Who should the Sixers take in the NBA Draft? + Thunder Rolling | Slam N Jam

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Athletic NBA Daily – "Who should the Sixers take in the NBA Draft? + Thunder Rolling | Slam N Jam"

Release Date: May 24, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily's "Saturday Slam and Jam," hosts Andrew Claudio and Alex Spears welcome back Bryce Simon, a respected voice from the Game Theory Podcast and Pistons Pulse Podcast. The trio delves into pressing topics surrounding the NBA Draft and the ongoing NBA Playoffs, providing insightful analysis and engaging discussions for basketball enthusiasts.

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2. NBA Draft Analysis

a. Top Prospects: Ace Bailey and Others

The conversation kicks off with an in-depth analysis of the NBA Draft, focusing primarily on the pivotal third pick. Bryce Simon emphasizes that Ace Bailey remains his top choice for this position:

Bryce Simon [04:22]: "Ace Bailey is still third on my big board... I think that's still the guy you're going to find at 3."

Bryce underscores Bailey's versatility as a wing player with strong shot-making abilities and defensive potential, making him a valuable asset for any team looking to bolster their roster.

b. Potential Sixers Decisions

Discussing the Philadelphia 76ers' draft strategy, Bryce advocates for selecting Bailey, aligning with the team's current needs:

Bryce Simon [05:00]: "I think Philly should make this pick. Whether it's Ace or like, trust your scouts, but make this pick."

He warns against the team making uncharacteristic moves for established veterans, suggesting that prioritizing young talent like Bailey could be more beneficial in the long run, especially considering past injuries to key players like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

c. Player Development and Team Fit

The discussion shifts to Bailey's potential role within the NBA. Bryce compares his development path to that of Michael Porter Jr., suggesting that Bailey might initially serve as a secondary option to maximize his growth:

Bryce Simon [06:22]: "I would love to see Ace go somewhere where... he's just working on knocking down shots and defense... preparing to be a two-way wing down the road."

This strategy, Bryce argues, would allow Bailey to refine his skills without the immediate pressure of being the primary scoring option, fostering a more sustainable progression in his career.

d. Center Prospects: Clingan vs. Malawatch

Bryce provides a comparative analysis of two prominent center prospects, Clingan and Malawatch, highlighting their strengths and developmental concerns:

Bryce Simon [14:48]: "Clingan is just so strong... Common has high hips but struggles to catch the ball and finish at times."

He expresses reservations about Common Malawatch's ability to influence the game consistently on both ends of the floor, despite his promising defensive attributes.

e. Draft Day Surprises and Potential Falls

Anticipating potential surprises during the draft, Bryce mentions Jeremiah Fears as a player who might fall unexpectedly due to teams' shifting needs, particularly for point guards:

Bryce Simon [16:35]: "Jeremiah Fears is going to be one of the funnest names I think to watch... he has positional versatility."

He suggests that Fears' adaptability could make him an attractive pick for teams looking to enhance their guard rotation.

f. Impact of NIL on the Draft

Bryce touches upon the burgeoning impact of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights on draft decisions, noting how financial incentives might influence players' decisions to enter the draft or continue their collegiate careers:

Bryce Simon [21:38]: "There's some conversations around players staying for another year to capitalize on NIL deals."

This trend introduces a new layer of complexity for teams strategizing their draft selections, as they must now consider not only player talent and fit but also potential contractual negotiations influenced by NIL earnings.

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3. Playoff Series Insight

a. Thunder vs. Timberwolves Analysis

Transitioning to the NBA Playoffs, the hosts dissect the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryce shares his observations on the Thunder's dominance:

Bryce Simon [41:18]: "OKC defense is so good... they take you out of your flow and keep the offense off balance and guessing."

He critiques the Timberwolves' offensive struggles, particularly their inefficient three-point shooting, and praises the Thunder's strategic defensive adjustments that have stifled Minnesota's key players like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards.

b. Key Performances and Strategic Insights

Bryce highlights standout performances and strategic maneuvers, including the Thunder's effective usage of key players and their ability to disrupt Minnesota's offensive rhythm:

Bryce Simon [43:43]: "Andrew, I don't know that there is something specifically that's just going to really cause the Thunder issues, because they can match it."

He commends Coach D'Angelo Russell for his decision-making and maintaining the team's composure under pressure, which has been instrumental in OKC's success thus far in the series.

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4. Trivia Segment Highlights

A lively trivia segment ensues, where Andrew Claudio and Alex Spears challenge Bryce Simon with questions related to playoff statistics and player performances. Despite several stumbles, Bryce impressively answers questions about three-point shooting records and player triple-doubles, showcasing his deep knowledge of NBA playoff history.

Andrew Claudio [28:26]: "Steph Curry."

Bryce Simon [28:28]: "LeBron."

Although some answers didn't land correctly, the segment remains engaging, adding an entertaining layer to the episode.

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5. Personal Anecdotes

Bryce shares a memorable personal story about playing against Blake Griffin during his college years, providing listeners with a glimpse into his athletic journey:

Bryce Simon [26:38]: "We walked into the gym, and that dude is drenched in sweat... we got blasted by 40 and ended up on SportsCenter Top 10 about four times."

This anecdote underscores Bryce's firsthand experiences with high-profile NBA players, enriching the podcast's authenticity and relatability.

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6. Conclusion and Promotions

As the episode wraps up, Bryce expresses his appreciation for being part of the show and promotes his ongoing projects, including his involvement with Nick's Film School and the Pulse Game Theory podcast. He extends a heartfelt thanks to the hosts and encourages listeners to check out his work for deeper basketball insights.

Bryce Simon [75:58]: "I rearranged my schedule this morning so I could make this happen because I enjoy recording with you guys so much."

Additionally, the hosts encourage listeners to leave five-star reviews on Apple Podcast, highlighting the value and enjoyment derived from their discussions.

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Notable Quotes

• Bryce Simon [04:22]: "Ace Bailey is still third on my big board... I think that's still the guy you're going to find at 3."

• Andrew Claudio [28:26]: "Steph Curry."

• Bryce Simon [26:38]: "We got blasted by 40 and ended up on SportsCenter Top 10 about four times."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily delivers a comprehensive exploration of the NBA Draft's intricacies, coupled with a keen analysis of current playoff dynamics. Bryce Simon's expert insights, combined with engaging trivia and personal stories, make for a captivating listen. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual follower, this episode provides valuable perspectives on the ever-evolving landscape of professional basketball.

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For more in-depth analysis and updates, be sure to subscribe to The Athletic NBA Daily and follow their hosts and guests on their respective platforms.

Transcript

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[Andrew Claudio]

Welcome to the Saturday Slam and Jam here on the Athletic NBA Daily. On today's show, we're talking to Bryce Simon of the Game Theory Podcast Pistons Pulse podcast to discuss the NBA draft, the conference finals, and then we will do some triv. With me, as always, is my good friend Alex Spears. Alex, what's up?

[Alex Spears]

Hi, Andrew. Sorry, I just. I just took a big swig of water. Caught me mid swig.

[Andrew Claudio]

Okay, gotcha. Mid swig. And with us, Bryce Simon, who is one of my favorite people to listen to. If you're not listening to the game theory podcast, you should be somebody that knows a ton about the game, a ton about the draft and the playoffs, which is a. A pretty incredible combo. Let's be honest. There's not that many people that can do this. Bryce, welcome back to slam and Jam.

[Bryce Simon]

What's up, guys? Thanks for having me back. I appreciate you. Having me back is. Remember the first time you asked me on, I was like, man, this is kind of surreal, you know, being able to come on a podcast I've listened to for. For however long. And yeah, I used to be like, I don't know how people do this. Like, how do you know the draft in the NBA and all of this? And now I'm like, right in the middle of it, trying to do the best I can. So I'm excited to talk about this. And then, I mean, honestly, I'm just gon sleepwalk until the end where I'm super excited about trivia and making a fool of myself.

[Andrew Claudio]

Well, let's start with the draft. Most draft analysts see the third pick as the first potential pivot point of the draft. Who is currently third on your big board. And do you have any strong opinions about what Philly should do with that pick?

