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just really tough. And that's exactly what happened. But we'll start with the first one. The raps just dominated Orlando one twenty nine to ninety nine. Where do you want to start with on on this first Orlando game? Dan: Well, I just wanna compliment you on your intuition from before, 'cause I thought these two games were a lock, to be honest with you, Sam, and as as history would have it, you're right, I guess it is tricky to win a back to back against like a a mediocre subpart team. So yeah, I mean this one was a convincing win from top to bottom. I don't think that w like we ever really wavered at any point in the game. our bench guys saw some minutes in the fourth quarter, which was good. Like ch Trace Jackson, Dave, twenty minutes. I don't think I'll ever see that again unless it's a similar game. where we're up so big in the fourth, heading into the fourth. But yeah, top to bottom, just a really quality team win. RJ continued his his scoring power like Sam: Great game from him. Dan: yeah, great game from him. And then Scotty as well, obviously, chipping in with five stocks. Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: So this one it kinda got a little boring to watch, I'll be honest, past this past the first half because Sam: Yeah. Dan: I think in games and you know, Orlando didn't have Palo and then like Desmond did really didn't have his best game and it just it just became kind of a stale watch. So good good team win. Yeah, sorry. Sam: I think I think that's a yeah, I think that's a great point just so out of the stale watches Raptors wise so far. Like they're five wins, Bulls was a blowout, we were at the Wizards Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: game. I know it was only ten points, but it was sort of like a clusterfuck in the fourth, like it wasn't that entertain it was just a lot of fouls. this game, blowout, Clippers game, which we'll get into, just an infuriating watch. Like I know that one was technically close too, but that that just made me angry more than more than anything else. And then the Bucks game, that game I'll say was actually an entertaining watch for a variety of reasons, which we'll get into as well. But Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: I think you're I think that's dead on, dude. Like the so far this season, there haven't really been crunch time games that have, you know, really got us fired up for a Raptors win or even like a heartbreaking loss. Like we'll we'll go into all these six games, but I think that's a really good point that we haven't really hit that crunch time. Crowd pop big win so far this season through nine games. Dan: think just to your point about the heartbreaking loss, the next Orlando game to me was the most heartbreaking we've had all year. just given Scotty's performance Sam: Yeah. Dan: in that one. Well I don't want to jump too far ahead, but man, that one was like fuck. Anyways. Yeah. Sam: Yeah. Yeah. So so yeah, let's let's wrap up this one because I I think you're right that it it not huge takeaways. Orlando just really wasn't prepared in this one. Like you said, RJ twenty-five, nine, and six on fifty percent shooting. Scotty Dan: Uh-huh. Sam: twenty-eight and six. And I have six stocks actually, so maybe the athletic has an extra one than whatever whatever you're looking at, may who knows? Orlando got like Bain Dan: I got three steals, two blocks. Sam: only had thirteen. I have three blocks, so some some we'll see which one who the official one gave. But Bain didn't shoot well, 13 points. Franz four of eleven. Like their highest score was Da Silva with 20 off the bench. in terms of overall game stats, Raps shot 50% from the field, Orlando only 41%. Raps really great night for shooting three, fifteen to thirty-five for 43%. Orlando only 29%. Free throws were about the same. Raps out rebounded, out assisted, outstole, had less turnovers. It like you said, dude, like a really just dominating game. I believe yeah, the Raps won every quarter as well, and and when you do that, that's how it sort of gets to a 30-point blowout game. So yeah, I thought, you know, we didn't have Kawhi. They didn't have Bancaro or Sug. So you knew both teams were without sort of their top guy. but we really handled business in this one and I think they mentioned it on the broadcast, but just the insinuation that the new coach for Orlando Sweeney probably laid into them in their off day and sorta got them a lot more ready to go on on the Friday. So if you have nothing else, like he said, it this was sort of not a hu like great rap win. They played great, but in terms of overall big things, not really much to go through if you wanna jump to the next one. Dan: No, I'm ready to head into the heartbreaker. Sam: Okay. Okay. Yeah, so I'll I'll let you I'll definitely let you start on on this one 'cause there's a lot of storylines we can get into, a lot of things that were sorta going on. but like I said, this game, the first NBA Cup game, Like you said, I think you're right with this is probably the most crunch time heartbreaking loss. I believe we we did steal the lead in the fourth for a second after sort of being being down for most of the game. Orlando beat us one twenty-one to one fourteen, so we start 0-1 in NBA Cup with a minus seven. I'll let you definitely take take us away here on this one, 'cause there's a lot to go into and I'd love to hear where you want to start. Dan: Yeah. I I know we we lost every quarter, except for I think the third quarter. but Sam: Yeah. Yeah. Dan: like the way Scotty was was playing, I just thought if he's gonna do this the whole game, there's no way we're gonna lose. And it was always pretty close, right? Like I think I half it was the biggest lead that they had, like seven or s eight or something like that. but it wasn't it wasn't out of reach. And like the way Scotty was going with fucking not Sam: Not at all. Dan: getting any And but do not even getting any foul calls. I was like, okay, eventually it's gonna change as the game progresses, especially in in the fourth quarter,

they're gonna start blowing the whistle for him because he's just t absorbing so much fucking contact. Stupid Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: was I thinking. And then also, like, you know, Jakob actually had one of his better games. but I was like, eventually RJ's gonna turn it on too in the fourth and and like it kinda e emphasize that extra punch Sam: Awful game from him. Dan: to get us just horrible, dude. Horrible, horrible, horrible. And then two for four from Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: the line too, like his points were living on the board. yeah, I mean, like like you said, Sweeney came in, definitely said something to those guys to get him going because Franz, Desmond, and Wendell all had really good games and honestly Anthony Black I thought was just such a stud in this game too, especially defensively. he didn't he's not Sam: Mm-hmm. I like him. Dan: I know, I know. He's not big enough to to guard Scotty, but w what he did on the perimeter, I thought he did a good job limiting quick. and and obviously R J was an absolute shitter. So Hats off to him, but this was just this is a game that if we have and I I don't mean I'm I'm not I try now, now that I'm older and more mature, not to blame officiating when it comes to the decisions of games, but genuinely Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: the fact that Scotty had three free throws and our I think we had the how it's twenty they had twenty nine and we had fifteen. And Scotty took thirty four fucking Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: shots. That's a joke. to me that is a joke, and Scotty's brand of basketball isn't Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: shooting, man. he's going to the rim. You can expect contact every time he's going to the rim. This was such a frustrating watch. this it was heartbreaking and frustrating and it Sam: So yeah. So Dan: all invotions emo evoked. Anyway, sorry. Sam: Yeah, let me let me jump in because I it's definitely Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: something that's been talked about. I know Darko mentioned it after. I sent this in one of the chats we're in, but Scotty took one less field goal attempt than when Bam dropped eighty three and he only had forty what he what do you think forty one points. So I mean that sort of says a lot there. Three free throws, that's a joke. I will say to your point about not he's not shooting, I actually thought his mid-range, especially in the second half. It it it felt like he hit eight in a row at one point. It was insane. He just kept getting to his Dan: Yeah. That stretch. Sam: spot. No one else was helping him. And he just kept taking they they refused to double Scuddy too. It's like Orlando's game plan was no no he can go for four and it was his career high. but we're not gonna send help. We're gonna let live with him taking like mid-range to death. And to their credit, it it panned out. Again, they did have 14 more free throw attempts in a game we lost by seven. So that's pretty frustrating. but like you said, RJ definitely his worst game of the year in this one, as thus far, nine points, three of ten. I mean

Scotty going nineteen to thirty-four from the field, 41 5 and 5. And and and you know, it's too bad no one else sort of stepped up. I like you said, Pearl 12 and 11. Quick 17 6 and 8 on 6 of 14 and CMB with 15 off the bench, but just not enough. I'd like to highlight not highlight, but I thought Bain was just a killer this game. he had 28, he had six three pointers, and it felt like each of his threes was like a back breaking three. We every time we made like a mini run, it felt like he hit some deep three or some heavily contested three to just keep Orlando inching forward, and I just felt like he was the key to the game. Like you said though, Franzo twenty six and eleven and Anthony Black as well with seventeen and ten. J you just a quality night for their three guys and and Wendell with twenty points as well. it's too bad. No one could step up for Scotty in his career night, but it's just tough, man. Like like I said, any any s self respecting team who's not like the Bucks or the Bulls or any of these like the Kings, it's hard to beat I know we're home, but it's still hard to beat them two in a row. just with all the adjustments you can make. So yeah, it career night for Scotty, but it it was unfortunate that we didn't really contain Orlando's three main guys in this one as well. but yeah, I thought I think the free throw thing's a great point. Losing by seven when you have fourteen less free throws is just it's a tough one for sure. Dan: I also think too, man, so on five of those attempts that Scotty had, like you're telling me that's ten more free throws, he could have easily gotten fifty on a game like this. And like that's Sam: yeah, for sure. Dan: that's and like but there was a you said what fourteen free throw discrepancy. Like that's that's totally within the realm of and I mean I can't think of anything off the head 'cause this was a while ago, but I'm I'm sure I can if we w rewatch the footage I can count, you know at least five times where you can you can argue that there's a foul call there and Scotty it's just like I'm surprised that they didn't look like heading into the fourth quarter they didn't look and saw and saw that Scotty was is he only f only he only attempted free three throws. you have to r yeah but in the fourth he had thirty something. he was having an insane game. how do you how do you not recognize Sam: yeah. Mm-hmm. Dan: that name another time a guy's dropped forty and ha has had three free throws. I don't even I can't even th think about that. Sam: Yeah. Dan: It's it's probably gonna be like a three point guy, right? a Duncan Robb or something like that. Where they're just not fouling him. Sam: Peep Yeah. People people were saying on peop people were saying on Twitter just one of the most ethical forty pointer forty point nights ever. 'Cause just, you know, two or three from the line. Like just all buckets. Yeah. Yeah. Dan: The the most yeah. Fuck me, man. this should have been a fifty point game to any other to

