Detroit Basketball Is Back? Strong Rockets & Panic For Clippers

Summary

Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective: "Detroit Basketball Is Back? Strong Rockets & Panic For Clippers"

Date: November 10, 2025
Summary by ESPN's Brian Windhorst with Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon

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Main Theme

This episode dives deep into the revitalization of the Detroit Pistons, explores the surprising strength of the Houston Rockets, and examines growing concerns surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers’ aging roster. The panel analyzes breakout performances, unexpected team leaps, and key player trajectories shaping the early NBA season.

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1. Detroit Pistons: Restoration and Rising

[00:50–18:52]

Legendary Night for Cade Cunningham

• Performance Breakdown: After a sluggish first half (2 pts, 1-for-9 shooting), Cade erupted in the second (24 pts, 8-for-11, “one gigantic dunk at the end of the game.” – Tim Bontemps [01:57]).
• Historic Dunk Highlight: “It was a hell of a poster dunk…You don’t see dunks like that in a one-possession game with under two minutes to go.” – Tim Bontemps [02:20].

Team Progress & Context

• Detroit now 8–2, best 10-game start in 20 years.
• Contrasts current maturity with their 14–68 record and 29-game losing streak just two years ago.
• “They look like a team that is not going anywhere from the top of the east this season.” – Bontemps [03:43].

Cade Cunningham’s Ascent

• Bontemps posits, “I think Cade’s the second best player in the East. I would only put Giannis ahead of him.” – [04:13].
• MacMahon agrees: “The only guy in the east who's clearly making a bigger impact…is Giannis.” [06:11].

Jalen Duren’s Emergence

• Massive double-double: 21 pts, 16 rebs [07:41].
• Compared to Steven Adams for physical presence and improving finesse.
• “We are watching Jalen Duren morph into a star—a complimentary type of star, but a perfect fit next to Cade.” – MacMahon [07:12].
• Duren bet on himself by not taking an early extension and is now averaging 19 & 12 with improved FT accuracy (86%) [09:12].

Pistons’ Identity and Ceiling

• Their game: Tough, gritty, and defense-first (3rd in league).
• “They have the identity of the classic Pistons teams…depth, big, physical, we're going to maul you play, and they're fun to watch.” – Bontemps [09:30].
• Questions about whether Detroit could hold as the top seed in the East. Pistons proving superior progress compared to Atlanta and Orlando, thanks to internal improvement rather than flashy offseason moves [14:30].

Trade Deadline Outlook

• “Maybe the most interesting team in the league from a trade acquisition standpoint between now and the deadline.” – Bontemps [13:24].
• Their leap has been internal, with young core improving fast.
• “If you're a Pistons fan, it's been a long time since you could be this excited.” [15:53].

Notable Segment:

• Cade’s Dunk & Star Status Debate: [01:57–06:11]
• Pistons Identity & Jalen Duren Deep Dive: [07:12–10:51]

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2. Houston Rockets: Arrival Ahead of Schedule?

[20:50–29:31]

Marquee Win Over Milwaukee

• Rockets rallied from down 10 in Milwaukee; Giannis went off for 37, but Houston “wrestled the Bucks to the floor…totally impressive.” – Windhorst [22:16].
• Key contributions from Alperen Sengun, who “bumps Giannis and finishes right over him” for key buckets late [23:19].
• Team resembled seasoned contenders, handling adversity on the road with poise.

Shining in New Roles

• Kevin Durant scored efficiently; notable: “Once again, the biggest buckets down the stretch were Alpi Sengun.” – MacMahon [22:25].
• Rookie Reed Sheppard: 16 pts, 4–6 three-point, 4 steals, “an analytic darling” making defensive plays and knocking down shots [25:18].
• Rockets’ coaching willing to use schemes to maximize player strengths while covering defensive liabilities.

Sengun’s Breakout

• “Shengun has made a massive leap. And all you need to know is KD is more than happy to let Sengun get the rock if he’s got the matchup or if they want to throw two bodies at KD.” – MacMahon [27:17].

Jalen Green Update

• Suffered a likely serious hamstring injury after a strong return game; the panel forecasts “multiple weeks” missed [30:29].

Notable Segment:

• Houston’s comeback, Sengun’s Leap, and Sheppard’s Emergence: [20:50–27:17]

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3. Clippers: Panic Mode Engaged

[32:08–36:48]

Early Season Woes

• “They look extraordinarily old.” – Bontemps [32:09].
• Clippers eroding on defense (27th in league after ranking 3rd last year).
• Production hampered by turnovers and an inability to get back in transition.

Injuries & Rotation Issues

• Kawhi Leonard’s ankle sprain is ambiguous (“I don’t like high ankle sprains on anybody, much less Kawhi Leonard”—Windhorst [32:43]).
• New acquisitions struggling: “Bradley Beal has been rough. Chris Paul has been awful.” – Bontemps [33:03].
• “If you’re going to be old and slow, you better not be sloppy.” – MacMahon [32:14].

Roster Construction Under the Microscope

• Trade expectations (Beal/Collins for Norman Powell) not delivering; Powell outperforming new arrivals [34:44].
• Beal: averaging 8 points on 37% shooting in only 6 games [35:28].

Coach & Analyst Outlook

• Both Windhorst and Bontemps believed in preseason depth, now see warning signs: “It is definitely concerning to see a team with this many old players looking this old through the first three weeks.” – C [36:22].

Notable Segment:

• Clippers defensive decline & age concerns: [32:09–36:48]

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4. Rapid Fire: Mavericks, Nuggets, Grizzlies, More

[39:17–59:59]

Mavericks’ Internal Turmoil

• Klay Thompson: demoted to bench, “miserable and he was pissed…production was so bad” [43:06].
• Nico Harrison (GM) “on a sizzling hot seat…strong likelihood” he’s fired mid-season [43:50].
• Patrick Dumont’s increased involvement in medical and personnel decisions signals organizational shifts.

Nuggets: Jokic’s Ideal Role

• Jokic “shooting 64%, nearly 12 assists/game – loves it, stays fresh” [38:54, 40:13].
• Cam Johnson’s slow start is noted (8 PPG, 37 FG%, 23 3FG%) but team success minimizes concern [38:20].

Memphis: Ja Morant’s Decline

• Morant’s rim attack rate and paint scoring have plummeted (only 15% of shots at rim now, down from ~30%+ earlier in career).
• MacMahon: “If Ja isn’t elite attacking the rim…he’s just a guy” and “JA means Just Average.” [54:45, 55:35].
• Signs of lost fearlessness, reliance on jump shots, and worsening body language.

