there well who’s the center because that’s where you start to understand this roster no very true I’m thinking around the Lea who’s got a a glut right who’s got a surplus of centers you that they might be interested in obtaining uh Pacers had three of them and Jaylen Smith left so they they they’ve got two now with Turner and Isaiah Jackson so that could have been a place potentially that would have been a nice fit I think for Indiana that pace that style might have been good for Brandon Ingram um I don’t know I don’t know ad it’s hard to know what’s going to happen with him there’s no doubt that um they’re going to be exploring it I just don’t think there’s a great market for him not like there was a few years ago I think I think and I think the end of the season you know regardless of whether it was an injury he was coming back from or not he did not play well when he needed to play well for his team in that series and he had that other episode where you know he just didn’t look like he was necessarily mentally where he needed to be when he was not playing uh he was taken out of the game they made a big run kind of sat there looked mopy like just a bad look bad end of the season and now you’re going to say hey who wants them you know what are you willing to give me for him and I think it’s more of a a buyer market for other teams when you look at Brandon Ingram so let’s see what happens here over the next couple of weeks and it should be noted that this off season the one position that has really surprised me in terms of what guys were getting paid was the center position a lot of centers I mean Isaiah hartstein I love the guy 87 million is more than I would have expected he was going to go for uh so this this was a bad summer to be in the hunt for a center it was a bad summer for that and maybe they just end up trying to pick up somebody like Ty for one year and just roll it over and make that decision a little bit later the last guy I have here legs for you a guy that’s gonna be on my guy’s list this year is Jordan Hawkins I really love Jordan Hawkins and I’m curious to see if he fits into a spot beautiful shot tons of confidence he’s undersized but I think he’s a guy that’s just a scorer a shooter and a scorer and either via trade because again if you have an Ingram and you have to get a deal done Hawkins would be an interesting guy to throw in or to receive if you’re on the receiving end of that trade or is he a guy that now in a second year he’s part of the plan I he’s a guy that’s gonna be very interesting to me and I’m just curious if you have a take on him no I love Jordan Hawkins no doubt he’s legit he’s the real deal um he’s got tremendous upside I think he’s only scratched the surface of what he can be and he had flashes last year where he could string together baskets he gets really high hot and and he could you know fill it up for brief periods of time he was not I don’t think involved enough throughout the entire season as he should have been he takes a step forward now I believe this year so yeah I think that’s a good one Jordan Hawkins so you put him next to you who else you got you got your Haren Stein who else is on your guys Quinton Grimes I don’t I gotta save it we’ll give this in season two right before it begins but but I’ll have my list trust me man all right got it uh let’s go on to Cleveland now not a ton of change here but the big change is Kenny Atkinson I mean the it’s almost a funny graphic to make but Cleveland had a good year last year you know you look at them and I think it’s part of why Donovan Mitchell re-ups it’s part of why I think there’s a good feeling around Cleveland that they’re moving in the right direction how much does a new coach change and what do you know and think of Kenny Atkinson now that he’s at the helm I like Kenny ainson a lot known him a long time I I think that he’s a he’s a really late back dude really he seems intense to me really laidback terms of of kind of ingame management okay different different than I think maybe and I’m not saying that JB bicker staff necessarily was super fiery but I thought he he probably has a little bit more of that than Kenny ainson does maybe this isn’t a team that necessarily needs that um I’m curious to see how he is able to max out what some of their younger guys can be offensively that to me is a big challenge for Kenny Atkinson how do I get more out of Evan Mobley like that to me is the a Crux of what you have to do to get that job when you’re sitting down for that interview you’ve got to talk about that how much more is there and because there again he’s got it tantalizes you with his length and his just overall like ability but I I feel like there are times when he just gets kind of lost in the weeds out there you don’t notice him as much what’s Kenny Atkinson’s plan for that I think that’s a big part of what he’s going to bring to the table he’s really really smart and he’s been around winning situations uh you know he’s got he’s got he’s networked with the right guys in this league so the IQ is there the pedigree is there he’s been in winning cultures um so there’s no no doubt that’s going to be a factor it’s comes down to what are you doing to squeeze these lemons to get a little bit more juice out of what you have offensively that to me is what he would have been selling himself on when he would sat down for that interview what do you think of coaches going to their second because he had a four-year stint basically with Brooklyn um took went and coached at a couple different places under as an assistant under a couple different coaches teron Lou and Steve Kerr very good coaches to be under and now he comes back to his second stin so I I always think that there’s a lot of coaches Michael Malone’s one of them who was much better the second time around it’s almost like you have to fail the first time and then come back the second time so how do you think that’ll impact him this being his second gig yeah listen you you know you learn you learn a lot from that situation he’s lucky man lot these guys only get one crack he’s getting a second he’s getting a second opportunity at this and his name’s come up for other jobs um that I feel like he could have gotten a couple and turned down so he’s respected you know really highly around the league but it does give you a little bit different perspective and I’m sure you you know you you go and you learn from some of the things you did in your