He still doesn't have a go-to move, Andrew.

[lip smacks] That's the thing.

What does Wemby want to do on offense? I don't think the Spurs know.

I don't think Wemby knows.

And you could really feel it in this matchup.

Um, because OKC, they did a phenomenal job on defense, but also you could feel Wemby getting in his own head a little bit.

And, um [lip smacks] and again, it's like, so where does he wanna be on the floor? And he was sort of making it up as he went along.

Yep

He still doesn't have a go-to move, Andrew.

[lips smack] That's the thing.

What does Wemby want to do on offense? I don't think the Spurs know.

I don't think Wemby knows, and you could really feel it in this match up.

Um, because OKC, they did a phenomenal job on defense, but also you could feel Wemby getting in his own head a little bit.

And, um, and again, it's like, so where does he wanna be on the floor? And he was sort of making it up as he went along.

And obviously the shooting, the shooting has been a long-running frustration of mine, where he'll just settle for long jumpers, lots of threes, and it was a nightmare in game one.

Yep

Yeah, maybe they like those songs from that album, even if he is a polarizing figure, as he calls himself.

I mean, there is a fascinating aspect to culture today where it seems like the cultural gatekeepers and tastemakers have just been completely sidestepped and bypassed, uh, by, like, Morgan Wallen.

I can't say I've ever heard-

It was very effective for him.

It is very effective, and it amuses me because I observed, um, like three or four months ago, texting you and some of our friends, um, the woman, I don't know the name of the woman who hosts this daytime talk show, but the, every guest walks through a hallway and-

But, like, how does it work with Peterson now in the NBA surrounded by all these guys? So I think there's a lot of interesting stuff to watch with the Utah Jazz this year, and a lot of storylines to follow that bumps them up a lot compared to where they've been when they've just been a, a pure tanking team [laughs] in recent years.

100%.

Look, I am with you all the way as far as Jazz intrigue is concerned.

This is a nerdy basketball opinion, but me personally in my heart of hearts, the Jazz are probably in my top five for teams that I'm most excited to watch through the first month or two next season, just to see what it all looks like.

I mean, the reason I paused when you said that they are potentially a playoff team in the West, I agree that they are potentially a playoff team.

I would be more excited about what this team could do this season in Salt Lake City if they still had Walker Kessler, and I didn't have to look at Jusuf Nurkic as the starting five in the roster breakdown graphic you posted a minute ago.

Like, you pr- platooning Nurkic and Jaxson Hayes at the five, that does just sort of give me pause in terms of what this team is actually gonna be across 82 games.

[laughs]

But like, how does it work with Peterson now in the NBA, surrounded by all these guys? So I think there's a lot of interesting stuff to watch with the Utah Jazz this year, and a lot of storylines to follow that bumps them up a lot compared to where they've been when they've just been a, a pure tanking team [laughs] in recent years.

100%.

Look, I am with you all the way as far as Jazz intrigue is concerned.

This is a nerdy basketball opinion, but me personally, in my heart of hearts, the Jazz are probably in my top five for teams that I'm most excited to watch through the first month or two next season, just to see what it all looks like.

I mean, the reason I paused when you said that they are potentially a playoff team in the West, I agree that they are potentially a playoff team.

I would be more excited about what this team could do this season in Salt Lake City if they still had Walker Kessler, and I didn't have to look at Jusuf Nurkic as the starting five in the roster breakdown graphic you posted a minute ago.

Like, you pr- platooning Nurkic and Jackson Hayes at the five, that does just sort of give me pause in terms of what this team is actually gonna be across 82 games.

[laughs]

Tell us why you weren't a fan of the trade initially before this extension.

Well, I wasn't a fan of the trade because I feared that the Wizards were going to do something like this.

So that was part of the issue.

And honestly, I would...

I would separate the contract from Trey the player because Trey the player is also a problem.

If you have a team full of young guys like Alex Saar, like Keyshawn George, whoever they take at number one tonight, they're going to need the ball.

Trey Johnson could benefit from some on-ball reps.

But Or was this Will Dawkins and his scouts going, no, Trey's going to be great for our young core and he's going to help them get better?

Tell us why you weren't a fan of the trade initially before this extension.

Well, I wasn't a fan of the trade because I feared that the Wizards were going to do something like this.

So that was part of the issue.

And honestly, I would separate the contract from Trey the player because Trey the player is also a problem.

If you have a team full of young guys... like Alex Saar, like Keyshawn George, whoever they take at number one tonight, they're going to need the ball.

Trey Johnson could benefit from some on-ball reps.

And if you look at Trey Young over the last five or six years, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective.

But Or was this Will Dawkins and his scouts going, no, Trey's going to be great for our young core and he's going to help them get better?

Tell us why you weren't a fan of the trade initially before this extension.

Well, I wasn't a fan of the trade because I feared that the Wizards were going to do something like this.

So that was part of the issue.

And honestly, I would separate the contract from Trey the player because Trey the player is also a problem.

If you have a team full of young guys... like Alex Saar, like Keyshawn George, whoever they take at number one tonight, they're going to need the ball.

Trey Johnson could benefit from some on-ball reps.

And if you look at Trey Young over the last five or six years, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective.

But Or was this Will Dawkins and his scouts going, no, Trey's going to be great for our young core and he's going to help them get better?

Tell us why you weren't a fan of the trade initially before this extension.

Well, I wasn't a fan of the trade because I feared that the Wizards were going to do something like this.

So that was part of the issue.

And honestly, I would separate the contract from Trey the player because Trey the player is also a problem.