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5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Cade Cunningham Praise

• “I don’t know. I wouldn’t take anybody else other than Giannis over him.” – Bontemps [04:13]
• “A big 6’8, he can physically bully almost any guard defender.” – MacMahon [10:51]

On Jalen Duren

• “He doesn’t get moved by almost anybody…an absolute cinder block of a guy.” – Bontemps [08:05]

On Reed Sheppard

• “He was such a revolutionary analytical model player…he was getting a ton of defensive stats and was making defensive plays.” – C [25:18]

Rockets as Arrived Team

• “They looked today like a team that was totally under control and was never worried about it, even when the other team was flexing on their home court.” – Windhorst [24:13]

Clippers’ Downward Spiral

• “They looked extraordinarily old…if you’re going to be old and slow, you better not be sloppy.” – MacMahon [32:14]
• “Beal ain’t holding frickin Powell’s jock with a wheelbarrow right now.” – MacMahon [35:13]

Mavericks’ Klay Thompson Situation

• “He was so bad, they had to make this move…that was a big, big deal.” – MacMahon [42:18]

Ja Morant's Changing Game

• “If Ja isn't like league-best level, elite at attacking the rim… JA means Just Average.” – MacMahon [55:35]

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6. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Cade Cunningham’s Game & Pistons’ Rise: [01:26–06:11]
• Jalen Duren Discussion: [07:12–09:12]
• Pistons’ Gritty Identity: [09:30–14:30]
• Pistons’ Outlook vs. Knicks, Cavs, Magic: [12:03–15:53]
• Houston Rockets Kindling: [20:50–29:31]
• Reed Sheppard & Sengun’s Breakouts: [25:18–27:17]
• Clippers’ Ageing Crisis: [32:08–36:48]
• Mavericks, Jokic’s Dream Role, and Transaction Blunders: [39:17–47:00]
• Ja Morant Analysis: [52:34–59:59]

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Closing Thoughts

This rich, whirlwind discussion frames the Pistons as a true Eastern contender, lauds Houston’s rapid rise, and sounds an alarm for the Clippers and Mavericks. The conversation is punctuated by trademark wit and statistical insight, leaving fans with new pecking orders, analytic storylines, and plenty of questions for teams with championship aspirations.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello and welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA which we're doing on Sunday evening. Joining us from Philadelphia from I think it's called Xfinity Mobile arena now.

[C]

That is correct and everyone calls it that.

[B]

Yeah. Where he just watched the Detroit Pistons come from behind and beat the Philadelphia 76ers. And another quality win for the Pistons, Tim Buntemps.

[C]

Hello everybody.

[B]

And joining us from Dallas, Texas, the Cowboys win today. Ben McMahon.

[D]

Howdy partners. They were on a buy. Rough fantasy week for me getting the old chop. It looks like bar and Saquon Barkley miracle on Monday night. But you know we're just going to keep on rolling right here.

[B]

Well, the Mavericks got a win over the weekend.

[D]

Qualifies breaking news these days.

[C]

Barely, barely got a win but they got one.

[B]

They got one. They needed it really bad too. Okay, to the game that you were at tonight, Bon Temps. This was a relatively classic performance by an NBA star player. Cade Cunningham had a bit of a sluggish start. The 76ers were playing the second night of a back to back, so that meant no Joel Embiid amongst some other players. But Cade was the best player on the court in the second half which I watched brought him home down the stretch.

[C]

Two points on 1 for 9 shooting in the first half. And he had 24 points on 8 for 11 shooting in the second half and a bunch of assists and one gigantic dunk at the end of the game.

[B]

Yeah, he Kelly Oubre kind of lost track of him and Andre Drummond went up with them and he halfway up he decided it was a bad idea.

[C]

I mean first of all it was a hell of a poster dunk. And second of all, you don't see dunks like that happen in a one possession game with under two minutes to go. That was the most impressive part. Like he got a lane, went to the rim and yammed it on Drummond in a huge spot like it was one of the most important baskets of the whole game. But yeah, I mean it was an incredible performance from cade. Pistons are 8 and 2. It's the first time they've won at least eight games to start in their first 10. It's in 20 years since the 0506 season when they went 64 and 18. It was two years ago that Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duran were on this Pistons team that was 14 and 68 and lost 29 games in a row after starting 2 and 1 right at this time of the year, they didn't win a game from October 30th until December 30th, which is insane. And you watch him now and like, it was a professional performance from Cade in the second half and it was a professional performance from a young Pistons team to play pretty poorly in the first half. Be down 13, not really be in the game. Tyrese Maxey continues to be great. Look like the Sixers had a chance to steal this game with no Joel Embiid playing second night of a back to back. And then the Pistons, like a very good NBA team typically does play great in the second half, take over the game down the stretch, led by their star player. And you know, they, they look like a team that is not going anywhere from the top of the east this season. And I would contend after watching Cade in this game, I think Cade's the second best player in the East. I would only put Giannis ahead of him. Like, you could argue for Donovan Mitchell, you can argue for Jalen Brunson, you could argue for the guy played against tonight, Tyrese Maxey. Obviously Jason Tatum and Tyrese Albert went healthy or in the mix for that discussion too. But as a 6, 8 guy who has the command of the game that he does, who, because he's so big, can help you at the defensive end too. It's just always in control, always smooth. I mean, I don't know. I wouldn't take anybody else other than Giannis over him. And the fact that you could put him in that kind of conversation, I think means that you put Detroit right there with Cleveland and right there with the Knicks at the top of the east, maybe taking the place that we thought, say, Orlando was going to be in a month.

[B]

McMahon. It's so typical of Bon Temps that he's praising a player and can't do it without collateral damage.

[C]

What's the collateral damage?

[B]

Donovan Mitchell's stats are as follows.

[C]

Donovan Mitchell's incredible. There's nothing against Donovan Mitchell.

[B]

31 points per game, 53% shooting, 44% on three, five assists, 1.6 steals.

[C]

That's the guy the guy played against tonight. I don't know, have Tyrese's numbers in front of Me. But he's about averaging 34 a game and on good efficiency and has been awesome too.

[B]

Cavs will claim the highlight of the weekend. McMahon. Did you see what happened to.

[D]

Oh no. Poor Josh Giddy.

[C]

It was a rough moment.

[D]

Yeah, DeAndre Hunter crossed him into limping off the floor before they literally.

[B]

The Bulls had to call timeout because they thought there was a chance that Josh Giddey actually broke his ankle on Saturday night. And then after he sent Giddy to the floor, DeAndre Hunter dunked it on Patrick Williams head. It was a great play. Even when.

[D]

Yeah, see we try to give the Pistons some love and Wendy's got to drag it over to Capitol.

[C]

You can't let, you can't let anybody talk about Detroit.

[B]

Just bad. Well, I'm prepared to keep talking about them, but he just batted Mitchell aside.

[C]

I mean again I'll take in that conversation, but he's in the conversation for sure.

[D]

The point I actually, as much as I hate to do it, I have to agree with Bontage right now. The only guy in the east who's clearly making a bigger impact on a night to night basis than Cade Cunningham is Giannis. We can, you know, we can debate some other people, but you know, Bon him. You said Incredible performance by Cade. 26 points, 11 assists. Also kind of just another night at the office. That's what he's doing on a regular basis. And Jaylen Duran, another monster double double in this game. 21:16. There's a very short list of bigs who have the combination of athleticism and power that that Jalen Dern has. Let me also just remind you of something. Jalen dern doesn't turn 22 until later this month. He's never going to be the kind of, you know, he's not going to be Joker or Embiid where you run offense to him. But we are watching Jalen Duran morph into a star. You know, a complimentary type of star, but a perfect fit next to Cade Cunningham. And Cade lifts everything that he does well and he enhances all, you know, all of Cade's game offensively. Those two as a duo are on the short list of the best duos in the east as well.

