Season 3, Episode 33- Championship or Bust

In this week's episode of "Diehlman at Halftime," Larry and Chris discuss:

Magic hire Sean Sweeney as new head coach
76ers hire Mike Gansey as new president of basketball operations
Conference Finals series discussions
Game of the Week: New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, June 3, 2026 (NBA Finals, Game 1)

All music written by Larry Diehlman

Release date: Monday, June 1, 2026

Transcript

0:15

Hey

Introduction

0:16

guys, and welcome to episode number one hundred and four of Dielman at Halftime, the NBA podcast that tops all others. I'm your host, Larry Dielman, joined by my co-host Christy Pietro. If you're joining us for the first time, it's great to have you. And if you've been a regular listener, welcome back. We have a lot to cover today and not a lot of time to do it. We'll look at a general overview of the NBA this week and then discuss some important topics across the association.

Overview of the NBA this Week

0:54

Let's get to our content for the week. We have two breaking stories this week, and the first one is from San Antonio, but not for the reason you might think. San Antonio Spurs Associate Head Coach Sean Sweeney is now the Orlando Magic's next head coach. For Sean, this is his first head coaching job. He was on the Mavericks coaching staff back in the 2024 finals, so this is nothing new to him. And even with the finals experience that he's about to get this week. For Sean, this was his lone year with the Spurs, a team that has improved by 28 wins from last year, putting his fingerprints on this team, and he will join the Orlando Magic after the finals conclude. Of course, you're not going to just ditch the team right in the middle of this magical run. But Chris, I think this is a great hire by the Orlando Magic. I know you've been saying these teams got to stop recycling retreads, but now Sean Sweeney going to the Magic. He's he hasn't had any experience, but he's going to a team that almost upset the number one team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons. You know, the Magic need some help after Jamal Mosley was fired. He's now with the Pelicans, and I think this is a great hire. The Spurs are probably going to miss him, though. Yeah, I mean, if if you listen to our segment on Jamal Mosley, you know damn well I don't care about experience. You don't see great transformational head coaches that come in and swing franchises around that really have head coaching experience. In fact, a lot of the time when organizations bring in these retread head coaches who have that experience, who many think is is a significant calling card for a coach and and something that a coach can lean on, you see that kind of go south, and you start to see, you know, there was a reason that coach was let go from their former team. So yeah, I'm I'm fully on board with with hiring guys with no experience. Um, you know, as as backwards as that sounds, I would way rather have, again, as I've said before, the fast rising assistant under a head coach who is already changing a program around. And that's exactly who Sean Sweeney is. I really don't know a whole lot about him, but first of all, I think taking a shot from the Mitch Johnson tree is a good idea. Um, Mitch Johnson is one of these guys that I've talked about as, you know, being the type of coach you want to pull from under. Um, because Mitch Johnson obviously came in in the absence of Greg Popovich and really, you know, this the Spurs didn't blink. You know, it was a pretty seamless transition. He has been great for them. And from you know, what what I've looked at just uh just over the internet and over Twitter and and and looking at what Spurs fans and Spurs media had to say, it really seemed like he was probably the highest assistant under Mitch Johnson. And you know, I've seen him called a savant by some people. Um, so do I know a whole lot about the guy? No, but listen, you're taking a shot on a guy under a transformational head coach, and it seemed like he was the highest assistant under him, and that's the route I would take if I was leading an organization. I think that gives you the best shot of landing a coach that is really gonna turn your franchise around. Was Jamal Mosley an awful coach? No, but I I I really, I really like this hire. I really like the full the philosophy behind the hire. Again, just taking a swing on a fast rising assistant. I love that. I think that those sorts of hires have the highest potential, and uh, and and that's what the Magic have done. I believe he's an offensive guy, um, which man, the Orlando needs like nothing else. That was really the issue in in Jamal Mosley's tenure. We know he can lead a solid defense, but the offense was just way too stagnant for him to keep his job. Um, part of the reason I really don't like him in New Orleans, um, I I just really have concerns about the offensive mind of Jamal Mosley. And yeah, I mean, I I I I just really love where this hire is coming from, and um, I'm really encouraged by this. And I I I think you know, fans of the Magic should be as well. You know, they have a ton of talent, a ton of young talent that we have not seen reach their ceiling, despite again, like you said, taking three games off the one seed this year. Uh, you know, we we know the magic are are still not playing as well as we know they can. Um, and I think Sean Sweeney is the type of guy that can absolutely take them there to their to their peak. Yeah, some good points there. Sean Sweeney, the guy with no experience, I think, is a good model for this young Magic team. And despite Sean Sweeney not being able to take Victor Wembenyama with him, he's still gonna have Palo Bancaro and Franz Wagner to start this new transition for the Magic. A lot of young talent on that team, constantly, either like in the play-in tournament or those lower end playoff seeds, they're not gonna be the one seed anytime soon. It would take a really good turnaround, but great hire to replace Jamal Mosley, and he has he's now a two-time finals participant. We'll see if he can get his first victory, but it's good to see somebody with not really much experience getting a chance, and he's only 41 years old, and Mitch Johnson's pretty young too, and you just see what Mitch Johnson did. Now, granted, he's he was under Greg Popovich for years and kind of learned that, but still a great hire for the magic. I was surprised to see him get picked. But I was I I've always wondered these last couple weeks, or at least recent games with the Spurs, like on TV or whatever, like why they kept showing him, and now we know why. It's like they kept like pan in the camera. I'm like, who the hell is Sean Sweeney? So, and now we know he is going to the most magical place on earth. And the other major story coming out of Philadelphia, staying in the Eastern Conference, Daryl Morey has a successor. Mike Gancy is now the Sixers president of basketball operations. He was hired away from the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was their general manager. Not too much we know at the moment with Mike Gancy. He has not had a press conference yet. He moved up the ranks in the Cavaliers G League and main organizations, like the main roster as well. He moved up even when it was the D League, not the G League. I believe he was an executive of the year back in the mid-2010s. So he's been with the Cavs for forever. Now he comes to Philadelphia to try to clean up after Daryl Maury. It's going to be interesting to see how he deals with the roster, which is, you know, how it's currently constructed. The draft is coming up in a few weeks, right after the finals. We have to see if he will nail his first Sixers draft, because as we've discussed, Daryl Maury had success in drafting, but free agency and contracts was not his forte. So the Sixers have some pieces. They have some free agents. I believe like Andre Drummond and Kelly Ubre are your big ones. Quentin Grimes, I believe, as well. And Bede's extensions about to kick in with the fact that he's injured. You know, you give a contract to a guy like that, but with the injury history, that could affect how the Sixers maneuver free agency and extensions with rookies and all that. So, Chris, I know this is not the guy you wanted. Similar to Sean Sweeney, I think most people said, who the hell is Mike Gansy? I know I was I was kind of confused. I'm kind of I'm low-key glad though the Sixers went outside the organization. They didn't just take the safe pick. I was seeing Jameer Nelson rumors, and I'm like, dear God, no. Jameer Nelson, he might be a great guy. No Jameer Nelson slander here. But you can't just promote from within the organization in a position like this. You really could use a fresh pair of eyes, especially the Sixers who have struggled for years to really get out of that second round. So maybe Mike Gansy will do something. I believe this might be one of his first top jobs as well, at least in the NBA, not like the developmental stages, like the G League. And he was an assistant under Kobe Altman in Cleveland. Uh, hopefully he pans out. We'll see how he can do as we navigate through Embiid's Twilight Years and the rise of Maxine Edgecombe. Yeah, I mean, it's it's kind of a similar situation with Sean Sweeney. When you see teams hire guys who we haven't seen in these positions before, you're you know, you you're naturally you you naturally have to do some digging to to learn more about them. And um, you know, that that's that's what you have to do with Sean Sweeney, and and that's what uh Sixers fans have to do with with Mike Gancy. I think you raised a great point though. I'm I'm really glad that they went outside of the organization. And um not only that, they they picked from an organization who seemed to be having a lot of success. But again, you you have to do a lot of kind of reading in between the lines with a guy like Gancy, who, like you said, was an assistant under Kobe Altman, who was really the guy in charge of making roster moves. Um, so you so you have to really do some digging to figure out what he was and wasn't responsible for, what were his duties, what weren't his duties. So that's been an an interesting investigation uh on behalf of Sixers fans, and I'm sure it was an interesting investigation for the Sixers themselves when they were looking into him. From what I've gathered, it seems like he's a really high character guy. Uh I I've I've seen the the phrase emotionally intelligent, and um, I think Bob Myers, who the Sixers brought in, is kind of the same way, and and I think Nick Nurse is that same way. So um I like them going in the direction of guys with high character um because I I I do think that contributes to the floor of franchise sets for for their competency. Um so so I'm I'm glad they're bringing in a high character guy. We know Daryl Morey was I th I I think he was far from that. Um, you know, he he seemed a bit petty. Um we we know he was willing to make bold moves, and he was we know he was willing to make bold statements about those moves, like how he sold high on Jerry McCain, obviously. But but but Daryl Morey, uh, I mean, we we've heard we've heard a lot of stories from players coming out about how they were mistreated by by Daryl Morey. So I think I think it's good for the organization that they're going in a direction with with guys with with high emotional IQ, high character guys. I I think that sets the floor of a successful organization. Um I I think all the great organizations in sports have really smart, intelligent people at the top. Um, so I was happy to see that. Um from a roster construction standpoint, I've gathered that um he was pretty involved within the margins, I would say. Apparently, he he was pretty integral to the acquisitions of players like Sam Merrill, um, undrafted free agent Dean Wade, Max Struce. Apparently, he played a role in. And I I believe he was more involved with the draft process than Kobe Altman was. Um and Cleveland recently has found uh Jalen Tyson with the 20th overall pick. He's he's been a very solid young rotational piece for them. Uh Naquan Tonlin, they found late in the second round, he made an impact this season for them. So, from what I've gathered in in regards to how he how he constructs his roster, how he how he looks at players. I mean, he has a pretty successful track record, I'd say, so far. And again, we're we're just I'm basing this off of what moves I've attributed to him. We really don't know for sure. Only he knows, only the organizations he's worked for know. So again, we'll see. But um, based on his draft history, he he likes length, he likes size, and you know that that's something that the Sixers absolutely need. They they really need a competent for, I think, a power forward. Uh so you know, and and again, uh apparently he was he was pretty crucial in the in the drafting of Jalen Tyson, uh, a player that the Sixers could could use who's big like that. So again, who knows how involved what he really was with these moves? Who knows if he played a significant role in the James Harden trade for Cleveland, which didn't quite work out how they expected it to. Um, so again, there there there's a lot we need to learn about Mike Gancey, but um, like you said, I'm really glad they went outside of the organization. I'm really glad they went with a high character guy. I I think those are two things you can check off the list of of what you really want um of the Sixers' new general manager, of what you want of a successful general manager in general. So yeah, I I I'm cautiously optimistic about Mike Gancey. Um again, I I think his his first real test is this draft coming up, like you mentioned. The Sixers really need to nail this 22nd overall pick. You know, when the Sixers were looking for a general manager, I threw out a name uh I I wanted for the for the GM. I threw out Vince Rosman, who did not end up getting a job. Um, but but I think I'll do that again with with now a draft prospect that I would love the Sixers to end up with. Alan Graves. Um keep an eye on Alan Graves. Hopefully he's a Sixer. That's one of my guys in this class. I would love to end up with him. But yeah, I'm I'm cautiously optimistic about this, about this Gancy guy. Um, high high character, a fresh eyes on the organization. Uh love that. I'm really glad they didn't hire from within. So so yeah, I'm I'm excited. Plus, he mogs. I mean, I mean, that's one of the sharpest jawlines I've ever seen. And as we know, um all all all great front office members have have clean jawlines and and just physically mog everyone else in the building. I mean, you know, high character, whatever, um, you know, good at identifying talent, whatever. You know, you really want your GM to be, you know, physically beautiful and have a sharp jawline, and Mike Gansy, we know, brings that to the table. So yeah, I'm I'm excited about the hire. I'm excited about uh the this new direction for the Sixers. Of course, that jawline was the factor that Bob Myers said, yup, that's our man right there. Yeah, arguably got him the job. Yeah, Bob Myers might not come out and say it, but but but we know. We know. We know, we know indeed. So we have two guys here for different organizations getting a maybe a first real shot to prove themselves in the NBA. So we will follow up on these guys as they progress with their new positions. We have made it to the NBA finals. We're down to our last two teams for the 25-26 season, and it'll be the New York Knicks taking on the San Antonio Spurs for the Larry O'Brien trophy. And in the conference finals, we say goodbye to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. This episode is entitled Championship or Bust. So, who's raising eyebrows at the moment?

Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks vs. Cavaliers

16:00

We are past the conference finals here in this NBA playoff run. So let's recap these series. We'll start in the Eastern Conference Finals. Knicks and Cavaliers. Last week we knew the Cavaliers were basically about to be eliminated. It was a 3-0 lead when we last talked about them. And there's not much more to say after last week. The Cavs got swept, boy. So the Knicks it was it was too easy for them. A quick 4-0 series, and what makes it worse when you get swept is when you flame out in embarrassing fashion at home. When you are the road team in the series and you have to end your season at home in front of those fans and say, hey guys, we suck. It's time to go home. Game four got ugly pretty fast. Evan Mobley was a minus 30. Yikes. James Harden shot two for eight in an elimination game shocker. And the Knicks hot shooting continued. They've been on fire in elimination games. It's as if there's no tomorrow. They murdered the Sixers, they murdered the Cavs, and we don't even talk about what they did to the Hawks. That's just yeah. So the Knicks have just been destroying teams left and right. Is it a matter of they've just been beating bad teams? Have they just been heating up at the right time? What'll happen in the finals? That has yet to be discussed. The rumors you've been seeing online, Chris, I've been seeing a lot of people trying to get a LeBron reunion three. I don't know how I feel about that, considering LeBron will be, you know, a ripe 42 in December, but you know, whatever floats your boat. LeBron was on the calves when he was drafted. He went back to win that 2016 ring. I don't know if a third stint would be helpful to them. But do you run this core back? I mean, everyone's been mocking Kenny Atkinson for the last week or so after he said they were analytically up 2-1 in the series, despite them down 3-0, because you know he he decides to follow analytics and whatnot. Kenny Atkinson has been the laughing stock of the league for the last week or so. And you see James Harden flaming out in another playoff series where it matters. Donovan Mitchell did good, though, but we've talked about, you know, for a while now the clunkiness of this roster. The shooting did not show up. Their defense is questionable, but you know, you have to wonder the Knicks, they just have been on fire. So a lot of question marks in Cleveland, but on the Knicks side, they've been doing really well. Landry Shaman, of all people, has been a flamethrower. You know, you got OG Ananobi and Carl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson doing really well. So the Knicks are primed for a spot in the finals. The Cavs, though, man, what an ending to that season. Yeah, it's tough. Um, there's not a whole lot to say about the way this series played out on the court. Um, the Knicks dominated, and um all the credit to them. Um, you you know, you you could you could say that you know the Hawks weren't too good and and you know we expected the Knicks to get by them, and you know, the Sixers, you know, coming off of a brutal seven-game series against the Celtics, you could say that, you know, that that that was an easy team to get by. But, you know, despite the questions we we have about the Cavaliers today, they had just taken down the one seed um in seven games. And you know, they they were playing good basketball for the most part, and the New York Knicks manhandled them. Uh I I mean that this is one of the swiftest trips to the finals we've seen in quite some time. They they are really playing the best basketball we've seen from the score in New York. I mean, I this this might be the best the Knicks have ever played in any stretch of time. Uh, I mean, uh, you know, the the Knicks have championships, but I I mean they they are just crushing everybody in their path right now. And it's it's really gonna be interesting to see them match up with a team we know is the best team in the league on paper right now. Um, and I and I give the Knicks a fighting chance in that series, but we'll talk about that later. But they're they're they're they're playing the the best they possibly can right now. It's it's unreal. Um they are playing um better than I think anyone would have thought they would. Um but on Cleveland's side, uh it's it's really interesting because you know you make it to the conference finals with this core, um, which obviously they had not done before, but despite that, I mean, I I I just don't think you can run this back. Like, I think we know kind of what this team is at this point, and we know they're gonna be inconsistent. Um, we know Donovan Mitchell's playmaking is gonna be inconsistent. We know James Harden is going to be inconsistent in general. Um, we know that the duo of Jared Allen and Evan Mobley is gonna be inconsistent. It's it's it's a really funky core, despite how talented they are. It's tricky. Um, and I think Cleveland is going to run it back because you know they you know they they made the conference final, you know, they haven't done that in some time. And and not with this core, but listen, I I really just don't think this is gonna work. I I I don't think that the front court pairing of Evan Mobley and Jared Allen can have enough sustained success to make it through a a championship run here. The spacing is is really an enormous problem for that duo that it really can't get solved, honestly. I mean, I doubt we're gonna see some shooting explosions from Evan Mobley, and and that's just not how he plays. And you know, Jared Allen, even more so. And Donovan Mitchell's aging now. We still have questions about his play style. Um, it it can be a bit two faced. You know, we see moments where he's being really um aggressive, passing the ball and scoring at will in a um in an efficient manner, and we see moments where he doesn't. Seem to know when to hit the switch between finding the right shot and playing Euroball. It's confusing to watch. You don't even have a channel that he is. And they're probably going to end up paying James Harden, which again just I think feels that they're running back this core. James Harden is really, really, really starting to get up there in age. And you know, we saw it as the playoffs. I mean, it felt like three out of four games from him were really bad. So again, this core is talented. They just went to their first Eastern Conference finals with this core. I mean, if you're just looking at those two things, you probably lean run it back. But I mean, when you just watch them on the court and and the problems we know that they have, I just don't think in good conscience you can run this back. This is the moment to sell. I'm sure you could get a great haul for Jaron Allen. I'm sure you could get a great haul for Donovan Mitchell. James Harden has a player option. Um, so I mean, you might not be able to get rid of him, but like again, you you could get a significant amount of test right now to reload with a new core, and they're they're not gonna do it just because of the fact that you know the things on paper. They went to the Eastern Conference Finals. They they have a ton of talent. And you know, I I think that's inevitably gonna be their demise. And I really just you can't see this core doing anything significant with the issues we know that they have and the issues that have plagued them, even on the the Eastern Conference Finals run. So yeah, I I'd be a bit frustrated as a Cavaliers fan because I really think they will run this back. But yeah, I mean utter domination in the in this conference final, at least after the the first three quarters of game one. Um, as the Knicks had, as we know, historic comeback, and yeah, the the Knicks playing better ball than we could have ever imagined out of this core, and and they're gonna have a real shot in the NBA finals. Yeah, you pretty much hit all the main points, and it's you know, it's definitely frustrating on Cleveland's side, but the Knicks have been doing a great job this season, and definitely on this playoff run, they've looked unstoppable. And like you said, with the Harden contract looming, that just pretty much puts the nail in the coffin that, yeah, they would run this back, which may or may not be a good thing for Cleveland's organization. And you know, now they just lost Mike Gancey, too. So, you know, who's making the moves around here is Kobe Altman going to be in check, or is he gonna make some decisions? You know, we don't know. But just you know, just a shocking series overall. The fact that the Knicks they got rid of the Sixers after that high of the 3-1 comeback over the Celtics, and then the Cavs, you're coming off of those two seven-game series, one against the Raptors, one against the Pistons, and the Knicks said, you know, here we'll help you to the door. So a lot of questions in Cleveland, and the Knicks get the golden ticket to the NBA Finals, and the Cavs have more questions than answers. All