any other star in the league. This is just ridiculous, but yeah, sorry no. Sam: In yeah, in terms in terms of in terms of overall game stats, Orlando, they d like I said, they did shoot the lights out even like with the free throws notwithstanding. they were fifty-three percent from the field, fifty-three percent from three, so I will give them credit. Like they did shoot the shit out of it. The free throws is a definitely a discussion, but it's not like that's exactly what carried them. They did shoot it really well. we also did, and no no surprise with Scotty going nineteen for thirty-four or whatever something It's I think that's what it was. we were fifty-one Dan: Yeah, yeah. Sam: percent and we still shot forty one percent from three, so we shot at well as two, Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: and that's where you can sort of look at the free throws being the deciding factor, which sucks. in terms of big picture, would like your opinion on this. Are you a guy who wants to make a run in the NBA Cup? Like is this something that you are sort of more disappointed in, or do you take it as the flip side of like Well, if we don't make it, we're gonna play the shittier teams because, you know, theoretically the better teams will be the ones that advance. So do you have a sort of preference? Like would you let I know we made the next round last year and then the Knicks just wiped the floor with us, but do you have an opinion on sort of the NBA Cup and what you'd you'd hope the Raptors do? Dan: Yeah, no. I don't really care. I thought honestly it's funny you asked this, Sam, 'cause I think when it first came out, we were both laughing at it. And then I was like, actually it'd be kinda cool to win it. And now my whole tune's changed. Like I just think it's more geared because of that extra incentive. I think it's like what, five hundred K for every every player on the team is what you win, Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: or something like that. Like for the younger guys on rookie Sam: Yeah. Dan: deals I think that's cool. who aren't like, you know, getting as paid as as as well as others, but In our situation, all of our guys are locked up long term. C and B, Graves, they're gonna get they're gonna get contracts. I just don't think that this really fucking matters for us. So I'm okay with tr if there was one to lose, I'd much rather drop this one, which will again ease our schedule for the future because of the NBA Cup than the one before where we spank Sam: That's where I'm at too. Dan: them. Yeah. So I'm okay with obviously I don't want to lose y any game, but Sam: I I yeah. Dan: yeah. Sam: Yeah. but with the East so so good this year, I'm okay with just passing on the NBA Cup and and hopefully getting another game against Brooklyn or Milwaukee or Chicago. Like I'd rather like I I it's a night like if you're one of the top teams, like the Knicks won it last year, and there is a bit of correlation with doing well in the cup and and who the best teams are, I think the Pacers won it the first year and then they made the finals. OKC lost in the finals to the Bucks and then they won the finals. Like there is a bit. but I like Dan: Didn't the Lakers win it the first year? Sam: in terms of where we are. Sorry, you're right. Yeah, sorry. But I think they faced Indiana, maybe. I think that's what it was. yeah. Dan: Yeah, yeah. Or maybe it was mo yeah, that's right. Yeah. Sam: Yeah. so there is I get that there is correlation, but just in terms of where the Raptors are and still being an unproven contender. I'd rather just get the better playoff seat positioning by by sort of getting more matchups with the bad teams because last year we had to play the Knicks five times as opposed to the regular four and we promptly went and five. So I I'd r I'd I'm so fine with with not making an NBA Cup run, even though like I do think the league did what it's intended with with guys playing hard in October, November. But as a Raptors fan, I'm I'm fine with if we're splitting with Orlando. They can have the NBA Cup run. I'm I'm good with with just not going forward in it, but that's me. Dan: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I agree. I have I have a question for you actually. Just 'cause I know this name was thrown Sam: Yeah. Dan: out there last year at the deadline and seeing him play like I think he played a combined ten minutes in the both games, like Goga, the gasking price for of a first Sam: Gaga. Yeah. Dan: round pick last year, and now I know Vuce is back and quite frankly he's irrelevant and he's looks even worse than he did last year on Boston. I just don't understand Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: what what Orlando was doing still and I was I I'm just wondering if you have anything to say, but how could you ask for a first round pick last year when we're willing Sam: Yeah. No. Dan: to give you a second or two seconds? I don't understand that, What was the plan? Sam: last year we were so starved we were so starved for height that you and me were just looking at any backup big worth of worth a look. this year, like knock on wood, and I know he's missed a bit of time. Perdle's definitely had ups and downs so far this year, but at least he's mostly played. we're gonna get to the Bucks Dan: He looks better. Sam: game and I just finished watching that today and he was awesome in that game, so that was encouraging. Dan: Uh-huh. Sam: but yeah, like I I We have the backup with Trace. I don't we have like I we're not as star for hype thus far because we don't we it's not like we've lost Perdle for three months. so yeah, I'm I don't like Orlando asking for a first insane. Brooklyn asked wanted a first two for Dayron, Dayron Sharp, so that that's sort of the same thing and that's why we ended up with with Trace who who's been serviceable in his minutes so far, like you said. do you have anything else for this Orlando game or you wanna move on? Dan: Yeah, let's let's move on to the lakes. Sam: Okay. So yeah. I did last pod I did say, well, I think we'll go one and two,

split Orlando and lose to LA. That is exactly what happened. we get to LA. We had the Sunday n or Sunday NBA always has a couple late games to sort of wrap up the week, and that was us la last week. in LA Luca is just it seems like this might be his MVP year. And he definitely played like it against us. the final score is a little bit deceiving because when as soon as Bronny came in, we our bench guys went on like Dan: Ha ha. Sam: a fifteen run. So JJ had to put all the starters back in. But it's a six point loss. Lakers won one thirty one to one twenty five, but in reality it was more probably a fifteen to twenty point loss. but where do you want to start against the Lakers last Sunday? Dan: Honestly, as a basketball fan, Sam, this one was a really fun watch. This was probably my favorite watch all year so far. Aside from the Bucks was good too, but this one was just like Luca lit it up. And honestly, for the most part, he didn't whine too much, which I appreciated. AR was fine, but obviously it was it's majority of Luka show. And honestly, Wakestu just fits in like a fucking glove on this team. Holy shit. There's if he Sam: Yeah. Dan: stays healthy, this this team can do some serious damage in the West. and I d I still feel like they they have a move in their back pocket if they want to. I don't I know that I think they have one pick left, I'm pretty sure. if not something Sam: Probably with a swap or at least or something. Dan: like that. Yeah, like if not, I think this team is definitely something you can build into for the future and we'll do we'll do well in a in a playoff series. But yeah, man, this was this was a fun watch. we did not I I think it was just like we don't ha We need Kawhi in a game like this to to really compete and we didn't have and Sam: Correct. Correct. Dan: it was you know, that was up that was clear from from from the half. although the second quarter we played well, but it's kinda they kinda just ran away with it. But yeah. Sam: So so to your point of of Kessler fitting in like a glove, they they really have recreated that Dallas team that made the finals. Reeves is in the Kyrie spot as the second ball handler slash scorer, and then Watkass is an upgraded version of the Gafford lively minutes, which are just, rim runner shop blockers that Luca has the option with every drive. I think like you said, if they have a move, I know, I love Sam Vicini and he was floating Herb Jones. If if that asking price came Dan: Mm. Sam: down, I think that'd be a really interesting fit on this team. like Thibol and La Ravia, you know, they've been Zaire Williams that didn't play in this game, but I think they've all been serviceable, but that's definitely an area that they could look to upgrade. But to your Luca point, man, the shot making was just absolutely ridiculous. He was eight of twelve from three, and it felt like half of them We had a hand there. we we were there, but it just didn't matter. Luca finishes with 45, 15, and 6 with

