Transcript
Elias Hansen: Welcome back. Episode two of Spurs Journal. if If this is your second episode you've listened to, thank you. You're a real one.
Charlie: We really appreciate it.
Elias Hansen: It's going to be a fun one today. Talking about bunch of stuff. Going to start with probably the sexiest move of the offseason. The waiting is over.
Elias Hansen: We kind of called it on last pod. LeBron is going to the Sixers. We'll talk about what we think. but we Whether we like it, what the lineup's going to look like. From there, we'll move to Spurs-centric stuff, as per usual. We'll talk about the off-season scandal.
Elias Hansen: Some excitement with Jacob Tobey.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: That'll be fun. We'll move on to the hiring of the new Spurs assistant coach, Billy Donovan. We'll talk about Sohan heading out west to the Trailblazers. and then we'll wrap up discussing how much we're willing to pay for Victor Wemme, Yamas, and Trishu.
Elias Hansen: So how's it going, Charlie? Ready to do this again? Okay,
Charlie: Dude, I'm ready. I'm excited. a lot of A lot of topics I'm personally interested in, specifically the first one.
Elias Hansen: okay good.
Charlie: i think to be specific, you called it.
Elias Hansen: Okay.
Charlie: I did not call it.
Elias Hansen: That's true.
Charlie: I did not think he was going to the Sixers.
Elias Hansen: In fact, I listened back again and you shut me down when I said Sixers, and here we are.
Charlie: I did. Yeah, I got to. I did not i did not foresee that at all, especially the way Rich Paul was acting.
Elias Hansen: yeah yep
Charlie: feel like he did a whole like media tour kind of flaunting a lot of different things. I think I think I specifically said, i don't know what kind of dark magic the Sixers are doing to pretend like they're a contender in this.
Elias Hansen: yes you did yep yep
Charlie: And um whatever it was, it worked because he is signed a two year deal, not just a one year deal. um And I think I like it's funny because hindsight is 2020. And I guess looking at it now, it does make sense.
Charlie: I totally thought, you know, end of his career, you want to go to either Cleveland or Miami or team up with your longtime friend and golf partner, Steph Curry.
Charlie: I just did not see him having that.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: i guess I guess it does make sense that if you're going to be playing this late in your career and you're going to be bought into the tornado of an entire NBA season and you're also a great player like LeBron James, you probably want to have the best chance of winning.
Charlie: like That's the only reason why he'd be doing it.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: And I guess that is why it makes total sense that he went to the Sixers because that's probably the best place for him to be if that's where he if his goal is to win a championship.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. i mean, so looking at this lineup, we've got LeBron, we have Jalen Brown, we have Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Vijay Edgecombe, and they're deep. I mean, they've got they've got Dean Wade, they've got Anthony Simons, Adem Bona and Huck Porte. I don't know how much you put stock in them as backup centers, but like, listen,
Elias Hansen: The talent is absolutely there. It is it is a remarkable front. We could say five, depending on how a well VG Edgecombe plays. i don't know if a sophomore slump is coming, but I mean...
Elias Hansen: It's going to be the case as with every Sixers year, but even more so, we're going to be looking at how often are people playing. um But craziest to me, the craziest thing to me is that, you know, we can trace this back to Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics refusing to add in what Hugo Gonzalez to a Giannis trade was the domino.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: that ended up with LeBron likely retiring as a Philadelphia 76er. It's, I don't want to say it's too crazy because I did call it.
Charlie: Crazy. Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: I'm going to keep quiet. I listened to that. i didn't totally call it. I said it was sort of probably be he, um but I mean this, so this lineup, like getting back to the basketball of it, this lineup, I can't wait to watch it because it is so remarkably talented.
Charlie: if
Elias Hansen: And the question is going to be how much can LeBron play? How much could Joel Embiid play? Um, But they've added a lot more answers to questions about availability concerns than they have in the past. So let's talk what we think they're going to look like, actual playing style. What are you excited? what are you looking for? How do you think this is going to work?
Charlie: Yeah, I mean, i am i remember kind of doing some research about this and I saw that Joel Embiid and Jalen Brown and Maxie all like talked to LeBron James personally. And one of the things that was like the biggest headline that apparently Joel Embiid was trying to, you know, make it very clear that this is the healthiest summer he's had in his entire career.
Charlie: And like his first surgery free summer,
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: all year
Elias Hansen: Okay.
Charlie: And i think that when thinking back to the playoffs last year, that little stretch of when Embiid was healthy and it and it felt like it it felt like it was like every Sixers fan was like vindicated in this really loud way.
Elias Hansen: This is every year, man.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: And all of a sudden, everybody's a Sixers fan and you've never heard of.
Elias Hansen: yeah
Charlie: um It was super exciting. And like as a LeBron fan, I am really, really hoping that health is on this team's side. and That's always been the case with Embiid therefore always been the case with the Sixers.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yep. Yeah.
Charlie: But um I think if you can get a healthy Embiid, just so look like ah where LeBron James is at right now, which is not you know near his prime, but he's a very solid, healthy, consistent player who's still able to like muscle through the marathon of an entire season.