Western Conference Finals: Thunder vs. Spurs

25:09

right, so the New York Knicks dominate the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals to face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. Who take down the Oklahoma City Thunder? The Spurs take down the Empire in Game 7. It just felt written in the stars that that series was gonna go to seven games. Uh, we got it. It was an epic series, it was an epic Game 7. Uh, what was really interesting about that Game 7, um, I I think the story early in the series was that Shea Gilgis Alexander was kind of struggling to get into a rhythm based off of San how San Antonio was defending him, but it was it was the role players surrounding Shea Gilgis Alexander that was keeping the thunder in it. Uh Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Kayson Wallace, Jared McCain. We saw tremendous shooting from all those guys. They kept OKC in it, and then in that game seven, um, Shea Gilgis Alexander went back to being defended pretty aggressively. San Antonio um cut was kind of sending doubles at him like they were earlier in the series, which again put a lot of pressure on Oklahoma City's role guys to step up and make shots like they were earlier in the series, and that just was not happening. Shea Gilders Alexander had, I'd say, one of the best performances of his career, given the circumstances and given how he was being defended. I mean, he was floating. It was unreal watching him play and and the the contested shots he was hitting, but the players surrounding him just could not step up. Um Khan Wallace hit hit plenty of big threes in that fourth quarter to keep them in the game, but besides that, um it was relatively quiet from from the Oklahoma City supporting cast, notably Chad Holmgren, who had a whopping four points on one for two shooting. He did not take a shot in the second half. I mean, it it looked like he had piss running down his leg looking at Victor Wembanyama. He he I mean that that was an all-time lights were too bright moment. It was it was honestly embarrassing. Like you start to wonder, is that gonna be like a Ben Simmons career altering moment for Chet Holmgren? I mean, that's how hugely embarrassing that was for him. Jarrett Allen can rest now. Yeah, I mean, in a in a massive way. I I mean, whatever, whatever um Jared Allen was was dealing with in his first game seven when he made that infamous quote. Uh, I mean, Chet Holmgren, that that was tenfold Jared Allen's performance. I mean, that was brutal. That that that was an all-time shrinking moment from a star player. It was unbelievable to watch. Um, Wembin Yama just just had him in prison, and and Wembin Yama had a great game, but you know, as I alluded to earlier, the the the difference in this game seven were the guys surrounding the superstars, the guys surrounding Shea Gilgis Alexander, how they weren't able to step up and hit shots as consistently as they were earlier in the series. Um, while San Antonio's supporting cast was um Devin Vassel was huge. Dylan Harper hit an unbelievable step back three over Shea Gilgis Alexander late in the fourth quarter. My jaw dropped after that one. Um De'Aaron Fox really stepped up after having a really tough start to the series. Um and it made the difference. It was like the guy surrounding Victor Remignama for San Antonio stepped up while the guys surrounding Shea Gilgis Alexander uh for Oklahoma City shrunk. And that was the difference. And San Antonio absolutely got challenged in that game, but but they but they controlled it for most of the for most of the game. And um, yeah, they pull out a a huge defining moment as a franchise uh in Oklahoma City to go to their first finals in a long time since the the Tim Duncan era. And I don't think anyone was expecting this all to come so fast for Victor Wembenyama. We we know how special he was as a talent, um, we know the kind of person and competitor he is, but I mean he it is so insane how fast he has taken the reins of the league. I think there's a strong argument he's the best player in the world, and this is all just happening so fast. Like he's really going to his first NBA finals in year three. Um and the Spurs are on top of the world, and they're gonna be the favorite in this series. Um and and and I think it's pretty obvious that there's another Spurs, you know. Uh I think the word dynasty has been thrown around a lot in recent years, so I won't quite go there yet, but the Spurs are used to the gills with extremely impressive young talent. Um they have a stud head coach, and they they they're they're set up to be that caliber of team that that we saw from them um in the 2000s and the and the early 2010s. That they're they're as historic of a franchise as they get, um, they're as winning as as a franchise gets, and and that's not gonna stop anytime soon here. Um, but it was an epic series. It it was some of the highest level basketball I think I've ever watched. I mean, it felt like every player that scored in this series or or that played a minute in this series was a significant contributor to to their team. It it was unbelievable. I and and I think people will will point to uh Cavs Warriors. I mean I mean you had um some of the most star power we've ever seen in a basketball series, but I think if we're just looking at how rounded two teams have ever been in a series, I I mean I think it would be you'd be really hard pressed to find a series between two teams who are as rounded and and as deep and as talented as this year's Spurs and Thunder. It was unbelievable to watch. I it was I think it was the highest level basketball we've seen in the 2000s. I mean, if not ever. It was it was an epic series between the two best teams in the league, two of the best teams we've seen in a while, and um hopefully we're we're just getting the start of it here. Um, as you know, both teams are so still so young and talented and deep and and have really good infrastructures. But San Antonio pulls it out in seven, just an unbelievable series, and unbelievable that this is happening so fast for the Spurs and Victor Wimbanyama. It was an incredible series indeed. And with this, Chris, and I know it is for you too because we kind of had the same thing. Our brackets are officially shot. Woo! I had thunder over pistons in five, damn it, and I can't I can't even get one team in the finals. Come on, man, you're killing me. Neither of us, man. It's it's it's brutal out here. We uh we we doubted Jalen Brunson and and we and we doubted the alien, Wemby. I mean, I I think when I've been doing my like preseason power rankings and whatever, I think I'm too biased with just automatically penciling in the champion for the next year's championship. But yeah, what a series this was. Getting it done. The Thunder blew a 3-2 series lead with home court advantage in game seven, and we saw it with San Antonio, we saw it with the Sixers. Winning a game seven on the road is not easy, and you are heavily favored if you are the home team, and the Spurs did not care whatsoever. Shea Gilgit's Alexander, 35 points in game seven, a solid performance. Kayson Wallace was solid as well. I I mean, every time he was just hitting shots like crazy, as you mentioned. Chet Holmgren was just a ghost in that game. Yeah, you're right. Like Ben Simmons level of ineptitude. I just I couldn't believe Jalen Williams. You know, now you said Jalen Williams earlier. What he meant was the other Jalen Williams, Jay Will, not Jay Dubs. The center, the center, yeah. Yeah, Jay Dub's been out pretty much this entire postseason dealing with some injuries. But you would think when one of your main three is out, you would think Chet Holmgren would step up to the plate, and he struck out badly. Yeah, not even taking a shot attempt in the second half. And with this, you know, contract that he has, it's really going to start to kick in. But, you know, with the Spurs, they got a lot of great scoring from their guys, their stars, and their rotational players. 22 from Wemby. He was their leader for the night. And I was very surprised to see Devin Vassell cap off the series with a dunk on a fast break. He was by himself. No one was contesting him. Shot clock was unplugged. As he should. To break the unwritten rule of don't score when the shot clock is unplugged. Chris, I I told you Devin Vassell is nice. And, you know, look what he does there. And he just he was just making shots the entire series. Uh incredible. Yeah, he had an amazing series. For the the Spurs, they've missed the playoffs the last six years, and now they just went to the NBA Finals. So going from nothing to everything in just a few months. And this is Wemby's first playoff run, is an NBA Finals appearance. This is going to really set the bar high for him and the Spurs, and uh it's gonna be really fun to see how he not only does in this series, but in the next couple years, because we've mentioned he might be in GOAT discussions when it's all said and done. Everybody just kind of puts Michael Jordan and LeBron James as one and two, depending on who you ask. But Victor Wemanyama could make a pretty strong case being an MVP candidate already, being all NBA first team already, being a unanimous defensive player of the year already, and he's only in year three. It's really going to be interesting, and you really have to knock on wood that he is healthy and that his seven foot four body can hold up, unlike what we've seen from Joel and B, where it's just you know his injuries have caught up to him in his older age. So hopefully Wembinama can really do a lot of good. And the core did great as well. Stefan Castle, after those miserable first two games with 20 turnovers, literally, cleaned it up when De'Aaron Fox got back. Dylan Harper as a rookie was cold. You said that step back shot was filthy. So really great job from this young Spurs team. And then on the Thunder side, they have some decisions to make. I mean, if Jalen Williams, J Dub, that is, played, I think they probably could have won this series or at least, you know, made it competitive down the stretch. It definitely hurt them. They have some decisions to make. Lou Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, I think they have to make decisions with their contracts. Quezon Wallace, not too confident he'll be back because they asked him in the exit interviews, and he basically said he loves the thunder, but he's like exploring his options or basically doing what's best for him. Mike Gansy, if you can hear me. Mike Gansy, please save us. Please don't wallace, Isaiah Jones, Rudor, Isaiah Hartenstein, please, just one. Just give me one. That's all I need. Yeah, no, we definitely, if we could swing Kayson Wallace or something, and if Kayson were to leave, because you would think he might get starter minutes. And Chris, I saw on Twitter from one of our guests earlier this season, Clemente Almanza, Thunder reporter. He said that Kayson Wallace deserves a starting spot next year. If we could get on the Sixers, I mean, I don't know, just saying. He can play the three. He plays bigger than his height. You know what I'm saying? You know, or give me one of them. Give me, give me, give me the give me that that Thunder farm system feeling. Just give me a taste of it. Give me a Lou Dort. And Isaiah Hartenstein would be a dream pairing with Joel Umbi. I mean, like, I'm just starving for any one of these players. And newly minted all-defensive second team, Case on Wallace, that is. But the yeah, the Thunder have some contract decisions to make. Obviously, they can't keep running back this core forever. You're gonna have guys who want more minutes on a team where they can kind of establish their own presence. You're gonna have contracts. This isn't NBA 2K where you can turn salary cap off. So they have some questions as they look to rebuild what we thought was going to be a dynasty. We thought this was going to be an easy repeat for the Larry O'Brien trophy. But the Young Spurs, they are the ones to get that other golden ticket and punch their way to the NBA finals here in the 2026 playoffs. To get more insight into the current NBA playoff picture as well as some off-season topics, we have our sixth guest on Dealman at Halftime season three. Let's get into it.

