The Luck of the...Wizards?

The Washington Wizards finally turned their luck around, as they won the lottery and will be drafting first overall in the 2026 draft. Bryson Akins and Henry Brown discuss all the possibilities of the first overall pick, even a potential trade down. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to All Wizards Talk Podcast on the All Sports Talk Network. I'm Bryce Snake, joined alongside as always by Henry J. Brown. The Wizards won the draft lottery. They're for the first time in a while, we can say the Washington Wizards are winners. Good job not bearing the draft the uh the lead there. I was really wondering how you're gonna lead into that. I know like that's like this is the first time we can truly say the Wizards won at something.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

In a very long time. Um and I mean just I was I've watched, I spent the last day, honestly, in a great mood, but I've watched so many different reactions of people watching how it broke down. I've seen a lot of really tragic emotions out of uh you know, Nets and Pacers fans and Kings fans. Um everyone upon seeing John Wall was like, oh, that's a good sign. And it's just so funny how much this plays into it because like if they trotted out like Will Riley or Trey out there, who knows what Johnson that is. I don't think I would have felt nearly as good about what happened as I did. But the fact that all these teams that I guess on paper deserved it less just started going one by one, chalk style. Just seeing, like, you know, OKC and then Golden State and Dallas all get knocked out of the way, I was feeling good even before number five.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

I was I was surprised a play-in team didn't jump up because it feels like every single year a play-in team always jumps into the top four. The biggest jump, I think, was the Bulls. It was because they were like eight nine to four. Nine, yeah. They and they barely missed a play-in, but it's one of those things where it's like usually a play-in team is always jumping up for some reason.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

I think. Yeah, this one was defined instead by just really the the kind of trades that are just gonna age like milk. Between, of course, the pacers thing is that's the headliner of you know, once once a year in this thing, one team gets like drive-by shot, and it was the pacers this time, watching them knowing their pick was top four protected, watching them almost make it, and then at five at the very last second, got it ripped right from under their feet. Um, you know, the Clippers and Thunder trade, of course, you know, materialized in yet another lottery pick. Uh so it wasn't wasn't about as much the jumpers as it was just the teams who like the Pacers had their GM go on Twitter and like publicly apologize for this whole thing. That was crazy. You don't see that.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Yeah, they're president of basketball operations, you don't see that often.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

I can't imagine like, and then you hear about what Dawkins was doing. It turns out Will Dawkins was just playing like pick up.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

He was playing pickup, he was just playing pickup basketball. I kind of love it.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

I and Michael Winger's reaction in the in the ping pong room. Uh he did not care.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Just like gave a thumbs up, and that was it. Just very poised, a quick thumbs up. Because he was next to the Pacers uh guy, right? Yeah, that's right. He was next to the Pacers guy and the the Pacers person, he tapped him on the shoulder and was like, hey, and this was after the third ping pong ball, which this is what I love about it. How after the third one, they had every single combination left. Yes, just needed the first three. It was like four, two, and one or whatever it was. Four, two, one, and they had every combination uh possible that had a four-two or one in it. Unreal.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

I spent the whole day just ready for five, which stunk because this is definitely like a top four guy kind of draft.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Once they cut the commercial, I just sort of I didn't really know what to do with myself.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Everyone was expecting them to fall to fifth. Everyone was. Like, it was one of those things where it's like, uh, there's just no way.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

It's this is this is gonna go down as like one of the more iconic tank jobs, I think, of recent memory. Because I mean, I've seen Wizards fans like thanking Bam for just helping put this team in the ground and giving them just enough losses. Like the team that gets the worst record doesn't do it that often. And the Wizards, you know, you know, everyone who watched this knew what they were doing, but there was a funny brand of subtlety that helped them catch less, I think, basketball karma than teams like the Ness or Jazz, who like the NBA and Pacers, who the NBA was like actually hating on more than the Wizards. The Wizards were just so specific about who they sat, when they sat them. They weren't suddenly pulling everyone for the fourth, they would sort of put on these these minute loads and ease them out of the game as it went on, and they weren't as sudden, and I think they just they found this this art to this this part of the game that I think a lot of fans find really simple. Tanking is not something that people are proud of, but they just found a specific way to get away with it.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

