Went to HS with Jake a year behind. Good dude and good podcast takes ✌️North Central represent! Tony I think it’s possible the team wanted a good affordable back up center they can stash now and then have more money and maybe flexibility (although they don’t seem to have much) to manage Myles contract next season. And I don’t think they are 100% win now mode. I think it’s 70/30. I get that you don’t want back up center issues but they are showing faith I guess in what they have and Myles ability to play most of the season. I also fully endorse Jake’s point on cats. I just saved a 6 year old 16lb beautiful boy cat that somehow inextricable they named “Poo”. He is now “Bear” and is reliving his kittenhood I assume he never had with our two other kittens. It’s been awesome and he’s part of the fam now 🐈
I'm just glad McDermott isn't returning. Giving his portion of the salary into the Toppin deal as sweetener to reward good performance vs. giving that money for bad performance.
I feel like Jake was holding back, being nice about the Pascal trade. I don't see Pascal as a "Star" at all. He's a role player that you paid 45 mil a year. That's insane. I don't understand how so many ppl don't see it that way. Or they simply don't want to say the truth. I'm not gonna mention it anymore after this. He plays with no tenacity. He's consistently inconsistent and that's the worst. Because he's never having big game's. A 0% from 3 basically. His defense has fell off a cliff. 121 Defensive Rating, doesn't block, doesn't steal. Not more than 1 a game. Never getting double digit rebounds, is very undersized. Yet plays his best at the C position.. costs soo much dang money... said how he wanted to play with Turner and all that bs.. yet now they're already talking how they may not resign Turner. He doesn't play with a level of tenacity either most the time. Which is a huge problem when both bigs don't hustle. Yet not having someone close to a legit C, that can also spread the floor.. Because Pascal is such a bum. You practically have to have Turner now.. The whole narrative of "not a player destination" is ridiculous to me. When you had your entire cap space open. Players are treated like king's nowadays too. They can travel in such luxury and live like royalty. Who cares if you play somewhere that has colder weather half the year. You can leave after the season is over. Livw wherever you want. They're traveling all year long.. If anything having your main home in the cheapest place is huge nowadays. While also keeping tons of money from not being over taxed. The destinations that were once so favorable, aren't at all anymore either.. Other than liking the night life and the bs, no other real positives. That's if you even like that. I don't think they'd had a hard time signing anyone who was signed this season had they offered a fair contract.. That said, they could have had a few really good player's. Especially two and much better off.. and kept our picks.. used them in a real trade for an actual good player worth the picks and money... smdh.... what a waste of picks and possibilities of becoming one of the best team's.. we went from being viewed as a top teak in the East. To the bottom after this off-season and for good reason. All other team's are making the better and smart moves. I know they can't compete with some of these other owner's. But that means you have to be that much more careful and smart.
1st apron isn’t the one team's are worried about. It's the 2nd one, had they not resigned Obi. I'd lost all interest and hope for that team. Because they've already screwed up so much. The Pascal bs contract. Not ever focusing on getting a legitimate SF type of player of any kind at all. They could have signed 2 or 3 solid player's if not for him.
10:00 Obi was again 100 dunks and 100 3's on a decent clip and fantastic percentage. He's not going to be in the league long term, unless he proves everyone wrong and that the Knicks really F'ed up. Obi's a lottery pick and ideally sourly under looked, but someone his age, usually means we are seeing his prime right now and again, unless he's proven to be consistently 6th man material, he'll become a FA right at the time he's likely to start declining, which is obvious, but this is a weird take to think that, given his actual production, coupled with a weak FA class isn't a good deal or that we should've massage his value, which is kinda a slap in his face, if I'm him.. he's 6'10 and still growing his game, the salary cap is rising and we got him for mid level money, relatively. This is at worst a B+ move. who else in FA?, would've filled his size, his vertical leap, which is valuable because we don't rebound well unless he or Myles or ijax are in; and even then. We need size and less conservative "fit theory" because of money and how certain players have played with other teams. we are clearly doing new things and are starting to give me Golden State vibes, right before they broke it all open.
Go Pacers. Not a major free agent period this off-season but like them signing all of our main guys back and bringing in a former #2 overall pick. I give my boys an solid B grade
Tony - do you know why the front office felt the need to get the Toppin deal done so soon? I agree with your lukewarm grade, and it doesn't look as good now as it did when he signed it considering that no one has gotten the full NTMLE and guys like Tyus Jones and Gary Trent Jr. are getting the minimum
Point guard market is hard to compare to PFs, but in general I agree with you. My educated thought is he could have gotten close to the MLE elsewhere, but not for as many years.
James Johnson loses value as an assistant coach. Assistant Coaches don’t get up and hop in opposing PLAYERS faces. As a player he is allowed to behave a certain way that coaches simply can not. Not to mention the value Tony stated about what being a player means to the other guys on a roster. It’s different coming from a guy that suits up and actually practices, and can play with you.
Went to HS with Jake a year behind. Good dude and good podcast takes ✌️North Central represent!
Tony I think it’s possible the team wanted a good affordable back up center they can stash now and then have more money and maybe flexibility (although they don’t seem to have much) to manage Myles contract next season. And I don’t think they are 100% win now mode. I think it’s 70/30. I get that you don’t want back up center issues but they are showing faith I guess in what they have and Myles ability to play most of the season.