If you have a team full of young guys... like Alex Saar, like Keyshawn George, whoever they take at number one tonight, they're going to need the ball.

Trey Johnson could benefit from some on-ball reps.

And if you look at Trey Young over the last five or six years, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective.

But Or was this Will Dawkins and his scouts going, no, Trey's going to be great for our young core and he's going to help them get better?

Tell us why you weren't a fan of the trade initially before this extension.

Well, I wasn't a fan of the trade because I feared that the Wizards were going to do something like this.

So that was part of the issue.

And honestly, I would separate the contract from Trey the player because Trey the player is also a problem.

If you have a team full of young guys... like Alex Saar, like Keyshawn George, whoever they take at number one tonight, they're going to need the ball.

Trey Johnson could benefit from some on-ball reps.

And if you look at Trey Young over the last five or six years, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective.

But Or was this Will Dawkins and his scouts going, no, Trey's going to be great for our young core and he's going to help them get better?

Okay.

Um, so that was part of the issue.

And honestly, I would, I would separate the contract from Trae the player because Trae the player is also a problem.

If, if you have a team full of young guys, uh, like Alex Sarr, like Keyshawn George, whoever they take at number one tonight, um, they're gonna need the ball.

Trae Young could, could benefit from some on-ball reps.

And if you look at Trae Young over the last five or six years, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective.

He's not very good off the ball.

I just-

Yeah

... 'cause it's been carefully built in OKC.

And so with Reaves as an example, I don't wanna overreact too much to some of the offensive struggles that we saw from him early in the series because OKC is effectively an impossible standard.

Like Anthony Edwards looks fantastic playing on one and a half legs against the Spurs in the second round this year.

Uh, a year ago in the Western Conference finals, Anthony Edwards was a shell of himself going against this Thunder defense, and if A.J. Mitchell was trying to do what he did over the last couple games against the OKC defense, he would probably look like a shell of himself.

So basically every guard is gonna look maybe half as effective against a perimeter defense that's as dominant as OKC, and you pair the bigs at the rim.

Like it's a tough ask of anybody.

Yes

Yeah

... 'cause it's been carefully built in OKC.

And so with Reaves as an example, I don't wanna overreact too much to some of the offensive struggles that we saw from him early in the series, because OKC is effectively an impossible standard.

Like, Anthony Edwards looks fantastic playing on one and a half legs against the Spurs in the second round this year.

Uh, a year ago in the Western Conference finals, Anthony Edwards was a shell of himself going against this Thunder defense, and if A.J. Mitchell was trying to do what he did over the last couple games... against the OKC defense, he would probably look like a shell of himself.

So basically, every guard is gonna look maybe half as effective against a perimeter defense that's as dominant as OKC, and you pair the bigs at the rim.

Like, it's a tough ask of anybody.

Yes

Is, is that really what Minnesota should be angling for here, an expensive point guard, uh, like a Ja, Darius Garland, or is there another direction you're going if you're the Wolves?

You know, [exhales] um, first of all, very fun Spurs-Wolves game Sunday night.

Anthony Edwards, we're gonna talk about underrated players later in the episode here.

I think Ant might be a tad underrated at this point in the season, just because he's gotten so much better, and I just, I love year after year, he gets a little bit better, like 15% better each season.

Um, and what he's done to improve his skills in the mid-range and as a closer, and we saw it over the final two minutes against the Spurs Sunday night, just awesome stuff from Ant.

So shout-out to Ant.

And I feel good about the Wolves.

[chuckles]

(laughs)

And I was, you know, doing my due diligence.

These days, I'm covering tech, I'm covering China, I'm covering hoops, uh, greatest of all talk.

So I don't have time to watch college basketball.

So Wizards get number two, and I start doing my due diligence.

I like what I'm seeing from Reid Shepherd, but I see, you know, a 6'1 white kid, I don't know if I'm really gonna use a top three pick on that sorta player.

And, uh, but I, I liked everything I saw.

(laughs)

Yeah.

... or the Jazz or the Nets.

It's, it's harder than ever to rebuild in this environment.

But if you're Giannis or if you're a fan of Giannis, his prime doesn't have that much more time left at this point.

And so, I think what frustrates me envisioning the next two years in Milwaukee is the last two years I've seen in Milwaukee, where Giannis is...... top three and, like, right there with Jokic and I guess...

I don't know.

I, I guess-

How happy were you when the Jazz took Ace Bailey?

Is that fair to say?

Um, he definitely checked out in the first half.

I mean, and it's so frustrating because before the game last night I was thinking to myself, "You know, this might be the last big game we get during the 2025 Playoffs." And ultimately, since the Thunder won, I think that will probably be true.

But by the same token, like, the game itself delivered and it was right there for Minnesota to steal in the second half.

And the supporting cast showed up.

Guys like Nikhil Alexander-Walker, uh, Danté DiVincenzo, like, they were doing everything you would dream they would do as a Wolves fan.

And then Ant, in the first half, like, I, I, I think the Ant conversation is a little bit complicated.

(laughs)

(laughs)

Um, I will say, to start with, uh, the way you frame that game, watching that game, it's not an original reaction.

I mean, a lot of Twitter was basically saying, "Oh my God, this is the game of the year." Um, but I was just, like, blown away by how, uh, how high-quality the hoops was throughout the second half.

And, like, the fourth quarter, you had Kawhi going off, and then Steph comes back.

Steph had been quiet for most of the game, and then he goes off down the stretch.

Overtime, we had Harden.

I'm not a Harden guy, so it was particularly gut-wrenching to see Harden come in and steal the spotlight and sort of cement that win in overtime.

And healthy Kawhi?