[B]

Jalen Duran this season, what did he have tonight? Bontemps.

[C]

Yeah, 21 and 16. And obviously there's no Embiid and Philly's kind of a small team. But watching him in this game, I was reminded of Steven Adams in that Duran is.

[B]

Adams doesn't score like that.

[C]

No, but what I mean is like when, when you watch the Pistons play. A, Duran just hoovers up rebounds and B, guys just bounce off him.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Like he's just an absolute cinder block of a guy on the low block and he just, he can't, he gets, he doesn't get moved by almost anybody. And it, it's incredible. Like his, his physical presence inside, it reminded me of watching Stephen Adams, who is about as strong a dude as we've seen in the league in a generation probably.

[B]

Duran has a 24.18 rebound game this year, a 21.3 13 rebound game, a 33.10 rebound game, a 22.22 rebound game, a 30.11 rebound game. And then tonight 21 and 16, he's.

[D]

Averaging 19 and 12. And the 19 is a big boost up. And again it's not just all off of.

[C]

A lot of.

[D]

It's off of just pick and roll finishes and put backs. But he's got a nice little touch around the basket too. Like this guy, he bet on himself. I don't know what the offer was that was on the table in extension season. He bet on himself and I think it was a pretty good Bet.

[B]

He was 5 of 7 at the line tonight. Bon Temps, which I think was second on the team after Cade. He's averaging six free throws a game so far. That's twice as many he's ever averaged. And he's shooting 86% on him. Yeah, that's something he's added to his game too.

[C]

And, and they, and the, the Pistons really like they. I was talking to Dern about it after the game. Like they have the identity of the classic Pistons teams. Right. They're not an awesome offensive team. They do miss Malik Beasley shooting. You know, Duncan Robinson has been fine for them, but Malik Beasley had a historic three point shooting season last year. They're think they ranked 16th on offense after today's game, but the third in defense. Darren immediately talked about the physicality they play with and the toughness and the grit they play with. Which as we know both those great Pistons teams from the last generation, from the 2000s, 20 years ago, and obviously the Isaiah Thomas bad boys Pistons, those are what those teams were built on. Very good depth across the roster and big physical. We're going to maul you play and they're fun to watch and like you just every time the game, as the game got down towards the end tonight, Cade never got sped up. He got to his spot every time, got one good look after another and I mean it was great. To watch him and Maxi go back and forth. Maxi's had an incredible season, but that size at 6, 8, to be able to handle the ball the way he does and do the things that he does, it's just such a rare weapon and it makes him awfully dangerous. And it's made the Pistons awfully dangerous a lot faster than I certainly thought they were going to be.

[D]

And a big six eight. Like, he's not, you know, like Lamello ball is six, eight. Lamello ball.

[B]

Skinny seven, sir.

[D]

Whatever. Six, seven, six.

[C]

Jade's about three Lamello balls of.

[D]

Right. My point is he's. He's like Luca in the sense of great handle, can score all over the floor. You know, he's. He's not the passer that Luke is, but a very, very good passer. And just they like, they can physically bully almost any guard defender.

[B]

So. Yeah. In the last play of the game, the Pistons were up by three, and the 76ers ran a relatively elaborate final play. Not maybe elaborate by NBA play standards, but certainly elaborate by last shot standards. They move the ball from side to side with the intent to get Maxie with the ball on the move. The Pistons defended it perfectly and put it through a double team at Maxi. And for. He got a reasonably good shot off, but it was only off of a scramble. They played excellent defense on the last possession to secure the win as well. So, yeah, they're doing really well. And also Bon Temps four and one on the road.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, this hasn't like, been a. An unbalanced schedule in their favor.

[C]

No. And. And if you look at where they're at, like, you know, we've talked about the ups and downs the Knicks have had and some of the injury issues the Knicks have had. Um, we've talked about Cavs corner and the, the injuries that Cavs corner is dealing with. Obviously, Darius Garland is back. That's been good to see. But they've needed some Herculean performances from Donovan Mitchell to escape with some wins early. Um, like, is. Is there a world. Can we see a world where Detroit is the top seed in the East? Is that a. That a real thing? Like, kind of feels like it could be a real thing right now. Not saying they're going to win the east necessarily.

[B]

Like, you know, like, I mean, obviously they're off to a great start that, you know. The Knicks. The Knicks. The Knicks. I know they beat the Nets on Sunday. I'm not going to, you know, celebrate that. I will say that the. The Knicks put up 134 on Brooklyn and the Knicks have won four in a row and these are their last five games and scoring. 1251-281191-37134.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So the Knicks are powering up and questions though they've played an unbalanced schedule. The Knicks are 6 and 0 at home and oh and 3 on the road. So, you know.

[C]

Well, to me it's just more by.

[B]

The Doug Moe standings. The Pittsburgh.

[C]

To me it's just more about the, the way the teams are set up. And look, I think there's a lot of work for Detroit still to do. I mentioned earlier they're still in the middle of the pack and offense. They are. I know you guys talked about it on the pod on Friday with Vinny and Slater. I. I think they are extremely interesting. Maybe the most interesting team in the league from a trade acquisition standpoint between now and the deadline. Like, do they potentially go get another guy to get buckets next to Cade to go with Duran to go with the Sar? Thompson, who haven't even talked about with Ron Holland, their fifth pick last year, was playing real minutes for them to try to give them some more of a boost at that end. But you look at all the injuries the Cavs have, you've got Carl Towns dealing with this quad thing, Josh Hart's dealing with this finger thing, Mitchell Robinson status is always up in the air. There's just a lot of questions with those teams. And the Pistons are young and got pretty good track records of health, and they've got a clear identity that they're leaning fully into. Very interesting.

[D]

You know, we and a lot of other people thought that Atlanta and Orlando made leaps this offseason and we thought that they were going to be top half of the east playoff picture. I think what we can say is right now, as we speak, the Pistons are miles ahead of those two teams. Miles ahead of those two teams.

[C]

Well, in the, in the, in the, in the leap, those teams like Orlando goes against Desmond Bain. Right. Obviously that has not worked. They had a very poor loss today to Boston. Atlanta has had a lot of injuries and, you know, they're figuring stuff out. But the, the leap the Pistons have made has been internal. Right. Duran has taken a massive leap, Thompson's taken elite and Cade has built.

[B]

They had a bunch of cap space this summer that they didn't. I guess they use it on Duncan Robinson.

[C]

They didn't really, but not really. They basically just swapped out the money they were going to spend on Malik Beasley, on him. I mean, they bet on their young guys taking on bigger roles and taking steps forward, and that's, you know, those guys have all done that, and it's, you know, that that's what makes their start. It's only 10 games. There's a lot of work to do. You know, they. I thought they had a pretty mature response to it after the game as a group, but it's. If you're a Pistons fan, it's been a long time since you could be this excited, but I think there's a lot to be excited about in Detroit.

[B]

I have yet to visit. What year did Little Caesars arena open?