last stop that you’re going to change and do differently it’s totally different set of guys different locker room different Integrity um every group so I think he’s going to be more comfortable this time around you know and I think he’s going to learn from past mistakes and look he’s got a he’s got a good team I mean this is a team that went to the second round of the playoffs like that’s a that’s a good run most years for teams I don’t think they were a championship caliber team I don’t think anybody looked at them that way but you know they they won a seven game series and then they got into the second round they ran into the best team in the NBA so uh he’s got a good team to work with he’s got phenomenal guard Talent he’s got some nice bigs uh he’s got a lot to work with I think you know a lot of uh a lot of utensils here in his kitchen that he could go to so we’re gonna we’re g to we’re going to see man what his impact is I love JB bicker staff a lot like I don’t know that he necessarily got treated fairly here but a lot of it I think had to do with Donovan Mitchell so let’s see if if Kenny ainson can foster that relationship pretty quickly they’re like New Orleans of the East to me and that I feel like they’re one trade away from me being able to take them seriously and I and I think that trade is probably going to have to come in season it might be like by the way with each other right we just talked about Jared Allen New Orleans said they have interest there so maybe an Ingram Jared Allen and and and pick swap I don’t know something there but they’re a team to me that I think is going to be good Kenny ainson could be interesting but for me to say they’re going to go into into that top tier in the East it would take one more move from them now a team that’s interesting Phoenix Suns super underwhelming year last year but they make some moves Monte Morris point guard Mason plumbley a center Ryan Dunn who they picked up in the draft a couple other pieces say they lose Eric Gordon and Drew Eubanks which is you know meaningful but not enormous losses so they were underwhelming last year and then there’s the turmoil about Kevin Durant is it teams are interested is he available and all this different stuff so with the moves that they have made so far what do you make of Phoenix are they meaningfully better there’s also another big one there that we left out which is Mike buholzer um that’s right the coach as well yeah that’s kind of a big one too and I think look I think that was part of the problem I like Frank vogle I think Frank vogle is really smart I don’t think Frank vogle really ever garnered the respect of of the players he had to I just don’t I didn’t feel that way when I watched them uh Mike booner has got a little bit different personality type one he’s won a championship in this league Frank vogle had two um Mike buher is a championship coach and he and he he was also an excellent coach in Atlanta too team that W 60 games in Atlanta four guys make the All-Star team in one year Mike buer can really Coach and he’s got a little bit more fire in the belly man he he’s I I think they’re going to respect him I think they’re going to look look forward to playing for him he’s a really good offensive coach I think he’s going to maybe be able to utilize their roster a little bit better I don’t love the fact that you know that I don’t know they’re going into the year again once again without a point guard uh that can help these guys s of facilitate and set the table I like some of those additions though Ryan Dunn is is a guy that man they’re gonna like him a lot there if he gets playing time like he can flat out guard anybody crazy Athlete on the wing they needed to improve their athleticism on the wing defensively they absolutely did that the other you know the other names on that list um you know Monte Morris that doesn’t do much for me Colin Gillespie uh what was the other I’m Miss oh plumbley I like plumbley I like that addition too I think it’s a nice pickup he’s a high energy guy he runs the floor really well um so I think that they I think they I think they’re gonna be better you know phoenix look it’s been a rough road everywhere Kevin Durant really been uh there’s been underachievement on these teams I I feel probably better about this team going into the year that than I did last year and um now it comes down to what Mike bholler can do differently to get more out of this group and make them more cohesive and then you know obviously stay healthy let let these guys play together and get some continuity they didn’t get a ton of that last year I Monte Morris to me is actually interesting he does move the needle for me now he’s under size so when you talk about playoffs and how do you put the rosters out there you know that could be a question because he could break their defense which was already very fragile he could be a guy that hurts that a lot but but he’s a phenomenal catch and shoot three-point shooter and when you talk about the way they play they’re going to draw double teams they’re going to overload you the question is can they put lineups out there with Shooters at all spots or or at least enough shooters that those rotations are tough and he’s a guy that’s a good point guard he’s going to get the ball where it needs to go and then get out of the way when he needs to get out of the way and he’s GNA knock down catch and shoot threes so Monte Morris could end up playing an actual role for them Colin Gillespie similar but he’s a two-way player and he’s really tiny so I don’t know about him unproven but Monte I would not be surprised if that move actually ends up making a difference Indiana’s another interesting one because they added James wisman former number one overall pick they also got some draft picks late you know mostly second round guys but wisan piece of this is the part I want to ask I had given up on wisman I think two years ago legs but here he is getting another shot it’s a different roster than what he has been on previously is there any hope that this could be a that this could be his stop that there’s something there or you like me and just don’t think there’s a player there I think we would have known if there was by now I I you know it’s been you know he’s not he’s not as uh as green as you think he’s been around a little bit man um and this was a guy that I uh I guess foolishly or falsely put a lot of faith in when he was in Golden state that he was