Sean Barnard Interview

37:57

So for our sixth guest of season three on the Dealman at Halftime podcast, we welcome back Sean Bernard. Sean is a content writer for DraftKings, a content creator for Digest Media, and a Sixers insider for Fox 102.5 The Gambler, presented by iHeartRadio. In 2022, he founded PickSwap Media, a podcast network that's rooted in Philly Sports. Sean has a degree in healthcare administration from Alvernia University. Sean, how are we doing today? Doing well, Larry. I appreciate you having me. And Chris, nice to chop it up with you for the first time here. So thanks for having me back on and always game to talk some balls. So excited to get into it. Sean, we wanted to get your thoughts on the current playoff picture as well as some off-season topics getting close to the end of this season. So to start things off, at the time of this recording, the Western Conference finals between the Spurs and Thunder is tied two and two. What are your thoughts on this Stellar series so far? And how do you see the rest of it playing out, depending on if it ends in six or seven games? We're definitely going to six, but there's also potential for seven. Yeah, to me, this has been a series that sort of spoke to me. This is what basketball's about, man. Especially that game one, going to overtime, Wemby pulling up from basically half court right there. These are the two biggest heavyweights in the NBA, and it's cool to see them going toe to toe. And it's very clearly to me the budding rivalry of the next decade that we're going to see between these two sides right there. This feels to me like a series that is destined for seven games. And I hope that is the case, just for basketball fans, straight up. This is a series that I can't get enough of. I love these teams doing their basketball chess, moving pieces around, trying to create advantages. And frankly, they're both so deep, so talented. And again, like I said, I think this is just the start. So I think this is heading for seven. I have a feeling that the Thunder's experience comes out in the end of things here, but I think this is a rivalry for the next decade that I can't wait to watch. Game four, like this this series has been all over the place. You mentioned the game one double overtime thriller in Oklahoma City going the Spurs' way, and then the Thunder taking two back, and then game four for the Thunder was just such a dud. Shea Gilders Alexander didn't even play the fourth quarter. And, you know, the injury concerns have been apparent for both sides as well, especially for the Thunder. Jalen Williams has been a non-factor in these playoffs just because of his hamstring issues, but still still a great series overall. And do you think it's fair to say that whoever wins this series potentially could win the NBA Finals now that we know the New York Knicks are representing the East? Yeah, I've certainly had that mindset throughout the duration of the entire playoffs, to be perfectly honest. It felt to me like the Eastern Conference is purely playing for second place. Now, frankly, the Knicks have put forth as dominant of a run as could possibly be. I mean, back-to-back sweeps, winning 10 of their past 11 games by double-digit margins right there, and frankly, looking pretty much unstoppable. I think it plays very much to the Knicks' favor that the Spurs and Thunder are essentially beating the crap out of each other for this seven-game series there. So I'm giving the Knicks more of a puncher's chance than I thought was possible, but I still lean towards whoever comes out of the West is going to be the NBA champion. Yeah, I was in I was on the same boat as as you, uh Sean, and in the fact that we we we were kind of treating this Western Conference final, you know, as the finals because you know it was it looked pretty clear for a bit that that no one in the East could even hold a candle to these teams. But with this sustained success from the Knicks, and not only that, just the lack of resistance they faced and the amount of rest they're getting and the amount of time of preparation they're getting. And like you said, like the Spurs and Thunder are like putting their lives on the line to escape this series. And you know, whoever takes this series, and you know, uh, like you said, it feels like it's destined for seven. So, I mean, that that's gonna be even more tread on the tires. Um, the Knicks are gonna get they're gonna get an elite opponent, they're gonna get someone better than anyone they've faced yet, but they're going to get a hurt damaged opponent in the finals. So that is gonna be really interesting to see um shake out. When I initially thought that that the Knicks might be able to get like a game off the Spurs or Thunder. I mean, now I could see this maybe getting pushed to six. And you know, the the Thunder, despite you know, winning all they have, they've had stretches, and especially in the in these last two playoffs where you know they haven't looked invincible. And the Knicks do right now. So I mean, like, yeah, right. I I think the Knicks um maybe have more of a chance than people think. It's gonna be gonna be really interesting to see how all that shakes out. Yeah, I'm right there with you. And like Jalen Williams is a huge story in his availability there. That was the guy that was responsible for really being the dude running the offense for the stretches that SJ was off the floor across last year's championship run. And it's really been all season that he hasn't been consistently available for this team. I believe believe he played 37 regular season games, clearly bothered by that hamstring injury. Even when he has returned, I don't think he's looked like the best version of himself right there. And they need that. It's been nice that you have guys like AJ Mitchell, who's banged up on himself and going to miss game five as well as he did miss game four, Jared McCain, who cooled off a little bit after he's given them a burst right there. So there is depth on the Thunder team, but it's hard to replace that top-end talent. So it is a bit of a war of trish in the playoffs, and to compare that with a team like the Knicks, like OG Ananobi dealing with a hamstring injury during the Sixers series, him getting additional time while the Cavaliers are fighting out back-to-back seven-game series. You see how much more rested and in controlled that the Knicks looked in that series. I think we will see a little bit of a similar effect in the finals. So I kind of have a feeling the Knicks do jump out to a series lead, and then talent ultimately does rise out for whatever that Western Conference opponent is. Okay, so I want to transition here into some some future markets because I think it would be a bit unfair to really look into anything rest of the season. We don't know what our finals matchup is gonna be. And, you know, as Sixers fans, we are we're already looking forward to next season, um, unfortunately. I wanted to start with some draft ones. I wanted to rattle off here. Obviously, AJ DeBonsa is the overwhelming favorite to go first overall, which from a draft analyst perspective, the draft analyst and me, I'm not sure if I agree with that too much. Um, I I really don't see a huge difference between DeBonsa and Peterson just in terms of how good they are as prospects. Like, I don't think DeBonsa's Should be this minus 400 favorite just purely based off of the players they are. I really like Peterson. I might like him more than DeBonsa. Um what what's what's your stance on this on this top four here? Because there's also a really interesting debate between Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson. Yeah, 100%. And for starters, I'm with you in the Demands DeVerse Peterson conversation. What makes it difficult is what a strange season that it was for Peterson. And if I'm a NBA GM, like I absolutely need to get in the room, interview this kid, figure out a little bit of what's going on between the ears there. I know that he released a little bit of, I don't want to say his tell all, but sort of explaining what went down this season, blaming a lot of it on some creatine intake and cramping issues that he dealt with. Seemed like some pretty serious stuff. And my greater critique to that entire thing is just put that out there throughout the entire season. I think it probably would have painted him in far better light, purely as a basketball prospect. I frankly do think Peterson is more advanced, but what I will say is there's way more of a range for what I think his NBA outcome is. That I think there is a world where Darren Peterson is a top 10 player in the league for the next decade, that he's able to settle in and be a true star in this league. I also see a world where he's kind of more of a rotation player and a scorer off the bench and a guy that maybe is not the guy that you expect with a number one overall pick. To compare that with DeBansta, I think he's got a super high floor. But I don't see a world where this guy's not a long-term starter in the league and an impact player right there. So I think the Bansta is the safe pick. I think it's very interesting that the orders Washington won and Utah 2. There seems to be a lot of smoke about DeBansta wanting to stay in Utah. He obviously went to BYU. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. There's already the rumors about potentially Utah flipping up to the one pick there. And when you make these kind of bets for where the guys are selected, it's based on what that number is, not the team there. So that's something to worth keep in mind. But I'm with you that in surprise for how significant the odds are shifted towards DeBanster right there. As far as the top four across the board, I don't want to say you can't go wrong because whenever there is this top heavy group, it tends to be one guy that doesn't shake out the way you expect. But that's what it feels like. I mean, Cameron Boozer, he's just checks every single box from a character standpoint, a leadership standpoint, a guy that you want being the face of your organization about all the right things. And Caleb Wilson, it's such a bummer that his season ended due to injuries. That's a guy you flip on the highlights and you say, How is this dude not the number one overall pick? He's unbelievable. I do kind of think I have him a notch above boozer that if I'm doing my current order, I would probably go DeBanza one, Peterson two, Wilson three, and then Boozer four. But again, I do think it is. Whatever your preference is, all these guys are studs. I'm glad to hear that because I'm also team Wilson above um above boozer. I just think the ceiling with the athleticism is is unreal. And if you're going off of like a five-play test where you take all these guys' five best plays throughout the season, I mean Caleb Wilson might go first overall. Like it's 100%. Um he he he's unreal physically. I I even think he he might have more scoring chops in in the mid-range and and deeper ranges than DeBonsa might, um more consistency there. Would I take Wilson