No, tanking isn't fun to go through. It sucks. Let's be honest. No, tanking sucks, but you do have to realize sometimes it is the best and only way you can actually build up a good team. Yes, you gotta realize that sometimes. And it's not like the Wizards were sitting half their roster in January games like the Nets were. I remember we were at that Nets Wizards game on January 2nd, I believe. They sat half of their team. They had they said Cam Thomas could not play, and I remember watching Cam Thomas warm up perfectly. Nothing was wrong with them. They said he had an ankle issue.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

There was nothing wrong with them. That was crazy. And that game, like everyone was mad. They were like, all right, like they just they just changed gears, like the tanking race just got real.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Like, and usually you don't see teams just outright tanking in January. That's the thing. That's I think that's part of the reason why, you know, and I don't want to say karma because it does just come down to luck. It does, you know, it's like you have to hope the ping pong ball is in your favor, and that's why usually um if you're one of you know, if you finish with the worst record, you almost have a little bit like slightly better odds because, like I mentioned, you have all the common, like like I said, you know, Winger had the first 140 combinations. That's what it was. All right. And so once you see that and you know, okay, yeah, we are fine. It's you know, it's it's one of those things where you just kind of know what's going on there. And uh, like I said, what a great time to do it.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

What a great time to do it because all the other times where the Wizards just missing something, it was in an awesome draft with an awesome top prospect.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Where they were the last ping pong ball away.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Yeah, yeah. There's too many Zion and Cooper Flag and Wemby stories. The 2024 draft, it's not as bad as people said it was, but it's not great. And I mean, like, they got SAR, which is cool, but this is just a completely different kind of animal. Like the fact that you have your pick of AJ, Darren Peterson, Boozer, Wilson, anyone else you want. It's insane. Talk about leverage, and that's what we want to talk about today.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

And that's what, yeah, they have leverage going into this draft, as there have been reports coming out, um, specifically from Jake Fisher over the Steinline. He talked with Winger afterwards how they're going to, you know, keep their ears open and kind of listen to offers for the first overall pick, which it makes sense. You're you're always gonna listen to offers, all right? You're not just gonna straight up say no, because some team might offer you a godfather deal where you're like, oh, you're giving us all your entire future just for this pick, and we're sliding down to fourth. Kind of hard to say no to that.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Yeah, and it's funny hearing about the teams that are already rumored to be like trying to talk to Washington. Because again, the two have no reason to call anyone. Like, you might as well just like you know, put your phone uh on the kitchen table and like go read a book or something. Like, there's no reason to be like sweating bullets right now. There's still five, six weeks till the draft, and there's some teams that feel a lot needier, namely those teams we mentioned earlier that dropped out of the top four. Like, you know, Brooklyn needs to do something. Brooklyn needed a top two. They'll pick next year, and they're at six right now in a part of the draft where it really starts to break open, and you know, the idea of getting a franchise guy isn't nearly as much of a given as it would have been if they went to the top. Um, Utah is another team that's already rumored to be trying to maneuver. Which is interesting.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

They're second.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

They're second. I think part of it is they just want AJ Devonta that bad. Of course they do. I mean, they spent they've spent years um meticulously grooming the exact outcome just to be this part away. I think it's the first time Utah's ever risen in the draft. They've certainly never won the whole thing, and they got so close. And I mean, they're gonna probably they're gonna probably roll out the red carpet for the Wizards just trying to trade up that one tiny spot. I wouldn't be surprised. With that said, um, the Wizards know Utah. And last year there were a bunch of stories about the Ace Bailey thing. Ace allegedly wanted to go here, Utah wouldn't play ball, and now the leverage has sort of reversed. Utah was one spot ahead of Wizards last year. Now there was Wizards one spot ahead of them. And it's gonna be really interesting to see how that influences negotiations, should they actually go down publicly.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

It it truly just comes down to how bad does Danny Ainge in Utah want AJ DeBonsa? How how if they want him where it's like this is the only guy we want from this draft, you gotta be like, okay, we'll swap picks. You gotta give me at least three future first, then.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

