Thank you. Oh, my God, get him out of the Dunker spot. Yes. And

certainly OKC just has waves of guys to throw at Luca. I think Kyrie would have an awful series in that series. You know, Chad shooting would be a massive component in that series. But also like if Dort doesn't have it, you could just play Caruso instead if you want to. They just, I said this the other day, when I was talking with Joe Masada, we didn't have a chance to really get into it, maybe we couldn't now. Is this Oklahoma City team like the most complete defensive team you can remember coming into a season? Basically like that they just they have everything and they have so few liabilities and they can play so many different ways defensively.

I'm not sure I can quite go there because I still don't think they have a real four. That that would be the one thing like like if if harden stein was more of a pure four i'd i'd buy into that a little more maybe.

Well, so like who's who's the guy that they can't guard like Zion Williamson? Yeah,

that would be a good example. Um, I don't know I mean I I'd have to go back They actually the pelicans didn't have zine in that playoff series. Unfortunately. Yeah in the first round uh He'd be one the the biggest thing though I mean hardenstein helps us a lot the best offense against Oklahoma City has been missing a free throw Like they're so they were so bad at rebounding last year like it was comical at times like you see five guys nailed to the floor The other team's point guard skying above for a put for a putback But they they I mean they're hands II they force turnovers Caruso and Dort are gonna be such a pain in the ass with the legal screens. They're gonna shatter the record for illegal screens drawn right if if Caruso plays 60 games and Shay has tremendous hands. They lose Giddy, who was their biggest defensive liability before and replacement like Caruso to me was arguably the best defensive player in the league last year. Not you couldn't vote of defensive player of the year because he didn't play enough total minutes, but like on a pro rated basis, I mean, he was so good. And I'm so happy. He's not going to be wasted on the freaking Bulls now. So that I mean that there's that piece of it. Yeah, they're good. I mean, getting overpowered in the paint, like a Joellen B type, like, Jokic, the first meeting last year especially, Jokic just kicked their ass. Then they figured out some stuff that works for them in that matchup and then the other the other way they can become weaker is If they're trying to get offense on the floor and they make themselves part like that was a the end of game six last year When they close with Jalen Williams Not not the not Santa Clara Arkansas playing the four. That was a cry for help to me. Yeah.

Well, I think to answer your question about power forward, I think Lou Dort can actually guard power forwards pretty well, because he's just like a brick shit house. And he'll like fight guys for positioning. Like he's not going to get back down and you still have all these great help defenders as well. You know, I think, yeah, a true center. I don't even know that Hartenstein is like the greatest post defender and obviously chat could get overwhelmed there, but the ability to play Hartenstein and Chet together. I think Chet can deal with most fours and to have like those two rim protectors is unbelievable if you want to play that way you talked about everyone there I mean trying to think of who else is on that list the most complete defense so you'd be In the Bucks in 21 were a pretty damn good defense You know the Warriors at their best although they didn't have like a great rim protecting sound like Draymond was pretty good they switched a lot, but you know, they didn't have two guys at the basket like shot and Hartenstein and they probably also didn't have a perimeter ball Hawk like Caruso who is like getting over screens disrupting like Andre Goodall is good like that Maybe if they're absolute best those warriors teams were but they didn't have like all these different ways that you could match up Maybe like the San Antonio teams with like Kawhi and Tim Duncan when he was still good That would be one. But there are not a lot of teams on that list. And yeah, maybe last year was Minnesota team, but I wouldn't consider that a team that like, you know, didn't have any holes, right? Like that's kind of how I'm thinking about it, that they just, I mean, like you gotta get to Isaiah Joe on the depth chart before there's like kind of a defensive liability at all Yeah,

yeah, cuz even I got going back in my head and I'm thinking about Jordan bowls. Well, they didn't have the shop locker. They just I mean they had Jordan and Pippin and they were so awesome that that really helped Yeah, and then they had right. Yeah, I mean that

the Pistons obviously like that. It was a different NBA I mean you kind of got a Yeah, limit it to you know, the last 15 years or so. Yeah, four Pistons. Oh wait

Boston T. Oh, no Oh, oh, yeah, four Pistons. Yeah. Yeah. Oh four Pistons man that that That might be the one actually Yeah,

oh wait, Boston is really, really good too. Yeah. Like they had a lot of versatility. They could go too big. They could go to KG. It's on our, they had Rondo at the point of attack when he was still good at defense. But yeah, I mean, this OPC team is like is right up there. They got a lot of really good players and especially like they make plays, right? Like they're going to lead the league and forcing turnovers for sure Don't you think like with Shay and and I mean they were right up there last year and they just added Caruso. Yeah

But

yeah, so I guess okc Dallas I Mean, I probably would have to pick okc again This is another one where I think okc is gonna they need to add one more either playmaker or shooter or ideally both. Like they need to add the guy that Gordon Hayward was supposed to be for them last year, but of course wasn't.