[D]

I haven't either, but I hear that the freaking pregame media spread is phenomenal.

[C]

The food is great.

[E]

That's all.

[C]

I went to the very first. I went to the very first game there. I want to say it was the day after the Gordon Hayward injury, because I think I drove. I think I drove from Cleveland to Detroit for that game this the next night because then I think that's right. Jackson can. Jackson will probably correct the record on that, but I bet to the very first game at Little Caesars, and I.

[B]

Have been back since it opened. It opened in 2017.

[C]

Yeah, it was the day after that game. That is the day it was.

[B]

So it's. It's been eight years and I just haven't.

[D]

It might be time. Might be time.

[B]

The Pistons haven't done anything to bring us in.

[D]

Well, hold on. They did last year. They made a.

[B]

They didn't get out of the first round.

[D]

Okay. But they made a historic leap last year.

[C]

They had a nice, they had a nice look. They. The Pistons were a great story last year, but at no point were they seen as a team that was a real threat to do anything. Where this season, this season, it's a much, much different story from that standpoint.

[D]

And I'm not. I don't want to sit here and tell you I'm predicting a Pistons championship in the next couple of years. So when I compare them to the Thunder, just. What I'm saying is they're doing it with internal development. They've got a superstar they're building around, and they don't have a Jalen Williams caliber player, but they've got this young, you know, core of three guys, and I'm talking about Cade Cunningham, 24 years old now. Jalen Dern has not turned 22 yet, and Asar Thompson at 22. Each of those guys is getting better and better and better. Now we'll see what they do. I I think they've got to get another not just score, but score creator, you know, to go with Cade. But what the Thunder did was they made a major leap to respectability. Made another double figure leap.

[B]

It's called finishing their breakfast.

[D]

Yeah, as they're breakfast made another double figure leap.

[B]

What meal? Bon temps. What meal are the Pistons on?

[C]

Where are they going on the presti scale? They're eating breakfast still for sure.

[B]

Okay, okay. What about in the Little Caesars pre game media spread?

[D]

Yeah, exactly. But my point is the the Thunder made three straight double figure leaps.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

Not saying you'll see that from the Pistons, but they made this massively last year. A double figure win leaps not out of the realm of possibility this year, you know, to get them to at least contending in the East. You know, I I think they're on that kind of a path right now. And it is.

[C]

And by the way, drafted players and by the way, it's only again, only 10 games into the season, but there's only one team ahead of them in either conference in the standings. That would be the 101 Oklahoma City Thunders.

[D]

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[E]

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[B]

All right, speaking of young teams with the Thompson twin, the Houston Rockets had a pretty impressive win on Sunday in Milwaukee. They were down double digits in this game and Giannis was powering up. Giannis is just attacking the rim with absolute unstoppable force. He's averaging five dunks a game so far. He had 37 in this game. But you know, they're just cruising along to a Sunday afternoon and the Rockets coming off of a loss to San Antonio on Friday night, a game that put San Antonio ahead of them in the standings and was a, was a key win for San Antonio. San Antonio was still trying to prove that. It's that, it's that it belongs up in, up in that echelon. And Darren Fox started, played his first game on Saturday night, didn't play on Friday against the Rockets. And they didn't have Dylan Harper in that game. Stefan Castle was awesome. Victor was himself. They win that game. And Udoka, as he does, called out his team afterwards, lit him up. Yeah, which he does like in a. With a low, controlled way that is somehow more scary than if he would yell. And then they went up to Milwaukee and we're getting, we're down by 10 points. And then they dropped 672 in the second half of this game. And down the stretch just wrestled the Bucks to the floor. Well, and, and totally impressive.

[D]

And also did it with skill. You know, KD by his standards, went through a little mini slump there. Couple games they won and then, you know, turned it over a ton of times against the Spurs. You know, he's back to being KD tonight or this afternoon. 31 points on 15 field goal attempts, only three turnovers. But dude, once again, the biggest buckets of the game down the stretch were Alpi Shingoon and you know, one KD gets, gets. They send a second defender at him out by half court. Boom. Okay, fine. He'll give the ball to Alpi in the middle of floor to go make something happen. Alpi goes in there, bumps Giannis and finishes right over him. And then the second one. Giannis was frustrated, I believe, because he kept brick and free throws in crunch time.

[B]

Yes. They didn't. They couldn't make a basket near the end of this game. And Giannis was a part of the reason why.

[D]

Yeah, and then he. He tries to, you know, get up and Shingoon stuff. When Shingoon's got the ball, I don't know, 30, 35ft from the hoop, and he's trying to just, you know, take his cookies. Shingoon blows by him and goes in for, you know, kind of the dagger spin move, too.

[B]

Yeah, well, so earlier in, like, in the third quarter when, when Milwaukee was trying to hold off, Giannis went to Shen like two or three times in a row. Like, got several fouls on him at one point, knocked him over, got a three point play and, like, mean mugged into the camera. And they had to take Shangun out of the game, I think, as a foul trouble. And Giannis was, you know, doing his flexing, and frankly, rightly so, because he was owning it. But when it mattered, Shangun made the play. Shangun and Durant made the plays to win. The game was a very. It was a win that looked like a team that was, you know, I got to cover a lot of great LeBron teams, and they would have a lot of games like this where they would be a big game on the schedule. They would come in, the other team would hit them with a couple of, you know, stunning blows, and then when it mattered, the better team took care of business. Well, the Rockets haven't been that type of team for, like, six years. Like, like, they, they look today in this game like a team that was totally under control and was never worried about it, even when the other team was, you know, you know, flexing on their home court. And I'm going to say something else. There's a lot of people, a lot of Rockets in this game that played well. Amen. Played well, had some big plays. Of course, their. Their offense is being driven by him. Stephen Adams was really good. Tari Eason was really good kid, eight rebounds.

[C]

I like where you're going with this.

[B]

I think Mr. Reed Shepherd, I don't know if you guys have noticed. Reed shepherd came into this game shooting 45% on threes, and then he went, I think, four out of six. I don't have the updated numbers, by.

[C]

The way, in this game. 29 minutes off the bench, 16 points, 6 for 10, shooting 4 for 6 from 3, 2 assists, 4 steals, and a block. And again, Reed shepherd, the reason he was such a revolutionary analytical model player coming out of Kentucky was because he was getting a ton of defensive stats and was making defensive plays. Now, he's not Alex Caruso on defense, but he has good hands, he's smart, he knows how to play. And if we go back to the opener, we talked about it, it was basically his first real NBA game outside of cameos and he's playing in this crazy inferno in okc and he looked like a guy playing in his first game, but he had some huge shots in the second half of this game to help the Rockets make this comeback. And I'm glad you brought him up because I was going to bring him up when we talked about this game because it has been good to see him get into the flow and start making some plays. And you know, it's a reminder that it's a very long season and this is a guy who's getting his first real chances to play and he's making some improvements and doing some stuff. And like, look, we talked on the POD about the, the abilities of Amend Thompson going into the season and the potential for him to be most improved player and the leaps he could make. But the, the leap Sengun has made has been massive and he's, he has been awesome to watch. And going back and forth with Giannis, today was the latest example of it.