six stocks. 12 of 23 from the field, 8 of 12 from 3. Perfect 13 for 13 from the line. And we had Scotty on him. Like we we we tried, man. Like we CMB was Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: on him. It just didn't matter. like you said, there's all like you didn't think there was much bitching. I'd like I'm not really gonna complain about his bitching when he goes eight of twelve from three and twelve of twenty-three from the field. he just it was insane the shots he was making. Reeves, like you said, like six of sixteen, nothing crazy. Walker Kessler was really good, sixteen and fifteen with four stocks, a perfect from the field and the line. But this was obviously just the Lucas show. We had no answer and he just dominated us. from our end, RJ twenty two and ten. Scotty 29, 6 and 5, so they both showed up, but Jakob was out, so Trace Jackson Davis started, he only went nine minutes. quick really bad shooting night, 12 and 7 on 3 of 13. Jacoby not much either. And like it's like battle has 20 off the bench here. But like I said, that I think like twelve or fourteen of those points were in the last little barrage when we had subbed everyone out because they put in Brawny. Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: So again, it it like good for him, but not really taking much away from that. but yeah, it just like you said with your Kawhi point, and I have an overall take. Okay, I'll I'll just say it now. So we have four losses this year. The Orlando one, which we just talked about. That was sort of just a s to me a scheduly type loss, whatever. Then we've lost to when Edwards was still healthy, the Wolves crushed us. The Lakers I won't say crushed because the final score, but they they beat us handily. And then Denver. Dan: They handled us easily, yeah. Sam: And then Denver, fully healthy Denver a couple games ago. I I know Raptors Twitter is is a l and Jamal Shedd said this after the Bucks game too, just like we we haven't been good to start the year. I would counter and say, well, you've lost to the Lakers in LA, to Denver in Denver, and to Minnesota in Minnesota. Like those are all legit losses. And without Kawai, like you just said, dude, we you don't have a chance really. you have to be so perfect without that that elite star player that's not playing. So I get the the thing last year, right, was we can't beat the good teams. We can smash the s the bad teams, but we can't beat the good teams. So I get why that fear might be creeping back into Raptors fans, but I would just say Three of the four losses are all legit losses without Kawhi. I'm not ready to be like same old Raptors from last year who can beat up on Chicago and the Clippers but are just gonna get ass kicked by any semi good team. So I did wanna s that was something I wanted to say tonight, and that goes to all the games, not just the but this was another one with the Wolves and then Denver, that I was like these are you know Without Kawhi, this is probably gonna be the result. This would be a really, really impressive win

on the road without Kawhi if we were able to get any of them done, and we didn't. I'm not gonna freak out about it. If Kawhi comes back and we still are having issues beating any good teams, then that's a conversation for like a month. But like we're nine games in and I think three of the four losses are really legit and I'm not really freaking out about them thus far. Dan: I think that's a fair point and and I agree. Like they're they're all they're all these are teams that are all contenders that we lost to. however, I will say, Sam: Yeah. Dan: well and sorry, just to build on that first, it's also early to start the year and I know we don't have a lot of new people in the locker room, but I think it's a new like with Kawhi coming back, Scotty like is clearly taking more of like an offensive aggressive approach this season. I think like there is st still stuff that we're still like figuring out. So in it and there's just and some people still haven't fully are s aren't fully in shape from the off season. And maybe that's another reason why these injuries are are happening. But it's earlier my point is if it's early on into the year you can't judge the first, two, three weeks being like, well, this is what this is what the story is for the whole season. Shit's gonna happen. The Knicks are I think under five hundred right now. So, you you're gonna lose you're gonna lose the weird games. but yeah, I think however, I will say I'm not gonna let them off the hook that easy. Like we didn't play great in the Minnesota game, in the Denver Sam: No. Dan: game, in the Lakers game. there are I re I I remember last year, that both Minnesota games actually sorry, one of the Minnesota games in Minnesota, we played really, really well. We lost the game, but we played fucking phenomenal in that game. And that's a game we c we easily could have won. We were right there with them right till the end. No all of these games we were not there. We were just not present. And we could be a lot better. So y yes legit losses, Sam: And what's Dan: but at the same time we could be better. Definitely could be better. Sam: Sure definitely agree. Definitely agree. I'm not saying they played a great game and that just lost. But I will say, those three losses had each team had like an MVP caliber player that just went off against us with Aunt Luca and we're about we're about to talk about the Jokic game in Denver too. So without co without your you know fifty-five million dollar new toy with Kawhi Against MVP caliber guys like that. It's it's just like I sorta said, you gotta be perfect and they just weren't. Espe in this Lakers Dan: And and Sam: game, no exception neither. Dan: and we're not expected to win games like that at when Kawhi's not in the lineup as well, right? so yeah, Sam: Yeah. Dan: it's it it's no i w if if it like you said, if for for a month if we Kawaii's in the lineup, we're losing these games, that's something that we need to worry about slightly and be like,

fuck, is this the same guy that we we thought we were training for? obviously he wasn't here. We don't know, we can move on and life will be good because if you want to move into the next game against the Clippers, this was a game that shows that as you could be as bad as you are and still manage to win a game. this was just Sam: Yeah. Dan: this was a horrible watch, man. I w I I'll be honest, Sam, I watched the first half. Yeah, sorry. No go no go Sam: J yeah. J just to wrap up. Yeah, go on. Go on. Dan: ahead, ahead. No no I don't I'm gonna segue into the Clippers, so you Sam: I was just gonna say Dan: finish up. Sam: j j just to r just to just to wrap up the point, like you're going to the game tomorrow against the Grizzlies. I will consider that a bad loss if we lose to Memphis at home. I know they started off six and and they've had some some nice moments thus far, but and I know we don't have Kawhi, but I I will consider that a a not great loss if if tomorrow we get boat race at home. And just to wrap up on the Lakers, the overall game stats before we get into that Clippers game Lakers shot 54% from the field, 49% from three. they had seven more free throws than us as well. We were forty-three percent from the field, thirty-two percent from three. they just they sh it was the Lucas show and he shot the shit out of the ball and we didn't have an answer for him. I think that's pretty that's my takeaway. Just he looks to be I'd say the leader for MVP through Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: couple weeks of the season. He'd probably be the pick. so yeah. But yeah, to your point, we can segue into the Clippers game. Do you wanna do wanna just I you start. You just start with everything you wanna you wanna start with. Dan: I was just gonna say I watched the first half in total transparency to everyone listening and and to you, Sam. I watched the first half. I was tired because I had a long I worked late that night and I just couldn't watch anymore. And I went to bed knowing I went to bed feeling that I was like I'm gonna wake up and it's gonna be like a twenty point blowout. I wake up pleasantly and we somehow managed to win the game. a Sam: Mm. Dan: twenty point a twenty point swing in the fourth quarter. I don't know how this happens. I'm obviously thrilled that we managed to win the game. And I had to rewatch it to see how the fuck we won the game. Because the first half, I think, was some of the worst basketball I've seen us play in the past two years. It was just horrible. It was just hor horrible. trying to force passes into these small wit like tight windows that just d don't need to be made. We had no half court offense. like very little rebounding. It was just horrible, horrible, horrible basketball. And I'm glad I'm glad to see that we got our shit together in the fourth and Darko let him have it. Because if we lost to the Clippers, this would be a really concerning. so good Sam: Yes. Dan: to know that we can be shit against a shit team for half the game and still come out with a win, but I don't ever want to like play to this level again against a team like the Clippers who are I think one and Sam: Ha ha Dan: eight now. So Sam: key stat from this game, we got forty-eight free throw attempts. This was such and we only shot 31 for 48 for 64% from the line. So j this game was so Dan: Yeah. Makeup game? Sam: like I I think I said earlier, just so disgusting. And I hated watching it. Scotty looked injured for the first three quarters and didn't look like he wanted to play. And then Dan: I thought he was. Yeah. Sam: yeah, he was questionable coming in, and then he laced him up. And then he did he did take over in the fourth, so credit to him. he finished with twenty-two fifteen and eight. So final line looks amazing. really bad from the line. He was eight of fifteen. But that was Dan: Actually a fucked line, yeah. Mm-hmm. Sam: a lot yeah. that was a that was a lot in the fourth quarter. He was not doing much at all before that. RJ twenty six on ten and nineteen, and quick also twenty seven on eight of thirteen. But again, like but just the free throw discrepancy, that's an insane number. we ended up with how many more than we had forty-eight attempts. The Clippers had twenty-seven attempts from the line. Dan: Twenty one. Sam: So like j just a crazy number that and when you're coming back, 'cause we were down eleven at half, you need those you need to be able to stop the clock to put points on the board and and we had our opportunities and we didn't shoot it well, but it we still got we still ended up with ten more made free throws than the Clippers just by sheer volume. Yeah, man. Kobe Sanders was hitting every three that he shot, it felt like, especially early. Garland, 16 and 8, but didn't shoot it well. Isaiah Jackson had a nice game off the bench. I want to talk about CMB for a second. who at 18 and 7, he started again because Purdo was out. I've thought that CMB's offense has been far ahead of sort of what I was thinking going into the year. I think he's been a really nice finisher. It f it feels like he hits at least a three a game. W I on the other side of that, I do think his defense has not been as good as I was sort of expecting thus far. I still love C and B, but I do think it's interesting that I feel like to start the year his offensive game has been ahead of his defensive game thus far. I don't know if you have any thoughts on that, take. Dan: No, it's a good point. another thing that I noticed as well, just to tie into that, is he's naturally like in last year, he came in a very aggressive defender, which is good. That's what we want. but you'll see I think like the theme with him defensively this year is he quickly gets into foul trouble and then he has to let up 'cause you we obviously need him down the stretch in the fourth quarter. And that's where I start to see him just kind of give up easy baskets because he just can't be as pressuring with his defense. So I think he's

