DominAYTON the Summer

The fellas hop on the pod to discuss the recent trade for Deandre Ayton and where this now puts the team in the Eastern Conference. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to All Wizards Talk Podcast on the All Sports Talk Network. I'm one of your co-hosts, Bryce Nakens, joined alongside, as always, by Henry J. Brown. And Joshua Valde is now joining us as a co-host for the rest of the time that we do this podcast. As long as he wants to be with us. Hopefully he doesn't leave. Please don't leave. Don't ever leave. We enjoy having you around. Um we had an episode lined up for yesterday on the third. And then, you know, I left. I was like, okay, I can post this tonight. When I get back, I'll have some time to edit it. As soon as I leave, get to the golf course an hour after we get done recording. Uh a trade happened. And all of yesterday, it was talking about when is Dawkins going to wake up. It's safe to say he finally woke up. It's it's safe to say he finally he finally made a decision, woke up a little bit. Now he's actually doing stuff with this team. I know Henry has some thoughts about the trade. I know Josh and I are pretty much on the same page about it as well. But they traded for DeAndre Ayton, and it's not like he's gonna be a starter. He's gonna be a perennial backup for this team. The occasional spots start with injuries, you know, happening so often. But Henry, I just what what were your initial reactions to this trade? Because I think everyone needs to hear this.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

It's a good trade. I wrote the instant trade reaction as a B plus because to break it down for everyone, they traded for DeAndre Aiden in the final year of his contract for two second-round picks to be spent in the 2030s. And Jaden Hardy, who is a piece of shrapnel from the 80 trade, not a whole lot of DC ties, spent like 30 games in Washington, put up decent numbers, but didn't need him. And they got Aiden. And I think it's good if you're gonna get a backup center, getting a career starter who is at sort of a low point in his career and how he's being perceived, some of his numbers. But he's still gonna put up numbers next to a great point guard. And if you have an entry passer who can find him, and that's awesome. I just had a bit of bristle to me afterward because I haven't been a fan of some of the way he's played in the past. Some of the way he's developed compared to his talent has left me a bit uh disappointed before. But given the role he's in, and given the franchise's willingness to bet on someone coming off a high-stakes Lakers stint after a few disappointing stops, I get it. It's sort of a rehabilitation thing. People are talking about whether he'll be motivated, whether he will give the franchise the muscle, the rebounding, the finishing that they need. And I think he could. I I understand the vision.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Okay. I I at least you understand it. You weren't happy about it. I'm gonna be honest. You in our group chat, there were definitely some conversations to be had.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

I never took anything away from the move. It was pertaining to I don't know, I watched a lot of Aiden over the years. And it was it was how how can he really get a year to watch? No, but no, but given the fit he's in, I I'm excited. I'm I see it and it could work. It is started 72 games last year. And he and he led the playasm rebounding, offensive rebounding. It's worthwhile. It's it's a good by low bet. That's where I'm at right now.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah, it's he started 72 games on one of the better Western Conference teams last year. They were four seed.

unknown 3:17

Right.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

It's not it's not like he's a horrid center. It's not like he's one of the worst in the league.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

No, he's a he's been a double-double guy for his whole career. It's literally because he got drafted number one. That's the problem. Like that he's in the Luca draft, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

In the Luca and Trey draft.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

And like it's just he just did not come close to matching that, and that's okay because he'll be a backup in DC.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

But the thing is, like, he's been better than Marvin Bagley, who was the second overall pick that draft. And a lot of people wanted Bagley over eight.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

I always forget that. Yeah, and they both, you know, they're not. I I think people throw on the word the term draft bust way too liberally. I don't classify either of them as draft busts. I think that they both didn't meet their expectations at first, but the fact that we're now nearly a decade into both their careers and they're both functional rotational players means that I'm gonna hesitate to say that that you were some kind of waste of a pick, even if none of them are Luca, let alone crazy.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

It's not a waste of a pick, it's just the fact where they were drafted. It's the fact where they were drafted where it's like you expect them to be more than a rotational piece, you expect them to be a bona fide starter.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

Yeah. No, I I I yeah, and and for I've had criticisms of of some of um Aiden's approach, some of the effort, some of the consistency stuff. But at least I I took I took some looking at some of his shooting numbers recently, and he does, for some of his uh faults, have a good idea of where he should be on the court. He is taking more shots than ever between zero and sixteen feet. There he cut out some of the super long twos that he was shooting on the Chris Paul Suns. And I think if you're talking about someone who's gonna back up Sarr at the five, maybe compliment 80 at the four, maybe split minutes with Sarr, um he is somebody who's gonna work well with Trey Young. He's one of the one of the more prolific rim finishers in the league. He is, I think, the all-time leader in field goal percentage for players who have attempted like five shots per game for their careers. Um he finishes plays, and I I I get it. I get it.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

I mean, there were some interesting stats around him. Like, for example, he had the highest rim field call field goal percentage with rim field goals attempted in the NBA last season at 80.1% on 312 attempts.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

That is here's a reason here's a reason to believe is because last year he took a step down in his averages as a scorer and as a rebounder, which is funny because his backup was Jackson Hayes, who you know isn't exactly Shaq, but even if his role scaled down a bit, he's farther from being at the epicenter of a team than he's ever been. And yet he's still finishing more of his shots. So there's a reason to believe this guy in a smaller role can keep continuing that trajectory as someone who keeps doing his job, even though he's no longer the third best player in the finals team.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah. He's he's a good, like he's a good rotational piece. It's not like he's some scrub where it's like, why did they trade for him instead of going after so and so? Because when we were talking about in the unreleased episode, um, it's like you don't you didn't really have options this year for centers. They're they're really worth it.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Like Men in Love and Tillman and the other guys we're talking about, it's it's not close.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

I mean, yeah, the uh Nick's got Andre uh uh Drummond like a couple hours after this trade or whatever, you know, on a like four million dollar one-year deal. Like, if you know, I I you know, and if if you think he would have been so much better for this team, fair enough, but I I think it's kind of splitting hairs, you know.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

It's definitely splitting hairs, where like for me, the reason for Drummond, it was like, okay, he's a little bit cheaper, and I feel like you could use that trade to get a slightly better piece potentially than Aiton. Aiton's still a good player. It's just like if Drummond all it took was three million dollars to sign one of the best rebounding bigs in the NBA, like we were mentioning yesterday, he averaged 8.4 rebounds off the bench for Philly. That is crazy for someone coming off the bench to do that. Uh like long. Yeah, and like it's just one of those things where it's like, if that's what it took, I would have tried throwing him like five million and be like, hey, come on over for 5 million, be our backup center, the occasional spot start in case injuries happen here, you know, instead of going to New York where it's like, okay, yeah, you're the backup center, but it's really like you're getting 10 minutes a game, you know, like and so try to like lure him over, and then you can do a different trade to try to get a you know, potentially a better player, you know, include Hardy, maybe even D Lo in a trade to be like, okay, let's get a real backup point guard here. Let's do that. But there are also backup point guard options in free agency still around.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

There are, there are. And Josh, I know that you didn't give it uh a perfect grade because you talked about them not getting a longer term option. Was that something that you were still looking at?

