MJGMB #131: Southwest Division Expectations with DragonflyJonez

Well well and well we're back.

Breaking very well Southwest.

Division existence presidented.

I know I hit him with the three wells well Cube, I got those dot three well sneakers on anyway, we're gonna be doing that with the Tyler.

Okay, dragon Because of.

That, I'm out sharks A.

I had to reference an iconic sneaker on today's episode. I'm Miles Gray and I'm Jack O'Brien, and this is Miles Jack Kitch sorry get it.

Ka Hitch Okay, j be driving Spinny k Fatter number eighteen.

That's been stun The Celtics are NBA champions.

Over the double.

Welcome, Welcome to.

The show again, co host of Jack Jones, none other than Dragonfly Jones himself.

How are you, sir, Thank you for joining us today. I'm good. I'm good, always good to hop back on with y'all.

Man.

It's like it's like Christmas Eve whenever I come home, because I know the NBA season is like right around the court.

We're coming up on it. We're doing the divisional look ahead.

Hell yeah, that's so much, so much to look at right now until Media Day when really that's that's Christmas.

Because I not I have to see Jimmy Butler's photo this year. I will always wait, what bait?

What do we think he could do? Because like I mean the goth was like big, like it is it punk?

I mean, well you think the dreadlocks were a wig? So and then that was his natural hair look like with the emo look. So, I don't know if does he escalate, does he wear some kind of gigantic wig, does he go? Does he shock the world and bick the head? I don't know, I don't know. I mean dragonfly, what do you think.

You know I'm making he might go eighties on us. I'm making a Gumby. Yeah, I think we might get like a I think there's gonna be some block would be fun.

Yeah, yeah, somebody needs to come with like the Gumby. Really, I'm yeah, I really need to see there are like a flat top. But it's been too long now, it's been too long since I was looking at my nineteen ninety one upper deck cards. I mean, like, look at Dwayne Coswell's hair.

I love that.

But anyway, thank you for joining us. Yeah, like we said, we're gonna look at the Southwest Division.

And for people who don't know what the Southwest Division is because I don't keep track of teams by division. That is, of course Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis, Phoenix, Houston, Phoenix. Phoenix is Pacific of course because they're on the Pacific Ocean.

Of course, that beat side town Phoenix that everybody knows. First.

Should we take a look around the league?

Yeah, yeah, there's a couple of things I think we can that are definitely worth talking about.

Right now, what do we got?

We got Commissioner Silver Commissi. The Commissi has acknowledged that there is interest in expansion at some point that says the league is not quite ready at this time. Since we on Miles and Jack got my boosties are bastions of journalistic integrity, I feel like we should speculate where that expansion might ultimately take place with absolutely no sourcing or even research done on our parts, just like, oh, that would.

Be cool, you'd be cool, Like I don't know, like Van Eyes, you know.

What, sick Eyes.

I think Seattle Tops, the Oh that would be cool list just because they, I mean, it's been too long, they need a team. They got a great fan base. We all saw the lines for that Summer League game. But where where else would make the Oh man, that'd be cool lists for you guys.

Vegas.

Vegas is the one that I hear all the time. But I'm like, no, no, I want to hear Seattle before I hear Vegas. I just I mean again, for the same reasons, like they're great, they have great fan culture there, and my heart still aches from when the Sonics left there and robbed us of one of my favorite like iconic NBA uniforms.

But yeah, what about you Dragonfly?

Yeah, I think it's a sure gonna be Vegas in Seattle. I think they're both probably gonna be Western Conference teams. I think there's gonna be some reshuffling going on where the Memphis Memphis.

Probably goes to the East where along you know, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I think those are gonna be the two teams. I don't think there's gonna be a Eastern Conference in West Conference. And I think it's gonna be Vegas in Seattle in the West, and they're gonna do something, you know, realignment with things.

We're like Memphis and another team go go east.

Right, you don't think aangor Maine is gonna get a team that was the only East coast city.

I could think that's not going to get.

A very specific too, like not even Portland. I feel like, as people talk about more than if we're talking about how.

Many Portland's miles, Yeah, I thought Portland, and I thought, you know what, too many Portland's Ye can't get Carolina, you.

Know, I think I think it's about high time North Carolina. But yeah, I don't know, Like I know people were like, when would there Do you think they're gonna ever do that thing about putting like international like fully out off the continent type international teams, because I know a lot of sports leagues are constantly looking at expanding like fan bases and things like that.

