Can the Warriors be fixed? w Marcus Thompson | Morning Shoot Around

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: Can the Warriors Be Fixed? Morning Shoot Around w/ Marcus Thompson

Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, Esfandiar Baraheni
Guest: Marcus Thompson

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Episode Overview

This Morning Shoot Around dives into the present and future of the Golden State Warriors following a tough season marred by injury and instability. Marcus Thompson joins the crew to dissect whether the Warriors' current roster is salvageable, the development issues around Jonathan Kuminga, and potential strategies before the trade deadline. The episode also covers league-wide surprises, the evolution of various teams, and the psychological hurdles of young players transitioning to the NBA.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olympic Figure Skating Cold Open (01:42–06:38)

• Marcus Thompson brings unexpected energy with an extended analogy, comparing the athletic feats in figure skating (“Quad God” Ilya Malinin) to NBA athleticism.
  • Memorable Quote:
    Marcus: “Imagine this: Steph Curry dribbling down the court... and he does four revolutions in the air before dunking. That’s figure skating, baby.” (02:10)
  • Humorful banter about unexpected similarities between sports and the unseen physical/mental toughness in figure skating.

2. Kuminga’s Breakout and Warriors’ Offensive Struggles (06:38–10:57)

• With Jimmy Butler out, Jonathan Kuminga's re-emergence is examined.
  • Marcus claims vindication for calling Kuminga to start pre-deadline.
  • Quote:
    Marcus: “21 minutes, 21 points... this dude be knowing some stuff.” (07:47)
• The Warriors’ need for another player who can attack from midrange is emphasized; Kuminga momentarily fills that gap.

3. Why Kuminga Wasn’t Used Earlier? Systemic & Psychological Factors (09:57–15:49)

• Marcus explains Kuminga's slow rise—previous roles limited by winning timelines and playing next to Steph Curry (“He just got dropped into his NBA career next to arguably the greatest offensive weapon of all time.” (10:57))
• Warriors demand high in-game discipline from youth; minimal margin for mistakes due to their winning culture.
• Insightful Quote:
  Marcus: “Jonathan Kaminga’s baptism into the NBA was, ‘If you turn it over, you’re sitting down.’” (11:12)

4. Talent vs. Fit and the Role of Confidence (13:07–21:35)

• Discussion shifts to inherent friction between Kuminga’s individual talents vs. the Warriors’ scheme.
• The conversation dives deep into how player usage, development, and confidence intertwine in winning organizations.
• Notable Quote:
  Marcus: “The most important thing an NBA player will ever have is confidence... He’s never been able to build that.” (19:32–20:11)

5. Developmental Challenges for Young NBA Players (22:09–24:52)

• Zena and Marcus discuss the mentality instilled by non-traditional pathways like G League Ignite.
• Kuminga and similar players missed out on college “old school” development, facing greater mental challenges upon arrival.
  • Quote:
    Zena: “There was a psychological aspect... they were the pinnacle of what NBA development is. They didn’t have a Tom Izzo or Coach K.” (22:31)

6. Post-Butler State of the Warriors & Trade Market Outlook (25:33–27:01)

• Dave asks if the Warriors are destined for the trade market or running with their young core.
• Marcus: “The Warriors are just on the anti-hustle program. If they feel like they’re getting hustled, they won’t do it. That’s just who they are.” (25:48)
• The importance of explaining any tank/rebuild decision to Steph Curry, given his stature.

7. Should the Warriors Consider Trading Steph Curry? (26:47–32:31)

• Panel agrees: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
• Marcus: “You don’t trade the GOAT. You don’t do it.” (29:18)
• Beyond basketball, Curry fills the $2B Chase Center, sustains the Warriors’ empire—his presence is irreplaceable.
• Funny exchange about market size, legacy teams, and why no star would want the “bag” in Charlotte over Golden State.

8. Assessing the Western Conference Contenders (32:54–35:57)

• Top teams all have “high ceilings, surprisingly low floors.”
• Marcus: “They all have high ceilings, but surprisingly low floors… Lakers games can look so unserious… Minnesota, Houston, Lakers a step below Denver and OKC.” (33:18)
• Nuggets praised for resilience and depth, even when Jokic is out.

9. San Antonio Spurs, Wemby, and the Championship Growth Arc (35:05–40:23)

• Spurs compared to the early Warriors: “They just want so badly to experience love, but you know they won’t understand it until they get heartbroken.” (35:37)
• Wemby’s early basketball heartbreak is a necessary developmental stage. Playoff pain builds future championship teams.

10. Teams (and Players) We’re Sleeping On (40:47–49:49)

• Hosts each tab a “slept on” contender:
  • Andrew/Xena: Detroit Pistons — deeper, grittier, more flexible than credited. “They have a little bit more grit... maybe their defense is enough.” (42:19)
  • Marcus: Warriors (jokingly, with Kuminga’s resurgence also mentioned).
  • Xena: Celtics — Jalen Brown’s MVP-level improvement.
  • Marcus: Nuggets — “They just don’t seem exciting, but what they’ve put together... they have the best player in basketball.” (45:15)
  • Praise for the transformation of Aaron Gordon as a shooter and do-it-all forward.
  • Dave: Suns — “They're one of the best new stories in the NBA... we really wrote them off.” (50:05)
  • Phoenix’s status as a free agent destination highlighted.

11. The Wolves Rollercoaster & Role Player Psychology (51:33–54:13)

• Timberwolves labeled the “most disappointing” team; squander games to weaker opponents due to role player overreach.
  • Marcus: “Championship teams have the best role players... but sometimes these dudes think they are the star, and that’s when they lose to the Jazz.” (53:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kuminga’s confidence and handling:
  “The most important thing ever an NBA player will ever have is confidence... he’s never been able to build that.” — Marcus Thompson (19:32–20:11)

• On Warriors’ long-term strategy:
  “Whatever value you get from trading Steph is going to be less than having Steph.” — Marcus Thompson (29:18–29:45)

• On league-wide parity:
  “We don’t live in a dynasty environment. ... The parity in the league, it makes it so that it’s possible this Spurs team could make the finals this year.” — Dave DuFour (37:44–37:59)

• On the heartbreak needed for contender evolution:
  “There’s something that happens at the bottom of the basketball pit. When you hit that bottom, it pushes you to another level... that’s just what they [Spurs] need.” — Marcus Thompson (36:26–37:12)

• Aaron Gordon as an example of player development:
  “He has more years [shooting] under 30% than over 40%, but now ... if he’s open, it’s bucket. Like, to me, anybody who can’t shoot... Aaron Gordon has proven this thing.” — Marcus Thompson (48:42–49:16)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Figure skating intro + analogy: 01:42–06:38
• Kuminga breakout, Warriors’ issues: 06:38–10:57
• Systemic issues with Kuminga’s development: 10:57–15:49
• Talent vs. fit & the role of player confidence: 13:07–21:35
• Developmental challenges for G-League Ignite players: 22:09–24:52
• Warriors’ trade market prospects: 25:33–27:01
• Should the Warriors ever trade Steph?: 26:47–32:31
• Western Conference overview: 32:54–35:57
• Wemby/Spurs developmental arc: 35:05–40:23
• Teams being under-discussed / “Sleepers” picks: 40:47–49:49
• Timberwolves and role player psychology: 51:33–54:13

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Tone & Style

• Conversational: Casual, sharp, witty debates with plenty of basketball culture references and humor.
• Analytical: Deep dives into developmental psychology, Xs and Os, front office motivations.
• Candid: Personal takes, pointed opinions, and inside references to team dynamics and league politics.

