Anthony Edwards carries Minnesota | Beal benched; Suns win

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: January 7, 2025 – Detailed Summary

Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, Esfandiar Baraheni
Episode Title: Anthony Edwards carries Minnesota | Beal benched; Suns win

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1. Opening Remarks and Game Highlights

Sam Cooper kicked off the episode by highlighting a pivotal game where the Minnesota Timberwolves triumphed over the Los Angeles Clippers with a narrow score of 108-106. He emphasized that this victory was significantly driven by Anthony Edwards, who posted an impressive 37 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists (04:55).

2. Timberwolves’ Lineup Adjustments

The Timberwolves made strategic lineup changes before the game, notably benching Mike Conley and promoting Dante DiVincenzo to the starting lineup. This decision sparked a discussion on whether it was a "Magic Bullet" move for the team.

Unnamed Analyst provided a nuanced perspective: “They didn’t start out the game as good as you think they would... but I think it was the right decision to bench Conley and bring Dante DiVincenzo in” (04:01). He praised DiVincenzo’s three-point shooting and playmaking abilities, suggesting that this change could positively impact the team's backcourt dynamics.

3. Anthony Edwards’ Performance and Team Dynamics

Sam Cooper delved into Anthony Edwards’ standout performance, attributing the win largely to Edwards’ ability to take control of the game, especially in the absence of Conley.

Unnamed Analyst echoed this sentiment, noting, “Anthony is trying to be Kevin Durant. You remember the quote... asking him to be” (19:38). The analyst highlighted Edwards’ evolving role as both a scorer and playmaker, though he acknowledged the challenges posed by teammates like Gobert and Randall, whose defensive prowess sometimes disrupts offensive spacing.

4. Kawhi Leonard’s Return and Clippers’ Performance

The conversation shifted to the Los Angeles Clippers, focusing on Kawhi Leonard’s return after an absence since the previous Saturday. Sam Cooper observed that Leonard appeared "leaner" and "more agile" but noted a lack of rhythm in his gameplay (08:15).

Unnamed Analyst praised Leonard’s impact on defense, stating, “They already are a great defensive team, but you throw him in next to Kristan... it just makes them a lot more fun on the defensive end” (08:53). However, he expressed confidence that Leonard’s offensive contributions would align more seamlessly as he regains his form.

5. Dallas Mavericks’ Injury Woes

Sam Cooper shifted focus to the Dallas Mavericks, discussing the significant setback of Kyrie Irving suffering a bulging disc, sidelining him for an estimated one to two weeks (07:35). This injury, combined with Luke’s ongoing leg issues, has left the Mavericks vulnerable, leading to erratic performances against teams like the Memphis Grizzlies.

Unnamed Analyst highlighted Jaren Jackson Jr.’s stellar performance for the Grizzlies, noting his 35 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, which was crucial in their victory (10:02). He questioned how the Mavericks would navigate the Western Conference without their key players, pondering the possibility of a panic trade to bolster their roster (10:40).

6. Phoenix Suns’ Team Dynamics and Vibe

Post-break, the discussion turned to the Phoenix Suns, addressing rumors about the team’s negative internal vibes. Sam Cooper interviewed Sam Cooper from the Timeline Podcast, who provided a critical analysis of the Suns’ current state.

Unnamed Guest (Sam Cooper from Timeline Podcast) remarked, “This was the most fun I’ve had watching a Suns game in probably three or four weeks” (13:20), indicating a brief resurgence in team morale. Despite a challenging first half, the Suns exhibited professionalism and connectivity, especially with Bradley Beal contributing 25 points off the bench (13:54).

However, Unnamed Analyst criticized the Suns’ roster construction, pointing out deficiencies in wing size and a weak center rotation. Unnamed Guest concurred, stating, “They have issues all over the map with their rotation” and questioned the effectiveness of potential trade moves, including acquiring Jimmy Butler (20:58).

