The New-Look Timberwolves With Jon Krawczynski and Five Big Questions!

And where do they find out about Russian?

Of course, in Europe, Russian is a Russian. With the largest Russian population worldwide. Many Russian people were working on it, with brothers, brothers and brothers. They live in the Russian D.E.

Coming up on the Zaclo show start off your week with some NBA talk. We've got John Krzinski, the great John Krzinski from the athletic, not from the office to talk. Minnesota Timberwolves, Jonathan Komingo

was the big news at the end of last week. We get into his fit and just, wow, they really have reinvented this team that made two straight conference finals, obviously fell short of that last season.

Lamello ball, Jonathan Komingo, Cody Williams, kind of a sneaky little flyer. They're taking on him. And we was otherwise a salary dump. What are the Timberwolves?

“Where do they stack up in the Western Conference going into the season?”

And then Moe de Kielis here to zoom out a little bit. Some big questions with Moe are most exciting playoff races. Who has the best chance at cracking the top six in the West and sending one of the chalk teams down into the plan? And we start our awards preview rollout with most improved player.

We make a bunch of different picks for who could potentially win that. And we talk about some card games, some vacation stuff. That's all coming up on the Zaclo show with John Krzinski and Moe de Kielis hope you guys enjoy it. Welcome to the Zaclo show.

It's the last day of August training camp is around the corner. John Krzinski from the athletic is here to talk to us about the big move that happened at the end of last week. Jonathan Komingo, seldom, has so much ink been spilled over someone who has accomplished so relatively little in the NBA.

Has signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves two years,

12.4 million dollars that didn't go great for Jonathan Komingo.

Player option in year two, this may be yet another pit stop. Penciled in as the starting power forward for the wolves who traded both of their power forwards Julius Randall in a salary dump and Nas Reed in the Lamella Ball trade.

“I think that actually got all roped into one trade.”

So technically it's just they got both got traded in that trade. Interesting fit, interesting series of events, interesting career trajectory. Total, no harm, no foul bet for the wolves at this price point. But this has been a wild summer of turnover and identity change for the wolves. They still have the Edwards, go bear, tent pole, ball handler,

superstar guard, defensive anchor and jade in McDaniels, you know, sort of rounding out the starting five doing everything he does so well. But they have changed a lot about their team. It's exciting. I'm not sure what it amounts to in terms of actually challenging the best teams

in the West. And I do wonder and we can start here like, there's a line, there's like a balance between sometimes you do have to change even when things are working well because things grow or the league is kind of figured you out or you've clearly hit a ceiling.

And sometimes there's too much change too fast when your identity kind of gets flipped on it's head a little bit and you take some time to figure it out. Where have the wolves landed?

“Yeah, I think that what they've done is they clearly made a determination”

after losing the San Antonio in the second rounds act that they had taken that

style of play to its logical conclusion. They were one of the first ones really kind of on board with the boy ball or big man ball when they went cat and go bear in the front court. Then the league kind of started to evolve with them in that respect. And then last year with with go bear and Randall,

they they took a step back from the year before from two straight Western Conference Finals runs. And there's some injuries that were involved with that as well. But I think that when you look at the moves that they did make, it's clear that their messaging is we've got to change and adapt again.

And so now they've gone from a team with an oversized front court with big guys everywhere to a sleeker, more explosive dynamic type of an approach. And they believe that their avenue for Zagging, again San Antonio and Oklahoma City is,

hey, let's get a little faster. Let's shoot a little bit more. Let's run in transition and maybe that will help neutralize some of the advantages that this person thunder have against them. We'll see, but one thing that is for sure is that this is going to be an entirely different identity going into next season.

And we'll see how long it takes for everyone to get on on board with that.

over the last three or four years without question. Well, moving on from Randville is fine. I mean, his career playoff numbers and it's up to 42 playoff games now for him. 18 points seven and a half rebounds for assist 41% shooting, 31% on threes, 46 and a half percent on twos.

“He's, I think, had five playoff runs and one of them has been good and four of them”

have been awful. Maybe it's four and it's three versus one.

But whatever it is, in last year was maybe the second

awful list of his career that the one next Hawks series, which is a disaster. But 16 seven and a half 39% shooting, 24% on threes, 43 and a half on twos. That's 16.7 every bounce equal amount of assist in turnovers. Just the disastrous playoff run for him last year. And like you said, this sort of just the bulldozer had cloud.

There was bad bulldozers as much territory as they could. And it was time for a change and the big change was Lamello ball. And now it's coming a theoretically sliding into the starting five. Some changes to their depth. This also involved the Josh Green flip for now Cody Williams.

They wave non-conscious. We'll talk about Cody Williams later. I think that's a little flyer that they took. It's, it's going to be a very good team. I think I've already talked about Lamello with you.

“I think the Lamello and thing is going to work fine.”

I think this is exactly the kind of player and needs.

I think a change of scenery was needed for Lamello. And this is like a more, it's not that Charlotte wasn't serious. But this is a team that's done serious stuff. And the expectations for it are serious. There's some interesting defensive potential with this commingo line up.

It's huge. It's a lot of protection for Lamello ball. And I think they're going to try to make their bones like defense transition, rebounding, super fast. Two things that are sticking out to me is I kind of look at the team.

I don't know if the commingo bear thing is going to work offensively. I think that's going to be really interesting. I mean, it'll work to some degree, right? But commingo. I'm going to talk about shade and sharp a little bit later.

They're very dissimilar players.

They're similar in the sense that they're second, third, fourth options who didn't play like that when they got into the NBA.

But that's where they are in the NBA hierarchy on a good team. And they haven't, you know, four or five years into their career really developed the skills that that role really requires. Like outside shooting, playmaking defense and shooting in particular. I think it'll be a challenge. And you look at the depth.

Like with with Stephen Shenzou out for probably the whole season. I don't know. You're coming off the bench with bones is back. Io is a killer off the bench. That's great.

I do wonder how he feels about now being not a starter again. And then after that, it's. Kind of a lot of question marks. Terence Shannon Jr. should be involved. They love barringet is a big step up in pressure for barringet.

Cody Williams, Mike Eddishott.

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“So I think it's a big step up in pressure for barringet.”

So I think it's a big step up in pressure for barringet. So I think it's a big step up in pressure for barringet. Yeah, we'll see what he is when he gets back, but early returns are that he's making good progress. And you on barringet is another key. He didn't play it all last year, barely.

Now he is the backup five. He's going to play 18 minutes a night. Um, 15 to 18 minutes, probably sometimes 20. And if they can get rebounding and shot blocking from him, I do think it's a dynamic group that can match up athletically with anyone that they face.

Now, how all the pieces fit together is going to be the question. Does Jonathan Camingo come in with the right mindset, playing a role rather than looking to get his stats and, and be, you know, and increase his value on the free agent market. He's saying the right things right now.

And so if he approaches that away, I like this group. I think they can be right in the mix for a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. No, but no, there's no question about that. Like, that's the team they've been more or less. You know, they're seeding his oscillated up and down because the West is so volatile,

but, um, until competitive, but they're going to be really good.

Um, I've always liked Camingo.

I've always been more bullish than consensus on, or then then at least the Warriors coaching staff was on Camingo.

“I think everyone involved from his agent to the Warriors to coming to himself,”

like he handled that situation very poorly. Uh, but, you know, the bottom line is like, for all the explosive potential that is there. It's now been in Golden State and Atlanta that the results have been kind of like, eh, like sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. They have the scoring outbursts, including,

I do worry a little bit, and I don't think Tim Connelly would do this. But I do worry if the Wolves are like over indexing a little bit on the one playoff series that Camingo played against the Timberwolves when Steph Curry was hurt, and he averaged like 20 something in game because they keep talking about that. Like, yeah, we saw it firsthand.

As a Camingo booster, I should have been like, growing about that series. And I actually just felt like he just kind of made a lot of really difficult jump shots, and yeah, and it was efficient. Like he just made a lot of shots and he's just not going to make that much.

He gets the line all the time, which is a good skill, but for this to work, some other part of his game is going to have to really, really blossom other than just, I can put my head down at score. The one thing I'll give him credit for is, like, there was all this noise all the time about how he doesn't play the way Steve Curse seems play.