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Summary Takeaways

• The Warriors are at a crossroads: short on offensive solutions with Kuminga emerging but hampered by stunted development and loss of Jimmy Butler.
• The gap between talent and role fit, especially in winning organizations, often suppresses the growth of young players with star ambitions.
• League parity is the new norm—there is no clear favorite, and every contender has real weaknesses.
• Young teams like Detroit, San Antonio, and even the underappreciated Nuggets are primed to surprise, contingent on how their emotional and tactical growth tracks through adversity.
• Steph Curry’s value to the Warriors and the NBA is mythic—trading him is unfathomable due to basketball, business, and cultural reasons.
• Player confidence, developmental context, and organizational patience are underappreciated keys to building and sustaining contenders.

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If you missed this episode, you missed blend of insight, humor, and hard truths about the NBA’s most confounding teams and brightest young stars.

Transcript

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[Dave Deford]

Good morning everybody. Welcome to the NBA Daily the morning shoot around here. That little live stream we do on Wednesdays on YouTube. Here is Esperahenny, Xena Keda and our guy Marcus Thompson, who was super into figure skating. Now if you've been following him over at the Athletic in a way that I have it. Marcus, talk to me about figure skating. Get me into figure skating. Sell me on watching the Olympic figure skating.

[Marcus Thompson]

Imagine this. Picture this for a moment. Steph Curry dribbling down the court. The lane opens. Let's go with Job because it's more reasonable. John Morant driving down the middle of the court and he takes off from the free throw line and he does four revolutions in the air before dunking. That's figure skating, baby.

[Dave Deford]

That's literally that they're dunking and figure skating now.

[Marcus Thompson]

That's they're jumping on skates. So the, the big guy, the, the, the guy you will never Miss, come February, the guy. You know how when Olympics happen, then there's just one athlete or two athletes? So you just. They're everywhere. All of a sudden, that guy's gonna be Ilya Malinin, who is better known by his nickname of the Quad God. Now, I got first assigned figure skating last year, and my first foray into figure skating was in March. It was after Jimmy Butler's return to Miami, because after that game, I flew straight to Boston for the World Championships. Now, before that, I didn't do any research. I know it's happening. I was busy. It was trade deadline season. I didn't have anything. I have time for it. So I was like, I'll start paying attention when I go to Boston. Get to Boston. I see this guy that's known as quad guy. First thing I do is look at his legs. Like this little skinny dude. Let's see. I was just unimpressed by his thighs, right?

[Dave Deford]

Like, I was like, so he doesn't actually have quads?

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, Like, I thought he was called the quad God because he had amazing quad.

[Xena Keda]

I've read this story and I'm fighting.

[Marcus Thompson]

Every inch to like, explain what I've been in here. Like, I've been in the locker room with Nick Bosa. It's gonna take a lot to impress me. So I'm looking at this little, you know, this little kid. He's about 5, 7, 5, 8.

[Dave Deford]

Like, he looks like he weighs 140 pounds.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, he's just a little. He's a. I mean, comparatively to what we're around, he's a very small human being. Then they. Then I'm like, you know, I didn't say this out loud, of course, because I'm smart enough to know that that might have been. I could have been completely wrong about this. But everybody. Quad God. Quad God. And I've met him. This little girl was like, oh my God, it's a Quagon. And she was so impressed. And he signed a little autograph and it was her moment. So I didn't. I didn't declare my lack of impress to him. I was like, I just kept that to myself. So then I started reading and I learned he's the quad God because when he jumps and you know, on his routines, it's four rotations, which is insane. And his specialty. That's his specialty. He's. He can do. He set the record recently for seven quad jumps in a four minute program. Now, most people like the. There's like a handful of people who can do a quad. They're doing one. Right. If they do two, then it's right home to grandma. I did two in the program on this master stage. Like, he's doing seven, and he does a backflip, which gets him no points.

[Andrew]

Okay, so he's like. Of figure skating.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, yeah. So he's like that guy.

[Andrew]

It's.

[Marcus Thompson]

It's.

[Dave Deford]

He's like, Simone.

[Marcus Thompson]

It's a very. Yeah, it's a very. It's a super, super technical sport. And keep in mind, like, they're landing on a blade that's the width of, like, a MacBook Air screen.

[Xena Keda]

Right?

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, so he's jumping in the air, spinning four times and then landing. Like, you land wrong. Right? That's. Yeah, yeah. Like, you're, You're. It's Operation Hobbled for Misery. Right? Like, it's over. Like, you're done. Now these youngsters. Dave did not get that Misery reference. Operation Hobble. Come on, man.

[Dave Deford]

Come on, man.

[Marcus Thompson]

Remember.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Xena for the great movies. Kathy Bates. The movie's called Misery. She steals this.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

And he's trying to get away. So she, you know, this car accident. He's trying to get away. She puts this block between. Like, you can't get away. And she breaks his ankles over the block. And she said, it's called Operation Hobble. If you land. If you land your figure skating row. If you jump for a revolution to land wrong, I'm saying it can go really bad.

[Xena Keda]

Got you. Yeah.

[Dave Deford]

This is how we segue into Jimmy Butler.

[Marcus Thompson]

Wow. Wow. All right. By the way, to see how it was going.

[Dave Deford]

I see. Exactly. I know you. Look, we've been doing this together, too.

[Marcus Thompson]

You land wrong, it's over. In other words, it's over.

[Dave Deford]

By the way, and follow Marcus's coverage of the Winter Olympics, which apparently are happening soon. I. I did really didn't know it was even a Winter Olympic year until, like, Milan two weeks ago. Let's. Let's talk about Jimmy Butler. He's gonna miss the rest of this year, probably a big chunk of next year. The warriors have to adjust. We saw Jonathan Kamingo last night for the first time in a long time. Thought he looked pretty good. Marcus, just talk to me about Kaminga from last night. First, like, what did you think about him coming off the bench and how he looked?

[Marcus Thompson]

I definitely feel vindicated and validated. So let me go ahead and throw this shot to Tim Kawakami, my co host on warriors plus minus. Because I said before anything happened that Jonathan Kabiga will be starting before the trade deadline.

[Xena Keda]

Interesting.

[Marcus Thompson]

And look, 21 minutes, 21 points now. I was just honestly just kind of, like, shooting my shot, seeing if I'm right. But after this one game, this dude be knowing some stuff.

[Dave Deford]

He.

