Evaluating the Charlotte Hornets with Nata Edwards

This is the best of the Adam Gold Show Podcast brought to you by Coach Pete at Capital Financial Advisory Group.

Visit us at capitalfinancialusa.com. This is the Adam Gold Show. You know what I should have done today and place your bets. I should have doubled down on the lightning.

I got the lightning at plus money at plus 160 before the series. I should have gone further. I'd have to check and see what it has gone to at this point. Although I'm not sure a Colorado home win really moves the needle too much in that regard. You might be surprised though. I could be.

I'd have to go look. Tampa Bay at plus 230 right now. Tampa's plus 230?

Yeah. God, why didn't I take that bet? Oh, I'm going to wait until after they lose game two also. I'm taking that tomorrow. I'm going to wait until, oh, it's tomorrow. We can do it tomorrow. That's right, because they don't play until Sunday. They play Saturday. Saturday, yeah. We can take that bet tomorrow.

They're imitating the NBA by having seven days in between games. That's a lot of future bets out right now. Oh my god. Future bets are fine.

You don't lose right away. Perfect. They're so good. I had the lightning. I had the future bet against, I waited until they lost a couple of games against the Rangers. And then I got them the plus money.

And then I did the same with the Warriors, waited until it was plus money. That's what you're supposed to do. Yeah. Strategy.

Absolute strategically. That's the Adam Gold show. I'm Adam Gold. Dennis Cox is here. Not to describe.

Kenada Edwards from CBSSports.com is in studio with us. Alright, I wanted to ask you about this, because this is what I feel, and I alluded to this, but I wanted to get a little bit more in-depth as we get into game six tonight. Are we talking about the Pantheon? Not yet. Okay. Not yet. I don't know.

Maybe. I'm not even sure what you're referring to at this point. And I know Dennis is going to probably try to get you to talk conduct books. He's going to try. If you're the Celtics, your game five defensive game plan, which was all about eliminating Steph Curry, which was successful. You frustrated Curry. You forced him into bad decisions. You forced him into bad shots, which are kind of the same thing. I mean, he did make some shots. He was good around the rim, but you held him to 16 points, which was essentially half of his average. Fair. I wouldn't change anything about what I did.

Would you? Here's what scares me about that defense is that you allowed Draymond to get into a rhythm. You allowed Andrew Wiggins to feel good about himself. You allowed Klay Thompson to have a sneaky good game. And on top of that, Steph still had, outside of a couple of dumb, long three-pointers, had a really good floor game. Move the ball along and it still wasn't good enough and it still wasn't close. On top of the fact that this team, the team that we're talking about defending, like they're great defensively. Offensively, can you trust them to not turn the ball over that night? I like the strategy. I worry about a lot of this being, Oh my God, what am I going to do when Steph hits one or two?

Because that's part of the equation. You're probably banking on Steph missing going 0 for 9 or 1 for 12 or something like that. What if he hits multiple threes?

What happens then? Does your defense, do you have to change the defense even tighter? And if you're doing that, are you giving Draymond another chance to feel great about himself? Are you giving Andrew Wiggins another chance to feel great about himself? Is Kavon Looney going to be able to stay on the floor?

Is Draymond Green going to be able to stay on the floor? Because a lot of that strategy relies on a whole lot of other things going wrong. And I'm not sure that's the defense you need to take with this team. I think the previous defense of, let's let Steph be the one, if Steph scores 50, we're good. Because that strategy almost worked except for, spoiler alert, turnovers.

So I think what they can do works. I just don't like taking Steph out. I like making everybody else work because at some point Steph is 30 plus, he's going to get tired, he's going to shoot himself out.

If he has to do that to win, I think you can live with that. The reason I say that is because with all of that said, the Warriors still just scored 104. True. And 104 shouldn't be a winning score. It shouldn't.

Right? But you know why it shouldn't? Because you trust that the other team is not going to turn the ball over in the half court on the other side. So then it's about Boston's offense, not about Boston's defense. Exactly. That's where they have to change.

And I understand that's where you have to change it, but at the same point, this is who they are who they are. You're going to have to force Steph into multiple turnovers. You're going to have to force Draymond Green into multiple turnovers. You're going to have to basically assume that Jordan Poole is not going to hit another buzzer-beating, back-breaking three at the end of the third quarter. Because it's those little details, and this is where we get back into the conversation of the Boston Celtics, play with their food entirely too much.

This is where the attention to detail matters because if Jordan Poole doesn't hit that three, we're talking about 3-2 coming home. And I feel a lot better about Boston then. I don't like Boston being down 3-2, having to win two in a row, when they haven't put two games in a row together to win a series yet.

I don't like their chances in that. Well, they did it against Milwaukee. They did it in Milwaukee. And they blew Milwaukee out in Game 7. I think a lot of that had to do with Milwaukee being out of gas and no Chris Middleton.