Elias Hansen: yeah
Charlie: And that plus Jalen Brown, I think the one thing... the thing like The only thing I hear about as a negative is how the locker room is going to be run, who's who's the team leader, whose voices are going to be kind of dominant.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: I'm hearing like people already make up scenarios about how Vijay has to watch out now that he's a fifth option. if I saw like Paul George saying like if I was his agent, I would be super upset right now.
Elias Hansen: Oh my God.
Charlie: And it's like there's there's no need to make these problems where there aren't any.
Elias Hansen: Podcast P. Yeah.
Charlie: But it is true that like I i probably worry about the locker room the most. i don't know how you feel about that.
Elias Hansen: Okay. Yeah. I think, mean, first and foremost, Like with the with the injury concerns, I say this more so for Joel Embiid when I'm talking about like the availability.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: LeBron's going to miss some games. He may not play back-to-backs. Like that's the reality of having LeBron, at like post 40-year-old LeBron. um
Charlie: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: But LeBron is still really good at basketball. And that is on all both ends of the floor. like He initiates well. He still plays tough defense.
Elias Hansen: He can play one through five, honestly, at times. And so it's not really a question of, is LeBron going to be able to pass and score and make an impact on the game?
Elias Hansen: It's just, can the Sixers play with the right kind of style that will fit with the lineup that is available?
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. So i I think that LeBron is enough of a de facto leader that I worry less about the locker room dynamics because I think you kind of just have to like, you got kiss the ring.
Elias Hansen: Like it's Brian.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: What are we talking about?
Charlie: m Totally.
Elias Hansen: um But when those players are all on the floor together,
Elias Hansen: this was Like, this was a question last year when you had, the nickname was Vijay Max, which I, like, kind of hated it. But Vijay Edgeko and Tyrese Maxey, like, they run the floor.
Charlie: DJ MNX. yeah Yeah.
Elias Hansen: They are flying up and down the floor. Embiid, that's not happening. Quite the opposite.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: But now you bring in JB, right? who can absolutely um pick up the pace a little bit. And you pretty much and with LeBron, he's old, but he's still he still can run, and he can still make the right kind of passes that allow his teammates to run.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: So I think that really the only player here that would slow down the pace at all is Embiid. And so I think if they can figure out a way to keep that pace and make the right passes, it's going to be a lot of fun to watch. But outside, like, i think availability is just kind of like, it's almost a cop-out because it's like, your good players aren't there, so you won't be as good.
Elias Hansen: That could very well happen. The East is super tough.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Okay, case in point. Even if everyone is there, JB, Embiid, and LeBron, but even in some part, like Tyrese Maxey, like, they are ball dominant.
Elias Hansen: necessarily LeBron, but...
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Is it going to be my turn, your turn, his turn offense that becomes a lot easier to defend and becomes way harder to execute when, like, ideally you're making the playoffs with this team?
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: I would think that you will.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: um Or are they going to be able to communicate enough to play as a team and create some sort of cohesive offense? It's going to be interesting to see. Like, i don't I don't know if there's a definitive answer.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Like, we can speculate all we want in the offseason, but... Can those different all-stars at different points in their career with different strengths understand how to play together? It's not very insightful analysis, but I i think it's hard.
Elias Hansen: I think it's going to be harder than people expect.
Charlie: I think it is hard and I think that I saw I saw some rumor that LeBron might play point guard for them which would be cool and I and I think that has to do with what you were just saying about it's important to know that even with LeBron's age and like obvious decline
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: in athleticism compared to the rest of his career. but He can maintain the pace of a game with his passing ability.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: and I think that will be a big part of this team is leaning on LeBron's passing ability and also probably the gravity that he demands when he has the ball.
Charlie: and like
Elias Hansen: Yes.
Charlie: Pairing that with, like you said, some super athletic capable young guys that can get down the floor and you know have like a speed that is kind of hard to attain from anybody else in the league and so I think I think it will be a question of you know who's handling the ball who's going to be the ball dominant player like in this offense and then also utilizing LeBron as possibly more of like a pass first guy rather than option a
Elias Hansen: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yeah. And I don't think it's going to be a question that can be answered early on in the season. I think early on in the season, we're not going to be able to see the like LeBron's going downhill, creating like with backdoor cuts for JB is getting to it like, it's going to take a while, i think.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: And so that's where i' I'm going to take this like cop out of availability of, of availability and like tie it back in with the basketball fit is that these players need to be around and playing together enough to understand how this offense is going to work.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Um, So I think like it's almost it it it hurts you twice if Embiid and LeBron aren't playing as much as they could be because, one, they're not on the floor.
Elias Hansen: I mean, Embiid on the floor can be incredibly dominant. He's an MVP. um
Charlie: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: LeBron, GOAT. That's my GOAT. um If they... are off the floor obviously you don't have that power but if they're also off the floor they aren't understanding like where jb and where tyrese maxi and where like vj edgecombe where they like to get the ball like what kind of play design do they like to get set up uh nick nurse is going to have a lot harder time understanding what kind of plays he can drop who how this crazy lineup is going to be organized So it's going to take a while. Like I think i think it's going to be like 20 games before we get a real sense of if they've found an offensive identity.