[Marcus Thompson]

We've seen it so many times. Like, this is why it's a bit absurd, because we've seen it so many times. They just have nobody who can catch the ball at 17ft and then at the rim, outside of Steph Curry, Nobody who can do it, like, with any level of proficiency outside of Steph. And when you don't have that other person, the defense is just not letting stuff do it. Like, they're just not gonna do it. So, oddly enough, they're playing Toronto, which in many ways began this concept of throwing junk defenses at Steph in the 2019 Finals, right? They're just not gonna let Steph go. They've already decided it. They know. They just don't believe in the rest of them. So Jimmy was the guy. That why it was. That's why he was so big. He could do it. He could get you tough twos. He could take a guy from 17ft, two dribbles, be at the rim, and it's such a. It's such a dearth of a need that when Jonte Kaminga does it, it looks so like, oh, my God.

[Dave Deford]

It's like, how's this guy been on the bench the whole time?

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah. When you're hungry and you eat something, it's the best food you ever had, right? Like, that's. That's how starved they are for it. Like. And when he does it, it's like, oh, how. How could this even be possible? Right? Like, how one dribble lefty layup at the rim, and they're just gonna need it. These next. Whatever. Two months of the season or however long it lasts is really just about, like, Steph Curry survival. And you just can't do that to him. You can't put him out there with four dudes that the defense will say, I don't care. Do what you want. Right? And Kaminga will at least punish them for doing it. He might do other things that they don't like, but he'll do that. You put Grady Dick in front of him, he is getting to the rim. Like, it's happening, and they just don't have that without Jimmy Marcus.

[Ethos Life Insurance Advertiser]

Why.

[Andrew]

Why wasn't this a thing before, man? Like, why did they not.

[Marcus Thompson]

Because you had Jimmy, to be honest. But the whole.

[Andrew]

See, this is the thing where it's like, obviously you want to trade him the trade deadline stuff happens. Obviously, there's a Mike Dunleavy quote from yesterday that's making the rounds, and we can talk.

[Marcus Thompson]

That was a bar, bro.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, I. I don't know about him.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like that. Yeah, right.

[Dave Deford]

Not exactly fair.

[Andrew]

It's a tough situation, but, like, in order to have.

[Marcus Thompson]

Forget, like, the pr. The PR of it. Like, just on the whole Mike write that. Was this one of the things he's like. I'm saying this. I could just see him on the. On the. In a car in a way.

[Dave Deford]

Like, he made that joke in the group chat, and he was like, oh, I'm gonna. I'm gonna drop this at the present.

[Xena Keda]

Let me get some length out of this. Yeah, but.

[Andrew]

But, man, he has to play in order to get. Demand or have. Demand. Have it just. Why is that not.

[Marcus Thompson]

I mean. Or not.

[Dave Deford]

Where is that last.

[Andrew]

I don't. I don't get that. Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Because, I mean, the reality is he. He just got dropped into his NBA career next to arguably the greatest offensive weapon of all time. And compared to that, he will always look less than. Simply. It's just the bottom line. So in the end, they're gonna play a system that doesn't play to his strengths, and he's just not good enough as a basketball player to say, I'm gonna figure out a way to take advantage of this. Right. Because he just hasn't had the time. I mean, none of this can be discussed without first acknowledging they won a championship his rookie year. Like, everybody we talk about who's good were on terrible teams out there, playing, like, making all the mistakes, building confidence. And Jonathan Kaminga's baptism into the NBA was, if you turn it over, you're sitting down. Yeah, Right. If you take a bad shot, you sitting down. We're. We're winning the championship. Right? And their mindset was always, hey, just go. Go be the little young hustler. Do the little thing, and eventually you'll be the big dog. It just was. First off, it's just not his game. Right? And then secondly, Jonathan Ming is a tough dude. It's a tough thing to tell a guy who, you know, I'm saying, left the Congo at 13 by himself and made his own way. They come and be like, yeah, sit behind Anthony Lamb. Like, hold on, player. Like, why are you throwing shots at Anthony Lamb?

[Xena Keda]

He deserves them. He's good. He's fine.

[Marcus Thompson]

I'm not gonna get into it, but I have no qualms with that.

[Xena Keda]

I have no problem with that either.

[Marcus Thompson]

But I mean, okay. I mean, Pick another player like that. Like, for instance, his rookie year was the year. You got, you got Juan Toscano, Anderson on that team, right? You got CP2 on that team. The Mania B, Elitza, Otto Porter.

[Dave Deford]

These are like, well, it's talent versus fit. It's talent versus fit. And the thing about Kamingo was it's not a talent question, it's him fitting.

[Marcus Thompson]

I mean, it is, it is a talent question.

[Dave Deford]

But I think, yeah, but Zena's made this point, is that Jimmy Butler is able to play multiple ways and Kaminga only has one way he can play. And it makes him less usable in all these various lineups that Steve Kerr likes to run.

[Marcus Thompson]

Correct. And that's what he's looking at. And all of these lineups are revolved around taking advantage of Steph or maximizing with steps off the court. But there, I mean, I, I think Jonathan is a good player. I think he's gonna be good. I think he's one of those dudes who can play in this league 20 years, right? He doesn't dribble well enough to be who he wants to be. Right. That's just the bottom line. Like in the NBA, you guys know this, you don't get to do moves. Like you could work on a move all summer and the move might work, but eventually they're gonna do something to stop the move. Then you gotta wait till next summer to do another move. Like, moves don't work, it's improv, it's jazz, right? You got to be able to handle that thing. You don't know what's coming. And he don't have that kind of handle. So it's really hard to be an ISO player when you don't have that kind of handle. And the only way you can really kind of survive and thrive without in like a top tier handle as an elite scorer is if you can shoot the ball, right? And those are two things where he has a weakness and he's grown in those areas, like significantly. He couldn't dribble at all and couldn't shoot when he got into the league. Now he can handle a little bit and you know, he, he's a streaky shooter, he outstretches where he'll hit him, but he's got some shot making ability. But also he just hasn't been able to play. Like there is no, just go play, just roll the ball out and play. He hasn't had that with the Warriors. So he is, he does suffer from that. So a guy like Will Richard, right Or Guy Santos will come in and they aren't trying to go drop 20, but, man, you know what they can do? They can handle a little bit. They can make an outside shot and they could just be cool where Kamig is like, hey, hold on, man. This dude can't guard me. You know, Say like, I feel you. I got to get the ball to Steph, but I got this guy right here. Yeah, it's just hard when you're that talented to say like, like Juan to Scanl Anderson played basketball in Mexico. Like, he, like, I'm on the court, I'm doing whatever it takes. Kaminga's like, I'm a star and I've been a star and I'm gonna be a star. And all my talent says so. So it's just a hard thing to swallow. I think it, I think it was in that way, doomed to fail.