trying to still figure out as a young player what he can get away with and what he can't get away with and what the refs are gonna blow on. and that's gonna take time. but yeah, offensively meant his finishing is just holy shit, dude, super smooth at the left. you're right, like his shooting Sam: What a dunks, man. Dan: Yeah, a lot of dunks too. Like for a six seven, six eight guy, it's and he doesn't he does it standing too. He doesn't really like run up, like get a dribble in and then dunk it. Like it's it's a lot of just like force and torque from his knees, but I will say we yeah. Sam: Which which I think to me just just quick, like I think him finishing with force this year, I think it it just reminds me that his thumb was pretty fucked for most of the season last year. So I d it is nice to see him finishing as forcefully and as hard as he is, 'cause to me that's like okay, the thumb is completely healthy now. Like we we're having no issues with that. Dan: Yeah. Yeah. But just to I know we talked about this, especially with the playoffs last year against Cleveland, like and it and Jakob was out this game. but Isaiah Jack, who again isn't a massive center, and it wasn't like all of his points were scored on C and B. but it it the he's you like he can't go up against a seven footer. And I think we know that. So we If Yak is gonna have another, you know, stretch where he's gonna be out two, three, four weeks, like we just need to fill it. We just and like I'm sorry, Jackson Davis isn't it, dude. Like I think he's my least favorite guy on this roster. I no no hate to him at all. I just don't think he does anything. I'm serious, like I mean you just need a true seven footer who's just there to stand in the pain and just contest shots and rebound. Cause I just w like i he like TJ D is really soft. I don't know if you agree with that. I just think he's a kind of a bitch. No again, no hate to to Jackson Davis. I just I want a real seven footer, man, just so I can feel peace of mind if Jakob's gonna miss games because he is. And I don't want CMB to just feel the the the pressure of having to guard seven footers because that's not what he's supposed to be doing. So that's just my personal take on it. Again, this is we won the game. It's I say Jackson had a just a good night, he's not gonna do that every time, but it's just something that I I I thought about and made me think Sam: Like Dan: back to Cleveland. Sam: Like you, I also stopped watching this at halftime 'cause I I started watching I think a show or something like I it was pissing me off and I was like, Okay, I'll I'll watch the rest of it tomorrow. so then getting the notification that they did win, I was like, Thank God. but yeah and honestly watching that fourth quarter, like we we won the fourth quarter forty seven to twenty seven. Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: But it w like I said, it was such a mucky watch because there was a there was a foul every like forty five seconds. It w it was it Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: Just a gross game that I really honestly don't want to think about probably the rest of the season. I'm pretty good. Grady Dick, twelve points. Good for you, Grade. your shot still looks fucking terrible, but ha happy for you. and yeah, hope No, he wasn't. yes. Dan: It was giving us work in the first half. Like he had a couple dun dude, he kinda did. He kinda did. Sam: Yes, he always has a couple nice drives and then you know the the skill that got him drafted and shooting threes he just can't do. and yeah, I hope Dan: Mm. Sam: Ingram I hope Ingram gets healthy and has a good season because I have nothing but but love for what Ingram gave us last year. Playoff playoff stuff aside. do you have anything Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: I I guess overall stats we shot 52% from the field. LA forty six. We only shot twenty eight percent from three. LA was thirty seven percent, but again the free throws made that up. I don't know. I don't I don't like Ty Lu saying after his first win that, you know, this is for Mr. Ballmer, you know, we're in the whatever, and now you've lost seven in a row 'cause you're a joke. it's gonna be a long season for LA Dan: Those from Mr. Balmer too. Sam: and and and yeah, and like and i just an even more bleak future because of what they did with Kawhi. Well, what Kawhi and them did. I'm not saying Kawhi's innocent, but anything else from this or you wanna go to the Denver game? Dan: Yeah, I'm a b I've had about talking about this one. Sam: Okay, good. Me too. Fu yeah, I don't need I don't need to talk about that game ever again. Okay. Raps go into Denver, on Wednesday, November fourth. Like I said, fully healthy Denver team and the Jokic who has had a bit of a slow start this season, I'd say, but did not have a slow or shitty game against us. I don't know. You you can start with something you wanna get into here, but the Jokic game was The final line says it all to me. Dan: Yeah. No, this was Vintage Sam: Yeah. Dan: Jokic. I actually thought we played really well in the first half. Sam: We did. Dan: like yeah. I thought it was gonna be close. And then and again, like this was a late one 'cause it was a West Coast game. I did fall asleep Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: come the fourth quarter, so I had to rewatch it. But I did see the colossal collapse that we had in the third, or at least most of it. which I kind of felt like what was coming 'cause we were playing such a high level of basketball against a three time Mvp winner, so it's like and then we don't we don't have really anyone to guard him. as good as Scotty is, he's no one can guard Jokic. and he just kind of started taking the game over after that. So and then and then another another thing too, like it wasn't like Jokic as good as he was, he did get support in this game, and that's been the story of Denver, right? Like Jokic, you where exactly what you're gonna get every single game. It's like what AG can do, what Christian Brown can do, at Peyton Watson last year, what he can

do. Like Jamal obviously like it's just a supporting cast if they can actually do stuff for him and Denver's gonna be a real threat. And that's and this game was like a perfect example of what it looks like when they are everyone's coming to like fruition and it and it looks like what they're supposed to be doing. so yeah, good win from Denver. We didn't have Kawhi. We we weren't properly equipped in this game. No Yakub either. Or we had Yakka but it was like I only he didn't start. anyways. Yeah. So Sam: Correct. Yeah. Yeah. Jokic Jokic finishes with thirty-two, ten and eleven on thirteen of nineteen from the field, six of seven from the line with three steals in twenty nine minutes. I don't believe I believe he did not play the entire fourth quarter. So he pla he put up that line in three quarters, just absolutely feasting on our you know, awful interior presence. Like with I mean, God bless C and B. What like against Jokic, it's just not gonna be a fair fight. Purdo only played 18 minutes coming back from his couple game absents. Scotty 17 6 6 on 7 15. we like you said, we we shot great in the first half and we were up at half by three. And then the third quarter came and we lost the third quarter 41 to 15, and that was about it. We actually won three of the four quarters, and we lost by 19. So I think that sorta goes to show how how disastrous that third quarter was. like you said, he did Jokic did have help, but no one else crazily popped off. Like Jamal didn't shoot it well, neither did Camp Johnson. Bryce Hopkins had a nice game off the bench, 18 points to six to seven from the field. He was he was pretty effective for them. I know quickly had a lot of annoyance from Raptors Twitter after this one. Just sorta Not happy with just sort of revisiting that trade and being like it this is now year what three of the quickly Scotty and just being a little disappointed that this is what it's been. I tot I get that. Mive always wanted Scotty with the ball in his hands more than quick. I think quick as an off guard would be a lot more effective, but Darko seems to really not really like we know Scotty has a exerts a ton of energy on the defensive end, so w I do understand that part of it. But we're about to talk to the about the Bucks game and what Shed did in that game and it just is really eye opening when you get that playmaking from our point guard as opposed to quick. He did have seven assists, but just this is more of a big picture takeaway, that I was seeing. Yeah, and it's j just that third quarter and you can see the body language on the wraps just As soon as the barrage comes, it's just sorta not really a fight to to try and slow it down. I've talked about that before. I do think we're not great when getting punched in the face and and responding for that, but yeah, the the third quarter really speaks for itself on just how how dominant Denver was and particularly Jokic, because that was prime Jokic because he put up those numbers in twenty nine minutes and three quarters. So pretty impressive from him. Dan: Yeah. No, I agree. I agree. just to your point with the quickly thing, yeah, like I think we we definitely need him to take on the responsibility of ball handling, especially with Kawaii Zoe, but I agree a lot that as an off guard, I think he'd be so much more effective. And his shooting would like he I feel like he's a better catch and shoot guy than he is off the dribble, personally. From like what I've seen. I don't know the the Sam: I think yeah, me too. Dan: statistics on that. But I also know that he he's Sam: I test wise, I can I agree. Dan: Yeah, and he's I know his usage is high, which which which is expected. but his assists I feel like a lot of the time, because he's maybe putting up what I think around like five or six, they're not exactly like orchestrated by him, if that makes sense, at least from what from what I see. Like he it's a lot of like Scotty drive, kick out to quick, one more pass, three, or dump off to Scotty in the post, one dribble goes up with it. thing. it's not it's not really Quix manufacturing Sam: It was Dan: the play himself. Sam: It was night and Dan: Sorry, go ahead. Sam: day with Chad in the Milwaukee game. It was night and Dan: Yeah. Sam: day. Dan: For sure. That's but Sheds to me is a lot more of a true one than quickly is, albeit like the more obviously more defensive minded. But his his playstyle offensively is not as not at all it's not at all a score first. I think I quickly is a little bit more score first than Sam: Yeah. Dan: pass first. So yeah, that's all I had to say about that. Yeah. Sam: completely agree. And and I think just to that point, like you see with Houston this year how much of an impact having Van Fliet back has done for them. And Fred, you Dan: yeah. Sam: know, he's he I know he's making a lot of money, but he's only really like from the stat lines I've sort of seen, it's like eight points but ten assists. Like he's really just he's like, Well, I have Kevin Durant, I Shangoon, Dan: Yeah. Two three steals. Sam: Jabari Smith's had a good start, Thompson. I'm just gonna be the guy getting all those guys in the right spots, and that's how and it's worked it thus far, Houston's had a really nice start. So I think just Dan: Yeah. Sam: going back to that, especially with Kawhi back, man, it it would be n I mean, think I don't know if quickly has room to like grow still or if this is sort of just what he is, but I do think there are fair concerns that the fan base has brought up with just his play, 'cause it's now it's not really like he just got here anymore. It's more so like, if not now, like We we're we're trying to win now. We just traded for Kawaii. The quickly fit has to start being smoother, in my opinion, to really have a a a good chance for a deep run. Or come February, you gotta seriously look at him being moved as well. Dan: Yeah. Well, I think we even talked about this definitely last year, but