going to be part of that wave of Youth to combine with the veterans to kind of keep that thing going after they won the championship um I thought and but he was gone by then I thought he was going to be there Moses Moody kaminga we talked about those three guys a lot and you look up I don’t know that Moody’s taking the lead forward wisman not there wasn’t there much at all and and kaminga clearly has taken that leap so that was a big part of that the disappointment there and you know look you go to a team that’s got higher expectations there’s more accountability there’s more attention to detail like that’s what Indiana to me is going into this year after the season they had um and you’ve got some guys there I think that are Pros that can get the most out of him but I I mean I can’t imagine him being anything more than a lower minute level rotational player if that I don’t know that he has a big impact for them I hope I am wrong and I hope you know 25 games into the season Adam we’re doing a a 20 minute segment on James weissman’s impact on the Indiana Pacers I hope that’s the case because the talent looked like it was there coming out but it just has not materialized and I think there’s a reason for that I think there’s just something missing in here like that that is preventing that from happening for him this is a very healthy situation he’s going to doesn’t happen here it’s it’s probably not gonna I think it’s to the end of the road I’ll tell you this I don’t think Rick Carlo is going to have the patience for a guy like this it just that to me seems like oil and water so kind of a surprising move to be honest the Clippers very fascinating offseason they lose Paul George and they lose Mason plumbley but they add miles Bridges Nick Batum Chris Dunn Derrik Jones Jr Kevin Porter Jr Mo bomba so this is an interesting one Paul George was the third wheel there you know Kawhi Leonard’s team James Harden is the system player Paul George kind of fit in around him that team had a long run with it didn’t work out but they add a bunch of guys obviously with questionable uh backgrounds in Kevin Porter and Miles Bridges but they’re good players Nick tomb’s a good player Chris Dunn is I think is a great you know take a stab on him they’re likely losing Westbrook and then Derrick Jones Jr made an impact last year so they got a lot of players that I think could be rotation guys what do you think of them is it over for them do they have hope is this a new era yeah that’s a lot of dudes and that’s a lot of years in the league and it just you know some of these other teams we’ve put up the additions there’s a couple names on every one of those uh Graphics we put up where you’re just like okay you know young guy not going to play right you that list you just put up for the Clippers it’s like all of those guys have played where they’ve been they’re all expecting to play it’s it’s it could look like a totally new team with the exception of like Harden and Kawai if you know assuming kawhai comes back and plays I mean I will say this it’s at the point you have to completely suspend reality to think that kaan Leonard’s gonna have a healthy Year and be available for them in the playoffs like right I mean there’s just no way I could expect that to happen so if that’s the case what are they is it gonna be the James Harden dominated offense I I don’t think James Harden’s that that player anymore either so these are these are some interesting guys bridg is probably at the top of the list because that’s a very talented player very talented and so let’s see let’s see you know and he gets almost like a new lease on life going out there does he does he you know have a huge year for them if that’s the case hey you you you know you make up for a lot of what you’re losing with Paul George that remains to be seen man when you see a team with that many guys coming in that are all vets that are all expecting to play I got to see what that looks like I’m sorry I I don’t know what that’s about to look like all right legs Let’s do let’s go to our final segment here and let’s put on our rose-colored glasses and explain to the people while the future is bright for a few teams not for everybody but for these upcoming teams this is brought to you by Shady Rays head to Shady ray.com and use code ac35 you get 35% off of polarized sunglasses at check out again ac35 is. code at Shady ra.com so we’re going to look at now and say let’s give an updated top four in the Eastern Conference we’ll do the same for the West here in a minute but we’ll do the top four in the East and one wildcard team but let’s start with the top four and I’m curious if we have the same I think number one’s pretty easy to be honest with you L Boston Celtics you want to just do one at a time or you want to go go through all four do one at a time here real quick they signed by the way they’re a team that said second apron who cares we’re signing everybody to Super Maxes but inflate the books we we got our team for the next however long it’s incredible there was a graphic uh put up I was doing sports center the other day we did back-to-back Graphics one was on Tatum and then one was on the Sixers and the contracts that were signed and between those four players that were on the screen it was a billion dollars over a billion dollars of salary right I mean I’m just and all I could think about was I just wish my parents met 25 years later that would have been a really nice thing you know um but look yeah look what can you say man you know best team in the NBA most team in the NBA and they go out and they get Tatum gets the richest contract in the history of the league U good timing for that for him Jaylen Brown took a huge step forward for this team last year he’s you know that’s going to continue you know you didn’t even have a fully healthy porzingis at the end of the year and you still were able to get this thing done so yeah clearly to me Boston is the measuring stick for not just the East but the league right now yeah so I have them number one as well but number two I think we’ll have the same number two team but I don’t know who you got my goodness I think I’m gonna go with the New York Knicks number two um two okay it was T it was T it’s was a toss up and I’ll go tell you now who my three is because I think it was a coin flip between them and Philly um that’s my two3 in the Eastern Conference and I’m gonna give the edge to New York because I just think they’re