No Middleton. This team, this Warriors team I worry about, this Warriors team, I don't think they're going to put two bad games in a row together. I think they have their attention.

I think the ability to be a champion, the fact that they've been there before, they know how to close out a team. This may end tonight. I feel good about it ending tonight. Really?

Yeah, I feel good about it ending tonight. So you don't like Boston minus 7 then? Oh no. That's fine. That's fine. No, no, no.

I'm plus 2895 or something. I see where, Adam, I know that you have, again, your units are just fine. It's Dennis that we have to worry about.

Okay, here's the thing. Adam, I got 2500 of his units came on one. Yeah, Jerry Kelly winning his Champions Tour at Golf Event. On one. On one bet. And I had Curry double-double. You did. He actually did call Curry double-double when they gave me a 43 and 10. He actually did call that. With seven of the rebounds that have bounced on the floor. And Curry gets credit for that. You shouldn't get credit for a rebound if it bounces on the floor.

You shouldn't. But these time keepers... That's the thing. The stat keepers are... There's no uniform set.

And that's half the problem when we do this. But I understand why you feel like this series goes seven. If it goes seven, we have a whole other... That's going to be a fun discussion for seven because then I start worrying and I start worrying about if Steph Curry might be out of gas, if Draymond Green might be out of gas.

That's a whole different thing and I'm expecting a very ugly game seven. I think you're going to get the best... I think you're going to get two haymakers tonight. And we'll see which one goes to sleep after that. All right. Well, I can't wait.

It's going to be absolutely fascinating to watch even though it starts near midnight. All right. Adam Gold in studio with my man Coach Pete DeRuder with the Capital Financial Advisory Group. We are talking retirement. Let's say I have more than a million dollar balance in my 401k. Congratulations.

Thank you very much. How can that actually come back and bite me? Well, because... And this is a thing that we... It's a mirage. You see mirages.

I've written in the desert before. You see what's water ahead, but it's not there. Well, your financial mirage is thinking that that total balance in your 401k or your IRA is yours. We have two people that want to get a hold of it, two uncles, Uncle North Carolina and Uncle Sam. Right. Both of them are going to do some damage to that balance depending on what kind of other income you have. You could lose 40% of your value.

So if you're looking at a million dollar IRA, maybe it's only worth $600,000 to you. So how do we get around this? Well, you don't get around it because you end up in jail if you try to do that. But you can do tax planning to minimize the effect of taxation into the future. The tax train is coming, Adam. We need to make sure to minimize the effect of the derailment of our financial accounts. And for the next 10 people, we'll do it at no cost or obligation.

Put together your very own tax and retirement plan. 800-661-7383 or text ADAM to 21000 for Coach Pete DeRuder. Let me ask you about Kenny Atkinson and the Hornets. Yes. I like the Hornets cap. And that's a pretty fly lid you got there. Thank you. I like the logo.

I don't need to see Charlotte Hornets like it says from the 80s. So what do you think about Atkinson and what he can do with this group? I liked it. I liked the move and I still question how much of an upgrade is it over a James Borrego. I like Borrego too. I didn't have a problem with Borrego.

I like Borrego. I think that there were some ability, there were some leadership issues. Again, I've talked to some folks, I've heard there were some leadership issues.

I've heard that this team just didn't get along at certain points that it ended very poorly clearly as the Atlanta game had ended. The question I have for Kenny Atkinson is how much of an upgrade because if you're telling me that this team pays attention to more detail, wins games like they should have won against the Brooklyn Nets late against the Miami Heat late against the Sixers late and actually compete in these games and get themselves to a point where they're hosting a play in tournament game or better yet their top six, then it's worth it. But if this is literally not an upgrade, but maybe a cupid shuffle to the left, then I think this is going to be one of those things where I'm not sure that there and I want I worry about this a lot.

And Mitch's Mitch cup GM Mitch cup check has basically alluded to this. He may run this back with the same thing and there's a there's a arrogance that I worry about with this team in picking the groceries and thinking that this team should be more talented than it actually is specifically at the center spot. So if he can fix the center spot, if he can get the defense right, this team is going to be good.

If not, I kind of worry about where we're going to be in a year. All right, let me ask you real quick about lamello ball. He's their best player, correct?

Now, yes. Had you told me had you asked me this question this point last year, I would have told you golden Gordon Hayward. Okay, well, yeah, when they were available availability matters 100% so okay, let's say lamello ball is their best player are the Hornets best suited to have lamello ball be their best player slash leader or does somebody else have to be that second part? I think the second part the second the fact that the second part is Terry Rozier or even better yet a miles bridges.

