He’s our second preview Podcast as we ramp up towards the production of a regular finished product. This week we get into Orion’s post Super Bowl thoughts and spend a bunch of time on the NBA on the eve of the all-star game. We discuss Arvydas Sabonis, Paul Pierce, Skal Labissiere, a defense of the Sacramento Kings drafting, Rodney Hood, Yabu, and the incoming draft class.
Here’s the first rambling attempt at the long awaited OCS podcast, complete with musings on NBA and NFL trades, Tom Brady’s weirdness and GOATness, Richie Incognito being a miserable friend, Thon Maker’s birth certificate, concussions, the NCAA, LSU’s aversion to QBs, and Colin Kaepernick.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a superstar. His potential has become reality; he’s a transcendent talent, a top 4 player in the NBA, and a legitimate MVP candidate. He’s the ideal centerpiece of the modern NBA – a positionless unicorn who can defend all five positions while being the ballhandling cornerstone of a pace and space offense. If the NBA Trade Value column still existed, he’s basically unassailable as the #1 rank. All the production of an Embiid or Davis without the injury issues. A two way behemoth with far less miles than Lebron or KD. A centerpiece in the same lane as Harden or Westbrook with layers of untapped potential still remaining in his age 23 season.
So why then are the Milwaukee Bucks sitting at a paltry 25-22, good only for 8th in a weak eastern conference? They’re three games up on a freefalling Detroit team that has been a disaster since injuries derailed their promising start. Jason Kidd is out, a necessary move given his antiquated defensive strategy and bizarre rotation decisions. Their interim coach will do what he can during the wait for a new coach to emerge, but this is only one issue. Was Kidd’s coaching so inept that his firing explains away a half season of relative mediocrity?
Kidd’s shortcomings magnified the issues of a strangely constructed roster. They’re terrible defensively, with their aggressive pursuit of wingspan failing to translate on that end of the court. JKidd’s reliance on an over-aggressive wing trap defense has had disastrous results with a plummeting ranking since a good showing the initial season of Kidd’s tenure. Their efficiency is horrific, giving up well above league average numbers of rim shots and corner 3’s, the foundations of modern analytic driven offenses. Removing Kidd will temper this issue but not fix it. Jabari Parker’s return will help secondary scoring and perhaps a bench unit that is amongst the worst in the league.
Every day new rumors come out with the Bucks in the subject line. DeAndre Jordan seems to pop up weekly as a candidate to wind up there, with lesser bigs like Tyson Chandler, Javale McGee, and Willie Cauley-Stein also being discussed. The necessity for a rim protector has developed from an organization realization that John Henson, a long tenured Buck who’s had legitimate moments as a rim protector and roll man, is an overpriced relic in today’s NBA. The rumors about their pursuit of a new big man are no surprise, but they may be misguided. A rim protecting center is a dying breed. That’s the reason they’re trying to rid themselves of Henson’s bloated contract (3 years / 35mil left). Replacing him with a better version isn’t the answer. The Bucks need to be looking across the league at the new direction, and following along with the new direction. A rim protector is a luxury for the Bucks because of a simple reason: they have a rim protector. The Greek Freak is averaging 1.3 blocks per game as a forward; we are watching an age where Kevin Durant spent a majority of the season leading the league in blocks per game.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has long been a vocal proponent of playing Giannis at the 5 in a variation of Golden State’s Lineup of Death. Durant has spent a good portion of the season as a nominal five for the defending champs and it seems to be working out just fine. Giannis is probably the sole player that possesses the size, length, and athleticism to do a reasonable imitation of what Durant is doing. The Bucks can unlock the nuclear briefcase with their own Lineup of Death without necessarily giving up their dream of a rim protector. If you look at the East playoff picture, only Toronto, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington employ true traditional big men. Of them, only Embiid functions as a focal point of the offense. The rim-protector is a luxury. So why can’t they get both?
Option 1: Two teams come to mind that have the willingness to cut bait and sell coupled with the proper assets to get it done. The first obvious choice is the Atlanta Hawks. A putrid team with little in the way of worthwhile assets, Atlanta has players that fit the bill for the Bucks. They’ve been an obvious trade candidate because of their record, with DeWayne Dedmon and Ersan Ilyasova being the biggest likelihoods. Dedmon is in Atlanta on a 6 million dollar deal with a player option for the same in ’18-’19. Dedmon’s rim protecting is average for a seven footer, but he brings an additional skill to the table. He’s shooting 35% on 3’s, including 39% on corner 3’s. He would give the Bucks an option against the bigger centers on the playoff path while avoiding clogging the lane for Giannis. Would the Hawks part with Kent Bazemore? He’s shooting 38% from 3 and is still a versatile defender at 6’8″. Given the 3 years and $55 million left on his deal, Atlanta would probably be happily removed from the 28 year olds bloated deal. A package including Henson’s $11mil contract (3 years remaining) or Mirza Teletovic (2 years/$21m) would save the Hawks money while a young player such as DJ Wilson or Rashad Vaughn would sweeten the pot. However, the long term Bazemore contract probably costs Milwaukee Jabari in the offseason.