[B]

Like today, sometimes Sengun is going to get taken care of on the defensive end. Sometimes he's not going to be great. Sometimes Reed shepherd, it's going to look like a traffic cone on the defensive end because you put him in space, his quickness is, you know, can be taken advantage of, but he's also going to take your cookies. He's also going to, you know, hit the three. And so like, if you're not relying on him to be a transformational player, I know he was the number three pick, but if you're relying on him to be a high level role player, you might, might feel okay about him. And that's what's been happening.

[D]

Well, here's the thing. The Rockets firmly believe Reed shepherd has star potential on the offensive end that, you know, even when early, like he didn't shoot well against. Okay, see, they're not worried about his shooting. He's going to knock down shots. They are, there are some concerns about his defense, but you've seen them play a lot of zone. He's on the floor. And look, if he, if he's shooting the ball like this, making plays like this offensively, then it more than justifies having a scheme to protect him defensively. Right? You're not Going to run the switch, everything stuff a lot with Reed shepherd. Probably not going to happen, you know, because he's just not good enough as an on ball defender right now. Maybe he progresses to the point where he can. If you're shooting like this, you can mix it up his own. You can do things to protect him and it makes plenty of sense. And he's in a role where he can come off the bench and be that type of kind of instant offense bucket getter. But I man, Shingoon has made a big leap. A big leap. And all you need to know is KD is more than happy to let Shingoon get the rock if he's got the matchup or if they want to throw two bodies at kd. More than happy to give Shingun the rock down to stretch. And now again against the Mavericks, KD went to the corner, Shingoon had Gafford up high and basically was like Cook and he did well.

[C]

And it's worth pointing out that Katie had 31 and 7 on 11 for 15 shooting in this game. And it's just a reminder that last season Jalen Green would have been taking those shots. And Jalen Green's why they lost the warriors series. Like just call it like it is. He was bad in that series. Think he shot under 30% in the series.

[D]

He had one big time performance and.

[C]

Then other than that he was awful. Like he had a really bad series, which is okay. Like plenty of guys have had a bad series. He's a young player. We'll see what happens in the future. But they replace him with Kevin Durant and when you have Kevin Durant as the guy with Sengun, like down the stretch of this game it was Kevin Durant making shots and Sengun making shots and like that's a formula that is going to lead the Rockets to a lot of W's.

[B]

The way Jackson gives us this stat going back to Giannis real quick, he's the first player with 300 points and 100 rebounds in his first nine games since Lu Alcinder. 70, 71.

[D]

Wow.

[C]

He's a pretty good player. Pretty good player, yeah.

[B]

Yeah, he is. You mentioned Jalen Green a second ago. Not the greatest weekend for Jalen Green. He missed the first eight games of the season for the Suns and comes back and looked like he pretty significantly re injured his hamstring on Saturday night. So while that was not good after.

[C]

Having a great game in his first game, had 29 points and I think 23 minutes in and it was plus 30 and their win over. Their first of two wins over the.

[B]

Clippers, they didn't do. And they didn't. I didn't see an update on Sunday. I assume they'll update them on Saturday, on Monday, and I'm not anticipating a good update there.

[D]

It's, it's. However, I guarantee you this, it's multiple weeks.

[B]

I mean, yes.

[D]

When you come back after missing the first eight games and have to get helped off the floor.

[B]

Yeah, it looked he. And he was in a lot of discomfort. Yeah, it was. He couldn't move the leg. Okay. Having said that, though, the Suns have won four out of five and their next three games are against the Pelicans, the Mavericks and the Pacers. It ain't exactly Murderers Row. And they just took a home and home with the Clippers, who are having some issues. And I just like to point out. So Devin Booker, he's put together some really impressive games. He had 21, 10 and nine. Didn't have the greatest shooting night. But, you know, they, they are better than we thought. This point. They're 5 and 5. I'm not sitting here saying let's rewrite the predictions, but let's acknowledge that they've won four out of five.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, they, so far they have beaten the Jazz, the Kings, the Spurs. Great win over the spurs and then this Clipper team twice. And to me, the bigger question is out of these games, like, Phoenix played well. They've had a nice start. They're probably, like you said, they really should be 8 and 5. Like, if they're 8 and 5 in a couple of days, then. Okay, like, maybe they could surprise people. And Book has been awesome. It's been good to see him back to playing like an all NBA player again when he wasn't at that level really last year. The, the question to me is like, are the Clippers in real trouble?

[D]

Like, yes.

[C]

They look, they look extraordinarily old.

[D]

And here's the thing. If you're going to be, if you're going to be old and slow, you better not be sloppy. They rank near the top of the league in turnovers. Committed. They give up more points off of turnovers than anybody.

[C]

I mean, when they transition, defense is still a problem. Despite the shirts.

[D]

Exactly. When they turn over, it's a gift. Because they can't get back. They are creaky. And now Kawhi is out for, you know.

[B]

Well, that's the other thing. So Ty Lue, it's an ankle sprain and he was asked by one of the media Members. Is it a high ankle sprain? And he goes, it's an ankle sprain. I don't like high ankle sprains on anybody, much less Kawhi Leonard. And I don't like non timelines. So that's a thing.

[C]

Oh, and Bradley Beal. Bradley Beal has been rough. Chris Paul has been awful. I mean I thought coming into the season I was high on them because I thought they had 11, 12 guys who could play and they probably always have eight or nine of them available. But they also were relying on a lot of old guys. Brook Lopez, Chris Paul, Nick Batum. Beals obviously played a lot of minutes. Harden and Kawhi like it's a very old team and there was at least a chance that they would sort of become a pumpkin overnight. And it's still early. We'll see. Small sample size, theater and all that, but they look like a team that's pretty old.

[B]

Let me say two things about the Clippers. Number one, last year they were the number three defensive team in the league. That team every, just about everybody they put on the floor defended. They defended as a team, they defended no matter who was healthy. Even James Harden, despite his limitations. At times you could tell he was trying to give it the college try. On defense, they were successful because they defended so far. Small sample size, et cetera. They're 27th. Three to 27th is no good.

[C]

I ain't going to get it done.

[B]

Now I'm going to give you stats. Name this player.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

23.3 points.

[D]

James Harden.

[B]

6. 62 or 46 on threes on six a game.

[C]

Oh, I know who this is.

[B]

94 at the line on a career high seven.

[C]

That would be one Norman Powell.

[B]

That is Norman Powell.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's not that John Collins is playing poorly. He's doing okay, he's not scoring, but again, that's not really his role.

[D]

But except Bradley Beals playing poor because Beal wasn't part of the trade. But the trades made with the assumption that the trade.

[C]

The trade was. The trade was. It wasn't an assumption. The trade was John Collins and Bradley Beal for Norm Powell. Now it was. He wasn't technically in the trade, but they made the trade because they were getting Bradley Beal.

[D]

They thought they could get 80, 90% of Norman Powell's production from Beal and then get Collins as a really nice piece off the bench. Collins has been a really nice piece off the bench. Beal ain't holding frickin pals jock with.

