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On this episode of the Heat Check. It's a bonus episode CBS Sports Radio Basketball Inside are one of my favorites, Bill Ryder. Bill he's about as connected as anyone in the NBA, and he is here to break down Kevin Durant's debut with the Suns, rip Kevin Durant for the rest of the season, and the deep dive story he wrote about the dysfunction with the Atlanta Hawks. The interview was conducted on vetm JAM tonight, my other betting show. Get right to it, Nick, let's drop that generic ass beat.
We start the interview by asking Bill his assessment of the Phoenix Suns now that Kevin Durant is playing on this team. He had some great insight into KD and what impact he's going to have on the Suns moving forward this year and beyond.
Yeah, Hey, guys, great to be on. I'm one hundred percent with you, and I'm normally very reluctant to buy into the hype that major additions, right superstars going somewhere are going to automatically click at any point or early in that product, let alone. In February March this deep right three quarters of the way into a season. But I saw the same thing that you saw, and certainly the same thing that at least three GMS that I texted saw who didn't love it, since they're they were
not the Phoenix Suns gms. You're right, instant chemistry. He looked like he had absolutely zero RUSS, which made sense. I had heard they were gonna wait to bring it back until he was physically able, just in terms of the injury and everything that we thought Kevin Durant would do.
Make life easier for Dean Booker, make it not matter if Chris Paul has an off nine and CP three certainly did, at least from a shooting perspective, Make DeAndre eight and a guy that can just do the dirty stuff and not have to be even the third most important player on the floor and just be Kevin Durant if he can fit in. It all went perfectly according to plan. If you're the Phoenix Suns.
Yeah, you know, Bill, I was thinking about Ayton because obviously there was a lot of drama in the offseason about whether they wanted to pay him, and then they kind of felt like they were forced into it because of the way that the Indiana Pacers off for sheet works right, and couldn't do a sign and trade at that point. But I think actually the biggest beneficiary might be Ayton. How basketball wise, do you think Katie helps DeAndre Ayton and increases or accentuates his value to the team.
Yeah, that's a great question. I think it's significant. I think you hit on something really important and maybe the only thing that can stop the sun, certainly in the Western Conference, and that is some of the chemistry issues or problematic potential chemistry issues that are percolating beneath the surface. And one of them is certainly that DeAndre Ayden, You're right, didn't want to be in Phoenix. He wanted to have
a bigger role somewhere else. He now has a lesson role just by the nature of Kevin Durant coming in. But what I saw is what you're asking about, what you're talking about, which is DeAndre Ayton is going to get some of the easiest buckets of his basketball life, of his basketball career. Buckets are gonna be easy for Devin Booker. They're gonna be easier for Chris Paul when he decides to shoot. You can figure out how to
shoot again. But you saw DeAndre Ayden get I don't remember when he had sixteen eighteen easy points, a ton of rebounds, great energy. I think he understands. And I don't know DeAndre at all, but people that know him tell me he is a guy that if he's in a good situation, he's happy to just do the dirty work, play defense, rebound, wait for his turn to win. And I think every member that Sun's team, up and down, they understand. And you saw it with the chemistry that
we were talking about Kevin Durantz there. They're all going to have chances to win a championship and be better. And I thought Ayton looked so seamless and so comfortable, not for the first time this year, but in a way that is not necessarily the norm for him on that team.
We've followed up his son's talk with a quick follow up and whether the lack of debt would be an issue moving forward.
I don't think in the postseason, I think it could. So let's say that they were in the position the Lakers are in, or any of the teams right now that have championship hopes or aspirations but are on the wrong side of the play and are at least going to probably be in the play in then it would, but Phoenix is probably going to be what they're probably locked in it three or four, right, They're probably not going to rise up to one or two the collapse
above them from Memphis or Denver. And that means we sort of, I think, look through the prism of what they're gonna be in the playoffs and in the postseason. For the most part, rotations are gonna shorten. You're gonna cut off you guys maybe minutes that they get in the regular season. They're not gonna get. You're gonna have more of a chess match because you're playing the same team at least four times, maybe seven times per series.