over DeBonsa? Probably not, but um, I mean, I I I think I think Caleb Wilson should not just be written off as the fourth guy. And um uh look looking at the odds here, you mentioned how obviously there's a lot of smoke with um Utah won AJ DeBonsa, and you know, naturally he's gonna be favored for the number one pick regardless. And I was really surprised to see Darren Peterson's second overall pick odds at only minus 160. That that was a bit surprising to me because it's boozer nor Wilson really had odds below like plus 300 something, and he he kind of like feels like a penciled in second overall pick here. Um seeing that at minus 160 was a bit surprising to me. And um, you know, we just talked about how we're we're kind of Wilson over Boozer in this draft class, and Wilson with the third pick is plus 300, which was also a bit surprising to me, just given how close I feel that debate is between him and Boozer. I mean, I I feel like you know, obviously there are more guys that can go through it overall, but it it's it's 99.9% gonna be Wilson or Boozer, and it feels like they should both be like minus 110. Like, like it that feels way more split to me than Wilson ending up with a plus 300 odds at that pick. Um, that would that was a bit shocking to me. I I want to know who is like your fifth guy in this draft because there's you know, there's a pretty clear drop-off after after your your choices of of Wilson and Boozer in this class, and and you know, the number five picks a bit a bit odd in this one. Is is there anyone that stands out to you? I have some names. Yeah, it definitely feels like it opens up at five right there, and there's a lot of guys I like. Like Kingston Flemings is a dude that I've sort of fallen in love with, but he's got a little bit of size concerns there. Darius Acuff has his scoring chops, and it's just a bulldog personality that I think is going to play in the league right there. But I think Keaton Waggler is the guy that I continue circling back to. That would probably be my pick for number five. And kind of a cool story is this is not a guy that was expected to be a one and none type dude, just really outplayed any sort of realistic expectations coming into the year and delivered for that Illinois team. He's still super young. I still think he's growing into the basketball player. He's going to become there, but he's got good size, he can shoot the ball really well, plays confident, plays well above his age right there. I think if I am making the fifth pick and for what it's worth in that draft, that would currently be the Clippers, I think Keaton Wagler would be my choice. There's a guy at five that I have fallen in love with. If I'm an NBA general manager trying to keep my job, am I taking this guy at five? That would definitely play into it. But I have fallen in love with LeBaron Phylon from Alabama. I I love him. I'm head over heels for him. I just I just visualize him in an NBA jersey going to work, getting to his spots. Like, like it's it's almost Shea Gil just Alexander-esque, I I think. And and you know, I'm shooting for the absolute ceiling of of what he could be, but I was just kind of head over heels uh watching the tape. Uh Yaxel Lendeborg just feels like he's going to be like a like penciled in as a great rotation player in the NBA. Um, not not necessarily a guy I'd won at five, but but uh love him. Ade Mara, I think is somebody we could see go a lot higher than we think here. And Mikhail Brown, I'm I'm I'm really enamored by Mikel Brown as well. Um, I like him over Flemings. I like him over Acuff. Uh Acuff, the the the defense really concerns me. And and he's got really short arms. Yeah, it's it is it is genuinely concerning. I think Acuff's gonna come into the league and be an electric, you know, scorer probably off the bench for a team to start. And I I mean, I mean, like he he's he he's he might be the best like isolation scorer in the class, besides maybe I don't know, Peterson or DeBonte, just because he's so physical. But um, I mean A Cup Acuff's just a a microwave, but but I'm really worried about the defense. Uh Mikhail Brown, I feel, is really well rounded and doesn't have much less of an offensive ceiling. Yeah, so so those are guys I I like in the draft. I'm glad we got to talk about that. Um, I want to move forward into some of these uh future MVP markets here. Was there anything that jumped out to you as as a as a clear great value? Yeah, the dude that popped off the page, and it's kind of the same candidates that we're talking about. Victor Weminyama opening up as the favorite at plus 200 is what I'm looking at here. SGA at plus 330, Jokic at plus 500 is the top three. I think Luka Doncic at plus 600 is where my brain immediately went. That I feel like to some extent, Luka Doncic has somehow sort of got lost in the shuffle despite playing for the Lakers and doing everything that he uh he has, scoring at a ridiculous rate this year. And he does feel like a guy to me that is certain to win an MVP at some point in his career. It's gonna be interesting to see the LeBron James conversation this offseason and how that shakes out in LA. But I sort of have a feeling that regardless of how things play out, the Lakers are fully gonna turn over their franchise to Luka Doncic. And I think he's absolutely capable of putting up the numbers that are necessary to win that award. So him at plus 600, I think it was the number one thing that popped out to me. I'm also seeing Giannis at 16 to 1. Who will he be playing for is the biggest question there. But like that's a guy that I, when he's right, he's still a pretty clear top five player in the league. And whenever he's on the floor right there, so that probably would be worth a flyer, although I'm sure that number will move quite a bit depending on where he is suiting up and what the team looks like around him right there. And to go a little bit deeper, Cade Cunningham at 30 to 1 also stood out to me. We he's improved every single year, done things the right way in Detroit. The team's really been built up around him, and he is that guy that I think is that caliber. Got a first team All NBA this year. I think he's only getting started, so Cade Cunningham at 30 to 1 is also one that popped to me. Chris and I were saying in the last episode with we did the all NBA and all defensive teams. And having like I think I think Victor Wembenyama should be penciled in for all NBA and all defensive first teams, and probably MVP for a while. Yeah, defensive player of the year for sure. Luka Luka Doncic kind of is you know, kind of like an odd man out at the moment. You have Jokic, who we kind of forget about, but it's like you know, he's still one of the best players this generation. You have Shea, you have Wembinyama, and then Luka Doncic, it's like, oh yeah, we forgot about you. And he was injured in these playoffs. And you know, I think yeah, I think he can win one in this era, and especially if the Lakers turn over their team for him and see if LeBron plays another like 10 years or whatever he does. But yeah, I think I think some of these guys should get a fair chance with MVP. But maybe the 600, I I think is I I don't know. It's like he's he's one of those guys he should be getting the MVP odds, but at the same time, you have Wembin Yama, and it's like, well, how do you compete with that too? Yeah, and Wemby's the cheat code man. Like this is sort of this playoffs in particular, I think has been like his blossoming party. Not that everyone didn't know how talented this dude is, but to just see him go toe-to-toe and the way that he carries himself, the will to win that he possesses is something that it's pretty cool to see in a guy of that size with the buildup of his. He's about all the right things. So it certainly could this just be the start of the Victor Weminyama era and everyone else is sort of playing for second. He was um him him and Shay, I mean, the these were two guys I wrote down as as values I liked, you know, not not even just trying to pick favorites. Like it's really hard to see anyone else even like sniffing the award with these two in the league. Um, and and I think getting them at I I will say I I I think Wemby opening at plus 200 and Shay at plus 330s is is a bit fascinating to me. I feel like that should be a bit tighter, but um, it's it's no surprise to me that these two are are are kind of the runaway favorites here. And I think either of them are honestly good values because you know, despite being so favored, it'd be because I mean I mean it it feels like it's gonna be one of these two guys for the next five years. I mean, no doubt. Cade was this guy in the kind of the mid-range I mentioned. He's absolutely that caliber of guy, and he has some clear definable issues that he can fix, and and he's you know, that they haven't permanently plagued him. The turnovers have not permanently plagued him. We we've we've seen him um have better control of the ball than he did in these playoffs for the most part. The three-point shot hasn't really plagued him. Um and these are two things that that are that are definable and that he's talented enough to get better at and to shape up here into next year. And I mean, yeah, that there was a there was a moment this year where where he was putting together a bit of a case for MVP. Yeah. So I think him at plus 2700 I'm seeing on FanDuel was was was pretty solid value. And I wanted to take one long shot, and I was looking at all these odds, and I think the one that stood out to me the most was Cooper Flag at plus 15,000. I mean, you watch him play, he is just so obviously gonna be one of those dudes at the top of the league, you know, competing for this award year to year. It's it's you know, it doesn't take a genius to see that. He just operates like a superstar, and and he and he is one, and he's gonna continue to get um better and better. So um plus 15,000. Felt felt it might be a worthy shout here as we transition to um finally the championship odds. Curious to see to see who you liked in this one, if it was anyone other than the Thunder Spurs. Yeah, I'm intrigued by Boston again at plus 340, kind of a shorter number than I'd prefer to lay this far advanced. But all that they overcame without Jason Tatum for the bulk of the season this year was ridiculously impressive to me. I think despite like the success they had, this sort of was a a punt year from a salary cap perspective and roster building perspective right there, that they traded a whole lot of the talent that they did get over the championship hump with when you talk about the Al Horfords, the Drew Holidays, all these guys, the Chris Dabbs Porzingis that had a ton of success there. So I think next year there's gonna be a clear focus on having that roster right. I think we saw the deficiencies on that team in that Sixer series as they fought back from 3-1. I think they're gonna do a better job about it. And to dig deeper in the weeds, plus 2,500 for the Denver Nuggets feels like great odds to me. That I don't think they are done just yet. I understand