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Yeah, yeah, I gave it the same as you. I gave it a B plus. Um, because I I did want them to get another first round pick this year. Um, I kind of got killed online because I was like, you know, they should trade like Champagny and like a bunch of picks to get to like number 10 or something and get one of those guys that, you know, like Morris Johnson and one of those guys. You know, and people are like, oh, it's too much, it's too much, you know, and it's uh I guess the front office agree with the fans because they didn't want to give, you know, they didn't want to they they kind of went the uh cheap route, you know. They they basically got uh they're trying to get like their value on the dollar, you know, trying to get a really talented guy for you know not much of a price. Um so fair enough. You know, I mean it's a good band-aid. This is a one-year situation. Um, you know, the long term it's very much a question mark, uh, the backup center, but you know, you don't have to solve everything long term in one offseason either, so it's fine. Um I agree. Um yeah, I I I think it's fine what they did, you know. And I I don't think this is like the most profound uh you know move ever. I just think that um they they they did well considering the uh situation, you know, that they didn't get another pick in the draft.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

So yeah, and I mean I understand not wanting you you talked about how not every long-term solution has to be patched immediately, especially given AD's situation that has looked a bit tenuous at times, so it's hard to figure out the back of situation if you don't even know like the starter's long-term plan. And especially considering, again, they gave up nothing to get this guy. And I I give them a lot of credit for that, especially you know, looking around at the free agency options. And you know, the expiring contract making about the same money that we're talking about for Drummond. He's on the hook for like five or six million this year. That's chump change for the potential production you could be getting. Especially considering the way his last few contracts have ended. I looked at some of the timeline for Aiden and his last two teams before Phoenix, which also had sort of weird ending. If you guys remember, he almost left for Indiana for on like a a super like four or five years, unrestricted free agency, but then Phoenix matched it, kept him. It was awkward for like a year. He leaves for Portland, but in the second year there, he gets waived before his contract ends. This time in Laker in the Lakers, he re-signs on a two-year deal and buys into the player options in the second year, like four days later, gets traded to Washington. So he hasn't gotten to see out a contract in actually several years. And given the lower stakes, given the change of scenery, I I'm gonna I'm gonna say it again. I I understand the bet, given that this guy has been through a lot, and maybe this will be different.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

Maybe it'll be different. If he ends up coming out, let's say off the bench, Henry, he's averaging eight and five for you off the bench with a block per game on some good efficiency. Like he let's say he's shooting 62% from the field. All right. Would you extend him and keep him as the backup big long term?

SPEAKER_02 10:48

I'd be open to it. And I'd actually expect higher numbers because he's such an offensively tilted big who the the point guards are gonna look for at all times, and he you know is pretty good on the boards, even if it'll be harder for him to meet his old numbers in a minimized role. I'm I'm certainly open to extending him if if, depending on how this year goes, how comfortable he is in DC, how he mixes alongside Sar, because that's the guy you're looking at right now. Like Sarr is the piece you're trying to compliment if you're anyone else in the front court. Um, because I'm not counting AJ as a front court guy. Yeah. So yeah, it's it's about how he sounds, how excited he is to be here, and most importantly, how he feels about his role in this situation.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

I I think that's the key, because it's like, okay, also if he has a really good ear, like is he gonna buy into a long-term backup role, you know? So because I I feel like this might be another one of the wizards' many situations where there's kind of rehabbing a vet, you know? And it cause it makes sense for the team, so that's why they're doing it, but it's also like if Aiden has a really good backup uh year and you know the the uh team does well, he might try to start somewhere else again, you know.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Yeah, it could be like this could be his his diving board back into relevance. Maybe some other team is gonna bite and be like, oh nice, he's like he's he's become a different kind of player af after all this time, and buy on that, so he could be looking at that as you know, what can what do I have to gain from this outside of the team context? And that's the thing we haven't even talked about that much, is I know we're gonna talk later about how the Wizards fit into the East following all this crazy trading and and free agency so far. But this is the first time actually, I have to check, I haven't actually checked, but it feels like the first time that the Wizards get a player and lose the picks and don't get any back because they're showing probably AD is probably pumped about this.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

How you're you're seeing he has multiple sinners that are gonna be out there on the court with him now.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah, and you're gonna be more competitive. This is the kind of move you make if you're just you don't take on the money and lose the picks if if you're trying to keep going for the draft pick or not be interesting.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

I mean that's what they do with AD too.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

So but at least with AD, they well, I guess yeah, you're right. So I knew I was missing them because they didn't get any picks back in there. They lost like a few fringe picks.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

Yeah, so they lost the.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

Yeah, it was 30th overall. And then a top forgetting something, thank you. And a top 20 protected warriors pick, where it's like the odds on Yeah, which the odds on that one, it's like, shoot, if it falls outside the top 20, then it's one of those picks where it's like, did you really want to keep it? You probably try to package it anyways to get a player.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Yeah, and so like better than the assets that they lost in uh the Ayton trade, but on that same sort of thing where this isn't really as exciting as it might look when you're first getting the challenge notification.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

