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Who noted NBA guru from The Athletic, Sam Vassini comes on. He joins me and my coach Ryan Horbaugh and Nick Ashoo on my show bit MG tonight. Do you know I have another show? Yeah? I know, I work a lot. It's from seven to eleven PM Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. I know that's too much work, but I'd love it if you gave us a follow and subscribe on the podcast, but also if you haven't listen.
Right in, all right, we bring on Sam Vassini. The Athletic covers the NBA and I guess it's pretty It would be dumb of me not to mention the biggest story in the NBA today, and that would be James Arden. Well, I guess it's today. It's yeah, it was early this morning. God, I don't know. At this point, it just feels like it's been the longest day ever when it comes to this thing, which I'm sure for you as well, especially
considering that you're in Australia right now. Uh just let's go big reaction first to where we are Sixers, where we are Clippers right now, because to me, I feel like everybody has maybe a slightly different take on you know what the Clippers gave back what the future is for the Sixers, what the future is for the Clippers. So where are you on the overall big picture from what you've now seen with this.
Hey, guys, yeah, I would say that's a big picture. Is the Clippers are trying to win a title right now, and James Harden represents a real way for them to get better. This is a team that needs real playmaking and it needs a stronger point guard in my opinion, who can be more of a shock creator for himself. So what James Harden is going to bring to the table is the ability to create easier offense, especially in the moments where one of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George
isn't on the court. So Kawhi and Paul George obviously throughout the course of their run with Clippers has missed a lot of time. And I think this is the biggest thing that going out and getting James Harden does, is it minimize is how disastrous it is for the Clippers offensively when one of those two guys misses games. Right, So if you now have James Harden who can come in and be whatever you think of James Harden in
the playoffs, that's fine. You know, he has more than earned any skepticism that people have for him in playoff settings. It's a guy that can come in and be a
twenty point tenn assist guy. We just saw him do it last year in Philadelphia and be a high level playmaker and distributor who lists their offense in the moments where Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are out of the lineup, and hopefully getting James Harden allows you to keep them out of the lineup a little bit more often and hopefully get them to the playoffs healthy and at their best peak physical condition.
One of the reasons that this trade almost didn't get done, Sam is because the Clippers were just not willing to let go of Terrence Man. Terrence Man not exactly like the youngest dude. I think he's twenty evan from from your advantage point, what are they seeing him? Terrence Man? That kept him out of that Harden trade.
Yeah. So I've always really liked Terrence even going back to Florida State, and I think what they see in him is the guy that can be a genuine dribble pass shoot player, who's a well rounded fifth option on a court around stars. Right, and those guys at ten million dollars, which is right around what Terrence Mann makes for both this year and next year, those guys are pretty hard to find. They're a little bit harder than
what people think. Now, Like, did I think it was like somewhat ridiculous on its space that Terrence Mann was seemingly the piece that was holding up a James Harden deal. Yeah, I do. I think that at the end of the day, I probably would have tried to do it the way that they ended up doing it, where it seems like the thunder, you know, gave up one of those ticks back to the Clippers. The Clippers gave them back like a pixel kind of thing in order to facilitate this deal.
I think that that makes more sense than giving up Terrence Man. Giving the Terrence Man as a guy that has proven in the playoffs that he can help you. But look, I understand that on his face when you just look at it from a fifty thousand foot view, it looks pretty stupid. I get it.
If Darryl Mory was the one doing this deal, because it looks like, you know, ownership was who was involved, Josh Harris and Steve Bomer getting on the phone. Does this deal happen? Is it done today?