But I just feel like that feels like a bridge too.

For me, it reminds me of like the movies when we were kids, where it was like and everybody's going to be traveling in space and driving flying cars, and it's like a cool thing to see happen in a in a scene in a movie. Then when you start to think about the logistics, it's like this would be a nightmare, Like flying cars. People can't drive, not flying cars.

Sense to me.

Yeah.

Yeah, you probably have to keep like continental North American because the travel would just be a nightmare.

Dog.

You know, you saw Draymond Green complaining about, you know, how he didn't want to play Memphis in the playoffs series and how they were hoping to get Sacramento because he was like that travel is just crazy.

Right, Yeah.

Yeah, Because, as we've already covered, they are an Eastern Conference team masquerading as a Western Conference team.

Exactly another news Lakers.

The Lakers are going to be wearing a you know, forty four commemorative sort of badge on their uniforms to obviously honor the Lakes old guy Harry West.

Oh, it's actually okay, it's about there. I thought it was just my forty fourth year that they were giving me a shout out.

I thought that was so nice of them. I thought that was so nice of that.

I was like, actually a little freaked out, Like, oh my god, you guys are obsessed with me.

Also, how is he? Like?

I get why Bill Russell Obviously you're gonna you're gonna, you know, memorialize a fantastic, legendary player like Bill Russell, and everybody wore like a six patch on their on their uniforms that that season.

But why, I feel like, I don't know.

I don't know if I'm being like overly biased as a Laker fan, but I feel like he also he is the logo that he does sort of embody, sort of like one of these kind of you know, huge outsized figures in the game of basketball.

But I mean, I'll stay out of it. I don't know how you feel about that dragonfly.

Oh No, Jerry West is for sure, you know, worthy of all the praise that he gets laughtered with, one of perhaps the greatest executive that we've ever seen in NBA history. Like this is a dude who had his fingerprints on the showtime Lakers, on the Shaq and Kobe ears on you know, the Golden State Dynasty.

You know so yeah, for sure, for sure worthy of all the praise. Is it just the Lakers doing it? Or is it a league wide thing? It sounds like it's just the Lakers. I mean, he's the logo. Why not do it for the whole? Yeah?

I know, that's like he it'd be one thing obviously feels like a very narrow like lake Er. Great, but I feel like, again, Jerry West is bigger than just the Lakers.

So hey, I don't know, maybe I can talk to somebody at the league.

You could also do a league wide retirement of the number forty four, since I feel like that's not a wildly popular number anymore.

Definitely not, but definitely not.

I mean I like Scalabrini obviously, and like people would be like, wait, was it Jerry West or was it Scalabrini that got the number retired?

But are you saying that?

Didn't you say you played against Scalabrini in high school or something?

Me, who did you play against?

You said, no, lady, But when my dad was coaching the Celtics, Scalabrini was I think on the team at that time.

But who was an NBA player that you played on?

Me? Like, seven times in a single game. That would be Dan Gadzerich.

Oh, baby, my UCLA Brethren.

Yeah, and like, wow, we didn't have we had one other person who was taller than me. Like that's how small our team was. So I was in the middle just getting absolutely yoked on I played. I went from like a basketball factory in Kentucky to one of the worst basketball teams in the United States. Like we were in a very weak league in Massachusetts, not a known basketball town, and we were not one of the better teams.

And Dan goad Zurich ate me up and I was and I did just straight rudy on him. I was like, I love it. Actually, I love how many times you're dunking on me. This is cool for me.

Oh I'm a poster pig man.

He actually stopped because he was getting freaked out because I just kept feeling like, yeah.

In Happy Gilmore when he gets in the batting cage, he's just taking like baseball, yeah, and he's like, oh, I love it.

The good news was there were zero people there because again, a terrible basketball It's kind of wild actually that he played there. It was like a prep school league, you know, so like a lot but there was literally I've never played another game where there was zero people in attendance.

It was just us in a gym.

Oh really, it was like lockdown.

Yeah, it was like the playing bubble basketball before nobody was bubble basketball, like twenty years before. At least that's how I remember it. Or maybe it's just like it was such domination, such an out of body experience that it was just me.

And gad Zurich hallucinating, making me look like I just stepped on a landline.

Dragonfly.

