Welcome into NBA Pulster production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Sarahkustak, NBA analysts for the Yes Network and Woe we are ready to get rock and I am joined by NBA dot Com Senior writer Michael C. Wright and Michael are you ready for this? Are you ready to get this season rolling?
We backed baby Hi like it was a long summer. It was a very busy summer. But it's good to get back to work. I've already done two media days. I did the Mavericks media Day Friday and then Spurs on Monday, So I'm back in the full swing. Let's go.
I was gonna say we got you just you just keep on rolling and we we're gonna get into it and get into the West. As you mentioned being at those media days, and there's a lot of interesting storylines, a few moves and changes, but there's one thing that does not change Denver Nuggets. They remain They remained defending champions.
They had their fun this summer, celebrated with the parade, and in many ways really stayed consistent and kept the continuity of what they had going from last year in winning the title, beating Miami in five games.
It's over.
Last.
The long wait is over that the forty seven years, But Denver Nuggets can finally call themselves NBA champions.
They did lose Bruce Brown sound a nice little two year deal with the Indiana Pacers. Veteran presidence of Jeff Green and Ish Smith gone. But overall, I've got a lot of the same core group, including the two time MVP in Nicola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Junior, Aaron Gordon, the list goes on. So from your from your viewpoint of coming into this season, how do you frame where the Denver Nuggets are at in the context of title hopes? Once again in repeating.
They are almost sarah exactly where they were last year. Look, you saw in the East, all the stuff that happened in Boston, you know, Milwaukee with Dame. Uh, there's things happening all over the West with the Phoenix Suns. And they say, you know what, We're just gonna chill. We're good,
We're just gonna sit here and keep our continuity. And really it's a testament to the faith that they have in those guys on their roster, because Jamal Murray he's going to be another another year removed from that knee injury. He's gonna be better. He's not gonna be having the rest games and things like that, so he's gonna be
able to get into a flow really fast. Okay. You look at Michael Forter Jr. Okay, he's had all these back injuries, you know, going all the way back to college, and last year he wasn't great in the finals or in the playoffs, but you started to see some of that athleticism come back. Like people don't realize how athletic that kid is. That dude can jump out the gym when he's fully healthy. But you started to see some of that in the player in the finals. And then
you look at Nicola Jokic. Maybe I'm wrong here, Sarah, but you tell me. I'm sure you watched the finals too. It seemed like throughout the finals, throughout the playoffs, he gained more and more confidence, and it was kind of like, Okay, I'm starting to realize that I the singular person. I can do move all my pieces and do all this stuff and just kind of make everything work exactly how I wanted to accomplish the goal at hand. In whatever situation, and it seemed like he sort of got more and
more confident as it went on. He's won two MVPs. He's up here, he's you know, at the peak of his powers right now. And so I just think that the only question marks I would have for the Denver Nuggets at this point is that second unit. But look, you got a guy like Reggie Jackson. They didn't even use him in the playoffs last year, and you know, he's got plenty of playoff experience. We saw him balled
out in the bubble for the Clippers. You know, Christian Brown played great last year and he's gonna be you know, another year of experience, it's gonna be better. Uh. I hear a lot about this kid, Peyton Watson. They say he can really go. Haven't seen it yet because he didn't play a time. But you know, so that's the only question I really have, That's the only concern I would have is that second unit. But Michael Malone, he's
one of the best coaches out there. He's gonna figure it out and they're gonna be just fine.
Yeah, And I think the concept of for as much scrutiny as has been on them, of what they do in the regular season and then not going far in the postseason that that type of you know, that type of weight gets off your shoulder. You already win one. Yes to your point about about the injuries that they dealt with Jokic, who was breaking all sorts of records throughout the course of the postseason with his triple doubles.
But but do you think given and we'll get to these other teams in the Western Conference, uh, and of course what the East obviously has done in their movement, do you think that they repeat? Oh?
Now, see, that's tough because part of and we never want to admit it as writers, as reporters, analysts, there's some luck involved in it, you know. I mean, like the healthiest team that is playing at its best at a certain point in time, you know, sort of catches fire in the playoffs and you know, they run it and they go win the championship. And so I'm not sure that Denver can rely on on just that that
good help that they had last year. You know, obviously we know every all the injury history over the years, Like last year was the first year that they had
that whole team together. You know, they were playing without air, I mean without Michael Porter Junior and Jamal Murray for like a big part of you know, the year before, and so you know, just given their history, i mean, the history sort of indicates that they might, you know, have some injury problems, but I'm not sure they repeat, just because there are so many teams that that just got better this all season.
Yeah, I also think you can't overlook the loss of Bruce Brown and just the versatile piece that he became for that group. And obviously because of the money that he got in because of how we played well deserved on all ends, you understand, Yeah.
Exactly, we didn't mention him, but he's also a great veteran piece for them that you know, sort of played a big role in the overall cohesiveness of that team. So yeah, I mean.