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. So a Ace Bailey is still third on my big board. I think he's probably the consent or I don't know if consensus might not be the right word. Yeah, in. In general, I think that's still the guy you're going to find at 3. I think you will find a mixture of opinions in terms of. Some people will say, like, Ace is definitely number three. For. We don't have to say it this way anymore. But if 30 different teams, any team that landed number three would draft ace Bailey. I don't know that that is the case for everybody, though. I think some people would have vj. Some people. You know who I think is a good riser in this range is Trey Johnson. I think he's done really well for himself late in the cycle here. Getting later in the cycle. You know, my guy Sam, he likes con can nipple a lot. He's a little higher on him than I am. I Just see Ace Bailey and still like, this is what the NBA is looking for in terms of a wing with shot making, some potential defense, all of that. So I'm still there at three. There's not many teams I probably wouldn't take Ace Bailey at three. Obviously it's Phillies. We know that now. And just to answer that question, I think. I think Philly should make this pick. Whether it's Ace or like, trust your scouts, but make this pick. Do you want to go make a move for an established vet? Not having. And I'd be pissed if I did that. And then Joel and PG come back and they're injured again and I missed out on getting a little bit younger with tyrese and Jared McCain and those guys. So I'm making this pick. If I'm Daryl Morey, I don't know what they'll do.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah, I kind of agree with that. Especially, you know, for everything that's gone wrong with Philly, they've actually done a pretty good job drafting, you know.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah.

[Alex Spears]

With. With Maxi McCain. So I kind of trust them too. I want to ask you about Ace Bailey's potential role in the NBA because there's some fans who view him as this high ceiling offensive star. Others see him thinking his eventual role might look something more like Michael Porter Jr. Do you think it would benefit his development to go to an established team like Philly where he would be put in a smaller role initially, or would going to a bad team benefit him because he would get a more immediate opportunity to develop the rest of his offense?

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, I actually think a team there. There's some things with Philly that I've had people tell me, like Bryce, I think you're missing some stuff here in terms of, you know, how processing and stuff like that and putting him in with that team. And that's a great point with the way they've drafted. Like Philly actually had a really nice draft last year between getting Jared McCain where they got him and even Justin Edwards.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah.

[Bryce Simon]

Is the guy they ended up getting and looks like maybe a rotation player. I think Ace. I would love to see Ace go somewhere where you said initially where, hey, go play this Michael Porter Jr. Ish, this Jabari Smith Jr. Ish type of role where other people create shots for you. You just working, work on knocking down shots. Do that, work on your defense, your all around game. Because that's the ceiling to me, guys, is this two way wing, not three and D wing, a two way wing. A guy that really guards, that makes defensive plays that can Rebound and then develop his strength in his lower body and all of that, where then he can do a little bit more two, three years down the road and maybe ends up being your second option. But I think if you thrust him in the second option, first option, early on in his career, that's where I'd be a little bit nervous about his progression and how successful he is.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, that makes sense. I think there's like, and there's two different philosophies on that. I think like, some people think, like, okay, guys need reps to figure out who they are, and then there's like, the guys need enough structure and, and you can see it, you can see it both ways. And I think it really just comes down to like, the, the ultimate potential of these guys and the ultimate potential of these players because I think, like, you can look at a guy that we'll talk about later. Case of Wallace for the Thunder has done so well in this kind of like, boxed in limited role, and they continue to kind of expand what he's doing and then like, and this, this doesn't seem like a great example right now, but if you think about who Jordan Poole was in his first year in the NBA, he was not a good NBA player. I mean, there were people saying that he is literally the worst player in the NBA. But he had that year where the warriors were terrible because of injuries, kind of spread his wings and kind of figure out who he was against NBA defenses, and he became a really good player in the league and is making a ton of money and, you know, helped them win a championship. And so I don't know, I, I, I don't know where I would lie with Ace himself. I think that you probably have a better idea. And I, I think the way that you described it sounds really good. I just think that it's interesting because there's just so many different paths you can take in the league.

[Bryce Simon]

And real quick, like with Philly, let's play Philly out. You're telling me there's not chances for him to be the number one option on a team where they're two of their three best players are going to miss how many games next year?

[Andrew Claudio]

Right?

[Bryce Simon]

And Tyrese maxey isn't playing 48 minutes a night. I mean, how many teams in the league don't have times where, hey, we could really use a guy to run the show when our best player is off the floor? What do we talk about with the Nuggets? How are they going to win the non yoke? How, how are they going to be neutral in the non yokich. Heck, the Oklahoma City Thunder is. You know, when you SJ is on the floor, you feel really good about the offense. Is J Dub gonna do what he needs to do in the non sga minutes? A name I'll throw out to you. Look at Trey Murphy iii, who I thought had a big breakout season this year in terms of like, hey, is this guy actually maybe a. A potential all star eventually? Potential number two, high level, number three option. Here's his usage percentage. 15, 6, 16, 6, 18, 7, 237 points per game. 5.4, 14 5, 14, 8, 21 2. What's wrong with progression that way? Like, why do guys have to come in and do it right away? Especially in my opinion where I'm not sure Ace is ready for that. Right? Like LeBron came in and he was ready, right? Victor came in and he was ready. Ace's team just went under.500 with the number two pick on it. Like, obviously he's not quite ready for that load, so why thrust him into that in the NBA? That's, that's how I feel about it.

[Andrew Claudio]

So who, who's your favorite star? Bet outside the top three. So if you were a team in desperate need of a star like, like the Jazz and they were wanting to swing for the fences, who is a guy that you would bet on as a star?

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, so I one, I think Trey Johnson is a great fit in Utah because of how they run their offense. I, I don't know that Trey is the answer to your question necessarily what you're asking. I do just want to say, like, I think Trey could be a high level secondary guy. I don't know how many primary guys are in this class outside of the top two. Right. Like, we all know Cooper. I think Dylan Harper is a run your team bucket getter, like primary option in, in his ceiling. Right? There are no sure things. Trey is really, really interesting as an off ball scorer, big time bucket getter. If he accepts that role, if he wants to play on the ball, I'm a little more nervous because the athleticism isn't there. Here's the fun name, guys, is Derek Queen. Derek Queen is a very, very fun name. So if you want to make me take a deep cut here, that dude, when you just watch that dude offensively, like if you want to talk upside, go the synergy, click on field goals made and whatever and you're like, this dude is a bucket off the bounce. He's got these moves, he's got a long first step, he draws fouls. And I'm like, I don't know if it works or not, but if you want to take a bet on an upside, like, offensive hub type of player, Derek Queen might be the name in this range.

[Andrew Claudio]

What's a comp for Queen that you like? Oh, the dreaded question to every draft analyst.

[Bryce Simon]

Oh, my gosh, I hate. Cause it's. It's always it, like. So let's see. Offensively, like, I don't know that he's like the passer that, like, those guys are. I think he's a good processor. I don't know that he's quite the passer of like. Nicola Jokic is my least favorite comp ever. Jokic and Draymond are like, if I hear somebody comp to those two guys, I'm like, I'm out. Those guys are like one of a kind of players. I'm trying to think like, I put a Nas Reed type of role is like his worst case. I'm trying to think of the. A big. That's that level of score in the way that Queen is able to attack. Maybe like a super. Like Nas, you know, like Nas Reed. He's not the shooter. Nas Reed is, though.

[Andrew Claudio]

But Naz Reed wasn't either coming into the NBA.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. Okay, so let me. Let me go through some of this stuff. Maybe you guys will come up with a name. Off the bounce. Has euros, bumps, floaters, left hand, finishes, draws foul, covers ground with his first step. Loves his spin move, has momentum off the catch with his cut, short rolls, dunkers. He's a quick finisher. So he's not an explosive guy. He is a high level processor. He'll short roll, catch everything. And then the jumper is a question, like, is that like, how does he.

[Alex Spears]

Compare to someone like Boogie?

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, that's. I think somebody had brought that one up. That Boogie was. Was an interesting comp for him. I don't know that he's as big as Boogie, though.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah, I don't think so.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, that's the thing. It's like he's just not quite as big. He. So he feels a little bit throwback to me. Yeah, I mean, he probably would have been like the number two pick if this were 2007 or something.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, and that's what I had somebody reach out to me with Queen was when his measurements came in, they were like, Bryce, I just want you to understand that this is below average for. Well below average for a five and like neutral at best for a four. And so there was some Concerns whenever the measurements came in in terms of the wingspan and the standing reach and. And some of that stuff. So.

[Alex Spears]

So it seems like every year there's a defense first seven footer in the lottery and there's this discussion about the value of taking that player high in the draft. Last year it was Clingan who at times was expected to go in the top three, but he eventually fell to Portland at seven. This year, it's Malwatch. How would you compare Clingan and Malwatch as center prospects? And do you buy into the high upside argument for Malawatch?