I know you're a big lebron fan, as am I because he's a Laker and Jack because he's an objective observer of the sport. But the Olympic dominance this has a bit a huge man. You're already shaking.

What what are we saying? What do you think we're gonna get a little.

Bit of that?

That's something I've just been thinking. That's that's been in a lot of sprinkle. I liked the assault, Yeah, I was.

I was.

I was so emotional watching that Olympics team this summer, man, Like you know, the whole lebron kd stuff, that's like gonna be my favorite era of basketball ever and seeing them all together on the same team, like you know, doing it for America, and the fact that the games were close and they needed to be there the best versions of themselves at such an advanced stage in their career,

Like you can do the whole accolades with Jordan.

Sure, he probably doesn't have a greater resume, he's not more accomplished, he's not a bigger Icon MJ. But I think he's just flat out the best basketball player of all time. And seeing him just just be be so dominant and just so impressive in the Olympics at forty years old, it's like, bro, like I said, the best, the best, the best flat out player of basketball that we've ever seen.

In my opinion, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So here's what we don't.

We don't think that it's going to translate to a dominant eighty two game season.

And then I mean, I think Bron is still going to be impressive, but I don't see the Lakers game anywhere and succeeed maybe yeah, yeah.

Yeah, all right.

If the NBA season was thirty games long and we were redrafting all teams tomorrow with existing talent, would Lebron still be the number one pick in the NBA thirty games?

Thirty games?

He might be there right right because he like the in game or the d season tournament, he's suddenly the best player in the league. The Olympics, he's suddenly the best or second best player in the world. The bubble when it was like a finite number of games, and just the postseason, he's the best player in the world. I feel like, if you just get me thirty games, like yeah, it gets interesting, that might be the pick.

Because the big bullepoint of why I think he's the best Beast player ever is I don't think there's ever been a player who's his team's potential more than Lebron does. Right, Like, you put them on your team and he is going to maximize the talent around, especially if it's a thirty game season, right, Like we're going to see Lebron James, you know, peak Lebron. He's going to be looking like like it's two thousand and nine, ten is if it's only a thirty game season, Yeah, that that.

Would be crazy.

Lebron might be the number one overall pick if those are the king is there for sure?

And who do you like for the title this season?

This season?

And by title, I I do mean nd season tournament? Yeah, obviously, I mean that's really all we focus on on the show we see.

I'm like, there it is, you know what it's.

It's it's crazy right because the league is literally so wide open right now, right like, you know everyone you know, and we're just coming off an era where you know, le Bron's Heat were running things and then though the Warriors are running thing and things, and now it's just been wide open the year after year. It's crazy because

It's not the Kevin Durantz that move the needles.

It's like the Alex Marusso's, you know, because so so many teams are just so neck and neck. It's just those little pieces that are like putting god, you know, teams over the top.

Yeah, right, yeah, people are really there are there are narratives that are taken over and like Caruso and Hartenstein coming to Okay see is like people are just like they're on They're a super team like somehow like that, And I like, I get it because I was one of those people. But I think they and another team that we're about to talk about in our Southwest Division preview, like the narrative has taken over to a degree that I feel like we've fallen in love with the story.

Yeah, let's take a break and we'll be right back.

And we're bare Southwest not just an airline, but a very competitive.

Year now from the Western move about the country.

Some of the funniest flight attendants.

I mean, honestly the reason I got into comedy. Southwest Southwest Fight Southwest flight attendants.

Have you ever phone in Vegas when they really hit you in that stand up routine? I thought I was listening to Richard Pryor, like early Richard Pryor as a as a passenger, and it.

Was Agan, my other.

Comedy comedy.

All right, let's talk. Let's talk Southway. I mean, it's it's a very interesting division. Obviously, it has one of the teams that made the finals in the Dallas Mavericks. It as New Orleans, which I feel like nobody really knows what to think about. Memphis the comeback Darling. I think they are being projected by Vegas to add the

Dallas.

All right, So they traded away Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Junior, lost Eric Jones to free agency, added Klay Thompson, Spencer, Dimwidie Kessler, Edwards, Nagie Marshall via free agency. I so they won fifty last year, projected to win forty nine and a half this year.

What are we thinking here? What do you think dragon place?

Yes?