I think yes, because at the end of the day, what it seems like Daryl Morey wanted were the two draft picks and to get off of the PJ. Tucker deal in a James Harden deal. So with that, with those goals having been accomplished, I think yes, this still
would have gotten done. And I think that, you know, the owners are always involved when a deal of James Harden's magnitude happens, right, So I look at it and I look at it as the Sixers are trying to gear up in order to go get another star, be it this offseason when they have, you know, all of the CAF room in the world, even with being able to retain Tyree Snaxy or maybe during the season if
the right player comes available. Right and because Tyree Snaxy has broken out in the way that he has, he's averaging thirty points a game. He looks phenomenal. I think that they have some time to be a little bit more patient in how they approach going to get a star. But really this was all about the assets for Maury and for the Sixers, I think, so all the matter here was getting the assets, and they got the assets.
So when you look at the Western Conference, obviously this all comes down to matchups once we get to the playoffs, and we haven't been able to see the Clippers yet with obviously James Harden. We haven't even been able to see the Suns fully healthy with you know, Durant, Beal and Booker. But who do you think matches up the best against a team like Denver? Because I mean, it seems like so easy just to back Denver to repeat his champions, but you watch them, I know it's early on.
They just look as good as they did last year.
Who do you think matches up the best out of those three veteran teams both LA's and then Phoenix.
Yeah, I think definitely Denver is like the unequivocal favorite right now. If I had to pick one of those teams, you know, I'm intrigued by the Clippers just having an immense amount of wing depth to be able to throw
at the Nuggets. Just insofar as they have Zubos as a big body, they can throw at Yokic, they can try and slow him down in some way, shape or form, and then hopefully you're in a circumstance where contagious Colbell Pope is guarding one of Kawhiir Paul George, and then you can maybe get like a real size of thing there to be able to score. I honestly like, I
think I'm like rafting a little bit. I think Denver should be the very clear favorite, but if you made me pick one, I think I would match up wise, I'm intrigued by the Clippers. We saw the Lakers last year, which really like kind of turns me off of that potential matchup. I think the Lakers are still the team I would get on to be the second best team
in the West just because of their defense. And I think that once Austin Reeves maybe gets a little bit of rest, he might be able to come in and be a guy that we saw in the playoffs last year for them, and once their team coalescees, and you know, all of these guys they brought in from Torrian Prince to Jackson, Hey, it's the Christian Wood et cetera be able to come together. I think that team's going to be really really good defensively and offensively, along with Anthony
Davis and Lebron James. So I would probably still take the Clippers just in terms of a matchup, but I you know, the Lakers to me are like the number two team and the West Still.
Personally talking to Sam Vesini BETMGM tonight, I'm looking at most Improved Player odds right now at BETMGM, and Tyrese Maxey is the heavy favorite. Scottie Barnes, Cam Thomas or behind him Kate Cunningham. I still love him at ten to one. Are we like we've kind of already? I feel like we've gotten to the point where and most improved player is kind of weird in terms of how players can win it, the types of players that can
win it. Is Tyrese Maxey in a position now where he's obviously going to get even more minutes, more shots, more opportunities with James harden Gond in Philadelphia. Is he somebody that you think still has the potential the chance to actually win this award or is he kind of already shown like the guy that has taken that next big step to win most Improved already.
Well, I think that his step came this season. Really
like he's averaging thirty game. If he goes out and averages twenty six to twenty seven a night over the course of the full season, I think he's gonna win it because the narrative is going to be behind him as the guy that, Oh, they were able to move James Harden and set themselves up to the future because Tyrese Maxey improved so much, right like the Kid Cunningham idea, I think him at ten to one is a really good idea, but honestly, like he probably would have been
pretty close to this good last year. It's just that he got hurt, you know, Scotty Barnes, I think has a real chance to be successful. You know, You're right. This award is so strange and bizarre just in terms of the guy that, like I think I've seen this year was like taking the biggest leap from where he was last year to where he is now is probably like the Hawks Jalen Johnson, where he's gone from being like the ninth man on the team to now, he's
probably their third or fourth best player in Atlanta. He has no chance to win this award. I think because he doesn't have a big enough name. He's not gonna put up like the immense number of points. The Tyrese Maxie is the Tyre's max. He's already average twenty. It's just that the narrative is going to be behind tyres MAXI so I get annoyed by the Most Improved Player awards typically, I think it's a little bit frustrating to
deal with. But I think Matthew is probably the guy that will win it, just because unless he gets hurt, the narrative is going to be there that he was the guy that they were able to move Dan's harton and build around.