7. Detroit Pistons’ Resurgence

A standout segment of the episode celebrated the Detroit Pistons achieving their 18th win of the season, marking a significant milestone as they moved to an 18-18 record (25:09). Sam Cooper and Unnamed Analyst discussed the factors contributing to this success, highlighting Cade Cunningham’s exceptional performance.

Unnamed Analyst lauded Cunningham, noting, “He had 32 points tonight, was efficient... his turnovers are down over the last 15 games” (26:31). The analyst attributed the Pistons’ improvement to effective team context, with supportive teammates like Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris enhancing Cunningham’s gameplay.

Sam Cooper queried whether the Pistons would secure a top-six playoff spot, to which the analyst responded skeptically, predicting a top-eight finish due to strong competition from teams like the Indiana Pacers (28:03).

8. Closing Thoughts

The episode concluded with hosts expressing optimism for the Pistons’ postseason prospects while acknowledging the challenges faced by teams like the Suns and Mavericks. Sam Cooper encouraged listeners to engage with the Timeline Podcast for ongoing insights and wrapped up the show with a final nod to the Pistons' historic season-long achievements.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [04:01] Unnamed Analyst: “They didn’t start out the game as good as you think they would... but I think it was the right decision to bench Conley and bring Dante DiVincenzo in.”
• [04:55] Sam Cooper: “Anthony Edwards puts up 37 points, seven rebounds, eight assists. He just looks better when he has a ball in his hands.”
• [08:53] Unnamed Analyst: “Kawhi adding to the defense makes them a lot more fun on the defensive end.”
• [13:20] Unnamed Guest (Sam Cooper from Timeline Podcast): “This was the most fun I’ve had watching a Suns game in probably three or four weeks.”
• [19:38] Unnamed Analyst: “Anthony is trying to be Kevin Durant. Asking him to be.”

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Key Takeaways

• Minnesota Timberwolves’ strategic benching of Mike Conley for Dante DiVincenzo positively influenced their narrow victory, with Anthony Edwards emerging as a critical playmaker.
• Kawhi Leonard’s return bolstered the Clippers’ defensive strength, although his offensive rhythm needs improvement.
• The Dallas Mavericks face significant challenges due to key injuries, raising questions about their playoff viability and potential trade moves.
• The Phoenix Suns show signs of revitalization but struggle with roster construction issues that may impede their championship aspirations.
• The Detroit Pistons are experiencing a remarkable season turnaround, largely driven by Cade Cunningham’s outstanding performances and effective team support.

This comprehensive analysis provides listeners with in-depth insights into the latest NBA developments, player performances, and team dynamics, ensuring they are well-informed even without tuning into the episode.

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Timestamp Reference

For contextual accuracy, timestamps are referenced in the summary to denote when key points and quotes occur within the episode.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, introductions, and non-content sections to focus purely on the substantive discussions and analyses presented during the episode.

Transcript

[Dave DeFore]

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[Esperahenny]

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[Sam Cooper]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for January 7, 2025. Coming up, the Wolves got their groove back against the Clippers. Sam Cooper from the Timeline podcast is here to talk about the Suns and their bad vibe. And the pistons are 500. So we're gonna have a party. Good morning, everybody. Good morning. S Another busy Monday night in the NBA. The Suns, you know the trade rumors, they got lineup changes, so we got Sam Cooper to talk about that after the break. But let's start with the game of the night. We had the Minnesota Timberwolves and the the Los Angeles Clippers in Minnesota. Kawhi Leonard, Game two. But right before the game, as we found out there was going to be a lineup change and not the Magic Bullet lineup change. We all thought with Julius Randle maybe going to the bench, instead it's Mike Conley going to the bench, Dante DiVincenzo moving into the starting lineup. I gotta ask you, was it the Magic Bullet for them?

