NBA Preseason! The Shot Clock Pod - 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts

[00:00:04] Alright, I'm telling him to talk basketball for the first time in the 2024-25 NBA season. Excited to be back with more traditional 13 Rules NBA Random Thoughts show. And we'll talk a little bit more about that as we progress.

[00:00:19] I'm Jose Salviati, editor at the beachbasket.net. He's Steve Prusiello, a long time high school basketball coach, educator, vice principal, and athletic director.

[00:00:29] And this is the 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts Shot Clock Pod. Undeniably the best 15 minutes of random NBA thoughts online anywhere.

[00:00:37] Now during the NBA offseason, we pivoted a little bit and instead of talking about Steve's random thoughts, we discussed some of the greats in the NBA with someone who watched him play, that'd be Steve.

[00:00:48] We discussed Will Chamberlain, Sam Jones, Rick Barry, Pistol P. Maravich, a whole bunch of others.

[00:00:53] And make sure to find our page to read more about them and hear more about them. It was great talking about the NBA greats.

[00:01:00] We also had the opportunity to interview some current and past stars in the NBA, I think it's fair to call them.

[00:01:08] Referee Scott Foster joined us. NBA champions Kevin Grieve and Tom Henderson as well.

[00:01:13] It's been a phenomenal offseason. But now we're back, right? The NBA season starts this week.

[00:01:19] So we were back with kind of the traditional show and we're calling it the Shot Clock Pod for those who've been listening for a while.

[00:01:25] It's we called it a while ago. I like the name. We're back to it.

[00:01:29] So if this is your first time listening, welcome. If you don't know, this show was born out of the content

[00:01:35] of Steve's weekly 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts articles. Steve and I are going to have exactly 15 minutes to discuss whatever is on his mind.

[00:01:46] That's the name Shot Clock Pod. You get it? Today we'll discuss his latest 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts article

[00:01:53] with a focus on what he's seen so far in the NBA preseason. Steve, are you ready? Let's do it. I'm going to start the clock.

[00:02:03] I don't know. First point, the Denver Nuggets. They won it all in 2023. They have three time and reigning NBA MVP,

[00:02:12] and Nikola Jokic. But you said that they were a team on the decline.

[00:02:19] Why? Money.

[00:02:22] Yeah, they've decided this year. Last year was Bruce Brown. This year it's Caldwell Pelt.

[00:02:29] Coltwell Pelt's a good player. Yeah. On both ends of the court. Wins champion, won two championships already.

[00:02:35] Plays defense and he always hits the three and he hits it when the shot clock is down.

[00:02:40] And Denver's in trouble. They find him and he bangs a three and keeps everything going.

[00:02:46] He's gone. He's now in Orlando. Bruce Brown was gone last year.

[00:02:50] Bruce Brown was a key to sixth man in the championship season.

[00:02:53] They've lost those two. Their depth isn't real good.

[00:02:58] And it's just, it's starting to wear them down.

[00:03:02] I don't know how they're going to replace Coltwell Pelt. That's going to be difficult.

[00:03:07] From what I'm hearing, Gordon, they're struggling to sign him.

[00:03:13] His contract is, I think he's got two years, but they're offering him some money or one year.

[00:03:19] But it's not good.

[00:03:20] What's happened in the NBA is that second, second apron, nobody wants to go over it.

[00:03:24] And Denver, who's probably one of the wealthiest owners in the league, Kroenke, he doesn't want to go there.

[00:03:31] And so losing these guys that are keys to their team, they're not going to be as good.

[00:03:37] And they've got Jokic in his best years.

[00:03:39] It just makes no sense why you worry about the shot, the salary cap and all the other things down the road.

[00:03:47] But you don't do it now because you have a chance to win a title.

[00:03:50] And I'm reading also Malone, their coach, he's still going to become disgruntled with the front office.

[00:03:57] So obviously he wants these players and they're not signing him.

[00:04:00] And when you start reading that, you start realizing it's a slippery slope and it's a downhill process.

[00:04:07] So you don't like Russell Westbrook and KCP out. Not a fan?

[00:04:12] Let's figure.