At least. Yeah, that's the funny thing. It's like there the wizards wouldn't get if if there's like if one and two are changing hands, uh Ace wouldn't be in that. But that's a funny thing. I was thinking about that when I was driving to work earlier, just imagining them saying, we gotta get Ace. They're not gonna do that. Um they won't do that. It would be funny. It'll be really funny. It'd be funny. Uh, but Utah also is is a team that's built similarly enough to the Wizards. Um, the veterans aren't nearly as uh weathered as some of the Wizards veterans are, but you know, similar bed of talent, a lot year, like three years of just drafting, you know, mid to high lottery, and this is this is swinging time. And I think you and I both have our opinions about who we'd take personally at first overall.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

Yes. I just want to just real quick on the potential trade stuff where basically you're not going to see them trade the first overall pick unless they get like at minimum three future first. At minimum.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

I'm just really suspicious. Like just seeing that the fact that Danny Ainge, I think the last time the first pick was traded, I think he was involved in that. The Markel Foltz, Jason Tatum thing in uh 17. And I just don't think he's gonna like he's sort of like Daryl Moore, but these guys will just wait forever just to make sure they don't end up giving more than they feel like they have to. So I think any mock offer is already really overestimating how much he's gonna do. Like this guy's been around forever, and I don't think he's gonna bend down anytime soon, if at all.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Yeah. And this is the better thing, too, about it, where like you're not having protections on them. That's that's your one caveat with any pick that you try to do in this trade, you do not put protections on any of them. You have to be like, look, they have to be unprotected. I don't, I'm not doing this one through four stuff. I'm not doing it. Especially now.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

This was a great advertisement against bad teams trading top four protected picks, was whatever happened to Indiana.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

It's just and that's what I'm looking at, where it's like realistically, you try to do, okay, we'll swap picks. You also give me Lakers pick next year, you give me your pick in 2028, and you give me your pick in 2029. That's just a baseline of where the deal starts.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Yeah, I'm just sort of suspicious of them giving up that much, even though their interest in AJ is extremely public.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

And the Wizards have, you know, been as secretive as ever about what Yeah, and they've said straight up there, it's like we, you know, we don't think there's a clear-cut guy. They could go AJ, they could go Aaron Peterson, they could go Booster, they could go Wilson at one and just shock everyone.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

I'm just so glad. I mean, a week ago, there was that smokescreen story about Acuff that the athletic reported on, and I'm just so glad we don't have to play around with that anymore.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Which, by the way, that was like I know a lot of people took it as like, oh, the Wizards are taking Acuff at five no matter what if they get there. A lot of it was just we like Acuff at five if that happened. Like, that's just what the athletic guys were saying, where it was like, hey, well, Acuff is our fifth overall pick right now.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

Yeah, it was sort of like prepping for the the you know statistically likely outcome of them getting fifth, which they had like you know, a one in two chance of doing. I I I get it, I get it. Like, we're all sort of we've seen a lot of tragic lottery day failures. So it was good preemptive damage control.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah, and so and then like we mentioned, the other team that could trade, Brooklyn. I wouldn't be surprised to see if Chicago try to get in that on that action too. Wait, no, I don't know. Yeah, trying to trade up the number one.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to get away from the number one. I don't know, these are teams that rise up really suddenly feel like they're just happy to be there. And this is so far from what they could have expected anyway. I mean, they were I mean, they spend every year trying so hard to get to 40 wins, and they ended up in the top four. I don't know. I'd be surprised if they if they tried that, but you know I wouldn't be.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yeah, I just I wouldn't be surprised because the thought process would be do you really want to pair Matos and Caleb Wilson right next to each other and that be your core future?