Elias Hansen: um And if there's not one after that, I don't know. Well, I'll pause there. But and do you have any other thoughts on anything about the fit as the team is currently constructed?
Charlie: yeah i mean i think it's another thing to think about too is and like something that i was thinking about after the decision was made
Elias Hansen: Anything else you want to add?
Charlie: Because it at first, and my first reaction is like, i just don't get it. i just don't get it. And then if you really look around at like the other top contenders and the way the teams were built, like this was almost...
Charlie: like like it It obviously makes the most sense for like where LeBron is at in his career.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yeah.
Charlie: And I think that when you look at the the scope of the Eastern Conference right now, it's kind of something that we were talking about last podcast, which is like it is super competitive and it is kind of a ah bloodbath right now, it seems.
Charlie: you know I think that teams are watching the way the New York Knicks just kind of walked every single team down in the Eastern Conference.
Elias Hansen: yeah
Charlie: like and reassessing what they need to be doing. And so i think, I think it'll be like you said, like a little bit of a grace period, you know, probably 20 games or so of figuring out what this is, you know, what this offense looks like, what the team identity looks like.
Charlie: And I, I think the one thing I will say is that even like, despite what their regular season performance looks like, I have a feeling that this will be a team that rises in the playoffs.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yeah. I think you're right. I mean, once again, availability, like who's healthy at the right time. um And we'll do maybe, maybe next time we talk, we can do like a more comprehensive recap of where everybody is because so many new faces in so many new places.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: But
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: but That ties in well, I think, to the other question that I've seen brought up a lot with this trade, or not trade, is with the signing, is the question of an Embiid trade.
Elias Hansen: um
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Do you make a move now to bridge, use LeBron as this veteran bridge, as this still outstanding basketball presence with the next era of Tyrese Maxey, of Vijay Edgecombe, of Jalen Brown now, and get what you can for Embiid.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Now, this is interesting because the Embiid trade value is the question, right? And... That's why I think I kind of have a sneaking suspicion that a decision may have already been.
Elias Hansen: if If there is good rational thinking in a team that has not like had some, had a ah title in like a billion years, I think, or something.
Elias Hansen: Um, like, I think you kind of have to make that decision right now because realistically Embiid's trade value, like people know what he is in terms of an injury risk.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Um, and huge money sitting on the books for a player that's not going to be available is not attractive.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: And so I don't know if it can get any worse, right now, but it could get a little better.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: it could get a little better if he's playing and he's playing well.
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: Now, then if he's playing well, are the Sixers going to want to move off? And this is like the constant like conundrum with rehabbing trade value.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: ah We kind of talked ah touched on it with Fox last time we talked, but like before you trade, if you want to trade Embiid, which I don't think is a bad idea.
Charlie: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: I'd consider it if a team was willing to take a flyer on a really injured player. If you're willing if you're willing to part with this player,
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: You need him to perform well. Now, I could see a scenario, and when we're talking about these styles of offenses, if there's a your turn, my turn offense that's very ISO heavy and it clearly is not working, but Embiid is playing well and looks like a good version of himself, maybe that's a way his trade value could be improved.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: He could be traded and it could be done without actively hurting the team.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: But I just think the 76ers are going to be, i mean, this is the the a really great problem to have, kind of, because kind of because it's it's still related to injury and roster construction.
Charlie: Yeah.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: But I think it's a really interesting question as to whether the right move is to use... used these two incredible signings, like got super lucky getting Jalen Brown, honestly for free.
Elias Hansen: They might've even gotten paid because of the picks associated with Paul George's contract.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: And then LeBron deciding to go because of that contract.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Like, I don't, I don't, I think it might, it's at least smart. You need to at least have the conversation of like, is it time we figure out a way to make this move happen? I don't know.
Charlie: Yeah, it's super interesting to think about because it is the first thing I think about, like you said, is what even is Embiid's trade value right now? And I think it's that's ah that's a hard package for most of the rest of the NBA, I would say, unless you're damning him to you know like the Pelicans.
Elias Hansen: yeah
Elias Hansen: Yeah. mean, maybe maybe the Sixers are maybe the six you know that we don't know about are already like completely out on his health and availability and are willing to just basically dump him.
Charlie: like It's
Charlie: who
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: I mean, that could be the case if they're playing well enough without his availability and they're like, we just need to get this money off the books, to give us a little flexibility. I don't know.
Charlie: yeah i will say they're kind of they are in a very interesting time where it's like they have this young exciting core and they also kind of just like won the lottery this off season with two very like, like two superstar players that can get it done.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: And they're kind of in their prime right now. And so it's like, you have this, like these two identities of like this really young, exciting core. How do we build around them? And then this like, Oh my God, we just got, you know, Jalen Brown and LeBron. Like, is it when now, you know,
Charlie: how how How do we juggle this? And I think it's going to probably be a frantic beginning of the season. like It's going to be a lot of trying to figure out are we in win now or is like LeBron going to be the mentor for this team that hopefully wins in four years?