the Western Conference is gonna run through Oklahoma City and of course the Spurs for quite a bit of time, but Nicole Jokic can still be that dude. He's proven he can be the best player on the on a championship team. I thought this year was the deepest roster that they've ever had around him, and I've loved a lot of this talent, but I think there were some clear issues with the way that team fully functioned, and I could see them certainly flipping the switch and being right back in that top tier of teams next year. I was a bit worried about Denver. I I did not look upon their their odds favorably here. I I'm I'm really I was really concerned by what we saw from them in the playoffs this year. I mean, this is like the second or third year straight where we've seen any slightly more athletic team, and it's not too tough to be in the playoffs and be and be a more athletic team than the Denver Nuggets. They they are that that is not their forte, and and they just got outran by the Minnesota Timberwolves. And you know, the Timberwolves are a great team, and they chipped two games off of San Antonio, but it's it feels like um I I feel like we're at the end of Nicola Jokic's athletic prime. Um obviously he's still I I I think he's gonna be one of the most skilled players in the league until he retires, but I don't think he looked quite right after that knee injury. Um it was as difficult as we've seen from him to get into a consistent rhythm as as maybe we've ever seen in years. And you know, he wasn't like bad by any means. It's it's it's not like he was putting up consistent stinkers or anything, but he was not the Nicole Jokic we're used to, I think, after that injury. I think he was a bit more inconsistent. Um Jamal Murray's getting older as well, and he's never been the greatest athlete, and he's constantly labored with injuries. I just worry about teams just out-athleting them. I mean, I mean, if if they're gonna run into a team like the Spurs or the Thunder later in the playoffs, I mean, I I I don't know if they'll have a chance. And and David Adelman, I don't think, is the greatest coach. Um, so obviously Nikola Jokic is is still one of the best players in the league. Uh, I mean, even on an off night, he's you know, shooting, I don't know, like 12 for 20, and and he's got 13 assists and 12 boards. So but but yeah, I'm kind of a bit lower on on the on the nuggets going forward than I think I ever have been in a long time. Two teams I wrote down. Uh go ahead. I guess to jump in on that real quick, um I I'll start off by saying I've been a Nikola Jokic skeptic for the larger part of his career, so I'm certainly not a guy that has pumped the the nuggets bandwagon there. I probably would push back to say, I don't know if I've ever seen the athletic prime of Jokic. That like he kind of goes about it in a completely different style right there. And I think like the Aaron Gordon injuries was really what bogged down that team this year. Is he's just so necessary for making up like his deficiencies in Jokic right there and really for the rest of the rosters. So I think him being physically right makes a difference. But I hear you on the skepticism when you look at it from a matchup perspective. I don't know how they go toe-to-toe with a Spurs or Thunder when you look at all the long athletes that can defend one through five and all that right there. So there's certainly work that needs to be done within the margins right there, but I'll hand it back off to you. Who else caught your eye? By the way, that's a great point. Yeah, Aaron Gordon was is is the most pivotal player on that team, without a doubt, other than Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Um, because he is one of the few super long, super athletes on that team who can, you know, compare to some of these wing players we see on the on the Spurs and Thunder, and that kind of archetype that they love. Just long athletic defenders who who can who can shoot the ball. Um that's what Aaron Gordon is. And but the Nuggets kind of lack that otherwise. And um I I think we're kind of seeing a new a new almost era of roster building in the West that that kind of runs away from a team like the Nuggets. Um, but I mean I I similarly to the MVP conversation, I had to write down the Thunder and Spurs as values here because again, it just feels like Wemby and Shea and then the Spurs and the Thunder are going to be no doubt about it, just like in the conversation, not just in the conversation, but like favorites for the next 10 years, it feels like. I mean, we're we're entering a new dawn here. And you know, again, similar to the MVP conversation, I thought plus two thirty and plus two sixty were like fine odds for these teams. Like, if you feel strongly about either one, I mean, these might be the best odds you'll get before next season, like honestly. Um, I mean, obviously we we still have the entire offseason to go, but again, it might be December, and we see either of these two teams at like I don't know, minus 120. So I don't think I don't think it's awful to take a shot on either of those now. And um, the last team I mentioned for the championship odds. The Pacers at plus 3,000 pushed the Thunder to the 7 last year, obviously. Um, it was a magical year from them. And I think they might be walking into next season with a better roster than they did during that magical season. Will we see the same unreal late-game shot making from Tyrese Halliburton that's yet to be seen? Well, we're it's gonna be interesting to see how he shakes back from everything he dealt with. But at plus 3000, I think it's a worthy shout. Um, I think Zubots is a lot better than Miles Turner. Um, but Miles Turner, you know, while he was fine in those playoffs and he's been fine for them for it felt like 20 years he's been on that team. Just not the greatest defender, and you're gonna need somebody that can at least, you know, hang with a Victor Wemanyama or a Chet Holmgren. And is Zubots the third best center in the league? No far from it. But he's really physical. He's a great defender, he's a great rebounder. He he's the type of guy that can hold it down in that scenario. Um, I like him a lot better than Miles Turner against those guys. And uh yeah, I I just I feel like they're gonna be walking into next season with a better roster than they did in that championship run. So uh I decided to give them a shout here at plus three thousand. But probably won't see anyone other than than OKC or San Antonio for a while here, barring a I don't know, a Giannis trade to Boston. Maybe that could could lay something up there. God, Giannis to Boston, that would be disgusting. Absolutely. All right, Sean, to wrap up, so another year means another Sixers season meeting its inevitable, disappointing demise. If you were the new general manager this offseason, which most likely will not be Vince Rosman, by the way, because of recent rumors, what moves would you make to get the team back into true contention and maybe into the first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the Joel Embiid era? We've seen time and time again the Sixers try new things, and just no matter what experiment they end up trying, nothing seems to work. And Bede has his yearly injuries, the coaching falls apart at the last minute, and Daryl Morey just got shown the door. So you're starting with the fresh slate. Nick Nurse is still here, but what do the Sixers need to do to just get back into contention and compete with the Celtics, even though they just beat them, they had them on the ropes for those first four games, and now the Knicks you have to worry about too. And you know, God knows the Pacers make a comeback. Yeah, I mean, I'm not one of these people who subscribe to this is the end of the Joel Embiid era in Philadelphia. That I I I don't see a world where you can move on from him and the organizations in a better spot. I understand the symbolism of turning the keys to Tyrese Maxi and Vijay Edgecombe. When you actually get in the weeds and try and find a trade that works, I find it hard to find an actual move that puts them in a better position. And any talk about attaching draft picks to these big contracts to get a deal done, I just fully reject. But I don't think that is the right way to build a franchise. And frankly, as much as we complain about the Sixers, the bottom line is they finished as one of the eight remaining teams in the league this year. And they still have plenty of bright spots to build off. I think Edgecombe's still coming into his own. They have to nail this 22nd pick, and that's really important to get a guy that can be a part of this core moving forward, even though it's not the easiest spot to draft at here. But I do think when I'm talking about actual moves, I think moving on from Paul George is kind of necessary, and it's less about Paul George individually. I think he was pretty fine for what they needed for the most part. I thought he was solid in the playoff run. The suspension obviously hurt this team, but I think just breaking up that contract to get some of the mid-tier players and mid-tier contracts right there is what they need to do to build depth. This is gonna have to be a luxury tax team. You already committed to the indeed extension and contract right there. I think Maxie and Edgecomb are only gonna continue growing. Maxie's got better year in and year out, and Edgecomb, I still still think is scratching the surface. But if you can trade him to a team like the Pistons that needs a little bit more scoring and a little bit more ball handling and creation right there to bring back some of like the Isaiah Stewart types and even the a Star Thompson type, even though I think that probably doesn't happen in a deal right there. But those type of players that I think are more of the complimentary but still high level, it's more of the contracts that I'm tied into. You got to get some financial flexibility, break up so you're not so top heavy in the salary cap sheet, which is the spot they're currently in. So it's not an easy spot for whoever this general manager is, but I think that's where I'm starting is finding a way to break up Paul George's contract. I saw a very interesting trade proposal that I've seen make their rounds on Twitter, and I I I kind of doubt the realism of this because it it feels like it feels like this would almost be too easy for the 76ers. A Paul George for Jimmy Butler and pick 11 swap. Man, I I would love that personally. Um I I th I think Paul George at this point is is probably a more capable player than Jimmy Butler coming off of an ACL tear and a better shooter. And probably, I mean, I mean, Paul George is is is still a very capable athlete, I th I think. Even after all of the injuries and being as old as he is, um like I I think I would rather have Paul George on my basketball team than Jimmy Butler, and maybe the Warriors would be uh just stupid enough to try and run it back with the score and and not blow everything up. And uh pick 11 would be huge, especially for pulling my guy