First, yeah, yeah, I think that's about right. I think that that's exactly who the MAVs are. I think they're a team that's going to hover around fifty to fifty two or wins or so. But then you know, like we saw last postseason, if they get the right draws, they can make a really deep playoff front. But I don't see them being a team that's going to blow the doors off and win sixty sixty two games. So I think about forty nine and a half that seems

Okay, okay, and no.

Like, what are your what are your thoughts on the Clay of it all? I mean, I think that's one of the biggest headlines. Everyone's like, Okay, what's what's now?

They got Clay?

Is this is this the right place for him? Is there it's like a less of a pressure situation? Is it more of a pressure situation? But what are your thoughts on just the Klay Thompson of it all in Dallas.

Yeah, I mean we saw in the finals that you know, no one on the maps could hit any open looks, and it's like, you know, Clay can for sure help with that. You know, he's he might be a shell of himself defensively, but I think he's still good money if you give him an open look. So very very much intrigued to see how that goes.

I think it'll be.

I mean, I think Naujie Marshall is also kind of an interesting one too. They're just there, they're adding pieces that. Yeah, I mean, I'm not even a Dallas fan, but yeah, I think that was a huge thing. The lack of lack of shooting could really be a big deal. But yeah, I mean they're using They're losing a big lab option though with Derek there.

So we'll see, we'll see what happens.

So what happens, Yeah, I feel like I would go under if I just like from a betting perspective, just because things like kind of came together well for them last year and who knows, you know, they they had a lot of health, they had a lot of uh, you know, good things happening for them.

I get.

I guess it was mostly they They kind of put it together halfway through, so maybe maybe I'm gonna change my opinion. Like I didn't even hold the under opinion for a full sentence, and I think I'm gonna go over because they did, because they did put it together. But there is just something about like the you know, we saw Kyrie kind of like Pitch and No Hitter in terms of just like staying focused and like kind of in a good place for a whole season. Maybe

People obvious you're gonna notice something for me because I need the Lakers mediocrity and lack of signings to be able to get us a playoff birth. I'm gonna say everyone isn't under. Everyone's just just just blanket up top except for the Spurs.

Yeah, and some shows like to keep people in suspense, but you like to just get it out the top.

Everything is going to be fear based because I we we got to do something, and I can't have other teams improving in US not but yeah, we will see there. New Orleans is another interesting one. Orleans yeah yeah, not Old Orleans.

Yeah, I gotta change there. Yeah yeah.

Oh no, okay, so we're not talking about all the Trosses. It's the New Orleans Pelicans. But yeah, forty nine wins last year. The bookmakers have them anywhere between forty five and a half to forty seven and a half.

Yeah, maybe.

I mean, I think the one big thing I like every year, it's.

Like Zion how is he is he Okay, how's his fitness? How's it physically and mentally? And based on what I've seen, he looks fantastic physically and anecdotally people are saying that he's also in like great mental shape.

He's very focused and has a good head on coming into this season. But I don't know.

I mean that that's there's also like what happens with Brandon Ingram, Like, is how committed is he to the Pells? Do they move him on or does he stay? But yeah, I don't know, I mean, what's what's everyone's feelings?

Is it?

Is?

It?

Is? It always just going to be like.

Well, how what's Zion bringing this year. What's Zion? I mean, obviously that is a huge piece because he's a generational talent.

Yeah, I feel like I feel like there's so many good pieces there, like Ingram Zion or you know, CJ. But I don't know, and and and they show out during the regular season. You know, they have streaks where they they won like fifteen out of twenty two or whatever. You know, they're going those types of runs. But then in the playoffs it's just, you know, they just get ran off the court. So, I mean, but I guess

Forty five and a half to forty seven and a half wins. That's the spread among various varying sports books.

Yeah, that sounds about right. I'd say they about a forty six forty seven wins team.

That. Yeah, so last year they won forty nine and Zion played seventy games. So I think I'm assuming that the regression in wins is probably based on people being like, well, he's not We're not going to necessarily get that streak of good good fortune again. Same time, there's always I don't know you know, Steph Curry for a big portion of the early part of his career was like, well you can get like thirty thirty games from him, and then you know, he figured it out and like made

Yeah, sprung there in his step. Yeah he's got that extra bounce.

So yeah, I I could see them being a slight under, but it'll be it'll be interesting.

They're definitely under for me. And I don't know if I am meant to say, I don't know. I don't know, and we don't know why everyone I don't know why. I don't know why.