[Bryce Simon]

I did. Early in the cycle, I was super high. Like, Common was a guy. I thought so for people who like track this or I guess for people who don't, early on, this was a considered a top five draft. That's why when people talked about how good this draft was and they hung on to that notion for too long, it was Cooper Ace, Dylan, VJ and Nolan Treore. I thought Common was the guy that was going to break into that for me. Like when I first turned on the film, you know, right after last year's draft started, looking at the 2025, I'm like, I love this dude. This is my archetype player. And it just. He didn't show that upside. He hasn't shown the floor spacing and some of those skills. The defense is really interesting. He showed some movement on the defensive end. Obviously the size. I would say the biggest difference is like, Clingan is just so strong. Guys like, you just trust his base and the way he sets screens and holding up Common. I'm worried he gets rooted out and moved because he's so long. Sam's favorite thing to say is the high hips. Common has those high hips. And then the other thing is Common struggles to catch the ball at times. Like, it's a little Rudy Goberish, which, like watching Rudy in these playoffs have really like, man, like, he's not getting played off the court defensively. He can't do anything on the offensive end. Like, he never makes the other team pay because he doesn't catch the ball or doesn't finish or whatever. Common has some of that, whether it's rebounds or, you know, he'll. He'll have the highlight lob dunks. But I'm a little bit lower on Common because I think there's some of those worries and I'm a little less excited about the Upside, even though it sounds like he's gaining steam in general.

[Alex Spears]

Right, right, right.

[Andrew Claudio]

So as you've been doing mock Drafts. Are there any players projected in the lottery that you think could fall on draft night? Guys who have been like having trouble consistently finding good landing spots, you know?

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. Yeah. So Jeremiah Fears is going to be one of the funnest names I think to watch and what we've talked about over there. So if you go to the draft order through, okay, who are teams that could really use a point guard? Like especially a guy like Casperus. Yakoshones is a guy that I think you can play on or off the ball. So there's a little bit more positional versatility there. You don't have to draft him as only an on ball guy. It seems like there could be a breaking point for primary creators, true primary creators. After number eight with the Brooklyn Nets, obviously they could use one right as we sit here today.

[Andrew Claudio]

But like Toronto, use one of everything. Let's be honest.

[Bryce Simon]

That. That's fair. That's fair. Toronto at nine. I don't think. I mean they could. All of these teams could. But it's like they have how many different guys can play with the ball in their hands? Like their entire starting lineup already wants to do that even though they're wings. Houston, I don't think so. Portland has plenty of guards. Atlanta, unless you're drafting Trey's backup, slash potential replacement. San Antonio has Fox and Steph Castle. That does that a little bit. Oklahoma City is the inverse of Brooklyn. What could they use? Right? Like, I hate trying to draft for the Thunder because it's like, well, they're never going to play because they're awesome and they have depth and they just drafted Topic who didn't get a play this year. So then it's like 9 to 16 when you get to Orlando where it's like, could some of these guys fall if they don't get in the top eight or does somebody trade into that area to draft them? So I think that's something to watch.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah, that makes sense to me. I, I am kind of interested in the, the idea of Atlanta because they, they, they did. They kind of tried it with Kobe Buffkin a few years ago. That didn't really seem to work out. And I just wonder if they'd go back to that if, if he fell down there, which he might.

[Andrew Claudio]

Buffin boy, by the way, I'm still buffing guy.

[Alex Spears]

Okay.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. Guys, you won't find a bigger Kobe Buffkin fan, man. Like I was. I, I love, I love Kobe Buffkin. And it just, it has, it hasn't worked out yet. Right?

[Andrew Claudio]

Yes. Yes. Come on.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, yet exclamation point. I almost took Fears to Atlanta actually. Like I was like, man, this is kind of interesting to me where I mean, okay, if you're going to play this, they built this team around Trey, right? We're going to get all of these wings. We're going to get, you know, I guess you know, the big that runs the pick and roll. Why not have that guy in the second unit, let fears do that for 18 in the non tray minutes as a rookie. And if he's awesome, then you trade Trey Young and you know, if he's not, I always, I'm still trying to figure out like okay, where does that work? Where does the team feel okay with that? So Atlanta has pick what, 13? Is that a place for a backup point guard? Is that good value if you're Atlanta? And but my thing is that that changes every year, right? Like this year people like well he or last year, well, Alex Sar doesn't look like a number one pick. Zachary Ricochet doesn't look like a number one pick. Guys, what a number one pick looks like changes every year, right? Like there was nobody in that class that looked like a number one pick. And so for Atlanta, I don't, I don't hate that. I don't hate the idea of adding the backup point guard. That could either be the heir apparent to Trey or you figure it out. So maybe there's a couple teams in there that could surprise.

[Alex Spears]

So one of the biggest risers in this pre draft process has been Cedric Coward who played all of six games at Washington State this season before getting injured. How justified do you feel like the hype is around Coward right now? And how high do you think he could go on draft night?

[Bryce Simon]

I think it's justified in terms of I have him in as like a mid first round pick. This is just like when you look at the wingspan and the size and what he can do offensively and all of that, I think this is what an NBA team, NBA team are looking for. So I do think he's an interesting prospect. I, it is tough because you know, we had the Eastern Washington film and then we got six games of Washington State and I've watched that film obviously, but it would have been nice to get the rest of the schedule in a league. You know that was a jump, right? But He's a career 39% three point shooter. He's a career 83% free throw shooter. He rebounds. The defense I think is more theoretical than practical. I would like to see him actually be better on that end and that's one reason why I may not be quite as high as some others. I got a chance to see him in person not this past season but when he was at Eastern Washington and he was really impressive. Just the athletic build, the wingspan, all of that. So I think when you're looking for wings, especially potential two way wings, that's why a guy like this rises in the process.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, he may be a guy that qualifies for this but at the end of the first round there are several teams including Celtics, Suns and Clippers who could really use just some cost controlled guy that can get into the rotation and just be helpful to them. Are there any prospects in the late first, early second that you feel like fit this mold?

[Bryce Simon]

So this is what's interesting. We probably need to have the nil conversation at some point because it is going to be a conversation for this draft specifically and then moving forward a couple names first like this is the range I have no appenda. I think Noah Pinda would be in regards to that. Like would be interesting. 19, he's turned 20 now playing overseas. I have him as like a rotational forward advantage exploiter cuts, offensive rebounds, attacks, closeouts, not great vertical pop. So we can. He finished those. There's some questions around his shooting but then is also a good defender. Other people are higher on his defense than me but I think it's fine. I just don't think it's like elite the way some have him. Maxime Reyno is a big that I absolutely love. That's an older player that could be like a stretch skilled big for a team. Obviously Janai Broom if Yaxel Lindeborg stays in he's a name that's interesting here. Cockbrenner is another one the big out of Creighton. That would be interesting. Gotta be careful with that one.

[Andrew Claudio]

So.

[Bryce Simon]

But here's the thing is I don't know what some of these guys are going to do. Yaxel's the big one that I just named in terms of he's got a lot of money on the table in college basketball and that's where I don't know. The end of the first top of the second may be as exciting for people as other drafts because some guys that would have normally stayed in may go back because they're just going to even compared to it into the first round pick guys they may have more money on the table for them going back at least for a one year sample.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah. Oh, that's interesting. What is the date? What is the final date that they have to.

[Bryce Simon]

We're coming up in like five days. I think the 28th is the withdrawal, the NCAA withdrawal. I'll give you, like, Alex Cariban is a guy that we would talk about in this range right now. And like, he didn't go through the draft process. Like, he's already back at Connecticut. And so there's, there's. And here's the other one is overseas guys. We see more and more overseas players that maybe have went ahead and stayed in and been like second round draft and Sash or whatever that are now going, hey, no, I'm actually just going to go play in college and make whatever these guys are making. Like, I don't even want to throw out numbers because I don't even know where they're at at this point. I know it's ridiculous. That's all I know. I. I didn't get any of it. That's why I'm salty about it now that I. Not. Not that I would have got any of it because I wasn't good enough. I don't know what Americans pay in nil right now. I did get a little bit EA Sports money. Thank you, Edo Ban. And I appreciate it. Yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Claudio]

Tell me, tell me more about.

[Bryce Simon]

So o Ban ensued, right. EA Sports for likeness and all of that. And then I got this thing in the mail one day, like, if you played during these years, college basketballs, fill out this form or whatever, go online, whatever it was, and you'll get compensated. So I got like a thousand bucks. I think. I think it was $500 per year. I was a kid and then played two years of Division 1. Here's the thing, though, my best friend made me feel bad about it because he goes, that was literally our childhood. EA Sports was our childhood. Like, you being a part of this is like sacrilegious or something because we grew up playing ea. He was joking. I think he was a little bit serious, but I think he was mostly joking.

[Andrew Claudio]

It's like, dude, this is go. This ship is going down anyways.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. Why do I not take a. Like, I'm a teacher, man. Like, yes, I'm taking a G, if I can get a G. So for real.

[Alex Spears]

Also, I guess that's like way more than I was expecting you were going to say. Because usually with these things it's like, oh, you'll get like $10. You know, when there's like these class action lawsuits. A thousand bucks. That's pretty nice.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. So that's what, like. And then my teammates who played all four years. I assume they got a couple grand. And it's a. Like, that's where it's unfair. Like, I had no nil. Like, I was. I was a. No. Like, I started. I played. Whatever. I'm not. I wasn't. I was a. But it was not like I would have actually made money. Right. Like, I always looked at it of. I got a free education from American University in Washington, D.C. like, this is. This is more than payment for me. Other people, it's a little bit different.