Yeah. I am curious, I I do want to see Aiden and SAR lineups, just because I'm curious to see if they can play together on the court, see how they mesh, especially if in the future you don't keep AD, but you do want to run double big, just to see how Aiton and Sar can work, especially as a more budget-friendly option.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Yeah, I agree. Because if there's been if we're talking about the differences between Saar and Aiton, Saar has been a bit skinnier. Aiton has always had the physique, he had the look, it's how he got picked number one. He was just like a man among boys at Arizona. And even though he is the most, I said offensively tilted earlier, he is the most of the bigs in that regard. Not as much the defender as Sar or AD, but also, you know, as you said, a prolific uh finisher at the rim. He isn't a shooter. He's never been much of a shooter. Like at his peak, he was shooting like 3% of his shots from three. It's down to zero. He doesn't take any threes at all. Like, even as I said, the long teams are gone. And before we talked about potentially putting one of AD or SAR in the corner at all times, you don't really have that option now with Aiden. He's gonna go to the box, he's gonna, you know, try to seal his guy, put his hand up, and you have to be more creative with how you're gonna switch around the big guys if you're running those double big lineups, which I assume they will.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Which you you might take inspiration from some of these teams that are running double big right now, like OKC had OKC in Cleveland really like brought it back to kind of see like, okay, especially if you have a center that can play offense out on the perimeter. And Star is not no godsend from you know the three-point line as a shooter or anything, but he has gotten better. And it's one of those things where where he can be, you know, a decently reliable shooter from distance, shooting like 35%. You have your center shooting 35% from three. I'll take that. I I'll I'll take that. And so it'd be interesting to see if you can kind of create that with them where his offense may open up a little bit more because now you can run double big out on the perimeter. You know, it doesn't sound pretty to think about it, but pick and rolls with Alex Sarr and Aiden, it could be something to look at. It it definitely could.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

I agree, especially if you're talking about the jumbo lineup, the wizards just keep getting bigger, and that's something to be excited about too.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Well, you know, uh I I think uh uh a combo that might be actually more pretty is Trey Young and Aiden, because those two mass made in Heaven with Lobbs.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

So well, and another stat that you know I was gonna bring up as well is the leaders in Ali Oop field goals made per game was DeAndre Ayton with 102, and he converted 90% of his alley oops. And so that is very impressive. So being with Trey Young on that right there, let alone whether it be a dunk like you want it to be, Henry, or it be a layup, I don't care. As long as the ball goes through the hoop, it's still two or three points to me. Like it it does, it doesn't matter. I just want to see it go through, and he's converting alley oops at that high of a rate and got, you know, made the most out of everyone in the NBA. That's pretty I'll I'll take that. It'll be good with Trey Young. Now it just comes down to someone on the bench becoming a little bit of a better passer, whether that is someone you go out in free agency and get via trade as well, because the Wizards could potentially still be looking out there to see other players that they can get to add. We never know with this front office. And so it'll be really interesting to see how he works with the bench, but I'm really excited to see that Trey Young and DeAndre Ayton fit.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Yeah, Gil watch is back on. That Rosha spot is still open.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

It's still open. I know Josh Robbins today said that he expects him to bring back Gil, and so that'll be interesting, even though I do think you bring in someone with a little bit more value, but that's also me. I I get the fans love Gil, and it's not like one of those things where it's like, I'm I am mad if they sign Gil to the last roster spot.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

How could you be?

SPEAKER_00 17:16

No, you you can't be. It's just one of those things where it's like I'm looking at a matter of you know, putting together the best roster possible. There are just better options in free agency still.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

The thing is that he brings value that you can't measure in like advanced stats.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Exactly. No, I get that. I get I get that.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

And so and that's why I said no, you go first, you go first, have a question.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah, no, that's why I said the team could still potentially be looking at a trade. They they could still be trying to move off D Lo. Like D Lo is still on the team.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

That is that is very true. I was gonna ask, are you still on Rust watch or has has has your watch ended?

SPEAKER_00 17:50

I'm still on Rust Watch, but it really, especially if they want to bring back Gil, it depends if they trade D Lo. That's the biggest thing. And so, where it's like one of those things, or you just find a way to get rid of him, whether it's a buyout, you trade him. Yeah, like wave him, whatever it may be, like it it really hinges on if D Lo is on the roster to start the year.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Which he won't be though. He shouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

He shouldn't, you just never know.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

I mean, they they literally told him not to report. Like, it's not like they're considering it.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Yeah, like this Witcher team is so weird. They have I is the count three former Lakers um and now three former number one overall picks.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

And and and D Lo was number two as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

And so was it wild. It's just wild looking how it's all playing out. Um, but no, that's the thing with me for like the Rust watch, where it like it does sound crazy to say right now, but he's he's the best available point guard right now in free agency. It's him or Gabe Vincent.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Oh, Gabe Vincent Gabe Vincent is just a completely different kind of player.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

It just sounds like just being honest about it. It's like it comes down to who would you rather have as your backup point guard between the realistic like four options that are available that are the best out there Gabe Vincent, Aaron Holiday, Russ, or Killian Hayes.

SPEAKER_02 19:11

There's always another Holiday brother that we forgot about who's floating around free agency. This happens every year. Um and we it's funny, in our Lost Media episode, we definitely covered the Westbrook angle pretty heavily, but that's gone now. So we can we could just we could just tell our tell our uh whole thing again. Um Josh, I know you have some thoughts on the Westbrook thing. We talked about the uh the jumbo lineups earlier, want to give it again?

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Yeah, um I just I know that I understand why it's it's rational to want this team to sign a vet backup point guard uh who can actually run the floor. Um I just I just don't know. I think it might be counter uh productive for this team because I understand that they could probably run the floor better and maybe open up some looks for the bench, but um I think I'd rather just give the minutes to you know Will Riley and Bub, you know. Um, because I just feel like there's this team has so many young guys that they need to give minutes to to see who's gonna stick around, who's gonna be traded, etc. Um and if you give a backup point guard, you know, 15 and 20 minutes a game, he is cutting into that. I I understand that he can he can help the team win more this season, but it's that balance of how much do you want to just go all in on winning a couple more games this season versus okay, we still gotta look at some of these young guys long term as well, you know.

SPEAKER_02 20:30

So yeah, it's really it's really the the thing I'm gonna keep bringing up this season is like the too many cooks thing. Yeah. And what Russ, Russ really just adds another guy who wants the ball. And as Bryson points out, he is one of the better options left in free agency, but that doesn't mean that he's the most uh versatile, uh, nor would he um be willing to give up um the touches he does get in games. And Aiden isn't someone who like ever racks up the usage, even though he will want the ball. You're still talking about taking the ball out of guys like Keyshawn and Riley and Bub's hands, and and that it that is that is an inf if you're you really are now begging the question of how competitive do we want to be, um, how much do we want to assess the rebounding issues, and how much do you want to develop the other guys at the same time?

