NBA Role Player Draft | Morning Shoot Around

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – “NBA Role Player Draft | Morning Shoot Around”

Date: February 11, 2026
Hosts: Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, George (Esfandiar Baraheni)
(with live chat input and participation)

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Episode Overview

On this episode, the Morning Shoot Around crew dives into a lively, competitive “NBA Role Player Draft.” With All-Star talk dominating headlines, the hosts shine a light on the essential but often-overlooked players who glue teams together: NBA role players. Using a spirited draft format, strict eligibility debates, and real-time chat input, the conversation explores what makes someone a “role player,” the nuances of impact beyond the stat sheet, and how team dynamics shift with these unsung heroes.

---

Key Discussion Points & Draft Rules

Setting the Stage and Defining "Role Player"

• The draft’s purpose: Celebrate contributors who help win games but don’t get All-Star nods.
• Strict eligibility:
  • If a player is in the All-Star conversation, they're OUT. (e.g., Dylan Brooks, OG Anunoby ruled out)
  • “We cannot be in the all star discussion and be in the role player draft.” — Andrew ([03:46])
  • If a name is debatable, it goes to a group vote and chat input.

Draft Order

• Dave
• Zena
• George
• Andrew
  (Snake draft order)

---

The Live Role Player Draft

“This is about fit. This is about bringing guys in that’ll help you win a basketball game.” — Andrew ([03:16])

Round 1 Highlights

• Dave attempts to pick Nikhil Alexander-Walker—debated and ultimately ruled OUT for no longer fitting “role player” status.
• Adjusts and selects Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic):
  • “His importance to [Orlando’s] team both ways stands out.” ([07:17])
• Zena: Anthony Black (Orlando Magic)
  • Versatile, strong defender, great in multiple lineups.
• George: A.J. Mitchell
• Andrew: Isaiah Hartenstein (New York Knicks)
  • “Isaiah Hartenstein—knew it. That’s a great one.” ([10:16] Dave)

Notable Quote

“OG is not a role player. You got some people that maybe would argue [he’s their] second best player.”
— Dave ([11:14])

Eligibility Debates, Vetoes, and LOLs

• Intense vetos for players on the edge, including OG Anunoby, Nikhil Alexander-Walker, Jaden McDaniels, Jarrett Allen, and Naji Marshall.
  • “The chat has vetoed.” ([13:48] Andrew)
• Chat weighs in repeatedly, e.g., whether Zubac or Allen are “top three” on their teams.
• Ongoing tongue-in-cheek references to tanking, franchise cornerstones, and rookie picks.

Rounds 2–5: Notable Picks & Rulings

• Case and Wallace, Andrew Nemhardt (vetoed, then overruled), Mitchell Robinson, Peyton Watson, Nemas Queta, Jared Allen, Dylan Harper, Jaden McDaniels, Keldon Johnson, Andrew Wiggins, Tumani Kamara, Nas Reid, Jaylon Tyson, Jabari Smith, Devin Vassell, Alex Caruso, and more.

Fun Banter

• “I would like Bryce Sensabaugh on my team… for aesthetic.” — Dave ([41:25])
• “You mother— (mocking draft war rooms).” — Zena, talking about getting sniped by Dave ([24:51])

6th Man Bonus Round

• Each team adds a “sixth man,” with some talk of further bench depth and even fantasizing about historical role players.
• Sixth man selections include Mikal Bridges, Dennis Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, and Tari Eason.

Sample Final Rosters (As Read At [39:47])

Dave:

• Jalen Suggs, Reed Shepherd, Peyton Watson, Josh Hart, Namayus Queta, Tari Eason

Zena:

• Anthony Black, Dylan Harper, Jalen Tyson, Jabari Smith, Mitchell Robinson, Duncan Robinson

George (S):

• A.J. Mitchell, Devin Vassell, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Jared Allen, Dennis Jenkins

Andrew:

• Case and Wallace, Alex Caruso, Andrew Wiggins, Keldon Johnson, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mikal Bridges

---

Notable Debates & Memorable Quotes

On Role Player Definitions

• “It’s got to be right now. It’s got to be right now.” — Andrew ([06:29])
• “I kinda think Jaden McDaniels is a role player… but he can also be their best player on some nights.” — Andrew ([20:28])

On Player Value & Team Impact

• “When you watch the Knicks last night without Mitchell Robinson and they gave up 137 points… it is nuts how important he is.” — Dave ([15:25])
• Comparing Keldon Johnson to Boris Diaw: “He’s playing—watch how he uses his body, a very good athlete, fun guy to watch. Like a bumper car as a basketball player.” — Dave ([21:46])

On the Draft Format and Process

• “We’ve stalled long enough. You get two rights here.” — Andrew setting up Dave ([15:46])
• “Every single time [Patrick Williams] shoots, I just—I have this tick now.” — Dave ([23:46])

On All-Star Weekend & NBA Fun

(Later in the show, after the draft)

• Dissection of All-Star suspension news (Isaiah Stewart, Miles Bridges, etc.)
• Debates on improving All-Star weekend: paying players more, format changes, do we even need to “fix” it?
  • “It is insane the amount of effort and mental energy the league spends on this. Nobody really cares.” — Andrew ([45:41])
  • “The NBA had something with their All-Star Weekend and now it’s dried up.” — Zena ([46:17])
  • “If you pay the players, they will not be spending their time elsewhere… they’ll just play hard.” — George ([56:05])

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Key Timestamps

• 03:16: Draft rules and eligibility discussion
• 05:11: Opening pick debated—Nikhil Alexander-Walker
• 07:17: Dave settles on Jalen Suggs
• 10:16: Andrew’s Hartenstein pick, everyone reacts
• 11:09: OG Anunoby is debated, ruled out
• 13:44: Chat and host vetoes fly for several picks
• 21:41: Keldon Johnson = “like Boris Diaw?”
• 24:33: Zena switches pick to Nas Reed, strategic sniping
• 29:17: Discussion on Jabari Smith’s best fit, career outlook
• 31:32: Zena nabs Devin Vassell, hosts approve
• 32:42: Andrew makes the “homer” Caruso pick as essential role player
• 39:47: Recap of completed draft teams
• 41:25: “Hoopers Draft” joke about picking Bryce Sensabaugh for style
• 45:41: All-Star game debate—“Nobody really cares…”
• 56:23: Final thoughts—no need to fix All-Star, just pay winners

---

Standout/Memorable Moments

• Debate chaos: Joyful arguments over who does or doesn’t qualify—players like Naji Marshall, Jaden McDaniels, and Peyton Pritchard spark prolonged debate.
• Draft "snipes": Teasing and mock frustration when one host picks a player another wanted.
  • “You mother—” (Dave & Zena, laughing about draft war room strategy) ([24:51])
• Love for defense and grit:
  • “My team is fighting, though. I will say my guys, they are gonna fight.” — Dave ([40:29])
• Making the unsung heroes central:
  • “He just makes your team work. The Thunder don’t win the title last year without [Caruso].” — Andrew ([32:43])
• All-Star Weekend riffs:
  • “Just give the winners money. Make it east vs. west and forget the rest.” — Andrew ([45:54])

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Closing Notes

• Each host expresses strong opinions about the value and definition of a "role player," providing both serious and playful insights.
• The chat’s engagement gives a live, democratic feel to the draft and player debates.
• The show ends with requests for listeners to vote on who built the best role player team, acknowledging the essential but overlooked NBA contributors and poking fun at the very concept of sports discourse.