[Xena Keda]

That's. This is where I struggle with the whole Jonathan Kaminga story is because we could talk about the basketball aspect of it all day long and analyze his skill set and analyze what he's capable of doing out on the floor all day long. But what this has devolved to is a conversation that now is seeping into who he is as a person, his personality, what he brings, or how he impacts the team. You know, Dunleavy, whether he wrote that up on the way in, whether he came off the top of the dome with that in the cipher, that was a shady comment. Like when you, if you demand a trade, there has to be demand for it or whatever he said. I don't even know, but that's a shady comment. And whether you feel a type of way about the way that his agent, Jonathan Minga's agent has handled this whole situation and how he's communicated Jonathan coming in a situation to the public, to the media, you know, we, we saw the, the clips of Jonathan Kaminga. I believe it was against OKC or I can't remember which one it was that Turner, his agent, posted after the warriors had lost pretty badly to that same team of Jonathan Kaminga Cook in this team. We understand that his agent has his own mind and the way that he should communicate his. His clients needs. But that shade was not necessary for Jonathan Kaminga, who has shown up from what I've seen and been a positive person in the locker room at practice, working hard. Steve Kerr said it last night after the game, like, credit kudos and credit to Jonathan for showing up, staying ready and playing hard or whatever. This whole thing around talent and fit, there has to be Some accountability.

[Marcus Thompson]

Wow.

[Xena Keda]

There has to be some accountability about the fact that there is. There hasn't been a ton of development time for Jonathan Kaminga and I get it. It's what Marcus is saying that first year they don't have time to be worried about somebody's development. They're trying to win a championship, right. Like they're there. You have to prioritize. You have to balance out. We don't have time to teach you help defense. If you don't know it, you don't know it. We got to move on and we got to get to the people that do know these things and are willing to, you know, play the cool role, as Marcus said, as well as no help defense as well as get on the floor for loose balls as well as do all these other things. That is. I really, really feel as if we're not. That's the part that's frustrating me about this whole situation is that in the midst of us being like, oh well, he's not good in this, this lineup or he's not good, whatever. It's like, well there, there's also been a part of it where a player like that comes in the league. Keonte George, and he plays with a team that is not good. He has the time to figure all that stuff out and develop his ISO game and develop his production and become this guy that could be a player this year. Jonathan hasn't gotten that well.

[Dave Deford]

Pton Watson, Peyton. Watson maybe doesn't get a chance if he's on the warriors outside of the fact that he really defends right. And if Kaminga defended, if Kaminga was, it was.

[Marcus Thompson]

Watson didn't get a chance either. Like he. Right.

[Dave Deford]

But if he, if Payton and the Nuggets needed him. But if Peyton, or excuse me, if Kaminga defended at a higher level, I think he would have been playing. I, I don't. I think that the defense is a large part of it as much as the offensive stuff and the fit.

[Andrew]

And, and it's because like Kaminga also has the tools to be a good defender. Like obviously the size is there, the athleticism is there. I, I just don't think I would.

[Dave Deford]

I would argue some of his natural stuff that, that actually he is lacking defensively. It is. There is some innate talent to defense. Like some of his lateral movement stuff isn't, isn't quite what you would expect.

[Marcus Thompson]

Sure.

[Dave Deford]

From a guy. He's a great straight line athlete. He reminds me a little bit of part of that goes to Mari side.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like yeah, defense is experience. Like yeah, you gotta learn that. A lot of it is. You gotta know like, that half a second that he misses is. Is as much a byproduct of him thinking as much as it is he doesn't move that well laterally. But, like, the. The bigger thing. And I'm put on my psychological hat and we know this, like, athleticism is probably the premier. I mean, it's actually shooting is the premier talent in basketball, but in the modern game, athleticism is up there. But probably the most important thing ever an NBA player will ever have is confidence. Like, that is the actual thing and life for player who gets. Who's literally raised. I'm talking four to five years of raise of getting yanked out. Like mistakes cost you, right? It. It creates. That's your. That's your ideology now. That's your psychology as a basketball player. That's a massive difference from somebody who gets to make every mistake, right? And it does. And it doesn't cost you. Like it. So you're building confidence. He's never been able to build that. So he plays. When you talk to his teammates, he's a guy who gets down on himself. He's a guy who gets worried if he makes a mistake. He missed a couple easy shots. You could see him like, oh, he gets a foul. He gets frustrated because he knows, yeah, my leash is short. That's his psychology as a player. And on top of that, the. If I would criticize Steve Kerr about anything, I have a hard time because Steve Kerr, number one, he always ends up right. I've. I've gone against this dude. He does a zillion times. At the end of the year, he's hosting a trophy, talking about, what was that? And I'm like, so that dude, I'm telling you, he just. It's insane to me, but it's difficult for a young player to watch other people make the same mistakes and don't get pulled. I was just a part that they didn't address.

[Dave Deford]

Like, so he doesn't become Steph. If. If Steph's treated like this. Steph Curry does not become Steph Curry. We watch Steph throw behind the back.

[Marcus Thompson]

He was getting yanked for AC Law his second year. Like, he was getting. Keith Smart was like, I'm sitting him. But that was at the time that was seen as harmful. It's like, no, just lose the game with Steph. Like, why are you putting in AC Law? Like, he needs the clutch minute. So I do think there's a psychology part that got missed because you're watching Other players make the same mistake. You're like, wait, I. I get pulled for that.

[Andrew]

Right.

[Xena Keda]

And can I just add a bow on this? Can I just add one little bow on this? And you have to understand, and I'm not even saying this from like a caping perspective. This is true for all young players, but particularly this. We. I mean, I listened to your show this morning with S. There was a conversation around Jalen Green being parsley to chicken or rosemary.

[Andrew]

Some sort of ingredient, some sort of ingredients with chicken.

[Xena Keda]

But like you, you look at all of these guys, they came out of the G league ignite world.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yep.

[Xena Keda]

Okay. There was a psychological aspect of it too. Of course. Y' all are the best, right?

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda]

Y' all are playing against grown men.

[Andrew]

That program is a. Is a failure in that sense.

[Xena Keda]

You are the, you are the pinnacle of what NBA development is. We are putting you in a special group. The way you're going to be raised in this, in this network of NBA is going to be different than everyone else coming in. Don't. So these guys didn't have a Tom Izzo.

[Pura Diffuser Advertiser]

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[Xena Keda]

They didn't have a coach K. They didn't have these guys that will, you know, sometimes, Terry, they were sold a bill of goods. But build you back up. They didn't have time for that edgy league ignite.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda]

So you're seeing the repercussions of this in a lot of these players that were supposed to be the stars. And they're not quite. They're not quite, you know, playing out to what you expected. And then you go, you don't know how to adapt.

[Andrew]

Right.

[Xena Keda]

Because you never were taught that at the Julie good night level.

[Andrew]

Absolutely.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah. They came in and who the point.

[Marcus Thompson]

Guard gonna be so good? Who was the point guard that team?

[Xena Keda]

Well, Scoot Henderson was the point guard.

[Marcus Thompson]

That last year there was another one. It was a light skinned dude, chubby.

[Andrew]

Oh, no, it wasn't Kenny Lofton. I know who you're talking about though.

[Marcus Thompson]

He was so I was like, man, this dude's gonna be nice. I ain't heard that dude.

[Xena Keda]

Marvin Bochamp. There was Bochampton. He was that went to the Bucks, I believe.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yep, there is.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah. I mean there was just so many of them that you're like, you can see that there's the mental aspect. And that's why Scoot Henderson always stood out. Because remember, he went even earlier than everyone else.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, right.

[Xena Keda]

And so he was in the program for two years with Jason Terry or Jason. I forget the coach's name. The head coach, Jack.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Wasn't it Brian Shaw?