Out Result: Bledsoe/Middelton/Bazemore/Parker/Giannis with Dedmon/Brogdon/Maker/Snell off the bench; Parker probably leaves via free agency in the summer of 2018
Option 2: Everyone is in on Atlanta but I don’t think they’re the target. The Dallas Mavericks are in disarray; they’re near the bottom of the standings and lack young assets beyond promising rookie Dennis Smith Jr. Dirk’s going away season has been a mess. Harrison Barnes is a useful guy and a solid top 3 option, but he’s woefully underqualified as a primary scorer and playmaker. Smith isn’t there yet. Their books are slightly cluttered but not anywhere near being debilitating with billionaire Mark Cuban running the franchise. Nerlens Noel has been an unmitigated disaster on his one year deal, taking permanent residence in Rick Carlisle’s doghouse and losing minutes to Dwight Powell and Salah “You have two fucking points” Mejri. He will assuredly leaving Dallas at full speed come July. Wesley Mathews is in the final year of an expensive deal that pays him $17.8 million this season. He will become a free agent at years end as well. Milwaukee could take on Mathews’ and Noel’s salaries ($22m combined) if they encouraged Dallas to accept some of the Dellavedova/Teletovic/Henson contracts by including young cheap assets like Thon Maker or Malcolm Brogdon. The free agents to be wouldn’t clog up the Bucks already hefty payroll, allowing them to still resign Jabari at season’s end. Dallas could probably be encouraged to throw in a piece like Yogi Farrell to maintain Milwaukee’s bench.
Out Result: Bledsoe/Mathews/Middleton/Parker/Giannis with Noel/Farrell/Snell off the bench.
That lineup playing against Houston or Golden State is modern NBA porn, and a hell of a lot more inspiring than Toronto or Cleveland playing them again. Unleash poor Giannis. He deserves better.
Not every team can make the blockbuster move. Not every team needs to either. No trade short of acquiring Lebron and ’94 Shaq is going to make the Brooklyn Nets a contender. For all the teams that aren’t in the running to land a Cousins, George, or Butler, there are moves still to be made for the future. Throughout the league are a number of high pedigree lottery talents sitting unused on benches that are ripe for the picking. If I was a team without a direction or a hope, I would kick the tires on these guys and see if they could be had for a song. Quite often, a real talent needs only to be moved to the correct situation to finally reach their potential.
C Alex Len – Phoenix Suns 2013 Draft #5 Age 23
Len’s an interesting case. He’s a restricted free agent in the upcoming offseason. Phoenix is pretty heavily committed to both Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss meaning the 23 year old 7-footer might not be in their long term plans. He’s currently playing 19.6 minutes a game and putting up 7.5./6.1 with a hair over a block per game. He’s shooting 50% from the field. None of these numbers jump off the paper. But he’s athletic, young, and given his high percentage at the line (73%), there are reasons to think that he’s worth a shot. 7’1” athletes who can shoot still have a place in the league. Just a question of whether you think he’s better than Meyers Leonard.
SG Ben McLemore – Sacramento Kings 2013 Draft #7 Age 24
McLemore gets the Kings asterisk. He gets drafted as a scoring SG a year after the Kings use a lottery pick on a scoring SG (Stauskas). This year he’s been a complete non-factor for the dumpster fire currently burning in Sacramento. 18 minutes a game to the tune of 6.6 points and a staggering 0.8 assists. That being said…. anyone playing for the Kings has to be graded on a curve. The team is a fire in a disaster in a war zone. At the end of the day, McLemore is a 6’5” wing shooting 37% from 3 and having a lottery pedigree. Might be worth a flyer if you think you can wash the Kings stench off him like Tim Robbins being deloused when he got to Shawshank.
PF/SF Anthony Bennett 2013 Draft #1 Age 23
Ha. Just kidding.
