Offseason Observations with ESPN's Kevin Negandhi

the idea of what Elton's doing. There is no doubt they viewed this as a window right now to win it all with this group. I'm all in. That's ESPN's Kevin A. Gandhi and he's our guest on this episode of the broadcast from the Intersections of broad and Cast Streets, a very famous intersection here in the Delaware Valley. I'm Brian Seltzer. Great to be back with you for another

episode of the podcast. It's been a little bit and I apologize for that, but I did want to make sure that the first episode of the podcast we did after the big press conference a week and a half ago, with the new and returning players. The seventy sixers acquired during free agency, came with a guest who brought some gravitas to match the significance of the subject matter that we are going to discuss, and I think we've got someone who fits that profile in Kevin Gandhi of ESPN.

We're gonna speak to Kevin about free agency and the seventy six ers pickups in just a moment. But, as we usually do here to begin the podcast each and every episode, a friendly reminder that to subscribe to the podcast, you can go to a bunch of different places, chief among them Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, tune in, type in Sixers podcast Network that will take you to our feed, and please do become a subscriber right now if you give me, oh, let's say about no more

than three minutes, and we gonna run through some sound first, and then we will dial up Kevin Na Gandhi for our chat about the seventy sixers. But let's run through what happened on July the twelfth at the seventy six ers training complex, starting with Elton Brand, the man who took the lead in putting together the very impressive group of seventy Sixers on stage, Kyle O'Quinn, Raoul Nato, Tobias

Harris james enis the third. Al Horford and Josh Richardson This group, paired with are All stars Joel embiid Ben Simmons puts us in a position to compete, not just now, for years to come. And a big reason why is because another All Star is being added to the group and Al Horford he was soaking it all in on stage when he was introduced at the training complex and Camden. From his seat, he looked out across some massive literally ground to roof windows across the Delaware River and at

the Philadelphia skyline. It was a pretty nice sight. First of all, this view against excited I'd be back there to the city. I'm hyped. I'm ready to go. I'm just learning, you guys know right now. Horford, a five time All Star to Bias Harris, had an all Star caliber season last year. You know, he was only, of course with the seventy six Ers for three months, but that was enough time for the veteran to love the experience, which was obviously a big factor or a driving factor

in his desire to return. For me, it was just a win win to come here, to be in a situation where I can continue to develop, and to be somewhere to win for many years to come. Obviously, we hope this is I hope to finish my career here, hopefully and God willing. We've heard from Horford, We've heard

from Harris. Let's now hear from another guy who was on the dais during that introductory press conference who figures to be in the starting lineup, and that would be Josh Richardson, acquired in the signing trade with Miami heat. He attributes his growth over the last four years in the NBA to how he was molded coming up playing at the University of Tennessee, and he's looking forward to

continuing that development now that he's in Philadelphia. I think it'll be fun to just be able to almost compete, to almost like see who can be in a gym the most, see who can be who, or see how much better we can get over over d seasons. Love that type of talk. We're going to talk about that and more with Kevin Na Gandhi. But Hey, even though it may feel like summer is beginning to dwindle now that we're terrifyingly already almost through the third week in July.

There are still opportunities to sign your kid up or if you're eligible in terms of age, yourself for seventy six ers basketball Camps presented by Rothman Orthopedics and powered by ESF. At is seventy sixers Camps dot com for all their latest information and details about the remaining camp sessions. Could be put on a wait list for one in Springfield at Cardinal O'Hara. There's another one coming up at the Church Farm School in Exton, and also at Competitive

Edge Sports out in King of Prussia. All the dats at seventy six Erscamps dot com. He is one of Philadelphia's native sons. He is an outstanding ambassador for the city sports scene. He hosts the six pm Sports Center on ESPN and a bunch of other stuff on ESPN. He is Kevin Na Gandhi Kevin. How's the summer treating you? It's been good, Roan. You know there's no off season, you know, I know the NBA doesn't have an off season.

Here at work, we don't have an off season. So once the season ends for the NBA, we go right in the covering everything. You know, that is of course the draft, that is of course free agency, that is the summer league. And then you know, things still hanging up in the air with the Chris Paul trade or potential trade, whether he's gonna move or not. And then and then we go right into what we're a week away from training camps, some have opened up in the NFL.

