World Cup Favorites and Predictions

This episode is brought to you by State Farm Countless hours in the gym, a thousand shots before tip off day after day in the same court the state farm stanchion right there That's right. the best players put in the work and state Farmms is the same way with insurance experts put in the work as well, whether you get a digital quote, or reach out to a local agent. State Farm is there to get to know you and help you select the right coverage that fits your life and your budget Putting the work is what separates the good players from the great and that's why you want state fararm on your team So get the coverage that's right for you Like a good neighbor, state Farm is there. Coverage options are selected by the customer, availability and eligibility vary by state Bill Simmon'sodcast is presented by PayPal. We are also presented by the Ringer Podcast Network, where it is from Hell Month on the reewatchables We put up hand that rocks the cradle this week. I think we're putting up domestic disturbance, the Good sun and Pacific Heights all before the end of June because this is from Hell mononth. So you have all that to look forward to all those movies are on Netflix. By the way, as well, I'm going to be on Netflix on Sunday night with Zachlow. We might have a Mystery third with us as well. So probably Probably five PM, six PM ET range will be going live for an hour and a half getting you ready for a big NBA week that's coming speaking of Tim Legler is coming up in one second. we're going to be talking about the draft, what we learn from the finals, how does that help team building predictions, all kinds of things. And then I' love the World Cup. I've watched a ton of it. so I made Anthony DeBundo come on and we talked about USAs semifinals chances, Final eight chances, some sort of chances Things are better. Things are optimistic, a huge game coming on Friday I hope you're going to be out at a bar or somewhere fun watching it. but so we talked to the Bundo and that is the podcast. We're going to take a break Pro Jam and then Tim Legler This episode of the Bill Smanons podcast is presented by PayPal You know a clutch move and you see one, a no look pass, a buzzer beater, a big steel. Well, imagine if your' wallet pull off moves like that my friends is PayPal. Right now you can find offers from hundreds of brands like Sony All birds and Vioter save offers before you check out. earn unlimited rewards. Plus you can add those rewards on top of credit card points is clutch. downownload the PayPal app today Save those offers, start scoring rewards. Terms and exclusions apply. See payPal d. com slash rewards terms, credit card points subject to issuers terms and conditions All right, so we're recording. it is Thursday afternoon, late Pacific time. Tim Legler is here. He did not join us during the finals because he was calling the finals and we were coming live after every finals game I want to what's I want to do some draft NBA stuff and then at the end of this, I want to talk about what it was like to be there for such crazy series I was so excited today I read that you're involved with the NBA drafticer forree ESPN I had this whole plan for stuff to talk about I didn't know we able to I didn't know you were prepped for the draft. This is unbelievable. Well they listen to be full disclosure, I'm not fully. I still have a few days to get there because this was kind of also a late in the game ad for me Yeah to be part of it. I mean, it's it gets fun. It's exciting. But at the same time Yeah, like there's a lot to acclimate yourself with and and I've been doing nothing but honestly with the last over the last couple of days. but watching a lot of film on a lot of guys. just I saw my new Sen enough of kind of had a feel, but even those guys, you know to really get into the weeds, you need to see more film on guys And then there was a bunch of other dudes when you start getting down, you know, anywhere from ten through thirty because I'm just doing the first night. So ye Yeah. I'll be involved with the first round. So like you got a you got a lot of catch upp to do. So I'm kind of in the midst of doing that M or less I did the draft two years and I had an incredible amount of fun Diving a half hour in each guy and then basically making a decision on how he felt And I'ember of the one of the drafts I had Yanis? And I'm like I don't know, man, he looks he looks pretty good, but it looked like he was playing against thirteen year olds. you know what? I'm gonna to tell you something though here's the truth. like you know the new thing and I don't think this's always was the case, but the new thing is what the draft is Cops. ye. So drop a player name and it's funny because And I'm looking and so in my research and in my filmw workk and I'm pulling different stuff up and you're seeing different player comps dropped by whatever source. I'm not going to get into those, but whatever the source may be, And I'm just like, man, I don't like these. I don't like the cops because I feel like I really feel like you're either. As an analst, you either going way out on a limb Yeah like like damn, man, that's a big reach because we have you have no idea ultimately How a guy is going to swim at the next level And a lot there's a lot that goes into that man. like fit early Just hard, work ethic, handling pressure, maturity, And like you can do all the homework you want. You don't know, man until those guys put in NBA uniform on So some of these comps I'm going, wow. okay, That's a big bite. But then there's other guys I'll be like, oh, that's not fair enough to the guy. likeike you know what I mean? Like I don't think the comp is enough. So And I feel like either way, five years from now, like you set yourself up to just get absolutely taken apart Like if you if you if you put a cop out there of some guy that's like a Peretia all star and dude's bust, like you're going to hear about that a big way. the other way. So I'm not a big fan of the cops. So I'm just I'm just I look at these bs I have some bad news for you I was the one my draft, that was my big idea for the twenty thirteen draft to do the Pler' comps. I'm Dct. Oppenheimer of this whole thing. Wait, are you the guy? I was. was I was doctor That was my big idea. I was like each player will do a comp of whatever and then that second year I did it, we blew it out even further. And so you're that guy with so like who stares off Alppen Hyber in the movie, likeike he stares off and he's seeen math theorems and all thatuff Yeah. You're seeing you're seeing former players L just bouncing around in your head. I thought it would be a good way for the audience to understand what they were doing. But it's and we do if we did it for the Grantland draft guuy. we do it for the Ringer draft guide It's it's really hard because if you do the wrong comp or you don't put enough thoughta to it, it can go on as sideways as possible Have you changed your opinion then on like even giving the cops? like you know where I've gone it just blatantly obvious? Yeah, yeah I rarely do it's almost like there's pieces of different guys, right? Like when I watch Caitleb Wilson And I just his you can watch twenty minutes of him on YouTube I think he's going to be one of the best fifteen porters of all time. Like just see the way it's edited. you're like, oh my God. This guys Janis crossed with Bam cross, you know, And the problem with this stuff is you're seeing like the absolute best of the best. It's the greatest hits of whatever the college season was, which is why Yeah, you have to go watch like tr. You have to watch the last five minutes of different games. like to really do this correctly. You got to see them in different pressure situations. That's a great point. And I also the the other thing is Like the guys that you're comparing them to when they get the comp That's that guy at his very best And you're going, okay, with these guys, most of these guys are nineteen. Right. Like man, you know, So whatever, if there's some things that are clearly obvious with their physical profile And maybe in addition to like sort of like stylistically okay. But like that's the the problem I have is you start throwing out guys that are You know, every year're an all star Hall of Fer all league players from the past. I'm like, man, that's a lot de that's nineteen wind. if you just go back and look at the last fifteen years of the draft. There's a lot of dudes that were picked in the top ten. that you c that had all kinds of comps of all star players from the past. Yeah. And a lot of those guys weren't even in the league in three or four years With all that said, if you watch Darren Peterson's highigh schoolch tape, he kind of looks like Kobe. Like those are the cops where you're like It kind of looks like Kobe. L like that's I don't know. Is that a blurk comp or is that just what buys are telling me? I u I I have gravitated. I've been fascinated by the drap my whole life and Even doing it those couple of years was really helpful. But I've landed at the point I really value what I just watched in the playoffs when I think toward the draft. and that's where I've landed the last couple of years And I feel like there's basically like three buckets of players and I want to figure out like like just the pure studs, right? the first four guys in this draft I think flag was like this. Dylan Harper was like just like these guys are studs. They're going to make it. They're going to be at the very least starters. They have all NBA potential. likeike that's a bucket And then I think the next group for me is playoff guys And playoff guys to me means wings that can defefend and hit threes and not hurt you offensively but can switch on defense and just can fit in a series Bigs who can defend the rim and rebound and maybe even stretch the floor a little and then guards that can give you offense and not kill you basically those three buckets as playoff guys. And if you look at the draft last year, Murray Boyles, I think went Pty go nine or ten Yeah tenth, I think mayaybe tenth coward went ninth Carter Bryant, who I thought actually could have prayed probably be a little more San Antonio fourteenth. But we're always taking these guards ahead of these guys and sometimes I wonder like Is this just the undervalue over and over again every year? These guys that we know are going to be playoff guys and yet they always go three four, five picks too late Yeah, no, I think it's a good point. I also think Like Carter Bryant's fascinating guy to me and I went to go back to like last summer, the first time I saw him. seen a lot of film that I called his first game in Vegas. Yeah in Summer League and I was like, guy was he was so much moreore athletic. that everybody else out there too. And he's so rangey and bouncy and like hyper energized that I'm like, man, this is the type of dude If he figures out how to shoot a little bit, this is the type of guy that you look at down the road for five years as like an elite Eite perimeter Dender And I still think he's got a chance to get there. And the good news for him his perimeter shooting really came a long way this year. Yeah. Now, you know, and Mitch Johnson clearly like shrunk trust. a little bit once they got deeper into the post season. And look, he did play in one the one game we called, you know, against Jalen three straight possessions and Jalen Brunson just went right into the paint and just bodied them up and footworked them to death and made three straight buckets and it was demoralizing probably. Yeah for this young kid. But look, my point is He's another dude that we didn't talk much about because we were spending so much time on Harper This is another guy they got that's going to be a big part of their future. There's no question in my mind. Yeah. and that's a guy that in a playoff series he makes sense to me Cle clearly like a forb. He could guard different positions So when I look at like Rz Johnson on on Michigan And he's all over the place, right? likeike he's in our draft guy he's thirteen. I've seen him in mock draft. He's like ten to fourteen and yet he's the kind of guy like, okay, so he'll take them at twelve. And they're like of course Of course they of course they took him and that's going to be Who is, But let's let's do we can talk about some of the need stuff later. The top four. is so much fun And I'm always a big Take the guy that you think is the best guy Figure it out. you have months and months to study these guys, how they would fit in with your team Go out on a limb and take your guy This is one of the only times I remember looking at a top four like this and thinking kind of be okay trading down to four Like if I was Utah too and I couldn't decide, it's like I might be okay moving backwards two spots and getting even more stuff if somebody was super excited about Peterson. But who's your favorite out of these for The Boner is my guy. The Boner is the guy. I believe that. I think That'll be the pick. that should be the pick. I think what we're hoping for, you know, is that he's enthused about the situation. I mean he's hard to tell he's very stoic. Yeah. He actually came into the green room in um I think we're in San Antonio I don't remember what game during the finals. He happened to be there that day. they brought him in. I think his dad they came in and we met him and talked to him a little bit and I was joking. I'm like, hey, man, I give you good restaurants in Washington, but it's been, you know, thirty years since I played there twenty six years.. So I think theyve probably changed. We had kind had a joke about it. He's very serious guy, man, you know. And I'm just like, maybe that's just kind of how he's wired because I know a lot of people read into You know, the when the lottery happened and the wizards got the first pick and he was there and they showed him and he just looked so serious borderight unhappy. And I just was like, man, let's just give him some's just give him a little bit of slack here. right? This is overwhelming to him. He' now gone from, you know, in the last two years, you think about you're trying to find your way as a high school player hitting the AA circuit climbing the charts and now you're the number one pick. a presumptive number one pick in the draft you know going to a team that's had, you know, hasn't won a lot in a long time. It's a lot to process and maybe people are viewing you a certain way So I'm not to read into that He's the guy because I think H his what he could do from a skill standpoint combined with the physicality that he brings And some of those metrics, that combination, and versatility in these game, I feel like He's got greater margin to find his le because I'm not sure exactly what ultimately a ceiling is, but I think he does kind of like everything well and he's very athletic and he's strong and he's tough and he seems serious about this He's a worker He looks like a guy to me that like you go, okay, we bring him in because we think he's the best guy. Not exactly sure how we're going to plug him in, how we're going to use him, what his ultimate strength is primarily early offensively. doesnn't matter because there's a lot to work with. Yeah. I think for me, combination of size this athleticism with the skill set, I think this is the right pick I landed there early February. I watched these guys for a while and at some point it was like, what are we doing? He's got to be the first pick, especially because you don't know what his body' going to look like five years from now You know, that right Carity looks like he's twenty six And you think about, you know, some of the guys like the Tatum, Jalen Brown guys like that, how they grew into Th adult bodies by the time they're twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, like the muscle he's going put on. play their position By the way, Washington's taking him That's that's how this is playing out. They're going to take him and I don't For sure. And he's always a group. I mean, look look at their roster and the number of like top ten picks on their roster. They've got a lot of lottery picks there fits in with them but they have developing nicely. He does and the one thing they don't have though They do not have a face of the franchise type of guy. They don't. They've got some some former number on pick our former lottery picks Um and and like Sar be the top of those for me like he's grown tremendously. I really like his game, but this this guy is different because of the nature of the position This is a guy that you could put the bone his hands in the open floor in the half court He can go get his own against guys. That's a lot harder for a guy as tall as Alex Star. He's never going to have like that type of handle to just go break a guy down. to Bona can do it. So they don't have This level of franchise guy, even though they've got some really nice young players. Treay Johnson was a guy I loved last year. Guys a walking bucket. Yeah. But they don't have this. This is a different level. a guy that with that kind of size that could play off the dribble, shoot it goo get his own and break guys down. They don't have that combination. And is that a big spotlight on him for a while. It's the right pick. You know, there's a piece of me wonder is if Boozer also was the