He doesn't mesh. He doesn't move the ball as intuitively. And like no one moves the ball as intuitively as Dremon Green. No one moves off the ball as intuitively as Steph Curry. Like to judge any player based it's like Kelly Ubrae went in there and failed completely,

because he couldn't play that one. It's like you're you're asking regular pro basketball players to play with, like, Mozart basically. And Cominga like his average three and a half assists for 36 minutes. Like that's not nothing.

I actually think he can move the ball a little bit and be a handoff guy. And I thought he actually tried to do that a little bit in Golden State. I just, I do wonder how this starting five is going to work. And if there's a world in which it doesn't work and they have to change it up, midway through the season and what that will do to their chemistry.

But it's definitely worth a bet at this price point.

Like I think I just hear here's what I come down to.

Since the go bear trade, which I guess we can just keep litigating whether it worked or not because it worked. It worked. I mean, it worked. Is it possible that it worked and I'm like, they still just gave up too much fruit.

I don't know. I think that's the right answer. Yes. And he's eligible for an extension right now by the way. Have you, is there anything going on with that?

I haven't heard anything yet on that front. I know he wants to be here long term. I though the wolves will love to keep him around. The question will be what that price point is as he gets a little bit older. And so I think that is something to explore.

He has been when you look at just the output on the court. If you take away what they gave up for him. It's been an unmedicated success. The event supplier of the year to Western Conference Finals.

Second round like these are, this is like a plateau that this organization has never reached.

For a punch line franchise. Yeah. Yeah.

“Now, did they give up to maybe one too many first round picks and one too many swaps?”

Yeah. I think so. And they would probably tell you that like they did overpay for him. But at least they have gotten a return on his investment. And the hope is that bringing the mellow ball in will actually extend Rudy's effectiveness offensively.

Because they have not had a guy who can throw a lot of paths to him. You know who you're talking to. Well, mellow ball apologists number one like the I've been telling people for years that yeah, this guy does some goofy shit during games. And like there's going to be the one like it.

Three is that you're going to hate. And there have been several late game decision making errors that are just ghastly. He's a really, really good offensive player. He's a great offensive player.

“And I think in this system having seen a team that drafted him.”

That that he made popular with their local fan base say that and had the most exciting 55 game stretch. Maybe in the entire history of the new Charlotte Hornets say to him, hey, cool.

We're sending you off for Nas read and a first round pick and some pick swaps.

Because more or less when we get into real games and we're going to get into real games at some point with Conknitball and Brandon Miller like second round playoff games and stuff like that. We just don't think you play tough in serious enough basketball. I hope he heard that because he's tall enough physical enough and if he stays healthy, which is obviously a big if good enough to play serious basketball on both ends of the floor.

And I just think the offense that it's mostly going to work. It's he's going to be fine. He ain't ample mesh well. He ain't going to barrel mesh well. The coming of piece is interesting, but this is why I brought up Rudy. I do think there's been an element of the wolves kind of chasing their tails since that trade. So they gave up a ton for go bear.

They knew we knew immediately when it happened.

“You're now in cap jail with this roster and the only way out of it is going to be trading cat and they inevitably did end up trading cat.”

And they have to dump Julie Randall to get the model ball similarly like the trade for dealing him, not working out. Which was like a worthy swing. They have to dump him and then they get IO to kind of replace him. It just feels like they're chasing their tails, but they and they but they have maintained a level of like elite border line elite success while doing it. And it kind of feels like spinning plates to me to use another metaphor.

And I just wonder like how long they can keep spinning the plates. And if they can ever actually get up to the level of the two juggernauts in the West or if they're just now kind of trapped with a team that is really, really good, but not good enough. It has no path to cap flexibility for like four years at this point.

Yeah, I think like you're speaking of the Tim Connolly ethos since he came to Minnesota is basically a band like I'm going to keep making moves.

And if this one doesn't work, we'll find another one around the corner and we'll keep going and we'll keep going into it. We needed to click into place because you're right, like they don't have a lot of they have no assets really to trade traffic wise going forward. If this iteration doesn't work now, you can say well, maybe then you look at trading J and McDaniels and you get some draft picks for him or something. It's more chasing your tails when you get it's more it's the cat thing again, like when you're only way out of the trade and awesome player that is imperfect, but awesome like it's kind of painful.

But what they'll tell you is yes, there is that element, but also Anthony Edwards is 25. The Melabolus 25, Jade McDaniels will turn 26 or the earliest one, I have to assume was 26, you on Baron J is 20, coming is 23, like they have a very young core that if it does click into place can be here together for a very, very long time. And so with they feel like with Anton Lamello and Jade and in particular that three headed young core like they feel like that's going to be the thing that they can just keep building around.

And every team kind of has to shuffle their decks around their main guys and so they they really feel confident about the the most interesting part about it's act is like all of these bets that they have taken. I've been on very polarizing do it's like Rudy go bear is really polarizing Lamello ball is polarizing commingas polarizing they've got a lot of these guys that the rest of the league looks sad and it's like I don't know and it was like yeah bring a man let's go let's let's put these all these misfit toys together we think it's going to work out so there is some gamble to it there is some risk.

A year or two years three years as ant enters his prime look as someone who's been higher much higher than consensus on the mellow. I the health is the one thing that worries me if you can get 65 games out of him again I have no question that that part of this is all going to work. I guess I just have to applaud them for like okay so Oklahoma City's awesome and super young San Antonio's awesome and super young and has the guy who's about to be the best player in the world if he's not already the best player in the world and figures to hold that spot for quite a long time.

“But what am I supposed to do is a team in the western conference will a try to move east how's that going by the way I saw so I didn't I see some report last week that they are now the favorites to move east if you get to to western conference teams.”

Yes I would say internally they feel confident or optimistic that they're going to be the team to move east with you know then you pair them with Milwaukee Chicago Indiana Detroit however you work but you can cluster them with a central division that really makes a lot more sense geographically. And so yeah I think that they would welcome it and they've been trying to do it for 15 years and now it looks like they're on the doorstep of that so they feel good about that nothing's been told to them are communicated to them but I think there's a really good chance that they'll be in the east.

Just on it it's just on and on me that like expansion you know there's like you know you talk to different ownership groups there's like pros and cons like economically doesn't make sense do we want to do this do we want to dilute the TV revenue. It's just on me that maybe Minnesota's ownership group which just changed we'll talk about that is like expansion no brainer we're definitely going to expand here in Minnesota who cares about the money stuff so either it's moved east or like what are you what else you're supposed to do.

Give up exactly like we tried yes and the little thing is a bet on it I'm a big believer in this you're not going to beat those teams by playing like them or playing like a kind of typical team you got to have something a typical about you and the wolves now have something a typical about them. I just it's just going to be a tough road to hold and that's fine maybe it takes someone on the thunder getting injured in the in the playoffs or whatever that happens all the time and it could well happen did the right time for them and I want to do I do want to zero in on coming go like yeah he's the headliner he's the new acquisition.

What have I not brought up or what do we not talked about in terms of his fit on this team by the way. Yes he theoretically turned down more money from the lakeers that would have had to have been a sign and trade that was never like complete according to people I've talked to around that transaction and the Hawks are hard capital the first apron they would be the sign and trade partner having to take salary back. I think the bulls and the blazers got in at the end it looked there's no question John think coming good strategy and his agent strategy if it's cost him a lot of money in the last few years but it just price is a bargain but let's talk more about the basketball.

“Yeah the basketball of it and we we talk about a little bit but I think it really bears kind of drilling in on is the defensive element of it can be really special in terms of you know he I reported it last week but Anthony Edwards was very.”

very vocal in his recruiting of Jonathan Kominga and the thing that they talked about all the time was how special they can be defensively in. Kominga is coming in here expecting to essentially tag team with Jade McDaniels on guarding the best player of the on the opponents team and I can tell you that when the wolves look that bringing coming in obviously you say yeah we'll take.

a player who probably is in that fifteen eighteen million dollar worth range at least right now at for six million of course that's a no-brainer but.

One of the big things that they like about the calculus of it they didn't have a power forward before this like they did not have that real option and so to be able to slide. I mean it in there it just like settles the rest of their group and so they they look at it as now they have some option for when they do get into a series against.

San Antonio or against Oklahoma City that wants to play bigger that wants to beat you up in the mid range a little bit.

“I think they can stand up to that a little bit more and so they feel like there is a bet they have a better match up answer for both of those teams now the shooting will be a question mark.”