SPEAKER_00 12:12

I think they're more concerned with selling out the tickets than you know, on court basketball strategy.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Because right now their best player is uh Josh Gideon, and I I love Giddy. Loved him when he was in OKC. Uh I got this my first OKC jersey I got in a while. Stop smirking at me. Stop smirking at me. But him him and um Matos are your two best players. That is your future right now.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

Yeah, it's gonna be whoever they get next. Uh Senge, who they drafted in the lottery last year, who I don't think played more than did he play any games this year? He got hurt immediately.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

He got hurt immediately. I feel bad.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

Is it in summer league? Because Ferphy on the photos fucked on him and it was a really embarrassing.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

I don't think it I don't think it was summer league, but I feel bad because I'm a I was a big believer of his when he got drafted.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

Yeah, so it's him, it's Buzelis, and if there's any Patrick Williams believers still out there. Rob Dillingham.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

Yeah, no more Ivy. Oh my goodness. It's just not good luck. Oh my goodness. Like that's the thing where it's like that's why I would not be surprised if they tried to trade up to one and get like a franchise guy.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

That'll be something. I feel like the teams at three and four are just happy to be here because there's almost there's I think Memphis is content at being three because I think they know no matter what, they're getting boozer. Yeah, great spots to be in. It's like you don't have to think that hard. Um, you know, everyone seems to already know this far out how the tiers are ordered. I'm I'm more curious about it's funny, we don't even we don't have to talk about this. I was ready for number five, and we have to be really creative about scouting. Um, really go that deep into the draft stuff. I still probably will, just out of curiosity. But yeah, I mean because there are some guys that I really like.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

There are some guys I really like that are in that five through nine range. Keaton, um, I really like Braden Burries, I like Nate Amit, like a bunch of those guys. I mean, he's not big on him because of his back issues.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Uh yeah. Uh 2024 was wide open. I remember after uh, oh god, I probably said this on a podcast earlier, but um after the Wizards got two and they showed like Jonathan Gavoni's rankings of like the top prospects. Um, that's when I saw Risha Shea first for the first time ever. I had never heard and I followed the draft really close thing. Um I had never heard anyone say he was a top three or so pick, and I saw him one and I was like, what? Uh and then SAR two, and that draft was just full of unknowns, and no one knew you had an idea of a few guys were gonna go high, but not like now. Now you know, even within the top tier, which is already pretty closed off this this far ahead of the draft, you already know like how the tier is is ranked even.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

But the thing is where it's like no matter what, especially in the lottery, you have the opportunity to draft someone who's at minimum going to be a rotational piece for you. Definitely at minimum, definitely theoretically, all these guys can start immediately. Theoretically, all these guys could start for teams potentially, besides like you know, like I don't know if Yaxel could start on a lot of teams immediately. I was talking about the top four. Yeah, yeah, you're right about that. Oh, top four.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

I was just talking about lottery in general, but lottery, oh yeah, lottery, yeah. Yeah, you you're still you're still right. This is still a deep draft, much deeper than top yeah, top.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

So it's just it's gonna be really interesting to see what happens. But going on our guys, I I don't know if we're gonna disagree with this at all, but I do think AJ is the first pick.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

We are gonna disagree because I think AJ is probably I have not changed. I have not changed. I've been I I I was I was I was boozer for the first couple months. Um and then 2020, what is this? 2026 hit, and AJ was right there, but I I don't know. I've been on Peterson for the last couple months. I think AJ is safer. I think he has traditional versatility that a team like the Wizards has been known to like. Um he has the spirit of a number one overall pick, uh, wingspan, um, shot making. Uh he he can I don't know. He he he can he can do he can do a little bit of everything. Um I I see him as like a a bigger version of Ant. I think that's my favorite comp I've had so far. I like that. I've seen some people compare him to like Tatum. Tatum is like the the go-to, like Cooper Flag was like that, like the go-to guys who can do a little bit everything. Um I'm gonna think about that because Tatum, Tatum, I I gotta remember what Tatum's defense was like on a duke, but I am actually on Team Peterson. I think fit aside, fit aside, because I do think he would be a better fit on the Wizards as an offball guy, short the guard depth. Um, I love his shooting. Um, I think his defense could be really real. He's strong. I'm one of the guys who some people saw what he did in college and interpreted as like, I don't know, he made some mistakes with whatever the creatine story was. Maybe he like had some he had the cramps. I see that as him doing what he did, toughing out some of the tough things. So you look at the high school things, you saw some athleticism, you saw his his burst, you saw how much loose he got in the jumpers. Um, I just think he can he can score anywhere in a variety of roles. Um, I think he's you know, not not as outspoken as as AJ is, even though AJ is already pretty business-minded. Darren Peterson is like ready to work. I think he'd appreciate DC. And I think I don't know. I I think the best version of Peterson, I prefer the best version of AJ, is where I'm at right now.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Yeah, I I really like AJ at one because A, I do think he is the best player in this draft. I I do. Just when you're looking at, and a lot of it is he is just so athletic and lengthy, and that's why when people mention, well, out of the top three guys, he might be the worst defender. I'm not worried about that. A BYU has always been known to be this college program that has not put any emphasis on telling their players to play defense. They've never been known as the players. Yeah, like they've they've never been that. Never. And so that's where like his thought process has always like BYU. It's always been we're going to outscore you. We don't care about the defense, we're just going to put up more points than you. That's what it is. They're very offensive focused. But I just think his we saw um their combine numbers came out today for like height and everything. Yes, yeah. He he has the wingspan to be a good defender. He has the standing reach to be a good defender. I'm gonna pull it up. He looks the part oh 100%. I'm gonna pull it up.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