I think that is a problem. But I also think that this team is entirely too young with the bulk of your roster being under age 26. You're going to have problems when when it comes to preparing for games and I don't think that they provided them with the necessary veterans to basically be a functional team to be a team that you can expect to get around in the playoffs or win around losing the second and then learn from their mistakes and be an Eastern Conference Finals team which this team this franchise has never been to this is that's the goal. I worry that this team is a little bit too young and it's kind of why when you see that they have the picks 13 and 15 next next week in this NBA draft I'm not sure they're picking two guys much less three which with their fourth third their second round pick at 45. I don't think they're picking three guys. This team is entirely too young as it is right now. We're talking about maybe adding a young center and then probably moving those picks off moving those picks off with veteran contracts to shed some salary to bring in younger guys bring in veterans that teach these guys how to win because I think that's the final piece to this puzzle at this point. All right final thing give me a pick tonight. Give me golden seven the Golden State Golden State within the number. Really yeah so a tight one tight one.

I think I don't stay tight. I think I think we're at the point now where Steph Curry goes onto the Mount Rushmore of the NBA. I'm just kidding. He's already there. He's already there's only four spots on the Mount Rushmore of the NBA he's never going to be there but that's fine we'll see we'll see oh look I whether Curry is the eighth best player we've ever seen or the 12th best player we've ever seen doesn't matter very very true it just very just doesn't matter but and he is an absolute blast to be able to watch it's cool to be able to see I saw all of yeah Curry like we saw I saw all of LeBron I didn't really pay the close enough attention to all of Jordan I was too into Bernard King at that time I get that my dad has a lot of stories about Bernard King because again grew up Knicks fans and then I converted to Charlotte's man so I again my decision-making process sometimes needs a little work very similar to Kevin Durant yeah exactly Kanata Edwards at not of the scribe on Twitter tell all the boys at CBS I said hi we'll do they're all friends they're constantly on the program all right when we come back we're gonna talk a little NIL they had a summit in Atlanta we'll talk to somebody who has been at the center of that next June 19th 2006 but it all started May 6 1997 with the announcement that the Hartford Whalers were coming to North Carolina it's a story of transition of heartbreak of figuring it out on the fly the Canes Corner look at the 25th anniversary of the move presented by the aluminum company of North Carolina listen now find canes 25th anniversary wherever you get your podcast name image and likeness actually had a summit I don't know if name image and likeness is an organization but there was an NIL summit in Atlanta and if there was an NIL summit Darren Hytner was there one of the leading advocates for NIL Hytner legal sports law professor at the University of Florida sports agent blog gosh we've been talking for about 15 years Darren I appreciate your time this is your this is your wheelhouse as much as anybody I know so tell me what it was like tell me what this summit was about for you well it's great to be talking to you and yeah this NIL summit I think came together within the past few months and it was supposed to be primarily a celebration of the first year that college athletes have ever been able to exploit their names images and likenesses for social revenue for so that they can actually make money just like professional athletes just like you me or anybody else if a brand wishes to pay us or if our autographs are worth anything or if someone wants to make an NFT and so you had a convergence of I think 400 or so athletes some of the best and brightest athletes when it comes to NIL from across the country you had brands there present lawyers representatives etc and actually a lot of people from compliance and athletic departments and it was a three-day event the first day was an awards ceremony to recognize the achievements of athletes and then you had panels the next two days mainly to talk about best practices what should and shouldn't be done and how to further exploit this over the coming years Darren Hytner is joining us here on the Adam Gold Show I know you have been very pro NIL I am pro NIL I am anti anything that sounds like a guardrail or a restriction I think that more than anything we just need some adjustment but there are two sides to the name image and likeness game I guess there's one that is more traditional which is athletes hired by companies to endorse products make appearances and then there are the collectives which have basically been designed to you know get get money and read you know redirect that or direct that to athletes is that a problem for you at all it's not as long as the collectives and the athletes are participating in a way that does not violate any state law and any NCAA rule as long as there's quid pro quo the athletes are doing something in exchange for the money that's being offered and provided as long as it's not an inducement to cause an athlete to enroll at a specific university and that it's not pay for play contingent on an athlete performing or performing to a certain level I'm fine with it I mean you you actually mentioned a very important word you said that companies are entering into arrangements with athletes what are collectives collectives are also companies they're either for-profit or not-for-profit entities and I have no problem with these collectives amassing pulling money from other individuals and then providing that money to athletes as long as the athletes again are providing something in exchange and that it's not an improper inducement to cause them to enroll at a specific university what if boosters are simply donating fifty thousand dollars to this and not expecting anything in return well again that's not an issue so first the NCAA when it first came out with its interim NIL policy July 1 2021 in its three-page question and answer it specifically sets forth that there's no restriction no prohibition on boosters entering into NIL deals directly with athletes but that's not actually what you have by way of the collectives instead you have the boosters pooling their money putting it towards the collective and as long as the athlete is doing something to benefit the