expectation for him, probably around eighteen, nineteen, like six and four, something like that. Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: hasn't really consistently done that. He's had flashes and he's been up around that number, seventeen, I think he was last year, or sixteen, I can't remember. But I just don't feel I I don't know. I I d like it feels like he He's hit big shots. He did have some huge games. I I remember last year, Charlotte, I think he had a game winner. He's had some monster games for us. And he hasn't been going state game. Sam: The Golden State game. Yeah. Dan: he hasn't been bad by any means. But was he what we wanted when we we envisioned him alongside Scotty? No. And and honestly, Sam, I know we flirted with the idea of Kyrie coming. To me, Kyrie is like a better version of Quickly, a much better version of Quickly. Score first, point guard who is a good handle, can shoot the ball well and has good finish. I don't know how much thinking about it now, just with that kind of playstyle, I don't know how much I love that beside Kawhi and and Scotty, if that is something that we actually are still considering. And I like like a guy like Fred, obviously we're not gonna get him, but like a a a real one, a true one, who is pass first, Sam: Yeah. Dan: defense, leadership, and the intangibles like K Lau as well. Like those are the guys that I think would we really, really need with the Scotty Kawhi pair. And there's only Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: so few of them in the league, you know. But Sam: To your point about quickly maybe not being what we expected, I will say I to me the shooting and the scoring has been what I expected. I think those are areas that he's been totally fine with. And I've been more than happy with with that production from him. But like we were sort of talking about as the one, it just feels like the playmaking is just not at a l at a championship level. And it and if that's a guy that Darko's gonna have the ball in his hands for a ton of the game. I think that's a b that's gonna be a big problem. But yeah. anything else? Sorry, go on. Dan: But you know what though? when we traded when well when we traded for him from the Knicks, he was averaging about fifteen as a six man. So I think when we traded for him in our heads like, he's starting minutes, he's gonna be playing like thirty-three, thirty-four minutes a game. Surely he's gonna get to like twenty and you know, twenty and seven. Like that's why when we traded for him, I was like, I'm on board with this, 'cause like our I thought both of their like RJ and and quickly's minutes were just or points like totals were gonna go up. Everything was gonna go up because they're gonna get more of an opportunity. But ha like RJ, yes, and I think RJ's especially this year has done a great job seizing that. but man, quickly I just I just still feel like there's something that he hasn't he should be doing more and he's not. I don't know. Like could you can you attest to that? Like when Sam: Yeah. Dan:

we traded for him, he was around fifteen points a game or so and you thought like, you know, when you're starting versus six man, you think at least a five point jump with that much more usage and and being the true one. Sam: So yeah, I I I thought that sorta his point total would be RJ's. And R J's might have been in like the higher teens, but it's flipped where RJ's sorta sitting in the low twenties for points per game and quicks more of the high teens with with more spotty. So I d I do see that point. I'd also like to say I I've seen a bit of revisionist history on the OG trade and people being like, No, dead ass, this is like one of the one of the worst trades in league history. Calm calm the fuck down. Dan: No. Sam: OG, I don't know if he was an expiring free agent, but there were a lot of rumblings that he sort of didn't want to be in Toronto anymore. If you want to argue, and I think Dan, we didn't have a pod then, but we said it at the time when Memphis offered us four fucking first rounders for OG that season and that was the season we actually added Purdle and we were like, what the fuck are we doing? And I I I've spent on record of this like Maasai at post championship. I did not love. so if you want to say that, Dan: Terror run. Sam: that that I I definitely agree with and be like, yes, building around picks may have been a more fruitful path to go to. But being like, like quickly in R J, like what a dog shit that it's like, man, like, I don't know. Like OG was a perfect fit for the Knicks and and and I'm an OG fan, his jerseys right behind me right there. But I'm not gonna shit on an RJ and quickly return for him. Again, I won't I will agree with you that I would have rathered four first from Memphis, but Masai didn't do that. So at this point it's like it is what it is. I don't I'm not trying to go back and be like, let's get mad at the OG trade again. it that's happened and it's time to move on with with who we got back there. Dan: Yeah. Well, butterfly effect as well, right? do we make the playlist last year if we end up doing the Memphis trade with those four first round picks, because we don't have two starters. Sam: Definitely not. Dan: So, you don't know how things are gonna are gonna pan out. not to say that we would have gotten boozer, you know, this year either, knowing that Memphis is gonna blow it up because of Jaw and all that stuff, but yeah, like in terms of value now and maybe that's why people are like, it's such an underwhelming return. Because the Memphis package was was float was floated aro around the NBA community and people knew about it. which again, like four first for OG, yeah, kind of a no-brainer to to do that, especially now knowing how Memphis was. But let's say Memphis stayed competitive, those are gonna be picks in like the late 20s. Is it really worth it? Like, I'm not at all sad or mad about a about an RJ quickly return, like you said. So to everyone saying like, they're one of the worst again, OG Sam: It's yeah. Dan: didn't and OG wasn't OG, like that OG for us. He had good his last year was good that for but he got b def defensively, yeah, but Sam: Defensively he was defensively he was. Dan: but he got better on the Knicks. He did get better on the Knicks. And again, playing with Sam: Yeah. Dan: Brunson, playing with Kat, shot selection, like the the Sam: Mm-hmm. Perfect fit. Dan: ty type of shots that you're like Brunson's gonna put it on a plate. Yeah, exactly. So man, like yes, he was a great player, but there's so many guys that go from team to team. that you're trade like like a Dyson Daniels from the Pelicans to Atlanta, you can argue that that trade one for one with DeJante would have been a a fair trade. And then I let alone three first round picks going that way as well. So you guys just have more opportunity Sam: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Dan: on different teams and they play better. So it it is what it is. Sam: It's just more so that happened. I don't I didn't agree with it at the time. Messai not great, not good at all, and probably a reason why he's no longer here. But let like it's no we don't need to go back to that trade. Like that trade's happened. Let didn't whatever. Yes, there's a bit of an opportun sunk opportunity cost, but like let's this is the team we have it it before the season it was like Raptors Dark Horse title contender? And now after nine games we're like, the the OG trade is gonna it's gonna fuck the Scotty window. okay. shut the shut up. We fight Kawaii for two games. shut the fuck up, man. yeah. Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm I'm so and then another thing too, like now the RJ expiring contract, which has value because he's playing so well. So how could you measure that with pi Sam: Exactly. Yeah. Dan: like again, you can't go back in time and be like, Well we we'll we'd be here, we would have we'd have boozer, like no, no we wouldn't. So yeah. Sam: Yes. Yeah. let's just wrap up the Denver game. Denver shot sixty-two percent from the field, Raps forty-eight, Denver thirty-nine percent from three, Raps were thirty-five. free throws were kind of similar, but again, this was just we had no answer answer for Jokic. We shot it really well in the first half, kept kept us in it, and then the shots started to not fall in the third quarter. And we had no answer for rumbling number 15 on Denver. he is in Toronto in a couple weeks. I'm also back in Toronto. I'm debating going to that game. It is the day before I have to fly back, so like that maybe. But I'd if Jokic just playing, you know I really want to see him live while he's still I know Bill Sim did this whole thing, like Apex Joker might be done, but he j this was Apex Joker this game, so i if he's playing, I'm definitely gonna consider going to that game. do you have anything else on the Denver one or you wanna move on? Dan: No, I'm good to move on. Sam: Okay. last game that we're gonna go into November six sixth? Yeah, November sixth against the Bucks. no Kawhi