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: And so, yeah, it's going be fun.
Elias Hansen: It's going to be exciting. It's going to be like either either way it goes. I think like the the bottom line for all of this like crazy high ceiling.
Elias Hansen: Valid conversations for the best starting five in the NBA at the moment.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: i I respect the argument. But also, the floor for this team, the bottom could drop out at any moment. like
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: like We say it every year and it's never really happened, but it's still like LeBron is like old as hell. He could explode.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Embiid probably will explode at some point. um And there's still a good team around him after that, but like, you know, things could get dicey.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: A lot of things could happen that, and then the East could remain.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: i mean, maybe they're not even that bad, but just the East is ah the upside on the other teams hits like,
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: i am I am so curious. I wonder what, like, I'm anti-sports betting, as I know you are too, Charlie.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I'm remarkably anti-sports betting. It's a scourge on any professional sport. It's disgusting. Never sports bet.
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: But I am curious at what, like, the line is set they over under for this season um for people who crowdsource all this information, like the win the wind total.
Charlie: Well, for for and NBA championship, I'm pretty sure they are they bumped up to like number four, like highest odds.
Elias Hansen: Wow. Okay.
Charlie: Spurs and Thunder keep going back and forth on who's number one.
Elias Hansen: First, it's first under Nix.
Charlie: think the knis I think the Knicks might be five. They might be three. they might be three but um yeah no It's to be a very interesting experiment.
Elias Hansen: Okay. Okay.
Charlie: and I feel like that's every time LeBron's gone somewhere, it's always been like that.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: like This will be a very like very high ceiling, very low floor.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: And that's that's just what happens when ah a team is built around star power and not you know a slowly built thing rooted in like the actual organization. And so I'm excited to see it.
Elias Hansen: Yep. Yep.
Charlie: I think I think it i can now, looking back, the professionals, the Elias's of the world, we're we're correct.
Elias Hansen: Me too.
Charlie: this is This is the best decision for LeBron.
Elias Hansen: That's right.
Charlie: And so I'm i'm happy with it.
Elias Hansen: Well, I'm glad you agree with me, as always. um Okay. Should we move on Move on to something a little less basketball X's and O's focused, but deserves a conversation.
Charlie: ah
Elias Hansen: um I'll give a little rundown of of what what happened.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Charlie, you can fill in if I miss anything. So I'm sure anyone, most people listening to the podcast, remember Jacob Tovey, took over as the...
Elias Hansen: play-by-play guy, I guess not color commentator, play-by-play guy on the Spurs broadcast. um Really, honestly, it seems like he took to the city, took to the fans, took to the players.
Charlie: Like in such a great way. Yeah.
Elias Hansen: But yes, in such a great way. I really enjoyed having him on the broadcast. i think I think it was a lot of fun. And you'll notice those past tense verbs there because earlier this summer,
Elias Hansen: If you are a social media user you and you were up at 4am, you may have seen ah some posts on Jacob Tobey's story. Long story short, Jacob Tobey was not a married man, but a long time had a longtime partner girlfriend sounds like that he was being unfaithful with with none other than Lindy Waters sister.
Elias Hansen: Kind of a boneheaded move if ask me. Mind you, this was about too... Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it right now. We'll wipe away any of the questions. I think that that is not cool to cheat.
Elias Hansen: So just want to get that out there.
Charlie: is
Elias Hansen: But this happened two days after... Two days or one day after Jacob Tobi signed a contract, a long-term extension with this person. Signed it on the golf course with Sean Elliott.
Charlie: Oh my god. It was super viral. It was so wholesome.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: it was like, signed the extension.
Elias Hansen: Yep. Yep.
Charlie: it was It was like someone wrote a script for this. It was crazy.
Elias Hansen: It was beautiful. Yeah. The beautiful Alamo Corey golf course. And, um, less than, I don't know, pretty quick turnaround.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Jacob Tovey has been fired. I haven't heard anything else. Um, You know, I don't know how much analyzing there is to do about it.
Elias Hansen: i guess i i guess I guess we could talk about if we think it's the right call, if I would fire him.
Charlie: who If you would fire him or not. Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I mean, everyone here who's a listener, Charlie, you know, the listeners know, I'm i'm very against cheating, as I said earlier.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: um So that just doesn't sit right with me. um But in all seriousness, you can't really be involved with any of the players. Wouldn't even be surprised if there was something like in the contract somewhere, especially after Tony Parker ah of years past.
Charlie: Definitely.
Charlie: ah Yeah.
Elias Hansen: But I mean, it's probably the right call. I'll shut up and let Charlie give his take, but I'll just say it's going to suck. i liked i liked him. i thought he was good. like i really At first I was a little unsure because i the Omama Wemba Nyama just could never be topped.
Elias Hansen: But I don't know. It's going to be weird. Hopefully they get somebody good. i don't He'll all have a job, but I don't know.