He looks like what number one number one overall picture is supposed to look like.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Yeah. Almost uh seven foot wingspan, eight ten reach, almost a nine foot uh standing reach right there. You 100% take that out of your you know, three man. What's his height uh without shoes? Is it six eight?

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Six eight and a half. He's he's big. Anyone who, and honestly, that's where the wizards of old have usually not when I say old, I mean the last couple years. They they lean with the guy who has like no that that that frame. They like how physically AJ plays probably. Um, and I know I shouldn't let one game determine everything, but I have to go back and watch that Kansas BYU game because Peterson tore him up. And I just gotta watch back and just and just see how much of that translated over their other games that they weren't playing against each other.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Yeah, I just part of it that I'm not worried about his defense is like I mentioned, he has the wingspan, athleticism, to where he can't be a good defender, and I am not worried about the counting stout stats. I don't care if he's averaging two steals a game. I'm not worried about that. I'm worried if he can get deflections and be in passing lanes. And with his wingspan, all you gotta do is teach him how to read passes a little bit better. That's it. And he would become a much better defender with that alone. It's just improving the defensive IQ. That's all it is.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

If there's one number I'd look out for AJ as a rookie, assuming I don't know what team he's gonna go to, maybe it's the Wizards. Um, I would look out for how many threes he's attempting per game because I think he'll be a lot less valuable if he is as mid-range focused as he was in college. And he has three-point range, his form looks good. Uh, it's it's a matter of, I don't know, on the wizard. You want to talk about fit, right? So, how do you imagine him imposing himself on the wizard's rotation?

SPEAKER_01 20:14

I view him as a guy that can work off ball and on ball. I think he slides in perfectly at the three, you run, and if you draft AJ, we don't know who the team is going to draft. I think you end up sliding Keyshawn down to coming off the bench. No, not the four. You start you start A D and SAR together at the four and five. Trey Johnson because you need a spot up shooter out there. You need a spot up a shooter out there. So I would start Trey Johnson because of that. Now, I get if you want to go super big a little bit, but you don't have a ton of shooting in that scenario. However, I do view AJ as a guy that can work on ball, driving to the rim. And the reason I'm not necessarily worried about him taking a lot of threes is because his game is all about getting the mid-range or into the paint. He averaged nearly nine free throw attempts in college. You don't see that. You don't see guys average nine free throws in college. That's going to translate to the NBA level, and he was knocking him down at a 77% clip as well. I mean, he just that's what I love about him. He's a good slasher as well. I think working off of screens from SAR is going to be really nice. He's a decent passer for his size, he can rebound a little bit as well. I just think he's the perfect slot at the three for all assets on offense.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Uh I mean what you're saying makes sense from a fit perspective. I man, it'd be tough watching Keyshan go to the bench. It would, it would. He can really shoot. And he's, I think, a better player than Trey Johnson.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Um this isn't me saying I think Trey Johnson is better than Keyshon.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