[B]

A wheelbarrow right Now Beal is averaging. He has played six games. He is averaging eight points on 37% shooting. He's shooting 37% on threes as well, eight points.

[C]

Clippers are giving up the league's almost 24 points a game off turnovers, most in the league.

[B]

Assuming that I can make it to Los Angeles on Monday, I'm going to go see the Clippers play Monday and Wednesday. Monday they play the Hawks. Wednesday they play the Nuggets.

[D]

I saw them play the Thunder for a quarter. They look good.

[B]

Well, I, as you guys know, I was really excited about this team in the preseason.

[C]

So was I. I was high on them. I thought they were going to be good.

[B]

You know, you had to, you had to pencil in some Kawhi missed games.

[D]

Sure.

[B]

But the design of the team was that they were supposed to be a little bit more resilient primarily because they can defend well.

[C]

And James Harden has always been. Whatever else you want to say about James Harden, he's always been a regular season innings eater and wins machine and he was last year. And like the expectation was that was going to be the case again and again. It's a long season, it's only nine games. There's plenty of time. But it is definitely concerning to see a team with this many old players looking this old through the first three weeks.

[D]

And by the way, Zubots has not been bad. What at all. But can we revisit your all NBA?

[B]

Let's not. Yeah, let's. Let's not.

[C]

I you know window decided to make a prediction and you know it had been a lot come to fruition barren.

[B]

Off season and you know, I saw an exhibition game that excited me for the first time and you were really fired up.

[C]

That was such an anti Brian position to be over the moon about an exhibition game and making predictions on top of it.

[B]

I was happy about that game by the way the Nuggets. It was against the Nuggets. The Nuggets looked great which I didn't make any outrageous predictions about the Nuggets but I felt really good about what the Nuggets looked like.

[C]

By the way, can we, can we put up. Can we, can we just talk real quick about something? I want to read some Cam Thomas stats. Can I read some Cam or Cam. Not Cam Thomas. I'm sorry. Cam Thomas out for a second.

[B]

Cam Thomas is out for a week.

[D]

Doing that for not.

[C]

Not that. Not that. Another. A former another Cam. He used to play on his team. Cam Johnson. Cam Johnson stats. No, they're not good. Cam Johnson Cam Johnson threw nine games this season, is averaging eight points per game. He is shooting 37% from the field. He is shooting 23% from 3i. Again, I expect Cam Johnson to start making some shots, but I think it's pretty concerning that we're this far into the season and he has been this much of a non factor for Denver given the outlay they paid to get him.

[D]

I would be much, much more concerned if the Nuggets weren't 72 with the second best point difference.

[B]

Children, can I read some Aaron, Aaron Gordon stats?

[C]

I mean that's, that's, I mean Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray have been incredible and they've been off to a great start. So it's sort of been, it's sort of flown under the radar, but it has been a rough start for him. Now again, if those guys are all healthy and playing great, it might not matter at all. But it's just been interesting to me.

[D]

I tell you what, Tim Hardaway Jr. Has been one of them. Vet minimum pickup.

[C]

Yeah, he's, he's making three.

[B]

So Jokic is, Jokic is taking five fewer shots per game and he loves it. Shooting 64%. 64% from the field. Now he shot 63% a couple years ago, one of the MVP years. So he has touched this before. But last year, you know, there were times when he, you know, he struggled last year, only shot 57% but he's leading the league in rebounds and assists.

[C]

He's almost got a four. He's almost got a four assist to turnover ratio. 11.9 assists per game to 3.1 turnovers. Again, 3.8 assists to turnover. Crazy.

[D]

This is how Joker wants to play. He never, he doesn't want to have to feel like, dude, I got to get, I got to get 30. It's a chance he wanted, he wants to take 14, 15 shots a game and have a dozen assists. He's averaging 11.9 assists per game with his career high at 10.2. But this is, you know, we always talk about, hey, teams would prefer to make Joker a one dimensional score because if he's able to just spread it all around, then everybody's eating with that gets the exception of Cam Johnson right now. But right now Joker is a super efficient 25 point per game. 24, 25, whatever it is, and getting 12 assists and his minutes, I think his minutes are actually down from last year. You know, part of that.

[C]

He's only a 34, so I, I'm pretty sure he's up at like 37 last year. Last year he was at almost.

[D]

Yeah, in a couple years he was. Yeah, they're down almost three a game. This is exactly the way that Joker wants to play. It gives him a chance to stay fresh all season, be fresh come playoff time. And. And again, he doesn't want to take 22, 23 shots in a game.

[B]

McMahon. Guess the player. I'm going to read another stats. Guess the player.

[C]

Okay. Okay. What do we got?

[D]

More Hoop Collective podcast after this.

[B]

7.6 points a game. 31% are actually 26% on threes on six a game.

[D]

Come on, man. This is Klay Thompson.

[B]

Damn, you're. You're hot.

[D]

Yeah, no, he's cold and you're hot, brother. And. And he was sick in Washington one game after being scoreless in Memphis, which was his second game, coming off the bench. And the decision to bring Clay off the bench has gotten buried by all the feces that's flying around the Mavericks right now. But, dude, it was like, dude, I'm just telling you, man, that was a big, big thing. And, you know, he said the right things afterwards. I wasn't at that game, but the Dallas Morning News talked to him. You know, he said all the right things. But we all know, everybody who knows Clay knows how much pride he has. And, man, coming off the bench for Golden State, he was miserable and he was pissed. Now, he really. They. And the Mavericks recruited him to Dallas, which, by the way, that contract, he's owed about 34 mil this year. Next year, it's looking rough, but they recruited him to Dallas. I mean, you know, they couldn't offer him as much as the Lakers did with the promise that he would be coming off the bench. And in his defense, one of the major reasons.

[C]

Promise he'd be starting, I think.

[D]

I'm sorry, my bad. Promise.

[B]

They.

[D]

Yeah, promised that he'd be starting. He had a starting job, and he started the first 79 games he played for the Mavericks. 81, if you want to include the playing games. So it was like. I knew they were thinking about it, but this was a big decision for JK to make because, frankly, you risk just flat out losing Clay mentally. It's going to be a challenge for him to stay in Italy, but he was so bad, they had to make this move. Now, Daniel Russell, sirs, he was minus 18 in a win over the Washington Wizards. He's had one good shooting game for the Mavericks, but just to get a point guard on the floor, to take that burden off of Cooper Flag, after.

[B]

What I saw in that game against New Orleans, I kind of support it.

[D]

No, you had. You had to take. They had to take the burden off of Cooper Flag shoulders in terms of being. Being the primary facilitator. Clay, just the. The production was so bad and honestly, his best game this season was his first game off the bench. But that was a big, big deal. But, man, there's just like, dude, there's a whole lot of things that ain't good with the Mavericks. And, and hey, at this point, I believe it is a matter of when, not if, Nico Harrison will be fired. And there is a very, very strong likelihood that will be mid season. Maybe they can get things turned around. Maybe his seat can go from sizzling to, you know, a more normal temperature. But, you know, I always say, like, dude, every time I think that they've hit rock bottom, they find a, you know, they find a way to drill deeper.

[B]

And they almost lost to Washington. They won.