I'm just saying I think Zion is clearly looking like every I mean, he looks like he's walking into the season the best shape of his life, and the way things ended last season, I feel like he's probably I think he's got the motivation to really to show and prove.

So I and with all that said, I'm going under.

All right.

So up next we have Memphis, which is the team that I was kind of referring to before the break as like, so they're going from twenty seven wins last year projected to go up to forty seven and a half wins per DraftKings this season. Biggest changes traded Zire Williams lost Utah Watton, Abby Jordan Goodwin and several others via free agency, but like not necessarily the important pieces. They drafted Zach Edy, Jalen Wells, and Cam Spencer also

I'm Memphis, I think, I mean, I get the logic of saying, you have this piece in John Morant coming back. Of course that's going to lead to a pretty significant increase in leins. I'm like, twenty is a lot, and again I understand why that is like sort of the prevailing sort of take on here, but part of me.

Is like, we also like I need to be reminded again.

I just need to see John Morant do John Morant things consistently and then it'll make sense. But I'm a little I'm definitely a little apprehensive there. But also I'm always going to pick the under so I'm going to say under. But that's just sort of that's just how I look at it. I mean, Dragonfly, do you think like joh coming back, boom, that's an instant twenty games? Are there other sort of dimensions to this that we're kind of not looking at that you think can get them there or or not?

How many games I think went last year, like twenty two, twenty seven, twenty seven. Yeah, yeah, you know, I'm probably taking the under here too. I think they're about a forty two forty three one. See, I don't see him in a forty seven win team. Okay, I think I think they're right around five hundred, even even with John full strength.

Ok Yeah, John looked great in the short run where he was back, but it was very very brief time and he got injured. Hopefully, you know, every again, hopefully everybody's like working with whoever Steph worked with that one year to like get his body back in shape. But you know, long periods away from the court, and you know, he's always been a top concern with like loving to watch jaw is that his body is kind of small and what he does with it is not small in any respect.

It's yeah, is it built for the the bounds of Pynes.

Yeah sure sure. Oh also I just realized he only played six game games.

Yeah, it was a small stree for sure.

Yeah.

Yeah, That's what I'm just saying, Like it's there's a there's just a lot, there's a it's a long road, but I would love nothing more to just see him step onto the court like nothing happened, and he's just delivering Day one.

I want to see forty seven and a half. But if I am having to put money on it, which I am, uh, I guess a lot.

It's not warning Jack.

I was like, bro, I don't know if this is the one. Yeah, the one he's like that and Dallas, Man, I.

Got to make up for that Dallas pick. But that game.

You haven't even lost that yet. But could you imagine anyways, Yeah, Memphis is like definitely interesting.

Zach Edie.

I'm like, I did not come into the Summer League like I was interested to see what he did, and I always felt like he was a little slept on coming out of the league. But now I'm like very intrigued based on what we saw in that one Summer League game. If he's going to be he's gonna be a force. What do you think his rookie season looks like? Because I feel like that's the guy you got to have a pitch count on, Like I don't know how many back to backs he can give ado like that

Like probably on the lower end, probably in the low twenties.

He's got to strengthen that body. He's a big shalute, I'll tell you that much.

Yeah.

Moving on over to Houston, who had a really really interested.

They made things they they were making people nervous towards the end of last season, and we got those grim Reaper memes being like, who will they come for next?

At the bottom of the conference.

Forty one wins last year, right now, the bookmakers like them about a game and a half or two above that forty two and a half between forty two and a half forty three and a half wins. Biggest changes here. They drafted Reed Sheppard. They traded for AJ Griffin Junior, who is now actually sounds like he is just stepping away from the game, so I hope everything's okay there. They resigned a lot of their free agents. Bobon he

But I mean, I don't know.

I mean, like I think with this one too, I'm always curious about like Jalen Green like he looked so good in like in like from March towards that last stretch of the season, and I'm I can I think a lot of Rockets fans are like, is that will that guy be there from game one?

Because that is.

Also another thing that a lot of people feel like, you know, he's pretty streaky with his performances, but I think that's a that's a that's a big question mark. And also, because I'm a hater, I'm just gonna say that is also I think they're gonna be I'm gonna take the under on this one because I again it's not from anything objective, but but please, my my fragile Laker heart.

That's all I have to protect. How how do you guys feel about Houston?

Like? What what? What is?