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yes and no. They didn't start out the game as good as you think they would. The Clippers just absolutely dominated them, especially in Kawhi Kawhi's minutes early in the first half. But that being said, I think it was the right decision to bench Conley and bring Dante DiVincenzo in one. It gives them another ball handler and I know Conley is supposed to be that, but he just hasn't been the same this season. Father Time, undefeated when it comes to Mike Conley. But Dante is a three point shooter, can stretch the floor. A guy who can like viably knock down shots next to Edwards and a guy who can put the ball down, make some plays for you. So I think it works there. There are positive in their minutes together too as a backcourt. When they made that Carl Anthony Towns trade, it was with the idea that Dante would eventually start. So I don't hate the move at all. We'll see if the Randall shoe drops as well though, you know, maybe that's the next thing that happens.

[Sam Cooper]

So the Wolves did get the win. 108, 106. And there was exactly one reason Anthony Edwards puts up 37 points, seven rebounds, eight assists. I mean he's, you know, again, he's been more of a playmaker this year anyway. But especially without Conley out there. I mean, he has to have the ball in his hands. Now. Early on I didn't love how the spacing looked. You know, obviously with Gobert and Randall, you're going to have trouble out there. And I mean, Anthony Edwards has already talked about how, how hard it's been with all the double teams not being able to dunk. And in this game he kind of did everything. He had a great dunk, which should have been an and one. He got, he got teed up for it. But this was like a little bit more of what we wanted to see from Ant. And you know, I, I think when he has a ball in his hands and he gets to dictate what's happening, he just looks better.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, I think it's really important to contextualize the spacing around Ant. Like you mentioned it with Gobert and Randall, but it's not the ideal spot or the ideal type of offense that a guy that is that great of an athlete should be working in. Right. I remember a couple of years ago people started to compare him to Jayson Tatum in terms of his evolution as a playmaker and Tatum is like well beyond that now. He's an elite playmaker in this league. But you can see contextually what kind of guys Ant needs around him. It's great floor spacing. It's guys who can put the ball down and make decisions. And I'm not sure this Timberwolves team right now currently constructed is the way to do that. So he's just trying to shoot them into games, which is right. I, I think part of the equation here, it kind of reminds me of like those middling Kobe Lakers years with the Smush Parkers and Chris Mims of the world, although the Timberwolves are much more talented than that.

[Sam Cooper]

Yeah, please tell me. I mean we would all love to know who you're calling Smush.

[Unnamed Analyst]

I'm not calling Smush. I'm not calling anybody Smush here maybe. No, no, I'm not going to call him. Okay. But either way, I think, I think in the sense that like his pull up shooting has been incredible this year, his scoring has been incredible this year, his evolution as a shooter, just because it like the team requires him to be that guy for them. I think it shows you just like the, the incredible talent that Ant is and the playmaking will eventually catch up.

[Sam Cooper]

And I think Divincenzo does make sense because of the three point volume, you know, and it should take some of that load off of Anthony Edwards. But you know, I still think you have to look at the Randall piece of this and, and Randall in this game, again the ball is in ants hands. More Randall, five points, two assists. It's, you know, he has a hard time being able to fit in when the ball, you know, isn't able to be in his hands. Allow him to facilitate more and yeah, you can't do my turn, you know, your turn, my turn. When it's Anthony Edwards sharing with Julius Randall, that's too much.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Why? Nazride makes a lot more sense, man. You know, like the three point shooting, the creation off the bounce. He's a lot faster with his decisions than Randall is.

[Sam Cooper]

I mean, activity on defense, we could go on and on and on. But let's talk about the Clippers side of this. I mean, look, they're on the road, but game two for Kawhi. I think the bigger deal, the biggest deal for the Clippers is that he was able to play in this game after just playing Saturday. That's great. Physically, he looked really good. I thought he looks strong. He looks really lean compared to kind of being a little heavier last year. The one thing that's missing, I think, is rhythm. He just clearly looks like a guy that hasn't played much.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, look, I think that's understandable given how long he's been out. And I think, for what it's worth, he's made their defense look a lot better, too. They're already a great defensive team, but, you know, you throw him in next to Kristan, next to a guy like Derrick Jones Jr. Add in a Nick Batum. These guys are guys who can really guard on the perimeter, and it just makes them a lot more fun on the defensive end. This is already a really entertaining defense to watch night in, night out. You add a guy like Kawhi who, like you said, is leaner, he's moving a lot better. That part is what's really intriguing to me. The offense will come. I. I'm very, very, like, confident in the fact that Kawhi will.