[00:04:14] Who can play defense of the two?

[00:04:17] Who can shoot a three of the two?

[00:04:19] That's fairly...

[00:04:20] Yeah.

[00:04:21] And Russell Westbrook was bought in to play for the kind of second team.

[00:04:25] Mm-hmm.

[00:04:26] He wasn't bought in to start.

[00:04:27] They have a hole there.

[00:04:28] They're hoping that kid Brown can become Colwell Pope.

[00:04:32] Well, good luck.

[00:04:33] Just to me, Colwell Pope is one of the more underrated players in the game.

[00:04:38] And to lose him is just...

[00:04:40] It's crazy.

[00:04:41] And then the money situation, you know, to me, and again, it's not an owner that's scraping nickels.

[00:04:48] Cronky's got a lot of money.

[00:04:49] I believe he owns, what, out in LA, he owns the Chargers, is it?

[00:04:53] Or some...

[00:04:54] Not the Chargers.

[00:04:54] But he owns something out there with...

[00:04:56] I believe he owns just the arena.

[00:04:58] He just...

[00:04:58] He paid for the stadium or something?

[00:05:00] Yeah.

[00:05:00] I'm not sure.

[00:05:02] But, you know, Cron's got money.

[00:05:04] He's got money.

[00:05:07] Sad to see the decline of a once great team.

[00:05:10] We'll see if something can happen in Denver to turn things around.

[00:05:13] This is still a dangerous team, but hard to argue that they are in a decline.

[00:05:18] And generally, when you win it all, the only way to go is down, right?

[00:05:22] Unless you just...

[00:05:23] I'll just stay up there.

[00:05:24] Let's talk about another team that hasn't been at the pinnacle for a while.

[00:05:29] You wrote about the Chicago Bulls, and you said that they were destined to be the dreaded middle-of-the-road team,

[00:05:35] which is not really where nobody wants to be.

[00:05:37] You'd rather be really bad or really good, really.

[00:05:40] Quite honestly.

[00:05:40] But you did call out a silver lining, right, to the Bulls season.

[00:05:44] So, two-part question about the Bulls.

[00:05:45] What got them here to the middle of the road?

[00:05:47] What's the way out if there is one?

[00:05:49] And what's that silver lining to them?

[00:05:51] The silver lining, the good thing is Lonzo Bulls back.

[00:05:55] Yes, sir.

[00:05:56] I don't know how long or how well he's going to be, because I know he had a lot of...

[00:06:01] Almost like cartilage was put into his leg from some...

[00:06:04] It's just very complicated.

[00:06:06] It's experimental.

[00:06:07] Who knows what's going to happen with that?

[00:06:10] But it's good to see him back, and he's a good player.

[00:06:12] People forget that when he got hurt, the Bulls were the talk of the NBA that year.

[00:06:18] They were really playing well.

[00:06:20] Unfortunately, they've lost the Rosen.

[00:06:22] They really didn't pick up anybody in his place.

[00:06:25] They still have some players.

[00:06:26] Kobe Weiss, a player, and Ivuk Vucevic is good.

[00:06:30] So, they still will be okay.

[00:06:33] And they probably will be a play-in team, because the Eastern Conference,

[00:06:36] he's got about seven or eight good teams, and then after that, it falls off a cliff.

[00:06:41] Well, they're better than the bad teams in the league.

[00:06:45] But they're continually being a play-in team every year.

[00:06:49] They're good, because you get a middle draft pick.

[00:06:52] You're not getting a good pick.

[00:06:54] You're just not being able to do anything.

[00:06:57] And you need a couple players to get that going.

[00:06:59] So, they'll continue to be in the middle.

[00:07:03] And that's just slow-man.

[00:07:05] And the Bulls.

[00:07:06] And I'm wondering if the GM Kornishevich, if his hands are being tied where he can't do anything.

[00:07:13] Because they did nothing over the summer.

[00:07:15] Next time, Clark Levine is back.

[00:07:17] So, I'm wondering, because he had to.

[00:07:20] He'd be a fool to think you're going to win with that team.

[00:07:22] So, what exactly are they doing?