What is this Houston team going to be?

You know, obviously them being a couple of games better this season. I think that the that Jalen took I think that's the real deal. I don't think that was a flashlampan. Of course, sant June's going to be incredible.

We know that much.

You know, he may I think, you know, I think he's the guy who now that he's he's really you know, gotten in the trenches with his personnel, the scheming and all. That's going to be top notch, even better than what it was lasting. So I think that they're going to come back better by a few games for sure.

Yeah, probably, but I can't say that out loud.

And also I keep forgetting they got Steven Adams, you know what I mean, Like when is he going to be healthy? That's I feel like that's maybe never again, but yeah, maybe never again. I hope I would love to see him because I love the Kiwi. Yeah, he's always a bringer of great memories. And I think, I mean, like when healthy, I feel I could offer a lot for sure, especially because they were missing somebody with that size once Shan Gun went down.

But yeah, yeah, he made is such a good coach that, like I I don't even believe that they got forty one wins last year. Like if you asked me to take those over under and it was forty and a half, I would still take the under on last year's win total because I'm bad at gambling. But the it's it's amazing that they got forty one wins last year.

It really is.

He's he's doing incredible work there, I get. I guess the one thing is that there might be an issue where their two best players don't play well together, and like when Shingun went down is when they started really taking off. So like he's going to have to figure that out at some point. But I also think he probably can because again one of the best coaches in the league.

So yeah, and finally your San Antonio Spurs.

I can't help I have. I don't even care what I'm saying there. It's over. It's the over for that all the over.

Okay, Oh yeah, this is the one team I'm I think because I'm so excited about when Bin Yama and I'm really excited about what year two Wemby looks like he is. He turned twenty one this year. Yeah, he's over the hell you're right, Yeah, yeah, exactly, hang it up, hang it up. Twenty two last year, Yeah, thirty five and a half to thirty six and a half this year. That's a big jump for a team that got Harrison Bards and Risa.

Yeah like that.

So it's really going to have to come with like Wemby just adding things that we didn't know he could add, and he already has a bunch of skills that I didn't think were possible, So I just, yeah, it requires a level of imagination that I don't possess to be like, what is it, what is it going to look like? What does thirty seven wins with this team look like? And if it happens, it's going to be incredible and like a lot of fun to watch.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, well, how do you think about do you think CP three makes a huge impact? I mean, obviously, having someone with that kind of knowledge of the game will already transmit to that kind of knowledge, But is that enough to create results on the court? That's I think a big question mark. And obviously, given what he's thirty nine right now, it's uh, he's again not as spry as he used to be, but he is spry. But yeah, how do you feel about that?

Dragonfly? Yeah?

You know, like you mentioned, Chris Paul's for sure brought in to be like an on the floor assistant coach, Like you know, that's what he's there for, that his best years are way behind him. But at the same time, I feel like it was such malpractice how few lobs Winby received, Like I just do not understand how when you see a seven for five guy rolling said to the cup, like like you don't just you know, chuck.

You out there. You can do it anywhere too, right, Yeah.

So yeah, I mean, besides, you know, Chris Paul coming in there to to like I said, being on the floor assistant coach and what have you. I think he's gonna, you know, really really you know, utilize Wenby and and the and the lobs and the picks and the pick and rolls. I think Chris Paul is the best lob

It up there.

So yeah, you know, I'm I'm I'm extremely high on the Spurs. I'm more high on maybe than the Spurs, of course, but you know, I think I think I think the Spurs can sniff five hundred.

I think that they can get close to forty.

Man, Oh wow, that's exciting.

That.

Yeah, I would love to see that.

And it's and like so you feel Harrison Barnes is also gonna have a huge impact. I mean, I get again he can teach the youngsters a few things. He's good with the spacing, which will ultimately help everybody out. But is he also a huge factor for you and saying that they're going to get to five hundred?

Yeah, yeah, I mean, here's some Barns. He's the guy who can help your team get forty wins. Like you know, he's not a guy who you want you want to depend on in the postseason. Sure, you know the Spurs are are I think that they're doing whim be a really good service by picking up vets like that. You know,

So exactly, it keeps them flexible, you know what, I mean, to really smash the button. If they're saying like, Okay, now's the time to really really cash in on this project.

We have and that's the thing.