[Sam Cooper]

You're adding Kawhi Leonard to this defense, by the way, that. Yeah, I mean, exactly. The Clippers. Clippers are good. A little bit of news from Dallas. Kyrie Irving has a bulging disc in his back and he's gonna miss one to two weeks. Jeff Stotts in street clothes, if you're on X or Blue Sky. He's an injury analyst. He said the average amount of time missed for this sort of injury is about 28 days. I think with a back, you know you're gonna take your time. But when you're the Mavericks and you've got these title hopes now, your two best players are gonna be out because Luke is still out with, you know, that leg injury. Things Are going to get weird. And they got weird last night as the starting lineup for the Mavericks against the Memphis Grizzlies, who are. You know, they've been doing pretty well this season overall. Yeah, it was weird. Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, P.J. washington, Maxi Kleba and Derek Lively II, who. No point guard. Not handling out there. Yeah, it was not great. Look, Memphis picks up the win. Mavericks down bad. How did Memphis do it? I mean, because they have talent.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Oh, no, it's because of Jaren Jackson Jr. He's. I mean, look, Jaren is. Is putting up an all NBA year. I think he's on his way to being an all star, especially with Job being hurt. 35 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists. He's the first Grizzlies big man to do the 3010 and 5 since Jonas Valentunas in 2019, which is crazy to think about. But Jaren is just the guy who kind of keeps this ship going when all of these injuries are really hurting the Grizzlies. I kind of want to see what the Mavericks end up doing in this situation, though, because no Luca, no Kyrie for probably this next month. How are you going to survive in the Western Conference?

[Sam Cooper]

Do they start thinking about a panic trade as like. I mean, there's, you know, there's a guy out there that you could maybe plug in and he's a ball handler and, you know, he plays on the way I look, that would be a desperation trade to do. It would now. I mean, I think that if this team is healthy, they. They're going to be fine. I think making. Making the playoffs.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Sam Cooper]

As long as they're healthy. Come, you know, April, I. I think that they're going to be.

[Unnamed Analyst]

They look like contenders to start this year too. Yeah.

[Sam Cooper]

When they've been healthy. Yeah. And you know, before we go to break, I got to ask you because this is becoming like a nightly occurrence. What did Wimy do last night?

[Esperahenny]

He does something.

[Sam Cooper]

He breaks a record or something every night.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, it was a quiet night, you know, a pretty quiet night for Victor Wyama. 23 points, 14 rebounds, four assist. Just eight blocks.

[Sam Cooper]

Just a quiet run of the mill.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Pedestrian, you know, nothing.

[Unnamed Guest]

Blocks.

[Sam Cooper]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Analyst]

How do you feel about a blocks? Yeah.

[Sam Cooper]

I mean, eight blocks is pretty impressive. But even more impressive, the Bulls, who are too good to take, they're going to have to tear down the Bulls. They came back from 19 down to win this game. Zach Levine with another ridiculous game I can't figure out. They can't give away Zach Levine for Some reason, in a league that just needs shooting, what are the Bulls going to do as we approach the deadline? Vuchevic, too.

[Unnamed Analyst]

I mean, Vuch is having a career season shooting the lights out. I feel like they could find a trade partner for this team and what Lavine and Vuch can do, but even outside of that, they have talent like Kobe White dunked on Wemby tonight, which could have been. That is a poster. Absolutely. When it comes to Wemby. I don't know what this Bulls team will do though, because they're in a position where they need to get their first round pick. If they don't end up with like bottom six odds, it's likely gone. So it's that this is where it comes down to tanking and being good enough and whatnot. And I know you hate that conversation.