right pick for them. . And we always talk with the draft you always hear like floor, ceiling floor ceiling, every high floor, low floor, high ceiling, lower ceiling And Boozer seems like he has both a high floor, but also potentially a high ceiling and with his IQ and He's just going to produce he's been I like that I like that way when you put it that way, Bill because we've seen too many guys in the playoffs, particularly the separation between floor and ceiling the variance between Florence. I don't like variance with him. Yeah and the thing I didn't like about him He didn't have that little foul line jumper It felt like he would be bowllling his way to the basket over and over again when he really wanted to get points, which he could in college. and in the pros you're not going to do that in the same way But he's this is the nineteen year old version of him, you know, I mean you think like He's these guys. I think he has the competitiveness in the work ethic. I think AJ has it. Taylor B Bills definitely has it U This was a comp by the way I did like Can I tell you the comp I saw that I did kind of like? What was it with this with with with with Boozer It's Kevin Love I thought was a pretty good comp. Think about Kevin Love at his best in Minnesota before, you know, he went and, you know, sacrificed a lot to go win, But his first years in Minnesota. think about how productive he was because he's you know, boozers not a guy go Bway athletically. Yeah' more of a grounded game, but I think he's going to stretch his shooting out to be a really consistent deep NBA shooter. He's already got good shooting range That's got to improve obviously it's a huge thing Th those extra three, four feet. likeike you really have to put some time. and I think he can get there. anyy ball that he gets his fingertips on off the defensive glass is his Very Kevin loveo like He's smart. He can outlet the ball quickly because he's got a high IQ the glass, he gets it out of his hands quick to the guard. that That's a Kevin love trait too. So like, I don't love a lot of cs. So I thought, yeah, Kevin love. at first I saw it was like me think about that. And then I started watching more and fil and boos. I'm like, you know what I don'tind that I loved like heavier Kevin Love was one of my favorite rebounders of all time When he had like the extra twenty. couldn't displace him. you down there No if he got position, it was game over and one wasn't going to jump over you at all. He just got his back on you and you was done, man. One of the best offensive rebounders I've ever seen that earlier version of him. Like I mean think about like the great, great, great rebounders that I've seen in person and I'm sure you played with and against some of these guys, but Moses was an all timer I really about this in my book. Moses had this trick where he would kind of go under the basket almost out of bounds And then he would just back in. wards and then he would just be next to the rim tipping it in Moses Barcley was incredible. Kevin Love was another one that Kevin Love also did very similarly to a big play in the game. what Mitchell Robinson did so emby Allright big mis free throw. where he he they walk guys so deep. they can't react to the ball gets beyond them. Yeah the level is great at that. I can see Boozer being that type of rebound because they're not they're not going to get those ones where you're going to run from point A to point B cover twenty feet because you're you're tracking it with your eyes and then you just go jump over two guys and get it. They're not going to get those kind. It's got to be done a little bit more with body positioning and then just IQ and just their sense and instincts for the ball So high. So I think I just think Boozer to your point. floor is pretty high with him. I'd be hard to imagine him not being a really impactful MBA player. evenven if he doesn't turn into a franchise guy, which all fortyies top four who knows mayaybe they could. He might not, but his floor is so high. it's still he's still going to be a really really good NBA player. I think he's just going to be excellent. And I said this a week and a half ago I think Utah is going to take them I have no inside info. It's just from watching how Danny and treated the draft for the last twenty five years, knowing Some of the stuff that you need in Utah, like they they know his family obviously because his dad played there and his dad works for them . to have a guy who could be this good who would also be like, yeah, I'm fired up to be in Utah. I think that matters And I'm not afraid of having him and I love him and Jaron Jackson together. To me that that's a combo that really makes sense. whether marketing' there long term or not, I don't know Kessler as another shopwaler he could play with him too. I just I'm good with like doubling down on size over taking Peterson and hoping last year was just a weird year and he's more like the high school Peterson versus the freshman year Peterson. I think Peterson is one of the toughest evaluations we've ever had with this. I don't know what to make of the fact that he got worse. in college than he was in high school and that he didn't seem as he doesn't seem as twitchy. He doesn't seem as fast U I don't understand it. I don't understand the creatine thing. Like what do you make of all this? He' first of all, I just I'm just going from the pure because a lot of the stuff I don't think we have the answers to ourselves, but I would just evaluate the guy physically and his tools translated to the next level He's he's one of those guys. you know, I watch him some of the stuff I've watched. I'm like man, like that's NBA ready right now. Like the guy can flat out score He's got he's got a youm control about his game That is almost like even though like he's out there with another, you know two, nineteen year olds paired or a couple of twenty year olds or whatever He just looks so much more mature in his movements that it's it's it's it's obvious how easy it's coming to him. Well you can see the defense too where just the way he's able to navigate around screens and stuff. He's highighest possible level He's got control, man. But like I'm watching him. I'm been I've read stuff where He views himself and maybe some people are evaluating him as like a point guard. I don't see that I don't see that. I mean, I think he's to me, maybe a combo guard that yeah, you could put him in ball screen. too me, I reserve the phrase point guard for like a different level of understanding of how you're organizing and how easily you're facilitating for other people because you're two steps ahead with any action you run You already know two defenders away what that rotation is going to look like and youre now you know what the next pass is going to be and so you're processing all of that in real time. I don't see that when I watch him. I see a guy who wants to go score and get his bucket And maybe be yeah, okay, you can run ball screen withempt the scores in this league run on ball screen to use the turnerm point guard like this is going to be a Point guard one day, that's going to be the guy that's like both making the game easy for everybody while he's also going out getting twenty, twenty five a night. I don't know that I see him that way. So this to me is more like you want a raw scorer and a guy that's super confident. I look at all that size up frront already that Utah has a lot of your points are good about boozer and like the fact that connection to the organization all that Mbe that matters to it, maybe it doesn't And definitely could play Jereon Jackson Junr. and it's actually something Jeron Jackson Jror need is a guy next to him that can rebound the way Boozer can because he's not a big time rebounder. He likes to block a lot of shots. He spends a lot of time on the perimeter offensive t a reoundnder who' right there? sixix a game Yeah Yeah. so but they but to think, you know, they already have Castler they have Marketin who plays a lot of three. That's that's like another six ten an up guide to add to the mix to play unless they had other plans for some of those guys and they want to move them. And you know, that's that's kind of almost beyond my scope of what front officers think sometimes U but I look at Peterson. I think he's just a natural raw score. So you look at the top of the draft firstirst team that thinks they need that. That's that's who you should take them I think he's a two guard. I agree with you. I don't think it's a point guard. Although I do think that line has blurred over the years with the NBA where it's kind of like I don't think Shay's a point guard But he B bringing the ball up a lot. but like you and I, we grew up with like point cards were actually point cards. They their whole role was like table set are almost like a host on a studio show or something. Their role is just to make everybody better. that And the guard position there exceptions to it. And look, you're right, it is blurred more than ever. There are exceptions to it for guys that are So dominant D. I mean, off off of off of their ball handling They're so dominant that they're dictating terms of defense all the time. and organically, shots are being created for people. even if it's not necessarily in their direct wheelhouse. I mean, like Steph Curry be an example. Is he a natural point guard? No, he's a guy that created so much offense through his movement and shooting And like the depths to which you had to go to Gardam He created offenses organically by being with his dribble Brunson even as a guy. Is he a natural comeown table set or? no, but he's so good at breaking you down organically stuffed is created around him. So you have to be on a certain level If you're the lead guard, let's call it that because some people prefer that terminology. If you're the lead guard in the NBA and you want to be a contending team, you better be so damn good that you because if it's not your natural thing to find that you that you're creating better opportunities to find because you're so talented with the ball I'm not I don't know if he's going to be there or not. It's way too early to know that It's the toughest one because there's a I mean, if you're going to say out of all these guys, who's going to haunt anyone that passes them up, it's probably this guy Be I think he is the highest ceiling of anyone. likeike he The high school stuff from a year ago, which I've talked about previous episodes is you're just like, oh my God, this This guy could be like the next guy. You know, and I don't know what happened to him in Kansas I really get nervous with red flags before the draft. and I say that knowing twenty one year old and eighteen year old and you watch kids change in real time E six months, every nine months, and All of a sudden, you could be like, wow, Mike My daughter's completely different than she was six months ago. This is great. I can't believe it. It's like she's an adult So it's so hard. Ver, very true. know it's so hard to project this. No, no doubt. No and it hits all of a sudden you're just kind of like, wow, that's nice. Right. and it's like It's like a friend of mine told me one time We're talking about this parenting stuff. and he said What you have to trust, like as a parent, is that you made those deposits a long time ago And so and one day, like, wow, it hits. And then you cash in and you're like, hey, it worked. They're a good human being. likeike you know, sometimes along the way, it's hard being a parent, but like I think that's what it is. you just trust it and then you're right with some of these players. It's the same thing. This is so difficult, man because of The way that top picks are scrutinized there's even Any indication that you whift Early It could be overbearing for the player. Resa S and Atlanta I think it's such a make Yeah So I'm telling you Marco Fultz is a guy that I was I was at the Cry camp topop thirty camp the year that he was getting ready to go into freshman year And I was watching this guy and the Sers had the first pick and so all my friends are Sixers fans. And so I was like, I was out there San Fancisco and I was you know, I was working drills and doing stations and putting these guys to it. coached in the game. They have an all star game at the end of the weekend. I coached in the game. likeike Daris Garland was in that game. like and I'm like watching Marcoel Fultzon like min just dude This dude has it, like he's got the size. he's got Crazy bounce. likeike way more bounce than he ever really even got to show to this point his NBA career. Like I would watch him after practice. they would have dunk contests And I'm watching him with these guys and I'm like, this dude is big. he He's like Kiosy He's got a shifty ch change of pace. He's got a nasty step back, which is required And he's got bounce too. So I'm like, man, and I think. going to that market. Time with what the organization had already been through was they overwhelmed him. and he had injuries too that contributed to it. but I'm just saying like These are so important. They're so scrutinized more than ever before There's so much at stake for these organizations and you're trying to determine this off a very limited sample size of work and you have no idea what this is going to look like. at the NBA level and you just pray That these guys want to put the work into the time because the talents there And again, trust your deposits when you draft them Put the deposits in now five years from now, we hope this hits some guys obviously sooner than that, some guys never. That's that's kind of where we're at with these top, you know, six, seven, eight nine, ten picks. It's tough man The only thing I've learned over the years competitiveness, work ethic. That's in there like the top top You're starting out in good shape there And then the durability injury stuff is the third piece, right? Folz didn't have that Um, Some guys come in and then you hear like the first guy in the gym, last one to leave all that shit. likeike those guys, There's a reason those guys become successful You did that finals with with Brunson And then Brunston had that great interview after game five where he where Yet again all of a sudden he scored a bunch of points in a row. It was just like I just go back to all the work I put in the gym over and over. I just pretend I'm in the gym. Honestly, that's what that's what this is about. You can have as much talent as you want but you still got to work at it. I look at people I will say this one last, one last quick thing on that. like but I do think the addition to the injury with Marco Folz And whatever was unique injury they couldn't really get it they couldn't get a handle. It was like a weird What you should? Yeah shoulder and it changed completely changes mechanics into something that was unrecognizable. I'm just telling you like being at a lot of those games And in that building, and being close and kind of just observing I also think there was a component of It was tough for him being the number one pick, dealing with the injury and then when he would go into the game when he was healthy. I think it was like a lot of feeling that. everyverybody all eyeballs on number one pick that market. That's tough man. And I think it was it got to the point where like They went guy TJ McConnell, we took out of the rotation at one point completely just because we're like we got to see if this guy can go and after a period of time put TJ McConnell back in there and the crowd went crazy because it was like, we need a guy that can come out here and contribute for whatever reason he wasnt. I was so happy for him actually when he went to Orlando and he played pretty well when he first got there. And I'm like, man, hopefully he's going to end up having a long career as a productive NBA guard, but the number one pick That was difficult for him from the beginning. the injury on top of it made it impossible Ben Simmons was another one like that pressure Big situations. He had some sort of weird foul shoting thing. Didn't seem like he liked basketball that much. and W the with the Peterson piece There's some weird agency stuff too where he has he's represented by team, which also is George's agency and that people think that's why they don't want him to go to Utah. So Memphis might be where he goes. I think Boozers is going to go to Utah. I think Peterson will go to Memphis, but Wh the hell knows? And then let's take a break and we' talk about Kale Wilson. Bill Simmon's podcast is brought to you by my friends at Fandal On the biggest stage in the world, Fandu is changing the game Because sometimes your player gets subbed off goes with them. Well, not anymore. and it's already It's already cashed in a few times here. tournament with Fantal super sub if your player is subbed out bet stays in. you just get the guy that subbed in for him. That's right. If your player leaves the match. Your bed continues on. with the substitute. You just get that position for the whole match. So if you're still in it until the final whistle You're still in it because it matches like these, anything can happen and now your bet can go the actual distance of the game. Let there be goals this summer on Fandle. Is it Fando d. com slash B S to get started now pllus states are eighteen plus DC, Kentucky, Wying