[00:07:25] I also think, with the situation and situations like, who's going to get the blame?

[00:07:31] The coach.

[00:07:32] Always.

[00:07:33] Billy Donovan, I would think, better not, not Walter Rink.

[00:07:38] Because he could have a problem.

[00:07:40] And he's a great coach.

[00:07:41] But that's the situation.

[00:07:44] I'm in LA.

[00:07:45] For those of you who have been a fan of the show for a while know, Steve is in the East Coast.

[00:07:50] And here in LA, we had a really bad owner a few decades ago.

[00:07:54] Who did not care.

[00:07:56] I'm not even going to say his name.

[00:07:57] Did not care about wins or losses.

[00:07:59] It was really about the bottom line.

[00:08:01] So, he didn't care whether he was middle of the road.

[00:08:04] If they got lucky and they made a playoff run, which they never did occasionally.

[00:08:08] Or if they were the worst team in the league.

[00:08:09] He didn't care.

[00:08:10] He just was about making the money.

[00:08:13] But it is.

[00:08:13] And I don't think, and I'm not saying that's the situation Chicago finds themselves in.

[00:08:17] But it is tough, right?

[00:08:19] When you're in the middle of the road.

[00:08:20] You've got to make the decision to spend money.

[00:08:22] To try to get better.

[00:08:24] Or to just sell all your assets, right?

[00:08:27] Get rid of them all.

[00:08:28] To suffer through some really bad seasons.

[00:08:30] To get to be really good.

[00:08:31] What do you think is keeping Chicago from making one of those decisions?

[00:08:34] Jerry Reinsdorf is the owner.

[00:08:35] In sports.

[00:08:37] We spend a lot of time analyzing a general manager and a coach.

[00:08:40] And those type things.

[00:08:42] Which is great.

[00:08:43] And it's fun because it's conversation.

[00:08:45] But you have no good owner.

[00:08:46] You have no good owner.

[00:08:47] On all teams.

[00:08:48] Jerry Reinsdorf owns them.

[00:08:50] As well as owning the White Sox.

[00:08:52] The big knock on Reinsdorf is he doesn't want to change.

[00:08:54] He's an ADE.

[00:08:55] You're all the soap.

[00:08:56] He doesn't want to change.

[00:08:58] He doesn't believe in analytics.

[00:08:59] He doesn't believe in a lot of things.

[00:09:01] You have to wonder if that filters through or what exactly.

[00:09:06] And the Bulls outside the Lakers and the Celtics.

[00:09:10] That's the biggest name in the NBA.

[00:09:13] Right.

[00:09:14] He really isn't keeping up with it.

[00:09:16] You wonder if there's, as I said, limits on what the general manager can do.

[00:09:21] Money limits.

[00:09:22] You don't know.

[00:09:23] But I look at it as more or less the owner.

[00:09:26] And I always look at ownership to decide what isn't.

[00:09:28] And I'm going to use Boston, which is a great subject.

[00:09:31] But when Boston, they traded Garnett and Pierce.

[00:09:35] Paul Pierce was Mr. Selk.

[00:09:37] But they trained him as well as Garnett and Jason Terry too.

[00:09:42] But what they got back was a draft pick for the Tatum.

[00:09:47] And you really.

[00:09:48] Yeah.

[00:09:48] Those are picks from that.

[00:09:50] Yeah.

[00:09:50] So look at what happened.

[00:09:52] And look where Boston's sitting.

[00:09:54] It took six or seven years.

[00:09:56] But I think they're sitting.

[00:09:57] So I don't know.

[00:09:58] I don't think the Bulls have anybody of Garnett or Pierce's worth.

[00:10:02] But you've got to stockpile some draft picks.

[00:10:04] What can you do to look at?

[00:10:06] Otherwise, you're going to be in the middle.

[00:10:09] It's fun.

[00:10:10] Yeah.

[00:10:11] No, agreed.

[00:10:11] And I think we're, we may be oversimplifying GM.

[00:10:14] The GM role.

[00:10:15] I know it's difficult, but Chicago has been there for a long time.

[00:10:18] And certainly hope that they make a move one way or the other.

[00:10:20] Moving on.