Yaks, who who would be my my dream, my dream Philadelphia 76er. But yeah, no, I'm totally with you about the bad idea of of loading off these huge contracts. I mean, yeah, I'm and and I'm with you, like like there are things they can do in the margins here to really alleviate what ended up killing them last year. And and you know, to to put it simply, I mean they had absolutely zero depth and and they just totally ran out of gas. And it's not like a Sam Prestey um has. Trouble, you know, finding guys in in the margins that can improve. It's it's it's like Aaron Wiggins kind of emerged out of nowhere. Um AJ Mitchell emerged out of nowhere. Now I'm not I'm not saying like whoever this is six or GM is gonna be Sam Presti, but like there there are there are low cost moves that you can make to basically provide great level of depth for not a lot of money. Now now finding that's the hard part, but but it's doable. And I I I think what really solidified it to me that I would not move off of Embiid is that he came out in that post-game precious conference after game four against the Knicks, after getting swept, and said, like he thinks the knee is fixed. Like now, obviously he looked labored, and and and obviously, you know, like he was coming off of a a really laboring seven-game series, but like this is as confident as I've heard about his body, maybe since like before the injury at Kansas. Like, like he feels very optimistic about this, and and that makes me feel optimistic that um he can at least be the player we know he is for a lot of the season and hopefully a lot of the postseason if we catch a break. And and when he is that player and you improve in the margins, I mean you have a real chance against anybody in the Easter conference. So I'm I'm totally with you. I I I think it would be foolish to to kind of sell on the score right now. If Embiid had a year left, like I don't know, maybe maybe then I would I would be a bit more in favor of maybe you know starting anew. But like, you know, we're we're we're kind of stuck with Umbiat, and I really don't think that's the worst thing. And I think there are things they can do to to you know make a substantial difference. Yeah, and they're gonna have to crush those moves in the margin there. It's not the easiest task, but that's what comes with the responsibility of being a GM. And I'm with you from the stance of like, as much as I believe in Tyrese Maxi and VJ Edgecombe, I still think the clearest path to the Sixers having like a 1A championship caliber guy is getting a little bit of injury luck that Joel Embiid can put together a run. And obviously the track record isn't great in that regard, but there are encouraging things that you can circle back to for his availability this year. I understand he's never going to be a guy playing 60 plus games and all that conversation, but when he's right, man, he's still the best player on every basketball court that he walks on, and it's tough to just give up on a guy like that. And yeah, you guys bring up some good points with the Sixers. It's it's kind of like a damned if you do, damned if you don't with Embiid, because if you get rid of him, you have no defense or at least no paint defense. If you keep them, you know, what's the injury going to be next year that's gonna hinder him or the team? And you know, we see Tyrese Maxie has has grown in the city. He just you know was just named to an all-MBA team, and and VJ Edgecombe is going to be a star for the Sixers as long as he's here. And I just think with Embiid, I don't know if he can be a number one on a championship team anymore, or if he's ever been or ever will. And it's it's kind of hard, especially with the extension kicking in, that I think it's like a $200 million extension, which does not help things just because of his injury history and he's getting older. But yeah, I think I agree that whoever is coming in, it's gonna be a hard fix to just kind of jump right in here. One name I do see that is getting some traction is Jameer Nelson, who is already in the Sixers organization. He's been with the Delaware Blue Coats as well. And I think this is a scenario you have to hire externally. You can't just promote somebody from within because you need somebody with a fresh pair of eyes. You can't just continue to do whatever you're doing. And obviously, we've seen Josh Harris does not really care about this team as much as the Commanders and the Devils. So I think you just need you need a new, fresh perspective to try and do anything because you're seeing all these teams, East or West, getting to the conference finals, and they might not be as good as the Sixers. We've seen Luka Doncic drag the Mavericks to the finals, we've seen Trey Young get to the conference finals, we've seen now Jalen Brunson go to the finals, and just all these guys, and you're like, well, how has Embiid not been able to do this much? And I think he's the only MVP in history to not get out of the second round. So the Sixers have some have some work to do this offseason, and maybe the Paul George contract is kind of like that parachute, but it's just been a very confusing situation for this team. Yeah, 100% there. And like the the hard part of that I have with the embiad conversation is for sure the facts are the facts for what his availability is, but when you actually do dive down the list of like what went wrong, I have a hard time crucifying the guy the way that I feel happens national. I mean, just this year, like what do you want him to do about appendicitis heading into the playoffs here? And we're talking about him breaking his face twice, once on his own teammate's shoulder right there, and Markel Foltz. All the like issues that have gone back, it's like I don't understand how this guy is that cursed. And it kind of does feel that way right there. But you're right. I mean, the fact of the matter is they haven't gotten past that second round barrier, and it looks increasingly difficult to be the case right there. I do have a little bit of optimism that like as he progresses in the twilight years of his career, and some of this has to come from Joel, but there can be stylistic changes to his game where there is more of a workload put on Tyrese Maxie's shoulder. BJ Edgecomb scales up his offensive load, where it's not as living and dying with Joel Embiid as has kind of been the case for the past decade plus now. But I mean he has his flaws as a basketball player, and it starts with him accepting that at the same time. I was thinking the Sixers just need to do a better job of getting the right guys around him. I think if you can get a guy that can be sort of a 4-5 that can share the floor with him, that makes up for some of the rebounding deficiencies we're seeing at this stage of his career, that makes a ton of sense. Your guy, Chris Ziaxel, would be phenomenal in that type of role, and that's a 23-year-old that would be able to step in from day one and make an impact right there. So I think that style of player is important. I still don't think Andre Drummond and Dembona were good enough as the backup center options this year. So there's things that need to be improved on, even if Embiid is certainly at fault for a good large part of the conversation. That's a that's an amazing point. I'm I mean, like we we we talk about how the Sixers need to improve in the margins and and and get more depth, but I think specifically the one archetype they were lacking was an actual four, which just didn't exist. I mean, I mean it was routinely Paul George and Kelly Uber at the four with a center who is who has limited mobility, can't rebound like he used to, can't, can't defend like he used to. And you know, I I I I feel like even if you know you you throw yaks in the in that playoff lineup, I I mean that immediately solves like I feel like 30% of the the problems they face. Yeah, uh they they need a four, they need an actual four. Who can rebound, who can defend weak side when Embiid just I mean Embiid was caught in so many plays, these playoffs, where he really wasn't too far off from a defender, but um in an effort to kind of save himself, he he kind of just you know let let a player drive by or didn't even try to defend an opposite side layup. And you know, when your four is Kelly Ubre, like that that that is maybe the the worst type of player you can have in the front court along with Joel Embiid. And yeah, it was frustrating to watch them literally, I mean, not even really having a power forward this season. And you saw things change when Dominic Barlow started playing in in these series, and um, you know, he he Barlow is that guy. I mean, he is that archetype you want kind of want next to Joel Embiid. You would maybe want someone a bit taller, and maybe someone that can run the five a bit more consistently, but but but Barlow is kind of in that mold of somebody you want next to Joel Embiid, and things really started to change when he started to play in these playoffs. Um, I don't know what took so long for him to get on the floor, but um yeah, yeah, that they they they need a true four along easy. Even like a guy like Gershan Yabusele last year, who he obviously had a stinker of a season this year, but like that archetype of player is what I'm looking for. A guy that can be a power forward next to Embiid, can be a center if you want to run those types of lineups. And the frustrating part of it for my end is I feel like I've been screaming the same message for the entirety of Joel Embiid's career. Like it's back from Erson Iliasova, where we had somewhat of a reliable option in that type of role right there. That's like a necessity to me that they have to find that for this team to be maximized. I got deja vu just this whole conversation. Like I got I feel I feel like I'm in 2018 again. It's it's unreal how we're almost a decade later still having these conversations. It's frustrating because Embiid at his peak, even this version of Joel Embiid at his peak is can be the best player on a championship team, I would believe. And um the impact he makes offensively, even at this point, is is just next level. Like it's it's that of the best players in the league. Borderline unstoppable when he's on. Still, um, even after all these cursed, wretched injuries that that that that has been placed upon him, um, it doesn't matter. He he can drop 35 in his sleep, but it's it's difficult to construct an apt team around him, and that's what this next GM is gonna have to do. And knowing the Sixers, I have full faith that they will hire the wrong guy. So yeah. No, no, Arason Iliasova, man, that's a throwback. Yeah, we love Arizona Isaac. So I miss him, man. Definitely crazy times. It's been a decade. Too much suffering in the Sixers fan base. So hopefully we can pull a Knicks next year and go on this run or hell, even the Pacers, and try and get back on track. So, Sean, thank you so much for coming back on Dealman at halftime, and we hope to get you back on in the future. Yeah, absolutely. Appreciate you guys having me, and uh, would love to anytime.