So I actually think the advantage, at least my view of this in the playoffs is talent three, right, top two or three guys and then depth to maybe six, seven and really significant. I think we've seen that from the Warriors over the years, and the Suns are the best four man group in the NBA, of the best three man I think group in the NBA. Well, I don't buy this. There are certainly people who do this for a living who actually run teams who think they might have the best two man group in the NBA,
depending how you assess Devin Booker. So I actually think their postseason opportunity, just how this fits, is going to be really beneficial for them.
The main reason though, I wanted to talk to Bill was this in depth interview and article that he did on the dysfunction of the Atlanta Hawks. He breaks it all down as clearly as you're ever gonna find plain spoken about why the Hawks have a Trey Young problem.
It really is. And I laugh when you guys Bob brought me on and said that you agree with what I wrote, because because that means you don't work for the Atlanta Hawks, because they does not love that story. I would argue in largest part because it's very true. Yeah, Like, I've known Quinn for a long time, all the way back to when he was a matter the University of Missouri and college. And I don't know him like we're buddies,
but I've just I've followed and covered his career. I think, and people in the NBA more we think very highly of him on a lot of levels. And one of the things you'll hear is his ability to really connect with players and not in an authentic way, in a real way. So I think that's goal number one. Here is a fraction locker room. Trey Young does not get along with many of the people in that locker room. There
is frustration towards Trey Young. And you've seen the excellent reporting that's come out of the Athletic and the local newspaper, the Langila Constitution about Trey getting on a plane and not flying over this team after a playoff game with the heat, which is utterly unacceptable, to say the least in the NBA, among other things other places have reported.
So this isn't a secret. But I I think is interesting is sort of what's new in the column that I wrote, is that Quinn Snyder's is going to try to reach him right, reach Trey Young, connect with Trey Young, get Trey Young to baby, just think that defense exists as a concept, and engage in a better way at the locker room. But it's also been suggested to me by people in the know that Quinn Snyder want a loud voice in that organization. That part of the reason
he's not a UTAH. He really liked Andy AHw took over bats pull offs, but Quinn Snyder wants that one of the loudest voices there, and there's some political it's an interesting political scenario in Atlanta where Quinn Snyder can do that. I think it's part of the reason he showed up early with the wrestler family who owns the team, and I think Quinn expects to be able to be one of the prominent voices in the front office even
though he's the head coach. And I think there's certainly a scenario where he has now it's lessons now, but when he started twenty one games, to look at Trey Young, to evaluate Trey Young, to try to reach Trey Young, try to fix the culture, and if he can't use that voice that he wants to potentially write, potentially push for a reality where you move on from the guy. If you don't think it's gonna work.
Bill. The thing that I don't understand, and that was why reading your article was so refreshing, because I feel like I've been as an NBA fan but also a media member, being gas lit around what's going on with Atlanta. This is weird, this organizational structure you mentioned Game of Thrones. That's when I said, yes, this guy and I are gonna be friend because the Nick Wrestler, Landry Fields, Kyle Korver,
so many random voices in the room. A former Golden State Warriors beat reporter in the mix is an assistant GM like, can you put this into context about because nepotism is normal in any structure, especially in the NBA, but this feels very abnormal. And do you think that this is like a fixavulture, cause it's kind of just starting this way where it feels toxic.
It's very bizarre. There are certainly people and you can guess what city of the m and A from. It has great sweet tea and it's wonderful and it's warm a lot of the time. Who would argue it's going to work out? People Landa would argue that. But here's yeah, here's a good DHOS version. Tony Wrestler owns the team. He's a billionaire. His son, Nick Wrestler is a twin old who isn't just involved. He is involved in front
office operations. He is I understand it, and really reporting from other outlets have really laid this out in a very impressive way. Is around and making decisions and not that long ago. They gave Travis Schlang, who's technically still I believe that they're president of basketball operations, a big extension. Sources tell me he paid him a bunch of money, gave him the Rays guaranteed that money, and then what a year later? They shoved him aside because his deputy
Landry Fields. Not accusing Landry of anything, but Landry got along better with twenty seven year old son of the owner, right the owner's kid walking around the building wanting certain things, wanting different things. All of a sudden, Travis Slank, who came from the Warriors credit with scoutings. For example, Draymond Green very well respect in the league. I don't know what he's doing, but he's on an island or his house, or maybe he moved, but he's collecting the paycheck, not
doing anything right now. As I understand it, Landry Field is elevated to GM. That's a former player who's well regarded but hasn't been doing this for a long time. Kyle Korver, who gets along really well with young Nick Wrestler, just got promoted to assistant GM. You know that there's a bunch of characters in the mix, and as I understand it the Wrestler family and their team Tony Wrestler, that dad is desperate to win and not patient in his ambition. I get it as a fan. If you're
a fan of that team, you'd love it. His son, Nick Wrestler thinks he knows not about best but certainly isn't has a view that's important. I can't speak to whether Nick Wrestler is really great at running the front office or some rich guys kid who shouldn't be there. Time will tell, but it certainly led to some massive changes. And as I've had it, and it's in the column, Quinn Snyder went early to this job so to preparachute it in a few days ago, in part because he
understands the political dynamic. And what you want to do is, if you're going to be a member of Atlanta Hawks, let alone the head coach. You want to get in woo the Wrestler family, get to know twenty seven year old Nick Wrestler and make sure he's listening to you. Because I think the political situation and there's very much in.