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Essential Takeaways

• Role players matter: The episode is a fun but serious ode to NBA glue guys—players who don’t get All-Star buzz but drive team success.
• Debate and nuance: Eligibility isn’t simple; chat and panel argue over careers, team context, and current-year impact.
• NBA culture: From All-Star gripes to draft room drama, the conversation encapsulates the joy, absurdity, and analytical depth that define NBA fandom.

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For full details, team rosters, and all the laughs and hot takes, check out the episode and join the ongoing conversation in the comments!

Transcript

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[Zena]

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[Andrew Schlecht]

This episode is brought to you by Pura Wellness doesn't have to be perfect, just personal and how your space makes you feel. Pura's well being collection is thoughtfully crafted to support energy, focus, relaxation and sleep through scent. From soft florals to grounding woods, each fragrance is designed to create small feel good moments throughout your day. Discover what your space [e-mail] moods. Welcome to the morning shoot around here on the Athletic NBA Daily's YouTube feed. Thanks to everybody who is tuning in live. We'd love to have you guys tune in live with us every Wednesday. Would really appreciate that. I'm your host, Andrew Schleicht. With me, I've got Dave DeFore, I've got Esper Henny pointing to a hat that, you know. Blue jays. I mean, isn't that a painful memory?

[Dave DeFore]

Yes.

[Zena]

But also, it's almost that time of year again, you know?

[Andrew Schlecht]

I mean.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh yeah. Pitchers and catchers. Spring train.

[Zena]

Spring training, baby.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay, okay, maybe I should go to spring training.

[Dave DeFore]

You guys want to meet up in. In Phoenix? We can watch some baseball. Nothing else going on this weekend.

[Zena]

You're gonna be at the festivities.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Come on. Come on.

[Zena]

You and 200 top content creators and influence.

[George]

Thank you s for calling that out because that is literally it.

[Dave DeFore]

Guys. Okay, look, I know that I am old, man. I do know that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Especially for the Internet. But I just. What are we doing with these names?

[Andrew Schlecht]

What names?

[Dave DeFore]

The names of the. The people at these events. These creators.

[Zena]

Hey, by the way, you're not old, okay?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I know, I know it's. It's a bit. But.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You'Re A little old, you know.

[George]

Okay, what is wrong with y'?

[Andrew Schlecht]

All?

[Dave DeFore]

You guys see this? This is harassment at work.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Shout out to my guy. Jesser. Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

That's right. That's what I was gonna say. Jesser.

[Zena]

I've never seen a grown man freak out about Jester the way Andrew freaked out.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You know what?

[Zena]

In public.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I, I would not have freaked out had I not had children that enjoy Jesser. And you know what? They do enjoy Jesser. Okay, so today all, all these great players are getting all this attention, all right? Kind of getting annoying to me. So we're going to do a role player draft, okay. Each one of us is going to pick a starting five, okay. For the role player draft. So, so this is about fit. This is about bringing guys in that'll help you win a basketball game. Okay. And then people, you can let us know what team that you like the most. Criteria. A lot of this is, is more feel than it is fact. Okay?

[Zena]

Sure.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You, you cannot be in the all star discussion and be in the role player draft. So like Dylan Brooks, who is in the all Star discussion, if, if the name has been brought up in the all star discussion, you cannot be in the role player draft. Okay?

[Dave DeFore]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

And so we will, we will be able to kind of like if somebody's on the edge there, we'll, we, we'll have to vote, okay. To see if, if this is allowable. And let us know in the chat too, if you're following along. Let us know if this person qualifies as a quote unquote role player. Okay. I've selected an order. Okay. Dave Xena S. Then myself. Okay. Oh, so Dave gets to go first in the role player draft. Lawrence Field. I'll be taking air bud. Topich. I will not, you know what topic. Hey. Will not be part of this. But Nicola, I'm really happy for him.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Great last night. Great for the, for the, in the G. And deserves a shout out but will not be making the role player draft. But that would be great.

[Dave DeFore]

The, the guy bad stories is nice to have a good one.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. And the guy loves air bud, you know, so it's a good story all around. Okay. Dave.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

With the number one pick in the role player draft, Dave DeFore is going to select who.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, I said I wasn't gonna do this because we kind of briefly kicked it around, but I'm going to anyway. Nikhil Alexander Walker. I, I at least just need, I need the judges to let me know if he's a role player because if so he would be my. My first pick. He was signed to be a role player on the. On the Hawks.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Now, clearly, he's been better than that for them, and especially with the moves that they've made, I think, you know, his stock has risen internally. But if he's a role player, I mean, I just think that you look at the season that he's having 20 points a game.

[Zena]

I can't name more than one player on the Hawks that is better than them.

[Dave DeFore]

Like Jalen Johnson.

[George]

Jalen Johnson.

[Dave DeFore]

But it's changed, you know, over the course of this season. It's. So this is the thing that. That I'm struggling with is like, there's a lot of guys who have maybe started the season as role players that their teams have just changed so much now all of a sudden, they're important pieces. So it's a little bit trickier than just, you know, than we think.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay, so.

[George]

And do we want to look at role player over the course of someone's career or over the course of this season? Because I would say Nikhil Alexander Walker was technically more of a role player.

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's got to be right now. It's got to be right now.

[George]

Okay, so.

[Dave DeFore]

So Orlando Magic, Jalen Suggs. Is he a role player? Is he their third best player?

[Zena]

I think we could debate between him and Anthony Black as their right player, I think.

[George]

Wait, when everyone's healthy, what are we talking about right now, guys?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

You're telling me you would put Anthony Black or Jalen Suggs over Desmond Bain, Franz and Paolo?

[Zena]

No, no. Oh, that's a good point. I forgot.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Yeah, that's a good point.

[Dave DeFore]

So I'm gonna take Jalen.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Thank you. You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm like, wait, what's happening?

[George]

What's happening? I was so confused. Well, the main reason is because y' all are trying to impinge on what I'm trying to do.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay. Okay. Right. All right, so now we get this. Clear.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right.

[Dave DeFore]

I'm gonna take Jalen Suggs.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Do we approve. Do we approve Nikhil Alexander Walker as a part of the role player draft?

[Zena]

No, I decline.

[Dave DeFore]

I think I. I agree with that. I agree with it, but I. Again, I just wanted to put it out there that I would probably go with Nikhil. He's been great. Again, 20 points a game. I mean, the defense that he plays. But I'm going to take Jaylen Suggs. Similar reasons. And also because don't we all think if. If they're healthy, all Year with Jalen Suggs playing that, they're top four, top five in the East. His importance to that team, both ways, I think, you know, just stands out. So I'll take Jalen Suggs in the Eastern Conference.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You gotta be okay, Xena.

[George]

Yeah. Well, this is interesting. My first pick is Anthony Black, so.

[Dave DeFore]

Wow.

[George]

Yeah, I love Anthony Black. I love everything he's doing. I think that he's a perfect one. He's. He's. He's capable of scoring. Obviously, he played some defense. He could play up in size and defense and he could play down. Yeah. Anthony Black. So, Orlando, shout out to y' all with the role players. Here's the depth that we've known Magic to have. So here we go.