Charlie: So that's that's what I'm curious to see is what the replacement is. Because it was... He had... He was so fortunate of the timing of when he came in and how he was like kind of the young gun and like new kid on the block and with like kind of a Spurs legend as his partner.
Elias Hansen: yep yep
Charlie: And he kind of like personified exactly, i feel like what the team identity felt like. It was like this kind of new, young, surprising, fresh faces that like you know, pleasantly surprised you.
Charlie: And he was super bought in to San Antonio. It was like, and that's, that's my, my biggest like thing I'm bummed about is like, I mean, he was so aware that like he got in at the best time possible, like right when things started to get exciting again, kind of rode the entire high of like of last season with the finals run And it just seemed like he was like, he was all a sudden a perfect fit and he was so content with San Antonio.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: I think that's the only thing San Antonians want to feel like is that, you know, people love the city and are happy with it and want to you know, stay with it and be loyal to it.
Charlie: And so, yeah, it's huge bummer to see it happen. Um,
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: um
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: But at the end of the day, it's like, what other option did the Spurs front office have?
Elias Hansen: Yeah, exactly.
Charlie: It's like, you can't... I mean, even if that if it wasn't a player's sister, that would still be...
Elias Hansen: yes
Charlie: it would still be something that, like, the front office has to sit down and consider. But the fact that it was such a a breach of so many workplace, you know, relationships, it's in, like, in such a public way, too.
Elias Hansen: yeah
Charlie: um
Elias Hansen: Yeah, I mean, yeah so I think ah this is the last crack I'll make at him. but um
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: So you said he was kind of like you the know the young, fresh face, fit the vibe of this team.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I guess we can confidently say that Jacob Tovey was along, if you're giving a player comp, maybe a Josh Primo. um
Charlie: Maybe.
Elias Hansen: Maybe. But no, that that was my last one.
Charlie: That's the yes. Yes.
Elias Hansen: That was my last one. in all honesty, like –
Charlie: if Josh Primo, Shanghai Sharks legend. Legendary point guard.
Elias Hansen: start learning Chinese buddy.
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: Um, in all seriousness, that sucks. Like that sucks. And it sucks that he had to be kind of like dragged through the mud publicly. Like, you know, he messed up.
Elias Hansen: Like I feel for him though, that this is like that, like Charlie and Elias of Spurs journal are now talking about him. Um,
Charlie: ah
Elias Hansen: But like, he'll be fine. He'll, I'm sure he's getting, at i saw he's already getting interest or something.
Charlie: he'll be okay he's gonna land another
Elias Hansen: He's going to land another one. He'll be great. um And I'm excited to see who comes next. I mean, and don't really, there's not really a lot of like, you can't really poach another, it's going to be someone else up and coming.
Elias Hansen: There's this like guy on TikTok who comments, commentates Clippers games. Maybe, don't know, maybe he'd be cool, but yeah, I don't know.
Charlie: I see him. Yeah. it's It's going to be someone right. You know, he was a meteorologist before this in Denver.
Elias Hansen: Really?
Charlie: Yes.
Elias Hansen: Wow.
Charlie: So it could be anybody.
Elias Hansen: Okay.
Charlie: It could be us.
Elias Hansen: That could be anybody.
Charlie: could be a
Elias Hansen: but It could be us. ah Yeah. I would like to say formally right now, if I need to quit my job, well, my job's not listening. If i need to quit my job because the Spurs want me to become their color commentator or play by play, whatever, either one, if Sean wants to take a step back, ah you know, I'll do it.
Charlie: I'm there.
Elias Hansen: That's cool.
Charlie: We're there.
Elias Hansen: I'm there. Okay. Switching back, swerving back to more real basketball talk.
Charlie: Yes. Yes.
Elias Hansen: We didn't, we didn't talk with it. We skipped over this, I guess, last time probably should have talked about it. Um, but the Spurs have hired a new lead assistant coach, none other than Billy Donovan, former head coach of the Chicago bulls, um, replacing the Sean Sweeney sized hole, uh, sitting next to Mitch Johnson.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Um, um, I'll leave it there. I'll let you give your thoughts.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I'll tell you what I'm thinking.
Charlie: Well, first off, you gotta we got to mention how huge Sean was for us. And that was, I remember like beginning, like right when we got him, that was like, it was like middle of the off season.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: And my my dad and me were just talking about like, this is going to be one of those things that's going to be so important to whatever this team does. You know, when you have a defensive minded coach like that, and all these defensive minded players together, obviously, they're going to create something special.
Charlie: And he was so great for us. It was awesome. He was a part of our, a huge part of our success.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: And so super happy for him that he is able to now, you know, I'm sure this is the dream of his to be a ah lead coach. It's for Orlando, I believe.
Charlie: And that's that's an exciting place to be.
Elias Hansen: music
Charlie: And so good luck to him, happy for him. But yeah, huge hole in our coaching staff.