[D]

That would have been drilling. That would have been drilling all the way down to Hades. And that's about how hot Nico seat is right now, fellas.

[B]

Well, their two best players are out.

[D]

Okay, Breaking news. They knew Kyrie was going to miss the first half the season or so. And your big move this summer was to go to get d' Angelo Russell, replace them on a temporary basis. Also, why do they have such a void for playmaking and offense creation on this roster? I mean, come on now it's blown up in his face. It's blown up in Patrick Dumont's face. After that Luca trade Patrick Dumont, one of his infamous quotes was in Nico, we trust. I'm just telling you the trust is disintegrated at this point. Anthony Davis wanted to play Saturday in Washington. He'd been gearing up to that practice Thursday. Doubtful. That sat Friday in in Memphis upgraded the questionable that, you know, we all see that. That's the normal track to bring in a guy back from injury. There was internal disagreement about whether that was a good idea, and there was a lot of opinions voiced in that. Ultimately, they decided to hold him out in Washington. We'll see if he plays Monday against the Bucks. He's questionable again. One of the opinions that was. I don't know if it was a veto. I don't know how heavily this opinion weighed in, but one of the opinions that was involved here was Patrick Dumont. Patrick Dumont went from blind faith in Nico to now weighing in on whether a star can come back from injury. That's a pretty significant.

[B]

Well, it's because Last year he tried to play through the injury. When he came back, when he. When he played to play his first game, and it was borderline and he made it worse. I mean, I mean, I'm not saying I don't know about the owner being involved. I'm just saying, like, I. I might ask some questions too.

[D]

Right. And so let me ask you this. Why do you think Anthony Davis rushed back last year to play in that Rockets? Okay. Why would he rush back right now? Well, pretty bad idea.

[B]

I see what you're.

[C]

Why would he do that?

[D]

So.

[E]

Especially.

[D]

Dude, we're talking about a calf strain. You don't definitely not with those things. And my understanding is that there were people with the Mavericks medical staff that were saying, we cannot rush this guy back. That Dumont certainly agreed with that and that ultimately I was told by the end, everybody was on the same page, you know. Okay. Ultimately they decided to hold off at least another couple of days. But again, the fact that Patrick Dumont is involved in that sort of decision making is a major, major development. Let me ask you this.

[C]

Asking a lot of questions.

[D]

No, I'm just asking. Since they went to the Finals, which personnel moves that the Mavericks have made have worked?

[C]

Kai, what feels longer ago. I'm asking Mavs. No, hold on. I'm going to ask a question because you said that. What feels longer ago? The Mavs making the finals or the pistons, who's at 29 in a row? I'm not sure which feels farther away right now, seriously.

[D]

But, like, you know, we just mentioned.

[B]

Cooper Flag with the number one pick. That was.

[C]

I would say. I would say the plan of getting Cooper Flag in the lottery worked out great.

[D]

I'd say that's favors the bold you're starting to see.

[C]

I would say. I would say Brandon Williams, nice pickup.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

I would say, trying to think of what. What are my other options since the Finals.

[D]

Klay Thompson.

[C]

That didn't. I don't like that.

[D]

The Luca trade.

[C]

Well, I mean, sure, the history of the league. I don't like that.

[D]

Trading, trading Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin, who Kayla Martin.

[C]

I don't like that you still went.

[D]

Through the trade and then you couldn't as your team's falling apart, sign guys even to attend day because you got so bumped up to the apron.

[C]

I don't like that move.

[D]

You know, I guess the Najee Marshall one's been okay, but that's a good move.

[C]

I like Naji Marshall. That's good.

[D]

My point is there's been some pretty epic disasters here, by the way. Caleb Martin's averaging like, but they lost.

[B]

Derrick Jones when they got Najee Martin.

[C]

I, I liked, I liked that Najee Marshall deal. I thought that was okay. I think that's a good move, I'll give him that.

[D]

There's been some massive.

[C]

Brandon Williams and Najee Marshall good. Luka Doncic bad.

[D]

And some other ones.

[C]

Yes, and some other ones.

[D]

Now, who's going to run the Mavericks trade deadline?

[C]

Well, listen, wait. We got three months until the trade deadline. Let's not start doing that.

[B]

What is the Mavericks trade assets?

[C]

Here's, here's one. Anthony Davis. They should trade Anthony Davis tomorrow.

[D]

Well, and, and listen, what do you.

[C]

What are you shaking your head about? What are you shaking your head about? You're still going to argue at this point now?

[B]

No, I've heard your rationale.

[D]

Hold on, hold on. Nico would never ever, Nico would never ever do that. But they are in year two of, in his own definition, a three to four year contending window.

[C]

God, that was one of the most. That, that, that press conference, that press conference in Cleveland, that was one of the craziest things of all time.

[D]

This is year two.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

We have a three to four year window.

[D]

So year two light this thing on fire. Right? And bro, you lucked into getting Cooper Flag. At some point I would say pronto, the focus of the franchise has got to be pivoting around. Cooper Flag is, let me just remind you, in successfully building a finals team around five time, first team, all NBA before entering his prime face of the franchise, Luka Doncic, you gave up control of your draft, your first round draft picks, 27, 28, 29 and 30. You've got this year's and then you don't have your own again.

[C]

First of all, they have this year and I look forward to this year, The Mavericks getting AJ DeBance, a Cooper Flag, Cameron Boozer, somebody at the top of the draft. Because that's going to happen and the Internet's going to break and then it's going to be Cooper and another star.

[B]

I don't want to be a defense attorney here in this case. I just want to point out in fairness that when he did the press conference in Cleveland, he didn't know Kyrie was tearing his ACL within days.

[C]

It doesn't matter. You traded a guy again. We don't need to relitigate the whole thing. But they traded a guy who's 25 and announced that they had a three year window. That, that's my point. As the rationale for the trade.

[D]

When you Go on and tell us about that was a championship caliber team on the court.

[B]

I'm not going to do anything.

[D]

I just need to point it out.

[B]

I have another.

[C]

It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter.

[D]

My point is this though. Do you want a GM whose job security is very tenuous and look, I mean because of that has a very short term view plus his windows three, four years. Do you want him making long term decisions for a franchise that just has an 8 just locked into an 18 year old potential superstar?

[C]

I think we know, I think we know what the focus of the Mavericks franchise is right now. It's on Cooper Flag. And I would be very surprised if this season trades are made that go against the timeline of Cooper Flag.

[D]

That would be my guess. They can't be, they cannot be approved.

[C]

Well, I, I understand, I understand that. That's my point. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know who's going to run the team in terms of the trade room or who's going to be in charge or whatever. But I would bet based off of the way things have gone over the past several months that the Cooper Flag timeline is the one that Dallas would be looking at. And again I look forward to the Internet breaking next May when Dallas, after a very bad season jumps up in the lottery and gets a guy to go with Cooper and whoever's running the team can say it was also part of the plan. Just like jumping up to get Cooper in the first place. All part of the plan. It's all part of the plan.

[B]

I have another player for you to pick out for stats.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Average 19, 19.1 points a game, 35% from the field.

[D]

John Morant.