And and kind of the a little bit of the playmaking as well I think but. Looking at returning a little bit more to their defensive roots and saying we're going to have a big strong starting five where everyone is six seven or taller except for ant who's like six five and we can really make life miserable. And then we can do that.

I'm glad you brought up that part because I was talking about this was someone from the world's last week and we were also talking about Peyton Watson is like.

I just think you need a requisite amount of just power I say, like the power athleticism speed to compete against those teams at the top of the conference they're so young and they're so athletic they place so feisty in your jersey physical basketball that's the question about the Mello ball.

“It's not a question about Caminga and it's why I think the Peyton Watson departure is a bigger loss for Denver than it would look on paper even when you throw in the salary the pick they got all that I just don't think Denver has enough.”

Any more and and Caminga definitely is that I can't wait to watch this team play like I'm going to do my league pass rankings next month they're going to be very high.

When you said the phrase limo of all throwing half court loves literally the first thing that popped into my brain was.

I hope Chris Finch is extending his vacation wherever he is and really getting like a nice break from this because this is going to be a big challenge for him and there are going to be a lot of games where he's going to be on the sideline like.

“What the fuck just like what did we just do when what's happening.”

But the on Caminga I just I just I just wonder what is he going to do to be useful in the half court when go bear is on the floor and is the main screen set or vice versa because they ran it to this problem in Atlanta.

Where the Caminga jail in Johnson combo seemed so enticing at the three and the four whatever it was and it ended up mostly being like not mostly but a lot being.

I mean good kind of standing in the corner because Jill and Johnson was on the ball or setting screens on the ball or on Yeka Congo who's on the ball or setting screens on the ball or Jack Landiller whatever and you know it just is going to require him to buy into like. Second side handoffs like ankle bear picking roll turns into swing it to Caminga handoff to limelo ball cutting moving without the ball transition and like I just that's going to be the tested like literally where is he standing what is he doing when the game slows down.

I totally agree with that because I do think that one of the things that the wolves sort of had the wrestle with in the Julius Randall era was. Okay, you have aunt and Julius who are both ISO heavy players and that would really bogged down their half court offense when. Both of those guys were kind of in I got to get my in mode and Caminga is another guy who has shown a tendency to be an ISO kind of a player and so what they cannot have happened. Is it turned into a plotting offense it's got to be you've got to be able to harness that athleticism and that electricity in the right way and one of the reasons that Jonathan Caminga chose to take the last money to come to Minnesota.

“Is that he's believes that he's coming to a team that does believe in him and so I think at least we're at the outset they're all saying the right things in terms of.”

Just make the right play let's just find the right guy and then if we have an a mismatch exploit whatever that is if it's Caminga it's antivots Jade McDaniels whatever let's just go that way so. Will be making sure that Caminga feels all apart of things even when you have to minimize some of his role offensively and right now you know as he's 23 and he's been kind of bounced around a little bit and maybe he's taken a little bit of criticism for a lot of criticism for how all of the contract stuff has worked out.

Maybe he comes in with the right mindset of just doing all of the dirty work and then knowing that if he does that and they win at a high level all of that money that he wants or at least a lot of it is going to come his way whether it's in Minnesota or elsewhere next summer. I will just going to point this out last 23 games of last season Cody Williams 16 and half points 4.7 assists 4.2 rebounds 47% shooting 20% on 3's that's not great 11.54 but 54% on 2's. I understand the mechanics of the trade for both Minnesota and Minnesota had to do it to get under whatever apron and Utah you know season opportunity.

I am a little surprised despite how many young guys on the wing that Utah has to find minutes for like. In the like in those same 23 games Bryce sensible average 23 points a game like so there's some garbage going on in those games to be clear I am a little surprised that they cut bait on him so fast.

And he was picked right in front of Mattis Buzellus and a little bit in front of Jared McCain and Kaleoware and Jill and Tyson so it's like that's a kind of a bad with for the jazz.

I actually think I'm going to be I he doesn't have to play which is great for Minnesota like they have no they're not invested in him the way you talk was they're pretty they have enough depth that they don't have to play him. I look he's going to get a shot and I'm actually kind of interested in how he does I assume that they are kind of interested in him to understand he's a math part of the trade back I like the flyer. Yeah I think that's what it is it's a flyer and you know obviously they they wave and stretch John con charge of that that came with him in that deal and they want to get a look at Cody Williams I mean wolf fans have looked at this deal and they remember back to the last time the wolves made a trade with the jazz and it was.

“I think my colleague he's the point card and oh yeah they just threw in this other guy Nikiel Alexander Walker and he's just you know he just makes the math work it's not going to there's nothing going to be.”

Good happen on that and Nikiel turns into and is developed into an unbelievable role player for them goes to Atlanta and takes another step and he's you know a 20 million dollar player now for in in the league and will that happen with Cody Williams I don't know but. Do you understand and I think it's good business when you can acquire a young talent and just see if getting him in a new system getting around some new new talent and and a new coaching staff brings out something that another team wasn't able to do and so it it makes all the sense in the world that yeah let's let's just see what we have here.

I think it's a very important thing to do is to bring him along slowly and don't put too much pressure on him and if he develops into a wing for guy that can play some defense and and just recap it a little bit in small situations hey that's that's a great thing and they could use that in the front court for sure. I'm looking over there I'm not going to do there over under because Bill house and I are doing our second annual over under's podcast I was the winner last year it was like being the thinnest kid in fact can't like we all sucked and I won take the trophy when you can get it 47 and a half feels right interestingly we'll talk about this on that but all of the numbers are really scrunched because of the of the anti taking rules that are taking into effect feels like a good number to me.

For Minnesota I'm very interested to see how they do I'm excited to watch their team.

“Do you get on the you get to the crevison's key family going to where fun the sergeant down time.”

We got to Hawaii just last week so it was the first time I've ever been and it was everything you could possibly have hoped for.

We were we were in Maui and just snorkeling state at a resort with some swimming for the kids and went hiking and found some waterfalls and it was lovely and the great thing about it. Zach was that they had an ownership change in the middle of that and but it happened at like 5 a.m. Maui time so I was able to get that done before the kids woke up and no harm no foul. New new era with marks that in the owners but yeah Maui and Hawaii was exactly what was needed at this point in August right before school start as my wife and I have like dream trip lists that we try to see like how aligned we are we are aligned on number one which is Japan at some point below family has to take Japan.

I'm just like I just have to go and it's it's let it's a little lower on her list because there's far flowing places outside of the US that you want to see but that's a far flowing place I mean from where I am it's far from where you are it's super far.

“How do you entertain the kids on vacation what besides the activities you're talking about do what like when you go all go to dinner do you have a strategy do you have a card game what what do you do.”

So yeah actually what we do is we tire them out so much during the day with activities and then by dinner time it's like hey we're chilling we're just going to have dinner we're going to eat we're going to tell some jokes my son like will. speak like hey yeah okay who's your starting five if you could just start today and then like he will talk NBA. He's just gone he's just run first take topics at you all the way in yeah it's Jordan Jordan versus LeBron it's like hey well you know okay all time who would you take on the box you know it.

Well through the the the whole thing and he asked about Bill Russell and he asked do does my wife kind of like rolls her eyes just like can we have and we're going to have nine months of basketball talk can we not but.

That's that's the whole style we don't yeah we don't try and do tricks or parlor games or things like that because they'll like chew that up and spit it right out at us.

First of all my daughter on these first really first take ready let's go sports sports take over vacation because we're you know we're we're in Europe so we're we can't really watch the meds play.

But they were pretty solidly over 500 while we were away and we're walking to the beach one day and she we're talking about the meds and she just goes daddy.

“I think we might be better without soda and I was like whoa.”

That's the first thing to discuss was like first ball of matter you're wrong like we're definitely she just doesn't really love soda but she's like we're playing better like maybe we don't need soda and then she's like. What if we traded them to Baltimore to get peat back Peter Lanzo back I'm like you're this is just your program a great show. But here's our card game I want to give it. An advertisement for so who know obviously is a legendary card game have you ever played you know flip. Oh yeah yeah that's that's a big one yeah who know flip top 10 card game.

I've ever played and we have a deal when we're in Croatia because she's with her her another cousin who's 11 years old the three of us play together. And if they combine can go on a winning streak of five against me.

Now but they can't they can't collude they have to play honestly to win but they can do that.