this game, no Scotty this game, no IQ this game, and the Raps still win one twenty one to one seven in Milwaukee. Finished I watched this today. An awesome watch. A lot of s a lot of storylines to go into, but where do you want to start off? Dan: So this one I was working for, or j while it was happening, so I caught kinda got snippets and stuff like that. And then I watched not the entire game yesterday, but I watched like a fair amount of it. And Yeah, I like it wasn't convincing for the first bit. then again, like we were we were down almost four starters, pretty much four starters. but Sam: Yeah, we were down nine at half. Dan: Yeah, I think I think it it showed a lot of grit, to come back and to your point about and th this isn't the case w against when when when Denver, you know, we won three of the four quarters, but we got punched in the face in the third quarter, we couldn't really recover. Recovering from Milwaukee and recovering from Denver, two different stories, but we did show a little bit of grit coming back, being down nine at half, and then, you know, pulling through in the third and the fourth with with a kind of a a patch a patch patch job squad. so that was cool to see. Elijah Martin, what the fuck bro? Like what the fuck that Sam: Good for him. Dan: was sick. Yeah. yeah man, it was it was a cool it was a cool watch. it was also funny seeing like RJ being the like the true number one guy on a team. Because I I don't think I've I don't think I can't remember a game. I'm sure there has been a time in the past when RJ was the only starter or like the only primary scorer on the floor. But it's just I just don't recall it. No, no. Sam: There has been, but we don't like to remember those ones, because they didn't go well. Dan: But this one went okay. I mean, you know, nine for twenty one's not a horrible line. twenty seven points, nine for eleven from the line. Not too bad at all. but yeah, no, it was cool. It was cool to see. So this was a good one. Good win. Sam: So yeah, so the thing I kept thinking about during watching this today is I got so such crazy flashbacks to nineteen when Kawhi would go out and just like all the role players would have more shots and and play we again we went like seventeen and five without Kawhi that year because our our our depth was was so good. and this is also without Scotty and Quick, so it's like are you wow, like we're really gonna lose to the fucking Bucks limp home after a one and three road trip and get ready for this hell stretch which we're about to go into after this one. And, through through the first half it felt like that. And then just an awesome second half. like you say like Shed ten ten points, sixteen assists, only one turnover. I sent you this just Dan: Wow. Sam: before we started because it it's a great stat. But the only players in Rap's history with sixteen assists and one turnover or fewer, there's three Mark Jackson twice, Calderone twice and then Shed. So just an awesome and

this is what we were just talking about with the discrepancy between quickly playmaking and shed. that and and how you said that quickly's assists you you don't really think are really setting up like easy buckets. They're more like an extra pass and and so on. Shed got Dan: Make sequential, yeah. Sam: C and B and and just Purtle rolling to the cup like multiple times. Purtle nineteen eleven, Shed spoon fed him like a ton of those points. Same with C and B who had nineteen and seven. RJ 27 on 9-21. So, fine definitely a fine game. and then like you said, Elijah Martin, man, six to seven from three. He had hit six three pointers like in his entire NBA career, I'm pretty sure, or at least this season. and and he just went off. And and you need it, man. Like, this is sort of what we talked about before the season, as why we were high on the wraps. It's yes, we have Kawhi and Scotty, but we also felt strong with our depth. I'm not saying I ever thought Elijah Martin was going to drop twenty seven this season, but I was like, well, you have Graves, you have Battle, you have Walter, Shedd, CMB, you have you feel like you have a bench that can hang with, the worst teams in the league if guys are out. And man, they they really this was so impressive for them to really stick with it and and to to get the win, man. Cause like we're about to go into the upcoming stretch. It's really tough. So this was a you know one's gonna throw a parade for beating the one and eight Bucks, but with who was out, this was a really nice win for for them to salvage a road trip, go two and two, and a return home with with a big stretch coming up. So this would have been a disaster loss and they and the role guys really stepped up into turning it into and actually it felt it feels like a momentum game with with some of these guys. With with how well Shed and Dan: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Sam: Martin played. okay, there's confidence for those guys going forward. So I it was on it Dan: Definitely. Sam: I really enjoyed watching this game because watching Watching the more opportunities for for the depth guys is when they play when they take advantage of it. Super fun. So really enjoyed this one for sure. Dan: I think it was it also meant when Elijah started doing the things that he was doing at the point of the game, we were we did not shoot from well from three at all the whole game. He I think it like what let's see, nine for thirty two, twenty eight percent. But when Elijah started really turn ramping it up, like, dude, we couldn't hit anything. And he was like, Fuck me, like that this is a legit game from a guy, man. Like I again, against the Bucks, I'm like But not taking anything away from the guy. twenty-seven points in an NBA game and thirty-one minutes, by the way. he was the last starter or he's the last guy on our bench. And he put drop twenty-seven. if he Sam: He's huge, man. He's huge. Dan: can if he can do this when we really need a three point kick, there's a there's a spot

for him on this team. this was a big this was a big boy fucking game for him. This was awesome to see, man. And then again, like you said, the shed thing, sixteen dimes. This is the flashes that we saw early last season. When the leg it was legitimate kid shed actually start for us. It's and again, four for ten from the field. That's fine. That's all he needs to do. If he's gonna be passing the ball like he is, just be a somewhat of a threat offensively for s you have to put a body on you, and then you can make it work. It's just like dude, most games he's not that he can't even give you four for ten. He he's he just needs to Sam: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Dan: work on it polish his offensive game and then there's the then you can really start to consider is this someone who can start and be a true one. But yeah, I mean this was a cool game. This one was fun. Sam: And that's that's always that's that's always been my counter with Shed should start over quickly. I'm like, he's just not enough of an offensive threat to like start Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: and play thirty two minutes a game. Quick, like, with his flaws, he's a knockdown three point shooter and a just a overall really nice scorer. That's someone that's gonna be taken seriously on the offensive end. Shed is just not that with his playmaking's there, but his individual offensive game is just not there. And but I don't I don't want to go down the negatives with Shed after this game because this honestly like I don't know if I remember a Shed game in his career that I've liked more than this one. Maybe there has been, but just in terms of the who was out and why we needed this game, I think that's gonna gotta be my favorite Shed game of his of his career so far. Dan: Mm. I think another thing too, everyone was healthy for Milwaukee. And I'm not saying they're a good team, but they have guys. They have Harrow. They Turner. Yeah, they have Ware. Like Sam: Mm-hmm. I wanted to bring that up too. Yeah. Dan: everyone was healthy. They didn't have one guy sit out. Like Ryan Rollins played. This was a like this is a like to think we have three of our like bat pretty much our three best players sitting out. And it was a like it looked handily Sam: Uh-huh. Dan: at the final score, although yeah, we did have to come bounce back in the second half. But yeah, man, like Like you said, this is a big momentum game and it sh it sh it should instill a lot of confidence in Scotty quickly and Kawhi with this supporting cast going forward because of how they they presented themselves in this game. So Sam: I'm I'm really happy you brought up that Milwaukee was healthy because I'm watching this game and I'm like I like this little core that Milwaukee's built with with the Giannis trait and then their two draft picks this year. I I really like Braden Burris. He finished with 21 and 11 with six Dan: Yeah, you look good. Sam: ass six assists. He looked really nice. Harrow 23 and 10, you'd I I don't know if I'd want Tyler Harrow on my team, but like fine like that's the money slot you had to do with Giannis. Hawkes has had a nice start to the season. Kuzma's a fucking Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: idiot, so I don't I'm not really talking about him. and then I think we can officially put time of death on the Miles Turner to Toronto trade speculation. Turner finished 0 7 from the field, no points. I think with that contract, Dan: Yeah. Sam: and just his level of play, I think that's dead now. I don't even know if that's a fucking upgrade with Yak. I mean, Yakub outplayed the shit out of him this game, so. I think we can put Turner Tr Toronto talks dead. But like you said, where off Dan: What what you Sam: the bench has had his NBA mo sorry, gone. Yeah. Dan: No no no continue, continue. Sorry, I'll ask after. Sam: I was just gonna s like to wrap it up, Lair has had NBA success off the bench. Yakashonis was a a nice prospect coming to the league last year. They still have Ryan Rollins, Nate Ament was another one of their first round picks. I know they you know they scammed the league with Gary Trent, who's making like sixteen a year to like not play. but in sort of like they're a little young core here, man. Like I know they don't have picks because of all the moves they they had to do while Giannis was here. But I don't know. I I I think there are worse situations than what Milwaukee has going on. I I really liked watching Burries this game. Dan: Yeah, yeah. just the question, would you do a one for one swap Miles for Jakob right now? 'Cause you're essentially getting a year off Jakob's contract. Sam: I I I don't think I would, dude. Dan: I would think long and hard about Sam: Are you? Dan: it. I would think long and hard about it. I really don't know what I would do. Like Miles is nowhere near what he was in Indiana. And I loved him in Indiana. I thought he was a stellar a stellar player, but I like he was just abysmal this game, man. Sam: No, Yak Yakub just outplayed the fuck out of him, dude. I I don't know. And I do want to highlight and I know I said like Shed Dan: I you can't s yeah. Sam: shed was setting him up a lot, but I also think this was an awesome purple game. I thought he was really active Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: on the glass and and really making his presence felt. Did want to say that because, you know, it's been really rough at times from this year. But I definitely thought this was probably his best game of the season in this one. Dan: Part of me also thinks though, Sam, Miles kind of mentally checked out when he went to Milwaukee. 'Cause he he had a really good finals with Indiana. And I think that one that tied into him getting the contract from Milwaukee, but also like he got paid. And he was like, Hey, I'm making like thirty a year for the next like four years. Like I'm look after. They were not and he knew he would they weren't gonna be competitive. Like it was him and Giannis. Come on, like what is this? Like I don't I don't think I don't I don't think that he he needs