Flux, is Quinn Snyder kind of like a Little Finger character in this In this scenario.
I mean look, this gets me in trouble. But what if I write this stuff like I just tell the truth or I try to right. We all get stuff wrong and people get really really angry with me. And I can tell you stories for hours about Lebron James, Katie me back in the day. But as here's my view of Quinn. I think he's a really good coach. I like him personally. He's incredibly charming. I think it's
a great hire. But I do think that there's a part of Quinn Snyder's denemer charm approach ambition that some people would call two paces wrong. But he's an ambitious, charming guy, right, Like it's like when you go to a manipulent dealership. Yeah, like I don't want to buy this car. Now I'm driving a Prius and I got to explain it to my wife. He's that guy, and not in a bad way. It's his job and I actually think highli of the guy. But yes, I little, I mean, that is it, I would say to the
nexter way. But if we're going you know, Game of Thrones here, he might be a little bit you know, maybe he won't get slaughtered up in the north right when he Finally, like his rock, his luck runs out. But if it's succession, he's definitely one of those kids and you're rooting for him, but you gotta be careful with him a little bit too.
Finally, I asked Bill how much the Hawks miss Kevin Herder and what he sees for them the rest of the year.
I think it's I it hasn't worked out clearly, and and to be fair, I thought it was an amazing move. So what do I know? Right Like, it's this stuff is hard and it hasn't helped. But I do think the issues with Trey Young run deeper. I know they run deeper, and I think that bringing in Murray they I know that they hoped that that would be a wake up call for Trey, a motivation for Trey, you know, disguised as or maybe you know, equal parts, here's some help,
and it obviously hasn't gone that direction. So yes, I think there's been some bad decision making that went on in the front office when Travis Shank was do in charge. Probably part of the reason he's not there right probably part of the reason despite his contract situation. I also think Trey Young's a problem and just talking to folks in that organization. Outside of it, it is understood that that he has not been a leader, that there have
been problems. People change, people grow. Can't judge a person based on one season or a couple of seasons. But all is not well in Atlanta, and Trey jung Is is a part of the reason. Yeah, I think it's bonus time if they can make the playoffs, make the play and make a run. They certainly did that a few years ago and they had that crazy run at
Eastern Conference finals. But I think the main goal is for Quinn Snyder to be able to assess his basketball team that he's going to be at for four years after this, to assess Treeunk, to try and fix some of the cultural problems, to navigate the politics that we discussed, and to really hit the ground running next year. Quinn Snyder's in it for the long run. They would love to be able to make it work over the course
of the next six weeks. But I think really this season for Quinn Snyder and therefore the team is about the long term.
That's all the time that we have for the bonus episode of The Heat Checked. Many thanks to our friend Bill Ryder. You can catch bill every day from ten to twelve on CBS Sports Radio on Writer Than You and on Twitter at sports Rider are e it Er. Thanks to my bet MGM Tonight co host Nick Ashow
and PJ. Glasser and my producer Scotland. Don't forget to watch that feed for past episodes and interviews they drop throughout the week, and please follow us on social id add this heat Check and at trist to crick on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. As the NBA season heads towards the playoffs, download subscribe, tell you all your friends, every single one of them, and follow us on social. Like I said, because the heat Check never sleeps.