Yes they because I will I will I will chastize them if they intentionally I will they have to win five in a row against me. And then they get two scoops of ice cream instead of one and let me tell you John. I take such joy. And there was there was a day there were a couple days where they couldn't even extend the streak past one and I was talking so much. Yes, but nothing gives me more pleasure than when they get to four which happens because there's two of them versus one of me.

And I snap the streak but Uno flip where you can see the card. I highly recommend Uno flip. Alright John Presinsky you're the best read everything he does at the athletic the John Presinsky show. I saw you did a live show with Tim Connelly and other guests at a brewery in Minneapolis. When I get out there this year let's go let's go the brewery and have a drink.

You you just tell me anytime and we'll make a new live show for you specifically and get you out there as well let's go.

Alright John thanks but I'll see you soon.

“Where are the two of us from Athens and where are we going to get back to Routeros?”

Of course in Europe Rosario is a house with the highest rosin room in the world. Many thousand rosin trees are waiting for you with a lot of flowers and herbs in the village. The VV Rosario D.E. The VV Rosario is the best in the world. We're going to win the win!

We're going to win the win! We're going to win the win! We're going to win the win! We're going to win the win! We're going to win the win!

We're going to win the win! We're going to win the win! Thanks Jack! Alright enough Timper will let zoom out and talk other stuff around the league. What's the key on this? How are you doing buddy? I'm doing great.

I mean it's really hot in LA right now but we're doing alright. I have not spoken to you in a month or so. We did text the last time you were here. I vowed to text you something nasty if the Dodgers acquired to reach school. They did and I texted you fuck the Dodgers.

And so I wish you nothing but bad luck in baseball for the rest of the season. Good for you. And now your honor is in a little bit of something. So we'll see what happens. A little bit of something's probably at understatement. It's definitely a weird situation.

The Dodgers did they normally do which is completely suck in August so that we all freak out about them. But hopefully our best will come to life here in September as we get going. And we'll be ready to go for the plus. I didn't enjoy the text message though. I didn't enjoy that. I didn't realize until I maybe the Meds played the Dodgers right before I left.

“I think yeah, I went to a Meds Dodgers game actually.”

And I did not realize that Kyle Tucker who the Meds really wanted and then signed for a gazillion laws with the Dodgers was having such a crappy like a crappy season. A sub 700 OPS season for you guys. That made me very happy. I revel in failure. I'm becoming becoming a fan again has it has reactivated the worst parts of my personality. That's fan though.

So like a 30 for all that we trade him to the raise and he continues sucking.

I'm glad for any for all this still sucks.

But no way. It's over. It's a sunk cost for us. It felt like, why do I care?

“Well, should I wish him happiness and success as a human person?”

And I don't. I wish him failure. And so far. And so far. And even even Brasaban are really dependable. Reliever the Meds traded. He went to the white socks and he's been blocked for them.

I'm less happy about his failure because he was a long time ago. But it's I don't like the person that I'm becoming rejoicing in Kyle Tucker walking up with the six 88 OPS and me being like, Oh, that's good. It's fandom. That's fandom. Right.

fandom is loving your team and hating everything else against your team or anything that goes against your way. And yeah, man, the Kyle Tucker run has been brutal this season. To the point where it's like when he gets one hit Zach, I'm just like, Okay, maybe this is the start. Maybe we'll get some sort of push towards the end. But you know, I'm holding out faith.

Luckily, we got a lot of guys. We just got to get our vats going again. We've not been hitting our pitching's been great. The guys that especially now that we're starting to get healthy got class now back. Got snow back a couple weeks ago.

You know, we're beginning to kind of get like, Hey. Guys, our starting is going, you know, one or two earned runs and things like that. But our bats have been just brutally quiet. So I do have one important baseball take that is relevant to what happened over the weekend.

There's only one team maybe two in all of sports that are really truly hate. And that's the Yankees and so I'm now going to defend the Yankees. I don't know if you saw this yesterday, they were playing the Red Sox. That's a good versus evil game for me. My dad is a huge Red Sox man.

And the Yankees were head seven to one in the eighth inning.

And Jazz Chisom was on second base.

And they were not holding him on and he stole third. And the Red Sox radio announcers went bananas about how unprofessional it was. He violated an unwritten rule and like what a loser. What a put Bush League. The phrase Bush League was thrown out.

“As you know, I think most unwritten rules are stupid.”

This, I'm going to have to defend the Yankees. Seven to one. I just saw the San Francisco Giants blow a six run lead in the ninth inning. Seven one in the ninth. If you and no outs, so stealing third less than two outs has value.

Hold them on or just let them or don't win. Then he steals third. That's, that's, it's not 15 to one. It became 15 to one shortly after that. Seven to one.

All bets are off. This is based is like the people come back from big deficits all the time. That's garbage. I hate the unwritten rules. I hated in the NBA.

And I hated in baseball. Jazz Chisom has has had some flare ups with the Yankees and with other teams. He does some stuff that is, you know, like a little unusual for baseball players to do. But I had no problem with that. And yeah, hurts me to defend the Yankees.

The other team I have hate is the brave. Those are those are the only teams that I feel like wield the trio for. Yeah, no, I appreciate the Dodgers aren't there. And that the hatred level of your, your stuff. But with the unwritten rule stuff, I'm so tired of it.

Like, it's like you said, either hold them on or don't complain about it. It's the same thing in the NBA when somebody dunks at the end of the game. Well, like, hey, you know, maybe just play defense. It's that simple. You're don't get your ass kicked.

It's really that simple. It's hard not to get your ass kicked sometimes. But don't bitch about it afterwards. I'm just over all of that. I'm not happy that the Yankees are so good this year.

That is upsetting me.

And if it's a Yankees Dodgers world series for the second time in three years,

I'm going to be very upset. But that's a different story. Okay, well, I just had John President's game. We talked about the new look, Minnesota. The timber wolves don't think the manga and all that.

We knew a couple big questions with Mo. It's it's August 31st. There's not much going on. A couple big questions with Mo. And we were going to focus on the playoff races.

So big question number one from the top six in the West last year. In order was Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver, Lakers, Rockets, Minnesota. It would be a surprise to me if that were not in some order. The top six in the West again, although some of those teams certainly have flaws.

“I think Houston is actually being a little underrated.”

Now that Fred Bambley is back, I think they have a chance to win a lot of games. But things happen in the NBA. Weird things happen. So my question is who is the most likely team to unseat one of those top six?

And sneak into the top six in the West. Mo, who is your answer to that question? Yeah, like when you look at it and it's tough, would just how deep like the West is. I'm not sure anybody's going to Zack.

Like this is the thing. That's not the question Mo, you got a playoff. Okay, I'll play along. I will play along with you. I will go with, I think.

I think.

The maps might pull it off if they get a great Kyrie year.

Wow, they were not even one of my top five candidates. Okay, let's talk through. So you are super optimistic about the Dallas matrix. Talk, talk. Well, I think I think we really kind of underrate one.

We haven't seen Kyrie play basketball in forever. And when it happens, we tend to forget how good of a ball handler he is, how good of a creator he is, how good he can get other things going.

“But I think the thing that's most important about all of that is how that unlocks Cooper flag.”

And I think that's really an important sort of situation with what you're looking at like so much was put on Cooper flag last year, where he had to play point guard. He, you know, everything with the responsibility he had as a rookie and having to deal with all of that stuff. Now you get to put him in spots where it's not all on him to create for everybody. Now you get to put him in spots where he can work at the elbow and go to work from there.

Then you're going to be able to operate a little bit more in kind of almost a little

pick and roll action with Kyrie even would be fun to watch in that scenario.

In the way that can kind of devolve. I think there's a lot of stuff that they can do and play with that will open things up. And then we'll open up stuff for the supporting cast around them, which I still really like. Like I'm, you know, look, Gafford, we got it and excuse me, not Gafford, lively. I'm definitely worried about the leg injuries and things like that, like that's definitely a big thing. I'm trying to be an optimist and going to just, you know, zoom and just say, okay,

if we get a good healthy year from him as well, like they got the size, they got good stuff. I'd like the way they're kind of set up. Is it like I said, it's a long shot, but I think that's a team. I think that we're really kind of sleeping on interesting. I mean, they have real depth.

A lot of their, they have like 19 power forwards on their younger power forward type players and PJ, but they're all decent like PJ Washington, Santiago Dama, Najim Marshall, Caleb Martin, Marege Johnson, we'll see how much he can give is a rookie. Like they're all are different players, but they all on the positional spectrum are kind of for his Cooper flag is actually kind of a for.