[00:10:21] Next topic.

[00:10:22] You called out one player that Summer touting is the face of the league.

[00:10:25] You said, pump the brakes on that.

[00:10:27] You can show who that player is.

[00:10:29] But who do you think that player will be in the 20, 24, 25 NBA season?

[00:10:34] It has to be Jokic until somebody, he's the champ.

[00:10:37] Until somebody knocks him off.

[00:10:39] Well, it's got to be.

[00:10:40] But Luka, of course, is the darling because he's not seven foot tall.

[00:10:44] And everybody has a love for the non big man.

[00:10:48] And Luka is an amazing offensive player.

[00:10:50] So I would think it'll be Luka and Luka.

[00:10:55] There's nothing negative about, he doesn't speak much, but there's nothing negative about his behavior.

[00:11:02] So that makes him more of someone that's beloved by a lot of people.

[00:11:06] So it has to be after a Yolkic, it just has to be Luka, which is interesting as they're both not American.

[00:11:13] And I wonder what the American people think about that.

[00:11:17] Yeah.

[00:11:18] And I think we'll save that topic for another pod.

[00:11:20] For another pod altogether.

[00:11:22] But it is an interesting topic, right?

[00:11:24] I'll be going to go ahead.

[00:11:25] Who's your face in a league?

[00:11:26] You and I talked about this.

[00:11:28] I do think Luka, most likely he just made it to the finals, right?

[00:11:33] He's a good team.

[00:11:35] He's a great player.

[00:11:36] I think the next big guy, literally and figuratively, is Wendby.

[00:11:41] Wendby is the bubbling face of the league.

[00:11:44] I'm seeing him do things.

[00:11:46] Even in preseason, you just don't see players do.

[00:11:48] And what has to happen for Wendby, of course, he's got to have that team success.

[00:11:53] And they're going to be better this season, the Spurs, but they're not going to be great.

[00:11:57] But over time, again, not an American dude, but the only American that comes to mind is

[00:12:03] probably Anthony Edwards, right?

[00:12:05] Who was called out in your article.

[00:12:07] You know what?

[00:12:07] I understand, but you know what?

[00:12:10] I've watched enough of him.

[00:12:12] He's not a great shooter.

[00:12:14] He's good.

[00:12:15] He makes a lot of things happen.

[00:12:17] He's exciting.

[00:12:18] He can defend when he wants to.

[00:12:20] He's got the makings of it, but he didn't get there.

[00:12:26] Last year, they should have.

[00:12:28] I don't.

[00:12:28] To me, I thought they had more talent than Dallas.

[00:12:31] I thought Boston would have a tough time with him.

[00:12:34] Or so than I thought against Dallas.

[00:12:37] But obviously they didn't come up big.

[00:12:39] And if you remember, he tried to carry his team and he didn't.

[00:12:43] And he did have more talent.

[00:12:45] And I'll emphasize that.

[00:12:46] Yeah.

[00:12:47] On his team.

[00:12:48] Then the other team, then Dallas.

[00:12:51] Let's see how this all sorts itself out.

[00:12:53] The NBA will start touting somebody.

[00:12:55] We'll know who it is.

[00:12:56] The last topic in an article that covered a few more things.

[00:12:59] Make sure to read Steve's article.

[00:13:01] You called out, right?

[00:13:02] No back-to-backs for Joel Embiid.

[00:13:04] Injury to start the season for Paul George.

[00:13:07] Load management very likely looming in Philadelphia.

[00:13:09] What do you think the Sixers ceiling is then this season?

[00:13:14] I think it gets difficult to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.

[00:13:18] Because what they're doing is cheating.

[00:13:22] Let's look at it.

[00:13:23] The first and second seed, the Boston and the Knicks.

[00:13:27] Now, if you come in third, you're going to either play Boston or the Knicks

[00:13:32] if you win your first round.

[00:13:33] And then you're going to play the other one if everything goes all according to form.

[00:13:37] You got it through two.

[00:13:38] That first seed is very important because of that.

[00:13:41] But without Embiid, they could drop lower, missing a bunch of games.

[00:13:45] They could drop lower and now Paul George is hurt.

