UNC vs Duke, NC State vs Georgia Tech, Wake Forest vs Notre Dame

Brendan, what's happening, my man? Nothing much, man. And you're right. It wasn't much of a, like a big, or going into it, it didn't seem like it was going to be a big one.

And then the information kind of gets leaked out. Eventually that car already demands trade and then everything goes like, just like a little, everything, everything goes a little bit higher as the deadline approaches. I've become even more of a casual NBA fan. I've become more casual of a sports fan, even when I'm not doing sports every day.

So back me up a little bit. Was the, was the Kyrie demanding a trade? How big of a surprise was that? I feel like nothing could be a crazy surprise with Kyrie because he tends to surprise us in a number of different ways.

But like, had that fallen off the radar? Because, you know, the Nets had had a pretty good season. And in fact, I was hearing talk of, why do we only talk about Kyrie when he does dumb or says stupid things?

And we never turn around and talk when he's playing really well. And it was kind of that time where it was like, whoa, we need to talk about him playing pretty well right now. And then all of a sudden he demands a trade. This, according to reports, had been broached in the off season, which is part of what had perhaps motivated KD to request a trade. Remember that was, it feels like a million years ago, but KD requested one in the off season and that their reports were that those were linked, that KD was, that Kyrie was looking for an extension and Nets were kind of wavering, weren't really here for it.

And then as the deadline approach to kind of the temperature on that particular request went up and it just appeared very, very odd. And I was like, I don't know, I don't know how many times that the Nets were going to go do it, which makes sense, right? Like it's after everything with last season, you missed, you missed so much of the season with your decision, not to get, not to get vaccinated. And then you get suspended this year.

Like you're not, you're not going to give the student that got suspended like student of the year, right? Like you're not going to reward them with, hey, we're going to give you more money for longer than anybody else can. Like this is a financial decision.

You know what I mean? Like as much as other stuff goes on with Kyrie, this is something that we've seen a lot more frequently in the NBA where it's, hey, I want to get extended, you all hold my rights. And so if you can't or have decided not to extend me, I want to be traded to another team that can then have my rights and extend me for the four years and the amount of money that I want in a way that I can't get if I just hit free agency. And so the, what made it surprising for me was that he wouldn't want to play with his friend on a championship contender, because if you were really, really interested in getting that extension, if you bring home a title this year, or maybe even hit the finals, it's hard for me to think that they're going to blow that team up. Like that's a very, very difficult thing for me to think, particularly after KD requested that trade.

And so it's unwillingness to do that. It's certainly disappointing because you're taking a championship year away from KD like the next word, I walked into the season off season thinking they have the best roster on in the league. And after this trade, it's still a very good roster they pick up, Dorathan Smith, they pick up Spencer Dan Whitney, they got that 2029 unprotected first rounder and then 2027 and 2029 second rounder. So you still have a good roster, even as currently constructed, you're just not a great roster, you're not one of the best rosters and in the east, you go from what I thought was the best roster in the, in the east and the best chance of coming out of the eastern conference you go from first to your behind the Celtics. You're behind, you're probably behind Philadelphia. I just don't, I don't, you're no longer a dynamic team, you no longer to me are a championship caliber team, your ceiling has just decreased.

Let's look at the team where he did land. The Mavs are in sixth place, but only two games out of third place. There are a couple teams ahead of them that aren't, I'm not going to diss them and I'm not following them closely, but they don't have a lot of proven playoff miss. The Kings are in third, Clippers are in fourth, Grizzlies and Nuggets we've seen be good, but not, you know, do great in the playoffs.

They're ahead of them. Do the Mavs, I didn't look at the Vegas sides to see what happened to them, but hey, do you think Kyrie and Luca playing together works and does this make, where does this put the Mavs as far as the west? Do they make, does it make them the most talented roster in the west to you?

I don't know about most talented Denver still, when they, when they put all those pieces together, that's Voltron, man. You know, we got young kids, Michael Porter Jr. still coming back. Jamal Murray has looked really, really good recently and Aaron Gordon for them.