So that makes and research, too. I mean, research is more of a three than a four, but he's, you know, like we'll see what he can bring them. So I like their collection of talent. I'm just not sure how it all fits together.

And if they have enough shooting, but you're right, like Kyrie, one of the more interesting situations in the league, like I saw some reports somewhere while I was on vacation that teams in the league are monitoring the Kyrie Irving situation. They're great. No shit kind of reports in the NBA's teams are money.

“What even if teams aren't monitoring Kyrie Irving, like what, what would they be doing?”

Sleeping, of course, they're monitoring Kyrie Irving. He's a many time all star who's on the semi-expiring contract. Well, the match straight. I don't know. They don't really want to.

He matches well with Cooper flag Cooper flag loves him. We'll see what kind of start they get off to because calculations change teams change. And we'll see what happens. Of course, teams are monitoring, but he's, he's an awesome player. He brings all the skills that they need to kind of make their roster clicked in place in one guy.

That's a bold pick, Mo. I'm just a bold pick. I'm going to read. I'm going to read you the over-unders of the candidates that I just wrote down for this. I'm not doing over-unders.

I'm saving that for Bill's pod, but right here are the teams I wrote down. In order from least to most wins projected. New Orleans, 28 and a half. Just, I just wrote them down. I just was like, I'm going to, they have a lot of players.

That's one thing I can say about the New Orleans pelicans. They have a lot of players. They did realize that they could sign and trade for new ones recently, which is good for them. Dallas, 32 and a half. Utah, 37 and a half.

Golden State, 38 and a half. Kind of a little higher than I expected, actually. Phoenix, 39 and a half. This is all on Fandwell. Portland, 41 and a half.

I actually am a little bit surprised that Portland has the highest number of this group. I am going to answer my own question. And I'm going to pick Utah as the team most likely to unseed the top six. I don't think anyone is particularly likely to do it.

But Utah will be my pick, even though they're the third most wins projected of this group.

Phoenix would be my second pick there. I feel like they're the most stable. They know who they are. They had a nice year last year going all in on defense and Dylan Brooks. They made a couple of trades that I've made.

May or may not help them. I think we'll help them there. Young guys will get better. Devon Booker is a great floor razor. Like I think they're pretty solid.

40 something wind team. But I'm going Utah. And the reason I'm going Utah is.

“I think despite losing Kessler when they just got an offer they couldn't refuse and they had to do it.”

They I don't think they wanted to. I really think they believed in this sort of triple big lineup and they drafted Walker Kessler. He's a elite.

It's said to talk more about him later in the discussion.

I think there's some. Potentially special alchemy between the guards. You know, I think it's.

“I think they've got some potential to to unlock something interesting there.”

Like I think that everybody amplifies each other on both ends of the floor. Their depth is. A little scatter shot. I do like that they've added a couple of wing veterans. Jashikogi and Josh Green to Josh's because they're bench guys.

Obviously they'll stagger minutes among them.

They're starters. But their bench guys are like call yours sensible ace Bailey flip. Interesting players, but young players in somewhat unreliable players. So I like that they've got some veterans. But I'm picking I'm picking Utah.

Am I too high? Am I too high on Utah? I don't know. You tell me. You're not too high on it.

If you know, I wanted to be sensible. I would have gone with Utah. I think is the most. You know, is the best answer. If you wanted to be if you wanted to be sensible about it.

Oh boy. Yeah. I was I spent a good portion of our family trip. Just intentionally annoying my wife and daughter with horrible dad jokes based on the places where we were. So Finland was a great example of that because I could use finish in any number of different ways.

So anyway, I just I guess I just have to get it out. Although I need to I need to practice that because as you know, at the end of September, I will be a dad. So I have to start honing in that skill and being able to you know, just drive my wife and that's with dead jokes.

“But I think when you look at Utah, I just think the collection of talent is so good.”

You know, with with the way they're kind of set up like I think however they want to go about it. My concern will be, you know, what's what's it look like with, you know, that's a lot of mouths to feed out his dairy and Peter's in handle that how does count age. Like all their playmakers are young players. Right. And I think that's going to be the thing is how does they handle the responsibility of creating for everybody or making sure.

Hey, man, triple J hasn't had a touch in like five possessions. You know, and we need to make sure he gets one and make sure he kind of starts to feel some of the action. Some of that's going to have to come from Will Hardy in terms of calling the plays and making sure he's pushing the right. But I think their playmakers are so young and they're going to play heavy minutes like that would be my concern. But when you just look at their talent, I think that's a team that's most likely the one that's going to be able to kind of jump into that top six and make that run into it.

You know, with what they have with, you know, Peterson and Bailey as well young guys is super athletic. I want to see how that kind of plays out how those those two pair on top of that with Keante George.

You know, you know what you're going to get from triple J, you know what you're going to get from Mark and then need obviously a second we just the caveat for everybody just be healthy.

“Yeah, that's just the caveat but like I think they need to keep on top of that stuff.”

I like having, you know, coming off the bench a little bit as a big guy, a little bit of a different look and everything that they have I think that's a reasonable pick. And when you look at the teams saying like they've done a lot from basically last trade deadline to now that they've made the most material change where you think this is really going to have the impact. And it's finally time for you to start winning games. Well, I think I think Nirkage is going to start to open the season. And I think that's that's the Kessler hit where it really hits home because I used to have Nirkage as a nice player.

He was very good for you to all last year. He's best is a backup now and I think he's going to be over taxes to start up but he's surrounded by size and they have Jackson he's and Phil Powsky can play some center bombas here we'll see how they fill that out but you hit you hit on the. The argument against my this collection of players could all amplify each other because of the shooting ability of marketing and the shooting ability of triple j plus his defense is it's not a great passing team the best passer on the team is probably collier who's going to come off the bench.

And so we'll see how they can sort of I mean Peterson is a good passer but he's a rookie and we'll see how he plays but I think that's the caveat. I want to talk about the go ahead but but also like the thing that's concerns me even with it was Kessler starting like the thing that concerns me is now you have marketing and guarding threes. That's something where I think you're going to really kind of start to find that problem I don't know how long that can last for for what they have in the especially in the West and how how difficult it can be.

Now you're making me dip now you're making me because because you want to say well he's he's done it before. Well there's probably matchups where they can stash him on whatever week link player over there but they're starting five does not have like okay but this guy can go guard the apex wing on the other team so like who's guarding it to the Edwards who's guarding you know.

I'm not really somebody I'd really want to have to depend on in the pick a roll defense so that they still act I still think is the right pick.

“The other version of their starting five in theory would be ace Bailey starting at the three in Nurkish coming off the bench and triple J playing center.”

There's also a world in which they just decide for the exact reason you're talking about like Joshua Cogie is just constantly a spot starter everywhere he goes like suddenly Joshua Cogie starts 15 games in a world like that wouldn't chalk me either just to get a like a very good defender in the starting five. Let's talk about Portland I was actually surprised when I went through the fan does stuff that they had the highest over under of this group at 41 and a half that's a huge vote of confidence in Portland's defensive infrastructure I think headline by Donna McClingon and to money tomorrow who will start at the four in the five where you can call Danny the four I guess whatever he is.

You know they're starting five I guess they're really going to do this marant lillard and then obviously come out of clinging that would bring scoot off the bench with through holiday Robert Williams is back as the backup five in Hanson Young is here as well.

“They don't really have a proven backup for and the creature is a backup point guard and shading sharp is out for six months with a meniscus injury.”

I 41 and the half feels pretty high to me based on the fact that that starting guard combination is dead on a rival defensively no matter who's behind it.

And I just marant is a complete wildcard the benches kind of shallow it's a strange brew of guys with a first year head coach and Mike Annore who's on a one year contract because Tom Dunn has decided to operate like a joke. I don't I I would pick Phoenix you talk over them I don't know maybe you just I mean defensively they were really good last year maybe they can duplicate it.

“It's just I don't know I don't see a team quite that good.”

It's really hard to duplicate what they did defensively when you're bringing in John Dean in your back court to start not that I mean obviously they have through holiday. You know it was playing a lot of season obviously your defensive level raises up another notch but when you're going to start those two guys I put so much pressure on you defensively. Then he not quite what he was defensively before and now is more focused in what he can do in terms of you know just let me get down hill attack and push in transition.

