Nate Duncan

You and I actually, I guess we should shout this out, Omari.

We went and recorded with Nate Duncan on, I don't know.

Thursday?

Thursday and so that's it's out I know it's I know it's out right now it was Thursday Thursday night you and I recorded with Nate Duncan over on the dunked on podcast and so really there's a lot of takeaways from the Timberwolves game in that one because that game had been played the Raptors game had been not but it was interesting to see that game where both teams did start that game with their starters but then we had the Raptors game which not as much of that but what what are some of your takeaways from two preseason games since last recording

Yeah, I think the main one is just Jalen Durant playing in those two games, right? Because he missed the first two, and there's a lot of questions from folks.

Is he going to play in preseason, but is it going to look like this and that? But he did play Wednesday and Friday, and I think most of us would agree it looked Very good in those two games.

The rim protection isn't the same as Isaiah Stewart.

Is the rebounding going to be as good? And then the follow-up is, is Tolu Smith the answer then against some matchups? Like, are there nights where it's actually, instead of Jalen Dern, 32 minutes, or let's say 30 minutes, and then Paul Reed, 18, it's Jalen Dern, 30 minutes, Paul Reed, nine, and Tolu Smith, nine.

Um, we have to talk, uh, a bunch about this game, and we only have about 20 minutes or so to do it.

Nate Duncan's gonna join us in the, uh, second half of the show to talk Raptors and go around the NBA a little bit as we continue to preview an NBA season that begins Tuesday and begins Wednesday for the Raptors.

Um, but Matt, conspicuous by his absence today on the show is Mo Dikil.

Yeah.

Matt, you gotta get out of here.

You have a very good cause this weekend.

So let's take a break, and I will talk to Nate Duncan on the other side.

You have a, a good time catching up with the Spurs and doing some good charity work this weekend.

We will be back tomorrow morning, uh, to break that one down.

We'll also, uh, we'll talk with Nate Duncan of the Dunked On podcast about some of these, uh, East topics as well.

That's it for today though.

We'll be back to break down Raptors/Knicks.

But I do think, I'm gonna share a couple, you know, folks', uh, predictions of the Blazers', uh, w- win-loss record this year, because, you know, it's a good gauge of, of what other folks think.

I was on, uh, Nate Duncan's podcast, uh, Dunked On, a basketball, uh, and we, you know, did the full Blazers season preview, all of the ins and outs, and then it ends with a prediction.

And on that show, I shared the number that has kinda been, I've shared here a couple times, but I'll formally share it here, is that I, I, I'm, my prediction for the Blazers is that they're gonna win 43 games this year.

There you go.

You say that, man, but I got asked that ...

You know, I did, like, Nate Duncan's show, I did the Hardwood Knocks show, I've done a handful of these, Real GM, and they all ask that question.

That's so weird.

And I'm kinda like, I don't- I'm surprised that it ...

The second skill set.

There's, I think, you know, Nate Duncan and when I did Dunk Dun brought it up, we've heard it a few times, Sam Vecini, some others, there's a little question of whether he's really got the athletic burst to get around the corner of people, and then if he doesn't, he's gonna learn how to use picks from Nurk and other people to do it.

Like, I'm not con- He's so strong, he's got a great shot.

E- everything's rust right now.

Like, this is just not the same person, player, everything like that.

David Locke said on Nate Duncan's podcast, so Nate Duncan does three previews with every team, and David Locke has been his guy for the Jazz for a long time.

He said that Ace Bailey was behind in life.

And...

i think we should point out here that this is a notable contract i think the the point the pistons would make if you gave them truth serum and said like why why are you willing to do this contract it's it's I don't want to go that far because I think it's a fine contract.

But, like, why is this a good contract? This is a great stat from Nate Duncan.

Of the last 35 players to make an All-Star team on their first contract, Durin is the only one not to get the max on the second contract.

Like, historically speaking...