[Sam Cooper]

So they should be good, you know. Yeah. Hey, look, it's the Chicago Bulls. I think they have a tradition that they need to uphold. Go ahead and do stay in the play in, guys. Just one more year. Let's just do it. Guys. Stick around. After the break, we got Sam Cooper. Talk about the Suns and their bad vibes. Well, we've been hearing that the Phoenix Suns vibes are kind of in the gutter s and they got a win over the Sixers last night without Joel Embiid. So we, we reached out to our guy, Sam Cooper, the host of the Timeline pod, a podcast about the Phoenix Suns, to just give us a little bit of a vibe check. Sam, how's it going? They get a big win. Does this mean the vibes are fixed?

[Unnamed Guest]

First of all, Dave, as appreciate you guys having me on, this was the most fun I've had watch a Suns game in probably three or four weeks. Wow. I wouldn't even say it was a perfect game by any means. It was a fairly horrendous first half. But yeah, they were smiling, they were having fun. The rookies got in and gave some good production. Bradley Beal goes to the bench and drops, I think 25 points in his first game off the bench. So people are making jokes that he's Manu Ginobili now. I would say, well, let's pop the.

[Sam Cooper]

Brakes, but I do appreciate the settlement.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, yeah. Joel didn't play. It's a shorthanded Sixers team. Your question Is everything fixed? Obviously everything's not fixed. Yeah. I do think there is a certain level of professionalism that these guys, this particular locker room maybe has approached this game with and they did feel connected. Something I want to say to Bradley Beal's credit is there are a lot of athletes who kind of in these types of situations, especially his situation, could easily pout and he did not look like that. If you want to be a body language doctor, body language expert from tonight, he looks like a guy who's, who wants to go out there and play and win games. There are all sorts of issues with the team this season and one game is not going to solve that. And potentially even as we talk about it, one trade alone is not going to solve that. But it was, it was good just to see them smile a bit for once.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Why do you think, I mean, we, we can probably talk to about the recent struggles, right? The, the, the defense has fallen off a cliff. But why do you think this particular lineup change was necessary or do you think it was necessary at all for them to make this lineup change?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes, it was this great question, but it was absolutely necessary. It's maybe a little bit counterintuitive for people who, some people, I mean, I think a lot of people have been saying for a long time these three stars don't fit together. But what helped that it happened now is a, you have the whole Bradley Beal trade rumors looming. And of course, we all know that he has the no trade clause and, and maybe, you know, that is a way to sort of push him to be willing to waive that. So that's there and you have to consider that. But there's also a statistical objective argument for, as a, as a basketball team, why this was a good move for them. Yeah, just throw a couple lineup stats at you guys. When Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant share the floor this season, I think they have a net rating of -7. When all three of them are together, when just Booker and Durant are on the floor and Beal is off, that flips to a plus six. And so, you know, which doesn't make them, doesn't make them an elite contender or anything, but the difference between a plus six and a minus seven. There's been this consistent thread throughout the season of kind of every lineup Bradley Beal has been a part of. He's sort of tanked the net rating a little bit with a couple of particular exceptions. And so, you know, it was something that had to happen again. I don't think that one move by itself fixes this team, but we'll see. Maybe, you know, they have a weaker schedule coming up here over the next couple weeks and, and maybe they can generate some positive momentum before the trade deadline even comes.