That comes down to two guys having to cover for the other three and that's a really difficult position to be and if you're clinging or tomorrow in the position you're set up and then I'm also worried about them offensively Zach like I'm with you. And that I would have you taught Phoenix and even Dallas above them because at least Dallas has a framework and understanding of where they can how they can attack offensively this team is going to be really sort of almost confused right like. Is a dame picking role action is a job picking role action and him getting down hill how does then he play with that well how does he work in that I know he can space a little bit but at the top of that he's his breakout was him getting the ball and going down hill and getting to the free throw line like being able to manage all of that stuff and work through all of that stuff offensively and finding your offensive system in your flow is going to be really difficult.

You know in the twilight of his career coming off in a killies injury like yeah I saw the video he shot 94% in practice. Great that doesn't matter in games right it comes much more difficult in that level and I know his shots not what I'm worried about is him moving around on top of that and again figuring out how he's going to play how is he going to work with job. Then you come off the bench like I'm worried about scoots development you know how how much you know what's going to become scoop Henderson now at this point with the with the way they're kind of set up like I'm very curious as to like what's their plan for him how are they going to develop him or.

If it's kind of over for him and I don't think it's over oh you in the second draft yeah I.

I see enough glimpses that I'm still interested he's actually a pretty interesting well I'm going to do. If he's going to work he class with draft class of 2023 extension stuff for later this week with John Hollinger he's an interesting case.

I think it's interesting and a huge bummer and and also may not really be matter to their win total which is a weird kind of dichotomy to say because.

“He's been a minus defender his whole career and I've always been intrigued by shade and sharp anyone who's listened or read me when I used to write would know that.”

I mean he average 21 points a game last year and it was just not but yet they get to the playoffs and his spot in the rotation strengths and strengths to the point of vanishing. Because he doesn't play defense well enough for the coaches he's not much of a passer he's a 33% career three point shooter and so it's kind of like. Great you go on runs where you make some pull up tos and get to the rim and all that but like what is it really amounting to and so I could see their defense being better or just as good or whatever without shade and sharp and offensively.

Despite the prodigious scoring numbers I don't think he was like that central essential to their offense as a 21 point score typically is that said.

You know, as far as a wing and then he's a wing but you know tomorrow plays like a standstill power forward on offense plays it quite well and then he plays like a point forward on offense that I was just kind of excited for.

“I've always sort of wanted more from shade and sharp and I thought I think the numbers last year exaggerate his impact a bit and I'm just bum that it's going to be there's been the set back I don't maybe you are higher lower on him than I am.”

No I'm about right there may be even just slightly lower in terms of just his overall like what's he going to be in the league at this point and it's not a good sign when it's you know hey you average 21 points but a game and we didn't really feel your impact right like it wasn't in that what that's just not a good sign for any player of any any level and I think that's the thing that's a little bit concerning with them. But I do think it's just a blow because it's another guy that they lost in terms of athletic wing you know part of what made this team so good to was how fast they played and he was part of that getting up and down the court in the way that they played so I think it's it's.

It's frustrating in terms of that and again I just when I look at this team you know like I was frustrated with the job trade or or when they went and got job like for me I just kind of looked at it as like you I know you got him for nothing or essentially nothing. It was like what cost will it be for your team because now I look at like we talked about the backwards defensively I don't know where he's going to fit in the offense and how that's going to work with him in the game I didn't know what it was going to do with him in school and and how that stuff kind of plays out like I for me just overall this whole team is just kind of I'm a little bit confused because I don't know how they they're going to play yet offensively and it's I don't know if they know that and it's a really tough position.

To put one of my favorite assistant coaches Mike at Norris in in in this situation and then now it's on a one year deal too with the team option for next year you know and I think it's going to be really interesting to see how he navigates that whole thing of putting this offense together. Yeah I mean I didn't mind them are nitrate because I just thought you know Chris Murray Jeremy Grant fine it's it's an upside gamble but. At low cost you doesn't have two guaranteed years left on his contract that big money so you're it's not going to be easy to unload if this becomes a disaster and there is disaster potential for sure.

I get yeah I mean I get why they did it was we'll see how it all fits are let's take a quick break then I'm going to do it another big one.

“Where there's actually the white roses from Athens and where do I get the red roses for me?”

Of course in Europe Rosarium is a house with the greatest roses in the world. Many thousand roses waiting for you with a bright and beautiful gift. They live Rosarium D.E. All right big question number two with mo I gave you an assignment and it was pick your most exciting playoff race potential for the upcoming season and that could be anything you want it could be the race for the one seed in the West presumably between the thunder and the spurs it could be the race for the six seed in the West which you've already kind of talked about it could be anything you want what did you pick.

I went east okay and I went the basically the top six in the east but we can just do the 16 because I got nine teams vying for six spots.

I think that's really like when we talk about finally like this being the eastern the year the eastern conference is better than the west and everything with it that's what we're talking about a little legitimately 19s can be should it can be in the top six and we're going to have three teams of those that are going to end up being in the plan.

This top six was also my choice to this question so we're aligned.

I think this is going to be. Helter sculptor from day one in the NBA every game is going to matter because. There there are some chalk but there is going to be at least one team that ends up in the plan that if you told us today this team is going to be in the plan it would be like hold the count that team is eighth in the east so you had nine teams for six spots.

“I actually just I have 10 to be to be kind and Charlotte who's over under is 38 and a half was 11 for me I think that's appropriate for them I'd be surprised if they really but it into this discussion if they put into the plan I won't be surprised.”

I'm guessing that Atlanta is the team I somewhat sharedably put in the top 10 that you did not is that accurate.

I have Atlanta in there. Okay. Okay. I'm trying to figure out who the. Do you want me to run through my my leads. I'll read you I'll read you the over under is just because there there's a clear drop off in the middle of this. So top five over under's are all within 48 and a half to 52 and a half New York 52 and a half.

“I would lock them in I don't know if you disagree but I dare a lot lock Boston 50 and a half I am not locking them in no I think that it's not it's possible the nicks or my only absolute stone cold lock to be a top 16.”

Philly 49 and a half can't be locked just because there's so much uncertainty but they have a ton of talent even if in bead misses 55 games they just will brawn jail and brown tie res Maxi it's a lot of talent.

Detroit 48 and a half a 61 team is being downgraded to 48 and a half now a lot of this again is because of a lot of rules.

I actually might be my second lock just because they have a proven track record is like hey this might get ugly and the playoffs for us offensively but we with our defense in our formula for healthy kids healthy during is going to be back one way or another I'm very confident. They just win a lot of games and Cleveland 48 and a half those are the five the five top teams by Vegas numbers then there's a three wind drop. Toronto 45 and a half Miami 44 and a half or Lando 44 and a half Indiana 43 and a half Atlanta 42 and a half and if you had nine instead of those 10 and Atlanta was not your omission I'm guessing Orlando was the omission.

I'm still hurt from last year as high as I was. They do have a new coach mode so here's the thing right and I like swing me but my also think was like we don't know what he is as an offensive coach we know what he is as a defensive coach everywhere he's gone. He's been in charge of the defense for the most part and has done extremely well obviously we saw what San Antonio's like we was in charge of the defense and Dallas when they went to the finals if I'm remembering it correctly and everything. I don't know what they are off what he is offensively as a coach and that was their biggest problem was their offensive defensive terrible last year everything was bad last year but like their offense was lack creativity and everything I will be I need to see that before I'm going to put them in the in this category so that was my my one caveat.

“I think that's fair I mean we know what they're starting five is going to be because it's the same starting five is last year it's never healthy but this is with the starting five is Sugs, Bane, Wagner, Bancaro, Wendell Carter, Jr.”

Their bench barring a leap from Jace Richardson or De Silva leaves me a little a little nervous it's just it's just lacks pop offensively I mean Vluchovich is here I don't know if he's even going to play he could be behind Goga as the third center Anthony black could be a very spicy contract extension case for the next couple of months he's average 15 a game last year so he he give you a little pop I mean I know it's just you know one or more of the starters are going to be in the last year. The starters are going to be injured constantly and the bench makes me a little nervous but I'm with you I just look at this team.

We've been waiting for so long for the Wagner Bancaro combo to really click I mean click to the point that can you actually build a top 10 offense out of this. Sugs is never healthy he's sort of the keystone to making the whole thing work I just don't know how they just don't they're sealing does not feel very high to me I think their floors pretty steady because they're going to compete on defenses they always have I just don't.