restrictions, supplyy terms at sportsbook dot fer dot com dot game P problem c one hundred gamer call eight, seventy nine sevenenty seven, seven seven or visit cPG dot org slash chat Cnecticut All right, so if you were the consultant to the wizards And they were like, Hey, Tim, I know you do the ESPN games. We're starting to wa on the banza The owner saw this high school tournament where Peterson scored forty eight and looked like he was the greatest play of all time Um Peterson going to come back to haunt us. What would you do if you were us You would just say, no, no, ride the course Just stay with the bance that don't overthink it Y one hundred percent that you just would you literally took word out of my mouth. That would be what I would say. Don't ever think this that it happens all the time Don't ever think this I don't have really any reservation whatsoever that the Bance is going to be a star in the NBA How long it takes? I don't know downown the road. I mean, look, that's an organization. Obviously, you know, I played at a long, long time ago There hasn been a lot of stability there for a long time. So like that it's a situational. bunch of young dudes. Now look, you know, Trey Young saying, you know, opt out. I don't know what that means for them is Anthony Davis going to be bought into being there if Trey's not. You got all these other young lottery picts. I doubt Anthony Davis is going to want to be part of that So so it's this young group of dudes All high picks trying to figure this out together. He becomes the face overnight. So there's some there's certainly some like there's not pressure which is good for some young guys But it's also like part of something that's bigger in a winning culture, like that's also good for players when they're young and they're drafted high. They don't have all that responsibility on them So I don't know exactly what that situation is going to look like Whver I have no reservation that he is going to stand out. barring injury. I think AJ DeBons is going to be a star in this league We agree That trit young thing I read as he opted out and he's going to get a longer deal for slightly less money Yeah, I read the same thing and we'll see. That's my interpretation I saw other things that were like, you know, he's he's relishing this opportunity kind of almost to like Got something to prove Um and and he thinks this might be a good situation for to do that. They're going to love him there. I can tell you that. if he plays And he does the things that Trayy Young can do. He's a very entertaining player, very popular player and he can put up some numbers U and he's going to have a lot of athletes around him. playing off of so It could be a good situation for him. too get inside the head of a Tay Young at this stage of his career and Anthy D was good luck. I don't I don't have enough expertise to know Yeah, I would assume Davis gets traded Treay Young, if I'm his PR agent, I would be doing the whole Hey Jalen Brunson smallmallgard discounted Change teams NBA title, Champ Why can't that be Treay Young Build the right team around Shra be the jailin thing. I don't think that will happen. Kayleb W somehat weird thoughts Levven I love him man. I'm excited about Caleb Wilson And because look, there's a dynamic. I say Williams or Wilson So you said Wilson, I think. I did. Okaykay. I want to make sure I saidilon Kaleb Wilson. Yeah. I'm pretty sure you say Kale Wilson level because H's a lot of things I watch with him he's got that eyes pop factor You're like, holy hell, like And so now you look at the way the leeague is set up and some of the spacing that exists in that league and a guy that's got this kind of just explosive power Yeah, sign me up for that because I think anything else that you would want to look at his game And if you want to If you want to tighten up his handle, if you want to tighten up his shooting, particularly shooting off the dribble do think those are things that can be tightened up. It's not like for that You either have it now or you don't. That's not the case. Guys add that stuff all the time in their first three, four years of their career. And there's and then there's a whole not ceiling for them Ecuse me as a score. That's what I'm talking about That stuff where he explodes off the floor like that That's not something you either have it or you don't. I mean, that is something you either have it or you don't. And he's got it That's not you're not adding that later, not that degree of pop and that's what he's got. off the floor and it blows your way because you're like you're picturing him in any sort of of open floor situation or even offensive rebounding situations and it gets a step on a guy. like that is what time. Explosive finishing ability looks like at D NBA level The other stuff. Im I'm I'm a huge, huge fan of his upside There's a relentlessness with him almost guarantees he's going to be a really good NBA player He just really gives a shit The work ethic, the competitiveness he has, like he he just hasas To me, he's not like a runner jumper. I do think there's like some hoopside stuff in there. Like he seems like he'd be fun to play with And I think if he was with the right kind of guard point guard who could be looking out for him and trying to set him up You know, he's different because Seaan Kampp had a different body When young Sean Kemp came in in the league and you just saw people he was playing against it was a lot of this. peopleeople looking up as he's going over them for rebounds and dunks There's going to be some of that. And then it'll come down to whether he can add a shot, which I'm not going to bet against anybody who's super competitive to eventually be able to add an eighteen footer, right? Kids nineteen When he's twenty two, he's eighteen footer. I'm not worried about it. And and I've watched I've watched him shoot enough in game situations where you're like, okay, it's not like you're watching it going Oh man, you know, put a put a put a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen. Viewer discussion is advised on his release. It's not like that. I mean, I've seen guys with And it looks decent. By the time he gets to the release point, it looks pretty good. There's a lot to work with there Um I would be strongly considering taking him. I don't know what the jazz are going to do. I don't again, because of how many bigs they have, I don't know if they just want the best available player and they don't care if it's another big or not. If it is Peterson, it goes to the jazz because they just want that another scorer to go, you know, on the wing then I would strongly consider taking Wilson a three I So Danny all bets are off because he famously was going to take the rant that one year if the Celtics got the first pick over Odin. and I think he was the only one who's going to do that I'd rarely say this. if I was Utah, I would try to flip with Chicago and pick up extra stuff and just take Wilson because he might end up being the best out of these four guys. I don't think there's any way to know. And I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. maybe Peterson if If last year the red flags kind of started to add up, but If you could move back, still get Caleb Wilson and then pick up like the fifteenth from the Bowls and other stuff like that I think Wilson's going to be awesome and we didn even talk about this You're the fourth pick in a four player draft basically before the drop off. Little chip on the old shoulder Oh You didn't think I was the you thought I was fourth out of four. Okay. I'm going show you. And I was like those guys Nothing like a competitive guy who got passed over I hear you. It's there's probably a lot of you know, a lot of drummers that had, you know, a great solo career at some point, but they never got the credit being in that band.. That could be the case. So I think that is something, you know, and that's how this has been framed. for a while now that it's these four guys and then there's a drop off. I do like some other guys. Um after what's who's your who's your next favorite going I love Michael Brown. Oh my Godd. That's my I have I'm terrible at figuring out guys like him. Make the case. You don't like them. It's it's my weakness with draft evaluation because he's a home run hitter I he feels busty to me, but then he also feels like he could be a five top MNBA guy. And I always like those guys always scare me What do he like? No, man. I I just like the fact that he's just he's He's pololished proven score. Like he could just flat out score. He's got he's got handle either direction. someome of the notes I wrote down big time threat every time he touches scores at every level, explosive finisher, deep range a lot of potential to grow. He's got good size. he's not like elite in terms of his size Yeah good enough size to get his own shot. and I've seen projections anywhere he's anywhere seven to ten like most of the ones I've seen. So he's going to go in that range. I think somebody is going to get themselves like a big time NBA scorer down the road wherever he ends up going He's six three and a half with that shoes U He seems like to be the wild Aarently, they don't play barefoot. Well true. So put maybe six, five and a half with Susan . He seems like his range is basically like five to twelve pretty That's what's so funny about like Once you get to that clippers' pick They don't need a guard, right? They they don't need point guard because they have garland. they just made this trade for them And everybody seems to have wal their a cuff there A cuuff's the guy I was just going to talk about. He's other guy like is kind of right there in that in that territory. So like and you know, he's he's another guy that like You look at and both A Kf A cf and Brown, both of those guys like really flashy scores they can go get their own and in some ways kind of similar in that regard U A cus, I notice seems to me like One of the biggest just consistent jumps up this board basasically over the last month or so It's just and to where I have, I've seen a lot of them where he's going to be the fifth pick Like he might be the next guy outside that top four. I, you know, and that is the that's the clippers with that pick. So I don't I don't know where she's going to go that high but to me He was a guy that during the season, you're kind of kind of paying attention. I start to dive in after the season. I start to look more at after the tournaments over I feel I feel like to me, he's like solidifying himself on a daily basis He's going to be somewhere in there. if he's not the first guy taking going one of those first two or three after the top four He was my my crushed guy in college. I really became infatuated with them and so did my buddy house. and we watched a lot of him and then he had the run in the tournament He's just Every game, he was twenty six and nine twenty five and twelve. twenty eight and eight. Oh Yeah He's a great shooter. He's He's like a pure old school Big guy gets the rebound and looks for him Like it like he's like a real point guard. Give me the ball. I want the ball all the time U I'm good on fast breaks If you're going to take a guard that high who is clearly a smaller guard, Wh's going to probably be not not the greatest guy on defense You better think this guy's a home run. and I think he's that good. Like I like I do think he rare back one of those guys' talking about. That's his style. Yeahame. some of the notes I just real quick I wrote down just Great change of pace like really keeps guys off balance. explosive first and second dribbles, which is a big deal in the NBA. Like that first one. a lot of guys had that first step He's got one and two that second gear as he gets downhill finishes with both hands really, really well. like So he can drive either way, gets into your body and he's got like creative finishing because he's probably learned to because again, he's not six seven coming out. She was in that six three range. So he's had to learn how to be more creative with his finishing. He's a lead guard with outrageous potential. So he would be right there. He might be F like him and Brown. They're going to be right there in that category And Wagler is the other one that a lot of people have there And why whyag there's a tough one to me because like we talk about like we were doing the comps before. I look at ACuff and he just reminds me a lot of Kyrie. I think I think he's more of a point guard than Kyrie was, but hisis ability to finish with either hand how he uses the stop and start stuff how he gets somebody on his hip and carries them, sense of the moment. It's all stuff we saw with Kyrie And same thing. like Kye was, he might be maybe a half inch inch bigger than him, but Um reminds me a lot. I don't know who Wagler reminds me of. I don't I don't know what the roadmap is for him. He's so unconventionally. I don't think he had a dunk last year Um, he doesn't finish at the rim. everythingvery's like this herky jerky You know, and that team was built around Just what a unique player he was, but he wasn't a top I don't even think he was top hundred or top one hundred fifty heading into college and had this meteoric rise But I don't know you my f. One of the things I love about him because I'm always kind of really honed in on evaluating shooting mechanics and release and how that's going to translate He's got tremendous extension there believe it or not, a lot of guys make shots in college. And they're going to be drafted in these draft. and they don't they don't really extend on their finish And I think to myself, well It's fine when you feel you're the best player in the court and you're creating a little bit more space than you're going to create it the next level You're just not going to be as consistent. Yeah because I think If you're not, if you don't have full extension now, that's going to shorten up even more as the windows shrink to get the shot off And now's you're just never going to be it's of front rooms Wagler has tremendous extension Like he gets full extension and it's quick. He gets into his motion quick. And he's got full extension elbow lock wrist lock at the same time. I look for that kind of thing. That that translates like this is who this guy is. That's not going to change. He doesn't need to work on that. He's already got that. He's coming to the league. He can make shots now And then now he's climbing because people are looking at him as being more than that. likeike he's more than a shotmaker. He can do some other things for you as well. He's got, you know, re prettytty good size as well. better size than the two guys And' talking about. And came through on a big stage, which isn't nothing you know, like I really thought he got Tournament him and A cuff both were Really great. Part of the problem with this is So when it starting with pick five Basically the next four best guys are point guards who smaller guards because Flemings is the other one from Houston And as we know with the draft Not everyone needs a point card. Like first of all, we have a bunch of awesome point cards in the in the league already There's four more. It makes me think one of them is not going to make it. Th then Burris have you studied Burris at all? Yeah, yeah, I have. Yeah. And then Burris is the one who that is the best two guard available No question about it. The thing I love about him better than any of these guys and he had to because he was more offball than the other few guys and I think we' mention Kingst Flem. Is that the other guy you're taling you said The next three your retirement A cff and Brown And Wagler and Flemings, Like those four guys. Those four guys Lbergs Yeah Bernie is more of like what I love about him You can run pin down action for him. He is He comes off down screens and he's he's getting his hips turned and swiveling into the catch and it's gone Qicker so like that is like another element to use a guy like that. He can he can create offense off his motion because he's such a threat off down screens out to deep. He doesn't necessarily need to play with the ball first to get into his shot I think some of the other guys we talked about, it's just more natural for them for that rhythm. They need the rhythm first He's a guy that you can put off the ball So maybe his usage isn't as high. Maybe he goes to a situation where he can't have high usage because of who they already have But he can still go get shots up because he doesn't need a lot of time to do it. and he doesn't need a rhythm dribble. or a live dri able to do it first. He to me, the best of this group kind of stuff. gettingting his hips turned off a downstream and letting it fly from deep And he's going to be a really good defender Now he's a year older because than some of these guys, but was a big L LA. like he won the high school state title here where he was like the lead guard for that timeam. I've said this. He's been my favorite guy out of the top four U other than ACuff because U It was say a lot of the same reasons I let Castle two years ago because he's on that great Arizona team, right they didn't really need a lot of what he. So he was just like, all right, well What do you need for me? All right, I'll do this, this and he just kind of figured out how to fit in Hit a couple big threes