[Alex Spears]

Right?

[Bryce Simon]

Like, that's where that was unfair was I was in college at the same time as, like, Steph, you know, and, like, Steph literally could have been making money because he was the face of college basketball, you know, that year. I don't know that. Maybe not the face, but Blake Griff. Like, we played Blake Griffin the next year, my senior year. We opened with Oklahoma. Like, Blake Griffin actually could have made nil money. And we.

[Andrew Claudio]

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Tell me about playing Blake Griffin. I don't. I don't. We don't need to take, like, long tangents, but I. You can't just say that. You can't just say that and that be a footnote. I'm sorry.

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, so real quick. I. I had tore my ACL two games before the NCAA tournament my junior year, and I was coming back from injury. It was. It's a long story. That is a long story. So I won't go into that. So I wasn't getting to play this, but they scheduled this game for me. They tried to schedule games to go back close to home so your family could watch you play. Because I was from Kansas.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. Yeah, it was really cool. So every year.

[Andrew Claudio]

Really cool.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. Every year we would try to go. Some Coach Jones would try to schedule somewhere close. Obviously must not be able to get Kansas or Kansas State or whatever. So we wouldn't play Blake Griffin's Final Four Oklahoma team to start the year. And here is what I will tell you. This will sound a little bit arrogant. I'm not usually intimidated on a basketball court. Right. Like, I. I'm kind of arrogant when it comes to that. Like, I worked really hard, and I felt like I belonged. We walked into the gym, and that dude is drenched in sweat three hours before the game, going through a workout routine, and he is just like this physical specimen that I've never seen before. And I was like, oh, my gosh, this is. This is not going to be good. And they blasted us by 40 and ended up on SportsCenter. Top 10 about four times. So it was, it was a sign of. Hey, and here's the thing, guys. We didn't suck. We went to the NCLEA tournament the year before. We went to the NCAA tournament that year and had Villanova down at halftime in the Wachovia center in Philly in the first round and Villanova went to the Final Four. So like, if we weren't some trash team, it's just like we had nobody that could match his level of physicality. Like he, it was. I've never been intimidated that way. Like, I played Roy Hibbert. I. I played other dudes. It was just like it was something different.

[Alex Spears]

That's awesome. Okay, Bryce, it's time for our lightning round. Six questions. For each question, we just want you to give us the name of one prospect. So first question. Who is the draft prospect that you've changed your mind on the most during this process?

[Bryce Simon]

Carter Bryant. Biggest riser for me.

[Alex Spears]

Okay. And so because I know that like the pitch with him is like 3 and D. Do you think there's more there than just a 3 and D prospect, or is he just so good in that role?

[Bryce Simon]

I think he can pass a little bit of what I don't. I think he's an advantage exploiter. So I use that term a lot when I say advantage exploiter. That is somebody that can catch and shoot, but is also able to attack a closeout when he gets a hard closeout and then if he gets rotation, then he can make the pass out of that as well and then probably some realms score, whether it's a mid range jumper, floater all the way to the rim. I think Carter Bryant is a little more than three and D because I think he can exploit advantages because I think he can really pass. The handle's a little shaky, but I think he can probably do it in straight lines.

[Andrew Claudio]

Who's the draft prospect that you find yourself consistently ranking higher than consensus?

[Bryce Simon]

Nick Clifford. Was the answer early? I would say probably. Rasheer Fleming is still a player I'm higher on than most.

[Alex Spears]

Who is the lottery prospect with a weakness that concerns you the most? Like, you have them in your lottery, but they do have this weakness that everyone's aware of and it genuinely does worry you.

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, I'll give you two real quick. Colin Murray Boyles on the offensive end makes me more nervous than I thought. I had CMB really high at one point. I think he's incredible defensively. I'm like, this is the Draymond Green thing in terms of like, okay, well, does he find a team that gives him the Draymond Green offensive role now? He has great touch and stuff like that. I'm a little nervous there. I'll give you a sneaky one. Like, VJ Edgecomb's offense makes me a little nervous as well. Like, I'm not completely sold on the jumper, and I think it's very elongated, and that makes me a little bit nervous. Even though I think he's an awesome athlete, awesome kid, really good defender, is.

[Andrew Claudio]

A prospect that has the most elite NBA skill.

[Bryce Simon]

I mean, I just say Cooper flag, right? Okay, okay.

[Alex Spears]

Non Cooper, non Cooper division.

[Bryce Simon]

We haven't even talked. Cooper flag, right? I gotta get Cooper flag.

[Alex Spears]

I guess that's true.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, yeah. Get some coop in here.

[Bryce Simon]

I think it's just the way he approaches the game. Like, I think that's the more I've talked to scouts. You know, a couple years ago, I wasn't even. Like, when I first started doing this, I didn't really know people. Like, I. The more I got into this where I can talk to scouts and, you know, stuff like that, it's like this mental side of the game, of the NBA game is so important. Like, it truly is. And I think Cooper has all of that. I was so impressed with the way he handled himself at Duke the season he had, even just being better offensively than what I thought he was going to be. But everything you hear about the way he approaches the game, his toughness, doing the little things, I find that to be a skill and I think that's really impressive in a number one pick.

[Alex Spears]

Okay, you've been doing a bunch of mock drafts. What has been your favorite fit between a draft prospect and a team so far? Like, you just keep matching them up together.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. So I. I think the Trey Johnson I alluded to early him in Utah. I really like that. I like that for Trey and I like that for Utah as well. And I know people will be like, but they have so many guards. I'm like, yeah, but are any of those guards really that good or long term? Like, to me, Keonte George is a backup guard. Isaiah Collier is a backup guard. Sor Keonte, like, how long is Colin Sexton there? How long is Jordan Clarkson there? So I would just keep throwing it at it. And again, I think it. The way they would use him really makes a lot of sense. And then I'll throw out the one I talked with Andrew about yesterday. So I can also talk about the. Is it GIF or gif? Because, like, my students argue with Me gif.

[Alex Spears]

I've always said gif, gif.

[Bryce Simon]

Okay. About the gif that I was not able to find. Danny Wolf to OKC is really fun. I like that. I don't know that he actually fits the drill past shoe because I'm not sold that he can shoot. But it just seems like he would make a lot of sense for Sam Presti. And the GIF issue is like, whatever. We went down this rabbit hole eventually to the Teen Wolf movie. No Teen Wolf GIF for me to find. So, like, back up what I was trying to. I was very frustrated by this.

[Andrew Claudio]

It just doesn't make sense.

[Alex Spears]

Danny Wolf's highlights. Just watching him play is so bizarre because, like, I hadn't seen him before. So I just heard like, okay, this like, big seven footer who has some skill. And then you start watching and he's playing like a guard. And I'm just like, trying to imagine what that would look like in the NBA, like, trying to figure out what this really would look like if Danny Wolf was in the NBA. And I just like, can't figure it out yet. I don't know how to feel about him.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Andrew Claudio]

I was gonna say, and to your credit, it reminds me of when Sam Presti, when they brought in Isaiah Hartenstein, he was like, you know what? I think I would assigned Isaiah if he was 6, 8. And then like, he was like, a few minutes later, he was like, in fact, I think I would have signed him if he was 6, 5. It was like, how short would this guy need to be for you to still want him on your roster? But he. But his point was like, this guy's so skilled and like, that is what we're looking for, you know, in a player. And so like, that's where it's like, okay, this. This is kind of like similar in that way.

[Bryce Simon]

I mean, hard and shine should be on every big man's film. Whatever with the little floater game like you. Every. Every big needs that. When he misses, I'm like, shocked. And he went through a stretch. One of. Was it last round or the round before was like, wait, what? He's. He missed like four in a row. What is going on here?

[Andrew Claudio]

Game. Game four. Game four. He missed a ton.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. But he's. I'll tell you, the other one is Charlotte. And this is a little bit of a cop out, but I like Khan or VJ for Charlotte. VJ has been the one that I've like, said a lot. I don't mind con there either, but I think VJ would make a lot of sense for Charlotte. Like just putting him in between Lamelo and Brandon Miller. I'll give you another one. I don't think he's going to be there. Common Malawatch to the Atlanta Hawks. I love, I love the idea of that for Common.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah.

[Bryce Simon]

I don't think he's making it to 13. To be clear, they would have to trade up. And. And that's not quite as common as like the NFL draft. Right. Like the NFL draft. It's. You always see these trade ups. But I like, I would like that fit a lot.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah. Can I ask you, did you catch that one? Did you catch yourself saying that?

[Bryce Simon]

Did I? Of course I did that on purpose. What are you talking about?