The odds are one of the four of Boston Philly Detroit or Cleveland is going to be in the play and I don't know which one I don't know I think 50 and a half as high for Boston and I love them they are regular season wins machine they're counting on Mitchell Robinson staying healthy quite a bit although you know Kate as good as a backup.

Obviously they have Paul George and not feeling brown bills talk himself into that that was one of my that was one of my favorite vacation trends was listening to bills pod and seeing him gradually.

Go from hating this trade to tolerating this trade to like maybe this is a genius move trade congrats to bill on that.

“I don't know like just one of one of those teams is maybe going to well I don't know because there's five and there's six spots I think Toronto I think Toronto of this coi trade goes through is a very dangerous team that could win.”

More like a lot of regular decent amount of regular season games and you just can't my and Indiana deserve a lot of benefit of the doubt my and me because they acquired one of the top five to six players league and Indiana because they were in the finals a half second ago so. It's going to be it's going to be spicy but I agree with you Orlando and Atlanta to me are like a tier lower and then Charlotte is a tier lower than them yeah I think for Charlotte is this might be a little bit of a step back year to take a massive step forward.

In the future with the guy with the guys that they have with with the lamellatrade that they made but I think when I look at it I had I had Cleveland as a lot there the other team that I just think they have too much talent I just think too much talent there for them not to be in the top six and they finally plug the the three spot with the pay in Watson move which I you know I really like for them you know which we'll see if they in Watson is you know the the pay in Watson and January who weren't completely ballistic for the nuggets I don't even know if he's going to get those.

If he's going to get those opportunities as much but I think what he brings to that team allows them to change their line up a little bit more and and not lose so much when they go to one big and I think that's going to be a real important thing for them. You know and I and for me the teams that I'm kind of question mark like Boston you know you mentioned Mitchell Robinson we also got to mention tape him like he did it's true and it's true and and we've never heard the reason as to why he was out for game seven we don't know if it was a setback with the Achilles we don't know anything about it.

If we just don't know what it is you know and and I think that's something to keep an eye on with everything on top of Mitchell Robinson can you stay healthy Paul George what can you get from him on the floor I know Bill I like you said bills kind of bought into it and like Derek wait one of my absolute favorite players in league.

“Do we have a bounce back offensively from like kind of a nightmare as shooting season for him last year like that's now kind of a requirement for this team to hit expectations.”

Yeah and I think though that's a team that I'm looking at going like okay I don't know you know what's what's that going to look like in that I could see some getting a bunch of wins and I could also see it kind of them struggling a little bit in and out with guys and injuries and things and then when we get to a team. You know where you're kind of just like Toronto has gotten better if this coi trade happens like I would almost put them as a lock if the coi trade happens is hard to would just a pure fact of coi injury wise and availability but he's coming off his best offensive season in a long time I think there's a lot of stuff and he almost seems in coi fashion a little bit more excited.

The season like the fact they saw him at blue jay games this year is is kind of like oh like it's almost like he's ready to there's something.

“A little bit of a the slightest vibe change and that way where I'm looking at it going like wow that's pretty impressive so I think Toronto is a team that's going to be really impressive if that coi trade goes through.”

And so you're talking we're talking is if you're pencil it in top six if you for forced to pick would be New York Boston Philly Detroit Cleveland Toronto.

A top six that does not include a team that was maybe an injury away from go at least going toe to toe in game seven of the NBA finals like a year ago basically.

And it doesn't include the heat trading for yannas and so maybe that is the top six that we're outlining and it's it's going to be more chalky than we expect but it's hard to discount the heat. And the Pacers and the magic they just they do grind their they just grind and grind and grind and they grind their way to a respectful number of wins the Hawks I think are a little bit more volatile and interesting I mean they're going to be interesting but I it's it's just a tough it's a tough field in the is alright so that's.

Give you the most in the weeds award to talk about Boston proved players.

I have like 15 aims written down but here's how we're going to do it I did this last year too. I made you pick one player type from the following categories who could feasibly win most of the player player type number one a traditional most improved player typically third fourth year guy gets a bigger role makes a big leap those are the sort of classic central casting ones category number two. Out of nowhere deep cut. Wow that guy improved that much and I barely even thought about him most improved player and player type number three star player who butts his way into this conversation because he makes a big change to his game.

Or just has another leap in him in my example from last year that I picked and boy did it not really work out was shed home, right so let's go category number one who's your central casting most improved player.

“It's going to be branded Miller from be from Charlotte I think that's the the guy who you just described it to a team when you described central casting right third four year player he's going to get a bigger opportunity now with lamello.”

He's going to get more reps on the ball he's going to show more you know what he can do with the ball on his hands more often they're going to need him to do a lot more offensively I know they have co co co be white to help them with the playmaking and stuff but they're all going to have to step up their playmaking level another notch and I think that's the stuff we're going to start to see him and we saw flashes from him. The last season where I was like damn like there was the three headed monster in in Charlotte but you know the mellow was the center head and it was the guy kind of getting everybody going con got all the hype.

With with rookie you know the run for rookie of the year and everything like that I think he kind of Miller got lost a little bit in the shuffle of that stuff but I think he showed enough for me.

“Last season with the way he's playing and what I think is going to come especially with the playmaking I think that's going to be the guy that's going to have the best you know is central casting for me to win.”

Most improved. I don't I'm betting you don't know this. He is on fan duel has the best odds winning most improved player plus 800 which is not great odds he was on my list my short list for this category. I just think I look I'm very optimistic and I've said before Charlotte's surge last year coincided exactly with Brandon Miller getting healthy now he's still dealing with the shoulder thing in the off season but getting healthy and getting a consistently available. Twenty five and three twenty points five rebounds three assists last year my hesitation with selecting him was you know a lot of the voters are just stats driven they're not going to watch 40 Hornets games are is stats going to jump that much from 25 and three they'll jump a little but like if it's 22.

Six and five and the team has a worse record this year is he is he going to be the odds on favorite so here were my central casting type candidates.

Brandon Miller and I limited a lot of guys so forgive you if you guys not mentioned that doesn't mean I didn't consider and but these are like the finalists.

“Brandon Miller a Sar Thompson who is my pick last year and actually I believe so scoring average decline so still room for him.”

And you played camp Spencer and other grizzly Colau where I think you know do like like juicy potential traded to a team where he's going to get a lot of opportunity he's one of the odds on favorites. I'm going to go I'm actually going to go get my first pick was going to be a Sar Thompson again I'm going to go with Walker Kessler because he's obviously going to have a spotlight on him he's going to get all the opportunity in the world to finish dunks and labs and. And offensive rebounds he's an elite offensive rebounder he's his career high in points for game in a season that counts like last year's five games I'm just wiping away is 11 points a game.

And his defense is going to that team is going to sink or swim defensively to some degree like if it even treads water it's going to be because Walker Kessler is an elite one protector. I'm just going to go Walker Kessler I it's not a really a big center award it's more like a scoring award I'm going to go Walker Kessler that's going to be my most improved player central casting pick okay. Under now the fun one the under the radar where the hell did he come from pick mode to kill.

That might be code for that Zach, but I don't know if you caught what Pella Larson has done over the last few games to great it's a great name it's on my list it's okay okay so I was worried coming into the second Zach might be like I can't have him along anymore. You know he dropped 31 20 and you know just the other night you know they're playing the past two days he's averaging about 27 points to game look at small sample sizes two games right you know he 40% from three doesn't mean anything it's for for 10 but I think there's an element of.

And where he's going to be in Miami and with all the attention going to be drawn to the honest especially honest describes like there's going to be opportunities for him on those kickouts to get going and they're going to need him on the floor like this team you know I know they added clay I know that they're they have some guys but I think they're going to need him on the for the season. To really kind of step up to that most improved level for them to crack the top six and make me look stupid for not even mentioning them when we're talking about them I think it's going to be a thing where they need him to kind of step up that way I think the opportunities are going to be there it's he's got to take advantage of it because.

All the tensions going to be on young as the attention is going to be on bam I know spacing is going to be a little bit wonky there but they're going to need him to kind of open things up on those second drives on kickouts and things like that and respond properly on that so for me.

“I just went a little bit I went with him I like what I saw with what he's been doing with Sweden that's that's my out of the the the dark horse.”