a little tougher and there some things have to be proven in Philadelphia one to just got to prove like that this all works High usage ball handler scorer type guy how does that affect Maxi you know and beid you know he probably going to miss 15 20 games you know throughout the yeares is Paul George a nice insurance policy for that when he’s out so they don’t drop as much as they did in the standings um let’s see and then right now they don’t have they don’t really have an idea what the rest of their rotation looks like they they’ve still got to fill out their team right but that’s a lot of talent man that’s a lot of talent you got the guard the wing and the big so that to me puts Philly right there in the mix I think like I said it’s a coin toss the end of the day by a nose I put the Knicks second over Philly well you just had the understatement of the century you might as well said LeBron’s a little bit athletic Steph Curry’s a little bit of a shooter you said the Knicks are a little bit tougher than Philly I think the Knicks are the number one toughest team in the NBA I mean that’s the one thing you’re gonna say about them and they got their guy you know in in Mel Bridges to complete the Nova Knicks I just think that’s a team that you know what you’re getting from them from a toughness standpoint you got to beat them they’re not going to beat themselves they’re not going to they’re not going to uh die easily they’re just going to be uh coming at you in waves Philly it’s the big question and you add a guy in Paul George he’s not doesn’t have the reputation of being a guy that gets bigger when the pressure cooker you know gets hotter so to me that’s why this one I agree with you on a talent standpoint these teams are easy are close but I look at this and I go the Knicks to me were an easy call above Philly for that very reason and because like you said they’ve proven it we still got to see what that Philly team looks like with those three guys but here’s where it’s it’s interesting those three to me are one two three and if you disagree on the order so be it but number four I think you could go a handful of different ways so where did you go I think you can go with one of four different teams and I the one of that group that I’m picking is the Indiana Pacers w we do differ all right I’m going with Indiana number four I think I know who you’re gonna pick I got a feeling okay um and let me let me let me see if I got was a hint was it was it a team that added a guy that your favorite team lost no no I I wanted to no I wanted to but I’m not bold enough I’m not well there’s two other there’s two other teams that that I’m thinking you know and we’ll let you say yours in a minute I’m going with the Pacers um I think what they did last year worked and fit they weren’t completely healthy at the end of the year either I love the number they resigned Obi toing at that was a really good signing and a bargain I thought for the way he played the postseason Pascal yakum was Sensational from the beginning but I think you know in year two of playing with this group I think it’s just going to get better and better for them I thought they had a pretty good draft too um so I don’t know I just have faith in the way they play stylistically uh I’m a Believer so I’m going with the Indiana Pacers four I think it’s obviously a solid pick I agree with you by the way that there are four teams Cleveland Indiana Orlando Milwaukee I went with Milwaukee on this one and look I don’t you know part of this was the same sim something similar is happening in Denver right now Milwaukee won a title they’ve had lesser teams since then by small margins but you know what else they’ve had 50 win Seasons they’re a team that when you have Giannis your floor is really really high and I just look at them and I say they have guys that could take a step up they have some question marks they have a they’re another team that I think is not done like we we should expect big news with them here in the coming days maybe weeks so they’re a team that I think is still incomplete but you got Giannis and when you have honest your floor is just so high and I think that it’s probably enough to be higher than these teams that I think are on the doorstep and could make that leap but but I won’t don’t have him yet what about a wild card oh go ahead real quick just because I didn’t talk about them I guess why I feel I’m not as high on them because I would I would actually go Indiana four Orlando five I might go Cleveland six Milwaukee seven man I they feels stale to me yeah it definitely does it definitely does they haven’t it’s just what’s fresh about it I know they still love Giannis we all love Giannis we know how hard he competes how hard he plays I don’t think necessarily that he and Lillard really ever found that Unstoppable you know Duo flow I don’t think they found it last year I look and lard was dealing with all kinds of stuff off the court I don’t know if that’s gonna be different and better for him mentally will he be in a better place they done nothing to their Supporting Cast at all and it feels like they needed to so for me and look we didn’t see the returns or results for this team defensively that we thought we would really with Doc Rivers so I’m just I just think there’s there’s no change that was to me an infusion of adrenaline and excitement that they brought in a lot of these other teams did and I don’t feel they did whether it was a coaching change for some teams or a a draft pick or a free agent whatever I what did they do they kind of stood Pat only that was disappointing last year last year was the big move and I do think there’s something to it’s really hard for a coach to come in midseason make an immediate impact sometimes you get the emotional boost but to say okay we’ve really put our fingerprints all over this team I’m counting on Doc Rivers with an offseason in a training camp for things to be a little bit more settled and then you mentioned it one of the big stories last year was there was a lot of turmoil in the life of Damen Lillard not just the trade but some other stuff and I think this year he’s going to be a little healthier a little more spry even than he was last year and I think the chemistry improves and if not guess what you can make some trades and maybe get back into it but I just I’m counting on the floor for a player of Giannis and his absolute Apex Prime to be high enough to be top four in his