ESPN on NBA Pretenders or Contenders: Kings get back playoff with Derozan; 76ers top team in East

ESPN on NBA Pretenders or Contenders: Kings get back playoff with Derozan; 76ers top team in East

to start a free agency where several Superstars have found new homes so long Smash Bros it’s a new Trio in Dallas and one of the latest dominoes to fall the Kingsland and six-time All-Star Demar D rozan and from the West to the east Paul George taking its talents to Philly after a disrespectful offer from the Clippers well it’s time to take a look at who’s likely to be a contender after their free agency moves and who I mean just might be a pretender as we now bring in someone who no Pretender in my eyes CBS Sports NBA analysts Tim Doyle and Timmy let’s start things off in Dallas with the reigning Western Conference Champs reloading their roster around Luca and Kyrie and adding more shooting with one of the best Shooters in Klay Thompson Tim with that being said does the Mavs addition of clay push them over the hump are they contenders or Pretenders to return to the top of the West I love Contender Pretender uh segments okay but I think it’s also like what are they contending for and we’re going to talk about that with each team that we’re going to dive into I think with the Mavericks they’re contending to win an NBA championship and I believe they are even stronger contenders this year because they added the piece that they needed I mean Klay Thompson’s one of the greatest Shooters in the history of basketball and now you put them alongside two of the best Playmakers of this generation just seems like an ideal fit now I will say this though Kay’s got to understand that Klay Thompson now wasn’t the same Klay Thompson that he was five or six years ago so that’s going to be an adjustment period for clay because I don’t think he’s going to get the 16 17 18 fga field goal attempts per game but you see the numbers there as far as made Theses when you’re playing with a guy like Luca donic or Kyrie Irving you have to have someone that could spread the floor and consistently make really tough shots I think Clay is going to buy into this role as this like perfect complimentary player obviously he’s won a championship he’s great in the locker room he went down of Texas he went down to Texas for those taxes down there because now he’s going to clear more money vers in the great state of California seems like an ideal fit excited to watch the Mavericks next year uh yeah someone who came from California I know all about those taxes so it’s a smart move from Klay Thompson but let’s stay out west the Kings added a star player to their core after failing to make the playoffs last season and Demar D rozan in a sign and trade deal now he doesn’t answer all of their issues from last season but does he make Sacramento a contender or a pretender in the west Tim I think see I think Sacramento is contending to win a series or two and maybe get to a Western Conference Final I don’t consider them contenders to win an NBA championship but I do consider them a contender to make some noise so I love this pickup of Demar D rozan just a Pros Pro uh has bounced around different places makes really tough Big Boy shots in the playoffs he’s an OG as far as like puts in the work brings it every single night makes tough plays in the fourth quarter and I think he’s going to be a perfect compliment to what Sacramento already has in place but essentially two Allstars there and dearen fox and damont sabonis I I love the fact that you added a veter in peace Keegan Murray’s ever able to spread the floor uh I love this pickup because I think the perfect mix right now is having Al Horford who’s 82 years old and Jason Tatum in his prime uh having those veterans sprinkled in with those guys right in their Prime because the old guys just understand the game so well they understand spacing the little things that it takes to get a team over the hump I was hoping Memphis went out and got Demar D rozan because he changes your franchise he’s that good and I don’t know how many years he has left but next season he’s going to be really good and I think Sacramento is going to be a big time Contender out west okay you said he’s franchise changing but when I look at the West I think it’s going to be fairly tough because we know it was a tough road this season we obviously we talked about Dallas we know that there’s Denver there’s OKC I I mean there’s a number of teams so it’s like where exactly do the kings fall because you’re falling out of the playoffs this last year but maybe in the mix this year obviously I said he doesn’t answer all of those questions that the Kings might have but you think he’s a franchise altering player so things could bode well for Sacramento all right well meanwhile let’s go out east Sixers brought in a legitimate allar to add to Joel embi and Tyrese Max he signing Paul George and what could be one of the top big threes in the league now this is a Sixers team if you recall him because I loved the series they went toe-to-toe with the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs but does the addition of PG make the Sixers a contender or Pretender as the top team in the East I think that they’re a pretender to win an NBA champ CH ship yes I see your face right there right yes pre tender because they are contending for a title like Sacramento’s competing for something else we just talked about them they win a series or two season was a success the Sixers they’re not one of the NBA championship in Joel em beat’s Prime it’s a Lost season so if I’m a 76ers fan I kind of love the move like they at