Yeah. That that that is the biggest thing that, you know, can Jalen Williams Santa Clara rise up to be a true number two guy on an elite team? or do they need to find that in the trade market? That to me is the biggest question about the Thunder, kind of this year, next year, in this kind of pocket they have, while Hartenstein has that $26 million salary, and they're not gonna be a room team. I

think he has more pressure on him than just about any player in the league this year, Jaylen Williams. Like a guy who I think is awesome, but like, yeah, he, he, they only have two guys on their team who can dribble right now. At least like attacking the paint, right? Like.

you look at kind of their draft strategy, it was all about getting guys who could dribble. So they're trying to backfill that in the future years. But I don't think any of those guys they, I mean, Nicole Atopich is going to be out for the year. They're not going to be able to get that this season. Yeah,

I agree with you on that. But yeah, I mean, I think I probably would pick OKC to win that series just because of the amount of talent they have. I think it would be like a seven gamer though. And yeah, I do think Luca would play better. Like as you're like, Oh, he made it to the finals. Like you're making excuses for him. Like I thought that his, he was kind of playing the same way that Steph Curry played in 2016 after he sprained his knee after he hurt himself. And yeah, you know, there was maybe his rehab still wasn't as diligent as Steph Curry. It have been. Like it was the story of how he was like complaining to get like one night off for me. I'm like, dude, it's the middle of the playoffs. Like what do you think? Yeah. But yeah, and he looks, Luca looks to be in pretty good shape too, coming into the season, which is always a bellwether. So yeah, I mean, I think that would be a Titanic clash for sure. I mean, I guess I would pick OKC. I think they'll have home court in that series too. But I think that would just go either way. And Luca would still probably be the best part of that series. But Shay, I think like they're just, I'm not sure if I believe in OKC's offense that much right now. Like I don't, as good, as much talent as they added this year. Their biggest problem was that they couldn't shoot and they couldn't score. And that's why they lost it. They didn't really fix that. Exactly.

They they they attack the other stuff as best they could with with the resources they had. you're still waiting on that That big move for them with those picks they're sitting on and what you know, when do they try to? Or do they try to really do it do it chips in tight move to? Increase their playoff peak roster. I I think the answer is ask Jaylen Williams. Jaylen Williams will determine whether that happens this year or not.

Yeah, and they also, with those moves they made opting out and then giving new contracts to Wiggins and to Isaiah Joe, they actually have a fair amount of matching salary to go get one more guy if they need to. Yeah,

yeah. I didn't really understand going out so far on Wiggins, but they needed to generate tradable salary and they definitely did that. Yeah,

and they also got a team option on him. I mean, like, is he a ninth man? Like if so, that's a good contract, right? Like by the end of that deal making eight million dollars It's gonna be like ninth man So let's let's close on this one. Who do you think is the best chance of being boss in the East if healthy?

If healthy if healthy gotta be Philadelphia, I think Peak Philly has a better Peak team than any of the other teams in the East. Yeah,

I do think Boston has struggled to guard Brunson before. Like he'll kind of, there have been moments when he's gotten them out of this, I will just switch and we'll guard you approach and we'll live with it. he actually has been good enough to make them do something else. At times, I don't think towns bothers them at all, really for the reasons I talked about earlier and same thing with like bridges and end and it'll be like they can just like any of their guys can guard those guys just fine. So I think the Knicks could end up devolving into more of a Brunson show and maybe he could take them home But that's just a lot to ask for him to do that four times in a seven game series And particularly to get all the way to a conference finals if that's what it is So yeah, I think it is Philly just because if Embiid ever is that guy and I've been leading the skepticism train that he ever Will be but if we're talking about if healthy And I also think maxi is someone that bothers Boston to with his quickness They don't have a natural matchup for him because he's just so fast Yeah,

that's the one thing they did.