[Zena]

Oh, man, I might. I might be able to steal some guys here. There's some availability, probably. There's a little bit of availability. There's some stuff available to me. Man, this is a great question. Do I just go like a rookie and steal them? And I'm just like, this is role player.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You're trying to win. Are you interested? You're trying to win again.

[Dave DeFore]

Hold on.

[George]

Go ahead and say what you're trying.

[Dave DeFore]

To say because S is already thinking about tanking.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I'm tanking. You don't get draft picks at the end of this one.

[George]

I'm just curious. Go ahead. Please tell me which one you're thinking of when you say rookies. Because I might have to debate you on if there are.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George]

I get you.

[Zena]

I won't go the rookie.

[Dave DeFore]

You know what?

[Andrew Schlecht]

I. Damn.

[Zena]

Should I go the rookie?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Just do it so we can debate it.

[Zena]

Okay. I'm gonna take Derek Queen.

[George]

Ah, no, no.

[Dave DeFore]

Franchise cornerstones. Does that count?

[Zena]

Murphy and.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't know.

[Andrew Schlecht]

And you tell me Herbs, you're gonna.

[George]

Tell her Jones over Derek Queen?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Herb Jones is a classic role player.

[George]

No, I'll tell you right now, Andrew, you chose chaos this morning.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I did.

[Andrew Schlecht]

This is working out way better than I thought it would.

[Zena]

All right, then let me. Let me switch my pick. I'm gonna go ahead and take the. The conservative pick here. AJ Mitchell.

[George]

Great choice.

[Zena]

Okay.

[George]

Yeah, that's great.

[Zena]

And he's. He's not their third. He's not their third best player. Dave, I saw that face you made.

[George]

No, he's not.

[Dave DeFore]

He's. No, he's not.

[George]

You can't even.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, he's not. No, no, that wasn't it. It's more just. I don't know. I. You know what? Andrew is about to have something that we're gonna, we're gonna feel pretty bad about our picks, I think, guys.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I'm taking Isaiah Hartenstein.

[Dave DeFore]

I knew it.

[George]

Yeah, that's a great one. I don't feel bad. Yeah, I don't feel bad about.

[Dave DeFore]

I'm fine.

[Zena]

In the West.

[Dave DeFore]

Fine in the West. A.J.

[Zena]

Mitchell.

[George]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Dave DeFore]

I'm good, Isaiah.

[Zena]

Yeah, I'm fine. In the west, man. 30% usage for A.J. mitchell. Let's see what we could do.

[George]

I know what I want. Let's.

[Andrew Schlecht]

So Snake. Snake style. I'll go, I go again.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oh, man. So there, There are a lot of great role players in the area.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

And trying to choose the next. I'm, I'm trying not to be like the biggest homer in the world right now because I have another guy that I would like to choose for this.

[Zena]

By the way, I see a lot of people mentioning one specific name that plays for the New York Knicks, and he's definitely their third best player, right?

[Andrew Schlecht]

OG yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Zena]

And we. Can we just, can we hash that out right now?

[George]

Like, yeah, OG Is not a role player.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Because I would have. That would have been my number one pick.

[Dave DeFore]

But yeah, you got some people that maybe would argue second best player.

[Zena]

Yeah, sure.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[George]

You ain't lying.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I, Yeah, for sure. Definitely not. Not a role player in OG So does that make Mikhail Bridges available in the role?

[Dave DeFore]

I think it worked. I think it would.

[George]

Sure. I think it would take them.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Sure.

[Zena]

Five picks for a role player. Why not? Go ahead, do it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Look at s also coming in.

[George]

I like it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Salty this morning. I like it.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, this is my fault.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Why?

[Dave DeFore]

Well, I just feel like I'm making him a little bit meaner.

[Andrew Schlecht]

No, that's good.

[Dave DeFore]

I like it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I like it. I'm gonna take Case and Wallace.

[George]

Oh, that's great. That's a great one. Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

Try not to be a homer here.

[Andrew Schlecht]

But I Try not to be a homer, but too bad.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, I'm just gonna draft Thunder from here on out.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I know.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

So I'm gonna go ahead and. Yeah, I think, I think this is the right pick here. He's not the third best player now that they traded for a center. Andrew Nemhardt. Take Andrew Nemhardt.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Zena]

Little backcourt situation here.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay. Okay. Do we approve before I type the full name in?

[Zena]

Halliburton, Siakam, Zubots. The three best players on the team.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I, I, I agree with that.

[George]

Oh, that's what. Wait, guys, hold on. Give me a timeout.

[Dave DeFore]

Someone who's not one of the three best.

[George]

I need a 30. I'm tapping into Secaucus. Hold on. This is crazy. Are we talk. We haven't even really seen Zubots.

[Zena]

Doesn't matter.

[George]

But wait, does it? It does matter because we're talking about Nikhil Alexander Walker is now not a role player on this team because we've seen him not be a role player on this team. And that's why we declined it. Oh, yeah, but Right, right, exactly. Zoo was not a role player where we've seen him all season. Right. That in Cal.

[Dave DeFore]

Guys, guys.

[Zena]

He is definitely the third best player on the Pacers, though.

[Dave DeFore]

Like I, I, I would, I would agree with that.

[Zena]

And also, also, I'll say this. So, so if I were to go to the Wizards, right? And Anthony Davis and Trey Younger on the roster right now.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, the chat. By the way, chiming in with some rules. Thank you, Nolan Gasper. So. But you said this year, so this is really just weird. On the roster.

[Zena]

He is current.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I think the chat has vetoed it. Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

The chat has vetoed.

[Andrew Schlecht]

So.

[Zena]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

Wow.

[Zena]

Then let me get. This is incredible. This is unbelievable. Here. Let me get chat.

[Dave DeFore]

The chat going against s. If, if the chat.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes, the chat has some, some weight. So if you guys truly believe it's.

[Zena]

The mustache.

[George]

Is not a role player this year. Thank you. I just.

[Zena]

Okay, how about Jared Allen?

[George]

Oh, well, that, you know what? Playing the game.

[Zena]

You guys.

[Dave DeFore]

This is good though.

[George]

That's true, right? Exactly. It's like Evan Jarrett. I don't know.

[Zena]

I'm one more games 100 the better player here. Can we accept that?

[Dave DeFore]

I'll.

[Zena]

I'll.

[Dave DeFore]

I think Jared Allen is good.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I do too.

[George]

I think, I think so too. I think this is a very.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I'll give it to you.

[George]

This is actually very impressive.

[Dave DeFore]

I just want to make you sweat a little bit.

[Andrew Schlecht]

God.

[George]

You know, well done. Well done.

[Zena]

Killing me.

[Dave DeFore]

Just gotta make you sweat. Just.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right. Xena.

[Zena]

If Xena takes Andrew Nemhard, I'm leaving the pod.

[Andrew Schlecht]

No, it's like Andrew, I don't, I.

[George]

Don'T agree that he's had to have him. So this is, this isn't good. I've been so concerned about everybody else, but I'm like. I'm struggling with my own. I want a big. And I want to clean the glass. So I'm taking Mitchell Robinson.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Zena]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

That's awesome.

[Zena]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Great pick. Offensive rebound. Hey, when you. We watched the Knicks last night without Mitchell Robinson and I mean they gave up 137 points. To the Pacers.