[Sam Cooper]

Yeah, I mean, look, nothing wrong with having Bradley Beal being a good citizen, you know what I mean? And a good teammate, especially if he is being involved in trade rumors. You know, other teams are going to be more likely to take a guy who doesn't seem like he's got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to, you know, coming off the bench or something like that. I gotta start, I gotta ask you about Devin Booker. You know, he had a great summer with Team usa. We had high expectations for him. I mean, especially on this, on this show. I mean, we were talking like this guy is gonna be all NBA. He's the perfect piece to Beal and Kevin Durant fit. I think that's still true. But not this Devin Booker. What is wrong with Devin Booker? I mean, he had another rough game shooting the ball. I mean, just doesn't really have the burst and athleticism that you're used to seeing from this guy. I mean, is it just dead legs? Is it the groin injury is a combination, you know, you watch him every single day. What's wrong with him?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, I think it's a good question, Dave. And I think it's something this, the sort of greater existential thing that we're going to have to touch on on our pod. We haven't really touched on like with more depth and we're probably gonna have to cover pretty soon, you know, with book. It's year 11 and this is something we don't really think about with him. You know, we don't think about him having this extent of mileage on his body at this point. But yeah, he's got a recent groin injury. He did play in the Olympics this summer, so maybe there's some residual effects there. But personally I think, you know, you combine thankfully, knock on wood, he hasn't had a major injury in his career to the extent of he hasn't torn an acl, he hasn't torn an Achilles, but he has had multiple hamstring strains, calf strain here, a groin injury there. And I do think over time it starts to add up to a point where as exceptional as he's been delivering passes this season, and he really has become such a smart playmaker over the course of his career, he does seem to be lacking a little bit in that burst and I think we're still hoping that it's just kind of a slump that he can get himself out of. But even a little bit of like the lift on kind of those 15, 16 foot elbow jumpers which for Devin Booker's entire career has been his bread and butter.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

It just doesn't, it doesn't seem to be there to the same level.

[Sam Cooper]

Sam, you had a good stat. I don't have it in front of me. But his, his, his rate getting his shot blocked is essentially risen by about what it's, he's up what is 150%?

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, it was 60, but yeah, excuse me. He got, oh God, I forget exactly what it was, but he got blocked like 40 times last season and he's on race for like 70 times this year. And you know, it might not seem like a lot like when you're looking at it, you know, just a game or five games at a time, but over a season it adds up. And, and we really are seeing, you know, his worst finishing season possibly in his career. I have to double check the stats, but at the very least in you know, six or seven years. So it is a bit of a greater long term concern.

[Sam Cooper]

Would you put any of that on having Yusuf Nurkic it kind of in the paint, working the dunker, you know, it's similar to what Anthony Edwards is dealing with in Minnesota. Man, you know, one, one of these days these teams are going to figure out that, you know, fit around your stars just better so much.

[Unnamed Analyst]

They're asking him to be Kevin Durant. You remember the quote, you know.

[Sam Cooper]

Yeah, that's right.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Asking him to be.

[Sam Cooper]

I mean that. So that kind of explains a little bit getting Mason Plumlee in there. I think, you know, a guy that you can have operate at the elbow a little bit more often than, than you can with Nerc. I mean, do you think that that's going to solve the problem and if, if it does solve the offensive issues, how do they defend with, with that lineup?

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, are you talking about with the Plumlee lineup or with the Plumly? Yeah, I mean, it's no secret. So like you, you're, you guys are wondering about what are the issues with this team. Like it's no one thing. There's the Bradley Beal piece, there's the Devin Booker piece, there's the lack of wing size piece which is another thing that we haven't even hit on. Right. But it's like, you know, they either have guys who are good defenders or you know, who are good defenders but are like 6 foot 4 like Joshua Kogi and can't shoot and they don't have the right blend of, of 3 and D perimeter guys. And then another big one is they have arguably the worst center rotation in the entire NBA. And I think it's telling. Arguably, you know, it might be bottom five, bottom six, but I think it's telling that they close a game like tonight's against Philly with a rookie, osogadaro, who's drafted 40th overall. He's been their entire center. Yeah, I love, I've been really impressed with his effort, you know, and the way he also can play at the elbow and kind of be that connecting piece offensively. He's also a 6 foot 10, 230 pound rookie who's gonna get.