collective as opposed to the individual booster again in my estimation that creates a quid pro quo scenario and I think the NCAA would be very hard-pressed to try to come down and force its rules and take action against an athlete which by the way the NCAA has said it's not going to go after athletes but also to go up against a school or the core any booster him or herself because you have that important element that has been satisfied so I don't see an issue there Darren Heitner is joining us here on the Adam Gold show here's the thing that makes me laugh the NCAA has done such a poor job of going after essentially under the table illegal in recruiting inducement they've done such a bad job of that and then when it became above board they said we're going after it I'm like you haven't been able to do that successfully forever why even bother but there are a lot of people we talked to Tom McMillan who's who runs what and one associates and and they are concerned that NIL is being used as recruiting inducements I'm not again I'm not concerned about it even if it is because like the athletes should be getting the money anyway but what do they have legitimate concerns well I'm with you if the money that was being offered to athletes was overtly an inducement to cause an athlete to go to a specific University however the last thing that I want is any athlete to put him or herself in jeopardy of losing his or her eligibility which I think is off the table at least for now but also I don't want them to do anything that's going to cause potentially their University to suffer consequences of losing scholarships or losing the opportunity to play in bowl games etc and for that blame to then be placed on the athletes I think that's a very unfair heavy burden for them to hold I think the NCAA as you mentioned you know for years past it had a lot of trouble enforcing its existing by-laws and and I think a problem with with that was that there was a lack of transparency whereas now with NIL and with a lot of these deals being disclosed to the universities as they technically need to be the ends and you have boosters coming out and collectives coming out speaking to the media publishing on their social media about what's going on I think it creates low-hanging fruit for the NCAA to say hey we have depleted resources we have a lack of enforcement personnel but we can and must take action or else we're really worthless as an organization so I think that's sort of why you're going to start seeing at least some enforcement with regard to its NIL policy you just said the quiet stuff out loud Darren Hytner we're kind of worthless as an organization that's an editorial comment by me Darren Hytner had nothing to do with it you can follow him on Twitter at Darren Hytner you did mention that as long as we're not in violation of state laws the state laws are sort of changing you know we've we've seen and I think it's going in both ways I think the state laws are becoming in some cases more restrictive and then maybe in other cases more relaxed where are we headed with this largely more relaxed Alabama completely repealed its NIL law because it felt as though there was an unfair advantage for schools in states that didn't have any law whatsoever after the NCA adopted its very bare bones NIL policy last year since then you've also had Tennessee Louisiana and as recently as today Missouri decide to just scale back their NIL laws to remove the prohibition on schools athletic departments and their coaches to cause compensation to be involved in the process of pushing people or helping out collectives and boosters establish that relationship with their players so I think generally that's the that's the movement that's the direction that states are going but then at the same time as you mentioned or alluded to I mean a state like New York has a piece of legislation pending it hasn't been passed but it would actually tighten the restrictions and I heard one individual in New York who's a politician stated just to confirm the practice of collectives being involved whatsoever so that's it's interesting to follow most states are scaling back but perhaps some like New York are considering being more conservative and and having stronger restrictions than what the NCAA and most states currently provide for oh we have just about a minute or so left here with Darren Hytner I'm in favor of no laws we don't have laws on what coaches can get or administrators or schools we don't have restrictions on them we shouldn't have any restrictions on athletes I don't believe we've ever needed a law for this but again that's just me give me a concern you might have for the athletes as we enter this I mean it's not a wild wild west but there are a lot of unknowns give me a concern you may have for the athletes as we get further into this happy to do so but I'll briefly say you know I agree at this point you don't necessarily need laws but we did over a year ago before the NCAA decided to change course gotcha concerns for the athletes you know number one tax concerns are you saving your money are you paying your taxes did you get your tax returns in on time and will you in the future are you getting that important education from a legal standpoint do you know what you're signing when you actually sign on the dotted line are you reading the contracts are you selling yourself short are you making sure that you're not just signing every single deal are you looking at quality over quantity you know and then from a financial standpoint saving your money not necessarily spending it all in one place and using it wisely so I think that there are absolutely concerns from a legal from a financial from an accounting standpoint and that the universities first and foremost need to be doing a better job of educating their athletes Duke just hired a general manager who is obviously going to manage NIL for the basketball program that's that is an interesting new foray into this Darren Hytner at Darren Hytner dot-com there way too many Twitter handles that you are associated to mention play the game the book NIL advocate and somebody I've been talking to about these issues for a long time thank you so much for joining us I appreciate it we'll do it again very soon thank you this is the Adam Gold Show June 19th 2006 but it all started May 6 1997 with the announcement that the Hartford Whalers were coming to North Carolina it's a story of transition of heartbreak of figuring it out on the fly the Canes Corner look at the 25th anniversary of the move presented by the aluminum company of North Carolina listen now find James 25th anniversary wherever you get your podcast