Shot Clock Pod - Week 7

[00:00:00] Alright, it's time to talk basketball. I'm Jose Salviati, editor at ThePeachBasket.net. He's Steve Perciello, a long-time educator, vice principal, high school basketball coach, and athletic director. And this is a special version of the Shot Clock Pod. For those of you who happen to be watching us, you can see that Steve is in beautiful tropical Florida. I am not.

[00:00:24] But this remains the best 15 minutes of NBA Random Thoughts Online. The show must go on vacation or not. If this is your first time listening, welcome. We're glad you found us. This podcast was born out of the content of Steve's 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts articles, which he publishes weekly. Steve and I have exactly 15 minutes to discuss what's on his mind around the NBA. Today we'll discuss his latest 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts article with some interesting thoughts on some very interesting topics.

[00:00:54] Steve, Steve. I ask it every time. I ask it every time. The answer is always the same, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Are you ready?

[00:01:00] Yeah, but I just wanted to add something. You're complaining. You're sitting in beautiful Southern California and you're complaining that I'm lucky. This is getting ridiculous.

[00:01:11] That's fair. We're both lucky. I'm just not by the water right now. That's the only difference, but fair enough.

[00:01:17] All right, let's start the countdown timer and let's start talking basketball.

[00:01:23] We start with a team that kind of came out of nowhere, for me anyway, the Atlanta Hawks. They've had a nice run of late. You called out in your article they beat the Cavs twice.

[00:01:35] They gave the Lakers a run yesterday. That wasn't in your article, but they've been playing some good teams and beating them.

[00:01:41] I got to ask you, are they for real and ready to make a move in the East or is this just an aberration?

[00:01:48] I think they found something. I think they're legit. I mentioned the two. First of all, DeAndre Hunter is playing real well. He's not hurt. He's been hurt often. So that's a major thing. Jalen Johnson is becoming better and better.

[00:02:00] I missed Dyson Daniels, who the great barrier thief, great defender, probably going to be a first team all defense, but they got him for DeJounte Murray. I think that's a steal now. I didn't think about it then, but that's a steal.

[00:02:15] And then they got Bogdan Bogdanovich, who can shoot. Rhys Hachet, who can play. He was a first pick in the draft. So they're pretty deep. And then they got Okongwu and Capella, who alternated at the center. They've always had talent.

[00:02:29] I think Trey Young is starting to get it. He's not looking shot first. That's making those guys better. And then the health of a few of them, like Bogdanovich, who's another one that's hurt. Hunter, who's always hurt, has really solidified them.

[00:02:45] And Jalen Johnson just got a big contract. He's still developing. So they're going to get better, I think. And it's nice to see that Trey Young, who's been maligned by me as well as anybody else, he's finally starting to get it.

[00:03:00] And he understands. And I'll tell you what, I thought Quinn Snyder, nothing was changing. It took him time, but I think he's getting through to these guys and he's getting something out of them.

[00:03:12] So I think all the parts are adding up and you got a nice situation.

[00:03:17] You called this out in your article, and I don't want to shorten the respect for the Atlanta Hawks. Not only did they beat Cleveland twice, they beat the Bucs. Last night they beat a Laker team, which isn't as impressive, but it's on the list.

[00:03:30] And Dyson Daniels, somebody that I know pretty well. We've been following him in our top performers in the NBA. He's led the NBA in steals three out of the first six weeks. The guy's for real. And really fun to watch him play basketball.

[00:03:45] So let me ask you, though, a pointed question about the Hawks, because you do seem to think that you're high on them. They found something. What's their ceiling? Could they sneak into the conference finals or is that asking for too much?

[00:03:58] But I think they've got a shot at them, Orlando or Milwaukee with fourth place. I think they have a legitimate chance at that. They're not with the big three teams that are just really good. But you know what? They'll get better. And there's a future. Daniels is young. Johnson's young. Hunter's relatively young. There's a future there.

[00:04:20] And Rhys Hachet is a rookie and he's pretty good as a first pick should be. So it's not like one and done. This should be OK if they can keep everybody together.

[00:04:32] Love that. Love that for Atlanta. I'm actually happy for that franchise. Let's hope it pans out the way you envision it.