[George]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Yeah. It's scary that a guy that plays 15 minutes a game is that important to them.

[Dave DeFore]

It is nuts. Yeah.

[Zena]

You know?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. And a guy who's not totally reliable.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. Right. Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Like, that's. That is. It's terrifying. It was like when Thunderhead. Andre Roberson and when he got injured, the whole thing just fell apart. Like, it feels a little bit like that. Dave, we've stalled long enough. You get two rights here.

[Dave DeFore]

All right, I'm gonna go with Naji Marshall.

[George]

Oh, good one.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

Naji Marshall, who. I mean, honestly, he might be. I don't know if he's in their top three right now, but he's been one of them.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Let's do a quick investigation before we submit this one. Okay. Look at the Dallas Mavericks roster.

[Zena]

I think he is one of their three.

[George]

I think he's their top three. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. He's been pretty damn good this year.

[Dave DeFore]

Look, are we.

[Zena]

We're not counting Kyrie, Right? Obviously, Kyrie doesn't.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. I just think about Naji, like, I like the warriors at the deadline. If they could have gotten Naji Marshall. Oh, what a game changer for that team. Right. He's that kind of player, so. But he might be too good on the maps now that I'm sitting here thinking about it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I would.

[Zena]

I would veto this. I would.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

That'S fine.

[George]

I'm ready.

[Dave DeFore]

I'm gonna go with Peyton Watson. Oh, okay. Is that a safe one?

[George]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Or has he surpassed Aaron Gordon? I think.

[George]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. Peyton Watson, we know what he's done this year. Obviously, the, you know, the off the dribble stuff that we're seeing from him. The defense started making threes. I think, you know, this is a guy who he looks like. I mean, this is an NBA starter, and. Yeah, I'm happy to have him. Very lucky to be able to get him this late in the draft. I can't believe that s. Didn't take him.

[Zena]

I have.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

I was debating about a Nuggets player, but I wasn't sure.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. All right. Yeah, I know. Tough.

[Zena]

I feel like there's.

[Dave DeFore]

Rudy's too good. I need a center, guys. You guys have. You do gotten, like, all the good centers.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Rudy's made the all star team.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

And it's, like, in talks for, like, deploy. It's like. Sorry. No.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Yeah.

[George]

Oh, there's two good centers that you could. You could pick up.

[Dave DeFore]

How about Nemas Keda?

[George]

I knew it. That was the one I was gonna say.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I'm gonna take him. I'm going for like. Yeah, I'm gonna have like, the team. And Jaylen Suggs is what it's looking like right now. Just. Just give me a bunch of guys who are popping off. Look again, this. He's one of the reasons why I'm kind of high on Joe Missoula for coach of the year. The development stuff that they've been doing this season alongside of the outperforming expectations. That's hard. How often does that happen where you, where you see them developing young players and still having a better season than expected, you know, missing, missing their best player. So. Yeah, I, I'll go with that. That's a fun team for me.

[Zena]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Also, it blocks Xena from getting him.

[George]

I. Yeah, I mean, she has Mitch Robinson. I got Mitch Robinson. I. I got Mitch Robinson.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Listen, Dave, that's a lot of talk for the worst center on this list. Okay. All right, you're up next.

[George]

I'm through.

[Dave DeFore]

I'm gonna sell it.

[George]

Not too much on Katan. All right. I am going to get me Dylan Harper.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oh, man. Okay.

[Zena]

Okay. That's fair.

[Dave DeFore]

Wow.

[Zena]

I think that's entirely fair.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I like that. That's a. That's. I mean, that's a great. Okay, defensive group right there. Offensively, it'll be.

[George]

I've got to put the ball in the basket.

[Zena]

I've got my value pick here, and I'm very happy about it.

[Dave DeFore]

Wants to jump on and simulate this, you know.

[Zena]

So you guys talked about how Rudy Gobert is, is not a role player, huh?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Thank you for making that distinction for me because obviously it's Julius Randall, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards. So I'm going to take Jaden McDaniels here.

[Dave DeFore]

Whoa.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay. Oh, let's, let's, let's have a ruling here.

[Zena]

Debatable.

[George]

Yo, that's how. All right.

[Dave DeFore]

What? How many? You guys said three roleplays.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right.

[Zena]

Yeah, I know.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay, Right.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Chat let us know you're ruling Julius Randall.

[Dave DeFore]

Julius Randall is nearly an All Star this season.

[Zena]

Guys, the rules are.

[George]

I kind of respect this choice.

[Dave DeFore]

I think Jaden's a good pick.

[George]

I do, too. I do, too.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I do too. I, I oftentimes, though, I'll say this. Jaden can be their second best and has been their best player on many, many nights. Sure.

[George]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Just like Sandro Mamu Kailashvili can be the Raptors second best player on any given.

[George]

Right, right.

[Zena]

We're not putting them in the stuff.

[Dave DeFore]

That's right. Best player.

[Zena]

That's right.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

And just for clarity, S for Toronto. Scotty Brandon.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

That's Mamu.

[George]

Probably. Is it Mama? Was it rj?

[Zena]

I. I would say.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I mean, it's gotta be rj, right?

[George]

I'm just saying.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[George]

I wanted to make. I wanted to make sure our resident Toronto Raptors.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

You're cool.

[George]

Cool, cool, cool.

[Dave DeFore]

By the way, I thought about Jaden McDaniels before. I was like. In my head, I'm like, he's not. He's not a role player. But he is.

[George]

He is a role player.

[Zena]

The rules you guys made, the role players.

[George]

Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[George]

I like it.

[Dave DeFore]

See?

[Zena]

Better.

[Dave DeFore]

Better to, you know, ask for forgiveness than permission.

[Zena]

Sure.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Zena]

That's fair.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I'm gonna take Keldon Johnson.

[Zena]

Okay, good.

[George]

Oh, good.

[Dave DeFore]

Hey, does he remind anyone else of Boris Diao?

[Zena]

No.

[Dave DeFore]

He's playing.

[GNC Ad Voice]

No.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Watch how he uses his body a little bit.

[Dave DeFore]

He's a very good athlete. But watch how he uses his body. And his footwork is there thick.

[George]

The footwork down low is there for the Boris comparison. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't mean he plays like him, but he just kind of.

[Zena]

He has. He has the body.

[George]

Body type.

[Dave DeFore]

Well, no, he moves like him, too, a little bit. I feel like he ducks underneath guys just as much as he comes over top. It's. I don't know. He's fun guy to watch. I love. I love when he's out there.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Like a bumper car is a basketball player.

[Andrew Schlecht]

And he's just a fun person as well.

[George]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He's good energy, which helps. Okay, where do we land on Peyton Pritchard?

[Zena]

I think he's their third best player this season. Yeah.

[George]

Yeah, I agree, too.

[Dave DeFore]

It's brown, white, and Pritchard.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I just want to make sure that I'm not passing him up because he has been phenomenal.

[Zena]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

This season I'm trying. I need a wing badly. I need, like, a. A big wing badly.

[George]

Same.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Is Andrew Wiggins a role player?

[Dave DeFore]

Yes.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I don't know.

[Dave DeFore]

Is he?

[George]

Wait, wait, wait.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Hold on, hold on.

[George]

Norman.