[Alex Spears]

Could I ask you a follow up on Trey because, like, for, for Jazz fans out there? Because I always hear about like the context of Trey at Texas and how bad it was. And so like, if Utah fans aren't blown away by what they, you know, if they're just looking at the stats from Trey in college, like, could you explain a little bit about why that context wasn't great for him?

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. And listen, I will be clear. Some of it's his own doing. Like, some of the negativity around Trey is Trey's fault because of body language stuff. I mean, guys, I literally had NBA scouts send me the same clips I was worried about in terms of standing off the ball with his palms up. Like, why aren't you passing me the ball right now? And then kind of. I don't want to say throwing a fit, but, but. And I don't like to judge that stuff from film. Right. Like, it's hard. I'm not out in person watching a lot of these games, but when I have an NBA scout who has seen him in person bring it up, it was a little bit like, okay, I was onto something here. What I would say is like, he is like a really good shooter, guys. And he has good size, he has a high release. He can get it off quickly. He can do it off movement. He was 15 to 29 on three pointers off screen, five of 12 off handoffs. I know that's a low number. The good catch and shoot numbers. Like, a lot of his percentages are brought down because he tried to create an isolation which I don't think is his game. Like, he's not a super twitchy guy. So his shot diet was very difficult in those situations. Here's what I said about him. Shooter advantage exploiter to attack on a second side. Not a Primary shot creator, really good secondary. Here's the thing, his quickest way to fail in the NBA is to not accept that role. If he's willing to accept that role, I think Trey Johnson is going to be awesome in the NBA. But if he wants to be this on ball, whatever, sga, James Harden, you know, whatever type, Kate Cunningham type of player, I don't think he's going to find a whole lot of success. At least not as much.

[Andrew Claudio]

I have one last draft question for you. Do you like the Dylan Harper fit for the Spurs?

[Bryce Simon]

No, I mean I don't think it's, I don't think it's ideal. He just, he's too much better than whoever I have at number three to, to not take him. So like my draft philosophy is you don't break tears for fit, right? And it's just like Cooper is the number one pick for 30 teams in the NBA in my opinion. And Dylan Harper is the number two pick for 30 teams in the NBA. Now if they found a trade they liked and whatever, like, I would be okay with it. But no, I don't think it's like perfect when you consider de' Aaron Fox and Steph Castle and however they want to use him, like if Sohan is still there, that's another non shooter. Like I think Dylan's probably going to shoot a little bit. But no, I would rather Dylan was going to a place where he was the primary creator. Now to my point earlier, maybe it works out okay where he learns to play off the ball a little bit and he has good enough size to do it and then he runs the second unit. The problem with that is, well now Steph Castle doesn't get to run the second unit right. So like there's a little bit of overlap there that isn't ideal but from a talent perspective for me it's still a no brainer.

[Andrew Claudio]

Okay, Bryce, thank you for answering our draft questions. We're going to take a break. When we come back, we're going to shift gears back to the NBA playoffs that you guys have been hearing about all week. It's been very exciting. We'll be right back.

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[Andrew Claudio]

All right, we're back on the Slam and Jam with Bryce Simon. We're going to talk about the NBA playoffs. Last night OKC took, I guess this would be two nights ago because you're listening to this on Saturday. Two nights ago, the Thunder took a 20 lead in their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves continue to struggle with their outside shot, but was there anything positive that you took from their offensive approach from games one and two?

[Bryce Simon]

First off, I just realized that I don't know what I'm going to listen to while I mow the lawn on Saturday morning. Because usually Saturday Slammin Jam is.

[Andrew Claudio]

So.

[Bryce Simon]

Gotta gotta figure that out over the next few hours. What am I gonna listen to while I do that? So I, I don't know, guys. Like, I'm struggling a little bit here. I told you off air that if, if OKC dominated this game too. And I don't know that they dominate, but they felt like they had this one pretty well, like in control that I was like, I think they may win this in five. Like, I'm, I'm, I'm. I'm struggling to find the silver lining for Minnesota, you know, like, na figured it out a little bit offensively, maybe that's something. But here's where I would be worried is like Anthony Edwards, you know, had 32 on 26 shots. But like Julius Randall has not been good since the first half of game one. And they had him so frustrated that Finch, like kind of benched him for a while, it seemed like. And, and we had a listener over on Game Theory bring up an interesting thought as we were previewing the series. They were like, whoever's better in this series between J Dub and Julius is probably going to win the series. And since the first half of Game 1, Game 1 hasn't even been close, right? Like, J Dub has been the better player and Oklahoma City has been the better team for those six quarters. And so, I mean, you got 22 from Jaden McDaniels on 15 shots, four threes. Like, is Conley all of a sudden gonna start doing stuff? I don't think Go Bears the answer? I don't know. I just think this OKC defense is so good, guys.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, it's tricky because they need to like get into their offensive actions quicker, but they're too loosey goosey with the basketball to do that. I think it just makes it really tricky. Like they need to, they need to continue to play with force like Ant did last night. But the Thunder haven't. I know the Wolves haven't shot well from three. The Thunder haven't either. You know, they beat them by 15 and they didn't shoot well from three. So I, I do think there will be a shot variance game that happens, whether that be game three or game four. I think it will happen in Minnesota. But, you know, as of now, I'm kind of with you. I just don't feel like they have found any answers. They've been. They were searching. You know, they tried all different kinds of looks. Defensively, they, they took a bunch of guys on and off the court trying to figure it out, but OKC was able to kind of answer the call every time so far.

[Bryce Simon]

So I did know, like first action of the game, they run something off the ball to get SGA switched onto a. And then they went to like the mid post isolation. I'm like, okay, that's kind of interesting. I. I felt like ant tried to do some like, post isolations, but my thing is there's always Hartenstein or Chet or somebody lurking or J Dub running from the off the ball to steal it. Whenever your back is to the basket, it's just. It's really hard. I think you just have to have a little more creativity, like you say, maybe play a little better pace and get into your stuff. And I just. This is what OKC does though, is they take you out of your flow and they. The other thing I was thinking about today is they have so many guys they can throw at Ant. They have so many different options. Okay, he gets it going against Casen. All right, well, there's Lou. Oh, he, you know, gets it going against those guys. All right, let's put two on the ball for a little while or, you know, whatever. And it's just like when you have that many answers, it's just, it's hard because you can always keep the offense off balance and guessing.

[Alex Spears]

So. Bryce, I never know what to do with NBA.com's classification of shots when they say that they're wide open. Because when it comes to the wolves three point shooting, a lot of their shots are getting classified as wide open.

[Bryce Simon]

Interesting.

[Alex Spears]

Positive that that is an accurate reflection of the shots. Do you feel like the Wolves are generating high quality three point looks in this offense?

[Bryce Simon]

That is fascinating, Alex, because I was thinking about that last night. I was like, I'm gonna go on slam and jam and say that I think OKC is creating better looks. And I bet somebody's going to throw stats at me that say I'm wrong. And so luckily you said it and I didn't have to. I can just agree. No, I, I'm. I think they got some good. Like, do you think how often does OKC give up a look that they don't want to give up? You know what I mean? Like, how many of those are like. I'm not saying you strategically leave Jade McDaniels open in the corner, but you. It's the NBA. You have to give up something. Right? And it's just like in regards to that, I just, I think OKC is relentless and I think they dictate what they want from you. Outside of Julius in the first half, game one. And aunt, did you know Ant's gonna get his at times? Because Ant's incredible. Like, Ant Is. Is really, really good. And I actually thought his process was okay last night. I think he had like six assists and no turnovers. Is that right? I think he had no turnovers. Yeah, no turnovers last night. So it's just. I. I agree with you and I don't know how they class it and try. Maybe it just seems like OKC does contest everything would be my issue with that stat. But maybe I'm off. Maybe I just think that that's what happens and it's not what's actually going on.

[Andrew Claudio]

Rudy Gobert is. He's. He's always a topic of discussion and whether he can be impactful or not. In the playoffs. In Game two, the Thunder were able to find a lot of space in the mid range where Gobert's impact is really minimized. On the other hand, the Wolf starting lineup did outscore the Thunder in Game two. What have you thought about Gobert so far in this series?

[Bryce Simon]

Not. Listen, I usually support Gobert. I just don't think it's been great. And this was. Like I said it earlier, I just. It's not always the defense. It's that he can't punish anybody on the offensive end. You know, he just. He struggles to catch the ball and then if he does catch the ball, he, you know, struggles to actually put it in the basket. You know, he's averaging three and a half points on 38% from the field. He averaged less than 10 in the series before and eight in the series before that. And you know, even the percentages aren't great because you know where every shot attempt is coming from. And what you said about the mid range is something I thought about. Like, okay, he's deterring them from getting to the rim against a lot of teams. That matters a lot. Does it really matter against an SGA J Dub led Oklahoma City Thunder team that is perfectly fine pulling up at 15ft and knocking down that shot consistently. We even saw it when they went zone three different times. Three different times when, when Minnesota went zone, Caruso did it back to back and then Chet did it in the third quarter, got to the middle of the zone and felt very comfortable hitting a Little shot from 8 to 10ft before he could get. They. They're just very smart about not attacking him where he can make more of an impact.