[00:13:48] That's one of my pet peeves is when teams go out and pay a lot of money like they are for George,

[00:13:55] who are older, and when you look at it, they miss a lot of games.

[00:14:00] So you're paying a lot of money for guys that are giving you 60 games.

[00:14:03] How many games are you going to win?

[00:14:05] Unless Tyrese Maxey becomes, you know, super Donchick or something like, yeah.

[00:14:12] Probably you're going to lose some games.

[00:14:14] Although they did sign Andre Drummond, who's going to help them.

[00:14:18] But I don't see it.

[00:14:20] Don't forget it.

[00:14:22] They came back this year with really two guys.

[00:14:25] Everything else gone on the team.

[00:14:27] Only Maxey and Embiid.

[00:14:29] Most of those early guys were not back.

[00:14:32] What they did was buy a new team.

[00:14:36] Oh, how deep could they be?

[00:14:39] And you know, because you spent your money on Paul George.

[00:14:42] Him and Embiid and Maxey.

[00:14:45] That's the salary he can break.

[00:14:48] So I don't know how deep they're going to be when these guys are out.

[00:14:51] They do have Drummond, but who do they have for George?

[00:14:54] Tom, Tom, Miles Harris isn't there anymore.

[00:14:57] They've got Gordon, but he's a guard and he's a shooter.

[00:15:00] And they did re-sign Kelly Oubre.

[00:15:02] Right.

[00:15:03] But there's not a lot there.

[00:15:05] I don't know.

[00:15:05] I don't know.

[00:15:06] People are getting excited about them.

[00:15:08] I mean, getting over 30, paying a lot of money.

[00:15:11] I think it's crazy.

[00:15:13] Kawhi Leonard is a good example.

[00:15:15] Yeah.

[00:15:16] And yeah, I've got thoughts on the Clippers and Kawhi,

[00:15:19] but I'll save that for an article.

[00:15:21] But Messi to the big step is a player, right?

[00:15:24] Last season.

[00:15:25] It's not unreasonable to think he's going to take another one this season.

[00:15:29] He's a great player.

[00:15:31] He is.

[00:15:35] Gary, let's think about this.

[00:15:36] Okay, he got Maxi.

[00:15:38] I can think of if those, Embiid and George aren't playing,

[00:15:43] how good a team are they going to be?

[00:15:45] How good a team would they be in a season with only Maxi and the rest of that kids?

[00:15:50] 30 wins?

[00:15:52] Yeah.

[00:15:54] He, but how far?

[00:15:55] No.

[00:15:56] They lost the players to the 12 beat up.

[00:15:59] Embiid was hurt, but they lost to the Knicks.

[00:16:03] They had a good shot at beating them when the Knicks people were out for them.

[00:16:06] And couldn't.

[00:16:08] Yeah.

[00:16:09] We'll see.

[00:16:10] I remember when Embiid started, he talked about the process, right?

[00:16:13] They're there.

[00:16:14] They're there.

[00:16:15] The process is played out.

[00:16:16] They're there.

[00:16:17] Now let's see what kind of career Embiid has in Philadelphia.

[00:16:21] Man, it's great to talk basketball again.

[00:16:23] As fun as it was to talk about the greats of the past, it's really fun to talk about basketball.

[00:16:27] Now, you may or may not have heard the buzzer, but it did go off.

[00:16:30] So that's it.

[00:16:31] Our time is up.

[00:16:32] Please make sure to read Steve's entire article.

[00:16:35] We'll link it below to make sure you get all his thoughts on the coming 2024-2025 NBA season.

[00:16:40] And if you found us, but we're grateful, please like, subscribe, leave a comment.

[00:16:45] All of that stuff matters.

[00:16:47] We will do this weekly throughout all of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

[00:16:52] And I look forward to hearing from you.

[00:16:54] Again, thank you for joining.

[00:16:56] Thanks for listening.

[00:16:56] This has been 13 Rules, Random NBA Thoughts, Shot Club Pod, the best 15 minutes of NBA Random Thoughts online.

[00:17:03] We'll talk next week.

[00:17:04] Thanks, Steve.