to be turned on again. So I think if he actually has something to play for, that could activate it. He's a great supporting. He's taking on clearly taking on a much larger role than he should be. 'cause in the end it was perfect. Rim R shot like shot blocker, stand in the corner, shoot you out three. You don't need rebound. You don't have to rebound that much. You're never a great rebounder. Just do your thing. but yeah, he's clearly checked out on on a team like this. And that's why I'm worried if like we do Sam: So y yeah, you are Dan: Consider that trade. Yeah. Sam: You are right that Yakub does have an extra year, so by that point of it, interesting. And the money's actually dead even. Like it's really it's very Dan: It's close. Yeah. Yeah. Sam: close. like at least we're at the point, Dan. Like Dan: I I don't see why Milwaukee would do it. Yeah. Sam: considering considering where the Yakub discourse was with like, you you'll have to attach at least a first, probably more. the fact now we're like, would we even do Miles Turner? that is kinda funny, but to your point, I d I don't know why Milwaukee would do that. but yeah. That's in that's Dan: Yeah. Maybe if we throw a second Sam: actually an interesting question, dude. That's an interesting question. Dan: Like if if they're so pick starving that they would be like two seconds. maybe. Huh. Sam: Yeah, two seconds I'd I'd definitely consider it for sure. I think yeah, the a Dan: Yeah. Sam: attaching a first to Yakub discourse is done. Like we're I think we're done with that to be honest. Dan: yeah. Out the window. Out the window. Sam: Yeah. Yeah. Which is good. anything else you want to I guess I'll go overall stats for this game. rap shot 47% from the field, Bucks 46. rats 28% from three, like you mentioned, Dan. Milwaukee 25%. we did have six more free throws than them. We out rebounded them a ton by 20. the rest is is pretty. We had 13 more second chance points than they did as well. So that sort of is a testament to Pertle and CMB just crashing the board. but yeah, just a really high character win. Again, not gonna throw a parade, but circumstance. Wise, I thought awesome win and really hope they can build on it starting tomorrow against the Grizzlies. Dan: Yeah. Yep. I agree. Sam: Anything else from you or you want to get into previewing stuff? Dan: Yeah, I'm getting time to start previewing. Sam: Okay. So yeah, I know you're at the game tomorrow. I think that's sick. I think Memphis is a really fun team this year with Boozer, Canadian Zach Edy gonna be in town. Ty Jerome has been Dan: Cow. Sam: awesome to start the year. they're they're just a fun team. Cedric Coward, I know you and I like. And Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: they they have lost three in a row, but they did get off to a good start. Raps are currently five and four early on, but that's sixth in the East. We're seventh in offense, tenth in defense for tent overall tenth in net rating. Pretty interesting. Our offense is ahead of our defense. Kawhi's gonna be out tomorrow. IQ and Scotty are both questionable. I would guess they both play just because we've had two two days off between games. I I mean, I'm not a doctor, that's just my guess. the Grizzlies, the only sort of notable out they have is Beef Stew is questionable and might not play. Like I said, they're sixth and three, which in the West gets you seventh. they're twelfth in offense, eighth in defense, eighth in net rating. What are you sorta most looking forward to watching live tomorrow at the game? Dan: well just like you mentioned, Memphis has like a young fun thing going on and I'm really excited to see how they gel as the season goes on. Obviously them coming to Toronto's sick. I also think Boozer's just gonna be one of those guys that it'll be cool for me to say like I I watched that guy in his rookie year. I think he's gonna be an all NBA talent at some point in his career down the line. Chaddy Cow is a nice supporting piece. yeah, man. I know it I Sam: Shetty cow. Dan: I know I texted you I think Sam: Mm. Dan: like sometime last week and I was like, man, Ty Jerome, and it's funny that we're on this topic now, because again, Ty is kind of that mix of like, is he pass first, is he score first? But I would love a guy like that in a Raptors jersey, and I think like he actually would fit very Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: well with us. don't know how much we we'd be willing to pay. He obviously started the season off hot. We'd be buying it a high. I'd like to see a little bit more sample just to make sure that he is who he says he is. but yeah, man. He's twenty nine, so he doesn't necessarily fit that timeline. I don't know who we'd be w we'd be willing to part with. He's not on a on a big deal, so we could definitely just move fucking stupid trace for him in a pick if we need to. but yeah, man, I think I I'm excited just to see kind of like Boozer up close and how talented he is and I know his game's a little bit boring. It's not flashy like Caleb Wilson or to banster but fundamentally he's a legit guy and he's gonna be a really, really solid player. And this is probably I think we're probably gonna be the best team that they've played so far. They've had a really weak schedule to start the year. I think the Golden State maybe. Yeah. Sam: well they have played Golden State who yeah, who you know and they I mean they started off 0 3 Dan: To beat them. Sam: but then Yaxel like went off. they did beat Golden Dan: Yeah, it's been crazy. Sam: State, but yeah, it has been kind of cupcakey, and then they've lost to the Pelicans, the Pacers, and then the Thunder destroyed them last game. So they are Dan: true. Sam: on a bit of a tilt. and all those games were at home actually too. So I I'm this like I said, this is a game And I'm about to say the next two games. This is a game we'd really like. And yes, we need Scotty and Quick, likely, to get this one done. But we're about to go into the games after this. And yeah, this would be a