It's yeah, it's it's and it's white stuff not to take the field when you when you look at some of the moves that have been made, and that's where I would go, and I'm going to head to the team next that I'm excited to watch the Phoenix Sons. Of course, new head coach in Frank Vogel and what he will be able to do with this group that has led by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and now Bradley Beale. And I think there's been so much discussion about Damian
Lillard trade holiday going to Boston. It happened so long ago. Now it seems like a lifetime of go of of Bradley be joining that Phoenix Sun team. They move off of DeAndre Ayton, the impact that we'll have bringing in use of Nurkic part of the multi team trade. But they also made some sneaky nice signings vets minimum signings of you know, the question was what can they do with this group now bringing in Bradley Beal and fortifying the rest of the roster, and there was some you know,
you pick up Eric Gordon part of that. You have Grayson Allen that comes over from the traving. There's some small pieces that you wonder how they fit in. But it is highlighted by by book and by Durant and by Beale. What do you make of this Phoenix Sun's team.
Well, I think you hit the nail right on the head when you talked about those supporting cast people that they brought in. To me, that is going to be the key. How do they fit around those stars and how do they sort of compliment them, because you know, Brad Beal with Kad, with Book, you're talking about what seventy five eighty points a game. I mean, like if you just go off their career averages, they're gonna give you seventy five eighty a game. And that's like on
just a regular night. You know that that's not counting those nights they just go crazy, like like Book and Katie both did in that series against the Denver Nuggets. So you know, you look at guys like Grayson Allen. You know he's a forty percent you know, career three point shooter. Youtah, he's almost a three point shooter. You got Eric Gordon, he is instant offense. I mean he'll give you fifteen twenty points off the bench a game. And so those guys are gonna be really big for them.
And especially like when you start to get to those dog days of the season, you know where you know, Kate, Katie Book, you know, uh Brand, they're worn down. So now you need, you know, you need a little scoring punch from like the guys on your bench. So I
think those were like huge moves. My only concern with the Phoenix Suns is I thought I think they might have downgraded a little bit of center, you know, DeAndre Aiden, Like I was really sort of interested and also excited to see how Frank Vogel would be able to use them, Like I thought that that would might it would like sort of you know, reinvigorate him, like sort of you know, give him, I don't know, I just give him a
little juice going into the seasons. So I was a little surprised that they that they got rid of him and brought in Yrkic, I mean Nurkic and use of Nurkic. I mean he's a guy that he's been injured, you know, so much that it's sort of sapped his mobility, you know, like he's not a guy that you can really rely on, you know, switches and things like that. And so I think they're gonna have to be creative with, you know,
how they defend. And also another concern of mine is, you know, Bradley Biel at Point Guard, I don't know, and and we just haven't seen him do it. And you know, he's an all world talent. He's got he's got the skills to do it. But we just haven't seen it yet, so I'm very interested to see how they look. I'm actually gonna be out in Phoenix for a couple of games that the first week of the season, so I'll definitely be We're.
Gonna be We're gonna be tapping into how it looks in real life. And to your point, though they probably said, Okay, Bill can handle it, Booker's gonna have the ball in his hands all the time, the ran could have the ball in his hands all the time, you are, I am interested and surprised to your point about the DeAndre at In situation, unless he just you know, was not happy with the role and they perceived it the same role. But I do think defensively in particular to drop off
with what they're looking at. But but a team that that obviously is going to have a target on their back given the way they look, what they're what they look like coming in. The other one, the Los Angeles Lakers, this this has been a fascinating you look back at last season, it felt like to they live two different lives of what it looked like in the first half of the season, changes that they made and how they finished last year. Of course, going to the Western Conference Finals.
Coming out of that playing game, Lebron James will enter his twenty first season thirty eight years old.
Lebron James a shout in history. Lebron stands alone. All the time scoring record now belongs to Lebron James.
They got Anthony Davis and of course Austin Reeves was It was fun to watch his evolution, what he did in the playoffs, how he met the moment, and then even watching him too with Team USA, what he comes back as Ruiy Hatchamurrow was a big important piece of that. They pick up Gabe Vincent, Touring, Prince Jackson, Hayes, Christian Woods. See how some of those individuals factor in and play out. What's your expectations of the Lakers this year?
Watch out, everybody, watch out, because they are going to be very good. You know, like Lebron, you know, I remember him talking about how like you know, he didn't know if he could still he still had the motivation to do the work necessary to be great. And you know he said coming back in media day the other day, he said that, you know he was really inspired by you know what took place with BRONI and you know, hopefully he gets back healthy and he gets back out
on the floor pretty soon. But he said he was inspired by that. He's got a daughter playing volleyball. He was really inspired by his family. And you know, you're a former hooper. I'm a former college football player, and you know, like Lebron was talking about how like he didn't want to come back if he felt like he
was going to cheat the game. And you know, just given you know, like you know what it's like the work that you have to put in to play the way he plays, and it's it's a hard thing to do, and he's been doing it for a long time.
You know.