[Dave DeFore]

Bam.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Bam.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. Bam.

[Zena]

Hero.

[George]

Oh, gasp. Yes. That's a good one.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay, I'm gonna. I'm gonna take Andrew Wiggins.

[Dave DeFore]

That's a good pick. That's a good pick.

[George]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Zena]

S. I'm, like, pulling up rosters now. Just.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Help chat. Who are we missing? There's going to be some egregious misses here.

[Dave DeFore]

I think I've got my next pick. I'm just praying now for.

[Zena]

For availability purposes.

[Dave DeFore]

Hold on.

[Zena]

Let me just double check this.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Don't worry. Patrick Williams will be there, Dave. Don't worry.

[Dave DeFore]

Gosh. Every single time he shoots. Every time. I just. I have this tick now from him shooting.

[Zena]

How do you guys feel about Cedric Coward?

[Dave DeFore]

He's gonna be like a cornerstone player. Yeah, I don't think that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Get out of here, bro.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

How do you feel about Cooper flag?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, get out of here, bro.

[Zena]

Okay, so I am gonna go with Tumani Kamara.

[George]

Oh, I like it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

The paparazzi. Okay. I like that.

[George]

I like it a lot.

[Zena]

I like Kamara.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. Feeling. Feeling better and better, Dave. Little better and better.

[Zena]

You know what?

[Dave DeFore]

Actually, let me.

[George]

Is it my go now?

[Zena]

Can I change my pick?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[George]

I'm not ready.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I'm not ready.

[Zena]

I'm gonna go with Nas Reed.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You.

[Zena]

I. I knew. I knew Dave was trying to do it. I knew Dave was trying to do it, so I came in and stole it. Two Timberwolf players on my role player.

[Dave DeFore]

This is what it looks like inside NBA front offices during the draft, by the way. It's.

[Zena]

You're like.

[George]

You mother.

[Dave DeFore]

No, Like Captain Kirk yelling for kh. Which. Hey, by the way, if you guys are not watching Hornets games.

[George]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Eric Collins calling con canipple threes is so fun.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's a life.

[Dave DeFore]

It's amazing.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It is.

[Dave DeFore]

We gotta get. Look, if you're. If you're around the Hornets, tell Eric Collins we said what's up? I'm gonna. We gotta email them. I think that guy should hang on the show.

[Zena]

Yeah, that'd be awesome. Yeah, we could get him to intro the show, you know, that would be sick.

[Dave DeFore]

Thanks, S.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, we've needed an upgrade on that for a while. If we could just get somebody to do it with more gusto, we could.

[Zena]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

You know what?

[Andrew Schlecht]

That might.

[Dave DeFore]

I can do it. I can deliver that. Everybody, for real, stay tuned. Tomorrow's episode, I'll have a special intro. I'll have a special guest intro.

[Zena]

I like it. Okay, what do you got?

[George]

I am struggling. I need a wing, but this isn't the best option. I feel like I'm forgetting someone. All right, I think I just gotta do it. I'm. I don't love this pick, and I want to love my pick, but I'm gonna go with Jaylon Tyson.

[Zena]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Jalen Tyson. Okay.

[George]

I need a shooter.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

He's 47 from three. Like. Yeah, yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

I also. I like. I like how young my team is. Our whole team. I mean, a Lot of these guys are. Are young. Yeah. It just goes to show, like, you know, again, there's more opportunity there for these young guys, I think, now.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right.

[Zena]

By the way, George, freelance writing network has said. Can't believe nobody's taken Derrick White yet. Derek White. Not a rule.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Not a role player in the All Star discussion. Sorry.

[George]

No, no, no.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, he's the second best player.

[Zena]

Second best player on the Celtics right now.

[George]

Yes, absolutely.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's the rule. Yes, George. All right.

[George]

Welcome, George. Welcome.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Glad to have you, George. Shout out to George. All right, Dave, you got. You got your last two picks here.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, my God, this is tough. Last two picks.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Last two picks of the role player draft.

[George]

Let me get my life together. Let me get my life. So I'm not getting things.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Get your life together?

[Dave DeFore]

You mean, like I am? There's.

[Zena]

There's one guy that I'm pretty sure you guys will get mad at if I draft.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I can't wait to get mad at you one more time during this s.

[George]

It's a lot going on. Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Can't wait.

[George]

This is gonna be like Danny Abdia, technically, Jenny Abdia.

[Andrew Schlecht]

If you look at the. The kinds of shots you take. No. All right, Dave, we've. We're stalling for you now, dude.

[Dave DeFore]

How about, you know what.

[Andrew Schlecht]

What?

[Dave DeFore]

Ultimate role player. Josh Hart.

[Zena]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay. We see your power four, man.

[George]

That's a good one.

[Dave DeFore]

He is.

[Zena]

Your team isn't scoring at all.

[Dave DeFore]

No, but neither are you. Yeah, exactly.

[Zena]

Yeah, they'll be.

[Dave DeFore]

You don't know who my two guard is yet.

[Zena]

That's true. That you're gonna take Cam Thomas, you know.

[Dave DeFore]

No, no, no.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He's the superstar on the Bucks right now. That is.

[Dave DeFore]

That's right.

[George]

Well, he had four points the other night, so he's working.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Let him ramp up. Let him ramp up.

[George]

Oh, yeah, you're right. You're right, you're right.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay, you know what? I'm gonna take Reed shepherd as my 2.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wow.

[Dave DeFore]

We're drafting for need here, so that.

[George]

Means we're putting on men as a role player. Cool. Cool. You take that. I got. I meant.

[Dave DeFore]

Wait.

[Zena]

No, no, no.

[George]

Okay, my bad, my bad. I messed that up. I messed that up.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Well, now we have a place to pick at, Dave. That's. Okay. Now it's just like.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I can cover it up.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Hunt Reed Shepherd. Hunt him.

[George]

Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So Reed is a role player. I meant his top three.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[George]

Got it. Okay. Okay.

[Zena]

That helps one guy.

[George]

Yeah, exactly.

[Zena]

Yeah.

[George]

So you're good. You're locked in sure.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

Let me get Jabari.

[Dave DeFore]

It's a good pick.

[George]

Yeah, That's a good Jabari.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

Javari Smith, by the way, Kelly talked about this on the show this morning. Kelly Eco Jabari at the Five. I would like to see much more of that the second half of the year.

[George]

We saw some. We saw some earlier this last year. We saw some a little bit earlier this season. Yeah, he's. I think that would be a solid pick. And you know what? We actually talked about this last year when Kevin Durant came over.

[Zena]

Yep.

[George]

That this could be more of an opportunity for him. But. Yeah, we just don't know. It's the banging down low when he gets up against some.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. He can't. You can't do it against Jokic.

[George]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He doesn't have a ton of experience doing it, which is a little. Which kind of stinks that they didn't whenever he was younger. Yeah. It's like, just, like, put him in the fire when you, like. You're terrible anyways.

[Zena]

Yeah. Why not?

[Dave DeFore]

Just.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Why are you not, like, giving him an opportunity there? Okay.

[Zena]

I think Jabari will be, like. He feels like a guy that will eventually get traded from the Rockets and have a resurgence of sorts.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, the thing is, he's good. Right.

[Zena]

And he's very important to them in the playoffs.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Like, he was awesome last year.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He's good.