[Xena Keda]

I, I know his name was. Jason was a head coach, but I don't know. Either way. I can't either way. The point is, I remember talking to him about this at the G League level, being like, he was like, Scoot operates like a pro already and so we don't have to teach him all these different things. Like he's, you know. And Scoot also comes from a family of like, I don't know, eight kids or something crazy like that. And they all have this kind of mentality. So he was already in his own boat. But a lot of these other ones, you can see that the star was really bright coming into league and now they're kind of getting a dose of reality.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

Well, also, I'll just say this, like the G League in general, I, I think that's why a lot of guys struggle to translate into an NBA role. Because in the G League, I don't know, a guy like A.J. lawson is a star, but you come in and you play for a team like the Raptors and you're not being asked to be a star. You're not giving getting star usage. You have to fill a specific role.

[Dave Deford]

Well, everybody. And everybody. Yeah, they can score 20 a game. They can shoot 36 from three. So you don't actually know until they get up.

[Andrew]

Exactly.

[Dave Deford]

The. The G League ignite was to me.

[Marcus Thompson]

That'S this guy, Nick.

[Dave Deford]

Oh, okay.

[Marcus Thompson]

That's the guy I was thinking about.

[Dave Deford]

Huge fan. Let's. Let's talk about what the warriors do now. All right? We talked about Kamingo, we talked about Jimmy Butler. Are they going to be active on the trade market or is Kaminga. Is this it? Kaminga is going to be there for the season?

[Marcus Thompson]

I think they're going to be active. The warriors are just, they're just on the anti hustle program. Right. They just won't. If they feel like they're getting hustled, they won't do it. That's just who they are. And this situation only heightens the other teams trying to hustle them. Like, oh, you really desperate now, right? Like you could.

[Dave Deford]

You need Michael Porter Jr. Yeah, right.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, okay. And they might have to bite it because whatever you do, you got to go back and tell Steph Curry, like, hey, we're shutting it down. Like, we're not doing anything. It's just you and Brandon, buddy. Like, I'll ask this part then.

[Andrew]

This is, this is something I hate to do and I know the answer.

[Dave Deford]

To Xena and I do not endorse this in any way.

[Andrew]

Listen, listen.

[Dave Deford]

I don't. Athletic does not endorse this idea. This is.

[Marcus Thompson]

Andrew, you know what? I'm just gonna blind endorse it. Then after this, I don't know. Blind endorsing it. Let's go.

[Xena Keda]

Are they.

[Andrew]

Does it ever get to the point? Because I know for a fact the human element will make it impossible. You know what the thing is.

[Dave Deford]

Say it. Just say it.

[Marcus Thompson]

Because there's no way they trade stuff. You don't trade stuff.

[Dave Deford]

Never.

[Andrew]

I agree, by the way. I'm just for podcasting purposes, I have to ask the question.

[Marcus Thompson]

And then Forbes just released their annual rankings about the most valuable franchises. Dallas Cowboys was number one. Golden State warriors were number two.

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[Marcus Thompson]

You don't trade, you don't trade the goat. You don't do it anyway. In general, especially because Steph is so loyal to the warriors that no matter what happens and this thing shakes out, it doesn't work. Steph is the type of guy who'll be like, I'll stay, I'll take less money. Let's build a roster, right? You know, like, there's no, like, whatever value you get from trading stuff is gonna be less than having.

[Andrew]

Because he's still, he just got named an all star starter. Like, he still has years left, in my opinion, to be very, very good, you know.

[Marcus Thompson]

But also they have to fill a two billion dollar stadium, right? Like, and that's the part, I know there's a basketball element to it, but there's also entertainment element to it. You don't trade Steph, he's still one of the premier watches in sports, right?

[Dave Deford]

Like, okay, no, but I want to go to Giannis because I, I, this comes up a lot. And I compare Giannis to Steph. I think Giannis for the Bucks, he's their Steph Curry and they should be doing everything possible to keep him and begging, bleeding, I mean, every single thing in the world. It's too, I, I think that, I.

[Marcus Thompson]

Don'T know, I, I go the opposite way on that one.

[Andrew]

Because you want him on the Warriors. No, I'm just kidding.

[Marcus Thompson]

No, no, he can go anywhere. I just do feel like the reason you can't trade Steph is not because, not just because, like, ah, you got to keep stuff. I'm saying they have an empire, right? And you think, and you have to replace the empire. You're not replacing the empire. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, the Lakers have to have somebody like, you can't, it's the Lakers. That, and that's what, that's what I'm saying. Like if you, if you build this thing and you, you, you know, they bought this team in what, 2010. So you're relatively new at this juggernaut business. They just simply can't afford to go through an eight year dark period. That's what they're worried about. They don't have this, the Dallas Cowboys of the Tom Landry, they don't have that. They're like, Rick Barry had a run a couple years they wanted 75.

[Andrew]

Is it like it feels inevitable though that that would happen? Like after Steph retires, there will be a dark period.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, but you don't trade no to get to the dark period.

[Marcus Thompson]

That's never like we talking a couple year dark period or a ten year dark period. Because you're telling me when Steph is gone, Steph is gone. Which means everybody's gone. Nobody's taking that max contract from the Warriors. They'll have their pick. Hey, come take the, the eleven billion dollar empire stuff built. This is yours right next to Silicon Valley. You don't think people will line up to take that money? Not to mention whatever crypto backwater field, like, you know what I'm saying? AI stock tip. Also like this idea that, okay, they're done, they're gonna get another star.

[Dave Deford]

Like, that's.

[Marcus Thompson]

If Steph is gone, that means they have all the money possible. Steph is gone, everybody's gone.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

So now it's like, okay, who wants this bag? If people will take the bag in Charlotte. If you take the bag.

[Dave Deford]

Which actually they don't. They don't take the bag in Charlotte. When was the last time they signed a free agent?

[Marcus Thompson]

Miles Bridges disagrees.

[Dave Deford]

Okay, well, he didn't have a lot of options.

[Marcus Thompson]

He wish he could get that bag back.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, yeah. I think that bag is sailed.

[Marcus Thompson]

All right.

[Dave Deford]

What about the rest of the west, man? Like, where, where's your head at these days with the Western Conference? I mean, I, I, the top, the top of the west and I, I think we throw the rockets in there. Even though I don't truly believe in them. The top of the west is as stacked as I can remember as far as being competitive. I think any of the, the top four or five teams have a legit shot at coming out.

[Marcus Thompson]

They all have high ceilings, but surprisingly low floors. Right. They can be really bad when they're bad. Like, some of these Lakers games are just like, they could just look like the most unserious team. I like, what, what are you doing? Right? Like, that was crazy. But then they also could just, you know, catch fire and go crazy. I do think like Minnesota, Houston, the Lakers, I do think they're a step below Denver and okc. Like what Denver is doing without yic, it's crazy. Like, not only are they getting the requisite reps, like, and people are feeling, people are being put in uncomfortable positions. Like it's gonna help them when Jokic come back, but they are surviving without the best player in basketball. Right. Like, yeah. So I'VE always thought, I feel like Denver is the team that can be okay. See, I forgot San Antonio up in there like that. That upper crust to me is a little bit different. But the highs, the best of Minnesota, the best of Houston, the best of the Lakers, even I think they can, they can knock out. I think the best. Before Jimmy, I would have said the best of the warriors can give any of those teams problems in a series. Now Oklahoma City, Denver, and I don't know about San Antonio yet, but you could definitely see the building blocks are the teams that can put together. I'm gonna put together three, four straight series of this.