I also fully endorse Jake’s point on cats. I just saved a 6 year old 16lb beautiful boy cat that somehow inextricable they named “Poo”. He is now “Bear” and is reliving his kittenhood I assume he never had with our two other kittens. It’s been awesome and he’s part of the fam now 🐈
Your point about 70/30 is valid. Hence why they are willing to play Sheppard/Mathurin/Jackson etc
Thanks Tony, always great energy and info on this show
I'm just glad McDermott isn't returning. Giving his portion of the salary into the Toppin deal as sweetener to reward good performance vs. giving that money for bad performance.
I feel like Jake was holding back, being nice about the Pascal trade. I don't see Pascal as a "Star" at all. He's a role player that you paid 45 mil a year. That's insane. I don't understand how so many ppl don't see it that way. Or they simply don't want to say the truth. I'm not gonna mention it anymore after this. He plays with no tenacity. He's consistently inconsistent and that's the worst. Because he's never having big game's. A 0% from 3 basically. His defense has fell off a cliff. 121 Defensive Rating, doesn't block, doesn't steal. Not more than 1 a game. Never getting double digit rebounds, is very undersized. Yet plays his best at the C position.. costs soo much dang money... said how he wanted to play with Turner and all that bs.. yet now they're already talking how they may not resign Turner. He doesn't play with a level of tenacity either most the time. Which is a huge problem when both bigs don't hustle. Yet not having someone close to a legit C, that can also spread the floor.. Because Pascal is such a bum. You practically have to have Turner now.. The whole narrative of "not a player destination" is ridiculous to me. When you had your entire cap space open. Players are treated like king's nowadays too. They can travel in such luxury and live like royalty. Who cares if you play somewhere that has colder weather half the year. You can leave after the season is over. Livw wherever you want. They're traveling all year long.. If anything having your main home in the cheapest place is huge nowadays. While also keeping tons of money from not being over taxed. The destinations that were once so favorable, aren't at all anymore either.. Other than liking the night life and the bs, no other real positives. That's if you even like that. I don't think they'd had a hard time signing anyone who was signed this season had they offered a fair contract.. That said, they could have had a few really good player's. Especially two and much better off.. and kept our picks.. used them in a real trade for an actual good player worth the picks and money... smdh.... what a waste of picks and possibilities of becoming one of the best team's.. we went from being viewed as a top teak in the East. To the bottom after this off-season and for good reason. All other team's are making the better and smart moves. I know they can't compete with some of these other owner's. But that means you have to be that much more careful and smart.
10:55 Obi was the contract where I started thinking Pacers aren't worrying about the tax and probably not the first apron.
1st apron isn’t the one team's are worried about. It's the 2nd one, had they not resigned Obi. I'd lost all interest and hope for that team. Because they've already screwed up so much. The Pascal bs contract. Not ever focusing on getting a legitimate SF type of player of any kind at all. They could have signed 2 or 3 solid player's if not for him.
10:00 Obi was again 100 dunks and 100 3's on a decent clip and fantastic percentage. He's not going to be in the league long term, unless he proves everyone wrong and that the Knicks really F'ed up. Obi's a lottery pick and ideally sourly under looked, but someone his age, usually means we are seeing his prime right now and again, unless he's proven to be consistently 6th man material, he'll become a FA right at the time he's likely to start declining, which is obvious, but this is a weird take to think that, given his actual production, coupled with a weak FA class isn't a good deal or that we should've massage his value, which is kinda a slap in his face, if I'm him.. he's 6'10 and still growing his game, the salary cap is rising and we got him for mid level money, relatively. This is at worst a B+ move. who else in FA?, would've filled his size, his vertical leap, which is valuable because we don't rebound well unless he or Myles or ijax are in; and even then. We need size and less conservative "fit theory" because of money and how certain players have played with other teams. we are clearly doing new things and are starting to give me Golden State vibes, right before they broke it all open.
Go Pacers. Not a major free agent period this off-season but like them signing all of our main guys back and bringing in a former #2 overall pick. I give my boys an solid B grade
Tony - do you know why the front office felt the need to get the Toppin deal done so soon? I agree with your lukewarm grade, and it doesn't look as good now as it did when he signed it considering that no one has gotten the full NTMLE and guys like Tyus Jones and Gary Trent Jr. are getting the minimum
Point guard market is hard to compare to PFs, but in general I agree with you. My educated thought is he could have gotten close to the MLE elsewhere, but not for as many years.
Lose Ken Brown, keep Tsheibwe and Freeman. Why in the world spend $ and roster spot on James Johnson? Ridiculous
He has the same agent as TJ…I think this was a favor that might help us get TJ at a discount
That would actually make some sense. I just hate using up a roster spot on him tho. Give him a different gig on the team
James Johnson loses value as an assistant coach. Assistant Coaches don’t get up and hop in opposing PLAYERS faces. As a player he is allowed to behave a certain way that coaches simply can not. Not to mention the value Tony stated about what being a player means to the other guys on a roster. It’s different coming from a guy that suits up and actually practices, and can play with you.