SPEAKER_01 21:12

Yeah, because it's like, okay, you know, I understand that Russ is going to be a better backup point guard than Bub and Will Riley, and maybe even Keyshawn, you know, because that those those other guys aren't really point guards, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:23

Well, I also see Keyshawn starting.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Yes, yeah, I know. Well, what I mean is Keyshawn could still run point in some like other lineups. I get what you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

Because what fans have to remember is last season we saw a lot of these lineups that that earned some criticism when they would do they're called uh hockey lineups uh colloquially, just because that's when Keith just takes out all the starters in like 90 seconds and puts in all the bench lineups. And Bresna, you asked earlier about how like Trey and Ayton have their minutes together. And I don't think we should be really be worried about that because they're not gonna be doing that sort of thing anymore. When you have a competitive team, you're not gonna feel the need to play those third stringers on the same schedule as everyone else. So yeah. Then Keyshawn can, you know, in a platoon sort of setting, run some of the point as as this big ball handler at as sort of a point forward when Trey Young isn't around.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Yeah, for me, it's not even having Russ as like the backup point guard. I think it's good value to have in case injuries happen. And we know injuries are gonna happen. You never know who it's going to be, whether it be Trey Young, whether it be a few bench players. You you never know who's gonna get injured, who's gonna get this freak injury that puts him out for a whole season. Stuff like this just happens in the NBA. We can't control it. I also just think it would be good for him to kind of put in like a mindset and help kind of see the game in a different way for some of the young guys. I think Bub could benefit really well from just learning from Russell Westbrook in practice. Learning just like how to go to the rim a lot more physical. Will Riley, I think, could also benefit benefit from that. Just going to the rim, not being afraid of contact and leaning into it a little bit more. It's stuff like that, is what I see for Russ. The you know, not the in-game stuff, but really like what is he going to do in practice? What's he gonna do off the court for the guys? Stuff like that is how I'm looking at it. Is he willing to take a mentorship role? No clue. It's also kind of comes down to does he have a market anymore to be a you know rotational player in the NBA? It it just comes down to that big factor. And if he does have a market for to be a rotational player, he's gonna go take that deal instead because he's gonna want to keep playing. If not, it just wouldn't be a bad idea for Washington to bring him in and on a mentorship role and be like, hey, just help our guys learn to be a little bit more physical and aggressive when they're going to the bucket. That's the biggest thing. Do that.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

And get to the line and stuff like that. He was he was really helpful in his one and done season with uh guys like Denny and Rui. I I remember um there was like this clip that showed like, because they they would it's funny to say this about Denny now. He would never get calls as a rookie. Like he would just get hacked and the refs didn't care.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

And a lot of it is angles. You'd have to know how to play to the angles.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

Yeah, and he's a rookie, he doesn't understand how to like play the game within the game yet. And and there was like Russ was showing like him and Rui, he's like, you know, you know, like put your hands out when you're getting hit, show the refs there's contact happening here. And and there's like that story about there was practice and he went to everyone else and he went pointed to Beale and he's like, you know who this guy is? This guy is like the man in this team. So he's he's good at putting that culture in. So there's nothing to take away from him as uh a locker room guy in this kind of setting that you're describing.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Yeah, yeah, definitely a good locker room guy. The question is if he has like a 30% uh usage rate, I I it would just be a little much, I think. That's that's the question.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

I get a role. I get what you mean. It's just for me, it's purely the locker room presence and helping out the young guys on this team. Because even in Sacramento last year, there were multiple times he was defending all the young guys towards the media online, wherever it may be. You know, just kind of tell him, like, hey, don't listen to the narratives, nothing like this. You're still doing good. And anytime media would criticize the young guys, he would instantly come to their defense anytime he's getting interviewed. It like instantly is like, he's a rookie. What do you expect from him to do? He's gonna make mistakes, stuff like that. It's good to have someone like that in your corner, helping you out constantly throughout the season. And like I said, he's gonna teach players how to get to the line. Which do you guys know who led the team in free throw attempts per game last season?

SPEAKER_02 25:18

No, the Wizards?

SPEAKER_00 25:19

Yeah, for the Wizards.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

Are we counting like CJ?

SPEAKER_00 25:23

Uh no, we're counting players that played 20 or more games.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

Well, CJ played that, but I'm assuming it's not him.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Yeah, he's but yeah, no, not him. Bilal Kulabali at 3.6 a game.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

Oh, yikes.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

3.6 was your leading free throw attempts. Um, Trey Young was at 4.2, but he only played five games.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

But like that that's a problem in itself, and I think especially with this last role, it would be nice to bring in someone that can teach your guys how to get to the free throw line, how to be more aggressive when driving as well. And with the options left, Russ is the best player out there to kind of teach you how to do that, you know, and so it's stuff like that where this last roster spot, you kind of have your rotation already set when you're looking at it. You have your 11, 12 guys where it's like, yeah, they're playing, you know, night in, night out. Maybe this 11-12 guy overtake the 10th and 9th guy because we want to get a different look. We're still experimenting a little bit early on in the season. But, you know, that 13 through 15 guy, it's like you really got to show us something if you want to play. And it turns into like just come out, help us out a little bit more with the rookies, young guys, teach them how to do certain things within the game. It's what bad teams do.

SPEAKER_02 26:36

They deploy options, they they show that we have multiple looks we can go to. And now the question is now that you have a good idea of who's gonna play on the wizards and how often they're gonna play, how good are the wizards? And we did talk about this uh last night behind the scenes of how to contextualize the wizards with within the east. And I know Bryson, I think you're a bit higher on the wizards outlook than Josh and I. You want to give uh your push.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

My thing is I I think the East outside of the top three teams is just a crapshoot. There's so many variables. Who are the top three to you? Because that sounds pretty defined. To me, right now, I view the top three as New York. I view Philly in that top three, and then oh man, I I think I still gotta go Boston in that top three, just because they are deep. They are still a very good team. They added Mitchell Robinson as a backup center. That is a great option for him. While still having Kata, Peyton Pritchard, uh Tatum, White. Uh, they still got good role players in Baylor Shireman. Hogo Gonzalez has been doing very well in FIBA games as well, even though he was untouchable in Giannis Talks, which is just outlandish. Just absolutely crazy to think about.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

I can't believe they did that. It's it's the sequencing of they did that and then they traded him to Philly for two first and Paul George, and like it's not like is Paul George way past his prime.