Game of the Week

1:15:01

Finally, for this week's game of the week, and with it being the end of the season, this will be the final game of the week for the season. Do I even have to say it? New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, game one of the NBA finals. It is in San Antonio to start. They have home court because they had the better record in the regular season. Game one is on Wednesday, June 3rd at 8.30 p.m. All of the games are at 8.30. Why? I don't know. Not even the weekend games, not even eight o'clock, guys. Come on, you're killing me here. So, yeah, game one of the NBA finals. This is a rematch of the 1999 finals. The Spurs got the gentleman's sweep 4-1 in that one, and it was Greg Popovich's first title in the NBA, and what kickstarted the Spurs dynasty of five rings during Greg Popovich's tenure. So thank the New York Knicks for that one. And like we just said, we thought the Thunder repeat was a lock, and the Spurs were able to overcome that adversity. What's going to be interesting, not only, you know, you think of the Spurs as a young team and the Knicks have more veterans. Chris, I don't think anyone on either side really has finals experience or conference finals experience. The only person I could think of, like right off the top of my head, I was looking at the rosters like from the last game or whatever, like who really played? Harrison Barnes for the Spurs. I mean, he was a starter for that 2016 Warriors team that went 73-9 and blew the 3-1 lead to LeBron. He's really the only one that has true finals experience. You think of the Spurs, they have all these young guys. You think of the Knicks, Jalen Brunson, he did something with the Mavericks. They went to the conference finals, I believe. OG Ananobi made the finals with the Raptors back in the day with Kawhi Leonard, but he was injured, so he did not play in that series. Yes, this is going to be interesting from both sides. No one's really has that experience, but I don't know. This is going to be a good series, I think. The young Spurs, you have the hot Knicks. Chris, I'm taking the Spurs on game one. 123, 111, but I have to take the Knicks in six. Very, very interesting. Very interesting. Because I will be going with the Knicks in this game one. I'm gonna call it 120 to 108, but I will be going with the Spurs in seven in the series. Victor Wembinama's aura, like I literally just can't shake it. Like he's the chosen one, he's he's built for this. It's it's totally a gamble based off of Aura, which is a shaky thing to bet on, but but I don't care. Victor Wembinama was put on this plan to be the coolest, best basketball player of all time. And I think it's only right he gets a rank in his first playoff run. Um, but to speak a bit more on the series, this is gonna be an amazing series. Like the Knicks are absolutely cut out for this, and and they are absolutely um gonna give San Antonio a really, really tough time if not win the series. I think they have a better shot than than most people are giving them credit for. Um I I'm honestly kind of happy to see you pick the Knicks in this series because I really do think they have a chance to pull that off. I I mean, again, again, they're they're they're not as tested as the Spurs are. Um they have not faced a team like the Thunder, um, nor have they really faced a team close to that, but they are just clicking on every cylinder right now. Um it's it's it's really pretty unbelievable to watch. They're playing like the best team in the league, to be honest. And you know, you you spoke on the lack of experience for these teams, and and that'll be interesting to um to see play out, but these two teams are built for it. Um these are two of the best teams we've seen in the finals in a bit, and and this is gonna be a super fun, uh, super entertaining series. The Knicks are coming into this one with uh a lot more rest. Maybe the most rested team we've seen come into the finals in quite a long time. There ain't no in their last uh in their last eight games, they're 10 or no in their last 10 games. So so so yeah, the Knicks are gonna come into this one with a rest advantage. The Spurs are gonna come into this one with a Victor Rembinyama advantage. And I think that's the difference here. Uh I'm I'm gonna take the team with Victor Rembin Yama. Uh I think he's already the best player in the world. I think you can basically pen some pencil him in right now as finishing as like a top five player of all time. Like honestly. I I mean this is only the beginning. First playoff run, he goes to the NBA Finals, takes down what we think is the future dynasty. And yeah, I I mean I I just I I just I can't see this ending any other way. I I feel like it's just meant to be. I'm taking San Antonio in seven. I think the Knicks are gonna give them a really hard time, but but I'm gonna be gonna go with Victorian beyond to secure his first ring and his first playoff run as a 22-year-old, I believe, which is just unbelievable. But yeah, the the the Knicks are a thousand percent in this series, and they're gonna give San Antonio a a really, a really hard time in this one. I am stoked uh to talk about what we've seen from this series on next week's pod. I I can't wait for the series to get started. It's it's it's a it's a great one. We got the we got the finals logo back at mid-court. We have stars of the sport, we have two of the best teams in the sport going at it. Um it is going to be such a fun series, and and I and I really can't wait for it. But um I'm going Knicks in game one, but I'm going San Antonio in the series. You also have to think too, Adam Silver, as much as we've kind of questioned his decision making at times, not only did you bring the finals logo back to the court, you're also putting the most hyped up player in the league and the best player in the league in Victor Webinyama, but you're also getting the biggest media market and the best arena in Madison Square Garden in the same series. I mean, I don't know what Adam Silver was cooking with this one, but holy crap, man. Like it's gonna be absolutely electric. I I I cannot wait. This is going to be an incredible, incredible series. I I just cannot wait. It should be one for the ages. We don't know much about this series yet, Chris, but I think we will know one of these teams will win a championship. Just putting it out there, simply, at one of these teams win a championship. I I think that's a fair take. Um I I I think people might push back on you for that one, but but um I don't think it's too unreasonable to say that. We have a great series here in the NBA Finals, and we will be covering it for the next couple episodes as the NBA season begins to wind down the

Conclusion

1:21:53

Well, that's all the time we have for today. If you haven't already, make sure to follow the podcast accounts, Chris and me, on social media. The three podcast accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and X or Twitter are under at Dialman at half. My personal ex and Instagram are at Larry Dealman, Chris's personal ex and Instagram are at Chris Dippy. All seven handles are in the description on BuzzSprout, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, although you can find Dialman at Halftime on major podcasting platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube, the main podcast website is on Buzz Sprout. The website URL is dealman at halftime.buzzsprout.com. Feel free to send a comment by using the send us a text button located in each episode's bio. With the exception of Apple Podcasts, the text option is available on Buzz Sprout and all the major platforms. Your comment could end up in the fan mail section of the Buzz Sprout website. And thank you to Sean Bernard for being our guest this week on the podcast. You can follow him on X at Sean underscore Bernard1 and on Instagram at Bernard underscore Sean. And don't forget to spread the word about Dielman at halftime. See you next time, fellow hoops fans.