[Alex Spears]

So at the end of that game, we saw Chris Finch go to a super small lineup with Nas Reed at center. Both Gobert and Randall are on the bench and Thunder fans will remember a very similar lineup giving OKC a Ton of problems in this mid February matchup when Gobert and Randall were out with injuries. Do you think the Wolves might have found something with this lineup that they should at least explore more in games three and four?

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, I don't mind them going to that. Like, with that lineup you have, you know, you're essentially playing five out. You have five guys that can really attack off the bounce, can shoot it. I mean, that's probably what you have to find here in terms of, like, you got to find a way to score the ball if you're. If you're Minnesota. Right. And then hope that OKC has a game where they. They don't make shot. Because I think if OKC makes shots, like they're winning, like, they're just going to win because they're that good. My thing is, again, this okc. I know I sound like I'm giving OKC a lot of credit, but, like. Like, I think they deserve it because it's not just the players, but the way that they were, you know, constructed and how Dagal makes decisions, which I've really loved. His rotate, I've really appreciated. Okay. I'm playing this hot hand, like what Kenrich played. He came in and played a little bit more in game one, scored like, eight points. He goes to him in game two, it doesn't look as good. And then he only plays him two minutes and keeps him out. Like, I just. I always appreciate that Dagnal seems to have a really good pulse on that stuff. But to your. To answer your question, I don't know that there is something specifically that's just going to really cause the Thunder issues, because they can match it. You want to go small, we'll go small. We have the guys that can defend you on the perimeter. And so I just struggle to figure. I understand Minnesota trying different things. I just don't know if they're going to find one that has consistent success throughout a series.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah. The only thing I like about that lineup for the Wolves is there were defensive possessions towards the end of that game where they were flying around. Sure. In comparison to when, like, Gobert and Randall are out there and. And that kind of defensive activity, like, I just hadn't seen that from the Wolves yet in this series. And that's what scares me as a Thunder fan, because that's when OKC can kind of get a little rattled sometimes, so. But I don't know how much they can. Like, how much is Finch really willing to sit Gobert and Randall in a. In a single game? I Just don't know.

[Bryce Simon]

So here's the thing. So think about that. Like that's a good change up, right? Like let's throw out McDaniels and N. Dante Nas. And offensively that's really interesting. Defensively, run around, scramble, put two on Shea, scramble out of it. Whatever guys, if that's not your identity, that's something that works for a couple minutes, not for a couple games. You know what I mean? It's like whenever people were saying, hey, Minnesota should go zone because it worked for Denver, I went back through and looked at all of my Minnesota game notes and I'm not saying I like take great notes always on zone possessions, but usually I make note of it for a team because it's it, it shows up and I'm like, Sam, I don't, I don't have a whole lot of notes on zone being something they, you know, were great at or whatever. It's like. So then you try to go to it in the biggest moment of the season. How much confidence do the players even have in that strategy, let alone the coach? So. So it's, it's hard to get away from your identity at this point in the season. Whenever. There's more on the line now than at any point.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah. And Finch even said before the series started that he just didn't think they were that good at playing zone and he said they were better at it last year and just haven't even been good at it this year. And part of it you were, I was kind of thinking is this gamesmanship, you know, before the series starts that like maybe they're going to, you know, have that, you know, in their back pocket. But he seems to be correct.

[Bryce Simon]

Well, that assessment so that I tracked two possessions of it in game one. One, they immediately gave up the baseline cut to heart and sign and he got the lob. The second one was a tough J dub mid range. So like whatever. That's neutral possession defensively in this game. Like I said, I already highlighted the Caruso back to back ones. Chet had one. They gave on the very first one after a timeout they gave up a wing three point attempt to dub. He misses. But then Cason got an offensive rebound and then I think scored a layup off of the offensive rebound. They, I think they had two good possessions when they went to it in the third quarter. They forced back to back three point attempts that were contested from Oklahoma City also. Real quick, Andrew, I've text you about this as good as OKC is and they are awesome and it for as much as this is a dribble pass shoot team, they might be the worst lob throwing team in the NBA. Right or wrong.

[Alex Spears]

Yes.

[Andrew Claudio]

Believe it or not, they've gotten better at it. Like last year it was even more embarrassing. Even more embarrassing. Like in transition, just throwing it just way out of bounds. I think Casen Wallace has had some moments.

[Bryce Simon]

Yes, Casen is the best.

[Andrew Claudio]

He is definitely the best one. But yeah, no, it's if for being as skilled as they are. It's just like this one skill that is just out of reach for them for whatever reason.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah. I mean Alex, sorry.

[Alex Spears]

We're praying for topic. We're praying that that's going to be his skill. He will be able to fix it single handedly.

[Bryce Simon]

I'm just like this is the ultimate. We draft skilled players organization and and they missed so many lobs. Even the one case in through to Chet in transition. Last night was an awful pass. I mean awful lot passes actually play best to highlight reels because it makes the finish look better.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah.

[Bryce Simon]

So like everybody's like, what do you mean? That was awesome. Like, yeah, it was still an awful pass. Like it ended up being a great looking play aesthetically. But yeah, I was just like, man, I, I, this is my biggest critique. That, that's, that's my, that's my nitpick on the Thunder is throw better lobs. Can we incorporate that into practice? Mr. Dagnal.

[Andrew Claudio]

We'Re recording this on Friday morning prior to game two of Nick's Pacers. We also that improbable finish in game one, which everyone was still just kind of buzzing about last night at the Paycom center before the Thunder Wolves game. Uh, but it left Knicks fans in like complete disbelief. You can listen back. We did a show with Andrew Claudio, your producer.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, gmac.

[Andrew Claudio]

And it, it was rough. It was rough for those, for the Knicks film school crew. It was really, really tough. But if there is a positive for New York though is that they did a lot of things right.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah.

[Andrew Claudio]

To get up by as much as they did in that game. But what do you, what do you think went right for the knicks in game one? Just like cutting out the last 50 seconds.

[Bryce Simon]

So it was funny. That's what I was like. I was ready to go on game theory. We recorded right after I put my laptop away, guys. Whenever it was like 14, I like I put it away. I was like, okay, I'm just gonna relax here. Once Sam texts and says we're ready to go, you know, whatever, I'll go Put it on the charger for a little bit, and I had to go back and get it because I needed notes on overtime. And I was just like, this is unbelievable. Brunson and Cat were awesome. Like, if I'm a Knicks fan, that's my takeaway is they didn't look like they could guard Jalen Brunson, the Indiana Pacers, and Miles Turner, who I think has been awesome in this playoffs up to this point, didn't look like he had any business trying to guard Carl Anthony Towns in that game. You got decent games from the two wings. Here's, here's what the underrated aspect of that comeback. I mean, obviously losing a game is the most important. Brunson was about to get out of that game with like 30 minutes played. And if I told you that you could get a Game 1 win where Brunson only played 30 minutes, you would be like, sign me up. Because we know Tibbs is never going to do that on purpose. But in the second, they actually paid well and Payne gave him good minutes. So Brunson was able to set and then the foul trouble. So I, I think they, they were, they were the better team for three and a half quarters. Like that is. That's your biggest takeaway. To me, this series comes down to. Can you respond in the Pistons Knicks series, I think it was game two. Cat played awful. He was awful. And Detroit stole one in New York. It ended up being the best thing for the Knicks because it made them go. We have to make sure this guy is always involved in what we do offensively. We can't mess around. Jalen was doing too much ISO stuff and it ended up being a positive. Can that happen from this? Can. Can this be a positive for the Knicks in terms of we can never, ever let our foot off the gas against this team because they are relentless and they're always coming.

[Alex Spears]

Well, Bryce, thank you for answering all of our questions, but it is now time to play Andrew versus the beat. Bryce, I've come up with eight questions. Questions all about the final four teams in the NBA playoffs. So you've played this before. Eight questions. Some are easy, some are hard. You're gonna choose a number between one and eight or correspondent question. If you get it right, you'll get at least two points. If you get it wrong, Andrew, have a chance to steal for one. And we'll go back and forth until all the questions have been asked and answered. So, Bryce, I just need a number between one and eight. Three question number three among the four remaining teams. Anthony Edwards has taken the most three pointers in the playoffs with 118 attempted threes. Who has taken the second and third most attempted three pointers in the playoffs among the four remaining teams? And you do get one point per correct answer. Three point attempts over the course of the entire playoffs. But they have to just not.

[Bryce Simon]

Not regular season. Not regular season season.

[Alex Spears]

Just this playoffs run and just from one of the four final teams.