Winby is going to make San Antonio a free agent destination. You know, I think I think they're going to be, you know, superstars who want to come there and play with Wimby because I think when he could, when we start the Wimby era, it's going to be it's going to be unlike anything we've quite ever seen rafts.

I think that dude's got run it up man, that is.

I mean, he is, He's kind of the next Like the reason that I always rooted for Lebron from the day he came into the league is because it felt like we were going to see somebody do something that we've never seen before. It was going to like elevate the game to a new level, and we did, and

Yeah, the producer jabbar.

My god, did you see Wemba. I'm like, he's eight feet tall now, like you could say that and people would be like, oh really.

Really yeah, yeah, his shoulders bigger than Dwight Howard.

Now, yeah, yeah, I saw that. I saw that picture.

Their rookie Stefan Castle from Yukon also looks like a pop player that I feel like could be really interesting, Like he's so so like willing to just like die on defense and just like just you know, like what are the orders?

I got it?

I got it. I feel like that could.

Also be a really really get useful piece for them too.

I feel like I was a pop player, you know, just willing to get dunked on over and over and over and over again. I guess some people would have said, nah, a pop player would have taken a charge, but uh, you know, would they have gotten back up as many times? Exactly? Stay down rock, yeah, barely cry it at all.

All.

Right, let's take a quick break. We'll come back for the fastest segment in podcasting. You hear that evil laugh that means it's the rabbid fire around of question and we'll be right back. And we're back and oh miles, oh miles, Oh dear.

Yes, it is the fourth quarter. It is time for the rabbid fire round of questioning.

Dragonfly Jones, you are one of our favorite guests, one of our favorite to talk to. Also a fantastic follow on Twitter. If you if you don't know, you should learn yourself.

But I'm sorry to do this to you. You are now in the hot seat.

You know how this goes. We asked the questions. You don't think about it. You just give us your first instincts.

Just react.

Okay, don't give us long winded answers, because we'd like to keep the temple up like this. This segment goes exactly and I will not slow down my way of speaking, and we will be rude to you if you slow down the segment. With all that said, do you consent to being part of this rapid fire of question? We have legal that we need to get here, yes, okay, thank you? Yes, legal and then State Farm insurance. We need to get your consent.

Okay, Well you said you're ready and so are we. So Brian, start the clock. So mean.

Uh, Dracula.

Yea ecular you want to go?

D me?

I guess we yeah?

Uh?

Why don't you kick us off? Miles?

Oh me?

Yeah?

You here we go? Couldn't dragonfly Jones?

What is your all time favorite throwback shoe and jersey? They don't necessarily have to go together, but please call out the most powerful basketball garments in the universe.

This this might be a sleeper pick. It is the ninety five Jason Kids.

If you're flights, Yeah, yeah, they came out in black and white and blue and white and the black and white ones, like I got a pair of those as we speak. So those bubble on the side, yep, yeah, yeah, yeah, a couple of Oh I think very future.

I would just like to remind you on the cover art for this very podcast, when I was with Jack got Mad Boostie's my caricature is rocking those exact sneakers because that is my favorite basketball Can we.

Just think I'm best friends?

Yeah?

Yeah, yeah yeah.

And you know what's funny every time they every time Nike releases them, they're like sitting and I'm always like, what's wrong with these kids?

This is iconic?

This don't appreciate history, man, that's all that. Yeah, yep.

And they're like, whoa, look at those washed sneakers.

They always say I have washed sneakers, but I'm like, yeah, they are clean. Thanks, kids, just wash. Oh okay. And Jersey Jersey.

Jersey, you know it is, you know, keeping with the Jerry West theme. It is the the icy blue Lakers, you know, like the Jerry West. I had the icy blue Kobe eight back in like, yeah, yeah, so that's my favorite throwback.

B Yeah, it's a beautiful jersey, it is. I love blue and obviously the Lakers were purple and gold. So whenever I had a chance to rock that, I will. And Dragonfly Jones, that was a fantastic answer, but that took entirely move on to the next question.

I'm sitting over here checking my non existent watch. Well Jack's beard that grew looking like Methuselah.

Hello, who's there?

Uh? Dragonfly Jones? We are playing pick up with presidents of these United States. I actually just took the first pick and I took Obama. All presidents are in their peak physical condition.

Who are you taking next?

Jerald Forderald.