Elias Hansen: yeah
Charlie: And um I think that, It felt like our defense sometimes was like the only thing that like we had really, really dialed in.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: it like Offensively, we were kind of messy at times and didn't really have an identity going for parts of the season. But defensively, I felt like we were very sound. And it's not like that's going to completely disappear without him.
Charlie: But all that being said, um I'm also super excited about Billy Donovan. And I have to think that... like some Spurs veterans or front office veterans were a part of this in some way because for such a veteran experience coach to give up his head coaching position to be an assistant coach is a huge deal.
Charlie: And it like it shows you know a few things.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yep.
Charlie: It probably shows what he sees in the team, and it also shows like what he wants out of you know this part of his career. And I assume they're both winning championships.
Charlie: And so it's a huge uplift for the coaching staff and for the entire system to have someone who could have done greater things, had a better position for themselves, come in and buy into this program where we're at right now. And I think that it's a great move. I think the biggest thing everybody talks about that we lack on every front is experience. you know A very new coach, a very new roster, like the youngest roster in finals history or second youngest in finals history.
Charlie: I think this is such a great pickup. I think a coach that's a winning coach and has won on every level and been all around the league, been in college and seen all different kinds of play is exactly what we need right now to be kind of a grounding force and feel like, you know, that we're not just kind of flopping, fish flopping out of water.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Elias Hansen: Totally.
Charlie: You know, I think it's going to great.
Elias Hansen: Yep. Yep. i So I completely agree with everything you said, um particularly, you know, giving Sean Sweeney his flowers, like, Man, he was absolutely key.
Elias Hansen: And I think you're like the defense was our calling card this year.
Charlie: Mm hmm.
Elias Hansen: And I think to his credit, like so you said this, like we established a defensive identity. That was who we are.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: You weren't going to score on us. like you were not going We were going to shut you down with wing defenders. And when Wemby was at the rim, it just was not happening. And so cool to see, and so cool to see this young team buy into that.
Elias Hansen: And I think what Sean Sweeney, well, he wasn't brought here to do this. Like, obviously, it would have been awesome if he stayed. But he achieved his goal in establishing that defensive identity. And like you said, what we saw as the season came down the stretch is that we looked a little flat-footed at times on offense.
Charlie: totally
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: We looked like we weren't sure... what to do with the ball. I mean, even, you know, De'Aaron Fox, like looked at times, like he didn't exactly have the type of guidance.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: And I can't remember the specific specific instances, but there were moments where there were pretty like, you know, people always commentate on coaching. And I'll never pretend to know more than an NBA coach.
Elias Hansen: But there were some things that I saw people say about just some small mistakes that Mitch Johnson had made, not like questioning his lineups, but like questions about like timeouts and like technical rules.
Charlie: Rotations.
Elias Hansen: Yeah, rotations, things like that.
Charlie: Yes.
Elias Hansen: And so with all that said, Billy Donovan is a fantastic coach. Like you said, he's won two titles at Florida, coached on the Thunder, coached the Bulls, super experienced. And what Billy Donovan, from what I read, is what he does really well is he's a great play designer and he's a really good communicator.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: And the questions of dynamic roster construction or any type of individual playup to player development, that's not his strong suit. And so I think that is exactly, like you're saying, exactly what will help us this season. Like that's the next step we have.
Elias Hansen: to take players have bought in with their development. The system knows these players the best, what they need to grow. And what he needed as the season came to an end was we needed a veteran problem solver.
Charlie: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: We needed someone who was the right hand man was, was even more just as experienced or comfortable with the pressure as the head coach is for the team.
Elias Hansen: And I think that's exactly what Billy Donovan could be. And I and i want to say, like you know to the point about Sean Sweeney leaving, And now Billy Donovan giving up his head coach and coaching spot to come to San Antonio.
Elias Hansen: Like this is going to be the new norm for first assistant coaches. Like you can come here and you can coach in a system that is excellent and will win.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: And you will get looked at for a head coaching job. um So this is not the first like Sean Sweeney, Billy Donovan name X coach.
Charlie: Totally.
Elias Hansen: We'll see. And
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: like I can't, I wish I could remember his name, but like the guy who got the absolutely BS deal with the Blazers, um who is the Timberwolves assistant coach, like guys like that, let's say don't have a herb tip Blazers don't have a great season.
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: Like I could see someone like that coming to San Antonio. So I think this is this is a pattern we're probably going have to get used to for better or for worse.
Charlie: totally yeah that's a great point and um and yeah about like playmaking and being a coach that's kind of oriented around that i think that's great to hear because especially and the finals but it wasn't just the finals i think it could be categorized as like in any moment where we were either too exhausted or too overwhelmed for whatever reason to run plays or sets that we had.
Charlie: there is no like Offensively, there's no thing that we could default to that just felt very usable and like you know you don't even have to think about it and it is your go-to.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: felt like we didn't have that. It felt like we just had so much talent and we were able to just kind of muscle through those moments as like a young and hungry team but i think it's really exciting to hear about you know like new coach like this who's going to help ease some of those problems and help us kind of get some sort of default or identity that we can lean on offensively you know when things aren't going our way or when you don't have the time or energy or space to be thinking about them
Elias Hansen: Yeah, and I mean, he has he has all of the tools that he needs to draw.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: I mean, like, you are giving a coach, an all-star point guard, a difficult decision in who to play at the wing, incredible backup point guards, a brand new weapon that stretches the floor and can defend the four, and...