We're dealing with the Open Championship. So it's been good. But we never have an off season here at ESPN. It's crazy that even within the individual sports, there's like

no slowdown time. And of course I'm going to ask you about the Sixers and their summer activity, but what is the sports center newsroom like when a big bomb drops from a news standpoint, whether it's whoa Jo one of the other many ESPN staffers, like with all the stuff that's been going on in the league, just take me inside the newsroom and what the reaction and atmosphere is like. It's exciting. Um, there's a lot of oh oh, and then and then you know you're you're, you're It's

kind of like being at an educated sports bar. And when I say that that whoever's talking to you about something they they know the background, they know how it led up to this because we follow it day in and day out. You've got to be up to even on your days off. You've got to be up to the news on every single thing. So we always have a background or a different perspective. And the cool thing mind for us is that we all come from different places.

So if something's happening, like in San Francisco, one of my producers on the six P is from you know, he's a big Bay Area guy. I'm asking about the forty nine, I'm asking about the A's I'm asking him, you know, he's not a big Warriors guy, but I'm asking him something that's related to his city. My segment

producers a big New Yorker. He's from Connecticut, but he loves the Giants, So I'm going right in to say what's going on, you know, and I have fun with him talking about, you know, how things have been going on with the Giants. So, like you know, you go back and forth and and you have access to people that have a better viewpoint considering they're heavily involved in in the team and the cities that they're from, and

from my perspective being from Philadelphia. I get texts or if I'm in the newsroom, Oh what do you think of this? What's your first thought? You know about this move, this transaction, this trade. So it's never dull. We have a lot of fun. We all respect each other's opinions, but we also like to talk trash. It is the Philadelphia faction strong in Bristol. It's getting there. There's you know, I you know, I wear the flag, gonna carry the

flag around, the Philadelphia flag, and I'm not shy about it. Um, there are there are some people behind the scenes you run into. I know, Chris mckendry's a big Philadelphia fan and uh, you know, obviously she's not in the newsroom now because she's covering tennis on the road. Um. You you stubble upon a couple of the people that you know,

no matter what. A director here, a producer there that We've had a lot of production assistants come through in the last five years that I love when they come in and it's their first time in Bristol and then they want to talk you know, Philadelphia sports with it me and I'm like, all right, great, great, let's have a good perspective here. Let's let's get some fresh juice and good conversation. So, uh, we we have a lot

of different flavors. We can't forget that we're also in um in the territory where I'm surrounded by Celtics fans, Giants fans. You hear about the Patriots, you hear about the Mets, you hear about the Yankees. Not so much for the Jets, but every now and then you can. You're gonna have a conversation with Levy about the Jets. That's great. So where do you think the seventy sixers are right now after their flurry of moves, acquisitions and transactions compared to where they were when we last saw

them leaving Toronto. I think you're going to see a tremendous difference on defense. Yeah, I mean they were they were a decent defense team, but the ability to now all five positions, uh cover Listen, We're gonna miss JJ's ability to shoot the three and spread the floor, and of course that relationship that he had with Joel, but he was a liability on the defensive side. And when you can get to somebody like Josh Richardson who can

handle a couple of different things that could handle. Potentially if he has to play point guard, m he's going to defend. You know. I think that the the Sixers when you look at length and you look at their ability to shut down teams, and that's things get tighter, the court gets smaller in the playoffs, and you have an Al Horford there, you know, as the guy that just in case if Joel's nicked up or he wants

to night off. The ability that we have the reinforcements there that we did not have this spring makes me feel comfortable. Now I'm curious to see, you know, Tobiases development, and now let's not forget Judging Tobias last year is really hard to do because he was the fourth option in this offense. And now there's going to be an elevation and there's going to be a demand to see can he hit that consistent jumper on the outside. I

feel like he can do it. I think he's going to be more comfortable too, with them running more sets for him. I really like where this team is. My biggest concern, I think everybody has. The concern is the bench and the ability to get somebody off that bench that can create instant points and man. That would be a huge addition to what we've seen from Elton Brand and what he's done this offseason. Let's go back to