PG Dante Exum – Utah Jazz 2014 Draft #6 Age 21
The Jazz’s current resurgence has come despite getting a net zero from the 6th pick in the ’14 draft. The Aussie was a great unknown coming into the draft and was primarily picked for his massive potential. The Jazz thought they were getting a 6’6” athlete who could play both guard positions and man their point position for years to come. Instead, Exum can’t even crack the rotation. He’s getting 18.5 minutes but 6.2/1.8/1.6 is a whole lot of nothing. Biggest issue with Exum is a ghastly 27% mark from deep. On a team committed to playing Favors/Gobert in the frontcourt, a point guard who can’t stretch the floor is not feasible. The Jazz have needs and perhaps the young point guard could be had for a more usable piece. Are we at a point where a guard who can’t shoot has no value? He’s 21. It’s too early to think he’s a bust.
PF Noah Vonleh – Portland Trailblazers 2014 Draft #9 Age 21
Poor Noah can’t even find the court. His season numbers got up to 13.2 minutes a game but only because of injuries to the guys slotted ahead of him. Even given opportunity, he’s been a disaster. He can’t score, rebound, or defend. The pick was questionable at the time and he has done precisely nothing to prove people wrong. Let’s not forget the fact that Vonleh was a central piece to the trade that sent Nic Batum from Portland to Charlotte. Batum isn’t a superstar but he’s a solid NBA rotation player, which is far more than can be said for Vonleh. The only potentially redeeming statistic coming from Vonleh is his shooting 35% from deep, suggesting he might find a role as a stretch four off of someone’s bench.
SG Mario Hezonja – Orlando Magic 2016 Draft #5 Age 21
Could probably sneak a couple different members of the Magic on this list but Hezonja is the highest profile. A 6’8” wing who can shoot and defend. He’s 21 years old. Playing for a lottery team. And yet he can’t seem to touch the court or carve out a niche. Every team needs a stockpile of long wings who can shoot and play D. Bill Simmons threw out in a recent podcast that he expects Hezonja to disappear overseas for 6 or 7 years only to reemerge as a rotation player for the Spurs during their 2025 title run. It’s certainly a plausible career path but I fail to see why a team like Brooklyn or Phoenix wouldn’t be interested in taking a run at him. Orlando’s steadfast reluctance to give him minutes (11.4mpg) would suggest he could be had for the right price.
SF Stanley Johnson – Detroit Pistons 2016 Draft #8 Age 22
Another 3 and D type athlete nailed to the bench on a struggling team. It’s certainly a red flag that Stan Van Gundy hasn’t been able to get much production out of the former college standout but the potential has to be there. Awe-inspiringly terrible shooting (39/30/65) has glued Johnson to the bench. There’s still a lot to like about Johnson. He’s a plus defender and does a nice job of filling up the box score even if his shot isn’t falling (which typically… it’s not). He was an elite scorer in college and still has great athleticism and motor. I find it hard to see him not carving out a niche as a rotation player, even as the glue guy on a second unit. He could just as believably turn into a Gerald Wallace type given his similar build and athleticism, though one would hope his 3pt shot would be better than Wallace’s. The fact that the Spurs were rumored to be pursuing Johnson proves that he is absolutely worthwhile and should be targeted by everyone. The Spurs are never wrong.
Many of us have found ourselves in a similar situation… sitting and smiling after our most recent fantasy trade. Admiring the shiny new toy we acquired for spare parts, low end draft picks, and members of the Washington Redskins. But we all do so knowing our happiness will be soon gone. Wherever transaction based happiness rears its ugly head… our Deputy Commissioner will be there to punch it in the testicles. Armed only with his personal guile, a truckload of Sub-Reddit forums, and a career that allows him to present his complaints in essay form while most of us toil at a 9 to 5 job, he selflessly commits himself to making sure that none of us ever think we possibly made a fair or intelligent trade. At this point a stern glance is enough for any of us to sheepishly remove our waiver claim.
Now many of us have resorted to executing our trades late in the night… away from the hopefully closed eyes of our watchful Deputy Commish, in the hope that we delay our Reddit flogging til the morning, and perhaps sleep a night thinking that acquiring Megatron for two busts and a future first was an intelligent trade. His army of redditors… redditers… reditards? His army of people with too much time on their hands will continue to stand as his army of transaction oppression. But we need not sit idly by under their negativity. We can exist in a league where the 14 player trade Sheed is currently negotiating goes thru without a complaint or a judgement. Where I can start Josh McCown without ridicule because apparently my team all has kidneys made of fucking tissue paper and god dammit fuck my team. Where Orion and I can make a trade and the judgement is left unvocalized, since whoever we trade will clearly be pulled into a career destroying vortex of suck. And where Pete can trade for a player and not be mocked for his lack of clairvoyance in realizing he’d be cut the next day (we’ll miss you F-Jax).
