Another Power Struggle In Atlanta

We also get into various trade rumors how JB. Bickerstaff might be the most underrated coach in the league. And we also talk about Joe Missoula, head coach of the Boston Celtics, giving his first interview since the whole Emai Udoka issue went down in Boston issue. Is doing a lot of work. There so much shit to talk about, Nick, so drop that motherfucker. Oh yes, warm your hands up on this hot tea. It appears there is a power struggle going on in Atlanta again, actually between world class

chucker Trey Young and head coach Nate McMillan. Nope, not Lloyd Pierce. The last coach that got fired because of his drama with Trey Young. The new coach that replaced that coach because of his drama with Trey Young. Fun fun stuff. As everyone knows. Last weekend, Trey Young had a run in with Nate McMillan that led him to ghosting the Atlanta Hawks game. Yeah, ghosting meaning not showing up for work on Sunday night, Like he just does hit it and quit it, just like literally, I'm here,

where were you up? And then had a nice nothing right like nothing no response? Is what was it like? Hit him in the text go green? You know that's where it was. Why he went ghost mode is now at the heart of the story. According to Shams, looking at you camera, everybody's giving me a hard time being like, it's Shams, it's Sham Charanya, it's not what are your roop? What are you? What are you a country bumpkin? What did you fall off a log? Like? Come on now,

it's Shams, Shams Sharanya. I know it's not easy to say, so you just say Shams, but don't don't murder me in my own comment section because I know the guy's name. Anyway. According to Shams, issues between Trey and Nate culminated in

a telltale moment. I love that word. Telltale moment Inside the Hawks practice facility on Friday, All NBA guard Tray Young and coach Nate McMillan had an exchange at Friday shoot around that laid Trey Young choosing not to attend the team's win at home over Denver at State far Marina. Here's the tea. Warm your hands up on that not tea. While Young was receiving treatment for a sore shoulder, McMillan asked him if he was able to play. Trey literally said,

I'll tell you later. I don't know. Not sure. Well, considering that you actually have to, I don't know game plan as to whether your players are going to play. Nate was not happy with that answer. Not a great answer, honestly. He said, all right, well, I'm going to plan on you not playing, and if you're okay, we'll either have you come off the bench or I don't know, just don't bother showing up for the game. That was like a loose thing, like, don't bother showing up for the game,

and he didn't. He took that quite literally. Trey Young decided not only to take the night off. But I'm just not gonna go to yourina at all. And shit has hit the fan in Atlanta ever since. The Hawks have been in full damage control, as you might imagine, ever since, and separate pressures, both men had interesting reactions. Uh not shockingly, Trey was a little salty towards the reporter. Uh, this is what happened. Let's play it for you.

a different generation these days. I'm starting to feel older, like, oh, if that reporter he's gotten attitude, he's dehumanizing Tray by asking him where he was. Listen, when you get paid fifty million dollars, it's not just to play basketball. Let's be honest. It's it's to play basketball. It's to rep the brand. It's to answer questions from the media, it's to grow the brand. To be available, be honest, be transparent.

I don't think people know that enough. It's not just to put the ball in the hoop at twenty eight point seven percent from the three point line like you're doing right now. Trey Young like gets to do a lot more than that. As in a side is is this the most salty interview in history? Tray did not want to doc to this guy. It was like Russell Westbrook and that dude from OKAC. It was like that where he's like, next question and then forever. He just

ghosted that reporter until he left OKAC for good. As for Nate, uh, he's been mad as you could expect, especially at reports that he gave Trey an ultimatum. This is what he said. I address my team about that. I've talked to Trey about that. We're moving forward. The one thing I do want to respond to is there was something said about me telling Trey to not show up for the game. I will never, and I have never ever told a player to not show up for

a game. That is just false. John Hollinger, who I love from the Athletic, who's covered Nate all the way back to his Blazer days when he was making Brennan Roy the most disgusting player on Earth the Watch said of him before the next game. As a longtime observer of Nate McMillan press conferences going back to Portland, I don't ever think i've seen him this animated. Yeah, Nate has pissed. There's a fracture in the locker room, head

coach versus head player. Uh, what's fascinating is the fallout. If you think that the rest of the Hawks were running to come to Trey Young's defense in this feud, you are sadly mistaken. Sam Ammick was asked who was on the whose side of Raja Bell's podcast and said, I love the question, and I think the answer is pretty clear that the players, if they were picking sides on this, to be honest with you, they'd be on

Nate McMillan's side. I like Trey Young as a player, M do I I don't know sometimes, but I don't know how I feel about him as a person. But Trey has done nothing but feud with teammates and coaches since he got to Atlanta, to the point where Sean Sharanya said in the article that they were looking for Trey Young to be a more positive voice in the locker room like when that's the last that's not something you just right yourself. That's a direct quote. That isn't

used as a direct quote. If you know what I'm saying, does it. It's just evens as outsiders are weighing in, Like George Carl, who I hate, said this, I'm not liking the rumors. What astray at George Carl. George Carl spit on me accidentally one time. He's the worst. Like we'll just go that's a whole different story for a whole different day. But he's the worst. Why am I quoting him? Because I can. This is what he said. I'm not liking the rumors about Nate McMillan potentially not

finishing the season with the Hawks. Nate is a hell of a coach and a person. There is too much player empowerment in this league. Sometimes there's a lot there. Remember it was Trey Young who led the rebellion against Lloyd Pierce and got him fired. And now it doesn't seem like he likes Nate anymore. Seems like everyone's the problem according to Trey Young but him. As they say in the business, sometimes you shouldn't point a finger, You

should point a thumb. So problem is a whole lot of his teammates seem to think Trey jung Is act is getting old as well. And it's not the first time either, right. Remember early in the twenty twenty twenty twenty one season, there was beef between John Collins and Trey pretty much spurred the beginning of the constant John Collins trade rumors that have persisted until this very till this very day, till this day. Uh. Most people were