Horford first. I'm really excited about that. He's the type of player where, of course, if he's on a rival team of the one that you root for, he can get to you because he's so good. But to me, it's also because he's like so poised and composed out there on the court. But I'm so pumped to see now what he and Joel can do alongside one another together, and him getting the chance to play the fourth spot that he really hasn't been much traditionally out of the

course of his career. Yeah, and the ability that you can you're not just relying on Joel as a big man down low. Now. Of course we've seen Ben developed that on the block as well, and it'll be interesting to see all three guys on the court, who's getting the shots and where they're getting their shots as they try to find a way to spread in space on

the floor. But having Horford there, when you look at the young nucleus and you look at the age of Tobias, you look at the age of Ben and Joel well, what I mean, what's the average twenty four, twenty five, twenty six. Right, Yeah, Al has been there, he's battled. He's going to be a calming presence that the team needs. Um.

He never blinks. And listen, I look at it this this way that when Al was playing against Joel, I think every Sixers fan knew, oh man, there, this is gonna be a dog fight on both ends of the floor. And whether whether Al can slow twell down. We know Joel's gonna be exhausted. Right, you have the ability now that you take away that factor from your biggest rival,

the Celtics, and now you can have both those guys there. Um, it's fantastic And and and who knows what you know Brett's plan is going to be and what Joel's plan is going to be when we talk about load management, because it's a real thing. But the Raptors did an excellent job last year with Kawhi. When you play sixty five games in the regular season and when he's not playing, you find a way to win games. What they went I think seventeen and four when Kawhi wasn't playing, so

guys had to step up at in those moments. It makes a ton of sense. I could be wrong with that staff, but I think that some of the numbers are similar that when Kawai has the miss games, you've got to have other guys step up. And we have that ability now that if Joel wants to play sixty five games to make sure he's ready to go in April, something we have not seen the last two years at the start of the playoffs. It's great to have that option. Tobias got off to a huge, huge start last year

with the Clippers. As you alluded to, it was a different type of context he was within in terms of the team when he got to the seventy sixers. Do you think he's ready for what's to come? Yeah, I do.

Now that you have the full season, now you know the personnel, and now you know the commitment that the Sixers have made to him, goes a long way mentally, and I think that Tobias is going to come in and he's going to embrace this role, this idea that this is a Sixers big three, you could say big four, and they have the ability that you know, they're not going to look at Al's Al's gonna spread it if he can if he can hit that three from the outside.

More and more that we've seen him develop that game. But Al got his points not because the Celtics are trying to run a bunch of plays for him. He got his points because he's working hard inside. Right, They don't have to create things for Al. When you have Joel down on the blocks, you have been on the break. You can create some stuff for Tobias. You've got Joel

Embiid Ben Simmons, two young talents, all stars. Ultimately, so much of what the seventy Sixers have hopes for in terms of the future will likely come back to them. What's untapped for them? What are your hopes your expectations for them as they get ready for their third season together. Oh, listen, I think when you look at the East and you look at the idea of what the Sixers did without Joel, and you give the Raptors their toughest run in the playoffs.

Now we're going to say that also with the mindset that the Warriors did not have a healthy Kevin Duranton and of course they lost Klay Thompson. But in the East, the Sixers, I mean they went toe to toe fifteen rounds, and I view them losing the way they lost, as you know, when Rocky and Apollo or in the ring and they're both falling down in the second Rocky and it's literally there, who's gonna get up? Who's literally gonna hang on the ropes to get up? And that's what

that final shot was from Kauai for Game seven. So I really liked the Sixers chances here to win the East, and I like the idea of what Elton's doing. This window in this league, as we have seen, is a two to three year window, and then you kind of readjust retool. There is no doubt they viewed this as a two to three year window. And if you can make it a four year window under Al's contract, fantastic, But a two to three year window right now to

win it all with this group, I'm all in. And Josh Richardson is such a welcome edition because he's a young guy on a contract that they could afford. And then and then you got this thing here where if Al after three years they feel like, all right, we got to figure something out. You got one year left without you could still have the ability to retool, but you still got what two more years with Tobias. You still got Joel on the books, and you still got

three potentially three more years of Ben Simmons. So the ability to grow with this team, but also the ability to say we are in win now mode. That's critical in this league. It is critical as we've seen a three year window with Kevin Durant come to an end in Golden State, and I'm curious to see what the Nets are gonna be like a year from now with Kevin Durant trying to come back and now that they have a you know, Kyrie a year under his belt,