Last year, like he was playing on the touring tendon, I think in his foot, he's playing on that and he's giving you twenty nine, eight and seven, I mean, and then the year before that even he averaged like thirty. You realize that just these past two years, he hadn't done that in like the previous twelve years. Last time he was averaging like almost thirty points was Cleveland. And I'm talking about Cleveland the first time, you know, when he first came into the league. So I think he's
gonna be great. He worked out with Rudy Hatcheturo all summer, all summer long, and so you know Rui's gonna come back great. And Ruy looked good in the playoffs. I remember that series against Memphis. He lit up the Grizzlies in Game one, and then I remember Desmond Bang saying something like, well, you know, we'll see if he can do it again. And he did it again, and so you know that's he's going to be good. Austin Reeds, he's you know, coming in, he's confident, super confident. Started
he just played with the national team. He's gonna be good. Van Doh, Anthony Davis, I mean, he gave you twenty five point ninety points I think last year, twelve and a half rebounds, two blocks a game. He's healthy, and so, you know, like that chemistry they sort of developed after the trade deadline. I think it sort of gives them a little momentum because they played well in the playoffs.
It gives them some momentum coming into this season. And then it seems like this is the theme that we've been talking about the whole time we've been on this pot, that supporting cast, you know, like you said, they bring
in gave Vincent Tory and Prince Christian Wood. He's gonna give you some he's gonna give you some instant offense too, Jackson Hayes and like, so you know, you look at a guy like Jackson Hayes, he's the perfect guy to have around when you know, for instance, they play Satan, Lakers go up against a team with like a bruising a bruising five. Well, now you can put Ade at the four, and maybe you can put christ Wood at the five or Jackson Hayes and so like they've got
some interchangeability. They got some versatility in that roster now, and I think that's only gonna make them better to me. And I hate to say it because you know, like you know how it goes like when we were on these podcasts, it's almost like required that we have to talk about the Lakers because at the Lakers. So but they are at soon that is really going to be like they're going to be in a hunt. I think they're very much in a hunt.
Yeah, and even like the Gabe Vincent pick up the fact, I mean, what he was able to do and the put to your point about the confidence of each individual. Also Darvin Ham now when his second year, So it just as he continues to get more integrated and acclimated of what and how he wants to do things. You mentioned it the the sprint after the All Star break, and some of those came from from some great moves by Rob Polinka, but they finished in the seventh they
end up going to the Western Conference Finals. We're going to be tapping into you quite a bit as you make that drive to San Antonio. Is Victor Webbin Yama in what it looks like with all the frenzy understandably so about what he will do in his first year in the n b A. What's your thoughts on what we can expect out of Wemby, because again we expectation of a generational talent obviously the skill, the size, all of it. But what can we feasibly expect out of him with this first team this season?
First off, he's tall. He's really tall. I gotta tell you, Like, so, I had to do media day like TV for you know, NBA TV, and so they bring Victor over to me, you know I or I said or whatever, and it was the first time I had been like face to face with him, and I'm like I'm having a look. He's, Oh my gosh, he's you. But you know, I like what's so cool about him? Not only him, but also
the Spurs. You know, Coach Pop was talking to talking to us about like training camp is going to be a time for them to answer some really cool questions and like the Spurs are open to playing Winben Yama at the three, the four, or the five. You know, like they haven't pigeonholed him anywhere. And Pop said that what we wanna do right now is just watch him play. He said, like, you know, for the first week or two,
we're not gonna say anything to him. We're just gonna watch him play, see how he fits, see what he does well, what he doesn't do as well. But I gotta tell you, everybody you talk to on that team, like every day they're like, man, like, just buckle up because every game or every other game, you're going to see something that you never saw before. And they're talking about like a practice, you know, Trey Jones, the point guard.
He saw. He's saying that, like, so far, I have not thrown a love that he couldn't get to, you know, and like, so you're gonna see some amazing things from the kid, but at the same time, we sort of have to temper expectations. You know, yes, he's a generational talent, but that talent is not going to sort of flourish
in year one. You know, it's gonna he's gonna have those games where he looks like he's an All NBA player, all time great, but then he's gonna have those times like where you're like, does he even know what he's doing out there? You're gonna see some of that, and so, you know, I'm really interested to see how it pans out. I gotta tell you know. He says right now that he's in the best shape he's ever been in his
whole life. And he said the reason why is because he had never had access to the type of infrastructure that he has right now. And as you know, oh, the Spurs are sort of at the very forefront of this new thing, this new elite human performance. And he's saying, like, they can run tests, they can tell me exactly what's going on with my body. He was saying, like, I've learned more about my own body in the last two or three months than I've known like the last five
ten years. And so you've got that at play. So the spurs are, yes, you want to cultivate him as a player, but they're also working on the body. And he said he's gained like five or ten pounds just in the last three months. And he said that he sort of wanted to stop at that five pounds because he didn't want to put on too much weight too quickly.
And that's it. The muscle mass in the bulk in the right way, in the right progression, especially with that frame. Oh, Michael, it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be fun, and we're gonna be here for all of it. As always, we appreciate your time and we look forward to seeing you throughout the course of the season.
All right, We're going to catch you down the road.
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