SPEAKER_00 27:52

Yes. But Paul George is still a good third, fourth option to have on your team.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

Okay, so I'm gonna ask, no, knowing how also I I do agree with that, by the way. Um, I can see Paul after last year when he was good when he played, it's in the cards. It's it's not like a lost cause. So I'm gonna give other teams, compare them to the wizards for you. And Josh, I want to hear your thoughts on this too. So that means that you're saying the wizards, you have them above the pistons, correct?

SPEAKER_00 28:17

I no, I did not say I have them above. I think it is a crapshoot where this four through like 11 range, it could be really like any team. It's going to be very competitive in those margins, and it comes down to variables because we still have some free agency stuff going on. There are still some really good forward options out there. We still have trades that are going to happen. Injuries are also going to happen. With the Raptors, my biggest concern is is Kawhi going to stay healthy like he did this season, or are you going to get Kawhi that you saw for the past three years? That's that's my biggest question with the Raptors. Which Kawhi are you getting? If their their success really, you know, like it hinges on can Kawhi stay healthy like he did last season, or was this a one-off thing?

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Here's sort of my take on that. I actually don't think Kawhi is as integral to what they're doing as he was in LA or even the first Raptors stint, just because they were built on that team-style defense and just being quietly pretty deep, thick, full of a lot of wing depth. He's just sort of, to me, replacing the Ingram role, not so much the top wing defender role.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

Yes, but to replace it, you've got to make sure he plays. That's my biggest thing.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

Make sure he plays, of course, of course. But at least he's not alone at the top of the depth chart list.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

No, no, they still got Scotty. They they still got Scotty, who is a very, very good player. I love Scotty's game. I think he's fantastic. Um, they still got quickly, you know, at their point guard role, who is like he's a solid option. He is, you know. Uh they still got RJ. Like they they still got players there. It's just you're like if Kawhi is hurt, your top three of Scotty, RJ, and quickly isn't really going to do like they'll win you games. You'll be above 500, but it's not like it's a you know team where it's like, ooh, this is a really good team. Do you get what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 29:59

But Bergson, you can say that for any team, though.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

That's that's what I'm saying though. That's why I said it really hinges on a ton of variables.

unknown 30:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

That's that's why I'm saying, like, I am not confident in this four through 11 range yet because we still have so much going on. I guess I guess it's they have a death problem, and like they still need to figure that out.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

I I guess it's better to say, like, let's assume that there's major injuries to stars. Like, who do you have?

SPEAKER_00 30:23

If there are major injuries to stars, and when I say stars, I'm thinking like Hawaii for the Raptors, I'm thinking AED, which I think is just bound to happen for the Wizards, stuff like that. I could see the Wizards finding themselves in that five through seven range.

SPEAKER_02 30:38

So, Josh, which teams do you have in a sort of a tier where you're assuming they'll be ahead of the Wizards, even though they could be in the Knicks?

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Yeah, it's pretty much all the teams who have like gone past the first round recently. So, like the Knicks, Boston, the Pacers, assuming Halley's fine, um, you know, uh Philly, uh, Cavs, um, you know, there's there's I know there's a couple others. Oh, the the uh Detroit Pistons, of course. Um is everyone I'm forgetting.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Well, that's the thing. After that, you're getting into a few teams who you guys could make cases for the wizards being better. How do you gauge them against, say, like the Hornets of the Heat?

SPEAKER_01 31:19

Yeah, I that's where I feel good. Like, I think so, like like Bryson said, Miami, they don't even have a team right now. It's like Giannis and Gem. I don't even know who I don't even know who's gonna start. Like, I don't even know what they're doing. So um I'm gonna go to the city. I mean, they brought back Wiggins.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

They they brought back Wiggins, but like that's the move that they've made so far, besides Giannis.

SPEAKER_01 31:37

Like they haven't even gotten Norman Powell back, right? So he's and I don't even think they can afford him. He went to Chicago. Oh yeah, he did.

SPEAKER_00 31:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Oh wow. Oh, that's crazy. Um crazy couple days. Yeah. Uh that got lost in the sauce there. Um yeah, so I don't I'm not taking Miami that seriously yet. I think they probably need like another year to like build the team out around Giannis and him.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

And the case for what you're saying is also how well the Wizards have played Giannis last year or two. Granted, you could also point to the Bucks pretty poor team-wide context when talking about how alone Giannis was, and now you're pairing him with the guy who just dropped an 83 bomb on their head. So that that that could be very fun play-in match for all we know. And same goes for the Hornets who now they sort of lost the head of the snake in Lamello, but they look pretty deep with shooters, and there's a case you made that they too can sort of rise up or Steiny.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

My thing is for the Wizards, they should be at minimum a play-in team. Like you you need to be a play-in team this year. No matter what, you have to finish somewhere in that seven through ten range. I'll just bottom five. Yeah, I just think you have the potential with this team to really shock a lot of people and win 47-something games, 48-something games, and all of a sudden be the sixth or fifth seed and not have to worry about the play end. That's that's where my thought process comes in, where it's like I see three teams clear ahead of everyone else in the East right now, and a lot of people it still, you know, hinges on what are they doing in free agency. They got to retain some players or go out there, add some depth. They also gotta make some trades if they want to be serious as well, because what they need isn't in free agency right now, especially for teams that might need a backup center. And so that's where it comes down to me, where it's like, I can't properly rank this four through 11 right now before the season, because there are just so many variables at play right now. But I do see I do see the team just having that potential to be like a you know fifth seed, like highest is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

I got you. Yeah, I was gonna say the the team I forgot about before was uh uh the uh Raptors. So that was set. I think I forgot the Raptors. Okay. Basically, my my list is Knicks, Sixers, Pistons, Celtics, Pacers, Raptors, Caps. Those are that's who I think will finish ahead of the Wizards. The Cavs are interesting.