I just think it makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

I just think you need a shooter like Trey Johnson starting when if you do go AJ, Saur, and Davis at the three, four, and five.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

I'd be most excited for aside from the starting lineup. I'd be most excited for um Keyshawn instead of Trey in some lineups, and I'd be excited for both Trey and Keyshawn and no AD in some lineups. How those work defensively. It'll definitely be interesting. And AD might not even be on the team come regular season. You never know. You never know. And I'm gonna write about this later. What a good luck charm that guy is. Like count three different times he's been involved with it, either traded to a team right before they get the number one overall pick or traded from the team right before they get the number one overall pick. That's just it's just gonna last like eight years ago.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

That's the real reason Will Dawkins took him. That's the real reason. He knew to be honest here. He he knew he he had the script.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

If you think about this of the AJ Wizards, it should such a trade uh pick be made. The idea of AD and stars the double bigs with start starting caliber slash bona fide starter rotation of AJ, Keyshawn, Bilal, and I don't know, maybe Will Riley, that's huge. And I mean, if if any of them bulk up this offseason, that's just a game changer. That is that is an enormous band of wings and bigs to throw it in another team. And you you see it with a lot of teams now, you can never have too many wings. You can never have too many. And especially in the playoffs, you can never have enough physicality. Yeah, that's how the defense has been the common thread between the teams that are advancing and you know won much of any games. It's not as much the teams that shot the most threes, um, but it's it's can you stop um shots at point blank range and can you score easy buckets of your own? And AJ definitely fits that idea of like the Wizard's main concern of not being big enough or strong enough to contend. This is like the play you make if if you want to shore up your size on the wings. Oh, 100%. I get I get the Darren pick as well. I get the Peterson pick. I mean it would be weird after Trey Johnson last year. That would be that would be uh sort of a funny, because this is just the sort of the super version of Trey. More physical, better on defense, probably not as sparkly of a shooter. Where I mean the kind of shots Trey shoots are just just a little bit different than almost any other player, let alone rookies. Um, but man, I tell you, like Peterson, like he's he's like an aggressive booker who is just determined on defense. Um the mid-range looks super smooth. Not like not a super not I mean Trey Johnson has like just a what a simple looking form he has. And Peterson doesn't look it looks good. It looks it's a great looking form. I guess I guess I'm saying it's not like the smoothest of the smooth. It's still a great looking form. He gets to it with ease. Um the three's fine, he can shoot him off pin downs, he can go on the run. And of course, he's strong enough to actually, you know, get downhill. He has the handle. I think he's like the complete combo package. That's the pitch. I think it would, and the guard room probably needs a young headliner, um, even if you like Trey a lot. But the the backcourt rotation of the Treys, uh Darren Peterson, and all of the fringier guards who bust their way in, whether it's Bub or Hardy or or Ken Whitmore or anyone else who's there, um, I I think that that starting lineup, I think I probably prefer of any that we're talking about of Trey Young, um Darren Peterson, Keyshawn, Sarr, A D. That's that's something that I'm thinking a lot about. Because there's there's your bucket generator that isn't Trey Young. And I think they could they could partner together in a way that maybe won't age great, but I don't know, Trey Young averaged the third most assists of all time, and I can see Peterson appreciating those.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Yeah. Um, I'm I'm interested, like I don't want to say I'm interested. I'm not confused by it whatsoever. We both did it mention Cam Boozer, and I don't, I just don't see why Washington would draft him first.

SPEAKER_00 25:53

If you know they aren't attached to AD, it makes some sense, but it does create some problems that I guess need to be stored out sooner rather than later. But winning player, um, he can shoot and he is physical, so he does solve some needs, but I guess it does it does, it does sort of it doesn't it doesn't feel like it just doesn't feel like the kind of pick Dawkins or Winger would make.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Just like not the kind of player that they would draft with the first overall pick. I feel like they would be more inclined to take DeBonsa or Peterson over Boozer, maybe be even more inclined to take Wilson before.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

I was just thinking that's definitely the more upside heavy pick is Caleb Wilson because Boozer, you know exactly what he is. He probably doesn't have the same Hall of Fame. Well, that's not he could make the Hall of Fame.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

I I think he's gonna be great. I I think Boozer is gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

He doesn't have the same first team all NBA, I think, kind of appeal as some of those other guys do, is in terms of what they could do that's still untapped on a consistent basis.