I'm curious to see where the will be. I think a huge hit to the Bucks and Jannest is going to be better, which is kind of scary after winning the MVP, but let me losing Malcolm Brogden is a big, big deal. And what you're seeing around the league and we saw this offseason is we're not seeing a lot of super teams. Now there's a little bit more balanced, and it's like Kauai decided I wanted to add balance

to the universe. He decided to do that to the association by not joining the Lakers, and I think that's the benefit of the Sixers. You know, one last thing I wanted to ask you about, keV before letting you go. I'm sure you have a lot of memories from your youth following the Sixers, going to seventy sixers games. Part one, do you remember what your first flashbulb seventy sixers moment was? And then Part two? I see you at games now

with your family and your kids. How cool is that kind of completion of a part of the circle of your life now being able to share in those experiences with your family in South Philadelphia. Brian, I really appreciate this question because that's I look at some of my fondest memories. It surrounds Philadelphia sports, and it surrounds my family and experiencing those things with my mom and my

brother and my dad. You know, my first real memory of the Sixers distinct was, you know, my dad taking me and my family to a sixer Celtics game in the playoffs and I was maybe, I don't know, I want to say, five, six, seven years old, and I remember it going. You know, we were in the nosebleeds, which as a kid you don't care, and we're walking up the steps and there was a Celtics fan in one of the seats, and I remember how angry I got. I was like, how did we let that person into

this building? Like I was really territorial like and he had like a you know, a Celtics penalty was dressed in green. And I've never hated a team more than those Bird mcale parish teams with Angel And so my my passion for the Sixers and the Celtics rivalry was born in the early eighties. And my my most distinct memory as a kid growing up is my mom taking me out of school and taking a friend of mine.

I'm eight years old and we go to Philly for the parade for the Sixers and then taking me to the vet and there was a guy who's dressed up as Moses saying full, full full, you know, and I just remember following the floats and that my mom thought it was good enough and that was appropriate to take me, my friends, my brother, his friends and leave school to go to the parade. And I never forgot that, and

that stuck with me. You know. I've taken my kids to games, whether it's the Eagles, the Sixers, the Phillies. One day, we're gonna go to the Flyers, trust me,

but it just coincides with the bad schedule. We go to these games and sometimes driving back, I'm like, ah, they can miss school tomorrow, you know, because we're down there on a Sunday and you know, we're driving back on a Monday, or we're driving back late Sunday night, and I'm like, I didn't go into school a little bit late because to me, it's it's those memories, in those moments. I'll share one funny story with your Brian,

just how passionate crazy we are as a family. My boys, they they wake up, their five and seven, they wake up in the morning and they're on YouTube and they're watching games. They watch old games and they're watching like Sixers games from the past season. And one night I put them to bed, both of them, and it was this week, and I told them both. I said, dad,

Daddy loves you very much. And my seven year old chimes right after I said, he goes, you love us more than Joel Eban I was, I said, son, and my five year old was listening intently, and I said, son, absolutely, Now, Joel's a place in my heart. But I loved you guys more than I love anything in the world. And my five year old was complete letely son. He had

no It's like I rocked his world. That they're higher up on the list when it comes to love Joel Embid, But that just shows you how much we passionately care about our Philadelphia sports and our athletes. And Joel is my favorite athlete currently right now, and I think I think my boys share the same common interests. That is tremendous through multiple generations in your family. It sounds like

parenting done right. Good stuff. Thank you, Thank you, Brian all Right, Kevin and Gandhi ESPN tremendous local success story the man. Thanks so much, Thank you, Brian. I love hearing Kevin's thoughts about the seventy six ers and the lay of the land of the NBA. But for someone like myself who is still feltically young in the parenting game, that's some great insights to pass along. Just good to

hear stories like that, Hartman. The completion of the full circle parent takes you, you take your kids, positive impact, It's all around great stuff. Awesome having Kevin on the podcast. Appreciate him for carving some time out of his very busy schedule. Appreciate you as always for listening and keep checking your feeds. We'll have new episodes of the podcast hopefully. My goal is weekly as the offseason continues. Right here on the broadcast see him