[Andrew]

I'll ask you.

[Marcus Thompson]

I don't know if the Lakers could do that. I don't know if the war.

[Dave Deford]

I don't think they're the defense.

[Marcus Thompson]

Butler. Yeah, but yeah, Minnesota probably could, but that team is just, that's another team sometimes.

[Dave Deford]

It's like they do weird stuff too often, right?

[Xena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

It's insane.

[Andrew]

I'm curious about your thoughts about the, the spurs because we've all had that conversation about experience versus the lack of experience and like getting to that point and getting those playoff reps. You've obviously seen one enigmatic out of this world alien type player and Steph Curry become the focal point of a championship. Wemby is now in a lot of ways that type of player. Do you see them like what they're building right now? What, what stage of their championship contention window are they at compared to what they are like?

[Marcus Thompson]

They are like the, the 18, 19, 20 year old girl, like my daughter who like just wants so badly to, to experience love and you know, you know it's coming. But you also know you ain't gonna even understand what you have until you get your heart broke.

[Xena Keda]

Right?

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Right?

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

They're. They're at the place where like Wimby is going to be. The, the difference between him being the player that he is going to be and now is heartbreak. And he's already. The problem is he's already had some of it in the Olympics. That's right. He's already got a step now his teammates haven't, but he's already got a step. Like hear him crying after seeing him crying after that game, talking about, you know, y' all don't want to see.

[Dave Deford]

He was at home.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah. Like that. So he's got a little bit of it. But that's what, that's what really makes the. The best. It's. They, they, you. There's something that happens at the bottom of the basketball pit. Right when you hit that bottom and it. It pushes you to another level. Yeah, that's. To me, that's. That's just what they need. They're gonna run up against a yic. They're gonna be right there, and then we'll know how they'll respond. That, like, that's, that's where we see it at. Like when, you know, SGA's game seven, you got. You got worked, you know, against Indiana, you sitting there facing another playoff home exit. Like, nah, we're not doing this. But the brief before they did it, they were like, ah, this is tough. We fell apart. You gotta feel that. Steph felt it. All the great ones, you feel. Yeah. Jordan.

[Dave Deford]

Hey, the Pistons.

[Marcus Thompson]

Jordan.

[Dave Deford]

Absolutely beat Michael Jordan up.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah.

[Dave Deford]

Physically.

[Marcus Thompson]

Absolutely.

[Dave Deford]

I mean, I'll never forget as a Bulls fan. I remember what it felt like to finally beat the Pistons.

[Marcus Thompson]

I.

[Dave Deford]

Because they felt unbeatable in 1990. You know, I remember that.

[Marcus Thompson]

They weren't beat. That's what it's like. They're never gonna beat the Pistons. Yeah. That's what it felt like. And they're. No, they're just never gonna beat them.

[Dave Deford]

The difference is, I think the spurs team, you know, it's funny because there isn't. There isn't one dominant team right now.

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[Dave Deford]

Like, we don't live in the dynasty environment. And as we keep wanting to make okc, that. And they may well be. I. I just think that the. The parody in the league, it makes it so that it's possible this, this spurs team could make the finals this year.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, oh, yeah, no question. No, no question at all. No question. I. I would. I'm not sure I would want that for them because they could win five championships. And you win too fast. Gets a little. Gets a little dicey. But, but here's. It's not the Wimby part I worry about. It's the de' Aaron Fox part. The Aaron Fox is like, all right, you. You've been to. You know what it's like to get a 50 dropped on your head at game seven. What you got, De' Aaron Fox? Like, we know you're great. What you got? What? What? What do you got, Steph? You know what I'm saying? Like, how do you respond to the moment? Like, how does that happen? It's those elements, Ms. Johnson. What do you do when you get cooked? Right? Because that's the beauty of NBA playoffs. I know people talk about how long it is. To me, that's the beauty in it. Like, you don't get to just play one way eventually. These coaches are too smart. They spend too much time. You have to find another way to win. Like, as much as people talk about the warriors and all that shooting, man, they. They had multiple line. They had hockey units they could throw Sean Livingston and David west, and all these just be like, all right, we about to win this next. They had to come up with an 8 to 6.

[Dave Deford]

Like, they didn't come up with an offense to go against a boxing one defense, right?

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, you gotta be able to do that. Everybody has to be able to do that. To me, that was what. That's the reason Houston. That's the reason James Harden didn't have a championship, because whenever he was forced to do something different, he was like, yeah, no, I can't. I'm just. That's also.

[Andrew]

That's the underrated thing about Steph, man. People just think of the shooting, but, like, the. The movement, the back door cuts, the counters. The counters. It's always been there.

[Dave Deford]

It is crazy.

[Marcus Thompson]

Is hard, bro. Like, they're. Nobody's gonna let you just do that thing. They're like, no. They're like, nah, I'm up all night. I'm about to figure this out. You're not just about to do this. Like, that's what Boston had to learn. You're not about just. I sold me all day. Like, no shutting that down, Tatum. No, it's not happening, right? Like, this league is tough, bro. A championship is tough. Like, and that's what. That's. That's what's exciting about watching, like, San Antonio.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Because, you know, like, they're gonna get tested. They're gonna. They're probably gonna get their heart broken, and they just got them type of players. You just feel like, man, I can't wait today. I can't wait till they get mature.

[Dave Deford]

Like, Dylan Harper doesn't even start. Like, Dylan Harper comes off the bench.

[Marcus Thompson]

Just because, bro, like, hey, like, what are we doing big enough?

[Dave Deford]

You could play those three guys?

[Xena Keda]

And.

[Dave Deford]

And I. I just. I don't know. They're. They're a ton of fun to watch.

[Andrew]

An interesting Steph Curry package. Just.

[Marcus Thompson]

Get out of here.

[Xena Keda]

You better stop. Stop.

[Dave Deford]

All right, guys, I'm gonna go. I want to go around the horn before we get out of here, and I want you guys to give me some. Somebody or a team that we're sleeping on, because we're at the point right now where.

[Marcus Thompson]

Let's go.

[Dave Deford]

Doesn't it. A team comes out of nowhere usually, like, think about the Pacers last year, they got healthy around this time, and they started coming out of nowhere. And, you know, we're lucky because we watch games every night. We kind of caught this early. Who am I sleeping on, guys? Tell me who I need to pay attention to.

[Marcus Thompson]

Oh, this is tough, man. Go ahead, S. I know what you're gonna say.

[Andrew]

Who's.

[Marcus Thompson]

I'm not gonna say.

[Dave Deford]

Not gonna say the Raptors.

[Andrew]

I'm not gonna say the Rafters. We're not sleeping on the Raptors.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, we are not.