when they needed them P defense. do do like all like the Ninny Gy stuff, which is exactly what Castle did at Yukon. And then when Castle went to San Antonio, like he was able to And I think Bures has that in him. He makes the most sense for the clippers question is you don't necessarily need to take them at five. couldould you trade back Cid he flip spots with the kings Who everybody thinks they want AC. couldould you flip spots with them, pick up one extra asset and then take Bures and at seven. You'd have to, I mean, listen, as we know, all these guys were talking about beauty in the eye of the beholder because I haven't personally a lot of the different mock drafts I've been studying and looking at haven't seen them really that high. So you would have to be just one of those things where what you see is like, man what he does these particular specific things. better than some of the guys we've talked about who like, yeah, man. they got a lot of junk in their game and do a lot of stuff. their' scorers, natural scorers, but we like this specific skill better to take them that I. M of the ones Mckds I've looked at have not seen him as high as five So I don't know where you know, he is what do you do if you're the Cippers though, because you have Kawai who's going to be thirty five next year Garlland, who's your point c guard And if you're taking another point card, You can talk yourself into it and just be like, look, we're going to be unc conventional. We're going to have these two scoring guards and You know, we're not, there's going to be some bad stuff on defense, but that that's why we have Tylu and a coaching staff And I just find it hard to believe they're going to do that which is why I feel like they're going to trade back and take Buris would be There's one other trait I love. I gott to throw this at you This is Just in general, something I've been watching And you didn't do the Western conference for playoffs this year, right? Did you do the did the eastern Cerence Yeah You did the we did the Easter Cere You have the stinky stinky sweep We had we had the Nicks just cheating like a witchard. Yeah, you had that. Yeah But what happens with Wallace and OKC where you have these, you have Say and now you just gave maxes to Chet and you gave a max to JW And you have Wallace who after the season is very interesting. He had a little moment in a press conference where he was Basically like It was interesting when I he said something about when Shay was out during that stretch and Wallace had the ball and you and I talked about this in a pod where it was like did a couple of games during that time. Yeah. There's a lot more with Wallace here that we didn't really get to see than the playoffs happened He's back to twenty five minutes a game I mean he averagage eight points a game this season, right? It's your three for him All right, well, what's he worth? Be you're talking extension now. after you're three, you can extend a guy. And if I'm him, I'm like There's more here. I could be the lead guard. I'm one of the best defenders in the league. I'm a thirty million dollars a year guy and I don't think Okay Cy's going to play it Pay it So what about Wallace and the twelve for five Ders get Wallace. they move back seven spots. OKC moves up to five Is that you you're outside the top four. I mean, I think is that I mean I' about for that pick for OKC. Yeah How much do you like while I like Wallace a lot, but do they have to me in their system and the guys that they have Um, He's one of the better on both defenders in the NBA, but and he did ramp his game up a little bit when he got more of an opportunity They've also got, you know, AJ Mitchell sitting there Like so these' you them too. Yeah. Right. And he's a guy that's just much more dynamic offensively with what he could do. He hasn't scratched the surface of how good he is going to be So I like him, but expendable absolutely and this was the problem all along for OKC. like Well not even a problem It' a good problem to have They want a title And they had like this perfect system and they had a superstar and then they had coupleed like two and three were like really good players and then they had a bunch of role players on interchangeable a lot of nights really deep You're not going to be able to keep all those guys. You're just not going to be able to and you're not going to need to because of who's at the top You can find guys, I think that can replicate what those guys do. mayaybe have a little bit more scoring punch to them. You know, even looking what they went out and found in McCain like that move to pick him up and what the offensive punchy game where he's playing heavier minutes than some of the guys were talking about that were staples for this team for two years and they picked them up mid season coming off an ACL injury becausecause they identify it better than just about any organization So If they looked at that and said, you know what We're not we think that we can move up and get the guy that we desperately need. We can replace a Caseon Wallace And then who knows at twelve manand you can start getting down there it's craps shoot anyw to go get the exact guy that they want, whoever that player may be. No, I don't I don't necessarily think that is but I again, I don't know. like do they view any of those guys outside the top four as that? I mean, I don't know. because that it's almost like a math problem Like at some point, Wall us on a rookie contract is perfect But now with Wallace with a contract looming as You have to pay him basically as like not even better than a fourth guy because he's he's probably worth like, twenty five to thirty on the open market with with what his ceiling is They can't pay that. And the whole point of having all of these picks and taking swings and grabbing McCain. locking down AJ Mitchell to this great contract is that You have to build this like cheap apparatus around your three guys. You can't pay you know you can't pay well thirty million So really I train now committed to the top three, something like that R like you can'. I mean, it's so you got you have to use him and move up and Maybe even then if you have five, now maybe it's easier to try to even move up into that top four, but It was one I was thinking because if You know, I have quipper season tickets. I want them least be decent next year before aspiration annihilates them But if they got Kase on Wallace and then the twelfth pick, I feel like they'd be better off And if they don't get into that, you know, get into that situation where they're going to move that pick or whatever, which I thumps there's no question they're going to listen to all that because they're not in the top four and and and we think there is a difference there That's u seems to be, you know, if they see the A c the guy. likeike if that were the guy and they just looked at him like he's better than everything else and we think, you know, I'm taking the best av of player. I don't care that we have Garland and we've got Gardplay. I don't care because this guy ultimately is going to be a guy that can flat out play at the NBA level. he can play quickly at that level that maybe they hold it and they take that just to take the best available player. But you know, they' they're they're like a veteran team. So it's like, you know, you don't know what they're thinking is. likeike they're not, they don't time to develop guys. that That's why they That's why A c doesn't make sense to me because you have Kai is thirty five and you're going to play him and Garland. like I'm winning the title with that as much as I like ACuff O you have to trade garland at that point. It just opens up these different Doors. w doy Did you didid you study the center yet, Mara Yeah, I was just going to ask you about him because we didn't talk about any bigs really like real centers. We talked about some bigger guys, but like He's different Um Here's the thing, man, I watch him it's so hard for me because even like I go back to a guy like Edie And they're like a little bit different. And I looked at Zach Eating and I was like I don't as dominant as he was in college. I don't know how he's going to change ends of the floor at the NBA level It's a big deal. likeike he's lumbering up the floor. now it was a turnover. Now you got to get back and run and like is he going too methodical to do anything offense. He's he answered those questions first he leaned up He worked with her player performance team and like even his running stride improved everything improved. So it's like, no, this is fine. He can keep up with this and actually do a lot of damage offensively kind of stays in a limited lane, but he's an effective NA player. So now I look at Mar, they' different body types and' a little bit different. Mara is like more agile Certainly, the thing I like about him, I was like watching like he's got a really, really good feel for like passing into little handoff game and he could find guys from the elbows. He's he's just really clever with his passing. He's thinking one step ahead. It's another dimension to your team. He's a really good room protector. the guy seven three. so he's going to protect the rim and he moves well. You know, guys like that There's going to be limitations there offensly, you know, unless he becomes a really good three point shooter. And then there's more opportunity for you there. and even like a guy like Klingon is trying to do that in Portland, like he's taking more threes Yeah because he knows if I don't, I'll never ever get anything other than a rim run lob or offensive rebound. So I better learn how to do it Can Mara do that? Can he extend out there He needs to. I'm sure that's probably all he's doing this summer and trying to extend that range. but I just like his feel for the game is his IQ is touching his finesse with his passing I think that translates to a lot of different systems. You can play him. He's going to help make other guys better And particularly if he learn how to shoot the basketball, he just has more upside I love the passing to. I like him in general. And at one point I was convinced he had to go in the top ten because He's somebody I could just see in a playoff series. Then I did some more research mininutes really scare me with him He So when he went to UCLA, which everybody agrees didn't go awesome. He played Basically ten minutes a game and thirteen minutes a game for them in the first two years. Then he went to Michigan I play twenty three point four minutes a game last year If I'm taking if I'm using the eighth pick in the draft To me that that means like, oh, I can see he's going to be a big off the bench Edy played big minutes, had points rebounds and was approven like you can actually put now he got herurt to Memphis, but I just think top ten's too high for him, the more I look at it And maybe Okay so you can get him at twelve and that's a great pick for them. But This draft is so good. And if I have a chance to get somebody like Burry' at eight or nine or Kingston Flemings, I can't take a guy who played twenty three minutes a game last year I just can't. No, it's it's a fair point. And I think just in general, you're just looking at him and you're going when there's other guys that I think you're just looking at offensive upside You know, three, four years from now is so much greater It can be hard to justify that unless you have Glaring hole glaring need like we Jew' so uersized up front. We don't like the bigigs that we have. If it's so glaring and he's available. he's in that Tennis range somewhere in there. Okay, see, twelve That's that's like she perfect take a flyer on him. Yeah. But like I don't think Golden Stake can take him at eleven because They need athleticism. need they need young guys. They need pOP. They need somebody that can kind of tilt their team a little bit. and we don't know what they're going to do this summer with They have, you know, I still think LeBronz going there. likeike who knows? Who knows what they're capable of this summer Um This is a luxury pack I don't think this is somebody you can take in the top ten with with this many good players. and we We didn't really talk about Flemings. I can't decide on him the ceiling is for him because he's not that huge? Um, is it like six one He's fast as shit U He's really competitive and he's a good defender We've also bounced We've also seen those guys like peopleople really regret taking those guys like seventh, sixth, eighth, these six one guys that unless Unless you have a chance to be one of the eight best point guards in the league It's just not worth the pick. I'd rather have somebody that I know can play big minutes Yeah, I think that that's look, he's I've seen him in the top ten like the bottom I closer to ten. I've seen him on a lot of draft boards. like he's in that area Some of the other guys, I think are clearly more like polished right now A cff and Brown and guys like that. Waga I think are a little bit different category. He's an interesting one because you started getting to that pick And like he's the next most talented guy on the board. so I'm curious to see like how that ends up. I do like kind of like athletically the way he competes Like you're going, okay, that translates. Like he's going to be able to hold his own and hang athletically. It won't be a problem for him Um, he's right there Yeah in category of those other guys. Atlanta at eight. I actually think point card makes perfect sense for me from them. Sacramento desperately needs one ats seven Bland needs anything U And then Dallas at nine is a fun one because it seems like Kyrie' going to be back. They have flag They have a bunch of like expensive Really polish swings, right? They're going to have lively back to have Gafford Um And everybody has burs going there to them at nine, which makes a ton of sense to me, but Um It's it's when we get to like ten eleven That range, I think the draft gets Burry's going there to me would be an ideal Pick ideal fit for him. It it fits a need. They need guys that can shoot the ball off of guysuys they have now that can absolutely collapse the defense and break them down his primaries to have a guy that you can plug in that's going to get clean looks. and shoot them at a high rate, that makes a lot of sense. Have you haveave you done Steinbach work yet I to do Steinberach big Big rebounder pick and Rll guy like classic in the right spot. Yeah I got I wrote down for him very strong in the open court dude sort of bounce off him runs well athletic, very, very tough Um Yeah. he's a guy, he's a guy that just kind of stood out just because of he was just like So physical and so strong the way he plays the open floor with dudes sort of just making space organically as he moves up the floor. Yes, impressed, partarticularly just his competitive toughness. He seems I'm not one hundred percent sold on him because I do I just can't get the spurs okay see and sppurs Nicks out of my brain I'm like, where would he have played in those series? U, but he feels like a perfect Charlotte pick for fourteen. This episode is brought to you by Netflix. The World Cup is finally here and the coolest thing right now, FIFA World Cup, laaunch edition on Netflix, a fast and fluid game where your phone is the controller and your TV is the stadium. Play as as any of the forty eight teams in sixteen real world stadiums andents included in your membership. Yeah Go to the games tab on your TV and play Fefld World Cup Lunch. addition now on Netflix This episode is brought to you by Barshead. What if we told you the taste of deep fried turkey is now available at your local deli? Well, Bishead just did that, bursting with flavor perfectly seasoned with that indulgent taste that usually means planning your whole day around it presenting the Friar's turkey breast only from Barhead Backyard tradition now available behind the counter. Visit your local deli today, disiscover the craftsmanship behind every bite, Bars' head C committed to craft since nineteen oh five Somewhere out there is a Chevy truck. The first N dries it It's a Chevy person Probably no one. Your buddy, your sister, ones who always show up, do the first to rise, the last to leave They always have that little extra something, and maybe you've got it too. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. Visit Chevy dot com slash trucks to explore the lineup All right, we got to play quickly U I sent you a list of all the favorites for the twenty twenty seven title. And Just like and it's a good time to think about this because we're heading a trade season the draft and fre agency right now. So just quickly Spurs are the favorites right now Fando plus two hundred fifty and And their big question is the Kldon expiring And then they have twenty and thirty five, forty, forty two. So they have stuff to move around and do stuff You were there You were in the house for these games.. They have Fox whose extension hasn't even kicked in yet. You've a bunch of Spurse fans like, let's get this guy the fuck out of there. It's still in Harper time What do you do? What do you do with Fox Tough because his numberers going to be big. I'm not this and I don't overreact to the extent. obbviously a lot of people do particularly Spurs fans right now the way they're feeling about the series he had Um It's a big moment specifically, but the guy can still play and he's going to be getting a big number. He still does at a dimension with his speed. He's a high caliber NBA guard that had a terrible finish to his season. I don't know that that's going to carry over. He wasn't one hundred percent healthy. He'll get healthy over the summer U noobody was really feeling this way about him most of the season. So it's a terrible way for him to end He's going to be part of the mix here Now the question is going to be this and people that are were watching the finals heard me repeatedly, particularly in the last game How are you going five, six possessions in a row and Dylan Harper is off the ball kind of hanging out when he was by far to me, the most comfortable player on the spurs in that game And it just in general looks that way all the time. But think about the stakes in that game. cannot keep this dude out of the paint with one deffender J just can't do it. H shooting streaky. It' it'll get there, I think, Harpers. But the thing is he can also make plays for people. He's a great defender time you go. That's our starters and we're not going to start all three of these guys is Fox at that number. something is going to be smart to bring him off the bench and be more of like a second unit guy to go get his offense rather than continue to startar him and bring Dylan Harper in, even though a lot of nights now you're playing of starters minutes Do doesn't make a lot of sense So I don't know what exactly the solution is going to be. Clearly, this is Harper and Castle going forward, particularly The sooner then Harper becomes a more reliable shooter because Castle got better as year went on. He was over forty percent after the All Star brereak. It still got his wheelhouse. Yeah. He can be very streaky from there Harper can too. That's tough. And if you want Fox a little bit more is a little bit more consistent with his mid range pull up Even with his three point shot most of the time certainly not there late for him, but I don't know what the answer is. I just know this is Harperg Castle. Is it next year the year after whenever is it going to be? I don't think Fox is going anywhere at that number comoming off of that series, so you better kind of wrap your head around it as a sppurs fan Could you feel it being that close in courtside Could you feel Fox starting to waver confidence wise Yeah, I did. I think it was it was more than just whatever he was going through physically, there's no question. it's got hereere's the thing I'll say about Dererk Fox I don't think I've ever seen him miss as many makeable looks for him. Itound like this dude was getting draped because he couldn't separate because he was that injured He was getting to his pull up He was getting those creep moves. He There's little spins that he likes to take he was getting to that little quick pull up when he when he said when he gets like a ball screen like a twenty feet instead of thirty, and he comes off and he just stops on a diamond at eighteen feet. I mean, his release was clean most of the time And so that told me all I need to know. Like it's it's definitely in here feeleeling something now stram together with like bad performances now you start to overthink it. I got a lot of respect for the guy. He's unbelievably smart. He's a good teammate. likeike we interviewed him a lot during the series. Guys' got a lot to say that's meaningful as a leader. He had a terrible series, man and he had some moments that were very difficult for Spurs fans to swallow. You don't just put this guy out at the curb at the recycling can. Like you you can't do it. But do you feel that? I don't know. it's a small piece, medium piece or big piece of this is you have this fucking prodigy behind you. But deep down you probably know, even though he barely knows what he's doing is probably better than you in point card And you have that piece too where it's every time this guy comes in, he's swinging the game swinging the energy of it, getting where he wants to go and he's not scared and You know, the fact that he played thirty one minutes a game in that series and Fox played thirty six mightight have been the difference in the series If you fl to more than that. I don't know After game one Mr. Johnson admitted because they didn' remember that was mostly Fox in the fourth quarter. Harperper didn't play much in that quarter or M said basically. And he based it M Johson owned. And he said that was a mistake man, you know, looking at. He's a young coach. He's allowed to make mistakes. I like the fact that he kind of answered it that honestly. Yeahah, I probably need to look at that. I didn't handle that well And then it was never going to he said it was just you probably not going to happen again going forward And what he ended up doing was playing a b together. a lot in the fourth quarter. But the one the game five was was kind of where I couldn't understand I said it, I don't know how many possessions in a row, probably in that broadcast. How is Dylan Harper right now off the ball Right As you start your Why is he not the initiator of this to Why is Casso bringing the ball up? Well even Fox was doing it. Yeah. because Castle because Castle does find himself repeatedly like in foul trouble. I thought he looked absolutely exhausted in that game. He had a terrible shooting night himself, D didn't really impact the game offensively at all, which is rare for Castle because I love him G got to the points, okay? He looks gasted. He doesn't have it tonight He's expended so much energy guarding Brunson. mayaybe we gott to go with Fox and Harper. Okay. cool. If you want to do that gohead. Harper needs to be the initiator because they hadn't figured out a way to keep this guy out of the lane And they just couldn't do it and whatever it is what it is Here's the thing You're going to have these three guards next year I don't know exactly what the plan is going to be because like you said, Fox is a big number and it kicks in Harper is on a rookie Dal, palatable obvious to everybody what this guy's going to be going to be one of the major forces at that position in the league Soon Like if not next year, the year after How do you handle that from a playing a standpoint in a like a fit standpoint of who's on the court at the same time with Weemby as well. So tough decision. I'm glad I don't have to make it Harper is going to be the future, but Fox is a guy that's a big part of the mix, man. You can't just get Get rid of it. any guy can still play. trust me And Weenby will probably have a little say into this too I mean, Harper was I would take him over everybody in this draft and I think this draft is better than last year's draft. But to me, he's like, I think he has a chance to be one of the best guards. of the last thirty years. Like I really do. I let me ask you something wasing how unafraid he was was nuts. Yeah It's a big statement And I like him so much. I think I probably would agree with you, but that's that's what I know now. So let me ask you. So like going back to before last year's draft Did you feel that way about him then And we so everybody was so overshadowed by Cooper Flag is like we knew that was going a pick Or are you saying like kind of like what you know now about Dylan Harper and the especially the way he grew late in the year That you go okay, kind of know now like what this dude's ceiling is and we might actually be underselling him. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, because last year in the draft the Ruters season was so weird. I had know what to make of that It's like, right this teams going to have two of the top five picks and they couldn't make a tournament. like what Th then you watch the clips and but and we talked about him a few times when he came on my pod during the year, but I saw in the preseason. I was like, oh my God What's going around this guy. And then every time just jump out of the TV And he's got the thing that that surprised me is this in this in this particular stage As much as I already kind of believed rightight there in front of my eyes when I'm when I was watching a guy with the stakes that high That much pressure and if game was so physical, you know, the way it was it was defended on both teams. He didn't speed anything up when he when most guys that age get any dayl. You're going to rush it. Yeah, he missed a layup in game five. It wasn't because that. He just missed a shot. He didn't quite extend his arm fully he missed a layff. That was a big play late in the game I'm not I'm not, you know, that wasn't because of stress or pressure or playing too fast He could play as fast as he wanted as explosive as he wanted. And then when it came time to control his body and put English on the ball Even with a bunch of traffic at the rim. He was so far beyond his years and his ability to finish under those circumstances with English and reverse layups when you think there's no way he can extend and get there. and he made it look so routine. that I was like, man. It's amazing to me. this guy has arrived at this level this fast. in his rookie year. he's like, okay, he's making a statement. likeike this is kind of What it's going to look like for a while. N was getting big rebounds. And I really liked his bound. I thought I loved how him and Castle. That's what made Brunson' series so crazy I thought Castle and Harper defended him great. I loved everything they did and Bruunson just kind of solved it as the series went along and figured out how to score them. what he did when, you talked at the Fs, what Ch of Bruns did in game five against that level. of individual defender in front of him. And by the way, it's not just Castle or Harper The cell more than adequate. Champanne can do a nice job on him as well. in a know by the way. Yeah, there's a to past all that Weemby's back there to drop forty five points on them efficiently in something that important against that caliber defense defense in front of you It's one of the greatest finals performances of all time. and Um And again, he did it very matter of faculty and very routine And it was so smart in the way he attacked And the way he kept guys off balance the including Weemby a couple of times at the rim we'd start stopping and Weemy would bump him and they couldn't couldn't gather to jump to go get it and Brunson would just extend because he's not jumping very high and he's six two and he's just laying the ball in where he wants and shooting mid Rangers like it was nothing. It was amazing, amazing. amazing to watch a guy with that kind of composure as a scorer against that level defender when he's not blowing by you or going over you in any way Davis, you know So a Bcks fan friend of mine was like, well, you mention you said Brunson had one of the greatest finals performances likeike, why didn't you mention Yanis five years ago? and Janis had that fifty point game in the closeout, which was a great game difference with what Brunson did in game four and game five was the inevitability that you could feel with the scoring. like I was texted Nick Frans. I here comes Bronsson. He's this is it. He's going to score he's going to go in heater right now And the sppurs by game five, I feel like they kind of knew it too And he broke their will in a different way. That's like that You know, he's obviously not Michael Jordan, but There's very few players over the years that got that to that break your will level And I do feel like he fucked with the spurs. Like it was just over and over again You fucked up again We're only down seven with eight minutes left. I'm going to score the next nine. Like it's just worth the level he got to to do it against that team, I thought I thought that was one of the most amazing things I've seen in the finals. It's one of the greatest finals performances of all time. I'm not going I'm not going to away away from that and because of again, what was in front of him. as good as it might have looked to a lot of people on TV like in terms of the pressure on him with these defenders. Yeah, trust me Trust me sitting there Wing it to watch guys that big and physical and a game was so physical and they're they're quicker than him and they're go beat them to spots and they're they're taller than him. and they're stronger And he just did whatever he wanted to do. And it was it was it was mind blowing in the moment to be able to call that and to watch like that level of greatness When you look at like the physical profile of the player And it's all It's all just strength and balance and footwork and touch. And IQ and then the final component which is really what separates him Here's What he is processing and the feeling in terms of pressure of the moment, It's not what other people are processing doesn't feel it. It actually in some ways, it actually increases his adrenaline in a good way in those moments. And there's been a lot of guys obviously over the course of the history of the league that also kind of fall in that category In this series, it stood out so much from everyone else. He wasn't feeling what everybody else was feeling with this energy and these two buildings and it was like the force of physicality, the defenses and he's just like, now I'm just kind to kind of do my thing and I know where I'm going to end up at the end of this possession. It'll be in a place that I like Not to mention's He's carrying six generations of Kicks fans in fifty three years of history and just I got a great great like thirty five former players like at every game. It was like incredible man. I got a great email from a listener who was saying that it was almost like watching When they would talk about Pfontaine, Steve Pfontaine, the runner He would hang behind, hang behind and then he would make his move and everybody knew he was going to make his move and he would just kind of wait. He'd let everybody run himself out. And like o Okaykay now I'm going gonna do it. And then everybody was running against would know that he was doing it And he would still do it And that's where the Nicks got with these comebacks. Like they were I've never seen a team more comfortable. Down ten, down twelve. where you never felt like the game was going to get away from them. Usually when you're down twelve in the third quarter, you're like, fuck We give up one more three, like this game's a wrap The Kicks kind of liked it And they they like this come from behind thing where You can feel the momentum shift and then You know, we talked about Fox earlier, but the Sur iss not having that settle down guy Um, it's just wasn't, you know, obviously Weby's not there yet. They just didn't have that one guy like I got this guys. I got this. They didn't have it That was my point on top what you just said was just so true about the comfortability factor for the Ks. and part of that was because they were observing the uncomfortability factor on the other side. in those moments because they didn't have a clear defined identity offensively either individually or collectively and part of it is because there's there's these guys are growing as players. There are holes in their games And I think and I said a lot about it the other day on our all city pod And I believe it I think the biggest area of growth for Wendby is going to be answered that going into next season. And how do you answer that? You answer that by dominating from fifteen to twenty feet. Yeah. That's the area of the floor that he doesn't really yet know how to fully utilize his shooting ability and length. And it's in a simple job step Novitssky type closing ability from that area of the floor. It's also hard to double team him from that area of the floor. He could play one dribble. He's at the rim from the top of the key easily with his length, but he doesn't really go there and catch the ball He either rununs to the rim pops back behind the three Those are the two things he does. He doesn't really scream short roll and they hit him there. Not to mention he's such an easy target to hit on that short roll because you can throw it high. He can just catch it up here. Even if there's traffic for the guard, just throw it up. He'll catch it. And now he's got it one on one, give him some room, one strong side shooter and now let him practice that job guys off them just a little bit, boom Make four or five of those jumpers a game. couple swing through and goes And I think the game will be easier for him because he didn't know really where to go in those game defining series defining ch he was thirtyents thirty feet from the basket Rud Picker around the Fx. Yeah, I Wh I was thought that Dunk' spot That's where he has to figure out like twelve feet to the side, pick a side. You your bank shut, you can swoop into the paint. to dor. Jay Agreed you're a lob threat from the side. likeike that's what he's got to figure out. He doesn't have a spot. Yeah And I don't it bothers me that didn't have a jump hook eith. I don't know why he doesn't have a little. Yeah, I mean, when's the last good reliable jump hook We've seen. I gave up when when I would see seven footers coming into the league with some skill and I'm like, how do you not? This like a two dribble to the middle jump hook over either shoulder. Al Jefferson because it's damnar unstopp. W Jefferson had a great one but his even his