[Dave DeFore]

I would even say there's a lot of. Like, he shows a lot of maturity when he plays for a guy drafted as high as he is. Like, he accepts the role that he's given.

[George]

He doesn't do too much.

[Dave DeFore]

Smith.

[George]

Yeah, same.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, yeah, he's good.

[Zena]

Okay. I'm gonna give the pick that will make you guys mad first. You guys will reject it, and then I have two other options here afterwards. VJ Edgecomb.

[George]

No. What? No. How. Wait, hold on. Let's think about this.

[Dave DeFore]

No, he's better. He's better than Paul George.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Right. If you want to pick Paul George, go ahead.

[George]

Joel Embiid.

[Zena]

No, I'm not.

[George]

BJ Edgecombe.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, it's. It's okay.

[George]

I just.

[Zena]

I wanted to see if the name brand of Paul George was enough to sway you.

[George]

The snow.

[Andrew Schlecht]

The stove is hot ass. And you touched it. All right.

[Zena]

Okay. Okay. All right. Now I have two options left. One of them is from the Raptors. One of them is from the Spurs. I'm going to take the guy from the Spurs, Devin Vassell.

[George]

Oh, he was my. He was on my list, too.

[Zena]

That's a good one.

[Dave DeFore]

Devin Vesel, they missed him when he was out.

[Zena]

Yeah, they missed him a bunch. And I think he's really important to them in the playoffs, too. Like, he might catapult him. He's one of those guys also similar to Jada McDaniels where like on any given night he could be their second best player. So.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Sure. Yeah. Yeah, that's true.

[Dave DeFore]

By the way, Duncan Robinson hadn't been picked yet. Wouldn't be a bad one.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Are you suggesting that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's cool. That's cool. Not my kind of. Not my kind of guy.

[Zena]

Who is the spurs third, by the way? I would say step on Castle.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I don't think it's. I would say at this point it's not particularly close in like a year or two. Who knows?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, right.

[Zena]

And by the way, if it's not Stefan Castle, I would like to take Stephen Castle as this final pick then.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You know, I mean. Yeah, I mean, I. Yes. I would have taken him like second if, if he was available. Okay. Final pick in the role player draft. I just think this is. He's the quintessential role player. I'm a little bit surprised that he just hasn't been taken. And it's going to make me the ultimate homer. But like Alex Caruso.

[Dave DeFore]

Alex Caruso needs to be on.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Needs to be mentioned on this. He's just, he just makes your team work. Like the Thunder don't win the title last year without him. It just doesn't happen. He can kind of do whatever you need him to do. He can guard. He can guard Jokic if you need him to. And he can guard the opposing point guard. He can, he can be a.

[Dave DeFore]

He can guard Wemby.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He can. He guards Wemby. I mean, there's just.

[Zena]

Yeah, I really like my team.

[Dave DeFore]

He's great.

[George]

I like my team, too.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right, let us know what you think about our teams. Who, who won?

[Zena]

Should we draft a six man real quick?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Do we want to? Yeah. Yeah, sure.

[Dave DeFore]

Do we?

[George]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Why not? Six man.

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[Andrew Schlecht]

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[Zena]

I will. I will oblige the chat and pick Dennis Jenkins.

[George]

Oh, congratulations. You just converted, by the way, over to a full contract.

[Zena]

Dennis has been awesome, by the way.

[George]

He has been awesome all season. He was huge in the stretch where they were trying to figure out Jaden Ivy coming back. What's going on? Yeah, he's. He's been a nice floor setter. Am I supposed to go next? Oh, God, I wasn't ready for a six, man.

[Dave DeFore]

I got someone in the chat that says we don't know ball. I don't know, man.

[George]

We're casuals. Here we go. Thanks so much, Sean. Michael.

[Dave DeFore]

I do basketball famously. Very casually.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, yeah, it's a kids show, y'. All.

[George]

Guys, guys, guys. This is tough. I was not ready for this.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Do we.

[George]

Well, no. Anthony Davis is now gone.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You know what?

[George]

Thanks, Dave. I'm just gonna go ahead and do Duncan.

[Zena]

I like Duncan for you. Yeah, that's good.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, me too. You know what? I'm gonna lean into chaos and I'm gonna take Tari Eason because I need another guy that's kind of like Josh Hart, but bigger.

[Zena]

Just defense first.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wow.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Just chaos and a great teammate. He and Dort got into it the other day. Dort was going to help Kevin Durant get up, and Tari runs over and just smacks his hand. And it was like, no, don't you dare. And then he pulls KD up and then they went back and forth. And I was sitting courtside, so I got to hear all of the mean words they said to each other, and it was very fun. So that's funny.

[Zena]

Let's do a seventh man.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Let's go ahead and do it.

[George]

Let's do a full roster at this point.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Do a 10 man roster. Start naming. Naming guys. All right, let's just name.

[Dave DeFore]

How about historical role players, you know, like Vinnie Microwave Johnson. I. I need that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right, let us know what team you like the most. We're here on YouTube and so you can go to. To YouTube and check out. If you go to live is. Sometimes these videos can be hard to find, but if you go to live, you'll see it there. First click on it and then you can kind of see all the names out there. Let us know in the YouTube comments what team you like the best. You can also comment on Spotify, and if you're still listening on the athletic app, you can comment there as well. So let us know who you like best. I'll. I'll read them out for our podcast listeners. So Dave has Jalen Suggs, Reed Shepherd, Peyton Watson, Josh Hart, Namayus Kada, and Tari Eason. Zena has Anthony Black, Dylan Harper, Jalen Tyson, Jabari Smith, Mitchell Robinson, and Duncan Robinson. Ooh, two Robinson. Two Robinsons. We have S with A.J. mitchell, Devin Vassell, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reed, Jared Allen, and Dennis Jenkins.

[Dave DeFore]

That's a pretty good team.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's a good team.

[Zena]

Thank you.

[Dave DeFore]

That's pretty good team.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Good team.

[Zena]

S. It would have been better if I could have taken Vijay Edgecombe.

[Dave DeFore]

I would say that my team or.

[Zena]

Andrew struggle to score.

[Dave DeFore]

Andrew's team would have some trouble scoring. Your team probably doesn't.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, your team would score.

[Dave DeFore]

I think Zenith's team could score. Probably outscore my team. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Zena]

And no. And nobody is scoring on.

[Dave DeFore]

My team is fighting, though. I will say my guys, they are gonna fight.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You haven't. You have like three ejections happening.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Zena]

You should have taken Isaiah Stewart.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Oh, that would have. Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

But that's seven game suspension that he just got.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Played a factor in keeping him, you know, out of the draft.

[Andrew Schlecht]

My team, Casey Wallace, Alex Caruso, Andrew Wiggins, Keldon Johnson, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Mikhail Bridges. With Isaiah Hartenstein as my point guard, by the way. So.

[George]

All right, people that are left in the green room that like, yeah, you could have been there for me. I just thought about this, like, Colin Gillespie, like.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, he's good.

[George]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Colin Glass, he might be the third best. No, no, I won't go.

[Dave DeFore]

No.

[George]

Yeah, yeah, we can't go that far. But yeah, he's. He's someone I would leave in the green room. Like, we're gonna call you next week, son.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. You know, next time we do one.