Well, you're not alone in dabbling with Fiba I've obviously been Croatian's offense has been off the charts explosive.

Bill sent what I thought was a disturbing text yesterday to a group chat saying he was watching Sweden France and that he thinks. He thinks that Evan for me is going to play Fiba basketball until he's 50 years old he's like the LeBron of Fiba I was like I'm a little worried about you. Peli Larson so so he's on my list the reason I didn't pick him for this was he he went from five points a game to 11 and a half last year I'm not sure how much that jumps but you're right they're going to be on the radar a lot more.

“Two things about him or she number one I think he was penciled in as a starter before they got clay and now I'm not sure about that fact that I could see them starting clay because they just he's shooting is so essential to just.”

Bam and yawn is working and they need maximum defensive coverage for him and that's when both those guys are on the floor but there's a world in which he ends up supplanting clay as a starter for sure. He's also extension eligible right now actually and I think wouldn't surprise me if there were some discussions about that. He's the heat sort of start gathering for training camp is on a non guaranteed deal he's a restricted for agent next in the off season if they don't extend on my think he's his max extension would be whatever it is 140% of the league average salary or something like that.

I could see them being having some interesting talks they really that he really like him he's tough he's the heat guy it's a great pick my under the radar pick and I went I went pretty far under the radar to a team that I don't think is going to get a lot of attention of any kind this year. I just took notice of what Lusman Jeng did for the box last year after the thunder release timber whatever happened in the box picked them up 30 games for the box 20 starts 11 points again for a guy who basically like didn't play for the thunder and was sometimes in the g league.

I have to imagine the bucks are going to give good all their young guys maximum opportunities once the season spirals out of control for them which it will and they did just resign in the summer three years 15 million 16 million some like that.

He's going to be my pick I could I could see him with a well he's averaging 16 a game wow that's exciting so that's my deep cut pic yeah no I think that's a very much deep cut it wasn't on my radar.

I wasn't thinking dang but like that's I mean that's what was coming with most improved right like we're these the key Alexander Walker who won it last year I don't know people were ready for him to be as good as he was on the ball. And and really kind of explode the way he did in Atlanta I think those are the things it's the biggest thing is opportunity it's getting the reps and the chances to do it and I think that's going to be a big one there so yeah I like it.

“That's why I think case and Wallace has a real chance to you know because on the one hand of Jill and Williams wing Jill and Williams is healthy and Chet's healthy and Jay's healthy.”

There aren't that many shots but now he's going to start I think with Dort gone we all know what he is defensively and all defense level guy.

If that just bumps up to like 14 a game and the thunder went 66 games and he's the full time starter I could see that being the case okay the fun at the most fun category almost had funnest which my daughter does to make me angry because I correct her grammar.

The the star already established star who you could plausibly see being a candidate for this award.

I'm going to go with Evan Bogley.

“Oh, he was not on my radar that's a good one tell me why because everyone's a little down on him maybe that's why that's part of it right everybody's incredibly down on him he didn't have the season that we're.”

What we saw two years ago from bubbly. You know in Kenyaks and it really looked like he had unlocked him and this is obviously before the hard and trade but grab and go attack and the in transition facilitate the offense even at times and go to work from there.

You know one big thing we talk about especially with these sort of this type of archetype of what we're looking at what have you added to your game.

What if he comes in and it all of a suddenly is knocking down threes shooting him at a high cliff and knocking them down at the point where we're going nuts. But also if he can tap into what he was two years ago where he's you can facilitate offense through him a little bit take a little bit of pressure off part in a little bit of pressure off a Mitchell during the regular season. I think there's a legitimate case to be made that he could have a chance at most improved obviously three point shooting would be a big part of it as well.

But I think if he can just go back to what he was two years ago, I think there's a legitimate chance and he's one of those guys that we kind of look at going to establish star for the most part.

“Maybe I'm stretching the term star a bit but like I think that's a guy look at going like yeah that's what I think is going to have a good chance at it.”

That's a bold one I like that. They're going to just going to be I talked a lot about them last week with Rob Mahoney because of the Watson trade they're going to be there's going to be some wrinkles to iron out offensively when the two bigs and Watson are on the floor and hard and has to ball at all that but I mean they're going to they're going to be very very good but there's just going to be some sort of wrinkles and roll definition to iron out but that's a good pick. I feel very good about my pick I actually kind of expected you to have the same pick as me for this.

My expectations almost could not be higher for Scotty Barnes.

“I think Scotty Barnes is the kind of stock now you might say he's above this he's a two time all star fifth and defensive player the year voting last year.”

He averaged 18 in game last year 51% shooting 30% on three is he actually averaged 19.3 the year before and 20 year before that so scoring dropped last year. There was so impressed with and almost in all of his sheer effort level in the postseason against the calves now they lost that series in seven he was the best player in the series. Defensively he's going to be a defensive player of the year candidate and he was just monstrous all season and in the playoff he was legit terrifying defensively. I think like. We'll see one if if assuming the collid trade happens obviously collide will be the leading score on the team.

They have like RJ bear it is a borderline 20 point score. I mean it will quickly is going to give you 16 to 18 again like there's not that many points to be had but if this goes from 18.7 and a half rebounds six assists on 51% shooting and then in a borderline like not existing three point shot you know 2.8 attempts to game 30% shooting. And that goes to like 22 9 and 6 assists and the three ball comes up to league average in Toronto wins 51 games. I personally in general my expectation it's going to be it's going to be hard like I was about to say I expect Scotty Barnes to make all NBA probably should have made it last year. I mean if collide gets to 65 games he's in all NBA player are the raptor really going to have to but I would say like the Scotty Barnes I saw in the playoffs it like obviously the sheer urgent effort level is not going to be like that every single night over 82 games.

That guy is a no-brainer all NBA player with a bullet and quite probably not going to get to 65 games again. So I'm going to say Scotty Barnes makes all NBA and his he's my pick for this for this designation. Yeah, I think it's a good one because I think ultimately to when you have coi on your team you need to have somebody that's the linchpin for everybody else right like that's what happened in Toronto last last time when they had him right it was really Kyle Lauer in those guys and when they need buckets to just want to coi for the most part but like he and coi took over and was phenomenal defensively and everything I'm not trying to put who he did in that finals run but I think it's a level of like cool coi is going to go get his.

Ken who's going to set everybody else up in that way and I think that's an area where Barnes can really thrive in in that being that kind of that role in that sort of that they cog in the offense to make sure everybody else is getting getting part of what they need to as well as him getting his that's a good one that's a real good one second again like he said he was awesome in that seven game series he was awesome it was so much fun to watch.

But like at these 10 11 teams every time they play each other it's going to feel you're going to have this in the back of your head like this game actually kind of really matters and that's and that's exciting right mode to kill where we're going to see this year what should we be looking out for. I got some stuff coming on Bleacher report in the next a couple days a couple of articles will be dropping over the early part of September unless anybody has told me differently I'll be doing my stuff on mba tv on the weekends and and then we're going to go from there everything else is still up in the air the double dribble podcast on real gym network with Jared Dubin we're still cooking there we're going to start a season previews.

Really soon actually start and I think today. So we're going to have that stuff going and then I hopefully be adding stuff as a year goes and here on the Zach low show we're back up and running twice a week we'll be back on on Thursday with an episode on contract extension talks and all that stuff we're going to talk we're going to have some special sort of not NBA guests coming up.

“So we're going to start and start rolling out these awards previews like we did today with most improved player mode to kill you're the best thank you sir maybe I'll see soon the Los Angeles go mad spoon Dodgers.”

I don't well go Dodgers and good luck to your meds. I know you guys need it. Thanks buddy.

All right that's it for today's episode of the Zach low show thanks to John Kuzinski thanks to mode to kill thanks is always to Jonathan Mike and Billy on production and thanks to you all.

Thanks for listening to and/or watching the Zach low show be back on Thursday with a new episode looking forward to lots of other stuff that's going to happen in the NBA contract extension season outlook all that stuff. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks again. When our over in president select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas star casino or 18 and over in president and DC can tuck your Wyoming gambling problem call 1 in 100 gambler or 1 800 my reset call 1 888 789 777 777 or visit ccpg.org/chat and Connecticut or is it md gambling help.org and Maryland hope is here visit gambling helpline ma.org or call 800 327 50 50 for 24 7 support and Massachusetts.

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