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: The player with the ceiling who is greatest of all time. So like in terms of creativity and being allowed to not only create the type of play designs that the team, the the Spurs can go back to, like you're saying when nothing else is working.
Charlie: Yes.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: but also getting creative. attos The the single things that you want to drop when you need, like ah but the shot clocks going down or end-of-game situations, like I am expecting an improvement there.
Elias Hansen: think there were quite a few times, like late, close games, where...
Charlie: definitely yeah let's just chuck up a shot you know yeah
Elias Hansen: There was some frustration with the shot selection. Yep, get to get to the mid-range and get in a fine shot, um but there wasn't a lot of creativity. There wasn't that type of play design, and so I think we'll see that, and that's pretty good.
Charlie: it was a lot of like just kind of sitting around and right, we're just to wait for the clock to wind down and then we're going to take the last shot and we're not going to even try to run something to make it easier on us.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: We're just going to like make it harder for ourselves.
Elias Hansen: And maybe, yeah, to your point, like like, I don't know if this is Mr. Johnson's philosophy, but like two for ones. We just didn't really do two for ones at all.
Charlie: Yes.
Elias Hansen: And I think part of that, like, maybe you don't believe in it because you just want to get one really good shot. Sure. But I think part of that could be we are not confident and enough in the sets that we have.
Charlie: Yes.
Elias Hansen: to get something quick, like our two for one is going to be chucking up a 38 footer um like we did in game one of the Western Conference finals.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Like that's not going to work most of
Charlie: And, and that's what it's like, that was the part of like, where people talk about inexperience and like how young a team is. Like I could see all the way from my TV. I could see exactly when the switch happened.
Charlie: it was like, all right, they blew up the play. Like, screw it. I'm just going to take the shot. And you could tell 10 seconds before it happened because it was so obvious.
Elias Hansen: the time. Yeah. Yep. Yep.
Charlie: And I think, I think that's just, you know, having an identity as a team, having, you know, this kind of developed relationship with your teammates and with your coaching staff and understanding what is it that you're going to go to and get every time if all everything else is failing.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Charlie: So I'm excited.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yeah. I'm excited too. I think it'll be cool. I think we'll see the effects pretty quickly. I'm excited to hear. I'm sure there'll be all kinds of like good eats on Twitter of like today, Billy Donovan had a glass of wine with Wemby and they met pop.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I'll make it my wallpaper if I could say.
Charlie: Did you see they're they're all in Paris right now?
Elias Hansen: Yes, I did. So cute.
Charlie: Yeah. super Super sick. They beat Luka to it.
Elias Hansen: So awesome.
Charlie: Yeah. Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Yes, sick invite, guys. Appreciate that.
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: um Okay, next up, two more, a couple more quick hitters. um Familiar face, Jeremy Sohan, um who was did not have a contract, did not have a team, signed a one-year deal.
Elias Hansen: with the Portland Trailblazers, a team that is kind of in a weird spot right now, both with politics around the team, where the team is located, but all the way down to the roster.
Charlie: Yeah. but
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: But if you but if you boil it down, quite simply, this this team fits the type of identity he brings.
Charlie: Where the team is located. Yeah.
Elias Hansen: That can be good and bad. He's a defensive first guy. He's not going to help with their shooting woes that helped them lose to the Spurs in five.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: um He is going to fit their defensive identity, their absolute shutdown wing defense. But overall, like I would just say I'm happy for him.
Elias Hansen: he was not goingnna He didn't get any breathing time on the Knicks.
Charlie: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: Cool that he won. But we're going to see a lot more of him because I think he'll get a little bit more, not necessarily a rotation lock, but there's a path for him to fight for some minutes on the Blazers. So we'll see him. And that's cool. And I know he's like best friends with City Sissoko.
Elias Hansen: So it's cool that they get to hang out again.
Charlie: Totally. I'm sure. I don't know. Maybe that's a part of it. I feel like that has a little thing to do with it. But that being said, I'm happy for him. I feel like, you know, Sohan was was kind of the sacrifice that you just did not want to have to make, but had to
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yeah.
Charlie: and And it sucks because I loved him and I love the energy he brought to our team. And i know that I'm sure he's missing that and wants to you know continue to be that player, that kind of guy that's going to stand up and join the fight, be the first one to throw a punch if he needs to, kind of set the tone and kind of be like a defining presence like amongst like other teammates and their chemistry.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. yeah
Charlie: And I will say like the Trailblazers are it's It's interesting. It feels like everything's kind of moving for them right now. You know, signings, a new owner, new coach, you know, it's it feels like everything's kind of up in the air.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Location of the team. Yeah.