[Sam Cooper]

Not a good story for a team that's got a $408 million payroll. I'm sorry, like this is true, you know, this is not like the sort of thing that the Phoenix Suns should be discovering in the first week of January. Sam, I think I'm, I think I'm picking up on what you're putting down here. Is that as nice as it is that they've got this rookie and, and at Ryan Dunn, hey, he's really a player and that's not what this team was put together to do.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, their stars in some ways have let them down. I would say the exception to that is Kevin Durant, who I think will be their, their only all Star this year. I don't think Devin Booker has a chance, unfortunately, with the way he's playing. But then a lot of their role players have also let them down. Yusuf Nurkic has been one of the worst centers in the NBA. Mason Plumlee honestly is only a veteran minimum contract. So, you know, I don't really blame him for it, but is showing signs of age. I think he's 34 years old and just looks so much older than kind of the, the Mason Plumlee I knew from a few years ago who could still get up and catch some lobs. Right now he catches a ball in the short roll and he's just afraid to look at the rim. So it's a, it's a completely different player and they have issues all over the map with their rotation to the point where it's like, you know, you talk about how to solve them. Like, I don't think a Jimmy Butler trade solves this. I think they're three or four trades away from being the contender. That's the.

[Unnamed Analyst]

I'm glad you asked because I mean.

[Unnamed Guest]

Like, figured we had to cover it. So.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, look there, there are not a lot of avenues for this team to get better.

[Sam Cooper]

Right.

[Unnamed Analyst]

They have that pick very, very far away from now. I believe it's 2031 that they have a pick that they can give out salary wise. Bradley Beals, no trade clause is really holding down their flexibility to be able to make some moves. Yes, there's the Jimmy Butler trade. Yes, there's what they can do to grab Jimmy, but is there anything else outside of that, do you think that they could try to do to improve this roster heading into the trade deadline?

[Unnamed Guest]

I mean, if they were willing to trade one of their rookies, I absolutely do not want them to. Let me be clear from a fan's perspective, but like from the Matt Ishbia perspective of how do we, you know, how do we dig this even deeper and go all in? All in, all in. I guess theoretically that's, that's how you could scrounge up an asset. Otherwise, I think honestly Nurkic has been so bad that I think any sort of addition by subtraction is, is at play. We've talked about all sorts of centers. If they could just get a Jonas Valencunas, a Nick Richards, someone who makes, you know, $15 million or less and is not good.

[Unnamed Analyst]

This is wild.

[Unnamed Guest]

Is not wild. Not horrible. Not horrible. That's. That. That would honestly help them a lot. Again, I don't think it makes them competitive in say, a first round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but I do think it would make them substantially better in the second half of the season. And maybe if they could claw their way all the way back to like the fifth or sixth seed, they could talk themselves into having a chance against whoever they'd play in the first round. But if they're just going to be an eighth seed, like, they have quite the ladder to climb at this point and it's going to take more than just a minor move to get there.

[Sam Cooper]

Remind me again before we get out of here, when is their next first round draft pick that they own?

[Unnamed Guest]

TW what? Okay, not next year. That they own is 2031.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, 2031.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, they have a 21. They have a pick in 2026 which is swapped like three times and they get the worst of it or whatever. And yeah, their next one that they own is 2031.

[Sam Cooper]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Which they will probably trade.

[Unnamed Guest]

Good luck.

[Sam Cooper]

Yeah, yeah, I assume that they would if they could. Sam Cooper, thanks for joining us guys. Go and check out the timeline podcast. I feel like this, this is going to be must listen for the next few weeks leading up to the deadline. We'll do the vibe check maybe in a month or so after the deadline, see how things go. Stick around S. And I will be back after a short break.

[Unnamed Guest]

In case.

[Sam Cooper]

You Missed this marquee matchup last night.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh yeah.

[Sam Cooper]

The Pistons picked up their 18th win of the season with a 22 point comeback against the the Trailblazers. They moved to 18 and 18 on the season.

[Unnamed Analyst]

That's right.