He is perhaps the most accomplished athlete to ever service president. He was an offensive lineman at Michigan. I know we're talking basketball, but there's a certain brand of basketball that football players play where where they do all the dirty work. They sent screens, they rebound, they get put backs. You know, the type of guy that you wanted your things. So I'll probably go Jeryl Ford if Obama's.

Off the board.

God, they're taking Gerald Ford.

You guys like Obama, Man, you got to get Obama's way. It's going to be the guy send screens for you.

I am a dirty work kind of player, and I need somebody who's got a sweet jumper. And that's what I'm That's why I took Obama first, and I'm going to get in the middle and tussle with Ford.

Spend the fact that's gonna bros in it like Zerick, like yeah, Zurich, and you're like, thank you, President, thank you, thank you, sir.

Also, I feel like I'd be interested to see what Lincoln could do, even though he was president before basketball was each height. And also like he was famous when he was a young person for being one of the best wrestlers at that time. Like wrestling was just two people enter a ring and whoever could knock the other person off their feet would win. So I just like he just had natural He naturally had that dog in him, So Lincoln would have been interesting.

Lincoln did in fact have that dog in him in fact. Yeah, okay, next question, Dragonfly.

One of these gotta go Little Penny Grandmama or Mars Blackmon Grandmama.

And the only reason that Grandmama has to go is because I got to say that the Larry Johnson converces are the weakest out of that bunch and the great gimn. I thought Grandmama was a great gimmick. I remember when when you know, he even had the special appearance on Family Matters, right yeah, yeah, yeah, great gimmick. But but but but little Penny, Little Penny was hilarious. I love

I actually just figured out that that is Larry Johnson when you. When you just said that, I was like, you are elderly advertising LJ shoes. You're like Grandma Ma, who was selling cons with the react juice. That was Larry Johnson.

No, and Larry Johnson Converse reacts where a rip off of the Awkwa eights if you really really yes, yeah, yeah.

But you don't want to start that conversation, do you? The NBA.

Always avoiding the hot topics.

That's right, yeah, all right, give us biggest sleeper team heading into the season.

Biggest sleep team heading into the season.

Hmmm, did you explain that?

It's a second. I know, that's okay.

Look, you did right.

He must be going through something I didn't want to now.

I just want to make sure that we covered off on everything.

No, we did, No, we did, we did, And I'm just going being very rude to him on text so the listeners don't have to be subjective.

I'm going to go I'm gonna go with the hornets.

Wow. Okay.

There were very few answers you could have given that would have rendered me speechless. But that so that is one where Vegas is up on them. They think they're going to get more wins. And I was trying to figure it out. So now you can explain it to me. Why are we up on the Hornets.

I think their coach is going to turn things around there.

Charles Lee got who who was on the h He was assistant on the on the Bucks championship squad, he was an assistant on the Celtics championship squad. I think he's got that pedigree there where he's going to turn things around because I think they got the town.

I think LaMelo is incredible, but I just I.

Feel like LaMelo's suffering from that whole you know, empty stats, you know label and and I think a guy like Charlesley can come in there and turn things around and maximize that team.

So I'm going with the Hornets. Man, Okay, I like that. I do like that. That's a wind in myself.

LaMelo is has that reputation as an empty stats person, but like gets everybody involved, does make his teammates better, is fun to play with.

So like, that's that's a lot with me. That's that's I don't care how empty your stats are, you fun to look at.

He's playing really well, Like I could totally see that, just like being infectious and like suddenly we're all like, look at the hornets. Everybody right, Nobody was predicting this except Dragonfly Jones.

Obviously.

Amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Well, I think you nailed it right.

Those are all the right answers. He got you as we look at all the table. Yeah, you did them all man, And we tried to pressure him.

Too, but he is just stealing steally under pressure. Dragonfly Jones, where can people find you?

Follow you all that good stuff?

Yeah, you can find me on Twitter at Dragonfly Jones. You can find me three times a week with my podcast co host the Jenkins and Jones on the Volume Network. We're on YouTube, We're on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts.

All right, amazing miles where can they find you?

You can find me at Miles of Gray And you can also find the hashtag Matt Boosty's bb st i e s on Twitter. That's how you find show links and updates. And that's how you joined the Discord Conversation too.

I'm on Twitter at Jack Underscore Obrian and that's another one in the books.

We did it.

We nailed it. Swish from Way Downtown, Bye oh yeah bye yeah sorry, bye,