Charlie: But I will say they have a lot of great pieces and a lot of, you know, components that have higher ceilings than I think people are giving them credit for.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: So this could be an exciting place. i really hope that he gets... you know a little bit more of a role than he got on the Knicks or at least the Spurs even.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: and i just I always think back to the story that came out when he was, think, like first or second year with the Spurs about Pop, just kind of talking to him and be like, yeah, you can be defensive, you can be physical, but you need to develop a shot.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Yep.
Charlie: You need to develop these like offensive traits that you know is the only way that you can survive in this league. And you know everybody talks about the whole experiment of playing him in a different position that he wasn't supposed to be playing in and argue that that was the beginning of him kind of being a confused player.
Elias Hansen: Oh God. Yeah.
Charlie: But it's true. I mean, there are certain things that he has to develop and I'm hoping that he can find a some time to to develop those things in Portland.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I hope so too. you Like I, this off season, my, one of my like major off season takes was like, we're so hand shooting jump away from like being a contender because there were some like weird flashes and like preseason and stuff.
Elias Hansen: I don't remember when it was, but it's like, he's making some threes for there.
Charlie: Yeah.
Charlie: but
Elias Hansen: were Like, you know there's like, it's like the off season videos of like Zion being skinny where it's like, Jeremy Sohead is in the, in the lab and he's just like,
Charlie: Oh my gosh. It's Ben Simmons hitting threes.
Elias Hansen: He's wet from three over and over.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: um But you're right. Like, it's just tough to be any type of role player when you're not a huge, like rebound absorbing center, if you don't have any kind of shot.
Elias Hansen: And I really hope that, that he finds it. And I hope that Portland is a good fit for him. um i Portland's going to be really interesting to see. i hope he gets in a fight with Denny Avia. I hate Denny Avia.
Elias Hansen: um
Charlie: Yeah, I wonder how that's going to go. Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Hopefully bad, but like, well, I guess like hopefully good.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: I don't know. But yeah, wishing the best for Jeremy Sohan. exciting to see you Excited to see you soon. Miss you. You were great. I loved watching you.
Elias Hansen: Kind of sometimes most of the time I love watching it.
Charlie: it's a yeah
Elias Hansen: Um, yeah.
Charlie: ah
Elias Hansen: And, uh, last, last, uh, last thing we got today, just kind of fun. Victor women Yama multi-year extension, not only with the Spurs, but with Nike basketball, this is why he can take a pay cut ladies and gentlemen, because he's getting paid $8 trillion dollars to be a Nike athlete.
Charlie: Yeah.
Elias Hansen: Um, Cool logo. I don't know that you who got the combo of like the V and the W and the Nike and the alien.
Charlie: Yeah. And the alien face and the, yeah.
Elias Hansen: Yeah, they they're pretty good at what they do. um
Charlie: Yeah. yeah
Elias Hansen: I'm excited. The shoes are going to be purchased immediately. remember rookie year, this is when I was still playing pickup basketball a little bit more. so I was wearing basketball shoes more often.
Elias Hansen: and I would like often go on Twitter and like refresh as if there was a live event going on, like Wemby Signature Shoe. like It's got to be dropping soon. don't really have a sense of the timeline for this, so I'm hyped.
Charlie: Yeah. ah
Elias Hansen: I can't wait to buy these things, man.
Charlie: yeah
Elias Hansen: Immediate purchase.
Charlie: i just it's funny like two weeks ago i saw this like conspiracy theory like almost video and it was like why does wimby not have a signature shoe yet and then the whole thing was like the guy was like i don't know but but these are like that was a great question we're i'm trying to figure out but i don't really know and it was like a 15 minute video it's so stupid but yeah
Elias Hansen: Great question.
Elias Hansen: but but That's kind of like all that's what podcasting is like. Will this team be good? Let's talk about how I don't know for 20 minutes.
Charlie: Yeah, exactly. Literally.
Elias Hansen: Hope you guys enjoyed it
Charlie: So so i'm like I'm excited. I think it it it makes sense to to wait a little bit. And I feel like you like from what I know about him, you definitely want to be very involved in that process.
Charlie: I think as an NBA player, you only have so much time to do that, especially if you make a finals run and then have FIBA and then right back into it the next year.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. True.
Elias Hansen: Yeah.
Charlie: um so yeah i'm i'm excited definitely gonna come hopefully maybe there's like some san antonio colorways or something like that some black and white or some i don't know throw an alamo on there i'll i'll buy a bunch of them okay
Elias Hansen: Yep.
Elias Hansen: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like it. I like it.
Elias Hansen: Yeah. Done. Done. Sweet. Well, you gave a little, you get a little preview of some other stuff, but we've got, we've got some exciting Wemby games coming up.
Elias Hansen: And we've got some, a lot of, a lot of stuff went down. The dust has kind of settled on the off season. So we'll be talking about that soon, but thank you guys for listening.
Charlie: Mm-hmm.
Elias Hansen: This was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoyed it. um We're excited to keep doing this and we'll see you next time.
Charlie: Peace.
Elias Hansen: Peace.