conference which kind of hints at how I feel about the Western Conference oh first first one thing do you have a Darkhorse team a team that could surprise everybody you just mentioned the top you know seven teams I think so let’s rule them out is there a team in the East that you’re like you know what though they could be better than people think if I had to pick one of those teams which I don’t want to yeah I’d probably say Atlanta okay um because I think there’s there could be a formula there well depending what happens to Trey young but there could be a formula there now where you have more of an identity offensively and how you build around that team and again if rashay is the real deal that’s could be a dark horse man he’s the number one pick in the draft Jaylen Johnson takes a huge leap forward that’s a lot of talent that’s emerging for you that could change your prospects so they were 36 and 46 a year ago 10 seed I don’t know they’ll be better than that or not but those younger talents that they have make them to me an intriguing team to keep an eye on and they they you know they they got rid of dejonte Murray and let’s see if now that that they can build this thing in a different way offensively and what that looks like the number one pick in the draft has a tendency to make you kind of wait and see on them and that’s why I think Atlanta might be interesting I’m gonna say no I’m I’m the one that made this and said we have to pick a dark course and I just don’t think there is one like I could try to talk myself into Charlotte or something with a new coach and maybe some of these guys Brandon Miller makes a leap or this or that but to be honest with you all of those teams to me I think a team is going to be bummed to get the eight seed next year because they’re going to be looking at that Lottery and thinking dang it man we won 37 games and we’re in the playoffs somehow so I think the bottom of the East is really scary Orlando Indiana Cleveland that rounds out those top four we talked about and after that who knows all right the West is interesting though I actually my take legs to set you up is I think there’s a clear number one now in the west not a clear they’re going to win it but just a clear team that I think you look at and say the least disaster potential while having the same ceiling yeah I agree with that and I think they’re I think they’re going to be the number one seed in the west again it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder I I think those two additions man that they made Caruso and hartenstein you can’t overstate what that does with your toughness we talked about the Knick’s toughness like those two guys are tough guys and they do a whole lot of stuff that just equates to winning that’s not related to production it’s just about winning um you know and they needed obviously size they answered that with hartenstein Caruso is a guy that is just he just sets the tone for you defensively with the number of things he does on the court to disrupt so I think Oklahoma City they were one seed last year I think they’re built to continue to keep their foot on the gas because of how young they are like some of the teams in the past we’ve seen it like they they get a high seed and then they they flame out in the playoffs the following regular season they’re not that concerned about their seating they’re managing things differently I think this is a team that’s going to come out full throttle because of their age they’re going to be still trying to prove something to themselves every night so I’m not going to be surprised one bit if Oklahoma City is around 60 winds or north of that next year and gets the number one seed in the Western Conference again I agree with you depending on the matchup at the time and like like this year I didn’t think they could beat Dallas and they didn’t like it depends who they play in the playoffs I’m not sure I think the whole thing but we’re talking about something different here just talking about the regular season and the way this roster looks and and what they’re playing for and the purpose with which they’re playing every night it lends itself to think Oklahoma City could be number one seed I just have so much confidence and it’s funny I know Thunder fans were upset with me last year when I had a lot of questions about them and I think rightfully so has it played out but now you go into this next year and I think they’ve answered a lot of Chad hren now goes into his second season Shay gild just Alexander all the guys Jaylen Williams I think needed the playoffs last year to kind of learn what he had to learn last year and I just look at them now and I go that’s a team that’s gonna win I if I were to ask guess right now i’ think that they have a great chance at 60 wins and 60 wins is gonna be hard in the west there’s too many good teams but they got 57 last year and they got better so I think that’s it if I had two there’s two questions about them and one is hartenstein does change the the way they’re going to play whether he starts or comes off the bench that’s a Dynam that you haven’t seen a whole lot of you know chat and him together it’s a little bit bigger and more traditional is there any hiccups with that does it change them in meaningful ways for the worst that’s something they might struggle with before they figured out and then number two and I don’t know how big of a deal this is legs You’re gonna laugh I already know you’re gonna laugh at me for saying this they had a lot of guys play 82 games last year or 80 games and now you have Lou Dort and Shay gilis Alexander going into an Olympic summer after having a fairly deep deep playoff run and then they go back they’re young enough that they can absorb that but I do wonder if you talk about you come into training camp with new pieces you have to figure that out and you didn’t really have an offseason I could see them struggling out the gate and maybe just like a little fatigue as the season begins and that could impact their season those are the two questions I have the why would I laugh at that I don’t think that’s I think that’s perfectly rational thinking you know well you don’t like when I say back Tob backs you know sometimes I say say that’s not a that’s not a soft Adam pillow take you know that’s not that’s not that it’s not a bean chair Adam take it’s you know that that was okay I think that’s that’s a logical rational well thought out take on what their summer