quick to label Collins as a malcontent. But the truth is, like, it's Trey what it is. Every time there's a problem, it's Trey and someone else. Sometimes, listen, your entire organization is dick, right. Maybe you just have a bunch of terrible decision makers, a bunch of toxic people around you, and you're just maybe you're just the canary in the coal mine. I don't know if I would consider Trey Young to be the canary in the coal mine. Now,

am I close to the situation? No? Do I know people close to the situation You are telling me, Yeah, Trey Young's kind of a punk sometimes. Yes. Shawan's reports that the Hawks have had multiple teammates to address the many issues facing the team. How many damn team means they have? How many? How many do you have to have? Listen, it's all hands on deck here. What's the common denominator? The canary in the coal mine? Trey Young and as not. If the Hawks are a bad team, they're the four

seed in the East right now. Better teams than the Hawks have been derailed by a lack of leadership, calling, Draymond Green calling, Jordan Poole calling calling, lack of team chemistry is an issue right now for the Hawks, and Trey Young is at the center of both those issues for the Hawks at this point. What's going to happen? I don't know, Probably more toxic shit. We'll keep you informed. Let's move on. Can we take a minutes to give

some respect to JB. Bickerstaff, because just three years ago the Cleveland Cavaliers were an absolute jokeville, just a jokeville of a team, a franchise reeling from lebronze departure, very little hope, it seemed for the future. Bickerstaff was hired after two straight nineteen win seasons and managed only to improve them by three games to twenty two wins in his first year and to make matters worse, Cleveland didn't even get a top two draft pick, having to settle

for the three spot. They what's that saying? What's that saying? Rome? Rome wasn't built in a day, Cleveland wasn't rebuilt in a day. The twenty two win season in JB's first year turned out probably to be the best thing for him, right They ended up getting Evan Mobley. Shsh, I mean, probably the best player in that draft. Right now, You've got Jalen Green, no comment, You've got Kate Cunningham, no comment, and the rest is hit history. I like Kike Cunningham,

I like Jayalen Green a lot. But you know what I'm saying. With JB retooling the team to go with Allen and Mobley and Marknen, they doubled their wins last year to forty four, and right now are sixteen and nine, firmly in the race for the East of contention with Donovan Mitchell by their side. Better yet, they are eleven and one at home. They are the second ranked defense in the entire league. They have a legitimate MVP candidate

in my man Donovan Mitchell. Eighty to one by the year, by the way, or sixty six to one at the beginning of the year, and they may actually be starting four All Stars. Crazy Garland, Mitchell Allen already made the All Star Game, and Evan Mobley probably their best player right now. Who do they owe that success to? JB? Bickerstaff. Why haven't I bet on him to win Coach of the Year. Not sure? Who has not only ushered in a new golden age of Cavaliers basketball, He's made players

absolutely blossom. This is what Jared Allen said, is how he interacts with us, How he connects with us players, making jokes, keep us in line, the way he fights for us on the court, the way he'll step up and tell a ref how it should or shouldn't be a foul. He'll never back down from anything. Love a coach that got your back. It's very important these days. Have loyalty, have people who have your back. Never forget that. Darius Garland said this about why he loves JB. He's

honest with me. I don't like bsing. Just be completely honest with me. If I do something wrong, I want you to yell at me. I want you to do the same thing that you're going to do. The last person on the bench. I don't want any slack or anything like that. Just coach me really hard. That's the whole deal with me. I mean, at this at the point when they drafted Garland and they had Colin Sexton between the two, didn't everyone think it was gonna be

Colin Sexton that was gonna stay. Didn't everybody think it was gonna be Colin Sexton that was the All Star at least early on, Darius Garland the All Star earlier than Sexton. And think about this too. He's developed four young players in his three years as head coach, and they've made All Stars Garland, Alan Mobley, and Markenen. It's easy to forget. JB basically saved Lori from the scrap heap in Chicago. Do you guys remember who Louri marketIn

was in Chicago? He was fucking nobody he was. He was someone discardible, easily discardible, and he helped him turn into what he is today, which is I think probably all thirty teams would want Lourie market It right now. He is ridiculous. Markanen credited JB. Bickerstaff for helping him succeed. He says he wants everyone to succeed. He's a great leader. Listen like, It's not like the Calves haven't faced injury issues,

injury bugs. They were a top three team last year and Ricky Rubio went down with ACL miss rest of the season, miss twenty six games last year, Alan did Garland has averaged missing twenty two games a year. Mobile missed thirteen games. He has done so much even when his best players are sidelined. I don't think we're giving him enough respect. Also, why haven't I bet on him yet for Coach of the Year. I feel like that's a really good bet. Mostly, though, what I love about

JB is how he understands spacing. It's one of the reasons that the three Headed Monster worked last year with all those guys that were seven feet or above Mobley, Alan Markinen, It's a huge reason that Donovan Mitchell has been able to cook right outside the gates. People said they didn't want to see how Garland and Spider would work. They thought it was gonna be horrible, both having career years at the same time. I mean, look at Chris Finch and see what he's been up to. It's been bad.

It's been very, very bad. As an aside, What does it say about Colin Sexton that he's the apparently the one player that JB. Bickerstaff couldn't find a role for, doesn't say good things, doesn't say good things. Maybe there's a reason he's getting zero run in Utah. So yeah, let's give some credit to JB. Brickerstaff and let's point the finger maybe at what's up with Colin Sexton. Right man, in the right place is what they said when he was hired. I think it's more than that though. He's

been really, really good. He's been a hell of a coach, and he's made the Cavaliers the team that everyone is afraid of and that no one wants to play. Uh.