SPEAKER_02 33:47

That's one that we talked about when we're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Like it's just they're probably still gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 33:52

I mean, James Harden is a regular season warrior. Um, they're still pretty big. The LeBron watch is still on, so they're they're like one of the bigger question marks remaining. Um, but given the Wizards similarly, even more weirder ceiling, you know, we'll we'll keep our eyes on that one.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

Yeah, and some of it just depends on if, you know, some of these young Wizards guys did develop and progress a little bit in the offseason. I think a lot of it depends on did Trey Johnson evolve more than just being a shooter? You know, did he evolve more from that? Can Will Riley lead the bench unit as a point guard? Can't can he do that? Did Bilal really improve his shots? Stuff like that. The starting five, I'm not necessarily worried about a starting five of Trey, Keyshawn, AJ, AD, and SAR. That that's a that's a damn good starting five. All right. It's like that is that is very nice. It comes down to did the players on the bench develop enough to really make this a playoff team in the East? And so, like I mentioned, there's just so many variables where it's like it's really hard, it's contingent on a lot of stuff, but I am confident that if all goes well for the Wizards, you can see them finish, you know, upwards to a fifth seed if all goes well.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

If all goes well, that's a that's a good ceiling to to attach to that sort of thing.

unknown 35:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Fifth seed, if if everything that we're talking about tilts within their favor, which does happen sometimes. There are teams that that do get lucky and everything falls into line at the right time. I mean, the Raptors were a fifth seed last year. I don't know if anyone had that happening, so you never know.

SPEAKER_00 35:24

No, like yeah, it's just one of those things. And you also have the Pacers who everyone just isn't talking about right now, who are gonna get Halliburton back with Zubak and Pascal. Like, that is still going to be a really good team in the East. If Halliburton doesn't miss a step coming back from injury, because he's had now what is going to be a year and a half to recover. I mean, if he doesn't miss a step, comes back, and is the same old Halliburton, that's also another team in the East where it's like, ooh, they look, they look nice, they look deadly.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

Yeah, tough time to be an up and coming team in the East, right? When it's wrestling some control back from the West. It used to be all about the West.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

It used to be all about the West where it's like up and coming, it's like, you really gotta worry about this team out here, you gotta worry about this. It's just so tough. And the East where it's like, yeah, if you win 35 games, you're in the playoffs. And now it's like if you want to be in the play-in, you gotta win 42. You gotta go above 500.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Yeah, just to be avoiding a bottom five team.

SPEAKER_00 36:13

Yeah. And so it reminds me of when I watched the Thunder win 44 games and miss the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 36:20

Like that That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

That's like I think you're seeing that in the East now, where like you will see teams well above 500 miss out because they had to play in the play-in.

SPEAKER_02 36:31

And that happened in the East last year. If you remember, it it doesn't look like anything special on paper if you look back at the standings. But every Eastern play-in team couldn't lose a game for like a month and a half. Like like the Hornets, if you guys remember, were just of course we all remember how good they were, but everyone else was winning right alongside them, and they couldn't actually get any ground on anyone because the Heat were always on their tail, the Hawks were hot to close the season, uh, the magic ended up figuring a lot of stuff out. So now you're just outrunning everyone if you're in that same sort of zone.

SPEAKER_00 37:04

Yeah, it's it's gonna be really interesting. Like I said, it's not that I'm saying that I think the Wizards are a for sure top five team in the East. It is one of those things where it's like, I think we have three clear front runners in the East right now to be the top teams, and then the rest, they're just so much stuff that they are contingent on happening. Like, like I said with the Raptors, where it's like, although they have a good team going on, if Kawhi has to miss extended periods of uh time, it's really hard to have a successful regular season when you know, like you're relying on that. What I just view as an average defense and offense at that standpoint, be like, yeah, this is a top four team in the East. You know, you get what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 37:46

Yeah, it's not gonna happen, but it could happen. It makes sense what you're saying. Everyone saw Josh's Knicks win it all, and they said, we can't let this happen again.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

I mean, that the Knicks did break the league, though. It's kind of crazy. I mean, it's like everyone just like got really upset and just traded their whole teams away. Everyone locked in. Everyone just but but here's the thing though. I'm not, I'm not, at least in the east, I'm not really putting anyone above New York. Are you guys? Like, I understand. They're the reigning champs, no, yeah, I'm not.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

New York's one. Yeah. The only team that can come close at the moment is Philly.

SPEAKER_02 38:22

Yeah, exactly. Philly's like the wild card out east, especially considering in for the Knicks case, they won everything by doing what they did all season. Is they were down 10 every other game and they won all of them.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

The thing is now that now the Knicks kind of found that that vibe with cat as the hub and they have more chemistry now and all that. So I don't know. I I think you know, last year was kind of like a disappointing regular season for them. They were still third. So, you know, if they just keep playing like they did in the playoffs, they'll they'll be first, probably. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

Like I said, the only team that I see dethroning them for one, like being the top team in the East, is Philly, because anytime you turn 38-year-old Paul George into Jalen Brown, that's a good trade. 38 years old. Yeah, and and they could get LeBron. I mean, I think that's a serious chance. So you know, and so there's just so much that teams are contingent on happening. Like I mentioned with the Heat, where it's like, yeah, they got Giannis, but it doesn't matter if you're playing a two-way guy as your seventh man.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

Yeah, the Heat, the Heat, I really don't see it right now. Like, I think they need a bench, they don't have one. Yeah, I got I've I've seen people say like they can make the playoffs, and just like, guys, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 39:26

They they can definitely make the playoffs. I mean, like, I don't they have they have a good pairing in Bam and Giannis, but it's like, shoop, your eighth man right now is Drew Smith. You you still need a team, though, you know? That's what I'm saying, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:40

It's like and it's funny, this is the kind of thing we could chew aside a few years ago when we would say, you know, the heat just figured out in like 2023. It's like they'll they'll find a way. And it's it's it's been a few lean years now, especially by their standards. No finals trips, no like series wins. Last year they missed the playoffs altogether, and now they traded half their team. But to me, it's like I'm I'm honestly, I was when the first Giannis trade happened, I was like, dang, they lost half their bench. And then I was like, they're also a 10 seed. So how important how important was it? So now now it's just a matter of which heat guys they're gonna create. Well, like with the heat.

SPEAKER_00 40:13

With the heat, their starting five is Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovich, Bobby Portis, Giannis, then Bam. Like, that's not a bad starting five. Wiggins? Uh I don't have Wiggins as a starter for this team. That's just the best player on the team. I I think he'd do better on a bench roll for him.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Really?

SPEAKER_00 40:31

But I mean, he could also start, then you have Jovich go to the bench. One of those two.