[Marcus Thompson]

You're not gonna say the Raptors.

[Dave Deford]

You want to say it?

[Andrew]

I'll let you say.

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[Marcus Thompson]

Nah. That's what you want to say? No, no, no.

[Dave Deford]

All right, let me. Let me say this, okay? Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. I cut you off.

[Andrew]

I was. I was going to say, like. And this might not be sleeping on them because they have the second best record in the league, but it does feel like the consensus is, oh, the Pistons are a fun team, right?

[Marcus Thompson]

They'll.

[Andrew]

They'll have a good playoff run, but there's no way that they'll make it to the finals. There's no way that they'll win the championship. There's. It feels like that conversation, and we just talked about the spurs and a young group that has to go out there and feel that heartbreak. They felt it to a little degree against the Knicks, but they haven't felt that big heartbreak. I. I'm curious if we're sleeping consensus wise on the Pistons and their chances to, one, make it to the finals, and two, who knows? Once you're. Once you're at the finals, maybe there's a chance to win a championship.

[Xena Keda]

That's funny you say that as. I actually was thinking the Pistons, too. I was just, like, checking the standings and thinking of, like, what games have I watched recently? I think that win against the Celtics this week, that showed okay. Pistons have a little bit more grit to them, and particularly that they have a little bit more flexibility to their game. We saw K. Cunningham not be the guy, the scorer in that game. He was more of a facilitator. He was more of a defender, really. I thought he was phenomenal in that game from that perspective. And it's like, okay, the whole conversation this year has been, who's going to be the number two with, you know, to start the year, right? Who's gonna be the number two? Then Jaylen Duran is popping off, like, doing the thing. We're like, all right, he's clear, number two. But is there still enough. Is this still consistent? Enough. We need a third score. You know, Ivy hasn't come, came back and hasn't been the guy. He hasn't been exactly what you need to see. And we've just seen a lot, like, we don't. We've seen a lot of people rotate into that third role, and we've seen that their defense is undeniable, and that might just be enough for them to give a lot of teams a really hard time. So I, I agree. I think that we've been sleeping at least on their capability. We've been, we've been coddling the pistons a little bit.

[Dave Deford]

I feel like we've been patting them on the head. You know, it's the good, young, fun team.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah.

[Dave Deford]

Whereas with the Spurs, I, I think it's the Wemby factor makes them feel a little bit more real. Marcus, what about you? Like what, what are you on that.

[Marcus Thompson]

The Golden State warriors, baby. This Jonathan Kaminga resurgence, y' all sleep.

[Xena Keda]

I like it.

[Marcus Thompson]

You know, I actually, I actually. Go ahead. Xena.

[Xena Keda]

No, no, I was gonna say my, the one that I've been saying since, like, a very long time, though, the Celtics, like, I think we've just all been like, thinking, Jason Tatum, he's not there. It's not enough. And we've been seeing this MVP caliber season out of Jalen Brown. The Celtics are a team that I'm like, they could absolutely be in the finals and people are just waking up to it. So I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna stick with the Celtics.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, yeah. Celtics is a good one. I was, I was thinking about the Celtics. They're just too high. If they were like four, I'd be.

[Xena Keda]

Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel you. I feel you.

[Marcus Thompson]

They're too high. Same with the Pistons. It's like that's, we're sleep. But yeah, they're the number one. Like, it's a little tough.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

To say we sleep on a 31 and 10 team. So with that in mind, I, I, I think we're asleep on the Nuggets. I really do. I, I just think people aren't like, they're just so. They're such a team that they're just an unenamorant team. Right. If that's even a word. They just don't. You made that one up. I'm pretty sure I did. You know. Do not correct me, Yale.

[Xena Keda]

I actually don't. Genuinely don't know. But go ahead.

[Marcus Thompson]

They, I, I think we get lulled into their lack of excitement as a team.

[Xena Keda]

Right.

[Marcus Thompson]

But they've. The. What they've put together really well. Like, the. The way Aaron Gordon has grown, they're just not completely reliant on Jamal Murray. But, you know, it's like, Jamal Murray or Bus, like, that's. That's kind of out the window. And he plays like it. Now Jamal Murray plays like, hold on. Like, we'll win without you. Like, before, it was like, oh, I'm not getting my shots. He feels like he's pouting a little bit. I feel like Jamal Murray has found, like, a little bit of urgency to his game.

[Dave Deford]

Like, I just.

[Marcus Thompson]

Man, I. I actually want to say the Nuggets are my favorites to win it. Like, I know that's a.

[Dave Deford]

That's who I picked before.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, Oklahoma City.

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, I picked him before.

[Marcus Thompson]

Team, man. That's a. Team bro is a maniac. Like, he's an absolute maniac. Like, he.

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He.

[Marcus Thompson]

He will uncover every rock. Like, he. Like, he's going to do it. He's going to find the advantage. And they have the best player in basketball. Like, yeah, it just feels like if you got the best player in basketball, it will be more of a. They're gonna win a championship. So it feels like. Are you guys not seeing the Nuggets here? Am I the only one seeing the Nuggets?

[Xena Keda]

I like all of this because. And it fits. Because it's not for the reasons you think. For example, we thought Denver was going to do really well this season.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda]

Not for the reasons we've now seen. If you would have told me at the start of the season, Dave, you're like, yeah, the Nuggets are going to win this whole thing. And you would have been like, spencer Jones is going to be the guy. Payton Watson about to tear all this.

[Dave Deford]

I'm sorry, can you say Spencer Jones again?

[Marcus Thompson]

It was so much in that.

[Andrew]

What did Spencer Jones do to you?

[Marcus Thompson]

You know what that. You know what that was like? You what that was like? That was like when Clay was saying. Draymond was saying Rodney McGruder. Right? Like, Rodney McGruder. Rodney, Rodney.

[Xena Keda]

The point is, we all were looking at, like, oh, Cam Johnson's gonna come join this team. Yeah, that's going to be the difference maker. Right? Bruce Brown is coming back now. He's been good for them, I think, but he's not been the reason this is changing around. It's. It's exactly what you guys just laid out. Like, Jamal Murray is playing with the chip on his shoulder. Right? And they found these gems sitting on their bench.

[Dave Deford]

Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon has resigned. Peyton Watson. Yeah, we weren't saying that.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah, right, exactly. Aaron Gordon dropped open the season. Dropping 10 threes on the warriors or what?

[Marcus Thompson]

Like has there been a better like growth in shooting? Honestly, Gordon, like I always thought of.

[Xena Keda]

Him, he is going to be baseline going back and forth, dunker spot.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Xena Keda]

Shooting threes also.

[Marcus Thompson]

The handle is money.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah, yeah, the handle too.

[Marcus Thompson]

I don't think I've ever seen a guy like he shot 25 or something as a rookie. Like, like not even just like as a rookie. I don't think he shot 30 from three the first few years of his career when he was in. Yeah like Orlando and now this dude is like if he's open, it's bucket. Like you just feel it. Like to me he be anybody who can't shoot. Like I'm like Aaron Gordon has proven this thing. Like you could become a shooter.