is gonna look like now they do have super young fresh legs man so I don’t know you know I don’t know what the carryover will be from a different summer for some of those guys um I’m not too worried about that I think some of these other teams with some of the Vets they have are goingon to treat the regular season a little differently and Oklahoma City is going to be that one team that just uh they’re going to be Steady As She Goes all year yeah all right now it gets interesting though because who’s number two I think we’re we definitely have a different answer here I I I would guess and I think you could have three or four answers here so who did you go with I think you could realistically have three okay here I would go no more than three okay um and this is tough I can make a really good argument for all three of these teams but I’m gonna go with the team that I was riding hard last year to Dallas Mavericks okay I’m going now look Dallas in the Luca era has not really ever put up a very impressive win total in the regular season yeah they haven’t done it and they didn’t do it last year they got hot late and they won 50 to get to 50 man and that put them as a five seed like it’s time now for them to take a different approach in a regular season understand the importance of like getting out of the gate quicker not having any extended laws where they don’t play well and and and taking this thing and trying to get into that top two top three in the Western Conference to give yourself a more realistic and better chance they got all the way to finals anyway without having homec Court in any round that’s pretty impressive um so this is a team now that I look at and say Hey you added Klay Thompson I think that’s a very important piece and it fit I do need to see how they utilize him and and how easy it is for teams to guard him but I also love the addition of Naji Naji um Marshall so this is a team that I like more than I did last year went to the NBA finals and I also think look we’re gonna find out a lot about Luka donic this year at the start of the year and and the things that he was called out for at the end of the season how much did he take that to heart what does he look like at the beginning year what’s his body look like what’s his conditioning look like what’s his approach look like his maturity all of those things if it looks like same Luca same old same old whining complaining all the time with the officials and you know not really in in tiptop shape and not giving anything defensively in the regular season uh for for most of the regular season then I’ll feel differently probably at some point midseason next year but uh going into it I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he’s going to learn for what happened last year and take that to heart and really push himself this year and I think this is a good shot coming up this year for Luca to get his first MVP he’s playing with Team Slovenia right now as they attempt to qualify for the Olympics I don’t know if they’re going to make it they just got blown out by Croatia and the qualifier they still have a chance to qualify but you know early returns don’t look good but if they do the Olympics Not only would they have the Olympics like we just talked about with Team Canada and some of these other teams he’ have to do a qualifying tournament so you go from the finals to a qualifying tournament to the Olympics that would be the most basketball anybody can play and with him he’s not the spring chicken he is a guy that could use his rest so that could end up being a factor although little worried they’re not going to qualify at all uh number three I’m gonna give my list later so we don’t spoil it but who do you have number three I got to put Minnesota there um you know I think I think a year a year you know having gone through what they did last year and I think that now they coming into the season I don’t know that going into last year they necessarily even carried themselves as a championship Contender I think you’d have to look at them this year based on how their year went and the fact that Anthony Edwards you know where he took his game last year and what you think you can expect of him now going forward um I I think Minnesota’s that and look they might end up being the number two they might end up being the number one seed I’m not going to be shocked by that out of what what Minnesota’s bringing to the table with that star player clearly just beginning his Ascension what that could look like and then I also love the uh the trade they made to get Dillingham I think Dillingham immediately plays for them I think he immediately gets minutes and he’s gonna score at the NBA level right away that’s a nice addition uh for their depth and somebody that that you know that can spell connley so um they got better and I think just mentally they’re going to be better and Anthony Edwards is the key all that so they could be a one seed two seed I don’t think they’ll be any lower than three is there any chance they have a little bit of like some teams get there like this was a big getting over the hump year for them you know getting to the Conference Finals is there any chance that they have the let down where it’s like okay we think we’re there but actually you didn’t learn the lessons that you thought no I don’t think so because they they still got it they still got it handed to him by Dallas the end of the day got humbled enough yeah as good as that felt to sweep Phoenix and as good as that felt for Anthony Edwards playing against his Idol and knocking him out and Kevin Durant and as good as that felt to win that series with Denver and making that comeback in game seven bottom line is they watch the finals on TV like everybody else and that that’s GNA keep them hungry and we’ve said it you and I have said this about Anthony Edwards from almost day one and and when you and I got together last November started talking about Anthony Edwards career we both see the look in a guy’s eyes that wants to be great so his hunger alone I think is not going to allow that compl plac Andy to set in and and be happy with the year they had a year ago and have the right approach coming in I think they’re going to be very hungry and I think Team USA will be good for Anthony Edwards because he’s with more established guys but I think he has an opportunity to maybe put his fingerprints on that team in a way that elevates his own like hey I’m better