SPEAKER_01 26:50

It's it's weird. I feel like you almost have to run an offense through Boozer to have him really be successful. And just in Washington, you're not gonna do that. You're gonna have the offense go through train and have him initiate it. Interesting. I don't know. I think he could be a decent pick and roll guy pretty quickly, even as I think he'd be a good pick and roll guy. I just feel like with his playmaking ability, you need him to initiate the offense if you want him to really get the most out of him. It's okay to admit that he's he's a great-looking grizzly. He he makes perfect sense for that. I he makes perfect sense for them. It's the it's the perfect fit. I view him as Timberwolves Kevin Love. That's how I view him.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

That's that's definitely been like the most popular uh comp for him in a while. And I think that that might sell it short in the sense that I mean the the the level to which Boozer can shoot already is is way ahead of Kevin Love. That's amazing. It's amazing. Um, but definitely it's a matter of like, do you it it's a matter of whether people believe he has that same rebounding upside? Because that's what made Minnesota Kevin Love so special was his around the basket stuff. The outlet passing, the offensive boards.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

The most intriguing part about Boozer is he's one of the youngest players in the draft as well. He's not even 19 yet. A lot of flag to him in that regard. And so it's just it right now, like I think he is the youngest player registered for the draft. Really? Which, yeah, I think so. Makes sense. There's fewer players getting registered every year with NIL rising. Like, it's just it's kind of interesting to look at it. Him, because I don't know if Dash Daniels has you know declared for the draft yet or not. Oh, yeah. If Dash does, he would be the youngest at 18 and a half. But Boozer is, you know, he's not even 19 yet. That's that's what's really crazy. Yeah. Now, granted, you know, AJ and Darren are, you know, just a few months older than them, but it's just it's kind of crazy to see him at that age being that physical and dominant at the college level. And so I I do think he's you know top three guy for sure. I do think he's gonna be successful. I just don't view him as a wizard. That's that's the weird thing. I just don't view him as one.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

It makes sense. It's sort of hard to wrap your mind around looking at SAR and looking at AD right there, because you just you know that they're gonna make some decisions later, maybe they won't be around forever. But it is, it does create some weird opening day questions. So I get that. It's it's it's if you don't want the headache, I guess that makes sense. I think you make your decision above, beyond whatever the AD storyline becomes. But if you believe these guys are better, then pick these guys instead.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Yeah. Now, one last thing I do want us to talk about um is like the possibility of trading back into the first round at like a late first round pick to really take a chance on someone that you believe in um for you know for the wizards. And there are a few guys that you could do that for. I mean, I know a lot of people talk about uh Swain over at Texas. A lot of people view him as a lottery pick. I like him. He's not a lottery pick. Let's slow our horses a little bit. He's he's not a lottery guy, but he is someone that you could try to trade up to 25, for example, and snag him. Might be my lottery.