[00:04:39] Another team that might be bouncing back after a rough start and a rough last season are the Memphis Grizzlies.

[00:04:46] So same question. Are they ready to make a move in the West or are they an aberration?

[00:04:53] First of all, trying to figure out the West is next to impossible.

[00:04:58] But I do think they're back to where they were two years ago.

[00:05:02] Bain and Smart and Ja, they're playing now.

[00:05:05] And Jackson. And as long as they play, those are talented people.

[00:05:09] And there's some other Zach Eady who's not a bad rookie.

[00:05:11] There's talent. So if they stay healthy, 50 wins possibly and a puncher's chance in the playoffs.

[00:05:19] You never know. Dallas came through it last year.

[00:05:22] So who knows? Who knows what can happen?

[00:05:26] I'm not.

[00:05:27] When they played Boston in the finals, I wasn't real impressed with Dallas.

[00:05:30] But they caught lightning in a bottle and they got it going and they did well.

[00:05:36] So you don't know in the West what could happen.

[00:05:39] And again, I mentioned Phoenix a week ago.

[00:05:41] I think if they got hot, they're a tough team and healthy.

[00:05:45] It's a really difficult thing to even try to guess.

[00:05:49] I have no idea.

[00:05:50] I have no idea what to think in the Western.

[00:05:53] Maybe it'll start shaking itself out as the time goes on.

[00:05:56] Yeah. And we do tend to see that over time.

[00:05:59] But we'll see.

[00:06:00] But bottom line for Memphis, numbers don't lie, right?

[00:06:03] 27-55 last season.

[00:06:06] 15-8 so far as we record this.

[00:06:08] So far this season.

[00:06:10] Or at least I should say as you wrote the article.

[00:06:11] So yeah, certainly we see a turnaround.

[00:06:14] And yeah, at the end of the day, they got some horses in that team.

[00:06:16] They are a good basketball team.

[00:06:18] So good to see them bouncing back.

[00:06:19] A team that maybe is going in the other direction

[00:06:24] are the Indiana Pacers.

[00:06:25] I think last season, they were the darlings of the NBA.

[00:06:29] They overperformed 47-35 in the regular season.

[00:06:33] Made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals

[00:06:36] before they lost to eventual champion, I forget,

[00:06:38] some team from the East.

[00:06:39] I can't recall.

[00:06:40] But they're struggling this season.

[00:06:42] What's wrong in Indiana?

[00:06:44] That's ironic.

[00:06:45] But I think what is ironic is the fact that

[00:06:48] they're scoring 10 less points a game.

[00:06:50] I always thought the defense would catch up to them.

[00:06:52] But the offense has.

[00:06:54] It's Halliburton.

[00:06:55] He got hurt last year against Boston in the middle of the season.

[00:06:58] And he hasn't been the same since.

[00:07:00] I don't know if he's still injured, but he's not shooting well.

[00:07:03] And he used to look for the three.

[00:07:05] He doesn't look for it.

[00:07:06] He's only shooting 33% from three.

[00:07:09] He's been over 40% a couple times in his career.

[00:07:12] And he's down in points.

[00:07:14] So that's where you begin with the problem offensively.

[00:07:17] They've had injuries.

[00:07:19] Neesmith has been hurt.

[00:07:20] And Neesmith is the guy who guards the best player on the other team.

[00:07:24] So they've had some problems.

[00:07:26] But I pointed to Halliburton.

[00:07:28] And if he's not hurt, I have no idea what happened here.

[00:07:33] This guy was selected for the Olympics over guys like Jalen Brooks.

[00:07:36] And now he's become pedestrian.

[00:07:39] And it's very difficult to understand.

[00:07:43] And I think that plays into the situation.

[00:07:47] I'm looking at the numbers now.

[00:07:48] And it's pretty staggering across the board.

[00:07:52] Now, keep in mind, his numbers are down.

[00:07:55] His minutes are up.

[00:07:56] He's playing more.

[00:07:58] He's scoring less.

[00:08:00] Three points less.

[00:08:01] His effective shooting is 52% over 57.

[00:08:06] His assists are down from 11 to 8.4.

[00:08:09] It's just a monumental drop in effectiveness while getting more time on the court.