[Dave Deford]

You know, it is a surprisingly hard skill to it that it does not develop very often. I mean to your point, it's pretty rare that the guy, especially at that point in his career, it's easier to go from bad to okay than it is to go from okay to elite like he did. And he was bad when he first came.

[Marcus Thompson]

Listen, look at this. I'm looking it up now. He has more years, four years under 30% and he's got the last two years over 40 like that just.

[Dave Deford]

Well, he had that, he had that injury year a couple seasons ago where he couldn't shoot and then what was it, two years ago he came back and it was just. He had reworked his shot was a lot more comfortable. He looked like just shooting like from a, from a set shot even. I think the injury was a big thing for him a couple years ago and caused him to completely rework his mechanics. And now he's just a 40% three point shooter which is, I mean it's Aaron Gordon who he can handle. He can pass, he can defend, he can rebound. And that's a guy that we probably overlook when we talk about, you know, top 40 players in the league. You know, I mean he, he really does get overlooked because of Jokic. For, for me, the Phoenix Suns, I knew they're one of the best new.

[Xena Keda]

You were say they're one of the.

[Dave Deford]

Best stories in the NBA. They are so unexpected and we, we really wrote them off for numerous reasons. One of them being they got a new coach like a first time head coach who is their, who's their GM right now.

[Andrew]

Right.

[Dave Deford]

We, we completely. They traded Kevin Durant and we Just said, you know what? Oh, they're toast. They're toast. Turns out they're not. I mean they've, they've not only they stumbled onto some good players like Colin Gillespie, but Devin Booker is having an amazing season. I mean, as we talked about it on the, on the show that came out this morning. Yeah, because they had this game last night against the Sixers. But I, I just think that what they've done, they've set themselves up and they're not competing for a title this year, but they've set themselves up so that if they could figure out a way to make a, a few moves on the margins. Look at what the Cleveland Cavaliers did post LeBron James where they started hopping in, hey, I'm gonna pick up a second round pick here. I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna toss in a two way guy here and get some assets. They might be back in the title picture in the next two or three years. Like the, the, the west is stacked. We got to get some of these teams moved to the East. Okay.

[Marcus Thompson]

All right.

[Dave Deford]

Back. I mean when we had the conversations about themes in the title picture. All right, to be fair, they were never really in the title picture.

[Marcus Thompson]

But the finals 21. I'll give you, I'll give you that.

[Andrew]

They are also a free agency destination. Apparently players love playing in Arizona, love playing in Phoenix.

[Dave Deford]

The weather in the winter there is.

[Andrew]

Amazing golf, etc, all that is is a part of it. They are a huge market too, which I think gets under noticed. Phoenix is a massive market, so there's always going to be interest in guys going there. I think that's part of why KD wanted to go there. So I think that also helps them in eventually building and they don't have a great pick situation right now just because of how much they've spent to go out and, you know, kind of pursue that championship window. But I agree, they're having a good season. They're bucking expectations. I'm surprised no one has brought up the Timberwolves here because, well, they have.

[Marcus Thompson]

I was gonna ask who's the most disappointing? And then I was gonna say, oh.

[Dave Deford]

Wow, the Timberwolves are disappointing. See, they, they are losing too much.

[Marcus Thompson]

They're the seven seed. What are we talking?

[Dave Deford]

It's because they keep doing stuff like losing to the Utah Jazz. Yeah, the thing is.

[Marcus Thompson]

Exactly what are you doing? I don't.

[Dave Deford]

You talked about this. Once they get to the playoffs, don't you think that the Timberwolves just. With between Anthony Edwards.

[Marcus Thompson]

I think they could beat anybody in this league.

[Dave Deford]

Okay?

[Marcus Thompson]

They do this every year.

[Andrew]

They do this every year. And then they.

[Marcus Thompson]

But part of the problem is because they're on the road for game seven because they lose to the Jazz, right? They should be a 4C. Like, what are you doing? Like, and you, when you watch them play, they make you throw stuff at the wall. It's like, what are you. Every now and then, Jade McDaniels, who I feel like I. I think the championship teams have the best role players, right? And Jada McDaniel is like Aaron Gordon. I mean, just top shelf, elite, like the Louis Vuitton of role players, right? But the problem with that is sometimes these dudes think they are the star and that's when they lose to the Jazz. When you want to come down and be like, oh, 23 seconds of shot clock. Like, everybody take a breath. They do it too much. Julius Random, which is like side step a 35 footer.

[Xena Keda]

I really wish you could see Marcus Thompson's neck just going back.

[Dave Deford]

Hey, listen. This is why if you're listening to.

[Marcus Thompson]

This, it drives me crazy. If he got to another five step three, Julius Randall, I'm gonna have a heart attack. Like. Like, you're not a sidestep three shooter. I don't care how. I don't care that you can make it. The probabilities are very low. Stop sidestepping. You're not Damian Lillard. Like, it drives me crazy that this shot is doing there. They could beat Oklahoma City. I'm 100 convinced they could. They could. They have a championship caliber team and they're seventh. They're like a half a game ahead of the warriors who, like, are hanging on for dear life.

[Xena Keda]

Like, what are we doing here?

[Dave Deford]

They're behind the Suns, who we had no expectations for whatsoever.

[Marcus Thompson]

All right. That I just love at and I think he should be at the top.

[Dave Deford]

And he is crazy.

[Andrew]

Could have been a Golden State warrior.

[Marcus Thompson]

Just putting that up.

[Dave Deford]

This was for sure our most slanderous morning shoot around and maybe most slanderous podcast. Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Did I do that?

[Dave Deford]

Yeah, you said we were saying about.

[Marcus Thompson]

The black man on and it got slandered. Is that what we're saying?

[Dave Deford]

Okay, that's exactly what I said.

[Marcus Thompson]

You lucky. You got. You got about what, what, nine more days? Because in February, we ain't taking none of that.

[Dave Deford]

Everybody quote me on that one for sure.

[Marcus Thompson]

We brought the hate to American music. It's or roses at Zena's feet. Rose petals.

[Dave Deford]

I. I will admit that Xena worked on Martin Luther King Day. And I felt bad about that one. All right, guys, that's gonna do it for the show. Thank you, guys. If you're listening to this pod, come and join us on YouTube.

[Marcus Thompson]

The Lorraine. Oh, my God.

[Dave Deford]

We're. We're not touching that one. I'm gonna get us out of here before. Before Marcus gets me fired. For Ready Zena Kada and the great Marcus Thompson. I'm Dave Deford and this has been the NBA Daily Morning Shoot Around. Join us next week on YouTube. Leave us a five star review. Marcus. If they don't leave us a five star review, what can they do?

[Marcus Thompson]

I feel like I'm supposed to say something, but I don't.

[Dave Deford]

You. You had.

[Xena Keda]

You used to say you had the.

[Dave Deford]

You had.

[Andrew]

It's like keep it or something. If you don't have anything good to say.

[Marcus Thompson]

Oh, keep it to yourself, you haters. There you go. I think that was it. I don't know.

[Xena Keda]

It was that. It was.

[Dave Deford]

We'll see you guys next time.

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[Dave Deford]

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