SPEAKER_02 40:40

I have a good friend who watches a lot of heat games, and I've watched a few with him. Um I don't think Jovich is a guard, uh, first off.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

But so I think that's a good thing. That is the problem though. Like, if we're going like pure guard, Tim Hardaway Jr. is their starting two guard.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

That makes more sense to me.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

And so, but it's just one of those things where I'm looking at is where like outside of the starting five, the bench kind of drops off a little bit where like they still got Pele Larson who didn't do bad. He's good. That guy's he's good, but I mean, as your sixth man, I mean, you're just not going to win a lot of games with him as your first off the bench.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

You are stretching it a bit. Um with Pella. Um, I think I mean Bobby's okay. He can he can hit some threes sometimes, he's a little streaky. And yeah, you're right. After that, we are talking about some real digging through the weeds of heat. If they if they get an injury or two, this team is just done, is what it is. And this is a Giannis team, and he hasn't been, you know, Mr. Attendance recently. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

Mr. Attendance.

SPEAKER_02 41:40

Yeah, you know Bob Carrington.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

Yeah, it's just it's just stuff like that for me. And like with the Raptors as well, like, yeah, they got Kawhi Leonard. Like, that's great. You know, he's still a really good player for his age, you know. But if he goes down, you still pretty much have the same starting five minus um Brandon Ingram. Yeah, like it's and you know, that's just not much of an improvement. You still have Jakob on your team who like he's decent, but like, you know, one of the worst contracts. Yeah, one of the worst contracts in the NBA. He's not 20 million dollars. And no more mammu. And no more mammu. Like, it's one of those things where it's like, man, like it's like Alan Graves is gonna be like their seventh or eighth guy, and you really gotta hope he shows up.

SPEAKER_01 42:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

And so like that's that's why with the Raptors, I'm very you know, like, I think it's very Kawhi contingent for them. That's that's why I view it as that. You know, the Bucks are out of the picture. Uh the Bulls, I think, are out of the picture as well.

SPEAKER_02 42:42

The Bulls could be fun. I'm actually keeping uh a quick.

SPEAKER_00 42:44

They could be a fun team to watch, but I don't see them making the play in. I finish I see them finishing like 13th in the East.

SPEAKER_02 42:50

Yeah. I I think they'll be a little better than that. They made a lot of fun signings and they had a great draft. I don't know because I think they're good long term.

SPEAKER_01 42:56

They're a lot better off long term.

SPEAKER_00 42:57

Long long term. They are good. This year, though, I mean, just looking at the East, because the Southeast division, it's a bloodbath of, you know, like, you know, it's Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, uh, Orlando, and Washington. That that's a bloodbath of a division right there.

SPEAKER_02 43:12

We have not mentioned Orlando yet, by the way. I'm just throwing that out.

SPEAKER_00 43:15

Yeah, and Orlando's still good. They're still out there. That's why I view the Bulls. Like, do I think they're gonna be better than the Bucs? Yeah. And then you have the Nets, who you have a team led by Michael, never swing the rock porter, and dubious handle. This is funny.

SPEAKER_02 43:30

This is actually weird. Uh Josh has seen recently how he sees this as sort of an upside of some of Adam Silver's most recent lottery forms, is that we have now named every team in the East, and it's really hard to pick the teams who are clearly gonna be bad. Everyone's gonna be trying. And there was Oh no, we we we can pick the teams that are clearly gonna be bad, even if they try. But it's I think we're if we're comparing this year to last year, those just are completely different situations.

SPEAKER_01 43:55

Yeah, it won't it won't be the the tank where it's like everyone's trying to have less than twenty wins. Yeah, like it's not like that.

SPEAKER_02 44:01

But we still know which teams are gonna be bad. You you know who not you know you Jesus, you know who's not gonna make the playoffs and you have that, but I just don't think there's gonna be the same level of 17 win, eighteen win wizards nets sort of things.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

Even even if the Nets are trying to win some games here and there, like I still don't see him finishing with above 20 wins. I just don't. I don't like any of the young players that they have, like they don't have like good veterans to kind of lead, in my opinion. You know like uh little Michael Brown? He the health. You sort of like him. It's it's the health. I he plays with a lot of passion. I love it. I think he's a good player, but can he be healthy? It's that back man.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

Little uh little Danny Wolf doesn't do it for you.

SPEAKER_00 44:43

Oh god no, god no. Oh my goodness. A lot of them, it's just like Nolan Triori, like Jaegor, who's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

Last year's draft for them was just like it was disgusting.

SPEAKER_02 44:55

Yeah, I know you loved it, Josh. I can't wait for any of these guys to kill the wizards, and I'm gonna totally steal this clip and make an edit of it, and you're not gonna know it was me that that totally ratted you guys out.

SPEAKER_01 45:05

It's just like I'll I'll take that bet because like I think the wizards have drafted a gazillion times better than the Nets in recent years.

SPEAKER_00 45:13

Gazillion times. Gazillion.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

Not even close.

SPEAKER_00 45:16

They took Ben Seraph! They took Ben Seraph at the lottery.

SPEAKER_02 45:21

Not the lottery.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

I was like, I'm pretty sure he was a lottery pick, no?

SPEAKER_02 45:24

No, you know how I know he wasn't? Because he and Danny Wolf were picked back to back in like the late 20s. It was the 20s. It was the 20th pick.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

No way he was a 20th pick.

SPEAKER_02 45:32

No, like you're thinking of Treori, I think.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 45:35

Even then, that's horrid.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

Yeah, well, Sarov was one of the picks they got from um uh McCall Bridges.

SPEAKER_02 45:43

So yeah, that's right. Who was the other one? Was it was it Powell or uh I always forget.

SPEAKER_01 45:48

It might have been Powell. None of them are good, so Jesus, I'm together.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

I I know that 20, like I know that draft like didn't have insane depth towards the end, but you took three point guards in that draft.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

And it's just that they drafted five players and none of them are that good.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

Like, yeah, how'd you miss on five players? How'd you miss on five players? How did one not hit in your first year?

SPEAKER_02 46:11

I actually I did it, I did a TikTok about this because I liked some of the guys individually, but if you're talking about a team not getting one or two, but three point forward types in Yeegor, uh Treori, and Saraf. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 46:29

Dude, I'm I am so serious when I say this. Their best young player is Dayron Sharp, and they just signed it back at 25.

SPEAKER_02 46:34

Dayron Sharp's good.

SPEAKER_00 46:35

He's our best young player, but you're like that should not be the case. You you should not you should not be having conversations of who is better, Noah Clowney or a lottery pick last year. It'll be my is is a lot better than anyone they've gotten in in this region. No, I'm not talking about Michael, I'm talking like, you know, like last year 2025.