We had you on right before the draft. We were talking to you about the Brandon Millers Scoot two in three scenario. I don't know if you're seeing it, but the Scoot slander is getting ridiculous. Meanwhile, Brandon Miller looks pretty damn productive off the bench. In your opinion, why do you think Brandon Miller has been so much more productive early than Scoot And what is your take on whether we should be killing Scoot this early.
Yeah, So I think Brandon's in an easier spot right now. He's not being tasked with running an offense. He's being tasked with being like the secondary guy out there who is creating offense as a shooter and is a floor spacer. He's done a good job getting out in transition, and I think Brandon has played super well so far. He played great in the fourth quarter of their opener, and I thought that his first half last night against Brooklyn
was quite strong. But it's coming ways for Brandon. Like I didn't think he played super well in the second half last night against Brooklyn, and his first three quarters of his opener were quite poor. So it's gonna be hit or miss for all of these rookies. For Scoots and Fly, I think it's been a lot more of a miss. And the only reason for that, I think is because you're being tasked with running an NBA team
as a teenager. That's really hard. You go back and you look through some of the best guards in the league. LaMelo Ball was like a clear negative player, you know. Darius Garland was like one of the most negative players in the league value wise, as a rookie, just because it's really difficult to do this. It's really really hard. I thought Scoot played super well last night. He had eleven points, seven assists, four rebounds, but more than that, like he defended. I think he screened super well in
moments where he got an opportunity to do that. I think Scoot played really really well last night. And I think that a big thing for him is just going to be slowing down the over He looks like over stimulated and like over aggressive right now, like he's fouling everybody, Like he is averaging like five fouls a game right now, and it just feels like everything's coming at him really quickly.
Once that slows down, it's very clear that he has the athletic juice, like he's separating, he's getting to his spots. It's just that everything's coming fast and there's not a there's not a you know, a replacement for experience, right so once that experience comes, it's gonna be fine. Yeah, everything I've seen so far says it's just it's just experience for him.
Right now, Sam, we've still got about ninety seconds or so here. We're watching the Knicks of fourteen on the calves right now in the third quarter, can either one of these teams maybe jump into that third spot in the East behind the very top hald the Eastern Conference with Milwaukee and Boston obviously the clear co favorites right now to win the East.
Look, I think those two are definitely gonna be your top two at least. You know, Cleveland, I think is in a weird spot, like they played a lot of the kids in this game against the Knicks like a money baits that got some run like you said, like Porter got some run there. Momentarily, they just need to get healthy as much as anything, and get you know, Jared Allen fully back integrated, and you know, get their
guards well situated for success like once that happens. I feel pretty good about Cleveland being a great regular season team, if only just because they have they have the great defense mixed with the shop creation. Plus they have a real floor stacer and Max Strus. I think the Knicks are very very well situated too to be a good playoff team. If Tyree s MAXI is this, Philadelphia is well situated, and you know, they could end up being
the three seed. But I don't think anybody's gonna break into that top two at least person.
Sam Vasini, the athletic host of the Game Theory podcast as well, really appreciate you giving us the time. Man.
Yeah, no worries any time.
Guys, that's all the time that we have for this episode of the Heat Check. Thank you to Sam Vassini and the whole gang at BETAMGM tonight. Come back tomorrow for an all new episode and follow us download subscribe. Tell your friends if you haven't talked to someone recently, just be like hey, wya and they're like huh. It's like, hey, have you seen the heat Check? Every single damn one of them, even at Goober from high school you haven't spoken to in fourteen years, call him, text him, Tell
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