was more almost like a it was like a little turn full body. It was a push right? because his shoulders were square to the rim. Yeah. Yao Ming had a decent little jump hook. Yao Ming was like He kind of mastered that Duncan had one. notot to the extent that you would think Yeah guys would. And I think for for Webby I think that that's not bad, man because you can, you know, look at some of the distances that Karem shoted from like, It doesn't have to be a five foot shot. He might have a hard time getting guys that deep. So okay, what if it's an eight, nine, ten foot shot and it looks smooth and you practice it enough Who's stopping it So I agree, look. And I think this is what really to me separated the two teams. The Nicks going into game five, I said had the most precarious three one lead in the history of team sports because they they've been outscored seventy percent of the minutes in the series They were everything had gone right in these key moments that had to And here you are there' up three one, but man, it could easily been three one the other way. We all know that The difference in this series was how these two teams managed the last five, six minutes of the game. Barers were kind of looking around like what are we going to do this time down the floor? because all their best players have a little bit of a hole in the game too young, notot a good enough shooter maybe if your castle. Why we just talked about doesn't get those spots to the floor that are comfortable for him enough Guess what Best learns lesson losing that series That's the best thing that could happen to them for long term success here in the foreseeable future because they're going to remember how that felt and they're going to address that exact situation I a hundred percent agree And yet They're going to look. I mean, that's one of the all time squandered no doubt I have so many things happened In those five games. so many things happen. I forgot that that Weby missed an eighteen footer just to win game one. That was a pretty open shot You just go through that Lan look If you're a spurse fan, you're just toturing yourself goingone all. E like that, even like that shot. I said, you know, like even that They ran good action. They ran is a himan fox Fox came off. was they knew exactly what they wanted to get. High ball screen. they knew They knew you're going to have to give some sort of help or or Fox is going to walk into an eighteen footer to win the game So they you knew the bigig was going to shade which meant it's going right back to Weby. . The only but the only thing I don't understand is this And Mitchell Robinson, they got a lot of credit for his contest. I don't really think it affected him Why did you why fall down backwards Like you're shooting a shot to win the game. right. Stay on your feet and stay with your extension Be he went Michael Jordan Just stay nothing else stay upright To give the ball the best chance to get over the front of the rimp Y momentum going back to that extent that you can't even stay upright. Of course the ball is going to It's good possible to track that to the center of the roim. So That's even that.ain, it's youth. It's young. Its it's going through it for the first time, you know Figure out a way next time in this situation. Stay on your feet and shoot an eighteen footer because there's not a person on the planet that's gonna really Bother you on that contest if you stay upright. Well, he askks us to figure out how to play more than twenty nine minutes a game Tue ten weeks. now he knows now and he knows what that ten weeks feels like from start to finish And I just thought There were a couple of those fourth quarters where he was just Wobbling around. He made obviously the huge mental mistake at the end of game two and It's all part of the process. He's gonna to have to figure out How do I ramp up thirty seven, thirty eight in the playoffs That's it was game to, you know, that that's not you learn learn they got learned from it. They didn't know exactly what they wanted to do Castle looks at him and then goes, Oh o, you're to bring it up. Okaykay, I'm out of here. and we have no weight. hits him in the back It's just because it was like they weren't completely in sync because they're so young. Yeah colloectively now we know don't bet on young teams. Now we know again This is what we said all year. They're too young And been there. it's like right out hereere's the thing. it's what's scary for like maybe the league is just the fact that okay, yeah, they lost one series, but like Nothing will expedite their learning curve like that Nothing No way their season could have ended any of even losing game seven at Oklahoma City is not coming close to exedating the learning curve with the way they navigated the ends of those games and knowing how tight they were the margin for air was so slim and Nicks for making all the plays. They weren't making any of them There nothing will expedite Growth more than the way that their season ended. Before we go, where do you want Janus to go And Probably Golden state would be like, you know, hey Golden state are they even in this I don't know, but I they they always came up for Yian us over the last, you know, two years and it was like You'd love to see Hurry get something of that level here at the end of his career. That's why I said that. That's more like From just my heart standpoint because I love watching Steph Curry so much. and I want potential for like deeper playoff runs for him, not playing stuff for he's going in a game or two or evenven if they make it out of that, what what what's what are they facing? A buuzzsaw. So more help for him gives Steph Curry a greater chance to have meaningful series and playoff moments at the end of his career. I like that U My guess is they end up with Anthony Davis G on instead. I don't know why It's just in the back of my head. I've landed on. I don't want the Celtics to trade Jayalen Brown for be honest whichich I felt I felt that way the whole month, but the more I I just I can't I can't canan't get there. I also don't think Miami I don't like the trade for Milwaukee or Miami. that trade that everybody's been batting around. I actually don't like it for either team If I'm trading honest, I don't like what I'm getting back. I'm not getting one thing I can point at And if I'm Miami, I've traded all this stuff away so I can have Yanis and Bam and I don't know where I'm going with that. Can I even when one playoff round, notot to mention be honest like how many more years? But then that scares me is just how many more years can he be elite when he's already been banged up and Let me ask you a question percentage of the people that love the Celtics right fans would agree with what you just said about cool not getting him because you to with Jen Brown. People like the Jays. The only I would say it's probably like three, four Celtic fans would probably rather just not do anything and run it back with her container. Okay. Here's the problem. and here's the question and the Celics exam have to evaluate this. You had Jalen get a taste of being the guy And now he has to go back to not being the guy. And once you have the taste of being the guy, can you go back? I think that would be the fear. And maybe he just wants his own team He hasn't said anything. The Celtics haven't said anything. I would much rather see those guys keep playing together. I don't even like that Clay iss not on Golden state anymore. Even that I wish Clay and Draymon and Steph had just managed to I know why they didn't and I know it got acrimonious, but It's so rare for they don't just stay together. I hear you, man. I hear you. like they they have it and they're winning and they're fun to watch and like us, you know guys like us that are watching this and analyzing it and have to do this every night and watch these teams like you guys like you're a fan of the group, the style, like whatever. and it's like there's more there. There's more meat on the bone. Yeah. there. likeike why why are we why are we ending this now? I think for for me with Jana Brown stuff, I think it's it's a good point. I mean And this is kind of how I felt he During the year, just for me s probably how I would process it if I were good enough to be Jalen Brown, I went through that would be Yeah, you know what? bottom line is, man, like I got call I got I slid over one seat And that's what it looks like Right. There's a hell of a lot There's a hell of a lot that comes with that seat So like now okay goes back and it's it's, you know, obviously not of you guys did n,'s more like Tatum's, you know, the guy. Jen Brown's a great player But at the same time, say, o, listen, I rang the bell, man. I validated My ceiling is, what I believe it is and Okay here to be like one A next to Jason Tatum too because Tatum's going to get ultimately most of that play off pressure is more on his shoulders than anybody else. and so I do wonder how Jayob Brown feels about all that. Is it like he's like no, no hell with that? I don't ever want to go back I want a team of my own. I know what I'm capable of doing And nothing's ever going to satisfy him again orr is it? no, I like playing here. I like Boston. I like Jason Tatum. I showed what I could do when given a chance That's good enough for me If they were going to trade him Milwaukee would not be my Jaye Trade I would be looking at New Orleans or Atlanta and trying to You know, especially in New Orleans. That's a trade that makes sense in my head where you get tr get Treay Murphy back. Herb Jones O more contract. mayaybe you get a pick, but You know, you're recreating Basically a different version of what you had with Tatum and Brown, but your contracts are a little better and you get more flexibility. L I'd be thinking that way to me I don' Do they win the title if they get Yanis? I just I don't know if that's the magic Elixir and I don't know physically where he is You know. I would look at it if I were Boston like this the way that the look the Kicks jumped on it and they played incredible basketball at the end of year and they peaked at the right time. Yeah. But you still have to go back and you have to be honest and just look at the easastern confonference. likeike the path was cleared for them with the injury to Tatum and you know, that was like trying to figure that out late in the year. No Halib Burton, obviously at Pacers went a year ago. Detroit doesn't have enough shooting yet. the pistons. the calves are a team that's got you know, they've got issues in the post season like handling that pressure. Philly hurt all the time So if I'm Boston, I'm just looking at it like, yeah, okay, the next to me I've seen a lot of lists out there where they put. Okay, see San Antonio one two again. in terms of league expectations to win it Boston three, next four To me, the Kicks have every have the have the case to be made that they're going to run it back and win the Eastern conference. I think I think they can absolutely make that case. But if I'm Boston I'm not sitting looking at any teams in the East and going as currently constructed without the Jonest trrade. likeike we can't hang with those guys. So I think I think that's why the comfort zone comes from fans. We know what this looks like pretty damn close and now we get tatum for an entire year coming off the injury rather than just a partial year. Yeah, we'll take our chances with that of course. you need to improve your roster. They're going to need to improve and we'll see what do that. They have a twenty seven million dollars trade exception. They have some trradeable smaller pieces. likeike they'll be better than they were last year. Last year was They always called it the quote unquote gapier But in some ways it was. They got rid of and putting the Nicks as a favorite right now to win Eastern Cup. You should putting the Nicks as Yeah that I mean, it's like, But it's amazing. I'm looking at stuff stuff that's written out there. They're not doing that. I'm like I don't get it, man. The way that they just played And like that last series was a grinded out. they fell behind it, they still found his way. but prior to that, like They were playing damn near perfect basketball And and they end up winning a championship in five games against the team that won sixty two With that kind of young talent. like for me, the Nick should be the team that's placed at the top of the pecking order an easastern C conference going into the season. Now let's see what these other teams do to address their needs Awesome. Bs close that gap. Brunson's the best part in the conference He is it wasn't just, oh, I had this great post season. He's done this four years in a row now. He's averaging twenty nine points a game for four straight playoffs. likeike this is who he is They have a team built around them The only thing I wouldd worry about the next is You know, Pat Riley called the disease of more Everybody's super unselfish when you're trying to win a title, you're doing everything. You put your ego aside, but now you won Rivers I had Doc Rivers on the pod the other day and he We called it Trophy Tor syyndrome You get your trophy for the day. you go back home Every have your day with all your people and You know, then you come back the next year and you're like, all right, Now it's my time and that's usually what happens with this with champions. And that would be the field. I'm going to tell you, though, I'm to tell you, I't think that I don't think that's the make upp of this group of guys. there and I've got to spend a lot of time around them. Yeah. covering them, you know, all the way through the playoffs basically and then's certainly the finals They just look like they're perfectly in with where they're slotted, where they're slotted each guy and what they're required to be and then perfectly fine with this other incredibly special player that they have settling things And we will contribute to that heavily And in some nights be one guy more than another I don't think they're going to have that particular problem with this group. I just don't think that's the makeup of this team. I think you're ready positive because this is the league we have. They ask they're not going to be able to pay m, I don't think Dan basically said, he's not going say can look like it? So mitches out like you're gonna have to luck out with the twenty fourth pick get some sort of big man who But small problems. All right, Tim Legler Have fun at the draft. I'm excited for your playar ms. Just rip them off like Boom, Pare comp boom, Pare comp. Good to see you. Always a pleasure. Thanks for spending this season with us. Let's let's catch up when the smoke clears from the draft and free agency and where everything's settled, all those trades take play, all that stuff. C't w recconnect. All right. Sorry M man Sabill Our roll battery is the same It's like asking you full socer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracl. Is there any other battery with power boost ingredients inside? No, just Dacl. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. and Messi only trusts Duracsel This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a fifty page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online makes sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set upp required compatibility and availability varies eighteen plus All right, so we're recording this It is Thursday afternoon Pacific timeim. There's still some World Cup games happening tonight, but we only care about the one by the time people hear this Friday. America Awesome Really, truly awesome in the first match and now Australia on Friday. It's a holiday. It's going to be a great day. Anthony Dubundo came on a couple of weeks ago And he reminded us, I was skeptical. I wasn't that excited about our chances and you reminded us Hey. We haven't really been healthy in four years. like we have our guys. like there is a path here So you're watching that first half. What are you thinking I didn't think it would go that well. I don't think even the most optimistic U. S. fan in the world that it would go as well as dominant as the first half was. they made it look so easy. This is is a country that usually struggles with Trinidad. that usually has had issues beating Panama over the last few years and they're just washing away a pretty good South American team. So I mean, it was the most exciting I've ever been. It was my first ever time going to a World Cup game. firstirst time ever seeing the US score a goal in person. like Amazing, amazing stuff. All the one v one stuff A striker just like creating holy shit goals and then actually finishing the kick. It was This is unbelievable. and even Rinna comes in at the end Right? It the guy from from a few years ago where became the polarizing like they became the big argument guy. They did the documentary. It was barely covered But even he had a moment and he might have have to have a moment in this Australia game because of course, we can't have good things for that long. Pseic is Who knows When I see that training by myself, U story that makes me nervous, but he was so good in that first half. We thought they took him out because they didn't want to get hurt in the second half. That's I thought too. Asumon Paraguay would be doing the Okaykay, we're down three nothing. We're going start taking your guys out U Yeah, but it turned out he was he was Maybe a little hurt. So what are you thinking or how worried are you I'm definitely worried. I mean, there are only one or two players that the US can't truly replace And he's one of them and It's funny because I was thinking today, Okaykay, so if he doesn't start, who are the guys that replaceed him. And there is no like for like. I mean, in a perfect world Gona can do a lot of the things, but Giona barely played soccer for the last three years and he has had some good moments for the US men's national team like that last minute goal, but expecting him to just walk in and replace what Pullisic has done is just realistic, then it's like, well, maybe it's Burhalter and they play a little more defensive. That's going to be divisive. Maybe it's Aronsson and they go for the pressing He's not very creative. So like all of a sudden, all the excitement They don't need pololistic th for this specific game they do, but for the tournament This is not their most important game anymore. They need to shift expectations and realize that the later on games are what we really are playing for here Well, you know So they're going to probably do park the bus a little bit, right? Do some counters For Australia? Yeah Try to try to do the one, nothing final try to rope us and that's what they're Their first win was like that. They didn't have the ball a ton But when they did have the bar, they made stuff happen. So that would be the recipe. U are of Seattle Great soccer city Yeah Everyone's going to be so fired up. It's a holiday. There's so many good things about this game and I don't know. I've just seen soccer games like this where it's like, oh my god, we've had the o no, what's happening? Oh my go. What did you think of Australia when you watched them that first game Yeah, I mean, it it's a classic example of like, does this say more about Australia or more about Turkey? I mean, they sat very deep in a very compact block and just made Turkey send in prayer after prayer after prayer, cross after cross. Long range. I mean, you know, Turkey has a superstar player, Arta Gouler who attempted seven shots, all of them from long range. None of them had a chance. They were really frustrating. and really effective defensively. And in this system in this tournament those kind of teams can be really freaking annoying to play against But I do think the US, what they show against Paraguay shows me that they have new ideas for how to break down this system, but it is so reliant Poolick on his ability to retain the ball in dangerous areas, hisis ability to keep possession in the penalty area has always been his best skill. And now it's like, well without him, who's going to be the man that beats the man? Is it dest A're going to start Tim Weaya Is it just Balligan kind of like muscling his way through Australians because they're a big bunch in the back too Yeah, PoolSc was so good in that first half. It almost seemed like we were going to get the rare first half sub for their right back. get this guy out of here.'s getting to play And then he wasn't out there in the second half. So The two guys that make me nervous on our team Dest I just I wish there was like slightly more there. I don't know. I felt like there was a lot on the table for him in the game I went to And then Reems thirty eight. like Australia has a twenty year old flyer who's who had a goal in their first game And I just I just can't imagine that's not going to rear its ugly head at some point during the cup. The fact that we feel like we're like a great defender short Probably. Yes. And I think that's the big question that like Paraguay and maybe even Australia aren't going to test is like Tim Reem for all of his you know now faults as a defender is still very good at picking passes out going forward if you just let him stand there on the ball. Ping passes all over and he had seven long completions in the match against Paraguay, which is nuts Australia will probably do a better job of marking Tim Rem. They'll probably do a better job of oppressing him a little bit. Bet teams will do a better job of that. That's where it's like, okay. Can Tim Rem hold up when teams start to press more, That's going to be kind of the stress test that like Paraguay just really never gave to the defense. I mean, they scored one goal off a setpiece, but there was at no point any stress on this defense U So that's the big question mark, but You know, I think that's why they're playing a back three. It's the idea that if you put two really athletic dudes and Richards and Freeman who cover a lot of ground and who are super smart guys next to Rem You kind of cover for him as much as possible. Right. you know and so you hide him. And then, you know, Jess is a funny guy because I love Serginio Des. I get why he's easy to be like He's always in dangerous areas and he often screws it up The fact that he's always in dangerous areas means you just cannot forget about him because he will show up in a big moment and create a chance or dribble past a guy. he really did Trible pass players a lot. in that game Friday and night it just the final touch in was rough. It was rough. Yeah. Well, the big question was what we again from Richards and he was awesome in that game. Amazing. And he passed basically he passed all the injury concerns that we had heading into the cup R to pull second where it was because Did you see that that stat? like he what did he complete eighty three of eighty three perfect game? Yeah through the soccer Dender perfect game. You never see that very often, but he also He's such a badass. The way he carries himself, it's really funny. He carries himself like he's like a Rven's linebacker or something And he did't have a header On a set piece too that came close scoring. I mean, he is such a I mean, like we talk about, you know, the classic example of like what does it look like when the Americans are finally developing bigger and better talent? You know like having a center back who starts every week on a Premier League team Just ho humum goes about his business, nothing flashy. L those kind of players are what It's not about having all the superstars in Europe, it's about having more of Chris Richards. R get like three more Chris Richards across the line and that's, you know, that's the perfect example. Well, it's almost like when like preparing for the NBA draft right now doing my whole process and over and over again, you come to the same conclusion like four days before where You're like, you know what it's really nice like Swingman who can defend in hit race Yeah. That's just OG N and But you can't really go wrong with that. So like Marez Johnson now and the Michigan guy and he's like, Ohh, he Michael fifteen, fourteen. likeike wherever he goes somebody's going to be super happy with him because that's just the kind of guy that plays and it's the same there these certain guys. With that said, Jedi' probably U, he's another one that when you in person really feels like the atypical American just like fucking freak aathlete flying. He's everywhere. He's and look, I mean, like I know the running joke is like a lot of these guys were not developed in the U.S. Balligan, Robinson Tilman, you know, like a lot of these guys were not quote unquote traditional home grown players, and we could Do a whole podcast on that, but like Jedi in the Premier League consistently one of the most active, aggressive all over the place defenders on that left wing. Yeah. I remember they played Liverpool like two years ago and he completely shut down like a prime Mosala. And I was like, what am I watching? Like this is This is crazy. And then he also had tenn assists that year. I mean, he he is he's a special player and I think he'll be important because inevitably they're going to need more wide production if they don't have polullistic in the middle. So Robinson and Dest become even more important than they were in the first match. And then the striker might be the most talented striker we've ever had. And I like couldt Dempy, I think was really reliable, good. I loved how tough he was and he was really important just for where US soccer was and where it was trying to go, but this guy's absolutely It's different. It's amazing. you know, the one thing with him has always been, and I remember You know, when I first joined the Ringer Bill, we did the Copa America, rememember two summers ago, when we were disaster. Yeah. Balligan only played like half the minutes because he got hurt And even you texting our group chat like Watch how he's moving. It's so different from how the other guys are moving around the pitch And that's how you feel when you watch him and No matter what his finishing has always been, he's always had the shots and the analytics nerds and the scouts will always say, if you get the shots, we'll worry about the finishing later, just get the shots. And his shot numbers have been amazing in France and now he's carrying that into into the US and Two goals. I think he had four shots in the first game. So just amazing. Well, like you, I all I've been doing is watching World Cup. I love it. I love gambing on it. I just love that There was that one game the other night that was on it like Midnight Pacific time. That was amazing W was it Jordan Austria, Aust was Jordan. Yeah, it's Austria put together cllassic. was It was a really good game though for how late at night it was, but You know, and you're just watching all these different guys and the ones that jump out over and over again are like, The left or right back, that's just fucking flying up and down constantly never gets tired or like you know, the forward who She's just kind of hanging around. Th then all of a sudden he's got that stop start boom. And that's what Balgan has. like he s kind of lurking looking boom. he's he's off. But then and then on top everything else, you get to watch what Messi did the other night and it's like, Ohh yeah, that's And that's the other version of the sport where he's just levitating above everybody. I mean, that was one of the great random sports experiences. I certainly wasn't expecting to be like the highlight of the summer, but it was even up there with the finals games. That was unbelievable You talk about Messy? It's the hat trick. Yeahah, ye Whos find all the hits watchatching his son Yeah cool He played my daughter whenever, you know, my daughter was always a striker. And we always had this joke called It was Rufus goals because our dog Rufus who died ten years ago But if you put food on the counter And if he left it for two seconds, he would just kind of sneak over and grab it and go. So we always talk the same with soccer like B strikers like there are best forwards, best anything They're always in the position to just kind of jump on the counter and grab a goal. And that second goal we had was my favorite one of the three because he's just kind of over there. He's reading, oh, this might be a rebound bounce and he's already moving to where the bounce is and nobody's even reacting it. and he's just putting it in. It's like the easiest goal we had. but He's just a second and a half ahead of where everyone else is mentally And that's despite the fact that he just w it's so funny when they don't have the ball, right? When you watch him and you see him in the corner of the screen and he's just walking around like it's a Sunday men's League Like he's just trying to get his steps in And then the minute he gets the b He's calculating everything. He makes two little runs, one little dart, one dribble, one shot and you're like, Oh shit. I mean, Argentina In the first twenty eight minutes of that match, did not have a touch in the penalty area of Algeria But they were out one no, because Mess' like I don't need go in the penalty area I'll score from forty five yards out. screw that Well bother with that. And on top of it, like the I mean, the thing that makes the guys truly, truly great, no matter what sport you're talking about is like performance But also like performance. it's the artistry of it. It's all these people in Kansas City. It's Mahomes in the luxury suite. and they're all there to see him, right And that's like almost drives him up to make him greater. Whereas like poor Ronaldo He's out there and you called it on the pod we did before the cup started, but it's like Yeah, this is Aaron Rogers Pittsburgh kind of territory potentially. and it was worse than that because he he cost them the game. I mean, he had I felt like opportunities that normal people would make at this level and he just didn't cash in on any of It's so funny because a lot of the people that are trying to defend Ronaldo are saying, well, it's not just his fault, right? The performance was bad all around. And like their wingers have problems. Portugal has issues. But it's like what you said Best strikers always find ways to get shots, to get spaced, to make those little runs, those little movements, where they can get separation and get shots off. That's just always been true And that wasn't the case for Ronaldo yesterday against Congo. he was never able to separate. He's not running in behind. He's not coming short He's not linking the play. It's like Hopefully the cross finds his head because they had a lot of the ball a whole lot with it But I mean, you know, a couple of days ago when when Mbape scores twice and Holland scores twice and Messi scores three times all in one day. And then like you said, we get the the Austria Jordan midnight. I mean, it's one of the greatest days. for stars in the history of the Wor Cup We get four games every day and then pretty soon it's going to be six games a day for a few days. And you didn't even mention the England game. Kaine was incredible in that game doing these forty yard fucking dart passes. I got to watch that one with CR. We were enjoying it and then cororner kicks for England I mean, I know that was the guy was on arsenal. That was one of their calling cards, but Um Nothing, nothing really floats my boat like just a great corner gig right in the right the routine. They ran up fucking roll fucking boom and the guys are wide open over and over again somehow And it's the most underrated part of this. but there's no what else is like this? It's almost like maybe special teams in football Belichk was trying to get like advantage with special teams and it's the stain that it's like, Ohh yeah and you should be good at special teams. And he's like, no, actually, we're going to like flip games with special teams. That was one of the biggest reasons thezero one Patriots won And these corner kicks free kicks, you see it over and over again in the World Cup. likeike Pting the ball in the box in the right areas and doing the little Boxing out the keeper. Yeah John Stones literally set up if you go watch the replay that goal, John Stones is setting what would be called a moving screen R with the NBA. just so he can get cane free a little bit and all he need is a couple of yards one header two one It's so funny because I watched with the Fazcast guys Yeah Ben foster and there're they're awesome and Getting into the psyche of the English fan. I mean, you were a CR. so yeah how was CR feeling before the match confonfident Literally a little worried about the back three But they have a lot of firepower They do. They really do. They have all kinds of ways that they can create goals and they're really fun to watch. I think If you're an England fan, it's weird to watch this team that can be kind of explosive, but they feel a little bit explosive. With the Fastcast guys, none of them were that confident. I talked to a random England fan outside of Sofi. He was like, Yeahah, you know, I think we can make the semis. I'm like, you don't think you can win. He goes no English fans, I think more than maybe any other fan base and maybe because they've been, you know, so close yet so far, they just don't have the same level of irrational optimism about their team. So a lot of nervous energy and then Kaine misses the penalty And they're all like, o shit. here we go again. like this is how it's going to go. The rarely seen callback. They they nailed the goalkeeper. never happens. He was he was about a half of a toe Yeah off the line. notothing you can't get away with anything anymore And then in the second half, they went for it. I mean, England fans have been crying out for this. They have so much talent They play scared under Gar Southate. It's all like defend the lead, defend the lead, defend the lead And Tle went in halftime and said, E it, like we're going for this. What do we have to lose? And they came out and played an incredible second half. So I think England has vaulted themselves into the favorites conversation if they weren't already there And I think, you know, them, Spain and France are still a tier above But maybe maybe USA should be in that second tier. I don't know One thing they did in England that I loved I love the hockey line change for the forwards. It' one of my favorites. You can't do it if it's like a Premier League team probably, but if it's the World Cup and you have Deep Rstar and a bunch of awesome guys. It's just kind of fun like, hey, we're going, you guys go all out twenty last twenty minutes of the game. And