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, so Knicks.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Bryce Simon]

Tyrese for the Pacers. And then. Okay, so I'm gonna go Brunson.

[Alex Spears]

That is correct for one.

[Bryce Simon]

I just realized I have to factor in games played because like some of these, like, I mean, the difference between playing 13 games and playing 11 games could be.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, possibly.

[Alex Spears]

Possibly.

[Bryce Simon]

I don't feel great about it. I'm gonna say Tyrese.

[Alex Spears]

That is incorrect. Andrea, you have a chance to steal one point.

[Andrew Claudio]

What about OG Andrew?

[Alex Spears]

That is also incorrect. Correct answer is Lou Dort.

[Andrew Claudio]

Lou Dort.

[Alex Spears]

Lou Dort. Taking a lot of threes.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Alex Spears]

I would argue too many. Okay, Andrew board is yours.

[Andrew Claudio]

Number one.

[Alex Spears]

Question number one. Shay Gilgis. Alexander has nine 30 point games in this year's playoffs. There are nine active players who have had at least nine 30 point games in a single playoff run. And we're going to name them all. So how this works, Andrew will give me a name, then Bryce will give me a name. So we're talking about active players who at some point during their career had a playoff run, were similar to SGA. They had at least nine 30 point games in that playoff run.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow. Steph Curry.

[Alex Spears]

Steph Curry is correct. Bryce.

[Bryce Simon]

LeBron.

[Alex Spears]

LeBron James is correct. It's like Andrew.

[Bryce Simon]

I was like, surely this is LeBron is a great answer because, like, if it's wrong, you don't feel stupid. It's like it. You. You say LeBron. And if it's.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alex Spears]

The one thing I will say is you. I had to scroll back far. It was like Cleveland days. Like, so that's.

[Bryce Simon]

I was a little nervous if it was legit. Like, like, like just. Because that's not always his. His thing. But I figured in Cleveland there was a. A series or a run where he had to be that level of score.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah. Kd.

[Alex Spears]

Kevin Durant. He has done it. Bryce.

[Bryce Simon]

Luca.

[Alex Spears]

Luca has done it. He did it last year. Andrew.

[Andrew Claudio]

Jokic.

[Alex Spears]

Jokic has also done it.

[Bryce Simon]

Interesting. I was not gonna say Jokic. I thought May. Giannis.

[Alex Spears]

Giannis. Yes, Giannis has done it.

[Bryce Simon]

Of course, I'm now screwed.

[Alex Spears]

Giannis may have had the most. If I Remember correctly, I was gonna say.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Alex Spears]

Three names remaining. Can you get them all?

[Andrew Claudio]

Oh, I don't feel good about this one that I'm about to say. Maybe I shouldn't say it then.

[Bryce Simon]

See.

[Andrew Claudio]

Active player. I don't know if he did this on. During this run, but would have had a chance to. Kawhi Leonard.

[Alex Spears]

Kawhi Leonard. Andrew.

[Andrew Claudio]

He did do it. Oh, Bryce.

[Alex Spears]

Two names remaining.

[Bryce Simon]

I don't know if this guy made deep enough runs. I don't. I don't feel great. Dame.

[Alex Spears]

Damian Lillard is incorrect. Bryce.

[Andrew Claudio]

I'm so James Harden.

[Alex Spears]

Also incorrect.

[Bryce Simon]

I was gonna say.

[Alex Spears]

I really.

[Bryce Simon]

I refuse to say James Harden after some of the.

[Andrew Claudio]

I'm not giving.

[Bryce Simon]

I mean, he doesn't always play game seven, right. So there was probably some games one through six where he did score.

[Andrew Claudio]

That's wild, though. That's wild that James isn't on that list.

[Alex Spears]

Well, now that I'm looking at it, every single one of these guys has had a finals run, which Harden only did that in with okc. Yeah, one. The other two names, Tatum. And then the one that probably would have been the hardest to get, Devin Booker during.

[Bryce Simon]

I actually. I actually thought Booker, man.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, I guess he had the finals run. Wow.

[Bryce Simon]

I'm looking at Dames now and it's like, yeah, just you. You need the games, like. Cause there's some years where he scored a bunch like he had had them, but they just didn't go far enough. Fun question. Nice.

[Alex Spears]

Okay, Bryce, board is yours.

[Bryce Simon]

8.

[Alex Spears]

Question number 8. Aaron Neesmith hit six three pointers in the fourth quarter of the Pacers dramatic comeback against the Knicks in game one one. Prior to that game, how many times in his career had N. Smith hit six threes in a single game? Now you get to choose who answers first because obviously you wouldn't know the answer to this. So you can make Andrew answer first and then you can go higher, lower, or you can answer first and then Andrew would go higher, lower. However, if you make Andrew answer and he gets it exactly correct, he would get a bonus point. So what would you like to do? So this is career six threes in a game for Aaron Neesmith. How many times has he done that?

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, so I will. I will guess. I will guess.

[Alex Spears]

Okay, Bryce is going.

[Bryce Simon]

Because if I guess right, if I guess right, I get. I get extra points.

[Alex Spears]

Bonus point. You could get three points here.

[Bryce Simon]

And so is the. The question is counting this game or.

[Alex Spears]

This this game is not counting this game.

[Bryce Simon]

Game. Not counting this game.

[Alex Spears]

So that. That you like, know the answer and so you need to know whether you need to subtract one or not.

[Bryce Simon]

Subtracting one may put us at zero. So this, this is gonna be. This is gonna be a fun one. Okay, I'm going to say. I'm gonna say two.

[Alex Spears]

Okay. Andrew Bryce has set the over under at two games. Would you like to go higher or lower?

[Andrew Claudio]

I guess I'll go higher, but that's just because I just watched what he did. I don't know.

[Alex Spears]

So in his career, Aaron NE Smith has hit six threes in a game prior to game one. Four different times.

[Andrew Claudio]

Four times. Which means that's just got to make you so sick as a Knicks fan. That's gotta make you just want to just throw up immediately. With.

[Alex Spears]

With. That's over 48 minutes and he did it in like five minutes. Okay, Andrew, board is yours.

[Andrew Claudio]

Number two.

[Alex Spears]

Question number two. Okay. Oklahoma City is currently shooting 32.5% from three in the playoffs. If they won the NBA Finals while shooting that poorly, they would join a very short list of teams to do so. Since 2000, there have been three NBA champions that shot worse than 33% from three over their championship run. Can you name any of them?

[Andrew Claudio]

So you do name any of them.

[Alex Spears]

So you do get one point per correct answer. But you do have to give me the team and the year that they won.

[Andrew Claudio]

I should give you the team and the year. So the teams that won the finals, what was the time. What was the length of time again?

[Alex Spears]

Since 2000. Since 2000.

[Andrew Claudio]

2000. It's a lot of champions.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah. Yeah. Roughly 24.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Alex Spears]

Unless you're counting 2000, there's 25. So it's.

[Andrew Claudio]

It's up to you. Yo. What about the 2004 Pistons, Andrew?

[Alex Spears]

That is correct.

[Bryce Simon]

That was the only one I had in my. In my mind was the opor.

[Alex Spears]

Yes. Can you think of another one?

[Andrew Claudio]

Oh, boy. What about. What about the 2010 Lakers, Andrew?

[Alex Spears]

That is correct. Wow. Andrew, can you do a clean sweep here?

[Andrew Claudio]

I just remember watching that finals, like the, the finals, that game seven where it was just so putrid and like no one could make a shot and it was just like Kobe mid range shots to save their lives. I don't know if I can clean sweep this. What about. I don't feel good about this. I just don't know that they. They take a lower volume. So there just might be a chance. What about the. What about the Denver team that just won it?

[Alex Spears]

What year was that?

[Bryce Simon]

23.

[Andrew Claudio]

2023. Yeah. Thank you.

[Alex Spears]

Don't help him. Also, it's wrong, so it doesn't matter. Bryce, do you have any guesses for the final team?

[Andrew Claudio]

So.

[Bryce Simon]

So I'll be honest. Like, after the Pistons won, I just looked up NBA championship. So you don't. If I had to guess, just looking at the teams, I would have said the 06 heat.

[Alex Spears]

Correct answer. Very recent. The 2021 bucks.

[Bryce Simon]

The bucks.

[Alex Spears]

Really?

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Alex Spears]

They had so many bad shooting games in that run.

[Bryce Simon]

So I was going to say, like, I clicked on him. They actually shot it well in the regular season. Like, so I was like, man, I think maybe they. They had enough. So they just had the playoffs was down for them.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah. I think if I remember right, they had 10 games where they shot 33% or worse from three.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Alex Spears]

They were five and five in those games and then were.

[Bryce Simon]

So. Yeah. Otherwise like, Middleton went. Middleton was at 34 on almost eight attempts. Lopez shot 32. Holiday was at 30. Dante shot 17% on four attempts. Giannis was taking three attempts per game. So.