least they’re trying every which way to get there check out what Joel there they’ve never been to an Eastern Conference Final so to think that now you bring in Paul George in the Twilight of his career and that all of a sudden is going to solve all your problems I’m excited to watch the 76ers I really I picked them in 2022 I picked him in 2023 and then I finally was like all I’ve given up on this team in 2024 and they got bounced in that great Series against the Knicks if I’m a Sixers fan I love this move because like at least you’re trying like you know know you got rid of Tobias Harris that didn’t work out and you’re like all right let’s bring in Paul George Let’s overpay him let’s pay him till he’s like nearly 40 years old which is a giant mistake but in the short term I’m intrigued to watch him play obviously Tyrese spxy has emerged as a big time Talent embiid was gonna win the MVP until he got hurt last year but Paul George and Joel embiid I need to see it in the playoffs do you know how long K we’ve been saying Paul George struggles in the playoffs joela be struggles in the playoffs like I need to see it so the talent is there but does it translate to a championship I’m sorry Kiana they’re Pretenders you said okay embiid you need to see him in the playoffs you need to see Paul George maybe two negatives creates a positive in this situation but I do want to throw out hypothetical just for you know Hoots and Giggles let’s say Paul George was on this roster this postseason in this series against the Knicks what the Sixers have beat the Knicks in that series I’m not doing that don’t don’t don’t push me in a corner okay just because I of course that’s why like if you’re Sixers fan you gotta be like all right at least we’re trying like Paul George you’re paying him for four years which is crazy but the next two years he’s still going to be pretty good but he always seems to break down and so does embiid so I I I don’t think he was the answer to like all right we got P like you go get John Morant okay now we’re talking like go get someone of that caliber who’s in the prime of their career not someone who’s on the back nine of his career okay all right I’ll let you have that I’m interested to see how this year transpires looking I mean you do have those teams that are in the top of this conversation we’re looking at the Knicks the Sixers if you want to throw the Bucks in there if you want to throw Cleveland M I don’t know but I think they certainly could be one of those teams to uh test the Seas all right well we talked about the Sixers and now let’s talk about the team who you know sent them home the knck traded for muel Bridges and he Bates deop as well as resigning OG anobi only further boosting their defense do you think their offseason moves make them a contender or a pretender for the a finals push next year yeah I that’s a re there there’s their goal right can they get to a finals can they win an NBA championship like the Knicks go to a finals and lose successful season the 76ers go to the finals and lose Lost season it’s like different rules apply for you’ve dated people right you got different rules with different people you know what I’m saying like you how do I get away with that not that anyway this is not going to turn into a therapy session okay I love the culture in New York they just have pieces that fit with one another and Miguel Bridges if you had a wish list of who would come in and seamlessly fit with the Knicks he had to be number one I think there was probably more of an upside with a guy like Donovan Mitchell but who knows if that would have worked with Donovan Mitchell and Jaylen Brunson instead you’re bringing all these Nova Knicks these guys all understand each other they still best friends they’re still FaceTiming one another if you send me a four-way FaceTime I will never answer by the way if you put me on a thread with more than four or five people on a group text I will leave that chat immediately and you will see my number pop up that says three has left the chat okay like I I don’t care about feelings I’m gone from that chat this team understands how to guard um I wonder they could stay healthy you kind of saw them really break down towards the end of the year but they’re contending for something different so I do think the 76ers are a massive threat in the Eastern Conference but you know since we had to kind of label I don’t like putting labels on relationships either you know I had those that wanted to jump right into in a Facebook relationship with I always wanted to start with Kiana it’s complicated with and then go to in a relationship with so it’s complicated with the 76ers I’m in a relationship with next things that I’m learning today Tim Doyle doesn’t like labels on relationships he doesn’t like group chat threads he doesn’t like the Sixers moves I I’m just learning so much about you Tim Doyle uh but certainly appreciate the Insight I’m I’m I don’t know if I’m on board with what you’re putting down but uh nonetheless it’s going to be exciting to revisit this next year Timmy thanks for stopping by bye K and here’s a look at the odds to win next year’s finals the Seas are favorite to run it back they’re followed by the Thunder who might have arguably had one of the best off Seasons thus far the Thunder followed by the Nugget Sixers and then the Knicks tell Tim Doyle that as the top five shortest odds to win the title next [Music] [Music] year for for for for spe [Music] more spee 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ESPN on NBA Pretenders or Contenders: Kings get back playoff with Demar Derozan; 76ers top team in East