He's as important defensively as he is offensively. So that team looks really good. But everybody, as you mentioned, has questions. Bones Highland, they're one of their main reserves is kind of been chirping about not getting enough time.

And so that has to come into this thing. You mentioned Memphis. They're just now getting off of a skid. The Pelicans just got off of a 10 game stand in large part due to their injuries and stuff. So yeah, the west is wide open.

Steph Curry looks like he's going to be down for several weeks now with a leg injury. So the west to me is far more open than the east where you have, you know, Philadelphia, Boston, Milwaukee, like those are the now the cream of that conference's top. You mentioned them playing alongside together in terms of Luca and Kyrie. And at first it seems like they really shouldn't be able to do that because they are such ball dominant guys.

But you also do have to like look at the history of those guys. Now, Jalen Brunson won't have the ball in his hands as much as I assume Kyrie will. But they were really, really good with Brunson after Western Conference Finals with Brunson as their second guy. And he is now you have upgraded in that regard with Kyrie. He's just he's just a better all around scorer. Even though Brunson's been a little bit better as a playmaker, Kyrie can obviously do that as well. And then you look at Kyrie's history. I mean, playing alongside LeBron against the championship. So obviously he's comfortable with playing that kind of second fiddle role. There is there isn't necessarily going to you know, I don't know how much I ever believe in like, oh, well, there has to be a Batman and Robin.

I think that's a reductive conversation. They're probably going to be they're probably going to have to figure out how to play with one another. And, you know, from reports that I'm reading, they might the gals might not be done moving pieces, right? Like according reports, Christian Wood might be available there. Their recent pick up who's played well for them. And I'm a little surprised to see that that they that they at least that there are reports of them moving on. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been rumored for a while with a couple of teams, most specifically with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So they might still be in the process of moving this whole thing out. But as you mentioned, the West is open enough so that if you have Luke and Kyrie, you have to think at least for right now. But you never know what Kyrie is going to do in the future.

Right now, you have to think we have as good a shot as any of representative. Do you think we could see to that tons of huge individual scoring games? I was listening to some podcast about it, about how guys have just figured out it's especially in the regular season.

Heavy usage for guys who are highly efficient and good shooters. It's just good ball, maybe not for the playoffs where coaches can scheme better for that type of stuff. And they're more inclined to in a series. But you think there's any chance we could have as the NBA ever had two guys on the same team score 50 in a game? Because I want them to go for that. I want them to beat somebody like I mean, and there's scoring is, I think, up in the NBA in general. So you could have it wouldn't have to be ridiculous where two guys score 50 and the rest of the team only scores two points, right? Like you could have 50.

It's certainly conceivable. I would love to see. I need I need like a final game where nothing could happen in the standings and they're like, let's just let's just come out here and start firing. Like you see if we can get you 30 in the first quarter. I'll try and get 30 in the second quarter and then we'll see what we do in the second half.

I want to see 50. Well, I think if I'm if I'm not mistaken, I think in either game six or yeah, I think it was game six of the finals. I think Kyrie and LeBron went for like 40.

I think I think I think I have that right. Like they both went for something ballistic like that. And yeah, you mentioned scoring is up.

And the Mavericks had the sort of offense where that could legitimately happen to put up those kind of 2K numbers where it's just like, yeah, it's back and forth. You go. No, I go.

No, you go. Like, I think I'm more interested in see what they surround those two guys with because you have to surround them with shooting. You need the defense to work defensively. Both have had their struggle on that side of the ball.

So I'm very angry. Just you just shift away your best defender. Like for those are not familiar with Dorothy Smith. He's a great 3D guy. Like he's your quintessential guy that can guard multiple positions defensively is strong enough to guard even some of the guys in the polls. And then is a spacer in terms of, hey, he can catch and knock down those catch and shoot jumpers, which will be open on driving kick scenarios with Luca and Kyrie.

I'm just now interested of what he will be on the net. So those will be pieces that what KD will play with. But I'm really, really interested to see what they surround Kyrie and Luca with because they don't seem to be done kind of rebuilding that roster.