SPEAKER_01 46:58

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

Like you should not be having those conversations.

SPEAKER_02 47:02

Listen, Nets Kings never would have had any motion over the last couple years. But watching uh Michael Brown Jr. versus Acuff, I think will be interesting because that will be sort of the the swinging door moment.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

Yeah, that because that was a debate. Like I was kind of leaning Acuff over Brown, to be honest. I know that Acuff obviously has his warts defensively and things, but this team's just bad.

SPEAKER_00 47:24

It's just a bad team.

SPEAKER_01 47:26

Yeah, they are. There's no hope in Brooklyn.

SPEAKER_00 47:29

I think I'm being honest, there's no hope there. You better hope Michael Brown turns into a top five player in the NBA if you want hope.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

I only say there's no hope because I don't think they have their pick next year. That's that makes it a lot. They made enough freaking picks in the past couple years, so it makes sense. Yeah, that's that's the thing. They they that the odds evened out. So I mean they had they had their chances. We're totally gonna get killed if they do anything against the wizards. One, two, three, four. Well, I'll take my bet on the wizards.

SPEAKER_00 47:56

Yeah, that's like we're taking the bet, but we're leaving like eight minutes worth of uh they got seven players on rookie deals, and your best rookie deal player is Noah Clowney.

SPEAKER_02 48:07

Clowney's not bad.

SPEAKER_00 48:09

But that shouldn't be the case, Henry. You took five guys in 2025.

SPEAKER_02 48:13

How is Noah Clowney still your best guy? And Clowney, Clowney embarrassed the crap out of me. We were at some one of the million wizards next game. And I was sitting next to uh Ben Strober um of Locked on a Wizards fame, and he was like looking at the roster and he was like just shaking his head disbelief. He was like, Who are these men? And I was I was like, I looked at Clown, I was like, Clowney's not bad, because I liked him in the draft. I think he went to Bama. Um that 23 drafts had a lot of weird guys, and he shot like two for 12. I looked like an idiot, and he was like, Was that your boy? And it became one of those things. So now he's gotta he's gotta win me back.

SPEAKER_00 48:46

Oh my goodness. It's just there's no hope there. Like, at least we have hope. At least, at least we have hope. We had the first overall pick. Alex Sarr looks great, all right? Like, there is hope for Washington at the minimum.

SPEAKER_01 49:00

I I I I think Keyshawn could be an all-star at some point.

SPEAKER_00 49:03

I agree. It just depends if he can actually like get the time and usage to kind of be an all-star. That that's what you know, like, because I mean, shoot, it's gonna be hard for him to kind of separate himself to be an all-star with going up against AD, AJ, and Trey, especially if Saar, who's gonna get more than that.

SPEAKER_01 49:19

Well, not next season. I'm at least.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

Oh, yeah, no, I'm talking future. Even for the future, it might be tough because like he may and like this is no shade to him, it just goes to show you how good Washington will be in the future. Is like he might not be anything above a third or fourth option.

unknown 49:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:35

Does that make sense what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 49:37

Yeah, but I I agree, I completely agree with what you're saying. Um, with that said, I think if he proves here that he deserves the usage and the touches and he doesn't get him, he's getting it somewhere. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:47

Yeah, that's the thing. I I don't think the Wizards are gonna allow that to happen because they they know how good he is. Like they're they're they're not gonna let him slip through the fingers. He's like, like we were saying before, uh, we said in the uh uh the the piece that'll never come out that we were recording yesterday, that Keyshawn is like their big win, you know, of this whole front office because they found him, you know, at the as like towards the end of the first round, you know, nobody really expected that much out of him, and then he kind of showed a lot.

SPEAKER_02 50:14

So in a really disliked draft. That's the important thing. Like he would have been like the equivalent of a second round pick in some.

SPEAKER_01 50:20

Yeah, that was like a weak class, and they found him at the end of the first round, you know. That's and like now he's like one of the better young guys um in the entire NBA, you know.

SPEAKER_02 50:30

If you if you're just if I mean not stars, but just like better young as far as yes, as far as savvy picks, you can make a case he was yeah, one of, if not the saviest pick of the 24 class.

SPEAKER_01 50:39

Right.

SPEAKER_00 50:40

Yeah, so but I think I mean I think it's a good place to end, guys.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

I think Yeah, I think I think we have the the the Doc Please Wake Up episode has been replaced by um Doc has woken up. Doc woke us up at 5 30 in the morning, shook our beds, or or ooh, once you're gonna be able to do the wizards are dominating the off season.

SPEAKER_00 51:01

Uh uh one thing, one thing, one thing.

SPEAKER_01 51:05

What's what's the rotation if they sign a backup point guard? Because someone's gonna lose minutes. That's the point with that.

SPEAKER_00 51:13

It it depends. Like it I don't think if you sign any backup point guard, the rotation kind of changes how I view it. Of like, you know, your top, you know, we've listed the starters already, then off the bench, you got you know, so many guys on the bench though. Your top five off the bench, though. It's right now it's Bilal, JC, Trey, um I champagne A. That's why I said JC, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:36

Yeah, he said JC.

SPEAKER_00 51:37

And then like it comes down to Bub or Riley, one of those two. And then that last guy is your 11th guy.

SPEAKER_01 51:43

I'd rather play Riley than Bub right now.

SPEAKER_00 51:45

So I I think I'm there too, even though I love Carlton. I love him.

SPEAKER_02 51:51

Yeah, it's a matter of if we're talking about the minutes dilution, there's Russ and there's every other point guard because he's such a unique case that that it it's hard it's hard to scale that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 52:02

The only way a backup point guard that the team acquires gets minutes is if they get a good one through a trade. Because all the ones in free agency now are like, you don't like you don't even play them above bub, even though bub's not really like your you know typical point guard. He's more of a you know shooting guard in my opinion, more of a two guard. Yeah. And so it's but like that's the thing where it's like if they get a backup point guard who's supposed to get minutes, it's gonna be via trade, not through free agency. That's fair.

SPEAKER_01 52:33

I don't think this team has any use for uh game uh.

SPEAKER_00 52:37

Yeah, no, god no. God no.

SPEAKER_02 52:40

But I watch a lot of Lakers, I'm gonna leave it at that.

SPEAKER_00 52:45

But alright, thank you guys for tuning in, listening as always, and we'll see you guys in the next one. Peace.