[Dave DeFore]

Of these, I'd like to do a Hoopers draft where we just draft teams of Hoopers. I like, right? Because like, for me, I. I would like Bryce Sensibaugh on my team just.

[Andrew Schlecht]

For aesthetic sensible is the first Hooper you think of. That's. That's. That's awesome.

[Dave DeFore]

I just saw his name and I was like, ah, I just would like to have that guy on my team.

[Zena]

Yeah, I'm gonna get a lot of heat for not picking any of the Raptors in Mamu or Emmanuel quickly. But.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oh, no, you're not for quickly.

[Dave DeFore]

I think Mahmu's the third best player, so that's why I didn't take him.

[George]

You know what's, what's, what's hilarious about this is we the same person that, you know, called us casuals for just called con cannibal a role player. So.

[Dave DeFore]

Exactly.

[George]

At this point, we've got to just move on with the conversation, right?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, yeah, we'll move on.

[Dave DeFore]

Should we. Should we talk about the suspension?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I was gonna say bit of news dropped that we did not have on the show this morning because it came out just like an hour ago as we're recording this. But the suspensions came across from the NBA. Isaiah Beef Stewart with seven games.

[Zena]

I'm shocked it's not more honest.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I kind of am too.

[Dave DeFore]

Seven is a lot. Seven a lot for the NBA. That is a ton.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. For the, for the Adam Silver era, seven is a lot.

[Dave DeFore]

Sure. But, like, I didn't think he would get more than five, so I actually think seven is. Is pretty.

[George]

Yeah.

[Zena]

Really?

[George]

I thought be like 15.

[Zena]

Like, that's how. Just because.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, leaving the bench.

[Zena]

Leaving the bench. We've seen that be. Historically.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's already like. Yeah, that's already like a one or two games.

[Zena]

And what's it called? The fact that he's obviously done this more.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Repeat offender.

[Zena]

Repeat offender, if you will.

[George]

That sounds really intense.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I like.

[Zena]

I know.

[Dave DeFore]

I agree.

[Zena]

I agree.

[Dave DeFore]

Let's just say he has replaced.

[George]

Has done it before.

[Zena]

Let's just say has experience in this.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's okay. I think it's okay. Listen, we need S. As the commissioner. I. That's. I'm voting S. As commissioner because he's.

[Zena]

Like, I would drop the ball.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Zena]

I don't know if I would be David Stern, but I mean, I. I think I would, like, do like 10 games.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. See, that feels like justice. That feels like justice right there. Thanks. S. Miles Bridges with four games. Musa Diabate, four games. And then Jalen during two games, which.

[Dave DeFore]

I think I was actually surprised by Duran.

[Zena]

Sure.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Because I would say I thought maybe Duran would be one game. Oh, because he was ejected too. Right. Like, of. Of the four guys, I feel like Duran did the least. But also the mush in the face. So he kind of.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He helps start it. I think that you gotta, like, give him like, one for starting it and then one for like, one of his swings maybe. But yeah, I think it's fine.

[Dave DeFore]

But yeah, one first swing.

[Zena]

Wow. If that's the case, I'd be swinging all the time.

[Dave DeFore]

But if you connect, it's more.

[Zena]

Right.

[Dave DeFore]

So if you're good at it.

[George]

You know what, I'm just gonna say this.

[Dave DeFore]

James Johnson ain't out there fighting nobody.

[George]

No.

[Dave DeFore]

You ever noticed that?

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's true. Everybody's. But everybody is very measured.

[George]

He's very measured.

[Dave DeFore]

Now, Beef suit boxed right now. That's the. He's the exception to the rule. That's a whole different thing.

[George]

But I think that there was something to be said about, you know, the just. I don't know who all the decision makers were in the room to make these suspensions, but one thing about men, especially the mush in the face, I feel like if there was a roundtable, there was a man was. And it was like one game for Jalen Duran, someone was like, mush. That's disrespectful. Absolutely. Yeah.

[Zena]

He's going to be in the All Star Game still, by the way. They're still allowing him to.

[Dave DeFore]

Well, yeah, I'm not surprised by that. But though, either way, you know, you what could fix the All Star Game, let's flex, schedule the next Pistons Hornets game and play that on Sunday instead because everyone would tune in to watch that right now. That game was awesome. And then it had, you know, obviously this explosiveness. Say, all right, temporary un suspension for everybody. Load them up, get out to Intuit. Hornets versus Fist and Sunday. Yeah, be amazing.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You know what would fix the All Star Game is if we stopped trying to freaking fix the All Star Game. Just play east versus west, put them in cool jerseys. Either the game is good or it's not. There is not any fixing of it. It says it is.

[Dave DeFore]

Yep.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It is insane the amount of effort and mental energy the league spends on this. And listen, nobody cares. Nobody really cares.

[Dave DeFore]

The NFL has given up on their Pro Bowl. They play flag football smart.

[Zena]

You know what the issue is? The NBA had something with their All Star Weekend and now the.

[Andrew Schlecht]

The.

[Zena]

It's like it's dried up.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's because of the slam dunk contest. It's because they can't get anybody good to do the slam dunk contest. It has nothing to do with the game itself.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

I think there's also something to be said about the fact that all of the dunks, the act like the athleticism and they've been done right. Like the things that we used to see at All Star Weekend that were just amazing and astonishing are now being done on a. I don't want to say nightly basis, but pretty regularly see.

[Dave DeFore]

Them all over TikTok. Or Instagram.

[George]

Yeah, you see them all the time. And there's all these influencers that aren't NBA players that are doing these things. There's literally a dunk contest show with Shaq and the guys that are doing it are like 5, 6, 5, 8.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You know what I mean?

[George]

So it's like you don't get the same all that you typically got before. To me, I think about the content that I was always like, oh man, how cool would it be to be there? The Team USA competitions, them going around with a camera and playing horse, Right? Like that was fun to watch. Anthony Edwards get all excited about if he could make the same shot that like Stephen Curry just made or Drew Holiday. Like that kind of content, that kind of stuff. If they created some sort of like.

[Zena]

They had Horse shout out to Ray John Rondo with the spin.

[George]

Yeah, yeah. So like bring back horse. What's the. What's the game where you shoot behind the person, try to make it.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, knockout.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Knockout.

[Zena]

Thank you.

[George]

Like bring back the childhood games and let these unbelievable NBA players that we don't think about in that context of the game, of the childlike aspect of the game, bring them back into the childlike aspect of the game.

[Dave DeFore]

I have a better idea than.

[Zena]

I'll just say, man, can we just. One sec. Can we just commit to a one on one tournament? I know people will not be down, but make it high stakes. Take away everything else. Forget the All Star game, whatever. Make the All Star Game a one on one tournament. If you want to put a million dollar pot down, I don't care what it is, but that if they really wanted to save this thing and save.

[Andrew Schlecht]

In quotation marks, I mean. Well, we see, we've seen it with the cup is like the thing that would save it is if they would just pay the players to. To win.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, to win.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's it. If you pay the players.

[Dave DeFore]

What if we did it?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Fixes it? Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Let's do American Gladiators east versus West. Okay. Like take away the basketball, have them do random like Ninja Warrior.

[Zena]

No NBA front office signs up on that, but I'd love that.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, that's where we're heading, right? With these iterations.