I don't enjoy doing it when they're so bad. But we're supposed to talk about the Hornets because they're in the state to do you see any trade? The trade deadline comes up this week, right? Thursday, I believe there's talk of like it's so bad for the Hornets where it's like the only time they don't even get brought up in like interesting trades. They're like, well, to move this, these good teams that are moving teams around, they might need a third team. And then it's like, oh, the Hornets will be the third team.

You can park some dudes and some salary with us. And that's like the most depressing place to be as a fan. Like we can't even get good trade rumors. We're just like dirt trade rumors. Do you see anything happening with the Hornets this week?

And if not, what do we what even are we doing with the Hornets? I'm certainly hoping that we see something. Just a quick shout out. I'm actually site editor over at Swarm and Sting on the fan side of Umbrella so you can catch all all that stuff.

I'll be editing and writing and you can catch me over there as well. The thing about the Hornets is that you mentioned it. We were we have been brought in to conversations about being the third team in a in a in a trade.

Because, hey, let's take on some of these bad guys. What we're what the hope is and for Hornets fans is we'll be able to trade some of these pieces that will also free up some some. Plain time for some of the younger players and figure out what you have in Kai Jones and Book Knight and Thor's finally getting some time late late in games. But guys like Plumlee have been on a lot of teams radar.

The Kings have been rumored to be interested. Oubre is another guy because he's having I think he's having the most points per game of his career. He's had kind of a resurgence.

Heard it. Had a had a really untimely hand injury to a shooting hand. He's been sidelined.

So he hasn't you know, he his name kind of got died down in terms of the trades. Terry Rozier's contract is not great. He's got three more years, even though he's a phenomenal one on one player. And can play some of your some of your league are minutes for those second units for a really good team that needs just a little bit of a boost in terms of their in terms of bench. He will be somebody you look at and obviously Gordon Hayward, a ton of injuries. But when he is when he's healthy and when he's right, he'll give you 17, 18, 77, something around there on really, really efficient stuff.

And it's solid defensively. It's just his injury history, I think, would drive down any sort of any sort of a trade for him. But, yeah, like getting off of bad contracts, getting some some financial flexibility moving forward or picking up future assets in terms of draft picks or a young player that has that hasn't quite gotten their point.

You can pair them with Lamello moving forward. All that stuff is for Hornets fans. Right. And then obviously you have the the the draft looming in terms of Wimby and and scoop.

Let's go to the top. That's what everybody wants. Right. Like those are the teams that are so interested in the race to the bottom. That's the conversation.

And so I know some people don't like the idea of rooting to lose, but I'm not going to front on you. I certainly am because I want a franchise offering player that can then we can be in conversations about picking up real talent, stuff like that, and not being apt to give me all the ping pong balls. Yes. Being the third team in a trade is like like your crush calling you up and be like, hey, you want to go out on a date? And you're like, oh, my God, yes.

Great. I need you to drive for me. And I'm like, I'm going out with somebody else. And we want you to drive.

That's that's where the Hornets are. You're on the date. Technically, you did the trade, but like you are not the way you want to be. Well, see, now I got to say I don't know if this around to you. I definitely because the kids nowadays never notice having to call a girl. It was a little bit late. So you had to get another usually a girl on three way so they could call.

Sure. And so then when the parents answered, it's a girl, it's a girl's voice picking up. And then you slide in there on the three way.

Oh, that's right. Just got to you got to beat the got to beat the got to beat the man to man pressure. And then hit me up. I'm saying that that girl that you were calling to message, she was like, oh, yes, Brendan's calling. Hell, yeah.

And then you're like, no, no, no. I just need you to call the other girl. Oh, man, I'm the Hornets. Oh, darn.

Did you have the car for me, please? I Brendan with it. Check out his work.

Bison Express dot org and swarm and sting. My bad. Not getting that in the bio.

I will add that for future reference. Follow my Twitter at H.U. Cosell and check out his work. All the great stuff he does. Some really cool interviews with Howard Athletics.

And then over in swarm and sting, all things Hornets. Appreciate the time, man. As always, great to talk to you.

Talk to you, too, man. You're doing a great job. Thanks. Thanks. I didn't there.

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