than a lot of these guys that are my contemporaries so that’ll be an interesting storyline to watch with him so number four I’m guessing I’m hoping you have Denver it’s your guys man come on I was gonna feel real bad if he didn’t have Denver anywhere in the top four it’s your guys because if it’s not your guys that’s just go by process of elimination are you gonna go are you gonna go with the Clippers no Phoenix no I guess maybe some people might think that but no how could you the Pelicans nope Kings Warriors Lakers it’s process of elimination um I’m curious real quick if you can fill us in on what the what’s the vibe with the fan base right now oh it’s really negative I mean the fan base viewed kcp as an integral part of the team and that losing him I think the fan base worries that uh you know is it cheapness is it belief in the guys below but there’s an uncomfortability because you kind of knew what you were getting from Denver for the last several years this is the first year where it’s like okay well who starts what’s the rotation who’s behind it’s a little uncomfortable and then I don’t know you know there’s a rumor out there that Russell Westbrook is on the radar so that would be another thing that is both exciting but also uncom comfortable because he’s such a a unique player so um you know I think this feels like a year that’s less certain than previous years in terms of what will it all look like yeah look losing kcp is a big we can’t you can’t overstate it you know I talked about this yesterday like just as a role player and and he is and it’s not an insult man he’s like the ultimate guy for that role and way he guards and shot it and just he’s a winner and he’s gonna he’s gonna make he’s been part of two championship teams and he’s gonna go to Orlando and be a significant impactful player for them a young team emerging can’t wait to watch what he does for that team um that’s a big loss so I can understand maybe why people feel like hey what are we doing here like are we still moving forward like for me I said this last year about them it didn’t feel like that was a one championship team like that group right and now kcp is not there so it’s a little bit different but joic is still there Jamal Murray’s still there Michael Porter Junior still there Aaron Gordon’s still there like that core is still there and it didn’t feel like with a guy that’s got three MVPs in four years that’s a one Championship group so I’m very curious to see what happens and I’m also curious to see what I think Christian Brown is gonna be the guy that steps into that spot and I’m and I’m curious to see what that looks like rather than just these splashy 15 minutes he would get where he’d energize everybody what’s it look like if Christian Brown has to play 30 minutes a night I think he’s good I actually think defensively Denver won’t lose much offensively the shooting I think they lose something there and more importantly the depth it’s now you elevate guys that are a lot more unproven in the second unit but you know the thing I always think is Denver second unit got crushed last year they got murdered every time they stepped on the court could it actually be worse and one thing I think of with Denver I’ll I’ll just go ahead and say it they were my number two team and I’m kind of zigging on on on what people think here in 2022 Denver’s roster featured fundo Kazo starting Will Barton starting Austin Rivers in the playoffs starting and that team was a six seed I look at that and I go Denver’s not in that situation they still have Jamaal Murray Aaron Gordon Michael Porter I just have a hard time believing that they fall too far so I’m keeping them I I think that it might surprise some people to be honest I’m tucking myself into the idea of Westbrook for me number three I went with Dallas number four with Minnesota you went over all of them I think that’s right I actually think the Clippers of all the teams below are the team that could hop in the top you know the the next spot into the top four but I say that every year and they never do so well I mean we look I think we had the same four teams right you just leapfrogged a couple of teams with Denver because you’ve got a Denver you got a Denver Nuggets NightLight I mean let’s just what what do we what do we what do we say right here this is rose-colored glasses right I got the rose-colored glasses on I’m reminding you in April with a nuggets are the two seed hey man look look look they’re they’re in the mix man they’re in the mix bottom line it’s the same with Milwaukee joic Giannis I just players of that caliber I just have a hard time believing that they can’t make other guys work and that that’s that’s why real quick wild card team for me it was Memphis Memphis is a team that we all think we kind they’re out of mind because of the year they had but you know what they’ve been a phenomenal regular season team in the prior two years so they’re a team that now they get their guy back they might be a team that surprises some people and and gets in the mix here mine is going to be for a lot of reasons we just said about some other guys the Golden State Warriors oh I love it I love it that’s perfect take a look let’s just watch man let’s just watch and see like we talked earlier about what has to happen I don’t think it’s anything nuts I think two guys they currently have H Wiggins has to revert to at least his regular season form at his best kaminga another step forward can he take this thing now to 2021 a game and be you know I think as the second best offensive player from day one I think he’s got a chance to do that um and then you know the the pieces they brought in in replacing some of what clay gave you so let’s just keep an eye on Golden State I don’t think it’s going to be eight you they were 46 and 36 last year I don’t think they’re are 500 team now so let’s see you know is Golden State good enough particularly out of the gate that’s one of those teams that you know I don’t schedule not release yet but let’s take a look if golden state starts off the year six and nine no okay it’s gonna be a wrap if they start off I believe if they start off the year get out of the gate you know whatever they’re 10 and five hey man I I think everybody’s gonna keep that thing alive and so I’m there they’re intriguing to me man as long as Steph Curry puts on a uniform I’m sorry man I’m gonna watch I’m gonna be interested New Orleans and Houston are other teams that