[George]

Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

How about. Okay, if we're doing that, why don't we just do NBA players do beast games? Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't know what that is.

[Andrew Schlecht]

We just go. We just go. We just go all in. NBA players. They already have Mr. Beast involved in this one somehow. Like they did.

[George]

That's true.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's like, just do Beast games. All right. Just do Beast games. That's all you got to do. That's where we're headed anyways.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, this is a good idea. What if it was like unrivaled shout out to also.

[George]

I was gonna say soon, buddy.

[Zena]

Isn't that what they do though? The one on one tournament.

[George]

I was gonna say. I'm plugging it for this week. The one on one tournament starts tonight actually right in unrivaled and will culminate on February 14th. So definitely check it out. And it is fun. They've changed up their format this year. Last year was a little bit messy where guards were going up against bigs in the first rounds and it was just unfair. So now there's pockets. It's going to be guards versus guards and then big versus bigs and then you get to the final rounds and you'll see what happens. But it is fun.

[Zena]

Yeah, I would like to like, I feel like there is so much there for the end.

[Dave DeFore]

I just think they could do a East versus west game and everyone could get on with their lives.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. And just. Yeah, just. Just give the winners money.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Just make it east versus West. All the other things are just like, it's not going to work. If you did one on one tournaments. It's going to be like, oh, man, the. The guys who have signed up is like Peyton Pritchard versus AJ Mitchell. Tune in for All Star 1v1 tournament.

[Dave DeFore]

It's like, who is in the dunk contest?

[George]

Keyshawn Johnson.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, Carter Bryant. I think between the four of us, we should know all four. But I can't remember. Right. No one, no one's gonna care.

[Andrew Schlecht]

They are names of people that we rarely say.

[Zena]

See, this is, this is my thing. Like, how could they not pay money to get VJ Edgecomb to do the. All to do the dunk?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Sure.

[Dave DeFore]

Or I mean, like LeBron never doing it in his career. Like, and I don't want to put it on LeBron, but going from, you know, Michael Jordan doing the. The dunk contest to has Anthony Edwards.

[Zena]

Done the dunk contest? I don't think.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, no, he does the whole dunking hurts thing and he doesn't like it.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

That's silly to me.

[Dave DeFore]

This is, I will say this is why it's cool that Damian Lillard's in the three point contest. Yeah, I like it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's. The three point contest is low stakes for these guys, though.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, exactly. No, no, but I'm saying, though, like, the dunk contest should have some star power. The three point contest, they didn't have enough people. And Damien, they're going to put Damian Lillard.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wait, they didn't have enough people. That can't be true.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't think they were going to have enough names that were going to do the three point contest. Yeah, I think Damian Lillard is a great name to throw in there. And also again, it's an All Star game.

[George]

What sucks is that even if you do do a crazy dunk, if you don't have the name recognition behind it, it's. You still don't get the same level of like awe and excitement around it. Like, if Modest was zealous last year, put up something like this, did the exact same dunk that we saw, you know, Aaron Gordon or Zach Levine do. Or like what we would have. It still just wouldn't have had the same weight to it because it's like we don't think of Madison like one of the great dunk evers.

[Zena]

That's, that's why I think like star power matters in the dunk contest.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena]

And like you need to get guys like Aaron for what?

[Dave DeFore]

Aaron Gordon and Zach Levine. Yes. I agree.

[George]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Because sometimes you get those guys.

[Zena]

They were Zach Levine and Aaron Gordon at the very least were guys that were on the map in.

[Dave DeFore]

You guys gonna make me go D Brown? Yeah. Okay.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Sometimes you got some good and special. But there were other guys in that dunk contest. And also it just felt different. And part of it is there's. And there's so much stuff happening during the broadcast for sure that it just, it feels like the dunk contest, it doesn't even matter at all. None of this stuff does.

[Zena]

You know, it's all just the other aspect. And the unspoken to this is they make these players do so much stuff throughout this weekend that it's not even really a break.

[Dave DeFore]

That was a marketing event.

[Zena]

It's more of a. It's more of a sprint for them. And so by the time you get to Sunday, it's like, why am I even playing in this ridiculous non contest of a game.

[Dave DeFore]

If they didn't care as much about money? The All Star game could be fun and the entire like, you know, it could be like rock and jock. Right. Make it fun. I. I just don't think it needs to be competitive.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Like it.

[Dave DeFore]

There's this whole. I don't know. It's a weird.

[George]

Let me just. I want to take. I want to take a step back because I think there's. There's two Ways to look at this one. You just said if they didn't care so much about money. Let's just be real. The NBA cares about money, but the players do too.

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[George]

The All Star weekend is an opportunity for these players to capitalize on so many ventures that they're doing. They're launching shoes, they're launching books, they're doing panels. They're getting. This is their opportunity to market themselves as well.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

So to me, there's. There's. There's conflicting, like, there's conflicting aspiration basically, between both groups of. NBA wants to show something for the fans. The players want to show something for their own brands. Yeah. That's why I think this is actually better postseason when you're not doing this in the middle of the season, where players feel like, wait, I need rest. Or if I'm not resting, I need to be making money. And if the NBA is not supplying that money, then why do I. Why would I, you know, allocate my resources, my time, my energy towards doing something out of what I want to do, like the dunk contest or whatever it is, or even putting forth effort on the All Star Game? I think there's something to be said about what the NFL is doing at the end of the season. Guys are having fun. It's more chill. You even saw during the Pro bowl, the guys were way more relaxed, even with the media and the way that they address things or talked about things or were having fun on the floor. I feel like the middle of the season is where it gets a little bit iffy. Things. Too much things are happening at that time, and it's just asking for a lot.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't think guys will. I mean, they already have a hard time getting guys to play in the middle of the season. I don't think they're going to play at summer league or anything.

[George]

Sure.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[George]

What if. Oh, yeah. I never.

[Dave DeFore]

That's the hard part. I mean, there's also. There's too many games. There's like, it's. It's a culmination of 8 million things. Right.

[George]

I know.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[George]

I was just thinking, could they do it between, mean, the playoffs? But your stars are in the playoffs.

[Zena]

The one pitch is the NBA cup finals is the All Star weekend. So you have it be this like, you have it lead up to an NBA cup showdown between these two teams.

[George]

Has enough pass, though. Like, has enough.

[Dave DeFore]

But as a GM of a team that just had a poor draft, I'll just say my team making the NBA cup finals, that means we have less rest coming out of the All Star break. I don't like that. Do you see like this is how this stuff is negotiated and I just. It doesn't need to be fixed.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Just.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, it just needs to be fun.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Just do east versus west and if you can get the money to pay the players who win, then pay the players who win and just leave.

[George]

If you pay the players, they will not be spending their time elsewhere trying to get money and allocating their time.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Elsewhere where they will just play hard game. Yeah. Just. Yeah. All right. Let us know what your solution is and I'll say it doesn't need fix.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay, I'll let you know. We'll say doesn't matter.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

Doesn't matter what matter?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Listen, Adam Silver doesn't care what you have to say. Okay. That's what I'll tell you. He doesn't care. Okay. I hope everybody's doing well and appreciate you guys tuning into the morning shoot around. Please do leave in the comments whose team, whose role player team you think is best and we will talk to you guys again next week.

[Dave DeFore]

Be nice.

[Zena]

That new thing.

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