[00:08:15] That's not usually how this works out.

[00:08:18] You play more, your numbers go up.

[00:08:20] It is baffling.

[00:08:22] Is it just Halliburton?

[00:08:24] I really haven't seen, unfortunately, a lot of the Pacers.

[00:08:27] I've watched him.

[00:08:28] Something else going on.

[00:08:29] He's tentative.

[00:08:31] Where he was before, he was just willing to take the big shot and do anything.

[00:08:36] And suddenly that's not there.

[00:08:38] It starts with the point guard, obviously.

[00:08:41] And he hasn't helped.

[00:08:42] Miles Turner's not having as good a year as he had last year.

[00:08:44] But there's little things here that aren't quite working out as they should.

[00:08:49] But I look at it as it starts with him.

[00:08:53] They were never a good defensive team, but they were outscoring everybody.

[00:08:57] But now with the points down, they're not outscoring anybody.

[00:09:01] So there's a problem.

[00:09:03] It's hard to put your hand on it.

[00:09:04] But I'll tell you what.

[00:09:05] Also, I've seen them getting blown out where they're not even in game.

[00:09:09] And that's just, it's stunning to me.

[00:09:12] And a lot of times, and I'm just conjecturing.

[00:09:14] But a lot of times when things like that are going on, there might be some inner problems with people.

[00:09:19] And that's just a guess.

[00:09:22] Yeah.

[00:09:23] Something's not right.

[00:09:25] Yep.

[00:09:26] Yeah.

[00:09:26] Sad to see.

[00:09:27] And those kind of things have a way of coming out right over time.

[00:09:30] So we'll see if something was going on internally.

[00:09:33] But the Hawks came back.

[00:09:34] We talked about them.

[00:09:35] The Grizzlies came back.

[00:09:36] We talked about them.

[00:09:37] Hopefully there's still time for the Pacers.

[00:09:42] So let's finish with, and again, Steve's article discusses more teams.

[00:09:47] We're just calling out a few because we are limited.

[00:09:49] This is the Shot Clock Pod, 15 minutes of random NBA thoughts.

[00:09:53] But you also brought up not a team that's necessarily excelling or a team that's struggling.

[00:09:59] This is a team that's getting better but working hard to get to the middle.

[00:10:03] And that's the rising San Antonio Spurs.

[00:10:06] I think Wemby is going to be the face of the NBA in just a few years.

[00:10:10] He's spectacular.

[00:10:11] But what do you think this season is the ceiling for San Antonio?

[00:10:17] I think 40 wins is a great year.

[00:10:21] Nice.

[00:10:21] It's a great comeback.

[00:10:22] They're putting together some nice pieces.

[00:10:24] I'm going to, one negative, and I think Wemby is the future of the NBA.

[00:10:29] However, he misses a lot of games.

[00:10:35] And that's like an epidemic in the NBA.

[00:10:38] Sure.

[00:10:40] Guys that good have to do it every day.

[00:10:43] And he doesn't.

[00:10:45] And that's not a knock.

[00:10:46] It's just that when he's out, they get blown out.

[00:10:50] When he plays, they do well.

[00:10:51] And it's a very important thing.

[00:10:54] But besides him, I'm very high on Stephan Castle.

[00:10:58] He's a real good defender.

[00:11:02] Not a great shooter.

[00:11:03] First round pick.

[00:11:04] Getting better.

[00:11:06] Takes control on the floor.

[00:11:07] Really does a nice job.

[00:11:09] Chris Pauls is, he's mentoring him.

[00:11:13] And that helps.

[00:11:14] Chris Pauls still got something left, as I pointed out.

[00:11:17] He's got eight assists a game.

[00:11:19] So, you got that.

[00:11:20] Now, don't forget, Jeremy Sohan has been injured.

[00:11:25] He's just coming back.

[00:11:26] He's becoming a real nice player.

[00:11:28] He was a first round pick three, four years ago.

[00:11:31] They got him.

[00:11:32] Kelden Johnson is making good money.

[00:11:34] Over $20 million a year.

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

[00:11:37] Devin Vassell is another good player.

[00:11:40] And they're young.

[00:11:42] They're getting better along with Wendy.