nice one to have. Thing I'm most excited for is to see C and B on Boozer. Second year guy versus a first year guy, same position. I'm really excited to see that matchup. I'm scared of Ty Jerome, what he might do to c to quickly if he plays. And I'm also terrified of Zach Edie versus Jakob Fertle. I don't see that going too well. so hopefully I'm wrong, but Edie is Canadian, so I do root for him throughout the league. but yeah, that's sort of what I'm most excited for for for that game. Any other Grizzlies thoughts or you want Dan: It's a battle Sam: to go on? Dan: No, it's just a battle of the chronic injured seven footers. They're both always injured, so Sam: Okay. After Monday, Dan: Yeah, I do like ED though. Sam: we have a hell back to back. starting Wednesday versus Boston at home. Boston is seven and two, second in the East. They're sixth in offense, fifth in defense, second in net rating, and they don't have any key injuries heading into this game. We went winless against Boston last year. They've made big changes. Jalen Brown is now gone. Paul George is in. Mitchell Robinson is in as well. I'm not looking forward to this without Kawhi Dan. I'm just not. Dan: Yeah. yeah, they have look they have looked well. I'll I will say though, like I do monitor the monitor their schedule just also 'cause I have their three best players on my fantasy team, so I am a lot more invested in Boston this year than in what I'd want to be. But they do have a lot of close games. The Brooklyn game from a couple days ago was very, very close. They were actually losing heading into the fourth quarter. so as good as they've looked record wise, they're not they still make a lot of mistakes and I it's a new team, it's new people, so they're they're all still gelling. But if Mitch Rob is playing, w Jakob needs to be like his best because we've seen the damage that Mitch does on the offensive glass, especially for the Knicks in that final finals. And it's it's some serious damage. So if if C and B is gonna guard him, like I think we just pack up our stuff and leave because they're gonna get a rebounded by like thirty. And this is Sam: Mm-hmm. Dan: Kinda ties into what I mean a Sam: Did you Dan: little bit more as well, just having a seven footer, but Yeah. Sam: Do you remember how mad Namias Keita made me last year facing us? my god, that guy ate against us last year, dude. Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Him and Diabate. Same player pretty much. Sam: And Peyton Pritch, you just know so I was about to so the only the good thing is is that Boston has the same back to back as we do. They play Philly the night before. So we will be getting Boston on the second night of a back to back. And they'll have to travel too. They're in Philly the night before. So maybe no Paul George. If Boston is resting guys against us, you go all out for that fucking win. Like all out for that win. Because we're about to we do have fit we're in Philly the next day. So hopefully b we'll we get b the sleepy Boston team on the back to back and that will be nice. But again, that'll be we had no success against them last year. It is a new year, but I mean they've sorta picked up w what right where they left off with with their net ratings and their defensive ratings so far. so that'll be a tough one. What are you most watchful for the first Boston game? well I guess you said it's more the rebounding. Dan: Yeah, rebounding and then just how well we do. I Tatum wasn't present last year and any of the times we played them, I believe. So just seeing how Scotty fares in that matchup. it's kind of in my head, I think it's like a good matchup for Scotty on the defensive end. another wing, long wing. Scotty's agile enough to keep up with him on the perimeter. Obviously, I think he's he's thicker like Scotty's thicker than him, so there's no way Tatum could take him to the post and bully him. I think Scotty's like slightly taller than him. I just think it's a good matchup. Scotty's like an ideal guy who'd you want to guard Tatum. So it's gonna be about our support defenders. I wouldn't mind seeing CMB on PG. I don't know if you can get him on the perimeter as well as as someone else, but no one has the height to quite guard him out there. and then Derek White, I'm not super concerned about. He's like if he's gonna be the one who beats us, then so be it. he has had flashes this year, but he's not the Derek White of three years ago. So yeah, I don't know. I th this boss and team It feels like they're developing a new identity with Jalen gone now and it seems like everyone likes each other or at least like falls in line. Sam: They play the same way still though. Dan: They'd still yeah. But again, no same coach, same front office. Yeah. Sam: Missoula ball. Yeah. Dan: Which you can expect, but it's it works for them. And they they've I think adding Paul George, who's a better three point shooter than Jalen ever was, is it just fits that the kind of mold better as well. So Yeah. I dunno I don't know. It's gonna be interesting. Sam: I am like what what's gonna what's g what's gonna happen is that they're gonna rest like Paul George, maybe even Tatum. Pritchard's gonna go for like thirty three and then Shireman and Hugo are gonna combine for like forty points and I'm just gonna hate everything. do you have anything else about this Boston matchup or no? Yeah. Yeah. Dan: Fucking Hugo. No, no. I I feel good about the Boston game. Like again, you said on they're on it back to back. Hopefully they can be the resting Tatum or PG. And they have Sam: They are on the back to back. Yeah. Dan: rested T Tatum and PG already in this season, so we know that that's Sam: Yeah. Dan: it's something that they do. so I I feel good about it. Sam: So hopefully hopefully they wanna get the Philly game 'cause of Jalen. They just wanna get the Philly game more than our game and hopefully that's what happens. But I just know Toronto. Toronto, yeah. Yeah. Dan: Yeah. And sorry, this is in this

one's in Toronto, right? Yeah, yeah. More the reason to set the guys. Yeah. Sam: Well, hopefully but I I just know their dumbass bench players are gonna light it up against us even if they rest guys, but anywho. Okay. And then after Boston, who is second in the East, we fly to Philly to play the Sixers who are first in the East, who are eight and two. I wanna ask you this though. So eight and two first in the East, guess where Philly ranks offensive rating in the league? Dan: Seventh? Sam: Twenty first. Dan: What? How? Sam: Yeah, that's that shocked me. That shocked me t seeing that today. Dan: 'Cause everyone's more or less I know Joel's sat and I think LeBron's obviously's had a couple of games, but for the most part, everyone's played almost every game. Sam: I I'm with you, man. I I was Dan: Wow. Sam: really surprised seeing that too. Their their defense is holding them up, they're fourth in defense, but that's still only good for fifteenth and net rating. I'm not th Dan: And they play good teams too. Sam: they look good, man. They're they were the the fantasy team of the offseason. They were the a lot of the sexy picks for super teams and and going in the east. There were a lot of questions to Embiid's credit. He's held up through nine or ten games. We shall see. Same as LeBron. Maxie, they've literally like given him the keys, which is pretty impressive that they have all those finals MVPs, all those MVPs, and they're still like, no, no, like Tyrese, like this is your team. Again, this is I really wish we had Kawhi. man, pla playing these teams without Kawhi damn is just it's such a kick in the nuts. And this is this is part of trading for Kawhi is is having to deal with this. but it it it'd be I'd be so excited for these couple or at least one of them because Kawhi wouldn't play both, but I'd be so Dan: Yeah. Sam: excited to like see our fully stacked or our fully healthy team going up against the top teams in the east. Like I said, if we split this, I'll be ecstatic. but yeah, like the the Philly in Philly on and they're not on a back to back, that's gonna be a tall fucking task. And again, I don't think it it's gonna tell me a lot just because of the scheduling and who we have out for that game. Dan: Yeah. I I and I'm I think we do play f we obviously do play Philly again, I think well into the season. So I'm curious to see how this game stacks up against us, albeit without Kawhi. and then like far into the season, because you can imagine there's gonna be a lot of wear and tear on Joel, on Lebron, possibly even Jalen. you know, these guys aren't built for an eighty two game season, and so we'll see how much the low managing impacts that, but again, they look great right now. They look fantastic. But I just don't know how long that will last. Sam: Yep. They've had a great start. Dan: Yeah. I don't know how long that'll last into the year. barring any injuries if the low managing is successful. yeah. I a large part of it too, Sam, and you mentioned this, I think when we chatted about this when we got Kawhi and we were talking about LeBron going to Philly. The the bench ads that they made have been really, really good. Simons, heads up play, Dean Wade, like these are all Sam: Insane. Dan: guys, yeah. These are all guys that have just been really, really serviceable for them and they're playing their role and they know exactly how to play it 'cause that's what that's who they're this is the them the position that they're built for. yeah. It's yeah, they've done well. They've done quite well. Sam: Yeah. And honestly too, with their with their with their hot start, they have legit wins, man. They've beat the Knicks twice, they've beaten the Cavs. Dan: Yeah. Sam: they've beat the Pistons. Like they they they have had legit wins so far. So I I'm not expecting anything from that game being on the second night of a back to back. I think if hopefully we'll pod after these three games, I will it will be a home run week and Or a home run stretch if we get Memphis and Boston. And then I don't care what happens in Philly. but that would be that to me, that's the goal is you gotta get the Memphis one done. That's not gonna be easy. And then with Boston on the second night of the back-to-back, get that one hopefully. And again, no kawaii, but it's I mean, everyone's dealing with injuries, man. The Pacers don't have Halliburton, the Magic don't have Bancaro. Like, I know we're getting Philly and Boston healthy, so that sucks, but It's not y pistons don't have Durant. Like they're everyone's dealing with stuff. You just gotta keep plugging away and and going. And that's why we sort of kept highlighting the Milwaukee game as hopefully like a springboard for the for the role players going forward. Dan: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Sam: Anything else you want to touch on or you want to get out of here? Dan: I'm good. I'm good to get to roll. Sam: Yeah, we have gone long 'cause we had a lot to to catch up on. But yeah. Dan: Six games, yeah. Sam: hopefully me and me and Dan will will be back after that Philly game. this is a really like we've s we've said, this is a really big stretch coming up. We should note there's supposed to be an official Kawhi update tomorrow. By all accounts, he's still out for at least another week. I sent Dan a picture of the schedule going forward a couple days ago. It was Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: Nuggets, Bucks, Grizzlies, Celtics, Sixers, Knicks, Knicks, Wizards. And I said if we go 500 here, I think that would be a home run. So far we're one and one. It's tough. Hopefully we get Kawhi back at the the latter half of those eight games. I don't expect him in any of the three games we previewed. Hopefully, either one of the Knicks games or the Wizards games, he's back. But yeah, this is really We've sorta touched on it with the new tanking rules. There's not you can't really chill. every team is is trying to win. hopefully Kawhi can hit the ground running when he comes back. Hopefully Scotty and I hopefully you see Scotty and IQ tomorrow, Dan, and hopefully the the bench guys keep building off the Milwaukee game, man, 'cause that would be huge going forward. But Dan: Mm-hmm. Sam: That's probably it for me. Me and Dan will be back between the Si actually there's two game two days in between the Sixers and Knicks, so I think we'll definitely be back in between those games. but if nothing else, Dan, take us out, buddy. Dan: Thanks for listening guys. We'll see you in the next one. Over and out. Sam: Over and out.