[B]

And today after going 2 of 7 on threes, increased his 3 point percentage from 12% to 15%.

[D]

John Morant.

[C]

More importantly, I believe he was 0 for 9 on mid range shots in that game.

[B]

Today, John Morant, we discovered something like Jackson McMahon is just, just slamming it out of the park.

[D]

These aren't like under the radar players.

[C]

Plus these are like McMahon had been.

[D]

Following the Grizzlies mess very closely. I'm following the Mavericks Smiths very closely. I forgot the other one that I got but I'll.

[C]

If McMahon had been given all the answers to the test beforehand, he would not have needed the eight years to get through his collegiate tenure. Listen, let's put it that way.

[D]

Listen, I am. My GPA was 2.3. That's that 2.3.

[C]

Would have guessed that.

[D]

That's more attempts Than John Morant had in the restricted area tonight out of 18 field. Okay, brothers, I'm just telling you.

[B]

Jackson, I'm going to read him AJ Mitchell stats next. Wait a minute. Did I forget to meet.

[C]

Ja has.

[D]

Crap, I wish I had these numbers up right now. He has right around 30% of his field goal, Tim. So you know, like you look on the NBA shot chart. Yeah, restricted area plus a little bit. It's that, it's that little circle they, that they have around the hoop. He's got about, about 60%. I'm sorry, less than 30% of his attempts are coming from there. In his heyday, when he, you know, it was two All Star seasons, it was like 53%. And I sent you guys these, these quotes from tonight. Okay, these are, these are from the Michael Cole with Memphis Commercial Appeal just said he's getting shots he wants no concern quote. That's why don't get too frustrated because I'd be in this arena, I'd be in the practice gym doing the same thing. Right now. It's just continuing to shoot, continuing to shoot with confidence and wait for it to translate over. Dude, the. The opposing defense wants you taking jump shots. Breaking news now, they ask him like, hey, what about getting the rim? Like all your rim numbers are plummeting, plummeting like they've been cut in half basically from when he was a 26, 27 point per game scorer. I'm getting no foul calls. Y' all had a whole spiel about running in there careless and getting hurt. So what now that's what y' all want me to go back doing? Let's end that combo right here. If John Morant, who, you know four or five years ago led the league in paint scoring and right now ranks 40th in the league in paint scoring. If John Moran isn't like league best level, is an elite at attack in the rim. Do you know what JA means? Just average.

[B]

Like, he's waiting for that one.

[C]

He had that one lined up, folks. He had that one lined up for days, folks. He was ready. Get that one in there.

[D]

He is not an awesome pain attacker. He's just a guy.

[C]

Well, again, this goes back to the conversation we had the other day. He's not one of the ten best point guards in the league. And when you factor in all the other stuff that comes, well, but again, well, this is what he's been playing like. And to factor in all the other stuff that comes with him, he's just not worth it. Which again goes back to the situation that Memphis is in. By the way, I have the stats here. Ja is taking 71% of his shots roughly from inside the three point line. And he's taking 15% of his shots, 15 and a half to be precise, from inside three feet.

[D]

That actually. Basketball reference, right?

[C]

Yes. And he's taking 30% of his shots. Right. That's before today's game. He's taking 29% of his shots, just under 30% from 3 to 10ft and another 17% from the mid range, which by the way went up today because again, he was 0 for 9 on mid range jumpers in today's game.

[D]

And you look earlier in his career when he was playing at an all NBA level and those 0 to 3 foot numbers were in the 30s. They'd been sliced in half.

[C]

Yeah. By year of his career, 0 to 3ft, percentage of shots 39.6%, 33.5%, 33%. 28.9%, 28.8%, 23.3%, 15.5%. That is not just a descending order. That is by year. They have gone down every year. That was an order from rookie year to now.

[B]

Well, they played the Thunder today. They were up by 19. The Thunder went 10 of 43 on threes on the road, which in the NBA if you shoot 10 of 43 on the road and you're down by 19, that's curtain.

[C]

You don't win very often.

[B]

And the thunder one by 14 and.

[D]

Jaws body language just progressively got glummer. Is glummer a word? I think it is more glum.

[C]

Whatever. More glum. I think whatever that word is. Shay was a cool 35 on plus 28 in the game too.

[D]

Anyway.

[B]

Shay scores 35.

[E]

It's not news.

[D]

You know, it's funny, I was reminded today.

[C]

35, 7 and 6 and 1 turnover. Not bad.

[D]

Some of our buddies in OKC, one of them's Big Ridge. I won't mention the other guy. Years ago, when Ja was at his all NBA heyday, they were telling me I'd rather build around Shea. And I would always say like, you guys are such homers. That is such a ridiculous take. In hindsight, it's hilarious that I was so convinced that Ja was drastically a better long term.

[C]

It wasn't that long ago. I mean, it's just a reminder of how fast things can change in the league. And you know, for a guy, especially a guy like Ja, whose game is built on athleticism, like we were talking about it the other day, it reminds me a ton of Derrick Rose, it's a very similar career arc to Derrick Rose. And after Derek Rose, Derek's injury, it just was never quite the same. He was a good player. He had moments where he was very effective but it never really got back to the first couple years he had in the league again and there ended up like the end of his tenure in Chicago. Feels a lot like where things are at right now in Memphis. And I just don't see a way that's going to change until he is elsewhere.

[D]

And Ja has not had obviously the devastating knee injury, like his season ending injury was a shoulder deal, that that's not sapping his athleticism. I'm really not so much sure that he's. His athleticism is diminished as much as his fearlessness that kind of defined him is gone. And just listen to him, man. The refs don't be giving me no calls. You know, he doesn't want to go in there and take the contact. And he has had some scary falls. He has. Like especially last year when he came down and he screwed his hip up pretty good and didn't. I mean that was a player. He absolutely should have gotten a call. He didn't. But again, if John is not attacking the rim with like ruthlessness, he's just a guy. He's a, he's a pretty good point guard. I mean he ain't 35% is ridiculous. But if he's a primarily a jump shooter, he's sure ain't going to be the engine of an elite offense ever again.

[B]

Jackson, the Syracuse grad says that Webster dictionary says glummer is a good. It's a word. Usually it's us teaching you words now.

[C]

McMahon. McMahon. McMahon's all over the Webster's dictionary.

[D]

You two are kind of like glum and glummer.

[B]

At certain times of the year. That's true. All right, well, I think that's all the potting we've got for tonight.

[D]

A very uplifting final 20 minutes or so.

[B]

Welcome to my podcast. Has to get back up 95. All right, I'm headed out to California, please. My flight. Hopefully everybody's paid and everybody's working and they can direct the plane in.

[D]

Maps have four home games this week. I know the city of Dallas is fired up.

[B]

Can't wait for that report.

[C]

Can't wait for that.

[B]

Thank you to Jackson. Thank you to Bon Thompson. McMahon. Thank you for listening and watching the Hoop Collective. Well, by the way, we're on TVs on ESPN on, on our Wednesday pods on the TVs check it out on depending on your provider. Thank you for watching listening to Hoop Collective. We'll talk to you next week.

[D]

Adios mios.