SPEAKER_00 29:58

I got I still haven't made a lot, I haven't made a mock yet. I got I gotta I I gotta read yours.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Yeah, uh there's just so many good players in the lottery where it doesn't make sense to take Swain above him. Like you wouldn't take you like just being honest, you wouldn't take Swain over Nay Ahmed. You wouldn't take him over Mikhail Brown, you wouldn't take him over LeBaron Fillin. You wouldn't, you wouldn't even take him over Yaxel. Like it's just you know, that's how that's how loaded that, yeah. That's how loaded this class is, where it's like, man, there's so many good guys. Even Jaden Quintens, I don't think you take him over him. That guy's really interesting. That guy's like one of the real wild cards of this draft for me. Yeah, which his measurements came back today as well, and they looked really good. Okay, I I'm pulling them up for you to so I can tell you what they were. But he he he's big. He's he's oh my goodness. I kind of I kind of want Dawkins and Winger to trade up for him just because those measurements he would he is 6'9 with a 7'5 wingspan at 253 pounds and a nine foot one inch standing reach. Whoa! That is I like that. He'd be fine. I I really like that. It's it's oh my goodness. I like there's just so many guys when looking at the measurements come in, I'm like, ooh, that is nice to look at a little bit. He's gonna be a great clipper. Yeah, oh 100%. He's gonna be a great clipper. Gonna be gonna be fantastic for him. They wouldn't take him at five, though. They I I think I think Los Angeles, being honest, is taking a cuff at five. That would that would be sort of funny alongside Garland. But um, I just I have a strange feeling that's what they do. Um, the Clippers. Yeah, or even just take uh Mara very early.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Mara, I think, is going top ten. That would be really that would be fascinating to fill the Zubots, fill the Zubots void. I feel the Clippers do weird stuff every year. Last year they picked um Yannick Conan Niederhauser at 30th, and I remember Ryan Windhorse is on TV and he's like, I have no idea who that is. And they picked Kobe Brown a few years ago with like the the same sort of pick. Um I don't know. They they they sort of surprise us every year, so I I'll I'll keep my eyes on them too.

SPEAKER_01 32:12

There's another guy I would not mind them trading up for. It's Alan Graves over at Santa Clara. He looked really good. The nerds are really divided on him. Yeah, they're very divided. His measurements came back as well. Almost 6'8. He's 225 pounds with a seven-foot wingspan, almost an 8'11-inch standing reach. Wow. Like he's he's got some lengthy arms. He's really good offensively. I like him. He's someone I would not mind to see the Wizards try to trade up and get.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

This is where the the combine stuff is dangerous because we're just thinking about the numbers and we forget for a moment. It's like, can this guy play basketball? Like, we forget about that. Oh, he can't we know.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Alan Alan Graves went crazy at Santa Clara this season. He looked he he looked really good. He only played 22 minutes a game, but he averaged 12 points on 51, 41 splits.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

I'm excited. I I am gonna make my own mock at some point. Um, but now I do know that I will spend more time watching probably a lot of BYU in Kansas over the next couple weeks and with some Duke and UNC sprinkled in there.

SPEAKER_01 33:21

And I'll I'll tell you as well. Look at like try to watch Phil on guys in the second round because the second round is loaded with talent still. Yes, and again, there's fewer. JT Toppin. JT Toppin, a lot of people have forgotten about him because he tore his ACL. He was hooping. He was hooping. He looks really good. Like, there are just so many guys like that. Baba Miller, I like him as well. Nate Biddle, I like him. Like, there are so many guys here in the second round that'll be on two-way contracts that could turn into someone legit. I'm excited. Draft season starts now. Oh my goodness. The watching wizards are officially on the clock, is what we can say. Yes. They are officially on the clock. They have the longest time to decide who they want to draft, what they do with the pick. But that's an episode. You guys, you guys made it through another tanking season to see them finally get the first overall pick. This is the first time with the flattened odds before they go away that the worst team in the NBA ended up with the first overall pick. Wow, is that true?

SPEAKER_00 34:23

This was one of the tanks of all time. Uh, if any listeners didn't spoil themselves last night, um, take care of it tonight. Look at Bryson. He got honey Chipotle uh chicken.

SPEAKER_01 34:32

Honey Chipotle. Follow his lead. Ben Ben Strover over at Locked on Wizards. I know you get you can't have Chipotle. He gave up Chipotle if they got the first overall pick. Did he really? For how long? He gave up Chipotle for six months.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

What a nerd. I didn't give him anything.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

Oh, I didn't I didn't call you that, Ben. I didn't call you that. It's okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

I didn't.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

I'll say it to you.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

I'll say it to his face. He's got he's talked to me before about how when we're at games, he told me uh that he was like, I've never seen he said to me, I've never seen you eat anything nutritious because I just eat whatever's at the games, whether it's MMs or um sodi pop or popcorn or whatever. Um, so I'll enjoy my uh honey chipotle chicken uh right in front of him.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Yep. Well, that's an episode, baby. We'll catch you guys in the next one. Peace.