and they were able to get one, but that was fun. Who was the best team What's weird about the World Cup is like Paraguade might actually be good We just got to go early on them, right? And their whole strategy is like You know, they want it to be zero, zero after seventy minutes and And all of a sudden're're here all a sudden, it's two nothing and like their games blowing up. I don't know if they're good or not. So we've only seen You know, ninety minutes of each of these teams, but who really jumped out to you France for the last half hour together a they showed a ceiling that I don't think any team has And you know, they made some tactical changes. The first half was embarrassing They were terrible. They They Michael Lise, who is one of the best players in the world was just kind of standing out on the wing all alone like, hey, hey guys, I'm over here And then the coach was like, All right, let's move you centrally in the second half. Let's get you involved because you are our best passer And then the whole game changed. I mean, he's dribbing by passast guys, He makes the passast toquilian aboutpe for the first goal. He just changes the game and it's like, well, you know, France, you could do this from the first minute play like this all the time, but Days Shop is likem. We like to defend, we don't like to press. Well the halftime was funny. Tierri and Rey at halftime was fucking sulling. It's really interesting these halftime shows with the, you know They just gravitate toward just famous guys from different countries and it's great. They're so bitter if it's fiftyam going well, we almost couldn' talk That' L time lot Lon might kill Laos. Yeah ye of the end of the tn. I don't I almost like I don't usually like to watch, but now I kind of feel like I have to watch because I never know whensat Tonses just going to start throwing haymakers att Lawlas, it's been an interesting tournament for a stududio crew. If you watch the body language and I've been on these shows, like Latown is like You know, a lot less is here a lot of times like this and it's almost like he's turning his back on him It's really nuts He really seems like he despises him. Who knows And then Landon makes the comment, right about how he felt France was was quote, arrogant in the first half, which You know, I thought there were tactical issues more than than their effort And then Lwas tried to back him up and repeat it. And Zatan has this incredible moment where he's just like, and by the way It's not arrogance, it's confidence confidence And I'm just like, what is going on? These guys are going like this is uncomfortable, but it's also electric at the same time because Zlatan does not give a shit. He doesn't care at all. Yes, usually the studio show should feel like people were invited at a dinner to sit at the same table together because you knew the conversation would be good. The Fox stududio shows, they feel like It was a dinner where everybody pulled numbers out of a hat. It's like, oh, I'm at table eighteen Well have tubes a lot of times over there. and then there's just like no chemistry at all at the table because they've never ever hung out. They The I had the plus one in that France game with the underdog I forget all these Senegal. Yeah Senegal. And then they got it. They got the goal and then in Bob fucking like a minute later killed it. but The World Cup, there was a day where What was it? four draws in a row? It was like, yes, one hundred thousand bucks if you bet a hundred dollars on the parlleay the twenty twenty six redrawables World Cup Eedition. Yeah. Unbelievable. Yeah, that was fun. Okay. Not all draws are created equal. I mean, Cpe Verde drawing Spain That was so I only saw the second half of that game. The guy was leitating over the gold, just blocking shit He was doing it at BSP He's up to seven and a h fivealf million Instagram followers Yeah that was after he had fifty thousand before kickoff, he's forty years old. And then apparently the department, the seecretary of state, like they arranged for his mother to get a visa so she can make the trip for the next game she gets to see him live in my the World Cup is a really cool Really cool thing because these random pop up stories just come out of nowhere. And all of a sudden, we're like enthralled by it. Well, the number one thing that happened The people in my life was Scotland taking over Boston in the best possible way. It was just a week long love fest Everybody loved them. They were just drinking and walking around and having a great time, basically drinking all the beer out of Boston. And it went so well that they announced there's going to be some sort of partnership between Glasgow and Boston Boston Bear announced today like we're going to actually try to figure out some sort of thing. It was really amazing because Boston's pretty Irish You know, but that pretty Irish. Yeah. I was going to say I didn't know how the Scots were going to go Iish But the Scots were like, hey, we love drinking too and and from that moment it was on and they really took over the city. So that That was really fun. All right. so Tournament. We're doing this. It's Thursday. There's two games left today U France is now plus four hundred ten on Fandl is the favorite. Spain's five to one England' six to one, Argentina is eight to one Portugal's plus nine fifty. I'll book that bet myself U Brazil eleven to one. I didn't think they look great either Nope And then it kind of goes On down youer You know, there's a couple of those middle teams like Morocco. I think US is now in that. US is down to forty to one U that maybe there's more there than what we saw in the first game Um, Top four it feels like before France, Spain, England, Argentina That would be my for. So if you had to cram one other team into that for who would be Germany Okay, Germany's way down there. there' fourteen to one. What' you like about Germany So the we didn't learn a ton about Germany when they played Kacal, right? Germany traditionally is a flat track bully. they like to pummel the times that are a little bit lesser and they are built to do that. The reason Germany's odds are so low is that if they win their group and France wins their group play each other on the On the fourth of July in Philly in the round of sixteen. So we have this clash of two, what I think are top five teams, and I would put Brazil and Portugal and the kind of Figuring it out phase potentially playing each other as early as the round of sixteen, France could then also play semif finals against Spain. So like Germany's path will be very, very difficult. And I'm not really sure if their defense is good enough We that a possible what's finish second instead of first situation It is It is that's hard engineer becausecause then you don't really know where you're going to end up in the bracket and things get a little bit weirder U, and like, you know, France is going to play Norway on the final day So would they tank it? Like I can't I can't imagine that. Like I don't think they're they're thinking that far ahead But it would probably be wise to if you were Germany, like we'll avoid France. Thank you very much. But that would aascinating matchup. I just don't know if Germany's defense is good enough. It's been their problem for multiple cycles So why they haven't made it out of the group stage the last two World Cups They have an incredible manager. They have an incredible attacking group They could score on anybody They're going to be in the mix. Yeah because US is in this situation where if they finish first play the runner up from BEF Ij. I don't even know what those teams are, but they third place team, right. Yeah. If they finish second play the runner up of Group G, which is Belgium, Egypt Iran and New Zealand. I mean, that sounds great Exactly. I mean, I would not like to finish first obviously, but that but even finishing second, that sounds like an ideal situation So if they come in second, though, here's where it gets trickier. Your rout out of the thirty two game is probably easier in the round of sixteen, it's probably Argentina God So we would prefer to avoid them if they get first Maybe a little tougher around a thirty two because the third place teams I mean, who knows it's too early But the round of sixteen, you could potentially play Belgium who showed a lot of cracks in their first game against Iran So against Egypt rather. So You're like, well, now we're talking like you get Belgium on home soil, revenge for twenty fourteen. Chris Wandon Lowski revenge game the Tim Howard walking through that door game And you beat them. like I mean, like if you put betting odds up right now I don't think they would be huge underdogs at all. I think they'd be close to a toss up with Belgium So if you knew Polisic was one hundred percent healthy right now And he's obviously not, but if he was, if we were just healthy right now, Like what's the ceiling for you with how excited you would be to like Final four, final eight. level run for this team just off that one game It's literally, how far can we go until we have to play France, band England or Argentina. Like that's it. it's quite frankly a matter of like, okay, there are levels to this game. And the US is going to need some luck to beat one of those teams. and I don't know if I trust the defense in the goalie enough for that kind of a challenge That's where a paraglag doesn't really test you. So we're going to have to find out. But yeah, like if they're in the round of sixteen against Belgium and they win Why not? And then maybe there's an upset and instead of playing Spain in the quarters, you're playing Uruay or Colombia Then it's like,, we'll take our chances there Right I think it comes down to the draw. It's too early to say, but in Durston performance alone It would be hard to not say the U.S. isn't playing in sort of that back end of the top ten range because the Dutch looked just okay. Belgians looked just okay Like none of those teams are jumping out great. Not at all Yeah. on Fandal USA to make last sixteen minus two twenty D didid you bet with us last week? Well, that was the minus one hundred thirty, right? Yeah Ist So that's minus one minus two hundred twenty. I didn't. didn't I didn't want to have any money on US. I just wanted to enjoy it. I didn't feel like I need to add, but I might actually go in on on that, uh if they finish first in the group that game Quarterfinals is plus one hundred and eighty and semis is plus five fifty I mean, think about it it used to be twelve to one Betting odds are saying we're roughly thirty seven percent to make the finalight of the World Cup It's not that far off likeike we're acquaint to us Do you know off top of your head where the last sixteen in the quarterf finals games would even be? I guess we would't know because the groups hit, but is there is there a way to have any idea Yeah, so if they win the group, their first knockout game will be in Santa Clara Uh, U that would be the first game And then once they won that, They would play in Seattle july sixth. No we're going once. They win that but we're very I like this. Okay you're doing the Jayalen Brunson. When they win the first round of thirty two game, they would go back to Seattle on july sixth for their out of sixteen gamees If now we'll go if if they won that They would be in the quarterfinals, july tenth back and so far So july sixth, Seattle Normally an absolute dead time of the year for sports All the NBA free agents have signed. Wimbledon is stillre we're getting near the end or Yeah, we're almost at the end. F Holiday weekend. We're right at the point wherere we're wondering where all the really fun tennis players went. That's around july sixth. Oh, man, I wish we had like two more fun tennis players U L like Serena and Venus William We talked about that the last time we were on And they're playing doubles We're going to see Serena at the US. Open. I wish I wish I was over. If you'ack, I actually would my wife would want to go to that. We love we're a big Serena house. So I get up the Srager What you down, I'm sure This was before you were born, but the two great moments of I used to love tennis, but McNroe at the open and Connors at the open were the two runs where I felt like the crowd just kind of grab them grabbed them by the neck and pulled them through some of the points in the sets. And the Serena thing would be this set. The crowd would be, can you imagine playing against her in the US. openp. like like you would have to be one of the best five players in the world like locked in. I don't think anyone else would be able to beat her I'm So I had the luck The absolute all time luck box of My friends and I decided one year we're going to go in on Friday night tickets on Ash before the draw, before Serena set this is We bought those tickets and ended up being Serena's last match. Oh wow. G to go to see her play Isla. And like that crowd was the coolest tennis crowd I've ever been a part of Even when you know, when she came back and she won the one set and it was like Holy shit. She's going to win again. then she loses the third set and it's kind of sad, but The whole crowd, the euphoria of that night was one of the most special nights I've ever had as a tennis fan. So The fact that we're going to do it again was it four years later? It's the only thing in tennis you're allowed to do fromr a non sportsmanship standpoint is if it's a situation like that. If it's the old lion trying to hold on It's just understood. The crowd just gets to root for them and cheer when you double faulted and All that shit comes into play otherwise otherwise no U Well, the USA thing will be amazing. And then you were in New York today for the parade She sort of you were in the office. around. You were in like where everything was was starting, right Just the entire city I made the mistake of not thinking ahead. I I want to go to New York. I'm to watch England with the Fazcast guys. I have a couple friends I wanted to see when I was in New York. so I got together with them last night. And then this morning, once I got to the office yesterday, people are talking about the parade and I'm like Oh, where's parade? They're like oh, it's coming right down this street. I'm like, you got to be kidding me. Yeah This is going to be an absolute mad house tomorrow morning. So I managed to get in and out. I saw parts of it and I was very happy to kind of Eescape. What was the Madhouse on a scale one to ten? like a nine Like I said, it's not my team. so nor were the Eagles, I guess when they won. but I compaarered to that in the sense that when the Eagles first won I was in Syracuse at the time and I was the only one that had a car of my freshman friends from Philly. So I was like, okay, I'll drive home We drove home at two in the morning. We get there at six thirty, seven o'clock. People are already drinking at nine o'clock, You can tell people are already drunk. And it's just a huge party for for something that had had been so much time in the waiting. So I'm so happy for all of my N friends And now I'm back to h disliking the Kick again. Gad they had their moment happappy for him, was rooting for him. It's one of only like maybe ten excuses to just be hammered at ten in the morning. Yes It's very very in New York, it's like the biggies tournam Yeah and the Kicks football tailgates are great. All right. so give us your USA predictions before we go I am predicting No go. Australia for this specific game? No just give us what give us the Give us your updated predictions. US is going to make the quarter fininals. and lose to Spain That is my official prediction. They are going to win their first two knockout games, get to that quarterfinal And then you know, maybe water finds it to the level and they were like, okay, yeah, like there's There's a gap here. Like their midfield gets a little exposed. their defense trying to watch Jedi against Lemin all would be really fun But I think Spain gets past them. So that's my official now prediction. However, like I think they're going to win the group And a draw tomorrow is not a bad result. On Friday, if they get a drag against Australia, they keep control They stay in first place going into the final match Pelistic stays healthy. Maybe he gets the night off That's fine. That's okay. It's on the of the world. It will kill some momentum But in the grand sche of the tournam, It's fine. I'll take it. We move D Bundo. Good to see you. Enjoy the game tomorrow. Have a great weekend Jo USA All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to Tim Legler. Thanks to Debundo, thans to Gahal and Eduardo as well. I'm going to be back on Sunday Um Go live on Netflix at some point during the day. I'll tweet out the exact time. USA So He Must be twenty one plus in President select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino Or eighteen plus in presresident DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Ging probleom call one hundred gambler or one eight hundred My reset. Call eight eight sevenenty nine seven seven seven seven or visit CcpG dot org slash chat in Connecticut or MDgamblinghelp dot org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelp line mA dot org or call eight hundred three two seven fifty fifty for twenty four seven support in Massachusetts or call eight seven seven