[Alex Spears]

Okay. So that's why it happened. Okay, Bryce, Bryce, you control the board. Comeback starts now.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah, sure. 4. I got a point. That's all I care about. Everything else is gravy.

[Alex Spears]

Now question number four. There are two players still playing in this year's playoffs who had a triple double in this year's playoffs. Do you remember who it was?

[Bryce Simon]

Two players still playing in this year's playoffs. Okay, so I know one is Josh. Is Josh Hart.

[Alex Spears]

That is correct. For one point.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah.

[Alex Spears]

Do you remember?

[Bryce Simon]

All right, so Jokic is out. Cade had one Giannis. So I assume it's not SGA Brunson. No. Cat. No. Indiana Triple doublers. I'll go. He's had a really good playoffs. I'll go. Julius.

[Alex Spears]

That is correct, Bryce.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow. Five, three.

[Alex Spears]

Okay, Got a game on our hands.

[Bryce Simon]

It's kind of crazy that Josh was the easier answer for that one.

[Andrew Claudio]

That is hilarious, that rule.

[Alex Spears]

All right, Andrew, I'll go.

[Andrew Claudio]

Five.

[Alex Spears]

Question number five. Okay. Which bench player has hit the most threes in this year's playoffs? Among the four remaining teams.

[Andrew Claudio]

Made threes. Okay.

[Alex Spears]

Have to hit them.

[Andrew Claudio]

Had to hit them. Shoot. This is a hard question. Is it. Is it Alex Caruso?

[Alex Spears]

It is Alex caruso. Who said 24 threes so far in this year's playoffs? Unless he hit some last night, because that was. I think he did. But yeah, that's the answer. Congratulations, Andrew. But there's still two questions left. Bryce.

[Andrew Claudio]

I think he made one last seven.

[Bryce Simon]

Six. I was just thinking about, like, What? My. I was just thinking about other answers with that. Like, Pritchard would have been the answer if it wasn't the final Four.

[Andrew Claudio]

Correct.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah. I think even though he's shot terribly, Divincenzo's like, up there. And then Beasley would.

[Bryce Simon]

Beasley would have been another name. Like, even though they only played one series, Like, I. I think he would have. Interesting name as well. Caruso has been awesome. Like, he.

[Andrew Claudio]

Yeah, he's been very good.

[Bryce Simon]

Yeah.

[Alex Spears]

Okay.

[Andrew Claudio]

Okay. Could have been that guy if he could make a three, you know, against.

[Bryce Simon]

Ok. Yeah.

[Alex Spears]

Okay. Among. Oh, God.

[Bryce Simon]

I didn't know if I gave a number yet or not. I'm getting old. I forget.

[Alex Spears]

You said six. Among the four remaining teams, who has had the most total touches in this year's playoffs, but also has never made an All Star game game.

[Andrew Claudio]

Just. Just slip in a caveat. Oh, my gosh.

[Bryce Simon]

I. I said seven.

[Andrew Claudio]

You.

[Alex Spears]

You.

[Bryce Simon]

You misunderstood me. You. You did.

[Andrew Claudio]

You.

[Bryce Simon]

You didn't hear me correctly. Okay, so four remaining teams, right?

[Alex Spears]

Yes. Just from one of these four teams, most in the playoffs but never made an all star game.

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, so Brunson's out, Tyrese is out. Ant is out.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah, I think Brunson, sga, Halliburton were the top three.

[Andrew Claudio]

Makes sense. Okay.

[Bryce Simon]

I'm going to go to old friends.

[Alex Spears]

Okay.

[Bryce Simon]

I. I love this guy. Like, I get to do stuff at Nick's film school now, and I just, like, try to do stuff to, like, promote him since I have this opportunity right now. Even though he gave up an awful backdoor in overtime. I feel like Josh Hart touches the ball a lot between transition rebounds. Ball. Like they use him in ball screens because other teams try to hide people on him. So I would say it's either Josh Hart or Mikhail Bridges. I'll go Josh Hart.

[Alex Spears]

Chart Bryce. That is correct. Great answer. Great answer. Great answer.

[Andrew Claudio]

Wow.

[Alex Spears]

Okay, so it is seven to five. Bryce can't win, but he could get it within one, which is exciting. Okay, Andrew.

[Andrew Claudio]

It's. It's.

[Bryce Simon]

It's something. I don't know.

[Andrew Claudio]

Which is exciting.

[Alex Spears]

Okay, Andrew, you get first dibs on this question. I want you to rank the four remaining playoff teams based on total clutch minutes in the playoffs, from most clutch minutes to fewest clutch minutes.

[Andrew Claudio]

Hey.

[Alex Spears]

And you're going to just rank all four, and then I'll just say yes or no. Don't do them one at a time.

[Andrew Claudio]

Don't do them one at a time. You said yes.

[Alex Spears]

Because I don't want to. I don't want to. Give Bryce the answer in case you get it.

[Andrew Claudio]

Okay, I got you. I got you. Okay. So from the most of the least, as he said.

[Alex Spears]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most click units diffuse.

[Andrew Claudio]

I will say the Knicks number one. I will say Indie number two. And then I'll go Thunder, then Wolves.

[Alex Spears]

That is incorrect. Setting up Bryce to pull it within one.

[Andrew Claudio]

Excitement.

[Bryce Simon]

This is gonna end up being Tyrese toe on the line. Can we go to. Can they. Can I give me to overtime at least? If. Okay.

[Alex Spears]

Choke symbol.

[Bryce Simon]

Okay, I guess I'll take my L. The. The Knicks. The Knicks. And then you said. Okay, so I'll go Indiana. No, you said Indiana second. Yeah, so I'll go okc. Indiana, Minnesota.

[Alex Spears]

That is correct. Bryce brings us to a final score of 7 to 6. It Honestly, it feels like a loss for Andrew at this point. The way I built it up.

[Bryce Simon]

Honestly, if my Knee Smith question strategy wasn't so piss poor, I probably would have won the game. Like, my strategy there of trying to get it correct blinded me into, like, saying two is dumb because obviously you're going to go over and like, it just. I just was like, I want to get this one right. So, like, my pride got in the way.

[Andrew Claudio]

Welcome to my world, brother. That is the question that I always seem to answer and always want to answer, and I get it wrong almost every week.

[Bryce Simon]

Y.

[Andrew Claudio]

Go listen to the Game Theory podcast with Sam Bassini is. It's a great show. It's a good basketball show. I think sometimes you guys get pinned, holed as a draft show. But if you just want to know basketball strategy better, I don't think there's a better podcast for you to listen to when it comes to that. So please go listen to that. Listen to the Pistons pulse as well. It's a. It's a great Pistons podcast, if you're interested at all in the Detroit Pistons. It is. Not only is. It's a good Pistons show, but it's just kind of delightful to listen to. Like, if you're just like, looking for something to listen to while you're doing the dishes or something, just to kind.

[Bryce Simon]

Of mow in the lawn.

[Andrew Claudio]

Mowing the lawn. Whatever you need. I mean, it's. It's good. It's a good show. It's one that I subscribe to. So please go listen to those. Bryce, anything else you want to promote before you get out of here?

[Bryce Simon]

No, that. That was it. You know, Motor City Hoops on Twitter and Blue Sky. I am doing some film work for Nick's film school during the playoffs. So, like, I do these video breakdowns over there on their YouTube where I, you know, I broke down, you know, so and so's play or you know, I, I looked at a preview of how Indiana pushes pace offensively leading into the series, stuff like that. So if you're into that video work, check that out. But otherwise, the Pulse game theory. I appreciate you guys a lot. True. Truly. I, I get excited when you send me the text, like, hey, you want to come on? And I didn't tell you this at the time. Like, I rearranged my schedule this morning so I could make this happen because I was like, I am not missing this because I enjoy recording with you guys so much. So thank you so much for having me. Me. And hopefully this year we can spend some actual time together at summer league, right? Like last year, last year we met, we took the selfie and then that was it.

[Andrew Claudio]

So I know, like, I, I think that I, I was like getting an Uber and I canceled it so that I could come say hi to you and I went and got an Uber again.

[Bryce Simon]

It was also raining and it was.

[Andrew Claudio]

Like, this is, this is absurd. Yes, but this is how much we like hanging out together is that we just need like five seconds to say hello and like that was really all we got. Go leave us a five star review on Apple Podcast. Just like DCM6827 five star slam and jam. Andrew and Alex are so fun to listen to. I love how they prepare for the show with stats, quotes and trivia. They are the surprise team of NBA podcasters. Wow, that is quite a compliment. Very much appreciate that. Please leave us a five star review at Apple Podcast or on the show. Appreciate you guys guys listening. Enjoy the playoffs and we will talk to you guys again next week.

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[Alex Spears]

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