Let us rise up! Let us claim that whoever casts the first stone has not done thine own stupid ass shit in this league. For judgement must be given by someone who has not done the same. Or done things like these:
1. A bizarre habit of picking players up only to immediately drop them in a sort of weird ADHD approach to free agency. Unless of course he does it just to push them to waivers so that other people can’t add them. Which is like… dickish. Except it doesn’t seem that this evil could possibly be his motive, given #2 and #3.
Best examples (recently): Antwon Blake, Marcel Reese, Michael Wilhoite, Malcolm Floyd
2. Applying this strategy to players that have literally zero chance of playing for him in the near future, only to immediately drop them, as if he didnt notice the massive red cross out next to their name and thought they were just sitting on the waiver wire due to oversight. Like say, if someone was suspended and was not able to play.
Best example: Justin Blackmon. He hasnt played since 2013 and was denied reinstatement.
3. Scouring the waiver wire for sleepers who will turn out to be useful for his team… only to consistently release the few viable waiver guys right back into the the free agent pool, even being sure to double down on some that he is really sure won’t help his team.
Best examples: Gary Barnidge, Dion Lewis, Willie Snead, Antonio Andrews, Stefon Diggs (twice!)
4. Trades that seem to violate every rule that he bestows upon us in egregious fashion, based on value assessments that would make Matthew Berry’s brain hurt. Victor Cruz might be dead (no seriously, I’m becoming worried that he might be legitimately dead), but that doesnt mean we get to forget that he traded away Brandon Marshall (19.6ppg this year) and LeGarrette Blount (12.2ppg with 17 last week) with him for the services of Knowshon Moreno and Jarvis Landry. He did turn Landry into a 1st rounder, but then drafted DeVante Adams, who he subsequently traded for Dion Lewis (who he already had for free but dropped) mere days after he suffered a season ending torn ACL. Knowshon Moreno is probably working at a Five Guys somewhere in the greater Miami area. There was also the questionable Giovani Bernard deal, and the potentially disastrous Justin Forsett trade, which he doubled down on by putting his chips on the table for Jonathon Stewart since starting two RBs in their 30s has never not worked out. I personally liked some of his trades and would’ve made them myself (even if I would never approve of having a ginger as my quarterback). But most of what he has done has failed to match up with the set of standards he holds us lowly mortals to in our trades.
5. A weird sidegame apparently going on between him and Sheed where they keep including the same exact players in deals and seeing if anyone will notice. Bowski acquired John Brown off the waiver wire (a nice pickup) then turned him into Sammie Coates (later cut by Bowski to make room for the subject of #7) and Matt Jones. Then Rashad Jennings gets involved, with Brown coming back alongside Andre Williams in deal #2. I hope Brown rented rather than bought, because he was then shipped out again (alongside Williams) for Joique Bell as the primary return. Then to complete the circle: Jennings, Jones, and Williams ALL headed back to Sheed in the Forsett deal. Apparently its a sneaky game of Go Fish and trying to keep track makes my brain hurt.
6. But thats not the end of his odd familiarity! Chris should really offer frequent flyer miles since he’s shuffling guys in and out so often that it becomes literally dizzying to try and follow. I begin to wonder if you can even consider someone a retread after the 4th time you dropped and re-added them. Are they the free agency equivalent of a late night booty call, where scouring the waiver wire has produced no winners, but the trigger finger was itchy and at least he knows they don’t have herpes? I really would like to know if any one of these guys has actually gotten a start, or if they are just left in the package for future “value” like a Sid Bream starting lineup from 1990.
Best examples: James White (4x), Michael Dyer (4x), Our #7
7. Steve/Stevie Johnson. I’m not sure it matters which name he is currently going by; this is apparently Bowski’s binkie. Perhaps this is the sinister strategy I referenced earlier, where Chris needs Stevie to constantly be on waivers, lest anyone else be allowed to have him. Like an ex that never moved on, I have to imagine Stevie’s Buffalo years must’ve been good to Bowski. We all know its tough to let go bud. But 6 different times you’ve added him in the last year and a half. Many of them fleeting; immediately dropping him again for some shiny new waiver claim (who you also probably dropped right away). The late night calls just to hang up; driving by his house late at night just to see who he’s with; stalking his facebook page to make sure he’s still a “free agent”? You gotta let Stevie go. Its time.
Obsessive Compulsive Sports 