[00:11:44] As they mature, I'm sure they might get a higher level, like a 14th pick this year in a lottery,

[00:11:52] a 10th, somewhere.

[00:11:54] That's another player to add to the pieces.

[00:11:56] They also smartly brought in Harrison Barnes, who's an old-time vet.

[00:12:02] Still got something left.

[00:12:03] He scored about 12-13.

[00:12:04] And he's still helping them.

[00:12:06] So, him and Chris Paul are mentoring.

[00:12:09] And that's important.

[00:12:10] And I think if you watch the NBA, that teams like Detroit's another one,

[00:12:15] they bring in the old hands to mentor the young players.

[00:12:19] And that brings out an improvement.

[00:12:21] And I think all those things coming together are nice.

[00:12:25] It would be great to see Popovich come back as a coach after his illness.

[00:12:31] That would be even better, and it'd be wonderful.

[00:12:34] Right.

[00:12:34] But even without him, they're playing well, and they have a real future.

[00:12:40] Yeah.

[00:12:41] Undeniable.

[00:12:42] We compared Tyrese Halliburton's numbers.

[00:12:45] Let's do the same for Wembe.

[00:12:46] His numbers, minutes are also up.

[00:12:48] But unlike what we saw for Halliburton, field goal percentage is up.

[00:12:52] Field goal attempts are up.

[00:12:54] Total points are up.

[00:12:55] This guy is getting more time and just getting better.

[00:12:59] You said 40, 41 wins.

[00:13:01] I know the West, and you called it out earlier, the West is a mass and it's hard to predict.

[00:13:06] But is that going to get them to the play-in?

[00:13:08] Are they going to make some noise?

[00:13:09] If they were in the Eastern Conference, they might get the fifth seed.

[00:13:13] But in the West, they got an outside shot.

[00:13:16] I'd say an outside shot at a play-in game.

[00:13:19] And it's hard because every time you turn them on, he might not play or whatever.

[00:13:24] So it's really hard to get a good gauge of how they match up with the better teams.

[00:13:30] If you watch the better teams in the West, and I'll miss somebody, but Denver, Houston, Phoenix, who else?

[00:13:36] I'm missing teams.

[00:13:37] Dallas.

[00:13:38] But the point is...

[00:13:39] No, I said good teams.

[00:13:40] The point being, when you get to watch a team play a good team, you get a gauge on how good they can be.

[00:13:49] And I'm really struggling to get the gauge on them.

[00:13:54] So it's difficult.

[00:13:55] By the way, I would put the Lakers a notch or two bigger.

[00:13:58] I would think the Lakers are solid.

[00:14:00] A real solid play-in team this year.

[00:14:03] I don't know.

[00:14:04] I think the Lakers might be a little better right now.

[00:14:06] So it's hard.

[00:14:07] I think they're going to come up a little short.

[00:14:10] I hope you all heard the buzzer go off, because that was the first time in the history of the show that we actually got to the period at the end of a statement, and the buzzer went off.

[00:14:18] It was like a buzzer beater.

[00:14:19] That was perfect.

[00:14:20] I do have to apologize to Laker Nation for teeing Steve up with that one, and he hit it out of the park.

[00:14:25] That was actually brilliant.

[00:14:28] But again, apologies to Laker Nation.

[00:14:30] Great take on the Spurs.

[00:14:32] I actually enjoy watching them play.

[00:14:33] I think they're fun and hoping that things go well for that team out in the southern part of Texas.

[00:14:39] But that's it.

[00:14:39] Time's up.

[00:14:40] Hopefully you heard our buzzer go off.

[00:14:41] Thanks for listening.

[00:14:42] Make sure to read Steve's entire 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts article.

[00:14:46] We'll link it below.

[00:14:47] To get more random thoughts on more good teams after week seven of the 2024-25 NBA season, please, as always, consider subscribing, liking, sharing.

[00:14:58] All of that stuff matters.

[00:15:00] We would love to hear from you, and we appreciate the support.

[00:15:03] Join us next week on the Shot Clock Pod, the best 15 minutes of random NBA thoughts online anywhere.

[00:15:11] Steve will talk then.

[00:15:12] Take care.

[00:15:12] Take care.

[00:15:13] Take care.