[Sam Cooper]

And s this is the latest that they have been above.500 since the last day of the 2018, 2019 season. So the latest in the season that they have been above.500 or at.500 or above since the final day of 2018. 2019. That's pretty incredible when you think about how sad it is.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, I'll give you some some other stuff here. Just some fun facts about that 20182019 season to make you think how long ago that really was. Make us feel old, right, Dave? Let's just do it.

[Unnamed Guest]

George.

[Sam Cooper]

That feels like a million years ago to be honest.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, I mean look, Paul George was on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic was in his rookie year. Blake Griffin was an all NBA player. Victor Oladipo was an all star. Kyrie Irving was on the Boston Celtics and Kevin Durant was on the Golden State Warriors. So life has changed a lot since the Detroit Pistons have been.500 or better.

[Sam Cooper]

So that's pretty incredible. What's been the secret to their success? I mean, yeah, this team, look, they've got some veterans and that was something that we expected. You know, this is going to raise their floor a bit. They upgrade coach because they actually got a coach that wants to be there and, and it seems like these guys are playing hard for him. But is it, is it all Cade? Basically, yeah.

[Unnamed Analyst]

It's funny you mentioned that because we were talking about Anthony Edwards and the a block of like, you know, how the context around him doesn't really work. I think you could look at what Cade Cunningham is doing this season and looking at how the context works incredibly well with what he does. He had 32 points tonight, was efficient. He's been doing stuff like that all season. His turnovers are down over the last 15 games. He's shooting the lights out from behind the arc. I think he's hitting 38% of his threes so far this season, which is a massive improvement for him as this pull up shot creator type of guy. Cade is looking like a shoe in to be an all star in the Eastern Conference. And to take it a step further, I actually think he might end up being an all NBA player which is a huge step to make from what he was last year as a guy who we weren't even sure was a guy who could lead A team to the playoffs and now is looking like a guy who, like the Pistons, are well within playoff range. So kudos to Cade. I think that goes to show you how important context matters to these younger guys because you add the Malik Beasleys, you add the, you know, Tobias Harris is the world shot creation and scoring next to him, it makes his life a lot easier. And now he's balling out because of it.

[Sam Cooper]

All right, I gotta ask you, because you, you were hot on the Pistons when we came into the year. As we sit right now, they're a half game back of the Miami Heat for that six seed and we know the Heat are on their way down. So, I mean, I'm gonna make you make a prediction. Do they make top six or is this a, is this going to be a play in team?

[Unnamed Analyst]

Man, top six is tough, I'm going.

[Sam Cooper]

To say because they're fighting the Pacers too.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, yeah. I'm going to say no to top six. Indiana has been playing some really good basketball, so I'm going to say no to top six. But top eight, Top eight, Dave, I'm buying. Yes. I think they end up being a top eight team. I'm doing it. They're going to do it.

[Sam Cooper]

Petition the league to go back to the old format for the playoffs so the Pistons can make it. That's going to do it for today's show, folks. Thank you guys for listening. For Esperahenny and Sam Cooper, thanks for stopping by. I'm Dave DeFore and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

[Esperahenny]

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[Esperahenny]

Acast powers the World's best Podcasts Here's a show that we recommend.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Hey guys.

[Sam Cooper]

Welcome to Giggly Squad, a place where.

[Unnamed Analyst]

We make fun of everything but most importantly ourselves.

[Sam Cooper]

I'm Paige desorbo.

[Esperahenny]

I'm Hannah Berner.

[Sam Cooper]

Welcome to the squad.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Giggly Squad started on Summer House when.

[Unnamed Guest]

We were giggling during an inappropriate time.

[Unnamed Analyst]

But of course we can't be managed.

[Esperahenny]

So we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling.

[Sam Cooper]

We will make fun of pop culture news.

[Unnamed Analyst]

We're watching fashion trends pep talks where.

[Sam Cooper]

We give advice, mental health moments and games and guests.

[Unnamed Guest]

Listen to Giggly Squad on Acast or.

[Esperahenny]

Wherever you get your podcasts. ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.