I could have tucked myself into Houston is you know maybe they’re a team to me that makes sense with Lowry marinin as well Houston is getting to the point where they have too many good young players they’re gonna have to pick and you could consolidate a handful of those guys at Jabari Smith and amen Thompson and cam Whitmore maybe and consolidate that into low marinin who’s still young enough it’s not like he’s so old that he doesn’t fit the timeline you could speed things up and if they did something like that I think I would start to buy them a little bit more so they’re a team I could see there even yeah shenon out Utah might like that hey we’re gonna tank we’ll take in a guy that will be good next season um and get him into our system all right we got a couple super chats to get out of here Emma what do we got what are the people saying today psycho blue says bball cthulu just wants to let it be known that Space Jam 2 is rapidly becoming more like a documentary instead of a work of fiction after Rich Paul’s Antics happy Independence Day I’m going to be honest with you legs never saw Space Jam 2 don’t get the reference no I I never saw I don’t know that I ever saw Space Jam one like start to finish I’ve used I’ve used the reference I’ve used the reference from time to time when a team inexplicably is horrible on a given night that they’ve lost their basketball skills like yeah right I’ve used that but I I don’t think I’ve ever seen that movie start to finish I will be watching it with my little guy two and a half he’s not ready for that yet but he you know he was Shay he was shooting Hoops by the way this morning on the gold in the living room and it was the first time like he was actually like doing a little jump shot getting off the ground and shooting it a follow through talk about a proud dad moment man watching my son shoot it in the living room this morning it’s a early uh early favorite right now for the 2048 NBA draft so if you guys are placing your odds right there good shooter uh psycho blue comes back he says legs thanks for using my hostage statement joke on ESPN last week a friend texted it to me while I was on vacation I feel like I won a contest well the thing you know it’s funny because somebody else said something about this that um uh Bill Simmons used this and I had some people coming at me I got news for you I’ve never watched Bill Simmons so I don’t and and I I can I’m telling you right now I don’t I don’t go watch a bunch of other people anything that comes out of my mouth if I didn’t think of myself I am going to credit the person who came up with it when I said the Celtics should draft bronnie James and then write a note to the lers saying we have your son it’s going to cost you Austin Reeves that was my original thinking someone else had the same joke it’s not that difficult to come up with that joke so be it but I promise you I don’t plagiarize I promise right well except for the chat you stole that from psycho blue We Know It All right what else what else do we have J Money he says does bi really equate to winning basketball fun player to watch but I’m not sure he moves the needle for any buying team I 100% agree but the one thing I’ll say legs is teams get desperate man I everybody operates as if they’re the all possibilities are available to a team sometimes you’re you’re in Atlanta a Charlotte and you’re looking at it and going either the ride’s over or we take a huge gamble on a flawed player and sometimes it works out Andrew Wiggins was a flawed player he gets to Golden State at least has one year that helps him win a title so I agree with the the sentiment but you know what desperate times come from Des call for desperate measures yeah yeah look I well I think it’s time man I think you’re right um that’s that’s an interesting team and think about it that that could have been a team either one of us said also New Orleans was a like hey is uh is that Dark Horse we’re talking about because of of of Zion and that that game he had at the end of the year was like so incredible that we were kind of hanging on that it’s a shame he got hurt in that game but it’s like you think wow is Zion Williamson the guy that could elevate a team like that and you add jonay Murray to the mix are they a team that can get in the mix and stay in the mix and keep everybody healthy remains to be seen but I don’t know the Brandon R was going to be a part of that all right CU that outro music good stuff legs I’m gonna be tell you something Fourth of July is my favorite holiday middle of the summer I go up to the lake with the family it’s always a family holiday outside in nature so starting here in about 5 hours I look forward to having a couple days off but I also look forward to coming back because I think some big things are going to happen in the upcoming days what’s your plan not plan yet saying man we got family coming in uh mostly on my wife’s side staying with us at the beach we’ll be at the beach every day weather’s not supposed to be great at the Jersey Shor though a lot of chance of rain all weekend so it it’ll be like in and out well we’re gonna we’ll make the best of it look at I love the holiday too very patriotic guy this holiday means a lot to me and uh we’re we’re going to we’re going to do it right and then you come out of the weekend Adam when we head to Vegas summer next week we got a lot of crazy stuff going on I can’t wait for it everybody thanks for tuning in we will be back next week so make sure you’re subscribed hit those alerts see you guys next week [Music] [Applause] we all sitting like the May

Paul George is heading to Philadelphia, while Klay Thompson is going to Dallas. Free agency is nearly over, with only a few unsigned big names. Are the Lakers pursuing DeMar DeRozan? What kind of deal will they offer LeBron James? Will Lauri Markkanen or Trae Young be traded, and if so, where?

Join Tim Legler and Adam Mares for today’s ALL NBA Podcast!

00:00 – Intro
03:01 – Golden State Warriors
03:56 – Did they get better or worse with Free Agency moves?
10:14 – Could they be a Markannen suitor?
12:22 – Atlanta Hawks
18:17 – New Orleans Pelicans
18:50 – Is this a good start to rebuild
27:30 – Cleveland Cavilers
27:53 – Kenny Atkinson notes
31:48 – Phoenix Suns
35:05 – Indiana Pacers
37:26 – LA Clippers
39:46 – Updated top 4 teams in each conference
39:50 – Eastern Conference
49:27 – Western Conference

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